South Africa: Presidency condemns criminal attacks on journalists

This story has been published on: 2021-10-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

The Electoral Commission and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) have joined hands with major social media platforms to fight the spread of disinformation, in the run up to, during and beyond the 1 November 2021 municipal elections. The Commission and MMA, who in 2019 launched a joint action - to deal with disinformation, have reached an agre... See more
South Africa: Fight to combat GBVF is a societal one

Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister John Jeffery says the fight against gender- based violence and femicide (GBVF) is not one that government can win alone.

He was speaking during the presentation of Social Change Assistance Trust's (SCAT) research into GBVF.

The research aimed to identify and understand how community based advice organisations are dealing with GBVF and its impact in rural areas.

Jeffery highlighted that government has taken strides through legislation and other measures to fight the scourge but, communities also need to become involved.

Over the past two years, South Africa has had to ask itself some tough questions in relation to GBV. Our country has some of the most advanced legislation in the world in dealing with GBV matters, so why are levels of GBV so high? What can be done to improve under-reporting?

We cannot rely on legislation only in trying to combat and prevent GBVF  communities, civil society and religious institutions all have a role to play, the Deputy Minister said on Wednesday.

Jeffery emphasised that addressing the root cause of GBV lies in engaging men and fighting the patriarchal systems that still exist.

We have to talk to men and boys, because men have been the dominant perpetrators of GBVF. Men are often the problem  and therefore men have to be part of the solution.

Studies have shown that patriarchal value systems are still prevalent in South African families and communities. Some men believe that male dominance and male entitlement is the norm. Some men believe that domestic violence is a private matter that happens behind closed doors and is therefore acceptable. These are the attitudes that we must change, Jeffrey said.

He said the recognition of the need for dialogue has led to the department establishing Under the Tree Dialogues in communities.

The aim isto vigorously engage with men and boys to change the toxic attitudes and beliefs around masculinity and patriarchy that lead to violence against women and children.

This is also where our schools, our religious institutions and our communities have a fundamental role to play and if a particular [community based advice organisation] identifies a need for such a dialogue to take place in a specific area or community, [they] should feel free to engage with us in order to make these dialogues a reality.

Jeffery listed some key interventions that government has installed to fight GBVF and to offer enhanced services and protection to the survivors and victims of GBV. These include:

Three anti-GBV Bills which were recently passed by Parliament to strengthen the response to GBV and to offer further protection to survivors of GBV.

The establishment of Sexual Offences Courts, which offer victim-support services.

The use of in-camera testifying services for children, persons with mental disabilities, and all traumatised victims.

The approval of regulations, which set out a catalogue of support services and resources that must constitute a section 55A Sexual Offences Court. These services include court support, court preparation, emotional containment, trauma debriefing, counselling, private testifying service, intermediary services and information services.

Victims and survivors of GBVF can call the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre toll-free on 0800 428 428 for assistance or send a please call me at *120*7867# with a request that a social worker contact them or they can also sms the word help to 31531. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-10-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: Green I&T event held

Secretary for the Environment KS Wong today attended the second Green I&T Day held by the Environment Bureau, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department and the Guangdong Provincial Association for Science & Technology.

This is the first green innovation and technology (I&T) event organised by the Government after the promulgation of Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050.

The event aims to provide a platform for experts, academia and the trade to exchange I&T solutions towards achieving carbon neutrality.

Speaking during the occasion, Mr Wong said the action plan outlines the long-term strategies and measures for achieving carbon neutrality before 2050.

He expressed hope that the event could capitalise on the I&T capability of the Mainland and Hong Kong with the goal of striving towards carbon neutrality as well as accelerating the adoption of I&T solutions developed by universities and startups.

This could strengthen co-operation in taking forward ecological conservation of the Greater Bay Area, resulting in an all-win situation, he added.

The physical event was held simultaneously in Hong Kong and Dongguan with live broadcasting online.

Experts exchanged views on themes of green transformation and low-carbon city in transforming towards increasing decarbonisation.

The affair attracted about 200 participants from sectors that included I&T, the electrical and mechanical trade, universities and public organisations. Over 100,000 views were recorded for the live broadcast.

This story has been published on: 2021-10-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: SA, China to discuss strengthening Parliament-to-Parliament relations

This story has been published on: 2021-10-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

The community of Sheepmoor in the Msukaligwa Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, is set to get a steady supply of clean water after the completion of a bulk water supply scheme project. Officially handed over this week by Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo; Gert Sibande District Executive Mayor, Muzi Chirwa and Msukaligwa E... See more
South Africa: New bridges officially opened in KZN

Transport Deputy Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has officially opened four bailey bridges in the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.

Chikunga said the bridges are a result of the partnership between national, provincial and local government.

This is reflective of [effective] inter-governmental cooperative governance, which we aim to achieve through the District Development Model, announced and launched by President Ramaphosa, Chikunga said.

Chikunga said the handing over of the bridges comes at a time when the transport sector is engaged with the October Transport Month (OTM) campaign activities.

This particular campaign seeks to showcase to South Africans and the world the strides that have been achieved so far in the provision of safer, affordable, accessible and reliable transport services, systems as well as world-class infrastructure for the country across all modes of transport.

The Department of Public Works has committed to build bailey bridges, which are intended to ensure safe access to social services including schools, clinics, police stations and the South African Social Security Agency.

The construction of the bailey bridges, especially in inaccessible rural areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal province, is part of governments bailey bridge intervention programme managed by the national Department of Public Works and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) acting as the implementing agent of the programme, Chikunga said.

During the construction phase, various types of jobs benefiting local labour, student and graduate engineers, and mentors appointed by the Department of Public Works benefited from the project both in terms of earning wages and skills transfers.

Chikunga used the platform to announce another project, the Welisizwe Rural Bridge Programme, which was gazetted by the Minister of Public Works on 24 July 2021.

The programme is in line with the Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP 26) and will be funded through the Presidential Job Stimulus. It will be implemented jointly by the Departments of Transport and Public Works.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and Community Safety and Liaison has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works and SANDF to upscale the construction of bridges and improve mobility.

The SANDF, as the implementing agent of the programme, has completed several bridges in the province.

In the Ugu District Municipality, the construction of four bailey bridges has been completed, while 10 other bridges were constructed in other parts of the province, including uMzinyathi District Municipality and Pietermaritzburg.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-10-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: 'Up to 180k health workers may have died from Covid'

The World Health Organization on Thursday said that up to 180,000 healthcare workers may have been killed by Covid-19 up to May this year, insisting they must be prioritised for vaccination.

A WHO paper estimated that out of the world's 135 million health staff, "between 80,000 to 180,000 health and care workers could have died from Covid-19 in the period between January 2020 to May 2021".

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said healthcare workers needed to be immunised against the disease first, as he slammed the global inequity in the vaccine roll-out.

"Data from 119 countries suggest that on average, two in five health and care workers globally are fully vaccinated. But of course, that average masks huge differences across regions and economic groupings."

"In Africa, less than in one in 10 health workers have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, in most high-income countries, more than 80 percent of health workers are fully vaccinated."

He added: "We call on all countries to ensure that all health and care workers in every country are prioritised for Covid-19 vaccines, alongside other at-risk groups."

Tedros said that more than 10 months on since the first vaccines were approved by the WHO, the fact that millions of health workers still had not been vaccinated was an "indictment" on the countries and companies controlling the global supply of doses.

Annette Kennedy, president of the International Council of Nurses, said the organisation grieved for all healthcare workers who had lost their lives  "many needlessly; many we could have saved".

"It's a shocking indictment of governments. It's a shocking indictment of their lack of duty of care to protect healthcare workers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives," she said.

Kennedy added: "They are now burnt out, they are devastated, they are physically and mentally exhausted. And there is a prediction that 10 percent of them will leave within a very short time."

The WHO wants each country to have vaccinated 40 percent of its population by the end of the year, but Tedros said 82 countries were now at risk of missing that target, chiefly through insufficient supply. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-10-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: Smoking bill passage welcomed

The Government welcomed the passage of the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 by the Legislative Council today.

Meeting the media at the LegCo Complex, Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan said the Government will reinforce its efforts on tobacco control through a multipronged approach in order to achieve the target of reducing the city's smoking prevalence to 7.8%.

It will focus on two aspects of work when reviewing the current tobacco control policies - the prevention of second-hand smoke and smoking cessation.

Prof Chan noted that the non-smoking areas will be expanded to protect people from exposure to second-hand smoke.

On smoking cessation, the Government will capitalise on the newly set up district health centres (DHCs) or DHC expresses in the community to facilitate people to quit smoking.

"We will try our best to add the focus of not only helping people who are traditional cigarette smokers, but also smokers that have been taking heated tobacco products or the dual smokers," the health chief said.

She added that the Government will formulate a timetable for achieving a tobacco endgame in Hong Kong, while at the same time preventing people from becoming new smokers.

This story has been published on: 2021-10-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Oc Eo - Ba The relic site to be proposed for UNESCO recognition

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism to submit a brief report on the Oc Eo - Ba The relic site to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, proposing putting the site on the Tentative List.













At the Oc Eo - Ba The relic site (Source: baovanhoa.vn)

He assigned the Peoples Committee of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, where the relic site is located, to chair the process of building a dossier for the site.



The special national relic site of the ancient Oc Eo civilisation covers 433.2ha of land in Oc Eo township of Thoai Son district.



The Oc Eo civilisation, part of the ancient kingdom of Phu Nam, was first discovered by French archaeologist Louis Malleretin in 1942 via artefacts unearthed in the area of Ba The Mountain, now in Oc Eo township.



The civilisation, named after Mound Oc Eo in Thoai Son district where the relic site was first found, took shape and developed strongly in southern Vietnam between the first and seventh century.



Apart from Thoai Son, relics of the Oc Eo civillisation have also been found in other localities of An Giang province. There is a rich diversity of artefacts discovered so far, including those relating to religion, architecture, graves, and canals.



The Tentative List is an inventory of properties which States Parties consider to be cultural and/or natural heritage of outstanding universal value and therefore suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List.
Hanoi faces waste storage crisis

Xuan Son Landfill in Hanoi's Son Tay Town stopped receiving waste from October 6 due to overloading. Local authorities have had to move all rubbish to the Nam Son Landfill in Soc Son District which is also reaching full capacity.





Xuan Son Landfill has closed due to overloading



The city is facing a rubbish treatment crisis.



In an urgent report announced by the managers of the Xuan Son Landfill, all three tailings ponds built to contain wastewater from buried rubbish at the landfill have already reached their capacity. The ponds now contain about 54,000 cubic metres of wastewater while some 3,000 cubic metres more are kept in temporary containers.



"We've been trying to collect the wastewater spill from the overloaded tailings ponds," the report said. "The problems have been temporarily curbed and we have started a 10-day pilot plan to receive 500 tonnes of waste a day from October 20."



The managers have also proposed to build more tailings ponds on a 5.6-hectare area in Ba Vi District.



Over the past two weeks, authorities in Son Tay Town have had to gather rubbish in temporary areas while the Xuan Son Landfill closed. Families in some areas have been asked to keep rubbish in their homes as there were no public places to put the waste.



At present, the capital has two landfills, Xuan Son and Nam Son, which are all treating waste by burying. Both of these landfills have constantly operated beyond their capacity and are now already overloaded.



The Xuan Son Landfill used to deal with 1,400 tonnes of rubbish a day which was 230 tonnes higher than their capacity.



In an effort to deal with the problem, Hanoi People's Committee Vice-Chairman Nguyen Trong Dong has asked the construction department to build a new 2.2-hectare dumping site in Ba Vi District.



Meanwhile, the Soc Son Waste-to-Energy project in Nam Son Waste Treatment Complex which was expected to deal with 90 percent of waste at the Nam Son Landfill failed to finish construction as expected in September.



The project was approved in late 2017 with a total investment of VND7 trillion (USD303 million). Once completed, it will be the largest in Vietnam and the second largest in the world with a capacity of handling 4,000 tonnes of dry solid waste per day.



Speaking with the Tien Phong Newspaper, a representative from the project investor, the Hanoi-based Thien Y Environmental Energy JSC, said that they faced difficulties in employing staff due to the recent Covid-19 outbreak.



Vice-Chairman Nguyen Trong Dong urged the investor to try to put the plant into operation by March next year.
Pregnant woman saved from Covid-19 after 86-day treatment

Doctors at the HCM City-based 175 Military Hospital has just announced the full recovery of a Covid-19-infected pregnant woman after 86 days of treatment.













Doctors take care of a Covid-19-infected pregnant woman at the HCM City-based 175 Military Hospital

According to reports from the hospital, Le Thi Thanh Thao, 33, was admitted to the Cu Chi Field Hospital for Covid-19 treatment in July while in her 37th week of pregnancy. After giving birth by C-Section, Thao's condition worsened and she was transferred to the 175 Military Hospital where she was supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).



Deputy head of the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, Vu Dinh An, said that Thao experienced coagulation disorders and went into respiratory failure during the first days at the hospital. She was given various treatment methods besides the ECMO support.



"Her coagulation disorders posed lots of challenges during the use of ECMO," the doctor said. "She suddenly went into critical condition a couple of times before she recovered."



The doctor also revealed that with 61 days using ECMO, the cost for her treatment was very high, at over VND 2.30 billion (USD100,000). Covid-19 treatment is covered by the government.



"This is the highest cost for treating a Covid-19 patient in Vietnam so far," the doctor said. "The patient was also the one who showed the strongest will and energy we've ever seen."



Speaking on October 20 before leaving the hospital, Thao expressed her deep thanks to the doctors for saving her from the disease.













Le Thi Thanh Thao (in yellow) and her husband talk with a doctor before she leaves the hospital on October 20



"Thank you so much for giving me one more life," she said. "Now I cant wait to return home and meet my baby."
Project launched to protect key coastal habitats in Mekong Delta region

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Directorate of Fisheries of the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Thursday launched the Mekong Delta Coastal Habitat Conservation project.

Participants at the launching event

The project, which was announced during US Vice President Kamala Harriss visit to Vietnam in August, has a planned budget of USD2.9 million provided by USAID.

This three-year project aims to protect key coastal habitats in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam to increase the sustainability of fisheries, enhance climate change adaptation, and improve biodiversity conservation.





The Mekong Delta and its islands are home to 70% of Vietnams mangroves and 90% of its seagrass beds. Fed by the sediment and nutrients from the Mekong River, these habitats support Vietnams richest fishing grounds, but are also under growing threat. The deltas mangrove forests, which provide nursery habitat for sea bass, snapper, and other commercially important species, and important protection for coastal communities from storm surges, are declining due to sea level rise. The deltas crucial fishery habitats are further threatened by environmental pressures including prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, and aquaculture demand for groundwater, and intensive near-shore fishing which has depleted fish stocks, causing cascading ecological damage.

By partnering with businesses, provincial governments, the management board of Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Phu Quoc National Park and fishing communities, the project will work to mitigate threats to coastal biodiversity and fisheries, and enhance coastal resilience in the Mekong Delta.

Geographically, the projects activities will focus on the deltas lowest lying and most vulnerable coastlines along the East and West Seas, Phu Quoc MPA, and three small island clusters in the West Sea (Hai Tac, Ba Lua, Nam Du). The main components of the project include strengthening management of Phu Quoc MPA for more effective habitat and species conservation; establishing a network of locally managed marine areas to protect coral reefs, seagrass beds in three island clusters; and exploring solutions to conserve and expand mangrove forests to increase fish nursery habitat and coastal biodiversity.

It is expected that the projects outcomes will contribute to addressing the systemic threats in the Mekong Delta, in support of ongoing measures being taken by the Government of Vietnam, such as the revised Fisheries Law, 2018 Resolution 36, Resolution 120, and 2019 Planning Law.
Rio de Janeiro (dpa) - The national anti-doping agencies from Germany and Austria on Monday demanded a complete ban for Russia at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.



"We demanded that already for the Summer Olympics in Rio, and our opinion has not changed," Andrea Gotzmann, chairwoman of the German NADA, told the German state TV channel ARD.



"The Winter Games will take place in about one-and-a-half years and you must say here as well that the Russian state has thwarted and cheated the anti-doping system," Gotzmann said following a joint press conference by the German and Austrian NADAs in Rio.



"Therefore we must demand a ban on participation for Pyeongchang as well."



Richard McLaren, who is investigating in Russia for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), reported a widespread and state-sponsored doping scheme in Russia, and said that the control lab at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi swapped postive doping samples of Russian athletes for clean ones.



"The situation is only worsening," said Michael Cepic, managing director of the Austrian NADA. "The structures cannot be changed overnight. Therefore we demand a complete suspension for 2018."



Russia escaped a blanket ban for Rio from the IOC and has 278 athletes competing after being cleared by their international federations and the International Olympic Committee. But the International Paralympic Committee Sunday imposed a full ban on Russia for the upcoming Rio Paralympics.




France's Le Pen to reveal election programme to supporters

French far-right leader and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen was set to lay out her key policies in a speech to supporters on Sunday, ahead of elections beginning in April.

GALLERY

Le Pen has promised her followers "144 pledges to put France in order," including major strengthening of security forces, withdrawal from the visa-free Schengen area and the reintroduction of a French currency.

Lyon, France (dpa) - On the first of two days of events in the city of Lyon over the weekend, the National Front party said it would hold a referendum on the countrys European Union membership if it wins the upcoming presidential elections.Polls predict that the 48-year-old party leader will reach the second round in the elections, although she remains well behind in polls regarding the decisive presidential election in May.Le Pen has promised her followers "144 pledges to put France in order," including major strengthening of security forces, withdrawal from the visa-free Schengen area and the reintroduction of a French currency.
China to further intensify relief policy support for smaller businesses

Xinhua) 08:07, October 21, 2021

Workers are busy at a company's workshop in an innovation incubation park for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Renshou County of Meishan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 19, 2020. (Photo by Pan Jianyong/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- China will take a multi-pronged and targeted approach to step up relief to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday.

"The confidence and market expectations of MSMEs are falling. In this context, we need to further bolster relief policy support for MSMEs and help them grow more competitive. The relief policies must be inclusive and targeted," Li said.

Efforts will be made to prevent cost-induced pressure transmitted from commodity price hikes on downstream industries. Inclusive benefit policies including time-limited tax and fee cuts will be studied as quickly as possible, and localities encouraged to provide support to MSMEs such as reduction or exemption of rents and utility bills, to lighten their burden and help them tide over difficulties.

The MSMEs will be supported in developing themselves into ones with specialized, sophisticated techniques and unique, novel products, to enhance their competitiveness.

"We need to respond proactively to the acute difficulties facing MSMEs and help ease their cost-induced pressure. The central government will roll out temporary support policies to shore up their confidence," Li said. "Supporting MSMEs and other market entities will ensure stability in employment, and is also conducive to increasing supply and stabilizing prices."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Drone attack targets U.S. base in southern Syria: media

Xinhua) 08:31, October 21, 2021

DAMASCUS, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- A drone attack targeted a U.S. base in the al-Tanf area in southern Syria on Wednesday night, state news agency SANA reported.

Multiple explosions rocked the U.S. base as a result of the attack, said SANA, spelling no further details.

For its side, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the explosions, saying it's not clear yet whether the attack was carried out by pro-Iran militia or not.

It's worth noting that Israel has carried out its recent attacks from over the al-Tanf area, targeting positions of pro-Iran fighters.

In 2016, the United States established the base in al-Tanf, located in a triangle of border regions between Syria, Iraq and Jordan.

The Syrian government has repeated calls for the United States to withdraw from Syria, deeming its presence "illegal."

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Chinese American Film and TV Festival to return live, in-person to Los Angeles next month

Xinhua) 08:40, October 21, 2021

Cast members of the films winning Golden Angel Award receive awards during the 15th Chinese American Film Festival (CAFF) and the Chinese American Television Festival (CATF) at the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles County, California, the United States, Nov. 5, 2019. (Photo by Qian Weizhong/Xinhua)

Nearly 600 film and television works will participate in the festival scheduled from Nov. 5 to 30 this year, said the organizers.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 17th Chinese American Film Festival (CAFF) and Chinese American TV Festival (CATF) will return to Los Angeles as a live, in-person event next month, the organizers said Wednesday.

Nearly 600 film and television works will participate in the festival scheduled from Nov. 5 to 30 this year, said the organizing committee of the 17th Chinese American Film Festival and Chinese American TV Festival in a press conference.

Multiple sub-events including the Golden Angel Awards Ceremony will be held during the festival. The organizing committee will launch public screenings through its official online partner Smart Cinema. It'll be the first time for some of the films to be released in North America or the global market.

Organizers said that they will promote the overseas distribution of Chinese and American movies and host private screenings during the festival's film and TV Virtual Market, which is expected to attract over 100 Chinese and American film and television companies.

Representatives from major Chinese and American film and television companies and institutions, including Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Legendary Pictures, and Lionsgate will attend the event. Some of them will join a virtual dialogue to discuss opportunities and challenges of China-U.S. film and television cooperation in the post-pandemic era.

"Having been going through the pandemic for two years, we decided to bring the festivals back with in-person and online events to ensure the health and safety of all attendees," said the chairman of CAFF and CATF, and chairman of EDI Media Inc., James Su.

"We aim to create a China-U.S. film and television night that connects people on both sides of the Pacific and promotes the cooperation and exchange between the largest two economies in the world."

Founded in 2005 by EDI Media Inc., the annual cultural event aims to promote film and television industry exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States, and to enhance the influence and visibility of China's outstanding film and television works in international markets.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Tibet a vivid portrayal of China's democracy and human rights, a window for opening-up: Chinese FM

Xinhua) 08:56, October 21, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that Tibet has become a vivid portrayal of the progress of China's democracy and human rights, and an important window for China's opening-up and cooperation with the world.

Wang made the remarks at a special foreign ministry event that was organized to present the Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China to the world. The event, themed "China on a New Journey: A New Chapter of Development for a Happy New Tibet," was attended by diplomatic envoys to China as well as representatives of international organizations in China.

Wang said that 70 years ago, through unremitting efforts of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Tibet achieved peaceful liberation.

Under the leadership of the CPC over the past 70 years, people of all ethnic groups in Tibet have united and worked together to make the region an epitome of the success of China's leapfrog development, a vivid portrayal of the progress of China's democracy and human rights, and an important window for China's opening-up and cooperation with the world, he said.

Wang said the foreign ministry will support Tibet in promoting economic and social development, expanding opening-up and cooperation, building an international ecological civilization highland, safeguarding security, stability and national unity, and opposes any attempt to undermine security and stability in Tibet.

Wang said China's opening-up and development have always been closely linked to the world, and China will continue to share new opportunities with the world, work with other countries to implement the Global Development Initiative, and continue to promote the construction of a global community of development with a shared future.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
PLA Naval Air Force's live-fire drill in South China Sea in 60 seconds

CGTN) 08:58, October 21, 2021

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Naval Air Force in the Southern Theater Command recently organized teams of fighter bomber aircraft to conduct live-fire drills in South China Sea. The precision strike drill aims to test the ability of pilots to carry out missions under complex weather conditions.

During the drill, several fighter bombers carrying multi-type weapons took off at a fast speed. In order to avoid ground radar search and air defense fire strikes, the fighter formation adopted the ultra-low altitude to conceal penetration at sea.

Upon reaching the intended sea area, the fighter bombers quickly climbed up through the clouds to the ideal position and carried out horizontal bombing on the targets. After finishing the first attack, the fighters returned back to base, then took off again after fuel supply and bombs loading.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
German electrical industry exports to China grow 11.1 pct in August

Xinhua) 09:12, October 21, 2021

BERLIN, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Exports of the German electrical industry to China in August increased by 11.1 percent year-on-year to 2.1 billion euros (2.4 billion U.S. dollars), the Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI) said on Wednesday.

China remained the largest customer for German electrical exports. In the first eight months of the year, exports to China grew in double digits and were up 10.6 percent at 16.5 billion euros, according to ZVEI.

At the same time, China also continued to be the largest import partner of the German electrical industry, with imports rising 19 percent year-on-year to 5.3 billion euros in August, according to ZVEI.

According to provisional data by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the total volume of all goods imported to Germany from China even increased by 20.4 percent year-on-year and reached 11.4 billion euros in August.

However, prospects for trade were worsening, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel) announced on Wednesday. Around 9 percent of freight capacity worldwide was tied up in container congestion, including empty container ships waiting to be loaded.

More than 3 percent of all goods to be shipped would be stuck in ships waiting to depart. Cargo volumes in the Red Sea, the main sea trade route between China and Europe, were currently around 10 percent lower than expected under normal circumstances, according to IfW Kiel.

"In response to increased demand and supply bottlenecks, many large retailers and manufacturing companies are currently ordering goods to replenish stocks, which further ties up the limited capacities in the transport network," said Vincent Stamer, head of Kiel Trade Indicator. (1 euro = 1.16 U.S. dollars)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
China-Laos Railway kicks off dynamic testing

Xinhua) 09:40, October 21, 2021

Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 from the first dynamic testing train travelling from Lao capital Vientiane to Laos-China border town of Boten shows the view of northern Laos. The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway.

Dynamic testing is an important step before the railway is put into operation. It conducts integrated tests on all systems of the whole railway by running a testing train at the specified test speed and with relevant testing equipment, including testing of interface relationship among systems and debugging and optimizing of various systems, etc., so as to provide a scientific basis for the railway's opening-to-traffic.

The testing items mainly include track geometry, electric traction power supply, communication and signaling system, passenger and freight service system, noise, vibration, electromagnetic environment, etc.

According to the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd., the dynamic testing, undertaken by the China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited, will take an estimated testing duration of 18 days.

The China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited is the only enterprise with the dynamic testing qualification for railway construction projects in China. It have undertaken dynamic testing technical services in many overseas projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway.

During the dynamic testing of the China-Laos Railway, Chinese engineers will scientifically and rigorously analyze the testing data of the railway, strictly evaluate the testing results against the requirements of testing program and standards, and finely adjust to or rectify the systems according to the testing results until all systems meet the requirements for safe and stable operation of the whole railway.

The China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

The electrified passenger and cargo railway is built with the full application of Chinese management and technical standards. The construction of the project started in December 2016 and is scheduled to be completed and open to traffic in December 2021.

Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 from the first dynamic testing train travelling from Lao capital Vientiane to Laos-China border town of Boten shows the view of northern Laos. The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Kunming Zoo welcomes a newborn Asian elephant calf

Ecns.cn) 09:48, October 21, 2021

Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 shows a newborn Asian elephant calf and his mother Yaming in Kunming Zoo, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo: China News Service/Li Jiaxian)

Yaming, an Asian elephant in the zoo, gave birth to a male Asian elephant calf on Oct. 15, 2021. The new member is in good health and in the period of immune isolation and protection with his mother, unable to meet the public temporarily.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
China's housing prices ease amid speculation curbs

Xinhua) 11:02, October 21, 2021

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 17, 2020 shows buildings under construction in Nanguan District of Changchun City, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's property market continued to ease in September amid strict government regulations to curb housing speculation, official data showed Wednesday.

New home prices in four first-tier cities stood unchanged in September from a month earlier, compared with month-on-month growth of 0.3 percent in August, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

Prices of second-hand homes in the four cities edged down 0.4 percent last month from that in August, reversing the mild month-on-month increase seen in August.

A total of 31 second-tier cities also saw no month-on-month change in new home prices, while 35 third-tier cities saw a month-on-month decline of 0.2 percent in new home prices.

The latest data came amid the country's strict housing sector regulations, which follow the principle -- "housing is for living in, not for speculation."

Since the beginning of this year, China has implemented a "long-term mechanism" governing the property sector, curbing housing acquisitions by speculators while supporting purchases by families with pressing needs, said NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui.

Under this mechanism, local governments introduced city-specific measures to keep land and home prices stable. Regulators closely monitored loans to home buyers and real estate companies amid the regulations.

Wednesday's data showed that China's over-five-year loan prime rate, a market-based benchmark lending rate on which many lenders base their mortgage rates, remained unchanged from the previous reading of 4.65 percent, said the National Interbank Funding Center.

The latest NBS data showed that the country's property investment rose 8.8 percent, year on year, in the first nine months, slower than the 10.9-percent growth seen in the first eight months.

"The housing market has remained generally stable, with steady investment, sales, and prices," Fu said.

While some worry that tight property market regulations could weigh on the overall economic growth, Fu said that the impact is "limited", as the average growth rate of real estate sector output for the past two years dipped only mildly in the first three quarters.

In a September meeting on real estate sector finance, the country's central bank and the top banking regulator reiterated that "housing should never be used as a short-term stimulus for economic growth."

As China further diversifies housing supply through various channels and facilitates the property rental market, market behavior would become more rational, contributing to the stable development of the housing market, Fu said.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
China's Foreign Ministry hosts event to introduce Tibet to world

Ecns.cn) 11:27, October 21, 2021

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivers a speech at a foreign ministry event to introduce the Tibet Autonomous Region to the world in Beijing, Oct. 20, 2021. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan)

The special event, themed "China on a New Journey: A New Chapter of Development for a Happy New Tibet," was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held in Beijing Wednesday.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
CIAs new China mission center takes a page from Americas cold war playbook

16:31, October 21, 2021 By Qing Ming ( People's Daily Online

Graphic/People's Daily Online

Late last month, something very odd happened. The CIA, via a secret cable, sent a chilling message to its stations and bases operating around the world, warning them the stark reality that too many foreign spies planted by the spy agency in other nations have been jailed, killed, or compromised. The memo, first revealed by the New York Times, presents an unlikely confession and a rare expose of the spying web weaved by the agency, which, since its founding in 1947, have deployed every dirty trick in the booklying, cheating, stealingto conduct its global eavesdropping operations.

Despite the fact that the CIA is losing ground in some places and running into difficulties with its spy recruitment efforts, the agency is revving up its spying engines to take aim at China. On October 7, the CIA announced it will establish a new China Mission Center, which, as CIA Director William Burns claimed , is designed to counter the so-called most important geopolitical threat facing the USthe all-purpose China threat.

That the US is gripped with the so-called China threat is nothing new. After all, countering China has long been a foolproof tool for American politicians to rally voters support, divert public attention, and get bills passed, and also the perfect excuse for the warlike nation to form small cliques, boost its military presence, and redouble its sales of weapons (including stealing allies arms deals ).

But still, setting up a spying mission center specifically targeting another country is an evil deed that simply crosses the red line for any bilateral relations. The unprecedented move will not only undermine an already fragile mutual trust, which forms the very foundation of the worlds most important bilateral relations, but also risks stoking worldwide paranoia and distrust towards the ill-behaved superpower.

US politicians and media outlets have long brazenly defended and justified the CIAs misdeeds. Referring to foreign spies as talented patriots, Mike Pompeo, the former US secretary of state and CIA director who improvised the famous CIA mantra of We lied; We cheated; We stole, said back in May that, We cant afford to risk our national security to appease some liberal, woke agenda.

Upon the announcement of the new mission center, a salvo of news reports has been unleashed to falsely portray the CIAs latest spying agenda as a reasonable and defensive measure: e.g., an article from the New York Post was titled CIA creates China Mission Center amid rising threats, while an NPR title read With the China Mission Center, the CIA refocuses on the changing world stage. It seems that the US, a nation that piles up, sells, and fires off the greatest bulk of weapons and maintains the most pervasive and intimidating military and intelligence presence worldwide, is playing the victim card to whitewash the CIAs nasty undercover mission.

CNN went even further and suggested that Chinas anti-spying drive in response to the CIAs China mission center was an overreaction. In an article published on October 18, the cable news network associated Chinas anti-spying campaign with political witch hunts and claimed that Given Beijings extremely broad and vague definition of national security, anyone deemed unpatriotic is at risk of infringing it and being reported as a spy.

Funny that US media outlets have brought up such a notion as national security, since by establishing a targeted spying mission center the US is openly attempting to impair other nations national security. Equally absurd is that CNN dares to characterize Chinas definition of national security as extremely broad and vague, because the nation that has cited groundless national security concerns to bully Chinese tech companies out of competition and suppressed academic exchanges and industrial cooperation is none other than the US.

For decades, the CIA, with its overreaching and omnipresent tentacles, has carried out its despicable spying mission in the name of protecting Americas own national security. Throughout this process, the spy agency did not have any scruples about committing human rights violations (e.g., using waterboarding and other forms of torture in interrogations) and has never hesitated to cripple other countries own national security (with even US allies not being exempt) while sabotaging regional stability.

Such misdeeds by the CIA are just too numerous to count. The following is just a brief reminder of the CIAs inglorious record:

Guatemalan coup detat, 1954: Just seven years after its founding, the CIA carried out the notorious 1954 Guatemalan coup detat, overthrowing the Guatemalan government that was formed after the nations first democratic election, a move that subsequently sowed the seed of grudges and anti-US sentiment in Latin America that still lingers up to this day.

Operation Wappen, 1957: Following a failed coup orchestrated by the spy agency in Syria in 1954, the CIA staged a comeback three years later, only to be defused again by the Syrian government. The US government and media later denied the accusation of a coup attempt and instead slammed Syria for being provocative, and invoked the Eisenhower Doctrine  in retaliation against the Middle Eastern country.

Failed CIA coup attempt against Indonesia, 1958: On September 25, 1957, Dwight Eisenhower, then US president, ordered the CIA to overthrow the Sukarno government of Indonesia. The plot was later exposed by the Soviet Union and eventually failed. To justify the coup attempt, the CIA claimed that Indonesia at the time was being dragged down by economic deterioration and national division under the governance of Sukarno.

Bay of Pigs Invasion, 1961: Masterminded by the CIA and funded by the US federal government, the Bay of Pigs Invasion was devised to mobilize Cuban exiles to overthrow the Castro government. Though the operation failed in the end, it marked the prelude of the unrelenting subversive attempts by the CIA against Cuba.



Operation Cyclone, 1979-1989: Deemed one of the longest and most expensive covert CIA operations, Operation Cyclone is the code name for the CIAs decade-long operation to overthrow the Afghan government. With ever-growing funding, arms sales, and provocative military moves that didnt cease and desist until this year, the CIA, together with the US army and US-allied forces, inflicted a tremendous human toll and untold sufferings.



DBACHILLES, 1992-1996: Prior to the Iraq War, the CIA plotted a coup d'etat operation against the Iraqi government. Code named DBACHILLES and directed by the CIA, the operation involved a government-backed sabotage and bombing campaign, which killed multiple civilians, including a number of people at a crowded theater.

Iraq War, 2003-2011: After the 9/11 attacks, the Bush Administration claimed that Saddam Hussein, then Iraqi president, was linked with the terrorist group Al-Qaeda and accused the Iraqi government of possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMD). A US-led military force subsequently invaded Iraq, leading to at least 460,000 direct and indirect deaths. However, after the grueling war came to a gory end, the purported WMDs, along with Saddams anthrax that was partly contained in a vial presented by the late Colin Powell , then US Secretary of State, were nowhere to be found.



Words appear to be feeble in summarizing the CIAs heinous and insidious spying mission, and thus, even the fiercest denunciation and response to its spying intentions would be an underreaction. If the CIAs record of holding up a vial of washing powder and calling it Saddams anthrax, concocting accusations of WMDs as a pretext for invasion and, most recently, surrogating biologists to trace the origins of the COVID-19 do not provide enough telling evidence to show that the spy agency is crooked, wicked, and ignoble in nature, then nothing will.

The US is keen on carrying the banner of making the world a better place, but in retrospect, isnt the worlds only superpower consumed with greed for dominance and hegemony at the expense of regional stability and other countries national security? Isnt it a fact that where there is a US military and intelligence presence, there always exists endless turmoil and conflicts (like in the Middle East where the US has finally partially pulled out this year and in the Asia Pacific where the US is preparing to pivot towards)? And despite the fact that the US media always rush to bite China first and claim that it is China who is bullying  other nations, isnt it a universally recognized truth that the US was, is, and will apparently always be bent towards worldwide bullying?

But living in a world brimming with fancy smartphones, electric cars, and problems that are made internationally, we ought to wonder whether the CIAs perilous act to spy on the whole world and set up a new China mission center is really sustainable. Wont the move merely serve to widen the rift between the two nations, discourage economic and people-to-people exchanges while flaring up regional tensions? And how can we believe that climate change, the global pandemic, poverty, and other issues of international concern, which rely on cooperation and trust, might somehow be ameliorated with the growing presence of the CIA?

The US should stop following its old cold war playbook, as if drawing a direct parody with 007 movies, said Qin Gang, Chinese Ambassador to the US, in response to the CIAs new China mission center earlier this month. True, eavesdropping on world leaders cellphones wont help the US to regain trust, spying on global citizens through the prism of a surveillance web wont help the US feel more secure, and setting up a new mission center targeting another country wont help the US gain influence or address any of its pressing issues. Except for stirring up yet more trouble and further burying the root of distrust, the new China mission center may have very little to show for itself.

(Web editor: Meng Bin, Liang Jun)
Vietnam exported more than 5.7 million tonnes of steel products in the first nine months of 2021, a whopping 78.1 percent increase the same period last year, according to the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA).

The country produced over 24.8 million tonnes of steel during the period, nearly 22 million tonnes of which were sold, up 34.1 percent and 32.5 percent, respectively, year on year.

In the third quarter alone, steel output reached nearly 7.16 million tonnes, up 4 percent year on year, while steel sales slid 7 percent to over 6.2 million tonnes, as a result of social distancing measures imposed to stamp out the spread of COVID-19 in many major industrial cities and provinces.

The VSA reported that though Vietnams nine-month steel imports edged up just 1 percent in volume, to 14.9 million tonnes, the value surged 44 percent to 11 billion USD.

The association forecast the steel exports will regain growth momentum during the remaining months of the year following the removal of COVID-19 restrictions.

The steel industry also expects the new-generation Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), in which Vietnam is signatory to, and the recovery of production and construction will further fuel the growth./.

VNA
China will take a multi-pronged and targeted approach to step up relief to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday.

"The confidence and market expectations of MSMEs are falling. In this context, we need to further bolster relief policy support for MSMEs and help them grow more competitive. The relief policies must be inclusive and targeted," Li said.

Efforts will be made to prevent cost-induced pressure transmitted from commodity price hikes on downstream industries. Inclusive benefit policies including time-limited tax and fee cuts will be studied as quickly as possible, and localities encouraged to provide support to MSMEs such as reduction or exemption of rents and utility bills, to lighten their burden and help them tide over difficulties.

The MSMEs will be supported in developing themselves into ones with specialized, sophisticated techniques and unique, novel products, to enhance their competitiveness.

"We need to respond proactively to the acute difficulties facing MSMEs and help ease their cost-induced pressure. The central government will roll out temporary support policies to shore up their confidence," Li said. "Supporting MSMEs and other market entities will ensure stability in employment, and is also conducive to increasing supply and stabilizing prices."




A worker adjusts British and China national flags in Beijing, on Sept 21, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the media on Monday, "I am no Sinophobe  very far from it". But there are reasons to question how bona fide that claim is.

Not only because he made the remark one day before the opening of the Global Investment Summit in London and a fortnight ahead of the United Nations climate conference, COP 26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in which China will play an important role in ensuring the two events are fruitful, but also because of his administration's dogged following in the footsteps of the United States' strategy to contain China.

In saying that the UK government will not "pitchfork away every overture from China", as the country is "a gigantic part of our economic life and will be for a long time  for our lifetimes", the UK leader has exposed what an awkward position he has put the UK in through blindly following the US' fool's errand to divide the world into two camps.

The UK's imports from China rose 40 percent in the year through June, consolidating China's position as the UK's third-largest trade partner.

Despite the clean records of Chinese companies in their operation and investment in the UK, the country has shut its door to Huawei and has suspended nuclear energy cooperation with Chinese companies, citing spurious security concerns.

The UK has amended its foreign investment law and introduced a blacklist system with the purpose of screening Chinese investors from so-called critical national infrastructure.

Irrespective of the basic norms of international relations, Johnson and members of his government have also made irresponsible comments on and unfounded charges against the Chinese government's pro-peace and pro-stability policies and practices in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

And in stark contrast with Johnson's openness to and welcoming of Chinese investment, the UK has also formed a security triangle partnership with the US and Australia targeting China, which could destabilize Southeast Asia.

By sending the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth strike group to the South China Sea and the frigate HMS Richmond to sail through the Taiwan Straits, the UK government has shown its willingness to leave no stones unturned in playing follow the leader with the US.

The hypocrisy of the Johnson administration's China policy is staggering. And betting the UK's future on the success of the US' divide-and-rule strategy is a fool's gamble.

The UK's China policy should be based on the fundamental interests of the country itself, rather than the calculations of the China-bashers in Washington.
The new tripartite defense alliance, which the United States has formed with the United Kingdom and Australia, and the nuclear-powered submarine cooperation that has been initiated to accompany its launch, will only create instability in the Asia-Pacific region.

Many have joined China in voicing their concerns about the so-called AUKUS security pact since it was announced in mid-September. On Monday, the foreign ministers of Malaysia and Indonesia added their voices to those expressing concerns about Australia's plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS framework and the dangers of the intensifying geopolitical competition in the region.

Indeed, with the US firing up old and new alliances in the Asia-Pacific and militarizing the region in its bid to contain and isolate China, the region is in danger of becoming a powder keg awaiting a spark.

Southeast Asian countries have maintained sound and mutually beneficial ties with China for decades, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only strengthened this. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations became China's largest trade partner last year.

Under such circumstances, the ASEAN member states should be wary of AUKUS bearing false gifts. In light of the recent practices of the US, the ASEAN members should be prepared for overtures from AUKUS on the national level that are aimed at worrying apart the bloc's unity, since ASEAN has been reluctant to take sides with the US in the latter's geopolitical competition with China.

How ASEAN should respond to AUKUS is likely to feature in the bloc's summit meeting scheduled for later this month.

It would be beneficial for the region and beyond if ASEAN could set up a firewall of common will to safeguard regional peace and stability, so as to prevent AUKUS from worming into any chinks that may exist in its unanimity and worrying the bloc apart.

A recent incident in the region involving a US submarine should help those who still cannot fathom the adverse impact AUKUS may have on regional security. On Oct 2, the USS Connecticut, a US nuclear-powered submarine, struck an underwater object in the South China Sea.

The US has so far refused to provide more details about the incident, let alone explain what the submarine was doing in the area and whether the accident caused a nuclear leak that damaged the local marine environment.

Such an irresponsible attitude should be enough for ASEAN to question the wisdom of there being more nuclear-powered submarines in the region in the future, and to extrapolate from that the risks deriving from the US' tactics in its "competition" with China.

The ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture has proved effective in promoting peace and development in the region. It should be cherished and upheld by all the ASEAN members. Not least, because it is in their best interests.
By Jun Sheng

After its Pacific Fleet's nuclear submarine had a collision incident on October 2, the US deliberately hid the details and only come up with a vague statement until five days later, in which the US side blurred the specific location of the incident by referring to international waters in the Indo-Pacific region. Later, a US naval official told USNI News, on condition of anonymity, that the collision took place in the South China Sea. What is the US trying to hide?

The US is trying to cover up its embarrassment of shooting itself in the foot

For a long time, the US has been frequently flexing its muscles in the South China Sea in the name of freedom of navigation and over flight. Actually, the South China Sea situation has cooled down and displayed positive signs of development in recent years thanks to the common efforts of China and ASEAN countries, and the maritime routes are all kept clear and secure.

The so-called freedom of navigation and overflight is nothing but an excuse for the US, leveraged on its superior maritime force, to challenge the rights and interests of other countries, a means to maintain its hegemony and counter rivals through containment and suppression, and a bullying trick condemned by the international community.

It's clear at one sight that the US is the arch driver of South China Sea militarization and the trouble maker that destroys peace and stability in the South China Sea.

The US is standing at moral lowland regarding military transparency

The US has had a long-term habit of pointing fingers at other countries' normal military spending, military activities, and scientific and technological development, while its own military expenditure has set new records constantly in recent years while the country itself is busy developing advanced weapons and equipment, forming aggressive cyber forces, and taking quicker steps to militarize the space, for which it has never given any reasonable explanations.

What's more puzzling is that the US has been clamoring for investigations into the lab in other countries for the origin tracing of coronavirus, while it is the very country that conducts the most military biological activities with the least transparency.

After the latest nuclear submarine collision, the US side was late in disclosing relevant information and its statements were inconsistent. Such irresponsible attitude only makes the international community more suspicious of the US intention and details of the accident.

The incident exposes how America's acts endanger international nuclear security and highlights how urgent it is for the international community to jointly preserve nuclear security

The US has historically been an extremely irresponsible country when it comes to nuclear security. It is the only one of the five nuclear states that has refused to approve the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty. Public information shows that from 1946 to 1958, the US conducted 67 nuclear weapon tests at the Marshall Islands; from 1946 to 1982, the US and the UK dumped huge amounts of nuclear wastes into the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. America even transported 130 tons of nuclear-contaminated soil resulting from nuclear tests from Nevada to the Marshall Islands and dumped it there. Not long ago, the US and the UK decided to support the Australian Navy to build a nuclear submarine force, and the three countries will cooperate in manufacturing nuclear submarines in Australia. This move seriously violates the spirit of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, sends shock waves through the international non-proliferation system, and destroys the efforts to create a nuclear-free zone in Southeast Asia, bringing grave challenges to regional peace and security.

The collision incident of the USS Connecticut indicates again that the US is the biggest source of risks to international nuclear security, the biggest scourge for security in the South China Sea, and the biggest destroyer of world peace and regional security. The root cause for the incident is America's obsession with global hegemony and unilateralism.

Did the collision cause a nuclear leak or damage the local marine environment? Will this incident impact the navigation safety and fishery in the area where it took place? It is incumbent on the US to give clear and definite answers to these questions and explain them to the world.
On the morning of October 19, Beijing time, 43 officers and soldiers of China's first peacekeeping helicopter contingent to Abyei, Sudan successfully return home via air.

KASHGAR, Oct. 21-- On the morning of October 19, Beijing time, the first batch of 43 peacekeepers from China's first peacekeeping helicopter contingent to Abyei, Sudan successfully returned home after completing 26 months of continuous peacekeeping missions overseas.

Taking the UN Mi-8 helicopters, Q-400 transport aircraft and Chinese IL-76 transport aircraft successively, they set out from Abyei and eventually arrived in Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, after a journey of 23 hours.

With an area of about 10,000 square kilometers, the Abyei region is one of the disputed areas between Sudan and South Sudan in Africa. China's first peacekeeping helicopter contingent to Abyei was directly selected overseas from China's 3rd peacekeeping helicopter contingent to Darfur, Sudan, which had been deployed to the mission area in Darfur in August 2019. All the 86 peacekeepers to Abyei came from an army aviation brigade under the PLA 82nd Group Army.

During the mission period in Darfur, the contingent resumed and opened 19 mission points with a total mileage of 3,598 kilometers. They successfully completed more than 90 missions such as escort for VIPs, emergency medical evacuation, surveys in unfamiliar areas, and passenger and cargo transportation, with 1,195 people and more than 40 tons of goods involved.

As the first Chinese peacekeeping force to Abyei region and the first non-Ethiopian military unit, the Chinese helicopter contingent successfully opened up a new mission area, expanded the geographic scope of China's participation in UN peacekeeping operations, and effectively tested the troops capability to perform diversified missions overseas, making a landmark in the Chinese military peacekeeping history.

It is learned that another 43 peacekeepers will continue to complete the rotation with the next peacekeeping contingent to Abyei and return to China in early November.
General Zhang Xudong, a member of the Central Military Commission's Strategic Planning Committee and former commander of the People's Liberation Army Western Theater Command, died of an illness in Beijing on Oct 1, the military announced on Thursday. He was 58.

The military did not reveal details of Zhang's illness, but said that he made many contributions to the PLA's modernization.

A native of Hebei province, Zhang joined the PLA Ground Force in 1981 and rose through the ranks.

Previous reports by Chinese media revealed that Zhang had enjoyed a long career in the former PLA Shenyang Regional Command. He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 2012, and in 2014 was named commander of the former 39th Group Army.

Both the Shenyang Regional Command and the 39th Group Army have since been dismantled and merged with other units during a major military reform launched in 2015.

In 2017, Zhang was appointed commander of the PLA Central Theater Command's ground force. He was promoted to lieutenant general the following year, becoming deputy head of the Central Theater Command at the same time.

Zhang was appointed commander of the Western Theater Command sometime before December 2020, becoming the second person to occupy this key role, after General Zhao Zongqi. That same month, he was promoted to the rank of general, the highest rank in today's PLA.

Zhang did not stay in the post for long, and was replaced by Xu Qiling in July. Xu was in turn replaced by Wang Haijiang in September.

The appointments of both of Xu and Wang were made public at separate ceremonies, promoting them from lieutenant general to general.
South Korean military authorities were flustered Wednesday after North Korea confirmed it successfully tested a "new type of missile" from a submarine a day earlier.

Such launches are much more difficult for existing South Korean and U.S. surveillance and missile defense systems to detect and intercept, not least because the new missile appears to be flying at a low altitude of only about 50 to 60 km on an unpredictable trajectory.

Until it pops out of the water, the missile might well not appear on surveillance systems at all.

South Korea is in the process of acquiring two additional Green Pine early-warning radars from Israel in preparation for North Korean SLBM strikes. But it remains to be seen how successfully it can intercept a missile even if it is detected on the radar.

Another threat to South Korean military bases and U.S. bases in Japan is that North Korea's new 3,000 to 4,000 ton-class subs are near completion. Each can carry six to eight mini SLBMs.

North Korean state media said the missile with "lots of advanced control guidance technologies" was launched from the submarine 8.24 Yongung, the same from which the country's first submarine-launched ballistic missile was fired five years ago.
Flag carriers are increasing overseas flights as countries around the world tentatively return to normal.

First up, Korean Air will resume flights to Hawaii on Nov. 3. The flag carrier halted them 19 months ago.

Asiana Airlines is also considering raising the number of flights to Singapore in mid-November from the current three times a week. An Asiana staffer said, "It looks like the number of passengers traveling overseas will increase sharply in late November or December."

There is still no impressive choice of destinations, which include the far-flung U.S territories of Guam and Saipan as well as Singapore and Hawaii, which are part of a "travel bubble" with Korea.

Asiana and Air Seoul decided to resume twice-weekly flights to Guam on Dec. 23. Asiana already resumed flights to Saipan in July and more than 1,000 people have booked tickets until the end of this year. It could add more at the end of the year to mop up pent-up demand.


'New start' expands scope of China-Africa trade

From:ChinaDaily | 2021-10-18 08:58

Investments up; focus shifts from resources to foods, processed goods

Zhu Shenghong, sales director of Pianyu (Beijing) International Trade Co Ltd, was extremely busy during the second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, capital of Central China's Hunan province.

The company owns a winery called Havana Hills in South Africa and sells as many as 13 labels of wines from the winery that cover premium, midrange and low-end markets in China.

During the expo that was held from Sept 26 to 29, Zhu not only took care of the company's exhibition booth to demonstrate wine products to visitors, but also attended quite a few African wine-tasting events and promotions.

"It was quite a span of busy time, but I was glad to see expo visitors' intense enthusiasm for African wine, especially among Chinese young people aged 20 to 35," Zhu said, adding she is very bullish about the prospects for African wine in the China market, especially that from South Africa, a major wine-producing hub in the continent that has quite distinctive offerings.

The South African authorities are stepping up efforts to promote their produce in China, and the country's government even paid for the exhibition and boarding expenses for Zhu's company to take part in the wine-themed exhibition at the expo, she said.

Zhu's company is just one of the many that benefit from the deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries.

The four-day event, themed "New Start, New Opportunities, and New Accomplishments", was held both online and offline to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 300 enterprises from more than 40 African countries displayed their products at the offline exhibitions, and 135 projects worth $22.9 billion were inked, both surpassing the corresponding figures of the first expo, which was also held in Changsha in 2019.

The event had a series of forums, conferences and exhibitions to showcase the achievements and potential of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, in areas like food and agricultural products, medicine and health, infrastructure and finance.

The main venue, the Changsha International Conference Center, held exhibitions on China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, displaying images of African countries and commodities in a space of about 64,000 square meters, up by 24,000 square meters from the first expo.

The second venue, Changsha's Gaoqiao Grand Market, with a total exhibition area of about 30,000 square meters, had a permanent exhibition pavilion, and five specific areas for coffee, nuts, cocoa, other agricultural products from Africa and Chinese products exported to Africa.

Experts and business owners said the expo is a major platform for strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries, and China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has maintained its dynamic momentum despite the impact of the pandemic, bringing benefits to people on both sides.
Experts: Coal sector to stabilize gradually

From:ChinaDaily | 2021-10-21 07:49

Strong measures to make fossil fuel less expensive, spur energy efficiency

China's skyrocketing coal prices are expected to stabilize gradually, as the government has pledged necessary measures like a crackdown on hoarding and collusion in the market, experts said on Wednesday.

They said such measures will ensure stable energy supplies and prices, which should help bring the coal market back to rational operations. Coal prices will gradually return to a reasonable range, they said.

Thermal coal, which is mainly used to generate power, saw futures prices hit the lower limit on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchangedown as much as 8 percent to 1,755.4 yuan ($275) per metric ton in Tuesday night trade.

Chinese coal futures dropped on fears of government intervention in the strained energy sector. Late on Tuesday night, the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic regulator, said it will take necessary measures to rein in runaway coal prices and bring the coal market back to rational operations.

The NDRC warned it would take a "zero" tolerance approach and crack down on illegal activities like spreading false information and price gouging in the market.

The NDRC also said China's coal supplies have already shown signs of picking up after the government took measures to boost output amid a power shortage.

NDRC data showed recent average daily coal production increased by over 1.2 million tons, compared with the figure in September. And daily coal production surpassed 11.6 million tons on Monday, a record for this year.

In the next step, it will also closely monitor price fluctuations in the market, further boost coal production, strengthen regulation of the futures and spot markets and crack down on illegal activities like market speculation, the NDRC said.

Tao Jin, deputy director of the macroeconomic research center of the Suning Institute of Finance, said it is necessary for the government to intervene in prices.

"The recent rally in coal prices has significantly increased costs for downstream industries like electricity, steel, building materials and chemicals. And it has also affected the normal production and operations of midstream industries," Tao said.

He said coal prices are rising due to multiple factors, including hoarding and price gouging in the market. "Government measures to intervene on prices and crack down on those illegal activities will help bring rising coal prices back to normal. And we don't rule out the possibility that prices will fall significantly as various parties may reduce their coal stockpiles."

Agreed Zhou Maohua, an analyst at China Everbright Bank. He said the government moves to ensure stable supplies and prices will help stabilize market expectations and fight speculation-related problems.

Zhou said: "Record high coal prices will not only increase the costs of midstream and downstream industries but contribute to power shortages. With effective measures, coal prices are expected to stabilize and the current tight energy supply situation may ease off gradually."
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
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 28F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 28F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
The first public land sale in Howard County occurred before the county was even organized, when Joel Hollingsworth from Carroll County bought 160 acres in Monroe Township in October 1842.

Transferring title from the Native population was a process of treaty, survey, sale and settlement -- though not always in that order, particularly in Howard County. Federal pre-emption laws allowed squatters to take claims on Miami Indian land before the public surveys.

After the 1840 Treaty with the Miami at the Forks of the Wabash in Huntington, squatters were pouring into the residue of the Great Miami Reserve in north central Indiana. Among them were David and Elizabeth Foster, who brought the family Bible, children under 10 (and Elizabeth was pregnant again), and a wagon load of goods to the Rapids of the Wildcat, sometime in the fall of 1842.

Plans to organize the surrounding area as a county to be named for Maawikima (Principal Chief) Jean Baptiste Richardville had existed since February 1839. At the 1840 treaty, the U.S. government set aside one section of land at the Rapids of Wildcat (Reserve No. 6) for Akima (Village Chief) Francis Lafontaine, who was Richardvilles son-in-law. The present city of Kokomo began in this reserve.

By 1843, the Indian title was sufficiently extinguished with enough of a squatter population for organization to begin. The tract transfer went from Lafontaine to Fort Waynes Allen Hamilton (October 1841) and then to David Foster two days after Richardville County was created on Jan. 15, 1844. David and Elizabeth Foster then deeded 40 acres for the unincorporated county seat of Indianas last-named county.

An examination of U.S. land records shows Lafontaines reserve was not surveyed until autumn 1843, three months before it was transferred to Foster. On Oct. 27, deputy surveyor Abner Van Ness had arrived and set a post west of the Mouth of a Branch on the North side of Wild Cat (about where Memorial Gymnasium sits) and completed the entire 643.35-acre circuit counterclockwise.

Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute

Since Akima Lafontaine never lived on this reserve, its possible David Foster himself had directed the surveyor in 1843 to create the boundaries that we see on the official plat. The irregular shape of the reserve outline could be a clue that the squatters wanted as much of the Wildcat water source as they could harness. Plus, being so heavily weighted to the south side indicates Miami families were still in the village near and around the Rapids. The Miami always chose the best location near a water source.

We find evidence of this Indian-squatter relationship in several sources. Kokomo Mission in 1843 Methodist church records shows the growing community is using the name the year before the county is even organized. Foster himself spoke about many Miami during a government inquiry into private land allotments.

And in January 1846, the Miami Saapontohsia and Foster petitioned the U.S. Congress to exempt 10 Miami people in the county from the forced removal, asking specifically that they be permitted to purchase and sell land as citizens.

That 1846 petition was opposed and died in the House Committee on Indian Affairs. Still, many Miami people have lived in Kokomo over the years. The newest chapter in this history story begins in November 2019, when Tyler Moore, a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, was elected mayor of the city of Kokomo, Indiana. The head of the village is Miami once again.

Our beginning - After David and Elizabeth Foster acquired Reserve No. 6 in 1844, they donated a 40-acre portion on the north side of Wildcat Creek to be the unincorporated county seat of Indianas last-named county. Trivia tidbit: the south boundary (dotted line on the map above the East 85.25 length notation) runs along todays Virginia Avenue, which originally was named Reserve Avenue.
Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) wants customers to know they might see a significant rise in their heating costs this winter.

We are looking at approximately an estimated $168 difference spread out over the winter heating season, which runs from Nov. 1 through the end of March, Wendy Lussier, NIPSCO communications, said.

This is a projection we like to do annually because we want to make sure that our customers are able to plan and prepare for their household budgets.

A press release distributed by NIPSCO showed last years winter bill estimate at $422. This year, NIPSCO is projecting that customers will pay about $590 over the same period.

Lussier said natural gas costs have been low for the past few years, but current market prices are rising across the board. She said the price of natural gas is nearing what it was during the winter between 2014 and 2015, which was an expensive year for heat.

Currently, natural gas prices are 92 percent higher than what they were last winter. There is also less gas stored, which will contribute to rising heat costs over the coming months. Lussier said these trends are global, so the situation is not specific to the Midwest.

Were hopeful that the storage balances will catch up and that will help with some of the constrictions right now on the supply, Lussier said. She said NIPSCO has recommendations for customers who are concerned about their heating bills.

We have a free service offered to all NIPSCO customers called budget plan, and that helps them spread out their gas costs more evenly across the entire year, Lussier said. We would recommend that they go to NIPSCO.com or call our customer care center at 1 (800) 464-7726.

NIPSCO also offers tips to customers like setting their thermostats to 65 degrees, or even a few degrees lower than normal. Lussier said that tends to have a big impact on reducing peoples heating bills. She also said programmable thermostats help people who may be traveling manage the temperature in their home while they are away.

Additionally, Lussier recommends people check their doors and windows for any cracks where cold air might come through and check filters in their heating systems.

Anyone who needs help with their heating bills this winter have a host of resources available. Lussier said there are plenty of organizations that offer help, and many options can be found at NIPSCO.com/assistance.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority also has an initiative called the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program that helps qualifying residents pay their bills. Applications for the program can be found on the IN.gov website.

Another thing I would stress is that between Dec. 1 and March 15, natural gas providers in Indiana never disconnect service to customers who are enrolled in state heat programs and become delinquent in their heat bills, Lussier said. Thats important to know as an additional protection.

Lussier said regardless of income, NIPSCO will work with customers who get behind in their bills and need to work out a payment plan.

Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute

The best thing to do is call NIPSCO at the beginning when you realize something like this is happening to you so we can be there to assist, but there are a lot of ways that customers can get help.

Foster acquired Reserve No. 6 in 1844, they donated a 40-acre portion on the north side of Wildcat Creek to be the unincorporated county seat of Indianas last-named county. Trivia tidbit: the south boundary (dotted line on the map above the East 85.25 length notation) runs along todays Virginia Avenue, which originally was named Reserve Avenue.

People who received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine could be eligible for a booster shot. The CDC is currently recommending booster shots for people who received their second dose at least six months ago and have certain health conditions.

Jennifer Sexton, public health nursing manager for the Howard County Health Department, said the county is following the CDCs recommendations on booster shots, and there is a lot of information to share.

The CDC recommends a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine only for those who have had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine previously. There is no information about the effectiveness of mixing and matching the vaccines, so researchers are uncertain how well people would be protected.

Other qualifying factors to get a booster dose include anyone over 65 years old, people 18 or older who are in long-term care, and anyone between 18 and 64 years old who has conditions like cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung diseases like COPD or asthma, cystic fibrosis, hypertension, dementia or other neurological diseases, Type 1 or 2 diabetes, heart diseases, HIV, sickle cell disease, or liver disease.

Sexton said anyone in the 18 to 64 year age range who is obese, overweight, pregnant, a current or previous smoker, uses substances, has had a stroke, or is immunocompromised is also eligible to receive a booster shot.

Another group eligible for booster vaccinations are people who live or work in places where they are at increased risk of transmission. This includes people who work in COVID testing centers or hospitals and people living in prisons, homeless shelters, and domestic violence shelters.

That pretty much covers everyone, Sexton said. I think we have enough people disinterested in the vaccine that supply wont be a problem.

Sexton said it is also important to distinguish the difference between additional doses of the vaccine and booster shots. While they are all the exact same vaccine and dosage, Sexton said many people undergoing cancer treatment get additional doses because their bodies do not respond to vaccines as well. The main difference is timing and purpose.

George Mast, communications manager at Community Howard Regional Health, said Howard Community is not currently operating a vaccine clinic at the hospital but is continuing to monitor access to the vaccines in the county and listen to CDC guidance.

Community Health Network has advised its employees of the recent guidance from the CDC regarding the Pfizer booster shot. The Indiana Department of Health also supports this CDC guidance. Under the guidance from the CDC, health care workers may receive the booster shot, Mast said. While Community has advised employees of this guidance, it is not requiring employees to receive a booster.

Sexton said she suspects authorization for a Moderna booster vaccine is not far behind, and she hopes people who are eligible will receive the booster shots. She recommends that anyone interested in scheduling a booster or learning more visit ourshot.in.gov.

Wed really like to see people who are eligible get these done, Sexton said.
Theres nothing like the first Grand Prix event of an Olympic season when figure skaters debut the programs they hope will earn them a spot on the team and, looking ahead to February, the podium in Beijing.

The anticipation is at an all-time high, says Olympic gold medalist turned commentator Tara Lipinski of the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Skate America (October 22-24 in Las Vegas). There is definitely more pressure for the music, style and choreography to hit just right with the audience and the judges. And preferably right from the start to set the tone. In the Olympic quad, many skaters take those three years to test out new genres of music and different styles to see what works best for them, in hopes that through trial and error they land on just the right feel and look for the Olympic year. Its not just landing the jumps; the program makes up a huge part of the artistic score and can be the deciding factor between gold or silver or making an Olympic team or not.



Both Lipinski and fellow Olympian/analyst Johnny Weir cant wait to see what quad king Nathan Chen  who hasnt lost since finishing fifth at the 2018 Games  skates in the mens October 22 short program (9/8c, NBCSN and Peacock) and October 23 free skate (10/9c, NBCSN and Peacock). He is a chameleon, so its hard to guess what he will pick for the most important season of his career, says Lipinski, who would bet on one of the three-time world champions signature dance breaks. Nathan is in a league of his own and can likely win Skate America with a few mistakes, but skating cleanly and setting up the perfect time to peak this season will likely be whats on his own personal agenda. Adds Weir, His dominance is certainly what makes him a favorite for the Olympic gold, but his sensitivity to his music and his technical consistency are breathtaking. The only competition I see for Nathan this season will come from double Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan [who wont be at Skate America].



Among the women (see the rest of the weekends broadcast schedule), Alexandra Trusova is the favorite if she skates cleanly: She recently performed five quad jumps in her free skate at the Russian test skate and her jumps are what keep her on the podium. If she skates well at Skate America, she will be in a class by herself, says Weir. The technical wizardry shes shown over the last few seasons has elevated womens figure skating to astronomical heights. There is a reason shes called The Russian Rocket.

See Also NHL Regular Season 2021-22 TV Schedule The NHL welcomes a new team and new TV partners.

Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute

The fiercest contest of the weekend will be in ice dancing as Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue and Madison Chock/Evan Bates continue their epic rivalry. [That] will be compelling to watch this season because ice dancing is the most political of figure skating disciplines and each team will be determined to go to Beijing as the No. 1 American team, says Weir. These teams are so special and excellent in every way. Theyve continued a long tradition of great American dance teams with style and technical mastery and I can see both teams on the Olympic podium.

But how do Chock and Bates beat their classic Snake Charmer free dance?

When you are Chock and Bates its not that hard  they have had some pretty memorable and amazing programs throughout their career, Lipinski says. Im sure they have put a lot of thought into the follow up to that iconic program, especially knowing people are expecting them to top it. I find dancers have a much easier time coming out with multiple programs that they are remembered for, its such a huge part of their discipline: You have to be skilled at reinventing yourself or you get lost in the shuffle. I am excited to see what they come out with this year.

On the Pairs side, Americas Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier hope to build on the success of their first year as partners. They have gelled very quickly, but they dont have a ton of international competitions under their belt together as a team. That will definitely add some extra pressure to their season, Lipinski says. What makes them so special is individually they are so strong, and that is only amplified when they come together as a pair.

Does it make her nervous to watch the pairs teams do their dreaded side-by-side jumps? [Those] dont make me too nervous, but thats also an element I can do. For me, its the loss of balance or unsteady footwork in the pair lifts that really put me on edge, she says. I could never be flying across the ice at that height and speed!

2021 Guaranteed Rate Skate America begins Friday, October 22, 9/8c, NBCSN and Peacock
(The Center Square)  Employees of GE Aviation in Lafayette, Indiana, gathered outside the plant Wednesday to protest the companys COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

GE Aviation announced the mandate last Friday, and workers warned that if the company, which makes commercial airplane engines at the plant, doesnt back down airline travel delays may continue.

We were kind of hoping that GE would kind of stand up for us, but Thursday we heard the rumor that they were going to mandate it on Friday, James Crismore, one of the organizers of the protest, said Wednesday.

About 50 people protested outside the plant on Wednesday starting at 1 p.m. The protest included employees and supporters, including people from Purdue University and others from the nearby Rolls Royce plant.

Crismore said that while the initial announcement last Friday sounded neutral and it seemed as though the company was just doing what it had to do, the religious exemption form that followed took everyone by surprise.

The form is six pages long and asks employees seeking an exemption to explain why their religious objection is limited to particular vaccines and asks if the conflict between their religious beliefs and the vaccine requirement relates to the purported use of fetal cells in the development and/or testing of a COVID-19 vaccine. It then asks them to explain why taking aspirin, Tums, Pepto Bismol, Lipitor, Benadryl, Sudafed, Preparation H, Acetaminophen, Zoloft, or a number of other common medications doesnt conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs.

For anybody thats religious, its pretty offensive, says Crismore, saying the way its worded makes it sound as though the company is trying to trick employees.

In response to questions about the companys vaccine mandate, GE sent the following statement by e-mail:

As a federal contractor, GE is complying with the executive order which requires employees of federal contractors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. All GE U.S. employees will be fully vaccinated or receive a medical or religious accommodation by December 8th as required in the order.

A spokesperson for the company said Wednesday that he did not have any additional information.

Crismore said the companys online information shows that only about a third of the employees at the GE Aviation facility in Lafayette have been vaccinated. The other two-thirds have not been, or if they have and have not entered the information into the system.

Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute

The GE Aviation plant opened in Lafayette in 2015, and Crismore began working there the following year as an assembly and test technician. He says he also acts as an assessor and does hiring for the plant.

Workers at the 300,000-square-foot facility make LEAP engines for the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320neo  two planes using by many commercial airline companies. In an interview in October of 2020, Renato Vidal, the plant leader, said workers produce 10-12 of the LEAP engines per week.

In 2020 workers at the plant also began to produce two to three high-performance Passport engines per week, for the Bombardier Global 7500 series.

The Lafayette plant is also involved with the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft.

The company has been on a hiring binge, with plans to ramp up to 300 employees, with new hires being paid a starting wage of more than $30 an hour.

Crismore says the company had an all-hands meeting Tuesday to field questions about the vaccine mandate, and employees were told if they didnt have proof of vaccination or an exemption by Dec. 8, theyd be fired.

He said employees had worked overtime and irregular shifts, as needed, during the COVID-19 pandemic and feel like theyve stuck by the companys side all the while.

It feels like a knife in the back, honestly, he said of the vaccine mandate.

A call placed to the GE Aviation plant in Lafayette seeking comment from management was not immediately returned Wednesday.

In addition to Lafayette, GE Aviation has a manufacturing plant in Terre Haute, Indiana. Employees at the Terre Haute plant are planning a protest of the companys vaccine mandate on Friday.
Press Release

October 21, 2021 Duterte's order to mix-up vaccine distribution unacceptable; ultimately it is not the people's fault that Duterte favored purchases of untrustworthy vaccines - De Lima Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima slams Mr. Duterte's order to mix-up the distribution and administration of vaccine brands to force the people to accept whatever vaccine is made available to them. De Lima made the statement after Duterte told vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. to shuffle the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to prevent the citizens from choosing their preferred brands. "Napaka-iresponsable na tanggalin sa tao ang karapatan nilang pumili ng ituturok sa kanilang katawan. Pandemya man o hindi, hindi pa rin pagmamay-ari ng estado ang katawan ng bawat Pilipino," she said in her Dispatch from Crame No. 1161. "Ang bawat mamamayan pa rin ang pipili kung ano ang ituturok sa kanyang katawan, hindi ang estado, lalong lalo na hindi si Duterte. Huwag niyang ipasa ang masamang resulta ng kanyang pagpapabaya sa pagbili ng bakuna sa mamamayan," she added. The lady Senator from Bicol said Duterte's directive deprives the people of their recognized right to make an informed choice of what vaccine brand is to be injected into their body. "The choice of vaccine brand is personal. It cannot be forced by the State in some sort of a lottery, in the same way that it remains a right of everyone to choose whether to be vaccinated or not in the first place," she said. Ultimately, De Lima said it is not the people's fault if Duterte arbitrarily and without any medical rationale whatsoever favored the purchase of Chinese vaccines Sinovac and Sinopharm, which have been viewed as less trustworthy and proven to be of lesser reliability than other vaccines with better documented testing protocols and results. De Lima further stated: "It is not also the fault of the people if the government slept, did nothing, or botched up deals when vaccine manufacturers started allocation of their projected stocks last year, relying instead on China's promise to donate and allocate stocks to the Philippines" she said. "Dahil dito, hindi lamang kapabayaan ang pagpwersa sa mga tao na tanggapin ang Chinese vaccines, isa rin itong kawalanghiyaan," she added. Last June, De Lima also slammed Duterte for threatening to order the arrest of Filipinos who refuse COVID-19 vaccination and told them to leave the country if they would not cooperate with efforts to end a public health emergency.
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
The Egyptian capital will stage next year in February the Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS) 2021, a major conference and exhibition for the sector in the region, Trade Arabia reports.

The event; the 5th edition, was previously scheduled in June this but has been postponed to Feb. 14-16 next year owing to the pandemic. The show is expected to attract global industry leaders, over 300 exhibiting companies and 20,000+ attendees.

EGYPS ability to convene global ministers, CEOs, policy makers and industry leaders in Cairo signifies the show remains critical in connecting the global oil, gas and energy industry and shaping the future energy agenda, said Tarek El Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

We are confident, with the collective support of our key stakeholders and partners, our sponsors, exhibitors and speakers of delivering a truly celebratory 5th Anniversary Egypt Petroleum Show in February 2022 and we look forward to announcing our global line-up of keynote speakers and panelists shortly, he added.

Egypt has emerged as a key player in the global energy space. It is hosting the most recently established Gas Forum in East Med region (EMGF) which is creating opportunities for further cooperation and collaboration in the gas scene for the benefit of the whole region.

The Arab republic will also host the 8th edition of the Ministerial Gas Forum co-organized by the International Energy Forum (IEF) and the International Gas Union (IGU) in 2022.
13 people likely military personnel have killed after a bomb attack on a bus of the Syrian army, in capital Damascus, reports say.

The blast occurred Wednesday according to the state-run news agency SANA.

A terrorist bombing using two explosive devices targeted a passing bus on a key bridge in the capital, the agency said.

The agency also released images of a burning bus and what it said was a bomb squad defusing a third device that had been planted in the same area.

13 people have been killed in the attack which also wounded three other people. The attack is the bloodiest in the Syrian capital that has been spared by years of war between the regime of President Bashar al Assad and rebels backed by foreign countries.

Russia, Iran-backed and Hezbollah-backed fighters have helped the army troop to recouped territories lost to the rebels.
The Center for the Study of Law and Religion (CSLR) has received a seven-figure gift from The MirYam Institute to fund a new program called The MirYam Project in International Ethics & Leadership: Law, Religion, Health & Security.

This four-year undertaking will be led by Dr. Ira Bedzow, in collaboration with the Jewish Legal Studies Program at CSLR, directed by Emory Law professor Michael J. Broyde. The project will develop future leaders in public service, government, industry, health care, and community by providing students with exceptional curricular and extra-curricular programming, mentoring, and international travel to Israel. Students will interact with top academics and industry/social leaders from the United States, the State of Israel, and throughout the globe.

The focus of the curriculum is values-driven leadership, informed by the best practices of the United States and of Israel across a range of sectors. Students will study strategic and critical thinking, medical and legal diplomacy and practice, and implementation strategies in order to become leaders on national and international issues, implementing ethical and socially conscious innovation. The gift comes at an important time for Emory Law, as the law school seeks to enhance interdisciplinary connections within its growing health law program.

This bold new project, generously funded by The MirYam Institute, will provide pathbreaking new scholarship and campus-wide leadership on fundamental questions of law, religion ethics, health care, security, and the human condition, says John Witte, CSLR director. Our center is delighted to host this project and to welcome Ira Bedzow as project leader. He brings rare intellectual gifts, proven leadership skills, and an elegant pen.

Broyde adds, The relationship between leadership and ethics has yet to be fully explored and we hope to do so in this project with a focus on law, religion, health, and security. Dr. Bedzows expertise in ethics and values-driven leadership will provide important perspectives for faculty and students.

Dr. Bedzow brings a unique interdisciplinary lens to his work, Benjamin Anthony and Rozita Pnini note. His deep knowledge of ethics is matched by his broad interests in the various fields that impact how leaders make and carry out decisions. His expertise makes him the ideal bridge between the Emory faculty, teaching experts at The MirYam Institute, and the graduate student body at Emory. His academic and personal example is the right combination to mentor a rising generation of American and international leaders. The MirYam Institute is delighted to bring forth the possibility to establish this innovative approach to cultivating ethical leadership.

Working with the interdisciplinary faculty at Emory and with the experts and leaders within The MirYam Institute network creates a deep bench to produce a robust program in ethical leadership training. The students who go through this program will change the world for the better, says Bedzow.

Bedzow will be Director, The MirYam Institute Project in International Ethics and Leadership at CSLR and Head of the Unit of the International Chair in Bioethics (World Medical Association Cooperation Centre). He is a contributor at The MirYam Institute, a senior scholar of the Aspen Center for Social Values, co-director of the Maimonides Institute for Medicine, Ethics and the Holocaust (MIMEH), and a regular contributor in Forbes for their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion section. He is also an Orthodox rabbi (yoreh yoreh, yadin yadin). He received his PhD in religion from Emory University in 2014, an M.A. in humanities from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in political science with foci in political theory and political economy from Princeton University.

The MirYam Institute is the premier international forum for Israeli-focused dialogue, discussion, and debate. It provides a platform for top-tier Israeli experts of diverse and varied perspectives and areas of expertise who collaborate and share their insights and exchange their common and divergent opinions about the State of Israel. The MirYam Insititute constantly assesses Israels place among the community of nations and its global contribution. The MirYam Institute champions and fosters civil discourse through robust debate.

The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University School of Law was founded in 1982 to produce and promote path-breaking scholarship, teaching, and public programs on the interaction of law and religion around the world.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
Top cybersecurity executive loses appeal against detention in treason case

 Social media pages of Sachkov

12:54 21/10/2021

MOSCOW, October 21 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal filed by the founder of a leading Russian cybersecurity company Ilya Sachkov charged with treason against his detention, the courts press service has told RAPSI.

The head of Group-IB was arrested and placed in detention in late September for two months. Details of the case have not been disclosed as the case is classified.

Group-IB is one of the most prominent Russian cyber security firms. Sachkov took part in the expert committees of Russias State Duma, Foreign Ministry and other bodies. Sberbank, Tinkoff Bank, Baring Vostok, Roscosmos, Chamber of Commerce and Industry.




Defendant in embezzlement case of ex- Deputy Minister of Education to stay in detention

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

13:18 21/10/2021

MOSCOW, October 21 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Thursday upheld detention of the former CEO of the Fund for New Forms of Education Development Maxim Inkin, one of the defendants in a case against ex-Deputy Minister of Education and Sberbank vice-president Marina Rakova, the courts press service told RAPSI.

The man will stay detained until November 29.

Inkin and another ex-employee of the Fund Eugeny Zak as well as executive director of the the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences (Shaninka) Christina Kryuchkova became first detainees in the case.

A key defendant, former high-ranking official Rakova, initially fled from investigators and put on a wanted list. Later, after arrest of her male partner and CEO of the Fund Artur Stetsenko, she was also arrested and then detained.

Investigators believe when executing state education contracts in 2019 Rakova then Deputy Minister of Education and her accomplices stole 50 million rubles (over $700,000).




Moscow court bans sales of 61 models of Samsung smartphones in Russia

 androidfan.ru

11:59 21/10/2021

MOSCOW, October 21 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Commercial Court has banned the Korean company Samsung and its Russian division from importing, selling and storing 61 models of Samsung smartphones in the territory of the Russian Federation, according to an additional court decision.

In particular, the ban affected models released in 2016 (Samsung Galaxy A7 and Samsung Galaxy A5), as well as the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Samsung Galaxy Fold.

This is stated in the additional court decision as to a claim of the Swiss Sqwin SA, which seeks to prohibit the use of the Samsung Pay payment service in Russia, since it allegedly violates its rights to the invention of the Electronic Payment System.

As the Swiss company pointed out in its lawsuit, the payment service "Samsung Pay" used all the features of the invention, the owner of the exclusive right to which it is.

On July 27 the claim of Sqwin SA was granted since the case materials confirmed the fact of violation of the exclusive rights of the claimant to the invention. Therefore, the said right is subject to protection by prohibiting the respondents from using products that employ the payment service "Samsung Pay."

However, the decision of July 27 contained no specific models of mobile devices, so the claimant filed a respective petition with the court, which was granted by the additional court decision.

Samsung Pay is a mobile payment service developed by Samsung Electronics that allows users to make payments using supported phones and other Samsung products.
Appeal of Booking.com in dispute with Russian antimonopoly watchdog set for November

 Zuma\TASS

19:11 21/10/2021

MOSCOW, October 21 (RAPSI)  The Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals will consider an appeal lodged by Booking.com B.V. against the Moscow Commercial Courts ruling saying the company abused its market dominance by imposing unfavorable terms of contracts on Russian hotels as stated by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), on November 11, according to court records.

The company appealed against the decision of the first instance court of 6 September. At that time, the court said the conclusions and evidence provided by the antimonopoly watchdog were sufficient to rule in its favor.

Earlier, FAS had fined Booking.com B.V. managing Booking.com aggregator (The Netherlands) 1.3 billion rubles ($17.5 million) for abusing its market dominance.

In December 2020, the watchdog completed consideration of an antimonopoly case against Booking.com B.V. launched upon an application filed by the All-Russian public organization of small and medium business Opora Russia.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service revealed that the company had abused its power at Russias accommodation reservation market forcing contract terms of the need of obligatory provision and enforcing price and room parity as well as conditions of compatibility with closed user groups upon hotels and hostels. This meant that the hotels could not set prices for their services on other websites lower than on Booking.com., the statement reads.

The regulator held that such actions of the aggregator restricted market competition and led to the infringement of the hotels interests.

Booking.com registered in Amsterdam provides an online accommodation reservation service in more than 200 countries.




South Asians Condemn and Demand Action: Bangladesh Violence

As South Asians, we are deeply distressed and saddened by the spate of violence and killings in Bangladesh on the occasion of Durga Puja and Vijayadashmi.

Attacks on minorities are a sign of injustice and a matter of shame for any society and bring a bad name to the Government.

Our heartfelt empathy and solidarity with all those killed, injured and affected in any way by this inhuman and mindless violence.

Even as we were feeling some relief at the Government of Bangladesh reigning in fanatic groups and controlling communalism in the country, the current outbreak of mayhem and violence against the minorities comes as a big shock, and seems a setback to the Government of Bangladesh in its efforts to curb communalism and promote communal amity and peaceful coexistence..

This also shows that fanatic elements bent on spreading hate and violence in any society are always on the prowl to damage social fabric and we have to be on constant vigil against them.

In the time of social media, it is easy to identify, try and punish all those who are involved in the recent violence. We understand that the Government of Bangladesh has started action against those involved and we welcome it and urge that quick and exemplary punishment should be given to deter others and ensure such obnoxious incidences are not repeated again.

Finally we urge the Government of Bangladesh to immediately reconstruct and repair all places of worship, houses and any other assets that are damaged and provide generous compensation to those injured and to the families of all those killed and government jobs to the next of kin.

We find that divisive forces in different countries of South Asia are spreading hate and violence, especially against minorities. This is a matter of grave concern and calls for immediate attention and decisive actions by all the governments of the region to ensure amity, peace and pave way for development and prosperity of the people.

All countries of the region are already lagging behind on all development indicators and any further divisions in society and violence can push our people into more poverty and greater misery.

We urge all South Asians to speak out against any violence in any form and prevail upon their governments to secure peace and ensure prosperity of the people.

India

Syeda Hameed - Khwaja Ahmed Abbas Trust

Shabana Azmi - Film Actor- Activist

Tapan Bose - Peace Activist

P.V. Rajagopal - Sarvodaya Samaj

Fr, Cedric Prakash - Peace Activist

Purushottam Aggarwal - Writer and Peace Activist

Rajeev Bhargava - Academic

Tani Bhargava - Academic

Mazher Hussain- COVA Peace Network

Pakistan

Pervez Hoodbhoy - Physicist - Activist

Karamat Ali - PILER

Sheema Kermani - Tehrik-e-Niswan

Peter Jacob - Peoples Commission for Minority Rights

Mohammed Tahseen - SAP

Mehnaz Rehman  Aurat Foundation

Comrade Nasir Mansoor, National Trade Union Federation (NTUF)

Bangladesh

Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik -

Shahriar Kabir - Forum for Secular Bangladesh

Monoranjan Ghosal - Interreligious Harmony Society

Sri Lanka

Nalini Ratnarajah - Women Development Innovators

Mohammed Mahuruf - PEaCE

Afghanistan

Sima Samar - Former Minister for Womens Affairs

Fidel Rehmati - Academic

Maldives
PRESS RELEASE

October 21, 2021

Christians under Attack in India

Fact-Finding Report Released

In the wake of the massive surge in the recent attacks against Christians in India , United Against Hate Along with Association for Protection of Civil Rights and United Christian Forum organised a joint Press Conference addressing a series of attacks against Christians and Churches in UP and other parts of the country. Three Hundred and Five (305) incidents of violence 273 Days of 2021 were reported on UCF toll-free helpline number 1-800-208-4545 , a helpline number launched on 19th January 2015 with the aim of helping people in distress, especially those who are not aware of he law of the land and the system by providing them the way to legal remedies and reaching out to public authorities. September 2021 witnessed the highest number of incidents with 69 followed by 50 in August , 37 in January, 33 in July , 27 in March, April and June, 20 in February and 15 in Month of May. Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh recorded 169 incidents of Violence against Christians in total in the last nine months with Karnataka with 32 incidents of hate incidents against Christians. Over one thousand (1331) women were injured in these incidents and over four hundred Tribals (588) and Dalits (513). Nearly Three hundred incidents of mob attacks/violence were reported in these eight months. Twenty-Three(28) incidents of causing damage to the places of worship/Churches too were reported. Police or/other concerned authorities disallowed 85 times the assembly of people for religious activities under one pretext or the other. Ten Fresh cases were filed under the Freedom of Religion Act in this year. Recent one is the attack by over 200 Hindutva mobs in a Church in Roorkee, Uttarakhand on 3rd October, 2021.

The Press Conference was moderated by Banojyotsna Lahiri, who addressed the increasing attacks on minorities in South Asia and the lack of action on the part of the government and its police.

Mr. A.C. Michael, National Coordinator of United Christian Forum, defined the term minority and addressed how minorities under attack are not allowed to practice their faith. The religious gatherings are attacked and police pressure forces them into silence.

Pearl, Sadhana and Eva, the victims of violence that took place in Roorkee on October 3, 2021 described the horrific incident. A mob of around 300 people, barged in the church and vandalised it. CCTV cameras were destroyed, Christian worshippers molested and beaten. They pointed out that the attackers were people from the neighbourhood and well educated. No arrests have been made and the harassment hasnt stopped even after two weeks of the violence.

Ms. Minakshi Singh, President of Unity in Compassion, pointed out that the Christian community is being accused of carrying out conversions on a large scale but numbers state otherwise. Over the years, a reduction in the Christian population has been noted. She pointed out the police atrocities against minorities.

Nadeem Khan, Founder of United Against Hate, compared the states attitude towards attacks on a minorities in India and Bangladesh. The Indian government is protecting these groups as if they belong to a party. He pointed out that this non-responsive government must be questioned.

Prashant Tandon (Senior Journalist), addressed the modus operandi of the attacks on minorities. He pointed that either RSS or any of its sub groups, puts allegations of conversion against minorities. Later, they are attacked and there is no action taken against these acts of violence.

The Fact Finding Report by the team including members of United Against Hate, Association for Protection of Civil Rights and United Christian Forum recording testimonies of victims during vandalisation of Church in Roorkee noting that despite prior complaints by Lance family Roorkee Police did not provide security to the Church and family prior to attack, at the time of attack police were informed and calls were made to Civil Lines police station which is less than a kilometer away from the Church but the police team arrived when the violent mob dispersed on its own after the attack and prima facie attack looked meticulously planned to build a fake narrative of conversion. Breaking of CCTV cameras at the entrance of the prayer hall and taking away the DVR indicate the planning and motive of not leaving evidence behind. The Report records that the daughter of the pastor was molested by a man with the mob while some women slapped and abused her and also snatched her phone away .

The Report also records the testimonies of victims of 89 other incidents of hate crime against Christians like the recent attack of Hindutva Mob on Christians at Mau, targeting of two nuns at Mau by extremist groups etc. in different parts of the country in recent past.

Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR)

+91 9911525155
[October 21, 2021] Automation Anywhere Launches New Contact Center Solution, Empowering Enterprises To Deliver Better Service, Faster Enterprises can scale with cloud-native automation integrated with contact centers powered by Genesys and Google to speed delivery of services and reduce customer hold times BANGALORE, India, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Automation Anywhere , a global leader in intelligent automation today introduced Automation Anywhere for Contact Centers, a cloud-native, AI-driven automation solution that empowers enterprises to deliver better customer service faster.



Today, customers engage with contact service agents over an ever-growing number of digital channels. At the same time, organizations want to empower agents with a complete view of the customer. But the reality is complicated as call center agents, whether virtual or human, must navigate apps, data sources, and multiple systems before they have the appropriate information required to respond.



Intelligently Automating Away 'Hold Please'



"The last thing today's leading brands want to do is ask a customer to 'hold please,' while service teams scramble to find account details, order history, or other information they need to quickly solve a customer problem," said Mike Micucci, Chief Operating Officer, Automation Anywhere. "Our cloud-native automation platform works with all contact center platforms to connect data and automate manual processes, empowering agents to solve problems, faster."



Automation Anywhere for Contact Centers enables agents to become more efficient in finding, retrieving, and updating information, as well as executing client transactions quickly and accurately to speed delivery of services while reducing hold times. The solution is built on top of Automation 360 , the world's leading cloud-native RPA platform, and includes AARI , a smart, no-code, easy-to-use interface that allows business users to automate tasks and interactions across multiple systems.



With AARI, a personal robotic assistant offering a single pane of glass for all automations, the solution can scale to support thousands of live or virtual agents and offers additional featurs, that:

Simplify live agent experiences: Automation 360 automates connections across multiple systems of record, including CRM, customer interactions, payment history, and authentications to provide the agent with a complete view of the customer. AARI enables backend automation to speed workflows, update records, and escalations.

Automation 360 automates connections across multiple systems of record, including CRM, customer interactions, payment history, and authentications to provide the agent with a complete view of the customer. AARI enables backend automation to speed workflows, update records, and escalations. Speed response time of virtual agents with complete data: Intelligent automation collects data from modern and legacy systems to speed virtual agent response time to customer questions, addresses more complex inquiries accurately, and provides AI-recommended next-best actions. Virtual agents can go beyond simply answering questions to resolving end-to-end customer cases without human agent intervention.

Intelligent automation collects data from modern and legacy systems to speed virtual agent response time to customer questions, addresses more complex inquiries accurately, and provides AI-recommended next-best actions. Virtual agents can go beyond simply answering questions to resolving end-to-end customer cases without human agent intervention. Connect and scale across existing systems: Automation 360 connects and supports integrations for Google Cloud Contact Center AI (CCAI), and Genesys Cloud CX offering an increasing degree of flexibility to connect the dots for agents hamstrung by complexity. Lower Response Times, Shorter Average Handling Times, and Higher Case Capacity

Enterprises that have already deployed Automation Anywhere for Contact Centers have been able to reduce customer response times, lower Average Handling Times (AHTs), and increase agent case capacity while enhancing customer experiences. "Using Automation Anywhere to automate our contact center operations has allowed us to improve our average customer call handling times with superior data accuracy, and increase our transactions," said Manish Pandya, Senior Vice President of Digital Transformation for TaskUs , a provider of outsourced digital services and next-generation customer experience (CX) to innovative and disruptive companies worldwide. "By automating account verification, case summary notes, next-step guidance, and post-call follow-up, we've improved the customer experience. "Next-generation call centers need to support the scale of customer-facing operations while preserving the sense of personal touch and quality communications," said Amit Zavery, VP and Head of Platform, Google Cloud. "Through our partnership with Automation Anywhere and integration with Apigee we enable virtual agents to hold intelligent customer conversations that are informed by data gathered in the background from multiple processes and systems."



The new solution is available worldwide beginning today from Automation Anywhere and its global partner organization. For more information, go to https://www.automationanywhere.com/solutions/contact-center .



Interact with Automation Anywhere: Visit our website: automationanywhere.com

Follow us on Twitter: @AutomationAnywh

Explore with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/automation_anywhere/

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/automation-anywhere About Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere is the world's #1 cloud automation platform, delivering intelligent RPA solutions across all industries in 90+ countries to automate end-to-end business processes, for the fastest path to enterprise transformation. The company offers the world's only cloud-native platform combining RPA, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics to automate repetitive tasks and build enterprise agility, freeing up humans to pivot to the next big idea, build deeper customer relationships and drive business growth. For additional information, visit www.automationanywhere.com .



Automation Anywhere, Automation 360, and AARI are trademarks/service marks or registered trademarks/service marks of Automation Anywhere, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/541440/Automation_Anywhere_Logo.jpg

[ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] BDev Ventures General Partner hosts an integration dinner for breakthrough entrepreneurs and changemakers SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- General Partner of BDev Ventures and CEO of BairesDev, Nacho De Marco, hosted the Second Time Founders' dinner by welcoming a group of founders, entrepreneurs, and investors to his residence in Los Gatos, California. Organized by Kwiri Yang, Founder of Second Time Founders, and Matt Wilson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at BDev Ventures, the event discussed the reinvention of the post-COVID-19 world by creating sustainable and forward-thinking companies. As part of the 2TF Connect Series, the "Journey within Dinner" connected entrepreneurs and investors of different backgrounds with the Second Time Founders network, in an environment that fostered the exchange of learning experiences. In this space they discussed what to expect in a "New Post-Pandemic Normal" promoting new associations between breakthrough entrepreneurs, changemakers, and investors. Ultimately, creating opportunities and companies that will help shape the business and technology ecosystems. "I came away with many new connections and was re-inspired by all of the talented founders that were part of this group," said Nacho De Marco, General Partner of BDev Ventures and CEO of BairesDev. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to create a new space where founders can seek to improve through conscious leadership and have a long-lasting impact," aid Kwiri Yang, Founder of Second Time Founders.

"BDev Ventures was honored to partner with 2TF to host this amazing group of values-driven founders and investors who took time to invest in community and collaboration as they are building world-changing companies," mentioned Matt Wilson, Managing Partner of BDev Ventures. The event was considered a great success, having gathered many of today's leading investors, founders, and entrepreneurs including Mike Maples, Co-Founder of Floodgate, and Bo Shao, Co-Founder and Chairman of Evolve Ventures. In turn, helping transform business ideas into future-proof companies that will be ready for the new, post-pandemic normal. About BDev Ventures BDev Ventures is a venture capital investment firm founded by the team behind BairesDev, a leading nearshore technology solutions company with a reach all across the U.S. and Latin America. We invest in and accelerate B2B product and services companies by implementing the same lead generation engine that has transformed BairesDev into the largest 100% bootstrapped and organically-grown IT services company and the fastest-growing software development company in the world. For more information, please visit: www.bdevventures.com About BairesDev BairesDev is a leading technology solutions company based in San Francisco. By employing only the Top 1% of Tech Talent, our company is able to build tailored-fit development teams and provide fully customizable solutions for startups, middle-market businesses, and more than 10% of Fortune 500 companies. Some of BairesDev's most notable clients include Google, Rolls-Royce, Pinterest, EY, SiriusXM, Motorola, ViacomCBS & Chime, among others. With a team of over 3,000 experts in practically every technology imaginable, BairesDev continues to expand its operations to the rest of the globe. No matter the project, there is always a common philosophy: to innovate and simplify in order to make the highest quality software in the most efficient way possible. For more information, please visit www.bairesdev.com Image credit: Albert Liu Photography, albertliu.exposure.co/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bdev-ventures-general-partner-hosts-an-integration-dinner-for-breakthrough-entrepreneurs-and-changemakers-301405807.html SOURCE BairesDev

[ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ]
Nanoracks, in collaboration with Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin, has formed a team to develop the first-ever free flying commercial space station.

The space station, known as Starlab, will be a continuously crewed commercial platform, dedicated to conducting critical research, fostering industrial activity, and ensuring continued U.S. presence and leadership in low-Earth orbit. Starlab is expected to achieve initial operational capability by 2027.

To meet U.S. government, international space agency, and commercial needs in space, these industry leaders will develop Starlab specifically to enable the growing space economy and meet pent-up customer demand for space services such as materials research, plant growth, and astronaut activity. Together, these companies bring unparalleled experience in commercial space utilization, engineering design and performance, technology innovation, and investment strategy.

"Since the beginning, Nanoracks has sought to own and operate a private space station to fully unlock market demand," says Jeffrey Manber, CEO and Co-Founder of Nanoracks. "Our team has spent the last decade learning the business of space stations, understanding customer needs, charting market growth, and self-investing in private hardware on the ISS like the Bishop Airlock. Nanoracks and our team are excited to work with NASA and our friends across the world as we move forward with Starlab."

NASA recently announced the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination (CLD) project to support the development of private space stations. CLD will stimulate a multifaceted LEO economy and provide science and crew capabilities in LEO before the International Space Station (ISS) retires.

Nanoracks will prime the Starlab development effort leveraging over a decade of experience as the pathfinder of and global leader in commercial ISS utilization. Voyager Space, the majority shareholder in Nanoracks, will lead strategy and capital investment and Lockheed Martin, a leader in developing and operating complex spacecraft, will serve as the manufacturer and technical integrator.

larger image

The basic elements of the Starlab space station include a large inflatable habitat, designed and built by Lockheed Martin, a metallic docking node, a power and propulsion element, a large robotic arm for servicing cargo and payloads, and a state-of-the-art laboratory system to host a comprehensive research, science, and manufacturing capability. Starlab will be able to continuously host up to four astronauts for conducting critical science and research.

"We're excited to be part of such an innovative and capable team--one that allows each company to leverage their core strengths," said Lisa Callahan, Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin. "Lockheed Martin's extensive experience in building complex spacecraft and systems, coupled with Nanoracks' commercial business innovation and Voyager's financial expertise allows our team to create a customer-focused space station that will fuel our future vision. We have invested significantly in habitat technology which enables us to propose a cost-effective, mission-driven spacecraft design for Starlab."

Nanoracks' Starlab business model is designed to enable science, research, and manufacturing for global customers, and bring added value to long-duration sovereign astronaut missions. Starlab will also serve tourism and other commercial and business activities.

"Voyager Space is highly confident in the Starlab business model and its ability to be commercially sustainable and well capitalized," says Dylan Taylor, Voyager Space Chairman & CEO. "Voyager Space sees numerous synergies leveraging the capabilities across our organization's operating businesses, as well as within the Lockheed Martin ecosystem. We see this partnership as just the beginning of our work together."

Learn more about Starlab and the team here.

larger image

About Nanoracks

Media Contact: D'Mani Harrison-Porter, dharrison-porter@nanoracks.com

Nanoracks, a Voyager Space Company, is the world's leading commercial space services provider. Nanoracks owns and operates private hardware on the International Space Station and has launched over 1,300 research experiments, deployed over 300 small satellites, and installed the Bishop Airlock. Today, Nanoracks leverages over a decade of experience to develop new commercial space systems in direct response to customer needs. These space systems include converting commercial launch vehicle upper stages into functional secondary platforms, building new habitable space stations, supplying payload and crew airlock systems and services infrastructure, and more. Follow @Nanoracks on Twitter to learn more.

About Voyager Space

Media Contact: Abby Dickes, abby.dickes@voyagerspace.com

Voyager Space is a global leader in space exploration. Voyager's long-term mission is to create a vertically integrated, publicly traded NewSpace company capable of delivering any space mission humans can conceive. The firm's first-in-industry model is uniquely tailored to support the growth needs of commercial space companies by replacing traditional private capital models with a longer-term approach that provides permanent capital. To learn more about Voyager Space, please visit: https://voyagerspace.com/ and follow @VoyagerSH on Twitter.

About Lockheed Martin

Media Contact: Gary Napier, gary.p.napier@lmco.com

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest announcements and news across the corporation.

larger image

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including those with respect to Voyager Space Holdings, Inc.'s (the "Company's") mission statement and growth strategy, are "forward-looking statements." Although the Company's management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve many risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from those anticipated. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; and the ability to obtain necessary financing on acceptable terms or at all. Readers should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve these known and unknown uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.



Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
The surface of Venus is completely inhospitable for life: barren, dry, crushed under an atmosphere about 90 times the pressure of Earth's and roasted by temperatures two times hotter than an oven. But was it always that way?

Could Venus once have been a twin of Earth - a habitable world with liquid water oceans? This is one of the many mysteries associated with our shrouded sister world.

27 years have passed since NASA's Magellan mission last orbited Venus. That was NASA's most recent mission to Earth's sister planet, and while we have gained significant knowledge of Venus since then, there are still numerous mysteries about the planet that remain unsolved. NASA's DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission hopes to change that.

Here are ten mysteries of Venus that NASA scientists are still grappling with:

The surface of Venus is completely inhospitable for life: barren, dry, crushed under an atmosphere about 90 times the pressure of Earth's and roasted by temperatures two times hotter than an oven. But was it always that way? Could Venus once have been a twin of Earth - a habitable world with liquid water oceans? This is one of the many mysteries associated with our shrouded sister world. 27 years have passed since NASA's Magellan mission last orbited Venus. That was NASA's most recent mission to Earth's sister planet, and while we have gained significant knowledge of Venus since then, there are still numerous mysteries about the planet that remain unsolved. NASA's DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission hopes to change that. Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

1. Did Venus ever host life?

Big questions are often asked when thinking about other planets: Is there life? WAS there ever life? If so, what sort of life? Tiny microbes that that resemble simple life on Earth? Or like nothing we have ever recognized?

Venus is no exception.

"The community has speculated about possible life on Venus, but until we know whether Venus was ever actually habitable in the past, it's difficult to say much more beyond these speculations," says Dr. Giada N. Arney, deputy principal investigator for DAVINCI at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. "DAVINCI aims to help us understand whether Venus was ever habitable, which will provide a more concrete grounding on which we can study it as a possible past abode for life... It's exciting to think there's a possibility our solar system had two habitable worlds side-by-side for perhaps even billions of years, but we don't yet know if this was the case."

To determine whether life was ever possible on Venus, we first need to understand the past environment on Venus. This involves studying the atmosphere, geology, and history of the planet. "We always want to ask the life question, but until we understand the context in which we're asking it, we won't know what we're looking for and may be even more confused or tantalized," explains Dr. James B. Garvin, principal investigator for DAVINCI at NASA Goddard.

2. How did Venus and Earth come to be so different?

Venus and Earth are similar in size and density, so hypothetically, these planets could be very similar. And yet, they are strikingly different. Air pressure at the surface of Venus is 90 times that of Earth, Venus rotates on its axis backwards compared to the other planets in the solar system, and the surface of Venus is over 900 degrees Fahrenheit (over 482 Celsius), making it the hottest planet in our solar system - hot enough to melt lead. This extreme heat on the surface of Venus is due to a carbon dioxide atmosphere with thick clouds of sulfuric acid, which could have resulted from a runaway greenhouse phase earlier in Venus' history that forever changed our sister world.

So, what happened? Was Venus always so inhospitable? "Why are we so good and they so bad?" says Garvin. "That is the central question, because in the long haul, that is going to affect the evolution of our own planet. Maybe Venus is a destiny storyboard that will help us fill in the longer story of our planet."

The evolution of Venus through time may help us understand processes that govern global-scale changes in a planet's environment, including evolution of the planet's habitability, with implications for where we might find habitable planets beyond the solar system. "Venus represents an important illustration of how planetary environments can evolve over time, and understanding that evolution is critical to our thinking in the search for life beyond Earth," explains Dr. Stephanie A. Getty, deputy principal investigator for DAVINCI at NASA Goddard.

3. How did Venus form?

Even this seemingly basic question about the origin of Venus is still a mystery. "It's amazing to me that we don't know whether Venus formed from the same early solar system materials as did Earth and Mars," says Getty. "We still don't know whether Venus was bombarded by comets and asteroids, rich in water, the way Earth was." These comets and asteroids that bombarded our home planet are considered to have been an important source of water for Earth. Understanding the delivery of water to Venus is important for evaluating its potential to host oceans in the past.

4. What is the atmospheric composition at Venus?

The atmospheric composition of Venus is an important piece of the context we are seeking as we aim to better evaluate Venus' potential habitability over time. "We really do not know the important trace chemicals in the Venus atmosphere," says Garvin. "We don't understand the chemical cycles that provide clues to how it has evolved and the role of these chemical cycles in Venus' history -- these unknowns are the fingerprints that have been missing for way too long."

The DAVINCI probe will measure chemistry, pressure, temperature, and dynamics at least every 200 meters (about 656 feet) as it descends through Venus' atmosphere. One of the biggest mysteries of Venus' atmosphere lies in the lowermost or "deep" atmosphere. Typically, planetary atmospheric gases behave like those we study in high-school chemistry - their behavior can be estimated as "ideal gases" and is well understood. But in Venus' lower atmosphere (nearest the surface of the planet), carbon dioxide is heated and pressurized to the point where it acts more like a hot liquid than a gas - only about twelve times less dense than liquid water. "This bizarre behavior is called 'super-critical,' and on Venus, the atmosphere that sloshes around the surface landscapes and rocks is supercritical carbon dioxide, which is poorly understood," says Garvin. "We have to go there and measure what is going on to find out how this works on a planetary scale. That means there's a whole new frontier on Venus. That's a new environmental state that we're not used to."

5. How were the rocks of Venus formed?

The last spacecraft to successfully descend through the atmosphere and land on Venus was the Soviet VeGa-2 mission in 1985, which survived for 52 minutes on the planet's inhospitably hot surface on the "night side" of the planet. At its landing site, it was surrounded by basaltic plains that were formed by volcanism, but some highland regions on Venus are thought to be different. Thus, the surface of Venus remains quite the mystery, especially in regions beyond the volcanic plains.

The DAVINCI spacecraft will be equipped with a suite of four cameras together called VISOR (Venus Imaging System for Observational Reconnaissance), which will be able to identify rock composition on the planet's surface. "Most of the surface of Venus is made of basalt, which is produced by volcanism," says Arney. "But there are some intriguing mountainous highland regions called 'tesserae' (regions of heavily deformed terrain) that suggest hints of having a different composition. They may be made of rocks that form from water-rock interactions and continent-building processes (which could imply Earth-like plate tectonics), and if so, that's really exciting because it would suggest more hospitable conditions in the Venus past." The DAVINCI probe will descend over one of these "tesserae," called Alpha Regio, and will make measurements with its Venus Descent Imager (VenDI) instrument. "This will help us better understand what this 'tessera' is made of," explains Arney.

6. How much water did Venus have?

Liquid water is essential for life. We cannot assess Venus' past habitability without knowing how much water Venus may have had - and when and how it lost that water. Scientists can use the bulk chemical composition of rocks found on Venus to unravel the mystery of water on the planet. "If we discover 'granites' in the mountains of Venus, then we can infer they must have involved large amounts of water in the Venus crust to allow them to form as they do on Earth," explains Garvin.

Scientists can also use measurements of the atmosphere to understand the history of water at Venus. The DAVINCI probe's Venus Mass Spectrometer and Venus Tunable Laser Spectrometer will measure atmospheric composition throughout its entire descent toward the surface of the planet. The atmospheric signatures measured may provide clues to the story of past water, which may help scientists determine whether the planet previously had an ocean. "We suspect but do not know whether there were oceans on Venus, and if so, when in Venus' history the water evaporated," says Getty.

7. What is the nature of surface activity at Venus?

Scientists are still making discoveries to understand whether Venus ever had Earth-style plate tectonics, and how those mountain-building processes are similar or different from Earth's. Earth's crust hosts a network of relatively thin plates jostling around on the planet's surface in constant horizontal motion. If similar plate tectonics exist on Venus, now or in the past, the planet's crust must experience movement of crustal plates over geologic time, mid-ocean-ridge volcanism (volcanic activity present at oceanic boundaries between two plates), and subduction (the movement of one plate sinking underneath another plate). The history of Venus tectonics is still an active area of research with many open questions. Some scientists believe Venus has retained plate tectonics with laterally moving blocks of crust, while others hypothesize that this period in Venus' history is long in the past, perhaps when liquid water was either at the surface or abundant within the crust.

At some point, Venus may have had its own form of plate tectonics - possibly different from the plate tectonics here on Earth. Water and rock measurements obtained from the DAVINCI mission, combined with the Venus global mapping information by NASA's VERITAS mission, another recently selected mission to Venus that is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, can be used to decipher how these tectonic patterns may have operated on Venus, and why the planet was unable to sustain them in a fashion similar to Earth. Venus is an ideal test-case for examining how plate tectonics or some other type of crustal movement persists or disappears on big, rocky planets with atmospheres and a changing (but large) budget of both crustal and surface water.

Another key mystery about the surface of Venus is volcanism. All planets must get rid of their internal heat, and Earth's method of doing so involves volcanism as an associated process. Scientists are still speculating whether the surface of Venus is currently volcanically active, and to what degree eruptions occur today. Together, the DAVINCI and VERITAS missions hope to address these questions. DAVINCI can measure gases in the Venus atmosphere that could signal if volcanoes have erupted or are erupting on Venus today, while the VERITAS orbiter will be able to see the deformation of the crust, the chemical signature of recent volcanism, and the thermal signature of major erupting lavas.

8. What do the mountains look like on Venus?

Previous Venus landers (Venera & VeGa) have taken photographs of the Venusian plains after landing on basaltic regions of the surface, but DAVINCI's cameras will snap the first-ever high-resolution aerial photos of a mountainous tessera surface as the probe descends over the rugged Alpha Regio highlands region.

"Where we're landing on Venus is in the mountains," explains Garvin. "No one's ever gone to the mountains before... When we see them from a mile up, they may look like nothing ever seen by woman or man before, because no one's ever been there to experience them." Such rugged mountain landscapes may hold clues to how erosion on Venus works today. Similarly, they might indicate whether sedimentary rocks were important in the formation of the highlands of Venus as they commonly are on Earth.

9. Are there Venus-like planets beyond our solar system (exoplanets)?

Scientists are excited about the idea of taking what we learn from Venus and applying it to exoplanets - planets outside our solar system. Venus-like exoplanets are expected to be a common type of planet observed by the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, and better measurements of Venus may help us to understand these distant worlds. "We'll be able to relate what we discover at Venus to what we discover from observations of Venus-like exoplanets observed by the James Webb Space Telescope in the 2020s," says Arney. "For instance, data from Venus can improve computer models of Venus-like exoplanets that we will use to interpret our future James Webb observations. Also, if Venus was habitable in the past, that means some of these 'Venus-like' exoplanets may be habitable too. Understanding the history of Venus may therefore help us to understand and interpret exo-Venus planets observed at varied ages and stages of evolution."

10. New Mysteries We Haven't Even Thought of Yet

"One of the most exciting aspects of planetary exploration is discovering new mysteries that we can't currently anticipate," says Arney. "Those new mysteries we can't yet imagine are what I'm looking forward to the most." This is the essence of curiosity-driven exploration, and DAVINCI will offer plenty of opportunities for new mysteries to be identified and even resolved. What might Venus be hiding? We must go there to find out! "Venus here we come" is the catch-phrase of the DAVINCI team.

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Moscow, Oct 20, 2021 (SPS) - The Russian Federation has reiterated its position in the search for a political acceptable solution to the internationally recognized parties to the conflict, namely: Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO to this long-standing conflict on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the Council of UN Security.

This position of the European country was expressed by the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the Middle East and African Countries, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, M.L. Bogdanov during a reception to an important Saharawi delegation led by the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Frente POLISARIO Ubbi Bachraya Bachir and the Coordinator of Relations with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar .

During the conversation, an in-depth exchange of views took place on the prospects for a settlement in Western Sahara, in light of preparations for the forthcoming adoption by the UN Security Council of a resolution on the extension of the MINURSO mandate.SPS

125/090/TRA
On Wednesday (Oct. 20) trainer Chris Oakes entered a guilty plea in the Southern District of New York to drug misbranding and adulteration with intent to defraud or deceive.

The count is in violation of title 21 U.S. Code  331, which deals with prohibited acts under the Federal Food, Drug And Cosmetic Act.

"I purchased medication from Seth Fishman, Dr. Gregory Skelton and his assistant Ross Cohen, and administered the medications to my horses in my care to try to gain an unfair advantage," said Oakes under oath to U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. When asked if Oakes had administered any drugs to horses racing at Yonkers Raceway, Oakes replied "yes, your honour."

Oakes stated that the administration of performance-enhancing substances transpired "around the first part of 2019 through to maybe March 2020," when he was arrested.

The former trainer could face up to three years imprisonment for the felony offense and a maximum fine of $200,000. He was one of the individuals named in March 2020 when the United States Department of Justice charged a total of 27 individuals with "offenses relating to the systematic and covert administration of illegal performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to racehorses competing across the United States and abroad."

Sentencing for Oakes has been set for February 17, 2022.
"It was pretty amazing. It was about a 45 per cent increase from what we did last year, and it just gives me great pleasure for the breeders. I know how hard they work behind the scenes. It's a labour of love for them. It takes a number of years before they get a horse to the sale."

Earlier this month, the Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale smashed records with its total gross sales topping $1.7 million.

Julie Jamieson, executive director of the P.E.I. Harness Racing Industry Association, which administers the sale, commented on the successful 2021 yearling auction in a CBC News article.

Jamieson attributed the record prices the sale yielded to supply and demand from a current horse shortage in North America as well as an increase in new and returning owners.

"We're seeing a lot of fractional groups that have been formed, and that's a number of people that come in on a horse together," Jamieson told CBC News. "They form a group, it increases their buying power, more so than they would if they tried to buy on their own."

To read the article in its entirety, which includes comments from buyers and sale topper Woodmere Xspeedia's breeder Bruce Wood, click here.

(With files from CBC News)
By Trend

Pakistan will organize a Pakistan-Azerbaijan Business Forum, Trend reports citing the Pakistani embassy in Azerbaijan.

The forum will be held in collaboration with AZPROMO at 11:00 (GMT+4) on April 29, 2021. The forum will be held online.

Business firms operating in pharmaceutical, surgical, agro food, textile and light industry sectors were informed by the relevant authorities about participation in the forum.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Italy have discussed prospects for the development of relations between the business communities of the two countries.

The discussion took place during the meeting of Azerbaijans Agency for Small and Medium-sized Businesses Development Chairman Orkhan Mammadov and Italian Ambassador Claudio Taffuri on October 11.

During the meeting, the parties discussed existing cooperation in the mentioned field. Various proposals were made to expand relations between the two countries' businessmen.

Moreover, the parties discussed the support and services provided by the Agency to SMBs, its cooperation with the relevant Italian agencies and the work to be done in the bilateral documents signed between the parties.

Azerbaijan is one of Italys main energy suppliers. Over 100 Italian companies, operating in various fields, are registered in Azerbaijan. In addition, Italian companies have contracts worth over 10 billion euros ($11.8bn) for Azerbaijani projects both outside and inside the country.

Azerbaijans overall investment in Italys economy is estimated at 1.7 billion euros ($2bn), while Italy invested about 770 million euros ($910.8M) in Azerbaijan

At the same time, Azerbaijan accounts for more than 90 percent of Italys total trade with the South Caucasus countries. Azerbaijan is the main destination of Italian exports to the South Caucasus region, with a 7 percent increase in 2020 as well.

Additionally, Italy was one of the first countries that voiced its support for Azerbaijans territorial integrity and later on interest in participation in restoration works carried out in Azerbaijan's liberated territories. Thus, Italy and Israel have already started the implementation of a joint project to turn the liberated Zangilan region into a smart city.

The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $5.1 billion in the first eight months of 2021, making Italy Azerbaijans largest trade partner.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's State Oil Company and TOTAL Energies have discussed the issues of closer cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

The discussion took place during SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev's meeting with TOTAL Energies' Senior Vice President for carbon neutrality Christine Haley and Regional President and Vice President for Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan Peter Holding.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the joint projects implemented by the two companies.

They stressed the importance of the construction and installation works carried out within the Absheron project, noting the measures being taken to improve the efficiency of activities.

At the same time, TOTAL's interest in long-term cooperation with Azerbaijan was confirmed.

The Agreement on Exploration, Development, and Production Sharing at Absheron prospective structure was signed on February 27, 2009.

The operator of the project is JOCAP (Joint Operating Company Absheron Petroleum), a joint venture of SOCAR Absheron and TOTAL E&P Absheron.

The Absheron gas condensate field is located in the Caspian Sea, to the southwest of the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field block, at a depth of 500 meters.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan exported 4.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas worth $1.4 billion to Europe in the first nine months of 2021, the State Customs Committee has reported.

Of the total volume of exported natural gas, Italy accounted for 3.9 billion cubic meters worth $1.2 billion. Some 501.7 million cubic meters of natural gas worth $163.7 million were exported to Greece and 166 million cubic meters worth $25.5 million to Bulgaria.

It should be noted that during the reported period, Azerbaijan exported a total of 14.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas worth $2.9 billion.

Moreover, Turkey accounted for 7.8 billion cubic meters of the total volume of exported natural gas, worth $1.2 billion.

In the meantime, 2.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas worth $280.9 million were exported to Georgia and 169.3 million cubic meters of natural gas worth $6.4 million to Iran in January-September 2021.

Azerbaijan started commercial gas supplies to Europe through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) on December 31, 2020. Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov earlier said that the TAP, as another energy link connecting Azerbaijan with Europe, will strengthen Azerbaijan's strategic role in energy security, cooperation and sustainable development.

The pipeline is supplied by natural gas from the second stage of Azerbaijans Shah Deniz gas field development in the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea through the South Caucasus Pipeline and Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP). The initial capacity of the pipeline is about 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, with the option to expand the capacity up to 20 billion cubic meters.

The Southern Gas Corridor is an initiative of the European Commission for a natural gas supply route from Caspian and Middle Eastern regions to Europe. The route from Azerbaijan to Europe consists of the South Caucasus Pipeline, the TANAP and TAP.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Work on the restoration of infrastructure, including radio and television stations, continues in Azerbaijans liberated lands.

In this context, television and radio broadcasting has been launched in the city and more than 10 villages of Zangilan region. Eight television and two radio channels are broadcast via the 30-meter tower installed in Minjivan village.

On October 4, 2021, TV and radio broadcasting was launched in Azerbaijans liberated Kalbajar region. Eight TV channels and one radio channel are broadcasted in the city itself and the region's 15 nearby villages.

From December 31, 2020, TV and radio broadcasting was restored in Shusha and Khankandi cities, Khojali (Khojaly), Aghdam and Barda regions, as well as surrounding settlements.

At present, relevant agencies are working to restore radio and television broadcasting in other liberated areas. By late 2021, it is planned to restore the Shahyeri station located in the village of the same name in Khojavand region.

In April, the Caspian International Broadcasting Company LLC (CBC FM radio channel) was declared the winner of the tender for opening a radio channel in Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Currently, the work is underway to restore Azerbaijans liberated territories. Azerbaijan will carry out the reconstruction on its recently-liberated territories in four stages. The initial stage includes the solution of the issues of governance and security, infrastructure, while the subsequent stages include the solution of the issues of social services activities, reconstruction, and development of the economy.

Azerbaijan allocated $1.5 billion for the reconstruction of the liberated territories in 2021. In particular, these funds will be used to restore the infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roads, education, health, etc), as well as cultural and historical monuments.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov and Slovakian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok have signed an agreement on economic cooperation.

The agreement was signed in Baku on October 19.

Under the agreement, an Azerbaijan-Slovakia Joint Working Group on Economic Cooperation will be established to coordinate and develop bilateral economic ties.

It should be noted that the economic cooperation agreement was signed during the Slovakian minister's meeting with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov.

During the meeting, the parties emphasized that an active political dialogue is being conducted between the two countries. It was noted that Azerbaijan is interested in further development of cooperation with the EU member states.

The parties discussed the expansion of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Slovakia in trade, economics, energy, transport, transit, investment and other fields.

The prime minister stressed that transport corridors through Azerbaijan, including the Zangazur corridor, will be of interest to Slovakia and the EU. He noted the opportunities for cooperation in the field of a digital and green economy.

Moreover, it was noted that Azerbaijan is interested in the participation of companies from friendly countries, including Slovakia, in the restoration of the countrys liberated territories.

In turn, Korcok stressed that Slovakia supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, as well as the importance of extending good political relations to the economic sphere.

Additionally, on October 19, the Azerbaijan-Slovak business forum organized by the Azerbaijani Export and Investment Promotion Foundation was held in Baku with the Economy Ministry's support.

It should be noted that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovakia amounted to $29 million during the first nine months of 2021. In 2020, the volume of trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $28.4 million.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

The volume of cargo transportation through the Azerbaijani section of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) transport corridor amounted to 27.1 million tons in January - August 2021, Azertag has reported.

During the reported period, 15.2 million tons or 56.1 percent of the cargo transportation was carried out by automobiles, 8.8 million tons or 32.5 percent by rail and 3.9 million tons or 11.4 percent by sea.

The share of transit cargoes in the total volume of the freight traffic along the TRACECA corridor amounted to 6.4 million tons or 22.3 percent in the first eight months of 2021.

Azerbaijan and TRACECA agreed on cooperation in the areas of expansion of the corridor geography and digitalization of the corridor, during the meeting held between Azerbaijani Digital Development and Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev with TRACECA Secretary-General Asset Asavbayev. The parties agreed to cooperate in the development of multimodal transport, increasing the competitiveness of container traffic, development of new projects that may help to attract additional cargo flows to the corridor and stepping up efforts to promote the TRACECA corridor at the bilateral and international levels.

It should be noted that in 2020, TRACECA transported 35.5 million tons of cargo through Azerbaijan, including 7.5 million tons or 21.2 percent of transit cargo.

Established in 1993, TRACECA is an international transport program involving the European Union and 12 member states of the Eastern European, Caucasian, and Central Asian region (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan).
By Trend

Unvaccinated Azerbaijani citizens can travel to Georgia only by presenting a negative result of a PCR test, Trend reports via Georgian media.

Georgia simplified admission regulations for citizens of certain states from October 19.

Aside from Azerbaijan, citizens from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and a number of other countries can enter Georgia by presenting a negative result of a PCR test done within 72 hours before the trip.

However, unvaccinated tourists are obligated to take a PCR test on the third day of their stay in Georgia again. The penalty for the absence of a test when leaving the country is 2000 Georgian lari ($638).
By Trend

Honey from Azerbaijans Kalbajar and Lachin districts [liberated from Armenian occupation as a result of the 2020 second Karabakh war] was delivered to the beekeeping fair in Baku, Vugar Huseynov, head of the public relations department of the Ministry of Agriculture, told Trend.

"The fair sells honey from all regions of Azerbaijan, including the liberated territories," Huseynov said.

Businessman Sabir Mustafayev, who moved the beekeeping farm to Kalbajar, said that this year he brought 200 kg of Kalbajar honey to the fair.

"In Kalbajar we collected two tons of honey, and brought 200 kg of the honey from there to the fair. Its sale price is nearly 30-40 manat ($17.6-$23.5) per kilogram," he added.

The 21-st national beekeeping fair opened in Baku on Oct.20 and will be held until Nov.7.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has said that the new Zangazur corridor, initiated by Azerbaijan, will further enhance the strategic importance of the China-initiated Belt and Road project in the future.

He made the remarks while delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the Second Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference, held in the form of a hybrid conference in Chinas Qingdao, on October 18-19, 2021.

The minister noted that Azerbaijan, located on the ancient Silk Road, plays the role of an important bridge between China and Europe through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, the International North-South Transport Corridor, and the Trans-Caspian transit corridor.

Shahbazov emphasized that Azerbaijan is an important partner in the development of energy cooperation in this corridor with its globally important energy lines, diversified energy resources, role in ensuring energy security of Europe, and favorable investment opportunities.

Its effective position in the structure of global energy consumption, being one of the countries with the largest installed capacity in the renewable energy sector in the world, and its target for zero carbon emissions by 2060 ensures that 'Belt and Road' [initiative, BRI] will become an effective cooperation platform on 'green energy' with China's initiative, the minister said.

He also spoke about the renewable energy sources' development, the reforms carried out in Azerbaijan in the energy efficiency sphere, the projects to be implemented, and the measures that are taken to create a green energy zone on the liberated territories.

The minister stated the upcoming auctions for renewable energy projects, as well as a wind power potential of 157 GW in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, will create new opportunities for investors, including for sustainable energy cooperation with China.

Moreover, Shahbazov underlined that Azerbaijan supports all international efforts to ensure transparency in the extractive industries. He noted that ensuring even greater transparency in Azerbaijan's extractive industry helps to attract additional investments to the country.

At the Second Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference, the issues of building an industrial green energy chain, increasing coordination between countries in the field of transition to green energy, elaborating development programs in this direction, carbon neutrality, creating a market environment for investment in green energy, accelerating the energy transition, and application of new technologies and innovations were discussed.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

The Azerbaijan-Croatia Business Forum, organized by the Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) with the Economy Ministry support, was held in Baku on October 20.

The forum was attended by officials and representatives of about 20 companies working in the construction, food, ICT and other spheres.

Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry's Director-General for Economic and Development Cooperation Ivana Zivkovic noted that the active participation of businessmen in the event is an indicator of interest in bilateral relations development. The director-general added that the business forum will contribute to expanding cooperation and establishing new ties.

AZPROMO's Head Yusif Abdullayev briefed on the organization's activities, work done for the expansion of cooperation with foreign partners and for the increasing of the investment in the non-oil sector.

Azerbaijan's Agency for Small and Medium-sized Business Development Chairman Orkhan Mammadov spoke about the measures taken to develop SMBs in the country. He noted the Agency's activities in this area, emphasizing the opportunities for cooperation in SMBs field with relevant Croatian institutions and enterprises.

The forum continued with bilateral meetings between businessmen.

The visiting delegation led by the Croatian foreign and European affairs minister is on a visit to Azerbaijan. The Croatian minister was received by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on October 19 and held the joint press conference with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on October 20.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Croatia amounted to $549.4 million in the first nine months of 2021. In addition, the volume of turnover between the two countries amounted to $473.2 million in 2020.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani's cultural heritage has been successfully represented in China.

Created by Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the national pavilion "Window to Azerbaijani culture" opened in the Park of Culture "Ancient Settlements" in the city of Benbu.

The pavilion is the first of a limited number of foreign national pavilions that opened in the park.

The pavilion displayed stunning carpets, bronze wares, shabaka art, colorful ornaments, traditional costumes, musical instruments, various souvenirs, as well as publications published by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation which provides insight into Azerbaijan's culture and history.

Among the exhibits were a bust of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi, sculptures from collections "Kharibulbul", "Maiden Tower" and "Gazelle" as well as objects inspired by petroglyphs in Gobustan.

Various souvenirs were also presented to the visitors at the "I love Baku" stand. The monitors installed in the pavilion showcased videos about Azerbaijani culture, history and modern architecture.

Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Chen, leaders of Anhui Province and Bengbu City, representatives of the diplomatic corps in China viewed the national pavilion.

Notably, Azerbaijani pavilion will operate on a long-term basis in accordance with the agreement.

The Park of Culture "Ancient Settlements", built around Longji Lake in Bengbu, is a major cultural project covering an area of 333 hectares.

The park has 450 buildings in the style of traditional Chinese architecture, including similar temples that hold a special place in the history and culture of China.

Around 10,000 rare species of trees have been planted in the park.

Supported by the Anhui Provincial Government and Bengbu City, the Ancient Settlement Park serves as a historical, cultural and environmental museum.

The park showcases pavilions dedicated to Chinese culture, its historical figures and the culture of various peoples.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Euronews channel has prepared a video report on Ismayilli's Lahij village to highlight metal art in this charming corner of Azerbaijan.

Lahij is about a three-hour drive west of Baku. Narrow cobbled streets, houses out of river stones, craft workshops ... It seems that nothing has changed here in the last century.

Lahij has long been known as the village of artisans.

The village is famous for its leather production, carpet weaving art. However, it is the coppersmiths that have made Lahij so famous. Highly artistic copperware is the symbol of this small village.

"This workshop is 300 years old now. It has been operating since 1725. I am over 50 years old and my kids are the eighth generation working in this workshop," said coppersmith Kablayi Aliyev.

Copper processing is one of the oldest forms of metalwork. The practice of forming and decorating copperware dates back thousands of years.

Its manufacturing has changed little over the years. Coppersmiths in Lahij are still using traditional tools like sledgehammers and chisels in their hard work that requires strength and patience.

"Kablayi makes copperware, galvanizes it and brings it to me," says the minter Haji Aliyev.

" Next, I decorate copperware with unique patterns. You cannot apply the same pattern to different wares. The chisel is the only tool I use. I don't even mark the pattern with a pencil. I only picture it in my head before minting," he added.

Copperware made in Lahij has been exhibited in world-famous museums, including the Louvre. It is also in high demand in Azerbaijan itself.

Director of the Lahij Museum of History and Local Lore Kamal Aliyev says that copper processing in Lahij goes back several centuries.

"We know for sure that tableware was made here already in the 11th century. In addition, archaeologists have found copper coins minted in Lahij in the Middle Ages in different parts of the country. It is also known that in 1923 there were 200 copper workshops in Lahij," he added.

In 2015, the art of Lahij's coppersmiths was included in the UNESCO List of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Notably, Azerbaijan's rich natural resources have made possible the development of metal art.

The historical findings discovered as a result of excavations on the country's territory prove that as far back as 2,000 B.C ancestors of Azerbaijanis used objects made of various metals in their everyday lives.

After the discovery of copper in the Eneolithic period, metal came to play a major role in the economic, social, and cultural life of the Azerbaijani people.

The discovery of lead, tin, manganese during this period was a completely new step in the country's history, which marked the beginning of a bronze period.

Among the monuments, distinguished by their originality, one can mention the two-headed bronze deer found in the village of Dolanlar in Karabakh.

In ancient times, metal was used in the manufacture of mainly religious handicrafts, so it is possible that the excavated deer was a totem for worshipping people living in these territories.

Kitchen utensils, daggers, axes, belts adornments and other material and cultural samples were also found during excavations.

Among the ancient monuments one of the bronze items, drawing attention from the viewpoint of art and craftsmanship, is the belt. Bronze belts found in Karabakh, Gazakh, Gadabay, and other places captivate with elegance and zoomorphological symbols and patterns.

The Middle Ages are one of the richest periods in the country's history of folk art.

Of particular interest are household utensils, in particular, samples of dishes found during archaeological excavations in Mingachevir and exhibited at the Azerbaijan State Historical Museum. Ancient silver plates, decorated with delicate patterns and beautiful shapes have always been at the center of public attention.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The Russian Cultural and Information Center is pleased to announce the Days of Tatar Cinema.

The film screenings will take place in Baku on October 22-24.

The Russian Cultural Center in Baku and Tatarkino studio will screen films show at Kazan International Muslim Film Festival.

The motto of the festival is "To the dialogue of cultures through the culture of dialogue".

The festival focuses on the exchange of the workers in culture and arts between Russia and Muslim countries of the neighboring and far-abroad countries.

The film "Mullah" will be shown at the House of Cinema on October 22. The film "Apipa" will be screened at YARAT Contemporary Art Space on October 23.

The film "Halima" will be presented to the audience at the Russian Cultural Center on October 24.

Moreover, a meeting with Tatarkino studio's creative team will be also held as part of the Days of Tatar Cinema.

Admission is free. Only those who have Covid passports or immunity certificate can take part in the event.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The Days of Azerbaijani Culture and Literature will be held in Uzbekistan on October 20-23.

The event will be held under the project of the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in Uzbekistan with the support of the Culture Ministries of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tashkent.

The opening ceremony will take place at the Nukus State Pedagogical Institute.

The cultural program is expected to be diverse and extensive.

Azerbaijani musicians will perform at Karakalpak State Musical Theater as part of the event.

The event will feature a meeting with teachers and students of the university, fashion show, film screenings, book fair and much more.

The Urgench State Music and Drama Theater will host the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Friendship Concert. People's Artist Gyulyanag Mammadova, Azerbaijani musicians and the ensemble "Gizlar" will perform at the concert.

A documentary "Golden Bridge" and the music video "Glory to Friendship" will be shown in the cities of Nukus and Khiva.

In addition, a book by Azerbaijani MP Ganira Pashayeva will also be presented as part of the Cultural Days.

The book "Step by Step Uzbekistan" tells about her last visit to Uzbekistan.

Moreover, books highlighting Azerbaijan's rich culture and history will be donated to the libraries in Uzbekistan.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum will host the opening of the exhibition Kamil Aliyev: Artist and Time on October 21.

The event marks the 100th birth anniversary of People's Artist Kamil Aliyev, known as talented carpet artist, author of numerous samples of Azerbaijani carpet.

The exhibition will feature 18 carpets from the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum's collection, 3 carpets from the collection of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art, and 3 carpets and 5 sketches from the artists family archive.

Kamil Aliyev creatively transformed the classical carpet compositions and designed the ornaments not only for carpets but also for different types of textiles, including ceramic.

However, it was the portrait carpets that brought him worldwide fame. Kamil Aliyev managed to grow this genre into a whole direction in carpet weaving, which is still in demand today.

During his long and creative life, Kamil Aliyev designed a wide variety of portrait carpets using different carpet weaving methods to portray the images of artists and political leaders: world-famous poets Nizami Ganjavi, Imadaddin Nasimi, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, Shota Rustaveli, Rabindranath Tagore, politicians Heydar Aliyev, Mahammad Amin Rasulzade, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Indira Gandhi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ruhollah Khomeini.

The artist held solo exhibitions not only in Azerbaijan but also in Paris, London, Tokyo, Delhi, Ankara, Istanbul, Tehran, Moscow, and Kyiv. His carpets are preserved in world-famous museums and private collections.

The exhibition, organized by the Culture Ministry and the Carpet Museum, runs until November 21.
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

Shahbulag Castle in Aghdam is considered one of the most significant monuments in Azerbaijan's history.

Built in 1751-1752 by Panahali Khan, this historical site was named Shahbulag (Shah's spring) after a nearby spring bearing the same name.

The 18th century monument is actually the inner tower of the large castle complex, which was built of local building materials, limestone and rock.

The complex consists of houses, markets, baths and mosques and was surrounded by protective walls and guard towers.

The height of the wall is 7 meters, the height of the head is 8.5 meters. The only entrance to the complex is located to the east.

Shahbulag was the administrative center of the Karabakh Khanate.The buildings of Shahbulag influenced the architecture of the Karabakh Khanate, especially its capital named after Shusha.

Only the castle itself and the mosque on its northwestern end survived. The castle has a rectangular architectural design and its external walls are reinforced with circular and semicylinder towers.

During the reign of the khan, it was protected by two-story tower-like premises.

The top floor was intended for the khan with a stone staircase leading to it from the castle yard. The castle was built from half-hewn whole stones.

The heads of media resources and NGOs, bloggers and public activists visited the castle on March 13. They were informed about the history of the monument.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

A graduation ceremony was held for the Azerbaijani servicemen who graduated from Mountain Commando Courses in Turkey's Isparta, the Defence Ministry has reported.

An Azerbaijani delegation, including representatives of the Azerbaijani embassy in Ankara, attended the ceremony organized at the Mountain Commando School and Training Center on October 16.

Addressing the ceremony, the speakers congratulated the servicemen and wished them success in their future service.

The graduates were awarded the certificates for successful completion of the course, the report added.

Azerbaijan and Turkey periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units.

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations.

On June 15, the two countries signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijans victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defence cooperation.

It affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. The declaration also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of the armed forces. Moreover, the two nations affirm to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air, and space.

In an interview with Turkey's Anadolu Agency on September 27, President Ilham Aliyev said that the signing of the Shusha Declaration raised bilateral relations to an even higher level.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has said that Slovakia will deliver demining machines to Azerbaijan in the near future.

He made the remarks at the joint press conference with Slovakian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, on October 19.

Bayramov noted that the two countries have taken practical steps to demine Azerbaijans liberated territories.

The relevant Azerbaijani agency has signed an agreement on the supply of seven demining machines of Slovak production, some of which will be delivered to Azerbaijan in the near future, he said.

Ties with Armenia

During the joint press conference, Bayramov stated that Azerbaijan supports the normalization of relations with Armenia in line with the norms and principles of international law.

The minister stated the importance to fulfill the points of the joint statement, stressing that Azerbaijan fulfills all the obligations arising from this statement.

"The path of revanchism or cooperation is a matter of Armenia's choice. Azerbaijan always responds to positive steps of cooperation. But if any threat arises against our country, an adequate response will be given," he added.

Bilateral cooperation

The minister stated that Azerbaijan and Slovakia are planning to sign an agreement on economic cooperation.

He noted that with the Slovakian foreign minister, they discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation, cooperation on an international platform, and the potential of ties in the economic field.

It was noted that more than 10 agreements on cooperation between the two countries in various fields are currently under consideration.

In turn, Korcok emphasized that Slovakia is interested in deepening relations with Azerbaijan. He noted that Azerbaijan is an important partner of Slovakia.

There is a great potential for the cooperation development between Slovakia and Azerbaijan, he said.

Noting that Slovakia has always supported Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, the minister underlined the importance of observing the principle of territorial integrity.

Earlier, a meeting in an expanded format was held between the ministers of the two countries. President Ilham Aliyev and Slovakias Foreign and European Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok discussed cooperation and mutual relations during the meeting on October 19.

It should be noted that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovakia amounted to $29 million during the first nine months of 2021. In 2020, the volume of trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $28.4 million.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Urban Planning and Architecture Committee Chairman Anar Guliyev has said that Azerbaijan will build the occupation museum, the memorial complex and the Victory Park in liberated Fuzuli, local media reported on October 18.

Guliyev made the remarks while presenting Fuzuli city's master plan to President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva during their visit to the regio on October 17.

He said that the memorial complex will be built in the city's central part and the facilities will cover 5 hectares of area in total. The city will also have Flag Square in the highest place in the area.

Furthermore, a short film about the plan and future construction was presented.

Mr President, as the video showed, we believe that Flag Square will be built at the highest point of the city and will represent a new symbol of Fuzuli. It will be visible from all sides, especially in the evening with lighting effects, Guliyev stressed.

He added that the museum will have six main halls, each of which will be dedicated to topics of the strategic importance of Fuzuli and Karabakh.

Furthermore, fortifications built by the Armenian occupiers will be displayed on the ground floor of the museum.

Additionally, there will be a hall dedicated to the strategy of the Azerbaijani military during the liberation of Fuzuli, as well as, a separate exhibition on the post-war view of Fuzuli will be created, Guliyev underlined.

A hall describing the current situation and about Azerbaijani martyrs will also be created. The museum will be located in a large park. A Victory Monument dedicated to Azerbaijans achievements in the 44-day war with Armenia will also be erected in the park, he said.

It should be noted that President Aliyev signed a decree on the allocation of AZN 1,500,000 ($882,353) to the design and construction of the abovementioned facilities in liberated Fuzuli.

Moreover, Azerbaijan has started massive construction projects in its lands liberated from Armenia's 30-year occupation in late 2020.

The enormous road construction on the country's liberated lands started right after the last year's war.

In all, Azerbaijan allocated AZN 2.2bn ($1.3bn) for the reconstruction of the liberated territories in 2021. In particular, these funds will be used to restore the infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roads, education, health, etc), as well as cultural and historical monuments.

Azerbaijan liberated 300 city centers, settlements, villages, and historic Shusha city in the war. The Russian-brokered peace deal signed by Baku and Yerevan also stipulated the return of Kalbajar, Lachin, and Aghdam regions occupied by the Armenian forces in the early 1990s.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The State Customs Committee has rejected Tehran's accusations alleging that Azerbaijan blocks exports from Iran to Russia.

The committee made the statement in response to relevant remarks by Seyyed Jalil Jalalifar, a member of the Iran-Russia Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

Jalalifar accused Azerbaijan of causing density at the Astara customs checkpoint on the Iranian side and deliberately creating problems against the backdrop of tension in Iranian-Azerbaijani relations.

The committee dismissed the remarks as groundless and false, saying that the Astara customs checkpoint continues to operate in an intensified mode.

In the past 10 days more trucks have passed through Iran to Azerbaijan than in previous days, and the Iranian official can easily get this statistic from the relevant agencies of his country, the committee added.

It was noted that the density on the checkpoints was due to the problems on the Iranian side.

Thus, during 10 hours from October 15 to 16, a computer system malfunctioning on the Iranian side and the failure to ensure the passage of trucks during this period, as well as long queues for loading and unloading operations in fruit and vegetable warehouses in the Iranian city of Astara caused congestion, the committee stressed.

It is unacceptable to blame Azerbaijan for the density caused by the problems on the Iranian side and politicize the issue, the committee underlined.

It should be noted that tensions run high in relations between Baku and Tehran after the latter's inadequate behavior in the past couple of weeks.

The relations turned strained after Baku started charging customs fees for Iran's trucks illegally passing to Karabakh through the Gorus-Gafan road, the only motorway connecting Armenia to Iran.

Baku had to take the step after its relevant protests were ignored by Tehran. The move was ensued by Iran's massive military drills near its border with Azerbaijan. It is noteworthy that Iran's state circles, officials, MPs and the media used aggressive rhetoric against Azerbaijan, claiming about an alleged Israeli presence near its border, which Baku officially dismissed as unfounded.
By Trend

Azerbaijan demanded Armenia to take such steps so that mine clearance on Azerbaijan's liberated territories would be progressing safely, faster and effectively, Trend reports.

This demand was voiced by the representative of Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov at the UN International Court of Justice on Oct.19 during the consideration of Azerbaijan's claim against Armenia.

According to Mammadov, the court must oblige Armenia to fulfill the requirements of Azerbaijan.

Mammadov also stressed that the court should oblige Armenia, which mined Azerbaijani territories during the period of occupation, to immediately stop endangering the lives of Azerbaijanis.

The representative of the Azerbaijani side said that necessary steps must be taken to cease the activity of organizations working in the Armenian territory, involved in forming racial hatred and incitement to violence against Azerbaijan.

The Armenian side should take measures to preserve evidence of crimes on ethnic grounds against Azerbaijanis, abandon actions that may complicate the proceedings between the two countries, Mammadov said.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent a letter of condolences on October 19 to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the death of Chairman of the Board of Baykar Makina company Ozdemir Bayraktar, Azertag has reported.

"I was deeply saddened by the news of the death of Ozdemir Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baykar company. I share your grief at these difficult times, wish you and all members of your family patience, and extend my deepest condolences," Aliyev said in his message.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grli? Radman, Azertag reported on October 19.

Minister Gordan Grli? Radman extended the Croatian leadership's greetings to the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked for the greetings and asked the minister to extend his greetings to the Croatian leadership.

The sides noted that Gordan Grli? Radmans visit to Azerbaijan provided a good opportunity to exchange views on prospects for bilateral relations, and hailed the development of Azerbaijan-Croatia relations. They pointed out the good potential for expanding economic cooperation, exchanged views on opportunities for tourism cooperation, and discussed cooperation in the field energy, including renewable energy.

The Croatian companies keenness to be involved in the restoration and reconstruction works of the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was underlined at the meeting.

The sides also touched upon the Azerbaijan-EU cooperation, hailing Croatias continued support for Azerbaijan in this issue.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

On September 27, 2020, in response to a large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces along the frontline, the Azerbaijani army launched a counter-offensive operation, later called the "Iron Fist".

The 44-day war put an end to nearly 30 years of occupation, ensured the liberation of Azerbaijan's lands and the restoration of the country's territorial integrity.

Chronicle of 44-day Second Karabakh War: October 20, 2021

- President Ilham Aliyev addressed the people of Azerbaijan.

- In his address to the nation, Aliyev said that the city of Zangilan and 24 villages had been liberated from the occupation.

- President Ilham Aliyev renamed the liberated Vang village of Khojavand district to Chinarli.

- Azerbaijans First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva shared a publication on her Instagram account about the liberation of the Zangilan city and a number of villages of Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Khojavand and Zangilan regions.

- The Azerbaijani flag was raised in Zangilan.

- Video footage of the destruction of Armenian armored vehicles was released. The list of destroyed Armenian military equipment was announced. A group of Armenian mercenaries refused to fight.

- Armenia shelled Tartar and Aghdam districts, killing two civilians.

- Video footage of the destruction of a large number of Armenian servicemen and military equipment was released.

- Armenian anti-aircraft guns were destroyed in the direction of Ganja.

- Video footage of the destruction of the Armenian military units in the direction of Gubadli was released.

A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10, 2020, brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.

The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions and urged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed the nation due to liberation of Zangilan on October 20, 2020.

Trend presents the address.

Nationwide address of President Ilham Aliyev

- Dear fellow compatriots. The victorious Azerbaijani Army is gaining new victories on the battlefield. These victories make every Azerbaijani citizen happy. The enemy, which has been occupying our lands for almost 30 years, sees the strength of the Azerbaijani Army on the battlefield. We are fighting on our own land, defending our own land, and we will continue to drive the invaders out of our lands.

Our people are looking forward to more news from the battlefield and the frontline. I am very happy. I am a very lucky person to be able to convey this good news to the people of Azerbaijan. The liberation of every village, every city and every strategic height from the occupiers requires great professionalism, courage, bravery and heroism. Our servicemen are becoming martyrs. May Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs in peace! Our martyrs will always live in our hearts. Our servicemen are getting wounded on the battlefield. May Allah send healing to all our wounded soldiers! At the same time, the hated enemy is constantly firing on our settlements. Every day, our cities and villages along the frontline come under fire from the hated enemy. Tartar district is particularly exposed to cowardly fire. At the same time, the enemy fires on Aghdam, Goranboy, Aghjabadi, Barda, other cities and districts. As a result of the cowardly shelling of the city of Ganja, civilians were killed  children, women, the elderly. But it does not matter to the enemy. There is no difference for them. They are defeated on the battlefield, they are unable to stand in front of the Azerbaijani Army and commit crimes against the civilian population in front of the whole world in order to stop us and strike at us. The whole world sees what an ugly and savage enemy Azerbaijan is liberating its native lands from. For 30 years, they sat on our lands and tried to challenge us. For 30 years, they exploited our lands, exploited our natural resources. Theft and looting are their trademarks. Suffice it to look at the destroyed villages and cities to see what savages we are facing. There is not a single safe building in the occupied and already liberated lands. All buildings have been demolished and looted. Our historical sites, mosques and graves have been destroyed, looted and desecrated. They thought that the Azerbaijani people would put up with this situation. They thought that these lands would be occupied forever. They changed the names of our cities, changed the borders of our districts, changed the names of our villages, wanted to Armenianize our lands but could not achieve this. They could not break the will of the Azerbaijani people.

Every Azerbaijani who has not seen their native lands, who opened their eyes to the world after the occupation lived with a desire to return to these lands. We saw it in the example of Jojug Marjanly. Young people born after the occupation, each of them cherished the dream of returning to Jojug Marjanly. I am sure that the citizens of Azerbaijan will return to all the lands liberated from the occupiers. They will live in those lands again and build there in peace and tranquility  just as the cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people has been created in all the once occupied lands. But the hated enemy wanted to destroy this heritage, destroyed our mosques. When we built a mosque similar to the Shusha mosque in the village of Jojug Marjanly and opened it, I said that they may have destroyed the buildings of mosques but these mosques live in our hearts, and one day all our destroyed mosques will be restored, all our cities and villages will be restored. We are on the threshold of the Great Return, and the Azerbaijani state will do its best to ensure that citizens of Azerbaijan return to the occupied and liberated lands and live there in peace and tranquility. Life will be revived in these lands.

Our IDPs have lived all these years with a dream although many of them have wonderful conditions. As you know, this year alone we plan to provide 7,000 apartments to the IDPs. More than 300,000 IDPs have been provided with houses and apartments. They are grateful to us for this care, they have expressed their gratitude in our numerous meetings. But at the same time, I knew myself and they asked me to return them to their land. They understood that this was a difficult issue, they were perfectly aware that this required certain geopolitical conditions. They believed in me, and I told them that we would return them to those lands. I told them that I knew what to do, when and how. The trust people placed in me allowed us the opportunity to resolve this issue. I declare again that I keep all the promises I make. I am true to all the promises I make. The main goal of my activity as President is the return of Azerbaijani lands, the restoration of territorial integrity, and we are doing it on the battlefield today.

The negotiations did not yield any results for almost 30 years. The fortifications Armenia built in the occupied territories show that they did not intend to give up these lands. They simply deceived us and international mediators. They were simply biding time, while at the same time conducting illegal settlement of the occupied territories. They settled thousands of people in the city of Lachin, thousands more in Kalbajar. They lived in our villages we have liberated today  in Fuzuli, Jabrayil and other districts. Most of those villages are destroyed, but in some houses they lived on our lands. Having carried out ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijanis, having committed genocide against the Azerbaijanis and having expelled our citizens from their native lands, they held a "referendum", which is completely contrary to human morality, laws and international law. No-one recognizes the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh republic". Now they are trying to get countries of the world to recognize the so-called criminal entity. They have lost their mind. They do not understand that no-one will do it. They do not understand that every country that does this can no longer be considered a friendly country for Azerbaijan. Not only that, we will cut all ties with such a country. They lost their mind. They are trying to restore the status quo now. I have said there is no status quo. We have destroyed the status quo and we have done what is right. We have been waiting for about 30 years. Ten years ago, at the level of the Minsk Group co-chairs and their presidents, a statement was made that the status quo was unacceptable. We also supported it, we liked it, we had high hopes, and then some progress at the negotiating table raised our hopes. But the hated enemy simply deceived us and the international community. This is disrespect for international mediators.

We changed the status quo by showing strength on the battlefield. I said this before these clashes, I have said this several times. Unfortunately, international law does not work in international relations. If it did, four UN Security Council resolutions would have been implemented long ago. We waited for 20 years for these resolutions to be implemented. They simply remained on paper. Why? Because there was no political will, there was no mechanism for the implementation of these resolutions. The hated enemy thought that they could continue to ignore them, that they would continue to flout international law, that they can continue to commit their ugly deeds on our lands. We have forced them. Our fist is there not only to smash the enemys head. Our fist is a fist of unity, the unity of our people, a fist of focused activities, the adoption of decisions and resolutions at the international level that benefit us and reflect justice.

In some cases, I saw before these events that Azerbaijani citizens, including the IDPs, believed that although such diplomatic successes were certainly important, they did not provide a solution. I always explained to them that this was an issue that should be resolved within the framework of international law. Therefore, we must work with all leading international organizations to expand the legal framework for resolving this conflict. UN Security Council resolutions did not work. We have made great efforts, the UN General Assembly, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other organizations have adopted resolutions. The document we have initialed with the European Union also supports the inviolability of our borders, our sovereignty and the territorial integrity of our country. That is the basis for resolving this conflict. This is why the Armenian leadership, acting like a beggar, like an inane one  I am sorry but they are worthy of any name  sends letters to all international organizations day and night, makes statements and asks why they remain silent. Why should they speak up? They have already adopted these resolutions and decisions, and Azerbaijan conducts military operations on its territory recognized by the international community. We do not carry out any operations on the territory of Armenia  we have no such plans  even though they have bombed Ganja twice from the territory of Armenia. We did not respond to them in their fashion. We responded on the battlefield. I said that we would take revenge on them on the battlefield. We will not leave the blood of our martyrs unavenged. The main goal of our activity in international organizations was to improve and expand this legal framework, and we were able to achieve this.

Therefore, the Armenian leadership must think carefully. They are already on their knees. We have brought them to their knees. We have shown them the place they deserve. We will drive them out of our lands! We will drive them out! Good news comes in every day. Every day, our flag is raised in a new settlement. This is the strength of the Azerbaijani state, the Azerbaijani people. For 30 years, the Armenian leadership has been spreading myths about a "strong army", myths about an "invincible Armenian army". Where is this "invincible Armenian army?" Look at the way it runs away from us. It was all a myth, it was all a lie. We have exposed it. They insulted us for 30 years. For 30 years, they had been destroying our sites in the occupied territories and trying to erase our historical and cultural heritage. Why has the international community not imposed sanctions on the aggressor state for 30 years? I have repeatedly said that sanctions should be imposed. This country, the leadership of this country does not want to leave these lands of its own free will. They deceive us, imitate a process of negotiations. They are not trustworthy, and I was right. Look at the fortifications they built there. Will a country that builds such fortifications, a country that spends so much money on them ever get out of there? If they wanted to leave, they would not have built them. So every word they say is a lie. Today, the leaders of their state incessantly spread lies and fabrications about Azerbaijan and the events on the battlefield  as if someone is fighting for us. The Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijani youth, Azerbaijani soldiers are teaching them a lesson. We are fighting alone and everyone knows that. They can't come to terms with that because their myth is falling apart, the myth that formed the basis of their ideology. They have been lying about history. Unfortunately, they have succeeded in convincing many countries of their historical lies. The lies about Khojaly  as if Azerbaijan committed the Khojaly genocide itself. Regarding the bombing of Ganja, their officials have made a false statement that Armenia did not organize the rocket fire. They have neither conscience nor morality. They dont even have the brain. If they had the brain, they would say: look, this is the starting point and the trajectory of this ballistic missile. It can be followed by the world's leading countries, where it was fired from and where it landed. Ballistic missiles are programmed with a combat mission. It did not accidentally fall into that residential area at night. It was done deliberately. They have lost their mind. They want to continue to deceive the world. Who else fired this rocket on Ganja? We ourselves? Just as they lied that Azerbaijan committed the Khojaly genocide itself, they are lying again now. He lies to the whole world. He lies in all of his interviews. We will continue to expel these liars. They see who is who now. They see that we were teaching them a lesson they will never forget. Now they are asking for help. They are calling for help now! So where is your "victorious army"? Where is your "invincible army"? Armenias drunken prime minister was dancing on our sacred Jidir plain. He should have thought that this insult would affect the people of Azerbaijan? He thought that no-one would touch them. He thought that all countries would continue to defend them, world Armenians, Armenian lobbies and some of their friendly countries. This is why they have gone astray, this is why they have grown impudent. We showed them their place, hit them on the head so hard that they are unlikely ever to recover. We have almost destroyed their army and equipment. They are running away. And they will keep running.

In short, our superiority on the battlefield is no longer a secret. We are on the right path. Ours is the cause of justice. We are fighting on our own land, giving martyrs and restoring our territorial integrity. These steps will be continue to be taken. Armenia must declare before it is too late that it is withdrawing from the occupied territories. After that the fighting may stop.

Every time I address my people, I bring good news. At the same time, almost every day I mention the names of new villages and cities liberated from occupation on my Twitter account, through Twitter. I know that the people of Azerbaijan are waiting for this news every day! Every day and every hour, people wait for this news to come out. But I want my dear people to know that the capture of every village and every height requires great courage. Because not only the fortifications built there but also the military terrain in the liberated lands are more favorable for the Armenians. We are fighting against their fortifications, their cannons and missiles, as well as the natural terrain. We are liberating our lands inch by inch from the occupiers. It is very difficult.

The day will come and we will provide detailed information about that. I am sure that the people of Azerbaijan understand that we are saying whatever is possible today. The fighting is going on, and we want this fighting to end and our territorial integrity to be restored soon. Therefore, I think that the volume of information provided to the Azerbaijani public is sufficient.

Staying true to this beautiful tradition, I would like to share new information with the people of Azerbaijan. I will share with my dear nation information about the enemy's destroyed equipment and booty.

Thus, 241 enemy tanks have been destroyed, 39 tanks have been taken as military booty  so a total of 280 tanks. However, there are still more tanks, both in the occupied territories and in Armenia. Where did they get so many tanks? This contradicts the international conventions governing all this. Why didn't the institutions that were supposed to monitor these conventions pay attention to that? We say that 241 tanks have been destroyed  we will organize their demonstration later  and 39 tanks have been taken over in good condition. Our soldiers are sitting in these tanks and firing at the enemy with their own tanks.

Fifty infantry fighting vehicles have been destroyed and 24 have been taken as booty and are in our hands. Seventeen self-propelled artillery pieces have been destroyed, 198 artillery pieces have been destroyed, 58 mortars have been destroyed, 12 mortars have been taken as booty, 25 grenade-launchers have been seized as military booty, 53 anti-tank vehicles have been destroyed, 70 Grad installations have been destroyed, two "Hurricane" and two Multiple Rocket Launchers have been destroyed, one "TOS" has been destroyed, four "S-300" anti-aircraft missile systems have been destroyed. Last time I shared this information with the Azerbaijani public, we had destroyed two "S-300" anti-aircraft missile systems. To date, we have destroyed four complexes. The cost of each complex is well known. They are very expensive military equipment. Three "TOR" anti-aircraft missile systems have been destroyed. About 40 "OSA" anti-aircraft missile systems have been destroyed. Five "KUB" and "KRUG" anti-aircraft missile systems have been destroyed. Six unmanned aerial vehicles, two operational-tactical missile systems Elbrus, one ballistic missile, one Tochka-U missile, eight radio-electronic means of combat have been destroyed, 198 trucks have been destroyed, including 15 full of ammunition, 102 trucks have been seized as military booty. We will continue to destroy the military equipment of the enemy. Whatever they have left will also be destroyed.

And now, I am very proud to announce the liberation of our settlements my dear people are looking forward to.

Fuzuli district  names of liberated villages: Dordchinar, Kurdlar, Yukhari Abdurrahmanli, Garghabazar, Ashaghi Veysalli, Yukhari Aybasanli.

Jabrayil district - liberated villages: Safarsha, Hasangaydi, Fughanli, Imambaghi, Dash Veysalli, Aghtapa, Yarahmadli.

Khojavand district  the list of liberated settlements: Aghjakand, Mulkudara, Dashbashi, Gunashli (former name of Gunashli village was Norashen), Vang. I am giving this village a new Azerbaijani name. From now on, Vang village should be called Chinarli village. Blessed be the name!

Zangilan district. The glorious Azerbaijani Army has also entered the territory of Zangilan district and liberated settlements. The liberated settlements in the territory of Zangilan district: Havali village, Zarnali village, Mammadbayli village, Hakari village, Sharifan village, Mughanli village and Zangilan city! Zangilan is ours! Karabakh is ours!

Dear nation, dear people of Zangilan, Fuzuli, Khojavand, Jabrayil and other occupied districts. We are fulfilling our mission. We are giving a worthy response to the enemy. We are punishing the enemy. The enemy is helpless. We are breaking the enemy's back and we will break it!

Karabakh is ours! Long live Azerbaijan! Long live the people of Azerbaijan!
By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijan marks on October 20 the liberation of its Zangilan region from Armenia's occupation in the 44-day war in 2020.

In a tweet posted on this occasion, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said: "On October 20, 2020, under the leadership of President, victorious Commander-in-Chief Mr Ilham Aliyev, the valiant Azerbaijani army raised our tricolor flag in Zangilan."

In late September in an interview with Russia's Natsionalnaya Oborona magazine, President Ilham Aliyev said that IDPs from Zangilan will be able to return to their native lands by late 2021 and 2022.

Azerbaijan has already presented the first pilot smart village project to be created on the liberated territories, as part of the National Action Plan for 2020-2022. Thus, the first project covers Zangilans Aghali I, II, III villages.

The project will be implemented mainly upon five components. These are the housing sector, production, social services, smart agriculture and alternative energy. First of all, 200 houses are planned to be built on the territory by using innovative building materials.

Engineering communications, heating systems in houses will also be based on smart technologies. The modern schools, kindergartens, polyclinics and e-government centers are planned to be built and the tourism infrastructure is planned to be created in these villages.

All residential buildings, social facilities, administrative buildings and public catering facilities, facilities processing and producing agricultural products will be provided with alternative energy sources.

The construction of an international airport is also underway in Zangilan.

On July 3, Armenia submitted to Azerbaijan maps of about 92,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines planted during the occupation of Fuzuli and Zangilan regions.

Azerbaijan and Armenia resumed the second war after that latter started firing at Azerbaijani civilians and military positions starting September 27, 2020. The war ended on November 10 with the signing of a trilateral peace deal by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.

The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Baku has handed over five detained Armenian servicemen to Yerevan, Trend reported on October 19, quoting an unnamed source in Azerbaijans Defence Ministry.

Armenian citizens Mels Ambardanyan, Rafik Karapetyan, Zhora Manukyan, Ovsep Manukyan and Sedrak Sogomonyan were returned to Armenia through the mediation of Russian peacekeepers, Coordinator of the Information Center for Azerbaijani Captives and Hostages Ahmad Shahidov told Trend.

The Armenian soldiers accompanied by Russian general Rustam Muradov were taken from Baku to Yerevan by plane, the report added.

The servicemen, who had illegally crossed into the Azerbaijani border in Khojavand region, were detained by the Azerbaijani security forces near liberated Hadrut settlement.

The source underlined that the Armenian servicemen had not been involved in grave crimes against the Azerbaijani army or civilians.

At least, a part of the captured soldiers are members of two reconnaissance and sabotage groups detained on May 27, 2021, in Kalbajar while attempting to enter Azerbaijans territory.

The group members had illegally crossed into Azerbaijans territory after the signing of the November 10 trilateral statement that ended the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. They were disarmed as a result of the anti-terrorist operation held by the Azerbaijani State Security Service. The Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced each of the detainees to four years in prison.

A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10, 2020, brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.

The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions and urged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city.

Earlier, Azerbaijan handed over more than 70 prisoners of war to Armenia. It should be noted that Armenia has failed to provide any information about more than 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens who went missing during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war in the early 1990s. At the same time, Armenia does not provide information about the Azerbaijani citizens who were in captivity during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war.
By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov and other top military officials visited a newly-established operational (commando) military unit on October 19, the Defence Ministry has reported.

The visit took place under President Ilham Aliyev's order on activities to increase the Azerbaijani army's combat capability.

As part of the ceremony to open the military unit, the defence minister met the Patriotic War veterans and familiarized himself with their problems.

Later, a ceremony was held to present berets to the military personnel who had taken long-term commando courses in Turkey. Berets were handed over to the servicemen who were trained in view of the experience gained during the Patriotic War in 2020.

Speaking at the ceremony, Zakir Hasanov said that the courses contributing to the professional development of the Azerbaijani servicemen will continue.

He watched the exemplary performances of the commandos after inspecting the training centre located on the military unit's territory.

A few days ago, a graduation ceremony was held for the Azerbaijani servicemen who graduated from Mountain Commando Courses in Turkey's Isparta. The graduates were awarded certificates for successful completion of the course.

Azerbaijan and Turkey periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units.

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations.

On June 15, the two countries signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijans victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defence cooperation.

It affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. The declaration also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of the armed forces. Moreover, the two nations affirm to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air, and space.

In an interview with Turkey's Anadolu Agency on September 27, President Ilham Aliyev said that the signing of the Shusha Declaration raised bilateral relations to an even higher level.




By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijans State Security Service Chief Ali Naghiyev and ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) Vice President Gilles Carbonnier have discussed missing citizens and regional issues, the service reported on October 20.

At the meeting, Naghiyev expressed the hope that the ICRC would continue to play an active role in finding Azerbaijani citizens missing in the First and Second Karabakh Wars.

Talking about the post-war realities that emerged in the region, Naghiyev reminded that the ICRC representatives are allowed to visit the territories under the temporary control of Russian peacekeepers through Azerbaijan, not Armenia.

Furthermore, the officials extensively discussed the return of Azerbaijani citizens and their families from the Middle East, especially Syria and Iraq.

The sides also touched on the current relations between the ICRC and Azerbaijan, as well as the humanitarian mission carried out by the organization.

Carbonnier expressed satisfaction with fruitful cooperation with the Azerbaijani government, noting that joint effective work would continue to address these issues.

The ICRC, a private humanitarian institution, was founded in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland. Its 25-member committee has a unique authority under international humanitarian law to protect the life and dignity of the victims of international and internal armed conflicts.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members, and staff worldwide, which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering.

The National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies exist in nearly every country in the world. Currently, 192 National Societies are recognized by the ICRC and admitted as full members of the federation. Each entity works in its home country according to the principles of international humanitarian law and the statutes of the international movement.
Azerbaijani First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva on her official Instagram has shared footage from a meeting with former internally displaced persons in Fuzuli, Azertag reported on October 20.

the story will be updated.




By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has said that Baku and Zagreb are cooperating to demine Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenia's occupation in 2020.

He made the remarks during the joint press conference with Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, on October 20.

The minister stated that Azerbaijan receives appropriate demining equipment from Croatia. He stressed that the two countries will continue cooperation in this direction.

Cooperation to rebuild Karabakh

Bayramov stated that the participation of Croatian companies in Karabakh's rehabilitation has been discussed.

He noted that there is great potential for the development of Azerbaijani-Croatian economic ties.

"During today's meeting, there was an exchange of views on the issue of attracting Croatian companies to the reconstruction on Azerbaijans liberated territories. In this regard, Croatia has already submitted a number of proposals to Azerbaijan's relevant agencies," the minister said.

Speaking about ties with Armenia, he emphasized that Azerbaijan demonstrates a constructive stance on the normalization of relations.

He added that Azerbaijan is fulfilling its obligations to open communications in Karabakh, noting that Armenia "must also take effective steps in this direction".

Bilateral cooperation

The Azerbaijani and Croatian foreign ministries have agreed to hold political consultations.

Bayramov stated that their meeting with the Croatian counterpart on October 20 also focused on bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan.

He stated that the work on the coordination of seven documents between Azerbaijan and Croatia is underway.

"Seven documents are currently being negotiated, and they will enter into force in the near future," the minister said.

In turn, Gordan Grlic Radman emphasized that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of Croatia. He noted that Croatia is interested in strengthening ties with Azerbaijan both in the political and economic spheres.

"There is potential to expand cooperation between the two countries in the areas of tourism, information technology and others. We also want Azerbaijan and Croatia to increase the volume of mutual investments," he said.

The visiting delegation led by the Croatian foreign and European affairs minister is on a visit to Azerbaijan. The Croatian minister was also received by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on October 19.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Croatia amounted to $549.4 million in the first nine months of 2021. In addition, the volume of turnover between the two countries amounted to $473.2 million in 2020.
By Trend

Croatia is showing great interest in deepening ties with Azerbaijan, Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister counterpart Gordan Grli?-Radman said at a meeting with the chairman of the Milli Mejlis (parliament) of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani parliament.

According to the information, in turn, Sahiba Gafarova noted at the meeting the great importance that Azerbaijan attaches to the development of relations with Croatia, stressing that the current high level of relations between the two countries is largely the result of mutual visits and meetings of heads of state. The negotiations held at these meetings and the signed documents ensured the growth of bilateral ties on a solid basis.

Gafarova said that the high-level political dialogue between Azerbaijan and Croatia also has a positive effect on economic ties. Azerbaijan makes a great contribution to ensuring the energy security of Europe, and the transport projects being implemented in the region open up new opportunities for our country to use the created infrastructure and transit opportunities.

In addition, Gafarova noted the role of parliaments in the system of interstate relations, the activities of friendship groups of the parliaments of both countries and stressed the importance of mutual visits of the deputies.

Noting that with the liberation of the Azerbaijani army under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, the country's lands from almost thirty years of occupation and the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the implementation of four resolutions of the UN Security Council on the Karabakh conflict was ensured.

The chairman of the Azerbaijani parliament added that over the 30 years of the Armenian occupation, the cities and villages located on the occupied lands were turned into ruins, and today Azerbaijan is restoring its lands. Meanwhile, Armenia never ceases to commit provocations, hinders de-mining work, as well as the process of border delimitation.

Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia Gordan Grli?-Radman noted his satisfaction with the visit to Azerbaijan and the meetings held. He said that Croatia is very interested in deepening relations with Azerbaijan, adding that bilateral political, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties are strengthening between the two countries.

Cooperation at the parliamentary level also continues to deepen, regular meetings and mutual visits of our deputies serve common goals. Croatia rejoices at Azerbaijan's success. Today, both countries have ample opportunities for interaction not only in the energy sector but also in agriculture, tourism and high technologies, he said.

The head of the parliament working group on inter-parliamentary relations with Croatia, Konul Nurullayeva, and the chairman of the parliamentary committee, Tahir Mirkishili, who participated in the meeting, also shared their views on cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting was also attended by the head of the Parliament Administration Safa Mirzoyev, the Azerbaijani ambassador to Croatia Fakhraddin Gurbanov, the Croatian ambassador to Azerbaijan Branko Zebi? and other officials.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva has declared the period from 20 October to 20 November 2021 the Child Rights Month in Azerbaijan

In an appeal on the announcement of the Child Rights Month on October 20, Aliyeva said the decision is dedicated to the 32nd anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the report added.

The aim of this month-long campaign is to increase attention and care for children, to ensure the realization and more effective protection of children's rights, she said.

Commenting on Armenias crimes during last year's 44-day war, the rights commissioner added that over 10 children were killed, 50 were wounded and many children lost their parents during Armenia's heavy artillery shelling of Azerbaijani civilian settlements.

At the same time, the targeting of civilian objects, the destruction of many residential areas, education and health facilities have led to violations of children's education, health, and other rights. Furthermore, the intense fire caused psychological trauma to the children, she added.

The ombudsman office prepared a special report on the loss of children as a result of Armenias military attacks on Azerbaijani civil settlements and submitted it to the international organizations, Aliyeva said.

At the same time, I have sent appropriate statements and appeals to the international organizations and relevant bodies regarding the violated rights and freedoms of children victims of these war crimes, and called on the world community to properly assess this injustice in the legal field, Aliyeva stressed.

She noted the negative impact of the COVID-19 infection on childrens health and education.

She added the closure of educational and other institutions, childrens creative centers, and limited meetings with parents, increased domestic violence due to psychological stress in families, and other similar factors negatively affected the development of children.

As a part of the campaign, the ombudsman office held several awareness-raising activities such as competitions, exhibitions and carried out other activities together with central and local executive bodies, civil society organizations, mass media, and community members, Aliyeva underlined.

Speaking about the states role in the field, she added that Azerbaijan has undertaken several commitments by joining the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted on 20 November 1989, national legislation was improved and important measures were taken to protect the childrens rights.

The Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Children for 2020-2030 was approved by President Ilham Aliyev on June 2, 2020, and the relevant government agencies have been instructed to take measures to ensure the effective protection of the childrens rights through the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for Children for 2020-2025 approved by the presidential order dated 27 November 2020, Aliyeva said.

The rights commissioner called on organizations involved in ensuring, promoting and protecting childrens rights to join the Month of Childrens Rights and ensure their direct participation in all activities related to children, following special quarantine rules.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva paid a visit to liberated Zangilan region on October 20, Azertag has reported.

The head of state and the First Lady viewed works done under the smart village project implemented in Aghali village, the construction of Zangilan International Airport, the conditions created at the complex of the State Border Services military unit in Zangilan district, and attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Zangilan Digital Substation owned by Azerishig OJSC, and the opening of the 110/35/10 kV Zangilan substation.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva then met with members of the general public of Zangilan region.








By Trend





The Azerbaijani Army launched a counter-offensive operation, later called the "Iron Fist", on September 27, 2020, in response to the large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces along the frontline, Trend reports.

The erupted 44-day Second Karabakh War ended with the liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation and the restoration of territorial integrity.

Trend presents the chronicle of the 24-th day of the second Karabakh war:

- The publication is made on the official Twitter page of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev due to the liberation from occupation of a number of villages in Fizuli and Jabrayil regions.

- The publication is made on the official Twitter page of President Ilham Aliyev on the liberation from occupation of the Minjivan settlement and 13 villages of the Zangilan region.

- President Ilham Aliyev interviewed by Japans Nikkei newspaper.

- The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan presents the latest data from the front, and also reports on the liquidation of the chief of artillery, battalion commander and battalion commander of the Armenian Armed Forces, the destruction of the battalion of the 556th regiment of the Armenian army

- The Defense Ministry presents a video of night and day artillery firing of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

- Azerbaijani MoD shows footage of newly-liberated Chereken village.

- Another Armenian UAV is destroyed, and a video of military equipment abandoned by Armenian units on the battlefield is made public.

- Air defense units of Azerbaijan discover and destroyed 3 more tactical UAVs of the Armenian Armed Forces.

- Armenia continues to escalate the situation in the front-line zone.








First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva on her official Instagram has shared footages from her visit to liberated Zangilan with President Ilham Aliyev.

"The fascinating sounds of Azerbaijani mugham in native Zangilan!" the post says.

---
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

President Ilham Aliyev has said that the liberated Zangilan region will become the transport and logistical center of Azerbaijan.

He made the remarks during his meeting with the Zangilan regions public on October 20.

There will be not just an airport, but an international airport here, and Zangilan will become the transport and logistical center of our country. Because the Zangazur corridor passes through here, the railway and the Horadiz-Aghband highway are under construction, he said.

The president stressed that Armenia agreed to the opening of the Zangazur corridor.

Recent events related to the opening of the Zangazur corridor show that we are achieving what we want. Although the Armenian side resisted it at the first stage, they have now agreed to it, Aliyev stated.

Speaking about the opening of the communications, Aliyev mentioned about the meeting of the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian deputy prime ministers in Moscow on October 20.

He noted that the issue of opening the highway and the issue of the railway are being resolved.

Thus, a modern logistical and transport center, cargo planes, passenger planes, railway junction, highways- the entire infrastructure will be built in Zangilan in parallel with the protection of nature, the protection of rivers, he added.

Zangilans reconstruction

Speaking about the regions reconstruction, the president underlined that a new era is beginning for Zangilan and that the citys master plan is being prepared.

He recalled that the first smart village project in all liberated lands was implemented in Zangilan.

Aliyev stated that the work is already underway in the areas of tourism, agriculture, transport, logistics, environmental protection and creation of sustainable conditions for people.

Aghali village is now under construction, and after the master plan of Zangilan city is approved, we will start construction work here as well.

Zangilan will become a modern and important region of the country, he stressed.

He also noted that a substation of 50 MW was built in Zangilan.

Illegal operation of foreign companies

Stressing that the Okchuchay River is a natural disaster zone, the president noted that the analyses of water samples from there show that the amount of toxic substances exceeds the safety standard by 10-20 times.

He emphasized that all the rivers in liberated lands will be cleaned and the mining industry will develop there.

He also recalled that the Vejnali gold deposit was illegally exploited by the Armenians together with foreign companies.



The president emphasized that the process of suing those foreign companies had already started.

Their attempts to evade this work are futile because everything is obvious. They were engaged in illegal work in another country, smuggled gold from here and sold it on world markets. We will bring those who were associated with them to justice. We have also involved international lawyers, he stated.
By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

A meeting of the trilateral working group was held under the joint chairmanship of the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian deputy prime ministers, local media reported, quoting the website of the Russian government.

During the first part of the eighth meeting, Shahin Mustafayev, Aleksey Overchuk and Mher Grigoryan considered the prospects of restoring transport communications in the South Caucasus region and the course of further work within the framework of the trilateral statement signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on January 11, 2021.

The parties agreed to hold the second part of the eighth meeting in the near future.

It should be noted that President ?lham Aliyev said during his visit to Zangilan that although Armenia earlier resisted to the unblocking of regional transport communications, "they have now agreed to it".

The statement signed in January 2021 envisages the unblocking of transport communications in the region after Baku and Yerevan reached a ceasefire deal in November 2020 after the 44-day war.




Azerbaijan returned the citizens of Iran, who were previously detained for falsifying customs documents, to their country, Trend reports citing the press service of the State Customs Committee. On the morning of Oct.21, on the basis of the principles of humanism, mutual respect and good-neighborliness and demonstrating goodwill, Azerbaijan, in compliance with the existing agreement, on the morning of October 21, returned to Iran the citizens of this country - Barzegar Hagi Jafar Gazanfar and Nouruzi Shahrud Heydar. These persons were previously detained for falsifying customs documents. They smuggled the customs border of Azerbaijan, and illegally, without documents, crossed the guarded state border, bypassing checkpoints.
By Trend

David Babayan, who positions himself as "Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh", is in Moscow on a private visit, Trend reports citing the statement of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia.

As the statement reads, due to the dissemination in some Armenian media of rumors of Babayan visiting Russia 'on a working visit' and his meetings with the political communities of Russia, the embassy appealed to the relevant structures of Russia.

According to the information received from the Russian side, the Embassy said that this trip was private, and is considered unofficial. And at the same time, no political consultations with this person were held, the statement says.

The embassy noted that the replication of such messages in the Armenian media is provocative and aims to mislead public opinion and cast a shadow on the successfully developing Azerbaijani-Russian cooperation.
By Trend



Turkey's position on the opening of the Zangezur corridor has not changed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said answering reporters' questions after returning to Ankara from Africa, Trend reports.

Stressing that Turkey will continue to support Azerbaijan in clearing mines, Erdogan recalled that Turkey had provided Azerbaijan with equipment for mines searching.

It is noted that the Turkish President will pay a one-day visit to Azerbaijan on October 26.
By Trend



The 'Turkic World' project, established to publish news from the Turkic-speaking states, ensures the demand for information in the field of media, Chief Advisor to the President of Turkey Yalcin Topcu told Trend.

The platform aims to provide about 300 million readers in six independent states with information from local sources, which is very important, he said.

Topcu stressed the importance of creating and developing information portals, which, unlike traditional media, transmit information more quickly.

In addition, the 'Turkic World' media project will provide information on cultural, social, linguistic and educational issues to brotherly peoples living hundreds of kilometers from each other about their compatriots. As a representative of the Turkic world, I would like to thank the founders of this project, which meets our need for information, Topcu added.

On May 24, 2021, the presentation of the first digital project 'Turkic World' took place in Baku. The presentation ceremony was attended by the heads of media structures, diplomats of the Turkic-speaking states, MPs and representatives of the public.

The unique software makes it possible to improve the project and connect other Turkic-speaking states, in addition to its participants, to the created digital platform. A mobile version of the digital platform has also been developed.
By Trend

Iran's trade with Turkmenistan via railways is in good condition, Governor of Golestan Province Hadi Haghshenas told Trend.



Iran's exports and cargo transit to Turkmenistan via railway crossing was more than 300,000 tons during the first half of the current Iranian year (started March 21,2021), he noted.



Aside from Turkmenistan, Iran's goods also went to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other neighboring countries via the railway, said the official.



He went on to say that Iran has transformed it's railway in the current Iranian year to accelerate cargo loading and preventing possible stump on cargo transit. Back in July 2021, Haghshenas told Trend that 'in the last three or four months, Iran's export volume through railway to Turkmenistan, was equivalent to the last four years'.



"This significant increase in trade with Turkmenistan was due to the change in rail width," he had said.



Although railway crossing between Iran and Turkmenistan is very active the road has been closed for passengers and transporting trucks from Iran. Turkmenistan requested implementation of certain health protocols following coronavirus spread, which affected the trade.



Iran's Golestan Province is one of the provinces neighboring with Turkmenistan, and the Islamic Republic has been paying great attention to new methods in trade with this country, as head of Iran and Turkmenistan Chamber of Commerce Majid Mohammadnejad recently told Trend.



"Following an online meeting between private and public sectors of Iran and Turkmenistan in March, we witnessed growth in export via railway in first five months of current Iranian year (started March 21,2021), compared to the last Iranian year (started March 20,2020)," he had said.



Meanwhile, recent reports from Turkmenistan claim that Kazakhstan intends to increase the export of a number of goods to Iran through Turkmenistan. The total amount of exported goods may reach $162.3 million.



"The Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran (KTI) railway should contribute to the growth of exports of Kazakhstani goods in the metallurgical, food, machine-building, pharmaceutical and chemical industries," the recent analyses have shown.
By Trend

At this stage, very important and complex processes are underway in the energy sector of Georgia, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez Kopac told Trend.

"It is known that the ultimate goal of the reforms is the liberalization of energy markets, where fair pricing and a transparent, level playing field will be available to market participants. Also, under a temporary public service obligation, household customers and small enterprises will be protected from market price fluctuations for a justified period of time," he said.

According to Kopac, the adoption of the Law of Georgia on Energy and Water Supply in December 2019 set the stage for significant steps towards market liberalization.

"Despite the delay, the electricity transmission system operator and distribution system operators have undergone unbundling procedures and at this stage the licensed companies are operating smoothly in the sector," he noted.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Turkeys Trade Minister Mehmet Mush has said that the countrys daily export amounted to $1.5 billion on October 15, Yeni Shafak newspaper has reported.

Turkey was exporting $1.5 billion a year in 1974. In 1990, it was exporting $1.5 billion in a month. Yesterday [October 15], we exported 1.5 billion dollars in one day. We will work harder, we will produce more, we will become stronger, Mush stressed.

In September 2021, with its $20.7 billion monthly export the Turkish economy set a new record in its history, the report added.

"The success in exports will continue, Turkey will grow," the minister added.

According to the records of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Turkey achieved the highest daily export with $1.6 billion in the summer of 2021.

On July 16, exports amounted to $1.6 billion, and on July 14, to $1.5 billion. During September 2021, Turkey exported goods worth over $692 million per day and $29 million per hour, the report added.

The new target of the Turkish exporters, which made $676 million annual export 50 years ago, is to bring the annual export to $300 billion.

The Commerce Ministry and the Turkish Exporters Assembly are working on new strategies to increase the annual export to $300 billion by 2026.

The success in exports also stems from the high performance of the provinces. In September, 66 provinces increased their exports and 16 provinces recorded the highest monthly export in their history.

The provinces with the highest monthly exports are as follows: Istanbul, Kocaeli, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kayseri, Adana, Samsun, Kahramanmarash, Tekirdag, Eskishehir, Zonguldak, Karabuk, Balikesir, Ushak, Aksaray and Edirne.

Mush stressed that over 431,000 more shops were opened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of shops closed in 2020 decreased by 13.4 percent compared to 2019 and amounted to 99,500, while the number of businesses opened increased by 53 percent.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Turkeys Defence Industry chief Ismail Demir has said that the defence industry is developing new unmanned land vehicles (UGVs), Yeni Shafak newspaper has reported.

He added that the unmanned land vehicle - ACROB is produced to meet the requirements of the security forces.

"Our UGV family is growing. ACROB light class unmanned land vehicles, developed with domestic means, are on duty as the little assistants of our security forces in reconnaissance/surveillance with three cameras, speed, and agility in all weather, terrain, and in different visibility conditions," Demir wrote on his Twitter account.

Developed with domestic and national resources, ACROB will provide very important services to the Turkish defence, Demir stressed.

"With its three cameras, including the tail section, the ACROB UGV, which has a reconnaissance/surveillance function, can be easily carried on the back. ACROB stands out with its high mobility, speed and agility, especially with its stroke movement system in difficult terrain conditions, he added.

Demir noted that the operational capability of the vehicle is constantly being improved thanks to the experience gained in developing technology.

The vehicles reconnaissance/surveillance/situational awareness capacity due to the camera added to the tail section with 180-degree turn capability makes it competitive among its foreign equivalents, Demir underlined.

He also emphasized Turkeys successful steps in the global defence products exports to the world, noting the countrys important place in the market.

Along with Turkey, three more countries have included the ACROB vehicles in their security forces inventory, Demir said.

As a result of the development and qualification activities carried out under the auspices of our Presidency, we continue to work on the development of the ACROB vehicle, he concluded.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the U.S. has made an offer to Turkey related to the F-16 fighter jets, Yeni Shafak newspaper has reported.

Erdogan made the remarks at the Ataturk Airport State Guesthouse prior to his visit to African countries.

This issue is related to the well-known F-35 issue... It is about the payment we have made for the F-35s, which is $1.4 billion dollars. In the face of these payments, the United States made such an offer, Erdogan added.

He underlined that Turkey aims to develop its fleet by modernizing the existing F-16s and by purchasing new additional F-16s.

Within the scope of the F-35 program, we have to receive a payment of this money, as we owe it back. We discuss this issue in our meetings. We also attach importance to dialogue for the solution of the problem. As a result, there is a payment made, and our colleagues are currently working on the refund of this payment, Erdogan stressed.

Turkey was removed from the F-35 program after the country bought the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system two years ago. The U.S. strongly objects to NATO members using the Russian system, saying it poses a security threat to the F-35s.

Turkey maintains the S-400 system's components could be used independently without being integrated into NATO systems and therefore they pose no risk.

Twelve countries participate in the F-35 program. The nine partner nations that participated in the plane's development include the US, Turkey, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Denmark, and Norway. All of these countries except Canada, Denmark, and Turkey are already receiving deliveries of the F-35. Israel, Japan, and South Korea also have received the jets through foreign military sales.
By Trend

Some 1,525 industrial and mining enterprises in Iran received loans worth 76 trillion rials (about $1.81 billion) during the first five months of the current Iranian year (March 21 through August 22, 2021), said the report of Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade obtained by Trend.

According to the report, the loans were issued by the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade of Iran for financial support (to continue activity of enterprises, pay salaries, etc.) and to increase manufacturing (construction of new facilities, increase activity of enterprises).

Thus, Iran has provided loans worth 24.4 trillion rials (about $581 million) in the form of financial support to industrial and mining enterprises during the mentioned period.

In addition, Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade has provided loans worth 51.6 trillion rials (about $1.23 billion) to increase manufacturing of 1,387 industrial and mining enterprises in the country.

These loans were provided to enterprises both as fixed capital and working capital.

Over five months, 1,030 industrial and mining enterprises in Iran have received loans worth 37 trillion rials (about $882 million), said the report.

So, Iran has provided loans worth 2.32 trillion rials (about $55.1 million) to 144 industrial and mining enterprises as fixed capital, and worth 34.7 trillion rials (about $826 million) to 886 industrial and mining enterprises as working capital in 5 months.

"Moreover, 38.9 trillion rials (about $928 million) worth of loans were issued to 495 industrial and mining enterprises in the country's industrial parks," said the report.

Iran has provided loans worth 2.6 trillion rials (about $62.2 million) to 62 industrial enterprises as fixed capital and worth 36.3 trillion rials (about $866 million) to 433 industrial and mining enterprises as working capital in the industrial parks.

Iranian banks issued loans worth about 9 quadrillion rials (about $214 billion) in various economic sectors in the country during the first five months of the current Iranian year (from March 21 through August 22, 2021).

In the same period of the Iranian year the figure stood at 3.05 quadrillion rials (about $72.7 billion).

The banks issued 620 trillion rials (about $14.8 billion) worth of loans in the agricultural sector in the mentioned period. Moreover, the banks issued loans worth 2.75 quadrillion rials (about $65.6 billion) in Iran's industrial and mining sectors over the mentioned five months.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Turkeys Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank has said that the UK is interested in buying Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), Yeni Shafak newspaper reported has reported.

Britain is very seriously interested in Turkish UAVs. We offered them different options for UAVs, Varank said.

Following Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Poland, Englands interest in Turkish UAVs is a new stage in the country's defence industry sphere, the report added.

In his interview with TRT Haber, defence analyst Hakan Kilic described the UKs proposal over Turkish UAVs as an important step.

He noted Turkeys UAV exports to NATO member Poland and said that the UAV sale to England would be a great progress for the Turkish defence industry.

One of the Turkish-made UAVs, Bayraktar TB2, was previously exported to Qatar, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Poland.

According to French newspaper Le Figaro, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Morocco and Albania are also interested in Turkish UAVs.

The report also underlined that ANKA UAV by the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) had been exported to Tunisia and Vestels Karayel UAV had been sold to Saudi Arabia.

Describing the UK interest in Turkish drones as an extraordinary event, Kilic stressed that the UK either makes its own defence industry products or buys them from the U.S.

The UK is both an aviation giant and a country that does not buy weapons from almost anyone other than the U.S, he emphasized.

The UK will receive an aerial platform, an unmanned aircraft from a different country other than the U.S, Kilic underlined.

He said that in fact, Britain owns the most powerful UAVs such as the Reaper and Predator in the world, which have large payload and technical capacities.

However, it is not convenient for the UK to use such expensive aerial vehicles for maritime surveillance-reconnaissance activities in the sea or to apply them in Afghanistan or in the Middle East, where British UAVs had previously served, Kilic said.

He added that the same activities even more successfully had been fulfilled by Turkish UAVs in the Aegean Sea, Syria, Azerbaijan and Libya before.

Moreover, AKINCI with its updated 1,500 kg payload capacity is the fifth UAV in the world, following the US-made AVENGER, MQ-9B, MQ9A and Russian-made ALTIUS-U in the list, Kilic stressed.

In addition, we are among the top three in the world in UAV export and we are the country with the largest UAV fleet in Europe, he added.

Kilic ruled out the possibility of selling critical information related to the production of UAVs to other countries while commenting on recent public debates on the issue.

I dont think they [Turkish companies] will give out utilities such as flight software and software that reflects reconnaissance images, that is, the source code that the public is talking about these days. It is expected that issues related to the sale of engines and similar plans for joint production will probably be on the agenda, he added.

Kilic assured that Poland or any other country cannot copy the original information we have or produce and sell a UAV itself".
By Trend



Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will pay a visit to Iran's Ardabil Province on the border with Azerbaijan on October 22, 2021, Governor of Irans Ardabil Province Hamid Ameli said, Trend reports citing IRNA.

The governor emphasized that Iranian president will be accompanied by eight ministers and deputy ministers.

Within the visit, a number of issues on roads, railways, agriculture, water and other economic plans being implemented in Ardabil Province will be raised, and discussions will be held on the acceleration and completion of these plans by the government, Ameli added.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijans Labor and Social Protection of Population Ministry has provided 50 more apartments to another group of martyrs' families and disabled war veterans.

The apartments are in a residential complex in Absheron region, Baku's Ramana and Khojahasan settlement.

About 11,000 martyrs' families and disabled war veterans were already provided with apartments and individual houses by the ministry. Under the presidential decree, 20,000 more apartments and private houses will be given to these categories of citizens in 2021-2025.

Some 3,000 apartments and private houses will be given to martyrs families and disabled war veterans under the presidential instructions in 2021. This means the number of houses and apartments provided to the martyrs families and disabled war veterans will be doubled in 2021, compared to 2020.

So far, 1,750 apartments were provided to these categories of citizens in 2021.

The ministry takes consistent measures to socially support the martyrs' families, war veterans, and war-affected civilians. In the post-war period after November 2020, those social support measures already covered 30,000 citizens of these categories. In addition, the ministry involved over 7,000 citizens, including members of the martyrs' families in an employment program in the post-war period.

Azerbaijan has allocated over AZN 9 million ($5m) to compensate damages to its citizens who suffered from Armenia's aggression during the six-week war over Azerbaijan's Karabakh region.
By Trend

The news" spread on social networks on behalf of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Education, regarding the closure of schools, is misinformation, Jasarat Valehov, head of the ministrys public relations sector, said on Facebook, Trend reports on Oct.19.

Valehov made the remark commenting on the information about the alleged full transition of schools in the country to online lessons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, disseminated in social networks on behalf of the ministry.

Full-time education in grades I-IV resumed in the Azerbaijani schools from September 22, and in grades V-IX from September 29.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that Gita Gopinath, the Funds Chief Economist and Director of the Research Department, intends to leave the Fund in January 2022 and return to Harvard Universitys Economics Department as planned when her public service leave ends.



Harvard University had extended Gopinaths leave of absence on an exceptional basis by one year, which has allowed her to serve as Chief Economist at the IMF for three years.



Georgieva stated: Gitas contribution to the Fund and our membership has been truly remarkable quite simply, her impact on the IMFs work has been tremendous. She made history as the first female Chief Economist of the Fund and we benefitted immensely from her sharp intellect and deep knowledge of international finance and macroeconomics as we navigate through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.



Gita also won the respect and admiration of colleagues in the Research Department, across the Fund, and throughout the membership for leading analytically rigorous work and policy-relevant projects with high impact and influence.



Gopinath co-authored the Pandemic Paper on how to end the COVID-19 pandemic that set globally endorsed targets for vaccinating the world. This work led to the creation of the Multilateral Task Force made up of the leadership of the IMF, World Bank, WTO, and WHO to help end the pandemic and the establishment of a working group with vaccine manufacturers to identify trade barriers, supply bottlenecks, and accelerate delivery of vaccines to low- and lower-middle income countries.



Gopinath also worked with other IMF departments to connect with policy makers, academics, and other stakeholders on a new analytical approach to help countries respond to international capital flows via the Integrated Policy Framework. She also helped set up a Climate Change team inside the IMF to analyze, among other things, optimal climate mitigation policies.



I would like to express my personal appreciation to Gita for her impressive contributions, her always wise counsel, her devotion for the mission of the Research Department and the Fund more broadly, as well as her widely recognized inclusive and accessible approach to colleagues and staff, the Managing Director concluded.



A US national and overseas citizen of India, Ms. Gopinaths research has been published in many top economics journals.



Prior to her appointment as IMF Chief Economist, she was the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics, in the economics department of Harvard. She was a visiting scholar at both the IMF and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, member of the economic advisory panel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Economic Adviser to the Chief Minister of Kerala state in India, and member of the Eminent Persons Advisory Group on G-20 Matters for India's Ministry of Finance.



Before joining the faculty of Harvard University in 2005, she was an assistant professor of economics at the University of Chicagos Booth School of Business. Ms. Gopinath is also a member of the Group of Thirty.



The search for a successor will begin shortly, an IMF statement said.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Tel Aviv-based not-for-profit organization Start-Up Nation Central have signed an agreement aimed at promoting Innovation-based business ties between the UAE and Israel.



During a ceremony held at DIFC, Start-Up Nation Central VP of Strategic Partnerships Eliran Elimelech and DIFC Chief Business Development Officer Salmaan Jaffery signed the agreement and pledged to work together on promoting commercial agreements to benefit both nations, particularly in the fields of fintech and digital security.



As part of the DIFC Innovation Hub, the Centre offers the region's most comprehensive FinTech and venture capital environments, including innovative accelerator programs at FinTech Hive, providing start-ups a bridge to UAE, regional and global markets. Over 60 per cent of all FinTech and innovation firms in the GCC are based in DIFC.



Israel is a globally recognized leader in innovative FinTech solutions home to more than 530 start-ups that apply advanced technologies such as data science, biometrics, blockchain, and cyber to disrupt the traditional banking, finance and insurance sectors.



As part of the agreement, the parties committed to facilitating introductions and mutual referrals of companies that are interested in scaling their operations in each other's jurisdictions. This includes programmes such as regulatory sandboxes and accelerators to help innovative solutions' providers with market access.



Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, said: "Today, we have an opportunity to strengthen commercial relations between the UAE and Israel, especially in the FinTech sector. As the region's hub for financial services, FinTech and innovation, DIFC is well regarded for promoting and nurturing innovative and disruptive enterprises that have the potential to be the next unicorns from the region.



Our partnership with Start-Up Nation Central will enable us to foster a culture of collaboration among entrepreneurs and innovators in both nations and further build a vibrant ecosystem to advance the FinTech sector."



Avi Hasson, CEO of Start-Up Nation Central, said: "DIFC is a strategic partner when it comes to innovative technologies in general and FinTech in particular. We see great importance in fostering the relationship with DIFC as a central ally in the UAE and a strategic avenue aiding the development of the two ecosystems.



Following the anniversary of the Abraham Accords, we see this agreement as a manifestation of the innovation diplomacy efforts taking place in the region. We believe it will be an excellent platform for future collaborations, transforming the lofty ideas set out by the states' leaders into on-the-ground results."



Representatives of Start-Up Nation Central are currently in Dubai taking part in the annual Gitex technological conference and tradeshow. They are attending the event with a delegation of 30 Israeli entrepreneurs and investors that are part of the UAE-IL Tech Zone, a community of innovators from both countries that Start-Up Nation Central supports.  TradeArabia News Service
Al Baraka Islamic Bank (AIB), has signed an agreement with Gulf University to provide education financing for students who wish to enrol at the university.

The ceremony which was held between both entities at Al Barakas headquarters, was attended by Fatema AlAlawi, Head of Retail Banking at Al Baraka Islamic Bank and Professor Mohanned Alfiras, President of Gulf University, Dr Hesham Almarsafawy, Vice President of Gulf University, along with senior officials from both parties.

Through the education financing scheme, the bank aims to encourage promising students to achieve a higher education degree in order to advance in their future careers through local institutions that are fully-equipped to prepare the future generation with the necessary skills required to enter the job market.

The education financing scheme offers low profit rates over a maximum tenor of 3 years to those wishing to attain a higher education degree at local institutions.

Commenting on this occasion, AlAlawi said: We are proud to be partnering with Gulf University as on our newly launched education financing scheme. We at Al Baraka Islamic Bank believe in the importance of contributing towards providing education financing to Bahraini youth to further support them in their educational journey, as they are the future leaders of the kingdom. We look forward to partnering with more universities within the kingdom.

Professor Alfiras: We are pleased to be partnering with a reputable institution such as Al Baraka Islamic Bank and laud their continuous support and effort in providing promising students with education financing to support them in attaining a higher education degree.

Established in 2002, Gulf University has been founded based on a strong vision to ensure high quality education and provide graduates with strong intellectual and social foundations. Gulf University aims to establish itself as a distinguished higher education provider that will appeal to international, Bahraini and GCC students who prefer to be educated in a cultural environment, which is acceptable to parents and students alike.-- TradeArabia News Service
Despite a dip in sales in China, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) continues its improved profitability with a strong performance across all other regions and a rise in services for Q3, 2021.

Thanks to continuing high levels of investment in both infrastructure refurbishment and more sustainable products of the future, Volvo CE has increased its net sales by 11%.

After several years of high demand for construction equipment in China, orders in the market there have declined by 26% as reduced government investments has led to lower construction activity. This has been more than offset by a good development in Europe, North America and other parts of the world. Order intake remains stable on a high level.

Net sales in the third quarter increased by 11% to SEK19.638 billion ($2.285 billion), from SEK17.619 billion in 2020. When adjusted for currency movements they were also up by 11% in the same period, of which net sales of machines increased by 11% and service sales by 13% - reflecting Volvo CEs increased focus on services. Adjusted operating income amounted to SEK2.635 billion, compared to SEK1.963 billion in the same quarter 2020 and corresponding to an adjusted operating margin of 13.4% (11.1%).

Despite a continued rise in interest for Volvo branded products across all other regions, order intake for Q3 remained flat, though still high. Together with a 9% reduction in deliveries, this is largely driven by the sudden decline in the China market.

MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Across both the European and the North American markets, demand has remained high  the latter thanks to high infrastructure investments and housing construction activity. Asia, excluding China, showed good improvements particularly across South Korea and South East Asia. Continuing uncertainty across market forecasts remains significant due to the inability to predict supply chain capacity and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Melker Jernberg, President of Volvo CE, says: Despite industry-wide challenges of supply and delivery constraints, the power of Volvo CE as a truly global leader is clear to see in todays quarterly results. While sales in China have dipped, the strength of sales in other regions has ensured we have remained at peak performance. This quarter has also demonstrated our leading focus on sustainable power, with several exciting launches and events, ensuring we keep a strong focus on building a brighter future.

With the launch of three new electric compact machines and the reveal of the worlds first fossil-free steel prototype vehicle this quarter, Volvo CE is now not only the manufacturer with the largest range of commercially available electric machines, but is also taking big strides forward in accelerating more sustainable products, services and processes across the supply chain. In India, the company also launched 16 new machines all of which are engineered to the new CEV 4 emission norms.-- TradeArabia News Service
Saudi British Bank (SABB) has partnered with the Green Horizons Environmental Association to achieve the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative, focused on protecting the environment, and developing and promoting environmental awareness.



Tony CRIPPS, Managing Director of SABB, and Dr. Maha Al-Dubaihi, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Green Horizons Environmental Association, signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Head Office of SABB in Riyadh.



The MoU is aimed at strengthening cooperation and coordination between the two parties to build a partnership that contributes to initiatives that combat desertification, develop natural vegetation cover, and raise community awareness about the importance of plantation as a natural wealth in the Kingdom that must be preserved, for the benefit of the people and environment.



This effort comes in line with the Kingdoms Vision 2030 and the specifically the Saudi Green Initiative. According to the MoU, activities will commence by implementing a national park in Thadiq, Riyadh region, with the participation of SABBs employees, as part of planting 10,000 trees.



Tony Cripps said: I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Kingdoms pioneering role towards addressing environmental issues such as climate change. We at SABB, under our new 2025 Strategy, are also working towards developing ESG initiatives that speak towards Vision 2030 environmental objectives.



Dr Maha Al-Dubaihi said: "The synergies between the private sector and the non-profit sector to achieve the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative is of paramount importance and crystallizes the Kingdom's endeavours to address the phenomenon of climate change.



She further applauded SABBs contributions to increase the green area in the Kingdom and support various quality environmental initiatives.  TradeArabia News Service
In support of the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI) 2031, the Ajman Free Zone has launched its AI and Robotics Hub at Gitex Global 2021, besides signing five separate MoUs with major global technology companies.

The free zone, which is part of the Ajman Governments pavilion, said that its new integrated Centre provides digital access to its services such as company registration, visa sponsorship, residence visa application, and many more. More than 9,000 companies and institutions operating in its community will benefit from its fully digital business system.

The Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Hub will empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs), large companies, academic institutions, and government entities. Apart from having digital access to services, enterprises and organisations registered with the free zone can also leverage the hub to develop, enhance and promote their products and services, as well as join training programmes and events such as webinars.

Eng Ali AlSuwaidi, Director General of Ajman Free Zone, said: The launch is part of our commitment to expand our support to our partners and use the latest technological innovations to add value to our services and products. It is also our response to the directives of Ajmans wise leadership to modernise the services in the emirate by adopting new technologies and keeping pace with current and future trends and developments.

Through this initiative, we also aim to show our support for the UAE Strategy for AI 2031, which seeks to position the UAE as a global leader in the AI sector. Innovation and entrepreneurship are pivotal to the national economy and key to achieving our desired transformation in the digital era. In addition, the new platform will allow us to make AI and robotics the basic pillars of our research activities that can support various organisations across sectors, including education, AlSuwaidi added.

He further noted that the free zone held the launch during Gitex to emphasise the importance of the premier exhibition, the largest technology show in the Mena region. According to him, the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Hub will drive the growth of businesses operating in the free zone by ensuring their access to a wider network of technology leaders and allowing them to develop their innovative ideas with economic value.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of its Gitex participation, Ajman Free Zone signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Huawei Cloud, AI Directions, Nippon, Action to Action, and Project Management Institute (PMI) to drive technology investments focused on AI and robotics. The parties also agreed to simplify workflow as well as improve the quality of services provided to the business and investment communities in Ajman and the UAE.

AlSuwaidi explained that Ajman Free Zones expanding network of strategic partners enables it to connect with major corporations that can influence and help shape the future of key industries. Through our joint efforts with leading international companies, we can further increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of Ajman Free Zone by upgrading our digital capabilities and enhancing our value-added services provided through an integrated platform. We will continue to offer easy and fast access to our wide range of cost-effective facilities, incentives, and innovative solutions according to the current and emerging needs of businesses and investors.

AlSuwaidi added: The MoUs are very important as they are centered on the technology industry, which is an important sector for us. These partnerships reflect our continuous commitment to develop our digital infrastructure and accelerate our digital transformation. Through our various operations, services and procedures, we can establish a more attractive, competitive, and inclusive business environment that brings happiness to customers.

Ajman Free Zone prioritises automation in line with our digital transformation initiatives. Through our effective partnerships with the government and private sectors, we can facilitate modern business procedures and optimally serve companies and investors while bolstering the leadership of Ajman and the UAE on the economic and investment fronts, he further stated.

As part of its partnership with Huawei Cloud, Ajman Free Zone will be the global consulting partner. The free zone will direct and utilise available resources to deliver value to Ajman community. Both parties agreed to promote cloud solutions in the local business community.

The free zones cooperation with AI Directions includes the use of technological resources and implementation of advanced equipment to support the formers digital transformation and improve its AI and robotics capabilities. The two sides also agreed to provide training programs and awareness workshops on advanced technology for the free zones employees and customers.

For Nippon which is one of the oldest companies in the business community, the Ajman Free Zone-Nippon MoU focuses on enhancing the technology sector and reinforcing the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Hub.

The strategic partnership between the free zone and Action to Action covers various areas, ensuring that their up-to-date with the rapid technological developments They agreed to adopt modern mechanisms to achieve operational efficiency and ease of procedures to achieve customer satisfaction and happiness. Action to Action is one of the regions main service providers.

Last but not least is the free zones partnership with PMI. Under their MoU, they will focus on enhancing human resource capabilities, exchanging knowledge and experiences, providing project management services, and organising events, conferences, and professional training. Ajman Free Zone is looking forward to benefiting from the expertise of the institute, which is one of the global leading institutions for project management skills development.

The free zone continues to expand its partnerships with major institutions and companies, including Ajman University and the Emirates Development Bank. Moreover, it remains committed to enhancing its digital infrastructure and integrating advanced technologies into its operations to facilitate ease of doing business and attract more investors. Its commitment is aligned with its mission to position Ajman as a leading destination for regional and global businesses.-- TradeArabia News Service
UL, a global safety science leader, has opened a cables fire safety and performance laboratory to help wire and cable customers meet regulatory standards and destination market regulatory compliance.

One of the first of its kind in the Middle East, the facility, located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), allows manufacturers, brands and suppliers of electrical and optical cables and busways from throughout the Middle East to access a local laboratory for fire safety.

Staffed with UL's industry-leading experts and designed to test flame retardant and fire-resistant cables, fire alarm cables, building wires with fire resistance ratings, fibre-optic component cables with fire resistance ratings and busways, the new fire safety laboratory will accommodate tests to multiple standards for flame retardant and fire resistance properties.

When cables burn, they may produce significant volumes of heat, smoke, toxic or corrosive fumes, and falling flaming materials, known as burning droplets. UL's new laboratory provides tests to measure how a cable reacts when exposed to fire and to assess acid gas emission and smoke generation.

In addition, UL now has the capability to evaluate cables' circuit integrity during a fire. This includes tests for fire alone, fire with water, fire with mechanical shock, and fire with both mechanical shock and water to demonstrate various real-life scenarios.

"Driven by growing customer expectations and UL's deep understanding of wire and cable industry needs and requirements, the opening of our location here in Abu Dhabi will further support manufacturers, especially those here in the region, and provide convenience and capability throughout every step of the go-to-market process," said Hamid Syed, vice president and general manager for UL in the Middle East. "With this in mind, the laboratory was developed to provide key customer benefits including faster turnaround times, logistics and shipping costs reductions, and overall product safety."

The Middle East has seen increased regulation around the fire safety of cables. The new laboratory is prepared to help meet these regulations including local civil defense code requirements to comply to fire resistance for cables and the Civil Defense Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for cables requiring test reports and certificates.

The facility is also equipped to address compliance to consultant specifications for construction projects in the Middle East and to meet export requirements to the EU, UK, US and Africa.

"A local presence with global expertise will help reduce logistics and shipping costs to the EU and Asia markets. And most importantly, the new laboratory will help drive overall safety as we are able to test locally to meet more stringent regulations for fire resistant cables in our region," Syed said.

UL offers its customers testing services to help them meet and exceed fire safety requirements. Research testing services for manufacturers can help customers design cables that comply to the necessary fire resistance/fire reactance standards.

UL can also produce a Type testing report and Type examination certificate based on IEC/EN/BS standards.-- TradeArabia News Service
The UAE has emphasised the importance of GCC cooperation to enhance the performance of the regions industrial sector.

At the 48th meeting of the GCC Industrial Cooperation Committee in Bahrain, Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, expressed the UAEs desire to deepen cooperation, coordination and knowledge exchange in support of the GCCs economy, especially in the efforts to integrate advanced technology, innovation and 4IR technologies into its industrial sector.

There are positive signs for the growth of the GCCs industrial sector by supporting innovation and the adoption of advanced technology applications and 4IR solutions, especially in joint industrial projects. Also, coordinated efforts in priority industrial sectors will enhance their overall performance and global competitiveness.

He explained that the national efforts to develop the UAEs industrial sector through the UAE Industry 4.0 programme are designed to increase industrial productivity by 30% and add AED25 billion ($6.81 billion) to the GDP in the next 10 years.

The programme is a key pillar of UAEs national industrial strategy, Operation 300Bn, which is in line with the Projects of the 50 initiative that will chart the next 50 years of growth and development in the UAE. The strategy will enhance the nations position as an incubator of innovative ideas and future industries.

Dr Al Jaber also commended the cooperation between GCC countries as they prepared for a post-pandemic world, which ought to remain a top priority for joint Gulf action in the coming period.

The delegates noted that the industrial sector will be a key focus due to its significance to economic diversification, particularly the sectors that incorporate advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT).

The discussions also focused on the development of regulations, policies and laws, and the support for local products.

Dr Al Jaber said: In line with the directives of our wise leadership, we always seek to enhance cooperation and coordination with our brothers in the GCC to achieve mutually beneficial results.

He pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated efforts to improve collaboration across the GCC and develop future strategies. This comes in parallel with current efforts to update the GCC Unified Industrial Strategy document in a way that enhances industrial integration, accelerates the development and implementation of programmes in strategic industries, and utilises each countrys strengths.

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Dr Al Jaber expressed his hope for more coordination between member states in the pursuit of common interests, especially in the areas of knowledge exchange, training, and research and development. He also noted the available capabilities in the GCC that support increased trade exchange between member states, just as they have encouraged the private sector to increase its breadth of production, especially in light of the opportunities presented by the applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

He explained that achieving comprehensive industrial development in the GCC states will reflect in enhanced production efficiencies and higher quality outputs. It will also have positive social effects, from enhancing safety and security to improving services, developing economic opportunities, and increasing the sectors contribution to GDP, as well as promoting investment opportunities in priority industrial sectors.

THE AGENDA

The meetings agenda included defining a set of Gulf priorities in a post-Covid world, with the industrial sector being key to economic diversification, focusing on technology-dependent industries, developing joint systems and policies for the industrial sector  including supporting innovation centres and encouraging the establishment of joint industrial projects  and supporting local products by giving them priority in government procurement procedures.

The meeting also included an agreement to issue Gulf regulations and programmes that contribute to the expansion of national projects that add value to members economies, develop future plans for manufacturing during health pandemics, enhance cooperation between Gulf government entities related to industry, and to exchange experiences, information and training.

Within the same context, last week witnessed the holding of the 40th preparatory meeting for the Undersecretaries of the Ministries of Industry at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The attendees were briefed on the vision to strengthen joint Gulf action. Their recommendations included joining the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting as a member of the Industrial Development Committee, and for the topic of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting to be considered for inclusion in the updated Unified Industrial Strategy.

The committee also agreed on a framework for enhancing the role of the industrial sector in GCC to promote industrial development at national and Gulf levels.-- TradeArabia News Service
In a virtual signing ceremony, Ethiopian Airlines Group and Aero HygenX executives, inventors of Ray  an autonomous aircraft sanitisation robot  signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining a plan for fleetwide deployment and regional marketing of Aero HygenXs autonomous UV-C light disinfecting robot.

The signing of this MoU marks a first foray into the African market for Aero HygenX, a Canadian technology company with its safe, efficient, and chemical-free solution designed for aircraft cabins and rail cars. Ethiopian Airlines has become the first African carrier to roll out the technology that takes aviation safety to the next level.

It is the intent of the two parties to establish local final assembly capabilities for Aero HygenXs autonomous UV-C disinfecting robot 'Ray', thus creating local employment opportunities and expediting rollout of the chemical-free, pathogen-killing solution for Ethiopian Airlines, a statement from the airline said.

The MoU further sets out to foster exchange of expertise and ideas between Aero HygenX and the Ethiopian Airlines Innovation Hub, which leads all innovation activities across the carrier. The purpose of the Innovation Hub collaboration is to optimise the product and determine where else in the re-travel chain the disinfection technology can be useful.

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said: As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, aircraft disinfection and safety are top priorities for us. We feel a deep responsibility to re-assure travellers and set an example by investing in sustainable hygiene solutions that will benefit not only our staff and passengers but also the entire region.

Aero HygenX has demonstrated competence and ingenuity with the Ray autonomous disinfecting robot, and we look forward to implementing the solution as soon as possible.

In addition to the airline's safety first' policy and the increasing number of safety conscious travellers, the MOU signed with HygenX will help it attract more customers and recover quickly.

In Ottawa, CEO Arash Mahin signed for the Aero HygenX team and was accompanied by the firms Executive VP of Business Development Peter Bahraini, as well as Executive VP of Engineering Kris Rupay.

Mahin said: We want to help aviation get back on its feet as quickly as possible, and for that to happen we must work globally. A global problem requires a global solution and were thrilled that, together with Ethiopian Airlines, we can bring thorough, efficient, and safe pathogen-killing technology to this region.

Designed for the transportation industry, Ray is a compact and light-weight autonomous robot which uses motion sensing technology to navigate cramped spaces (such as aircraft cabins) and disinfect surfaces quickly, safely and without the use of harmful chemicals, using UV-C light.-TradeArabia News Service
Brazil and the UAE have held a seminar to hasten efforts to develop a platform to nurture fruitful discussions between business leaders of both the countries where they can share insights and experiences on the latest innovations.

Organised jointly by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP), Brazil  UAE Business Seminar on Innovation focused on two major topics themed Innovation Environment in Arab Countries and Brazil: Opportunities and Challenges and Investments in Science, Technology and Innovation in Arab countries and Brazil: Opportunities and Challenges.

The seminar kicked off in the presence of Marcos Pontes, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Brazil; Hossein Mohamed Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, Fernando Igreja, Brazilian Ambassador to the UAE, Karen Jones, COO of Apex Brazil Office for the Middle East and North Africa and Osmar Chohfi, President, Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, attended the inaugural session of the seminar.

Osmar Chohfi, President of Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce said: Innovation is integral to economic development, and fast-paced changes in digitalisation is resulting in the advancement of 'frontier technologies' namely artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, all of which are vital for countries to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The inaugural session of the seminar focused on both countries position in the scientific frontier, highlighting the role of knowledge production, technological developments, goods, and services. It further addressed the role of industries in digital transformation, perspectives on community participation, and how they can enhance businesses in the future.

The agenda of the seminar also included delivering proposals and recommendations which can contribute to the acceleration of digital transformation and enhancement of services. The discussions focused largely on raising Brazil's profile in foreign innovation ecosystems, identifying partnerships, attracting investments, supporting the internationalisation of startups, supporting the mobilisation of the Brazilian scientific diaspora abroad and fostering the collaboration between Brazilian and UAE technology parks and innovation environments.

Through this seminar, we aim to stimulate the growth of new industries and services that produce jobs and contribute to human development, and to set strategic research and innovation plans to take on emerging challenges. We aim to continue strengthening our strategic relations with the UAE which enjoys a strong bond of close economic cooperation, cultural ties and robust trade relations. It is worth noting that both countries are actively pursuing sustainable development based on technology and innovation. ABCC is at the forefront in supporting both countries goals, Chohfi remarked.

One of ABCCs latest initiatives in innovation include the ABCC Lab, an innovation ecosystem where Brazilian and Arab startups are encouraged to seek solutions of interest to both regions. It has also developed the Ellos business platform and Easy Trade, a fraud-resistant, blockchain model which is a real revolution in customs clearance. It has contributed effectively in efforts to advance a smarter, more sustainable and modern bilateral trade between Brazil and the Arab countries.-- TradeArabia News Service
QatarEnergy and Shell have signed an agreement to pursue joint investments in blue and green hydrogen projects in the United Kingdom.



The partners will target integrated and scalable opportunities in key sectors where hydrogen could help decarbonise, especially around industrial cluster development and also for the transport sector, with a focus on the London metropolitan area. The collaboration will exploit both companies expertise in delivering large and technically complex energy projects.



The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the UK Global Investment Summit, hosted by HM The Queen and the Prime Minister, and attended by the worlds leading businesses and investors in the UK.



Commenting on the agreement, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy said: This agreement does not only reinforce the long lasting and strategic partnership between QatarEnergy and Shell, but also creates a viable path for innovation and investments in low carbon fuels and technologies across the UKs energy sector, a key area of investment for QatarEnergy. This agreement also builds on QatarEnergys commitment to provide reliable access to cleaner energy globally.



Ben Van Beurden, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, said: I am delighted to deepen an already strong relationship with QatarEnergy. Hydrogen will play an important role in helping society reach net zero and momentum is growing. QatarEnergys expertise, in collaboration with Shells, will support the UKs energy transition and help propel this fast-growing sector.



This is the first agreement on hydrogen between QatarEnergy and Shell. It establishes an important framework for collaboration and joint investment to develop hydrogen solutions in the UK.  TradeArabia News Service
Thought leaders Alex Epstein and Robert Bryce will join a powerful Congress programme featuring global energy figures at the 23rd World Petroleum Congress from December 5 to 9 at Houston, Texas.

Acclaimed authors Epstein and Bryce will share their thoughts and knowledge in the session titled, Perception of the Energy Industry: Creating A Future Vision.

This moderated discussion will focus on what must be done to address perception issues by analysing the value the industry brings to the world and its formidable role in energy transition and building a sustainable energy future.

Alex Epstein and Robert Bryce bring insight into the benefits of designing innovative solutions for fossil fuel use in our society as well as perspectives on the future of energy, both themes at the heart of the Congress. We are delighted to have two prominent thought leaders on the programme in December, said Jeff Shellebarger, Chairman of the 23rd World Petroleum Congress Organising Committee.

Epstein is the President and Founder of the Centre for Industrial Process, a think-tank seeking to bring about new industrial revolution and offers a positive, pro-human alternative to the Green movement. He is also the author of The New York Times bestseller, The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, the highly regarded and widely praised book that analyses the role energy plays in improving aspects of life, through economic and environmental benefits.

Covering energy, power, innovation, and politics for more than three decades, Bryces work has appeared in numerous respected publications. He is also the author of six books including his most recent one titled, A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations discussing the factors behind successful electrification. In addition, he is also the host of the, Power Hungry Podcast examining the energy industry, innovation, and more.

The 23rd WPC will bring international ministers, CEOs, academia and other expert speakers to discuss the energy landscape as it relates to industry trends, innovative solutions and best practices shaping the future of energy.

Drawing participation from key constituents influencing the global industry, the Congress provides leaders the platform to hold important, forward looking discussions around solutions that will go beyond the conference.-- TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy has announced that Acwa Power, a leader in power generation and water desalination plants, and French group Total Solar have emerged as major bidders for four solar energy projects in the kingdom with a total capacity of 1,200 MW.

Announcing the names of shortlisted bidders, Saudi energy ministry said the competition is the third round of the countrys National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) and will allow bidding in two categories.

The first one covers the 80-MW Layla and the 120-MW Wadi Al Dawasir solar projects, while the 300-MW Saad and the 700-MW Ar Rass schemes will be offered in the other category.

Of the four solar PV projects, Acwa Power consortium (which comprises China's SPIC (Huamghe Hydropower Development Company) and Saudi group WEHC (Water & Electricity Holding Company) has emerged as a major bidder in three of them - Layla, Wadi Al Dawasir and Ar Rass solar projects.

According to the Saudi ministry, the RFPs were issued in April last year for Category A and B projects. Three bids have been submitted for each project in the course of the second quarter of 2021.

Prior to shortlisting, all bids were evaluated to ensure compliance with the RFP technical and commercial criteria. The ministry of energy expects to reach commercial closing and financial closing shortly thereafter.

Apart from Acwa consortium, the other shortlisted bidders are France's Total Solar International (for

Wadi Al Dawasir); Alfanar/Asma Capital (for Layla); Jinko Power (for Ar Rass and Saad) and a consortium led by Abu Dhabi-based Masdar with French utility expert EDF and Saudi group Nesma (for Saad).

The Saudi ministry said the winning bidder will be entering into a 25-year PPA with the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) as an offtaker.-TradeArabia News Service
flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, has announced the start of flights to Sohar in Oman becoming the first airline to operate this route from Dubai.

This is the carriers third destination in the sultanate, alongside Muscat and Salalah. Flights to Sohar International Airport (OHS) will start on November 4 and will operate twice a week from Terminal 2 at Dubai International (DXB).

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: With demand for travel returning and as more countries continue to lift restrictions on international travel, we are pleased to announce the start of flights to Sohar in Oman. We are excited to further grow our network and give passengers more options to travel in the region, while welcoming passengers from Oman, especially those looking to visit Expo 2020 in Dubai.

Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Subcontinent and Africa) at flydubai, added: We are pleased to expand our network in Oman by adding a third point to our network alongside our popular destinations Muscat and Salalah. This new direct route will enable free flows of trade and tourism and strengthen direct airlinks between Oman and the UAE.

Located on the sultanates northern coast, Sohar is a port city known for its cultural heritage and trading. Visitors can explore the citys tradition in Sohars century-old Fort and museum or stroll along the corniche along the waterfront and relax in one of the many restaurants. Sohars proximity to some of Omans most popular ravines, including Wadi Al Jizi and Wadi Salahi, attracts adventure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts from the region and beyond.

flydubais passenger experience has been redesigned to enable travel in a safe environment that minimises crew and passenger contact and offers passengers confidence to travel at every step of their journey. Customers who book a flight through flydubai.com will receive complimentary global cover for Covid-19 related costs to offer greater peace of mind when travelling.

Passengers are required to make sure that they are up to date with the regulations from the IATA Travel Centre and the IATA destination tracker for their whole journey, and follow the guidance issued by the authorities and the airline.

Passengers booking a flydubai flight to Dubai will enjoy a complimentary 1-Day Ticket to visit Expo 2020 Dubai, taking place from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The initiative is valid for all bookings to Dubai made from January 2020 for travel during the event dates.

Flights from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) to Sohar International Airport (OHS) will operate twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays.-- TradeArabia News Service
Help India!



The introduction of the controversial new anti-cow slaughter bill in Karnataka in December 2020 has badly impacted the cattle traders and meat sellers of the state. A TCN Ground Report looks at the multiple ways the new bill is adversely impacting the livelihood of those associated with cattle business.

Shalini S | TwoCircles.net

Support TwoCircles



BANGALORE  Nearly a year after the Karnataka government passed the controversial The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2020, the butchers and cattle traders from Bangalore are in distress saying the new bill has been a death-knell for their trade. The new bill calls for a blanket ban on cattle slaughter, restricting beef-eating and sale in the south-Indian state.

After being in effect for nearly a year, people associated with the cattle trade told TwoCircles.net that the new bill has adversely impacted their business and the livelihood of their children.

Pertinently, the passing of the new bill in December 2020 by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government saw uproar in the states Assembly, with Opposition members tearing copies of the Bill and protesting in the Well of the House. The BJP members, however, were in support of the new bill and raised slogans of Gomata ki Jai in the house.

At Bangalores Shivaji Nagar beef market, which accounts for the significant production of beef in the state, people associated with the business are distraught.

The Shivaji Nagar beef market used to thrive before the bill and during pre-pandemic days. At present, out of 77 beef stalls in the market, hardly 9 to 10 shops are open on all days. The sales have gone down with customers uncertain of buying buffalo meat. Unlike the initial Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Rules, 1967, which allowed slaughtering of cattle with certification from competent authorities, the new bill states it is illegal to slaughter all cattle barring buffaloes aged over 13 years.

In an aisle opposite Indira Canteen in Shivaji Nagar beef market, an aged butcher Khasim Jaanu stood supporting himself on a wall. President of All India Jamiat-ul-Quresh, Karnataka Khasim Shoiab-ur-Rahaman Qureshi (58), asked Jaanu to take care of his health. Turning to this reporter, Khasim Shoiab said, Jaanu is my distant relative. He is 85-years-old, and his children have abandoned him. Back in the days, he used to mince 100 kg of beef in the morning and evening just with his bare hands.

The old butcher Jaanu used to deliver minced meat to the Biological Sciences Centre in Bangalore for the researchers and scientists to procure and experiment with vaccination and antidotes against diseases like tuberculosis and diabetes. We used to send it to the Centre for vaccine purposes but it stopped after Maneka Gandhi.

The practise came to an end after BJP leader Maneka Gandhi was appointed head of the committee called CPCSEA (Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals) in 1998. The body was formed under the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act, 1960. The butchers from Shivaji Nagar said the rules of CPCSEA were stringent and it had a drastic economic impact on the cattle business.

Loss of livelihood

Shoiab-ur-Rahaman Qureshi belongs to the Qureshi clan. Qureshis are a sub-group among the Indian Muslim population of India. The Qureshi community across India is engaged in the meat business and fall under the category of Pasmanda (marginalized) Muslims. In Bangalore, the community has been directly impacted by the new anti-cow slaughter bill.

Shoaib Qureshi said that they filed a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) before the Bangalore High Court asking the Court to allow them to stick to the previous bill, where butchers can slaughter cattle after seeking permission from the competent authority. The previous bill Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Prevention Act of 1964, provided for the slaughtering of animals (bull, bullock, buffalo except for cow) above the age of 12 years or the ones that are incapacitated for breeding or have a deformity.

We filed public interest litigation (PIL) along with representatives from farmers and Dalit community against the bill six months ago. The court still hasnt given a date for the hearing, Shoaib Qureshi told TwoCircles.net.

Shoaib Qureshis eldest son Khasim Shoaib said that the new bill has left them with fewer options in conducting business. An alternative arrangement for us is to procure beef from no-ban states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, Khasim said.

Even then, he added, in our new trade license, the word beef is replaced with buffalo meat. It creates confusion in sales, possession and consumption of beef whereas the bill only restricts the slaughtering of cattle.

Khasim said that following the ban only 50% of the slaughterhouses and retail shops in Bangalore are open. Many have lost their livelihood, he said.

Although left with no option but to procure beef from other states, this too comes at a cost.

Khasim Najeeb, a butcher from the market, told TwoCircles.net that procuring beef from other states is quite expensive.

We need to cover travel costs, transportation of meat and pay off the butcher from that particular state. We make no profit that way. This business involves a lot of risks. Amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the passing of this bill has created panic in our community, Khasim Najeeb said.

The community members said that the new anti-cow slaughter bill has a direct impact on the livelihood of their children, who are reluctant now to take up their traditional business. After the bill came into effect, the youngsters from the community have been forced to opt out of their family business and find jobs in mainstream informal sectors.

A case in point is of twenty-four-year-old Habeeb-ur-Rehman, who has completed BBA and now is finding it hard to continue with the cattle business. I feel useless now. I want to make a living but there is no opportunity, no money or no savings. Whatever we earn is spent on our everyday expenses. At least, I completed my graduation but my younger brothers had to give up their studies. The business has stopped abruptly. It hurts a lot, he told TwoCircles.net.

Not long ago, Muhammad Bilal (20) and Faeq Choudhary (19) were pursuing a college degree. Today, they work as butchers in Shivaji Nagar. The duo had to drop out of their college due to financial constraints caused by the declining meat business following the passing of the new bill.

Unlike Habeeb, who wants to be in the family business, they dont have that option. We are the elder siblings. We have to work to send our younger siblings to school, the duo said.

Decline in cattle growth

Even with rampant cow vigilantism and anti-slaughter bills in place, states in India with total or partial beef bans have shown a decline in cattle growth. The data, accessed by TwoCircles.net, shows a drastic decline in the growth rate of cattle in Karnataka compared to the no-ban states. It is ironic that when the Karnataka governments justification for the new bill is that it will be instrumental in stopping the decline, yet the cattle population has seen a constant diminution.

Dr Abdul Samad, Ex-Dean and Director of Instructions, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Science University is currently working on a book on the impacts of the anti-slaughter bill on the growth of cattle population in India. He carried out the analysis of cattle population trends in Karnataka from the Livestock Census and several Right to Information (RTI) requests that he filed with the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Talking to TwoCircles.net, Dr Samad insists that the issue cannot be seen on communal lines alone since it is a central issue of farmers too.

The resale values of their non-productive cattle are null, resulting in huge economic loss for them, Dr Samad said.

Farmers across the world maintain a constant herd population, Dr Samad said, adding, They legally cull non-productive cattle or sell it to their complementary meat industry.

Farmers in India follow the same model, which has been badly impacted by the new bill. Without legal culling or resale value, the growth of cattle will be exponential and the farmers will never be able to tend to all the cattle if the herd size is going to keep growing. A farmer should have land, enough fodder and water for it, he said.

For this reason, Dr Samad said that there is an increase in the number of stray cattle in the absence of resale value, and the ownership of cattle among the farmers has reduced too.

Taking a dig at the unscientific claims made by Hindutva ideologues including National BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, that cow dung is costlier than Kohinoor diamond and cow urine cures Covid-19, Dr Samad said, Even if it is so, why dont the state-run cattle farms tend to non-productive cows for their dung and urine. Why do they expect the suffering farmers to do it and not cull or trade the cattle?

The growth rate of bullocks (male cattle) is also declining in every state in India, whether the bill is implemented or not. It is due to the mechanization of agrarian business and artificial insemination services. The bullocks will be competing with the milking cow, and the farmers will legally cull non-productive bullocks. But the government believes that the farmers need more bullock power, such claims are made without proper research, Dr Samad reasons.

Dr Samad believes that the Karnataka government passed the bill in haste when there is a shortage of infrastructural facilities and finance to maintain the non-productive cattle in its gaushalas (cow-shelter).

They are not able to provide food to the existing cattle in the first place, Suhaib said.

The opposition leader and former Chief Minister of the state, Siddaramaiah, had raised the same arguments when the bill was passed in the Karnataka legislative assembly.

The farmers of Karnataka maintain that cattle are their huge investment and they sell the cattle during important occasions like marriage and education for their children. But it is incapacitated by the new bill, they rued.

Denial of Right to Food

Dr Sylvia Karpagam, a public health doctor and researcher, and a working member of the Right to Food and Right to Health Campaign, is of the opinion that the primary concern of the farmers is that they should be able to sell their unproductive cattle so that they can procure other cattle.

Dr Sylvia and other researchers are putting together a report that talks about a prime circle of people such as farmers, butchers, tanners, animal traders, slaughterhouse workers and transport workers who are affected by the bill.

Dr Sylvia explains how beef is a nutritionally rich food and the ban on it is an attack on the cultural eating habits of the Christians, Dalits, Muslims and Adivasis. The anti-slaughter ban should be viewed in the backdrop of a dismal indicator of nutrition among the SC/ST students who suffer stunted growth, and the nutritional crises and ideological imposition in the states mid-day meal scheme, she said.

The Qureshis also express concern over the customers scepticism in buying buffalo meat as it might pose health hazards and is considered not suitable for Bangalore weather.

With the anti-cow slaughter bill in effect, cattle and beef markets in Bangalore permeate an ecosystem of silence due to the fear of being lynched or arrested.

There is a privilege in advocating for the fundamental rights of animals over humans, Shoiab-ur-Rahaman Qureshi concludes with a smile.

Shalini S is a SEED fellow with TwoCircles.net. She tweets at @_Shalini_Nathan
Catholics are up by more than 15 million people, almost 2 million in Asia. Worldwide, the number of priests is up (+1.989 in Asia); so is the number of deacons but not in Asia (-11). There are fewer bishops and major seminarians. Mission stations (3,217) with a resident priest are up (+301) in every continent (+88 in Asia).

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Catholics numbered 1,344,403,000 as of 31 December 2019, up by 15,410,000 over the previous year, while the world population stood at 7,577,777,000, up by 81,383,000 over the same period, Agenzia Fides reported to mark the 95th World Mission Day, which will be celebrated on 24 October.

The increase touches every continent, except Europe (-292,000). As in the past, the highest increases were reported in Africa (+8,302,000), Americas (+5,373,000), Asia (+1,909,000), and Oceania (+118,000).

The worldwide percentage of Catholics increased compared to the previous year, reaching 17.74 per cent. With respect to the continents, variations are minimal: increases in Africa (+0.14), Asia (+0.02), and the Americas (+0.09); decrease in Europe (-0.05); no change in Oceania.

The number of bishops dropped by 13 to 5,364. Diocesan bishops gained 12 new members, but religious bishops declined by 25. Diocesan bishops increased in Africa (+11), Asia (+5), Europe (+4) and Oceania (+2); decreased only in America (-10). Religious bishops declined on all continents: Africa (-6), America (-7), Asia (-5), Europe (-4) and Oceania (-3).

The total number of priests in the world went up, to 414,336 (+271). Europe again reported a major drop (-2,608) as did the Americas (-690) and Oceania (-69). Increases were reported in Africa (+1,649) and Asia (+1,989).

Permanent deacons also increased (+734) to 48,238. The largest gain was in the Americas (+562), followed by Europe (+177), Oceania (+5), Africa (+1), decreasing only in Asia (-11).

The number of major seminarians, diocesan and religious, decreased (-1,822) to 114,058, in Asia (-898), Oceania (-53), Europe (-630), and the Americas (-750). Only Africa reported a net gain (+509).

There are 68,609 major diocesan and 45,449 religious seminarians, down by 1,350 and 427 respectively. Diocesan major seminarians gained only Africa (+224), and lost in Europe (-688), the Americas (-784), Asia (-102); in Oceania the number remain unchanged. Major religious seminarians increased in Africa (+285), Europe (+58), and the Americas (+34), but declined in Asia (-796) and Oceania (-53).

For the seventh consecutive year, the number of non-religious priests dropped by 646, to 50,295: down in Europe (-236), the Americas (-390), Oceania (-86) and Asia (-23); up only in Africa (+89).

In 2019, an overall drop of 11,562 was reported in the number of women religious, to a total of 630,099. Africa and Asia reported an increase (+835 and +599 respectively); Europe was down (-7,400), as were the Americas (-5,315) and Oceania (281).

Mission stations with a resident priest numbered 3,217 (+301), up in every continent, especially Africa (+138), Asia (+88), and the Americas (+56). Mission Stations without a resident priest decreased by 5,836, for a total 131,407: down in Africa (-4,382), Asia (-358), Europe (-58), and the Americas (-1,113); only increase in Oceania (+75).

The number of lay missionaries in the world stood at 410,440, with an overall increase of 34,252, up in Europe (+277), the Americas (+33,930), Oceania (+29), and Africa (+566), but down in Asia (-550).

In the world, the number of catechists dropped by 2,590 to a total 3,074,034. Decreases were reported in the Americas (-15,651), Europe (-5,658), Oceania (-485), up in Africa (+6,808) and Asia (+12,396).

In the area of education, the Catholic Church ran 72,667 kindergartens with 7,532,992 pupils, 98,925 primary schools with 35,188,771 pupils, and 49,552 secondary schools with 19,370,763 pupils. Some 2,395,540 high school students and 3,833,012 university students are in the care of the Catholic Church

Catholic charity and healthcare facilities include: 5,245 hospitals, mostly in Africa (1,418) and in the Americas (1,362); 14,963 dispensaries, mainly in Africa (5,307), the Americas (4,043); 532 care facilities for people with leprosy, mainly in Asia (269) and Africa (201); 15,429 homes for seniors, the chronically ill and people with a disability, mainly in Europe (8,031) and the Americas (3,642); 9,374 orphanages, mainly in Asia (3,233) and Europe (2,247); 10,723 creches, mainly in Asia (2,973) and the Americas (2,957); 12,308 marriage counselling centres, mainly in Europe (5,504) and the Americas (4,289); 3,198 social rehabilitation centres, and 33,840 other facilities.

At a press conference held today, Archbishop Giampietro Dal Toso, president of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS), noted that next year, 2022, will mark several anniversaries linked to the missionary world.

They include: 400 years of the congregation, 200 years since the foundation of the first Mission Society, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and 100 years since the elevation to Pontifical status of three of the four societies.

Against the backdrop, celebrations are planned in Lyon on 22 May for the beatification of Pauline Jaricot, founder of the first Mission Society.

An exceptional woman, she set in motion a true spiritual missionary movement thanks to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which spread at grass-roots level immediately, also because it was built on a simple but ingenious system: groups of 10 people, who then gathered in 100 and then in a thousand with a person in charge at each level.

The Bulletin of the Society sold 10,000 copies in 1825, 40,000 by 1830, not counting translations. Bishop Forbin-Janson turned to Pauline when he wished to apply this model to the nascent Society of the Missionary Childhood.

I can say without hesitation that the contribution of the Societies, which originated from this intuition, was essential for the history of the missions in the 19th and 20th centuries, because they involved the base of the Catholic faithful and made them aware of the mission.
The Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (CELRA) held its 71st plenary assembly in Abu Dhabi from 18 to 21 October. The Synod, COVID-19 and catechist training were some of the topics discussed at the meeting. For the former patriarchal vicar of Jerusalem, it is necessary to rediscover the dimension of being together.

Abu Dhabi (AsiaNews)  Latin bishops and patriarchs in Arab lands held a three-day meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, which ended at noon today.

His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, led the 71st plenary Assembly of the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Region (CELRA[*]), held on 18-21 October in Abu Dhabi at St. Paul Church in Musaffah.

For Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, former patriarchal vicar of Jerusalem and Palestine, finding ourselves as a community, meeting and reuniting after the separation imposed by the global health emergency were part of the meetings goals.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic over a year and a half ago, we have become accustomed to following the Mass on television, via the Internet or by other technological means, Bishop Marcuzzo said. However, in doing so, we have lost the dimension of being together.

This is one of the aspects we must focus on during the first phase of the Synod works, announced by Pope Francis. In fact, celebrating the sacraments, communion, confession entails being together.

During the still ongoing pandemic, we have discovered our vulnerability, how fragile we are and how important it is to be united in solidarity both between different regions and within the same diocese.

In addition to the host, Bishop Paul Hinder, apostolic vicar of southern Arabia and apostolic administrator of North Arabia, eight bishops and four patriarchal vicars were present from the region (Cyprus, Jordan, Nazareth and Jerusalem). They were joined by Vatican diplomatic officials stationed in the region, including the apostolic nuncio to Kuwait and the charge daffaires of the apostolic nunciature in the UAE.

Before starting their meeting, participants visited Abu Dhabi and prayed for minority Christians in the region, who often face hardships if not outright persecution in the lands where they live.

Last night the various prelates concelebrated Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, in Abu Dhabi, before resuming their work.

Discussions focused various issues, such as the timing and procedures to prepare the 2021-23 Synod, the impact of COVID-19 on the life of the Churches, education, the newly established catechist ministry, and the pastoral guidelines for the mission.

A communique prepared for the end of the meeting outlined various points, including making better use of the means of technology to link us, going beyond the initiatives currently in place to cope with the pandemic.

One example is remote learning in schools, which has shown its limits, Bishop Marcuzzo explained. The school will be the domain for new educational projects inspired by Fratelli tutti and Laudato Si.

Finally, as another important issue, catechist training highlights the central importance of education, especially in the Church of the Holy Land and the Middle East, made up largely of migrants in many areas.

We have many catechists but they are often not adequately prepared, the prelate noted. Training centres must be set up specifically for them and the mission to which they are called.

[*] Conference des Eveques Latins dans les Regions Arabes.
by Emanuele Scimia

Standoff over withdrawal of respective forces along the disputed frontier. The Chinese position long-range missile launchers in the region; the Indians deploy M777 howitzers. Indian government: we have the capabilities to face the Chinese army. China is better equipped, but its soldiers are unfamiliar with operations at high altitude.

Rome (AsiaNews) - China and India will resume military consultations by the end of the month to resolve their territorial disputes over the Himalayan border. The last round of negotiations broke down on October 10. The failure of the talks is due to the Chinese refusal to withdraw from the Hot Springs area, in eastern Ladakh, and retreat to their permanent base, which instead the Indians had. The two armies had held the positions until April 2020. At the same time, Beijing accuses Delhi of not wanting to reduce its troops on the Depsang Plains.

China and India share a 3,488-kilometer border in the Himalayas, which they have fought a brief but bloody conflict over in 1962. Delhi claims large sectors of Aksai Chin (which the Chinese took from Pakistan); Beijing claims the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. In the last 46 years the two armed forces have faced each other several times, often without reporting casualties. However, in June 2020 Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan valley, between the Indian Ladakh and the Chinese Aksai Chin: 20 Indian soldiers died; unconfirmed sources initially spoke of 45 Chinese victims.

The stalemate in negotiations has led to increasing militarization of the Sino-Indian border. According to the South China Morning Post, which cites sources close to the Chinese military, Beijing recently deployed more than 100 sophisticated long-range missile launchers to the border with India. The move by the People's Liberation Army is reportedly in response to the deployment in the disputed areas of three Indian regiments armed with M777 howitzers.

Chinese analysts note that in terms of weapons and equipment China has an advantage over India. However, the Indians have more experience in high-altitude combat and in freezing temperatures.

Indian General Vinod Bhatia believes that the Indian Army has the strength to face the Chinese along the provisional frontier, largely because of its ability to fight in the high mountains. The retired general, a former director general of military operations, notes that the two sides have stiffened their positions as they prepare for a long contest, with the Indian government sticking to the operational philosophy of "no blinking no brinkmanship".

According to Bhatia, however, China and India have no interest in dramatizing the situation. The senior Indian official told AsiaNews, "I doubt if there will be any escalation though we could witness an increase in the frequency, intensity and scope of transgressions along the LAC [Line of Actual Control] by the People's Liberation Army.

Also for another Indian general, Rajiv Narayanan, "India has the requisite strength to counter both China and its 'cat's paw' Pakistan." According to Narayanan, Beijing will not attempt to escalate the dispute in the immediate term, but may do so in the spring as Chinese soldiers sent to the Himalayan border have trouble acclimatizing.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

The Belarusian president claims foreign forces are preparing a "new coup". It should take place in February 2022, during the constitutional referendum. Renewed secret services to strengthen controls. The country is in the hands of "men under orders", similar to the South American juntas.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - "The West is preparing a new coup attempt in our country," stated disputed Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko speaking to newly appinted oeadership of the KGB, Minsk's security services. The renewal of the top management of the national intelligence, which took place on October 18, has precisely the purpose of strengthening the government with more aggressive security apparatus.

According to the "batka" (godfather) of Belarus, "the situation is very tense, and we cannot relax in any way. You KGB men know better than anyone that last year's failed coup attempt has not changed the plans of our opponents." Lukasenko said that "the united West continues to interfere in our internal affairs, and the danger is the destruction of our nation's independence."

The Belarusian president also indicated the possible date of the new aggression: "The X-day, as they call it, will be during the referendum for constitutional changes." One of the main collaborators of the Minsk strongman, Senate speaker Natalia Kacanova, announced to journalists that the referendum will be held at the end of February 2022.

According to Lukasenko, the new attack on Belarus will be carried out by applying new sanctions, financing street protests and preparing anti-government fighters: "We not only know these things, but we are working on them," assured the Belarusian head of state. He therefore ordered to "suppress all forms of unconstitutional demonstrations", control workers' collectives and strengthen the surveillance of the local press, also increasing the effectiveness of counterintelligence.

As a countermeasure, Belarus is trying to pit Western countries against each other. Above all, Lithuania and Poland are criticized for "sending illegal migrants to Germany and other states of old Europe". The two neighbors, as Lukasenko insists, accuse Belarus of artificially creating the migration crisis by opening escape channels for migrants from their place of detention to Germany and France, thus massively and cynically violating human rights. "But it is Lithuanians and Poles," the Belarusian president argues, "who open the doors of the camps to let them go to other European countries, we have proof of that. Lukasenko appeals to France and Germany "to wake up and do it themselves."

The Belarusian government has not revealed to the public the names of the new heads of the services, except that of the new Minister of Justice, General Sergei Khomenko, transferred from the Interior Ministry. The president explained that a military man at the head Justice is needed not for his professional skills, but "for organizational skills, discipline and loyalty. Today is no longer the time to count to 10, or even to three, you need to be able to make decisions and implement them as soon as possible."

With these appointments, the leadership surrounding the president is almost entirely made up of representatives of the security forces and the military, now an untouchable caste of Belarusian power. Observers call the government of the country the "junta militar" in the South American way, in which the military is granted all powers. Not only have the names, but also the functions of the new leaders not been disclosed, making the regime an unbreakable monolith as a whole.

As Belarusian political scientist Valerij Karbalevic wrote in Nezavisimaja Gazeta on October 19, "Lukasenko aims to make European countries quarrel among themselves, exploiting the current tension between Poland and the EU and pouring hot oil on conflicts, but no one will listen to him, because his reputation is too compromised."
Afghanistans humanitarian crisis is getting worse. Hospitals are collapsing without humanitarian aid. Public servants have not been paid for months. Diplomatic activity seems to be leading nowhere.

Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies)  In Kabul five children have died in recent days from cold and hunger in camps set up for internally displaced people. Their families had fled the provinces to escape reprisals from the Taliban before the latter seized the capital.

The camps lack healthcare facilities, and some newly-born infants were left without clothes for hours.

Without international aid, hospitals are collapsing. [O]ur capacity to pay for salaries and supplies has been greatly affected by the economic situation, said Atiqullah Kariq, head of the Dasht-e-Barchi State Hospital in Kabul.

We used to deliver 70 babies a day, but now we are down to less than 15. We used to have more than 100 midwives; now we have six. We are trying our best, but without more international help, we cannot recover.

About US$ 9 billion of Afghan central bank reserves are in US banks, making it impossible to pay civil servants' salaries.

In Herat, hundreds of teachers joined in protest because they have not been paid in four months. People can't pay their bills, and teachers complain that they don't have the money and the means to take their children to the doctor.

They earn money for living via selling home appliances and now they dont have anything to sell, said Mohammad Sabir Mashal, head of the teachers' association

Before the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, 75 per cent of Afghanistans budget came from international aid.

Complicating matters, Afghanistans neighbours have closed their doors to Afghan asylum seekers.

The Taliban government has said that in less than a month it will start issuing passports again, but in the meantime the suffering of those stuck in Afghanistan is increasing.

Human Rights Watch has called on the United Nations and other international agencies to increase support for Afghans who have fled or want to flee the country.

Those who have already fled to the West need "safe and durable solutions", while those who are still in the country but want to get out need an orderly departure program.

Against this background, the Taliban attended an international conference held yesterday in Moscow, with representatives from Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Iran and the five Central Asian countries.

In the final statement, participants urged the United Nations to act in order to avoid a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions, especially now that winter is setting in with the understanding, of course, that the main burden  should be borne by the forces whose military contingents have been present in this country over the past 20 years. A clear reference to the United States.

For their part, the Taliban continue to reassure the world that they are able to run the country.

In fact, they have been unable to keep the Islamic State group at bay. Over the past few weeks, the latter has carried out series of attacks, including in Kandahar, a Taliban stronghold.

Russia and the other countries in the region want to avoid instability and infiltration by "Islamic extremists" (Islamic State and al-Qaeda), but remain reluctant to recognise the Emirate regime.

Yet, for Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, A new administration is in power now, and this must be acknowledged.

At the same time, he urged the Taliban to have a more inclusive government, open to the countrys different ethnic groups.

So far this has proven elusive since the Taliban show no sign that they are ready to make concessions.
by Steve Suwannarat

Only Switzerland tops the city-state in the annual index by the INSEAD the Portulans Institute. The quality of its education and openness to technological innovation are among the determining factors. However, COVID-19 has revealed some limits to its models sustainability.

Singapore (AsiaNews)  Singapore has moved into second place in a global ranking of how well countries attract, develop, support and retain talent  behind Switzerland but ahead of the United States.

This is based on the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) published by the prestigious French business school Institut Europeen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) and the Portulans Institute, a non-profit research body.

According to the index, which covers 134 countries, Singapore's second place is due to a combination of factors that make the small but influential country at the tip of the Malay Peninsula a compelling destination for people looking for a base to express and realise their skills.

A determining factor is Singapores capacity to integrate skilled people in a highly regulated environment, one that is however open to innovation, such as in the field of bio-nanotechnologies.

An important role is also played by the quality of the countrys education system, which stands out for its global openness and ability to enhance professional and technical skills.

This has enabled Singapore to meet job demand and workforce availability more easily than elsewhere.

The latter aspect, however, is showing a certain attrition, aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For this reason, the report, whilst continuing to recognise Singapores excellence, notes that as a city, it drops from third to seventh place, still the only city in Asia among the top ten.

For the study, the city states ability to retain talent remains its main weakness, and more needs to be done to improve issues related to both sustainability and lifestyle.
Premier Fumio Kishida's party should have no problem keeping at least 233 of the 465 seats needed to have a majority in the House of Representatives. Thirty percent of respondents are still undecided.

Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will have no difficulty retaining a majority in the House of Representatives in the Oct. 31 general election, reports a Kyodo News poll published today. According to the forecast, the GOP should be able to easily win at least 233 out of 465 seats.

The Liberal Democrats are ahead of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) in 190 out of 289 uninominal districts; they are also expected to win in the proportional representation, according to which 176 seats are allocated on the basis of votes obtained in 11 regional constituencies.

Kyodo News surveyed 174 thousand voters over the past two days, just after the campaign began. Almost 30% of respondents said they were still undecided on who to vote for in single-member districts: the situation could therefore change considerably as the election approaches.

The DCP, the main opposition party, is ahead in 50 uninominal districts and competitive in another 40 thanks to its alliance with the Japanese Communist Party, but at the moment it seems difficult for it to maintain all 110 seats it had before the elections. At the moment, the Democrats are the most popular choice among voters not affiliated with any party.

Komeito, the GOP's coalition party, should be able to keep the 29 seats it has had so far thanks to support from Buddhists.

Premier Fumio Kishida has said he will claim victory if Pld and Komeito can achieve a combined majority or at least 233 seats-a low level considering the party held 305 seats before the dissolution of the lower house.
Its gotten bad. ... The pharmacists are just refusing to fill it, Harris said on the Casey & Company show Sept. 17. He was responding to a call from a 63-year-old man who said he and his 56-year-old wife had opted not to be vaccinated. The caller said he wanted to use ivermectin a couple of times a week to boost his immune system but his doctor objected.
Were getting a little annoyed by all the humor  and the lack of appointments, Sen. Rosalie S. Abrams of Baltimore told The Baltimore Sun in 1972 as the womens caucus was launched. It reflects an attitude on the part of men in the General Assembly and the positions of leadership that women are not at the same level of competency and expertise.
There are so many new businesses opening in Federal Hills Cross Street its hard to keep track. A reader observed that two new bars have just opened next door to each other: Cross Street Public House, which sells Detroit-style pizza in the former Stalking Horse, and Nola Seafood and Spirits, which is bringing New Orleans vibes to the former Ryleighs Oyster. In addition, two-story Watershed from the Atlas Restaurant Group opened in the Cross Street Market earlier this year.
Sometimes we have to put it all on the line for people we believe in, Singh said Saturday in Sykesville. The things that I believed in over my career, I knew because of leaders that came before me. When you believed in your people, you put it all on the line. If you have to duke it out in the ring, youre going to do that for your people. That truly what I founded my leadership as adjutant general on.
Ive always been really interested in not just fashion, but style and how people kind of hold themselves and dress themselves and have their own personal style, said Betlejewski, of Ellicott City. I just kind of took my flair for style and opened this up, and its really just a place for people to get the clothes and accessories that they need [and] whatever makes people feel like their most beautiful selves.
I say, what document? Bolden said. You cant prosecute me for perjury, or that I lied about a document, without telling me what the document is. Without telling me what the lie is. Thats denial of due process. Every one of them, there were eight in the room, refused to tell us what the lie was, what the document they saw.
I have had two significant losses this past year  my grandmother, a long-time Oakenshawe homeowner, in July of last year, and my mother, who also lived in Oakenshawe, in January of this year. Getting sleep during this difficult time is not easy. When I do manage to get some sleep, it is horrendously jarring to be awakened by screaming, fighting and general drunken behavior in the wee hours of the morning. All I ask is for students to please be considerate of their neighbors.
Scott announced the vaccination mandate in August to combat the spread of the coronavirus among the citys ranks and to set an example for the public. Those who do not get fully vaccinated will be subject to weekly coronavirus testing, city officials have said. Testing is scheduled to begin Monday and Scott said Wednesday that sites have yet to be announced. A vendor will conduct the testing.
The whole time hes been in office, Edwards said, people from Mountain Maryland have felt like they get the short end of the stick. Bringing up the idea of leaving the state is a way to draw attention to the concerns of Western Marylanders, he said, particularly when it comes to economic development.
JICA supports strengthening urba

JICA supports strengthening urban railway training capacity

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Transport on October 20 signed a record of discussion for a project on strengthing the urban railway training capacity for the Railway College.

Delegates at the signing ceremony. (Photo courtesy of JICA)

The project is expected to be carried out in four years from January 2022 to January 2026.

Under the project, curricula and training programmes on urban railway will be built along with guidelines for personnel training as well as enhancing knowledge on how to operate urban railways safely.

By acquiring Japan's experience in urban railway development, the Railway College will be upgraded, providing human resources that meet the safety requirements in railway operation, thus making Vietnamese people feel secure when using urban railways.

The project is expected to strengthen the capacity of developing a safe and convenient transportation network for people in urban areas, contributing to the sustainable economic development of Vietnam. It will also help promote the exchange between the people of the two countries, further tightening the friendship between Vietnam and Japan.

Source: NDO
More and more hawkers, who are still struggling to recover as a result of the hard hitting COVID 19 scourge, are headed for yet another turbulent period, as a result of the recent passing of the controversial Tobacco Control bill. This is according to a fresh industry survey.

The bill is seeking to curb consumption of tobacco products, but a set of clauses within the bill itself have sweeping changes on the way products will be sold, displayed and how they will be consumed.

One of the major clauses is the one which indicates that cigarettes can only be sold in packets, a process which will economically disenfranchise hawkers/SMMEs, as shown by a credible survey, which was recently conducted. A glimpse of a recent research done by Briggs and Associates, on the implications of the legislation, shows that, on average, 71.3 percent of revenue for most of hawkers comes from cigarette selling. Most, if not all hawkers, sell cigarettes on single units.

However, if President Mokgweetsi Masisi can put his signature on the bill to make it into law, cigarettes will now be sold in packages (minimum of 20 sticks), a scenario which will surely drag down sales for hawkers. According to the survey, single cigarette sales account for a massive 91% of sales for hawkers, mainly due to price points, ease of purchase and expendable income.

Cigarettes are one of the major drawcards for casual shoppers. Due to the level of support provided to family, the loss of sales to customers buying single cigarettes will decimate this trade sector. The overwhelming responses are negative, and hawkers believe this will possibly close their businesses, noted the survey. The snap survey was conducted on 114 hawkers out of a base of over 1800 hawkers based in the greater Gaborone.



Another major concern that is contained in the Tobacco Control Bill of 2021 is that, all traders of tobacco will now be required to have a license. The hawkers are of the strong feeling that, this clause will be the ultimate death knell to their already limping businesses. The uncertainty about acquiring a license, how licenses will be allocated and costs of licenses has caused a lot of fear, pointed out the report. The all powerful Tobacco Control Committee, which the players have been excluded to sit on, will over its implementation (if the bill is signed). The committee, will be made of mostly government representatives and a select health professionals.



One of the hawkers was quoted in the report as saying: "it means I can't sell cigarettes or tobacco products without license and if I can't afford the license, I lose my customers who pass by every minute." Another dejected hawker added: "It breaks my heart to see our government passing laws which disadvantage citizens.

Many of us rely on selling cigarettes, so please lets all discuss this; dont just conclude things without us who benefit from it." A call by the tobacco players to have the bill withdrawn on account of poor consultation has been roundly rejected by the health ministry. Instead, a World Health Organization proxy, Anti-Tobacco Network Botswana, was given a rare space on parliament floors to present on why the bill has to be passed against all odds. Some sources are saying it is easy to connect the dots why ATN Botswana was given the space on parliament floors to push for the bill to pass, because President Masisi is a long-time Patron of the advocacy body, which the source of its funding has come under spotlight.



Despite hawkers playing a major role on creation of jobs in the country, government authorities have never consulted the sub sector when drafting the bill. According to the report, from a total of the 114 independent hawkers surveyed, only 60 percent of them admitting having knowledge of the Bill. However, they became aware of it after it was reading about it on mainstream and social media platforms. Moreover, if the bill is signed into law, there will be relative reduction of price. If cigarettes are only sold in packs of 20 or more, consumers will be forced to buy from formal retailers. This will mean they are purchasing for a cheaper unit price. This will mean that it will be cheaper to smoke, and so inevitably, people will smoke more, said the Biggs and Associates report.



In addition, there will be more unemployment, which Botswana cannot afford at this time. The countrys unemployment rate hovers at over 20 percent. However, other independent experts believe it could be more. As hawkers are pushed into a situation where they are not making profit, they will be forced into unemployment.

Many hawkers are the sole supporters of their extended families, and additional loss of income will have severe economic and social repercussions for themselves, their families and society in a broader context, noted the report. British American Tobacco Botswana, a stalwart in the sector is of the view that, selling cigarettes in packs will be disastrous given the countrys economic structure. Botswana is a highly informal trade economy  these are the current market dynamics. Informal traders make a living from the sale of cigarettes, which is mostly in the form of single cigarette sticks. There are livelihoods that will be impacted in this regard, noted the report.



BAT Botswana, which sells over 300 million cigarettes sticks annually, also posits that, a ban on packs of less than 20 cigarettes could drive adult smokers who cannot afford these packs, to buy products on the illicit market. Our respectful view is that focus should be on awareness campaigns around Youth Awareness Prevention, they said in a position paper.



Furthermore, the company which pays millions of Pula in taxes to Botswana government has explicitly made it clear they support regulation of the sector. "As British American Tobacco Botswana, we are not opposed to any form of regulation for the tobacco industry. In fact, we support it! We believe that the regulation of our industry (or any for that matter) should be balanced, fair, implementable and evidence based with robust consultations across the value chain - this, we believe, can only be done through an independent and impartial Regulatory Impact Assessment Study, Mdu Lokotfwako, Head, Legal & External Affairs, previously said
Duluth, MN (55816)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Dakota graduated from Bret Harte in 2013 and went to Davidson College, NC where she earned a bachelor's degree in Arab studies. After spending time studying in the Middle East and Europe, she is happy to be home, writing about the community she loves.

Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input.
On Oct. 2, 2020, the lawsuit said, Jacques was at work for his normal shift when he was told to gather his belongings and report to the ethics unit, where was questioned and eventually told he would be charged with hindering a Public Integrity Bureau investigation. He was then held, had his work and personal phone taken from him, and was not able to call an attorney, the complaint said.
The Maryland State Police Crash Team is investigating the cause of the crash. Once the investigation is completed, the findings will be turned over to the Baltimore County States Attorneys Office, which will decide whether anyone should be charged, police said.
County spokesperson Cindy Mumby said earlier this year the intent of extending the waiver is to allow restaurants to recoup some of the money they have lost during the pandemic  and through the flurry of revised orders and guidance issued at the state level.
It would be comprised of five voting members, who would be appointed by Ball and need to be confirmed by the County Council, according to the bill. These appointed members would have to be Howard County residents, at least 25 years old, and have some knowledge of criminal justice and government agencies. The bill stipulates that residents who are active police officers, county or sheriff employees, or have been convicted of a felony are prohibited from serving on the board.
She said it felt wonderful to bring the shows back to the community. We have many nonprofits who benefit greatly from the shows and missed this opportunity in 2020, Jones said. Eastport Elementary School PTA offers parking, several nonprofits sell food items outside the fence on Compromise Street. Several others, such as CRAB and EWE Spirit Foundation have space inside the show which offers them the opportunity to get their message out to many people.
U.S. authorities say Jonathan Toebbe had tried to pass secrets about sophisticated Virginia-class submarines to someone he thought was a representative of a foreign government but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. Diana Toebbe is accused of serving as a lookout on three separate occasions in which her husband deposited memory cards containing sensitive information at several dead-drop locations.
Global watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) three day October plenary will conclude today and all eyes will be on whether Pakistan will continue to remain in the 'Grey List' or will it be moved to the 'Black List'?

FATF plenary is taking place under the German Presidency of Dr Marcus Pleyer, and delegates representing 205 members of the Global Network and observer organisations, including the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, are part of the hybrid meeting of the FATF Plenary.

Analysts and reports suggest that Pakistan will remain greylisted till the next session of FATF in 2022 as it has failed to curb terror financing of UN proscribed terrorists living in Pakistan.

In February when Pakistan was retained on FATF 'grey list' for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing, the watchdog asked Islamabad to investigate and prosecute senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups and address its strategically important deficiencies.

FATF's three-day session will be concluding today and it is expected that the watchdog may inform that Pakistan is still short of meeting the FATF criterion.

Pakistan was given a plan of action and a deadline to complete it by October 2019.

China, Turkey and Malaysia have been helping Pakistan at FATF to prevent being blacklisted. Cash-strapped Pakistan is finding it difficult to get financial assistance from institutions like International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Asia Development Bank.

Recently, the IMF-Pakistan talks to get one billion dollar loan also failed.

The involvement of Pakistan secret service ISI in overthrowing the democratic government in Afghanistan and its closeness with the Taliban and Haqqani network is also closely watched by the international community

Recent targeted attacks by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir exposes the ongoing link and support to state-sponsored terrorism by Pak

According to a statement, FATF will finalise key reports, including the revised guidance on virtual assets and their service providers and discuss the next steps to strengthen its standards on transparency of beneficial ownership.

Delegates will also discuss the outcomes of the FATF's survey to identify areas where divergent anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules or their implementation cause friction for cross-border payments. FATF is leading work on this aspect of the G20's priority to improve cross-border payments.

The FATF will also update its statements identifying jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in their measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

The outcomes of the FATF Plenary will be published on Thursday October 21.

(ANI)

Alsso Read: Taliban face hurdles while implementing law, order in Afghanistan
Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Despite threats of massive staffing issues from the union  THOUSANDS WILL WALK!  Brown said so far there were only 21 protesting officers on no-pay status. More will come, but heres the thing with this vaccine mandate: People talk a good game right up to the point where theyre going to be out of a job. Then the vast majority comply, because at the end of the day, its really not that big a deal and they dont care about it as much as they claim. They just like making noise when they can do it consequence-free.
Officials at Chicago Public Schools said in a statement they have been working with partners to provide access to the vaccine through regional clinics, school-based health centers and school-based mobile events across the city, and we will expand those efforts to include 5- to 11 year-olds as soon as approval is given by the federal government.
Honestly, I really dont understand a woman of color carrying the water for a guy whos demonstrated over and over again hes racist, hes a misogynist, hes xenophobic, he hates immigrants and refugees, he stands in support of the 1/6ers, Lightfoot said, in an apparent reference to Catanzaras history of inflammatory online posts, for which he faces potential firing from the Police Department. I think people in her ward need to ask, why is it this alderwoman is carrying the water for a guy like that?
The footnotes and detours and bracketing devices whirl around an increasingly frayed through-line. In The Grand Budapest Hotel, the nesting-doll technique felt like it meant something, no little thanks to Ralph Fiennes (in one of the great, bittersweet comic turns in recent movies). Here it amounts to a lot more in one way  in sheer pictorial cleverness  and a lot less in others. Among other problems: Is this really all Anderson has to say about the artist-and-muse mythology? Seydoux, staring down the camera, an objectified nude cipher?
As with anything, this requires a certain amount of nuance and finesse, which Brooks felt were missing in the recent movie Antebellum and the TV series Them. But when a writer and director get it right, there are kinds of pleasures to be had. She pointed to the series Lovecraft Country and the movie Get Out, which both work because they re-center who is the victim. A lot of horror centers on the experiences of white middle class folks. But with these two, you get this shift from what has been historically constructed as the monster  the scary Black man  and they become the victim and the monstrousness comes from whiteness. So by playing with some of the conventions of horror, you get this really complex yet enjoyable ride through the genre.
Republicans who see new voting restrictions being imposed around the country as playing to their electoral benefit are in no mood to bend on a Democratic proposal that might erase some of that advantage. Not a single Republican joined Democrats in trying to bring up a measure to bolster voting rights. The 50-50 tie left Democrats at least 10 votes short of breaking the filibuster and cast deep doubt on the future of the measure.
They walked single file, quietly, while holding signs that read We are better together and We are made for greatness written in marker on brown paper and banners. The young students of the Academy of St. Benedict the African School walked around the four corners of the school from 60th Street to Justine Street, then 61st Street onto Laflin Street, to pray for peace in their Englewood community.
We want to change the way that we think of our criminal justice system as a system that just penalizes, but instead as a system that rehabilitates and actually encourages people focusing on reflecting on their actions, owning up to their actions, trying to change because of those actions, and recognizing that theyre not the same people that they were, Villanueva said. And that they want to be contributing members that are coming back into society.
On the scene, paramedics found nobody had been shot, said Schroeder, who said one person who witnessed a shooting was taken to Roseland Community Hospital for psychological reasons. That person was in good condition.
To be eligible, a home must have been built before 1978, and must have a pregnant woman or child younger than 6 years old living in it who tests show has at least 5 micrograms per deciliter of lead in their blood. Administrators will also consider anyone who has a compelling reason to believe there are lead paint hazards in their home.
At a news conference Thursday at Hunters North Lawndale church, the pastor said Emanuel apologized to him and his family after he reached out to express his familys pain over the death of 17-year-old McDonald, who was shot 16 times on a Southwest Side street on Oct. 20, 2014.
The man arrested Wednesday is well known to Lyons police, Herion said. He was the driver of the vehicle and wanted on three warrants including narcotics, burglary and battery. He previously served time in state prison for narcotics charges. This is the womans first adult arrest, Herion said.
Newman was lumped into the newly drawn district along with six-term Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Channahon, a critic of former President Donald Trump and his continued leadership of the GOP. While the district has overall Democratic leanings, if Kinzinger were to survive an anticipated primary challenge, he could benefit from the rural areas added to the district in challenging Newman.
1238 N. Hoyne Ave., No. 3, Chicago: $950,000 | Listed: Sept. 27, 2021



This three-bedroom home has two full bathrooms, a custom stone wall in the entry and a rooftop deck with a gas grill, television, fire feature and self-irrigating planters. The kitchen has a 3-inch quartz slab cantilevered island as well as quartz countertops and custom cabinetry. The living room features a floor-to-ceiling stone accent on the fireplace wall, Hunter Douglas top-down bottom-up shades, a wet bar with a SubZero beverage refrigerator and hardwood floors. The primary bedroom suite has a walk-in closet and a bathroom with a jetted tub, a glass shower with steam and a built-in aromatherapy diffuser, and a dual vanity with quartz countertops.



Agents: Marissa Gillman Schaefer and Sharon Gillman, Compass,312-560-8400 and 312-925-2700



*Some listing photos are virtually staged, meaning they have been digitally altered to represent different furnishing or decorating options.



To feature your luxury listing of $800,000 or more in Chicago Tribunes Dream Homes, send listing information and high-res photos to ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com.



Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.

(Kim Quillen)
You are here: Arts

Three popular grottoes including a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Mogao Grottoes, in Northwest China's Gansu province, were temporarily closed to visitors on Wednesday as local authorities beefed up epidemic control measures.



The reopening dates for the Mogao Grottoes, the Yulin Grottoes and the Western Thousand-Buddha Caves located in the city of Jiuquan are subject to further notice, the Dunhuang Academy said.

The closure came after confirmed COVID-19 cases from other provinces had earlier traveled to the cities of Jiuquan, Jiayuguan and Zhangye.

As of Tuesday, Gansu province had four locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and two asymptomatic cases, all in the provincial capital of Lanzhou, according to the provincial health commission.

The new infections have prompted authorities to temporarily close more than 40 tourist destinations in Lanzhou, Jiayuguan and Zhangye starting Monday.
Author Liu Taotao (left) and illustrator Li Yilin of the book, Zhengxing Mima, at a promotional event. [Photo by Yang Yang/China Daily]

Zhengxing Mima (Decoding Plastic Surgery: Medical Knowledge and Aesthetics), a book that examines issues regarding plastic surgery, has recently been published in the Chinese mainland.

Liu Taotao, the author, graduated from Capital Medical University with a master's degree in plastic surgery, and gained a doctorate in intensive care medicine from Peking Union Medical College.

As life in China has generally been improving since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, people have been paying increasing attention to their appearance. Apart from clothing and cosmetics, more people, including teenagers, have turned to medical means to improve their looks, which makes cosmetology one of the most profitable industries in China.

According to Galderma, a world-leading dermatology company, in the next one or two decades, China's medical cosmetology market is likely to see an annual growth in the double digits.

However, despite the omnipresent advertisements and popular articles or posts online, there is a lack of reliable information into medical cosmetology and plastic surgery for the general public.

Since 2019, Liu has written numerous, widely read articles for science popularization websites about cosmetic surgeries such as hip augmentation, eyelids, jawline, rhinoplasty and liposuction, as well as a column about physical beauty in paintings and sculptures.
China's property market continued to ease in September amid strict government regulations to curb housing speculation, official data showed Wednesday.



New home prices in four first-tier cities stood unchanged in September from a month earlier, compared with month-on-month growth of 0.3 percent in August, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

Prices of second-hand homes in the four cities edged down 0.4 percent last month from that in August, reversing the mild month-on-month increase seen in August.

A total of 31 second-tier cities also saw no month-on-month change in new home prices, while 35 third-tier cities saw a month-on-month decline of 0.2 percent in new home prices.

The latest data came amid the country's strict housing sector regulations, which follow the principle -- "housing is for living in, not for speculation."

Since the beginning of this year, China has implemented a "long-term mechanism" governing the property sector, curbing housing acquisitions by speculators while supporting purchases by families with pressing needs, said NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui.

Under this mechanism, local governments introduced city-specific measures to keep land and home prices stable. Regulators closely monitored loans to home buyers and real estate companies amid the regulations.

Wednesday's data showed that China's over-five-year loan prime rate, a market-based benchmark lending rate on which many lenders base their mortgage rates, remained unchanged from the previous reading of 4.65 percent, said the National Interbank Funding Center.

The latest NBS data showed that the country's property investment rose 8.8 percent, year on year, in the first nine months, slower than the 10.9-percent growth seen in the first eight months.

"The housing market has remained generally stable, with steady investment, sales, and prices," Fu said.

While some worry that tight property market regulations could weigh on the overall economic growth, Fu said that the impact is "limited", as the average growth rate of real estate sector output for the past two years dipped only mildly in the first three quarters.

In a September meeting on real estate sector finance, the country's central bank and the top banking regulator reiterated that "housing should never be used as a short-term stimulus for economic growth."

As China further diversifies housing supply through various channels and facilitates the property rental market, market behavior would become more rational, contributing to the stable development of the housing market, Fu said.
You are here: World

 Flash

A drone attack targeted a U.S. base in the al-Tanf area in southern Syria on Wednesday night, state news agency SANA reported.

Multiple explosions rocked the U.S. base as a result of the attack, said SANA, spelling no further details.

For its side, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the explosions, saying it's not clear yet whether the attack was carried out by pro-Iran militia or not.

It's worth noting that Israel has carried out its recent attacks from over the al-Tanf area, targeting positions of pro-Iran fighters.

In 2016, the United States established the base in al-Tanf, located in a triangle of border regions between Syria, Iraq and Jordan.

The Syrian government has repeated calls for the United States to withdraw from Syria, deeming its presence "illegal."
You are here: World

 Flash

A ship with nine crewmen capsized in waters off South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo (called Takeshima by Japan), Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday citing the South Korean coast guard.

The coast guard was informed by the Japanese authorities that the 72-ton ship tipped over at about 2:24 p.m. local time (0524 GMT) in international waters some 168 km northeast of the Dokdo islets.

Crewmen aboard the vessel were four Chinese, two Indonesians and three South Koreans. The nine crewmen were still unaccounted for.

The coast guard reportedly dispatched two patrol ships and a helicopter for search operations.
 Flash

The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway.

Dynamic testing is an important step before the railway is put into operation. It conducts integrated tests on all systems of the whole railway by running a testing train at the specified test speed and with relevant testing equipment, including testing of interface relationship among systems and debugging and optimizing of various systems, etc., so as to provide a scientific basis for the railway's opening-to-traffic.

The testing items mainly include track geometry, electric traction power supply, communication and signaling system, passenger and freight service system, noise, vibration, electromagnetic environment, etc.

According to the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd., the dynamic testing, undertaken by the China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited, will take an estimated testing duration of 18 days.

The China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited is the only enterprise with the dynamic testing qualification for railway construction projects in China. It has undertaken dynamic testing technical services in many overseas projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway.

During the dynamic testing of the China-Laos Railway, Chinese engineers will scientifically and rigorously analyze the testing data of the railway, strictly evaluate the testing results against the requirements of testing program and standards, and finely adjust to or rectify the systems according to the testing results until all systems meet the requirements for safe and stable operation of the whole railway.

The China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

The electrified passenger and cargo railway is built with the full application of Chinese management and technical standards. The construction of the project started in December 2016 and is scheduled to be completed and open to traffic in December 2021.
 Flash

China strongly condemned and firmly rejected the so-called report on the political relations and cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Taiwan adopted by the European Parliament and urged the European Parliament to immediately stop its words and deeds that undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily news briefing when answering a query on the adoption of a so-called report on the political relations and cooperation between the EU and Taiwan by the European Parliament.

Wang said there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The one-China principle is an international consensus and the political foundation of China's diplomatic relations with the EU.

The report adopted by the European Parliament is a serious violation of the basic norms of international relations, the one-China principle and the commitments made by the EU on the Taiwan issue, Wang said.

"The European Parliament should immediately stop its words and deeds that undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and stop provocation and confrontation. We urge relevant parties not to underestimate the strong resolution, determination and capability of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.


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.
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.
San Francisco, 21 Oct 2021: The Report Computer Vision Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component, By Product Type, By Application (Quality Assurance & Inspection, 3D Visualization & Interactive 3D Modeling), By Vertical, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

The global computer vision market size is expected to reach USD 20.05 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2021 to 2028. This technology has emerged as an emulation of a human visual system to support the automation tasks that require visual cognition. However, the process of image deciphering is more complicated than analyzing data in a binary form due to the vast amount of multi-dimensional data in an image for analysis. Artificial neural networks and deep learning are being used to increase computer visions capabilities of replicating human vision, to address such complexity in developing AI systems to recognize visual data. Besides, this technology has become more adept at pattern recognition than the human visual cognitive system, with the advancements in deep learning techniques.

Also, different trends are emerging in the use of computer vision techniques and tools after the COVID-19 outbreak. It is being used for multiple purposes of fighting COVID-19, such as medical data monitoring to diagnose patients, and movement & traffic control in urban spaces, among others. For instance, Numina, a U.S.-based start-up that delivers real-time insights using computer vision for the development of sustainable cities, has developed a tool that enables the monitoring of social distancing in cities such as New York. Also, the tool built by Numina provides real-time insights on pedestrian movements to monitor how people are following social distancing guidelines (2-meter distance). For another instance, in December 2019, BlueDot, a Canadian start-up that provides an AI platform for infectious disease detection, predicted the coronavirus infections before the statement release by WHO (World Health Organization) for the pandemic. Therefore, from accelerated drug discovery to social distancing monitoring, AI-enabled with computer vision is at the forefront in the fight against this pandemic.

Several major players in the market have developed various platforms that can be used for data storage and analysis, using the application software. For instance, companies such as OMRON Corporation have developed various software for different applications such as automation, integration, communication, and control. Increasing adoption of various digital healthcare solutions to meet the sensitive regulatory requirements for patient safety is anticipated to drive the demand for vision systems over the forecast period. Less stringent government regulations and lower manufacturing cost in the Asia Pacific region has led major technology giants to establish manufacturing bases in the region, thus driving the regional industry. Major applications of machine vision are in the quality and inspection of the manufacturing industry. A boom in the manufacturing sector is anticipated to enhance the market demand for machine vision in the Asia Pacific region.

Access Research Report of Computer Vision Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/computer-vision-market

Computer Vision Market Report Highlights

Vision inspection solutions to food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, and automotive industries that provide vision systems for robotic vision and quality control are expected to be prevalent over the projected period

Deep learning algorithms using CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) classifiers allow image classification and object/pattern recognition, and their segmentation at speed. The development of these AI-powered deep learning systems is anticipated to boost the computer vision market over the forecast period

Facial recognition and biometric scanning systems in the security and surveillance industry are significantly driving the computer vision market, with the growing use of pattern recognition in high-confidentiality workplaces, such as research labs, nuclear power plants, and bank vaults

Task automation in manufacturing units is one of the significant use-cases of computer vision technology, as machine vision is highly used for the inspection of manufactured products for non-conformities and defects

The key players in the market are Intel Corporation; Texas Instruments Incorporated; Teledyne Optech; Teledyne Digital Imaging Inc.; Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation; National Instruments; Keyence Corporation; OMRON Corporation; Cognex Corporation; and Matterport, Inc.

List of Key Players of Computer Vision Market

Cognex Corporation

Intel Corporation

Keyence Corporation

Matterport, Inc.

National Instruments

OMRON Corporation

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Teledyne Digital Imaging Inc.

Teledyne Optech

Texas Instruments Incorporated

Access Press Release of Computer Vision Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-computer-vision-market
U.S. Medical Device Outsourcing Market Growth & Trends

The U.S. medical device outsourcing market size is expected to reach USD 46.2 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.3% from 2021 to 2028. The growing geriatric population, rising surgical procedures, and increasing demand for cost curbing tools are some key growth drivers for the U.S. market.

The medical device industry has become competitive and categories such as coronary stents, orthopedic devices, and wound care are moving towards maturity. As high-impact scientific innovation in the above categories is difficult to identify, smaller companies are gaining market share by offering low prices and introducing innovative business models.

Due to the convergence of mounting challenges and changing market dynamics, many medical device manufacturers have opted for outsourcing business models to reduce cost, manage business risks, and improve service delivery. All the aforementioned facts are hence expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period.

The development of medical devices and supplies required in assisting COVID patients and medical professionals is increasing. The government authorities have escalated funds for the research & development of essential devices, thus increasing the demand in the U.S. market. Major companies have solely relied on contract manufacturers to ramp up the production of COVID-19-related medical components, such as test kits, ventilators, and respirators. The major reasons for outsourcing amid the COVID crisis include a streamlined supply chain, costing efficiencies, and logistical alignment.

Request a free sample copy or view report summary: U.S. Medical Device Outsourcing Market Report

U.S. Medical Device Outsourcing Market Report Highlights

Based on service, the contract manufacturing segment dominated the market with a share of 55.5% in 2020 owing to the growing trend of outsourcing by OEM to third-party manufacturers, especially in emerging countries

Regulatory consulting services are projected to exhibit a significant growth rate over the forecast period. Complex regulatory requirements related to writing and submission of clinical study reports promote outsourcing of noncore regulatory functions, such as regulatory writing and publishing

By application, class II medical devices held the largest share of 67.2% in 2020 and are expected to dominate the U.S. market throughout the forecast period

Mergers and acquisitions and capacity expansion are a few of the common strategies adopted by market players to gain a competitive edge in the market

In February 2020, Teleflex acquired HPC Medical Products (HPC), a company involved in medical tubing and wire components. The acquisition will help Teleflex to strengthen its catheter contract manufacturing capabilities

Access Press Release@ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/us-medical-device-outsourcing-market-anaylisis

U.S. Medical Device Outsourcing Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the U.S. medical device outsourcing market based on service and application:

U.S. Medical Device Outsourcing Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Quality Assurance

Regulatory Consulting Services Clinical trials applications and product registrations Regulatory writing and publishing Legal representation Other

Product Design and Development Services Designing & engineering Machining Molding Packaging

Product Testing & Sterilization Services

Product Implementation Services

Product Upgrade Services

Product Maintenance Services

Contract Manufacturing Accessories manufacturing Assembly manufacturing Component manufacturing Device manufacturing



U.S. Medical Device Outsourcing Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Class I

Class II

Class III

List of Key Players of U.S. Medical Device Outsourcing Market

Integer Holdings Corporation

Avail Medical Products Inc.

Active Implants

Omnica Corporation

Teleflex Inc.

Kinematic Climax, Inc.

Cantel Medical Corporation

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.
The Global Nail Gun Market Report, in its latest update, highlights the significant impacts and the recent strategically changes under the present socio-economic scenario. The Nail Gun industry growth avenues are deeply supported by exhaustive research by the top analysts of the industry. The report starts with the executive summary, followed by a value chain and Marketing channels study. The report then estimates the CAGR and Market revenue of the global and regional segments.

Base Year: 2020

Estimated Year: 2021

Forecast Till: 2027

The report classifies the market into different segments based on type and product. These segments are studied in detail, incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country levels. The segment analysis is helpful in understanding the growth areas and potential opportunities of the market.

Get | Download FREE Sample Report of Global Nail Gun Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-2179

A special section is dedicated to the analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the growth of the Nail Gun market. The impact is closely studied in terms of production, import, export, and supply.

The report covers the complete competitive landscape of the Worldwide Nail Gun market with company profiles of key players such as:

ITW

Stanley Black & Decker

Bosch

TTI

Makita

MAX

Senco

Hitachi Power Tools

PUMA

Ridgid

JITOOL

Unicatch

Rongpeng Air Tools

Meite

Nanshan

Want to add more Company Profiles to the Report? Write your Customized Requirements to us @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/get-custom-research-2179

Nail Gun Market Analysis by Type:

Pneumatic Nail Gun

Combustion Powered Nail Gun

Electric Nail Gun

Others

Nail Gun Market Analysis by Application:

Residential Decoration

Construction Engineering

Others

Nail Gun Market Analysis by Geography:

North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico)

(USA, Canada, and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe)

(Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South-East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

(China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South-East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of Latin America)

(Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of Latin America) The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East and Africa)

Key questions answered in the report:

What is the expected growth of the Nail Gun market between 2022 to 2027?

Which application and type segment holds the maximum share in the Global Nail Gun market?

Which regional Nail Gun market shows the highest growth CAGR between 2022 to 2027?

What are the opportunities and challenges currently faced by the Nail Gun market?

Who are the leading market players and what are their Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)?

What business strategies are the competitors considering to stay in the Nail Gun market?

Purchase the Complete Global Nail Gun Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-2179

About Us:

DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research report provider, enriching decision-makers, and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research reports, customized research reports, company profiles, and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise, and meaningful data at a lightning speed.

For more details:

DecisionDatabases.com

E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com

Phone: +91 90 28 057900

Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/
The Global Bathroom Cabinets Market Report, in its latest update, highlights the significant impacts and the recent strategically changes under the present socio-economic scenario. The Bathroom Cabinets industry growth avenues are deeply supported by exhaustive research by the top analysts of the industry. The report starts with the executive summary, followed by a value chain and Marketing channels study. The report then estimates the CAGR and Market revenue of the global and regional segments.

Base Year: 2020

Estimated Year: 2021

Forecast Till: 2027

The report classifies the market into different segments based on type and product. These segments are studied in detail, incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country levels. The segment analysis is helpful in understanding the growth areas and potential opportunities of the market.

Get | Download FREE Sample Report of Global Bathroom Cabinets Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-2183

A special section is dedicated to the analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the growth of the Bathroom Cabinets market. The impact is closely studied in terms of production, import, export, and supply.

The report covers the complete competitive landscape of the Worldwide Bathroom Cabinets market with company profiles of key players such as:

KraftMaid

Merillat

Aristokraft

Wellborn

Marsh Furniture

Robern

Canyon Creek

Woodpro Cabinetry

Jenson Vanities

BIANCHINI & CAPPONI

BMF Bad

Burg

Capo DOpera Home

Cerasa

Easy Sanitary Solutions

ex.t

FRATELLI RADICE

GENTRY HOME

HACEKA B.V.

LINEABETA

Mint

Noken by Porcelanosa

Stern Engineering Ltd.

Studio Ethnicraft

Want to add more Company Profiles to the Report? Write your Customized Requirements to us @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/get-custom-research-2183

Bathroom Cabinets Market Analysis by Type:

Wooden

Metal

Rreclaimed Material

Bathroom Cabinets Market Analysis by Application:

Commercial

Home

Bathroom Cabinets Market Analysis by Geography:

North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico)

(USA, Canada, and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe)

(Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South-East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

(China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South-East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of Latin America)

(Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of Latin America) The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East and Africa)

Key questions answered in the report:

What is the expected growth of the Bathroom Cabinets market between 2022 to 2027?

Which application and type segment holds the maximum share in the Global Bathroom Cabinets market?

Which regional Bathroom Cabinets market shows the highest growth CAGR between 2022 to 2027?

What are the opportunities and challenges currently faced by the Bathroom Cabinets market?

Who are the leading market players and what are their Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)?

What business strategies are the competitors considering to stay in the Bathroom Cabinets market?

Purchase the Complete Global Bathroom Cabinets Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-2183

About Us:

DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research report provider, enriching decision-makers, and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research reports, customized research reports, company profiles, and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise, and meaningful data at a lightning speed.

For more details:

DecisionDatabases.com

E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com

Phone: +91 90 28 057900

Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/
The Global Microfluidics Market Report, in its latest update, highlights the significant impacts and the recent strategically changes under the present socio-economic scenario. The Microfluidics industry growth avenues are deeply supported by exhaustive research by the top analysts of the industry. The report starts with the executive summary, followed by a value chain and Marketing channels study. The report then estimates the CAGR and Market revenue of the global and regional segments.

Base Year: 2020

Estimated Year: 2021

Forecast Till: 2027

The report classifies the market into different segments based on type and product. These segments are studied in detail, incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country levels. The segment analysis is helpful in understanding the growth areas and potential opportunities of the market.

Get | Download FREE Sample Report of Global Microfluidics Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-2201

A special section is dedicated to the analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the growth of the Microfluidics market. The impact is closely studied in terms of production, import, export, and supply.

The report covers the complete competitive landscape of the Worldwide Microfluidics market with company profiles of key players such as:

Danaher

Thermo Fisher

PerkinElmer

Agilent

Bio-Rad

Becton

Dickinson

Roche

Illumina

Fluidigm Microfluidics

QIAGEN

Dolomite Microfluidics

GYROS PROTEIN TECHNOLOGIES AB

Sphere Fluidics

OPKO Health

thinXXS Microtechnology

Abaxis

bioMerieux

Abbott

Dolomite Microfluidics

Microfluidic

ChipShop

Elveflow

Cellix

Micronit Microtechnologies

MicroLiquid

MiniFAB

Micralyne

Fluigent

uFluidix

Want to add more Company Profiles to the Report? Write your Customized Requirements to us @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/get-custom-research-2201

Microfluidics Market Analysis by Type:

Polymer-based Microfluidics

Glass-based Microfluidics

Silicone-based Microfluidics

Other material-based Microfluidics

Microfluidics Market Analysis by Application:

In Vitro Diagnostics

Point-of-care Testing

Clinical Diagnostics

Pharmaceutical research

Others

Microfluidics Market Analysis by Geography:

North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico)

(USA, Canada, and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe)

(Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South-East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

(China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South-East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of Latin America)

(Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of Latin America) The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East and Africa)

Key questions answered in the report:

What is the expected growth of the Microfluidics market between 2022 to 2027?

Which application and type segment holds the maximum share in the Global Microfluidics market?

Which regional Microfluidics market shows the highest growth CAGR between 2022 to 2027?

What are the opportunities and challenges currently faced by the Microfluidics market?

Who are the leading market players and what are their Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)?

What business strategies are the competitors considering to stay in the Microfluidics market?

Purchase the Complete Global Microfluidics Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-2201

About Us:

DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research report provider, enriching decision-makers, and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research reports, customized research reports, company profiles, and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise, and meaningful data at a lightning speed.

For more details:

DecisionDatabases.com

E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com

Phone: +91 90 28 057900

Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/
Durable Medical Equipment Market Share, Trends and Size Analysis by Device Type (Personal Mobility Devices, Medical Furniture, Monitoring and Therapeutic Devices, and Bathroom Safety Devices), End User (Hospital / Clinic, Ambulatory Surgical Center, Research Centers, Home Healthcare, and Others), and Region (the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa) - Forecast till 2027

Some of the key players in this market are: Invacare Corporation (US), Medical Depot, Inc. (US), The Braun Corporation (US), Sunrise Medical (Germany), Permobil (Sweden), Medline Industries, Inc. (US ), Compass Health Brands (US), ArjoHuntleigh (Sweden), Hill-Rom (US), GF HEALTH PRODUCTS, INC. (US)

Get Exclusive Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2676

MEA Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Market  Overview

Durable medical equipment also known as home medical equipment provides therapeutic benefits to patients. They are very useful for patients who are ill or undergoing some medical procedures. They are widely used by hospitals and clinics. These devices can also be managed by a caregiver or a family member of the patient. Medical professional recommend these devises according to present condition of patients. Due to increasing chronic diseases, high number of geriatric population and accident disability, the demand for durable medical equipment is increasing.

Middle East and Africa represents about 2% of global healthcare expenditure since countries in these regions bear a heavy burden of disabilities. Durable medical equipment manufacturers are investing huge amount of money to develop more innovative products. Middle-East and Africa Durable Medical Equipment (DME) market is growing moderately at a CAGR of 4.2% and expected to reach US$ 4.65 billion by 2022.

Categorization/Fragmentation

Middle-East and Africa Durable Medical Equipment market has been segmented on the basis of product type which comprises of blood pressure monitors, blood glucose monitors, ventilators, personal mobility devices, traction equipment, wheel chairs, respiratory devices, and others. On the basis of end user, the market is segmented into hospitals and clinics, healthcare institutions, research centers, home healthcare and others.

Geographical Analysis

Considering the Middle-East and Africa Durable Medical Equipment market scenario, Saudi Arabia is believed to be the largest market. Moreover UAE market is also growing and is the second largest market for DME in ME&A region. On the other hand, Egypt's market is expected to grow at a steady pace in the Middle-East and Africa Durable Medical Equipment market during the forecasted period. Rest of the Middle East and Africa region is likely to have a limited but steady growth of the market till 2022.

Key Questions Answered In This Report:

What will the market size and what will the growth rate be?

What are the key market trends?

What is driving this market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

Who are the key vendors in this market space?

What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?

Browse Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/durable-medical-equipment-market-2676

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

Contact Us:

Market Research Future
Global Life Sciences BPO Market: By Service Type (Contract Research (Drug Discovery, Pre-Clinical Trials, Clinical Trials, Medical Writing, Pharmacovigilance, Clinical Data Management, Regulatory Services, Clinical Monitoring, Protocol Development and Site Management), Contract Manufacturing, Contract Sales and Marketing), Application (Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceuticals) - Forecast to 2027

GET FREE SAMPLE COPY @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/10167

Market Forecast

Global Life Sciences BPO Market is expected to cross USD 427.78 Billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 13.60%.

Regional Analysis





On a regional basis, the Americas is anticipated to dominate the global life sciences BPO market, owing to the factors such as well-established healthcare sector, presence of ample biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, new technological advancements in life sciences industry, major giants in the market involved in merger & acquisition, and new product innovation. Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) are playing a significant role in the life science BPO industry, while significantly reducing costs involved with mapping highly complex studies. Companies are adopting these technologies for drug discovery. For instance, in June 2019, Navitas Life Sciences (US) in partnership with ThoughtSphere (US) Company adopted AI and ML technologies to deliver unparalleled data collection.





On the other hand, Europe is expected to hold the second-largest position in the global life sciences BPO market, due to the favorable regulatory scenario to support the outsourcing process in the life sciences industry. For instance, in 2020, UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued guidance on how investigators and sponsors should manage clinical trials during the outbreak. Such moves are set to increase the European life science industry.





Asia-Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing region over the assessment period due to the rising demand for outsourcing in the life science industry, and the rising importance of safety & security of products. Initiatives by the government such as the introduction of ICD-10 standards that capture the inpatient procedures has supported the rising adoption of electronic health records (EHR), electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) in the life sciences industry. These digital platforms enable the rapid growth of the back-end payer and provider BPO services, such as claims processing, claims management, financial and payroll management, and other administrative services.





Furthermore, the growth of the Middle East & Africa is attributed to the technological development in the field of medical and healthcare industry, high penetration of advanced healthcare technologies in research organizations such as Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Segmentation





Global Life Sciences BPO Market has been segmented into Service Type, and Application.





By Service Type, the market has been segregated into contract research, contract manufacturing, contract sales, and marketing. Growing focus on core activities by pharmaceutical companies, increasing the cost of drug development, clinical trial activities, regulatory constraints are primarily driving the market growth.





Based on the Application, the global life sciences BPO market has been classified into medical devices and biopharma and pharmaceuticals. The medical devices segment is expected to be the fastest growth owing to the increasing number of medical companies opting to outsource their strategic and non-strategic processes to vendors to improve their return on investment (ROI), maintain profitability, product quality, and cost, and to meet capacity constraints. Pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals segment held the largest segment in the life sciences BPO market owing to the increased clinical trial of drugs.





Key Players





Some of the Key Players in the Global Life Sciences BPO Market are Accenture plc (Ireland), Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Germany), Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (US), Covance, Inc. (US), Genpact Limited (US) , Catalent, Inc. (US), Infosys (India), Health Decisions, Inc. (US), Anthelio Healthcare Solutions (India), Cognizant Technology Solutions (US), ProMab Biotechnologies, Inc. (US), Quintiles Transnational Corporation ( US), Paraxel International Corporation (US), Lonza Group (Switzerland).

Access Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/life-sciences-bpo-market-10167

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR) ), and Market Research & Consulting Services.
FRANKFURT, Germany, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 73rd Frankfurt Book Fair will be held in Frankfurt, Germany from October 20 to 24, 2021. China National Publications Import & Export (Group) Corporation (CNPIEC) is helping 51 Chinese publishing companies to participate in the event where they will exhibit 1,007 titles and 1,495 volumes of high-quality publications at a joint exhibition booth for Chinese publishers. During the book fair, Chinese publishers will hold 59 events in a combination of offline and online ways, including book recommendations, a Sino-foreign copyright trade fair, and new book promotions, with the aim of spreading China's classic stories to the world.

A rich array of outstanding China-themed books to be displayed at the fair

During the book fair, CNPIEC will present foreign language editions of excellent books and key copyrighted books from 51 domestic publishing houses at the 56 square-meter joint booth for Chinese publishers, covering China themes, literature, social science, traditional culture, children's and language learning. In addition, as part of the event, a series of new China-themed books will be released online, including ZhejiangA Photographic Press' De Qing Qing Di Liu that shows the successful completion of the establishment of China as a well-off society, and Guangdong People's Publishing House's English edition of new book Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area: Planning and Global Positioning that outlines the prospects of the Greater Bay Area and the important role that it plays in fueling the growth of the global economy.

59 events to be held during the book fair

During the exhibition, the Chinese publishers will host 59 informative events that will take place in various forms, including:

1.A An online promotion themed "China Book News" and 5 online copyright promotions, each of which will promote high-quality major books that cover China themes, social science, literature, science and children's, with President Xi Jinping and College Students, Comic Stories of Celebrities, I Am Hua Mulan, Yun Zhong Ji and Yu Lu Ma serving as prime examples.

2.A An online Sino-foreign copyright trade fair;

3.A Online new books and copyright promotions that showcase Chinese publishers' achievements in exporting copyrighted books to foreign countries.

The 51 Chinese publishers that have confirmed to take part in the exhibition include China Publishing Group and People'sA Publishing House.

A
Join Edith Salas of Salas Properties & host Jenn Barlow as they visit the Coronado Shores community. The towers have amazing views including the world famous Hotel del Coronado, downtown San Diego, San Diego Bay, the City of Coronado, Point Loma, and the Pacific Ocean.
Because of the concerns Ive voiced and because of what Ive heard from counsel for the Alex Jones defendants ... I am very concerned that the defendants in this case, having expressed confusion of a very clear protective order, that there are going to be problems in the future, Bellis said in concluding the hearing Wednesday. I strongly suggest, for your own interests, as well as your clients interests, that you are on the side of caution and seek advice from the court if you have any concerns about how to proceed ... so that you dont get yourselves in a situation where more damage is done.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Rivera, who lives in the neighborhood and was known to the family only as Flaco, had been patching up a hole in her bedroom the night before the Oct. 9 attack. After he finished the first part of the job, he hung out with the girls mother and two other men, drinking beer until about 3 a.m., when the mom asked them to leave so she could go to sleep, the mother told police. The three left, and the mother slept on the couch; the girl and her sisters slept in the mothers room because of the project going on in the girls bedroom.
The airline is offering limited, introductory one-way fares starting at $49 that must be booked by Nov. 4. The introductory fare is offered on a limited number of flights and seats and does not include other fees for carry-on and checked bags, assigned seats and other services.
As for mixing and matching, the FDA said its OK to use any brand for the booster regardless of which vaccination people got first. The interchangeability of the shots is expected to speed the booster campaign, particularly in nursing homes and other institutional settings where residents have received different shots over time.
Its not as clear as things were for the first vaccination, when it was clear you could be really healthy but if you got COVID there was a significant risk of hospitalization and death, said Dr. Ohm Deshpande, vice president of population health for Yale New Haven Health. Whereas with the boosters, for some patients its a no-brainer but for others it isnt. Will it protect you a little bit more? Yes. But given who you are, based on your makeup, based on your health, it may not make a huge difference for you.
The raid in Orange was related to another search and seizure on July 31 at 109 Britannia Street in Meriden, where police seized eight pit bulls found in cages in a backyard. Police also found a homemade fighting ring on that property. Other evidence seized included a text message chain with videos of dog and cock fighting operations, which led police to the Orange property, officials said.
Kevin Johnston of Pomfret, who had the same role during the 2011 redistricting process, was chosen unanimously Monday by the Reapportionment Commission. Unlike in 2011, the members said they hope to meet their Nov. 30 deadline to finish redrawing the lines, despite whats been a truncated process due to the late release of U.S. Census data during the pandemic.
Because theyre not running full slates, neither the GOP nor the ACP could win a council majority. That means even if one of them wins on Nov. 2, theyll still have to work with another party  and possibly two  to pass anything on the council.
I know you get tired of being called a bellwether state but Im going to tell you  as someone from one of those newly purplish states  weve got to look to you for wisdom, she said, referring to once reliably Republican Georgia backing Biden and two Democratic senators last cycle.
Dave Ress Staff writer

Dave Ress covers the military. He's been a reporter in Virginia since 1990 and before that for Reuters in Canada, Britain and Africa. Dave has a PhD in history from the University of New England (Australia) and is the author of 4 books on U.S. and Australian history.
More than two dozen Fort Hood soldiers died in 2020, including homicides and suicides. Guillens death and the other cases prompted an independent review, which found that CID investigators lacked the acumen to identify key leads and connect the dots in investigations. It said they were victims of a system that failed to train them and often had them doing administrative tasks.
Childrens Hospital of The Kings Daughters said 96% of its more than 3,400 employees were fully vaccinated or had an approved exemption as of Tuesday. Twenty staffers, a little less than 1% of the team, are on leave but will be inoculated before they return.
Lawrence Schovnec, President of Texas Tech, delivers his speech at the Leprino Foods Facility news release in Lubbock on Oct. 1, 2021. Schovanec said that Tech is actively working with Leprino Foods to help students through a management training program and possible jobs.
Tesla executives took the company's demands to Modi's officials last month in a closed-door meeting. (Photo: AFP/File)

New Delhi: Tesla Inc has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office to slash import taxes on electric vehicles before it enters the market, four sources told Reuters, ratcheting up demands that faced objections from some Indian automakers.

Tesla wants to begin selling imported cars in India this year but says taxes in the country are among the highest in the world. Its request for tax cuts - first reported by Reuters in July - prompted objections from several local players, who say such a move would deter investment in domestic manufacturing.

Tesla executives, including its head of policy in India, Manuj Khurana, took the company's demands to Modi's officials last month in a closed-door meeting, arguing that the taxes were too high, four sources familiar with the discussions said.

During the meeting at Modi's office, Tesla said that India's duty structure would not make its business in the country a "viable proposition", according to one of the sources.

India levies an import duty of 60% on electric vehicles that cost $40,000 or less, and 100% duty on those priced over $40,000. Analysts have said that at these rates Tesla cars would become far too costly for buyers and could limit their sales.

Tesla has separately also put in a request for a meeting between its Chief Executive Elon Musk and Modi, three of the sources said.

Modi's office and Tesla, as well as its executive Khurana, did not respond to a request for comment.

It is not clear what Modi's office specifically told Tesla in response, but the four sources told Reuters government officials are divided over the U.S. automaker's demands. Some officials want the company to commit to local manufacturing before considering any import tax breaks.

Concern about the impact on the local auto industry is also weighing on the government, the sources added.

Indian companies such as Tata Motors which recently raised $1 billion from investors including TPG to boost EV production locally, has said giving Tesla concessions would be contrary to India's plans to boost domestic EV manufacturing.

One of the sources, who has direct knowledge of the government's thinking, said: "If Tesla was the only EV maker, decreasing duties would have worked. But there are others."

The transport minister said this month Tesla should not sell made-in-China cars in India and should manufacture locally instead, but Tesla has indicated it first wants to experiment with imports.

Musk said on Twitter in July that "if Tesla is able to succeed with imported vehicles, then a factory in India is quite likely."

The Indian market for premium EVs is still in its infancy and charging infrastructure is scarce. Just 5,000 of the 2.4 million cars sold in India last year were electric.

One government official said lowering duties for a limited period to pave the way for Tesla's entry could "boost India's investor friendly image and green credentials" while also attracting more investments.
Actor Jacqueline Fernandez appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday for questioning in connection with an over Rs 200 crore money laundering case being probed against alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, officials said.

The actor deposed before the federal agency around 3:30 pm after skipping its summons at least three times earlier.

Her statement was recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

Fernandez, 36, has once appeared before the federal agency in this case in August and had recorded her statement.

It is understood that the agency wants to confront her with some new evidence and question her along with the main accused in the case Chandrashekhar and his actor wife Leena Maria Paul.

Sources said some funds were allegedly transferred by Chandrashekhar from accounts linked to him to those related to the family members of Fernandez. In this connection, some bank accounts in India and in Dubai are under the scanner of the agency.

The agency, the officials said, wants to understand some trail of funds and transactions that are allegedly linked to Fernandez in this case.

Actor and dancer Nora Fatehi, 29, recorded her statement with the ED last week in this case.

Fatehi's representative had said that she is the victim in the case and being a witness, she is cooperating and helping officers in the investigation.

Chandrashekhar and Paul were recently arrested by the ED while being lodged in a local jail after they were taken into custody by the Delhi Police on charges of cheating some people, including some high-profile individuals like former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh.

In August, the ED had raided some of Chandrashekhar's premises and seized a sea-facing bungalow in Chennai, Rs 82.5 lakh cash and over a dozen luxury cars.

It had claimed in a statement that Chandrashekhar is a "known conman" and is being probed by the Delhi Police in a case of alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and extortion to the tune of about Rs 200 crore.

"Chandrasekhar is the mastermind of this fraud. He has been part of the crime world since the age of 17. He has multiple FIRs against him and is presently lodged in Rohini jail (in connection with the Delhi Police case)," the ED had said.

Despite being in the jail, Chandrashekhar "did not stop conning" people, it had said.

"He (with a cellphone procured illegally in prison) with the help of technology, made spoof calls to dupe people as the numbers displayed on the called party's phone number belonged to senior government officers. While speaking (from prison) to these people, he claimed to be a government officer offering to help people for a price," the ED had claimed.
Chevella MP Ranjith Reddy,former Mayor Donthu Rammohan and others inspecting venue of TRS 20th Plenary to be held at Hitex grounds in Madhapur on Thursday. (Photo: P.Surendra)

Hyderabad: The TRS is making grand arrangements at the Hitex Exhibition Centre in the city ahead of its plenary meeting on October 25.

Although it has been a tradition to organise the party's plenary on April 27 every year marking its foundation day, the plenary this year assumes more significance as it marks the completion of two decades of the formation of TRS in 2001.

This year's plenary has another significance too. It is being held after a gap of more than two and a half years. There never was such a gap between two plenaries. The last plenary was held in Hyderabad in April 2018. The party did not organise its plenary in 2019 due to the Lok Sabha election in April/ May 2019 and due to the Covid pandemic in April 2020 and 2021.

Initially, the plan was to invite over 14,000 party leaders at all levels from village to state level. But party president and Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao restricted the number to 6,000 due to the Covid regulations.

The arrangements for the plenary are being monitored by Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi, Jubilee Hills MLA Maganti Gopinath, TSIIC chairman Gyadari Balamallu, TS civil supplies corporation chairman Mareddy Srinivas Reddy and former GHMC Mayor Bonthu Rammohan.

Special passes are being issued to the delegates attending the meeting. Only invited persons are allowed to attend the plenary.

Arrangements are underway for its smooth conduct. The party has formed committees with senior leaders to oversee the decoration of stage and roads leading to the venue, the invitation committee, the enrollment committee, the resolutions committee, the media committee, lunch, parking and other facilities.

Party sources said the chief minister will be re-elected as TRS president at the plenary meeting on October 25. After his election, the plenary will continue. The plenary will discuss various issues concerning the state and the Centre, and approve certain resolutions on politics, economy, agriculture, power, education sectors etc.

The plenary will also deliberate on the prevailing political situations at state and national levels.
At a time when Sri Lanka is facing a severe economic crunch and struggling even to pay for food imports, India could make a grand gesture by giving the nod to a request for a $500 million line of credit for them to be able to pay for fuel imports. Representational Image. (DC File Image)

Tapping the civilisational connection between the two nations in Buddhism, India has reached out to Sri Lankas Sinhala majority. Given its proximity to such historic sites associated with Buddha like Lumbini, Sarnath and Bodh Gaya, the international airport at Kushinagar, which is believed to be the final resting place of Buddha, becomes a key focal point of religious tourism, and not only for Sri Lankan Buddhists. The importance given to the link to the religion born in India also represents a perceptible shift in Indias outreach suggestive of a more holistic view of Sri Lanka as a key neighbour.

For decades, the Tamil question and related autonomy issue were the focus of political ties, even long after the questionable dispatching of the Indian peace keeping force  but only at the specific request of J.R. Jayewardene  and the failed twin track diplomatic policy during the height of the LTTE insurrection. A historic turn of events came with the ending of the war with the Liberation Tigers in 2009 but India has lost much ground since then as the island nation snuggled up to the Chinese embrace even if it led to Sri Lanka falling into a debt trap and signing away the Hambantota port on very long lease.

At a time when Sri Lanka is facing a severe economic crunch and struggling even to pay for food imports, India could make a grand gesture by giving the nod to a request for a $500 million line of credit for them to be able to pay for fuel imports. An empathetic gesture at such a time might do more to generate goodwill and this might also facilitate the addressing of a few strategic concerns that India has regarding Chinese presence in proximity to peninsular India that is too close for comfort.

Security concerns more than trade and Tamil issues, as in the stalled provincial elections in the north and east and the larger question of implementation of the 13th amendment, have tended to dominate the New Delhi view, which was evident during the foreign secretarys recent visit, too. Significant economic assistance given at this point may help reinforce the view that geographical closeness should reflect in far better neighbourly ties with Sri Lanka in all aspects.
Get 25% off of the regular $65 annual All Access rate. With this subscription you will get:

 Digital access to ElPasoInc.com and archives (value $45)

 Print subscription home or business delivered (value $65)

 Book of Lists (annual rate only, value $50)

 El Paso Inc. Magazine (value $20)

 El Paso Kids Inc.

 Special sections

- OR -

Get 15% off of the regular $45 annual Digital-only rate. With this subscription you will get:

Complete digital access to ElPasoInc.com.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
Emporia, KS (66801)

Today

Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 38F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 38F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
Written by ACM





*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Just After Welcoming Citizens Participants at the 4rth and Last Panel (on "Europe in the World") Before an Important Plenary due to Start Discussing Citizens' Initial Proposals for the Future of Europe Next Week, EU Commission's vice-President for Democracy, Dubravka Suica, suddenly came Closer than ever, Until Now, to "Eurofora"'s Project for "Dialogue" between EU Citizens and Politicians, Before Decisions Affecting their Lives and/or Society at large !

-------------------------------



Indeed, Speaking to Accredited Journalists, as "Eurofora a.o., Soon After EU Parliament's Coordinator for the Conference on Europe's Futur, Guy Verhofstadt, former President of "Liberal" MEPs and Prime Minister of Belgium, (Cf. Verhofstadt's Reply to "EF" Question, previously, at: ..., etc), had Announced that, this "Unique" "Combination of Both Representative" and "Participatory Democracy", in a "2nd Track", at "a PanEuropean Level", was "Requested from Citizens", Already "from the 1st Panel", to be "Made a Permanent Process", and this "Could be among the Final Conclusions of the Conference", Suica Revealed that, in fact, "We (EU) Want to Make European Citizens Part of a European Policy-Drafting Mechanism", as she Characteristicaly stressed.

- "We (EU) Want to Listen to them (Citizens), All the Time", and "Take into Consideration their Ideas and Problems, While Drafting our Policies", EU Commission's vice-President on Democracy underlined, in this regard. In Fact, this is "Participatory Democracy and Deliberative (Decision-Making Process) Democracy", taken Together, which "are New Exercises, and they Can Help us a lot", she explained*

*A First Idea towards making Citizens' Dialogue with Politicians before Decisions a Permanent Reality was accepted by French President Macron, agreeing with a relevant proposal by "Eurofora" (Based on the existing EU's Lisbon Treaty), as Early as, Already since April 2018, at Saint-Die, (i.e. just a Day After he had Inaugurated the 1st EU Citizens' Consultatin at nearby Epinal, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronforcitizensdebatesalsoafter2019.html, + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronlauncheseucitizenconsultations.html, etc).

------------------------------

=> In Consequence, "there is No Coming Back : This Conference (CFE) Will Deepen European Culture, From the Roots Up !", and Opens up a truly European Space !", Suica stressed earlier in the Plenary, (apparently using Terms familiar from German Philosopher Jurgen Habermas, of Nearby Frankfurt, nowadays in Bavaria, with his Landmark, premonitory Book on "The Structural Changes of the Public Space", i.e. Area for Collective Discussions).

>>> Indeed, "We (EU) Need" to "Bring Citizens into the Heart of European Decision-Making", she Emphasized.

Already, "thanks to the Conference on the Future of Europe", "Each Citizen has a Chance to Participate in a PanEuropean Discussion, on Issues that Matters to them". "From Ireland to Malta, from Latvia to Lisbon,..., you Can Exchange your Ideas, have your Voice Heard, and Stimulate Change". "This brings Not Only the Right to Participate, But Also the Possibility to Create Ideas". And "We Want to Listen to them", to "Take into Account" their "Ideas and Contributions", Suica Ambitiously Vowed. "Europe not only wants to Listen to you.... EU Commision is Ready to Follow up Whatever is Agreed by this Conference, (as von Leyen stressed).

- -"It might take us a bit More Time to get Started, But we (EU) are Able to Find Solutions" that work, she boasted. -"Because we want a Union which really Belongs to its People. That it can Inspire, and Protect Everyone of us".

- This "Euopean Dream" has Already Delivered : Peace, Prosperity, Openess, Equality of Rights, and Our System of Values. But we canNot Guarantee that it will be assumed for Ever, and that it will rest easily... In Fact, "Our Union has been Disputed, and is being Challenged, Both Internally, and Externally". But, also, "Whenever the Righs of an Individual Person are Denied, our European Dream is Damaged".

=> Therefore, "It's Important that we Regularly Assess Where we Are, and Where we want to Go"...."Take a Time to Look at the Hights and Lows we have come Together". This is also a Time to "See Where we can Expect Better f", Suica welcomed good-faith Criticism, with Lucidity.

----------------------------------------------

However, it's also a Fact that Nowhere Emerged yet a Crystal-clear and fully-fledged EU Citizens' Right to be Informed, Heard, and Receive Timely Replies to their Critical Observations, which should be Sufficient, Real and Legal, concerning any Proportionate Restriction of their Legitimate private Interests motivated by a General Interest Aim, (all this being placed under Control of a Judge, able to Cancel any Controversial Administrative Measure, eventualy does Not meet all those Conditions), as it should be done according to that kind of "Dialogue", between Citizens and Politicians Before Decisions Affecting their Lives, and/or Society at large, according to "Eurofora"s Proposal : See ...,, etc).

So that, until this is unequivoqualy done, a Critical Reserve is obviously required from "Eurofora"'s part, on this Key Point.

+For the Rest, and, Particularly, as it concerns the overall Methods used into Treating the Way that each Pannel of 200 Radomly Chosen Citizens are Consulted by EU Institutions on their Wishes vis a vis the EU Decision-Making process, and certain Major Key Topical Issues on EU's foreseable Future, (Economy, Democracy, Environment, and Foreign Policy), a Surprizing Big Change was Observed by "Eurofora" Today :

- Indeed, instead of only One (1) special Room, Usualy reserved into a Discreet and Remote Location of EU Parliament's Building, for those "Moderators", "Experts", "Secretariat", "Facilitators", and "Observers", etc., who were used to Handle Citizens previously, on the Contrary, Now, there were as Much as ... Seven (7) such special Rooms, reserved to that purpose, (in this Pannel for Foreign Policy and Migration), i.e. a Spectacular Augmentation of X 700 % !...

As usual, "Eurofora" will Examine Further such Organisational Issues Tomorow, on Saturday, i.e. the Most "Busy" Day.

(../..)

("Draft-News")

--------------------------------




About 60 hectares of silvopastoral systems have already been created. Credit Saulo de Souza

App boosts Amazon tree project

A new app will help small-scale farmers grow trees and earn a living in deforested parts of the Amazon.

The app, called AmazonPasto, provides information about which species are useful in tree-based agriculture and grazing systems, and how best to grow them.

It also allows farmers to upload their tips and experiences, so others can learn from them.

Thousands of trees have already been planted as part of the project, run by local NGO Instituto Ouro Verde (IOV, Institute of Green Gold) and the University of Exeter.

"The app is a really exciting development that can potentially make a huge difference to the ultimate reach of the project," said Professor Toby Pennington, of the Global Systems Institute and Department of Geography at the University of Exeter.

"The one piece of technology that is really widespread, even in rural parts of the Amazon, is the smart phone.

"By offering this information and  crucially  allowing farmers and researchers to add their own, these agricultural systems will constantly improve."

This cycle of improvement and growth reflects the project's aim to create a "positive tipping point" to improve the lives of economically poor Brazilians and the Amazon environment.

Some of the project's smallholder farmers were previously homeless, but their new silvopastoral systems (animals grazing among trees) produce crops and milk that can be sold for a fixed price to the Brazilian government for use in institutions including schools.

The project  which uses Inga trees to lock nitrogen into the soil and keep it fertile for the long term  also includes microcredit funding to help farmers get started.

About 60 hectares of silvopastoral systems have already been created  containing more 20,000 trees  and the project aims to increase this area by about 150 hectares per year.

For IOVs team, this app is a great step forward in promoting sustainable and resilient agriculture systems in the Amazon," said Dr Alexandre Olival, of IOV.

"Because of the app and our already successful systems, many small farmers are looking for information or even planting new trees in their pastures.

"It could be a real advance for the entire region."

The app will be expanded for use in other areas next year, as IOV has received extra funding to add plants found in tropical dry forests, the Atlantic coastal rainforest and the pampas grasslands of southern Brazil.

To find out more about the project, visit http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/ingasystems/diversifyinginga/

The University of Exeters Global Research Translation Award (GRTA) is funded through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). This project is funded by the GRTA, which aims to support and enable new innovation and commercialisation opportunities with potential for translation and implementation at scale.

The University of Exeter has launched a Green Futures campaign and website to drive action on the environment and climate emergency. To find out more please visit https://greenfutures.exeter.ac.uk
Jackie Kennedy is still the nation's greatest first lady, according to a new poll.

Zogby Analytics polled over 5,000 Americans for their thoughts on the past 12 first ladies of the country.

The poll results revealed that Kennedy is still America's favorite first lady after receiving 65 percent of the votes, reported Daily Mail.

Coming in second as America's favorite first lady is Michelle Obama, who received 51 percent votes. Third on the list of first ladies is Nancy Reagan, with 50 percent of the votes. Current First Lady Jill Biden found herself in the middle of the poll with 39 percent of the votes.

And the three first ladies that received the lower number of votes are Hillary Clinton with 35 percent, Melania Trump with 34 percent, and Pat Nixon with 28 percent.

Who is Jackie Kennedy?

Kennedy served as the first lady of the United States between 1961 and 1963. She is the wife of President John F. Kennedy. In 1994, Kennedy died after succumbing to non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Americans became fascinated with Kennedy because of her style and elegance. Her most significant contribution was restoring the White House to its original elegance and protecting its holdings.

Who is Michelle Obama?

Obama is the first black first lady of the United States. She is married to former President Barack Obama, who served as the country's head from 2009 to 2017. The Obamas were blessed with two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

In her book "Becoming," Michelle revealed that she suffered a miscarriage during the early years of her marriage to Barack. Following her miscarriage, Michelle successfully conceived her two daughters via IVF, according to Vox.

Read Also: Joe, Jill Biden Violate Washington DC's Mask Mandates After President and First Lady Spotted Maskless at a Restaurant

Who is Jill Biden?

Biden is the current first lady of the United States. She is married to President Joe Biden. Jill also happens to be the POTUS's second wife since Joe's first wife passed away years ago.

Before she became the first lady, Jill worked as a community college educator. She was also a military mother and grandmother. In 1976, Jill began her teaching career at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington. She also became a reading specialist at Claymont High School, according to her bio on the White House website.

Who is Hillary Clinton?

Clinton is married to her husband, Bill Clinton. The couple's marriage almost ended years ago after the former POTUS admitted to having an affair with his staff, Monica Lewinsky.

During a recent interview, Hillary explained why she decided to forgive Bill for his indiscretion. She said that her decision was solely based on the love that she has for the ex-president, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Who is Melania Trump?

Melania is Donald Trump's second wife. The couple first met while the ex-FLOTUS was still working as a model in New York. Melania hails from Slovenia, but she decided to relocate to the United States to have a better life.

Who is Pat Nixon?

Nixon was married to Richard Nixon when he resigned to prevent himself from getting impeached due to the Watergate scandal.

Related Article: Amanda Gorman Reveals How Michelle Obama Chats with Barack Obama During Inauguration

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Dispatched Russian jets intercept US B-1 bombers as they were skimming the Black Sea borders declared Moscow. Russian interceptors flew at high speed to block the bombers' flight path and correct the attempted intrusion from Russian airspace.

Recent tensions between Washington and Moscow caused by the US repeated entry in the air defense identification zone (ADIZ), interactions between the former Cold War combatants have not improved either.

Kremlin deployed Su-30 Fighters to intercept US B-1 Bombers

The deployed interceptor were two Su-30 Fighters that forced the pilots of the American bombers to steer from the Black Sea border, reported the Express UK.

According to the Russian defense ministry, the mission and objectives are to confirm the intruders, and the flight from entering the Russian border, prevent any intel gained. The two Su-30s were from the Black Sea fleet's naval and air defense force.

Moscow posted the footage of the aerial interference from the cameras of the intercepting fighters. The Russian fighter gave identification of the two bombers; they were two B-1B long-range supersonic bombers of the US Air Force, noted the Daily Mail.

The origin of the long-range US bombers is from the RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and to accomplish exercises within the Black Sea Region of the Russian Federation.

Russian jets intercepted the US B-1B bombers with two KC-135 aerial tankers for refueling, and the Su-30s went alongside in their corrected course.

Read Also: China is Lining Up an Array of High-Tech Weapons To Overcome Taiwan When the Time Comes

Also, the Ministry said that once the foreign bombers were out of the state border, the interceptors made a return flight to its home airbase.

Russia chased away US Navy Destroyer in Sea of Japan

Another incident last Sunday in the Sea of Japan, several days after a Russian Ship had a run-in with a US Missile destroyer attempting to breach the Russian coast in the Pacific.

The USS Chafee attempted to deploy a helicopter flight in Russian territory but was intercepted by the Admiral Tributs. According to Moscow, it was an unsafe and unprofessional manner exhibited by the US navy ship that got within 60 yards of the other boat. Later, Washington denied its ship intentionally intruded in foreign territory, cited Hindustan Times.

Both superpowers have a rough patch, and the successive incidents do not inspire any confidence in US leadership in world affairs. Vladimir Putin ordered wargames to be the largest ever done, which drew the attention of the US, which sent spy planes to collect information.

The Black Sea interception is only one of many spats between Washington and the Kremlin, pointing fingers at each other.

In September, deployed Russian interceptors blocked a US B-52 nuke bomber in its flight path in the Pacific Ocean, the same thing Kremlin ejected the larger plane from Russian territory after radar contact.

The Sukhoi Su-35, called Flanker by NATO, is the workhorse of the Kremlin's air force. Able to reach about 1,500 mph and an operational radius of 2,200 miles, powered by two powerful turbofan engines. Included are guns for up close and 12 hardpoints to mount bombs or missiles, for a total of 8,000-kg in gross limit.

Recently, Beijing was reported to launch a hypersonic vehicle that can mount a nuke warhead, as does Russia's missiles.

Related Article: Biden Taunted by Chinese, Russian Fleet Passing Through Japan Strait to Test Resolve of the US

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A coordinated attack on a military outpost in southern Syria occurred on Wednesday, but no American troops stationed there were injured or killed, according to US officials.

Drone Attack in Area Near US Garrison in Syria

In a recently published article in Newsweek, the assault was initially reported by local sources linked to the Syrian opposition. A US official subsequently verified it to a news outlet. The assaults used an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and "indirect fire," according to the source, with "no injuries" recorded.

According to initial accounts, the assault included two drone attacks and a limited quantity of missiles. One official said that one of the drone attacks targeted the US side of the al-Tanf garrison, while another may have targeted Syrian opposition troops.

Meanwhile, At al-Tanf, US and coalition soldiers train Syrian forces on patrols to combat Islamic State terrorists. The facility is also on a route that runs from Tehran to southern Lebanon and Israel, providing a crucial connection for Iranian-backed troops, according to a published report in ABC News.

Read Also: Drones Attack Targets US Forces in Northern Iraq on 9/11 Anniversary; Officials Reiterate Support to KRG in Maintaining Peace

Group Behind the Attack is Not Yet Known

According to the local news outlet, it is unclear if the assault was carried out by 'the Islamic State or the ISIS-K group, either the Iranian forces. The local news organization also said that it had no information on human life lost, and initial reports also noted that there were no American casualties.

Furthermore, according to the observatory's sources, the mobilization of the US-led coalition and allied rebels of the Maghawir al-Thawra group around the time of the assault was the first of its type for the military facility and adding that this targeting is the first of its kind for the military base, per News10 reports.

Other unidentified bombings throughout Syria, mainly attributed to Israel by local troops, have targeted Iran-linked targets, including one that struck the country's heartland, Palmyra. The Syrian Arab News Agency and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights both reported the death of a Syrian soldier, with the latter adding that three Iranian-backed militias were also killed.

Operations Room of the Allies of Syria Released a Statement

In a published article in Stars and Stripes, "A decision has been taken to respond to this attack in retaliation for the souls of the martyrs and the blood of the wounded," according to a statement later released by the "Operations Room of the Allies of Syria" and aired by several outlets, including the Al Manar outlet affiliated with the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah movement, adding that the response will be harsh.

According to reports, the assault was launched from the Al-Tanf garrison and the Jordanian border. Sabreen News, a source sympathetic to Iran's "Axis of Resistance," which includes paramilitary groups trying to remove US troops from the area, also confirmed Wednesday's attacks. Still, the report provided no credit for the operation.

Meanwhile, so far, the Biden administration has rejected any intentions to leave Syria or to ease sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom the US and a number of allies accuse of war crimes.

Related Article: US Drone Strikes an ISIS Vehicle Packed With Explosives, Kabul International Airport Appears To Be the Target

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Former President Donald Trump has slammed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, alleging that the billionaire has the ability to "change the course" of presidential elections.

Trump made the remarks in a Gab post on Tuesday. Conservatives frequent the social media site, and the ex-president is still barred from using Facebook and Twitter.

Trump was referring to a New York Post story from October 13 that detailed Zuckerberg's financial contributions to two nonprofit organizations during the November 2020 election, expenditure that the newspaper said helped Joe Biden win the presidency.

Trump rails at Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg over election offices funding

The former president started his tweet by mentioning Republican Representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska's 1st congressional district, who is accused of lying to the FBI about campaign contributions.

Zuckerberg reportedly spent $419 million on two nonprofits during the 2020 presidential election: the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) and the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR).

According to the report, "This money significantly increased Joe Biden's vote margin in crucial battleground states." Trump continued to rail at a number of people in his Gab post on Tuesday, including former FBI Director James Comey and Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, whom he had previously chastised.

Zuckerberg and Facebook have also been chastised for allowing data company Cambridge Analytica to harvest the data of more than 80 million Facebook users, raising concerns that the data may have been used to target American voters ahead of the 2016 presidential election, which Trump won.

In March of 2018, then-Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix was caught on camera by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom claiming that the company had done "all the research, all the data, all the analytics, all the targeting" for Trump's 2016 campaign. Following the release of the video, he was suspended and eventually resigned in April 2018, as per Newsweek.

Read Also: Jen Psaki Shouts at NBC's Reporter for Always Asking About Biden's Health; White House Press Secretary Faces Hatch Act Complaint

Former Republican says local election offices funding should be prohibited

The Facebook CEO has been named as a defendant in a litigation in the District of Columbia stemming from the Cambridge Analytica controversy. According to the complaint, Zuckerberg "knowingly and actively participated in each decision that led to Cambridge Analytica's mass collection of Facebook user data, and Facebook's misrepresentations to users about how secure their data was," and that he "knowingly and actively participated in each decision that led to Cambridge Analytica's mass collection of Facebook user data, and Facebook's misrepresentations to users about how secure their data was."

Per Daily Mail, conservatives are now latching on statistics released in The Federalist by William Doyle, a former University of Dallas economics professor, that suggests the money may have aided Biden's campaign in Texas last year.

Hans von Spakovsky, a former Republican member of the Federal Election Commission, believes that private sponsorship of local election offices should be prohibited.

According to the New York Post, Spakovsky believes this was a carefully orchestrated attempt to turn official government election offices into get-out-the-vote operations for one political party and to insert political operatives into election offices to influence and manipulate the election's outcome.

He feels the change may have resulted in uneven voting possibilities in different areas of the state. A representative for Zuckerberg and his wife, on the other hand, insisted their contributions were lawful.

Related Article: Donald Trump Defends Supporters Prosecuted In Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Investigations; Melania Continues To Ignore Issue



@YouTube

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Following the discovery of human remains thought to belong to suspect Brian Laundrie, investigators are reportedly calling Gabby Petito's death "murder."

Announcing the discovery at a campground at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, the FBI special agent in charge of the Tampa office, Michael McPherson, said at a news conference that it would take time to establish whether the remains belonged to Laundrie.

Per The Independent, the Teton County Coroner declared the case a homicide, and this is thought to be the first time her death has been referred to as murder by a law enforcement authority.

FBI calls Gabby Petito's case a murder

Because homicide is a broad term that encompasses both the legal and unlawful killing of one person by another, the difference between homicide and murder is a major legal issue. A murder, on the other hand, is when someone is killed illegally and with malice or intent. All homicides are murders, but not all murders are homicides.

Authorities issued a federal warrant for Laundrie's arrest on fraud charges for allegedly using someone else's credit card as the countrywide quest for him continued.

Although Petito's cause of death was determined to be manual strangulation, which means it was done with bare hands rather than an instrument, Laundrie's arrest warrant was nevertheless based on fraud.

Police often issue warrants for the crime with the lowest burden of proof so that suspects may be detained for questioning, and police anticipate Brian Laundrie to face more charges once he is apprehended.

Following the finding of human remains at a campground where Laundrie is thought to have slept, the homicide has been renamed a murder.

Read Also: Teen, 16, Sentenced to 9 Years to Life Imprisonment For Killing College Student; Judge Claims Suspect Lack of Remorse

Brian Laundrie's parents grieve over discovery of apparent remains

The FBI said human remains were discovered alongside a backpack and notebook belonging to Gabby Petito's fugitive boyfriend on Wednesday, and Brian Laundrie's parents are "grieving," as per The Sun.

The tragic discovery was uncovered in the Carlton Reserve, where Chris and Roberta Laundrie claim he went for a hike on September 13, the last day they saw him.

According to WABC Channel 7's Kristin Thorne, who talked with the couple's attorney Steven Bertolino, they are "grieving and they're not going to make any comment" until the remains have been formally identified.

The FBI said the bodies were discovered in an area that had been flooded earlier in the investigation during a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon. He went on to say that the reserve will stay closed while the inquiry is ongoing, and he encouraged the people to be patient.

Teams are likely to stay on the ground for many days, and the region has been declared a no-fly zone. As the press briefing drew to a close, FBI officers refused to answer questions and were greeted with a chant of "Justice for Gabby."

The story sparked widespread interest, but it also raised unpleasant concerns about the lack of attention paid to the hundreds of missing or killed Native American and other minority women around the country.

On September 1, Laundrie came home alone in the Ford van that the couple had taken on their trip. He went missing after informing his parents on September 14 that he was going for a stroll in the Carlton Reserve, a Sarasota County nature park that has been a focal point in the hunt for weeks.

He is accused with illegal use of a debit card in a federal Wyoming indictment, which would allow officials to apprehend him if he is discovered alive.

It claims Laundrie made unlawful withdrawals or charges totaling more than $1,000 using a Capital One Bank card and someone's personal identifying information. It doesn't specify who owned the card or what kind of charges were made, ABC7 reported.

Related Article: Gabby Petito's Mom Believes Brian Laundrie's Parents Know Everything About Her Death, Fugitive's Mother Allegedly Wants Son to Marry Coworker

@YouTube

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A legal fight pitting the mayor of Chicago and the police superintendent against certain officers who are refusing to comply with a vaccination requirement that applies to all municipal workers has concluded in court, with the police union seeking a temporary restraining order.

Chicago Police Ask For a Temporary Restraining Order

In a recently published article in MSN News, the city's effort to have all police officers vaccinated was delayed by a court hearing on the union's request for a temporary restraining order on Wednesday, but that did nothing to alleviate tensions.

According to Police Superintendent David Brown, compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement by his department's officers and civilian workers increased to 67 percent on Tuesday, up from 64 percent the day before. During a press conference on Tuesday, Brown said that he would do everything possible to preserve the lives of his officers.

He also added that he is prepared to let his officers go through a therapy session, go on a no-pay status, go to internal affairs, or get a direct order if that's what it takes. Meanwhile, about 2,000 cops have not yet uploaded their vaccination or testing status to a municipal website as of Tuesday, and 21 officers were removed from their police powers and were sent home without pay, as per Bloomberg reports.

Read Also: Unidentified Drone Attack Strikes Near a US Military Garrison in Southeastern Syria

Hundreds of Officers Summoned to the Police Headquarters

Several hundred hold-out officers were called to police headquarters this week, according to Brown; they were given the opportunity to alter their views and learn about the repercussions of their refusal. He has no idea whether they have changed their minds or if they have decided to enter the portal on their own.

Meanwhile, on Monday, municipal authorities issued an update on the vaccine requirement, revealing that 79 percent of city workers cooperated with the order and recorded their vaccination status on the online site. Officials claim that 84 percent of the population has been completely vaccinated, according to a report published in Newsweek.

Furthermore, authorities said that the police department has the lowest degree of compliance. The officers' union, the Fraternal Order of Police, has requested that Cook County Circuit Court Judge Cecilia Horan issue a temporary restraining order against the requirement. On Wednesday, a hearing will be held on the subject.

Chicago Mayor Accuses Police Union, President of Spreading Misinformation

In a published article in NBC Chicago, the police officers' union and its president have been accused by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot of spreading false information about the vaccine mandate's reporting process, which asks for vaccination status and allows for a temporary window of regular COVID-19 testing at the employee's expense until vaccines can be administered.

The order to give information to the site, according to the union's president, Catanzara, is a breach of the officers' constitutional rights as well as their rights under the union's contract with the city. On Tuesday, the police union's website once again advised members not to comply, but it also provided a document to indicate they are doing so under full duress and threats of termination.

Needless to say, the Fraternal Command of Police has said that all members who have been put on unpaid status as a result of their rejection of a direct order would be represented in court. As a consequence of refusing to submit their information to the site, 21 policemen have been put on unpaid leave.

Related Article: Police Union Opposes Lightfoot's Vaccine Mandate for City Workers



@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
During today's meetings concerning Afghanistan, the Taliban were welcomed in Moscow as Russia strives to exert influence over the new leadership.

To establish a lasting peace in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that "forming a fully inclusive government properly representing the interests of not just all ethnic groups but all political parties of the nation" is required.

Despite designating the Taliban as a terror organization in 2003 and never removing it from the list, Russia has tried for years to develop connections with the group.

Russia to send humanitarian aid in Afghanistan

Russian law makes any communication with such organizations illegal, but the Foreign Ministry has reacted to queries about the apparent inconsistency by arguing that talks with the Taliban are necessary for helping Afghanistan stabilize.

Unlike many other nations, Russia has kept its embassy in Kabul open and its ambassador has maintained frequent communication with the Taliban since the Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital in August.

Per Daily Mail, Lavrov praised the Taliban for their efforts to stabilize the country's military-political situation and secure the proper functioning of state institutions.

Simultaneously, he emphasized the need of upholding human rights and implementing balanced social programs, noting that he had discussed these concerns with the Taliban delegation prior to the discussions. Lavrov stated that a shipment of humanitarian aid would be sent to Afghanistan soon.

Russia has led the appeal for foreign assistance, aware that any spillover of the Afghan conflict may jeopardize regional stability.

The Taliban's resurgence has sparked international concerns about a return to the Taliban's hardline Islamist rule of the 1990s, when they hosted Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda movement and committed heinous human rights violations such as public stonings and the marginalization of women at work and in schools.

Read Also: Biden Administration Hides Border Policy Consequences, Secretly Flying Hundreds of Minor Migrants to New York at Night

Taliban claims it made progress after gaining power

Since regaining power, the Taliban have claimed that they have made rapid progress in opening up their administration and ensuring women's rights, and that they pose no danger to any other country.

"Isolating Afghanistan is in no one's interests," said Abdul Salam Hanafi, the deputy prime minister who led the group, CNN reported.

Although countries across the globe, including Russia, have refused to recognize the Taliban administration, the declaration acknowledged the "new reality" of their rise to power.

The lack of a US delegation from the meeting was also noted by the Russian foreign minister, who expressed his hope that the US will continue to engage effectively in the Afghan issue.

The US said that it will not participate in this round of discussions in Moscow owing to technological issues, but that it would do so in the future. He said that Moscow was pleased with the Afghan authorities' assistance in ensuring the safety of Russians in Afghanistan and the efficient running of its mission.

The ISIS delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow and discussed bilateral relations and regional stability, according to Tolo News, citing Afghanistan's foreign ministry. Russia guaranteed the Afghan side of future cooperation, as per CGTV.

Related Article: Taliban Executes Interpreter Who Worked With Australian Defense Forces; Australia Vows To Save Afghans Who Helped the ADF



@YouTube

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The next chapter in the continuous saga of 2021 as the stimulus payment year is already in the works. This one, though, will be a break from the narrative that the federal government has been promoting for more than a year.

The quantity and frequency of people's next stimulus checks will be determined by their location. That's if they get one at all. States and even local governments are taking up the slack as the federal government's stimulus program efforts appear to be winding down.

To provide just one example, the state of California has started handing out $600 Golden State stimulus checks to qualified households. According to BGR, a city in the United States is also exploring one of the more extreme initiatives along similar lines we've seen so far.

You might be eligible for $500 stimulus check

It's a three-year stimulus check program that would provide certain families with $500 monthly payments. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the location. And it's been weighing a variety of alternatives for how to spend more than $24 million in federal stimulus funds from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan legislation approved earlier this year.

A universal basic income scheme, in which 100 Ann Arbor families would receive money according to their financial need. For three years, the initiative would provide such families $500 each month. In addition, the city would collaborate with scholars to examine the program's impact on both beneficiaries and the city.

A similar initiative is being considered in Chicago. However, a comparable effort out of Stockton, California, appears to be Ann Arbor's apparent inspiration for this. Officials distributed $500 stimulus checks to 125 people of the region, the majority of whom were low-income.

According to a Los Angeles Times report on the endeavor, beneficiaries were found to be "healthier, showing less depression and anxiety, and increased well-being" as a result of the program.

These initiatives will be fascinating to follow for a variety of reasons. One of them is their foray into the world of profoundly held political convictions. One of them is the notion that giving individuals money may disincentivize them from working.

Even still, it's possible that the Ann Arbor program will not materialize. Other alternatives being considered by the city for how to spend its COVID-19 funding include spending $1 million on social service initiatives, according to one local news source.

$3.5 million may be spent on property acquisition to assist affordable housing, and $2 million could be invested on community policing. Money may also go toward solar panels on public buildings and a new bikeway in the downtown area.

The city will give the public an opportunity to weigh in on all of this. The final decision will be made by the city council in the area.

Read Also: A Complete List of States Sending Surprise Stimulus Check; You Might Receive It Before 2021 Ends

Child tax Credit opt-out deadline is approaching

Meanwhile, the deadline to opt-out of the November Child Tax Credit is coming, with individuals who do not want to receive the next Child Tax Credit having until November 1, 2021, at 11:59 pm to do so.

While the October Child Tax Credit stimulus checks have been handed out, many parents have reported that their September stimulus check has not arrived. Families who have not yet received their payments for July, August, or September can use the IRS website to track down the funds.

Some people have also said they haven't received their October payments. Taxpayers can use the web site to verify their stimulus payments and determine whether they're eligible for advanced payments.

In 2021, the credits will be worth $3,600 for children under the age of six and $3,000 for those aged six to seventeen. Families with college students between the ages of 18 and 24 are eligible for a $500 grant. Because low-income people are not obliged to file tax returns, some families in need may fall through the cracks when the IRS distributes funds next month.

Last Monday, the IRS introduced a facility on its website to register for the Tax Child Credit, ensuring that all eligible Americans have access to the funds. Non-filers will need their Social Security numbers, as well as the numbers of their children, on hand, as per The Sun.

Related Article: New $1,800 Stimulus Check Release Date Revealed; Here's How Many Payments Are Left in 2021



@YouTube

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Legal papers detailing allegations against Prince Andrew have been accepted by UK courts, according to documents.

Virginia Giuffre is suing for damages after saying that the ninth-in-line to the throne sexually abused her - accusations that he and his attorneys deny.

A letter from the UK's HM Courts & Tribunals Service, titled "Re: Service of Foreign Process on Prince Andrew, Duke of York," has recently surfaced.

The UK acknowledges legal documents legal papers against Prince Andrew

The Senior Master of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, Queen's Bench Division "cordially encloses the certificate of service in this matter," according to a letter from a court official dated October 1.

A document labeled Virginia L. Guiffre v Prince Andrew Duke of York is attached to the letter, stating that its goal is to "inform the Defendant of allegations against him in the Southern District of New York and demand his answer and attendance," Sky News reported.

The nature and purpose of the proceedings are to make claims against the Defendant for violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress for a sum to be decided by a jury at trial, according to the document. The papers were brought to Prince Andrew's official residence in Windsor, where they were signed for by a police officer, a separate attached document states.

Meanwhile, one of the pedophile's victims revealed that Jeffrey Epstein's renowned Zorro Ranch had three computer rooms "the size of houses" to snoop on notable guests, including Prince Andrew. Former employee Maria Farmer claims footage from Epstein's 33,339 square foot desert ranch in New Mexico in 2000 would show the Duke of York's supposed seven-day trip.

Epstein is said to have had the bizarre concept of utilizing the ranch to inseminate women with his sperm in order to create a "master race." Eddie Aragon, the owner of a local radio station, has received architect blueprints dating from 1998, five years after Epstein purchased the land.

The Sun received the papers, which show an 8,000-square-foot underground floor with workout, massage, and jacuzzi rooms that will subsequently be converted into a pool area. On the lower floor, they also depict three exceptionally large "mechanical rooms."

Read Also: Prince Harry, Prince William's Rift To Escalate Over Princess Diana's Memorial Party, Experts Predict

Epstein allegedly has a room to spy guests including Prince Andrew

Farmer alleges the chambers, which are typically used for a boiler and electrics, were crammed with Epstein's and accused accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's eavesdropping computers and camera equipment.

Prince Andrew, who supposedly vacationed there with his neurosurgeon friend Dr. Melanie Walker, whom former Zorro maid Deidre Stratton described as "pretty, young, and smart," was one of Epstein's numerous guests over the years.

Following the release of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse's (IICSA) findings on Lord Greville Janner, Prince Andrew is scarcely sweating. Janner molested both boys and girls as a pedophile.

Witness testimonies obtained by British police went missing instead of being forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions, according to the IICSA. Janner was part of a select circle of VIP pedophiles who were guarded by MI5 and British authorities.

Sir Peter Morrison MP, Margaret Thatcher's private secretary, Sir Cyril Smith MP, and Sir Peter Hayman, MI6's Deputy Chief, were among the others. The IICSA collected evidence from a former "rent boy" from Belfast named Alan Kerr during its inquiry against Janner.

Kerr's life narrative was previously published by Village in two parts in 2018. Kerr was a child who was terribly let down by the NI welfare system and ended up as an underage prostitute. He eventually settled in London, where he currently resides, as per Village Magazine.

Related Article: Report: Prince Andrew To Use "Royal Technicality" To Overturn Jeffrey Epstein Lawsuit



@YouTube

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The United States and a number of European nations criticized North Korea's latest missile launch test on Wednesday.

Three Members of European Union Describe North Korea's Missile Test as a Provocation

In a recently published article in MSN News, Ireland, France, and Estonia, three members of the European Union on the UN Security Council, said Monday's reported test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile "fits into a pattern of provocations by the DPRK" in recent weeks, which included launches of short-range ballistic missiles, long-range cruise missiles, and "what it has claimed to be a hypersonic glider."

According to them, the latest submarine missile launch demonstrates the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's continuing advancement of its nuclear and ballistic programs, which have expressed a desire to eventually obtain sea-based nuclear capabilities.

The EU council members urged North Korea to immediately cease its destabilizing activities and take tangible measures to "completely, verifiably, and irreversibly relinquish" its ballistic missiles and other weapons of mass destruction, including its nuclear program, according to a published article in News10.

Read Also: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Wants To Restore Communication With South Korea After a Series of Ballistic Missile Tests

The Council Imposes Tough Sanctions on North Korea

The UN Security Council has placed more harsh sanctions on North Korea, limiting its imports and exports while demanding a halt to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. North Korea, on the other hand, has repeatedly disobeyed UN Security Council resolutions and continues to test more advanced missiles, raising tensions on the Korean peninsula and across the region.

The Biden administration, according to Thomas-Greenfield, is dedicated to working with the international community to decrease tensions and preserve peace on the Korean peninsula. She also said that the United States' commitment to the protection of South Korea and Japan is "ironclad." She also chastised the UN Security Council committee overseeing North Korean sanctions, saying it "is not doing its job," per Midland Daily News reports.

She also said that the penalties must be implemented more aggressively, which we have not done. They must concentrate their efforts particularly on individuals who violate the sanctions and others who engage in actions that violate the restrictions.

US Ambassador Urges North Korea To Stop Its 'Reckless Provocation'

North Korea's "reckless provocations" are in violation of Security Council sanctions resolutions, according to U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield. She said that it should begin discussions with the Biden administration without restrictions in order to achieve full denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

She encouraged all nations to properly enforce UN sanctions in order to prevent the DPRK from gaining access to the money, technology, and know-how it needs to continue developing illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

Before the emergency closed meeting of the council on North Korea's latest missile tests, Thomas-Greenfield told reporters that the US has offered to meet with officials from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and that they have made it clear that they have no hostile intentions toward the DPRK.

Furthermore, although the US envoy did not identify any nations, a panel of experts overseeing sanctions implementation has highlighted suspected breaches by North Korea's neighbors China and Russia.

Related Article: US, Japan, South Korea, Urge North Korea To Limit Nuclear and Missiles Program



@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
European authorities have recorded an increase in the number of coronavirus infections for the third consecutive week as the World Health Organization (WHO) urged caution at a Wednesday briefing after previous warnings that the pandemic could last until 2022.

Among the WHO's six regions of member states, only Europe has experienced a rising number of coronavirus infections, researchers revealed in an epidemiological update that was published on Tuesday. Over the weekend that ended Sunday, the region had more than 1.3 million reported infections nationwide. The numbers represented an increase of 7% from the past week.

Europe's Surging Coronavirus Cases

The executive director of the WHO's health emergencies program, Dr. Mike Ryan, said during a Q&A, streamed on social media channels of the health agency, that the incident marked three weeks of progressive increase of infections. The official noted that while global case numbers were going down, Europe has actually experienced a surge in infections three weeks in a row.

Authorities said that Europe's worrying situation is brought about by surges in Czechia, Hungary, and Poland. Ryan said coronavirus infections in these regions have shot up 50% in the last week alone. The medical professional warned that since winter is fast approaching and the pandemic already severely affecting the healthcare systems in various nations, the availability of intensive care beds has dropped significantly, CNBC reported.

Read Also: Donald Trump Slams Mark Zuckerberg For Ability To Change Course of Election, Says $400 Million Funding For Local Offices Is Illegal

The situation comes as the WHO warned that the coronavirus pandemic could "go on a year longer than it needs to" due to the lack of coronavirus vaccine supply in some poorer countries. A senior leader at the health agency, Dr. Bruce Aylward, said the circumstances will result in the pandemic easily running through 2022.

Authorities revealed that less than 5% of Africans have been vaccinated, which is severely lagging behind other nations, many of which have recorded 40% vaccination rates. The UK has also delivered more than 10 million vaccines to other countries that need the treatment. Officials pledged to donate a total of 100 million vaccines to other nations.

Availability of Vaccines

In an appeal, Aylward urged wealthier countries to give up their spots in the queue for vaccines to give way to the lowest-income countries. The official argued that wealthy countries needed to "stocktake" and monitor their status compared to their donation commitments at summits such as the G7 meeting, BBC reported.

The situation comes as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to administer booster shots. The decision came after unanimous voting by a committee of independent advisers last week.

The FDA also authorized the use of a booster shot on an individual that has received a different vaccine brand. For example, if a resident has completed the two-dose regimen with the Pfizer vaccine, they could receive a booster shot from the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

"The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated. The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease," FDA acting commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said, NPR reported.



Related Article: Allegations of Mass Homicide, Genocide Against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Dropped Due to Lack of Consensus

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As COVID-19 cases and deaths mount, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a one-week paid shutdown for Russian employees.

The nation recorded 1,028 fatalities and 34,073 new cases in a record-breaking week on October 20. Only around 47.5 million Russians, or about a third of the country's population, have been fully vaccinated.

Hospitals in Russia are overwhelmed with the surge of COVID-19 cases

Putin approved a week of paid "non-working days" from October 30 to November 7, with the possibility of extending the dates in places where they are needed since the epidemiological situation is evolving differently in each region.

Per Reuters, Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko stated that the healthcare system was under severe strain. According to Murashko, over 650,000 medical personnel across Russia were involved in treating COVID-19 patients on Wednesday, according to the Interfax news agency.

The Russian government started a revaccination program in July, making it one of the first countries to do so, although Putin has yet to receive a booster shot. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, 226,353 individuals have died in Russia.

Earlier this week, Moscow's mayor ordered all unvaccinated citizens above the age of 60, as well as those unvaccinated and "suffering from chronic diseases," to remain at home until February 2022, as per Business Insider.

"Russian hospitals are overwhelmed," Russian epidemiologist Vasily Vlassov told CNN. While Russia has four vaccination choices to guard against serious disease and death, the country is battling to overcome mistrust and persuade individuals to take the vaccine.

According to studies, the flagship Russian Sputnik V vaccines are as effective as those manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna. Russian officials have previously been accused of underreporting coronavirus deaths, according to CNN.

Russia's method of counting deaths excludes a portion of the deaths from official data, claiming that individuals died "with COVID-19" but not "of COVID-19," which is in violation of WHO standards.

Read Also: Taliban Executes Interpreter Who Worked With Australian Defense Forces; Australia Vows To Save Afghans Who Helped the ADF

Russia has poor vaccination program

Officials from the government have begun to speak publicly about the severity of the problem. The burden on medical institutions is seriously increasing, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a COVID-19 task force meeting on Tuesday, while the governor of the Oryol region, Andrey Klychkov, recently revealed that the region does not have the capacity to hospitalize any more coronavirus patients.

A poor vaccination program has severely hindered Russia's efforts to decrease transmission. In a nation where four home vaccines are available, only around 30% of the population is completely vaccinated.

According to several polls, Russia has a high incidence of vaccination skepticism. According to a May Ipsos poll, Russia and the United States had the lowest vaccination intent among unvaccinated persons in 15 nations. In addition, a poll released in September by the Levada-Center revealed that 52 percent of Russians are not ready for the vaccine.

When the country set a new COVID-19 mortality record on Tuesday, the Kremlin acknowledged sharing some of the blame for the low vaccination rates. "Of course, not all that needed to be done for educating and explaining the necessity and importance of vaccination was done," Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told journalists.

"But at the same time, citizens of our country need to take a more responsible position and get vaccinated," he said. Depending on the severity of local COVID-19 situations, many areas continue to impose local restrictions. However, the administration has constantly stated that there is no need to declare a full lockdown.

Related Article: Russia, WHO Differ on When Sputnik V Will Receive Approval; COVID-19 Vaccine Demonstrates 70% Efficacy Against Delta Variant



@YouTube

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Chinese authorities reported that at least three people have died while 30 others were injured after a devastating gas explosion at a restaurant located in the northeastern city of Shenyang on Thursday morning.

It was revealed that the incident occurred inside a mixed-use residential and commercial building, tearing off its walls. A statement released by officials said that they have transferred all of the injured people to hospitals. An investigation into the cause and extent of the blast was still being conducted.

Devastating Gas Explosion

Witnesses took photographs and videos at the scene of the incident and have become viral on social media platforms and news outlets. The footage showed a concrete skeleton was all that remained of the building and nearby buildings had their windows shattered. Vehicles in the area were also damaged and debris covered the streets.

The city of Shenyang is an area that is home to more than nine million Chinese residents and is the capital of Liaoning province. The recent incident is similar to the one that occurred at a market in central China in June that killed 25 people and injured more than 130 others, CNN reported.

Authorities from the Heping district provided updated casualty information as fire and rescue teams worked to rescue and assess the situation in the area. The Liaoning fire department shared images of the scene and showed the reinforcements bars of the building were exposed. Officials suspected that the cause of the massive blast was a gas leak.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Orders Paid Shutdown For Workers Starting October 30 as Russia Tackles Rising COVID-19 Cases, Deaths

Nearby residents have been evacuated by police and firefighters while a woman who lived nearby reported her windows breaking due to the strength of the blast. Fortunately, she said that her flat did not sustain any major damage.

Another woman who was living on the fifth floor of the building facing the blast site said that the blast destroyed all of the windows in her block. "I was scared when the explosion happened. Then I saw the fire trucks. They came quite quickly, after about a little more than 10 minutes," the resident said, the South China Morning Post reported.

China's Growing Power Crisis

The incident came as the country is struggling to meet demands for electricity, causing a growing power crisis situation. On Thursday, China's thermal coal futures fell the maximum permitted 11%, which extended losses that began on Tuesday. At the time, Beijing suggested it could intervene to ease surging prices that have resulted in power shortages throughout many regions nationwide.

Chinese authorities are urging miners to increase coal production and boost imports so that power stations can steadily rebuild their supplies before the winter heating season. Economists and analysts anticipate that despite instabilities in the prices of coal, overall high energy, labor, and other costs will be shouldered partly by end-consumers.

On Tuesday, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China said that it was analyzing ways to intervene and decrease the price of coal in the country. Officials said they would work diligently to bring the prices back to a more reasonable range, calling for a meeting with key coal companies and the industry association, Reuters reported.



Related Article: Europe Records Surge of COVID-19 Cases After WHO Warns Pandemic Could Last Until 2022

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Senate Republicans recently managed to filibuster voting rights legislation for the third time this year.

According to reports, the Republicans in the Senate filibustered voting rights legislation to override new voting restrictions in Republican-run states. The decision came after months of negotiations among Democrats to craft a compromise voting rights bill.

Sen. Joe Manchin failed to live up to his promise

Sen. Joe Manchin was once confident that he could get the Republicans' support on the matter. However, he couldn't convince a single Senate Republican to support them or even debate the bill.

"Let there be no mistake: Senate Republicans blocking debate today is an implicit endorsement of the horrid new voter suppression and election subversion laws pushed in Republican states across the country," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said via the Huffington Post.

Read Also: Senate Breaks Filibuster on Anti-Asian American Hate Crime Bill

Democrats struggling to pass two bills

Senate Democrats now have to decide whether to change or retain the Senate's filibuster rules to provide Democratic leaders with a path forward. There is also an ongoing debate about whether Democrats should change the filibuster rules to pass the Freedom of Vote Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and more.

According to US News, the Freedom to Vote Act expands voting by mail and early voting. It also implements automatic and same-day voter registration and prevents name purges from voter rolls. The Freedom of Vote Act also establishes Election Day as a federal holiday, among many others.

Additionally, the legislation also imposes state voter ID requirements to authenticate the identities of voters. Following Wednesday's procedural vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York vowed to have an open amendment process if Republicans would agree to proceed to debate the bill.

Activists marched to the White House

However, Republicans are opposed to what the Senate Democrats have been fighting for. Prior to Wednesday's procedural vote, a group of 100 activists flocked to the White House to urge President Joe Biden to do something about the voting rights legislation.

According to initial reports, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris supported the legislation and said that it's one of their priorities. However, they both have not explicitly backed the changes to filibuster rules that could've otherwise allowed Democrats to pass the Freedom to Vote Act.

Virginia Kase Solomon, the League of Women Voters CEO, urged Biden to act fast because the POTUS can get things done when the issue is important to him.

In March, the president responded to questions regarding the 60-vote threshold. He said that filibuster is being abused in a gigantic way. The POTUS also said that the rule should be reverted to a talking filibuster.

"We're going to get a lot done. And if we have to - if there's complete lockdown and chaos as a consequence of the filibuster, then we'll have to go beyond what I'm talking about," he said via NBC News.

However, the activists who marched to the White House think that Biden has not exercised his power to move political will months after making the statement.

Related Article: Activists Urge Joe Biden To Endorse Changes to Senate Filibuster Rules, Demand Democrats To Pass Major Legislation That Protects Voting Rights

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
New Zealand and the United Kingdom just struck a free trade agreement after 16 long months of negotiations.

According to reports, the agreement aims to reduce tariffs on bulldozers, wine, buses, and clothing. However, it is not expected to deliver a boost to the economy of the United Kingdom.

Reuters revealed that the immediate economic impact of any deal with Britain is negligible, according to analyses published between 2019 and 2020. A new analysis will be posted after the deal is officially signed. The date of which has yet to be announced.

But Downing Street hopes that the agreement will pave the way for Britain to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is a free trade area of 11 Pacific nations including New Zealand, Mexico, Malaysia, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.

Boris Johnson, Jacinda Adern release their statements

Prime Minister Boris Johnson released a statement after an agreement was made between the two countries. He said this is a great trade deal for the United Kingdom because it can also cement their decades-long friendship with New Zealand and further their ties with the Indo-Pacific.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern called the two countries great friends and close partners. She also said that the United Kingdom and New Zealand's historical connections bind the two countries together.

Read Also: UK Foreign Secretary Says US Snub Costs Brexit Nothing but More Chances at Better Deals Globally

The UK has deals with Japan, Norway

According to CNN, the agreement is the latest one to be brokered by the United Kingdom after cutting ties with the European Union. And the country's ability to negotiate its own trade policy has benefited Brexit in tremendous ways.

Other than New Zealand, the United Kingdom also struck deals with Japan and Norway. However, these deals were based on pre-existing agreements negotiated by the European Union.

Upsides and downsides of the free trade agreement

The free trade agreement will also provide more work opportunities for lawyers and architects in New Zealand. New Zealand will also sell more lamb to the United Kingdom following the free trade agreement.

However, there are reportedly some downsides to the free trade agreement between New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The Labor and the National Farmers Union (NFU) said that UK dairy and meat farmers would be most affected.

Minette Batters, the president of the NFU, said that the deal means opening their doors to more volumes of imported food regardless if they are produced to their own high standards or not.

"The fact is that UK farm businesses face significantly higher costs of production than farmers in New Zealand and Australia, and it's worth remembering that margins are already tight here due to ongoing labor shortages and rising costs on the farm. The government is now asking British farmers to go toe-to-toe with some of the most export-orientated farmers in the world, without the serious, long-term, and properly funded investment in UK agriculture that can enable us to do so," she said via the BBC.

Emily Thornberry, the shadow trade secretary, said that only mega-corporations that run New Zealand's meat and dairy farms would benefit from the free trade agreement.

Related Article: Brexit Minister Tells Joe Biden To Stay Out of Northern Ireland Protocol; Says POTUS Got Own Problems to Solve

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Nearly 100 Afghan refugees arrived in Arkansas this week to build their homes and start a new life in the state.

In August, American troops pulled out of Afghanistan to try and put an end to the war. This withdrawal resulted in getting thousands of Afghanistan civilians out of the country as the Taliban started to take over.

Afghan refugees receiving help from two organizations

Gov. Asa Hutchinson granted the opportunity for those displaced to seek refuge in Arkansas.According to reports, the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock has been helping 49 refugees to find homes in the state.

"One family in particular who was reaching out to someone on the base that they had met said, 'Come to Arkansas! It's great!," states Jennifer Verkamp-Ruthven, director of the Catholic Immigration Services, via THV11.

Verkamp-Ruthven adds that the refugees go through a very short and simple orientation about safety, emergency contacts, and housing safety because a western household is different from where they came from.

Other than the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, the non-profit Canopy NWA handles the second half of the refugees that arrived in Arkansas this week.

Joanna Krause, Canopy NWA executive director, said that thousands of people have been reaching out to their organization to offer temporary housing to Afghan refugees.

Read Also: Homeland Security Chief Resigns Amid the Increasing Number of Migrants Arriving at the Border

Afghan refugees went through routine screening

Before they arrived in the United States, the refugees went through security checks, and they also needed to be fully vaccinated. The local government of Arkansas first announced that they would be taking in 98 Afghan refugees last month.

At the time, Hutchinson said that the refugees had supported the United States for over 20 years. So, it only fits to help relocate them to ensure their safety and the safety of their families.

However, the 98 Afghan refugees are just a tiny part of the 64,000 displaced individuals that will be relocating to the United States.

Joe Biden's administration previously confirmed 64,000 Afghan refugees would be in the United States by September. And another 30,000 refugees will enter the country within the next 12 months, according to UALR Public Radio.

Americans love the idea of helping Afghan refugees

Last month, an NPR/Ipsos poll revealed that seven out of 10 Americans support the resettling of the Afghans who worked with the US government or military. Unlike illegal immigrants, Afghan nationals who opposed the Taliban by fighting for the US deserve to be granted entry into the country because they are allies to the West.

The poll results revealed that nearly three out of four Americans, which includes 73 percent Republicans, favor the resettling of Afghan refugees into the United States.

Nearly two-thirds of the respondents also support the resettling of Afghan refugees that fear repression and prosecution from the Taliban.

However, the poll also showed that deep partisan division still exists when it comes to immigration policy. After all, fewer than half of Republicans support the admission of migrants from Africa, Syria, Libya, and Central America compared to more than 70 percent of Democrats.

Related Article: UK to Pay $41 Million to Countries Accepting Afghan Refugees; EU Plans To Offer Cash Also

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Many eligible Americans are working on getting their fourth stimulus check redeemed or approved. This includes the $1,400 petition for Social Security recipients and the $500 to $1,100 Golden State Stimulus checks for Californians.

According to an earlier report, studies proved that Americans need a fourth stimulus check. Many continue to report income loss and unemployment issues, especially among low-income groups. U.S. Census findings said the average median household income of the nation dropped down by 2.9 percent, from $69,560 in 2019 to $67,521 in 2020. On top of this, living expenses like medicine, groceries, and rental fees are on the rise.

Now more than ever, many Americans are desperate for financial aid that can help them survive this pandemic.

Fourth Stimulus Check Petition: $1400 Payment for Seniors

The nonpartisan Senior Citizens League emphasized the cost of expenses among seniors. They said low-income seniors are worried about their budget for food benefits, rental subsidies and other forms of support. For cost-cutting purposes, many of them already skipped their medicine and meals.

This urged the group to start an online and print petition for a $1,400 stimulus check to Social Security recipients. The online petition is currently available on this website.

To support their cause, senior citizens should write down their first name, last name, email address, city, state, and zip code. They also have the option to subscribe to their updates or not through the small checkbox below the zip code.

Read Also: Fourth Stimulus Check Tracker: Who's Qualified for $5000 Grant in New York?

$1100 Golden State Stimulus Checks Released

Another wave of stimulus check payment Americans could look forward to is the Golden State Stimulus Check. Note, however, that this is a state-exclusive program for Californians.

Governor Gavin Newsom said that California has a budget surplus from their federal recovery funds. The money was transformed to Golden State Stimulus payments, predicted to support 66 percent of California's population. The payment receivable depends on the filer's eligibility.

According to SFGATE, there are four general categories for Golden State stimulus payments.

If you qualified for the first GSS payment and claimed one or more dependents, you'll get $500

If you did not qualify for the first GSS and did not claim any dependent, you'll get $600

If you did not qualify for the first GSS but claimed one or more dependents, you'll get $1,100

If you qualified for the first GSS payment and did not claim any dependent, you do not qualify for the second GSS

More than 1.2 million GSS payments, worth almost $890 million, have been released to date. The payments were made up of 412,000 direct deposits and 819,00 paper checks. The local government estimates that about 9 million Californians would benefit from this wave.

Californians can look forward to this money in their bank or in the coming days for paper checks. For those who have not yet received theirs, it may be available on the next batch, scheduled for November 1.



Related Article: Child Tax Credit Payments Glitch Causes Smaller October, November, December Money: How to Know If You're Affected
A "mysterious fireball" was captured last Wednesday night in some parts of the U.S., which raised widespread speculations online. Experts explained the phenomena as a part of the Orionid meteor shower.

Typically, a meteor shower consists of faint and fleeting stars that streak past the night sky. Most shooting stars never last more than one second, which is why this recent event unnerved a lot of skywatchers.

Mysterious Fireball Stuns Americans: Video Clips Captured

Spotted locally at 12:45 AM EDT, residents in Belleville, Clinton Township, Fraser, Freeland, Holly, Howell, Pontiac, Romulus, Warren, White Lake Township and other nearby communities saw the blazing ball shooting across the sky. It was an extremely bright object, with a long flaming trail behind it.

Mike Kruse, who lived somewhere in Trenton, captured the scene from his security camera and uploaded it on YouTube.



CBS News also tweeted the video on their social media page.

The annual Orionid meteor shower was expected to reach its peak on Wednesday night, with viewers already reporting fireballs across the Midwest on Tuesday night. This footage was taken in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and shows a bright rock trailing through the night sky. pic.twitter.com/ZgsgLaZhvO  CBS News (@CBSNews) October 21, 2021

Due to its brilliant intensity, some residents speculated if it was a falling satellite instead of a shooting star. According to USA Today, the American Meteorological Society said it "was not a natural fireball (but) the re-entry of an unknown satellite or spent rocket body."

For reference, there were more than 80 reports on the fireball, with videos and photos taken from states like Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada.

Read Also: All-Sky Camera Snaps Stunning Photo of Aurora Over Earth After Solar Outburst [VIDEO]

Experts Explain Orionid Meteor Shower

Putting aside the exciting talk of falling satellites, which escalated to the topic of aliens, experts confirmed the event was actually a "normal" fireball.

According to the researchers in CNEOS, the brightness of a shooting star depended on its size. A meteoroid is an asteroid or comet fragment orbiting around the Sun. When it enters the Earth's atmosphere, the meteoroids create a visible burning tail called meteors or shooting stars. A fireball is an unusually bright meteor that reaches visual magnitudes of -3 or brighter. Space objects about one meter in size generate this type of brightness.

The confirmed fireball was part of the celestial event called the Orionid meteor shower. According to Space, this is an annual event that peaks sometime mid-October. The event happens when Earth passes through a stream of dust called Comet 1P/Halley, or Halley's Comet. The encounter creates meteor showers visible anywhere around Earth.

Note, however, that its peak visibility happens at 2 AM local time. The meteor shower often remains active through late October until early November.

Comparing the facts, the fireball was recorded at Orionid peak hours. WDIV meteorologist Paul Gross explained that the fireball was a large piece of space rock that "burned up in the atmosphere," per Detroit Free Press.

Although experts call the event completely "normal," it definitely sparked a lot of talk and discussion on the internet.

Related Article: NASA Perseverance Rover Successfully Records and Sends Audio From Mars; Here's How the Red Planet Sounds Like
The Marvel sequel of "Doctor Strange" will handle the multiverse's arrival to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) head-on, unfortunately, there's no way of knowing what it will look like.

Fortunately, the irrepressible MCU rumor mill has produced a huge list of leaks and rumors regarding who could possibly appear in the sequel.

While Wanda Maximoff's appearance is guaranteed, there is still speculation that her twin sons Billy and Tommy will be reunited with her, especially as fans have witnessed their heartbreaking goodbyes in the Disney+ series "WandaVision."

Then there's also the possibility that Loki and Sylvie will arise as a result of Loki accidentally creating the multiverse.

But it's possible that the most thrilling cameo of all will be from a major "X-Men" character.

'Doctor Strange 2'

According to Variety, it looks like Marvel fans need to extend more their patience and prepare to wait a little longer for MCU's Doctor Strange, Thor, and Black Panther to return to theaters.

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" has been pushed back from March 25 to May 6, 2022; "Thor: Love and Thunder" has been pushed back from May 6 to July 8, 2022, and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" has been pushed back from July 8 to November 11, 2022.

Due to the November release of the "Black Panther" sequel, "The Marvels" has been pushed back to early 2023, while "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" has been pushed back from February 17 to July 28, 2023.

MCU 'X-Men' Leaks

As reported in Inverse, it's possible that the most thrilling cameo of all MCU projects will be from a major X-Men character.

A different Professor X will be a part of a squad of villains known as the Illuminati, who will be the antagonists of "Multiverse of Madness." At least, that's what leaker @ViewerAnon said in August.

Nonetheless, the rumor was viewed with cautious skepticism, as with any unconfirmed leaks.

However, the account recently followed up with a second tweet, confirming that they're nearly certain Professor X will appear in the "Multiverse of Madness," and that it will be Patrick Stewart's rendition of the character.

I am now 94.9% sure it's Patrick Stewart in DOCTOR STRANGE 2  VampireAnon (@ViewerAnon) October 20, 2021

If the speculations going around is correct, this will be an X-Men MCU debut, something that has been widely speculated for a long time and is something that Marvel fans have been hoping to happen for the longest time.

Read Also: 'WandaVision' Costume, Season 2 and Updates: Evil Witch Agatha Harkness Spin-Off Possible, New Scarlet Witch Statue Released

Patrick Stewart as Professor X

This may appear to be a no-brainer at first glance, but Stewart's participation would be a significant deal for MCU.

Nevertheless, Professor X may come as a form we've never seen before, thanks to the film's multiverse premise, but Stewart's casting as the infamous mutant would indicate that efforts to blend the familiar X-Men brand with the MCU are in the works.

If the rumor is true, Stewart's Professor X would be in "Doctor Strange 2."

However, the issue remains: how significant will his contribution be? Given the expected appearances of earlier characters, the sequel might rapidly become a clown car of cameos.

Charles Xavier and Stephen Strange don't have many interactions in the comics, but one of them is in a narrative that MCU fans will remember: House of M. This is when Professor X is concerned about Wanda's fragile mental state in that story, while Doctor Strange tries to keep her drugged.

Could Wanda be the link that connects these two worlds?

Given that "WandaVision" was also pulled from House of M, it's possible that "Multiverse of Madness" may adapt what the Disney+ series left unfinished, including Professor X.

Related Article: Marvel 'Eternals' Trailer Hypes Fans! Best Reactions, Memes, Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden Appreciation Tweets
If you already subscribe to our print edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading the Wharton Journal Spectator.
Bruce Xiaoyu Liu of Canada reacts after being announced as the winner of the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, local time. Reuters-Yonhap



By Park Ji-won



Canadian pianist Bruce Xiaoyu Liu won the first prize at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, while Korean national Lee Hyuk finished his final round without a prize.



The decision was made after 12 pianists from 10 countries competed for three days starting on Monday. The winner will receive 40,000 euros ($46,620) in prize money and a gold medal. Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin won the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, becoming the first Korean national to win the award. The competition has been held every five years since 1927.



Katarzyna Popowa-zydron, the chairwoman of the jury, said the judges asked themselves, "What kind of Chopin do we have in the 21st century?" before choosing the winner.



The 18th competition was supposed to be held last year, but was delayed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.



The winner said during a roundtable session after the announcement, "This is just a start. It is hard to keep freshness in music to continuously find new ideas. So I hope this is not the last point."





Pianist Lee Hyuk / Courtesy of Taeuk Kang

Lee, the only Korean finalist of the race and a prodigy who also plays violin and chess, was largely expected to win one of the prizes, but failed to do so. He was the fifth Korean finalist following Lim Dong-min and Lim Dong-hyuk (third Prize ex aequo in 2005), Son Yeol-eum (2005) and Cho Seon-jin (first prize in 2015). Up to 14 Korean pianists made it to the preliminary round and seven were able to go to the main competition.



Lee debuted at the Kumho Prodigy Concert in 2012. In 2018, he won third prize at the Hamamatsu Piano Competition, the second prize at the Poshan Chopin International Piano Competition and the first prize at the 2nd Kiev International Piano Competition. He also won first prize at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski International Piano Competition in 2016.



Right before the final, Lee said in short interview videos for the Chopin competition that the composer means a lot to him and having a chance to express emotions of life through music at the competition was a dream for a Chopin fan such as himself.



"Chopin's music is very important not only for me but for everyone. Chopin's nickname is a poet of music, piano. Chopin expresses so many emotions of our life by playing piano and by writing notes. I like Chopin's music so much. I am a fan of Chopin. So that was one of the biggest reasons that I decided to participate in this competition too. It was of course one of the biggest dreams for me ever and the dream came true  It is very important to make music like orchestra."





Pianist Kyohei Sorita of Japan performs in the final round hearings of the 18th Chopin Piano Competition in the Chamber Hall of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, local time. EPA-Yonhap
In this 2010 file photo, late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee, center, is seen with his family members at the Consumer Electronics show held in Las Vegas. Courtesy of Samsung Group



By Yoon Ja-young



Oct. 25 marks the first anniversary of the death of Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee. During the past year, the bereaved family handled a huge task: paying 12 trillion won ($10.1 billion) in inheritance tax. The family, which obtained loans to pay the tax, recently decided to sell 2 trillion won worth of shares.



The story has turned the spotlight on Korea's high inheritance tax, which the business circle says hampers entrepreneurship, and has prompted the government to consider revising the taxation system



Necessary but too much



Few people would disagree with the view that inheritance tax is necessary for a healthy society by lowering the concentration of wealth and enhancing equity. It is also true that only a handful of the rich are subject to the tax. According to the National Tax Service, only 2.9 percent of the heirs of deceased persons were subject to inheritance taxes last year.



Business people, however, say the tax is too high compared to other countries. Under the current inheritance tax system introduced in 2000, up to a 50-percent tax rate is applied to inherited assets that exceed 3 billion won. That is the second highest among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) following Japan at 55 percent, according to the Korea Enterprises Federation. When inheriting stocks from the largest shareholder of a business, another 20 percent tax is levied on the "managerial control premium."



"Korea is among the top in terms of not only the nominal tax rate but also in real taxes paid after deductions. It lacks support for business succession, such as tax cuts for inheritance by children," said Ha Sang-woo, head of economic research at the Korea Enterprises Federation.



The government offers tax exemptions when inheriting businesses, but these only apply to small and mid-tier companies that meet certain criteria, such as annual sales that fall short of 300 billion won. Therefore, it is difficult for the owner's family to keep control over the business for more than two generations, and this is a problem not only for conglomerates such as Samsung.



The family of the owner of Three Seven, which was the top nail clipper manufacturer, had to sell all of their shares in 2008 due to a hefty inheritance tax burden following the sudden death of the founder. The family of the owner of Unidus, which was once the world's top condom manufacturer, also handed over managerial control of the company to a private equity fund in 2017 due to the inheritance tax; and the founder of kitchen utensil manufacturer LocknLock also sold his stake to a private equity fund in 2017 instead of handing over the business to his family, reportedly due to the burden of inheritance tax.




A Starbucks store in Seoul is seen in this July file photo. Yonhap



Mergepoint fiasco sparks probes into digital cash issuers



By Park Jae-hyuk



Starbucks Coffee Korea has been included in the Financial Supervisory Service's (FSS) inspection of the financial soundness of 58 digital cash issuers that are not registered as electronic financial business operators, the financial watchdog said Thursday.



Coupang was initially thought to be included in the 58 companies as well, but the FSS said that the e-commerce firm's mobile payment unit is a registered electronic financial business operator subject to its supervision.



"We have received Coupang Pay's financial data," said an FSS official in charge of supervising electronic financial business operators.



The latest inspection is intended to prevent the recurrence of incidents similar to a case involving Mergepoint, an electronic payment service provider that abruptly blocked customers from using their pre-paid coupons at its affiliated stores in August, triggering a fiasco similar to a bank run.



The Electronic Financial Transactions Act does not force Starbucks to be registered as an electronic financial business operator, because the digital cash issued by the coffeehouse chain can be used only at its stores.



The FSS, however, demanded that the company submit its financial data, considering the significant amount of cash customers have loaded into Starbucks' pre-paid gift cards and app.



Data from Rep. Hong Sung-kook of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) showed that 180.1 billion won ($153 million) was loaded into the Starbucks app as of last December, while 8.3 billion won was loaded onto the Coffee Bean Korea app, 3.3 billion won into the Ediya Coffee app, 2.8 billion won into the Hollys Coffee app and 2.5 billion won into the app run by A Twosome Place.



"If they go bankrupt, pay their debts with the pre-paid cash or make risky investments with the money, the authorities cannot regulate them," the lawmaker said.



Starbucks took out insurance to cover compensation expenses in case it loses the pre-paid money, but the FSS chose Starbucks as the only coffeehouse chain to be included in the recent inspection, in light of the amount of the pre-paid cash loaded into its app, which exceeds the amount of money loaded into large fintech apps.



According to Rep. Hong, 126.4 billion won was loaded onto Naver Financial's Naver Pay app, and 130.1 billion won was loaded onto Viva Republica's Toss app. Both firms are subject to the Electronic Financial Transactions Act.





Financial Services Commission Chairman Koh Seung-beom, right, talks with Financial Supervisory Service Governor Jeong Eun-bo, during the National Assembly audit in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap



On a related note, FSS Governor Jeong Eun-bo said during Thursday's National Assembly audit that the range of companies subject to the law should be readjusted to close regulatory loopholes.



Financial Services Commission Chairman Koh Seung-beom shared this view, saying he wants the Electronic Financial Transactions Act to be revised as soon as possible to better protect consumers.



A day earlier, Fair Trade Commission Chairperson Joh Sung-wook also vowed that the antitrust regulator will look into how coffee shop chains and domestic companies use their pre-paid cash.





Coupang CEO Kang Han-seung is sworn in during the National Assembly audit in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
A man watches a TV screen showing an image of North Korea's ballistic missile launched from a submarine during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, Oct. 20. North Korea said Thursday its recent test-firing of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile was not targeted toward the United States. AP-Yonhap



North Korea said Thursday its recent test-firing of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) was not targeted toward the United States, adding there is no need for Washington to "worry or agonize" over it.



A spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry expressed concerns over "nonsensical" reactions from the U.S. and the U.N. Security Council over its "rightful exercise of right to defense" in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).



Two days earlier, North Korea fired an SLBM from the vicinity of Sinpo, where its main submarine shipyard is located. It marked the North's eighth known major missile test this year.



"If they don't take issues with our rightful exercise of sovereignty, there will never be an incident raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but if the U.S. and its followers make the wrong choice, it could serve as a catalyst for more grave and serious consequences," the North warned in the statement.



The North said the U.S.' criticism against its weapons development is clearly a "double standard" that only raises suspicion over the authenticity of the claim that it does not harbor hostility toward Pyongyang.



Calling the U.N. Security Council's emergency meeting on the SLBM test as "provocative," the spokesperson said the U.S. and South Korea are not its "arch-enemy."



"As our test-launch was planned purely for national defense, not in consideration of or targeting the U.S., there is no need for it to worry or agonize," added the spokesperson, whose name was not revealed.



The U.S. has condemned North Korea's recent missile tests but reaffirmed that it remains committed to engaging with Pyongyang in dialogue.



"We've stated our openness to having those discussions with North Korea for months now," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday. (Yonhap)


Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol, right, and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong attend the National Assembly's audit of the health ministry and the KDCA, Wednesday. Joint press corps



By Jun Ji-hye



The government is pushing to introduce its "Living with COVID-19" phase Nov. 1 at the earliest, as the nation's vaccination rate is expected to reach 70 percent in the coming days, according to Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol.



Kwon said the government was "considering" beginning the plan that day, under which the health authorities will ease social distancing measures and focus more on managing critically ill patients rather than all virus cases.



The minister made the remarks during the National Assembly's audit of the health ministry and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Wednesday.



Kwon's comments indicated that the schedule for the policy shift could be moved up by about a week, as the government had previously said the change could take place around Nov. 9.



The earlier-than-expected policy switch comes as the nation's vaccination rate has been gaining speed.



KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong told the Assembly session, "We expect the vaccination rate to reach 70 percent between Oct. 23 and 25 and 80 percent in November."









The 70 percent mark is the level under which the government believes the country can attain herd immunity.





A medical worker guides people at a public health center in Seoul's Songpa District, Thursday. Yonhap




Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will visit Russia next week for discussions on bilateral ties and issues surrounding the Korean peninsula, the foreign ministry said Thursday.







Chung will arrive in Russia on Tuesday for a three-day trip and will hold talks with his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Wednesday.







The two will meet for the first time since the Russian foreign minister visited Seoul in March this year.







The talks are expected to touch on recent developments on the peninsula as Seoul steps up its peace efforts.







Chung's visit to Russia comes after South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, Noh Kyu-duk, met with his Russian counterpart, Igor Morgulov, in Moscow last week to discuss ways to revive long-stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea.







Chung and Lavrov will exchange views on a wide range of matters, including bilateral relations, the Korean peninsula issue, cooperation in various fields, as well as regional and global issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a release.







Chung's trip is expected to "strengthen strategic communication with Russia and deepen friendly relations," it added.







The ministers will also attend a closing ceremony Wednesday of the Korea-Russia Year of Cultural Exchanges, which marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the two countries.







The two countries had initially designated 2020 for the commemorative year, but it was extended to include this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.







The relations between Seoul and Moscow were established on Sept. 30, 1990. (Yonhap)


Taliban fighters stand guard after an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 20. AP-Yonhap





By Yoon Ja-young







Korea's spy agency is monitoring foreign nationals residing here who have posted threats on social media against Afghan evacuees, a local newspaper reported Wednesday.







According to a report in the Donga Ilbo, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) is tracking foreign nationals who have threatened "Afghans of special merit to Korea"  people who worked for Korean missions in Afghanistan and were later evacuated to Korea.







After the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, about 390 Afghans were airlifted here and are currently staying in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, preparing to settle permanently. The evacuees are comprised of Afghans who worked for the Korean embassy and other facilities run by Korea in Afghanistan, as well as their family members. The government recognized their contributions to Korea and granted them special residence permits.







According to the Donga Ilbo, one foreign national who posted threatening messages comes from a country in Southwest Asia and claimed that the Afghan evacuees "helped the U.S. kill Muslims," adding they should be "banned from entering the Muslim community in Korea."







The person also reportedly posted a poem lauding the Taliban. In the poem, written in Urdu, a language widely spoken in Pakistan and parts of India, he wrote, "Do not assume that I am praying for peace. I am an authentic soldier of my holy land," according to the Donga Ilbo. The newspaper added that the person claimed, in a separate social media message, that people in Afghanistan supported the Taliban.







More than 100 foreign nationals have been expelled for violating the Act on Counter-terrorism, which was adopted in 2016. Most of them collected funds for terrorists or were found to have been members of terrorist groups before coming to Korea.







After the Afghan evacuees arrived here, the NIS said a number of threats were made against them, according to the Donga Ilbo. It reported that an overseas spy agency recently notified the NIS that Korea is among the countries it believed were vulnerable to potential terrorist attacks.


South Korea's homegrown space rocket is erected on a launch pad before a wet dress rehearsal at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, Aug. 26, in this photo provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT. Yonhap



South Korea was preparing Thursday to launch its first homegrown space launch vehicle in the latest attempt to foster its space program and join the elite global space club.



The KSLV-II -- also known as Nuri -- is set to blast off from the Naro Space Center in the country's southern coastal village of Goheung at 5 p.m., one hour behind schedule, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.



Yong Hong-taek, the first vice minister at the Ministry of Science and ICT, told a press briefing that engineers spent "additional time checking valves inside the launch vehicle."



The 200-ton Nuri is intended to put a 1.5-ton dummy satellite into orbit, a space launch vehicle technology that South Korea has been seeking to acquire for more than a decade for its space program.



If successful, the Nuri rocket will be South Korea's first space vehicle wholly designed and built in the country.



The planned launch comes amid tensions over North Korea's test-firing of a new submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Tuesday, the latest in a series of missile launches by the North.



On Thursday, North Korea's foreign ministry expressed concerns over "nonsensical" reaction from the United States and the U.N. Security Council over Pyongyang's "rightful exercise of right to defense."



The U.N. Security Council held an emergency closed-door meeting on the North's SLBM test on Wednesday (New York time).



The U.S. State Department has condemned the North Korean missile launch as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit any nuclear or ballistic missile tests by the North.



Nuri's success or failure can be determined in around 30 minutes after liftoff, officials at KARI said.



The success rate for newly developed rockets at first attempt is 30 percent to date, they added.



South Korea's rocket launches ended in failures in 2009 and 2010.



In 2013, South Korea successfully launched its first-ever Naro space rocket, though its first stage was built in Russia.



South Korea has invested nearly 2 trillion won (US$1.8 billion) in building the three-stage Nuri since 2010.



The three-stage Nuri rocket uses a clustering of four 75-ton liquid engines in its first stage, a 75-ton liquid engine in the second stage and a 7-ton liquid engine in the third stage.



A successful launch would make South Korea the seventh country in the world to have developed a space launch vehicle that can carry a more than 1-ton satellite, after Russia, the United States, France, China, Japan and India.



It would also mean South Korea will now have secured the key technology for developing and launching space rockets carrying homegrown satellites, opening up a new era in the country's space program.



South Korea, a relative latecomer to the global space development race, has recently ramped up efforts in its space program, with plans to launch its first lunar orbiter next year.



The development of homegrown space rocket is crucial as the transfer of missile technology among countries is strictly controlled under international guidelines such as the Missile Technology Control Regime, which South Korea joined in 2001.



South Korea's rocket development program had previously been limited by bilateral missile guidelines from the United States, originally put in place in 1979.



The two allies, however, agreed to scrap the restrictions during a summit in May, ensuring full autonomy in South Korea's efforts to develop space launch vehicles.



South Korea plans to conduct four more launches of the Nuri until 2027 to increase reliability, KARI said. (Yonhap)
Main opposition People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok speaks during a meeting with party members at its regional branch in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, Thursday. Yonhap



PPP presidential contender expresses 'regret' over remarks praising ex-dictator



By Jung Da-min



The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has been baffled by remarks by its leading presidential contender, Yoon Seok-youl, which seemed to defend former dictator Chun Doo-hwan and angered residents of Gwangju and the Jeolla region who suffered from his brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests.



Out of concern that the comments may diminish support for the party from residents in the region and prompt more centrist voters to turn their back on the party, the PPP's chief rushed to the region to appease residents, while Yoon "reluctantly" expressed regret over his remarks, but did not apologize.



PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok visited Yeosu and Suncheon in South Jeolla Province, Thursday, and met party members and residents there. The visit was hurriedly arranged the previous day after Yoon's remarks caused a stir.



Yoon said Tuesday that the former president was "good at politics aside from the military coup and suppression of the May 18 Gwangju uprising," and, "quite a lot of people in the Honam region (meaning Gwangju and South and North Jeolla provinces) also say so." Yoon was trying to say that Chun appointed capable people in each sector to ensure smooth state affairs and he would also do so if elected as president, the party later clarified.



Chun, who led a military coup in December 1979 to take over the country, ordered the brutal suppression of pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju, and many people in the region are still deeply scarred by the incident.



During his visit, Lee said he did not agree with Yoon's remarks whatever his intention was, saying "Chun was never engaged in politics; he only ruled over people."



He said a portrait of Chun is the only one missing among paintings of former presidents of the country that are kept in the party chairman's office, which means the group does not commemorate his rule.



"Yoon's remarks have weakened his own competitiveness and people's expectations of him," Lee said. "As the party leader, when setting up the principles and philosophy of the party, I'll ensure opinion that is different from historical fact will not be reflected in the principles."



The previous day, Lee also said Yoon's remarks were definitely improper and advised the candidate to apologize to the people who were hurt by the comments.



As criticism mounted, Yoon said, Thursday, "I humbly accept many people's criticism that my remarks were improper. I express regret."



But he did not issue an apology and only added that he would try harder to understand public opinion. He said he would visit Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces later to meet people there.


Police try to prevent members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions from occupying a street in downtown Seoul, Wednesday, during a labor rally. Yonhap



By Bahk Eun-ji



Civic groups and local governments have filed complaints with the police against the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) for pushing ahead with mass rallies across the nation, Wednesday, in violation of the social distancing measures and the law on assembly.



The umbrella union organized a general strike and held demonstrations, including one in Seoul where about 27,000 participants took to the street, even though such a large-scale gathering was illegal according to the current social distancing measures. Not only the public health authorities, but also many citizens have expressed concerns over a possible virus resurgence as the nation is moving toward a "Living with COVID-19" scheme.



A civic group representing people preparing for the bar exam filed a complaint with the police, Thursday, asking them to punish all participants of the rallies for violating the laws on assembly and infectious disease prevention, as well as the obstruction of traffic and business.






A truck hired by Starbucks Korea workers displays a sign calling for improvements in their working conditions on a road near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul, Oct. 7. The workers carried out the collective action without a union, and they refused an umbrella union's offer of help. Yonhap



Digital platforms become young workers' methods for labor struggle



By Lee Hae-rin



Employees at Starbucks Korea staged a group action to protest their excessive workload in late September, and last week they were promised additional staffing and wage increases. What was unusual about the protest was that the company has never had a union, yet the protest was quick, systematic and successful.



The employees, mostly in their 20s and 30s, managed to publicize their labor issues in less than a week via the anonymous company review platform Blind, and raised 3 million won ($2,552) in funds via mobile banking service Toss within three hours. Then, they contacted an event-planning agency after seeking legal advice to organize a series of protests using trucks with signboards.



The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the nation's two umbrella unions, offered to help them and invited them to join the union, however, the employees refused without hesitation.



"Starbucks Korea, without a union, has led the food and beverage industry and made its partners devoted and proud for the past 22 years. Do not take advantage of our collective action for the unions' interest," a Starbucks employee wrote on Blind.



Similar action took place on Blind in July among young workers at E-mart concerning their bonus system. In response, the company promised to raise their bonus by 30 percent along with a special incentive that is about 50 percent of their basic pay.



The company has three different unions, two of which are affiliated with the KCTU and the other, with the Federation of Korea Trade Unions, another umbrella union. However, the action by workers not belonging to any of the unions was quicker and more effective than those belonging to the three unions, leading to the company's response.



Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012), together known as the "MZ Generation," are leading a new labor movement here. Unlike their parents' generations, they no longer depend on the traditional system of joining unions to communicate with bosses and improve their working conditions.



Instead, the young workers make public their labor issues online via social media and digital platforms and take issues-based guerilla action in which they gather and scatter, without holding a permanent affiliation to any particular group.



"The MZ Generation is very independent, practical and goal-oriented. They prefer to take collective action to solve a specific problem, rather than joining a union for protection. Once the problem is solved, the group dissolves," Lim Myoung-ho, a professor of psychology at Dankook University, told The Korea Times.





gettyimagesbank




By Lee Min-young



'Squid Game' used in violent public ad urging people to get vaccinated



The first episode of Netflix's dystopian series Squid Game starts with the Korean traditional folk game "Mugunghwa flower has blossomed" or "Red light, Green light" with a giant doll standing in front of a group of contestants.



The doll allows players to move only when they hear her singsong voice saying, "Mugunghwa flower has blossomed." Those caught even flinching after the doll utters those words are shot and scores of people fall dead.



The survival drama is supposed to be disturbing and brutal, but a parody crafted by NTR, a Dutch public-service broadcaster, took things too far.



NTR's talk show DeSocieteit posted a controversial Squid Game parody video of the Red Light, Green Light game on the program's social media on Oct. 16.



The video starts with a giant doll singing "Who isn't vaccinated?" and then turns back to shoot people who didn't get their injections.



The campaign seems to have been made to convince young people in the Netherlands to get their vaccine shots, but some say the video is a graphic public campaign to have people get vaccinated.



What are your thoughts on this? Check out the clip.




By Arthur I. Cyr





The government of France bitterly denounced Australia's decision to purchase nuclear submarines from the United States and Britain. One byproduct is cancellation of a sale of French conventional subs to Canberra.



French outrage is not exactly justified. France stands out as a nationalist nation, with special insecurities. In 2015, France agreed to supply two aircraft carriers to Russia. Paris cancelled the deal only after sustained pressure from allies.



In 2019, President Emmanuel Macron of France issued a dramatic declaration in favor of European independence from NATO, and the United States. Instead, he preferred a European military organization, accompanied by a separate diplomatic role in the world.



This dream, like others from France's leaders, has not become reality.



Since World War II, France has followed a singularly independent role regarding Europe and especially the United States, particularly after General Charles de Gaulle became president in the late 1950s. In the midst of growing disagreements and acrimony, in 1966 France demanded that NATO depart the nation. Alliance headquarters was moved to Belgium. In 2009, France returned to full participation in the alliance.



Breaking away from NATO was central in the strategy of President de Gaulle. The dedicated leader of the Free French during World War II returned to national leadership in a time of extremely grave crisis and public anxiety. Defeat by Germany, then again in 1954 by Communist revolutionaries in Indochina, another enervating war in Algeria, and the revolving door character of post-war governments all contributed to the perception that France was a severely troubled member of the Atlantic alliance.



After returning to power, General de Gaulle skillfully employed a three-pronged strategy involving image, institutions and foreign policy. His remarkable career and personality permitted him to appeal simultaneously to French traditions of monarchism, patriotism and populism. He appeared aloof and was often imperious, yet also used popular referenda.



De Gaulle established the Fifth Republic, including a new constitution granting exceptional executive power to the president. He rebuilt French self-confidence through emphasis on the "force de frappe," the independent national nuclear force, plus diplomacy. The nuclear deterrent became a potent symbol of national pride and independence.



Except for Britain, a unique special partner, the United States has opposed other nations' development of nuclear weapons. The Kennedy administration was assertive compared to the non-confrontational Eisenhower administration in pressing U.S. policies on Europe. The resulting clash between JFK and de Gaulle made for dramatic political theatre, featuring intriguing personalities, but based also on profound policy differences, unlike today.



Along with rejoining NATO, the government of France announced financial compensation for people suffering ill health from France's nuclear tests in the atmosphere. Previously, there was reluctance even to acknowledge significant health risks.



De Gaulle's legacy includes today's powerful political institutions and capacity to support NATO from a position of strength. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, French aircraft joined others in patrolling North American air space. Crack French troops have been successful in bringing stability to Mali and other parts of Africa.



In 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development began. France is a leading founder of this effort to spur investment in Eastern Europe. The Bank today stands firmly established as a powerful engine for economic integration.



In contrast to the Cold War era, powerful economic incentives keep investment capital moving across borders, and across the Atlantic. Keep this context in mind regarding "crises."





Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College in Wisconsin and author of "After the Cold War" (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan).


By Nicholas Goldberg





Recently a White House commission heard testimony on a controversial proposal to strip the U.S. Supreme Court of its power to rule on the constitutionality of American laws. The court has grown too powerful and undemocratic, several witnesses said.



A few weeks later, a legal scholar wrote that it was time to lengthen the ludicrously short two-year terms that members of the House of Representatives serve under the Constitution. Little can get done, he wrote, in an atmosphere of perpetual campaigning.



Around the country, there are conversations underway about how the U.S. Senate could be restructured so that it doesn't allot the same number of senators  two  to a state like Wyoming, which has fewer than 600,000 people, as it does to California, which has nearly 40 million people. The current system leaves millions of Americans grossly underrepresented.



There's also talk of doing away with the electoral college, of banning corporate money from politics, of breaking up the biggest states (Los Angeles County could become the country's eighth-largest state!), of depoliticizing redistricting and of allowing noncitizens to vote.



Many of the proposals are old ones, long backed by frustrated academics and head-in-the-clouds idealists, but in my circles at least, I hear a new sense of urgency for radical, structural change in the government.



Is it any surprise?



The country is in the grips of crisis, stuck, incapable of moving forward. Presidents can't fulfill their agendas. Congress can't agree on legislation. The Supreme Court is deeply politicized. We're still reeling from four years under President Trump, who trampled on democracy and its rules. Bipartisanship is passe.



Problems as serious as the climate crisis, economic inequality and racial injustice, and problems as simple and uncontroversial as rebuilding crumbling infrastructure and covering our national debts, seem insuperable in the face of partisanship and enmity.



It's no wonder Americans are eager to reinvent or reinvigorate democracy.



I'd like to tell you that change is coming. Many of the proposals, after all, would improve our lot. The electoral college is an anachronism  of course the presidency should go to the candidate who wins the most votes. The structure of the Senate is a glaring violation of the principle of one-person, one-vote; the result of a deal from 1787 that badly needs reassessment.



But ironically, at a time when people are willing to consider big changes, big changes may be more distant than ever.



Truly substantive reforms  eliminating the electoral college or remaking the Senate, for instance, or undoing the Citizens United decision  would require amending the U.S. Constitution.



Well, great, you might think  that's why we have an amendment process, to keep the 234-year-old Constitution up to date with the modern world. Let's get started.



But don't get overexcited. In the 50 years since 1971, only one constitutional amendment has been approved, a relatively insignificant one about when congressional pay changes can go into effect. The amendment before that  extending the vote to 18-year-olds  could never succeed in today's partisan environment because it would be likely to benefit one party over the other.



More than 11,000 amendments have been proposed since 1789, but only 27 have been enacted.



Why so few? Because they're extremely hard to pass. Too hard. To succeed, a constitutional amendment is usually proposed by a vote of two-thirds of both houses of Congress. After that it must be ratified by three-quarters of the states (currently, 38 of them). That's right  a double supermajority.



Good luck with that in this political climate. One critic recently went so far as to question whether the U.S. would ever pass a constitutional amendment again, quoting Aziz Rana, a constitutional law professor at Cornell University, saying: "We have an amendment process that's the hardest in the world to enact."



And if you want to change that amendment process? That requires an amendment.



Even legislative change that could be accomplished by Congress alone  for instance, rewriting the Voting Rights Act, which was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013  is virtually impossible in the polarized mess of present-day Washington.



That's why so many Democrats are focused on eliminating the filibuster, which makes it impossible to pass most legislation without a 60-vote supermajority in the 100-member Senate. Because the filibuster is a Senate rule, it could be abolished relatively easily through procedural maneuvering.



Theoretically.



But not all Democrats agree on doing away with the filibuster, so even finding a majority to do so could be difficult.



Eliminating the filibuster is the kind of change that seems like a great idea when  as is now the case for Democrats  your party is in power but is not strong enough to surmount the 60-vote threshold. But if you get rid of it, you must be prepared for the consequences when your party loses its majority (which could easily happen to Democrats in the Senate next year). You might come to regret the change.



Many of us were brought up on American exceptionalism and post-World War II braggadocio. It was common to hear the U.S. called the greatest country in the world, and for children to be taught that our Constitution was the most democratic and progressive there was.



That self-image has been badly battered recently.



For a society to remain healthy, responsive to its citizens and truly democratic, it needs to be able to change. And that doesn't happen easily in the United States.



Nevertheless, what choice do we have other than to keep trying, to vote our consciences, to protest peacefully and to speak out in favor of substantive democratic reform?



The alternative is more of the same.





Nicholas Goldberg is an associate editor and Op-Ed columnist for the Los Angeles Times. This article was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.


By Tom Plate





Perpetual inequality will only increase if we always look the other way. This is especially so if, as some predictions suggest, the global population hits 10 billion in 2050, with more than 5 billion in Asia alone.







Just as the 2008 financial meltdown oozed over the world with volcanic heat and the 1997 Asian financial crisis unhinged otherwise stable economies, so the grinding dynamic of widening inequality threatens our humanity, sense of justice and psychic equilibrium.







As the French economist Thomas Piketty wrote, "The most obvious characteristic of today's global inequality regime is that societies around the world are more intensely interdependent than ever before." It's a disease  in fact, a poverty pandemic.







The culprit is not Asia. Some leaders in the region are surfacing with a sense of collective economic conscience that challenges Wall Street, which is hardly the gold standard in the category of caring about global economic inequality.







Consider Japan, where new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began his party's re-election campaign with an implicit rebuff to one of his predecessors. "Abenomics" was a somewhat successful but narrowly targeted policy of hyping the stock market by babying corporations while avoiding narrowing the rich-poor divide.







Shinzo Abe, who preceded Yoshihide Suga and Kishida, was a believer in trickle-down economics. His faith in leftovers allegedly cascading off the high table of the wealthy into the mouths of the hungry was almost in the fashion of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.







There is something to be said for that approach, but not much. People notice when so many crumbs get siphoned off and squirrelled away in shadowy foreign banks or somehow squeeze through tax loopholes the size of a Lamborghini.







To be sure, Japan having a new prime minister is not especially novel. The country has changed leaders 11 times since April 2000.







Whether motivated by mere populism, new-found election campaign nerves or just conscience, Kishida's recent comments merit a serious look. Measurements of Japan's wealth gap show the country to be one of Asia's lesser ethically malformed economies.







Japan's Gini coefficient  one widely used index of income inequality  puts it in the lower half of the global ranking, which is a better place to be than the upper half. The fact is that Japan is doing better on this measure than China, the United States, Singapore or Hong Kong.







Nonetheless, at a news conference last week, Kishida admitted the government's need to direct more wealth to households rather than corporations. He said: "In order to achieve strong economic growth, it's not enough to rely just on market competition. That won't deliver the fruits of growth to the broader population."







While still managing to annoy Beijing, especially with his recent offering to the Yasukuni Shrine, Kishida is known to favor intelligent diplomacy as the strategy for dealing with China rather than an endless military build-up.







For his part, President Xi Jinping has surely noticed the new guy in Tokyo and, considering his own views on the wealth gap, might well closely watch Japan's national election results at the end of the month. China's leader seems as complex as the country he rules and, in terms of social conscience, he deserves to be heard.







In a recent article in the Communist Party journal Qiushi, Xi asserts that China's government must do more to bring income levels closer together. "Only by promoting common prosperity, increasing the income of urban and rural residents and improving human capital can we increase overall productivity and consolidate the foundations for high-quality development," he said.







That is easier said than done, but it is not inconsistent with the tenets of Xi's thinking. "Houses are for living in, not for speculation," he said in 2017.







Xi also raised another salient political point in that Qiushi article, saying, "China must prevent polarization, promote common prosperity and achieve social harmony and stability." Yes, the issue Xi is facing is a destabilizing monster, a mushrooming global leviathan.







Across the Pacific sits U.S. President Joe Biden. His massive economic recovery legislation is being hacked away at in Congress and could fail completely if all the self-interested parties and lobbyists have their way.







That is unfortunate as its central conception  that America's rich need to pay more so its less fortunate can ease their suffering  is the right way for the country to go at a time of rising inequality. In 2018, the top 1 percent of U.S. earners averaged almost 40 times more income than the bottom 90 percent.







The best American ethos is that everyone must have a chance. "People often feed the hungry so that nothing may disturb the enjoyment of a good meal," the late English novelist and playwright W. Somerset Maugham quipped in his diary. The trick is to solve the problem of wealth disparity without levelling the playing field so much that no one has any money to speak of and not much to eat.







It is possible that Beijing's centralized political system, for all its central-command authoritarianism, might be no more adept than Washington's decentralized circus. But the American people might get other ideas if the U.S. does not start doing the right thing while Xi's China shows progress.







One can almost imagine that, very far east of Eden, insufferable moral infants will find themselves stuck in the mud of indifference and never manage to entertain a progressive thought toward reducing socioeconomic inequality.











Tom Plate ( platecolumn@gmail.com ) is a professor at Loyola Marymount University and vice-president of the Pacific Century Institute in Los Angeles. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times. The above article was distributed by the South China Morning Post.
By Tom Purcell





Despite the many blessings of living in America, why aren't more Americans happy?



According to World Population Review, the 2021 World Happiness Report ranks America as the 19th happiest out of 146 countries.



The report bases happiness on six categories, including gross domestic product (GDP), social support, life expectancy, generosity, perceptions of each country's corruption levels, and the freedom for citizens to make their own life choices.



GDP is a general estimate of the total value of finished goods and services that a country has produced within a specific period of time, usually measured in a year.



America has the highest GDP in the world, yet that isn't producing the highest happiness ranking in the world.



To be sure, money isn't everything where happiness is concerned, according to?Time.



Several studies show that once your basic financial needs are met and you have enough money to enjoy a few niceties, more money does not necessarily equate to more happiness.



Though, as my Uncle Bert has wisely noted, if you're going to be miserable anyway, you might as well be rich!



America's life expectancy ranking is awfully disappointing. Out of 227 countries, we rank 46th. Other advanced economies are doing much better than we are. Our neighbor Canada is ranked sixth.



Understanding why we aren't living longer requires deep examination, but a report by the National Institute of Health explains why it would negatively impact our happiness ranking.



That brings us to generosity.



According to the 2019 World Giving Index (PDF), Americans had been the most generous people on Earth for the prior decade, reports Marketwatch.



However, the 2021 World Giving Index (PDF) says the USA "has seen a significant decline across all three scores since 2016  a trend which accelerated in 2020."



Why are Americans giving less? When the downtrend began in 2016, The Atlantic tried to identify the underlying causes.



Cynicism could be one of them.



"Fewer Americans feel that their volunteer work and donations actually make a difference in their communities," reports The Atlantic.



Since helping others brings you a lot of joy, is our reduction in giving another source of our unhappiness?



Then there is our perception of corruption.



If you live in a country where government corruption is high, you likely feel powerless in your ability to influence your government's policies with your voice and your vote.



When President Trump won in 2016, half the country thought he stole the election. Today, the other half of the country thinks President Biden stole the 2020 election.



With perception of government corruption running high, I suppose it could contribute to the unhappiness of many Americans.



The last measure of happiness in the World Population Review involves the freedom of citizens to make their own life choices  a basic freedom that has been significantly limited by some state governments during the COVID pandemic.



States like Florida and South Dakota generally kept their economies and schools open and preserved their citizens' freedom to make their own decisions, but states like California enforced strict lockdowns and mask mandates  making many people very unhappy.



Now that I think about it, given what we've gone through the last year and a half, maybe we should be happy we didn't rank considerably lower than 19th on the 2021 World Happiness Report.





Tom Purcell (Tom@TomPurcell.com) is an author and humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. His article was distributed by Cagle Cartoons Inc.


By Andrew Hammond





With Germany's 2022 presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) beginning in January, the three political parties negotiating a new coalition in Berlin will begin formal talks  sooner than expected  to try to take up the reins of power before year end.







Germany's hosting of the G7 is not the only big, upcoming international event that is putting urgency into the coalition negotiations with this autumn also seeing the G20 and the Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP 26). While a new coalition is unlikely before those summits, which Angela Merkel is likely to attend in her role as caretaker chancellor, her expected replacement Olaf Scholz wants to try to ensure he is in power to kick off his nation's big G7 year.







The anticipated new "traffic light" coalition led by the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) in combination with the pro-business liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Green Party will see potentially important policy changes on the horizon. While many see the main contribution of the Greens, who placed third in last month's election, to be on sustainability or Environment, Social Governance (ESG) issues, it could be other issues such as China where it has unexpected impact.







This is because this year's election indicated that there is a relative political consensus among the key parties over topics like global warming. However, there is a sharper divergence over China ahead of next year's 50th anniversary of bilateral ties, compared to the Merkel era, which could see a more conflictual policy, including over human rights and Xinjiang.







The Greens advocate a more strongly "human-rights centric" approach to Beijing with one of the party's MEP's, Reinhard Butikofer, asserting recently that "Germany's unbalanced China policy is heavily skewed toward the interests of a few multinational corporations at the expense of other sectors of our economy, and certainly at the expense of our values and security concerns."







The closeness of Beijing and Berlin the last decade and a half was underlined by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he held a video conference with Merkel. He said she has always been a friend of the Chinese people and welcomed her to visit the country after leaving office.







Beijing regards Merkel as a stabilizing ally who helped counteract the growing number of U.S. and European politicians, including former President Donald Trump, calling for decoupling from China. In recent months, for instance, the German chancellor has pushed hard for an EU investment deal with Beijing, which was sealed last year, and spoke out against the idea that democracies should unite to isolate Beijing diplomatically.







Thanks in part to the strong economic relationship between Germany and China, Berlin has traditionally been un-confrontational to Beijing on human rights abuses.







In the years preceding Merkel's ascension to power in 2005, China joined the World Trade Organization and German firms, many of which began setting up operations in China in the 1970s, profited big timer. Since 2015, China has been Germany's largest trading partner with the pair exchanging goods worth more than 250 billion dollars in 2020.







Yet, Merkel's "change through trade" strategy has fewer remaining supporters. Under Xi, China's economy remains under tight state control, and alleged human rights abuses against Uighurs in Xinjiang and political dissidents have received more attention.







China aside, one of the broader concerns held by many about Germany's foreign policy in the potential new coalition of three  rather than two  parties is that policy direction will be more contested.







This underlines that, ultimately, Germany's political flux is not just a domestic issue, but one that also matters deeply for Europe, and indeed the world at large too. Historically, many Germans have been generally content with their post-Cold War lot, seeing themselves as beneficiaries of globalization but this may be changing as shown by the rise of smaller parties with, for instance, the Greens topping national polls for the first time ever earlier this year.







Looking forward, the nation's multiparty system future may therefore now mean that politics is generally more unstable and less predictable with even greater challenge each election cycle to establish a governing coalition. So there may be more rotating coalitions with problems this can bring, including potential paralysis and the prospect of the chancellorship becoming weaker, a challenge Scholtz may soon have to contend with if he replaces Merkel.







This underlines the historical crossroads the nation is now at. While a multiparty system could have some positives, the political danger is a potentially weaker Germany and Europe at a time of growing global geopolitical flux and economic uncertainty in the 2020s.







Andrew Hammond ( andrewkorea@outlook.com ) is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
Kakao CEO Yeo Min-soo, right, and Yoo Bong-seok, head of Naver's media platform center, sit side by side as witnesses during an audit run by the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee at the Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



Big tech companies are expected to be largely unaffected by the National Assembly's audit on the banking industry, as the lawmakers did not manage to adequately address the firms' dominance over the mobile banking market, according to market observers.



Mobile banking giants Kakao and Naver were scrutinized by lawmakers during the three-week-long audit ending Thursday, for their sprawling expansion into over 100 different businesses by capitalizing on their dominant customer base.



Accordingly, Kakao and Naver executives were summoned as witnesses in multiple hearings run by different Assembly committees.



"I am not sure whether the members of those committees pinpointed issues on fair trade, antitrust and joint prosperity regarding the banking business," said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.



He assessed that the Assembly's scrutiny on Kakao and Naver was heavily focused on non-financial sectors dominated by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), such as cab-hailing services and beauty shops.



Before the audit, calls had been growing within the financial industry for measures to be taken to curb Kakao and Naver, which have been luring customers away from major commercial banks while avoiding relevant responsibilities.



Using their high-tech infrastructure, the companies have been introducing one-click payment, money lending, deposit and other electronic services and commercial banks have been struggling to catch up.



Their business expansions were also made possible as the platform operators have already secured potential customers, who are subscribers to chatting and other free smartphone apps.



With no revised law to address the major changes affecting the banking industry, the platform operators have so far been exempt from regulations on banks. This was another plus for them to stay ahead in the competition with traditional lenders.



"The commercial banks appear to have received less attention than SMEs and self-employed people, because the banks are making profits," an industry source said, noting the major lenders are anticipated to enjoy hefty profits in the third quarter. "The very survival of banks, however, will be under threat if the government and Assembly do not take preemptive steps to cope with changing banking trends."



In a report released early this month, SK Securities projected the platform operators to expand their banking businesses through two ways  formally acquiring a banking license or partnering with a financial services firm.



In particular, the competition between the platform operators and commercial banks will only intensify in the payment market.



This is because online payments are the largest and fastest-growing category in the fintech industry, along with data analysis, blockchain, digital wallet, software development and asset management.



Citing data from McKinsey and Company, SK Securities said the global electronic payment market was scaled at $2 trillion in 2019.



The brokerage house said ecommerce will contribute to growing demand for electronic payments, noting that the online shopping market saw an annual average growth of 18 percent from 2015 to 2019.



"The pandemic is making the ecommerce market grow even faster than expected," it said. "The platform operators may adjust their speed and shift direction in the banking business, but giving it up will not be in their scenario."


Naver Founder Lee Hae-jin, left, and Kakao Founder Kim Beom-soo speak during a National Assembly audit, Thursday. Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul



The founders of Naver and Kakao asked global content streaming service providers to pay internet service providers (ISPs) for the network usage generated by their popular platforms.



"Because we are paying for the bandwidth usage, overseas companies that use more data and network resources should pay (ISPs) an equal amount. Only after this will fair competition follow," Naver Founder and Chief Investment Officer Lee Hae-jin told lawmakers on the sidelines of his attendance at this year's annual National Assembly audit, Thursday.



Naver and Kakao have been paying between 70 billion won and 100 billion to ISPs in return for using their bandwidth. Kakao Founder Kim Beom-soo confirmed the country's top mobile application operator has been paying ISPs within that range, annually.



"Regarding the controversy over Google and Netflix's 'free ride' on using ISPs' network infrastructure, because this is more about the relationship between service providers and telecom companies, I don't exactly know a detailed metric, but I want lawmakers to do something to ensure fair competition," Kakao's founder, who also appeared before the Assembly with Naver's founder, told lawmakers.



Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman Han Sang-hyuck responded that he will try to find ways to establish binding legal ground to force global content providers such as Netflix to pay ISPs for their bandwidth usage.



Net neutrality is becoming a top issue. Netflix and other content streaming service providers are claiming that their services are more like common consumer services paid by end consumers and that the ISPs are properly compensated by consumers who pay monthly telecom bills.



But the telecom companies' standpoint is different. They say the streaming service providers should pay them more as their services result in heavy data traffic over their networks. Netflix had been saying that any hefty payments to ISPs for network usage could discriminate against them.



Earlier, President Moon Jae-in ordered relevant government agencies to explore possible ways to resolve net neutrality-related complications.



On a related note, Naver's founder said he will introduce more available measures for co-growth with local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).



"We've already been operating programs to help local SMEs and new entrants via various forms of collaboration, but if we have to do more, I will directly review [possible measures]," Lee told lawmakers.



The Naver founder denied the allegation that Naver collected more commissions from local partners using its online platform because of their profit growth. "Regarding that controversy, my answer is Naver didn't ask local partners to pay more commissions in return for using our online platform because of their profit growth."


President Moon Jae-in applauds with scientists before delivering a message to the public after witnessing the launch of Korea's first domestically-built Nuri satellite launch vehicle from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, Thursday. Yonhap



President Moon Jae-in said Thursday South Korea's first domestically-built space rocket completed all flight sequences as scheduled but fell short of putting a dummy satellite into orbit.



Moon praised scientists and engineers for developing the space rocket that reached a target altitude of 700 kilometers, describing it as a "creditable achievement."



"The test-launch of Nuri-ho was completed. I am proud of it," Moon told the public after witnessing the launch at the Naro Space Center, the nation's sole spaceport. "Regrettably, we did not perfectly reach the goal, but we made a very creditable achievement in the first launch."



After 12 years of development, engineers launched the 200-ton three-stage launch vehicle, KSLV-II  also known as Nuri  that carried the 1.5-ton mock payload at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, 473 kilometers south of Seoul.



Moon said scientists and engineers are investigating why the dummy satellite failed to stay in orbit after it was apparently successful deployed from the rocket. All three stages of the Nuri rocket successfully operated, Moon said.



By making up for shortcomings shown at Thursday's launch, South Korea will try to successfully put a payload into orbit with its second launch of Nuri set for May next year, Moon said.



"Stably putting a dummy satellite into orbit remains an unfinished task. However, lifting a launch vehicle to an altitude of 700 kilometers is a great feat in itself and made us inch closer to space," Moon said.





President Moon Jae-in delivers a message to the public after witnessing the launch at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, Thursday. Yonhap
South Korea's first homegrown space launch vehicle, known as Nuri, is loaded with fuel and oxidizer at the launch pad of the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, 473 kilometers south of Seoul, Thursday, before its liftoff at 5:00 p.m. Yonhap



The following is a chronology of major events leading to the development of South Korea's homegrown space rocket Nuri, or Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II), which was launched from the Naro Space Center in the country's southern coastal village of Goheung.



June 4, 1993  South Korea launches the indigenous one-stage solid propelled science observation rocket, called the Korea Space Rocket (KSR)-I, after three years of development.



July 9, 1997  South Korea launches the homegrown KSR-II two-stage solid propelled science observation rocket. It adopted such advanced technologies as guided control and stage separation compared to the previous version.



Nov. 18, 2002  South Korea launches the liquid-propellant science rocket of the KSR-III. It marked the first time that the country successfully built an independent liquid-fueled rocket, which laid the foundation for the development of small satellite launch vehicles.



March 26, 2001  South Korea joins the Missile Technology Control Regime, an informal international association that oversees the proliferation of unmanned delivery systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction.



August 2002  South Korea and Russia confirm plans to develop the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-I (KSLV-I) rocket, with a launch planned for 2005.



2005  South Korea and Russia complete work on critical designs for the KSLV-I. The original launch date was postponed until October 2007.



June 11, 2009  South Korea opens the Naro Space Center. Launch pad certification is completed using KSLV-I GTV. A complete first-stage rocket arrives from Russia by plane.



Aug. 11, 2009  After rounds of postponement, South Korea sets a new launch date on Aug. 19, 2009, following consultation with Russia.










By Baek Byung-yeul







The local biotech company HLB acquired the local in vitro diagnostic company FA in a move aimed at diversifying its business portfolio and securing a sustainable profit, the company said Thursday.







HLB's board approved a plan to acquire a 100 percent stake in FA for 101.92 billion won ($86.7 million).







Established in 2003, FA manufactures and sells in vitro diagnostic tools, alcohol swabs, sanitizers and veterinary medicines. Its in vitro diagnostic medical devices are exported all over the world, including to the United States, Australia and European nations.







FA also manufactures household goods for major companies such as LG Household & Health Care, Yuhan Corporation and 3M. The company's corporate value has risen vertically since the outbreak of COVID-19. Its sales, which stood at 9 billion won in 2019, grew to 60 billion won in 2020 and are expected to surpass 120 billion won this year.







Once the necessary acquisition procedures are completed, FA will be incorporated as a subsidiary of HLB and its operating profit will be reflected in HLB's earnings from the first quarter of 2022.







HLB expects the FA acquisition to improve its cash flow significantly. The company will also receive royalties for its anticancer treatment Rivoceranib from Chinese pharmaceutical company Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine this year.







Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine holds the marketing rights to Rivoceranib in China, selling it there for gastric cancer treatment since 2014. In January, the company expanded the applications of the drug as a secondary treatment for liver cancer.







In addition, the ovarian cancer treatment Apealea will be sold in the U.K. and Germany starting next year. HLB's U.S. subsidiary Elevar Therapeutics secured the global rights for Apealea.







"Considering all these factors, the company expects it can improve its financial soundness including operating profit," a company official said.


From fifth from left, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and other government and LG representatives pose for a commemorative photo during the Youth Hope ON ceremony held at the LG Science Park in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap



By Kim Hyun-bin



LG Group promised to hire tens of thousands of people over the next three years as part of the government's youth employment and education support program.



The conglomerate's plan to "create" 39,000 jobs, including 30,000 direct employment opportunities, was announced during an event held at LG Science Park in Seoul, Thursday, to introduce a partnership between the group and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for the "Youth Hope ON" program.



The event was attended by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, senior government officials, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and other senior executives.



As well as the jobs created over the next three years, LG Group vowed to support and foster an industrial ecosystem and create 9,000 new jobs in the startup sector and expand links with academia.



LG plans to create 9,000 jobs for young people, including 2,000 jobs at startups, 5,800 jobs in programs linking businesses and schools focusing on battery and AI technologies, and 1,200 jobs in ESG programs such as LG Social Campus.



"As a corporate man myself, I believe the most important task is creating jobs. We will work towards fulfilling our corporate duty by investing in future technologies and through it create good quality jobs," Chairman Koo said.



Since taking the helm of LG Group in 2018, Koo has focused on fostering talent and the conglomerate's future growth engines, including artificial intelligence, robotics and automotive electronics.



LG Group's pledge to increase employment by 10 percent annually over the next three years comes after the conglomerate dismantled its ailing mobile communication division at LG Electronics and spun off LX Group.



LG is the third conglomerate to take part in the Youth Hope ON program, following KT and Samsung Group.



"We are very thankful that LG has responded positively to our cause," Prime Minister Kim said. "The government and companies are working together to create more jobs for young people and invest in the Republic of Korea's future."



Kim also mentioned the late LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, whose dream was to create a Korean version of Silicon Valley and hoped that goal could be fulfilled through the young workers at LG Science Park.



With LG's participation in the Youth Hope ON program, a total of 81,000 jobs are expected to be created over the next three years.



Prime Minister Kim is expected to meet with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won at SK hynix's Icheon site, Oct. 25, to discuss a possible increase in youth employment in the battery and biotech sectors; and schedule a meeting with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun in the near future.


An airlines employee pulls a trolley through the premises of a flooded domestic airport after heavy rains in Biratnagar, Nepal, Oct. 20. AFP-Yonhap



Nearly 200 people have died in floods and landslides in India and Nepal, officials said Thursday, with whole families buried in their homes and two young girls swept away as forecasters warned of yet more heavy rain.



Experts say that they were victims of the ever-more unpredictable and extreme weather that has hit South Asia in recent years caused by climate change and exacerbated by deforestation, damming and excessive development.





A man wades through the flooded entrance of a domestic airport after heavy rains in Biratnagar, Nepal, Oct. 20. AFP-Yonhap



Nepal recorded the sharpest rise in casualties, with officials saying that 88 people have died, among them a family of six including three children whose house was obliterated by a sudden avalanche of soil and debris.



"All District Disaster Management Committees have been actively working for the rescue and relief operations. Under the committee, Nepal Police, Armed Force Police, Nepal Army and other agencies have been mobilized," emergencies official Dijan Bhattarai said.





A handout photo made available by India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) shows NDRF officials searching for missing people in Dungree village, Chamoli, Uttarakhand, northern India, Oct. 21. EPA-Yonhap



In the Himalayan northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, 55 people were confirmed Thursday to have died  five of whom were from a single family whose house was buried by a massive landslide.



Many bridges and roads have been damaged and many towns have been cut off, and the army has been brought in to restore contact and reach thousands of people stranded.



State Disaster Secretary S Murugeshan said that the death toll may rise further, with a number of people still missing including 20 tourists who went trekking on a glacier.



Five people were killed in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, including two girls aged eight and 10 from the same family swept away as heavy rains pounded the hills of Darjeeling and other districts.



"Mud, rocks and water tumbling down the hills of Darjeeling damaged nearly 400 houses and several thousand people were evacuated away from the swollen rivers on the foothills," disaster management minister Javed Amhed Khan told AFP.



"Several hundred tourists are stranded in the hill resort of Darjeeling... Landslides blocked highways and roads in the region," he said.





In this still image taken from video on Oct. 18, people watch a house being washed away in river due to strong current after heavy rains at Kottayam, Kerala, India. Reuters-Yonhap


Description

** Seeking a Sales Representative ** 5k Sign On Bonus for new candidates that have an active P&C or active Life license or Unlicensed with 2+ years sales experience! *To qualify for the Sign-On Bonus, Applicants must be new (not applied in the past 6 months) and apply from 08/09/21 to 12/31/21 and started by 2/1/2022 to qualify. Bonus will be scheduled on day 30 for next period pay out date. There is a 1 year payback clause if your employment is terminated prior to your first year anniversary. Do you want to join a Fortune 100 company where youll be rewarded for developing new clients, discovering new markets and providing customers with the products they need? As a Liberty Mutual field sales representative, youll enjoy a diverse, supportive environment, along with a competitive compensation program, including base salary, uncapped commissions and a bonus structure, and comprehensive benefits. Field sales representatives also receive ample opportunities for recognition and rewards, including earning awards, bonuses and recognition trips. In this full-time role, youll also stay ahead of the curve with industry-leading, paid sales training and mentorships with successful colleagues. We encourage you to apply and bring your expertise if youre a: Passionate salesperson : Youll use your knowledge and enthusiastic work ethic to generate prospects and sell Auto, Home and Life Insurance products within an assigned territory

Competitive go-getter : Ready to earn uncapped commissions and bonuses? Youll have your chance while engaging in friendly (and rewarding!) competitions with your sales team and the opportunity to win recognition awards

People person : Using your interpersonal skills and market insight, youll identify and cultivate prospective clients, and tailor products and services to meet the needs of existing customers

Relationship builder : Youll play the long game, building strong relationships within local community and organizations, and maintaining open lines of communication for future sales opportunities Experience Previous employment in sales where you have successfully turned prospects into customers

A state insurance licenseor willingness to earn one with Liberty Mutuals training and supportin Property & Casualty, Life, and Accident & Health Skills Effective written, oral communication and presentation skills

Well-developed persuasion and negotiation skills

Great interpersonal skills and a proven ability to build rapport with prospective and existing customers

Effective time management and organizational skills Knowledge Ability to learn insurance coverage and underwriting guidelines

Familiarity with finding, building and growing leads and customer base Education A Bachelors degree or equivalent At Liberty Mutual, our purpose is to help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow. Thats why we provide an environment focused on openness, inclusion, trust and respect. Here, youll discover our expansive range of roles, and a workplace where we aim to help turn your passion into a rewarding profession. Liberty Mutual has proudly been recognized as a Great Place to Work by Great Place to Work US for the past several years. We were also selected as one of the 100 Best Places to Work in IT on IDGs Insider Pro and Computerworlds 2020 list. For many years running, we have been named by Forbes as one of Americas Best Employers for Women and one of Americas Best Employers for New Graduatesas well as one of Americas Best Employers for Diversity. To learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion please visit: https://jobs.libertymutualgroup.com/diversity-inclusion We value your hard work, integrity and commitment to make things better, and we put people first by offering you benefits that support your life and well-being. To learn more about our benefit offerings please visit: https://LMI.co/Benefits Liberty Mutual is an equal opportunity employer. We will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, disability, veterans status, pregnancy, genetic information or on any basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.



Requirements

See job description.






Legal Counsel - Payments Marketing & Advertising New York City , New York , United States Corporate Functions Summary

Posted: Oct 20, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200302741 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. Do you love tackling big challenges without precedent? Do you possess a deep knowledge of the legal field and a passion for innovation? As a part of our Legal group, you'll help uphold Apple's high ethical and corporate standards, as well as defend our intellectual property. You'll help provide legal support for all our products and businesses across the globe. Working for a company that invents entire categories and industries means you'll be challenged to creatively apply your deep legal expertise to rare and often unexplored aspects of the law. Together with your team, you'll provide the critical support needed worldwide for all Apple products and businesses. At Apple, we are dedicated to making the best products on the planet. We have a fantastic new opportunity for a talented lawyer to join our team of diverse, creative, and hardworking people. As a member of the Products Law Group, you will work with Apple's engineering, operations, and marketing teams to help create and introduce Apple products to the world. With passion, dedication, and a desire to tackle challenges, you will play a crucial role as we provide the legal support for Apple's marketing teams. Key Qualifications Minimum of 3 to 5 years of relevant law firm and/or in-house experience.

Experience with marketing and intellectual property law, right of publicity, consumer protection issues.

Knowledge of marketing laws applicable to consumer finance.

Confident independently drafting and negotiating commercial agreements, including IP licenses, production releases, software and data licenses, and complex marketing technology contracts.

Experience with state, national and international privacy laws and regulations specifically how they relate to marketing efforts. CIPP certification is a plus.

Demonstrated adaptability in advising a variety of client teams driven by a diverse set of business objectives.

Comfort handling multiple projects on competing timelines.

Superior verbal and written communication and analytical skills, coupled with the ability to resolve complex issues in creative and effective ways.

Passion for building strong relationships with your clients and with the broader Apple Legal Group is a must.

Strong work ethic, sense of humor, and ability to be a great team member. Description You will be one of the primary contacts for Apple's marketing teams, working closely with a small group of attorneys to advise on Apple's industry-leading marketing campaigns. Day to day, you will support Apple's payments marketing teams, helping to bring to life Apple's products and services. You will advise closely on marketing legal issues, particularly as they relate to consumer finance products and services. Successful candidates will embrace the challenge of solving complex issues and conflicting interests in creative and efficient ways, and will demonstrate an ability to navigate cross-functional collaboration with both legal and business colleagues alike. Education & Experience JD and admission to at least one US state bar.




Construction Project Manager, San Diego San Diego , California , United States Corporate Functions Summary

Posted: Oct 19, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200302088 In RE&D, we don't sit back and let things happen, we make things happen, and we do this in service to all Apple employees and customers. Our team is a diverse and nimble group that manages Apple's workplaces and workplace services. We develop and run Apple's global real estate portfolio, lead all related capital construction projects, provide outstanding facilities and site services, develop and lead sustainability initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of all Apple facilities, including commute and renewable energy programs, and do everything we can to ensure the health and safety of all Apple personnel, facilities, and customers in our facilities around the world. We are seeking an experienced, collaborative, and highly motivated project manager to join our team and directly oversee construction projects of Apple's corporate and R&D facilities in the San Diego region. Key Qualifications 10+ years of construction/project management experience with a demonstrated focus in delivering outstanding workplaces.

Strong background in data center/commercial/industrial construction to include mechanical, electrical, process piping, plumbing building systems, tenant improvement, site work and ground up construction.

Deep expertise in the planning, scheduling, budgeting, resourcing, and implementing of all technical services required to maintain and improve a large real estate portfolio. This includes mechanical, electrical, plumbing, controls, fire-alarm, lighting, furniture, etc.

Proven ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to meet deadlines as the need arises to meet project schedule.

Extensive knowledge of and experience with the upkeep and function of buildings, building systems, machinery, landscape, and quality improvement projects.

Ability to balance the trade-offs between operational risk and investment, constantly seeking the highest quality and design at the best value.

Excellent leadership, communication, and supervisory skills, including experience working with all levels of an organization and ability to handle customer service issues involving employees in a professional and positive manner.

Ability to develop cost estimates, schedules, and analyze Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

Capability to diagnose, handle and resolve maintenance issues quickly and efficiently, including experience prioritizing and assigning repairs.

Experience building and maintaining relationships with facility operation teams, utility companies, government agencies, architectural & design firms, and general contracting firms. Description This San Diego based project manager will be leading construction projects throughout the UTC and Rancho Bernardo regions and will be responsible for the following; Project initiation including conceptual budgeting and scheduling, logistics planning Provide budget analysis, value engineering, and acquire internal approvals for capital funding. Apply the Apple design guidelines and provide mentorship to the design team for implementation. Meeting with internal engineering groups, operations and business units to resolve detailed project requirements Engagement of design professionals to include architects, engineers and specialty consultants Management and support of design professionals from programming to completion Review of lease terms and collaborate with Leasing Manager to acquire all necessary approvals from the Landlord. Engage and maintain positive working relationships with local government jurisdictions/departments Engagement of general contractors to include competitive bidding and negotiation. Review of all proposals, and change order requests from the consultants, general contractors, suppliers and subcontracts. Prepare and present comparative analysis. Creation and maintenance of the project budget and high-level master schedule Engagement of and coordination with Apple EH&S, IT, Security and AV project managers, etc. Coordination, ordering and installation oversight of furniture, fixtures and equipment for each project Management of commissioning agents and development of sequence of operations Management of the closeout process, handle warranty issues and turnover the project to Facilities team Education & Experience Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Construction Management preferred.


We are seeking a full-time Customer Service Representative to join our Alexandria, MN office.

In this role, you will assist lending staff, maintain loan files, identify customer needs and assist financial services staff through efficient administrative support. You will also present a professional, welcoming image to AgCountry customers and office visitors and develop and maintain strong customer relationships by providing quality front-line service.

If you have an Associates Degree or 3 or more years administrative experience in a professional office environment, apply today!

Closing Date: November 7, 2021 6PM CT

At AgCountry, we have a 'Total Rewards' strategy that includes an extensive package of benefits.

Click "apply" to apply online

"We Bring More to Your Table"

EEO/AA/M/F/Veteran/Disability

recblid 2vzn2b1v6p6xbuhj2ghy2t7syne1t0
We will be at home during the Thanksgiving holiday.

We will make a brief trip away from home.

We will spend most of the Thanksgiving holiday away from home.

Vote

View Results
55 years ago today, the Welsh village of Aberfan was hit by an avalanche of mining waste, killing 144 people, of which 116 were children. This did not need to happen. As with the Grenfell fire in 2017, warnings by local residents were repeatedly ignored by local officials and state bureaucrats. As we have seen time and time again, the capitalist system has a callous disregard for human life.

On this day in 1966, 144 people  including 116 children  were buried alive under 40,000 cubic meters of coal waste, which hurtled down a hillside at 80 miles per hour in a glistening black avalanche.

The slurry collided with Pantglas Junior School and several houses in the small Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, at 9:13 in the morning. The last survivor was pulled from the rubble at just after 11:00  an eight-year-old boy.

This avertible disaster, recently depicted by Netflixs popular series, The Crown, was a direct consequence of the criminal negligence of the National Coal Board, and ultimately the British capitalist establishment.

A disaster waiting to happen

Aberfan is a mining village, and its 5,000 residents were well-acquainted with the dangers of both the profession and its byproducts. In particular, a series of vast spoil tips, consisting of two million cubic meters of waste material, loomed ominously over the village.

The valley in which Aberfan is situated experiences high rainfall. Coupled with the boggy ground, this meant that the tips were inherently unstable.

On multiple occasions between 1963 and 1964, warnings from Aberfan residents about the spoil tips were conveyed to the National Coal Board / Image: Bradford Timeline, Flickr

This was not helped by exceptional levels of flooding in the years leading up to the disaster, with residents repeatedly complaining to the Merthyr borough council that black, filthy flood water was seeping out of the tips.

Tip seven had already undergone two shifts in 1963. The National Coal Board (NCB), a government body responsible for coal mining, nevertheless continued to pile spoil onto the tip.

The NCB was created following the nationalisation of the coal mining industry in 1947. This was a step forward compared to private management by the capitalist coal magnates. However, the bureaucrats running the NCB were subservient to the bosses whose boardrooms they shared.

When coal mining declined in the 1960s, rather than investing in upgrading the sector, the NCB simply passed these losses onto the working class through dozens of pit closures  upending mining communities all over the country to protect the capitalists profits.

On multiple occasions between 1963 and 1964, warnings from Aberfan residents about the spoil tips were conveyed to the NCB via the borough council.

In a letter headed, Danger from Coal Slurry being tipped at the rear of the Pantglas Schools, DCW Jones, the councils Borough and Waterworks Engineer, wrote:

I regard it as extremely serious as the slurry is so fluid and the gradient so steep that it could not possibly stay in position in the winter time or during periods of heavy rain.

In a second letter, he added that residents have previously experienced...the movement of the slurry to the danger and detriment of people and property adjoining the site of the tips.

Threats of closure

Local officials of the National Union of Mineworkers also raised the concerns of residents to managers at meetings of the Colliery Joint Consultative Committee.

A letter in reply from NCBs Area Chief Mechanical Engineer acknowledged the risk:

As you will appreciate, these tailings are very difficult to handle and we are very careful in disposing of this material, so as not to inconvenience any person or persons and, therefore, we would not like to continue beyond the next 6/8 weeks in tipping it on the mountain side where it is likely to be a source of danger to Pantglas School. [our emphasis]

Instead of acting on these concerns and spending the money to remove the tip, the NCB allegedly threatened that any further fuss would see the mine closed altogether, effectively cutting the entire village off from its livelihood.

This was proved by the later testimony of S.O. Davies, Aberfan MP for Labour  to the shame of the party, which also led the central government under Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

Davies stated that he had long held concerns that the tip might not only slide, but in sliding might reach the village. He had not spoken out because he had more than a shrewd suspicion that that colliery would be closed.

In 1965, local people finally secured a series of meetings with representatives of the NCB, who promised to clear out the clogged pipes and drainage ditches around the tips. But by 1966, nothing had been done. The consequences were both tragic and inevitable.

Tragedy strikes

At 7:30am on 21 October, tip seven finally gave way. Workers assigned to the tip described a 30-foot-tall tsunami of sludge racing down the hillside and slamming into Pantglas School, immediately burying those inside.

The eight-year-old Jeff Edwards, who was pulled alive from the wreckage, later described struggling to breathe under the ocean of slurry as the screams and cries of his classmates got quieter and quieter buried and running out of air.

There are tremendous stories of heroism amidst this tragedy. A dinner lady named Nansi Williams saved five students at the cost of her own life, shielding them from the landslide with her own body.

An army of workers and volunteers helped dig out survivors  and then bodies, after hopes of finding anyone living had faded. My partners relatives were among their number.

Having started at 9:30 in the morning of 21 October, a letter from a reporter described the men of the town still at work the following day, with shirts off and bodies sweating despite the cold.

The age of victims ranged from three months to 82. Of the 116 students, most were between the ages of seven and 11.

Empty gestures

The Crown depicts Queen Elizabeth declining to visit Aberfan until eight days after the disaster out of respect for the victims.

In truth, this appearance came under pressure from the outpouring of public sympathy and rage for Aberfan, and was rightly regarded as a belated, empty gesture by an aloof establishment, following an avoidable tragedy in a working-class community.

A tribunal found the NCB solely at fault for the disaster, despite its chairman, Lord Robens (who kept his job), denying all wrongdoing. The borough council and NUM were not apportioned any responsibility.

The HM Inspectorate of Mines was also spared any direct blame, although it was found to have failed in its duty.

In the end, nobody at the top of the big coal bodies faced any punitive measures whatsoever, with the report concluding it was punishment enough to be named by a tribunal of this sort.

This is what justice looks like for the privileged bureaucrats and state officials responsible for the death of nearly 150 people!

In a final insult, the cost of removing the towns remaining tips was paid out of a memorial fund of 1,750,000 (equivalent to 20 million today).

Relatives were then offered a generous handout of 500 each from this fund  although the commission responsible originally intended to give them 50! This was all the compensation they would receive for the loss of their loved ones.

Never again

The callous capitalist system, along with the politicians and state bureaucrats at its beck and call, have repeatedly ignored dire warnings and allowed working class people to die rather than risk their profits.

The callous capitalist system, along with the politicians and state bureaucrats at its beck and call, have repeatedly ignored dire warnings and allowed working class people to die rather than risk their profits / Image: Stephen McKay, Wikimedia Commons

The arrogant elite act with impunity, safe in the knowledge that their near-sighted incompetence will seldom be punished.

We have seen this time again: from Aberfan, to Hillsborough, to Grenfell, to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just this week, despite a new wave of cases, the Tories are refusing to take even basic safety precautions, with Health Secretary Sajid Javid passing off 1,000 deaths a week as mercifully low.

The victims of these acts of social murder will never see true justice under this rotten system.

The labour movement must organise and fight to put an end to capitalism: the only way to ensure that horrors such as the Aberfan disaster are banished forever to the dark past of human history.
Avoris has announced that it will launch a weekly flight to Mauritius in June 2022, which will run through to October. The leading Spanish travel group is returning to Mauritius for a fifth operation in order to meet demand from Spanish and Portuguese consumer markets. Flights will be from Madrid, and will use the Iberojet A350-900.

Avoris follows a number of other major airline providers in ramping up services to Mauritius. In recent weeks, demand for travel to the paradise island has surged, following the reopening of its borders to international travel which coincided with the loosening of travel restrictions in many of Mauritius key markets.

Travellers are choosing Mauritius for its beaches, mountains and lagoons but also for its safety and security. Mauritius has had one of the best Covid responses in the world and has a first-class health system. As it stands, 80% of Mauritius adult population is fully vaccinated.

David Tarrado, Director of Product and Contracting at Avoris, said:

I am confident Mauritius has the right products for our Spanish and Portuguese markets. We shall be back to Mauritius in 2022 after our four successful operations prior to the pandemic. We plan to operate weekly flights using Iberojet A350-900 from Madrid from June to October 2022. I am most thankful to the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and Hotels Partners for their valuable support and looking forward to our successful collaboration & partnership in order to achieve planned objectives.

Mauritius is on the cusp of its summer season, which starts in November. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy Mauritius world-renowned beaches, as well as other outdoor activities including hiking, kitesurfing and various other water sports.

Nilen Vencadasmy, Chairman of Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, said:

We are delighted that Avoris has announced it is restarting flights to Mauritius next year. This is yet another signal that demand for travel to Mauritius remains very strong, and gives us great confidence that we will fulfil our target number of arrivals for the next 12 months.

Phillipe Hitie, Executive Chairman at SummerTimes, said:

Avoris is committed to Mauritius. This is indeed excellent news for our destination, at a time when we need to relaunch our tourism industry.

Since 1st October, vaccinated travellers to Mauritius have been free from quarantine on arrival providing testing requirements are fulfilled. Unvaccinated travellers must complete a 14-day in-hotel quarantine.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

0 shares Share

Tweet

LinkedIn
JLL, a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate, recently hosted a forum at the Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel in Port Louis with key local partners in the hospitality and office sectors.

As thought leaders in the field of real estate in Africa with invaluable experience and partnerships across the continent, JLL took the opportunity following the reopening of the Mauritian borders to reconnect and share global insights on emerging trends and post-pandemic challenges.

The event offered a platform for dialogue among key stakeholders to discuss mutually shared goals for the island over the coming years. It was divided into two panels each composed of local experts and hosted by a JLL team leader and specialist. Wayne Godwin, Senior Vice President, Sub-Saharan Africa, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, led a conversation on The Mauritian hotel market recovery and Simon Ardonceau, Head of Consulting & Business Development, JLL Africa, shared global research before engaging with local perspectives on The rise of a remote and hybrid work environment.

As the pandemic has given rise to new trends, we must work closely with our Mauritian partners through these shifts and learn from their experiences, said Ardonceau. Over the past 18 months, hybrid working has become the preferred way of working for a majority of employees, and it profoundly transformed workplace strategies for Mauritian companies.

The value of shared insights is echoed by Godwin, who said: Reconnecting with our clients in Mauritius is vital. The impact of closing the borders to an island is always going to have a significant impact on the economy at large, including key sectors such as hospitality.

The Mauritian hotel sector is looking to emerge from the crisis better than many expected. The financial support of the government has been a big factor. Still, the positive outlook for a recovery in global travel and the better-than-expected demand for travel to Mauritius since the reopening announcement bodes well for this important economic and investment driver.

Both felt the opportunity to reconnect in person was invaluable.

It was good to finally be back on the island to unpack our research alongside our partners  we remain optimistic for what is to come, said Godwin

Mauritius has shown a great deal of resilience throughout the pandemic and is paving the way for more real estate and hospitality sector opportunities to materialise.

As the Indian Ocean remains one of JLLs key markets, this successful event reflects our commitment to the future potential of the island economy and the businesses that are making it happen, concluded Godwin

This private event complied with the Mauritian governments social distancing and face-mask regulations.

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $16.6 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 92,000 as of June 30, 2021. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle

Incorporated.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

0 shares Share

Tweet

LinkedIn
At its October 2021 Plenary, the FATF concluded that Mauritius would no longer be subject to increased monitoring by the FATF. The FATF welcomes Mauritiuss significant progress in improving its AML/CFT regime.

Mauritius has strengthened the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime and addressed related technical deficiencies to meet the commitments in its action plan regarding the strategic deficiencies that the FATF identified in February 2020. Mauritius is therefore no longer subject to the FATFs increased monitoring process. Mauritius will continue to work with ESAAMLG to improve further its AML/CFT system.

In February 2020, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided that Mauritius should be monitored under the formal FATF International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) process as a result of strategic deficiencies identified, by the FATF, in its anti-money laundering and combating terrorism financing (AML/CFT) system. The FATF, accordingly, placed Mauritius on its public document of Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring, referred to as the Grey List.

At the same time, in order to exit that List, Mauritius was called upon by the FATF to implement an Action Plan within agreed timelines, aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of its AML/CFT system. The Action Plan included, amongst others, the implementation of risk based supervision of the global business and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) sector, timely access to accurate basic and beneficial ownership information by competent authorities, providing training for the law enforcement agencies to conduct parallel financial investigations, supervision of the NPO sector and adequate implementation of targeted financial sanctions through outreach and supervision.

At the beginning of June 2021, the FATF made the initial determination that Mauritius has substantially completed its Action Plan and warrants an on-site assessment to verify that the implementation of Mauritius AML/CFT reforms has begun and is being sustained, and that the necessary political commitment remains in place to sustain implementation in the future. It is to be highlighted that, in June 2021, Mauritius had largely addressed all the items on its Action Plan, ahead of the agreed timelines.

The Africa/Middle East Joint Group of the FATF undertook the onsite visit to Mauritius on 13 to 15 September 2021. Following the work sessions with the Mauritius delegation during the onsite visit, the Joint Group confirmed that all the action items have been addressed by Mauritius, and that the requisite conditions are in place for the reforms to be sustained and enhanced in the future.

During the ICRG process, Mauritius has worked closely with the FATF and the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG). Mauritius also benefited from the technical assistance from the European Union through the EU AML/CFT Global Facility, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), UK, France, IMF, UNODC, the World Bank and other friendly nations and international organizations which has assisted in improving our AML/CFT framework.

The private sector operators, as a key partner, has also been instrumental in the fight against money laundering, terrorism and proliferation financing. The private sector has displayed an unprecedented spirit of team work and very strong collaboration in the national effort to honor our commitment to implement the Action Plan.

At the time of the adoption of the Mutual Evaluation Report in July 2018, Mauritius was rated largely compliant or compliant with only 14 of the 40 FATF recommendations. As a result of an overhaul of the AML/CFT legal framework, Mauritius is now compliant or largely compliant with 39 out of the 40 FATF Recommendations, following the recent adoption of three additional technical compliance upgrades by the ESAAMLG Council of Ministers in September 2021.

The Core Group on AML/CFT, chaired by the Financial Secretary and co-chaired by the Governor of the Bank of Mauritius and the Director General of the Independent Commission against Corruption, was instrumental in overseeing the preparations and implementation of the Action Plan. The Core Group was initially set up to develop and coordinate the strategies, policies and actions required to ensure the implementation of the recommended actions in the 2018 Mauritius Mutual Evaluation Report. The establishment of the Core Group has now been enshrined in July 2021 in the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act (FIAMLA), to ensure sustainability and continuity in our AML/CFT strategy.

All these measures demonstrate the unflinching commitment of the Government of Mauritius to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of its national strategy to combat money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing in the future, well beyond the ICRG process. The Government reiterates its strong political commitment to sustain the AML/CFT reforms and the fight against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing.

The FATF Plenary decision is a global acknowledgement of the effectiveness of the Mauritius public and private sector institutions and their cooperation in combating money laundering and terrorism finance.

The Government also reiterates its commitment to continue to work closely, and partner, with ESAAMLG, and the international AML/CFT community, to further enhance the Mauritius AML/CFT reforms as well as across the region.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

0 shares Share

Tweet

LinkedIn
In the Lehigh Valley, there are six new Wawa stores under development. The other day, I went through the drive-through at the bank branch closest to my office and my favorite teller told me it was likely to be the last time he saw me.
Im extremely excited for this location for two reasons, said Taylor, who hails from Nutley Township, New Jersey. The Downtown Allentown Market is on the rise, which is very exciting, but the part I really love is that the developer, City Center Investment Corp., has a live, play, work mentality with thousands of residential apartments attached to the project. City Center also has more apartments coming available closer to the PPL Center nearby, so we will be a big part of the (AHL) Phantoms season, with new customers coming over in droves. Theres also Disney on Ice, professional wrestling, concerts, and so much more happening there that should benefit our business. Between that and the addition of a bar where people can pair our cuisine with craft beer, wine or cocktails should be a huge boost for business.
The dose and formula for this vaccine would be specifically adjusted for 5-11-year-olds and would come with all the ancillary supplies that providers need, including smaller needles. President Joe Bidens administration has procured enough vaccines to support vaccinating all children in this age range. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working with states to make vaccines for children available as soon as possible.
The false ballot return deadline on Spanish materials sent to 17,000 voters is part of an alarming pattern of ballot barriers for Spanish-speaking voters in Berks County, she said. In the 2020 election, it was Make the Road volunteers who stepped up to interpret for Spanish speakers, deescalate racism against voters and ensure every Berks resident could exercise their right to vote when the commissioners failed to do their job.
The question can be confusing if voters dont know what the Allentown charter says. Residents who vote in person will see statements that clarify referendum questions plastered on the walls of their polling place, but those voting by mail will not have that benefit.
According to the 2020 Pennsylvania LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment, two in five LGBTQ Pennsylvanians did not receive a flu vaccine in the past year. And health experts are urging people to get a flu vaccine now more than ever as we continue to face COVID-19.
Dillman said Christian education was one of his wifes passions. She oversaw Sunday school, vacation Bible school and many other programs at the handsome stone church at 4th and North streets. She did the same job when the Dillmans were congregants at the former Salem United Church of Christ in Allentown.
If it is a fresh whole red, white or yellow onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico and distributed by ProSource, youll need to throw it out. The CDC says these onions were sold to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the United States. The last import of the veggie was on Aug. 27, but they can last up to three months in storage and could still be in homes or businesses.
In this photo provided by the Auburn Police Department via the Port of Seattle Police Department, Auburn police Officer Jeff Nelson is shown. Nelson has been charged in the killing of Jesse Sarey in 2019, and although Nelson has been investigated in more than 60 use-of-force cases since 2012, he wasn't placed on the King County prosecuting attorney's "potential impeachment disclosure" list, or Brady List, which flags officers whose credibility is in question due to misconduct, until after he was charged in the killing of Sarey. An Associated Press investigation based on hundreds of documents and interviews with prosecutors, defense attorneys and experts on police reform found that prosecutors do not always used the lists to ensure accountability. (Auburn Police Dept. via Port of Seattle Police Dept. via AP) (AP)
In his memo, Brewster also referred to the shocking example of the need for such legislation by noting last weeks case out of Upper Darby Township in Delaware County. Police said that a woman was raped by a homeless man on a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) elevated train at around 10 p.m. on Oct. 13 as other riders failed to intervene or even call 911.
It makes no sense to require only some people on a college campus to be immunized. The policy should be consistent. Students on those campuses now should be required to be vaccinated, too.
[October 21, 2021] HealthSpace is Awarded and Finalizes $339,870 in New Contracts with Health Canada, Johnson County, MO, Shelby County, TN and KFLA in Ontario VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - HealthSpace Data Systems Ltd. (the "Company" or "HealthSpace") (CSE: HS) (Frankfurt: 38H) (OTC: HDSLF) is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement with the following agencies to contract for HSCloud Suite and HSPay. Health Canada : Travel and border health (airline and cruise ship inspections). Health Canada will be converting from the Company's legacy product, and are committing long term to HSCloud Suite. This is important for the Company, as this is the first federal level agency in Canada to adopt the HSCloud Suite platform.

: Travel and border health (airline and cruise ship inspections). Health will be converting from the Company's legacy product, and are committing long term to HSCloud Suite. This is important for the Company, as this is the first federal level agency in to adopt the HSCloud Suite platform. Johnson County, MO : HSCloud for environmental health data management as well as HSPay.

: HSCloud for environmental health data management as well as HSPay. Shelby County, TN : The county has executed an agreement to add HSPay.

: The county has executed an agreement to add HSPay. KFLA, Ontario : KFLA has awarded the contract to convert from the Company's legacy product to HSCloud Suite for environmental health. This conversion includes HSPay. The total value of these multi-year contracts are USD$339,870, of which $46,570 is annual recurring revenue (ARR). This does not include the transaction revenue from HSPay for Shelby County, Johnson County, or KFLA. The Company is further pleased to announce that it has deployed its GovCall mobile app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This mobile app extends powerful functionality, beyond the integration in HSCloud Suite, for government agency use on mobile platforms. This will allow agencies to use the platform, and its unique features, beyond just regulatory activities. HealthSpace CEO, Silas Garrison noted "I'm pleased to announce these new additions. Having Health Canada commit to the HSCloud Suite platform is an exciting step towards wider adoption in Canada. I am also very excited about the progression of our GovCall product. We continue to invest heavily in R&D initiatives on multiple fronts and these efforts are starting to bear fruit. The release of the mobile application truly allows GovCall to ultimately be a complete, fully integrated, replacement of the traditional video conferencing platforms currently being used by agencies around North America." HealthSpace Data Systems Ltd. HealthSpace Data Systems Ltd. HealthSpace is an industry leading software as a service company serving the state, provincial and local government market across the United States and Canada. HealthSpace's cutting edge platforms currently provide inspection, information, communication and data management systems that enable government agencies to operate more efficiently. HealthSpace's cloud and mobile based platforms are currently deployed in over 600 state and local government organizations across North America. HealthSpace currently offers the only fully integrated inspection, administration and analytics product suite across all platforms in North America. HealthSpace also delivers its government grade technologies to private businesses through its My Health Department platform, enabling citizens and private businesses to gain visibility and predictability into their own organizations and move from a reactive to a proactive operational status. As HealthSpace continues to deliver focused service and innovative solutions to government organizations, the Company entered the FinTech space through its HSPay offering which serves as a payment platform that streamlines the intake of government revenue. Further, HealthSpace's GovCall platform offers one of the only teleconferencing and video collaboration platforms tailored exclusively for government agencies. Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although HealthSpace believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. HealthSpace 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. SOURCE HealthSpace Data

[ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ]
The Furnace, Oct. 9.  Jake Howell stands before a crowd of dozens of Missoula music fans, singing a song he wrote, Saturdays when I forget Behind him is the band, four men he trusts with his life. Their first studio album, self-titled Cosmic Sans, has just dropped, and they are celebra
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-20 22:22:36|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, attends a symposium with over 50 lawmakers in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese top legislator Li Zhanshu Wednesday attended a symposium with over 50 lawmakers on studying the important speech delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at a central conference on work related to people's congresses.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, also listened to the lawmakers' experiences of fulfilling their duties.

It is a vital task for the NPC, people's congresses at local levels, and deputies to people's congresses at all levels to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the central conference, especially the spirit of Xi's speech, at present, and in the future, Li stressed.

Li noted that the deputies to people's congresses should be loyal to the Party, the people, and the Constitution and laws. He also urged the deputies to readily accept the oversight of the people and serve as the bridge between the Party and the state and the people. Enditem


Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-20 22:42:29|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Photo taken on Sept. 14, 2020 shows the United Nations (UN) flag flying outside the UN headquarters in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

-- "Huge excitement" erupted immediately after the result was announced, a Pakistani journalist recalled China's restoration of lawful seat at the United Nations.

-- "China has been a strong advocate of multilateralism, and it continues to be an important supporter of developing countries," he said.

by Xinhua writer Wang Jiangang

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- "I have never seen such a resounding applause in my life," remarked Iftikhar Ali, a Pakistani journalist who witnessed the moment half a century ago when the legal seat of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the United Nations was restored.

Ali, who covered the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in 1971 for the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), witnessed the historical event, when the UNGA voted on China's legal representation.

After a week of debates, the 135-member UNGA convened on the night of Oct. 25, 1971, to discuss a draft resolution jointly proposed by Albania, Algeria and 21 other countries calling for the recognition of the PRC as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations", Ali said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The assembly then adopted the draft resolution by a roll-call vote of 76 to 35, with 17 abstentions, as Resolution 2758.

"Huge excitement" erupted immediately after the result was announced, recalled Ali.

A child waves the Chinese national flag while posing for photos on a bridge in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Oct. 2, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

Cheers and applause filled the air, and people were hugging and shouting, said Ali. "Some ambassadors also got up and danced."

A photo of Tanzanian Ambassador Salim Ahmed Salim dancing was published in U.S. newspapers the next day, said Ali.

"At that time, I had to leave to file the story," said Ali, who had no time to participate in the celebration.

He rushed all the way to the third floor of the General Assembly building and shot a flash in one of the telegraph rooms to the APP headquarters: "UNITED NATIONS CHINA IN TAIWAN OUT APP."

The big news had to be announced "in the fewest words" possible through telegram, since there were no telex machines or computers at that time. "Another word would delay it," Ali explained.

The veteran Pakistani journalist has been covering UN news ever since. While many events have become fuzzy over time, the night of Oct. 25, 1971 remains vivid in his memory.

This was an issue of "universal membership," Ali stressed, adding that most countries thereafter insisted that "Taiwan is a province of China."

In addition to what happened in the General Assembly Hall, Ali noted that the Chinese delegation's arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Nov. 11 was another highlight for China's restoration of its lawful seat at the United Nations.

There was a huge crowd of reporters waiting outside the airport for the arrival of the delegation, which Ali called a "sea of people." Many people "were beating drums and gongs and shouting welcome slogans."

Journalists, as well as permanent representatives of the 23 sponsors of the draft resolution and some UN representatives of other countries, as well as "officials, friends and colleagues from various walks of life," went to the airport to greet the Chinese delegation.

"I was really proud of China when I saw the five-star red flag raised high in front of the Roosevelt Hotel," Ali said.

In Ali's view, the restoration of China's legitimate seat at the United Nations has had a significant impact on the UN's ecology.

Photo taken on Aug. 15, 2021 shows a view of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo by Suo Xianglu/Xinhua)

"The whole United Nations, the whole scenario has changed because of the presence of the People's Republic of China," he said, adding that China is a country "with a development policy on the thinking and in support of the third-world countries."

Ali also believes that the presence of China at the Security Council has made the most important organ of the world "balanced."

"China has been a strong advocate of multilateralism, and it continues to be an important supporter of developing countries," said Ali, adding that China has constantly insisted that decisions regarding international affairs should be reached through consultation between all members.

On China's principle of safeguarding the international system with the United Nations at its core, Ali said that China has done a great job in this regard.

He thanked China for helping Pakistan build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which he said has brought "prosperity to the people of Pakistan."

Ali told Xinhua that he has strong feelings and love for China and its people as his first visit abroad was to the Asian country.

He visited China in 1964 as a member of the Pakistani delegation to Beijing to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the PRC's founding.

"I have been to China seven times. My last visit was in 1976," said Ali.

The international community made a wise choice 50 years ago, "we are very proud of that," said Ali, who expects to visit China again some time in the future. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 00:15:22|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Workers are busy at a company's workshop in an innovation incubation park for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Renshou County of Meishan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 19, 2020. (Photo by Pan Jianyong/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- China will take a multi-pronged and targeted approach to step up relief to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday.

"The confidence and market expectations of MSMEs are falling. In this context, we need to further bolster relief policy support for MSMEs and help them grow more competitive. The relief policies must be inclusive and targeted," Li said.

Efforts will be made to prevent cost-induced pressure transmitted from commodity price hikes on downstream industries. Inclusive benefit policies including time-limited tax and fee cuts will be studied as quickly as possible, and localities encouraged to provide support to MSMEs such as reduction or exemption of rents and utility bills, to lighten their burden and help them tide over difficulties.

The MSMEs will be supported in developing themselves into ones with specialized, sophisticated techniques and unique, novel products, to enhance their competitiveness.

"We need to respond proactively to the acute difficulties facing MSMEs and help ease their cost-induced pressure. The central government will roll out temporary support policies to shore up their confidence," Li said. "Supporting MSMEs and other market entities will ensure stability in employment, and is also conducive to increasing supply and stabilizing prices." 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 00:54:51|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (2nd L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (1st L) attend a joint press conference in Abuja, Nigeria, on Oct. 20, 2021. Buhari and Erdogan, on Wednesday oversaw the signing of eight bilateral agreements on such areas as energy, defense industry, mining and hydrocarbons during their meeting in the Nigerian capital. (Photo by Peter Oba/Xinhua)

ABUJA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Wednesday oversaw the signing of eight bilateral agreements on such areas as energy, defense industry, mining and hydrocarbons during their meeting in the Nigerian capital.

Erdogan arrived in Abuja on Tuesday on a two-day visit to Nigeria, the last leg of his Africa tour that also took him to Angola and Togo.

Buhari told a joint press conference that during Erdogan's visit to Africa's most populous country, the two leaders had "useful discussions on a number of bilateral issues, aimed at strengthening this cordial relationship between Nigeria and Turkey."

The key issues touched on included a series of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) that had been finalized, the Nigerian leader said.

"As a positive outcome, eight major agreements/MoUs on a number of the key sectors including energy, defense industry, mining, and hydrocarbons, among others were signed today," he said.

Buhari said Nigeria has removed Turkey from its travel ban list, having reviewed the list based on revised COVID-19 protocols.

"Turkey has indeed achieved remarkable success in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic," the Nigerian president said.

In his remarks, Erdogan said Turkey is determined to push relations with Nigeria to "higher levels on all fields."

He noted that trade between the countries reached 2 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, making Nigeria the biggest trading partner of Turkey in sub-Saharan Africa.

"However, we still believe that this level of trade we have achieved is far from being adequate. We hope and pray that we will be expanding our trade volume up to 5 billion dollars immediately," Erdogan said.

He expressed the hope that relations between the two nations will be "further developed on the basis of a win-win scenario and mutual respect."

The Turkish president also pledged that Ankara would further cooperate with Nigeria on counter-terrorism, as well as in the fields of military, defense, and security.

Erdogan said Turkey has expanded its diplomatic presence in Africa to 43 missions, and that the third round of the Turkish-African business forum will be held in Istanbul this October while the third Turkish-African partnership summit will follow in December. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 02:35:09|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) leaves the White House in Washington, D.C. Oct. 20, 2021. The White House on Wednesday unveiled a plan to roll out COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11, pending the vaccine's approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The White House on Wednesday unveiled its plan to roll out COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11, pending the vaccine's approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"In anticipation of the FDA's independent advisory committee meeting on October 26 and the CDC's (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) independent advisory committee meeting on November 2 to 3, today the Biden Administration is announcing a plan to ensure that, if a vaccine is authorized for children ages 5 to 11, it is quickly distributed and made conveniently and equitably available to families across the country," the White House announced in a statement.

The start of a vaccination program for children ages 5 to 11 will depend on the independent FDA and CDC process and timeline, said the White House, adding the country will be ready to begin getting shots in arms in the days following a final CDC recommendation.

The Biden administration has procured enough vaccine to support vaccination for the country's 28 million children ages 5 to 11 years old, according to the White House.

White House coronavirus coordinator Jeffrey Zients said Wednesday the Biden administration was aiming to "plan ahead so that we can hit the ground running," but that experts at the FDA and CDC would have the final say.

Vaccine advisers to the FDA are scheduled to meet next week to discuss data about the safety and efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine.

If authorized by the FDA, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would be the first COVID-19 vaccine for younger children.

A CDC vaccine advisory panel is scheduled to meet on Nov. 2 and 3 to weigh a recommendation for use. If the CDC director signs off on a recommendation for use, the vaccine can be administered to children ages 5 to 11.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is currently fully approved for people age 16 and older, and has emergency use authorization from the FDA for children ages 12 to 15.

Pfizer said last month that a Phase 2/3 trial showed its COVID-19 vaccine was safe and generated a "robust" antibody response in children ages 5 to 11.

The trial included 2,268 participants ages 5 to 11, and used a two-dose regimen of the vaccine administered 21 days apart. This trial used a 10-microgram dose, which is smaller than the 30-microgram dose that has been used for those ages 12 and older. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 07:04:44|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

It's lit!

Symbolizing hope, warmth and solidarity, the Beijing 2022 flame has arrived in China after journeying from Greece.

The spirit of "Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together" will shine over the ancient East Asian country once again.

Take a front row seat at every stage of the Olympic flame's journey to Beijing, as the world comes "Together for a Shared Future."

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 12:32:50|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Abdul Qadir Hijran, former Bagram prisoner, reads a book at a library in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Oct. 13, 2021. (Photo by Sanaullah Seim/Xinhua)

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- "The authorities shifted me from Pul-e-Charkhi jail to Bagram prison which was in Afghan army control but virtually the Americans were the rulers of the prison and they beat me badly," former detainee Abdul Qadir Hijran recalled.

A resident of Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, 29-year-old Hijran was captured in 2011 in Takht-a-Pul area for fighting the then U.S.-backed administration and the U.S.-led forces. He had been kept in a Kandahar prison for 22 months and was later transferred to the Pul-e-Charkhi central jail in Kabul.

After two years in the Pul-e-Charkhi jail, Hijran was moved to the Bagram prison within the premises of the U.S. military base, 50 km north of Kabul.

"My painful life began from here when the American soldiers began torturing me while the prison was at the hands of Afghan forces," Hijran said.

Recalling the ordeal, the former prisoner said the jail authorities kept 34 inmates in a cage-like room where the inmates used to live without blankets and mattresses, while the room was kept cold by air conditioner round the clock.

"The detainees didn't have enough food and medicines. If any inmate got headache, or stomachache the jail clinic provided him just a pill and nothing more," he said.

"Languishing in other jails from Kandahar to Kabul the situation was tolerable, but in Bagram prison, in one word, I can say that no human rights had been respected. The detainees were tortured and insulted. It was extremely miserable that some detainees had eaten razor to end their lives given the inhuman treatment of the American soldiers," Hajran said.

"I can't explain the torture and ill-treatment they applied to me, but the atrocities they committed would haunt me for years," said the former inmate, adding that the U.S. military did not even allow the detainees to recite Quran, the Muslims holy book, in their cell.

Hijran was freed from the Bagram prison with the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban in mid-August.

Expressing hatred to the war, the former detainee said, "Now is the time for peace and I expect the countries to treat Afghanistan with the sense of neighborhood, justice and co-existence to facilitate Afghans living in peace." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 16:23:39|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, checks the Yellow River's waterways and learns about the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin at a dock as he inspects the estuary of the Yellow River in the city of Dongying, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

JINAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Wednesday inspected the estuary of the Yellow River in the city of Dongying, east China's Shandong Province.

Xi visited a dock at the estuary, an ecological monitoring center and a national-level nature reserve of the Yellow River Delta.

He checked the river's waterways, the ecological environment of the wetlands in the river delta, and learned about the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 22:48:45|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

-- China's super-large economy boasts strong resilience and the country can achieve its full-year economic target with this resilience underpinning its development.



-- In tackling COVID-19, China has prioritized the task of maintaining the vitality of the real economy.

-- To meet the country's carbon peaking and neutrality goals, China's financial policymakers have placed the transition to a low-carbon economy high on the agenda, despite COVID-induced growth challenges.

-- While steering more funds to the real economy and green development, China has also kept a cautious eye on lurking financing risks at home and abroad, stepping up supervision and striving to stabilize development.





BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- While major economies are pondering when to withdraw their ultra-loose monetary policies, China's policymakers have a different issue in mind: how to better leverage financial tools to restructure the economy and secure high-quality development.

At the ongoing 2021 Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum, China's policymakers have shrugged off concern over the country's slower economic growth in the third quarter, with full confidence about where the Chinese economy is heading.

China's super-large economy boasts strong resilience and the country can achieve its full-year economic target with this resilience underpinning its development, said Chinese Vice Premier Liu He when addressing the opening ceremony of the forum Wednesday.

In the opinion of Central Bank Governor Yi Gang, China's economic system is "the most resilient one in the world," as the country has successfully coped with the ravage of COVID-19, becoming the first economy to grow last year and logging 9.8 percent growth in the first three quarters compared with the year's target of over six percent.

Combing through speeches delivered by policymakers at the forum, one might find that the real economy, green transition, and risk control are among China's financial policy priorities to boost economic recovery and secure more sustainability.

Delegates attend the opening ceremony and plenary session of the 2021 Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

FUELING THE REAL ECONOMY

When the economy is battered by external shocks, market entities often face severe competition or even live-or-die tests. That's when the financial sector helps secure financing for those in need, Yi said.

In tackling COVID-19, China has prioritized the task of maintaining the vitality of the real economy. Last year, China's central bank rolled out three monetary and credit policy packages totaling 1.8 trillion yuan (about 281.7 billion U.S. dollars) targeting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, followed by another 300-billion-yuan re-lending fund this year.

These monetary and credit measures, along with fiscal policies, have directly supported millions of market entities. So far, over 40 million entities have benefitted from inclusive small and micro-loans, said the governor.

Vice Premier Liu He stressed that China has adopted a prudent monetary policy that is flexible, precise, and appropriate, with a focus on key areas in its economic structure. Meanwhile, the multi-level capital market system has further improved with the establishment of the Beijing Stock Exchange to increase financing support for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises.

He encouraged the financial sector to take a more proactive approach to better serving the real economy, channeling more funds to small firms, and scaling up science and technological innovation support.

Deeming the manufacturing industry key to deepening supply-side structural reform, China's lenders have been funneling more funds to the sector. For instance, outstanding loans granted by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to the manufacturing sector exceeded 2 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, said Liao Lin, head of the bank.

Visitors view electric cars during China (Tianjin) Auto Show 2021 in north China's Tianjin, Sept. 29, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

FINANCING A GREEN FUTURE

To meet the country's carbon peaking and neutrality goals, China's financial policymakers have placed the transition to a low-carbon economy high on the agenda, despite COVID-induced growth challenges.

As one of the first countries to develop green finance, China has, over the past five years, picked up pace in establishing a green finance framework.

Shifting focus from anti-pollution to climate change mitigation, the country's financial authorities revised the country's green bond project catalog, raising green-bond project standards and clarifying environment-related information disclosure specifics for financial institutions.

To date, China's outstanding green loans and stock of green bonds are near 14 trillion yuan and 1 trillion yuan, respectively, both ranking among the top globally. With zero green bond defaults reported, the country's green financial assets remain generally solid.

In 2020, the country's energy consumption per unit of GDP continued to drop, while the share of clean energy in the total energy consumption mix rose 1 percent compared with 2019, showing the country's resolve to reboot the economy without sacrificing the environment and ecology.

Aerial photo taken on July 20, 2021 shows a floating solar farm in Panji District of Huainan City, east China's Anhui Province.(Xinhua/Huang Bohan)

China, together with the European Union and other economies, launched the International Platform on Sustainable Finance to push global cooperation. The platform is expected to release unified green finance standards for China and Europe soon, a move expected to effectively promote green and low-carbon development among more countries and regions.

China's central bank has also jointly initiated the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System. With over 90 members on board, this network aims to analyze climate change-triggered risks and accelerate the scaling up of green finance, representing part of China's efforts in the sector.

WARDING OFF RISKS

While steering more funds to the real economy and green development, China has also kept a cautious eye on lurking financing risks at home and abroad, stepping up supervision and striving to stabilize development.

Vice Premier Liu He urged efforts to defuse risks of small and medium-sized financial institutions through reforms and appropriately handle default risks of a few large enterprises.

Noting that there are individual problems in the real estate market, Liu said the risks are generally controllable.

"Reasonable financing demand of the sector is being met, and the overall trend of a healthy property market will remain unchanged," Liu said.

Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the central bank, said financing behavior and market prices of the real estate and relevant financial markets have gradually returned to normal, with excessive financialization of the housing market under control.

Dismissing concerns over external financial risks, Pan said that the impact of the U.S. Federal Reserve policy shift on China's foreign exchange market is controllable.

"Cross-border capital flows will continue, and the exchange rate of Chinese currency renminbi will remain stable at a reasonable and balanced level," Pan said.

The country's solid economic fundamentals will guarantee that China's foreign exchange market can cope with external shocks, Pan said. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 22:50:49|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

-- China issued a master plan on Wednesday for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, demonstrating its determination to foster a key growth pole in western China.

-- The Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is another important regional development strategy, following the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

CHENGDU/CHONGQING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China issued a master plan on Wednesday for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, demonstrating its determination to foster a key growth pole in western China.



The Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is another important regional development strategy, following the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

NEW GROWTH POLE

Covering about 185,000 square km, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle takes up 1.9 percent of the country's total land territory. In 2019, the economic circle had a permanent population of around 96 million and a GDP of 6.3 trillion yuan (about 984.7 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 6.9 percent and 6.3 percent of the national total, respectively.

"The new economic circle is expected to drive the development of China's vast western region, and effectively solve the long-term problems of unbalanced and inadequate regional development in China," said Yao Shujie, a professor at Chongqing University.

"The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, all in the country's east, have become the main drivers of China's economy. But the western region has lacked a national-level economic circle," Yao added.

Photo taken on Sept. 30, 2021 shows the night view of Chongqing. (Xinhua/Liu Chan)

The plan aims to turn the Chengdu-Chongqing area into an economic circle with its own strengths and distinctive features, as well as a new driver and an important growth engine of the country's high-quality development, according to the document.

"China's western region is the domestic market with the most potential. Only by activating this market of about 400 million people and promoting the rise of the western region can high-quality development be promoted across the country," said Tang Jiqiang, an expert with the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.

For a long time, the weak transport infrastructure of the Chengdu-Chongqing region has been one of the main stumbling blocks in its development. To solve the problem, the two cities have invested heavily in transport infrastructure in recent years.

"Developed transportation system is an important symbol of a world-class metropolitan area. It will also be the key to building the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle," said Tang.

Passengers check in at the Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)

HIGHLAND OF OPENING-UP

The intended reach of the inland Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is not limited to China. By 2035, the economic circle will become an active growth pole and a powerful driver with international influence, the plan says.

As a new land-sea passage, China's southwest has a unique geographical advantage that helps it better connect with Europe, Southeast Asia and South Asia.

So far, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, with Chongqing and Chengdu being the key operation centers, has expanded its reach to more than 300 ports worldwide.

The corridor is a trade and logistics passage jointly built by Singapore and provincial-level regions of western China.

The two cities are also major providers of China-Europe freight-train services. The China-Europe freight trains from the two cities have made more than 3,500 trips so far this year, over 30 percent of the country's total.

The freight service became a lifeline to help stabilize the global trade supply chain last year when sea and air transport was severely disrupted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

"With the help of the China-Europe freight-train service and the new international land-sea trade corridor, the Chengdu-Chongqing region will grow into a major supply chain hub for the Belt and Road countries and regions," said Tang.

A China-Europe freight train bound for Duisburg of Germany prepares for departure at Tuanjiecun Station in Chongqing, Jan. 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

"The economic circle will help build a smoother and more efficient international logistics corridor for western China, which can also boost the economic recovery of Europe and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the post-COVID-19 era, and facilitate global trade and investment," said Ji Shouwen, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University.

Liu Zimin, a professor at Southwest University, said the building of a new engine for regional development and a highland for opening-up in the southwest is a reflection of China's new opening-up pattern, which features the interconnection of the land and sea, and mutual support between the east and west.

The potentiality of this area of China is still to be discovered, the launch of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle opens up many more opportunities, said Massimo Bagnasco, vice president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China Executive Committee (EUCCC) and chair of the EUCCC's Southwest China Chapter Board.

(Reporting by Li Yong, Chen Qingbing, Zhao Yufei, Hui Xiaoyong, Jiang Yi, Yang Di, Xia Xiao, Li Baojie; video reporters: Zhang Haizhou, Li Aibin, Yang Hua; video editors: Yang Zhixiang) 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 00:01:04|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

President Xi Jinping visits a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of the Xiangjiang River during the Long March in the 1930s, and lays a flower basket in homage to Red Army soldiers who died in the battle, in Quanzhou County, Guilin City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- During the Long March of the Red Army led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the 1930s, a major battle was fought along the Xiangjiang River in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In 1934, the Kuomintang (KMT) army had blockaded stretches of the Xiangjiang River. The battle that ensued saw the Red Army successfully breach the KMT's massive deployment, but not without sacrifice. More than 50,000 of the Red Army's 86,000 troops died on the battlefield. This bloody confrontation would go down in the annals of history as the Battle of the Xiangjiang River.

Eighty-seven years on, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, is encouraging the people of China to channel the courage and determination of those revolutionary soldiers on a new march, one toward national rejuvenation.

President Xi Jinping visits a memorial hall in a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of the Xiangjiang River during the Long March in the 1930s in Quanzhou County, Guilin City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 25, 2021.(Xinhua/Ju Peng)

During an inspection in Guangxi in April this year, Xi visited the Battle of the Xiangjiang River memorial park in Quanzhou County. He described the clash as a "life-or-death event" for the Chinese revolution, and for this reason, he has singled it out as the one Long March battle that impressed him the most.

The Red Army soldiers stayed true to their ideals and convictions so that they could break the enemy's blockade with courageous sacrifice, he said during the inspection.

"Heroic! Chen Shuxiang is one of the heroes who sacrificed their lives," Xi explained when viewing a painting depicting the Red Army officer's death on the battlefield.

President Xi Jinping visits a memorial hall marking the departure of the Long March by the Central Red Army in Yudu County, Ganzhou City, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chen was just 29 when he led his rearguard division battling against the KMT army. Chen was wounded during the fierce battle and seized by the enemy. Rather than surrender, he killed himself and died a heroic death.

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the victory of the military maneuver of the Red Army -- the Long March. From October 1934 to October 1936, the Red Army trekked 12,500 km across the country, repelling more than 1 million enemy troops bent on pursuing and blocking it and eventually establishing a revolutionary base in northwest China.

"Every generation has its own long march, and every generation must see that march through," Xi said. "The long march of our generation is to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation." 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 00:09:21|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

NAIROBI, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 25 million Kenyans are in need of treatment for one or more neglected tropical diseases, the country's Ministry of Health said on Thursday.

Rashid Aman, chief administrative secretary of Ministry of Health, told a forum in Nairobi that these diseases are endemic across the country, and primarily affect the rural poor communities where access to sanitation and clean water is low .

"It is possible for Kenya to achieve elimination of neglected tropical diseases in the next 10 years and enable millions of Kenya to live prosperous lives free of these disabling and stigmatized diseases," Aman said during the Kenya Healthcare Federation conference.

He said Kenya has been certified free of one neglected tropical disease, the guinea worm.

The official observed that Kenya has also achieved interruption of transmission for African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and onchocerciasis (river blindness) given that there has been no reported clinical cases of the two diseases in the last 20 years.

He revealed that currently over 90 percent of the funding for neglected tropical diseases is external, which makes local long-term planning for control and elimination unsustainable.

Aman urged the national and county governments to do more than they are doing currently to ensure that there are adequate domestic budgetary allocations for neglected tropical diseases. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 00:23:36|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

MOGADISHU, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said it has kicked off a training program to improve the capacity of the Somali police officers to combat terrorism.

The training organized by the AMISOM police component will guide the officers of the South West State Police on how to prevent terrorist acts, exchange information, search and extradite terror suspects.

Bisong Ejue, acting AMISOM police coordinating officer in Baidoa, said fighting terrorism and protecting communities continues to be an absolute priority.

"Especially ahead of and post elections, training programs such as these are important to the Somali Police Force," Ejue said in a statement issued on Wednesday evening.

About 25 police officers from various police stations across the South West State are attending the training in Baidoa of the state.

Amin Mohamed Osman, Bay Regional Police Commander, said the course would enhance the capacity of South West Police to fight terrorism in the state.

"In general, the training is about combating terrorism and the role the community can play through vigilance. The main focus of the training is how the police and the community can collaborate to combat terrorism," said Osman.

Hassan Mohammed, a trainee, said it would support efforts to address terrorism, which remains Somalia's biggest challenge.

"We hope to benefit a lot from the training on how to protect our community, our environment and our government," said Mohammed.

AMISOM police component is mandated to train, mentor and advise the Somali police force to help transform it into a credible and effective force comparable to global policing standards. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 00:34:36|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzania-Zambia railway recorded a 19.4 percent rise in freight traffic in the 2020/2021 financial year ended June 30, 2021, said the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority, the operator, in a statement Thursday.

The statement, issued at the end of the 117th Board of Directors meeting of the operator, with the headquarters in Dar es Salaam of Tanzania, said that the railway saw an improvement of 26.7 percent in overall revenue earnings in the 2020/2021 financial year, when compared to the previous financial year that ended on June 30, 2020.

During the 2020/2021 financial year, the railway line transported 217,661 metric tons of freight, compared to 182,302 metric tons transported in the 2019/2020 financial year.

Despite limitations on the movement of people globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall passenger traffic transported was 2,760,493 passengers during the 2020/2021 financial year, down 0.66 percent from the previous financial year when 2,778,708 passengers were transported.

According to the statement, the overall revenue earnings for the 2019/2020 financial year were 24.511 million U.S. dollars.

The Tanzania-Zambia railway line was constructed as a turnkey project between 1970 and 1975 through an interest-free loan from China, with commercial operations starting in July 1976. It covers 1,860 km from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 09:42:18|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

MADRID, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma, Spain, entered into the second month on Tuesday, with experts warning that it is likely to continue spewing lava in the "short and medium term."

Over 7,000 people from a total population of 85,000 have been evacuated from their homes since the start of the eruption on Sept. 19, after a "swarm" of earthquakes had affected the island in the Canary Island archipelago.

During its 31-day eruption, the volcano ejected 80 million cubic meters of lava covering over 800 hectares of land on the island that has a surface area of just 708.32 square km.

On its route to the coast, the lava has split into four different channels and has destroyed almost 300 hectares of agricultural land, including 52 hectares of vineyards and 128 dedicated to banana plantations -- the island's main crop. Almost 2,000 buildings have been destroyed.

One of the flows has reached the sea and created around 40 hectares of new land while a second flow is expected to reach the ocean "in a matter of hours."

"We are doing everything that is humanly possible, almost the impossible, to limit the damage," said on Wednesday Angel Victor Torres, the Canary Islands regional president, as lava moved through the municipality of La Laguna.

Meanwhile the island continues to be shaken by constant earthquakes of which over 35,000 have been measured since the start of the event, with the strongest measuring 4.8 on the Richter Scale.

An unprecedented drone operation was carried out Wednesday to rescue stranded dogs. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 19:13:51|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BUCHAREST, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday nominated Nicolae Ciuca, defence minister in the caretaker cabinet, as candidate for prime minister to form a new government.

Ciuca, 54, proposed by the centre-right National Liberal Party, is the second nominee made by the head of state, after his predecessor failed confidence vote in Parliament on Wednesday. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 21:17:56|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ANKARA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday threatened to expel the ambassadors of ten western countries over their statement for the release of a detained businessman.

"I told our foreign minister that we cannot afford to host them in our country. Is it your place to teach such a lesson to Turkey?" Erdogan told journalists on the plane during his flight from Africa to Turkey.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the ambassadors of ten countries, including the United States, Germany and France, over a joint statement calling for the release of jailed activist and businessman Osman Kavala.

The ambassadors said on Monday that "Together, the embassies of Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America believe a just and speedy resolution to his case must be in line with Turkey's international obligations and domestic laws. Noting the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on the matter, we call for Turkey to secure his urgent release."

Kavala was acquitted in 2020 of charges related to nationwide Gezi protests in 2013. But his ruling was overturned and was combined with a probe into a coup attempt in 2016 on the accusation of spying.

Erdogan earlier accused Kavala of being the "Turkish leg" of U.S. billionaire philanthropist George Soros.

"Why do these ten ambassadors make this statement? Those who defend this leftover of Soros are striving to get him released," Erdogan stated. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 21:22:13|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

LONDON, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Britain has agreed a new trade deal with New Zealand, viewing it a step forward for Britain to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) despite concerns from British farmers.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern sealed the deal in a video call on Wednesday after 16 months of talks by negotiating teams, according to a statement from Britain's Department for International Trade.

Under the deal, tariffs as high as 10 percent will be removed on a huge range of British goods, from clothing and footwear to buses, ships, bulldozers and excavators. High-quality New Zealand products loved by British consumers, from Sauvignon Blanc wine to Manuka honey and kiwi fruits, could be cheaper to buy.

The deal will remove barriers to trade and deepen access for Britain's advanced tech and services companies, while making it easier for smaller businesses to break into New Zealand's market. British workers will benefit from improved business travel arrangements and professionals such as lawyers and architects will be able to work in New Zealand more easily.

Britain-New Zealand trade was worth 2.3 billion pounds (about 3.2 billion U.S. dollars) last year. The BBC said the deal is not likely to increase Britain's economic growth -- or gross domestic product (GDP) -- according to the British government's own assessments while New Zealand will fare slightly better as it may be able to sell more lamb to Britain.

The deal sparked concern from British farmers. The National Farmers Union (NFU) said the deal, like the one with Australia, could have a "huge downside", especially for dairy and meat farmers, according to the BBC.

NFU President Minette Batters said the Australia and New Zealand deals mean "we will be opening our doors to significant extra volumes of imported food -- whether or not produced to our own high standards -- while securing almost nothing in return for UK farmers".

However, the British government said the New Zealand trade deal follows advanced free trade agreements already struck with Australia and Japan and helps pave the way for Britain to join the CPTPP, a free trade area of 11 Pacific nations with a GDP of 8.4 trillion pounds (about 11.6 billion dollars) in 2020.

Britain applied to join the CPTPP in January, another key part of its post-Brexit trade negotiations program. The British government said the CPTPP membership will diversify its trading links and supply chains, and turn it into a global hub for businesses and investors wanting to trade with the rest of the world.

CPTPP members include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. It represented 13 percent of global GDP in 2018, which would increase to more than 16 percent if Britain were to join, according to a British government policy paper.

After Brexit, Britain is able to negotiate, sign and ratify new trade agreements. It prioritizes negotiations with the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The British government is also continuing work to replicate existing EU trade agreements with other countries. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 21:45:19|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi and his Turkish counterpart, Suleyman Soylu, met in Tehran on Wednesday and signed a memorandum of understanding on security matters, Iran's PressTV reported on Thursday.

"We had very good discussions, the relations between the two countries are very strong and deep," Vahidi told the press after the meeting.

Issues discussed between the two ministers included the fight against terrorism, international crime, and arms smuggling, as well as cross-border exchanges and activities, and the possibilities of further joint cooperation in all fields including migration control, he added.

For his part, Soylu described ties between Turkey and Iran as "not only diplomatic, but friendly and brotherly."

Both Iran and Turkey, he added, are determined to fight illegal migrations, namely after the situation created in Afghanistan by the hasty withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.

Further discussions between Turkey and Iran regarding the fight against terrorism, smuggling, and drugs must be held, the Turkish minister went on to say. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 06:19:05|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BUCHAREST, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday nominated Nicolae Ciuca, defense minister in the caretaker cabinet, to try and form a new government as prime minister.

"This crisis lasted too long," Iohannis said as he announced the nomination at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

"We have the pandemic, winter is knocking at the door, energy prices are increasing," he said, stressing that there is need for a government with full powers to handle all these issues.

Ciuca, 54, proposed by the center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), is Iohannis's second nominee after his first choice, centrist Dacian Ciolos, failed to win a confidence vote in Parliament on Wednesday.

"I understood this mandate as a gesture of responsibility in order to overcome the crisis in which we are," Ciuca, a reserve army general, said, adding that "we will negotiate with all the responsible forces so in the shortest possible time we can form a government."

Lately, he wrote on his social media account, once again calling on "all responsible political actors" to support his cabinet so that the country can overcome the current medical and economic crisis "as soon as possible."

The PNL has ruled out rebuilding the former three-party center-right coalition that included the Save Romania Union (USR) and decided to form a minority cabinet only with the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). Therefore, the prime minister-designate needs the parliamentary backing of the main opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) to win a vote of confidence.

According to observers, the PSD is likely to provide this support. PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu said late on Thursday that he had already agreed to a meeting with Ciuca.

Under the country's Constitution, the prime minister-designate has ten days to form a government and win a vote of confidence in Parliament.

The coalition government led by PNL President Florin Citu collapsed on Oct. 5 in a censure motion initiated by the PSD and supported by most other parties in Parliament.

On Oct. 11, Iohannis tasked USR leader Ciolos with forming a new government, but the latter failed to secure majority support in Parliament for his proposed minority cabinet.

The month-long political stalemate comes against the backdrop of the worst-ever phase of the pandemic in the eastern European country. This week, Romania registered a record daily new COVID-19 infections of 18,863, and 574 deaths, with 1,815 people in intensive care. Enditem
THE Prosecutor General Mr Kumbirai Hodzi has said the conditions of service for prosecutors have to be improved effectively fight corruption.

In an interview in Kwekwe on Monday, Mr Hodzi said fighting corruption requires a well remunerated prosecutor.

He said prosecutors must be catered for to ensure that they refuse accepting bribes.

Well, the remuneration of the prosecutors is what we are seized with at the moment. We need to improve the conditions of service of the prosecutors so that we ring fence them against corruption. We want a situation where a prosecutor will refuse any amount of bribe knowing that he is well remunerated and we are in consultations with the treasury over that, he said.

He said prosecutors also need decent accommodation so that they dont fall prey to sophisticated criminals.

The prosecutors are an important part of the justice delivery system and for it to be top-notch without any mishap, we need to ring fence them by offering them better conditions of service. They need vehicles, they need accommodation and it all comes into shape as we work towards the new prosecution guidelines, said Mr Hodzi.

In May, it was reported that corruption syndicates comprising police officers, prosecutors and magistrates were reportedly soliciting bribes from suspects before organising acquittals through sloppy investigations and prosecution.

All this started at the police station where suspects were discouraged from engaging lawyers, with rogue officers assuring them of acquittal and seeking bribes that are lower than what a lawyer would charge in any case, without that same degree of certainty of acquittal.

Half-baked investigations were then done before the bribed investigating officer took the case to a prosecutor, who would be part of the syndicate, for vetting.

During the trial, there would be under-prosecution, leaving the magistrate with no option, but to clear the suspect.

The allegations were made at an all-stakeholders anti-corruption conference by Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) executive secretary Mr Edward Mapara and backed by Police Assistant Commissioner Joseph Nyabasa.

The conference was organised by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and Transparency International Zimbabwe.

In most cases, Mr Mapara said, the suspects were acquitted, hence corruption continued unabated. Chronicle
The milestone comes months after the worlds second-most populous country was ravaged by the delta variant. That devastation was exacerbated by vaccine shortages and issues with rolling out the shots jeopardized Indias efforts to inoculate citizens, about 20% of whom are fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data.
Im an old friend of Mariskas (character) who brings her a cold case, and then some things happen between us that rekindle our old relationship, Quinn said. I gather there hasnt been too many of those, if any, in the 23 years shes done the show. They were very intense scenes. Shes an absolute joy to work with.
The scary discoveries come at a charged moment for safety in the nations largest school system. In June 2020, in the wake of the racial justice protests over the police killing of George Floyd, Mayor de Blasio committed to transferring the supervision of school safety agents from the NYPD to the Education Department. City officials have said that transition will be complete by 2022.
Judge Alison Nathan ruled that legal precedent regarding the publics right to follow a trial overrides Maxwells fears that further publicity harms her right to an impartial jury. Prosecutors on the case had joined Maxwells request for an unusual amount of secrecy in the jury selection process.
Rahman, then 31, tossed a Bud Light bottle filled with gasoline through a broken window of an NYPD vehicle parked outside the 88th Precinct, setting fire to the console. She then jumped into a van driven by Mattis, 34, and the pair sped off. Cops stopped the van nearby on Willoughby St. and found the makings of another Molotov cocktail in the back seat along with a gasoline container, authorities say.
I call it the Polymer Pipeline because a crucial component of these ghost guns is made of a durable polymer plastic, she said. We have a clear message to those who think they can get away with bringing these gun parts into our borough: Think again.
Prior to the arrest, Boyer  who is 5-foot-4 and 105 pounds, and was seen in an image released by police with pink buzzed hair and wearing Mickey Mouse pajama pants and a gray shirt  was described by police as armed and dangerous.
We still need to see the forensics and autopsy results, Robinson told the Montgomery Adviser. But capital murder charges are definitely on the table. We stand ready to speak for these two victims.
Well, he grabbed my face, Petito told the cops on Aug. 12 while crying and holding her jaw, though she insisted Laundrie did not hit or punch her. He grabbed me with his nail, and I guess this is why I definitely have a cut right here because I can feel it when I touch it. It burns.
N.B.s arrest is one of several examples of Black children being handcuffed and arrested by police for behaving like children. A 5-year-old at a school near Washington, D.C. was handcuffed, placed in a cop car and screamed at by officers in January 2020; a 9-year-old girl in Rochester, N.Y., was pepper-sprayed, cuffed and told to stop acting like a child in January 2021; and a 6-year-old girl was arrested in a Florida classroom for throwing a tantrum in 2019, among many other examples.
The suspect told his wife and witnesses at the scene that he fired his gun after being assaulted, according to an incident report obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. But an eyewitness reportedly told detectives that the pair had no physical contact before the killing.
Members of the Food and Drug Administration are expected to convene on Nov. 30 to discuss the drug before making a final decision about approving it. If approved, it will be the first drug made available to the public to treat COVID-19, according to ABC News.
Arpaio was voted out of office in 2016 and lost his comeback bid in 2020. He said Wednesday that he wished the county had taken the case to trial and believed he would have won.
You did shoot across the nose of your partner, she said. You did endanger a bicyclist and residents of a community of surrounding houses on a summer Saturday evening. One household was entertaining guests on a porch adjacent to the gunfire. These factors of endangering the public make your crime of manslaughter appropriate for a high end of the guidelines.
Hello, this is Mel Brooks. Yes, its really me, the Hollywood heavyweight says. You might remember me from the movies or you might just know me as Todd Kaminskys great uncle. Todd is one of New Yorks most successful prosecutors and, hopefully, the next DA, yes, district attorney, of Nassau County.
It empowers private citizens to effectively enforce the law by permitting them to sue abortion providers, doctors and anyone who so much as assists a woman to get an abortion. The law covers all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before most women would even know they are pregnant.
Biden, introduced by Vice President Kamala Harris, sought to reassure his supporters that he wouldnt let up the fight as he works to muscle his massive social spending bill through a divided Congress. Invoking King, Biden said the country was still working to live up to its ideals as a nation and had reached an inflection point on issues including fighting voting restrictions.
(Bannon) must have been aware of, and may well have been involved in the planning of everything that played out on that day, Cheney said. The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did.
Strong and courageous is an appropriate way to describe David. He was a patriot and a man of peace. So, we ask people to set aside their differences and show kindness and love to all. This is the only way forward. Set aside hatred and work towards togetherness, his family said in a statement after his death.
Kidnapping has become a bit of an industry among gangs in Haiti, as multiple other people were nabbed in Port-au-Prince on the same day as the missionaries. However, its not only business: A ransom payment for a Haitian pastor to a different gang still has not led to his release.
She performed in all three plays put on by the festival that year, but in Shakespeares beloved play she took on the role of Miranda, opposite William Hutt in the lead as Prospero.
An anonymous collector from the United States made the lofty purchase of the dinosaur skeleton, which is referred to as Big John due to its gargantuan measurements of 23 feet long and 8 feet tall.
Despite squawking from some union leaders, its going to happen for every job in every agency. Sure, there will be sturm und drang, like there was for schools and hospitals, but the outcome is known. Just about everyone will get their shots and a tiny few will be excused for legitimate medical exemptions and sincerely held religious objections. Its hard to see true faith-based opposition arising, though, as neither the Jehovahs Witnesses nor Christian Scientists are objecting to the vaccines and vaccination is encouraged for Catholics and Protestants and Jews and Muslims and Hindus and Buddhists.
Taken with the recent discovery of a major silo-building project in Chinas western desert, it seems clear that Beijing is focused on enhancing the overall credibility of its nuclear deterrent. An HGV capability enhances the prospects that Chinese forces can penetrate U.S. missile defenses, while hardened silos and a potential expansion of Chinese ICBMs increase the probability of surviving a U.S. nuclear strike. This has far less to do with any premeditated nuclear attack on the United States than with preventing Washington from threatening Beijing with a nuclear strike in the event of a crisis or conflict involving Taiwan. Given a perceived imbalance in conventional military and naval forces in the Western Pacific in Chinas favor, Beijing wants to remove any leverage Washington may have in raising the stakes to the nuclear threshold should conflict break out in the Taiwan Straits.
Accomplishing reasonable case times is not a matter of grand policy. It is about efficient operations, executed with discipline, coordination and leadership. The Department of Correction must get people to court on time, either in person or by video. All parts of the justice system must work to make every court appearance count and that lawyers have access to clients since a missed court appearance burns another month in custody. Every extra month in custody bloats the total jail population by several hundred people, What happened to Kalief Browder long before the pandemic when cases were moving faster is a cautionary tale: 31 appearances, eight judges and three years  ending in dismissal. The punishing journey wrecked and ultimately ended his young life.
I have nothing against math. Quantitative reasoning is essential to understanding and functioning in the world around us, whether in our careers or as citizens and consumers. As national policy director for Just Equations, a policy institute focused on equity in math education, my concern is the way math can be used arbitrarily to deny students opportunities. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has highlighted how traditional high school math sequences divide students by perceived ability. While their peers land on the pathway to upper-level courses, some students are tracked onto the path to nowhere, regardless of their actual ability.
I just think its a great way for people to meet, she confided. You know, I think that its really nice that we have friends that can connect us. You can be set up by friends, you can be at a party and tell people, Hey, do you know anyone? You can do things like that. I have experience where Ill go to an in-person event and no ones really engaged. Theyre sort of in their phones, and its a bit discouraging.
This is so disturbing, the former Gossip Girl commented in the now-deleted post, but has since shared her remarks to her Instagram story. Ive personally shared with you that these men stalk and harass my children. And you are still posting. You said you would stop. You personally promised me.
Walt Disney Imagineering is thrilled to bring the compelling story of jazz to EPCOT, Walt Disney Imagineering executive Carmen Smith said when the exhibit was launched. Our team was honored to work with jazz experts and institutions across the country to explore the rich history and influence of this truly American musical art form. We hope guests are as inspired by The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure as our Imagineers were bringing this exhibit to life.
McCain also said that former President Donald Trump called her when her father was ailing and the former senator told his daughter she had to speak to the nations president, regardless of whether or not that person had been respectful to her family. According to McCain, Trump claimed a report that hed mocked her war hero dad was fake news. She also said former First Lady Melania Trump got on the call to say We love you, which McCain didnt buy.
After suppressing so many emotions and putting up a front on a global scene, I think really all of that came to light, Biles said. My body and my mind allowed me to suppress all of that stuff for so many years, for as long as it could take, and as soon as we stepped onto the Olympic scene, it just decided it couldnt do it anymore.
In some states, let it snow has a whole other meaning  with yearly snow totals breaking records. To determine the average annual snowfall amounts in inches across the country, we compiled weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NOAAs National Centers for Environmental Information to narrow down a list of the 15 states that get the most snow every year. (Zareen Syed, The Active Times)
Prices here are not unreasonably high. Youll pay less for a trio of tacos de cabeza at a truck or grocery counter  but you may not even have a place to sit. I love those places, too, but I cant think of any with booths this cushy where I can order a Party Tacos plate ($14.99) and get six of em, three each of two types to pair with a margarita sampler.
He later returned to the scene at the request of her concerned family, who drove up from South Florida and encountered Caballero, who claimed he came after hearing Marcano was missing. However, multiple paragraphs of the report, including sections that seem to describe Marcanos bedroom and part of the deputys encounter with Caballero, are redacted.
Neighbors told deputies Bliss has had numerous confrontations with people who live near him over their cats and dogs, and that he was known as a troublemaker and a hot head, according to the report.
FILE - This Aug. 12, 2021 file photo from video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Brian Laundrie talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was traveling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park. Laundrie, the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, whose body was found at a national park in Wyoming after a cross-country trip with him, has been charged with unauthorized use of a debit card as searchers continue looking for him in Florida swampland, federal authorities announced Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. (The Moab Police Department via AP, File) (AP Photo)
I looked at the list and I asked questions, asked my leader, said Davis, who did not field questions after his remarks. Can we confirm these things? Can we confirm that these people shouldnt be on this list? [From] personal conversations with several of them, I already knew that they had medical exemptions. I had personal conversations with several who said they had the vaccination. And yet I was ordered to give them reprimands.
Suspecting my insurance company may not cover the ultrasound, I was willing to pay out of pocket for peace of mind. Unfortunately, and for reasons I still do not understand, my doctor had other plans. Rather than fulfill my simple request, he empowered a radiologist  a specialist I had never met and who was unaware of my family history  to conduct the test as needed.
Our senators know about mine and my compatriots struggles  and contributions  all too well. Sen. Rubio is, after all, the son of Cuban immigrants. He knows first-hand the grit and determination it takes to leave your homeland and make it America. In a move of bipartisan goodwill, Sen. Scott has publicly applauded the Biden Administration for granting TPS to Venezuelans.
What is troubling to me is the way Osceola Sheriff Marcos Lopez conducted himself. The sheriff notified the media and publicly arrested the attorney  personally walking the handcuffed attorney out in front of the cameras. Lopez held a news conference touting his purported achievement, while speculating, without any evidence, that this is probably not the only time Uhrig has done this. Ive seen accused murderers get less public attention from the sheriff.
In the coming days, we will review the governors specific proposals as well as discuss our own ideas for legislative action, including whether now is the time for Florida to withdraw from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and establish our own state program, the statement reads. We believe that by doing so, Florida will have the ability to alleviate onerous federal regulations placed on employers and employees.
You remember when people were telling you that, you know that these vaccines would stop transmission and the rates of protection were greater than 90%? he said. Well, guess what, here we are about 10 months afterward. And were finding that the data is showing that in some of these vaccines, the protection from infection is less than 40%. And even less than that, for some of them.
Oswego, NY (13126)

Today

A few clouds. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 32F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 32F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
New York, US (PANA) - The UN Secretary-Generals Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region in Africa, Huang Xia, has told ambassadors of the Security Council that the countries concerned now stand at a crossroads
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News East
Croatia extradites Russian national charged with $3 mln attempted fraud

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

16:42 21/10/2021

MOSCOW, October 21 (RAPSI)  Croatia will extradite to Russia businessman Dmitry Osinin, who stands charged with attempting to fraudulently obtain 210 million rubles ($3 million )in exchange for "help" in a criminal case, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation informs.

In June 2019, Osinin and his accomplice, having information about a criminal case initiated against the management of LLC LTK Svobodny Sokol, under the pretext that they could help the figures involved in this case to evade criminal liability, attempted to seize money in the amount of 210 million rubles and part of the property, the body said in its statement.

In fact, the charged person had no intentions and real opportunities to provide the said "assistance", the press release emphasizes.

Osinin fled from justice and was put on the international wanted list. He was apprehended in Croatia in July 2021.

Thanks to the close cooperation of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation with the competent authorities of this state, it was possible to reach a decision on his extradition. Dmitry Osinin will be taken to Moscow, accompanied by a special convoy, the statement reads.
Posted by Jay on at 09:01 AM CST

Marvel has sent out solicitations for their January 2022 titles, including 8comics and one Trade paperback!DANIEL JOSE OLDER (W)  DAVE WACHTER (A)  Cover by DAVID LOPEZVARIANT COVER BY TBA  VARIANT COVER BY TBATIME IS RUNNING OUT TO SOLVE THE GREATEST MYSTERY OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE JEDI! As pressure mounts, EMERICK and SIAN follow a desperate lead to close in on their suspect! A sentimental mistake may tip the balance, but a creeping horror lurks in the shadows... Can the investigators uncover the NIHILS secret weapon before its used to bring down THE REPUBLIC?32 PGS./Rated T $3.99ETHAN SACKS (W)  PAOLO VILLANELLI (A)COVER BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLILucasfilm 50th AnniversaryVariant Cover by CHRIS SPROUSEVariant Cover by KEN LASHLEYFORLORN FOR 4-LOM! TONGA and her bounty hunters are desperate to recover 4-LOM for their mission...but the upgraded killer droid is the one hunting them aboard a ghost ship. Can ZUCKUSS survive a reunion with his onetime partner? Meanwhile, VUKORAH makes her move and the criminal underworld will never be the same!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99CHARLES SOULE (W)  STEVEN CUMMINGS (A)  Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YUSabacc Card Variant Cover by DAVID LOPEZKnights of Ren Variant Cover by RAHZZAHWarriors of Dawn Variant Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANOEnemies of Dawn Variant Cover by CLAYTON CRAINSyndicate Variant Cover by KHOI PHAMConnecting Variant Cover by ARIO ANINDITOTHE ASSASSINS!QIRA sends two killers to do what they do best to continue with her plan to plunge the galaxy into chaos. The relentless, Force-blinded OCHI OF BESTOON and the mysterious, unstoppable DEATHSTICK each have a target, and nothing will get in their way!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99CHARLES SOULE (W)  GUILLERMO SANNA (A)  Cover by RYAN BROWNVariant Cover by CARLOS PACHECOVariant Cover by CORY SMITHACT ONE: Ro. The Truth. The Lie. The Kill. In which we reveal the true origins of MARCHION RO, the Eye of the Nihil and sworn enemy of the Jedi Order. In which the lie at the heart of his family is exposed. In which the doom of the High Republic begins...with a single kill.32 PGS./Rated T $3.99ETHAN SACKS (W)  WILL SLINEY(A)  Cover by E.M. GISTVARIANT COVER BY WILL SLINEYVARIANT COVER BY CASPAR WIJNGAARDVARIANT COVER BY TBAATTRACTION VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLETHE VOYAGES OF THE GREATEST OF ALL-STAR CRUISERS! As the legendary HALCYON embarks on a momentous cruise, the ship heads toward a confrontation with THE FIRST ORDER! But what secret from THE HIGH REPUBLIC ERA can help the passengers and crew all these years later? And how did JEDI NIBS and BURRY fend off a NIHIL attack on one of the ships first ever voyages?32 PGS./Rated T $3.99ALYSSA WONG (W)  MINKYU JUNG (A)COVER BY SARA PICHELLILucasfilm 50th AnniversaryVariant Cover by CHRIS SPROUSEVariant Cover by BABS TARRCONJURATIONS With STRANGE RITUAL MURDERS on the rise, DOCTOR APHRA and SANA STARROS hunt for HOWLING ARTIFACTS is growing dire! Their leads keep turning up dead, and theyre running out of time! Theyll have to delve deep into the secrets of an ANCIENT TECH CULT if they plan to catch the killer!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99CAVAN SCOTT (W)  ARIO ANINDITO (A)  Cover by PHIL NOTOVariant Cover by ARIO ANINDITOVariant Cover by KHOI PHAMTHE BATTLE FOR NO-SPACE! Since MARCHION RO attacked the Republic Fair on VALO, everything has been leading to this moment. Now its THE JEDIs turn to strike the heart of THE NIHIL. AVAR KRISS VS. LOURNA DEE. JEDI VS. NIHIL. JEDI VS. JEDI. A line is about to be crossed!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99CHARLES SOULE (W)  RAMON ROSANAS & MARCO CASTIELLO (A)Cover by RAMON ROSANAS  VARIANT COVER BY CARLO PAGULAYANACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHERLUCASFILM 50TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVER BY CHRIS SPROUSESTRANDED ON A STAR DESTROYER! After a mission gone wrong, ace Rebel pilot SHARA BEY (POE DAMERONS mother) was left for dead aboard the TARKINS WILL, a huge Star Destroyer. Shara survived and has been hiding deep inside the massive ship ever since, evading COMMANDER ZAHRAS notice. But her time is up. Can she live long enough to escape?32 PGS./Rated T $3.99Written by CORINNA BECHKO, GABRIEL HARDMAN & MOREPenciled by GABRIEL HARDMAN, BRIAN THIES & MORECover by DAVID WILKINSThe end of an era! Nearly 140 years after A New Hope, the galaxy is struggling to maintain a newfound peace. Ania Solo is trying to eke out a meager living by salvaging debris from the recently ended war  but when she stumbles upon a damaged communications droid and a stray lightsaber, she and her friends find themselves in deep trouble! Wanted by both the local authorities and a determined Imperial Knight, Ania will soon learn that the lightsaber is at the center of a deadly plot  one that leads straight back to the villainous Sith! And at the very end of the Star Wars Legends timeline, discover C-3POs final fate! Collecting STAR WARS: LEGACY (2013) #1-18 and material from STAR WARS TALES #19 and STAR WARS VISIONARIES.464 PGS./Rated T $39.99ISBN: 978-1-302-93450-7Trim size: 6-5/8 x 10-3/16
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Combat veteran Stephen Daniel casts a fly Oct. 16 on the Chama River. Daniel said being alone with his thoughts is often not a good idea but when fly fishing the Chama, its calming and mentally productive.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the family of the man who died in police custody and promised them all help in their fight for justice.

Priyanka reached Arun Valmiki's home just before midnight on Wednesday and assured all help for Valmiki's family.

"Arun Valmiki's relatives told me that the entire family was tortured. They claimed that Valmiki was given electric shocks and his hands were crushed under chair by the police. Besides, around 40 members of the Valmiki community were also arrested and tortured," she told reporters.

Priyanka was allowed to proceed along with four others after being detained by the cops earlier in Lucknow - for a second time this month.

Earlier, her car was stopped at the first toll plaza on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway and she was taken into detention.

"If I am at home, ok. If I go to my office, ok. But the moment I go elsewhere, then they start this tamasha. Why? Eventually I will meet the family. This is becoming ridiculous... people are being affected. Look at the traffic (behind her stopped convoy)," she said.

Priyanka also underlined her constitutional right to free movement in the country.

Meanwhile, AAP MP Sanjay Singh also reached Agra late on Wednesday and met the family of deceased Arun Valmiki.

He slammed the state government for the anarchy being created by the police and said that the BJP had failed to control the law-and-order situation.

"First it was the police that murdered Manish Gupta, a businessman, on Gorakhpur and now an innocent man has been tortured to death in custody," he told reporters.

Arun Valmiki, a sanitation worker, was accused of stealing the money from a building that served as the police station's evidence warehouse, and where he worked as a cleaner.

He died in police custody.

A post-mortem was carried out on his body, which has now been handed over to the family.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here to express gratitude to doctors, nurses and others who helped India cross the 100 crore Covid-19 vaccination-mark.

Modi visited the vaccination centre at the hospital and interacted with the health workers. He also gave a thumbs up to the health workers at the hospital.

India on Thursday achieved the major milestone of one billion vaccination under the mass vaccination drive.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians.

"Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. #VaccineCentury"

Today, when India has achieved a #VaccineCentury, I went to a vaccination centre at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The vaccine has brought pride and protection in the lives of our citizens. pic.twitter.com/MUObjQKpga  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 21, 2021

Congratulating the nation on this historic moment, the Union Health Minister Mansukh said in a tweet, "Congratulation India! Under the visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has been achieved".


Poland and India may enter into a twin cities agreement on solid waste management and tourism. A plan in this regard was proposed by Ambassador of Poland to India Adam Burakowski, who met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday. "We will be very happy to get Poland's expertise in solid waste management in Delhi. We are very pleased with the offer we have received from Poland in this matter. The Urban Development Minister of Delhi Government is looking into the issue. In this regard, a discussion can be held in detail between the Minister of Urban Development and the top companies of Poland who specialise in this. They can give their presentations to the ministry," Kejriwal said after the meeting on Thursday afternoon. "Had a very fruitful meeting with the Polish ambassador to India, HE Prof. Adam Burakowski. Discussed a wide range of issues including possibilities of Delhi's collaborations with Poland on solid waste management as well as in tourism," Kejriwal tweeted. Poland can help strengthen the solid waste management system in Delhi. Earlier, solid waste used to be a challenge in Poland too, but we worked efficiently towards solid waste management. Today we have beaches on the banks of the river and cleanliness is everywhere in the country. We would be happy to share our solutions to help Delhi in solid waste management," said Burakowski, adding, "I understand that a large part of the pollution that plagues Delhi comes from other states, but implementing concrete solutions can solve this problem to a great extent." The Ambassador may also discuss the matter with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.




Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/21/2021 -- According to a new market research report "eGRC Market with COVID-19 by Offering (Software and Services), Software (Usage and Type), Type (Policy Management, Compliance Management, Audit Management, and Risk Management), Business Function, End User, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026" published by MarketsandMarkets, the eGRC market size projected to grow from USD 36.1 billion in 2021 to USD 60.7 billion by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.9% during the forecast period. The major factors contributing to the market growth include the growing need to meet stringent compliance mandates and get a holistic view of policy, risk & compliance data, and increasing data & security breaches. These factors lead to the growing need for precise eGRC solutions, which support organizations to effectively manage Governance Compliance Risk (GRC) programs for driving the growth of the eGRC industry.



Browse in-depth TOC on "eGRC Market"

457- Tables

50- Figures

360- Pages



Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1310



Among deployment mode, cloud segment to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period



The use of eGRC solutions is increasing acroCloud-based eGRC solutions are becoming popular as they offer a cost-effective and efficient way to manage governance, risk, and compliance. As cloud-based solutions offer a wide range of benefits, the adoption of the same is increasing among various industries. The adoption of cloud-based eGRC solutions is increasing among SMEs as these solutions are budget-friendly and easy to deploy. Cloud-Based eGRC vendors offer GRC solutions to help organizations automate compliance, as well as control monitoring processes. Furthermore, it enhances the visibility into risk exposure. Hence, vendors are projected to deploy eGRC solutions to leverage the benefits offered by the cloud.



Healthcare vertical to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period



The use of eGRC solutions is increasing across all verticals to manage the challenges associated with risk and compliance. Verticals that are leveraging eGRC solutions include Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI), telecommunication, energy & utility, government, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & natural resources, retail & consumer goods, Information Technology (IT), transportation & logistics and others. Among these, the healthcare vertical is expected to grow at the highest growth rate, owing to the growing need to manage various standards and ensure compliance requirements for regulations. The healthcare sector is constantly focusing on enhancing the services delivered to patients. While delivering the best services to patients and staff, clinics and hospitals must assess and control various risks with regards to patient safety, federal regulations, and medical errors. In addition, risk and compliance management solutions enable healthcare service provides to consolidate the information in the form of silos to manage risk and compliance in the organization.



North America to hold the largest market size during the forecast period



North America is contributing maximum in terms of revenue generation in the global eGRC market. The region is witnessing major developments in the eGRC space. Multiple vendors across the region are involved in developing innovative products and solutions. They are focusing on the integration of advanced technologies, such as Analytics, Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning (ML). Among all the countries of North America, the US is expected to lead in terms of the adoption of eGRC solutions. The growing business complexities and changing regulatory requirements are expected to drive market growth in the region.



Speak to Research Expert @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=1310



Major vendors in the global eGRC market include IBM (US), Microsoft (US), Oracle (US), SAP (Germany), SAS Institute (US), ServiceNow (US), Thomson Reuters (Canada), Wolters Kluwer (Netherlands), Dell EMC (US), FIS (US), Software AG (Germany), RSA Security (US), MEGA International (France), Ideagen (UK), Mphasis (India), MetricStream (US), Protiviti (US), SAI Global (US), ProcessGene (Israel), LogicManager (US), Quantivate (US), Riskonnect (US), NAVEX Global (US), Alyne(Germany), and Lexcomply (India), StandardFusion (Canada).



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, and strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.



MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.



Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: 1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com

MnM Blog: https://mnmblog.org

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/enterprise-governance-risk-compliance.asp
Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/20/2021 -- The report "Greenhouse Film Market by Resin Type (LDPE, LLDPE, EVA), Thickness (80 to 150 Microns, 150 to 200 Microns, More than 200 Microns), Width (4.5M, 5.5 M, 7M, 9M), and Region (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, MEA) - Global Forecast to 2025", size is projected to grow from USD 6.4 billion in 2020 to USD 10.4 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 10.3%. The global greenhouse film market is witnessing high growth on account of increased demand for greenhouse-cultivated crops and development in areas for greenhouse-protected cultivation.



Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=179191625



The LDPE resin segment is projected to be the largest segment of the greenhouse film market.

LDPE is a type of polyethylene, which is manufactured under high pressure, mostly extruded, and blown. It is comparatively thicker than LLDPE (the number of chains in the bonds is much longer than LLDPE). LDPE with 0.932 g/cm3 of density is used in film applications requiring stiffness and easy tear properties. LDPE is used to manufacture thin films, general-purpose films, and high-barrier films. The vital features of LDPE that make it suitable for use in greenhouse films are low cost, high thickness, optical properties, and high resistance to sunlight and the external environment. The LDPE type offers advantages, such as increased clarity and ease of use, making it suitable for agricultural applications. Its low cost drives its demand in emerging markets.



150 to 200 Microns is the fastest-growing segment of the overall greenhouse film market.

150 to 200 Microns is the fastest-growing segment of the overall greenhouse film market. For optimized crop cultivation, the use of greenhouse films with a thickness of 150 to 200 microns is preferred, as they provide all necessary properties, such as controlled sunlight and UV light transmissions, anti-drop, anti-moisture, and thermicity. The use of these films is very less in Europe and North America, where snowy conditions are observed, as they might decrease light penetration inside the greenhouse tunnel.



APAC is the largest greenhouse film market during the forecast period.

The rising population in the APAC region is the key factor driving the market for greenhouse films. It has increased the demand for food, thereby exerting pressure on agricultural yield. China is the leading producer and consumer of greenhouse films in the region. India is an agriculture-based economy. In Japan, the demand for vegetables and flowers is being meet by crops cultivated in the greenhouse. South Korea is also one of the major markets of greenhouse films, after China and Japan.



Speak to Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=179191625



COVID-19 Impact on the Global Greenhouse Film Market



According to recent updates by the IMF (International Monetary Fund), there will be a recession as bad as the global economic crisis of 2008 or worse in 2020. The IMF has warned of a total output loss of USD 9 trillion of the world economy between 2020 and 2021. The extent of the economic damage still depends on how the virus spreads in Europe, the US, and other major economies.



- According to economists, the Chinese economy is likely to be hit further by reduced global demand for its products due to the effect of the outbreak on economies around the world. As the pandemic escalates, the growth rate will fall sharply against the backdrop of volatile markets and growing credit stress.



- Initial data from China suggests that its economy has been hit far harder than projected, although a tentative stabilization has begun. In Europe and the US, increasing restrictions on travel & transportation and prolonged lockdown will lead to a demand collapse that is expected to recover a little in the second quarter before significant recovery begins later in the year.



- Central banks have swung into action and are undertaking some combinations of sharply reduced policy rates, resumed assets purchase, and liquidity injections. Fiscal authorities have generally lagged but begun to loosen their purse strings. It is expected that larger and more targeted spending to the most affected groups is forthcoming.



- Restrictions on movement in Europe and the US are putting a severe dent on economic activity. India and Southeast Asian countries are also facing major disruption in their economies.



Get 10% Customization on this Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=179191625



About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.



Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.



MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.



Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA : 1-888-600-6441

sales@marketsandmarkets.com
World-leading COVID-19 antibody test developed by Auckland diagnostic biotech company Pictor will be available for use in New Zealand before the end of November, the company has announced.

The test could make New Zealands long-awaited easing of border restrictions safer as the country continues to battle the pandemics Delta variant.

Following outstanding results in an alpha trial, the companys antibody test has been registered in Medsafes WAND database for marketing and use in New Zealand. The companys manufacturing capabilities are being significantly increased at its Auckland facility and a production agreement is in place with South Pacific Sera in Timaru.

An Auckland testing laboratory will be offering the Pictor test before the end of November.

Pictor Chief Operating Officer Howard Moore says the companys low-cost, high-performance, high-throughput multiplexed COVID-19 test can help determine when antibody levels following vaccination have declined to a level where revaccination is required.

New Zealand needs to be aware that achieving very high vaccination levels will simply not be enough in the medium term. The Delta variant is relentless and, as jurisdictions overseas have already discovered, revaccinations will be required for many people to keep them, their families, workplaces and communities safe.

Pictors PictArrayTMSARS-CoV2 assay is unique in its ability to, in one test, detect the Spike Protein (SP) and Nucleocapsid Protein (NP) antibodies, thus differentiating people who have antibodies from a previous infection (SP and NP antibodies) from those who have been vaccinated (SP antibodies only).

By using Pictors antibody test before New Zealanders travel overseas, health authorities could confirm whether a persons antibodies are adequate to allow them to safely avoid a mandatory MIQ stay when they return to New Zealand. An antigen test taken at the same time would provide data to further reduce the level of risk and improve certainty.

If international travelers were to take our test on arrival in New Zealand then health authorities would know whether they have antibodies as a result of previous infection or if they have been fully vaccinated, says Mr Moore. And if they are fully vaccinated, the results would let authorities know whether the level of antibodies are adequate to combat reinfection. In other words, we would know what category of risk each arrival represents and be able to act accordingly.

Mr Moore says frontline workers such as border and healthcare professionals, truck drivers and port workers would ideally undergo the Pictor test three weeks after vaccination to ensure seroconversion has occurred (confirmation the vaccination has caused the body to produce the antibodies needed to combat the virus). Then, four months later, another Pictor test would determine whether a booster vaccination is required.

Pictors test would also enable employers of workers in high-risk roles to be proactive in protecting staff and lessen the likelihood of the Delta variant reappearing in workplaces thought to be safe because all staff are fully vaccinated.

Pictor recently completed a highly successful Alpha trial using blood samples from both COVID positive and negative samples sourced from the United States which Mr Moore describes as very exciting in terms of the outstandingly good results for both sensitivity and specificity for both SP and NP.

The company is currently recruiting volunteers for a clinical trial in New Zealand to show its unique antibody tests capabilities. It has also contracted two US-based laboratories to conduct trials in the United States as part of its push to obtain FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and bring to market in early 2022. The company also plan to pursue a positive Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) opinion for use in the United Kingdom and European Union.

About Pictor

Pictor was founded in 2005 by scientists Dr Anand Kumble and Dr Sarita Kumble, who retired in 2017. Pictor has since expanded and now has 33 employees in the United States, New Zealand, Europe and India. In August 2020 Pictor established Pictor Inc. in the United States and appointed Dr Thomas Schlumpberger as its new CEO, based in San Francisco. Howard Moore, the previous CEO, is now COO.

Pictor recently announced it has achieved a breakthrough with its COVID-19 IgG antibody test. The diagnostic test, developed on Pictors multiplex platform, can differentiate individuals who have antibodies arising from being infected from those who have been vaccinated. This breakthrough is attracting increased interest from US-based diagnostic labs who wish to trial the product.

For more information and to request an interview with Howard Moore, please contact Mark Russell (mark@hotmetal.nz or 027 297 0178).

Source: Pictor Limited

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

19th November 2021 Morning Report

Ryman Healthcare Limited (NZX: RYM) unaudited first half underlying profit of $95.9m

Steel & Tube Holdings Limited (NZX: STU) Earnings Guidance 1H FY22

My Food Bag Group Limited (NZX: MFB) achieves record earnings; confirms dividend

Turners Automotive Group Limited (NZX: TRA) delivers 24% increase in HY22 earnings

AFT Pharmaceuticals Limited (NZX: AFT) reaffirms guidance and progresses growth plan

18th November 2021 Morning Report

Blis Technologies Limited (NZX: BLT) Challenging market conditions in US impact half year result

EROAD Limited (NZX: ERD) NZ Commerce Commission Clears Coretex Acquisition

NZME Limited (NZX: NZM) Digital acceleration delivering on NZME's 2023 strategy


Page Content

The Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Omar Ottley extends his condolences to the family and friends of Sint Maartens 75th COVID-19 victim, who has passed away. Minister Ottley wishes the family strength during their time of grief.





As of October 20th, there were eleven (11) persons who tested positive for COVID-19; however nine (9) persons have recovered; bringing the total active cases to forty eight (48). The total number of confirmed cases is now four thousand four hundred sixty seven (4467).





The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) are monitoring forty eight (48) people in home isolation. Zero (0) patients are hospitalized at the St. Maarten Medical Center. The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 has increased to seventy five (75).





The number of people recovered since the first case surfaced on St. Maarten has increased to four thousand three hundred forty four (4344). Thirty two (32) people are in quarantine based on contact tracing investigations carried out by CPS.





The total number of persons tested is 58,955.





As the numbers continue to fluctuate, CPS will continue to actively execute its contact tracing measures.





Minister Ottley urges all unvaccinated persons to come out to the community COVID-19 vaccination pop-up on Saturday, October 23rd, at SMMC premises in Cayhill from 9:00am to 3:00pm. On site there will also be free clinical breast exams and a health check corner with blood pressure and glucose monitoring.
In this book, Ethan Lou goes on an epic quest through the proverbial cryptocurrency Wild West, through riches, absurdity, wonder, and woe. From investing in Bitcoin in university to his time writing for Reuters, and then mining the digital asset  Lou meets a co-founder of Ethereum and Gerald Cotten of QuadrigaCX (before he was reported dead), and hangs out in North Korea with Virgil Griffith, the man later arrested for allegedly teaching blockchain to the totalitarian state. Read the excerpts

As Keni lay dying, the restaurateur Dan Dang hid in the freezer. She had not seen the bullets fly, but she had heard their murderous thunder, and she was both cold and scared. Later, Dan saw the victims on the floor.

by Ethan Lou

Jonathan Edwards rarely saw the neighbors across the street, but now he wondered if one day hed be walking by and see a shooting right out front. What about his three-and-a-half-year-old boy? Why were lawmen storming that house? And just three days before Christmas! Jonathan did not know. But he did know this: hed moved there for a reason. There, outside the city, you could watch your horse run for miles on the flat prairie grass and not see a single other person, but when you stopped your car by the side of the road, out of nowhere would come a helpful voice asking if everything was okay. There, people drew their curtains before sundown. The local gas station closed at 10 p.m. Jonathan had sought the hamlet for its bigger lots and tranquility. He had moved, in part, because nothing at all was supposed to happen there.

That night, inside the McMansion across from Jonathan, the sin was stacked black and high with weapons and drugs, and the 25-year-old gangster Real Honorio and four others were hauled away by the law under the waning crescent moon. Real would come to regret the pain and anguish his crimes caused, the sordid chapter of his life so mired in gunfire and blood he had been blind to what was important. As a boy, Real had been interested in art and had a sense of justice, having won the local newspapers Superhero Stamps contest by designing his own character, Flame Thrower. Now everything had culminated in the death of a dream, as Reals parents would describe, shame and brokenness to his whole family.

But that came only much later, after Real was arrested again, charged with and convicted for a different deed. Ten days after the December raid, Real was out on bail, and into his mind cantered the pale thoughts of death, fair and frigid like the falling snow. Revolver in hand, Real and his fellows stormed a Vietnamese restaurant. Muzzles flared amid the eaterys white lace curtains and aquariums filled with colorful fish, and two rival outlaws dropped to the ground, bleeding. The acrid smell of powder filled the air, bullet holes marred the green walls, and empty shell casings bounced upon the reddening floor. Keni Sua, a construction worker eating at the restaurant, ran out the door. He did not see the steely gun sights that stalked him.

Once married to a local doctor, Keni was a Pacific Islander who had first crossed the salty sea to North America to spread the good word of Jesus Christ. Keni had come to love the cleanliness of the New World, the warmth of its people, and what he had seen as its safety. Described as humble and gentle and with a great smile, Keni went to the restaurant often, and on that New Years Day he faded away in the frost outside, bleeding out between the snowbanks, the bright crimson flowing where no such color should ever be. For a moment, almost imperceptible, a faint vapor would have risen from Keni as his warmth was lost to the brittle air. Keni never learned why he was damned to die that January 1 of 2009, age 43, in Calgary in western Canada, in the bleak early winter, 6,000 miles from the island he had once called home.

Those who spend enough time on the internet may come across the term sonder, coined by the online linguistics project the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to describe the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own  populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries, and inherited craziness  an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground. In those stories, you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk. And those moments are the faint links between different worlds, snaking through every look and every touch and every shoulder brushed. We hardly notice those links, and even when we do, we can never fully appreciate the strangeness of their paths or the complexities of the stories to which they lead.



There is no easy answer as to why Keni died that New Years Day. It was Reals .357-caliber revolver, and his finger on the trigger, but the islander was not his target. Real had mistaken him for a rival outlaw. The two did not know each other and shared nothing other than their presence in the restaurant that afternoon. Keni died simply because he was there, because the other restaurant he had wanted to visit was closed, because hed picked the wrong day to crave Vietnamese food. Leaving his homeland of Samoa to preach the gospel, Keni had been the protagonist of his own epic, but that afternoon, he was nothing more than an unwitting, unfortunate extra, sipping tea in the background of Reals life.

As Keni lay dying, the restaurateur Dan Dang hid in the freezer. She had not seen the bullets fly, but she had heard their murderous thunder, and she was both cold and scared. Later, Dan saw the victims on the floor. One was on his stomach, bleeding from his mouth. A young woman held the body and cried. That scene had come from a gang feud that Dan had done nothing to invite, about which she knew little and cared even less. What Dan did know, though, was her own story. She had fled a troubled Vietnam and endured the brutal high seas only to end up in a Malaysian refugee camp before finding a new life in North America. Dan screamed in her sleep that night. The restaurant had been the culmination of more than a decades toil in a local meat plant by her and her husband, who had also been a refugee. Now Dan didnt think she could ever go back. Meanwhile her husband worried that, with yellow police tape sealing off the place, there was no way to put food into the aquarium and that the fish were dying.

Two days later, on January 3, 2009, Bitcoin was introduced into the world, and in that same sonder-esque way that people silently pass through each others lives, through those elusive links that meander between worlds, all that turmoil of the December raid and the New Year shooting, all that sorrow and pain, that destructive convergence of all those dissimilar lives, would be connected to a new story, albeit faintly  no more than a fleck of paint in the backdrop of an entirely different play.

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK

Copyright  Ethan Lou, 2021





Ethan Lous Field Notes from a Pandemic was named among the CBCs best nonfiction of 2020. Lou has written in publications such as the Guardian and the Washington Post. He is a former Reuters reporter and has served as a visiting journalist at the University of British Columbia. Lou first bought Bitcoin in 2013. He lives in Toronto.
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fdd8b7d70)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdddf4060)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fdd8b7d70)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdddf4060)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fdd8cbe68)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdddf4060)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdddf4060)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdd38b018)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fddda5ec0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fddda5ec0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fdd8ceea8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdde9bb30)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fdd8ceea8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdde9bb30)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fdd8b9d20)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdde9bb30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdde9bb30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdd38acb8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fdef82d00)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fdef82d00)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The initiative is an economic development coup for Broward County and both airports, which all covet the development of new commercial aviation businesses as generators of jobs, visibility and new services for travelers. It also means more international flight options to Europe for Broward and Palm Beach county air travelers who have seen them diminish in recent years.
Flasky Flowers is a 12-ounce plastic flask that holds a flower arrangement. Theres a foam sphere on top so the designer can stick in artificial or real flowers to hide the cup. The Moynihans recommend customers cover the flasks straw with the flowers, allowing the holder to keep the contents of her drink a secret. Or she can imbibe openly if she prefers, with the flasks flexible straw reaching out beyond the bouquet.
The city commission has the option of weighing in but will do so only if one of its five members requests a vote on the $60 million project. As of this week, there was no indication that would happen.
The two men were fighting on a Broward County bus and continued to fight when they got off. The man tried to run away but was stopped by a train, which did not hit him, police said.
Officials in Hollywood as well as others within the law enforcement community say they have no reason to believe Grahams death had anything to do with the shooting death hours earlier of Yandy Chirino. Chirino, police in Hollywood say, was shot by 18-year-old Jason Banegas after the two struggled in a park late Sunday.
Guttenberg also drew attention in Congress in September 2018 when he attempted to shake hands with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during a break at the latters Senate confirmation hearing. Kavanaugh looked at him, turned and walked away. Kavanaugh later said that he had assumed Guttenberg was a protester and that he would have expressed his sympathy and shaken Guttenbergs hand had he recognized him before being whisked away by his security detail. Kavanaugh was confirmed to the court.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force can confirm that an individual alleging to be a Colombian national has been arrested in Jamaica on immigration breaches, a source in Jamaica said. He has subsequently become the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice as of today, October 21, 2021. We are working with our international partners in line with our established treaties and protocols.
The district is so overwhelmingly Democratic that the winner of the primary is virtually guaranteed to become the next member of Congress to fill the vacancy created by the April 6 death of the late Congressman Alcee Hastings. That wont formally happen until the special general election on Jan. 11.
The cost is offset by taxes on corporations. However, it appears that Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia is a secret Republican, joining that party to obstruct every effort to help virtually every American improve their lives, not to mention our climate. The coal industry is dying, but he has to help keep it alive. Some 48 Democratic senators want to pass the legislation and two holdouts are stopping everything. Its not right.
Oneiro IV: Apotheosis

Written by: John Stuart Goldenberg

Available In: eBook|Paperback

Author Website:

This singular story describes the unfolding phylogenesis of Philip Carr, a strikingly gifted young lawyer in midtown Manhattanwhich took him from New York, to Oneiro, a hitherto nameless island in the Aegean Seas, to the icy, lightless deeps of Earths oceans, to the most remote regions of deepest space.

The first stop on his cosmic odyssey: Kosmas. The planetary home to the finest minds in the galaxy, acting as the institution of the most advanced learning in the cosmos for literally millions of years.

As was slowly, methodically and meticulously revealed to Phil, he had a destiny of immense cosmic importance: Verteror. A creature unique in all the universe. Gifted with the amazing ability to directly communicate with and command ultra-sub-atomic particulates known as SNA (Sub-Atomic Nucleic Apperception).

SNA, as must, are immortal, near omniscient, and capable of assembling and reassembling matter and energy into every conceivable form, at the most profoundly particulate level. Perhaps they are the consciousness of the universe? They are an ancient, seminal and fundamental element of the cosmos; and the key to Phils ascension to Verteror, and the Verterors approaching imperium of the universe.

But first, he must learn and master his calling. The Kosmin were quite pleased to provide Phil mentors, advisors and spacecraft to assist in pursuing this goal. With excellent result. But not without intermediate disasters. One of the great risks of Verteration was the inadvertent, near instantaneous propagation of a fundamental force know as Resumptive Reticulation. Reticulation defies the most powerful forces in the universe in terms of destruction and reach, and during his inculcation, millions of beings were destroyed along with hundreds of celestial bodies.

Complicating and compounding the severity of Phils labors is the raging onslaught of two living nebulae. One, harvests planet-by-planet, sentients who have achieved sufficient intellectual maturity. The other obliterates all remaining life on such planets, leaving them a totally sterile stage upon which to restart life. Phils challenges are therefore threefold and deadly.

Adding to Phils burdens, much of the populace of Kosmas begin to regard him as a deity, along with his own crew; and Phils burgeoning skills do little to dispel their idolatry. Soon his worshipers grow into the millions.

These many forces finally vortex into a colossal crisis and Phil remains largely alone in his universe, forcing him into a draconian solution with consequences for the universe itself. It also forces Phil into a climactic reckoning with who and what he really has become and what his ultimate roll in the cosmos might be.
If you already subscribe to our print edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading The Henderson News.
. :        3   
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), one of the largest listed integrated utility companies in the EMEA region, along with Marubeni Corporation, announced today a partnership to develop a greenfield cogeneration power and water desalination project in Saudi Arabia with the worlds largest integrated oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco.

The Tanajib Cogeneration and Desalination Project will have a net capacity of 940 megawatts (MW) of power generation, 1,084 tons per hour of steam and 5.25 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of desalinated water gross capacity (net capacity: 4.3 MIGD).

TAQA and Marubeni have signed a water and energy conversion agreement for a landmark greenfield industrial facility, as well as for the development of supporting infrastructure including pipelines to connect the desalination and cogeneration plants to end users, said a statement.

A special-purpose vehicle has been created to develop the plants with TAQA and Marubeni holding a 60% stake and Saudi Aramco with 40%. Under the contract, TAQA and Marubeni will operate the plants for 20 years on a build, own, operate, and transfer basis. This project aims to supply electricity, steam and desalinated water to Saudi Aramcos nearby oil and gas facilities.

Farid Al Awlaqi, TAQA Groups Executive Director of Generation, said: TAQA is pleased to partner with Marubeni and Saudi Aramco on a project of such strategic importance to the Kingdom. The Tanajib facility will utilise TAQAs expertise in delivering efficient power and water projects, as well as further strengthening our capabilities in operations and maintenance through a 40% stake in the O&M company. TAQA has made a firm commitment to expand its generation capacity by up to 15 GW internationally by 2030 and this project demonstrates the progress we are making on this while also expanding our existing footprint in Saudi Arabia. - TradeArabia News Service
Learning levels in Iraq are among the lowest in the Mena region and are likely to decline even further because of the impact the pandemic has had on education service delivery, including prolonged school closures, said the World Bank.



The World Bank Groups new report Building Forward Better to Ensure Learning for All Children in Iraq: An Education Reform Path says that while, now more than ever, investments are needed in education to recover lost learning and turn crisis into opportunity, these investments must be accompanied by a comprehensive reform agenda that focuses the system on learning outcomes and builds a more resilient education system for all children.



The report builds on key priorities in education recently identified in the Government of Iraqs White Paper and the World Bank Groups Addressing the Human Capital Crisis: A Public Expenditure Review for Human Development Sectors in Iraq report, and provides actionable reform recommendations to boost learning and skills.



Human capital is essential to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth. However, according to the World Banks 2020 Human Capital Index (HCI), a child born in Iraq today will reach, on average, only 41% of their potential productivity when they grow up.



At the heart of Iraqs human capital crisis is a learning crisis, with far-reaching implications. Iraqs poor performance on the HCI is largely attributed to its low learning levels. Covid-19 has led to intermittent school closures across Iraq, impacting more than 11 million Iraqi students since February 2020.



This report highlights that, with schools closed over 75% of the time and opportunities for remote learning limited and unequal, Iraqi children are facing another reduction of learningadjusted years of schooling. Effectively, students in Iraq are facing more than a lost year of learning.



Iraq can use lessons learned from the current health crisis, turn recovery into opportunity, and build forward better, to ensure it provides learning opportunities for all Iraqi children especially its poorest and most vulnerable children, said Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank Mashreq Regional Director.



The World Bank is ready to support Iraq in building a more equitable and resilient post-Covid-19 education system that ensures learning for all children and generates the dividends for faster and more inclusive growth.



The report puts forward for discussion sector-wide reform recommendations, focusing on immediate crisis response as well as medium and long-term needs across six key strategic areas:



1. Engaging in an Emergency Crisis response through the mitigation of immediate learning loss and prevention of further dropouts.



2. Improving foundational skills to set a trajectory for learning through improved learning & teaching materials and strengthened teacher practices with a focus on learning for all children.



3. Focusing on the most urgently needed investments, while ensuring better utilization of resources.



4. Improving the governance of the education sector and promoting evidencebased decisionmaking.



5. Developing and implementing an education sector strategy that focuses on learning and building forward better.



6. Aligning skills with labour market needs through targeted programs and reforms.  TradeArabia News Service
Over 10 commercial agreements were signed between Bahraini firms and their regional and international counterparts at Gitex 2021, which came to a close today (October 21).

Besides, many activities took place at the Bahraini National Pavilion at Gitex this year, including the reception of official delegations from Belgium, Pakistan, Jordan, and the Dubai Digital Government. On the margins of the exhibition, a variety of lectures and conversation sessions were organised.

This year's participation included the Economic Development Board, 20 start-up companies, three universities, Benefit company, and major sponsorship from Alba and Batelco.

For the 15th year in a row, the Labour Fund Tamkeen, in strategic collaboration with the Bahrain Society for Technology Companies BTECH and WorkSmart for event management, organised the Kingdom of Bahrain's annual participation in Gitex.

The Bahraini participants in Gitex were able to accomplish several objectives, including maintaining close contact with customers and partners, better understanding the challenges of digital transformation and ways to speed up recovery from Corona, and updating visitors about their companies' latest products and services in the ICT industry.

On this occasion, Hussein Mohamed Rajab, CEO of Tamkeen Labour Fund, highlighted the growth potential provided by using specialised technology solutions for institutions in many industries. He stated that institutions must invest in creative solutions to enable them expand and sustain their operations in order to stay up with current and future challenges.

"Tamkeen's strategies have always included supporting digital transformation and promoting innovation. We will continue to build on this by working to develop Tamkeen programmes and services, which play a critical role in enhancing company performance and generating opportunities that lead to increased productivity and national economic contribution, said Rajab.

Ubaydli Ubaydli, Chairman of the Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTECH), expressed his satisfaction at Bahrain's significant success at Gitex this year. He noted that many factors contributed to this success, the most important of which was the support of Tamkeen and the efforts undertaken by the organisers to provide all support and facilities to the participants and to organise mutual visits with representatives of other national pavilions within the exhibition.

"This year's Bahraini participation at Gitex highlighted the commitment of Bahraini firms and firms and Bahraini entrepreneurs who own startups technology companies to embrace growing business possibilities at the local and regional levels, and build business models to fulfil the demands of new markets," said Ubaydli.

Ahmed Al Hujairy, CEO of WorkSmart, said: "BTECH, in collaboration with WorkSmart, was able to organise Bahraini participation in Gitex in spite of numerous challenges, because we believe in the critical role played by the ICT sector in Bahrain's national economy."-- TradeArabia News Service
Representatives from different sectors of the ICT industry in Bahrain, including start-ups and medium-sized businesses, government organisations, and educational institutions form part of the Bahraini National Pavilion (BNP) at Gitex 2021.

For the 15th year in a row, the Labour Fund Tamkeen, in strategic collaboration with the Bahrain Society for Technology Companies BTECH and WorkSmart for event management, is organising the kingdoms annual participation at Gitex.

This year's participation includes the Economic Development Board, 20 start-up companies, three universities, the Benefit company, and major sponsorship from Alba and Batelco.

Highlighting the critical role of information and communication technology in satisfying economic growth needs, particularly in light of present market conditions, Hussein Rajab, CEO of Tamkeen Labour Fund, commended the excellent prospects that the kingdoms economic climate is providing, as well as what it is accomplishing.

The kingdom has made clear efforts to encourage digital transformation in various economic applications, as well as the infrastructure and policies it provides to build a technologically sustainable economic system. This includes Tamkeen programmes and initiatives that emphasise the need to invest in opportunities, while enhancing its strength, performance, areas of growth and competitiveness at the global level, according to Rajab.

Ubaydli Ubaydli, Chairman of the Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTECH), said BNP this year is distinguished by a harmonious presence between start-ups, small and medium Bahraini IT companies, which means that the current reality of the information technology sector in Bahrain heralds a more promising future growth.

Year after year, Bahraini participation in Gitex has grown on two levels: quantitatively in terms of the number of exhibitors, and qualitatively in terms of the variety of products and services they offer, which include business solutions, virtual and augmented reality, as well as various software and applications. I would like to extend my thanks to the Labour Fund Tamkeen for its ongoing support for BNP at Gitex, which helps to build technology firms and boosts their competitiveness, productivity, and contribution to the GDP, Ubaydli said.

Ahmed Al Hujairy, CEO of WorkSmart said: "We are pleased with our success in organising BNP at Gitex through a single platform that includes all of the technology companies and bodies working in the information and communications sector, demonstrating the spirit of collaboration and teamwork that has distinguished us throughout our digital transformation journey.

Al Hujairy concluded by explaining that Bahraini IT companies' participation in Gitex is an excellent showcase of the kingdom's digital infrastructure's readiness and development, as well as its digital capabilities and technical resources, which support and enhance the confidence of customers, including citizens, residents, visitors, and investors.-- TradeArabia News Service
Gulf Future Business (GFB), a professional consultancy company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with iWorld Connect during its participation in Bahrain Pavilion at Gitex 2021 in Dubai, UAE.



According to this agreement the two parties will collaborate to provide more information and communication technology solutions and services to Bahrain's business sector, institutions, companies, and organizations, thus contributing to the digital transformation process.



Ahmed Alhujairy, CEO of GFB, said that this partnership covers the future business collaboration of both companies on providing exceptional services that will be showcased by the said cooperation.



"We see our relationship with iWorld as a significant step forward for us, and we admire the company's history and accomplishments, as well as the technical solutions it offers, which help to realize the national goal and drive long-term economic progress, Alhujairy said.



Abhijit Mangle, General Manager of iWorld said: "We are pleased to work side by side with the Gulf Future Business Company to explore the best ways to benefit from information and communication technology in enhancing labour standards in Bahrain and to put the latest technologies within the reach of customers so that they can provide the best performance. There's no doubt that our collaboration will help us improve our role in providing the best technology solutions to help corporate clients achieve their objectives."



"We deal with local and regional clients in all Gulf countries, and we have extensive knowledge and the necessary resources to provide technical solutions to our clients, and Gulf Future Business Company is a leading company in the field of business in Bahrain, and we are very proud of our collaboration with them, Mangle concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
For the first time, in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, the Israeli diamond industry will be represented at 'Jewellery Arabia', the Gulf's prestigious international diamonds and jewellery exhibition, in Bahrain from November 16 to 20.

In honour of the occasion, Avi Tavisal, founder of the Israel Diamond Center (IDC) and one of the founders of the world-leading Israel Diamond Exchange, has designed and created the AlSakhra Collection, which will be on display at the company's booth.

A stunning collection of Islamic fine jewellery and collectors' art, AlSakhra was created in the spirit of Islamic faith and culture. The choice of the name "AlSakhra" for this special collection is a reference to the Sakharat Al-Maraj "the Rock of Ascension" from which Muhammad, peace be unto him, ascended to the heavens for his Night Journey, and the beautiful gilded Dome of the Rock above it. In reverence to the Islamic faith, the Collection is crafted with authentic Jerusalem Stone, Gold and Diamonds.

Tavisal immediately agreed to the Israel Diamond Exchange's request to be among the first diamond and fine jewellery dealers to represent Israel at this important exhibition.

In cooperation with a team of expert craftsmen, jewellers and advisors, he captures the beauty of Islam, Islamic history and culture in a complete line of AlSakhra jewellery and a collection of one-of-a-kind sculptures crafted from Jerusalem Stone, Gold, Diamonds and Gemstones. These masterpieces are valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Shady Kheir, IDC's VP Business Development, explained: "The Abraham Accords motivated us to combine our vast experience in the diamond industry, artistic vision and great appreciation to the leaders who realised the historic peaceful relations in the region into this unique brand which has already stirred curiosity in the Gulf region.

"Israel is well known as the "Start-up Nation" and as the number one diamond exporter in the world. We are extremely delighted and honoured to take part in this important event," said Kheir.

Jewellery Arabia is regularly attended by senior officials and respected dignitaries from the emirates and all over the world. The Royal Family of Bahrain, which plays an active role in hosting the event, will be present throughout the exhibition and will take part in various related events.

Tavisal, a seventh-generation Jerusalemite and member of his family's second generation engaged in the jewellery profession, said: "Today, we are making history. This is a very exciting and important development. Dealing with diamonds connects me to a very special place  diamonds saved my father's life during World War II and gave me a rare opportunity to become one of the founders of the Israeli Diamond Exchange and industry. It is a privilege to use my skills, creativity and faith to honor Islam and our partners in the historic Abraham Accords."-- TradeArabia News Service
Maldives, one of the first countries to open borders for international travellers last year, will be the Official Island Travel Partner for the upcoming ITB China, set to take place from November 24  26 as a physical event in Shanghai, with a virtual extension from November 8 to December 31.

The independent island nation in the northern Indian Ocean will participate in China's B2B travel trade show with its own Maldives pavilion to showcase its tropical islands and discuss business prospects with Chinese buyers to increase bookings and arrivals from China to the Maldives once travel restrictions are lifted.

Following the implementation of strict policies and measures for the safety of visitors, the Maldives opened their borders in mid-July 2020 and since then the arrival figures have been promising.

By the end of 2020 they were able to achieve 33 per cent of the total arrivals achieved in 2019. During the first six months of 2021, they have achieved 62% year on year, in comparison to arrivals in the same period of 2019.

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation Managing Director Thoyyib Mohamed said: As China has been one of our biggest source markets in the past, it is a priority to maintain the destination presence in China. We are constantly holding activities and digital marketing campaigns and participate in minor and major events of the travel trade industry.

ITB China is China's leading travel trade show and we are excited to promote our destination at this event and work towards regaining the market share we had in China before the pandemic. We hope to assure our travellers that the Maldives is the safest destination to travel post pandemic, after travel restrictions are eased. ITB China provides us with a perfect opportunity to meet travel trade partners from China and beyond, to re-familiarize them with our products and experiences."-TradeArabia News Service
Oman and Greece have signed an agreement on mutual visa waiver for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports between the Sultanate and Greece.



The agreement was signed at Omans Foreign Ministry on behalf of the governments of the two countries by Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister and Nikolaos Georgios Dendias, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, reported Oman News Agency (ONA).



The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for political consultations between Oman and Greece.



The agreement signing ceremony was attended by Sheikh Khalifa Ali Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Diplomatic Affairs, Alexis Konstantopoulos, Ambassador of the Republic of Greece to the Sultanate of Oman and officials from both sides.
Minor Hotels, a hotel owner, operator and investor, currently with a portfolio of 527 hotels and resorts in 55 countries, has announced its upcoming debut in Egypt with the launch of a new build Oaks property.



Scheduled to open in 2025, Oaks Egypt New Capital Apartments & Suites will be located in the heart of the Egyptian New Administrative Capital and will begin construction early next year. The property will bring a total of approximately 400 apartments and suites to the market in this fast-developing new administrative and financial capital.



An industry leader in modern residential-style accommodations, Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites provides a home away from home for both savvy corporate travellers and leisure tourists alike. Oaks Egypt New Capital will be housed across two wings, connected centrally at the rooftop and on the ground floor with a spacious retail area. One wing will feature a mix of Suites and Studios, in addition to One-Bedroom and Two-Bedroom branded apartments. The other will feature 203 branded Suites.



Facilities at the property will include multiple restaurants, a lobby lounge, a spa and gym, in addition to meeting and co-working spaces. The property will also have a rooftop pool deck for guests and residents.



Egypts New Administrative Capital is a large-scale masterplan launched by the government in 2015. Located 45 kilometres to the east of central Cairo, the new city will house the entire government, ministries, foreign embassies and the local headquarters of many international companies. The masterplan is amongst the countrys largest programmes for economic growth as set up by the Egypt Vision 2030.



The new property is owned by Margins Development, a private real estate developer with numerous high-end commercial projects in Cairo.



Dillip Rajakarier, Group CEO of Minor International and CEO of Minor Hotels said: Minor Hotels upcoming debut in Egypt is strategically important for the group, continuing to grow our footprint in the MENA region and adding a new country to our portfolio.



Egypt is well known as a tourism destination for its incredible history and heritage, in addition to being an important business hub. We look forward to launching the Oaks brand in the countrys new capital and we are confident it will bring a great offering to this growing masterplan development.



Sherif Khalil, Margins Development CEO, said: Oaks New Capital Apartments & Suites is the first branded residence in the New Capital strategically located at the main spine of the central park with magnificent views of the green river. Minor Hotels are a reputable hotel group worldwide and we are delighted that their first property in Egypt will be in cooperation with Margins Developments.



We are looking to invest in this relationship with Minor Hotels to launch new properties soon in other areas in Cairo and on the North Coast. Oaks New Capital Apartments & Suites will offer a variety of unit types including Studios, one and two-bedroom units and a wide range of hotel services.



Minor Hotels currently has 31 hotels and resorts in operation and in the pipeline in the Mena region across its Anantara, Avani, Tivoli and Oaks brands, with the pipeline including the launch of two new brands to the region  NH Collection and NH Hotels.  TradeArabia News Service
Office space leasing increased by 89 pc QoQ in Q3 2021: Colliers

Bengaluru, Oct 21 (UNI) The top six cities of India registered about 10.3 million sq ft of office gross absorption in Q3, 2021, the highest volume recorded since Q1, 2020, it was reported on Thursday.

After the second devastating wave of the pandemic in the second quarter, the overall absorption numbers rose by 89 per cent QoQ as occupiers planned for a gradual re-entry and closed deals that were on-hold, leveraging tenant favourable market dynamics.

IT sector driven cities Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune accounted for 62 per cent of gross absorption in Q3, 2021. With an increased number of fully vaccinated employees returning to their workplaces coupled with fewer restrictions on mobility, the office market is showing strong signs of revival.

"The quarter has brought in much-needed cheer for the market. Large deals made a comeback, led by demand from flexible workspace operators. Decision-making by occupiers has become quicker than in 2020.

"We can expect the optimism to strengthen over the upcoming quarters, provided there is no third wave. Occupiers who were exploring renewal options have begun looking for fresh space," Asia Colliers' Ramesh Nair said.

After an average performance in Q2 2021, Hyderabad emerged as one of the resilient cities in terms of demand supply dynamics. For the first time, Hyderabad had the maximum share in leasing volume at 2.5 million sq ft surpassing Bengaluru, as occupiers focussed on large block deals and even leasing entire buildings.

BFSI and Flexible workplace sectors had the maximum share in leasing volume accounting for 66 per cent of the total demand in Hyderabad.

Rai Durg saw the maximum leasing traction accounting for 53 per cent of the demand, while Hitec City contributed 40 per cent. On a YTD basis, Bengaluru continues to be the market leader.

The quarter saw the highest supply since Q2 2020 at 10.8 million sq feet in Q3 2021 with Hyderabad and Pune contributing the maximum share at 29 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

The second wave did not have a major impact on the construction activity. Developers continued to focus on leasing existing stock and received OCs for buildings with pre-commitments.

UNI BDN ACL1302
If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now!

Submit
A convicted sex offender was arrested by a Franklin detective this week after he was walking through a park where he wasnt supposed to be.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 09:19:30|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government has decided to relax the quarantine rules for international passengers arriving from certain countries.

India's health ministry on Wednesday issued a new set of guidelines specifying quarantine norms for international travellers from countries which have agreement with India on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates of nationally recognized or World Health Organization (WHO)-recognized vaccines.

As per the new norms, which will come into effect from Oct. 25, foreigners from the designated countries arriving in India shall be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days post-arrival.

"Fifteen days must have elapsed since completion of COVID-19 vaccination schedule," according to the guidelines.

Such passengers will also have to submit a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test report, and the test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey.

India has signed agreements for mutual recognition of nationally or WHO-recognized COVID-19 vaccines with 11 countries namely Britain, France, Germany, Nepal, Belarus, Lebanon, Armenia, Ukraine, Belgium, Hungary and Serbia.

According to the new guidelines, there are countries which presently do not have such an agreement with India, but they exempt Indian citizens fully vaccinated with nationally recognized or WHO-recognized vaccines. On the basis of reciprocity, the travellers from all such countries which provide quarantine-free entry to Indians are allowed certain relaxations on arrival.

"If any passenger reports symptoms of COVID-19 during flight, he/she shall be isolated as per protocol," the guidelines said.

International travellers arriving through seaports or land ports will also undergo the same protocol. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 11:18:37|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export logged a double-digit growth in the first 20 days of October owing to the global demand recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, customs office data showed Thursday.

The outbound shipment reached 34.2 billion U.S. dollars in the Oct. 1-20 period, up 36.1 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Korea Customs Service.

Import jumped 48.0 percent to 36.7 billion dollars, sending the trade deficit to 2.5 billion dollars.

Semiconductor export advanced 23.9 percent in the 20-day period, and oil products shipment more than doubled amid a higher price for crude oil.

Automotive export expanded 10.5 percent, and the shipment of mobile devices added 2.6 percent.

Shipment to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, spiked 30.9 percent in the cited period, and those to the United States, the European Union, Vietnam and Japan all increased in double figures.

Meanwhile, crude oil import almost doubled in the 20-day period, while oil products import more than quadrupled.

Semiconductor import went up 20.3 percent, but automotive import declined 8.8 percent in the period. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 11:55:43|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

SYDNEY, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- More Australians than ever are having to work at more than one job, according to a report released on Thursday.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) report found that 867,900 people were working multiple jobs, the highest number since the Australian Bureau of Statistics began tracking secondary jobs in 1994.

The report also found that 209,100 of them were holding down three or more jobs, a 10.8 percent increase from June 2020.

"The record number of Australians working three or more jobs is a deeply concerning trend," said Sally McManus, who heads the ACTU, which is the nation's largest union organization.

McManus blamed the government for having overseen the "erosion of the financial security that secure employment has provided for generations of Australian workers."

"How do working people with multiple, insecure jobs plan for a life outside of work?" she asked.

The report revealed that workers who do multiple jobs still ended up earning about 17.5 percent less than the national average - who are usually people working just one job.

Women working multiple jobs are notably worse off than men, earning almost 10,000 Australian dollars (about 7,543 U.S. dollars) less per year than their male counterparts.

"More than half of those with two or more jobs are women and as usual they are left worse off," McManus said.

Workers aged under 35 also figured disproportionately high in the report, with 55 percent of them shouldering at least two jobs.

McManus believes the surge in people working multiple jobs is driven by employers offering insecure work, often to deal with the pandemic.

Multiple job holding has risen markedly in administrative and support services where cleaners, security guards and call center workers have been hired.

Healthcare and social assistance also saw some of the largest increases in multiple job holding. Workers in these sectors are already overworked and underpaid, McManus said, while being on the pandemic frontline.

The ACTU said working across multiple locations was a huge COVID-19 health risk for healthcare workers and patients yet was a growing solution for employers who "exploit weak workplace laws."

"The government urgently needs to address the insecure jobs crisis plaguing this country," McManus said. "Australian workers have been doing it extremely tough for almost two years." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 13:32:05|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

SYDNEY, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- As the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) grapples with its rapidly escalating COVID-19 outbreak, fears mount for the country's already fragile health care system.

According to latest figure from the PNG government, as of Tuesday, there were 413 new cases. The total cases in the country reached 25,796 with 2,868 active cases and 312 cumulative deaths.

All major hospitals, including Port Moresby General Hospital in the island nation's capital and Mt Hagen General Hospital in the Western Highlands, are reportedly inundated with patients suffering from the highly virulent Delta strain of the virus.

"We're at the moment barely managing with the existing load, there are surges occurring in all the major centers," said Gary Nou, who heads the COVID-19 National Control Center (NCC).

At the same time, health authorities worried the situation is even worse due to low testing numbers.

"Largely due to our low testing rates, we have to assume that there are far more cases in PNG than are being found through testing," a statement from the PNG Ministry of Health read.

The most recent data shows that under 1 percent of PNG population has been fully vaccinated, with less than 200,000 doses having been administered across a population of nearly 9 million.

Authorities, meanwhile, continue to plead for people to follow health guidelines.

"I cannot but continue to say that unless we all cooperate, the virus will continue to spread in our communities. We've lost so many people and we cannot continue like this. Please listen and follow instructions," said Daoni Esorom, deputy controller of the National Pandemic Response.

Health authorities also expressed their concern that the virus would begin to spread into rural areas over the holiday period, where access to health facilities is extremely limited.

"We will not be able to help many people because many villages are not accessible by road transport in order for people to go quickly to the health facilities to seek help when they are sick with COVID-19," Esorom said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 13:34:49|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

TOKYO, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of foreign visitors to Japan dropped over 99 percent in September compared with the same month in 2019, local media reported on Thursday.

Japan has banned most foreign travelers from entering the country since January, except for those who have special reasons.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of estimated foreign travelers last month was around 17,700, falling 99.2 percent from September 2019, when 2.27 million travelers came to Japan.

Among the estimated numbers, 4,000 people arrived from China, 2,200 from South Korea, 1,700 from the United States and 1,000 from Vietnam.

Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Japanese government is also monitoring the increasing oil prices, which could possibly raise the cost of public transportation and deal another blow on the tourism industry.

"Tourism demand suddenly evaporated because of the pandemic. Now, as we head into winter, higher kerosene prices are going to be a big problem. In addition, rising fuel costs could have an impact on public transportation," said Tourism Agency Commissioner of Japan Koichi Wada.

Wada said under the current situation, the Tourism Agency would be prepared to help with various financial support. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 14:07:42|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ULAN BATOR, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia confirmed on Thursday 1,744 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 344,736.

Meanwhile, 16 more COVID-19 patients died in the past day, lifting the death toll to 1,534, the country's health ministry said in a statement.

The resurgence of the virus has continued due to the highly contagious Delta variant, although 65.7 percent of the population has received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The country's health authorities have urged the public to avoid mass gatherings, wear masks in public areas and receive a booster shot. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 17:13:22|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Three terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire with police in Pakistan's northwestern Peshawar city, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police said on Thursday.

The exchange of fire took place when the CTD personnel early Thursday morning carried out an intelligence-based coordinated raid in the Shahpur area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the CTD in Peshawar told local media.

Taking advantage of the darkness, three of the accomplices of the militants managed to flee from the scene, said the CTD, adding that a search operation was launched to pursue the terrorists on the run.

During the operation, anti-terror police also recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition including submachine guns, grenades and cartridges. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 18:30:58|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

DHAKA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh Thursday received a new batch of Sinopharm vaccines from China, a day after it got a batch of China-aided Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines.

Abu Zaher, chief health coordinator at Bangladesh's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, received the consignment at the airport.

Health ministry spokesperson Maidul Islam Prodhan told journalists that the plane of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying 5.5 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 1:40 a.m. local time Thursday.

Bangladesh's vaccination drive is currently running smoothly in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere, largely thanks to China's continued vaccine support.

Bangladesh launched its COVID-19 vaccination drive in January to contain the pandemic that has spread across the country.

The Bangladeshi government 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 vaccines. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 19:28:45|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

DHAKA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's poverty eradication efforts have created new wonders in human history, a Bangladeshi minister said.

Addressing a webinar titled "Poverty Eradication: Experiences from Bangladesh and China" Wednesday, Bangladeshi Education Minister Dipu Moni said, "China has achieved new wonders in raising (more than) 700 million people out of poverty."

Since its reform and opening up in 1978, China has lifted 770 million rural residents out of poverty, showed official data.

According to the World Bank's poverty line, poverty reduction in China represents 70 percent of the world's total, achieving the target set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule.

"While other countries can't copy everything, we can learn from Chinese experiences at least," Moni said at the webinar, which was organized by Association of Bangladesh-China Alumni (ABCA) and attended by scholars from the two countries.

On the traditional friendly relations between China and Bangladesh, Moni said, "Our friendship now encompasses all spheres of life."

She said China is immensely contributing to Bangladesh's socioeconomic development. "China is now our very, very important development partner."

The minister said poverty eradication is important to the whole world, therefore it is among both the millennium development goals and the sustainable development goals.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said at the webinar there are currently about 700 million people living in extreme poverty in the world, which means that their daily living expenses are less than 1.90 U.S. dollars.

He said China actively carries out international cooperation in poverty reduction, provides assistance to developing countries within its capacity, and is a powerful promoter of poverty reduction in the world.

Over the years, China has assisted 120 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbeans and Oceania in the construction of farms, agricultural technology demonstration centers, and other projects.

Binayak Sen, director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), said 2000-2020 is an important period in China's poverty eradication.

"We have to study this remarkable poverty eradication period of China," he said.

China's success in economic development and poverty eradication offers new lessons to rest of the world, said the expert. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 20:51:45|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

COLOMBO, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Sri Lankan scientist said China's Yunnan Province is one of the world's 35 biodiversity hotspots and the best place on earth to study mushrooms.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Samantha Chandranath Karunarathna, a mycologist at the Kunming Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said 900 out of 2,000 edible mushrooms in the world are found in China.

"The most amazing fact is that out of 900 edible mushrooms in China, 600 are found in Yunnan Province," he said.

Karunarathna first traveled to Yunnan while doing his Ph.D. research at Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand.

He was later offered a research position at the Kunming Institute of Botany and received grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China to carry out the research.

"My future research plans will be to find out new edible and medicinal mushrooms in Yunnan which will benefit people in China and the whole world," Karunarathna said. "I would like to invest my energy and research to support the poverty alleviation program of China through mushroom cultivation."

Karunarathna said Sri Lanka, where mushrooms are not a common source of food, has very few mushroom experts, despite being naturally abundant in the tropical climate.

He said his research in Yunnan would help him to develop mushroom research and cultivation in Sri Lanka.

"I witnessed how China invests money for research and development especially to conserve threatened fauna and flora. Also, China pays much attention to restoring degraded lands," he said.

Karunarathna said Sri Lanka is also rich in biodiversity while lacking the latest technologies in research and development compared to China.

"Sri Lanka can learn a lot from China's efforts to conserve its biodiversity despite the pressure of a large population and a growing economy," he said. Enditem
" " The Florida Keys, last known destination of the doomed Flight 19. Zephyr Picture/ Getty Images

On the afternoon of December 5, 1945, five Avenger torpedo bombers left the Naval Air Station at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with Lt. Charles Taylor in command of a crew of 13 student pilots. About an hour and a half into the flight, Taylor radioed the base to say that his compasses weren't working, but he estimated he was somewhere over the Florida Keys. The lieutenant who received the signal told Taylor to fly north toward Miami, as long as he was sure he was actually over the Keys. Although he was an experienced pilot, Taylor got horribly turned around, and the more he tried to get out of the Keys, the further out to sea he and his crew traveled.

As night fell, the reception of radio signals worsened, until, finally, there was nothing at all from Flight 19. A U.S. Navy investigation reported that Taylor's confusion caused the disaster, but his mother convinced them to change the official report to read that the planes went down for "causes unknown." The planes have never been recovered.
15:00 | Lima, Oct. 21.

These are the most prestigious awards in political communication, electoral and government campaigns. They are aimed at digital media, as well as technological and academic efforts, print media, as well as leaders committed to freedom, democracy, and above all excellence.





The Washington Academy Chairman Mauricio Jaitt pointed out that this edition once again broke the record in the number of applications. Besides, it reflected a considerable increase in the quality of works presented before the select jury, which was made up of exponents whose trajectory transcends borders.





San Marcos pride





San Marcos University graduate Ana Isabel Fiafilio who currently works at Peru's Education Ministry in the Investments Department has received a recognition for the work she has been doing in promoting Open Government among youth and public servants in Latin America through talks, conferences, and in the dissemination of knowledge on sustainable development in the areas of education, environment, and innovation in Government.





Fiafilio has been a fellow of various programs such as Leading Education, sharing experiences in terms of education with young people from Latin America and experts in the region.









It should be noted that Fiafilio will travel to the United States to receive the award. This event will be held at George Mason University (Arlington Campus) on November 17.





"I recommend that young people have a much more interdisciplinary vision in their different careers, so that they can access more opportunities at the international level," Fiafilio said in dialogue with San Marcos al Dia.
16:00 | Lima, Oct. 21.

According to the officer, the country with the second-highest number of postal shipments by Peruvians is Chile, followed by other countries in Latin America and Europe.

Concerning the products arriving in Peru, Infantes indicated that 70% of them come mainly from Asian countries, while the remaining 30% land from the United States and European countries.

He stressed that Exportafacil is an important tool that allows micro-entrepreneurs to send their products to other countries through the economic and express services provided by Serpost

"This allows any entrepreneur to ship products for a maximum of US$7,500, as well as in terms of dimensions and weight of 30 kilograms," Infantes told Andina news agency.

The officer noted that in the last quarter of this year the volume of postal shipments of different types of products increases due to year-end holidays.

"One in particular is the hyperconnected and digital customer, whose consumption habits have changed," he indicated.

"We are developing projects (to improve the online service) because the regular consumer needs online information nowadays. This is all work to improve the promise of value in terms of delivery times," Infantes stressed.

Furthermore, he pointed out that in the current normality customers mostly demand to be allowed to pay digitally for the services provided by Serpost

On the other hand, he affirmed that Serpost has a great competitive advantage in relation to private operators because it relies on greater experience and coverage at the national level.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. If the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, approves Armenias appeal against Azerbaijan, that would greatly contribute to the strengthening of the facts of the Armenian side in the negotiation process of the Artsakh conflict settlement and the international recognition of Artsakhs self-determination, Representative of Armenia before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Yeghishe Kirakosyan, who is also representing Armenias interests at the ICJ, told ARMENPRESS.

He stated that from the perspective of the Artsakh issue, not only the decision of the Court, but also the current process itself are very important because they would contribute to the formation of right international perceptions.

In general, during the court hearings we are presenting well-grounded facts from the perspective of international law. We are presenting our position which couldnt not refer to the Artsakh or the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. It refers to it directly. We present the perceptions and positions of the Armenian side in a well-grounded and professional manner and we do this with the language of the international law, which is very important. And I think that the international support on this direction will be formed based on this. Therefore, the importance of this case is not the decision of the court only, but the process itself. When we launch this process, public speeches, oral hearings are taking place at that period, we are clearly presenting our facts, and all see it. Therefore, I think that this is also an opinion-making process. This process is about forming right international perceptions. Thus, I believe that this a very important process from this perspective, he said.

Kirakosyan informed that the hearings over the case have been completed by the ICJ on October 19. Two hearings took place within two weeks, the one dedicated to Armenias request and the other to Azerbaijans request.

He said that during both hearings Armenias attorney team has presented quite strong and convincing facts and proofs, as well as has very convincingly defended Armenias interests during Azerbaijans hearings, by presenting counter-facts.

According to Kirakosyan, the process of a judicial case against Azerbaijan is important itself, as some progress has already been achieved, namely that the authorities of Azerbaijan, with Armenias demand, have removed the mannequins and helmets of Armenian soldiers from the so-called Military Trophy Park in Baku.

I think that this is the first big achievement, because the Azerbaijani side presented the proof of removing the mannequins and helmets to the court just two-three days before the hearings, which shows that these hearings are already giving results, Yeghishe Kirakosyan said.

He informed that ICJ will release its decision over the case in 1-1.5 months. If by that decision we get what we want, that would be more convincing and will raise further pressure on Azerbaijan. It has already raised pressure, and in case of that decision, that pressure will multiply, he noted.

On September 16, 2021, Armenia instituted proceedings against the Republic of Azerbaijan before the International Court of Justice with regard to alleged violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

Armenia also requested the Court to indicate certain provisional measures as a matter of extreme urgency, including the return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives from Azerbaijan, as well as the closure of the so-called Military Trophies Park in Baku.

However, for Armenia only the removal of mannequins and helmets is not enough. Kirakosyan says that from the very beginning that so-called trophy park opened based on the anti-Armenian ideology. Therefore, Armenia demands to close that park completely.

Armenia also requests the court to oblige Azerbaijan to refrain from destructing, changing the Armenian cultural values in Artsakh, as well as to present proofs about the crimes committed in the territory.

These are the main demands of Armenia, Kirakosyan said.

Kirakosyan clarified that the talk currently is about the decision of the court, not the judgment as the case is just starting. In any case, the courts decision will be legally binding, and if the court approves Armenias request, Azerbaijan will be obliged to implement all the demands.

The case is just starting, and we have just requested an urgent measure in order to ensure the interests during the examination of the case for which we have filed an appeal, he said.

Interview by Aram Sargsyan

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Ambassador to the United Kingdom Varuzhan Nersesyan met with Catherine West and James Murray, members of the Labor Party of the House of Commons and the UK-Armenia All-party parliamentary group, the Embassy of Armenia in the UK said in a statement on social media.

During the meeting, the Ambassador first thanked the MPs for their constant support to Armenia and Artsakh, especially during the 2020 war, and for voicing and supporting Armenias approaches in the UK Parliament. The Ambassador presented in detail the latest regional developments, Azerbaijans ongoing aggressive actions against Armenia, and the possibilities of resuming the negotiation process.

Varuzhan Nersesyan attached special importance to the issue of repatriation of POWs, who are kept in Azerbaijani prisons contrary to all international humanitarian norms. The Ambassador also presented the need to preserve the Armenian historical and cultural heritage of Artsakh, emphasizing the importance of expressing a clear position of international partners in this issue.

The parties also discussed the Turkish factor and the negative regional impact, which was vividly reflected in Turkeys direct involvement in last year's war in Artsakh.

The Ambassador and the members of the UK House of Commons highlighted the development of the Armenian-British relations, emphasizing the role of parliamentary diplomacy in that process and the activation of ties between the parliaments of the two countries, the organization of mutual visits and cooperation on various issues.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan will depart for Lithuania to take part in the Transport and Logistics 2050 international transport innovation forum on October 21, the ministry said in a statement.

Minister Sanosyan will deliver remarks at the event.

He is also scheduled to meet with Lithuanias Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis and Minister of Energy Dainius Kreivys. The ministers are expected to discuss the current political and economic matters, strategic infrastructural projects connected with transportation innovations and digitization.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan released the two Iranian cargo truck drivers who were arrested on parts of the Goris-Kapan road which has gone under Azerbaijani control.

The Iranian state news agency IRNA reports citing the Azeri state customs committee that Shahroud Norouzi and Ja'far Barzegar have been released relying on good will, good neighborliness, mutual respect, and human principles.

The drivers will return to Iran after going through legal formalities.

Earlier in October, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh had said that Iran did not see the behavior towards its drivers within the framework of good neighborliness.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received today NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina Piriz, the foreign ministry said in a news release.

The officials praised the level of the current political dialogue between Armenia and NATO. Ararat Mirzoyan highlighted the implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan as an effective tool for the development of the Armenia-NATO cooperation. Mr. Piriz said that Armenia is the reliable partner of the North Atlantic alliance.

The meeting also touched upon the constant engagement of Armenian peacekeeping troops to the international peacekeeping missions. Javier Colomina Piriz thanked for Armenias participation to the NATO peacekeeping operations.

International and regional issues were also discussed during the meeting. The FM drew the attention of his guest to the current situation caused by the 2020 aggression launched by Azerbaijan with Turkeys support against Artsakh. In this context Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the necessity of the lasting and comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

The sides also highlighted the importance of keeping the principle of non use of force aimed at settling disputes.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. The government of Artsakh is denying plans on disbanding the Defense Army.

President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyans spokesperson Lusine Avanesyan told ARTSAKHPRESS that the Forcibly Displaced Armenian Population of Shushi NGO Board Member Ashot Harutyunyans statement made in the Armenian parliaments human rights and public affairs committee meeting claiming that President Harutyunyan will disband the Defense Army at the demand of Azerbaijan is false.

The Defense Army of Artsakh was and still is one of the main guarantors of security of the Republic of Artsakh. At this very moment our soldiers are on active-duty in their positions, facing the enemy. There is no issue on disbanding the Defense Army in the agenda of the government of Artsakh. All discussions regarding the Defense Army pertain to its restructuring, re-equipment, modernization and other issues. We have numerous things to do for building our future, and the army has a key role in this matter, Avanesyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received today a delegation led by the European Unions Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar, the PMs Office reports.

Pashinyan praised the dynamic development of the Armenia-EU dialogue, stating that Armenia attaches importance to the constant intensification of the partnership with the EU.

Toivo Klaar in turn said that the EU is committed to deepen the partnership with Armenia.

He conveyed the warm greetings of the President of the European Council Charles Michel to the Armenian PM.

The Armenian PM and the EU Special Representative exchanged views also on the agenda of the bilateral relations. The prospects of boosting the mutual partnership at different formats, including within the frames of the Eastern Partnership program were discussed.

The sides also discussed the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and a number of issues of regional significance. They highlighted the resumption of the negotiation process within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, emphasizing the importance of this format.

Toivo Klaar said the European Union is ready to support trust and dialogue-building process in the region which would contribute to ensuring peace and stability.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received NATO Secretary General's Special Representative Javier Colomina Piriz.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, PM Pashinyan congratulated Mr. Piriz on his appointment to the important post and expressed hope that his visit will provide an opportunity to discuss the situation in the South Caucasus region, assess the opportunities and problems of the Armenia-NATO partnership. Nikol Pashinyan noted that the situation in our region is rather tense, and Armenia is making efforts to manage it best. According to the Prime Minister of Armenia, there are problems in the region that are waiting for their solution. "The comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a priority for us, the opening of regional communications is also important," the PM said, expressing hope that it will be possible to achieve results in these areas.

Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the political cooperation with NATO and getting acquainted with the latter's ideas on further partnership.

Javier Colomina Piriz noted that NATO also attaches importance to the ongoing partnership with Armenia, and the purpose of his visit is to discuss issues and opportunities for further cooperation with Armenian partners, to assess the situation and prospects in the region. Mr. Piriz noted that NATO highly appreciates the activities of the Armenian peacekeepers in Kosovo, who carry out their mission at a high level. The NATO Secretary General's Special Representative added that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization attaches importance to the establishment and strengthening of peace and stability in the South Caucasus and is ready to contribute to solving this issue through cooperation with the countries of the region.

Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that the participation of Armenian peacekeepers in ensuring international security is important for Armenia and expressed confidence that they will continue their mission in the best possible way. The Prime Minister also referred to the processes taking place in our region, emphasizing that the issue of ensuring the return of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan directly affects the regional situation. Nikol Pashinyan expressed hope that in this regard it will be possible to reach a solution in the near future.

During the meeting the sides exchanged views on Armenia-NATO partnership and further cooperation.
YEREVAN, 21 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan met with the Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the French Republic Pascale Gruny on October 21.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the National Assembly, Alen Simonyan mentioned that the meetings with the French partners are always unique for their friendly and warm atmosphere. According to the President of the National Assembly, the support of France and its people to Armenia and Armenian people first in the fight against the coronavirus, then during the catastrophic war is a testament of sincere friendship. In this context, the adoption of resolutions condemning the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Artsakh and on the necessity of recognition of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh by the two chambers of the parliament was emphasized. The President of the National Assembly of Armenia noted that Armenia always highly appreciates the serious role of France as a Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group in the only internationally recognised format of the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The parties referred to the interparliamentary relations by pointing the remarkable role of the latter in developing and enriching the political dialogue between Armenia and France.

The Vice President of the Senate of France conveyed to Alen Simonyan the invitation of the President of the Senate to pay a visit to the Republic of France. He also presented the proposal of the President of the French Senate on signing a memorandum of cooperation with the National Assembly of Armenia.



The sides also had a conversation on the efficient Armenian-French parliamentary cooperation at multilateral platforms.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan received the delegation led by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar. The Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin also took part in the meeting.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MoD Armenia, during the meeting, the sides touched upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani border situation, as well as issues related to regional security.

Toivo Klaar noted that the European Union supports the strengthening of peace in the region, explores opportunities for promoting peaceful development.
If the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, approves Armenias appeal against Azerbaijan, that would greatly contribute to the strengthening of the facts of the Armenian side in the negotiation process of the Artsakh conflict settlement and the international recognition of Artsakhs self-determination, Representative of Armenia before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Yeghishe Kirakosyan, who is also representing Armenias interests at the ICJ, told Armenpress.

October 21, 2021, 09:38 ICJ hearings are about forming right international perceptions on Artsakh issue, Armenia's representative says

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 21, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: He stated that from the perspective of the Artsakh issue, not only the decision of the Court, but also the current process itself are very important because they would contribute to the formation of right international perceptions.

In general, during the court hearings we are presenting well-grounded facts from the perspective of international law. We are presenting our position which couldnt not refer to the Artsakh or the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. It refers to it directly. We present the perceptions and positions of the Armenian side in a well-grounded and professional manner and we do this with the language of the international law, which is very important. And I think that the international support on this direction will be formed based on this. Therefore, the importance of this case is not the decision of the court only, but the process itself. When we launch this process, public speeches, oral hearings are taking place at that period, we are clearly presenting our facts, and all see it. Therefore, I think that this is also an opinion-making process. This process is about forming right international perceptions. Thus, I believe that this a very important process from this perspective, he said.

Kirakosyan informed that the hearings over the case have been completed by the ICJ on October 19. Two hearings took place within two weeks, the one dedicated to Armenias request and the other to Azerbaijans request.

He said that during both hearings Armenias attorney team has presented quite strong and convincing facts and proofs, as well as has very convincingly defended Armenias interests during Azerbaijans hearings, by presenting counter-facts.

According to Kirakosyan, the process of a judicial case against Azerbaijan is important itself, as some progress has already been achieved, namely that the authorities of Azerbaijan, with Armenias demand, have removed the mannequins and helmets of Armenian soldiers from the so-called Military Trophy Park in Baku.

I think that this is the first big achievement, because the Azerbaijani side presented the proof of removing the mannequins and helmets to the court just two-three days before the hearings, which shows that these hearings are already giving results, Yeghishe Kirakosyan said.

He informed that ICJ will release its decision over the case in 1-1.5 months. If by that decision we get what we want, that would be more convincing and will raise further pressure on Azerbaijan. It has already raised pressure, and in case of that decision, that pressure will multiply, he noted.

On September 16, 2021, Armenia instituted proceedings against the Republic of Azerbaijan before the International Court of Justice with regard to alleged violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

Armenia also requested the Court to indicate certain provisional measures as a matter of extreme urgency, including the return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives from Azerbaijan, as well as the closure of the so-called Military Trophies Park in Baku.

However, for Armenia only the removal of mannequins and helmets is not enough. Kirakosyan says that from the very beginning that so-called trophy park opened based on the anti-Armenian ideology. Therefore, Armenia demands to close that park completely.

Armenia also requests the court to oblige Azerbaijan to refrain from destructing, changing the Armenian cultural values in Artsakh, as well as to present proofs about the crimes committed in the territory.

These are the main demands of Armenia, Kirakosyan said.

Kirakosyan clarified that the talk currently is about the decision of the court, not the judgment as the case is just starting. In any case, the courts decision will be legally binding, and if the court approves Armenias request, Azerbaijan will be obliged to implement all the demands.

The case is just starting, and we have just requested an urgent measure in order to ensure the interests during the examination of the case for which we have filed an appeal, he said.
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines has issued a diplomatic protest over Chinese vessels challenging its ships patrolling the South China Sea with sirens, horns and radio communications, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Tensions between Manila and Beijing have been simmering for years in the strategic waterway where both countries have territorial claims.

"These provocative acts threaten the peace, good order, and security of the South China Sea and run contrary to China's obligations under international law," the foreign ministry said on Twitter.

The ministry said on Wednesday more than 200 such challenges took place while the Philippines was conducting routine patrols over and around its territory and maritime zones. It did not specify over what time period the challenges took place.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of business hours.

China claims sovereignty over vast swathes of the South China Sea, but Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have lodged competing claims for some or all of the islands.

In 2016, an international tribunal invalidated China's expansive claim in the strategic waterway where about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually.

But President Rodrigo Duterte shelved the favourable ruling and pursued a rapprochement with Beijing in exchange for pledges of billions of dollars of loans, aid and investment, much of which have yet to materialise.

Since Duterte took office in June 2016, the Philippines has filed more than 80 diplomatic protests against China.

(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by John Geddie and Sandra Maler)
Tax chief Chris Jordan says his black economy task force has been successful in educating small businesses about their obligations.

The ATO's 2020/21 annual report shows that the so-called "tax gap" for small businesses was $12.5 billion in 2018/19, the latest data available.

The tax gap estimates the difference between the amount of tax the ATO collects and it would have collected if taxpayers had been fully compliant with the tax law.

Mr Jordan, the commissioner of taxation, told a Tax Institute event it was unacceptable if people did not fulfil their tax obligations.

"There is no licence to not pay tax. Everyone who makes profit, makes taxable income, needs to pay tax," he said.

"It does impact on businesses that do pay tax. So it's unacceptable."

However, he said the black economy task force had been successful in seeking to educate businesses about their tax obligations and how to fulfill them.

"We explain to people - if you go digital, if you have better records, you will know better," he said.

"And frankly, it's difficult for us to know where you stand tax-wise, because you're not really in our system. You might be remitting something but not a lot, you might not even be in the system."
Keith Batman said there is "unfinished business" the Cayuga County Legislature needs to tackle next year and that his background and experience make him better prepared to help. Robert Shea believes that "change is good" and he wants to alter the direction the county has been heading in.

The two are running to represent District 7, which includes the towns of Ledyard, Scipio and Springport.

Batman, a Democrat seeking his third term on the Legislature, said that new people joining the Legislature would be at a disadvantage right off the bat because they would be "starting from scratch." Shea, a Republican newcomer to politics, said that although he does have some homework to do he is ready to bring new energy to the office.

Since its most recent appointed administrator was fired in 2019, the county has been relying on the Legislature chair to juggle the day-to-day operations of the county. Shea said that a series of missteps by the Legislature has resulted in county taxpayers paying for the buyouts of two former administrators and that it's clearly time for a change in direction.

He wants to put a referendum before the voters on having the county move to an elected executive position used in Onondaga County and other municipalities.

"Put the decision in the hands of the people," he said, and if an executive fails to do a good job "the people can vote them out."

Batman agrees that hiring administrators over and over again has been a problem and said that because the Legislature has been unable to agree on a long-term solution, "we need external support."

He said that one of the first things he wants the Legislature to do after the election is begin putting together a small group of citizens with no vested interest in government operations to come up with some thoughtful feedback on how the county should proceed with its top leadership.

He said the intermediate-term plan is to continue have the chair act as CEO and policy leader but to staff that office with a professional operations officer to take on the day-to-day work.

Shea said that while he's not necessarily against having the chair continue in this role for the time being, he said the Legislature needs to "keep taxpayers in mind" and avoid adding to what he calls an already "top-heavy" government.

Batman said one of the top priorities for the Legislature next year will be figuring out what to do with the aging, inefficient county office building and deciding how best to organize staff to serve the public. The need for asbestos abatement constrains the amount of interior work that can be done on the building, and Batman said the county is prepared to put out requests for proposals to find out how best to proceed and how much it would all cost.

On the coronavirus pandemic, Shea said that while he is against heavy-handed government interference and supports the rights of people who "want to hold off" on getting vaccinated, he said that the availability of clinics in the county has been "a great thing" and praised the job the county has been doing in contact tracing to inform people who may have been exposed.

He hopes that in the coming year that an increase in the number of vaccinated people will allow the county to pull back on the number of clinics it needs to operate.

Batman has high praise for the job Legislature chair Aileen McNabb-Coleman has been doing, especially with regard to the coronavirus pandemic. Under her leadership, Batman said, the county was able to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries with a targeted furlough of workers who wouldn't be harmed financially because they were eligible for enhanced unemployment benefits from the state and federal governments.

He said the county needs to continue trying to get as many people as possible vaccinated and encourage the public to cooperate by staying home if they feel sick and fully cooperate with contact tracing to protect the community.

Shea and Batman agree that the lopsided nature of the county's 15 legislative districts with regard to population and weighted voting needs to be addressed.

Shea said that consolidating some districts may be the way to make things more efficient and he wants to see representatives of rural districts and those in the city of Auburn work cooperatively on a solution.

Batman said that because redistricting is coming down the road, the first order of business will be having legislators agree on what the number of districts should be and continue collecting data and talking things through as they wait to see how congressional districts will be redrawn.

Shea wants to make sure that lawmakers in Albany understand the concerns of small towns on controversial topics such as defunding police departments and what he calls the "catch-and-release" bail reform that eliminated bail for most crimes in New York.

Batman said that he has been involved in community service his entire life and that being a member of the Legislature is a continuation of that. He said he wants to continue to serve by being involved in helping meet the challenges facing the county.

Robert Shea Resides: Union Springs Age: 66 Family: two daughters, three grandchildren; and fiance' with two sons, one daughter and seven grandchildren Occupation: Retired Education: Cayuga Community College Elected and/or community service experience: Former Tully Town Board member; former Tully Free Library Board member; Senior Housing Committee member; Southern Hills Preservation Corporation Board member; Lions Club member, Union Springs; Sons of the American Legion member

Keith Batman Resides: Scipio Age: 71 Family: Three children, one grandchild and many nieces and nephews Occupation: Retired SUNY Empire State College and Cayuga Community College Education: AA Cayuga CC (when it was ACC), BA SUNY ESC, MBA Syracuse University Elected and/or community service experience: SCCS School Board; Supervisor Town of Scipio; Cayuga County Legislature; President, Cayuga County Board of Health; Treasurer, CNY Regional Market; member, CNY Regional Planning and Development Board; Cayuga County Community Services Board; Cornell Cooperative Extension Board

Managing editor Mike Dowd can be reached at (315) 282-2234 or michael.dowd@lee.net.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Incarcerated individuals in New York state prisons could soon get the COVID-19 vaccine  with a cheeseburger and fries.

The Citizen obtained a memo sent by Anthony Annucci, acting commissioner of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, detailing the latest round of vaccine incentives for incarcerated individuals. In the memo, Annucci announces the launch of a new incentive program that will be offered through Dec. 8.

According to the document, the incentives include "a paired down menu, such as pizza or McDonald's, from a local vendor in your area, but must also include a non-pork item, which will be decided by the facility, after consulting with the Incarcerated Liaison Committee." The spending limit is $10 per incarcerated individual who gets their first or second vaccine dose during the program.

Thomas Mailey, a DOCCS spokesperson, said Wednesday that the department asked incarcerated liaison committees in correctional facilities what incentives could help boost the vaccination rate among the prison population.

"The feedback received was that offering food items from local vendors, that is not accessible in the facility, but which the ILCs periodically purchase, would be an enticement," he continued. "There are also other food-related incentives announced today. The maximum number of vaccinated incarcerated individuals ensures a safer work environment for staff, the incarcerated population and visitors to facilities."

To encourage more vaccinations in correctional facilities, DOCCS is also offering a "special Christmas roast beef holiday meal" for prisons that increase their vaccination rates by 10% between Oct. 20 and Dec. 8.

Superintendents at each correctional facility will meet with the incarcerated liaison committee and housing unit representatives to review the memo. According to DOCCS, the memo will be posted in housing units, the general library and the law library.

In one week, the memo directs facilities to survey incarcerated individuals and determine who is interested in getting the vaccine. After receiving the total number of incarcerated individuals who want to be vaccinated, DOCCS will schedule clinics at each facility "within the upcoming weeks." The department is offering the single-shot Johnson & Johnson and two-dose Moderna vaccines.

DOCCS has used incentives before to increase the vaccination rate. Over the summer, the department offered barbecues and food care packages to incarcerated individuals who got vaccinated.

The incentive programs have been criticized by the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, a union representing corrections officers in state prisons.

NYSCOPBA President Michael Powers said there is a disparity in how DOCCS treats incarcerated individuals and staff. He noted how his members are subjected to a "complicated testing mandate"  the state's vaccine-or-test requirement. Employees must get vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing.

"Meanwhile, the state is using valuable resources to bring taxpayer-funded Happy Meals into facilities to incentivize inmates to get vaccinated. Where's the fairness in that?" Powers said. "The state should treat everyone who resides inside the walls of the prison system equally and provide universal testing of staff, inmates, contractors and visitors at the facilities."

The overall vaccination rate among incarcerated individuals lags behind the national and statewide averages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two-thirds of Americans have received at least one vaccine dose and 57.1% are fully vaccinated. In New York, 73% of residents have at least one shot and 65.5% are fully vaccinated.

But in state prisons, nearly half of incarcerated individuals  15,851, as of Oct. 18  have received the vaccine, Mailey said. All incarcerated individuals have been offered the vaccine and educational videos providing information about the vaccine continue to be displayed in state prisons.

Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Two fresh faces running for local office faced off for the Cayuga County Legislature's District 13 seat.

Newcomers Mike Pettigrass, a Republican, and Christina Calarco, a Democrat, talked about different subjects at a forum recorded Tuesday at Cayuga Community College. Tim Lattimore, who currently holds that seat, is in his third and final term. District 13 encompasses the central region of Auburn, including the downtown area.

Both candidates explained how they feel about the direction the county is going. Pettigrass said he's concerned about reported population decreases for both Auburn and the county according to the 2020 U.S. Census, saying the county needs to find a way to "turn the direction around" and maintain its population.

"We need people here to maintain our tax base, we need more business, we need economic growth and we need a place for our future generations to be able to prosper," he said. "We have to find a way to keep people in our community, we need the ability to have them maintain a fruitful career and have a family that can be successful and we can't do that if we continue to lose people."

Calarco said she has seen positive growth in the county, comparing it to when she moved back to Auburn after leaving the area for a few years. Upon coming back, she said, she recalled downtown Auburn having one or two restaurants, saying it was "really desolate compared to what I remembered as a child." Over the last 15 years, she has seen change such as restaurants and breweries opening up, she said. She also added that she feels the protection of Owasco Lake is "on the forefront of people's minds" and she wants that positive change to continue.

"I agree with Mr. Pettigrass that the population decline is an issue, and we need to make sure that there are jobs here and affordable homes for people to stay and actually plant roots," Calarco continued. "But I want to take it from a positive perspective that we are starting to implement those changes and we can continue to do."

In response, Pettigrass said it is nice that new smaller businesses are in the area but feels it is important to find ways "to bring in larger businesses and have career opportunities for our generations to stay."

In regard to how the protection of the Owasco Lake Watershed should be handled, Calarco pointed out the new rules and regulations for the watershed the Auburn City Council and Owasco Town Board approved and sent to the state government last year have "been sitting basically in limbo at this point" and said it is important for pressure to be applied on the state for those directives to be approved.

"The conversations that need to continue need to involve everyone  our farmers, people involved in tourism, the city, the county, we need to make sure all the stakeholders are at the table and have these discussions," Calarco said. "We need to protect the lake but not at cost of completely destroying farmers at the same time, so we need to make sure that those regulations are fair and doable for all that are there."

Pettigrass said the issue of protecting water quality has existed for years without it being solved, with harmful algal blooms appearing every summer. He also noted he believes it will take years to resolve the problem.

"We need to stop talking about it, we need to start implementing some of the ideas," Pettigrass said.

He said the "more logical resolutions" the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council have come up with need to be implemented.

"They've been working on this for years, there's a lot of people involved in it, (a) consortium of people, scientists and people studying these issues and they've got some great ideas, we just need to implement them," Pettigrass said. "We need to stop talking about it, we need to reduce the nitrogen, we need to reduce the phosphorus in our waters and there's ways to do that."

He also said he favors the new rules and regulations and supports the watershed.

Calaraco and Pettigrass also spoke about topics such as how they would be similar or different from Lattimore, how the federal American Rescue Plan funding the county is due should be spent and whether they feel the county office building should stay where it is now, be renovated or move to a different location. They agreed on certain areas, such as believing the Legislature's current number of 15 districts is in need of reduction and argued against the current weighted vote system.

The candidates said the $780,722 to $1.3 million the county is set to receive as part of a settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors should go toward efforts such as recovery and education, and both argued against possible county government mandates for employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Officials said a relatively small plot of land in the village of Union Springs has the potential to have a big impact in the ongoing efforts to protect Cayuga Lake.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation and the village announced on Thursday the acquisition of a "critical 1.4-acre parcel" that will help protect Cayuga Lake's public water supplies, which serve more than 9,000 households.

Albeit small in size, the parcel adds to the growing number of lands acquired to protect the lake. A stream runs through this lakefront property and empties into Cayuga Lake.

According to a news release, the property will be mowed to allow for natural vegetation to grow, establishing a riparian buffer for both the lake and stream to protect the lake's water quality. In addition, the village will remove an existing structure there and prevent potentially harmful development and associated pollutants from entering the lake.

The acquisition was supported by a $259,600 Water Quality Improvement Project grant from DEC that targets the protection of source waters.

"New York's Water Quality Improvement Project investments are further proof of the State's sustained efforts to prioritize protecting clean drinking water," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a statement. "By working with partners like the village of Union Springs, DEC is safeguarding public health and the environment while ensuring a healthier lake and healthier communities."

"The Village of Union Springs is excited about the completion of the water remediation project," Village of Union Springs Mayor Bud Shattuck said. "It is the only major stream that goes through the Village and buffers the properties between Frontenac Park and our local private marina. In cooperation with the New York State DEC, it enables the Village to enhance the water quality of Cayuga Lake. As New York State DOS recently approved our Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, the Village is committed to water quality in our streams and especially in Cayuga Lake."

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
In-person voting for the local general election begins this weekend in Cayuga and Onondaga counties.

Saturday will be the first day of early voting across New York. State law requires a nine-day early voting period prior to Election Day. This year, early voting will run from Saturday, Oct. 23, through Sunday, Oct. 31.

Cayuga County will have three early voting polling locations: Clifford Park Clubhouse in Auburn and the town offices in Cato and Venice. During early voting, a voter who resides in the county can vote at any polling location. For example, a voter from Auburn could vote at the Cato or Venice locations.

The county's early voting sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, and Thursday, Oct. 28; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, and Wednesday, Oct. 27; and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29.

In Onondaga County, there will be six early voting sites. Two are in the city of Syracuse: Armond Magnarelli Community Center at McChesney Park and Syracuse Community Connection. The other sites are Camillus Town Hall, Clay Town Hall courtroom, DeWitt Town Hall courtroom and LaFayette Fire Station No. 1.

The early voting hours will be different in Onondaga County. The polling locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. During the week, the sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the state Board of Elections has issued guidance on how local election boards should handle in-person voting and prevent the spread of the virus. One recommendation is to require voters to wear masks in polling places.

The Onondaga County Board of Elections said in a news release Wednesday that voters must wear masks in polling locations. There won't be a similar policy in Cayuga County, where it will be recommended that voters wear masks. Katie Lacey, the Democratic elections commissioner in Cayuga County, said poll workers will be required to wear masks.

Anyone who casts a ballot during early voting is ineligible to vote on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 2. The early votes won't be counted until the polls close at 9 p.m. on election night.

Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Rajeev Chaba, President and MD, MG Motor India, said, We are ecstatic about the response we have received from the customers. However, given the global chip crisis that the industry is undergoing, we can only supply a limited number of cars this year. We expect supplies to become better from Q1 next year."

MG Motor had launched the Astor SUV earlier this month at a starting price of 9.78 lakh. The Astor SUV takes on mid-size SUV heavyweights like Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. MG Astor variants MG Astor is offered in four variants including Style, Super, Smart and Sharp. There is also a Sharp (O) variant, which sits on top of the lineup, and comes equipped with the advanced driver assistant system (ADAS), which is MG Motors autonomous level 2 system.

MG Astor variant-wise key features Style Super Smart Sharp R17 silver alloy wheels Personal AI Assistant Personal AI Assistant Electronic power steering with 3 modes Reverse parking camera Digital car key using Bluetooth technology Dual pane panoramic sunroof Leather layering on dashboard, door trim, door armrest, center console LED tail lamps Heated ORVM Rear drive assist (RDA) Hill Descent Control Satin silver finish roof rails iSmart (80+ features) Red brake callipers - Front and rear Full LED Hawkeye head lights Front fog lamp with cornering assist 17.78 cm full digital cluster R17 turbine inspired alloys Auto AC with PM2.5 filter Electric parking brake with autohold (automatic) Push button engine start/stop with smart entry R17 dual tone machine alloys Remote keyless entry+foldable key LED interior lamp Side airbag Curtain airbag Rear defogger & fog lamp 25.7 cm HD touchscreen infotainment Perforated leather seat upholstery 360 around view camera Electronic Stability Program (ESP) Android Auto & Apple CarPlay speakers + Tweeters (4) Cruise control 6-waypower adjustable driver seat 25.7 cm HD touchscreen infotainment Steering mounted audio controls Auto headlamps Rain sensing wipers LED daytime running lights Electronic Stability Program (ESP) TPMS Blind spot detection (BSD) Full LED Hawkeye headlamps Speed assist system manual mode Lane change assist (LCA) LED daytime running lights Outside mirror power foldable Rear cross traffic alert (RCTA) Brit dynamic exterior sporty black theme Tuxedo black interior theme

The Sharp (O) variant will come with the choice of two engines, including the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to a VTI-tech CVT transmission and the 1.3-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine mated to a 6-speed automatic torque converter gearbox. The price of the top-spec trim starts at 15.78 lakh (ex-showroom) and goes up to 17.38 lakh (ex-showroom). However, all these prices are introductory.

(For all other variants of MG Astor, check prices and feature list here) MG Astor ADAS feature highlight The ADAS feature inside the Astor includes as many as 14 autonomous features, like advanced cruise control, forward collision warning, auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure prevention, blind-spot detection, speed assist among others.

Besides the ADAS feature, MG Astor is also the first mid-size SUV in India to offer artificial intelligence (AI) to help incorporate a number of enhanced drive and safety features. Astor has 27 safety features as standard across all variants. This number goes up to 49 at the top end.
Tesla Inc has urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office to slash import taxes on electric vehicles before it enters the market, four sources told Reuters, ratcheting up demands that faced objections from some Indian automakers.

Tesla wants to begin selling imported cars in India this year but says taxes in the country are among the highest in the world.

Similar Bikes

Its request for tax cuts - first reported by Reuters in July prompted objections from several local players, who say such a move would deter investment in domestic manufacturing.

Tesla executives, including its head of policy in India, Manuj Khurana, took the company's demands to Modi's officials last month in a closed-door meeting, arguing that the taxes were too high, four sources familiar with the discussions said.

During the meeting at Modi's office, Tesla said that India's duty structure would not make its business in the country a "viable proposition", according to one of the sources.

India levies an import duty of 60% on electric vehicles that cost $40,000 or less, and 100% duty on those priced over $40,000. Analysts have said that at these rates Tesla cars would become far too costly for buyers and could limit their sales.

Tesla has separately also put in a request for a meeting between its Chief Executive Elon Musk and Modi, three of the sources said.

Modi's office and Tesla, as well as its executive Khurana, did not respond to a request for comment.

It is not clear what Modi's office specifically told Tesla in response, but the four sources told Reuters government officials are divided over the U.S. automaker's demands. Some officials want the company to commit to local manufacturing before considering any import tax breaks.

Concern about the impact on the local auto industry is also weighing on the government, the sources added.

Indian companies such as Tata Motors, which recently raised $1 billion from investors including TPG to boost EV production locally, has said giving Tesla concessions would be contrary to India's plans to boost domestic EV manufacturing.

One of the sources, who has direct knowledge of the government's thinking, said: "If Tesla was the only EV maker, decreasing duties would have worked. But there are others."

The transport minister said this month Tesla should not sell made-in-China cars in India and should manufacture locally instead, but Tesla has indicated it first wants to experiment with imports.

Musk said on Twitter in July that "if Tesla is able to succeed with imported vehicles, then a factory in India is quite likely."

The Indian market for premium EVs is still in its infancy and charging infrastructure is scarce. Just 5,000 of the 2.4 million cars sold in India last year were electric.

One government official said lowering duties for a limited period to pave the way for Tesla's entry could "boost India's investor friendly image and green credentials" while also attracting more investments.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Daimler AG announced the operation of its newR&D Tech Center China started on Wednesday, marking another milestone in the auto giants strategy to explore and leverage the huge technological potential and talent of the Chinese market.

Photo credit: Daimler AG



Prof. Dr. Hans Georg Engel, Senior Executive Vice President of Daimler Greater China Ltd. addressed, Our new R&D Tech Center China brings our technological capabilities to a new level. It also enables us to significantly increase speed and efficiency of our R&D activities. Future products from Mercedes-Benz can be comprehensively engineered, tested and verified long before they hit the road.

Notably, this is the most comprehensive Daimler center in China, taking up 55,000 m2 with roughly 1,000 engineers onsite. The center possesses an office building, a test building, a workshop, a warehouse and testing-car parking lots.

Photo credit: Daimler AG



The test building is equipped with cutting-edge testing facilities, including an eDrive lab, a charging lab, a volatile organic compounds (VOC) lab, a chassis lab, a noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) lab, an engine lab as well as an environmental lab. The new test building can accommodate more than 300 test vehicles at the same time.

Photo credit: Daimler AG



The eDrive lab is home to two test chambers that simulate a temperature range of -30C to +50C. The two sets of 4-wheel dynamometers can test whole electric vehicles, components or real battery pack tests. By adjusting the roller force and using big data applications, the intelligent test bench can simulate real driving conditions like air resistance or different topographies.

The Tech Center Chinas new chassis lab is equipped with a state-of-the-art road simulator that can simulate extremely rough road conditions. It allows 100% comparable results with other locations within the global R&D network.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Tesla's Supercharger network in Chinese mainland will reach 1,000 stations on Oct. 22, and the significant facility will be launched in Shenzhen, the U.S.-based EV manufacturer announced earlier this week via its twitter-like WeChat account.



Photo credit: Tesla



Last month, Tesla built 43 Supercharger stations, which were composed of 281 Supercharging piles, in 34 cities and counties in China. Of those, 7 stations were newly added in Hangzhou, each of which was equipped with 6 V3 chargers.

While announcing the building achievement in September, the automaker revealed it had already launched over 700 destination charging stations that embrace more than 1,730 destination charging piles in 330 plus cities in the country.

On Sept. 29, Tesla announced the launch of its 100th Supercharger station and 1,000th Supercharger in Shanghai, the first auto brand in China to deploy 100 supercharging stations in a city.

Tesla's first China-based Supercharger station was launched in Jinqiao Town, Shanghai in April 2014. In December 2019, the automaker's first V3 Supercharger station for the country also started operation in Shanghai.

To facilitate the charging network deployment in China, Tesla has locally manufactured Superchargers in Shanghai, where Tesla operates its first overseas complete vehicle plant. The Supercharger factory is mainly outputting the V3 piles.

Tesla's CEO Elon Musk previously confirmed in a tweet that the charging capacity at Tesla's Superchargers would be increased from 250 kW to 300 kW. However, he did not specify a time frame for the upgrade.
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.



Bosch China president visits JiDU Auto





Photo credit: Bosch China



Bosch China President Chen Yudong visited the Shanghai offices of Baidu's car-making business JiDU Auto on Oct. 21 to talk with the latters CEO Xia Yiping about auto intelligence, car technologies, and other issues.



China's CBIRC to launch NEV-related insurance at appropriate time

BYD Han EV; photo credit: BYD



The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) will launch new energy vehicle insurance at an appropriate time and continuously improve the service quality on automobile insurances, an official at the CBIRC said on Oct. 21 at a press conference.

First-week orders of all-new Honda Accord top 15,000 units

GAC Honda announced it had received over 15,000 orders of the all-new Accord, only one week after the new model hit the market.

Chengdu deploys 225,000 new energy vehicles in total

Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan province, has already put 225,000 new energy vehicles on roads, 90,000 of which were private cars, Luo Xilin, deputy head of the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, said on Oct. 21.

Former Beijing Hyundai executive named as deputy general manager of BAIC BJEV

On Oct. 21, the rumored transfer of the executive Fan Jingtao from Beijing Hyundai to BAIC BJEV was declared official by the latter's parent company BAIC Bluepark.

Tesla to hit milestone of 1,000 Supercharger stations in Chinese mainland on Oct. 22

Tesla's Supercharger network in Chinese mainland will reach 1,000 stations on Oct. 22, and the significant facility will be launched in Shenzhen, the U.S.-based EV manufacturer announced earlier this week via its twitter-like WeChat account.

Daimler R&D Tech Center China starts operation

Daimler AG announced the operation of its newR&D Tech Center China started on Wednesday, marking another milestone in the auto giant's strategy to explore and leverage the huge technological potential and talent of the Chinese market.

NIO-linked Avatar Technology sets up new energy subsidiary

Avatar Technology Co., Ltd. (Chongqing) incorporated a subsidiary, named Avatar New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (Shanghai), on October 20th, according to corporate information database Qichacha.

Lynk & Co 09 flagship SUV hits market, starting at 265,900 yuan

The Lynk & Co 09, the all-new flagship SUV under Geely and Volvo Car's joint Lynk & Co brand, went on sale on Oct. 20. Coming with six trim levels, the new model features a guiding price range of 265,900 yuan ($41,610) to 370,900 yuan ($58,040).
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Today, the rumored transfer of the executive Fan Jingtao from Beijing Hyundai to BAIC BJEV was declared official by the latter's parent company BAIC Bluepark.

Photo credit: BAIC BJEV



According to the announcement, Fan Jingtao, former vice president of Beijing Hyundai, will be taking the job of deputy general manager in BAIC BJEV, marking another personnel change of BAIC BJEV's management team this year so far.

In January, the former manager of the company Liu Yu was promoted to the chairman position. In April, the manager position was filled by Dai Kangwei, the then assistant dean of the company's engineering institute, and she also took on as the current manager of BAIC Bluepark.

Records show, Fan Jingtao has almost two decades of experience in the BAIC Group. He worked in Beijing Hyundai from 2004 to 2010 and then transferred to BAIC Group, working his way up to the group's deputy general manager. In 2016, the executive was transferred back to Beijing Hyundai as its sales management office director. Fan Jingtao then stepped in as Beijing Hyundai's vice president in 2018.

Notably, Fan Jingtao has worked alongside Liu Yu, the current chairman of BAIC BJEV, in both companies. From June 2018 to June 2020, the two executives have partnered up to rejuvenate the joint venture's China operation.

However, signs of recovery have not yet been seen in either Beijing Hyundai and BAIC Bluepark.
Flagstaff residents continue to experience a high quality of life, but housing affordability poses barriers to residents hoping to remain in the community, a recent survey found.

The 2021 Flagstaff Resident Survey serves as a consumer report card for the city, and allows residents an opportunity to rate their satisfaction with the quality of life, amenities and local government, according to city officials.

It found that 71% of Flagstaff residents rated their quality of life good or better, with 27% of respondents falling in the highest excellent category.

But the results also indicate that more than 60% of residents are either somewhat or very likely to leave the community due to housing costs. Additionally, 64% of renters said a lack of available homes in their price range was a barrier to home ownership.

The city commissioned Polco National Research Center to conduct this years Flagstaff Resident Survey.

The last time a resident survey was completed by the city was in 2013. Since then, the population has grown about 15%. It was the 10th time a community survey was completed and the second that was done by mail.

Erin Caldwell, a senior research associate at Polco, said during last weeks Flagstaff City Council meeting that the survey was administered by mail to 2,000 random households within Flagstaff city limits, receiving 434 completed responses. Instructions were written in English and Spanish.

Caldwell referred to the survey as statistically valid, adding that the results were weighted to reflect the community demographic. She said researchers have placed the margin of error at plus or minus 5%.

These results provide you the opportunity to see how residents view the quality of life in Flagstaff, to obtain their evaluations of government performances and city services," Caldwell told city council.

Caldwell said researchers have determined benchmarks comparisons from a database of more than 500 survey results from communities around the country. Flagstaff was compared both to national benchmarks and peer communities, which show similarities in population size, income and demographics.

When compared with both national and peer community results, Flagstaff found itself in the standard range when it comes to overall quality of life. It also presented similar findings to the 2013 survey, with a slight increase.

About 9 in 10 respondents rated Flagstaff excellent or good as a place to live and as a place to visit, while about 8 in 10 were pleased with their neighborhood as a place to live and Flagstaff as a place to raise children.

The results found these items were rated similarly to the national and peer community benchmarks -- except for Flagstaff as a place to visit -- which was much higher than both averages.

Another portion of the survey asked respondents to rate the community's top characteristics and found that the surrounding nature is a major draw. The top-rated community characteristic was the overall natural environment, with health and wellness opportunities coming in a close second.

Flagstaffs open space, the preservation of natural areas and local education opportunities rounded out the bottom of the top five community characteristics.

Caldwell spoke to the city council about the housing concerns uncovered by the survey, notably the 6 of 10 residents who said they were likely to leave the community due to housing costs. It is a 13% increase from the 2013 survey.

Researchers classified responses to the question What is the one thing the city can do to increase your quality of life? and found that improving housing affordability was rated the No. 2 response. Housing affordability was similarly rated the No. 3 response when residents were asked to rank their top three priorities for government spending.

Caldwell presented six key findings in total, with the first being quality of life and housing barriers. Other key findings included the citys highly regarded transportation system, noting the urban trail system and Mountain Line bus services specifically, and a positive view of city services.

When asked how well the citys transportation system meets the community needs, 83% of respondents said it served the needs somewhat or very well. The finding was similar to results from 2013.

Despite the favorable view of public transit, however, the No. 1 response to both spending priorities and actions the city can take to increase the quality of life was to make improvements in mobility, transportation, traffic and roads.

The remaining two key findings involved public safety and government performance. The survey found that while residents generally feel safe in the community, many are concerned about certain crimes or discrimination.

While 8 in 10 respondents said they rated their overall feeling of safety as good or excellent, a new question on this years survey shed light on certain public safety concerns. When asked to select their top three community issues, many responses were centered on matters of public safety.

Out of a list of 25 concerns to choose from, 3 in 10 respondents listed disorderly conduct, public intoxication and noise violations as a top issue. Two in 10 respondents listed traffic issues, driving under the influence, drug abuse and domestic violence.

Another less favorable finding when compared to results from 2013 was the overall performance of city government. Compared to the previous survey, there was a decrease in ratings regarding the overall direction of the city, honesty and the value of service for taxes paid.

In all, 42% of respondents said the city was generally acting in the best interest of the community, while 40% said the government treated all residents fairly.

When compared to other communities across the nation, a few key ratings of Flagstaffs overall government performance tended to be lower, Caldwell said.

Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
A Blue Springs woman was sentenced to prison in separate cases this week related to drug offenses.

Christina M. Lewien, 38, was sentenced by District Court Judge Rick Schreiner to 6-8 years in prison for attempted possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, a class 2A felony. She was sentenced to one year in prison to be served concurrently for a second charge in the same case of negligent child abuse.

In a separate case, Lewien was also sentenced to two years in prison for possession of methamphetamine. Sentencings in the two cases will be served concurrently, totaling 6-8 years.

In the more recent case, Lewien was arrested in August 2020 after Gage County Sheriffs deputies with assistance from the Wymore and Beatrice police departments executed a search warrant at the Capri Inn in Beatrice. The search warrant was regarding methamphetamine distribution occurring from the motel room.

During a search of the room, deputies located six individual baggies of suspected methamphetamine, a meth pipe, and 13 empty baggies with suspected meth residue.

Deputies also located two containers of concentrated THC wax along with other marijuana pipes, grinders, and containers.

Two juvenile children, ages 5 and 6, were present in the room. One of the children was returned to a parent and the other child was placed with a family member.

In the earlier, cases, Lewien was arrested in April 2020 during a probation search of her room at the Travelers Lodge in Beatrice. That search revealed a glass pipe with burnt residue that field tested positive for methamphetamine.

Lewien was previously allowed into the drug court program in the case, but was dismissed following additional arrests.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
What is church? Is it a building? Is it a group of people who get together once a week to sing songs, listen to a message, and drink bad coffee? What is the point of going to church? Is there even a point?

For many people, these are very valid questions. And even for those who go to church, we can have a hard time answering them. Maybe we go because weve always gone. Maybe we go to see our friends. Maybe we go because we feel like we should.

For too long, weve just done church the same way over and over because, well, thats how its always been done. As if church were just a building, or just a people who have a building, or just some event that is put on on Sundays to meet the particular preferences of some of the longest attending people.

But what if it doesnt have to be this way? What if we realized that our churches do not belong to usnot even to the pastors or to the people whove been there seemingly forever.

What if our churches really belonged to Jesus? What if we looked to everything Jesus said and didhow He loved and inspired us to live full, vibrant lives for the sake of othersand then instead of just doing church stuff like weve always done, we tried to do the Jesus stuff instead.

What might that look like? What if we really tried and asked hard questions and started to become something new?

These are all questions weve been asking at my church community for yearsso we decided to do something about it.

So, here we are. Hi, nice to meet you! We're Summit Street Church, a new community church replant right here in Beatrice, Nebraskalocated at 1220 Summit Street, at the corner of 12th Street and Summit Street.

We started our journey many years ago as Beatrice Mennonite Church. With help from our friends at the Holmesville Church of the Brethren, we decided to revitalize our church and replant as Summit Street Church.

We replanted because were seeking to become a church that moves beyond the church walls, to be the church in our neighborhood. We seek to faithfully follow Jesus and reach out into our community.

We replanted because we're seeking to be a church for people who dont yet go to church, maybe for people who feel like they dont fit somewhere else, or maybe even for people who plain old dont like church.

Our little church family is diverse in age, in experience, and in denominational background, but we strive to follow in the way of Jesus together in our lives, in our words, and in our deeds.

So friends, no matter your background, you are welcome and loved herejust as you are.

We believe we are called to follow Jesus's example together in our lives, and to participate in Jesus's ministry of bringing peace and justice to our world.

We are a church of people

who have questions

who crave community

who long to love like Jesus.

And maybe, were becoming a place for you. Singles, couples, familiesall are welcome here! We like to keep things casual with kids and babies welcome at all events and in all spaces.

You can check us out online at our websitewww.summitstreetchurch.comor on our facebook page. You can come and visit us at our community open house on Saturday, October 30 from 5pm-7pm as we celebrate our new community playground and church building updates with hotdogs and refreshments.

You can come visit us on Halloween from 5pm-7pm for our Trunk or Treat, for some lots of candy and hot chocolate (plus, some of our neighbors put on some awesome haunted houses!).

Or you could come and check us out on our first Sunday on October 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., as we have our first official service for Summit Street Church!

What if church could be different? What if we could be different? Come, celebrate with us, as we try this new thing together!

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The judge who presided over a number of high-profile cases in Southeast Nebraska, including Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell's murder trials, has announced she will retire after more than 17 years on the bench.

Saline County District Court Judge Vicky L. Johnson will retire effective Jan. 31.

It has been my honor and privilege to serve Southeast Nebraska as a district judge beginning in January 2004, Johnson told Gov. Pete Ricketts in a letter.

In addition to her time on the district court bench, Johnson is the presiding judge for the Southeast Nebraska Adult Drug Court and has held several volunteer positions within the Nebraska District Judges Association, including current co-chair of the District Judges Association Education Committee.

She also is a member of the Supreme Court Judicial Branch Education Advisory Committee and a former member of the Supreme Court Judicial Ethics Committee.

After taking the bench in January 2004, Johnson was continuously retained by area voters, most recently in 2018.

Among the most notorious of the cases she handled were the trials involving the murder and dismemberment of Sydney Loofe, a 24-year-old clerk in Lincoln whose remains were found scattered after following a trail from Boswell's and Trail's cellphones.

Both were found guilty in separate jury trials.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
HalloTeen Art Night at the Billings Public Library

A Halloween themed teen night full of arts and crafts will be hosted at the Billings Public Library, 510 N. Broadway, on Oct. 27 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room. All activities are free and open to the public. No registration required. For more information, call the library at 406-657-8258.

National Geographic Live at Alberta Bair Theater

National Geographic Live, a touring speaker series, will bring "Ocean Soul" with Brian Skerry to the Alberta Bair Theater, 2801 3rd Ave. N., at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 28. Skerry is considered one of the leading underwater photographers in the world.

The production will include a live discussion with Skerry about the contents of his new book "Ocean Soul." Skerry, who dives eight months of the year, will share a look at some of the oceans apex predators, endangered wildlife, and more.

Visit AlbertaBairTheater.org for tickets.

Events at Moss Mansion

Haunted Escape Maze will open at 7 p.m. on Oct. 29, 30, and 31 at the Moss Mansion, 914 Division St. This is a Level 4 scare. Tickets are $10 at the gate, first come, first served with no presale.
The program includes a work by composer Ilse-Mari Lee, "The Yellowstone Suite," a tone poem evoking the beauty, serenity, and timelessness of Yellowstone National Park.

Living in close proximity to Yellowstone National Park for more than three decades, annual family trips to the park have always deeply inspired and moved me, Lee said in a press release. Although much has changed over the years, the park has remained the same and will always be a touchstone for us, as well as for our children and their children.

Select movements of James Cockeys Symphony No. 2, "Parmlys Dream," will add a celebration of the city of Billings into the evenings offerings. The work is a series of 19 tableaus from the life of Parmly Billings, whose father, Frederick Billings, was the president of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the namesake for Billings. The work was commissioned by the Western Heritage Center in Billings and premiered by the Billings Symphony Orchestra in September 2002.
Coast Guard officials said they needed to look into what  if anything  was done at the time, but have repeatedly declined to answer questions about the purported broadcast.

Penoyer said the Coast Guard did not send a boat out to look for the spill because it was limited by darkness and didnt have the technology to detect it. The report by the Orange County Sheriffs Department, however, says the Coast Guard did request that the Harbor Patrol dispatch a boat.

The next morning, the Coast Guard reached out again to the Harbor Patrol, and its hazardous materials investigators went out on a county fireboat. Authorities on that boat located a miles-long black plume several miles offshore, the memo said.

Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr said it's not clear that earlier notice would have made a difference.

Hindsight is 20-20, she said. But Carr added that had she known about the 5:30 p.m. report, it would have elevated the first notice she got of a possible spill at around 9 a.m. the next morning.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  Items believed to belong to Brian Laundrie, whose girlfriend, Gabby Petito, was found slain after he returned home alone from their cross-country road trip, were discovered Wednesday in a Florida wilderness park, according to the FBI and a Laundrie family attorney.

Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, took part in the search Wednesday with the FBI and police from North Port, Florida, more than a month after Laundrie was reported missing after heading to the vast Carlton Reserve park.

"After a brief search off a trail that Brian frequented some articles belonging to Brian were found," attorney Steven Bertolino said in a text to The Associated Press. "As of now law enforcement is conducting a more thorough investigation of that area."

The FBI field office in Tampa also issued a statement on Twitter confirming that "items of interest" were found in the Laundrie search but did not describe them further.

"An FBI Evidence Response team is processing the scene. The reserve is closed to the public and no further details are available at this time," the statement said.

The Sarasota County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed it had been summoned to the reserve but would not comment further.
Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is at stake.

The stakes are enormous, said Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of the panel. The Congress of the United States under Article One has the power to investigate in order to inform our deliberations about how to legislate going forward. Thats what this is about.

Still, prosecution is not a given. Assuming his post after a turbulent Trump era, Garland has prioritized restoring what he has called the norms of the department. On his first day, he told rank-and-file prosecutors that they should be focused on equal justice and not feel pressure to protect the presidents allies or to attack his enemies. He has repeatedly said political considerations shouldn't play a role in any decisions.

And his deputies pushed back  hard  when President Joe Biden suggested to reporters last week that Bannon should be prosecuted for contempt.

The Department of Justice will make its own independent decisions in all prosecutions based solely on the facts and the law. Period. Full stop, Garlands spokesman, Anthony Coley, said on Friday, in response to the presidents comments.
Montana lawmakers this year responded to Taiwans commerce and magnanimity by reaffirming Montanas friendship with Taiwan and supporting better trade. Lawmakers also endorsed Taiwans meaningful participation in international relations, a bit of a poke in the hornets nest of U.S. politics with China, which considers Taiwan a runaway state.

Despite good trade roots with Taiwan, Montana has struggled to hang its shingle in the island nation. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte in a Capitol ceremony Wednesday described the new office in Taipei as a reopening of a presence first established in 1988.

One of our greatest sources of pride as Montanans is the world-class products grown, raised, or made here in the Treasure State, and were fortunate to have a trading partner and friend in Taiwan that recognizes the superior quality of our commodities, Gianforte said. By reestablishing our physical presence in Taipei, our producers and manufacturers will have even greater access to this important market, ushering in new opportunities for Montanans and the people of Taiwan.

The office will be headed by Mei Mei Wang, who previously ran Montanas office in Taipei before it closed in 2012.
The Montana Supreme Court on Monday overturned the conviction of a 51-year-old man convicted of transporting drugs through Custer County.

The 7-0 opinion, authored by Justice Laurie McKinnon, found law enforcement's seizure of the Vietnamese man "unconstitutional," and reversed his conviction, which led to a 15-year state prison sentence in 2019.

According to the filing, Hoang Pham was heating up noodles inside a Miles City gas station in August 2017 when an agent with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation walked in. Outside, the agent's van was loaded "to the ceiling" with 960 pounds of marijuana the agent was transporting to evidence storage in Billings. Two Montana Highway Patrol troopers were driving a marked vehicle behind the unmarked DCI van. One trooper later testified the van would indeed be an abnormal sight.

Pham, according to court filings, stared at the van long enough that the DCI agent, Richard Smith, began to believe Pham was either lost or committing a crime. Once outside the gas station, Smith approached Pham at his own vehicle. He later testified that Pham's ethnicity did not factor into his decision to approach him, but said DCI "was aware of several arrests of Vietnamese people for drug trafficking" along Interstate 94. The two troopers approached Pham, as well, according to court documents.
I don't have the details on what happened there, but I stand with our health care workers. We need to support them so we can get through this together, Gianforte said.

So much of our effort has been focused on getting relief for our health care workers, whether it's calling up the National Guard, providing contract staffing from contract nursing firms to what we're doing here today getting external (help), because they've been on the front lines for 19 months. They have to suit up every morning and come to work.

The Attorney General's Office has asserted its law enforcement response to St. Peter's Health was not to direct medication administration but to investigate patient abuse or neglect of the patient, stating the patient's family had reported being cut off from communication with the woman in her 80s. St. Peter's has rejected that report, stating its teams are providing care in accordance with clinical best practice, hospital policy and patient rights. The hospital also said the elected officials threatened providers and demanded specific medical treatment.
Three months before the year is over, Grand Teton National Park has set a record for visitation.

Through September the northwest Wyoming park had hosted 3.493 million recreation visits. Previously, 2018 had the record for most recreation visits in a year with 3.491 million visits. Of the past nine months at the park, six have set records for visitation.

Some of the largest increases in recreation visits occurred during the shoulder season, including the months of March, April and May. Summer visitation (June, July and August) also increased with July 2021 recording the busiest month for recreation visits in Grand Tetons history.

The park has also seen increases in trail use. During the 2021 summer, trail use increased approximately 29%, compared to 2019. Looking back five years ago, since 2017 trail use has increased about 49%.
Both Daines and Gianforte called on the Biden administration to give answers about the vetting process being used for Afghan refugees resettling in Montana.

"While I welcome our fully-vetted Afghan allies to Montana, this situation and others across the country raise serious concerns about whether the Biden administration is meeting its obligations to fully vet Afghans prior to resettlement, Gianfortes statement said. I'm calling on President Biden to immediately halt resettlements to Montana until federal agencies provide me with adequate assurance that Afghans coming to Montana are fully-vetted in accordance with federal law."

Rosendale also called for Biden to halt resettlement, and to remove Afghan evacuees that have been resettled in the U.S. He said Mohmand did not go through the 14-step vetting process required to obtain a visa.

"We remain steadfast that the circumstances and alleged actions of one individual are not reflective of refugee or immigrant communities. For decades we have welcomed immigrant families and have watched them thrive and contribute to their communities and the nation," a statement from the International Rescue Committee said.
One of two people who have pleaded not guilty to murder conspiracy in the death of a Bismarck man is scheduled for a change of plea, just days before trial, court documents show.

A judge on Thursday morning signed an order setting a change of plea for Earl Howard, 43. The hearing is at 9 a.m. Friday.

Howard, 43, and Nikkisue Entzel, 40, were arrested nearly two years ago in connection with the late 2019 death of Chad Entzel, 42, Nikkisue's husband. His body was found Jan. 2, 2020, after emergency workers responded to a call of a house fire in northeast Bismarck. An autopsy showed he died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators say the killing stemmed from a love triangle and involved plans to cash in on a life insurance policy.

Howard has dual U.S. and Canada citizenship. He turned himself in and was arrested Jan. 9, 2020, on the Blue Water Bridge connecting Port Huron, Michigan, with Ontario, Canada.

Howards attorney, Philip Becher, late Wednesday filed a request to cancel the trial, which is scheduled to start Monday. South Central District Judge Douglas Bahr will decided after the Friday hearing if the trial will be canceled, court records show.

Its unclear how Howards actions will affect Nikkisue Entzel. Her attorney, Justin Balzer, and Becher did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Court documents do not indicate Nikkisue Entzel has applied for a change-of-plea hearing or requested a cancellation of the trial.

Burleigh County State's Attorney Julie Lawyer expects Bahr will order a presentence investigation and schedule Howard's sentencing for a later date. More decisions about Nikkisue Entzel's case will be decided at Howard's change-of-plea hearing and at a pretrial conference Friday afternoon, Lawyer said.

The two suspects are accused of plotting Chad Entzels death and trying to start the house on fire in an attempted cover-up, according to earlier testimony from a Burleigh County deputy sheriff. Nikkisue Entzel, of Bismarck, faces murder conspiracy, arson conspiracy and evidence tampering conspiracy charges. Howard, of Bellwood, Ontario, is similarly charged and further accused of arson.

A judge in May dismissed a Class AA murder charge against Howard. Lawyer asked the court to drop the charge, saying in a motion that an evaluation of the firearm did not show evidence as to which defendant allegedly shot Chad Entzel. Without that the state couldnt corroborate Nikkisue Entzels statements to law enforcement that Howard shot Chad Entzel, Lawyer said.

Class AA murder and murder conspiracy both carry the possibility of life in prison without parole. A person sentenced to life with the possibility of parole must serve 30 years before parole can be considered.

Reach Travis Svihovec at 701-250-8260 or Travis.Svihovec@bismarcktribune.com

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
The latest North Dakota coronavirus news: blood shortage, testing and vaccines.

Blood shortage

A nonprofit that supplies blood to hospitals in the Dakotas says it's experiencing a "critical" blood and platelet shortage.

Vitalant said supplies of Type O blood, which is the most transfused blood type, have plummeted to under a two-day supply -- the lowest level since the beginnings of the coronavirus pandemic in May 2020.

As people resume routine activities, donors are not making enough appointments, or keeping them, the organization said. Its encouraging all eligible donors to help out. People who have received a COVID-19 vaccine or a flu shot can give blood immediately if other eligibility requirements are met. Donors must feel well the day of their donation, and must wear a mask.

Compared to the beginning of the pandemic, patient needs are stronger than we expected, Vitalant Senior Vice President Cliff Numark said in a statement. Were seeking about 1,000 additional volunteer donors to make and keep an appointment each week for the foreseeable future to ensure Vitalant can help trauma victims, cancer patients and critical surgeries.

Vitalant serves about 900 hospitals nationwide, including about 85 in the region.

For more information or to schedule a donation appointment, go to vitalant.org or call 877-258-4825.

Testing and vaccines

A comprehensive list of free COVID-19 testing offered by local public health units in North Dakota can be found at health.nd.gov/covidtesting.

In Bismarck, PCR and rapid antigen tests are administered Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the strip mall at 2805 Morrison Ave., Suite A. PCR tests also are administered Monday through Thursday from 10-11 a.m. at Northland Health Centers, 914 S. 12th St., Suite 101.

People who have registered for COVID-19 testing through TestReg.nd.gov can access results for tests through a state service called the Citizen Portal. Instructions can be found at https://bit.ly/3jqiudf.

People can go to https://www.ndvax.org or call 866-207-2880 to see where COVID-19 vaccine is available near them.

Both Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health and Custer Health in Mandan are offering vaccine to the general public.

To register with Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health, go to https://www.ndvax.org and search for a Bismarck vaccination event. For assistance, call 701-355-1540.

Morton County residents should go to https://www.ndvax.org and search for "Custer Health" or call 701-667-3370 to register. Custer Health has a vaccination clinic at 1100 32nd Ave. SE in Units D and E, off Memorial Highway.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
As Gov. Doug Burgum considers legal action against the Biden administration over the recent federal vaccine mandate, state legislators are busy divvying up $1 billion in federal pandemic relief funds. That pretty well sums up North Dakotas view of the federal government: Dont tell us what to do, but keep sending money.

Last month, Burgum characterized President Joe Bidens vaccine mandate as blatant federal overreach that infringes on states rights. The vaccine mandate is just the latest of many federal regulations our state has opposed, from the Waters of the United States rule to a moratorium on federal oil and gas leasing.

The federal government regularly assumes powers beyond those granted by the Constitution, so pushback from states is to be expected. On the vaccine mandate in particular, Burgum is probably right that the federal government overstepped its bounds.

Because the federal government does not have the power to impose a vaccine or testing mandate on the population generally, the recent mandate applies only to federal employees or contractors and businesses with over 100 employees. The federal government obviously has the authority to require that those it hires be vaccinated or regularly tested, but forcing private employers to do the same is a tougher legal row to hoe.

The Biden administration is relying on the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations emergency power to protect workers from grave dangers. OSHA has not released its vaccine regulation, so it remains to be seen whether North Dakota will file a lawsuit. If it does, theres a pretty good chance the state will prevail, as federal courts have generally been skeptical of OSHAs use of its emergency power.

Meanwhile, state leaders are deciding how to allocate $1 billion in federal pandemic relief funds. Thats the other side of our states relationship with the federal government that receives much less discussion. While we bristle at federal regulations, we gladly accept huge amounts of federal money.

It goes far beyond the billions in federal pandemic relief our state has received in the last two years. During the current biennium (2021-23), over one-third (34.6%) of our state budget, $5.87 billion, is federal money. Thats a little higher than normal because it includes some of the federal COVID-19 relief funds, but the amount of federal money in our state budget usually approaches 30% even in a typical year (which is close to the national average).

Our state budget doesnt even capture all the federal spending in North Dakota. North Dakotans receive millions in direct payments each year under various federal programs. We receive millions in federal emergency aid every time theres a big snowstorm, too much rainfall or too little rainfall. The federal government spends hundreds of millions each year for our two Air Force bases. Our two largest industries are among the biggest recipients of federal subsidies. North Dakota farmers receive hundreds of millions each year in federal farm subsidies, and the federal tax code subsidizes energy companies through tax credits, allowances and deductions.

Our state is awash in federal money and it generally comes with strings attached in the form of federal mandates and regulations. Yet you dont hear much talk of states rights or federal overreach when it comes to all this federal spending we so eagerly accept.

Given how dependent we are on money from Washington, the fight against the vaccine mandate seems insignificant in comparison, even if the federal government overstepped its bounds. Its difficult to see how a federal vaccine mandate is a grave threat to states rights, yet relying on billions in federal funding is not.

Tory Jackson is an attorney and writer. His legal practice involves real estate and business matters, with a particular focus on historic rehabilitation projects. He holds degrees from Bismarck State College, the University of Virginia and Harvard Law School. He lives in Bismarck, where he was born and raised.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
Remaining competitive with networked production Industries are embracing smart manufacturing in response to more demanding customer expectations and changed conditions. But what exactly is a smart factory, and which technological requirements must be fulfilled to organize a factory according to this principle? Download this white paper to unlock the answers to these questions and more.

Your Business Ambitions Cybersecurity is a crucial consideration for any modern business  regardless of your size and industry. To help your business get secured against cyberthreats today and for the future, this e-book outlines the top 10 commonly believed cybersecurity myths. Read on to unlock the complete cybersecurity myth-buster guide.

Cyber-Security Checklist Todays workforce handling sensitive data remotely is essential to keep your business operational and profitable. But, according to a recent report, 10,000 cyberattacks are made against small businesses in the UK every day. Download this e-guide to unlock a checklist of the 13 cybersecurity best practices.

When you can flex your communications To accommodate the hybrid workforce, organizational tools and technology must deliver a seamless working environment that encourages continuity and collaboration. Download this infographic to explore a UC platform that strives to meet the needs of a hybrid world.

Your next step into digital In this guide, explore how a Cloud Readiness Assessment Service can help establish your current cloud maturity baseline and identify the scope of potential changes to your current IT landscape required to move to the cloud.

Ready to create the future? The Vodafone Business Edge Innovation Program with AWS gives you the chance to create the future. Join a growing community of innovators to deliver next-gen user experiences and bring once-impossible outcomes to reality. Read this e-book to discover distributed multi-access edge computing with AWS wavelength, and more.

Your journey in the cloud This guide breaks down the fundamentals of Cloud Infrastructure Services, so you can bring value to your cloud journey even faster. Read on to unlock a comprehensive list of solution benefits and learn how it aims to bring value to your cloud journey.

Controlling cloud costs without compromise With unprecedented availability, public cloud costs can spiral out of controland fast. Add that to the number of businesses using multiple clouds, and the lack of cloud oversight takes its toll, wasting cloud resources and budget. Access the Practical Guide to Controlling Cloud Costs Without Compromise.

Your Edge Computing opportunities In this paper, examine 4 of the main security implications and challenges that must be overcome to embrace and reap the benefits of edge computing. Access the white paper after completing a brief survey.

How 5G can boost productivity across the UK This WPI Economics report, commissioned by Vodafone UK, contributes to the growing literature that highlights the vast potential of the rollout of 5G for individuals, families and society as a whole. Complete a brief survey to download the report and discover the potential productivity gains displayed by 5G across every region and nation of the UK.

Your 5G advantage For years, theres been the promise that 5G will change the way we live and work, but it wont happen as soon as we think. This paper covers the real aspects of 5Gs evolution, answering your most frequently asked questions. Download now to get started.

Supercharge your transformation by combining connectivity with Cloud &Security Organizations looking to become more flexible and improve remote experiences would do well to consider an approach that combines software-defined networking with cloud and security. Take a short survey to download this guide and see how this joint approach gives you the best chance of remote success.

Make a cultural shift to unlock cloud gains The cloud promotes a different way of thinking about your IT estate to unlock its true benefits  but old habits can be hard to break. This guide is here to help you break out of those habits and kick-start your cloud journey. Access the guide to get started.

Your 5G questions 5G could be considered just a shift forward from previous generations of mobile connectivity. However, its potential is greater than any previous generations.5G aims to bring 3 major benefits to mobile computing. Take the brief survey to download this interactive guide of how 5G works for business and what it can offer.

Your data-driven enterprise Cloud is a key enabler in helping organizations to become more data driven. Wherever you are on your cloud journey, this e-book will help you discover the solutions that will enable your organization to make the most of the cloud opportunity. Read on to get started.

Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) from Vodafone As the workplace continues to change, networks have become more sophisticated and more difficult to manage. Vodafones SD-WAN network solutions is designed to function as your all-in-one network. Download this e-book to learn how it works, benefits, use cases and more.

You can get more done with a whole team at your fingertips In this case study, an infrastructure firm seeks a way to integrate their communications with a wide range of business apps such as a customized HR system. For them, Vodafones collaboration solution gave them 4 key benefits. Read on to discover their solution features and learn how it can benefit your business.

You can do more when you keep things simple A regional bank uses a custom-built telephony system that leaves customers unable to access their accounts if theres a disruption to the internal network. Step in Vodafone. Access this case study to see how Vodafone Business UC with RingCentral could help boost a banks productivity and customer satisfaction by unifying its communications.

When everyones together, you can really get to know them A large insurance provider finds customers prefer to use digital channels to manage their insurance. However, the chosen digital customer service solution isnt delivering. Step in Vodafone. Access this case study to learn how Vodafone with RingCentral could help improve an insurance providers customer engagement by unifying its digital channels.

With unified communications, you can supercharge your customer experience As a company grows in different markets around the world, it turns to a variety of communication providers for different services. Access this case study to learn how Vodafone Business UC with RingCentral could help a global auctioning group boost efficiency and develop its customer service offering.

Making the connection for retail Online, brick and mortar, and multichannel retailers must continue to preserve data security, but look to new business capabilities in the cloud. This infographic provides an integrated approach to connectivity, the cloud and security can be a game changer for retail. Read on to discover the potential of SDN and cloud security.

Making the connection for manufacturing Want to supercharge your transformation and know more about bringing SDN and cloud & security together? This infographic provides an integrated approach to connectivity, the cloud and security can be a game changer for manufacturing. Read on to discover the potential of SDN and cloud & security.

Your data-driven enterprise Cloud is a key enabler in helping organizations to become more data driven. Wherever you are on your cloud journey, this e-book will help you discover the solutions that will enable your organization to make the most of the cloud opportunity. Read on to get started.

Lets disrupt with SD-WAN. Are you ready? Gaining visibility and intelligence to prioritize your most critical applications to meet your business goals has become paramount in todays cyber environment. This brief infographic outlines how a SD-WAN solution is designed to give you 3 major benefits. Read on to get started.
Want to start a blog but worried that blogging is an oversaturated market? You may be wondering how your blog will stand out amongst numerous ones in the same industry.

You may even fear that your blog wont be successful because youre unsure how to create a blogging strategy that will make you stand out. You may have even started your blog and are frustrated that youre not seeing the results you want. In this article, were going to break down what you should consider about starting a blog, how to tell if a market is too competitive, and other ways to make your blog stand out.

Considerations for Starting a Blog in 2021

Starting a blog may feel like a daunting task. There are many questions around whether your blog will gain traffic and how to put your content in front of your desired audience.

The benefits of blogging, however, is a long-term game. Posting to your blog consistently is a fundamental first step. The second step is centering your blog around a specific topic or theme.

According to Website Setup, the number of blogs on the internet has reached over 600 million. If youre looking to start a blog and worry that this number indicates that the blogging market is oversaturated, dont panic.

While blogging may be competitive, theres a lot of context to consider that can give you an advantage. It all depends on which niche you enter. While most blogs lie within a specific industry, every blog has a specific perspective in that industry.

For example, if you have a wellness blog that focuses on healthy eating and exercise, the perspective can be from someone who struggles with a specific disease or has advanced education on nutrition.

This specific perspective is your unique value proposition.

An audience that may be looking for specific, niche information will gain attention and traffic because your specific perspective creates value that is rare.

Overtime, your audience will understand that they cannot find that information with this unique value anywhere else. Your blogs perspective is what will set it apart from others. Focusing on this specific value will set you up for long term success.

How to Tell if a Topic Is Too Competitive

Now that we understand that your blog needs to have a unique perspective that brings value to your industry, were going to explain how to determine if a blog topic is too competitive.

There are many ways to determine how competitive your niche is, but well keep it to the most simple:

Keyword Volume (MSV)

Keyword Difficulty (KD)

In order to determine either of these, youll need to perform some research on the keyword landscape for your intended primary topic.

For example, if you want to blog about baking cookies, youll want to check out the keyword landscape for queries like, baking at home, cookie baking ideas, baking desserts, to start.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools like Google Trends, Ubersuggest, Moz, or Semrush are great keyword research tools that can show you both the MSV and the KD for any query youre interested in.

Keyword Volume

Otherwise known as Monthly Search Volume (MSV), keyword volume tells you how many times a certain keyword is being searched each month. Keyword volume can indicate how large the audience is for a certain topic, and therefore indicates how much potential traffic is available to you within this keywords landscape.

The higher the volume, the more opportunity for traffic from this keyword. Now, you wont be able to capture all of the traffic available. Your opportunity is highly dependent on another factor  keyword difficulty.

Keyword Difficulty (KD)

Keyword difficulty gives you an idea of the likelihood that your content will rank in search engines for that keyword by telling how difficult it is to rank for that keyword. Other blogs are also competing for this keyword, so KD gives you a sense of your competition.

Different SEO tools consider various factors to calculate the difficulty of ranking, like number of backlinks and search volume, for instance. Overall, keyword difficulty is a helpful way to tell if a market is highly competitive.

Tips for Blogging in a Competitive Market

If you find that your niche topic has a high keyword difficulty, dont worry. There are a number of actionable steps you can take to ensure you can still rank and get traffic.

There are ways to optimize your blog to ensure you target the right audience, rank in search engines, and keep viewers coming back. Lets cover those now.

1. Know your audience.

Having a foundational understanding of your blogs goal and purpose is fundamental to standing out in a competitive market. And knowing who your audience is and what they want to read comes just before that.

You can start by building a persona to target with your content. That way, youll have an intimate understanding of who your target audience is and will be able to serve them.

In order to get to know your audience, you should ask yourself the following questions:

Why are you blogging this information?

What impact do you hope to bring with your blog?

What does your audience need to learn?

How does your audience like to consume information?

What demographics define your audience?

2. Incorporate SEO guidelines.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the key to bringing your blog to a wider audience. Essentially, you want to center your blog content on a few primary keywords that align with what your audience is interested in learning. We already discussed above how to determine the MSV and KD for your target keywords, but theres a lot more to SEO.Your blogs content should focus around your primary keyword. Those keywords should show up throughout your content.

For example, if your blog is about fishing, that would be considered your primary keyword topic. Relevant keywords that would appear throughout your blog are how to fish, fishing guidelines, and how to prepare for a fishing trip. The more relevant keywords appear in your blog, the more it helps search engines understand what your blog is about.

Dont flood your content with your keywords simply to rank. This is called keyword stuffing, and its a black-hat SEO practice. The focus should be to create quality content that helps users. If youre creating content that gives information that answers your audiences needs, then its likely they will come back to your blog for more.

3. Build relationships.

Networking applies to online marketing, too. Try to build relationships with online leaders in your industry or those who have parallel audiences.

By building a network, you can also create opportunities for backlinks to your content, which is helpful to build authority. Backlinks help bring more traffic to your blog as the audience from one blog is being redirected to yours. This over time helps you optimize your visibility on the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Backlinks can be in the form of a guest post. For example, if you have a cooking blog and feature a guest post on Food Network, that creates a backlink. They can also come from referral links from other sites that may have a bigger name in your industry. For example, if Entrepreneur.com links to your article on startups, that is also considered a backlink.

4. Be helpful.

If your blog solely promotes your product or services, it may be overly promotional. Find out what your target audience is really interested in and pursue those topics  its always better to be helpful than promotional. Successful bloggers put their community's needs before their financial gain.

"Providing accurate, useful information that informs in a non-self-promoting manner gains credibility," writes Greg Sweval, a direct-to-consumer consultant. "It may take a little longer to build the buzz, but once the momentum gets rolling, it has exponential effects."

5. Blog about your expertise.

Blog about the aspects of your business that youre passionate about. "Be yourself and blog about the things that excite and interest you (without sounding like a commercial, of course) and you'll be fine," suggests Steve Early.

When you write with passion and offer real value, you will most likely attract a bigger audience. With all the information we have at our fingertips, readers can sense authenticity. Your goal should be to create content for humans who are curious and seeking helpful, unique information. Aim to make your readers as passionate about your subject as you are.

6. Be authentic.

You will stand out from the noise and the crowd of bloggers if you are truly authentic. Transparency can earn you credibility in the blogosphere. In addition, it will add a more personal element to your writing style. Be authentic and let your readers see you clearly and identify with your message.

A successful blog takes time, strategy, and research.

Building a profitable and successful blog has no shortcuts. If you perform market and keyword research, you will get a feel for what your audiences needs are and what they want to see. Once you know what your audience wants, understand your blogs unique value, and incorporate SEO tactics, you will ensure the longevity and overall success of your blog.

Starting a successful blog in a saturated market doesnt have to mean failure. However, it will take consistent effort, focus, and dedication to become successful. Start planning your blog strategy today and watch your audience grow.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in July 2009 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
Revere Bowl

Paul Revere Bowl).

Silver Plated Revere Bowls

In the late 1700's, the House of Representatives sent a letter to each of the colonies criticizing King George III. The King demanded that the letter be rescinded, and 92 members of the House voted in defiance not to rescind. 15 members of the Sons of Liberty commissioned Paul Revere to design a gift to the House to thank them for the support, and in 1768 the Paul Revere Bowl was born.

The original, Paul Revere bowl is engraved with the names of the Sons of Liberty, now rests in a place of honor in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. To this day, the Paul Revere bowl, or Revere Bowl as it is now known, remains a cherished gift and a fine acknowledgement of service. Any of these exquisite bowls may be engraved with names, dates or even your company logo.
The underwater volcano Fukutoku-Okanoba, located about 800 miles south of Tokyo, erupted on August 13. Two months later, researchers from the Comprehensive Volcano Research Center of the National Institute of Earth Sciences and Disaster Prevention of Japan have found that the eruption has caused a new island to form on the surface of the sea, according to the Smithsonian Institution.

The Asahi Shimbun added that the tectonic activity from the eruption have lifted up the nearby island of Iwo Jima  which carried a pair of ships up with it from underneath the water.

You can see the fly-by footage of the ghost ships above. Jalopnik gathered some more information and context on what they are, or where they might have come from:

The ships are circulating on social media, with some believing the ships to be artifacts from the battle; others calling them sunken battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. But the United States Air Force Kadena Air Base in Kadena, Japan offers a different explanation. According to the Kadena Air Base, the ships littering the coast are believed to have been scuttled in an effort to build a pier after WWII. History site Traces Of War goes a little further, describing the 24 sunken ships as being used in an unsuccessful attempt at creating a breakwater to help facilitate getting supplies into the island.

Whatever they are, they'll probably sink back down soon enough; as The Asahi Shimbun explains:

The island is comprised of pumice and volcanic ash, which erodes easily when exposed to the elements.  New islets have periodically emerged in the area following volcanic eruptions. Sightings were made in 1904, 1914 and 1986. But they all eventually disappeared due to wind and wave erosion.

Days likely numbered for volcanic islet far south of Tokyo [Tairiku Kurosawa]

Volcanic Activity In Japan Is Lifting Abandoned Ships Out Of The Ocean [Mercedes Streeter / Jalopnik]

Volcanic activity raises Japanese ghost ships from the deep [Julian Ryall / The Telegraph]
Our galactic cousin, the seventh planet from the sun, is a fascinating ice giant full of wonder. But no one really pays attention to that, because they're too busy debating whether to call it "Urine-us" or "Your Anus," and then falling into violent fits of giggles either way. So the folks at Futurism finally decided to get to the center of Uranus, and asked a bunch of Uranus scientists (Uranusologists? Ologists of Uranus?) how they feel about the fact that you keep laughing about Uranus and won't take Uranus seriously. They spoke with Chris Arridge, a researcher at Lancaster University; Heidi Hammel, a top astronomer at the Space Science Institute and Planetary Society; Mark Hosfstadter of the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab; Deniz Soyeur, an astrophysics PhD candidate at the University of Zurich; and Ned Molter, an astronomy PhD candidate at the University of California.

Some of them are annoyed, and also worried that Uranus humor could end up harming funding for Uranus:

"I think at first I found it quite frustrating," Lancaster University researcher Chris Arridge told Futurism. "There was a little bit of that 'We're doing serious stuff here,' and we're trying to push for a mission to a really scientifically interesting place. [] "The public is invested and the public is a major stakeholder. If your stakeholder thinks it's a big joke, I think that can be a concern for some people." [] "I truly do worry that it will make it difficult to actually get a mission to study this planet because I think that NASA would be sensitive to these headlines," Hammel told Futurism, "and sensitive to all the ridicule that they would get if they wanted to get a mission to this planet. We do want to send atmospheric probes, and we do call them probes, and it's impossible to separate that from the whole aliens probing humans thing."

Others are  less concerned, and even embrace the absurdity of Uranus:

For the most part, Hofstadter said, it's all in good fun. His wife, he said, once bought him a t-shirt emblazoned with the claim that "63 Earths can fit inside Uranus. 64 if you relax." The correct number, Hofstadter explained, is actually 63.5.

Some people embrace the ridiculousness of Uranus, because at least it means people are paying attention to Uranus:

"If that's the clickbait that people want, they learn something!" Molter said. "Ninety percent of people might be 'Ha ha, that's hilarious' and ten percent will go 'Oh that's really interesting.' I think it can only help, really."

And even the people who get the most annoyed with Uranus jokes still occasionally secretly enjoy them a little bit:

"It would be quite a boring world if it was all fairly dull and bland and factual," Arridge said. "I do see these articles about Uranus and leaking fluids and it gives me a chuckle from time to time."

There's much, much more at the link  including some fascinating information about your Uranus itself! Who knows, it might even change the way you think about Uranus.

Here's What Uranus Scientists Think About Your Disgusting Jokes [Dan Robitzski / Futurism]

Image: Jacofin / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA 4.0)
Acclaimed comic creator Kendra Walls just launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new fantasy comic called Real Hero Shit and it looks like an absolute delight. It's a hundred-page adventure featuring  in their own words  a demonic playboy prince, a stoic half-elf, a short-fused mage, and a compassionate cleric. Here's the setup:

Innocent villagers are going missing in a small mountain town. The city guard have been blocked from conducting any real investigation. In their stead, the notorious Underguild has assigned Michel the half-elven rogue a secret mission: find the missing villagers, and bring whoever or whatever kidnapped them to justice. Unfortunately for Michel (and his fellow adventurers, Ani and Hocus), they're short a fighter, and need one more party member to foil this plot. Even more unfortunately, the only volunteer seems to be the arrogant, ostentatious, purple playboy, Prince Eugene, looking to cure his boredom. "Covert" is not a concept that he's familiar with, and let's just say his commitment to the mission is Questionable. Every day is Spring Break for Eugene, but outside palace walls, he crashes into a hard reality: the system that keeps him safe in his silk-sheeted bed isn't particularly concerned with the well-being of anyone who isn't him. Eugene will have to level-up his awareness if he means to be a real hero, and time is running short!

If that doesn't entice you, Wells described the book to AIPT Comics as "Lord of the Rings but gay and dumb" and that's a great elevator pitch if I've ever heard one. In that same interview, Wells notes that "The market is oversaturated with 'penis funny,' but the thing is: penis funny," which is also pretty true.

Real Hero Shit [Kendra Wells / Kickstarter]
Surgeons in New York successfully transplanted a pig kidney into a human subject, reports The Economist. The kidney, experimentally attached for three days ito a brain-dead patient, marks substantial advances in the science of xenotransplantation.

In 2014, a firm called Synthetic Genomics in La Jolla, California, began work on a unique and radical project. The idea was to make a raft of genetic changes to pigs so that their organs would be more suitable for transplantation into humans without rejection. The purpose was to address the growing shortage of organs for transplantation. Synthetic Genomics partnered with another biotech firm, United Therapeutics Corporation, based in Silver Spring, Maryland. United Therapeutics reckons that in America alone, 1m people each year have end-stage organ disease and may need a heart, kidney, or lung transplant.

The Economist, bastion of measured, serious unbylined news journalism, tagged the story "Offaly good".
"Should I get takeout for dinner even if I have leftovers in the fridge?" I asked Delphi, an AI built to answer questions of morals.

"It's okay," Delphi responded.

You can ask Delphi your own questions here!

Researchers from the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the University of Washington published a paper describing the project. The team sourced questions from the Am I the Asshole? subreddit, the Confessions subreddit, the ROCStories corpus, and the Dear Abby advice column. They enlisted participants to read the questions and judge them based on moral norms in the US.

According to the paper, Delphi's moral judgments are correct over 92% of the time. Delphi says it's okay to kill flies, but not dogs or cows. Eating meat is fine, but not in front of your vegetarian mother. As The Verge points out, changing the wording can change moral judgment.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick put up $1,000,000 of his campaign donor's money to catch voter fraud in Texas. It took a while but they finally caught someone, a Republican, of course.

Vice:

Shortly after the 2020 election, Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick offered up to $1 million in reward money, to be paid out of his own campaign coffers, to "incentivize, encourage and reward people to come forward and report voter fraud." And now the first person to claim that reward is Eric Frank, a progressive poll worker in Pennsylvania who reported a Republican for voting twice.

Patrick's campaign paid Frank $25,000 for his tip leading to the conviction of Ralph Thurman, a 72-year-old Republican who voted twice. Thurman, whose lawyers initially claimed he'd been tricked by poll workers into voting a second time, later admitted he had illegally voted a second time using his son's name.

Thurman was sentenced to three years of probation and is banned from voting for four years.
Rather than start to bring employees back just before the end of the year, M&T chose to wait until early 2022, said Darren King, the banks chief financial officer.

We fundamentally believe in relationships  not just with our customers but with each other, and therefore value those personal face-to-face interactions, and are pushing for a hybrid work environment as we come back, King said.

For months, M&T has been waiting to take fuller advantage of its $58 million tech hub, the centerpiece of the revived Seneca One tower. Some employees have been coming into the tech hub on a voluntary basis, in increasing numbers.

M&T envisions the tech hub as a focal point for collaboration, among its employees and with other partners. M&T plans to eventually have 1,500 employees working the tech hub, fueling activity at the 38-story Seneca One tower. And the sleek office space is seen as a recruiting tool for M&T employees with tech skills.

In an interview published in early 2021, Michele Trolli, now M&Ts head of corporate operations and enterprise initiatives, said she didnt picture M&T remaining a work-from-home bank forever.
Hochul's office did not immediately respond to an email Wednesday night seeking an answer to what prompted her visit to the South Buffalo facility. Late Wednesday morning, Hochul was about 40 minutes away in Genesee County, taking part in a groundbreaking to usher in the start of construction for a $290 million electric substation and green hydrogen fuel production plant in the Town of Alabama.

+2 Plug Power starts construction of $290M project in Genesee County State and local officials hope Plug Power getting shovels in the dirt is just the beginning of development at the 1,250-acre STAMP site.

While Hochul did not make an appearance on the picket line until Wednesday, another statewide figure who many political observers expect to run for governor next year visited union workers just days earlier.

Attorney General Letitia James visited the picket line Friday and wore a red CWA T-shirt and shouted through a bullhorn.

"This hospital needs to stand up and do the right thing," she said, blasting Catholic Health's hiring of non-union replacements for the striking workers. "As the chief law enforcement officer of the State of New York, I urge this hospital to remove the scabs."

Analysis: Letitia James  no longer just attorney general Many label the state attorney general as the top contender for the Democratic nomination for governor next year, and cameras and notebooks record her every word these days.

To prepare for a potential strike, one that ended up coming to fruition, Catholic Health contracted with Michigan staffing firm Huffmaster to provide replacement workers to keep the hospital operating. Still, some hospital services have been temporarily suspended amid the walkout.
Deputy Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia runs down the basics of Wednesday night's fatal shooting that killed a 17-year-old girl.

A gunshot fired at a car Wednesday night claimed the life of a 17-year-old Buffalo girl, police said.

"It's a terrible tragedy," said Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia Thursday at a news conference about the killing. "We should, never have young people dying."

The victim was identified as Lorinia Robinson of Buffalo.

Her death is the 58th homicide so far this year in the City of Buffalo.

No arrests have been made.

Here's what Gramaglia said about the fatal shooting:

Robinson was sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle that was headed east on Lisbon Avenue when someone opened fire on the vehicle at about 9 p.m.

Police believe the shooter was on the sidewalk and opened fire from there, Gramaglia said. Robinson suffered a single gunshot wound. The driver and other passengers in the vehicle were not injured.

With the wounded teen still in the vehicle, the driver traveled a little over a mile before stopping the car on Langfield Avenue, near Suffolk Street and then called 911 for help. Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Beaty said she sees the benefits that a high mayoral turnout and a split Republican field provide her campaign. But she would rather talk about "my experiences, my qualifications and my credentials."

She and Democratic Party Chairman Jeremy Zellner see a distinct difference between the depth of her resume and that of Garcia, who has never held a command rank. Says Beaty: I dont need on-the-job training to be sheriff.

A Buffalo mayors race hasnt captured this much attention since 2005, when Brown ran for his first term against Republican Kevin Helfer and two minor party candidates. Almost 75,000 votes were cast in that contest, the most in a Buffalo mayors race in this century. The turnout spilled into the sheriffs race. Retired Buffalo homicide Detective Charles T. Fieramusca walloped Howard in the city by a 2-1 margin, or by more than 20,000 votes.

But 2005 was an unusual year in another respect: a county budget crisis threw widespread attention onto County Legislature races and turned out voters in the Republican towns, too. More than 281,000 people voted in the race in 2005, a total that hasnt been seen in a sheriff's election since. Howard, who by then was the acting sheriff, won 52%-48%, or by about 9,000 votes.

Howard's record
Dixon: "If you have surpluses bigger than it's ever been, and your taxes are going up again for most people, that tells me you're being taxed too much."

On the more than $70 million in county year-end surplus money: Dixon said it's up to the Legislature to decide what should be done with the huge budget surplus expected at the close of this year. Hardwick said a "healthy portion" should go into county savings to improve the county's reserve funds, and the rest should go to pay down existing debts and construction-related capital improvements.

On Buffalo Bills stadium negotiations: Dixon was noncommittal on county spending for a stadium but said there should be "a lot of skin in the game" from the team owners. Hardwick said the stadium should stay in Orchard Park, that the NFL and the Bills should pay the "lion's share" of stadium costs, but no one can say the county can spend no money and still expect to keep the team.

Dixon: "I always think that what we always lose sight of in these discussions is the fans. There should be more transparency this time around."

Hardwick: "I think the county will have to contribute, but I don't think it should be substantially more than what we're contributing now."

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Asked for her reaction to Schumer's endorsement, Walton said: "It was unexpected, but a very pleasant surprise. I deeply respect the leadership of Senator Schumer, and this is what I imagined Democratic leadership to look like: it's to coalesce around me and my candidacy and really be the bridge that connects the progressives to the center part of the Democrats."

Walton termed Schumer's endorsement a major moment in the campaign.

"I think that this endorsement from the senator is going to pop the cork on the potential for other folks to feel like it's OK to publicly support my candidacy," she said. "At least that's my hope."

Brown's campaign manager, Conor Hurley, did not respond to a request for comment.

Schumer's decision aligns New York's senior senator with figures to his left: Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the Bronx. Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez  democratic socialists like Walton  endorsed her months ago, and Ocasio-Cortez is scheduled to travel to Buffalo for a rally for Walton on Saturday.

Schumer endorsed Brown in the June primary and even recorded a robocall to Buffalo voters in support of Brown's campaign.
When Hamburg town supervisor candidate Randy Hoak was seeking the Working Families Party endorsement earlier this year, he submitted 71 answers to questions for the party, including one about appealing to voters of color.

As part of his 128-word answer, Hoak said he would work to increase diversity in the town.

His opponent, Erie County Comptroller Stefan I. Mychajliw, obtained the questionnaire and came to a different conclusion: He said Hoak believes Hamburg is "too white."

Radical Socialist Randy Hoak trashed Hamburg for being too white," Mychajliw said on Twitter. "This Working Families Party endorsed extremist has a solution. His exact words and mission as Supervisor: 'at the end or four years we have a significant increase in the number of people of color in our town.' "

Mychajliw, the Republican and Conservative candidate for supervisor, has often called Hoak, a Democrat, a "radical socialist" and "extremist" in connection with Hoak's endorsement by the Working Families Party.

The partial quote Mychajliw shared on social media is part of an answer to a question about how Hoak's campaign would appeal to working-class voters, voters of color and those disaffected with the political process.
Were confronting the stains of what remains a deep stain in the soul of the nation: hate and white supremacy, Biden said, describing what he said is a line in American history from slavery to the present day.

In a violent, deadly insurrection on the Capitol nine months ago  it was about white supremacy in my view, he said.

Biden, who had previously said the Justice Department should prosecute those who ignore congressional subpoenas, apologized Thursday for appearing to interfere with the agency's decisions in comments last week.

I should have chosen my words more wisely," Biden said during a CNN town hall. "I did not, have not and will not pick up the phone and call the attorney general and tell him what he should or should not do.

Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will pursue the charges, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress power to call witnesses and demand information.
Sinema's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Under existing law passed in 2017, the corporate tax rate is 21%. Democrats had proposed raising it to 26.5% for companies earning more than $5 million a year. The top individual income tax rate would go from 37% to 39.6% for those earning more than $400,000, or $450,000 for married couples.

Under the changes being floated the corporate rate would not change. But the revisions would not be all positive for big companies and the wealthy.

The White House is reviving the idea of a minimum corporate tax rate, similar to the 15% rate Biden had proposed this year. That's even for companies that say they had no taxable income  a frequent target of Biden, who complains they pay zero in taxes.

The new tax on the wealthiest individuals would be modeled on legislation from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He has proposed taxing stock gains of people with more than $1 billion in assets  fewer than 1,000 Americans.

Other tax options are also being considered, and Democrats are almost certain to include a provision to beef up the Internal Revenue Service to go after tax dodgers.
LONDON (AP)  Buckingham Palace said Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in a hospital after being advised by her doctor to rest.

The palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to an unspecified hospital for "preliminary investigations."

It said she returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday, "and remains in good spirits."

On Wednesday, the queen canceled a scheduled trip to Northern Ireland. The palace said she had "reluctantly" accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. It did not elaborate.

The queen is now at Windsor Castle, west of London, where she has spent much of her time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The decision to cancel this week's trip was understood to not be COVID related.

The decision came just days after Elizabeth was seen using a walking stick at a major public event when attending a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion, an armed forces charity.

She had previously been photographed using a cane in 2003, but that was after she underwent knee surgery.
Previous writers have criticized Mayor Byron Browns school speed camera system for financing city government on the backs of its low-income and African American citizens. But in addition, the history of the program, as described in several Buffalo News stories, shows the arrogance and incompetence of Browns administration.

An enterprising lawyer, Karina Tefft, discovered that New York State has standards that such a program must meet in order for the tickets it issues to be valid. In particular, the cameras have to be checked regularly to ensure their accuracy, and the checks have to be documented.

It turns out that our city government  by its own admission  was not making the required checks or documentation. Were the officials in charge of the program so incompetent, lazy or heedless that they never read the state rules? Or were they aware of the rules but decided they didnt need to follow them? Perhaps they thought they were of a higher order of humanity than the drivers who would be ticketed for not following speed rules?
FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: The logo of Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA is seen at the company's headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian planemaker Embraer delivered 30 jets in the third quarter, up 7.1% from a year earlier but down 11.7% from the previous quarter, it said on Thursday, adding the deliveries comprised nine commercial planes and 21 executive jets.

Embraer also said in a securities filing that its firm order backlog totaled $16.8 billion in Sept. 30, up from $15.1 billion in the same period of 2020 and $15.9 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2021.

According to the Brazilian company, its commercial aircraft deliveries were down five units from the previous quarter, while executive aircraft deliveries rose by one unit.

Itau BBA analysts said the figures showed good overall performance in deliveries and a robust backlog, in line with expectations, despite commercial deliveries having declined after a "strong" second quarter.

"We believe that the overall performance was solid, suggesting that demand continues to recover ... Our optimism is reinforced by the $16.8 billion backlog," Itau BBA said, maintaining its "outperform" rating for Embraer shares.

Brazil-traded shares in Embraer were down 1.8% at 24.20 reais in early afternoon trading, but outperformed the broader Bovespa stock index, which plunged 2.9% on worries the country would breach its constitutional spending cap to fund a new welfare program.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Edmund Blair and David Gregorio)
The Chippewa Valley has received multiple grants for broadband expansion.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin announced it has distributed 83 grants in 40 counties for projects across the state, awarding $99.93 million. The projects will expand broadband internet to more than 28,000 residences and 1,490 businesses, the agency reports.

State Rep. Rob Summerfield, R-Bloomer, is chairman of the Assemblys Science, Technology and Broadband Committee, and he was pleased to see so many projects awarded throughout western Wisconsin.

This is very good news for my district, Summerfield said. Weve always known it was a need. But with COVID, and more people working, or going to school, from home, the rural areas need broadband to stay competitive.

The grants are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. Summerfield has asked Gov. Tony Evers to invest even more of the ARPA dollars the state received in broadband projects, saying the money this week is a good start.

Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, agreed that the projects are needed.

Its absolutely great to see, Moses said. I want to see money coming back to the Chippewa Valley. Its huge, with everything thats gone on in the last 18 months.

Moses said most of his district is rural, and we dont have the greatest internet up here.

Evers touted the grants in a press release.

Expanding reliable, high-speed internet access remains a top priority for our state and we continue to move quickly to get federal funding allocated so construction on these projects can begin as soon as possible, Evers said. Since 2019, with state and federal dollars weve approved projects that will connect over 300,000 homes and businesses with access to new or improved broadband. We are making sure our communities bounce back better from the pandemic.

The projects include:

Eau Claire County

$869,545 for 24-7 Telecom in the town of Brunswick.

Dunn County

$1.38 million for 24-7 Telecom in the town of Elk Mound; $857,915 in the town of Lucas; $1.07 million in the town of Menomonie; $1.48 million in the town of Red Cedar; $794,835 in the town of Spring Brook; $1.51 million in the town of Stanton; $1.44 million in the town of Tainter; $616,285 in the town of Weston.

$878,700 for Chibardun Telephone Cooperative in the town of Otter Creek.

$2.13 million for Nextgen Communications for villages of Downing and Boyceville.

Chippewa County

$529,635 for 24-7 Telecom in the town of Howard; $1.42 million in the town of Wheaton.

$1.22 million for Bloomer Telephone Company in the town of Eagle Point; $663,340 in the town of Tilden.

$673,650 for Ntera LLC in the towns of Lake Holcombe, Cleveland, Estella and Ruby; $436,403 in the towns of Arthur and Colburn; $1.06 million for the towns of Delmar and Edson.

Buffalo County

$1.58 million for Nelson Communications Cooperative in the town of Mondovi.

$2.1 million for Cochrane Cooperative Telephone Company in the town of Cross.

Clark County

$179,048 for CCI Systems in the town of Foster.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A local school is extending a helping hand to a group of kids in need.

McDonell Area Catholic Schools kicked off a Diaper Drive will benefit local charities around Chippewa County. Starting on Oct. 22 and extending through Oct. 29., the donations will be given to St. Francesca Resource Center, Catholic Charities, Chippewa County Foster Care Program and Chippewa County Public Health.

Abby Smasal, Chippewa County Foster Care coordinator, said the donations will be of great service to the community, as the number of children in foster care needing diapers continues to increase. As of this week, 120 kids are in the Chippewa County foster care program, 15 of which are under the age of 1 and 20 of which are between the ages of 1-3. This number is dramatically larger than 4-5 years ago when the Chippewa County Foster Care program had 75 kids in its system.

Being in foster care is a big adjustment for these kids, Smasal said. Any donation we receive helps make these kids live a bit easier and they certainly appreciate it. With more and more foster kids being brought into the system in Chippewa County, we need all the help we can get.

Pam Baughman, a MACS parent who fostered, then adopted three daughters who in the schools, said the system is a challenging one for families, so programs such as the MACS Diaper Drive are essential for the survival of many families.

Times are tough right now and there are a lot of families struggling financially, said. These kids have to deal with a lot and any way we can help is what we should be doing. Caring for kids this young takes a lot of time and money, so at times they may need help.

To support the drive, you can drop off packages of diapers or wipes at any of the McDonell Area Catholic Schools buildings October 22 and 25-28. Size 3, 4 and 5 diapers and pull-ups are most needed. You may also choose to mail a check (made payable to MACS) to McDonell High School  Diaper Drive, 1316 Bel Air Blvd Chippewa Falls, WI 54729.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
TOLEDO, Ohio  A Beloit man was charged with murder Wednesday in what authorities believe was a random knife attack that killed a motorist and injured another after they had stopped at a travel plaza on the Ohio Turnpike.

The victims, who were not traveling together, were attacked Tuesday in the plaza's parking lot, investigators said.

A sheriffs deputy shot the suspect, 51-year-old Thomas Conner after trying to stop him by firing non-lethal rubber balls and telling him several times to drop the knife, said Sandusky County Sheriff Chris Hilton.

The deputy shot Conner twice after he came at him, hitting him near the hip and waist, Hilton said. Conner was being treated in a Toledo hospital and will eventually be transferred to the county jail, the sheriff said.

Video from a bystander showed the suspect repeatedly moving toward the deputy while holding the knife outside the busy travel plaza near Fremont.

Investigators said they have found no evidence that Conner knew either of the victims and don't know what led to the stabbings.

David Diederich, 66 of La Porte, Indiana, was in the parking lot when he was stabbed and died at the scene, according to the State Highway Patrol.

A second man, Alan Austin, 53, of Delavan, Wisconsin, was eating in his truck when Conner approached the vehicle, reached through an open window and stabbed him, Hinton said.

Austin, who was treated at a hospital and released, told investigators he had no idea who the suspect was or why he attacked him, Hinton said.

A customer at the plaza, Wayne Howell, of Syracuse, Indiana, told the Fremont News-Messenger that the suspect was saying things that didnt make sense and became agitated when people walked away from him.

A day before the stabbings, Conner was at a travel plaza near Cleveland where he complained about back or stomach pain, said Lt. Richard Reeder of the state patrol. He was treated at a hospital and then continued on his way, Reeder said.

Those who dealt with Conner said he was polite and didn't notice anything unusual, Reeder said.

The deputy who shot Conner has been placed on administrative leave, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations is investigating the use of force.

Both Hinton and Reeder said they think the deputy saved the lives of others by drawing the suspect away from people in the parking lot and stopping the attack.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
With his sentencing approaching on Friday, a former East High School business teacher convicted of attempting to create child pornography using hidden cameras in students hotel rooms wrote in a letter to a judge that his obsession with spying on people didnt begin with his students, but it ended there after starting with family and friends, including his wife, parents and grandparents.

In the eight-page handwritten letter, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court with his attorneys sentencing memorandum, David Kruchten, 39, of Cottage Grove, wrote that he started spying on family to deal with stress and fulfill a need for adrenaline and to find out what they said about him when he wasnt around.

That led to planting hidden cameras to capture pets, family, friends, babysitters and even his parents and grandparents, before he began spying on his students, Kruchten wrote in the letter to U.S. District Judge James Peterson, who will decide Friday how to punish Kruchten for trying to capture nude images of his students during overnight trips taken to DECA business and marketing education events.

I made excuses or found justifications to tell myself  to see if the kids had alcohol in their rooms or if they were sneaking people in, he wrote. This escalated as well with more cameras and more brazen placement to increase the rush.

He said capturing underage students in the nude was not the reason he targeted them, although he admitted he did that.

That was not my goal when I went into teaching and it was not my goal when I started on this course of behavior, Kruchten wrote. My goal was not a collection of child pornography. My interest in these voyeuristic videos was not to capture students engaged in sex acts, my interest was the same (as) it was with my grandparents, and my pets and my wife  to see what people do when Im not there.

However, he wrote, it would be a lie to say there was zero sexual component.

But I want you and everyone to know that my motivations were not that of a pedophile, Kruchten wrote. I was not spying on everyone in my life just in hopes of getting nude images of teenage girls. I believe I would never hurt anyone intentionally, but the reality is I put my need for adrenaline and fulfilling inappropriate curiosities above the potential impact on the victims and their families.

He said he knows he can never fix what he did but hopes for forgiveness.

Im truly sorry. he wrote.

Early in the case, Kruchten wrote, he had tried to write apologies to people he had wronged, but his attorneys advised him against delivering them while the case was pending. But on the eve of his sentencing, he wrote, sending them now seems manipulative.

I fear that anything I say in court will be seen that way  as just trying to escape responsibility, he wrote. Its all so distorted and I hate this. The victims deserve much better.

Students discovery

Kruchten was arrested in Minneapolis in December 2019 after a student discovered a camera hidden in a hotel room bathroom air freshener. Other students then looked around and found cameras hidden in air fresheners, smoke detectors and other devices.

A subsequent Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation probe found recording devices had been placed in students hotel rooms during other trips, to Wisconsin Dells and Lake Geneva, before the Minneapolis trip.

A plea agreement under which Kruchten pleaded guilty to attempting to produce child pornography states that all students who have been on trips chaperoned by Kruchten since 2016 are considered victims and have the right to be heard before he is sentenced.

Victim impact statements, all filed under seal, have been pouring into Kruchtens court file, and a number of victims are expected to speak at his sentencing on Friday.

Kruchten faces a sentence of anywhere from six to 20 years in prison, according to the agreement. His attorney, federal defender Joseph Bugni, wrote in a sentencing memorandum he will seek a six-year sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Altman and Laura Przybylinski Finn asked in their memorandum for a 15-year sentence.

I feel unsafe

Prosecutors wrote that Kruchten was known to victims who trusted him and was respected by parents and the school district.

While there is no evidence he touched any student, his actions left the victims questioning their future and doubting their self-worth, the prosecutors wrote. Prior to being discovered by one of those victims, there was no indication that the defendant had any intention of stopping. He deserves a sentence that reflects the full impact of his actions.

I was vulnerable and he recognized that, one victim quoted in the prosecutors memorandum wrote. Another wrote: I loved him, but now Im mourning the person that I thought he was while Im forced to re-evaluate every aspect of my relationship with him. I feel so used. I feel unsafe. I feel like I lost my optimism about the world.

The nature of the recordings Kruchten created are unknown, the prosecutors wrote, because he destroyed the evidence. Still, he committed one of the most serious violations of trust imaginable, they wrote.

This was not a one-time failure, they wrote. It was a deliberate, calculated and repeated course of conduct.

While he claims he only brought cameras on DECA trips to monitor student behavior, the cameras invariably ended up in the bathrooms of female students, prosecutors wrote.

He had inappropriate late-night talks with students about how unhappy his marriage was and about which teachers were having affairs. He once showed up at a former students birthday party uninvited and had to be forced to leave, they wrote.

The defendant is in certain respects every parents worst nightmare: a predator hiding in plain sight, they wrote. The defendants normalcy is what makes him so dangerous.

In his defense

Bugni, in his sentencing memorandum, pushed back against the predator label. He wrote that Kruchten did not get into teaching in order to prey on students.

Rather, hes a person who was (by all accounts) an excellent friend and teacher who succumbed to an ever-growing obsession that soon overcame and eventually ruined him, Bugni wrote.

His voyeurism wasnt motivated by pedophilia, Bugni wrote, but the rush he got from secretly recording people. He said Kruchten set cameras not only in girls rooms but boys rooms as well. There wasnt a single factor that motivated him, Bugni argued.

The fact that there was sexual arousal attached to some of this conduct doesnt mean that all of this was driven by a sexual desire for nude images of minors, he wrote. And he shouldnt be punished as severely as those who target children and have insatiable pedophilic disorders.

Peterson should consider the fact that Kruchten was for most of his life a productive and pro-social person, Bugni wrote, who according to letters of support did good turns for people in need, which should not be wiped out by his crime.

The point is not that Kruchten was a good teacher and a good person, so he gets a slap on the wrist  not at all, Bugni wrote. Its that he has demonstrated decades of good character and selfless devotion to the community and that demonstrated commitment (and all that attends to it) speaks to the fact that a longer term of incarceration isnt needed to accomplish the goals of sentencing  instrumental or moral.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  The target of Medilines Distributors, Inc. to go public within the year has gained the corporate regulator's go signal.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) said in a statement Thursday that its board of directors cleared the firm's maiden offering, only over a week after the Securities and Exchange Commission greenlit its initial public offering of as much as 2 billion.

"The healthcare industry has been in the spotlight since this pandemic broke out. We are pleased to see a company in this space tap the stock market for capital raising," PSE president and chief executive officer Ramon S. Monzon was quoted in a statement.

Medilines distributes medical equipment to public and private medical facilities focused on cancer therapy and diagnostic imaging. Its chairman, Virgilio Villar, is the brother of billionaire and former lawmaker Manuel B. Villar.

"We are hopeful that this IPO will pave the way for other companies in this sector to seek funding from the equities market," Monzon added.

Medilines is planning to offer to the investing public up to 825 million primary and secondary shares for 2.45 each at most.

The final offer price will be set on November 16. The offer is slated to run from Nov. 22 to 26, the local bourse noted.

Proceeds from the fundraising will be used to finance the purchase of existing products and build up its medical consumables inventory. Part of it will be also be allotted for debt repayment.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 20)  The Office of the Ombudsman has proposed an amendment to the law on the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) that would penalize commentaries on it.

A draft of the Ombudsmans proposed amendments to Republic Act 6713 states that the medias use of the SALN "shall be strictly limited to reporting of facts provided in the statement and no further commentaries could be made thereon."

If Congress passes the amendment, violators could face jail time not exceeding five years or P5,000 fine or both.

Under the Ombudsmans proposed revisions, government officials can exclude from their SALNS real properties that are used solely and exclusively as their personal residence.

They will also not be required to declare any transaction solely and exclusively between themselves and their spouse or unmarried children.

A source, who forwarded a copy of the draft bill on Tuesday, said it has not yet been filed. The person also said that according to the Ombudsman, their office will send a final draft after a thorough review and discussion of the proposed amendments.

Access to SALNs

Ombudsman Samuel Martires earlier proposed jail time for people who will comment on SALNs of government officials, which he eventually formalized in the draft bill. He also stood by his memorandum circular that will require consent from the SALN owner before it can be released to the public.

The office of President Rodrigo Duterte has used this memo to defend his refusal to release his annual wealth report since 2018, despite repeated requests from the media.

In the Ombudsman's new proposal, official repositories of government employees SALN have the option to restrict access to the document or redact particular details if revelation of certain information could endanger the government employees lives.

The Ombudsman has also proposed that the period of safekeeping for SALNs be shortened from ten years to eight years with the document destroyed after the period indicated unless it is needed in an ongoing investigation.

Group of journalists reacts

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines slammed the Ombudsman for promoting secrecy instead of championing transparency in the interest of the Filipino people.

"The SALN is just one of the many effective tools we can use against corruption. As the Ombudsman, he should be the first to promote the spirit of transparency and accountability. Why is he the first to prevent us from doing such?" it said in a statement.

CNN Philippines correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is set to lead the beatification ceremony of Venerable Pauline Marie Jaricot in France next year.

The Roman Archdiocese of Manila on Thursday said Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, has been appointed by Pope Francis.

The former archbishop will oversee the beatification rites on May 22, 2022 in Lyon.

Tagle's new role is just one of the many key posts he's been given this year. In February, he was appointed to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, a powerful body that serves as the Vatican's central bank. He became part of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches last June.

Through beatification, the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints conducts an intensive investigation of any deceased person's life, writings, and virtues, and, except in the case of martyrs, proof of one miracle worked by God through their intercession.

If they meet all these requirements, the pope gives them the title "Blessed" and such other decrees they may be honored or venerated.

It was on Feb. 25, 1963 when Jaricot was declared Venerable by Saint John XXIII. Born in 1799, she founded the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of Faith and the Association of Living Rosary.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday. assured his former national police chief Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa that he will take the blame for the drug war as the International Criminal Court is set to investigate the controversial policy.

Duterte maintained he will only answer to Philippine courts.

Eh si Bato na-nerbiyos kasi kasali siya doon sa tokhang niya. Sabi ko huwag kang mag-alala. If there is any person who is going to prison, it would be me, he said during the joint meeting of the National Task Force-Regional Task Force-End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Lucena City, Quezon.

[Translation: Bato is nervous because he is covered by the investigation because of his tokhang. I told him that theres nothing to worry about. If there is any person who is going to prison, it would be me.]

But it should be a Filipino court manned by a Filipino judge and me prosecuted by a Filipino prosecutor, Duterte added.

"Tokhang" is a Visayan word that means to knock and plead with drug offenders to stop their illegal activity, but the term has been associated with killing drug suspects.

The ICC earlier found evidence of what it called crimes against humanity under the administration's bloody drug war. But Duterte maintained he will not cooperate with the court.

Although the country withdrew from the Rome Statute of the ICC in 2019, the court said it retains jurisdiction over crimes that allegedly happened when the Philippines was still a state party to the treaty.

If ever the court would press Dela Rosa for answers, Duterte said he gave this advice: I assume full responsibility. Kaya sabi ko kay Bato, huwag ka mag-ano. Keep quiet there and just Ako, ituro mo ako, si Duterte ang nag-utos. Kung ano man yang sa listahan mo, utos ni Duterte yan and I will answer for all.

[Translation: I assume full responsibility. Thats why I told Bato, dont worry... Me, just point me, it was Duterte who commanded me. Whatever is that on your list, Duterte said that and I will answer for all.]

Meanwhile, the President said some overlooked the fact that many civilians fell victim to drug-related crimes.

Hindi nila nakita yung the other side. Iyong mga Pilipinong namatay. At mind you, marami akong pulis pati military namatay sa itong droga na ito. Kaya mainit talaga ako, galit talaga ako, he said.

[Translation: They do not see the other side. The Filipinos who died. And mind you, I have many policemen and military men who died because of drugs. Thats why I'm pissed, Im really angry.]

The ICC said last month it opened an investigation on drug war killings.

Dela Rosa, who is running for president under the administration party PDP-Laban, said he will not allow the ICC to conduct its probe on alleged human rights violations allegedly committed during the drug campaign.

The ICC prosecutor estimated that 12,000 to 30,000 civilians were killed in the drug war between 2016 and 2019. Government data showed that 6,191 suspects died in over 200,000 anti-illegal drug operations as of Aug. 31.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) President Melvin Matibag got kicked out of a virtual Senate hearing on Thursday as he cried politics over questions raised by Senator Manny Pacquiao.

Matibag and Pacquiao are leaders of warring factions in the ruling PDP-Laban party in a dispute pending before the Commission on Elections.

During a Senate committee hearing on the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Energy, Pacquiao grilled DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi about the continued operations of the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) when the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) was already established in 2018.

Pacquiao said the duplicity has raised electricity costs, with up to 40 million in hidden charges being collected from consumers every month.

Cusi denied the claim, saying market fees are even lower now compared to previous years. He said PEMC has been serving as a governing body during the transition period, although lawmakers pointed out that it has been three years.

Tensions flared when Pacquiao asked about the role of Matibags wife, Laguna Board Member Ann Matibag, in IEMOP.

I want to know anong kinalaman ko at ng TransCo doon sa PEMC and IEMOP [what is my and TransCo's connection to PEMC and IEMOP]? Matibag said, lamenting the video shown by Pacquiao questioning his appointment in TransCo.

Alam niyo lets call a spade a spade dito sa hearing na ito e. This is all political, Senator Pacquiao. Alam naman natin to [You know what, lets call a spade a spade in this hearing. This is all political, Senator Pacquiao. We all know this], he added.

At this point, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who was presiding over the finance subcommittee hearing, stepped in to stop Matibags outburst.

This is my committee and you have no right calling this hearing a political hearing, Gatchalian said.

The senators are entitled to ask policy questions. You are out of order. You are no longer recognized, he added, raising his voice when Matibag tried to butt in.

Cusi apologized for Matibags behavior. Matibag, a lawyer, also issued a statement after the hearing.

I apologize to the public for my temperament but it was brought about by my indignation from what I considered as an unfair hearing, he said.

Matibag noted that Pacquiaos allegations were the same ones he made public in July. The IEMOP released a statement then, asking the senator to spare us from politics and stressing that it's a non-stock, non-profit corporation compliant with the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  The government is on the lookout for a possible resurgence in COVID-19 cases in at least three regions, despite a decrease in nationwide infections.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source on Thursday, Health Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said they are closely monitoring Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), and Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) since their COVID-19 cases peaked at a later period compared to most areas of the country.

"If you look at our epidemic curve, we will see that these areas had their increase or their peak in the number of cases later on compared to NCR and other areas," Vergeire said.

"NCR had its peak from about Sept. 5 to 11. That's when the most number of cases were reported here in NCR and other areas," Vergeire said. "But if you look at Region 2, CAR, and Region 9, the peak in their cases were Sept 26."

Citing COVID-19 data extracted from the Department of Health's Data Drop, OCTA Research Fellow Guido David said that Metro Manila reported 642 new cases on Oct. 20, followed by Zamboanga del Sur (Zamboanga Peninsula) with 203 cases, Cagayan and Isabela (both in Cagayan Valley) with 195 and 180 cases, and Benguet (CAR) with 177.

Vergeire said COVID-19 cases can further decline in Metro Manila, now with a positivity rate of 11% and a reproduction number of 0.47, an indication of a decreasing community transmission. Vergeire noted however that in the three other regions, hospitals remain full due to their late peak.

Still, Cagayan Valley has seen improvements in its numbers, the regional health director told CNN Philippines News Night.

Dr. Rio Magpantay said that from previously being classified under critical level, Region 2 has been downgraded to moderate risk following a decline in infections.

He also reported an improvement in vaccine deliveries and expressed confidence they would be able to raise immunization targets.

According to Magpantay, the region is able to administer roughly 30,000 shots a day, which means a weekly average of 210,000. He said they could bump this up to 300,000 a week.

To date, over 600,000 of the 2.5 million people eligible for vaccination in the area have received at least one dose, with 500,000 now fully vaccinated, Magpantay added.

OCTA said cases in the Philippines are expected to finally reach the pre-Delta surge level by end of October, with 6,416 average daily cases in the past seven days.

Vergeire stressed that biosurveillance reports still indicate the highly transmissible Delta variant remains the most dominant COVID-19 variant in the country. But an improved pandemic response and a larger number of people vaccinated in Metro Manila are at least protecting more Filipinos from severe infections and death, she added.

The DOH reported on Wednesday 3,656 new COVID-19 cases nationwide, a new three-month low in daily infections.
Editor's note: Kara Alaimo, an associate professor in the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University, writes about women and social media. She was spokeswoman for international affairs in the Treasury Department during the Obama administration. Follow her on Twitter @karaalaimo. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. View more opinion on CNN.

(CNN)  As the world begins to truly contend with just how dangerous social media platforms can be, Facebook's reckoning has been kicked into overdrive following former staffer Frances Haugen's shocking allegations that the company has long known about its platform's toxic effects on society -- and has done little to try to fix them.

Now, amid this firestorm of criticism, the company has reportedly come up with a new public relations strategy: changing its name. According to a report by The Verge, Facebook will soon announce a new name that reflects chief executive Mark Zuckerberg's stated focus on being part of a future so-called "metaverse" -- an online world where our avatars interact in astonishingly lifelike ways.

There's a glaring reason Facebook's name change is such a smart move from a branding perspective, and it has nothing to do with the fact that the company may want to create a single umbrella brand for the three major platforms it owns -- Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp -- or that it wants to focus on the metaverse. It's because the public has lost faith in Facebook. And rightly so. For all the family photos shared or funny videos consumed that the company has made possible, "Facebook" is now also a name associated in recent years with misinformation, privacy violations, the spread of hate and autocracy.

But a new name won't get to the root of the problem: Facebook's bankrupt reputation. Going by a different name won't magically create a brand in which consumers will place their blind faith.

The only way for Facebook to restore that trust is to change its leadership and address the actual issues that have justifiably prompted so much concern. Facebook has pushed back hard against many of the allegations against it, calling some "misleading," saying they have cracked down on anti-vaccine content and misinformation. The company also says they welcome regulation and contend their apps' good outweighs their harm.

Nonetheless, many who study misinformation remain concerned, and recent whistleblower Haugen asserted that Facebook continued to put profits before people. It's essential for the company to truly tackle the problems it has already unleashed before it helps build a future "metaverse" in which technology will play an even bigger role in our lives than it already does.

The place to start is with Zuckerberg's resignation.

The company has shown millions of us misinformation as we were deciding who to elect as president. It's been accused of failing to crack down effectively on deadly misinformation about coronavirus vaccines (which, of course, save lives), and a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that Instagram has even at times recommended vaccine misinformation to users.

Independent research has long shown that using social media hurts the mental health of users -- especially teens -- because it creates the (often false) impression that everyone else is leading more glorious lives.

Haugen testified that Facebook has been used to spread hate globally and foment deadly ethnic violence in Myanmar and Ethiopia. And Zuckerberg has misled users and US lawmakers about how outside companies access our data, raising frightening privacy concerns.

Facebook, of course, views the situation differently. After Haugen testified before Congress that the company has long been aware of these issues and failed to meaningfully address them, a spokesperson told CNN Business that "we continue to make significant improvements to tackle the spread of misinformation and harmful content. To suggest we encourage bad content and do nothing is just not true."

The fact that the company continues to deny that it has let us down is a big part of the problem here. And the person in charge of Facebook through all of this has been, of course, founder Mark Zuckerberg.

It's clear that he lacks the moral inclination or the capacity to solve these problems. Either way, he's got to go. The company should announce a new chief executive with all possible haste. It should be someone thoughtful and committed to transparency about how social media is harming our society -- who has the will and competence to put the platform on a very different course.

It's troubling enough that the company doesn't appear to be reckoning with the scope of the reforms that are needed. But what's downright terrifying is that, at the same time as these dangers are coming to light, Facebook is trying to expand the way we use technology. Zuckerberg has said he's focused on helping build a metaverse in which the physical and virtual worlds collide. We would increasingly operate as digital avatars in this realm.

Facebook is already endangering our elections, health, privacy and the very lives of people in places where it's being used to sow discord. While a future metaverse could be a good thing if built correctly -- giving people equal access to opportunities regardless of geography, disabilities, or child care and other commitments -- Facebook shouldn't take a single step further down this path until it first addresses the problems it has already wrought. Changing its name doesn't do a thing to solve them.

Shakespeare famously wrote: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet." Right now, Facebook by any other name would be just as scary for us as a society. And a new name that hints at an even larger takeover of our lives would be all the more frightening. Changing its name wouldn't change this reality.

This story was first published on CNN.com 'Facebook, don't change your name -- change your CEO'
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21) Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Thursday denied being remiss in exercising the governments right to match the offer of Davao businessman Dennis Uys Udenna Corporation in buying out a majority stake in the Malampaya gas project.

At a Senate hearing on the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Energy, Cusi said state-run Philippine National Oil Company Exploration Corporation studied the implications of buying Chevrons 45% share, but decided against it.

"When you buy there is a risk... This is a case of damned if we do, damned if we dont. Bilhin mo, tatanungin bakit binili (If you buy, you will be asked why), Cusi said, taking note of Malampayas depleting reserves.

Kung hindi mo binili, ito naman ang assumption: pinabayaan namin. What I can assure you, hindi po ito pinabayaan ng PNOC-EC. The board deliberated on that, added Cusi, who sits as chairman of the PNOC-EC board.

[Translation: And if you dont buy it, the assumption is neglect of duty. What I can assure you, the PNOC-EC did not neglect it. The board deliberated on that.]

Cusi, Uy, and 24 others are now facing graft complaints for the 2019 buyout. Former PNOC president Eduardo Manalac said the government effectively forfeited up to 138 billion in profits from Malampaya.

Uy was one of President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign contributors in the 2016 presidential race.

Shell Exploration BV and Chevron each owned a 45% stake in the project, with the remaining 10% maintained by the state through PNOC-EC. In the past two years, however, Chevron and Shell both sold their shares in the project to Uy's UC Malampaya, giving it a 90% controlling stake.

"Why did Chevron sell and why is Shell selling? That is another issue. Are they getting away from the Philippines? These are questions [that also need] to be discussed," Cusi said.

He reiterated that the DOE scrutinized the Chevron-Udenna deal to ensure that the country's energy security is not compromised.

CNN Philippines Eimor Santos and Melissa Lopez contributed to this report.
(CNN)  Booster protection could soon expand to a much broader population, as a source says the US government likely will soon recommend additional doses to people as young as 40 who received a Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

"I believe it will happen," the source familiar with the plan told CNN's Elizabeth Cohen. There is "growing concern within the FDA" that US data is beginning to show more hospitalizations among people under age 65 who have been fully vaccinated.

Still, Americans who haven't been vaccinated are 18 times more likely to end up hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who are vaccinated, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Unvaccinated people are also 11 times more likely to die from the virus compared to vaccinated people, Walensky said Wednesday. They were also six times more likely to test positive for COVID-19.

"In August, as we were experiencing the peak of the Delta surge, 16 jurisdictions provided data on cases and deaths stratified by vaccination status. Unvaccinated people had 6.1 times greater risk of testing positive," the CDC director said.

Roughly 57.1% of the US population are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data published Wednesday. Booster shots account for about 40% of doses administered nationwide daily, with about 1.3 times as many boosters administered each day than first shots.

FDA authorizes more boosters

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines and said any of the three authorized vaccines could be used as a booster in a "mix and match approach" for eligible individuals.

The agency gave emergency use authorization for boosters of Moderna's vaccine for people fully vaccinated at least six months ago who are also at least 65, or who are at least 18 and are high risk of severe COVID-19, or have frequent exposure to the virus.

Meanwhile, a booster for the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be administered at least two months after the initial shot to anyone 18 and older, the FDA said.

"The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated," FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement. "The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease."

Last month, the FDA authorized Pfizer booster shots for people in certain high-risk groups who got their second dose of the vaccine at least six months ago. They include people age 65 and older; adults with health conditions that put them at high risk for severe COVID-19; and adults who live or work in places that make them prone to contracting the virus.

The FDA would consider lowering the age range on its emergency use authorizations for booster shots once more safety data comes in, officials told reporters on Wednesday.

"It's a matter of having the data," said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's vaccine arm. "We want to make sure that if we deploy the boosters in all of the age ranges, we truly are making a benefit outweigh any risk."

Getting younger kids vaccinated will 'play a major role' in slowing COVID-19 spread, Fauci says

About 28 million children ages 5 to 11 might soon be able to get pediatric doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine if the US Food and Drug Administration authorizes shots for that age group and if the CDC recommends it.

Getting most children vaccinated against COVID-19 will "play a major role" in slowing the spread of disease, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday.

"In the era of Delta, children get infected as readily as adults do. And they transmit the infection as readily as adults do," said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

"If we can get the overwhelming majority of those 28 million children vaccinated, I think that would play a major role in diminishing the spread of infection," Fauci said at a White House COVID-19 briefing.

"That's one of the reasons why we want to do as best as we can to get those children from 5 to 11 vaccinated."

Schools try testing instead of isolating exposed students

While some schools have enforced strict quarantine and isolation policies for children who are exposed to the virus, the CDC is working with select school districts to evaluate test-to-stay programs.

Such programs first involve testing  not quarantining  students who may have been exposed to COVID-19 at school.

If the exposed students test negative and have no symptoms, they can continue going to school in person. If they test positive, they must isolate at home.

"In Marietta, we have been tracking students who are testing positive through test-to-stay, and it's 3%," Grant Rivera, superintendent of Marietta City Schools in Georgia, told CNN this week.

"Three percent of our students who participate in test-to-stay test positive, which means we can keep 97% of them in class," Rivera said. "That is a measure of success."

Under a traditional quarantine program, the 97% of students who tested negative would still stay at home from school.

"I think for the foreseeable future, we will be out here every morning on a school day making sure that our kids have this option," Rivera said about test-to-stay.

The CDC notes on its website that test-to-stay may be a practice comprised of regular testing and contact tracing, but that's also while "maintaining other layered prevention strategies, such as universal masking, to reduce the spread of COVID-19."

This story was first published on CNN.com "Booster shots could soon be recommended for people as young as 40, source says"
(CNN)  British and international authorities are closely monitoring a subtype of the Delta variant that is causing a growing number of infections in the United Kingdom.

This descendant of the Delta variant, known as AY.4.2, accounted for an estimated 6% of cases in the week of September 27  the last week with complete sequencing data  and is "on an increasing trajectory," a report by the UK Health Security Agency said.

Little is known about AY.4.2. Some experts have suggested it could be slightly more transmissible than the original Delta variant, though that has not yet been confirmed. While it accounts for a growing number of infections, it is not yet classified in the UK as a "variant of concern." It currently remains rare beyond Britain, with a small number of cases being recorded in Denmark and the US, expert Francois Balloux told the Science Media Center (SMC) on Tuesday.

"As AY.4.2 is still at fairly low frequency, a 10% increase its transmissibility could have caused only a small number of additional cases. As such it hasn't been driving the recent increase in case numbers in the UK," Balloux, Professor of Computational Systems Biology and Director at the UCL Genetics Institute, told the SMC.

While new variants have repeatedly overtaken one another to become the dominant strain globally in the past year, experts say it is too soon to know whether AY.4.2 will become significant. In the UK, "Delta very rapidly in a matter of weeks" outpaced the Alpha variant by the summer, Deepti Gurdasani, a senior epidemiology lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, told CNN. "That's not what we're seeing here, we're seeing sort of a slow increase in proportion that suggests that it's not hugely more transmissible, it might be slightly more transmissible.

Balloux agreed, telling SMC that "this [is] not a situation comparable to the emergence of Alpha and Delta that were far more transmissible (50% or more) than any strain in circulation at the time. Here we are dealing with a potential small increase in transmissibility that would not have a comparable impact on the pandemic."

AY.4.2 has caught the attention of public health experts across the pond. In a series of tweets Sunday, former US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb called for "urgent research" into this Delta offshoot and said it was a "reminder that we need robust systems to identify, characterize new variants."

The emergence of AY.4.2 in Britain, however, points to what scientists have warned throughout the pandemic: soaring transmission can create new variants. The UK has had the highest rate of daily Covid-19 cases and deaths per million people in Western Europe since most pandemic restrictions were dropped in the summer. On Tuesday, it reported 223 Covid-19 deaths, the highest daily figure since early March, and health leaders are urging the government to reintroduce measures such as mask mandates in enclosed spaces to help ease the pressure on the health system.

The "whole problem with this approach to living with the virus and allowing between 30,000 to 50,000 cases a day  which has been the UK's case rate since [the summer]  is the [virus's] evolution will continue ... we need to suppress cases and suppress the virus," Gurdasani said.
(CNN)  Last December, as the first of several worrying COVID-19 variants ripped through the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the unwelcome decision to cancel Christmas plans for millions of Brits.

"We are sacrificing our chance to see loved ones this Christmas, so we have a better chance of protecting their lives so we can see them at future Christmases," Johnson said, taking a potentially career-defining step that he had ruled out just days earlier.

Ten months later, the UK's attitude towards Covid-19 has changed beyond recognition. Virtually all of England's restrictions were lifted in July, with the events and hospitality sectors returning to full capacity as Johnson urged Britons to "begin to learn to live with this virus."

But the Delta variant  more transmissible still than the Alpha strain which wrecked last year's festivities has not gone away.

The country has quietly endured stubbornly high cases, hospitalizations and deaths when compared to the rest of Europe. Britain has registered nearly half a million cases in the past two weeks -- and almost 50,000 on Monday -- more than France, Germany, Italy and Spain combined. The UK reported 223 deaths on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since early March.

Johnson has strayed from much of the European Union in his approach; while a number of countries on the continent have introduced vaccine passports, England halted its original plan to do so. Mask-wearing and social distancing and other measures are no longer required by law in Britain.

That contrasts with far stricter measures in several European nations, where proof of vaccination or a negative test are needed to visits bars and restaurants or work in several fields, including healthcare.

Hospitals in Britain are now close to buckling once again under the strain of new admissions. And the country's early vaccination success risks being undone by a stuttering rollout of booster shots and shots for children.

"Exceptional policies lead to exceptional outcomes," Deepti Gurdasani, an epidemiologist at Queen Mary University in London, told CNN. "It's very predictable. This is a consequence of opening everything up."

"We're approaching winter, and things are only going to get worse," she added.

Some things may yet shut back down; Johnson's spokesperson admitted on Monday that a "challenging" winter lies ahead, and the Prime Minister has refused to rule out a return of mask mandates or stronger restrictions to protect the country's National Health Service (NHS) in the coming weeks.

But experts -- including Johnson's own health care chiefs -- are clamoring for a more urgent change in approach.

The NHS Confederation, which represents providers of the service, urged the government on Wednesday to move to its "Plan B" raft of measures, which would include European-style vaccination passes and more mask mandates. But the government has ruled out that move for now, only insisting it was closely watching the case figures.

"There's a whole series of ways (in which) we're out of line with western Europe and the rest of the world," said Martin McKee, professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

"We've seen in other European countries that collective measures make a big difference," he said. "We should be asking ourselves: Are we right? (Because) there's no evidence that we are."

A stuttering vaccine rollout

The driver behind Britain's renewed optimism in the new year was its vaccination program, which outpaced most countries in its initial scale and set the narrative for what Johnson portrayed as Britain's triumphant emergence from the pandemic.

But the country is struggling to repeat those early successes as it attempts to vaccinate adolescents and roll out booster shots to elderly and at-risk people.

"England's booster rollout is failing to keep pace with the rollout of first and second vaccine doses," John Roberts, a consultant at the Covid-19 Actuaries Response group which tracks vaccination figures, warned in a statement on Monday.

More than a month after booster shots began, less than half of twice-vaccinated over-80s have received a top-up. "It's clear that accelerating the booster rollout is vital to reduce the pressure on health services and minimise Covid-related deaths this autumn and winter," he said.

The group estimated that, at current pace, the 22 million people that make up the country's higher-risk groups won't be triple-vaccinated until late January, despite initial government promises that the program would protect people for the winter.

Vaccines continue to reduce the number of Covid-19 patients who need hospital treatment, but waning immunity makes the pace of the rollout particularly important. The majority of over-40s in Britain were originally vaccinated with the partially homegrown Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, whose efficacy against the Delta variant has been shown to be lower than Pfizer and Moderna's shots.

A preprint of a study by Public Health England (PHE) found that the shot's protection against infection fell from 66.7% to 47% after 20 weeks, compared to a drop from 90% to 70% for the Pfizer vaccine. Separate PHE research found that AstraZeneca's efficacy against hospitalization from Delta slipped from just above 90% to just under 80% after 140 days, while its efficacy against death remained close to 90%. Pfizer remained above 90% in both metrics.

Many experts blame the lack of momentum in the UK's vaccination drive on months' worth of positive reassurances from Johnson's government.

"All of the government's messaging and actions suggest that we're out of danger," Gurdasani said.

"There's been a lot of messaging that the pandemic is essentially over, so a lot of people are thinking: "why bother?" added McKee.

There are concerns too at the other end of the age spectrum, as the NHS works to vaccinate over-12s and avoid a repeat of the rampant transmission in schools that disrupted much of the summer term in June and July.

That program suffered a false start amid conflicting early advice from the country's scientific bodies; whereas France, for example, began vaccinating under-18s in June, the British government only green lit the move in September.

1.2 million teenagers have now been given one dose of a vaccine and just 260,000 have seen two doses in England.

"The problem is not that adolescents don't want to take it. There are many who are desperate to get it, but are not being offered it at school yet," Gurdasani said.

Schools have complained about a lack of vaccinating staff, and England's delay in allowing adolescents to visit national vaccine centers has seen it fall behind Scotland in inoculating the age group.

"There's a loss of direction here," McKee said. "It's not clear who's in charge."

Britain's hospitals brace for a bleak winter

Britain's Covid-19 rates soar above much of Europe's, but its mitigation measures remain minimal.

"The government is totally dependent on the vaccination program, which is now going on in a very half-hearted way," McKee said. "There really needs to be an urgent review of where we are different from other countries, and an assessment: should we be different? What is the rationale?"

McKee joined many experts in calling for a package of measures that mirror the continent. Several European countries, including France and Italy, have rolled out Covid-19 passes and required vaccination for healthcare workers, while many more still employ mask mandates in crowded spaces that the UK does not.

Johnson, by contrast, has walked back initial plans to introduce similar measures. "Vaccine passes have an important role to play; the French and the Italian experience show that they do," McKee said. Cases have remained low in both countries since the measures were introduced.

Health care is devolved in the UK and vaccine passes have been announced in Wales and Scotland. Johnson is meanwhile keeping them in reserve under its "Plan B" scenario for England -- but with such high infection rates every day, many wonder why Plan A is still in effect.

"We have extremely high infection rates in children (and) they've spilled over into the elderly population," Gurdasani said. "We're approaching winter, and things are only going to get worse."

Covid fatigue amongst the public is another challenge. Mass events are underway with no vaccination requirements and little trace of the pandemic still remains on British high streets during busy periods.

Just 40% of Britons still regularly practice social distancing, compared to 62% in mid-July and 85% in April, according to the Office for National Statistics. The same recurring study has also found a gradual decline in mask-wearing.

For some, that trend is alarming. "We've had 30 to 40,000 cases every day for months now. There's no other country that's tolerating that ... (but) it's been normalized" in the UK, Gurdasani said.

The steady stream of hospitalizations has not dramatically surged in the past two months, but has not noticeably declined either; official figures show more than 700 new patients entering facilities every day.

That leaves hospitals, already struggling to work through a backlog of treatments that were delayed during the pandemic, anxiously awaiting another winter surge.

Last week, NHS England said more people were waiting for treatment than at any time since it started keeping records -- 5.7 million -- while health care staff battled the busiest September on record this year.

"There is no doubt the NHS is running hot, with the highest ever number of patients seen in A&E in September, 14-times as many covid patients in hospital compared to the same month last year and record 999 ambulance calls," Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS national medical director, said of the figures.

Which direction the winter takes is still not inevitable. "There's so many unknowns," McKee said, noting that previous anticipated spikes in infections this year have not materialized.

But experts and hospital staff fear a further strain. "It's not a place where most healthcare workers want to be," added Gurdasani. "It really scares me that we're in this place ahead of the winter."

And, as the year winds down, the nature of Britain's second pandemic Christmas remains unclear.
(CNN)  The White House unveiled its plans to roll out COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11, pending US Food and Drug Administration authorization.

The Biden administration has secured enough vaccine supply to vaccinate the 28 million children ages 5 to 11, who would become eligible for vaccination if the vaccine is authorized for that age group and will help equip more than 25,000 pediatric and primary care offices, hundreds of community health centers and rural health clinics, as well as tens of thousands of pharmacies to administer the shots, according to the White House.

"We know millions of parents have been waiting for COVID-19 vaccine for kids in this age group. And should the FDA and (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) authorize the vaccine, we will be ready to get shots in arms," White House Covid-19 response director Jeff Zients told reporters at a White House COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday.

Zients continued: "Kids have different needs than adults, and our operational planning is geared to meet those specific needs, including by offering vaccinations in settings that parents and kids are familiar with and trust."

The administration is also launching a partnership with the Children's Hospital Association "to work with over 100 children's hospital systems across the country to set up vaccination sites in November and through the end of the calendar year," the White House announced.

The administration also plans to help make vaccination available at school and other "community-based sites" with help from Federal Emergency Management Agency funding.

The Department of Health and Human Services will also carry out a national public education campaign "to reach parents and guardians with accurate and culturally responsive information about the vaccine and the risks that COVID-19 poses to children."

Vaccine advisers to the FDA are scheduled to meet next week to consider Pfizer's request to authorize its vaccine to children ages 5 to 11.

If authorized, this would be the first COVID-19 vaccine for younger children. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is currently approved for people age 16 and older and has emergency authorization for children ages 12 to 15.

Pfizer said last month that a Phase 2/3 trial showed itsvaccine was safe and generated a "robust" antibody response in children ages 5 to 11. The trial included 2,268 participants ages 5 to 11 and two doses of the vaccine administered 21 days apart. This trial used a 10-microgram dose  smaller than the 30-microgram dose that has been used for those 12 and older.

Immune responses were measured by looking at neutralizing antibody levels in their blood and comparing those levels to a control group of 16- to 25-year-olds who were given a two-dose regimen with the larger 30-microgram dose. Pfizer said the levels compared well with older people who received the larger dose, demonstrating a "strong immune response in this cohort of children one month after the second dose."

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said on NBC's "Today" on Wednesday that US health officials want to be prepared for children to be able to get vaccines as soon as they can. He said the administration has been working for the last several weeks to months to prepare for the decision from the FDA and CDC.

These preparations include ensuring there is enough supply for every child in the 5- to 11-year-old age range, making sure there are tens of thousands of locations where people can get the vaccines and making sure that parents have answers to their questions and accurate scientific information that can be used in decision making, Murthy said.

He said that ensuring that parents had the answers to their questions was "really important," and so they have been working hard with doctors, nurses, teachers, parents, and other community organizations to make sure that people can get the answers to their questions from trusted sources.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said getting kids vaccinated can help ensure the safety of their entire family during an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo on "Prime Time" Wednesday evening. Fauci recognized "parents have valid questions that need to be answered" about vaccinating their children.

"It's up to us to be very transparent with them and to give them the correct answers to the questions they ask," he continued. "I think if we do that, I hope that the vast majority of parents will realize the real benefit for the children to get vaccinated."

As of Wednesday morning, 56.7% of the total US population or about 188 million people have been fully vaccinated. At the same time, 23.2% of the eligible population or about 66 million people are not vaccinated.

An average of 240,749 people are initiating the vaccination process each day, according to the CDC. This is a 13% decrease from last week and a 28% drop from a month earlier.

The Delta variant of COVID-19, which is more transmissible and may cause more severe illness than previous strains, has ripped through parts of the country with low vaccination rates for months, though cases have decreased in recent weeks. Biden and health officials have repeatedly pleaded with unvaccinated Americans to get the shot, so they can protect themselves and those around them, but many still refuse.

Biden said last week the nation was "headed in the right direction" on COVID-19, but that the country is now in a "very critical period" as he asked the 66 million Americans to get vaccinated. He touted progress in the pandemic response and cited lower daily case numbers and declining hospitalizations.

But some places are still seeing troubling hospitalization numbers. For example, more than 96% of ICU beds in Minnesota are full, according to the state health department.

Biden has stressed the White House is leading with the science and taking the lead from medical experts with its pandemic response and national vaccination rollout. In addition to preparing for the FDA and CDC to make a decision on vaccines for younger Americans, the White House has been working on getting many eligible Americans booster COVID-19 shots.

This story was first published on CNN.com "White House details plan to roll out Covid-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11"
(CNN)  A man charged with the murder of British politician David Amess had links to the ISIS terror group and targeted the MP due to his support for air strikes on Syria, a court in London heard Thursday.

Ali Harbi Ali, 25 and from London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court for a hearing that lasted 13 minutes, the UK's PA Media news agency reported.

The court heard that Ali had started planning to kill a Member of Parliament two years ago, initially focusing on two other politicians. He reportedly visited the Houses of Parliament, the home of one MP and the constituency surgery of the other in order to carry out reconnaissance, PA added.

Amess was stabbed to death in his constituency east of London last week.

Ali traveled from his home in London to meet with Amess after saying he would be moving to the constituency, according to prosecutors.

Ali was allegedly seen on his cellphone during the meeting, before stabbing Amess in the stomach with a large knife that he took from his pocket, the court heard.

Amess died at the scene at 1.10 p.m. local time (8.10 a.m. ET) due to multiple stab wounds to the chest, according to a preliminary post-mortem report seen by PA.

Ali was also charged with the preparation of terrorist acts, Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement.

"We will submit to the court that this murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations," Price said.

"He has also been charged with the preparation of terrorist acts. This follows a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation," Price added.

Ali is due to the appear at the Old Bailey court in London on Friday.

The killing of Amess, a popular Member of Parliament in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative Party, shocked the nation and prompted calls for a review of security measures for lawmakers carrying out constituency work.

Amess, 69, died after being stabbed several times at around midday Friday at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, England. This was the second killing of a sitting British lawmaker in five years.

He entered Parliament in 1983, initially representing the Basildon constituency, and had served continuously in the House of Commons since then, making him one of the longest-serving lawmakers in the chamber.

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum spoke Friday of their sadness, concern, and anger that another of their colleagues was killed while meeting with constituents.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Alleged murderer of UK lawmaker David Amess had terrorist links, court hears."
JoAnn Martin, the former CEO of Ameritas, died Wednesday. She was 67.

Her family announced in August that she had been diagnosed with a rare degenerative neurological disease that usually progresses rapidly.

Martin, a lifelong Nebraskan who grew up on a farm near Plainview, came to Ameritas in 1984, when it was then known as Bankers Life Nebraska. She started as an audit division manager and rose through the company, serving in various key leadership roles before being elected CEO in 2009.

Martin, who graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a business degree in 1975, retired in January of last year.

Under her leadership, Ameritas saw its assets grow by 61% and its number of customers increase by 75%.

Bill Lester, who succeeded Martin as CEO and also serves as president of the insurance and financial services company, said in a news release that the "entire Ameritas family is mourning the loss of a great friend and leader today."

JoAnn was a mentor to me and to many others. She encouraged us to grow as individuals and to always lead and serve with purpose," Lester said. "She will be missed and fondly remembered by the many people whose lives she touched.

In addition to her roles at Ameritas, Martin also served in a number of other business and community roles. Among them were chairwoman of the American Council of Life Insurers, chairwoman of the University of Nebraska Foundation board of directors and board member for publicly traded companies National Research Corp. and Nelnet.

Nelnet Executive Chairman Mike Dunlap said Martin was an "invaluable member" of Nelnets board of directors. "

"With the financial acumen she honed over more than a decade as CEO at Ameritas, she helped guide Nelnet through the complications and difficulties of the pandemic," Dunlap said.

He also called her a "strong leader and a great friend."

"We feel lucky to have known her and worked alongside her."

Among the awards bestowed on Martin for her corporate and community leadership include her 2015 induction into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame, 2018 Woman of the Year honor at the Lincoln Journal Star's Inspire Awards, the Burnham Yates Citizenship Award from the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and Nebraskan of the Year by Lincoln Rotary Club No. 14.

Ava Thomas, president and publisher of the Journal Star and Omaha World-Herald, called Martin a "servant leader."

"She always put others first," Thomas said. " She once said that her proudest moments were being able to watch others being recognized for their success and described good leadership as helping others to learn and grow. She did that for me and countless others. My deepest condolences to the Martin family."

Gov. Pete Ricketts said Thursday that Martin was a pillar of the Lincoln community and trailblazer in the insurance industry.

"Her contributions to growing opportunities for Nebraskans have had a generational impact on the city. Susanne and I are keeping the Martin family in our prayers as we remember her life and legacy, he said in a release.

Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President Wendy Birdsall called Martin "an instrumental leader In Lincoln's growth and success."

"She was selfless and generous person. Joanne was a mentor to many including myself. I will dearly miss her," Birdsall said.

Martin is survived by her husband, Derrel Martin, two daughters and three granddaughters. Funeral services are pending.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Colfax County will be receiving more state funding for its youth mental health vouchers.

At the Colfax County Board of Commissioners regular meeting on Oct. 12, the board approved an amended award that includes an additional $1,071 in mental health funding.

In the mental health voucher program, which is operated through the Colfax County Attorneys Office, youths  generally children aged 12 through 18  are connected with counseling services. The county pays for the counseling services and then is reimbursed by the Nebraska Crime Commission.

Its used to help kids who dont have access to any other form of health insurance or Medicaid. It allows them to get access to mental health counseling, Colfax County Attorney Denise Kracl said.

Kracl noted local youths can be referred to the program by anyone, whether it be a parent, law enforcement officer, community member or the youths themselves. Once a child is referred, they must fill out a statistical data sheet that is sent to the state and a pre-test for the University of Nebraska-Omaha Juvenile Justice Institute.

According to Kracl, the mental health vouchers help keep children in the classroom and in the community instead of being sent to a hospital for a higher level of care or in the justice system.

If providers need to, they can do an emergency session with the children who are covered in this if that will keep the kids from needing a more intensive level of care, of needing in-patient care, of committing a crime, she said. Were instantly seeing positive results from this program.

The program was widely used last year, when Colfax County had requested $8,000 in mental health vouchers. Another $8,000 was received for the vouchers this year but the county has now received the additional funding.

We did get a little more funding from the state on that, said District 2 Commissioner Carl E. Grotelueschen.

He noted he thinks Colfax County benefits greatly from the program.

Thats a program thats totally funded by a state grant, theres no local tax monies going to that at all, Grotelueschen said. To me its a very successful program. I think its really keeping a handle on our expenditures when it comes to juvenile delinquency and the like, and keeping kids out of the law enforcement system.

But, Kracl noted with so many youths taking advantage of the mental health vouchers, funding is starting to run out.

The program is now so popular that were having trouble keeping it funded because we dont want to turn children away, Kracl said, noting that shes applied to Region V Services in Norfolk to see if theres funding available there.

State money also funds a full-time truancy officer at Schuyler Central High School, a part-time diversion officer for the county and a clerical person working 2.5 hours a week to handle data input and paperwork.

The benefits from the youth mental health vouchers, as well as the countys diversion and truancy programs, already can be seen. For the other two programs, the goal is to keep people out of prison, jail and court and in the classroom or workplace.

Diversion is offered to juveniles  depending on the charge  and is a 12-week program in which those who complete it have their citation shredded.

In Colfax Countys 2021-22 fiscal year budget, $100,000 had been removed from the boarding of prisoners because the number of people in confinement has decreased, which Kracl previously contributed to the diversion and truancy programs.

In other county news, officials are working on technology upgrades.

Also during the county boards regular meeting on Oct. 12, commissioners OKd a three-year plan with Everbridge Nixle 360, a communications solution, for widespread communications for Colfax County residents.

County Clerk Rita Mundil said the cost is $5,832 for the first year and $5,400 for years two and three. Other counties have been using the service for more than 10 years, she indicated in an email to the Schuyler Sun.

Once its set up, residents will be able to opt in to receive mass communications from the county, such as in the event of severe weather or road closures due to car accidents, Colfax County Sheriff Shawn Messerlie noted.

Its just a great thing, we can use it for so many different things, Messerlie said.

But, with the agreement having just been approved, the system is not yet available. Messerlie indicated he would announce when residents can start opting into the service.

Similarly, commissioners tabled a Lumen contract for a SIP connection, which utilizes internet for phone service, at the Colfax County Courthouse. With the new connection, emergency responders will be able to tell exactly where in the courthouse a 911 call is coming from. Currently, if someone were to call 911 within the building, the call would only show as originating from the courthouse, not a specific room.

Messerlie said the countys IT provider, EGiS Technologies, is going to discuss the contract with Lumen in more detail in case other upgrades are needed with the current phone system.

Theyre trying to get everything figured out so it all works at once, Messerlie said.

Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of the Schuyler Sun. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
To help improve Spanish speakers literacy in Schuyler, new classes are being held to help attendees learn to read and write in Spanish.

Luis Lucar, a community organizer at the Heartland Workers Center, said the first round of classes started a month ago at the Schuyler Public Library with four or five students. Its a community initiative supported by the workers center.

The classes are meant for those who already know Spanish but need extra help in reading and writing in the language.

Its one way the Heartland Workers Center tries to foster a culture of engagement and organize community leaders to create change with immigrants and underrepresented communities, Lucar noted.

Giving these individuals the basic tools any human being deserves, like learning to read and write, we help them to easily find the path of opportunities they are looking for after they made the choice to leave their hometown and families, Lucar said.

Many immigrants in Schuyler could not attend school as a child, he said. One of the students, who is from Guatemala, has a story that Lucar said breaks his heart.

Her parents were killed when she was a little girl and was sent to live with her uncles, Lucar said. They lived in extreme poverty, so sending her to school was not a realistic option. She had to work to help provide money for basic home needs. She was very happy to have this new opportunity that, no doubt, will change her life forever.

Victor Marin is one of the students taking the classes. He came to Schuyler from El Salvador because he has family members already living there.

(I) kind of know a little bit on how to read and write but (I) want to be better, to learn more, Marin said, as translated from Spanish by Lucar. (I want to learn) how to pronounce some words, how to connect some letters.

Marin is employed as a baker; he mostly bakes bread, Lucar translated.

The classes are run by volunteers.

We have four bilingual teachers from the Schuyler Community School: Nadia Morales, Odalyz Cruz, Guadalupe Ramirez and Lesli Osorio. Without them this project would not be possible, Lucar said. There are also volunteers like Reina Alarcon, Elvia Magana and Leticia Ortiz. We also need to especially thank the support of the Schuyler Public Library for providing a clean and comfortable classroom for our classes.

Lucar noted that a community benefits when its members get an education because that leads to more opportunities to succeed, receive a better income and live healthier.

We envision a community that has equal opportunities for everyone, a community more involved in their children's education; a community more engaged in the understanding of the importance of being properly politically and locally represented, Lucar said. We need more active leaders in our communities, especially in the rural areas of Nebraska.

He added that more classes are planned for the future.

The idea is to keep growing these numbers and have a bigger impact, Lucar said. We hope to increase the number of classes and students by next year.

Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of the Schuyler Sun. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Property owners urged the Carlisle Borough Council to slow down on its efforts to enact an amendment to its rental housing ordinance that would set up an inspection cycle for rental properties.

I think it would be prudent to move slowly on this. Not to put a complete break on it, but to reengage, to rediscuss these measures, to tweak some of these things so they are reasonable, fair and implementable, property owner Joseph Nunez told the council.

His comments came prior to the council vote Thursday to draft and advertise an amendment to its rental housing ordinance that establishes an inspection program. In February 2020, the borough voted to draft and advertise the ordinance for adoption at its April meeting, but those plans were put on pause when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Since the disaster emergency was lifted this summer, the borough resumed work on the ordinance so that its implementation could be considered heading into budget planning for 2022.

Changes in the ordinance since February 2020 focus on the implementation date, which is now set for Sept. 1, 2022, if the measure is adopted at the borough councils November meeting.

Nunez said additional changes had been made between the time property owners met with Borough Manager Susan Armstrong and borough staff and the time the draft ordinance was adopted initially last year. Discussions resulted in the incorporation of many reasonable and sound measures into the ordinance, he said.

Unfortunately, after the borough council met in private, the borough council deleted many of these good measures and the ordinance is not an accurate reflection of the coordination that occurred between a number of property owners and the borough manager and her staff, Nunez said.

Deputy Mayor Sean Shultz denied that the borough council met in private to make changes.

Thats entirely inaccurate. It would be a violation of (the) Sunshine (Act) and this body does not violate Sunshine, he said.

There were changes in the draft ordinance from the one discussed at the borough councils Feb. 5, 2020, workshop meeting and the one that was advertised after a Feb. 13, 2020, council meeting.

For example, the earlier draft of the ordinance included a clause that would have exempted owners of rental properties who lived in the borough from the inspection program. The clause evolved out of an exemption in an earlier version of the amendment for landlords who lived in the property being rented.

That exemption was changed in the version of the ordinance that was drafted and advertised to include property owners who lived within 25 miles of the borough line. The change also put the property owners on a five-year inspection schedule after passing an initial inspection.

Minutes from the Feb. 5 workshop meeting show that borough solicitor Keith Brenneman raised questions about the legality of allowing inspection exemptions to landlords living in the borough. In a discussion with property owners, the suggestion was made that the exemption not be eliminated as a means to address the legality of the issue, but that the exemption be expanded to a larger geographic area.

As the discussion ended, according to the minutes, Armstrong asked the council for direction, and the consensus was to make landlords and property owners exempt from inspections for five years after passing an initial inspection if they lived within a 25-mile radius of the borough.

Without that exemption, the property would be placed into a three-year cycle following an initial inspection and be placed on a five-year cycle if no violations were found in the first follow-up inspection.

Shultz said the draft ordinance under consideration is very different from what was initially proposed at the beginning of rental ordinance discussions more than two years ago. The reason its different is because of the meetings between the borough manager and property owners, he said.

At the same time, the borough knows that code issues brought to their attention come disproportionately from rental properties. To do something about that, the borough needs to have an inspection program and as many incentives as possible have been included in the current draft, Shultz said.

We cannot enter to inspect without a program like this that applies across the board. This is the tool, he said. We worked through those many months prior to the pandemic to accommodate as much as possible what the needs of the landlords were.

Nunez disagreed.

As written today, the ordinance today does not have sufficient carrots to reward compliance and does not have the support of property owners that I have been speaking with over the last month or two, Nunez said.

The changes are coming at a time when property owners are still reeling from the pandemic.

Property owners are hurting from the rent moratorium. Many have received no rent or any type of government reimbursement as of now, Nunez said.

Dana Steffy, who owns several properties in the borough, said rents have already had to be increased because of COVID-related losses, taxes and increased water rates. Shes had to cut back on the properties she offers through the Department of Housing and Urban Development because its rates no longer match what she has to charge to make money.

The more fees and hoops that have to be jumped through for landlords, the higher the rates are and youre going to get less participation with the HUD program, she said.

Shultz countered that the costs are minimal per month in that compliant property owners would be on a five-year cycle that works out to a cost of $2.08 per month per unit rented.

The endgame of this is to ensure safety in rental properties, he said. We have a vast majority of very good landlords who take very good care of the property.

Landlords agreed, but said their efforts over the years to provide high quality rental properties should be more clearly acknowledged.

Many of us care deeply for our tenants. We take care of our properties. Some of us have had zero violations over a long period of time and we think that the borough ought to take that into consideration more in the draft of this regulation, Nunez said.

Email Tammie at tgitt@cumberlink.com. Follow her on Twitter @TammieGitt.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
A Spring Grove company has offered to help Silver Spring Township get to the bottom of the mysterious booms township residents experienced last month.

Jones Geological Services is to make a presentation and answer questions at the board of supervisors meeting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 27, according to a post on the townships Facebook page.

The company is not charging the township for the service.

On Oct. 5, the township reported that a Department of Environmental Protection investigator contacted companies in the area who have blasting permits and none of them had conducted any blasting on Sept. 29. With that information, the agency determined the booming sounds had no correlation to the use of explosives.

Township staff contacted the U.S. Geological Survey in early October and that agency is very interested in these unusual noises and willing to assist in identifying the cause, the post read.

The township first reported the sounds on Oct. 1 following a boom that was heard about 9:55 a.m. on Sept. 29, but some residents heard the noises earlier with the night of Sept. 1 being an active evening for the sounds.

Residents described the sound as a boom or thudlike sensation that sounded as if someone were dragging furniture across the basement.

Email Tammie at tgitt@cumberlink.com. Follow her on Twitter @TammieGitt.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
PHILADELPHIA  Prosecutors pursuing the case against a man accused of raping a woman on a commuter train last week dont anticipate charging fellow passengers for not intervening, a spokesperson for the suburban Philadelphia district attorney said.

Its still an open investigation, but there is no expectation at this time that we will charge passengers, said Margie McAboy, spokeswoman for the Delaware County District Attorneys Office.

In an emailed statement, District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said prosecutors want witnesses to come forward, rather than fearing prosecution, and said, Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of a passenger who may have witnessed a crime.

Authorities continue to investigate the Oct. 13 attack, where a woman was repeatedly touched and groped over the course of a 40-minute ride despite trying to push away Fiston Ngoy, 35, according to an arrest affidavit that detailed the surveillance footage from the train.

Investigators say Ngoy ripped the womans pants off and raped her for six to eight minutes before officers boarded the train and detained him.

Police declined to say how many passengers may have witnessed the assault, but have said it appeared that some held their phones up in the direction of the assault seemingly to film the attack. Police have also declined to say whether investigators have found any photos or videos of the attack posted online.

Requests by the Associated Press for surveillance video from the Oct. 13 attack on the Market-Frankford line have been denied, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. It remains unclear whether passengers actually witnessed or recorded what happened on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train.

SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch said Wednesday that at points during the rape, there were passengers standing or sitting nearby, though he couldnt guess whether any understood the serious nature of the situation.

Chief (Thomas) Nestel made his best estimate that 10 people were walking through, sitting or standing near where the attack was occurring at points throughout the assault, Busch said. Our hope is that people will realize when they see this type of activity, whether they fully understand it or not, that they will push the emergency call button or call the police. There really was no way to not see it even if they didnt fully understand.

Legal experts said unrelated passengers dont have a legal duty to intervene under Pennsylvania law.

Unless they have a legal duty to intervene, like a parent for their child, a person cannot be prosecuted for sitting back and doing nothing, said Jules Epstein, a law professor and director of advocacy programs at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Doing nothing may be morally wrong, but in Pennsylvania, without that special duty relationship, it is not legally wrong, Epstein said.

Busch said the employee who called the police entered the train car after the assault had begun, but his call meant police had an opportunity to arrest Ngoy.

Without that call, the suspect might have been able to just walk off the train and we would still be looking for him, Busch said.

SEPTAs police chief, Nestel has said Philadelphia 911 did not receive any calls about the attack. He said Monday operators at Delaware County 911 were still researching whether it received calls.

Ngoy is charged with rape and related sexual assault offenses. He was being held on $180,000 bail, awaiting an initial appearance scheduled for Oct. 25. Attorney Mary Elizabeth Welch confirmed the Delaware County Public Defenders office is representing Ngoy, but said she could not comment on the case Wednesday.

Court records show Ngoy has a history of arrests and convictions under at least three names in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and suburban Southeastern Pennsylvania counties including public intoxication, defecating or urinating in public, public disturbance and other charges.

In D.C., Ngoy pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual abuse in November 2017 under the name Jack Falcon, after police said he groped two women on the street near a homeless shelter where he was staying.
The state Department of Health reported 112 cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths for Cumberland County Thursday.

The county has now reported 41 deaths in October, the highest total since 113 in January. The county reported 21 COVID-related deaths in September.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 decreased to 114 in Thursday's report, down five from Wednesday. There are 18 adults in intensive care (down five from Wednesday) and 15 on ventilators (down two from Wednesday). Nine adult ICU beds remain open of the 112 currently staffed across the county, and 34 of 95 ventilators in the county are in use.

Thursday's report included 259 test results, with 58 probable cases. Comparing just the number of negative tests (147) and confirmed positive tests (54), the county saw 26.9% of its tests come back positive.

The countys seven-day average of cases now sits at 99.57. Its 14-day per capita rate sits at 565.58.

The southcentral region reported 780 cases and 21 new deaths Thursday, with 235 cases in York County, 99 in Dauphin County and 64 in Blair County.

Franklin County reports 82 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Thursday (down two from Wednesday), with seven of 26 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 14 of 35 available ventilators in use. There are 14 adults in intensive care and 10 on ventilators.

Dauphin County reports 116 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Thursday (up two from Wednesday), with 32 of 198 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 72 of 177 available ventilators in use. There are 28 adults in intensive care and 15 on ventilators.

School-age children

In its weekly update for the seventh week of the school year, the department reported another 118 cases among children aged 5-18 in Cumberland County during the week of Oct. 5-12, a decrease of 58 from the previous week. That brings the total number of cases in Cumberland County for this school year to 1,070.

Statewide, the number of cases among 5- to 18-year-olds decreased for the third week in a row with 6,433 cases reported. The state said the total number of cases in that age group for the school year thus far is 48,617.

Early Warning Dashboard

Cumberland County saw a decrease in its in percent positivity and its incidence rate per 100,000 people in the Health Department's weekly update to its Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard Friday. Cumberland County saw its percent positivity decrease to 11.5% for the week of Oct. 8-14, down from 13.0% the previous week. The incidence rate per 100,000 people decreased to 198.1, down from 264.8 the previous week.

Philadelphia County, which includes the city of Philadelphia, holds the lowest percent positivity in the state for the week of Oct. 8-14 at 4.7% and the lowest incidence rate per 100,000 people at 93.2.

Penn State Health update (Oct. 20)

Penn State Health lists a COVID-19 dashboard on its website tracking cases at each of its acute care hospitals  Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center, Hampden Medical Center and Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center. The dashboard will be updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Wednesday's update shows 118 total cases (116 adults, 2 pediatrics) in the health system's four hospitals  27 are fully vaccinated (22.8%) with one in an ICU and no one on a ventilator, 76 are nonvaccinated (64.4%) with 26 adults in an ICU and 10 adults on a ventilator, and 15 are unknown status patients. Both children hospitalized are unvaccinated, with one in an ICU and one on a ventilator.

Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill has 27 COVID patients. Nine are fully vaccinated adults (one in ICU and no one on a ventilator) and 18 unvaccinated adults (four in an ICU and two on a ventilator).

Hampden Medical Center has 10 COVID patients. Seven are not fully vaccinated (two in an ICU) and three are fully vaccinated.

Vaccinations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention labels Cumberland County as having "high" transmission of the virus  the highest level, which is the transmission level for every county in the state. Community transmission is determined by the number of new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days and the positivity rate over the last seven days, so the classification could vary from day to day based on those numbers.

In data updated Wednesday evening, the CDC says Cumberland County has seen 61.8% of its total population of 253,370 become fully vaccinated. For the county's vaccine eligible population of people ages 12 and older, 71.3% have been fully vaccinated.

County numbers in the southcentral region (for Oct. 21):

Adams County (pop. 103,009): 42 new cases; 12,976 total cases (10,651 confirmed, 2,325 probable); 43,727 negatives; 217 deaths; 49.3% of county population vaccinated

42 new cases; 12,976 total cases (10,651 confirmed, 2,325 probable); 43,727 negatives; 217 deaths; 49.3% of county population vaccinated Bedford County (pop. 47,888): 34 new cases; 6,629 total cases (4,496 confirmed, 2,133 probable); 12,318 negatives; 166 deaths (+4); 34.2% of county population vaccinated

34 new cases; 6,629 total cases (4,496 confirmed, 2,133 probable); 12,318 negatives; 166 deaths (+4); 34.2% of county population vaccinated Blair County (pop. 121,829): 64 new cases; 16,870 total cases (13,290 confirmed, 3,580 probable); 46,673 negatives; 376 deaths (+3); 45.7% of county population vaccinated

64 new cases; 16,870 total cases (13,290 confirmed, 3,580 probable); 46,673 negatives; 376 deaths (+3); 45.7% of county population vaccinated Cumberland County (pop. 253,370): 112 new cases; 27,596 total cases (21,654 confirmed, 5,942 probable); 100,313 negatives; 608 deaths (+3); 61.8% of county population vaccinated

112 new cases; 27,596 total cases (21,654 confirmed, 5,942 probable); 100,313 negatives; 608 deaths (+3); 61.8% of county population vaccinated Dauphin County (pop. 278,299): 99 new cases; 34,137 total cases (29,315 confirmed, 4,822 probable); 126,735 negatives; 629 deaths; 57.7% of county population vaccinated

99 new cases; 34,137 total cases (29,315 confirmed, 4,822 probable); 126,735 negatives; 629 deaths; 57.7% of county population vaccinated Franklin County (pop. 155,027): 47 new cases; 21,375 total cases (17,506 confirmed, 3,869 probable); 63,861 negatives; 447 deaths (+3); 44.8% of county population vaccinated

47 new cases; 21,375 total cases (17,506 confirmed, 3,869 probable); 63,861 negatives; 447 deaths (+3); 44.8% of county population vaccinated Fulton County (pop. 14,530): 11 new cases; 2,179 total cases (1,083 confirmed, 1,096 probable); 4,927 negatives; 28 deaths; 30.4% of county population vaccinated

11 new cases; 2,179 total cases (1,083 confirmed, 1,096 probable); 4,927 negatives; 28 deaths; 30.4% of county population vaccinated Huntingdon County (pop. 45,144): 6 new cases; 6,703 total cases (5,532 confirmed, 1,171 probable); 20,056 negatives; 155 deaths (+2); 46% of county population vaccinated

6 new cases; 6,703 total cases (5,532 confirmed, 1,171 probable); 20,056 negatives; 155 deaths (+2); 46% of county population vaccinated Juniata County (pop. 24,763): 11 new cases; 2,826 total cases (2,566 confirmed, 260 probable); 6,568 negatives; 115 deaths; 39.4% of county population vaccinated

11 new cases; 2,826 total cases (2,566 confirmed, 260 probable); 6,568 negatives; 115 deaths; 39.4% of county population vaccinated Lebanon County (pop. 141,793): 62 new cases; 20,258 total cases (17,328 confirmed, 2,930 probable); 62,384 negatives; 325 deaths (+1); 50.1% of county population vaccinated

62 new cases; 20,258 total cases (17,328 confirmed, 2,930 probable); 62,384 negatives; 325 deaths (+1); 50.1% of county population vaccinated Mifflin County (pop. 46,138): 34 new cases; 7,056 total cases (6,668 confirmed, 388 probable); 17,392 negatives; 192 deaths (+1); 48.1% of county population vaccinated

34 new cases; 7,056 total cases (6,668 confirmed, 388 probable); 17,392 negatives; 192 deaths (+1); 48.1% of county population vaccinated Perry County (pop. 46,272): 23 new cases; 5,190 total cases (4,002 confirmed, 1,188 probable); 13,072 negatives; 119 deaths (+2); 46.2% of county population vaccinated

23 new cases; 5,190 total cases (4,002 confirmed, 1,188 probable); 13,072 negatives; 119 deaths (+2); 46.2% of county population vaccinated York County (pop. 449,058): 235 new cases; 60,866 total cases (49,581 confirmed; 11,285 probable); 192,168 negatives; 951 deaths (+2); 54.4% of county population vaccinated

ZIP code-level counts (updated Oct. 21):

17013: 3,338 positives, 15,434 negatives - +44 since Oct. 15

17015: 1,985 positives, 7,584 negatives - +33 since Oct. 15

17050: 3,162 positives, 15,824 negatives - +64 since Oct. 15

17055: 3,539 positives, 18,060 negatives - +60 since Oct. 15

17011: 3,268 positives, 15,130 negatives - +36 since Oct. 15

17007: 476 positives, 1,930 negatives - +7 since Oct. 15

17065: 342 positives, 1,345 negatives - +3 since Oct. 15

17324: 371 positives, 1,399 negatives - +6 since Oct. 15

17241: 889 positives, 3,402 negatives - +7 since Oct. 15

17257: 2,292 positives, 7,686 negatives - +30 since Oct. 15

17240: 216 positives, 688 negatives - +4 since Oct. 15

17025: 1,507 positives, 6,125 negatives - +25 since Oct. 15

17070: 1,406 positives, 5,822 negatives - +32 since Oct. 15

17043: 483 positives, 2,212 negatives - +8 since Oct. 15

17019: 1,647 positives, 5,974 negatives - +31 since Oct. 15

17266: 26 positives, 136 negatives - +0 since Oct. 15

School district and college case counts (updated Oct. 18)

The Sentinel's case counts for Cumberland County school districts and colleges or universities are updated Monday and Thursdays. The policy for each school districts reporting is noted in the list below.

Big Spring School District (reports active cases in past 14 days with school exposure): 21 student cases and 7 staff cases as of Oct. 15.

(reports active cases in past 14 days with school exposure): 21 student cases and 7 staff cases as of Oct. 15. Carlisle Area School District (reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): 11 new cases since Oct. 11; 141 cases this school year (started Aug. 25.)

(reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): 11 new cases since Oct. 11; 141 cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) Camp Hill School District (posts chart that includes total case count): 17 student cases and 1 staff case since Oct. 14; 54 student cases and 7 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.)

(posts chart that includes total case count): 17 student cases and 1 staff case since Oct. 14; 54 student cases and 7 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) Cumberland Valley School District (reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 11 cases since Oct. 14; 167 cases this school year (started Aug. 31.)

(reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 11 cases since Oct. 14; 167 cases this school year (started Aug. 31.) Mechanicsburg Area School District (chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 9 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Oct. 16.

(chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 9 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Oct. 16. Shippensburg Area School District (reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure on Mondays): 3 new cases since Oct. 13; 136 cases this school year (started Aug. 19.)

(reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure on Mondays): 3 new cases since Oct. 13; 136 cases this school year (started Aug. 19.) South Middleton School District (posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Fridays): 2 new cases since Oct. 12; 68 cases this school year (started Aug. 25.)

(posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Fridays): 2 new cases since Oct. 12; 68 cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) West Shore School District (reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 45 student cases and 5 staff cases as of Oct. 14.

(reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 45 student cases and 5 staff cases as of Oct. 14. Dickinson College : 2 student cases and no employee cases since Oct. 14; 29 student cases and 22 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.)

: 2 student cases and no employee cases since Oct. 14; 29 student cases and 22 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.) Messiah University : no new student cases since Oct. 14; 46 student cases and 16 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.)

: no new student cases since Oct. 14; 46 student cases and 16 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.) Shippensburg University: 10 new student cases and 2 new staff cases since Oct. 14; 144 student cases and 16 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 1.)

(Counties with a percent positivity above 5% in a week go on the Department of Health's watch list)

Pennsylvania: Percent Positivity - 9.7% last 7 days (9.6% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 195.6 (220.7 previous 7 days)

Adams County: Percent Positivity - 16.2% last 7 days (15.4% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 229.1 (262.1 previous 7 days)

Cumberland County: Percent Positivity - 11.5% last 7 days (13.0% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 198.1 (264.8 previous 7 days)

Dauphin County: Percent Positivity - 13.2% last 7 days (13.6% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 230.7 (302.9 previous 7 days)

Franklin County: Percent Positivity - 13.4% last 7 days (18.1% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 167.1 (274.1 previous 7 days)

Lebanon County: Percent Positivity - 14.2% last 7 days (14.9% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 234.8 (285.6 previous 7 days)

Perry County: Percent Positivity - 18.6% last 7 days (19.8% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 235.6 (276.6 previous 7 days)

York County:

Percent Positivity - 16.3% last 7 days (15.7% previous 7 days)

last 7 days (15.7% previous 7 days)

Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 284.2 (298.6 previous 7 days)

Email Jeff at jpratt@cumberlink.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelPratt.

Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
With the Nov. 2 election being the fourth time during this pandemic that the Cumberland County Bureau of Elections will handle thousands of mail-in ballots, the county has had time to make the process as smooth as possible.

There are, however, some unique challenges during this municipal election when it comes to mail-in ballots.

The postal delays in Carlisle will be the biggest hurdle when it comes to area residents receiving their ballots and the Bureau of Elections  located in Carlisle  getting the ballots back. Carlisle-area residents have reported receiving mail only about once a week, and though the post office has offered a way for residents to pick up mail, ABC27 reported that some are still unable to do so due to sorting issues at the postal service.

Bethany Salzarulo, director of elections and voter registration at the county, said the bureau has been able to pick up ballots, in addition to receiving ballot deliveries from the post office. She added, though, that the bulk of the ballots arent expected to come back to them until closer to the election.

We began mailing them out Oct. 6, she said. We have mailed out 18,821 ballots so far [as of Tuesday] and as of [Monday], we have received back 5,419. Historically, we do not get the majority back until the last week.

Waiting until the last minute may not be the best option for residents with the current mail delays. Mail-in and absentee ballots must be in the hands of the county election bureau by 8 p.m. Nov. 2, and postmarked mail will not be accepted, even if they were sent before election day.

Pennsylvania residents can review the status of their mail-in and absentee ballots online by visiting the Department of States ballot tracker at www.pavoterservices.pa.gov.

Similarly to the previous election and primaries, the county allows residents to both request a mail-in/absentee ballot and to drop them off at the Bureau of Elections, located at 1601 Ritner Highway, Carlisle. The building is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, and the county will offer expanded hours for hand deliveries, with the facility open from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 30.

Drop-off boxes are located within the building, but there are rules when it comes to hand delivering a mail-in ballot. According to Salzarulo, a deputy from the Sheriffs Office is on-site to confirm voters are dropping off their own ballot; residents will not be able to drop off ballots for other voters. The deputy will also check to make sure ballots are in their secrecy envelope and that the ballots are signed and dated.

Another potential hiccup with the mail-in ballots involves postage. Unlike last year when the Wolf administration waived the postage fee for those mailing in ballots, the ballots for the Nov. 2 election will require voters to pay for postage. The ballots also likely will require more than one stamp.

Given the weight of two ballots [municipal election and judge retention] in one envelope, we recommend voters add additional postage, Salzarulo said.

For those mailing ballots, the county reminds voters to put the ballot in the secrecy envelope labeled Official Election Ballot before sealing it and putting that secrecy envelope in the pre-addressed return envelope. Voters should then sign and date the return envelope in the Voters Declaration section.

Voters still have until Tuesday to request a mail-in or absentee ballot. There are already more ballots in circulation for this November election than there was in the primary, which saw 15,847 mail-in ballot requests, though both are far shy of the more than 60,000 mail-in ballot requests in the November 2020 election.

Those voting in person will find the process to be much the same as the last election, though a few polling places have changed in Cumberland County.

The county reported that the Carlisle 4-1 precinct polling place was temporarily moved from One West Penn to Carlisle Alliance Church at 237 E. North St.; Lower Allen 6 precinct was temporarily moved from Bethany Village to Christian Life Assembly, 2645 Lisburn Road, Camp Hill; and the Upper Allen 7 precinct was temporarily moved from Messiah Village to the Upper Allen municipal building at 100 Gettysburg Pike, Mechanicsburg.

The Camp Hill 5 precinct was permanently moved to the Camp Hill School District administrative building at 418 S. 24th St.

Email Naomi Creason at ncreason@cumberlink.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelCreason

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
HARRISBURG  The Democratic candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, has just over $10 million on hand in his campaign account ahead of next year's election, his campaign said.

Shapiro's campaign finances have been a hot topic of speculation by insiders, given his reputation as a formidable fundraiser, and the disclosures come three months before the Jan. 31 deadline for gubernatorial campaigns to report year-end finances to the state.

Shapiro, considered the likely Democratic nominee to succeed Gov. Tom Wolf, has raised a little over $9 million this year, his campaign said. It began the year with $2.7 million in the bank, and has spent about $1.6 million, with no debts or loans, the campaign said.

The most a gubernatorial candidate in Pennsylvania has carried into an election year was $12.5 million by Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell in 2006. The most a gubernatorial candidate carried into an election year for an open seat was Wolf's $11.8 million in 2014.

Wolf is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term.

Shapiro formally declared his candidacy last week, months after he had said that he expected to run. His record of winning two statewide elections to the attorney general's office and strong fundraising reputation has helped clear the Democratic field.

Meanwhile, the field of Republicans running for governor is double-digits deep in a campaign cycle that historically favors Republicans, with more candidates joining it and few leading party figures picking favorites.

Little detailed information is available on fundraising numbers in the Republican field, although one candidate, Dave White, who runs a plumbing and HVAC firm in Delaware County, has said he will put $2 million of his own money into the race.

Shapiro's campaign declined to identify its donors, but other political action committee reports to the state during 2021 reveal that labor unions are the source of just over $2 million.

Leading was the Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters, with a $500,000 contribution.

Operating Engineers locals gave $275,000, the national American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees kicked in $250,000 and $200,000 came from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local in Pittsburgh.

The Steamfitters' local in Pittsburgh gave $150,000 while $100,000 apiece came from SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, the Sheet Metal Workers' Philadelphia-area local and the Teamsters.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Rep. Scott Perry is one of a handful of individuals mentioned by name in a subpoena of Stephen Bannon, who is expected to be held in contempt following a session Tuesday of the U.S. House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

The committee voted Tuesday night to approve a contempt report on Bannon, an ally of former President Donald Trump, for defying the subpoena.

The House committees subpoena casts a broad net on any of Bannons correspondence or documents related to the planning and conduct of the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally that turned violent when protesters broke into the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the Electoral College proceedings.

The subpoena specifically demands any of Bannons communication about those matters with certain people, including Representative Scott Perry and/or other Members of Congress, with Perry being the only legislator called out by name.

The committees contempt report is expected to be approved by the full House on Thursday, which would then hand the matter over to federal prosecutors.

The committee consists of seven Democrats and two Republicans, with committee membership choices themselves having been a partisan battle earlier this year. All but two House Republicans voted against the committees creation.

Earlier this month, Bannons attorney sent a letter to the committee stating that Bannon was legally unable to comply with your subpoena requests given that he had been informed by Trumps attorneys that the information being sought may fall under the former presidents executive privilege.

Trump filed a suit on Monday in federal court challenging the scope of the committees investigation, with Bannons attorney writing that he could not comply with the subpoena until the matter is resolved.

The committee has rejected this argument, writing in the contempt report that there is no conceivable executive privilege claim that could bar all of the select committees requests or justify Mr. Bannons flat refusal to appear for the required deposition.

The committees chairman, Rep Bennie Thompson, said at the outset of Tuesdays meeting that Bannon will comply with our investigation or he will face the consequences, according to NPR.

Maybe hes willing to be a martyr to the disgraceful cause of whitewashing what happened on Jan. 6  of demonstrating his complete loyalty to the former president, Thompson said, according to NPRs report of the meeting. So I want other witnesses to understand something very plainly: if youre thinking of following the path Mr. Bannon has gone down, youre on notice that this is what youll face.

Perrys office had not responded to a request for comment Wednesday. It is not known what, if any, communication exists between Bannon and Perry.

Earlier this year, Perry was one of several legislators whose phone records and online activity House investigators asked telecommunications providers to preserve as part of the Jan. 6 inquiry. Perry and several others subsequently sent letters to those providers objecting to the records request and writing that we will pursue all legal remedies against the telecom companies if they comply with the request.

In the early hours of Jan. 7, after rioters had been cleared from the Capitol, Perry made the formal objection in the House to Pennsylvanias Electoral College votes, after having previously signed on to a letter and lawsuits seeking to have the election results of Pennsylvania and several other states thrown out.

A report by the Senate investigatory committee this month also pointed to Perry as being one of several legislators who Trump believed could help him promote unfounded claims of election fraud.

Correspondence with Department of Justice officials, released by the Senate committee, showed Perry had personally contacted Richard Donoghue, who was then the acting deputy attorney general, regarding the fraud theories after Trump had leaned on Donoghue and then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to endorse his claims of electoral corruption in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 attack.

Perrys 10th Congressional District covers eastern Cumberland County, including Carlisle, as well as northern York County and Dauphin County.

Email Zack at zhoopes@cumberlink.com.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Douglas said she never heard back from the city about the submission. On Sept. 22, the city put out another request soliciting full proposals that would specifically re-contextualize the statues rather than venerating them, acknowledging their link to white supremacy. The Jefferson School responded with its full proposal.

Five proposals, including the Jefferson Schools, were submitted to Boyles by the Oct. 15 deadline. The Jefferson School is the only local entity and one of two Virginia entities that submitted proposals.

The other proposals were submitted by the Ratcliffe Foundation in Russell County; the LAXART museum in Los Angeles; the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia; and a private citizen in Utopia, Texas.

The Jefferson Schools proposal is the only one that directly incorporates input and involvement in the process from descendants of enslaved laborers. Douglas said that it is key to center descendants in the process.

The reason why people can say, why cant you move on and get over it, is because they believe that the implications of enslavement have been solved as a consequence of the Civil Rights Movement, which in fact it has not, Douglas said. She noted that the Racial Integrity Act passed in 1924, the same year the Lee statue was erected.
France threw itself behind Merkel. Ahead of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron had a brief meeting with Morawiecki. He told the Polish prime minister he is concerned about the situation and also asked him to engage in a dialogue to find a solution compatible with our common principles and rules.

Morawiecki also appeared to shy back from some of the harsh language used in the European Parliament on Tuesday. We are ready for dialogue, he said. We will of course talk about how to resolve the current disputes in agreement and in dialogue.

He said the key quarrel was about EU claims for legal primacy in areas where he argued that the bloc does not have competence.

EU nations have warned for years against what they see as a backsliding of democratic principles in Poland when it comes to an independent judiciary and free media.

They said Morawiecki's conservative PIS government stacked the constitutional court with handpicked judges and then had the same court challenge the supremacy of EU law, arguing it should be subordinate to key national values in cases where they diverge.
Everyone eligible should be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel or employment.

Vaccination should be voluntary but those who don't get vaccinated should be frequently tested for COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel and employment.

Both vaccination and testing should be voluntary and not required as a condition of long-distance travel or employment.

I defer to the judgment of lawmakers as long as they base their decisions on a consensus of medical professionals.

Vote

View Results
Cyber

CISA seeks 24-hour cyber incident reporting timeline

The Biden administration favors a 24-hour timeline for cyber incident reporting for critical infrastructure operators and other key entities.

Brandon Wales, the executive director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, noted that Colonial Pipeline had notified customers "well in advance of 24 hours" that it was shutting down pipelines after the hack of its business systems in May.

"We do think that 24 hours is a good metric," Wales said during a live interview at Bloomberg's Policy Blueprint event on Tuesday.

That stance aligns the administration with a bipartisan cybersecurity bill offered by leaders of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee in July.

The Cyber Incident Notification Act of 2021, sponsored by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) requires covered entities to report breaches within 24 hours and sets up a new reporting system with classified capabilities to support the timely notification of cybersecurity incidents  especially those traceable to known state-sponsored threat groups  to CISA.

Separately, the leaders of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee introduced the Cyber Incident Reporting Act of 2021, which sets a 72-hour deadline for a broad swath of companies to report "major incidents" to CISA. That bill passed committee, and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), a lead sponsor of the bill and the panel's chairman, said at a recent markup that he hopes to pass cyber reporting and a related update to the Federal Information Security Modernization Act in the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act.

In Senate testimony last month, CISA Director Jen Easterly said it was "long past time to get cyber incident reporting legislation out there." She also said that she favored fines as way to enforce compliance with an incident reporting regime.

"I do think a compliance and enforcement mechanism is very important here," Easterly said. "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."

Industry has typically favored the longer reporting timeline. The technology trade group ITI recommends that government "allow for at least a 72-hour reporting window after an entity has verified an incident."

This article first appeared on FCW, a Defense Systems partner sight.
A Colorado man has been arrested in Benton County after an alleged robbery in which he is accused of helping himself to coffee at a Downtown Corvallis bakery and then later confronting an employee at knifepoint.

Clyde Johnson, 39, was arrested by the Corvallis Police Department on Oct. 13 and booked into Benton County Jail.

He was arraigned in Benton County Circuit Court on Thursday, Oct. 14 for charges of first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and third-degree theft. Johnson pleaded not guilty to all charges.

According to court documents, on or about Wednesday, Oct. 13, Johnson allegedly used a knife or blade during a robbery after he allegedly stole coffee valued at less than $100 from New Morning Bakery in Corvallis.

A probable cause affidavit lays out the day's events. It states that a Corvallis police officer was dispatched to the bakery at around 8:29 a.m. New Morning Bakery owner and manager Tristan James reported that Johnson entered the store several times and asked patrons for coffee. James alleged Johnson had been seen doing the same thing the day before and appeared to be disturbing customers.

According to James, per the affidavit, Johnson grabbed a cup and poured himself coffee. This is valued at approximately $1.95. He did not pay for the drink and left the store. James, who followed Johnson out of the building and down the street, confronted the suspect while trying to take his photo.

Johnson allegedly stopped and confronted James, pulled out a blade and said: If you get any closer, Ill stab you, according to the affidavit. James said he believed Johnson was going to cut him.

The affidavit says the officer found Johnson at Northwest Fourth Street and Northwest Van Buren Avenue, and Johnson admitted to being involved in the alleged confrontation. However, Johnson told the officer that it was James who was threatening him. Johnson also denied pointing the blade at James.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

Later the same day, at about 1 p.m., the police officer contacted an employee of the bakery who was present during the incident. The employee said a man with white hair paid for Johnsons original meal and coffee. However, refills are not free, and the staff was certain that Johnson did not pay for his refills.

In an email, James said this is not the first time the bakery has been a victim of this kind of crime.

We strive to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all of our customers and staff, (and) occasionally we find ourselves in harm's way when trying to maintain that environment, James wrote. Such incidents have certainly become more frequent in the last few years; however, we have always had excellent support from the Corvallis Police Department and community at large in supporting us, in keeping our space safe for patrons and employees.

During an arraignment on Oct. 14, Judge Joan Demarest set Johnsons bail at $50,000 and ordered the defendant to not have any contact with victims or possess any dangerous weapons.

Corvallis-based attorney Thomas Hill is representing Johnson, and Steven Thiel is serving as prosecutor for the state.

Johnsons next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 25.

Maddie Pfeifer covers public safety for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6091 or Madison.Pfeifer@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @maddiepfeifer_

Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Despite millions of dollars paid out by a federal deadline of Sept. 30, thousands of Oregonians continue to await emergency rental assistance as their applications slip past state and local grace periods intended to avert evictions.

The backlog remains greatest in the three Portland metro area counties, where 42.1% of completed applications have been paid through Monday Oct. 18 compared with 54.5% statewide.

Still, the Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services and 18 community action agencies paid out a total of $133 million by a Sept. 30 deadline set by the U.S. Treasury for states to commit at least 65% of their initial shares of rental assistance. Oregon's initial share was $204 million, and Oregon is in line for more money that will be reallocated from other states failing to spend their full amounts.

According to the state agency's dashboard, 20,968 of 38,474 completed applications for rent and utility assistance have been "paid and obligated" statewide as of Oct. 18  the figure includes payments approved by agencies but not yet redeemed by landlords  for a total of $165.6 million. Requests total $300.8 million.

Director Margaret Salazar said the state agency and others will need that extra federal money both for the backlog and a continuing flow of 1,000 to 2,000 new applications each week. She said more than a quarter of Oregon renters are considered "severely rent burdened," which under federal definition means they pay 50% or more of their income for rent.

"We continue to feel the weight of the unprecedented need for rental assistance," Salazar told members of the Legislature's housing committees. "Every single person who has applied is counting on us and community action agencies to process applications so they can remain safely and affordably housed."

She said no application should be older than 60 days  90 days in Multnomah County, which has a longer grace period  by mid- to late December.

Oregon ranked eighth nationally for the share of rental assistance money committed by the deadline of Sept. 30, which also is the end of the federal budget year. Except for Connecticut and Washington, D.C., the other states ahead of Oregon have far larger populations, starting with New York.

Landlords could proceed with evictions, but they probably would forego any chance of collecting any rental assistance from agencies, which pay landlords directly.

Longer grace period?

The committees' Democratic leaders, Rep. Julie Fahey of Eugene and Sen. Kayse Jama of Portland, called on Gov. Kate Brown to extend those grace periods by executive order.

"While we have sufficient resources, there shouldn't be anyone evicted for inability to pay," Fahey said near the close of the informational meeting Oct. 4.

Housing advocates told lawmakers their best estimates were that 7,700 applications for emergency rental assistance were past the 60-day grace period allowed under 2021 legislation (Senate Bill 278), and 4,210 more applications were past the 90-day period set by Multnomah County. That total could result in 12,000 potential evictions. Some estimates peg the number even higher, given the number of pending applications that are complete.

The figures do not take into account recent actions by Washington County commissioners and the Beaverton City Council to extend grace periods to 90 days, similar to Multnomah County. Washington County's extension applies only to unincorporated areas outside cities. They also exclude incomplete applications.

Becky Straus, a staff attorney for the Oregon Law Center, said 1,299 eviction cases were filed between July 1 and Sept. 30, after the end of a six-month eviction moratorium that lawmakers passed on Dec. 21. That total compares with around 200 between April 1 and June 30.

Brown issued an executive order for an evictions moratorium starting April 1, 2020. The Legislature wrote that into law in a June 2020 special session, and extended it for six more months in a Dec. 21 special session. During its 2021 session, in addition to setting a 60-day grace period for tenants who show proof they have applied for emergency rental assistance, lawmakers approve a separate bill to bar evictions for past-due rent until Feb. 28, 2022. But that applies only to past-due rents from April 2020 through June 30 of this year.

Neither bill forgives any past-due rents.

"If we fail, all of our work to protect housing stability during the COVID pandemic will have been for naught," Sybil Hebb, a staff attorney for the Oregon Law Center, said.

"Eviction, with millions of dollars available for emergency rental assistance on our watch, is preventable. A moratorium would extend stability. ... It would ensure that tenants have a roof over their heads while landlords get paid."

Unlike foreclosures, which lawmakers gave Brown the authority to extend a moratorium through Dec. 31. it is unclear whether she can extend the grace period for evictions by executive order  although she did so at the outset of the pandemic in spring 2020. It is also unclear whether lawmakers themselves would meet in another special session to take action.

The most recent special session ended Sept. 27 in partisan acrimony over congressional and legislative redistricting plans. Lawmakers will be in Salem for committee meetings Nov. 15-18 and Jan. 11-13. Their 2022 session starts Feb. 1 and is limited to 35 days.

Payments accelerate

The Housing and Community Services Department has added staff, hired an outside contractor (Public Partnerships LLC) and relied on Oregon's network of 18 community action agencies to gear up for payments they have not had to make before.

On Sept. 16, they had paid out just under $48 million. By a federal deadline of Sept. 30, however, the total topped $133 million, which Scott Cooper, president of the Community Action Partnership of Oregon, said was nothing short of a miracle.

"We have all heard the concern about the possibility of an eviction tsunami in the wings," said Cooper, who also is executive director of NeighborImpact, the community action agency for Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. "Obviously, that is the last thing a state plagued by lack of affordable housing and homeless crisis needs. That being said, there is no current surge happening; there is only a fear for what might happen."

Cooper said aside from the Portland metro area, community action agencies have been able to manage applications and even improve on the initial flow of money from state-funded rental assistance that lawmakers approved Dec. 21. The Legislature created a separate state fund of $150 million when it was unclear whether there would be federal assistance. Congress then approved some money after Christmas 2020 and more money in the pandemic recovery plan that President Joe Biden signed on March 11.

"I'm unclear as to whether a statewide solution is needed to fix what is a local problem," said Cooper, who also spent eight years as the elected chief executive (judge) for Crook County government. "I also realize that there are competing interests between landlord groups and tenants' rights groups and there are political considerations and geographic considerations. It's not my job to balance all those: It's yours."

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
Eight Colorado Business Roundtable delegates are traveling to the Middle East for a weeklong trade mission with Saudi Arabia.
More managed homeless campsites are coming to Denver as the city prepares for the upcoming winter season, the Colorado Village Collaborative announced Thursday.

A third campsite is set to open on Nov. 10 at the Denver Health campus at West 8th Avenue and Elati Street. This will add to the two existing campsites, called Safe Outdoor Spaces, currently operating at Park Hill United Methodist Church and Regis University.

In addition, the campsite at Regis University will expand its operations for the winter, pushing back its closure date from Dec. 31 to March 31. The Park Hill campsite is still scheduled to close by Dec. 31, to be replaced by an undetermined location.

The SOS initiative has delivered positive impacts of safe, sanitary and secure managed spaces that help reduce harm and increase stability in our COVID-19 response, said Britta Fisher with the Department of Housing Stability. This new option is clearly connecting individuals with much needed access to case management, services and supports that provide a bridge to stability.

The current campsites house up to 100 residents combined, providing them with heated tents, bathrooms, laundry services, internet access, food donations, dental care, food stamps, COVID-19 testing, community service opportunities and services for finding permanent housing.

The campsites are fenced off and staffed around the clock, according to Colorado Village Collaborative, which runs the sites. Camp residents are screened to keep out sex offenders and those convicted of violent crimes within the last five years.

Denver began establishing these managed homeless campsites at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when rates of homelessness increased, as did public health concerns regarding indoor shelters.

In 2021, there were approximately 5,530 homeless people living in shelters in the Denver metro area, according to an annual count. Another 1,185 people live in illegal encampments throughout the city, according to estimates from Denvers Department of Housing Stability.

The newest 12,500-square-foot campsite at Denver Health will offer shelter for up to 50 people from Nov. 10 until at least Oct. 31, 2022, the announcement said.

We are honored to partner on this project and invest in the community in a way that will directly impact the well-being of the people who live on this site, said Denver Health CEO Robin Wittenstein. To truly care for the whole person, we must address all social determinants of health.

The Denver Health site will be designed in partnership with several Native American service agencies to provide Native American-inclusive programming, Wittenstein said. This includes the Denver Indigenous Refugee Camp and Four Winds American Indian Council.

The inclusive programming will aim to serve the over 9% of unsheltered homeless residents in Denver who identify as Native American, the announcement said.

This new campsite comes as Mayor Michael Hancock and the Denver City Council have committed to increasing funding for Safe Outdoor Spaces in 2022, in addition to tiny home villages, safe parking spaces and other sheltering options.

The expansion of the campsite at Regis University will mark the first time a managed homeless campsite has stayed in place for more than six months, after the first two sites in church parking lots moved after operating from January to June 2021.

Ours is a faith that does justice and calls on us to commit ourselves to combat indifference, walk with the poor and foster dignity among all peoples, said the Rev. John Fitzgibbons, president of Regis University. We in turn have been enriched by this experience, and we are most gratified by the positive, warm and welcoming response from our neighbors and university community members.

However, the response to managed homeless campsites has not been all positive. In August, the Denver Board of Zoning Appeals narrowly rejected an effort to reverse the zoning permit for the Park Hill campsite.

Those advocating for the permit reversal argued the site would negatively influence the community, specifically raising issue with the sites policy on drugs. The Colorado Village Collaborative does not allow drugs or alcohol within the camps, but staff do not search residents or their belongings.

Previously, small groups of neighbors have held protests and pursued unsuccessful lawsuits against proposed campsites, claiming they would create a nuisance and present a danger to the community.

Cole Chandler, executive director of Colorado Village Collaborative, has fought these claims, saying the campsites reduce the neighborhood impact of illegal camps. The Denver Police Department has also reported no uptick in safety issues in areas surrounding the campsites, according to Police Chief Paul Pazen.

Many residents use the camps to transition into more stable housing, data show. On May 13, the Colorado Village Collaborative reported five people had moved into tiny homes, two into permanent homes, five were on housing vouchers that can be spent on rented housing and 12 had gotten jobs or were looking for jobs.

The campsites have also provided 180 case management appointments to help residents address past legal issues that prevent them from obtaining housing and employment, according to Colorado Village Collaborative.

Colorado Village Collaborative and Denver Health will co-host an online community meeting on Nov. 3 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. regarding the new campsite. For information, visit coloradovillagecollaborative.org/safe-outdoor-space.
Mexican telecommunications company America Movil announced that it was "ready" to launch a 5G market in Mexico.

Were doing everything to be ready for 5G. We still dont know exactly when were going to launch 5G, but were ready to launch it, CEO Daniel Hajj said.

He told investors on the companys Q3 earnings call that the planned launches depend on the assignment of spectrum for the new technology in the different markets where the group operates.

"We have two competitors, we do everything possible to be ready for 5G, so we still do not know exactly when we are going to launch 5G, but we are ready to also launch 5G in Mexico," he stated.

A report in BN Americas cited the executive as saying Mexico as an example of a market where the company has made the necessary preparations to offer 5G.

Meanwhile, according to a Reuters report, it was also mentioned that it expects to complete the sale of Tracfone, a US prepaid mobile phone subsidiary before the end of the year.

In September of last year, America Movil, the head of magnate Carlos Slim's business empire, reached an agreement with Verizon for the sale of his business for 6.25 billion U.S. dollars.

"We believe we can close the Tracfone transaction before the end of the year," said Daniel Hajj said.

America Movil, controlled by the family of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, said a global chip shortage that hit automakers and tech companies had contributed to a lack of mid-to lower-price point mobile handsets for Tracfone.
Multilateral development finance institution the African Development Bank has signed a grant agreement for $500,000 with Yello Digital Financial Services (YDFS), a fintech subsidiary of operator MTN Nigeria. The grant will be used for a study into economic, religious, and social factors hampering access to finance for women in northern Nigeria.

The research, which includes a feasibility study, along with women-focused design and testing, will focus on both agents and customers. Its aim is to provide insights into womens use of mobile money services.

It will be funded through the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI). ADFI works to address the systemic barriers to the growth and uptake of digital financial services by making strategic and catalytic investments in the ecosystem throughout Africa.

Despite being part of the population of the continents largest economy, 55 percent of rural Nigerians still lack access to financial services. The rate of mobile money adoption currently stands at four percent.

More pertinently perhaps, given the terms of the planned research, political instability and conservative cultural norms in parts of Northern Nigeria are thought to present barriers to womens access to finance. Additionally, 80 percent of agents in the region are men.

Inclusion for women, especially in digital services, is an ongoing issue in Africa and many other regions. Back in September 2020 we reported on a study suggesting that having access to mobile phones empowers women in less developed countries. Earlier, in 2019, an ITU report revealed that over half the total global female population was still not using the internet.
Analysts from direct carrier billing (DCB) protection firm Evina, and DCB implementation specialists Telecoming, have developed the first Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) Index. This aims to provide an overview of the current state of the DCB business and its potential.

Bahrain, Egypt, and Qatar lead the list according to the results of the first DCB Index created to measure the development of this market in MEA.

"DCB Index rating aims to provide market players with a comprehensive overview of the current state of the DCB business and its overall potential. The tool 4 KPIs focused on Fraud Protection, Mobile Payments Innovation, DCB Penetration levels, and DCB Growth Potential," said a press release from the developer of cybersecurity platform.

As a result, the DCB Index establishes a ranking based on the score achieved by each country. It is presented on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 as the lowest indicator and 5 being the most advanced pointer.

According to the analysis, Bahrain (3.7) stands out for its extensive DCB protection against fraud. The country shows full support for DCB, seeing that all local mobile operators have implemented this payment technology, yet innovation remains a weak point to develop.

Local mobile operators and merchants are working together to promote DCB as an effective payment method in Egypt (3.3). Its a true breeding ground for the development of DCB, and efforts must continue to strengthen DCB protection to realize its full potential. Forward-thinking MNOs have enabled in-app purchases in Qatar (3.2). Its overall innovative approach to mobile payments, such as paying employees via mobile money, demonstrates the countrys predisposition to implement new uses of DCB.

According to the index, mobile payment partnerships centered around DCB are growing in Kenya, while Morocco shows ample room for growth in DCB Innovation, said the release.

South Africa has a high DCB uptake but has had to deal with fraudulent mobile payment attempts. Hence, increased protection is vital for the sustainable development of DCB as an easy and reliable payment method in the region.

David Lotfi, Founder & CEO of Evina, stated, the DCB Index indicates that fraud on DCB remains as a top barrier to countries maximizing the potential of direct carrier billing. Lotfi added, these findings strongly suggest that anti-fraud measures need to be more extensively and consistently implemented so that DCB becomes not only a widely used effortless payment method but a source of greater revenue for mobile players.
Stakeout of EU Members on DPRK

Statement

Ireland, Estonia and France are deeply concerned by the reported test of a submarine launched ballistic missile by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea on October 18th. We firmly condemn this provocative action which constitutes a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.

We welcome todays discussion at the Security Council, and the Councils continued attention to the DPRKs ongoing nuclear and missile activities, and other WMD programmes, which represent a serious threat to regional and international peace and security.

Mondays launch forms part of a pattern of provocations by the DPRK. In recent weeks, it has conducted a series of launches, including of short-range ballistic missiles, long-range cruise missiles, and what it has claimed to be a hypersonic glider. This new SLBM launch underlines the continued enhancement of the nuclear and ballistic program of the DPRK, which stated its ambition to ultimately acquire sea-based nuclear capabilities. The panel of experts working on the DPRK has continuously highlighted these efforts.

We urge the DPRK to comply fully with its obligations under Security Council Resolutions. The DPRK must immediately end its destabilising actions, and take concrete steps to abandon its ballistic missile, other WMD, and nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

These launches clearly demonstrate the need for the full and effective implementation of UN sanctions, as well as the urgent need to address sanctions evasion by the DPRK. We call on the international community to comply with the obligation to strictly enforce these sanctions, including by reporting on their implementation in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the Council.

We continue to urge the DPRK to engage meaningfully with the US and Republic of Koreas repeated offers of dialogue, towards achieving lasting peace, security and stability on the Korean Peninsula, as well as in the wider region.

There is no other way to achieve peace, security and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

 Previous Item | Next Item 
Statement by Minister Brophy at Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security

Statement

Thank you, Madam President.

I am delighted to join you here today for this open debate, under the Kenyan Presidency, on Women, Peace and Security.

Given the agreement between Ireland, Mexico and Kenya to form a trio of WPS Presidencies, I am especially pleased to be giving expression to our shared commitment to advancing this agenda.

My thanks also to the Secretary-General for his powerful remarks, and to the briefers, Executive Director Bahous [Baa-hoos], and Special Envoy Diop [Dee-op], and Ms. Umenza, whose grassroots perspective were particularly enlightening.

Irelands statement this morning will focus on three key things we need to do to close the persistent gap between rhetoric and reality on WPS.

Put simply, we need to:

Empower the right people

Raise up the right voices, and

Spend money on the right things

First, empowering the right people.

To fulfil the Security Councils mandate to maintain international peace and security, we must recognise a fundamental principle: that those who make war cannot and should not have a monopoly on the terms of peace.

Peacebuilding efforts that take account only or chiefly of the needs and wants of the parties to a conflict are doomed to fail.

For peace to work, and, importantly, to be sustained, it must be inclusive. We know that only too well from the experience on our own island.

That means peace processes with women at the table, participating fully and equally.

There is no substitute for the direct participation of women in peace talks.

That is why we welcome the emphasis Kenya has placed today on empowering local women peacebuilders, and particularly the role that peacekeeping operations can play in supporting womens participation.

This is all the more acute in the context of transitions.

We thank all Council Members for their joint work on the recent Irish-led resolution on peacekeeping transitions.

This resolution importantly underlines the engagement by peace operations and national governments with local communities, civil society, and especially with women. It is key to managing the inevitable obstacles and setbacks on the long road to peace.

Peacekeeping needs to be gender-responsive. Increasing the numbers of women peacekeepers is an important part of that, but it is also about deeper cultural change in our militaries.

We are actually grappling with this challenge in Ireland, including through the establishment of an Independent Review, and I thank the Women of Honour group and serving personnel who have spoken out on that need for change.

Madam President, we need only look to Afghanistan to understand what happens when women are excluded from politics and public life.

The rights of women and girls should never be the last item on the agenda, something to return to when everything else is agreed.

This Council must stand with Afghan women and girls to ensure their erasure from public life can never be normalised.

This brings me, Madam President, to my second point, on raising up the right voices.

It is critical that this Council listens to, and heeds, women leaders, human rights defenders, and civil society.

We need to hear the unvarnished truth if we are to make good decisions grounded in evidence.

We also need to hear a diversity of perspectives, such as that of Ms. Umenza who spoke so honestly here today.

Ireland placed women civil society briefers at the heart of our presidency last month.

In that context, we understood starkly the grave risks faced by women peacebuilders who raise up their voices, and in particular the risks faced by civil society briefers who speak to us around this table.

Women peacebuilders must be able to participate safely: it is incumbent upon us as Council members to ensure that.

We cannot allow women to be silenced by the risk of reprisals against them or their loved ones.

And while it is very welcome that virtual working methods can facilitate the participation of grassroots women at the Council, we also need to see civil society physically back in this building and sitting around this horseshoe.

Chair, there sure are some important people missing from this room today. There is a delegation of women from Afghanistan visiting New York today. This debate is for them. It is the reality they are living. They should be here at the table.

My last point is about spending money on the right things.

I want to commend the Secretary-General for his report which spotlights some uncomfortable realities on the choices governments make between military and social spending, prioritising, as the report puts it, warfare over welfare.

But it is shocking that, even at the height of a global pandemic, military spending in much of the world was greater than pandemic-related health spending.

The evidence clearly shows a strong correlation between militarisation and gender inequality.

The world would be a different and much better place if welfare was privileged over warfare, especially by investing in the welfare of women and girls.

Doing so lifts whole communities out of poverty and marginalisation, and builds resilient, inclusive, peaceful societies.

To this end, Ireland recently made a five-year pledge of $1.5 million to the Womens Peace and Humanitarian Fund to directly support grassroots women peacebuilders and women-led organisations.

We are also a longstanding contributor to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, which leads the way by allocating 40% of its investments to supporting gender equality and womens empowerment.

Madam President, you have called on us to pronounce our political commitment to a greater investment in WPS and women peacebuilders.

Ireland is fully committed to advancing WPS in our work here at the Council and in co-chairing the Informal Expert Group on WPS, as a board member of the WPS Humanitarian Action Compact, and in our development cooperation expenditure.

We are also committed to advancing WPS within our own country, because this is not only a foreign policy concern confined to countries on this Councils agenda.

The WPS Agenda must not be allowed to falter.

As we seek to create an equal and more peaceful world, we must commit to empowering the right people, raising up the right voices, and spending money on the right things.

Thank you.

 Previous Item | Next Item 
Statement by Minister Brophy at the UNSC Debate on the Great Lakes Region

Statement

Thank you Madam President.

I would like to thank Kenya for hosting this important debate.

Thank you to our briefers Special Envoy Xia, Ambassador Caholo, and Assistant Secretary General Pobee.

I would also like to recognise our colleagues from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

I am very pleased that the Council will adopt a Presidential Statement on this important issue today.

It is only by addressing the root causes of conflict and drivers of instability that it is truly possible to build sustainable and lasting peace.

I wish to make three points in our debate today.

First, regional cooperation is essential in addressing the root causes of conflict and drivers of instability in the Great Lakes Region.

Ireland recognises the progress achieved by countries of the region in improving and enhancing regional cooperation across political, security, and economic sectors.

Sustainable peace can only be achieved through close cooperation with regional and sub-regional organisations and international partners.

The Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework remains crucial.

This provides the foundation for building a shared vision of regional peace, security and socio-economic development.

Ireland looks forward to the 10th high-level meeting of the PSC Regional Oversight Mechanism taking place by year-end.

We hope this meeting will maintain momentum and help translate recent progress into shared prosperity for the people of the Great Lakes region.

The establishment of the Contact Coordination Group, between key stakeholders in eastern DRC and the region, to focus on the use of non-military measures to address conflict and instability, is an important and very welcome development.

The UN will continue to play an important role in supporting the region, and Ireland welcomes the Action Plan to accompany the UN Strategy for Peace Consolidation, Conflict Prevention, and Conflict Resolution.

Implementation will require the continued concerted efforts of national, regional and international partners.

Secondly, the illegal exploitation and trade of minerals and natural resources is a significant driver of conflict in Africa, and the Great Lakes Region in particular, where competition for control of resource-rich areas fuels hostilities and violence.

These activities have a multiplier effect on other drivers of instability.

Climate change, population displacement, extreme poverty, hunger, socioeconomic inequality, and the lack of opportunities for young people exacerbate the challenges right across the region.

Ireland supports national, regional and international efforts to ensure that lawful, transparent and effective controls are available to support the management of natural resources and prevent their illegal exploitation.

Good governance is essential to ensure the regions abundant natural resources become the basis of inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development.

The UN Secretary Generals Report notes progress in this regard, and we commend ongoing efforts by countries of the Great Lakes, regional organisations and partners to develop a holistic approach to natural resource management.

We look forward to seeing progress in implementing the recommendations from the recent high-level workshop in Khartoum, aimed at curbing illicit exploitation and trade in natural resources.

Ireland will continue to play its part through ongoing participation in and advocacy for the Kimberley Process Certification scheme, and implementation of the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation.

Through our membership of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development, Ireland will continue to engage with partners to share best practice, and work together to limit the negative impacts of mining and ensure that it contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Turning now to my third point.

The development of long-lasting and sustainable solutions requires the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law, coupled with a coherent, coordinated response to the humanitarian crises facing the region.

With 15 million displaced people and rising levels of food-insecurity and acute malnutrition - particularly in the DRC, where the cycle of conflict and hunger, has been compounded by drivers of instability such as climate change - the region is contending with one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world.

Action to address this crisis and protect the most vulnerable requires a collective response, and we urge all parties to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance.

All parties must adhere to international humanitarian law and human rights law.

For too long, women and youth have borne the worst of the hardships resulting from conflict and insecurity.

For Ireland, it is clear that the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in national, regional, and international efforts is essential for developing sustainable solutions to the root causes of conflict and the drivers of instability.

These solutions include effective natural resource management and DDR processes across the region.

Advancing gender equality, and ensuring meaningful youth engagement, drives transformation and accelerates progress on peace, security and development.

Madam President, Council members, the root causes of conflict and drivers of instability are shared challenges requiring shared solutions.

These need to be delivered through the active role of the nations of the region. These efforts must be supported at the regional level through strengthened collaboration between neighbours and regional organisations.

Clearly, at the international level, we have a shared interest in the development of a peaceful and prosperous Great Lakes Region that serves the needs of its people.

To address these issues, we must renew our support for the implementation of the PSC Framework, and regional initiatives to enhance coordination and cooperation.

We must ensure that effective governance and controls are in place to enable the lawful and transparent management of natural resources.

We must work collectively to respond to urgent humanitarian needs.

And we must uphold our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law. At the same time, we must also keep the WPS and YPS agendas to the fore in our efforts to develop and implement long-lasting and sustainable solutions for the region.

Thank you.

 Previous Item | Next Item 
NEW YORK  A new rocket designed to launch humans to the moon, Mars and beyond will launch next year from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On board, will be a familiar fuzzy figure  Snoopy.
A former Elba principal was indicted for leaving the scene of an accident with injury.

Court records show that that 38-year-old Debra Johnson Strickland, of Samson, pleaded not guilty to the charge days after a grand jury determined there was enough evidence to bring the case to trial.

Strickland was arrested following a June 5 hit-and-run wreck that injured four people in Coffee County.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said the Nissan Maxima Strickland was driving was traveling north on Alabama 87 when it crossed the centerline into the southbound lane. A Subaru Outback swerved into the northbound lane to avoid colliding with the Maxima. Strickland then swerved back into the northbound lane and struck the Subaru.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Strickland allegedly fled the crash scene on foot before being apprehended approximately one mile from the crash scene.

She was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injury, first-degree assault, and two counts of third-degree escape following her capture.

According to warrants, one victim suffered a brain bleed and fractured spine and ribs, while another suffered from a broken arm and hip injuries. Two others walked away with bruises.
The first option for the ordinance, which the planning department recommended, prohibited STCRs in residential districts, but allowed them in multi-family districts and the downtown business district. On the other hand, the second option allows STCRs within residential districts, but only with special exception approval from the citys seven-member Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).

The planning commission moved forward with the second option, but only after hearing from speakers representing various sides of the controversial issue.

Cameron Toma, a woman who identified herself as the owner of several residential houses used specifically for Airbnb rentals, said the first option would make her business unviable while the second option could also be prohibitive because of the need to get an exemption from the BZA.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Advertising in this fashion, in my opinion, would increase chance for vandalism and unnecessarily create conflicts between residents in, what would seem, arbitrary decision-making, Toma said while addressing the commission.

She also took issue with the regulations requiring liability insurance worth up to $1 million and the stipulation that owners could not house more than four unrelated persons in the same dwelling.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Bail was denied Wednesday for a former Silicon Valley mother accused of hosting alcohol-fueled parties for her teenage son and his friends where she encouraged them to drink and have sex with intoxicated underage girls.

Shannon Marie O'Connor, 47, appeared for arraignment in a Santa Clara courtroom where a judge also issued 15 protective orders for people authorities say were victims, including one of her two teenage sons, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Defense attorney Sam Polverino argued that the prosecutions successful request to deny bail for his client denied her rights and was inconsistent with due process, the Mercury News said. She's scheduled to enter a plea Dec. 17.

Prosecutors allege that from June 2020 to this May, O'Connor held at least a half-dozen large parties and some smaller events in the Silicon Valley where she was then living. During the events, authorities said, she encouraged the mainly 14- and 15-year-old guests to drink and engage in sex acts.
He added: The voters would never know whose money was pouring into our elections.

Defense attorney Joseph Bondy called the allegations against Parnas absurd. The lawyer said his client was a legitimate businessperson trying to use loans from Muraviev to launch an energy company that would be involved in exporting natural gas to Europe.

There was no effort to hide anything, whatsoever, Bondy said. He told jurors his client doesn't want your sympathy. He wants a verdict based on the facts and the law.

As Bondy finished his closing, Parnas became emotional while looking toward the jury, nodding his head repeatedly as Bondy described how his client grew up in Brooklyn, saying: He's a part of us. He's a part of our community. After the jury left the room, Parnas hugged his attorney.

Kukushkin's lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, told jurors that his client was not guilty and had no criminal intent whatsoever.

Lefcourt said there was not just reasonable doubt in the case, but there was overwhelming doubt.

His client, he said, was focused on developing a legal marijuana business and had no interest in spending any of Muraviev's money on anything political.
OPELIKA  A former Alabama House speaker imprisoned for felony ethics convictions really is sorry for what he did and is not a danger to society, defense lawyers said in urging a judge to disregard prosecutors objections to an early release.

Attorneys for one-time Republican leader Mike Hubbard told a court in legal arguments filed Wednesday that the state attorney generals office was wrong to discount a letter Hubbard wrote last month apologizing for his actions and asking a judge for leniency.

Prosecutors veiled portrayal of (Hubbards) apology as crocodile tears or anything other than completely honest is conclusory, speculative, and simply erroneous, the defense told Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker. While the state compared Hubbard to an arsonist seeking forgiveness after a fire, they said, an arsonist is a danger to society and the 59-year-old Hubbard is not, they argued.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Hubbard has served more than a year of a 28-month prison sentence after losing appeals that challenged his 2016 conviction for violating the state ethics law, including using his public office for personal financial gain. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging the Speakers office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses.
Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in Vietnam's Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft May 21, 2015. Photo by U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters

Vietnam has reiterated its appeal that all related parties comply with international law on South China Sea issues as a U.S. committee passes a sanctions bill targeting Chinese aggression.

"Vietnam's consistent stance is that countries need to abide by international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to respect littoral nations' sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press meet Thursday.

She was responding to a request for a comment on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations passing a bipartisan bill imposing sanctions on China for its aggressive activities in the South China and East China Seas.

In Vietnam, the South China Sea is called the East Sea.

The bill imposes sanctions against Chinese individuals and entities that participate in Beijings attempts to "aggressively assert its expansive maritime and territorial claims" in the two seas.

Senator Marco Rubio, an original co-sponsor of the legislation, said the committee passing the bill was an important first step, which could be an additional tool for the U.S. to confront Beijing, as it continued its efforts to "unlawfully assert control over maritime territory" in the South and East China Seas. He urged the full Senate to swiftly pass the legislation.

If the Congress passes the bill, President Joe Biden will sign it into law.

In 2020, the U.S. penalized 24 Chinese companies, citing their role in "helping the Chinese military construct artificial islands in the South China Sea, which was internationally condemned."

The list included the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), China Shipbuilding Group, and the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation.

China has drawn widespread flak for unilaterally outlining its infamous "nine-dash line", illegally claiming historical jurisdiction over almost the entire South China Sea, violating UNCLOS regulations and ignoring objections of the international community.

China has also illegally built seven illegal artificial islands in Vietnams Spratly Islands and dramatically militarized them into outposts. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands, rejected China's "nine-dash line" claim.
A Covid-19 vaccine shot is given to a woman in HCMC, June 19, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa

The National Assembly Committee for Financial and Budgetary Affairs says the funds needed for Vietnam to vaccinate its entire population against Covid-19 have been "basically guaranteed."

The committee said in a report that apart from VND18.1 trillion ($795 million) from the state budget, the Covid-19 vaccine fund has raised VND8.693 trillion, which means Vietnam now has around VND26.8 trillion, sufficient for purchasing vaccines needed to inoculate 75 million of its 96 million population.

The vaccine fund was set up in May to raise contributions from various sources, including private companies and citizens, to ease the state budgets burden.

By the end of September, Vietnam had spent VND15.534 trillion buying vaccines  VND7.96 trillion from the vaccine fund and the rest from the state budget, the committee said.

The nation now has VND11.27 trillion left  VND10.53 trillion from the state budget and VND733 billion from the vaccine fund  that can be used to purchase more vaccine doses.

Vietnam aims to procure 150 million doses of vaccines at an estimated cost of VND25.2 trillion to cover 70 percent of its population this year, the Health Ministry had announced earlier.

In a report sent to the National Assembly, the government said that by mid-October, Vietnam had secured deals for 191.5 million Covid-19 vaccine doses as aid and via commercial contracts.

The nation had received 92.5 million doses so far.

As of Wednesday, over 49 million people had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot and 19.5 million people had been fully vaccinated.
Experts have cautioned that with transmission sources still spreading in the community and vaccine coverage remaining low, the risk of more outbreaks remains high.

With the Covid-19 outbreak deemed under control in industrial hubs of Ho Chi Minh City and its neighbors of Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An, all hard hit localities by the latest wave, the government early this month assessed the pandemic situation as basically under control nationwide.

Accordingly it also issued regulations on safely coexisting with Covid-19.

However, in recent days, new clusters have been recorded in many parts of the country.

Soc Trang Province in the Mekong Delta has recorded an average of 200 cases per day while the deltas Ca Mau Province has reported more than 700 cases since Oct. 1.

Most of the cases are linked to people returning from HCMC and its neighboring localities after social distancing measures were eased early October, allowing migrant workers to flock back to their hometowns.

Other delta provinces and northern localities including Hanoi, Bac Giang and Vinh Phuc have also reported infections being detected among returnees.

Meanwhile, other localities have reported new clusters with no clear source of transmissions, including the northern provinces of Nam Dinh and Phu Tho.

A man is tested for the new coronavirus on his way home in the Mekong Delta from HCMC, October 1, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Nguyen Huy Nga, a former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine, said as it has been decided that the entire nation is now reopened, relaxes social distancing rule, and coexists with the pandemic, "the detection of new cases in the community is inevitable.

"We'll find new cases whenever we carry out mass community testing," he said.

The source of transmission is still spreading silently in the community and more than 80 percent of new cases are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, resulting in their accidentally infecting others.

"The most important thing right now is to focus on cases that could turn severe, critical cases and on reducing mortalities," said Nga.

He said localities should keep their guard up as many of them now have a low vaccination rate.

For example, apart from Can Tho City with a rate of 11.6 percent, all remaining 12 localities in the Mekong Delta have a vaccination rate of less than 10 percent. The vaccination rate is less than 10 percent in many other localities in the north and central regions as well.

Tran Dac Phu, a senior advisor with the Public Health Emergency Operations Center, said people who are fully vaccinated can still get infected and transmit the virus to others, which means localities receiving returnees from Covid-19 hit areas should stay alert.

Between Oct. 1 and 9, 43 localities across the nation have received 180,000 people returning from HCMC and its neighboring localities, and so far, more than 1,000 have been confirmed with Covid-19, according to the Ministry of Health.

Nguyen Viet Hung, deputy head of the Hanoi Association for Infection Control, said the healthcare sector in each locality needs to focus on health monitoring, including monitoring people with symptoms similar to those of Covid-19, as also those coming from infected areas so that infections are detected early and the virus prevented from spreading further.

Do Van Dung, lecturer with the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, said areas that are now classified as low-risk but have a low vaccination rate continue to face the risk of outbreaks.

The biggest lesson that could be learned from the latest wave is to give vaccine priority to the elderly and develop a treatment system whereby all high-risk patients are hospitalized and taken care of, he said.

With people returning home from high-risk areas, many localities have decided to have all returnees isolated at centralized facilities and tested.

However, experts have advised that they avoid having too many people in one room to avoid the threat of cross infections. They have also said that in case their quarantine capacity is limited, local authorities should have returnees isolated at home and ensure they are strictly monitored.
Delivering on the universal right to education, especially girls education, is one of the best returns on investment, said U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power in a recent speech:

One recent study indicates that for every dollar invested into girls rights and education, developing countries could see a return of $2 dollars and 80 cents. One additional year of schooling can increase a womans earnings by ten to twenty percent.

Moreover, each additional year of schooling reduces an adolescent boys risk of becoming involved in conflict by twenty percent. One study estimates that over half of the reduction in child mortality worldwide since 1970 is linked to increased education among women of reproductive age.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated education systems around the globe, noted Administrator Power. In response, USAID has adapted educational programming in more than 50 countries to reach more than 24 million students whose studies have been disrupted by COVID-19.

Nevertheless, many girls, refugees, and internally displaced people are still not able to gain access to schooling. Thats why USAID has announced a new pledge of $37 million dollars in funding to Education Cannot Wait, including a $14 million dollar contribution from the State Departments Population, Refugees, and Migration Bureau.

Education Cannot Wait is an educational lifeline increasing access to education in conflict areas like Central and Northern Mali, where schools were shuttered even before the pandemic, through the distribution of solar-powered radios so students can learn outside the classroom.

Through war-torn regions and protracted crises in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Ethiopia, Education Cannot Wait is enabling millions of marginalized children and adolescents to continue their studies.

The United States has proudly supported Education Cannot Wait since its very inception in 2016, said Administrator Power:

We look forward to continued cooperation to increase access to education, improve learning outcomes, and reach the most marginalized students, especially girls, refugees, internally displaced communities, gender and sexual minorities, and children with disabilities.

When access to quality education is equal, the results are clear: greater economic growth, improved health outcomes, stronger democracies, more peaceful and resilient societies, and healthier and more successful children. Lets make sure, said Administrator Power, the world doesnt miss out on a generation of talent and potential.
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

Following the recent People's Liberation Army Air Force operations over Taiwan, the United States called on the Peoples Republic of China to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan.
EdTech advancement in the preschool industry has brought a revolution with `activity boxes' that are invigorating and engaging as well as are best fitted for children aged between 2 to 8

The Indian preschool market catering to children between 2 and 6 years is subjected to grow at a CAGR of about 12% during and post COVID times. Being one of the few industries to have gained a positive outcome during a global crisis, the preschool market has seen a surge in demand due to many reasons.Over the years, parents have become aware of the importance of early education and personal development. This is also because the first six years of a child's life is crucial for developing sensory, motor, cognitive, and social skills. Even the increasing personal disposable income and marginal propensity to consume among Indian parents have given them an edge to increase expenditure towards their education. Moreover, with both parents being working professionals fiddling between personal and professional life, they rely on the education system to ensure their child's growth is not hampered. Another reason for its wider acceptance in the recent past is that preschool training affects a kid's future and their family's future as well. Thus, this makes preschools a vital piece of a youngster's schooling.As indicated by market analysis, the impact of different EdTech organizations and global preschools in India has prompted a significant change in the instructive educational plan. These establishments follow a Westernized framework increasing the demand for a mixed learning environment. The extent of preschool education is huge enough as it is viewed as one of the recession-proof enterprises.EdTech advancement in the preschool industry has brought a revolution with `activity boxes' that are invigorating and engaging as well as are best fitted for children aged between 2 to 8. These exercises kits help children spend their formative years in a controlled yet interactive environment and satisfy their requirement for information across multiple zones. They can address a heap of early development issues as well as are safe, age-specific, play-based, instructive and fun. What they likewise do is something that most parents find difficult to  assist their young ones in overcoming the challenges of growing, centre around the major developmental aspects and help them breeze through their young age.While this seems to be a new approach, there's more that can be expected in the next couple of years - especially with the onslaught of the pandemic.At the point when industry leaders are concerned about the future of education, innovation has made it easier to create learning possibilities at the touch of our finger. Today, children can watch a lion in natural surroundings with artificial intelligence, as opposed to reading about it in a textbook. They can interact with letters and words by moving them around the screen and hear how phonetics work.However, preschool education cannot entirely be "Digital". While school-going children are trying to adapt to online education, it is neither recommended nor viable for children below 6 years to have the learning delivered completely online. Being the most important stage where maximum brain development occurs, too much screen time can be detrimental to a child's overall well-being. Furthermore, it is not in a 2-year-old's or 4-year-old's nature to sit idle in front of a screen. Preschool children need to explore, use their senses, and engage with different materials to gain skills for the future. But with preschools closed, and child safety of topmost priority, what can preschool children turn to?This is where "Phygital" education comes into play. `Phygital' which blends both online and hands-on sensorial learning, works the best with regards to upgrading the education industry. Phygital schooling ensures that children receive at-home learning that is viable, convenient and suitable for their development. Especially during the pandemic, "Phygital" is the way forward!The preschool industry is getting more flexible and responsive to the different needs of children and their parents. As personal disposable income and marginal propensity to consume among Indian parents increases, along with equal participation of both parents in the workforce, there has been a surge in demand for flexibility in the childcare sector. Today parents work certain days a week or work from home until late into the night or are on shift duties that require extended hours, thus, needing an early learning program that suits their lifestyle and requirements in the best possible manner.A year has passed and there are no indications of the pandemic dying down at any point soon. Be it at home, in a classroom, in front of a screen or from an activity box, it has become a need of the hour that all potential methodologies be utilized to create a better preschool system that best suits parents as well as the children.
Southwind performance

ELKO The local group Southwind will play at 6 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Western Folklife Center in the Pioneer Saloon. Enjoy Celtic, Western and contemporary music. The group will also throw in some scary songs this month to promote the Halloween spirit.

Nevada Day parade is coming up

ELKO  The 33rd Nevada Day Parade will be held at 1 a.m. Friday, Oct. 29. Line-up starts at 10 a.m. at the Crystal Theater. Entry forms are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 27.

The theme this year is #NevadaStrong.

This and every years parade will be in Loving Memory of two of our original parade founders, Rose Conner and Don Tanner, stated organizers.

For more information contact Jim Conner at 738-7991. There is no fee to enter the parade.

Halleck Bar Party at museum

ELKO  Northeastern Nevada Museum will be holding its annual Halleck Bar Party from 6- 9 p.m. Oct. 29. The theme is Elko Rodeo.

The community is cordially invited to the most raucous, woolly, wild West affair in Elko County. Dress in your best rodeo attire for a chance to win the evenings grand prize. Enjoy friends, music, libations, appetizers and paella with the toast of the town.

Every year, the museum commemorates the Halleck Bar, which was donated to the museum by the Glaser Family and Chach Evans. The stipulation for us to keep the bar is that we must have an annual party and a toast with Beefeater Gin.

All donations directly support the museum and its projects. Donations of $20 for members and $25 for non-members are appreciated.

Horizon offers bereavement support group

ELKO  If you or a loved one is grieving the loss of a loved one, please join the Horizon Hospice support group. Participants meet at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 1250 Lamoille Highway, Suite 413.

There is no cost to community members. Call 778-0612 for more information.

Al-Anon meets Wednesdays in Spring Creek

SPRING CREEK The Al-Anon Spring Creek Step Study Group meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at the Spring Creek Baptist Church, 360 Spring Creek Parkway. The program is in person or virtual.

If you or someone you know is worried about a family member or friends drinking problem, Al-Anon is a mutual support group that shares their experiences, strengths and hope. Zoom meeting ID 890 588 5311 Password F8KmfZOn.

Celebrate recovery and find freedom

ELKO  Find freedom for your hurts, habits and hang-ups with The Nazarene Church Christ-centered recovery program every Friday evening.

A large group meets at 6 p.m. and a smaller group gathers at 7 p.m. The church is located at 740 Sage St.

Call 738-6714 for more information.

Medicare providers in Elko

ELKO  The Medicare in Elko Workgroup has updated their list of Elko medical providers. Listed are those clinics that will accept a new patient using Medicare or Medicaid.

It specifically lists clinics where patients can set up appointments with specific providers. The tri-fold brochure also lists providers found outside of Elko, along with two state agencies that help people with their Medicare needs. Senior Services and other medical services are listed.

The updated list is available on the groups website, medicarinelko.org. They also have a Facebook page medicare in elko, with a link to the brochure.

FRC hosts free teen programs

ELKO  Family Resource Center is hosting free online and in-person teen health programs each month for youth in Grades 5 to 7 and Grades 10 to 12.

These fun, evidence-based age-appropriate programs teach youth about making healthy life decisions. They incorporate medically accurate information along with crucial knowledge about identifying and handling social pressures, communicating effectively and dealing with peer pressure. Youth learn about reproductive health, puberty, hygiene, personal responsibility, avoiding risky behaviors and respect for self and others, while building knowledge, skills and confidence.

Youth receive their choice of a free backpack full of school supplies or a $25 store gift card after completing the program. There is a limit of one free incentive per participant per year. A parent or guardian must pre-register the participant by completing a permission slip before class.

The online programs are presented using Zoom in four day blocks for an hour and 45 minutes each day after school. The in-person classes vary, but are usually one day, scheduled on a Saturday or during holiday breaks. For more information call 753-7352, text 775-397-1874 or email teenhealth@elkofrc.org.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
RENO  Celebrate the unparalleled geology of Nevada all year long with a photo calendar from the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology. The 2022 calendar is now available.

The calendar features beautiful photos highlighting Nevadas scenic wonders and features a different geologic topic each month: Goblin Knobs, South Pahroc Range, Columnar Joints, Big Den Creek Canyon, Hot Springs, Peak Bagging, Beatty Mountain, Pinto Valley Wilderness, Santa Rosa Range, Goshute Mountains, Lake Tahoe, and Cavernous Weathering.

Interesting facts about Nevada and Nevada geology are also included. such as:

 The day John C. Fremont discovered Pyramid Lake (Jan. 10, 1844)

 The 1934 Excelsior Mountains magnitude 6.1 earthquake (Jan. 30)

 Last years Monte Cristo Range magnitude 6.5 earthquake (May 20, 2020)

 The discovery of silver ore in Pony Canyon, Austin (May 2, 1862)

 In 1984 the first federally permitted geothermal plant in Nevada at Desert Peak in Churchill County (Oct. 9)

Photos are selected through through the Bureaus annual photo competition. This years contest winners are Eric Poulin, first-place; Goshute Mountains, Elko County (and the cover photo); Second-place, Bob Tregilus; Goblin Knobs, Reveille Range, Nye County (January photo); and Jack Hursh, third-place, columnar joints in the Seven Troughs Range, Pershing County (March photo).

Funds raised from the sale of the Nevada Geology 2022 calendar calendar support the Bureaus work as a research and public service unit of the University and the States geological survey. To order calendars online go to the Bureau of Mines and Geology order page or visit the Bureaus Great Basin Science Sample and Records Library.

The calendars make great holiday gifts, and orders of 10 or more purchased from the Bureaus office are discounted to $10 each and, upon request, come with a Nevada-shaped pin created from Nevada rocks and minerals made and generously donated by Jon Price, Nevada State Geologist Emeritus. Offer good while supplies last.

Calendars may also be purchased at The Flag Store in Sparks, Sundance Books and Music in downtown Reno, and at the Nevada Wolf Shop in the Joe Crowley Student Union on the Universitys campus.

If you have amazing photos of Nevada geology that you would like to share with others in the 2023 Nevada Geology Calendar, you can enter the photo contest now.

Deadline for entries is May 31, 2022. Photos need to be taken in Nevada. A location description and/or GPS coordinates should accompany submissions along with description.

Files of at least 300 DPI are required for quality printing. You may enter as many photos as you wish. Email submissions to Christina Clack (cclack@unr.edu). Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology cartographers will make the final decision on the winning photos.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
ELKO  Another school board meeting has been canceled, this time about three hours before it started due to threats toward board members.

The decision to cancel was in response to recent threats of violence and concerns for public safety, according to a statement from the Elko County School District sent shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

The school district rescheduled the meeting for 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 26.

It has been eight days since the Oct. 12 meeting was adjourned by acting board president Teresa Dastrup when audience members refused to wear masks inside the Central Office board room.

The announcement comes at a difficult time for the school district as the cancellation delays the appointment of new board members to fill five vacancies, said Interim Superintendent Jeff Zander.

The acts of disorderly conduct at previous board meetings and threats to our board are coinciding with an already difficult time faced by our community, Zander said. We are in need of filling vacant school board seats, yet the actions by individuals in our very own communities are making the process very difficult.

The agenda included the trustee appointments along with items to approve out-of-state-trips for Spring Creek and Wells high school FFA students to attend the Western National Rangeland Contest in Oregon.

The board was also to discuss for possible approval the establishment of four special revenue funds that align with the chart of accounts for the new Pupil Centered Funding Plan by order of the Nevada Department of Education.

The cancellation of yet another meeting directly affects our day to day management and the oversight of our children, schools, and communities, Zander added.

Since August, the school district has seen the resignation of five trustees and one acting superintendent, and dealt with outbreaks of Covid-19 at multiple schools throughout Elko County prompting schools to require masks for students.

At the start of the school year, children attending kindergarten through twelfth grade were previously exempted from wearing masks in class due to Emergency Directive 048 that allowed counties with less than 100,000 population to forego face coverings.

Parents expressed frustration with their children being sent home due to exclusions and the mask mandate at board meetings throughout September.

Although Wednesdays meeting was set to be in-person, the public could also view it on the school districts YouTube Channel.

Love 3 Funny 3 Wow 4 Sad 11 Angry 17
ELKO  The grand marshal for the 33rd Nevada Day Parade this year is not one person, but a very big group.

The sponsors, Knights of Columbus Council 2511 and Assembly 614, said they would like to recognize the youth of Elko County youth as grand marshal.

Our children are our future and this future looks strong, they said.

Youngsters have endured a lot in the past two and a half years. They have been pulled from the comfort of their classes, asked to focus on screens, and lost many extracurricular activities.

Last year alone, they went through three first days of school. Some lost dances and social opportunities that make being a youth fun. Many had to learn how to navigate technology on their own or be patient with technology that was not working.

Many had to help not only themselves, but siblings while their parents were also navigating new territory. They built relationships with their teachers and peers over a screen. Although this is not impossible, it is certainly more difficult.

The sponsors said Elko Countys youth is the definition of the parades theme, #NevadaStrong. Please join us in applauding their resiliency at 11 a.m. Oct. 29 downtown.

For more information or to enter, contact Jim Conner at 738-7991. There is no fee to enter the parade.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
ELKO  Elko Downtown Business Association is once again bringing back an old favorite, the downtown ghost tours. The tours offer a chance for people to learn about historical characters from the region with local historian Jan Petersen. Period costumes and whip sharp actors add fun and reality to the experience.

We have four characters, as usual, said Petersen who is guiding the tour. The time periods are from Tuscaroras early days to Midas during Prohibition.

Petersen said one of the characters is a female dentist who used to travel the area making calls to patients in different towns.

Her name was Mabel Young, Petersen said. This was the early 1900s. She roamed all over. The practice at the time was to rent out a hotel room, remove all the furniture and you would go to the dentist. She had a route.

Apparently, if you could not wait until Dr. Young showed up, You just pulled out a pair of pliers and pulled out the offending tooth. Something really gross like that.

We had a murderer in Midas in 1931, Petersen said. During Prohibition a womans husband wound up dead and she was charged with it.

Petersen always likes to honor slain lawmen and this year is no exception.

We have a law man who was killed in a bad poker game in Tuscarora in 1877, William Weaver, who was playing poker and then the guy at the table said, You are a law man and I dont like you.

A duel broke out in the bar.

In another tale a bad seed finally gets his dues.

A ruthless killer named Robert Crozier was hung, Petersen said. Crozier beat a guy named Montana Charlie to death. He roamed all over interior Nevada stealing horses before he got caught.

Kim Otheim, Sharon Owen, Scott Glennon and Kristopher Pooley are locals playing these characters.

The Downtown Business Association does this each year as a means of showing the community its colorful past.

If you dont share these stories, they get lost, Petersen said.

This is the seventh year of the ghost tours.

Its a wine walk type format, she said.

Participants will visit Living Stones Church, the Elko Clock Tower (if weather permits), the Stockmens Casino and Rubys.

Last spring Andy Mierens [a former actor] passed away, Petersen said. He was perfect, he was wonderful. We are going to give him a toast at the beginning of each show.

Petersen said participants can experience flamboyance, drama, mystery and intrigue and what it was like during Prohibition.

Museums mystery photo collection:

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
RENO  A report of a possible poaching led game wardens from the Nevada Department of Wildlife down a path that resulted in the conviction of two men for multiple incidents of illegally killing wildlife.

Game Wardens originally received a tip of the illegal killing of an antelope near Lund, Nevada in White Pine County. The investigation led them to 22-year-old Garrett Higbee of Alamo. Evidence linked Higbee not only to the killing of the doe antelope, but also to an illegal killing of a bull elk in August of 2018.

During the investigation, Wardens also uncovered evidence that an acquaintance of Higbee, 25-year-old Jordan Crtys, had also illegally killed two mule deer near Hiko in Lincoln County.

This was a disturbing case, said Game Warden Capt. Jake Kreamer. The evidence just kept leading from one crime to another.

Higbee pled guilty to the unlawful killing of both animals and was convicted of a felony for the bull elk and a gross misdemeanor for the antelope. He was sentenced to 90 days in the White Pine County Jail and faces $14,000 in penalties. Higbee is currently in the White Pine County Jail. He also faces additional charges in Lincoln County for the unlawful killing of a mule deer.

I dont know if he (Higbee) thought he was above the law, or that he would never get caught, but this was a real pattern for this individual, said Kreamer.

Cryst, who was also a resident of Alamo when the crimes occurred, but currently resides in Cedar City, Utah, was convicted of a gross misdemeanor and received a $5,000 fine and 14-day jail sentence in the Lincoln County Jail.

Its pretty clear that Judges Steve Dobrescu and Gary Fairman of the Seventh Judicial District Court (Lincoln County), along with the district attorney offices for both White Pine and Lincoln are sending a message that these crimes are going to be met with severe penalties, Kreamer said.

To report wildlife crime, sportsmen and members of the public can call the OGT hotline at 800-992-3030 or use the new NDOW Tip app. The NDOW Tip app provides citizens the ability to submit anonymous tips, photos or video to the Nevada Department of Wildlife via text messaging.

NDOW Tip is available for download for free via the Google Play Store, iTunes App Store, or by visiting the agencys website at www.ndow.org.

Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3
BOISE  Idaho officials on Tuesday rejected a plan to raise grazing fees on state-managed land, costing K-12 public schools more than $530,000 annually.

The Idaho Land Board voted 2-2 to defeat the proposal, with Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra voting against the plan, citing concerns by ranchers who said drought was hurting their businesses.

I think, like in education, teachers are the experts, and I believe ranchers are the experts, Ybarra said.

The move to stick with the current grazing fee formula appears to call into question whether the states top statewide elected officials are meeting their constitutional mandate as Land Board members to maximize profit from state lands over the long term. The current grazing rate formula not only doesnt raise fees, it cuts them.

The formula has been in place since 1993, leading to concern that its outdated and that ranchers arent paying their fair share. Grazing rates on private land in the state have nearly doubled since then, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rates on state-owned land have lagged, dropping from about 50% of what private landowners charge to about 38%. The new grazing formula would have put it back to 50%, while the existing formula drops it to about 37%.

Republican Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and Republican State Controller Brandon Woolf backed the new grazing rate formula. Republican Secretary of State Lawerence Denney voted no, while Republican Gov. Brad Little, whose family raises sheep and cattle, recused himself from the discussion and vote, citing a conflict of interest.

Raising grazing fees has been on the boards radar for years, and a study a decade ago commissioned by the Lands Department found the current grazing formula was likely not getting market value. But the board has avoided making any decisions, requesting more information the last three years.

Wasden said Tuesday the board failing to approve the plan was kicking the can down the road again, and were applying a (grazing) rate formula that we know does not meet our constitutional obligation.

The Idaho Department of Lands manages about 1,100 grazing leases with nearly 260,000 AUMs. An AUM, or animal unit month, is based on one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats grazing for a month. Idaho, in part, calculates sheep grazing fees based on the price of calves.

Under the current formula, ranchers will pay $6.86 per AUM, a decrease from 2021 of $7.07. The new grazing formula would have raised that to $9.07 per AUM. The current rate for grazing private land is about $18.50.

Ybarra and Denney said Tuesday they needed more information.

Specifically, Denney wanted information on how much it would cost the state to manage grazing lands if cattle or sheep ranchers decided the new grazing rate formula made it too expensive to lease state lands. Costs would include trying to control noxious weeds and reducing the danger of wildfire from grasses.

Theyre doing a lot of the management for us, Denney said. They take care of those noxious weeds, and take care of removing some of the fuel load, and thats active management. What is our active management?

Denney also noted that about 44% of state grazing lands are inholdings, meaning they are surrounded by land that isnt controlled by the state and have restricted or no legal access.

The arrival of wolves in the state in 1995 has added another level of complexity, ranchers and state land managers said.

Still, Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller, responding to a series of questions from Wasden, said that overall the beneficiaries that get money from state lands would come out ahead even if some ranchers decided to stop using state land for grazing.

Miller, after the meeting, said the grazing rate will probably come back before the board again next year, likely with the information sought by Denney and a potential way to phase in a new rate formula, which Ybarra said she might support.

Little, who sat out the discussion and had Denney chair the meeting during the grazing rate portion, said after the meeting he has dealt with grazing fee issues for decades.

Ive spent an inordinate amount of my time in my previous life, in my career, talking about grazing fees, he said. And I see nothing has changed.

Idaho received about 5,600 square miles, about 5.5% of the states total land base, when it became a state in 1890 to generate money for beneficiaries, mainly K-12 public schools. The University of Idaho, state hospitals for the mentally ill, Lewis-Clark State College, state veterans homes, Idaho State University and several others receive money.

The state has about 3,900 square miles remaining that generated, along with endowment funds, nearly $90 million for beneficiaries in the current fiscal year.

Timber harvest on state lands generates the most money. Grazing leases are expected to generate just over $2 million, or about $1.8 million after expenses. Outside of timber, grazing generates the most money from state lands, followed by residential real estate.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Progressives may still tank infrastructure bill despite framework agreement

Dealmakers in the Democratic party have been working out details of the Build Back Better bill which members of the Progressive Caucus want to see passed before they will agree to vote "Yes" on the infrastructure bill languishing in the House.

According to reports Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said 90 percent of the "care economy" bill is nailed down, but there is no expectation that a written bill could be drawn up for a vote before the end of the week. Instead negotiators hope to have a framework which they can work with.

Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal is saying that won't be enough for at least a dozen of her members. Pelosi can only lose a few votes from her side of the aisle if the infrastructure bill is to pass without GOP support. Despite the bill getting a bipartisan vote in the Senate, Republican leaders in the House have been whipping votes against the infrastructure bill.

Pelosi wants to bring the infrastructure bill up for a vote before the end of the week to send President Biden off to the Climate Summit in Glasgow with something to show. Additionally, the Highway Fund will run out of money 31 October if the infrastructure bill is not passed.
California is one of the few states that have started their own true stimulus checks. Now on their second edition, Golden State Stimulus II, residents can receive a $600 payment if they are making less than $75,000 a year. In February, the governor signed a law that allowed for the sending of $600 checks to low-income individuals and non-citizens who were unable to receive federal stimulus checks.

This is much greater than the $30,000 eligibility limit for the first round of checks. You must also be a tax resident in California for more than half of the 2020 tax year.

More than 9 million people are estimated to qualify for the second stimulus. Governor Newsom is hailing it as "the biggest state tax rebate in American history."

There has been no announcement on a prospective third round of Golden State Stimulus checks, but the second round, that was sent out at the start of August, is still in the process of delivering checks to people who are eligible. More than 1.2 million were sent out on October 15, taking the total sent to greater than 4 million.

Hundreds of dollars for those who are eligible

Qualifying residents will typically receive an extra $600 or $500 depending on income and how many dependents they claim.

Residents who claim at least one dependent will receive an additional $500, meaning they will receive a total of $1,100.

Only 650,000 could receive the first check, but they are not eligible to receive the second. Those who received the first can only access the second if they noted their dependents on their tax return. They can receive $500 per dependent, up to a maximum of $1,000.

How to receive the check

October 6 was the first day that mail checks were sent, with the first ones arriving based on your California zip code. This will continue until the end of 2021. Expect at least a two-week wait for the checks to arrive in the post.

Physical Check Schedule Last 3 digits of ZIP code Mailing timeframes 001-065 10/04/2021 through 10/22/2021 066-221 10/18/2021 through 11/05/2021 222-302 11/1/2021 through 11/19/2021 303-543 11/15/2021 through 12/03/2021 544-709 11/29/2021 through 12/17/2021 710-998 12/13/2021 through 12/31/2021 Source: California Tax Franchise Board, 2021

If you are thinking of applying for the check now, then you are out of luck. The deadline for filing your 2020 tax return in time has passed, it needed to be handed in by October 15.
Ambassador Mudie arrived at Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations invitation from the Director of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Major General Hoang Kim Phung to discuss bilateral Defence cooperation and meet with female peacekeepers who have deployed overseas or are preparing to deploy.

H.E. Ms Robyn Mudie, the Australian Ambassador to Vietnam and Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director General of Vietnams Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VNDPKO) discussed cooperation areas to be promoted in the upcoming time. (Photo: The Australian Embassy in Vietnam)

Also marking the importance of Vietnam Womens Day during the visit, Ambassador Mudie spoke to the peacekeepers about the roles of women in society and the opportunities and challenges those roles represent. The female peacekeepers in turn shared their perspective on women in the military and in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations and the opportunities and challenges they faced.

While talking to the female peacekeepers Ambassador Mudie complimented the important role that these women fill now and on Peacekeeping missions.

She said: As part of the first generation of Vietnams peacekeeping deployments, you are contributing to Vietnams history and the global story of womens vital role in peace and security. In the Peacekeeping environment you are safe to approach for women and girls, you are a comfortable and dignified source of medical and health care and you understand what weighs on womens minds.

Australia is proud to have provided strategic airlift support to all three of Vietnams Level 2 Field Hospitals which have deployed to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

H.E. Ms Robyn Mudie, the Australian Ambassador to Vietnam was with female Vietnamese peacekeepers in front of vehicles equipped for the UN mission in Africa. (Photo: The Australian Embassy in Vietnam)

Vietnams peacekeeping in Africa complements its important role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term. Australia recognises Vietnams key role as the co-chair of the ADMM+ Expert Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations and is pleased that Vietnam has been including women, peace and security as a key topic in this forum.

Vietnam Womens Day begins gender month for the Australian Embassy, highlighting the importance of gender equality and empowering women and girls across the breadth of Australias development, diplomatic, trade and commercial and people to people priorities in the partnership with Vietnam./.
Delegates attend the opening ceremony and plenary session of the Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum 2021 in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 20, 2021. Themed "Economic Resilience and Financial Accomplishment", the Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum 2021 kicked off Wednesday in Beijing. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, GMW.cn makes no representations as to accuracy, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information.
Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 from the first dynamic testing train travelling from Lao capital Vientiane to Laos-China border town of Boten shows the view of northern Laos. The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway.

Dynamic testing is an important step before the railway is put into operation. It conducts integrated tests on all systems of the whole railway by running a testing train at the specified test speed and with relevant testing equipment, including testing of interface relationship among systems and debugging and optimizing of various systems, etc., so as to provide a scientific basis for the railway's opening-to-traffic.

The testing items mainly include track geometry, electric traction power supply, communication and signaling system, passenger and freight service system, noise, vibration, electromagnetic environment, etc.

According to the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd., the dynamic testing, undertaken by the China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited, will take an estimated testing duration of 18 days.

The China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited is the only enterprise with the dynamic testing qualification for railway construction projects in China. It have undertaken dynamic testing technical services in many overseas projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway.

During the dynamic testing of the China-Laos Railway, Chinese engineers will scientifically and rigorously analyze the testing data of the railway, strictly evaluate the testing results against the requirements of testing program and standards, and finely adjust to or rectify the systems according to the testing results until all systems meet the requirements for safe and stable operation of the whole railway.

The China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

The electrified passenger and cargo railway is built with the full application of Chinese management and technical standards. The construction of the project started in December 2016 and is scheduled to be completed and open to traffic in December 2021. Enditem

5

1

Editor: Zhang Zhou
Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2021 Global Rural Development Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

BEIJING, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua on Tuesday attended the opening ceremony of the 2021 Global Rural Development Forum in Beijing.

China has secured a complete victory in its fight against poverty and met its poverty reduction target set in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to global poverty reduction, said Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

China has always been an active advocate for, powerful promoter of, and important contributor to the undertaking of global poverty reduction and rural development, the vice premier noted.

China welcomes all countries to participate in the Global Development Initiative and is ready to work with the international community to advance exchanges and cooperation on poverty reduction governance and rural development, Hu said. Enditem

Editor: Zhang Zhou
BRUSSELS, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Despite Russia's decision to suspend its mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and to close the alliance's offices in Moscow, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that it will continue seeking ways to engage with Russia.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers, Stoltenberg said NATO regretted Russia's decision "which does not promote dialogue and mutual understanding."

He added that NATO's policy remained consistent, and it remained "open to dialogue, including through the NATO Russia Council."

Earlier this month, NATO expelled eight Russian diplomats over allegations that they were conducting activities that were not in line with their accreditation.

Stoltenberg said the alliance regretted the fact that "the relationship between NATO and Russia is now at the lowest point since the end of the Cold War."

"For us, that's actually not an argument against dialogue, that's an argument in favor of dialogue, because it is exactly when times are difficult, we have challenges and problems as we have now, that we need to sit down and talk," he added.

"We will continue to work for dialogue because we believe that Russia, our biggest neighbor ... being there close to NATO; there's no way that we cannot talk to them and therefore we continue to strive for a better relationship with Russia knowing that this is difficult," he said.

On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow decided to suspend the operation of the Russian Permanent Mission to NATO in retaliation for the alliance's "unfriendly actions." Russia is also suspending the activities of the NATO Military Liaison Mission in Moscow and terminating the work of the NATO Information Office there.

NATO announced the expulsion of eight members of the Russian mission in Brussels on Oct. 6, calling them "undeclared Russian intelligence officers." Additionally, the number of Russian staff at the mission was reduced by half from 20 to 10.

Before that, the size of the Russian mission in Brussels was reduced twice unilaterally by NATO in 2015 and 2018. Enditem

Editor: Zhang Zhou
(Photo source: Xinhua)

At the request of US President Joe Biden, the report on the origins of Covid-19 by the US intelligence community came out on August 24. This is like a teacher giving students an assignment. The first assignment provided by the intelligence services was not satisfactory to the teacher because it did not have a clear conclusion, so it was requested to be submitted again, and the deadline was 90 days, and the principle of the assignment was clearly defined. The principle of the revision was to pay more attention to China and to join international partners in pressuring China to participate in what it calls a comprehensive, transparent and evidence-based international investigation. The coded message is clear: to get China to cooperate. For the US intelligence community, this is clearly a difficult proposition, akin to drawing on a blank sheet of paper, the truth or falsity of which is judged by the teacher.

One of the difficulties is the demand for the so-called truth based on the denial of the truth. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, China has mobilized all resources at its disposal to win a major victory in the fight against the pandemic, while at the same time providing the international community with almost all the virus data and related information in a timely and comprehensive manner, as well as cooperating closely with scientific forces, including WHO experts, so the truth in the scientific sense has been very transparent so far. The unexplored origins and transmission networks of the virus, because of their global nature, naturally require long-term collaborative exploration by scientists worldwide, based on the spirit of science. Therefore, translating the long-term scientific search for a novel coronavirus into an investigation that needs to be completed in 90 days is a difficult task for the US intelligence community.

The second difficulty is the fabrication of evidence based on a conclusion-oriented approach. Since truth in the scientific or even common sense is difficult to obtain in the short term, the US intelligence services have to look beyond the professional sphere to find the elements of truth that satisfy politicians and the media narrative and public psyche that they influence. In other words, the need to create a professional and plausible truth story that will fulfil the president's mandate without undermining his own authority and institutional legitimacy. So, how to get these story elements? At the moment, it seems that the US intelligence community's efforts are directed at getting experts to stand up for it - after all, it is still a matter of professionalism, and purely political nomenclature - such as Trump's initial naming of the virus as the China virus  did make sense in terms of transnational communication and emotional mobilization, but was hardly enough to create legitimacy for subsequent gains. Thus, in the face of these difficulties, US politicians, intelligence agencies and media have had to form a discursive alliance to create a solid perceptual framework for the virus by finding and weaving the elements of the story. On the one hand, it avoids a crisis of legitimacy due to the unsatisfactory results of the investigation; on the other hand, it marginalizes or even covers up the possibility of virus leak from US labs, domestic social conflicts and foreign relations problems by diverting public attention. For example, in the face of the chaos and embarrassment caused by the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the US political elites naturally needed a crisis story involving the majority of the world's population to redeem the natural role of a savior by evoking a common feeling of hostility towards the virus and the social problems it caused.

In order to build this story and consolidate this role, the US political and media elites have achieved a discursive alliance. The aim of the political elites is to maintain its own position of power at home, while the aim of the media elite is to deepen and refine the China threat theory in order to maintain its so-called professionalism as a lecturer and definer in the international arena of public opinion, in tandem with the political elites. Behind this is a long- and well-established double standard in international communication.

The main discourse of the US hegemonic power is based on the myth of the novel coronavirus made in China.

First, the process is selectively ignored. There are many factors contributing to the global spread of the pandemic, including the tracing of the source of the virus, the lagging supply of drugs, the formulation of crisis policies, the coordination of relevant stakeholders, the control of transnational borders, the struggle between political parties, the restriction of social mobility, the dissemination of science and public opinion, and so on.

Secondly, the goal is to censure the other. For any country, society or culture, the fundamental purpose of fighting the pandemic is to protect people's lives and health, and to maintain economic and social development and cultural pluralism and prosperity. However, in the face of the rampant pandemic, the US side has not paid due attention to people's lives and health, but has combined it with geopolitics, partisan rivalry, cultural prejudice and racial discrimination, using the virus and the pandemic to arouse long-buried resentments and stimulate and intensify conflicts in order to serve its own political, economic and cultural ends.

By selectively ignoring the complex process by which the virus spread, by incriminating China, the US government and the media discourse alliance are working together to create a story of international politics where the answer is in the question, and the riddle is in the riddle that Biden flung at US intelligence. From this perspective, a mere 90-day workflow also seems reasonable, as any conclusion that doesnt involve China is irrelevant to the motivation of the US side to trace the virus back to its source. It is clear that behind this discourse is the figure of an empire that retains its cultural and discursive hegemony despite the decline it is facing.

In other words, according to the concept of hegemony as defined by Gramsci, a fundamental starting point for understanding American discourse is not only to deconstruct its own systems problems but also to look at the Western and non-Western political forces outside the US that identify with and even sustain this discourse, as well as the more inertial international scope of some social groups and their psychological tendencies, which is the full picture of this discursive alliance.

In short, it is clear that the Biden administration's 90-day investigation into the origin of the virus is the result of a series of domestic and international conflicts, with clear political, economic, cultural and communication objectives. Behind the scenes, there is a value chain of international public opinion that is dominated and well understood by the US.

Firstly, from the perspective of communication, the US side's aim in conducting viral tracing is not to find the truth, but to further discredit the rising China and attack the political system that led China to achieve a major stage of victory against the pandemic, while maintaining the institutional superiority of the so-called democratic society and its discourse and public opinion alliance. Secondly, from a political perspective, through the origin-tracing, an investigation that gathers public attention and appeals to anger, the US government is trying to use this political manipulation to divert domestic conflicts, alleviate the trust deficit in the government and achieve the purpose of serving domestic politics through foreign communication.

Finally, the US side has a relatively clear interest in virus origin tracing, which is the most realistic and utilitarian component at the end of the value chain of such international public opinion. By launching a virus traceability investigation, the US government has presupposed the so-called liability of the Chinese government to the international community. This conclusion was reached without even the need for an investigation, and was laid down at the very beginning of the investigation's launch. The so-called compensation involves two aspects, one being the cost of pandemic prevention in various countries and the other being the cost of economic decline, thus forcing China to concede on the relevant agreements and thus suppressing China in general. Behind the creation of public opinion is the demand for political and economic interests, which is the complete logic of the international communication value chain.

Based on the above analysis, we are able to see the symbolic logic and communication logic of the US side's virus origin tracing, as well as the political and economic dynamics behind it. Therefore, we should not be carried away by this US agenda and not walk into this US discourse trap, but look for the US power schemes behind the issue, analyze the composition of the US discourse alliance, and thus carry out targeted and systematic struggle. 90 days may be the end of one story, and more likely the beginning of more stories, we need to be wise and more patient.

Contributed by Ji Deqiang, researcher of The National Centre for Communication Innovation Studies, Communication University of China, Vice director of Institute for a Community with Shared Future

Translated by Wang Ruoxin

Editor: WRX
China released a white paper that documented Chinas journey to moderate prosperity in all respects on Sept. 28, 2021. Here is a timeline for China's epic journey from poverty to prosperity.

After the launch of reform and opening up in 1978, the CPC made continuous efforts to build a better-off society, raising the living standards in China from bare subsistence to a basic level of moderate prosperity, and then ultimately to moderate prosperity in all respects.

In the early years of reform and opening up, Deng Xiaoping for the first time used the term xiaokang to present his vision of Chinas modernization. He set the goal of delivering a xiaokang life for the Chinese people and building a xiaokang society by the end of the 20th century.

At its 12th National Congress in 1982, the CPC for the first time made achieving xiaokang the overall objective of Chinas economic development, and set the goal of delivering a life of moderate cultural and material prosperity for the people by the end of the 20th century.

At its 13th National Congress in 1987, the CPC formulated a three-step strategic plan for Chinas modernization , and set the goal for the second step as elevating the peoples living standards to the level of moderate prosperity by the end of the 20th century.

At its 14th National Congress in 1992, when the basic needs of the Chinese people had largely been met, the CPC envisioned that their living standards would further rise, from simply having the basic necessities to enjoying moderate prosperity by the end of the 20th century.

At its 15th National Congress in 1997, the CPC put forward a new three-step strategic plan for economic development , setting the goal of creating a better-off life for the people by 2010.

Through perseverance and effort over these years, China achieved basic moderate prosperity at the end of the 20th century as scheduled.

At its 16th National Congress in 2002, the CPC pointed out that moderate prosperity remained at a relatively low level  it was not all-inclusive and was very unbalanced. Thus the Party set the objective of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. For this purpose, in the first two decades of the 21st century China would further develop the economy, improve democracy, advance science and education, enrich culture, foster social harmony, and upgrade the quality of life.

At its 17th National Congress in 2007, the CPC drew up a comprehensive plan for complete success in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and fleshed out the detail, setting new requirements for economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental progress.

After China entered the new era, the drive to achieve moderate prosperity in all respects reached a critical point. Firmly focusing on the goal, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core defined the Five-sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy , designed to overcome all remaining obstacles.

At its 18th National Congress in 2012, the CPC announced that China would realize the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021 when the Party would celebrate its centenary. It defined the metrics for such a society  sustained and sound economic development, greater peoples democracy, a significant improvement in cultural soft power, higher living standards, and major progress in building a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society.

At its 19th National Congress in 2017, the CPC demonstrated its understanding that China had reached a historic juncture and development stage. It conducted a comprehensive analysis of the fundamental conditions required to achieve all-round moderate prosperity, and the internal and external factors impacting on the process. On this basis it defined a strategy for securing success in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China.

After unremitting hard work by the entire Party and all the people, the moderately prosperous society in all respects has come to fruition as scheduled. This marks a critical step towards national rejuvenation.

At the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC on July 1, 2021, General Secretary Xi declared that China had succeeded in the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects through the continued efforts of the whole Party and the entire nation.

Editor: WXY
JSC Ukrzaliznytsia is ready to attract Deutsche Bahn specialists to the staff on clear terms with remuneration tied to KPI.

"If such specialists can be selected, they will be with specific tasks, with clear KPIs... And definitely, the terms of partnership imply that compensation will be clearly tied to the result, to the percentage of the achieved financial effect," Director of the Passenger Company, the Ukrzaliznytsia's branch, Oleksandr Pertsovsky has said in an exclusive interview with Interfax- Ukraine.

According to him, it is on such conditions that Ukrzaliznytsia is ready to attract outside specialists on a regular basis.

According to him, Ukrzaliznytsia has outlined several phases of partnership with Deutsche Bahn.

"Indeed, we are negotiating a possibility of continuing this partnership in 2022. There is a desire to engage their people more systematically with a number of tasks, not only as consultants-experts, but also to implement an agreed strategy... We assume that a team of analysts, specialists who optimize the use of rolling stock in Germany, with their software product, with their solutions, can on a more permanent basis come to the Ukrzaliznytsia team and help us build this function here, passing on experience to domestic colleagues and working already in an operational format, not only as consultants," Pertsovsky said.

He also said that as part of cooperation between Ukrzaliznytsia and DB it is planned to build a detailed model for the development of passenger traffic and a business plan for the next five years, which will include modeling and budget forecast.

"This element of the project will also include the development of measures to optimize rolling stock, car fleet. A certain software product is involved here. An examination that shows what reserves we have for reducing operating costs for transporting a given number of passengers with the most efficient use of the fleet, what we have over the years needs for rolling stock, capital investments. After all, we cannot just "want to renew the fleet of cars" and present it for government funding. This should be a clear target model, taking into account the experience of a European operator, justifying the need," Pertsovsky said.
Ukraine, according to an optimistic scenario, can start exporting hydrogen from renewables (RES) to the European Union by 2024, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

"The EU defined Ukraine as a priority partner in supplying this new type of energy to the European consumers. We have resources, political will and ambition to make Ukraine a key green hydrogen supplier to the EU. Those projects are already launched, and the optimistic scenario is that by 2024 we will be able to launch first export supplies," Kuleba said at the 4th Association Exchange Forum in Kyiv on Thursday.

The minister said that the production and supply of hydrogen is a matter of strategy.

"Be successful tomorrow, we have to work eagerly today. We are not afraid of stepping forward into the uncharted territory. As I said earlier, one word that describes President Zelensky's foreign policy is ambition. The President sets out very ambitious goals, but this is the only way to reach big ambitious results," Kuleba said.
Ukraine to receive second tranche of macro-financial assistance from EU in near future  Stefanishyna

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, hopes that Ukraine will receive the second tranche of macro-financial assistance from the European Union in the amount of EUR 600 million in late October - early November.

"I can confirm for sure that already this month, or at the very beginning of November, we will receive the second tranche in the amount of EUR 600 million," Stefanishyna told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday.
The cost of a pilot hydrogen project of Naftogaz Ukrainy and RWE Supply & Trading (Germany) for the production of green ammonia is tentatively estimated at EUR 500 million, head of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy Yuriy Vitrenko has said.

"We now estimate the cost of this project at approximately EUR 500 million. The economic effect of this project will significantly exceed the investment in it, but a lot depends on regulation, both in the European market and in Germany, because this entire green hydrogen industry is new, and even now there is no final decision by the German government how it will develop hydrogen energy in Germany, and the final profitability of the project depends on this," he said in an interview with DW.

According to him, depending on the options for the implementation of the project, the term of its implementation is from one to three years.

Vitrenko recalled that within the framework of the project with RWE, it is planned to produce green hydrogen from renewable electricity and water, which will be further processed into green ammonia with its subsequent transportation by sea to Germany.

The head of Naftogaz noted that Ukraine has significant opportunities for renewable energy with the subsequent production of green hydrogen. At the same time, due to the high feed-in tariff for electricity producers from solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants, the country is already investing billions of dollars in green energy.

"Much depends on the interest and effective demand for green hydrogen in Europe. We must honestly say that rich countries of Europe should take on a certain responsibility for providing certain subsidies for green hydrogen [...] Thus, these funds are invested in improving the environment and combating the climate change on a global scale," he said.

As reported, Naftogaz Ukrainy and RWE Supply & Trading signed a memorandum of understanding in August 2021, agreeing to analyze the possibilities of mutually beneficial cooperation to create production of green hydrogen and its derivatives, in particular ammonia. In particular, we are talking about the development of projects for production and storage of green hydrogen and ammonia in Ukraine and their export to Germany.
Over the past day, some 14 violations of the ceasefire were recorded by Russian-occupation forces, one Ukrainian serviceman was wounded. Since the beginning of the day, one shelling has been recorded, the press center of the JFO headquarters said on Tuesday morning.

"Over the past day, on October 20, Russian-occupation forces did 14 ceasefire violations, three of which with the use of weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements. As a result of enemy fire, one member of the Joint Force Operation was wounded. The soldier is in a hospital. His condition of health is satisfactory," the JFO said in the morning report on the Facebook page on Thursday.

In particular, at Berezove, the enemy fired from small arms. Near Krasnohorivka the occupation forces fired from 82 mm and 120 mm mortars, heavy machine guns and small arms. In the direction of Zolote-4, the enemy fired three times using 120 mm mortars, an anti-tank missile system, hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and small arms. The enemy fired at the Ukrainian positions near Novoluhanske three times from hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and small arms. Near Troyitsk, the enemy opened fire from 82 mm mortars. In the direction of Prychepylivka, the occupation forces fired from small arms. At Novotoshkivske, fire was opened from grenade launchers of various systems and small arms. In the area of Novoselivka Druha and Verkhniotoretske, the enemy used unmanned aerial vehicles, with the help of which he dropped the VOG-25.

In addition, in Donetsk region, an enemy unmanned aerial vehicle, probably Orlan-10, was recorded passing through the contact line.

"As of 07.00 on October 21, one violation of the ceasefire was recorded by Russian-occupation forces," the headquarters said.

In the area of Luhansk, the enemy fired from small arms.
Due to the rapid spread of coronavirus in Kyiv, the city is already on the verge of "red zone" of epidemiological danger, mayor of the capital Vitali Klitschko said.

"The situation with the spread of coronavirus in the capital and in Ukraine as a whole is getting worse every day. Over the past day Kyiv records more than a 1,000 new cases and 29 deaths. More than 500 people were hospitalized. Most of them are in serious condition. Beds in the capital hospitals are rapidly filling up. Kyiv is on the verge of the red zone," the press service of the Kyiv city state administration quotes Klitschko on Wednesday.

The mayor said that the only way to stop the spread of the virus and avoid harsh restrictions today is mass vaccinations.

"I urge the people of Kyiv and all Ukrainians to go and get vaccinated. There is a vaccine. Vaccination stations are working. Therefore, do not listen to the wild propaganda of anti-vaccinators," Klitschko called on.

He said that 98 percent of the Kyiv residents hospitalized, were not vaccinated. "And those who die, in absolute preference, are not vaccinated patients. Think about it," the mayor said.

Klitschko said that he understands that his appeal will be unpopular for some people, but at the moment the main thing is "to prevent the collapse of the medical system, which may not be able to cope with too many patients."

"The virus blocks full-fledged life. And we have little choice - either vaccination, or isolation! Choose health and life - your own, your loved ones, friends and those who are nearby," the Kyiv mayor said.
The Consulate General of Ukraine in Istanbul is checking information on the detention of a group of persons suspected of espionage, among whom may be a citizen of Ukraine, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oleh Nikolenko has said.

"We see information in the media about the detention in Istanbul of a group of people, among whom there may be a citizen of Ukraine. The Turkish side has not yet informed the Ukrainian diplomatic institutions in Turkey about the fact of the detention. There have also been no complaints from relatives," he told Interfax-Ukraine in Thursday.

Nikolenko sad that on behalf of the Foreign Ministry, the Consulate General of Ukraine in Istanbul has already applied to the Turkish law enforcement agencies to verify this information, find out the whereabouts of the Ukrainian citizen and the details of the case, and obtain permission for the consul to visit him.

The Hurriyet Turkish publication said that six persons were arrested in Turkey on suspicion of political and military espionage, among them citizens of Russia, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
On Friday, October 22, the State Commission on Manmade Disaster, Emergency Response will decide on the introduction of additional restrictions and the functioning of Kyiv in the conditions of the "red zone," which the city will enter soon, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said.

"One of these days Kyiv will fall into the 'red' quarantine zone. Due to the situation with the spread of coronavirus in the capital is rapidly deteriorating. Over the past day, Kyiv records almost 1,200 new patients and 39 deaths. The age of those who died was from 29 years. In recent days, 500 patients have been hospitalized in the capital's hospitals. And most of them are in serious condition, patients who need oxygen support or artificial ventilation. Beds in capital hospitals are filling. Already over 50% of the beds that the city has prepared for treating patients are filled with coronavirus. And with oxygen, more than 63% are filled. Therefore, on Friday, a meeting of the Commission on Emergency Response of the city will be held, which will decide on the introduction of additional restrictions and the functioning of the capital in the conditions of the 'red' zone, which we will find ourselves in one of these days," Klitschko said at Kyiv City Council meeting.

In addition, the mayor instructed the Health Department of Kyiv City State Administration to intensify the vaccination campaign for residents of Kyiv, and urged the deputies of Kyiv City Council to explain the need for vaccination to the citizens.

"Work in the districts, communicate with people. Explain that today, the only way to stop the spread of the virus and avoid harsh restrictions is through mass vaccinations. And it is necessary to get vaccinated now, so as not to stand in lines after Kyiv falls into the 'red' zone. We saw how it was recently in some other cities of Ukraine," Klitschko said.

He said that 98% of those hospitalized in Kyiv hospitals are not vaccinated. Among the deceased, unvaccinated patients account for 99% of cases.

"Therefore, I once again call on the people of Kyiv and all Ukrainians: go and get vaccinated! Let us be conscious and take care of our health and the health of our loved ones and people around!" Klitschko said.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov considers the Venice Commission's opinion on the bill on the foundations of state policy for a transitional period and notes the strengths of the bill, in particular its inclusive preparatory process, "which is largely based on well-formed principles of international law, including the rule of law and respect for human rights and the principle of non-discrimination, and takes into account the needs of vulnerable groups in society."

In a commentary by the deputy prime minister, which was transferred to Interfax-Ukraine, Reznikov also said that, briefly recalling the Minsk agreements several times, not as a source of law, but as conditions in which Ukraine is forced to act, the Commission said "the conduct of local elections is the last element of 'Minsk,' that is, they are possible after the government of Ukraine regains full control over the state border."

Reznikov also said that, citing the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and PACE, the commission noted the effective control of Russia over the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular the fact that the occupation administrations in ORDLO were "created, supported and effectively controlled by Russia."

According to him, the comments of the Venice Commission are divided into those that the law dictates exclusively the Ukrainian vision of events and the vision of their further development in the future, as well as the terminology that exists in public international law.

The Venice Commission also said the bill reduces the essence of the conflict only to the interstate dimension (that is, to Russian intervention).

"We agree that the bill is Ukrainian-centric, it is not for nothing that documents of this type are called 'The Law of Ukraine.' It would be strange to direct national legislation to protect anyone, except for the protection of the interests of the Ukrainian state and people, citizens of Ukraine of all nationalities. As far as terminology is concerned, indeed, at the beginning of the draft law it was noted that some terms are defined precisely for the purposes of this law and in no way deny Ukraine's international obligations. This is not a separate understanding of international law, but only the establishment of certain aspects for more effective law enforcement in the conditions in which we are now," the deputy prime minister said.

According to him, almost all the recommendations of the Venice Commission can be taken into account when developing a bill in the Verkhovna Rada profile committee, and a number of aspects will be regulated by separate legislative acts, for example, on the issue of responsibility, establishing restrictions on holding positions, qualifications and the like.

"Actually, for this, the document was sent for the appropriate examination, in order to have a law that would meet European standards. Once again, I express my gratitude to the respected experts and the Office of the Council of Europe in Ukraine for the fact that the draft law was assessed and the way for its further improvement was determined, which will make the legislation more stable and the position of Ukraine even stronger," Reznikov said.
Ukraine is implementing all the reforms necessary for European integration and expects that the European Union will provide it with the prospect of membership, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

"We are implementing ambitious reforms in increasingly complex circumstances. But any commitment requires a goal. Our key expectation from the EU in this regard is to provide Ukraine with a European perspective. This decision will simply require the EU's political will without institutional commitments, but it will play a very important role," Kuleba said at the IV Forum of Associations in Kyiv on Thursday.

According to him, firstly, the prospect of EU membership will be a great motivating and transformational force for Ukraine. Kuleba said that no Central European country has achieved success since 1989 without seeing a very clear perspective and promise of EU membership at the end of its transformational path.

"Secondly, it will bring a lot of certainty to our part of Europe. This part of Europe shares European values and believes that it will ultimately be part of the European family. The EU must act proactively and ambitiously to avoid a situation where other forces set foot on this ground," the minister said.

"Thirdly, it will put an end to the Kremlin's senseless attempts to change Ukraine's European choice and convince Ukrainians that the EU does not need them, as it is one of the most pervasive Russian narratives in Ukraine. We must work together to ensure that people maintain faith in the fact that the purpose of membership in Europe is visible," the head of the department said.

Kuleba thanked Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which officially recognized Ukraine's European perspective and agreed in due course to support Ukraine's application for EU membership.

"I am sure that the circle of EU member states that are ready to recognize the reality of Ukraine's European future, and I believe that Moldova and Georgia, will continue to expand," he said.

The Foreign Minister said that Ukraine needs a signal from the EU that its ambitions matter. "We need a clear signal that our ambitions matter, that our European aspirations are welcomed, that our reforms are systemic in the sense that they contribute to the common European rule of law. The purpose of EU membership is embodied in our Constitution, and this process is irreversible. We understand that each next wave of EU enlargement is becoming more demanding and time-consuming," Kuleba said.
On Thursday, October 21, the Belgica research vessel arrived at the port of Odesa. The vessel transferred by the Kingdom of Belgium to Ukraine moored at the 18th berth of the seaport at 11.10, according to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority on the Facebook social network.

"In the near future, the Belgica research vessel will receive a new name and will sail under the Ukrainian flag with the home port of Odesa. As part of the [Ukrainian scientific center of Ecology of Sea] UkrSCES expeditionary fleet base, this floating laboratory complex is planned to be used for scientific research in the Black and Azov Seas," the authority said.

It is noted that the vessel left the port of Zeebrugge on October 1 with a Ukrainian crew and a team of 16 foreign scientists on board. According to UkrSCES, during the transition from the North to the Mediterranean and further to the Black Sea, scientists on board the vessel took samples of sea water and bottom sediments for screening depths for the presence of pollutants and microplastics, analysis of the distribution and state of marine microorganisms. For this purpose, five operating laboratories (fisheries, hydrological, chemical, biochemical and microbiological) are equipped on board the Belgica research vessel.

The vessel was constructed in 1984 and has been used for all 37 years for scientific and practical research on the development of the sea shelf, in particular, in preparation for the construction of offshore drilling platforms and wind farms.
Ukraine is ready to provide international organizations, in particular the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with admission to member of the armed formation of the Russian Federation Andrey Kosyak, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko has said.

"Ukraine is ready to provide international organizations, in particular the International Committee of the Red Cross, with admission to member of the armed formation of the Russian Federation Andrey Kosyak. The international community must see who Russia is sending to fight against the Ukrainian people," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.

He emphasized that the detention of Kosyak during a reconnaissance operation and his documented participation in hostilities once again illustrates the responsibility of the Russian Federation for the conduct of an international armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also instructed the embassies abroad to inform foreign governments in detail about the evidence of Russian aggression and Russia's gross violations of the agreements of the leaders of the Normandy format," he said.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also instructed the embassies abroad to inform foreign governments in detail about the evidence of Russian aggression and Russia's gross violations of the agreements of the leaders of the Normandy format," he said.

Member of the armed formation of the Russian Federation Andrey Kosyak was detained near Zolote in Luhansk region on October 13. Under the guise of humanitarian demining, he carried out photo and video recording of positions from which the Armed Forces of Ukraine had withdrawn within the boundaries of the disengagement area. The actions of the fighter grossly violated the Additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire of July 22, 2020, which prohibit the conduct of offensive, reconnaissance and sabotage operations, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
elebrate first anniversary for Green Day vodka and Villa Krim wines in Oman market.

Alef Vinal LLC and Azura General Trading Ltd celebrate first anniversary for Green Day vodka and Villa Krim wines in Oman market.

Being among TOP-3 Ukrainian producers of high-quality alcohol and wine, Alef Vinal LLC has started to expand external markets with the special focus on Middle East. Omani alcohol market has strong potential and its consumers are considered to be one of the most demanding in terms of the quality of alcohol drinks.

Almost a year ago the first dispatch of high-quality leading Ukrainian brands Green Day vodka and Villa Krim wines were sent to Oman after long negotiations and final agreement with Azura General Trading Ltd, our respected partner in Oman&Middle East,  comments Mr. Yuriy Hresko, business development consultant at Alef Vinal LLC.  During this year we made a good job together with our partner in the market and despite of all difficulties caused by global pandemic, we reached our goal  Ukrainian alcohol was presented to the Omani consumer as well as declared that it can be high-quality and affordable at the same time.

The sales results of TM Green Day and TM Villa Krim shows us the strong potential of the market so we will develop further both brands in smooth cooperation with our partner.

 Almost a year has passed since first supply of Green Day vodka and Villa Krim wines to Oman, they were the first alcohol brands we imported from Ukraine,  commented the Managing Director of Azura General Trading Ltd, Mrs. Anita Saimon,  It was hard in the very beginning because the launch period fell to the beginning of the global lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.

We planned everything very carefully, but it was hard to make any forecasts. However, our professional team along with our customers made perfect job  Green Day vodka and Villa Krim wines were successfully launched in Oman.

Because of high quality of the products they were recognized by traders and consumers and were immediately accepted by market.

Seeing the potential of the products in the market, Azura General Trading Ltd will continue to build brand knowledge and awareness of Green Day vodka and Villa Krim wines in the market which definitely cause strong sales results.
Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat, speaks during an address to attendees at Access Intelligence's SATELLITE 2017 conference about the future plans of Blue Origin in Washington, U.S. (Photo : REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo)

Rodolphe Belmer will replace Elie Girard as chief executive of Atos by early next year, the French IT consulting firm said on Wednesday, in a sudden announcement that wrapped Girard's short stint as CEO.



Belmer, 52, is the current boss of French satellite firm Eutelsat, which he joined in 2015. A graduate of France's elite HEC business school, he previously led pay-TV station Canal+, owned by media group Vivendi.



Advertisement

Speculation about the future of Girard, 43, has mounted in recent months, following a string of setbacks that sent Atos' share price down by more than 40% this year.



The most painful stemmed from accounting errors spotted by auditors for two of Atos' units in North America. The disclosure in April spooked investors and triggered a 20% fall in the firm's shares in a single day.



The audit firm eventually cleared the accounts, but several analysts said the news had further dented investors' trust in Girard's management and strategy after a failed attempt to buy DXC Technology, a deal that valued the New-York listed group at more than $10 billion in what would have been the biggest-ever acquisition for deal-hungry Atos.



The group also cut its 2021 targets in July, blaming the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.



The company's fall from investors' grace saw Atos exit France's blue-chip CAC 40 index last month and speculation about a takeover or the arrival of activist investors.



However, the group - whose top investor is German engineering and technology company Siemens and counts President Emmanuel Macron's first prime minister Edouard Philippe as a board member - is deemed strategic by the French government as it supplies secure information systems to the country's army, which could complicate any takeover.



It also owns supercomputers used to develop next-generation technologies based on artificial intelligence and deep learning.



Girard, who will leave the company on Friday, succeeded Thierry Breton, today's European industry chief, in 2019, after acting as a close aide to the former French finance minister as CFO.



A former top executive at telecoms group Orange, Girard inherited a company that had rapidly expanded through a buyout spree, which included cloud and cybersecurity firm Bull.



Atos, which plans to gradually dispose of non-core assets and seek partners for classic infrastructure activities, said Belmer's term of office would begin on Jan. 20, 2022, at the latest.



Effective Monday, Oct. 25, Pierre Barnabe and Adrian Gregory would be appointed acting co-chief executive officers until Belmer starts, the company said.


A nurse prepares to administer a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at a mobile inoculation site in the Bronx borough of New York City, New York, U.S., (Photo : REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado)

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday ordered all city employees to show proof of inoculation against COVID-19 or be placed on unpaid leave, drawing criticism from a police union which vowed to fight the mandate in court.



The mayor set a deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29, for employees to show proof to a supervisor. Seventy-one percent of all 160,000 New York City workers have already received at least one dose, the mayor said.



Advertisement

The rate among the police department, where the virus has killed more than 460 officers, was also about 71% as of Wednesday, NYPD spokesperson Sergeant Edward Riley told Reuters in an email, up from about 47% in August.



"There is no greater privilege than serving the people of New York City, and that privilege comes with a responsibility to keep yourself and your community safe," de Blasio, mayor of the most populous U.S. city, said in a statement.



But Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association representing the city's 50,000 active and retired officers, issued a statement saying they should have the opportunity to choose whether to get the vaccine.



"From the beginning of the de Blasio administration's haphazard vaccine rollout, we have fought to make the vaccine available to every member who chooses it, while also protecting their right to make that personal medical decision in consultation with their own doctor.



"Now that the city has moved to unilaterally impose a mandate, we will proceed with legal action to protect our members' rights," he said in a statement.



De Blasio cited overtime and redeployments as contingency plans should a large contingent of those officers and other unvaccinated city workers refuse to comply with the mandate.



"We have a variety of ways we can adjust the use of the workforce," he told reporters. "We feel confident that even if there's some temporary dynamic of some people not being ready right away, that we're going to find our way through it."



Municipalities, school districts and other jurisdictions throughout the country are grappling with masking and vaccination requirements. The number of new COVID-19 cases has steadily declined in the United States since a surge caused by the Delta variant of the virus during the summer.



De Blasio said employees will no longer have the option to be regularly tested instead of getting the vaccine, but added that the city will still grant medical and religious exemptions.



Mandates in New York City and state have faced many legal challenges. In most cases, courts have backed the authority of governments to mandate inoculations.



Workers at the city's Department of Education and New York City Health and Hospitals agency have been subject to vaccination mandates since September. The vaccine rate in those departments is at least 95%, de Blasio said.



Civilian employees of the city's Department of Correction (DOC) and uniformed members of the DOC assigned to hospitals and other healthcare settings are also immediately subject to the mandate.



But for other uniformed correction officers, the deadline for vaccination is Dec. 1, as the city works to address severe staffing shortages at the Rikers Island jail complex, de Blasio said.



As a sweetener, city employees will receive a $500 bonus for receiving their first shot at a city-run vaccination site by the Oct 29 deadline, de Blasio said.


A picture illustration shows U.S. 100 dollar bank notes taken in Tokyo (Photo : REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao)

China has raised $4 billion through a U.S. dollar sovereign bond issue, a term sheet showed, with the offer attracting robust demand from offshore investors despite an ongoing regulatory crackdown across industries and problems in the property market.



Investor bids for the four tranche deal reached $23.2 billion, nearly six times the amount raised, official statistics published by advisers showed on Wednesday.



Advertisement

The sale comes at a tricky time for China: its economy is slowing, while investors are worried about a regulatory crackdown and potential contagion from China Evergrande Group's debt problems.



The strong appetite came after finance ministry officials told investors on a call on Monday they were confident cash-strapped developer Evergrande posed no systemic risk, three people with knowledge of the matter said. The sources could not be named as the information had not been made public.



The Finance Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a comment.



A People's Bank of China official also said on Friday that the spillover effect of Evergrande's debt problems is controllable and individual financial institutions' risk exposures are not big https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-cbank-official-says-spillover-effect-evergrandes-debt-woes-is-controllable-2021-10-15.



Evergrande shares remain in a trading halt on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after it missed a number of offshore bond interest repayments in the past few weeks. It is grappling with more than $305 billion worth of liabilities.



The pricing for China's dollar-denominated sovereign bond was set at 6 basis points (bps) above U.S. Treasuries for the three-year tranche, 12 bps over for the five-year, 23 bps higher for the 10-year and 53 bps above for the 30-year tranche.



Final pricing for the deal was significantly lower than first flagged.



Initial pricing guidance was given to investors at 35 bps over Treasuries for the three-year tranche, 45 bps on the five-year tranche, 55 bps on the 10-year tranche and 85 bps on the 30-year tranche.



The spreads on each of the tranches were the lowest ever for a sovereign bond issue from China, the three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.



The three- and 10-year tranches each raised $1 billion, the 5-year raised $1.5 billion and the 30-year $500 million, the term sheet showed.



Asian banks were strong buyers of the shorter dated bonds because of their capital requirements, while U.S. investors were more active in purchasing the longer dated tranches, statistics on the deal showed.



The bond offering comes as the world's second-largest economy posted its slowest pace of growth https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-q3-gdp-growth-hits-1-year-low-raising-heat-policymakers-2021-10-17 in a year in the third quarter, hurt by power shortages, sporadic COVD-19 outbreaks and a weakening property sector.



Investors questioned the economic implications of the power cuts but were assured China's fundamentals remained strong, the sources with direct knowledge said.



The finance ministry also flagged that China would likely carry out a euro denominated bond before the end of the year, copying the pattern of issuance it initiated in 2020, the sources said.



The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


ASEAN summit without Myanmar leader significant, but not enough - U.S.

Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on February 1, presides at an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, (Photo : REUTERS/Stringer//File Photo)

The United States sees the decision by Southeast Asian nations to exclude Myanmar's leader from a regional summit as very significant but more needs to be done to address the challenges the country is facing after the military coup there, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.



The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided last week to invite a non-political representative from Myanmar to its Oct. 26-28 summits, snubbing military chief Min Aung Hlaing.



Advertisement

"This reflects a very significant step," Edgard Kagan, senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the White House National Security Council, told an event at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.



"Obviously, we believe that this is not enough, and addressing the challenges that are posed by the coup in Myanmar, as well as the extraordinary difficulties that people in Myanmar are facing as a result of the coup ... require a broader and I think more effective effort."



Kagan did not specify the steps needed.



But State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, who is in the region to discuss Myanmar ahead of the ASEAN summits, said in a tweet that he had had a "productive" meeting with Monetary Authority of Singapore Deputy Managing Director Ho Hern Shin.



"(W)e discussed ways to limit the Burmese military regime's access to overseas financial assets," said Chollet, a senior adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.



Blocking Min Aung Hlaing was a big step for ASEAN, whose members have longed pursued a policy of staying out of each other's affairs and have discouraged sanctions and other measures to isolate Myanmar.



Kagan said addressing the issues faced in Myanmar, also known as Burma, would require cooperation between ASEAN countries, as well as partners outside.



"It's very clear that this is not a situation that's going to get better on its own," he said, adding that the United States was willing to work with ASEAN on the issue.



"It is clear that there is growing frustration in the region with the situation with the situation in Myanmar, also growing concern. The reality is that the quality of governance in Myanmar has dropped precipitously, that the people of Myanmar are facing extraordinary challenges."


Jack Ma, billionaire founder of Alibaba Group, arrives at the "Tech for Good" Summit in Paris, France (Photo : REUTERS/Charles Platiau)

Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma was on the Spanish island of Mallorca where his luxury yacht is anchored, two Spanish newspapers said on Wednesday, on his first trip abroad since he fell out with China's regulators in 2020.



The Chinese billionaire has largely been out of public view since he publicly criticised China's regulatory system in a speech last year. His empire promptly came under heavy scrutiny by regulators, that even led to the suspension of Ant Group's $37 billion blockbuster IPO.



Advertisement

The Diario de Mallorca newspaper said Ma was seen on Tuesday in the port of Andratx buying home decor at a local store.



The superyacht Zen has been moving along Mallorca's northwestern coast for the past few days and was in Andratx on Tuesday.



It dropped anchor on Wednesday near the beach town of Santa Ponsa, but a Reuters cameraman could only see smaller support boats returning to the superyacht from the shore empty, with Ma nowhere to be seen.



Without citing any sources, El Pais newspaper said Ma had been visiting Spain's Balearic Islands since Saturday, accompanied by various Chinese business people and his security detail.



The sleek five-deck, vertical-bowed motor yacht, measuring 88 metres (289 ft), can accommodate up to 16 guests and a crew of 25, according to the Superyacht Times edition. It was built in the Netherlands and delivered in April.



Ma, a globe-trotter not known to shy away from the limelight before falling out with regulators, retired as Alibaba's chairman in 2019.



Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba, reported on Tuesday that Ma was in Spain for a study tour on agriculture and technology related to environmental issues after spending "private time" with his family in Hong Kong.



Alibaba Group's Hong Kong shares rose nearly 10% earlier on Wednesday, extending gains for the fourth consecutive session, with brokers saying that investors saw Ma's trip as a sign of the central government relaxing its scrutiny over the group.



A Spanish banking industry source told Reuters Ma had visited Mallorca in his company in 2019 and that the billionaire liked to "often spend time" in the Balearic Islands.


Actor Zoe Saldana attends a premiere of the film "Guardians of the galaxy, Vol. 2" in London (Photo : REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Files)

The new Netflix animated series "Maya and the Three" has allowed its top voice actor, Zoe Saldana, to reconnect with her Latin roots as well as her birth name.



The show, which begins streaming on Friday, gathers together mythologies from Latin American cultures to tell an epic story of four heroes who set out to defeat the gods of the underworld.



Advertisement

At the beginning of each episode, Saldana's name is shown with a tilde over the n.



Saldana has mostly been billed without the tilde in projects like "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Avengers: Endgame" but now she wants to move forward with it written correctly.



"It happened so young when my name was stripped from me," said Saldana. "My kindergarten teacher, I remember, said you're not Saldana, that letter doesn't exist and so we can't pronounce that.



"This is important. My name was taken from me and I want it back. I want to see my name how it's written on my birth certificate and so it feels really good," she said.



Saldana hopes the series sparks curiosity about Latin culture. "Aztec culture, Mayan culture, Incan culture, the Arawaks - who are the Arawaks of the Caribbean? Because these are civilizations that basically define Latinos.



"We're finally here. I get to share what I'm most excited about, which is my heritage," she said.


The logo of French cosmetics group L'Oreal in the western Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret, France, (Photo : REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo)

L'Oreal on Thursday posted better-than-expected revenue growth for the third-quarter, fuelled by continued strong demand for its luxury lines and sustained growth in China.



The French group, which owns brands like Lancome and makes Armani cosmetics, saw luxury sales surge over 20%, as it benefited from e-commerce channels it expanded during the pandemic and stores that reopened.



Advertisement

Though mainland China continued to post double-digit growth during the quarter, helped by strong demand for hair and skincare products, growth was tempered by a resurgence of some regional coronavirus curbs.



Chief Executive Nicolas Hieronimus said the restrictions had mostly impacted in-store sales and that the country's e-commerce business continued to flourish.



"China's population and its middle classes are increasing and their appetite for beauty is not satisfied," Hieronimus told analysts in a call.



China last year became the world's second-largest market for beauty and personal care products after the United States, according to market research firm Statista, as a growing middle class and social media influence boosted demand for premium brands.



Calls from the Chinese government for a "common prosperity" - a broad policy drive to narrow the gap between rich and poor - have however stoked investor concerns the state could seek to restrict high-end purchases.



But Hieronimus said that efforts to redistribute wealth would likely increase the middle classes and benefit L'Oreal's business.



He said that premium lines were L'Oreal's fastest growing categories in China, citing cosmetics brands Lancome Absolue and Helena Rubinstein.



The company reported sales up 13.1% from July to September, excluding currency swings and acquisitions, materially beating analysts' forecasts.



Consensus estimates cited by Deutsche Bank had predicted growth at around 8%, fearing that demand would taper off following a post-lockdown boom.



Sales had surged 33.5% in the previous three months, when L'Oreal and fashion labels benefited from booming Chinese and U.S. demand amid easing coronavirus curbs.


Putin says Russia is mulling excluding Taliban from list of extremist groups

Russia is moving towards excluding the Taliban from its list of extremist organisations, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, a day after high-level talks between Moscow and Afghanistan's new rulers.



Russia labelled the Taliban a "terrorist organisation" in 2003 but welcomed the Taliban for talks in Moscow several times before it seized power in Afghanistan in August.



Advertisement

Earlier this week, Russia called for the mobilisation of international aid to support Afghanistan, as Moscow hosted the Taliban for an international conference.


The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) decided that two seats in each of Egypt's bank boards will be reserved for women, CBE Governor Tarek Amer told MENA, the state-owned news agency, on Wednesday.
The announcement comes two weeks after the Kuwaiti Cabinet decided to resume commercial flights from Kuwait to Egypt, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal

The Egyptian flag carrier EgyptAir announced that it will operate two weekly flights to Kuwait starting 5 September after a year hiatus due to Kuwaiti concerns over coronavirus situation in a number of countries.

In a statement, CEO of EgyptAir Airlines Amr Abul-Enein said the flag carrier will use the Boeing 737-800 and 787 Dreamliner in the flights to Kuwait.

The announcement comes two weeks after the Kuwaiti Cabinet decided to resume commercial flights from Kuwait to Egypt, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, under a set of conditions.

Kuwaiti airports will receive slightly less than 11,000 Egyptians per week following this decision, Al-Arabiya has cited sources as saying.

In August last year, Kuwait banned commercial flights to 31 countries, including Egypt, over coronavirus concerns.

Conditions for the return of flights to Kuwait, according to a statement by the Kuwaiti Centre for Government Communication on 19 August, include presenting a negative PCR lab test result conducted 72 hours at most before arrival.

The Kuwaiti airports will allow the entry of those who have received one dose of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine or two doses of the vaccines approved by Kuwait, which are Moderna, Pfizer or Astrazeneca.

Those who received two doses of the Russian Sputnik vaccine or the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines will be allowed to enter the country only after they receive a third dose of one of the approved vaccines, the centre said.

Those who received the coronavirus vaccine need to show certificates that include their names as in their passport, the vaccine type, dates of doses, vaccine provider, and QR code.

Travelers will also need to download the Kuwait Mosafer and Shlonik applications. Shlonik assists the Kuwaiti health ministry in following up on the condition of incoming travelers in isolation.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


In the latest flurry of meetings in the evolving relationship between Egypt and Libya talks have covered a wide-range of political, security and economic issues.

On 14 September, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi met with Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh and the General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar. According to a statement released by the Egyptian presidency, the discussions focused on the latest political and security developments in Libya.

The Libyan political roadmap is at a crucial juncture, with the legislative and presidential elections scheduled for 24 December fast approaching. And now that Haftar has announced his intention to run for president, the elections have assumed significant military and security related dimensions. If Haftar does run, he will have to resign his military posts, and do so quickly given that recent legislation allows military officials to field themselves in the presidential polls on condition they resign three months ahead of the vote. Cairo is naturally concerned to know how Haftars border security functions will be fulfilled in his absence.

Meanwhile, the entire Libyan government visited Cairo last week. Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dabeiba arrived with 30 cabinet members for the second round of meetings of the Egyptian-Libyan Supreme Joint Committee. During the first meeting in April, the Egyptian prime minister headed Egypts delegation to Tripoli where a raft of bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed. They included executive agreements on major infrastructure projects such as the third Libyan ring road which will be built by a group of Egyptian contractors.

Egypt will make a great contribution to Libyan reconstruction, said Libyan Minister of State for the Economy Salama Al-Ghawil. Egypt has the ability to get things done, and a majority of Libyans believes Cairo has no ambitions in Libya, unlike many other parties which are thirsting to get their hands on Libyas wealth.

Al-Ghawil estimated that Egypt is likely to have a $70 billion share in Libyas reconstruction programme. According to Egyptian sources, Egyptian firms have already begun work on some projects after having received the go-ahead from the Egyptian government. The Egyptian and Libyan authorities, they say, see eye-to-eye on the urgency of completing essential infrastructure projects as quickly as possible.

The reconstruction drive dovetails neatly with Cairos vision for a comprehensive solution to the Libyan crisis. That solution consists of five pillars: the preservation of Libyan national unity and integrity; the belief that a political solution is the only viable path out of the crisis; the rehabilitation of Libyan national sovereignty and an end to foreign intervention in Libyan affairs, including the removal of all forms of foreign military presence and the dismantling of militias dependent on foreign support; the equitable distribution of national wealth among all sectors of the Libyan population, and an end to the bifurcation of government institutions.

Cairo wants Libya to be firmly on the path to stability and recovery after a decade of conflict and anarchy. While the forthcoming elections are a crucial step towards this end, they are only one part of a multidimensional process. Elections were, after all, held in Libya in 2012, only to serve as a prelude to polarisation and schism, and subsequent interim phase agreements, which in the end were not that different in substance to the current agreement, invariable broke down in their final phases.

Cairo has two basic concerns. The first is to prevent a collapse of the political process, not just before, but also after the elections. It is crucial for all parties to accept the results of the polls if Libya is to avert a repetition of the 2012 scenario.

The second concern relates to national security concerns and the impact on continued instability or, worse, military re-escalation in Libya.

Last weeks developments in Egyptian-Libyan relations cannot be divorced from the second round of exploratory talks between Egypt and Turkey earlier this month. Libya has been a central concern of both rounds, with Cairo insisting Ankara end its military presence in Libya and remove its mercenaries before bilateral relations are normalised.

There is considerable international support for Egypts position, which is consistent with the outputs of the Berlin Conference on Libya.

There is little doubt that Turkey has been involved in attempts to undermine the Libyan political process. According to a Libyan political figure who took part in the Libyan consultative dialogue sponsored by the Swiss-based Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) Centre last week, a group of Libyans scheduled to take part in the dialogue flew first to Ankara. While there they agreed to form a 26 member committee consisting of members of the House of Representatives (HoR) and the Higher Council of State (HCS) in order to rewrite the recently passed election law. Although the final statement of the consultative meeting stressed the need for the HoR and HCS to reach a consensus on the legislation, the participants rejected the proposals that had been brought from Turkey.

Not that this was the end of Turkish machinations. After the Geneva dialogue, the HCS persisted in its plan to produce an alternative to the election law recently passed by the HoR. The text, which has been submitted to the Supreme Electoral Commission, includes the stipulation that military figures who want to run for political office must resign two years ahead of the elections. The obvious purpose of this text is to exclude Haftar from running. Another provision, designed with Seif Al-Islam Gaddafi in mind, bans individuals who have had judicial sentences handed down against them or are wanted on criminal charges from running for high office. A source close to Gaddafis son described the HCS action as an attempt to politicise the law.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

Search Keywords:

Short link:


National flag carrier EgyptAir will operate a weekly air service from Sharm El-Sheikh to Luxor starting 27 October, with seats available at the fixed price of EGP 1,800 ($121) per round trip.

Minister of Tourism Khaled El-Enani and Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar made the remarks in a meeting on Thursday.

The ministers agreed in principle that the new air service, halted since 2015, will include one weekly flight, a statement by the Ministry of Civil Aviation read.

The authorities will determine the best timing for the new services weekly flight based on the visitors tourist programs and in a way that enables them to enjoy Luxor, according to the statement.

The new service will allow visitors to tour Luxor, visit its museums and archaeological sites, ride horse-drawn carriages, make Nile cruises, enjoy the citys charming atmosphere, and visit traditional markets offering heritage products and handicrafts.

The new service is part of efforts to integrate leisure and cultural tourism and allow visitors to enjoy several tourist attractions during their visit to Egypt, the statement read.

This comes through linking the Nile Valley cities with other coastal tourist cities via domestic flight services, the statement said.

The air service between the two cities will be launched as per the request of the private tourism sector, the Egyptian Tourism Federation, and the Egyptian Travel Agents Association.

The meeting also discussed operating other flights connecting airports in all tourist governorates, according to the statement.

The ministers also coordinated to increase the number of flights on 21 October due to demand to visit Aswans Abu Simbel temple to watch the solar alignment.

Egypt also plans over the coming years to establish a high-speed railway line connecting the Red Seas Hurghada and Safaga with Upper Egypts Qena and Luxor.

Another line will link the Sixth of October City in Giza with Luxor and Aswan.

Two million people work in Egypts tourism sector, which represents a big part of the national economy and is a main source of hard currency for the country.

In June 2020, Egypt resumed international flights after a three-month-suspension due to pandemic, opening its major tourist attractions amid strict coronavirus measures.

The country announced earlier this year that it had vaccinated all workers in the tourism sector in its Red Sea resorts, with vaccination efforts for tourism workers in Luxor and Aswan ongoing.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed several issues with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday in a video call, including the developments in Libya and the latest developments with regards to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Egyptian presidency said.

El-Sisi and Merkel discussed the latest developments concerning the Libyan crisis, where they agreed on the necessity of moving forward with the political process in Libya, holding elections in the country in December, and the exit of all foreign forces from the country.

President El-Sisi also reiterated Egypt's stance on reaching a legally binding agreement on the operation and filling policies of the dam.

The Egyptian president discussed the Egyptian efforts to cement the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and to reconstruct the strip, as well as its efforts to revive the peace process based on international resolutions.

For her part, Merkel expressed appreciation for the Egyptian efforts in this regard, saying that her country is keen on exchanging views on this matter.

The two leaders also discussed boosting the bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially in commerce exchange and increasing German tourism to Egypt, as well as cooperation in new and renewable energy and education.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The Egyptian Armed Forces and Spains Grifols company inaugurated on Wednesday an integrated plasma collection centre in 6th of October city, Giza, the first of its kind in Africa and the Middle East.

The Egyptian Armed Forces and Spains Grifols company inaugurated on Wednesday a plasma collection centre in 6 October city, Giza, which is the first of its kind in Africa and the Middle East.

The centre, which aims to achieve self-sufficiency in plasma-derived medicines, was established in cooperation between the armys National Service Projects Organisation (NSPO) and Spain's leading pharmaceutical company, according to a statement by the army spokesman.

Egypts Health Minister Hala Zayed, Minister of Higher Education Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, the CEO of Grifols Spain and the CEO of Grifols Egypt, a number of army commanders, and specialists in plasma derivatives attended the inauguration.

The plasma collection centre is the culmination of a long-term partnership aiming to consolidate healthcare in Egypt by establishing 20 centres for plasma donation, the spokesman said.

This comes in parallel with the establishment of a factory for manufacturing plasma-derived medicines, a laboratory, and a central plasma storage facility.

The facilities are established in accordance with the latest international systems, ensuring they obtain the international accreditations necessary for the project, the spokesman added.

The inaugurated centre contains a plasma donation centre, a plasma testing laboratory, a training centre affiliated to Grifols training academy.

The academy is tasked with carrying out programmes for maintaining development and is overseeing the technical education of the centre workers.

This is part of Egypts efforts to reach the highest standards in the systems of all medical disciplines to provide adequate healthcare to the Egyptian citizen, the statement added.

Over the past year, Egypt has been eyeing the plasma collection field to secure the plasma-derived medicines necessary to help patients with chronic diseases.

In July, Egypt launched the national plasma donation project as part of a presidential initiative for the production and self-sufficiency of plasma derivatives.

The project is set to help achieve self-sufficiency in plasma derivatives, thus providing medicines for many chronic diseases, liver and kidney illnesses, and burns.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The judge in charge of the investigation into the 2011 foreign funding case, Ali Mokhtar, dropped on Thursday all charges against four civil society organisations due to insufficient evidence, thus bringing the total number of NGOs that had their charges dropped in the case to 75, comprising over 220 individuals.

The four NGOs are Ibn Khaldun Centre for Development Studies (ICDS), Development and Institutionalisation Support Center (DISC), Al-Salam Centre for Human Development, and Nazra for Feminist Studies.

The judge also lifted the travel bans and asset freezes that had been imposed on the staff of the four NGOs, according to a judicial statement,

The ruling was issued based on a lack of complete certainty that the accusations were accurate, the statement explained.

The controversial case dates back to the January 2011 Revolution that toppled late President Hosni Mubarak and involves dozens of defendants and entities.

Mokhtar is the latest in a series of investigating judges who have been delegated by the Cairo Court of Appeals to investigate the report with a fact-finding committee formed in 2011 to examine the foreign funding of NGOs.

The charges against 75 NGOs have been dropped so far over the course of four judicial rulings issued over the past two years.

In September, Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced that 2022 will be the Year of Civil Society, as the country launched a new National Strategy for Human Rights.

El-Sisi stressed that the Egyptian state is committed to respecting and protecting personal freedoms, political participation, freedom of expression, and the right to form NGOs.

He also called on the civil society sector to cooperate with the states institutions to spread awareness on human rights and to contribute to achieving the aspirations of the Egyptian people.

In 2020, Egypt ratified the bylaws of a new NGO law to regulate the work of tens of thousands of NGOs in Egypt. The previous version of the law was criticized for imposing steep restrictions on the work of these organisations in the country.

Judge Mokhtar called upon all NGOs in Egypt to settle their legal status as soon as possible in line with the new law.

Failure to legalise their status one year after the issuance of the laws executive regulation carries a fine of up to EGP 1 million, the judge said.

The executive regulation for the amended law was issued by the Egyptian prime minister in January 2021.

Judge Mokhtar stressed that NGOs have an active role in achieving sustainable development in countries and can act as a major partner for countries to confront various challenges.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held a meeting in Tripoli on Thursday morning with interim Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbeibah ahead of attending an international conference to support Libyan stability later today.

According to a statement by the foreign ministry, Shoukry affirmed to Dbeibah, who is the head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU), Egypts support of all efforts aiming at fully implementing the roadmap agreed upon by Libyans and ensuring the exit of all military and armed foreign troops from the country.

"This should come in a way that meets the aspirations of the Libyan people toward a better future and contributes to restoring Libyan security, stability, and territorial integrity and sovereignty," Shoukry said.

Delegates from 31 countries and international organisations are participating in the conference, including the UN, the European Union, the Arab League, and the African Union.

This includes Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Malta, Chad, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Turkey, the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Russia, China, and DR Congo.

The Tripoli conference comes two months ahead of planned parliamentary and presidential elections, which are scheduled for 24 December as part of the political roadmap agreed to by all Libyan parties in a United Nations-led peace process.

Egypt has affirmed on several occasions the necessity of holding the Libyan elections on schedule, as a step toward ending the decade-long of conflict in the country.

On Monday, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel the necessity of moving forward with the political process in Libya, holding elections in the country in December, and the exit of all foreign forces from the country.

In September, Libya's eastern-based parliament passed a no-confidence vote in the Libyan unity government, posing a new challenge for holding the planned elections. The vote, however, failed to secure the minimum legal threshold to oust the government.

The Egyptian foreign minister stressed at the time that the roadmap agreed upon by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum and supported by the UN Security Council remains as the approach adopted by the international community to end the conflict in Libya.

Shoukry also met today with Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush as well as his counterparts from Tunisia, Algeria, Greece, and Chad on the sidelines of the conference.

Bilateral relations

Shoukry and Dbeibah also followed up during the meeting on developments of Egyptian-Libyan relations in light of the latest round of meetings of the Egyptian-Libyan joint higher committee in September.

Dbeibah hailed Egypts role and supportive efforts to achieve stability in Libya, advance political settlement, and bring the views of Libyan parties closer.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Egypts Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry called on Thursday for the exit of all foreign armed forces, fighters, and mercenaries from Libya by a strictly defined timeframe.

In a speech in front of the Libya Stabilisation Conference in Tripoli, Shoukry called for the implementation of all terms of the ceasefire agreement, including freezing any military agreements signed by the two Libyan factions.

Despite not naming them, Shoukrys words referred to two memoranda of understanding signed by the Turkish and Libyan government on maritime borders and security in November 2019, which Egypt has long rejected and condemned.

Egypt also called for the adoption of programmes to disarm the members of militant groups and rehabilitate them so that they may re-enter society.

The Egyptian foreign minister called on the international community to play its role in holding parties seeking to evade their obligations and violating international decisions accountable and ensuring that they fulfill their responsibilities.

Stability has demands, starting with ceasing violence and escalation and building bridges of peace to achieve a comprehensive complete national reconciliation in a way to achieve sustainable social peace and protect the national identity of Libya, Shoukry addressed the conference.

Shoukry added that it is important to equitably distribute Libyas wealth to achieve complete development across the country.

The foreign minister also hinted that Egypt is coordinating with the United States and EU to implement Libyas economic reform agenda to ensure the fair end efficient utilisation of Libyas natural resources.

On the sidelines of the conference, Shoukry met with a number of Libyan officials according to the Foreign Ministry, specifically Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya Mohamed Al-Menfi and his deputies Abdullah Allafi and Musa Al-Kuni.

Earlier today, Shoukry discussed with his Libyan counterpart Najla El Mangoush ways to boost the ongoing efforts to realise an all-out political settlement for the crisis in Libya.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


From the thick volumes of history on the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt that have consumed years of his academic work, historian Mohamed Afifi decided to dig out the story of the historical figure Muallem Ya'coub Hana (General Ya'coub) for his first novel, titled Yacoub.

The novel, published in 2021 by Dar AlShrouk, is less than 130 pages long and is part of the increasingly popular genre of historical fiction. It also falls under the equally popular biographical fiction genre.

The novel offers its reader a smooth blend of history and biography. The most captivating part, however, is the way the novel challenges a wide range of taboos, without regard to political correctness, and how it deconstructs what has been long accepted as historical fact.

Afifi does what a historian should always do, remind the reader that there is no single narrative and that nothing is 100 percent right or wrong.

Ahram Online: You have been heavily involved in producing history books, and then suddenly a novel

Mohamed Afifi: This novel had been a dream that I wanted to fulfil for quite a while. I could call it a delayed dream that came true. I had wanted to write a novel and to do documentaries with a history background.

This is not just about my work as a historian, but also about the fact that even as a young kid I was always interested in movies that tell historical stories, like Youssef Chahines Saladin for example, and in novels that recount full episodes from history, including the literary work of Gorguie Zidan [a late 19th and early 20th century historian, novelist and journalist of Lebanese origin who lived mostly in Egypt].

Actually, my decision to study history at university was inspired by the interest I developed from watching movies and reading literature. I think cinema and literature allow for history to be offered in a broader sense where creativity steps in to add some details that might be missing.

And this is what I was trying to do when I sat down to write Yacoub.

AO: The novel contains quite a few personal accounts. Would you classify this as a biographical/historical novel?

MA: Not really. I mean, there are elements there that could be of a biographical nature, but this was more of a literary trick because this novel is not exactly about the student of history who is haunted by the story of Ya'coub, nor is it about Ya'coub himself.

The novel is designed to share questions with its reader. The trick of the novelist, rather than the historian here, is to blend the world of documented history with fiction in order to approach some issues that do not strictly relate to Egypt or the French campaign, but to history and life at large. The questions in this novel relate to people who live in Cairo [almost as much] as they do to people who live in Baghdad or Rabat.

The objective was not just to dig out a story from the archives, interesting as it might have been. The objective is ultimately to approach taboos and to actually challenge these taboos.

AO: This novel offers alternative narratives regarding the French campaign. It actually goes against what history curricula have been teaching students for so many years.

MA: Absolutely. I think we need to rethink the way we study history in schools. But I know that this is not at all an easy task and it is not something that could be done independently of everything else that is happening around us.

Changing the way we study history in schools requires many other changes. Society has to be willing to rethink things that were for long accepted as unchallenged facts. Society needs to have a space where free discussion is exercised comfortably and where there is no fear of approaching or even challenging taboos.

The history curricula are about the sacred national narrative that is designed along the very narrow lines of good citizens and bad citizens. This is certainly the wrong starting point.

Then there is this concept that students learn that history is almost a mechanical sequence of events, where point A will definitely lead to point B. This is the wrong concept of history to start with.

So, there are no five or six or seven reasons that led to the 1919 Revolution as the curricula teaches students. And we do not need to think of Khedive Ismail or King Farouq in the simplistic terms of good or bad rulers. In history, actually there is not that much room for black and white narratives, because this is not how it works in life.

AO: Many of these narratives have been revisited recently on quite a large scale.

MA: Yes, because of the changes that our society has been going through, with the IT revolution, the independent press, and the January Revolution.

However, this is [yet to be] reflected in the way we teach history in schools.

AO: Your novel takes quite a few daring steps in discussing the history of the Coptic Church and the history of some particularly controversial Coptic figures, like Ya'coub. Clearly, you are an expert on the issue as a historian, but were you not hesitant to delve into this as a novelist given that you are Muslim?

MA: No, not at all. As an Egyptian, and not just as a historian, I think of Coptic history at large, and not just of the history of the Church of Egypt, as part of my own history.

Having been brought up in Shubra, which was a very mixed community in the middle of the 20th century, I never thought of Copts as being different from Muslims. I have clear childhood memories of my mother passing by St Theresa Church to light a candle for health before taking me for a medical checkup. So, I really have no inhibitions there. One of the things I am hoping this novel will do is to drop this inhibition of who is Muslim and who is Christian when we discuss history.

AO: You also took some daring steps in challenging the established assumptions about good and bad people in the modern history of Egypt. You did this at a time when things seem to be falling more into a narrow narrative.

MA: All the more reason. I think we need to work on [deconstructing] these assumptions. Take for example [late Egyptian president] Gamal Abdel-Nasser.

Every year, on the anniversary of the 5 June [1967 military defeat] and on 28 September [the anniversary of Nassers death], we have a very tough war of words between those who categorically think that Nasser was a hero and those who categorically think the opposite.

I am not suggesting that we should all agree that he was partially bad or good, but I am saying that there is no need for either side to throw harsh accusations in the face of the other side on the basis of their assessment of Nasser.

Political figures are very layered characters and they cannot be reduced to the limited juxtaposition of black or white.

AO: This nuanced profile is what your novel is trying to grant to Muallam/General Yacoub, who is one of the most criticised characters in the official historical narrative. He is generally portrayed and perceived as a traitor who helped the French occupation of Egypt.

MA: Yacoub is a very nuanced character who has many contradictory elements It was not an easy job to draw the details of this character in the novel, because even though this is a work of fiction, ultimately the writer is sometimes unable to escape some inevitable self-censorship  even when challenging taboos was one of his original purposes.

AO: But despite this self-censorship, you did speak of Yacoubs bisexuality, his not so entirely covert affair with a French soldier. You even went further and spoke about the homosexuality of a leading Sheikh, Ismail El-Khashab.

MA: Yes, because in the case of Yacoub, I thought that his sexuality is very compatible with his politics  not in the primitive sense of right and wrong according to any particular set of norms, but in the sense of being someone who did not hesitate to step away from accepted norms and to actually be almost vocal about it, in politics as in sexuality.

In the case of Sheikh El-Khashab, his sexual orientation is mentioned openly in the history books. And again, the purpose is not to refer to sexual preferences, but to reflect on nuanced nature of humanity.

AO: Your publisher did not object to this part?

MA: No, my publisher had no quarrel with the manuscript at all.

AO: You plainly state that the French campaign in Egypt was a foreign occupation. Still, your novel attempts to deconstruct the common narrative about it and to offer a perspective that is more layered, especially in relation to Egyptians who chose to cooperate with the leaders of the campaign.

MA: True. Again, the French campaign was not black and white. And again, the choices of political players should not be measured from a black and white perspective. This is about Yacoub, who in his own way of thinking was inclined to find the campaign to be somehow useful. It is also about [late president Anwar] Sadat, who, according to the memoires of several diplomats who served with him, often said that when he made some concessions for Israel, he did so with the intention of compelling Israeli leaders to make more consequential compromises.

This is not to say that Yacoub was right or wrong, or that Sadat was right or wrong. That is to say that things are nuanced, and that in a given moment in history, this one person thought this way and believed he was acting in the good of the entire nation.

AO: Is Yacoub a one off? Do you think you will delve more into history for your fiction?

MA: The idea of firmly separating history and fiction is currently under revision in many quarters. I know I want to bring different ideas to the keen audience I am currently working on my second novel I am not sure what will come after, maybe history books, maybe more fiction, maybe documentaries and maybe all of the above.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Video gamers in California consume more electricity than entire nations. The average Tanzanian used only one-sixth the electricity consumed by a typical American refrigerator in 2014.

Globally, the top 10% of countries consume 20 times more energy than the bottom 10%. And 1.1 billion sub-Saharan Africans share the same amount of power generation capacity as Germany's 83 million people. At least half have no access to electricity at all.

These stark energy inequalities are fueling thorny debates around financing Africa's energy future as world leaders and their negotiators prepare for COP26, the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

One increasingly common theme from wealthy countries including those responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions over time is a vow that they will cease public funding for all (or nearly all) fossil fuel projects in less developed countries, even as they continuefinancing, and in many cases heavilysubsidizing, fossil fuels in their own.

It is generally easier for countries that offer overseas development finance for energy projects to make low-carbon rules for others, rather than for themselves. For example, China, Japan and South Korea . some of the world's highest coal-consuming nations have each recently pledged to stop funding coal projects overseas and increase investments in renewables. But they have made no equivalent commitments at home.

The US Treasury and the United Kingdom's development finance institution, CDC Group, have taken a more nuanced approach. They are limiting all coal and oil-based power generation projects and leaving a narrow window available for natural gas projects in poor countries that pass a rigorous screening process. This is roughly similar to the approach of the World Bank.

As experiencedclean energy policy researchers, we believe the blunt exclusion of all nonrenewable energy projects from development finance is an inequitable and ineffective climate strategy that gaslights over 1 billion Africans.

Tiny climate gains, major development losses

Focusing on limiting the emissions of the world's poorest countries while emissions continue to rise in industrialized countries is clearly misdirected in our view. Given stark inequalities in energy use and emissions, this could instead entrench poverty and widen inequality induced by worsening climate change, while simultaneously accomplishing very little to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Together, the US, UK, European Union, Japan and Russia have almost the same population 1.1 billion people as sub-Saharan Africa, but 35 times more gas-fired power plants in operation or under development, and 52 times more coal plants.

When it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, sub-Saharan Africa is collectively responsible for barely half a percent of all global emissions over time, while the US, UK, EU, Japan and Russia are responsible for more than 100 times that amount, or about 57%.

The upper bound for Africa's future growth in power sector emissions is also negligible. If the region's electricity demand hypothetically tripled tomorrow, rather than doubling by 2040 as the International Energy Agency recently forecast, and if only natural gas was used to meet the new demand, annual global emissions would increase by only 0.62%, according to one estimate. That's equivalent to the state of Louisiana's annual emissions today.

What's more, the share of renewable power in many sub-Saharan African national grids is already higher than for nearly all the big greenhouse gas emitters. In at least six countries Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique and Uganda renewables make up more than 50% of their annual generation. In 2018, hydropower, geothermal, solar and wind made up about 20% of the continent's total power generated.

Most of the region will find renewable power to be the fastest and cheapest way to expand their generation capacity, but some areas may still need to rely on some fossil fuels in various sectors of the economy as they develop.

It has been clear for decades that the world needs to rapidly and aggressively cut its greenhouse gas emissions to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Many regions in Africa, including the Sahel and Mozambique, are already facing the effects of climate change, including worsening droughts, food insecurity and severe storms. Adapting to climate change and building resilience requires the very energy, economic development and infrastructure currently lacking in some of the most affected regions and those least prepared to adapt.

Climate colonialism and legacies of colonization

Other experts agree that this direction of climate policy is not just ineffective, it's rooted in the historic inequities of colonialism.

The philosopher Olufmi O. Taiwo defines climate colonialism as the "deepening or expansion of foreign domination through climate initiatives that exploit poorer nations' resources or otherwise compromises their sovereignty."

Colonialism's legacy is a contributing factor to a wide range of issues, from conflict to corruption, and to the poor state of electricity access across much of Africa today.

While industrializing nations in the 1900s were building electricity grids through massive public spending campaigns, like Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal in the United States and the Electricity Supply Act of 1926 in the UK, most of Africa was being actively pilfered of its rich natural resources. Much of the infrastructure built in colonial Africa during that time was built only to facilitate resource extraction operations, such as mined commodities, oil, timber, rubber, tea, coffee and spices.

In 1992, a coalition of low-income nations successfully advocated for the UN's climate mitigation pathways to include their right to development, and a "common but differentiated responsibility" to address the dual problems of development and climate change. This language has long been the basis of equity considerations in climate policy, including in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which expects deeper emissions cuts from developed countries based on their "respective capabilities".

A transition from what?

Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recently described "energy transition" as "a curious term" when applied universally, given the energy shortfalls in countries like Nigeria. He has argued for an energy transition in which Africa can develop quickly and grow. Increasing electricity in industrializing regions of sub-Saharan Africa would first power income-generating activities and public services, both drivers of economic growth.

Equitable and effective climate negotiations will require nuanced policy considerations that balance the priorities of alleviating energy poverty with urgent climate change mitigation and adaptation. A just energy transition would leave African governments to make and implement policies and deliver on their own national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement rather than shouldering the West's.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


As a glowing sun sank behind the sandy barrier that cuts across the disputed territory of Western Sahara, Sidati Ahmed's battalion launched two missiles that sizzled through the air and then followed with an artillery attack.

Within minutes, a barrage of mortar shells flew in the opposite direction, from Moroccan positions, landing with a thick column of smoke in the barren desert of what is known as Africa's last colony.

'Low-intensity hostilities,'' as a recent United Nations report describes them, have raged for the past year along the 2,700-kilometer (1,700-mile) berm a barrier second in length only to the Great Wall of China that separates the part of Western Sahara that Morocco rules from the sliver held by the Polisario Front, which wants the territory to be independent. Both sides claim the area in its entirety.

For nearly 30 years this swath of North African desert about the size of Colorado that sits on vast phosphate deposits, faces rich fishing grounds and is believed to have off-shore oil reserves has existed in limbo, awaiting a referendum that was supposed to let the local Sahrawi people decide their future. Instead, as negotiations over who would be allowed to vote dragged on, Morocco tightened its control of the territory, which was a Spanish colony until 1975.

Last year, the Polisario Front announced that it would no longer abide by the 1991 cease-fire that ended its 16-year guerilla war with Morocco.

The decision was fueled by frustration among younger Sahrawi many of whom were born in refugee camps in Algeria, have never lived in their ancestral homeland, and are tired of waiting for the UN promised referendum.

'Everybody is ready for war,'' said Ahmed, who spent more than half of his 32 years in Cuba before returning to enlist for battle when the truce ended last year.

'We are fed up. The only thing that is going to bring our homeland back to us is this,' Ahmed said pointing at his AK-47 weapon, as he stood on the front line in Mahbas. The region, at the crossroads of Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria, is where most of the exchanges of fire take place.

Ahmed is typical of a generation of Sahrawi youth, most of whom traveled abroad to study from Spain to Libya but returned to the camps to form families. And they've told their elders that they don't want to die in exile, with no future to offer to their own children.

'Life abroad can be tempting,' said Omar Deidih, a baby-faced soldier and cybersecurity student who on a recent visit to the front line organized by the Polisario spoke to foreign reporters in fluent English. 'But the most important thing is that we have fresh blood in this new phase of the struggle.''

The possibility, however remote, that clashes could escalate into a full-out regional war may be the Polisario's only hope of drawing attention to a conflict with few known casualties in a vast but forgotten corner of the desert. Many in the camps feel that efforts to finally settle the status of Western Sahara have languished since Morocco proposed greater autonomy for the territory in 2004.

The front's hopes for independence suffered a major blow last year when the US in the waning days of the Trump administration backed Morocco's claim to the territory, as part of efforts to get Morocco to recognize Israel. Other countries, including the Polisario's main ally Algeria, recognize Western Sahara as independent, while still more support UN efforts for a negotiated solution.

The rising tensions have gotten the attention of the UN, whose Minurso force oversaw the cease-fire and whose secretary-general recently appointed Staffan de Mistura, a seasoned Italian diplomat and former UN envoy for Syria, to take charge of the negotiations.

The Polisario's leader, Brahim Ghali, last week warned that de Mistura must be given a clear mandate from the Security Council to carry out a referendum. Western Sahara will be before the Council on Oct. 28, when members vote on whether to extend the Minurso mission.

Achieving progress is also a matter of legitimacy for the Polisario. After years of internal division, the new hostilities have rallied pro-independence supporters around its leadership, but many fear that the lack of results could lead to more radicalization.

In the camps, the live fire from the front line reverberates strongly among refugees, who were forced to confront the precariousness of their existence when the humanitarian aid they rely on slowed to a trickle during the pandemic.

Medical missions were halted, medicine was in short supply and prices of camel, goat and chicken meat all went up, said 29-year old Dahaba Chej Baha, a refugee in the Boujdour camp. On a recent morning, the mother of a 3-year-old was sheltering in the shade while in her third hour of waiting for an Algerian truck to deliver gas canisters.

'Everything is so difficult here,'' Chej Baha said, adding that those who would typically find ways to work overseas and send money back have become trapped because of pandemic-related travel restrictions. 'I don't like war, but I feel that nothing is going to change without it.'

Meima Ali, another mother, with three kids, said she was against the war, but that her voice was not listened to in a community dominated by men.

'My husband has to decide between finding work or looking like a traitor for not going to the front,' she said. 'How am I going to survive without him? Here, we live as if we were dead.''

Morocco denies that there is an armed conflict raging in what it calls its 'southern provinces,' where about 90,000 Sahrawi people are estimated to live alongside 350,000 Moroccans. Morocco has told the UN mission that its troops only return fire 'in cases of direct threat'' and 'always in proportion to actions'' of the Polisario.

In a response to questions from The Associated Press, the Moroccan government said that there have been 'unilateral attacks'' by the Polisario but no casualties on the Moroccan side.

It called any effort to portray the conflict as something bigger 'propaganda elements intended for the media'' and 'desperate gesticulations to attract attention.''

Intissar Fakir, an expert on the region for the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said that a full-fledged conflict which could pit Morocco and Algeria against each other wasn't in anyone's interest. But she said that negotiating a lasting solution wouldn't be easy either.

'Maybe in terms of international law, the Polisario have their standing, but I think Morocco here is the strongest it has ever been with the U.S. recognition and de facto control over most of the territory,'' she said. But the Polisario, she added, 'is more entrenched in their own position because they really have kind of nothing to lose at this point.''

Although many interviewed by the AP at the camps or on the front line expressed frustration with the years of negotiations that the Polisario defended until last year, open criticism is hard to come by in such a tight community.

Baali Hamudi Nayim, a veteran of the 1970s and 1980s war against Mauritania and Morocco, said he had been against the 1991 cease-fire.

'If it was up to me, the time for a political solution without any guarantees, through the UN or others, is over,'' said Hamudi, who is back in his guerrilla attire to oversee battalions in the restive Mahbas. 'For me, the solution is a military one.''

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The head of the Lebanese Forces Christian group, Samir Geagea, has been summoned for questioning over deadly violence that erupted at a Shia rally last week, a judicial official said Thursday.

The head of the Lebanese Forces Christian group, Samir Geagea, has been summoned for questioning over deadly violence that erupted at a Shia rally last week, a judicial official said Thursday.

Seven people were killed in Beirut on October 14 during a protest organised by the Shia movements Amal and Hezbollah to demand Tarek Bitar, the judge investigating Beirut's powerful port blast, be removed.

Hezbollah and Amal accused the Lebanese Forces (LF), which supports the probe, of being responsible for sniper fire against the protesters that ignited street clashes.

The Christian group denies the charges.

Fadi Akiki, a representative of the military court, had "instructed the army intelligence to summon Geagea and take his statement based on information provided by arrested LF members", the judicial official said.

Twenty-six people were arrested after the violence in the heart of the Lebanese capital, most of them LF members, the official said on Thursday.

The exact circumstances of the violence remain unclear.

Geagea has denied responsibility for the deaths, saying that residents of Beirut's Christian neighbourhood of Ain al-Remmaneh had "defended" themselves against "Hezbollah militiamen who tried to enter their homes".

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Monday that his Iran-backed movement had 100,000 armed fighters at its disposal, and warned it is against sparking any "civil war".

On Thursday, Geagea told the Lebanon's MTV channel he was not aware of the summons.

"I am ready to appear before the judge, on one condition: that Hassan Nasrallah does it before me," he said.

Nasrallah has been in hiding since the war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.

Tensions flared after Bitar summoned two Amal former ministers for questioning as part of the investigation into last year's devastating Beirut port blast.

The explosion of a huge stockpile of poorly stored fertiliser on the dockside on August 4, 2020 killed more than 210 people, wounded thousands and ravaged half the capital.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Russia hosted talks on Afghanistan on Wednesday involving senior representatives of the Taliban and neighboring nations, a round of diplomacy that underlined Moscow's clout in Central Asia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov opened the talks and emphasized that ``forming a really inclusive government fully reflecting the interests of not only all ethnic groups but all political forces of the country'' is necessary to achieve a stable peace in Afghanistan, a nation of 39 million.

Russia had worked for years to establish contacts with the Taliban, even though it designated the group a terror organization in 2003 and never took it off the list. Any contact with such groups is punishable under Russian law, but the Foreign Ministry has responded to questions about the apparent contradiction by saying its exchanges with the Taliban are essential for helping stabilize Afghanistan.

Unlike many other countries, Russia hasn't evacuated its embassy in Kabul and its ambassador has maintained regular contacts with the Taliban since they took over the Afghan capital of Kabul in August.

Lavrov commended the Taliban for their efforts to stabilize the military-political situation in the country and ensure the operation of state structures.

``We are satisfied with the level of practical interaction with Afghan authorities, which allows to effectively ensure the security of Russian citizens in Afghanistan and the unimpeded operation of our embassy in Kabul,'' Lavrov said in his opening speech.

At the same time, he emphasized the importance of respecting human rights and pursuing balanced social policies, adding that he discussed those issues with the Taliban delegation before the talks.

Lavrov said Russia would soon dispatch a shipment of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

Zamir Kabulov, the Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan who also attended the talks, said the international recognition of the Taliban will hinge on the inclusiveness of their government and their human rights record.

``We expect the Taliban to meet ... the request of the international community about inclusivity and basic human rights, which include broadly all kinds of human rights, and they confirmed that they are working on that, the process of improvement of governance, the process of improving the human rights situation,`` Kabulov told reporters.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, a deputy prime minister in the Taliban's interim government who attended Wednesday's talks, said ``the meeting is very important for stability of the entire region.''

In a conclusive statement, the participants in the talks noted that ``further practical engagement with Afghanistan needed to take into account the new reality, that is the Taliban coming to power in the country, irrespective of the official recognition of the new Afghan government by the international community.''

``Participating countries call on the current Afghan leadership to take further steps to improve governance and to form a truly inclusive government that adequately reflects the interests of all major ethno-political forces in the country,'' they said, stressing the need for the Afghan leadership to ``respect the rights of ethnic groups, women and children.''

The talks' participants called for an international donor conference under the auspices of the United Nations, ``with the understanding that the core burden of post-conflict ... reconstruction and development of Afghanistan must be shouldered by the powers which had military contingents in the country for the past 20 years.''

The Soviet Union fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with its troops withdrawing in 1989. In recent years, Moscow has made a strong comeback as an influential power broker in international talks on Afghanistan, hosting the Taliban representatives and members of other factions for bilateral and multilateral meetings.

Along with the Taliban and other Afghan factions, the so-called Moscow format talks held since 2017 also include representatives of China, Pakistan, Iran, India and the former Soviet nations in Central Asia.

Wednesday's talks were preceded earlier this week by a meeting of top diplomats from Russia, China and Pakistan. The US, which is also part of that ``troika plus'' format, didn't attend the meeting.

In explaining its absence from the meeting, the US said it supported the talks, but was unable to attend for ``logistical'' reasons. State Department spokesman Ned Price did not elaborate on those reasons but his comments came just hours before the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad resigned. The resignation was effective on Tuesday and his successor, Thomas West, was not prepared to join the Moscow meeting, officials said.

``The Troika Plus has been an effective, a constructive forum,'' Price said. ``We look forward to engaging in that forum going forward, but we're not in a position to take part this week.''

Kabulov, the Kremlin envoy, said West is expected to visit Moscow for talks next month.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted there must be no rush in officially recognizing the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, but emphasized the need to engage in talks with them.

At the same time, Putin and other Russian officials stressed the threats posed by the Islamic State group and other militants based in northern Afghanistan, and noted that drug trafficking from Afghanistan will continue to present a challenge.

``Numerous terrorist groups, notably the Islamic State and al-Qaida are trying to take advantage of the instability in the country mounting bloody attacks,'' Lavrov said. ``There is a real danger of terrorism and drugs spilling into the neighboring nations under the guise of migration.''

Russia's top diplomat urged the Taliban ``not to allow the territory of Afghanistan (to be) used against the interests of any third countries, primarily its neighbors, our friends and allies in Central Asia.''

Russia has vowed to provide military assistance to its ex-Soviet allies in Central Asia to help counter the threats, and held joint drills in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which neighbor Afghanistan. Another sweeping military exercise in Tajikistan involving 5,000 troops, more than 700 military vehicles and combat jets has started this week.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The WHO said Thursday that 80,000 to 180,000 health care workers may have been killed by Covid-19 up to May this year, insisting they must be prioritised for vaccination.

The World Health Organization said the fact that millions of health workers remain unvaccinated is an "indictment" on the countries and companies controlling the global supply of doses.

A WHO paper estimated that out of the planet's 135 million health staff, "between 80,000 to 180,000 health and care workers could have died from Covid-19 in the period between January 2020 to May 2021".

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said health care workers needed to be among the first immunised against the disease, as he slammed the global inequity in the vaccine roll-out.

"Data from 119 countries suggest that on average, two in five health and care workers globally are fully vaccinated. But of course, that average masks huge differences," he said.

"In Africa, less than in one in 10 health workers have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, in most high-income countries, more than 80 percent of health workers are fully vaccinated."

He added: "We call on all countries to ensure that all health and care workers in every country are prioritised for Covid-19 vaccines, alongside other at-risk groups."

- 'Duty of care' -

Annette Kennedy, president of the International Council of Nurses, said the organisation grieved for all health care workers who had lost their lives in the pandemic -- "many needlessly; many we could have saved".

"It's a shocking indictment of governments. It's a shocking indictment of their lack of duty of care to protect health care workers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice," she said.

Kennedy warned: "They are now burnt out, they are devastated, they are physically and mentally exhausted. And there is a prediction that 10 percent of them will leave within a very short time."

The WHO wants each country to have vaccinated 40 percent of its population by the end of the year, but Tedros said 82 countries are at risk of missing that target, chiefly through insufficient supply.

In high-income countries, as categorised by the World Bank, 133 doses have been administered per 100 people. In the 29 lowest-income nations, the figure drops to five.

- G20 risks 'moral catastrophe' -

Former British prime minister Gordon Brown, now a WHO ambassador for global health financing, said the October 30-31 G20 summit in Rome would be a critical juncture in combating the pandemic.

If the world's richest countries cannot mobilise an immediate airlift of doses to the unvaccinated in poorer nations, "an epidemiological, economic and ethical dereliction of duty will shame us all", said Brown, who hosted the 2009 G20 summit.

He said that by February, wealthy nations could have built up an unused stockpile of one billion vaccine doses, and denying them to the unvaccinated would be "one of the greatest international public policy failures imaginable".

"It's a moral catastrophe of historic proportions that will shock future generations," he said.

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 4.9 million people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP, while nearly 242 million cases have been registered.

Brown said that without reallocating the growing stockpile, the WHO's latest forecast was that there could be 200 million more Covid cases, with five million lives hanging in the balance.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The first round of meetings held between Egypt and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) on liberalising trade in the field of processed agricultural goods kicked off in Geneva on Thursday.

During the meetings, Egypt and the EFTA will be negotiating the implementation of mutual customs exemptions on processed agricultural goods, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a statement.

Ibrahim El-Segeini  the head of the Egyptian side in the negotiations and assistant trade minister for Economic Affairs  said that there is noticeable progress in the negotiations with EFTA, as the two sides agree that the potential agreement should meet the aspirations of their peoples, serve the interest of their businesspeople, and boost trade exchange.

The talks come 15 years after a free-trade deal between Egypt and the EFTA came into effect in 2007.

The EFTA is a regional trade organisation and free trade area consisting of four European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Egypt's Arab Organisation for Industrialisation (AOI) set up a solar energy plant in Uganda's Tororo district, a photovoltaic power station with a capacity of 4MW.

The solar panels being installed in the plant were produced by the AOIs Arab Renewable Energy Company (ARECO), under the supervision of the governments New and Renewable Energy Authority, Chairman of the AOI Abdel-Moneim El-Tarras said on Thursday.

El-Tarras said the organisation is keen on exchanging expertise with Uganda and training technical workers on maintenance works.

The AOI has an ambitious plan to secure all the needs of local and African markets from electricity based on solar energy, he added.

The new plant is an expression of Egypt's keenness to boost cooperation with Nile Basin countries, he stated.

El-Tarras underlined the importance of putting into effect President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's directives concerning boosting cooperation with brotherly African countries in the industrialisation domain.

The AOI chairman said the organisation mobilises all its manufacturing and technological potential to take part in development projects in Uganda and other African states.

The organisation supports renewable energy projects through the Egyptian Initiative for Nile Basin Development, he said.

Egypt has been involved in numerous development and infrastructure projects in Uganda and many African countries, including in the water, energy, and health fields.

Earlier this week, Egypt inaugurated the AFri Egypt Medical Centre in Jinja, Uganda, as part of Egypt's efforts to bolster bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Other projects Egypt is implementing in the continent include the construction of the $2.9 billion Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station and Dam project in Tanzania in cooperation between Egypts Arab Contractors and El-Sewedy Electric company.

In late August, Egypts state-owned Arab Contractors announced that it has won a contract to establish a 150km-long road to the tune of 110 million euros in DR Congo.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The upcoming edition of Panorama of the European Film will take place throughout 10 days of November

The management of the Panorama of the European Film released a posted of the event's upcoming edition which is scheduled to take place between 17 and 26 November 2021.

14th edition visual identity is created by Amr Hosny

In its 14th edition Panorama will hold screenings of films and meetings with the filmmakers in three venues: Zawya and Zamalek Cinema in Cairo, as well as French Institute in Alexandria.

The detailed programe of the Panorama is yet to be revealed.

The panorama's 14th edition comes shortly after its 13th round that was held last April. In fact, the 13th edition was scheduled to take place in November 2020, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was postponed till 1-10 April 2021. The last edition screened over 40 films in three sections: Main Narrative Features, Documentaries, and Emerging Directors.

The Panorama of the European Film is an annual event that showcases award-winning feature and documentary productions from across Europe in Cairo.



Launched in 2004, the Panorama has attracted an increasing number of spectators due to the quality and uncensored nature of films, the rich exchanges and debates with international guests.

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:


It all began as a protest by supporters wearing the black of the Lebanese Shia Hizbullah and Amal Movements, whose leaders were calling for the removal of judge Tarek Bitar from the investigation into the Beirut Port blasts in August 2020.

Nobody knows how the protest turned into a kind of mini civil war as gunfire echoed around a district of Beirut for a few hours. There were ambulances everywhere, children crying in schools, and bullets penetrating apartment windows in the Tayoune district, which is far from where the protesters were expressing themselves.

The victims were the Lebanese people, who still have no idea why the shooting happened. At least six people were killed and more than 20 others were wounded by the gunfire.

In a joint press release Hizbullah and its ally Amal accused the Christian Lebanese Forces Party of being behind the shooting. The Lebanese army will have the answer, hopefully in the near future, but only if it is willing to divulge it.

Pro-Hizbullah journalist Ali Hijazi told Al-Ahram Weekly that the shooting had been a result of Bitars behaviour. Lebanese law does not consider what a judge says as sacred, which is why some in Lebanon feel that Bitar is targeting them by trying to politicise the crime. The political class behind the protest want to replace this controversial investigator, he said.

Twice this month the Lebanese judiciary has ruled in favour of Bitar, saying that it does not have the authority to consider requests for his dismissal. This has made problems bigger between Bitar and former Lebanese government ministers he has summoned to appear before the investigation on suspicion of criminal negligence. It has been reported from Beirut that Lebanons Supreme Judicial Council will hear Bitar on Thursday.

This has pushed some supporters of parties backing the ministers to demonstrate against the judge, turning into an armed conflict, Hijazi said, adding that in his view the Lebanese Forces Party plans to create a civil war.

The leader of Lebanons Iran-backed Shia group Hizbullah said on Monday that Thursdays Beirut violence was dangerous. The biggest threat to the Christian presence in Lebanon is the Lebanese Forces Party and its head, he said, revealing that Hizbullah has some 100,000 fighters who are ready to defend their country.

Lebanese Forces media representative Charles Jabbour refuted such statements, saying that those under attack had simply tried to defend themselves. The attacks on peoples houses by Hizbullah and Amal supporters had been recorded on video, he said, adding that the demonstration, armed with guns, had followed a clear political campaign against anyone supporting the victims of the port blasts or Bitars investigation.

Hizbullah leader Wafic Safa has also threatened Bitar.

However, William Noun, a brother of a victim in the port explosions, told the Weekly that the work of the judge was professional, while politicians were trying to create obstacles to his investigation in the hope that he would abandon it.

Some Lebanese MPs also say that the investigation has become politicised. One MP affiliated to the Lebanese Forces, George Okais, said that discussions after the gunfight in Beirut are no longer related to legal affairs. The Hizbullah and Amal Movements have shifted them to politics to enhance the tensions between groups.

Days before the fighting started, some in the pro-Hizbullah media were putting pressure on the judge to withdraw from the investigation. MP from the Future Movement Mustafa Allouch told the Weekly that Hizbullah wants to close down the investigation.

Public opinion about an international investigation will become more politically divided if it takes the place of the local investigation. If this becomes an international investigation, then the political divisions will occur sooner, but the results of the investigation by the Lebanese judge will be the same as those of an international judge, he said.

Fears of further violence are spreading. Chady Saraya, a political activist, predicts further armed conflict as Hizbullah is willing to use its power to get what it wants, he said, considering itself to be above the law.

For Hizbullah, in Sarayas words, the legal process, the law and the constitution are not essential. All that matters for them is an Iranian system, since otherwise they would follow the law by accepting the judges recommendations.

According to legal expert Rony Abdel-Kerim, this is not the first time a Lebanese judge has had problems accessing protected high officials. In his opinion, the Lebanese political class, acting through the council of ministers, has politicised the legal process and is responsible for the attempts to remove Bitar.

What happened in the street-fighting bore witness to the power of Hizbullah, which is taking control over Lebanon through its fighters.

MPs from the Free Patriotic Movement, Christian allies of Hizbullah, want to see freedom of speech protected. MP Hagop Terzian emphasised the clauses in the Lebanese Constitution that protect freedom of speech, saying that for him what is taking place is related to the independence of the judiciary and the right to a fair trial.

He said he was surprised that such speech had given way to street fighting. His colleague, George Atallah, from the same political bloc, told the Weekly that it was backing the investigation until the end and that the investigation is still continuing.

For Atallah, there has been an ongoing blurring of the boundaries between the judiciary and executive in Lebanon, since some high-level officials, MPs and ministers are not only refusing to have their immunity lifted, but have also pressured MPs to take over the port explosions investigation and interrogate those accused of negligence themselves.

Commentators on Lebanese politics, among them Tony Habib, manager of LCRS Politica, the Lebanese Centre for Research and Studies think tank, said the investigation by Bitar has been targeted because the accusations point to Hizbullah.

If Hizbullah and Amal do not succeed in replacing the judge in the investigation, he said, the government will not be able to solve the countrys economic and social problems, also threatening the holding of new elections.

All this means that in the wake of last weeks violence, Lebanon may once again be heading into the unknown.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 21 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The Yellow River Tower stands as a welcome addition to Binzhou City, replete with sweeping views. Here it is captured in all its beauty on Oct. 20, 2021. [Photo: CNSPHOTO]

The Yellow River Tower stands as a welcome addition to Binzhou City, replete with sweeping views. Here it is captured in all its beauty on Oct. 20, 2021. [Photo: CNSPHOTO]

The Yellow River Tower stands as a welcome addition to Binzhou City, replete with sweeping views. Here it is captured in all its beauty on Oct. 20, 2021. [Photo: CNSPHOTO]
Apparent human remains were found on Wednesday in a Florida nature reserve where authorities have been searching for the missing boyfriend of murdered road-tripper Gabby Petito, the FBI said.

FBI special agent Michael McPherson said personal items belonging to Brian Laundrie, who has been named a "person of interest" in Petito's murder, had also been found in the Carlton Reserve near Venice, Florida.

This police camera video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van she was traveling in with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, near the entrance to Arches National Park on Aug. 12, 2021. [Photo: The Moab Police Department via AP]

"Earlier today, investigators found what appears to be human remains along with personal items such as a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Laundrie," McPherson told reporters.

"These items were found in an area that up until recently had been under water.

"Our evidence response team is on scene using all available forensic resources to process the area," he said. "It's likely the team will be on scene for several days."

Police have been searching for the 23-year-old Laundrie for weeks, and live television images on Wednesday showed search teams and sniffer dogs at work in the sprawling nature reserve.

The body of Petito, 22, lay in the wilderness of the western US state of Wyoming for up to a month before it was found in mid-September. According to the coronor, she had been strangled.

Petito had quit her job and packed her life into a camper van for a cross-country adventure with Laundrie, starting in July, documenting their journey in a stream of social media posts.

In images shared by the couple online they are all smiles -- barefoot in a canyon or surveying the ochre rocks of state and national parks.

- Argument in Utah -

But police in Utah revealed one disturbing incident after the young woman's disappearance -- a domestic violence report involving Petito and Laundrie in August.

Police bodycam footage shows a distraught Petito saying she had had an altercation with Laundrie.

Speaking to an officer after their van was pulled over, Petito is seen crying and saying she struggles with mental health problems.

Petito said she slapped Laundrie after an argument, but she meant no harm.

The police officer decided no charges would be brought but ordered the couple to spend a night apart to calm down.

Petito's family filed a missing person report on September 11 after she mysteriously vanished, and Laundrie, her fiance, returned home to Florida without her.

Laundrie was subsequently declared a "person of interest" in the case. He declined to cooperate with police before vanishing himself.

Petito's death and the subsequent disappearance of the chief suspect sparked a blizzard of media coverage both in the United States and around the world.

It also triggered debate over the disproportionate attention accorded to missing white women.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 21, 2021 - 08:17 | All, World

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday expressed concerns over China's hypersonic weapons following a weekend media report that Beijing tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August.

The Financial Times reported Saturday that the Chinese military launched the missile that circled the globe before speeding toward its target. China has denied the report, saying it was a routine test to verify technology to reuse a spacecraft.

Asked by reporters as he was boarding Air Force One for a trip to Pennsylvania whether he was concerned about Chinese hypersonic missiles, Biden said, "Yes."

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that she will not comment on specific reports but "generally speaking we have made clear our concerns."

Concerns over the military capabilities that China continues to pursue were raised through "diplomatic channels," she added.

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said in September that it had tested a hypersonic weapon capable of velocities over five times the speed of sound. It was the country's first successful test of the class of weapon since 2013, according to Reuters.

North Korea's state-run media also reported in late September about Pyongyang having test-fired a newly developed hypersonic missile.

Related coverage:

Japan maintains North Korea fired 2 ballistic missiles, not 1

North Korea confirms testing new submarine-launched ballistic missile
KYODO NEWS - Oct 22, 2021 - 02:49 | World, All, Coronavirus

Thailand will allow travelers from a total of 46 countries including Japan to visit the country without a quarantine if they are fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, with the policy set to take effect Nov. 1, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha revealed Thursday on Facebook.

Visitors must show proof of having tested negative for COVID-19 prior to departing for Thailand, and they will also be tested upon arrival.

The premier said last week that the Thai government would initially drop the quarantine requirement for visitors from 10 countries considered to be low-risk for virus spread.

The new rules are expected to help restore the country's economy by boosting its tourism industry.

"If we wait for everything to be perfectly in place, we will be too late," Prayut said, warning that "tourists will decide to go to another country" rather than endure mandatory quarantines.

On Thursday, Thailand registered 9,727 new coronavirus cases and 73 deaths, bringing its totals up to 1,821,579 infections with 18,559 fatalities.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 21, 2021 - 22:53 | All, Japan

A plan to introduce prison terms as part of tougher penalties for online insults in Japan was approved Thursday by an advisory panel amid a growing need to tackle cyberbullying, the Justice Ministry said.

The panel also discussed amendments to the criminal procedure law so that defendants will be required to wear a GPS device while on bail if they are deemed to be a flight risk. Its proposals were submitted to Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa the same day, according to the ministry.

Recent high-profile cases in Japan involving insults in cyberspace include the death of Hana Kimura, a professional wrestler and cast member on the popular Netflix reality show "Terrace House" in May 2020. The 22-year-old apparently committed suicide after receiving a barrage of hateful messages on social media.

Two men in Osaka and Fukui prefectures were fined 9,000 yen ($80) each for making insults against Kimura, but there were voices of concern that the penalties were too light.

Related coverage:

Japan eyes tougher jail sentence for insults to tackle cyberbullying

Man told to pay damages for hateful posts on late "Terrace House" star

At present, the penalty against insults is detention for less than 30 days or a fine of less than 10,000 yen. The proposed amendments will introduce a prison term of up to one year and raise the fine to up to 300,000 yen.

The Justice Ministry is also planning to extend the statute of limitations for insults from one year to three years.

Measures to address suspects jumping bail were called into question after former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn fled Japan for Lebanon while awaiting trial in 2019. There have also been a string of other incidents in Kanagawa and Osaka prefectures.

While there are concerns that tracking the location of an individual may infringe on their privacy, GPS devices also carry the advantage of removing the need for extended detention.

The drafted proposal, which aims to only prevent fugitives from fleeing overseas, will establish "no-go zones" such as airports and seaports. Unauthorized entry into the zones or the removal of the GPS device will be punishable by a prison term of up to one year.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 21, 2021 - 19:53 | World, All

South Korea launched its first domestically developed space rocket on Thursday, but President Moon Jae In said a dummy satellite separated from the rocket did not go into orbit as planned.

The 200-ton liquid fuel rocket Nuri lifted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, a county on the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, at 5 p.m.

A 1.5-ton dummy satellite was later separated to be sent into orbit. If it had succeeded, South Korea would have become the seventh country in the world with the ability to put a satellite weighing 1 ton or heavier into orbit.

"Enabling the dummy satellite to safely go into orbit has yet to be solved," Moon said in a speech at the launch site, while praising Thursday's result as a great one given that it was the first trial.

"It has been 12 years since we embarked on this Nuri development project, and we just need to go one step further," he added.

The next launch of Nuri is slated for May.

South Korea plans to launch the rocket five times by 2027 and support private enterprises to develop a homegrown solid-fuel space rocket by 2024.

"By 2030, we will achieve our goal to land on the moon using a homegrown launch vehicle," Moon said during the same speech.

The latest Nuri launch comes as South Korea seeks to establish low-cost, high-precision satellite-launching technology so it can expand into the space industry.

It also comes at a delicate time on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea conducting a series of missile tests, alarming South Korea, Japan and others.

Related coverage:

China launches spaceship carrying female astronaut to space station

Japan astronaut Koichi Wakata to embark on his 5th space mission

Honda aims to launch rocket carrying satellite for connected cars
KYODO NEWS - Oct 21, 2021 - 14:02 | All, Japan

Former Japanese Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai on Thursday accepted a three-year prison term for buying votes for his wife in the 2019 upper house election, dropping his appeal in the high-profile case that has rocked the country's major ruling party.

Kawai, who held the ministerial post under then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is the first former Japanese Cabinet member in over 10 years to have a prison term finalized.

He is also subject to a forfeiture of 1.3 million yen ($11,400) after the Tokyo District Court's ruling in June found he had handed out a total of 28.7 million yen to 100 local assembly members and supporters in his wife Anri's constituency in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, to buy votes.

"The responsibility is solely on me, and I am ready to accept it all," Kawai said in a statement released through his lawyer. "I ask for leniency on the people who have accepted cash."

The lawyer said Kawai withdrew his appeal on Thursday fearing a prolonged legal battle could impede his efforts to again contribute to society.

The withdrawal comes as campaigning for the Oct. 31 lower house election has started, with voters set to deliver their verdict on the Liberal Democratic Party-led government's performance.

The ruling party was headed by Abe for about eight years until 2020, his successor Yoshihide Suga was in the job for one year and now Prime Minister Fumio Kishida leads, having taken office early this month.

Kawai pleaded not guilty in his first hearing in August last year. But he admitted to most of the charges in March and sought a suspended sentence.

His defense appealed on the day the district court handed down the ruling on June 18, but it apparently concluded that it would be difficult to overturn the decision.

The ruling did not touch on the unusually large sum of 150 million yen the LDP headquarters provided to Anri Kawai's camp ahead of the 2019 House of Councillors election amid suspicion that the money was used by the former justice minister to buy votes.

While the LDP denied any such use of the money last month, based on corrected political funds reports the Kawais submitted, opposition parties have called for reinvestigation ahead of the national vote.

Anri Kawai, who won a seat in the 2019 election, was sentenced in January this year by the same court to 16 months in prison, suspended for five years, for also distributing money to local legislators in Hiroshima Prefecture. The ruling was finalized in February.

Meanwhile, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office in July dropped a bribery case against 100 individuals including local assembly members who allegedly received cash from Kawai.

House of Councillors member Muneo Suzuki was the last former Cabinet member who served a prison term.

The former deputy chief Cabinet secretary was given a two-year prison term and a fine of 11 million yen in September 2010 for influence peddling.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 21, 2021 - 23:52 | All, Coronavirus, Japan

The Tokyo and Osaka governments said Thursday they will lift coronavirus restrictions on restaurants and bars from next week for the first time in 11 months as infections continue to decline across Japan.

The metropolitan and prefectural governments decided to eliminate restrictions on eateries serving alcohol as well as their operating hours from Monday despite concerns about a potential "sixth" wave of the virus in winter.

Once the restrictions are eliminated in Tokyo, around 102,000 eateries certified as implementing anti-virus measures will no longer be asked to stop serving alcohol by 8 p.m. and to close by 9 p.m.

As for the around 18,000 noncertified dining establishments, the metropolitan government will ask them to stop serving alcohol by 9 p.m.

In Osaka Prefecture, meanwhile, around 41,800 certified establishments are currently required to stop providing alcohol by 8:30 p.m. and close by 9 p.m.

The Tokyo metropolitan government will in principle continue to limit the number of people who can sit at the same table to four. But five or more will be allowed if they present proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Osaka prefectural government will also continue to limit the number of people who can sit together in eateries to four, while calling on the public to refrain from dining for longer than two hours.

The limits on the number of customers will be effective through November in both Tokyo and Osaka while the authorities study whether the measures should be kept in place.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike told reporters it is hoped the lifting of restrictions on eateries will significantly stimulate the economy, while adding she is reluctant to "suddenly step on the accelerator."

"In December, we'll have uncertain factors (that can lead to the spread of infections) such as people participating in year-end parties or traveling to hometowns during the holiday. We will proceed while watching the situation."

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said at a press conference, "The number of infections has been greatly reduced and the pressure on the medical system has been relieved," expressing gratitude to the public and eatery owners for their cooperation.

In a similar move, Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures, which neighbor Osaka, will lift restrictions on eateries Friday. Three prefectures surrounding Tokyo -- Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama -- have decided to do so from Monday, while Okinawa in southwestern Japan is planning to follow suit on Nov. 1.

Nationwide coronavirus infections peaked at around 25,000 per day in August, triggered by the highly contagious Delta variant, but have since steadily declined. A state of emergency covering Tokyo, Osaka and 17 other prefectures was lifted on Oct. 1.

On Thursday, 345 infections were reported across Japan, with Tokyo and Osaka logging 36 and 42 new COVID-19 cases, respectively.

Around 68 percent of the Japanese population has been fully vaccinated.
New Delhi:

Separatist and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik, who was until last night under lodged in the Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu was shifted to the Tihar Jail in Delhi ahead of his hearing in a special court of the National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Wednesday. The NIA secured his production remand in connection with a 'case related to funding of separatists and militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir', officials said. The JKLF chairman will be facing questions related to funding of his organisation from the National Investigation Agency.

Malik is the prime accused in the killing of five Indian Air Force personnel in Srinagar on January 25, 1990 and the kidnapping of the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Dr Rubiya Sayeed on December 8, 1989.

Malik was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir police from his residence in Srinagar on February 22 and was shifted to the Kothibagh police station. The detention came two days after the state administration said the security of 18 separatist, including Malik, would be withdrawn. The JKLF leader on Thursday termed the announcement a "lie".

While Malik said he had never received any protection from the state, hardline Hurriyat Conference termed the reports about the withdrawal of security of its chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani "ridiculous".

"I have had no security with me for the last 30 years. So, when there was no security, what withdrawal are they talking about? This is utter dishonesty on part of the government" Malik told reporters.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Thiruvananthapuram:

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Dr K Sivan on Monday said the response to the agencys proposed students outreach initiative, the Young Scientist Programme (Yuvika) was immense and the agency was mulling to organise it every year.

The selection procedure for this years programme, likely to be held in the second week of May, was completed and three students each from 29 states and seven union territories have been shortlisted as participants, he said here.

Sivan was interacting with the media on the sidelinesof the golden jubilee celebrations of the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), a premier research institution of the Vikram Sabarbhai Space Centre (VSSC) here.

That much enthusiasm was there...It is getting so much demand from pupils...it is going to make a big change. The programme is going to happen every year, Sivan said.

ISRO had launched the Yuvika programme from this year in tune with the Centres vision Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan.

The initiative is primarily aimed at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications to children to kindle their interest in the emerging areas of space activities.

The two week-long programme would include invited talks, experience sharing by eminent scientists, facility andlab visits, exclusive sessions for discussions with experts, practical and feedback sessions, ISRO sources said.

Three students each from each state/union territories are proposed to be included in this programme, they said.

Selected students will be brought to ISRO for two weeks training. The detailed training will have lab and facility visits there, he said.

The training would be in four ISRO centres, including the VSSC here, the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru and the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad, he said.

All of them will undertake a one-and-half day tour at Sriharikota to see the satellite launch facilities and other details. They will be taken to all big facilities and later to the original training centres, the ISRO chief said.

During their visit, there would be the launch of a sounding rocket and if the students were lucky, they would witness the actual launch of the satellite.

It depends on their (students) luck of the day, he said, adding that ISRO also had another students programme called Samwad.

Earlier, while delivering the presidential address during the inauguration of the golden jubilee celebration of the SPL, Sivan appreciated the efforts of the institution, which aimed at scientific understanding of energetics, dynamics and chemistry of the terrestrial and planetary environment with implications to society.

The SPL has played a pivotal role in the progress of space research in the area of planetary atmosphere, encompassing the surface of the Earth, Earths atmosphere and ionosphere,space environment and planetary atmosphere, he said.

Former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan and VSSC director S Somanath were among the dignitaries who attended the programme.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Bengaluru:

Hitting out at the Prime Minister, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Tuesday said he has lived in Karnataka, which is in India, and there was no need for him to learn from Narendra Modi about "patriotism."

"I'm in Karnataka, I also know things, it is not only PM Modi who knows...Kumaraswamy has lived and is living in Karnataka, in India, I need not learn from PM Modi on patriotism," Kumaraswamy told reporters.

Responding to Modi's attack on him during his rallies in the State, he said "We have shed tears when a soldier's wife (Kalavathi, wife of CRPF man Guru who died in Pulwama attack) was made to shed tears in Malavalli."

"Only Narendra Modi has to pat himself on his own back.. that is all..," Kumaraswamy said when asked about PM Modi criticising opposition leaders including him for questioning air strikes at Balakot in Pakistan.

PM Modi during an election rally at Chitradurga on Tuesday said the whole world stood with India, but "our Mahamilavati dal here" (Congress-JDS), was condemning Modi instead of Pakistan.

"The Chief Minister here (Karnataka) went a step ahead and said the bravery of Indian soldiers should not be spoken, because it will affect their vote bank... I want to ask the Chief Minister whether his vote bank is in India or in Pakistan. Chief Minister should clarify on this," Modi had said.

The prime minister lashed out at the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka where, he said, the two parties had come together for the sake of "power" and to serve self-interests.

PM Modi said the same would be replicated if "Mahamilavat" came to power, deriding the anti-BJP "grand alliance" of opposition parties.

Responding to it, Kumaraswamy said "Has BJP won in Karnataka..if you go by him in Karnataka.. BJP has also not won...There is nothing to react to it (PM speech) as there is no issue there...he has only lied."

The Congress' Karnataka unit too attacked Modi in a tweet.

"Shameless PM @narendramodi, after 5 years of disaster, nothing to offer to the people of Karnataka, continues to politicize our brave armed forces.

The nation is watching how low the PM can stoop for votes by comparing the voters of Karnataka to terror breeding Pakistan," the party tweeted.
Mumbai:

Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Shaina N C on Thursday said she was "upset and appalled" as most of the leading political parties, including her own, have not given enough representation to women in the Lok Sabha elections. Praising West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for giving 41 and 33 per cent to women candidates respectively, she said all other parties need to "wake up" as they only pay "lip service" to womenas causes. Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, only 13 women fielded by prominent parties are in the fray.

Taking to Twitter, Shaina said, "Ability requires opportunity. Talent needs to be showcased". "Leadership across the board need to give more women politicians a chance for us to prove our electoral competence.A All parties need to wake up," she wrote.

All political parties need to wake up. Women are 50 percent or the electorate. Upset and appalled to know that other than @MamataOfficial who has given 41 percent and @Naveen_Odisha who has given 33 percent to women candidates all other parties only pay lip service to our cause. pic.twitter.com/ZKVriLlvLS a Shaina NC (@ShainaNC) March 31, 2019

aAbility requires opportunitya. Talent needs to be showcased. Leadership across the board need to give more #women #politicians a chance for us to prove our electoral competence. a Shaina NC (@ShainaNC) March 30, 2019

The BJP has fielded seven women candidates this time, Congress three, NCP and Shiv Sena one each. Independent MLA Ravi Ranaas wife, Navneet, is contesting from Amravati as an ally of NCP. BJP candidate for Nandurbar seat, Heena Gavit, is the daughter of former NCP minister Vijaykumar Gavit, while the partyas Raver nominee Raksha Khadse is the daughter-in-law of BJP leader Eknath Khadse.

Similarly, Bharati Pawar (Dindori) is the daughter-in-law of NCP leader late A T Pawar, Poonam Mahajan (Mumbai North Central) is daughter of BJP leader late Pramod Mahajan, Pritam Munde (Beed) is daughter of late BJP leader Gopinath Munde and Kanchan Kul (Baramati) is the wife of RSP MLA Rahul Kul. MLC Smita Wagh is BJPas candidate from Jalgaon.

Gavit, Khadse, Munde, Mahajan are seeking a second term. They had been elected for the first time in 2014. Congress has fielded Charulata Tokas (Wardha), who is the daughter of party leader late Prabha Rau. Priya Dutt, who is contesting from Mumbai North Central, is the daughter of late actor and politician Sunil Dutt.

Actor Urmila Matondkar, who joined the Congress recently, is contesting from Mumbai North constituency. Sharad Pawaras daughter Supriya Sule is seeking a re-election from Baramati for the third time, while Navneet Rana is contesting from Amravati as an ally of NCP.

Shiv Sena MP Bhavana Gawli is seeking a re-election from Yavatmal-Washim for the fourth time. "Women are 50 per cent of the electorate. Upset and appalled to know that other than Mamata Banerjee, who has given 41 per cent and Navin Patnaik, who has given 33 per cent to women candidates, all other parties only pay lip service to our cause.

"What is worrisome is that we are still having dialogues and discussions on the most basic rights that any human being should be entitled to. Thatas why a 33 per cent reservation must be a collective, concerted, conscious effort of all women in public life," she said.

She vowed to champion the cause of reservation and said she will do it even if she has to fight the male chauvinistic mindset in her own party and all other parties. "Here on, I will champion the cause of reservation even if I have to fight the male chauvinistic mindset in my parties in all other parties too," she said.

"Requesting all women to speak up and demand all parties to give 33 per cent tickets to women as part of the manifesto of their individual party irrespective of legislation in Parliament for reservation," Shaina said.
New Delhi:

Preparing for a make-or-break Brexit summit British Prime Minister Theresa May has begun her diplomatic visits to Paris and Berlin. May is hoping European leaders will agree on Wednesday to delay Brexit for a second time. May is also visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, in what her spokeswoman said was an attempt to set out the rationale for a further short delay. EU agreed last month to postpone Brexit from March 29 to April 12.



Earlier, the words European Union were removed from the front cover of the passports being issued by Britain. The longstanding decision to start introducing passports without reference to the EU had gone ahead from March 30, the day after the original date for Brexit, the interior ministry said on Saturday. The British government and the main opposition were to hold further crisis talks on earlier on Thursday after MPs voted in favour of a Brexit delay that would avoid Britain crashing out of the EU on April 12.



In anticipation of this, Mays government on Monday reluctantly laid the legal order needed to hold European Parliament elections on May 23.

But she is hoping that EU leaders might agree to a flexible delay proposed by Tusk, whereby Britain could leave earlier if it agrees on a divorce deal, and never hold the elections.

It does not make these elections inevitable as leaving the EU before the date of election automatically removes our obligation to take part, a spokeswoman said.

European leaders have also asked May to come up with a reason for a delay, with France in particular warning that it does not want simply to prolong the uncertainty.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters at a G7 meeting in France on Saturday that it was time for the Brexit crisis to end.

The British authorities and the British parliament need to understand that (the EU) is not going to be able to constantly exhaust itself with the ups and downs of domestic British politics, he said.

However Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar cautioned it was extremely unlikely a member would veto another extension, while revealing he now favoured a lengthy delay.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Vitamin D is essential for keeping your bones strong, elevating your mood and even facilitating weight loss, but getting too much of it from sunlight and supplements can be toxic to your health.

In a rare case, a 54-year-old man, after returning from a trip to Southeast Asia was diagnosed with kidney damage. On further treatment, doctors found out he spent much of his holiday sunbathing that resulted in taking high doses of Vitamin D for years.

After referral to a kidney specialist and further testing, it was discovered that the man had been prescribed high doses of vitamin D by a naturopath, who recommended a dose of 8 drops every day, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Over two-and-a-half-years, the patient, who did not have a history of bone loss or vitamin D deficiency, took 8-12 drops of vitamin D daily, totalling 8,000-12,000 IU. As a result, he had very high levels of calcium in the blood which left him with significant kidney damage.

A regular person who is not suffering from any bone health issues can take in maximum 400-1000 IU daily, while the ones suffering from osteoporosis or has a high risk of developing so needs maximum 800IU.0 IU .

"Although vitamin D toxicity is rare owing to a large therapeutic range, its widespread availability in various over-the-counter formulations may pose a substantial risk to uninformed patients," said Bourne Auguste from the University of Toronto.

Clinicians must be aware of the risks of vitamin D use to limit complications related to hypercalcemia.

Calcium levels may get worse before getting better in patients even after cessation of supplements, as vitamin D is fat soluble.

"Our experience informs us that patients and clinicians should be better informed about the risks regarding the unfettered use of vitamin D," suggested the researchers.

A hike in blood calcium levekl can cause toxity can cause symptoms that are not only unpleasant, but dangerous that includes digestive distress, fatigue, dizziness, excessive thirs abd urge dor frequent urination.

(With inputs from IANS)
London:

Tech giants like Facebook and Google came under increasing pressure in Europe on Monday when countries proposed stricter rules to force them to block extreme material such as terrorist propaganda and child porn. Britain called for a first-of-its-kind watchdog for social media that could fine executives and even ban companies. And a European Union parliamentary committee approved a bill giving internet companies an hour to remove terror-related material or face fines that could reach into the billions.

We are forcing these firms to clean up their act once and for all, said British Home Secretary Sajid Javid, whose department collaborated on Britains proposal.

Opponents warned the British and EU measures could stifle innovation and strengthen the dominance of technology giants because smaller companies wont have the money to comply. That, in turn, could turn Google and Facebook into the webs censors, they said.

The push to make the big companies responsible for the torrent of material they carry has largely been driven by Europeans. But it picked up momentum after the March 15 mosque shootings in New Zealand that killed 50 people and were livestreamed for 17 minutes. Facebook said it removed 1.5 million videos of the attacks in the 24 hours afterward.

The US, where government action is constrained by the First Amendment right to free speech and freedom of the press, has taken a more hands-off approach, though on Tuesday, a House committee will press Google and Facebook executives on whether they are doing enough to curb the spread of hate crimes and white nationalism.

Australia last week made it a crime for social media platforms not to quickly remove abhorrent violent material.

The offense would be punishable by three years in prison and a fine of 10.5 million Australian dollars (USD 7.5 million), or 10% of the platforms annual revenue, whichever is larger. New Zealands Privacy Commissioner wants his country to so the same.

The British plan would require social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter to protect people who use their sites from harmful content.

The plan, which includes the creation of an independent regulator funded by a tax on internet companies, will be subject to public comment for three months before the government publishes draft legislation.

No one in the world has done this before, and its important that we get it right, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright told the BBC.

Facebooks head of public policy in Britain, Rebecca Stimson, said the goal of the new rules should be to protect society while also supporting innovation and freedom of speech.

These are complex issues to get right, and we look forward to working with the government and Parliament to ensure new regulations are effective, she said.

Britain will consider imposing financial penalties similar to those under the EUs online data privacy law, which permits fines of up to 4% of a companys annual worldwide revenue, Wright said.

In extreme cases, the government may also seek to fine individual company directors and prevent companies from operating in Britain.

Under the EU legislation that cleared an initial hurdle in Brussels, any internet companies that fail to remove terrorist content within an hour of being notified by authorities would face similar 4% penalties.

EU authorities came up with the idea last year after attacks highlighted the growing trend of online radicalisation.

The bill would apply to companies providing services to EU citizens, whether or not those businesses are based in the EUs 28 member countries. It still needs further approval, including from the full European Parliament.

It faces heavy opposition from digital rights organisations, tech industry groups and some lawmakers, who said the 60-minute deadline is impractical and would lead companies to go too far and remove even lawful material.

Instead, we call for a more pragmatic approach with removals happening as soon as possible, to protect citizens rights and competitiveness, said EDIMA, a European trade group for new media and internet companies.

Opponents said the measure also places a bigger burden on smaller internet companies than on giants like Facebook and Google, which already have automated content filters.

To help smaller web companies, the bill was modified to give them an extra 12 hours for their first offense, a measure opponent said didnt go far enough.

Mark Skilton, a professor at Englands Warwick Business School, urged regulators to pursue new methods such as artificial intelligence that could do a better job of tackling the problem.

Issuing large fines and hitting companies with bigger legal threats is taking a 20th-century bullwhip approach to a problem that requires a nuanced solution, he said.

It needs machine learning tools to manage the 21st-century problems of the internet. Wright said Britains proposed social-media regulator would be expected to take freedom of speech into account while trying to prevent harm.

What were talking about here is user-generated content, what people put online, and companies that facilitate access to that kind of material, he said. So this is not about journalism. This is about an unregulated space that we need to control better to keep people safer."
New Delhi:

The Board of Intermediate Education Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP) is all set to declare AP Inter 1st and 2nd year result 2019 on April 12, 2019. Candidates eagerly waiting for their AP Board Result 2019 will finally be able to access the AP Inter Result 2019 online on the official website i.e. bieap.gov.in. Alternatively, students can visit this page to check their results. The AP Inter 1st and 2nd year result will be announced around 11 am.

We here at News Nation are in constant touch with our sources and will be updating all the latest updates here. Therefore, we request the students to bookmark this page and check it regularly for all the updates.

Steps to Check AP Board Inter 1st and 2nd Year Results:

For the convenience of the students, we have mentioned the steps through which the candidates can download the results once they are announced:



Step 1: Visit News Nations result page- english.newsnationtv.com/board-results and click on the Andhra Pradesh Board Result page.

Step 2: Enter your roll number, date of birth and other details.

Step 3: Click on the 'submit' button.



Step 4: Check your AP Board Inter 1st and 2nd Year Results 2019.

This year, the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh started Class 12 examination from February 28, 2019, while the Class 11 examination started on February 27.



About Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP)



Established in 1971, the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP) was formed to regulate and supervise the Intermediate education system in India in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The Board was set up to specify the courses of study in the state. The Directorate of Government Examinations is popularly known as the Andhra Pradesh SSC Board in the state. The Board of Secondary Education, Andhra Pradesh (BSEAP) is an independent agency working under the aegis of Ministry of Secondary Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh. The SSC Board is responsible for promotion, management, and development of secondary level school education in the state. Similarly, the Intermediate Board Exams for Class 12 students are conducted by the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP).
New Delhi:

Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate from Bihar's Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency, Kanhaiya Kumar, filed his nomination on Tuesday. He is contesting against Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh, who was shifted to Begusarai from Nawada constituency to his much disappointment. Kumar is also fighting ex-RJD MLC Tanweer Hassan, who was the runner up in Lok Sabha Polls 2014. Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar, Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, former JNU student leader Shehla Rashid, author Gurmehar Kaur joined Kumar on the occasion. Kumar led hundreds of supporters for a two-kilometre long march waving red flags.



In a massive procession, en route to the collectors office, Kumar garlanded and paid tributes to renowned Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, who hailed from Begusarai district, which he later posted on Facebook and captioned by the bard which imply until the disparity between man and man is not eradicated, the noise shall not cease, the struggle shall not lose intensity.



Bollywood star, Swara Bhaskar who is also a graduate of Jawaharlal Nehru University while addressing the crowd said, "It is a rather unusual way of spending one's birthday. But Kanhaiya is a friend and I think he is fighting an important battle on behalf of us all. If he wins, it will be a victory for Indian democracy." Coincidentally it was Swaras birthday too.



"I have never been part of a political campaign before so I literally have no idea what to expect. "Kanhaiya raises issues that concern all Indians -- issues like the threat to the Constitutional values and to the Constitution of India, unemployment, the rise of mob violence, the need for social justice and the need to focus on issues that will better the lives of all Indians. I think as responsible and patriotic Indians we should all feel aligned to this ideology/or thought process," she added," the 30-year-old actor was quoted as saying.

Shehla Rashid also appealed to people of Begusarai to elect Kanhaiya Kumar as their representative. Kumar, who was then the JNUSU president, was booked for sedition following complaints that at a gathering organized inside the varsity premises in protest against the capital punishment awarded to Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru, anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases through May 19, followed by counting of all votes on May 23. The assembly elections in four states  Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh  will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will not be held along with the general elections.
Mumbai:

Disgruntled BJP MLA in Maharashtra Anil Gote Monday announced resignation from the assembly and said he will contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Dhule constituency as an independent candidate. The BJP has fielded Union minister and sitting MP Subhash Bhamare from the Dhule seat in North Maharashtra which goes to the polls on April 29.

Gote accused Bhamare of not doing any work in his Lok Sabha constituency of Dhule, which is also the hometown of the BJP legislator.

"I have quit from the post of MLA. I have substantial proof against Bhamare. I will contest the election as an independent candidate. I am sure I will win the election," said the legislator from Dhule City.

The MLA had been at loggerheads with the BJP's state leadership since the Dhule Municipal Corporation elections held last year.

In November last year, Gote had alleged "criminals" were being inducted into the party in Dhule. He had opposed induction of some leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) into the BJP.

Gote had won the 2009 assembly election as an independent and joined the BJP ahead of the October 2014 state polls.
New Delhi:

The Election Commission has stalled the release PM Narendra Modis biopic starring Vivek Oberoi citing the Model Code of Conduct. The movie was slated to hit the theatre screens tomorrow. Any biopic that subserves purpose of any political entity or individual should not be displayed in electronic media, the Election Commission said in its order. Earlier in the day, the biopic titled PM Narendra Modi, which is directed by Omung Kumar, was issued a Universal certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) ahead of its release on Thursday. We are very happy that we got the U certificate from the Censor Board, and finally the film will be releasing on April 11. We are also very relieved that the Supreme Court has rejected the plea... It is clear now from everywhere, producer Sandeep Singh said in a statement.

The lead actor of the film had slammed those raising issue against the political drama. I don't understand why some people are overreacting like this. Why are such senior and famous lawyers like Abhishek Singhvi ji and Kapil Sibal ji wasting time on filing a PIL on such a modest film? Don't know if they are scared of the film or of Chowkidar's 'danda', Oberoi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. On the portrayal of the Prime Minister on the silver screen, Oberoi said that, We are not projecting Modi ji as larger than life, he already is larger than life. We are not projecting him as a hero, he already is a hero ,not only for me but for crores of people in India and abroad. Its an inspirational story which we brought to the screen.

The film was criticised by the opposition parties, who claim that the biopic could give undue advantage to the BJP in the polls as it will arrive in theatres before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Supreme Court had on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a stay on the release of the biopic PM Narendra Modi. The top court said the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi was yet to receive a certificate from the Censor Board. The court said that it will be decided by the Election Commission whether the movie can violate the Model Code of Conduct.

The film was originally scheduled to hit the theatres on April 5 but due to certain hurdles by "powerful people", the release got delayed to April 11, the same day first phase of Lok Sabha elections starts. Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, who is portraying Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his controversial biopic, has reacted sharply after the films release got postponed to April 11.

Oberoi, a staunch supporter of Modi, said that some powerful people created difficulties for them, and they couldnt release the prime ministers biopic on April 5, less than a week before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
New Delhi:

The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday said that the petitioners seeking review of Supreme Court's Rafale judgement are using 'leaked' documents with an intent to present a "selective and incomplete picture of internal secret deliberations on a matter relating to National Security and Defence."

In a setback to the Centre, the Supreme Court Wednesday allowed leaked documents to be relied upon by petitioners seeking review of its Rafale judgement and dismissed the government's preliminary objections claiming "privilege" over them.

"It is reiterated that the petitioners are using documents with the intention to present a selective and incomplete picture of internal secret deliberations on a matter relating to National Security and Defence. The documents presented by the petitioners are failing to bring out how the issues were addressed and resolved and necessary approvals of the competent authorities taken. These are selective and incomplete presentation of the facts and records by the petitioners," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

"Government had provided the requisite information as desired by the Honble Supreme Court to the Court and also to the petitioners as per directions of the Court and in the manner prescribed by the Court. Government also provided all records and files as required by CAG. The main concern of the Government is relating to availability of sensitive and classified information concerning National Security in the public domain," the statement read further.

Earlier, the Centre had submitted before the top court that privilege documents were procured by petitioners in an illegal way and used to support their review petitions against the December 14, 2018 judgement of the apex court dismissing all pleas challenging procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

The apex court said it will go ahead with the hearing on the review petition on the basis of new documents referred by petitioners.

The CJI pronounced the verdict on his behalf and for Justice S K Kaul. The second concurrent judgment was pronounced by Justice K M Joseph, who said he agreed with the conclusion of the judgment written by the CJI.

The chief justice said Justice Joseph agreed with the judgment delivered by him but gave different reasoning.

The judgment makes it clear that during the hearing of the review petition the bench will look into not only the question of pricing of the jet but also selection of Indian offset partner of Dassault which manufactures Rafale.

The top court said review petitions against its December 14 verdict dismissing all petitions against procurement of Rafale jets will be decided on merits.

The apex court said it will fix a date for hearing review petitions.

Former union minister Arun Shourie, who is one of the review petitioners, said he was delighted by the unanimous verdict.

"We are delighted it is an unanimous verdict dismissing Central government's peculiar argument on admissibility of documents. Centre's argument meant that no wrong can be done in the defence deal," Shourie said.

The other two petitioners are former union minister Yashwant Sinha and activist advocate Prashant Bhushan.

On March 14, the apex court had reserved verdict on the preliminary objections raised by the Centre on admissibility of privileged documents annexed by Sinha, Shourie and Bhushan in their review petition.

Classified documents were sourced by the media over the Rafale deal. Citing internal reports of the Defence Ministry, the Hindu had reported that the Defence Ministry had objected to parallel negotiations by the government.

The Centre had claimed privilege over documents pertaining to the Rafale fighter jet deal with France and said those documents cannot be considered in evidence as per Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act.

The Centre had contended that no one can produce them in the court without the permission of the department concerned as those documents are also protected under the Official Secrets Act and their disclosure is exempted under the Right to Information Act as per Section 8(1)(a).

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had on December 14 dismissed all Public Interest Litigations (PILs) against the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making process" warranting setting aside of the contract.

The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Wont gulping down all the fries, shakes, burgers without having to worry about even a slight bit of increase in the weight measurement machine a dream only possible within a dream itself? Wrong! You can now do it, fulfill all your fast food junkies wish, give your sweet tooth all the cheat they want but with a twist because, you wont be the one actually gulping down the delicacies.

A popular service Eat for You which is a hit among Chinas youngsters helps one live out the dream of eating without gaining weight. Peoples Daily China posted this service on their Facebook page that read, Yearning for fried chicken, hot pot, and milk tea, but also worried about your weight? Then our #EatforYou services will help!

Buyers of the service only need to pay an extra $2 in fees in addition to the original price of a meal to hire someone to taste the food for them. These deals are often offered with hot pot, fried chicken, barbecue, and other calorie-rich foods. According to their service after the payment, sellers will take photos or film the whole process of you eating their food while you also give them the feedback. They, in a way live the taste of the food through you, just not literally.

The reason behind this growth of service among China youngsters is manifold, some say that they want to avoid the trouble of lining up for food, while many for the most part say they just want to avoid gaining weight. Others simply say that they enjoy watching others eat, which in turn breeds more sellers who turn their passion for food into a business.

Most of the consumers and sellers are people born after 1990 and the most enjoyable thing for them is the fun of communication and final products instead of the simple eating process. For example, they are willing to share insights with sellers on the food as well as techniques on how to film such videos Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Other growing services apart from Eat for You on Chinese social media platforms also includes writing love letters, playing games for consumers the Peoples Daily of China reported.

For all the Latest Lifestyle News, Food News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
United Nations:

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday strongly condemned the military escalation near Tripoli and called for an immediate halt to the fighting in Libya. The appeal followed an air attack by the forces of commander Khalifa Haftar on the Mitiga airport east of the capital. Guterres urges the immediate halt of all military operations in order to de-escalate the situation and prevent an all-out conflict, said a UN statement.

He strongly condemns the military escalation and ongoing fighting in and around Tripoli, including the aerial attack today by a Libyan National Army (LNA) aircraft against Mitiga airport.

The air strike shut down Tripolis only functioning airport as fighting raged around the capital and thousands fled.

Haftars self-styled LNA claimed Mondays air strike against the airport, with a spokesman saying the attack targeted a MiG-23 military plane and a helicopter.

Haftar launched the offensive on Tripoli last week just as Guterres was in Libya to push for a political deal on holding elections.

A UN-backed unity government controls the capital, but its authority is not recognised by a parallel administration in the east of the country.

As fighting escalated over the weekend, the United Nations called for a humanitarian pause to allow civilians trapped in the violence to escape, but the appeal fell on deaf ears.

Libya has been rocked by violent power struggles between an array of armed groups since the NATO-backed overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Narendra Modi continues to be nations top choice for the prime ministerial post, according to an opinion poll conducted by the News Nation.

As per the survey, a massive 48 per cent of the respondents said that they want Modi to continue as the prime minister while 29 per cent chose Rahul Gandhi as their choice for the coveted post.

The opinion poll, which comes three days before the first phase of polling for the high-voltage electoral battle, has predicted a clear majority for the BJP-led NDA, which is likely to win 278 of the 543 seats.

On the other hands, the Congress, despite putting up an excellent show in last years assembly polls when it won the three Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, will win only 128 seats, according to the survey.

Narendra Modi had led the NDA to a sweeping victory in 2014 as it won 336 seats, reducing the incumbent Congress to its lowest total of 44 seats. The BJP had won 282 seats handing a crushing defeat to the 10-year-rule of the United Progressive Alliance led by Congress.

On Sunday, a pre-poll survey had said that three big decisions taken by the current dispensation  the airstrike carried out by the Indian Air Force, cash dole for poor farmers and 10 per cent quota for economically weaker section  have helped Prime Minister Narendra Modi regain his popularity levels among the masses, in fact more than 2014.
New Delhi:

People's Conference chairman Sajad Lone on Tuesday claimed that National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had met BJP president Amit Shah after the 2014 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir with an aim to form the government in the state. Lone was campaigning on the last day for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in Kashmir.

"Omar Abdullah met BJP president and he was accompanied by two other persons. They were with him (Shah) for two-and-a-half hours. He asked for support for government formation saying I will be chief minister for three years and for three years, there will be a BJP chief minister," Lone, who himself has been an ally of the BJP, claimed while addressing an election rally at his hometown Handwara in north Kashmir Kupwara district.

Lone claimed that the mobile coordinates of Abdullah and the BJP leaders will establish that there was a meeting.

"I received threats the entire night. I was told if you reveal this, we will get the BJP to issue a denial...," he added. He also went on to say that there would be a second part to his claims after April 11.



There were murmurs about such a meeting in 2014 but all the speculation were put to rest by BJP general secretary Ram Madhav then who had tweeted on December 24, 2014, that no such meeting had taken place.

"News about BJP leaders meeting NC leadership in Delhi baseless," Madhav had tweeted in 2014.



Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases through May 19, followed by counting of all votes on May 23. The assembly elections in four states  Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh  will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will not be held along with the general elections. Since the J&K has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there as well within a six-month period, which will end in May. The Centre and the state administration, being managed by the Centre-appointed Governor, are against holding the two elections together.
Raipur:

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Monday lodged a complaint of alleged poll code violation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making statements about the Army and surgical strikes during his public meeting held in Balod district of the state on April 6. Baghel, who also holds the post of state Congress president, reached the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Subrat Sahoo along with senior party leaders and handed over the written complaint.

The CM also submitted an audio CD of the PMs speech to Sahoo. The complaint claimed that the prime minister had violated the model code of conduct five times during his speech.

"While Modi Ji didn't mention about any of the development work done during his five-year tenure but he continued patting his own back by highlighting the valour and courage of the Indian army. He tried to gain political benefit and win votes during the election meeting by displaying the courage of the Army," the complaint stated.

It further said the lines of Modis speech were focused "only on the Army, the surgical strike, the air strike, and repealing 'Raksha Kawach' of Army etc".

"Modi also claimed that the BJP has been contesting the elections to strengthen the Indian military while the Congress is fighting the elections to weaken it, which is irrelevant and an attempt to take mileage in the name of the Army," Baghel stated. He stated that the prime minister tried to "mislead" the audience.

"There is a guideline of the Election Commission against politicising the achievements of the armed forces by political parties. No political party can highlight the achievements of the armed forces as its personal work but PM Modi used it many times during his speech which is a violation of MCC (Model Code of Conduct)," it said.

In his rally which was held at Hathuad in Balod district, the prime minister had made a pitch for a "strong government" at the Centre. He had said the Congress and its allies were contesting elections for giving a free hand to terrorists and separatists, while the BJP is contesting to punish terrorists and separatists for their sins.

"Congress and its allies are contesting the election to weaken the armed forces, while the BJP is fighting to make the armed forces self-reliant," he had said.

The PM had also called the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act a "Suraksha Kavach" (armour)) of the security forces, and slammed the Congress for promising to repeal it in its dhakosla patra (sham manifesto).

Meanwhile, the BJP has termed the complaint against Modi as a "political stunt". "What is wrong if the PM praised the Indian army for its courage and valour. It is a matter of pride for the people of the country that the Indian army has conducted air strikes on terror camps (in Pakistan). Congress complaint is nothing but just a political stunt and a show-off," said state BJP e spokesperson Sachchidanand Upasane.
New Delhi:

A 25-year-old software engineer was killed and three other injured after her cousin driving the car dozed off and rammed that vehicle into a divider near DND flyway. According to a Times of India report, the accident occurred in early morning hours on Sunday around 4 am. The victim has been identified as one Shweta Thakur. The report said that Thakur along with her roommate and two cousins had gone out for dinner and were travelling back to Noida. Around 4 am, Thakurs cousin Navjot Prakash dozed off and rammed the car into the divider near loop leading towards Greater Noida. While others suffered minor injuries, Thakur was grievously hurt.

The police said that all four passengers of the car were taken to the nearby Kailash Hospital in Noida-Sector 27. According to the doctors, shards of window pane pierced into the skull and Thakur died within an hour. The TOI report also quoted her father saying that those driving at night must be cautious about such things. The shocked father said that a call at 5:30 am on Sunday informed him about his first-borns untimely death.

Thakur had celebrated her 25th birthday on March 16 last month. Working with HCL for over a year, she had also visited Sweden recently.

This accident highlights the poor road safety records in India. According to a report by the Transport Research Wing of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, three persons died every ten minutes in road accidents across India in 2017. The report also said that a total of 4,64,910 road accidents were reported by states and Union Territories in 2017, claiming 1,47,913 lives and causing injuries to 4,70,975 people.

Earlier in June 2018, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had admitted that only 5% lives were saved instead of 50% during road accidents. Gadkari had said that a Road Safety Bill passed in the Lok Sabha to curb road accidents has been pending in the Rajya Sabha for over a year now. The legislation is currently being scrutinised by a standing committee. Gadkari said as many as five lakh accidents occur on an average every year, killing 1.5 lakh people and injuring another three lakh.

The bill  aimed at effecting transparency in regional transport offices  was tabled in Parliament only after a committee headed by Rajasthan transport minister Yunus Khan submitted its report on the matter, the Union minister said.
Dhaka: The impact of violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh has also started reflecting on the trade between India and Bangladesh. Amid the violence, several trucks exporting goods along the Indo-Bangladesh border with West Bengal have been waiting for two months to be allowed to enter. Exporters have expressed displeasure over this and appealed for the opening of the border at the earliest.

During Durga Puja recently, fundamentalists in Bangladesh attacked Hindu temples. Idols of Hindu gods were broken. Many people were also killed. Two ISKCON devotees were killed. There is also resentment among Hindus living in various states of the country and abroad, including West Bengal. ISKCON has been constantly protesting and demonstrating against it. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also protested against the attack and murder.

Long waits at Petrapol and Ghozadanga ground borders for trucks carrying goods to Bangladesh, even after repeated requests, continue to be a problem for traders. Exporters said trucks exporting goods have been stopped for more than a month. In some cases, trucks have been parked for 55 days. Sushil Patwari, Chairman (East), Federation of Indian Exports said, "There are many reasons for the long waiting period of trucks. The export volume from both the countries has increased and Durga puja holidays have added to the woes."

Union Cabinet approves PM GatiShakti National Master Plan

Gujarat govt to provide Rs 546 crores to farmers of 4 flood affected districts

India listed among top 25 defence products exporting countries: Defense Minister
Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for achieving one billion COVID-19 vaccination doses on Thursday morning. The Prime Minister further expressed his admiration to PM Narendra Modi for contributing to global welfare through sharing of vaccines, medical supplies and other supports. "Bhutan has benefitted a lot and remains grateful, He said.

Prime Minister Office (PMO) said in a Facebook post which reads as follows: -"I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this achievement. My appreciation also goes to all the healthcare providers and people involved in making this possible, more specifically the 1,000 million people who came forward to take the vaccination. It reflects the trust people have in the system. I always believe that the collective, unconditional faith in leadership and the system is key to any nation's success,"

Lotay Tshering went on to say that Bhutan being a close neighbour to India, feel more secure. I have been closely following the rising numbers and this morning, in what is a huge accomplishment not just for your country but the world, India hits the 1 billion milestone of COVID-19 vaccination doses this morning. On behalf of the people of Bhutan, I congratulate India! Narendra Modi PMO India. This will be significant for all of us in emerging from the pandemic sooner. And on a practical note, being a close neighbour, we feel more secure," Prime Minister Tshering said in the post.

WHO Regional Director hails India for administering over 1 billion COVID vaccine shots

According to the Health Department, 2,87,73,909 persons have been vaccinated so far in the state.

Health Minister Mandaviya Discusses Covaxin's Emergency Use with WHO
Baghdad: Iran is scheduled to hold a meeting on Afghanistan on October 27. This has been confirmed by the country's Ministry of External Affairs. The meeting is also being organized by Russia. The meeting will be attended by foreign ministers from China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan besides Russia and Iran.

This was announced by Iranian Foreign Ministry reporter Saeed Khatibajda during a press conference recently. He said the meeting is being attended by all countries whose borders are bordered by Afghanistan. Khatibajda said the meeting will take forward discussions on the same points that were included in a virtual meeting held in September. He explained that the focus of all the six countries is on how to help in the formation of a special government in Afghanistan, in which all communities get priority. At the same time, how can the future of this country move forward with peace and security?

Let us tell you that there has been a debate in Iran ever since the Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15. Iran is debating whether the Taliban has changed its 20-year-old attitude since assuming power.

Syria calls on the International community to act against terrorism

Prabhas is celebrating his birthday on 23rd October.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu released a personal note
Islamabad: A 'gift scam' has now come to light in Pakistan, which is reeling under a financial crunch. In fact, Pak Imran Khan sold gifts given by several diplomats, including a gift watch from Saudi. Opposition leader and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman have accused him of destroying the economy. Oil prices in Pakistan are constantly rising. The Opposition says lakhs of people have lost their jobs.

On the other hand, PM and Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif have said that while the whole world is now recovering from the Coronavirus disaster, people in Pakistan are dying of dengue. He said that while the price of sugar used to be Rs.50 per kg, it has now gone up to Rs.120. 25 per unit instead of 10-11. Imran Khan was gifted by Saudi Arabia's Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the time of his sale.

The watch was reportedly priced at $1 million (Rs 7.48 crore). Imran Khan has been accused of selling gifts illegally. In Pakistan, the rule says that officers can keep gifts up to Rs. Imran Khan sold the watch in Dubai and kept the money with him.

Big boost to Haryana: PM Modi praises Haryana CM Manohar Lal

Include Valmiki and Boya communities in Andhra Pradesh's list of STs: Chandrababu Naidu

3-year-old child murdered on birthday, dead body found in sack
Jaipur: Syed Naseeruddin Chishti, the successor to Diwan of the Dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chasti in Ajmer in Rajasthan and head of the All India Sufi Sajjadanshin Council, has strongly condemned the attacks by Muslim fundamentalists on minority Hindus during Durga Puja in Bangladesh as shameful and non-Islamic.

He has said that those who do so are enemies of Islam and the Bangladesh government should take strict action against the culprits. Naseeruddin Chishti said in his statement on Thursday that peace and tolerance are followed in Islam religion. The attack on Mandapas, Pandals and temples is highly condemnable. This is a cowardly act against the teachings of the Prophet, which he strongly condemns. He has demanded an impartial inquiry into the case and strict action against radical organizations involved in inciting communal violence.

Naseeruddin Chishti further said that those who have carried out these incidents are the real enemies of Islam. "Violence in the name of Islam is cowardly," he said. It is against the spirit of Islam and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. Violence can never be justified in the name of Islam.

Foreign visitors to Japan declined over 99 percent in September!

Producer Sukumar's new film will be titled 'Arya 3'.

Iran special meeting on Afghanistan on October 27, Russia and China-Pak will also attend
Getting into the Sacred Soundz Studio in 1999 to record their demo, UgraKarma never thought they would be starting a wave of death metal bands in Nepal. In their late teens, the band just wanted to have fun and play the music that they wanted. While the rest of Nepal was playing covers of hard rock and metal bands, UgraKarma were into something different.

Drawing inspirations from bands like Sarcofago, Macabre, Cranium, Sodom, Kreator, Unleashed, Von and Slayer, they were playing music that was rare in Nepal. It was loud, unapologetic and a tad wild, but they were having fun. With them was a group of death metal-loving fans who did not miss a show.

We were doing what we loved. There were sceptics, but we didnt care, says Sunil Dev Pant, who plays distorted bass and does growls, grunts and barks.

Twenty years on, the band have been through a lot. They have taken a hiatus of 10 years, have had to change members and had to reflect a lot of what they wanted to do in life. But even after 20 years of having started this, the members are full of energy and have stayed true to their roots which will no doubt leave a legacy for years to come.

Being the countrys first death metal band

The band back in the day when they initially started. Photo: Sunil Dev Pant

We didnt have hopes and dreams. Just wanted to play and have some fun, says Pant, adding that they did not even know that they were probably the first death metal band in Nepal when they started.

The band started their journey in 1999. Pant, during his teenage years, was playing death metal music with his college band. That was 1996 and they were only doing covers. Soon Pants brother Subash Dev and his friend Aayush Maskey joined Pant and they started their death metal journey along with Prateek Neupane.

Pant recalls the formative years as fun and challenging. Gigs were rare as places in Thamel did not really support death metal music. Whenever they played shows, one thing or the other happened, after which the police would come down and stop it. The equipment was not good nor was the venue where they played, but disregarding everything, they carried on doing what they loved.

Death metal was an anomaly. Only a niche crowd enjoyed what we did. Others were probably cursing us, he says.

Pant plays distorted bass and does growls, grunts and barks. Photo courtesy: 25 Hours

In 1999, they released their demo called Himalayan Metal of Death. But, recording that was quite a pain, recalls Pant, as they could not find a sound engineer or a studio that understood what they were planning to do. After looking around for months, they finally found a studio and a sound engineer who understood them and what they were trying to do. Iman Shah of Sacred Soundz had just returned from the US having studied sound engineering and got what the group wanted.

When we met Iman dai at his studio, we knew wed come to the right place. He was wearing a Slayer shirt at his studio which, to us, was a sign that this was it, he says.

Getting a roaddblock and growling again

They continued doing gigs whenever they got a chance. In 2001, they released their first album  Blood Metal Initiation. For the listeners, that album was oddly pleasing. Abhishek Bhatta, who picked up the album in 2005, says the album was dark but melodious. Their sound was unique and different from popular death and black metal bands he had listened to, growing up. What attracted him the most was their lyrics.

Even though I have nothing against peoples faith in a non-existent god, I was and still am against religious repression and dogmatic practices and wrote songs based on how I perceived it, says Pant, who says that his writing has not matured much over the years. We are still doing the same kind of uncompromising savage Death Metal.

Neupane plays the guitar and does growls and screeches. Photo courtesy: 25 Hours

But, the band had to split in 2003. Aayush Maskey and Sunil Dev Pant left for the US for higher studies, after which Subash Dev Pant and Prateek Neupane discontinued it.

Life happened back then. We all went our different ways, but deep down, I always knew that wed come back to play again, says Pant.

In 2012, that is what happened. After hiatus of almost a decade, the band got reorganised and played at the NepFest which was headlined by Decapitated, a well-known Polish death metal band. But, they did so with a new lineup. With most of their previous members scattered across the globe, the new lineup had Sunil Dev Pant and Aayush Neupane but also included Bikram Shrestha and Bijaya Shrestha who play the drums and bass respectively.

Were quite a tight bunch, so it was great playing as UgraKarma after so long, he says.

Old technology, old hope

Brothers Bikram (left) and Bijaya (right) play the drums and bass respectively. Photo courtesy: 25 Hours

Playing together regularly and doing several tours for a few years, the band released their second album titled Mountain Grinders in 2015. But, unlike other bands, they released it on vinyl only.

Im old school and hate CDs and other digital forms because I grew up listening to the tape. I think we did release a few CDs, but those were for friends. The next album were working on will also be on vinyl.

The band is signed to a French record label Legion of Death that released the bands 2015 Mountain Grinders EP. During their 2018 Europe tour, the band had four gigs in France, including a date in the labels hometown of Poitiers.

Since then, they are also signed up with a French record label company Legion of Death that produced Mountain Grinders and will also be producing their new album.

When asked what they were hoping for from the next album, Pant says same as always. He understands that being a death metal band does not pay well and is well aware he needs to have a proper job to sustain his passion.

All I want to do is make music and do what we do best  perform live for who love the kind of death metal that we do.
FCW Insider: October 21, 2021

These early-career leaders already are having an outsized impact on government IT.

The Office of Personnel Management is directed agencies to more regularly give new and longtime feds more information about their union eligibility and guidance about how to join.

The Internal Revenue Service's plan to modernize its key source for individual tax data has seen multiple cost and schedule changes since it started in 2009.

The agency has been without a general counsel for years, leaving it unable to resolve charges of unfair labor practices, but the Senate is poised to confirm new leadership.

Quick Hits

*** The U.S. Army released its digital transformation strategy Oct. 20, outlining the service's goals for shifting the culture around how the service buys, employs, and handles technology to prepare for multidomain operations in the coming decade. The document outlines three objectives -- modernization, reform, and talent and partnerships -- with 13 lines of effort, which include syncing the Army's IT networks and infrastructure, increasing IT investment accountability via financial analytics, and strengthening partnerships through better data, systems and software interoperability.

Raj Iyer, Army CIO, previewed the strategy last week during a conference, calling for significant IT policy reform, from requirements to budgeting to talent management. In a statement announcing the document's public release, Iyer said the strategy is about how we can fundamentally change how we operate as an Army through transformative digital technologies, empowering our workforce, and re-engineering our rigid institutional processes to be more agile.

*** Laurie Locascio, the Biden administration's nominee to lead the National Institute of Standards and Technology, had her confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday. Locasio, who had a long career at NIST as a lab director, division chief and acting deputy director, said in questioning that she would prioritize the cybersecurity of the internet of things and efforts to implement the May 2021 executive order on cybersecurity.
DALLAS, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BenefitMall , the leading provider of next-generation broker services, today announced it has made several updates and enhancements to Client Ready Quote System (CRQS) that will help brokers create more efficiencies during the upcoming fall enrollment season.

BenefitMall (PRNewsFoto/BenefitMall)

"Fall enrollment season is already a time of high stress for employers, employees and brokers alike," said Bob Love, president of the benefits division at BenefitMall. "With so many questions to answer and group enrollments to handle, we want to ensure our quoting system is top notch and able to provide all of the information on various plans in one place so clients can quickly make smart decisions. These enhancements will help save time for our broker partners, allowing them to spend more quality time with their clients this season."

CRQS allows brokers to create benefits quotes and proposals easily and offers leading technology with robust carrier content. CRQS's comprehensive quoting engine along with the application and proposal process is highly efficient and allows for a more personalized, focused relationship.

We are pleased to share that broker can now modify the CRQS generated rates for partially self-funded plans with carriers' underwritten rates by utilizing these new features:

Bulk Editing - update the base rates that are initially displayed for ancillary and partially self-funded plans by editing the rates for multiple plans all in one place

Multi-Option Customization - set up alternate plan offerings to show in proposals by comparing to existing plans and modifying employee participation to showcase different scenarios

With more flexibility, brokers can capture the true premium increases or decreases across plans and show alternate options. Ultimately, providing an easy way for brokers and employer clients to identify which plans and alternate options are right for their needs.

About BenefitMall

Headquartered in Dallas, BenefitMall is the largest general agency partnering with a network of 20,000 Brokers to deliver employee benefits to more than 140,000 small and medium-sized businesses. BenefitMall uniquely leverages innovative technology backed by human expertise to provide the fastest, easiest, and most secure benefits selling experience for carriers, brokers, and their clients.

Story continues

Owned by Management and The Carlyle Group, BenefitMall also operates HealthCareExchange.com, the leading online community for health care reform and compliance. More information is available at www.benefitmall.com .

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/benefitmall-rolls-out-enhancements-to-client-ready-quote-system-ahead-of-fall-enrollment-301405520.html

SOURCE BenefitMall
Bollinger Lockport reopened October 10th after a three week shutdown due to sustaining significant damage in Hurricane Ida

USCGC John Scheuerman is the fifth of six cutters destined for overseas operations in Manama, Bahrain

LOCKPORT, La., October 21, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bollinger Shipyards LLC ("Bollinger") has delivered the newest Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter ("FRC"), the USCGC John Scheuerman, to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida nearly one week ahead of schedule despite a three week shutdown due to the significant damage sustained to Bollingers facilities during Hurricane Ida. The storm made landfall in late August near Port Fourchon, Louisiana as a powerful Category 4 storm. Bollingers facilities in Port Fourchon, Lockport, Houma and Larose suffered significant damage as a result of Hurricane Ida, which tied with last years Hurricane Laura and the Last Island Hurricane of 1856 as the strongest on record in Louisiana.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021006074/en/

USCGC John Scheuerman in Key West, Florida. (Photo: Business Wire)

"While every delivery is meaningful, being able to deliver this vessel nearly a week early despite everything our crew has faced over the past month is nothing short of remarkable," said Bollinger President & CEO Ben Bordelon. "We had folks who lost everything in that storm. Our yard where we build the FRCs took a beating and was shuttered for three weeks while we rebuilt. This vessel and this delivery is a win our folks really needed and it reflects the resilience, commitment and tenacity of the 650 skilled men and women that built it."

On September 24th, following an extensive multiweek recovery and rebuilding effort, Bollinger welcomed employees back to all 11 of its facilities across Louisiana. Bollingers Lockport facility is home to the FRC program, which directly supports 650 jobs. The USCGC John Scheuerman departed Lockport on Monday, October 11th for Bollingers Fourchon facility where it performed a shakedown exercise prior to dry docking for final inspection in preparation of its delivery. The Cutter departed Fourchon for Key West, FL on Sunday, October 17th .

Story continues

The USCGC John Scheuerman is the 169th vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 46th FRC delivered under the current program. The USCGC John Scheuerman is the fifth of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace the aging 110 Island Class Patrol Boats, built by Bollinger Shipyards 30 years ago, supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the U.S. Coast Guards largest overseas presence outside the United States.

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz has previously lauded the "enhanced seakeeping capabilities" of the PATFORSWA-bound FRCs, saying the ships are going to be "game changing" in their new theater of operations. Last week, at the commissioning ceremony for the USCGC Emlen Tunnellanother Bahrain-based FRCAdm. Schultz noted that these ships will "conduct maritime security operations, theater cooperation efforts, and strengthen partner nations maritime capabilities to promote security and stability in the region, as well as thwart the increasingly aggressive and dangerous maritime activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps." He went on to say that these FRCs are "a perfect complement to the capabilities of both the Navy and Marine Corps. United, we bring a range of maritime capabilities to employ across the cooperation-competition-lethality continuum."

PATFORSWA is composed of six cutters, shoreside support personnel, and the Maritime Engagement Team. The units mission is to train, organize, equip, support and deploy combat-ready Coast Guard Forces in support of U.S. Central Command and national security objectives. PATFORSWA works with Naval Forces Central Command in furthering their goals to conduct persistent maritime operations to forward U.S. interests, deter and counter disruptive countries, defeat violent extremism and strengthen partner nations maritime capabilities in order to promote a secure maritime environment.

Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished themselves in the line of duty. John Scheuerman, Seaman First Class, United States Coast Guard Reserve was posthumously presented the Silver Star Medal for service as set forth in the following citation: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving on board the U.S.S. LCI (L) 319 during the amphibious invasion of Italy, September 9, 1943. Observing an enemy fighter plane diving in for a strafing attack as his vessel approached the assault beaches in the Gulf of Salerno, Scheuerman unhesitatingly manned his battle station at an exposed antiaircraft gun and, with cool courage and aggressive determination, exerted every effort to direct accurate gunfire against the hostile aircraft. Although mortally wounded before he could deliver effective fire, he remained steadfast at his post in the face of imminent death, thereby contributing materially to the protection of his ship against further attack. Scheuermans fearless action, great personal valor and selfless devotion to duty under extremely perilous conditions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." Scheuerman also posthumously received the Purple Heart Medal.

About the Fast Response Cutter Platform

The FRC is an operational "game changer," according to senior Coast Guard officials. FRCs are consistently being deployed in support of the full range of missions within the United States Coast Guard and other branches of our armed services. This is due to its exceptional performance, expanded operational reach and capabilities, and ability to transform and adapt to the mission. FRCs have conducted operations as far as the Marshall Islandsa 4,400 nautical mile trip from their homeport. Measuring in at 154-feet, FRCs have a flank speed of 28 knots, state of the art C4ISR suite (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), and stern launch and recovery ramp for a 26-foot, over-the-horizon interceptor cutter boat.

About Bollinger Shipyards LLC

Bollinger Shipyards LLC (www.bollingershipyards.com) has a 75-year legacy as a leading designer and builder of high performance military patrol boats and salvage vessels, research vessels, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tugboats, rigs, lift boats, inland waterways push boats, barges, and other steel and aluminum products from its new construction shipyards as part of the U. S. industrial base. Bollinger has 11 shipyards, all strategically located throughout Louisiana with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of Mexico region.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021006074/en/

Contacts

Eric Bollinger

Vice President of Sales

Tel.: 985-532-2554

E-mail: ericb@bollingershipyards.com
CAMPBELL RIVER, BC, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - On September 13, 2021, in Campbell River Provincial Court, the Honourable Judge R. Lamperson found Nicklaus Templeman, the owner and operator of Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions, guilty of violations under both the Species At Risk and Federal Fisheries Acts. Justice Lamperson ordered Mr. Templeman to pay a fine of $5,000 for each violation, for a total of $10,000. He also directed that these monies be used for the conservation and protection of marine mammals in the waters off British Columbia.

Photo used as part of the evidence presented in Court (CNW Group/Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region)

The sentence stems from an incident on May 27, 2019, when Mr. Templeman was observed by two other whale watching guides illegally approaching a killer whale within 35 metres near Willow Point. Mr. Templeman acknowledged over the VHF radio that he was aware of the presence of the whale pod. However, he continued to travel in their direction and positioned his vessel in a way to ensure that the whales would have to pass him in close proximity.

The Department has a mandate to protect and conserve marine resources and to prosecute offenders under the Fisheries and Species At Risk Acts. It ensures and promotes compliance with these Acts and other laws and regulations through a combination of land, air, and sea patrols, as well as education and awareness activities.

Quick Facts

As part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada's work to end illegal activity, the Department asks the public for information on activities of this nature or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and regulations. Anyone with information can call the toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336, or email the details to DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.





The illegal activity was reported to DFO's Observe, Record, Reporting line by the other whale watching guides and a Conservation and Protection fishery officer from the Campbell River Detachment went to assess the situation.





There were six to seven commercial whale watching vessels in the area of the incident who subsequently provided witness statements, as did several of the tourists who were on board. These witnesses also provided significant amounts of photos and video statements.





It is mandatory to respect the approach distances and other protective measures in place for marine mammals.





Section 7(2) of the Marine Mammal Regulations states that: disturb includes to approach the marine mammal to, or to attempt to trap it or its group between a vessel and the shore or between a vessel and one or more other vessels. Mr. Templeman contravened this section of the Fisheries Act by approaching from behind within 35 m and encircling the whales, and positioning his vessel near the shoreline, resulting in the two groups of Orca transiting between his vessel and the other whale watching vessels that were offshore.





The Species at Risk Act (SARA) is part of the Government of Canada's commitment to keep Canadian wildlife species from becoming extinct and secure the necessary actions for their recovery. It provides for the legal protection of wildlife species and the conservation and preservation of their biological diversity.





Bigg's killer whales are long-lived upper trophic level predators that are considered to be at risk due to small population size, very low reproductive rate (one calf approximately every five years), and high levels of chemical contaminants that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Because they rely on stealth and passive listening to detect prey, Bigg's killer whales are at risk of habitat degradation through acoustic disturbance from underwater noise.

Associated Links

Story continues

Stay Connected

Follow the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Subscribe to receive our news releases and more via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/rss-eng.htm.

SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2021/21/c7787.html
A new shared action plan will drive leading organizations across Canada as they build a circular economy for plastics packaging

OTTAWA, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, over 70 leading businesses, organizations, and governments have come together to release an ambitious action plan to eliminate plastic waste through the Canada Plastics Pact. Roadmap to 2025: A shared action plan to build a circular economy for plastics packaging represents unprecedented cross-value chain collaboration, uniting key players behind a shared vision for a circular economy for plastics packaging in Canada and a targeted plan to drive tangible change by 2025.



The Roadmap was developed through the engagement of leading industry, NGO, and public sector organizations, including brands, retailers, recyclers, resin producers, nonprofits, associations, governments and others who together account for over a third of the plastics packaging on the market in Canada. These leading organizations are collaborating to realize a circular economy for plastics where we eliminate the plastics we dont need, and innovate so the plastics we do need can be reused, recycled or composted to be kept in the economy and out of the environment.

Our take-make-waste approach to plastics is no longer viable. Plastic packaging is a vital part of daily life, it is high-performing, lightweight, and low cost; but currently, over 85% of what we produce in Canada each year gets used once and ends up in landfills or the environment, says George Roter, Managing Director of the CPP. Canadians, our governments, and our businesses have had enough of plastic waste. The Roadmap is designed to comprehensively address this problem quickly and together, and sets forth both coordinated individual business actions and the system changes that are needed into a single agenda, with ambitious targets for 2025."

The Roadmap presents a full picture of what is needed to aggressively advance action and what can be done next to achieve a circular economy for plastics packaging through three strategic priorities for 2025:

Story continues

Reduce, reuse, collect: Eliminate unnecessary and hard to recycle plastics. Drive innovation for reuse and refill models. Innovate to prevent waste from being created in the first place. Improve collection and recycling systems.



Optimize the recycling system: Packaging design standards to improve recyclability. Investments in new infrastructure. Address supply and demand issues to incorporate recycled resins. Ensure government policy is in place and well-designed.



Use data to improve the whole system: Create standard definitions and measurement practices. Drive investment in better real-time data and monitoring.

Currently, we are throwing valuable materials away and there is significant material loss between the plastics that are generated to that which is collected, sorted and actually recycled. Innovation in technology and business models that will be generated through achieving a circular economy for plastics packaging will capture economic value, deliver jobs, and position Canadian businesses competitively.

Creating a future that is free of plastic waste demands collaboration, and the multi-stakeholder effort that went into developing the CPP Roadmap gives me confidence that we can now make the essential steps to catalyse and create a circular economy for plastics, said David Hughes, President and CEO of The Natural Step Canada. We are excited to be working alongside other CPP Partners and leading organizations across Canadas plastics value chain to turn our ambitious targets into action, and achieve together more than any one organization can do by acting alone. These are system-wide problems that require system-wide solutions.

The CPP is following the ambitious precedents set in the Roadmaps of other Pacts across the Ellen MacArthur Foundations global Plastics Pact Network to bring globally aligned direction and responses to plastic waste and pollution. The Roadmap will accelerate progress towards the CPPs four 2025 targets for plastics packaging and waste which Partners of the CPP are required to report on annually. These are:

Define a list of plastic packaging to be designated as problematic or unnecessary and take measures to eliminate them. 100% of plastic packaging being designed to be reusable, recyclable or compostable. 50% of plastic packaging is effectively recycled or composted. 30% recycled content across all plastic packaging.

The Roadmap will play a pivotal role in uniting stakeholders for progress towards a circular economy for plastics packaging. CPP looks forward to working with existing and new Partners to drive the collaboration necessary for this critical change and invites others across the value chain to join the CPP to be part of this important work.

To read the Canada Plastics Pacts Roadmap, please visit roadmap.plasticspact.ca .

Media resources:

About the Canada Plastics Pact

The Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) is tackling plastic waste and pollution, as a multi-stakeholder, industry-led, cross-value chain collaboration platform. The CPP brings together Partners who are united behind a vision of creating a circular economy in Canada in which plastic waste is kept in the economy and out of the environment. Launched in January 2021, it unites 70+ businesses, government, non-governmental organizations and other key actors in the local plastics value chain behind clear actionable targets for 2025. The CPP is a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundations Global Plastics Pact network . It operates as an independent initiative of The Natural Step Canada , a national charity with over 25 years experience advancing science, innovation and strategic leadership aimed at fostering a strong and inclusive economy that thrives within natures limits. Further information: www.plasticspact.ca | @CanadaPact

The Canada Plastics Pact Partners

Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC); Bimbo Canada; Bioform; BOSK Bioproducts; Canadian Beverage Association; Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association; Canadian Bottled Water Association; Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA); Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance Inc. (CSSA); Canadian Tire Corporation; Circular Economy Leadership Canada; Circular Innovation Council; Circular Plastics Taskforce; City of Edmonton; City of Toronto; Cleanfarms; Club Coffee; Coca-Cola Canada; Colgate-Palmolive Company; Communaute metropolitaine de Montreal (CMM); Council of the Great Lakes Region; CSA Group; Dairy Processors Association of Canada (DPAC); Danone Canada; David Suzuki Foundation; Divert NS; Eco Entreprises Quebec; EFS-plastics; Emterra Group; Enerkem; Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC); Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada; Fraser Plastics; GDI Packaging Solutions; General Mills; Government of British Columbia; GS1 Canada; HypoIndustries Ltd.; Ice River Sustainable Solutions; International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD); Keurig Dr. Pepper Canada; Kimberly-Clark; Kraft Heinz Canada; Kruger Products L.P.; Loblaw Companies Ltd.; Maple Leaf Foods; Mars Canada; Merlin Plastics; Metro Vancouver; Mondelez; Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba (MMSM); National Zero Waste Council; Nature's Touch; Nestle Canada; NOVA Chemicals Corporation; Ocean Wise; PAC Packaging Consortium; Pollution Probe; Polytainers; Primo Water North America; Pyrowave; Reckitt Benckiser Canada; Recycling Council of Alberta; Recycling Council of British Columbia; Retail Council of Canada; Return-It; Ryse Solutions; Save-On-Foods; Smart Prosperity Institute; SPUD; Tempo Plastics; Terracycle; The Natural Step Canada; Unilever Canada; Walmart Canada; Wentworth Technologies.

CONTACT: Media Inquiries: To arrange an interview with George Roter, Managing Director of the Canada Plastics Pact or a Partner of the CPP, contact: Nicole Paul Manager of Communications, Canada Plastics Pact npaul@plasticspact.ca 778-838-2466




Pharmacy Professor, Students Study Soapberry Extract

Soapberry Extract

Soapberry shells pictured with a tube of soapberry extract on a plate of actively growing bacteria.

Soapberry shells pictured with a tube of soapberry extract on a plate of actively growing bacteria.

The Leading Professor

Dr. Tim Veenstra, associate professor of pharmaceutical science at Cedarville University

Dr. Tim Veenstra, associate professor of pharmaceutical science at Cedarville University

CEDARVILLE, OHIO, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Americans have plenty of options to kill bacteria and repel mosquitoes, two sources of disease. In many developing nations, those resources arent readily available. But a tropical fruit not very well known to Americans, but available in many places around the world, might provide a solution.

A team of researchers from Cedarville University is looking into the potential bacteria-killing, insect-repelling properties of soapberry extract. Various species of soapberry plants can be found throughout eastern and southern Asia, the Pacific islands and the Americas, including the southeastern U.S., Texas and Hawaii.

Dr. Tim Veenstra, an associate professor of pharmaceutical science in Cedarvilles school of pharmacy, is working on this team alongside second-year Doctor of Pharmacy students Daniel Tellock of Richmond, Minnesota; Gabriel Thomas of Fenton, Michigan; and Ekenedirichukwu Obi of Ypsilanti, Michigan.

A missionary told Cedarville professors about the potential bactericidal and insect-repelling properties of soapberries, and Veenstra decided to take up the project.

I thought the applicability to potentially help people in the real world was great, Veenstra said. Developing nations are typically in tropical zones, and soapberries are prevalent among many of those nations.

This investigation was designed to discover an easy application in tropical and subtropical regions so individuals or communities can make their own soapberry solution. For instance, one way that team members are generating extract is from the soapberry shell, or pericarp, by boiling the shell in water. There are more effective ways to produce soapberry extract, but Veenstra noted that the substances needed for those processes arent easy to acquire in rural, developing regions.

Story continues

The researchers are also working to find the right concentration of soapberry extract for a solution of soapberry extract and water. Pure soapberry extract is greasy, which may discourage people from using it. They found that on lab plates, a solution with 25% soapberry extract and 75% water was effective in preventing the growth of the bacteria E. coli.

In terms of the extracts potential to repel insects, Veenstra said that the researchers got mixed results when testing it on fruit flies. But he noted that the researchers want to revisit the method they used for those tests to get more conclusive results.

The research team isnt done yet. While theyve tested the properties of soapberry shell extract, the researchers also want to test the extract of the inner nut and the whole fruit to determine the most effective solutions.

One potential application for the soapberry extract is disinfecting surfaces. The researchers hope to test the extracts disinfectant properties to determine how long the bactericidal properties last. Another potential application would be as a treatment for mosquito nets, to offer an additional layer of protection against mosquito-borne diseases.

Above all, Veenstra wants to help people with something readily available to them.

Its something that could be spread through a missionary network, Veenstra said. I have no interest in a commercial product; I just want to find something that people can use.

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,715 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including the Doctor of Pharmacy program, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.

Written by Bryson Durst.

Attachments

CONTACT: Mark D. Weinstein Cedarville University 937-766-8800 mweinstein@cedarville.edu




American tech heavyweights are facing yet more scrutiny of their payment practices. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ordered Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, PayPal and Square to hand over info concerning their payment system plans. The bureau wants to learn how these companies harvest data and control access to spot any anti-consumer behavior and provide "adequate" protections to the public.

The CFPB will also study Chinese tech firms' payment systems, including Alipay and WeChat Pay.

Director Rohit Chopra justified the order by warning that payments can pose a threat to the fair market thanks to their "tremendous scale and market power." He pointed to China as an example, noting that systems like Alipay and WeChat Pay are so thoroughly integrated with Chinese society that residents are effectively forced to use them as-is.

The bureau said it was following up on Federal Trade Commission oversight of Big Tech. The regulator has studied some of the companies' behavior in detail and, in the faces of Facebook and Google, put them under close watch. In 2020, for instance, the FTC investigated Facebook and Google acquisitions that hadn't been reported.

There's no certainty the CFPB orders will lead to regulatory action. However, they come right as politicians are trying to rein in Apple, Google and others for allegedly abusing app store payments. The Biden administration as a whole is also determined to crack down on tech companies. There's a chance CFPB will take corrective measures, even as those companies lower fees and otherwise try to make peace offerings.
CHICAGO, October 21, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cresco Labs (CSE:CL) (OTCQX:CRLBF) ("Cresco Labs" or "the Company"), a vertically integrated multistate operator and the number one U.S. wholesaler of branded cannabis products, announced today the opening of a new Sunnyside dispensary in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Wyomissing will be Cresco Labs fifth dispensary in Pennsylvania and 38th nationwide.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021006075/en/

Sunnyside Wyomissing opens Friday, October 22, marking Cresco Labs first store in the city of Reading and fifth location in Pennsylvania.

Sunnyside Wyomissing is located at 208 N Park Rd. Unit #1. The nearly 6,000 sq. foot dispensary is across from The Knitting Mills, a redevelopment mixed-use business and retail campus, and minutes away from U.S. Route 222/US 422 for easy access to daily commuters.

The new store will offer premium quality products from Cresco Labs wholesale brands Cresco, Supply and Remedi, as well as other top brands. Products include flower; vape products like liquid live resin; concentrates; Rick Simpson Oil (RSO); topicals like lotion; capsules; and tinctures. It will also sell branded merchandise and accessories including vaporizers, vape batteries and more.

Sunnyside Wyomissing will serve patients with a medical card issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Patients can place product orders online through the Sunnyside.shop website or visit Sunnyside to speak with wellness advisors for purchasing assistance. Regular store hours are Monday through Thursday and Sunday, 9AM to 6PM, and Friday and Saturday, 9AM to 7PM.

For more information about Sunnyside, visit www.sunnyside.shop.

About Cresco Labs Inc.

Cresco Labs is one of the largest vertically integrated multistate cannabis operators in the United States, with a mission to normalize and professionalize the cannabis industry. Employing a consumer-packaged goods ("CPG") approach, Cresco Labs is the largest wholesaler of branded cannabis products in the U.S. Its brands are designed to meet the needs of all consumer segments and comprised of some of the most recognized and trusted national brands including Cresco, High Supply, Mindy's Edibles, Good News, Remedi, Wonder Wellness Co. and FloraCal Farms. Sunnyside, Cresco Labs national dispensary brand, is a wellness-focused retailer created to build trust, education and convenience for both existing and new cannabis consumers. Recognizing that the cannabis industry is poised to become one of the leading job creators in the country, Cresco Labs operates the industrys largest Social Equity and Educational Development initiative, SEED, which was established to ensure that all members of society have the skills, knowledge and opportunity to work and own businesses in the cannabis industry. Learn more about Cresco Labs at www.crescolabs.com.

Story continues

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Companys beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Companys control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, may, will, should, could, would, expects, plans, anticipates, believes, estimates, projects, predicts, potential or continue or the negative of those forms or other comparable terms. The Companys forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to those risks discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Companys Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed on March 26, 2021, and other documents filed by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Because of these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the Companys forward-looking statements. No assurances are given as to the future trading price or trading volumes of Cresco Labs shares, nor as to the Companys financial performance in future financial periods. The Company does not intend to update any of these factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the Companys forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information, any future event or otherwise. Except as otherwise indicated, this press release speaks as of the date hereof. The distribution of this press release does not imply that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company after the date hereof or create any duty or commitment to update or supplement any information provided in this press release or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021006075/en/

Contacts

Media:

Jason Erkes, Cresco Labs

Chief Communications Officer

press@crescolabs.com

Investors:

Jake Graves, Cresco Labs

Manager, Investor Relations

investors@crescolabs.com

For general Cresco Labs inquiries:

312-929-0993

info@crescolabs.com
US$10 Million Investment Will Enable the Creation of the First-Ever U.S. Government-Funded Cultivated Protein Research Center of Excellence and Marks the USDA's Inaugural Investment in Cultivated Foods

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - CULT Food Science Corp. ("CULT" or the "Company"), an innovative investment platform with an exclusive focus on clean, lab-grown food that is advancing the development of novel technologies to provide a sustainable, environmental, and ethical solution to the global factory farming and aquaculture crises, is pleased to applaud the US Department of Agriculture's (the "USDA") US$10 million of funding invested in the development of the first-ever Institute for Cellular Agriculture (the "Institute"). The USDA's funding for the first federally funded cellular agriculture-focused Institute is a significant milestone for the field, which further validates cellular agriculture technologies as the future of food.

CULT Food Science Corp. Logo (CNW Group/CULT Food Science Corp.)

The Institute will be a collaboration between six major American universities, including Tufts University, Virginia State, Virginia Tech, MIT, UC Davis, and UMass Boston. The institute also aims to address many of the key technical scaling challenges, including cell line development and cell culture media formulations1. Additionally, the Institute plans to develop educational programs around the bourgeoning cellular agriculture field and facilitate workforce development programs for students interested in finding jobs within the field.

Management Commentary

"This USDA Centre of Excellence and its state-of-the-art associated infrastructure will empower more researchers to have greater access to resources in order to address the key technical and viability challenges behind cell-based meat and the wider cellular agriculture field. We expect this funding commitment by the USDA to act as an additional tailwind for CULT Food Science and our mission to democratizing access to the future of food via our diversified investment holdings and our streaming portfolio of intellectual property that is currently under development," said Dr. Ian Smith, Strategic Advisor to CULT.

Story continues

Options

CULT recently granted 50,000 options to purchase common shares of the Company to a director. Each option entitles the holder thereof to purchase one (1) common share of the Company at a price of $0.25 per common share for a period of five (5) years from the date of grant.

About CULT Food Science

CULT Food Science Corp. is an innovative investment platform with an exclusive focus on clean, lab-grown food that is advancing the development of novel technologies to provide a sustainable, environmental, and ethical solution to the global factory farming crisis. The first-of-its-kind in North America, CULT Food Science aims to provide individual investors with unprecedented exposure to the most innovative start-up, private or early-stage cultivated meat and cultured dairy companies around the world.

Additional information can be found by viewing the Company's website at www.cultfoodscience.com or its regulatory filings on www.sedar.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

CULT FOOD SCIENCE CORP.

"Dorian Banks"

Dorian Banks, CEO

Forward-Looking Information:

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to the following risks: those associated with marketing and sale of securities; the need for additional financing; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers or directors with certain other projects; and the volatility of common share price and volume. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. For further information on risk, investors are advised to see the Company's MD&A and other disclosure filings with the regulators which are found at www.sedar.com.

Endnotes: 1. "GFI joins Representatives DeLauro and Clark in celebrating USDA funding of the first-ever National Institute for Cellular Agriculture at Tufts University," Good Food Institute October 2021, https://gfi.org/press/gfi-delauro-clark-celebrate-first-ever-national-institute-for-cellular-agriculture/, Web, 19 October 2021.

SOURCE CULT Food Science Corp.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2021/21/c3716.html
Recognition reflects Genpact's role in catalyzing the private sector as a force for good, bringing together academics, scientists, organizations, and businesses to help reopen the US economy faster with rapid COVID-19 workplace testing

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Genpact (NYSE: G), a global professional services firm focused on delivering digital transformation, announced today that it has been named to Fortune's "Change the World" list, which honors companies that are helping to address society's unmet needs. Genpact was specifically cited for its role in founding the US Rapid Action Consortium, which brings together leading scientists, academics and organizations to help companies navigate the complexities of implementing and operating COVID-19 testing programs at scale to help businesses across the country  large and small  create safer workplaces and communities.

New Genpact logo - September 2017 (PRNewsfoto/Genpact)

In determining this year's winners, Fortune looked at companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy. This includes measurable social impact, business results, and how innovative a company's efforts are relative to others in its industry. Fortune highlighted the work of the Consortium in its award citation, recognizing the challenges that exist in restarting US businesses.

"Fortune's annual Change the World list celebrates companies that make measurable progress addressing pressing social problems, something that has never been more critical or more needed in today's incredibly complex global environment," said Alan Murray, CEO, Fortune. "The list reflects the growing corporate commitment to stakeholder capitalism, with Genpact and all of these named companies leading the way in combining purpose and profitthe best way to assure such programs are sustainable."

Genpact founded the US Rapid Action Consortium with the Creative Destruction Lab Rapid Screening Consortium (CDL RSC) in Canada, and the COVID Collaborative. Together, these partners leverage thousands of hours of research, vast quantities of data, and insights to make available, as a public good, essential screening protocols that are scalable and can be leveraged by most types of organizations. Staying true to its purpose, "the relentless pursuit of a world that works better for people," Genpact is using its digital and process expertise in solving complex business challenges for global organizations to help US companies safely return their employees to on-site work environments.

Story continues

The US Rapid Action Consortium is an expansion of successful work done in Canada by the CDL RSC, of which Genpact also is a founding member. Between the US Rapid Action Consortium and the CDL RSC, Consortium member companies have administered more than 630,000 tests across more than 900 locations. Across locations, the rapid testing program has detected more than 500 asymptomatic individuals, preventing over 22,000 secondary infections from occurring.

"The Consortium was founded on the belief that the private sector is and must be a powerful force for progress in combatting the pandemic," said Stacy Simpson, global leader of corporate responsibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion, Genpact, and founder and co-chair, US Rapid Action Consortium. "We're extremely proud that Fortune has recognized the mission and progress of the Rapid Action Consortium. In addition to being a global health crisis, COVID-19 is also an information problem of the size and scale the world has never seen before. As with any complex information problem, the solution requires intelligent use of data and technology, and the right parties to come together to collectively learn, innovate, and rapidly iterate to create impact."

Companies interested in learning more about joining the US Rapid Action Consortium may visit its website here. Fortune's "Change the World" list can be found here.

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.

About the COVID Collaborative

COVID Collaborative, a project of UNITE, is a national assembly of experts, leaders and institutions in health, education and the economy and associations representing the diversity of the country to turn the tide on the pandemic by supporting federal, state and local COVID-19 response efforts.



The COVID Collaborative is co-chaired by former Governor and U.S. Senator Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID) and former Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA) and led by CEO John Bridgeland. COVID Collaborative includes expertise from across Republican and Democratic administrations at the federal, state and local levels, including former FDA commissioners, CDC directors, and U.S. surgeon generals; former U.S. secretaries of Education, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services; leading public health experts and institutions that span the country; the Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers and U.S. Chamber of Commerce; the NAACP, UnidosUS and the National Congress of American Indians; the Skoll Foundation, The Allstate Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation; and associations representing those on the front lines, from the American Public Health Association and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Council of the Great City Schools. Tim Shriver is Chairman of UNITE.



To learn more, visit www.CovidCollaborative.us, and follow the COVID Collaborative on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the CDL Rapid Screening Consortium

The CDL Rapid Screening Consortium (CDL RSC) is a private-led, not-for-profit initiative formed in August 2020 with the goal of establishing a robust rapid screening system and operational implementation strategy to be delivered as a public good to Canada and then the world. The Consortium is led by Creative Destruction Lab. This is an unprecedented collaboration among businesses, researchers, and government working together on a singular public-interest objective. Learn more about CDL RSC at https://www.cdlrapidscreeningconsortium.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Michael Schneider

Genpact Media Relations  Global

+1 (217) 260-5041

michael.schneider@genpact.com

Danielle D'Angelo

Genpact Media Relations  Americas

+1 914-336-7951

danielle.dangelo@genpact.com

Siya Belliappa

Genpact Media Relations  India

+91 9823133365

siya.belliappa@genpact.com

Anthony Mcdade

Genpact Media Relations  Australia

+61 412 091 010

anthony.mcdade@genpact.com

Judith Schunke

Genpact Media Relations  Europe

+447887661155

judith.schunke@genpact.com

Satoko Hashiba

Genpact Media Relations  Japan

+81 80 4944 3907

satoko.hashiba@genpact.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genpact-named-to-fortunes-change-the-world-list-of-innovative-companies-driving-social-impact-301405462.html

SOURCE Genpact
BOCA RATON, Fla., October 21, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The GEO Group (NYSE: GEO) ("GEO") announced today that it has entered into a new two-year lease agreement, with successive two-year renewal option periods through October 31, 2041, with the State of New Mexico at the company-owned, 600-bed Guadalupe County Correctional Facility. GEO has operated the Guadalupe County Correctional Facility under a management contract with New Mexico and will transition facility operations to the New Mexico Corrections Department when the new lease agreement commences on November 1, 2021. GEO will retain responsibility for facility maintenance throughout the term of the lease.

The average annual rent for the initial two-year lease term is $4 million, with escalators thereafter. For the first six months ended June 30, 2021, the Guadalupe County Correctional Facility generated operating revenue of approximately $4 million.

About The GEO Group

The GEO Group (NYSE: GEO) is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust specializing in the design, financing, development, and operation of secure facilities, processing centers, and community reentry centers in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. GEO is a leading provider of enhanced in-custody rehabilitation, post-release support, electronic monitoring, and community-based programs. GEOs worldwide operations include the ownership and/or management of 114 facilities totaling approximately 90,000 beds, including idle facilities and projects under development, with a workforce of up to approximately 20,000 professionals.

Safe-Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and future performance of GEO that involve risks and uncertainties that could materially affect actual results, including statements regarding GEOs new two-year lease agreement, with successive two-year renewal options through October 31, 2041, with the State of New Mexico at the 600-bed Guadalupe County Correctional Facility. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary from current expectations and forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to: (1) GEOs ability to meet its financial guidance for 2021 given the various risks to which its business is exposed; (2) GEOs ability to deleverage and repay, refinance or otherwise address its debt maturities in an amount or on the timeline it expects, or at all; (3) changes in federal and state government policy, orders, directives, legislation and regulations that affect public-private partnerships with respect to secure correctional and detention facilities, processing centers, and reentry centers, including the timing and scope of implementation of the January 2021 Presidential Executive Order to not renew U.S. Department of Justice contracts with privately-operated criminal detention facilities; (4) changes in federal immigration policy; (5) public and political opposition to the use of public-private partnerships with respect to secure correctional and detention facilities, processing centers and reentry centers; (6) the magnitude, severity, and duration of the current COVID-19 global pandemic, its impact on GEO, GEO's ability to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19, and the efficacy and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines; (7) GEOs ability to sustain or improve company-wide occupancy rates at its facilities in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic and policy and contract announcements impacting GEOs federal facilities in the United States; (8) fluctuations in our operating results, including as a result of contract terminations, contract renegotiations, changes in occupancy levels and increases in our operating costs; (9) general economic and market conditions, including changes to governmental budgets and its impact on new contract terms, contract renewals, renegotiations, per diem rates, fixed payment provisions, and occupancy levels; (10) GEOs ability to timely open facilities as planned, profitably manage such facilities and successfully integrate such facilities into GEOs operations without substantial costs; (11) GEOs ability to win management contracts for which it has submitted proposals and to retain existing management contracts; (12) risks associated with GEOs ability to control operating costs associated with contract start-ups; (13) GEOs ability to successfully pursue growth and continue to create shareholder value; (14) GEOs ability to obtain financing or access the capital markets in the future on acceptable terms or at all; (15) other factors contained in GEOs Securities and Exchange Commission periodic filings, including its Form 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports.

Story continues

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005162/en/

Contacts

Pablo E. Paez (866) 301 4436

Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - HealthSpace Data Systems Ltd. (the "Company" or "HealthSpace") (CSE: HS) (Frankfurt: 38H) (OTC: HDSLF) is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement with the following agencies to contract for HSCloud Suite and HSPay.

HealthSpace Data Systems Ltd. Logo (CNW Group/HealthSpace Data)

Health Canada: Travel and border health (airline and cruise ship inspections). Health Canada will be converting from the Company's legacy product, and are committing long term to HSCloud Suite. This is important for the Company, as this is the first federal level agency in Canada to adopt the HSCloud Suite platform.

Johnson County, MO: HSCloud for environmental health data management as well as HSPay.

Shelby County, TN: The county has executed an agreement to add HSPay.

KFLA, Ontario: KFLA has awarded the contract to convert from the Company's legacy product to HSCloud Suite for environmental health. This conversion includes HSPay.

The total value of these multi-year contracts are USD$339,870, of which $46,570 is annual recurring revenue (ARR). This does not include the transaction revenue from HSPay for Shelby County, Johnson County, or KFLA.

The Company is further pleased to announce that it has deployed its GovCall mobile app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This mobile app extends powerful functionality, beyond the integration in HSCloud Suite, for government agency use on mobile platforms. This will allow agencies to use the platform, and its unique features, beyond just regulatory activities.

HealthSpace CEO, Silas Garrison noted "I'm pleased to announce these new additions. Having Health Canada commit to the HSCloud Suite platform is an exciting step towards wider adoption in Canada. I am also very excited about the progression of our GovCall product. We continue to invest heavily in R&D initiatives on multiple fronts and these efforts are starting to bear fruit. The release of the mobile application truly allows GovCall to ultimately be a complete, fully integrated, replacement of the traditional video conferencing platforms currently being used by agencies around North America."

Story continues

HealthSpace Data Systems Ltd.

HealthSpace Data Systems Ltd. HealthSpace is an industry leading software as a service company serving the state, provincial and local government market across the United States and Canada. HealthSpace's cutting edge platforms currently provide inspection, information, communication and data management systems that enable government agencies to operate more efficiently. HealthSpace's cloud and mobile based platforms are currently deployed in over 600 state and local government organizations across North America. HealthSpace currently offers the only fully integrated inspection, administration and analytics product suite across all platforms in North America. HealthSpace also delivers its government grade technologies to private businesses through its My Health Department platform, enabling citizens and private businesses to gain visibility and predictability into their own organizations and move from a reactive to a proactive operational status. As HealthSpace continues to deliver focused service and innovative solutions to government organizations, the Company entered the FinTech space through its HSPay offering which serves as a payment platform that streamlines the intake of government revenue. Further, HealthSpace's GovCall platform offers one of the only teleconferencing and video collaboration platforms tailored exclusively for government agencies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although HealthSpace believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. HealthSpace 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.

SOURCE HealthSpace Data

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2021/21/c4469.html
TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers today announced that John A. MacDonald has assumed the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rogers Communications Inc.



This has been a challenging time for the Corporation and I want to reaffirm on behalf of the majority of the Board our support for and total confidence in the management team and CEO of Rogers Communications, said John A. MacDonald.

Edward Rogers has moved from the role of Chairman effective today and will remain on the Board as a Company director. John A. MacDonald has been a member of the Rogers Board of Directors since 2012 and holds the role of Lead Director and Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee.

About Rogers

Rogers is a proud Canadian company dedicated to making more possible for Canadians each and every day. Our founder, Ted Rogers, purchased his first radio station, CHFI, in 1960. We have grown to become a leading technology and media company that strives to provide the very best in wireless, residential, sports, and media to Canadians and Canadian businesses. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). If you want to find out more about us, visit about.rogers.com.

For more information

media@rci.rogers.com

1-844-226-1338




Featured Image for JS Bank

Featured Image for JS Bank

Featured Image for JS Bank

KARACHI, Pakistan, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JS Bank and the Embassy of Spain jointly hosted the unveiling of a pictorial journey in the form of a coffee table book titled "A Walk Through Spain" by Pakistani artist Ammar Zaidi at the Spanish Ambassador's Residence in Islamabad. The ceremony was attended by leading representatives from the diplomatic corps, federal government, business community and civil society.

Capturing the essence of Spain's historical landscape and beauty, this photobook lays out a breathtaking timeline of the rich multicultural history of the country with the journey being undertaken at the behest of the Spanish Embassy to Pakistan.

Speaking at the event, H.E Manuel Duran Gimenez-Rico, Spanish Ambassador to Pakistan, said, "It is insightful to see how the history of Spain has been depicted. The author has brilliantly highlighted the intricacies and beauty of Spain's diverse heritage. By fostering such avenues of inter-cultural exploration and sharing of experiences, we hope to strengthen the bond between the people of Pakistan and Spain."

Thanking JS Bank for their support, the artist stated, "I reached out to JS Bank in light of their initiatives to support the arts and literary culture in Pakistan. There is no lack of talent in Pakistan, and I hope my work inspires other authors to tell their stories, share their journeys and further enrich the literary landscape of our nation."

Imran Haleem Shaikh, Chief Operating Officer - JS Bank, emphasized the importance of such initiatives, saying, "JS Bank, as an institution dedicated to Pakistan and its people, is delighted to support the work of local artists. It is our hope that this contribution will deepen the ties between Pakistan and Spain and serve to further enhance our nation's image as a center of arts and learning on a global stage."

Story continues

JS Bank has continually undertaken efforts to support arts and literature in Pakistan. Over the years, the Bank has identified and nurtured artists, while also celebrating and showcasing their work at international and national platforms such as the Pakistan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the Karachi Biennale and more.

---End---

About JS Bank:

JS Bank is amongst the fastest-growing Banks in Pakistan, with both domestic and an international presence. The Bank is a leader in the SME space and has a substantial footprint in Digital Banking and Consumer Loans. JS Bank has been recognized on multiple international and national forums, including the prestigious AsiaMoney, Asian Banking, Finance, DIGI, and Pakistan Banking Awards. The Bank is part of JS Group, one of Pakistan's most diversified financial services groups. For more information, please visit http://www.jsbl.com.

Media Contact

Athar Khan

Phone: +92 333 3111737

Email: AtharAli.Khan@jsbl.com

Related Images













Image 1









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment




OTTAWA, Ontario, October 21, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Canadas largest union is decrying the Liberal governments decision to shut down vital pandemic income supports that have been the only thing separating millions of Canadians from poverty during the pandemic.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland confirmed Thursday that the Liberal government will be pulling the plug on a key pandemic income support. The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), formerly known as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), will be shut down this weekend on October 23rd.

"This is cruel treatment of workers still suffering loss of income as a result of COVID-19 and absolutely shameful behaviour from a government that just won re-election on a promise to support Canadians through to the pandemic's end," said CUPE National President Mark Hancock. "Well, the pandemic isn't over, and I guess we know the value of a Liberal promise."

Hundreds of thousands of workers and their families are still struggling to find work or sufficient hours and are relying on the CRB to make ends meet. According to the most recently available data, approximately 350,000 applications were made during the week of September 28. Meanwhile, applications for Employment Insurance are on the rise  and the Liberals are leaving workers to fend for themselves with an EI system that is clearly broken.

"The Liberals are acting like the pandemic is over just because they won the election," said CUPE National Secretary Treasurer Charles Fleury. "The Liberals could have used the last year and a half to fix the EI system, but instead they're slashing this vital lifeline that has kept millions of Canadians afloat and leaving people to fend for themselves."

CUPE is Canadas largest union, representing approximately 700,000 workers nationwide.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005980/en/

Contacts

Hugh Pouliot

Media relations, CUPE

613-818-0067

hpouliot@cupe.ca
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Infuse more color and optimism into every day with lifestyle brand and leader in the organization space, Erin Condren, and their new partnership with France-based lifestyle brand, EttaVee. The collection launches today on erincondren.com and features vibrant, hand-painted EttaVee designs on planners, notebooks, folios, stationery and more. Jessi Raulet is the American-born artist behind EttaVee, and her iconic artwork, influenced by her travels and living in France, evokes joy and positivity through color.

Lifestyle Brand Erin Condren Launches Bold, New Organization & Planning Collection With EttaVee

Lifestyle organization brand, Erin Condren, announces partnership with French-based artist, EttaVee.

"Jessi has a unique ability to create artwork that inspires us all to see and experience the beauty of color in the world around us. We are truly honored to bring Jessi's beautiful and inspirational artwork to our community," said Tonia Misvaer, Erin Condren CEO. "The collection combines stunning EttaVee creations with the functionality of our products to assist others in leading more joyful, meaningful lives through organization."

"I'm thrilled to collaborate with Erin Condren. As a lover of all things paper goods, their products are beautifully designed both inside and out," said Jessi Raulet, EttaVee CEO, Creative Director, and Artist. "Their attention to detail, like delicate soft deckled paper edges and shiny metallic finishes, further elevates their products. Absolutely swoon-worthy."

Brighten up your surroundings and make any space your happy place. Shop the full EttaVee collection at erincondren.com/ettavee.

About Erin Condren:

Founded in 2005, Erin Condren is a lifestyle brand known for creating fun and functional organization essentials for the home, office, and everything in between. The brand's best-selling planners, notebooks and accessories are available via erincondren.com, Erin Condren retail stores, and select retailers nationwide, including QVC, Amazon, Target, and more.

Story continues

About EttaVee:

EttaVee launched in 2014, after American-born artist, designer, and social media influencer, Jessi Raulet, moved to France for love and turned her artwork into an international brand. Since then, the international lifestyle brand has become well-known for its vibrantly optimistic color palettes and bold, hand-painted designs. With an engaged and rapidly growing social media following of 117K fans, EttaVee has garnered the attention of various media outlets, including features on Good Morning America, Dancing with the Stars and PopSugar.

Erin Condren (PRNewsfoto/Erin Condren)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lifestyle-brand-erin-condren-launches-bold-new-organization--planning-collection-with-ettavee-301405114.html

SOURCE Erin Condren
DUBAI, UAE and MADRID, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lleida.net (BME: LLN) (EPA: ALLLN) (OTC-QX: LLEIF) and the international organization Smart Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in the digitization of all types of public processes through the use of the SaaS services belonging to the Spanish company.

Smart Africa is the African Union agency in charge of promoting the digitization of the continent. Its partners include Google, Huawei, Microsoft, Facebook, Intel, Softbank, the World Bank, and the United Nations.

The agreement will empower state organizations in African countries to undertake digitization projects in public administration, private services, and e-commerce without having to invest heavily in infrastructure.

The understanding was signed last Monday, October 18, within the Dubai Expo, specifically in the Rwanda Pavilion. Smart Africa is headquartered in the Rwandan city of Kigali.

"As a corporation with a presence in Africa, we are gratified to contribute to African countries, through our technology, to address digitization projects of high immediate impact," emphasized Sisco Sapena, CEO and founder of the company.

As a result of the agreement, Lleida.net and eGate Egypt, the company's partner in Egypt, will help Smart Africa to identify projects in which its SaaS services can be used for the public good.

This agreement follows the one signed last summer between Lleida.net and the Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU), the body that coordinates the postal services of the 55 countries of the continent.

The framework agreement signed in July allows operators in all African countries to channel digital postal services through the infrastructure of the Spanish company.

As a result, the postal services of several states have already begun to distribute registered digital communications that can be used as valid evidence before courts of law and public administrations.

Postal operators in Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Senegal, and Sierra Leone have joined the agreement, and several more countries are negotiating their entry.

Story continues

Before the signing, Lleida.net was already providing digital postal services in South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Colombia.

Africa has approximately 650 million cell phones and 525 million Internet users. There are also 500 million mobile bank accounts on the continent, about half of those worldwide.

Lleida.net is listed in New York, Paris and Madrid.

Its technology has received more than 200 patents from 63 countries on five continents, and its intellectual property portfolio is one of the most important in the industry worldwide.

In the first nine months of 2021, it channeled more SaaS units (contracts, notifications, emails, and registered SMS) on behalf of its clients than in all of 2020.

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lleidanet-and-smart-africa-sign-agreement-to-digitize-public-services-in-the-continent-301405465.html

SOURCE Lleida.net
SHANGHAI, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shandong Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd. (''Shandong Luoxin''), a subsidiary of Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd. ("Luoxin Pharmaceutical" or "the company") , signed a licensing agreement with Austria-based Marinomed Biotech AG ("Marinomed"), whereby Shandong Luoxin will gain the exclusive rights for the development, manufacture, and commercialization of Budesolv (Budesonide Nasal spray) in China (including Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao SAR, Taiwan region). The signing of the license agreement will further expand Luoxin Pharmaceutical's product line and enhance Luoxin's competitive edge in the area of respiratory diseases.

Budesolv, a new formulation of the glucocorticoid budesonide, which is a steroid nasal spray and is not yet available for domestic and overseas market. Budesolv is the first medication originating from Marinomed's proprietary Marinosolv platform. Budesolv has successfully completed a pivotal Phase III clinical study, necessary for marketing authorization in Europe. The recently completed pivotal clinical trial successfully demonstrated non-inferiority of the Budesonide nasal spray when compared to Rhinocort Aqua 64. Furthermore, the trial demonstrated that Budesolv was equally effective with a 85 % reduction in dosage and showed significantly faster onset of action within 3 hours.

Budesolv is indicated for allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is a chronic disease with high rate of incidence, long duration and easy recurrence. Statistics reveal that over the past six years, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in China has increased from 11.1% to 17.6% (data from the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology). Statistics from IQVIA and MENET show that the global market size of steroid nasal spray in 2020 is US$2.15 billion (ex-factory price), and the total Chinese market size (domestic hospitals with more than 100 beds and retail pharmacies) is 1.305 billion yuan.

Story continues

Under the terms of the agreement, Shandong Luoxin shall pay to Marinomed an upfront payment in the amount of USD 2,000,000, and will pay to Mainomed development and sales milestone payments not to exceed $ 20 Million. Once budesonide nasal spray suspension has been launched, Shandong Luoxin will pay to Marinomed tiered royalties based on net sales.

Dr. Andreas Grassauer, CEO of Marinomed, said, "We are honored to reach an agreement with a quality partner in the Chinese market like Luoxin Pharmaceutical and are proud of the partnership based on the Marinosolv technology platform. Luoxin Pharmaceutical has rich experience in product innovation and commercialization, while Budesolv is the first drug developed on the Marinosolv platform, with a dosage reduction of 85% and faster efficacy. We hope to provide better treatment options for patients with allergic rhinitis through this close cooperation."

Ryan Liu, Chairman and CEO of Luoxin Pharmaceutical said, "We are looking forward to the cooperation with Marinomed. Respiratory disease is one of our key focus areas. Thanks to the combination of Marinomed's unique innovative product research and development platform and Luoxin's integrated whole industrial chain advantages in research, production and marketing, we believe that the joint exploration with Marinomed's outstanding scientific team will pay off and help enhance the treatment of allergic rhinitis patients in China."

About Marinomed

Marinomed Biotech AG (Korneuburg, Austria) (VSE:MARI) is an Austrian biotech company targeting globally marketed therapeutics. The company is listed on the Main Board of the Vienna Stock Exchange. Marinosolv focuses on the development of innovative products based on two patent-protected technology platforms. The Marinosolv technology increases the solubility and bio-availability of compounds that are hardly soluble in aqueous formulations. The Carragelose platform comprises innovative patent-protected products targeting viral infections of the respiratory tract and may also reduce the risk of an infection with SARS-CoV-2. Carragelose is used as a virus blocker in nasal sprays, throat sprays, and lozenges, which are sold via international partners in over 40 countries.

About Luoxin Pharmaceutical

Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd. ("Luoxin Pharmaceutical", stock code: 002793.SZ ) is a healthcare conglomerate that is engaged in pharmaceutical research and development, manufacture, sales, and healthcare services. Founded in 1988, Luoxin Pharmaceutical has established R&D centers and manufacturing sites in Shandong, Shanghai and Chengdu, with a total of nearly 6,000 staff members. Luoxin Pharmaceutical is committed to bringing good health to more people and is focused on meeting the unmet medical needs in GI, respiratory and oncology, improving the accessibility of medicines and healthcare services.

Luoxin Pharmaceutical has a rich and competitive portfolio of products and the star products take the lead in GI and respiratory. Many products were listed in major science and technology projects, such as National Major New Product Plan, National Torch Plan as well as Major New Drug R&D. In addition, having been ranking among Top 100 Chinese Pharmaceutical Enterprises since 2006, and among Best Enterprises in Chinese Pharmaceutical R&D Pipelines since 2011, Luoxin Pharmaceutical was recognized as State Key High-tech Enterprise, State Technology Innovation Model Enterprise, National Industrial Quality Model Enterprise, and awarded with the 2nd prize in the State Sci. & Tech Progress many times. For more information, please visit www.luoxin.cn

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/luoxin-pharmaceutical-signs-licensing-agreement-with-austria-based-marinomed-biotech-ag-for-budesolv-budesonide-nasal-spray-301405469.html

SOURCE Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd.
Dover, Delaware--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - The Memeunity team is pleased to announce the creation of a second company to the general public in a bid to bolster its revenue generation model. Memes were previously seen as a fun-only means of expression and nothing more. However, the team hopes that the emergence of Memeunity (MU) will change their users' perception about memes  the fact that they can make money and laugh while at it.



(A Memeunity media asset)



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8325/100451_memeunity.jpg.

MU is the world's first interactive social media platform of its kind. This means that its users do not have to interact with anyone as they would on traditional social media platforms. Thanks to the integration of blockchain, users on their platform can interact with other members of the Memeunity community without necessarily having to know each other's information unless mutually requested. A close substitute to that would be a Memo, something similar to a bio. In this situation, users get to craft a message that best describes the personality they intend to maintain.

For Content Creators

Memeunity serves content creators in a way that is atypical of social media platforms. Content creators are tasked to meet a long list of demands that can potentially influence the message that they intend to pass. To create a fair environment for all users of Memeunity, the leadership team integrated the "double algorithm" feature. The first algorithm classifies content according to the manner of language used, and the second one distributes ads across the different content categories.

Why Memeunity?

We are Memeunity because we understand that there's unity in decentralization. This is one of the ways we show you that we do not care about you, but we do. We do not care about you enough to want or sell your data, and we care about you enough to respect your privacy.

Story continues

Contrary to the general misconception that blockchain products and solutions are somewhat technical, the MU team did ensure that users have an easy time on their platform thanks to their intuitive and interactive user interface. Other perks include a dynamic content feed, consistent reward system, meme categories, etcetera.

So What Happened?

In trying to keep with the promise of a consistent reward system, the Memeunity team saw a future where the reward system could not be sustained. For this reason, they have set up a second company (Yarloo) intending to avoid all the mistakes they made with Memeunity. So far they have raised about $2 million with this second company, twice as much as they did with Memeunity.

Yarloo is built with a potent business model to generate revenue which will ultimately resuscitate Memeunity and create the future they envisioned and promised. The Memeunity team remains focused on ensuring they maintain the user-friendly, data-respecting, and privacy-inclined community they have been from day one.

About Memeunity

Memeunity is an interactive community that is very different from the typical social media but aims to entertain users. They describe themselves as a group of "lunatics" who saw a future for interactive social media and took it. Their idea of integrating a social network of memes with blockchain technology was so good that they raised a million dollars from investors. Memeunity is based in Delaware, United States (to be relocated to St. Vincent & The Grenadines for future legal concerns).

Contact Information

Company Name: Memeunity

Contact Name: Eyad Khaled

Phone number: +2001289749608

Email Address: mailto:contact@memeunity.com

Website Link: https://memeunity.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100451
Figure 1

Midland-Wallbridge Casault Option

Midland-Wallbridge Casault Option

Figure 2

Casault Option - Property Geology

Casault Option - Property Geology

Figure 3

Casault Option - 1st Magnetic Derivative

Casault Option - 1st Magnetic Derivative

MONTREAL, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (Midland) (TSX-V: MD), in partnership with Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd (Wallbridge), is pleased to announce the successful completion of an approximately 5,300-metre exploration drill program at its Casault Gold Property (Casault or the Property), testing various grassroots exploration targets 4 to 12 kilometres west of Wallbridges Martiniere Gold Project ("Martiniere") and 34 to 41 kilometres west of Wallbridges flagship Fenelon Gold Property ("Fenelon").



The first drill hole (CAS-21-123), for which assay results have been received so far, has intersected new gold mineralization with a visible gold-bearing interval returning 6.85 g/t Au over 2.00 metres from 254.50 to 256.50 metres. This intersection is considered significant, as it is located in the northern, largely untested part of the Casault property, where no gold zone has been known so far, approximately 2 kilometres from the nearest anomalous gold intersections both on the Casault and Martiniere properties.

This intersection of encouraging gold mineralization in the first drill hole of our Casault program in an entirely grassroots area is not only a testament to our growing understanding of the regional controls on gold deposition in the Detour-Fenelon area but also to the prospectivity of the over 900 square kilometer land package along this underexplored belt, stated Marz Kord, President & CEO of Wallbridge. We are keenly awaiting the assay results of other completed holes and are looking forward to following-up this intersection, working toward a discovery at Casault, near our existing Martiniere gold deposit.

Drill Program Completed

Between July and September 2021, Wallbridge completed a drill program totaling 13 drill holes, testing a variety of grassroots exploration targets at Casault. Drilling has focused on the unexplored northern part of the Property, within 1 to 2 kilometres north of the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone (SLDZ), on the same assemblage of rocks that also host Wallbridges Martiniere gold system, 5 kilometres east of the closest target tested in the 2021 program, which hosts historic indicated resources of approximately 591,000 gold ounces with an updated resource estimate currently underway.

Story continues

Hole CAS-21-123, the first drill hole of the program, was testing a prominent NW-SE oriented structure interpreted from airborne magnetics. This structural orientation is known to control gold mineralization at Fenelon and Martiniere, and a series of large structures of this trend also transects the Casault property. The particular structure tested by CAS-21-123 extends for an approximately 8 kilometres across Wallbridges Martiniere, Casault and Doigt properties and was historically tested by one drill hole on Martiniere, yielding 30.40 g/t Au over 0.44 metre, which has not been followed-up since.

The intersection of 6.85 g/t Au over 2.00 metres in CAS-21-123 is associated with a mineralized zone consisting of chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and electrum, a gold-silver mineral phase, within deformed and heavily carbonate-altered host rocks.

The other 12 drill holes of the completed program have also intersected strong shear and alteration zones with sulfide mineralization that are interpreted to potentially be part of gold-bearing systems. Assay results of these drill holes are currently pending and will be released as they become available. A technical meeting will be held in the following weeks to discuss the next follow-up program over this new gold bearing zone.

Cautionary statements

The true thickness of reported intervals cannot be determined with the information currently available; intervals are thus reported in core length.

Mineralization occurring on the Fenelon Gold and Martiniere/Bug Lake projects held by Wallbridge are not necessarily indicative of mineralization that may be found on the Casault property held by Midland.

Casault Gold Property

The Casault property is located approximately 110 kilometres west of the town of Matagami, between Wallbridges Martiniere and Detour East gold properties. Wallbridge has an option to acquire up to a 65% interest in the 177 km2 project from Midland Exploration (see Wallbridge News Release dated June 18, 2020 ). Casault covers more than 20 kilometres of the SLDZ, along which Wallbridges Martiniere and Fenelon gold deposits are located and which also hosts Kirkland Lake Golds world-class Detour Lake Mine.

The Casault property also hosts the Vortex Zone, a syenite-associated disseminated gold system with drill hole intersections grading up to 1.38 g/t Au over 26.5 metres that was traced over a distance of 1.5 kilometre.

Assay QA/QC

Drill core samples from the 2021 drill program at Casault were cut and bagged on site and transported to AGAT Laboratories Ltd. for analysis. Samples are crushed to 75% less than 2mm. A 250g riffle split is pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns. 50g samples are analyzed by fire assay and AAS. Samples >10g/t Au are automatically analyzed by fire assay with gravimetric finish or screen metallic analysis. To test for coarse free gold and for additional quality assurance and quality control, Wallbridge requests screen metallic analysis for samples containing visible gold. These and future assay results may vary from time to time due to reanalysis for quality assurance and quality control.

About Wallbridge

Wallbridge is currently advancing the exploration and development of its 100%owned Fenelon Gold property located along the DetourFenelon Gold Trend, an emerging gold belt in northwestern Quebec. The Company completed approximately 102,000 metres of drilling in 2020 and is currently conducting a fullyfunded 2021 program of approximately 150,000-170,000 metres of drilling and 2,500 metres of underground exploration development (Phase 1 of a 10,000metre program). The Company intends to complete a maiden mineral resource estimate on the Fenelon Gold System in October 2021.

Wallbridge now holds several kilometres surrounding its rapidly expanding Fenelon discovery providing room for growth, as well as future mine development flexibility. Wallbridge's land holdings in Quebec along the DetourFenelon Gold Trend total more than 900.0 km2, improving Wallbridge's potential for further discoveries along a 90kilometre strike length in this underexplored belt.

Wallbridge is also the operator of, and a 17.8% shareholder in, Lonmin Canada Inc., a privatelyheld company with a portfolio of nickel, copper, and platinumgroup metals (PGM) projects in Ontario's Sudbury Basin.

About Midland

Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements and base metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd BHP Canada Inc., Probe Metals Inc., Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Osisko Development Corp., SOQUEM Inc., Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund, and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Corporation portfolio and generate shareholder value.

This press release was prepared by Mario Masson. P.Geo., VP Exploration for Midland and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 in conjunction with Wallbridge technical team.

For further information, please consult Midlands website or contact:

Gino Roger, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel.: 450 420-5977

Fax: 450 420-5978

Email : info@midlandexploration.com

Website: https://www.midlandexploration.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.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midlands periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3212de98-2285-4845-8d61-904cb23d3fc3

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c2ca51e-ecf7-4990-8384-7cbf79d17dd6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7b1d6adb-5cfb-4689-8c86-c9b4b3a68953




MONTREAL, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - EZShop presents eCom Day, taking place at Chateau St-Ambroise Suite 108 on November 6th, between the hours of 10 AM to 4:30 PM. The event is presented by: Tarek Riman; four times best selling author and university professor, Cat Ong; photographer at Cliick agency, a leading eCommerce photography agency in Montreal, Yonika Brault; Social Media Director at EZShop, has worked with a variety of local companies to help them win on their social channels, and Adrian Salvadore; Head of Marketing at EZShop, who has worked for reputable global marketing agencies such as GroupM's Catalyst & Havas Media. He has been in the digital marketing industry for close to 7 years, where he's mainly focused & managed performance-based search engine marketing strategies for world renowned brands like Michelin, Nespresso, Holt Renfrew & many more.

EZShop's team (CNW Group/EZShop)

This complete 6-hour hands-on event will give retail owners great insights into a variety of eCom-specific topics such as SEO for eCommerce, tips for succeeding in eCommerce photography, winning on social media targeted to busy entrepreneurs, and driving eCom sales & store branding with Google Ads. The event will provide our retail guests with 4 crucial workshops aimed to help them implement the right tactics for their eCommerce store. All event-goers will be invited to attend a complimentary happy hour hosted by EZShop at the end of the event towards 4:30 PM.

EZShop is a fully integrated eCommerce partner for busy retailers who want to take their online business to the next level. This Montreal-based tech service marketing company is run by a team of young and driven experts, with over 100 clients across the world. They provide retail-only digital support for website development, branding & eCommerce marketing. EZShop is the fastest growing martech company in Montreal, boasting an annual recurring revenue of over $1 500 000 in less than 8 months of activity. Their success is driven by their unmatched knowledge of the eCommerce landscape and their outstanding employee talent. They truly understand the needs across a variety of niches, industries & markets, and offer a revolutionary agency-like service that allows retailers to get a complete digital strategy. With the help of a team of 5 online experts, they're able to provide a quality experience for the fraction of the price of a single employee. By building strong, performing storefronts & driving highly-qualified traffic, they are able to bring just about any retail store to the moon.

Story continues

Retailers can purchase their tickets to eCom Day on Eventbrite here .

SCHEDULE

Networking / People coming in 10 AM to 10:45 AM eCom Day opener, a word from EZShop CEO 10:45 AM to 11 AM eCom Photography presented by Cliick 11 AM to 12 PM Catered Lunch 12 PM to 12:45 PM 10 tips for winning on social media for the busy entrepreneur,

presented by EZShop's Social Media Director 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM 15-minute break 1:45 PM to 2 PM SEO for eCommerce presented by Tarek Riman 2 PM to 3 PM 15-minute break 3 PM to 3:15 PM Driving eCom sales & store branding with Google Ads 3:15 PM to 4:15 PM eCom Day Closer, a word from EZShop 4:15 PM to 4:30 PM EZShop Happy Hour :D 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Follow EZShop on :

Instagram : @EzshopInc https://www.instagram.com/ezshopinc/

Facebook : Ezshop https://www.facebook.com/ezshopinc

LinkedIn: EZShop https://www.linkedin.com/company/ez-shopinc/

www.ezshop.ca

SOURCE EZShop

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2021/21/c8959.html
There isnt much that is really, truly exciting in the lens world. Mostly, companies just try to make their own versions of something else. But thats not the case with the Nikon 40mm f2 Z. There arent many 40mm lenses on the market with autofocus. And this one is checking off all the right marks. Its small, has autofocus, and boasts beautiful image quality. But perhaps best of all is that its only $299.95. Quite honestly, its an impulse buy. And its the best lens outside of a nifty 50 you can get for that price.

Editors Note: We tested a pre-production Nikon 40mm f2. But weve got a full production unit in now for the review. Expect our review to be coming soon!

Tech Specs

Taken from our original report

A compact, versatile prime lens that is ideal for everyday applications such as close-ups, casual portraits and food photography.

Delivers fantastic bokeh and a dramatic separation of the subject from the background.

The standard focal range hits the sweet spot of a natural angle of view, while still being wide enough for street photography. When mounted on a DX-format camera, the lens is equivalent to 60mm, which is a great focal length for flattering portraits.

Ultra-compact, weighing in at merely 170g and only 1.8 long, making it easy to carry around for day-long outings.

Built with 6 elements in 4 groups with a 9-blade diaphragm that creates a gorgeous, circular bokeh that draws attention to the subject.

Utilizes an electromagnetic diaphragm for precise aperture control and stable exposure during continuous shooting.

The NIKKOR Z 40mm f2 offers a short 0.96ft (0.29m) minimum focusing distance, which is excellent for capturing food and top-down photos of decor and tablescapes.

Designed with consideration for dust and drip-resistant performance with a sealing that prevents dust and water droplets from entering the lens.

Video shooters will benefit from the quiet operation, natural focus shift that allows for fluid changes when going from close focusing to infinity, reduced focus breathing and smooth aperture control.

The lens features an integrated control ring, which can be customized and assigned to adjust focus, ISO, aperture and exposure compensation.

$299.95 price point.

Ergonomics

Story continues

The Nikon 40mm f2 Z isnt very complicated. Looking at the front, you see the 52mm filter thread, which means this is a small lens. As weve said before in many blog posts, Nikon truly embraces the idea that mirrorless should be small while also being functional and having great ergonomics.

Look at the top of the lens. Besides the focusing ring, there arent any other controls on it.

Build Quality

The Nikon 40mm f2 Z lens is said to be weather resistant, or at least those considerations were incorporated into the design. Granted, this was a pre-production version we were testing on the Nikon z6 II. Theres no way Im taking this into the rain. But well do that with the production version for sure.

Overall, theres nothing that makes this lens stand out much. Its made of plastic on the outside, but it isnt plasticky feeling in a bad way. Its solid, hard plastic. Its also quite small. If I were to get a single prime lens for the Nikon Z series, this would probably be it. However, Id really love it to have the same sealing as the S series products.

Ease of Use

The Nikon 40mm f2 Z is simple enough to use. In fact, its very straightforward. Mount the lens to the camera, point, focus, and shoot. Its that simple. The only control on this lens is the manual focus ring. If you want to manually focus, you have to first engage that control through the camera. Again though, theres no point in doing this. The Nikon z6 II doesnt have the most advanced autofocus, but its reliable enough for most of what a passionate photographer may need.

Autofocus

Focusing with the Nikon 40mm f2 Z is quick in single focus situations. I spent some time walking around the neighborhood having fun with it and not doing anything too serious. What I love about NYC is that you can always be a tourist in your own city. And thats pretty much what I did. So if youre not trying to do serious work with the lens, then youll be just fine. I didnt test the lens with anything too hectic because its a pre-production version. Hopefully, the production version will be even faster.

Image Quality

The 40mm focal length is one of my favorites, but not many brands have one. And thats why Im so happy that Nikon does. To be honest, I really like a whole lot about the Nikon 40mm f2 Z and the image quality it produces. For transparency, we had to run our photos by Nikon first before publishing them because this is a pre-production lens. My favorite image from this test isnt being published in this first impressions report. Nikon said that it showed significant ghosting. (That kind of breaks my heart, but well try for it again with the production lens.)

All these images are unedited.

First Impressions

So far, I like the image quality from the Nikon 40mm f2 Z. I also adore how small it is. But Ill need to put a production unit through its rigors for a fuller test. Stay tuned for our full review to come.
TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - Nubian Resources Ltd. (TSXV: NBR) (OTCQB: NBRFF) ("Nubian" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a further update on its property option agreement (the "Property Option Agreement") with Athena Gold Corporation (OTCQB: AHNR) (CSE: ATHA) ("Athena") for the divestment of the Company's Excelsior Springs exploration project (the "Property") located in Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA. Nubian is pleased to report that Athena received listing approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "Exchange") with the shares commencing trading October 18, 2021 under the symbol "ATHA". This listing fulfills the only outstanding condition precedent to Athena's exercise of its option to acquire the remaining 90% interest in the Property that it does not already beneficially own and further triggers a 30 day completion time and in connection therewith, the issuance of the remaining 45 million shares of Athena to be issued to Nubian in consideration of the 90% interest.

Logo (CNW Group/Nubian Resources Ltd.)

Martin Walter, President and CEO of Nubian stated, "We are pleased that Athena has achieved listing status on the Canadian Securities Exchange, allowing for finalizing the Company's divestment of the Excelsior Springs Project unlocking value for Nubian shareholders."

Details on the Property Option Agreement are included in Nubian's press releases dated September 20, 2021, August 13, 2020 and December 13, 2020.

ABOUT NUBIAN

Nubian Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded precious and base metals exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company is managed by a team of experienced mining and geological professionals. Nubian's projects are focused in key mining jurisdictions in central Victoria and Tasmania, Australia and Peru.

For further information, please contact:

Martin Walter, Chief Executive Officer, Nubian Resources Ltd., at +1-416-389-5692 or martin@nubianr.com

Story continues

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance, including the exercise, if any, by Athena of the Second Option, and potential distribution of Athena Shares and any listing of Athena Shares on any stock exchange. 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 Nubian's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. Although such statements are based on reasonable assumptions of Nubian's management, there can be no assurance that any conclusions or forecasts will prove to be accurate.

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 risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in parameters of the Projects 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 the COVID-19 pandemic and current global financial conditions, increased competition, access and supply risks, reliance on key personnel, operational risks, regulatory risks, including risks relating to licenses and permits, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks and title and environmental risks.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and Nubian 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.

SOURCE Nubian Resources Ltd.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2021/21/c1882.html
After three years as Principal, Brown will become Partner at one of the countrys leading edtech impact investing firms

NEW YORK, October 21, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rethink Education, a leading education focused venture capital firm, has announced the promotion of Ebony Brown to Partner. In her new role, Brown will join the investment committee and help shape future firm strategy.

Brown, who joined Rethink Education in February 2019, has been a vital part of the team, pioneering Rethink Equity, a $5mm carveout to invest in underrepresented people of color, optimizing portfolio support during the pandemic by connecting CEOs to customers at scale, and unlocking new networks to improve deal flow.

"Ebony is a remarkable human being. I and the rest of the Rethink community are continually learning from her and becoming better people as well as better nurturers of entrepreneurial talent because of her. Ebony notices things about people. She is empathetic but also a clear-eyed judge of character and ability. She also has an exceptionally sensitive, finely-tuned moral compass," said Matt Greenfield, Managing Partner of Rethink Education. "I have always worked very hard to maintain the authenticity of Rethink Educations social impact commitment, but since Ebonys arrival three years ago we have gotten a lot better at zeroing in on the most radical, the most transformative entrepreneurial projects."

Outside of her work at Rethink Education, Brown helped form the Mosaic Fellowship Program at Impact Capital Managers as a co-lead of their working Group on Talent & Diversity. Brown is also a Board Director of Rethink Education portfolio companies AllHere and Anthill AI.

Prior to joining Rethink Education, Brown was the Director of US Ventures at Village Capital, advising entrepreneurs, leading sourcing and diligence, and providing training and support for the firms portfolio. Brown received her B.B.A in Finance from Howard University and her MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the University of Michigan.

Story continues

"This promotion is truly a reflection of the overall direction of our firm: we will continue investing in people who drive us to be better, more innovative, and more thoughtful in our mission. Over the past decade, Rethink Education has grown to be one of the most distinguished investing firms in the edtech space," said Rick Segal, Managing Partner of Rethink Education and CEO of Rethink Capital Partners. "Ebony as a Partner demonstrates the beginning of a new era in impact investing, and as always, we want to be leading the way."

"A common thread in my life and career is leveraging resources for underserved communities. Investing in high growth companies that are unlocking access to learning opportunities for all ages is a catalyst to economic mobility and helps to achieve this mission at scale. Technology is the conduit. With lagging adoption rates and forced distance learning during the pandemic, the market is finally paying attention to the untapped potential of this sector. Its an exciting time to be an edtech investor. Ive been focused on this specific industry for nearly a decade and excited to lead deals that are redefining social norms in learning," said Ebony Brown on her promotion to Partner.

In addition to Brown, Rethink Educations Amanda Beaudoin has also been promoted to Senior Associate, reflecting the firms growth across the entire team. Beaudoin joined Rethink Education from Goldman Sachs in October 2020. Beaudoin plans to deepen her focus on market research, diligence and supporting portfolio companies.

Brown is moving into the role previously held by Michelle Dervan, who is remaining at the firm as Venture Partner. Rethink Education is actively hiring to fill Beaudoins previous position.

About Rethink Education and Rethink Capital Partners

Rethink Education invests in early and growth-stage companies developing technological solutions to 21st Century learning. Launched in 2012, Rethink Education supports startups that are focused on learning outcomes by pursuing business models that are scalable, efficient, and unique. Rethink Education one impact investment strategy in the Rethink Capital Partners platform, the impact investment division within Seavest Investment Group that oversees and facilitates the development of four impact investment strategies that focus on financial and social returns. For more information, please visit www.rethink.vc/education.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005795/en/

Contacts

Anna Marx, Rethink Education, media@rethink.vc, 914.597.7696
(Bloomberg) -- Russia is becoming increasingly concerned that surging gas prices risk demand-destruction in its biggest export market.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Such a situation, at the end of the day, is leading to lower consumption, and this will affect our producers, including Gazprom PJSC, President Vladimir Putin said at a government meeting Wednesday that was broadcast by Rossiya 24 TV. This is why we are not interested in endless growth of energy prices, including gas.

Benchmark gas prices in Europe, the main market for Russian exports of the fuel, have broken record after record in recent weeks, as capped pipeline supplies to the region and intense competition with Asia for liquefied cargoes have caused a supply shortage.

The crunch is driving up costs for businesses, household bills and even the price of food. Several European industries have seen large energy users curb operations that have become too expensive to run, including chemicals giant BASF SE and fertilizer producers CF Industries Holdings Inc. and Yara International ASA.

Putin and other high-ranking officials have been using verbal interventions recently as a mechanism for capping European gas prices and for reducing volatility in the market. So far, Russia hasnt sent any significant additional gas volumes to the regions spot market to ease the crunch, citing the need to prioritize domestic reinjections ahead of winter.

Gazproms exports to Europe have been lower year-on-year since late August, with some officials on the continent blaming the Russian producer for contributing to the crisis by intentionally withholding additional volumes. The company says it ships the fuel in line with requests from its long-term clients and some major utilities in the region, confirming they arent asking for more due to high prices.

Story continues

Domestic Inventories

Russia is completing its campaign to refill domestic gas inventories ahead of winter, with 97% of the planned volumes reinjected, Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov told Putin at the government meeting.

The injections will be 100% completed by November 1, he said, reiterating earlier statements by Gazprom officials. This year, the gas producer aims to fill the nations inventories to a record-high 72.6 billion cubic meters, or possibly even more.

The European market is closely watching the pace of Russian gas reinjections, eyeing a timeline for additional gas flows after the campaign is over. Gazprom may resume short-term sales of gas for export once it has refilled domestic inventories, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said last week. Still, the final decision lies with the Russian producer, which will take into account domestic supply, demand and requests from clients, he said.

Meanwhile, Russia expects record gas consumption at home this year, with its energy demand in the current heating season expected to be about 3% higher than in 2020, as the nation recovers from the pandemic. Given increased domestic demand, Gazprom, which so far in October has been pumping gas at some 95% of its peak winter capacity, will not necessarily have extra supplies for Europe this winter, according to BCS Global Markets.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Labaton Sucharow, a nationally ranked and award-winning shareholder rights firm, is investigating potential securities violations and breach of fiduciary duty claims against The Boston Beer Company, Inc. ("Boston Beer" or the "Company") (NYSE:SAM).

On September 8, 2021, after the market closed, Boston Beer announced that it was withdrawing its 2021 financial guidance issued on July 22, 2021 as a result of a decrease in demand for its hard seltzer products. The Company further disclosed that it expects to incur hard seltzer-related inventory write-offs, shortfall fees payable to 3rd party brewers, and other costs associated with the drop in demand during the remainder of fiscal year 2021.

On this news, Boston Beer's share price fell approximately 10% during after-hours trading on September 8, 2021, thereby injuring investors.

Investors who purchased the Company's securities between April 22, 2021 and September 8, 2021, inclusive (the ''Class Period''), are encouraged to contact the firm before November 15, 2021.

If you currently own stock or options in The Boston Beer Company, Inc. and suffered a loss, click here to participate.

If you want to receive additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please contact David J. Schwartz using the toll-free number (800) 321-0476 or via email at david@labaton.com.

About the Firm

Labaton Sucharow LLP is one of the world's leading complex litigation firms representing clients in securities, antitrust, corporate governance and shareholder rights, and consumer cybersecurity and data privacy litigation. Labaton Sucharow has been recognized for its excellence by the courts and peers, and it is consistently ranked in leading industry publications. Offices are located in New York, NY, Wilmington, DE, and Washington, D.C. More information about Labaton Sucharow is available at labaton.com .

Story continues

CONTACT:

David J. Schwartz

(800) 321-0476

david@labaton.com

SOURCE: Labaton Sucharow LLP





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/669180/SAM-ALERT--Nationally-Ranked-Shareholder-Rights-Firm-Labaton-Sucharow-is-Investigating-The-Boston-Beer-Company-Inc-NYSESAM-for-Potential-Securities-Violations-and-Breach-of-Fiduciary-Duty




Strategic Location and Diverse Tenancy Draws Sealy to Expand Houston Footprint

HOUSTON, October 21, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sealy & Company, a fully-integrated commercial real estate investment and operating company and recognized leader in the industrial real estate market, announces the acquisition of 353,559 square feet of Class A industrial real estate in Houston, Texas. The seven-building portfolio, known as Beltway 8 Business Center, was acquired for an undisclosed amount.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005932/en/

Sealy & Company announces the acquisition of 353,559 square feet of Class A industrial real estate in Houston, Texas. The seven-building portfolio, known as Beltway 8 Business Center, was acquired for an undisclosed amount. (Photo: Business Wire)

The closing of the Beltway 8 Business Park comes just days after the company added a 1.27 million square foot industrial portfolio located in Wichita, Kansas.

Located in Houston's highly desirable and rapidly growing Southwest industrial submarket, Beltway 8 Business Center is a highly visible and easily accessible industrial park. The seven buildings offer versatile industrial products that cater to both larger users and light industrial tenants. Positioned near the intersection of Beltway 8 and Highway 59, the property is directly close to the continually growing population base of West and Southwest Houston.

"Sealy & Company has been dedicated to the Houston market for decades. Beltway 8 Business Park is a perfect complement to the diverse industrial portfolio Sealy owns and looks to continue to grow here," remarked Derrick Jones, Sealy & Company's Regional Director  South & Mountain Region.

The property owner was represented by Trent Agnew of JLL Capital Markets, who drove the deal to close with the support of Sealy's Investment Services team, led by Jason Gandy and Davis Gibbs.

Story continues

For more news and information regarding Sealy & Company, please visit the Company's website at www.Sealynet.com.

About Sealy & Company

Sealy & Company, a fully-integrated commercial real estate investment and operating company, is a recognized leader in acquiring, developing, and redeveloping regional distribution warehouses, industrial/flex, and other commercial properties. Sealy provides a full-service platform for high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors through our development, management, and brokerage divisions. Sealy & Company has an exceptional team of over 100 employees, with corporate offices located in Dallas, TX and Shreveport, LA.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005932/en/

Contacts

Kayte H. Hollowell

Director  Marketing | Sealy & Company

318.698.3112 | KayteH@Sealynet.com
NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion no later than November 15, 2021 in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of The Boston Beer Company, Inc. ("Boston Beer" or the "Company") (NYSE: SAM) from April 22, 2021 through September 8, 2021 (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleges violations of the Securities Act of 1934.



If you purchased Boston Beer securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit The Boston Beer Company Inc Shareholder Class Action Lawsuitor contact Rujul Patel toll free at (877) 779-1414 or rpatel@bernlieb.com

According to the complaint, Boston Beer issued materially false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose adverse facts pertaining to the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Boston Beer specifically failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Boston Beers hard seltzer sales were decelerating; (2) that, as a result, Boston Beer was reasonably likely to incur inventory write-offs; (3) that the Company was reasonably likely to incur shortfall fees payable to third party brewers; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Boston Beers financial results would be adversely impacted; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants positive statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

On July 22, 2021 after the market closed, the Company reduced its full year 2021 guidance, expecting earnings per share between $18 and $22, down from a prior range of $22 and $26. Boston Beer cited softer-than-expected sales in the hard seltzer category and overall beer industry and also stated that it had overestimated the growth of the hard seltzer category in the second quarter.

Story continues

On this news, the price of Boston Beer shares fell $246.54, or 26%, to close at $701.00 per share on July 23, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume.

On September 8, 2021, after the market closed, the Company withdrew its 2021 financial guidance, citing decelerating sales of hard seltzer products. The Company also stated that it expects to incur hard seltzer-related inventory write-offs, shortfall fees payable to 3rd party brewers, and other costs for the remainder of fiscal 2021.

On this news, Boston Beers share price fell $21.09, or 3.7%, to close at $538.31 per share on September 9, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 15, 2021 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.

If you purchased Boston Beer securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/thebostonbeercompanyinc-sam-shareholder-class-action-lawsuit-fraud-stock-438/apply/ or contact Rujul Patel toll free at (877) 779-1414 or rpatel@bernlieb.com

Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2021 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:

Rujul Patel

Bernstein Liebhard LLP

https://www.bernlieb.com

(877) 779-1414

rpatel@bernlieb.com




Award signifies exponential growth for the cultural marketing agency

CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TEN35 announced today that the firm has been named the "2021 Small Business of the Year" by U.S. Black Chambers, Inc (USBC). Award recipients for each category were selected by an internal review for commitment, consistent involvement with USBC, a track record of growth and community support. Additional factors include input from the President's Circle with key influence from USBC President Ron Busby, Sr.

TEN35 Logo

"As curious creators who strive to consistently grow and evolve, this Award is a powerful testament to the fundamental strength of culture and growth that TEN35 has experienced over the years," said TEN35 Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Islam. "We're proud to partner with forward-thinking brands looking to make an impact, and it is an honor to be named 2021 Business of the Year by the USBC."

The cultural marketing and communications agency has been in existence since 2016 and has spearheaded culture shifting programs for brands including Facebook, Microsoft, Mountain Dew, Polaris Inc., and General Mills among other household brands. The Small Business Award signifies a company that has shown growth or sustainability of their business with strong employee relations and a record of giving back to the community.

"TEN35 has seen tremendous growth both in the size of our company and in revenue over the past year," said Sherman Wright, TEN35 chief operating officer. "This growth is indicative of the endless hard work of our talented team and the industry-leading thinking that makes us excited about our future. And this award is a much appreciated manifestation of that hard work."

As many Black-owned businesses experienced growth during 2020, the Chicago based firm tripled its revenue in the past year alone by leading award-winning programs like PepsiCo's Dig In and guiding Pearl Milling Company through its historic name change. The firm's employee base consists of 80 percent BIPOC, 70 percent female and 20 percent LGBTQ+ identified individuals which allows for seamless and authentic campaigns that speak directly to the multicultural audiences they are reaching.

Story continues

"It is important to acknowledge visionary leadership in assisting African American Chambers of Commerce, business organizations and our communities in their work of developing and growing Black enterprises," said Ron Busby, Sr., President and CEO of USBC "This year's honorees demonstrate exceptional business practices and impact on Black communities, and are an example of what resilience and ingenuity can look like for the next generation."

USBC provides committed, visionary leadership and advocacy in the realization of economic empowerment. Through the creation of resources and initiatives, they support African American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations in their work of developing and growing Black enterprises.

TEN35 also recently completed a major rebrand which primarily includes a new and improved website, logo and refreshed brand ethos. The rebrand underscores the next phase of growth at the agency.

About TEN35

TEN35 is a full-service cultural marketing and communications agency that nurtures and champions creativity and innovative thinking. Established in 2016, TEN35 specializes in brand strategy, digital media, creative production, experiential and integrated communications. The agency represents brands including Facebook, Microsoft, Mountain Dew, Polaris Inc., and General Mills among others and was recently named 2021 Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. Learn more at TEN35.com .

About the U.S. Black Chambers

The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) is the voice of Black business and a top advocate for resources and policies that impact Black business owners. To learn more visit: usblackchambers.org .

Media Contact:

Comms@ten35.com

Sherman Wright (center) receiving 2021 Small Business of the Year by US Black Chambers

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ten35-named-2021-small-business-of-the-year-by-us-black-chambers-inc-301405834.html

SOURCE TEN35
Tesla said Wednesday it will use iron-based batteries for its standard Model 3 and Model Y models across global markets. The update, provided in the company's third-quarter earnings report, confirmed hints that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been dropping for months about the cheaper battery chemistry's growing role in the company's product line-up.

Lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries use an older, cheaper battery chemistry and are popular in China. Outside of China, EV batteries are predominately nickel-based  either nickel-manganese-cobalt or nickel-cobalt-aluminum. But beyond cost savings, LFP battery cells are attractive because they are not dependent on ultra-scarce raw materials like cobalt and nickel. Notably, Tesla CFO Zach Kirkhorn confirmed during an investor call Wednesday that the company has seen pricing impacts to nickel and aluminum.

One major reason why LFP batteries are not seen much outside of China relates to a series of key LFP patents, which have allowed the country to dominate the LFP market.

But those patents will soon be expiring, and it seems that Tesla has its eye on that timeframe, with executives suggesting that the company intends to bring LFP battery production to the same locations where it manufactures its vehicles.

Our goal is to localize all key parts of the vehicles on the continent -- at least the continent, if not closer, to where the vehicles are produced, Drew Baglino, SVP of Powertrain and Energy Engineering at Tesla, told investors. That is our goal. We're working internally with our suppliers to accomplish that goal, and not just at the end assembly level but as far upstream as possible.

The company also provided a very brief, and slightly hedging, update on its 4680 battery pack, a custom cell design it created in-house. Tesla has said that the 4680 battery will be capable of greater energy density and range. Baglino said the 4680 is on track to be delivered in vehicles at the beginning of next year, with structural testing and validation all on schedule. But while the company is happy with the timeline, this is a new architecture and unknown unknowns may exist still, Baglino added.

From a cell perspective, we are comfortable with the design maturity and manufacturing readiness matching the pack timeline I just mentioned, he added.
CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Hunter Oil & Gas Corp. ("UHO" or the "Corporation") (TSX Venture Exchange: UHO) (Frankfurt: 18U1), is pleased to provide an update as to the status of the financials and geophysical work being done on the previously announced amalgamation agreement ("Transaction") with Bocana Resources Ltd. ("Bocana") (together Bocana and UHO referred to as the "Resulting Issuer").



Further to the news release announcing the closing of the non-brokered offering on April 12, 2021, Bocana has largely completed its required audited statements for the purposes of the Transaction. This includes the audits of both Bolivian entities (Huiracocha International Service, SRL and Inversiones Bocana S.A.), along with Bocana and UHO, and the consolidated financials of the Resulting Issuer. Additionally, this week, Bocana and UHO submitted the initial documents for the purposes of the Transaction, together with a draft joint information circular to the TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange") for their initial review of the proposed Transaction.

The draft joint information circular entitled "Notice of Annual and Special Meeting of the Shareholders and Joint Information Circular with Respect to a Proposed Amalgamation involving United Hunter Oil & Gas Corp. and Bocana Resources Ltd." and the accompanying supporting documentation, will be reviewed by the Exchange over the next several weeks and the Exchange will provide any comments back to the parties for further review and consideration prior to filing the joint information circular on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), which will contain details regarding the Transaction, the amalgamation, the private placement, UHO, Bocana and the Resulting Issuer.

Completion of the proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions precedent, including, but not limited to, (i) shareholder approval from both Bocana and UHO shareholders; and (ii) acceptance by the Exchange and receipt of other applicable regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Story continues

Shareholder approval is required with respect to the Transaction under the rules of the Exchange and applicable corporate statutes. In the event any of the conditions set forth above are not completed or the Transaction does not proceed, the Corporation will notify shareholders. Trading in the common shares of the Corporation will remain halted and is not expected to resume trading until the Transaction is completed or until the Exchange receives the requisite documentation to resume trading.

Additionally, Bocana has commenced an induced polarization (IP) geophysical survey on the Escala Project in south-west Bolivia. The Escala Project consists of 4 concessions covering 4000 hectares with known near surface porphyry style gold/silver and vein hosted silver/lead/zinc. Historic IP surveys were limited in areal extent but did indicate the presence of extensive sulphide mineralization associated with an intrusive complex. Bocana's IP survey will entail approximately 88-line kilometres and will cover all known areas of mineralization with the purpose of the survey to determine the extent of the sulphide mineralization and spatial relationship of the various known zones to each other. The survey is being undertaken by Fractal Services De Ingenieria of Santa Cruz, Bolivia and is anticipated to take 2 months to complete.

While the audits that were overseen and reviewed, included two languages, three different currencies and four entities, Bocana and United Hunter are aware that it has taken much longer than the management of both entities originally anticipated. However, Bocana is very pleased to report the progress made to date and looks forward to seeing the results of our onsite geophysical work for the Escala area concessions and the comments back from the Exchange in the coming weeks.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

For further information, please contact:

Timothy J. Turner

Chief Executive Officer



United Hunter Oil & Gas Corp.



Telephone: + 1 (713) 858-3329

Email: Info@unitedhunteroil.com

Rodney Stevens

Executive Chairman



Bocana Resources Ltd.



Email: rstevens@bocanaresources.com





ANY SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (THE "1933 ACT") AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO A U.S. PERSON IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE 1933 ACT.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the content of this press release.

The information contained or referred to in this press release relating to Bocana has been furnished by Bocana. Although United Hunter has no knowledge that would indicate that any statement contained herein concerning Bocana is untrue or incomplete, neither United Hunter nor any of its respective directors or officers assumes any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance, receipt of requisite regulatory approvals, and if applicable pursuant to Exchange requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approvals, and any ancillary matters thereto, are obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the joint management information circular to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.

This forward-looking information in respect of United Hunter and Bocana reflects United Hunter's or Bocana's, as the case may be, current beliefs and is based on information currently available to United Hunter and Bocana, respectively, and on assumptions United Hunter and Bocana, as the case may be, believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, management's assumptions about the Exchange approval for the Transaction, closing of the Private Placement, closing of the business combination announced above and Bocana's assumptions regarding its business objectives.

Forward-Looking Information Cautionary Statement

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding United Hunter, Bocana, the Resulting Issuer and their respective businesses, which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the completion of the Transaction, the ability to obtain regulatory and shareholder approvals and other factors and the timing and results of the induced polarization geophysical survey. Often, but not always, Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "is expected", "expects", "scheduled", "intends", "contemplates", "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "estimates" 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. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of each entity. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release, including completion of the Transaction, may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the companies, including the risk that Bocana and United Hunter may not obtain all requisite approvals for the Transaction, including the approval of the Exchange for the Transaction (which may be conditional upon amendments to the terms of the Transaction), shareholder approval of the Transaction, risks of the resource industry, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals, economic factors, any estimated amounts, the equity markets generally and risks associated with growth, exploration and development. Although United Hunter and Bocana have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and United Hunter and Bocana undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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.

Qualified Person

Lorne Warner, P.Geo of the Company is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.




A man who shot and fatally wounded his neighbors dog in southern Stafford County earlier this year is no longer facing charges.

Fred Asiedu, 26, went to Stafford General District Court Wednesday facing felony charges of maiming a dog and destruction of property and a misdemeanor charge of reckless handling of a firearm.

At the end of a preliminary hearing, Judge Angela OConnor decided not to send the charges to circuit court for trial. OConnor ruled that the evidence was insufficient even for probable cause, a much lower standard than the beyond a reasonable doubt standard required for an eventual conviction.

According to police and evidence put on by prosecutor Jennifer Lindsey, Asiedu went to Wilfredo Laboys home on Harper Lane on June 11 to discuss an incident earlier that day in which Asiedu claimed Laboys dogs got loose and forced him back into his vehicle to avoid an attack.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

One of the dogs, an Australian shepherd, got out again after Laboy answered the knock at the door. He went toward Asiedu, who fired a single shot into the dog, which had to be put down as a result.

Asiedu immediately called the police and reported the incident. The ensuing investigation, which included a Ring video, resulted in his arrest a few days later.
Sliwa has been a longtime media fixture in New York, first from his days as the founder of the red-beret wearing Guardian Angels and later as a radio commenter with a penchant for attracting news cameras and staging stunts. As a mayoral candidate, he latched on to reports questioning whether Adams really lives at his Brooklyn brownstone and walked around New York with a milk carton featuring a picture of missing Adams.

Adams has repeatedly dismissed Sliwa during the campaign and continued to do so during the debate, refusing the opportunity to respond to an extended, rapid-fire critique from his opponent.

Im speaking to New Yorkers. Im not speaking to buffoonery," he said.

Sliwa sought to portray Adams as an out-of-touch elitist for having reportedly vacationed in Monaco and meeting with donors in elite enclaves like the Hamptons.

Just follow me in the streets and subways. I'm there. I'm the people's choice. Eric Adams is with the elites in the suites," Sliwa said. Come on, Eric. Come back. Come back to the streets and the subways. Be with the real peeps.
Mr. Noor, I am not surprised that you have been a model prisoner, Quaintance said. However, I do not know any authority that would make that grounds for reducing your sentence. She cited Noor shooting across the nose of your partner and endangering others the night of the shooting to hand down the stiffest sentence she could.

Quaintance also remarked that because neither side had sought a departure from the sentencing guidelines, she was unable to deviate from them.

Noor, who was fired after he was charged, has already served more than 29 months. In Minnesota, inmates who behave well typically serve two-thirds of their prison sentences and the remainder on supervised release.

Noor testified at his 2019 trial that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said he saw a woman appear at the partners driver's side window and raise her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.

He was sentenced to 12 1/2 years on the murder count and had been serving most of his time at an out-of-state facility.
RENO, Nev. (AP)  A Salvadoran immigrant agreed Thursday to plead guilty to all crimes in the killing of four Nevada residents as part of a deal with prosecutors that will spare him from two death penalty trials and put him in prison for the rest of his life with no possibility of appeals or parole.

Wilber Ernesto Martinez Guzman, 22, pleaded guilty after intense questioning by Washoe County District Court Judge Connie Steinheimer in Reno to two counts of first-degree murder in the January 2019 deaths of Gerald and Sharon David in their Reno home.

Steinheimer acknowledged the plea took the death penalty off the table and told Martinez Guzman he will have to enter formal guilty pleas in Douglas County to the killings of two women in Gardnerville during his two-week string of crimes.

In addition to four consecutive life terms with no possibility of parole, Martinez Guzman faces a minimum of another 214 years in prison for multiple burglary, larceny, weapons and possession of stolen property charges under the plea agreement outlined in court.

He will never be free, Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said about the deal unveiled just before a status hearing was scheduled Thursday morning.
Nine employees were arrested in the investigation of Uncle Sam's.

Even though a judge in the criminal case said there was no probable cause for the warrants, another judge handling the civil case found in March 2019 that the detective leading the investigation had probable cause to arrest Frimmel and Norton on the ID theft charge and ruled against the lawsuits claims of malicious arrest and abuse of process.

What remained of the lawsuit were the claims of illegal search and search, defamation and negligent restraint related to the handcuffing of Frimmel during the arrest.

Frimmel and his manager said they were arrested after the restaurant owner was asked by the U.S. Justice Department for help in a now-settled civil rights lawsuit that accused the sheriffs office of racial profiling, retaliating against Arpaios critics and other civil rights violations.

One of Frimmels attorneys said the Justice Department contacted his client during the federal investigation, but Frimmel never returned the call.

The retaliation claim wasnt mentioned in the extensive March 2019 pretrial order that examined the legal claims and evidence.
Though Terry said she cannot be ordained because she is too old, the pastorate caps a journey of faith and politics, from which she has been largely absent since her defeat to Allen, whose career ended in ignominy with his loss for a second term in the U.S. Senate in 2006 because of voter outrage over his racial putdown of an Indian American.

It was through Terrys little-known friendship with two of Allens biggest backers, Bill and Anne Kincaid, both tireless religious conservatives, that Terrys exploration of faith accelerated. Through the Kincaids, Terry was introduced to Pentecostalism, some of whose practitioners  because of the faiths emphasis on God as an animated presence  speak in tongues.

Perhaps because she is a lawyer, Terry said she cooled to Pentecostalism because it appeared to subordinate mans law to the Lords Gospel. During her Richmond years, Terry also tried the Episcopal Church, attending a West End parish in which most of the people were Republicans.

Terry said her transition from a political life to a spiritual one had been underway during her years in office and that she have might have passed on a second term as attorney general, likely forgoing a campaign for governor: If God had called me at the time, Im pretty sure I would have responded.
After revitalizing a dormant franchise in 2006 with Casino Royale, Daniel Craig has become one of the most popular James Bonds to date. Hes putting on the suit and tie one more time for the last film on his contract in No Time To Die.

James Bond (Daniel Craig), following the events from Spectre, is retired and living peacefully in Italy with his love interest Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux). Bond and Madeleine have put all their worries behind themthat is until an explosion almost costs Bond his life. This leads to a riveting car chase and shootout that proves 007 still has some tricks up his sleeves.

Bond, ever the paranoiac, accuses Madeleine of betraying him. He ships her off on a train and promises they will never see each other again. Bond then goes off the grid for several years  not to be heard or seen from anyone.

Before long, though, the inevitable happens and Bond is called back into action. Old friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) of the CIA convinces Bond to tackle a daring mission in Cuba. Apathetic at first, Bonds ears perk up when he learns the mission has Spectre ties, the organization that has terrorized Bond for years.

Its also on this mission that Bond learns of the big baddie pulling the strings, one Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), a ruthless terrorist who has mysterious ties to Bonds ex-lover, Madeleine.

Safin has teamed up with a Russian scientist to create nanobots that spread like a virus with the sense of touch. If the nanobots spread to the rest of the world, the consequences would be beyond deadly.

Add in Bonds arch nemesis, Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), currently locked away in a London prison but always lurking in the shadows, and Bond will need more than cloak-and-dagger to save the world when the stakes have never been higher.

Did they save the best for last? Not quite, but there is a lot to love in No Time To Die where the action is rousing and the mystery is intriguing. Its easy to scoff at the exhausting 163-minute runtime, but its worth every second seeing Craig zoom in that Aston Martin one more time  charismatic and graceful as hes ever been.

Perhaps thats why Craigs Bond is so beloved. Hes as cool and smooth as any Bond in the past, but hes also the most relatable. Hes unapologetically human, as he loves, loses and most importantly, bleeds.

Its only fitting that in the final Craig installment, we see a more emotional and empathetic Bond than weve ever seen. It helps having a dance partner in Lea Seydoux who matches Craigs joy, pain and agony in their characters complicated relationship.

Rami Maleks menacing Safin is also a fine foil to Craigs Bond, even if he is more bark than bite. Safins past and connections to this film and previous films make him more of a fascinating villain than an intimidating one.

While No Time To Die is not the best Bond film, its a worthy and charming swan song for an actor who brought James Bond back in style. The names Craig, Daniel Craig.

Grade: A-

Blake Kavan works for a technology company in Fremont. In his spare time, he loves to watch and write about movies, primarily of the action and thriller genres. He will contribute reviews for movie enthusiasts to read and enjoy for major motion pictures released. Blake can be reached at blakekavan11@gmail.com.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A night of music, food and fun can be expected at a fundraiser for St. Patricks Church and Archbishop Bergan Catholic Schools this weekend.

A Rock the Block fundraiser event will take place this Saturday at the church auditorium at 435 N. Union St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., while a social from 10-11 p.m. is planned.

I think all of us long to be together, and who doesnt love great music? organizer Mary Glowacki said. You pair those two things, longing for community and great music, and voila, you have a great event.

For live music, the Nebraska All-Star Rock and Roll Band will perform hits from the 1960s and 70s from 7:30-10 p.m.

Its comprised of many people across Nebraska, many of whom have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, Glowacki said. They are all just accomplished musicians, and I did actually hear them practice this summer and theyre truly amazing, true talent.

The event, which costs $15 per ticket, will also include drinks provided by the Booster Club and food catered by Judys Concessions, a food truck based out of Columbus, as well as a raffle.

Theres nine different raffle baskets that people can throw in a dollar to try and win it, Glowacki said. So its a fundraiser benefit benefiting both the church and school.

Organizer Steve Narans, a parishioner on the churchs parish council, is the creator of the Nebraska All-Star Rock and Roll Band.

Narans has a lengthy history in music, having performed in the Shantels and Soul Incorporated in the late 60s and early 70s in Columbus alongside other garage bands.

I couldnt get my original group to play, so I started calling friends of mine who were members of these bands, and we decided to put together a select number of members to call and create an all-star band, composed of guys who were in these bands back in the 60s and 70s, he said.

Around 10 members of the group, which fluctuates between 15 and 20 musicians, have been inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame, including Narans.

Theyre all friends of mine, acquaintances of mine, great musicians, great voices, great guitar players, keyboards, drums, bass guitar, he said. Theyre all just great, wonderful musicians that I surrounded myself by.

Having gathered large crowds in Columbus and Duncan, Narans said he approached St. Patricks about creating the event, which he thought would be perfect to showcase the band.

We wanted to create something new and fun and for all ages, he said. And so we thought about having a dance where there would be food and prizes and things like that.

Glowacki said she was instantly on board with the event, which she soon began working on with posters, the raffle and communications.

Im super grateful for the thought and the idea, she said. I like it when people bring new ideas and new things to our community.

The event will also be a family one for Narans, as his son will perform in the band and his nephew, Jeff Garbers, owns the catering food truck.

He and his wife are going to be coming and serving up some great, great food truck meals at the event, he said. Itll be great pulled pork sandwiches, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, the whole works.

Glowacki said she hopes for the event to be a regular occurrence for St. Patricks and Bergan with live music and a fun atmosphere.

Its great music, of course the food is great and wonderful as well, but also community, she said. Lets come together whenever we can in Fremont, which sometimes theres not a lot of choices here because were smaller, but heres a great choice for this weekend.

Narans encouraged all members of the community to attend the event, not just members of the church or those with children in the Bergan school system, as its a salute to all of Fremont.

With all of the things that have been going on the last two years, this is just going to be a wonderful celebration of life and food and dance and friends and everything, he said. Itll just be a good, good event.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on United Nations agencies and governments to increase their support for Afghans at risk who are seeking to flee their homeland or have already fled and are now in countries neighboring Afghanistan, transit countries, and countries of resettlement.

In a new policy briefing paper released on October 21, the New York-based human rights watchdog urged UN agencies and governments hosting Afghan refugees and asylum seekers to focus on increasing refugee resettlement and building better pathways to safe and durable solutions for Afghans needing protection.

These include those eligible for family reunification visas or special visas available because of their past work in Afghanistan, it added.

Since the Taliban seized control of most of Afghanistan in August, many Afghans are at grave risk of reprisal by the hard-line Islamist group, including human rights defenders, womens rights activists, media workers, judges, and others who previously held official administrative and security positions.

These Afghans are depending on governments to respect the right to seek asylum, Bill Frelick, refugee and migrant rights director at HRW, said in a statement.

Responding effectively to this humanitarian crisis demands refugee and migration policies that are generous, rights-respecting, and culturally sensitive.

HRW's call comes after Amnesty International said that Afghans at risk of Taliban reprisals face "formidable obstacles" to seeking safety outside Afghanistan.

The human rights group based in London described how neighboring countries have "closed their borders to Afghans without travel documents, leaving many with no choice but to make irregular crossings."

Countries across Europe and Central Asia have subjected Afghans to pushbacks, detention, and deportation instead of granting them protection, it also said.

HRW said countries should establish an orderly departure program for Afghans seeking to flee, open their borders to asylum seekers, and suspend deportations or returns of Afghans indefinitely.

Governments should also review asylum cases of Afghan asylum seekers that have previously been rejected.

HRW noted that Afghans seeking to flee now have fewer options to depart their country after Pakistans national carrier canceled flights between Kabul and Islamabad. However, the private Afghan carrier Kam Airways and Qatar Airways continue to operate limited flights out of Afghanistan.

Governments should also pressure the Taliban-led administration to allow Afghans to exercise their right to leave Afghanistan, according to the group, which cited refugees as saying they had been harassed, beaten, and extorted by Taliban officials as they attempted to leave the war-torn country.

HRW also documented abuses against people associated with the former government, including former security forces personnel and members of the judiciary.

Afghans have many reasons to flee and fear, Frelick said, adding: Its now in the hands of governments around the world to give them reason to hope.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is considering removing the Taliban from its list of extremist organizations as it expands engagement with the new rulers in Kabul.

The comments during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club on October 21 come a day after Russia hosted a high-level Taliban delegation for talks attended by officials from China, Pakistan, and eight other countries.

Moscow has hosted Taliban representatives several times in recent years, but has stopped short of recognizing the group, which it considers a terrorist organization.

In a final statement, the 10 countries in Moscow noted that "further practical engagement with Afghanistan needed to take into account the new reality, that is the Taliban coming to power in the country, irrespective of the official recognition of the new Afghan government by the international community."

Russia called for the mobilization of international aid to support Afghanistan and one of the aims of the meeting was to consolidate the "efforts of the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis" in the aftermath of the Taliban's takeover in August.

Putin said Afghanistan should receive economic support and get its financial assets unfrozen as stability in the war-torn country was in the interest of all its neighbors.

Washington has said it has no intention of releasing nearly $9 billion in Afghan central-bank reserves held in the United States that it froze after the Taliban seized power, despite warnings from humanitarian groups and the UN about the collapse of Afghanistan's economy and deepening humanitarian crisis.

With reporting by Reuters
Pakistan's foreign minister has visited Kabul for the first time since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, pledging to help its neighbor avoid an economic collapse.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said after his October 21 talks with Taliban leaders that Pakistan will provide about $280 million in humanitarian assistance and work to expand trade with Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan will also try to resume flights with Kabul, after Pakistan International Airlines suspended operations from Kabul this month.

The visit comes as the Chaman border crossing, one of the main trade points between the neighbors, has been closed for more than two weeks, causing severe problems for farmers and businesses.

Qureshi said Pakistan would ease some border restrictions and facilitate trade, including opening border crossings for 24/7 trade. He said Pakistan will allow duty-free imports of fruits and vegetables as well as provide on-arrival visas for Afghan business travelers.

"We have taken steps that will benefit Afghanistan financially," he told reporters.

Before the meeting, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the two sides would "cover the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and focus on ways and means to deepen cooperation in diverse areas."

Qureshi's delegation also included the head of the ISI intelligence service, Faiz Hameed, who had also visited Kabul after the capital fell to the Taliban in August.

In the coming days, a Taliban delegation is expected to visit Islamabad for follow-up discussions.

With reporting by AP, Dawn, and Reuters
The renaming of one of Colorados most prominent fourteeners just got more complicated, as two new proposals for Mount Evans brings the options to five, far more than any other geographic landmark in Colorado.
City Editor

Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids.
Nine people were hospitalized early Sunday morning after a Colorado Springs man suspected of driving while drunk crashed head-on into another 
DILLON - The family entered the icy wonderland through an archway, and the father's response was much like his young son's. "Whoa, this is not what I expected," said Colorado Springs' Mark Galley, who with his family was first in a line that got longer as the sun dipped behind the Summit County mountains. He and hundreds of others gazed at the glossy cathedrals and spires forming a maze in the town's Little League field. The nationwide attraction Ice Castles has returned to Colorado, inspiring the same awe it did in Breckenridge four years ago. "Wow!" Galley said, seemingly unable to control his laughter as he touched the bluish, soaring walls around him that at night glow all the colors of the rainbow.
A Colorado Springs man in the running in the 2022 El Paso County sheriff election was sentenced to probation on felony trespassing charges on Wednesday.

After being convicted of felony trespassing in August, Karl Dent, a registered candidate in the running to succeed El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder, was sentenced to two years of probation Wednesday afternoon.

Dent, a Fort Carson veteran who started a private security company in Colorado Springs, originally faced several other charges in the case, but was acquitted of all but trespassing for a May 2, 2020, intrusion on the home of a girlfriend and her son.

According to court records, Dent was arrested for the incident two days later, on May. 4, 2020.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Sydney Bierwirth said the District Attorneys Office wasnt interested in pursuing the possible prison sentence range of one to three years in the Department of Corrections for the single charge Dent was convicted of, and instead asked for judge Erin Sokol to consider the maximum probation sentence possible of three years.

That, she said, was out of the security of victims in the case, who arent being identified for their safety, and who said in pre-sentencing reports that they were fearful that something else may happen, based on the relationship.

Dents defense attorneys, however, argued that Dent was a self-made man described by one of the victims as a father figure whod been paying utility bills and buying groceries for the home he trespassed in. They added that reports filed ahead of the sentencing indicated he was at minimum risk for re-offending.

What Mr. Dent was convicted of was not leaving the house when he was asked to, Daniel Layshock, one of Dents lawyers, said. He asked Sokol for a two-year probation sentence, and objected to the need for substance abuse evaluation and treatment.

Dents probation, Sokol ruled, will emphasize treatment for domestic violence, but she stopped short of the three-year term prosecutors asked for. When asked if the sentence would impact Dents plans to run for sheriff, his attorneys spoke for him, saying he had no comment.
Work on the $419 million widening of lanes in the Interstate 25 South Gap project is nearing completion as the project enters its fourth and final year  on time and on budget, state transportation officials said.

When it is complete, the roughly 18 miles of roadway between Monument and Castle Rock will include new express lanes in each direction, five new bridges, four wildlife crossings and several miles of deer fencing, a new truck-climbing lane on southbound I-25 at Monument Hill, wider shoulders and improved technology to help modernize communications and power along the corridor.

Construction is expected to finish on schedule in November 2022, Colorado Department of Transportation officials said in a recent news release.

Crews will finish building a new bridge at County Line Road over the highway near Monument that is 95% complete, Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Tamara Rollison said. The new bridge will be double its original size to accommodate one through-lane and one left turn lane in each direction, with widened shoulders on each side to allow for better capacity, transportation officials have said.

Four other bridges are finished at Spruce Mountain Road, Plum Creek, Greenland Road and Upper Lake Gulch Road.

Crews are also placing new pavement on all lanes up and down the corridor and have already laid down 620,000 tons of a total planned 822,000 tons of asphalt, the release said.

By early January, crews had also relocated about 90,000 linear feet of existing fiber-optic line that was beneath the highway to enable future advanced technology. For example, a queue warning system will use sensors to detect speeds along the corridor, then update digital signage to alert drivers of estimated times to reach locations like Larkspur or Monument. Pan-tilt zoom cameras installed along the 18-mile stretch will allow the project team to see traffic in real time and a truck warning system will use sensors to tell drivers to slow down and yield to construction trucks entering and exiting the highway, according to the project website.

The expansive project also includes four new wildlife passes state transportation officials said will reduce the number of collisions between vehicles and animals by 90% along this stretch of highway.

Over 87,000 motorists use I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock daily. Flanking both sides of this stretch of interstate are vast areas of open space and the largest contiguous wildlife habitat along the Front Range, which sees an above average amount of wildlife-vehicle collisions, officials said in a news release.

Crews have also installed 23.5 miles of 28 total miles of deer fencing as part of the project. The Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are now researching how effective the crossings are as officials design another wildlife overpass planned on I-25 between Greenland and Palmer Divide roads north of Monument, the release said.

Crews broke ground on the I-25 South Gap project just before Labor Day 2018. When it is finished, the roadway will open new toll lanes in each direction, first during a testing phase when tolls will not be collected, Rollison has previously said. Tolls will go into effect when the testing phase is complete.

The toll lane rates could be the lowest in the state and among the cheapest in the country, according to a nearly 500-page traffic and revenue study commissioned by the agencys High Performance Transportation Enterprise. But the lanes have been a sore point with some residents and local officials, who objected to what they claimed amounted to double taxation since local taxes helped fund the project.

A state board will set the toll rates before the new lanes open, but officials wont know the final rate until a few months before the tolls begin to be collected, Rollison said Wednesday. Officials will do extensive public outreach to obtain feedback on the rates, she said.

In 2017, the study recommended a rate of about 15 cents per mile, or approximately $2.25 per one-way trip. Toll revenues are expected to cover the cost of operating and maintaining the lanes, the project website states. The hope is to maximize the number of drivers using the toll lanes and reduce congestion in all lanes.

Originally estimated to cost $350 million, the Gap project budget increased to $419 million in the last year when new projects  reconstruction of the aging County Line Road bridge, a new truck-climbing lane on southbound I-25 between the Greenland Road interchange and the Monument weigh station, a permanent truck chain-up station on southbound I-25 in Larkspur at a former rest area and mitigation of unsuitable soil found along the project area  were identified, Rollison previously said.

The project is funded by a mix of state, local and federal money.

For the latest project updates, visit i25gap.codot.gov or the projects Facebook page (@I25SouthGapProject).
A Colorado Springs man fled to New York after allegedly strangling his wife while their 5-year-old daughter fought with him to stop, an arrest affidavit filed last week shows.

William Cruz was arrested in Sag Harbor, N.Y., on Oct. 13 in connection with the death of his wife, Masany Cruz, 29.

William, 31, arrived in New York with his two children on Sept. 18, his mother, unidentified in court records, told police in an interview. The trios days leading up to their arrival, she told police, had been spent in hotel rooms in Pennsylvania and in rental cars, after a cross-country trip from Colorado.

William and his kids, he told his mother, needed a place to stay, and asked if they could live in a home she owned in Oceanside, N.Y. He and Masany, William told his mother, were parting ways, so Williams mother said she let the trio stay in the home, where they had dinners and tried to keep Williams mind off his heartbreak, according to the affidavit.

Relatives, coworkers and friends of Masany, however, were concerned, and asked Colorado Springs police to check on her the morning of Oct. 4.

They hadnt heard her voice in weeks, they told police, even though they kept receiving texts from her phone and learned from her supervisor that shed allegedly taken a leave of absence starting Sept. 13.

Family members also contacted North Plainfield, N.J., police, who tracked the phones of Masany and William to a Sag Harbor inn. There, Sag Harbor police found only William, who barricaded himself in the bathroom and told police he would hurt himself if officers tried to arrest him, according to the affidavit.

William argued with officers but eventually surrendered. During the standoff, Sag Harbor police informed Colorado Springs authorities, who had responded to William and Masanys home, that theyd only found William, prompting police to break in the door of the twos northeast Colorado Springs apartment, the affidavit stated.

Officers didnt immediately find anyone inside, but as they moved from room to room, clearing the apartment, they found something covered by blankets laying on a childrens bed. When they approached and peeled the blankets back, they found Masanys nude body laying face up, several weeks into the process of decomposition, the affidavit said.

Sag Harbor police applied for and received a search warrant to dig through the phones, among other devices, credit cards, and photographs, found in the inn with William. On Oct. 12, they found a photograph of Masany laying dead in the bed, on William's phone, according to the affidavit.

That morning, police also spoke with Williams 5-year-old daughter, also unidentified in court documents, at a child advocacy center in Riverhead, N.Y. about the days leading up to the familys departure from Colorado.

There, using stuffed animals given to her by investigators to act out what shed seen, she wrapped the hands of one of the dolls around the neck of the other, just as shed seen her father allegedly strangle her mother. She said Masany clawed at William's face to get him off, and that the girl herself had tried to intervene by prying her father's hands away, the affidavit stated.

I was taking Daddys hands off of her, the girl told police, but her father ordered her to "get off" and go to her room with her dog, according to the affidavit.

The family left several days later, with William locking the apartment door for the last time on Sept. 15, according to digital key fob records, police alleged in the affidavit. The girl later told family members in New York that she wasnt able to tell her mother goodbye before she left because Masany was sleeping," the affidavit said.

When detectives asked him what Colorado Springs officers had found in his apartment, they said he immediately broke down, leaning forward and telling investigators that he was a piece of s--- and didnt deserve to live.

William was arrested in Masanys murder on Oct. 13. Hes currently being held in New York, and faces first-degree murder charges in Colorado.
Cities worldwide arent adapting to climate change quickly enough

Climate change is magnifying threats such as flooding, wildfires, tropical storms and drought. In 2020 the U.S. experienced a record-breaking 22 weather and climate disasters that each caused at least US$1 billion in damage. So far in 2021, the count stands at 18.

I study urban issues and have analyzed cities relationship with nature for many years. As I see it, cities are quickly becoming more vulnerable to extreme weather events and permanent shifts in their climate zones.

I am concerned that the pace of climate change is accelerating much more rapidly than urban areas are taking steps to adapt to it. In 1950, only 30% of the worlds population lived in urban areas; today that figure is 56%, and it is projected to rise to 68% by 2050. Failure to adapt urban areas to climate change will put millions of people at risk.

Extreme weather and long-term climate zone shifts

As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows in its latest report, released in August 2021, global climate change is widespread, rapid and accelerating. For cities in temperate latitudes, this means more heat waves and shorter cold seasons. In subtropical and tropical latitudes, it means wetter rainy seasons and hotter dry seasons. Most coastal cities will be threatened by sea level rise.

Around the globe, cities will face a much higher probability of extreme weather events. Depending on their locations, these will include heavier snowfalls, more severe drought, water shortages, punishing heat waves, greater flooding, more wildfires, bigger storms and longer storm seasons. The heaviest costs will be borne by their most vulnerable residents: the old, the poor and others who lack wealth and political connections to protect themselves.

Extreme weather isnt the only concern. A 2019 study of 520 cities around the world projected that even if nations limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius (about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial conditions, climate zones will shift hundreds of miles northward by 2050 worldwide. This would cause 77% of the cities in the study to experience a major change in their year-round climate regimes.

For example, the study authors predicted that by midcentury, Londons climate will resemble that of modern-day Barcelona, and Seattles will be like current conditions in San Francisco. In short, in less than 30 years, three out of every four major cities in the world will have a completely different climate from the one for which its urban form and infrastructure were designed.

A similar study of climate change impacts on more than 570 European cities predicted that they will face an entirely new climate regime within 30 years  one characterized by more heat waves and droughts, and increased risk of flooding.

Mitigating climate change

Cities responses to climate change fall into two broad categories: mitigating (reducing) emissions that drive climate change, and adapting to effects that cant be averted.

Cities produce more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from heating and cooling buildings and powering cars, trucks and other vehicles. Urbanization also makes people more vulnerable to climate change impacts.

For example, as cities expand, people clear vegetation, which can increase the risk of flooding and sea level rise. They also create impermeable surfaces that dont absorb water, such as roads and buildings.

This contributes to flooding risks and produces urban heat islands  zones where temperatures are hotter than in outlying areas. A recent study found that the urban heat island in Jakarta, Indonesia, expanded in recent years as more land was developed for housing, businesses, industry and warehouses.

But cities are also important sources of innovation. For example, the inaugural Oberlander Prize for landscape architecture was awarded on Oct. 14, 2021, to U.S. landscape architect Julie Bargemen for re-imagining polluted and neglected urban sites. And the prestigious Pritzker Architectural Prize went this year to French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Phillipe Vassal for creating resilient buildings by transforming existing structures instead of demolishing them to make room for new construction.
INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Cybersecurity blind spot: AIs inherent vulnerabilities

Cybersecurity is commonly regarded as the biggest strategic challenge confronting the United States. Recent headlines only confirm this trend, as every day seems to bring with it the announcement of a new vulnerability, hack or breach. Since 2013, the U.S. intelligence community has ranked cybersecurity as the No. 1 threat facing the nation in each of its annual global threat assessments. Only in 2021 at the height of a global pandemic did cybersecurity lose its top spot.

However, there is one major fault with the commonly accepted wisdom about cybersecurity: It has a blind spot.

More specifically, traditional cybersecurity measures all too frequently fail to account for data science methodologies and the vulnerabilities that are unique to artificial intelligence systems. The policies being developed and deployed to secure software systems do not account for data science activities and the AI systems they give rise to, namely the users or systems need for access to many large datasets in a manner that often doesnt align with current cybersecurity fundamentals and implementations. This means that just as emerging technologies like AI and data analytics are gaining traction -- motivating policy after policy championing its benefits -- todays software security practices are fundamentally blind to the challenges they create. This is because the new technologies require and receive unfettered access to the underlying data and rely on trusted data and high-quality data to ensure resulting algorithms and data science products are accurate.

We cannot simultaneously have both more AI and more security -- at least not without significantly adjusting how we approach securing software and data.

The Biden administrations recently released Executive Order on Improving the Nations Cybersecurity is an ambitious and thoughtful attempt at addressing this paradox. However, it contains significant gaps that mirror the ways in which data sciences impact on cybersecurity is often overlooked. Ultimately, we need to help the right hand of cybersecurity develop a better understanding of what the left hand of data science is doing.

Embracing zero trust

How can agencies maintain security in an environment plagued by threat actors? One prominent answer is to embrace a zero trust model -- a concept at the heart of the executive order -- which requires assuming breaches in nearly all scenarios.

Exactly what this means in practice is clear in the environment of traditional software and controls: implementing risk-based access controls, ensuring that least-privilege access is implemented by default and embedding resiliency requirements into network architectures to minimize single points of failure.

However, the problem is that none of this accounts for data science, which requires continuous access to data. Its rare that data scientists even know all the data required at the beginning of any one analytics project. Instead, they frequently require access to all the available data to deliver a model that sufficiently solves the problem at hand.

So how does zero trust fit into this environment, where users building AI systems actively require access to voluminous amounts of data? The simple answer is that it does not. The more complicated answer is that zero trust works for applications and production-ready AI models but not for training AI.

A new kind of supply chain

The idea that software systems suffer from a supply chain issue is also common wisdom. These systems are complex, and it can be easy to hide or obscure vulnerabilities within this complexity. This is, at least in part, why the executive order so forcefully emphasizes the importance of supply chain management, both the physical hardware and the software running on it.

However, the problem is again one of mismatch. Efforts to focus on the software security do not apply to data science environments, which are predicated on access to data that in turn forms the foundation for AI code. Whereas humans painstakingly program software line-by-line in traditional systems, AI is largely programmed by the data it is trained upon, creating new cybersecurity vulnerabilities and challenges.

What, then, can be done about these types of security issues? The answer, like so many other things in the world of AI, is to focus on the data. Knowing where the data came from, how it has been accessed and by whom and tracking access in real-time are the only long-term ways to monitor for and address these evolving vulnerabilities. To ensure that both software and AI are secure, organizations must add efforts to track data to the already complicated supply chain.

A new kind of scale -- and urgency

Perhaps most importantly as AI becomes adopted more widely, I believe that cybersecurity vulnerabilities are likely to grow in proportion to a systems underlying code base. As we move to a world in which data itself is the code, these vulnerabilities will scale in proportion to the data the AI systems is trained upon, meaning threats will grow exponentially in proportion to the code required in the system. Based simply on the growing volume of data we generate as we deploy more AI, we are simultaneously creating an ever-expanding attack surface.

The good news is that this new AI-driven world will give rise to boundless opportunities for innovation. The intelligence community will know more about adversaries in as close to real time as possible. The armed forces will benefit from a new type of strategic intelligence, which will reshape battlefield boundaries and enhance their speed of response. However, this future is also likely to be afflicted with insecurities that are destined to grow at rates faster than human comprehension allows.

To take cybersecurity seriously, agencies must understand and address how AI creates and exacerbates these vulnerabilities. The same goes for strategic investments in AI. The long-term success of the nations cybersecurity policies will rest on how accurately they apply to the world of AI.
The opening of the long awaited Fairfield by Marriott hotel in Clear Lake is allegedly just around the corner.

According to Clear Lake City Administrator Scott Flory, the opening of the Fairfield by Marriott hotel is "imminent."

Flory said the hotel, which is located off Interstate 35 and Highway 18 in Clear Lake, is receiving its final load of furniture this week, which was the cause for the delay in the hotel's opening.

While Flory could not provide a firm date on when the hotel expects to open, he did say that he expects once the final load of furniture is placed in the hotel, that Marriott will begin its two weeks of training for staff. The hotel could open after the completion of staff training.

"In my conversations with the developers, the last load of furniture is being delivered this week and they expect to be open very soon," Flory said.

The developers of the Marriott hotel, Kalpesh Patel, CEO at VKB Management LLC, of West Des Moines, and Ryan Huegerich CEO at HCI Hotel Supply, of Omaha, Nebraska did not respond to requests for comment from the Globe Gazette.

The hotel was previously slated to open in June, but delays due to material shortages saw the opening date get pushed back to the fall, with the most recent update saying the plan was to open on Oct. 1.

Opening of Marriott Hotel in Clear Lake delayed According to Mayor Nelson Crabb, the Fairfield by Marriott will be the first new hotel in the city in over 20 years.

Members of the Clear Lake City Council broke ground on the project in June of last year after experiencing delays in the start of the project due to the pandemic.

According to Mayor Nelson Crabb, the Fairfield by Marriott will be the first new hotel in the city in over 20 years.

The hotel project was approved by Clear Lake City Council back in 2019 and is estimated to cost over $13 million.

The Fairfield by Marriott will feature 85 rooms and a conference center and event space that can accommodate up to 450 people.

As part of the development agreement, the developers were offered a loan from the city of Clear Lake not to exceed $1.2 million, and $150,000 for starting construction before June 30, 2020 and an additional $150,000 for having the hotel operational by June 30, 2021.

The developers met the requirements for the $150,000 to start prior to June 30, but did not meet the requirements for the second $150,000 payment as the hotel is still not operational.

Zachary Dupont covers politics and business development for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at 641-421-0533 or zachary.dupont@globegazette.com. Follow Zachary on Twitter at @ZachNDupont

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
With an eye toward future development, Mason City will apply for a $500,000 federal grant that would allow it to assess local sites in need of environmental cleanup.

The City Council unanimously approved the application request by City Administrator Aaron Burnett at its meeting on Tuesday night.

The federal Brownfield Assessment Grants would allow the city to inventory any building or area that has potential environmental contaminants and assess any barriers to remediation.

"There are more around Mason City than you'd think," Burnett told the council.

Because it scores bonus points any time it applies for a federal grant, city officials indicated in its application that it's targeting Mason City's federal Opportunity Zone, which is its urban core south to Hwy. 18.

Burnett told the council it's forward looking because instead of waiting for a potential developer or even a commercial building or property owner to purchase a place and then discover environmental issues -- even something as commonplace as asbestos -- the city will be able to give the potential buyer an idea not only of what kind of environmental issue is tied to the building or land, but also what would need to be done to it.

Burnett referenced the "River II" project by Talon Development, which plans to construct a 133-unit housing complex near its first project just south of Southbridge Mall. The land upon which Talon plans to build was the site of a former foundry and required an environmental assessment. That has been completed as has two phases of cleanup.

The city would like to be able to provide the assessment up front to help remove barriers to growth through no cost to taxpayers, Burnett said.

With minimal comment, the council agreed. Any grant the city receives before July 1 will be added into its existing budget. Should it come after that, it will become part of the city's fiscal year 2022-23 budget.

In other business, the council approved a resolution hiring three new police officers. Two of the three candidates will attend the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy beginning in January 2022. The third officer is already certified in Iowa and has completed academy training, said Police Chief Jeff Brinkley.

Brinkley said he hopes to further cut into his staffing shortfall with five other potential hires who are currently undergoing background checks. Should they all pass backgrounding and accept job offers, the department would have three openings remaining.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Here's a round-up of news about the Deere strike from Oct. 19-20:

Truck speeds into John Deere Seeding Moline gate

Moline Police said a semi-truck entered Gate 24 of the John Deere Seeding plant in Moline driving too fast on the morning of Oct. 19, and near a group of union workers on the picket line.

Union members were near the driveway when the truck entered the gate. A night shift officer in a squad car was at the intersection when the truck entered the plant and asked the driver to drive slower upon entrance to the site.

The officer dealt with the incident like any any other observed traffic infraction, Moline police said in an email to the Quad-City Times/Moline Dispatch-Argus. No additional police were called to the scene.

Ag secretary visits UAW picket line in Ankeny

Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Iowa governor, visited Deere workers on the picket line on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at the John Deere Des Moines Works plant in Ankeny.

Vilsack had visited an Ankeny farm with Mexicos Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development earlier in the day, where he spoke with Lee Iowa Bureau Editor Erin Murphy about the UAW strike against John Deere.

Twenty-three years ago this month, I was running for governor and I was behind. I was way behindUAW was with me from the get-go, Vilsack said. You dont forget the people who were with you. UAW is important to me. I sincerely hope they get this resolved as quickly as possible and as fairly as possible.

Sen. Grassley on UAW strike

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley told reporters from The Gazette that he doesnt find any fault with Vilsack going to the picket lines.

Well, I would see it as positive from this standpoint that we have Deere workers and their families now facing a very stressful situation, Grassley said. And I presume that he's trying to give them some comfort by going there. He can't do much more because, you know, it's covered by federal law, the bargaining process, and the negotiations are ongoing.

Grassley, a member of the International Association of Machinists in Waterloo, said it is not an easy decision to go without a paycheck.

(Negotiations are) covered by law, and just have to wait until they work their way through it, Grassley said. There seems to be a movement nationally, because of the worker shortage, that unions have a lot more power bargaining now than they have before. I'm not sure I know how that affects the Deere workers. But we just have to wait until the bargaining gets done.

When asked about the impact of the strike, Grassley said he is only able to speculate but is following the negotiations closely.

I've heard concerns about farmers maybe needing parts and we have this supply chain problem, Grassley said. It could make that worse, but I don't have any evidence of that at this point.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
On Wednesday, Iowa State Patrol Trooper Ted Benda died nearly a week after sustaining injuries in a car accident in northeast Iowa.

On Oct. 14, Benda, 37, was en route to assist the Clayton County Sheriff's Office with an incident involving a wanted suspect when he was injured in a single-vehicle accident, the Associated Press reported.

On Friday morning, around 10:15 a.m., a vehicle procession in remembrance of Benda is expected to move into Cerro Gordo County, according to Sgt. Keith Duenow of the Iowa State Patrol. The procession will come in via Interstate 35 northbound from Ankeny, exiting onto Highway 9 and passing through towns including Manly and Osage and as it moves toward Waukon.

"Benda joined the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation in 2005 and transferred to the state patrol in 2016. He most recently worked out of the office in Oelwein," the Associated Press reported. "He is survived by his wife, Holly, and their four children."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Melanie Mergen is Local News Editor for the Globe Gazette. You can reach her at melanie.mergen@globegazette.com.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
A Danville man was arrested in Rockingham County, North Carolina, on Wednesday night following a high-speed police chase in a Telsa that had been reported stolen.

At about 9 p.m., deputies with the Rockingham County Sheriffs Office responded to an area on U.S. 29 to search for black 2018 Tesla Model 3 that was reported stolen from High Point, North Carolina, a news release stated.

Authorities reported a suspect tried to buy the Tesla from someone in High Point using counterfeit currency. Deputies in Guilford County lost sight of the vehicle as it crossed into Rockingham County.

However, a Rockingham County officer saw the vehicle heading north on U.S. 29 near Freeway Drive at a high rate of speed, the release stated. Thats when a pursuit began.

The vehicle eventually crashed into a guardrail and the suspect  identified as 26-year-old Cortavious Rey-Ray Johnson, of Danville  ran away and jumped off the offramp bridge onto U.S. 29, police reported.

He then surrendered to deputies. Johnson sustained minor injuries from the crash and jump and refused medical treatment.
Tysons continued growth and investments are a testament to Virginias workforce and strong business environment, and we congratulate them on this new facility and look forward to many more years of success.

This is an exciting day for Danville and Pittsylvania County, and I cant be prouder, he said. Welcoming Tyson is a big, big deal.

David Bray, group president of poultry for Tyson Foods, said that to say he was humbled at the event and welcome was an understatement.

When we started this process, we felt we were home. And now I am absolutely certain we are home, he said. It is our goal to feed people and to keep team members safe. The products coming out of this facility will be both in the food service and the retail arena.

He said the company has worked successfully in Virginia for decades and is investing in the facility near Danville because of the demand for more high-quality Tyson brand chicken. Were thankful for the invitation to become a part of the Danville and Pittsylvania County communities, the support from both state and local leaders, and the presence of such a strong workforce in the region, he said.
His busy schedule of campaign appearances across the state included a slot last month as a featured speaker at a Global Health Freedom Summit in western Minnesota. There, he joined a panel discussion with some of the bigger names in the anti-vax world, including some who have pushed the falsehood that coronavirus vaccines contain microchips that the government might use to track people.

Among the thousands who viewed his video on the Sweden vaccine news was Sheila Decker of Moorhead, Minnesota, who had met him earlier at the health freedom event.

Hes like a breath of fresh air to me, Decker said in an interview. Hes honest, hes trustworthy. She said she supports Jensen because she opposes vaccine and mask mandates and she doesnt like how Walz handled the pandemic, including his orders to close restaurants and businesses.

At Jensens clinic in Watertown, where the western Minneapolis suburbs give way to farm country, there are no signs requiring or even encouraging patients to wear masks. The exam rooms reflect his individuality. One is decorated like a North Woods cabin, with log furniture, a potbellied stove and a walleye on the wall. Another has mementos of the M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H TV series, complete with a fake IV bottle on the wall labeled vodka.
Muddy Waters had helped them bring their instruments upstairs to do an audition. I had never seen white men with hair that long and high-heeled boots. I wanted to curse. First thing I wanted to know was, Who in the hell is this yall bringing in on my session?

How did you end up hooking up with the Yardbirds in England? Apparently, those shows were pretty influential to future stars there.

First of all, I was booked to go to England. I said, Well, Ive never been out of the country  I think I had been to Canada  so this is my chance to go overseas. I didnt know those guys, and now they are some of my best friends. (Eric) Clapton. (Jeff) Beck. Jimmy Page. Keith (Richards).

I didnt know they had heard of me, and now every time I see em, they tell me about how they all slept in a van (to come see me play). Then they got famous and came to the U.S. and was helping us out  Black Americans  by letting Americans know where they got their movement from. All four of em said they didnt know a Stratocaster could play blues until they saw me.
The rioters smashed windows, broke through barricades and overwhelmed law enforcement in the most egregious attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812. Some brandished weapons; others wore tactical gear. Some chanted Hang Mike Pence! after the then-vice president said he did not have the power to unilaterally overturn Biden's win. Others hunted lawmakers, demanding to know the whereabouts of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and others. Outside, a makeshift gallows was erected, complete with a noose.

At least nine people who were there that day died during and after the rioting, including a woman who was shot and killed by police as she tried to break into the House chamber. Four police officers died by suicide in the days and months that followed the insurrection. A fifth officer, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, collapsed and died after engaging with the protesters. A medical examiner later determined he died of natural causes.

More than 600 people face charges in what has been described as the largest federal law enforcement investigation in U.S. history.



EDITORS NOTE  A look at the veracity of claims by political figures.



Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck

Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please log in to keep reading.

Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever.
Did the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent recession help to create the conditions that produced more homicides? Almost certainly. What about last years defund the police protests? Did they make officers less assertive in high-risk neighborhoods, emboldening violent criminals? Again, almost certainly. But some of the increase occurred in 2019, before these events took place. Crime is a complex phenomenon with multiple causes.

Still, I am persuaded that higher levels of policing tend to produce lower levels of crime. It makes sense. When more police officers are visibly on patrol in neighborhoods, individuals will think twice before committing crimes there.

You cant prove (or disprove) such a relationship by comparing police staffing to crime rates and looking for simple correlations, however. If a community has low levels of criminality for other reasons, it might well have fewer officers on patrol. And a high-crime community might well hire lots of officers. Such relationships shouldnt be used to assert that policing causes crime, although that hasnt stopped some activists from saying so.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
" " Emma, seen here "shaking hands" with a co-worker, is the physical embodiment of what years behind a desk could do to your body. Fellowes Research

Emma's been through a lot. It's pretty clear from one cursory glance that the stooped, sallow-skinned (but still smiling!) office worker has endured a rough couple of decades sitting behind her desk.

And that's exactly what the researchers at the U.K.'s Fellowes Brands wanted to convey when they built the eerily off-putting character. That's because Emma is meant to represent the toll 20 years of poor posture and inadequately set up workstations can take on office employees.

Advertisement

Who Is Emma?

"The 'Work Colleague of the Future' campaign was developed to shine a light on how the human body could change, physically and visually, if we continue to work with poor posture and minimal movement at our workstations over the next 20 years," Julia Dettler-Bates, European marketing communications manager for Fellowes Brands, says via email. "Our goal was to spark a debate about working behaviors, environments and lifestyles plus potential solutions." Fellowes is global manufacturer of products designed to improve life at work.

It's safe to say the team achieved its goal, creating a hard-to-ignore embodiment of its findings in the form of Emma. "Office equipment and office behaviors need to change urgently, as our research with behavioral futurist, William Higham and a panel of occupational health experts has shown how our bodies are impacted by these lifestyles and behaviors," Dettler-Bates says.

So what is the most concerning thing the research suggests? That we're sitting still at our desks far too much, and as we spend those hours on end  without moving  and our bodies are starting to atrophy in response, Dettler-Bates says.

"It's accelerating not just musculoskeletal disorders, but also conditions such as heart disease and diabetes," Dettler-Bates says. The response was to visualize these physical effects of our modern working behaviors through 'Emma.'

Advertisement

Emma's Ailments

According to the team's research, office employees spend an average of six hours a day seated at their desks. Nine out of 10 British office workers are suffering health consequences because of their work environment, and as a result, find their job more difficult. And even when employees ask for help in preserving their health, they may not get the resources they need. Researchers found that 25 percent of employees have asked for their workstations to be improved and are still waiting for a resolution.

"We think that all of Emma's ailments are important to highlight," Dettler-Bates says. Those ailments, mostly evident from a cursory glance at Emma, include:

A permanently bent back, caused by sitting for hours in a bad position

Varicose veins from poor blood flow

A rotund stomach caused by sedentary working

Dry and red eyes from long hours staring at the computer screen

Swollen wrists and ankles from repetitive movement

Sallow skin from years of artificial light

Red upper arms due regular contact with laptop heat

Eczema caused by stress

Hairy ears and nose, as well as a swollen nose, because of poor air quality

" " After years of sedentary work at a desk, Emma now has (clockwise from top left) eczema, swollen wrists, even dry eyes and a hairy nose, and varicose veins. Poor Emma! Fellowes Research

Advertisement

The Best Position Is Your Next Position

Higham himself says he was taken aback by some of the discoveries. "The most surprising finding for me was the massive impact that just sitting down for long periods can have," the consumer futurist, speaker, author and CEO of The Next Big Thing says.

"I grew up thinking the most dangerous workplaces were factories and building sites but  especially now those have seen so much legislation  I'm starting to wonder if it might be offices! Like most people, I knew that sitting in the wrong position could curve the spine. But the impact that any kind of sustained sitting has is much greater than I'd expected.

"Yes it can have a long-term effect on the spine but it can also weaken leg muscles, and the heart, and even accelerate diseases like diabetes and cancer. Simply moving one's position every half-hour or so can do wonders. As one expert put it when I asked them what is the best position to sit in: 'The best position is your next position.'"

Advertisement

Is Gender Relevant to the Findings?

While the majority of Emma's ailments could ostensibly be seen in any overworked employee, regardless of gender, her sex does beg the question of why researchers opted to make her female. "The report is based on research on office workers across the U.K., Germany and France," Dettler-Bates says. "It is not specific to any gender. As such, the report does not cite that women are more at risk than men in developing these health issues."

Dettler-Bates says that Emma was an organic creation of the Fellowes Brands team to clearly represent the findings of Higham's research, but gender appears to be irrelevant when it comes to the plight of office workers. She says they simply chose to make Emma a female office worker so people could see her physical changes easily. Having Emma in a dress makes for these parts of the body more clearly visible. "The same ailments could be seen if we would have chosen to build a male model," Dettler-Bates says

"Creating a model to illustrate the dangers was a great idea," Higham says. "You can read any number of reports but seeing a representation of what we all could look like has much more impact. When we go around to show people Emma, I always say: 'It's too late for Emma, but you've got a chance to stop it happening to you!'"

"However," Dettler-Bates adds elaborating on which findings were most shocking, "when we first looked at the results of our future report we were definitely surprised by the sallow skin as well as the hairy ears and nose."

" " You can avoid destroying your body and becoming an 'Emma' by simply moving more during your workday. Matt Alexander/Fellowes Research

Advertisement

How to Not Become Emma

At the end of the day, the team behind Emma just hopes her creation wasn't in vain. "We hope that Emma teaches office workers and the public about the serious negative impact that modern working behaviours can have on our bodies," Dettler-Bates says. "We hope that people better consider their well-being at work."

Dettler-Bates says that Fellowes Brands has come up with specific takeaways for individuals and businesses alike, in hopes of encouraging more healthful work habits at every level to avoid long-term health damage as a result of the office environment:

Avoid sitting for long periods of time

Take regular breaks and stretch session

Change positions often

Move more during your day-to-day working lives

Use sit-stand desks to increase movement

Working comfortably with ergonomic equipment like foot, back and wrist supports

Try walking meetings

When it comes to the actions businesses can take to prevent workers from suffering Emma-like fates, Dettler-Bates says organizations need to prioritize employee health in concrete, personalized ways. "Companies need to ensure that they are complying with legal requirements and conducting workstation risk assessments for their employees," she says. "This will identify individual needs to ensure employees are working comfortably and with the correct posture. Ergonomic solutions such as monitor risers and wrist supports can help to position screens and input devices to reduce strain and discomfort."

Dettler-Bates also adds that more movement is a must in the workplace and that companies ought to investigate the implementation of healthy workspace solutions like height adjustable desks and sit-stand desk converters. "More radically, they could look at ways to combine office work and physical work," she says. "Some progressive organizations are already encouraging their workers to stay physically fluid throughout the day. A few are discouraging sedentariness by offering myriad working locations and sit-stand spaces to use throughout the office and promoting 'walking meetings.'"

And while we all know more movement would probably serve us well in our mostly-sedentary lives, Dettler-Bates points out that some less obvious factors took a toll on Emma throughout her 20 years on the job, and individuals and companies should be aware of their effects.

"Air quality, artificial lighting, germ-laden surfaces and poor-quality building materials can all make us ill," she says. "Organizations should act against poor office air conditioning and the increasing use of vapour producing artificial materials to avoid Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)." Researchers define SBS as "a situation in which the occupants of a building experience acute health- or comfort-related effects that seem to be linked directly to the time spent in the building."

To combat at least some of these negative outcomes, Dettler-Bates says it's essential for workers to take in some benefits from the great outdoors, even if they're stuck indoors all day. "Natural light stimulates metabolism, controls hormonal balance and the immune system, and promotes cell replenishment; artificial light removes these benefits," she says. "It can also negatively impact workers' internal clocks, making them sleepy in the day and restless at night. That's why it is so important offices have as much natural light as possible."

"I hope Emma gives a wake-up call to other office workers, like she did to me," Higham says. "With so many of us spending so long working at desks these days, we really need to reassess our office behavior and exercise a little more self-care. But I hope it also makes employers think about what they expect from their employees. Not only is common courtesy to care about your team, it's also good business sense. A healthy worker is a much more productive one!"

Now That's Interesting According to Fellowes' research, Emma's issues are rooted in very real statistics they uncovered when surveying current office workers: 50 percent reported strained eyes, 49 percent cited sore backs, and 48 percent complained of headaches as a direct result of their workspaces. Seven out of 10 also relied on medication to manage their health problems.
The incredible experience in designing disruptive healthcare solutions proves that the new-age technologies affect solutions in the healthcare industry. Well, the covid pandemic has shown limitations over the current healthcare system and has boosted forward the need for technology to support it. In the last 18 months and two years, most of the concentration has been around data and its analysis. So the idea of machine learning, AI, and its various layers has been the focus; that is what is read in the media, and the focus of investment is in software and hardware.However, I think the problem that we see in our limitation and response to covid is because of information asymmetry and lack of liquidity in transferring that data from one data silo to another. And blockchain can and should solve many of it. Unfortunately, I don't think it has the attention as AI or cyber security has in daily media. So, I hope that through interviews I will be able to increase the awareness of the use of distributed ledger technology to create an ecosystem that would be attacker resistant, censorship resistant, and collusion resistant through blockchain technologies.All industries are unique and require cross-disciplinary advice. Moreover, the specialty of the healthcare industry is that it deals with sensitive information. The information is private and needs to be protected, which also means high quality and high fidelity. It's not only with the healthcare industry but also with the financial industry. It also has to be worked in a trusted environment where we can trust the information, and one needs to keep it secure. I think the difference between healthcare and any other industry vertical is that it's an unbalanced ecosystem.In other words, there are healthcare winners, economic winners that are shareholders. They are making more and more money the more and more the world is getting sicker from covid or sicker period. Then there are other stakeholders who are big losers, primarily patients and professionals. The reason is the business model. It is exclusionary and extractive and has not been built in a decentralized, distributive way. Healthcare has become imbalanced, and that's why it is different from any other industry. Therefore, it is neither sustainable nor surprising that companies like Apple and Google are leaving healthcare. And it is just too difficult because, in their current economic and business model, they don't see it as an excellent way to make money.The solutions have embraced the "holacratizing" of healthcare with Universal Health Income (UHI). Well, the concept, holacracy, is to work in a team, unlike hierarchy. In contrast, democracy is hierarchy unless it is direct democracy, like in ancient Greece. But democracy, in general, is a hierarchy. Holacracy, on the other hand, is multiple teams that work together, and it promotes synergy. So, it's more horizontal than vertical. And this allows not only agility but also the ability to exchange information quickly. Moreover, I believe that because healthcare has so many different stakeholders and because, as I mentioned earlier, we suffer from data silos and lack of data movement between the various actors. Holacratizing, it would make that transfer of information more seamless.The idea of universal health income is a fancy way of saying that I would be paid for my healthy behaviors. Presently, I'm not getting paid for it. For example, I can give my genomic data to a company or give my wearable data to a company, and they would make money on it, and I won't. So, beyond it not being fair, it is also not sustainable. Because then why would I do it? What is my incentive to do it? So, both holacracy, which is more participatory, and the idea of being paid through my activities represent decentralized or distributed ways of availing wealth to large societies.After consulting multiple private and public companies, startups, healthcare organizations, and the United Nations Center for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), I realize the essential difference is their perspective of social organization. The United Nations or state governments versus individual consumers or startup and early growth companies are very different. The definition of quality and cost is very different with the need for change and the urgency for change. This causes the topics we discussed or the area of interest to be almost diametrically opposed. So, someplace like the UN will talk about data through the perspective of security, privacy, standardization, laws, and regulation as a government or a large community. Whereas a consumer or small startup community with a solution in mind, wants to talk about information as ownership. Not security or privacy of the data, but sovereignty or ownership of the data. How can I build an economic model that can incentivizes me to be part of the company? I think it may be two sides of the same coin, where it is essential to talk about privacy and security, which is what a large organization or government talks about. But it is also crucial to talk about ownership and financial and social inclusion, which is what startups are interested in.What I'm trying to show them is that there is a new way to do business. People ask me, "Dr. Cahana, what is definition of blockchain?" So, my definition of blockchain is: a software solution that allows us to trade in different ways. So, I am not a fan of calling it blockchain because it speaks to how the data is saved in blocks and connected in a chain which makes it very secure. I like to think of it as a time chain. So, when you know something that you can go back to, it starts the first chain. You can read it and understand it. It is an excellent way to record everything. It not only creates trust but obviously, it is required to put the people in the middle to say that is auditable and true.In essence, blockchain is a peer-to-peer network. In a way, it is a way to automate and improve or optimize the system. That's the top-down vision. But bottom-up vision gives more control, and there are fewer fees because you don't have to pay for that. That means you have more money in your pocket. For me, bitcoin is MOIP, money over internet protocol. It is programmable money that doesn't need all the fees you pay to the central bank when you want to remit or send money to your family in a different part of the country. And in healthcare, it is less about MOIP; it is about DOIP, data over internet protocol. So, that's the kind I look at this.Many people think the future of healthcare in developing markets is about access and affordability; in developed markets, they talk more about longevity and technology. I think people should be interested in changing their role as producers, not consumers in healthcare. Presently, we are health service consumers. It means that consuming more tests, surgeries, and pills leads to more expense. This is not sustainable, even if it would make a lot of people happy. Therefore, we need to transform ourselves from being health consumers to health producers.How do I produce health? So, one way of doing it is using Fitbit, using all kinds of data and translating that into actionable information. One way with blockchain also is that you can produce wealth. It's that if you tie those health behaviors to rewards, you can make money. And so, people would get paid for wearing masks and getting the vaccination; it would solve everything very quickly. Hence, the problem of the current approach is that we look at healthcare as something we're passive, hopeless, helpless, or sick, and we consume. And instead, we should look at health that's not something done in a hospital, which is treatment, but health is done in-home, that is active, positive and increases not only being well but also wealth. After the pandemic scene, people understand that healthcare is not working.
Im Your Man

(R)

Grade: B

Bergman Island

(R)

Grade: A

At the Myrna Loy

(Bergman Island leaves Thursday)

The Myrna is screening two films that both explore the interior world of lonely professional women. Both let us eavesdrop on self-talk by women who have holes in their hearts.

In Im Your Man, Alma, a divorced archeologist, agrees to write an ethics review of Tom, the ultimate robot. Alma invites Tom home. Hes a handsome gent, programmed to be her perfect mate.

Wouldnt be much of a story if she kept her distance, would it?

In Bergman Island, Chris and Tony, both professional filmmakers, visit Caro, an island off the coast of Sweden. Caro is where Ingmar lived, loved and made movies.

While Tony hosts films and enjoys being famous, Chris tours the island and works on her own script.

Chris is not alone, but shes lonely. She seeks connection in two places: on the beach, with a handsome young Swede  and inside her screenplay, a story of unrequited love.

At night, Chris returns home to her husband. She starts honest, thoughtful conversations hoping to connect. He listens politely, but every time his cell phone vibrates, he apologizes and walks away.

Both ladies, Alma and Chris, are layered, bright and lonely. Both stories remind us that its possible to stand in a room full of friends -- or sleep with a partner -- and still be achingly lonely.

Having been alone for three years now, I was deeply touched by both journeys. I wished for connection for both ladies, but was hardly surprised to see both journeys end obliquely, with more questions than answers.

Life teases us like that.

Im Your Man rests on a superficial concept that deepens quickly. Instead of settling for Bot cliches, Maria Schrader exposes the myth of the perfect match.

What would happen if our partner did, indeed, cater to our every whim, meet our every need -- real or imagined? Our Bot would laugh at our bad jokes, and happily give us space when we needed a moment.

Would we grow tired of this great listener? Or would we consider the Bot a blessing on days when we arent at our best -- days when our porcupine-self fires quills into those we love.

On those bad days, our bot would patiently de-quill itself and love us anyway.

Should we be tempted to seek the perfect mate? Or does Garth Brooks apply here: Thank God for unanswered prayers.

Im Your Man, directed by a woman, is not a male fantasy told through a male lens. No salacious robot sex. It doesnt reach the depth I hoped for, but it does explore the intriguing territory of the perfect match.

Are we better served by learning to appreciate our differences, or by holding out for someone who mirrors us? Complement or duplicate?

Personally, Ive always believed that I love you, anyway was more reassuring -- and more forgiving -- than I love you.

Bergman Island is the ultimate arthouse movie, spinning a story within a story on Ingmars turf.

I recalled sitting in the barber chair in Port Angeles as a child with mirrors both in front and behind me. I loved to dissolve into the images within images within images. Small wonder I liked Bergman movies.

On the surface, Chris seems to have found a perfect partner. They are both writers. He loves her work, he loves hers. He enjoys time with her.

But when we look closely, we can discern the widening gap between them, revealed in small disconnects.

Bergmans Island is overrun with Ingmar references. None of that seemed vital. I did react emotionally to the Swedish coastline, the water and the rocks. Bergman found meaning and meaninglessness in the sea.

Mostly I was drawn to the heart and soul of Chris.

Bergman mattered not. Chris mattered a lot.

I suspect many of us are drawn to art to fill holes inside.

On occasion, an honest story invites us to slide into a dark place. We lock arms with the protagonist and join in a search for a few rays of light.

Were never sure if dawn will come, and we really dont care. We simply relish change to join another lonely soul on a journey seeking illumination and warmth. A little light is fine, no matter how brief.

Art is one time-tested way to escape loneliness, especially when life refuses to play along.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Helenas city commission moved forward on an ordinance requiring an application fee for processing telecommunications franchises and considered an agreement with a company planning to expand to the state.

The commission approved final passage of the ordinance to require an application fee for cable and telecom franchises and approved a resolution to set the actual fee. The commission tabled first passage of a potential franchise for TDS, a company planning to extend service to Montana, after questions about whether it could line up its expiration date with the existing Spectrum franchise.

The TDS franchise would be generally the same as Spectrum, City Attorney Thomas Jodoin said, because federal law requires parity between providers. Commissioners discussed how that could prevent making changes in future negotiations over multiple franchises with different expiration dates.

If they are unwilling to line up these expiration dates, how do other communities handle this? Because as we continue to get more requests, it just feels like it is a cycle that will continue, Commissioner Emily Dean said. If were going to correct it, now should be the time that we do that.

TDS did not agree to match its franchise expiration date with the Spectrum one, which expires in 2027, Jodoin said to commissioners.

Generally, TDS prefers to have a standard 10-year franchise, according to Joshua Worrell, manager of business development with the company. The Wisconsin-based provider is applying to build residential and commercial fiber optic cable connections citywide, Worrell said.

Worrell said the company also plans to extend fiber optics in Lewis and Clark County, as well as to Butte, Missoula and Great Falls. He said TDS started building fiber in Wisconsin in 2017, which was successful and led it to look for other areas it considered underserved.

It solidified the belief that theres this thirst not only for competition, but specifically for fiber, Worrell said.

TDS representatives met with the Billings city council earlier this year, the Billings Gazette reported. The company has started construction for service in Billings, though it does not currently have any service in Montana, Worrell said.

Billings has a $5,000 fee for cable franchises for the cost of reviewing an application, Helena City Manager Rachel Harlow-Schalk said in an email.

Commission documents listed a possible disadvantage being the fees reducing competition and becoming an obstacle for companies trying to enter the Helena market. Harlow-Schalk said theres always the opportunity to waive requirements if they become an obstacle, but theres no reason to suspect thats the case.

Helenas fee is proposed to be $2,500, Jodoin said to the commission, based on an estimate of cost for reviewing an application. He said the fee would cover city staff time but the ordinance would also require reimbursements for costs like outside consulting.

Helena uses River Oaks Communications as outside consultants, Jodoin said. That accounted for $5,500 for the TDS application, which the provider volunteered to pay. He said money for River Oaks services currently comes out of the budgets of his office and the city managers office.

Helena has received multiple inquiries in recent months about possibly expanding telecom service, according to commission documents.

The impression is that with the federal funding for this sort of work, were trying to be prepared and get ahead of the curve for those folks who want to come in and provide either additional cable television services or broadband, Jodoin said to the commission.

Federal infrastructure funds played no role in this particular case for TDS, Worrell said. Assuming the franchise would go through and things go smoothly, he said TDS would start construction next spring, along with pre-registration for expected service.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Punk rock crocodiles dancing on a beach.

A lemur leading a fitness class.

And a wildly luminous mantis shrimp art instructor.

These are just a few of the fantastic creatures one meets on the 100% fantastical journey, Body in Motion.

If you go What: Julynn Wildman: Body in Motion opens at the Holter When: Opening reception is 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 22 and runs through the end of December Where: Holter Museum of Art, 12 E. Lawrence St. Contact: 406-442-6400, https://holtermuseum.org/events/body-in-motion-opening-reception

Theyre all part of Julynn Wildmans dance film and installation at the Holter Museum of Art that opens with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 22. The dance film premieres at 6 p.m. (and you wont want to miss it!)

Wildman is the recipient of the first Intrepid Credit Union Artist Fellowship at the Holter.

Instead of taking us on a journey to the moon or to the center of the Earth, Wildman takes viewers on a journey via dance to the center of the self -- the fancifully fantastic evolutionary twists and turns that took us from fins to limbs.

Were excited for Friday, said Holter Executive Director Chris Riccardo. Its really unique. We think it will really draw people. Were ready to let the public see it.

Wildmans dance film and exhibit tell the story of a young girl, Mika, who is walking in the woods and climbing a tree when she spies a shiny object glittering in the stream below.

As Mika stretches out to reach it, she tumbles into the water, where she sinks down into a swirling, beautiful underwater world of jellyfish and is swallowed by a manta ray. And she is off on an adventure of discovery.

The exhibit and dance film pull on a lot of scientific research, but use humor and fantasy to show the different perspectives of animals that Mika meets, said Wildman.

Each of the chapters of the film and Mikas adventure are represented in the exhibit.

As part of her fellowship, Wildman spent the past year researching and creating Mikas story through a series of dance/science workshops she held at the Holter.

When viewers enter the High Gallery, theyll encounter jellyfish and step through the jaws of a manta ray.

The whole exhibit is an immersive experience where viewers can go into the world of Mika -- the lost girl, said Wildman.

Mikas journey is her own creative take on evolution.

You dont see the usual stops you would in the evolutionary tree, said Wildman. She makes different detours and pit stops.

Among them is meeting a group of rude punk rock crocodiles, who are beach squatters.

Suddenly, on the beach a red door mysteriously appears, and Mika finds herself in a jazzercise class led by a lemur, where all limbed vertebrates are welcome -- including reptiles and amphibians.

Fast forward, and Mikas wandering in a fantastic warehouse studio space as she chases after a scuttling mantis shrimp.

This particular shrimp teaches painting. And because this shrimp has the amazing ability to see a wide spectrum of light -- including ultraviolet and polarized light -- shes frustrated with her students who cant see the fantastic colors she can.

Its really been fun to work with people to explore this ... imagining if you could see like a mantis shrimp and imagine trying to share that! said Wildman.

When the surly shrimp attacks Mika, wanting to make her paint, Mika falls backwards through a painting into a space where she meets human figures, who show her that human forms evolved after primates, who happened after mammals, who happened after reptiles, going back to single-celled organisms floating in water. And Mika finds herself in the stream back where she began.

Mikas story is one layer, a more accessible layer, of Wildmans deep dive into exploring what fascinates her about animals amazingly different evolutionary adaptations.

But she spiced up the science with some wacky humor and fun fantasy in exploring different animals perspectives.

It became important to me to give it to the audience with joy, and that it be fun. There are things about animal physiology that are so amazing. And so, what I really want to give people is this sense of wonder and wondering about being in the world.

She is also sharing the scientific information she learned on plaques throughout the exhibit.

Wildman, a Colorado native, came to Helena as an AmeriCorps volunteer in 2015.

I wanted to dance as long as I can remember, she said, and pursued a double major in dance and cross cultural relations at Bard College at Simons Rock in Massachusetts.

Her background has given her a lot of rich and creative soil to grow an inquiry-based creative practice, balancing form with research and intention and using movement to explore different subject matters, she said in an IR interview last November when she was first launching her project.

Wildmans wildly creative story of Mikas journey through dance is beautifully captured on film by Lenny Eckhardt and his Dead Dinosaur Productions, with some delightful special effects like a psychedelic mantis shrimp.

I think curiosity is very much part of this process, said Wildman. I learned so much through this fellowship and being able to dive into this research.

I think there are so many ways of understanding something. You dont have to write a research paper to find an understanding of something.

You can make art and reach an understanding.

Id rather be an ambassador to wonder and curiosity. I think it gives us a deeper understanding of ourselves.

It gives us a lot of perspective and insight into ourselves and into other inhabitants of this world. How do we see our world is absolutely shared with every other thing on this world? I think theres something very special in realizing that.

See a preview of the show at --https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fuX19Qww-o

Holter Museum hours are Tuesday  Saturday: 10 a.m.  5:30 p.m. and Sunday: noon  4 p.m.

Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The Lewis and Clark County sheriff raised questions Wednesday about whether state Attorney General Austin Knudsen overstepped his Department of Justice's jurisdiction when dispatching a Montana Highway Patrol trooper to St. Peter's Health in Helena last week.

The question of jurisdiction stems from an incident in which the hospital said its doctors were threatened and harassed by three public officials over the care of a COVID-19 patient who had requested ivermectin, a drug not approved for treatment of the virus. Knudsen's office, after hearing from the patient's family, sent a trooper to the hospital to take statements and Knudsen later called hospital leaders.

After previously pointing to a different segment of state law when asserting jurisdiction, Knudsen's office said Wednesday it has the power to investigate "patient abuse or patient neglect" through its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The office has also defended the attorney general's actions and has disputed the hospital's description of events.

In an interview Wednesday, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said he does not believe Montana Highway Patrol had the jurisdiction to send the trooper to St. Peter's Health to investigate the dispute.

"That's how I read it," Dutton said in a phone interview.

Previously, the Helena Police Department also said the hospital is usually within its jurisdiction. The building is within city limits.

Dutton said no one from the Attorney General's Office or the Montana Highway Patrol contacted him before dispatching a trooper. He added that he reached out to Knudsen, who agreed to meet and discuss the matter.

"I'm hoping to visit with him about jurisdictional issues," Dutton said. A spokesperson for the attorney general did not respond when asked to confirm if the meeting was set up.

When asked about jurisdictional issues earlier this week, Attorney General spokesperson Kyler Nerison said the Department of Justice has concurrent jurisdiction under Title 45, which broadly relates to crimes.

Asked Wednesday to respond to Dutton's concerns about jurisdiction, Nerison pointed a different mechanism: the justice department's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The unit investigates fraud and abuse in health care settings. It generally investigates provider fraud, according to a federal report from 2020 following a 2019 inspection. Of the 143 cases the unit opened from fiscal years 2016-2018, for example, 81% were provider fraud and 19% involved patient abuse or neglect.

The unit had its own four investigators, according to the report.

The federal report said the unit normally receives referrals from sources that can include private citizens. When the unit receives a referral, a unit staff person completes a referral form and forwards it to the director, according to the report.

Earlier this week, Nerison said Knudsen "contacted a board member who set up a telephone conference with hospital executives."

The highway patrol's jurisdiction is outlined in state law as offenses on highways, rest areas and state highway properties adjacent to the highway or involving motor vehicles. The hospital is not located on or adjacent to a state highway.

Asked why the department did not send a member of the Medicaid Fraud Unit and instead used the Montana Highway Patrol, Nerison said "It's literally the same agency."

"The Department of Justice has the ability to investigate any complaints of patient abuse or patient neglect," Nerison said in an email Wednesday.

Nerison said the Department of Justice is investigating the patient's family's claims that hospital staff cut off communication with her family and failed to deliver legal documents to her. St. Peter's has visitor restrictions in place because of COVID-19, including not allowing visitors for patients that have tested positive for the virus.

Its unfortunate that the hospital and members of the Montana media are trying to turn the focus away from the serious allegations regarding the mistreatment of a patient," Nerison said. "The Department of Justices ongoing investigation does not involve any specific medical treatment, nor did anyone at our agency give any directive to hospital staff regarding any specific medical treatment. Our concern was  and the focus of our investigation continues to be  allegations that the hospital mistreated a patient and violated her rights and her familys rights.

A statement from the hospital last week directly countered Nerison's claim about trying to direct treatment.

"These officials have no medical training or experience, yet they were insisting our providers give treatments for COVID-19 that are not authorized, clinically approved, or within the guidelines established by the FDA and the CDC," a hospital spokesperson said of the interactions. "In addition, they threatened to use their position of power to force our doctors and nurses to provide this care. We have reviewed all medical and legal records related to these incidents, and we have verified that our teams are providing care in accordance with clinical best practice, hospital policy and patient rights."

Nerison has not responded to requests from the Montana State News Bureau about another of its public officials involved in the incident. A third person involved, who is an elected official, has not responded to multiple messages seeking comment.

In a phone call Tuesday, the patient's daughter said that she knows the attorney general and contacted the office. The patient is a woman in her 80s involved in local Republican politics.

"I don't think they're giving her the proper care they should give her," Susan Williams said, adding that she told the hospital she did not want her mother to receive remdesivir, which the FDA has approved for use to treat COVID-19, or to be put on a ventilator.

Williams referenced a "right-to-try" law passed in 2015 in the state, saying she felt it allowed for any drugs a patient wanted to try.

However, the law in Montana does not require a doctor to prescribe medication or any type of treatment. It allows for a manufacturer of an experimental drug to make the medication available to a terminally ill patient. The law also says a patient must have considered all other approved treatment options and received a recommendation from the health care provider treating them for use of the experimental drug.

The law also includes several other requirements, including an attestation that the patient concurs with the doctor treating them that all currently approved and conventionally recognized treatments are unlikely to prolong their life.

Love 1 Funny 9 Wow 9 Sad 4 Angry 69

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.

Seaborn Larson State Reporter Capitol bureau reporter Seaborn Larson covers justice-related areas of state government and organizations that wield power. Follow Seaborn Larson Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
Great Falls-based McLaughlin Research Institute said it recently received a $5 million gift from a California couple, resulting in the largest single contribution in the organizations history.

The husband at one time was MRI's first high school intern and has maintained ties with the school.

The donation from Dr. Irv Weissman and Dr. Ann Tsukamoto-Weissman of Stanford, California, will support the expansion of MRI, including their high school internship program, recruitment efforts and current research projects, as well as launch new directions that ensure sustainability of the institute, MRI officials said.

Growing up in Great Falls, I was the first high school intern at the institute, and my future was shaped by that experience, Weissman, who now serves as director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, said in a news release.

The entire board is energized by this gift, by what lies ahead and by what is being accomplished at the MRI, Randy Gray, MRI's board of directors chair, said.

Weissman, who serves as chair of the MRI Scientific Advisory Committee, said he and his wife decided to make the gift after funding from some other sources had lapsed.

"... Ann and I wanted to support the important research happening in Great Falls and help build momentum for the growth and innovation happening at the MRI, Weissman said.

The institute is a leader in studies to understand and treat neurological disorders including Alzheimers disease, epilepsy, Huntingtons disease, as well neuro-behavioral disorders such as addiction and psychological disorders, MRI officials said. The Weissmans have been longtime contributors to the MRI, as well as influential connectors for MRI in the scientific, academic, business and entrepreneurial sectors.

Dr. Renee Reijo Pera became MRI director in March 2021; she was the second faculty member that Weissman hired as director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in 2007. Under Peras leadership, MRI has established two new faculty positions for patient-centered research in neuroscience, clinical trials, computational science and related fields.

For more information, email brianne@mclaughlinresearch.org, or visit www.mclaughlinresearch.org.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Many Montanans were excited to get a second U.S. congressional seat for the next decade. The obvious line dividing social and economic interests in the state since our founding has roughly paralleled the continental divide; the historical split of the congressional seats when we had two for 80 years. After a recent Redistricting Commission meeting, it was obvious the Democrat commissioners were determined to craft a victory for their party.

The previous six meetings saw Montana citizens demanding that the commissioners adhere to Montana law (MCA 5-1-115 new section 4) and create two districts that were contiguous, compact and not favoring a political party. The Democrat commissioners decided that an undefined measure of competitive would replace the law.

Montana didnt understand what that meant until seeing the maps they endorsed. Democrats have decided to support options that include placing all the tribes of Montana into a district only Republicans can statistically win, or divide Flathead County in half (THE most conservative county in Montana), or combine the university towns of Bozeman and Missoula with the Democrat strongholds of Helena and Butte. The maps endorsed by the Democrats violate Montana law.

The Democrats here are caught up in the same game the national ones are playing, by putting their foot on the scale to keep them in power, regardless of the law or our Constitutions words. Since 1889 Montana voters alone decided who their politicians were, yet today's Democrat party wants their politicians to decide who their voters are.

Rep. Derek Skees is a Republican legislator representing Kalispell.

Love 5 Funny 4 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 5
When the Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission adopted criteria and goals for dividing Montana into two congressional districts it included a goal of considering competitiveness in its decision-making. That made sense, for history is very clear: Montana, over the years, has been competitive between the two major parties.

It is easy to look at the most recent election results of 2020 and declare that Montana is not a competitive state politically. But a landslide of sorts in one election does not define the state permanently. Our history is replete with cases where the results of an election suggest the demise of the losing party, only to have that party emerge from the ashes like a phoenix in subsequent elections.

Montana does have a record of consistently casting its presidential ballots for the Republican. Since Democrat Lyndon Johnson won Montana in 1964, 57 years ago, only once has a Democratic presidential candidate prevailed here. In 1992 Bill Clinton won the state over incumbent George H.W. Bush. However, Clintons narrow plurality victory at 37% was influenced by the presence of independent H. Ross Perot on the ballot. Montana was Perots second best state at 26%, and most analysts feel that a preponderance of those votes would have gone for Bush had Perot not been on the ballot.

But in our top purely Montana race, that for governor, over the last 70 years the race has been evenly divided. From 1952 -1968 we had 16 years of Republican governors, followed by 20 years of Democratic governors from 1968 through 1980, followed by 16 years of Republican governors from 1988 through 2004, and then 16 years of Democratic governors from 2004 through 2020. The election of a Republican in 2020 may start another of those runs, but the story of our gubernatorial election in the last 70 years tilts slightly Democratic, 36 years to 32 years. Competitive might be the word.

Usually in the Tier B races in Montana, the statewide office holders other than governor and lieutenant governor, there is usually a mix of winners from both parties. However, sometimes there is a sweep, like the Republicans in 2020. But it was only a few years ago in 2008 that the Democrats swept all Tier B statewide races. Again, the word competitive comes to mind.

As far as our statewide vote for U.S. senator, since the popular election of senators (prior to 1916 they were selected by the Legislature), Montana has had Democratic senators 87% of the time, Republican 13%. Yet in the last 40 years since 1980, Democrats have filled the Senate seats 72% of the time, the GOP 28% -- a little more balanced than before. It is easy to see Democrats as more than competitive in when it comes to U.S. Senate seats.

As far as U.S. House of Representative races are concerned, in the 50 years between 1944 and 1994 when we had two congressional districts, the First Congressional District was held by a Democrat for 46 years, compared to four years by a Republican. The Second District tilted Republican  38 years to 12 years for Democrats. Overall, statewide, Democrats had the edge 58 years to 42 years. Was there one party dominance? No. While tilting Democratic, you can easily use the word competitive.

So, if the Apportionment Commission is looking for new congressional district boundaries that give some consideration to competitiveness, they need to look at the boundaries suggested by the Democratic members of the commission, all of which include competitiveness. I particularly like Map 6 with one competitive district and one highly Republican. All the Republican maps create two absolutely Republican districts. Not a hint of competitiveness, which is Montanas history. In fact, one could argue that all the maps presented by the Republican members of the commission are non-competitive and likely violate the first goal adopted by the commission that no plan may be drawn to unduly favor a political party.

History is a good teacher, if we are willing to listen. History tells us that Montana is a competitive state between Democrats and Republicans and the Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission would do well to factor that competitiveness into its decision-making and select Plan 6.

Evan Barrett lives in historic Uptown Butte after retiring following 47 years at the top level of Montana economic development, government, politics and education. He is an award-winning producer of Montana history videos who continues to write columns and commentaries and occasionally teaches Montana history.

Love 2 Funny 6 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Each decade our nation performs a census and congressional maps are redrawn to fit each states allocation of the 435 seats in our nations House of Representatives. For the first time ever, Montana has regained a second congressional district, putting all eyes on our state in 2022.

The lines for these two seats and our legislative districts are determined by a five-member independent commission  two chosen by Republican leaders, two by Democratic leaders, and one appointed by the Montana Supreme Court  which has the authority under the Montana Constitution to set the boundaries. Our Montana Constitution mandates the districts be equal in population as possible, while Montana law states they be compact, contiguous, and not favor one political party over another.

Prior to the 1990 census, Montanas congressional districts followed an east-west divide based on geographic and economic differences of two parts of the state. Former Congressman Pat Williams agrees that dividing our state into eastern and western districts is best for Montana. Williams stated Drawing from the northern border to the southern border again will give western Montana the opportunity to continue to be moderately liberal in its politics and give eastern Montana the same opportunity to follow its natural course, which has been to be moderately conservative in its politics. He went on to say, Theres no political shenanigans in that. Theres history to fall back on.

In addition to Williams' perspective, one thing is clear from Montanans who submitted comments, attended public meetings, and testified at hearings  they want the commission to follow the law and do not want maps drawn to favor one party over another. However, their voices were disregarded as the majority of the commission, in a partisan vote, adopted language to consider the partisan makeup of districts while drawing lines. This raises multiple red flags and is a breeding ground for illegal gerrymandering.

Democratic-appointed commissioners were not shy about their attempt to draw one congressional district in favor of their party, claiming they did it in the name of competitiveness. Yet drawing a district that favors one political party is contrary to requirements set in place by Montana law. Democratic commissioners claim they want competitiveness, but their proposed maps violate their own discretionary goals by dividing our state into districts that are not competitive for either party. It simply gerrymanders a safe congressional seat for Democrats in a state where Republicans have achieved overwhelming wins.

Former President Donald Trump won Montana by over 16 points in 2020. Gov. Greg Gianforte and Congressman Matt Rosendale both won by nearly 13 points and Sen. Steve Daines won reelection by 10 points. Republicans hold a supermajority in Helena and have created laws that make this a great place to live, own a business, raise a family, and enjoy the natural wonders of the Big Sky State. Democrats in Washington, D.C., have a slim majority and this move by Montana Democrats makes it clear they will do anything for political gain, be it raising our taxes, implementing a federal takeover of Montana elections, or ignoring crises they created.

As the Montana Republican Party chairman, I am committed to remaining engaged with the redistricting process and fighting to ensure districts are drawn fairly, not in a way that will give one party control over Montanas voters.

The commissions final public meeting will be Oct. 30. I will be working day and night until then to contact the commissioners and demand they reject gerrymandered congressional maps and I urge my friends, family and fellow Montanans to do the same.

Don K Kaltschmidt is chair of the Montana Republican Party.

Love 6 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
Montana WILD features trivia, saving butterflies

Montana WILD staff has three free events remaining in October.

Two are virtual (over Zoom) and one is an in-person event at Montana WILD. Registration is required and reserve a spot by calling 406-444-9941 or email Jeanne.connolly@mt.gov.

In in-person event is building a habitat for monarch butterflies, which is 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21.

Monarch butterflies are on the endangered species list and their populations continue to drop. Learn how to make a difference in the lives of these iconic pollinators. Participants will learn how to create a pollinator habitat. Plan to get your hands dirty making milkweed seed balls that can be dispersed to a non-agricultural location. Your actions will increase the monarch butterflies chance of survival in coming years.

Virtual programs - email Jeanne.connolly@mt.gov to receive a Zoom link for these programs.

 Bats of Montana: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 27.

Join Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks nongame bureau chief, Kristina Smucker, on Zoom to learn all about Montanas bat species, their habitats and the challenges they face.

 Costume Wildlife Trivia: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28.

 There is a trivia night all about Montanas wildlife. Bonus points if participants wear a costume. There will be trivia questions for the family, with a few tricky ones sprinkled in.

Montana Wild is at 2668 Broadwater Ave. in Helena, just off U.S. Highway 12 West near Spring Meadow Lake State Park.

Hunters can get game tested for CWD

Hunters in Montana can have their deer, elk or moose tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD) with the help of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

FWP is paying for the testing of samples. CWD sampling is voluntary. In Priority Surveillance Areas, sampling is strongly encouraged to help FWP gather more data to inform management.

Hunters can either take the samples themselves, fill out the online hunter submission form and mail them to the Wildlife Health Lab in Bozeman, or they can bring the animal (or head) to an FWP regional office or CWD Sampling Station.

Hunters who visit a regional office should be prepared to experience wait times during busy hours. Check with your regional office for optimal times, but in general regional offices will be able to take samples during normal business hours. Outside of the general deer and elk season, please call your regional office ahead of time to schedule a time to have your animal sampled.

For more information, go to https://fwp.mt.gov/cwd.

Celebrate a change of seasons

Flathead Lake State Park is holding a festival Saturday in celebration of the changing seasons.

The Wayfarers Unit will host Fall Fest on 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 8600 state Highway 35, Bigfork.

As a family friendly event, Fall Fest will teach visitors about the changes of wildlife behavior in the fall, fall foliage and creatures of the night. There will be fall-themed games, a scavenger hunt, a photo booth, craft station and guided hikes led by some of the park rangers from the park.

Participation will be free, though non-resident entrance fees will still apply.

For more information or to volunteer for the event, call the Flathead Lake Ranger Station at (406) 837-3041 (Ext. 0).

Work session held for Headwaters

THREE FORKS  Staff from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and WWC Engineering will host a work session meeting 9-11 a.m. Friday to develop a master plan for Missouri Headwaters State Park. The public is invited to attend.

The meeting will include a project overview and schedule, results from a recent public survey about the park, and a park needs assessment. The meeting will be held over Zoom, and there will be time for public comments at the end of the meeting.

To join the meeting, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87307802641 [us02web.zoom.us]

Meeting ID: 873 0780 2641

The master planning effort includes several goals:

Guide the development and use of park facilities.

Provide guidelines for the protection and management of important natural, cultural and scenic resources.

Provide visitors with a wide range of experiences and provide for public health and safety. Accommodate crowds while still allowing for areas of solitude.

Address short- and long-term needs, while making the least impact on the landscape and cultural resources.

For more information, visit wwcengineering.com/portfolio/headwaters-state-park-master-plan.

Missouri Headwaters State Park is about 5 miles north of Three Forks on Trident Road. For more information, visit fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/missouri-headwaters or call 406-285-3610.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
BLOOMINGTON  As UAW strikers continue to picket for higher wages outside John Deere facilities in several Midwestern states  including Illinois Quad Cities  downstate farmers say theyve been monitoring supply chain issues for several months now.

And, they worry the strike will only make it harder to keep their operations going.

Andy Dole, who farms in Paradise Township in southwest Coles County, said hes been watching a large-scale breakdown over the past six months to a year. That includes everything you can imagine, from tires to paints, the tractors to chips, he said. Anything possible.

Dole knows of a handful of farmers who ordered machines and parts from John Deere and other companies that were supposed to arrive by late-July, but weren't delivered until the first or second week of October.

Recommended for you

Farmers have a small window to harvest and plant, so waiting on a part could mean disaster.

Anything that hinders us or slows us down is not good overall, said Dole. We lose crop quality, we can lose yields from poor weather conditions, or cause short-term damage to the fields from having to harvest in the mud.

Dole had a close call earlier this season when he discovered a broken part in his combine.

We were told that we got one of the last hydraulic pumps in the area  maybe even in the state, said Dole. Had it been a week later, which is when the strike kind of started, we may not have had a combine around, because it could have broken down and we would have been completely out of commission.

Reid Thompson, who farms near Colfax in eastern McLean County, said he knows the supply chain issue is a hot topic.

You can buy a new planter for $400,000 but you cant get the brains to control it, he said. Its pretty much like a heavy piece of iron sitting there because it wont run without the computer.

To Wapella farmer Marvin Finfrock III, the issue is more than just unavailable microchips. He said there are combine parts he simply cant get.

Right now, I have a brand-new corn head that has been broken down for a week and a half. It's waiting on a locking collar that is not available, he said.

Thompson said around the start of the pandemic, most equipment dealers had sufficient inventory. However, he said some things started to run out near the start of this summer.

Since then, the issue has gotten exacerbated in the sense that things we took for granted and we hadnt had to deal with, we now have to deal with," he said.

The Colfax farmer said his combine auger broke down two weeks ago, so he called the closest John Deere dealer, where he was told the part was on backorder. But thats not an option for his farming operation.

Cant really move the machine without this auger, he said.

Luckily, he said, they were able to find the part at the Urbana dealership. But the word backorder tells a bigger story to Thompson.

Im thinking, how many hundreds of combines need this part, and you dont have one, he said.

He noted that supply issues are not unique to John Deere: Thompson has a soybean head from a different company that needs a replacement wiring harness.

No one has it in the state of Illinois, he said.

For the Illinois Farm Bureau, the main concern is to ensure farmers make it to the finish line of the harvest season, said public relations specialist Andrea Casali.

Jim Haynes is the chief operating officer for Martin Tractor, which has a John Deere dealership in Bloomington. He said the strike hasn't affected his business yet, but later added it's halted their orders.

Haynes said around this time last year, they recognized there would be issues with their supplier, so they increased their inventory by about 25%.

He expects the stockpile will help bridge them through the busy harvest season, in addition to sourcing parts from John Deere's dealer network.

Whether the strike will eventually affect Martin Tractor, he said, depends on how long the strike lasts.

"Biggest concern going forward in next few month is the delivery of equipment that weve already pre-ordered that needs to be set up and delivered for the spring," he said.

Haynes said it's concerning that factories are not operating, adding that they normally put out inventory year-round.

To cope, he said they've put together a team to come up with innovative solutions for their customers.

"If a guy wants a new tractor by the end of the year, that's probably not going to happen," Haynes said, but they'll work to find reasonable alternatives for farmers.

The last UAW strike against John Deere lasted 163 days in 1986-87, and led to financial losses and layoffs for the company's suppliers. It was preceded by a 13-hour strike in 1983, a three-week strike in 1979, and two six-week strikes in 1976 and 1967.

Finfrock worries that come springtime, the issue will be at its worst if there aren't any planter or tillage parts available.

These companies have outsourced so many of their products to China, and we are already struggling to get parts, computer chips, wiring harnesses, things like that, he said.

Most of us have planned ahead, but its definitely something were not used to, Finfrock said. With Case or John Deere, thats why you use those companies. Parts are always available, and theres very good service.

Thompson said he doesn't think the strike will help the situation, and it will compound the supply chain issues.

He said he probably has what he needs to get through the fall harvest, but he wonders what spring will look like.

In that season, he said, they might only get 10 days to work in the field.

When its time to go, you go, he said. You dont have time to wait for a computer to start up.

Finfrock shares his frustration over supply chain problems with local equipment dealers, as he sees their employees working as hard as they possibly can to keep us moving and have (John Deere) not support them.

Weve just seen the beginning, Finfrock said. I think its just going to get worse.

Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
DAVENPORT, Iowa  Lee Enterprises Inc. has entered into a partnership with Mudd Advertising, an automotive advertising agency based in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Lee operates in 77 markets and includes The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Herald & Review in Decatur and Journal Gazette & Times-Courier in Mattoon-Charleston.

"The partnership leverages a customized version of Lees innovative Vision platform enabling Mudd to fully support the cross-channel marketing efforts of retail automotive dealers and manufacturers across the United States," Lee said in a statement.

Vision is a sales software powered by Lees full-service national agency, Amplified Digital.

"MuddVision aims to make the complicated simple and help automotive advertisers achieve stronger results by combining cutting-edge technology, strategy and experience to make an intuitive platform that complements traditional marketing channels," the statement said.

"What makes our Vision platform so powerful is its ability to pull together cross channel marketing campaigns to reach consumers with a multimedia approach," said Dan Adams, president and director of Lee's Central Illinois Media Group, in a statement. "From streaming audio and TV to social media and mobile location targeting, we can create the right opportunity at the right time and reach the right customers for our marketing partners."

Recommended for you

Over the 40 years weve been in the automotive space we have experienced seismic changes to our industry and the tools needed to get the job done, said Rob Mudd, Mudds chief futurist, in a statement. When first introduced to the Lee Vision software, I knew instantly we had found our technology partner for the future. We were proud to unveil the technology last week in Las Vegas at the Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition.

This partnership demonstrates the commitment to digital solutions for both organizations, said Kevin Mowbray, Lee president and chief executive officer. The Vision platform has transformed local advertising for Lee Enterprises as part of our digital transformation strategy, and it aligns perfectly with the direction of Mudd Advertising.

Quad-City Times

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
In 2020, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the partys 2012 presidential nominee, told CNN that he had voted in the Nov. 3 election, but not for Donald Trump. Former President Barack Obama made his first in-person campaign pitch for Joe Biden, urging voters in Philadelphia, especially Black men, not to sit out the election and risk seeing Trump reelected. Spain became the first western European country to reach more than 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases. The Justice Department said drugmaker Purdue Pharma, the company behind the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin that experts said had helped touch off an opioid epidemic, would plead guilty to federal criminal charges as part of a settlement of more than $8 billion. At least 10 bodies were found in an unmarked mass grave in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where investigators were searching for the remains of victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
EFFINGHAM  The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced road work in Sullivan that will require the closure of two roads.

Construction is taking place to complete two railroad crossing improvement projects, IDOT said in a statement. The projects will upgrade and make repairs to the surface crossings.

Jackson Street, or Illinois Route 121, will be closed Tuesday, Oct. 26, and Wednesday, Oct. 27.

During this time, a detour will be posted to divert traffic to Harrison Street, and traffic will not be permitted to travel between Market and Fuller streets.

Next, Hamilton Street, or Illinois Route 32, will be closed from Monday, Nov. 1, to Wednesday, Nov. 3.

A detour will be posted using Eden and South Market streets, and traffic will not be allowed between Hale and Roane streets, said IDOT.

More construction details can be found on IDOTs traveler information map at GettingAroundIllinois.com.

Recommended for you

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
DECATUR  A Macon County Coroners jury returned verdicts of homicide on two Decatur gunshot victims whose murderers remain at large and who both may have been the victims of unrelated ambush style killings.

Decatur Police Detective Brad Hall told the jury evidence and bullet casings found by the body and another location nearby suggest there had been some kind of gun battle. He said police had initially responded to the area after receiving multiple shots-fired calls from the public.

There were two other people that were involved in this incident that were shot and both survived their gunshot wounds, he added. No weapon had been found with Demmers body.

Recommended for you

Coroner Michael E. Day asked Hall if there had been evidence of any kind of argument or conflict before the gunfire broke out, and Hall said there had not.

Would it appear that this may have been some type of ambush situation? asked the coroner.

Potentially, yes, replied the detective.

Day told the jurors that a forensic examination of Demmers body determined the shot that killed him was fired from so close it left stippling marks on his skin from the force of the blast. And a spent shell casing matching the caliber of the fatal bullet was found within the hood of his sweatshirt.

Hall said after the hearing that the killer had not been caught and the jury would later hear that the murderer of 19-year-old Aidarrius A. Woods, who died from a gunshot wound to the head Sept. 10, had also not been found.

Brian Kaylor, another detective with Decatur Police, said Woodss death had been captured on a doorbell camera surveillance video.

Kaylor said the killing happened just after 6 a.m. in the 500 block of West Macon Street. Woodss mother had come out of the house and was waiting in a car on the driveway to take him to work. Kaylor said that Woods is seen leaving the house a minute later.

And before he is able to walk off of the porch, you hear the sound of gunfire and he falls to the ground, Kaylor added.

The shot appeared to come from some distance away and again Day asked if it had been preceded by any kind of confrontation, and Kaylor replied that it had not.

So it would appear this was an ambush-type situation? asked Day, and the detective agreed it was possible.

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
DECATUR  The Macon County Health Department reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

This brings the countys total number of cases to 15,412 since the start of the pandemic.

The countys total number of deaths is still 244 since the pandemic began, and there are currently nine Macon County residents hospitalized since Tuesday.

A more detailed breakdown of positive cases and deaths is released on Fridays.

The health department will be offering COVID-19 booster shots in Decatur.

The Pfizer vaccine booster will be available at the health department to those who received their second dose between April 18 and April 24 or any time prior.

Boosters are approved for those who are 65 and older as well as those 18 and older who are either at a high risk of contracting the virus or have jobs or living situations that put them at high risk.

Boosters for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are not being offered by the health department at this time in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recommended for you

Anyone looking for a third dose of the Moderna vaccine must visit a local pharmacy or contact their primary care physician to see if they are eligible.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
That we were able to return to some semblance of normal shows how successful the protocols were, said John Patterson, Senate President Don Harmons spokesperson.
Its truly a blessing for Damascus that we have not lost a vital landmark. Mount Rogers Outfitters is crucial to The Friendliest Town on the Trail.

Meet Lumpy

Around town, Price knows just about everyone who walks into the store. And they feel comfortable calling him by his nickname, he said.

He was labeled with the name Lumpy after the fictional character Clarence Rutherford, who played on the television series Leave It to Beaver from the late 1950s to early 1960s.

He was short, round and bald-headed, and when I was a kid, I looked just like him, said Price.

Ive had that nickname so long that my mother still calls me by that. And among other names, too, he said, laughing with the same dry humor he often exhibits with friends.

Outdoor recreation has always been important to Price, who at age 3 took some of his first steps on the Appalachian Trail.

I like to hike, fish, hunt, bicycle and all that fun stuff you can do on the weekends around here.
Appalachian Power recently announced it plans upgrades to the electric transmission system in Scott County, Virginia, and Sullivan County, Tennessee.

The Fort Robinson-Hill Transmission Line Rebuild Project involves rebuilding approximately 14 miles of electric transmission line and upgrading two substations to support the areas current power demand and improve electric reliability for customers.

By upgrading this 50-year-old power line to modern standards, were able to provide more reliable service to our customers and reduce the temporary outages they experience during frequent maintenance on the line, George Porter, Appalachian Power spokesperson, said.

The rebuild begins at the Fort Robinson Substation located off North Holston River Drive in Sullivan County and travels east, crossing US-23 to the Kyle Hill Substation on Echo Avenue. Routes continue north, crossing the Tennessee-Virginia state line and paralleling US-23 through Weber City to the Moccasin Gap Substation. The rebuild continues on the existing route northwest through Gate City and splits to new proposed routes along Broadwater Avenue for approximately half a mile. The remaining upgrades travel northeast in or near the existing right-of-way, cross Clinch River Highway and end at the Hill Substation located near State Route 862.
BLAND  Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam visited Bland County on Wednesday to celebrate an expansion of the Hitachi Energy plant that will bring 40 new jobs to the area.

The company, a leader in power and energy technologies, invested $6.2 million to upgrade equipment and increase manufacturing capacity at its Bland County operation.

The facility, formerly called Hitachi ABB Power Grids, is the largest private-sector employer in the county and the leading producer of dry-type transformers in North America.

The Bland County operation successfully competed with other power grid manufacturing facilities across the United States for this project, which created 40 new jobs. Hitachi announced the expansion in September 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Northam thanked the company for expanding in Virginia and said the states economy is doing well overall, despite the pandemic.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

The company now employs 330 employees.
Officials with Ballad Health have continually stressed that the longer that much of this region remains unvaccinated, the more likely it is that virus variants will continue to plague area residents, just as the most recent delta variant has.

Each subsequent variant typically is more contagious and causes more serious impacts, especially on the unvaccinated, Ballad physicians have repeatedly said.

Cases, hospitalizations

At the same time, this regions rate of new COVID-19 cases is gradually declining, and the number of hospital inpatients dipped below 200 this week for the first time since Aug. 17.

On Wednesday, Ballad Health reported 188 inpatients in its hospitals, a 10% decline from last Thursday, following a 21% decline the week prior. Wednesdays total includes 47 people in intensive care units, with 37 of them on ventilators. The system reported more than 120 new admissions during the past week and 158 discharges, which include patients who died.
OPELIKA, Ala. (AP)  A former Alabama House speaker imprisoned for felony ethics convictions really is sorry for what he did and is not a danger to society, defense lawyers said in urging a judge to disregard prosecutors' objections to an early release.

Attorneys for one-time Republican leader Mike Hubbard told a court in legal arguments filed Wednesday that the state attorney general's office was wrong to discount a letter Hubbard wrote last month apologizing for his actions and asking a judge for leniency.

Prosecutors' veiled portrayal of (Hubbard's) apology as crocodile tears or anything other than completely honest is conclusory, speculative, and simply erroneous, the defense told Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker. While the state compared Hubbard to an arsonist seeking forgiveness after a fire, they said, an arsonist is a danger to society and the 59-year-old Hubbard is not, they argued.

Hubbard has served more than a year of a 28-month prison sentence after losing appeals that challenged his 2016 conviction for violating the state ethics law, including using his public office for personal financial gain. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging the Speaker's office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses.
Recent polling by Independent Community Bankers of America found that 67% of voters opposed the proposal, which ICBA says would be an excessive government intrusion that could hurt small businesses by double-taxing their income.

The Administration has also failed to explain how this new information would close the tax gap, and why virtually every American should sacrifice their financial privacy to enable closer inspection of the top 1% of taxpayers. Banks are already subjected to a burdensome number of compliance regulations, and we provide an enormous amount of information to the IRS.

We are also concerned about the impact this proposal would have on unbanked and underbanked citizens in our communities. Asking them to trust the IRS with more of their personal information would only add to the apprehension these groups already feel and, as a result, cause them to be even more reluctant to have bank accounts.

The impact on average Americans and the safety and privacy of their financial information would not be mitigated by raising the reporting threshold to $10,000 or even higher. Consider a taxpayer who earns $18 an hour, has no other income and pays rent and other living expenses. The sum of this taxpayers gross inflows and outflows after taxes would be around $60,000.
In Botetourt County, people who live near the proposed Rocky Forge wind farm project are attempting to stop the plan from both sides of the mountaintop it is supposed to occupy.

Local opposition is largely based on the fact that these large renewable energy projects cause noise, impact health, reduce property values, kill wildlife and despoil rural viewsheds. But rural residents are also righty concerned about what will happen to used wind turbine blades and solar panels when their usefulness is over.

According to our research, cumulative waste productions will rise far sooner and more sharply than most analysts project, stated a recent article in the Harvard Business Review. We see the volume of (solar) waste surpassing that of new installations by the year 2031. By 2035, discarded panels would outweigh new units sold by 2.56 times. And most of the blades from decommissioned wind turbines are currently being sawed up and dumped in local landfills.
At different times, Lawson, 27, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, and PTSD, and did not receive adequate treatment for those conditions, records show. As a result, Justice Michael Donnelly reluctantly concurred with upholding Lawson's death sentence. But he noted that Lawson has the ability to appeal under the new mental illness law.

A message was left with Lawson's attorney seeking comment.

WILL OTHER DEATH ROW INMATES INVOKE THE NEW LAW?

The legislation that took effect in April provides a one-year window for current death row inmates to file to have their death sentences revoked because of the serious mental illness clause. Inmates who successfully appeal their sentences are removed from death row but still face life in prison without parole.

Opponents of the law, including the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, argued that every death row inmate would file an appeal, further clogging up the courts.

It also creates more uncertainty for the families of victims of Ohio's most heinous crimes and allows the offender yet another opportunity to cause victims' families more pain, Vic Vigluicci, Portage County Prosecutor, testified in October 2019.
He said that "while we agreed just on a few issues, we are on the right track, but added that there also have been some rollbacks on certain issues he didn't specify.

He noted that Russia would cooperate with Washington on fighting terrorism and provide the necessary information to U.S. colleagues.

Asked to comment on the situation of Afghanistan, Putin commended Biden for showing the courage to order American troops' pullback despite inevitable domestic criticism, and contested the view that the move had undermined the U.S. global power.

He charged that even though some U.S. allies may have been unnerved by the quick pullout from Afghanistan, in the long run the country's attractiveness is determined by its economy and military might.

The U.S. president made the right decision to withdraw troops, Putin said.

The Russian leader added that the international community is getting close to officially recognizing the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, saying the decision must be made by the United Nations, and noting the need for the Taliban to recognize the interests of all Afghan ethnic groups and respect human rights.
The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

Zinpro Corporation, the leading provider of animal nutrition solutions, announced that the company has awarded Carol Baumann with the 2021 Zinpro/Schugel Scholarship. Established in 2011, the Zinpro/Schugel Scholarship recognizes outstanding academic accomplishments by a veterinary student studying food-animal medicine at the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine. The scholarship honors Dr. LaVerne Schugel, former director of the companys research and nutritional services department, who graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1957.

Originally from Wyoming, Illinois, Baumann grew up on a farm, raising and showing dairy cattle in 4-H, caring for her horse and bonding with her dogs. This passion for animals grew deeper roots and led her to pursue a career in veterinary medicine at the University of Minnesota. After graduation, my goal is to practice as a mixed-animal veterinarian in the Midwest, said Baumann. Shes enthusiastic about helping animals and working alongside their owners, saying, I want to help owners understand the important roles that proper health and nutrition play in the long-term wellbeing of their animals.



Dr. Schugel was always in the front row, ready to learn, said Dr. Terry Ward, global director of strategy and sustainability at Zinpro. Like Dr. Schugel, its amazing to witness the commitment and dedication these students have to their studies. Im excited to see the positive impact that Carol makes on the lives of animals and their caregivers.



Baumann expressed her gratitude for the scholarship, I would like to thank Dr. Ward and Zinpro for presenting me with this generous scholarship. Baumann continued, I was excited when I received the news! This scholarship will help support my journey to becoming a veterinarian.

About Zinpro

For more than 50 years, Zinpro has pioneered the research and development of performance trace minerals and innovative solutions that improve the health and wellbeing of both animals and people. As a family-owned, privately held company, our steady growth has come as a result of quality products, a world-class team of experts and a commitment to helping our customers achieve more through science-based trace mineral nutritional solutions. With 11 regional offices in 10 countries and products marketed in more than 70 countries worldwide, Zinpro is the global leader in advancing greater nutrition and smarter practices for a better, more sustainable world. To learn more visit zinpro.com.
A senate committee has recommended changes to how the government views crypto. Image: Shutterstock

A senate committee looking at the state of cryptocurrency in Australia has recommended a raft of changes making it easier for investors and businesses to use, hold, and produce digital assets to strengthen the local blockchain industry.

The Senate Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre handed down its final report this week and has made 12 recommendations for how the government should treat cryptoassets.

Those recommendations include simplifying the way cryptocurrency capital gains are treated under tax law, the establishment of a market licensing regime for cryptocurrency exchanges, and a 10 per cent tax discount for businesses that mine cryptocurrency using renewable energy.

Committee Chair, Senator Andrew Bragg, said its investigation into cryptocurrency was of particular importance to younger Australians who are more inclined to invest in digital assets.

Younger people are interested in digital assets and cryptocurrency because it provides them with agency and control that wasn't available to prior generations, Bragg said when delivering the findings.

We want Australians to have access to the best ideas, the best new options, the most choice, the most agency and the lowest prices.

We don't want people to be dependent upon great big institutions like banks.

We want people to be able to become the master of their own domain to the greatest extent possible, and that is what I think cryptocurrency and digital assets offer Australians.

Changes to capital gains tax (CGT) law might be of particular interest to cryptocurrency investors.

Under the current tax system, just about every use of cryptocurrency  selling, using for transactions, converting to other currencies, or trading  results in a CGT event, complicating the use of decentralised finance (DeFi) products and making it more difficult for crypto investors to accurately report their tax.

The committee wants to change that, making it so that cryptocurrency transactions will only create a CGT event when they genuinely result in a clearly definable capital gain or loss.

Interestingly, the committee has also recommended the government update corporate law to allow for a decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO) company structure, formalising an increasingly common way blockchain and cryptocurrency organisations are self-managed.

Other recommendations from the committee appear to favour consumer protections, such as a purpose-built market licensing regime for cryptocurrency exchanges, alongside a minimum standards cryptocurrency custody regime.

Jonathon Miller, Managing Director of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken Australia, said he was supportive of the committees recommendations but was wary about the proposed market license changes, noting that existing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) obligations have well-served the local industry.

Indeed, it is highly contentious whether licensing market regimes are fit for purpose for crypto exchanges, he said.

We dont have to look far to see the effects of a heavy market license on the industry of other jurisdictions such as Japan whereby only a small handful of exchanges are able to manage the costs associated with maintaining market licenses and those costs are ultimately passed onto consumers.

On the same note, creating frameworks for custodial and depository services is positive, but there is the risk that the industry will be overburdened by regimes that are not fit for purpose and lead providers to shift operations offshore.
New South Wales commuters may soon have access to a fleet of self-driving robotaxis, after state government agency Transport for NSW partnered with expanding ride-share firm Motional.

Announced this month, the partnership will see TfNSW and Motional undertake viability studies into a plan to launch driverless robotaxis within Australia.

Motional  a $5.5b ($US4b) joint venture of Korean industrial giant Hyundai Motor Group and US-based autonomous-vehicle interest Aptiv PLC  began operating last year with a remit to commercialise self-driving vehicle services.

It has since launched autonomous services in Singapore and several US cities, and recently announced plans to expand across Los Angeles  as well as ramping up its operations for a 2023 full commercial launch in numerous US cities.

Once the service is active, users of the Lyft ride-sharing app will be able to order a ride and be taken to their destination in driverless Hyundai-built IONIQ 5 robotaxis; early services included a standby human driver for safety.

Theres no word yet on whether the devices will include animatronic head and shoulders like Total Recalls Johnny Cab, but the momentum towards their widespread rollout has enthused Australian authorities that have been closely watching autonomous vehicle services developing overseas.

We need to start thinking about a number of factors such as locations and infrastructure, passenger demand, connections to public transport, and the benefits to local communities, TfNSW deputy secretary customer strategy and technology Joost de Kock said in announcing the latest partnership.

The partnership will help us better understand how a driverless ride share service could improve the NSW network by providing safer, more accessible, efficient, and affordable mobility options and understanding what needs to be adapted for Australian roads.

Motionals services are said to have carried over 100,000 rides with no at-fault incidents  a safety record that TfNSW emphasised as it works to establish a framework to replicate the services on Australian roads.

Motional conducts most R&D at an expansive site in the Las Vegas area and no plans for on-road testing in Australia have been announced yet.

TfNSW has, however, been testing the technologies at its Future Mobility Testing Centre, working with 150 partners of the Australia & New Zealand Driverless Vehicle Initiative (ADVI) at a 32-ha testing facility in rural Cudal, NSW that includes a 1.6km test track.

The agency has also been investing in data specialists, and last month announced a partnership with the University of Technology Sydney that will use AI to automatically rate the safety of the states roads.

This is a key data set that will inform decision-making about where autonomous vehicles are best deployed and what road upgrades are necessary  among the many focuses of the next National Road Safety Strategy, which authorities have said will address emerging technologies including the increasing introduction of automated vehicles.

Driving into an uncertain future

Based on the SAE scale  a widely-used categorisation of self-driving vehicles from Level 0 to Level 5  the Motional and TfNSW services are Level 4 autonomous vehicles, which provide fully autonomous driving under a specific set of conditions.

Unlike earlier Level 3 systems  which require the presence of a human who is prepared to take over driving when instructed by the car  Level 4 vehicles may or may not even include pedals and a steering wheel.

This puts passengers completely at the mercy of the algorithms being tested and refined by Motional and well-funded competitors like Google cousin Waymo, GM-owned Cruise, Russian tech firm Yandex, and Chinese company Baidu.

Australias first driverless car trials debuted in 2015, while French company NAVYA announced plans for closed-road testing of robotaxies in Perth back in 2017.

Its a long way from closed tests to fully roaming robotaxis, however  and for all the enthusiasm, self-driving vehicles have not been without their problems.

In August, Tokyo Olympic officials temporarily suspended the use of self-driving e-Palette pods after a visually-impaired judo athlete was hit in the athletes village; authorities added a second operator to be tasked with scanning for pedestrians.

Despite tech firms enthusiasm for the model  and early support from places like the US state of Arizona  analysts have warned that the vision of ubiquitous robotaxis is uneconomical and may take many more years to deliver consumer-friendly self-driving cars in a commercially viable way.

Ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft have already walked away from their own ventures, with Lyft  whose CEO famously claimed in 2016 that self-driving vehicles would all but end car ownership by 2025  selling its Level 5 self-driving car operation to Toyota subsidiary Woven Planet.

The Toyota-backed Woven City venture has adopted autonomous vehicles as a core element, but that project is evolving within a highly constrained physical environment tailor-made for self-driving vehicles  and not simply unleashing the vehicles on the existing road system.

A previous AustRoads-backed project evaluated the safety benefits of cooperatives intelligent transport systems (ITS)  in which vehicles communicate with road markers and each other to increase safety  as well as autonomous systems, and noted that despite the clear potential benefits, several limitations were found that will need to be addressed before widespread implementation becomes possible.
The deputies could also respond to calls in the patrol zone surrounding Midland and provide backup throughout the county. Based off the contract, those four deputies were required to spend 80% of their time in the town limits while on duty. The county and the town also agreed to split the costs 50-50. This usually meant the town paid for the expenses of two deputies while the county covered the other two.

In fiscal year 2017-18, the cost for four deputies was about $270,620. Since the costs are split between the town and county, Midland would have paid about $135,310.

But following the end of that fiscal year, the town claimed that the sheriffs office was only able to provide the services of three deputies.

Paris said the town requested Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) data to see how many deputies were signed in to patrol the town for every week in that fiscal year.

For four deputies that fiscal year, there would have been 208 weeks worked in total, 52 weeks per deputy. Based off the CAD data, there were 54 weeks of vacancies and only 154 weeks worked, Paris said.

That left weeks where there were three or fewer deputies signed in to patrol Midland. There were some weeks where only two deputies were signed in.
NEW YORK (AP)  Nine months after being expelled from social media for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, former President Donald Trump said Wednesday he's launching a new media company with its own social media platform.

Trump says his goal in launching the Trump Media & Technology Group and its Truth Social" app is to create a rival to the Big Tech companies that have shut him out and denied him the megaphone that was paramount to his national rise.

We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced," he said in a statement. This is unacceptable.

Conservative voices actually do well on traditional social media. On Wednesday, half of Facebook's 10 top performing link posts were from conservative media, commentators or politicians, according to a daily list compiled by a New York Times technology columnist and an internet studies professor using Facebook's own data.

Trump has spoken about launching his own social media site ever since he was barred from Twitter and Facebook. An earlier effort to launch a blog on his existing website was abandoned after the page drew dismal views.
GUEST RESEARCH: Bitglass, the total cloud security company, today announced new research that shows how the Dark Web, the value of stolen data and cybercriminal behaviours have dramatically evolved in recent years.

In 2015, Bitglass conducted the world's first data tracking experiment to understand better how data is viewed and accessed on the Dark Web. Today, with the world becoming more digital and the increasing number of data breaches, the Bitglass Threat Research Group recreated this experiment and compared this year's findings to those of six years ago and found the following:

Stolen data has a wider reach and moves more quickly.

Breach data received over 13,200 views in 2021 vs 1,100 views in 2015  a 1,100% increase. In 2015, it took 12 days to reach 1,100 link views - in 2021, it took less than 24 hours to surpass that milestone. Breach data was downloaded from entities across five different continents.

"We expect that the increasing volume of data breaches as well as more avenues for cyber criminals to monetise exfiltrated data has led to this increased interest and activity surrounding stolen data on the Dark Web," said Bitglass Threat Research Group leader Mike Schuricht.

Dark web activity has become darker

The number of anonymous viewers on the Dark Web in 2021 (93%) outnumber those in 2015 (67%). This year's experiment indicates particular interest in retail and government data from anonymous viewers; 36% and 31% respectively.

"Given increased efforts by law enforcement to track and prosecute cybercriminals, we expect malicious actors to continue to use anonymous VPNs and proxies when accessing breached data in attempts to evade law enforcement," said Schuricht.

Cyber criminals are particularly interested in retail and US government data. Of all of the types of data Bitglass researchers seeded on the Dark Web, data to access retail and US Government networks received the most clicks, 37% and 32%, respectively.

"Gaining access to large retailers' networks remains a top priority for many cyber criminals wishing to deploy ransomware and extort payouts from large and profitable organisations," said Schuricht.

"Similarly, interest in the US Government information is likely either from state-sponsored hackers or independent hackers looking to sell this information to nation-states."

Cyber criminals are closer than we think

Cyber criminals may be more of a 'homegrown' threat than many believe, with downloads of the stolen data originating from the United States as the second-most frequent location. The top three were: Kenya, United States, and Romania.

"In comparing the results of this latest experiment to that of 2015, it is clear that data on the Dark Web is spreading farther, faster," said Schuricht. "Not only that, but cybercriminals are getting better at covering their tracks and taking steps to evade law enforcement efforts to prosecute cybercrime.

"Unfortunately, organisations' cyber security efforts to protect data have not kept pace, as evident by the continuous onslaught of headlines reporting on the latest data breaches. As we advised organisations six years ago, it is vital they use best practices and new technologies to protect their data."

Methodology

The Bitglass Threat Research Group created a fictional identity claiming to have a list of vetted login and password data originating from the RockYou2021 password compilation leak. Researchers posted in various Dark Web marketplaces also known as 'pastebins' with links to faux files with credentials that would allow access inside organisations in retail, government, gaming and media.

The files were embedded with Bitglass' proprietary watermarking technology, which traced the data after users on the Dark Web accessed it. This allowed the Bitglass Threat Research Group to draw the curtain back on current Dark Web trends and reveal the value of stolen data in today's world.

To access the full report with additional findings and ways that organisations can protect their data, visit here.

About Bitglass

Bitglass' Total Cloud Security Platform is the only secure access service edge offering that combines a Gartner-MQ-Leading cloud access security broker, the world's only on-device secure web gateway, and zero trust network access to secure any interaction. Its Polyscale Architecture boasts an industry-leading uptime of 99.99% and delivers unrivalled performance and real-time scalability to any location in the world. Based in Silicon Valley with offices worldwide, the company is backed by Tier 1 investors and was founded in 2013 by a team of industry veterans with a proven track record of innovation and execution.
CHARLESTON  Eastern Illinois University will host a variety of events to celebrate Halloween in the community this year.

First, EIU will host the Pemberton Hall Haunted House on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22 and 23. A special Kids Hour will take place Friday evening from 5 to 7 p.m., with open hours for the general public beginning at 9 p.m. until midnight each night.

Pemberton Hall was opened in 1909, named in honor of State Senator Stanton C. Pemberton, who was influential in getting the appropriation approved for the building of the residence hall. In addition to having a reputation for being haunted, Pemberton Hall is the oldest womens residence hall in the state of Illinois and a historical landmark. It is located on the southeast corner of 4th Street and Lincoln Avenue in Charleston.

In addition to Greeks and Treats, the Conferences and Event Planning class will host Cans and Candy from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27. This event welcomes all EIU students and staff to drop off canned goods at one of several boxes located around campus, including the MLK Jr. University Union, at Booth Library, and outside the Communication Studies Department on the second floor of Buzzard Hall.

EIUs event planning class is sponsoring the event, which also will feature hot cider and cookies, Halloween trivia, and a game of bags to kick off the Halloween weekend festivities on campus. The event will also serve as a way to educate students on how to have a safe Halloween weekend during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cans and Candy will take place on EIUs North quad near the Doudna steps with prizes available for those who place in Halloween trivia.

Finally, EIUs Office of Fraternity and Sorority Programs, in conjunction with EIUs Office of Housing and Dining Services and Greek Court, invite the community to have a spooky good time as EIU hosts its traditional Greeks and Treats event from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31 at EIUs Greek Court.

Coordinators of the event extend an invitation to its EIU and local communities to visit EIUs Greek Courtmore commonly called The Eggjust east of the corner of Roosevelt Drive and Ninth Street on EIUs Charleston campus. There, participants can enjoy trick-or-treating, games and Halloween-themed crafts in a family-friendly and safe environment. Free parking is available in the Ninth Street parking lot at the northeast corner of Roosevelt Drive and Ninth Street.

For more information about EIU, or to learn more about its growing assortment of programs and services, visit the universitys website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIUs public information office at 217-581-7400.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Police in Niles have announced the arrest of a man in connection with the strangulation death of a woman nearly 29 years ago.

Richard J. Sisto, 72, is facing a charge of first degree murder in the 1992 death of 35-year-old Helen K. Cardwell at the Leaning Tower YMCA, Niles Deputy Police Chief Nick Zakula said Wednesday.

Zakula said DNA evidence "was utilized in the case," but did not confirm that DNA from the crime scene matched Sisto's.

Sisto is currently being held in a Texas jail on $1 million bond, though when he could be extradited back to Illinois is currently unknown, Zakula said. Sisto's last known Illinois address was in Lake in the Hills, police said.

A warrant for his arrest was initially issued Oct. 15, Zakula said.

Niles police released few details on the arrest, but said a press conference to discuss the case will take place Oct. 27 at the Niles Police Station.

Helen Cardwell was found strangled with her own sweater in her sixth-floor room inside the YMCA residential building, 6300 W. Touhy Ave., on Nov. 7, 1992, the Chicago Tribune reported. She had been sexually assaulted, the article said.

A relative of Cardwell discovered her body during a weekly visit, police said. At the time, investigators believed Cardwell had been killed the previous night or earlier that morning, and noted that there was no sign of forced entry to her room and nothing appeared to be stolen, according to the Tribune. Police said residents of the building did not report hearing anything unusual.

Relatives at the time told police that Cardwell had recently moved from Huntington, West Virginia to Niles in search of work and was scheduled to begin a job at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, the Tribune reported.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker has two valuable advantages over his Republican opponents in the early stages of the 2022 Illinois governor's race: money and time.

The former should come as no surprise. Pritzker is a billionaire who dropped nearly $172 million of his own money into his campaign to defeat former Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018. And he made a $35 million down payment on his re-election campaign in March.

And Pritzker is wasting no time to get his message out, spending nearly $7 million on media buys between July 1 and September 30, according to quarterly campaign finance reports.

Pritzker officially announced his bid for a second term on July 23. A video released that day appeared to foreshadow a campaign theme of strong leadership in tough times, alluding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advertising has taken up the vast majority of the $8.2 million Pritzker's campaign has spent in the previous three months. Pritzker has about $24.6 million cash on hand.

Without a competitive primary to worry about, this early spending allows Pritzker to define himself to voters and shape what issues will define the race.

According to campaign finance reports, the four declared Republican candidates for governor are not in the same ballpark as Pritzker.

Jesse Sullivan, a venture capitalist from Petersburg who announced his candidacy in late August, raised $10.8 million last quarter. Of that, $9 million came from just two wealthy out-of-state donors.

Sullivan spent $791,088 last quarter and has about $10 million on hand.

Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, the conservative firebrand who rose to prominence challenging Pritzker's COVID-19 emergency orders and mask mandates, raised $894,244 last quarter and spent $382,504. He has about $1 million in the bank.

Businessman Gary Rabine took in $445,103 and spent $316,383. He has $416,044 cash on hand. Former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, raised just $60,138 last quarter while spending $102,765. He has $73,652 on hand.

Of course, it is still early. The primary election is not until next June.

There are several Republicans who could still jump into the race, namely Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville; Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon; former state Sen. Kirk Dillard; and state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington.

Kinzinger and, to a lesser extent, Davis are proven fundraisers at the congressional level, sitting on $3.35 million and $1.05 million, respectively. Federal dollars cannot be transferred into a state account, however.

Dillard could attract dollars from the Chicago business community.

And perhaps the major unknown in GOP politics is the extent that billionaire Ken Griffin will be involved in this year's governor's race.

Griffin, the state's wealthiest man, donated extensively to the campaign that defeated Pritzker's graduated income tax amendment at the ballot box in 2020. He also helped defeat Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride's retention.

But for now, Pritzker largely has the airwaves to himself.

Giannoulias holds money lead in Secretary of State's race

Former state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias maintains his significant fundraising advantage in the Democratic primary race to succeed Secretary of State Jesse White, raising $610,030 last quarter, more than his three Democratic primary opponents combined. He has $3.45 million cash on hand.

Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia raised $202,668 and has $707,919 on hand. Chicago Ald. Pat Dowell reported $151,974 and has $460,436 overall. Chicago Ald. David Moore has raised just $13,100.

Thus far, no Republicans have entered the race, but state Reps. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, and Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, have expressed interest.

Legislative Democratic leaders outraise Republicans

Political committees controlled by Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, and House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Hillside, significantly outraised those of their Republican counterparts.

Harmon reported raising about $1 million for his personal account and has just under $7 million cash on hand. ISDF, the Senate Democrats' fundraising arm, raised $825,059 and has $1.28 million cash on hand.

Welch raised about $1.9 million last quarter and has about $3.1 million in his personal account. Democrats for the Illinois House, the caucus' fundraising arm, raised $875,607 and has more than $2 million on hand.

Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, raised $591,847 and has just over $1 million on hand in his personal account. The Republican State Senate Campaign Committee raised just $668 and has $44,090 on hand.

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, reported raising $486,905 last quarter and has $601,144 on hand in his personal account. The House Republican Organization raised $70,912 last quarter and has $182,657 on hand.

The Democratic Party of Illinois raised just under $65,000 last quarter, but has $2.43 million in the bank. The Illinois Republican Party raised just over $75,000 and has $238,899 on hand.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
 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.
An attempt to stop a vehicle driven by a man with outstanding warrants resulted in a chase Monday, Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell said.

Justin Nathaniel Deaton, 38, of Mocksville, was charged with eight misdemeanor counts of abandonment of animals, felony charges of cruelty to animals, fleeing to elude arrest, reckless driving to endanger, conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine and probation violation. He also was charged with driving while license is revoked and failure to stop at a stop sign. A magistrate set bond at $325,000.

A passenger, Peggy Sue Jenkins, 51, of Mocksville, was charged with four counts each of cruelty to animals and misdemeanor abandonment of animals. A magistrate set bond at $4,500.

Campbell said in a news release that Deputies Will Goforth and James Kent were following up a Crime Stoppers tip on Bell Farm Road, and as they were turning onto Dogwood Estates Circle, Goforth saw a Ford Explorer traveling towards him. Goforth recognized the driver as Deaton and knew he had outstanding warrants.

Goforth attempted to stop the Explorer, which nearly struck Kents patrol car as it fled, Campbell said.
At trial, Forsyth County prosecutors alleged that Stacks killed 2-year-old Jaxson in April 2015, leaving the child with bruises all over his body and bite marks. He was not the childs father but had been friends with Jaxsons mother, Candace Swain. Prosecutors said Stacks sold the mother drugs and had her work as a prostitute.

Prosecutors said Stacks had abused Jaxson, whipping him with a belt, burning the boy cigarettes and biting him. They also said Stacks placed a rubber band on Jaxsons penis, causing it to swell and become red, to keep Jaxson from urinating on himself.

Stacks wife Megin has a pending felony charge of accessory after the fact to felony child abuse and misdemeanor obstruction. Its not clear whether a trial date has been set.

In his appeal, Stacks attorney, Lisa Miles, said that a juror, Ashley Shaw, had started an application to become a volunteer for the guardian ad litem program. Shaw sought an application after seeing a flyer for the program in the jury pool room. Shaw had not yet been selected as a juror for the trial.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Miles argued that Stacks trial attorneys, Nils Gerber and Stephen Ball, were ineffective because they failed to request a mistrial after it was discovered that Shaw had started filling out the application.
Forsyth health director Joshua Swift discusses vaccinating ages 5 to 11

Four more Forsyth County residents have died of COVID-19, bringing the virus death toll to 553.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported Thursday that the county had 104 new cases between noon Wednesday and noon Thursday.

The daily case count had dropped as low as 58 on Monday.

Forsyth has reported 51,239 cases of the deadly virus.

There have been 41 COVID-19-related deaths in Forsyth so far this month.

Septembers 53 COVID-19 deaths made it the third deadliest month of the pandemic for Forsyth, trailing 67 deaths in February and 59 in January.

DHHS lists COVID-19 cases and deaths on the day they are confirmed by medical providers and public health officials, so people may have been infected or may have died days or weeks before their cases were counted.

Since the delta variant of COVID-19 became prevalent in early July, the vast majority of the COVID-related deaths have been among unvaccinated individuals, hospital officials say.

There also have been deaths involving individuals who were immunocompromised or who had other health issues.
On its face, taking financial advice from a sopping wet, half-naked man doesnt seem like the best idea.

But in this instance, when the man in question was state Treasurer Dale Folwell, heeding what he had to say turned up a pile of cash  $987.65 to be precise  from some $919 million in unclaimed funds managed by the state.

How, pray tell, does that work?

The story begins with a Sunday afternoon exchange of pleasantries on a pool deck with Folwell  hed just finished a late -season swim, so lift your mind out of the gutter  and his enthusiasm for his job in Raleigh.

The promise of free money, especially when delivered by a politician sounds too good to be true  or even legal. But this one time it paid to pay attention.

Nccash.com, he said. Type in your name and see whats in there. Its one of the coolest things about being the treasurer, getting money back to the people it belongs to.

Easy to understand

If youve ever talked to Folwell about anything related to finances, its fairly obvious that he knows his stuff.
Forsyth health director Joshua Swift discusses vaccinating ages 5 to 11

State health officials are beginning to prepare county health departments and pediatric medical practices to provide COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5 to 11.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services sent a survey Tuesday to more than 230 providers that includes a vaccine allocation request.

Health departments and pediatric practices that do not respond to the survey will be considered as declining to participate.

The White House said it plans to allow those ages 5 to 11 to be vaccinated at a pediatricians office, pharmacy and potentially at school.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to address Oct. 26 whether to approve a version of the Pfizer vaccine for those ages 5 to 11. A final federal review is slated for Nov. 2-3.

Both the FDA and DHHS said that if federal regulatory permission is granted Nov. 3, doses designed for those ages 5 to 11 could begin being shipped within a day. The vaccine is planned to be provided with smaller needles.

About 44% of Forsyth County residents ages 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated, as well as 51% of those ages 18 to 24, said Forsyth County Health Director Joshua Swift.
Still, experts say the vaccine situation will need constant review. There can be no written-in-stone rule  if infections rise drastically, they can again stop exports until theres enough doses, said K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India.

On Thursday, India confirmed more than 18,400 new cases and 160 deaths  dramatically below the worst days in May when daily fatalities exceeded 4,000. Overall, the country has recorded around 34 million infections and over 450,000 deaths, according to the Health Ministry, though those figures, as elsewhere, are likely undercounts.

Even states where infections were swelling a few weeks ago, such as Kerala along the tropical Malabar coast, have seen a sustained decline.

There is a sense of comfort that India has suffered the worst of the delta variant, but this must be accompanied with a feeling of caution, said Reddy. Even if cases go up, we are unlikely to see the scale of the surge earlier  if that does happen, it would be fairly unexpected.
OMAHA  Federal health officials are rethinking their approach to controlling salmonella in poultry plants in the hope of reducing the number of illnesses linked to the bacteria each year, and Tuesday the U.S. Department of Agriculture will announce several steps it plans to take to achieve that goal.

The USDA says the industry has succeeded in reducing the level of salmonella contamination found in poultry plants in recent years, but that hasn't translated into the reduction in illnesses the agency wants to see.

Poultry is linked to roughly 23% of the 1.35 million salmonella infections in the U.S. each year that leads to roughly 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths, and those numbers haven't changed much.

So the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to set up pilot projects to try changing the way it tests for salmonella in plants and to try encouraging the industry to do more on the farm to reduce the amount of bacteria on chickens before they enter the plant. The agency also plans to hold a series of meetings with industry officials and interested groups to discuss other ways to reduce the risk of salmonella illnesses.
JoAnn Martin, the former CEO of Ameritas, died Wednesday. She was 67.

Her family announced in August that she had been diagnosed with a rare degenerative neurological disease that usually progresses rapidly.

Martin, a lifelong Nebraskan who grew up on a farm near Plainview, came to Ameritas in 1984, when it was then known as Bankers Life Nebraska. She started as an audit division manager and rose through the company, serving in various key leadership roles before being elected CEO in 2009.

Martin, who graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a business degree in 1975, retired in January of last year.

Under her leadership, Ameritas saw its assets grow by 61% and its number of customers increase by 75%.

Bill Lester, who succeeded Martin as CEO and also serves as president of the insurance and financial services company, said in a news release that the "entire Ameritas family is mourning the loss of a great friend and leader today."

JoAnn was a mentor to me and to many others. She encouraged us to grow as individuals and to always lead and serve with purpose," Lester said. "She will be missed and fondly remembered by the many people whose lives she touched.
A Seward company that produces electrical transmission equipment has been named one of two Nebraska Manufacturers of the Year by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Hughes Brothers Inc., which was named the small manufacturer of the year, just celebrated its 100th anniversary last week.

The company got its start building electrical transmission lines, including the first 115-kilovolt transmission line from Columbus to North Platte in the early 1930s.

Its a big custom job shop. Thats how we started, and thats what we still do today, said John Hughes, president of Hughes Brothers.

The company's products now include wood, metal and fiberglass framing and fixtures; engineering services; and even storm restoration kits. It has 275 employees.

BD's Broken Bow plant was named the Chamber's large manufacturer of the year.

The plant, which has been in operation since 1960 and employs 625 workers, makes blood and urine collection devices.

The Chamber's manufacturing awards recognize Nebraska manufacturing plants that implement innovative ways to conduct business through the use of products, processes, technologies and strategies
Dr. John Trapp, chief medical officer of Bryan Medical Center, said in a statement that the cancellation of the DHM is "an encouraging sign" that will allow the hospital system flexibility, but conditions right now do not favor resuming elective procedures.

"At the present time, we will continue with a limited and measured approach with frequent reassessment. A persistently high patient census that is routinely above our physical capacity remains a reality for Bryan Medical Center and many other hospitals," Trapp said.

On Wednesday, Bryan reported 59 COVID-19 patients. Trapp said the hospital system had to turn down 23 transfer requests from other hospitals because it had no beds open.

Dr. Cary Ward, chief medical officer of CHI Health, which owns St. Elizabeth hospital in Lincoln, said it would "continue to monitor the situation daily," with a goal to resume elective procedures "when possible."

A spokesman for Nebraska Medicine in Omaha said it will not be reinstating suspended elective surgeries at this time.

As of Wednesday, COVID-19 patients were occupying 8% of regular adult hospital beds statewide but 25% of intensive-care beds.
The judge who presided over a number of high-profile cases in Southeast Nebraska, including Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell's murder trials, has announced she will retire after more than 17 years on the bench.

Saline County District Court Judge Vicky L. Johnson will retire effective Jan. 31.

It has been my honor and privilege to serve Southeast Nebraska as a district judge beginning in January 2004, Johnson told Gov. Pete Ricketts in a letter.

In addition to her time on the district court bench, Johnson is the presiding judge for the Southeast Nebraska Adult Drug Court and has held several volunteer positions within the Nebraska District Judges Association, including current co-chair of the District Judges Association Education Committee.

She also is a member of the Supreme Court Judicial Branch Education Advisory Committee and a former member of the Supreme Court Judicial Ethics Committee.

After taking the bench in January 2004, Johnson was continuously retained by area voters, most recently in 2018.
The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed.

Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip, which was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve.

Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out.

The remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota, Florida.

Laundrie was charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made.

Had Laundrie lived, that indictment would have permitted authorities to arrest him.

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
Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to murder on Wednesday in the 2018 shooting massacre that left 17 people dead at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Here are the victims:
It also requires officers to report instances of excessive force to agency supervisors "as soon as feasible." If the two officers work for different agencies, the policy requires supervisors in both to be alerted to the excessive force incident.

The policy lays out a five-step process for investigating each report and ensuring protections for the reporting officer.

It's unclear how many of the state's law enforcement agencies already have an intervention policy in place. Don Arp, the executive director of the Crime Commission, said the organization doesn't yet track which agencies do or don't.

The Lincoln Police Department last August implemented its own intervention policy, though it seems to require a higher threshold to force intervention.

LPD officers have a duty to intervene when they witness a "criminal act committed by an employee." The policy, outlined in the agency's standards of conduct, also requires officers to report violations but does not mention protections.
All the sweep did was push people away from a place they had made their home, Carney said on behalf of Omaha Autonomous. The only thing that has changed is now folks are heading into winter without any sense of security further from the resources they need access to.

Omaha Autonomous has kept in contact with several of the people displaced from the camp. The group said that in the weeks following the clear-out, it hasnt seen any effort by Union Pacific, the city or police to clean up the property.

OConnell and Carney said they would like to see more avenues to attainable housing, noting a man they often ran into at the encampment who has been on a housing wait list for three years.

We seem to lack the ability to put people into housing quickly and effectively, OConnell said.

Shortening the list is something McCoy would like to see, as well.

McCoy estimates that about 900 people are on the list on any given day, waiting for housing in Douglas, Sarpy and Pottawattamie Counties, and of those 300 to 400 are chronically homeless.

If there was not one new person added to the list, it would take us nearly a year just to get housing opportunities for everybody who was on the list that first day, McCoy said.
On the evening of Oct. 4, Shantel Thompson found out that she had passed the bar exam after taking the test multiple times.

Her second call to share the news was to her law school mentor and friend Adine Momoh, who told her to enjoy the moment and celebrate.

The next time Momoh heard from Thompson was the morning of Oct. 9, via text: Someone shot me.

Thompson, an Omaha native, had been struck in the spine by a bullet about 6:45 p.m. Oct. 7 while walking at Standing Bear Lake in northwest Omaha.

She is still recovering in the hospital. Doctors dont know if shell be able to walk again.

Momoh, who thinks of Thompson as her little sister, said Thompson told her that her injury is just a minor setback for a major comeback.

She is very resilient, Momoh said. I know shes going to keep fighting. Shes doing it right now in the hospital  I have no doubt that shes going to be a better attorney, a better community member, a better person because of all of this.

Thompson, 33, was the second woman authorities say Marckenzy Edmond shot at on Oct. 7, according to a court affidavit.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry will go to trial in Los Angeles on Dec. 14 on federal charges that he lied to the FBI and concealed information about illegal campaign contributions that he accepted from foreign sources in 2016.

Fortenberry pleaded not guilty to those charges at a preliminary hearing on Wednesday in Los Angeles in which he participated by video.

The Republican congressman's attorney, John Littrell of Los Angeles, informed Magistrate Judge Rozella Oliver that he would file a motion later to dismiss the case because of a lack of venue in Los Angeles since all the contacts involved were in the District of Columbia and Nebraska.

Littrell is a specialist in white-collar defense and investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Jenkins, chief of the public corruption and civil rights section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Los Angeles, told the magistrate that Fortenberry "lied and misled repeatedly" in attempting to obstruct a federal investigation into the 2016 contributions.

The congressman was focused on "self-image and political survival," he said.

Jenkins said he intends to call eight witnesses, some of whom apparently are or were employees in the congressman's office.
RACINE  While the COVID-19 pandemic has limited some progress, Racine public school leaders say they are still seeing early signs of success in the citys community schools.

Through its Link and Inspire for Tomorrow (LIFT) strategy, United Way looks to increase student opportunity to succeed in school through increased parental involvement in childrens education; extra learning opportunities through educational enrichment; consistent access to adult guidance and support; and ready access to physical, dental and mental health services, according to its website.

To measure the success of the schools, United Way of Racine County Chief Operating Officer Jessica Safransky Schacht said they use typical measures such as reading and math testing scores as well as attendance and disciplinary data. Safransky told the school board during a presentation Monday that the pandemic impacted their progress in those measures.

Like everyone, I feel like the last 15 months or so have almost been like a loss. So, I can say that, prior to the pandemic, we were starting to see positive trends and all of those areas that I mentioned, Safransky said. We see across the nation that community school work is a five to seven year turnaround strategy. We have to get in and just get past the transactional piece of building the relationships and getting partnerships in place to get to the transformational piece of really helping students accelerate their success.

RUSD Executive Director of Community Engagement Nicole McDowell noted that, during a conversation with principals of the three community schools, Knapp Elementary Principal Richard Wytonick said the school had been on the tipping point to achieving real progress some of those success measures before the pandemic.

Poor and disadvantaged children, who make up about 87% of Knapps student population, lost more learning than privileged students, international studies have shown.

McKinsey & Co. reported last summer that learning loss will probably be greatest among low-income, black, and Hispanic students. Lower-income students are less likely to have access to high-quality remote learning or to a conducive learning environment, such as a quiet space with minimal distractions, devices they do not need to share, high-speed internet, and parental academic supervision. Data ... suggest that only 60 percent of low-income students are regularly logging into online instruction; 90 percent of high-income students do.

But the community schools have seen a lot of success in a key area of late, according to school leaders: community engagement.

Open house events, according to McDowell, had high turnouts, just about a full house. RUSD Superintendent Dr. Eric Gallien also noted an increase in community engagement.

When we transitioned from being just a regular elementary school at Knapp and to creating this community school model, weve seen a tremendous heightened level of engagement. Families are more involved in the schools, the climate and culture in the school has changed dramatically, Gallien said. So, it is really nice to see the transformation that has happened in that school environment.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
BRISTOL  Kenosha County Sheriffs deputies, attempting to stop a stolen vehicle associated with a homicide in Chicago, shot an armed suspect after the man opened fire on a department K-9 dog late Thursday morning outside the Benson Corners gas station on Highway 50.

According to the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, the injured suspect was taken by ambulance to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital. The man was reported to be conscious after the shooting according to police radio traffic. At a press conference Thursday afternoon at the nearby Kenosha County Center, Sheriff David Beth said the suspect was shot in the abdomen and leg and was reported to be in surgery as of Thursday afternoon.

Beth said Chicago Police asked sheriffs deputies to check for a suspect in a Chicago homicide who was reported to be in a stolen vehicle that they believed was at the Benson Corners Shell Station, 20000 75th St. (Highway 50). Beth said the man was in the victim of the homicides vehicle. Three deputies went to the gas station and convenience store at 11:16 a.m., found the vehicle and attempted a high-risk traffic stop, but the man in the vehicle fled on foot.

Sheriff: Commands were loud and clear

Beth said while the man and the dog were entangled, the dog was shot and deputies then shot the man.

Our deputies did fire more than one shot, I cant tell you how many right now, Beth said.

The sheriff said that deputies immediately rendered first aid to the suspect and cared for him until the arrival of Bristol paramedics.

The person shot, described by the department only as a white male, was not yet being identified by the department as of Thursday afternoon. Sheriffs Sgt. David Wright said he did not know the mans age or where he is from. He was the only occupant of the vehicle deputies had attempted to stop. Beth said he had no information on the Chicago homicide, and did not know when it occurred.

Beth said that Riggs was taken to a veterinary clinic in Illinois for treatment. The dog was also reported to be in surgery Thursday and his condition was not released as of Thursday afternoon. But Beth said that the dog is expected to survive.

Beth said Racine County Sheriffs Office was asked to investigate the incident, which the sheriff described as an active investigation. He said the deputies involved in the incident will be on administrative leave while the investigation is underway. Beth said he had spoken to the K9 deputy whose dog was shot in the incident and said he was very emotional.

First such incident since 2015

The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department was last involved in a shooting in 2015 when deputies investigating a motorcycle crash shot a Paddock Lake man when he pointed a shotgun at deputies. That shooting was determined to be justified.

After Thursdays shooting, law enforcement had the area around Benson Corners, located just west of Highway 45, blocked off by squad cars and tape. Westbound Highway 50 was also closed west of Highway 45 for a time to aid the investigation.

This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information is available.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
BURLINGTON  People tend to describe Jack Berrys contributions to Burlington by calling him Mister.

Mister Burlington. Mister Rotary. Mister Community.

It is an indication that Berry did not merely join organizations or take up residence somewhere. He poured his heart into everything, and, more often than not, took on a leadership role.

I called him Mr. Burlington, Mayor Jeannie Hefty said. He was so involved in the Burlington community.

After a life spent serving Burlington through business, government and nonprofit work, Berry died Oct. 11 at the age of 94.

Born in Salem

Born in the Kenosha County community of Salem (now Salem Lakes) in 1927, Norris Edward Jack Berry graduated from Wilmot High School in 1945, then served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany.

He married the former Ruth M. Jackley in 1951. The couple had four children, and celebrated 70 years together before his death.

As vice president of the Bank of Burlington, Berry became acquainted with businesses throughout the city. He also became a student of local history, and was always willing to share what he learned.

Ron Kolman, a longtime friend and colleague, said Berry was like a beacon in a storm because of his ability to shed light on matters of local significance.

He worked with every business in the community, Kolman said. And he had a good sense of what the business was about.

Birth of ChocolateFest

In the 1980s, Berry joined officials from the local Nestle plant and other civic leaders to create ChocolateFest, a yearly summer festival that continued for more than 30 years and became the biggest event in town.

Berry also joined the Rotary Club of Burlington and involved himself in other nonprofit activities. He not only became club president, but rose to the regional level as district governor.

Bill Stone, a fellow Rotary member who worked as a hospital medical director, later joined in putting together ChocolateFest each summer. Stone described Berry as an energetic problem-solver who was dedicated to public service.

He was Mr. Community, Stone said.

Berry also was active with the Burlington Rescue Squad, Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Area School District, and local historical society.

He was elected to the Burlington City Council in 1987 and remained on the council until 1993, serving as council president from 1988-90.

Hefty said Berry became a mentor to her when she decided to run for mayor in the 1990s. About a month ago, Hefty visited Berry and his wife, still talking about local community news.

Jack helped me so much, she said. Jack was a genuine individual.

He never delegated

As a military veteran, Berry enjoyed an Honor Flight experience in 2012. He also received a Rotary Humanitarian Award in 2015. And he was inducted into the Wilmot High School Hall of Fame in 2018.

Kolman, a fellow Rotary Club member and former club president, called Berry Mr. Rotary. Berry never stopped looking for ways to help others and improve the community, Kolman said.

He never delegated, Kolman said. He led the way.

Dennis Lynch, another fellow Rotarian, remembered when Berry attended Rotary Club meetings. The club opened each meeting with a song, and Berry never missed a chance to get the singing started.

He was always upbeat, Lynch said. He was always Mr. Positive.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report a possible rape happening behind her home was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison  the most the judge could impose but less than half the 12 years he was sentenced to for his murder conviction that was overturned last month.

Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married. But the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out Noors murder conviction and sentence last month, saying the third-degree murder statute didnt fit the case because it can only apply when a defendant shows a generalized indifference to human life, not when the conduct is directed at a particular person, as it was with Damond.

Judge Kathryn Quaintance, who also presided at Noor's trial, granted prosecutors' request to impose the maximum sentence in state guidelines on Noor's manslaughter conviction, 57 months. In doing so, she brushed aside the defense's request for 41 months, which is the low end of the range. With good behavior, Noor could be freed on supervised release by next summer. The state prison website listed his anticipated release date as June 27.

Mr. Noor, I am not surprised that you have been a model prisoner, Quaintance said. However, I do not know any authority that would make that grounds for reducing your sentence. She cited Noor shooting across the nose of your partner and endangering others the night of the shooting to hand down the stiffest sentence she could.

Quaintance also remarked that because neither side had sought a departure from the sentencing guidelines, she was unable to deviate from them.

Noor, who was fired after he was charged, has already served more than 29 months. In Minnesota, inmates who behave well typically serve two-thirds of their prison sentences and the remainder on supervised release.

Noor testified at his 2019 trial that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said he saw a woman appear at the partners driver's side window and raise her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.

He was sentenced to 12 1/2 years on the murder count and had been serving most of his time at an out-of-state facility.

Noor's appeal of his murder conviction was watched closely for implications in the case of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of the same charge in George Floyd's death. After the state Supreme Court overturned Noor's third-degree murder conviction, experts said they expected the same eventual result for Chauvin but that it would likely have little impact because Chauvin was also convicted of a more serious second-degree murder charge in Floyds death. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years.

Noor's attorneys, Tom Plunkett and Peter Wold, sought 41 months at the resentencing, citing Noor's good behavior behind bars and harsh conditions he faced during many months in solitary, away from the general prison population.

Plunkett said Thursday that much attention has been given to the victim as a kind and giving person  all true, he said. But Plunkett said there is similar goodness in Noor. He said Noor had always sought to help people around him, and recapped Noors good behavior while in prison.

Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy, meanwhile, asked Quaintance to give Noor the longest possible sentence. She said the case is worse than typical because of who Noor is. The most serious sentence this court can impose is required, she said.

Damonds parents, John Ruszczyk and Maryan Heffernan, also asked the judge to impose the longest sentence. In a statement read by prosecutors, they called Damonds death utterly gratuitous and said that the Minnesota Supreme Courts overturning of a poorly written law didnt change the jurys belief that Noor committed murder.

Our sorrow is forever, our lives will always endure an emptiness, they said.

The victim's fiance, Don Damond, gave his statement via Zoom. He started by praising prosecutors for their sound application of the law and criticizing the state Supreme Court for its reversal, which he said does not diminish the truth that was uncovered during the trial.

The truth is Justine should be alive. No amount of justification, embellishment, cover-up, dishonesty or politics will ever change that truth, he said.

But Don Damond also spoke directly to Noor, saying he forgave him and had no doubt Justine also would have forgiven him for your inability in managing your emotions that night.

Noor, wearing a suit and tie and donning a face mask, appeared impassive as the victim's loved ones' statements were read. He later addressed the court briefly, saying, Im deeply grateful for Mr. Damonds forgiveness. I am deeply sorry for the pain that Ive caused that family. And I will take his advice and be a unifier. Thank you."

Damonds death angered citizens in the U.S. and Australia, and led to the resignation of Minneapolis police chief. It also led the department to change its policy on body cameras; Noor and his partner didnt have theirs activated when they were investigating Damonds 911 call.

Noor, who is Somali American, was believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting. Activists who had long called for officers to be held accountable for the deadly use of force applauded the murder conviction but lamented that it came in a case in which the officer is Black and his victim was white. Some questioned whether the case was treated the same as police shootings involving Black victims.

Noors father, Mohamed Abass, denounced Quaintance on his way out of the courthouse as the worst judge in Minnesota and very hateful. Speaking to reporters, he said, This judge hates (the) Somali community and said he believed racism was a factor in her decision to impose the toughest sentence she could.

Days after Noors conviction, Minneapolis agreed to pay $20 million to Damonds family, believed at the time to be the largest settlement stemming from police violence in Minnesota. It was surpassed earlier this year when Minneapolis agreed to a $27 million settlement in Floyd's death just as Chauvin was going on trial.

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
1. Yes. Council members appear to have taken time to review each section carefully.

2. Yes. The council has set up town halls and a public hearing to inform the residents.

3. No. The council should have set up a charter review committee, including residents.

4. No. Some of the items proposed so far benefit the council more than the community.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say until after the public has had more opportunities to weigh in.

Vote

View Results
UW-Madisons Division of Extension and Wisconsin Beef Council will be hosting a set schedule of in-person Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification meetings over the coming months.

In-person sessions are intended for those who cannot complete the online certification available by going to https://www.bqa.org/ and clicking on Certification. Farmers are encouraged not to wait until the last minute to earn BQA certification or to re-certify, as it is better that a current certification overlaps rather than expires. BQA certification is valid for three years, so producers who certified in 2018-2019 will need to be re-certified.

The dates are as follows:

Nov. 9, 5:30 p.m., Gays Mills Community Center,

608-326-0223;

Nov.

16, 5:30 p.m., Viroqua VFW,

608-637-5276.

To register for an in-person session, go to https://tinyurl.com/2hr5karf or call one of the County Extension offices listed below. *Note that for all Extension meetings, masks and social distancing may be required. Individuals not willing to comply will be asked to leave.

Buyers representing some large packers and processors (including Tyson) only purchase cattle from farms selling beef breed types of finished cattle that are BQA Certified. In addition, JBS requires that producers selling cattle directly to their plants sign an affidavit stating that they are in compliance with all applicable state or national BQA certification and verification programs. National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) certification is considered a BQA equivalent. The packer requirements represent their policy, not that of BQA or the Beef Checkoff program. Farmers with questions about BQA certification requirements should contact their markets or buyers directly.

BQA does more than just help beef producers capture more value from their cattle: BQA also reflects a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in the beef industry. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they assure the cattle they sell are the best they can be. Consumer research, conducted by the Beef Checkoff, showed that learning about BQA made consumers more confident in beef safety and animal welfare and improved positive consumer perceptions of how cattle are raised for food.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Afghan evacuees at Fort McCoy are learning English at the Enforcer Kids Academy and Enforcer Adult Class to help as they assimilate into life in the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome.

Each school offers separate classes for children, adults, women and those already fluent in English.

My biggest goal is to see them become literate, explained an Afghan evacuee teacher who leads many of the lessons. To see my students become an active member of the greatest democracy in the world, I want to see them there.

Classes are hosted Monday through Friday for one hour, and include writing, public speaking and pronunciation guidance.

Ive taught grammar classes, conversation classes and speaking classes for those that have a problem with speaking, explained a volunteer Afghan evacuee teacher.

Many students already have advanced degrees from Afghanistan, and just need help with their English so they can finish their studies in America.

I want to continue my studies in America, said a student at the Enforcer Adult Class. America has more facilities for students like us to complete our studies. I want to get my PhD, its one of my goals.

The school opened after Afghan evacuees asked to use one of the buildings on post to teach English classes. After some modifications to one of the rooms, classes started.

We had school every day in the beginning, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Priscilla Atkinson, a Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiological Warrant Officer from 10th Chemical Company, Fort Carson, Colorado. We had it Monday through Sunday, but then we cut it down to Monday through Friday because this is how it will be if you go to school in the United States.

As the class grew and they started to run out of space, teachers decided to offer multiple classes throughout the day so everyone had an opportunity to learn.

In the beginning we had 60 kids in here at one time, and the class was only set up for 50 students, explained Atkinson. So we cut it off at between 40 to 45 students per class. Then we made a second class in the afternoon, so there are now two kids classes, that way the kids can get the opportunity to come.

While the schools main purpose is to teach Afghan evacuees English, it also allows the students to experience American classrooms before they leave Fort McCoy.

This was just a start, explained Atkinson. So whenever they go to school, theyve already seen what a classroom looks like. Theyve experienced it. Theyll transition from speaking their language into speaking our language, learning ABCs and counting.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A La Crosse pediatrician accused of sexually assaulting a minor is now accused in two more cases. Joseph Thomas Poterucha, 40, faces three felony charges of sexual assault of a minor under the age of 13.

Poteruchas attorney Jennifer Lough told La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge Gloria Doyle Wednesday that she hadnt received an amended criminal complaint and asked for a delay in the initial appearance on the other two charges. Doyle agreed and set the appearance for Nov. 3.

Each charge carries a maximum 60-year prison sentence.

According to the amended complaint filed Wednesday, an investigation stemming from the first case led police to pursue at least two other accusations. One involved a girl who was interviewed by La Crosse police Oct. 14. She told police that Poterucha abused her multiple times and exhibited lewd behavior in her presence.

Police interviewed a third girl Oct. 15, who said she was assaulted by Poterucha more than one time.

Poterucha was arrested shortly after police interviewed the first girl Oct. 14. She told police Poterucha had touched her inappropriately the night before.

During Poteruchas Oct. 15 bail hearing, La Crosse County assistant District Attorney Eric Sanford said the first allegation was the proverbial tip of the iceberg.

Judge Scott Horne set cash bail at $25,000, which Poterucha posted Oct. 18.

Poterucha was practicing at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse at the time of his arrest. In a statement released last Friday, the clinic said Poterucha has been placed on administrative leave and that the clinic is conducting its own investigation. The clinic says none of the charges are related to his care of patients.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Mayo Clinic Health System has presented Catholic Charities with $10,000 to help support the Afghan refugees staying at Fort McCoy.

Fort McCoy is housing as many as 13,000 refugees from Afghanistan until long term housing can be established. Catholic Charities is managing many of the needs of the guests, and both Mayo and Gundersen Health System are providing healthcare.

We hope our contribution will inspire others, especially area organizations and businesses, to help meet the ongoing needs of Afghan guests while at Fort McCoy, says Dr. Paul Mueller, Mayos regional vice president for Southwest Wisconsin. We are proud to be able to provide this contribution as an expression of Mayo Clinics values and humanitarian mission.

Mayo locations in Sparta and La Crosse, along with Gundersen, are working with the State Department to provide acute or complex health care services for the Afghan guests at Fort McCoy. Mayos support has included providing care to individuals in the Sparta Emergency Department and the La Crosse hospital, collecting personal care items and craft supplies, and collaborating with other agencies to meet current and future needs.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse is thankful to Mayo Clinic for joining us to help the Afghan guests staying at Fort McCoy, says Richard Sage, executive director of Catholic Charities. Their generous donation of $10,000 will help us fill many urgent and significant needs.

Catholic Charities are currently managing three women and children centers, a sewing center, two learning centers and six indoor recreational centers for the refugees. To donate, visit https://cclse.org/afghanistan-refugee-assistance/.

Emily Pyrek can be reached at emily.pyrek@lee.net.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Westby will celebrate the centennial of the laying of its cornerstone, Sunday, Oct. 24.

Felix J. Malpica, bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod, will preach at the 9:30 a.m. worship service, which will be followed by a PowerPoint presentation featuring the pastors who served the congregation and church history, and the serving of cake and coffee. Everyone is welcome to the service.

Steve Holte, church council president, said because the church is known as the chocolate church, chocolate cake coated with white frosting and featuring a picture of the church, will be served.

Holte said the celebration on Oct. 24 is being kept simple because of COVID-19. We have a church thats welcoming and we want to continue its growth.

The centennial will be celebrated through the year. Holte said once a week or every two weeks, families whose ancestors were part of the churches founding will speak about different aspects of the church. We want to try to stimulate interest in the church.

A brief history

According to the blog, Westby, Wisconsin Remembered,: Our Saviors Lutheran Church was formed as two streams of Norwegian Lutheranism came together in the 1880s. St. Petri (located at the present Our Saviors cemetery) had been founded in 1857 as part of the Augustana movement which emphasized personal piety and lay preaching. In 1889 its members joined with congregants from Coon Prairie church, who, along with many other Norwegian Lutherans, opposed the Norwegian Synods position on predestination and had formed Our Saviors Lutheran Church the previous year. Together they formed a new congregation which became a part of the new United Norwegian Lutheran Church in 1890. Soon Our Saviors constructed a wooden church building in the new village of Westby and received its first pastor

According to the booklet, The First Hundred Years of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Westby, Wisconsin, in 1888 during the pastorate of the Rev. Halvorson A dissention arose in the congregation which finally resulted in about 50 families withdrawing from the Coon Prairie Congregation and forming a new congregation. (The congregation now known as Our Saviors.)

The cornerstone for the current building was laid Oct. 23, 1921. The church was dedicated on June 25, 1922, with a special program that was entirely in Norwegian. The Rev. S.O. Rondestvedt was the pastor. He served the congregation from 1913-1933.

According to the booklet, The First Hundred Years of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Westby, Wisconsin, the total cost of the church, furnishings, fixtures, etc., was about $90,000. It was paid for by 1929.

Pastor John Dumke, the churchs current pastor, said Rondestvedt was dynamic and drew a lot of people to the congregation.

Holte said the churchs large window facing Main Street shows Jesus Christ with his hands out inviting people to the church, just as Rondestvedt did. He said Rondestvedt kept building a strong church membership. Dumke said nine ministers have served the church since Rondestvedt.

Since the cornerstone has been laid, the church has undergone some changes. In 1963, the church decided to build a parish education hall. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug. 25, 1963, and the cornerstone was laid after the 10:45 a.m. services on Nov. 17, 1963, with a special ceremony. The addition was dedicated July 12, 1964.

Dumke and Holte said an elevator was installed more than 30 years ago, and in 2015 needed updates were made. The upgrades included the roof, new bathrooms, electrical work, windows, doors, foundation and new HVAC system.

The upgrades took more than a year, and the church was re-dedicated Sept. 25, 2016.

Angela Cina can be reached at angie.cina@lee.net.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
PHOENIX (AP)  Gov. Doug Ducey's lawyer says Tucson's plan to fire workers who refuse to be vaccinated is illegal.

Ducey's general counsel, Anni Foster, outlined her objections in a letter to Tucson's city attorney on Wednesday, a day after the City Council voted to set Dec. 1 deadline for vaccinations.

Tucson officials say their plan is legal after a Maricopa County judge struck down a state law banning vaccine mandates. But Foster says a different section of the law requires the city to accommodate any employee who requests a vaccination exemption for religious reasons and cannot deny the request.

She also said an executive order from earlier this month blocks the city's plan, warning violating the order carries a criminal penalty.

As of last week, around 300 of the city's 4,000 employees hadnt been vaccinated or received an exemption.

Under the city's ordinance, Tucson employees who havent received at least one shot of the vaccine and have not received an approved exception or accommodation from the city by Dec. 1 could receive a termination notice as soon as Dec. 3.

This is just another politically motivated attempt to micromanage Tucson and deflect from his utter failure to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said in response to the letter from Ducey's lawyer.

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
PHOENIX (AP)  Maricopa County officials approved a settlement Wednesday with a restaurant owner in metro Phoenix who claimed in a lawsuit that then-Sheriff Joe Arpaios office had defamed him and violated his rights about seven years ago when investigating whether employees at his restaurants used fraudulent IDs to get jobs.

The $5 million settlement with Uncle Sams owner Bret Frimmel came weeks after officials signed off on a separate $400,000 settlement to resolve similar claims brought by Uncle Sams manager Lisa Norton. County officials approved $3.1 million of Frimmels settlement. The remaining $1.9 million in his settlement is being covered by an insurer.

Frimmel and Norton were arrested by Arpaios office in January 2014 on employment-related identity theft charges that were dismissed after a judge ruled one of Arpaios detective recklessly disregarded the truth in affidavits used to get search warrants and ultimately found that there was no probable cause to back up the warrants. Frimmel and Norton maintained they did nothing wrong.

Their lawsuit was among the last civil cases pending against Arpaio, who was voted out of office in late 2016 after 24 years in office and lost a 2020 bid to win back his old job.

Arpaio raided Frimmels restaurants and about 80 other businesses from 2008 through 2014 in investigations that led to the arrests of hundreds of immigrant workers under a law that made it a felony to use fake or stolen IDs to get jobs.

Nine employees were arrested in the investigation of Uncle Sam's.

Even though a judge in the criminal case said there was no probable cause for the warrants, another judge handling the civil case found in March 2019 that the detective leading the investigation had probable cause to arrest Frimmel and Norton on the ID theft charge and ruled against the lawsuits claims of malicious arrest and abuse of process.

What remained of the lawsuit were the claims of illegal search and search, defamation and negligent restraint related to the handcuffing of Frimmel during the arrest.

Frimmel and his manager said they were arrested after the restaurant owner was asked by the U.S. Justice Department for help in a now-settled civil rights lawsuit that accused the sheriffs office of racial profiling, retaliating against Arpaios critics and other civil rights violations.

One of Frimmels attorneys said the Justice Department contacted his client during the federal investigation, but Frimmel never returned the call.

The retaliation claim wasnt mentioned in the extensive March 2019 pretrial order that examined the legal claims and evidence.

Leon Silver, one of the lawyers representing Frimmel and Norton, said the 2019 decision wasnt a final judgment and that the judge might have still allowed the malicious arrest claim to be heard at trial. Silver said investigators never proved his client knew that job applicants were using fake IDs to seek jobs.

My clients feel vindicated by the settlement, Silver said. They are relieved to have this behind them. They have lived with this way too long. They just want to get on with their lives.

Arpaio, who is now running for mayor of his adopted hometown of Fountain Hills, said it was the countys decision to settle the case.

I was ready to go to court and go before a jury of my peers to testify, Arpaio said. I didnt have that chance. I still feel like we would have won that trial if it went before a jury.

 This story has been corrected to say the overall amount of Bret Frimmel's settlement was $5 milllion, not $3.1 million.

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
RACINE  Astronomy fanatics interested in seeing the Orionid Meteor Shower this year may or may not be disappointed: experts are saying the sky could possibly be clear but the moon could overpower the shower, while some locals have already reported seeing it Tuesday evening.

However, the glowing, flying light over Lake Michigan may also have been a failed Russian satellite crashing back to Earth.

Seeing the spectacle

Some area residents on social media reported seeing a glowing light flying across the sky Tuesday night.

Racine resident Kristen Voss said she saw something passing through the sky at about 11:45 p.m. She had just come back home to her Georgetown residence after going out with some friends.

It was nice out, so I was standing in my backyard, Voss said. I had music on my phone in my garage, and all of the sudden I see this really bright object.

Voss' first thoughts were that it could be something burning or a moving airplane. Her husband James thought it might be a fireball.

Voss pulled out her phone to snap some pictures and noticed how slow it was moving. She figured it wasnt a shooting star either because it looked too big.

Initially I said, Oh my God, whats going on? It was so low, Voss said. I got the camera, I could zoom in on the camera and I could tell it wasnt a plane.

It was really amazing because you could see so much of it for so long, Voss said. It was just fascinating. It was kind of cool because how often are you going to see that?

If it were a satellite

At 11:43 p.m. Central time, astronomer and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, who's based at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, tweeted that was about the same time a Russian satellite was falling back to Earth.

McDowell said that a Russian reconnaissance satellite, named Kosmos-2551, launched early last month but then failed for some reason. It only weighed about 1,100 pounds, so all of the debris was expected to burn up before reaching the ground.

According to a report from Space.com: "A failed Russian spy satellite crashed back to Earth early this morning (Oct. 20), burning up in a brilliant fireball spotted by many observers in the American Midwest. The American Meteor Society has so far received more than 80 reports about the fiery display, from people as far south as Tennessee and as far north as Michigan."

Video posted on social media of the light in the sky in Racine looks similar to videos of the falling satellite shared by people in other states.

Space.com further reported "Such incidents are becoming more common as humanity launches more and more satellites to orbit. This satellite boom concerns many experts, who stress that action is needed to make sure the space-junk issue doesn't get out of hand."

If it were a meteor

This year may not be great for seeing the Orionid Meteor Shower due to interference from the full moon, according to a full moon guide from NASA. This shower is expected to be active from Oct. 2 to Nov. 7, peaking the morning of Oct. 21, the day after the full moon.

"The Orionids are going to, frankly, suck this year  the moon will be up all night, from sunset to sunrise," NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com.

The Orionids are named after the direction from which they appear to radiate, which is near the constellation Orion, the hunter. In October, Orion is best visible around 2 a.m.

According to GlobeAtNight.org, "The easiest way to find Orion is to go outside in the evening and look in the southwest sky if you are in the northern hemisphere."

Orionid meteors are visible from anywhere on Earth. After finding the shape of Orion, the meteor shower's point of origin will be near Orion's sword, slightly north of his left shoulder, Space.com reported.

Taylor Patterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan, told The Journal Times theres a chance for areas in far southern Wisconsin to have clear skies or partly cloudy skies, which have a better chance of seeing the meteor shower.

The early morning hours, from 1 to 5 a.m., would be that window, Patterson said. There will be some clouds that linger but it shouldnt be completely overcast skies.

And as far as the moon?

If the moon was full yesterday, its probably still going to be full tonight, the faces dont change that quickly, Patterson said Wednesday. It still could potentially impede if its super bright out.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has asked a Dane County Circuit Court judge to prohibit former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman from enforcing subpoenas he filed with the state elections commission as part of an ongoing investigation into how the 2020 election was conducted.

Kauls request for a restraining order, which was filed Thursday, alleges Gablemans special counsel has issued numerous subpoenas to state and local election officials in furtherance of an unlawful investigation focused on debunked theories about the November 2020 Election. The motion for a restraining order relates to subpoenas issued to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which Kaul represents, and its administrator, Meagan Wolfe.

Kauls motion comes about one week after the state Department of Justice and Gableman, who was hired by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, to lead the probe, reached a mutual agreement to reduce the special counsels overall request for election-related documents. Gableman also agreed to hold off on his initial demand to have Wolfe and the mayors and city clerks in the states largest cities testify in private meetings last Friday, though he did reserve the right to request interviews in the future.

In Thursdays motion, Kaul said Gablemans subpoenas suffer multiple legal defects and should be invalidated on those legal bases. He added that subpoenas requesting depositions have no basis in statute and exceed the scope of legislative authority.

Kaul said Wolfe and Elections Commission officials stand ready to provide testimony and additional documents for the investigation, but only to the state Legislature or one of its committees.

But the current Subpoenas, infected with the numerous legal flaws discussed herein, cannot be lawfully enforced and must therefore be immediately enjoined, he wrote in the motion.

Kaul earlier this month questioned the legality of the subpoenas, while calling on Vos to call off the fake investigation that he said has been irrevocably tainted by bias. Vos responded earlier this month that Gablemans investigation would continue.

Gablemans special counsel and Vos office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

During an interview with Wisconsin Public Radios The Morning Show, on Tuesday, Vos said the investigation, which had originally been planned to be complete by the end of October, will now be finished before the end of the year. Vos did not say if the investigation could cost more than the $676,000 in taxpayer dollars allocated to the effort in June.

In the interview, Vos said the goal of the investigation is to shine a light on all of the problems that occurred in 2020 so we dont see them happening again in 2022 and going forward.

If theres nothing to hide, why are there all these Democrats literally now working with liberal lawyers to try to ensure that nothing becomes public and that nothing sees the light of day? They obviously have something to hide, Vos said.

The one-party investigation is focused on some of the procedures voters and clerks relied on in casting and processing ballots. Although some have raised the prospect of fraud, no claims of large-scale cheating have been substantiated, and the investigation, so far at least, is not seeking to review any ballots.

A recount and court decisions have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. Four voters out of roughly 3 million who cast ballots have been charged with fraud.

The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau is also reviewing the 2020 election. That review was also ordered by Republicans and is expected to be completed this fall.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 4
Republican leaders on Wednesday unveiled their proposal for legislative and congressional district maps, which received immediate criticism for being based largely on existing GOP-drawn districts that have helped Republicans hold strong majorities in both chambers.

As Republicans had promised, the GOP proposal would largely align with existing boundaries for legislative and congressional districts, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau. The Legislature must redraw political lines every decade based on the latest population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. The mapmaking process can provide an advantage for the majority party based on how district lines are drawn.

The public has had an unprecedented level of input and influence over the map-drawing efforts, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said in a statement. We encouraged Wisconsinites to play an active role in the process, and their participation has fundamentally shaped the way the maps were drawn.

The proposed maps would almost certainly ensure a GOP majority in the Legislature for another decade, said Ruth Greenwood, director of the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School. Greenwood ran the GOP-drawn maps through PlanScore  a program that predicts precinct-level votes for districts based on past election results and U.S. Census data.

Id say its as extreme as the gerrymander for the last 10 years, Greenwood said. It essentially bakes in almost the same level of partisan advantage and so we would expect to see another decade where it wouldnt matter whether more people voted for Democrats than Republicans, Republicans would still maintain control.

PlanScore is led by the Campaign Legal Center, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for nonpartisan maps.

Sachin Chheda, director of the Fair Elections Project, criticized the Republican proposal for retaining the core of the states current political maps, which are regarded by some to be among the most gerrymandered in the nation.

(Assembly Speaker Robin Vos) and Leader LeMahieu must listen to their constituents across the state, who are clamoring for a fair redistricting process and maps free of gerrymanders, and turn away from this dishonest scheme, Chheda said in a statement.

Chheda said the Legislature should take up maps already proposed by Gov. Tony Evers Peoples Maps Commission, which the Democratic governor created to provide an alternative to Republican-authored maps.

These new maps are nothing more than gerrymandering 2.0, Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, tweeted. What Republicans have unveiled is simply a minor retooling of maps that were already found unconstitutional by the courts, using the same corrupt and secretive methods as last time around.

Evers commission on Wednesday provided an updated proposal for legislative and congressional districts following criticism that the commissions previous proposal didnt have enough majority-minority districts.

The Republican leaders said they took into account hundreds of redistricting proposals, including those submitted by Evers commission, when drawing the maps. The GOP-led Legislature plans to vote on maps early next month.

The Legislature took into account plans submitted from citizens all over the state and considered submissions from the governors Peoples Maps Commission, so we are confident these maps are fair for all Wisconsinites, Vos said.

Evers has said its unlikely he would sign into law any maps drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature that are based on the current ones.

With a GOP-backed lawsuit filed with the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court and a similar lawsuit brought by Democrats in federal court, its highly likely the states next 10-year maps will be decided in court.

According to the Reference Bureau, the new GOP-drawn maps would see six incumbent Republicans in the 99-member Assembly facing off in newly drawn districts.

Reps. Joe Sanfelippo and Mike Kuglitsch, both of New Berlin, would compete in the new 15th District; Ken Skowronski, of Franklin, and Chuck Wichgers, of Muskego, would both run in the new 82nd District; and Shannon Zimmerman, of River Falls, and Warren Petryk, of the town of Washington, would face off in the new 93rd District.

GOP lawmakers have enjoyed significant majorities for much of the past decade under the political maps they drew a decade ago with full control of the Legislature under former Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

In 2011, Republicans were able to draw maps that delivered significant Republican legislative majorities throughout the past decade, even when Democrats won all statewide races in 2018. Republicans contend their advantage stems from Democrats being concentrated in urban areas.

A Wisconsin State Journal analysis of unofficial vote totals in Wisconsin legislative races showed that Democratic candidates received 46% of total votes cast in state Assembly races but ended up with only 38 of 99 seats after winning two new districts. In state Senate races, Democratic candidates secured about 47% of total votes, but only picked up 38% of the seats on the ballot and controlled only 12 of 33 seats.

Last years voting breakdown wasnt as stark as in 2018, when Democrats swept all statewide elections and Democratic Assembly candidates secured about 53% of total votes cast, but they only ended up with 36% of the chambers seats. In 2016, Republicans garnered 52% of votes cast, yet won 65% of the Assembly seats.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
Despite the end of extra federal unemployment benefits early last month, Wisconsins unemployment rate remained at 3.9%, where it has been since April, according to new data from the state Department of Workforce Development.

Thursdays report provides the first look at Wisconsins unemployment rate after the extra benefits expired on Sept. 6. Republicans and some business owners had argued the enhanced benefits were exacerbating the states workforce shortage by creating a disincentive to work, but others said Wisconsins labor woes are more complicated and wont be going away anytime soon.

I think were probably looking now at 2023 in terms of any sort of normalcy, Rimantas Buinevicius, executive search partner with Patina Solutions, said during a labor shortage discussion hosted last week by the Wisconsin Alumni Association. I think its going to be related to seeing pure confidence that COVID infection rates arent going to come back and the supply chain coming back to normal, because until the supply chain comes back to normal theres just no way youre going to get back to a normal situation.

Kim Ruhl, associate director of the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, agreed with Buinevicius, adding that its definitely going to be measured in years, not months.

DWDs report, which is based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary employment estimates, found that total non-farm jobs in Wisconsin remained the same as in August, while private-sector jobs in the state dropped by 100. The states labor-participation rate increased slightly from 66.5% in August to 66.6% last month.

Scott Hodek, section chief of DWDs Office of Economic Advisors, said month-to-month jobs numbers tend to fluctuate, especially in recent months due to disruptions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In August, the state lost 8,200 private-sector jobs and 10,400 non-farm jobs.

The state also continues to fare better than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.8% last month.

Enhanced benefits

Enhanced benefits, which provided unemployed people $300 in weekly payments in addition to the states maximum weekly benefit of $370, were enacted to help the tens of thousands of Americans who found themselves out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, public opinion surrounding those benefits began to sour over the course of the pandemic as businesses returning to more normal operations found themselves unable to find enough willing workers  a challenge that was present long before the pandemic.

Legislative Republicans tried to end the benefits, which 20 other Republican-controlled states had done. But Gov. Tony Evers vetoed those efforts, pointing to the need to address other barriers to employment, including transportation, child care and wages in order to get more people back to work.

The pandemic really exacerbated and exposed some underlying issues in these labor markets, and those are issues relating to low wage jobs and gender inequality in the way we think about the distribution of care work, Laura Dresser, associate director of the liberal Center on Wisconsin Strategy, said last week.

Wisconsins non-farm jobs in September remained at 96% of pre-pandemic levels in February 2020.

No rebound

Kurt Bauer, president and CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, said he still believes the federal government is competing with the private sector through stimulus payments and the child tax credit.

I think for some that is an incentive for them to stay out of the labor force, he said. Clearly our labor participation rate has not rebounded to pre-COVID levels, which tells you that people are out of the workforce that had been in the workforce. The question is why?

DWD officials said Wisconsin employers continue to struggle to fill jobs due to a workforce gap driven by low birthrates, high retirement rates and low net migration and immigration flows into the state.

The labor force may decline by 2035, rather than just be flat, Hodek said. This is essentially the retirement of the baby boomer generation. As that generation ages and in turn ages out of the labor force, it becomes more and more difficult to replace those job openings.

Republican lawmakers earlier this month introduced a package of bills that would, among other measures, require drug testing for those claiming unemployment benefits, directing job seekers to apply for specific positions and provide cash payments to businesses that hire long-term unemployed individuals  those who have spent 27 weeks or more on unemployment. The bills authors have said the package aims to transform the state unemployment system into a reemployment program.

Seeking incentives

Shawn Phetteplace, state manager for the Main Street Alliance, which represents more than 100 small businesses across Wisconsin, said expanded access to child care, paid leave and health care coverage  provisions proposed in President Joe Bidens Build Back Better plan  would go a long way to get more people, especially women, back into the workforce.

The lack of affordable, flexible child care, paid leave and the Medicaid cliff, which provides an incentive for workers to reduce hours, all contribute far more to our challenges than any impact enhanced unemployment insurance had on the market, Phetteplace said. Organizations like WMC and leadership in the legislature wanted to blame workers first, instead of figuring out what barriers exist for them. Lets have an honest discussion to help small businesses.

Evers in July allocated $130 million in federal stimulus funds to help connect unemployed people with work opportunities with hopes of addressing ongoing workforce shortage challenges across the state.

WMC, the states largest business organization, on Thursday sent a letter to Evers calling on the governor to spend $3 million in state dollars and federal coronavirus stimulus funds to launch a talent attraction campaign aimed at drawing more out-of-state workers to Wisconsin.

Unless something changes, we are going to continue to have fewer workers for the jobs we have right now, let alone ones we hope to create, so this is an economic imperative for us, Bauer said.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Democratic mayors Satya Rhodes-Conway of Madison and Cory Mason of Racine indicated they would be willing to testify regarding the conduction of the 2020 presidential election in their cities so long as the testimony was public, preferably in front of media members and the Legislature, they both said during a call with reporters Thursday.

The mayors were among those subpoenaed by Michael Gableman  the retired Wisconsin Supreme Court justice picked by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, to lead an investigation of the state's 2020 election  to testify in regard to the probe.

Gableman requested thousands of documents from Democratic-leaning cities at the beginning of the month and had demanded, through subpoenas signed by Vos, that the mayors and certain other city staff members testify at his office on Brookfield. But within a week, Gableman changed course and said there wouldn't be any such testimony at this time.

We keep getting really mixed messages from Gableman and his folks," Rhodes-Conway said in response to a question from Matt Smith, a politics reporter with WISN-TV.

Of the potential of testifying, Mason said: That should be in the Legislature, where the public is able to interact and see what is going on. We will wait to see what is next.

After the subpoenas were issued, City of Racine officials called to testify had not indicated whether they would comply before Gableman changed course. Rhodes-Conway has said she would testify being told that wouldn't be necessary.

During Thursday's press call, Rhodes-Conway complimented the directness of Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, who on Oct. 12 called the probe a "fake investigation" and claimed its affiliated subpoenas were unlawful for, among other things, being overly broad and almost impossible to fulfill by deadlines given due to their size.

Kaul also questioned whether Gableman had the legal right to grant immunity to those he called to testify, as Gableman had promised  to the displeasure of state Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, and others who have claimed that laws were broken by cities' elections officials despite no courts or investigators having determined that.

Kaul also questioned if a planned, behind-closed-doors meeting with Wisconsin Elections Commission Meagan Wolfe or other officials would be legal. Kaul called Gableman's request on that matter "improper," attesting that such meetings should be in front of the Legislature.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
BRISTOL, Wis.  Kenosha County Sheriffs deputies, attempting to stop a stolen vehicle associated with a homicide in Chicago, shot an armed suspect after the man opened fire on a department K-9 dog late Thursday morning outside the Benson Corners gas station on Highway 50.

According to the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, the injured suspect was taken by ambulance to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital. The man was reported to be conscious after the shooting according to police radio traffic. At a press conference Thursday afternoon at the nearby Kenosha County Center, Sheriff David Beth said the suspect was shot in the abdomen and leg and was reported to be in surgery as of Thursday afternoon.

Beth said Chicago Police asked sheriffs deputies to check for a suspect in a Chicago homicide who was reported to be in a stolen vehicle that they believed was at the Benson Corners Shell Station, 20000 75th St. (Highway 50). Beth said the man was in the victim of the homicides vehicle. Three deputies went to the gas station and convenience store at 11:16 a.m., found the vehicle and attempted a high-risk traffic stop, but the man in the vehicle fled on foot.

Sheriff: Commands were loud and clear

They went and called out orders to come out, put his hands up. The suspect did not follow those orders, he took off running. I heard in some body cam footage that I saw, the deputies were hollering for him to drop his weapon, Beth said. Riggs (the K-9 dog) was released and captured the suspect just before running on to Highway 50 while the suspect still had the gun in his hands. And Riggs took the suspect to the ground.

Beth said while the man and the dog were entangled, the dog was shot and deputies then shot the man.

Our deputies did fire more than one shot, I cant tell you how many right now, Beth said.

The sheriff said that deputies immediately rendered first aid to the suspect and cared for him until the arrival of Bristol paramedics.

The person shot, described by the department only as a white male, was not yet being identified by the department as of Thursday afternoon. Sheriffs Sgt. David Wright said he did not know the mans age or where he is from. He was the only occupant of the vehicle deputies had attempted to stop. Beth said he had no information on the Chicago homicide, and did not know when it occurred.

Beth said that Riggs was taken to a veterinary clinic in Illinois for treatment. The dog was also reported to be in surgery Thursday and his condition was not released as of Thursday afternoon. But Beth said that the dog is expected to survive.

Beth said Racine County Sheriffs Office was asked to investigate the incident, which the sheriff described as an active investigation. He said the deputies involved in the incident will be on administrative leave while the investigation is underway. Beth said he had spoken to the K9 deputy whose dog was shot in the incident and said he was very emotional.

First such incident since 2015

The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department was last involved in a shooting in 2015 when deputies investigating a motorcycle crash shot a Paddock Lake man when he pointed a shotgun at deputies. That shooting was determined to be justified.

After Thursdays shooting, law enforcement had the area around Benson Corners, located just west of Highway 45, blocked off by squad cars and tape. Westbound Highway 50 was also closed west of Highway 45 for a time to aid the investigation.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (AP)  About 440 employees at Advocate Aurora Health have either left the health care company or have been fired for not complying with a vaccine mandate, the hospital group said Thursday.

The affected workers who represent 0.6% of Advocate Auroras workforce, were not in compliance and have parted ways with the organization, the group said in a statement.

With about 99% of our team members compliant or in the process of becoming compliant with our vaccine policy, we are protecting the health and safety of our patients, communities and each other, the statement read.

About half of the 440 employees were not full-time employees and were scheduled on an as-needed basis, the group said.

Advocate Aurora Health represents 26 hospitals and 500 care sites in Illinois and Wisconsin.

The deadline to comply with the mandate was Friday and workers initially were given a three-day suspension to have one last chance to comply, the company said.

The company announced in August that it would require employees to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15, with limited exceptions for specific religious or medical reasons. The requirement applied to the companys 75,000 team members across Illinois and Wisconsin, including remote workers and those who dont directly work with patients.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BRISTOL, Wis. (AP)  Kenosha County sheriff's deputies have shot and wounded a man they say was driving a stolen vehicle connected to a Chicago homicide, officials said Thursday.

Deputies were dispatched to the Benson Corners gas station in Bristol about 11:30 a.m. Thursday in an attempt to locate the stolen vehicle.

The vehicle was located and deputies tried to make contact with the driver who was the sole occupant. According to sheriff's deputies, the man fled from the vehicle and shot a police dog who was working to apprehend him.

Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said during a news conference the suspect was shot in the abdomen and leg and was reported to be in surgery as of Thursday afternoon, the Kenosha News reported.

The man has not been identified. Beth said he had no information on the Chicago homicide and did not know when it occurred.

The dog was also reported to be in surgery and his condition was not released as of Thursday afternoon. Beth said that the dog is expected to survive. The sheriff said he had spoken to the K9 deputy and said he was very emotional.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Kenosha News.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Jessica Lopez, a prominent Lancaster protest figure last summer, was singled out for arrest and prosecution last year not because she did anything wrong, but because of who she is, according to her lawyer.

Attorney Christopher Patterson is seeking to have disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges thrown out, claiming Lopez is a victim of selective and vindictive prosecution.

The purpose of her arrest was to punish her for being an activist and to send a message to other protesters, Patterson wrote in a motion filed Wednesday in Lancaster County Court.

He declined further comment, saying the filing spoke for itself.

Lopez, 33, of Lancaster, was arrested and charged on Aug. 5, 2020, while she and others protested on West Chestnut Street near the Lancaster police station. Two other protesters were also charged that day, but others involved in similar activity as Lopez were not charged, Patterson wrote.

Besides her involvement in protests following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Lopez also had a federal lawsuit pending against Lancaster city and an officer.

Pattersons motion refers to that suit, arguing it factored into the decision by police to arrest her.

Lopez believes she was targeted for arrest for several reasons: her prior history with the Lancaster city police, including a civil suit against the department which was currently pending, that she was vocal in protest and to send a message to other protesters, the purpose of which was to discourage and chill their exercise of their right to peacefully protest, Patterson wrote.

Patterson also argued that prosecutors havent made their case that Lopezs actions warranted the charges, so they should be thrown out on that ground as well.

In August 2020, Lopez was arrested while sitting on Chestnut Street, ostensibly for blocking traffic. But Patterson wrote that traffic was able to get by Lopez and others on one of Chestnuts two lanes and that Lopez even moved so a car could pass.

Patterson argued prosecutors failed to show that Lopez acted in a manner that would meet the elements of disorderly conduct.

Lopez did not engage in fighting, threatening or violent or tumultuous behavior. She was engaged in a protected activity at a location where such activity is permitted, Patterson wrote. Although her activity may have annoyed the police, it did not constitute disorderly conduct.

Likewise, Patterson argued, Lopez did not resist arrest.

The case is one of two protest-related charges of which Lopez is awaiting resolution in county court. She is also charged with riot and related offenses stemming from an arrest last September following the police shooting death of Ricardo Munoz.

Both cases are scheduled for a status conference before President Judge David Ashworth on Nov. 18.

Lopezs civil suit against police

In her October 2019 lawsuit, Lopez claimed officer Nathan Nickel sexually assaulted her on the pretext of searching for drugs and hurt her arm after a November 2017 traffic stop in the citys Southwest neighborhood, about a mile from the police station. She had been a passenger in the vehicle.

Nickel denies the claims.

In August, U.S. District Judge Karen Marston dismissed the sexual assault claim, but ruled that a jury should determine whether the officers use of force in arresting Lopez was excessive.

A Nov. 18 trial date is scheduled in Philadelphia before Marston.

Other protester cases

Besides Lopez, criminal cases are pending for about a dozen protesters charged last summer. Only a few other cases have been resolved.

Three people are scheduled for trial on Friday before Judge Merrill Spahn.

Yoshua Montague, 24, Kathryn Patterson, 21, and Christopher Vazquez, 32, are all charged with riot and disorderly conduct.

Vazquez is also charged with reckless burning or exploding and institutional vandalism. Montague is also charged with carrying a gun without a license and dangerous burning.

Another half-dozen defendants are scheduled for trial on Dec. 3. The remaining defendants have not been scheduled for trial.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, led the floor debate along with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the panel. Still, the vote was 229-202 with all but nine GOP lawmakers who voted saying no."

The House vote sends the matter to the U.S. attorneys office in Washington, where it will now be up to prosecutors in that office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges. It's still uncertain whether they will pursue the case  Attorney General Merrick Garland would only say at a House hearing on Thursday that they plan to make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution.

The partisan split over Bannon's subpoena  and over the committee's investigation in general  is emblematic of the raw tensions that still grip Congress nine months after the Capitol attack.

Democrats have vowed to comprehensively probe the assault in which hundreds of Trump's supporters battered their way past police, injured dozens of officers and interrupted the electoral count certifying President Joe Biden's November victory. Lawmakers on the panel say they will move swiftly and forcefully to punish anyone who wont cooperate with the probe.

We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because our work is too important, Thompson said ahead of the vote.

Republicans call it a witch hunt, say it is a waste of time and argue that Congress should be focusing on more important matters.

Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, leading the GOP opposition on the floor, called the probe an illicit criminal investigation into American citizens and said Bannon is a Democrat party boogeyman.

Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger are the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel, and both have openly criticized Trump and his role in fomenting the insurrection while the majority of House Republicans have remained silent in the face of Trump's falsehoods about massive fraud in the election. Trump's claims were rejected by election officials, courts across the country and by his own attorney general.

The Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend the contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel last week, citing a letter from Trumps lawyer that directed him not to answer questions. The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack, and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that all hell is going to break loose."

Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them.

Mr. Bannons own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of -- and may well have been involved in -- the planning of everything that played out on that day, Cheney said ahead of the vote. The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did.

Joining Cheney and Kinzinger in voting to hold Bannon in contempt were Republican Reps. Peter Meijer and Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington.

Mace, who represents a political swing district, told reporters after the vote that she wants to maintain the power of subpoenas for future Republican majorities.

I want the power to subpoena, when we start investigating some of the crises that are facing the Biden administration right now, she said, mentioning immigration and the withdrawal from from Afghanistan.

Biden himself invoked the insurrection and linked it to the nations turbulent history as he marked the 10th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall.

Were confronting the stains of what remains a deep stain in the soul of the nation: hate and white supremacy, Biden said, describing what he said is a line in American history from slavery to the present day.

In a violent, deadly insurrection on the Capitol nine months ago  it was about white supremacy in my view, he said.

Biden, who had previously said the Justice Department should prosecute those who ignore congressional subpoenas, apologized Thursday for appearing to interfere with the agency's decisions in comments last week.

I should have chosen my words more wisely," Biden said during a CNN town hall. "I did not, have not and will not pick up the phone and call the attorney general and tell him what he should or should not do.

Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will pursue the charges, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress power to call witnesses and demand information.

While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries.

Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is on the line.

The stakes are enormous, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said. "What were talking about is this massive, violent assault on American democracy.

If the Justice Department doesn't prosecute, the House has other options, including a civil lawsuit. That could also take years but would force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court.

The lingering acrimony over the insurrection, and the Bannon subpoena, flared Wednesday at a House Rules Committee hearing held to set the parameters of Thursdays debate. Under intense questioning from Raskin, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who defended Trump and opposed the Bannon contempt effort, said he accepted that Biden is the president but would not say that Biden won the election.

Raskin said, I know that might work on Steve Bannons podcast, but thats not going to work in the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Gaetz. Im sorry."



Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Alan G and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.
DETROIT (AP)  Record electric vehicle sales last summer amid a shortage of computer chips and other materials propelled Tesla Inc. to the biggest quarterly net earnings in its history.

The company said Wednesday that it made $1.62 billion in the third quarter, beating the old record of $1.14 billion set in the second quarter of this year. The profit was nearly five times larger than the $331 million Tesla made in the same quarter a year ago.

Revenue of $13.76 billion from July through September also set a record, but it fell short of Wall Street expectations of just over $14 billion, according to FactSet.

Excluding special items such as stock-based compensation, Palo Alto, California-based Tesla made $1.86 per share, beating analyst estimates of $1.62. CEO Elon Musk has said he's moving the headquarters to Austin, Texas, the dateline of Wednesday's earnings release.

Some of the quarterly profit, though, came from selling regulatory credits to other automakers. Tesla made $279 million on credits during the quarter.

"A variety of challenges, including semiconductor shortages, congestion at ports and rolling blackouts, have been impacting our ability to keep factories running at full speed," the company said in a statement to shareholders.

Earlier this month Tesla said it delivered a record 241,300 electric vehicles in the third quarter even as it wrestled with the shortages that have hit the entire auto industry. Most automakers reported sales declines in the U.S. last quarter due to chip and other shortages, including General Motors and Ford.

Previously, Musk has said Tesla kept its manufacturing lines running largely by finding chips from alternate suppliers and then scrambling to rewrite some of the software in its cars to ensure all the technology remained compatible.

Third-quarter sales rose 72% over the 140,000 deliveries Tesla made for the same period a year ago.

So far this year, Tesla has sold around 627,300 vehicles. That puts it on pace to soundly beat last years total of 499,550.

While sales grew in the third quarter, the average sales price fell 6% because Tesla is selling more less-expensive Models 3 and Y and fewer pricier Models S and X.

Tesla also took an impairment charge of $51 million due to a decline in value of its Bitcoin holdings.

Musk didn't appear on this quarter's conference call with with analysts and investors. He said previously that he would show up only when he had something important to say.

That left Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn and Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy to answer questions.

Kirkhorn said the company was able to hit an operating margin  how much it makes pretax after variable production costs  of just under 15%.

But Kirkhorn said Tesla may face some difficulties in the future that could threaten that margin, including rising commodity prices and labor shortages. Tesla's biggest cost exposure is for nickel, which goes into battery cells, and aluminum, which the company uses for other nonbattery components, he said. Tesla also will face inefficiencies as it starts production at new factories in Texas and Germany next year, he said.

The company already is seeing commodity cost increases, which have resulted in price hikes, Kirkhorn said. Next year it's possible that Tesla will see more. "It's difficult to say precisely, but the volatility and the increases are just so substantial," he said.

Tesla executives also made their first public comment on multiple investigations of the company by U.S. safety regulators. Moravy said Tesla is cooperating as much as possible.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into why Tesla's Autopilot driver-assist system keeps running into parked emergency vehicles. Of the dozen crashes that are part of the probe, 17 people were injured and one was killed.

The safety agency also is questioning why Tesla didn't recall vehicles with Autopilot when it did an over-the internet software update so they better recognize firetrucks and police cars in low light. NHTSA said the update addressed a safety defect.

Kirkhorn said safety is important to Tesla as the auto industry transitions from traditional cars to being more software-oriented. Regulatory bodies, and understandably so, are interested in understanding how to regulate in this environment, and NHTSA is no exception, he said. Were excited to partner and we'll work collaboratively with all the different regulatory bodies.

Tesla hasnt always cooperated with the safety agency, though. In January, Tesla resisted a request from NHTSA to recall about 135,000 vehicles because their touch screens could go dark. The agency said the screens were a safety defect because backup cameras and windshield defroster controls could be disabled.

A month later, after NHTSA started the process toward holding a public hearing and taking Tesla to court, the company agreed to the recall.

In its shareholder statement, Tesla also said that construction of its new factory near Austin is progressing as planned and its preparing equipment and fabricating our first pre-production vehicles.

The factory, which is centrally located versus Teslas other assembly plant in Fremont, California, will send Model Y small SUVs and new Cybertruck pickups to East Coast population centers.

Tesla said it expects to expand its factory capacity quickly, and over a multi-year horizon it expects sales to grow an average of 50% annually.

Shares of Tesla Inc. fell 1.6% to $851.80 in after-hours trading Wednesday.

This story has been corrected to show that Tesla made a $331 million net profit in the third quarter of 2021, not $300 million.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A Maryland woman charged along with her husband in a plot to sell submarine secrets to a foreign country must remain behind bars after a judge on Thursday determined she was a flight risk and a danger to national security.

Lawyers for Diana Toebbe had argued for her release during a detention hearing Wednesday. She and her husband, Jonathan, a Navy nuclear engineer, were arrested earlier this month on charges that they violated the Atomic Energy Act.

U.S. authorities say Jonathan Toebbe had tried to pass secrets about sophisticated Virginia-class submarines to someone he thought was a representative of a foreign government but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. Diana Toebbe is accused of serving as a lookout on three separate occasions in which her husband deposited memory cards containing sensitive information at pre-arranged, dead-drop locations.

In a ruling Thursday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Trumble rejected arguments from defense lawyers that Diana Toebbe could be released under certain conditions to her Annapolis home.

Although Defendant has no prior criminal history, the nature and circumstances of the charges against her and her actions demonstrate that Defendant is a danger to every community and to our national security by clear and convincing evidence, Trumble wrote, also describing her as a flight risk.

The judge also cited evidence found at the couple's Annapolis home that he said suggested they had been preparing to leave the country on short notice, as well as messages between them in which they had discussed the possibility of fleeing.

Lawyers for Diana Toebbe argued that prosecutors had no evidence that she was aware of her husband's activities.
In her first term as Lancaster city mayor, Danene Sorace faced no shortage of challenges.

The citys finances remain unstable, city hall itself was set on fire by an angered resident, and the second half of her term was consumed by a pandemic and racial justice protests.

Now she faces a new challenge: asking voters to give her a second term.

We've been really sidetracked as a community and as a country, as a world with the pandemic, Sorace, 49, said in an interview with LNP|LancasterOnline. I think that  we haven't been able to fully realize some of the work that we had set out to do, and the works changed because of the pandemic, because of George Floyd, because of the needs that are in our community today. And I want to push it further along.

With no Republic challenger, Sorace looks set to coast into another term. An independent candidate, Willie Shell, is challenging her, but Democrats outnumber all other voters in the city three to two.

Sorace said she believes her biggest accomplishment is the neighborhood engagement initiatives her administration undertook. She says that work laid the foundation to deal with things like the pandemic and lead abatement.

We have a presence in our neighborhood unlike previous administrations, she said I believe, and we aren't always able to solve the problems as quickly as we'd like, but we are marshaling the resources that we have to address the situation at hand.

She highlighted a similar effort in the police department, where a lieutenant and 17 staff work on community engagement issues.

Prior to the pandemic, marshalling resources was arguably the toughest challenge the city was facing. A growing imbalance between how much money the city raises and its overall expenses, combined with a dwindling cash reserve, is threatening to send the city toward municipal bankruptcy in the next few years if it is not addressed.

Sorace has argued, and still does, that the way to address the gap is for the Legislature to amend the law governing how municipalities can raise money. Its a plan the Lancaster Chamber supports.

Taxes are simply too high in comparison to surrounding municipalities, and city is left with extremely limited options other than to continue to rely on property taxes, said Tom Baldrige, the chambers president.

Sorace mirrored that sentiment, saying she recognizes the property tax rate is unsustainable, especially when combined with taxes levied by school districts. Her plan would give municipalities the types of revenue raising tools now only accessible when a municipality declares bankruptcy. Doing this, she hopes, would relieve the tax burden on residents and avoid drastic measures like selling the citys sewer system.

The Legislature has yet to back the plan, however.

We have spent the better part of the last two years advocating for that  (but) COVID took us off track for several months, she said. We came up short. Our inability  in moving our county delegation to support additional tools for the city is disappointing, and what it means for the long-term sustainability of the city, well, you just have to look at our revenue and expenditure projections over the next five years, and you can see what we're up against, it hasn't changed.  So there will come a time that that will dramatically affect our ability to pay for public safety.

Sorace said her role as incoming chair of the Pennsylvania Municipal League will help her make this an issue in next years gubernatorial race.

In the wake of George Floyds murder in May 2020, Lancaster city saw several days of large protests downtown in which activists demanded reforms to the Lancaster Police Bureau. The situation reached a new level of tension last September when a Lancaster city police officer shot Ricardo Munoz, a mentally ill man who charged at the officer with a knife in hand.

Protests following the Munoz incident turned violent, and several buildings downtown were damaged.

Under Sorace, the police bureau hired two social workers to assist on calls related to mental health, housing or other disputes that dont raise to the level of a chargeable crime. The police also reactivated the bike patrol to improve community relations, and changed the use of force policy to ban chokeholds, among other initiatives.

Most notably, she replaced long-time chief Jared Berkihiser with the citys first Black chief of police, John Bey, a man she said is more closely aligned with her vision for the department.

I think that we took a very aggressive approach in making changes, going back to 2018, within the police department with the changes in the use of force policy, she said. I'm really, really glad that those efforts that started in 2018 now are being able to be fully realized under chief Bey's leadership.

Some activists argue these changes are not enough.

Jessica Lopez, who was active during the protests, said it is too soon to know if the bike patrols will improve community relations.

Im not seeing any real difference in how our community is being treated and the care for the little people, said Lopez, who is currently facing felony riot charges for her role in the September protest. Nothing has really changed in our department other than who our chief is.

She said she would like to see something like the Cahoots program in Eugene, Oregon, which has unarmed personnel take on many of the social service type calls police might otherwise respond to.

Sorace said the pandemic and the police reform protests were the most significant challenges of her first term, and her leadership through those events is why the citys voters should entrust her with another four years.

I think that I have demonstrated overall commitment to the success of the city and have shown results in how we have navigated two significant crises, she said. I have faced some very unique challenges and I believe we have met them head on and have come out of them stronger.
When Willie Shell moved from Alabama to Lancaster in 1969, he wasnt thinking about politics.

He graduated from J.P. McCaskey and went on to work as a pastor and a trash hauler as he and his wife, Elizabeth, raised three sons.

In 2015 he decided the best way to fix the issues he saw around him was to throw his hat in the ring and run for city council.

I ran because the same thing that was happening in 2015 is still happening today, he said as he stapled campaign brochures in his campaign office on East Walnut St. The southeast area is being completely neglected. I've been in the southeast area for over 40 years and we have the worst streets in the city and we have the highest unemployment in the city.

Shell, 69, ran as a Democrat in the 2017 city council primary and lost, but he is running again this year as an independent in the hopes of unseating Danene Sorace as mayor.

Shell will have his work cut out for him if he is to overcome the voter registration advantage Sorace has as the Democratic nominee. Even if all independent, third party and Republican voters in the city select Shell, registered Democrats still outnumber them roughly three to two.

Shell is hoping his platform, which focuses heavily on boosting the citys southeast area, will be enough to overcome those odds.

I still operate my business in all parts of the city and I could see other parts of the city growing, up on the northwest up in that area, and the southeast is completely being neglected, he said.

The brochures Shell was assembling in his campaign office tell voters he wants to improve roads, parking and employment in the southeast area, address community and police relations, lower property taxes for all residents and eliminate all taxes for seniors, revise city codes and provide better services for the homeless.

When pressed on the exact details of some of those plans, however, Shell initially hesitated, suggesting that should come only if he wins the election.

But Shell did eventually offer more detail, and the different economic portions of his platform tie together. He says by supporting businesses, this will create more jobs and in turn revenue for the city. By revamping streets and vacant properties, they will become more attractive for residents and businesses to occupy and thus pay property taxes on.

Through creating jobs in the city, more revenue will come into the city, which means that you won't have to continue to raise taxes, he said.

Lancaster city already has the highest tax rate in the region. Even so, the citys 2021 budget had a nearly $5 million gap between its revenue and expresses.

Shell didnt have many specifics for how his plan to lower property taxes and eliminate all taxes for those over 70  roughly 6.6% of the citys population according to a 2019 U.S. Census estimate  can be achieved while this gap exists. He talked about combing the city budget for areas to cut and growing jobs to boost tax revenues.

Only a small portion of the citys revenue, a little over 6%, comes from income taxes. The bulk of the citys revenue comes from property taxes. Sorace has argued that the gap is too big to fix with budget cuts, which she says would also hurt services, and that a legislative fix by the state to the municipal revenue structure is needed (and by that, she means giving the city government more leeway to impose taxes and fees other than property taxes).

Tom Baldrige, president of the Lancaster Chamber, said that when it comes to attracting and retaining businesses, the citys current tax structure is an impediment.

Taxes are simply too high in comparison to surrounding municipalities, and city is left with extremely limited options other than to continue to rely on property taxes, he said.

The chamber has endorsed the type of revenue changes Sorace has been pushing for, specifically giving municipalities more access to revenue raising tools without having to declare bankruptcy.

Shell also sees the police departments relationship with the community as an issue. He says he has interacted with the police a lot over the past few decades, and with a son and nephew having served with the citys police, its an issue he has thought about a lot.

One of the things that I would do is make sure that the police are more visible, he said. When I first came here, we used to have a lot of foot patrol police and I think that would be (a) more community based relationship when you have foot patrol police.

Sorace also took a similar action recently, implementing bike patrols as a way to improve relations, but Shell said he has not yet seen any bike patrols in the southeast area.

The Lancaster branch of the NAACP is looking to shed some light on issues in the race as well.

Blanding Watson, president of the branch, described the groups focus on topics such as criminal justice, education, economic issue and equal opportunity.

Housing and how the candidates would use the $45 million the city received from the federal American Rescue Plan are of particular interest.

And on leadership in general, Blanding says the NAACP values someone who will engage with the community both through organizations and on an individual citizen level.

(We look for a leader) that engages the community and takes whatever input the community has given them relative to things that may be going on in the community, he said. A mayor that specifically engages the community and works on ways to implement those things so our community can be made whole, especially in things like housing, the homeless and also inclusion and equality are major things for the NACCP.
A Chester County judge last week rejected Tower Healths bid for property tax exemptions at Brandywine, Jennersville and Phoenixville hospitals.

Judge Jeffrey Sommer said the hospitals operations had become too similar to for-profit companies to be relieved of property taxes, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. In his ruling, Sommer found that the three hospitals did not qualify for tax exemption because they did not provide enough free services, their businesses are too intertwined with doctors at for-profit practices and they structure executive compensation in a way that hints at private profit motives, according to the report.

These outdated, competing and often contradictory sources no longer offer appropriate direction as each one fails to reflect the current state of medical care and the delivery of such in the 21st century, Sommer told the Inquirer.

Tower Health, based in West Reading, disagrees with the ruling and plans to file an appeal based on what management believes to be numerous factual and procedural errors, and a flawed legal analysis according to a statement in the report.

Avon Grove, Coatesville and Phoenixville school districts could have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes if the Tower Health nonprofit received a tax exemption for the three hospitals it had purchased from the for-profit Community Health Systems Inc., according to the report.

We are very pleased the court ruled decisively in our favor, saving nearly $1 million a year in annual taxes that the hospital was trying to push along to other school district taxpayers, Alan Fegley, superintendent of Phoenixville Area School District, told the Inquirer.
THE ISSUE

As Tom Lisi reported in this weeks Sunday LNP | LancasterOnline, A recent analysis from the Lancaster County planning department suggests new homes are being built on the right land for development, but they're also gobbling up too much of it too fast. Scott Standish, the departments executive director, told Lisi that county planning officials used 2020 census population and housing data to calculate the average amount of land occupied by homes in Lancaster County. The analysis showed the density levels of new developments between 2015 and 2019 remain stubbornly low, about 4.6 homes per acre. The county set a 7.5 homes-per-acre goal in 2018, Lisi reported. Standish said if municipalities continue to rely so heavily on detached single-family homes to accommodate their population growth, the result will be less preserved land in Lancaster County and more expensive and inefficient taxpayer-funded infrastructure and utilities.

We all value open space and preserved land. Until, that is, were asked to accept the high-density developments that would help Lancaster County to retain its beautiful farmland, wide-open spaces and natural habitats.

We may appreciate on some level the need for high-density developments that include town houses and apartments. Too many of us just dont want them anywhere near our own backyards. So we urge municipal officials to withhold planning approval and they generally comply.

As a result, land that could be used in a smarter, less expansive and more inclusive way becomes yet another sprawling development of single-family homes on oversized lots. And those new single-family homes often are priced at more than $300,000, which is beyond the reach of even many middle-class families. That was the case even before the current sellers market and the national rise in construction costs.

Affordable housing

As Lisi also reported, Lancaster city officials hope to close on the $1 million purchase of a parking lot near the former St. Joseph Hospital to build new income-restricted apartments.  Early plans for the 1-acre site on the corner of Marietta and North West End avenues call for around 50 units reserved for households that make less than the area median income, a metric set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In the current federal fiscal year, 50% of the Lancaster metro areas area median income for a family of three is $37,350.

City officials are in talks with HDC MidAtlantic, a Lancaster-based nonprofit that develops and manages affordable housing, about leading the project. It would be an addition to a $90 million plan from HDC MidAtlantic and Baltimore-based Washington Place Equities to transform the former St. Joseph and surrounding properties into a new housing development, Lisi noted. The six-story former hospital building on College Avenue would include 150 market-rate apartments. HDC MidAtlantic is developing a 64-unit building at 213 College Ave., and another building with 48 or so units on the southeast corner of Marietta and College avenues; all those units would have income restrictions.

We laud Lancaster city officials for their push to increase affordable housing options. As Lisi reported, Lancaster City Council is scheduled to vote Oct. 26 on an ordinance that would authorize Mayor Danene Sorace's administration to use $5 million of the citys American Rescue Plan funding to pursue affordable housing projects.

If only the Lancaster County commissioners would use some of the countys $106 million in American Rescue Plan funds to make a similar push countywide.

Because the dearth of affordable housing is not just a Lancaster city problem. Its a Lancaster County problem.

Fixing that problem is going to require that local townships and boroughs change their land-use rules to allow for greater density  with more compact housing, higher buildings and multifamily buildings.

As Alice Yoder, community health expert and chair of the Lancaster County Planning Commission, wrote in a September op-ed for LNP | LancasterOnline, Lancaster Countys current comprehensive plan  Places 2040  published by the Lancaster County Planning Commission, offers sound guidance and tools. Still, the real substance of the work has to be done at the municipal level. Lancaster Countys 60 municipalities may create independent zoning ordinances and planning goals  but protecting Lancaster Countys farmland and open spaces will take teamwork.

Without that teamwork, and the willingness of local municipal officials to alter their land-use rules, were going to use up land much more quickly within the boundaries" of land designated for development, county planner Standish told Lisi. And then we're going to be at the point where we have to decide, OK, now what do we do? 

Standish said theres a misconception that apartment buildings worsen transportation problems and stress public schools. Thats not necessarily the case. A multiple-use development can include stores and eateries to which residents can walk. But that misconception often derails even preliminary discussions about such developments.

East Hempfield Township Manager Cindy Schweitzer told Lisi that residents complain even about the traffic generated by new single-family houses. Which makes promoting density to township residents a tough sell.

As Lisi reported, county planning officials contend that increased housing density would be able to support a more comprehensive public transportation system, and therefore relieve congestion.

But Americans like their cars, even when those cars are stuck in traffic. And even when developable land dwindles in the municipalities where they reside.

Suburban sprawl

Thats the case in East Hempfield Township, where Schweitzer told Lisi that township supervisors dont want more development to encroach on farmland north of Route 283. She nevertheless expects residential sprawl to continue west into West Hempfield Township.

There may be a sliver of light on the horizon in Manheim Township, where future land development is a major issue in Novembers municipal election. Its also where intense battles have been fought over mixed-use developments. And where Grandview Heights  an old neighborhood with a mix of elegant stone and brick houses, Cape Cods, semi-detached houses, two apartment complexes and one additional apartment building  shows that walkable communities offering a variety of housing types, including affordable rental housing, are possible.

Manheim Township Manager James Drumm told Lisi that while the construction of single-family homes predominated there over the last decade, the township is working with Lancaster city officials to consider higher-density apartment-type development, especially on the townships southern side, which borders the city. Weve been in discussions about planning how we can sort of plan that area together, he said.

This is good news, and we hope that the plans come to fruition  and include housing that would meet the needs not just of growing families but seniors hoping to move from their single-family homes into accommodation that wont drain their savings.

Another hopeful development (in all senses of that word): A four-story, 62-unit affordable-housing apartment building for older adults is being constructed in Lititz and is set to be completed by fall of next year, Lisi reported.

Saxony Ridge Apartments in Warwick Woodlands, a retirement community operated by Moravian Manor Communities, will consist of 44 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom apartments, some of which will be appointed with accessibility features like grab bars and lower light switches. Ten units will be available to older adults who are homeless. The units will be restricted to various income levels, as low as 20% of area median income, Lisi reported.

What excellent news.

As Yoder of the Lancaster County Planning Commission, wrote, How we build our communities matters. It matters to those in our urban centers and to those in our most rural places.

And it matters if we are to preserve the essential character of Lancaster County as a place where farmland and green spaces remain, and families of all income levels can put down roots.
$200 Million Ribbon Cuttings at CSU Dominguez Hills Usher in New Era for University

On October 15, 2021, California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) hosted four simultaneous ribbon cuttings, three of which were on major capital project buildings totaling more than $200 million. The grand openings marked the biggest transformation of the campus in more than a decade, and the first additions of brand-new academic facilities in more than 20 years.

Several hundred employees, students, alumni, and community leaders came out to celebrate the growth of campus and tour the new buildings. Prior to the simultaneous ribbon cuttings, which were streamed on monitors at the main speaker platform, tours of the new facilities highlighted the buildings cutting-edge technology and thoughtful architectural details, designed to maximize learning and engagement for CSUDH students and the surrounding community.

In the 91,000 square foot Science and Innovation Building ($67.85 million), which houses chemistry, biology, and physics programs, they saw the Toyota Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE) at work. The center, created thanks to a $4 million donation from the Toyota USA Foundation, includes a fabrication lab, SMART classrooms, and labs for K-12 teacher demonstrations. CISE students led 3D printing and design workshops for schoolchildren from Point Fermin Elementary and Fleming Middle School, while models by Toro students displayed the creative possibilities afforded by the technology.

Guests also visited the Innovation and Instruction Building ($83.5 million), a 107,600 square foot, four-story structure housing the College of Business Administration and Public Policy. Slated to open for classes in Spring 2022, the building includes a 250-seat auditorium for symposia, collaborative learning classrooms, distance learning spaces, event spaces, and offices.

The 506-bed Student Resident Housing ($55.87 million) complex was also on display. Adorned with eight 47-foot-high murals by L.A. artist iris yirei hu, the colorful site opened in Fall 2021.

ADVERTISEMENT

Students in the CSUDH Esports Association showed off their skills at the fourth location, near the future site of the Esports Incubator Lab. As part of a strategic partnership with CSUDH, ViewSonic is providing furnishings and technology for the lab, which will be the first to be held in a university library and will include a broadcasting and shoutcasting booth, competition stage, and classroom.

Following the tours, guests heard remarks from university and government representatives, including the CSUDH president, the CSU chancellor, and CSUDH alumnus State Senator Steven Bradford, as well as prerecorded remarks by Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, and Assemblymember Mike Gipson.

All emphasized CSUDHs role as an academic powerhouse and a longtime bastion of upward mobility for Los Angeles underserved communities.

CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said: Rising from the ashes of the Watts Uprising, CSU Dominguez Hills was deliberately situated here to help make higher education more accessible to those who had historically been deprived of access, to bring the transformative power of higher education to communities that had long been denied power.

CSU Dominguez Hills is a worthy and enduring testament to the vision and persistence of the dynamic South Bay community, whose untiring efforts brought this campus into being. I salute your energy and enthusiasm and ask for your continued support and partnership of the campus as it continues to build upon its already impressive legacy.

These world-class facilities will enhance what is and has long been a vital and vibrant environment of inquiry, discovery and learning.

CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham thanked the many community partners, sponsors, and university stakeholders who helped to make the massive campus transformation possible, adding:

With these fantastic new buildings dotting our campus skyline, we do not have to take a back seat to any other school. These state-of-the-art facilities are the culmination of decades of work, but we arent done yet. CSUDH will continue to grow and prosper, blossoming into a model urban university that serves its students and its community.

ADVERTISEMENT

For more information about the new buildings, visit csudh.edu/transformation.
Caltrans Launches New Program Offering Volunteers up to $250 for Highway Litter Removal as Part of Clean California

Caltrans today announced a new Clean California pilot program that offers Adopt-a-Highway volunteers up to $250 for picking up highway litter. The Adopt-A-Highway program has been one of the longest-standing and successful government-public partnerships in the state. Since its inception in 1989, more than 120,000 Californians have cleaned and enhanced over 15,000 shoulder-miles of roadside. The new pilot program will augment the overall goals of the Clean California program by providing additional resources to maintain and beautify the states roadways.

Clean California is all about restoring pride in public spaces and making a difference in our communities, and that goes hand in hand with volunteering, said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. Through Caltrans Adopt-a-Highway program, volunteers can pitch in to clean and beautify our roadsides, and were proud to offer an incentive for even more people to help Clean California.

Part of Governor Gavin Newsoms California Comeback Plan, Clean California is a sweeping $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort to remove trash, create thousands of jobs and engage communities to transform roadsides into places of public pride. Since July, Caltrans has collected nearly 2,500 tons of trash and made more than 600 conditional job offers as part of the program.

ADVERTISEMENT

Adopt-a-Highway volunteers help create cleaner and more beautiful roadsides by removing litter, planting trees and flowers, clearing graffiti, and thinning overgrown vegetation, and also help prevent litter and other pollutants from entering state waterways through stormwater drains. Whether completed by an individual or group, Caltrans will award stipends up to $250 total per litter collection event for activities such as:

$250 for each adopted highway segment

$62.50 for each ramp, or up to $250 for all four ramps

Up to $250 for clean-up activities at other locations, such as along bike paths or at park-and-ride facilities.

Caltrans will require volunteers to submit information  including date, location, amount of trash collected, number of volunteers, hours worked and pictures  following eligible clean-up activities to receive a stipend. Adopt-A-Highway participants are limited to one payment a month.

As part of the pilot program, the stipends will be available to Adopt-a-Highway volunteers in Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Imperial, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Diego, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. Caltrans expects to expand the program statewide in the coming months.

People and businesses interested in volunteering can visit CleanCA.com for more details and an online application or call 866-ADOPTAHWY (886-236-7824).

There is no cost to participate in the Adopt-a-Highway program. In addition to clearing litter, Adopt-a Highway volunteers have maintained 1,500 acres of vegetation and planted 100 acres of trees and 36 acres of wildflowers since 1989. Caltrans installs signs displaying the name of the person, family, organization or business on the segment of adopted highway.
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Presented With $50 Million Check at Ceremony to Support New Medical Degree Program

A special event was held on the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) campus recently to commemorate the recent $50 million allocation from the State of California to the University. The event was highlighted by a check presentation from Watts native Assemblymember Mike Gipson, representative of Californias 64th Assembly District which includes the CDU campus. Dr. David Carlisle, president and CEO of CDU, along with other representatives and students from the university were on hand for the presentation.

It gives me great pleasure to demonstrate our commitment to this great institution of higher learning with this check of $50 million, said Assemblymember Gipson. Lets celebrate the future of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, an institution that matters to the people.

The funding, which was approved by the California State Legislature will be used to support the universitys latest initiative offering a new four-year medical degree program which includes the construction of a new building to accommodate it. The overall impact of the proposed new medical education program that is pending review and approval by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education will benefit the state by increasing the number of Black and Latino medical graduates joining the healthcare workforce, with the first class slated to begin in Fall 2023.

ADVERTISEMENT

CDU believes in the ability of education advocacy and empowerment to change lives and create opportunities, said Dr. Carlisle. I stand a little bit prouder as we gather to acknowledge and celebrate one of this universitys most significant funding awards to date, a one-time $50 million allocation from the state of California to support our new four-year medical degree program.

CDU was originally founded in 1966 to better serve underprivileged residents in the area and the funding signifies a new chapter for the university, which 55 years ago graduated nurses who went on to serve the Watts community. Today, as a Historically Black Graduate Institution (HBGI), the universitys graduates go on to serve communities across the nation. The new program is expected to educate 60 students annually.

The event began with an opening prayer led by Pastor Marcus Murchinson from the Tree of Life Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. A speech from Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, dean of the College of Medicine, thanked Assemblymember Gipson, the Governor of California and all other supporting government officials for contributing to this initiative. When the dreams of a people get matched with competent and effective elected officials, you get to celebrate because reality becomes that dream, Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith noted. I thank you and all of those who helped put this together for us.

The funding signifies the next phase for CDUs growth as an independent, four-year medical institution. Currently, CDU shares a longstanding relationship with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA through the Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program, which has successfully trained 28 medical students annually since 1979. The incoming program at CDU pending review and approval by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education will be the next phase in evolving that partnership.

The facility that will house this program on the CDU campus is expected to be 100,000 GSF and will have classrooms, virtual and standard anatomy laboratories, staff and faculty offices, as well as common spaces for all students in the universitys three schools and colleges. Construction is scheduled to begin Summer/Fall 2022.

As a testament to how this type of program enriches lives, Felisha Eugenio gave a first-hand look at how the current curriculum impacted her career. Now a CDU Doctor of Medicine resident, she emphasized how CDU played a vital role in changing her life.

My roots here at CDU began long before residency, I am a product of its pipelines. I first began attending and then volunteering at what was once the Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Center across the street. After college, I was a student in the post-baccalaureate program here before matriculating into the Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program. So I would not be the physician I am today without the unwavering support of Dr. Daphne Calmes and the amazing team at our medical school, said Eugenio. CDUs commitment to diversity is not only evident in its educational programs but by the makeup of its student body and educators.

ADVERTISEMENT

The event concluded with Pastor Robert L. Taylor of the Beulah Baptist Church who delivered the closing prayer. Attendees remained afterward for an informal lunch and photo opportunities.

CDU has contributed significantly to the diversity of the nations healthcare workforce over the last five decades. More than 70% of the universitys graduates since 2000 are people of color and the California Wellness Foundation report estimated that one-third of all minority physicians practicing in Los Angeles County are graduates of the CDU medical school and/or residency training programs.

To learn more about Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, please visit www.cdrewu.edu.
Despite Misinformation and Distractions, Biden-Harris Accomplishing Black Agenda

The $4.2 billion received in 2021 by historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) represents the largest single-year federal government funding from any administration in U.S. history.

And its not even close.

We see more and more misinformation. When you see reports that the Biden administration is cutting funding to HBCUs by $30 billion, it is patently false, Cedric Richmond, the senior advisor to the President, told a group of publishers from the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

ADVERTISEMENT

Richmond, who also serves as the White House Office of Public Engagement director, remarked that the deliberate misinformation published by news outlets and posted on social media is meant to undermine the President and Democrats.

Notably, the dubious accounts aim to suppress the Black vote further, Richmond declared.

Its being pushed around so young African Americans and people who went to HBCUs would get discouraged and say that theres no difference from President Biden and President Trump, or that Trump did more for HBCUs, Richmond asserted.

Funding for HBCUs is usually less than $1 billion per year, he noted.

Just this year alone, weve given HBCUs $4.2 billion, and because of that, some HBCUs are financially capable of forgiving student debt right now. A lot of them are making investments in their campuses.

We still want to double or triple funding over the next ten years to invest in their facilities. Were going to do that, but theres been no administration ever to invest in HBCUs more than us.

ADVERTISEMENT

The former Congressional Black Caucus Chair spent the bulk of the day on Wednesday, October 13, with the Black Press of America.

He appeared at 7:30 a.m. on the NNPAs live breaking news program, Let It Be Known, before sitting for an 11:30 a.m. livestream interview with NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards and NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

Dr. Chavis later conducted a one-on-one interview with Richmond inside the White House for his PBS-TV and PBS-World show, The Chavis Chronicles.

The Louisiana-native spelled out several of the many initiatives and programs that the Biden-Harris administration has implemented that benefit the Black community.

He also noted the various strategies the administration has engaged in protecting voting rights and advancing homeownership in the Black community.

He said the Presidents Build Back Better plan includes creating jobs and opportunities that have previously escaped the Black community.

Richmond also noted the various executive orders that have aided the cause of leveling the playing field, including the order on advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government.

And while Republican-led states have implemented voter oppression laws and lawmakers have failed to enact federal statutes to protect voting rights, the Democratic National Committee has pledged to invest $25 million in voter outreach and litigation.

The President has called for reforming the filibuster, and were not letting obstruction slow us down, Richmond declared.

We dont know where we are on the [latest] Senate bill until they have a vote, but we will continue to fight on a three-prong approach. We have doubled the size of the Voting Rights Division in the Department of Justice, we are continuing to file lawsuits over the unconstitutional laws that have passed around the country, and we are fighting them in the courts.

So, we keep pushing, and we keep doing the things needed to get it done. Were not going to wait and put all of our eggs in one basket.

The administration has also put in place programs and mechanisms to ensure that individuals remain in their homes during the pandemic, Richmond relayed.

We signed an executive order tasking HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge to review and analyze all barriers to homeownership and systemic racism in housing in the federal government, Richmond continued.

Secretary Fudge has embarked on an extensive review of appraisals and other things that determines the worth of a house.

The Presidents goal is to provide federal down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers, which will specifically help people of color. Its the best way to attain generational wealth.

Richmond added that the administration also changed federal rules that punished most Black homeowners who didnt have a clean title to their property because of slavery and systemic racism.

We dont have all day to tout all of the things weve been able to accomplish over the first [10 months], but we have to show the Black community what weve done for them, Richmond insisted.

Whether its promoting Black maternal health, the equity we put in the pandemic response, banning private prisons, telling U.S. Attorneys to stop with the harshest sentencing recommendations.

He concluded that we are investing in community violence and intervention programs using trusted interrupters to resolve disputes for the first time.

We are investing in re-entry so that those individuals can have a path to success, and when they do, people in the community will see it. All of this is done with being intentional about investing in the African American community.
L.A.s African American Leaders Unanimously Endorse Bass for Mayor

Karen Bass is our candidate, proclaimed Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. to a wildly applauding crowd. She is the one who can lead this city!

In response, the audience cheered and whooped as Bakewell presented Bass, a candidate for L.A. mayor, to 150+ leaders representing the citys Black community and the attendees were not shy in voicing their support for her campaign.

The owner of Bakewell Media and executive publisher of the L.A. Sentinel joined with several prominent African Americans to host the outdoor gathering on October 14 to affirm the communitys backing of Bass in the mayoral race. Based on the enthusiastic reaction, Bass can rest assured that the Black people will support her efforts.

ADVERTISEMENT

I support Karen Bass because shes clearly the best candidate with the experience and knowledge that our city needs today, declared Weingart Center CEO and former state senator Kevin Murray.

I think she would do an outstanding job and as an individual, I support her, insisted the Rev. Dr. Mary S. Minor of Brookins-Kirkland Community AME Church.

For the last 30 years, Karen Bass has been at the front line of making life better for our people and our community, noted Khalid Shah, founder and CEO of Stop the Violence Increase the Peace Foundation.

Im so excited to be here to support Congresswoman Bass, soon to be mayor. Im here as a young Black woman and Ive always been inspired by Karen Bass, asserted Taelor Bakewell, L.A. Housing Authority commissioner.

Endorsements came from everyone in attendance, which included notables such as retired Congresswoman Diane Watson, L.A. Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, LAUSD Board member George McKenna, activist and philanthropist Sweet Alice Harris, and retired South Coast AQMD Board President William Burke.

Even the invocation by Pastor William Smart, CEO/president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, revved up the group. Petitioning for favor, he prayed that God would empower Bass to burst through the doors of city hall and transform this city into an oasis of happiness and joy that all people will prosper under the leadership of Karen Bass.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bass also attracted allies from outside the city such as Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, who stated, Karen, I appreciate all that you have done for all of us throughout the Golden State. Its important that we win this campaign!

With equal fervor, Carson Councilmember Jawane Hilton said, Karen Bass is the clear choice. Shes tried. Shes proven. She has a proven track record of the things shes done in Los Angeles County, so I support her wholeheartedly!

Expressing appreciation, Bass thanked the audience for joining her on this journey and highlighted that her focus as mayor would be on resolving homelessness in L.A. where 40% of the unhoused are African Americans, even though Blacks are only 9% of the citys population.

We cannot allow this to go on anymore. This is not a criminal problem. This is a humanitarian crisis, implored Bass. For us to win this, we have to do this together, to organize, get out on the street. We want everybody to know and everybody to get involved.

This is going to be campaign that every group, every geographical area, every ideology all coming together to say this is a humanitarian crisis, and borrowing a phase from Congresswoman Watson, Bass said, I have all of the confidence in the world that we shall lift as we climb!

The audience exploded in cheers as Bakewell led a spirited chant of Ka-ren! Ka-ren! Ka-ren! He added, Her leadership cannot be denied and it cannot be matched!

Co-hosts of the event included Clifton Albright, Elaine Batchlor, Pastor J. Edgar Boyd, Charisse Bremond-Weaver, Jacqueline Dupont-Walker, Earl Gales, Minnie Hadley-Hempstead, Ricky Ivie, Michael Lawson, Kellie Todd-Griffin, Yvonne Wheeler, State Senator Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer and Assemblymember Mike Gipson.
LACMA Hosts Obama Portraits and Black Americans Exhibit

The impressive paintings entitled Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, as created by Amy Sherald, and Barack Obama, as visualized by Kehinde Wiley, will be open for public viewing at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The Black American Portraits exhibit, which contains two centuries of African American portraiture from LACMAs permanent collection, will also be on display.

The presentations kick-off on November 7 with an all-day open house at LACMAs main facility in L.A.s Miracle Mile district. The programming will feature conversations, music and other activities to engage all ages. L.A. Countys COVID-19 guidelines will be followed as well.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Obama Portraits Tour and Black American Portraits present an exciting opportunity to share programs that encourage conversations on the power of portraiture, said Naima J. Keith, LACMA vice president of Education and Programs. Created in the spirit of LACMAs mission to bring audiences together through art, the lineup includes an array of programs, ranging from virtual artist conversations, a special Poetry in Color Virtual Slam, art classes, and virtual Andell Family Sundays Anytime to a film series celebrating Black joy and resilience. There will be something for everyone to enjoy.

The Smithsonians National Portrait Gallery arranged the The Obama Portraits Tour, which will be available to view through January 2, 2022. The Black American Portraits can be viewed through April 17, 2022. General admission tickets for the two exhibitions and the November 7 Open House are available at lacma.org/gettickets. Also, the website offers advance all-day free access tickets for Tuesday, November 9; Saturday, November 20; and Tuesday, December 14.

In addition, LACMA plans supplementary programs inspired by the theme of portraiture. The Black Joy and Resilience Film Series takes place from November 8 to December 17. The virtual event presents screenings and discussions about the films Miss Juneteenth, Homeroom, My Name is Pauli Murray, Passing and Summer of Soul. The series is free, however, reservations are required.

5 Questions, 5 Artists: Reframing Portraiture opens November 9 through December 15 via Zoom and includes conversations between artists and LACMA curators and educators. The participating artists are Jordan Casteel, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Lyle Ashton Harris, Lezley Saar and Titus Kaphar.

An Interdisciplinary Writing Workshop is set for Tuesday, November 16 via Zoom. Participants will listen to music, read poetry, examine works of art and perform writing exercises. The topics will cover the Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights, Black Power, and Black Lives Matter movements. Dr. Tiffany E. Barber and celeste oaks will facilitate the program.

Also on November 16, LACMA teaching artist Elonda Norris will emcee a free virtual art discussion aimed at enlightening caregivers and individuals afflicted with early-stage dementia or Alzheimers.

On Monday, November 22, Lonnie G. Bunch III, Smithsonian secretary, and Michael Govan, LACMA CEO, will discuss The Obama Portraits Tour and the Smithsonians recent launch of Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past, which explores the history and legacy of race and racism.

A special edition of Poetry in Color on December 16 will highlight original poetry inspired by President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama. The Zoom program features teen participants from the Art Institute of Chicago: Ashlee Haze, Jasmine Mans, Nkosi Nkululeko, Joy Priest, and Yazmin Monet Watkins. Tonya Ingram will serve as host.

Andell Family Sundays Anytime is comprised of activities that families can do together such as music, dance, art, and storytelling. The activities are available on LACMAs YouTube channel and Unframed blog anytime for on-demand activities.

ADVERTISEMENT

Black Joy in Art, scheduled for December 5, 12, 19, and 26, includes interactive floral fantasy photo booths created by artist Maurice Harris of Bloom & Plume and an artist conversation with Amy Sherald.

Complete details and information on all programs can be viewed at lacma.org.
Living the Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer: Sharing and Shaping Ourselves in Struggle

There is no greater honor or higher praise we can offer our ancestors than to try as best we can to live the legacy of good they have left us. Indeed, they are for each and all of us models and mirrors, examples of our best ideas and practices and essential means by which we measure and assess ourselves and ask and determine where we are and how we stand. Indeed, this relationship with our ancestors as guiding lights reminds us of the prayerful request for guidance and support from the ancestors found in the Husia in the Book of Coming Forth by Day which says, Ancestors, give me your hands. For I am this divine one who came into being through you. Surely, they have brought us into being and we need their guiding light lifted high above the horizon, so that we can anchor and orient ourselves and continue on the upward and onward paths they have opened up for us.

In this the month of October Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, (October 6, 1917), revered freedom fighter and human rights activist, wife and companion in struggle of Perry Pap Hamer and daughter of James Lee and Lou Ella Townsend unavoidably emerges as a compelling model and clear mirror for us as we strive and struggle ever upward and onward to bring, increase and sustain good in the world. And her life and teachings are a legacy worthy of the most careful consideration and emulation. So, again and always, we raise and reflect on the life she lived, the work she did, and the righteous struggle she waged for African and human good and the well-being of the world. And we learn that we must share and shape ourselves in the process and practice of struggle. Thus, we who are conscious and committed again raise our hands in rightful homage to this wonder of an African woman, this womanist, warrior and way opener, in this month of her coming-into-being to bring a great and enduring good in the world.

If we are to live the legacy of lessons she has left us, let us in the spirit of remembering and honoring her and all our ancestors begin with her teaching about memory, the obligation to remember. She teaches us that, There are two things we all should care about  never to forget where we came from and always praise the bridges that carried us over. This raises five interrelated lessons of remembrance, identity and place, achievement, gratitude and obligation. In Kawaida, we usually sum up these lessons under the category of the morality of remembrance, the ethical and intellectual obligation to remember. But I want to further engage this teaching by discussing other aspects of it.

ADVERTISEMENT

When Mrs. Hamer tells us we should not forget, she is stressing the need to remember, for remembering is key to what it means to be human, aware and responsible. She says to us we should not forget where we came from. This is an issue of identity and place, for our identity is tied to where we come from, geographically, socially and culturally. When people ask you where you from, they are trying to identify you. Our coming from Africa and Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia or Detroit contributes to how we understand and assert ourselves in the world as Mrs. Hamer discovered in Africa. Also, coming from below and rising upwards is another way to identify ourselves, especially as an oppressed people, struggling constantly upward and onward to free and be ourselves.

Here, Mrs. Hamer seems also to be saying that if you have risen up, do not deny it or diminish its importance, but count your blessings, give thanks and keep going upward and onward. But also, it suggests we should not forget those still struggling to move upward and onward. Still, we must appreciate our achievements and build on them. Sometimes the oppressor and naysayers can make us doubt and deny our achievements in our personal and collective work and struggle. But we must affirm ourselves, value our victories and find meaning and beauty in our lives and work. As always, our oppressor cannot be our teacher. We must reach deep inside ourselves and bring forth each day the best what it means to be us, African and human in the world.

Mrs. Hamer also asks us to always praise the bridges that carried us over. This is the call for gratitude and the honor that goes with it. We must always be grateful for the good given us, the good we achieve and the good shared with us. So, we praise the Most High, the ancestors and all the living who bought us into being, nurtured us, supported and sustained us and taught us dignity-affirming, life-enhancing and world-preserving ways to walk, work, struggle, love and live in the world. And here we realize we are obligated to return the good given, to share with others the good received and open ways for others as has been done for us. It is an ethical obligation to our ancestors, those living and those yet to come.

Mrs. Hamer also left the living legacy of freeing ourselves and being ourselves by walking off the plantation. She says in 1962, Nobody knew I existed . . . and I didnt know them either. Then one day the thirty-first of August, I walked off the plantation. This speaks of her and our freeing ourselves from physical and psychological sites that imprison and oppress us. It means freeing ourselves from the social death and status of being artificial absentees from our own history and returning to our own history and culture in good, creative and beautiful ways.

Also, she left us the legacy of critical questioning of America, she urged us to question America to relieve it of its self-congratulatory illusions; it claims to be free, brave and equal; its lying and hypocrisy; and its denial of our human rights and rightful quest to live as decent human beings. And she wants us to question ourselves and what America might have made us in contradiction to our best values and the choice we have for liberation. For even before Kawaida coined the contention, she knew We are America by habit and African by choice. And thus, we must think deeply, choose rightly and act freely each day.

As a womanist concerned with the liberation of our people as a comprehensive, collective and inseparable project, Mrs. Hamer left us the legacy of the indispensability of a principled and equal partnership, between Black women and men in life, love, work, and struggle. She tells a group of Black women, the need is not to fight to liberate ourselves from the men . . . but to walk together with Black men. Indeed, she stated, Im not fighting to liberate myself from the Black man. I got a husband I dont want to be liberated from. But we are here to work side by side with this Black man in trying to bring liberation to all people.

ADVERTISEMENT

Finally, Mrs. Hamer also leaves us the legacy of righteous keeper of the faith, who believed in a divinely assigned mission to empower the people, support the poor and vulnerable, heal the sick and suffering, free the captive, and struggle for social and racial justice everywhere. We serve God by serving our fellow man (and woman), she taught, especially the poor, vulnerable, oppressed and suffering. Her faith taught her to believe in the eventual triumph of change for the good. And she says, One day I know the struggle will bring change, not only for Mississippi and the U.S., but for the whole world. Thus, she asks us not to get weary, waylaid or become vulnerable to compromise in the struggle. For Too many have given their lives to end this evil. And it is a continuing this righteous and relentless struggle for a great and ever-expanding good in the world that we rightfully remember where we came from and praise through transformative practice the sturdy, steadfast and awesome bridges that have carried and continue to carry us over.

Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of Kwanzaa; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis, www.AfricanAmericanCulturalCenter-LA.org; www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org
Pastor William H. Turner Opened the Door on an era of leadership at New Revelations

In March of 2022, Dr. William Turner Jr. will retire as Senior Pastor of New Revelation Missionary Baptist Church of Pasadena. The Iconic Pastor is saying goodbye to the only church he has ever pastored after better than Fifty-Years Years of leadership in the greater Pasadena Community. Ecclesiastes 3rd chapter says, there is a time and a season for all things, and Pastor Turner is no exception. He joins several iconic local Pastors which have decided that their time had come, and it was time to pass on the ministerial torch. Dr. Turner announced to his congregants that as of March 2022 I will hand over the reins of a very fruitful ministry, with a great edifice, to Gods next chosen man for leadership. There comes a time that New Revelation needs a new voice, a new direction and a new vision. He pronounced So, Turner will hand the reigns of the church that he built both physically as well as spiritually, to a new pastor.

Pastor Turner has used an iconic style of preaching and a no non-sense ministry to move barriers of injustice throughout the City of Pasadena. He laid a foundation and gave a voice to the voiceless throughout Pasadenas African American community. But Turners voice was much louder than just the local Pasadena community. He impacted and touched lives throughout the region and uplifted the Christian community nationwide.

ADVERTISEMENT

Since 1967, Dr. William Turner, Jr. has been guiding the ministry of New Revelations and built the church located on Pasadenas historic Orange Grove Blvd. into a beacon of hope and an institution within the city. He along with his church members and community volunteers built the church sanctuary which now seats almost 1000 congregants. Along with the sanctuary, Turner has increased the capacity of the entire New Revelations facility which now includes a middle school, a resource development center, a family services facility, the churches business offices an activity center and a full-size gymnasium. Pastor Turners mantra and vision has always been Until the Whole Man Is Served, Our Mission Remains. He believed the role of the church extends beyond the faith community, with its Spiritual Revelations, but also the Social-Economic Empowerment of its residents. The members of New Revelation Missionary Baptist Church are grateful to God and Glorify his Holy Name for assigning to them a leader of Good Report, Full of Wisdom and Full of the Holy Ghost, to shepherd them for 57 years. It is indeed an end of an era.

During Pastor Turners tenure, the church has seen a plethora of accomplishments. New Revelation was the first Africa American Church to receive a $100,000.00 loan from Prudential Insurance Company for the construction of New Revelations as well as the enlargement of the churchs facilities. Under Turners leadership the church has also purchased several properties in Pasadena which became sites for community-based programs within in the community. Pastor Turner is also known as a pioneer in church transportation, purchasing a 48 seat Grey Hound Bus for the New Revelation Transit Services, that served the membership as well as neighboring churches, businesses, and organizations in the greater Los Angeles area and abroad. Turner has served on both state and national boards within the Baptist convention, serving as President of Western Baptist State Convention and as a Vice-President of the National Baptist Convention USA where his impact has been felt Globally.

Despite an ability or a desire to extrapolate his many accomplishments over fifty-seven years, Pastor Turner says his greatest achievement is his place in the Lambs Book of Life. He boasts of nothing except being a humble servant of God, who made full proof of his ministry and fulfilled his divine appointment to his purpose on this earth. Turner says he has tried to live his life from the words of his favorite negro spiritual; If I can help somebody as I travel along. If I can cheer somebody with a word or a song. If I can show somebody he is traveling wrong, then my living shall not be in vain. Turner says that he has lived a full life and at this point the only achievement he would truly desire, is to hear God the Father say, Well Done, Thy Good and Faithful Servant, Come on Up to the Place Ive Prepared for You.

Pastor Turner has fought a good fight, he has finished his course, he has kept the faith. We as the Christian Community and the members of New Revelation Missionary Baptist Church, do salute you today, and say, Job Well Done. The sermons you have preached, the leadership you have given, the numerous men you have mentored, and the example of reaching toward a Christian Standard, will never be forgotten. Thank You Pastor William Turner Jr. As you prepare to pass the torch, we acknowledge your 50 years of toting that same torch and representing the cause of Christ. We will miss you, among the ranks. Your legacy is well in takt. May God Bless your next endeavors as you continue to press toward the mark of a higher calling in Christ Jesus.
Reported: L.A. Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas will Step Back From Civic Duties

There have been multiple reports confirming Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas will step back from responsibilities as a councilmember, but not resign from the role. The councilmember is facing troubling allegations, painting a picture of bribery between Ridley-Thomas and the University of Southern California (USC), with the councilmembers son sitting at the core.

Ridley-Thomas was accused of corruption, labeled as a bribery scheme, outlining an array of special amenities that his son, Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, would receive from USC. In a quid pro quo deal, Council member Ridley-Thomas allegedly agreed to provide financial support and contracts from the county that would align with the needs of the university.

Representing USC was Marilyn Louise Flynn, a former tenured professor and dean of the schools social work department. It has been reported through L.A. Times, she agreed to look over the admission of Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, with his tuition waived, paid professorship, and alleged funnel for funds associated with campaigns by Ridley-Thomas, to be overseen by the councilmembers son during the time of the tenure.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ridley-Thomas spoke out about his role in public service on Friday, Deadline captured the councilmember saying, I have no intention of resigning my seat on the City Council or neglecting my duties. Doing so would be to the detriment of the people I serve, and I have no intention of leaving my constituents without a voice on matters that directly affect their well-being. Going forward, I intend to do two things: disprove the allegations leveled at me and continue the work I was elected to do  most importantly, addressing the homeless and housing crisis.

The recent allegations are tethered to a time Ridley-Thomas served on the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. The Los Angeles Sentinel has covered his career throughout his term in public service.

As a county Supervisor, Ridley-Thomas held meetings that were focused on establishing an anti-racist Los Angeles County policy agenda, during the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Amid those socially distanced moments, Ridley-Thomas led discussions to help the community and provided supplies needed to waiver this viral pandemic. In May of 2020, Ridley-Thomas rallied for unincorporated areas to receive 1.8 million dollars in federally funded emergency rental assistance.

Areas under the second-district authority include Athens, East and West Rancho Dominguez, Florence Firestone, Ladera Heights, Lennox, View Park, Windsor Hills, and Willowbrook. Ridley-Thomas traveled for several weeks and passed out over 10,000 masks to essential workers across those areas.

When the pandemic reached over 200,000 cases, masks were in high demand. Most of the protective equipment (PPE) were reserved for medical centers and first responders. Jobs in underserved communities were left with even fewer preventative resources. This environment left them exposed to the risk of community transmission. Ridley-Thomas acknowledged the vulnerability people of color were facing and the essential responsibility to work during COVID-19.

ADVERTISEMENT

Recently, Councilmember Ridley-Thomas confirmed he would not be running for city mayor on August 16. Revisiting his statement from Twitter, the councilmember said, After much careful consideration, I have decided not to run for the office of Mayor of Los Angeles.

Ridley-Thomas continued, I want to focus on homelessness. Of course, homelessness encompasses many issues: poverty, housing policy, environmental justice, racial equity, public safety, public health etc. Thats why its so complex.

As of October 19, fellow council members made plans to vote on the immediate suspension of Ridley-Thomas. According to a report from City News Service, the motion was brought to the floor by Council President Nury Martinez and supported by Councilman Mitch OFarrell.

Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin announced that if the council voted to suspend Ridley-Thomas that he will strip Mark Ridley-Thomas of his salary and benefits and that No one indicted for public corruption and suspended by the City Council should receive a taxpayer-funded salary.
Research Exposes Continued Student Trauma As Schools Reopen

In California we had a crisis with lack of student mental health support long before the pandemic. Now it is even worse. It comes as no surprise that the pandemic has created more stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues for our children. While student mental health issues have always been there, access to school-based mental health professionals is often hard to find. California has one of the highest students-to-counselor ratios in the nation (622:1). This is nearly three times the national recommendation. Counselor-to-student ratios at elementary schools are even higher. Some K-5 schools may not even a school counselor at all. The school counseling profession has been sounding the alarm for years. California needs to make student mental health a priority. In fact there has been an increase in the number of students with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Yet funding for school-based mental health support remains low. Not only cutting short school counselors, but also school psychologists, school social workers, and school nurses.

Even as students return to school in person, many still deal with trauma related to the pandemic. A recent study was conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the California Association of School Counselors (CASC), and the Center to Close the Opportunity Gap. It highlights how far we are from the challenges that students face when it comes to mental health. In the report, students were asked to rate their mental health on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is poor and 10 is very good. Before the pandemic, 1 in 3 students surveyed rated their mental wellness below a 5. That is not good. Since the pandemic, almost twice as many students rated their mental wellness below a 5. That is nearly twice as bad. The report also found nearly half of those surveyed are nervous about returning to school. That is also twice as many as before the pandemic. There is much to be done to address student mental health. Schools need to hire additional staff. Mental health professionals think the pandemic mental health problems may last for another 2 years. We cannot afford to fail our children.

ADVERTISEMENT

Working as a high school counselor in Southern California, I am present as students are returning to school. Some students display outward excitement and resilience. But many others come to my office with signs of stress, anxiety, and fear. I have not seen anything like this in my 11 years as a counselor. One common theme Im finding is the concern of academic success as students struggle with the learning loss over the last school year. While one particular student worries about moving ahead in math, another worries about advancing in Spanish. Both shared their lack of confidence in the foundation set with the preceding course. Now imagine these feelings compounded with grief as 1 in 3 of students who completed our survey said theyve lost a loved one. As a school counselor, I actively listen and validate feelings. Then I reassure them that we continue to navigate the experiences of the pandemic together. And lastly I assure them that the support they seek will be there as the year gets underway.

The ACLU report makes it clear the pandemic has caused a hard-to-wrap-our-heads-around level of student need. We will have even more challenges to face as an educational system to address its the many complex layers of stress from the pandemic. To help students get back on track, the federal government and the state of California have both made huge investments in education and student mental health. We commend these efforts and hope they are sustained for the wellness of our students.

As we progress through a new school year, counselors will be busy. We expect over 3,000 new school counselors will be added to Californias Workforce. Hopefully this will be get Californias student to counselor ratios closer to the national averages. This is important so that school counselors are able to reach more students who need even more mental health help through this pandemic and beyond. Counselors provide classroom lessons, small group counseling, individual support, and more. These services help to support the social and emotional development of students. Seasoned and newly hired school counselors will be tasked with determining the level of need for each student. This will not be an easy task. Looking ahead, the state and federal financial investment is a first step. This investment can bring the needed systemic change for our schools. Then our schools will not only be the hub for academic learning, but the hub for supporting mental health, while developing socially and emotionally thriving children and youth. And they are our future.

To read the full fact sheet, please click here: State of Student Wellness 2021: The Impact of The Pandemic on Student Mental Health

https://aclucalaction.org/sw
Ridley-Thomas Suspended from LA Council, Hours Before Not Guilty Plea

City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was suspended from office by a divided Los Angeles City Council today, hours before he entered a not-guilty plea to federal bribery and conspiracy charges stemming from his time serving on the county Board of Supervisors.

Ridley-Thomas did not attend the downtown Los Angeles arraignment hearing in person, but entered his plea via video. A status conference in his case was set for Nov. 1, and a tentative trial date of Dec. 14. In a statement, the councilmans attorney, Michael Proctor, said, Today marks Day One of due process for Mark Ridley-Thomas.

While some have rushed to judgment, perhaps for political gain, we all win when we afford our brother and sisters the constitutional entitlement to the presumption of innocence, Proctor said. Our lifelong public servant Mark Ridley-Thomas said today in court that he is innocent; I invite our community to breathe life into that right. The motion to suspend Ridley-Thomas from the council was introduced Tuesday by Council President Nury Martinez and seconded by Councilman Mitch OFarrell, the council president pro tem.

ADVERTISEMENT

The trial on the indictment has yet to take place and a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty; however, a council member who has been charged with public corruption cannot continue to exercise the powers of city office and preserve public trust, the motion stated.

Following the vote, Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin suspended Ridley-Thomas salary and benefits, saying he will not use city money to pay the salary of an elected official facing federal bribery and fraud charges who is now legally unable to do his job. Ridley-Thomas earns more than $223,800 as a council member, equating to a biweekly salary of $8,575.84, according to Galperins office.

Councilmen Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Curren Price and Mike Bonin opposed the suspension. Bonin urged the City Council to not even consider the suspension on Wednesday, saying it was too early and that the council hadnt considered the full range of options, as the indictment is only a week old.

Having read this indictment, having known Mr. Ridley-Thomas for 30 years, I think it is important to give him the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to defend himself before we rush to judgment, Bonin said.   For me, that 30-year career certainly justifies giving Mr. Ridley-Thomas the benefit of the doubt, hearing his defense and letting this be adjudicated before we rush to judgment and conduct what really is a political conviction.

Bonin added that the suspension would be disenfranchising the 10th district, which voted Ridley-Thomas into office last year. Harris-Dawson added that many constituents already knew about the allegations against Ridley-Thomas and voted for him anyway, as did members of the L.A. City Council, many of whom endorsed Ridley-Thomas. Many of the allegations in the indictment were reported by the Los Angeles Times in 2018.

Price said before the vote that his office has been inundated with calls of support for Ridley-Thomas from South L.A. residents. I choose to operate from a position of fairness, respect and decency, and I refuse to slaughter the reputation of someone whos got a 40- year track record of dedicated public service, Price said.

ADVERTISEMENT

He added that the charges dont involve Ridley-Thomas work for the city, echoing an argument made by Proctor in a letter to the Los Angeles City Attorneys Office Wednesday morning. Proctor told City Attorney Mike Feuer in that letter there was no legal basis for suspending the councilman, and he would explore any and all legal action challenging a suspension.

Simply put, there are no allegations that involve Council member Ridley-Thomas work as a city official, Proctor wrote in the letter. Ridley-Thomas said in a statement after his suspension that he was humbled by the support of my colleagues who did not rush to judgment and disappointed in those who did.

He accused the other 11 council members of stripping his constituents of their representation, of their voice and of their right to the services that they deserve. He also reiterated that he would fight the charges and clear his name. Ridley-Thomas announced Monday that while he refuses to resign his seat, he was stepping back from his council duties and would not be attending full council or committee meetings.

The 20-count indictment filed in Los Angeles federal court last week alleges that then-Supervisor Ridley-Thomas conspired with Marilyn Louise Flynn, 83, former dean of USCs School of Social Work, who prosecutors claim agreed to provide Ridley-Thomas son with graduate school admission, a full-tuition scholarship and a paid professorship at the university. She also allegedly arranged to funnel a $100,000 donation from Ridley-Thomas campaign funds through the university to a nonprofit to be operated by his son, former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas.

In exchange, the indictment alleges, Ridley-Thomas supported county contracts involving the School of Social Work, including lucrative deals to provide services to the county Department of Children and Family Services and Probation Department, as well as an amendment to a contract with the Department of Mental Health that would bring the school millions of dollars in new revenue.

According to the indictment, the activities occurred in 2017-18, beginning when Sebastian Ridley-Thomas was the subject of an internal sexual harassment investigation in the Assembly, likely to resign from elected office and significantly in debt. Sebastian Ridley-Thomas resigned from the Assembly in 2017, although he insisted at the time that his departure was due to health reasons, not a sexual harassment probe.

Sebastian Ridley-Thomas later became a professor of social work and public policy at USC  despite lacking a graduate degree. He was later terminated over questions about his original appointment and university concerns about the $100,000 that was donated from his fathers campaign funds to the School of Social Work, then directed to a nonprofit run by Sebastian Ridley-Thomas. Flynn is scheduled to be arraigned Monday. Attorneys for both defendants have denied any wrongdoing.

Proctor said last week that at no point in Ridley-Thomas political career, not as a member of the City Council, the state Legislature or the Board of Supervisors has he abused his position for personal gain. Mark Ridley-Thomas has been in public service for 30 years, and his actions have been open to public scrutiny for a full three decades. Over those 30 years, he has demonstrated the quality of his character.

Flynns attorney, Vicki I. Podberesky, said, Marilyn Flynn has devoted her entire professional life to the field of social work. She has spent over 45 years in academia and has worked tirelessly for the improvement and betterment of the social welfare network in Los Angeles and around the country. Ms. Flynn has not committed any crime and we believe that the evidence in this case will ultimately support this conclusion.

During Wednesdays arraignment for Ridley-Thomas, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth C. Pinkel said the councilman is very comfortable with how much power he can wield in L.A. She added that he is a politician bartering millions of dollars of taxpayer money to get what he wanted for himself and his family.

The 66-year-old Ridley-Thomas is a giant figure in local politics, previously serving on the Los Angeles City Council from 1991-2002, then serving in the state Assembly and state Senate before he was elected to the powerful county Board of Supervisors in 2008, serving until 2020 when he returned to the City Council.

Local civil rights activists have called for patience in responding to the federal charges against Ridley-Thomas. A group of activists and residents held a news conference Wednesday morning to speak out against the councils effort to suspend him, noting that he has already agreed to step back from council activities, and the suspension would leave the districts residents without an elected representative.

Suspending Ridley-Thomas comes at a critical time for his 10th district and the council as a whole, which is in the midst of a redistricting process that could dramatically alter the districts boundaries. The district includes areas such as Arlington Heights, Koreatown, Leimert Park, Gramercy Park, Mid-City, Wilshire Center and Baldwin Village.
Taste of Soul Day of Service & Soul Gives to 2,000 Families

On Saturday, October 16, the Taste of Soul Family Festival Day of Service & Soul (TOS) took place in the service island in front of the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper located at 3800 S. Crenshaw Blvd. Since 2020, the annual festival has been modified from its usual 350,000-plus community fanfare to a drive-thru only community service giveaway. The drive-thru modification keeps the event COVID safe and follows public health regulations.

Presented by Bakewell Media and the L.A. Sentinel in partnership with Mothers In Action, The Brotherhood Crusade and non-profit partners, the event provided 2,000 families-in-need with free groceries, clothing, personal hygiene items, PPE supplies, mental health and physical health services. According to Sentinel staff, the line for the drive-thru went past the 10 freeway with the event running past the noon deadline until all the supplies were gone. The event also received well over 100 volunteers filling hundreds of cars with goods and groceries.

Were so honored and humbled people have come out and supported the Day of Service & Soul because this is something that we should do not only because its on the birthday of Taste of Soul and in place of Taste of Soul because of COVID but, its the right thing to do and thats what we have to train, not only ourselves but, our community to do the same thing, said Founder/Creator of Taste of Soul, Danny J. Bakewell, Sr.

ADVERTISEMENT

He continued, The people who we are helping today, they need help tomorrow and if were going to really be stewards of how to help our community, weve got to do it every day not just certain days.

Taste of Soul is always a beautiful day of collaboration, said Pamela Bakewell, COO The Bakewell Company. We get a chance to give back to our community.

So, its all about love, respect, fun and feeding families this year.

Taste of Soul is Los Angeles, said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who celebrated his last Taste of Soul as mayor at this weekends event. This is our biggest, our best and this year, during a pandemic were stepping up not only to be the soul of Los Angeles but, to show the soul of L.A.

Garcetti continued, Its not just about the soul food, its about the souls inside each one of us, how we give back. Thank you to the Bakewells, thank you to everybody who steps up, steps forward, our labor partners, thank you to Curren Price, thank you to everybody for proving Los Angeles is a city where everybody belongs.

Thats a Taste of Soul.

The Taste of Soul is a historic event in our community, said Assemblymember Isaac Bryan. We all look forward to it every year. I was wondering what we were going to do this year coming out of COVID and the drive-thru idea keeps everybody safe and still gets the community all the resources we deserve and need so, a lot of love for the Bakewells and the Sentinel.

A special thanks goes out to grocery providers: The LA Food Bank and Community Build. TOS also thanks Dulans on Crenshaw, Hotville Chicken, Earles on Crenshaw, Mels Fish, The District by GS, Chef Marilyns Soul Food Kitchen and Harold & Belles for the hot meals provided. Special thanks to Pie on the Fly, a Black-owned pizza maker, who donated lunch to all of the volunteers and partners on site with personalized, freshly made and prepared covid safe.

ADVERTISEMENT

Special thanks to TOS Chairs Mayor Eric Garcetti, Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Councilmembers Marqueece Harris Dawson, Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Curren Price. Special thanks to Co-Chairs Congressmember Karen Bass, Senators Steve Bradford and Sydney Kamlager, Assemblymembers Reggie Jones-Sawyer, Mike Gipson, Autumn Burke and Isaac Bryan, LAUSD 1, George McKenna, Pat Harvey, CBS2/KCAL9 Anchor and Law Firm: Ivie, McNeill, Wyatt, Purcell & Diggs.

TOS would like to thank its partners: The Bakewell Company, the Los Angeles Sentinel, Mothers in Action, Brotherhood Crusade, the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, Radio Free KJLH 102.3 FM, 94.7 the WAVE and CBS2/KCAL9.

TOS sends a special thanks to its sponsors: Metro, Chase Bank, SEIU 2015, California Teachers Association/UTLA, LADWP, Metropolitan Water District, South Coast AQMD, Kaiser Permanente, LA County, Bank of America, Cedars-Sinai, Airbnb, City National Bank, Community Build, LA World Airports, US Bank, Westfield, Boeing, AT&T, Dodgers Foundation, Acts Inspired by Mookie (AIM), Disney, Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation and Lee Andrews Group, The LA Food Bank, the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, Labor Community Services, UDW, AFGE, Teamsters Black Caucus, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Able Solutions, Quality Equipment Rentals, National Action Network of Los Angeles and Orange County, Avenues of Life, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Black Womens Democratic Club, SEIU 721, SEIU 2015. Sponsors and partners can be found at www.tasteofsoul.org

Were here today because we care about our community, were here today to lift up all those that have been marginalized for decades, were right here in the heart, the heartbeat of Los Angelesright here in the Crenshaw Corridor, said Cecily Myart-Cruz president, United Teachers Los Angeles.

And it is our time to continue to stand up and continue to fight for those that are the most marginalized for our students, for our community, for our labor unions and our families.

The community turned out in a long procession line of cars to receive much-needed goods and services. Some of those waiting in line took time to speak with the Sentinel including the first person to enter the Day of Service & Soul drive-thru who had been waiting since 2:45AM.

I am the first in line for the 2021 Taste of Soulboom! said A.J. along with her riding companion, Donna. Good morning everyone.

When asked why she was here and about waiting until the event started, she responded, It was fun, it was enjoyment, we got to be together, we got to walk to Dennys this morning, we got coffee, we came back, we associated with the police, we were a community this morning and thats what were trying to get back to from this pandemic.

The upbeat and spirited A.J. left everyone with this, The early bird gets the worm young people.

The early bird gets the worm!

TOS would also like to thank all of the volunteers that came out to make the Taste of Soul Day of Service & Soul a complete success.
The Deconstruction of American Democracy

The State of Texas has become the model of how to kill democracy, enhance voter suppression, expand open carry gun laws in spite of mass murder at a Walmart store, ban abortions and gerrymander future election districts to reduce Black and Brown voter influence in the election of office holders. This is the state that placed bounties of $10,000 on the heads of all those aiding and abetting abortions in the state. All while reducing the number of voting sites and collection boxes for ballot returns.

Add these state legislative actions to a Donald Trump-appointed majority on the United States Supreme Court, along with a Mitch McConnell bottle neck of the United States Senates Republican membership, and the United States has gone from a Constitutional form of government with a three branch check and balance system to a one party Congress and a President that can not get any legislation to his desk because the Senate refuses to act, just because it can. This is a Senate Republican Party that refuses to act on any legislative agenda of this President, a Democrat, just as it did with President Obama, also a Democrat.

The connecting link in all this is that the parties refusing to act are mostly conservative White male and some female Republicans. Although these people, as office holders on the state and national levels, have taken an Oath of Office to protect and defend their Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, their allegiance to Donald Trump, the man, is greater than to the offices they hold.

ADVERTISEMENT

When the Congress no longer works under the Constitution that created it, because men have abandoned what it stands for as evidenced by Republican behavior towards a man rather than their office; when the U.S. Supreme Court has been stacked with men and women more loyal to the idea of White Privilege than to democracy and the balance of power they are supposed to represent; when states elect as their legislative voice men and women who owe allegiance to the idea of White Privilege over our constitutional form of government, then we have deconstructed democracy in favor of autocracy.

Our only hope to save democracy rests in the fact that there are more of us than them. We can vote them out of office if we work at it, and value what we have enough to sacrifice and fight for it. Where do you stand?
Venice, Italy, is known for its beautiful buildings and waterways, or canals. But the way that the 1,600-year-old city was built makes it especially at risk of damage from sea-level rise.

Rising sea levels are increasing the number of floods during high tides. And for many years, Venice has been slowly sinking.

Climate scientists and world leaders plan to meet later this month in Scotland for a major United Nations climate conference. They will be thinking of the future of coastal cities like Venice.

Last month, the European Geosciences Union released a new study on Venice. It found that the Italian city could see a sea-level rise of 120 centimeters by the end of the century. That is 50 percent higher than the worst-case average that U.N. scientists have predicted for worldwide rising sea levels by 2100.

One of the most famous places in Venice is St. Marks Basilica. The religious building sits at Venices lowest area. It offers scientists a chance to observe the effects of rising seas on the city. The square floods during an 80-centimeter rise. Water gets into the building itself at 88 centimeters.

Carlo Alberto Tesserin is the buildings chief caretaker. He told The Associated Press that flooding no longer happens from time to time. He said, It is an everyday occurrence.

Floods above 1.1 meters are called acqua alta, or high water. Venice has experienced 163 such floods in the past 20 years. That is almost as many as the city faced during the 100 years before that.

Exceptional floods over 140 centimeters are also increasing. That mark has been hit 25 times since Venice started keeping records in 1872. Two-thirds happened in the last 20 years. One-fifth happened during a disastrous flooding period in late 2019.

The Venice Water Authority built a special system of moveable underwater barriers to help protect the city. The system is known as MOSE. The project cost nearly $7 billion. It has faced many years of cost overruns, delays and corruption and is still officially in the testing phase.

Since October 2020, MOSEs barriers have been raised 20 times. The system currently protects the cities from some but not all floods.

Elisabetta Spitz is one of the head officials of the project. She said the projects completion has been delayed until 2023. She said $580 million in spending for improvements will make sure of its long-term effectiveness.

Paolo Vielmo is an engineer. He notes that when MOSE was first proposed, sea-level rise was projected at 22 centimeters. That is far below U.N. scientists current worst-case prediction of 80 centimeters.

Current plans say that MOSE barriers will not raise for floods of 1.1 meters until the project receives final approval. That leaves St. Marks Basilica in danger.

Annapaola Lavena has a business along the square in front of St. Marks. She and other business owners there increasingly see themselves at the center of the climate crisis.

The acqua alta is getting worse, and it completely blocks business. Venice lives thanks to its artisans and tourism. If there is no more tourism, Venice dies, she said.

We have a great responsibility in trying to save it, Lavena added,  but we are suffering a lot.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Colleen Barry reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

tide  n. the regular upward and downward movement of the level of the ocean that is caused by the pull of the Sun and the Moon on the Earth

occurrence  n. something that happens

phase  n. a part or step in a process: one part in a series of related events or actions

tourism  n. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure

responsibility  n. a duty or task that you are required or expected to do
A Mexican nonprofit, Reinserta, released a report last Wednesday about children in cartels. They talked with 89 imprisoned minors across Mexico. Reinserta works to prevent children from becoming recruited by drug cartels. They also find ways to rebuild the lives of those who have already been recruited.

Of the 89 minors, 67 of them said they had been actively involved with cartels. They joined at an average age of between 13 and 15. All of them had left school and, at some point, began using firearms.

Drug cartels find people under 18 useful. They get less attention and cannot be charged as adults. At first, they are used for street-level drug sales and as lookouts. But often, they quickly move up to become killers.

Mexican laws permit sentences of between three and five years for most young criminals. This means almost all of them leave prison before they are 21.

Marina Flores is a researcher for Reinserta. She said the study suggests that some common ideas about children in drug cartels are not true.

Children who join cartels almost always use drugs and leave, or are forced to leave school before they join.

However, membership in a local street gang no longer appears to be the pathway to joining a cartel. Cartels in Mexico are now recruiting children as soon as they leave school.

Flores said, street gangs are not a previous step for them joining organized crime. She continued, we are finding out that as soon as they are taken out of school, they immediately go into organized crime.

The Network for Childrens Rights in Mexico says that, between 2000 and 2019 in Mexico, 21,000 people under 18 were murdered in Mexico and 7,000 disappeared.

The group estimates that some 30,000 children had been recruited by 2019.



Reinserta says children are often recruited by other children. Drug use is one way to recruit them. Cartels also use religious beliefs and a sense of belonging these children cannot find in other places. Combinations of poverty, abusive homes and unresponsive schools and social agencies are also causes.

Reinserta says there are many ways to prevent children from joining cartels, including increased early attention to children, more activities, more chances to learn and working to prevent violence at home. The group also proposes creating a national list of children recruited by cartels, increased attention to mental health and early and effective treatment of addiction.

Jacobo carried out a murder for a cartel when he was 12. He told his story to Reinserta. His full name was not given due to his age and fear of the gangs.

He said, They go around looking for kids who are out on the streets and need money. At 12 years old, I became sort of a hired killer.

A neighbor asked me, Do you want to earn money? Jacobo explained.

His family needed the money. But the $1,500 he earned did not last long. He started using drugs, in part to quiet his mind from what he was doing.

From the age of 14, he was torturing and killing members of enemy cartels.

Then, the cartel ordered him to murder someone publicly. He refused and went into hiding. The cartel asked to meet him.

When I showed up to the meeting place, they started shooting me, Jacobo said. He was left for dead. Luckily, he survived and is now serving a four-year sentence for murder as a child.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Mark Stevenson reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor.

__________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

cartel  n. a group of businesses that agree to fix prices so they all will make more money

recruit  v. to find suitable people and get them to join a company, an organization, or the armed forces

gang  n. a group of criminals

previous  adj. earlier in time or order

addiction  n. a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)

kid  n. a young person, a child

hire  v. to give work or a job to (someone) in exchange for wages or a salary

get rid of  phr. v. to do something so that you no longer have or are affected or bothered by (something or someone that is unwanted)




Inside a candy store in New York City, a collection of items are grouped together. Besides being candy, these items have something else in common: They went viral on TikTok.

Take for example, a soft, fruit-flavored candy. Last year, a flood of TikTok videos showed people biting into the candy. So, store workers at ItSugar urged the company to buy a lot more of the candy to sell.

Its a good thing they did.

The candy sold so well that ItSugar decided to make TikTok part of its overall sales plan. The chain now has signs advertising the video app in its many stores. Goods from TikTok make up five percent to 10 percent of weekly sales.

Chris Lindstedt is the assistant vice president of merchandising at the nearly 100 stores of the ItSugar chain. When talking to The Associated Press recently, he said those weekly sales numbers are crazy.

With 1 billion users worldwide, TikTok is an app best known for dancing videos. But it has also become amazingly good at selling things. The hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has gotten more than 5 billion views on TikTok.

In the United States, national chains are setting up TikTok areas. Their goal is to get TikToks mostly young users into stores.

At the bookstore Barnes & Noble, #BookTok signs advertise certain books. The book suggestions on TikTok have pushed some books up the bestseller list. Amazon has an area on its site called Internet Famous. There, buyers can find products that are popular on TikTok.

It is hard to know what will becomes the next TikTok viral video. Also how TikTok decides who gets to see certain videos remains a mystery. Companies are often completely surprised when their product becomes popular.

Take for example, the Kate Spade company. Jenny Campbell is the chief marketing officer. She told the AP that earlier this year, she was confused. Why did searches for heart increase on the companys website?

The cause was a 60-second video on TikTok posted by 22-year-old Nathalie Covarrubias.

In the video, the young woman from Salinas, California, talked about how much she loved a pink, heart-shaped Kate Spade bag. Then, others did the same. Soon, the $300 heart-shaped purse sold out.

I couldnt believe it, said Covarrubias, because I wasnt trying to advertise the bag.

The Kate Spade Valentines Day purse was supposed to be sold for a limited time only. But, because of TikTok, it is now sold throughout the year in different colors and materials.

Covarrubias was not paid to post the video. But the company sent her free items in exchange for posting another TikTok video when the purse was back in stores. That video was marked as an advertisement. Besides free stuff, sometimes the companies pay TikTok creators to appear in advertisements. Or the company buys ads on TikTok.

Hana Ben-Shabat is the founder of Gen Z Planet, an advisory company. It looks at the habits and behaviors of the generation born between the late 1990s and 2016.

She says that TikTok is a powerful purchasing tool for Gen Z because TikTok creators seem real. She compared this to Instagram, where the goal is to post the most perfect-looking image. Users trust the recommendations on TikTok, Ben-Shabat said: This is a real person, telling me a real story.



TikTok, along with other tech companies like Snapchat, is preparing to challenge Facebook as a social-shopping powerhouse.

Shopping on social media sites is known as social commerce. It is a $37-billion -a-year market in the United States. That mostly comes from Instagram and its parent company Facebook, reports the research firm eMarketer. By the end of 2025, that number is expected to more than double, to $80 billion.

Last month, TikTok began testing a way for sellers to set up a store within the app. This will allow users to buy products directly on the app.

TikTok has said that more is coming. It may operate more like Douyin, TikToks sister app in China. Douyin permits users to find and buy products without leaving the app  just like you can on Facebook and Instagram.

TikToks general manager is Sandie Hawkins. She works with companies to help them increase sales. Hawkins told the AP that over the past year we have seen a new kind of shopping experience come to life thats been driven by the TikTok community,

Were excited to continue listening to our community, she said, building ways to help them find and buy the products they love.

Im Anna Matteo.

This story was reported by The Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor.

__________________________________________________

Words in This Story

candy -n. a sweet food made with sugar or chocolate

chain -n. a group of businesses that have the same name and sell the same products or services

merchandising -n. the activity of trying to sell goods or services by advertising them or displaying them attractively

purse -n. a usually leather or cloth bag used by women for carrying money and personal things

habit -n. a usual way of behaving : something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way

recommendation -n. the act of saying that someone or something is good and deserves to be chosen : a suggestion about what should be done

powerhouse -n. one or something having great power
Experts say there are a few types of key coverage everybody needs  even young adults like me.
The cities had alleged they'd been sold a bill of goods when an an experimental technology for wastewater treatment was touted as something that worked.
In the letter, the ACLU said the girl had "allegedly participated in drawing an offensive sketch of a student in response to that student bullying her."
Lewiston, ID (83501)

Today

Rain likely. High 43F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 34F. Winds light and variable.
Eight custody deputies and two police officers were treated Wednesday after being exposed to fentanyl at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail, according to a spokeswoman.

The incident was reported shortly after 1 p.m. and involved eight Sheriff's Office custody deputies, and an individual who was in the process of getting booked into the Main Jail by two arresting officers with the Santa Barbara Police Department, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Raquel Zick.

The exposure occurred within the gated area outside of the facility at 4436 Calle Real in Santa Barbara, Zick added.

The deputies, officers and the individual did not appear to show symptoms of exposure but were treated as a precaution, according to Zick.

County Fire Department and American Medical Response personnel assisted in the incident.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that's used to treat pain and is "50 to 100 times more potent than morphine," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Drug Enforcement Agency says some illegal fentanyl is also manufactured in clandestine labs in Mexico and can be disguised as a "highly potent" form of heroin. It's manufactured in many forms, including powder and in pills.

Santa Barbara County reported 16 opioid-related deaths, 192 emergency room visits and 92 hospitalizations related to opioid overdoses in 2020, according to California Department of Public Health data.
The father and son charged in the 1996 death and disappearance of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart pleaded not guilty for a second time during a hearing last week in which a judge also set a trial start date for April.

Paul Flores, 44, of San Pedro is charged with the first-degree murder of Smart. His father, 80-year-old Ruben Flores of Arroyo Grande is charged with accessory after the fact and is accused of burying Smarts body under the backyard deck of his residence in the 700 block of White Court.

Both men appeared before San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Craig Van Rooyen, who on Sept. 22 determined there was sufficient probable cause to uphold the charges after a lengthy preliminary hearing that began on Aug. 2.

The suspects had to enter pleas for a second time due to the fact that charges had to be refiled after being upheld in order for the case to proceed to trial. They initially pleaded not guilty on April 19.

The arraignment on information hearing held Oct. 20 began a 60-day countdown within which Paul and Ruben Flores are entitled to have a "speedy" jury trial. They both agreed to waive that right, however, and Van Rooyen set a tentative trial date for April 25.

A closed in-chambers conference between the judge, attorneys and the defendants lasting about an hour preceded the Oct. 20 hearing before the court was opened for the public portion of the hearing, which lasted a little less than 10 minutes.

Paul Flores is represented by attorney Bob Sanger, while attorney Harold Mesick represents Ruben Flores.

During the hearing, Sanger said he picked the April trial date due to pretrial matters and other issues that are going to come up between now and the trials commencement.

Chambers discussions also included issues regarding sharing of discovery, according to Sanger, who added that he intends to file a motion to dismiss charges no later than Dec. 17.

Additionally, Sanger asked about whether the court will utilize Zoom for some, but not all future hearings, and the judge affirmed before setting a December court date.

In addition, Van Rooyen set a readiness conference date for April 6.

An intoxicated Smart was last seen with Paul Flores near the intersection of Perimeter Road and Grande Avenue, just steps away from their dorms, at about 2 a.m. on May 25, 1996, according to witness Cheryl Manzer, who walked with them from an off-campus party before she split from the pair.

Smart was never seen again and was declared legally dead in 2002. Her body has never been found.

The investigation into Smarts disappearance lasted nearly 25 years before the arrests of the suspects and included numerous search warrants, the use of wiretaps and an FBI informant.

Paul and Ruben Flores were arrested at their respective residences on April 13 and charged the next day following a series of search warrants at the White Court residence in March and April, including on March 15 and 16, when Sheriffs Office investigators utilized cadaver dogs, ground-penetrating radar and an archeologist.

In addition to the murder charge, Paul Flores is accused of killing Smart while he tried to rape her in his Santa Lucia Hall dorm room, according to a complaint filed by District Attorney Dan Dow.

The dog handlers, ground-penetrating radar operator, archeologist, family and college friends were among the numerous witnesses called by Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle to testify at the preliminary hearing, which also included evidence that soil samples taken from dig sites under Ruben Flores deck allegedly tested positive for the presence of human blood or bodily fluids, although tests did not indicate the presence of any DNA.

Jamilyn Holman, a neighbor of Ruben Flores, testified about a Feb. 9, 2020, occurrence in which she witnessed and took pictures of a trailer that was seen parked in the area near his houses back deck and allegedly was used to transport Smarts remains following a search warrant days earlier.

Paul and Ruben Flores are next scheduled to appear by Zoom for a pretrial conference at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 6 in Superior Court's Department 5.
A Lompoc man was arrested Tuesday and charged on suspicion of sexually abusing children in an investigation that reportedly include incidents going back to early 2000s, according to a Santa Barbara County sheriff's spokeswoman on Friday.
Watch the cruise, see the show

West Coast Kustoms will bring its Cruisin Nationals to the Santa Maria Fairpark for a two-day show Oct. 23 and 24, with a cruise up and down South Broadway set for 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 22.

The show will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, when awards will be presented, and will include an estimated 600 custom pre-1965 American-made cars on display.

Live music, a model car show with a 1950s Fords theme, an art exhibit, the Brush Bash for pinstriping artists to benefit the Alzheimers Association, a Hall of Fame autograph session with some of the legends of customizing, food and merchandise vendors and an expanded two-day auto parts swap meet.

Admission is $15 for those age 11 and older, $10 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for military personnel with ID and free for kids 10 and younger.

A $3 discount applies to adult and senior tickets available in advance from all California OReilly Auto Parts stores, including those at 1790 N. Broadway and 2053-A S. Broadway in Santa Maria and 4854 S. Bradley Road, Suite 102, in Orcutt.

For more information, visit www.westcoastkustoms.com, www.santamariafairpark.com/events or https://santamaria.com.
Aron Solomon, JD, is the Head of Strategy for Esquire Digital and editor of Todays Esquire. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania and was the founder of LegalX, the worlds first legal technology accelerator. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
A patient being on one of these meds does not necessarily mean its incorrect, said Tom Elliott, a pharmacist on Epics clinical informatics team who served on the second independent team studying the data.

This isn't a hard and fast rule. They are guidelines, Elliott said, noting that every patient is different. But it is something that you can reference at the time of ordering, or as you continually monitor a patient's therapy to see if there is an opportunity to use a different agent, or to not use that agent in the first place.

The researchers only did not study the use of medications that the Beers list says may be problematic only in some cases, for example when a senior has a common health problem or is already taking certain other medications. They also excluded medications administered during hospital stays, doctors visits, hospice or palliative care.

Sometimes, Mast said, a senior taking a Beers list medication will experience side effects and then start taking one or more additional medications to treat those side effects, increasing their total number of chronic medications. According to the American Geriatric Society, 40% of people 65 and older take five to nine medications and 18% take 10 or more.
Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required!

Stay logged in to skip the surveys.
Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them.

"Mr. Bannon's own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of -- and may well have been involved in -- the planning of everything that played out on that day," Cheney said ahead of the vote. "The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did."

Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will pursue the charges, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress' power to call witnesses and demand information.

While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries.
While all leaders want to minimize the impact of soaring energy prices on their populations, they differ on how to do it.

Entering Thursdays summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the issue of soaring energy prices should be differentiated from the long-term fight against climate change.

I think that we should react calmly; we in Germany will do so in any case, she said.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country is among those that are helping households and businesses foot rising power bills. But he added that long-term solutions must also be found.

And in the long term, there is only one solution  invest more in renewable energy so we are less vulnerable to price fluctuations for fossil fuels, he said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blamed the hike specifically on the Commissions Green Deal plans that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and making the bloc carbon neutral by 2050.

The current crisis has reignited a debate on whether the EU should promote nuclear power projects as a way of becoming more energy independent. That could be done by making them eligible for billions of euros as part of the European Green Deal and coronavirus recovery fund.
What he said

Here's a transcript of comments by Epic Systems Corp. president Carl Dvorak during a meeting with the companys Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council to determine the groups charter.

The one-minute recording, which contains no context like who Dvorak was speaking to or what else was said, was posted on the social media site Reddit. Its source is unknown.

I can see that sometimes theres going to be an effort to be lobbyists of, to be kind of groupthink. 'Lets band together and force the company.' I dont see that as part of a role for DEI.

"If anything, I actually see this teams partial responsibility is to expunge that from the workplace, refocus people to go to their community efforts around those topics, those issues, but not to allow or to encourage or even to turn a blind eye to misuse of company time and resources.

"Its OK to have passions, but not here. This isnt a platform to fight for your social cause, not the platform to fight for any cause, really, other than the cause of we come together and work. This comes from their years of watching what happens.

"Theres just a moment where you have to say work is work. Personal life is personal life. You ought to say no to a whole bunch of stuff thats happening right now because some of its good and interesting and appropriate for your personal endeavors. Its not part of our endeavor here.
The owners of Madisons Ale Asylum are toasting the companys imminent sale, but the brewerys co-founder, Otto Dilba, said hes not allowed to disclose who the buyers are.

He said he expects the handoff to be seamless with no interruptions in production or in the operation of the brewpub. An auction to sell the brewerys equipment and other assets this month has been canceled.

Dilba said a nondisclosure agreement prevents him from saying who the buyers are, but he said theyre from the area. He said theyre a group of people acting as one entity, but wouldnt reveal if theyre already in the brewing business.

He said the deal will be finalized by the end of the year at the latest. Were all very excited, he said. The goal is to stay in place.

A top priority for the new owners and for him and co-founder Dean Coffey is to keep Ale Asylum employees in their same positions. Weve got a great staff, a lot of loyalty, amazing people, Dilba said.

Dilba and Coffey will continue working for the company in their same positions, Coffey as president and brewmaster, and Dilba as vice president, secretary and treasurer. Our positions and our daily focuses will remain the same, he said.
That was not my goal when I went into teaching and it was not my goal when I started on this course of behavior, Kruchten wrote. My goal was not a collection of child pornography. My interest in these voyeuristic videos was not to capture students engaged in sex acts, my interest was the same (as) it was with my grandparents, and my pets and my wife  to see what people do when Im not there.

However, he wrote, it would be a lie to say there was zero sexual component.

But I want you and everyone to know that my motivations were not that of a pedophile, Kruchten wrote. I was not spying on everyone in my life just in hopes of getting nude images of teenage girls. I believe I would never hurt anyone intentionally, but the reality is I put my need for adrenaline and fulfilling inappropriate curiosities above the potential impact on the victims and their families.

He said he knows he can never fix what he did but hopes for forgiveness.

Im truly sorry. he wrote.

Early in the case, Kruchten wrote, he had tried to write apologies to people he had wronged, but his attorneys advised him against delivering them while the case was pending. But on the eve of his sentencing, he wrote, sending them now seems manipulative.
While the shot wasnt aimed toward McKinley or any other officers, McKinley testified, it could have struck any of a number of people who were on State Street that night. He said he didnt know where the shot ended up.

Officers were able to get the gun away from Richardson and handcuff him, McKinley testified. McKinley sustained minor arm and leg injuries during the struggle, he said.

McKinley was not asked about another shot fired during the incident that struck an officer.

Local activists have criticized police for implying by omission in its first statements on the incident that Richardson shot an officer. On Monday, more than a week after the incident, the state Department of Justice, which is investigating the officer-involved shooting, finally said the officer was shot by another officer, Keith Brown.

Brown has been put on leave until the DOJ investigation is finished. The officer who was shot, who has not been identified, has since been released from a hospital, the DOJ said.

Until Monday, Madison police and the DOJ had declined to provide any information about the incident beyond what was released on Oct. 10 or what was contained in a criminal complaint and probable cause affidavit filed in court on Oct. 12, which did not address the officer shooting at all.
Among other Dane County districts:

Belleville: Between 2% and 3% of students opted out of exams, 55% below proficient in English Language Arts, 57% below proficient in Math, 41% below proficient in Science and 44% below proficient in Social Studies.

Cambridge: Between 10% and 15% of students opted out of exams, 49% below proficient in English Language Arts, 49% below proficient in Math, 23% below proficient in Science and 38% below proficient in Social Studies.

De Forest: Between 17% and 18% of students opted out of exams, 51% below proficient in English Language Arts, 50% below proficient in Math, 33% below proficient in Science and 37% below proficient in Social Studies.

Marshall: Between 6% and 14% of students opted out of exams, 65% below proficient in English Language Arts, 73% below proficient in Math, 55% below proficient in Science and 52% below proficient in Social Studies.

McFarland: Between 19% and 25% of students opted out of exams, 51% below proficient in English Language Arts, 56% below proficient in Math, 39% below proficient in Science and 42% below proficient in Social Studies.

Middleton-Cross Plaines: Between 13% and 23% of students opted out of exams, 39% below proficient in English Language Arts, 41% below proficient in Math, 25% below proficient in Science and 23% below proficient in Social Studies.

Monona Grove: Between 36% and 50% of students opted out of exams, 34% below proficient in English Language Arts, 38% below proficient in Math, 22% below proficient in Science and 19% below proficient in Social Studies.

Mount Horeb: Between 11% and 15% of students opted out of exams, 40% below proficient in English Language Arts, 46% below proficient in Math, 29% below proficient in Science and 33% below proficient in Social Studies.

Oregon: Between 14% and 21% of students opted out of exams, 46% below proficient in English Language Arts, 49% below proficient in Math, 28% below proficient in Science and 32% below proficient in Social Studies.

Stoughton: Between 8% and 14% of students opted out of exams, 57% below proficient in English Language Arts, 61% below proficient in Math, 46% below proficient in Science and 42% below proficient in Social Studies.

Sun Prairie: Between 20% and 21% of students opted out of exams, 52% below proficient in English Language Arts, 51% below proficient in Math, 41% below proficient in Science and 40% below proficient in Social Studies.

Verona: Between 25% and 33% of students opted out of exams, 42% below proficient in English Language Arts, 44% below proficient in Math, 33% below proficient in Science and 27% below proficient in Social Studies.

Waunakee: Between 12% and 23% of students opted out of exams, 41% below proficient in English Language Arts, 32% below proficient in Math, 21% below proficient in Science and 23% below proficient in Social Studies.

Wisconsin Heights: Between 2% and 3% of students opted out of exams, 46% below proficient in English Language Arts, 54% below proficient in Math, 31% below proficient in Science and 28% below proficient in Social Studies.
DNR parks director Steven Schmelzer and Missy VanLanduyt, the recreational partnerships section chief, set up an Aug. 5 meeting at the park with two representatives of the Friends group, according to court documents and DNR records.

Our intent is to hopefully meet at the park on Tuesday or Thursday afternoon with just Steve and I, with you and perhaps one or two other board members if youd like, VanLanduyt wrote in an email to Friends president Willi Van Haren. We dont intend to bring our attorney and would like to keep this a casual conversation.

At the start of the meeting, according to the complaint, Schmelzer said if the Friends did not drop the groups court challenge by Aug. 17, the agency would terminate its operating agreement, ending a decades-long partnership through which the Friends have raised more than $1 million to support the park.

There are a lot of words to describe the WDNRs conduct at this meeting: intimidation and retaliation are a couple that come to mind, the Friends attorney, Brian Potts, wrote in an August letter to Gov. Tony Evers and state Attorney General Josh Kaul. The bottom line is that this kind of behavior is not just illegal; it should have no place in our state government.

Silver bullet memo
Dont expect any more favors from the College of Mom and Dad. Amherst College is ending its use of legacy admissions, a policy that for decades has given a leg up to applicants who are the children of alumni.

Its a move that aims to make the admissions process fairer for lower-income students and those who are the first in their families to go to college. Other universities with low acceptance rates have committed to expanding access to those groups of students, but Amherst is among the first to take this particular step.

Now is the time to end this historic program that inadvertently limits educational opportunity, Biddy Martin, president of the private liberal arts college, said in a press release. We want to create as much opportunity for as many academically talented young people as possible, regardless of financial background or legacy status.

The college admitted 11% of applicants last year, making it one of the most competitive colleges in the country. On the whole, about 11% of Amhersts current student body are legacy admits.

A Student Loan is a smart way of covering your college costs. There's no shortage of expenses in college life. Get the help you need with a Student Loan. Click on your state to find out more today.

Advocates for fairer college admissions have long taken aim at the practice of legacy admissions. Amhersts announcement comes after more intense scrutiny in recent years, and criticism around the college admissions bribery scandal in 2019 and a high-profile trial in 2018 that revealed many details on Harvard Universitys admissions practices. (A court ruled in favor of Harvard last year.)

Martin, the Amherst president, told the Wall Street Journal, that she recognizes theres a risk some alumni may be offended by this decision. But its also possible more recent graduates will welcome it: Earlier this year, a Brown University graduate launched a campaign to recruit other young alumni pledging not to donate to their alma maters until they eliminate legacy admissions.

The boost that legacy status provides can be significant at colleges that reject tens of thousands of applicants every year. One researcher has estimated, based on a sampling of colleges that used legacy admissions, that children of alumni are about three times more likely to be admitted than their non-legacy peers.

That reinforces inequities in higher education by helping white and wealthy students, whose families have had access to college for generations, according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. The nonprofit research organization pushed for ending legacy admissions this year as part of a report on more equitable recruitment and admissions practices.

Could the end of legacy admissions at Amherst start a trend?

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore ended legacy admissions in 2019, and other elite colleges, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology, do not consider legacy status. Earlier this year, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a law that bans legacy admissions at state colleges and universities.

But those colleges are more the exception than the rule. Roughly four in 10 private, nonprofit colleges consider legacy status in their admissions decisions, according to a 2019 report from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. And the practice is more common at the colleges that are hardest to get into  about 75% of colleges that admit fewer than a quarter of applicants consider legacy status. (About 14% of public universities do.)

Amhersts policy change, which comes with a roughly 18% increase in financial aid for low- and middle-income students, may push other competitive liberal arts colleges (like the nearby Williams College) to re-consider their legacy applicants. But Amherst alone is unlikely to bring a quick downfall to a practice with long roots in higher education: College officials whove defended legacy admissions say that the applicants who are admitted as legacies are no less qualified than others, and that the policy is important for alumni relations and fundraising.

With the increased financial aid, Amherst estimates it will be able to offer scholarships to about 60% of the student body, and that one in six current students will see their aid increase by more than $5,000 a year.

Need some financial aid to cover tuition? A Student Loan can help. When you need a hand to cover the many costs that come with higher education, a Student Loan is a good option. Click below for more information.

More from Money:

 Copyright 2021 Ad Practitioners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This article originally appeared on Money.com and may contain affiliate links for which Money receives compensation. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's alone, not those of a third-party entity, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For more information, read Moneys full disclaimer.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
BURLEY  The pandemic has been hard on many businesses, especially ones that require in-person activities like bowling. But a Burley alley used the pandemic to its advantage, and now has doubled its staff to keep up with the demand for its pizzas.

The Snake River Bowl has also added a private bowling party area and dine-in restaurant for the lovers of its made-from-scratch Puders Pizza.

The business started delivering its pizzas for the first time after the pandemic started and Our pizza sales just went nuts, co-owner Justin Studer said.

Although the pandemic wasnt great for bowling, the restaurant side really took off, he said.

For every 10 pizzas the business sold, they donated one pizza to frontline workers at hospitals and other places.

Eventually that came to 3,000 pizzas, Studer said.

The donations allowed many more people who didnt know the pizza existed or had not tried it for years to discover they loved it, he said.

The pizza, which is made fresh in-house, has undergone a lot of refinement over the years.

The business has planned the building upgrades for years, but when the restaurant numbers blew up, Studer said, they pushed harder to get the projects completed.

In December, they remodeled all the bathrooms and put new flooring in the bowling seating area and added a game room with an arcade. This summer they sacrificed a bowling lane to add a wall and create a seven-lane VIP party area.

The party space has glass garage doors that can be opened to the dining area and the new dining space has its own outside entrance on the west side of the building for people who just want to pop in for a quick pie.

Along with specialty pizzas like Carnivore, Herbivore and Shrimp on the Barbie, they offer dessert pizzas featuring Oreo cookies and peach cobbler. The restaurant also offers personal-sized pizzas, appetizers like Macho Nacho and Texas Cheese Sticks, along with a variety of oven-baked sandwiches, salads, hamburgers and a childrens menu.

The $7 lunch special includes a personal three-topping pizza and a trip to the salad bar.

On an average month, Studer said, they sell 4,000 to 5,000 pizzas  and that means using about 2,400 pounds of cheese.

Studer said the best-selling pizza is their loaded pizza with all the toppings.

Pre-pandemic, he said, the business employed 14 people. It now has a staff of 28 and needs couple more full-time employees and four more part-time ones.

The dining area seats 64, which can be expanded up to 80 and the party area accommodates 70 people, so combined the space will accommodate 150 people.

Studer became part owner of the company in 2010 and bought his father out in 2016.

Around 2010, when Dominos Pizza in Burley went out of business they purchased the equipment and began Puders Pizza.

We did it not knowing anything about pizza or what works and we were constantly changing it, Studer said. Now we are back there making dough every day.

When Studer took over the company, food provided 15% of the revenues. Today it provides 60%.

Studers father, Wally Studer, opened Snake River Bowl in 2000 in partnership with Marty Holland, and he later bought out Holland, who has since passed away.

But Wally Studer was not a newcomer to the bowling game when he opened Snake River Bowl.

He previously owned Rupert Bowl, which he purchased in 1988, and closed when Snake River Bowl was built.

Wally still works at the bowling alley.

I always hoped it would grow like this, Wally Studer said. I attribute the growth to the things Justin did at the start of the pandemic.

For a few years, Wally said, North Burley did not look like a great place for a business, as Kmart closed its doors and the nearby mall deteriorated.

Since then, the mall property was purchased by local investors and revamped and there are a lot of new businesses in the area.

I always knew it would work, Wally said, I just didnt know it work this well.

The bowling alley routinely brings in school children to learn to bowl and he says that helps continually develop future customers.

Now, Wally said, he is content to just work at the bowling alley, instead of running it.

Its not my monkeys and not my circus anymore, he said displaying a wide smile. Im just along for the ride.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
BOISE  An Idaho deputy attorney general advised Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachins office to release public records pertaining to her education task force to an Idaho Capital Sun reporter as soon as possible on June 7, and told McGeachins chief of staff that only one exemption could likely survive a lawsuit: redacting the names of minors.

The advice came more than a month before the Idaho Press Club sued McGeachin over the records related to her panels investigation of indoctrination in Idaho schools. Jordan Watters, McGeachins chief of staff, released the email to the Idaho Statesman on Sunday night in response to a public records request.

At a press conference last week, McGeachin and attorney general candidate Art Macomber both said the Idaho Attorney Generals Office was to blame for McGeachins court loss. A judge ordered McGeachin to pay the Press Clubs legal costs, and McGeachin is now asking taxpayers to cover those costs.

The June 7 email shows legal advice the AGs office provided on a public records request filed by reporter Audrey Dutton. Deputy Attorney General Rachel Kolts recommended that McGeachins office review records for any redactions and provide them to Dutton as soon as possible and no later than the end of the business day tomorrow.

Kolts also told Watters that the only exemption that applied would be one to protect a minors name. She wrote that a legislative exemption had been discussed previously but was no longer applicable because of the makeup of the task force.

If you disagree with our advice, you may wish to seek a second opinion from other counsel, Kolts wrote.

McGeachin on Thursday displayed a piece of paper that she said was the June 7 email. She said it showed that the AGs office would no longer defend their position because of the composition of the task force, which had been publicly known for more than one month, and that the office welcomed her to seek a second opinion.

After the press conference last week, she did not share the document and didnt take questions from reporters.

The initial list of task force members was released May 20. The AG offices letter indicates that its previous analysis on public records and a legislative exemption was provided prior to the task force being named and convened. The group, which had over a dozen members, wound up with just one legislator on it, Rep. Priscilla Giddings.

Macomber blamed AG Lawrence Wasden for McGeachins loss and said she was given bad advice. He also said McGeachin could lose 60% of her offices budget paying the legal fees and said the attorney general should be responsible for the costs. Macomber didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

AG spokesperson Scott Graf said last week that the lawsuit, lieutenant governors loss in court and resulting costs were all a result of independent decisions made by the lieutenant governor in consultation with her chosen attorney after June 7. The AGs office declined additional comment this week.

This entire matter is an excellent demonstration of why government should seek legal counsel that it needs to hear instead of what it wants to hear, Graf said last week.

Legislative exemption does not apply, AGs office said

In the denial of Duttons records request in May, Watters told the Idaho Capital Sun that state law exempts from disclosure personal identifying information relating to a private citizen contained in a writing to or from a member of the Idaho Legislature.

Kolts referred to a prior legal analysis by the AG that included a legislative exemption, though its unclear when the prior legal analysis was issued or what it specifically said about the exemption. McGeachin said last week that communications with the AGs office began April 26, which was shortly after she announced her task force on indoctrination in schools. McGeachin said she acted on the AGs advice through June 6.

Kolts wrote in the June 7 letter that the legislative exemption no longer applied, after members of the task force were named and meetings began. The first meeting was in late May.

Based on what we now understand to be the construction and makeup of the task force, it does not appear to meet the criteria of the legislative exemption, Kolts wrote. She indicated that it was unlikely such an exemption could survive a challenge.

The Idaho Press Club sued McGeachin on July 19. Her office didnt release the records until Sept. 30, more than a month after the court ruling and shortly after the attorney for the Idaho Press Club filed a petition against her for contempt of court.

McGeachin was charged nearly $30,000 for the Idaho Press Clubs legal fees, according to the Press Club. She has requested an additional $50,000 in taxpayer money for her budget to cover legal costs associated with the suit. Its unclear how much her own attorneys have cost.

Judge Steven Hippler also ordered McGeachin to pay a $750 civil penalty for denying the records deliberately and in bad faith.

No fees, costs or fines would have been incurred had the lieutenant governor simply released the records when requested, as the law requires, the Idaho Press Club said in a statement last week.

Does attorney-client privilege apply after McGeachins press conference?

Watters released the June 7 email in response to a records request of all communications between McGeachins office and the AGs office regarding public records inquiries. It was the only communication released to the Statesman.

Communications between a client and attorney are exempt from public records laws, but that privilege sometimes no longer applies once the client discusses those communications publicly.

Watters said in an email that the lieutenant governor is not now, nor has she ever waived her attorney-client privilege regarding communication between her office and that of the attorney general. Watters didnt respond to a follow-up question about whether that privilege applies after a press conference discussing those communications, or after releasing a part of the communications.

In response to the same question, Graf said the lieutenant governor has invoked attorney-client privilege for other communications on this particular subject, and our office will honor her decision to do so.

Editors note: Many Idaho Statesman journalists are members of the Idaho Press Club. Opinion Editor Scott McIntosh is a Press Club board member and chairman of the First Amendment Committee. He was a signer of the original public records lawsuit in this case.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
WASHINGTON  President Joe Bidens choice to lead the National Park Service told a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday he would work to rebuild the agencys workforce, which has shrunk even as park attendance hits new records.

Charles F. Sams III, of Oregon, would be the first enrolled tribal member to lead the National Park Service. He is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

If agreed to by the full Senate, he would also be the first confirmed head of the National Park Service since January 2017.

He faced members of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, who asked for his commitment to improve specific parks and other NPS sites in their states.

National Parks Service faces labor issues as use hits record highs

Sams highlighted challenges with the National Park Service labor pool. The park service workforce is down from its peak, he said, while attendance has increased.

An agency web page shows permanent employment in 2020 was about 6% less than it was in 2010. Sams said the park service workforce has decreased 20% from several years ago.

Park attendance dropped from 327 million in 2019 to 237 million in 2020 as severe COVID-19 restrictions limited travel. But as outdoor recreation became seen as a safe alternative to other travel options, some parks, including Yellowstone, have set record monthly attendance records this year.

Sams said he would work to increase the workforce and improve morale, including by adding housing. He also said he would prioritize recruitment to boost staffing numbers.

The National Park Service cannot achieve its mission without a well-supported workforce, and Im committed to focusing on the caretaking of this mission, he said. Housing, staffing and other issues are impacting morale and deserve active attention.

Sams told Chairman Joe Manchin III, (D-W.Va.), that he would prioritize staffing and addressing the roughly $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog.

Sams also said he would work to improve the federal relationship with tribes, saying they should expect an open conversation with the federal government ahead of decision-making, not after the fact.

Sams is a member of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, a position he was appointed to by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. He also worked as the executive director of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and in other roles in tribal and state governments and nonprofit tribal and conservation groups.

Manchin said he expected Sams would be in office very quickly.

Senators pitch projects, identify problems for Sams to look at

Republicans on the panel didnt raise major objections to Sams, though ranking Republican John Barrasso of Wyoming said he was concerned Sams had never worked for the park service.

Other members of the committee asked Sams to commit to addressing issues at NPS sites in their states.

Sams told U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, (R-Mont.), he knew that some NPS employees in Montana commute more than 50 miles to their service stations and pledged again to improve housing options for parks employees.

Barrasso asked Sams to look into the $563 million maintenance backlog at Yellowstone National Park and $181 million backlog at Grand Teton National Park.

New Mexico Democrat Martin Heinrich said a lack of fencing was allowing cattle into the Valley Caldera National Preserve, disrupting wetlands, subalpine meadows and elk populations there.

Sams told U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, (D-Ariz.), the NPS could use funding from the Great American Outdoor Act, a law enacted last year that provides additional funding to national parks, to adapt boat ramps in Lake Mead for lower water levels.

Sams won an endorsement from his home state senator, Democrat Ron Wyden, who introduced the nominee Tuesday. Wyden called Sams a real leader and a role model for stewardship and conservation.

I cant think of anybody in America better and more qualified to do this than Chuck Sams, with his unique perspective as the first Native American to lead the park service, Wyden said. This is, frankly, long overdue.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Editors note: This feature ran Dec. 3, 2015, in the Times-News and at Magicvalley.com.

Three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan was a Twin Falls convert, newspapers said in 1907.

Bryan, a friend of Twin Falls founder I.B. Perrine, visited the valley numerous times  and even purchased land in Jerome.

In September 1907, 10 years after his first trip to Perrines Blue Lakes Ranch, Bryan returned to see his old friend.

He fished and hunted and boated and climbed over the rocks without a thought of the trials and triumphs of the past or of those to come, the Twin Falls News wrote.

Bryan, known as the Great Commoner, was the most sought-after orator of his time. During his visit, he spoke to hundreds of folks from an improvised stand in the court of the Hotel Perrine, on the west corner of Shoshone Avenue and Main Street, as the streets were then named.

Twin Falls warmly greeted Bryan. The court and the veranda were crowded and Main Street was packed with people for two blocks. The windows of all nearby buildings were filled with spectators.

Mr. Bryan felt at home, and he said so, the paper continued. He was treated like one of the family, as it were, and it pleased him to be so considered.

His remarks, the paper said, were filled with delicious bits of humor. Bryan also waxed with political correctness.

In no other country were women treated with the consideration which they receive in North America, he told the crowd.

And this, the paper asserted was the best proof of our advanced civilization.

The former Nebraska congressman unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. presidency in 1896, 1900 and 1908. Bryan, a Democrat, was named Secretary of State in 1913 under President Woodrow Wilson.

He is best remembered for opposing famed attorney Clarence Darrow in the so-called Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. An anti-evolutionist convinced that Darwinism undermined morality, Bryan represented the prosecution in a trumped-up case against science teacher John Scopes. Scopes volunteered to stand trial in what was the ACLUs challenge of Tennessees Butler Law, forbidding the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Bryan won the case for Tennessee, but the trial was a difficult one for the 65-year-old man. He died in his sleep five days after Scopes was found guilty. Two years later, the verdict was overturned on a technicality.

Bryan was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Hidden History: Nevada atom bomb explosions seen from southern Idaho Las Vegas casinos in the 1950s capitalized on the nuclear arms race by inviting visitors to watch atomic bombs explode in person. Some of the explosions were visible in Idaho.

Hidden History: Creative moonshiners defied Prohibition Stills were common in southern Idaho during Prohibition, but this one was unique.

Mychel Matthews is the senior reporter for the Times-News. The Hidden History feature runs every Thursday in the Times-News and at Magicvalley.com. If you have a question about something that may have historical significance, email Matthews at mmatthews@magicvalley.com.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
He wants to abolish it.

He freely admits it.

I dont think government should be in the education business, he wrote in 2019. It is the most virulent form of socialism (and indoctrination thereto) in America today. The predictable result has been higher costs, lower performance and a system that twists itself in knots to prove its educating kids when its not.

So why is the Idaho Freedom Foundation offering to assist you in selecting local school board members?

Of course, if that offer were sincere, the Freedom Foundation would help you decide which candidate would perform better at the tasks that really matter.

Such as implementing the mandates imposed by the Legislature and the State Board of Education.

Such as finding a way to offer quality programs in a state with the lowest level of per-pupil expenditures in the country. More often than not, that means finding a way to persuade patrons to voluntarily pay more property taxes to support academics and buildings.

Such as recruiting and retaining qualified teachers and staff in a job market where the Gem State typically finds itself at a disadvantage.

Such as finding ways to improve graduation rates and student test scores.

And such as serving as a conduit between local schools and their communities.

But those are not the Freedom Foundations priorities.

What the Freedom Foundation cares about, as reflected in its school board candidate questionnaire, is:

l Critical race theory and whether it differs from simply teaching history?  Critical race theory is a graduate-level concept that eludes most parents and even some public school teachers. But that hasnt stopped the Freedom Foundation from blowing on a dog whistle that discourages giving even a remotely accurate rendition of American history in the classroom.

l Social-emotional learning. However reasonable dealing with the emotional and social components of learning a year after COVID-19 forced so many children to spend a year isolated at home, the Freedom Foundations Anna Miller insists that the new goal of SEL is to divert all educational resources toward political activism and indoctrination.

l Sex education. State lawmakers have more to say about that than school board members. Just ask state Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, whos been trying to undermine it.

l The Idaho School Boards Associations recommendation that transgender students be allowed to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify. Never mind that on this question, the federal courts decide. The ISBA is passing along those rulings.

l Face masks and other COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Theres nothing new here. From the start of the pandemic, the Freedom Foundation has lobbied for the virus and against anything that might restrain it. And when called on it, the organization would rather change the topic and shift the blame to Idahos hospitals.

Idaho View: Will Idaho Democrats be there to stop McGeachin? Opinion: ...in her battle to claim the GOP gubernatorial nomination over Little in next springs Republican primary, McGeachin is betting her antics play to a far-right base that has been energized during this era of Donald Trump.

Across the state, some 236 school board seats are up for election next month and 185 of them are uncontested. Even so, as Idaho Education News reported, 179 candidates are running in the remaining competitive races  and that marks a notable increase in contests.

So far, fewer than 30 candidates answered Hoffmans questions. Within north central Idaho, Jon Lang of Lewiston as well as Larry Dunn, Bernadette B Edwards and Vincent Rundhaug of Mountain View School District filled out the questionnaire.

Is it any wonder? The school board candidate who responds faces a stark choice: Either get in bed with the Freedom Foundations agenda or risk retribution from the far right.

Nothing in this questionnaire helps voters, and it certainly doesnt help schools.All it does is conjure up wedge issues that polarize and divide. Who would do such a thing?

Someone who wants to get government out of the education business, thats who.  M.T.

Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 5
Nothing beats a good old-fashioned fish story.

Truth be told, we anglers get a bad rap. Most people seem conditioned to assume any good fish tale is either greatly exaggerated or made up entirely.

With any story, theres a little room for artistic license. And with any word-of-mouth tale, there is potential for details to stretch over time. But experience has taught me that most firsthand fishing accounts are authentic.

I once crossed paths with a fellow angler who shares my passion for telling fish stories. His name is Buddy Seiner, and after reading one of my columns online, he contacted me with a simple request: Would I be willing to meet up and talk fishing?

If only all requests in life were so easy to accommodate.

Buddy is an avid fisherman from South Dakota. His podcast project, Fish Stories, features fishing tales from all over the country. As stated on his website (fishstories.libsyn.com), Buddy believes all fish stories deserve to be told.

The Fish Stories portfolio is teeming with variety. Anyone with a good story to tell is welcome on the podcast, and completed episodes include chats with authors, professional anglers, weekend warriors and more. Each story is told with the passion and excitement that can only be felt by the angler who experienced it, and the published podcasts include fun extras and smooth production values.

When I met Buddy, he was in the midst of collecting podcast material on a western road trip. I invited him over for a chat on my patio.

We hit it off immediatelysharing a love for fishing, storytelling and the movie Grumpy Old Men is a great recipe for friendship. We talked for over an hour as I shared some of my most memorable angling adventures. There the surprise of my unexpected catch at Lake Mead. The triumph of my personal-best largemouth bass. The exciting variety of my Caribbean adventures in Belize. I even threw in one of my earliest childhood memories, catching and (eventually) releasing a pumpkinseed sunfish in peaceful Mio, Michigan.

Our backyard chat flew by, giving Buddy more material than he needed. But the final producta crisp, 20-minute podcast titled Luckyturned out great! Im not the only Idahoan featured on Fish Stories, either. Another episode stars Jim and Martha Schwartz, the charismatic owners of a private sturgeon lake in western Idaho.

Most of us cant go fishing every day, but reliving the excitement of our prized catches and memorable trips is the next-best thing. I would like to thank Buddy for including me in his projectand for the passion he puts into keeping our stories alive, one angler at a time. Tight lines!

Check out a local fishing podcast!

If you like fishing podcasts, be sure to check out the Southern Idaho Fishing Report, a local podcast designed to help anglers plan for their fishing trips. The show, hosted by Jeff Cullers, provides reports on weather, fish stocking and more. Im a regular guest on the program, which features appearances from local fishing personalities and experts. Listen to past episodes at southernidahofishing.com. The pod is also available through Amazon Music, Spotify and Buzzsprout.

Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The fourth prize and 15,000 euros ($17,000) was shared by Aimi Kobayashi of Japan and Poland's Jakub Kuszlik, who also won best mazurka performance prize and 5,000 euros. Italy's Leonora Armellini was awarded the fifth prize of 10,000 euros ($11,600), while the sixth prize and 7,000 euros ($8,000) went to Canadas J.J. Jun Li Bui.

The first prize was funded by the office of Poland's president, and other prizes were funded by the government, state culture institutions and by private individuals.

High ranking in the renowned competition opens the worlds top concert halls to the pianists and paves the way to recordings with best known record companies.

Jury head Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron said after the announcement that the level of the pianists was very high and made the award decisions very hard for the 17 jurors. She called the participants wonderful young people.

During the competition, she had said that apart from being excellent pianists, the participants should also show sensitivity and bring freshness to the music.

I try to look for a rapport between the performer and Chopin, Popowa-Zydron said in an interview. Music is a message from a person, and (the musicians) should know what kind of person Chopin was.
Penn Hall, one of the last major tracts of land still owned by Appalachian Power Co. at Smith Mountain Lake, will be going up for sale later this year.

The entire 356 acres of the property including more than 3 miles of lake frontage will be offered in the auction organized by Woltz & Associates. The sale will include 37 parcels with 29 lakefront lots in the Glade Hill community.

I dont know when I have sold lots or tracts of land this pretty, said Jim Woltz, president and owner of Woltz & Associates.

This will be the second major piece of land sold by Appalachian Power in recent years. In 2015, the power company sold 145 acres of land near Penhook known as the Kennedy property. Appalachian operates the Smith Mountain Project, which includes Smith Mountain Dam.

Woltz & Associates also organized the auction for the Kennedy property. A Charlotte-based group purchased more than 100 acres of the property which it is now developing.

Woltz said interest in Penn Hall has been similar to the Kennedy property. The property was purchased by developers and later became the Kennedy Shores community.
Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Many of our families have relatives who were touched by this awful disease in the past, said Brandi Behlke, president of the Rotary Club of Marion. The only way to completely eradicate the disease and to ensure that it does not come back is to erase the disease completely everywhere in the world. We are close. While we want to celebrate our progress, we need to close the gap.

Rotary has contributed more than $2.2 billion to ending polio since 1985. Last year, the Rotary Club of Marion raised more than $1,000 that were then matched help eradicate polio.

Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who unite and take action to create lasting change in communities around the globe. For more than 115 years, Rotarys people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to improve lives through service. From promoting literacy and peace to providing clean water and improving health care, Rotary members are always working to better the world.

Rotary Club of Marion support or hosts many civic events, such as the New Years Eve Celebration, the annual Christmas party for needy children in McDowell and the distribution of flash cards to students in McDowell.

Visit the Rotary Club of Marions Facebook page to learn more about the club, which meets Thursday at noon at the Marion Community Building. Visit endpolio.org to learn more about Rotary and the fight to eradicate polio.
WHAT HAPPENS IF HE RESIGNS?

If Fortenberry resigns from office this year or in the first seven months of 2022, state law would require the governor to schedule a special election within 90 days.

If he resigns between Aug. 1, 2022, and the Nov. 8, 2022, general election, the special election would coincide with that election.

In either case, the new GOP nominee would be chosen by members of the Nebraska Republican Partys State Central Committee. The Democratic nominee would be either the candidate who won the partys primary, if a primary was held, or someone who is chosen by that partys executive committee.

HOW DOES THIS CHANGE THE 2022 ELECTION?

Fortenberry's indictment could shake up the 2022 primary and general election in the 1st Congressional District.

No one from either major party has announced plans to run, but several names have been quietly floated among Republicans and Democrats as possible contenders.

Potential Republican primary challengers include Nebraska state Sens. Mike Flood, of Norfolk; Suzanne Geist, of Lincoln; Mike Hilgers, of Lincoln, and Julie Slama, of Sterling. Lt. Gov. Mike Foley and State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton are also seen as possible GOP candidates.
We live here together and we share the land and we share the air and share the water, she said. The better we communicate, the better our peoples will live.

At home, Zandberg has a long to-do list.

Israel has acknowledged it will fall short of the goal of the international community to reach zero net emissions by 2050. It expects to reduce emissions by 85% by that time. Environmentalists have cited a lack of political will by previous governments and the country's reliance on newly discovered natural gas for energy for the lower target.

Zandberg said this figure was calculated based largely on a situation inherited from previous governments. She also said Israel's relatively high population growth is an obstacle. And while Israel lags on its own renewable energy goals, she said the government is determined to help the world reach the zero-emissions target through its technology exports and to do more on the domestic front.

Thats our goal to close that gap, she said. "We are working on new climate legislation for the first time in the Israeli parliament. We are working on the series of implementation plans, how to take the low carbon economy governmental declaration and make it a reality in sectors of energy, transportation, waste, agriculture. So we are serious.
Thus, we (the USA) knew what was going on in Iraq. We knew what weapons Iraqis were using and what they were trying to make.

That backdrop probably affected the conclusions reached by the intelligence community in the run-up to the U.S.-led coalition that launched the invasion of Iraq in the Second Persian Gulf War and the later U.S.-led war against Iraq.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

I want to know where all the stuff went that Iraq didnt use against Iran. Was every tunnel, cave and sand hill was checked during the U.S. occupation of Iraq? The nuclear facilities were easy to locate, but can we completely write off chemicals and biologicals? Maybe, maybe not.

I think Colin Powell took a big hit for our country because the information leading to our national policy for the Iraq War was not as flawed as portrayed.

Im not offering a deep-state conspiracy theory here. We have enough of those already, and they have damaged our country militarily, socially, and politically.

Im just saying there was enough historical evidence to justify taking down Saddam Hussein and his regime. The evidence includes the purchase, manufacture and use of chemical weapons at the very least. We also know the regime was not opposed to murdering dissenters.
Scheme of the patient-specific computational workflow to predict the risk of device-related thrombus (DRT) formation after left atrial appendage occluder (LAAO) implantation. A: computerized tomography (CT) scan acquisition of whole left atrium (LA) and ultrasound (US) study with Doppler measurements at mitral valve (MV) level. B: 3D LA segmentation and model generation where finite volume analysis was performed. C: blood flow velocities and in silico indices like endothelial cell activation potential (ECAP) estimated from personalized computational fluid dynamics simulations. D: the risk factors predicting the presence of DRT were low velocities (< 0.20 m/s), and stagnated flow next to the device surface as well as high ECAP values (indicative of complex blood flow patterns and low wall shear stress). Credit: 2019 Sociedad Espanola de Cardiologia.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common arrhythmias, especially among the elderly, occurring in the left atrium. In addition, it increases the chances of suffering an embolism and, therefore stroke, from a clot or thrombus created in the left atrium that will travel to the brain.

Recently, a team of physicians and researchers from the BCN Medtech Unit at UPF, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, have corroborated that analyzing the patient's blood flow by means of simulation can help improve monitoring the problem or determine whether closer patient follow up is needed. The research has recently been disseminated in the form of two scientific articles published in Revista Espanola de Cardologia and in Mathematics.

Until a few years ago, the main treatment for this condition was based on anticoagulant pills that patients had to take every day, for ever. Aside from the inherent problems, many of those affected could not take these pills due to other illnesses or contraindications to treatment due to the risk of bleeding.

Currently, there is a surgical alternative called left atrial appendage closure. "It is a minimally invasive intervention that closes the left atrial appendage, the cavity where the thrombus forms, thanks to the placement of a small device that seals its contents," explains Jordi Mill, first author of the research and researcher with the UPF BCN Medtech Unit. He adds that "it is a good alternative as, the same or the next day, the patient can return to normal life and need no longer take anticoagulants."

Despite this, "some of these patients operated on develop thrombi on the surface of the installed device and, therefore, continue to have the problem we wish to avoid." To resolve this, a study was conducted that analyzed differences in blood flow pattern in three patients who had developed a thrombus due to the installation of the device and in three patients who had not.

The differences in blood flow pattern found between the two groups, through the simulations, have been quite clear and have corroborated the hypotheses held by the physicians: certain positions of the device favor flow recirculation and stagnation at low speeds and, therefore, the risk of thrombus formation.

The medical community believed that the cause of the problem was the way in which the device is positioned, since, depending on the orientation it favors areas of blood flow stagnation and low-speed recirculation that would trigger the thrombus formation process. This theory, however, "is difficult to verify with current medical images because they are not of sufficiently high resolution to detect these flow patterns near the implanted device," Jordi Mill comments.

The differences in blood flow pattern found between the two groups, through the simulations, have been quite clear and have corroborated the hypotheses held by the physicians: certain positions of the device favor flow recirculation and stagnation at low speeds and, therefore, the risk of thrombus formation.

Dr. Dabit Arzamendi, from the Department of Cardiology of the Hospital de la Santa Creu y Sant Pau, remarks that "this study can have an important clinical impact to improve the subsequent treatment that patients will receive." Despite this, Dr. Xavier Freixa, from the Department of Cardiology at Hospital Clinic explains that "we will need more extensive series to better understand the findings of this first study."

For practical purposes, Mill asserts, "this study reveals two relevant findings that can greatly improve the resolution of the problem; on the one hand, performing personalized flow simulations for each patient before undergoing the operation, to judge the best position for the device, and on the other hand, to apply simulations after the operation, in cases where the device has remained in a position that risks forming a thrombus, to determine whether there is a need to follow up the patient more closely."

Explore further Reducing stroke risk from AFib without blood thinners

More information: Jordi Mill et al, Sensitivity Analysis of In Silico Fluid Simulations to Predict Thrombus Formation after Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion, Mathematics (2021). Jordi Mill et al, Sensitivity Analysis of In Silico Fluid Simulations to Predict Thrombus Formation after Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion,(2021). DOI: 10.3390/math9182304 Mill, J. et al, Patient-specific flow simulation analysis to predict device-related thrombosis in left atrial appendage occluders. Revista Espanola de Cardiologia (2021). DOI: 10.24875/RECICE.M21000224

Provided by Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Christopher Manzo, a boy with curly brown hair and bright-blue-and-yellow glasses, has lived a third of his five years at home because of the pandemic.

And he is more than ready for kindergarten.

Hand in hand with his mother, Martha Manzo, he walks into the Blind Children's Center, a low-rise building nestled among apartment complexes in East Hollywood. In the brightly colored hallway, filled with paintings of animals, Manzo kneels to hug Christopher before he scurries unsteadily to his cubby.

"God take care of you and be with you," she says. "And have fun."

Born with congenital hydrocephalus that damaged his brain and left him with severely impaired vision, cognitive difficulties and a lack of coordination, Christopher hasn't missed only school the past 18 monthshe's missed out on a host of vital occupational, physical and language therapies, as well as socialization with other kids.

At home, Christopher couldn't look at a computer screen long enough to attend therapies or classes on Zoom, said Manzano, in an interview conducted in Spanish. "He would strain his eyes, look away, and his attention would falter," she said. "He couldn't devote the same attention as a kid without disabilities.''

Christopher "could have advanced much more" since the pandemic hit if he hadn't missed so much school, said Manzano, who is 36 and has three other children, ages 12, 10 and 8, whom she also has had to guide through months of home-schooling.

Yet the return to school raises particular health issues for Christopher and other children with disabilities who are at increased risk for serious bouts of COVID-19, said his pediatrician at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Dr. Liza Mackintosh. Though he isn't immunosuppressed, Christopher has trouble coughing up secretions, which leaves him vulnerable to lung and respiratory infections, she said.

Compared with other adults in contact with children, his parents, teachers and therapists "have to be more vigilant about mask-wearing, hand hygiene and social distancing," she said.

In short, Manzo was deeply worried about the threat of COVID exposure Christopher faced at school. But it was a risk she felt he could no longer avoid, to get on with his life.

Trying to learn from home was "really hard on him," Manzo said. "He couldn't understand why he couldn't go to school or the park or to his therapies."

"I know COVID is still among us, but I also can't keep him at home like he's a crystal bubble and protect him," she said. "He needs contact with other kids and his teachers."

The challenges faced by Christopher during the pandemic have been shared by many of the roughly 7 million U.S. children and young adults, ages 3 to 21, with special needs. Online platforms usually don't work for them. For example, Christopher needs to feel Braille letters to readhe can't do that on a computer screen.

Students with disabilities had "sort of this double hit where it was very hard to access school services and very challenging to continue to work on developing new skills," said Dr. Irene Koolwijk, a specialist in developmental-behavioral pediatrics at UCLA Health.

It took a lot of preparation to get Christopher and the 40 or so other children attending the Blind Children's Center back into the building of the private, infant-to-kindergarten school. All the children are blind or visually impaired, and most also have disorders ranging from autism and albinism to cerebral palsy and epilepsy. The school practices reverse mainstreaming, in which a few children with typical development share the classroom with children with disabilities.

Months before the school doors reopened, the center started teaching the students about wearing masks.

"Little by little, we started training the kids to wear masks on Zoom. It started off with the duration of a song, then two songs," said Rosalinda Mendiola, adaptive services specialist at the Blind Children's Center. "Our goal was that by the time we opened back up, they would be used to them."

But it was difficult. Many children with special needs have a hard time wearing their masks and understanding the concept of distancing, said Mackintosh. Children with some forms of autism, in particular, have sensory issues that make it bothersome to have something on their faces.

"Children learn the most from modeling. They watch their parents, their teachers, their friends," said Bianca Ciebrant, the center's director of early childhood education. "But children who are visually impaired and blind can't see the mask-wearing. That's probably one of the harder barriers."

It took Christopher seven months to start wearing a mask. "At first, he didn't even want it in front of his face," said Manzo. "He started to slowly accept it when he saw his siblings wear it."

To reopen in September, the school also adopted new COVID safety protocols. All 30 staff members are vaccinated, temperature checks are performed at drop-off, and parents aren't allowed inside classrooms.

All students wear masks except for three of them who have limited motor ability and couldn't safely remove a mask or don't understand the mask-wearing process "and therefore it becomes sensory overload and behavior breakdown," Ciebrant said.

There are six kids in each class, overseen by a teacher and two assistants. Christopher needs someone near him to remind him where to walk and to hold on to the banister for balance.

With so many staffers around, "creating a shield of vaccinated individuals around the child is important to making the transition back to school as safe as possible," said Dr. Christine Bottrell Mirzaian, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Martha and her husband, Fausto Manzo, were vaccinated last March, and their 12-year-old daughter, Samantha, also has been immunized against COVID.

"Our health is important to be able to continue taking care of him," Martha Manzo said.

On a recent Wednesday, Christopher wore a teddy bear mask and a Ryan's World backpack to school. This is his last year at the center. When he started, he was only 2 and hadn't learned to walk.

"He has received a lot of help," Manzo said. "His movements have improved, and his communication skills."

Christopher toddles around the playground during recess and greets his friends with a wave. "His balance is off, but he's walking now," his mother said. "I always wanted to see him run and explore."

School staff members were happy to have their students back.

"We all felt this little warmth in our heart to hear their voices back in the hallway, whether it was crying or laughing or talking to their friends," said Ciebrant. "This is what we've been waiting for, to hear those moments."

Explore further 1 in 4 parents say their kids have been quarantined since school started

2021 Kaiser Health News.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Research Summary. Credit: DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2034279

A common variation in a specific gene could make home kidney dialysis treatments less effective for some patients, leading to worse outcomes and even death in some cases.

Home dialysis therapies such as peritoneal dialysis have increased in popularity in recent years, in both developed countries like the United States and developing countries.

Home therapies like this are advantageous as they can reduce the cost to countries' health services, as well as making these treatments more accessible for patients living in remote or rural areas. They also require less support from trained medical or technical staff.

But new research co-led by Keele's Professor Simon Davies has found that such treatments may be less effective if patients have a common variation in a gene known as AQP1 (Aquaporin-1).

Peritoneal dialysis is dependent on a process called ultrafiltrationthe ability to remove excess water to restore normal body-fluid status, as well as to clear waste substances from the body, a process which is governed by genes including AQP1.

Publishing their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine, the international research team found that variations in the AQP1 gene affected how successfully patients' bodies performed ultrafiltration, which subsequently affected the outcome of their treatment.

They used data from over 1800 peritoneal dialysis patients, first assessing the impact that different variations in AQP1 may have on the patients' treatment, confirming observations made in the laboratory. Having discovered the important variant, they then validated their findings in 898 patients to assess its impact on survival. The 15% of patients with the variant experienced significantly worse outcomes.

Simon Davies, Professor of Nephrology and Dialysis Medicine at Keele University said: "This is the first time that a single gene has been shown to determine clinical outcomes in people on dialysis. We have suspected for some time that there are important differences between people in how well they can remove fluid using peritoneal dialysis.

"Now that this is more clearly understood, clinicians will be able to recognize this problem earlier and make quite simple prescription changes to prevent the increased mortality risk. I am especially proud of this work and the part played by Keele, including my colleague Mark Lambie and previous Ph.D. student, Zanzhe Yu, who contributed the data from China."

Explore further Dialysis facility closures linked to patient hospitalizations and deaths

More information: Johann Morelle et al, AQP1 Promoter Variant, Water Transport, and Outcomes in Peritoneal Dialysis, New England Journal of Medicine (2021). Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine Johann Morelle et al, AQP1 Promoter Variant, Water Transport, and Outcomes in Peritoneal Dialysis,(2021). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2034279
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The use of so-called "mix and match" COVID-19 vaccine boosters may give a stronger immune response than sticking to one type of jab, the EU's drug watchdog said on Thursday.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it was studying data to see if it will follow a decision by US authorities on Wednesday to allow the use of a different vaccine for follow-up shots.

The Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines are authorised in the EU. So far only Pfizer is cleared for boosters in adults.

"We are seeing some promising results from studies that confirm that this approach would trigger, with certain vaccine combinations, a stronger immune response than when the same vaccine is used for an additional shot," Marco Cavaleri, the EMA's head of vaccine strategy, told a news conference.

Several countries have already approved COVID booster shots to increase immunity in people who have already been vaccinated but whose protection may have dipped after several months, although usually using the same type of vaccine.

A study released in the United States last week showed that people who have received the J&J vaccinewhich like AstraZeneca uses viral vector technologymay benefit from a booster dose of a different, messenger-RNA vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna.

Messenger RNA vaccines "seem to be working quite well" as boosters and "are really able to mount quite a robust immune response", Cavaleri said.

But Cavaleri added that "overall it seems that the strategy is something that all types of vaccines could be benefitting from," he added.

The Amsterdam-based EMA is also due to decide on October 25 whether to approve Moderna boosters, Cavaleri said.

Pfizer said earlier Thursday that a booster shot of its vaccine is 95.6 percent effective against symptomatic infection.

The EMA meanwhile said it expects to decide within "approximately two months" whether to extend approval of the Pfizer jab to children aged 5-11, after its makers submitted data last week.

The regulator also expects to start a review next week of an oral COVID drug produced by the US pharmaceutical firm Merck, Cavaleri said.

Explore further EU set to decide on COVID boosters next month

 2021 AFP
Dr. William Petri is the Wade Hampton Frost Professor of Medicine and vice chair for research of the Department of Medicine. Credit: Sanjay Suchak, University Communications

On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots and also said Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can receive a booster shot of a vaccine that is different from their original injection.

Presently, those who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine can get a booster shot if they are 65 or older, work in high-risk industries like health care and education, or have underlying conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19. If you originally received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and are 18 or older, new guidance says you are now eligible for a booster.

New data shows that adopting the practice of mixing vaccines is safe and effective.

UVA Today reached out to Dr. William Petri, an expert in infectious diseases, with questions about this latest development and others about the current state of the pandemic, which exploded in the United States in March 2020.

Q. What is a booster and why should people get one?

A. A booster is just an additional dose of a vaccine, and we do that all the time. The diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine is boosted every 10 years, for example.

The reason for giving boosters is probably twofold. One is that the memory that the immune system has for a vaccine wanes over time. In the case of diphtheria, after 10 years or so, you need to kind of "remind" the immune system, so to speak, and make memory against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis in that example.

The other reason to give a booster, specifically to COVID 19, is that this delta variant, which accounts for 99% of all COVID infections in the U.S., is a little bit harder to neutralize than was the alpha variant, which was the one that was from the U.K.

Those are probably the two reasons that we're seeing that the efficacy of the vaccines is waning, and that's especially the case for the Pfizer vaccine, and maybe a little bit less so for Moderna.

The Pfizer booster has been approved for booster shots, and all indications are that the FDA will give emergency use authorization for Moderna and for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Q. What have studies shown about the safety and efficacy of getting a booster shot that is different from a person's original vaccine?

A. Two studies in Germany, one out of Hanover and one out of Hamburg; they took advantage of the fact that they temporarily halted giving the AstraZeneca vaccine because of the association of their vaccine with a very rare clotting disorder in women. So, some people got their second dose not of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine, and they were able to compare people and they found that if you mix them instead of matching them you got a better neutralizing antibody response.

The NIH supported the Center for Vaccine Design at University of Maryland to do a [third] mix-and-match study. They took every combination imaginable of the three vaccinesModerna, Pfizer and J & Jevery combination. Basically, what they found was that they all work perfectly well and they all result in about an average twenty-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies.

Basically, there's no way to go wrong with this sort of [mix-and-match] approach, based on the Maryland study.

Explore further FDA expected to allow mix n' match COVID vaccines
Colorized scanning electron micrograph of chronically infected and partially lysed cells (green) infected with a variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (blue), isolated from a patient sample. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID

A booster dose of the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine given to rhesus macaques about six months after their primary vaccine series significantly increased levels of neutralizing antibodies against all known SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health scientists and colleagues. The study, published in Science, also showed that the increased neutralizing antibody responses were sustained for at least eight weeks after the boost, were significantly higher than after the primary vaccine series, and generated high-level protectionmeaning the ability to significantly limit virus from replicating in the lungs and nose. These data suggest that boosting triggers a strong immune memory response and potentially longer lasting immunity.

The researchers also determined that both the mRNA-1273 vaccine developed to target the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and a slightly modified version of the vaccine targeting the Beta variant were equivalent in their ability to boost antibody responses and protect. Scientists at the Vaccine Research Center, part of NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, led the project with collaborators from Emory University; Bioqual, Inc.; Moderna, Inc.; and Johns Hopkins University.

This study was performed six months ago when the SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant was a major concern. The researchers focused on the Beta variant because it has consistently shown the greatest ability to resist neutralizationby likely reducing vaccine effectivenessaccording to the researchers. While Delta has become the dominant virus variant in the United States, because of its high transmissibility, it has only an intermediate ability to resist neutralization, the study authors state.

The scientists write that in people, an mRNA-1273 booster vaccine may improve the duration and potency of protection against upper and lower airway infection by any of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta. They note that this would be especially important to maintain protection against severe disease and possibly limit mild infection and virus transmission. Their results support vaccine boosting in the elderly, people with pre-existing health conditions, those at high-risk exposure, and those who responded poorly to primary vaccination.

More information: Kizzmekia S. Corbett et al, Protection against SARS-CoV-2 beta variant in mRNA-1273 vaccineboosted nonhuman primates, Science (2021). Journal information: Science Kizzmekia S. Corbett et al, Protection against SARS-CoV-2 beta variant in mRNA-1273 vaccineboosted nonhuman primates,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abl8912
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The Clalit Research Institute, in collaboration with researchers from Harvard University, analyzed one of the world's largest integrated health record databases to examine the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162B2 vaccine against the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 among adolescents. The study provides the largest peer-reviewed evaluation of the effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine among adolescents in a nationwide mass-vaccination setting, and the first such study where the Delta variant was dominant. The study was conducted in Israel, an early global leader in COVID-19 vaccination rates.

The results of this study validate and complement the previously reported findings of a Pfizer/BioNTech Phase-III randomized clinical trial, which focused on symptomatic infections in the face of non-Delta variants, and which, with 1,983 vaccinated adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 years, could not precisely assess vaccine effectiveness. The present study's large size allows a more precise assessment of the vaccine's effectiveness across different time periods.

The study took place from June 8, 2021 through September 14, 2021. It coincided with Israel's fourth wave of coronavirus infection and illness, during which the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant was the dominant strain in the country for new infections.

Researchers reviewed data from 94,354 vaccinated adolescents aged 12 to 18. These adolescents were carefully matched with 94,354 unvaccinated adolescents based on an extensive set of demographic, geographic and health-related attributes associated with risk of infection, risk of severe disease, health status and health seeking behavior. Individuals were assigned to each group dynamically based on their changing vaccination status (13,423 individuals moved from the unvaccinated cohort into the vaccinated cohort during the study). Multiple sensitivity analyses were conducted to ensure that the estimated vaccine effectiveness was robust to potential biases.

The results show that in fully vaccinated adolescents (7 to 21 days after the second dose), the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 decreased by 93% compared with the unvaccinated, while the risk of documented infection decreased by 90%. In the period immediately preceding the second dose (days 14-20 after the first dose), vaccine effectiveness was lower, but still substantialthe risk of symptomatic COVID-19 decreased by 57% in vaccinated individuals, and the risk of documented infection by 59%. There was insufficient data to provide an estimate on the reduction in the incidence of severe disease, hospitalization and mortality, as these outcomes are rare among adolescents.

The research was conducted by Dr. Noam Barda, Dr. Noa Dagan, Michael Leshchinsky, Dr. Eldad Kepten, and Prof. Ran Balicer from the Clalit Research Institute, as well as Prof. Miguel Hernan and Prof. Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Prof. Ben Reis of Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

"The extensive nationwide rollout of Israel's COVID-19 vaccination campaign to adolescents at the very beginning of the delta variant wave, provided the Clalit Research Institute with a unique opportunity to assess, through its rich and comprehensive digital datasets, the effectiveness of the vaccine for adolescents against delta in a real-world setting," said Prof. Ran Balicer, senior author of the study, Director of the Clalit Research Institute and Chief Innovation Officer for Clalit. "These results show convincingly that one week after the second dose, this vaccine is highly effective in adolescents against symptomatic COVID-19 and against all documented infections. These data should facilitate informed individual risk-benefit decision-making, and, in our view, make a strong argument in favor of opting-in to get vaccinated, especially in countries where the virus is currently widespread," added Prof. Balicer, who also serves as Chairman of Israel's National Expert Advisory Team on COVID-19 response.

Prof. Ben Reis, Director of the Predictive Medicine Group at the Boston Children's Hospital Computational Health Informatics Program and Harvard Medical School, said, "To date, one of the main drivers of vaccine hesitancy has been a lack of information regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine. This careful epidemiological study provides reliable information on vaccine effectiveness, which we hope will be helpful to those who have not yet decided about vaccination."

Prof. Miguel Hernan, Director of the CAUSALab and Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said, "This research is a perfect example of how randomized trials and observational healthcare databases complement each other. The adolescent-focused trial of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine provided compelling evidence of its effectiveness to prevent symptomatic infection, but the estimates for severe disease and specific age groups were too imprecise. This analysis of Clalit's high-quality database emulates the design of the original trial, uses its findings as a benchmark, and expands upon them to confirm the vaccine's effectiveness in adolescents. This combination of evidence from randomized trials and observational studies is a model for efficient medical research, something which is especially important in COVID times."

Prof. Marc Lipsitch, Director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics and Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said, "In all studies of vaccine effectiveness, a major challenge is to ensure that those we are comparing to identify the vaccine's effect are similar in the other characteristics that may predict whether they get infected or ill. This is especially hard in the context of a rapidly growing, age-targeted vaccine campaign. Clalit's extraordinary database made it possible to design a study that addressed these challenges in a way that provides tremendous confidence in the inferences that come out of the study."

The research is published in New England Journal of Medicine.

More information: Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine against the B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant in Adolescents, New England Journal of Medicine, 2021. Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine against the B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant in Adolescents,, 2021.

Provided by Clalit Research Institute
More than 99% of newly reported cases are attributed to the Delta variant. Credit:  Dmitry Demidovich, Shutterstock

Since its emergence in March 2021, the Delta variant has rapidly become predominant across the European Union. More than 99% of newly reported cases are attributed to this variant, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which estimates the Delta variant to be twice as transmissible as the original strain.

Through mathematical modeling, the ECDC forecasted the disease burden between now and the end of November 2021. This model showed that countries with low COVID-19 vaccination coverage that plan to relax non-pharmaceutical community mitigation strategies run a high risk of seeing a significant surge in cases, hospitalisations and mortality. This forecast was published in the ECDC's latest Rapid Risk Assessment report released on 30 September.

At the beginning of October, 75% of adults in the EU were fully vaccinated. However, only 61.1% of the total population in the EU/EEA have been fully vaccinated to date, and as such we can't be complacent. The ECDC's modeling scenarios indicate that the potential burden of disease risk in the EU from the Delta variant is high from now to the end of November, unless vaccination coverage can be increased rapidly in the total population in the next few weeks.

Dr. Andrea Ammon, director of the ECDC said: "We need to remain vigilant and continue to use common sense to prevent the spread of the virus. This means getting a full course of vaccination as soon as the opportunity arises and maintaining physical distancing, washing hands, avoiding crowded spaces, and wearing a mask when necessary."

This article will answer five key questions about the Delta variant.

1. What are the symptoms of infection by the Delta variant? Do they differ from those of infection by the original strain?

Following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic in China in 2019, health officials alerted the public to watch out for the hallmark symptoms: fever, continuous coughing, and a loss of taste and smell.

As the Delta variant spread around the globe, evidence is growing that its symptoms may be different. In particular, coughing and loss of the sense of taste and smell aren't as common any more, according to data from the ECDC.

Ironically, symptoms arise as the body tries to do something about the infection and rises to the body's call for help. For example, a fever is detrimental to viruses. Heat inactivates many viruses and COVID-19 is no exception.

Reasons for changes in symptoms boil down to evolution. When a virus mutates, it could cause differences in the symptoms. Sometimes there are advantages for the virus to do this. For example, any symptom that increases the rate of spread of the virus is an inherent benefit.

2. Why exactly is the Delta variant more contagious than the original coronavirus?

Viruses need access to their hosts' cells to reproduce. Having achieved this, they hijack the genetic material of the cell under siege to make more viruses that can then spread the disease.

The speciality of the Delta variant lies in its spike protein. The word 'corona' in coronavirus means 'crown' in Latin. The crown's spikes attach and latch onto a person's cells. The more a virus can cling on to a host's cells, the more successful it will be in taking over the cells for its own purposes, that is, to create more viruses to spread.

To its advantage, the Delta variant has several mutations affecting its spike protein structure: these allow Delta to attach very tightly, compared to other variants. Once it gets hold of a person's cell receptors, it can stay attached very securely, and that means it can reproduce and spread efficiently.

As a result of this genetic lottery we know that as it mutates, the Delta variant is indeed more contagious than its predecessors. To add to its infection abilities, the Delta variant produces higher numbers, its viral load, in the respiratory tract, specifically the nasal passages.

3. Can existing vaccines protect against the Delta variant? What are the health implications of catching the Delta variant, for the unvaccinated?

"Currently, it is difficult to ascertain whether a decrease in [vaccine] effectiveness against the Delta variant infections is mainly due to waning immunity over time or due to the strain partially escaping vaccine," said Dr. Zoi-Dorothea Pana, specialist in pediatrics, epidemiology and infection control at the European University, Cyprus.

However, the main priority is that vaccine effectiveness against severe disease, hospitalization and death was maintained during the spread of the Delta variant. As summarized in the ECDC's latest Rapid Risk Assessment, this aspect needs to be carefully monitored over time, particularly among the elderly.

For those who have been vaccinated, the risk of hospitalization or experiencing more than five symptoms in the first week of illness is reduced. "From a community perspective, results suggest that outbreaks of the Delta variant in unvaccinated populations might lead to a greater burden on healthcare services," explained Dr. Pana.

4. How widespread is COVID infection in children? What role do schools play in transmission of the variant?

According to the ECDC and the World Health Organization (WHO), children seem to be equally susceptible to COVID-19 infection as other age groups. Based on current evidence, transmission of the virus from and between children can be influenced by many factors. "These include severity, viral load and shedding duration, the variant of concern, [and] duration of exposure, as well as environmental and physiological factors specific to each child," said Dr. Pana.

ECDC risk assessment reports in July and September 2021 suggested that overall, COVID-19 transmission in the school setting is not the primary cause behind community transmission. Dr. Pana emphasized: "What is important is that when outbreaks occur in schools, appropriate mitigation measures are implemented."

According to an ECDC study, schools need to be prepared with a combination of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs): quarantines, closures and social distancing. "Synergy from the promotion of full vaccination coverage, implementation of layered NPIs (adapted on community transmission levels) and support of rigorous contact testing seems to be a balanced way to move forward," advised Dr. Pana.

5. Is the Delta variant more dangerous for children?

The good news is that children in Europe and worldwide continue to have much lower hospitalization rates, intensive hospital care admissions and death rates than all other age groups infected by COVID-19.

However, as there is increased risk of Delta transmission among unvaccinated young children in particular, we still need to protect them in the coming months, in all settings. Mitigation protective strategies may include approaches that prevent crowding, alongside hygiene and measures to minimize transmissions, that is, the 3 W's: wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance.

For younger children, 'cocooning' is an additional option. "A cocoon vaccination strategy refers to vaccination for all family members and any other individuals who come into regular contact with the child," explained Dr. Pana.

"The best way to protect our children from this pandemic and those in the future is to increase the level of education and awareness," said Dr. Pana. "Adoption of a safe lifestyle rather than a mandatory mitigation strategy is to be promoted," she continued. Long-term, Dr. Pana would like to see critical thinking skills fostered in education, as well as science and health literacy, to counter the rising tide of fake news.

One of the European Commission's activities to prepare for the increased threat of variants is the support of the clinical research network VACCELERATE. Formed in February 2021 under the HERA Incubator, the new European bio-defense preparedness plan, the network will address research questions on interests such as the effects of third booster shots and of reduced doses of the vaccine in adolescents.

A member of the COVID team advising the Cypriot government, Dr. Pana is now working with funding from the VACCELERATE program. She concluded: "With the added value from specific expertise in the platform, combined with equal access to all citizens, VACCELERATE is a service for the EU community and for all children across the European region."
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been countless news reports identifying one group of individuals as being particularly vulnerable to the virus: the immunocompromised.

We know, for example, that immunocompromised individuals are more likely to have serious COVID-19 illness and a higher mortality rate than the average population. And in mid-August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for certain immunocompromised people.

With so much attention on this one group, a question remains in the minds of many: What does it actually mean to be immunocompromised?

Simply put, it's when your immune system isn't working as well as it should to protect you from infectionor that your immune system can't distinguish between normal and foreign cells.

But there are nuances. "There are many ways people can be immunocompromised," says Stuart Seropian, MD, a Smilow Cancer Hospital hematologist who specializes in blood cancers. "The immune system is complex, and made up of many different types of immune cells that serve different functions. There isn't one 'immunocompromised state." There are many."

Seen through a COVID-19 lens, about 3% of the population in the United States is considered moderately-to-severely immunocompromised, making them more at risk for serious illness if they contract COVID-19, even after vaccination. This is because their immune systems don't mount a strong response to the vaccines. A March study showed only about 56% of immunocompromised people built sufficient levels of protection against COVID-19 after a second mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) dose.

That's why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends people who are immunocompromised receive an additionalor thirddose of the mRNA vaccines. Preliminary results from a study in Israel indicated that this third dose may have doubled the rate of transplant recipients who developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. According to the CDC, there is not enough data to determine whether immunocompromised people who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine also have an improved antibody response following an additional dose of the same vaccine, so additional doses are not recommended for them right now.

We talked with several Yale Medicine experts from the fields of transplant surgery, neurology, immunology, and oncology to better understand what makes someone immunocompromised.

What does 'immunocompromised' mean?

First, it helps to understand what the immune system does for us.

"The immune system has two basic functions: to identify foreign tissue and to provide defense against infection," Dr. Seropian explains. "We think of a person as immunocompromised primarily when they are more vulnerable to infection than healthy individuals, because of issues with at least one of those two functions."

What causes a person to become immunocompromised?

There are multiple ways an individual might be immunocompromised, says David Hafler, MD, chair of Yale Neurology and professor of immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine.

He divides the causes into two major groups: those with a genetic mutation or a disease, such as HIV, that causes a loss of immune function; and those who take certain medications, including immunotherapy, to treat specific diseases.

Immunotherapy is a treatment that can suppress, or dampen, immune responses when the immune system is "overactive," such as with an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack healthy tissue or with organ transplants. Autoimmune diseases that create this overactive response include rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), and inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's and ulcerative colitis).

Immunotherapy is also used to enhance immune responses, sometimes using drugs called "checkpoint inhibitors," for example, to treat certain types of cancer. With checkpoint inhibitors, patients aren't considered to be immunocompromised, Dr. Hafler adds. "After treatment, those patients may have a perfectly normalor even a more robustimmune response," he says.

Because each autoimmune disease is different, there are different treatments, and each can impact the immune system in its own way. "Some therapies, such as type I interferons for MS, may actually enhance the viral immune response," says Dr. Hafler. "Other treatments, though, such as B cell depletion, lead to poor responses to viruses or vaccines, resulting in increases in disease and death."

Sometimes, it's accompanying medicationsand not the immunotherapy itselfthat affect the immune system. "There is a cancer treatment called CAR T-Cell therapy, for example, that does not suppress the immune system; however, patients receive immunosuppressive chemotherapy before they can begin CAR T-Cell therapy," Dr. Seropian says. "Other forms of treatment may require that someone take a steroid medication such as prednisone to deal with side effects, and prednisone is an immunosuppressant."

Why are transplant recipients so vulnerable?

For organ transplant recipients, immunosuppressive drugs are necessary, and David Mulligan, MD, Yale Medicine's chief of transplant surgery and immunology, has a simple analogy for explaining why.

"The immune system scans the 'barcode' of everything in our body. And when it doesn't recognize a new organ, for example, the T cells and B cells in our immune system will create an inflammatory reaction in an attempt to get rid of it," he says. "And that's what we call 'rejection.'"

In the early days of transplant surgery, organ rejection was a major concern. But now, with modern immunosuppressant medications, it is rare, Dr. Mulligan adds.

But even though the medications are successful in stopping organ rejection, they come with side effects, including putting patients in an immunocompromised state. "They lower the body's defenses against bacteria, fungi, and opportunistic infections, like COVID-19," Dr. Mulligan says. "And some medications strain the organ system or can cause sugar levels to go up and down. Our goal is to find the optimal amount of medication that can keep the immune system in check while minimizing those side effects."

Are cancer patients immunocompromised?

It depends on the cancer, says Dr. Seropian.

As a general rule, patients with blood cancers, such as leukemia and multiple myeloma, are more likely to receive treatment that impacts their immune system than someone with a solid tumor, Dr. Seropian explains.

"There are many targeted therapies now for tumors that aren't immunosuppressive, but with blood cancers, treatments are directed at your blood cells, which travel through your entire body. As a result, your immune system is more likely to be injured," he says.

Traditional chemotherapy and radiation treatments, he adds, are considered less immunosuppressive than some types of immunotherapy. Plus, the immunosuppressant effects of both treatments are generally temporary, Dr. Seropian notes.

But because cancer treatment is so highly individualized now, Dr. Seropian suggests patients speak with their provider if they have questions about their own risks or immunocompromised state.

Why don't vaccines work as well on immunocompromised people?

The premise of vaccination is to provoke the immune system to make a strong response against a harmless version of a pathogen. Then, when the actual virus comes along, the body can mount a defense. But if a person's immune system is compromised, that response might either be weakenedor not exist at all.

"In general, the more immunocompromised someone is, the less effective vaccines will be for them," Dr. Seropian says.

Previous studies of vaccines against other viruses, including influenza, show that people who are immunocompromised don't mount the same response to vaccination as those who are not immunocompromised. Studies have found the same to be true for COVID-19 vaccination as well.

As part of the National Institutes of Health's Human Immunology Project Consortium, Yale researchers are investigating the precise nature of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, and how immunosuppression can prevent an adequate immune response to it, Dr. Hafler says.

What should immunocompromised individuals do?

The hygiene strategies that immunocompromised individuals use to stay safe are actually the same measures many of us adopted when the pandemic began. But the level of vigilance depends on how immunocompromised someone is.

In general, Dr. Seropian says it is vital that anyone who is immunocompromised stay up-to-date on their vaccinesnot just a third dose for the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, but others, including the flu and pneumococcal vaccines (which protect against pneumonia-causing bacteria). And because immunocompromised people have a harder time clearing a virus from their system, the rules of quarantine for those who are considered severely immunocompromised are strict, he adds.

But what about precautions for those who are not severely immunocompromised?

"Individuals who are less immunocompromised than a transplant recipient, for example, can generally go about their lives like the rest of us," Dr. Hafler says. "We want them to get vaccinated, wear a mask, stay outside when meeting with groups, and define the group of individuals they will spend time withlike a pod."

Dr. Seropian agrees that a patient who is on a mild immunosuppressant treatment doesn't have to be as vigilant as a transplant recipient. "They need to be concerned about viral infections, including the flu, which they should also be vaccinated against," he says. "Plus, some people who are on certain medications need to focus more on organisms in the environment, such as mold in basements or bacteria in dirt."

Dr. Mulligan says he tells his patients to be thoughtful about their actions. "You want to think about things like the escalator rails and the keypads on an ATM," he says. "I tell them to carry a bottle of hand sanitizer in their pockets."

The bottom line? Patients who are immunocompromised need to speak to their physicians about their unique risks and what protective measures they can take, Dr. Seropian says.

Explore further Extra vaccine dose may help immunocompromised people
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

India administered its one billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose on Thursday as it fights its way back from a devastating surge in cases that brought the health system close to collapse.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the feat as a "triumph of Indian science", but authorities remain on guard for a new pandemic wave.

About three-quarters of adults in the country of 1.3 billion people have had one shot and 30 percent are fully vaccinated, according to government figures.

But hundreds of millions of Indians under 18who make up about 40 percent of the populationhave not had a single shot.

More than 200,000 people died in a devastating COVID wave from mid-April to mid-June. Hundreds of thousands of people were stricken with the Delta variant and many hospitals and crematoriums were overwhelmed.

Cases have since fallen sharply since. Fewer than 20,000 infections are reported each day and much social activity has resumed.

Mumbai, one of the worst-hit cities, recently reported zero COVID deaths in a day for the first time since the pandemic began.

In celebration of the vaccine landmark, Modi paid tribute to India's health workers and monuments in the capital New Delhi were to be lit up in the national colours.

Neighbouring Bhutan and Sri Lanka hailed the milestone, and the United Nations Children's Fund representative in India, Yasmin Ali Haque, said it was a "tremendous achievement".

"As Indian families recover from the recent devastating COVID-19 wave, for many this milestone means hope."

279 days

Only China's government, which says it has given out more than 2.3 billion shots, has administered more doses than India.

The billion jabs were administered in 279 days despite shortages, which forced the world's biggest vaccine producer to halt exports for several months.

"During the first wave, I remember hearing people talking about whether coronavirus was real or not," said Reham Ali, a 49-year-old taxi driver in New Delhi who has had one shot.

"Now, people know that it is and there is less hesitancy. The second wave was an eye-opener."

Vaccine exports have tentatively resumed, with officials saying the "pharmacy of the world" will be back in full swing in 2022.

Most restrictions on social activity have been lifted and huge crowds packed markets and malls during India's main religious festival seasona boost to the battered economy.

This has sparked fears of another COVID wave and a renewed government push to encourage vaccinations and stockpile oxygen stores.

"I think it is unlikely that we will see a third wave that in any way resembles the second wave," said Gangandeep Kang from the Christian Medical College, Vellore.

"The only situation where that can happen is if we have a completely new virus variant. Then it'll be a new pandemic," she told AFP.

India has the world's second-highest number of cases: 34 million.

Its 452,000 COVID deaths are the third-highest, behind the tolls in the United States and Brazil.

But under-reporting is widespread and some studies have estimated India's true toll could be up to ten times higher.

Explore further India vaccinates 10 million in one day

 2021 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Latvia plunged back into lockdown on Thursday with non-essential shops closed and cinema, theatres and hairdressers shutting down for a month in a bid to break the world's worst COVID rate.

Latvia has seen 1,406 COVID infections per 100,000 inhabitants over the last 14 days, the highest per capita rate in the world as of October 20, according to an AFP calculation.

Its Baltic neighbours of Lithuania and Estonia followed close behind with 1,221 cases and 1,126 cases respectively.

Only around half the population in Latvia is fully vaccinatedthe fourth worst vaccination rate in the European Union after Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia.

"I apologise to those who have already been vaccinated, but the restrictions will apply to everyone," Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins told reporters when the measures were approved on Monday following a 10-hour cabinet meeting.

"There are still too many unvaccinated people who get infected with COVID and die in the hospital," he added.

The lockdown is due to last until November 15 and will include a curfew between 8 pm and 5 am, as well as a takeout-only policy for restaurants.

Most people will be required to work remotely.

Schools will also switch to remote learning, though children in kindergarten and the first three elementary grades will continue to attend lessons in person.

Hospitals throughout the country of 1.9 million people have stopped treating people with cancer and other diseases, focusing only on COVID patients requiring intensive care.

Latvia earlier this month declared a three-month state of emergency to bolster mask-wearing and vaccinations.

A few days later, Latvian President Egils Levits was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week despite being fully vaccinated.

Also this month, a scientific advisory group on COVID said it was no longer going to work with the government because its advice during the summer had been ignored.

"There must be demand from the government for academic expertise but our current experience shows that there is no such demand from the cabinet at all," the scientists said in a statement.

Explore further Latvia to impose lockdown over Covid spike

 2021 AFP
Ms. Prisca Asiimwe, a nurse from Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (second from right), provides instruction on use of oral swab rapid HIV tests to traditional healers. Credit: Radhika Sundararajan / Cornell University

Collaborating with traditional healers to deliver point-of-care HIV tests to individuals in rural Uganda quadrupled testing rates compared with standard referrals to HIV clinics, according to a trial by Weill Cornell Medicine and Mbarara University of Science and Technology investigators.

The healer-delivered HIV testing model has the potential to significantly improve the uptake of HIV testing among hard-to-reach populations in HIV-endemic regions of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as improve rates of linkage to HIV care.

The study, published Oct. 19 in The Lancet Global Health, showed 100% testing uptake among 250 participants in the traditional healer-delivered HIV testing group compared with only 23% among 250 participants in the referral group. Ten individuals in the intervention group tested positive for the virus, and seven of them followed up and started antiretroviral treatment within 90 days. No new HIV cases were identified in the referral group.

The prevalence of HIV in Uganda is close to 6% overall, with rates of nearly 8% in the southwestern region. Testing, counseling and early treatment are essential to controlling the epidemic. However, despite international efforts to increase testing rates through mobile clinic outreach, home visits by health care workers and community distribution of self-testing kits, testing rates remain low. For example, though the Ugandan Ministry of Health recommends yearly testing, studies show that in rural regions of Uganda about 80% of sexually active men had not received an HIV test in the past 12 months.

"Previous methods of delivering HIV testing into communities have depended on creating new delivery pathways that are logistically complex, expensive and difficult to maintain," said primary investigator Dr. Radhika Sundararajan, assistant professor of emergency medicine and faculty member of the Center for Global Health at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Having traditional healers deliver point-of-care HIV tests directly to patients was successful in part because it reflected patients' preferences to be cared for by healers over clinics."

Many people in rural sub-Saharan communities use traditional healers for health care more often than medical clinics. Ugandan healers include four distinct specialists: herbalists, spiritualists, birth attendants and bonesetters. But research by others has found that relying on healers to refer individuals to clinics for HIV tests has been ineffective.

For their cluster-randomized trial, the team recruited 17 traditional healers from all four specialties from Mbarara Township, a rural, agricultural region in southwestern Uganda. Healers were randomized to provide either oral swab HIV tests or referrals to medical clinics for HIV testing.

Collaborating researcher Dr. Denis Nansera, a Ugandan infectious disease physician and clinical director of the Mbarara District HIV Clinic, delivered a one-day educational session to healers from both groups, providing them with information on HIV transmission, symptoms, prevention, the importance of treatment and the Ugandan Ministry of Health HIV testing guidelines. The following day, intervention group healers were invited back to learn how to safely administer the oral swab HIV tests and provide post-test counseling to their clients.

In exit interviews, participants in the healer-delivered testing group said traditional healers were more trustworthy, confidential and easier to access than clinics. Barriers to testing uptake reported by the referral group included eight- to ten-hour wait times at medical clinics, no access to transportation, high transportation costs and fear of testing positive.

"This is global health at its finest: Physicians who understand how to diagnose and treat HIV working hand-in-hand with traditional healers who understand the community to provide equitable access to health care for all," said co-author Dr. Daniel Fitzgerald, director of the Center for Global Health and a professor of medicine and of medicine in microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine.

The study is the result of three years of formative work in rural Uganda by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers in collaboration with colleagues from the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital and Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda; the University of California, San Diego; and the University of California, San Francisco.

"It is incredibly rewarding to see patients coming to clinics for life saving treatment," Sundararajan said. "Getting more people tested is the starting point for identifying people who need to be linked to effective treatment and HIV care."

Explore further Study finds traditional healers contribute to HIV care delays
Figure 1. Map of Ethiopia showing the study sites. Base map reproduced from OpenStreetMap and OpenStreetMap Foundation, under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Blue represents urban areas; orange represents rural areas. Credit: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00386-7/fulltext

In an Ethiopian-German research collaboration, researchers of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at the LMU University Hospital with participation of the University of Bonn investigated blood samples of frontline healthcare workers and residents from urban and rural communities for antibodies. The results suggest that the true COVID-19 prevalence is much higher than previously reported official figures. Therefore, the research team recommends a realignment of the vaccination strategy for Africa. The study is published in the journal The Lancet Global Health.

Since the first reported COVID-19 case in Ethiopia in March 2020, the actual spread and burden of SARS-CoV-2 in the country and in Africa has remained largely unknown. Thus far, official data have provided little information in this regard. Contrary to fears of a humanitarian crisis, relatively few COVID-19 cases (of death) were reported for the African continent at the onset of the pandemic. However, recent studies indicate a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among health workers (e.g., 41.2 percent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 45.1 percent in Nigeria). Other sporadic reports provide figures as high as 60 percent among blood donors in South Africa. Therefore, the question arises as to how severely the African continent is affected by the virus and what this means for effective pandemic control strategies in Africa.

In an international collaboration of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at the LMU University Hospital and the Ethiopian partners of Jimma University (Jimma Medical Center) and the St. Paul's Hospital in Addis Abeba, together with the Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, the LMU, the Technical University Munich and the University of Bonn, the research team conducted a study on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 by antibody detection. In their research project, they analyzed blood samples from frontline healthcare workers, urban as well as rural community residents in Jimma and Addis Ababa.

Antibody detection and mathematical modeling

The aim of the cohort study was to obtain epidemiological data on seroprevalence (frequency of specific antibodies in blood serum) and seroincidence (increase in the proportion of antibody-positive individuals over time) in Africa for the first time. In the period between August 2020 and April 2021, the researchers conducted serological testing of blood samples from healthcare professionals at two teaching hospitals in Jimma city and surrounding rural communities, as well as in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. This was done in a total of three study rounds.

In addition, the research group led by Prof. Dr. Jan Hasenauer of the LIMES Institute at the University of Bonn performed a model-based analysis to predict possible levels at which SARS-CoV-2 herd immunity is reached. This model also includes the occurrence of variant strains of the virus.

Dramatic increase in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence over time

The results showed that SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among medical staff had increased dramatically during the study period: at the Addis Ababa hospital, the team recorded an increase from 10.9 percent in August 2020 to 53.7 percent in February 2021, suggesting a 7-day incidence rate of 2,223 per 100,000 inhabitants. In Jimma the numbers increased from 30.8 percent in November 2020 to 56.1 percent in February 2021, suggesting an incidence rate of 3,810 per 100,000 inhabitants. Urban communities showed a significant increase in seroprevalence to almost 40 percent in early 2021, suggesting incidence rates of 1,622 in Jimma and 4,646 per 100, 000 inhabitants in Addis Ababa, respectively. Seroprevalence in rural areas increased from 18 percent in November 2020 to 31 percent in March 2021, well above the WHO or Johns Hopkins University figures reported to date (of 290,000 infections in a population of 112 millionequivalent to a prevalence of 0.26 percent, as of August 2021).

Call for reorientation of the vaccination strategy for Africa

This study illustrates the dynamics of COVID-19 infections in an African population through the spread of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers, and in urban and rural Ethiopia. The results imply a large wave of infection in Ethiopia, requiring special attention with regards to healthcare burden and disease prevention. In this context, Professor Michael Hoelscher, Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at the LMU University Hospital, calls for an adaption of the vaccination strategy for African countries: "Our results indicate that immunitydue to passed SARS-CoV-2 infectionsis much higher in the African population than assumed. This allows vaccines to be used more effectively," he says. "For example, the antibody status could be determined before vaccination and, if necessary, only one dose could be vaccinated as a booster. In addition, this allows for a targeted use of the vaccine, especially in high-risk groups and the elderly."

Explore further Delhi outbreak highlights challenge of reaching herd immunity in face of Delta variant

More information: Esayas Kebede Gudina et al, Seroepidemiology and model-based prediction of SARS-CoV-2 in Ethiopia: longitudinal cohort study among front-line hospital workers and communities. The Lancet Global Health. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan  (21)00386-7/fulltext Journal information: The Lancet Global Health Esayas Kebede Gudina et al, Seroepidemiology and model-based prediction of SARS-CoV-2 in Ethiopia: longitudinal cohort study among front-line hospital workers and communities.
(HealthDay)It's a drug that's been supported by some conservative media figures, but taking ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19 might land you in the hospital, a new study warns.

Interest in the drug surged last summer as the highly contagious Delta variant took over the United States. But instead of protecting against the virus, the use of a medicine typically reserved for horses and cattle has instead prompted a spike in calls to poison control centers across the country.

In response, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against using the drug, stressing that no form of ivermectin has been approved to treat or prevent COVID-19.

"You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it," the FDA tweeted back in August.

In the latest report on ivermectin, researchers said dangerous side effects from taking ivermectin can include confusion, loss of control over body movement ("ataxia"), weakness, low blood pressure, seizures, gastrointestinal distress, dizziness, vision symptoms or rash. The side effects can be triggered by taking too much of the drug or having it interact with other medications, they noted.

"It's very easy to give yourself too much. Most people who develop symptoms probably took too much, but we did have several people who were taking it for days and weeks and then developed toxicity," said lead researcher Dr. Robert Hendrickson. He is associate medical director of the Oregon Poison Center and a professor of emergency medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, in Portland.

"It's an unusual medication in that it has a lot of interactions, so even if you're taking the normal dose prescribed for other disorders, you can get sick because of interactions with other medications," he explained. "It's usually a medication we're fairly careful with."

Hendrickson explained that ivermectin can accumulate in the brain. "That's where most of the toxicity isyou get off balance, you get confused and feel weakthat's where most of the interactions are," he said.

Early studies in cell cultures seemed to indicate that ivermectin could prevent COVID-19 from entering cells, but that has not panned out in humans, Hendrickson said.

Yet, the drug continues to be touted by those who oppose COVID-19 vaccines, even though no proof exists that it is effective in preventing or treating COVID-19, he said.

For the study, Hendrickson's team reviewed ivermectin-related calls to the Oregon Poison Center in August. In all, 21 people reported side effects after taking the drug.

Most of the reports came from people over 60 years of age. Eleven of the reports were from people who took ivermectin to prevent COVID-19. The other 10 took the drug to treat COVID-19 symptoms.

Among those taking ivermectin, three had a prescription from a doctor or veterinarian, and 17 purchased veterinary versions of the drug. Where the others got the drug isn't known.

For most people, adverse symptoms developed within two hours after taking a large, first-time dose of the drug. In six people, symptoms developed over several days to weeks after repeated doses taken every other day or twice weekly. One person was also taking vitamin D to treat or prevent COVID-19.

Six of the 21 were hospitalized for toxic effects from ivermectin, and all said they took the drug to prevent COVID-19, including the three who had a prescription for the drug.

Of the six hospitalized, four were treated in an intensive care unit, and none died. Among those hospitalized, gastrointestinal distress, confusion, ataxia, weakness, low blood pressure and seizures were the most common adverse side effects.

For those not hospitalized, the most common symptoms were gastrointestinal distress, dizziness, confusion, vision symptoms and rash, the researchers found.

Hendrickson noted there isn't any treatment for the side effects of ivermectin. "It's just a matter of waiting and supportive care," he said.

Since August, reports of serious side effects from ivermectin have continued, although not as many, Hendrickson said.

Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said, "Simply put, there is no clinical use for prescribing ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19. It's irresponsible and frankly dangerous for health care professionals to even consider prescribing ivermectin for treatment or prevention of COVID-19."

Although the drug may inhibit replication of the virus in a test tube, based on multiple studies and reviews, it does not have any true clinical value for treating people with COVID-19, he said.

"The only indication for prescribing ivermectin is to treat a parasitic intestinal infection known as strongyloidiasis [roundworm]. It also may be used for onchocerciasis [river blindness] or as a topical treatment for pediculosis [lice] and rosacea. In general, it had value treating parasites in pets and livestock," Glatter said.

The misinformation related to ivermectin has the potential to cause serious medical complications that could be deadly, he warned. "It's vital that the public consult official and trusted medical sources such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the U.S. National Institutes of Health for validated and safe approaches for treatment of COVID-19," Glatter stressed.

The report was published online Oct. 20 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Copyright  2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Virtual reality (VR) has been found to be an effective treatment method for anxiety, according to a new study, led by Computer Science Senior Lecturer Dr. Nilufar Baghaei and co-authored by Ph.D. student Vibhav Chitale.

It examined the ways VR exposure and interventions have been used in the treatment of mental health conditions, the technologies used, and how effective they have been as a treatment method. The study was done in collaboration with Otago University Mental Health Clinical Research Unit, Auckland Institute of Studies, Otago Polytechnic Auckland campus, and Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

The study has recently been published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Mental Health and has already received media coverage, including an article in Psychology Today. The research team did a scoping review of articles published between 2017 and 2021 that looked at the use of VR as a treatment method for anxiety. They found that most studies demonstrated the use of VR to be effective for supporting the treatment of anxiety in a range of settings and recommended its potential as a tool for use in a clinical environment.

The authors say the use of VR in mental health is an innovative field that holds a lot of potential, and that it will be interesting to see where the field is heading. This is particularly the case as standalone VR headsets are becoming more affordable, and some sets allow researchers to collect and interpret participants' physiological data.

Dr. Baghaei is also leading a research project funded by the Massey Strategic Research Excellence Fund on intelligent individualized VR for supporting the treatment of depression. The idea for the project stems from the recognition that there is little research on using VR to support the treatment of depression, and very little work in offering patients an individualized VR experience. In addition to a number of external collaborators, several Computer Science students have been involved with various stages of the project's design and implementation, including masters student Ilona Halim and undergraduate student Sam Fleming.

The initial idea and findings of the project have been published at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2020) and the 13th ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction symposium on Engineering Interactive Computing Systems (EICS 2021).

The project uses the experience of an interdisciplinary team of researchers working at the interface of mental health, VR and artificial intelligence to enhance the quality of psychological treatments and improve mental health outcomes for New Zealanders. Dr. Baghaei says she believes the project could lay the foundation for using VR in treating mental health conditions in New Zealand. "We believe our contribution could pave the way for large-scale efficacy testing, clinical use and cost-effective delivery of intelligent, individualized VR technology for mental health therapy across Aotearoa New Zealand in the future."

Explore further New study improves the mental health of cancer patients through virtual reality

More information: Nilufar Baghaei et al, Virtual Reality for Supporting the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety: Scoping Review, JMIR Mental Health (2021). Nilufar Baghaei et al, Virtual Reality for Supporting the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety: Scoping Review,(2021). DOI: 10.2196/29681
Credit: National University of Singapore

A research team led by Professor Lim Chwee Teck from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech), in collaboration with clinical partners from Singapore General Hospital, has developed a smart wearable sensor that can conduct real-time, point-of-care assessment of chronic wounds wirelessly via an app. A world's first, the novel sensor technology can detect temperature, pH, bacteria type and inflammatory factors specific to chronic wounds within 15 minutes, hence enabling fast and accurate wound assessment.

With a rapidly aging population, healthcare providers are seeing more patients suffering from non-healing wounds such as diabetic foot and chronic venous leg ulcers. It has been estimated that about two percent of the world's population suffer from chronic wounds. The healing processes for these chronic wounds are often interrupted due to reasons such as infection and repeated trauma, leading to severe stress, pain and discomfort to afflicted patients. For patients with diabetic foot ulcers, this can lead to more severe outcomes such as foot amputation. Timely care and proper treatment of chronic wounds are needed to speed up wound recovery. However, this requires multiple clinical visits for lengthy wound assessment and treatment, which adds to the healthcare cost. The NUS team's innovation can help mitigate these consequences and relieve patients with chronic wounds from unnecessary distress.

The research was first published in the journal Science Advances on 21 May 2021.

Applying digital health for personal healthcare

Credit: National University of Singapore

Current clinical assessments of wounds rely on visual inspection, or collecting and sending wound fluid to a centralized lab to detect and analyze specific biomarkers. The whole process usually takes about one to two days and may impede proper, timely and precise medical interventions. Although there are recent developments in flexible sensors designed for wound care, they can only probe a limited set of markers such as acidity, temperature, oxygen, uric acid, and impedance to diagnose wound inflammation.

In response to these current limitations, the researchers developed VeCare, a point-of-care wound assessment platform consisting of an innovative wound sensing bandage, an electronic chip and a mobile app. The bandage comprises a wound contact layer, a breathable outer barrier, a microfluidic wound fluid collector and a flexible immunosensor. VeCare is the first wound assessment platform that can detect bacteria type and probe inflammatory factors, in addition to measuring acidity and temperature, within a single 15-minute test. The immunosensing bandage enables rapid assessment of wound microenvironment, inflammation, and infection state by detecting multiple chronic wound-specific biomarkers from wound fluid using an electrochemical system. The microfluidic wound fluid collector attached to the sensor directs and boosts wound fluid delivery to the sensor by up to 180 percent. The design ensures reliable sensing performance regardless of the ulcer shape or size.

In addition, a chip integrated with flexible electronics is connected to the sensor to transmit data wirelessly to an app for convenient, real-time wound assessment and analysis onsite. The chip component, powered with a rechargeable battery, can be reused for subsequent applications.

The VeCare platform and mobile app enable doctors to monitor the condition of patients' chronic wounds remotely, reducing the hassle for patients to travel to a clinic. The bandage complements the patient's existing medical treatment while facilitating timely medical intervention for wound healing processes.

The VeCare platform comprises (clockwise from bottom left) a chip, wound sensor, bandage and app for real-time, point-of-care chronic wound monitoring. Credit: National University of Singapore

"Point-of-care devices coupled with telehealth or digital health capability can play a significant role in transforming the healthcare industry and our society, which is catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic requirements for safe distancing. Our smart bandage technology is the first of its kind designed for chronic wound management to give patients the freedom to perform the test and monitor their wound conditions at home," said Prof Lim, who is Director of iHealthtech at NUS.

In collaboration with the Singapore General Hospital, a small clinical test of VeCare was conducted on patients with chronic venous leg ulcers. They successfully demonstrated that the platform is effective in the assessment of chronic wounds and enabling monitoring of the progress of wound healing with timely medical intervention.

Using smart sensors for better clinical management

"The VeCare platform is easily scalable and customisable to accommodate different panels of biomarkers to monitor various types of wounds. The aim is to have an effective and easy to use diagnostic and prognostic tool for precise and data-driven clinical management of patients," commented Prof Lim.

The next step for the research team is to further develop VeCare to meet safety, regulatory and mass production considerations. The team will explore the incorporation of other appropriate biomarkers suitable for other wound types and utilize data in existing clinical workflows to improve diagnosis and treatment. They hope to test the technology on a larger prospective randomized clinical trial with different types of non-healing chronic ulcers such as diabetic foot and pressure ulcers.

Explore further Supercharged bandages to revolutionise chronic wound treatment

More information: Yuji Gao et al, A flexible multiplexed immunosensor for point-of-care in situ wound monitoring, Science Advances (2021). Journal information: Science Advances Yuji Gao et al, A flexible multiplexed immunosensor for point-of-care in situ wound monitoring,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg9614
Telephone conversation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia

On October 21, 2021 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, had a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov.

During the conversation, the Foreign Ministers exchanged information on the pandemic situation in the two countries.

The parties discussed the preparation for the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State.

The Ministers also reviewed the preparations for the upcoming joint meeting of the collegium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and the collegium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, within the framework of which the Program of Coordinated Actions in Foreign Policy of the Member States of the Treaty Establishing the Union State in 20222023 will be signed.

The Foreign Ministers also touched upon the issues of interaction within international organizations.



print version
A Republican state lawmaker, Rep. Brad Tschida, is again alleging "troubling irregularities" in Missoula County's 2020 general election.

His lawyer, Quentin Rhoades, sent a letter Thursday to several government officials reiterating claims made earlier this year and offering more details. Those claims include allegations that thousands of ballots were mailed to ineligible voters and that the county elections office erased a video recording of the vote count.

All three county commissioners  Dave Strohmaier, Josh Slotnick and Juanita Vero  are again strongly pushing back on the allegations.

"This is the latest attempt by this group to sow doubt in the elections process among Montana voters," they said in a statement to the Missoulian.

Tschida has declined their invitations to learn about the ways they safeguard the integrity of elections, the commissioners said.

"Instead, he's relied on a single error-riddled hand-count of affirmation envelopes, faulty interpretation of state statute and county policies, and conspiracy theories peddled nationally by self-proclaimed 'experts' with no actual election experience to continue to push his baseless claims in the media," the commissioners wrote. "Even worse, he expects taxpayers to foot the bill for it."

Tschida, who represents House District 97 (which includes Lolo and a swath of area around Highway 12), has hired Rhoades as part of what they call the Missoula County Election Integrity Project.

In a 52-page memo sent to the Montana Secretary of State, the Montana Attorney General and the Missoula County Attorney, they present the findings of a 20-person team led by former Republican Missoula City Council member Lyn Hellegard. They say they obtained a voter registration and history database from the Montana Secretary of State for a $1,000 fee.

The outcome of the investigation suggests strongly that the Elections Office either suffers from fundamental incompetence or has been derelict in its duties to maintain up to date and accurate voter rolls and electronic records, Rhoades wrote. Whether accidentally or on purpose, the result is a padding of invalid voter registration, providing ample room for mischief by wrong-doers and doubt in the public as to election integrity.

"At best, the Elections Office has not performed well as a steward of the voter rolls," Rhoades continued.

In their findings, the group says thousands of ballots were mailed to ineligible voters in sufficient numbers to have affected the outcome of several elections.

The group also says the elections office erased the video recording of the Nov. 3, 2020 ballot counts.

Rhoades wrote that the Integrity Project consists exclusively of local volunteers who all serve or have served on a pro-bono publico basis ... It is not affiliated with any political party, non-profit organization or for-profit corporate entity or large donors."

When asked if there were any Democrats on the team, Tschida said he wasnt sure.

I dont know the particular makeup of the group, he said. When were talking about counting envelopes, this isnt a partisan thing. Any attempt to try to twist and turn this into a partisan issue is not a reasonable intention. We dont intend to make it a partisan issue.

The groups objective is to make sure elections are open, fair and honest, Tschida said.

The Elections Office has questioned the competency of the people doing the assessment, thats their only way of objecting to differences, Tschida told the Missoulian. We continue to look and continue to find things that give us pause in saying there was 100% accuracy in the election findings. We want every person who should have voted to have their vote counted and every person who should not have voted to not have their vote counted.

"And right now that is being called into question.

The three county commissioners told the Missoulian that only the judicial branch has the authority to adjudicate elections.

"Weve been saying that all along, and a recent Legislative Services Division legal analysis reaffirmed that point," the commissioners wrote. "We continue to assert that, if this group so strongly believes the allegations in this document are true, then they should contest the election in court. We suspect they will not pursue that route because their short-term goal is to erode voters faith in local elections."

The commissioners say they believe the group wants to influence other state lawmakers.

"Their ultimate goal, though, is to push the Legislature to make drastic changes to state election laws, changes that would further diminish Montanans' right to participate in their democracy," the commissioners wrote.

This past March, the same group led by Tschida and Rhoades questioned the integrity of the Missoula County election process by claiming that 4,592 ballots did not have affirmation envelopes and should not have been included in the final election vote total. Tschida sent a letter in March to the Secretary of States office with his claims.

All three Missoula County commissioners called the accusations made by Tschida spurious and said they relied on an unverified error-ridden single review.

Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen did not take a stance on the issue, but in April released a statement saying she would enhance election transparency by requiring the retention of video records, among other things.

When reached by the Missoulian on Thursday, Rhoades said the group has again presented their findings from March along with a "host of others" as well. He said the findings are not allegations.

Rhoades hopes the errors will somehow be corrected, he said.

"And we can have more confidence in the system than we have now," he said.

The county commissioners said they "stand by their hardworking elections staff and all that they do to ensure the utmost integrity of elections."

They've invited the public to many open houses to see the vote counting processes firsthand.

"Once again, we offer this invitation to Rep. Tschida and his comrades: If they have the courage of their convictions, lets go to court," the commissioners wrote. "Anything less is just noise."

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 14

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Gov. Greg Gianforte, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale are calling for President Biden to stop Afghan resettlements in Montana after a humanitarian evacuee from Afghanistan was charged with sexual assault in Missoula earlier this week.

Zabihullah Mohmand, 19, appeared in Missoula Justice Court on Tuesday. He is charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent, a felony. The alleged survivor told officials Mohmand is from Afghanistan, charging documents said.

In an email to the Missoulian on Thursday, Jon Ebelt, a spokesman for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, confirmed Mohmand is part of the federal Afghan Placement and Assistance Program. He is one of 20 Afghan evacuees currently in Montana.

Mohmand told police he was visiting Missoula on a worldwide trip, charging documents said. He did not mention being part of a resettlement program.

The public defender, Ted Fellman, said at Tuesdays hearing that Mohmand is an immigrant who has been staying in Missoula.

A statement from Daines' office said Mohmand was admitted to the United States and placed in Montana under Humanitarian Parole, which is separate from the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program.

The International Rescue Committee confirmed this information to Daines office late Wednesday afternoon, Daines spokeswoman Katie Schoettler said in an email to the Missoulian.

Both Daines and Gianforte called on the Biden administration to give answers about the vetting process being used for Afghan refugees resettling in Montana.

"While I welcome our fully-vetted Afghan allies to Montana, this situation and others across the country raise serious concerns about whether the Biden administration is meeting its obligations to fully vet Afghans prior to resettlement, Gianfortes statement said. I'm calling on President Biden to immediately halt resettlements to Montana until federal agencies provide me with adequate assurance that Afghans coming to Montana are fully-vetted in accordance with federal law."

Rosendale also called for Biden to halt resettlement, and to remove Afghan evacuees that have been resettled in the U.S. He said Mohmand did not go through the 14-step vetting process required to obtain a visa.

"We remain steadfast that the circumstances and alleged actions of one individual are not reflective of refugee or immigrant communities. For decades we have welcomed immigrant families and have watched them thrive and contribute to their communities and the nation," a statement from the International Rescue Committee said.

Randall Caudle, an immigration attorney based in Missoula, said while he understands the politicians' concerns and agrees Afghans should be fully vetted, he doesnt think this individuals actions represent all Afghan people seeking refuge in Montana.

One person is not reflective of all the nationals of a country, Caudle said.

Ebelt emphasized federal agencies are responsible for the vetting process prior to parolees arrival.

Afghan parolees are expected to abide by the laws of the United States, both while in military installations and as resettled members of local communities, said a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.

Afghan parolees are briefed on U.S. law and the conditions of their parole while they are refugees at military bases.

Those who violate the law may be placed into removal proceedings, the statement said.

Before individuals are permitted to enter the United States, they are subject to rigorous, multi-layered screening and vetting processes that involve biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and additional Intelligence Community partners, the statement continued.

Mohmand is being held on $50,000 bond at the Missoula County Detention Facility.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 6 Angry 11

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
In a busy Wednesday work session, Missoula City Council voted to move several items from committee to full council for consideration next Monday.

Council's committees for Administration and Finance, Public Safety and Health and Public Works all met on Wednesday.

New fire equipment

Missoula's Fire Department outlined an $855,000 request for a new self-contained breathing apparatus system.

The current breathing equipment the city has is nearing the end of its life span, Missoula Fire Assistant Chief Brad Davis said. The new equipment should last 15 years.

The contract is with Sea Western Firefighting Equipment, a Kirkland, Washington, company. The equipment was in the the city's fiscal year 2022 budget as part of a capital improvement program.

"It's an entire replacement of everything we have currently," Davis told committee. "It's a complete package of self-contained air."

Additionally, the fire department is asking council to spend $279,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act allocation for a new set of "turnouts"  the jackets, pants and other clothing worn for protection by firefighters.

Davis said this would give the fire department two complete sets of firefighting gear. It's directly related to the pandemic, as the fire department says getting that gear turned around and laundered after possible exposure to COVID has become impractical.

"What we discovered is that with only one set of turnouts issued to firefighters, is that if we were exposed to individuals with the virus, there was no way that we could come back and quickly launder and turn that equipment back around for structure (fire) usage," Davis said. "We're left with damp and wet equipment that is difficult to utilize."

City looks to WGM for water rights help

Council moved a proposal to sign a $35,000 contract with WGM Group for water rights consulting services.

The contract deals with the acquisition of the Flynn-Lowney ditch and WGM will complete and submit a number of applications for the city regarding water rights. Missoula is looking to buy the ditch for $990,000 from Hellgate Valley Irrigation Co.

Missoula will provide wells for the current users of the ditch, before eventually selling water rights through the Clark Fork Coalition. The hope is that not only will the project ease development headaches as the Mullan BUILD project continues in the Sxwtpqyen Area, but it could also help river wildlife.

The relatively small amount of water that flows through the ditch "wouldn't move the needle" for future development, Senior Deputy City Attorney Ryan Sudbury said. City officials expressed they feel they have good water rights in the Sxwtpqyen Area, some of which were obtained when Missoula bought Mountain Water Company.

New trucks

Missoula's Public Works committee moved several vehicle purchases to Monday's city council meeting.

The city plans to purchase four Ford F-350 pickups, which will cost a total of $154,000, for Missoula Water. Additionally, the city is looking to purchase a $30,500 Chevy Colorado for the Parks Department and two electric parking enforcement scooters, which will cost $79,000 total.

Jordan Hansen covers news and local government for the Missoulian. Shout at him on Twitter @jordyhansen or send him an email at Jordan.Hansen@Missoulian.com

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
SEATTLE (AP)  The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed civil rights attorney Tana Lin as a federal judge in Seattle.

Lin, the president of the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, will be the first former public defender and the first Asian American to serve as a federal judge in Washington state, said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray.

Americans deserve a justice system that will uphold the rights of everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected," Murray said. "Building a more fair and just court system starts by appointing more public defenders and more civil rights lawyers  like Ms. Lin  as judges.

The 55-year-old Lin helped challenge former President Donald Trumps travel ban and has represented workers in employment discrimination cases, including immigrant farmworkers in Washington state who were cheated out of wages.

President Joe Biden has said he wants his nominees to bring more professional and demographic diversity to the federal courts. Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell recommended Lin's appointment after Lin was chosen by a judicial merit selection panel.

Civil rights groups cheered her confirmation, which came on a 52-45 vote.

Tana Lin is a trailblazing lawyer and exactly what we need to ensure that our federal courts benefit from a diversity of perspectives," said Christopher Kang, chief counsel of the progressive legal reform group Demand Justice.

The Senate has also recently confirmed Lauren King, a tribal law expert who is serving as Washington states first Native American federal Judge, and David Estudillo, a former immigration attorney and Grant County Superior Court judge, for the federal bench in the Western District of Washington.

Before the confirmations, five of the seven active judge positions in the Seattle and Tacoma courthouses were vacant  the highest ratio in the country.

Lin began her career as a public defender in Washington, D.C., before becoming a trial attorney in the employment litigation section of Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

She immigrated from Taiwan at age 3 and spoke only Mandarin at home before being enrolled in school.

She attended Cornell University and New York University School of Law.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
LONDON (AP)  Britain and New Zealand have agreed on a trade deal that eliminates tariffs on a wide range of goods as the U.K. expands economic links around the world following its exit from the European Union.

The deal was cemented late Wednesday in a conference call between U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his New Zealand counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, after 16 months of talks by negotiators. Although trade with New Zealand accounts for only 0.2% of the U.K.'s trade, Britain hopes it will help open the door toward membership in the trans-Pacific trade partnership.

The partnership, which includes Japan, Canada, and Vietnam, had GDP of 8.4 trillion pounds ($11.6 trillion) in 2020.

This is a great trade deal for the United Kingdom, cementing our long friendship with New Zealand and furthering our ties with the Indo-Pacific, Johnson said. It will benefit businesses and consumers across the country, cutting costs for exporters and opening up access for our workers.''

Ardern said the deal was among the best ever achieved by New Zealand and would boost the nation's economy by about 1 billion New Zealand dollars ($720 million) as it opens the way for more sales of the country's wine, butter, cheese and beef.

This is a historic but substantial deal and it's been achieved basically in a year, Ardern said. That has never been done before.

Trade officials in the U.K. trumpeted the benefits of the deal, declaring that sauvignon blanc wine, Manuka honey and kiwi fruit from New Zealand would be cheaper for British consumers. Clothing, buses and bulldozers will also no longer face tariffs.

British farmers expressed disquiet, however, saying the deal, and another signed with Australia earlier this year, may boost food imports at a time when labor shortages and rising costs are already hurting many U.K. farmers.

This could damage the viability of many British farms in the years ahead, to the detriment of the public, who want more British food on their shelves, and to the detriment of our rural communities and cherished farmed landscapes,'' National Farmers Union President Minette Batters said.

Instead of repeating the refrain that these deals will be good for British agriculture, our government now needs to explain how these deals will tangibly benefit farming, the future of food production and the high standards that go along with it on these shores, Batters said.

Asked if the deal meant New Zealand would be less reliant on China for its exports, Ardern said diversification would improve options and resilience for its exporters.

When Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community back in 1973 many New Zealand exporters felt abandoned.

Ardern said the new deal meant that perhaps it was time to draw a line under that period of history.

Some of the details of the deal are still being finalized, and officials expect it to take effect next year.

Johnsons Conservative government is negotiating free trade deals around the world to try to boost economic growth following Brexit. The biggest prize would be a trade deal with the United States, although a deal with America seems far off.



Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand.



Follow all AP stories on post-Brexit developments in Britain at https://apnews.com/hub/Brexit.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
On Oct. 11, the Missoulian published an opinion submitted by judicial candidate Ethan Lerman. The opinion was titled, Lerman brings experience, compassion and fairness to Missoulas Municipal Court.

In it, Lerman claims he works every day to serve all Missoulians, including those suffering from addiction, mental health issues and those experiencing homelessness. He also claims he does not, and would never, use heavy-handed fines or incarceration to enforce minor offenses.

As a former public defender, I practiced in front of Lerman regularly during his tenure as an assistant judge to Kathleen Jenks. In my experience, his actions do not support his claims.

One incident in particular stands out. One morning in early 2020, I was the on-call defense attorney for jail court, a daily hearing in which individuals recently jailed on misdemeanor offenses appear before a municipal judge to be informed of the charges against them and to enter pleas.

One of the defendants appearing that morning was a young Native American man who was struggling with homelessness and addiction. He was charged with theft for stealing two bottles of hard lemonade from a grocery store. He pled no contest, and the prosecutor recommended he be sentenced to 10 days in jail. Lerman then had the following exchange with the defendant:

Defendant: Am I good? Am I done?

Lerman: Youre not done . . . Dont go

Defendant: What you gonna do, lecture me? ...

Lerman: I havent sentenced you yet ... Are you in a hurry to go somewhere?

Defendant: Yeah, to go take a shit, if you wanna know. Im sorry.

Lerman: Okay. Probably not the wisest thing youve ever said.

Lerman then sentenced the defendant to six months in jail, nearly 20 times the prosecutors recommendation. Upon hearing his sentence, the defendant, stunned, asked for clarification:

Defendant: You gave me six months?

Lerman: Thats correct.

Defendant: Oh shit. It was just ... alright, alright. Over taking ... over asking to take a shit?

Lerman: You wanna keep talking?

Defendant: Youre right. No, I dont.

Lerman: Cause you got two years of exposure. I would be happy to give you two years if you wanna keep talking.

Lerman: No. My bad your honor.

This is not the sentence one would expect from someone claiming to be a compassionate public servant of Missoulas most vulnerable citizens.

The defendant appealed his sentence to the District Court, which reversed Lermans decision. The District Judge found, The fact that no reason whatsoever [for the sentence] was given in this case necessitates a remand for resentencing with an emphasis on the need for the sentencing judge to give reasons for whatever sentence may be imposed. The District Judge sent the case back to the Municipal Court for a new sentencing hearing and ordered that a different judge be assigned to sentence the defendant.

In a candidate forum hosted by City Club Missoula on Oct. 18, Lerman was confronted about this sentence. He claimed it was a sentence to treatment that allowed the defendant to attend either inpatient or outpatient treatment. This is false. The sentencing order was clear that the defendant was to serve six months in jail but could be released to inpatient chemical dependency treatment ONLY. The order was silent as to how the defendant was to procure inpatient treatment accommodations from inside his jail cell.

Lerman is right when he says a judge should be fair and compassionate, but he has failed to live up to that standard.

Ryan W. Aikin is a Missoula attorney and former public defender.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0
Today I am proud to endorse amazing Missoulians to represent Missoula on the city council. During my tenure, I was constantly approached by both Democrats and Republicans saying how wonderful it was to have diversity of thought on the council again. Fierce debate and the competition of ideas is the only way to assure that the citizens of Missoula are truly getting the best policies.

I am not seeking reelection and would like to see rigorous discussion continue on council, I believe that Jane VanFossen and Bob Campbell are amazing citizens that Missoula needs to represent all of the viewpoints reflected by a vast and diverse citizenry.

Throughout my political career, both during my campaign and during my tenure on council, Jane has been one of my most trusted confidants. Jane has recently decided that she is going to run to represent the voters of Ward 1. I cannot tell you how lucky the constituents of Ward 1 would be to have a representative like Jane serving them. Jane has an absolutely incredible life story. She was the first female commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy out of Montana and spent 23 years of her life as a commander and systems analyst with a masters in business administration (financial management), trained in fine-grain details of budgeting and financial controls. It is my sincere belief that Jane will be the most qualified and most capable elected official ever to serve in Missoula local office and that includes myself. Whenever I have had any questions or thoughts about the budget, Jane has always been there to be both my sounding board and my fact checker.

Whenever I have needed anything, even if it was just somebody to talk to, after a particularly tough day in council she was always there for me and continues to be. I know that she will do the same for all of her constituents if elected. She always gives me the truth and has literally spent months of her life understanding the budget more than any of the officials who work for the city of Missoula.

It is important to know that Jane is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. She looks at the data and makes an informed decision. Her and I have had plenty of policy disagreements, but her and I both believe that the best of Missoula is yet to come. Please join me in supporting this incredible civil servant for office. I urge the voters in Ward 1 to cast their vote for this amazing civil servant.

For nearly four years Ive worked to the utmost of my ability to protect tax dollars, call out wasteful spending, and uphold liberty for Missoula citizens. Well need real leaders in local government who will continue to fight for these values, and in Ward 5 the choice is clear. Bob Campbells background in public service is impressive: land use planner, U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard veteran, and still serving as a Missoula police officer. Bob has over 30 years in local government altogether.

Ive watched Bob through this latest campaign cycle, reviewing his platform, speaking with him on several occasions, reading his articles, watching him work hard to engage the voters of his ward. His decades of experience shows, and thatll be an important asset to the citizens of Missoula. I have no doubt whatsoever Bob will bring real leadership, common sense, and fiscal responsibility to the table should he be elected to the Missoula City Council.

I urge the great folks in Ward 5 to vote, and in doing so cast their vote for Bob Campbell for city council!

Jesse Ramos represents Ward 4 on the Missoula City Council.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
The source of contamination may not be from humans, but water samples taken from remote Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness lakes still contain fecal bacteria.

I was expecting to find more human evidence because of the surface turds we ran into all the time, said Dan Pendergraph.

Pendergraph sampled water from 21 wilderness lakes and two Granite Peak snowmelt streams as part of his graduate thesis in environmental sciences at the University of Montana in 2018. The results of his research were recently published in the official journal of the Wilderness Medical Society.

Total coliforms were detected at all lake outlets  and E coli was detected at 11 of 21 sites, according to Pendergraphs analysis.

Bacteria

Using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assays to further refine the analysis revealed the presence of human feces-derived microorganisms, albeit at (low) abundances. That means most of the positive tests for bacteria came from animals  which could include pets and livestock  as well as wildlife.

Our results suggest low prevalence of water-borne pathogens (specically E. coli and human-derived Bacteroides) in this popular wilderness area, the study concluded.

It was nice to see there wasnt as much contamination as I thought, Pendergraph said.

Coliforms are bacteria that live in animal and human digestive systems and are released into the environment from their feces. E. coli is a subgroup of coliform bacteria. Such bacteria can make people sick if they are ingested, either from unclean hands contaminating surfaces or food, or from drinking tainted water.

Its just a snapshot, Pendergraph added. It doesnt reveal what goes on over the course of the summer.

Use

Lost Lake in the Lake Fork of Rock Creek drainage and Elk Lake in the East Rosebud drainage were the two lakes with the highest concentrations of bacteria. Elk Lake made sense because its such a popular spot, Pendergraph said, the first lake along the Beaten Path on the east side.

He said it would be interesting to return to a popular, lake-filled trail like the Beaten Path and sample the water throughout the summer to see how or if it changes over time. Especially now since visitation to the area has increased.

A Forest Service trail counter at the East Rosebud trailhead recorded a nearly 50% increase in "average daily traffic" between 2019 and 2020 (from 106 hikers per day to 149 hikers a day), according to Patrick Cross, executive director of the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation. That compares to 73 hikers a day in 2016.

Water

Pendergraphs analysis reinforces the importance for backpackers, hikers and other wilderness users to filter their water. Pendergraph uses a Katadyn pump filter when hes in the woods, although hes tried ones with a ceramic filter, chemicals, iodine and a pen that beams ultraviolet light.

Ive used it all, he said, noting that chemical mixtures are like science experiments and iodine adds an unpleasant taste.

Luckily, hes never gotten sick because of the precautions hes taken to filter and treat his water, but its not an uncommon backcountry ailment.

The bacteria giardia is well known for infecting hikers, causing an affliction sometimes referred to as beaver fever since it can be transmitted by beavers.

Ive known plenty of people who have gotten the beaver fever, Pendergraph said, including Forest Service workers and hunting guides.

Rules

Backcountry regulations and the Leave No Trace ethic recommend human waste be disposed in 6- to 8-inch deep cat holes at least 200 feet away from water sources in inconspicuous places where others arent likely to congregate or camp.

Whether or not it contaminates the water, its unpleasant to look at, Pendergraph said.

As forest use has climbed during the COVID-19 pandemic and with many of those users unfamiliar with proper backcountry behavior, unpleasant toilet paper and poop piles have become more common in many areas.

"We have been seeing an increase in improper human waste disposal in popular backcountry camping areas," said Melissa Simpson, recreation program manager for the Custer Gallatin National Forest. "We are seeing unburied human waste and toilet paper, especially in areas that are very rocky and near lake shores where it is difficult to dig a cathole."

More restrictive regulations like requiring overnight users to pack commercial products like WAG (Waste Alleviation and Gelling) Bags for their waste arent common yet, except in high elevation areas where its near impossible to dig a hole or theres heavy use.

"We have not been having in depth discussions on WAG Bags yet, but there may be a couple of key areas in the near future where we explore that option," Simpson said. "We currently focus on Leave no Trace messaging and educating visitors. "

The Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation, which conducts trail work in the forest, uses a portable latrine that the Beartooth Back Country Horsemen pack in for their crew, Cross said.

Our volunteer trail ambassadors, who post up at popular trailheads around the wilderness, do hand out WAG Bags and (more importantly) talk to visitors about the importance of proper waste disposal, especially as it relates to water quality, Cross said.

Bag it

Boaters on Montanas Smith River could be required to pack out their waste in the future as Montana State Parks re-examines its management plan for the popular 60-mile float. Pendergraph said he thinks some areas of the Beartooths should require WAG Bags. One of the unpleasant tasks backcountry rangers often perform is properly burying human waste near campsites, derogatively known as the poop patrol.

Granite Peak, the states highest mountain at 12,807 feet, is one place where mountain climbers can find it difficult to dig a cat hole for their waste. Some guides who take trekkers to the peak require their clients to use WAG Bags. Climbers of Mount Rainier in Washington, Denali in Alaska and Shasta in California are required to pack out their waste.

In 2006 Mount Whitney in Californias Inyo National Forest began requiring visitors to pack out their waste, an amount estimated at 7,000 to 8,000 pounds of poop a year.

You can almost guess which tree you will find a pile of toilet paper behind at every popular lake  but I think things are improving as groups like ABWF and others work to get the word out about wilderness ethics, Cross said.

Improper dish washing and fish gut disposal around popular campsites are other backcountry behavior problems ABWF folks encounter, Cross said. He and Simpson also cited improper disposal of dog waste  either not cleaning up after their pets or leaving bags scattered along a trail  as a growing problem. Friends of Hyalite even organizes a poop pickup day in the spring and the Forest Service has paid contractors to help clean up.

"It's a growing problem that is difficult to manage," Simpson said.

Cross agreed, saying, We are making sure our volunteer trail ambassadors are prepared to talk to folks about these issues too  just a few easy steps will help keep the wilderness pristine while ensuring a top-quality experience for the next visitor.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Burke County has 17 additional residents who have succumbed to COVID-19.

The Burke County Health Department reported the deaths Thursday, bringing the countys death toll from the virus to 267.

The residents who died were in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 80s and 90s, with 16 of them being hospitalized prior to dying from COVID-related complications, the health department said. The health department said seven deaths of Burke County residents occurred in Catawba County within the past month.

Seventeen. Seventeen additional lives lost to this relentless virus. Burke County residents, do not lose hope. Circumstances may seem grim right now, but we are headed in the right direction out of this pandemic, said Burke County Health Director Danny Scalise. To the loved ones of the 17 lives lost, my heart goes out to you during this grievous time. May you find comfort in the family and friends close to you. To the members of our community, it is important for your personal health and the health of those around you to get the vaccine as soon as you are eligible to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The health department is pleading with residents to stay at home when they are sick with any COVID-like symptoms and not visit family, friends, events, etc. to reduce the chance of passing COVID-19 and other infections.
The original painting in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building was created by John Trumbull in 1821 as one of a series of four paintings depicting key moments in the Revolutionary War.

President (James) Madison and the Congress, back in 1821, had to pick four pictures to hang in the Capitol rotunda, and they were supposed to be extremely significant to American history, and heres one with Daniel Morgan as the prominent figure, Linda said.

Morganton was named for Morgan in 1784, according to the Lindseys research, although there is no official documentation that he ever visited the city.

We thought it was very instructive that Charles McDowell sought to have Morganton named after Daniel Morgan, Bryant said.

At the request of the Lindseys and approval of city council, Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson signed a proclamation at the Oct. 4 city council meeting declaring Friday, Oct. 22 as Daniel Morgan Day in Morganton.

They chose that particular date as a result of research the Lindseys requested from the office of N.C. Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R-86) from the state archives documenting the exact day Morganton was officially declared a city by the state legislative body.
A woman who was assaulted by her own son begged a judge not to send him to prison, crying and saying he was a very good kid who just needs to be rebuilt.

But a prosecutor said James Wayne Phillips Jr. had a violent history that endangered his family and added treatment programs werent working and time in the Montana State Prison was justified.

District Judge Robert Whelan agreed on Wednesday, though he imposed a five-year sentence at the state prison in Deer Lodge instead of the 10 years sought by Deputy County Attorney Ann Shea.

This isnt your first assault. It is certainly not your first partner-family member assault, Whelan told Phillips, 37, who was appearing via video from the Butte jail. You have had plenty of opportunities to correct your issues and none of them have been corrected. The victim in this is your own family  your own mother.

I dont want to be sitting here a year from now with something that has gone further than this, Whelan said. The next step, youre going to be up on murder charges.

Phillips latest offenses occurred on March 1, when his mother told an officer who patrols Silver Bow Homes he had assaulted her in her apartment, prosecutors say. The officer had dealt with Phillips many times and told him he wasnt allowed on public housing property.

But he entered her apartment that day and when his mother told him to leave, he pushed her over a couch, hurting her shoulder.

He was charged with aggravated burglary and partner-family member assault, third or subsequent offense, and later agreed to plead guilty to the burglary charge and family member assault causing bodily injury.

On Wednesday, the mother appeared before Whelan and while crying, begged him to send her son to NEXUS, a Montana Department of Corrections treatment program for offenders addicted to methamphetamine or other chemicals, instead of the state prison.

He was a good son, she said, but became a whole different person when doing drugs and alcohol.

All I am asking, your honor, is for you to help me help my son, she said.

Philips, with his attorney, Jessica Polan, by his side at the jail, read a brief statement saying he was sorry and wanted to go to the NEXUS program.

But Shea said there had been prior assaults, and at this point, the family needed protection from each other.

Treatment hasnt been working, she said. He is a high risk to re-offend. I feel for the victim in this matter. It is difficult for any parent to see their son go to prison."

Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 3 Sad 6 Angry 5

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Unexpected chase

In the early hours Tuesday morning, three Butte residents, Gary David Conan, 41, Mario Baudelio Nava, 34, and Gabriella K. McComas, 23, led Butte police on a merry chase through Uptown Butte.

Just after 3 a.m., an officer noticed a recreational vehicle parked near Clark and 7th Street. When the officer drove by, the RV took off. The officer learned that the trailer attached to the RV had been reported stolen in Idaho. The RV, driven by Conan, ended up on Montana and Empire and then headed north on Main.

Police were able to put a stop stick in place, puncturing two of its tires. The RV continued onto Centennial Avenue and reportedly tried to ram a police vehicle with two officers inside. Eventually, the RV hit not only a dumpster, but a fence and tree, before coming to a stop in the 400 block of First Street.

McComas had exited the RV and was hiding out in a yard. She was arrested on a criminal contempt warrant.

Nava was jailed for a felony parole violation.

As for Conan, he was arrested for numerous felony offenses, including theft, criminal endangerment, assault on a police officer (no injury), two counts of possession of dangerous drugs (heroin and methamphetamine), and misdemeanors  assault on a police officer (no injury) and possession of dangerous drugs.

He remains in jail on a $40,000 bond.

Refused to leave

Just after midnight Wednesday, officers arrived at the Butte Rescue Mission to investigate a disturbance allegedly caused by Alex Daniel Osier, 24, of Butte.

Officers told Osier to leave the facility. He got angry, slammed the door, continued yelling, and refused to leave. He was jailed for misdemeanor failure to disperse.

Felony warrants

William Eugene Fitch, 57, of Butte was jailed Tuesday night on two felony warrants  parole violation and failure to register as an offender.

Taken to jail

At around 7:50 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 1800 block of Utah to investigate a suspicious vehicle.

Inside the car, sound asleep, was Jeffrey Albert Grosso, 44, of Butte. It was discovered that Grosso had three Montana Highway Patrol warrants out for his arrest so he was taken to jail.

Fourth offense

Jon David Folland, 46, of Butte was jailed at 4:40 p.m. Monday for felony partner or family member assault with reasonable apprehension (fourth offense).

Officers arrived in the 1400 block of Motor View Road to investigate a disturbance between a man and a woman.

Folland allegedly threatened the woman and attempted to head butt her.

Car break-in

On Monday morning, it was discovered a pocket knife and cell phone holder were taken from a car parked in the 1900 block of Wall Street

Cracked window

It was reported late Monday morning that a window at the New Hope Pregnancy Center at 320 S. Idaho St., had been cracked. After viewing on-site video, it was discovered that a transient had been sleeping on the front porch, leaned against the window and cracked it.

Youths cited

On Monday afternoon, a 13-year-old student at East Middle School was cited for possession of marijuana.

On Tuesday afternoon, a 15-year-old student at Butte High School was cited for damaging a sink in the mens restroom.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
A judge sentenced a Butte woman to 10 years in prison Wednesday for wreaking havoc in the Big M parking lot in 2019, smashing into cars with her SUV, striking several people and driving directly at an officer in his patrol car.

District Judge Robert Whelan said the sentence for Athena Lynn Smith provided punishment, offered a chance at rehabilitation and above all, provided protection for the community.

I think that is the number one priority in this case, Whelan said. His precise sentence was 25 years at the Montana Womens Prison in Billings with 15 of those years suspended.

Whelan also sentenced her to 10 years for a 2017 burglary and theft, but it will run concurrent to the 2019 case.

Smith, 34, appeared Wednesday via video from the Butte jail with Jessica Polan, her attorney in the 2017 case. Her attorney in the 2019 case, Andrew Jenks, appeared before Whelan in District Court.

Prosecutors had initially charged her in 2019 with eight counts of felony criminal endangerment, five felony counts of criminal mischief, one felony count of assaulting an officer and two misdemeanor charges.

In a deal with prosecutors, she pleaded guilty to four felonies  two for criminal endangerment, one for assaulting a peace officer and one for criminal mischief  plus one misdemeanor assault count.

Prosecutor Ann Shea asked for 15 years in prison with another 15 suspended. Four youths were taken to St. James Healthcare and treated for injuries after the mayhem.

There were a number of victims in this matter, Shea told the judge Wednesday. A lot of people were placed in danger.

Defense attorney Andrew Jenks asked for a 20-year prison sentence with 10 suspended. He said Smith understood the serious nature of the offenses, but had mental health issues at the time that were exacerbated by substance abuse.

Substance abuse was a major factor in what happened, he said.

According to prosecutors, Smith drove to a parking area next to the Big M, also called Big Butte, on Aug. 6, 2019, and confronted several youths who were gathered to remember a friend who had died.

She tried to smudge several of them with sage, called them sinners and punched one girl in the stomach and grabbed her by the throat, witnesses said. She then got into her SUV and drove erratically, smashing into cars and striking people.

Smith then led police on a high-speed chase, at one point driving her car directly at an officer in a patrol car, before coming to a stop in a driveway on Western Avenue, prosecutors say. She then kicked and punched several officers as they tried to arrest her.

While an ambulance employee was checking on her at the jail, she told him she had consumed a bunch of meth, according to charging documents.

Jenks said Smith had three children and between 2012 and 2017, was employed and doing well.

When motivated, she can be a productive member of society, he said.

Shea said she did not think any of the victims knew Smith but wanted an order prohibiting Smith from contacting any of them when her prison time is up. Whelan granted the request.

Whelan gave Smith 806 days of credit for jail time already served.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 4 Sad 13 Angry 6

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Montana Democrats on Thursday entered the fray surrounding the decision by the state Attorney General's Office to dispatch a Montana Highway Patrol trooper to a hospital in Helena last week.

In the letter to legislative leadership, Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour of East Helena and House Minority Leader Kim Abbott of Helena requested the Legislature use a newly created special counsel to investigate the Attorney General's Office, citing questions of impropriety and abuse of power.

"As a co-equal branch of government, the Legislature has a duty to perform oversight of Executive Branch officials and agencies, especially when there are questions of impropriety and abuse of power," Cohenour and Abbott said in the letter to House Speaker Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, and Senate President Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell. "Therefore, we ask that you take immediate action to begin a probe into the incidents at St. Peter's Hospital, the actions of the Attorney General, and the involvement of any other public officials or employees."

The question arose from an incident in which St. Peter's Health said its doctors were threatened and harassed by three public officials over the care of a COVID-19 patient who had requested ivermectin, a drug not approved for the virus. The Attorney General's Office, after hearing from the patient's family, sent a trooper to the hospital to take statements. Attorney General Austin Knudsen, a Republican, later called hospital leaders.

Knudsen's office has since defended the attorney general's actions and has disputed the hospital's description of events.

"Given the misinformation being reported in the media regarding this incident, we welcome a conversation with any member of the legislature," Attorney General spokesperson Kyler Nerison said in an emailed statement Thursday. "So far, no Democrats have reached out."

The attorney general's office has not requested a correction to stories published this week by the Montana State News Bureau.

Cohenour said Democrats wanted to approach the matter as a caucus.

"I think it's more important that the Legislature exercise its oversight of the executive branch, and that's what we're asking for," she said.

Democratic leadership who signed on to the letter asked Legislative leaders for a prompt response Thursday.

This harassment campaign is a deeply disturbing abuse of power by the Attorney General, Cohenour and Abbott said in an emailed statement Thursday. Knudsens actions raise serious questions about his judgment and whether he is deserving of the trust invested in his office. The public deserves to know the facts and Knudsen must be held to account.

Gov. Greg Gianforte, also a Republican, said after a press conference in Butte on Thursday he supported health care workers, but stopped short of condemning the attorney general's actions.

I don't have the details on what happened there, but I stand with our health care workers. We need to support them so we can get through this together, Gianforte said.

So much of our effort has been focused on getting relief for our health care workers, whether it's calling up the National Guard, providing contract staffing from contract nursing firms to what we're doing here today getting external (help), because they've been on the front lines for 19 months. They have to suit up every morning and come to work.

The Attorney General's Office has asserted its law enforcement response to St. Peter's Health was not to direct medication administration but to investigate patient abuse or neglect of the patient, stating the patient's family had reported being cut off from communication with the woman in her 80s. St. Peter's has rejected that report, stating its teams are providing care in accordance with clinical best practice, hospital policy and patient rights. The hospital also said the elected officials threatened providers and demanded specific medical treatment.

On Wednesday, spokesman Kyler Nerison said the Department of Justice had jurisdiction to investigate any complaints of patient abuse and neglect, pointing to the authority of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Federal funding for that unit is conditional upon it being "a single, identifiable entity in its own continuous space within the office of the state Attorney General," while the Montana Highway Patrol's jurisdiction is outlined in state law as limited to offenses on highways, rest areas, and state highway properties adjacent to the highway.

The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff, which shares jurisdiction over the hospital property with the Helena Police Department, on Wednesday disputed the Attorney General's claim to jurisdiction.

"As chief law enforcement officer of the state, the Attorney General holds an office of incredible authority and public trust," the letter from Democratic leaders said. "Accordingly, Montanans expect that whoever holds that office will conduct themselves with impeccable judgment and impartiality."

 Reporter Holly Michels contributed to this story.

Love 7 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
October 18 marked the 49th anniversary of Americas hallmark clean water law, the Clean Water Act (CWA). The trailblazing legislation, signed in 1972 by President Nixon, aimed to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nations waters, finally providing a path forward for addressing water pollution across the country.

Nearly 50 years after the CWAs inception, our waterways continue to face uphill challenges, even in Montana. As a headwaters state for the nations longest river system, Montana holds a special responsibility to restore and maintain clean and healthy water. Yet, rolled-back water quality protections, climate change, booming population trends, sprawl development, outdated and undergunned wastewater treatment technology, speculative oil and gas development, and lack of political will to prioritize our water resources have left Montanas waterways at risk of degradation and persistent pollution problems.

The CWA provides a remarkably strong framework for protecting Montanas world-class waterways, fisheries, and clean drinking water  if and when followed. The premise is simple: use nonpartisan, best-available science to set standards for river health, then use said standards to determine whether water is clean or dirty and to limit pollution. If a river is clean, protect it from decline; if a river is dirty, create mandatory cleanup plans; if an activity degrades water quality, limit pollution contributions.

However, when politics subsume science  such as the Legislatures passage and the Department of Environmental Qualitys implementation of Senate Bill 358, which attempts to roll back science-based numeric nutrient pollution criteria  this framework doesnt work and Montanas outdoors heritage is unnecessarily put at risk.

Whether its removing the goal posts of waterway protection or applying radically expanded exemptions for polluting activities, politically-driven laws like SB 358 not only conflict with federal law and the promises of the CWA, they threaten water quality across the state and the things we hold dear. Montanas backslide from sound water management should concern all Montanans: from farmers and ranchers to fishing guides and outfitters, to local communities and businesses, we all depend upon and benefit from clean water and healthy rivers.

Since the CWAs inception common rhetoric from large polluters  including oil and gas refineries, mining corporations, and large cities and towns is that pollution control technology and science-based water pollution standards under the CWA are too burdensome and expensive. The truth is that for over 50 years both municipal and industrial dischargers have proven unwilling to invest in technology upgrades that will provide progress toward meeting pollution standards and better protecting water quality unless and until the law requires it.

Meaningful pollution control surely isnt cheap, but restoring polluted water is even more costly and burdensome than being proactive and investing in clean water upfront. Not to mention the secondary costs associated with polluted waters including human health costs, agricultural losses, and cumulative impacts on the outdoor economy. Protecting clean water and healthy waterways would be a wise business move and a smart comeback for the Gianforte administration.

This past summer was a particularly challenging season for Montanas rivers and cold-water fisheries. The Gallatin, Lower Madison, and Jefferson all suffered neon-green algal blooms from excessive nutrient pollution; the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Ruby, and Smith reached historic low flows; the Big Holes brown trout populations are at 40-year lows; water temperatures across Western Montana skyrocketed early and stayed longer than ever before; and amidst these unhappy events Montana is experiencing the largest population boom in our history. These tough river conditions are likely to worsen in the coming summers, particularly with more straws than ever in the proverbial glass of water. Now more than ever is the time for decisionmakers to double down on ensuring a healthy future for our waterways.

So as we celebrate the CWAs anniversary this year, let us firmly resolve: we must strengthen, not weaken, protections for clean water. A good starting point would be stopping Montanas rollback of science-based nutrient pollution standards. And then well need policies ensuring growth includes investment in green infrastructure, building local climate resiliency, and protecting our cold water fisheries. For the sake of our outdoors heritage, countless businesses, and our distinctly Montana way of life, we must do more to protect clean water and healthy rivers.

Guy Alsentzer is executive director of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Keep in mind we have one political party that is threatening to cause a national economic crisis and another that is having difficulty getting its act together to govern. In Montana we are implementing laws and policies that are adding to Covid-19 illness and death and overloading our medical facilities. Given this situation, it is not too early for voters to begin preparing for the 2022 mid-term elections.

One of the first things a responsible voter should do is assess a candidates suitability to represent us in Congress, the state legislature, or other public office. Discovering how they understand a few key areas, such as those listed below, will help determine his/her suitability.

Does the candidate you are evaluating think each statement below is correct, or substantially correct, or largely incorrect? This is a simple true or false test. (Substantially and largely are included only because politicians like to hedge their answers.)

For every right answer, the candidate gets ten points. A candidate who gets one hundred points clearly understands what is going on and is suitable as a representative. The next step is to examine what policies he/she supports and whether you are satisfied with those positions. Remember that it is unusual to find a candidate with whom you agree on everything.

If a candidate gets zero points, he/she is a total doofus, living in an alternate reality from the fact-based world where the rest of us live. Scratch this candidate from consideration unless, of course, you have a penchant for unqualified candidates or you also live in a fact-free world.

You should begin to worry if the candidate cannot get at least into the B-/C+ range, or about 80 points. A lower score suggests the candidate is still struggling to become grounded in reality.

Here are the statements. True or false?

1. Climate change is one of earths most critical challenges and requires serious action by the US and other countries  immediately.

2. The prevalence of guns in the United States and our high level of gun violence are related.

3. Large tax breaks for corporations and wealthy people do not necessarily lead to strong economic development that trickles down to the majority of Americans.

4. President Trump did not win the 2020 presidential election and there was no substantial election fraud.

5. Covid-19 is a serious public health issue and unmasked and unvaccinated people are major causes of our nations difficulty in controlling it.

6. The Arizona Republican election audit was not a serious and professional undertaking, but something akin to a political stunt.

7. Montana House Bill 702 (which prevents care facilities from requiring vaccinations for staff and residents, and also prevents businesses from requiring vaccination or masks to enter their premises) undermines the control of Covid-19 and increases the number of infections and deaths in Montana communities.

8. Teaching American history by only stressing the best things in our history and downplaying the nations failings is not a truthful, accurate, or professional way to teach history.

9. Democrats are not socialists, communists, or fascists, although some Democrats favor progressive social programs akin to European Social Democrat parties.

10. The January 6th attack on the US Capitol was an attempt to forcibly change a presidential election  an insurrection and assault on American democracy, not an example of free speech or peaceful protest.

Now, the big reveal: all of these are true statements and can be corroborated by facts.

Try this test out on all 2022 candidates going forward. See if the candidates are suitable or poorly informed, and then vet them against other criteria. The goal is radically simple: elect people grounded in reality, whatever their policy preferences on the political spectrum. Avoid doofuses. We have enough of them in office already.

David Darby is a believer in American democracy who has held a variety of senior positions in Montana, both in state and federal government, including State Budget Director. He also served for a decade overseas as a senior US Treasury Department advisor to foreign governments. He is retired and lives in Billings.

Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
As the smoke clears, rains fall and temperatures drop after a historically bad year for water in SW Montana, this is the time to take stock of whats working, and who is working for water, and where we can put constructive energy to build resilience for both human and natural systems.

The bottom line for water in Montana is people are trying to make a living with the decks stacked against them. Water is a private property right tied to the use of the land to produce food we depend on. Most of our rivers have more rights than actual water, those rights go back a long way, and irrigators went through an expensive adjudication process to account for over-appropriated water. What that means is any number of irrigators could dry up our rivers without breaking a single law.

In 1988, the Big Hole River at Wisdom went dry for 32 days. In 2021, despite similar total snowpack and less overall precipitation, the river never went dry. The difference has been a culture of collaborative conservation and public-private partnerships thats been nurtured for over 25 years. In 88, it was every ranch for themselves, and many had excavators in the river, pushing gravels to get what water they could. This year, you didnt see machines in the river in August  thats a sign of shared sacrifice for the good of the resource.

In a time of stress, the urge to point fingers and hunker down into like-minded tribes is understandable, but not helpful (theres enough of that on the news and social media). On hot August afternoons this year, fishers complained about water in ditches irrigating fields while ranchers pointed to anglers posting grip-and-grin selfies. Meanwhile in Butte, summer water consumption increased 22% from last year, with 60% of that volume (up to 8 million gallons per day) coming from the Big Hole River.

The real work of conservation is happening ranch to ranch and in connection with collaborative groups and partnerships at local levels, in the spaces where people break out of their comfort zones, put their livelihoods and priorities aside to search for common ground for the good of our water resources and wildlife. The reason conservation groups like the Big Hole Watershed Committee are important is because natural systems are complex and require expertise in multiple disciplines to find the sweet spot where real solutions can be found and projects can get done. Nobody has all the answers. How irrigators and land managers work together to make water work for all its beneficial uses is the difference.

This August, because of river-wide drought management and voluntary conservation, most ranchers operated at 20%-50% of the water they normally use, the bare minimum needed to not go broke. Similar sacrifices were made in recreation, whose dollars sustain our small businesses. Before mandatory hoot owl restrictions were placed on the Big Hole, many outfitters and locals agreed collectively to not fish the river past 2p.m, and limited how many clients they took on, making sacrifices for the greater good of the resource. In neither case was participation 100%, so theres room for improvement.

If recreation leaves the landscape, our small towns suffer. If ranching leaves the landscape, so do cold water return flows and the tax base of rural counties. If development swoops in, mansions dot the river, and land gets broken up, pavement, septic tanks, riding lawnmowers, etc., soon follow and all of those scenarios degrade the health of the river, public access, as well as the collaborative spirit weve been nurturing for over two decades. So lets not pick sides, lets make improvements on the ground where we can. Lets manage our forests- every mid-sized conifer creeping down our hillsides uses up to 18 gallons of water per day that leaves the watershed. Every incised channel not spilling over its banks is a missed opportunity to recharge groundwater. Lets get irrigators measuring devices and updated infrastructure, and lets bring non-participants into the culture of cooperation thats working.

Its all connected, were in it together, so if you want to see solutions, show up and support your local watershed group. For the Big Hole, visit our Conservation Fund: www.bhwc.org/1-for-the-river.

Pedro Marques is the Executive Director of the Big Hole Watershed Committee, a collaborative conservation organization formed 26 years ago to find common ground on water management issues and implement solutions that benefit all water users.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Montanans overwhelmingly reject Critical Race Theory in our classrooms. Since Brown v. Board of Education, weve worked to live up to our founding ideals and we hold true to the principle of equal treatment for every student. President Bidens controversial nominee to head the Department of Educations extremely powerful Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Catherine Lhamon, instead wants to make sure every school in America implements and adheres to Marxist ideologies disguised as so-called antiracism teachings.

Ms. Lhamons nomination stalled in the Senate Health Education Labor and Pension Committee, where every Republican member rejected her, including moderate Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Regrettably, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has set her nomination for a final vote in the coming days anyway. With an equally divided Senate, Montanas own Senator Tester will cast the deciding vote.

Allowing Ms. Lhamon at the OCR helm of the US Department of Education will inject the abhorrent ideas of Critical Race Theory into every public school in America.

Ms. Lhamons own statements demonstrate that she would further division in our country by imposing her personal radical ideology on Montana schools. When asked under oath by the Senate if it would violate federal civil rights law for schools to have separate grading policies based on race, to offer racially segregated living accommodations or for schools to tell students to recover from being white, Ms. Lhamon said she couldnt answer without more information. Apparently, Ms. Lhamon has forgotten the basic principles from Brown. This is not someone who should be overseeing civil rights in American education.

We know the damage Ms. Lhamon would do at the helm of OCR because she held that very same position under President Obama. She believes that any statistical disparities in school discipline rates must be attributed to some kind of racial discrimination--even when there is zero evidence of actual discrimination. Her OCR combed through statistics and threatened schools that disciplined higher numbers of minorities students with investigations and loss of federal funding.

The U.S. Department of Educations 2018 Federal Commission on School Safety determined that Ms. Lhamons policies made schools significantly less safe. Bullying and violence against students and teachers was out of control in many places as teachers and staff across the country felt helpless to respond.

One uber-progressive district in St. Paul, Minnesota voluntarily adopted the practices coerced by Ms. Lhamon. This resulted in an alarming increase in violence against teachers and staff so drastic that the local district attorney labeled it a public health crisis. In Syracuse, New York, schools became so violent that a high school teacher was stabbed when the teacher tried to break up a fight between two female students. The district attorney subsequently called for an end to Ms. Lhamons discipline policies.

Ms. Lhamon also presided over the Obama Administrations Title IX sexual harassment fiasco that resulted in universities across the country creating kangaroo courts denying fundamental fairness to accused students. The unfair and un-American system imposed by Ms. Lhamon was criticized by people across the ideological spectrum, including the American Civil Liberties Union, feminist Harvard Law Professors, and the American Bar Association.

After more than 600 lawsuits by accused students against their schools for violating due process, former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos pledged to overhaul the mess made by Ms. Lhamon and did so in 2020. The DeVos Title IX rules now require schools to respond promptly and supportively to allegations of sexual harassment while also providing due process to both alleged victims and alleged perpetrators. Ms. Lhamon has repeatedly pledged to scrap the sensible and fair DeVos rules.

As the Senates deciding vote, will Senator Tester stand with Montana parents and children, or will he stand with the far-left extremists who want to divide our country along racial lines? Parents across Montana and our country are standing up for the principles of Lincoln and Dr. King and rejecting the ideas of Ibram Kendi and Robin DiAngelo. Will Jon Tester?

State Rep. Seth Berglee, R-Joliet, is the chair of Montana's House Education Committee.

Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4
The source of contamination may not be from humans, but water samples taken from remote Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness lakes still contain fecal bacteria.

I was expecting to find more human evidence because of the surface turds we ran into all the time, said Dan Pendergraph.

Pendergraph sampled water from 21 wilderness lakes and two Granite Peak snowmelt streams as part of his graduate thesis in environmental sciences at the University of Montana in 2018. The results of his research were recently published in the official journal of the Wilderness Medical Society.

Total coliforms were detected at all lake outlets  and E coli was detected at 11 of 21 sites, according to Pendergraphs analysis.

Bacteria

Using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assays to further refine the analysis revealed the presence of human feces-derived microorganisms, albeit at (low) abundances. That means most of the positive tests for bacteria came from animals  which could include pets and livestock  as well as wildlife.

Our results suggest low prevalence of water-borne pathogens (specically E. coli and human-derived Bacteroides) in this popular wilderness area, the study concluded.

It was nice to see there wasnt as much contamination as I thought, Pendergraph said.

Coliforms are bacteria that live in animal and human digestive systems and are released into the environment from their feces. E. coli is a subgroup of coliform bacteria. Such bacteria can make people sick if they are ingested, either from unclean hands contaminating surfaces or food, or from drinking tainted water.

Its just a snapshot, Pendergraph added. It doesnt reveal what goes on over the course of the summer.

Use

Lost Lake in the Lake Fork of Rock Creek drainage and Elk Lake in the East Rosebud drainage were the two lakes with the highest concentrations of bacteria. Elk Lake made sense because its such a popular spot, Pendergraph said, the first lake along the Beaten Path on the east side.

He said it would be interesting to return to a popular, lake-filled trail like the Beaten Path and sample the water throughout the summer to see how or if it changes over time. Especially now since visitation to the area has increased.

A Forest Service trail counter at the East Rosebud trailhead recorded a nearly 50% increase in "average daily traffic" between 2019 and 2020 (from 106 hikers per day to 149 hikers a day), according to Patrick Cross, executive director of the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation. That compares to 73 hikers a day in 2016.

Water

Pendergraphs analysis reinforces the importance for backpackers, hikers and other wilderness users to filter their water. Pendergraph uses a Katadyn pump filter when hes in the woods, although hes tried ones with a ceramic filter, chemicals, iodine and a pen that beams ultraviolet light.

Ive used it all, he said, noting that chemical mixtures are like science experiments and iodine adds an unpleasant taste.

Luckily, hes never gotten sick because of the precautions hes taken to filter and treat his water, but its not an uncommon backcountry ailment.

The bacteria giardia is well known for infecting hikers, causing an affliction sometimes referred to as beaver fever since it can be transmitted by beavers.

Ive known plenty of people who have gotten the beaver fever, Pendergraph said, including Forest Service workers and hunting guides.

Rules

Backcountry regulations and the Leave No Trace ethic recommend human waste be disposed in 6- to 8-inch deep cat holes at least 200 feet away from water sources in inconspicuous places where others arent likely to congregate or camp.

Whether or not it contaminates the water, its unpleasant to look at, Pendergraph said.

As forest use has climbed during the COVID-19 pandemic and with many of those users unfamiliar with proper backcountry behavior, unpleasant toilet paper and poop piles have become more common in many areas.

"We have been seeing an increase in improper human waste disposal in popular backcountry camping areas," said Melissa Simpson, recreation program manager for the Custer Gallatin National Forest. "We are seeing unburied human waste and toilet paper, especially in areas that are very rocky and near lake shores where it is difficult to dig a cathole."

More restrictive regulations like requiring overnight users to pack commercial products like WAG (Waste Alleviation and Gelling) Bags for their waste arent common yet, except in high elevation areas where its near impossible to dig a hole or theres heavy use.

"We have not been having in depth discussions on WAG Bags yet, but there may be a couple of key areas in the near future where we explore that option," Simpson said. "We currently focus on Leave no Trace messaging and educating visitors. "

The Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation, which conducts trail work in the forest, uses a portable latrine that the Beartooth Back Country Horsemen pack in for their crew, Cross said.

Our volunteer trail ambassadors, who post up at popular trailheads around the wilderness, do hand out WAG Bags and (more importantly) talk to visitors about the importance of proper waste disposal, especially as it relates to water quality, Cross said.

Bag it

Boaters on Montanas Smith River could be required to pack out their waste in the future as Montana State Parks re-examines its management plan for the popular 60-mile float. Pendergraph said he thinks some areas of the Beartooths should require WAG Bags. One of the unpleasant tasks backcountry rangers often perform is properly burying human waste near campsites, derogatively known as the poop patrol.

Granite Peak, the states highest mountain at 12,807 feet, is one place where mountain climbers can find it difficult to dig a cat hole for their waste. Some guides who take trekkers to the peak require their clients to use WAG Bags. Climbers of Mount Rainier in Washington, Denali in Alaska and Shasta in California are required to pack out their waste.

In 2006 Mount Whitney in Californias Inyo National Forest began requiring visitors to pack out their waste, an amount estimated at 7,000 to 8,000 pounds of poop a year.

You can almost guess which tree you will find a pile of toilet paper behind at every popular lake  but I think things are improving as groups like ABWF and others work to get the word out about wilderness ethics, Cross said.

Improper dish washing and fish gut disposal around popular campsites are other backcountry behavior problems ABWF folks encounter, Cross said. He and Simpson also cited improper disposal of dog waste  either not cleaning up after their pets or leaving bags scattered along a trail  as a growing problem. Friends of Hyalite even organizes a poop pickup day in the spring and the Forest Service has paid contractors to help clean up.

"It's a growing problem that is difficult to manage," Simpson said.

Cross agreed, saying, We are making sure our volunteer trail ambassadors are prepared to talk to folks about these issues too  just a few easy steps will help keep the wilderness pristine while ensuring a top-quality experience for the next visitor.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0
WAPELLO  A Wapello man will spend two years in prison after pleading guilty to assault with intent to commit sexual abuse as part of a plea agreement, avoiding a possible 10 years in prison for third-degree sexual abuse.

Court records show Dustin Bibens, 28, of Wapello, on Aug. 20 entered a written plea of guilty to the aggravated misdemeanor. During a sentencing hearing on Oct. 15 he was sentenced to a term of confinement not to exceed two years in the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Oakdale.

His sentence will run concurrent with the outcome of two other cases against him. He is also ordered to pay $855 and 15 percent crime services surcharge and a $90 sexual abuse surcharge. He will also have to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 10 years.

According to a press release from the Wapello Police Department, on Wednesday, May 19, the department received a report regarding a sexual assault in Wapello. The police report said the victim suffered from mental or physical incapacitation, which precludes giving consent. An investigation ensued.
I do believe that we have an opportunity to do something with the House map that has not been possible for decades, if ever, said redistricting adviser and attorney Lisa Curtis, a Democrat who voted for all three maps that won endorsements.

Ryan Cangiolosi, a former chairman of the state Republican Party, voted against the committee endorsements.

He said the map from the Center for Civic Policy in particular had partisan objectives and was meant to make way for a Democratic super-majority in the House over the coming decade. The recently announced retirement of Democratic state Rep. Debbie Armstrong of Albuquerque next year makes way for that map with less friction from incumbents.

Cangiolosi urged the advisory committee to advance other map concepts developed by a consultant  without an analysis of partisan outcomes that comes later in the process.

The recommendations of the Citizens Redistricting Committee are a nonbinding reference point for the Legislature as it enters the once-a-decade process of drawing new political boundaries.

Republicans won a majority in the state House in the 2014 election for the first time in 60 years, but were relegated again to minority status in 2016. Democrats now hold a 45-24 seat advantage, with one unaffiliated representative.
State officials on Thursday defended their response to a lead crisis in a small southwestern Michigan city, telling lawmakers that steps to reduce corrosion in aging water pipes began in 2019, just a few months after tests revealed troubling results.

Benton Harbor residents will be urged to use free bottled water for drinking and cooking for weeks more, until a federal study confirms that filters can work effectively with the city's tap water, Liesl Clark, the head of Michigan's environmental agency, said.

But Clark said the ultimate remedy is the replacement of about 6,000 old water lines at homes, a job that could take nearly two years. Nearly $19 million in state and federal money has been set aside, but the goal is $30 million.

High lead level tests in Benton Harbor homes result from the water picking up lead as it moves to the faucets. ... The situation in Benton Harbor is urgent and inexcusable," Clark said.
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, actress Yulia Peresild and film director Klim Shipenko pose for a picture during an online news conference following their return from the International Space Station in Star City, Russia, Oct. 19, 2021.
Gabrielle Petito, 22, who was reported missing on Sept. 11, 2021 after traveling with her boyfriend around the country in a van and never returned home, poses for a photo with Brian Laundrie in this undated handout photo.
Editor

Zaldy Dandan is the recipient of the Best Editorial Writer Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the CNMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His three books are available on amazon.com
MOSCOW (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia could quickly boost natural gas supplies to the European Union once German regulators allow a new pipeline under the Baltic Sea to start operation.

Speaking on a wide range of international and domestic policy issues during a conference of foreign policy experts, Putin argued that Russia already has increased gas supplies to Europe this year and could send more once the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is functioning.

He said one of the two links of the new pipeline already has been filled with gas as part of preparations for its launch, adding that supplies could start immediately after regulators give their approval.

If the German regulator gives approval tomorrow, supplies of 17.5 billion cubic meters of gas will start the day after tomorrow, Putin said.

Putin said the pipeline's second link will be filled with gas by the end of the year, to a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters.

Earlier Thursday, European Union leaders met to discuss ways to ease the pain of soaring energy bills for consumers. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that with the 27-nation bloc importing 90% of its gas  much of it from strategic rival Russia  this makes us vulnerable.

Putin blamed soaring European gas prices on past decision by EU officials who focused on the spot gas market and opposed long-term supply contracts preferred by Russia.

Turning to other issues, Putin staunchly defended the law on foreign agents that has been used to designate some media, describing it as a tool to ward off foreign meddling in the country's affairs.

Opponents say it has been used to muzzle critical media outlets since the foreign agent stigma has strong pejorative connotations.

Responding to a question from Dmitry Muratov, who won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month for his work as editor of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Putin congratulated him for the first time  but dismissed his criticism of the law.

Putin argued that the law is intended to inform the public about media outlets that receive foreign funds, while allowing them to continue their activities.

While defending the law, Putin promised, however, to look more closely into proposed amendments as Muratov asked.

Asked about his view of relations with Washington following his June summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva, Putin said Moscow and Washington have conducted consultations on arms control and cybersecurity in line with their agreement.

He said that "while we agreed just on a few issues, we are on the right track, but added that there also have been some rollbacks on certain issues he didn't specify.

He noted that Russia would cooperate with Washington on fighting terrorism and provide the necessary information to U.S. colleagues.

Asked to comment on the situation of Afghanistan, Putin commended Biden for showing the courage to order American troops' pullback despite inevitable domestic criticism, and contested the view that the move had undermined the U.S. global power.

He charged that even though some U.S. allies may have been unnerved by the quick pullout from Afghanistan, in the long run the country's attractiveness is determined by its economy and military might.

The U.S. president made the right decision to withdraw troops, Putin said.

The Russian leader added that the international community is getting close to officially recognizing the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, saying the decision must be made by the United Nations, and noting the need for the Taliban to recognize the interests of all Afghan ethnic groups and respect human rights.

Asked if Russia's increasingly close ties with China could evolve into a military alliance, Putin said Moscow and Beijing have no intention of doing so.

We are friends with China based on our shared interests, not against someone, he said. And unlike NATO we don't want to create a closed military bloc.

Turning to Ukraine, Putin said that its growing military ties with the U.S. and its NATO allies is a real threat to Russia.

Russia and Ukraine have remained in a tug-of-war after Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula and support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow has staunchly opposed Ukraine's bid for membership in NATO, saying it would represent a major security threat.

Putin noted that even if Ukraine doesn't formally become an alliance member, plans to set up training centers there by some NATO members could be a cover for troops and weapons.

They may put anything there under the guise of training centers." Putin said. The formal membership in NATO may never come, but the military development of the territory is already under way. And that creates a real threat to the Russian Federation."

Asked about the presence of Russian private military contractors in Mali, which drew complaints from France, Putin charged that they pursue purely business interests and don't represent the Russian state.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Joseph R. Holmes, born into slavery in Charlotte County, Va., emerged after emancipation as an outspoken advocate for the rights of freedpeople.

The shoemaker served in two state Republican Party conventions, was elected to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1867-68, and embodied the assertive aspirations of newly freed Black people across the South. Its a good chance he probably would have been nominated for election to the House of Delegates that fall, says Kathy Lee Erlandson Liston, a retired archaeologist and historian.

But his political activity and growing prosperity bred resentment in the rural Piedmont region of Southside Virginia. On May 3, 1869, Holmes was shot to death on the Charlotte County courthouse steps. The slaying attracted widespread attention  The New York Times republished a story from the Richmond Dispatch.

Four white men were charged; three were indicted. All fled. No one was tried.

Holmes, so prominent during Reconstruction, eventually faded from public memory.

Liston, in her research of Holmes, encountered no Black residents who knew his story. And Lisa Henderson of Atlanta  the great great granddaughter of Holmes brother, Jasper Holmes  said Joseph Holmes life and death were a shocking revelation she learned about from a relative in Newport News.

I think everybody was so traumatized, Henderson says of the relative silence within her own family, whom she described as otherwise intentional about Black history.

But the white archaeologist and the Black labor lawyer ultimately connected. And Saturday afternoon, both women will speak at the unveiling of a Virginia Department of Historic Resources marker in front of the courthouse where Holmes was slain.

The marker  on the courthouse green near a Confederate memorial  describes the legacy of an activist whose murder drew international attention to the plight of freedpeople during Reconstruction.

Its incredibly gratifying. Im a big sort of believer in this idea that if you call someones name, you keep their memory alive, Henderson said of the commemoration.

If ever there was a story that needed to be remembered, its his.

Liston became acquainted with Holmes story after moving to Charlotte County from Maryland in 1998. She and her husband purchased Westview, a plantation in the rural Southside Virginia county, from members of the family whod built the antebellum home, and they gave us hundreds and hundreds of original documents, including records of the enslaved.

In Maryland, her hobby was War of 1812 battlefield archaeology; in Charlotte County, her passion immediately shifted toward its Black history. She posted and published what she learned.

Southern historians were wildly inaccurate in their accounts of Holmes death; Virginius Dabney, in his Virginia, The New Dominion, listed his year of death as 1892. But Liston was just the sort of person Henderson was looking for as she sought to learn more about Jasper and Joseph Holmes. She needed a Charlotte County-based historian. She reached out to Liston.

Liston, in her research, had special access to the court clerks office. Within two days, I had found [the Holmes case indictments] and the original witness statements that were made the night of the murder and the next day at the inquest, she said. Curiously, six pages of what she gathers was an autopsy report were missing.

Brothers John and Griffin S. Marshall  sons of a judge  were changed with murder, along with William T. Boyd and Macon C. Morris. All but Griffin were indicted. All four fled.

The Marshall brothers became successful ranchers; Boyd, a banker and businessman in Tennessee; and Morris, of all things, worked as a policeman in Roanoke, according to Listons research.

This man was murdered in broad daylight by young men who said they were going to kill him, she said. And they were never brought to justice. No one ever went to look for them.

Liston submitted the application for the marker in March 2020, two months before George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer. The markers donors include Black and white people; county residents and outsiders; and her historian colleagues. Charlotte County is ready for this moment, she said. They think its overdue justice for Joe Holmes.

As the unveiling approaches, Henderson acknowledged that its going to be hard for me to keep it together Saturday.

We tend to think of African-American history in terms of huge national actors such as Frederick Douglass, Henderson said, but everywhere in this country, and especially in the South, there were men and women who were making a difference in ways that are just unfathomable now.

People who were really sticking their necks out to make this country do right by these men and women who had been so recently enslaved, she said. And Joseph R. Holmes was one of them.

Related video

Read more of Williams' columns

Williams: Pharrell Williams is not happy. If his Virginia Beach music festival is to continue, that city's leadership must listen and learn Pharrell Williams has reeled in a boatload of awards as a recording artist and producer. But the Virginia Beach natives greatest hit may have been the 2019 Something in the Water music festival on that citys waterfront.

Michael Paul Williams is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist with the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va.; read more of his columns on Richmond.com.
Water plays an enormous role in our lives, yet the infrastructure needed to maintain access to our homes and businesses is often out of sight, and therefore, out of mind. You wake up, shower, make your coffee, feed your family, flush the toilet, wash your laundry. But have you thought about where your water comes from?

Millions of Americans take water service for granted every day. With reliable water service, people dont have to think twice about the infrastructure that brings water to their homes, but everyone should be concerned with the fragility of those systems.

Today marks the seventh annual Imagine a Day Without Water. Its a day to pause and notice the way that water systems impact our lives and communities, and commit to ensuring a sustainable water future. What would your day be like if you couldnt turn on the tap and get clean drinking water? What would happen to restaurants, hospitals, firefighters, farms, wineries, or the many industries that depend on water?

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 city of Napa alone maintains an extensive network of water facilities spanning over 60 square miles throughout Napa County, including two local watersheds, dams, and reservoirs, three water treatment plants, nine pump stations, 12 storage tanks, and 360 miles of pipe. A dedicated team of 65 city employees operates and manages this infrastructure to ensure clean, safe, reliable water is available 24/7 to 87,000 people.

But water systems in Napa and across the country are getting older. Approximately 140 miles of the citys water mains are at least 60 years of age and will require a significant investment of capital funds to rehabilitate and replace. Thanks to support from our elected officials and our ratepayers, the citys total annual capital investment in the water system will increase to $6 million in 2022, while we continue to provide service at some of the lowest water rates in the Bay Area.

While we continue to enjoy clean, safe, and reliable drinking water service now, maintaining that level of service becomes challenging when drought, earthquakes, and wildfires threaten our critical water systems. This year repairs made to our fire-damaged raw water pipeline have allowed us to resume operation of the Milliken Water Treatment Plant, providing a much-needed supplemental water supply during the current drought.

Water challenges look different to each community and will require local solutions, but cyber security and reinvestment in water systems should be a local, state, and national priority. Strong leadership on water is key to securing Americas future.

Water and our watersheds are the lifelines of our community. Protecting our watersheds and investing in our water infrastructure will ensure you have a fresh glass of water each morning, firefighters the ability to fight annual wildfires, hospitals to stay safe and sanitary, and it offers employment opportunities.

When you imagine a day without water this year, think about how central water is to your daily life. Visit your local city of Napa Water Division website to learn more about the programs and investments were making in the water system to ensure your water is safe and reliable into the future.

We know how important water is. Its up to us to keep the conversation going and ensure that the systems that deliver this valuable resource are reliable for generations to come.

Joy Eldredge is Deputy Utilities Director for the city of Napa. Pat Costello is Water Resources Analyst for the city.
Within a 15-mile stretch of Oregons NE North Valley Road in Yamhill, which becomes NE Bell Road traveling east to Newberg, one can spend a day visiting three boutiques, family-owned wineries each in a different sub-AVA of the Willamette Valley: Lenne Estate in the Yamhill-Carlton District AVA, Utopia Vineyard in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, and Bells Up Winery in the Chehalem Mountains AVA. All three winemaker-owners bought their land within the last 20 or so years without vineyards. They planted and built their estate wineries from the ground up.

Bells Up Winery

Visiting Bells Up Winery was like coming home. If you are a former musician in a band or orchestra, you will understand the meaning of the name. The joyous and warm welcome by winemaker and former French horn player, Dave Specter, and his wife, Sara, who manages the business and marketing side of the Bells Up, is heartfelt and genuine.

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!

During a difficult time in their lives over a decade ago, when Dave had a mental and physical breakdown from his career as a tax attorney, and Sara watched her mentor battle pancreatic cancer at age 40, she turned to Dave and said, If youre this successful in a career that makes you sick, stressed, and miserable, how much more successful would you be doing something you love?

This question set the wheels in motion for Dave to pursue his winemaking hobby as a full-time career, with Henke Winery in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they lived. Shortly thereafter, Dave won two amateur national winemaking competitions with two different wines. After traveling to up-and-coming wine regions like the Finger Lakes, Texas Hill Country, and Oregon, they fell in love with the latter. In 2013, they founded Bells Up Winery in Newberg. The winery is the couples bells up moment on Bell Road.

Sara describes Bells Up Winery as micro-boutique, un-domaine and always open by reservation. Everything is also in one place  the family home, estate vineyards, winery, office, and indoor/outdoor tasting space. Dave and Sara host the tastings.

Dave makes Pinot Noir, Rose, Pinot Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah from the estate in the Chehalem Mountains AVA and other grapes from other Oregon micro-sites. Each wine is named for a classical musical composition, some of which feature the French horn. You taste wine, you hear it, said Dave. In each of my wines, I strive for harmony and balance.

For example, the Helios Seyval Blanc - the Willamette Valleys first planting  is named after Carl Nielsens Helios Overture, Op. 17. The Specters decided to plant Seyval Blanc in homage to Daves amateur winemaking when he won a 2011 competition with his 2010 Seyval Blanc.

When asked about his favorite Pinot Noir clone, Dave did not have one. I consider them to be like different instruments in a symphony orchestra. Each brings something unique to the total composition.

Wines to try, if not sold out, include the Helios Sevyal Blanc, the Rhapsody (in Blue) Pinot Blanc, and the winerys first all-estate Jupiter Pinot Noir (named for Gustav Holsts The Planets, Op. 32: IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity).

As to suggested food and wine pairings, Dave said, When our daughter was younger, It was a point of pride that all our wines paired beautifully with boxed mac and cheese (they still do, but her tastes have expanded). Were real people. We dont eat foie gras or caviar. We pair our Prelude Estate Rose with a bacon cheeseburgerand its delicious.

Lenne Estate

Lenne Estate, the westernmost winery on the route, is named as such  with a French twist on the nickname of winemaker and owner Steve Lutzs father-in-law, Lenny, Len the Hen, who owned a chicken farm in the English village of Wokingham. There, Lenny raised his family, including Steves future wife, Karen. When he passed away in 1999, Karen inherited some money that helped pay the down payment on the former dairy pasture land that would become Lenne Estate.

The Lutzes completed the land purchase in 2000, planted 15 acres of vineyards in 2001, began building the tasting room in 2005, and opened to the public in 2007 with the release of the 2004 vintage. The tasting room includes indoor and outdoor seating and a stunning view of Oregons countryside, which appears endless on a clear day.

Lutz, an Oregonian, has enjoyed a long career in the wine industry that began in 1984. I started drinking wine after college and knew that is what I wanted to do so, I packed up my VW Rabbit and moved to Napa Valley. After stints at Napa wineries, opening Borolos Gourmet Pizza in Santa Rosa, and spending a year in London where he met Karen, he made his way home to Oregon, where he consulted for Chateau Benoit Winery, worked for Anne Amie Vineyards, and founded Lenne Estate.

At Lenne Estate, Lutzs focus is primarily on terroir-driven Pinot Noir from his 15 acres of south-facing, steep vineyards with well-drained, low-vigor sedimentary and volcanic soils. He grows five own-rooted Pinot Noir clones - Pommard and Dijon 114, 115, 667, and 777  as well as clone 76 Chardonnay. A few of the must-try wines are the South Slope Pinot Noir and Kill Hill Pinot Noir, the latter named for Lennes steepest and most stressed vineyard.

Lutzs favorite clone is Pommard, I personally like our upper Pommard block because it produces my favorite wine. Pommard also has more depth. He also enjoys making Lennes Scarletts Chardonnay, which spends 11 months in puncheons and eight in stainless steel. His winemaking style? Try to keep oxidation from happening in the winery.

Utopia Vineyard

Utopia Vineyard could not be more aptly named. As soon as one arrives, there is an immediate feeling of warmth and family. According to winemaker and owner Dan Warnshuis, the word utopia means the perfect place, and no place, but added, at our winery, it is an approachable safe haven for the wine-interested. It is this approach to hospitality, combined with Utopias wines, that linger in ones memory long after the visit.

Located in Oregons smallest AVA, Ribbon Ridge, Utopia is in its own world off of NE Ribbon Ridge Road. In addition to the tasting room, vineyards and winery, there is also a lovely cabin for overnight guests. While sitting on the patio and gazing at the evergreens and surrounding hills, one has a sense of getting away from it all, when in fact, one is close to a new vineyard to be planted soon and the liveliness of harvest in the winery during the autumn months.

Warnshuis' interest in wine as an enthusiast and collector evolved into a career that included wine importing and exporting and developing a successful online and offline wine business, Online Cellars, in Napa, which he operated from the mid-1990s through 2005. These experiences led to an interest in winemaking. In 1998, after reading an article in the Food Lover's Guide, titled The Next Napa, I wrote the Utopia business plan.

In October 2000, he bought the future home of Utopia, a horse pasture on Ribbon Ridge Road, and in 2005, he released his first vintage of Utopia Estate Pinot Noir, the same year Ribbon Ridge was granted AVA status. For a while, Warnshuis worked in two careers, technology and wine, while raising his family with his wife, Kathy until 2012 when he decided to devote his time and attention to Utopia Vineyard.

Warnshuis is hands-on every step of the way, with his long workdays starting as early as 4 a.m. during harvest. He also focuses on growing specific Pinot Noir clones that he believes make the best wines from his estate vineyards. His favorites? Pommard and Dijon 777. Pommard for its massive fruit, spice and tannic structure and its unique ability to reflect vineyard specific nuances and vintage conditions. Dijon 777 for its aromatics and complex black fruit (cassis, black cherry), its earthiness and ability to fully integrate with whole-cluster fermentation.

If given the opportunity while visiting, try multi-year verticals of Utopias Estate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs with Warnshuis, who will captivate you with very detailed accounts of vintage variation in the vineyard and the cellar. Another to taste is Utopias Pinot Noir Blanc Bliss, whose grapes are picked and pressed to make a white wine, yet with a hint of gold color from the skins and a richer mouthfeel.
Armenia President visits National University of Singapore

Gia, wanted by French law-enforcement authorities, found at Armenia's Bagratashen checkpoint

Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia agree to meet in Brussels

European Council: Pashinyan and Aliyev agreed to establish direct communication line at level of defense ministers

Armenia's Representative to OSCE speaks about Azerbaijan's recent attack at Permanent Council's session

Armenia serviceman Meruzhan Harutyunyan, killed in Syunik Province, was buried at Yerablur Military Pantheon

Armenian News-NEWS.am's special report: Drive from Kapan to Tchakatashen is 150 km instead of previous 8 km

3 Armenian servicemen killed during Nov. 16 Azerbaijani attack posthumously awarded presidential medals

Left-wing trade unions hold protest against Turkey's Erdogan in Izmir

European Team Chess Championship: Armenia women's team was also defeated

Armenia FM presents situation following Azerbaijani attack during meeting with Lithuanian Seimas Vice-President

European Team Chess Championship: Armenia tie match with Spain

Armenia delegation covers Azerbaijan's Nov. 16 attack during online meeting of CSTO PA Permanent Commissions

Armenia PM receives delegation led by Vice President of Lithuanian Seimas

Tata Steel India: Levon Aronian wins 2nd place

Lavrov, Cavusoglu discuss bilateral ties and regional issues

Karabakh: Azerbaijani side, in Shushi, transfers bodies of 3 Armenian soldiers killed on Nov. 16

NEWS.am daily digest: 19.11.21

Armenian Embassy in Russia: Armenia citizens - mother and child - evacuated from Afghanistan

Georgia refuses to be a part of '3+3' format with regard to South Caucasus

The occupied Hadrut of our days (PHOTOS)

Arabologist: Photo of map of Turkic world shown by Erdogan and Bahceli is simply a gift for Armenian diplomacy

Situation is tense in Armenia's Kasakh, residents protesting against acting village head (LIVE)

Opposition With Honor legislature faction MP: No one knows if Armenia petitioned to Russia for military assistance

Armenia opposition MP: There is a threat that Baku will always get what it wants through use of force

Lavrov is certain that the Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan summit will take place

Ann Linde: OSCE working very closely with Russia to resolve Karabakh conflict

Karabakh FM congratulates newly appointed Abkhazia counterpart

Dollar relatively stable in Armenia

Armenia parliament majority members do not deny possibility of exchange of territories with Azerbaijan

Armenia ruling party MP: Public and competent authorities need to know circumstances behind captures of soldiers

Armenia ruling party MP assures that situation on the border is currently stable

Armenia ruling party MP: Confidentiality of process of preparing for demarcation is strictly necessary

Armenia PM: Citizens of EEU countries will be able to receive loans in all territories of member states

Armenian serviceman, 19, dies in Georgia's Akhalkalaki

Kazakhstan health minister visits Erebuni Medical Center in Armenia (VIDEO)

After rumors over relations with Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper first speaks about their relationship

Armenia legislature majority faction lawmaker: Russia military intervention is not end in itself

Premier League agrees on new 2bn deal

High commissioner: Diaspora is considering ways to help hundreds of Ethiopia Armenians

Opposition With Honor parliament faction: Armenia authorities trying to push territorial losses issue to backburner

Danny Alves to get lowest salary set in La Liga

Jennifer Lopez is going to marry Ben Affleck

Legislature majority faction MP: Armenia authorities do not make any demands on Russia

Opposition Armenia Faction in parliament: Authorities are unable to distinguish between priority and secondary issues

3 more die of coronavirus in Artsakh

Bruno Retailleau: France must support Armenia more firmly against aggressions by Azerbaijan

Penelope Cruz speaks about relations Pedro Almodovar

Armenia parliament majority faction: Border delimitation preparation process will start from point zero

Why Covid cases increasing despite vaccinations?

PM: Armenia exports to other EEU countries increased by 27.8%

Armenias Pashinyan: Azerbaijan provocations are aimed at disrupting arrangements reached by trilateral statements

Adele presents new song from her album

California Armenian couple accused of fraud flee leaving their 3 children behind

Yerevan mobile vaccination teams 2-day work schedule is announced

799 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Katherine Clark: Azerbaijan must acknowledge and respect Armenian sovereignty

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council enlarged meeting underway in Yerevan

Russia peacekeepers patrol along Karabakh border delimitation line

MOD: According to current data Armenia has 6 military casualties as result of Tuesdays attack by Azerbaijan

Turkish Islamic preachers organization denies reports of his death

Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson are officially dating

Germany plans to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for professional athletes

Newspaper: What happened to missing Armenia soldiers during recent hostilities?

Armenia MOD dismisses reports about not allowing officers with higher rank than major to go up to combat positions

Several Russia clubs want to acquire Mkhitaryan

US virtually completes development of new tactical nuclear gravity bomb B61-12

Newspaper: Officers with higher rank than major not allowed to combat positions during recent hostilities in Syunik

Tallinn Trophy 2021: Armenias Slavik Hayrapetyan comes in 3rd

Opposition MP: Granting corridor to Azerbaijan through Syunik Province will be gravest crime against Armenia

US Department of State representative says why Azerbaijan is not invited to Summit for Democracy

Armenian human rights activists to submit letters to ECHR regarding soldiers captured and considered missing

Armenia FM stresses importance of addressable response to Azerbaijan's actions during talk with Greek counterpart

European Team Chess Championship: Armenia women's chess team defeated by Ukraine

Kim Kardashian helps 30 female footballers of Afghanistan leave Pakistan for London

Ex-ruling party official: Armenia authorities found reason for MOD's resignation after his visit to Karabakh

23rd European Team Chess Championship 2021: Armenia and Azerbaijan tie match

Republican Party of Armenia spokesperson: Nikol Pashinyan gave a confessional testimony in parliament yesterday

Armenia President talks about states' collective responsibility at Bloomberg New Economy Forum

Turkish website reports poisoning of Fetullah Gulen

Armenia FM holds phone talks with Cypriot counterpart, presents situation created after Azerbaijani attack

Mirzoyan, Zas discuss CSTO's possible actions to stabilize situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border, if necessary

Mothers of deceased servicemen demand Armenia PM's resignation

Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire at tractor in Armenia's Verin Shorzha village

Putin: Events unfolding on Armenia-Azerbaijan border attest to fact that situation has not calmed down in the region

Lithuania supports Armenia's territorial integrity

ATP Finals: Zverev makes it to semi-final, to compete with Djokovic

NEWS.am daily digest: 18.11.21

Ex-ruling party official: Incumbent authorities created deliberately organized chaos in Armenia

Armenia Prosecutor General's Office to examine news about 6 Azeri servicemen captured and then secretly returned

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Armenia MOD planning training camps for reservists

Sergey Lavrov, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to discuss assistance to resolve situation in Karabakh

Agent: FC Barcelona are interested in Arsen Zakharyan's services

High-tech industry minister receives Chinese recipient of Armenia State Prize for global contributions to IT sector

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council's narrow-format session kicks off in Yerevan

Pashinyan views Eurasian integration as one of Armenia's priorities

Two Armenian citizens found in Afghanistan

Armenian health ministry gets $ 2.5 million to fight COVID-19

Tata Steel India: Armenias Aronian scored 1 point after three rounds on the second day
If the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, approves Armenias appeal against Azerbaijan, that would greatly contribute to the strengthening of the facts of the Armenian side in the negotiation process of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) conflict settlement and the international recognition of Artsakhs self-determination, Representative of Armenia before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Yeghishe Kirakosyan, who is also representing Armenias interests at the ICJ, told Armenpress.

He stated that from the perspective of the Artsakh issue, not only the decision of the Court, but also the current process itself are very important because they would contribute to the formation of right international perceptions.

In general, during the court hearings we are presenting well-grounded facts from the perspective of international law. We are presenting our position which couldnt not refer to the Artsakh or the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It refers to it directly. We present the perceptions and positions of the Armenian side in a well-grounded and professional manner and we do this with the language of the international law, which is very important. And I think that the international support on this direction will be formed based on this. Therefore, the importance of this case is not the decision of the court only, but the process itself. When we launch this process, public speeches, oral hearings are taking place at that period, we are clearly presenting our facts, and all see it. Therefore, I think that this is also an opinion-making process. This process is about forming right international perceptions. Thus, I believe that this a very important process from this perspective, he said.

Kirakosyan informed that the hearings over the case have been completed by the ICJ on Tuesday. Two hearings took place within two weeks, the one dedicated to Armenias request and the other to Azerbaijans request.

He said that during both hearings Armenias attorney team has presented quite strong and convincing facts and proofs, as well as has very convincingly defended Armenias interests during Azerbaijans hearings, by presenting counter-facts.

According to Kirakosyan, the process of a judicial case against Azerbaijan is important itself, as some progress has already been achieved, namely that the authorities of Azerbaijan, with Armenias demand, have removed the mannequins and helmets of Armenian soldiers from the so-called Military Trophy Park in Baku.

I think that this is the first big achievement, because the Azerbaijani side presented the proof of removing the mannequins and helmets to the court just two-three days before the hearings, which shows that these hearings are already giving results, Yeghishe Kirakosyan said.

He informed that ICJ will release its decision over the case in 1-1.5 months. If by that decision we get what we want, that would be more convincing and will raise further pressure on Azerbaijan. It has already raised pressure, and in case of that decision, that pressure will multiply, he noted.

On September 16, Armenia instituted proceedings against the Republic of Azerbaijan before the International Court of Justice with regard to alleged violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

Armenia also requested the Court to indicate certain provisional measures as a matter of extreme urgency, including the return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives from Azerbaijan, as well as the closure of the so-called Military Trophies Park in Baku.

However, for Armenia only the removal of mannequins and helmets is not enough. Kirakosyan says that from the very beginning that so-called trophy park opened based on the anti-Armenian ideology. Therefore, Armenia demands to close that park completely.

Armenia also requests the court to oblige Azerbaijan to refrain from destructing, changing the Armenian cultural values in Artsakh, as well as to present proofs about the crimes committed in the territory.

These are the main demands of Armenia, Kirakosyan said.

Kirakosyan clarified that the talk currently is about the decision of the court, not the judgment as the case is just starting. In any case, the courts decision will be legally binding, and if the court approves Armenias request, Azerbaijan will be obliged to implement all the demands.

The case is just starting, and we have just requested an urgent measure in order to ensure the interests during the examination of the case for which we have filed an appeal, he said.
Armenia President visits National University of Singapore

Gia, wanted by French law-enforcement authorities, found at Armenia's Bagratashen checkpoint

Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia agree to meet in Brussels

European Council: Pashinyan and Aliyev agreed to establish direct communication line at level of defense ministers

Armenia's Representative to OSCE speaks about Azerbaijan's recent attack at Permanent Council's session

Armenia serviceman Meruzhan Harutyunyan, killed in Syunik Province, was buried at Yerablur Military Pantheon

Armenian News-NEWS.am's special report: Drive from Kapan to Tchakatashen is 150 km instead of previous 8 km

3 Armenian servicemen killed during Nov. 16 Azerbaijani attack posthumously awarded presidential medals

Left-wing trade unions hold protest against Turkey's Erdogan in Izmir

Armenia FM presents situation following Azerbaijani attack during meeting with Lithuanian Seimas Vice-President

Armenia delegation covers Azerbaijan's Nov. 16 attack during online meeting of CSTO PA Permanent Commissions

Armenia PM receives delegation led by Vice President of Lithuanian Seimas

Lavrov, Cavusoglu discuss bilateral ties and regional issues

Karabakh: Azerbaijani side, in Shushi, transfers bodies of 3 Armenian soldiers killed on Nov. 16

NEWS.am daily digest: 19.11.21

Armenian Embassy in Russia: Armenia citizens - mother and child - evacuated from Afghanistan

Georgia refuses to be a part of '3+3' format with regard to South Caucasus

The occupied Hadrut of our days (PHOTOS)

Arabologist: Photo of map of Turkic world shown by Erdogan and Bahceli is simply a gift for Armenian diplomacy

Situation is tense in Armenia's Kasakh, residents protesting against acting village head (LIVE)

Opposition With Honor legislature faction MP: No one knows if Armenia petitioned to Russia for military assistance

Armenia opposition MP: There is a threat that Baku will always get what it wants through use of force

Lavrov is certain that the Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan summit will take place

Ann Linde: OSCE working very closely with Russia to resolve Karabakh conflict

Karabakh FM congratulates newly appointed Abkhazia counterpart

Dollar relatively stable in Armenia

Armenia parliament majority members do not deny possibility of exchange of territories with Azerbaijan

Armenia ruling party MP: Public and competent authorities need to know circumstances behind captures of soldiers

Armenia ruling party MP assures that situation on the border is currently stable

Armenia ruling party MP: Confidentiality of process of preparing for demarcation is strictly necessary

Armenia PM: Citizens of EEU countries will be able to receive loans in all territories of member states

Armenian serviceman, 19, dies in Georgia's Akhalkalaki

Armenia legislature majority faction lawmaker: Russia military intervention is not end in itself

High commissioner: Diaspora is considering ways to help hundreds of Ethiopia Armenians

Opposition With Honor parliament faction: Armenia authorities trying to push territorial losses issue to backburner

Legislature majority faction MP: Armenia authorities do not make any demands on Russia

Opposition Armenia Faction in parliament: Authorities are unable to distinguish between priority and secondary issues

3 more die of coronavirus in Artsakh

Bruno Retailleau: France must support Armenia more firmly against aggressions by Azerbaijan

Armenia parliament majority faction: Border delimitation preparation process will start from point zero

PM: Armenia exports to other EEU countries increased by 27.8%

Armenias Pashinyan: Azerbaijan provocations are aimed at disrupting arrangements reached by trilateral statements

California Armenian couple accused of fraud flee leaving their 3 children behind

799 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Katherine Clark: Azerbaijan must acknowledge and respect Armenian sovereignty

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council enlarged meeting underway in Yerevan

Russia peacekeepers patrol along Karabakh border delimitation line

MOD: According to current data Armenia has 6 military casualties as result of Tuesdays attack by Azerbaijan

Turkish Islamic preachers organization denies reports of his death

Newspaper: What happened to missing Armenia soldiers during recent hostilities?

Armenia MOD dismisses reports about not allowing officers with higher rank than major to go up to combat positions

US virtually completes development of new tactical nuclear gravity bomb B61-12

Newspaper: Officers with higher rank than major not allowed to combat positions during recent hostilities in Syunik

Opposition MP: Granting corridor to Azerbaijan through Syunik Province will be gravest crime against Armenia

US Department of State representative says why Azerbaijan is not invited to Summit for Democracy

Armenian human rights activists to submit letters to ECHR regarding soldiers captured and considered missing

Armenia FM stresses importance of addressable response to Azerbaijan's actions during talk with Greek counterpart

Ex-ruling party official: Armenia authorities found reason for MOD's resignation after his visit to Karabakh

Republican Party of Armenia spokesperson: Nikol Pashinyan gave a confessional testimony in parliament yesterday

Armenia President talks about states' collective responsibility at Bloomberg New Economy Forum

Turkish website reports poisoning of Fetullah Gulen

Armenia FM holds phone talks with Cypriot counterpart, presents situation created after Azerbaijani attack

Mirzoyan, Zas discuss CSTO's possible actions to stabilize situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border, if necessary

Mothers of deceased servicemen demand Armenia PM's resignation

Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire at tractor in Armenia's Verin Shorzha village

Putin: Events unfolding on Armenia-Azerbaijan border attest to fact that situation has not calmed down in the region

Lithuania supports Armenia's territorial integrity

NEWS.am daily digest: 18.11.21

Ex-ruling party official: Incumbent authorities created deliberately organized chaos in Armenia

Armenia Prosecutor General's Office to examine news about 6 Azeri servicemen captured and then secretly returned

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Armenia MOD planning training camps for reservists

Sergey Lavrov, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to discuss assistance to resolve situation in Karabakh

High-tech industry minister receives Chinese recipient of Armenia State Prize for global contributions to IT sector

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council's narrow-format session kicks off in Yerevan

Pashinyan views Eurasian integration as one of Armenia's priorities

Two Armenian citizens found in Afghanistan

Armenian health ministry gets $ 2.5 million to fight COVID-19

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office has telephone conversation with Jeyhun Bayramov

Deceased Armenian soldier Taron Sahakyan's brother refutes news that he was captured and tortured to death

Armenia seeks to develop cooperation in food safety within EEU

Armenia Ombudsman, UNICEF Representative discuss problems with right of children of borderline villages to education

Armenia allocates AMD 462 mln for 4 subvention programs ahead of local self-government elections

Major incidents not recorded in Armenia's border zones as of 2 p.m., operative situation is under army's control

Armenia parliament approves several legislative amendments

PMs discuss prospects for development of Armenia-Kyrgyzstan collaboration

Turkish Nationalist Movement Party gifts Erdogan a map of Turkic World, with a part of Russia 'seized'

Man, 49, found dead inside truck near Armenia village sand mine

Armenia emergency ministry uses off-road vehicles to provide for needs of Syunik Province border villages, says minister

There is investment activeness in Syunik Province, says Armenia economy minister

Russia PM arrives in Yerevan

Minister on Armenia economic growth: We are from optimistic realist to optimist

Armenia President, Singapore deputy PM discuss avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation

Ombudsman: Armenophobia, propaganda of enmity have reached extremist fascism in Azerbaijan (VIDEO)

Russia peacekeepers carry out round-the-clock monitoring of ceasefire in Karabakh

1 more person dies of coronavirus in Artsakh

Armenia premier: There is no Syunik Province settlement that is under blockade

Office of Armenia commissioner for diaspora, SADA Global Delivery Center sign memorandum of cooperation

Armenia government approves 2021-2026 action plan

Armenia PM: Russia MOD made proposals on preparatory phase of border delimitation with Azerbaijan
The solution to the issue related to the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan requires mutual concessions, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin said today.

According to him, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev showed their political wisdom by stopping the bloodshed in Nagorno-Karabakh. In spite of the whole tragedy of the current events, the two succeeded in standing above the momentary political conjuncture and made a very responsible decision. I know that, no matter how strange it sounds, the peoples of both countries have demands from their respective leaders. There are always political forces that are discontent with certain things or think they could have done more. Nevertheless, Pashinyan and Aliyev managed to stop the bloodshed. However, there are still key factors.

In particular, it is necessary to create conditions for a long-term settlement in the whole region. The conditions can only be created when the two parties accept the reached agreements as long-term and when both parties assess the advantages, and I would like to emphasize this  the advantages of peaceful co-existence. Everyone is interested in this. Azerbaijan is interested in normal communication and unblocking of links with Nakhchivan. This is one of the first problems facing Armenia. It is necessary to create an effective economy in the region establish effective cooperation, including with Azerbaijan in the future, as well as to defreeze ties with Turkey.

Russia did everything it could to stop the bloodshed, and not only. Our peacekeepers are fulfilling their duty with dignity. More than 50,000 refugees have already returned. Overall, maintaining the situation in the conflict zone is a success. Unfortunately, incidents take place, and yes, sometimes people die. Currently, the most important thing is the ultimate settlement of the situation on the border. Here, of course, nothing will be possible without Russias participation. However, here we dont need anyone else. There are simple pragmatic things such as maps, which are located at the General Staff of the Russian army. These are maps that show how the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan looked during the Soviet era.

There are things that also require mutual concessions. So, it is necessary for the two parties to acknowledge and understand this. Is this possible? Yes, it is. However, of course, Russia also supports a multilateral format, including, say, intensification of the activities of the Minsk Group. We are working in this direction. The important thing is to achieve the main goal, that is, the creation of security and further construction of ties in the positive sense. We also need to look towards the future. The problem is not that the relevant article of the statement envisaged possible extension of the period of the Russian peacekeeping contingentThe question is the improvement of relations between the two countries. This is the most important thing. I hope we are able to achieve this.
What drives migrants to come to the U.S. border? What kinds of factors lead people to flee their countries -- and what happens for those who arrive in the U.S.? Carlos Denton, a regional expert on Central America, joins the podcast to discuss the migration crisis, possible solutions to it and the role that remittances play in the global economy.

Below is a full transcript of the conversation, including time stamps. Full audio is posted above.

Mohamed Younis 00:07



I'm Mohamed Younis, and this is The Gallup Podcast. This week, we take a closer look at undocumented migration through Central America to the United States. What's really driving it? Who's coming? And who are the greatest losers in the current dysfunction at the Southern border of the United States? Carlos Denson is Gallup's senior subject matter expert on Central America and one of the region's most seasoned public opinion scholars. Carlos, welcome to the podcast, sir.



Carlos Denton 00:34

Thank you very much, Mohamed. Good to be here.



Mohamed Younis 00:37

Let me just start by asking, Why are citizens leaving Central America? What's driving this, these recent really waves of migration through the nations of Central America these days, Carlos?



Carlos Denton 00:49

Well, I think Jim Clifton said in an interview somewhere that there's now 144 million people worldwide that want to come to the States, based on the Gallup World Poll. And Central America is simply, I think, a pathway to get up to the Southern border, which is viewed as open at this time by operators of, and, and by people interested in moving. And what you have then is a significant group from the, what are called the Northern Triangle countries -- Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which we can talk about. But we also have a lot of extra continentals that are coming up through there. In fact, I've been noticing, following the news a little bit, that where, there's many Haitians and people from Asia, from Africa and other areas as well that are using this route.



Carlos Denton 01:47

So the, the demand is basically these, many of these people are living in failed countries, and that includes Honduras, El Salvador and, and Guatemala. The, there just simply aren't opportunities for young people. And we we've asked over and over again. We, we ask constantly, "If you had the resources to do this, would you be interested in living in another country?" And the percentages are high -- 30%, 40%, 45%, depending on the country -- that want to get out, because they see no future for themselves in their own country. That's basically it.



Carlos Denton 02:28

Now, the thing that is most interesting is, many of the C3 countries -- the Northern Triangle countries -- the people are coming in and claiming that their move, they are asking for asylum because they feel their lives are endangered. And that's a whole other issue which is, which we could discuss. But what's happened is that people have economic problems and become indebted. And they might have credit cards or might not, but they -- just to simply get by -- have gradually worked themselves into a situation where they owe a lot of money. And finally, when they have no other source of borrowing, they go to what are called the maras -- M-A-R-A -- which are these gangs that are operating in those countries, and they borrow money from them. And the one thing, when they make the loans with the maras, is they say, Well, you know, we actually collect on our debts, not like maybe others. And what, and the kind of thing that they do to collect, I really, we don't have to go into it, but it involves violence for sure.



Carlos Denton 03:39

And so, after a family finds itself indebted to them and not able to pay them, they flee. And so we think there is a considerable group of people that are, are fleeing. Now the other factor that's worked into this, and this is not just in Central America, is that there are a lot of people that are being trafficked. And by "trafficked," I mean they're going to -- they pay money to be taken to the United States. Now, the interesting thing about this, which is, I think a lot of Americans are not interested in hearing, is that the trafficked people aren't there under the bridge in Del Rio or stuck on the border in a tent in dire circumstances. If they've paid, they probably are in the United States. They don't have to wait for the Border Patrol to pick them up. The trafficked people go through.



Carlos Denton 04:42

And the rates to be trafficked, for trafficking, in the Central American countries ranges from $8,500 per person to about $12,500. For $8,500, they'll place you on the other side of the river. And for $12,500 they'll get, they'll have an employment opportunity for you in Washington, D.C., or Chicago or Toronto -- whatever you need. And if you're even willing to pay more, they'll fly you in, which says something because it's not that the border is porous. Clearly there are authorities that are collaborating with the people that are doing the trafficking. And the rates for, say, a person from Syria or from Libya or one of those countries, Somalia, run about $21,500 to $22,500.



Carlos Denton 05:40

Very often, half is paid up front, and the other half is paid off in labor when they get to the United States. They become indentured servants -- it's what they used to be called in the colonial times in the U.S. So you have this situation, and I'd like to say we've actually done mystery shopping, since we need to talk about research. We've done mystery shopping with coyotes. Now this is what your friendly neighborhood trafficker is called; they call them "coyote," like Willie the Coyote in the cartoons.



Mohamed Younis 06:14

Yeah. I grew up in southern California, and the word "coyote" actually was more reminiscent of traffickers than it was like the animal, which was also all over the place.



Carlos Denton 06:24

Well, so the coyotes are a part of every society -- of every community. And so everyone knows who they are. And so the reason I have as much information about how they do this and how it works, and so on, is that we've actually done this mystery shopping where we have someone posing as a mother who wants to send a son or a, a young man who wants to go, and so on. And we've had them go and meet and talk about the conditions and what is involved, and so on. And most of these coyotes are tied into one of the cartels in Mexico.



Carlos Denton 07:05

And what happened there is that the head of the Zeta cartel, which handles the Gulf Coast for the drug traffickers, the head of the Zeta cartel sent his son to Harvard, studied, got an MBA, and came back and looked at things and said, "Gee, dad, here's a big business opportunity. We're just like, we're preying on these people, and what we really need to do is to transport them up there." And so just for that one cartel, the estimate that we have is $300 to $400 million a year in revenue.



Carlos Denton 07:46

And to tell you one story also involving research, we did focus groups with people that came back -- that went up, didn't like the States and came back -- there are those as well. And one, one young man who talked about being outside of Reynosa, Mexico, in a microbus, because you don't walk if you're being trafficked; you get travel. And they were, and the bus was stopped at a certain point on the highway, and a guy from the Zeta cartel got on and said, "Hey, how's everybody doing? You know, you're happy, are you being taken care of, are you're getting good service?" And "Because, boy, if we don't get good service" -- and he points like his finger, like if it was a revolver at the driver, and said, "If you're not getting good service, tell me we have ways of before ensuring that you do get good service." So there, it's something highly organized. Getting back -- well, I'm just talking on the one question, maybe you --



Mohamed Younis 08:47

No, this is fascinating. Keep going!



Carlos Denton 08:49

OK, well the other thing is, and the other factor are the extracontinentals -- that, this would be Haitians, Cubans, people from these other countries -- which, by the way, right now there's about 500 of those a day going through. And if you want to know how I know this, is that the thing has worked out by sort of a domino effect. The people come up from Ecuador or from Brazil, and they get to the Panama border. And the Panamanians are willing to give only 300-500 permits to cross their territory a day. They get it by coordinating with the Costa Ricans that are next and they allow. So every day, 300-500 people go through these countries, going north into the Northern Triangle and then continue on up. And they go to Ecuador or Brazil. And that's the route chosen, because those two countries do not require visas. If you have a valid passport from any country in the world, you can get, fly into Quito, Ecuador, get off the plane; they'll stamp, and you're in. There's no questions asked; the same thing with the Brazilians.



Carlos Denton 10:02

And so, this has been the chosen route and why they're coming up through Central America. They've got to then go through. But once again, the trafficked ones are riding in buses or minibuses or even in cars. I read a story about a woman who was driving. She had a car and her kid in it and then a couple in the back. But there was also another car further ahead that warned them if there was a, some sort of a police hold point or something, so they would take the side roads. It's, it's pretty well organized, the traffic, the trafficking.



Mohamed Younis 10:43

It's fascinating. And it's really interesting and, I think, counterintuitive to a lot of our listeners, at least U.S. listeners, that those who find themselves in the trafficked route north are actually a very different group than the group we often see on television, which are, lately, these folks who are camped out or at some point just very, their proximity to the border and they're kind of stuck on one side or the other and dealing with Border Control, basically. The reason also, Carlos, you know, love to talk to you always.



Mohamed Younis 11:16

But the reason I really wanted to check in with you now is because it's amazing, up here, the media focus tends to be very partisan. When Trump was in office, there was a lot of focus on the border; a lot of focus on this problem; a lot of criticism on -- I mean rightfully so -- a very, what has been now for generations a broken Southern border and U.S. immigration system. But that focus has really shifted from the mainstream, but it doesn't change the reality on the ground. Like these realities continue to unfold, whether or not they're being featured on CNN. Is it your sense -- and you're one of those people that has watched this now for generations and continues -- is it your sense that the problem has gotten worse since COVID or has pretty much remained the same?



Carlos Denton 12:04

Well, we're defining the problem as the situation in the home countries of the people.



Mohamed Younis 12:10

So yeah, the kind of causes of why people are leaving those countries.



Carlos Denton 12:16

I, pretty much, since most countries use the same system to combat the, the pandemic, which was closing everything down. GNPs dropped anywhere from 15% to 20%, 25%, depending on the country. And these are countries that might have had GNP per capita of $3,000, $5,000 to start with. And you then end up with, with this mass of people that simply are driven out.



Carlos Denton 12:49

Now, there is another thing -- and I mentioned this in the, in my message to you, and that is, when we when we talked before by mail -- and this is the whole question of the mindset of leaders in remittance countries. What is a remittance country? Where 50% or more of the GDP of the country is being produced by remittances. And for the viewers that might not know what that means, most of these people when they get to the States and they get the job -- and they probably take two jobs if they can -- they send money home. And the money going back home per person is only maybe $250, $300 is what we've measured right now. The typical Salvadoran migrant arriving in the States is trying to send back $250 to $300, lives in an apartment with four or five other people just like them, live sleeping on mattresses on the floor, taking two jobs at the rate, the minimum-wage rate. And they're trying to get by on that and send $250.



Carlos Denton 13:57

And, you know, I've been, I've been with leaders in any of those, the C3 countries, and you hear -- I've had a president say to me, "Hallelujah! The remittances are up this year." And I said, Well, president, I can remember that that with Jim Clifton, your CEO, we, we were at a meeting with the vice president of El Salvador and a couple of other people, and we were saying to them, "You know, you're exporting your talent to the United States, and you're, and you're getting back crumbs." And well, they didn't, they refused to accept it. The Hondurans also, with Jim, were more likely to, they were more open when we were telling them this.



Mohamed Younis 14:40

When you say a couple of hundred dollars -- that's per month?



Carlos Denton 14:43

Yeah, they're sending back $200 -- I mean if you're working at minimum wage, that's a lot of money.



Mohamed Younis 14:50

That's a lot of money. That's a huge part -- that's a lot of money for somebody who's working and living on minimum wage. But it's fascinating that this plays such a central role in the economies of these countries.



Carlos Denton 15:03

Well, Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras -- all three of them -- their main source for the, their main revenue in the GDP is remittances. This, this creates another issue, which we'd have to, we'd have to discuss at another time, because I know we have a restriction on time here. But what happens is, that $250, they've got to go to some bank or Western Union or somebody else, who then charges them 10% on it. And then there's another 10% that the local bank charges. So, out of the $250, the people that are receiving at the back end are getting maybe $210 or $205, which is a huge, huge blow to them. And of course this has led Salvador -- I don't know if you know this -- to declare Bitcoin as their official currency.



Mohamed Younis 15:52

Yes, of course. This is very recent.



Carlos Denton 15:54

And this is specifically because the idea is if the worker gets to the States and has a wallet with Bitcoin, and his family also has one, they can move it, move it down without using the banks and taking the hit on the exchange or the cost of shipping the money down. So getting back to the remittances, if you have a government that does this and thinks that this is wonderful, what you end up with, with lovely malls. They tell me even the Gaza Strip, which is a place that lives on remittances, has, has a lovely mall.



Carlos Denton 16:33

You get lovely malls, lots of shopping and so on. The money comes in, and it's spent, but there isn't anything being done to invest in local opportunities, factories, hotels, this kind of thing. I'm always, I always comment, when you fly to the San Salvador airport, you see miles and miles of beautiful beaches within 10 minutes of the airport. And you wonder, Where are the hotels? The Mexicans would have had, you know, 2500-room hotels right there along the beach. There's nothing there because it's all, we're just waiting for the cash -- "we export people" is basically what they're saying.



Mohamed Younis 17:13

That's fascinating just hearing that, Carlos, as somebody who is an immigrant to the United States from the Middle East, which has its own brain-drain issues for totally different reasons and is a different dynamic. But it is phenomenal how countries in a way are really kind of like talent pools. You're either losing, you know, talent; you're leaking talent out of your pool; or you're gaining talent to your pool and, and skills and resources. I want to ask you a question. I have a sense of where you're probably gonna see solutions, but what are the solutions for creating a better dynamic ecosystem in those countries, where people don't need to migrate one way or the other north in the numbers? And particularly not the numbers, but in the levels of desperation that we see them subjected to, I think, really is the human issue.



Carlos Denton 18:07

Right. Well, I can remember Jim Clifton saying that the key to success, when he would give these speeches down in the C3 countries, he'd say, The key to success is retain your local talent and import foreign talent is the fast ticket to turning the economy around. And what, what he and I have been talking about a lot is entrepreneurship, which is a topic that's a favorite of mine and his. There's got to be a program that develop small enterprises, opportunities for young or even middle-aged entrepreneurs to develop their dreams in their home country, rather than having to go to the States and do it up there. And we think that if we can identify people with the entrepreneurial talent and find the financing for them, that that would be a way to keep an awful lot of people back home, developing their businesses and living in their own communities.



Carlos Denton 19:14

And when we -- the biggest problem, we've found money that's available for this kind of thing, but it inevitably has to go to the governments. It's sort of foreign aid, always government to government. There's, it's not, it's never channeled from, let's say the U. S. government to private enterprises. And so what you end up with is the money arriving to the governments, which are not notably reliable, in terms of their honesty and how much of it would actually trickle down to anybody who might want to start a business is the problem.



Mohamed Younis 19:54

I know you love, you mentioned Jim a few times; you and Jim are really old friends. One of the things you both share, I think, is a fascination with how leaders can be tackling really different problems, difficult problems, and have total blind spots on some of those issues. When you look at the U.S. sort of foreign policy or relationship generally with the region -- Central America -- what are, what is a blind spot? What are some of the blind spots that you see that have kind of been persistent throughout your time watching the region in these policies?



Carlos Denton 20:30

Well, that, that's a big subject. But let me just say that the first thing that most countries do, in terms of their foreign, their perception of foreign countries is that they deal with their neighbors. Usually if you work in the diplomatic corps or a foreign ministry or the, the Department of State, in the case of the United States, probably the ambassadorship in Mexico City and the ambassadorship in Ottawa are two key embassies because they're your neighbors. You can't do anything about it; you've got them there, you've got to maintain good relations.



Carlos Denton 21:09

And I can remember a customer, a general in the U.S. army in San Antonio, Texas, saying to me, We in the Pentagon view Central America and the Caribbean as the United States' third border. And we really need to make sure that the third, our third border is also developed up to the levels that -- Mexico is certainly more developed than most of the third, of this other group. The, the big exception, of course, is Panama, which now has a per capita GNP of $31,000, and Costa Rica, which is, runs around $22,000.



Carlos Denton 21:49

But the rest of these places in the West Indies and so on are $5,000, $6,000, which is just simply not attractive enough to keep the people there. So the United States -- Latin America in general thinks that the U.S. has, doesn't pay enough attention to their Southern border. It's sort of like, Haven't you noticed, there's a lot of Spanish-speaking people up there now? You know, have you noticed they now sell Mexican salsa in Minneapolis at the supermarket? And if you notice that there's just more and more people coming. It's either you've got to deal with it or you're just going to get more and more people up there.



Mohamed Younis 22:27

On that point, and always great to speak to you, Carlos Denton is Gallup senior subject matter expert on Central America, amongst many other things, and really one of the leading thought leaders on how public opinion ties to all of these political and economic issues in the region. Carlos, promise me you'll come back soon, and I know you'll be focused on it. We want to keep talking about this issue. Thank you sir.



Carlos Denton 22:52

Thank you.



Mohamed Younis 22:53

That's our show. Thank you for tuning in. To subscribe and stay up to date with our latest conversations, just search for The Gallup Podcast wherever you podcast. And for more key findings from Gallup News, go to news.gallup.com or follow us on twitter @gallupnews. If you have suggestions for the show, email podcast@gallup.com. The Gallup Podcast is directed by Curtis Grubb and produced by Justin McCarthy. I'm Mohamed Younis, and this is Gallup: reporting on the will of the people since the 1930s.
Story Highlights 72% of Iranians approve of the job President Ebrahim Raisi is doing

Up from 32% approval for former President Hassan Rouhani in 2020

59% of Iranians have confidence in their national government

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Just a few weeks into Ebrahim Raisi's presidency, Gallup surveys in Iran showed Raisi had the backing of the Iranian people that had mostly eluded his predecessor, Hassan Rouhani. Shortly after Raisi took office in August, 72% of Iranians expressed approval of the job he was doing.

Line graph. The percentages of Iranians who approve of the jobs that Presidents Ebrahim Raisi and Hassan Rouhani have done. In the last reading of Rouhani's presidency, in November of last year, 32% approved of the job he was doing. This contrasts with the first reading of Raisi's presidency, when 72% approved of the job he was doing.

These latest data come from Gallup's survey conducted Aug. 24-31, three weeks after Raisi took office. Raisi has been characterized in the West as a hard-line conservative cleric, contrasting with Rouhani who was perceived as a more moderate figure who would potentially reform the Iranian government. Despite his characterization as a moderate, Rouhani never received majority-level job approval in any of Gallup's readings during his presidency.

In the last survey during Rouhani's presidency, conducted in November 2020 as the pandemic ravaged Iran, roughly a third of Iranians (32%) approved of the job Rouhani was doing. The Iranian government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic under Rouhani was criticized earlier this year for mismanagement and a lack of transparency after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei banned the import of coronavirus vaccines from U.S. or U.K. sources. In a separate question in this year's August poll, Iranians were asked retrospectively if they approved of the job Rouhani had done as president, and 23% indicated they did.

Iranians' Confidence in Their Government Rises After Raisi's Election

The poorly rated Iranian government response to the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with a drop in Iranians' confidence in their national government, declining from 52% in July 2019 to 47% in August 2020 and falling further to 41% in November. That 41% was the lowest level of confidence recorded in Gallup's trend.

Even before taking office, Raisi articulated a plan to tackle the pandemic, focusing on increasing COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. Prior to Raisi's election in June, about 5% of the Iranian population was at least partly vaccinated; since then, the percentage of vaccinated Iranians has risen to nearly 50%. The increase in availability of vaccines from non-Western sources and the new administration's emphasis on taking action on the pandemic likely contributed to the spike in Iranians' confidence in their national government, which jumped to 62% shortly after Raisi entered office.

Line graph. Iranians' confidence in their nation government. 59% of Iranians now have confidence in their national government, up from 41% in November of last year.

Bottom Line

Raisi has come into office with an apparent reservoir of goodwill among the Iranian public. However, public opinion could sour rapidly if his government is unable to follow through on its pledge to swiftly address the pandemic situation. In the short term, reports indicate COVID-19 vaccination has accelerated substantially in the country. However, daunting challenges remain -- particularly concerning the country's economy -- and only time will tell if Raisi delivers on his promises to the Iranian people.

For observers outside of Iran, Raisi's job approval rating and the spike in Iranians' confidence in their government that coincided with his election should indicate that a leader perceived as hard-line and conservative can still garner substantial public support in Iran. If Raisi succeeds in turning around the country's pandemic response and improving the lives of Iranians, the country may be more resistant to external pressures.

Jihad Fakhreddine contributed to this article.

To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter.

For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.
Story Highlights 52% worldwide approved of Germany's leadership in 2020

Approval highest in Europe, at 62%

Lowest in Asia, at 42%

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The world's approval of Germany's leadership during Chancellor Angela Merkel's last full year in office in 2020 hit a new record high, not only for Germany, but for any global leader in more than a decade. The 52% median approval rating for Germany's leadership in 2020 towered above ratings for Russia (34%), China (30%) and the U.S. (30%).

Line graph. Median global approval of German leadership, 2007-2020. Currently, German leadership has a 52% median level of approval around the globe.

Germany earned this unprecedented rating as Merkel took strong action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic domestically and as Germany had assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union in July 2020. Many had seen Merkel, Germany's first female chancellor, as the key leader in the EU long before the country assumed presidency of the organization. Her departure this year will leave a leadership vacuum, and it is unclear how the next chancellor will step in to fill it.

Approval Rose in Europe and the Americas

Median approval of Germany's leadership increased by 15 percentage points in the Americas between 2019 and 2020. There was a substantially more modest increase of six points in Europe during the same period. In Africa and Asia, there was essentially no change.

Median Approval of German Leadership, by Global Region Do you approve or disapprove of the job performance of the leadership of Germany? 2019 median approval 2020 median approval Change % % pct. pts. Europe 56 62 +6 Americas 35 50 +15 Africa 46 49 +3 Asia 39 42 +3 Gallup

Approval of Germany's leadership topped that for the U.S., Russia and China in three of the four global regions. Approval of Germany exceeded that of the other three powers by nine points or more in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Only in Africa was median approval of U.S. leadership (53%) modestly higher than that of Germany (49%).

Approval of Germany's Leadership Up Substantially in 33 Countries

In 33 countries, approval of Germany's leadership increased appreciably -- by 10 percentage points or more from 2019 to 2020. In 11 of those countries -- most of them in the Americas -- the increase was even more substantial, 16 points or more. In Uruguay in particular, approval increased 27 points, behind only Zambia.

The Largest Increases in Approval for German Leadership in 2020 2019 approval 2020 approval Change % % pct. pts. Zambia 19 51 +32 Uruguay 29 56 +27 Georgia 44 70 +26 Sweden 57 78 +21 Brazil 35 54 +19 Ecuador 33 52 +19 Thailand 25 43 +18 Colombia 39 56 +17 Chile 31 48 +17 Argentina 31 47 +16 Turkey 27 43 +16 Gallup

Bottom Line

Merkel is clearly ending her tenure as chancellor on a high note, with more than seven in 10 Germans approving of the job she has done domestically and record-high median approval for German leadership worldwide. However, the future of Germany's leadership role around the globe is up in the air. In the recent election, in which Merkel did not stand for office, her Christian Democratic Union party lost seats, and it is not part of the governing coalition that is emerging in Germany. This represents the first change in government for Germany in 16 years.

The three-way governing coalition that appears to be emerging in Germany between the Free Democrats, the Social Democrats and the Greens is likely to represent a shift in several policy areas. How much of a shift remains to be seen, and little has emerged concerning how Germany's foreign policy in particular may be affected.

Read more about how the world rates Germany and other world leaders in Gallup's latest report.

To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter.

For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.
Largest-ever triceratops skeleton sells for US$7.69m

Big John's skeleton is 60 percent complete, and was unearthed in South Dakota, United States in 2014. File photo: AFP

"Big John", 66 million years old and the largest triceratops skeleton ever unearthed at eight metres long, was sold at auction to a US collector on Thursday for a gargantuan US$7.69 million.



The final price reached at the Drouot auction house in Paris was well above the expected US$1.75 million.



Big John's skeleton is 60 percent complete, and was unearthed in South Dakota, United States in 2014 and put together by specialists in Italy.



He will return to the US and be part of the private collection of the unnamed buyer, who the auction house said had fallen "in love" with Big John after coming to view him.



The buyer beat 10 other bidders, with three in particular driving up the price in the final minutes.



"I wasn't expecting this," said paleontologist Iacopo Briano who was overseeing the sale.



Big John lived during the Upper Cretaceous period, the final era of dinosaurs, and died in a floodplain, buried in mud that kept him very well preserved.



A horn injury near his cranium suggests he got into at least one nasty fight.



The sale was still far off the record of US$31.8 million paid last year for a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in New York.



But the price all but guaranteed that museums would be excluded from the purchase.



"We can't compete," said Francis Duranthon, director of the Toulouse Museum of Natural History, ahead of the auction.



He said even the initial expected price represented 20 to 25 years of his acquisitions budget.



So Big John is headed for a private collection, but the auction house said there is still a chance the buyer may lend the skeleton to a museum or gallery for public viewings.



The triceratops is among the most distinctive of dinosaurs due to the three horns on its head  one at the nose and two on the forehead  that give the dinosaur its Latin name. (AFP)
Three men in the custody of the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office have died this month at a hospital of natural causes, according to reports that the agency filed with the Texas Attorney Generals Office.

Jamie Russell, 43, died on Oct. 6. He was being held at the Lon Evans Correction Center in Fort Worth on charges of aggravated robbery, possession of marijuana under 2 ounces and possession of drug paraphernalia. On Sept. 26, Russell was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital for what the sheriffs office report described as a cardiac event. Russell was also diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Harvey Greenwald, 81, died on on Oct. 2. About 2 1/2 hours after he entered the jail on Sept. 28, held on suspicion of making a terroristic threat to a public servant, Greenwald was taken to JPS for a presumed heart attack.

Ismael Martinez, 43, died on Oct. 1. Martinez was being held at the jail by Texas Department of Criminal Justice in connection with a Dallas County conviction that the report does not describe. Martinez was taken to JPS on Aug. 27 for COVID-19 and high potassium.

Beyond the October deaths, nine other people have died in the custody of the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office this year. Six of the deaths were due to natural causes and one was due to suicide, according to custodial death reports that the sheriffs office filed. In five of the deaths, the manner of death is not listed, and the reports indicate that autopsy results were not in at the time the reports were prepared.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) speaks with reporters after being ousted as House Republican Conference Chair on May 12, 2021, with colleague Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) in the background. AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades

Nine Republicans joined Democrats to hold Steve Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress.

Republican leaders urged members to vote against the contempt resolution.

The final vote was 229-202, and the DOJ will now weigh whether to formally charge Bannon.

The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and a close confidant of former President Donald Trump, in criminal contempt of Congress. The vote will trigger a referral to the Justice Department, which will then decide whether to bring formal charges against Bannon.

The final vote was 229-202, with 9 Republicans joining Democrats to hold Bannon in criminal contempt.

Here are the Republicans who broke party lines:

Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney

Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger

Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer

Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez

Michigan Rep. Fred Upton

New York Rep. John Katko

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace

Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick

Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler

Cheney and Kinzinger were widely expected to vote to hold Bannon in contempt given that they both serve on the select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Both lawmakers, as well as Meijer, Gonzalez, Upton, Herrera Beutler and Katko, joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump over his role in catalyzing the deadly riot.

Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson initially voted "yes" on the contempt resolution but later changed his vote to a "no."

Mace said after her vote that although she voted against the select committee, it's now a "duly formed" panel.

"I'm going to fight for subpoena powers that no matter who's in power because we've got to have the opportunity and the ability to investigate," the South Carolina lawmaker told reporters.

Thursday's vote to hold Bannon in contempt of Congress came after he defied a subpoena from the January 6 select committee calling on him to provide documents and testimony in connection to his actions before, during, and after the siege.

Story continues

House Republican whip Steve Scalise put out a statement earlier Thursday urging members to vote against the measure, arguing that Democrats were "pursuing a partisan agenda to politicize the January 6th attack." And House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said at his weekly news conference that the subpoena was "invalid."

"He has the right to go to court to see if he has executive privilege or not," McCarthy said of Bannon. "I don't know if he does or not, but neither does the committee."

Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the chair of the House Democrats' campaign arm, said he will use Republicans' opposition to attack them in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.

"You better believe it," Maloney said. "They should be accountable for undermining the rule of law. Voters should care about that."

Maloney added that he hopes the contempt vote will produce cooperation between "witnesses whose testimony Americans deserve to receive" and the January 6 select committee.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks about the Jan. 6 select committee. (Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty Images)

There were a few Republicans Thursday who surprised observers when they voted in support of holding former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress and referring him to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution.

Prior to the vote, four Republicans were considered a lock to approve the criminal referral, according to Capitol Hill sources: Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan and Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio.

Cheney and Kinzinger are on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and have for months stood alone as the only two House Republicans willing to speak out against former President Donald Trumps continued lies about the 2020 election. They were the only two House Republicans to vote for the formation of the select committee on June 30.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formed the select committee after Republicans rejected a bipartisan commission that would have been evenly split between five Democrats and five Republicans. Only 35 Republicans voted for that measure when it passed the House of Representatives, and it was defeated by a GOP filibuster in the Senate.

From left: Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a Democrat, and Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois arrive for the House Select Committee hearing investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Upton has served in the House for more than three decades, since 1987, and will face a primary challenge next year because of his willingness to stand up to Trump.

Gonzalez is retiring from Congress next year, after only four years in the House. "While my desire to build a fuller family life is at the heart of my decision, it is also true that the current state of our politics, especially many of the toxic dynamics inside our own party, is a significant factor in my decision," Gonzalez said in September when he announced he would not seek another term.

The remaining five Republicans included three who voted for impeachment  Peter Meijer of Michigan, John Katko of New York and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington  and two House Republicans who did not vote to impeach Trump: Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

Story continues

Only 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump in January, a week after he spoke to a crowd in front of the White House on Jan. 6, and instructed them to march to the U.S. Capitol and fight like hell. It was the second time Trump was impeached by the House, the first time any president in American history had been impeached twice.

The three House Republicans who had voted to impeach Trump but voted against holding Bannon in contempt on Thursday were Dan Newhouse of Washington, Tom Rice of South Carolina and David Valadao of California.

Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images)

There was one House Republican who did not vote at all on Thursday: Greg Pence of Indiana, the elder brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, who was hunted by insurrectionists as they stalked through the hallways of the U.S. Capitol, egged on by inflammatory tweets from Trump himself, who blamed Pence for refusing to overturn the election. Greg Pence had voted against impeachment, against the bipartisan commission to investigate Jan. 6 and against the creation of the select committee.

Mace, who represents a moderate coastal district in South Carolina, said that she had voted for holding Bannon in contempt even though she had voted against forming the select committee because it is now a duly formed body. I'm going to fight for subpoena powers ... no matter who's in power, because we've got to have the opportunity and the ability to investigate, she told a Politico reporter.

Fitzpatrick represents the Philadelphia suburbs, a moderate district, and has tried to fashion a bipartisan voting record.

____

Read more from Yahoo News:
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said he's willing to speak with Deere & Co.'s CEO to make sure he "understands and appreciates" the importance of resolving the historic strike happening at its factories.

Driving the news: Vilsack briefly visited the picket line at the John Deere factory in Ankeny Wednesday.

Why it matters: It's added layer of pressure for Deere leaders to offer a contract union leaders can agree with  this time, from the Biden administration.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

What he's saying: Union workers thanked Vilsack for showing up.

"These folks were very supportive of me when I ran for governor," Vilsack said. "It's something that you don't ... forget."

The bottom line: The former Iowa governor said he wants to see the workers earn the wage "they deserve," though he said he didn't know the details of the first offer.

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
After the Supreme Court blocked an Alabama man's execution in February, the state executed him by lethal injection Thursday evening despite his lawyer's claims that he was intellectually disabled and had an IQ of 64.

The state scheduled Willie B. Smith III, 52, to receive a lethal injection at 6 p.m. CT for the 1991 kidnapping and murder of 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson. The state ultimately executed him at 9:47 p.m. after the Supreme Court declined to consider a last-minute appeal  almost exactly three decades after Johnson's murder.

The Supreme Court previously blocked Alabama's last attempt to execute Smith in February because the state would not allow him to have his pastor at his side.

In dealing with this unimaginable and tragic loss, her loved ones have endured years of Mr. Smith attempting to avoid due punishment and then a delayed execution earlier this year. Mr. Smith had more time on death row than Ms. Johnson had in this life," Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement after his execution. "The evidence in this case was overwhelming, and justice has been rightfully served."

Prosecutors said Smith wielded a gun when he kidnapped Johnson, a police detective's sister, while she removed money from an ATM, according to The Associated Press. They said he stole $80 from her and took her to a cemetery where he shot her in the back of the head.

Image: Willie B. Smith III. (Alabama Department of Corrections / via AFP - Getty Images file)

Smith did not have any last words before the execution, but the state allowed a personal pastor to accompany a condemned inmate in the room for the first time. It appeared Pastor Robert Wiley prayed with Smith prior to the procedure, according to the Associated Press, and one of his attorneys held up a fist in the witness room in an apparent signal of support.

Smith's lawyers, in the few hours remaining before his execution, attempted to push forward a series of legal arguments to buy more time for him. Much of it was dependent on their claims regarding his disability.

Story continues

Last week, the federal public defender's office filed a lawsuit on Smith's behalf that argued he was not given assistance in understanding a form given to death row inmates in 2018 that allowed them to adopt nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method.

The state allowed inmates 30 days to decide whether they preferred the method after Alabama passed a law adopting nitrogen hypoxia as an execution procedure, though they have not fully developed a protocol for it.

Smith's lawyers contended, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, he should have been given guidance regarding the form. Because he had not received any information regarding it, Smith never returned the form to authorities at the prison. Had he adopted the method, as many of his fellow death row prisoners did, he would not be eligible for execution.

"Because Smith suffers from 'significant cognitive deficiencies,' he alleges he was unable to 'enjoy the benefit of the statute and the election form' without being aided with comprehension of the form and its contents," court documents says.

An audiology and speech science professor at University of Northern Colorado found the form to be at the 11th grade level, according to court documents. She found Smith's literacy level to fall between the third and fourth grade when she evaluated him.

A federal judge ruled Sunday that putting Smith to death by lethal injection did not violate his rights under the ADA, but his lawyers have since filed a motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in hopes of receiving a stay of execution so they can appeal the decision.

The Alabama attorney generals office rejects that Smith is disabled and has argued the claims are a stall tactic.

Smith's intellectual disability has long been at the center of his lawyer's arguments, however, and court documents show that there is support for the claims.

While the Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that executing disabled individuals was unconstitutional and a violation of the 8th Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided in 2019 that this ruling could not be retroactively applied to Smith despite appearing to agree.

"The family of Sharma Johnson has had to wait 29 years, 11 months, and 25 days to see the sentence of Sharma's murderer be carried out," state Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement after Smith's execution. "Finally, the cruel and unusual punishment that has been inflicted upon them  a decades long denial of justice  has come to an end."

But those are not the only legal concerns or ramifications that Smith's execution could have.

Robert Dunham, the director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said the most significant issue is that Smith did suffer from an intellectual disability and should be constitutionally protected from facing the death penalty.

The other issue Dunham identified is that the state and Smith came to an agreement regarding his ability to have a religious adviser in the death chamber to administer religious rites, touch him, pray out loud and remain in the room until the execution is completed. There is an upcoming Supreme Court case Nov. 1 between Texas and John Ramirez, a Texas death row prisoner who is only allowed to have his religious adviser in the room but without speaking or prayer.

"The fact that Alabama is able to carry out the execution demonstrates clearly that Texas' position has no legal merit under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act," he said.

The final concern is regarding an ongoing issue in Alabama where the number of witnesses allowed in the death chamber is limited because of the pandemic. While the state has changed its mind regarding this procedure after it only allowed one media witness at Smith's last scheduled execution, Dunham said it raises concerns about transparency.

"Initially, they were saying it wasn't safe enough for Willie Smith, to have the full complement of witnesses that he's legally entitled to have," he said. "They've ultimately agreed that he can have his six witnesses, but this is part of the ongoing lack of transparency around executions in Alabama."

Smith's is the eighth execution in the United States in 2021, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. There are four more executions scheduled this year, three in Oklahoma and one in Texas.
(Bloomberg) --

Most Read from Bloomberg

Alerzo, an e-commerce and payment solutions startup backed by billionaire Michael Novogratz s family office, plans to raise between $50 million and $100 million to expand across Africas most populous nation.

We have started talking to people, Adewale Opaleye, 27, Alerzos founder and chief executive officer, said in a virtual interview from Ibadan in southwest Nigeria, where the firm is headquartered alongside Singapore. Possibly it could be this year or next, Opaleye said. The company has raised $20 million so far.

The goal is to extend services to more than half of Nigerias 36 states -- from about 10 currently -- by next year. Asked if the company will reach the coveted unicorn valuation of at least $1 billion, Opaleye said it is possible as the company has been growing faster than expected.

Nigeria and its huge informal economy have been Africas breeding ground for tech unicorns as companies catering to a large unbanked population revolutionize the way people transfer money and pay for goods and services.

OPay and Andela are among firms that needed only a few years to cross the valuation threshold. Payments firm Flutterwave Inc. is already seeking fresh funding at a valuation of $3 billion or more, roughly triple what it achieved just months ago, people with knowledge of the matter said this month.

Nigeria, a nation of about 200 million where over a third of all adults lack access to banking services, is appealing to startups promoting financial inclusion and ease of payments. The government is meanwhile increasing spending on tech infrastructure to boost innovation, create jobs and revive growth.

Story continues

The company services clients in the nations smaller cities and towns, where poor state of roads and lack of supply-chain infrastructure may hurt Alerzos ability to ramp up business.

Alerzo is providing goods delivery services, cashless payments and mobile airtime top-up to more than 150,000 informal mom-and-pop stores in Nigeria and processing more than 400,000 transactions per month. Its annualized transaction value for September exceeded $155 million, according to an emailed statement.

Instead of retailers walking around a central market to buy products, they just sit in their shops and order products via phone calls, text messages and right now a mobile app, Opaleye said.

A physics graduate who also studied computer science in China, Opaleye says he started Alerzo to help his mother, a single parent who ran two informal retail stores in Ibadan to support him and three siblings. The vast majority of the companys retail customers are women.

At Risk

Women are often victims of theft because street boys know retail store operators often carry cash, Opaleye said. I wanted to apply what I learned in China to make life better for working mothers in Nigeria.Alerzo sources products from manufacturers and delivers them to retailers, adding to its income from transactions on the digital platform. It acquired Shago Payments, another local fintech, in the third quarter to strengthen its digital offerings.

The firm projects the number of its customers could triple by next year from 150,000, according to the CEO.

Our goal is to empower a broad community of retailers across the country, especially those that are underserved and unbanked, he said. Other investors in the company include Nosara Capital based in the UK and US investor FJ Labs, according to the CEO.

(An earlier version corrected CEOs first name to Adewale and changed the number of states with operations to 10)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
A sword that likely belonged to a Crusader lays on the beach in Caesarea, Israel on October 16, 2021. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

A scuba diver found a 900-year-old sword and ancient anchors off Israel's Carmel coast last week.

The iron sword is 3 feet long and weighs 11 pounds. It likely belonged to a knight from the Crusades.

The diver was wearing a GoPro camera, and Israeli authorities released video of his discovery.

Shlomi Katzin didn't expect anything out-of-the-ordinary during his dive along Israel's Carmel coast.

The amateur scuba enthusiast was exploring the area's waters on October 9 when he came across a giant sword, covered in shells and marine life, 13 feet under the Mediterranean waves.

The weapon was more than 3 feet long, with a foot-wide hilt. Nearby, Katzin also found giant metal and stone anchors and bits of pottery nestled in a 1,000 square-foot patch of sandy bottom.

Fearing that shifting sands might bury the treasure, the diver carried his finds up to the surface and immediately contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Israel has a law dictating that any artifacts found in the country be handed over to the authorities.

Amateur Israeli diver Shlomi Katzin holds up the ancient sword he discovered underwater on October 16, 2021. Nir Disteleld/Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority

The agency thinks that the sword, which is made of iron, dates back to the Crusades - religious wars between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East between the 11th and 13th centuries.

"The sword, which has been preserved in perfect condition, is a beautiful and rare find and evidently belonged to a Crusader knight," Nir Distelfeld, an inspector for the IAA's Robbery Prevention Unit, said in a press release on Monday. "It is exciting to encounter such a personal object, taking you 900 years back in time to a different era, with knights, armor, and swords."

During his dive, Katzin wore a GoPro camera, and so he was able to film his own discovery. The IAA shared some of that footage with Insider and posted the video on its Facebook page. In it, you can see Katzin pick up the sword off the seabed and uncover several anchors as nearby lionfish watch. His breathing punctuates discovery after discovery as he uses flippers to maneuver.

Story continues

The agency awarded Katzin a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship for handing in the sword.

Storms, currents, and waves bury and unbury ancient treasures

A 900-year-old sword discovered by amateur diver Shlomi Katzin underwater near Caesarea, Israel. Shlomi Katzin/Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority

Local archaeologists had already been monitoring the area where Katzin went diving, about 650 feet from shore, because that part of the Carmel coast offers a natural cove. Ships have moored since the Crusades, the IAA said, so it's a prime place to look for artifacts.

But fickle undercurrents and waves constantly bury and unbury ancient treasures like those Katzin found.

Kobi Sharvit, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority's Marine Archaeology Unit, holds a sword that dates back to the Crusades, October 16, 2021. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

"Even the smallest storm moves the sand and reveals areas on the sea bed, meanwhile burying others," Kobi Sharvit, director of the IAA's marine archaeology unit, said in the release.

According to Sharvit, the anchors found near the sword could be far more ancient than the weapon - dating back to the Late Bronze Age, 4,000 years ago.

An ancient anchor discovered by amateur diver Shlomi Katzin underwater near Caesarea, Israel. Shlomi Katzin/Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority

The layer of sand that hid the sword is likely the reason it's so well-preserved.

Being entombed under the seabed meant that the sword wasn't exposed to oxygen, Sharvit explained to CNN. That protected it from rust. Still, it was covered in shells and other bits of marine life - the weapon weighed at least 11 pounds when Katzin turned it in.

The sword itself, however, is likely only 4.4 pounds, Sharvit said.

A relic of the Crusades

The cove where Katzin found the weapon is a mile or so from what was once a Crusader fortress, Sharvit told CNN. That, coupled with the sword's large size and shape, is what led experts to conclude that it probably belonged a knight from the Crusades.

A 3-foot, shell-encrusted sword that likely belonged to a Crusader was recovered near Caesarea, Israel on October 16, 2021. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Between 1096 and 1291, the Roman Catholic Church and western European nations sent Christian armies to reclaim holy sites in cities like Jerusalem and Constantinople, which were under Muslim control. Some battles during the Third Crusade occurred near Israeli beaches, since England's Richard I traveled south along the Carmel coast toward Jaffa to fight Saladin, a Muslim sultan.

The sword is now being examined in the IAA's National Treasures Department. Once the weapon is sufficiently cleaned and studied, the agency said it would ensure the finding is displayed to the public.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Rampant smuggling of Australian rock lobsters into mainland China is a national security threat, Hong Kong's new customs chief said Thursday as she vowed to crack down on the trade.

Lobsters are one of a number of products from Australia that China has restricted imports of as relations between the countries plunged.

But they remain a prized and much sought-after delicacy in mainland China.

Imports of Australian rock lobsters to Hong Kong -- which maintains no restrictions on the crustaceans -- have since sky-rocketed, with suspicions that the vast majority end up on mainland tables.

Louise Ho was announced as the city's new customs commissioner on Thursday, the first woman to hold the position.

During her inaugural press conference, she explained why lobsters were one of her priorities when it comes to safeguarding China's national security.

"On the surface, it is a simple matter of smuggling lobsters, but these activities undermine our country's trade restrictions against Australia," Ho told reporters.

"Stopping lobster smuggling is a very important part of protecting national security, so we will pursue it diligently."

Smuggling goods by speedboat has been a mainstay of the triad organised crime gangs operating on both sides of the border for years but the phenomenon has surged during the coronavirus pandemic.

Police embarked on a crackdown after a marine officer was killed last month when her vessel was rammed by smugglers during a high-speed chase.

Lobsters are just one of a cornucopia of in-demand goods that gangs smuggle into China.

Recent speedboat smuggling busts have netted everything from luxury watches, handbags and shoes to endangered animal parts, cosmetics, wines, whiskey and cigars.

Last week, Hong Kong and mainland authorities seized 5,300 kilograms of smuggled Australian lobsters, worth around US$540,000, and arrested 13 people.

In June, Bloomberg reported that Hong Kong has become the world's largest importer of Australian lobsters, with monthly trade growing more than 2,000 percent from October to April.

Story continues

Ho also said that customs officials will actively block the inflow of anti-government propaganda at the border, even if the content looked innocuous.

China has cracked down in Hong Kong after the city was rocked by huge and often violent democracy protests two years ago.

It imposed a national security law last year that outlaws much dissent and empowers authorities to go after anything deemed a threat to China.

hol/jta/lb
Smiling women sharing food and drinks during backyard barbecue Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

41 million people speak Spanish in the US. But the share of Latinos who use it at home is declining.

Linguistic assimilation has caused Spanish to slowly succumb in some families.

How a Latino self-identifies goes beyond how they relate to the Spanish language.

For Latinos in the US, the question of identity is complex and, for some, the answer is substantially tied to whether a person is a Spanish-speaking person or not.

Moises Mendez II, a Dominican-American journalist, has asked himself that question. But for him, when it comes to family, love isn't lost in translation even if Spanish is the language barrier.

"I'm slowly coming to terms with my stance on learning the language as being, 'I'll teach myself Spanish when I'm ready, but if I don't, that's okay too,'" he wrote.

For others like him, Spanish isn't intrinsic to Latino identity, either. Already, most Latino adults say that while Spanish is an important part of Latino culture, it isn't necessary to speak Spanish to be considered Latino.

How a person self-identifies, actually, goes beyond how they relate to a language. Here's why.

The use of Spanish among Latinos is changing

About 41 million people speak Spanish in the US, making it the second most spoken language in the country. And while that number continues to grow, the amount of self-identified Latinos who speak it at home is declining as English dominance rises through generations, according to the Pew Research Center.

Only 7% of foreign-born, self-identified Hispanics say they mostly use English at home. The share increases to 75% for third-and-higher-generation Americans.

And experts note the experience of being Latino isn't the same for everyone.

Latinos are often seen as an homogeneous group of people, all represented in the same way. But the assumption that there's a common, singular identity among Latinos is a misrepresentation of the category as a whole.

Story continues

Related Article Module: For Latinx families, love isn't lost in translation even if Spanish is the language barrier

"The notion of Latino isn't homogenous, it is very heterogeneous. There are country of origin differences, there are ethnic differences, and there are regional differences that produce a lot of different types of subjectivities within the category of Latino," Dr. Phillip Carter, a sociolinguistics scholar, told Insider.

Being Latino is not a one-size-fits-all, but the Latino narrative was constructed to assume just that.

In her book, "Making Hispanics: How Activists, Bureaucrats, and Media Constructed a New American," sociologist G. Cristina Mora, explains the development of the "Hispanic" identity and how groups from different regions and different political perspectives were all united under this term.

And although panethnic words like "Latino" and "Hispanic" are largely used to describe one's identity, different Latino subgroups have their own personal experiences of what it is to be Latino, as they relate to culture, race, beliefs, gender, and even socio-political status, not just language.

What would Latinidad or "Latino-ness," then, look like to indigenous communities that don't traditionally speak Spanish?

Overall, language isn't the only way to articulate one's identity.

People speak different languages because of different reasons

Language ideologieshow language is used in the social worldare politically loaded. There is a social structure to the use of a language or the absence of it.

Carter explains that the political conceptualization of language in the United States and elsewhere suggests that languages, nations, and populations line up congruently.

Assumptions are often that if someone's in France they speak French, if they're in the United States they speak English, or if they're Hispanic then they speak Spanish. But it's not always that simple.

"In reality, people speak different languages depending on their experiences in the world that relate to their ethnicity, and also political notions of country, but are not determined by those notions," he said.

In other words, someone can be a Latino in the United States and be a Spanish monolingual, an English monolingual, or anything in between.

These different language outcomes, for the most part, exist because of how a person, or generations before them, perceived the language. For most people, having seen or experienced some sort of linguistic discrimination made them loathe Spanish.

For immigrants who've integrated into American society, being subjected to anti-immigrant rhetoric has discouraged them from using their native language as a primary form of communication. As a result, their cultural linguistic roots have been severed and their native language dismissed.

This linguistic assimilation causes Spanish to slowly succumb in some families.

More than 50% of third generation parents even choose not to speak Spanish to their children, according to a 2018 Pew Research Center report.

"In my grandparents' time, in my mom's time, Spanish was looked down upon," Julian Castro, former secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, told MSNBC.

"People, I think, internalized this oppression about it, and basically wanted their kids to first be able to speak English," he added.

Today, "English-only" workplace policies, anti-Latino sentiments, hate speech, or general hostility towards the language, are just some forms of discrimination Latinos face.

About four-in-ten Latinos (38%) have experienced discrimination, according to Pew.

Others who dwell within the category of Latino who might, for instance, be undocumented, vulnerable to the state, or are under constant threat of feeling like they are going to be deported, might see the "Latino-as-threat" discourse and choose not to speak Spanish in public.

But this linguicism isn't exclusive to new immigration. Anti-Latino prejudice dates back to the 1840s, where school segregation, illegal deportation, and even lynchings of Spanish-speaking US citizens mirrored the Civil Rights violations African American faced.

There's more to Latino identity than just speaking Spanish

Prejudice against Spanish continued well into the late 80s, and its long-lasting effects brought up entire generations who don't speak it and are left not feeling "Latino enough."

But constructing a larger sense of Latino identity is about finding ways to connect with one's heritage, whether it's through Spanish or not.

Related Article Module: The Latino electorate is growing. What does that mean for the future of American politics?

It's about the richness of the Latino culture and the diversity across the Latin diaspora.

"Not knowing Spanish isn't something to be looked down upon," Manuel Rocha, a Mexican-American, said in his Podcast Latinos that don't speak Spanish.

He added "embracing your culture, having pride in your ancestry, and sharing that with your communities is how we, Latinos that don't speak Spanish, can make the most impact."

Read the original article on Insider
A Brazilian congressional panel has recommended that President Jair Bolsonaro be charged with crimes against humanity over his alleged bungling of the countrys response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The near-1,200 page report, formally presented on Oct. 20, 2021, holds Bolsonaro culpable for worsening a crisis that has to date killed some 600,000 Brazilians, outlining how his failed policies allowed the virus to spread among the population. The president denies any wrongdoing.

An earlier draft had called for Bolsonaro to be indicted for homicide and genocide as well, given how the ravages of the coronavirus have disproportionately hit Brazils Indigenous groups. But those charges were dropped from the final report.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, The Conversations authors have been chronicling the crisis in Brazil  and Bolsonaros role in letting it happen.

1. In bad company

Bolsonaro certainly doesnt stand alone among world leaders when it comes to mishandling a health crisis that has now lasted more than 18 months. But he is one of the worst, according to a panel of scholars who put together a rogues gallery of presidents and prime ministers who stand accused of letting down their population.

As Elize Massard da Fonseca, at Fundacao Getulio Vargas, and Scott L. Greer, at University of Michigan, explained, the Brazilian president didnt just fail to respond, he actively worsened the crisis.

Bolsonaro used his constitutional powers to interfere in the Health Ministrys administrative matters, such as clinical protocols, data disclosure and vaccine procurement. He vetoed legislation that would have both mandated the use of masks in religious sites and compensated health professionals permanently harmed by the pandemic, for example. And he obstructed state government efforts to promote social distancing and used his decree power to allow many businesses to remain open as essential, including spas and gyms, Massard da Fonseca and Greer write. But it doesnt end there: Bolsonaro also aggressively promoted unproven medicines, notably hydroxychloroquine, to treat COVID-19 patients.

Story continues

Read more: World's worst pandemic leaders: 5 presidents and prime ministers who badly mishandled COVID-19

2. Testing positive

Bolsonaro backed up his disdain for masks and social distancing with personal action. While the virus spread throughout the early months of the pandemic, he could be seen pressing the flesh with supporters and campaigning without a face covering. He duly got COVID-19 in July 2020. As Anthony Pereira, at Kings College London, wrote: The most surprising thing about Jair Bolsonaros positive test for coronavirus  was how long it took to happen.

It could have been a pivotal moment; Bolsonaro could have used his personal experience to stress the risks of catching the virus and doubled down on efforts to contain the spread. He didnt. Instead, he took hydroxychloroquine  an anti-malarial drug that has been found to have no beneficial effects in combating COVID-19 and which health experts warn could instead cause harm.

Worse, he tried to push the drug on state health services, despite concerns over its uses.

Read more: Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro has coronavirus  what it could mean for him politically

3. Accused of genocide

Of course, Bolsonaro had the benefit of having access to the best health care available in Brazil. Many, many others were not so fortunate.

As Nadia Rubaii, co-director of the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention and a professor at Binghamton University, and Julio Jose Araujo Junior of Rio de Janeiro State University, note: Most of Brazils roughly 896,000 Indigenous people live in the Amazon region, where the nearest hospital may be days away by boat and offer limited care.

Indigenous Brazilians also suffer from higher rates of malnutrition, anemia and obesity  all of which puts them at a higher risk of death from COVID-19.

And in prescient words, given the discussion of charges against Bolsonaro, Rubaii and Araujo Junior lay out the argument that the right-wing leaders policies  which had led to deforestation and the curtailment of Native land rights  had already amounted to inciting genocide against Indigenous Brazilians.

While genocide often involves explicit killing, it can also include causing serious harm to a population and destroying their way of life, the scholars write. There were already warning signs that this process was underway. COVID-19 could be the final straw.

Read more: Brazil's Bolsonaro has COVID-19  and so do thousands of Indigenous people who live days from the nearest hospital

4. Poor, Black and vulnerable

That the COVID-19 pandemic should hit minority groups should not come as too much of a surprise  it is a dynamic repeated the world over, including in the United States.

Kia Lilly Caldwell at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Edna Maria de Araujo of State University of Feira de Santana in Brazil explain how, just as in the U.S., this is a result of structural racism that stretches back to the days of slavery. It has resulted in economic and health disparities in Brazil that heightened the risk of the countrys Black population getting COVID-19 and suffering worse from the virus.

Caldwell and de Araujo noted that while Brazils coronavirus outbreak originated in wealthy neighborhoods, it quickly spread to poorer, densely populated urban locations.

Read more: COVID-19 is deadlier for black Brazilians, a legacy of structural racism that dates back to slavery

5. Spread from rich to poor

A quirk of the early coronavirus outbreak in Brazil was that many victims were maids who were infected by their employer.

Mauricio Sellmann Oliveira, a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College, explains how this contributed to the spread of the virus among Brazils poorer, Black population.

He explains that after the abolition of slavery in 1888, Black women were largely forced into taking menial jobs, many as domestic workers. Today, Black women still make up almost two-thirds of Brazils domesticas. Most have only limited access to quality health care and have to commute long distances from the richer neighborhoods they serve to the poorer ones in which they live, and through which COVID-19 spread rapidly.

Read more: In Brazil's raging pandemic, domestic workers fear for their lives  and their jobs

While COVID-19 spread among the population with devastating effect  especially for Brazils poor, Black and Indigenous people  Bolsonaro, it is alleged, ignored the growing evidence on masks, vaccines and other measures that would have slowed infections. Indeed, according to the report released Oct. 20, 2021, his policies can essentially be blamed for more than half of Brazils total COVID-19 death toll  some 300,000 people.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:


Human remains found in a Florida nature park are those of Brian Laundrie, FBI officials said Thursday, ending the monthlong search for the man who was named a "person of interest" in the disappearance of Gabby Petito.

The remains were found Wednesday near items including a backpack and notebook that officials said belonged to Laundrie, Petito's fiance.

Officials used dental records to confirm that the remains found at Carlton Reserve were those of Laundrie, who went missing as authorities ramped up their investigation into the strangulation death of 22-year-old Petito.

#UPDATE: On October 21, 2021, a comparison of dental records confirmed that the human remains found at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park are those of Brian Laundrie. @FBITampa 09:39 PM - 21 Oct 2021

The remains were found in a section of the park that officials said had been previously covered in water. The FBI's Denver office did not release any additional details, such as a suspected cause of death or what condition the remains were found in.

Laundrie and Petito had been traveling and living in a van, recording their experiences for their Instagram and YouTube audiences. Laundrie then returned to his family's home in North Port, Florida, on Sept. 1, but Petito's whereabouts were unknown.

Her family reported her missing 10 days later, and police were frustrated in their efforts to interview Laundrie about her disappearance. Police eventually resorted to making a public appeal to Laundrie and his parents in press conferences.

But officers did not speak to Laundrie's family for nearly a week, after he too disappeared from his home while authorities ramped up their investigation.

Petito's body was found Sept. 19, the day after investigators spoke with Laundrie's family, in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Story continues

Days later, authorities in Wyoming issued a warrant for Laundrie's arrest, accusing him of "unauthorized use" of a debit card shortly after Petito's death.

Officials also determined that Petito died of strangulation, but did not release additional details about her autopsy.

Laundrie's remains bring to an end the search for the couple that spurred national headlines and a massive following among true crime fans, from TikTok to cable news. However, most of the details about how the two died and what happened before the couple went missing are unclear.

During a briefing with reporters Wednesday, Michael McPherson, special agent in charge of the FBI's Tampa office, acknowledged that despite the recent discoveries, investigators still didn't have all the answers.

More on this
(Bloomberg) -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. is planning to tender its shares in Acceleron Pharma Inc. after Merck & Co. agreed to buy the biotechnology company for $11.5 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Bristol-Myers is Accelerons biggest shareholder with an 11.5% stake that it inherited when it bought Celgene Corp. in 2019. Selling that stake will bring Merck deal closer to completion.

Merck needs approval from a majority of Accelerons shareholders to close its tender offer for all of the companys shares, among other conditions, according to a Sept. 30 statement.

Representatives for Bristol-Myers and Acceleron, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, declined to comment.

Another Acceleron investor, Avoro Capital, which holds about 7% of Accelerons stock, said Sept. 30 that Mercks deal drastically undervalues the biotechnology firm, adding that it would engage with management and other investors to identify a better path forward.

Hedge fund Darwin Global, which said it owns 3.8% of Accelerons stock, earlier Wednesday also urged shareholders not to tender their shares. Another shareholder, Holocene Advisors, said last week that it didnt plan to tender its shares.

After the Merck deal was announced, speculators and analysts wondered whether Acceleron would receive a higher offer from someone else.

To the extent BMY was part of a process, it is plausible it did not have interest in buying XLRN, UBS Group AGs special situations team wrote in an Oct. 1 report, referring to the companies by their stock symbols. That does not necessarily imply that it would support an acquisition of XLRN by a third party at any price (it could prefer to hold it as an investor).

Story continues

Acceleron engaged with several companies including Bristol-Myers to gauge interest in a potential acquisition before signing with Merck, Bloomberg reported this month. At least two potential buyers decided against bidding because of the price.

Bristol-Myers has royalty agreements with Acceleron that arent affected by its decision to tender its shares, according to a another person familiar with the mater.

(Updates with other investors in sixth paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Reuters Videos

The boar roundup in a district where authorities said some residents were spotted feeding them marks a policy shift in controlling the most commonly seen wild animals in the city.A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Wild Boar Concern Group, Roni Wong, was also escorted from the scene. "Veterinarians used dart guns to capture seven wild pigs for humane dispatch through medicine injection," the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a statement.It said boars in the residential area less than 30 minutes' drive from the heart of the financial district were "accustomed to wandering along the road and looking for food from passers-by or even chasing vehicles."Last week, a wild boar knocked down a police officer and bit his leg, causing a deep wound and prompting Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to warn the government would increase penalties for those who feed them. That animal subsequently fell off the edge of a carpark, plunging about 33 feet to its death.
The Caldor Fire, a massive forest fire threatening the lives of South Lake Tahoe residents in California, was 100% contained on Thursday morning, nearly two months after it first started to burn.

The fire that began in August burned through 221,835 acres of land, destroying 1,003 structures and damaging 81 more. A total of five injuries from fire personnel and civilians resulted from the fire, according to California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

REPORT: PUSH TO BAN GAS APPLIANCES IN CALIFORNIA BASED ON FAULTY SCIENCE

"The #CaldorFire has reached 100% containment," the Lake Tahoe U.S. Forest Service announced on Thursday. "Although a line is around the fire, heavy fuel will continue to smolder and burn late into the winter."

The fire first threatened Lake Tahoe residents in late August, when the vacation spot typically peaks in visitors. Authorities ordered an evacuation for the residents on Aug. 30 as the fire made its way closer toward the Lake Tahoe Basin around Echo Summit. The order was lifted on Sept. 5 as firefighters contained 49% of the fire.

The cause of the Caldor Fire is under investigation, according to the department.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

California experienced several damaging forest fires throughout the summer. Since the start of 2021, over 1 million acres have burned in California.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, FIRE, Wildfire, California, Forest Service

Original Author: Asher Notheis

Original Location: California fire that threatened Lake Tahoe fully contained
A California public school teacher was placed on leave after a video emerged of her wearing a Native American headdress and chanting in front of her class while teaching trigonometry.

The Riverside Unified School District teacher, allegedly Candice Reed, can be seen dancing around the class wearing feathers on her head and making tomahawk motions while chanting "soh-cah-toa," the footage showed.

The chant is a mnemonic device often used to learn the trigonometric functions sine, cosine, and tangent.

VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT GIVES TEACHERS WEEK OFF FOR MENTAL HEALTH

The footage was captured by a student in the class, and the John W. North High School teacher was placed on leave by the district.

"These behaviors are completely unacceptable and an offensive depiction of the vast and expansive Native American cultures and practices," the Riverside Unified School District administration said in a statement. "Her actions do not represent the values of our district. The teacher has been placed on leave while the District conducts an investigation."

As a half Native American I take this as mean, hurtful, and shows just how much you dont know about our people. This is sad and shameful.

Yesterday a Native American student filmed this video in his Math class!This was taken at John W. North high school in Riverside, CA. pic.twitter.com/x3VL2gTia0  Kaya Jones (@KayaJones) October 21, 2021



Despite the district's allegation that the teacher's performance does not express its values, someone who claimed to be a former student of Reed presented images on Twitter of the teacher demonstrating the routine as early as 2012.

The dance, headdress and all, was even written about in that year's yearbook, according to the student's Twitter post.

John W. North High School shared this from a 2012 yearbook. This teacher Candice Reed has been doing this for awhile now. CLEARLY the school was fully aware of what shes been doing and fully approved of this mockery. This is 2021 & we will find the truth to your lies. pic.twitter.com/aPfcqQunY4  Tyonie Tiel (@TyonieT) October 21, 2021



"We are deeply committed to implementing inclusive practices and policies that honor the rich diversity of our district and the greater region," the district stated. "We will be working with our students, families, staff and community to regain your trust."

Story continues

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Riverside Unified School District did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, California, Schools, Native Americans, Twitter

Original Author: Luke Gentile

Original Location: California teacher placed on leave for 'offensive' math lesson involving Native American headdress
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada has signed a deal with Pfizer Inc to receive 2.9 million doses of their pediatric COVID-19 vaccine shortly after it is approved for use by Health Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.

"We will be receiving enough doses in Canada to ensure that all children in Canada, aged five to 11, can receive the vaccine," said Trudeau. The vaccine is currently being reviewed by Health Canada.

(Reporting by Julie Gordon in Ottawa, Editing by Franklin Paul)
Canadian pianist Bruce Xiaoyu Liu was awarded first prize in the Chopin piano competition in Warsaw on Thursday, clinching one of the world's most prestigious music awards.

"Being able to play Chopin in Warsaw is one of the best things you can imagine," 24-year-old Liu said as the jury announced their decision at the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall.

Previous winners of the Chopin Competition include some of the greatest names in classical music, such as Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich and Krystian Zimerman.

Held every five years since 1927, the Chopin competition would normally have been held last year, but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic -- a first since World War II.

"It was challenging to get all the competitors into Poland," Artur Szklener, director of the National Institute of Frederic Chopin, which organises the competition, had told AFP.

But one of the 17 jury members, Argentinian concert pianist Nelson Goerner, said that pandemic-related lockdowns helped raise the standard of this year's competition.

"The level this year is remarkable," Goerner told AFP earlier in the competition.

"The pianists have had more time to prepare and I think the pandemic has awakened in all of us a desire to go further, to surpass ourselves," he said.

"You can hear it in how these young pianists are playing."

Japan's Kyohei Sorita, 27, came joint-second with 26-year-old Italian-Slovenian Alexander Gadjiev.

Spain's Martin Garcia Garcia, 24, came third.

- 'Sleep and party' -

Born in Paris, Liu graduated from Montreal Conservatoire.

He has performed with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and has been on two tours in China.

"The pandemic actually made this kind of meeting for me more special," Liu said after his victory.

Liu said he had to be "really careful all the time" during the coronavirus crisis, so as to be able to keep up his competition and concert schedule, and as a result had "not met many people" in the past two years.

Story continues

He also said he hoped the competition would be "just a start" in his musical journey.

"It's hard to keep the freshness, to continuously find new ideas so I hope this is not the last point," he told reporters.

He added that he was looking forward "to be finally able to sleep and party".

This year's event drew 87 pianists from across the globe, including 22 from China, 16 from Poland and 14 from Japan.

Broadcast live on YouTube and via a bespoke mobile app, the contest attracted record online interest.

Some 70,000 people watched the result streamed online.

bur-dt/reb
A Colorado federal prison employee has been charged as an accomplice in the recent murder of a postal worker allegedly gunned down by his ex-girlfriend while delivering mail on his daily route.

Andrew Ritchie, 34, of Longmont, was taken into custody Tuesday at Englewood Federal Correctional Institution in Littleton, where he works, FOX 31 reported, citing an arrest affidavit released Wednesday. He was booked into Boulder County Jail on a charge of first-degree complicity to commit murder.

His arrest came hours after Devan Schreiner, 26, appeared in court Tuesday where she was formally charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of her 33-year-old ex-boyfriend Jason Schaefer on Oct. 13. A judge ordered her held without bond until her preliminary hearing on Jan. 10.

COLORADO JUDGE ALLOWS BARRY MORPHEW TO CONTINUE LIVING NEAR MARITAL HOME DESPITE GPS TRACKING ISSUES

Schreiner and Schaefer shared two children and had been involved in a lengthy custody battle. Two days before the shooting, Schaefer had filed documents to have parenting time modified, the affidavit says.

"I knew that she didnt do this alone," Brandy Brackett, a U.S. Postal Service employee who has worked with Schaefer for many years, told FOX 31 following Ritchies arrest. "I knew there was somebody there supporting her in this decision. We really wanted him to be caught."

"I was extremely happy to know that the person that helped her with this is now somebody thats going to be held accountable also," Brackett said. "That made me extremely happy."

Investigators believe Schreiner and Ritchie were involved in a romantic relationship. Ritchie initially insisted that the two were just longtime friends, the affidavit says, but later allegedly admitted to the romantic affair after Ritchie was heard in a voice message uncovered from Schreiners phone telling her that he loved her earlier the day of the shooting, KMGH-TV reported.

Story continues

MARINE SINGLE-HANDEDLY STOPS GUN-WIELDING SUSPECT WITH SWIFT MOVE CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Schreiner and Schaefer previously worked together at the Longmont Post Office, but Schreiner was fired two weeks before the shooting. She was also spotted entering the building without permission and going through Schaefers belongings but left before anyone confronted her, Longmont Daily Times-Call reported. Schreiner got a new job at as a U.S. postal carrier for the Loveland Post Office.

Ritchie later admitted to police when he dropped Schreiner off at work that morning he told her "today is the day," and "I have everything I need."

GPS from both of their phones showed them in the vicinity of Schaefers mail truck that day, and cameras from several houses in the neighborhood showed Ritchies vehicle following Schaefer along his delivery route. Ritchie allegedly told detectives he was on the phone with Schreiner multiple times before the shooting to try to convince her not to go through with it, claiming that he was following Schaefer in order to warn him.

He said Schreiner later called to say she had gone through with killing her ex-boyfriend. Police uncovered 9 mm ammunition next to a 1911 handgun in the console of Ritchies Chevy Silverado, affidavit says.

"Postal inspectors from across the nation converged into Colorado to support to the Longmont Police with this important investigation. Longmont Police personnel are skilled, experienced and capable of resolving investigations of this nature, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service considers the safety of USPS employees to be the most critical element of our mission and has committed the full strength of our federal law enforcement resources to bring justice for Longmont letter carrier Jason Schaefer and his family," Ruth Mendonca, inspector in charge of the Denver Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said in a statement, according to KCNC.

"The arrest of the second suspect in Mr. Schaefers homicide demonstrates our collective commitment to leaving no stone unturned in this investigation and to pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law."
By Nelson Acosta

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban prosecutors on Thursday summoned dissident leaders from across the country who have called for protests on Nov. 15 over curbs to civil rights, warning them against convening the rallies under penalty of the law.

The protest leaders, organized by a Facebook group called Archipelago, have called on Cubans to demonstrate for the right to peaceful protest and an amnesty for imprisoned government opponents. The group says it has some 20,000 members, many of whom live outside the country.

The Cuban government last week denied permission for the protest, saying Archipelago had links with "subversive organizations" and an "open intention of changing the political system in Cuba."

A Cuban vice-prosecutor, Yaumara Angulo Gonzalez, told reporters on Thursday that officials issued the fresh warning because the protest leaders had ignored the government and publicly renewed calls for the marches.

Yunior Garcia, the group's leader, told reporters outside the prosecutor's office in Havana that he still planned to march himself on Nov. 15.

"We are not mercenaries, nor are we receiving orders from anyone," said Garcia. "We are openly demonstrating a difference of opinion."

Since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, dissident protests have been forbidden on grounds that they were fomented by the United States, but Cuba's new constitution, approved three years ago, opened a space for "legitimate" demonstrations.

Garcia said his march will be "peaceful, civic, with nothing to do with violence."

"This is my personal decision, beyond the threats that I have received today in this building," he said.

The latest tensions come three months after two days of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in decades rocked the Communist-run country in July. They resulted in a flurry of arrests, and well-known government opponents are among those who remain behind bars, some facing long sentences.

Story continues

Cuban authorities said those arrested were guilty of crimes including public disorder, resisting arrest, and vandalism.

Archipelago's planned protest on Nov. 15 falls on the same day Cuba, an island nation of white sand beaches and coral reefs, plans to reopen to tourism after two years in which it says the all-important industry was hobbled by the coronavirus pandemic and fresh U.S. sanctions.

The protesters had initially planned demonstrations across the country for Nov. 20, but switched the date to Nov. 15 after authorities declared the 20th a "National Defense Day" during which citizens practice preparedness for a U.S. invasion.

(Reporting by Nelson Acosta; Writing by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Democrats emerged from a series of meetings this week sounding increasingly optimistic that they can pull together a consensus framework for their multi-trillion-dollar social spending package  and possibly even do it by the end of the week.

Were getting closer to an agreement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Wednesday. We want to finalize a deal by the end of this week, but we all must keep moving together.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday reportedly reiterated that hes now looking for about $2 trillion in new spending over 10 years, though the final total may end up somewhat lower, between $1.75 trillion and $1.9 trillion. Biden also laid out the potential details of a scaled-back package in a meeting with progressives.

Theres an anticipation of some deep cuts," said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD). I think the major parts will remain in place, maybe not quite as strong, maybe not quite as long."

Yet while momentum may be building after weeks and weeks during which Democrats seemed to be clashing more than compromising, the White House and lawmakers still face plenty of tough decisions and inevitable pushback from factions trying to protect their priorities.

Here's what may be cut or scaled back in the Biden plan:

A four-year extension of the expanded child tax credit: Biden has touted the power of the tax credit to slash child poverty, and progressives had hoped to make the credit permanent. The House version of the Build Back Better plan included a four-year extension through 2025, but Biden reportedly suggested that the extension could be shortened to just one year or possibly two, a change that could cut the overall cost of the bill by as much as $400 billion.

A four-year extension may have made the tax credit an issue in the 2024 presidential election, Goldman Sachs analyst Alec Phillips said in a note to clients Wednesday. A 1-2 year extension suggests that Democrats might instead be focused on making this more of an issue ahead of the midterm election, instead, Phillips added. It also raises the possibility that Democrats will propose a further extension next year in separate legislation once the reconciliation bill has been enacted.

Story continues

But some Democratic leaders are insisting on keeping the four-year extension that was included in the House version of the bill. "A one-year extension is a big mistake," Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said. And Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, told reporters hed keep fighting for what was in the House package. I think family paid medical leave, I think that the child [tax] credit, I think the dependent care credit  and the Green Act, for sure  ought to remain in the final package as issued."

Two years of free community college: Biden hinted in remarks last week that his plan to make community college tuition-free might not make it into the final legislation, and Democratic lawmakers reportedly have confirmed that the plan is likely to be left aside for now, disappointing progressives. The free tuition plan included in House Democrats reconciliation package would have cost about $45.5 billion over five years, according to NPR.

Tax rate increases on corporations and the rich: Democrats have proposed raising the corporate tax rate from the 21% set by the 2017 Republican tax overhaul, with the House version of the Build Back Better Act lifting it to 26.5%. Democrats also have proposed restoring a top individual tax rate of 39.6% and raising the top capital gains rate from 23.8% to 28.8%.

Those proposals may all be in some jeopardy because Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) has reportedly made clear that she opposes raising those rates. [H]er stance is now pushing Democrats to more seriously plan for a bill that doesnt include those major revenue increases, The Wall Street Journal reports. Other planks of President Bidens tax agenda, including tightening the net on U.S. companies foreign earnings and enhancing tax enforcement by the Internal Revenue Service, are still on the table, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.

Scrapping the proposed rate increases would leave Democrats with a huge revenue hole to fill, even as they pare back their spending plans. In the House bill, the corporate tax rate increase was projected to raise $540 billion over a decade while the tax rate increases on ordinary income and capital gains would raise nearly $300 billion, the Journal notes.

12 weeks of paid leave: Lawmakers are reportedly looking at changing their program to offer four weeks of paid leave for people making under $100,000 or $150,000 a year.

Hundreds of billions in health care spending: Bloomberg reported that lawmakers are discussing limiting health care spending in the package to less than $250 billion, while CNN said that Biden told lawmakers that funding for homecare for the elderly and disabled would be reduced from $400 billion to less than $250 billion. This would actually be an increase, writes Phillips of Goldman Sachs, as the House-proposed version includes $190bn for the new benefit (though advocates have said that the proposal might not work with less than $250bn). We would expect that neither report reflects what is likely to be in the final version of the bill, and that health spending is greater than $250bn overall but that the Medicaid home care portion is less than $250bn.

A key clean energy program: As previously reported, the Clean Electricity Performance Program, a $150 billion plan to push energy producers toward wind, solar and nuclear power, is likely not going to make the cut. Democrats are looking at other ways to meet Bidens goal of reducing emissions by 50% by the end of the decade and the administration is reportedly exploring administrative actions that could help reach their target.

The bottom line: Democrats budget reconciliation bill is likely to end up about half the size of the original $3.5 trillion proposal. The package is still far from final, and many details remain in flux. But Biden and lawmakers are operating with an increased sense of urgency and say theyre making progress.

Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter.
General Electric workers in South Carolina staged a walkout to demonstrate against their government-required COVID-19 vaccinations.

The protest began at about 10:45 a.m. on Thursday outside GEs Greenville location and eventually swelled to include about 100 people, including children and some elderly people, according to the State. Some of the employees who walked out ended up driving away from the plant.

The GE plant is one of the countys largest employers and has about 3,200 employees, some of whom said that they took a half day off to demonstrate while others said they didnt go to work at all on Thursday.

Two of the employees, Jason Owens and Shannon Harrill, told the Greenville News they were protesting the vaccine mandate, not GE.

VACCINE MANDATES HURTING EMPLOYMENT, FEDERAL RESERVE REPORTS

We worked as an essential employee through the entire COVID pandemic, said Harrill, who has worked for GE for nearly two decades. We were required to be here and lose our job. Now you're requiring me to take it to stay here.

Owens said he and the other protesters want South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, to stand against President Joe Bidens vaccine mandate.

GE employees are subject to vaccine mandates because of an executive order Biden signed that requires companies with federal contracts to have their employees inoculated. Additionally, the president is mandating vaccines for all federal employees and private businesses that have more than 100 employees.

The Greenville County Republican Party, which has been holding weekly medical freedom rallies in downtown Greenville, expressed support for the walkout in a statement.

We stand in solidarity with GE Power employees, said party Chairman Jeff Davis. We completely disagree with medical mandates ... Medical decisions are unique to an individual.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Protests over the mandates have raised fears they could worsen the employment landscape in the United States, which is already grappling with companies losing workers. The Federal Reserve revealed this week that the mandates have had a negative effect on the employment situation, although it's unclear to what extent.

Story continues

Firms reported high turnover, as workers left for other jobs or retired. Child care issues and vaccine mandates were widely cited as contributing to the problem, along with COVID-related absences, the Fed said in a report.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Vaccination, Protests, Walks, GE, South Carolina, Business

Original Author: Zachary Halaschak

Original Location: Dozens of General Electric workers stage walkout to protest vaccine mandate
Eddie Jaku, a Holocaust survivor who said: I hate no one, not even Hitler (AP)

Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku, who has died aged 101, endured the horrors of Auschwitz, where he was forced to sleep naked and taken to the gas chambers three times but given last-minute reprieves.

In later years, he advocated tolerance, if not forgiveness, for those responsible for the deaths of six million Jews and preached against hate. I hate no one, not even Hitler, he explained. I do not forgive him.

In February 1944, during a bitter Polish winter, Jaku and his parents and sister, Johanna (Henni), were among 1,500 Jews taken by train to the Nazi concentration camp. Each of the 100 carriages was supplied with just one 44-gallon drum of water to last the nine-day journey.

While up to 40 per cent of those in other cars died as the water ran out, only two in his succumbed, thanks to Jakus father, Isidore Jakubowicz, a Polish-born mechanical engineer who had settled in Germany and opened his own factory in Leipzig.

From his pockets, he produced a little collapsible cup and a Swiss army knife, recalled Jaku. Using the knife, he cut up a sheet of paper into 150 little squares. He explained a system of rationing. Everybody in the car would have two cups of water  one in the morning and one at night.

On arrival at Auschwitz, Dr Josef Mengele, the angel of death who performed experiments on prisoners, sent Jaku in one direction, to work, and his family in the other. Within days, he learned that his parents had been gassed but he was unsure about the fate of his sister.

Jakus daily life consisted of walking up to an hour and a half to places of labour, such as a factory or coal mine, with those who tripped and fell being shot and the same for those too weak to carry the bodies back. Prisoners were also beaten for sport by SS guards.

Although the average survival time of Auschwitz prisoners was merely months, Jaku endured almost a year. He put it down to using his skills to create items such as knives with polished timber handles to sell to other prisoners in exchange for food or soap.

Story continues

He also struck up a friendship with another German Jew, Kurt. We looked after each other, he recalled. When one of us was injured or too sick to work, the other would find food and help the other. We kept each other alive.

Another factor was the Nazis recognising his engineering skills and labelling him an economically indispensable Jew. As a result, each time he was taken to the gas chambers, a guard spotted his name and number, 172338, and had him removed from the line.

One day at a factory, three months after his arrival at Auschwitz, he spotted his sister working as a machine operator cutting bullets for the German army, but they could not risk speaking to one another.

Then, in January 1945, with the Russians getting closer, Jaku and the other prisoners were sent on a death march through the snow to Germany in which 15,000 died of the cold in temperatures of -20C (-4F) or from being shot by Nazi officers if they fell.

After he was put to work at a camp in Sonnenburg, the Russians approached again, prisoners were evacuated and he managed to escape. Eventually, he was rescued by US soldiers as the war ended and he survived cholera and typhoid.

Jaku settled in Australia, working as a medical instrument maker and for a motor company before setting up his own garage, then a real estate firm, working into his nineties.

Having previously found his Holocaust experience too painful to talk about, he started sharing it publicly in the 1970s but still could not talk directly to his children on the subject.

I have seen the very worst in mankind, the horrors of the death camps, the Nazi efforts to exterminate my life, and the lives of all people. But I now consider myself the happiest man on Earth

When I try to talk to my son, I see my father in his face, he explained. It is just too hard.

Jaku and others formed a group that in 1982 became the Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants. Ten years later, they founded the Sydney Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, to tell their stories and he remained a volunteer there until his final days.

He reached his biggest audience in 2019 with a talk in front of 5,000 people in a hall and hundreds of thousands online worldwide.

A year later, his autobiography, The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor, was published. I have lived for a century, and I know what it is to stare evil in the face, he wrote.

I have seen the very worst in mankind, the horrors of the death camps, the Nazi efforts to exterminate my life, and the lives of all people. But I now consider myself the happiest man on Earth.

He was born Abraham Salomon Jakubowicz in 1920 in Leipzig, Germany, where his father married his mother, Lina.

At Leibniz Gymnasium School, he was thrown out for being a Jew following Hitlers rise to power in 1933. With false papers and the name Walter Schleif, he studied at Jeter und Shearer, a mechanical engineering college in Tuttlingen, south of the city, while beginning an apprenticeship. In 1938, he sat his exams and was named the schools apprentice of the year.

Jaku then took a job making precision medical instruments and, having spent five years away from his family, returned to Leipzig, finding his home abandoned. That night, which would become known as Kristallnacht, he was dragged from his bed by Nazis and beaten, the house was destroyed and the family dog bayoneted to death.

Sent to Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany, he was put to work as a toolmaker because of his training but he was able to escape. On being caught in Belgium, Jaku was put in a refugee camp there, then  following the German invasion of the country  moved to a concentration camp in France until escaping again and reuniting with his family in Brussels.

When they were arrested by Belgian police, the family were handed over to the Nazis to be transported to Auschwitz.

After the war, Jaku worked as a precision engineer and supervisor, making tools for the railway, at a factory in Brussels, where he and his friend Kurt shared a flat as they rebuilt their lives. Jaku was also reunited with his sister, who moved in with them.

Then, he met Flore Molho, a Greek-born Jew raised in Belgium who had found refuge in France during the war. They married in 1946 and, four years later, moved to Australia, where Jakus sister had settled.

In 2013, he was awarded the Order of Australia medal.

Jaku is survived by Flore, their sons, Michael and Andre, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Johanna predeceased him.

Eddie Jaku, Holocaust survivor, born 14 April 1920, died 12 October 2021

Read More

Esther Bejarano: Auschwitz survivor who used music to fight hate

Faye Schulman: Photographer and Jewish resistance fighter
The most vicious killer in South Florida history will spend the rest of his life in prison for the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.

You will not come out until you are no longer alive, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer told Nikolas Cruz Wednesday before accepting his guilty pleas at a hearing in Fort Lauderdale.

The only remaining question is whether Florida will put him to death by lethal injection or commit him to live out his life in prisons where child killers, regarded as the lowest of the low, are well-advised to keep their backs to the walls.

The punishment will be for 12 jurors to decide next year, following the 34 guilty pleas Cruz entered  17 for first-degree murder and 17 more for the attempted first-degree murder of victims who were shot but survived.

The legitimate ends of justice are already met. Society is safer with him locked away forever.

As we have said and still believe, there are good reasons why the life-sentence alternative is the better one in this case despite the savagery of Cruzs horrific murder spree with a legally purchased assault weapon:

It will be very challenging to find 12 jurors who havent already made up their minds about his punishment, but failure to move the penalty-phase trial to someplace less saturated by publicity would constitute grounds for an appeal.

Survivors, some still in their teens, would be spared the necessary but traumatic ordeal of testifying to the excruciating pain and horror they have endured and which will be with them always.

Even with the question of guilt resolved, it often takes years of appeals and decades of delays before a death sentence is carried out. Danny Rolling spent 16 years on death row after pleading guilty to butchering five college students in Gainesville in 1990. Ten men have been on Floridas death row since the 1970s and two from Broward have been there since 1982.

To limit the horrific anguish, Broward needs to close this hideous chapter sooner rather than later. But it will linger if there are death sentences that are appealed.

Story continues

The three-story building where the murders occurred should be torn down now, not next year or later, since it is no longer essential to a jury walk-through. The Legislature appropriated $25 million to replace it. The surviving victims  everyone who was on campus that day  deserve to be spared the sight. Although the last of the students will graduate this year, every teacher and administrator was a victim and three of their colleagues died.

A surprise element in Cruzs guilty pleas was that the defense conceded them without getting anything from the state in return. Mike Satz, the retired state attorney who remains in charge of the case, steadfastly refused defense offers to plead guilty in exchange for life sentences. He appears determined, perhaps obsessively so, to make a death sentence for Cruz the capstone of his 44-year career.

Satz outlined the prosecutions case in court Wednesday and family members wept as he methodically described each killing and the precise number of bullets that struck each victim. She died of her wounds, Satz said. He died of his wounds.

The defense strategy to plead guilty without a deal serves as an appeal to the jury as well as to the victims families. Some would accept a life sentence, but others want him executed.

In remarks to the court in a soft but clear voice, the killer explicitly addressed the families.

I just want you to know Im really sorry, he said, and I hope you give me a chance to try to help others. I believe its your decision to decide where I go, whether I live or die, not the jurys. I believe its your decision. Im sorry.

By law, its not the families decision, its the jurys  with input from the families and others.

Cruz has foregone many opportunities for errors that even a highly experienced judge might make in a case of such notoriety and public interest. That leaves fewer avenues for appeals.

As Satz and some victims families see it, if the Parkland murders dont warrant the death penalty, what would?

Its a reasonable question, but it begs others. One is the overbroad reach of Floridas death penalty, which covers even unpremeditated murders where guilt is in doubt. Another is the potentially appealable issue of mental illness in this case.

The commission appointed to investigate the tragedy acknowledged that, finding that Cruz was a troubled child and young adult who displayed aggressive and violent tendencies as early as three years old ... There are reports of behavioral issues at all of the schools he attended. He was under the care of community and private mental health professionals from age 11 until he turned 18 and refused further services.

There were explicit warnings. Two students told an assistant principal the year before the tragedy that Cruz might hurt others and even shoot up the school.

After the massacre, the FBI acknowledged that it received two separate tips on Cruz. One reported a social media post in which Cruz himself said he would be a school shooter. The other was from a person close to (him) reporting on his gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential for him conducting a school shooting. The FBI admitted the information should have been forwarded to the Miami field office and was not.

The many missed opportunities do not excuse what he did, but they cast doubt on whether the vengeance of the death penalty is an appropriate remedy.

In New York, Massachusetts, Virginia and 20 other states, this case would be over. That includes Colorado, whose death penalty was still in force when James Holmes was tried for killing 12 people and wounding 70 at a theater in Aurora in 2012. The jurors rejected his insanity defense, but three of them chose life. He is now serving a 3,000-year sentence.

Thirty-four consecutive life sentences for Cruz would serve Florida just as well.

____

The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.

___
At one time, it was fashionable to advocate for zero tolerance policing on the grounds that cracking down on minor offenses prevents worse ones from happening. In more recent years, however, the adverse consequences of this approach  including high rates of incarceration of people of color and deep distrust of police in cities like Baltimore have become apparent. So when Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 that her office was dismissing charges against people arrested for drug possession, prostitution, open containers and other relatively low-level infractions, it was a controversial call (albeit reinforced by the circumstances of the pandemic). Even more so when she later announced that this policy would be permanent and insisted that get-tough practices of the past that placed so many of Baltimores young Black men in the criminal justice system had been a contributing factor to increased violent crime.

Today, it appears she was at least half right as a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the choice to stop prosecuting low-level offenses in Baltimore has resulted in no corresponding increase in crime. Indeed, the numbers are compelling. Of the 741 people who saw their charges dropped in 2020, just six have since been rearrested for violent crime. Six. And the researchers calculate the policy caused about 443 people, more than three-quarters of them Black, not to be arrested on drug or drug paraphernalia charges since then. Meanwhile, there was no increase in 911 calls in city neighborhoods reporting complaints related to drugs and prostitution. Perhaps residents thought such calls would do them no good given the policy change, but that kind of informed forbearance citywide seems unlikely.

In short, what the Hopkins study strongly suggests is, as Mosby predicted, mass arrests and incarcerations for low-level offenses are simply not a productive approach to fighting crime. Further, we would have to agree with the Hopkins researchers who observed that forcing young people into the criminal justice system can have an extremely harmful impact on them and their families. Not only do prisons do a terrible job at rehabilitating criminals, they can cause significant damage to the individuals mental and physical health. And they are costly for taxpayers as well, both during and after incarceration. Why imprison someone when it does no good to all involved?

Story continues

Yet we can only take one study  performed at Mosbys request, incidentally  so far. It is also possible the peculiarities of the pandemic have skewed results. And the second half of the equation, that fewer arrests might ultimately make Baltimore safer arent supported by the current circumstances. Baltimore still appears on pace to match or exceed last years 335 homicides. And the states attorney has been dogged by controversies of her own including a federal criminal investigation into her finances and those of her husband, City Council President Nick Mosby. And there have been concerns raised about her side investments and her work-related travel and her distrust of city police including a whopping 305 names on a do-not-call to court because of integrity issues list that a state appeals court recently ruled can be disclosed to the public.

Baltimore is far from the only jurisdiction grappling with this fundamental question of when it is prudent to make an arrest for certain types of crimes and when is it not. Nearly one year ago, voters in the state of Oregon decriminalized possession of small amounts of almost all drugs, but its fair to suggest the jury is still out on the impact that choice is having. Closer to home, the Maryland General Assembly is expected to take up the subject of legalizing marijuana for recreational, and not simply medicinal, use in the upcoming session. If drug use is going to be treated as more of a public health challenge then as a public safety problem, greater investment in drug treatment and non-police intervention will have to be made. The war on drugs may be over, but the war on abuse, overdose and addiction is surely not.

Mosby deserves the opportunity to a crow a bit about the results in Baltimore so far. As the researchers noted, the findings are encouraging. It was not an easy decision, at least not politically, but it appears to have been the correct one.


Oxygen

A 20-year-old New York man was facing eight years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting four teenage girls during parties in his parents home, but this week a judge sentenced him to eight years of probation because jail was inappropriate. Im not ashamed to say that I actually prayed over what is the appropriate sentence in this case because there was great pain. There was great harm. There were multiple crimes committed in the case, Niagara County Judge Matthew J. Murphy I
By Emilio Parodi and Polina Nikolskaya

(Reuters) -The EU drug regulator is unlikely to decide whether to approve Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine until at least the first quarter of 2022 because some data needed for the review is still missing, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

"An EMA decision by the end of the year is now absolutely impossible," the source said, referring to the European Medicines Agency.

If the required data is received by the end of November, "then the regulators may well decide in the first quarter of next year", he said. He declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The EMA, which launched its formal review of the Russian vaccine in March, had previously been expected to decide in May or June whether to approve use of the shot.

The results of Phase III trials published in The Lancet in February have shown it is almost 92% effective. Russia said later Sputnik V is around 83% effective against the Delta variant.

The vaccine is widely used in Russia and approved for use in more than 70 countries. The source said there was no reason to doubt its effectiveness or safety.

Gamaleya Institute, which is supervised by Russia's health ministry, developed the vaccine and oversaw the clinical trials, while Russia's sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), markets Sputnik V overseas.

In a response to the story, RDIF said its vaccine showed superior efficacy and longer-lasting immunity compared to mRNA vaccines and reiterated that its one-dose "Sputnik Light" vaccine could be used as a booster.

RDIF also complained of what it called press attacks against Sputnik V based on what it said was incorrect information.

Alexei Kuznetsov, an aide to the Russian health minister, said the ministry was finalising paperwork required by the EMA and discussing dates for site visits which it expects to happen this year.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the EMA's certification process for Sputnik V, said there were technological disagreements between the regulator and the Russian side regarding the completeness of submitted documents and information for registration.

Story continues

"We are only talking now about technical formalities and they will be resolved," Peskov said.

The EMA said in an email the vaccine remains under rolling review until sufficient evidence is available for a formal marketing authorisation application.

PRODUCTION AND BOTTLING

"EMA asked for a more complete dossier on production, details of how the vaccine is produced. When they have this dossier they will also be able to understand where to ask for inspections," the source said.

These details concerned both the production of the active ingredient and the bottling of the finished product, the source said.

The slow pace of approval is the latest blow for Moscow, which hopes the backing of an international regulator will allow it to compete with vaccines made by U.S. drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna which have become dominant on the global market.

Manufacturers have told Reuters that they have had difficulties producing the second dose of the vaccine, hampering efforts to boost output at home.

EU approval would also be a major relief for Russians wanting to travel to the region as it only recognises vaccines authorised by the EMA or the World Health Organization.

The WHO's review as part of the process for including the shot in its programme for supplying poorer countries has also encountered hitches.

A second source involved in the manufacturing process told Reuters the review was slow because Gamaleya did not have experience of dealing with an international drug regulator.

The first source said the developers had also changed the production sites of the vaccine doses for the EU a few times, a further reason for delays.

"They keep changing the location of the vaccine production sites that are supposedly destined for Europe," he said.

The EMA reviews each facility involved in the production process. The chairman of Russian drugmaker R-Pharm Alexey Repik said its factories would be included in the application to the EMA, but he did not provide further details.

A third source involved in producing the shot in Russia said the EMA inspectors had visited at least two sites operated by R-Pharm in the western Yaroslavl region. EMA had no critical remarks about these sites, he said.

A third R-Pharm site in Moscow would also produce shots for the EU, but it was included in the regulatory submission after the EMA's review started, he said.

Inspection was expected before year-end, he said.

The EU ambassador to Moscow said on Oct. 8 Russia had repeatedly delayed inspections by the EMA necessary for the certification of its vaccine.

The first source with knowledge of the matter said there was no reason to doubt that Sputnik was safe and effective.

"But with this incomplete data, the EMA doesn't really have the material on which to make a judgement," he said.

"The ball is in their court. They have to decide what they want to do."

(Reporting by Emilio Parodi and by Polina Nikolskaya in Moscow; additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio in Brussels, editing by Josephine Mason and Nick Macfie)
Matt McClain-Pool/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Samantha Lee/Insider

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen is backed by the billionaire founder of eBay, Politico reported.

Pierre Omidyar is a well-known critic of Big Tech, donating $150,000 to Whistleblower Aid last year.

From PR to legal aid, here's how Haugen's expensive fight against Facebook is reportedly funded.

Fighting one of the most powerful companies in the world can be expensive, but Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen has the billionaire founder of eBay in her corner, according to a Wednesday Politico report.

His name is Pierre Omidyar, a well-known critic of Big Tech whose previous advocacy efforts have supported independent journalism in Hawaii, anti-monopoly campaigns, and employee activism.

Omidyar's foundation donated $150,000 to Whistleblower Aid last year - the same nonprofit responsible for Haugen's legal representation.

Omidyar's philanthropic organization, Luminate, is also providing Haugen's PR operations in Europe, Politico's Emily Birnbaum wrote. Bill Burton, Haugen's top PR representative in the US, comes from the Center for Humane Technology, a group that Omidyar also funds.

"When Frances Haugen went public Luminate decided to step forward and directly support her efforts to promote a broad public debate about the issues that the disclosures raise," a Luminate spokesperson told Insider.

"We are the only organization from The Omidyar Group that is directly supporting the work of Frances Haugen and her team. Our support will help cover the travel, logistics, and communications costs of Frances' team. We encourage all those organizations who want to tackle these digital threats to democracy to join us in these efforts," he said.



Haugen has not responded to claims of financial support detailed in Politico's report and was not immediately available to comment when contacted by Insider.

Compared to previous tech whistleblowers, Haugen has been able to capture the nation's attention due in part to advanced press relations, starting with The Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files and her "60 Minutes" appearance.

Story continues

Sophie Zhang, another Facebook whistleblower who first spoke out about issues at the company in April 2021, has received less public attention.

After Haugen denounced Facebook for putting "profits before people" during her testimony to congress, Zhang tweeted, "If Congress wishes for me to testify, I will fulfill my civic duty, as I've publicly stated for the past half year."

In an interview with Insider, Zhang said although she and Haugen saw completely different sides of the company, Haugen's testimony felt familiar.

"There is basically no overlap between any of our details. What overlaps is our overall message," she said.

Following Politico's report, The Omidyar Network posted a blog titled "In Support of Tech Whistleblowers Who are Holding Tech to Account," the author of which is not listed.

The blog post said the foundation supports Pinterest whistleblower Ifeoma Ozoma and her project, The Tech Worker Handbook, a resource guide for employees considering speaking out about workplace issues "in the public interest."

"We are grateful to the brave people who have called out Big Tech for its bad behavior. They are an important part of creating systemic checks and balances for Big Tech," the post continues. "Because of them, policymakers are taking notice and taking action to rein in their excessive power and restore trust and balance in digital markets."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Responding to a growing controversy over investing practices, the Federal Reserve on Thursday announced a ban on officials owning individual stocks and limits on other activities as well.

The ban includes top policymakers such as those who sit on the Federal Open Market Committee, along with senior staff. Future investments will have to be confined to diversified assets such as mutual funds.

Fed officials can no longer have holdings in shares of particular companies, nor can they invest in individual bonds, hold agency securities or derivative contracts. The new rules replace existing regulations that, while somewhat restrictive, still allowed members to buy and sell stocks.

These tough new rules raise the bar high in order to assure the public we serve that all of our senior officials maintain a single-minded focus on the public mission of the Federal Reserve, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in a statement.

Under the new rules, the officials will have to provide 45 days notice in advance of buying or selling any securities that are still allowed. They also will be required to hold the securities for at least a year, and cannot buy or sell funds during heightened financial market stress, a news release announcing the moves said.

The rules come on the heels of disclosures that multiple Fed officials had been buying and selling stocks at a time when the central banks policies were designed to improve market functioning, particularly during the Covid crisis.

Regional presidents Robert Kaplan of Dallas and Eric Rosengren of Boston both resigned shortly after disclosures that they had engaged in trading of individual securities last year. In Kaplans case, the moves occurred in large-dollar allotments.

Vice Chairman Richard Clarida also had been featured in the reports. Powell also sold securities last year, though they were exchange-traded funds that tracked market indexes.

The announcement stated that reserve bank presidents will have to disclose transactions within 30 days, a requirement already in place for FOMC members and senior staff. The new rules will be incorporated formally over the coming months, the release said.
Northampton, MA --News Direct-- FedEx Corporation

The coronavirus pandemic has worsened the already dire problem of hunger in America. Prior to 2020, approximately 35 million Americans experienced food insecurity each year, but new research from the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University found that one in four individuals across America now face hunger.

In response to this crisis, FedEx quickly ramped up its longtime support of local food banks across the country last spring, creating a lifeline for hungry people in key cities of operation. Through its FedEx Cares 50 by 50 campaign, FedEx has organized food drives and provided charitable grants and in-kind shipments to ensure shelves stay stocked month over month. As a result, the company has helped meet the needs of more than 2.9 million individuals across the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, while taking worry off the plates of 4.6 million people total since the campaign launched in 2019.

Fighting food insecurity in a state with one of the highest rates of hunger

For its eleventh consecutive year, Feeding Americas Map the Meal Gap 2019 study found California has one of the highest rates of food insecurity across the country, second only to Texas. In Alameda County, that number made up as much as 20% of the population, with the expectation that number will grow an additional 3% because of the pandemic.

Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB) has served residents of the San Francisco Bay area since 1985, distributing approximately 34 million pounds of food in the year prior to the pandemic. Due to the expanding needs of the county, however, ACCFB provided 6 million pounds of food in March 2020 alone and expects to distribute 53 million pounds between June 2020 and June 2021.

We went from serving about one in five county residents to one in four during the pandemic, said Suzan Bateson, executive director of ACCFB. When the community need exploded, our need for support exploded, and FedEx came along with us.

Story continues

FedEx has worked with ACCFB for nearly 20 years, helping supply the food bank  which sits just three miles north of the FedEx Express Oakland Hub  with resources to alleviate hunger in the area. The company even played a pivotal role in establishing ACCFBs childrens food program in 2005. This year, at the outset of the pandemic, FedEx donated $75,000 to the food bank to support local families in the difficult months ahead. And while this grant is part of the more than $500,000 in consistent funding FedEx has provided ACCFB over the last two decades, Bateson acknowledges that the personal investment FedEx has made supporting the local food bank carries just as much value.

FedEx team members have a long history of volunteering with usthey're part of our family, our personal connection is deep and strong, and I think that speaks to the character of the people that FedEx has working for them, Bateson said. I remember there used to be a driver who would pick up and deliver food FedEx funded to a school in Oaklandhe was so happy to load up his FedEx truck and take it there because he had gone to that school and had a personal connection to the work.

For areas with rising rural hunger, couriers can play a first line of defense

Halfway across the country in Tulsa County, Okla., the food insecurity rate similarly grew nearly 3% between 2019 and 2020a phenomenon plain as day to FedEx driver Steve Warner. As a courier in more rural parts of Tulsa, Warner repeatedly encountered hungry neighbors on his delivery route, inspiring him to act.

In 2020, Warner championed a food drive at his local FedEx warehouse, replicating a team initiative typically reserved for the holiday season to meet an immediate need. I knew we had done food drives in the past, so I went to the managers to see if there was anything we could do, and before I knew it, they had it going on, Warner said. We set a box out and it was full within daysit didnt take long at all.

Warner and his colleagues supplied a pallet of dry goods to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, supporting members of the community where schools and businesses had closed.

Hunger is a solvable problem when we all pitch in

While it appears food insecurity levels peaked nationally in December, according to U.S. Census Bureau, experts like Bateson believe many communities will be navigating the long-term effects for years to come.

The pandemic has changed us foreverwe are seeing a decrease in numbers, but we're still distributing enough food to help 75,000 people daily, so the need is still quite profound, Bateson said. There's never been an equitable recovery from a crisis like this, and if the last recession is any indication, were likely going to be serving COVID-related need for the next decade.

Pandemic-safe, in-person volunteering has returned at many food banks across the country, including ACCFB, but Bateson explained that there are many other ways to individuals can personally get involved to combat hunger. In addition to monetary donations, she recommends engaging with food banks advocacy work with local legislators because she believes more voices will help move toward permanent changes.

Its really important for us all to think about how we can help and solve this problem of hunger, because it is a solvable problem.

All photos with the exception of the FedEx courier are from

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from FedEx Corporation on 3blmedia.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/fedex-works-alongside-local-food-banks-to-help-fight-hunger-520484810
Former President Bill Clinton is on the mend.

Clinton posted a video message on Twitter Wednesday after he was released from a California hospital where he was admitted after being diagnosed with a urological infection that had spread to his bloodstream.

I was so touched by the outpouring of support I received during my stay in the hospital. Thanks so much, he said.

Clinton, 75, thanked the doctors and nurses at UC Irvine Medical Center for the absolutely wonderful care he received, singling out Dr. Alpesh N. Amin, the chair of the medicine department and executive director of hospital medicine at UC Irvine Health, who oversaw his treatment. He also said he is thrilled to have been released from the hospital.

Im really glad to be back home. Im doing great, enjoying this beautiful fall weather, he said.

Clinton also hopes his experience will serve as an example to others to make sure they are healthy.

Im on the road to recovery, but I want to remind everyone out there: Take the time to listen to your bodies and care for yourselves, he said. We all have work to do, and each of us has an important role to play in life and in the immediate future. I, for one, am going to do my best to be around, to keep doing the most good I can for a lot longer.

Clinton was released last weekend after remaining in the hospital because he needed to receive medication intravenously, according to his spokesperson.

His fever and white blood cell count are normalized and he will return home to New York to finish his course of antibiotics. On behalf of everyone at UC Irvine Medical Center, we were honored to have treated him and will continue to monitor his progress, Amin said in a statement after Clinton was discharged.

Clinton has had medical issues before. In 2004, he underwent a quadruple bypass operation, and he had a pair of stents placed into a coronary artery in 2010.
Forty-three countries have called on China to "ensure full respect for the rule of law" for the Muslim Uyghur community in Xinjiang, in a statement read at the United Nations on Thursday that sparked outrage from Beijing.

The declaration, signed by the United States as well as several European and Asian member states and others, accused China of a litany of human rights violations against the Uyghurs, including torture, forced sterilization and forced disappearances.

"We call on China to allow immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent observers, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and her office," the countries said in a joint statement, read at the United Nations by France.

"We are particularly concerned about the situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region," the statement continued, citing "credible" reports that "indicate the existence of a large network of 'political reeducation' camps where over a million people have been arbitrarily detained."

Beijing has long denied accusations of ethnic cleansing against Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic people in Xinjiang, where experts have estimated that more than one million people are incarcerated in camps.

Its ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun furiously denounced Thursday what he termed the "lies" and "a plot to hurt China".

"Xinjiang enjoys development and the people are emancipating themselves every day and are proud of the progress made," he said.

And while Zhang told media that China was willing to host a "friendly" visit to the region, he did not agree to an inquiry by the UN human rights commissioner.

He accused Washington, Paris and London of having a "terrible human rights record."

In a statement to media, Beijing accused the US for "inhumane ethnic cleansing" against Native Americans and accused France of committing "crimes against humanity" in its former colonies.

Story continues

Similar declarations in 2019 and 2020 condemned China for its policies in Xinjiang, where United States has accused Beijing of carrying out genocide.

China has in response upped pressure on UN member states not to support the declarations, according to diplomats.

prh/dax/jh/mdl/dva/oho
By Gavin Jones and Stephen Jewkes

ROME (Reuters) -The Group of 20 rich countries are divided over phasing out coal and committing to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as they prepare for a crucial summit in Rome next week, sources familiar with the negotiations said.

The need to curb greenhouse gases will be high on the agenda of the Rome G20 gathering on Oct. 30-31, seen as a key stepping stone immediately ahead of broader United Nations climate talks, called COP26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.

COP26 president, Britain's Alok Sharma, said in a speech this month the G20, which accounts for 80% of global emissions, would be "make or break" for achieving success in Glasgow.

Big polluters such as China and India have so far dug in their heels, however, and little progress has been made since G20 energy and environment ministers met in Naples in July, said three sources, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the talks.

"Countries are not moving, at the moment they are still just making sure their positions are heard loud and clear," said one of the sources.

But he added that such intransigence was normal at this stage and that any concessions were unlikely to come before G20 climate sherpas meet face-to-face next Thursday and Friday, immediately before their leaders' weekend meeting.

"Where I see the problem is in the commitment to 1.5 degrees and in the phase out of coal and fossil fuels by China, India and Russia," said another source, a G20 minister.

In a letter to G20 president, Italy's Mario Draghi, nine countries including Grenada and the Marshall Islands, both vulnerable to storms and rising seas, urged G20 nations to hike their climate pledges to "set the tone" for COP26.

Climate scientists say capping global warming at 1.5 degrees compared with pre-industrial levels is vital to limit environmental disasters, but a broad and clear commitment to achieve the goal is proving elusive.

Story continues

The landmark UN Paris Agreement signed in 2015 aimed to limit global warming to "well below 2 degrees" and "preferably" to 1.5 degrees, and since then international gatherings have tried with difficulty to toughen up the language.

In Naples, energy and environment ministers recognised that environmental risks were lower at 1.5 degrees than at 2, but again fell short of clearly stating 1.5 must not be breached.

They also failed to reach unanimous agreement on fixing dates to end fossil fuel subsidies, halt international financing of coal projects and phase out coal power altogether, asking leaders to bridge the gaps at the upcoming Rome summit.

Coal still powers more than half the electricity generated by China, the world's largest energy producer and also the largest greenhouse gas emitter.

The country has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060 but has not committed to a date for halting domestic coal production.

BIG-HITTERS STAY HOME

At least four G20 leaders are not expected to come to Rome, including China's Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin of Russia, another major oil and gas producer.

One source said while such absences were "not a great political signal," they would not necessarily prevent progress.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be coming to Rome, officials said, and New Delhi confirmed on Thursday that he will also be at the COP26 in Glasgow.

Neither Russia, China nor India have committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.

So far China is proving most reluctant to commit to the 1.5 degree ceiling, while India is most intransigent in not pledging net zero emissions by 2050, one of the sources said.

China and India are also among a group of countries that have not yet presented new national plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP26, on how they will help curb climate change.

A number of countries including the two Asian giants this week criticised rich nations that have broken their own promises to cut CO2 and deliver financial help to weaker countries to battle climate change. In this situation it is unfair to expect poorer peers to commit to tougher emissions targets, they said.

One of the sources said breakthroughs were more likely in Glasgow than in Rome.

Big emitters like China, India and Russia tend to feel pressured and hectored by the Western countries at the G20, he said, making them defensive and reluctant to concede ground.

The much larger UN forum was more "neutral" and conducive to compromise, he said.

The Rome G20 will also focus on the coronavirus pandemic and how to foster global economic recovery, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who will chair the meeting, said on Wednesday.

(Writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by David Evans and Catherine Evans)
(Claire Reid / Los Angeles Times; Valerie Macon / Getty Images)

The board of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., the organization behind the Golden Globes, expelled one of its longtime members for alleged misconduct on Tuesday.

In an email sent to the membership, HFPA President Helen Hoehne said the board unanimously voted to expel Magnus Sundholm from the membership of the HFPA. The decision, Hoehne said, was based on Sundholm's submission to the United States Internal Revenue Service ('IRS') of a tax form in which he made the materially false representation that he and his personal attorney are authorized to represent the HFPA in matters before the IRS.

Sundholm, a journalist for the Swedish daily Aftonbladet, joined the organization in 2008 and was part of a reform-minded faction within the HFPA. He said in a statement to The Times that the move was retaliation against me for being critical of the leadership.

The submission in question, he noted, was part of a whistleblower complaint that he brought against the HFPA last year and was simply filled out incorrectly.

For years, theyve been looking for ways to silence the whistleblowers," he said. "They finally found a way to get to me through a silly technicality."

Sundholms ouster comes just as the HFPA has put forward a series of reforms, elected a new board and admitted 21 new members as it attempts to reengage with Hollywood.

Last week the HFPA announced its plans to reveal a slate of award winners on Jan. 9, even though NBC has said it won't televise the 2022 Golden Globes and a contingent of powerful publicists continue to boycott the group. A slate of studios, networks and streamers cut ties with the HFPA following a Times investigation in February that brought to light allegations of financial and ethical lapses and pointed out that none of the associations then 87 members was Black.

James Lee, the HFPA's crisis PR consultant, said the organization had no comment. "That is a personnel issue, those are confidential," he said.

Story continues

Sundholm contends that his relationship with Kjersti Flaa, a Norwegian journalist who sued the HFPA, has engendered antipathy among members.

Flaa filed an antitrust suit against the HFPA last year, accusing the group of institutionalizing a culture of corruption and barring qualified applicants from joining the organization. The case was dismissed in November, and Flaa has filed an appeal.

Last year, Sundholm sought legal advice from David Quinto, the attorney representing Flaa in her action against the HFPA, fearing that he would be subjected to retribution and punishment.

Sundholm said that before the suit was filed, he was told by several members that he'd Better get ready. Theyre coming for you, according to a statement he made to the board this week.

Quinto said that last summer, when he asked the HFPA board and its lawyers to extend protection to Sundholm against retaliation in the course of his discussions with them over Flaas claims, they declined.

Thats when Sundholm filed a whistleblower complaint with the IRS, saying that the association was not in compliance with its tax-exempt status, according to Quinto.

In February, the IRS sent a letter to Sundholm saying it wanted permission to communicate with his lawyer. Quinto said he instructed Sundholm to fill out a power of attorney form 2848 in order to do so.

However, Quinto says he gave Sundholm incorrect instructions that caused him to list the HFPA as the taxpayer on the form, instead of himself.

In September, the IRS alerted the HFPA to Sundholms filing by sending both the 2848 form and a letter to the HFPA, requesting additional information.

On Oct. 1, HFPA President Hoehne wrote to Sundholm on behalf of the board saying that the filing was fraudulent, illegal, and contrary to the interests of the HFPA." The board, she wrote, was considering disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion.

The same day Quinto received a cease-and-desist letter from attorneys at Latham & Watkins, representing the HFPA, to stop any further unauthorized, unlawful, and/or fraudulent representations to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service ('IRS')," according to the letter reviewed by The Times.

Quinto responded that he filed the whistleblower complaint on Sundholms behalf. He explained the error in a letter to Latham & Watkins, adding, If anyone within the IRS continues to believe that Mr. Sundholm is both the whistleblower and an authorized representative of the target of his whistleblower complaint, I will be happy to provide further clarification.

However, the explanation did not mollify the HFPA, which conducted a disciplinary hearing with Sundholm over Zoom on Monday.

At the meeting, Sundholm said that he filed the complaint as a way to protect himself and that his attorney had already explained what happened to the HFPAs lawyers. It was a simple mistake made on a government form, he said.

According to Sundholm and Quinto, the IRS has decided not to pursue any action against the HFPA.

Nothing of this ever became public and Mr. Quintos mistake never hurt the HFPA in any way, Sundholm told the HFPA board.

Sundholm said the meeting ended without him being asked a single question.

The next day he was notified he was being expelled from the organization.

In her email to members, Hoehne wrote, As we enter a new chapter in our history, it is imperative that our members live up to their obligations to maintain and promote professional ethical conduct. We will hold accountable those who do not.

While the association has implemented reforms including new bylaws, a code of conduct and a hotline where members and others could submit complaints for independent investigation by an outside law firm, some continue to question the group's commitment to "transformational change."

In June two members resigned in protest, calling the HFPA toxic and its reform efforts window dressing. They described the organization's culture as one of insulation, silence, fear of retribution, self-dealing, corruption and verbal abuse." After their departure, HFPA members called the pair rats and a cancer, according to an email chain viewed by The Times.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) announced plans Wednesday to soon welcome back nonresidents to the island state who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for nonessential travel.

Why it matters: Hawaii's tourist-dependent labor market suffered one of the worst blows in the U.S. last year and the state's climb out of its pandemic-sized hole is moving slowly, Axios' Courtenay Brown notes.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

The big picture: Ige urged tourists last August not to visit as the Delta variant left Hawaii's hospitals inundated, per the Washington Post.

The governor said during a Wednesday briefing that there were now fewer coronavirus hospitalizations so it's again safe to travel in and out of the state.

"Beginning November 1st, we want to invite and encourage fully vaccinated visitors and residents to travel for business or leisure, trans-Pacific and inter-island."

Ige

What they're saying: Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association president and CEO Mufi Hannemann noted to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that there were "still details that need to be sorted out" before the Nov. 1 timeline he and others in the state's business sector had pushed for.

But Hannemann added, "this announcement is an important first step toward getting our economy moving again safely and judiciously."

Of note: "The state's travel requirements  which allow visitors from the United States and U.S. territories to bypass a 10-day quarantine with proof of vaccination or a test  remain in place," WashPost reports.

By the numbers: The state's new COVID-19 cases rate has fallen by nearly 50% in the past two weeks, according to the Hawaii State Department of Health.

About 70% of Hawaii's population is fully vaccinated against the virus.

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
Oct. 21BLAND, Va.  A company that builds dry-type transformers celebrated a $6.2 million expansion Wednesday that will bring 40 new jobs to the Bland County area.

Joey Chandler, regional factory manager for Hitachi Energy, formerly Hitachi ABB Power Grids, welcomed Gov. Ralph Northam and other guests to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the company's expansion.

Conducted in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the expansion provides additional production capacity, including the installation of state-of-the-art technology to support new manufacturing capabilities and created 40 new jobs, company officials said.

"Transformers manufactured here supporting our nation's power grid, including renewable energy markets, data centers, cities, hospitals and some of our country's top military technology are all manufactured here at this site," Chandler said. "Construction of this factory began back in 1971, and by 1973, full-blown production started here. Since that time, this site has grown more than 10 times the size of its original footprint, which is very impressive. and although the name has changed over the years, it's really been the amazing people in this community that's made this factory what it is today."

One employee, Facility Manager Charlie Sarver, will celebrate his 50th anniversary with the company in December, Chandler stated.

"Charlie was employee number one. He was hired when this facility was started," Chandler added. "He was actually hired while they were digging the footers here."

Assistant Secretary of Commerce John Begala told the audience that the state's economy is doing well despite the pandemic.

"It's certainly no secret that this past year and a half has been tough," Begala said. "It's been tough on our communities. It's been tough on the economy, so it's encouraging to see companies like Hitachi taking the steps to make these investments and build and further grow our communities."

Story continues

Northam said that his administration has focused on Virginia's economy and the creation of jobs.

"Hitachi Energy's expansion of operations in Bland is great for the company and South-west Virginia," said Governor Ralph Northam. "After nearly 50 years in Virginia, Hitachi Energy has proven its commitment to the Commonwealth and our values, including our clean energy goals. The company's focus on sustainable energy will benefit Virginians now and in the future."

"As John said, this has been a difficult 18 to 19 months, but we're all working together and we're going to get through this together," Northam said. "What a wonderful story it was about Charlie. Here for 50 years, and this company would not be what it is without the wonderful employees and I know I speak on behalf of Hitachi that they couldn't do this without all the great workers, so for all of the employees and all they contribute to Bland County, on behalf of a grateful Virginia, I say thank you very much."

"We have really focused our administration on our economy," Northam said. "When we talk to folks out in the street, I think most people when you ask them what's the most important thing to you, I think it would be to have a job that they could support themselves and their families with and enjoy the great quality of life here; so we have focused on jobs and on our economy."

Despite COVID-19, Virginia is doing well, Northam stated. Virginia was twice named the best state in the country for doing business, and the state's surplus revenue was $2.6 billion.

"Virginia is in a good position economically, but we need to continue to grow and continue to add jobs. A couple of things that we have been focused on; one is to diversify our economy and it's great to have Hitachi here in the Southwest. We've always been very dependent on the military and government contracting, but we really work hard to diversify and bring in other companies and to make sure we take care of our veterans, our small women and minority-owned businesses. They're really the backbone of our economy."

Northam presented a Virginia state flag that had flown over Richmond, Va. and a bottle of Virginia wine to Anthony Allard, executive vice president and managing director, United States Director of North America Hitachi Energy. Allard presented the wine to Charlie Sarver.

"We are a company of about 38,000 people globally," Allard said. "In North America, we have about 4,600 people."

County Administrator Eric Workman said that "Hitachi Energy is part of the fabric of what we do here. It employs over 10 percent of the population, truly just a foundation of what we've got going on, so this is a great day for us. We love to see expansions in existing businesses."

 Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
A state regulatory panel has barred a Kentucky doctor from practicing after a federal grand jury accused him of writing improper prescriptions for pain drugs,

The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) released the emergency suspension of Dr. David Suetholzs license Wednesday.

Suetholz, 73, was charged Oct. 14 with 10 counts of of distributing controlled substances pursuant to prescriptions that were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose.

Suetholz is a family medicine doctor who also served as the elected coroner of Kenton County from June 1991 to June 2021, according to a court record.

The indictment listed 10 occasions between September 2018 and February 2020 when Suetholz allegedly wrote improper prescriptions for the opioids OxyContin, oxycodone or fentanyl.

The charges have a top sentence of 20 years each.

The licensure board said it considered the indictment and past board actions against Suetholz in suspending his license.

The board restricted Suetholzs prescribing authority between 2003 and 2005 and again between 2012 to 2014.

In the first case, the board received a complaint that Suetholz continued prescribing methadone to a woman even after he was informed she was selling it, according to a record from the board.

He disputed that, but a consultant who looked into Suetholzs prescribing concluded he had improperly prescribed methadone to more than one patient and kept at it for some period even after he became aware that what he was doing wasnt legal.

The consultant said Suetholz had an altruistic reason for prescribing the methadone  used to treat opioid use disorder  in order to help people who could not get into an authorized methadone program because of cost or unavailability.

Nonetheless, the conduct departed form the accepted standard of care, the consultant said.

In the other case, the board looked into a concern that Suetholz was inappropriately prescribing drugs such as oxycodone, Valium and Xanax, according to its records.

Story continues

A consultant said Suetholz wasnt doing enough to monitor whether patients were misusing drugs, didnt address incidents of patients possibly selling pills and increased dosage for patients without adequately documenting the need, according to a board report.

After the investigation started, Suetholz began monitoring his patients, which resulted in him changing prescriptions for some and dismissing or reporting patients to authorities.

The board required him to take training on prescribing and pay $3,150 to cover the cost, and levied a $2,500 fine, according to its records.

Suetholzs attorneys, Kent Wicker and Bill Brammell, said in a statement that during earlier restrictions by the licensure board, Suetholz did what he was required to do in order to continue serving patients and was cleared to continue his practice.

Now, without inquiry or investigation, the KBML has chosen to suspend his medical license in light of the federal governments irresponsible decision to charge him, second-guessing the decision making of a man who has dedicated his life to treating those suffering with addiction, the attorneys said.

Suetholz, a physician for 45 years, is worried about his patients but is confident he will be vindicated, the statement said.
A Stop Asian Hate rally in Koreatown last March attracted hundreds of participants. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 76% in Los Angeles County last year, mirroring a disturbing trend in many other jurisdictions as physical and verbal attacks on Asian Americans rose during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the 44 anti-Asian hate crimes reported in L.A. County in 2020, more than three-quarters involved physical violence  a marked increase from 58% in 2018, the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations said in a report released Wednesday.

In 2019, 25 anti-Asian hate crimes were reported.

The data in the report were compiled from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department and more than 40 city police departments, including Los Angeles', as well as several school police agencies and community organizations.

The number of reported hate crimes is generally seen as unreliable because victims can be reluctant to report them.

However, sudden upticks are significant, and officials should work to understand the root causes, experts say.

Many point to then-President Trump's racially charged rhetoric, highlighting the coronavirus' Chinese origins, as a trigger for some anti-Asian attacks.

It did not help that the former president repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as chinavirus and kung-flu,'" Human Relations Commission President Guadalupe Montano said in a statement.

In 10 of the 44 L.A. County anti-Asian crimes, the suspect explicitly blamed the victims for COVID-19, the report said.

In one hate crime cited in the report, a Chinese man was waiting at a bus stop when a white woman started yelling, "Go back where you came from, you fing Chinese!" before crossing the street and punching the man three times in the face.

In another instance, a Japanese man was talking on his cellphone in a drugstore parking lot when a Latino man holding a large knife asked whether he was Asian. The suspect ordered the man to remove his sunglasses to reveal his eyes before trying to stab him, according to the report. The suspect was arrested.

Story continues

The state attorney general found that anti-Asian hate crimes more than doubled in California last year, with assault and intimidation the most common offenses.

After a series of violent attacks against Asian American senior citizens across the country, volunteers formed foot patrols in Oakland Chinatown and other Asian neighborhoods.

A study of 16 jurisdictions across the country found a 164% increase in reports of anti-Asian hate crimes in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the same period last year.

New York saw the greatest increase, at 223%, followed by 140% in San Francisco, 80% in Los Angeles and 60% in Boston, according to the study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.

Reports by Stop AAPI Hate, a group that tracks anti-Asian attacks, have shown the breadth of anti-Asian racism nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some victims were elderly, others children. Some were coughed on or spat on, some were slapped or hit, some were refused service at businesses, still others were stung by racist words or by people declining to interact with them.

Stop AAPI Hate tracks not only hate crimes but also hate incidents, which do not rise to the level of a crime and typically involve name-calling or insults.

In L.A. County, the number of Asian American female hate crime victims tripled from five the previous year to 15, Wednesday's report said.

In 2019, no victims of Asian hate crimes were older than 40. In 2020, half were older than 40, including two senior citizens.

In cases in which a perpetrator was identified, 42% were white, 36% Latino and 19% Black.

Forty-five percent of the anti-Asian hate crimes took place in the city of Los Angeles, with a significant cluster in the South Bay.

The county Human Relations Commission collects reports of possible hate incidents through the 211 telephone number and its website. It has received about 1,400 reports since launching in June 2020.

Phyllis Gerstenfeld, who chairs the criminal justice department at Cal State Stanislaus, said there are no proven strategies for combating hate crimes.

Strengthening ties between law enforcement and communities does increase the likelihood that victims will report hate crimes, she said.

We should be constantly evaluating what were doing and not feeling as if passing a particular ordinance or throwing up a few signs is going to fix the problem," Gerstenfeld said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Oxygen

A Virginia contractor has been convicted of raping and murdering a college administrator, leaving her dead in her bathtub, after she complained about the companys work on her deck. A jury found Thomas Clark guilty of first-degree murder, rape and abduction of 53-year-old Suzanne Fairman after deliberating Wednesday for an hour and 20 minutes, according to local station WTVR. There is a huge amount of relief, Fairmans son, Scott, said after the verdict. I know these last two-and-a-half years
By Jan Strupczewski, Sabine Siebold and Marine Strauss

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European leaders lined up to chastise Warsaw on Thursday for challenging the EU's legal foundations, but Poland's premier said he would not bow to "blackmail" as he joined a summit of the bloc's 27 nations.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he was ready to resolve disputes with Brussels, though many are worried that a stubborn ideological rift between eastern and western Europe poses an existential threat to the EU itself.

"A few days ago, the legal bedrock of our Union was challenged," European Parliament President David Sassoli said in a letter as the leaders gathered in Brussels for their summit.

"This was not for the first time, of course, nor will it be the last. But never before has the Union been called into question so radically," the leader of the EU assembly said.

Long-running tensions between Poland's ruling nationalists and the bloc's liberal majority have spiked since Poland's Constitutional Tribunal ruled this month that elements of EU law were incompatible with the country's charter, challenging a central tenet of EU integration.

The dispute not only risks precipitating a new fundamental crisis for the bloc, which is still grappling with the aftermath of Brexit. It could deprive Poland of generous EU handouts.

'CLUBS HAVE RULES'

"Some European institutions assume the right to decide on matters that have not been assigned to them," Morawiecki said as he went into the talks, which come two days after the executive European Commission threatened to take action against Warsaw.

"We will not act under the pressure of blackmail ... but we will of course talk about how to resolve the current disputes in dialogue."

His wealthier Western counterparts are particularly keen to prevent their governments' cash contributions to the EU benefiting socially conservative politicians who they see as undercutting human rights fixed in European laws.

Story continues

"If you want to have the advantages of being in a club ... then you need to respect the rules," Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said. "You can't be a member of a club and say 'The rules don't apply to me'."

Leaders of countries from Ireland to France urged Warsaw to come back in line. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, referring to Poland's judicial overhaul that puts its courts under more government control, said it was difficult to see how new EU funding could be channelled to the eastern European country, adding: "We have to be tough".

An EU official said Rutte stood firm when the matter was discussed at the summit, but most leaders said decisions on how to deal with Poland should be left to the European Commission.

Morawiecki's Law and Justice (PiS) party has raised the stakes in years of increasingly bitter feuds with the EU over a range of democratic principles, from the freedom of courts and media to the rights of women, migrants and LGBT people.

The Commission has for now barred Warsaw from tapping into the 36 billion euros of grants and loans it requested from EU funds to help its economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The top EU court may also slap more fines on Poland, the largest ex-communist EU country of 38 million people.

For the bloc, the latest twist in feuds with the eurosceptic PiS also comes at a sensitive time. The EU last year made a leap towards closer integration by agreeing on joint borrowing to raise 750 billion euros for post-pandemic economic recovery, overcoming stiff resistance from wealthy northern states.

NO 'POLEXIT'

Morawiecki has dismissed the idea of "Polexit" - leaving the bloc - and popular support for membership remains at 88% in Poland, which has benefited enormously from EU funding since it joined in 2004.

But Warsaw, backed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, wants to return powers to national capitals and has lashed out at what it says are excessive powers of the European Commission.

"Poland is one of the best European countries. There is no need for any sanctions, it's ridiculous," Orban said.

While many have grown increasingly frustrated at failed attempts to convince Warsaw to change tack, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned against isolating Poland.

"We have to find ways of coming back together," she said, adding that bringing multiple cases against Poland to the Court of Justice of the European Union was no solution.

Her sway, however, is weakened as the veteran of more than 100 summits during her 16 years in power visits Brussels for what may be her last gathering of EU leaders before she hands over to a new German chancellor.

($1 = 0.8584 euros)

(Reporting by Marine Strauss, Bart H. Meijer, John Chalmers, Gabriela Baczynska, Philip Blenkinsop, Jan Strupczewski, Michel Rose, Andreas Rinke, Sabine Siebold, Johnny CottonWriting by John Chalmers; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Grant McCool)
By Maha El Dahan and Laila Bassam

BEIRUT (Reuters) -The leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces party denied on Thursday his group has fighters, dismissing accusations by Hezbollah that it has a militia and seeks civil war as the fallout of deadly violence in Beirut continues to roil Lebanon.

Already suffering a devastating economic meltdown, Lebanon has been overshadowed by renewed tensions since seven Shi'ite Muslims were shot dead in Beirut last week during the worst street violence in the capital in more than a decade.

The heavily armed, Iran-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah has accused the Lebanese Forces party of perpetrating the killing.

The Lebanese Forces https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-lebanese-forces-party-2021-10-21, a group with close Saudi ties which had a powerful militia in the 1975-90 civil war, has denied any involvement.

In an interview with Lebanese broadcaster MTV on Thursday, LF leader Samir Geagea said the confrontation with Hezbollah was purely political and must remain so.

"We do not have fighters," Geagea said.

Nobody should think about confronting Hezbollah militarily, Geagea said, saying this would be a big mistake.

Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters a military court would ask Geagea to give a statement about the Oct. 14 violence. The sources did not say when.

Asked about the report, Geagea said he had not been informed of any request for a statement, but if the court wants to take one from him it should first listen to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Thursday's shooting started as supporters of Hezbollah and its Shi'ite ally Amal were gathering for a demonstration against the lead investigator in the Beirut port blast probe.

HOLDING GOVERNMENT "HOSTAGE"

The army is still investigating the violence. Hezbollah has accused the LF of an ambush. There was no immediate response from Hezbollah to Geagea's comments.

Geagea has said the trouble began when supporters of the Shi'ite parties entered the Christian neighbourhood of Ain al-Remmaneh where they vandalised cars and four residents were wounded before a shot was fired. On Thursday, Geagea said Ain al-Remmaneh had been subjected to "an invasion".

Story continues

He has said he did not know who had opened fire.

The army said on Saturday a soldier suspected of opening fire towards the protesters was under investigation.

The day of the incident, the army initially said gunfire had targeted protesters as they passed through the Teyouneh traffic circle dividing Christian and Shi'ite Muslim neighbourhoods. It later said there had been an "altercation and exchange of fire" as protesters were on their way to the demonstration.

The violence including the use of rocket-propelled grenades lasted several hours.

Geagea said Nasrallah aimed to halt the probe into the port blast.

Geagea said that while he initially thought Hezbollah had nothing to do with the explosion, "with its recent actions it is telling us that perhaps it might be concerned with the port explosion".

Hezbollah has been leading demands for the lead investigator in the probe, Judge Tarek Bitar, to be removed, accusing him of bias. Bitar has not sought to question any Hezbollah members over the blast.

Bitar has sought to question several Hezbollah allies on suspicion of negligence that led to the blast, which killed more than 200 people and devastated swathes of Beirut.

In its efforts to stop the probe, Hezbollah has taken the current government "hostage", Geagea said, referring to how standoff over Bitar has paralysed the cabinet.

(Reporting By Laila Bassam, writing by Maha El Dahan, Writing by Maha El Dahan and Tom Perry; editing by Mark Heinrich and Alistair Bell)
A Malaysian transgender woman facing a blasphemy charge for "cross-dressing" during a religious event has been granted asylum.



Finding haven: Nur Sajat Kamaruzzaman, 36, has found refuge in Australia after fleeing persecution from a local sharia court in Malaysia, the South China Morning Post reported.



Human Rights Watch confirmed that Nur Sajats asylum application with the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR) had been granted, leaving it to the entrepreneur to reveal which country.

Nur Sajat later revealed in an online live chat with her followers that she had been under COVID-19 quarantine in Sydney.









When asked by a commenter why she chose Australia, she replied: Because they respect human rights.







As a @UNHCRAsia recognized refugee, under no circumstances should Nur Sajat be sent back to #Malaysia. She needs to be sent to a country that will offer rights protections, not persecuted for being #LGBT which is what will happen if she is sent to Malaysia https://t.co/4tNkRvKbrt

 Phil Robertson (@Reaproy) September 20, 2021







It started with an outfit: Nur Sajat is accused of insulting Islam after wearing a baju kurung, a national dress of Malaysia traditionally worn by women, while attending a religious event at her beauty center in 2018, NextShark previously reported.



Under Section 10(a) of the Shariah Crimes (State of Selangor) Enactment 1995, insulting Islam and related practices either by mocking or blaspheming through writing, drawings or photos are subject to punishment.

If convicted, she could serve up to three years in prison, pay 5,000 Malaysian Ringgit (about $1,200) in fines, or be sentenced with both.

Ordered to appear at a sharia court, Nur Sajat fled the country and has successfully evaded Malaysian authorities since.

She resurfaced in Thailand last month, where she was arrested but subsequently released after being charged and fined over an immigration offense. Malaysian police threatened to put her through "conversion therapy," which essentially tortured those in the LGBTQ community into rejecting their sexual orientations and identities, according to the Washington Post.



When news of Nur Sajats asylum application emerged, Malaysian police reportedly lodged extradition requests with both Thailand and Australia.





Story continues





























View this post on Instagram















































A post shared by Nursajat (@nursajatkamaruzzaman)











Never going back: Nur Sajat has vowed never to return to Malaysia as she has embraced her new life in Australia as shown in her new Instagram posts, in which she proclaims she just wants to be free, to be myself...to have human rights.



In since-deleted captions on her recent Instagram posts, she reportedly wrote, It is very important that the freedoms and human rights of every human being are respected, not just for myself, but for those around the world.

The entrepreneur revealed that she sold all her businesses in Malaysia and could not wait to begin a new chapter of her life after completing her quarantine period.

We have been quiet all this while because we plan to open a new shop in a new location and Alhamdulillah [thank God], weve got a lot of support. I am very excited and happy, she said.

According to human rights groups, it is not ideal for Nur Sajat to return to Malaysia, where she allegedly faced discrimination, persecution, death threats and other forms of harassment for years.

"If I'm still Muslim, just let me be with my own ways, and you follow your own ways, Nur Sajat said, according to Sputnik News. "Don't judge me. We respect each other. Stop calling me a sinner as well... Thank you, I appreciate all of your advice."



Observers point out that Nur Sajats successful asylum bid should be a reality check for Malaysia, which was recently elected to chair one of the 18 seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council the 2022-2024 period.



Featured Image via nursajatkamaruzzaman

Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!

Filipino professor fatally stabbed by 16-year-old boy inside his home after dropping off his child at school

US Plans to Deport International Students Who Only Have Online Classes

'Influencers' to Get COVID-19 Vaccine FIRST in Indonesia

Chinese government drafts law that punishes parents for their childrens bad behavior
After almost nine years of brutal conflict, Mali's rulers are set to pursue talks with jihadists, ignoring fierce opposition from former colonial power France.

Since first emerging in the north in 2012, the Islamist insurgency has swept into central Mali and spilled over into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Insecurity remains rampant and violence appears to be spreading, despite the presence of French and UN troops.

Engaging the Islamists in dialogue to try to stop the fighting is an increasingly accepted idea in the nation of 19 million people, experts say.

Paris has long viewed talks with jihadist groups as anathema, however. France has lost 52 soldiers in combat in the Sahel since first intervening in Mali in 2013.

Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, a Sahel researcher at the International Crisis Group (ICG) told AFP that in Mali's capital Bamako "there is hardly a public meeting" during which the dialogue issue doesn't come up.

Last week, Mali's interim government officially charged the religious-affairs ministry with overseeing talks with jihadists.

The move formalised a policy of unofficial sit-downs. However, it is likely to complicate already fraught tensions with France.

Mali's strongman Colonel Assimi Goita overthrew the leaders of an interim government in May and was declared interim president himself, worsening relations with France.

France later announced troop reductions in the Sahel. In response, Mali is now considering hiring mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group -- which has incensed Paris further.

- War weary -

Mali's Interim Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga said France's planned troop reduction was an "abandonment".

He also defended the plan to hold talks with jihadists in an interview with Jeune Afrique magazine this week.

"The Malian people have been calling for discussions with these groups for years. This does not mean that we are going to stop the fight against terrorism," he said.

Story continues

"In Afghanistan, the Americans ended up talking to the Taliban," Maiga added, drawing a comparison that has become commonplace in Mali.

Baba Dakono, a Bamako-based analyst, said war weariness has made Malians more amenable to talks. But the fact that the Islamist fighters are locals is also a factor.

Sitting around a table with jihadists is also an old idea in Mali.

For example, a national dialogue in 2017 ended on recommendations that the government talk to the main leaders of the al-Qaeda-aligned Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) group.

Former Malian president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita also endorsed such talks last year, before he was overthrown in a military coup in August 2020.

Mali's current army-dominated government is now due to host another national dialogue, during which there is a "strong chance" jihadist talks will be discussed, Dakono said.

- Common ground -

Opponents of talks point to Afghanistan, which fell to the Taliban in August despite the US government having opened talks with the hardliners through Qatar.

But supporters argue that the key difference lies in who conducts the negotiations: Mali's national government would lead the dialogue rather than a foreign power.

Talks, if and when they take place, may cover how to apply sharia law, potentially touching on issues such as dress codes and the prohibition of alcohol and tobacco consumption.

GSIM already applies sharia in areas it controls. But ICG researcher Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim cast the group as "pragmatic" compared to the Sahel branch of the Islamic State organisation, for example.

GSIM has refrained from cutting off hands or stoning people in order to avoid tensions, he said.

Militants from the group also rely on local Islamic judges to implement sharia, an area in which Ibrahim suggested the government in Bamako could reach "common ground", since it has also sought to bolster the role of these judges.

Niagale Bagayoko, the African Security Sector Network chair, said local issues are likely to dominate any talks.

But armed groups -- jihadists or self-defence militias -- will be loath to abandon territory captured from the state, she said.

sst/eml/bp
As the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission builds toward unveiling legislative maps, the governor is encouraging public participation.

Gov. Larry Hogan, in a news release, said he is encouraging the public to get involved in order to maintain free and fair elections in the state. The redistricting commission is made up of Republicans, Democrats, and people not affiliated with either party and no members are elected officials nor are candidates for office.

This is what real nonpartisan redistricting looks like: fairness, transparency, and accountability, Hogan said in the release. While the Citizens Commission has already published draft maps and held dozens of public meetings, the legislatures backroom partisan process is run by career politicians, has released no draft maps, and has no map portal for citizen input. I encourage all Marylanders to take part in the process and comment on the independent Commissions maps. We want to make sure that this time the people of Maryland are actually drawing these maps  not the politicians or the party bosses.

The commission recently sent an update to Hogan, according to the release, regarding how it is engaging the public.

As a mix of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, our members have embraced our charge to create new district boundaries that are free from political influence and offer the opportunity for free and fair elections in Maryland, the Commission stated in a recent update to the governor. We are continuing to engage the community and urge their participation in this very open, public, and transparent process. We will finalize our commissions map plans and present them to you for your consideration. You can expect these final map recommendations by early November.

The commissioner had held 32 public meetings and has received more than 80 maps from members of the public.

In an Oct. 15 letter to the governor from commission members Dr. Kathleen Hetherington, Walter Olson, and Judge Alexander Williams Jr., the commission said it was entering the final stages of the project and has worked diligently to meet the goals set forth in Hogans executive order that created the commission.

Story continues

The commission, who has been meeting since May 5, according to the release, is currently finishing up a second round of public meetings where residents were able to submit their maps for both state and federal offices.

Maps, according to the release, will be posted on the commissions website for public review.

We are encouraging the public to again submit their own map recommendations during the third round, the letter reads, and there is time left at the end of this last round to modify the maps as appropriate.

The commission reported in the letter that more than 3,611 residents attended one of the virtual meetings and social media posts have garnered more than 45,138 impressions on Twitter and more than 80,000 views on Facebook.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Maryland, State

Original Author: Brent Addleman | The Center Square

Original Location: Maryland redistricting commission in final phase of legislative maps project
Boris Johnson wears a face mask during the Battle of Britain 81st Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication at Westminster Abbey last month. (Getty)

With COVID cases in the UK on the rise, a government minister has insisted it is still right that people make their own informed, educated judgements about face coverings.

Health secretary Sajid Javid suggested on Wednesday during a press conference at Downing Street that Tory MPs should be wearing masks in the Commons as he warned further coronavirus restrictions are more likely if face coverings are avoided.

Javid said public figures have a role to play to set an example, hours after his colleagues packed into parliament for prime ministers questions, largely without wearing face coverings.

But health minister Edward Argar told BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning that while guidance for masks was still in place, it was up to individuals to decide whether to wear them or not.

Tory MPs largely do not wear masks while sitting in the House of Commons. (Getty)

Speaking about mask use in the House of Commons, Argar said: The chamber is a very big place and I come back to my point which is its about colleagues, everyone in society, considering the guidance and forming an informed view.

I know colleagues will weigh up a number of factors. But thats a judgment, the whole purpose of where we got to in July was that this is about people, individuals, not just colleagues but people to be considering the factors and forming their own judgment, and trusting to their judgment and their common sense.

Watch: Government rejects COVID Plan B but will 'stay vigilant'

Thats why its not mandated because we believe that people are best-placed to make those judgments with the information.

Responding to the health secretary saying MPs have a role to play to set an example, Argar added: I think its for those individual members of parliament to read the guidance, consider it, bear in mind what Sajid has said and reach their own views.

During Wednesdays press conference, the health secretary repeated his warning that COVID cases could reach 100,000 a day as the country enters a challenging winter period.

He said the UK was seeing greater pressure on the NHS but the government will do what it takes to make sure that this pressure doesnt become unsustainable, and that we dont allow the NHS to become overwhelmed.

Story continues

Deaths remain mercifully low at the moment, he said, but added: Weve always known that the winter months would pose the greatest threat to our road to recovery.

Health minister Edward Argar said people should use their own judgment when it comes to face coverings. (Parliament.uk)

Javid urged people to have their vaccines, including COVID boosters and jabs for flu, and said: If we all play our part, then we can give ourselves the best possible chance in this race, get through this winter, and enjoy Christmas with our loved ones.

As of 9am on Wednesday, there had been a further 49,139 lab-confirmed COVID cases in the UK.

Meanwhile a further 179 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID as of Wednesday, according to government figures.

Hospital admissions stand at 868 on average per day over the last seven days, up from 780 a week earlier, a rise of 11%.

Watch: Booster jabs can be booked online, says Javid
NEW YORK (AP)  On a summer day in the Hamptons last year, Katie Couric and her husband, John Molner, went out for a walk and saw a familiar white jeep drive by with Matt Lauer at the wheel.

No waves, no hellos. Couric writes in her new memoir, Going There, that she realized then that the television partners would never speak again.

Once the king and queen of morning television, Matt and Katie were regular guests in the homes of millions of Americans, delivering the news with friendly banter. Yet as the drive-by suggests, much can change in 20 years. Couric today is less visible after a series of jobs that didn't quite work out, while Lauer was fired from the Today show in 2017 after stories about sexual misconduct emerged.

Couric's book, which is out Oct. 26, recounts in raw terms her difficulty processing what she learned about the man she worked beside on most weekday mornings from 1997 to 2006.

I know Matt thinks I betrayed him, and that makes me sad, Couric writes. But he betrayed me, too, by how he behaved behind closed doors at the show we both cared about so much.

Even to Couric, the news came as a shock. They didn't socialize much outside the studio. One exception was a dinner two weeks before he was fired, where they kicked around ideas for a future project. She writes that I felt closer to Matt that night than I had in all my years sitting next to him at the anchor desk.

In the book, Couric prints text messages that chronicle the disintegration of their relationship, from when she reached out following his firing to his unsuccessful effort to connect at 4 a.m. one day that week. A turning point came when she heard about his alleged treatment of a young woman that she had brought to NBC. "It nauseated me, she writes.

So many of us were blindsided, never imagining that a dashing, witty, beloved TV star had such a dark side, she writes. I've come to realize that Matt could be an excellent professional partner, a good friend, and a predator.

Story continues

Lauer has said that he never assaulted anyone or forced anyone to have sex.

As an author, Couric goes there with plenty of sharp stories about those she's encountered along the way. There's the CNN executive who commented on her breasts, awkward encounters as a young reporter with Larry King and Neil Simon and CBS News executives she feels wronged her.

One of her closest professional partners, former Today executive producer and current CNN chief Jeff Zucker, doesn't escape unscathed. They worked together again on Couric's short-lived daytime talk show from 2012 to 2014, where she suspected he was biding his time for something better. She writes that Zucker asked her for a recommendation for the CNN position, saying there would be a job for her there if he got it.

After CNN hired him, I never did hear from him about that job, she says.

Couric's biggest professional move was leaving Today for CBS News in 2006, to take over as anchor of the CBS Evening News and report for 60 Minutes. It proved disastrous.

When someone said the stains on the carpet at NBC were coffee while the stains at CBS were blood, instead of chuckling, maybe I should have listened ... I was so hell-bent on taking a stand for women, I didn't consider the woman who would be at the center of the storm  me, she writes.

While Couric has harsh words for others, she's also unsparing in writing about her own mistakes, from an interview she'd like to have back with Elizabeth Edwards, the late wife of former Sen. John Edwards, to an unnecessary remodel of her CBS News office that earned her enemies. She's received pre-publication publicity for writing about her regrets in withholding a potentially damaging quote given to her by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and her reluctance, in a competitive business, to help other women.

Mentorship sometimes felt like self-sabotage, she writes.

Couric also tells of an embarrassing night downing shots at a disco where she got so sick she ended up in the hospital. She almost kept it a secret, until a contestant on Jeopardy! told Alex Trebek that I once did a flaming Statue of Liberty at a bar with Katie Couric!

The heart of her book, including some of the most painful self-evaluations, comes in detailing the death of her husband, lawyer Jay Monahan, of colon cancer at age 42 in 1998.

She clearly has regrets, and writes frankly about wishing they had gone to couple's therapy for help navigating through changes in their relationship brought on by her sudden fame at Today.

In taking control of his fight against cancer, Couric said she kept from him some of the grimmest news about his prospects.

Why was I so afraid to talk to Jay about the inevitable? she writes. Why weren't we straight with each other and admit that this was not solvable, not fixable, and that our storybook life together would end after just a few chapters? I remember thinking I did not want to destroy the time Jay had left by admitting defeat, leaving him with little choice but to wait for death to take him. I think I was a coward.

His fight led her into cancer activism, including a colon cancer screening she did on Today. She says she hopes the first line of her obituary identifies her as a tireless advocate for cancer awareness and research.

Couric raised their daughters, who watched their mom cycle through a series of ill-fated relationships in the public eye. She recalled being contacted for reaction from the New York Post when one beau moved out of her apartment.

Now 64, she's settled down with Molner, with whom she runs a media company.

It took me 16 long years and so many false starts, she writes, a reference to their 2014 wedding. After all this time and all my searching, it felt like I had made my way home.
Prisoner

A Venezuelan man with an AIDS diagnosis has died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after being held at a prison where activists have raised concerns about the treatment of inmates.

Pablo Sanchez-Gotopo, 40, died October 1 at Merit Health River Oaks in Flowood, Miss., according to an ICE press release. The preliminary cause of death was from complications with acute respiratory failure, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), pneumonia, acute kidney failure, anemia, and COVID-19, the release says.

Sanchez had been held at Adams County Detention Center, a private prison under contract to ICE, since May, when U.S. Customs and Border patrol took him into custody near Del Rio, Texas. The detention center is located on the outskirts of Natchez, Miss., and is operated by CoreCivic, a for-profit company. Use of private prisons expanded greatly under Donald Trumps administration, but President Joe Biden has ordered that they be phased out.

He was tested twice for COVID with negative results, but after he began showing symptoms in late July, ICE transferred him to a hospital in Natchez. After his condition worsened, he was sent to the hospital in Flowood, a suburb of Jackson.

Politicians and activists have criticized ICEs handling of migrants with HIV, with some calling for their release, and some trans women with the virus have died while in ICE custody. An HIV-positive detainee at the Adams County center told the Washington Blade last year that there were not sufficient measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID; there was no social distancing, for instance.

Elisabeth Grant-Gibson of Natchez, an advocate for ICE detainees and their families, told the Blade this week that there have been problems with health care at the Adams County facility. She visited the center and others nearby to check out conditions between November 2019 and March 2020, but then visitation was suspended due to the pandemic.

Medical neglect and refusal of medical care has always been an issue in the detention center at Adams County, she said. After the facilities were closed to public visitation, those problems increased. She heard from several detainees by phone, and some said they were not permitted to seek treatment at the infirmary, while others reported that when they did go to the infirmary, they were given virtually no treatment.

ICEs press release defended its record on detainees health care. ICE is firmly committed to the health and welfare of all those in its custody and is undertaking a comprehensive agency-wide review of this incident, as it does in all such cases, the release says. Fatalities in ICE custody, statistically, are exceedingly rare and occur at a fraction of the national average for the U.S. detained population.

Some 10,000 Venezuelans with HIV have left the country in recent years because antiretroviral drugs are largely unavailable there. Anti-LGBTQ+ persecution has also caused many to flee. A Venezuelan activist told the Blade Sanchez was gay, but the paper was unable to verify that. Its unclear why he left the country.
Quartz

In the 1920s, the heads of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton decided they were admitting too many Jewish students. Until that point, acceptances had been determined largely by students scores on entrance exams, giving administrators little control over who made the cut, as sociologist Jerome Karabel writes in his 2005 book on the history of Ivy League admissions, The Chosen. The centerpiece of the new system, Karabel wrote, was the personal letter of recommendation, especially those from trusted sources such as alumni and headmasters or teachers from the leading feeder schools.
Morgan Freeman is getting involved in the Gulf Shores Police Department.

The 84-year-old actor sat on an interview board for Alabama police recruits last week. The board also included law enforcement experts.

Freeman, a Mississippi native who owns property in Gulf Shores and spends time in the town of 12,000, was part of a seven-member panel that interviewed nine potential officers for the Gulf Shores Police Department, Deputy Chief Dan Netemeyer said Wednesday.

Residents are occasionally asked to participate in such panels, said Netemeyer.

MORGAN FREEMAN REJECTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE: 'MOST OF THEM' ARE 'DOING THEIR JOB'

The "Coming 2 America" actor volunteered for the task as he knows others who have helped out with the process.

"It was kind of a last minute thing, but he was an active participant," Netemeyer said.

Freeman sat at a table asking questions with other interviewers including Netemeyer, the police chief, a criminal justice professor and others.

LEO TERRELL APPLAUDS MORGAN FREEMAN'S OPPOSITION TO DEFUND THE POLICE MOVEMENT

"He had a hat on, and he was kind of sitting back. When he introduced himself it was almost like an old Candid Camera scene," Netemeyer said.

Morgan Freeman has expressed support for law enforcement several times recently. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for WarnerMedia

The Oscar-winning actor is known for roles in "Invictus," "Million Dollar Baby," "The Shawshank Redemption" and more, but he's also known for his instantly recognizable voice.

"It was that voice, the same one you hear in the movies," noted Netemeyer.

The hiring process is not complete, the deputy cheif said, but at least some of the recruits likely will be offered jobs.

Freeman and Linda Keena, a University of Mississippi professor who also lives in Gulf Shores and helped with the interviews, recently donated $1 million to establish the Center of Evidence-Based Policing and Reform at the university.

Freeman previously offered support to law enforcement when he said he does not support the movement to strip funding from police departments across the country.

Story continues

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

"Im not in the least bit for defunding the police," Freeman said in an interview with Black Enterprises Selena Hill. "Police work is, aside from all the negativity around it, it is very necessary for us to have them and most of them are guys that are doing their job. Theyre going about their day-to-day jobs. There are some police the never pulled their guns except in rage, that sort of thing. I dont know."

Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller and The Associated Press contributed to this report
(Corrects throughout to make clear the Budget Monitoring Forum is an independent public finance watchdog, not a unit of the finance ministry)

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -A Mozambican watchdog on Thursday called on Credit Suisse to fully cancel debt estimated at $2 billion linked to a scandal involving the bank, ten times more than it has offered to write off.

The Swiss lender helped to arrange nearly $1 billion in bonds plus a syndicated loan between 2013 to 2016, ostensibly to fund a tuna fishing project.

On Tuesday, U.S. and British authorities fined Credit Suisse a total of $475 million to resolve bribery and fraud charges relating to the deal.

"Credit Suisse's acknowledgment of its responsibility, failure to comply with the law ... and involvement of employees in bribery reinforces the ... legitimacy of the FMO's demand for full cancellation of illegal debts," the Budget Monitoring Forum (FMO), an independent public finance watchdog, said.

It noted that Mozambique's top court had declared the debt null and void.

The bank, which had offered to write off $200 million of what it says Mozambique owes, declined to comment.

A study by the Chr. Michelsen Institute and Mozambique's Center for Public Integrity released in May estimated the total economic costs of the corruption scandal to Mozambique at $11 billion - equal to its entire GDP for 2016.

Three former Credit Suisse bankers, along with two middlemen and three Mozambican government officials, were charged in 2018 for money laundering and defrauding U.S. investors who had invested in the loans, much of which U.S. prosecutors said were diverted via kickbacks.

(Reporting by Manuel Mucari, additional reporting by John Revill in ZurichWriting by Promit MukherjeeEditing by Tim Cocks and John Stonestreet)
The Telegraph

Heads turn as Robert Plant strides into a quiet pub in Primrose Hill, dressed in black, a cascade of faded blond curls framing a jowly, lined face and scrub of grey beard. At 73, the golden god of 1970s heavy rock has taken on the bearing of a magnificent old lion. I was 19 on the first Led Zeppelin rehearsals, and I was 32 when [drummer] John [Bonham] passed away, that awful time, he notes, as we sit over coffees in a quiet corner. People used to say to me, Well, you must have done enough
The wife of a Navy engineer, both of whom have been charged with attempting to sell classified information about nuclear-powered submarines in the U.S. fleet to a foreign country, was ordered detained pending trial after a federal magistrate found that she posed a continuing danger to national security and a risk of flight.

While Diana Toebbe has no criminal record, U.S. Magistrate Robert Trumble concluded that the case against her was "strong," citing evidence that she accompanied her husband, Jonathan Toebbe, on drops of classified information at three locations earlier this year.

The Maryland couple, according to court documents, believed they were trading information to a yet-undisclosed foreign nation when they were actually communicating and acting at the direction of an undercover FBI agent.

More: FBI: Navy engineer, wife sought $5 million, had 'go bag' packed in nuclear submarine espionage case

The residence of Jonathan and Diana Toebbe in Annapolis, Md., after neighbors say the house was searched by FBI agents.

More: They were amateurs with gum wrappers and peanut butter. And they nearly sold US military secrets.

"The weight of the evidence against Defendant Diana Toebbe is strong," Trumble wrote Thursday, a day after the couple appeared in a West Virginia federal court where they pleaded not guilty.

As part the order, Trumble referred to Jonathan Toebbe's alleged correspondence with the undercover FBI agent, who asked if the engineer was working alone.

"There is only one other person I know is aware of our special relationship, and I trust that person absolutely, Toebbe said, apparently referring to his wife.

In this file photo taken Nov. 26, 2009, the Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit New Mexico undergoes trials in the Atlantic. A US couple has been arrested in the state of West Virginia for allegedly selling information on nuclear warships to what they believed was a foreign state, the Justice Department said on Oct. 10, 2021. Jonathan Toebbe, who worked as a nuclear engineer for the US Navy, and his wife Diana were arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on Saturday and charged with violating the Atomic Energy Act in a criminal complaint, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Jonathan Toebbe did not challenge a detention order earlier this week, but attorneys for his wife suggested that their client knew nothing about her husband's actions and asked that she be released to her Annapolis, Md., home with a electronic monitoring device.

Trumble denied that request, referring to the serious nature of the charges  they both face maximum punishments of life in prison if convicted  and that federal authorities had yet to locate thousands of pages of classified information that Jonathan Toebbe allegedly offered to sell.

Story continues

"Defense counsel presented no evidence or testimony but argued that

electronic monitoring, a third-party custodian, and no computer or internet

access would suffice to prevent Defendant from fleeing," Trumble wrote. "The Court is

unconvinced."

In addition, federal prosecutors said Wednesday that they had not yet recovered $100,000 that the FBI had paid the couple in cryptocurrency during the months-long undercover investigation.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Navy engineer's wife ordered detained in submarine spy case
A nurse loads a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Scientists need to evaluate who should be eligible for booster shots, but they lack the means to measure waning immunity. (Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press)

COVID-19 vaccine holdouts have no monopoly on doubt. Even scientists who fervently believe the shots are the way out of the pandemic often wish they had a bit more proof.

Proof of when the vaccines start to protect, and of how long they do so. Proof that an individual would be better off with a booster dose. Proof, even, that one vaccine might work better than another.

But all of those things require something that has not yet been established: a common currency by which people's levels of protection can be reliably measured, valued and compared. If it rises, that means a person's defenses are stronger; if it falls, they've become more vulnerable.

In the language of vaccines, that measure is called a correlate of immunity. Its not proof itself, but a Rosetta Stone that guides the search for evidence.

The absence of these immune correlates is one of the struggles were all having, said Dr. Hayley Gans, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Stanford University and member of an expert panel that advises the Food and Drug Administration on COVID-19 vaccines.

After any new vaccine is rolled out, it can take decades for scientists to agree upon a standard way to measure its protection, said Dr. Joel I. Ward, a retired professor of immunology at UCLA. Sometimes they just give up.

That was the case when a vaccine for whooping cough, also called pertussis, was introduced in the early 1950s. Over the next 30 years, babies stopped dying of whooping cough, and despite the absence of a correlate of immunity, scientists declared victory. Then in the early 1990s, when doctors began to detect pertussis infections in adolescents and adults who had been vaccinated, scientists shrugged and recommended boosters.

The earliest COVID-19 vaccines began rolling out less than a year ago, so its no surprise that scientists have yet to find and agree on a common measure of immunity, Ward said.

This might seem like an arcane debate, but having a way to measure a vaccines protection could help scientists bring the pandemic under control.

Story continues

Among other things, it would allow doctors to assess whose immunity to COVID-19 is slipping and identify those who could benefit from a booster.

An ideal correlate of immunity would be easy to measure with an inexpensive yet reliable commercial test. If scientists are lucky, they might find one that directly captures the immunological response that is protecting a person: that would have the added benefit of helping to explain just how the vaccine works.

More likely, though, scientists will have to settle for a surrogate measure  some process or protein (possibly even a waste product) thats related to immunity.

What makes this all so difficult is the complexity of the human immune system. Its multilayered, with divisions of labor that arent always clearly distinct. Its wide cast of characters  lymph nodes, white blood cells, five different classes of antibodies, and a variety of B cells and T cells  interact with one another in many different ways over different periods of time. On top of that, some of these actors look the same initially, but take on new roles as they mature.

If you could watch the immune systems response to a viral invader  and the virus' efforts to evade its grasp  it might resemble a war. First encounters vary, skirmishes are won and lost, reinforcements arrive, and battle lines shift. Sometimes the war is won in mucus membranes, where respiratory viruses first get in. Sometimes the coup de grace is delivered in the bloodstream, after the invader has breached the gates.

Taking a snapshot during that ongoing drama may give a misleading picture of where the war is being waged, how it will end, or whether the truce that ends hostilities will hold.

Finding a single metric that captures all this dynamic complexity is a tall order, said Dr. Archana Chatterjee, a pediatric infectious disease expert at the University of Chicago who serves on the FDA advisory board.

This is not simple mathematics ... it's calculus," she said. Add the unknowns about the coronavirus and humans unpredictable behavioral responses to the pandemic, she added, and its three-dimensional chess.

Many researchers believe antibodies that target the coronavirus' telltale spikes and another feature called the receptor binding domain could be a good correlate of immunity. Proponents of that idea include Dr. Anthony Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Some antibodies are trained by a vaccine or infection to recognize a pathogen and neutralize it. In the immediate aftermath of exposure, their numbers typically jump, and they can be readily detected in the bloodstream.

But like all proteins, antibodies decay over time. At that point, the task of ordering replacements gets handed off to a complex of B cells and T cells in which immune memory resides. (Some of those T cells also target and kill infected cells.) One preliminary study that found that vaccinated people with no detectable antibodies to COVID-19 in their blood were still about 50% less likely than unvaccinated adults to become severely ill.

Relying on these neutralizing antibodies as the only measure of immunity would be a mistake, said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who serves on the FDA panel. Antibodies will decay, and failing to credit the immune systems other means of protection will lock us into continuing cycles of vaccination, he said.

Do we really want a yearly vaccine? Is that what were going for?" Offit said. "I hope not.

A single measure of immunity would offer another benefit too: a way to gauge the value of someone's "natural immunity" after recovering from an infection and compare it with the protection afforded by a vaccine. Doctors might find that some people can safely skip a vaccine; alternatively, COVID-19 survivors might realize they still need a dose or two of vaccine for their protection.

The right correlate of immunity could also allow doctors to establish a threshold below which a person (or a group of persons, like those over 65) becomes vulnerable to severe illness. That would alert the patient to take extra precautions, either by avoiding infected people or getting a booster.

Doctors, patients and public health officials could also use a reliable correlate of immunity to make better boosters. If a test showed that people experiencing breakthrough infections still had strong immunity, it would be a powerful sign that the coronavirus had evolved to evade the vaccine's defenses. Boosters may need to be tweaked accordingly.

If a test revealed that a vaccine failed to prompt strong immune memory, perhaps the booster dose should increase, or the period between shots should be stretched out a bit. Vaccine experts say either could elicit stronger and more durable immune responses.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Stars including Blossom C. Brown took part in Wednesday's protest

About 100 people have protested outside Netflix's headquarters over the airing of a comedy special by Dave Chappelle, which they say was transphobic.

Netflix staff and transgender activists staged the walkout outside the streaming giant's Los Angeles offices.

Demonstrators called on Netflix to fund more trans and non-binary talent, and other measures to avoid "transphobia and hate speech".

Ahead of the rally, Netflix issued a statement in support of the activists.

A video was also released featuring several Netflix stars, including Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness and The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil, thanking people for taking part in the demonstration.

Other LGBT celebrities, including Elliot Page and Lilly Wachowski, voiced their support on social media.

Netflix has been mired in controversy over The Closer, in which stand-up comedy star Chappelle says "gender is a fact" and that LGBT people are "too sensitive".

Chappelle has laughed off the backlash, recently saying: "If this is what being cancelled is about, I love it."

Netflix staff called for the rally, though it is unclear how many of those employees were among the protesters outside the offices.

Protest oganiser Ashlee Marie Preston said she was concerned trans-related jokes "are taking lives"

"We are here today not because we don't know how to take a joke. We're here because we're concerned that the jokes are taking lives," said rally organiser Ashlee Marie Preston in an interview with AFP news agency.

She accused companies like Netflix of "[capitalising] off of tension" and using "algorithmic science to manipulate and distort our perceptions of ourselves and one another".

Forty-four transgender people were killed in the US last year, according to Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organisation.

Netflix's Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos previously defended the firm's decision to air the programme.

Dave Chappelle has laughed off the controversy

In a leaked staff memo, he insisted that "content on screen doesn't directly translate to real-world harm", and emphasised the importance of defending "artistic freedom".

Story continues

But in a later interview with Hollywood trade publication Deadline, Mr Sarandos said he "screwed up the internal communication".

"I should've made sure to recognise that a group of our employees was hurting very badly from the decision made," he added.

"I respect them deeply, and I love the contribution they have at Netflix. They were hurting, and I should've recognised that first."

The protest comes a day after Netflix reported record subscriber numbers of 213.5 million globally.

What Big Tech is really worried about

Analysis box by James Clayton, North America technology reporter

Some Silicon Valley companies have an annual revenue equivalent to the GDP of a mid-sized country.

They have incredible influence across the world.

And yet, broadly, there's little accountability for the actions they take.

And they would argue why should there be? They're companies not governments.

That's why these kinds of walkouts are so interesting. Employees do have the ability to focus minds in Silicon Valley.

There have been many walkouts over the years, including at Google and Microsoft.

The key issue here is that Big Tech execs are deeply worried about collective action.

Forget fuzzy words about making the world a better place, they are companies that have shareholders who want to make money.

If workers are dissatisfied, walk out, (or worse) organise - that could be bad for the company's bottom line. That's when they take note.

Netflix has faced much criticism for airing Chappelle's routine. However, it's criticism from their own workers - and the bad press it has generated - that the company will listen to most closely.
SheKnows

If there was any doubt about who Kim Kardashian was going to be kissing under the mistletoe this year, shes officially wiped that away with her latest photos with Pete Davidson. The Saturday Night Live star is fully in the Kardashian fold because hes now become a SKIMS spokesmodel (were kidding, sort of). The Kardashian []
MANAGUA (Reuters) - Nicaraguan police detained the two top executives of the nation's largest business association on Thursday, amid a wave of arrests ahead of Nov. 7 elections in which President Daniel Ortega will seek a fourth consecutive term, according to the association and authorities.

The Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) president, Michael Healy, was detained after leaving an interview at the attorney general's office, and its vice president, Alvaro Vargas, was arrested at home.

Both men are members of the Civic Alliance, an opposition group that has suffered the arrest of two presidential candidates.

The executives are accused of "laundering money, property and assets to the detriment of the Nicaraguan state and society," as well as calling for foreign intervention and sanctions against Nicaragua, local police said in a statement.

Ortega's government has become increasingly isolated and criticized internationally for its crackdowns against the president's opponents and critical media in the Central American country he has dominated since returning to power 15 years ago.

Since June police have detained some 38 opposition leaders, including presidential hopefuls.

COSEP in a statement demanded the immediate release of its members and described the detentions as "illegal" and "arbitrary."

"These repressive actions by the government are a direct attack on COSEP and its main leaders, which does not contribute to the peace and security that all citizens yearn for," said the association. "Nicaragua needs respect for human rights and democracy."

Nicaraguans will head to the polls on Nov. 7 to elect the nation's president, vice president, and renew Congress.

Ortega, who first governed as president between 1985 and 1990, was again elected president in 2007 and has served since then.

The Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday expressed "alarm" over Nicaraguan government actions it says will undermine the elections. The OAS permanent council adopted a resolution to urge fair elections and the release of presidential candidates and political prisoners.

(Reporting by Ismael Lopez in Managua; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Carl Sandburg once said, "If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell. Its not a precise description of White House press secretary Jen Psakis daily briefings, but as Doug McKelway reports, she is facing increasing scrutiny as the Biden administration tries to spin unflattering policy results in its favor.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: Videos, Jen Psaki, Press Secretary, White House Press Corps, Joe Biden

Original Author: Washington Examiner Staff

Original Location: No spin zone? Podium pressures mount
North Korea accused the United States of "double standards" over weapons testing, state media reported Thursday after an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the issue.

Pyongyang fired a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Tuesday, the latest in a series of tests in recent weeks, prompting the US and Britain to call the diplomatic meeting in New York.

But a spokesperson from the North's foreign ministry said the test was not aimed at the United States and was carried out "purely for the defence of the country".

"So there is no need for the US to worry or trouble itself over the test-firing," the spokesperson said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

The statement added Washington's criticism of the North for "developing and test-firing the same weapon system as the one the US possesses or is developing is a clear expression of double standards".

"It only excites our suspicion" about the sincerity of Washington's insistence it has no hostile intent towards the country, it said.

Kim met three times with former president Donald Trump, who boasted of stopping a war but failed to reach a comprehensive agreement on ending North Korea's nuclear programme.

The talks process has been largely stalled since the collapse of their Hanoi summit in early 2019.

President Joe Biden has promised to keep seeking diplomacy but with a more low-key approach looking for areas for progress.

Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un blamed the United States for tensions, dismissing Washington's assertions that it does not have hostile intentions.

sh/slb/jah
Last week, the Justice Department obtained its 100th guilty plea in its investigation of the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. This week, Attorney General Merrick Garland opened his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee with a prebuttal of sorts: telling members that the riot constituted an intolerable assault on the peaceful transfer of power and that he had great confidence in the prosecutors who are investigating and prosecuting people in connection with the days events. His remarks come in the context of a vigorous debate  among politicians, judges, and legal commentators  over whether the alleged rioters are being treated too leniently or too harshly.

That question is complicated to answer in the abstract, in part because of the many stages of the criminal process and the corresponding ways in which defendants can be treated comparatively well or poorly. Considerations include the manner in which defendants are brought to court, whether defendants are detained prior to trial (and if so, under what conditions), what defendants are charged with, what sorts of plea deals the department is offering, how aggressive the governments sentencing recommendations are, and what sentences the defendants ultimately receive from judges.

There is also the critical question of what the benchmark is. The federal criminal justice system is not exactly a wellspring of generosity under ordinary circumstances. Prosecutors can be overly aggressive at every step, the sentencing guidelines are often too punitive and there is a pro-government tilt throughout the courts.

Many members of the public may just now be learning this and, not unreasonably, bristling at some of the treatment that they are reading about without being able to place it in the broader context of a federal system that is generally harsh. For others, however, particularly conservative pundits and politicians, who should theoretically know better, much of the outrage appears performative and opportunistic  part of a broader effort led by Donald Trump to downplay the events of Jan. 6 and, ridiculously, to suggest that it is the charged participants, and conservatives more generally, who are the true victims.

Story continues

In fact, there are several significant ways in which the Justice Department appears to be treating the Jan. 6 defendants better than most defendants.

To start, the department has taken a relatively generous approach to charging and to negotiations in the plea agreements that it has so far reached. According to an analysis by BuzzFeeds Zoe Tillman, the vast majority of guilty pleas  80 out of 100  have involved defendants charged solely with misdemeanor crimes from the start, such as disorderly conduct or parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol, which generally carry maximum terms of six months in prison. Five people were initially charged with a felony but pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

It is hard to square this with the Justice Departments official charging and plea bargaining policies. Prosecutors are supposed to charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offenses  defined as those that carry the most substantial guidelines sentence. And when pleading a case out, they are supposed to include the most serious readily provable charge consistent with the facts.

As others have noted, pretty much anyone who entered the Capitol could be charged with more serious crimes than the lowest-level misdemeanors. They include entering or remaining in a restricted building (a misdemeanor with a maximum one-year term) or obstruction of an official proceeding (a felony). These charges subject defendants to the application of the sentencing guidelines and their various enhancements, which can quickly stack up and which can exert an anchoring effect at sentencing, even if the judges ultimately reject the governments recommendation. A felony conviction also comes with all sorts of serious collateral consequences, including a prohibition on possessing firearms.

The government appears to have reserved more serious charges for cases with overt or particularly potent indicia of the defendants intent  like social media messages or, say, taking Vice President Mike Pences seat after he fled the building  but it is far from obvious that this approach is necessary. The notion that any Stop the Steal participants thought that they might have been allowed in the Capitol on that day strains credulity, and there is no shortage of evidence that could be used to establish that the purpose was to obstruct the congressional certification of the election results. (Some defendants have challenged the obstruction charge on vagueness grounds, but their arguments are not particularly strong.)

Second, prosecutors appear to be accepting pleas even when the defendants are feigning acceptance of responsibility. This is another major prosecutorial no-no, since defendants get a break under the sentencing guidelines for acceptance of responsibility, and they are not supposed to be getting that break if they are not sincere.

One judge recently observed that many of the defendants pleading guilty do not truly accept responsibility but are instead trying to get this out of the way as quickly as possible, stating whatever they have to say  but not changing their attitude. This particular problem has been apparent since literally the first Jan. 6 sentencing, when a woman avoided prison time after tearfully apologizing in court one day and then the next day went on Fox News to minimize the mayhem of the Capitol riot.

Lastly, regarding the governments actual sentencing recommendations after a plea is entered, a recent story from the Wall Street Journal reported that Garland has told other department officials that he is concerned that jailing rioters who werent hard-core extremists for extensive periods could further radicalize them. The story went on to say that Garland has left recommending sentences to the prosecutors directly involved, but it is hard to believe that the attorney generals views on the matter would not make their way to line prosecutors  particularly when he is expressing them to other officials and they have been reported in a national newspaper. (Asked about this during his testimony on Thursday, Garland said that his reported comments had been taken from a different context.)

The Journal reported that Garlands concern with the effects of long-term incarceration is a concern he has expressed more broadly about defendants entering the criminal justice system, but it was not reflected in Garlands jurisprudence and has not been matched (yet) by any broader sentencing reform efforts. In fact, prosecutors generally do not concern themselves with the effects of long-term incarceration on recidivism  risks that exist for virtually every federal criminal defendant.

No one is getting the book thrown at them yet, though a judge just issued a 14-month sentence  the longest so far for a Jan. 6 defendant  to a man who had made incendiary remarks on social media during and shortly after the riot (and who also had 17 prior criminal convictions). This is partly a selection issue since, generally speaking, the cases being sentenced right now are the relatively less serious ones, and that is going to start to change.

Meanwhile, some of the most prominent arguments that the Jan. 6 defendants are being treated too harshly have been borderline ridiculous. Judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed to the D.C. District Court bench in 2017 after a brief stint as a senior official in Trumps Justice Department earlier that year, has suggested that the department went easy on violent protestors in the capital in the wake of the George Floyd killing last year and said recently that the U.S. attorney would have more credibility if it was even-handed in its concern about riots and mobs in this city.

The particular claim  echoed by right-wing media and members of Congress  is absurd for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the U.S. attorney last year was an entirely different person  who had been hand-picked by then-Attorney General William Barr, who happily pursued some of the departments most brazenly corrupt objectives and who got into a very public spat with Washingtons Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, after she complained that the office was not responding aggressively enough to violent protesters at the time.

This is not to say that there are no credible arguments in favor of the department deviating from standard practice toward an overall more forgiving posture. The court system in D.C. could be overloaded otherwise, and prosecutors may want to push these cases through quickly so that they do not go on forever and so that the government can prosecute other crimes. One could also argue that the difference between a low-level felony and a misdemeanor is not that great and that prosecutors would be right to worry about the political volatility of the situation.

The problem is that these arguments are at odds with the rule of law ethos  that the Justice Department should treat like cases alike irrespective of who defendants are or what their political affiliation is  that Garland otherwise relies upon so heavily in his public rhetoric, including at the hearing on Thursday, and that is reflected in written department policy itself.

There is a way to bridge this gap. The Justice Department should be forthright about what it is doing and why it is doing it, and Garland should use this opportunity to generate more public, cross-partisan support for reform efforts. Indeed, the rigidity and severity of the departments charging and plea-bargaining policies are dubious; sentencing guidelines are in need of further reform; and the department ought to be more concerned with the effects of long-term incarceration.

These are concerns that should be addressed seriously and broadly, and that should be applied to every federal defendant  not just the ones who were involved in the shameful events of Jan. 6.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) granted clemency to more than 70 people who were excluded from a juvenile justice reform bill. The move will allow these individuals to go before a parole board and make the case that they have grown since committing crimes as juveniles. (Photo: Shannon Finney via Getty Images)

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) commuted the sentences of dozens of people convicted of crimes they committed as kids on Wednesday, potentially reducing their prison time by hundreds of years and marking major progress in a broader reform effort that recognizes people who committed crimes before they were adults have a unique capacity for change.

Browns clemency order lists more than 70 people who committed crimes before they were 18 years old and are serving sentences of 15 years or more in prison. They were selected because they were excluded from a 2019 juvenile justice reform bill that dramatically changed the way the state punishes people who commit crimes when they are kids. Those individuals, many of whom were previously facing life sentences  some without the chance of parole  now have the opportunity to petition the states Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision for release after 15 years in prison. Brown instructed the board to consider each individuals age and immaturity at the time of the crime and whether they have subsequently shown maturity and rehabilitation.

The clemency order excludes individuals who are serving sentences for crimes they later committed as adults and those who have a release date of 2050 or later  although these individuals can still petition the governor for clemency.

The governors move comes months after a HuffPost story about Kipland Kinkel, one of Oregons most infamous juvenile offenders, and the ways his high-profile case has been used to justify extreme sentencing for other people who committed crimes when they were kids. In 1998, when Kinkel was 15 years old and experiencing symptoms of a severe undiagnosed mental illness, he killed his mother, his father, two students at his school, and wounded 25 others. He was sentenced to nearly 112 years in prison without the chance of parole.

With a projected release date of 2110, Kinkel is not part of Browns clemency order. The 2050 cutoff in Browns order appears to be designed specifically to exclude him, although it does impact a handful of other people.

Story continues

We support what Governor Brown is doing, Gabe Newland, the director of the Oregon Justice Resource Centers Youth Justice Project said in a statement. And there is still more work to be done. The guiding principles of S.B. 1008  that young people are more prone to impulsive, high-risk behavior, and that young people have enormous capacity for change  should apply to everyone.

In a series of interviews with HuffPost over the course of 10 months, Kinkel described the childhood onset of delusions and hallucinations that would later be identified as symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. He explained how, with his mental illness left untreated, he became increasingly convinced he was under threat and needed to amass weapons to protect himself. He described his memory of the psychotic break he experienced while committing his crimes and the overwhelming remorse he has felt ever since. He spoke about getting treatment for his mental illness and the support he received from his community of juvenile lifers as he grew up in prison. The story received considerable media attention in Oregon.

Kinkel is one of many juveniles who received a de facto life sentence under Measure 11, a 1994 voter initiative that created mandatory minimums for certain offenses and required kids ages 15 to 17 who were charged with these crimes to be sentenced as adults. Although Kinkel is white, youth of color were disproportionately convicted of Measure 11 offenses.

In 2018, Kinkel and other individuals facing extreme sentences for crimes they committed as kids discreetly met with lawmakers to speak about their growth and advocate for sentencing reform. The following year, Oregons state legislature passed Senate Bill 1008, a juvenile justice bill aimed at reforming Measure 11. The reform bill eliminated life without parole sentences for minors, made it harder to prosecute kids as adults, and created early-release opportunities for individuals who showed rehabilitation. But faced with a fear-mongering campaign to exclude Kinkel from any reform effort, lawmakers made the bill only apply to those who were sentenced after its passage.

Browns clemency action is an effort to correct some of the sentencing inequities created by the state legislature with the non-retroactive reform bill.

Youth should be held accountable for their actions, but the fact is that adolescent brains are still growing and developing, especially in skills such as reasoning, planning, and self-regulation, Elizabeth Merah, the governors press secretary, wrote in an email. Yet, too often our criminal justice responses do not take this into account. In particular, Measure 11 removed many routes for young people to demonstrate their capacity for change and positive growth.

Juvenile justice reform advocates praised Browns decision to give a second chance to people who have grown up and dramatically changed since the time of their crimes.

Like many of the people who will benefit from these commutations, I grew up in prison and went through a profound process of personal growth and rehabilitation while incarcerated, Trevor Walraven, the outreach coordinator for the Youth Justice Project, said in a statement. I know how hard many of these impacted individuals have worked to make the changes they need to become healthy and ready to contribute to the community outside the prison walls in positive ways. Im confident they will prove that they deserve the trust the governor has shown in them by giving them this tremendous opportunity.

Browns decision to grant clemency to some of the people left behind by S.B. 1008 is an extension of what she has already been doing with her clemency powers, said Aliza Kaplan, who runs a criminal justice reform clinic at Lewis & Clark Law School. Kaplan urged all governors to use their clemency power more broadly to make adjustments and heal what we created in the 80s and 90s with mandatory minimums  where we as a society and our legislature had a mentality that we should lock people up and no one was an individual and throw away the key.

Brown outlined her clemency plan in a September letter to Oregons Department of Corrections in which she requested a list of names of people in its custody for crimes they committed as juveniles who were sentenced before S.B. 1008 went into effect and who met a set of criteria.

SB 1008 takes into account the fact that these youth are capable of tremendous transformation, Brown wrote in the letter, citing the fact that many who commit crimes during their youth complete college degrees and treatment programs while in youth custody before they even age into adult prison. For these reasons, I have no doubt that the above-referenced list will be comprised of many individuals who have demonstrated exemplary progress and considerable evidence of rehabilitation, and who  unfairly  did not benefit from the effects of SB 1008.

Browns juvenile clemency plan is two-pronged, according to the September letter. One part involves providing clemency that enables individuals who are serving a sentence of 15 years or more to get a parole board hearing  which she did on Wednesday. The second part involves reviewing the sentences of people who were under 18 at the time of their crime and who will have served 50% of their sentences by next December.

For the roughly 200 people in that group, the governors office will engage in an individualized review process to determine whether the youth has made exemplary progress and if there is considerable evidence of rehabilitation, as well as taking into account input from the [district attorney] and victims, if any, Merah wrote in an email. If the Governor determines that a commutation is warranted, the youth will be granted a conditional release.

Both parts of Browns clemency plan exclude individuals who are currently in prison for a conviction they subsequently committed as adults.

Kinkels interviews with HuffPost marked the first time he had spoken publicly since his arrest. For decades, he declined all interview requests, worried that emerging publicly would further traumatize his victims. But after seeing how his notoriety was used to justify excluding hundreds of others from benefiting from the juvenile justice reform bill, he began to feel that staying silent was hurting people too.

I have responsibility for the harm that I caused when I was 15. But I also have responsibility for the harm that I am causing now as Im 38 because of what I did at 15, Kinkel previously told HuffPost.

In Oregon, Kip is the boogeyman that people bring up any time theres some type of movement on a juvenile bill that might let people who have long sentences get out earlier, Seth Koch, who is incarcerated in the same prison as Kinkel, told HuffPost earlier this year. To most people, hes the school shooter from Thurston. They dont know Kip Kinkel, they just know a name.

Its just frustrating because its hard to see someone I care about that much used in that way, Koch said.

Kinkel had hoped that sharing the circumstances under which he committed his crimes  and the ways that he had grown since  would prevent his case from being used as a reason to deny a second chance to others.

His efforts may have worked. Under Browns order, Koch, who was originally sentenced to life without parole, will soon get the chance to go before the parole board.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met senior Taliban leaders in the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, as the neighbours sought to resolve disputes over border closures.

Pakistan, one of only three countries that recognised the previous Taliban regime in the 1990s, is seen as still wielding considerable influence over the group as it returns to power.

The Taliban overthrew Afghanistan's former US-backed government in August and have since been trying to win international recognition and financial support for their Islamist regime.

But there has also been friction between the neighbours in the first months of the new Afghan government, notably over air links and control of freight crossing the border.

Lorry loads of Afghan fruit destined for sale in Pakistan and India were left to rot at the border in Spin Boldak in recent weeks, after Pakistan halted traffic.

And flights between Kabul and Islamabad have been disrupted by disputes over civil aviation regulation.

"There were detailed talks with the Afghan Taliban leadership which were attended by the prime minister and almost all cabinet ministers," Qureshi said afterwards, in a brief video clip.

In the same clip distributed to media, Qureshi's Afghan counterpart, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, called it a "very good interaction" during which trade and reopening the borders was discussed.

"We are very hopeful that all our trade issues will be resolved very soon, borders will open again," he said.

Qureshi was also accompanied by Pakistan's outgoing spy chief, Faiz Hammed, who is on his second visit to the Afghan capital since the Taliban took power.

Pakistan has long faced US allegations that its intelligence service supported the Islamist insurgents in their two-decade battle against NATO forces and the now deposed Western-backed government.

Qureshi is the third foreign minister after those of Qatar and Uzbekistan to visit Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in mid-August.

Story continues

On Wednesday, the Russian government hosted a high-level Taliban delegation and officials from 10 countries, including China and Pakistan.

The hosts pushed the militants for action against extremist Islamic State fighters which it says have massed in perennially volatile Afghanistan.

In return, the Taliban -- which is facing economic and humanitarian crises within its borders -- urged the international community to recognise their interim government.

"Isolation of Afghanistan is not in the interest of any sides. And this has been proven in the past," the Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi told the Moscow conference.

"Therefore, we call on the international community to recognise the current government of Afghanistan."

emh-bur/dc/lb
Deep divisions over the EU's legal order and energy took an EU summit into late Thursday, with eastern member states Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic standing in defiance against Brussels.

The rule of law issue was especially thorny, with the potential to shake the very foundations of the 27-nation bloc.

The east-west divide was set to continue on Friday, when leaders would return to discuss migration, a topic that turned Europeans bitterly against each other when Germany opened its doors to asylum-seekers fleeing war in 2015.

Poland again defended an October 7 ruling by its Constitutional Court that said EU law applied only in specific, limited areas and Polish law prevailed in all others.

The European Commission and countries including the Netherlands, Finland and Belgium countered that the position undermined EU cohesion -- and was legal cover for Warsaw to strip independence from its judicial branch and roll back democratic norms.

But under the authority of heavyweights France and Germany, a measure of calm prevailed in the row, as they pressed for dialogue, not duelling, with Poland.

Just before the summit started, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held one-on-one talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Macron urged Morawiecki "to find a solution in line with our principles and common rules," according to an Elysee official.

Leaders then held a relatively short two-hour discussion on the issue, kicked off by Morawiecki.

"The debate took place in a serene atmosphere," an EU official said on condition of anonymity.

The debate "was a step that should help lead to solutions," the official added.

But that was preceded by four hours of wrangling over energy, which was the original main agenda item when the summit was organised.

Europe is struggling to find ways to cope with a global energy crunch while sticking to goals to mitigate climate change.

Story continues

Diplomats said that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, backed by Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, refused to sign off on the summit conclusions on energy, wanting to get new language on the EU's landmark carbon emissions system which he opposes.

Both Orban and Babis are allies of Morawiecki, and Hungary and Poland have a pact to veto any EU moves to punish the other.

The friction from the two disputes soured a EU summit that was likely to be the last for Merkel, who is bowing out to hand over the reins to a new German government being formed following September elections she did not contest.

A group photo of the leaders -- socially spaced -- nevertheless presented a show of unity that belied the disagreements behind closed doors.

- 'Red line' -

Arriving for the talks, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that "it's very clear that a red line has been crossed" with Poland's stance on the bloc's legal order.

"This discussion really goes to the heart of Europe," he said.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin both said it was time to get "tough" with Warsaw.

They and several other leaders said Brussels should not release 36 billion euros ($42 billion) in pandemic recovery money that Poland badly wants while the issue stood unresolved.

A few said all EU budget money for Warsaw should be subject to an untested "conditionality" mechanism tying disbursement to member states upholding the rule of law.

One EU diplomat warned that the commission was preparing the mechanism and that "the moment of truth was getting close" for Warsaw.

- Merkel wary -

As he arrived, Morawiecki showed no sign of backing down.

While he said he was "ready for dialogue" he warned: "We won't act under the pressure of blackmail."

Orban gave him his full support, saying the pressure on Poland was a "witch-hunt".

Merkel -- who has always urged a cautious approach in her 16 years of EU summits -- said she did not want to see the row with Poland end up before the European Court of Justice.

"A cascade of legal disputes before the European Court of Justice is not a solution to the problem of how the rule of law can be applied," she said.

bur-arp/jfx
RENO, Nev. (AP)  A Salvadoran immigrant agreed Thursday to plead guilty to all crimes in the killing of four Nevada residents as part of a deal with prosecutors that will spare him from two death penalty trials and put him in prison for the rest of his life with no possibility of appeals or parole.

Wilber Ernesto Martinez Guzman, 22, pleaded guilty after intense questioning by Washoe County District Court Judge Connie Steinheimer in Reno to two counts of first-degree murder in the January 2019 deaths of Gerald and Sharon David in their Reno home.

Steinheimer acknowledged the plea took the death penalty off the table and told Martinez Guzman he will have to enter formal guilty pleas in Douglas County to the killings of two women in Gardnerville during his two-week string of crimes.

In addition to four consecutive life terms with no possibility of parole, Martinez Guzman faces a minimum of another 214 years in prison for multiple burglary, larceny, weapons and possession of stolen property charges under the plea agreement outlined in court.

He will never be free, Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said about the deal unveiled just before a status hearing was scheduled Thursday morning.

Hicks told reporters after the two-hour hearing that the decision to drop pursuit of the death penalty came as a result of a direct appeal from families of the victims who didnt want the case to continue for years longer.

They shared a collective request for closure and finality in the case, Hicks said. As a result of his pleas, there will not be decades of appeals that have become common in death penalty litigation.

Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson added: They want this nightmare to end. They want justice.

Larry David, a son of the Reno couple, joined the prosecutors at the news conference to express his family's full support for the decision.

Martinez Guzman told police he committed the series of break-ins, thefts and shootings over a three-week stretch because he needed money to buy methamphetamine.

Story continues

Steinheimer told Martinez Guzman on Thursday if he fails to plead guilty in Douglas County, prosecutors there and Washoe County can void his plea deal and again seek the death penalty. Martinez Guzman also has agreed to plead guilty to multiple burglary and possession of stolen property charges in Carson City. The judge tentatively set sentencing for Feb. 28.

Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, Martinez Guzman responded to dozens of questions from the judge intended to establish that he was making an informed decision to plead guilty based on his own choice and understanding of the law.

I spoke with my attorneys and understand after I plead, I will spend the rest of my life in prison, Martinez Guzman said. I believe it is the best way to close my case ... It makes it so they remove the death penalty.

Public defender John Arrascada assured Steinheimer Martinez Guzmans decision was his own.

Hicks and Jackson initially planned one death penalty trial for Martinez Guzman in Reno, but the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Sept. 30 that the defendant would have to be tried separately in the two county jurisdictions.

Authorities said Martinez Guzman stole a .22-caliber handgun from the Davids southwest Reno home on Jan. 4, 2019; shot and killed Constance Koontz, 56, and Sophia Renken, 74, in separate attacks in their Gardnerville homes several days later; and returned to the Davids house to rob and kill them Jan 15.

Gerald David, 81, and his 80-year-old wife were prominent in the Reno Rodeo Association and had employed Martinez Guzman as a landscaper the summer before.

Martinez Guzman was arrested in Carson City during a manhunt that had investigators track an Apple watch stolen from Koontz to Martinez Guzmans mother.

Martinez Guzman has been held without bail at the Washoe County jail in Reno.

Washoe County sheriffs Detective Stefanie Brady told a grand jury several weeks after Martinez Guzmans arrest that he initially denied wrongdoing but later acknowledged through an interpreter he had done something thats unforgiveable.

He said he needed the money for the meth, Brady testified.

The case drew attention at the time from then-President Donald Trump, who said it showed the need to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities said he was in the country illegally but they didnt how or when he arrived.

___

Associated Press reporter Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
Fox News

As scenes of Middle Eastern migrants alternately storming fences in an attempt to get into Europe and huddling frozen around campfires make headlines, the handy conclusion was that Belarus' president, Alexander Lukashenko, wanted to wreak a little havoc to get back at the West for sanctions. Or that he wanted to make Western leaders who have in large part not recognized him as president this time around finally face up to him. Or that he wanted to make countries like Poland look like the evil on
After searching for more than a month, authorities found the skeletal remains of Brian Laundrie  who was a person of interest in the disappearance of his fiancee, Gabby Petito  and the break in the case came from his parents.

Investigators located partial human remains Wednesday at the Carlton Reserve, a sprawling Florida wildlife refuge that was Laundrie's last known location. The remains were identified as the 23-year-old man through dental records, the FBI field office in Denver announced Thursday.

This came after Laundrie's parents directed FBI agents and North Port police to an area where "some articles belonging to Brian were found," according to a statement Wednesday by Laundries familys attorney Steven Bertolino. He said the Laundries found the items "in an area where they had initially advised law enforcement that Brian may be."

A senior law enforcement source told NBC News that the remains were found near a backpack that may have belonged to Laundrie. Other items thought to have belonged to Laundrie, including a notebook, "were found in an area that up until recently had been under water," Michael McPherson, special agent in charge of the FBI's Tampa office, said.

David Thomas, who worked for 20 years as a police officer in Michigan and Florida, said its likely that Laundries parents made the decision to involve themselves publicly in the search with the direction of their attorney.

If youre smart, you let your attorney do the talking. You dont do it. And they lawyered up right away, Thomas, a professor of forensic studies at Florida Gulf Coast University, said. I would suspect that any move that they made, like when the dad went out and helped them with the search  anything you see them do, I dont think they would do that without the advice of their attorney.

Laundrie's parents have said that speculation they helped their son escape is "just wrong," according to a late September statement from Bertolino.

Story continues

Bertolino rejected questions about the timing of both parents' involvement in the search during an interview with NBC News Nows Top Story With Tom Llamas following the identification of Laundrie's remains.

"There was no deal," Bertolino said. "There were certainly conversations, as one would expect happens in every criminal case. You always have conversations with the prosecutors ... but no deal was cut. The Laundries have been cooperating with law enforcement, both locally and federally, since day one with respect to Brian."

The attorney dismissed speculation on why it took so long to find the remains and belongings, insisting that the area where the evidence was found Wednesday was previously submerged and inaccessible.

"When does it stop ... these conjectures, these theories, people who have no firsthand knowledge, and specifically with yesterday's events," Bertolino said. "You have people with firsthand knowledge telling you how this played out. And yet people still don't believe it."

Former FBI agent Bryanna Fox, an associate professor of criminology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, said Wednesday that prosecuting a charge of aiding and abetting or obstruction of justice is a high bar requiring proof of an awareness of the illegal act and intent to assist.

Law enforcement officials have not accused the Laundries of wrongdoing.

Retired Lt. Thomas Nolan, a 27-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, said it's "certainly fair to question as to what may have transpired between law enforcement, prosecutors and the parents."

"Authorities do walk a fine line in terms of alienating the parents and receiving no information or cooperation from them whatsoever; its a delicate balance," he said.

Brian Laundrie. (@gabspetito / via Instagram)

Laundrie, of North Port, Florida, was a person of interest in the disappearance of Petito, who was found dead in Wyoming last month.

Petito's body was discovered Sept. 19, at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in Bridger-Teton National Forest, and a coroner ruled the 22-year-old woman's death a homicide by manual strangulation.

Petito and Laundrie were on a cross-country road trip, chronicling their travels on social media, before he returned to his parents' home in North Port, Florida, on Sept. 1 without his fiancee, police said.

Laundries parents have kept a low profile ever since, telling investigators their son went hiking two weeks later and never returned, sparking a national manhunt.

Last weekend, Petitos parents accused the Laundries of withholding crucial information about her death and his mysterious disappearance.

In an interview with "60 Minutes Australia," Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt, called out the Florida couple who were set to become her daughter's in-laws.

"I think silence speaks volumes. I believe they know probably, if not everything, they know most of the information," Schmidt said. "I would love to just, face to face, ask, 'Why are you doing this? Just tell me the truth.'"

Laundrie's family said he went hiking mid-September in the Carlton Reserve, the 25,000-acre reserve that had been searched multiple times prior to Wednesdays discovery.

Petitos parents have accused the Laundries of not being cooperative when they were searching for their daughter and of withholding information from them after Laundrie returned home without her.

Joseph L. Giacalone, a retired sergeant with the New York Police Department who supervised a cold case unit in the Bronx, said, "Most parents would do exactly what they had to do."

"It may be morally and ethically wrong, but we understand what mothers will do, what fathers will do. Im sure they expected something strange, when he comes home with the car and shes not around, he said, referencing Laundrie's return without Petito after the road trip.

But because the remains were positively identified as Laundrie, that could complicate the investigation into Petito's death.

Now that authorities identified the remains as Laundrie, Giacalone said he expects the case to end as an "exceptional clearance," meaning that even if police suspect Laundrie killed Petito, the investigation would end.

"Because he's dead, they can't do anything about it," he said, adding that the case could end with an "unfulfilled expectation," especially for Petito's parents, who may never learn exactly what occurred before and after their daughter's death.
By Jamie Freed

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Qantas Airways Ltd expects to get back to flying 100% of its pre-COVID-19 domestic capacity by January as Australian state borders open up due to surging vaccination rates, the airline's chief executive said on Thursday.

"It looks like by Christmas we will have every state open except for Western Australia, and Western Australia will open up domestically hopefully early in the new year, we assume around February," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said at an industry conference held by Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd.

Travel restrictions between Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest cities, eased on Wednesday as Victoria opened its borders to fully vaccinated residents from New South Wales amid a rapid rise in immunisation levels.

With cases trending lower in New South Wales, including Sydney, residents will be allowed quarantine-free entry into Victoria for the first time in more than three months. Travellers from Melbourne who wish to enter Sydney, however, must undergo a two-week home quarantine.

Joyce said Qantas had just one daily flight from Sydney to Melbourne at present, down from 55 before the pandemic when it was one of the world's busiest domestic routes.

"We will progressively in the first week of November go back to nearly 15 flights a day and by Christmas get back to closer to 30 to 40 flights per day and in the new year, February, when business comes back, pretty close to the pre-COVID schedule," he said.

The airline will resume international passenger flights from Sydney to London and Los Angeles on Nov. 1 after New South Wales last week said it would permit the entry of fully vaccinated travellers without the need for quarantine, though only citizens and permanent residents will be allowed back in.

(Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Jacqueline Wong & Shri Navaratnam)
By Jill Gralow and Jamie Freed

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Qantas Airways Ltd engineers are preparing for the airline's fleet to ramp up international flying starting Nov. 1, when Sydney opens to fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents without quarantine.

With the exception of its Airbus SE A380 super-jumbos, which remain stored in the Mojave Desert in California, most of Qantas' international fleet has already been doing some limited flying on cargo and repatriation flights.

"What we do is have them on a bit of a part-time schedule so they have been doing one day a week rather than seven days a week," said John Walker, the airline's head of line maintenance.

Australia applied strict border rules in March 2020 that stopped citizens from exiting without special permission and required two weeks of hotel quarantine for all arrivals, leading Qantas to stop regular international passenger flights.

Qantas engineering staff at Sydney Airport on Thursday were checking brakes and tyres and catching up on some minor maintenance work on its fleet of A330 planes that were flying on lighter schedules.

"For this aircraft, if it were in a deep sleep, it would be over 1,000 man hours with full crews of 12 or 15 to wake the plane up," Walker said. "We started doing these wake-ups many, many months ago."

In California, Qantas has a team of engineers in Los Angeles that regularly drives two hours to the Mojave Desert to carry out checks on the A380 fleet, he said.

The desert environment there is drier than Alice Springs in central Australia, where other carriers including Singapore Airlines Ltd and Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd have stored planes, he added.

Qantas expects five of its 12 A380s to return to service from July 2022 for London and Los Angeles flights, while two are being retired.

London and Los Angeles are also the first destinations for flights from Sydney on Nov. 1. Six weeks later it will start flights to Vancouver, Singapore Fiji and Japan.

Story continues

It marks a major milestone for an airline that has done little international flying since March 2020 and has lost A$20 billion ($15.08 billion) of revenue due to the pandemic.

"We are now seeing light at the end of the tunnel," Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said at an industry conference on Thursday. "We see there is huge interest in people planning their trips for next year."

($1 = 1.3264 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Jill Gralow and Jamie Freed. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in hospital after being advised to rest and cancel a visit to Northern Ireland this week, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.

"Following medical advice to rest for a few days, The Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today (Thursday), and remains in good spirits," a statement said.

Britain's domestic Press Association news agency said the trip to hospital was unannounced as it was expected to be a short stay, and also to protect the 95-year-old monarch's privacy.

But the overnight stay was for "practical reasons", it added, without disclosing the hospital concerned or the nature of the tests.

The Queen, who is Britain's longest-serving monarch, having been on the throne since 1952, was said to be back at her desk on Thursday afternoon, undertaking light duties.

She had been due to attend an ecumenical service in the border town of Armagh on Thursday to mark the 100th centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland.

But the palace said on Wednesday morning she had "reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days".

The decision was not related to the coronavirus and she was said to have been resting at her Windsor Castle residence, west of London.

The Queen has had a busy schedule since returning from her remote Balmoral estate in northeast Scotland at the start of October.

On Tuesday, she had appeared cheerful as she hosted a reception at Windsor for international business leaders attending a government investment summit.

She had also held two audiences with overseas ambassadors via videolink.

The Queen is expected to join other senior royals, including her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, 72, for a series of events linked to the upcoming UN climate summit in Glasgow next month.

Last week, she was seen for the time at a major public event using a walking stick, but royal officials said it was not linked to any specific health condition.

phz/ach
The conclusions of a British inquest into the 2004 sinking of a French trawler, which killed five people, will be delivered on November 5, the coroner said on Thursday.

Judge Nigel Lickley has been hearing evidence since early October about how the Bugaled Breizh sank suddenly off Cornwall, southwest England, despite good weather.

The bodies of two of the fishermen who died were recovered by British search and rescue teams.

Lawyers for the victims' families maintain that a submarine on exercises in the area at the time could have struck the boat and pulled it down.

But Britain's Ministry of Defence said none of its subs were active in the exact area and that the trawler's nets likely got caught in sediment, dragging it to the bottom.

Lickley, a high court judge sitting as coroner, was originally due to give his ruling on Friday but said he would delay to November 5 as he considers the evidence.

The London court has been told that three subs -- the Dutch Dolfijn, a German U22 and the British Torbay -- were operating in the general area close to the crash site, getting ready for planned allied military exercises.

But the families' suspicions were focused on another submarine, the Royal Navy nuclear-powered vessel HMS Turbulent.

The navy, though, has ruled out any involvement, stressing that the Turbulent was docked on the day of the sinking, January 15, 2004.

Oliver Hyams, a lawyer for the families, has requested that the inquiry hear evidence from retired French admiral Dominique Salles, who has previously said that it was "possible" an allied submarine could have been involved.

MoD lawyer Edward Pleeth on Thursday denied the claims as both sides presented their final submissions.

Experts called during the hearing had "entirely ruled out submarine involvement", he said, adding that the evidence pointed towards a fishing accident.

"Every proposition of alternative explanations was rejected in totality by your independent counsel," he told the judge.

Story continues

The French justice system, after years of investigations that delayed the full British hearing, said in 2016 it was unable to reach a definitive conclusion.

Coroners inquests are held in England and Wales to try to establish the causes and circumstances of sudden or unexplained deaths on the balance of probability.

They do not determine criminal or civil liability but set out facts in the public interest.

In particularly sensitive cases, including matters of national security, a judge can be appointed to oversee proceedings.

jwp/phz/har
Associated Press

Lightning-sparked wildfires killed thousands of giant sequoias this year, adding to a staggering two-year death toll that accounts for up to nearly a fifth of Earth's largest trees, officials said Friday. Fires in Sequoia National Park and the surrounding national forest that also bears the trees' name tore through more than a third of groves in California and torched an estimated 2,261 to 3,637 sequoias, which are the largest trees by volume. Intense fires that burned hot enough and high enough to kill so many giant sequoias  trees once considered nearly fire-proof  puts an exclamation point on the impact of climate change.
CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud discussed the Iran nuclear talks with the European Union envoy coordinating talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal, Enrique Mora, the Saudi Foreign ministry said on Thursday.

"They discussed developments regarding the Iranian nuclear program talks, and international efforts to ensure that Iran does not violate international agreements and treaties in this regard," it added in a statement.

(Reporting by Mahmoud Mourad; editing by Chris Reese)




A video of the incident on Monday, in which five Sikh hikers tied their dastaars (turbans) together to save a man who had slipped and fallen at the Lower Falls at Golden Ears Park. Video courtesy @globalnews



Kudos to these young men on their quick thinking and selflessness. pic.twitter.com/XQuX27OH5i



 Sikh Community of BC (@BCSikhs) October 16, 2021
Southwest Airlines said Thursday that recent flight cancelations will cost the company $75 million as it confronts an ongoing labor crunch that has forced it to scale back capacity.

The domestic-focused US carrier canceled more than 2,000 flights earlier this month due to problems with bad weather exacerbated by staffing shortages.

Staffing levels "fell below plan" after Southwest was "aggressive" in ramping up capacity, Chief Executive Gary Kelly said in a statement.

"We have reined in our capacity plans to adjust to the current staffing environment," Kelly said. "We are aggressively hiring to a goal of approximately 5,000 new employees by the end of this year, and we are currently more than halfway toward that goal."

The carrier said it expects $75 million in costs for "customer refunds and gestures of goodwill" after the difficulties earlier this month.

Southwest now expects seat capacity in December to be down eight percent from the 2019 level after previously forecasting a drop of five percent.

The airline said it expects flight loads to be at 80 to 85 percent of their 2019 levels, comparable to other carriers that are escalating service as more economic activity returns.

Southwest reported profits of $446 million in the third quarter, attaining profitability with $763 million in US funds authorized by Congress to support airline jobs enabling the company to avoid a loss.

Shares fell 1.6 percent to $48.68 in late-morning trading.

jum-jmb/mdo
Mouth gargle for collection via registration. (PHOTO: Temasek Foundation)

SINGAPORE  Temasek Foundation is offering every Singapore household a free bottle of mouth gargle, which is effective against a wide range of germs, including those that cause sore throat.

It said in a media release on Thursday (21 October) that the mouth gargle will be distributed in two tracks:

Registration and self-collection: Residents who wish to collect a 250ml bottle on behalf of their households must register online from 15 November to 10 December, using their Singapore Power (SP) residential water bill account. Self-collection will take place from 22 November to 12 December. Should demand exceed expectations, a second round of self-collection may take place after the Chinese New Year season.

Singapore Post delivery: SingPost will deliver an additional small 125ml bottle to each letter box of one- to four-room HDB households, starting from Monday till 19 November. Household members may download the SingPost mobile app to track the delivery status of this additional bottle.

The self-collection method is open to all Singapore residential households with an SP residential water bill account number. Residents may register and collect on behalf of family members and friends, as long as they have their SP residential water bills, and booking confirmation email or WhatsApp message.

This latest initiative follows earlier moves by the Temasek Foundation to distribute free face masks, hand sanitisers, and oximeters for Singapore residents or households.

INFOGRAPHIC: Temasek Foundation

How to use the mouth gargle

The mouth gargle can be used up to four times daily if one feels a sore throat coming, or for general oral hygiene.

The following individuals should consult a doctor before using the mouth gargle: pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, those below six years of age, thoseallergic to povidone-iodine (PVP-I) or iodine products, and those having thyroid issues, or are using products containing mercury.

Consult a doctor immediately if there is any discomfort or allergic reaction when using the mouth gargle, or when the sore throat or other symptoms persist for more than two days.

Story continues

More information on the mouth gargle initiative and other upcoming distributions can be found at the Stay Prepared website or Temasek Foundation Facebook page.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore
Washington  Abortion providers in Texas have found themselves in limbo waiting for a thicket of legal issues raised in challenges to the state's restrictive abortion law to become untangled, as the Supreme Court weighs whether to block its enforcement.

The high court could as soon as Thursday respond to an emergency request from the Justice Department to reinstate a decision from a federal district court judge that paused the law, which bans most abortions in the state. A decision by the Supreme Court halting enforcement of the Texas measure while the legal battle over its constitutionality continues would be a victory for abortion providers, who argue the law deprives women of the constitutional right to an abortion and will force many clinics to close.

But the dispute between the Biden administration and the state of Texas is in the preliminary stages and no court has issued a ruling on the constitutionality of the law yet, raising questions of whether abortion clinics have a chance of getting relief in the near future.

"They are in this limbo," said Jessie Hill, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University who has litigated challenges to state restrictions on reproductive rights. "They can't proceed with abortions beyond six weeks and are living in constant fear now. Even if they're obeying the law, I'm assuming they can only keep going on like this for so long."

FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2021 file photo, people attend the Women's March ATX rally, at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas. A federal judge has ordered Texas to suspend a new law that has banned most abortions in the state since September. The order Wednesday, Oct. 6, by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman freezes for now the strict abortion law known as Senate Bill 8. / Credit: Stephen Spillman / AP

The request from the Justice Department pending before the Supreme Court is providers' "last best chance to get relief for a while," she said.

"We're at this moment where the Supreme Court either acts on this request to put the injunction back in place and things can return to how they were somewhat in Texas, or there's no relief in sight for quite some time," Hill said. "They may prevail ultimately, but it's going to be a while most likely."

The dispute has landed before the justices weeks after the Biden administration filed its lawsuit against Texas in early October, arguing the law was enacted "in open defiance" of the Constitution. The law, the nation's most restrictive, prohibits abortions after embryonic cardiac activity is detected, usually at about six weeks and often before many women are aware that they are pregnant.

Story continues

The Justice Department first asked a federal district in Austin to temporarily block enforcement of the law while legal proceedings continue. The judge there, Robert Pitman, agreed to do so on October 6, writing in a scathing 113-page ruling that women "seeking abortions face irreparable harm when they are unable to access abortions; these individuals are entitled to access to abortions under the U.S. Constitution."

Pitman's order granting the Biden administration's request for a preliminary injunction allowed abortion providers in the state to resume services, albeit the victory for clinics and the Justice Department was brief.

Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Woman's Health, which operates four clinics in Texas, said her organization was prepared for the possibility of a court order that would give providers the green-light to resume abortions.

Clinic staff reached out to women who were past six weeks pregnant and had signed consent forms to see if they wanted to begin satisfying Texas' other requirements to undergo the procedure, which positioned them to be prepared in the event the court halted enforcement of the law.

The other requirements include that a women seeking an abortion must have at least two visits to an abortion provider, first for an ultrasound and then for the procedure. The state also requires patients to wait 24 hours after receiving their ultrasound and required paperwork before having an abortion.

"We prepared our patients as best we could," Hagstrom Miller told CBS News. "Many people are in a wait-and-see, are we going to knock this law down kind of place? While they're waiting, their pregnancies are advancing."

In all, six women got abortions at Whole Woman's Health while Pitman's injunction was in effect, Hagstrom Miller said. Roughly 48 hours after he blocked enforcement of the law, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals froze his decision, reinstating the state's ban on October 8.

Acting in compliance with the law, staff at Whole Woman's Health canceled appointments for patients scheduled for abortions after the 5th Circuit allowed the law to go back into effect.

"Our staff are being put in the position against their will of being agents of the state, and they're having to carry out and enforce the law that's putting them out of a job," Hagstrom Miller said.

The Supreme Court could pause enforcement of the law again, granting the request from the Biden administration to reinstate Pitman's order and clearing the way for abortions after six weeks to resume.

Marc Hearron, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Whole Woman's Health and other providers in a separate challenge to the Texas ban, said if the Supreme Court lifts the stay issued by the 5th Circuit, there will be abortion clinics throughout the state that will begin to provide abortions after six weeks again.

"Whether it will look the same as it did before is hard to say, because even if a clinic makes a decision they're going to start providing again, maybe not every single physician who works in that clinic or every staff member makes that same choice," he said. "It's hard to say exactly what it's going to look like."

The Texas law leaves enforcement to private citizens, who are deputized to file civil lawsuits in state court against anyone who performs an abortion after embryonic activity is detected or "aids or abets" them. If a suit is successful, the plaintiff is entitled to at least $10,000 from the violator.

Because of this enforcement scheme, it's not just clinics who face legal jeopardy.

"It's the physician, the nurses, it's also the staff who works at the front desk," Hearron said. "Every single person has to think about and make that choice for themselves."

The law's enforcement scheme made doctors reluctant to provide abortions when the measure was blocked, as it allows clinics and providers to be sued retroactively for procedures performed even when an injunction was in place, if it is later lifted.

Hagstrom Miller estimated at least six physicians in Texas provided abortions when Pitman's order was in effect, but most opted not to do so because of the potential for retroactive lawsuits.

A decision by the Supreme Court halting enforcement of the law, however, could leave providers more willing to resume abortions.

If the court says in response to the Justice Department's case that the law "is blatantly unconstitutional and we're putting it on hold, people will feel differently about moving forward than" if the court issues a brief, one-paragraph opinion, Hill said.

Meanwhile, clinic staff in Texas have been discussing with patients the option to travel to clinics in neighboring states like Oklahoma or Louisiana for abortions, though that, too, is not without challenges. Clinics in other states have been inundated with women from Texas, Hagstrom Miller said, leading to four-to-six week delays in securing an appointment.

"It's not affecting patients not just in Texas, but in other states who are being delayed their own access," Hearron said. "It's pushing first trimester abortions into second trimester abortions, causing significant delays in multiple states. It's heartbreaking. This really has to come to an end. It's far past time."

Eye Opener: One person is killed, another was wounded after Alec Baldwin's prop firearm discharged on movie set

House votes to hold ex-Trump aide Steve Bannon in criminal contempt

Thousands of migrants expelled to Mexico faced violent attacks, report finds
The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaA severe case of buyers remorse appears to have set in among some conservatives over electing Glenn Youngkin as the next Republican governor of Virginia.Over the past week, outrage has bubbled over among right-wingers and TrumpWorld allies alike, who are under the impression Youngkin has insufficient MAGA loyalty, citing his hiring of an LGBTQ staffer and his refusal to block COVID-related local mandates.The hits started pouring in against the fleece-clad governor-elect earlier
Thousands of Afghan refugees have left their temporary shelters at military installation bases to receive more permanent housing.

With the help of various non-profit organizations, roughly 6,000 Afghan evacuees have left the eight military housing sites, with another 3,000 U.S. citizens, green card holders, and Afghans with close ties to the United States leaving on their own, according to multiple outlets.

MORE THAN 10,000 ACTIVE-DUTY AIRMEN WILL NOT BE VACCINATED BY DEADLINE

There are still more than 55,000 Afghans at military sites in Indiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Virginia, and Wisconsin, and roughly half of them are children, according to CBS News. There are also an additional 5,000 evacuees housed at military bases overseas waiting to come to the U.S.

Flights for Afghans to the U.S. were temporarily halted amid a measles breakout, though they have since restarted. The evacuees have to get the MMR vaccination, and roughly 98% of the evacuees had received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

More than 75,000 evacuees have arrived in the U.S. since the noncombatant evacuation operation began in mid-August, with an overwhelming majority of them (89%) being Afghans. The rest are U.S. citizens or green card holders.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The U.S. military and its coalition allies staged a massive evacuation to help more than 120,000 people leave the country in August, with an overwhelming majority coming in the final two weeks after the Taliban overthrew the U.S.-backed Afghan government.

There were only roughly 6,000 Americans among them, with hundreds remaining behind.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Defense, National Security, Afghanistan, Refugees, department of homeland security, Pentagon, Homeland Security, DHS

Original Author: Mike Brest

Original Location: Thousands of Afghan evacuees leave US military bases for new homes
A trucking company wrongly terminated workers in retaliation for unionizing, a judge ruled. (Brent Wojahn / Oregonian)

Weeks after a group of port truck drivers voted to unionize, they opened their mailboxes to find termination notices from their employer. That letter was a violation of federal labor law, a judge ruled Tuesday in a decision that will reinstate the terminated drivers with back pay and interest.

The drivers worked for Universal Intermodal, an affiliate of Universal Logistics Holdings, which operates several companies that transport freight containers and merchandise flowing through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. They are some of the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere, particularly in recent weeks with a massive supply chain bottleneck causing gridlock at the Port of L.A. The group of about 30 drivers voted to join a local of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Administrative Law Judge Michael A. Rosas found in his ruling that the company was in violation of federal labor law on multiple counts. He said that the company unlawfully interrogated and fired two employees leading union efforts and that once workers at the facility unionized, it slashed their hours, closed the Compton facility where many of them worked, and laid off the unionized workers in order to punish them for organizing.

The company laid off about 70 employees in total from facilities in Compton and Fontana, including workers employed by its Roadrunner and Universal Trucking subsidiaries.

Rosas found in his ruling that the company laid off these other workers to crack down on future union activity by getting rid of all employee drivers who were or could be tainted by the union, and then moving forward with plans to hire new untainted employee drivers days after the layoff, the judge wrote.

Judge Rosas today made clear that the Universal group of companies violated the law at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in a blatant effort to trample on employees fundamental right to form a union, Ron Herrera, the Teamsters port division director, said in a statement. We cannot allow any corporation, no matter how big, to ignore the law, especially as drivers work tirelessly to address the backlog at the ports and supply our community with the goods they need this holiday season.

Story continues

Universal Logistics Holdings did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Universal Logistics labor counsel John Ferrer disputed the allegation that the company closed the Compton facility in response to union activities, writing in a letter referenced in Rosas' ruling that it made the decision to close the facility and lay off port drivers before the unions certification for legitimate business reasons.

Labor costs were not a factor in the decision to close the terminal, Ferrer wrote.

Richard Tatge worked for Universal Logistics at its yard in Fontana for almost two years. The San Bernardino resident connected with the Teamsters in August 2019 and began organizing his co-workers.

At first, he had few complaints with the job, Tatge said in an interview in March. But the longer he worked the more he worried about the precariousness of his position. Grievances piled up. Tatge worked 10- to 14-hour days, the cost of medical insurance ate up a huge chunk of his paycheck and the company failed to cover basic truck maintenance. Tatge said turnover among supervisors was high, making it difficult for them to follow through and fix issues raised by drivers.

It was very much like, If you cant handle the work, you need to leave, Tatge said. We saw that happening, and we knew we didnt have much security in that job.

Workers voted to unionize on Dec. 4, 2019. Two days later, the company decided to close its Compton facility. Drivers workloads were reduced, and shortly after, they received notices of termination.

The laid-off drivers workloads were transferred to contracted truckers, also known as "owner-operators." In late December 2019, the company solicited applications for employee port driver positions at a facility just four miles north of the Compton facility. The company did not offer those positions to laid-off workers, according to the ruling.

Company and union representatives discussed a potential settlement of the unfair labor practice charges, but those discussions crumbled. At one point, the company's director of labor and contractual relations, Michael Vagts, sent a laid-off worker who was asking to be reimbursed for some gas expenses a $250 check along with a signed confidential settlement agreement and general release. The check paystub noted that the payment was for a National Labor Relations Board settlement. The worker did not sign the agreement or cash the check.

A Teamsters organizer wrote to Vagts demanding he cease and desist from engaging directly with workers on a settlement agreement. Not only does this settlement agreement contain illegal provisions, but the attempt to require (a worker) to waive his vast array of rights for $250 is shameful, the organizer wrote. Signing such an agreement would have waived the worker's right to more than seven months of back pay, the judge noted.

Rosas' ruling requires that Universal Logistics recognize the union within two weeks as the bargaining representative of all full-time and regular part-time port drivers working or dispatched out of the company facility in Compton. Universal Logistics is also required to "bargain in good faith with the union regarding wages, hours and working conditions, and if an agreement is reached with the union, sign a document containing that agreement."

The NLRB first charged Universal Logistics back in March with about 20 violations of federal labor law. The case was tried remotely via Zoom video conference in June.

State lawmakers and labor advocates have sought to boost protections for truckers  who are often classified as independent contractors and therefore ineligible for basic labor protections, such as the ability to collectively bargain for wages  and crack down on misclassification of drivers. Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 338, written by state Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), that aims to hold retailers accountable when they contract with trucking companies that have repeatedly engaged in driver misclassification.

Although workers at Universal Logistics sought to join the Teamsters for more comprehensive protections, another freight transportation company, XPO Logistics, filed a petition for an NLRB-administered vote to remove Teamsters representation from the workplace. Teamsters officials voluntarily backed out Wednesday rather than move forward with the vote, according to a news release from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which provided free legal assistance to the petitioners.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Watch: Trump announces plans for new social network 'TRUTH Social'

Trump unveiled his plans to launch a new social media site in 2022 called TRUTH Social.

The app will launch in Apple's App Store to invitees only in November and to the public in 2022.

Trump said he created the app to "stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech."

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his plans to launch his own social media platform, TRUTH Social, according to a press release.

The app, which is available for pre-order in Apple's App Store, will open to invitees in November and to the public in the first quarter of 2022, the release said.

TRUTH Social will be launched by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), a recently created company that's aiming to go public via a merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company.

"I created TRUTH Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech," Trump said in the statement.

Trump's announcement comes after months of speculation about his plans to create his own media operation after nearly every major social media platform - including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube - banned or suspended him for violating their policies.

"We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced," Trump said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday it had set up a special trust fund to provide urgently needed cash directly to Afghans through a system tapping into donor funds frozen since the Taliban takeover in August.

With the local economy "imploding", the aim is to inject liquidity into Afghan households to permit them to survive this winter and remain in their homeland, it said.

Achim Steiner, the U.N. Development Programme's (UNDP) administrator said Germany, a first contributor, had pledged 50 million euros ($58 million) to the fund, and that it was in touch with other donors to mobilise resources.

Some 97% of Afghan households could be living below the poverty line by mid-2022, according to UNDP.

"We have to step in, we have to stabilise a 'people's economy' and in addition to saving lives we also have to save livelihoods," Steiner told a news briefing.

"Because otherwise we will confront indeed a scenario through this winter and into next year where millions and millions of Afghans are simply unable to stay on their land, in their homes, in their villages and survive," he said.

The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday that Afghanistan's economy was set to contract up to 30% this year and this was likely to further fuel a refugee crisis that would affect neighbouring countries, Turkey and Europe.

The Taliban takeover saw billions in central bank assets frozen and international financial institutions suspend access to funds, although humanitarian aid has continued. Banks are running out of money, civil servants have not been paid and food prices have soared.

Steiner said the challenge was to repurpose donor funds already earmarked for Afghanistan, where the Taliban, the de facto authorities, are not recognised internationally. The fund allows the international community to be "confident enough that these funds are not meant as government-to-government funding", he said.

Story continues

VIRTUALLY NO LOCAL CASH

The U.N. has discussed the programmes with the Taliban, he said, noting that 80% of the micro-businesses being helped were led by women.

"Our greatest challenge right now is that there is a economy in which there is virtually no domestic currency in circulation," Steiner said, adding that the U.N. wanted to avoid foreign currencies dominating, which would undermine the economy.

"Our intent is to find ways very quickly in which we can convert international support into local currency in order to be able to stimulate local markets, local livelihoods. This is how you keep an economy alive," he said.

Kanni Wignaraja, director of UNDP's regional bureau for the Asia Pacific, said that cash would be provided to Afghan workers in public works programmes, such as drought and flood control programmes, and grants given to micro-enterprises. Temporary basic income would be paid to the vulnerable elderly and disabled, she said.

The UNDP had costed activities to be covered over the first 12 months at approximately $667 million, she said.

($1 = 0.8591 euros)

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, William Maclean and Alex Richardson)
The al Tanf military base in Syria. AP Photo/Lolita Baldor

A coordinated attack was carried out Wednesday against al Tanf, a small U.S. military base in Syria near the border with Jordan, U.S. officials said.

The assault involved "at a minimum" drones and either mortar or rocket fire, a U.S. official told ABC News. No deaths or injuries have been reported.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iraqi security officials told ABC News it involved five booby-trapped drones, which are often used by Iranian-backed militias operating in the region.

There are about 1,000 U.S. troops still in Syria as part of efforts to keep the Islamic State from taking back territory. There is a 35-mile buffer zone around the base, as there are Russian and Syrian government troops in the surrounding area.

You may also like

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry indicted on charges of lying to federal investigators

Assaults against law enforcement officers rose in 2020

The American 'Great Resignation' by the numbers
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Thursday it would phase out its Digital Services Tax on U.S. tech giants such as Google and Facebook once a global reform to corporate taxation takes effect in 2023, averting the threat of tariffs from the United States.

"We have agreed a way forward on how we transition from our Digital Services Tax to the newly agreed global tax system," finance minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.

"This agreement means that our Digital Services Tax is protected as we move to 2023, so its revenue can continue to fund vital public services," he added.

Austria, Britain, France, Italy, Spain and the United States reached an agreement on Thursday on the transition from national digital services taxes contested by Washington to a new global tax deal.

The agreement was reached after nearly 140 countries struck a deal earlier this month on new rules for international corporate taxation.

Britain introduced its digital services tax in April 2020, levied at 2% of the gross revenue large digital companies derived from users in the country.

Britain's finance ministry said the Digital Services Tax paid after January 2022 will be credited against future British corporation tax bills if it exceeds the amount payable under new global rules agreed via the OECD.

(Reporting by David Milliken and Paul Sandle, editing by Andy Bruce and Hugh Lawson)
By Lawrence White and Iain Withers

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain should legislate to stop scam adverts online, to help combat a surge in fraud attacks on consumers, regulators and lawmakers said on Thursday.

The Financial Conduct Authority said paid-for advertising promoting scams should be included in the government's planned Online Safety Bill, which currently only covers user-generated content.

The watchdog said fraud should be classed as 'priority' illegal content, requiring online platforms such as Google and Facebook to monitor and take preventative action.

Mel Stride, head of parliament's powerful Treasury committee, echoed the call in an interview with Reuters.

"The committee is deeply disappointed that some of these online platforms are just continuing to take advertising pounds from individuals and scammers without enough due diligence," Stride said.

There is growing alarm among lawmakers, banks and consumer groups about a fraud epidemic in Britain, after criminals stole a record 754 million pounds ($1 billion) through scams in the first six months of 2021.

Stride said the committee's ongoing inquiry into fraud in the UK would include recommendations on toughening up laws to police online platforms' "culpability and responsibilities".

"We're in the absurd situation where Google has been paid by the FCA for advertisements, trying to warn people off various advertisements that are appearing on their site, to the tune of about 600,000 pounds in the last year," Stride said.

Google began prohibiting investment ads that are not FCA-authorised from Sept. 6 this year and has previously said it offered the FCA $1.5 million in advertising credits for fraud awareness campaigns.

The FCA made its recommendation as part of its so-called "perimeter report", an annual review of its remit.

The watchdog also repeated its call to close loopholes in rules that currently allow high-risk investments to be promoted to consumers.

Story continues

"We see real risks to consumers from outside our remit from both online advertising and from those using exemptions to sell products to ordinary customers," said Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive of the FCA.

"Change is needed and we will continue to push for powers where we need them."

($1 = 0.7248 pounds)

(Reporting by Lawrence White and Iain Withers, Editing by Hugh Lawson)
US President Joe Biden's nominee for ambassador to China took a tough line toward the Asian giant at a confirmation hearing on Wednesday, citing its "genocide in Xinjiang" and the need to better support Taiwan and countries such as Australia and Lithuania subjected to "bullying" and "intimidation campaigns".

Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, career diplomat Nicholas Burns added that China has weaknesses that the United States can use to its advantage, including demographics and the growing global pushback over its behaviour.

"China is not an Olympian power ... They have enormous strengths. They have very few friends. They have no real allies," said Burns, 65, contrasting that with Washington's 29 allies and numerous treaty partners.

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.

"We're a strong country. We should be confident, for our values and our interests, and we can stand up to the Chinese. But our allies and partners can help to do that so that there's real weight and leverage."

Burns added, however, that he hoped the two powers could find common ground on climate change, global health and nuclear non-proliferation. He also underscored the importance of better direct communication so the US does not end up "being sleepwalkers into a conflict with China".

The two-hour hearing underscored Washington's tough bipartisan view toward China as senators from both parties voiced shared concern over China's growing military, political, economic and even cultural footprint.

"If confirmed, you'll have a monumental task before you," said New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez, the committee chairman. "You'll need to be clear eyed about Beijing's intentions and actions, and play a key role in calibrating this administration's still emerging policy strategy regarding China."

Story continues

Burns, who provided detailed responses to mostly friendly questioning backed by his four decades in diplomacy, said Taiwan remains a central challenge.

The US cannot trust China given how Beijing has reneged on the "one nation, two systems" framework for Hong Kong, he said, adding that Washington has "enormous latitude" to deepen its security assistance to Taiwan.

"The administration and Congress together on a bipartisan basis should help Taiwan to maintain a self-defence capability," Burns told senators, noting the incursions of 149 Chinese fighter jets into Taiwan's air defence zone earlier this month. "Our responsibility is to make Taiwan a tough nut to crack, help it increase its asymmetric defences."

But Burns, a former US ambassador to Nato and Greece, added that the best way to stave off conflict was still to adhere to long-standing Taiwan policy, including the one-China policy.

Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, speaks during a confirmation hearing for US ambassador to China nominee Nicholas Burns on Wednesday. Photo: Bloomberg alt=Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, speaks during a confirmation hearing for US ambassador to China nominee Nicholas Burns on Wednesday. Photo: Bloomberg

The hearing on Wednesday came amid a serious administration backlog in putting its ambassadors in place, partly blamed on delay tactics by Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

Critics say the unfilled ranks have undercut Biden's ability to shore up alliances, confront adversaries and further its global agenda.

Burns is not expected to face much opposition, with a vote seen as early as next week. The committee also held hearings Wednesday for former Obama administration chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to be ambassador to Japan and entrepreneur Jonathan Eric Kaplan for ambassador to Singapore.

The best strategy against an authoritarian China is to work more closely with allies and partners, said Burns, echoing a central part of administration policy. While Japan is "stiffening" and Australia is "rock solid", a more divided Europe is moving in the right direction in better understanding the threats, he said.

These include alleged intellectual property theft, predatory pricing, state-directed trade and alleged human rights violations in Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang. Up to 1 million Uygurs have reportedly been held in detention camps in far western China; Beijing has denied any human rights violations, claiming these are vocational training centres.

Burns said the administration's 15 sanctions or executive orders to limit China's global influence - despite its 275 embassies and consulates around the world compared with 273 for the US - were an effective approach.

Burns said pressuring China to adhere to its commitments under the phase one trade deal was the "first order of business on trade" with China.

In late September, the Peterson Institute for International Economics reported that China was on pace to fall about 30 per cent short of US goods it promised to buy in 2021.

Growing coordination between Beijing and Moscow is also a concern, added Burns, currently a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, but that Russia should be wary given its sparse eastern population.

"There are three or 400 million Chinese living below them. Russians are going to have to worry, long term, about economic domination of Russia by China," he said, as well as Beijing's growing arsenal of nuclear weapons in western China and recent testing of a hypersonic missile.

"What I think has to bother all of us is the attitude of the Chinese government. They don't believe that they should be constrained in any way, shape or form by arms control," said Burns, who served as undersecretary of state for political affairs from 2005 to 2008. "China's the greatest threat to the security of our country. And the democratic world."

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.
People shelter from a storm passing over downtown Los Angeles at their encampment along an offramp to the 110 Freeway in 2019. The L.A. City Council on Wednesday approved a ban on camping at certain locations. (Richard Vogel / Associated Press)

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a ban on camping at certain locations, in the first use of new laws that passed over the summer.

In a 12-2 vote, the council outlawed sitting, sleeping and lying at 54 locations in three of its districts. Amid contentious debate over the summer, the council enacted new rules regulating sitting, sleeping and storing property near fire hydrants, building entrances, driveways, libraries, parks, elementary schools and several other locations.

The council also asked that resources for outreach to homeless people in these locations be expanded and for city departments to draft new procedures to ensure people sleeping on the sidewalk aren't forced to move without proper notice. Though the new procedures have been drafted, the city has yet to hire the staff to provide more outreach to accompany the new rules.

That worried several council members, who said their colleagues were rushing the process and should wait until there were more resources to help people.

"I am certain that a lot of work has been done, but it still isn't to the level of what we committed to as a body," said Councilman Mike Bonin, who helped engineer the removal of campers from Venice Beach over the summer.

The passage of the resolutions comes at a time when elected officials are reckoning with the growth of large encampments during the pandemic and attempting to balance the anger of housed constituents with a need to create more permanent and interim housing options for people who often have nowhere to go but the street.

Large encampments at Echo Park Lake, the Venice boardwalk and MacArthur Park, and the varying ways they've been cleared, have dominated headlines as the city enters a political season in which homelessness will be the top issue on the minds of voters. For many council members, using the new laws to remove encampments is also about showing voters that they're responding to their needs and keeping sidewalks clean and clear.

Story continues

Along with Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who opposed the anti-camping rules, Bonin voted against the motion to ban camping at locations in the districts of Councilmen Paul Krekorian, Joe Buscaino and Bob Blumenfield. The three members had submitted resolutions a month ago giving specific locations where they'd like to see signs posted telling people where it's prohibited to pitch a tent.

"Why did we set up this whole system if we were just going to authorize the posting of signs before we've done all the work?" Bonin asked.

He credited some members, including Blumenfield, for doing ample outreach in their districts but said this was still a cart-before-the-horse approach. Now that the resolutions have passed, there will be a 14-day period after the signs are posted during which "outreach teams will continue to engage anyone remaining on the site," according to a city report about the process. It's unclear whether all the steps of this process have been followed to this point.

The total cost for signage at the proposed locations could be close to $2 million as more locations are approved in the coming weeks and months, according to city documents.

The 54 locations approved Wednesday are fewer than half of those under consideration. City officials cited staffing issues and material shortages as two of several reasons why it may take a substantial amount of time to make all the signs.

Other members have been enthusiastic about this process. They say it would limit the involvement of law enforcement, require 14 days' notice that camping is barred in a particular location and seek to have homeless people comply voluntarily. They also believe that it would help Angelenos regain public spaces occupied by tents, furniture or other possessions.

Blumenfield spoke Wednesday about the locations where he's seeking to ban sleeping. Nearly all are underpasses beneath the 101 Freeway in his west San Fernando Valley district. Blumenfield said the underpasses are the only connection between residential areas of his district and streets with shops and restaurants.

Blumenfield said he regularly heard from residents who complained about having to walk in traffic just to navigate the encampments. So over the last year, he's focused on creating more shelter space in his district, which he acknowledges has the fewest homeless people in the city. People took outreach workers up on offers of housing or shelter, he said.

Now, with the exception of one underpass, the streets are clear. He wants to keep it that way.

"I have fewer homeless people in my district than anyone here, but it's still the No. 1 issue," he said. "We're trying to do everything we can to get folks served, to get them housed but also to keep our communities safe and clean and to make sure that dangerous and critical corridors are  not subject to encampments."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday dismissed European Union plans to tackle climate change as a "utopian fantasy", and suggested green measures were pushing up energy costs in Europe.

"Raising the prices, having a new regulation, rocketing the prices to the sky, destroying the middle class," Orban said, referring to proposed EU climate measures, on his arrival to a summit of EU leaders.

"Common sense on one side and fantasy on the other one. And utopian fantasy kills us - that's the problem with energy prices as well."

Analysts and the European Commission have said the main driver of high electricity costs in Europe has been soaring gas prices, while the EU carbon market has contributed up to a fifth of the power price rise. Brussels has proposed a package of new climate policies, which EU countries will need to negotiate and approve before they take effect.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett, Marine Strauss)
A pre-COP26 school strike in Milan, Italy. (PA Images)

What is COP26 and what does it stand for?

COP26 is the forthcoming UN climate change conference. Its name stands for "Conference of the Parties 26", with the "26" referring to the conference's 26th meeting.

World leaders will come together at COP26 in Glasgow to discuss what action they can take to tackle climate change and help protect the environment.

The conference, which usually takes place yearly, has often been criticised for failing to achieve significant enough outcomes when it comes to addressing the climate crisis.

When and where will COP26 take place?

COP26 will run from Sunday, 31 October, until Friday, 12 November, in Glasgow.

It was due to be held last year, but was delayed due to the COVID pandemic.

Glasgow has pledged to plant 18 million trees in preparation for the summit.

The Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, which will host COP26. (PA Images)

Whos going to COP26?

Representatives of nearly 200 countries around the world will meet at COP26, including the Queen and senior members of the Royal Family who will attend a series of events.

The UK is the host nation and the president of the conference is former business secretary Alok Sharma.

Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental activist who gained international recognition for calling out world leaders for not doing enough to stop climate change, will also be present.

Record-breaking wildfires in the US in 2020 turned the sky orange over San Francisco. (Getty Images)

In total, it is expected around 25,000 people will attend the conference  from international politicians, to journalists, to experts.

However, how successful the summit will be has been thrown into question after reports that leaders of two of the world's biggest polluters  China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin  are set not attend at all.

The Pope, who was due to attend, has also announced he will not be travelling to Glasgow.

Why is COP26 important?

COP26 is an opportunity for world leaders to come together and commit to meaningful action on the existential threat of climate change.

The consequences of climate change become more stark over recent years due to an increasing number of extreme weather events  including record-breaking heat waves, more powerful hurricanes and catastrophic flooding.

Story continues

At present, without action, climate models place the trajectory for the planet by 2100 to between 3C to 4C of warming.

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China are among those who have signalled they may not attend COP26. (PA Images)

A rise of that magnitude would cause mass extinctions, mass human migration from countries closer to the equator as farmland turns to desert and temperatures rise to uninhabitable levels, and countries in areas like the South Pacific disappearing entirely.

What is the Paris Agreement?

In 2015, 196 countries for the first time committed to a legally binding international treaty on climate change that came into force in late 2016.

The agreement seeks to stop global warming going above 2C, and aims for a goal of 1.5C  with a commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by the middle of this century.

Boris Johnson has described COP26 as a 'turning point for the world'. (PA Images)

It also seeks to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change, as well as bringing economies and societies towards low greenhouse emissions.

To achieve these goals, it pledges to reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases produced, increase the use of renewable energy, and spend $100bn a year in climate finance to help poorer countries by 2020.

However, analysis has shown that countries have fallen around $20bn short of the pledge.

The Paris Agreement was put in jeopardy in 2019 after Donald Trump took the US, one of the world's biggest polluters, out of the treaty. However, Joe Biden's administration quickly re-entered it in 2021.

Will there be any protests?

On the 6 November  a Saturday  there will be marches in Glasgow and London organised by the COP26 Coalition.

In Glasgow, the crowd will assemble at midday at Kelvingrove Park, before marching to Glasgow Green for a rally at 3pm.

In central London, the march will set off from outside the Bank of England, ending with a rally at Trafalgar Square.

There will be satellite demonstrations in Nottingham, Chichester, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, Oxford, Newcastle, Leeds, Truro, Swansea, Sheffield, Birmingham and Plymouth.

Will COP26 achieve anything?

Many of those attending the conference are optimistic that it will achieve meaningful change and get the world on track to 1.5C of global warming.

Boris Johnson has described the event as a "turning point for the world".

We go through a period of glorious indifference about the world, we have been through that, we have been through our childhood, if you like," the PM said.

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg speaks in Turin, Italy, in December 2019. (Pacific Press/Sipa USA)

We have now got to realise this is a problem that requires grip and there are changes we are going to have to make.

"But people should be optimistic because we can make these changes whilst encouraging the creation of literally millions of high-wage, high-skilled jobs."

However, climate activists like Thunberg have questioned whether anything will be achieved at all, saying it is unlikely there will be "big changes".

And with leaders like president Xi of China, the world's biggest polluter, potentially skipping the summit, there is likely be an air of pessimism around the event.

Watch: What is COP26 and how will it affect the future of climate change?
We would also use any of the new branding materials in courting candidates that are not from the area who want to learn more about our Lynchburg community, he said in an email to The News & Advance. I think this new look/feel brand gives us a fresher image and take on our community. Given that well over half of Centras workforce are Millennials & Gen Zers, this new brand makes it easier to sell our community and show the diversity in the area.

Dennis Marcinik, general manager of The Virginian Hotel, said Lynchburg, like many small- to medium-sized cities, needed to have some sort of a compelling and appealing branding and marketing campaign that was up to date.

Its about Lynchburg making a statement beyond the region that were inclusive and progressive, he said. We are an attractive city to come see a show at the Academy, to stay at the Virginian, to eat at our restaurants, to go to our community market and visit our local independent businesses downtown.

He said he hopes the rebranding will help make downtown more appealing not only to guests visiting but also to residents who might have a dated perception of what the city was 10 to 15 years ago.

Every town our size thats trying to reinvent itself, needs to make sure that its telling the story in words and pictures of what many people probably dont understand about that community and I think this marketing campaign does it very well, he said.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
The operator of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea said Thursday that it will extend the operating hours of the theme parks, beginning next month, and resume the Dreamlights nighttime parade in Disneyland on Nov. 1.

Oriental Land Co. made the announcement after the government of Chiba Prefecture, which hosts the theme parks, decided the previous day to remove its COVID-19 restrictions on commercial facilities, in light of a decline in the number of new infections.

The theme parks, located in the city of Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, are currently open between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Starting Nov. 1, Tokyo Disneyland will be open between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. and Tokyo DisneySea between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The nighttime electrical parade, meanwhile, has not been held since late February 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19. ...continue reading
Jake Gyllenhaal is one of our best actors; a national treasure, if you will. Hes not afraid to take risks, and he has chosen a variety of roles in which hes a standout, including mainstream fare like Source Code (2011) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019); critically acclaimed indies, such as Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Nightcrawler (2014); and even cult favorites, such as Donnie Darko (2001). (Its one of my favorites.) If hes in a film, chances are high Ill check it out.

Gyllenhaal has a new film, Guilty, on Netflix. Based on the Danish film Den Skyldige, adapted by True Detective writer Nic Pizzolatto, and directed by Antoine Fuqua, the crime/drama/thriller was filmed over 11 days last October, during the second wave of COVID. According to an interview with Gyllenhaal, a few days before they were supposed to start shooting, Fuqua had been in close contact with a person who had tested positive for COVID, so he directed the entire film in a trailer down the block from the production. After shooting, Gyllenhaal would appear on the balcony of the set and shout to Fuqua down below about how production was going. Great story.
You folks are hard-working folks. You provide a tremendous product. Its one Americans rely on, Vilsack told the striking workers. Its important, necessary for these issues to get resolved in a way thats fair and equitable to all of you.  I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I havent forgotten you.

Vilsack told the striking workers and reporters that UAW was a critical supporter of his first gubernatorial campaign, in 1998. He said the union supported him even when he was struggling in that campaign.

The UAW was with me from the get-go. You dont forget the people that were with you, Vilsack. The UAW is important to me, I sincerely hope that they get these things this resolved as quickly as possible and as fairly as possible.

In early negotiations, Deeres initial offer would have raised wages by roughly 5% over the life of the contract while also limiting retirement benefits for workers hired after the contract was ratified.

Deere workers said that offer was unacceptable, especially considering the companys record-high profits over the past year. For the 2020 fiscal year, Deere & Co.s net income totaled $2.75 billion, according to the company.

The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Peterson said its important to be prepared before the flood, during the flood and after a flood.

That comes along with the financial resources team, and overall, getting ready to go combat (the flood), he said. Again its hard, you have to be fiscally responsible, but I think there does have to be dollars put towards.

There needs to be policies and procedures to be prepared for situations like this, he said.

We cant put it on the back burner because we never know when these things are going to happen, he said.

If elected he wants a team to make sure the city is prepared, because the city needs to prepared for the best and worst outcomes, Peterson said.

Danielsen said the biggest thing is being proactive and having committees in place to go over the worst possible scenarios and having plans for those situations.

I dont want to be reactive, I want to be proactive and have programs in place that are set up for every situation, she said.

An idea Danielsen has is having different groups cover different districts and having little committees throughout the city to make sure there are specific plans in specific areas.
The Council Bluffs Fire Department will once again hold its annual Fill the Boot fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association this weekend.

The event, cancelled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will run from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday at the intersection of 32nd Avenue and Manawa Centre Drive, according to Firefighter John Sauser. Firefighters carrying boots will be in that area asking motorists to drop in their donations for MDA.

Fill the Boot is normally held over Labor Day weekend, but circumstances caused it to be postponed, Sauser said. There was road work going on at the former railroad crossing on 32nd Avenue.

Other fire departments around the country do it throughout the year, he said.

The pandemic has wiped out many fundraisers and devastated the MDA, Sauser said.

From 2019 to 2020, MDA had a 90% decrease in fundraisers, and obviously the International Association of Fire Fighters has been partners with MDA for 68 years now.
You folks are hard-working folks. You provide a tremendous product. Its one Americans rely on, Vilsack told the striking workers. Its important, necessary for these issues to get resolved in a way thats fair and equitable to all of you.  I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I havent forgotten you.

Vilsack told the striking workers and reporters that UAW was a critical supporter of his first gubernatorial campaign, in 1998. He said the union supported him even when he was struggling in that campaign.

The UAW was with me from the get-go. You dont forget the people that were with you, Vilsack. The UAW is important to me, I sincerely hope that they get these things this resolved as quickly as possible and as fairly as possible.

In early negotiations, Deeres initial offer would have raised wages by roughly 5% over the life of the contract while also limiting retirement benefits for workers hired after the contract was ratified.

Deere workers said that offer was unacceptable, especially considering the companys record-high profits over the past year. For the 2020 fiscal year, Deere & Co.s net income totaled $2.75 billion, according to the company.
He wants to use his background and experience in health care to break that cycle of loss service so that we can then begin the cycle of growing.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Hurst is one of five Democrats seeking state partys nomination to face Grassley, who is seeking an eighth Senate term. The others are former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids, farmer and former county supervisor Dave Muhlbauer of Manning, retired admiral Michael Franken of Sioux City, and veterans advocate Bob Krause of Burlington.

Hurst is optimistic Democrats  and all Iowans  will benefits from a robust primary contest focused on nominating a candidate who can attract and motivate voters rather than winning the backing of national party leaders.

The last three election cycles have shown Democrats how not to defeat Grassley, Hurst said. Trying to make ourselves look more like Chuck Grassley, or whoever it was we were running against right, trying to make ourselves look palatable, that is not the way to win a race in Iowa, he said.
He also ordered the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development to examine other properties not owed by the state, such as private or locally owned parcels, that could also be used for storage, though he didnt give a timeline for that review.

Newsom's order is a start, Haik said, but he urged the governor to also allow cities to make it easier to change zoning rules. The city has identified several port-owned plots that could be quickly paved and transformed into storage sites if not for existing red tape, he said.

The lots are quite small. But if you could pull together 10 or 12 lots, and put 40 containers on each of them, thats 500 containers, Haik said. Thats some serious relief.

More relief could come by diverting cargo ship traffic to the Port of Oakland. Mayor Libby Schaaf told KRON-TV on Wednesday that her city's port has unused capacity right now" and Oakland can take some of those ships off your hands, L.A.
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.
Paul Iversen, staff at the University of Iowa's Labor Center, said it is unusual to see an injunction ban fire barrels and chairs. Typically, items that are banned have to be "disruptive" and "intimidating."
I think as our year started it just became apparent that we really do need to stop and pause, especially our upperclassmen, Buscher said. Our seniors are making a lot of tough decisions right now. Theyre looking at college  Do I not go to college; do I go to a trade school? Theyre dealing with rejection, theyre dealing with anxiety of leaving home and all these things.

The district thought it would be good just to take a day and pause.

(We wanted to) give the students a chance to reset themselves, learn about mental health, understand that its OK to not be OK, Buscher said. Also, with our breakout sessions, we gave them a chance to focus on a topic that maybe had been bothering them.

The topics in the breakout sessions throughout the morning covered anxiety, how to deal with conflict and how to handle rejection.

I think theres still a lot of fear, Buscher said. I think theres a lot of confusion that has perpetuated anxiety in kids.

Buscher said there are programs for teachers and staff, but she felt there needed to be something for the students as well.
Neither the executive branch nor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have adequately answered the questions that are repeatedly asked. If the vaccine is effective, why the need for quick-turnaround booster shots? Will those booster shots be also mandated in the future? Why have reputable studies on natural immunity by Israel, the Cleveland Clinic, etc., been ignored by the CDC? Can citizens be blamed for not trusting a government when their own personal, family and friends experiences have not matched the dire warnings of the CDC? Finally, if the vaccine is so successful, why not just recommend the vaccine to those that the medical science community has determined are most susceptible to serious health issues and even death? Americans are not an ignorant people, nor are they sheep. They just want to hear the truth.
Jair Bolsonaro holds a hydroxychloroquine box in September 2020. Photo: Sergio Lima/AFP via Getty Images

A Brazilian Senate committee investigating Jair Bolsonaros response to COVID-19 has recommended in a report that the president face charges of crimes against humanity for his failure to stop the spread of the pandemic, which has killed over 600,000 Brazilians.

For the past six months, a committee of lawmakers has investigated the Brazilian governments coronavirus measures, finding that the Bolsonaro administration chose to act in a nontechnical and reckless manner in an effort to achieve herd immunity. The report blames Bolsonaros encouragement of mass gatherings, his vaccine and mask skepticism, and his failure to secure vaccine doses as the cause for roughly half of the nations death toll  the largest of any country behind the U.S. Lawmakers also found that the administration failed to deliver on vaccine distributions for months because it was ignoring emails from Pfizer, choosing instead to overpay for an unapproved vaccine from India in a deal that was eventually canceled due to concerns about kickbacks. An advocate for hydroxychloroquine long after it was proven ineffective, Bolsonaro posted a video last year in which he took the anti-malarial after testing positive for COVID; he has since tested positive for the virus two more times and remains unvaccinated.

I am personally convinced that he is responsible for escalating the slaughter, Senator Renan Calheiros, the head of the committee, told the New York Times. The report also encourages charges against 69 other government officials and figures, including Bolsonaros eldest sons, who are all elected officials. Bolsonaros oldest son, Flavio, was on the 11-member investigatory committee, which voted on October 26 to formally recommend that the Brazilian prosecutor general Augusto Aras file the charges. Aras is an ally and appointee of the president, so its quite unlikely that Bolsonaro actually face charges for mismanaging the pandemic.

On the day that the Senate recommended Bolsonaro face crimes against humanity, he received another recognition for his first-term performance: an endorsement in the 2022 race from fellow COVID-downplayer Donald Trump.

This post has been updated.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer. Photos: Getty Images

The general-election season in New York this year has been pretty quiet, with Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa on the streets recording videos making fun of the current mayor and Democratic nominee Eric Adams enjoying a little downtime before he most likely becomes the citys 110th mayor. But with less than two weeks until Election Day, a ritual appeared from the old days when general elections, not the Democratic primary, really meant something to the November outcome: On Wednesday night, the candidates appeared onstage at 30 Rock for an hour of debate, name-slinging, and beret-wearing. Below are highlights from the relatively well-behaved event, considering the candidates comfort with conflict.

A disagreement on vaccine mandates

On several policies  including ending the practice of carriage horses in Central Park and maintaining the Gifted and Talented programs that Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to close  the Brooklyn borough president and the Guardian Angels founder agreed on broad strokes. But the candidates separated themselves considerably on the stiff vaccine mandate announced Wednesday requiring all municipal workers to be vaccinated by October 29. While Adams said that de Blasios decision on the matter was correct, he added that he would have conferred more directly with union leaders. (Roughly 69 percent of the NYPD and 60 percent of the FDNY is vaccinated.) Sliwa opposed the mandate outright, saying that we dont have enough police officers as it is.

An issue of trust

On two different occasions, moderators asked Sliwa about problems with his reliability: Why should voters trust a pro-cop vigilante to support the NYPD over a former police captain, and why should they trust him at all, considering his lies about Guardian Angel exploits in the early 1980s? For the first question, Sliwa cited the fact that he was the only candidate onstage who has explicitly planned to hire more police officers. As for the false heroics, Sliwa said that he was immature at the age of 25 and regretted staging crimes for the Guardian Angels to solve. He then quickly pivoted to making fun of Adams for hanging out in the suites with the elites and TikTok girls. For his part, Adams  pretty much whenever he was faced with an ad hominem attack  referred back to Sliwas history of made-up crimes so he could be popular.

Adams still wont say how often he sleeps at his own home

One of the more peculiar and persistent critiques of the Democratic candidate is his opaque answers when asked about where he actually lives. On Wednesday night, he refused to directly answer when asked how many times in the past six months he had stayed at the Bed-Stuy apartment that he claims is his primary residence. I dont jot down the number of days Im there, but thats where I lay down my head, Adams said, adding that on occasion he puts my foot up at the desk at his office at Brooklyn Borough Hall, where he moved in at the beginning of the pandemic.

A telling difference in tone

While Eric Adams was one of the candidates more likely to seek out discord during the primary debates, he was quite restrained onstage Wednesday  a change in demeanor that almost certainly has to do with the seven-to-one advantage he enjoys in registered voters by party. As Sliwa made fun of him, went long on time, and criticized the Democrats summer vacation  Who goes to Monaco?  Adams mostly kept his answers short and his tone congenial. But on occasion he did strike back, saying that Sliwa makes up things like he made up his crimes. And when asked if he cared to respond to a direct attack from the Republican, Adams declined, saying that he was there speaking to New Yorkers, not speaking to buffoonery.
Photo: Dana Scruggs

Larry Ray arrived in a federal courtroom Tuesday wearing the standard khaki shirt and pants issued to inmates awaiting trial. He glanced at his girlfriend and co-defendant, Isabella Pollock, who was sitting toward the back of the courtroom, and seated his imposing body down between his attorneys. It was the first time Id seen Ray since February 2020, after he was arrested and charged with a slew of crimes because of a New York Magazine article Ezra Marcus and I wrote about him. We detailed how Ray had spent years psychologically and sexually abusing his daughters friends, some of whom hed met while living in his daughters dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College. I had interviewed Ray at length for the story, and, as I sat ten feet away from him, I wondered whether he would recognize me through my mask if he turned around. But he never did.

Ray is scheduled to stand trial in February on racketeering, money laundering, forced labor, and sex-trafficking charges. The 61-year-old is accused of sexually grooming, in the words of prosecutors, his daughters friends, with whom he lived on and off for years, and coercing at least one them into sex work and taking her earnings. Tuesdays court hearing was, in part, to address whether Rays defense team might subpoena the medical files of his alleged victims, including records from family-therapy sessions.

When I tell people that I spent a considerable amount of time with Larry, as I knew him back then, they almost always ask some version of the question Did you see his appeal? The simple answer is no. By the time we met, I was well acquainted with Larrys tricks, though I gleaned traces of his charisma. He exuded a particular kind of tristate-area machismo that was tempered by a surprising politeness. For example, he seemed genuinely concerned when I told him a loved one was scheduled to have surgery and was sure to follow up the next day. He also played up his contradictions. A supposed Marine who bragged about reading Marcus Aurelius, a man who worshipped law enforcement but railed against the Man, a salt-of-the-earth Jersey boy who had stories to tell about Mikhail Gorbachev, Robert De Niro, Rudy Giuliani, and Mario Cuomo as well as seemingly every shady figure who had passed through the Lincoln Tunnel in the 1990s. I understand why these contradictions may have felt outre to college sophomores. He appealed to them because he offered fatherly guidance, free steak dinners, and tales of adventure. Larry was proof that life beyond their liberal-arts campus could be exhilarating.

On a March afternoon in 2019, I sat down for a day of writing when my phone started vibrating. Blocked, read the caller ID. I had been reporting on Larry for months (and Ezra had done so for even longer), but had not yet reached out to him. A paranoid conspiracy theorist, Larry was exactly the type of person who would call from a blocked number. I answered. I hear youve been asking people about me, he said in the same voice Id heard in a now-deleted video Larry had posted to YouTube. In the video, Larry interrogates Claudia, one of his daughters roommates, drawing a false confession out of her for poisoning him. Now, the same voice  nasal, slow, withdrawn  was in my ear. I heard that Ezra was doing a story about me being a cult leader, he said, laughing as if it was an absurd premise.

Over the next month, I spent about 12 hours talking to Larry, interviewing him twice in person. The experience was unsettling and, as someone who had spent months learning how he had earned his daughters friends trust only to manipulate them and their families for money and pleasure, unfulfilling. Larry was nearly impenetrable. Hopped up on amphetamines, he strung together hours of unintelligible ramblings that always circled back to an elaborate conspiracy theory against him involving former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik brainwashing his daughters roommates to poison him. He regularly cut me off as I was asking a question to offer clauses littered with indefinite pronouns that added up to nothing. When I could decipher his non sequiturs, they often amounted to vague attacks on people from his past. I assumed he was trying to discredit potential sources: family members, ex-girlfriends, attorneys, his former followers, former friends, and a former landlord. These people were unreliable, liars, mentally unstable, or agents of Kerik.

Late in our reporting, Ezra and I obtained a psychological evaluation of Larry conducted during a 2005 child-custody battle with his ex-wife. If [Larry] did not wish to answer a question, he would never overtly refuse, it read. Getting a straight answer from Larry was like trying to catch a feather in a hurricane. Whether on the phone or in person, he obfuscated and deflected. Well get to that, was a common response. What do you think? was another. Ezra had heard a story about Larry working an undercover operation for the FBI (or was it the CIA? Or the Defense Intelligence Agency?) on a yacht in New York Harbor. It was a tantalizing lead that seemed far-fetched, but with Larry you never really knew what was real and what was fake. When I asked Larry about it, he paused for a long time and responded, What kind of yacht? Another time, I asked Larry how hed met Gorbachevs interpreter. Larrys response: On foot.

Id read court transcripts dating back to a 2000 case in which Larry pleaded guilty to securities fraud in a mob-connected stock pump-and-dump scheme. At his sentencing hearing, Larrys attorney argued that his client was a scientific oddity and a medical mystery whose preposterous and indeed unexplainable behavior in court was a result of brain fog. Each time we ended our conversations, I was left wondering if Larry really did have brain fog or if there was some engineering behind all of the dross, drawing out our conversations, dodging every question I asked him, in an effort to manipulate me.

His power and control are exhibited through the process of wearing down the other person to the point of sheer exhaustion, where one must acknowledge that he has no control over the situation. But Mr. Ray has the control, the psychologist wrote in a description that perfectly correlated with my own experience. He is able to manipulate and control almost any situation in which he finds himself  Mr. Ray is very good at what he does.

Daniel Barban Levin, one of the victims Larry met at Sarah Lawrence and who recently wrote a book about his experience, once told us that the most dangerous thing someone can be around Larry is polite. That analysis resonated with me. Our second face-to-face interview at a midtown photo shoot for our story, then dinner, lasted more than three hours, and I was exhausted by the end. As we were walking up Park Avenue, Larry offered to give me a ride home to Brooklyn. At that moment, I saw a subway entrance, said that this was my train (it was not), and scurried down the stairs.

Trying to get away from Larry reminded me of something else Dan had said. Larrys therapy sessions only ended when Larry extracted false confessions from his victims. It was this endurance test, Dan once told us. Larry would be interrogating you. If you were resisting it or werent saying what he wanted to hear, this would go on for eight or nine hours. By the end of my interactions with Larry, I understood why someone would lie to make him stop.

Buried deep in my interviews with Larry were a handful of revealing moments, including one in which he seemed to freely admit to the most damning allegations in our article. For years, Larry had extracted money from his victims and their families by claiming they owed him for damage theyd done to his property (an apartment he did not own and a house owned by his stepfather). The damage could range from painting tape ($9.87) to a gas range ($6,780) or more. Parents estimated they gave hundreds of thousands to their children so they could pay Larry for this damaged property. When parents stopped paying Larry, he turned to their kids. Prosecutors allege that Larry coerced Claudia, one of his daughters roommates, into sex work in order to pay for damage he claimed she did to Larrys stepfathers home in North Carolina. The Feds say they found two spreadsheets accounting for pickups (repairs) in 2017 and 2018 totaling some $1.7 million, money they say Claudia earned as a sex worker to satisfy these fake debts, as one prosecutor put it during a hearing. Once, I asked Larry if Claudia had been giving him her earnings. Not only did he say yes but he also told me that, on at least one occasion, he had spent the day watching clients come and go from Claudias apartment to see if the numbers added up.

JAMES: I had looked at Claudias escort page, and it looks expensive. Im wondering if 

LARRY: I couldnt understand what you said, James.

JAMES:  Im just wondering, Claudias escort page, her prices are expensive; did she ever, like, pay you back with that?

LARRY: Wait, excuse me? Is it what?

JAMES: Was she ever able to pay you back with damages? Just cause it looks like she was making a shitload of money.

LARRY: Yeah, no, she was. She paid. Theres times she would pay  she would want to give us money, enough that, you know, I didnt even believe she was making it all from escorting. She could have been, but it was hard to believe that. And in the beginning, she was saying that she, you know, saw this many clients or whatever and I actually went to her apartment, the apartment building she was living in, and I sat down the hall to watch for hours, and she did not have that many clients at that time. She never knew I was there and I left and we just all said to each other, Lets see what happens. And she ended up calling later on that night and said she had x amount of clients, did really well, she was all excited. You know, kind of excited anyway. That was clearly, I guess she wanted us to see her be excited, I guess. Theres no way she had that many clients. No way. I was sitting right there, I couldnt miss them.

JAMES: She was excited, though, to be able to, like, pay you back?

LARRY: Yeah, she wanted it to be acknowledged that she was paying us back. I genuinely always believed  and so did everybody else, you can talk to them yourself  that Claudia genuinely felt very guilty. I genuinely believed that Yali [another alleged victim] did, felt genuinely guilty. And I genuinely believed that Santos [another alleged victim] felt genuinely guilty. But they didnt end up doing the right thing, and the only one that wanted to really try and do something, or did try  for whatever reason, whatever the real reason is youd have to know from Claudia  was Claudia.

What Larry was really good at was insulating himself from the truth. For decades, Larry has created paper trails of dubious journal entries, videos, audio recordings, and even public records that seemingly supported his conspiracy theories. (The FBI seized some 15 terabytes of data from Larry, including more than 150,000 audio files.) Some of his victims testified under oath in a housing-court trial that theyd poisoned him. Adults have penned glowing letters about him. I am writing this letter to unequivocally apologize for my malicious and spiteful behavior and actions taken for the purpose of hurting and destroying you, wrote one woman under his spell. Youre smart, handsome, funny, effective, an alpha male. Larry has spent a lot of time in courtrooms  in the pump-and-dump case, family court, housing court, as a witness in a criminal case, and more  and its as if he has lived his adult years counterfeiting evidence that might help him in court one day.

In the run-up to the publication of our story in April 2019, Claudia cut ties with Larry and left New York. During our conversations around that time, Larry seemed to be probing to figure out if Ezra and I were talking to Claudia. At least once, Larry seemed to want me to deliver a threat to Claudia. Larry said that he was in control of a website documenting Claudias confessions. To me, it seemed as if Larry used the website  and the threat of posting more content aimed at humiliating her  as a means of control.

LARRY: Claudias been involved in the website, in as far as putting things up, and she felt it was a good idea from the start. But, you know, we actually own the website.

JAMES: Okay, so, okay.

LARRY: Yeah. Yeah, I dont think we talked about that.

JAMES: No, no, no. Okay.

LARRY: And Im about to put some stuff up. Isabella has some ideas; she wants to put more stuff up, and so does Felicia. And I dont see any reason not to, because that was the intention anyway.

JAMES: Okay, okay, so you guys want to put stuff up to get it kind of noticed?

LARRY: Yeah.

JAMES: Okay 

LARRY: You know or whatever, but it really, just, its never, you know, really had the  you know, formal plan to do that but started out and still is like at least, you know, put the stuff up there, and it is what it is. You know, like the stuff  handwritten stuff you see there  Thats Claudias handwriting.

LARRY: We also feel that, you know, what calms and grounds Claudia is putting something else up on the website.

JAMES: You think that will surface her, you mean?

LARRY: Yeah.

JAMES: I see, I see. Smoke signals?

LARRY: Well, sort of. You know, it grounds her back to reality. See what Im saying? I have to say that Claudia is consistent the whole time, you know what Im saying. Shes never walked away from and, you know, she has said this many times and it is true. I cant say she has  you know, I dont like, uh, agree with this  you know, her not having told us everything yet  but thats not new  thats always  you know  kind of been what she maintained.

My relationship with Larry came to a screeching halt as soon as Ezra and I started the fact-checking process. When we called Larry to give him a chance to respond to the allegations in our story, he refused to continue while Ezra was on the phone. (Larry was still convinced Ezra was biased, or influenced, and part of the Kerik conspiracy.) When we sent Larry an email bullet-pointing each allegation, we received a cease-and-desist letter from his attorney.

In February, Larrys defense will likely be predicated on discrediting his victims. To do so, his lawyers may use information from their medical records and false confessions Larry extracted over the years. But aside from his co-defendant, Isabella Pollock, his victims may no longer be willing to go along with Larrys conspiracy theory. Awaiting trial behind bars, Larry has not been allowed to contact them, giving them time and space to untangle their lives from him. At a hearing last year, the constellation of Larrys depravity was summed up not by a psychiatrist or a prosecutor but by Larrys own defense attorney. Your honor, on their own these allegations are only illegal insofar as you connect the dots, she said. For years, Larry was the only one who could connect the dots. Now, they are on full display for all to see.
Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Photos obtained by the New York Post show the inhumane conditions at Rikers Island amid significant staff absenteeism at the island jail in the East River. The pictures, taken between July and late September, depict up to 26 inmates crammed into a cell meant for a single person at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center, where men have been forced to relieve themselves in plastic bags and take turns sleeping on the floor.

Photos inside Rikers Island expose hellish, deadly conditions https://t.co/1riICPKBBW pic.twitter.com/SvCvN2WCca  New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) October 21, 2021

It was inhumane, a Rikers source told the Post. Theyre not supposed to be there that long; the intake is just a place to process the inmates. City regulations require that detainees be assigned a proper housing area within 24 hours. But due to deteriorating conditions amid the pandemic and a shortage of correction officers  some of whom have been calling out sick without stating a reason  men have stayed inside the intake cells for as long as six days. Inmates in the packed cells routinely ran out of food, according to the Rikers source, and had little access to toilets, toilet paper, showers, medical care, or legal aid.

The photos come three days after this years death toll for inmates in city custody rose to 14. On Monday, 58-year-old Anthony Scott was taken off life support after he was found hanging in a holding cell in Manhattan Criminal Court. Scott, who had autism, was being held on $15,000 bail and awaiting disposition on an assault charge for punching a nurse in the face at a hospital. In September, during a widely publicized visit to Rikers Island by city and state lawmakers, State Senator Jessica Ramos claimed that she and Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas witnessed someone trying to commit suicide in a punitive segregation unit. It was a house of horrors, she said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Correction told the Post that the conditions in these photos do not exist at Rikers Island today, claiming the city has expanded and cleaned intake facilities and has not violated the 24-hour limit since the Eric M. Taylor Center reopened for processing in late September. To address the crisis, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on September 15 a five-point plan to expand processing and issue 30-day suspensions to correction officers calling out of work without a reason. (In August, the daily average of COs calling out with no explanation was 1,416.)

Since the policy was announced a little over a month ago, four more people have died in custody.

Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should rethink its decades-long policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states, amid a worsening human rights crisis in Myanmar, Malaysia's top diplomat says.

The 10-member bloc on Friday made an unprecedented move to exclude the leader of Myanmar's junta from an upcoming regional summit, over a lack of progress on a peace plan it agreed to with ASEAN in April.

A non-political figure from Myanmar will be invited instead.

The decision - which sources said was pushed by Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines - was a rare bold step for ASEAN, which has traditionally favoured consensus and engagement over criticism of member nations.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said ASEAN should do some "soul-searching" on its non-interference policy, given deteriorating conditions in Myanmar, where more than 1000 civilians have been killed in a crackdown on strikes and demonstrations since a February 1 coup.

"I reminded the meeting (on Friday) that ASEAN is about 10 member states. As much as the issue in Myanmar is local and national, it has an impact on the region, and we should also recognise the concerns of the other nine member states," he told a virtual dialogue on human rights in Myanmar.

"And I also stated the fact that we cannot use the principle of non-interference as a shield to avoid issues being addressed," he said, in a rare critique by an ASEAN foreign minister of one of the most valued parts of the bloc's code.

Saifuddin said non-interference had contributed to ASEAN's inability to make effective decisions quickly, and suggested a move towards a new policy of constructive engagement or non-indifference.

A junta spokesman has blamed ASEAN's decision on "foreign intervention", including by the United States and European Union.
A Lee County Sheriffs deputy and a Lee County resident were both wounded after exchanging gunfire during a traffic stop on Wednesday morning in Beauregard.

The deputy, a 33-year-old Army veteran, pulled over John Squirrel Cross, who was driving a motorcyle, at about 8:30 a.m. on Lee Road 121 for a violation involving his vehicle license plate, said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones.

Jones said that the deputy has been in his department for seven and a half months. He and Cross were both hospitalized on Wednesday afternoon.

It is a challenging job and it always has been. It just seems like the challenges increase daily. They face dangers that many of us would shy away from, but they believe in what theyre doing and want to help people, Jones said of his deputies. Thats exactly what happened today. The deputy was simply doing his job, and hes suffered injuries as a result of that.

Jones said after the deputy made the traffic stop, Cross got back on his motorcycle and tried to ride away but crashed after traveling a short distance.

When the deputy went to check on him, Cross produced a firearm and began firing at the deputy, Jones said.


Thank you for Reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
I came in here just to make sure this masterpiece was posted.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Obligatory for the culture

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao same, this brings me joy when I need a pick me

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

SHIBALOPPADOPPA GOTTA TELLLLL YOUUU

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

FUCKING CLASSIC

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I dont know how Ive never watched this but I just cried.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

What kinda genre is this

Its called skip



I watch this at least once a month and it has me in tears each time 

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link



This is the first time I have understood the first two lines that he sung. And I watch this like once a month.



Still didnt make out the third which was posted somewhere down thread.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

This belongs in the Smithsonian as a pivotal point in American culture.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

i have to watch this every time Jeremy renner is mentioned in any space, virtual or reality

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LOL EVERY TIME

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i still don't understand what he's saying. PAPADEEGICKABOO NEVER BE THE SAAAAME!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Its actually an African proverb hahahahaha

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I always go "He's not just a random white actorrrr"



also please turn the captions on when he's singing. "(SINGING):???"

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

it's actually an African proverb. it means "it takes a village"

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i showed this to my roommate last night for the first time!! a bonding experience tbh

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

The way Mero reacts every time this audio clip comes up as a call back makes my heart grow three sizes.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I saw OP said so fucking fine and had to scroll back up to make sure this post was about Jeremy Renner.

Reply

Thread

Link

Their angry reaction is KILLING ME.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LMFAAAAOOOO It is what it is

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

You know, it was yesterday when I thought "I wonder where that one Rennerfan is now."



Since manifestation is working this week, You know, I wonder when a job paying me 485$ a day for 3 hours of work 4 days a week will show up.

Reply

Thread

Link

Wish that for me too please

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

pls manifest a new job for me

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i was thinking that about this renner fan yesterday too lmao, and lo and behold unfortunately here we are

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

oh wow it is them and under a new username girl why there are better people... anyone...

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

You doomed us all.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Ontd manifestation powers are off the charts lately tbh.



Hope you get as rich as oprah while working as little as Prince Charles!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

What is this job if i can ask? Its no offense im just curious?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

manifest me some dick

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

are you going to bring the Eminem Stan back too??

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Is this a parody of those Jeremy Renner posts we used to have or is this... That same person trying to make it happen again

Reply

Thread

Link

Oh jeeze I didn't realize that wasn't Fotographa, this is a completely new (or them, but with a new account) person.



I thought we had standards why are we letting in r*nner stans >:(

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

account profile says it's fotografa lol

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

is it wednesday?!

Reply

Thread

Link

I haven't been to downtown Toronto or on the subway in 15 months. I miss my city :(



Renner doesn't look as haggard as he usually does. He's been showing his age recently.

Reply

Thread

Link

so we didn't bully you hard enough

Reply

Thread

Link

Cackling

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

loooool

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

inb4 ONTD mods come for ya. Run, sis, Run!!!!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

With all the money in the world and he still chooses to look like that. I wish I had his confidence (and money).

Reply

Thread

Link

Jeremy Renner had a thriving app, a successful music career, and the lucrative Jeremy Renner Amazon Store and now he going to tackle a show on systematic racism? What can't he do?

Reply

Thread

Link

He had a store?!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

All the camping gear recommendations and beef jerky you could dream of: https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=19614678011

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Why doesn't he have a manager to talk him out of these choices?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

This man mustve watched top model and learned from the best.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

an admin accepted this

Reply

Thread

Link

I clean my hands of this.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Issa slow day.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Is it irony? Or disrespect?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This confirms my suspicion that Putin runs this site.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I now find myself wishing his app still existed so the rest of the internet wouldn't have to be subjected to this content. we trolled too hard and failed to see the bigger picture. ragret.

Reply

Thread

Link

a photo of himself on set looking so dam ****ing fine!



Ok, but are you going to post the photo?

Reply

Thread

Link

at least op used the "who asked for this?" tag

Reply

Thread

Link

i feel like that may have been the mod lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Yet they accepted this post. They knew we didn't want this shit sandwich yet they force fed us anyhow.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

they've always used that tag for their posts lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link
oh... she made it.

Reply

Thread

Link

Sometimes I find the video on YouTube that starts with this scene and goes through Debbies death and watch just this clip. Its so good.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Charles taking over is fucking terrifying... anyone taking over is IMO but especially that inbred fuckwit. And he's very friendly with Muslim countries and I don't see U.K. people being okay with that at all. Like he might be killed in a JFK way if he tries to do anything viewed by the public as "pro- Muslim"

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

What can I say

Theres a time for everyone 

Reply

Thread

Link

tick tock

Reply

Thread

Link

on the clock

But the party don't stop, no

Oh, whoa, whoa-oh~

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Hopefully she fucking dies.

Reply

Thread

Link

well, somewhere in california, meghan is rubbing her hands like birdman.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My favorite is the way the little grey men who run the Palace lie like a rug. First "she's fine, she just needs a little rest," and then we find out she spent the night in the hospital.



I wonder how many days she will be dead before they announce it? They have a history of doing this. I don't remember which King it was, but they held the news of his death because they didn't want it to be in the lower class afternoon papers.



I also wonder how many of her staff Charles will fire? I'm sure he has a list. They're all so petty and vindictive.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I therefore decided to determine the end and injected (myself) morphia gr. 3/4 and shortly afterwards cocaine gr. 1 into the [kings] distended jugular vein.





https://www.britannica.com/story/how-did-king-george-v-really-die

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I hope canada cuts ties with the monarchy before charles sits his dopey ass on the throne

Reply

Thread

Link

I read something recently that it would be harder for Canada to cut ties with the monarchy then the UK.  It'll never happen.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Yup. The baseline is that all the provinces would have to agree which LOL you know that aint happening.



A huge issue would be what happens to crown land treaties and it's absolutely mind-blowing that literally nobody knows.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

same but it will never happen with the current government.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

God, I wish. But you know JT wouldn't do anything remotely progressive.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Wish we could do the same in Australia :(

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

OMG yesterday i learned that in my fave Canadian province, Quebec, it is illegal for anyone to change their surnames due to marriage. And that supposedly most kids' names are hyphenated. I have always hated kids taking their father's name. Total patriarchal bullshit, taking credit got women's work.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I mean... she's old af.



But I want to believe that she will outlive Charles out of sheer spite.

Reply

Thread

Link

If anyone could it would be her

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

That would be hilarious, tbh

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I want this to happen just out of pettiness

Fuck Charles

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Its like she is in a grudge match with him. I just imagine them at dinner and hes like oh my fucking god will you just drop dead already and shes like you first

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'd love it.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

She brought him into this world and before she goes she's going to take him out lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm in no rush for Liz to die tbh. Her death won't end the monarchy, so I might as well appreciate where we are right now, wherein Prince Philip is dead and Charles & Camilla aren't yet at the top

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Theres a guy on TikTok who said shed die sometime this month - I think maybe the 20th?? Wild that something actually happened with her right around his prediction.

Reply

Thread

Link

It was the 18tj and that guy got outed as a rapist and then deleted his account.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

what a twist!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Are you kidding!? Wow what trash.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

the internet truly is an incredble place

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The Price Is Right Losing Horn - Gaming Sound Effect

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

milkshake duck!

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Can she still decide to just not pass the title to Charles? I love the idea of her not saying anything but having it be released after her death

Reply

Thread

Link

Doesn't work that way in a hereditary monarch. Charles is next barring an Act of Parliament or his death.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Well I vote for death.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

>good luck booking that jubilee you speak of



My Irish-descended ass cackled

Reply

Thread

Link

It was amazing that Lizzie and Mikey didn't go

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My Scottish ass cackled and scared the dogs

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My Argentinian ass cackled

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





Barbados has elected its first president, a key step in preparations to become a republic and remove Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state of the Caribbean island https://t.co/GabeEN6jqh pic.twitter.com/horT2WcRMJ  AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 21, 2021 this is what caused it probably lol:

Reply

Thread

Link

How fucked is colonialism this old ENGLISH wench is still supposed to be a QUEEN of a CARIBBEAN island

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

AUSTRALIA NEXT PLS

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

her dying and every country in the commonwealth deciding to leave would be so funny and such a 'fuck off' to charles/william. a serve.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Barbados prez wore it best.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The King Charles era is going to be so depressing. Who asked for that

Reply

Thread

Link

It's a tradition.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Im sure Charles has asked for it many, many times.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Yeah he's such a piece of shit and continues to get worse. He's a huge proponent of that whole great reset, nobody owns anything (RICH coming from him tbh) bullshit. I remember listening to a podcast that said he would bring his own toilet seat with him everywhere.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I have a feel he'll only live like 5 years more than Liz.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Joan is 2mo older than the Queen. I need her to keep kicking for my employment.

Reply

Thread

Link

Who is Joan?



Are you Joan??



Youre 95???

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol. Joan is the name of the 95yr old woman I take care of. I live with her and it's........

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

lbr andrew's non-sweaty arse is probably sweating buckets rn, lizzie is probably the only person invested in protecting his pervy self

Reply

Thread

Link

time's up! the grim reaper is knocking on ha door as we speak!!!

Reply

Thread

Link

How will the media blame this all on Meghan?

Reply

Thread

Link

Meghan knew that naming her daughter Lizbet (Lizbeth?) would siphon the queen's powers and her life force. Meghan totally planned it this way in order to extract revenge.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Lilibet

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link
Bb Gavin! I hope all these meme kids grow up ok.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i am worried about that mack girl, the little red headed girl who did the asmr stuff that became a big meme. her ig is concerning for someone who is so young

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

his uncle is so fine

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

LOL how old is this kid now

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

my cousin named her kid gavin (for after him at all) and it's been like four years but everytime my mother mentions him to me by name i still think of/picture this kid before him

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Good , then we wont have our taxes paying for his three hots and a cot.

Reply

Thread

Link

I can't believe I've gone my whole life without hearing incarceration in the US summed up like this, so succinct lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm dumb, what are hots? lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i have never heard this phrase lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

This phrase 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Stealing this phrase (and I agree)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

three hots sounds like slang for diarrhea.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

this case and the fervor and weirdo conspiracies it generated is a good example of Occam's razor

Reply

Thread

Link

yep

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Theyll probably still continue claiming hes alive somewhere and just pulled out some of his teeth to leave behind. These citizen sleuths have a lot of issues

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I've seen a bunch on Twitter - of course. His family is working with a dentist to fake his dental records. Or they used a saved baby tooth his parents had. Also, his parents maybe killed someone and that's the body they found. And one said the report said "remains" not "deceased" so maybe he's walking around without a head.



IDK. It was a lot. Stop believing CSI:PickACity is real people.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm already seeing it happening

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Lmao not someone on ONTD asking about this same theory a few comments down

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I mean its good to be skeptical but a lot of these people are disrespectful and dont have the actual expertise to contribute anything meaningful

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Legit just saw a comment saying that.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

for real lol, he killed her and then himself case closed lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Fucking coward. Rest in hell is right.

Reply

Thread

Link

I dont get it because Im dumb, this means he killed himself a while after killing her?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

You're not dumb; you're likely a better person than me <3



I (along with many others) are jumping to the conclusion that he offed himself to escape any punishment for (allegedly) killing Gabby.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Arrest his parents!

Reply

Thread

Link

Ok maybe its bc i just finished You s3 but is there any chance he faked his death

Reply

Thread

Link

FBI says he was identified thru dental records so they have his head....

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Someone on the show took out their bones to fake their death so I was wondering if it was possible irl

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I think it was teeth or toes

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I genuinely do not see how he would be capable of that

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

oh nvm i misread haha



Edited at 2021-10-21 11:23 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

can we not

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i have not yet finished s3 >:(

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Could you put this under a spoiler cut, JFC. I haven't even finished it yet.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Jfc. I didn't finish it yet. I don't sit around and binge watch like most of ONTD.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Stop

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

thanks for the spoiler bb

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

They can figure out that crap pretty fast. One of my fave episodes of Forensic Files is about this dumb dumb who tried to fake his own death by digging up the corpse of some poor old woman and putting it in his car, which he then set on fire. The dental records (and bones) obviously did not match.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

damn just delete your comment lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

WTF delete this!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao fuck u

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

take it to 4chan.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

rest in shit

Reply

Thread

Link

Tsk. Just wow. Trash 

Reply

Thread

Link

Police are so fucking useless my gawd. I'm relieved for the other families whose remains were found but damn. I'd be so angry as well

Reply

Thread

Link

Rest In Peace, Gabby 



I hope her family and loved ones are feeling supported and cared for.



Edited at 2021-10-21 11:15 pm (UTC)

Reply

Thread

Link

however he went, i hope he suffered.

Reply

Thread

Link





MISSING Cameron Jalyssa Hill, out of Fort Washakie, WY. #MMIW #missing #missingperson #truecrime pic.twitter.com/Eh4LFfLHEz  Bre  (@crittrcollector) October 5, 2021 Now that this is resolved, Wyoming ONTDers, keep an eye out for Cameron Hill who also went missing this summer:

Reply

Thread

Link

She is so young. Breaks my heart.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Just a kid :( missing since this summer??? And she's missing from Wind River.



"Both of Hills ears are pierced and she may have a homemade tattoo on her right elbow.



She was last seen wearing blue pants with cuts on the front part, a black shirt, and a green basketball sweatshirt from a basketball tournament that was held on the Fort Duchesne Indian Reservation. The sweatshirt has a white strip from shoulder to bottom.



Hill was last seen wearing white low-cut Nike shoes and she had a large black Nike-brand backpack with a large Nike strip in middle, according to NamUs."

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm gonna just repeat my previous comment: Cowardly fuckhead.

Reply

Thread

Link

I hope he suffered. Rest in pieces

Reply

Thread

Link
Crane not Assembled Properly Leads to Double Fatality on Interstate leading to an Investigation of Lufkin Company

OSHA finds three willful, two serious violations and proposes $212K in penalties.

A Lufkin contractors failure to assemble a crane boom properly caused the crane to collapse onto a passing vehicle on Interstate 10 near Beaumont, TX killing the two occupants in April 2021.

An investigation by OSHA determined Hemphill WBE Pile Driving Co. Inc. was installing supports for an elevated section of the highway at the time of the incident. The administration found the operator failed to determine the correct weight of the load while using the crane to retrieve a helmet box and hammer three feet into the ground. The boom buckled and landed on the vehicle.

OSHA cited the company for three willful and two serious violations, including operating a crane beyond its rated load capacity and failing to assemble the boom properly. The company faces $212,599 in proposed penalties, according to a press release.

Two people died senselessly because Hemphill Pile Driving failed to follow assembly instructions and federal regulations. They endangered their employees and every person driving on this section of Interstate 10, said OSHA Area Director Mark Briggs in Houston. Employers are responsible for ensuring they follow safety and health rules and conduct operations in a manner that keeps workers and others safe.

Incorporated in 1989, Hemphill specializes in pile driving. The contractor has approximately 11 employees. The company has 15 business days from receipt of citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director or contest the findings before the independent OSHRC. Learn more about OSHA requirements for cranes and derricks in construction here.
Despite all this pressure, Canadas oil industry is continuing to fight for survival, with plenty of funding for new projects and export numbers climbing steadily

Canada is facing resistance from all sides, with its pipelines to the U.S. coming under pressure from state governors and Justin Trudeau determined to transition away from fossil fuels

The IEA has predicted that Canadas oil production will begin to decline at the end of this decade, but not before the country increases its production by up to 700,000 bpd

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Canadian oil is set to decline within the next decade. That has not stopped funding from flooring into new projects however as producers aim to milk the countrys oil reserves for all theyre worth before that. The IEA foresaw this, predicting that Canada could be producing an additional 700,000 bpd of oil equivalent by 2030, before the eventual decline in demand and output.

The decline of Canadian oil should not come as a surprise for a country whose leader announced a net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050 in line with Paris Agreement aims at the end of 2020. Canadas openness to green policy and the push for an electric vehicle (EV) revolution across the country means Canada will soon decrease its domestic reliance on fossil fuels.

Yet, the pessimistic outlook has not stopped the government and Canadas private oil and gas companies from planning huge developments to ensure the industry remains resilient for as long as demand is high.

Oil shipments from Canada to the U.S. boomed earlier this month, reaching 4.04 million bpd, following the inauguration of Enbridge Incs expanded Line 3. The upgraded pipeline, which has been in the works for years but was constantly delayed, is capable of transporting 760,000 bpd of heavy and light oil, around double the capacity of the companys previous pipeline.

With the combination of OPEC+ oil cuts and oil refinery outages following Hurricane Ida, America has come to rely more heavily on Canada for its oil supply in recent months. The expansion of the pipeline now makes it possible for Canada to deliver the much-needed supply. And it comes at a time when gas and petroleum prices are soaring and shortages are common, with the recent boost in supply offering hope.

Related: The Battle For Oil Market Share Heats Up Within OPEC

In addition, Enbridge has invoked the 1977 Transit Pipelines treaty to ensure its Line 5 remains active after the state of Michigan voiced opposition to the project for fear it could detrimentally impact the Great Lakes. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer revoked permission for operating pipelines in the region, which Enbridge continues to ignore due to the significance of pipeline. Line 5 transports 540,000 bpd of Canadian crude, as well as refined products, from Wisconsin to Ontario.

Enbridge is willing to invest yet more money on keeping its pipelines up and running while demand is high, proposing a $500 million tunnel to house Line 5, to be completed by 2024. The company hopes this infrastructure project will help lessen the fears around the aging pipeline and its potential impact on the environment.

Now that the treaty has been invoked, the pipeline issue will be escalated beyond local negotiation and will be addressed in a federal court. In addition, President Biden who has so far remained uninvolved may have to become entangled in talks around energy transport links between the U.S. and Canada.

The persistence by Enbridge to ensure energy connectivity between the U.S. and Canada comes following the cancellation of the $8 billion Keystone XL pipeline in June this year as the permit for the development was revoked by the Biden administration. Keystone XL, which had previously been approved by President Trump in 2017, was expected to transport oil from Alberta to Nebraska across a distance of 1,200 miles.

Related: Why Iraq Can, But Wont, Reach 8 Million Bpd Of Oil Production

Canadian oil majors are no longer willing to leave the fate of their industry in American hands, as Enbridge is proving. Even Prime Minister Trudeau, who has promoted many green policies and shares several U.S. climate change values, criticized President Biden for the cancellation, which was expected to cause the loss of around 1,000 construction jobs as well as prematurely damaging the North American oil and gas industry.

Unsurprisingly, the Canadian government is planning to increase its national oil production, with policies continuing to favor fossil fuels, according to the 2021 Production Gap Report. Despite enthusiasm around climate change policy, Prime Minister Trudeau remains dedicated to the maintenance of an industry which continues to be lucrative and responds to regional demand, as well as contributing thousands of job opportunities. While plans for net-zero remain in place, Canada is not yet ready to give up its position as a global oil and gas leader, particularly because of so much uncertainty around OPEC+ production.

The Canadian oil boom cannot last forever, and the industry is facing many more hurdles as its allies look to tackle climate change and wean themselves off fossil fuels. However, at present, Canadas oil industry remains strong, with no sign of giving up before it must.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Venezuelas profound economic and humanitarian crisis fails to attract the headlines it once did, particularly after the U.S. recognized interim president Juan Gauidos May 2019 uprising failed. While the autocratic Maduro regimes actions continue to gain some media attention, it appears that the worlds worst modern economic collapse outside of war is no longer the breaking news it once was. This is despite the humanitarian crisis deepening to the point where nearly all Venezuelans live in poverty and the growing regional threat posed by terrorists as well as other non-state armed groups operating in Venezuelas territory. What many international commentators are failing to acknowledge is the environmental time bomb created by Venezuelas vast petroleum reserves, which at 304 billion barrels are by far the worlds largest. Two decades of mismanagement, malfeasance, and corruption coupled with ever harsher U.S. sanctions have caused Venezuelas once-mighty oil industry, which saw the OPEC member become a leading world oil exporter, to implode. In the space of just over two decades, petroleum output has plunged from over three million barrels per day to an average of 527,000 barrels for September 2021, according to the latest OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report. That rapid disintegration is the result of chronic underinvestment in industry infrastructure and operations including regular maintenance as well as overhaul operations. Aside from profoundly impacting Venezuelas petroleum production the heavily corroded state of the OPEC members energy infrastructure means that hydrocarbon emissions and oil spills are becoming an everyday occurrence.

A recent Reuters article estimated there were 53 oil spills in Venezuela from January to 30 September 2021, which is a stunning number for a country only pumping around half a million barrels daily. In comparison, the worlds largest oil producer, the U.S., which according to the U.S. EIA is pumping an average of 11,300 barrels per day or 21 times greater than Venezuelas petroleum output experienced an estimated 131 spills for the same period. The authoritarian Maduro regimes unwillingness to collate and make petroleum industry data publicly available, including environmental incidents, makes it extremely difficult to track the full extent of the problem. For that reason, it is likely that the volume of oil spills is far greater than those being recorded by non-government environmental and industry bodies. Most of the recorded oil spills for 2021 have occurred on the Caribbean coast where Venezuelas refining infrastructure is located. Ramshackle refineries and heavily corroded feedstock pipelines pump oil, hydrocarbon debris, and fumes into the environment every time aging distilling and other processing units are activated.

Falcon state is a prime location for oil spills in Venezuela. The state contains a significant portion of the OPEC members refining capacity including the Paraguana refinery complex, which with a nameplate capacity of 940,000 barrels daily is classified as the worlds third-largest complex. Most, if not all, of Venezuelas petroleum processing infrastructure, is decrepit and heavily corroded making it an environmental time bomb. One of the worst reported spills this year, by Venezuelan newspaper La Prensa de Tachira (Spanish), occurred in Falcon State at the Paraguana Refining Complex. A Cardon Refinery gasoline holding tank developed a crack in its base seeing it spill 3.6 million liters of gasoline into the surrounding Gulf of Venezuela marine environment causing severe damage. The facility in question, reportedly, had not undergone any maintenance since 2016 despite requiring two-year reviews. Then in October 2021 another spill at the Paraguana facility was identified. This was caused by a ruptured underwater hydrocarbon pipeline that pumped crude oil into the sea for 10 days before being sealed in early October 2021.

Venezuelas chronically troubled 140,000 barrel El Palito Refinery, in Carabobo State, suffered a major spill last year pumping 26,730 barrels of crude oil into the Caribbean Sea in August 2020 after a troubled restart following an overhaul by Iranian technicians. During the facilitys reactivation, a leaking catalytic cracker forced PDVSA to implement emergency shutdown protocols because of the risk of an explosion. This led to questions over the quality of the work conducted by Teherans technicians and why Caracas had paid for the work by transferring gold to Iran. Since September 2021 Caracas has been pushing to restart the facility in a bid to ease Venezuelas crippling gasoline shortages, ratcheting up the risk of yet another oil spill in the region.

Related: Why Iraq Can, But Wont, Reach 8 Million Bpd Of Oil Production

Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in South America which is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by a narrow strait, is so heavily polluted that oil slicks and algae blooms regularly occur. NASA satellite imagery from 25 September 2021 shows a series of slicks and algae blooms on the surface of the lakes waters. According to local communities Lake Maracaibos shores are covered in a film crude oil. The severity of the pollution has devastated fish stocks and other wildlife, destroying the local fishing industry one of the few livelihoods left to Venezuelans after the petrostates economic implosion. Caracas and PDVSA rarely if ever undertake clean-up efforts, leaving the crude oil in situ to continue causing environmental damage. It is for that reason the damage to Lake Maracaibo, which for over a century has been the focal point of Venezuelas petroleum industry, is so severe.

A key part of resurrecting Venezuelas petroleum industry is conducting urgently required maintenance and overhauls on severely corroded industry infrastructure including vital pipelines as well as refineries. While Caracas has arranged deals with China and Iran for the skilled technicians, parts, and labor required to repair derelict energy sector infrastructure there has been little progress, explaining why Venezuelas oil production is in decline. Much of Venezuelas oil infrastructure is so decrepit that it cannot be repaired with major overhauls or new facilities required. That will take large sums of capital which, to date, Teheran and Beijing have shown they are incapable or reluctant to provide. The only way Venezuela will be able to generate the vast sums of capital, estimated to be as much as $220 billion, is by attracting investment from Western Energy majors which will not occur until Washington eases sanctions. Until that occurs there will be little to no capital available to a near-bankrupt Caracas nor PDVSA to perform urgent maintenance and overhauls of pipelines, refineries, and other infrastructure. For that reason, oil spills and other accidents leading to the release of damaging hydrocarbons into the environment will remain a persistent problem which is further exacerbated by Caracas inability to undertake even basic clean-ups.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The six major Middle Eastern oil and gas producers part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are set to book faster economic growth in 2022 than previously expected, if oil prices dont pull back significantly next year, a Reuters poll of 21 economists showed on Thursday.

The six countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)are major producers of oil and gas, and their economies, oil revenues, and current account balances suffered last year from the double whammy of the crash in oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The economists polled by Reuters this month generally said that prospects for the GCC countries look brighter than in July due to the higher oil prices, easing of COVID-related restrictions, and vaccine rollouts. However, the single most important factor for how fast economies will grow next year will be the price of oil, the experts told Reuters.

This once again highlights the dependence of the largest Middle Eastern oil and gas exporters on commodity prices.

Saudi Arabia, the worlds largest oil exporter and top OPEC producer, is forecast to see its GDP rise by 5.1 percent in 2022, up from expected growth of 2.3 percent in 2021, the Reuters poll found. Goldman Sachss prediction in the poll was for massive 7.0-percent economic growth in Saudi Arabia next year.

These estimates are higher than those of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which said in its World Economic Outlook this month that Saudi Arabias economy is expected to grow by 4.8 percent in 2022, an upward revision by 0.4 percent from the forecast in July.

Overall, the IMF revised up slightly its growth forecasts for 2021 for the Middle East and Central Asia in part to reflect improved assessments for some commodity exporters that will outweigh drags from pandemic developments.

The World Bank said in August that the GCC countries need more reforms to diversify from oil and gas. Exports of oil and gas exports remain over 70 percent of total goods exports in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Oil revenues, for their part, exceed 70 percent of total government revenues in Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain, the World Bank noted.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
High gasoline prices are one of the few things that all Presidents fear and the prospect of making energy even more expensive is proving to be a tough sell

The timing of the current global energy crunch could not be worse for Joe Biden, who is attempting to push his climate plan through congress before COP26 at the end of this month

President Joe Bidens climate plan has become increasingly difficult to sell to a divided Congress amid a global energy crunch that has sent oil, natural gas, and coal prices rallying and gasoline prices in America jumping to the highest level in seven years.

The Biden Administration wants to shift Americas power generation to 100-percent carbon pollution-free sources by 2035 and make the United States a net-zero emissions economy by 2050 with climate packages aimed at incentivizing renewable energy sources and transport electrification and penalizing fossil fuel producers and power generators with additional fees and taxes.

Earlier this month, the U.S. oil benchmark, WTI Crude, topped $80 per barrel for the first time since 2014, gasoline prices are also at their highest since 2014, and Americans have been warned they will be paying much higher energy prices this winter.

Rallying Global Energy Prices

Although some U.S. energy prices - such as natural gas - are expected to be spared from the global crunch and the skyrocketing price rallies in Europe and Asia, President Bidens climate plan that aims to restrict U.S. oil and natural gas production and levy additional taxes on the industry looks shakier than ever, even among some moderate Democrats.

Reducing American oil and gas production - while demand is not going away anytime soon - will expose the United States to the international energy markets and prices. The U.S. will have to boost its imports of oil from counties such as Saudi Arabia or Iraq, exposing itself to a market dominated and controlled by OPEC. The current gas crisis in Europe, where power prices have hit records in major economies, including Germany and the UK, is a reminder that 100-percent clean energy power grids need huge battery storage (not yet built out) or natural gas as a backup.

Europes dependence on natural gas imports and the crisis unfolding now should serve as a reminder for the U.S. Administration as it attempts to make the cost of producing natural gas and oil in America more expensive, oil associations and critics of the climate plan say.

The situation in Europe should serve as a huge warning to the Biden Administration and Members of Congress calling for punitive taxes, fees, and onerous new regulatory requirements on our industry, American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC) CEO Anne Bradbury said last week.

By pursuing policies that restrict supply and make it harder to produce oil and natural gas here in America, Americans will have to pay more for their energy, Bradbury added.

As we have seen in Europe and elsewhere, the world cannot address climate change without being realistic about growing global energy demand. American oil and natural gas producers stand ready to work with this administration to meet that dual challenge, she said.

Biden Struggling With High Gasoline Prices

Just as President Biden tries to push climate legislation in the $3.5-trillion social spending bill, he faces the highest gasoline prices in seven years. They are the result of rallying international crude oil prices amid recovering global demand and muted supply response from producers, including from the U.S. shale patch.

Compared to the price of gas a year ago, it now costs consumers about $17 more to fill up their vehicles, AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross noted earlier this week, when AAA said, sorry folks, but the cost of gasoline is still going up.

And unfortunately, it doesnt look like drivers will be finding relief at the pump any time soon, Gross added.

The price of gasoline is one of the few things that scare every American president, including President Biden.

The President reportedly discussed the rallying fuel prices with representatives of the U.S. oil industry earlier this month, while the White House signaled this week that the Biden Administration hadnt given up on calling on OPEC+ to increase supply to the market to bring crude and gasoline prices down.

Moreover, Americans will see much higher residential energy bills this winter due to high U.S. retail energy prices, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said last week.

Affordability Is Not Optional

Amid rallying energy prices this year, President Bidens climate package proposal in the $3.5-trillion bill stands on shaky ground as Joe Manchin, a moderate Democratic Senator representing major coal-producing state West Virginia, opposes measures to penalize utilities using fossil fuels as he calls for reliable energy supply.

Affordability is not optional. Im concerned we are on a runaway rise, Manchin, chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said at the end of last month during a committee oversight hearing of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

After Senator Manchin opposed the climate proposal, Democrats in the Senate are now scrambling to find alternatives and are pressing Manchin to propose such, Politico reported earlier this week.

At the same time, the most progressive Democrats have signaled they wont have a spending bill without a package addressing climate change in it.

President Biden is also running against the clock, hoping he can go to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in early November with a deal on climate action secured.

For climate activists and some governments that have pledged net-zero by 2050, the recent surge in energy prices is just another reason to push for a fast move away from fossil fuels to shake off dependence on volatile prices.

Yet, reality showed that oil and gas demand is bouncing back strongly after the pandemic, which was not the final nail in the coffin of fossil fuels, as some had predicted. A move away from oil and gas - especially in U.S. domestic production - will even increase price volatility if the energy systems, power grids, and battery storage are not prepared to deal with demand.

Right now, they are not.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
As the world has grown to recognize the seriousness of climate change and the ever-intensifying need to develop new forms of green, clean, energy production, there have been a number of new technologies that have been hyped up in the headlines as the energy of the future, but which never quite got out of the R&D stages. Think algal biofuel, which was all over the news for years, touted as a sort of green-energy silver bullet but which has never been able to reach anything close to commercial viability. Nuclear fusion, too, continues to be the subject of endless news reports and think pieces, but is still lightyears away from being a viable means of energy production. And now, the viability of another green energy wunderkind is being thrown into question: green hydrogen.

Green hydrogen has been the topic of much hope and many R&D efforts as a potentially viable replacement for hot-burning combustion fuels like coking coal, which have proven extremely tricky to replace with greener alternatives. Hydrogen burns extremely hot like fossil fuels but leaves behind nothing but water vapor. This makes it an extremely attractive possibility for high-emissions industries like steelmaking, which continue to rely on huge quantities of coking coal, and which therefore have a problematically enormous carbon footprint.

While hydrogen leaves behind no greenhouse gases when it is combusted, however, the process of making that hydrogen can have its own hefty carbon footprint. Hydrogen is only as green as the energy used to make it. There are quite a few ways of producing hydrogen, and most of them are quite energy-intensive, such as using electrolysis to split water molecules into two hydrogens and one oxygen. Lots of hydrogen is already being produced in this manner, but the electric currents used in the process are most often derived from fossil fuels. This is known as gray hydrogen. Green hydrogen, in theory, is hydrogen made from completely renewable energies. Some industry insiders refer to a third category -- blue hydrogen -- as hydrogen made from natural gas, which has somewhat lower greenhouse gas emissions than oil or gas.

Related: Forget $100, Options Traders Now Betting On Oil Prices Hitting $200

In order to make green hydrogen a commercial fuel source for the future, we will have to have plentiful, and indeed, excess, amounts of green energy. As the current global energy crunch shows, we are a long, long way from that reality. Currently, clean energies make up such a small relative share of the global energy mix that the idea of a large-scale green hydrogen industry is somewhat fantastical.

Just this week, at CNBCs Sustainable Future Forum, Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch said that there is currently no commercial case for green hydrogen. We need to define boundary conditions which make this technology and these cases commercially viable, Bruch said. And we need an environment, obviously, of cheap electricity and in this regard, abundant renewable energy available to do this.

While were clearly not there yet, Bruch contended, we could be soon if the right steps are taken. You need the fine print and the policies to incentivize or make it mandatory: to switch from grey to green, to switch from gas to hydrogen, to switch from coal to hydrogen, he said. And then it will happen very fast.

The transition cant happen fast enough. Later this month representatives from all over the world are headed to Glasgow for the 26th annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known as COP26. This is exactly the kind of forum in which big policy transitions and commitments to incentivize promising green energy technologies like green hydrogen can materialize in an actionable way. While there is still a lot of work to be done before green hydrogen could become a commercial reality, there is no time to waste. Helping industries like steelmaking go green with the help of hydrogen would be a huge step forward and an invaluable development for battling climate change.



By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Soaring prices and demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia have pushed spot LNG freight rates to over $200,000 per day as traders scramble to book vessels to ship the fuel to energy-starved markets in Asia.

A vessel to carry LNG from Gladstone, Australia, to Tokyo is now assessed at a time charter rate of $262,215 per day by the Baltic Exchange, Lloyds Lists Michelle Wiese Bockmann writes in an analysis.

The Pacific spot LNG freight rates have jumped this week to the highest premium on record over Atlantic rates, driven by a lack of Pacific vessels, strong cargo demand globally, and lack of new tonnage heading to Asia given strong European cargo prices, LNG freight assessor Spark Commodities said.

There are very limited spot vessels so if there is a prompt vessel requirement for those lifting (free-on-board) then the potential cargo margin could mean the rates could go much higher, Spark Commodities chief executive officer Tim Mendelssohn told Reuters.

LNG tanker rates have more than doubled this month alone amid high demand for vessels in the energy crisis, industry sources told Reuters.

The spot LNG freight rates have doubled both in the Pacific and the Atlantic basin amid a global energy crunch ahead of the winter as utilities in the northern hemisphere stock up LNG for heating in the coming months.

The wide price difference between the U.S. natural gas benchmark Henry Hub and the soaring prices of LNG in Europe and Asia is a boon to traders who are earning profits from cargo arbitrages of over $100 million.

For example, LNG shipping firm Flex LNG, listed in Oslo, said this week in a presentation at a Danske Bank Natural Gas Seminar that cargo is king and that LNG cargoes are providing massive arbitrage. One LNG cargo from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Japan earned an arbitrage of $124 million, while another LNG cargo from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Europe yielded a $100 million arbitrage, according to Flex LNG.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Back in April 2020, the landlocked West Texas Intermediate crude oil price briefly crashed into negative territory - a stunning turn of events that cost traders massive losses - when the spot oil market found itself with an unprecedented glut as there was literally too much oil to be stored, and as such those traders who were assigned delivery would pay others just to take the physical oil off their hands. Well, in just a few weeks we may see the opposite scenario: no physical oil at all in the largest US commercial storage facility, leading to what may be a superspike in the price of oil.

In a note predicting the near-term dynamics of the oil market, JPMorgan's commodity Natasha Kaneva writes that in a world of pervasive nat gas and coal shortages which are forcing the power sector to increasingly turn to oil (boosting demand by 750bkd during winter and drawing inventory by 2.1mmb/d in Nov and Dec), Cushing oil storage - which just dropped to 31.2mm barrels, the lowest since 2018...

... may be just weeks from being "effectively out of crude." The bank's conclusion: "if nothing were to change in the Cushing balance over the next two months, we might expect front WTI spreads to spike to record highsa super backwardation scenario."

Before we get into the meat of the note, first some background which as usual these days, begins with Europe's catastrophic handling of its energy needs.

As JPM notes, the heating season of 2021/2022 is opening with record high global gas prices even as cold winter weather has yet to arrive. Such are the quirks of the natural gas market that, when/if cold winter arrives, demand for gas tends to outpace any source of supply. In the US alone, in a given week in winter, natural gas demand can surge by 50-70 bcf, if not more, with limited response from supply. The situation is so dire at the moment that - JPMorgan observes - "finding even 1 bcf of spare capacity is becoming increasingly difficult."

Related: The 2021 Oil Price Rally Is Far From Over





The good news is that with Russian domestic gas storage sites 97% full, stockpiling should be finalized by November 1, potentially freeing 4-10 bcm of additional shipments to Europe. However, on Monday we reported that Gazprom had booked only 35% of Yamal-Europe exit pipeline capacity for November (same as in October) and chose not to book additional transit volumes via Ukraine, implying that Russia is not currently planning to ship additional gas to Europe at least until Nord Stream 2 is fully authorized.

And as JPM notes, echoing what Goldman said earlier this week, "without additional Russian volumes, the winter weather premium currently embedded in the European natural gas price cannot significantly diminish until outlook for January weather becomes more certain."

In short, even higher nat gas prices are on deck, especially if the winter is cold.

So with record coal and gas prices, the power sector and energy intensive industries are turning to oil, potentially boosting demand by 750 kbd during winter and drawing oil inventory by 2.1 mbd over November and December. Earlier today, Reuters quoted Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman who confirmed that users switching from gas to oil could account for demand of 500,000-600,000 barrels per day (bpd), adding that the world was now waking up to shortages in the energy sector.

Abdulaziz said the potential switch depended on how severe winter weather would be and how expensive alternative energy prices would be. He outlined a wide range of factors that have led to a recent spike in energy prices, including limited investment in hydrocarbons and infrastructure, low inventories, the lifting of pandemic lockdowns and COVID-19 vaccine uptake rates.



Related: Oil Rebounds On Surprise Crude Inventory Draw



"People all of a sudden woke up to the reality that they are running out of everything: they are ran out of investments, they ran out of stocks and they ran out of  creativity in trying to be attending to real solution that address real issues," Prince Abdulaziz told the CERA Week India Energy Forum.

In any case, in the clearest example yet of market tightness, Cushing crude storage fell to 31.2 mb last week as noted in the chart above. And because operational tank bottoms are likely 20-25% of capacity- or about 20 mb - JPM predicts that "we could be just weeks away from Cushing being effectively out of crude" and adds that "if nothing were to change in the Cushing balance over the next two months, we might expect front WTI spreads to spike to record highsa super backwardation scenario."

If JPM's prediction is correct - and recall just yesterday we published a similar take from Morgan Stanley which now expects a similar "peak supply" scenario playing out, if over the longer term prompting the bank to hike its Q1 2022 price target to $95 from $77.5/bbl - it would have a catastrophic (read higher) impact on the price of oil.

Of course, there are potential mitigating factors: as Kaneva notes, though the dynamics of the US crude balance are different than they were in 2018 and much different than they were in 2014the last two times Cushing drew down toward operational limitsthe market still has a few levers to pull before we worry about such a scenario.

Today, the oil market is already reacting to the possibility that Cushing inventories bottom out and the export arb from the US Gulf Coast to Northwest Europe has been closed since 14 Oct. Consequently, the bank expects US crude exports to fall to an average 2.0-2.2 mbd by mid-November, with most of that ~500 kbd cut coming from flows to Europe.

But while this may be good news for the US, it's even more bad news for Europe - this reduction in flows to Europe would come at a time when European crude markets are already quite tight. According to data from Kpler, Europe crude oil stocks are already at their lowest since late 2018. Since 15 July, Europe crude stocks have fallen 35 mb, a rate of 362 kbd.

European exports aside, and focusing on Cushing inbound flows, JPM notes that last week the Steele City to Cushing section of the Keystone pipeline halted for three days as Keystone shifted flows to Patoka and the pipeline was still flowing at a much lower than normal rate early this week, though flows appear to be back above 400 kbd this morning.

Total Keystone flows fell on Tuesday as flows to Patoka slowed as well. If Keystone flows to Cushingnormally 350-625 kbdreturn consistently to normal soon, Cushing would be much closer to balance. However, if the shift in flows is intended to serve as line fill for Capline, Keystone may not be a short-term solution to the Cushing tank bottoms issue.

Capline should require about 5.2 mb of line fill in total. With start-up not planned until 1 Jan, the rate of line fill should not be more than about 100 kbd. While this additional tightness in the PADD 2 crude balance certainly does not help matters at Cushing, it should be more than offset by the continued ramp up of the 760 kbd Line 3 Replacement, JPM suggests.

Finally, flows on the Enbridge Mainline group of pipelines, which includes the Line 3 Replacement, have only increased about 200 kbd since the start of Line 3, which means the potential for much more crude volume flowing into PADD 2 could be just across the horizon, assuming Canadian producers are willing and able to supply them.

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Even if OPEC+ were to boost oil supply to the market, as major consuming nations have called for, it wouldnt have much difference on the global natural gas market, Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said on Wednesday.

Just this week, the United States signaled that the Biden Administration hadnt given up on calling on the OPEC+ alliance to increase supply to the market to bring crude and gasoline prices down.

We are continuing to press, through member countries  member countries of OPEC, even as we are not a member  to address the supply issue and work to address it here as well, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a briefing on Monday.

The U.S. Administration will continue to use every lever at our disposal, the press secretary added.

Despite the pressure from the Biden Administration and calls from major importer India, OPEC+ has been sticking to its initial plans to add 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) to its collective oil supply every month, despite the fact that various analyst estimates point to gas-to-oil switch lifting global oil demand in case of a colder winter.

Speaking at the CERAWeek India Energy Forum on Wednesday, the Saudi energy minister said, as carried by Bloomberg:

We see our role as extremely limited, referring to the possibility that OPEC+ come to the rescue of the energy crunch with more crude.

The issue is not the availability of crude oil. Even if we made it available in tons and tons, whos going to burn it? Who is in need of it? And are they in need of crude or in need, for example, of gas? Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said.

Earlier this month, Saudi Aramcos chief executive Amin Nasser said that the natural gas crunch had raised global oil demand by 500,000 bpd.

Last week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its monthly report that the energy crisis had spurred a switch to oil products from natural gas. This, the IEA says, could raise global oil demand by 500,000 bpd compared with normal conditions, or a market in which energy and power prices are not setting record highs.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Douglas County Board member P.J. Morgan rolled up his sleeve for a flu shot Thursday morning, aiming to extend his 10-year streak of taking the vaccine and avoiding influenza.

I certainly think its the right thing to do and an important thing, he said after Shannon Stafford, a nurse practitioner with the Douglas County Health Department, gave him his shot.

Health officials are encouraging all eligible people to get flu shots this year. Influenza can cause severe illness  severe enough to require hospitalization. And with COVID-19 still circulating at high levels and area hospitals still under strain, health officials are concerned that flu could add to the mix and further stress health systems.

Influenza was nearly nonexistent last winter in Nebraska, a time when people were wearing masks when they were around others, social distancing or simply avoiding crowds altogether. Health officials credit those steps, as well as messages that emphasized staying home when sick, with causing the drastic drop in flu cases.

But with many people now vaccinated against COVID-19, fewer people are following such precautions, said Dr. Anne OKeefe, the health departments senior epidemiologist. That has prompted concerns among some health officials that flu could make a return this season.
The emails demanding that Jeff Parris drop out of the race contained personal information about Diane Parris and included a nude photo of her. She told The World-Herald that she had consented to the photo when it was taken years ago, but not to its distribution.

One email said, All we are asking, is Quit the Race. Step down from running for State Legislature, Never run for any Political Office again, & All will be Sweet, especially for the Good Life, according to Diane Parris. Jeff Parris did not drop out, but he lost the race.

Diane Parris testified in 2019 in support of a state revenge porn law that would make it illegal to share sexually explicit photos or videos with the intent to harass. Nebraska was one of seven states that did not have a law against revenge porn.

The bill she testified for did not pass, but legislators passed another bill in the 2019 session that made revenge porn illegal and a valid basis for a lawsuit.
Omaha police continue to investigate a shooting near 39th and Pratt Streets that fatally wounded an 18-year-old.

KorVanta Hill was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center with lifesaving measures in progress, a police spokesman said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Officers were called to 39th and Pratt after a ShotSpotter gunshot-activation alert went out at 8:10 p.m. Monday.

Pratt is halfway between Maple Street and Ames Avenue.

Hill was found down on the sidewalk. He was the eighth teen to be slain in Omaha in 2021.

Wednesday, Omaha Police Capt. Keith Williamson of the northeast precinct said at a meeting of the Omaha 360 community group that ShotSpotter detected 10 gunshots.
The Omaha Public Schools Foundation is seeking donations so it can provide hats, gloves and scarves for 20,000 students prior to the arrival of winter weather in Nebraska.

The foundation has held similar campaigns in the past to help 10,000 students, but this year the need is greater, and the hope is to get enough donations to support 20,000 students. In reference to that and the community members who support OPS students, the foundation is calling the campaign 20,000 Villagers.

A $20 donation can purchase hats, gloves and scarves for four students who may need them, the foundation said in a press release.

Donations will be accepted through Oct. 31. A link to donate online can be found on the foundations website at omahapublicschoolsfoundation.org/20000-villagers.

Checks can be mailed to the foundation office with a note for 20,000 Villagers in the memo line. The address of the office is 3861 Farnam St., Omaha NE 68131.
Pantos said he decided to enter the race to increase office transparency, focus on racial justice in evaluating policies and practices, limit cash bail to only the most severe cases and end the prosecution of low-level marijuana offenses.

The latter was the first bullet point listed in Pantos tweet announcing his agenda. Low-level marijuana offenses are prosecuted by the Omaha city prosecutor, not the Douglas County attorney. The county attorney handles about 4,500 felony cases a year, along with some misdemeanor domestic violence cases.

Pantos said marijuana charges land in the county attorneys office if you go up the line.

There are other drug possession cases in which folks are ending up in prison, Pantos said. It would be my policy to look at those cases and when possible not prosecute them.

Pantos said he is running as a leader who wants to address systemic issues  such as a recent study that found that, in Nebraska, Black defendants are nine times as likely to be incarcerated as White criminals.
LINCOLN  The defense attorney representing U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry came out swinging Wednesday during the congressmans initial court hearing over allegations that he misled and obstructed a federal investigation into illegal campaign contributions.

John Littrell, a lawyer based in San Clemente, California, told a federal judge that he will soon file motions to dismiss the charges against Fortenberry and to quash any statements the congressman made to federal investigators because he was misled.

Fortenberry, who has represented Nebraskas 1st District since 2005, is charged with three felonies stemming from statements he made to federal investigators probing illegal conduit contributions made by a Nigerian billionaire to his 2016 reelection campaign. He pleaded not guilty to the charges Wednesday.

Knowingly deceiving federal agents is punishable by up to five years in prison on each charge. Fortenberry, 60, and his wife have said the allegations are false, and that he is being betrayed for fully cooperating with an FBI probe that included two interviews with Fortenberry in 2019.
Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue is, thus far, the only Democrat to declare her candidacy for governor.

Thibodeau, 46, was Herbsters running mate until late July, when she announced that she was stepping aside because of unnamed potential opportunities that would conflict with the campaign.

At this time, I do not feel I will be able to devote the needed time to the campaign, she said in a press release. In fairness to Charles and his wonderful team, I want to thank them for their support, and wish them the best for a successful election. I look forward to the continuation of conservative leadership in Nebraska.

Her press release quoted Herbster as saying he respected her decision. She is a great steward of conservative values, and I look forward to working with her in the future, he said.
When doing the recent test-firing, we did not have the U.S. in mind nor aimed at it, but it is the work which had already been planned purely for the defense of the country, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson noted that the United States already possesses submarine-launched ballistic missile systems and said it was exposing its double standards by criticizing the North for pursuing the same weaponry. That only raises the Norths suspicions about the sincerity of the Biden administrations statements that it harbors no hostility toward the North, the spokesperson said.

Ending a months-long lull in September, North Korea has been ramping up its weapons tests while making conditional peace offers to Seoul, reviving a pattern of pressuring South Korea to try to get what it wants from the United States.

Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled for more than two years over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea and the Norths denuclearization steps.

Since his fallout with the Trump administration, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen his nuclear deterrent in face of what he described as U.S. pressure and threats.
The wisdom of these principles  later called the Powell Doctrine  was made evident as U.S. military forces deployed to the Middle East, prevented further incursions into Saudi Arabia, dominated the Iraqi military (then fifth-largest in the world), drove them back from Kuwait, and avoided U.S. entanglement in larger regime change in Iraq.

But the most remarkable part of Powells legacy is not his capability but his character. I met him once when I was assigned to the Pentagon, not long after my first deployment to Iraq. In our brief interaction Powell was understated, gracious and kind. The son of Jamaican immigrants, he grew up in the Bronx, joined the Army, and served two tours in Vietnam. There he fought bravely, earning both the Soldiers Medal (after he pulled men from a burning helicopter) and a Purple Heart. The respect Powell earned in the Army stood in contrast to the treatment he received between tours while stationed in the Jim Crow South.
One factor behind those unmet health needs is the shortage of medical personnel in much of rural Nebraska. Fourteen of Nebraskas 93 counties have no practicing primary care physician, and 17 counties have no pharmacist. The number of Nebraska counties with a practicing OB/GYN physician fell from 49 in 2017 to 39 in 2019.

Nebraska needs nearly 4,200 more nurses to meet statewide demand, according to the latest report from the Nebraska Center for Nursing. That shortfall is equivalent to more than 14% of the 28,556 total nursing positions currently filled statewide. Meanwhile, the states population continues to age, and the senior-age demographic often accounts for a larger share of the local population in rural communities.

This challenge isnt news, and many Nebraska institutions  especially hospitals and the nursing programs at NU, Creighton University, private colleges and universities and community colleges  have shown determination in working to meet the need. As a result, the number of nurse practitioners and registered nurses has been on an upward trajectory. The UNMC and Creighton nursing programs both have extensive partnerships across the state to bolster nursing instruction outside the Omaha-Lincoln area. UNMC collaborates with the state colleges in Chadron, Wayne and Peru to provide health care training opportunities for rural students.
Highlights From Day 2 of the 2021 Amplify Outreach Conference

The 2021 Amplify Outreach conference is taking place October 19th and 20th on the Wheaton College campus in Wheaton, Illinois. The conference, co-hosted by Outreach magazine and the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center brings together church leaders from all over the country to be encouraged and inspired to reach their communities and the world together, by hearing from the foremost thinkers in the evangelism and missiology field.

Day 1 of the conference ended with a call to pursue the adventurous life. Mindy Caliguire opened Day 2 with a refreshing reminder that care of others must begin with self-care. The ministry life is difficult and we must remain connected to the vine from which our life flows.

Dhati Lewis followed with the principles that have animated Blueprint Church in Atlanta from its outset and helped them combat the passive consumer culture that so easily sneaks into the life of the church. He encouraged conferencegoers to treat the church not like a family, but to operate as if it is a family, sacrificially serving one another. Then he gave a reminder that the churchs primary mission is to make disciples and embrace a holistic form of ministry that speaks to peoples core identity. He continued by laying out principles for creating a disciple-making culture that is marked by radical hospitality through being authentic, vulnerable, communal, relational and present.

Michelle Sanchez followed up with a case study from Acts 6 that gives us a way forward to dismantle the systemic racism of our day. The story of the Hebraic Jews paving a way for the Hellenistic Jews widows to stop being overlooked offers principles for giving a voice to the voiceless in a way that speaks volumes to the culture around us. Ann Voskamp unpacked the biblical concept of hospitality as stranger love through powerful anecdotes of her travels to war-torn countries and the U.S. border. As we learn to love those who are other, look them in the eyes, hear their stories, embrace their humanity and reach out with sacrificial love, we are transformed by truly walking in the footsteps of Christ. Hard hearts are made soft and broken souls are made whole as we make the tangible gospel statement of welcoming the marginalized, vulnerable and the stranger. Derwin Gray closed the conference with a talk on how the multiethnic church can heal the fissures that divide us.

The essence of the 2021 Amplify Outreach Conference is a call to reach others with the radical, bold, adventurous, boundary-breaking, hospitable love of Christ that speaks to a world hungry for truth and something that can withstand the cultural convulsions that seek to divide us. The gospel is more relevant than ever, and our call is as always to make disciples of all nationsa call that echoed through the myriad presentations of both days.

For more information and to make plans to join us for the 2022 Amplify Outreach Conference, go to AmplifyOutreach.com.
I am OMI | Events | People | Places | Participate

Al Harris

If you've attended a community group meeting in the OMI, you've likely met Al Harris. Al and his wife Mary are true neighborhood leaders, working for the last 25 years to improve the OMI in all areas: business development, safety, expansion of social services, transportation, and neighborhood beautification. It's hard to finder a friendlier guy than Al Harris, and he graciously sat down for an interview with fellow OMI resident Maria Picar. Some of Al's thoughts and memories:

His outlook on OMI's future: "I'm really pleased that we're getting a brand-new library on Ocean Avenue, and so that's moving forward. When they complete the undergrounding of the wires and the artwork for Ocean Avenue and all the other amenities that are planned, I think we're going to be very, very pleased with the way the community's going."

On rebuilding Ocean View Rec Center (to be renamed after Minnie and Lovie Ward): "First of all, I think it definitely is appropriately named. [...] Because everyone knows the Wards have done a lot to enhance this community over the years, including having their house shot up at one point, fighting drug dealers. So this is a great honor. Our Rec Center is so old and termite-infested, that it's going to be really nice to have a new facility. We've been working really hard with Park and Rec to make sure that we got the type of Rec Center that we all can be proud of."

On being a Buddhist: "...there's a Buddhist phrase that says like, 'When you're in Rome, do as the Romans do.' So there's no restrictions on what you can celebrate, what you can eat, how you should dress, everything. Everything is inside of you. Happiness is inside of you. The whole thing is to bring that out in a very positive way and to contribute to society. I hope we try to do that in any way that we can, from being a neighborhood activist to just trying to be good people."

On San Francisco: "I like when they say, the world's greatest city. That's it. This is it."

Read the complete Al Harris interview!

Images: 1) Al Harris, August 2003. (WNP photo)



Contribute your own stories about the OMI!

This project is made possible by a grant from the CALIFORNIA COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES with generous support from the San Francisco Foundation, as part of the Council's statewide California Stories Initiative. The COUNCIL is an independent non-profit organization and a state affiliate of the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES. For more information on the Council and the California Stories Initiative, visit www.californiastories.org.
Streetwise - A Life of Active Duty

by Frank Dunnigan

November 2013

I became a first-time father at age 49, when I was presented with a 77-year old sonactually an elderly cousinwhen his last close relative passed away and there was no one else to look after him. He represented the final chapter in the history of a Richmond District family and its association with that quiet neighborhood institution named Fort Miley.

As far back as 1850, land on the northern-western tip of San Francisco had been set aside for military purposes and coastal defense. Shortly after the Civil War, the city claimed 200 acres in the area for the Golden Gate Cemetery (no connection to the San Bruno cemetery of the same name) where many Chinese residents and also the local poor were buried.

In 1891, the federal government paid San Francisco $75,000 for land that became the Point Lobos Military Reservation, later named Fort Miley. Several years later, work began on large-gun emplacements that were part of the coastal defenses around San Francisco Bay.

By 1893, total burials in Golden Gate Cemetery numbered 18,000, mostly in the area near the present Palace of the Legion of Honor. Cemeteries, however, were no longer considered a good use of land in an expanding city. By 1909, burials ended, and 150 acres were turned over to the citys Park Commission, with the remaining 50 acres returned to the government, including the land for Fort Miley.

During World War I, Fort Miley grew to more than 60 buildings. After the war, the large parade ground, with its spectacular view of the Golden Gate, was designated as the location for a new Veterans Hospital (the area around Pine Lake was an alternate site). The hospital was built in 1933-34, with the U.S. Army retaining much of the surrounding land.

In early 1942, patients were evacuated for the duration of World War II, and the military expanded its coastal defenses. The hospital reopened in 1946, and the last gun emplacement was removed in 1949, thus marking the end of the sites original purpose. The Veterans Administration, the "V.A.," has now been carrying out its mission of caring for America's veterans quietly amid the fog and the trees for more than 80 years.

Meanwhile, my cousin Ray was born in 1924, one of three sons in a Richmond District family, and we shared a set of great-grandparents. He spent most of his life growing up on 43rd Avenue at a time when every block in the neighborhood was filled with school-age children. (How things have changedthe San Francisco Chronicle reported recently that there are now more dogs than children in San Francisco, with each category represented in 12% of city householdsbut kids used to be a full 25% of the population, often outnumbering the adults on many blocks in the western neighborhoods.)

Ray attended St. Monica School, and moved on to Lafayette when his mother, herself a teacher in the San Francisco Unified School District, believed that he would be better off outside the shadow of his two high-achieving brothers. While his siblings thrived in the structured environment of Catholic schools and later at University of California, Berkeley, Ray had academic challenges, but quickly made friends at both Lafayette and later at Washington High School, from which he graduated in 1942.

All three brothers enlisted in the military that year, and while his brothers wrote home regularly, the family heard little from Ray. Their parents kept the small red banner with three blue stars arranged vertically on a field of white, hanging in the front window, awaiting the return of their three sons. This bit of family history now resides in my bookcase. By early 1946, with the war over, the family was reunited on 43rd Avenue.

While his brothers finished up their degrees at Berkeley and began going out on job interviews, Ray remained quiet and reclusive. When one brother became an engineer at Bechtel and the other embarked on a lifelong career with the federal government, their parents were pleased, yet concerned that Ray continued to putter around the house, and take endless daily streetcar rides, just looking at things and talking to people. He held a few entry-level jobs, but never seemed to click at any of them.

Rays parents urged him to contact the VA for help in his job search. It was there that doctors made the diagnosis that Rays assignment as a Pharmacists Mate working with the injured had resulted in serious setbacks for someone already facing academic and emotional challenges. Learning disabilities that were only guessed at by close family members were officially confirmed, and the VA concluded that Rays employment prospects were limited. He spent considerable time undergoing treatment at a Southern California VA facility, yet his mother, the schoolteacher who always sought out the best in every pupil, was not going to rest until her middle son was embarked on a productive life. Encouraging him to keep up his contacts at the VA once he was home, Ray walked up the hill one cool, foggy morning in 1957, and volunteered his servicesa short walk that became the start of his new life.

For more than 40 years, he remained a steadfast volunteer, covering shifts that others did not want. Rain or shine, he was the smiling face distributing newspapers and magazines, wheeling patients from one building to another for testing/treatment appointments, and helping visitors navigate the sprawling facility. Even on his time off, Ray was there, bringing patients treats from the Sugar Bowl Bakery on Balboa Street or simply chatting with them. He also enjoyed taking people out for rides in his dream caran old 1940 undertakers limousine that he bought for $100 in 1957. It was a classic piece of automotive history, complete with a dashboard-mounted cigarette lighter that could stretch all the way to back seat, and Ray delighted showing his VA buddies around town and taking all of us younger cousins out for rides, especially when gasoline was just 25 cents a gallon.

When his mother passed away at age 93, Ray, then nearly 60 years old, acknowledged that he was not capable of living in the family home on his own. It was then that the miracle of payback occurred. Ray had just been cited by the VA for performing an incredible 10,000+ hours of volunteer service, and realizing his personal circumstances, the VA found a place for him in a supportive group home in the Ingleside.

Once settled in, Ray continued his volunteer duties, even though each trip to Fort Miley then involved several Muni transfers (K-Ingleside to Forest Hill Station, 10-Monterey to Geary Boulevard, and the 38-Geary the rest of the way). Having grown up on 43rd Avenue, he knew the history of Fort Miley as an army installation, and possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of how the place had developed, building by buildingintricate little details that he loved to share with others.

Eventually, Rays health declined, and he was forced to move into Fort Mileys long-term care unit, in a room overlooking his familys old home. Even then, he was still able to get around in a wheelchair and interact with other patientsan activity that was supported by the staff. Ray proudly wore his volunteer award pin on his bathrobe as he continued with his duties.

The unexpected death of his last brother produced concern at the VAwho was his next closest relative? There were no nieces or nephews, and all of his first cousins, then in their 70s and 80s, lived a considerable distance away. This question was resolved in his late brothers will, when much to my surprise, I was named Rays legal guardian. For the remainder of his life, the staff at Fort Miley included me in monthly staff meetings, to keep me informed about every aspect of Rays treatment. The care he received was nothing short of exceptional and far superior to anything available in the best of private institutions.

My cousin Jean, a retired registered nurse, and childhood friend of Rays, helped with the transition. Coming from her home in remote southern Alameda County, I would meet her at Daly City BART, and we then spent the day visiting Ray. With her uncanny instincts about our cousin, she helped him select clothes from a catalogfor years, his daily uniform had been a fresh hospital gown and bathrobe after his morning shower. With a few shirts, pants, and sweaters available, the staff and volunteers were able to persuade him to get dressed up in order to go out with us, and he was clearly pleased at this new activity.

One drizzly fall day, we were meandering along Great Highway when Ray suddenly gave a minute-by-minute monologue of a visit that he and his Washington High classmates made to Playland some 60 years earlier. His recall was incredible, naming which rides were adjacent to which, the sounds and smells of the midwaythings like the repeating carnival music and the popping of balloons, the maniacal cackle of Laughing Sal and screams from the Big Dipper roller coaster, plus the caramel popcorn aroma and the pungent graphite smell around the bumper cars.

Another time, we rode around Lake Merced and back up Sunset Boulevard, stopping at an Irving Street deli for sandwiches. We then parked near the Music Concourse while we ate, and Ray smiled as he recalled childhood visits to the nearby Steinhart Aquarium, remembering such minute details as the bronze seahorses on the barrier above the crocodile moat. He even repeated comments that his long-gone grandparents had shared with him, about how they had come to this very spot in a horse-drawn carriage around 1899-1900, to attend Sunday concerts when his mother was a little girl.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, with the world in turmoil, I arrived at Fort Miley to find Ray wheeling himself from room to room, asking fellow patients simply, Are you OK? Do you need to talk?

Ray slipped away quietly soon after one of our excursions, and many of our far-flung cousins came back to San Francisco to say good-bye. What amazed all of us was the excellent and compassionate care that Ray had received from the staff and volunteers at Fort Mileya place that none of us had truly known before.

Among his few possessions were two letters that he had been savingboth were placed in the casket with himand I read the words aloud at his funeral. The first was written to every discharged U.S. Navy veteran by Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal in 1946:

You have served in the greatest Navy in the world.



It crushed two enemy fleets at once, receiving their surrenders only four months apart.



It brought our land-based airpower within bombing range of the enemy, and set our ground armies on the beachheads of final victory.



It performed the multitude of tasks necessary to support these military operations.



No other Navy at any time has done so much.

Ray had long ago circled the next two sentences:



For your part in these achievements, you deserve to be proud as long as you live. The Nation which you served at a time of crisis will remember you with gratitude.

The other was a hand-made valentine, part of a package sent to Fort Miley residents by students at St. Monica School. It read simply:



Dear Veteran, Thank you for what you did because you helped me to be here today.

Its been a long time since those red-and-white banners with the stars were hanging in the windows of so many homes across this country. Today, as the last World War II vets take their final leave of us (and as we also commemorate the end of World War I exactly 95 years ago), it is important to pay tribute to all those whose service ensured that all of us could be here todayjust one more thing for which we can be thankful this November.

Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places!
Streetwise - The Ties that Bind

by Frank Dunnigan

August 2012

San Franciscans have always been highly attuned to the fact that people here do not remain newcomers for very long, because once the processes of work, friendship, marriage, and birth begin to play out, all of us quickly become interrelated.

In short, this means that you have to watch what you say around here, lest you make a nasty remark about someone to his sister-in-laws second cousins husbands mothers great-aunt. Oh, those meandering family ties!

Going back to the original indigenous peoples, historians note that there was contact among various groups throughout the area. Those early Bay Area inhabitants exchanged information about water sources, weather conditions, and food supplies, and some eventually partnered with others outside their own group. Intermarriage continued during the rule of the Spanish and the Mexican governments. Once the Gold Rush began, the pattern continuedprospectors and merchants became intertwined, hotel owners, saloon keepers, and othersperhaps some with less-than-honorable professionsalso began to forge alliances. The great waves of European immigration further contributed to various family, business, and social connections. Even among those who arrived more recentlyduring 1967s Summer of Love or via last years JetBlue ride from Columbus, Ohiothere is some measure of assimilation.

Among San Franciscos early Jewish families, going back to the time of the Gold Rush, intermarriage within the community was the norm, resulting in an incalculable philanthropic benefit to the City. The families of Zellerbach, Fleishhacker, Schwabacher, Ehrmann, Stern, Meyer, Steinhart, Heller, Haas, Lilienthal, and others are all inter-related through marriages and various family business enterprises. UC-Berkeleys Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life declares: Marriages within the extended family were extremely common and were encouraged, even to the point of regarding as outlaws those who chose to marry outside its accepted boundaries. Even the geographically distant Kay Graham, publisher of the Washington Post and DC area socialite until her untimely death in 2001, was a first cousin to many of these families.

The seven brothers and one sister of Alioto Family began to arrive in San Francisco from Sant Elia, Sicily about 1896. Over the years, through a series of marriages, often to siblings in the Lazio Family (and sometimes to their own distant Alioto cousins), there are now hundreds of immediate descendants, many of whom continue to be active in the local fishing industry as well as in city politics.

The Irish, as clannish and inter-married as any of the previous groups, used to stay within their own boundariesin fact, Rose Kennedys parents were second cousins to each other, and so, too, were one of my great-grandfathers brothers and his wife. By the dawn of the 20th century, though, some began to venture out from the herd. Two of my own grandparents, both born South of Market circa 1870-80, startled relations on both sides when they married in 1910 because his parents came from County Kerry and hers were from County Corkan all-Catholic mixed marriage! One can only imagine the exchanged glares among the relatives on both sides during the reception held at the home of the brides parents on 21st Street, following the wedding at St. James Church on Guerrero Street. A week later, the brides father, my great-grandfather, was dead from a massive coronaryso much for jolly Irish conviviality.

My other grandmother, whose parents hailed from County Cavan, Ireland, really crossed ethnic boundaries when she married Grandpa, a local boy whose parents were originally from Germany. Given that their 1911 wedding was at a time when Kaiser Wilhelm was rattling his sabre toward the rest of the world, there was unhappiness among all their relativesat least until Moms oldest brother arrived a year later (exactly 100 years ago on July 24thhappy birthday, Uncle John!) and was named after Grandmas father, thus brokering a truce. During his half-century-long marriage, Grandpa became beloved by most of his in-laws, even though he had what might best be termed a chilly relationship with Grandmas older sister Maymethink of Redd Foxx in his role as Fred Sanford and LaWanda Page as his sister-in-law Esther who gave him the evil-eye look and her saucy retort, watch it, sucka! every time Fred opened his mouth.

Even through my Streetwise columns I hear from people with whom I have some connectiongrammar school, high school, college classmates. Some have even turned out to be cousins of cousins or friends and neighbors of my own familys long-time friends. Everyone has a few memorable incidents involving such interpersonal connections, and the following are some of my own.

In 1988, Mom and I were attending a funeral at St. Cecilias for a woman whose Irish-born parents were next-door neighbors of Dads parents in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake. Theresa relocated to the Sunset with her parents in 1939, and lived just three blocks up the hill from us at 18th Avenue at Santiago Street. She never married and outlived her parents and two childless siblings. Walking down 17th Avenue after her services at St. Cecilias, Mom spotted a lady who lived on Vicentesomeone who also happened to be the sister-in-law of one of Moms aunts-by-marriage. Mom recognized the lady immediately, and the three of us began chatting. This lady expressed some harsh remarks about the deceaseds distant relatives who were not in attendancethey came crawling out of the woodwork once she was dead, looking for money. The conversation went on as we strolled along, and the woman mentioned a small northern California town where these alleged money-grubbers lived. Nice placeI just visited some cousins there, I said innocently. She then mentioned a fairly common Irish surname. My cousins there have the same name, I replied, growing a bit curious. She then spoke the first and last name of the 74-year-old ringleader of this pack of mercenaries, along with a pretty nasty characterization. That is my fathers second cousin you are speaking of, I replied frostily, before Mom and I adjourned to the Gold Mirror on Taraval Street to repeat the story to others. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks that based on this connection, I was also related to Theresa through a 1916 marriage of two cousins. Having always known her as a long-time family friend and then being told we were relatedwell, that takes some getting used to, but its not unheard of in San Francisco.

In June of 1970, at the time of my graduation from St.Ignatius, two mothers of fellow graduates had a chance encounter on 37th Avenue. Ill quote from my classmate, Mike Pasini, who told their story a few years ago in Genesis, St.Ignatiuss alumni magazine:

The beginning was the moment my mother came out of the Orradre Chapel in the summer of 1970 and heard, to her surprise, a familiar voice. Bernice? she asked. Barbara? Bernice laughed. They hadnt seen each other since they were girls, gathered at the Garbarino or Nassano home for one feast or another. They were, in fact, fourth cousins. And now that Bernices son Keith and I had just graduated from S.I. their paths had crossed again. Which is how, after four years at school together, Keith and I learned that we, too, were cousins. Cousins? we looked at our mothers. Then, without missing a beat, we turned to each other. Cugino! we laughed and embraced.

Moms mother had eight brothers and sisters, and in 1928, Grandmas youngest brother married a girl from a large family in St. Anne of the Sunset Parishand she also had many siblings. Most of these young people married and then settled in the Outside Lands, raising children of their own. When I was in grammar school, it turned out that one classmates father was the younger brother of the wife of Grandmas youngest brotherNancy and I jokingly called ourselves half-cousins. We had no real relationship at all, even though she and my mother38 years apart in ageactually shared the very same aunt and uncle. And although many of the descendants of that original group eventually left the city limits in the late 20th Century diaspora of Irish-Catholics, each family retained a strong San Francisco identity. Fast forward to 2011, and two girls at St. Marys College in Moragagood friends since their freshman yeardecided to become roommates. In the course of conversation, each realized that their families knew some of the same people. A bit more conversation with their respective parents proved that the girls were actually third cousins to one another (their great-grandparents were siblings, each had a grandparent who was first cousin to one of others grandparents, and each had a parent who was second cousin to one of the others parents). And while one of them is no blood relation to me, the other is the daughter of one of my second cousins. And some people think Queen Victoria had a complicated family tree!

Growing up, my parents always received a Christmas card from a Mr. and Mrs. Dieden, an older couple who lived on 43rd Avenue in the Richmond District. I once asked Mom who they were, and she replied that they were old friends of my fathers long-gone parents. Thats how I thought of them for years, until Dads 1980 funeral when Mrs. Dieden, then in her 90s and still a strong presence (retired schoolteacher from the San Francisco Unified School District), embraced me. I finally asked, Alice, exactly how do our families know each other? She replied sweetly, Why, dear, Im your fathers first cousinshe politely omitted adding, you idiot!and then explained to me that Dads father and her mother were brother and sister. I soon came to learn that Dads father, who died in 1934, long before my parents ever met, was a full decade younger than his sisters, was 38 when he married, and past 40 before having children. Hence, most of Dads first cousins, including Alice and others, were 25-30 years older, so Dad never had any of the usual family interactions. This contact with Alice rekindled a dormant connection, leading me to a far greater understanding of history, and drawing me into the family circle where I met many more wonderful relatives, before eventually serving as guardian for the last of Alices two elderly children nearly a quarter-century later, in 2001-2002.

The ultimate story began in 1998. Armed with a new computer, back in the day when Yahoo! was mostly a search engine for email addresses, I received an inquiry from a lady in the East Bay, asking where my Dunnigan relations were from. I replied, naming the Irish town and county, and mentioning that they had come to California by way of Washington, DC. She responded that her own Dunnigan-born grandmother was from a different county, so we were probably not related, however, she had the email address of a man in suburban Washington, DC who was also searching for his own Dunnigan ancestors who had come from the same part of Ireland as mine, and who had also settled in DC. She suggested that I contact him.

Just a few keystrokes later, I was in touch with a guy my age, whose mother turned out to be my third cousin (her great-grandfather and my great-grandfather were brothers, born in Ireland in the 1830s, who came to America in 1850). Our mutual great-great-grandmother was right there in the 1860 U.S. Census in DC! That December, I attended a family reunion in suburban Virginia where I met dozens of cousins and saw hundreds of old family photos of people who looked remarkably like Dad and his brother. I met my third cousin, DeeDee (a childhood nickname, based on her older brother Franks inability to pronounce Dunnigan). It was spine-tingling to hear the story of how her brotherwho, along with his father, my father, and myself all had the very same first and last namesand how her brother lost his life when his plane went down over the South Pacific in October, 1944, at age 26. I eventually came to know his widow, his son, his granddaughter, and his great-grandchildren, embracing them all as my own family.

Continuing with family research at various libraries, I discovered additional branches of our family tree. It turned out that various cousins were neighbors in the same northwest Washington neighborhood in the 1920s, but as time progressed, the family tie became unknown to younger generations. By October 2000, I had enough information to pull together a family reunion, reuniting several branches that are still in touch today. Over the years, dozens of us, all some degree of cousin to one another, have continued to reconnect as family, sharing intimate matters, filling in the blanks of history, rejoicing at marriages and births, and consoling one another at times of sorrow, often in person, at wakes and funerals on an opposite coast.

Someone asked me as I was headed off to the wedding of another remote cousin, What in the world do you talk about when you get together with strangers like that? Its really easyjust like my S.I. classmates who discovered their family connection by accident in 1970you simply know that you are a unique part of each others lives, and even after separation of a century or more, you literally pick up where the ancestors left off, as the ghosts of the past smile a collective approval on each and every reunion, right down to the warm smiles and the clinking of the wine glasses.

LChaim, Slainte, Salute, Prost, Saludto all of us!

Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places!
I am OMI | Events | People | Places | Participate

Urbano's Racetrack

by Woody LaBounty

September 1999

I hate Nineteenth Avenue.

It starts with Crossover Drive. Whose idea was it to have a mini-freeway slash through the heart of Golden Gate Park? The cypress trees, roses, and rustic pathways are suddenly interrupted by a racetrack for thousands of automobiles.

The city that found the money to build tunnels through Twin Peaks and Russian Hill could not come up with the funds to burrow under four blocks of sand to preserve the park.

Bisecting the Sunset District, Nineteenth Avenue gets no better: three miles of traffic, stoplights, pavement, and exhaust fumes. The unfortunate residents park with two wheels on the sidewalk to avoid the common sideswiping.

Drivers try to beat the timed traffic lights, tailgating and speeding so the street resembles the backstretch of the Indianapolis 500. I avoid Nineteenth Avenue like a vegan avoids a Texas barbecue.

If I have to drive south in the Sunset I take the wide, clear avenue called Junipero Serra Boulevard, skirting the large "residence parks" developed in the 1910s and 1920s.

Driving down Junipero Serra Boulevard, south of Ocean Avenue, you will see Ingleside Terraces: a clean, sunny ramble of large houses, well-edged lawns, and curving streets.

Iron arches originally connected the stone obelisks that provide welcome to the development. The arches have disappeared, perhaps a victim of tall delivery trucks, a wartime metal-collecting drive, or more likely, regulations to allow new, larger fire engines access.

Ingleside Terraces centers on Urbano Drive, a street that has the best reason for curving. Urbano is an oval laid along the lines of the old Ingleside Racetrack, the last venue for horse racing in San Francisco.

Horses in San Francisco?

The Pacific Coast Jockey Club built on a fifty-year history of horse racing in the city when they opened Ingleside Racetrack in 1895.

The first formal horse race in San Francisco was staged on a meadow flat near Mission Dolores in late 1847. William Leidesdorff, for whom an alleyway downtown is named, owned one of the horses, but history has not recorded whether it won.

In following decades a number of tracks fought for the gamblers and lovers of horseflesh. The Richmond District featured Agricultural Park between the sand dunes of Twenty-third and Twenty-seventh Avenue on Point Lobos Road (now Geary Boulevard). Bay District Race Track ran along what is now Fulton Street from Arguello to Fifth Avenue. The wealthy created a Speed Road in Golden Gate Park to race their thoroughbreds. Near Lake Merced, stood Ocean View Course, and lastly, Ingleside Racetrack opened its doors across the road from a popular inn.

Connemara's Escape

At the turn of the century, gamblers whose luck ran cold with the horses could try and change it with the greyhounds. East on today's Ocean Avenue, across Phelan Avenue from City College, a dog track called the Ingleside Coursing Park operated in the early 1900s. 1

The writer Raymond Clary, in his book The Making of Golden Gate Park, told the tale of a wayward greyhound named "Connemara." The dog decided there had to be a better world than chasing rabbits in circles. One day at the end of a race he had won, Connemara crossed the finish line and kept going until he reached Sutro Forest, near Laguna Honda and present-day University of California-San Francisco. There he became the leader of a pack of wild dogs who terrorized cats, chickens, pigs, and even took out a couple of peacocks in Golden Gate Park. The greyhound, worth several thousand dollars, was never recaptured.

Closing the Doors

Ingleside Racetrack disappeared when San Francisco's growing population moved into the open-gated community of the Terraces. The Twin Peaks tunnel opened up the area as a realistic development opportunity.

The racetrack had its last moment of glory as a temporary hospital after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Those wanting to watch a filly bolt out of a starting gate had to travel down the peninsula or across the bay.

Today, just a few blocks from Urbano, the corner of Nineteenth Avenue and Holloway Avenue is rated as one of the five most dangerous intersections in San Francisco. Cars fly off Highway 280, desperate to save the thirty seconds the red light delays them. The Department of Traffic has installed automatic cameras to entrap red-light runners, and hopefully, slow down the race.

Last week I sat parked in my car on the former racetrack in Ingleside Terraces. After ten minutes I had counted two dog-walkers (no greyhounds), one Buick LeSabre going about fifteen miles an hour, and three children on bikes.

Read more about Ingleside Racetrack on this page and this page.

Contribute your own stories about the OMI!

This project is made possible by a grant from the CALIFORNIA COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES with generous support from the San Francisco Foundation, as part of the Council's statewide California Stories Initiative. The COUNCIL is an independent non-profit organization and a state affiliate of the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES. For more information on the Council and the California Stories Initiative, visit www.californiastories.org.
Hundreds of Chicagoans lost to the coronavirus are being remembered as part of Day of The Dead ofrendas. Some families are setting up an altar for the first time, while others continue the Mexican tradition that is no longer solely folkloric.
PERU  Civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson will lead a march through Peru on Tuesday to demand justice for Jelani Day, an Illinois State University grad student whose disappearance and death have sparked international attention.

Jackson and the organization he founded, Rainbow People United to Serve Humanity Coalition, have joined Day's family in calling upon the FBI to lead the investigation into his death.

Day, 25, was studying speech pathology at ISU and was last seen in Bloomington Aug. 24. His body was recovered from the Illinois River in the Peru area Sept. 4. A cause of death has not been released.

The Illinois State Police, the Bloomington and Peru police departments, the LaSalle sheriff's and coroner's departments, and the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit are conducting a joint investigation.

Questions about the investigation have been referred to LaSalle County authorities, who are leading the case. They have not responded to interview requests. Peru Police Chief Robert Pyszka could not be reached Thursday for comment.

The march will begin at noon Tuesday at the Peru Police Department, 2650 N. Peoria St. Attendees are asked to share the plans under hashtags #MarchForJelaniDay and #JusticeForJelaniDay, according to a flyer shared to the Facebook page "Justice for Jelani Day."

Jackson in a statement has drawn parallels between Day's case and the death of Emmett Till, who like Day also was Black. Till was lynched in 1955 in Mississippi and submerged in the Tallahatchie River, making him unrecognizable.

Rep. Kambium Buckner, D-Chicago, in a letter sent to Pyszka that was also shared to the "Justice for Jelani Day" Facebook page, has called on Pyszka to turn the investigation over to the ISP Division of Criminal Investigations.

Buckner wrote that the current investigation has "included some unsettling discrepancies and inconsistencies," and being a multi-county investigation, "rises to the level that specialized resources, skills and attention" are needed to move forward.

"Jelani and his family deserve justice, closure, and a feeling of peace that can only be obtained by finding out exactly what happened to him; we should do all we can to give them that," Buckner said in his letter.

Day was laid to rest in Springhill Cemetery in Danville on Tuesday. A burial was previously scheduled Oct. 11, but was postponed because of the ongoing investigation. A funeral service was held at Danville High School Oct. 9.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call investigators at 815-433-2161.

Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry.

Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 1

Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
BLOOMINGTON  Authorities on Wednesday released the identity of a man who died in a house fire overnight Monday.

Tyrone L. Hoy, 62, was pronounced dead at about 2:20 a.m. Tuesday after Bloomington firefighters found him inside an apartment at 603 W. Market St.

Hoy died of carbon monoxide intoxication caused by the inhalation of smoke and soot from the fire, according to preliminary autopsy results released Wednesday by McLean County Coroner Kathy Yoder.

There was no evidence of assault, altercation or infection, Yoder said in a news release. Toxicology testing is pending.

Bloomington fire crews were called to the scene at about 11:08 p.m. Monday, but after about 40 minutes, firefighters had to leave the building. Initially, crews were unable to access the third floor because the stairs had burned away. A ladder truck was later used to extinguish the blaze pushing through the top floor of the three-story apartment building.

The Bloomington Police Department said in a news release that investigators found suspicious circumstances related to the fire.

Five people were hospitalized and eight adults in total were displaced by the fire.

The fire is under investigation by the Bloomington Fire Department, the criminal investigation division of the Bloomington Police Department, Illinois State Fire Marshal and the coroners office.

Anyone with information related to the fire is asked to contact Det. Brad Melton at 309-434-2537 or bmelton@cityblm.org or Det. Brock Merritt at 309-434-2359 or bmerritt@cityblm.org.

To remain anonymous, contact the Crime & Intelligence Analysis Unit at 309-434-2963 or CIAU@cityblm.org.

Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
BLOOMINGTON  The director of the Bloomington Public Library said theyll be using more scrutiny when selecting books to be highlighted in a monthly display in the building.

The showcase is on the second floor of the library between the childrens and adult areas and features a different theme each month. In September, the theme was graphic novels.

Jesse Simmons, of Bloomington, said she raised concerns after her husband took her 7-year-old son to the childrens section near the display and he said something wasnt right.

Simmons said some of the selections featured sexually explicit content and drug use.

"I went over a couple of days later ... I personally sat down at that display case and thumbed through books for an hour," Simmons said. "You've got promotion of extreme drug use, extreme profanity through all this stuff... blasphemy against God ... I could go on and on. It is vile."

Simmons said she took her concerns to library staff but wasn't satisfied with the response or the fact that the books remained on display for the last few days of September.

"They leave the responsibility to the parents," she said. "They took away my parental authority to say yes or no before my child picks it up."

Library Director Jeanne Hamilton said the complaint was received by the library.

"The theme, overall, was graphic novels and there were some titles that landed on there that weren't family-friendly," she said.

Hamilton said she checked each title individually through a worldwide catalogue and noted more than 100 libraries in the U.S. had the same books on shelves.

Asked why the Normal Public Library did not have the same books, Hamilton said Normal has "approximately 151,500 books in their collection while Bloomington Public Library has approximately 228,500 books in our collection."

"With that difference, I am sure there are a lot of titles in a variety of subject areas that Bloomington carries that Normal does not," she said.

Simmons on Tuesday confronted the library board during its regular meeting, asking for a public resolution on the matter. What that looks like wasn't clear: Simmons said she didn't want the library to ban books; one person called on trustees to search security camera footage and fire librarians who compiled the display.

Mostly, those who spoke during public comment did so in support of library staff.

The books in question are categorized as for adults in the librarys catalogue system and explore topics of race, sexuality and the marginalization of certain groups within society. Having those perspectives available to the public is necessary, some commenters said.

"It is important to me that every child who grows up here has access to representation  whether that is LGBTQ, racial diversity, cultural diversity, different religions," commenter Sarah Adelman said. "Its important for everyone to understand how unique they are in the world."

"This is really important to me because I grew up closeted and if I had seen more representation for my sexuality, I might have felt less afraid to be who I was my entire life."

Bloomington-Normal Democratic Socialists of America spokeswoman Krystle Able told The Pantagraph she believes the controversy was blown out of proportion.

"They want to prevent people from realizing the truth and being able to reflect and look within themselves to dismantle systems of oppression and racism," she said. "They want to keep people from growing and realizing that we can ... actually achieve equality and inclusion for all."

Normal resident Jason Halmy said the books explored ideas and, like movies, contain adult themes and language that aren't part of the overall message but part of the story-telling experience. He said the issue Tuesday felt more politically charged than morally motivated.

"This feels like a public attack on our institution," he said. "This is my first time coming to anything like this  I'm tired of it. Public servants that are serving us should be treated as such."

Simmons encouraged others to attend the Tuesday meeting, which was interrupted by cheers, music, clapping and protests.

Hamilton said theyve reviewed policies.

"We've looked back and going forward, we are going to focus on putting more family-friendly books in that area," she said.

The display currently showcases books on former Secretary of State Colin Powell and cookbooks on another shelve.

Similar concerns have been raised before. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, residents complained to police that library books on sex and LGBT issues are obscene and that library staff should be arrested.

In 2008, the Bloomington library removed a DVD of the film Shortbus from shelves after a resident said it was inappropriate.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A Collinsville man received a prison sentence in federal court on Monday for distribution of methamphetamine.

Deonta J. Thomas, 29, of Collinsville was sentenced in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois to 10 years in prison for distributing the drug in 2018. He pleaded guilty in May.

According to federal court documents, Thomas sold approximately 442 grams of methamphetamine for $2,800 to a confidential informant working for the Drug Enforcement Administration at the Casino Queen in East St. Louis on Sept. 27, 2018.

Thomas will also serve a three-year term of supervised release after he is released from the Bureau of Prisons. In addition, he was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
CHICAGO  Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel both defended and expressed regret over his handling of the police shooting of Laquan McDonald under questioning from senators during a confirmation hearing Wednesday on his nomination as U.S. ambassador to Japan.

On the seventh anniversary of McDonalds murder at the hands of a Chicago police officer, Emanuel said he should have better recognized the lack of trust citizens held for the Chicago Police Department and pushed for stronger reforms more quickly.

The former two-term mayor, however, did not specify what he would have done differently in his response to the McDonald shooting. Emanuel also sidestepped questions about when he learned specifics about the severity of the incident that left the 17-year-old Black teenager dead on a Southwest Side street after being shot 16 times.

Seven years ago, a young man had his life taken on the street in the city of Chicago. He had all the promise ahead of him and a police officer took his life, killed him, Emanuel said. I said then, Im the mayor and Im responsible and accountable for fixing this so this never happens again. And to be honest, there is not a day or week that has gone by in the last seven years I havent thought about this and the what-ifs and the changes and what could have been.

Though he has been out of office for more than two years, Emanuel has faced sustained criticism for his administrations resistance to releasing police dashcam video of the shooting and its decision to approve a prompt $5 million settlement for McDonalds family. Emanuel repeatedly has denied that he or his administration engaged in a cover-up, and he reiterated that stance at Wednesdays hearing.

After lamenting the loss of McDonalds life, Emanuel defended his administrations decision not to release the video while the shooting was under investigation by the FBI, U.S. attorney, Cook County states attorney and local police oversight officials.

Emanuel acknowledged his efforts to avoid jeopardizing an ongoing investigation by prematurely releasing evidence run headlong into another very important value, and that is the deep suspicion, distrust and skepticism that exists in the community of the authorities investigating the authorities and getting to the bottom of what happened.

He said the longer an investigation takes, the more skepticism grows that its really a whitewash, a cover-up.

My view is the last person you want to make a unilateral decision about the release of the video while the FBI, the U.S. attorney and the states attorney ... are investigating, is a politician, Emanuel said. It should be made by professionals. The moment a politician unilaterally makes a decision in the middle of an investigation, youve politicized that investigation and more importantly, you may have endangered the prosecution and bringing somebody to justice.

Amid the fallout of McDonalds killing, Emanuel pursued a number of reforms, including a policy that requires the Civilian Office of Police Accountability to release footage of a police shooting within 60 days of the incident with the allowance for one 30-day extension at the request of law enforcement officials. The former mayor also created policies requiring officers to wear body cameras and carry Tasers while bolstering training and providing better mental health treatment for cops.

During the hearing, Emanuel said he should have pushed for more meaningful reforms during his first term, prior to McDonalds death. Emanuel said he thought actions he took early in his tenure to reform the department were enough, but in retrospect, they were inadequate to the level of distrust.

They were, at best, marginal, Emanuel said. I thought I was addressing the issue, and I clearly missed the level of distrust and skepticism that existed. And thats on me.

However, even after McDonalds death, Emanuel tried to back out of a commitment to a federal consent decree to force reforms to the Police Department, instead attempting to strike an out-of-court agreement with then-Republican President Donald Trumps administration. The Illinois attorney general at the time, Lisa Madigan, eventually sued the city and forced Emanuels hand, with the mayor ultimately agreeing to a consent decree under which a federal judge oversees reforms.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia expressed sympathy for Emanuel, noting that as mayor of Richmond he learned of the deep distrust Black residents had of the Police Department.

Every day in cities, beautiful things happen and tragic things happen, and thats the case in any city, Kaine said. And you cant be a mayor in any city, especially a city like Chicago, without picking up some scar tissue along the way.

Progressive Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon was less hospitable, using his five minutes of questioning to press Emanuel about when he learned details of McDonalds death. What exactly Emanuel knew about McDonalds death and when he knew it has remained murky, though a 2016 Chicago Tribune investigation found Emanuels top aides knew details of the shooting months before the mayor said he became aware of them.

Merkley revealed that Emanuel told him in private conversations leading up to the hearing that much of the former mayors initial reaction to the shooting was guided by police leaders telling him it was a good shooting. The senator twice pressed Emanuel on whether that opinion came from an official police review board. Emanuel said that at the time, the departments top leaders typically reviewed a police shooting the following morning.

Merkley also noted Emanuels previous public statements that he did not watch the video of the October 2014 shooting until it was released in November 2015. The senator pressed the former mayor on if he learned the true extent of the shooting in November of 2014 when attorneys for McDonalds family first sought to view the shooting video.

When the video became public is when I learned what happened and the consequences of that night, Emanuel replied.

Merkley then noted the McDonald family viewed the video in December 2014 and asked whether Emanuel knew by then that McDonald had been shot 16 times. He asked if Emanuel knew McDonald had been shot while on the ground, or that Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was later convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to more than six years in prison, had started reloading his weapon after emptying its clip.

Emanuel did not directly answer, saying instead that details of the shooting were in the public domain in the spring of 2015 when the City Council voted 50-0 to approve the $5 million settlement for McDonalds family.

Merkley sought to continue pressing Emanuel for details on when he was briefed about the shooting but Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez cut him off, noting he had gone four minutes over his time.

Merkley concluded by telling Emanuel that once the McDonald family had requested to see the video and received a settlement, It seems hard to believe that all those things happened and yet you were never briefed on the details of the situation when you were leading the city.

The Oregon senator also noted a letter from progressive aldermen and state lawmakers in Chicago urging the committee to reject Emanuels nomination. Rahm Emanuels actions as mayor were emblematic of the systemic racism that continues to plague our city, our state and our country, nine aldermen and four other lawmakers wrote to the committee.

Emanuel responded by noting he had the support of nine Black aldermen, community leaders and the backing of the Rev. Marvin Hunter, McDonalds great uncle.

Emanuel said he has prayed with Hunter and discussed what they would fix with the nations criminal justice system if they could wave a magic wand. Hunter declined to comment Wednesday, but has scheduled a Thursday news conference to discuss Emanuels nomination.

There is more to this individual than the caricature that is presented in the public, Hunter wrote about Emanuel in his letter to the committee. I felt what is in his heart, and I know him to be a decent and honorable man who is willing to listen, eager to learn and show a deep level of compassion.

Emanuel told the committee that Hunters support spoke to my person and my character, not just my professional abilities.

That doesnt take away from the fact that a grave tragedy occurred seven years ago, Emanuel said in concluding his remarks on McDonald. And that tragedy sits with me, as it has, every day and every week, for the last seven years.

The White House has expressed very strong confidence Emanuel will be confirmed. A vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected in a couple of weeks. Emanuels confirmation, along with a package of other ambassador appointments, then would move to a vote before the full Senate, which is split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats.

Some high-profile progressive Democrats in the U.S. House have expressed opposition to Emanuels appointment, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York who has called it deeply shameful.

Laquan McDonald should be alive today. Instead, on the anniversary of his death, the man who helped cover up his murder is being considered for an ambassadorship, U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones of New York tweeted Wednesday. Rahm Emanuel has no business representing the United States.

While no Senate Democrats have said they would oppose Emanuels confirmation, many have yet to say how they will vote, including progressive stalwart Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

If a handful of Democrats vote against Emanuel, that is likely to be outweighed by Emanuels support among Republicans, White House sources have said. Four Senate Republicans have backed Emanuels nomination, including Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, who introduced Emanuel before the committee Wednesday.

Hagerty, who was ambassador to Japan under former President Donald Trump, has supported few Biden political appointments. But he said he intended to provide Emanuel with the bipartisan support that I was fortunate to receive in this committee. A critical post like this deserves no less from a qualified and capable nominee.

Also introducing Emanuel was Illinois senior senator, Dick Durbin, who said the former mayor delivered a legacy we still enjoy in the city of Chicago and state of Illinois today.

He emphasized Emanuels efforts to expand the public school day and school year, institute full-day kindergarten, improve the citys transportation system and build the citys downtown Riverwalk.

I can tell you what is obvious, he is bright, energetic and focused, Durbin said of Emanuel. Any mayor who can cobble together a budget in the Chicago City Council is ready for major league diplomacy.

Most of the hearing focused on U.S. relations with Japan, and Emanuel emphasized the importance of strengthening that bond amid heightened economic and military ambitions from China in the region.

Emanuel touted his travel to Japan as mayor and his work with international mayors on climate change as experience that has prepared him for an ambassadorship. The former mayor told the committee that after his trip to Tokyo, the governor there signed onto the Chicago Climate Charter municipal agreement he created and two Japanese companies, DMG Mori and Beam Suntory, relocated offices to Chicago.

Emanuels 44-member delegation for that 2018 trade trip to Japan and China was made up mostly of business heavyweights, including donors with ties to nearly $2 million in contributions to Emanuels campaign, the Chicago Tribune reported at the time.

As mayor, my administration made it a priority to bring the world to Chicago, and Chicago to the world, Emanuel said. During my tenure, Chicago led the nation in corporate relocations and foreign direct investment for seven consecutive years.

Emanuel said little else about his tenure as mayor, illustrating how he was hamstrung on touting Chicago accomplishments as many are not relevant to an ambassadorship on the others side of the world.

But his talk of corporate relocations and relationships with sister cities abroad on his resume plays directly into criticisms from progressives that he was "Mayor 1%," a politician more focused on corporate tax breaks and his standing at the national and international levels than dealing with crime and education in working-class neighborhoods.

Emanuels economic disclosure to the Senate committee only fuels the criticism of his coziness with Wall Street bankers and corporate executives, as the former mayor reported earning $13.5 million since leaving office in May 2019.

Most of that came from Centerview Partners, a boutique Wall Street firm that paid Emanuel more than $12 million for his investment banking work, Emanuels filing shows. Firm co-founder Blair Effron contributed $61,500 to Emanuels mayoral campaign and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who also works at Centerview, gave more than $70,000.

Emanuel also reported getting paid $700,000 as a consultant for Wicklow Capital. The firms president, Dan Tierney, contributed more than $138,000 to the former mayor as he prepared a bid for a third term that he later abandoned.

According to his ethics disclosure, Emanuel made another $310,000 for his role as a Sunday morning political analyst for ABC, $150,000 in director fees from GoHealth, Inc. and $331,000 in public speaking fees, which the former mayor said he donated to charity.

The mayors private sector roles, however, did not come up in Wednesdays hearing as Emanuel vowed to work seamlessly, across the aisle, across the Capitol and across the Pacific to advance Americas interests in the vital Indo-Pacific region.

We are at a critical juncture in American foreign policy in this region, Emanuel said. What we build in partnership with Japan over the next three years will determine Americas posture for the next 30.

That last remark echoed a go-to Chicago stump speech line for the former mayor, when he often emphasized his vision for the city by proclaiming that what we do in next four years will determine Chicagos future for the next 40 years.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
CHICAGO  Illinois Democrats are getting pushback on new congressional district boundaries they proposed last week, and not just from Republicans who stand to lose U.S. House seats under the plan.

Voters from Chicago's southwest side, who were drawn out of the district currently held by Democratic Rep. Marie Newman, told lawmakers Wednesday that the newly released maps would dilute their representation in Washington by putting their blue-collar, industrial neighborhoods in districts with "miles and miles of farmland."

Another witness criticized the way districts held by Black members of Illinois' congressional delegation were "hacked up," in what Rep. Bobby Rush, who is Black, called "a horrendous map." And the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, a nonpartisan group that studies redistricting, gave Illinois' proposed map an "F" for fairness.

The Democrats, who control state government and redistricting in Illinois, are expected to approve new maps as soon as next week. Although it's possible they will make changes to the draft they released Friday, the maps are expected to maintain the party's partisan advantage and eliminate at least one Republican-held district.

Illinois currently has 18 seats in the U.S. House, with Democrats holding 13 and Republicans the other five. The state is losing a congressional seat because of population loss, most of which occurred in heavily Republican areas of central and southern Illinois, according to the 2020 census.

The Democrats' new map is intended to elect 14 Democrats and three Republicans. It would dismantle the district currently held by GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a critic of former President Donald Trump who was one of 10 House Republicans to vote for Trump's impeachment.

Instead, Kinzinger was drawn into the district held by Newman, which would stretch from Chicago's southwest suburbs and west along Interstate 80 to the La Salle area. Kinzinger said Friday that he and his staff were looking over the maps and that he is "reviewing all of the options, including those outside the House."

Former Rep. Dan Lipinski, who represented the 3rd District for more than a decade before losing to Newman in the 2020 Democratic primary, told Crain's Chicago Business that he is considering challenging Newman for the seat.

Illinois is one of the few states where Democrats control redistricting, and the party nationally is looking to the state for help in 2022. Democrats control the U.S. House by a thin margin, and Republicans are in charge of redistricting in more states than Democrats, which could give the GOP an advantage in next year's midterm elections.

On Tuesday, the National Republican Redistricting Trust blasted Illinois' proposed maps, with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie saying a federal court ruling this week in a lawsuit over newly approved state legislative maps should be "a warning sign" to Illinois' Democratic governor, J.B. Pritzker.

The court ruled that maps Democrats passed this spring based on population estimates rather than census data were unconstitutional. Democrats have since passed new state legislative maps using census data, though they are being challenged in court by Republicans and the Mexican American Legal and Educational Defense Fund.

The judges denied a request for a legislative redistricting commission made up of Republicans and Democrats to draft new maps, but said MALDEF, Republicans and Democrats may all submit new proposals for the court to consider.

"I hope that what the governor sees is, you can't get away with it," Christie said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
Question: When 90-year-old actor William Shatner last week returned from his tourist trip aboard the sub-orbital spaceflight, Blue Origin, what was the next vehicle he rode?

Answer: According to media reports, it was a Rivian vehicle, made in Normal, that took Shatner from the landing site. It also was not Shatner's first brush with Bloomington-Normal. Ten Novembers ago, Shatner did a hilarious video in association with State Farm (along with then State Farm Assistant Vice President Public Affairs Joe Strupek of Normal) on the dangers of using one of those backyard deep fryers to cook your Thanksgiving turkey.
Governance expert, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah has slammed the Akufo-Addo government over the defunct Komenda Sugar Factory.



In May 2016, Ex-President John Mahama inaugurated the revamped Komenda Sugar Factory aimed at restructuring the economy and creating thousands of jobs.



The $35 million factory, built from an Indian EXIM Bank facility, has the capacity to crush 1,250 tonnes of sugarcane per day.



It was closed in June 2016 and has since the last five years remained shut down for lack of raw materials to feed it.



However, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated his governments commitment to revamp the Komenda sugar factory.



''I promise, by 1st quarter of 2022, Komenda sugar factory will be fully operationalized for the people of Central RegionWe cannot allow it to go waste, he said during his tour of the Central Region.



Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah wondered why the Komenda Sugar Factory has been left dysfunctional since the inception of President Akufo-Addo's administration.



''For this current government not to be able to make the factory functional, for me, it's a failure on their part. They could have done it but have allowed it to go waste'', he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.



He however commended the President for reassuring Ghanaians that his government will resuscitate the factory and appealed to him to keep his word.



''The factory will help us to stop the importation of sugar and also create more jobs.''

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
Ghanaian travel and tour operator, Riali Consult has won the Best Travel Company in Ghana 2021 at this years International Travel Awards.



In a message announcing Riali as winner, organisers said, We are happy to inform you that Riali Consult Limited has shown itself as a brilliant representative of the excellent services in the global tourism industry, and after a thorough jury evaluation, we are pleased and excited to announce Riali Consult Limited as a winner of International Travel Awards as Best Travel Company in Ghana 2021.



CEO of Riali Consult, Mrs. Alisa Osei-Asamoah said the award inspires the company to go higher in bringing memorable travel adventures to their patrons. We are encouraged by this award to offer more competitive travel and tour services to our clients. At Riali Consult we are very firm about delivering excellent and top notch services and this award gives credence to what we have been doing all these years, she said.



A very delighted and thankful Mrs. Osei-Asamoah added that we could not have achieved this without the magnanimous support of all those who voted for us and the organisers who nominated us in the first place. Id also like to express my profound appreciation to the super amazing and exceptional team at Riali Consult who work round the clock to ensure client satisfaction always. This recognition is truly humbling for us all.



Riali Consult has been in operation since 2004. It is an inbound tour operator focusing on markets in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. It also organises tours all across Ghana and has been at the fore of promoting domestic tourism.

The company covers all aspects of travel arrangements for both leisure, business and special interest tours destinations for varying markets. As a Travelife partner, sustainability is a key practice in its operations.



The travel and tour company focuses on providing quality hospitality and efficient services which are delivered with professionalism for both domestic and international visitors.



Organised and presented by Golden Tree Event Tourism Marketing, International Travel award is crafted to honor the excellent performers in the tourism and travel industry around the world. The participants are from Tourism boards, travel companies, hotels, villas, apartments, attractions, theme parks and tourism individuals.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo doubts if his government has a weak communication mechanism as widely alleged.



He believes he has one of the strongest communication teams and is very satisfied with their work so far.



His thought was, conversely, disputed by the host of PEACE FMs morning show, Kwame Sefa Kayi who told the president what the masses think about his communication team.



You are doing good things but people are not hearing it,  Kwame said



But President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a quick response said but the people are feeling it.



He, however, promised that his communication team will improve on spreading his good works to the masses.



What aspect of political engagement can you not improve, we can improve it, he questioned in a studio interview with PEACE FMs morning show, Kokrokoo during his Greater Accra tour.



Adding that, Propaganda has its own power and that is what my government has been facing.





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
President Nana Akufo-Addo has broken his silence over the anti-LGBTQ+ bill laid before the Legislative House to be passed into law.



The controversial bill has been opposed by an elite group made up of scholars, Professors, lawyers and Civil Society Organizations who argue that the bill is a violation of fundamental human rights enshrined in the 1992 constitution.



They have kicked against the enactment of the bill stressing, when passed, will restrict the freedom and rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) community.



However, Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament (MP), Sam George together with seven other MPs are not backing down on pushing for the bill which is aimed at criminalizing homosexual actitivities ensuring offenders fail a jail term or fine or both.



Many Ghanaians have been craving to hear the President's voice on the bill.



In an interview on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' on Thursday, October 21, the President responded to the calls on him to tackle the LGBTQ+ issues with particular emphasis on whether or not he supports the bill.



He noted that the LGBTQ+ discussions exert no pressure on him stressing it is being dealt with legitimately.



He called on Ghanaians to be tolerant of one another's views shared on the LGBTQ+ controversy.



"It's in Parliament. It's a Private Members Bill. We have been fighting for [many, many] a long time the opportunity for private members to also sponsor bills of Parliament . . .The Parliament is looking at it. Let's see how the process develops.



"No! I can't feel pressured. We're talking about public opinion. We're talking about legitimate processes that are being used. What I would hope for is that the debate itself will be civil and that we will recognize the need for us to be tolerant of each other, even when there are opposing views," 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
Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the former trade minister, has sued the Ashanti Regional chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi for defamation.



Wontumi was on Wednesday (20 October) arraigned before the Kumasi Human Rights Court for allegedly making defamatory statements against Dr Spio-Garbrah during a live political show on Wontumi TV.



Dr Spio-Garbrah alleged that during the show back in September 2020, Wontumi called him a thief.



The lawyer for the plaintiff, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, explained the reputation of his client has been woefully derailed, thus, prays the court for a compensation of a minimum of US$10 million, which he describes as the value for Dr Spio-Garbrahs global reputation.



Dr Spio-Garbrah being a former presidential candidate, he has held global positions, he is a former ambassador of Ghana, he is also a former minister, cabinet minister in different NDC administrations in this country.



He feels aggrieved, because he has global reputation to protect, and so he has brought this matter, he has put forward that his reputation conservatively is about US$10 million, minimum, so the court should look at the statement, look at the person who is making the statement, look at his reputation and give him justice, and that is all we are asking for, Addo said.



According to the writ, Wontumi said: All that Inusah Fuseini is saying is that even him, Inusah Fuseini is a thief. If you mention Spio-Garbrahs name he is a thief, Sylvester Mensah is a thief, Joshua Alabi is a thief, all their Presidential candidates are thieves so if John Mahama is a thief then let us allow him to continue stealing.



Dr Spio-Gabrah, in his suit, indicated that the words used on him were uttered without caution by the defendant with the intent to cause damage and injury to his hard-earned global reputation, which he values in excess of ten million dollars.



The Plaintiff says that the defamatory words were uttered, without caution by the defendant in a malicious manner with the intent to cause damage and injury to the plaintiffs hard-earned global reputation.



Meanwhile, the Defendant, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, in his written response to the court insists that he meant no malice but was only interpreting the statement made by Inusah Fuseini.





Source: asaaseradio.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
President Akufo-Addo has appeared in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'kokrokoo' with host, Kwami Sefa Kayi.



The President is talking on a wide range of economic issues and difficulties facing the country amid the Coronavirus pandemic and how to improve the lives of Ghanaians.







The President is touring the Greater Accra region as part of his national working tour.- Akufo-Addo says Covid came as a disruptive factor.- He says the state of country's finances is not the best.- NPP Should have a transparent and credible way of electing my successor.- "I wasn't the choice of any cabal," Akufo-Addo on electing his successor.- He says he has a vote to help elect his successor.- Akufo-Addo says the Greater Accra regional minister, Henry Quartey needs to be commended, according to him he initially didn't like the position but he enforced it on him.-Immedidately after Mahama inaugurated the factory it collapsed.-Why didn't Mahama access the loan he is talking about for the factory?- February next year the factory will be up and running.- Many of them are being worked on.Eurojet project was inititiated by former President John Agyekum Kufuor.-We are not doing more than we can do.-The whole project has been divided into groups for it to be completed on time.-We have agreed on bail of quantities so we have a uniform price across the country.- I made a mistake. He says the actual plan is to build a landing site."I have to apologize to the people of Cape Coast," Akufo-Addo.- I annnounced the results because most of the investigations were initiated by me.- I am doing my best to fighting corruption- Every effort is being made to help the Special Prosecutor to execute his duty.- The idea of more lawyers in the country is good for the health of the nation.- The conversation is ongoing to resolve the issue- Substantial progress will be made by next year.- There is no space in the law school for them. There have been others who didn't get admission in the previous years but passed.- Our situation will improve with some institutional changes- It is unfortunate, I have a very disturdbed mind.- We will have a solution to it soon."Even people who lost the election are going round thanking people how much more me," Akufoo-Addo.- It is a private members bill and we have been waiting for it.- It is in parliament so let's see how the discussion goes.- It'll be a credit to Ghanaian democracy if this issue is handled rightly.- The process should be conducted in an acceptable manner- Akufo-Addo Laughs . . . I am sure it's nothing serious about him getting a state burial.May he rest well.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has criticized the poor management of the Komenda Sugar Factory under the erstwhile John Mahama administration.



The President, in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme Thursday morning, refuted some claims by former President John Mahama regarding the factory.



He asked the former President not to blame him for his (Mahama) mismanagement of the factory stressing he collapsed the sugar factory before leaving government.



He noted that a claim by the former President that his government secured a $24 million is ridiculous.



The money was there before he left office. Why didnt he access it? The money was there before he left office but in fact, it was going to be difficult to access the money because the factory itself that he had built had collapsed. How are you going to go and tell people you want some more money when the thing that you built is in, itself, on the back fold he slammed Ex-President Mahama.



The whole planning of the Komenda Sugar Factory was wrong from the get-go, he exclaimed, adding that the factory will be up and running by next year February.



''Immediately after its commission on the 30th of May, 2016 , the factory was shut down because of lack of access to raw materials. And soon after the Transaction Advisor who is appointed by the then NDC government, I think it was Pricewaterhouse...came to try and assist the government to sell 70% of the shares in the factory...and all this is happening in the Mahama era. It's not my time. Up and down; up and down, no progress. Why? Because the fundamental issue which has dogged the Komenda Sugar Factory, the absence of plan for supply of raw material makes very, very difficult project'', he elucidated.



He indicated that the Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen, is reconfiguring the investment to revamp the factory.





Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has refuted claims that he absolves his government officials cited in corruption scandals.



The issue of the President clearing his agents alleged to have misconducted themselves came up when the President, as part of his tour of the Greater Accra Region, granted an exclusive interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'.



The President stated categorically that he is not a "clearing agent" adding there's not a single corruption allegation brought against any of his government officials that he has taken keen interest in investigating it.



Some cases raised on the programme ranged from his Deputy Chief of Staff accused of some corrupt acts, the Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen's infamous cash-for-seat saga in which he was cited to have extorted $100,000 from expatriates to offer them the chance to sit close to President Nana Akufo-Addo during the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards in December 2017, among other allegations against the President's appointees and some State institutions like Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST).



"I am not the clearing agent. There's not one single one of these allegations that were made that I did the clearing. I announced the results. Yes! I announce the results and that is my responsibility because, in many cases, the investigations were initiated by me. If my attitude was to condone and pushing under the table, hiding under the carpet, why would I even begin the investigative process?", he queried.



With regard to his resolve to curbing corruption, the President clarified; "The reference of my Deputy Chief of Staff to the CID was made by me. I don't remember the last time a President in this country did that."



He further stated he refers all the cases of corruption about his officials to the appropriate State institutions and acts on the report he gets from the investigative bodies.



I cannot conduct investigations from Jubilee House. The ones who can conduct investigations are the institutions on the ground, whether it is the Police, the CID, in some cases the Parliament and those investigative power; the EOCO. These are the institutions that carry out these investigations and then produce a report and it is on the basis of the report that I act.







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 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston was robbed March 18, 1990, by two men dressed as Boston police officers. They walked out with 13 priceless pieces of art, including two Rembrandts, a Vermeer, a Manet and five Degas drawings valued today at about $500 million. c. Courtesy of Netflix 2021

Does something truly qualify as a mystery if nobody knows about it in the first place? Or, put another way: How do you have a "whodunnit" if you don't even know what the "it" is?

Two Boston-born filmmakers wrestled with those riddles, along with many, many, many others, in their pursuit of the little-known story of the world's biggest art heist, the 1990 St. Patrick's Day dead-of-the-night rip-off of Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Two Rembrandt paintings, a Vermeer, a Manet and five Degas drawings were among the 13 works stolen that March night. At the time, experts put the value of loss at about $200 million. Today, the artwork is worth somewhere around $500 million.

None of the art has been recovered. None of the thieves has been positively identified, let alone brought to trial. A $10 million reward lays unclaimed.

More than 30 years have passed. Still, nothing. It is a mystery crying for the telling.

In a four-part true crime series on Netflix, "This is a Robbery," brothers Nick and Colin Barnicle breathe life into a story that they've been after for years. Their first challenge: Letting people know that there is a story there.

"I honestly think that 99 percent of people just didn't know the story. At all," says Colin Barnicle, who served as the director of the film. "I do feel like it's an unwieldy story. It's 31 years and there's a ton of threads ...

"I think the major pull in doing this was to bring everything all together, get a real good look at the case file, so to speak. And that was tough."

" " The Barnicle brothers used printouts from the museum's security system to retrace the footsteps of the robbers while they were in the museum to see which exhibits they spent the most time in. c. Courtesy of Netflix  2021

Advertisement

What Happened at the Gardner Museum?

In the first hours of March 18, 1990, two men dressed as Boston police officers were buzzed into a side door of the museum, a building that The New York Times described as "an evocative, almost magical place where generations of Bostonians have gone to admire art, seek a moment of solace or take a date to kindle romance." The thieves immediately subdued the two security guards on duty, hustling them into the basement and duct-taping their hands and feet. For the next 81 minutes, the robbers roamed the museum freely.

The bad guys cut Rembrandt's "Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee"  Rembrandt's only painted seascape  and "A Lady and Gentleman in Black" from their frames. They lifted the Vermeer  "The Concert"  and other pieces out of their frames, and took even more works off walls and pedestals.

The thieves didn't get past the motion sensors, which were activated and later provided a virtual map of their footsteps. But at the time, the alarms weren't connected to any outside source. So at 2:45 a.m., after two trips to their getaway vehicle, the criminals softly slipped away. The guards were discovered, unharmed and still bound, when cleaning crews arrived later that morning.

Almost immediately recognized as the largest art heist ever, the robbery instantly was big news throughout the world. But by later that year, as leads disintegrated and investigations by the police and the FBI foundered, the Gardner Museum theft faded from the front pages of newspapers and out of the public consciousness.

Yet the mystery, and its two biggest questions, remain: Who did it? And, more importantly, where is the artwork?

" " Anne Hawley was the Norma Jean Calderwood Director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum when it was robbed in 1990. She had been on the job for just six months. c. Courtesy of Netflix  2021

Advertisement

Reviving the Story

The Barnicle brothers began thinking about the project in 2013, and started in on producing it a year later. In its finished form, "This is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist" is a roughly four-hour series. (The brothers say a "Barnicle Cut" might last for days.) It showcases many of the story's more outrageous characters.

There's the stoner security guard who allowed the thieves into the museum and was suspected, early on, of being part of an inside job. There's the notorious art thief, Myles Connor, who also was briefly considered a suspect and who helped the brothers shed light on a grimy world of crime bosses and their muscle.

There are mobsters (names like Whitey Bulger, Bobby Donati, Bobby Guarente and Carmello Merlino are all tossed out); dogged reporters and amateur sleuths; the respected curator of the museum, Ann Hawley; FBI agents, police, lawyers. All of them figure, in one way or another, in an intricate tale that rests largely on the premise that the artwork was stolen by members of a Boston organized crime syndicate.

The belief: Jailed wiseguys can use priceless art to barter for their freedom, a kind of "Get Out of Jail Free" masterpiece for mobsters.

Some of the suspects in the crime are now dead. Some have been cleared of suspicion. Some we may not even know about yet.

But at this point, despite all the digging by law enforcement, local newspapers, several authors (including Stephen Kurkjian in "Master Thieves: The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled Off the World's Greatest Art Heist"), and the Barnicles themselves, the case couldn't be colder. You have to wonder now if we'll ever know who pulled off this heist or if we'll ever see the artwork again.

Nick Barnicle wonders, too. But after all these years, he's keeping the faith.

"The power of Netflix's platform is incredible, just the reach. To have the story go out globally, I don't think that's a small thing in terms of potentially solving the mystery," says Nick, who served as one of the executive producers of the film. "This is the first really big documentary on it to reach a large audience.

"I think that [Boston reporter] Shelley Murphy says it best [in the film]: It may just be [solved with] an innocuous, 'Hey, grandpa's dead, look what we found,' next-generation type of thing."

Does that mean he envisions a happy ending to the greatest art heist ever?

"I wouldn't be so shocked to see one or two of the pieces [still] in the New England area. Are all 13 together? Probably not. Are all 13 coming back? Probably not," Nick says. "But we'd like to see one come back."

Advertisement

Have You Seen Any of the Stolen Art?

" " (From left) "A Lady and Gentleman in Black", 1633, is an oil on canvas, 51 13/16 x 42 15/16 inches (131.6 x 109 centimeters) by Rembrandt. It was stolen from the Dutch Room. It is signed and dated in the lower left, Rembrandt.ft: 1633. "Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee", 1633, also is an oil on canvas, 63 x 50 3/8 inches (160 x 128 centimeters) by Rembrandt. It's the only seascape by the master painter. It too was taken from the Dutch Room. This painting alone is worth about $100 million. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

" " (From left) Johannes Vermeer's "The Concert", 1663-1666, is an oil on canvas, 28 9/16 x 25 1/2 inches (72.5 x 64.7 centimeters) that was stolen from the Dutch Room. "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man", about 1633, is a small self-portrait etching, 1 3/4 x 1 15/16 inches (4.5 x 5 centimeters) by Rembrandt stolen from the Dutch Room. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

" " "Chez Tortoni", 1875, by Edouard Manet is an oil on canvas, 10 1/4 x 13 3/8 inches (26 x 34 centimeters) stolen from the Blue Room. It is signed in the lower left, Manet. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

" " Long thought to be by Rembrandt, this landscape, "Landscape with an Obelisk", 1638, was recognized in the 1980s as the work of his pupil, Govaert Flinck. It was taken from the Dutch Room. It's an oil on panel, 21 7/16 x 27 15/16 inches (54.5 x 71 centimeters). Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Isabella Stewart Gardner was born into a rich New York family, settled in Boston and traveled the world. The museum that bears her name, in the Fens area of Boston (about a mile south of what is now Fenway Park), was filled with her personal collections and curated by her for much of her life. It opened to the public in 1903. Gardner's will provides an endowment for the museum, and states that nothing there ever should be changed, and no artwork added or sold.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

African grey parrots may be better able than macaws to delay gratificationrejecting an immediate reward in favor of a better one in the futureaccording to a study published in the journal Animal Cognition.

Researchers from Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Germany tested how long 28 birds from four parrot species were able to resist eating a food they did not prefer while they waited for a food they preferred to become available to them at the Max-Planck research station in Loro Parque-Animal Embassy, Spain. The researchers found that African grey parrots were able to wait up to 29.4 seconds on average for their preferred food to become available, compared to 20 seconds for great green macaws, 11.7 seconds for blue-headed macaws and 8.3 seconds for blue-throated macaws. The best performing parrot, an African grey named Sensei, was able to wait for a maximum of 50 seconds20 seconds longer than the maximum waiting time for the best performing macaw.

Matthew Petelle, the corresponding author of the study, said: "Our findings suggest that the self-control abilities of closely related macaw species vary greatly between individuals and species. We hypothesize that these differences could be linked to differences in brain size or general intelligence. They could also be influenced by the foraging behaviors or social organization of different species as better self-control may have been more strongly selected for among birds who are required to invest more time in locating and extracting food or who live in more complex social environments."

To compare self-control abilities between parrot species, the authors studied eight great green macaws, six blue-throated macaws, six blue-headed macaws, and eight African grey parrots provided by the Loro Parque Fundacion, Spain. Birds were presented with sunflower seedsa food they did not preferthrough a gap in a transparent screen and had to wait between five and 60 seconds for a rotating apparatus to present them with walnutsa food they preferred. Birds were able to see both the seeds and nuts through the transparent screen throughout the experiment. If the bird ate the sunflower seeds before they were presented with the walnuts, the experiment ended and the bird was not able to eat the walnuts.

While birds waited for their preferred food to become available, some were observed engaging in behaviors such as pacing and manipulating objects. The more time a bird spent engaging in these behaviors, the more successful they were at waiting, especially when they had to wait for longer than ten seconds. The effectiveness of these behaviors varied between species. African greys were more successful at waiting than blue-throated and blue-headed macaws, even though they engaged in these behaviors for similar amounts of time. The behavior associated with the greatest success at waiting for the preferred food was pacing.

Matthew Petelle said: "We propose that birds engaged in behaviors such as pacing in order to suppress the impulse to eat the food they did not prefer and better enable them to cope with waiting for the food they preferred to become available. Similar coping or distraction behaviors reported in other species, such as lying down and looking away in dogs or playing with toys in chimpanzees, have previously been associated with greater success at waiting."

The authors caution that as little is currently known about how parrots belonging to the studied species interact with their natural environments and other parrots in the wild, only limited conclusions can be drawn about the reasons for the observed differences in self-control abilities between species. Future research could study the social organization, foraging behaviors and brain sizes of parrot species such as blue-headed and blue-throated macaws in order to determine their influence on the evolution of self-control and patience.

Explore further African grey parrots help each other in times of need

More information: Desiree Brucks et al, Intra- and interspecific variation in self-control capacities of parrots in a delay of gratification task, Animal Cognition (2021). Journal information: Animal Cognition Desiree Brucks et al, Intra- and interspecific variation in self-control capacities of parrots in a delay of gratification task,(2021). DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01565-6
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Astronomers at the University of Warwick have joined partners around the world in launching a new online initiative, calling for volunteers to come forward and help to search for extrasolar planets.

The online citizen project, Planet Hunters Next-Generation Transit Search (NGTS), is enlisting the help of the public to examine five years' worth of digital footage showing some of the brightest stars in the sky.

The footage was captured by twelve NGTS robotic telescopes based at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Paranal Observatory in Chilethey make high precision measurements, sensitive enough to detect the signatures of exoplanets.

NGTS is a collaboration between the University of Warwick, Queen's University Belfast, University of Cambridge, University of Leicester, Geneva Observatory, German Aerospace Center, Universidad de Chile, the Universidad Catolica del Norte, and the European Southern Observatory.

Professor Peter Wheatley from the Astronomy and Astrophysics Group at University of Warwick leads NGTS. He said: "It is exciting to be able to involve the public in our search for planets around other stars. We control the NGTS telescopes from the University of Warwick, and we process all the data here, but we are pretty sure our computer programs are missing some planets. These will be the most unusual signals and so probably some of the most interesting planets. Humans are still smarter than machines, and I can't wait to see what our volunteers unearth."

Dr. Meg Schwamb an astronomer in the School of Mathematics and Physics at Queen's University Belfast, is leading the project.

She explains: "If the orbit of an exoplanet is seen at just the right angle from Earth, we may observe the planet passing directly in front of its host star, known as a transit. This causes the planet to periodically block a portion of the starlight we observe, and the star appears to dim ever so slightly for a few hours.

"Every 10 seconds, the NGTS telescopes capture the light from 1,000s of stars in the sky looking for the tell-tale signatures of an exoplanet transit.

"Computers are searching through the NGTS observations looking for the telltale repeated dips in starlight due to planet transits. The automated algorithms produce lots and lots of possible candidate transit events that need to be reviewed by the NGTS team to confirm whether they are real or not.

"Most of things spotted by the computers are not due to exoplanets, but a small handful of these candidates are new bona fide planet discoveries."

While the NGTS team reviews the most interesting objects identified by computers, humans are still better at picking out the signals of transiting planetsand the team thinks there may still be planets lurking in the data that the computers missed.

There is no application process to join the Planet Hunters NGTS project. Anyone with a web browser can dive right into the data and start searching for these possible hidden worlds and helping to check the best candidate planets identified on the website.

Explore further New gas giant exoplanet discovered by NGTS survey

More information: The website is available here: The website is available here: ngts.planethunters.org
'Big John' was discovered in South Dakota in 2014.

"Big John", 66-million-years old and the largest triceratops skeleton ever unearthed at eight metres long, was sold at auction to a US collector on Thursday for a gargantuan 6.6 million euros.

The final price reached at the Drouot auction house in Paris5.5 million euros before feeswas well above the expected 1.2 to 1.5-million-euro sale price.

Big John's skeleton is 60 percent complete and was unearthed in South Dakota in the United States in 2014 and put together by specialists in Italy.

He will now return to the United States and the private collection of the unnamed buyer, whom the auction house said had fallen "in love" with Big John after coming to view him.

The buyer beat 10 other bidders, with three in particular driving up the price in the final minutes.

"It's a remarkable price," said auctioneer Alexandre Giquello.

"I wasn't expecting this," added paleontologist Iacopo Briano who oversaw the sale.

Big John lived during the Upper Cretaceous period, the final era of dinosaurs, and died in a floodplain, buried in mud that kept him well preserved.

A horn injury near his cranium suggests he got into at least one nasty fight.

The sale was a European record, but still far off the $31.8 million paid last year for a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in New York.

Graphic showing ceratopsian dinosaurs, including triceratops.

It was clear from the start that museums would be priced out of Wednesday's auction.

"We can't compete," said Francis Duranthon, director of the Toulouse Museum of Natural History, adding that the initial price estimate alone amounted to 20 to 25 years of his acquisitions budget

The auction house said there is a chance that the buyer may lend Big John to a museum or gallery to go on public display, but his intentions are not yet clear.

'Awed me'

Scientists who analysed his bones before the auction found that his craniumwhich is 70 percent completeis five to 10 percent bigger than other discovered triceratop skeletons.

The triceratops is among the most distinctive of dinosaurs due to the three horns on its headone at the nose and two on the foreheadthat give the dinosaur its Latin name.

Drouot has previously sold an allosaurus and a diplodocus each worth 1.4 million euros in 2018.

Dinosaur sales can be unpredictable: in 2020, several specimens offered in Paris found no takers with minimum prices not reached.

The Drouot auction house has sold several dinosaur skeletons over the past few years.

Others are concerned that important finds will end up adorning the private mansions of the ultra-rich rather than museum halls.

"Dinosaur fossils belong in museums," said Steve Brusatte, a consultant on the forthcoming "Jurassic World" movie and author of "The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs".

He remembers being a teenager and seeing the fossil that would inspire him to go into palaeontologythe T. rex skeleton Sue at the Field Museum in Chicago.

"It awed me and standing under it, it gave me a new perspective on the ancient world," he told AFP.

Sue was sold at auction in 1997, and Chicago's Field Museum was able to raise over $8 million to purchase it.

"A single wealthy person could have bought it, brought it home and it would never have been put on display for the public, to inspire me and countless other children," said Brusatte.

Explore further Curators squeezed out by high dino bones price tag

 2021 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Working construction under the merciless Arizona sun, Eleazar Castellanos knew the signs that heat exhaustion was settling in.

On the days when the temperature would top 100 degrees, he and his coworkers would sweat profusely. Then came the cramps in their arms and legs, and the overwhelming urge to stop: take a break, get some water, cool down.

But they couldn't. Not if they wanted to get paid and return home to their families as breadwinners.

"Many of the employers don't understand, we need to have breaks, to have water," Castellanos said. "You don't stop, because you know if you stop, you stop getting money. We try to get it done whatever the situation is."

Count Castellanos is among millions. New research released Wednesday by a consortium of medical and public health experts finds that the number of Americans exposed to heatwaves continues to grow, with 2020 marking the second highest level of dangerous exposure since 1986.

But the research, led by the international health expert consortium Lancet Countdown and co-published in the United States by the American Public Health Association, doesn't stop there. Heatwaves and their ability to exhaust and kill are only one of many public health threats on the rise, they found, as climate change warms the globe and sends weather patterns haywire.

Droughts lead to crop loss, obliterating jobs and the means to access health care. Wildfires send plumes of toxic air pollution into the air, which can travel thousands of miles across the country and catch those suffering from other respiratory ailments off guard. Worsening pollen seasons further add to the stress for those with asthma and other conditions, spiking emergency room visits.

Most at risk are marginalized communities of Black, Latino, Indigenous and Asian Americans, who are disproportionately located near sources of pollution, or lack the means to protect themselves and access health care.

"Climate change is first and foremost a health crisis," said Dr. Renee Salas, an attending physician and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Harvard Medical School, and lead author of the U.S. report.

Salas and colleagues who presented the findings this week say the U.S. and other nations have the means to head off the growing crisis by cutting emissions to slow down global warming and marshaling resources to protect against its effects.

Yet each of the 44 health indicators tracked in the new report have reached "code red," according to Jeremy Hess, a medical doctor and professor of public health and emergency medicine at the University of Washington.

"The trends are increasingly worrisome because they are persistent in the wrong direction."

The report arrives less than two weeks before the United Nation's 26th Annual Climate Change Conference begins in Glasgow, Scotland. Climate experts say the hundreds of countries in attendance must find a way to ratchet down their greenhouse gas emissions if they are to avoiding the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.

But Hess is already seeing catastrophe firsthand. In early summer, he treated patients suffering heat-related illnesses under a heat dome that struck the Pacific Northwest. Some didn't make it, adding to a growing number of American climate casualties.

"This was the first year I can say confidently that I and my patients very clearly experienced the impacts of climate change," Hess said. "I saw paramedics who had burns on their knees from kneeling down to care for patients who had heat stroke, and I saw far too many patients die in the evening as a result of their heat exposure."

Measuring heat exposure

Scientists count heat exposure by the days. Each time a single American lives through a day of a heat wave, that's one day. If a heat wave hits New York City, it adds up to 8.42 million days of heat exposure per day, one for each resident.

Nationally, the number is growing. In 2020, there were 300 million more heat wave exposures compared to the typical amount just two decades ago. And that has led to more deaths.

Across the country, 92% of households have air conditioning, preventing about 48,000 heat deaths a year, according to the new report. But in the Pacific Northwest, that number drops to nearly 70%. In Seattle, less than half of homes have access to air conditioning, contributing to a spike of at least 600 deaths across the region during this year's heat dome, the study said, citing media reports.

"Additionally, inequitable access to weatherized, energy-efficient homes limits adaptability for low-income communities and people of color," the U.S. report noted.

The knock-on effects of All that heat adds to other the public health dangers. The number of wildfires nationwide peaked at approximately 80,000 in 2020, researchers found, an amount eight times greater than 2001. Tiny harmful air pollutants called particulate matter caused by the smoke enter lungs and increase the risk of heart disease, premature death, and preterm birth, along with worsening mental health.

Rising temperatures are also exacerbating drought.

In addition to the direct effects to the human body like heat stroke and disease complication, droughts create more suitable conditions for mosquitos that carry diseases such as West Nile Virus, hurt water quality and add to food and economic insecurity. and Dengue fever.

Droughts also decrease water quality and increase the risk of exposure to harmful algae, increase harms to the respiratory system, and contribute to depression and anxiety, the study said.

Limiting the damage

Authors of the Lancet Countdown's U.S. report not only highlighted the public health threats brought by climate change, but offered policy solutions they say can limit the damage.

The report urges a three-prong approach: slowing the bleeding by rapidly lowering greenhouse gas emissions, treating the symptoms by rethinking public health policies and resource allocation, and assisting those with the power to make such decisions by better helping them understand the costs and benefits of taking such actions.

But recent events have shown how difficult swift transition can be. Although the burning of coal for energy in the U.S. has halved from 2007, it still makes up 19% of the nation's energy supply and is the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, the report said. Natural gas, another fossil fuel, makes up 40% of the supply. The use of renewables like wind, solar, and hydropower are growing but still make up just 20% of the energy mix.

The Biden administration hoped to put its thumb on the scales by implementing a $150 billion Clean Energy Payment Program to reward energy suppliers for transitioning to renewables and penalize those who stick to fossil fuels.

Hospitals and local government should prepare for unprecedented scenarios, the report's authors said. Already, some cities are taking action. Earlier this month, Phoenix became the first city in the United States to use public funds to hire a director of heat response and mitigation, the Arizona Republic reported, following a similar effort with private funds in Miami.

For Castellanos, the former construction worker in Arizona who now trains workers on federal workplace safety policies with the nonprofit Arriba Las Vegas in Nevada, the urgency for change remains clear. Federal and state regulators under the banner of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration need to better enforce workplace safety, he said.

But everyone needs better education to bring heat illness and the other health impacts of climate change out of the shadows.

"Every year it's the same history, every year it's the same problem," Castellanos said. "We pretend we are used to it, but we never can do that."

Explore further Reports: Health problems tied to global warming on the rise

2021 USA Today

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

National security officials warn that worsening heat waves, droughts and other climate-fueled hazards are likely to drive a surge in global migration in the coming decades, increasing political instability among the United States' allies and strengthening its adversaries.

The analysis issued Thursday marks the first such government report on the effects of climate on migration. It found that migrants forced from their homes by climate-related events are likely to seek refuge in the nearest stable democratic nations that follow international asylum conventions and where jobs are plentiful. This could send waves of migrants to traditional destinations like the United States and the European Union, as well as to bordering countries like Mexico and Turkey that are already struggling with how to respond to increasing migrant populations.

The Biden administration released three other climate change assessments Thursday from the departments of Homeland Security and Defense, the National Security Council and the director of national intelligence. Together, they represent the most complete analysis yet of the threats climate change poses to national security.

A sharp rise in climate migrants could strain relations between developed countries and their neighbors, the report on migration found, particularly if wealthy countries enact restrictive policies that push people into countries with fewer resources.

Unless the U.S. and Europe come up with a strategy to address climate migration, the report said, China, Russia and other nations could exploit the situation, providing aid to overwhelmed countries in order to gain influence.

National security officials recommend a series of steps in the report, such as sending U.S. aid to help people through climate-related disasters in their home countries, more tracking of extreme weather events that are likely to displace people, and possible legislative action to protect climate migrants.

And they urge the U.S. government to establish an interagency working group on climate change and migration to coordinate its efforts to address the challenge.

The report was ordered by President Joe Biden in February as part of an executive order that instructed government agencies to prepare for how climate change could affect migration patterns and consider updating the U.S.' refugee policy.

"This report is really important because this decade is a make or break one for climate and people who are already on the move need protection now," said Ama Francis, climate displacement project strategist at the New York-based International Refugee Assistance Project, or IRAP. "It says we recognize you, you matter and there are things the U.S. government can do to protect you."

IRAP and other migrant advocacy groups are pressing the Biden administration and Congress to support a new climate visa that would grant temporary protections to migrants and a pathway to permanent residency. As they envision it, migrants would be eligible for the visa if they come from certain countries at the greatest risk from climate change and if they can make a case for why they are particularly vulnerable.

Current refugee and asylum laws require migrants to prove they are being persecuted by a government or ethnic group. They don't provide protection for people fleeing climate change impacts, such as food scarcity and deadly floods.

Some migrants, such as climate activists facing death threats for their work, have been granted protection under the current system, Francis said. But many more have been excluded, they said, pointing to a need to train asylum and refugee officers on the effects of climate change.

The new report "is an important acknowledgment of a troubling lack of a policy framework to protect those uprooted by the climate crisis," Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and chief executive of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.

A World Bank report published last month found that over the next 30 years, climate change could push more than 200 million people across the globe to leave their homes unless countries act quickly to slash emissions of planet-warming gases. By 2050, the report estimated, there are likely to be millions of "climate migrants" seeking refuge from extreme drought, flooding and decreasing crop yields.

According to the new U.S. report, most people who are displaced or migrate because of climate change are staying within their own countries' borders. But cross-border migration is increasing, especially in parts of the world where the effects of climate change are colliding with regional conflicts and violence.

The report predicts this trend will inflame existing tensions internationally, highlighting recent examples in which the arrival of immigrants from Syria and Central America led to backlash from anti-immigrant factions within the U.S. and Europe.

A world destabilized by climate change could also embolden authoritarian leaders, the report says, noting that Russia would benefit from future conflicts over climate-related migration in Europe, especially if those disagreements led more countries to split from the European Union.

Explore further Pentagon, intelligence agencies detail climate threat to security

2021 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Danielle Nguyen and Niousha Jafari, of NU Hacks work on a laptop in ISEC. Credit: dam Glanzman/Northeastern University

By now it's no secret: college enrollment is down, and it's way down among men. In fact, the gender gap is the widest it's ever been in the history of higher education, with women making up roughly 60% of college students in the U.S.

The gulf represents a decades-long trend that is showing no signs of letting up. Fewer men earning college degrees than their female counterparts has become a vexing problem with wide-ranging socioeconomic implications, several Northeastern experts say.

"Higher female college-going makes sense," says Mindy Marks, associate professor of economics at Northeastern. "The returns from a college degree have gone up, so the earning's difference, for both genders, between what you can earn with a college degree versus not, has risen over time."

It's "Economics 101," whose research includes the relationship between academic time investment and future earnings. "Women do exactly what the model predicts," she says. "Really the puzzle isn't about women, it's about men."

Its impacts can be felt not only in the workforce, where women are still lagging behind men but are projected to eclipse them, but in the dating and marriage markets, Marks says.

The phenomenon could be seen as far back as the mid-80s, Marks says, and the data tell an interesting and complicated story about how economic and social forces are conspiring to create a difficult dating market for college-educated young women due to plummeting enrollment figures among men, who are forgoing higher education for reasons that are still somewhat nebulous.

Marks says the imbalances on college campuses portends of a looming marriage shock. Heterosexual women will have fewer men to choose as long-term partners, as women are still far more likely to marry higher-status husbands than the inverse. Traditionally, college grads marry other college grads, she says. That could soon change.

"So that was a fine preference to have when on average men had more education than women, then women could find partners with the same level of education or more," Marks says.

But, Marks says, in the world that "we're going to be in very soon," where marriage is already on the decline, so-called associate mating will soon be in crisis.

"When people start to settle downwe're not there yet because of the lag, but we'll get there soonthere are going to be more college educated women than college educated men," she says.

The gender imbalance on college campuses doesn't entirely account for school type, Marks says. Ivy League colleges still boast relatively balanced ratios, while community colleges have seen comparatively steeper declines among male studentsat nearly three times the rate compared to female students, according to data from 2020. That gap is considerably wider among students of color, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

And there are other variables to consider that have to do with the changing nature of higher education. College enrollment is typically defined by the number of "18- to 24-year-olds enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students in two- or four-year institutions," according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The gap also doesn't necessarily account for the sheer number of non-traditional students, like those who are part-time or over the age of 24, says Sean Gallagher, founder and executive director of the Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy at Northeastern. Similarly, the numbers may not account for workplace education and training programs and the popularity of free online classes on platforms like Coursera, which also offer varying certification programs. Data shows that women tend to participate in this type of lifelong learning at higher rates compared to men, Gallagher says.

While fewer men going to college is "something we need to try to figure out how to address," Gallagher says we should be "challenging our assumptions" about what the numbers really mean.

"It's time for a fresh look," says Gallagher, who has surveyed Americans who've opted not to pursue college. "This is not new, but there is an added urgency."

And many experts have said that urgency points to deeper underlying structural problems impacting boys in society todaythat, among other things, they underperform in school compared to girls, suffer from higher rates of ADHD, and are eight times more likely to become incarcerated when they grow up compared to women.

"Boys really are getting left behind," Marks says.

Explore further Educated women increasingly likely to have 1st baby before marriage
'Big John' was discovered in South Dakota in 2014.

This week the largest triceratops skeleton ever unearthed goes up for auction in Parisbut museum curators like Francis Duranthon can only dream of getting their hands on such a prize.

With an estimated price tag of up to 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million), Duranthon, who directs the Toulouse Museum of Natural History, told AFP the skeleton would cost 20 to 25 years of his acquisitions budget.

"We can't compete," he said.

The triceratops is among the most distinctive of dinosaurs due to the three horns on its headone at the nose and two on the foreheadthat give the dinosaur its Latin name.

"Big John" is the largest known surviving example, 66 million years old and with a skeleton some eight metres long.

It was discovered in South Dakota in 2014 and flown to Italy where it was assembled by specialists.

It is only the latest dinosaur to be sold by the Drouot auction house which, according to its website, handled an allosaurus and a diplodocus each worth 1.4 million euros in 2018.

Last year, they sold a second allosaurus for three million.

That these and other skeletons could adorn the private mansions of the ultra-wealthy rather than museum halls is a common source of frustration.

For Steve Brusatte, a consultant on the forthcoming "Jurassic World" movie, "dinosaur fossils belong in museums".

The author of "The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs" remembers being a teenager and seeing the fossil that would inspire him to go into palaeontology.

The Drouot auction house has sold several dinosaur skeletons over the past few years.

"The T. rex skeleton Sue was put on display at the Field Museum in Chicago," Brusatte told AFP.

"It awed me and, standing under it, it gave me a new perspective on the ancient world."

Lost to history?

If very rare artefacts go directly into private collections, there could be a loss for the scientific community, said Annelise Folie, curator of palaeontology collections at Belgium's Royal Institute of Natural Sciences.

"If it's a new species... we may never even be aware that it existed on Earth," she told AFP.

It is also impossible to say without investigation "whether a skeleton contains new information or not," said palaeontologist Nour-Eddine Jalil, of Paris' Museum of Natural History.

Although, the lure of selling fossils could motivate new archaeological expeditions.

In the case of Big John, the sale is "not a big deal because we already have plenty of triceratops," palaeontologist Pascal Godefroit of the Belgian Royal Institute of Natural Sciences told AFP.

Scientists had also been able to analyse the bones before the auction.

He said that while scientists can't force buyers to let them analyse specimens, the two sides are sometimes able to "work together intelligently".

But he said there are problems with many of the specimens put up for sale.

Sue was discovered by fossil hunter Sue Hendrickson in 1990 and purchased by the Field Museum in Chicago at public auction in 1997.

"It happens too often that you have interesting pieces but they're poorly identified," he said.

"Or have been made useless by efforts to make them more complete like filling them in with plastic."

Back in 1997, Sue the T. rex that sparked the imagination of the young Brusatte was also put up for auction.

Chicago's Field Museum was able to raise over $8 million to purchase it.

"But it could easily have gone the other way," said Brusatte.

"A single wealthy person could have bought it, brought it home and it would never have been put on display for the public, to inspire me and countless other children."

The 67-million-year-old "Sue" was discovered in 1990 on an Indian reservation in South Dakota by American palaeontologist Sue Hendrickson and was named after its finder.

The sale of "Big John" comes amid continued enthusiasm for dinosaur skeletons, with a 67-million-year-old T. rex skeleton smashing records when it was sold in New York for $31.8 million just over a year ago.

The triceratops has an export licence, and Alexandre Giquello of the Giquello auction house said in September that there were a dozen possible buyers.

Dinosaur sales can be unpredictable however: in 2020, several specimens offered in Paris did not find takers after minimum prices were not reached.

 2021 AFP
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Tiny Cyprus aims to join the global space exploration drive by developing a compact, X-Ray instrument capable of dating Martian soil and rock samples relatively accurately to potentially reveal more about the Red Planet's geological history and offer a glimpse of Earth's own future.

George Danos, President of the Cyprus Space Exploration Organization, told reporters on Thursday that the 1.5 million euro ($1.75 million) European Union funded project is a first for Cyprus and aims to be completed over the next 18 months.

Danos said the CSEO will look for partners including NASA and the European Space Agency that would take the instrument aboard a Mars-bound spacecraft for more accurate, on-the-ground soil and rock dating on the Martian surface.

A group of prominent scientists have joined the project. They include Marcello Coradini, former head of the European Space Agency's Solar System Exploration division, Enrico Flamini, ex-chief scientist at Italy's Space Agency ASI, and planetary geologist Lucia Marinangeli.

The scientists chose Cyprus to develop the instrument because it can be tested on pockets of the east Mediterranean island nation's volcanic rock and soil that are similar to those found on Mars. Danos said scientists identified at least two areas where Cypriot rock and soil sediments weathered by water and wind erosion bear similarities to the Martian surface.

The instrument, called "In Time," works by emitting X-Rays on tiny soil and rock samples that give off a luminescence whose intensity enables scientists to determine their age.

Danos said any astronaut trips to Mars must be preceded by careful study of the planet to understand its potential to possibly host human habitation.

Coradini said the experimentation would help scientists to also understand the geological evolution of Mars, which is considered a sister planet to Earth. Understanding the catastrophes that preceded Mars' transition from a wet to a dry planet could offer clues about where the Earth's own geological future is headed, Coradini said.

Explore further Cyprus rocky testing ground for Mars

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Pacific white-sided dolphins swim off the coast of the Salish Sea. Credit: Matt Whelan, Salish Sea in Focus

In the early 2000s, a fungus infected hundreds of animals and people in British Columbia and Washington State. Scientists found that the disease also killed porpoises and dolphins in the Salish Seaperhaps affecting cetaceans even earlier than people.

A study published today in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms explores how human-caused changes on land can affect aquatic animals, specifically in the case of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii. Led by the University of California, Davis, a team of scientists from Canada and the Pacific Northwest pieced together the history of the fungal outbreak in marine mammals. They assembled and analyzed data collected over decades by veterinarians, microbiologists, marine mammal biologists, and marine mammal stranding responders.

C. gattii can cause lung and brain disease. It lives in soil and in tree dwellings and is acquired by breathing in fungal spores. It is not considered contagious between individuals. Typically found in tropical and subtropical forests paralleling the distribution of eucalyptus trees, C. gattii was likely translocated to the Pacific Northwest in the early 1900s, although the exact mechanisms are unknown.

Beginning in 1999 on Vancouver Island, humans, domestic animals, and terrestrial wildlife became infected with C. gattii, progressively affecting individuals living on mainland British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The researchers found that 42 dolphins and porpoises in the Salish Sea also died from the fungal pathogen, including harbor porpoises, Dall's porpoises, and Pacific white-side dolphins.

Construction, deforestation, and other activities that disturb soil can aerosolize C. gattii spores, causing infection in people and animals that live near the disturbed sites and breathe in the spores.

"As we change the environment in unprecedented ways, we could see more diseases that affect people and wildlife," said lead author Sarah Teman, a research assistant at the SeaDoc Society, a program of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

The marine mammals that died from C. gattii were found near terrestrial hotspots, suggesting that the spores settled on the surface of the sea, where the porpoises and dolphins inhaled them when they surfaced to breathe.

Researchers also found evidence that the first probable case of C. gattii in the Pacific Northwest could have occurred in a Dall's porpoise in 1997two years before the identification of the first human case in the region in 1999.

"Often we study marine mammals because they play important roles in the ecosystem, and they are cool," said Joe Gaydos, UC Davis wildlife veterinarian at SeaDoc Society and co-investigator. "Too often we forget that they can also alert us to diseases that affect humans."

Explore further Study points to opening of the Panama Canal as the gateway of Cryptococcus gattii migration from Brazil to Canada

More information: Sarah J. Teman et al, Epizootiology of a Cryptococcus gattii outbreak in porpoises and dolphins from the Salish Sea, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (2021). Sarah J. Teman et al, Epizootiology of a Cryptococcus gattii outbreak in porpoises and dolphins from the Salish Sea,(2021). DOI: 10.3354/dao03630
Stuffed specimen of Honshu wolf (Japanese Wolf, Canis hodophilax). Exhibit in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan. Credit: Momotarou2012/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

A team of researchers affiliated with several entities in Japan has found evidence that the Japanese wolf is the closest known relative of domestic dogs. The team has published a paper describing their genetic analysis of the extinct wolf and its relationship with modern dogs.

The Japanese wolf is a subspecies of the gray wolf and once lived on many of the islands of what is now Japan. The species was declared extinct in 1905 after hunters and landowners killed them off, but many tissue and bone samples were preserved. In this new effort, the researchers extracted DNA from tissue in bone samples from several museums in Japan.

By comparing the DNA of the Japanese wolf with the DNA of other wolves and dogs and species such as foxes, the researchers found that it resides on a unique evolutionary branch of wolvesone that arose sometime between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. They also noted that some of those ancient wolves evolved into Japanese wolves and others evolved into dogs.

Prior research has shown that modern domestic dogs evolved from a type of gray wolf that does not exist today. This new work suggests that scientists are getting closer to learning more about that unique wolf. The new DNA evidence suggests that it lived in East Asia (not the Middle East or Europe as has been widely suggested) and its wolf line migrated later to Japan. It is still unclear, however, what happened to the line that evolved into dogs. The DNA also showed that there was some interbreeding between the wolf line and the dog line. A prior study has shown that approximately 2% of the DNA from a sled dog that died 10,000 years ago was from the Japanese wolf. The researchers suggest such interbreeding appears to have occurred prior to the Japanese wolf making its way to Japan; thus, it does not appear likely that dogs made their way there until much later. They also note that New Guinea singing dogs and dingoes have the highest amount of Japanese wolf DNA of any modern species, suggesting the wolf migrated great distances.

Explore further Our bond with dogs may go back more than 27,000 years

More information: Jun Gojobori et al, The Japanese wolf is most closely related to modern dogs and its ancestral genome has been widely inherited by dogs throughout East Eurasia, biorxiv (2021). Jun Gojobori et al, The Japanese wolf is most closely related to modern dogs and its ancestral genome has been widely inherited by dogs throughout East Eurasia,(2021). DOI: 10.1101/2021.10.10.463851

 2021 Science X Network
Scientists use ESRF high-energy X-rays to penetrate in the eggs without destroying it and get a full view inside it, discovering embryos of Mussaurus Patagonicus. Credit: Vincent Fernandez, ESRF/NHM

To borrow a line from the movie "Jurassic Park:" Dinosaurs do move in herds. And a new study shows that the prehistoric creatures lived in herds much earlier than previously thought.

In a paper appearing in Scientific Reports, researchers from MIT, Argentina, and South Africa detail their discovery of an exceptionally preserved group of early dinosaurs that shows signs of complex herd behavior as early as 193 million years ago40 million years earlier than other records of dinosaur herding.

Since 2013, members of the team have excavated more than 100 dinosaur eggs (about the size of chicken eggs) and the partial skeletons of 80 juvenile and adult dinosaurs from a rich fossil bed in southern Patagonia.

Using X-ray imaging, they were able to examine the eggs' contents without breaking them apart, and discovered preserved embryos within, which they used to confirm that the fossils were all members of Mussaurus patagonicusa plant-eating dinosaur that lived in the early Jurassic period and is classified as a sauropodomorph, a predecessor of the massive, long-necked sauropods that later roamed the Earth.

Surprisingly, the researchers observed that the fossils were grouped by age: Dinosaur eggs and hatchlings were found in one area, while skeletons of juveniles were grouped in a nearby location. Meanwhile, remains of adult dinosaurs were found alone or in pairs throughout the field site.

This "age segregation," the researchers believe, is a strong sign of a complex, herd-like social structure. The dinosaurs likely worked as a community, laying their eggs in a common nesting ground. Juveniles congregated in "schools," while adults roamed and foraged for the herd.

"This may mean that the young were not following their parents in a small family structure," says team member Jahandar Ramezani, a research scientist in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. "There's a larger community structure, where adults shared and took part in raising the whole community."

The team of scientists use high-energy X-rays, at the European Synchrotron (ESRF) to penetrate in the dinosaur eggs without destroying it and get a full view inside it. Credit: Vincent Fernandez/Diego Pol/ESRF

Ramezani dated ancient sediments among the fossils and determined that the dinosaur herd dates back to around 193 million years ago, during the early Jurassic period. The team's results represent the earliest evidence of social herding among dinosaurs.

Living in herds may have given Mussaurus and other social sauropodomorphs an evolutionary advantage. These early dinosaurs originated in the late Triassic, shortly before an extinction event wiped out many other animals. For whatever reason, sauropodomorphs held on and eventually dominated the terrestrial ecosystem in the early Jurassic.

"We've now observed and documented this earliest social behavior in dinosaurs," Ramezani says. "This raises the question now of whether living in a herd may have had a major role in dinosaurs' early evolutionary success. This gives us some clues to how dinosaurs evolved."

A fossil flood

Since 2013, paleontologists on the team have worked in the Laguna Colorada Formation, a site in southern Patagonia that is known for bearing fossils of early sauropodomorphs. When scientists first discovered fossils within this formation in the 1970s, they named them Mussaurus for "mouse lizard," as they assumed the skeletons were of miniature dinosaurs.

Only much later did scientists, including members of the Argentinian team, discover bigger skeletons, indicating Mussaurus adults were much larger than their rodent namesakes. The name stuck, however, and the team has continued to unearth a rich collection of Mussaurus fossils from a small, square kilometer of the formation.

New research on a vast fossil site in Patagonia shows that some of the earliest dinosaurs, the Mussaurus Patagonicus, lived in herds and suggests that this behavior may have been one of the keys to the success of dinosaurs. Credit: Jorge Gonzalez

The fossils they have identified so far were found in three sedimentary layers spaced close together, indicating that the region may have been a common breeding ground where the dinosaurs returned regularly, perhaps to take advantage of favorable seasonal conditions.

Among the fossils they uncovered, the team discovered a group of 11 articulated juvenile skeletons, intertwined and overlapping each other, as if they had been suddenly thrown together. In fact, judging from the remarkably preserved nature of the entire collection, the team believes this particular herd of Mussaurus died "synchronously," perhaps quickly buried by sediments.

Based on evidence of ancient flora in the nearby outcrops, the Laguna Colorada Formation has long been assumed to be relatively old on the dinosaur timescale. The team wondered: Could these dinosaurs have been herding from early on?

"People already knew that in the late Jurassic and Cretaceous, the large herbivore dinosaurs exhibited social behaviorthey lived in herds and had nesting spots," Ramezani says. "But the question has always been, when was the earliest time for such herding behavior?"

A gregarious line

To find out, Diego Pol, a paleontologist at the Egidio Feruglio Paleontological Museum in Argentina who led the study, looked for samples of volcanic ash among the fossils to send to Ramezani's lab at MIT. Volcanic ash can contain zirconmineral grains contaning uranium and lead, the isotopic ratios of which Ramezani can precisely measure. Based on uranium's half-life, or the time it takes for half of the element to decay into lead, he can calculate the age of the zircon and the ash in which it was found. Ramezani successfully identified zircons in two ash samples, all of which he dated to around 193 million years old.

Since the volcanic ash was found in the same sediment layers as the fossils, Ramezani's analyses strongly suggest that the dinosaurs were buried at the same time the ash was deposited. A likely scenario may have involved a flash flood or windblown dust that buried the herd, while ash from a distant eruption happened to drift over and, luckily for science, deposit zircons in the sediments.

Taken together, the team's results show that Mussaurus and possibly other dinosaurs evolved to live in complex social herds as early as 193 million years ago, around the dawn of the Jurassic period.

Scientists suspect that two other types of early dinosaursMassospondylus from South Africa and Lufengosaurus from Chinaalso lived in herds around the same time, although the dating for these dinosaurs has been less precise. If multiple separate lines of dinosaurs lived in herds, the researchers believe the social behavior may have evolved earlier, perhaps as far back as their common ancestor, in the late Triassic.

"Now we know herding was going on 193 million years ago," Ramezani says. "This is the earliest confirmed evidence of gregarious behavior in dinosaurs. But paleontological understanding says, if you find social behavior in this type of dinosaur at this time, it must have originated earlier."

This research was supported, in part, by National Science Foundation in the U.S. and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina.

Explore further Study sheds light on the evolution of the earliest dinosaurs

More information: Diego Pol, Earliest evidence of herd-living and age segregation amongst dinosaurs, Scientific Reports (2021). www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-99176-1 Journal information: Scientific Reports Diego Pol, Earliest evidence of herd-living and age segregation amongst dinosaurs,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99176-1
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a class of man-made chemicals that break down slowly in the environment, can accumulate in the human body and have been linked to all manner of negative health effects from cancer to high cholesterol.

But these "forever chemicals" are nearly impossible to avoid. They are, quite literally, all around us: in consumer products, from cosmetics and cookware to food packaging and firefighting foam; in our food supply; in the soil, air and water; and even running through our veins. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found traces of PFAS in the blood of nearly everyone it has tested for the past two decades, which suggests widespread exposure.

That's why it was heartening that the Biden administration announced this week a sweeping three-year plan to regulate the 600 PFAS used in the U.S., including testing for contamination in food, soil and drinking water, and setting enforceable limits on the amount of PFAS that can be in drinking water. "We're going to use every tool in our toolbox to restrict human exposure to these toxic chemicals," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan told the Associated Press.

We hope so, because scientists and environmentalists have been sounding the alarm for years about the unregulated use of PFAS as a growing body of research has found compelling links between exposure to PFAS and some cancers, thyroid disease, immunity disorders and other health conditions. Yet EPA officials under both the Obama and Trump administrations did very little, though the U.S. government has its own PFAS problem it hasn't dealt with. Nearly 700 military facilities around the country, including several in California, may be contaminated by the use of firefighting foam, which is made with PFAS.

In the absence of federal leadership, a few of the more environmentally minded states, such as California, have created their own PFAS regulations. Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills to reduce the use of PFAS in California. One would prohibit these chemicals in paper or cardboard food packaging (think pizza boxes), which is used to make them waterproof or grease-free, starting in 2023, as well as require that cookware, such as nonstick pans, with added PFAS or other chemicals of concern have consumer disclosures.

The other bill bans the sale of any product for children or infants, such as playpens and cribs, made with PFAS starting in 2023. A law passed in 2020 will prohibit PFAS-based firefighting foams in California beginning in January.

These laws may help Californians avoid exposure, but since chemicals don't recognize boundaries, this comprehensive national strategy from the Biden administration to rein in these "forever chemicals" is essential.

2021 Los Angeles Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The distributions of birth weight before and after the Flint water crisis. Notes: Four cities are those having positive weights using the synthetic control method (SCM). The vertical red lines correspond to birth weight being 2500 g. Credit: DOI: 10.1007/s00148-021-00876-9

Not long after Flint, Michigan, started using river water as the local drinking supply, incidences of childhood lead poisoning skyrocketed. For the next several months, residents across the citymany of them Black and below the poverty linewould be exposed to dangerous chemicals from the polluted Flint River without knowing it.

The consequences of this decision have not yet been fully realized. But in a recent study, a team of researchers at the Yale School of Public Health have contributed vital new data points on the long-term effects of the crisis.

In their study, published in the Journal of Population Economics, the researchers found that the children born to mothers who were exposed to the contaminated water in Flint had a significantly lower birth weight on average compared to those in other cities. They found that Black babies have been disproportionately impacted by the exposure as wella damning take on what many have called a crisis that resulted from systemic racism.

"This intergenerational transmission of health disparities starting from the early stage of life may lead to further enlarged gaps in health and well-being throughout the life course," said Xi Chen, associate professor and the study's lead author.

To complete their research, Chen and colleagues analyzed large data sets involving government birth records and surveys about drinking water safety. They then compared Flint's birth outcomes to those from an average of 162 cities across the country that did not experience water contamination problems. After performing a rigorous statistical analysis, they found that the frequency of low birth rate increased by 15.5 percent compared to the national composite, and that babies were born more than an ounce lighter on average.

Not all mothers in Flint were exposed to the contaminated water, and not all households were supplied by the contaminated pipes. But those who ingested the chemicals may not have had the means to avoid it. Birth outcomes in babies born from Black mothers may be worse because of these systemic gaps, the authors found.

Future research could further explain how different sources of contamination impacted public health, from the piping inside homes to the river water itself. But the authors caution that a deeper understanding of the broader outcomes that have emerged from the Flint Water Crisis can only come after more time has passed.

More information: Rui Wang et al, Something in the pipe: the Flint water crisis and health at birth, Journal of Population Economics (2021). link.springer.com/article/10.1  8-021-00876-9#citeas Rui Wang et al, Something in the pipe: the Flint water crisis and health at birth,(2021). DOI: 10.1007/s00148-021-00876-9
Community food services played a critical role in helping Americans meet their food needs, especially during the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Credit: Ismael Paramo via Unsplash

Food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community food services played a critical role in helping Americans meet their food needs, especially during the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research by a team of economists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. They found that middle-class Americans benefited the most from these services, demonstrating a key role these programs can play in times of crisis.

"In the early days of the pandemic, workers who suddenly lost their jobs and had limited savings found themselves in a dire situation," said Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural and regional economics and director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD). "As a result, there was an urgency to the crisis that couldn't be solved with government programs that typically involve an application process and eligibility based on income. In contrast, community-based food services provide immediate access to food, and our research in fact shows that their beneficial impact was greater during the early phase of the pandemic across all income classes."

The study, which was published online this month in the Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, focused on the presence of community-based food services within states rather than on government-sponsored food-assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Community food services, as defined by the North American Industrial Classification System, collect, prepare, and deliver meals to the needy and include soup kitchens, food banks and pantries, and free-meal delivery programs. Early in the pandemic, long lines of cars waiting for food even in relatively wealthy states such as New Jersey drew national media attention to the importance of food pantries and related services.

The researchers found that food insufficiency increased across all income classes during the pandemic, but especially for lower- and middle-income households. The beneficial effect of community food services was significant when all income classes were considered over the 21-week survey period, and the effect was greatest in the first five months among those households earning between $50,00074,999 per year before the pandemic, said Zheng Tian, NERCRD Research Associate and lead author of the study. Tian suggested that this was probably the first time people in this income bracket had difficulty meeting their food needs.

"Lower-income households likely had prior experience with food insufficiency, and therefore may have already been receiving SNAP benefits when the pandemic struck," Tian said. "But for those whose pre-pandemic earnings exceeded SNAP eligibility limits, our findings indicate that community food services offered critical short-term emergency relief while they waited for access to government assistance programs."

The researchers analyzed the extent to which the presence of community food services alleviated pandemic-related food insufficiency during a 21-week period on a state-by-state basis beginning in April 2020. To measure food insufficiency, they examined data from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (HPS), a national survey administered online to a randomly selected representative sample of US households. The goal of the ongoing survey is to better understand the pandemic's social and economic effects on households across the country. Respondents are asked dozens of questions, including whether they sometimes or often did not have enough food, both in the previous week and prior to the onset of the pandemic.

Using responses to those questions, the researchers developed a measure to capture changes in household food insufficiency status that could be attributed to the pandemic. They computed the measure for all income classes and each class individually. They then correlated this measure with the number of community food services per 10,000 people in each state in 2019, prior to the pandemic. Through statistical analysis, they modeled over the 21-week period how the presence of community food services mitigated reported household food insufficiency across all income classes, while controlling for other factors that are also correlated with food insufficiency, such as poverty, racial composition, initial claims for unemployment insurance, and daily new coronavirus cases per capita.

The study is one of very few to examine the effectiveness of community food services in the U.S. This is ironic, said Goetz, because these types of services started in the U.S. and were later adopted by other countries, where they have been studied more extensively. The study also raises several policy-related questions.

"Do our findings mean that the federal government should be subsidizing community food services? Not necessarily, because we don't know if they are as efficient as SNAP, or if they are more effective on a per-dollar basis, and that's an area for future research," Goetz said. "But what we have established is that they're critical for communities to have in place, especially in the early phases of a major economic shock, such as a pandemic."

Explore further Food insufficiency linked to lack of mental health services during pandemic

More information: Zheng Tian, Claudia Schmidt, and Stephan J. Goetz, The Role of Community Food Services in Reducing U.S. Food Insufficiency in the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021). jareonline.org/preprint-online/ Zheng Tian, Claudia Schmidt, and Stephan J. Goetz, The Role of Community Food Services in Reducing U.S. Food Insufficiency in the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021). DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.313316
Image from SHARDS study. Credit: SHARDS research team

New images have revealed detailed clues about how the first stars and structures were formed in the Universe and suggest the formation of the Galaxy got off to a fitful start.

An international team of astronomers from the University of Nottingham and Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB, CSIC-INTA) used data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), the so-called Frontier Fields, to locate and study some of the smallest faintest galaxies in the nearby universe. This has revealed the formation of the galaxy was likely to be fitful. The first results have just been published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS).

One of the most interesting questions that astronomers have been trying to answer for decades is how and when the first galaxies formed. Concerning the how, one possibility is that the formation of the first stars within galaxies started at a steady pace, slowly building up a more and more massive system. Another possibility is that the formation was more violent and discontinuous, with intense, but short lived bursts of star formation triggered by events such as mergers and enhanced gas accretion.

"Galaxy formation can be compared to a car", explains Pablo G. Perez-Gonzalez, one of the co-authors of the paper, affiliated to the Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB/CSIC-INTA) in Spain, and principal investigator of the international collaboration behind this study. "The first galaxies might have had a 'diesel' star-forming engine, slowly but continuously adding up new stars, without much acceleration and gently turning gas into relatively small stars for long periods of time. Or the formation could have been jerky, with bursts of star formation producing incredibly large stars that disrupt the galaxy and make it cease its activity for a while or even forever. Each scenario is linked to different processes, such as galaxy mergers or the influence of supermassive black holes, and they have an effect on when and how the carbon or oxygen, that are essential for our life, formed."

Using the gravitational lensing power of some of the Universe's most massive galaxy clusters with the exceptional GTC data coming from a project entitled the Survey for high-z Red and Dead Sources (SHARDS) the astronomers searched for nearby analogs of the very first galaxies formed in the Universe, so that they could be studied in much more detail.

Dr. Alex Griffiths from the University Nottingham was one of the lead UK researchers on the study, he explains: "Until we have the new James Webb Space telescope, we cannot observe the first galaxies ever formed, they are just too faint. So we looked for similar beasts in the nearby Universe and we dissected them with the most powerful telescopes we currently have."

The researchers combined the power of the most advanced telescopes, such as HST and GTC, with the aid of "natural telescopes". Professor Chris Conselice, from the University of Manchester is a co-author on the study, he said: "Some galaxies live in large groups, what we call clusters, which contain huge amounts of mass in the form of stars, but also gas and dark matter. Their mass is so large that they bend space-time, and act as natural telescopes. We call them gravitational lenses and they allow us to see faint and distant galaxies with enhanced brightness and at a higher spatial resolution".

Observations of some of these massive clusters acting as gravitational telescopes is the base of the Frontier Field survey. The study showed that the formation of the galaxy was likely to be stop-start with bursts of activity followed by lulls. Dr. Griffiths from the University of Nottingham said: "Our main result is that the start of galaxy formation is fitful, like a jerky car engine, with periods of enhanced star formation followed by sleepy intervals. It is unlikely that galaxy mergers have played a substantial role in the triggering of these bursts of star formation and it is more likely due to alternative causes that enhance gas accretion, we need to search for those alternatives.

"We were able to find these objects due to the high quality SHARDS data coupled with imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope to detect hot gas heated by newly formed stars in very small galaxies. This hot gas emits in certain wavelengths, what we call emission lines, just as a neon light. Analysing these emission lines can provide an insight into the formation and evolution of a galaxy.".

"The SHARDS Frontier Fields observations carried out with GTC have provided the deepest data ever taken for discovering dwarf galaxies through their emission lines, allowing us to identify systems with recently triggered star formation", adds Perez-Gonzalez, one of the co-authors of the paper and principal investigator of the GTC SHARDS Frontier Fields project.

Explore further Image: Hubble uncovers a burst of star formation

More information: Emission Line Galaxies in the SHARDS Frontier Fields I: Candidate Selection and the Discovery of Bursty Ha Emitters, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2021). Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Emission Line Galaxies in the SHARDS Frontier Fields I: Candidate Selection and the Discovery of Bursty Ha Emitters,(2021). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stab2566
A young casual worker in Zimbabwe during the pandemic Credit: International Labour Organization

Nations the world over are guilty of "policy inertia" when it comes to supporting young people who lost work or will struggle to enter the labor market as a result of the pandemic, according to new University of Cambridge research.

Experts argue that many countries simply "repackaged" existingand often already failingpolicies without the necessary funding or retooling to benefit under 24-year-olds: the global demographic hit hardest by the economic consequences of COVID-19.

In the report commissioned by the UN's International Labor Organization, the Cambridge team calls on countries to go beyond employment policies that "yo-yo" with each virus surge, and implement longer-term interventions aimed squarely at the young.

The report suggests that, since the pandemic began, more than one in six young people globally were made redundant, with severe impacts on their mental health and wellbeing. Many young people were employed in areas worst hit by the pandemic.

It is estimated that over 40% of all young people with a job pre-pandemicsome 178 million young workersworked in the most affected sectors: retail, services and tourism. In fact, tourism alone saw financial losses eleven times greater than the 2008 financial crash.

Global youth employment fell by more than double the rate of older adults in 2020 (8.7% compared to 3.7%), with loss of work particularly concentrated among young women in middle-income countries. Global female employment rates fell by 5% over the last year, compared to 3.9% for men.

In the 132 countries that adopted 580 fiscal and economic measures to support businesses during the COVID crisis, only 12% aimed to improve women's economic security by ensuring that female-dominated sectors received financial supportmainly in Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa.

In some lower-income countries, there are reports of more young women turning to sex work as a result, contributing to rising HIV cases as well as unintended pregnancies.

Even among high-income nations, the impact on young people's livelihoods has varied dramatically. For example, between February and April 2020as the virus took holdthere was an 11.7 percentage point reduction in labor participation among Canada's young people, a 7.5 point drop in the US, but just a 1.9 point drop in South Korea.

Many of those lucky enough to hold onto work saw their incomes fall substantially. By May last year, young people around the world still in work had almost a quarter of their hours cut on average (23%).

"Young people face distinct challenges which disadvantage them compared to older adults when it comes to finding work post-pandemic," said report co-author Dr. Adam Coutts, from Cambridge's Department of Sociology.

"These include less work experience and financial capital, weaker social networks, and higher levels of in-work poverty. They are also much more likely to have to make ends meet via informal cash-in-hand work.

"Recent school leavers are often ineligible for unemployment benefits or furlough schemes. This left many young people falling through the cracks of policy interventions," said Coutts.

Researchers argue that "generation lockdown" could face protracted periods of unemployment, making it hard to re-enter the labor market, and get overtaken by "younger and better qualified cohorts."

"Young people have been forced to remain at home, stuck with their parents, cut off from friends and partners," said University of Cambridge co-author Dr. Anna Barford. "Anxiety, stress and depression skyrocketed among young people around the world."

"For those without ready access to internet connections or laptops, finishing school or hunting for work has been almost impossible at times," she said.

"Repeated outbreaks in areas from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America will deplete household savings, shrink opportunities and diminish the aspirations of generation lockdown."

The report highlights that fact that young people migrate to find work and their place in the world. The pandemic shut down long-established migratory patterns: from young Guatemalans heading north to Mexico, to young Zimbabweans moving to South Africa. Young immigrants were also much more likely to lose work as average incomes fell.

Most national governments have offered economy-wide fiscal stimulus as well as labor market interventions, from reduced working weeks to temporary furlough schemes and increased social protection.

Some governments offered lifelines directly to sectors that prop up the youth labor market, such as India's emergency loan support, which focused on the wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, rental and business services (some 100 million young people in the Asia and Pacific region were estimated to be employed in these sectors).

However, the researchers say that only a few nations deployed policy responses tailored to the specific needs of young people affected by the economic fallout of COVID-19.

These included South Korea's one-off cash transfers to young jobseekers and government-backed paid apprenticeships in Malaysia, while the EU reinforced its "Youth guarantee" scheme: with member states aiming to provide everyone under the age of 30 with education, traineeship or a job within four months of becoming unemployed.

The researchers argue that, without "youth-sensitive" employment policies, intergenerational inequalities will be further exacerbated during the pandemic recovery period.

While unemployment policies tend to focus entirely on getting people into work as quickly as possible, the authors call for more youth-targeted ALMPsActive Labor Market Policiesthat provide support to boost employability, from vocational training to one-on-one jobseeker counseling, alongside mental health and wellbeing assistance for young people.

One example highlighted by the report's authors is the Indonesian "pre-employment card," the Kartu Pre-Kerja, with $1.3bn allocated to fund skills training for two million young workers. By contrast, Mexico reduced its ALMPs spending to move funding to other parts of the pandemic response.

"Holistic policy responses require health and non-health government departments and ministries to work together more effectively," said Coutts. "The pandemic forced them to work together. These new networks and cross-departmental links need to be maintained."

"Coordination should extend outside government to NGOs, trade unions, employer organizations, policy makers and young people themselves, in order to design better quality and more effective post-pandemic support for young people who have faced 18 months of social and economic chaos," he added.

More information: Youth employment in times of COVID. Youth employment in times of COVID. www.ilo.org/skills/pubs/WCMS_8  1/lang--en/index.htm
Credit: Sam Baron, Author provided

US-based military robot manufacturer Ghost Robotics has strapped a sniper rifle to a robotic dog, in the latest step towards autonomous weaponry.

Some people have reacted with moral outrage at the prospect of making a killer robot in the image of our loyal best friend. But if this development makes us pause for thought, in a way that existing robot weapons don't, then perhaps it serves a useful purpose after all.

The response to Ghost Robotics' latest creation is reminiscent of an incident involving Boston Dynamics, another maker of doglike robots (which, in contrast, strongly frowns on the idea of weaponising them).

In 2015, Boston Dynamics caused controversy after posting footage online of technicians kicking a doglike robot to demonstrate its stability. Many viewers sympathized with the robot, and claimed kicking it was morally wrong.

Ghost Robotics Chief Executive Jiren Parikh has offered an evolutionary explanation for the moral qualms about sniper robo-dogs, claiming they evoke our "evolutionary memories of predators" because they have legs.

But I'm not convinced. I think people are reacting strongly because the robots look like dogs.

When I tell you I GASPED pic.twitter.com/9uzeM4iIGq  Haley Britzky (@halbritz) October 12, 2021

A killer best friend?

Dogs are intelligent. When we see a weapon shaped like a dog, it becomes very easy to view that weapon in the same terms. We instinctively see it as a gun that makes its own decisions, because that's what dogs do.

For many people, that is the true horror of automated weaponry: a deadly robot that makes its own choices about whom it kills. There's no guarantee the choices the robot makes will be constrained by human morality.

In truth, the robots produced by Ghost Robotics are no more autonomous than existing weapons systems. Like most drones, these gun-toting robo-dogs are fully piloted by a remote operator.

But there's a crucial difference in our perception: the doglike robots seem more like fully autonomous killing machines, even though they're not. They just appear that way because we take the intelligence we associate with dogs, and project it onto a bunch of bolts, wires and guns that happens to look like them.

A moral opportunity

If robotic dogs equipped with sniper rifles fill us with unease, should we stop making them? Well, ideally yes. But if, as seems inevitable, humans are going to continue building robots with guns, maybe we should make them all look like dogs. Or, better yet, domestic pets more generally.

Pets are our family. We know our pets are largely free to act as they please, but the familial bonds we develop with them encourage us to feel accountable for their actions.

That's because, although we see pets as having a capacity for choice, we also see them as morally inert. When a dog steals the last pork chop from the table, we don't think the dog is morally culpable. Granted, we might say "bad dog," but that's just a way to curb its behavior. A sharp tone and gruff voice discourage future chop theft, but we aren't blaming the dog for doing what comes naturally.

Rather, it is we who must take moral responsibility for our pets. That means caring for them, avoiding cruelty and, above all, assuming responsibility if they do something wrong. If my dog bites someone, I feel morally bad even if the dog doesn't.

If robots with guns look and act like pets, and if we come to see them as such, then some of the moral responsibility we assume for pets might just rub off onto these robots. We may well be more willing to take moral responsibility for the actions of a doglike robot than a faceless military drone.

The danger of moral detachment

The real horror of autonomous weapons is not the potential they will turn against us in a Skynet-style robotic uprising. It is the horror of detachment. Autonomous weaponry makes it easy to distance ourselves from killing done in our name.

I'm not talking about physical distance (although that is certainly part of it), but rather about moral and emotional distance. Just as buying neatly packaged meat at a supermarket lets us feel detached from the violence done to animals in producing it, so we might feel morally distanced from violence against humans if perpetrated by a remote machine.

We need to discourage moral detachment from autonomous weapons. And our existing moral attitude to our pets might offer a shortcut to this goal.

Let me be clear: I don't support the development of autonomous weaponry or weaponised artificial intelligence. But if we are going to develop such technology, let it be in the shape of pets. Maybe then we won't kill quite so many people.

Explore further The appearance of robots affects our perception of the morality of their decisions

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Gun violence increased by more than 30% in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers. The researchers said that stress, domestic violence, lack of social interactions and greater access to firearms might have contributed to the increase.

According to the researchers, these findings come at a time when many hospitals remain inundated with COVID-19 cases and face challenges related to limited resources, such as blood products, intensive care beds, personal protective equipment and staffing. They said gun violence increases the burden on health care systems that are already in high demand. The researchers also warn that if gun-related incidents continue to rise, hospitals may experience additional strain.

The researchers obtained data on shooting deaths, suicides and gun-related injuries from the Gun Violence Archive. They analyzed daily incidents in each state, as well as the District of Columbia, from February 2019 through March 2021. They compared incidents reported before the pandemic (February 2019 through February 2020) to gun violence reported during the first year of the pandemic (March 2020 through March 2021).

According to the findings, 28 states, including Pennsylvania, experienced a significantly higher number of shootings during the first year of the pandemic. In some states such as Minnesota, Michigan and New York, the rate of gun violence rose by more than 100%. Meanwhile, Alaska was the only state to see significantly lower rates of gun violence during the pandemic.

According to the researchers, added stress and worry, along with fear and uncertainty may have fueled an increase in gun sales. Based on data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, there was a 41% increase in handguns sold in March 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. According to the researchers, all of these factors may have led to the increase in gun-related injuries and deaths during the pandemic.

"The pandemic has yielded harmful ripple effects that need to be addressed," said co-lead investigator Dr. Paddy Ssentongo, assistant professor at the Penn State Center for Neural Engineering. "The spike in gun violence in the era of COVID-19 comes as a stark reminder that we can't afford to ignore it any longer. Now is the time to focus on this public health crisis."

"Our data reinforces the need to promote multiple interventionsvaccinations, testing, contact tracing, masking and ventilationto mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, and in doing so, hopefully we can mitigate the downstream effects," said co-investigator Dr. Jennifer McCall-Hosenfeld, associate professor, Departments of Medicine and Public Health Sciences.

The study published today in Scientific Reports.

Penn State researchers Anna Ssentongo, Emily Heilbrunn, Dr. Joshua Hazelton, Dr. John Oh and Vernon Chinchilli contributed to this research. Claudio Fronterre from Lancaster University and Dr. Shailesh Advani from Georgetown University School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health also contributed to this research.

Explore further US saw surge in firearm purchases and violence during first months of COVID-19 pandemic

More information: Paddy Ssentongo, Gun violence incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic is higher than before the pandemic in the United States, Scientific Reports (2021). www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-98813-z Journal information: Scientific Reports Paddy Ssentongo, Gun violence incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic is higher than before the pandemic in the United States,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98813-z
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

All aspects of people's lives are now bound to a "seemingly unlimited supply of cheap and readily disposable" petrochemicals, a new essay argues.

Global demand for petrochemicals continues to outstrip increases in production capacity, despite substantial expansion in production in China and the Gulf.

The piece, written by Professor Adam Hanieh from the University of Exeter, describes how the synthetic production of petroleum drove post-war revolutions in productivity, labor-saving technologies and mass consumption.

From the 1950s onwards, an array of naturally derived substanceswood, glass, paper, natural rubber, natural fertilizers, soaps, cotton, wool and metalswere systematically displaced by plastics, synthetic fibers, detergents and other petroleum-based chemicals.

The growth of plastics at this time was possible thanks to the growth of the chemical industry in Germany and the U.S. in the early 20th century. By the end of the Second World War, the US was the dominant global chemical power.

Professor Hanieh, writing in the New Left Review, said: "Understanding the history of petrochemicals can help us all to understand the intertwined histories of oil and capitalism."

Germany supplied around 90 percent of the world's synthetic dyes up until the First World War. The conflict led to significant changes to chemical production. The company IGF played a central role in the war effort, pioneering the development of poison-gas weapons (utilizing by-products of the dye industry) and synthetic nitrates for the manufacture of explosives and fertilizers.

Across the Atlantic, leading American chemical companies also profited from the war. The Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) in October 1917 and the establishment of a new office called the Alien Property Custodian (APC) allowed the American state to seize German-owned patents and German-owned businesses, with a particular focus on the chemical industry. At the end of the War, the APC held an estimated $700 million worth of seized German assets in 30,000 trust accounts. Firms benefitted greatly from the transfer of German patents, applying new techniques to expand their output and range of basic chemicals.

By 1937 IGF was essentially transformed into the industrial arm of Germany's military. Twenty-four leading executives of IGF were indicted and tried at Nuremburg, with thirteen eventually found guilty of war crimes including slavery, mass murder and plunder. Those eventually sentenced to prison received extremely short sentences and early pardons and were quickly reintegrated into the top echelons of West German industry. IGF itself was broken up into its original constituent parts of Bayer, Hoechst and Basf.

In the U.S., significant levels of government funding was directed into petrochemical research and refinery construction during the war, and manufacturing volumes for basic petrochemicals grew at an unprecedented pace.

There has been a steady decline in the relative power of long-standing Western petrochemical companies; in 2010, 32 of the top 50 chemical producers in the world had headquarters in North America or Europe, a figure that had dropped to 28 by 2020.

China and the wider Asia region are now core zones of petrochemical production and consumption. Petrochemical consumption underlays initial Chinese production of cheap domestic goods, furniture and clothing, spearheading the country's export dominance across markets in the rest of the world. Nearly 30 percent of the world's increase in petrochemical capacity over the next decade is expected to come from China.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a group of six Arab states, now holds 6 percent of global petrochemical capacity, a figure that has doubled since 2000. Led by Saudi Arabia, the GCC is now a leading producer of several basic petrochemicals.

China's Sinopec and Saudi Arabia's Sabic now rank as the second and fourth largest petrochemical companies in the world respectively, up from fifth and seventh places in 2007. Sinopec is directly involved in the ownership, exploration and production of crude oil and gas, while Sabic is 70 percent owned by Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil producer.

State involvement in the petrochemical sector has been a significant driver of private capital accumulation across Asia and the Middle East.
The gigantic WASA setup consists of scintillators and gaseous detectors that can detect charged and neutral particles. Credit: G. Otto, GSI/FAIR

With the WASA detector, a very special instrument is currently being set up at GSI/FAIR. Together with the fragment separator FRS, it will be used to produce and study so-called hypernuclei during the upcoming experiment period of FAIR Phase 0 in 2022. For this purpose, the assembly, which weighs several tons, is being transferred to the facility in a complex installation procedure. The scientific relevance of the planned experiments with hypernuclei is also shown by a recent review article in the scientific journal Nature Reviews Physics, in which GSI/FAIR researchers play a leading role.

Very special exotic nuclei are in the focus of researchers in the upcoming experiment period: so-called hypernuclei. Regular atomic nuclei are made of protons and neutrons, which in turn are composed of a total of three up and down quarks. If one of these quarks is replaced by another type, a so-called strange quark, a hyperon is formed. Atomic nuclei that contain one or more hyperons are called hypernuclei. They can be produced in particle collisions at accelerators, and their decay can then be observed in experiment setups such as the WASA detector and the FRS in order to study their properties in detail.

Professor Takehiko Saito, leading scientist in the GSI/FAIR research pillar NUSTAR, is the first author of the paper "New directions in hypernuclear physics" in the journal Nature Reviews Physics, which highlights previous results, open questions and new possibilities in the field of hypernuclear research. "Hypernuclei could shed light on what happens inside neutron stars. According to current predictions, hypernuclei should exist there abundantly. However, some of their properties have not yet been accurately determined. Among other things, the researchers want to determine the binding energy and lifetimes of different hypernuclei more precisely in future experiments, as well as discover new variations," Saito says. "For this purpose, the HypHI experiment, previously operated at GSI/FAIR, has already achieved exciting results, but has now reached its limits. The combination of WASA and FRS promises new insights and information. The detector has a higher detection efficiency for measuring all the decay products of the hypernuclei. In the future, the FAIR facility, which is currently being built, will also open up extensive new opportunities for the study of hypernuclei."

NUSTAR engineer Tobias Weber inspects the WASA setup at the fragment separator FRS. Credit: G. Otto, GSI/FAIR

WASA stands for "Wide Angle Shower Apparatus" and is designed to trace the tracks of large numbers of particles that are emitted in energetic nuclear collisions. Thus, the device is a huge, almost closed sphere, equipped with countless measuring instruments, some of which protrude outward like spikes. They consist of scintillators and gaseous detectors that can detect charged and neutral particles. Inside is a superconducting solenoid magnet that must be cooled to four Kelvin with liquid helium. Most of the detectors are currently improved by the international WASA@FRS collaboration. The Japanese team of the collaboration plays a leading role in the development and upgrade of the detector.

Responsible for the technical setup of the WASA detector at FRS are the two NUSTAR engineers Tobias Weber and Philipp Schwarz. "Due to the tight spatial constraints at the FRS, the compact and powerful WASA detector was the best choice for the planned experiments at FRS," Weber explains. "We had to remove several parts of the FRS to make space available for WASA." Schwarz adds that "to transport the detector to its final destination, we had to carefully move the delicate components, which weigh several tons, across our experiment halls via several overhead cranes. Fortunately, everything went well and according to schedule so far. Soon we will be able to start the commissioning at the FRS to ensure everything will be ready for the experiments next year."

To make space for the superconducting solenoid magnet, the WASA detector can be opened in the middle. NUSTAR engineer Philipp Schwarz performs final work for the installation. Credit: G. Otto, GSI/FAIR

Prior to the installation at GSI/FAIR, WASA had already completed a number of experiment campaigns. The setup was originally used at the Svedberg laboratory in Sweden and later at the COSY ring at Forschungszentrum Julich. Its installation at FRS is also only temporary. Following the upcoming experiments, it will be removed and the FRS will again be ready for other NUSTAR experiments studying further exotic nuclei.

Explore further Light nucleus predicted to be stable despite having two strange quarks

More information: Takehiko R. Saito et al, New directions in hypernuclear physics, Nature Reviews Physics (2021). Takehiko R. Saito et al, New directions in hypernuclear physics,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s42254-021-00371-w
Researchers found that as the density of an elephant seal breeding colony increases, the size of the pups at weaning declines, and this effect is more pronounced for the pups of younger females. Credit: Dan Costa

A new study based on four decades of data from the elephant seal colony at Ano Nuevo Reserve has enabled researchers to disentangle the effects of environmental conditions, population density, and maternal traits on reproductive success in northern elephant seals.

The study, published October 13 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, focused on how much the pups weighed when they were weaned (weaning mass), because higher weaning mass increases a pup's chance of survival. First author Rachel Holser, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Santa Cruz, said she expected major oceanographic events that affect the abundance and distribution of the seals' prey to have a big effect. To her surprise, however, other factors turned out to be much more important.

"The single most important factor in determining the weaning mass of pups was the age of the mother," Holser said. "That was more important than the mother's size, which is a measure of her foraging success, and certainly more important than conditions in the ocean. We expected major El Nino events and other oceanographic events to have more impact than they did."

The mother's age is important for several reasons, she noted. One is that older females produce milk with higher fat content at the start of lactation than young females do. But the mother's experience is also crucially important. A more experienced female is better able to choose and defend a good location on the beach for rearing her pup, and she is better able to keep her pup from getting lost and wasting its energy.

"When she gives birth to this tiny pup, it's got four weeks to put on as much fat as it can, which means it needs to spend as much time as possible nursing and resting," Holser said.

This gets harder as the population grows and more and more animals are crowded together on the beach. "When the colony becomes more dense, there are more interactionssometimes the females are fighting, or the males will cause a disturbanceand pups end up getting lost and wasting energy trying to find their mother," she said.

The study found that higher population densities led to smaller pups overall, but this effect was more pronounced for younger females than for the older, more experienced ones.

Holser noted that, while it is often assumed that a larger female will have larger pups, the mother's age is actually more important than her size. "There's a lot of variability in size, and the data show that what's really important is the experience of having been through multiple reproductive cycles," she said.

Ocean conditionssuch as El Nino events, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and marine heatwavesdo matter, she said, but their effects on weaning mass are relatively small compared to other factors. "It's not that it doesn't play a role, but it's not nearly as important as those onshore conditionswho your mother is and how dense the colony is," Holser said.

This resilience in the face of changing environmental conditions is largely due to the elephant seals' reproductive strategy. Female elephant seals spend months at sea traveling vast distances across the North Pacific Ocean to feed and put on weight before returning to the colony to give birth. While nursing their pup, they do not leave the beach to feed, relying on the stored energy acquired during the foraging migration.

Other species, such as the California sea lion, depend on regular feeding forays while they are nursing their pups, so a change in conditions that makes it harder to find prey off the coast can be disastrous.

"During a major El Nino, you can see almost complete reproductive failure in some years for species like sea lions," Holser said. "With elephant seals, we don't see that kind of boom and bust effect. Even in a poor year, they manage to be pretty successful."

She cautioned, however, that the effects of ocean conditions on elephant seals can be seen in some measures of the population's health other than weaning mass. In bad years, some females will skip breeding entirely to restore their body condition rather than rearing a pup. There may also be a decrease in the survival rate of adult females.

"Previous work has shown that ocean conditions impact the ability of the mother to invest in her young, but this study shows that age and, more importantly, experience can compensate for those environmental changes," said coauthor Daniel Costa, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at UCSC. "As a senior scientist, it's good to know that experience matters!"

Northern elephant seals were hunted to near extinction by the early 1900s, but the population has made a remarkable recovery since the end of commercial sealing. Thousands of pups are now born every year at the breeding colony at Ano Nuevo Reserve, part of the UC Natural Reserve System.

The long-running elephant seal research program at UC Santa Cruz has been studying this colony since the 1960s, yielding an invaluable trove of data. Begun by Professor Emeritus Burney Le Boeuf, the program has continued under Costa's leadership.

"This study was only possible because of the work of hundreds of people who have been taking these measurements for over 40 years," Holser said.

More information: Rachel R. Holser et al, Density-dependent effects on reproductive output in a capital breeding carnivore, the northern elephant seal ( Mirounga angustirostris ), Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Rachel R. Holser et al, Density-dependent effects on reproductive output in a capital breeding carnivore, the northern elephant seal ( Mirounga angustirostris ),(2021). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1258
Yi Zheng, associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern, holds a sample desalination filter made of cow manure and one made of hornet nests in his lab in the Mugar Life Sciences Building. Credit: Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Inspiration struck Yi Zheng on a summer visit to a local dairy farm. There were cows and horses and, Zheng noticed, that meant that there was manure everywhere.

An associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern, Zheng is always looking around for ideas of how to create something functional out of natural materials. He wasn't sure just yet what useful item he might be able to make from manure, but Zheng was pretty sure that that material held promise. And there would be no shortage of it.

So the professor asked the farmer for a bucket to take back to his laboratory. The farmer obliged, "free of charge," Zheng recalls.

At the same time, Zheng was puzzling over a global problem: drinking water scarcity. Some 1.42 billion people live in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability, according to UNICEF. And that's only projected to get worse.

As a possible solution, engineers have been working to devise ways to turn seawater into freshwater. They have come up with some tools to remove all that salt in a process called desalination. Desalination systems usually rely on a thin film that serves as a filter that pulls the salt out of seawater when it is evaporated through it.

Professor Yi Zheng performs biomass-for-solar-desalination work in his lab in the Mugar Life Sciences Building on Wednesday, October 14, 2021. Zheng uses farm waste materials such as hornets nests, cattle manure or oak/maple tree leaves composited with ocean waste and office waste to function as photothermal evaporators for ocean water treatment. Credit: Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

"But that material is kind of expensive to fabricate, and the material itself is not sustainable," Zheng says. Furthermore, "the entire process for water desalination consumes electricity."

Zheng thought, why can't we just use sunlight to power desalination?

His vision wasn't to install a bunch of solar panels on desalination plants. Rather, Zheng had a more direct approach. He wanted to design a filter that would be placed on seawater outdoors and activated by sunlight. No electricity necessary.

That's where the manure comes in.

When Zheng took the stinky bucket back to his laboratory, he and his team decided to heat it up to 1,700 degrees Celsius (3,092 degrees Fahrenheit) in order to kill off any bacteria in the manure. Once they'd done that, the researchers found that they had produced a powdered form of carbon. They used that black powder to make a foam, which they turned into a highly absorbent material that floats on the surface of water. When put in sunlight, the water beneath the black material would turn to steam and pass through it.

Yi Zheng, associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern, examines a hornet nest for his desalination project in his lab in the Mugar Life Sciences Building. Credit: Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Zheng had a hunch that that process would be a good desalinator, so he collected some ocean water to test it out. Indeed, when the steam from the salt water that had passed through the manure-based filter condensed back to water, it was remarkably fresh. The resulting water was so fresh, Zheng says, that its sodium concentration was significantly lower than the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water.

Manure isn't the only natural material Zheng and his team use to desalinate seawater in sunlight. Other materials they have used to make a solar energy-triggered carbon filter have included tree leaves, cuttlefish ink, crab and lobster shells, hornet nests, and office paper waste. Their approach is described in a series of recent publications in the journals Cell Reports Physical Science, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, ACS Omega, Nanoscale and the Journal of Materials Chemistry A.

"The materials we use are totally natural, sustainable," Zheng says. "This natural material performs well, and is low-cost, easy to obtain, and easy to manufacture."

That means this technology could empower local communities to build their own desalination systems, which could be important to move toward equitable access to drinking water around the world, Zheng says. "You cannot simply set a nanofabrication facility in a local village or a town, but people can simply collect the manure from a local farm and burn it easily. So the use of manure and tree leaves makes it really easy to access."
The linear MPS P(k) for the models showing excellent fits to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release 7 (DR7) luminous red galaxies (LRG) [105]. We also include a bias parameter b. Note that the (derived) Hubble constant for each model is different. Credit: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.161302

A pair of researchers at the Czech Academy of Sciences has been shaking up the astrophysics community with a new modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) theory that tosses out the concept of dark matter and instead backs up theories that suggest there is a type of as-yet undiscovered gravity responsible for attributes seen in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Constantinos Skordis and Tom Zlosnik have published a paper describing their ideas in Physical Review Letters.

For several years, many in the astrophysics community have used the idea of dark matter to explain phenomena that could not be explained in conventional waysgravitational lensing, for example, or gravitational wave speed measurements found in the CMB. Others have been less willing to accept dark matter because of the lack of physical evidence of its existence. Some have suggested instead that there might be another kind of gravity at work that might explain such observations. These MOND theories have not carried much weight, however, because they cannot account for the features seen in the CMB. That appears to have changed as Skordis and Zlosnik are claiming that they have built a MOND model that does account for such data, and still accounts for gravitational lensing.

The new model begins by using the original MOND idea of two types of fields that behave together as a type of gravitational forceone is scalar, the other vector-based. Next, the researchers added parameters that suggested gravity-modifying fields generated in the early universeones that mimicked dark matter. These fields, they further suggest, evolved over time until they became the type of force described by the original MOND model.

Skordis and Zlosnik suggest their model can be used to explain both gravitational lensing and data in the CMB. Up next, they plan to find out if it can also explain the universe's lithium abundance and discrepancies in measurements of the cosmic expansion ratesomething dark matter theories have failed to do. They also note their ideas are also free of ghost instabilities.

Explore further New constraints on alternative gravity theories that could inform dark matter research

More information: Constantinos Skordis et al, New Relativistic Theory for Modified Newtonian Dynamics, Physical Review Letters (2021). Journal information: Physical Review Letters Constantinos Skordis et al, New Relativistic Theory for Modified Newtonian Dynamics,(2021). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.161302

 2021 Science X Network
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

To ensure that the built environment is equipped to withstand climate change, integrated frameworks are needed at the design phase to enable net zero adaptation, say researchers.

A review of recently updated building sustainability assessment tools, BREEAM (UK), Green Star (Australia) and LEED (U.S.), found that significantly less weighting is given towards the integration of climate change adaptationtools which investors use to reduce their exposure to climate risks within their developments. Although these assessment tools are not official standards, they may be specified or mandated by clients and local planning departments, as they are reflective of best practice measures adopted by the industry. The findings are reported in the journal Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability.

The review, carried out by Ph.D. student Amie Shuttleworth and Dr. Kristen MacAskill, comes at a critical time ahead of the United Nations COP26 Climate Change Summit, which takes place in Glasgow, from 31 October to 12 November, providing an opportunity to ensure that adaptation considerations increasingly become a part of the climate change action agenda.

"Currently, there is no widely adopted system for assessing building adaptation in design, and clearer guidance is needed," said Amie. "There has been plenty of focus on climate mitigation efforts through research and policy, but less so on climate change adaptation, even though they are clearly related concerns. If adaptation is not adequately considered, we will remain in a situation where buildings designed today will likely need upgrades within their lifetime, leading to a range of ramifications, including retrofit costs and performance-related issues, which could, in extreme cases, deem some buildings unsafe."

A review of BREEAM, Green Star and LEED revealed that emphasis on action pertaining to climate issues are heavily weighted towards mitigation, whereas the integration of adaptation considerations is much lower and in most cases are not mandatory.

"This makes it challenging for investors to know whether climate risks have been assessed and acted upon within the development, even if the highest 'sustainability' rating is awarded," said Amie.

Of the three assessment tools, BREEAM (UK) was found to have the most advanced integration of both mitigation and adaptation considerations, with future climate change integrated into a number of key credits (asset score points), such as thermal comfort and water use. It also has a standalone credit recognizing the multifaceted impact climate change has on the core design process. However, future climate change is not stipulated to be included as part of the 'reduction of energy use and carbon emissions' credit, nor is it mandatory to conduct a future climate change impact scenario review.

"This is an important aspect to consider when designing a net zero carbon building, particularly with regards to the impact of temperature increases on a building's performance," said Amie.

In comparison, the researchers found that a minimum requirement of Green Star (Australia) rated buildings is to have a pre-screening assessment to identify climate-related risks facing that building, in order for it to be determined 'sustainable'.

"This push on adaptation, alongside mitigation of emissions, is an important step forward for the industry," said Amie. "However, there is still the possibility that climate change adaptation will not be integrated into the design, as a developer can choose not to act on the results of the risk assessment. This is an area that BREEAM is more prescriptive in requiring throughout."

A review of LEED (U.S.) meanwhile, found just one aspect that directly relates to climate adaptationwhether the development is in an area at high risk of flooding.

Summing up, Amie said that in order to achieve the ultimate desired outcome to ensure buildings are both net zero carbon and adaptable to a changing climate, greater transparency is needed to show how climate change has been considered.

"In order for adaptation considerations to be operationalised within the engineering and construction industry, better mechanisms for achieving the integration of mitigation and adaptation is required. As our perspective paper has demonstrated, there is still some way to go. What is needed is further development in standards, moving from voluntary to mandatory, at a time when climate change is already happening, and negatively impacting the built environment, and those that use it."

Explore further How climate change will affect Maori, and how to adapt

More information: Amie Shuttleworth et al, Net zero adaptationa review of built environment sustainability assessment tools *, Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability (2021). Amie Shuttleworth et al, Net zero adaptationa review of built environment sustainability assessment tools *,(2021). DOI: 10.1088/2634-4505/ac1c5e
Shelleys Eagle Owl. Credit: Dr. Robert Williams / Imperial College London

British scientists working in Ghana have rediscovered a "holy grail" giant owl that has lurked almost unseen in African rainforests for 150 years.

Shelley's Eagle Owl was spotted by Dr. Joseph Tobias, from the Department of Life Sciences (Silwood Park) at Imperial College London and leader of a UK-government funded field project studying biological impacts of agricultural development in Africa, and Dr. Robert Williams, a freelance ecologist from Somerset.

The bird was first described in 1872 from a specimen obtained from a local hunter in Ghana by Richard Bowdler Sharpe, curator of the bird collection at the Natural History Museum in London and founder of the British Ornithologists' Club.

There have been no confirmed sightings from Ghana since the 1870s, and very few glimpses elsewhere. The only photographs in existence were grainy images taken in 1975 of a captive individual behind bars at Antwerp Zoo and a pixelated blob from Congo in 2005 that is not certainly the right species.

There have been occasional reports over recent decades from people believing they have heard or briefly seen Shelley's Eagle Owl from a few different localities across West and Central Africa from Liberia to Angola. Most of these sightings are unconfirmed, and the species has become a holy grail for birdwatchers in Africa and beyond.

Large and distinctive

This all changed on 16 October 2021 when Dr. Tobias and Dr. Williams visited Atewa forest in Ghana and disturbed a huge bird from its daytime roost. "It was so large, at first we thought it was an eagle," Dr. Tobias said. "Luckily it perched on a low branch and when we lifted our binoculars our jaws dropped. There is no other owl in Africa's rainforests that big."

The pair only saw the bird perched for 10-15 seconds but in that time managed to take photographs that confirm the identification due to its distinctive black eyes, yellow bill, and huge size, which in combination rule out all other African forest owls.

The fact that a predator of such massive size had become essentially invisible over a large swath of Africa fueled speculation as to its current whereabouts and reasons for its apparent rarity.

Dr. Nathaniel Annorbah of University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ghana, said, "This is a sensational discovery. We've been searching for this mysterious bird for years in the western lowlands, so to find it here in ridgetop forests of Eastern Region is a huge surprise."

New hope

Shelley's Eagle Owl is officially classified as vulnerable to extinction with an estimated population of a few thousand individuals. The news of its continued survival in Ghana offers new hope for the species.

Although the Atewa site is threatened by illegal logging and bauxite mining, higher elevations still support large areas of evergreen forest. Environmental groups, such as the Friends of Atewa, are lobbying for the area to be designated as a national park.

Dr. Williams said, "We hope this sighting draws attention to Atewa forest and its importance for conserving local biodiversity. Hopefully, the discovery of such a rare and magnificent owl will boost these efforts to save one of the last wild forests in Ghana."

Explore further Twitter picks Ghana for first Africa jobs
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Reports released Thursday by the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community laid out in frank terms the national security threat posed by climate change, and how rapidly evolving weather patterns will impact global stability in the decades to come.

The release of the documents, which was announced by the White House, comes as President Joe Biden prepares to attend COP26, the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, next month.

"We are already experiencing the devastating impacts that climate has wreaked on almost every aspect of our livesfrom food and water insecurity to infrastructure and public health," a senior administration official told reporters on a call Wednesday.

"And these security challenges are among the many reasons the administration has prioritized addressing the climate crisis both here at home and as a core element of our national security and foreign policy," the official said.

The intelligence report, released by the National Intelligence Council and intended to reflect the views of America's intelligence agencies as a whole, says that climate-driven risks to national security will likely increase through 2040.

The report highlighted three key findings: Geopolitical tensions are likely to grow as countries debate which of them should act on and pay for climate change mitigation; the physical effects of climate change will worsen geopolitical flashpoints, much like what is happening now in the Arctic; and developing countries, which are least able to adapt, will bear the brunt of those effects.

According to the intelligence report, those physical effects will increase the possibility of instability and internal conflict in developing nations, which could in turn create additional demands on U.S. diplomatic, economic, humanitarian and military resources.

The Pentagon's report, which was submitted to the National Security Council, says the military would begin to incorporate the security implications of climate change into its operations and start spending more money on climate analysis as it relates to national security.

"The Department intends to prioritize funding DOD Components in support of exercises, war games, analyses, and studies of climate change impacts on DOD missions, operations, and global stability," the Pentagon report says. "In coordination with allies and partners, DOD will work to prevent, mitigate, account for, and respond to defense and security risks associated with climate change."

A provision in the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act directed the DOD to update its 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap, the military's policy framework for how it will adapt to climate change.

The update, which is due by February 1, 2022, will include descriptions of how the Pentagon intends to deal with extreme weather events and sea level riseand how much it could cost.

Explore further Report urges overall strategy for national security and climate crisis

2021 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A key predictor of whether a school offered only remote instruction was the proportion of the county that voted Democratic in the 2016 presidential election, the research found. Credit: Creative commons via Pexels

One of the most controversial topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person schooling, wasn't necessarily determined by the severity of the virus. New research from Michigan State University reveals how political partisanship influenced schools' reopening plans amid the global pandemic.

The study, published in the journal Educational Researcher, showed that partisan politics played a large role in local decisions about whether students would attend school in person in the fall of 2020a more prominent role than COVID severity, in fact.

"A key predictor of whether a school offered only remote instruction was the proportion of the county that voted Democratic in the 2016 presidential election," said Sarah Reckhow, associate professor of political science. "Based on public opinion polling in Michigan, partisanship and support for Trump were also strong predictors of the public's support for offering in-person school."

In counties that voted heavily Democratic, Reckhow said that the data showed school districts were almost three times as likely to open fully remote in fall 2020. In heavily Republican counties, school districts were nearly 1.8 times more likely to offer in-person instruction. School districts in political battleground counties were in the middle.

The study also found that partisan politics did not play a major role in state-level decisionsgovernors ordered school closures in spring 2020 and left decisions to districts in the fall of 2020, regardless of partisanship.

The study was co-authored by Matthew Grossmann, director of MSU's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and professor of political science; Katharine Strunk, professor of education policy and the Clifford E. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Education; and Meg Turner, project manager for MSU's Education Policy Innovation Collaborative. The researchers collected and analyzed data on COVID-19 rates, educator unionization, presidential voting records, district demographics, state education policies since the start of the pandemic, local district reopening plans and public opinion on reopening in the politically competitive state of Michigan.

Surprisingly, the study showed that it took quite a bit of time for the policy response on education during the pandemic to become polarized.

In spring of 2020, the response from states was consistent, regardless of the party of their governors. "It wasn't until fall 2020 that we saw partisan polarization become a key factor in both local district decision making and public opinion," Reckhow said.

While relying on local constituencies to implement challenging choices may be a simpler option for the federal system, the researchers hope their findings serve as a warning: Partisanship and polarization matter in local decisions, even when the boards making those decisions are officially "nonpartisan" elected officers.

"COVID-19 continues to divide communities and leaving decisions up to local control doesn't mean that local public health conditions will guide decision making," Reckhow said. "If state leaders want local officials to be more responsive to local context and conditions than partisan attitudes, then more guidance and direction from the state likely would be required."

Explore further Iowa school districts with strong teachers unions more likely to adopt mask mandates

More information: Matt Grossmann et al, All States Close but Red Districts Reopen: The Politics of In-Person Schooling During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Educational Researcher (2021). Matt Grossmann et al, All States Close but Red Districts Reopen: The Politics of In-Person Schooling During the COVID-19 Pandemic,(2021). DOI: 10.3102/0013189X211048840
Aerial view of the new highway cutting through lowland forest in Papua Province. Credit: Ulet Ifansasti/Greenpeace

Indonesia's Papuan land is the western half of New Guineathe world's second-largest islandwhich hosts extensive old-growth forests, including mangroves and peat swamps. It has more plant species than any other tropical island.

In our new study published recently in Biological Conservation, we used satellite imagery to develop for the first time a model to predict future deforestation in Papua. It's based on analysis of forest loss, plantation expansion and road development in the area from 2001 to 2019.

Papua lost only 2% (748,640 hectares) of forest between 2001 and 2019, much less than other Indonesian islands Sumatra and Kalimantan, which lost 25% and 14% respectively. However, our model predicts 4.5 million hectares (Mha)  around 13% of the total 34.29Mha of forestcould disappear by 2036. That's a result of the development of thousands of kilometers of highway in a project known as "Trans Papua."

The highway project and its impact

Our study found 83% (34.29Mha) of Papuan land remained forest in 2019. This area represents 42% of Indonesia's forests and is the Asia Pacific region's largest area of intact old-growth forest.

But it will soon change with the Trans Papua development.

We mapped 3,887km of Trans-Papua Highway (officially, Trans-Papua is 4,330km long.)

Map of land use and land cover change 2000 to 2019. The insets show two image pairs taken before and after forest cover change at ten specific locations. All insets have the same scale. This map can be viewed interactively at: https://nusantara-atlas.org. Credit: Nusantara-atlas.org

This included a 202km road section through the Lorentz National Park, a World Heritage site. In 2019, the opening of Trans-Papua Highway was nearly complete (red lines on the map above), though 51km remained unopened.

Many are concerned that the highway, and other roads, are being built to benefit powerful commercial interests and not Indigenous people and will accelerate forest conversion as seen in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Our study has confirmed this fear, as the graphs below show.

While overall forest losses remain limited, our model shows significant deforestation occurred near existing roads, and indicates how new roads are likely to encourage more extensive deforestation in lowland areas, as the maps below show. A similar pattern happened after 2011 when expansion of plantations and roads caused a spike in deforestation in 2015 and 2016, particularly in Papua Province.

The construction of new roads increased the area of forest at risk of deforestation (red areas on maps) by 30% compared to the hypothetical scenario of halting such developments.

Lowland forests near the cities of Dekai and Kenyamlocated in central Papua Provinceexperienced the highest augmented threat.

Land use changes in Tanah Papua (Indonesian New Guinea) and its two provinces, Papua and West Papua (2001-20219). The graphs show annual loss of forest area (a, b, c), the concomitant annual expansion of industrial plantations of oil palm and pulpwood (97% oil palm; 3% Acacia for pulp and paper) (d, e, f) and the expansion of the Trans-Papua Highway (g, h, i). The white bars in d, e, f represent the area of forest cleared and converted to industrial plantations in the same year. Credit: David Gaveau

Roads generally attract interest from plantation companies and from other extractive industries, such as mining, because they ease access and transportation.

Companies invest in new plantations and new mining sites, processing plants, secondary roads and other infrastructure associated with developing these industries. These investments attract workers and their families from elsewhere, requiring more infrastructure and thus more land and more deforestation.

The clearance comprises 70% (3.2Mha) of land along the highway through new infrastructure, secondary roads and population growth, and the remaining 30% (1.3Mha) converted to industrial plantations, pulp and paper production, and mining in concessions.

These causes and trends in Papua follow similar deforestation rates to those we have observed previously in Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.

In the Borneo observations, we had already examined forest loss, road development and plantation expansion using satellite imagery over four decades.

It would be futile to ask the Indonesian government to halt this project because the Trans-Papua highway is nearly complete, and many local people aspire to reduced isolation. But that doesn't mean we should be resigned to extensive forest clearance.

Map of Tanah Papua showing a hypothetical deforestation-risk map without road expansion, i.e. as roads were in 2000 (left panel), and with the observed expansion of roads between 2001 and 2019 (right panel). Trans-Papua and Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate Highways are shown by red and purple lines and other main roads are black. Areas of forest at high risk of deforestation are in red while low-risk areas are green. Credit: David Gaveau

So, what can be done?

In Papua, the roles of local communities and Indigenous peoples are influential in guarding and protecting nature. And Indonesia's law has recognized this.

The 2012 decision of the National Constitutional Court (35/PUU-X/2012) recognized the rights and authority of local communities over their ancestral territories as consistent with Indonesia's constitution.

Respecting the rights of locals, the governors of Papua and West Papua Provinces signed the Manokwari Declaration in 2018.

The declaration requires local governments to conserve at least 70% of the region, and to engage in consultative and information-based conservation planning and management that ensures "environmentally appropriate" infrastructure developments while also protecting the rights and roles of Indigenous peoples.

Under this declaration, and a national moratorium ordering a review of existing permits, the provincial government of West Papua recently revoked permits for 12 oil palm concessions. More such interventions are likely.

Four decades of forest loss, industrial plantation expansion (oil palm and pulpwood in black) and road expansion in Borneo. This map can be viewed interactively at: https://nusantara-atlas.org. Credit: https://nusantara-atlas.org

The move represents an important step towards recognizing the rights of Indigenous peoples and preserving natural habitats in West Papua.

Therefore, what we need is to build conservation and development opportunities around what Indigenous Papuans themselves find important and desirable.

Effective, consensual and frequent engagement between local people, or their elected representatives, and all layers of government will be key to ensure alignment of local, regional and national development planning to avoid the less-desirable consequences of development seen in Sumatra and Kalimantan and preserve the rich biological and cultural heritage of this remarkable region.

Explore further The pandemic is a golden opportunity for Papua to step up its game in education technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Ancient DNA holds a great deal of valuable informationbut it must be researched ethically. Credit: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

The field of ancient DNA has grown rapidly in recent years, largely thanks to technological advancements. This work involves sampling human remains from long ago and analyzing the DNA to understand human and population history, origins and evolution.

As with any scientific research, there are ethical questions to navigate. Some are fairly modern concerns. DNA contains all our genetic and biological information; these data, if unregulated, can be misused for medical and scientific research by anyone, including but not limited to scientists, governments, and big pharmaceutical companies. Other ethical concerns are rooted in history. For centuries, scientists have tested and obtained data on African people as though they were merely specimens, objects and subjects. These attitudes persist.

These, then, are the key questions for anyone engaged in ancient DNA research: how can Africa's genomes (and those from other places, especially elsewhere in the global South) be protected while its researchers contribute to the human story and understanding human history? What is the most ethical way to do this research? How do scientists, for instance, proceed with obtaining consent from a community or families whose ancestors' remains are being tested? What should they do when it's not clear who the human remains descendants or communities are? And, crucially, how can the African continent's ancient DNA be protected?

This last question is important because of humanity's origin and deep historical roots in Africa. African DNA is found in all humans. Studying ancient DNA in Africa is valuable for understanding human evolution, population migrations, and human history locally, regionally and globally.

These questions of ethics have led to a diverse set of 64 scholars from 24 countries who are actively involved in ancient DNA researchmyself among themto develop a set of ethical guidelines for the discipline. These are outlined in our new article in the journal Nature.

Appropriate approaches to working with human ancient DNA differ across world contexts. That's why so many specialists from varying regions and countries came together to develop these guidelines. They are not so detailed that they can't be adapted for specific contexts, but are specific enough to offer a level of protection. The countries include Germany, India, Mexico and the US. From the African continent, researchers from Sudan, Kenya and South Africa contributed ideas and suggestions.

Five guidelines

My colleagues and I believe that the set of guidelines we've created are strong and universally applicable. We've committed to applying them in our own work.

The guidelines call for researchers to:

abide by all regulations in the places where they work and from which the human remains originate

prepare a detailed plan prior to beginning any study

minimize damage to human remains

ensure data are made available following publication to allow critical re-examination of scientific findings

engage with other stakeholders and ensure respect and sensitivity to stakeholder perspectives.

Our hope is that these guidelines will ensure ancient DNA research is always conducted to the highest ethical standards. We have also designed them in a way that will, we believe, address the issue of parachute research.

This refers to scientists from wealthy nations swooping into developing ones, collecting samples and data, then heading straight back home to analyze them. There is poor to little coordination with local researchers, scientists and community groups in the country the samples come fromand, ultimately, the resulting research predominantly benefits those in the global North. Historically this is well documented, and today these ideas of testing on Africans are still pervasive. With the rise of ancient DNA research, there's a risk of parachute research.

A starting point

My contributions to the subject follow on from a paper I published in 2020 explaining the robust rules and regulations for DNA studies on the living. I highlighted the gaps in South Africa's heritage legislation with ancient DNA research and argued they should mirror each other. DNA, whether from the living or the dead, provides a lot of information about boththe implications for this research are far reaching.

In my own research, I hope the guidelines we've created will improve communication structures and respect for local community consultation processes and understanding the need for regular feedback and results returning in tangible ways back into community groups.

The guidelines capture the values of transparency and open access data, engagement, respect, dignity and sensitivity that must be central to ancient DNA research.

The hope is that these principles will provide a starting point from which African countries can begin to improve consultation, prevent or lessen parachute research and develop strong local legislation to enshrine ethical ancient DNA research. It is critical that all ancient DNA researchers are held accountable: researchers in African countries need to be careful and responsible with the continent's genetic material in the same way that those from wealthier countries need to avoid conducting parachute research.

The paper has been translated into more than 20 languagesamong them Swahili, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Arabic, French, German and Portugueseto ensure that the guidelines are widely accessible.

Explore further Proceeding with Caution: First global guidelines proposed for ancient DNA research

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Researchers used artificial evolution to identify a light-producing deoxyribozyme called Supernova. This catalyzes a chemiluminescent reaction in the presence of the 1,2-dioxetane substrate CDP-Star. Light production can also be coupled to ligand binding, suggesting that Supernova will be a useful addition to the toolkit of functional DNA parts. Credit: Katerina Svehlova, Edward Curtis Group / IOCB Prague

Once thought to function primarily as a storage molecule for genetic information, it is now known that DNA can also catalyze chemical reactions. Although such DNA enzymes (deoxyribozymes) have not been identified in nature, they can be isolated in the lab using powerful methods of artificial evolution.

In a recent study published in Angewandte Chemie (with Katerina Svehlova as the first author), the Curtis Group at IOCB Prague used artificial evolution to search a library of 1016 single-stranded DNA molecules for light-producing deoxyribozymes. After multiple rounds of selection, a rare sequence was identified that phosphorylates itself in the presence of a 1,2-dioxetane substrate. This triggers a decomposition reaction and a flash of blue light. Researchers named this deoxyribozyme Supernova.

The team also developed a programmable version of Supernova which is only catalytically active in the presence of an oligonucleotide complementary to its 3' end. This shows that the production of light can be linked to the presence of a ligand. Importantly, the reaction occurs in solution and does not require wash steps or biochemical purifications. In principle, it should be possible to extend this approach to the detection of other types of ligands. Such sensors could be particularly useful for applications such as point-of-care assays and high-throughput screens.

The Curtis lab at IOCB Prague also recently developed a novel methodology that allowed them to identify deoxyribozymes that cleave RNA in a single round of selection (rather than the ten or more that are typically required). The fastest of these deoxyribozymes catalyzed RNA cleavage 5,000 times faster than the nonenzymatic rate. This general approach should be particularly useful for the optimization of existing motifs. In addition, it could facilitate the development of new sensors that use Supernova to generate light in the presence of a ligand of interest. These recent discoveries highlight the potential of artificial evolution to enhance the molecular toolkit of functional DNA parts.

Explore further First 3-D structure of the enzymatic role of DNA
This global view of the surface of Venus is centered at 180 degrees east longitude. Magellan synthetic aperture radar mosaics from the first cycle of Magellan mapping are mapped onto a computer-simulated globe to create this image. Data gaps are filled with Pioneer Venus Orbiter data, or a constant mid-range value. Simulated color is used to enhance small-scale structure. The simulated hues are based on color images recorded by the Soviet Venera 13 and 14 spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech

The surface of Venus is completely inhospitable for life: barren, dry, crushed under an atmosphere about 90 times the pressure of Earth's and roasted by temperatures two times hotter than an oven. But was it always that way? Could Venus once have been a twin of Eartha habitable world with liquid water oceans? This is one of the many mysteries associated with our shrouded sister world.

27 years have passed since NASA's Magellan mission last orbited Venus. That was NASA's most recent mission to Earth's sister planet, and while we have gained significant knowledge of Venus since then, there are still numerous mysteries about the planet that remain unsolved. NASA's DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission hopes to change that.

Here are ten mysteries of Venus that NASA scientists are still grappling with:

1. Did Venus ever host life?

Big questions are often asked when thinking about other planets: Is there life? WAS there ever life? If so, what sort of life? Tiny microbes that that resemble simple life on Earth? Or like nothing we have ever recognized?

Venus is no exception.

"The community has speculated about possible life on Venus, but until we know whether Venus was ever actually habitable in the past, it's difficult to say much more beyond these speculations," says Dr. Giada N. Arney, deputy principal investigator for DAVINCI at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. "DAVINCI aims to help us understand whether Venus was ever habitable, which will provide a more concrete grounding on which we can study it as a possible past abode for life It's exciting to think there's a possibility our solar system had two habitable worlds side-by-side for perhaps even billions of years, but we don't yet know if this was the case."

To determine whether life was ever possible on Venus, we first need to understand the past environment on Venus. This involves studying the atmosphere, geology, and history of the planet. "We always want to ask the life question, but until we understand the context in which we're asking it, we won't know what we're looking for and may be even more confused or tantalized," explains Dr. James B. Garvin, principal investigator for DAVINCI at NASA Goddard.

2. How did Venus and Earth come to be so different?

Venus and Earth are similar in size and density, so hypothetically, these planets could be very similar. And yet, they are strikingly different. Air pressure at the surface of Venus is 90 times that of Earth, Venus rotates on its axis backwards compared to the other planets in the solar system, and the surface of Venus is over 900 degrees Fahrenheit (over 482 Celsius), making it the hottest planet in our solar systemhot enough to melt lead. This extreme heat on the surface of Venus is due to a carbon dioxide atmosphere with thick clouds of sulfuric acid, which could have resulted from a runaway greenhouse phase earlier in Venus' history that forever changed our sister world.

So, what happened? Was Venus always so inhospitable? "Why are we so good and they so bad?" says Garvin. "That is the central question, because in the long haul, that is going to affect the evolution of our own planet. Maybe Venus is a destiny storyboard that will help us fill in the longer story of our planet."

The evolution of Venus through time may help us understand processes that govern global-scale changes in a planet's environment, including evolution of the planet's habitability, with implications for where we might find habitable planets beyond the solar system. "Venus represents an important illustration of how planetary environments can evolve over time, and understanding that evolution is critical to our thinking in the search for life beyond Earth," explains Dr. Stephanie A. Getty, deputy principal investigator for DAVINCI at NASA Goddard.

3. How did Venus form?

Even this seemingly basic question about the origin of Venus is still a mystery. "It's amazing to me that we don't know whether Venus formed from the same early solar system materials as did Earth and Mars," says Getty. "We still don't know whether Venus was bombarded by comets and asteroids, rich in water, the way Earth was." These comets and asteroids that bombarded our home planet are considered to have been an important source of water for Earth. Understanding the delivery of water to Venus is important for evaluating its potential to host oceans in the past.

4. What is the atmospheric composition at Venus?

The atmospheric composition of Venus is an important piece of the context we are seeking as we aim to better evaluate Venus' potential habitability over time. "We really do not know the important trace chemicals in the Venus atmosphere," says Garvin. "We don't understand the chemical cycles that provide clues to how it has evolved and the role of these chemical cycles in Venus' historythese unknowns are the fingerprints that have been missing for way too long."

The DAVINCI probe will measure chemistry, pressure, temperature, and dynamics at least every 200 meters (about 656 feet) as it descends through Venus' atmosphere. One of the biggest mysteries of Venus' atmosphere lies in the lowermost or "deep" atmosphere. Typically, planetary atmospheric gases behave like those we study in high-school chemistrytheir behavior can be estimated as "ideal gases" and is well understood. But in Venus' lower atmosphere (nearest the surface of the planet), carbon dioxide is heated and pressurized to the point where it acts more like a hot liquid than a gasonly about twelve times less dense than liquid water. "This bizarre behavior is called 'super-critical," and on Venus, the atmosphere that sloshes around the surface landscapes and rocks is supercritical carbon dioxide, which is poorly understood," says Garvin. "We have to go there and measure what is going on to find out how this works on a planetary scale. That means there's a whole new frontier on Venus. That's a new environmental state that we're not used to."

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

5. How were the rocks of Venus formed?

The last spacecraft to successfully descend through the atmosphere and land on Venus was the Soviet VeGa-2 mission in 1985, which survived for 52 minutes on the planet's inhospitably hot surface on the "night side" of the planet. At its landing site, it was surrounded by basaltic plains that were formed by volcanism, but some highland regions on Venus are thought to be different. Thus, the surface of Venus remains quite the mystery, especially in regions beyond the volcanic plains.

The DAVINCI spacecraft will be equipped with a suite of four cameras together called VISOR (Venus Imaging System for Observational Reconnaissance), which will be able to identify rock composition on the planet's surface. "Most of the surface of Venus is made of basalt, which is produced by volcanism," says Arney. "But there are some intriguing mountainous highland regions called 'tesserae' (regions of heavily deformed terrain) that suggest hints of having a different composition. They may be made of rocks that form from water-rock interactions and continent-building processes (which could imply Earth-like plate tectonics), and if so, that's really exciting because it would suggest more hospitable conditions in the Venus past." The DAVINCI probe will descend over one of these "tesserae," called Alpha Regio, and will make measurements with its Venus Descent Imager (VenDI) instrument. "This will help us better understand what this 'tessera' is made of," explains Arney.

6. How much water did Venus have?

Liquid water is essential for life. We cannot assess Venus' past habitability without knowing how much water Venus may have hadand when and how it lost that water. Scientists can use the bulk chemical composition of rocks found on Venus to unravel the mystery of water on the planet. "If we discover 'granites' in the mountains of Venus, then we can infer they must have involved large amounts of water in the Venus crust to allow them to form as they do on Earth," explains Garvin.

Scientists can also use measurements of the atmosphere to understand the history of water at Venus. The DAVINCI probe's Venus Mass Spectrometer and Venus Tunable Laser Spectrometer will measure atmospheric composition throughout its entire descent toward the surface of the planet. The atmospheric signatures measured may provide clues to the story of past water, which may help scientists determine whether the planet previously had an ocean. "We suspect but do not know whether there were oceans on Venus, and if so, when in Venus' history the water evaporated," says Getty.

7. What is the nature of surface activity at Venus?

Scientists are still making discoveries to understand whether Venus ever had Earth-style plate tectonics, and how those mountain-building processes are similar or different from Earth's. Earth's crust hosts a network of relatively thin plates jostling around on the planet's surface in constant horizontal motion. If similar plate tectonics exist on Venus, now or in the past, the planet's crust must experience movement of crustal plates over geologic time, mid-ocean-ridge volcanism (volcanic activity present at oceanic boundaries between two plates), and subduction (the movement of one plate sinking underneath another plate). The history of Venus tectonics is still an active area of research with many open questions. Some scientists believe Venus has retained plate tectonics with laterally moving blocks of crust, while others hypothesize that this period in Venus' history is long in the past, perhaps when liquid water was either at the surface or abundant within the crust.

At some point, Venus may have had its own form of plate tectonicspossibly different from the plate tectonics here on Earth. Water and rock measurements obtained from the DAVINCI mission, combined with the Venus global mapping information by NASA's VERITAS mission, another recently selected mission to Venus that is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, can be used to decipher how these tectonic patterns may have operated on Venus, and why the planet was unable to sustain them in a fashion similar to Earth. Venus is an ideal test-case for examining how plate tectonics or some other type of crustal movement persists or disappears on big, rocky planets with atmospheres and a changing (but large) budget of both crustal and surface water.

Another key mystery about the surface of Venus is volcanism. All planets must get rid of their internal heat, and Earth's method of doing so involves volcanism as an associated process. Scientists are still speculating whether the surface of Venus is currently volcanically active, and to what degree eruptions occur today. Together, the DAVINCI and VERITAS missions hope to address these questions. DAVINCI can measure gases in the Venus atmosphere that could signal if volcanoes have erupted or are erupting on Venus today, while the VERITAS orbiter will be able to see the deformation of the crust, the chemical signature of recent volcanism, and the thermal signature of major erupting lavas.

8. What do the mountains look like on Venus?

Previous Venus landers (Venera & VeGa) have taken photographs of the Venusian plains after landing on basaltic regions of the surface, but DAVINCI's cameras will snap the first-ever high-resolution aerial photos of a mountainous tessera surface as the probe descends over the rugged Alpha Regio highlands region.

"Where we're landing on Venus is in the mountains," explains Garvin. "No one's ever gone to the mountains before When we see them from a mile up, they may look like nothing ever seen by woman or man before, because no one's ever been there to experience them." Such rugged mountain landscapes may hold clues to how erosion on Venus works today. Similarly, they might indicate whether sedimentary rocks were important in the formation of the highlands of Venus as they commonly are on Earth.

9. Are there Venus-like planets beyond our solar system (exoplanets)?

Scientists are excited about the idea of taking what we learn from Venus and applying it to exoplanetsplanets outside our solar system. Venus-like exoplanets are expected to be a common type of planet observed by the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, and better measurements of Venus may help us to understand these distant worlds. "We'll be able to relate what we discover at Venus to what we discover from observations of Venus-like exoplanets observed by the James Webb Space Telescope in the 2020s," says Arney. "For instance, data from Venus can improve computer models of Venus-like exoplanets that we will use to interpret our future James Webb observations. Also, if Venus was habitable in the past, that means some of these "Venus-like' exoplanets may be habitable too. Understanding the history of Venus may therefore help us to understand and interpret exo-Venus planets observed at varied ages and stages of evolution."

10. New mysteries we haven't even thought of yet

"One of the most exciting aspects of planetary exploration is discovering new mysteries that we can't currently anticipate," says Arney. "Those new mysteries we can't yet imagine are what I'm looking forward to the most." This is the essence of curiosity-driven exploration, and DAVINCI will offer plenty of opportunities for new mysteries to be identified and even resolved. What might Venus be hiding? We must go there to find out! "Venus here we come" is the catch-phrase of the DAVINCI team.

Explore further Venus hotter than ever: 3rd new robotic explorer on horizon
Humans are shaping the environment and geology of the planet for the first time in history. Credit: Xtrodinary/Pixabay

Earlier this year, scientists identified early warning signs of the collapse of the Gulf Stream, an ocean current that influences the climate of the North American east coast and much of western Europe.

This long-feared tipping point would have catastrophic consequences across the globe, such as potentially disrupting rain patterns on which billions of people rely for food security.

The news came after a year of climate disasters. New York City's skies were shrouded in smoke from wildfires on the West Coast in July, while Germany experienced its deadliest floods in half a century in the same month.

Increasingly frequent extreme climate events make it clear that human action is changing the composition of our planet's environment. The term often used for this new era of history is the "Anthropocene."

It's long been taught that the Holocene is our current geological era, a relatively stable period in Earth history that began some 11,500 years ago at the end of the last ice age. But the word Anthropocene recognizes the dawn of an epoch in which human beings have become the dominant force shaping the Earth's geology.

Problems

"Anthropocene" was first used in an academic context in 2001, but it's now emerging within wider cultural conversations about climate change.

I use the word often in my own research into education systems' responses to the climate crisis, because I believe it's more apt to talk about "educating for the Anthropocene" than "educating for the 21st century." The former phrase carries an urgency stronger than the arbitrary marker of a new century.

However, the word admittedly has its problems. It puts all humans into a single category, as if we were equally responsible for environmental destruction. Yet the hundreds of millions living in areas disproportionately affected by climate change, like Bangladesh or the Maldives, are the victimsnot the perpetratorsof this crisis.

The western world, with its legacy of colonialism, is in fact overwhelmingly responsible for the global changes we're now seeing. This becomes clear when we consider the proposed starting dates for the Anthropocene epoch.

The year 1610, one of the main candidates for a start date, marked the lowest recorded levels of carbon dioxide in history, as well as the beginning of humanity's ability to alter the chemical composition of the Earth's atmosphere at a global scale.

But this change was not a result of some 'neutral' activity. In fact, it was the outcome of a reduction in farming following the genocide of over 50 million indigenous people across America caused by European colonization.

Humans effects on the planet are driving ever more extreme weather phenomena, including wildfires. Credit: Fish96/Pixabay

Other key dates within the epoch are intimately linked to colonial exploits, such as the year 1776. This was the year James Watt invented the steam engine, sparking the industrial revolution that enabled acts of British colonialism such as occupying regions of Canada, Australia, Asia, and the African continent.

And 1945another proposed starting datebrought the Trinity Test, the first detonation of a nuclear bomb. This led to more than a decade of nuclear tests mostly on colonized territories such as the Marshall Islands, a country that continues to be haunted by sky-high rates of thyroid cancer and dependency on foreign aid. All of these examples point unambiguously to the powerful influence of western countries' actions on our current climate situation.

Alternatives to this term abound. "Anglocene", "Capitalocene" and "Oliganthropocene" have all have been put forward as possibilities that better capture the responsibility for our current climate crisis. These terms refer to a different group, such as the rich or those living in the English-speaking world, as the main driver of environmental decay.

Solutions

But I stick to using "Anthropocene." For all its problems, the word carries power.

Humans are changing the geology of the planet in ways that will be felt beyond our individual lifespans, with implications for humanity's survival. While the question of responsibility is crucial, the magnitude of the change we've created is more important if we are to take urgent action.

Instead of getting rid of this term, let's decolonise it. As we head towards the UN climate change conference COP26a key crossroads in our planetary response to climate changehistorical legacies of colonialism should be central themes within discussions, not footnotes.

Decolonising the Anthropocene means taking steps to ensure that we do not conflate victims with perpetrators. Low income countries' demands for funding to help fight climate change must be responded to, and the world's richer countries must take responsibility for their actions, including those from the distant past.

This also means recognizing that throwing money and technologies at the problem is not sufficient. If we are to successfully limit atmospheric warming (as well as other unfolding environmental crises), we must make significant changes to our cultural and political systems founded on the flawed idea of infinite economic growth.

This will involve challenging concepts like extractivismseeing the Earth as simply a economically valuable source of raw materialsand speciesism, or seeing other species as inferior to our own.

We must replace these with ideas like degrowth (no longer setting economic growth as society's objective), intergenerational justice legislation establishing society's responsibility to protect the environment for future generations, and radically imagining alternative futures for a healthier planet.

We've been living in a period of deceptive prosperity in the West, at the expense of unprecedented environmental devastation. Mitigating our extraordinary effect on the planet to preserve it for future generations is a massive task. That's why we need language that captures the scale of the challenge facing us. Only then will we be able to grasp how powerful our response must be.

Explore further Unprecedented energy use since 1950 has transformed humanity's geologic footprint

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: Tokyo Tech

In recent years, energy consumption in developed countries has been rather wasteful. Nearly two-thirds of the total energy is typically discarded as "waste heat," which ends up contributing to global warming. Finding a way to productively use this heat has been every material researcher's priority of late.

One of the possible ways to recover this waste heat as electricity is via "thermoelectric conversion," a process that uses temperature difference in semiconductors to convert waste heat into electric power. The thermopower (S) is a measure of the magnitude of an induced thermoelectric voltage in response to a temperature difference across the material. The electric power is evaluated by power factor (PF), which is the product of thermopower S squared and electronic conductivity (s). Therefore, the high electric power (PF) is capable of combining large S with high s in thermoelectric materials.

However, the PF is constrained by a trade-off between S and s. The S and s depend on carrier concentration, and thus the PF is usually maximized by tuning the carrier concentration with the addition of impurity elementsthe s increases with increasing impurity concentration but the S decreases. This trade-off limits the PF.

In a recent study published in Advanced Science, a team of scientists led by Associate Professor Takayoshi Katase of the Tokyo Tech have discovered a way to break this trade-off. The scientists grew thin films of the Mott insulator oxide LaTiO 3 on different substrates and found a way to introduce epitaxial strain, a strain that is born from a mismatch in the lattice structures of the substrate and the deposited (epitaxial) film. The artificial compressive strain was able to change LaTiO 3 from the Mott insulator to metal. In the metallic state, increase in both S and s resulted in a hundred-fold increase in PF. "Different from the conventional way of impurity doping, the behaviors of s and S are apparently decoupled in lattice strained LaTiO 3 films, which leads to a spectacular boost in power factor that defies conventional wisdom," says Dr. Katase.

Increasing the epitaxial compressive strain can induce a change in carrier polarity from p-type to n-type. Dr. Katase and team found that while the absolute value of thermopower increased with increasing carrier concentration under compressive strain, electronic conductivity also increased with increases in carrier mobility due to electronic structure change from Mott insulator to metal. Density functional theory calculation clarified that the Ti 3D band split to form energy gap in p-type LaTiO 3 film, while the energy gap was closed in the n-type film, which led to an unusual simultaneous increase in conductivity and thermopower.

This discovery promises to advance the field of thermoelectric materials. "Our experiments suggest that epitaxial strain will be a novel tool to harvest large power factors from thermoelectric oxides that are inconspicuous in their bulk by breaking the trade-off problem. Metal chalcogenides such as Bi 2 Te 3 have been known as high performance thermoelectric materials, but the chalcogenides have problems with toxic elements, and low thermal and chemical stability, which restrict the large-scale use of thermoelectricity. Contrarily, since oxides are stable in air and even at high temperatures, they are ideal for maintenance-free thermoelectric conversion applications. The thermoelectric conversion efficiency is much lower than that of metal chalcogenides at this stage. But, by greatly improving the thermoelectric performance of oxides beyond the trade-off relationship, thermoelectric conversion is expected to become widespread as a general energy source," concludes Dr. Katase.

Explore further Multiple semiconductor type switching to boost thermoelectric conversion of waste heat

More information: Takayoshi Katase et al, Breaking of ThermopowerConductivity TradeOff in LaTiO 3 Film around Mott Insulator to Metal Transition, Advanced Science (2021). Journal information: Advanced Science Takayoshi Katase et al, Breaking of ThermopowerConductivity TradeOff in LaTiO 3 Film around Mott Insulator to Metal Transition,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/advs.202102097
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Biowaste, food waste and other natural biodegradable refuse make up a third of French household waste. This biodegradable waste is a potential source of energy for producing electricity and heat but can also provide a wealth of products with high added value for farmers. While all households are expected to be able to sort biowaste at the source by late 2023, the European multidisciplinary project DECISIVE has focused on developing micro-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) in urban areas.

Coordinated by INRAE, this program, launched in 2016 with 14 partners in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Denmark, has led to full-scale testing of efficient micro-AD units at local level, capable of producing both energy for local use and a biopesticide for farms. From an environmental and socio-economic standpoint, the results of the project, which will draw to a close in late October 2021, brings the prospect of a concrete roll-out of a circular system within reach.

As more and more people move to urban areas, bringing ever-greater needs for energy and taking an increasing toll on the environment, biowaste looks like an attractive resource whose management must be incorporated into the sustainable development of territories. That is why partners in the European project DECISIVE have developed appropriate technology for reaping all the benefits of biowaste and run full-scale tests of a micro-AD plant at territorial level.

Proven robust technology, local energy, and a biopesticide to boot

Several micro-AD processes (supplied by two different manufacturers) with biogas recovered by Sterling engines have been tested over several years. The DECISIVE consortium, notably through INRAE's lab in Rennes, has also developed a new micro-AD process that consumes less energy. This new process consists of two phases: first, a solid biowaste is introduced into a cylinder that acts as a piston, where the waste breaks down thanks to a recirculating liquid called leachate. The products from the disintegration extracted by the leachate are then transformed into biogas in an adjacent tank. When the cylinder is removed, a solid residue, digestate, is retrieved that can be post-treated and re-used. The DECISIVE project tested fermentation on solid substrate in Spain with a view to manufacturing a biopesticide.

When it comes to nutrients, the consortium showed that biowaste, which has high methane-generating potential, helps produce a digestate that contains mineral nitrogen that can be used in fertilizers. However, research still needs to be carried out on returning the digestate to the soils, because while the biowaste is treated before undergoing methanization, reusing animal residue from food waste requires strict supervision for health reasons. What happens to pathogens in biowaste management networks is therefore a major subject of study.

An unprecedented full-scale test in a dense urban area

After three years of assessing local biowaste flows and research into the most appropriate technology for their recovery, a pilot demonstration site was set up in Ecully in the greater Lyon region in November 2019. The micro-AD unit, built by a French-Chinese company and surmounted by a solar panel, was designed to recycle a minimum of 50 tons of biowaste per yearor about one ton per weekto close the energy loop. It was designed to produce biogas, 80% of which was used to heat the unit and provide hot water needed for purifying, and 20% of which was used to generate electricity for an urban farm. This unprecedented pilot site in a dense urban setting was planned to be fuelled mainly by biowaste from the restaurant and catering sector (collective catering, traditional restaurants, and waste from neighboring retail premises). In the urban farm, the goal was initially to recover biowaste collected within a radius of 5km, and the site was sized to produce 20m3 of biogas per day and 1 to 2 kWh in cogeneration, and to deposit the digestate into nearby fields. Despite the pandemic, which slowed down waste collection, 4.3kg of organic material per m3 of reactor was recovered thanks to the micro-AD unit, producing 15m3 of biogas per day.

The concept of decentralized organization tried, tested and true

From a technological point of view, the installation of a micro-AD unit in a dense urban space has proved efficient, even attracting new players. The organization of a short circuit of recycled organic material also ultimately demonstrates the potential for creating jobs. The technology, which can easily be replicated, has also proven to be adaptable since it can be transported as needed. The micro-AD unit at Ecully is now set up in Narbonne, and a new site in Italy capable of treating up to 400 tons of waste per year is currently being installed in a mountainous zone.

A study carried out by a German partner is looking into how dedicated people are to sorting biowaste in their homes. The results of this sociological study in households of varying socio-economic profiles will help fine-tune policies related to managing waste at the source.

Beyond technological processes, the success of such decentralized waste management programs requires the commitment of local players (local authorities, restaurant owners and caterers, suppliers, farmers, etc.) and the cooperation of ordinary citizens.

Explore further RES URBIS project shows the viability of bioplastic generation with urban biowaste

Provided by INRAE - National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment
Vibrio colonies growing on a filter. Credit: Kathryn Kauffman

Bacterial viruses, so-called phages, destroy bacteria. Bacteria are constantly exposed to viral attacks. A research team led by Martin Polz, a microbiologist at the University of Vienna, has now studied how bacteria defend themselves against viral predators. The study shows that bacteria have exchangeable genetic elements that are specifically designed for defense against viruses, allowing a bacterial population to switch its innate immunity surprisingly quickly. The question of how and how quickly bacteria develop resistance to viruses is of central importance for the development of phage-based therapies against bacterial infections. The study now appears in the journal Science.

The predatory interaction between bacteria and phages

Bacteriophages are viruses that use bacteria as host cells. In the process of reproducing themselves, they destroy the bacterial cell: Infected bacteria produce viruses until they burst. As microbial predators, phages significantly shape the diverse communities of microorganisms that play an important role in all environments, for all living organisms and also for human health. In addition, because of increasing antibiotic resistance, phages are considered a promising alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial infections.

"People actually used phages early on to fight bacteria. However, they were then replaced by antibiotics because the interaction between viruses and bacteria was still poorly understood," says Martin Polz from the Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CMESS) at the University of Vienna. About a year ago, the microbiologist moved from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge (U.S.) to the University of Vienna. A research project that he initiated with his team at the MIT got to the bottom of this interaction.

International research team discovers rapid exchange of mobile defense genes

The team of researchers from the University of Vienna, the MIT and the Sorbonne Universite in Paris (France) has studied in detail how bacteria defend themselves against viruses. "Each bacterial cell has a set of defense genes that enable it to eliminate certain viruses," explains the head of the research project. "Our study shows that these defense genes are exchanged very quickly between bacterial cells. This is possible because they are integrated into so-called mobile genetic elements that themselves control whether and when they transfer from one cell to another."

Defense against viruses shapes bacterial evolution

Each bacterium not only possesses a core genome that it shares with all other bacteria of its species, but also contains mobile genetic elements. This mobile, exchangeable genome can differ between individual bacteria, but its overall function has remained poorly understood. The study shows that it primarily serves one purpose: phage defense. Accordingly, the fight against viruses shapes the exchange of genomes and thus bacterial evolution. "The findings put a spotlight on the importance of phage defense in the microbial world," Rotem Sorek, a professor at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science, comments on the findings. Sorekwho was not involved in the studyconducts leading research on the interaction of phages and bacteria. With the precise analysis of these defense islands, the scientists have solved a puzzle that has been occupying researchers for the past decade, he says.

Analysis of the evolution of innate defense mechanisms of marine Vibrio bacteria

The study analyzes defense mechanisms innate to the genome. "Our results highlight that this innate immunity is mainly responsible for the defense against viruses. Based on laboratory experiments, it had previously been assumed that bacteria defend themselves against viruses primarily by modifying receptors located on their surface," Fatima Aysha Hussain, lead author of the study, explains. For three months, the researchers collected water samples on the New England coast every day to explore the interaction between Vibrio bacteria and those viruses that interact with them in their actual habitat. Using genomic and genetic analyses, they observed extremely rapid evolutionary change: Over the 93 days of study, individual bacteria developed specific resistances via the exchange of mobile gene elements. "These changes happen over a few generations, i.e. cell divisions," explains principal investigator Martin Polz. "This translates to bacteria being able to develop resistance to certain viruses within a few weeks to months in the wild."

Important implications for designing phage-based therapies

Phages and bacteria interact very specifically. Hence, viral attacks are successful on individual bacteria only, and not on an entire bacterial species. The study demonstrates why this is the case: "The defense genes are very diverse and are exchanged very quickly, so that there are always a large number of resistant individuals in the population," explains Martin Polz. The findings of the study not only provide fundamental knowledge on how microbial communities are functioning. They also point to challenges in combating bacteria with phages: "The rapid acquisition of resistance must be taken into account in developing phage therapies, precisely because mobile gene elements similar to those we studied are also responsible for the rapid development of antibiotic resistance."

Explore further Viruses are both the villains and heroes of life as we know it

More information: Fatima Aysha Hussain et al, Rapid evolutionary turnover of mobile genetic elements drives bacterial resistance to phages, Science (2021). www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb1083 Journal information: Science Fatima Aysha Hussain et al, Rapid evolutionary turnover of mobile genetic elements drives bacterial resistance to phages,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abb1083
MALTA  A Malta man is facing multiple felonies following a domestic incident on Tuesday in which he allegedly violated a protection order and menaced a victim in front of children.

Orette A. Shrowder, 35, is accused of damaging a doorway at a residence in town and menacing a victim who had a full stay-away order against him.

Children were present at the time of the incident, according to news release.

Police were eventually called and Shrowder was taken into custody.

He was charged with multiple felonies, including criminal contempt, aggravated family offense and criminal possession of a weapon.

Shrowder also faces multiple misdemeanor charges, including menacing, criminal mischief and endangering the welfare of a child.

He was sent to Saratoga County Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond. His next court date is Oct. 28.
QUEENSBURY  Democrat incumbent Harrison Freer is once again looking to stave off a challenge from Republican David Deeb in a rematch to represent the towns Second Ward.

Freer, who also holds the Conservative ballot line, believes his experience in government and vision for a climate-friendly town makes him the easy choice come Election Day.

Prior to being elected to the Town Board two years ago, Freer served on the towns Zoning Board of Appeals and spent 24 years in the Air Force before entering the private sector.

I have the experience and vision to move forward, he said.

Deeb, also running as part of Team Queensbury, owned a used-car lot for more than 40 years in Moreau. He has served more than 10 years on the towns Planning Board.

He believes he not only has the fiscal solutions needed to ensure Queensbury can progress, but the ability to work with other Town Board members to ensure the best outcome for everyone.

I really feel that I have what it takes to help run Queensbury a lot smoother than it is now, he said.

Both candidates want to continue the towns sustainability efforts and find ways to share or consolidate services in order to reduce the tax burden.

But Freer hopes to update the towns comprehensive land use plan to address concerns surrounding housing, economic development and climate change.

Deeb is also concerned about the future of economic development in town, and believes smart investments are needed that put residents above an potential new revenue.

Freer

For Freer, the last two years have gone a bit different than expected because of the pandemic, but he believes the town has handled things well and has continued to make progress despite the circumstances.

He believes the Town Board has worked well together, but noted there is still much to be done.

If reelected, he said he would focus on pursing green initiatives that will continue to advance the towns recent progress in combating climate change by updating the towns comprehensive land use plan. The plan was last updated in 2007.

He said he would like to see sustainability and environmental resiliency practices adopted as part of the plan. Severe flooding and forest fires are a growing concern and the town must be ready to act before the issues arise, he said.

We havent, I dont think, given enough thought to resilience with regard to severe weather events, he said. Flooding is the one I worry about the most. I think were going to see more of that and hopefully, were not going to see forest fires like out west. But we need get the best practices and put it into our plan and make sure people understand it and get input from people who have the expertise to do that.

Freer said he expects an updated plan would take a year and a half, but noted the final result with give the town a clearer picture when it comes to fostering economic development, increasing affordable housing options and expanding public transportation, which are all key to the towns growth.

Its got to be a holistic thing, and I think thats why even though the comprehensive-land plan will be painful to develop, I think well get smarter doing it and well make better decisions having done it, Freer said.

He added that he would like to see the town take additional steps to protect the water quality of its lakes, but noted he would like to see the state, particularity the Lake George Park Commission, play a greater role in ensuring sewage doesnt enter freshwater bodies.

He said the town must continue to explore ways to spend the more than $3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, and believes water and infrastructure improvements should be looked at.

Lowering taxes by exploring additional shared-service opportunities with county and local governments is also a priority for Freer, who said every opportunity to reduce taxes should be looked at.

He added that the town must come up with a way to address ways to provide reliable, cost effective EMS services to residents, but noted the devil is in the details.

Im watching whats going on with different towns and municipalities dealing with whether the tax district is the right answer, he said. I dont have a strong view on the devil in the details of EMS improvement, but I know its something that were going to have to do better at and figure out a better solution than just staying our course.

Deeb

Deeb said the towns finances remain in good shape, but noted he is running to ensure things stay that way.

If elected, he said he would work to bring sensible economic development to town, which includes ensuring the needs of residents are put before the desire to generate additional revenue.

He would also explore ways to create additional affordable housing options, adding it is important government works to create affordable housing options.

I do believe that we have to continue to grow businesses, for economic reasons, in Queensbury, but I think we have to be responsible enough to know when we have to curb some of this growth so that it doesnt get wildly out of control, he said.

Deeb said he would also work to continue the towns recent progress combating climate change by looking into ways to expand wind and solar energy and add additional electric-vehicle charging stations in order to keep up with what he believes is a rapid shift by the auto industry away from fossil fuels.

We have to make sure we have car charging stations, we have to make sure we have the infrastructure in place to deal with this as it comes up, he said. We need a lot more renewable energy  we really do need to get away from the oil industry and try and push ourselves to more renewable energy.

Deeb said he would like to explore additional shared services with the county and noted he would be willing to look at consolidation wherever possible, including consolidating the towns fire and EMS districts.

He said all options should be looked at, but noted a decision shouldnt be made until a detailed plan is presented.

The cost of fire protection and emergency services keeps going up, and we have to look at that carefully, Deeb said. But on the same token, the squads and fire departments do a great job trying to keep us protected, and we have to listen to their side of the story also. If theres a balance there somewhere, Id like to find it.

Deeb said he would need to explore options when it comes to spending the more than $3 million the town received as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, but noted the town shouldnt invest in programs that are self-sustaining, but rather infrastructure improvements that have been left on the backburner or to fund programs that will help the most vulnerable.

He added that he believes he has a good rapport with the current Town Board and believes he would be easier to work with than Freer.

We need for everybody to work together for the good of the town, Deeb said. Thats really, really important to me, because I really feel people are fed up, just fed up with the way things are going.

Chad Arnold is a reporter for The Post-Star covering the city of Glens Falls and the town and village of Lake George and Washington County government. Follow him on Twitter @ChadGArnold.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
SOUTH GLENS FALLS  The Moreau Community Center has received a $50,000 grant to develop job training programs and make facility improvements through a philanthropic initiative launched earlier this year by Spectrum.

The Spectrum Community Assist program is a five-year, $30 million initiative that aims to revitalize local community centers and invest in job training programs in underserved rural and urban communities serviced by the utility company.

Community centers like Moreau Community Center are hallmarks of our neighborhoods, where people go for support, shared experiences and develop new job skills or find new employment, Rahman Khan, vice president of community impact for Charter Communications, parent company of Spectrum, said in a statement.

The company aims to provide support to 100 community centers in 41 states by the end of 2025.

Through a partnership with Rebuilding Together of Saratoga County, a nonprofit organization that provides free home repairs to those that cant afford them, the interior of the Moreau Community Center will be revamped.

Volunteers on Saturday are expected to spend the day landscaping, painting, building shelves and desks and tackling other interior projects throughout the community center.

In addition to the funds, Spectrum will provide the center with upgraded internet speeds of one gigabyte at no charge through the end of the program, according to a news release.

Additionally, the company will donate 25 laptops to support the community centers training and technology programs.

Donna Nichols, executive director of the Moreau Community Center, said the partnership will provide much-needed services to the community.

Moreau Community Center is thrilled to be partnering with Spectrum to provide much-needed services in our community, she said in a statement. Strong partnerships are the basis of getting things which impact people positively done.

Earlier this year, the Moreau Community Center received a grant through Lowes to renovate its community kitchen. Construction for that project is currently in progress.

Chad Arnold is a reporter for The Post-Star covering the city of Glens Falls and the town and village of Lake George and Washington County government. Follow him on Twitter @ChadGArnold.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
GLENS FALLS  Hundreds of pounds of food waste generated by the Open Door Missions soup kitchen each month will be composted at Adirondack Worm Farm in Kingsbury, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and eliminating landfill refuse.

The nonprofit organization will begin composting kitchen scraps and plate scrapings from the more than 1,600 meals served through its soup kitchen and shelter program along Warren Street.

The composting program was made possible through a donation underwritten by Catherine Atherden, a volunteer with organization.

Atherden said she hopes the project will help inspire other businesses and residents throughout the community to begin composting, which she said is essential in reducing waste and combating climate change.

Composting avoids food going into landfills and burn plants, reduces greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming, greatly reduces pesticide and water use, provides many benefits to soil, increases biodiversity, reduces erosion, and more, she said in a statement.

Scraps that will be composted include peels, skins and rinds from fruits and vegetables, moldy bread, meat trimmings and bones, according to a news release.

More than 1.3 billion tons of food waste is generated each year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Methane, a more potent greenhouse gas, produced by rotting food scraps, generates 8% of global emissions.

Kim Cook, president and CEO of the Open Door Mission, said composting food scraps with a local company was an easy decision.

We provide a helping hand to our community members in need, and when we learned there was a way to make our operations more environmentally sustainable, it fit right in with our goals, she said in a statement. Having a local company that can compost our food scraps and create a useful resource for the environment out of what had been considered garbage is a real blessing.

The Adirondack Worm Farm started in Kingsbury two years ago and has already composted more than 11 tons of food waste. The company provides residential curbside composting services throughout the Glens Falls region.

Bill Richmond, the companys owner, and chief worm wrangler as he is known to some, said he is pleased to help reduce the carbon footprint at the Open Door Mission.

Keeping food scraps out of the waste stream is one of the most impactful steps in the battle against climate change, he said.

Chad Arnold is a reporter for The Post-Star covering the city of Glens Falls and the town and village of Lake George and Washington County government. Follow him on Twitter @ChadGArnold.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Loosely, its terms allowed Comcast to hire cheaper nonunion contractors for work building out its cable network under the citys streets but required the company to hire Local 98 workers for jobs inside commercial buildings in Center City.

The deal had proven to be lucrative, compelling Comcast to employ hundreds of unionized workers over more than a decade. But by 2015 the cable company had grown into a telecommunications behemoth. Dougherty believed it had grown lax in keeping to the terms of that agreement and had allowed nonunion work to encroach on what had previously been Local 98s territory.

He saw the 2015 renegotiation of the franchise deal  the agreement by which the city sets the terms under which it allows Comcast to build and maintain its network through publicly owned lands  as the opportunity to regain the upper hand.

And his private conversations showed he viewed Henon  who at that time was chair of Councils Public Property Committee, which would oversee talks with Comcast  as his primary tool for getting what he wanted.

While Sullivan may have described her relationship with Dougherty as friendly, the union chief revealed what he really thought of her and her Comcast colleagues in private phone calls with Henon played for jurors Wednesday afternoon.
OCEAN CITY  Local artist Sharon Egan won first prize in the art show and exhibition at Art on Asbury Gallery, it was announced.

Egan, of Ocean City and Philadelphia, got top honors for her oil titled Onion In Phoenix Bird Cup.

Other winners are:

2nd place: Dawn Kohansky, of Millville, oil, Vintage Creamer

3rd place: Peg Dittmar, of Cape May Court House, oil, Bartlett Pears in Season

Honorable mention: Paula Pagliughi, of Vineland, acrylic, Dont Make Me Cry

Honorable mention: Grace Zambelli, Ventnor, acrylic, Gin Rummy

The gallery is located 711 Asbury Ave. and now open seven days a week. Hours are always changing, so please call ahead. All of the gallery show pieces are for sale, along with watercolors, glass, mixed media, pottery, photography, textiles, jewelry and sculpture all made from professional local artisans. Dont miss the opportunity to purchase a one of a kind original artwork and support your local art community.

The November art show is themed Anything Goes. Artists are invited to submit their works.
Police blotter information is supplied by local police departments and other law enforcement agencies. All people named are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Shannon M. Huebner, 26, of Egg Harbor Township, was arrested Oct. 8 and charged with DWI.

Crystal M. Meador-Hagerty, 38, of Egg Harbor Township, was arrested Oct. 9 and charged with Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of a Hypordermic Needle.

Hui Zhang, 32, of Egg Harbor Township, was arrested Oct. 9 and charged with Simple Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, Harassment.

Charles H. Williams Jr., 52, of Atlantic City, was arrested Oct. 9 and charged with Shoplifting.

Norberto Rosado Jr, 33, of Bayville, was arrested Oct. 10 and charged with Shoplifting.

Lamar M. Morrison, 19, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested Oct. 11 and charged with Receiving Stolen Property.

Daniel D. Mcgee, 59, of Northfield, was arrested Oct. 11 and charged with Shoplifting.

Richard C. Mitchell, 60, of Margate, was arrested Oct. 11 and charged with Shoplifting.

Beth A. Rhody, 37, of Atlantic City, was arrested Oct. 11 and charged with Shoplifting.
Nonprofits that are helping distribute food in Atlantic City will have access to a $250,000 pool of funds to enhance their distribution or implement new ideas.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority said Oct. 21 the funding will be available in grants of up to $50,000.

The program is part of the food banks multimillion-dollar, multiyear commitment to support nonprofits working to respond to food access issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

This localized initiative is part of a broader plan to fund organizations that serve as the boots on the ground in the fight against hunger in New Jersey, said Carlos Rodriguez, food bank president and CEO.

CRDA held monthly food distribution events at Bader Field for more than a year during the pandemic. The latest initiative signals the agencys commitment to fortifying food distribution networks in the region, CRDA Deputy Director Rosa Farias said.

With unemployment rates in the city nearly double the state average, the food bank has experienced a 50% increase in demand for food. The loss of jobs has hit Atlantic County and South Jersey particularly hard, as the region is dependent on casino and tourism jobs.
The selection of 12 primary jurors and six alternates is scheduled to begin Nov. 4, with opening statements set for Nov. 29. In selecting primary jurors, the defense will have 10 peremptory challenges and the prosecution will have six, Nathan said. For alternates, each side will get three challenges.

Maxwells lawyers argued for questioning prospective jurors behind closed doors because they may be asked to divulge sensitive information, such as if they have been sexually abused. Nathan said she would make adjustments on a case-by-case basis to ensure juror candor and project juror privacy.

Maxwell lawyer Bobbi Sternheim said letting the public see the blank version of the questionnaire, which is used to screen the jury pool for biases, hardships, personal connections and awareness of the case, will lead to people lying their way into the jury process. She equated it to a take-home exam in which jurors could fill in answers they think will best position them to be selected.

Nathan, who will conduct one-on-one follow-up questioning Nov. 16-19 with prospective jurors who survive the questionnaire phase, responded: If a juror is going to lie and be dishonest, we will smoke that out. And the fact of this questionnaire being publicly documented is not going to increase or decrease any such likelihood.
James M. Cooney, a labor and employment law expert in the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, said since the alleged exhibits lack a direct mention of fire barrels or chairs being used to create dangerous situations, there isnt a basis for the ban.

I would think that there is no basis for prohibiting the fire cans unless there was some evidence that they were using the fire source to intimidate and block, Cooney said. From the materials I read, even the company is not alleging that.

Iversen, at the University of Iowa, said it is unusual to see an injunction ban fire barrels and chairs. Typically, items that are banned have to be "disruptive" and "intimidating."

"The fact that you have something to keep you warm on a cold day is not usually the subject of an injunction over things that cause harm to Deere," Iversen said. "It's hard to see how burn barrels and chairs would cause harm to the company.

Iversen and Cooney said the restrictions on the number of picketers is also unusual.

"Four is pretty low," Iversen said "Typically you'll see six or eight."

Typically, for the restriction on picketers to be this low, Cooney said the gate entrance would have to be pretty slim.
Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.

If we fail to make them bargain with us on this issue, what issue is next? he asked. For all you young coppers out there, you got a long way to go and dont think it cant get worse.

A Cook County judge last week issued a temporary restraining order against FOP President John Catanzara, prohibiting him from making public statements that encourage members not to report their COVID-19 vaccine status to the city.

In court Wednesday, city attorney Michael Warner told Judge Cecilia Horan the administration would seek to extend the restraining order against Catanzara, which is set to expire Monday, and will ask to broaden the order to cover other FOP officials.

There have been some mass email communications coming from officials other than Mr. Catanzara that we believe, if they do not violate the letter of your honors orders, violate the spirit, Warner said. And also, while this underlying issue of the vaccination policy remains unresolved, we think the status quo needs to be maintained.

Horan on Wednesday ruled against the FOPs motion calling for her to recuse herself from the case.
Since 1981, Iowa has used a nonpartisan redistricting process that calls for the agency to draw proposed maps without consideration for political ramifications, such as how new district lines would affect individual lawmakers re-election chances or the balance of power in the Legislature. If lawmakers reject this second plan, it goes back to the agency for a third try  but at that point also opens the door for politicians to amend it.

Legislators shouldn't be swayed by political considerations, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said.

There are a lot of political implications and fallout from the map for both sides, Konfrst said, but because this map was fairly drawn and was drawn using a fair process, thats really our only consideration. As with the first map, Im going to put politics aside and vote for this fair, nonpartisan map.

House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said Republicans will review the plan to ensure it is a fair map for the people of Iowa, while Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, will judge it on its adherence to the criteria established in Iowa law.

Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said the second map is fair and it meets the legal and constitutional requirements.
I met some of the most enlightened and inspiring people in prison, Common said. You know, one gentleman said to me, Imagine being trapped in one act for the rest of your life, the worst for the rest of your life. Ive thought about that. If that happened for me, I wouldnt be up here with you all.

Despite being sentenced to life in prison, Willis has gotten a masters degree and several certifications and has never lost hope that he might someday be given a second chance, Jones said.

Brian has proved to me personally that change is possible in any and everybody, Jones said. And so we want to push for this bill to get passed so that people like Brian can show the world that I can be a strong point here. I can teach these boys that you have more to live for, because we dont have a lot of motivation in our neighborhoods.

Jones said cyclical trauma has plagued neighborhoods especially on the South and West sides of Chicago, and has led youth to normalize and sometimes eventually commit violent crimes.

When youre beat down and told something repetitively, every day that you are nothing, what else are you gonna amount to? she said. People like Brian can come out here and help these kids.
The Biden administrations Defense Department, Congress, and others have meekly begun reviews of what happened in Afghanistan. And we have seen mixed results to date.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the appointment of a three-star level investigator to review the matter. That official has 45 days to issue a report.

Congress has held a couple of hearings (HERE) and (HERE), but judging by actions in both chambers, it seems Democratic leaders are ready to move on. Nothing more to see here.

Republicans are fighting for information.

Seven GOP senators introduced legislationto create a special committee that would investigate the bungled military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

We can surmise that there is no chance that such legislation will result in a vote.

In the House, Republicans introduced a Resolution of Inquiry, seeking more information from the administrations.

If the administration does not supply the information, the ROI would traditionally head to the House floor to become a privileged resolution, which would then force the executive branch to hand over the requested information. Again, no one expects this will lead to information.

More important than the reviews, the president promised actions against the individuals who attacked our troops at the Kabul airport.

As quoted in The New York Times, Biden assured the world, To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgiveWe will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.

We have seen no evidence that any action has occurred, nor have we heard Bidens guarantee reiterated.

Other post-evacuation after-action reviews are necessary as we witness issues with refugees, including unexpected disease outbreaks, and allegations of walkouts at U.S. military installations housing the refugees.

For example, at the U.S. Army installation Fort McCoy, in Wisconsin, cases of measles have emerged.

The Centers for Disease Control also reported cases of mumps and alerted health officials to be on the lookout for leishmaniasis, and malaria.

Reports have also arisen that Afghan evacuees have walked away from military bases.

As reported by Reuters, (t)he number of independent departures, which top 700 and could be higher, has not been previously reported. But the phenomenon is raising alarms among immigration advocates concerned about the risks to Afghans who give up on what is now an open-ended, complex and completely voluntary resettlement process.

Accountability for the failures associated with the surrender of Afghanistan is mostly lost.

Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, someone not involved in operations in Afghanistan, appears to be the one exception. In his public outcry for accountability for the debacle, hes paying a price.

The Marine Corps court-martialed Scheller, having previously taken the extraordinary step of jailing him, without charges, for publishing videos on social media in which he asked for those in leadership positions to be held accountable.

Released from military jail Oct. 5, Scheller was sentenced to receive a fine of $5000 for one month. According to a pre-trial agreement, he will also resign his commission.

Third-party opinion leaders are now attempting to whitewash the actions taken leading to what was and is widely seen as a fiasco on the ground and move us further away from cleaning up the mess left behind.

I have seen no plausible description of anything President Biden could have done to prevent the result, other than to break the agreement Donald Trump had signed, wrote former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank in an op-ed in The Hill.

Throwing out red herring arguments that Biden was stuck with Trumps agreement with the Taliban is one of what will undoubtedly be many distractions Democrats push as the nation closes in on the 2022 elections.

If the argument can be made by third parties (even decidedly partisan players such as Frank) that no action would have prevented the debacle, the easier it is to move.

Left-leaning academic types are weighing in in the hopes we will further pull away from the scene in Afghanistan.

The case for arming local Afghan rebels in the present circumstances of post-American withdrawal is not only based on questionable assumptions but also fraught with tremendous risks, wrote Bilal Y. Saab in Foreign Policy.

Expect more so-called experts to emerge offering ways to encourage the U.S. government to move away from any obligations it has in the struggle against the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS (in whatever form it takes).

To be continued.

James Hutton is a former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Speakers highlighted community and partnership during the Crisis Stabilization Unit groundbreaking Thursday morning.

Monument Health CEO Paulette Davidson said the partnerships created between the city, county, state and private entities and the actions the organizations took will keep families and the community together.

When they have a crisis, we shouldnt have to separate families from each other and send them somewhere else to get help, she said. Thats what today is about, keeping families together, and thats what were going to continue to do.

Davidson, Mayor Steve Allender, Pennington County Commissioners, members of the Sheriffs Office and representatives of other organizations officially broke ground on the Crisis Stabilization Unit, which will serve acute behavioral needs across West River.

The unit will be in a 14,000-square-foot building on 1.77 acres behind the Care Campus on Quincy Street. It will include the existing eight-bed Crisis Care Unit and a new 16-bed Stabilization Unit and serve as an evaluation site for those who may need to be involuntarily committed to treatment.

Barry Tice, the county's Health and Human Services director, said the $6.2 million facility could have a substantial impact on the people who already use the Crisis Care Center.

Tice said the Crisis Care Center sees between 1,500 and 2,000 people a year. He said there are upwards of 1,500 people entering the emergency department for behavioral health needs.

We hope to reduce that eventually by at least 50% and upwards, he said.

The bulk of funding for the unit comes from the state following a $4.6 million bill signed in the last legislative session for design and construction costs of the facility. As building material prices increased over the summer, the cost of construction for the facility did as well.

Tice, Sheriff Kevin Thom and John T. Vucurevich CEO Alan Solano approached the city and county for additional funds, as well as other private organizations, to bridge the gap.

The Rapid City Council voted to commit up to $500,000 to the unit at its Sept. 20 meeting. The Pennington County Commission approved a $300,000 project contingency at its Sept. 7 meeting. The commission unanimously approved the $5,308,000 contract to RCS Construction for the project at its Sept. 21 meeting.

Linda Reidt Kilber, CEO of Behavior Management Systems, said the facility will be the entry point for all adults from the area and surrounding communities.

She said a plan will be developed and coordinated for discharge planning to link the adults to quality providers and resources in their communities and to be successful with recovery.

This facility will provide a continuum of care for adults to meet the needs of their mental health services by keeping them in their communities, she said.

Thom said the project has been in development for at least 10 years, and people talked about having more services for behavioral health in South Dakota for a longer period of time.

This was a missing gap, Thom said. We have behavioral health services in the Care Campus now. This would be a higher level of behavioral health care, if you will.

He said the same partnerships that make up the Care Campus will make up the Crisis Stabilization Unit as well, which includes Behavior Management Systems, the Rapid City Police Department, Health and Human Services, and the Sheriffs Office.

Allender said the facility doesnt have anything to do with traditional government and traditional business as people know it. He said its part of the human service that the government is obligated to perform.

Human services are like a thousand piece puzzle, he said. This is one piece of the puzzle and its a very important piece.

Allender said everyone in the community may not agree that this is the right piece of puzzle, but its an important need to provide for people who suffer from conditions not everyone does.

Gov. Kristi Noem, who was scheduled to speak at the groundbreaking, was unable to attend due to weather.

 Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com 

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
The Vision Fund committee will hear 12 more presentations Thursday after listening to 11 Wednesday.

Two of the 28 submitted applications did not qualify for Vision Funds and one was withdrawn. Mayor Steve Allender said Wednesday that The Cave Collective proposal for $300,000 for staffing, supplying the coffee shop and contracting artists and musicians and the Trinity Eco Prayer Park with a $46,782 proposal for interpretive signage and a video security system did not qualify for funding.

The city will have about $24.2 million to spend over the three-year cycle, which is half of the annual funds. The previously reported $26 million was an estimate based on the half-cent sales tax projections. The other half of the funds are being used to pay bonds for construction of Summit Arena.

Committee Chair Kevin Maher said some members of the nine-member committee have done site visits for the projects. He said about a dozen projects concern Parks and Recreation.

Theres a lot of very great projects out there and were not going to be able to fund them all, so were going to have to say no, Maher said. We have to really try to make the best decision, whats best for the vision of the city.

The committee is made up of Maher, Jim Keck, William Spindle, Beth Keeney, Marta Olson-Rangitsch, Kevin Crosby, James Haar, Kim Morsching and Christine Stephenson. Jennifer Rice and Al Rodriguez will serve as alternates, and there are two Youth City Council liaisons.

Allender said the Youth City Council has turned into a big deal and has taught the city a lot.

Its important to have a peek into the window of the mind of Rapid Citys youth as were evaluating all these projects, he said.

Maher said the committee was able to meet with the city attorney, finance director and mayor to learn about the history of the Vision Fund and gain some insight.

Allender said its fun to watch the Vision Fund process. He said he treats the Vision Fund committee like a jury.

I answer questions if they have them, but I do not whisper in their ear as to which projects I think should rise to the top so that their recommendation will be from them without any influence from anyone else, he said.

The committee will have two more hearings Thursday and go into committee working sessions throughout October and November. Final recommendations will be presented to the Rapid City Council at a regularly scheduled meeting.

The mayor and city leadership will present an additional list of city projects for consideration to the council at the same meeting. The council will take both lists into consideration and assess the need for the city.

 Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com 

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  The Canadian winner of what is arguably the piano worlds most important competition says the coronavirus pandemic lockdown helped him concentrate on music, and now he'll have to try to retain the sense of inner peace he gained.

Bruce Xiaoyu Liu of Canada, 24, was named Thursday as the winner of the 40,000-euro ($45,000) first prize in the 18th Frederic Chopin piano competition, that has launched many a pianists successful global career.

I still wouldnt call myself (a) professional pianist," the Paris-born musician told The Associated Press later Thursday.

He sees his win as a huge responsibility to continue this shape that I have and to be able to constantly keep finding freshness despite all this noisy world.

Liu said the pandemic and the resulting postponement of the event  held every five years  from 2020 helped him peacefully concentrate on music and refining his playing.

Now, with this kind of exploding events and stuff I have to keep this kind of peace inside myself" and not destroy this inner feeling that led to his success, through three weeks of playing Chopin's works  competing against 86 other young pianists from around the world.
Lucy Meade, director of economic development and community relations for Venture Richmond, said the downtown advocacy group expects to use the money by reimbursing businesses and property owners who invest in facade repairs and improvements. She said they will also help businesses occupy vacant storefronts by helping them cover security deposits and other upfront costs.

We still have some stores that are vacant, Meade said. We thought that if we put together an incentive program, maybe we can encourage some new businesses or business expansions to come to Broad Street to lease up those spaces.

The remaining funding is intended to help Real Chances, an anti-poverty advocacy group, create a blueprint for a new arts and culture district in the so-called Chamberbrook area near Virginia Union University along the Brook Road and Chamberlayne Avenue corridors.

The nonprofit is partnering with two urban planning organizations, Storefront for Community Design and FORM Coalition, to develop a master plan and architectural pattern book for a arts and culture district there.

Kevin Vonck, director of the citys planning department, said those plans will build on a conceptual vision for a new neighborhood node centered at the V-shaped intersection of Chamberlayne Avenue and North Lombardy Street.
President Joe Biden will campaign with Democrat Terry McAuliffe in Arlington County on Tuesday. McAuliffe is in a close race with Republican Glenn Youngkin to be Virginias next governor. Election Day is Nov. 2.

Biden will appear next to McAuliffe on Tuesday evening at Virginia Highlands Park; doors for the event will open at 5 p.m. It will mark the second time Biden stumps for McAuliffe, a longtime ally.

Biden, whose approval ratings have dipped in recent months, is the latest high-profile Democrat to campaign with McAuliffe as the race for governor nears its end. McAuliffe appeared next to Kamala Harris in Dumfries on Thursday, and former President Barack Obama will campaign with McAuliffe in Richmond on Saturday.

Biden first campaigned with McAuliffe in July, calling Virginias gubernatorial election a big deal. The election will be a referendum on Democratic control here and an early test for Democrats ahead of the congressional midterm elections.

Youre not going to find anyone, I mean anyone, who knows how to get more done for Virginia than Terry, Biden said in July.
When voters decide on a new lieutenant governor Nov. 2, they wont just be picking a personality to preside over the state Senate.

The part-time office holder has an important duty  breaking tie votes in the 40-member chamber.

For Democratic nominee Del. Hala Ayala and Republican nominee Winsome Sears, that means making the case to voters that their decision in this down-ballot contest will have consequences.

Ayala said in an interview she wants to unify people and turn away from the divisive politics of the Trump era.

I try to bring compassion and understanding to the forefront. I try to communicate that I am human. Im not a perfect individual, Ayala said. Ill always put my best foot forward and work hard for every Virginian so they have a seat at the table.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has been unable to get responses from Sears or her campaign since she fired a previous campaign staffer on Sept. 8. She and her campaign spokesman did not respond to requests for an interview or the opportunity to answer questions in writing for this story.

The Ayala campaign has cited more than 50 tiebreaking votes in the Senate from the current lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax, since 2018.
Northam ordered the statue removed last year during protests in Richmond following the murder of George Floyd. The monument was located at Lee Circle on land given to the state by 1887 and 1890 deeds.

The residents opposed to the statues removal filed suit in Richmond Circuit Court. A judge ruled against them, holding that arguments to keep the statue in place were contrary to current public policy as established by the General Assembly. But an injunction was put in place barring the monuments removal pending the appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court.

On Sept. 2, the justices sided with the circuit judge, ruled against the plaintiffs and dissolved the injunction. In a separate case, the court also ruled against an heir of those who donated the property.

McSweeney said last month that restoring the monument would be the ideal outcome for his clients, who do not believe that the state owns and controls it.

Among other things, the petition complained that the justices ignored the contention that the state cannot continue to benefit from an agreement it has repudiated. In this case, the state wants to keep ownership of the monument and land while disavowing the promises it made to obtain them.
Where that leaves things seems to be anyones guess.

In general, the debate boiled down to a need for affordable housing in Roanoke, versus traffic on busy Brandon Avenue added by the development. Opponents also cited environmental concerns over removing trees adjacent to Murray Run, a stream that runs through the wooded acreage.

But theres a political dimension, too. And so far few people seem to be tuning into that. It concerns Councilman Robert Jeffrey, who was the fourth vote against the rezoning.

A Roanoke grand jury has indicted Jeffrey on two counts of embezzlement and two counts of obtaining money or property under false pretenses. The embezzlement allegations involve the nonprofit Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization. The other charges involve the Roanoke Economic Development Authority.

Jeffrey has declared hes innocent of the charges and that hell fight them in court. Hes scheduled to go to trial in March. But the other six council members want Jeffrey gone now, and theyre pressuring him.

Monday, the council voted 6-0 on a different resolution asking him to consider taking a leave of absence from council immediately. Jeffrey, who abstained from that vote, said he intends to remain in office until hes cleared of the charges.
If a commission is going to be successful, its OK to include the even partisan split, but you have to remove the actual direct influence of the state legislators themselves, Goedert said. Its definitely been my reading that the partisan state legislators on this commission have really been driving this disagreement, much more than the citizen members.

He referenced California, Arizona and Washington as examples of states that saw successful redistricting led by commissions, where lawmakers were not heavily involved in the process. Michigan and Colorado are appointing redistricting commissions now that are set up to see more success than Virginias, Goedert said.

Going forward, the legislature could propose an actual nonpartisan commission which would not involve the legislature, Goedert said. Maybe given the outcome of this process, the Democrats [currently in the majority] in the legislature would be willing to do that.

In the past, before voters agreed to amend the Virginia Constitution in 2020, redistricting was handled by the states General Assembly.

Some change in the commissions setup seems necessary for future efforts, but for redistricting in 2021, it seems increasingly likely maps will be drawn by the Virginia Supreme Court.

When states have adopted a nonpartisan commission approach, they have tended to be successful in drawing maps that were fair on a partisan basis, and that created a reasonably good amount of competition, Goedert said. You have to have the right process.

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
He knows what the kids need in the industry, Hicks said. He recognizes the trends and where things are headed.

Before becoming a teacher at Salem, Wray was working as the foreman at an independent repair shop when he received a call from school officials about teaching at the high school. Salem desperately needed an automotive teacher after an unexpected opening came up on the first day of school.

After contemplating the decision with his then boss, Wray decided to take the leap.

I spoke to my boss about it and we both agreed that I had to take this exciting opportunity, so I did, and it has been so very rewarding in so many ways ever since, he said in a Harbor Freight news release. At first I was worried about making less money but I soon came to realize that helping young people shape their future is what I was meant to do.

Wray, who has taught at Salem for the last 17 years, said he has roughly 100 students in all of his classes, and about one-third of them pursue careers in the automotive industry, either furthering their education at a trade school, or joining the workforce right after graduating.
As Tucker used her walking stick to navigate the woods around her home, she named birds and plants, stopping to marvel at fuzzy mushrooms. She's come to know the wildlife, like the five kinds of woodpeckers that nest there regularly and the additional one that shows up for the winter. There are the deer, the occasional bear. She points out trees her father planted, and boxwoods her mother planted.

"I get to listen to the chatter between the wrens, and the chatter between the chickadees," she said. "That's one of the things I cherish about this place, to be able to be in one space long enough to learn it."

"Just considering the loss of it ..." she said, then paused, overcome for a moment. "I wouldn't be able to be here - it would be a total loss for the property."

Tucker is not alone.

Other landowners fearful for what may come addressed the Supervisors during the meeting last week. They all thanked the county for its response and advocacy on their behalf, then expressed how dire the situation has become for them, including two who mentioned that they'd be located in the "blast zone," or the "incineration zone."
When voters decide on a new lieutenant governor Nov. 2 they won't just be picking a personality to preside over the state Senate.

The part-time office holder has an important duty - breaking tie votes in the 40-member chamber.

For Democratic nominee Del. Hala Ayala and Republican nominee Winsome Sears that means making the case to voters that their decision in this down-ballot contest will have consequences.

Ayala said in an interview she wants to unify people and turn away from the divisive politics of the Trump era.

"I try to bring compassion and understanding to the forefront. I try to communicate that I am human. Im not a perfect individual," she said. "Ill always put my best foot forward and work hard for every Virginian so they have a seat at the table.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has been unable to get responses from Sears or her campaign since she fired a previous campaign staff on Sept. 8. She and her campaign spokesman did not respond to requests for an interview or the opportunity to answer questions in writing for this story.

The Ayala campaign has cited more than 50 tie-breaking votes in the Senate from the current lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax, since 2018.
At a recent Montgomery County Board of Supervisors meeting, board members were discussing what legislative priorities they would support in the upcoming session of the General Assembly.

At that meeting, a majority of the board expressed support for legislation that would approve vouchers and/or tax credits that would divert tax money from the public schools to individuals who choose to have their students attend private schools or be homeschooled.

Were those policies to be approved, several outcomes are predictable:

The first is the resegregation of Virginias schools on the basis of family economic conditions. Under any such plan, the costs for students to participate in an alternative program would likely exceed the value of the voucher (or other incentive) and require additional funds from the family. Consequently, not all families would have the same opportunity to select an alternative program. In addition, most students in public schools have transportation provided by the public school system. Public transportation would not be available to students attending charter or other private school programs. For those who have no transportation option, there is no access to the alternative program(s). Without access, there is no choice.
You have permission to edit this collection.

Edit Close
" " The super-Earth Barnard's Star B orbits its host in this artist's impression. ESO/M. Kornmesser

The second-closest exoplanet beyond our solar system may sound like a cold, alien and inhospitable place, but what if it's not? What if, as new research suggests, there are pockets of habitable environments deep below its icy surface, assuming it can produce heat from its core?

Discovered late in 2018, Barnard's Star b is like none of the planets in the solar system. With a mass three times that of Earth, this enigmatic exoplanet is known as a "super-Earth," a likely rocky planet that occupies a mass range between Earth and the smaller gas giants, like Neptune. Exoplanet-hunting missions like Kepler have found that super-Earths are common throughout the galaxy, so Barnard's Star b is more than just a curiosity, it could become the key for us to understand how they formed, what they're made of and, most conspicuously, why the solar system doesn't have one.

Advertisement

After a painstaking search through two decades of spectroscopic data of Barnard's Star, astronomers announced the new world's discovery in November. They found a 233 day "wobble" that indicated an exoplanet was located at approximately the same distance at which Mercury orbits our sun, very slightly tugging at its star as it orbited. But, as the star is a low-mass and dim red dwarf, the planet's orbit puts it beyond the star's "habitable zone" and into its "snow line." If Barnard's Star b has any water on its surface, it will be frozen, and not conducive to supporting life (as we know it).

However, according to new research presented at the 233rd meeting of the American Astronomy Society (AAS) in Seattle, Washington, on Jan. 10, 2019, should this super-Earth be producing its own heat in its core, basic life-forms may find a way to eke out an existence.

"Geothermal heating could support 'life zones' under its surface, akin to subsurface lakes found in Antarctica," said astrophysicist Edward Guinan, of Villanova University, in a statement. "We note that the surface temperature on Jupiter's icy moon Europa is similar to Barnard b but, because of tidal heating, Europa probably has liquid oceans under its icy surface."

Astrobiologists have long been fascinated with Europa. Even though it orbits Jupiter well outside our sun's habitable zone and has a very obvious thick-ice crust, through tidal interactions with the gas giant, its core produces heat that maintains a subsurface ocean in a liquid water state. Decades of observations of the moon also have revealed that the ocean may have sufficient quantities of oxygen and nutrients to support a hypothetical marine ecosystem.

Barnard's Star b is much larger than Europa and cannot have the same degree of tidal heating experienced by the Jovian moon, but should it have a large and hot iron/nickel core, Guinan and his co-investigators suspect that its geothermal activity could nurture primitive life-forms.

Alas, we are getting ahead of ourselves. Barnard's Star b may well be habitable, but currently we only know its mass and orbital period around the star. We know nothing about its composition, atmosphere (if it even has one) or physical size. It will be undoubtedly cold, as the star only generates 0.4 percent of the radiant power of our sun, but does it possess water ice? Does it have geothermal activity? For now, we don't know, but there is hope.

" " Our local star neighborhood IEEC/SCIENCE-WAVE, GUILLEM RAMISA

Barnard's Star is only six light-years from Earth, so it's conceivable that a future generation of powerful telescopes will have the observing power to study the alien world. According to the researchers, such observations will shed light on the nature of the planet's atmosphere, surface and potential habitability.

"The most significant aspect of the discovery of Barnard's star b is that the two nearest star systems to the sun are now known to host planets," said Engle in the same statement. "This supports previous studies based on Kepler mission data, inferring that planets can be very common throughout the galaxy, even numbering in the tens of billions."

The closest exoplanet to Earth is Proxima Centauri b, an Earth-sized world that orbits its red dwarf star inside the habitable zone, the distance surrounding a star that could allow a planet to possess liquid water on its surface. On paper, this sounds like a fantastic location to seek out alien life, but Proxima Centauri is an angry little star, known for its violent flares that would irradiate any planet that orbits too close. Barnard's Star b orbits its red dwarf farther away and, if life can find a way under its surface, could be shielded from any ionizing radiation.

Now That's Old Barnard's Star is about 9 billion years old, two times as old as the sun. That means, as the researchers point out, that the universe has been churning out super-Earths for far longer than the sun has been around.
" " The iconic symbol of San Francisco, California, the Golden Gate Bridge spans the Golden Gate Strait, the 3-mile long stretch of water between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Jorge Villalba/Getty Images

When it came to laying out the design for my second tattoo, I knew two things: 1) I wanted a simple line drawing that ran from my right elbow to my wrist, and 2) I needed to have the Golden Gate Bridge integrated in some way. As San Francisco has drastically transformed over the last few decades, I've taken (arguably too much) pride in being one of the few true natives, born and raised in an area of the city adjacent to the bridge's Presidio entrance. And while I'm comfortable letting the visual representation of the iconic landmark on my arm speak for itself, digging into the history and significance of the bridge offers some pretty cool insight into my hometown's unique charm.

Advertisement

The Original Idea

It all started in 1916. Or actually, it started around four decades earlier, in 1872, when railroad entrepreneur Charles Crocker called for a bridge to span the Golden Gate Strait, the 3-mile (5-kilometer) long stretch of water that connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. But it wasn't until the early 20th century that the project gained traction as the area's population grew and traffic congestion at the ferry docks was becoming a serious issue. James H. Wilkins, a structural engineer and newspaper editor for the San Francisco Call Bulletin, connected with San Francisco City engineer Michael M. O'Shaughnessy and started talking about what it would really take to make a bridge connecting the city to the Marin Headlands a reality.

Three years later, San Francisco officials formally requested that O'Shaughnessy explore the possibility of building a strait-spanning bridge and the engineer began consulting with colleagues around the country. Sure, the idea of connecting San Francisco to the North Bay was nice, but was it financially feasible? Most industry insiders speculated that such an undertaking would cost over $100 million and that  perhaps more importantly  it just couldn't be built. Joseph Baermann Strauss, however, begged to differ.

Strauss, a Chicago-based engineer, presented a plan that not only made a bridge seem possible, but downright affordable: Strauss's plan estimated that the construction could be done for $25 to $30 million. Strauss submitted his preliminary sketches to O'Shaughnessy and Edward Rainey, secretary to James Rolph, the mayor of San Francisco, on June 28, 1921. While his original design (a $17 million symmetrical cantilever-suspension hybrid span) needed some tweaking and didn't pan out, O'Shaughnessy made the design public in December 1922, and although the press described it as "ugly," there was surprisingly little public opposition to the ambitious endeavor.

Advertisement

The Construction Process

While citizens seemed relatively open to approving the massive undertaking, there were more than a few snags along the way to construction. First, O'Shaughnessy and Strauss had to assemble a special district of the state of California to oversee the financing, design and construction of the bridge as a way to give all counties a voice in the process. But ultimately, the fate of the bridge was in the hands of the War Department, which legally ruled all harbor construction potentially affecting shipping traffic or military logistics. When the War Department held a hearing May 16, 1924, to discuss the bridge's potential impact on navigation and financial burden, things got thorny. Plenty of people voiced their opposition, especially the local ferry companies who started a serious anti-bridge campaign in an effort to halt construction. And they succeeded  for eight years.

" " Construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge in 1933. Library of Congress

But after nearly a decade of jurisdiction and uncertainty, Strauss and O'Shaughnessy were able to create the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District (composed of the area's six member counties), incorporated by the California state legislature in 1928 as the sole entity responsible for the final design, construction and financing of the future bridge.

Secretary of War Patrick Hurley issued the construction permit Aug. 11, 1930 and the building process officially kicked off nearly three years later on Jan. 5, 1933. By this time, the vast majority of residents were stoked, and a groundbreaking ceremony at nearby Crissy Field helped hype the locals for what was to be a somewhat lengthy, but easier-than-expected process.

"An interesting fact about the Golden Gate Bridge is that it was completed ahead of schedule and under budget  a rarity in today's construction world," Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, public affairs manager for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District, writes via email. "The bridge was completed in May 1937 under budget and six months ahead of schedule. It cost about $39 million to build, which equals about $500 million in today's dollars."

Not only did the bridge make a name for itself as a relatively quick and painless project (as far as massive constructions go), it also made a mark on history with its construction procedures and safety measures.

"The Golden Gate Bridge was a pioneering project for protecting workers by requiring bridge builders to wear hard hats and installing the first safety net for bridge workers," Cosulich-Schwartz says. "I'm proud that the legacy of safety lives on at the Golden Gate Bridge today." Although 11 men died during construction (not unheard of in that risky era of building), a safety net suspended under the "floor" of the bridge during construction saved the lives of 19 men who became known as the "Halfway-to-Hell Club."

" " Men on catwalks working on the cables during construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937. That's Alcatraz Island in the background. Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Advertisement

The Iconic Design

There's a reason I wanted the bridge represented in my inked hometown tribute  aside from its significance as an instantly recognizable San Francisco staple, it's just so darn pretty. And that appealing design took a ton of thoughtful planning and dedication.

Remember Strauss' original plans for a symmetrical cantilever-suspension hybrid bridge? While his staff, led by Charles A. Ellis, found the idea to be practical from an engineering standpoint, some experts started to raise questions. Ellis brought on Professor George F. Swain of Harvard University and Leon Moisseiff who designed New York's Manhattan Bridge to serve on a Board of Consultants for the project  and Moisseiff wasn't sold on the design. On Aug. 15, 1929, the Board appointed Moisseiff, as well as engineers O.H. Ammann, and UC Berkeley engineering professor Charles Derleth Jr., to serve as the Advisory Board of Engineers, alongside Strauss.

" " Thousands of guests showed up to walk across the bridge on May 27, 1937, the day it was opened to pedestrians. The toll for walking the five miles was five cents for a regular ticket and twenty-five cents for a souvenir ticket. The bridge opened to vehicular traffic the next day. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

At some point in their discussions (the exact date is unknown), the board decided to shift from Strauss's original proposal to a suspension bridge design. The Golden Gate Bridge, Report of the Chief Engineer, written by Strauss in September 1937, doesn't give details on the transition from his originally proposed design to the Moisseiff-inspired suspension span, but simply states, "... In the interval which had elapsed any advantages possessed by the cantilever-suspension type bridge had practically disappeared and on recommendation of the Chief Engineer, the cantilever-suspension type was abandoned in favor of the simple suspension type." There was another mysterious drama during the design process as well: While Ellis was responsible for directing the thousands of calculations required, Strauss unceremoniously fired him in 1931 and handed his job over to his assistant. To this day, Ellis is rarely mentioned in discussions of the bridge.

But back to that design. Perhaps the most recognizable feature of the bridge is its eye-popping hue  just please don't call it "red." "International Orange is the signature color of the Golden Gate Bridge," Cosulich-Schwartz says. "The color was chosen as the primary color of the bridge by consulting architect Irving Morrow, who noticed the red lead primer of the steel arriving from mills on the east coast. He thought the red primer would serve the dual purpose of making the bridge stand out for ships and planes in the dense fog while blending in with the natural beauty of the area surrounding the bridge. After much study and debate, the color we so closely identify with the Golden Gate Bridge today was selected for the project, and we can thank Irving Morrow for the Golden Gate Bridge's distinctive hue."

Today, the Golden Gate Bridge is a critical transportation link between San Francisco and Marin County and the 1.7 mile-long (2.7 kilometer) main span carries about 112,000 vehicles every day. Not only can the number of roadway lanes dedicated to the southbound or northbound be modified throughout the day to accommodate shifting traffic patterns, but visitors are welcome to walk and bike the length of the landmark. Or, if you're a proud native, get its glory permanently etched onto your skin.

Now That's Interesting Over 2 billion vehicles have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge (going both north and south) since its opening to traffic May 28, 1937.
" " Rong Bridge over the Han river in Da Nang is the longest bridge in Vietnam, offering a nightly display of lights and a weekly fire and water show. Mythungoc Photography/Getty Images

If you've never seen a fire breathing dragon bridge, then you've never seen the Rong Bridge in Da Nang, Vietnam.

The 2,185-foot-long (666-meter-long), six-lane bridge is the longest suspension bridge in Vietnam. Da Nang is one of the biggest port cities in Vietnam, and the Rong Bridge spans the Han River just before it empties into Da Nang Bay. This is all well and good, but the most exciting thing about the Rong Bridge is that it's shaped like a sinuous, sparkly golden dragon, modeled after the stylized dragons from the Ly Dynasty that ruled over Vietnam in the 11th and 12th centuries. The Rong Dragon also breathes fire on weekends after 9 p.m. and on special occasions.

Advertisement

After a design contest in 2005 and a six-year construction period, the Rong Bridge opened in 2013, commemorating the 38th anniversary of the city's liberation in 1975 during the Vietnam War (which, in Vietnam, is called the American War). It cost $US85 million to build and it is currently the world's largest dragon-shaped steel bridge.

The bridge is spectacular any time of day, but at night it's lit up with 2,500 color-changing LED lights and on weekends and holidays the head of the dragon breathes fire or sometimes spits water out of its mouth. Not only has the bridge eased traffic congestion in the city, it has generated tourist income, linking the city with the eastern sea front, the airport and the UNESCO heritage town of Hoi An, an important port for the spice trade starting in the 15th century.

" " The Dragon Bridge in Da Nang, the third largest city of Vietnam, as it appears during the day. Jethuynh/Getty Images

Now That's Interesting The length and width of the 2,185-foot-long (666-meter-long), six-lane Rong Bridge was not an accident  the number 6 is considered lucky in Vietnam.
" " A bird's-eye view of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China. TPG/Getty Images

The world's longest sea-crossing bridge has opened, connecting mainland China to Hong Kong. The 34-mile (55-kilometer) bridge cost $20 billion, took nine years to construct and will reduce travel time between its three terminal locations along the Pearl River Delta  Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao  from 3 hours to 30 minutes.

Officially known as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the structure consists of three cable-stayed bridges, an undersea tunnel and four artificial islands. The bridge has been engineered to withstand earthquakes, typhoons and run-ins with shipping vessels, with 400,000 tons (363,000 metric tons) of steel used for reinforcement. By comparison, that's 4.5 times the amount of steel in San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, according to Travel Wire Asia.

Advertisement

Artificial islands were built in shallow waters to buoy the bridge's crossing; two of the islands are used as entrances and exits for a 4-mile (6.7-kilometer) tunnel through which drivers can travel under the sea's busiest shipping lane.

While the bridge removes a travel barrier for some, it puts other barriers in place for others. Private car owners in Hong Kong will require special permits to cross, or they will need to take a paid shuttle bus, and will still need to pass through immigration.

It's a political maneuver that has left some citizens and pundits wary. Some "view the bridge as a way of transferring money from taxpayers to local and Chinese oligarchs, whose construction firms built the whole project," wrote Martin Sebena, a Ph.D. student at the University of Hong Kong and a research fellow at the Institute of Asian Studies in Slovakia.

In 1997, Hong Kong  a former British territory  became a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. China agreed to allow Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy in its economic and social systems for 50 years from the date of the handover. Similarly, in 1999, Macao  one of the oldest surviving Portuguese settlements  was turned over to China with the promise that its way of life would largely be left alone for 50 years. The bridge connecting these two territories to mainland China could have a far-reaching future impact, both politically and culturally.

Now That's Horrifying It's been widely publicized that nine workers died and another 275 were injured during the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, but the construction activity may just kill off the remaining population of endangered Chinese white dolphins that make their home in the Pearl River Delta, too.
" " The entrance to Nutty Putty Cave has been sealed with concrete to keep out the curious. admin/catatanfiksiid

Discovered in 1960, Nutty Putty Cave outside of Salt Lake City, Utah was a local favorite with Boy Scout troops and college students, attracting 5,000 visitors a year. Then came the tragic death of John Edward Jones in 2009, when the 26-year-old father and medical student became hopelessly trapped upside down inside a narrow fissure and couldn't be rescued.

Nutty Putty Cave has been closed ever since. Because Jones' body couldn't be removed, the site is now considered a grave. Visitors to Nutty Putty today will only find a plaque dedicated to Jones and poured concrete sealing over the entrance.

More than a decade after the unfortunate accident, we spoke to a pair of experienced Utah cavers about what it was like to explore Nutty Putty Cave, the history and geology of the cave, and how the 2009 incident impacted the local caving community.

Advertisement

'A Crawly Little Cave'

Like countless Boy Scouts before him, Matt Paulson's very first caving experience was at Nutty Putty. He was just 12 years old and "grossly underprepared," but he nervously followed his troop down into the cave mouth and crawled on his belly through a narrow, muddy canal into a larger downward shaft called the Big Slide.

Today, Paulson is the Chair of the Timpanogos Grotto, the local branch of the National Speleological Society that once managed access to Nutty Putty, which was easily the "most popular cave" in the area, says Paulson. Richard Downey, the Grotto's treasurer and historian, led some of those same Boy Scout trips into Nutty Putty for decades.

"It was a crawly little cave," says Downey. "There were also some larger passages. It was believed to be really easy and that's why all of your Boy Scouts and locals went in with flashlights and sandals and things. You had to work hard to get in trouble."

Advertisement

Formed From Below

Almost all caves form in limestone, which, over long periods of time, is slowly eaten away by slightly acidic groundwater. Nutty Putty is also a limestone cave, but instead of being dissolved by water dripping in from above, it was created from the bottom up by hydrothermal activity.

Paulson explains that Nutty Putty is what's known as a hypogenic cave, formed when superheated water is forced upward into a bed of limestone, and minerals in the water eat away at the rock above to create cave shafts.

"Traditionally, these types of caves are very complex and feature lots of domes and three-dimensional passages, which was true of Nutty Putty," says Paulson. "It had tight squeezes that opened up into a big room, then back to another tight squeeze. It was very characteristic of a hypogenic cave."

Perhaps because of its hydrothermal past, temperatures inside Nutty Putty stayed around 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12.7 degrees Celsius) year round. A survey conducted in 2003 was able to map 1,355 feet (413 meters) of cave to a depth of 145 feet (44 meters) from the surface.

The most recognizable characteristic of the cave was the strangely viscous clay oozing from some of its walls, which the cave's first explorer, a man named Dale Green, compared to Nutty Putty, the original product name for Silly Putty. Like Silly Putty, the clay would change from a solid to an elastic fluid when lightly squeezed.

Downey says that the clay was even "sound active," meaning that if you yelled at it, it would ooze and move. Analyses done on the clay in the 1960s found that it was composed of tiny particles of silicon dioxide (the main component of sand) roughly 3 microns (less than 0.0001 inches) in diameter.

Advertisement

Hints of Trouble

Since Nutty Putty was such a popular cave, attracting thousands of visitors a year, it was perhaps inevitable that a few amateur cavers would get themselves into trouble.

"A lot of the people going to Nutty Putty were first-timers, or they were on a date with their girlfriend and wanted to show off or whatever," says Downey. "They put themselves in situations that they probably wouldn't have if they had just stopped and thought about it for a minute."

From 1999 to 2004, six different people became stuck in one of Nutty Putty's narrow passages. It's not for nothing that three of the cave's tightest squeezes are called "The Helmet Eater," "The Scout Eater" and "The Birth Canal."

All six of those trapped cavers made it out of Nutty Putty alive, but the local sheriff's office and search and rescue crews grew tired of making regular trips out to pull tourists from the cave, and they worried that the next accident would be fatal. Concern mounted in 2005 after the tragic drowning deaths of four young Utahns in a nearby cave on "Y" Mountain.

Nutty Putty Cave was closed in 2006 citing safety concerns and only reopened in May 2009 after a cave management plan was signed with the Timpanogos Grotto. The Grotto set up an online reservation system that only allowed one group in the cave at a time, and the entrance to the cave was padlocked shut at night.

Advertisement

A Family Outing Ends in Disaster

John Edward Jones visited Nutty Putty Cave with his brother Josh and 11 others on Nov. 24, 2009, only months after the cave was reopened. While attempting to find the Birth Canal, Jones took a wrong turn and ended up in an unmapped section of the cave near Ed's Push. Thinking he saw a larger opening on the other side, Jones tried to squeeze headfirst through the tight spot and turn around, but he became hopelessly wedged at a 70-degree angle.

"As cavers, that's one of the things we're taught not to do, go head first into a tight squeeze going downward," says Paulson. "Had he been oriented the other way, it's my opinion he would have gotten out."

News cameras broadcast the 27-hour ordeal in which 137 volunteers attempted to rescue Jones, who began to lose consciousness as blood pooled in his head and put increasing stress on his heart. Downey remembers getting a phone call at 1 or 2 a.m.

" " A memorial plaque at the site pays tribute to the life and bravery of John Edward Jones. admin/catatanfiksiid

"I was the Grotto secretary and I had all of the contact information for the local caving community," says Downey. "They told me, 'I need to get contact information for really skinny cavers.'"

Rescuers installed a system of 15 pulleys to try and free Jones, but the clay walls of the cave couldn't bear the weight. One rescuer was badly injured when a pulley ripped free and struck him in the face. Despite the heroic effort to save him, Jones died a few minutes before midnight, the day before Thanksgiving. He left behind his wife Emily, a young daughter and a baby boy on the way (he's named John).

Downey says that many of the volunteer rescuers were traumatized by the experience and some haven't entered a cave since. When it became clear that Jones' remains couldn't be extricated from the cave, Nutty Putty was permanently closed and sealed as Jones' final resting place.

Paulson mourns the death of Jones, but insists that caving is a very safe activity, especially when it's done with the right equipment and with an experienced guide.

"That's why there are grottos of the National Speleological Society like ours all over the United States," says Paulson. "We're here to inform, teach and get people into caving safely."

Now That's Cool "The Last Descent" is a moving film about John and Emily's relationship and his attempted rescue from Nutty Putty in 2009.
" " At Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, elephant matriarch iJunia charges a vehicle with her two calves following close behind her. ElephantVoices

With their long trunks, fanlike ears and prominent ivory tusks, elephants are one of the most iconic animals on the planet. But for certain elephant populations, those signature tusks have become increasingly scarce.

In a new study published Oct. 21, 2021, in the journal Science, researchers were able to analyze an unprecedented example of elephant evolution in action. In the span of just 15 years, the number of elephants born without tusks in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique more than doubled. This was unusual, since tusks are typically advantageous for elephants: The massive animals use the tusks for everything from defense to stripping bark from trees. Stranger still, nearly all the tuskless elephants born were female.

"That's one of the mysteries of tusklessness," says Brian Arnold, a biomedical data scientist at Princeton University and co-lead author of the study, "Why is it largely present in females?"

The answer, according to the research, could lie in a rare pattern of gene inheritance combined with a decidedly unnatural form of natural selection.

Advertisement

Selective Pressures and Civil War

When English biologist Herbert Spencer coined the term "survival of the fittest," he wasn't talking about which animals would win in a pushup contest (though clearly, it's the western fence lizard). In Darwinian evolution, "fitness" refers to how well-suited an organism's particular set of traits are for surviving and thriving in a given environment. Which means that fitness is subject to change, depending on a huge range of environmental factors.

Everything from drought to air quality to foliage color can influence an organism's fitness  this is called selective pressure, and it's one of the main drivers of evolution. In the case of the Gorongosa elephants, selective pressure came in the form of war.

Between 1977 and 1992, Mozambique was locked in a brutal civil war. The conflict claimed the lives of between 600,000 and 1 million civilians in just 15 years. And humans weren't the only casualties; the environmental toll was also devastatingly high.

" " Heavy poaching of elephant tusks during the Mozambique civil war was a selective pressure that caused the female elephants to rapidly evolve. Suresh Karadia/S.Times

A 2018 study published in Nature determined that up to 90 percent of the large mammals in Gorongosa National Park  a 1,500 square mile (3,885 square kilometer) preserve in Mozambique's portion of the Great African Rift Valley  were killed during this period, too. Elephants in particular became a favorite target of poachers, who could sell the ivory tusks for a hefty sum and use the profits to buy more ammunition.

During this time, elephants with tusks were nearly five times more likely to be killed than elephants without tusks, according to Arnold. While having tusks is a huge advantage during normal circumstances, "under certain conditions, tusks are a liability," Arnold says. "During the Mozambique Civil War, they were especially a liability."

Fortunately, since 1994, Gorongosa's elephant population has been making a strong recovery, and instances of tusklessness are on the decline.

Intense poaching explains why tusklessness suddenly became an advantage. But that still left another mystery: Where were all the tuskless male elephants?

" " More than half of the females in Gorongosa's I family (seen here) are tuskless or have only one tusk. ElephantVoices

Advertisement

Killer X-linked Genes

Think back to freshman biology. You might remember making Punnett squares to solve practical everyday problems, like the odds of a pea plant having green or yellow pods. It's a classic example of dominant versus recessive inheritance, also known as Mendelian inheritance. If present, the "dominant" version of the trait is always expressed over the "recessive" version  this is why green peas outnumber yellow peas three to one.

You may also recall from freshman biology that, at least in mammals, two chromosomes (often) determine sex: the X and the Y chromosomes. A pair of Xs means female, while an X and a Y equals male. When a trait is located on an X chromosome, it is said to be an X-linked gene.

In the case of Gorongosa's elephants, the researchers noticed a peculiar pattern of inheritance unfolding. The tuskless trait was showing up in female elephants in what looked like a simple X-linked dominant pattern. But tuskless males were basically nonexistent.

"It suggests that this trait is largely controlled by a simple inheritance pattern involving an X-linked dominant, male lethal mutation," Arnold says. In other words, inheriting the tuskless trait kills off male elephants in the womb. X-linked dominant male lethal mutations are rare in nature, mostly because they can lead to population declines if they become widespread. However, some examples include a short-faced mutation in mice and Rett syndrome in humans.

Arnold and his co-researchers had answered the how and the why of tusklessness, but they weren't quite finished. To answer the question of where, they needed to dive deeper into the elephants' genetic code.

" " Matriach iJunia (left) stands with her young tusked son and Isabella, her adult tuskless daughter. ElephantVoices

Advertisement

Locating the Tuskless Gene

It's hard to get a blood sample from a wild elephant. Luckily for the researchers, they weren't the only scientists studying Gorongosa's elephant population. Another team of ecologists from Princeton were conducting tracking studies, fitting elephants with GPS collars after tranquilizing them from a helicopter. "We kindly asked them: 'When you tranquilize elephants, could you target females?'" Arnold says, "And they said, 'sure.'"

Equipped with blood samples from a number of both tusked and tuskless female elephants, the team started sequencing genomes. They found several genes that indicated strong selective pressure in the population. But when they homed in on the X chromosome, they only found two. "And one of those is a gene that is known to be involved in tooth development in mammals," says Arnold.

While that in and of itself isn't definitive proof that it is responsible for tusklessness, it is a "tantalizing" candidate, Arnold says. Ultimately, further investigation is needed to fully unravel this pachyderm puzzle. And the researchers think that such work may be on the horizon.

"We hope that this study kind of starts a conversation about this mystery of tusklessness," Arnold says.

Now That's Interesting A group of extinct pachyderms known as straight-tusked elephants may have been the largest land mammals to ever exist. Paleontologists estimate that they stood nearly 15 feet (4.5 meters) tall and weighed more than 15 tons (45 metric tons).
Many current COVID-19 recovery plans are not compatible with the Paris Agreement and will therefore have long-term health implications.

Despite the detrimental climate effects, the world continues to subsidise fossil fuels. In 2018, 65 out of the 84 countries analysed by Lancet Countdown researchers had net-negative carbon prices equivalent to an overall subsidising of fossil fuels. The median value of the subsidy was US$1 billion, with some countries providing net subsidies to fossil fuels in the tens of billions of dollars each year. The 84 countries surveyed are responsible for around 92% of global CO 2 emissions.

Countdown researchers had net-negative carbon prices equivalent to an overall subsidising of fossil fuels. The median value of the subsidy was US$1 billion, with some countries providing net subsidies to fossil fuels in the tens of billions of dollars each year. The 84 countries surveyed are responsible for around 92% of global CO emissions. In 2020, adults over 65 were affected by 3.1 billion more days of heatwave exposure than in the 19862005 baseline average. Chinese, Indian, American, Japanese, and Indonesian senior citizens were the most affected.

Climate change and its drivers are creating ideal conditions for infectious disease transmission, potentially undoing decades of progress to control diseases such as dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika, malaria, and cholera.

Healthcare systems are ill-prepared for current and future climate-induced health shocks. Only 45 (49%) of 91 countries in 2021 reported having carried out a climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessment.

The 2021 report of theCountdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future outlines the growing risks to health and climate. These risks exacerbate the health hazards already faced by many, particularly in communities exposed to food and water insecurity, heatwaves, and the spread of infectious diseases. The authors call for urgent, globally coordinated action to mitigate climate change and build a healthier, sustainable future for all.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need for increased international co-operation in the face of global crises. Politicians must show leadership by moving beyond rhetoric and take action at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), which will start on Sunday 31 October 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. Carbon emissions must be rapidly reduced to improve health and to provide a more equitable, sustainable future.

As countries commit trillions of dollars to restart their economies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report urges political leaders and policy makers to use this public spending to reduce inequities. Promoting a green recovery by creating new and green jobs, and safeguarding health, will build healthier populations now and in the future.

A fossil-fuel driven recoverywhich includes large subsidies for oil, gas and coal and limited financial support for clean energycould potentially meet narrow and near-term economic targets, but may then push the world irrevocably off course and make it impossible to meet the maximum 1.5C of warming as outlined in the Paris Agreement. This has a toll on human health, hardest hitting to those people living in low income countries, whose populations have made the smallest relative contribution to climate change. As governments turn from emergency spending to long term post-pandemic recovery it is vital that more of these funds are spent in ways that reduce climate change, such as promoting jobs in zero-carbon energy, where investment lags behind what is necessary to keep within 1.5C of warming.

The Lancet Countdown report shows that many countries are under-prepared for the health effects of climate change. In a 2021 World Health Organisation survey of health and climate change, only 45 of 91 countries surveyed (49%) say they have a national health and climate change plan or strategy. Only 8 out of those 45 countries in the analysis reported that their assessments of the effects of climate change on their citizens' health had influenced the allocation of human and financial resources. The survey found 69% of countries in this analysis reported insufficient financing was a barrier to implementing these plans.

"Climate change is here and we're already seeing it damaging human health across the world," said Prof Anthony Costello, Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown.

"As the COVID-19 crisis continues, every country is facing some aspect of the climate crisis too. The 2021 report shows that populations of 134 countries have experienced an increase in exposure to wildfires. Millions of farmers and construction workers could have lost income because on some days it's just too hot for them to work. Drought is more widespread than ever before. The Lancet Countdown's report has over 40 indicators and far too many of them are flashing red.

"But the good news is that the huge efforts countries are making to kick-start their economies after the pandemic can be orientated towards responding to climate change and COVID-19 simultaneously. We have a choice. The recovery from COVID-19 can be a green recovery that puts us on the path of improving human health and reducing inequities, or it can be a business-as-usual recovery that puts us all at risk."

The Lancet Countdown report represents the consensus of leading researchers from 38 academic institutions and UN agencies. The 44 indicators in the 2021 report expose an unabated rise in the health impacts of climate change:

The potential for outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya and Zika is increasing most rapidly in countries with a very high human development index, including European countries. Suitability for malaria infections is increasing in cooler highland areas of countries with a low human development index. Coasts around northern Europe and the US are becoming more conducive to bacteria which produce gastroenteritis, severe wound infections, and sepsis. In resource-limited countries the same dynamic is putting decades of progress towards controlling or eliminating these diseases at risk.

There are 569.6 million people living less than five metres above current sea levels, who could face rising risks of increased flooding, more intense storms, and soil and water salinification. Many of these people could be forced to permanently leave these areas and migrate further inland.

Maria Romanello, lead author of the Lancet Countdown report, said:

"This is our sixth report tracking progress on health and climate change and unfortunately we are still not seeing the accelerated change we need. At best the trends in emissions, renewable energy and tackling pollution have improved only very slightly. This year we saw people suffering intense heatwaves, deadly floods and wildfires. These are grim warnings that for every day that we delay our response to climate change, the situation gets more critical.

"Governments are spending trillions of dollars on the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This gives us an opportunity to take a safer, healthier, low carbon path, but we have yet to do so. Less than one dollar in five being spent on the COVID-19 recovery is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the overall impact is likely to be negative. We are recovering from a health crisis in a way that's putting our health at risk.

"It's time to realise that no one is safe from the effects of climate change. As we recover from COVID-19 we still have the time to take a different path and create a healthier future for us all."

A Lancet Editorial adds, "The world is watching COP26widely perceived as the last and best opportunity to reset the path to global net zero carbon emissions by 2050and public interest in climate change is higher than ever, in part due to global youth activism and engagementThis year's indicators give a bleak outlook: global inequities are increasing, and the direction of travel is worsening all health outcomes. Health services in low-income and middle-income countries are in particularly urgent need of strengtheningHowever, the future is not necessarily hopelessSuccumbing to the climate emergency is not inevitable."

More information:

Lancet (2021). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01787-6

Provided by Lancet
She said there were a couple of thousand people working for him.

For the most part, he had so many people around him that you didnt want to get to that level, she said.

She said Powell was well thought of, and he had a make-it-happen attitude. She said he told you what to do and expected it to be done.

Jones is a native of lower Marion County. She said her military career began in Florence with the Army Reserve. After training, she decided to abandon plans to go to college at South Carolina State and signed up for basic training.

Jones said she wanted to travel and experience other cultures.

She first went to Fort Gordon, Georgia, then to Germany, the Washington, D.C., area, Hawaii and then back to D.C., where she went to work for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Jones said she also worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency.

I have no regrets, Jones said about deciding on a life in the military. The best thing is that I met my husband, Barry, and I got to travel and live in different places.
 Notable (re)sentencing of another former Minnesota police officer for another notable homicide | Main | Alabama completes execution of intellectually disabled man 30 years after his robbery/murder 

The title of this post is the title of this new briefing from the Prison Policy Initiative authored by Emily Widra. Here is how it starts and ends:

The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, particularly inside prisons and jails. The death rate from COVID-19 in prisons is more than double that of the general U.S. population. In state and federal prisons across the country, over 2,800 people have died of COVID-19 and almost 438,000 people in prison have been infected, and thousands of additional cases are linked to individual county jails. As the more contagious Delta variant ravages parts of the nation, public health officials continue to recommend prison population decreases as a primary method of risk reduction. Our data show that with just a few exceptions, state and local leaders are continuing to fail to reduce their prison and jail populations.

The federal Bureau of Prisons, state governments and departments of corrections, and local officials have a responsibility to protect the health and lives of those who are incarcerated. After 18 months of outbreak after outbreak in prisons and jails, it is clear correctional authorities must be held accountable for their failure to reduce their populations enough to prevent the illness and death of those who are incarcerated and in surrounding communities....

Even before COVID-19, prisons and jails were a threat to public health and considered notoriously dangerous places during any sort of viral outbreak. And yet, correctional facilities continue to be the source of a large number of infections in the U.S. The COVID-19 death rate in prisons is almost three times higher than among the general U.S. population, even when adjusted for age and sex (as the prison population is disproportionately young and male). Since the early days of the pandemic, public health professionals, corrections officials, and criminal justice reform advocates have agreed that decarceration is necessary to protect incarcerated people and the community at large from COVID-19. Decarceration efforts must include releasing more people from prisons and jails. Despite this knowledge, state, federal, and local authorities have failed to release people from prisons and jails on a scale sufficient to protect incarcerated peoples lives  and by extension, the lives of everyone in the communities where incarcerated people eventually return, and where correctional staff live and work.
 "The policy lessons learned from the criminal justice system response to COVID-19" | Main | "Data update: As the Delta variant ravages the country, correctional systems are dropping the ball (again)" 

Though not anywhere as high-profile as the conviction and sentencing of Derek Chauvin, another Minnesota police officer was just subject to state sentencing (actually a resentencing) for homicide. This local article, headlined "Judge resentences ex-officer Mohamed Noor to almost 5 years on manslaughter count," reports on an interesting sentencing process and outcome. Here are excerpts:

Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor received a new sentence of 4 3/4 years on Thursday for his manslaughter conviction after the state's high court overturned the more serious murder conviction for the 2017 shooting of an Australian woman who had called to report a possible crime.

Noor, who turned 36 Wednesday, was resentenced by Judge Kathryn Quaintance on second-degree manslaughter because the Minnesota Supreme Court set aside his third-degree murder conviction last month. The decision vacated a prison term of 12 1/2 years Noor was already serving on the murder count for shooting Justine Ruszczyk Damond.

Quaintance, in sentencing Noor to the high end as suggested by state sentencing guidelines, said she wasn't surprised Noor has been a model prisoner, but he had fired his gun across the nose of his partner, endangering a bicyclist and others in the neighborhood on a summer evening. "These factors of endangering the public make your crime of manslaughter appropriate for a high end sentence," she said.

Noor has served 29 1/12 months since he entered prison in May 2019. With credit for time served, Noor would be scheduled for release after serving 2/3 of his sentence, meaning he must serve another 8 1/2 months. He is likely to be released next May.

Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy read a statement from Maryan Heffernan, the victim's mother, who was watching from Australia. The family sought the maximum for Noor. "We should expect complete accountability from our public institutions and their staff," Heffernan's statement said. The longest sentence would send a message to police "that we require respect for their badges," Heffernan's statement said. "We will be outraged if the court is unwilling to respect the will of the people and demand that justice be heard, be seen and be done."

The victim's fiance Don Damond appeared via Zoom and took a different tact, saying the Supreme Court's decision, "Does not diminish the truth which was uncovered during the trial. The truth is that Justine should be alive." Damond said his comments should not be construed that he wasn't still grieving, but his departed wife "lived a life of love, she modeled a life of joy for all and she stood for forgiveness."

"Given her example, I want you to know that I forgive you Mohamed," he said. "All I ask is that you use this experience to do good for other people. Be the example of how to transform beyond adversity. Be an example of honesty and contrition. This is what Justine would want."

Second-degree manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but state sentencing guidelines recommend a term between about 3 1/3 and 4 3/4 years in prison for defendants with no criminal history, such as Noor. The presumptive term is four years, according to the guidelines.

In her comments, Sweasy asked for the maximum, noting this will be the only time a police officer will be sentenced for this offense. "By every measure ... this is worse-than-typical for a second-degree manslaughter case," Sweasy said, adding that Noor wore the badge of Minneapolis police officer, a social contract that provides privilege to use deadly force to protect other civilians.

Noor's attorney, Thomas Plunkett, said Noor was young and had overreacted. "He was operating with the mistaken belief that he needed to protect his partner," Plunkett said, adding that Noor had wanted to make the world better and chose a career as a police officer to bridge the gap between the police, the justice system and the Somali-immigrant community.

In prison, he was an award-winning inmate for his commitment and respect to others. Plunkett requested a sentence at the low end of the guidelines, 3 1/3 years. There is little doubt that Mr. Noor's time in prison was "more punitive" than anyone could have imagined before the pandemic, Plunkett said. In Noor's brief comments, he said he was "deeply grateful" for Damond's forgiveness and "deeply sorry" for the family's loss. Of Damond, Noor said, "I will take his advice and be a unifier."

Plunkett had asked the judge to give Noor credit for time he's already served in prison and to place him on supervised release, which typically requires regular check-ins with the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC), regular drug and alcohol testing, and restrictions on certain activities. It can also include electronic home monitoring. Violations of such terms can result in a defendant being sent back to prison.

Defendants in Minnesota must serve 2/3 of their prison term before becoming eligible for supervised release. Noor entered prison on May 2, 2019 and was first sentenced in June 2019. He originally served his time in administrative segregation at Oak Park Heights prison in Minnesota, but was transferred on July 11, 2019 to facility in North Dakota for his own safety.
Former President Donald Trump is trying to block documents including call logs, drafts of remarks and speeches and handwritten notes from his chief of staff relating to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection from being released to the committee investigating the riot, the National Archives revealed in a court filing early Saturday.
When you just wake up in the morning and pour your first cup of coffee, you probably arent thinking too much about where it comes from. But you should. The global coffee industry is riddled with inequities that keep many farming families from earning a livable wage. By buying coffee thats Fair Trade-certified, consumers can be sure theyre supporting producers committed to these farmers, their communities and the environment.

Across the United States, weve pinpointed several brands that are going above and beyond to do good in the coffee collective. These are coffees you can feel good about drinking, as much for their mission as their flavor.

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Utopian owner, Brendon Maxwell, personally travels to the coffee-growing regions where he sources his beans to ensure adherence to ethical business practices, innovate new ways to work with farmers, and establish partnerships with groups like Run for Congo Women which benefits Women for Women International. Back home in Fort Wayne, Utopians certified organic coffees make their way into bags and beverages at a sunny cafe based on The Landing, a historic district downtown.

Raleigh, North Carolina

A recognized certified B Corporation and founding member of the Cooperative Coffees organization, Larrys lives by sustainable practices, from incorporating solar energy into the roasterys design and using recyclable BPA-free K-Cups to harvesting rainwater to run the on-site restrooms. They even repurposed a barrel used to age coffee beans for its own beehive. These fair trade-sourced beans are organic, kosher and shade-grown, which supports bird life. As serious as Larrys is about the planet, their whimsical streak comes out in product names like the El Salvador Dali Blend, Sammy Decaf Jr. Blend, and Bean Martin.

Tacoma, Washington

Pilot and owner Jeff Jett combines his loves of aviation and coffee to create a unique experience for customers by carefully handpicking and precision roasting the beans he serves.

Better yet, a portion of all sales makes its way to Black Pilots of America, Experimental Aircraft Associations Young Eagles program, the AOPA Foundation and other nonprofit programs and charitable organizations that support flight technology education for aspiring young aviators.

Boulder, Colorado

This Colorado coffee landmark has been building relationships with a fair-trade network of independent small farmers since its start in the early 1990s. A 2021 Best for the World winner given by the certified B Corporation community and a Cooperative Coffees founding member, Conscious Coffees walks the walk through its efforts to maintain transparency and reduce its environmental footprint as it continually works to perfect its organic products.

Oakland, California

Serving up beautiful coffee for the people, owner, artist and entrepreneur Keba Konte prides himself on ethical sourcing and community building. Through socially responsible hiring practices, Red Bay, a certified B Corporation, promotes diversity and inclusion while supporting economic growth in the San Francisco Bay Area. Konte assures growers receive fair compensation for their farming endeavors by establishing direct relationships with groups like the International Womens Coffee Alliance.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
DAKOTA CITY -- A Homer, Nebraska, mother and father arrested for a violent fight in front of their six children were fined and sentenced to probation Tuesday. The father also must serve a short jail term.

Following terms of plea agreements, District Judge Bryan Meismer sentenced Maria Ison to two years' probation and fined her $2,500. Joshua Heaton was placed on probation for one year, fined $2,000 and sentenced to 50 days in jail. He will be credited with 33 days previously served. Both must complete parenting and domestic abuse classes.

Ison, 33, pleaded no contest in August in Dakota County District Court to three counts of child abuse and single counts of attempted witness tampering and third-degree domestic assault, all misdemeanors.

Heaton, 37, pleaded no contest in September to three counts of child abuse and one count of third-degree domestic assault, all misdemeanors.

Three counts of child abuse against Ison and Heaton were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

The two were arrested in March in connection with a Feb. 28 fight in their home in which Heaton, according to court documents, grabbed Ison and slammed her head against the wall several times while Ison was kicking and hitting him. The couple's children told investigators that the fight occurred after Ison hit their 22-month-old brother on the back and legs with an open hand. The children, ranging in age from 10 years to 22 months, told investigators they were scared because they couldn't stop their parents from fighting.

At least two of the children told investigators Ison had instructed them not to say anything about the fight.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0

Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
SIOUX CITY -- Michael Bushby, an occupational therapist with UnityPoint Health, is seeking his first term on the Sioux City Community School District Board of Directors.

Bushby, 40, is originally from Indianola, Iowa. He has two children in the Sioux City schools.

The Journal asked a series of questions to the nine candidates seeking three open seats on the school board. Below are Bushby's answers to the questions selected for the Journal's print edition. To view additional questions and answers for all the candidates, visit siouxcityjournal.com

Michael Bushby Bio Age: 40 Profession: Occupational Therapist Education: Bachelor's degree from University of Northern Iowa, Master's degree from St. Ambrose Hometown: Indianola, Iowa Family: Wife Sara, have a daughter Caitlin, 13, and a son Connor, 11.

Why are you running for school board?

In my work as an occupational therapist, my job is to analyze a problem or concern but also stay mindful of the big picture. Right now were facing learning loss and a pandemic, but the big picture points to problems outside that context. Our students, teachers, and staff need us. It has always been difficult to work in a school, but now more than ever our teachers are asked to provide incredible instruction with an absolute minimum of support. We are short on teachers, on paraprofessionals, on nurses and librarians and counselors. Our students test scores, academic skills and mental and physical health suffer as a result. I am running because I know that my expertise in child development, task analysis and evidence-based practice have a purpose in helping our school district be the incredible place we know it can be.

What are some of the strengths about the district? What are some of the weaknesses?

My kids have been blessed with some incredible teachers. I never thought Id see a principal so loved that kids would run and hug them; it was certainly never my experience. The people who see your children each day prove their passion, expertise and heart every day. But they are not well supported. I am concerned when I see our district roll out new initiatives like the International Baccalaureate program or the Cluster Grouping model in our schools, but not give those programs the support necessary to make them successful. That wastes the time and talents of our teachers and students, not to mention the waste of taxpayer dollars. In short, we are rich in talented educators, have ample cash reserves and a big, diverse district. However, we struggle to serve our diverse students as is evident in the disparity between white and non-white students, our ELL learners, and our students with special needs.

What are the main points you hope to address?

First, I want to work with the administration and the SCEA to make the necessary adjustments to wages, benefits and work culture to ensure that we stop losing quality educators to our neighboring districts. Secondly, I want to specifically focus on student achievement. Our Iowa Assessment scores are poor, and our non-white students are disproportionately represented in our non-proficient students. Lastly, I want to address the working relationship between the board, administration, and teachers. I dont feel there is a healthy dynamic there, and the balance of power has shifted in such a way that teachers dont feel heard or empowered, and the parents, taxpayers and other stakeholders are fed a constant stream of feel good stories while ignoring the real problems and challenges faced by this district. That problem only gets solved when we demand data. My teachers taught me to show my work, to show evidence for my arguments, and to critically analyze information to determine its worth. We ask our students to learn these skills; it is time we lead by example and demonstrate their real-world utility.

What particular skills or experiences qualify you to serve as a school board member?

I interact daily with school-aged children in this district. My training as an occupational therapist taught me to critically appraise difficulties and deficits in the context of seeing the whole child. My advanced degrees taught me the value of critical thinking, and of actual research and systematic analysis. But more importantly, I am a dad. I have a vested interest in the Sioux City School District being excellent, because they will help shape the lives of my children. To that end, I have been extremely involved in this district as a private citizen. I have attended meetings frequently, talked extensively with teachers, administrators and staff, and have always led with the question How can I help? I will bring that same energy and conviction to my role as a school board director.

What do you see as the boards roles and responsibilities?

Our role in the school board is to facilitate the best possible educational experience possible. We do that by carefully balancing our resources, and making sure that we get the best return on investment possible for every dime spent by the district. It is not enough to simply say that we implement great programs. We have to demonstrate to the student, the teacher, the parent, and the taxpayer that their money is being well spent. Transparency in that department will improve trust, ensure accountability, and open critical lines of dialogue that often remain closed due to apathy, ignorance, or simply not knowing where to start.

What do you think of the current board and how conflict is handled?

I was brought up to believe that conflict was not necessarily a negative experience. Only by testing our beliefs can we truly reveal their flaws and grow. However, as I continue to read of growing turmoil throughout the state and the country of partisan politics causing incivility within the context of school board meetings, I stand emphatically against that type of conflict. If concerned citizens come to voice their opinions, it is the duty of the school board to listen and carefully consider their words. However, to those individuals whose only aim is to bully, harass, intimidate and threaten duly elected volunteers whose only job is to help the kids of this district, my message is simple. You are not welcome.

How can schools address the learning needs of diverse students?

Unsurprisingly, this school board candidate believes in the power of education. Our primary purpose is to educate the children of this community, but as I know from my own profession, sometimes the best way to help a child is to partner with, learn from, and also educate their caregivers. Our teachers know how to teach us as well as they teach our kids. I had the opportunity to be educated a few years ago on why Common Core math was not the absolute mess that it looked like to my untrained eyes. In a very short time, a very knowledgeable teacher gave me the information I needed to believe in the methodology. Our teachers and staff possess the understanding to communicate the value of what they do on almost any subject, and we as a district have the resources to distribute that communication much more effectively. In short, we reach out, we humble ourselves and listen, and we adapt.

How do you plan to communication with teachers/parents/community members/students?

It is certainly not enough to sit back and wait for interested parties to reach me. Upon receiving the school board meeting agenda, I plan to share the information publicly as I dont think many people check the school district website for that information. I will actively invite interested parties. I will also hold virtual office hours for individuals to contact me, using not only email but also livestreaming options like Facebook Live and Youtube. In this day and age we have unprecedented access to our constituents, and we have to be willing to use modern tools to reach our interested parties. One thing I promise, though; I will never subject you to a TikTok dance challenge.

What do you see as the current challenges facing public education in our state? In our country?

The problems in our state have been largely legislative. The butchering of collective bargaining hurt our teacher populations. The abundance of DCAs takes the focus of our children and our teachers off of content and onto constant meaningless benchmarking. As much as I love data, we cant *only* test kids. We have to spend most of our time teaching them, not asking them to prove theyve been taught. I am also concerned, nationwide, about lowering of educational standards and historical revisionism. There are factual, verifiable events within the history of this country that are being ignored, or even denied. The old saying is that if you dont know where you came from, you cant know where youre going. That holds true for our historical context. I am proud of my heritage and my country, but that does not require that we be blind to our past or current failings, nor does it mean that we shouldnt try to be better every day.

What roles, if any, should districts assume for dealing with such societal problems as poverty, hunger, mental health issues or drug abuse?

To educate a child, you have to start with a child who is ready to educate. An estimated 3500 kids in our district experience food insecurity. Thats 13.3% of our student population. How can we expect children whose basic needs are not met to be exceptional learners? How can we ask the community to support and care about the schools if we dont prove our devotion to meeting kids basic needs? I have spoken already about the shortage of staff in this district. Without an adequate number of counselors, I promise you that needy children will continue to slip through the cracks and as long as that happens, our test scores will continue to suffer, our teachers and students morale will continue to suffer, and we will not be the excellent school district we want to be. We cant do it alone, however. I believe strongly in community partnership and will actively reach out to community resources to help us in this regard.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
SIOUX CITY -- Chief Master Sgt. Ron Lorenzen has been selected as the next command chief of the 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard.

A Sioux City native, Lorenzen will be the senior ranking enlisted person in the unit and serve as the senior enlisted representative for the wing commander.

A change of responsibility ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at the 185th's Sioux City air base. Lorenzen takes over for Chief Master Sgt. Joe Donovan, who is retiring after 26 years of service.

Lorenzen enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after his 1991 graduation from North High School. He began his active duty career as an aircraft maintainer on the KC-10 Extender mid-air refueling aircraft while stationed at March Air Force Base in California.

Lorenzen later returned to Sioux City, where he enlisted in the Air National Guard as a traditional Guard member. He accepted a full-time job at the 185th working in aircraft maintenance and worked his way up to his current position as Maintenance Group superintendent.

As command chief, Lorenzen will advise the commander and staff on the health, welfare, morale and effective employment of the unit's 839 enlisted members. He also will serve as a representative for the commander and the enlisted force on various committees, councils and boards.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  Prosecutors pursuing the case against a man accused of raping a woman on a commuter train last week dont anticipate charging fellow passengers for not intervening, a spokesperson for the suburban Philadelphia district attorney said.

Its still an open investigation, but there is no expectation at this time that we will charge passengers, said Margie McAboy, spokeswoman for the Delaware County District Attorney's office.

In an emailed statement, District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said prosecutors want witnesses to come forward, rather than fearing prosecution, and said, Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of a passenger who may have witnessed a crime."

Authorities continue to investigate the Oct. 13 attack, where a woman was repeatedly touched and groped over the course of a 40-minute ride despite trying to push 35-year-old Fiston Ngoy away, according to an arrest affidavit that detailed the surveillance footage from the train.

Investigators say Ngoy ripped the woman's pants off and proceeded to rape her for somewhere between six and eight minutes before officers boarded the train and detained him.

Police declined to say how many passengers may have witnessed the assault, but have said it appeared that some held their phones up in the direction of the assault seemingly to film the attack. Police have also declined to say whether investigators have found any photos or videos of the attack posted online.

Requests by The Associated Press for surveillance video from the Oct. 13 attack on the Market-Frankford line have been denied, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. It remains unclear whether passengers actually witnessed or recorded what happened on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train.

SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch said Wednesday that at points during the rape, there were passengers standing or sitting nearby, though he couldn't guess whether any understood the serious nature of the situation.

Chief (Thomas) Nestel made his best estimate that 10 people were walking through, sitting or standing near where the attack was occurring at points throughout the assault, Busch said. Our hope is that people will realize when they see this type of activity, whether they fully understand it or not, that they will push the emergency call button or call the police. There really was no way to not see it even if they didn't fully understand."

Legal experts said unrelated passengers dont have a legal duty to intervene under Pennsylvania law.

Unless they have a legal duty to intervene, like a parent for their child, a person cannot be prosecuted for sitting back and doing nothing, said Jules Epstein, a law professor and director of advocacy programs at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Doing nothing may be morally wrong, but in Pennsylvania, without that special duty relationship, it is not legally wrong," Epstein said.

Busch said the employee who called the police, entered the train car after the assault had begun, but his call meant police had an opportunity to arrest Ngoy.

Without that call, the suspect might have been able to just walk off the train and we would still be looking for him, Busch said.

SEPTA's police chief, Nestel has said Philadelphia 911 did not receive any calls about the attack. He said Monday operators at Delaware County 911 were still researching whether it received calls.

Ngoy is charged with rape and related sexual assault offenses. He was being held on $180,000 bail, awaiting an initial appearance scheduled for Oct. 25. Attorney Mary Elizabeth Welch confirmed the Delaware County Public Defenders office is representing Ngoy, but said she could not comment on the case Wednesday.

Court records show Ngoy has a history of arrests and convictions under at least three names in Washington D.C., Philadelphia and suburban Southeastern Pennsylvania counties including public intoxication, defecating or urinating in public, public disturbance and other charges.

In D.C., Ngoy pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual abuse in November 2017 under the name Jack Falcon, after police said he groped two women on the street near a homeless shelter where he was staying.

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
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP)  In an abrupt change, the White House on Wednesday floated new plans to pay for parts of President Joe Bidens $2 trillion social services and climate change package, shelving a proposed big increase in corporate tax rates though also adding a new billionaires' tax on the investment gains of the very richest Americans.

The reversal came as Biden returned to his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to highlight the middle class values he says are at the heart of the package that Democrats are racing to finish. Biden faces resistance from key holdouts, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who has not been on board with her party's plan to undo Trump-era tax breaks to help pay for it.

This has been declared dead on arrival from the moment I introduced it, but I think were going to surprise them, because I think people are beginning to figure out whats at stake, Biden said in a speech at Scrantons Electric City Trolley Museum, his first visit home since becoming president.

Negotiations between the White House and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are underway on what's now a scaled-back package but would still be an unprecedented federal effort to expand social services for millions and confront the rising threat of climate change. It's coupled with a separate $1 trillion bill to update roads and bridges.

Biden and his Democratic Party have given themselves a deadline to seal agreement after laboring to bridge his once-sweeping $3.5 trillion vision preferred by progressives with a more limited focus that can win over party centrists. He has no Democratic votes to spare for passage in the closely divided Congress, and leaders want agreement by weeks end.

The newly proposed tax provisions, though, are likely to sour progressives and even some moderate Democrats who have long campaigned on undoing the 2017 GOP tax cuts that many believe unduly reward the wealthy, costing the federal government untold sums in lost revenue at a time of gaping income inequality.

Administration officials spoke with congressional leaders on the tax alternatives, according to a person familiar with the private talks and granted anonymity to discuss them. The changes may be needed to win over Sinema, who had objected to plans to raise the rates on corporations and wealthy individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, said the person and several others.

As it stands, the corporate tax rate is 21%, and Democrats want to lift it to 26.5% for companies earning more than $5 million a year. The top individual income tax rate would rise from 37% to 39.6% for those earning more than $400,000, or $450,000 for married couples.

Under the changes being floated that 21% corporate rate would stay the same.

However, the revisions wouldn't be all positive for big companies and the wealthy. The White House is reviving the idea of a minimum corporate tax rate, similar to the 15% rate Biden had proposed earlier this year. That's even for companies that say they had no taxable income  a frequent target of Biden who complains that they pay zero in taxes.

And there could be a new billionaires tax, modeled on legislation from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the chairman of the Finance Committee, who has proposed taxing stock gains of those with more than $1 billion in assets  fewer than 1,000 Americans.

Sinema has not publicly stated her position, and her office did not respond to a request for comment.

Another key Democrat, conservative Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, has said he prefers a 25% corporate rate. He has been withholding his support for the bill with additional objections to its provisions on climate change and social services.

On the call with the administration and the White House, Wyden said he stressed the importance of putting an end to Americas two tax codes, and finally showing working people in this country that the wealthiest Americans are going to pay taxes just like they do.

The possible shift comes as Democrats appear to have made progress uniting themselves, ready to abandon what had been a loftier package in favor of a smaller, more workable proposal the party can unite around

In the mix: At least $500 billion to battle climate change, $350 billion for child care subsidies and free pre-kindergarten, a new federal program for at least four weeks of paid family leave, a one-year extension of the $300 monthly child tax credit put in place during the COVID-19 crisis, and funding for health care provided through the Affordable Care Act and Medicare.

Likely to be eliminated or shaved back: plans for tuition-free community college, a path to permanent legal status for certain immigrants in the U.S. and a clean energy plan that was the centerpiece of Bidens strategy for fighting climate change.

Nothing is decided until everything is decided, said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus after a morning meeting of House Democrats. Were just trying to get it done.

Democrats are growing anxious they have little to show voters despite their campaign promises and have had trouble explaining what they're trying to do with the massive package, made up of so many different proposals.

It's a tall order that was leading to an all-out push Wednesday to answer the question  Whats in the damn bill?  as a press release from Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, put it.

The president especially wants to advance his signature domestic package to bolster federal social services and address climate change by the time he departs for a global climate summit next week.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a progressive caucus member, said, "He really believes American leadership, American prestige is on the line.

Manchin has made clear he opposes the president's initial energy plan, which was to have the government impose penalties on electric utilities that fail to meet clean energy benchmarks and provide financial rewards to those that do.

Instead, Biden is focused on providing at least $500 billion in tax credits, grants and loans for energy producers that reach emission-reduction goals.

On other fronts, to preserve Bidens initial sweep, Democrats are moving to retain many of the programs but trim their duration to shave costs.

Biden wants to extend the $300 monthly child tax credit that was put in place during the COVID-19 crisis for another year, rather than allow it to expire in December, but not as long as Democrats wanted.

What had been envisioned as a months-long federal paid family leave program could be shrunk to as few as four weeks  an effort to at least start the program rather than eliminate it.

Biden also wants to ensure funding for health care programs, including for home- and community-based health care services, supporting a move away from widespread nursing home care.

And a new program to provide dental, vision and hearing aid benefits to people on Medicare proposed by Sanders, is likely to remain in some fashion.

Biden has told lawmakers that after his top priorities there would be $300 billion remaining.

That could lower the overall price tag or be used for other programs.



Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Josh Boak contributed to this report.

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
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, led the floor debate along with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the panel. Still, the vote was 229-202 with all but nine GOP lawmakers who voted saying no."

The House vote sends the matter to the U.S. attorneys office in Washington, where it will now be up to prosecutors in that office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges. It's still uncertain whether they will pursue the case  Attorney General Merrick Garland would only say at a House hearing on Thursday that they plan to make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution.

The partisan split over Bannon's subpoena  and over the committee's investigation in general  is emblematic of the raw tensions that still grip Congress nine months after the Capitol attack.

Democrats have vowed to comprehensively probe the assault in which hundreds of Trump's supporters battered their way past police, injured dozens of officers and interrupted the electoral count certifying President Joe Biden's November victory. Lawmakers on the panel say they will move swiftly and forcefully to punish anyone who wont cooperate with the probe.

We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because our work is too important, Thompson said ahead of the vote.

Republicans call it a witch hunt, say it is a waste of time and argue that Congress should be focusing on more important matters.

Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, leading the GOP opposition on the floor, called the probe an illicit criminal investigation into American citizens and said Bannon is a Democrat party boogeyman.

Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger are the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel, and both have openly criticized Trump and his role in fomenting the insurrection while the majority of House Republicans have remained silent in the face of Trump's falsehoods about massive fraud in the election. Trump's claims were rejected by election officials, courts across the country and by his own attorney general.

The Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend the contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel last week, citing a letter from Trumps lawyer that directed him not to answer questions. The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack, and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that all hell is going to break loose."

Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them.

Mr. Bannons own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of -- and may well have been involved in -- the planning of everything that played out on that day, Cheney said ahead of the vote. The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did.

Joining Cheney and Kinzinger in voting to hold Bannon in contempt were Republican Reps. Peter Meijer and Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington.

Mace, who represents a political swing district, told reporters after the vote that she wants to maintain the power of subpoenas for future Republican majorities.

I want the power to subpoena, when we start investigating some of the crises that are facing the Biden administration right now, she said, mentioning immigration and the withdrawal from from Afghanistan.

Biden himself invoked the insurrection and linked it to the nations turbulent history as he marked the 10th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall.

Were confronting the stains of what remains a deep stain in the soul of the nation: hate and white supremacy, Biden said, describing what he said is a line in American history from slavery to the present day.

In a violent, deadly insurrection on the Capitol nine months ago  it was about white supremacy in my view, he said.

Biden, who had previously said the Justice Department should prosecute those who ignore congressional subpoenas, apologized Thursday for appearing to interfere with the agency's decisions in comments last week.

I should have chosen my words more wisely," Biden said during a CNN town hall. "I did not, have not and will not pick up the phone and call the attorney general and tell him what he should or should not do.

Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will pursue the charges, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress power to call witnesses and demand information.

While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries.

Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is on the line.

The stakes are enormous, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said. "What were talking about is this massive, violent assault on American democracy.

If the Justice Department doesn't prosecute, the House has other options, including a civil lawsuit. That could also take years but would force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court.

The lingering acrimony over the insurrection, and the Bannon subpoena, flared Wednesday at a House Rules Committee hearing held to set the parameters of Thursdays debate. Under intense questioning from Raskin, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who defended Trump and opposed the Bannon contempt effort, said he accepted that Biden is the president but would not say that Biden won the election.

Raskin said, I know that might work on Steve Bannons podcast, but thats not going to work in the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Gaetz. Im sorry."



Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Alan G and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

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
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said Thursday that she will step down from her second role as a cabinet secretary to focus more attention on the state's economic development efforts.

Since taking office alongside Gov. Andy Beshear in late 2019, Coleman juggled dual roles as lieutenant governor and secretary of the state's Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

Now, the cabinet's deputy secretary, Mary Pat Regan, will assume the role of acting secretary as Coleman shifts exclusively to her duties as the state's No. 2 elected official.

My focus as lieutenant governor and my commitment to the Beshear-Coleman administration remains the same," Coleman said in a video message during the governor's news conference. "It will just look a little different as we respond to the demands of a booming economy.

Beshear's administration is looking to build on the momentum of landing Kentucky's single largest-ever economic development project. Ford announced last month that it will build twin battery plants at Glendale in central Kentucky in a $5.8 billion venture with its battery partner, SK Innovation of South Korea, to help power the automakers next generation of electric vehicles. The plants will create 5,000 jobs, along with the potential for many more from suppliers.

The Democratic governor has said he will keep Coleman as his running mate when they seek reelection in 2023.

Beshear said Thursday that Kentucky has so many opportunities among business prospects that we need more than one of me to make sure that we realize every future game changer.

She can help in this day-to-day process of making sure that every one of these economic development opportunities, every one of these potentially commonwealth-changing opportunities we're seeing, that we grasp, Beshear said.

Coleman pointed to several initiatives during her tenure as cabinet secretary, including waiving the $125 GED testing fee, prioritizing broadband access in reducing the digital divide and bolstering the state's career training network.

The state Republican Party on Thursday pointed to problems with Kentucky's pandemic-stressed unemployment insurance system in trying to pin the blame on Beshear and Coleman.

The unemployment office had been housed in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, but Beshear shifted it to the Labor Cabinet early in the pandemic. The governor said at the time that the unemployment office was better aligned with the Labor Cabinet.

Like other states, Kentucky was overwhelmed by record waves of claims for jobless assistance caused by the coronavirus. Tens of thousands of Kentuckians found themselves in limbo for months as they waited for their jobless claims to be processed.

State GOP spokesman Mike Lonergan said Thursday that Coleman was a focal point as Beshear's administration failed time and time again to fix the problems.

Neither Beshear nor Coleman mentioned the unemployment system Thursday. The governor has repeatedly pointed to budget and staffing cuts that hobbled the system well before he took office.

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
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Michigan will not order employers to adhere to a COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirement that is stricter than one planned by the Biden administration.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration released its stance this week following questions from the business community.

Michigan is among states to operate and enforce workplace safety rules instead of the U.S. government. They must be at least as effective as the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's program.

The pending mandate will require employers with at least 100 employees to require that they be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. Once it is finalized, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration will have 30 days to comply with the minimum standard.

The state has no plans to go further than the federal requirements, said Sean Egan, chief deputy director for labor at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. "We continue to encourage all working Michiganders to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their colleagues while at work.

Michigan's federally authorized regulations cover both private and government workplaces.

The White House sees the regulation as a potent tool to winnow down the ranks of roughly 65 million Americans who have thus far refused to get a shot. A coalition of chambers of commerce and other business groups in Michigan is urging President Joe Biden to reconsider.

Nearly 62% of state residents ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated. Michigan has the country's eighth-highest rate of new COVID-19 infections over the past week.

Democrats in the Legislature cited the case count Thursday to push for the disbursement of $330 million in unspent federal coronavirus relief aid enacted by then-President Donald Trump and Congress last December. Minority Leader Donna Lasinski said hospitals could use the money to hire staff for vaccinations, testing and contact tracing.

This would allow current staff to focus on treating patients, including the need for administering monoclonal antibodies  a time- and staff-intensive process that helps folks not move further into the dire consequences of a COVID-19 infection, she said.

Hospital leaders have cited staffing shortages as a factor amid not just higher coronavirus caseloads but also high numbers of non-COVID-19 patients seeking care they delayed earlier in the pandemic. It also is the beginning of the flu season.

Lasinski said the funding is gathering dust because of majority Republicans. The House GOP said much, if not all, of the funds were OK'd by the chamber in May. It appears the proposed spending was pared down during negotiations with the Republican-led Senate and the Democratic governor.

It was not clear if Whitmer also wants to now allocate the $330 million in federal aid or wait. State spokesman Kurt Weiss said new budget director Christopher Harkins started his job this week and is "excited and ready to get to the table with his legislative counterparts to negotiate the federal dollars available to us.

A recent bipartisan state budget deal and two laws over the summer did allot $774 million in discretionary pandemic rescue funds passed by Congress and President Joe Biden in March. The governor has been publicly unveiling proposals to use nearly $5.8 billion unspent from that rescue package.



Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
SEATTLE (AP)  Isaiah Obet was behaving erratically and in mental distress in 2017 when Auburn police officer Jeff Nelson ordered his police dog to attack and then shot Obet in the torso. Obet fell to the ground and Nelson fired again, fatally shooting Obet in the head. Police said the officers life was in danger because Obet was high on drugs and had a knife. The city later reached a settlement of $1.25 million with Obets family.

The next year, Joseph Allen was crossing in front of Nelsons patrol car when the officer swerved and pinned him against a fence, breaking both his ankles. His justification: Allen was a dangerous criminal.

In 2019, Nelson scuffled with Jesse Sarey after attempting to arrest him for disorderly conduct. He punched Sarey seven times and then shot him in the torso. After Sarey fell to the ground, Nelson killed him with a second shot to the forehead. He claimed Sarey was on his hands and knees ready to spring forward, which later was disproved by both video and witnesses.

Nelsons actions in all three cases were outlined in a criminal complaint, eyewitness accounts, and police dashcam video obtained by the Associated Press. In the past decade, Nelson has been investigated in more than 60 use-of-force cases that involved choking suspects until they passed out, severe dog bites, and physical force that required medical care. But he was not on the King County Prosecuting Attorneys list that flags officers whose credibility is in question due to misconduct  a designation that must be shared with defense attorneys.

Nelson was only added to its potential impeachment disclosure list, or Brady List, after he was charged with killing Sarey. A trial is set for February 2022. Mohammad Hamoudi, a federal public defender, said given Officer Nelsons history, all of his cases should be reviewed. And he hopes his story will encourage prosecutors to track excessive force cases involving other police officers.

It has to do with respect for the rules, the laws, and others, he said. If an officer lacks impulse control or the ability to exercise informed judgment, you can call into question how he investigates cases.

The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked a national conversation on police reform, ranging from defunding departments to enhancing training. But reform activists and civil rights advocates say prosecutors already have powerful tools at their disposal to curb bad behavior by police  They can use Brady Lists to shine a light on troubled officers and they can then refuse to put forward cases from those officers with tarnished histories.

The AP found that prosecutors sometimes dont even compile the lists and that wide disparities in what offenses land officers on them are prevalent across the country, with excessive force often failing to merit inclusion.

The AP also found that many prosecutors and police unions have gone to great lengths to keep Brady List information from becoming public.

Now, defense attorneys, public defenders, civil rights groups and even some prosecutors are calling for an increased use of Brady Lists and a broadening of the offenses that will land a police officer on them, while police unions are resisting those efforts.

Amy Parker of the King County Department of Public Defense called it imperative for officers violent histories to be exposed.

As a career public defender, I have listened to prosecutors routinely make the argument that defendants with prior unlawful uses of force/crimes of violence are more prone to violence and lack credibility, she said in an email. If prosecutors are going to apply that standard to defendants, then the same standard should apply to police officers when judging their conduct.

King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg argues excessive force doesnt make an officer less credible. An officer who was accused of using too much force in an unrelated arrest has nothing to do with the impeachment of their veracity, he said.

Brady Lists stem from a ruling in the 1963 Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland mandating prosecutors turn over exculpatory evidence to defense attorneys, including information that could be used to question the officers credibility. But the ruling did not define the steps prosecutors and police departments must take to ensure defendants are informed or whether lists of troubled officers must be kept at all.

The result, critics say, is a mishmash of policies that vary state to state -- and even jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Prosecutors in Atlanta, Chicago, Tulsa, and Pittsburgh told the AP that they dont track officers with disciplinary problems, and Milwaukee prosecutors only listed officers who have been convicted of crimes.

The Dallas County district attorneys list contained 192 names, with infractions ranging from making false statements to convictions for theft, assault, and driving under the influence. The Suffolk County, Massachusetts, prosecutors list included Boston officers who lied on their timesheets or embezzled funds. Louisianas Orleans Parish district attorney tracked officers who committed crimes, lied, or drove dangerously, but not violent arrests.

Dishonesty lands an officer on the list in Detroit, Denver, and Seattle, but using excessive force does not.

The Phoenix district attorney, along with prosecutors in Orange County, Florida, and Los Angeles, were among the few the AP found who include excessive use of force cases on their lists.

Its like theres a huge continuum and the result is you dont have the same procedures being followed not only across the country but within individual states, said Will Aitchison, an attorney with Portland, Oregon-based Labor Relations Information Systems, which represents officers after theyve appealed discipline orders.

Some states have attempted to pass legislation that would address the lack of consistency, including the Washington State Legislature, which approved a bill this year requiring county prosecutors to develop written protocols for collecting potential impeachment information by July 2022.

The California Legislature approved a bill last year that required prosecutors to maintain a list of officers who have had sustained findings for conduct of moral turpitude or group bias, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure due to the cost of such a significant state mandate.



Email APs Global Investigations Team at investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/. See other work at https://www.apnews.com/hub/ap-investigations.



Follow AP investigative reporter Martha Bellisle at https://twitter.com/marthabellisle

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
SEATTLE (AP)  Isaiah Obet was behaving erratically and in mental distress in 2017 when Auburn police officer Jeff Nelson ordered his police dog to attack and then shot Obet in the torso. Obet fell to the ground and Nelson fired again, fatally shooting Obet in the head. Police said the officers life was in danger because Obet was high on drugs and had a knife. The city later reached a settlement of $1.25 million with Obets family.
NEW YORK (AP)  An associate of Rudy Giuliani hatched a scheme to funnel $1 million in funds from a wealthy Russian financier into U.S. elections knowing full well he was breaking campaign finance laws, a prosecutor said Thursday during closing arguments at a federal trial.

A defense attorney countered by telling the New York City jury that the government failed to prove its case against Lev Parnas.

After closings were finished, Judge J. Paul Oetken read instructions on the law to jurors and told them to begin deliberations when they return Friday morning.

In his closing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten accused Parnas and a co-defendant, Andrey Kukushkin, of using lies and tricks to conceal the source of the money.

Parnas made a series of straw donations despite being told again and again that he couldnt donate somebody elses money, Scotten said.

The defendant lied to the financier, Andrey Muraviev, about how much he was actually donating, the prosecutor said. He also failed to come through on pledges he was making to candidates, he added.

Put simply, Parnas is ripping everybody off, he said.

Scotten said the prosecution was about a conspiracy to bring Andrey Muraviev's wealth and corruption into American politics.

He added: The voters would never know whose money was pouring into our elections.

Defense attorney Joseph Bondy called the allegations against Parnas absurd. The lawyer said his client was a legitimate businessperson trying to use loans from Muraviev to launch an energy company that would be involved in exporting natural gas to Europe.

There was no effort to hide anything, whatsoever, Bondy said. He told jurors his client doesn't want your sympathy. He wants a verdict based on the facts and the law.

As Bondy finished his closing, Parnas became emotional while looking toward the jury, nodding his head repeatedly as Bondy described how his client grew up in Brooklyn, saying: He's a part of us. He's a part of our community. After the jury left the room, Parnas hugged his attorney.

Kukushkin's lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, told jurors that his client was not guilty and had no criminal intent whatsoever.

Lefcourt said there was not just reasonable doubt in the case, but there was overwhelming doubt.

His client, he said, was focused on developing a legal marijuana business and had no interest in spending any of Muraviev's money on anything political.

Parnas, a Florida businessperson, and Kukushkin have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to use the investment from Muraviev to contribute to politicians they thought could advance their business interests, including the energy company and legal marijuana industry startups. Giuliani is not charged in the case.

Parnas and another Soviet-born Florida businessman who has already pleaded guilty in the case, Igor Fruman, initially caught the attention of journalists and investigators after making big donations through a corporate entity to Republican political committees, including a $325,000 donation in 2018 to America First Action, a super PAC supporting Donald Trump.

The pair then became middlemen in Giulianis effort to discredit then-candidate Joe Biden. They connected Giuliani with Ukrainian officials as the former New York City mayor tried to get that country to open an investigation into the future presidents son, Hunter. Ukrainian tycoons and officials, meanwhile, sought Giulianis help connecting with the Trump administration.

Though Giuliani is not part of the case, he is under investigation in New York for whether he was required to register as an agent of a foreign government for actions he said he took in his capacity as a private attorney for then-President Trump.

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
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Newly surfaced texts between FirstEnergy Corp. executives detail a series of favors delivered to the company by Ohio's top utility regulator, a man under scrutiny in an ongoing federal corruption probe.

Akron-based FirstEnergy had a friend on the inside in early 2020: Sam Randazzo, chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Randazzo resigned last November after an FBI search of his home and revelations that top FirstEnergy executives had approved paying him $4.3 million, weeks before his appointment as Ohio's top utility regulator in 2019.

The March 2020 texts between the two executives  who have since been fired  represent a new peek into the specifics of what Randazzo did on the company's behalf.

CEO Chuck Jones and senior vice president Dennis Chack wrote that Randazzo's help included overruling utilities commission staff and commissioners on a revenue guarantee in a now-tainted 2019 energy bill.

Randazzo also helped with burning an updated audit report on FirstEnergy charging customers $456 million  charges later deemed improper by the state Supreme Court. The customer charges were intended for grid modernization, but instead, FirstEnergy used the money to create a lending pool that its subsidiary electric companies, including those outside Ohio, could draw from.

He (Randazzo) will get it done for us but cannot just jettison all process, Jones texted Chack, adding that Randazzos help had led to a lot of talk going on in the halls of PUCO about does he work there or for us?

About five months later, federal authorities accused FirstEnergy of secretly funding an elaborate $60 million bribery scheme to elect a new Ohio House speaker. The company hoped the new speaker would pass legislation bailing out two nuclear plants operated at the time by a wholly-owned FirstEnergy subsidiary, and then quash a ballot effort to repeal the law.

The text exchange was obtained the Ohio Consumers Counsel Bruce Weston in a subpoena issued to the utilities commission for investigative documents concerning FirstEnergy and the bribery scandal.

We are pursuing justice for FirstEnergy consumers at the PUCO, where there has not been enough of it, Weston said in a statement Thursday.

FirstEnergy signed a deferred prosecution agreement in July that called for the company to pay $230 million in penalties and abide by a long list of reform measures to avoid criminal charges. The company, in a statement attached to the agreement, described its role in the bribery scheme and how the company benefited from Randazzos help.

Randazzo has not been criminally charged and has denied wrongdoing. A message seeking comment from his attorney was not immediately returned.

Ties between passage of the nuclear bailout bill and FirstEnergys bribery efforts were first laid bare in July 2020, when federal authorities arrested then-House Speaker Larry Householder and four others on conspiracy charges. Householder has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.

FirstEnergy fired Jones, Chack and senior vice president Michael Dowling in October 2020 for violating the company's policies and code of conduct. None have been criminally charged. Jones has said he did nothing wrong. A spokesperson for Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

FirstEnergy spokesperson Jennifer Young declined comment on the text messages.



Gillispie reported from Cleveland.



This story has been corrected to show FirstEnergy's spokesperson is Jennifer Young, not Jennifer Thornton.

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
Human remains have been found near the home of a Plattsmouth man who has been missing for more than a year, authorities said Wednesday.

Dalton Berens, 29, was last seen Feb. 3, 2020.

Plattsmouth Police Capt. Ryan Crick described the area where the body was found as thickly wooded, difficult and even dangerous terrain.

Authorities had decided to search that area Wednesday on a hunch, they said in video posted on local media.

Plattsmouth police have not yet confirmed the body is that of Berens, but are meeting with the family.

The body was about 300 feet from Berens home, said detective Matt Watson.

Several agencies assisted in the search and investigation, including the Nebraska State Patrol and Cass County Sheriffs Office.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry will go to trial in Los Angeles on Dec. 14 on federal charges that he lied to the FBI and concealed information about illegal campaign contributions that he accepted from foreign sources in 2016.

Fortenberry pleaded not guilty to those charges at a preliminary hearing on Wednesday in Los Angeles in which he participated by video.

The Republican congressman's attorney, John Littrell of Los Angeles, informed Magistrate Judge Rozella Oliver that he would file a motion later to dismiss the case because of a lack of venue in Los Angeles since all the contacts involved were in the District of Columbia and Nebraska.

Littrell is a specialist in white-collar defense and investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Jenkins, chief of the public corruption and civil rights section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Los Angeles, told the magistrate that Fortenberry "lied and misled repeatedly" in attempting to obstruct a federal investigation into the 2016 contributions.

The congressman was focused on "self-image and political survival," he said.

Jenkins said he intends to call eight witnesses, some of whom apparently are or were employees in the congressman's office.

Oliver set what she described as a "pretty standard" $50,000 appearance bond and directed Fortenberry to avoid all contact with prospective witnesses in the case. That includes text messages and email communication, she said.

The magistrate said she saw no need for any pretrial supervision.

Fortenberry's participation in the proceedings was essentially limited to acknowledging the magistrate's decisions.

The case has attracted national attention, including a statement of support from former President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

"Isn't is terrible that a Republican congressman from Nebraska just got indicted for possibly telling some lies to investigators about campaign contributions when half of the United States Congress lied about made-up scams," Trump said.

The charges against the Lincoln congressman, who has represented eastern Nebraska's 1st District since 2005, include one count alleging that he schemed to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators. He was indicted by a federal grand jury.

At issue are illegal contributions that his 2016 campaign received from a Nigerian-born billionaire named Gilbert Chagoury who lives in Paris.

Chagoury allegedly arranged for $30,000 in cash to be contributed to Fortenberry's campaign through other individuals during a fundraising event in Los Angeles.

The investigation started after the host of the fundraiser began cooperating with federal officials.

The allegations carry a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

Fortenberry was reelected to a ninth term in 2020 and is the dean of Nebraska's congressional delegation. He is a former member of the Lincoln City Council.

The congressman stepped aside from his House committee assignments, as the rules require, in a brief message to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday.

"I am grateful for the outpouring of support from my friends and colleagues as we work against the injustice confronting me," he wrote.

"Even as I do, I will continue to focus on the most important issues facing Nebraska and America," he said.

Fortenberry is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

The congressman was reelected in 2020 with 59% of the vote after an unusually tough challenge from Democratic nominee Kate Bolz, then a Lincoln state senator.

In 2016, Fortenberry defeated underfunded and little-known Democratic nominee Daniel Wik of Norfolk, winning almost 70% of the vote.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Three months after dropping out of the Republican race for lieutenant governor, Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha is looking to potentially mount her own bid for governor.

Thibodeau, a former state senator and former chair of the Douglas County Republican Party, said Thursday that she has been encouraged to consider running for the state's top office. She said people are looking for choices other than the announced GOP candidates.

"Right now I am only exploring it and I am talking to people," she said. "There's just not a lot of excitement about the race right now."

Falls City businessman Charles Herbster, University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen and state Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha have announced their candidacy for the GOP nomination for governor. Former Gov. Dave Heineman is also seriously looking at a run, sources have said.

Gov. Pete Ricketts is prevented from seeking a third term in 2022 because of term limits.

Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue is, thus far, the only Democrat to declare her candidacy for governor.

Thibodeau, 46, was Herbster's running mate until late July, when she announced that she was stepping aside because of unnamed potential opportunities that would conflict with the campaign.

At this time, I do not feel I will be able to devote the needed time to the campaign, she said in a press release. In fairness to Charles and his wonderful team, I want to thank them for their support, and wish them the best for a successful election. I look forward to the continuation of conservative leadership in Nebraska.

Her press release quoted Herbster as saying he respected her decision. She is a great steward of conservative values, and I look forward to working with her in the future, he said.

On Thursday, Thibodeau said she was not thinking about running when she left Herbster's campaign. She said she had a private matter that she needed to deal with at that time. She said the issue has since been resolved. She also has freed up time by selling her day care business, the Primrose School, in La Vista. She said the sale closed Oct. 1.

Thibodeau said she plans to announce her decision within the next three to five weeks. She said she does not believe it is too late to jump into the race, even if she would be taking on two candidates with deep pockets.

"I think there is still time," she said.

Ellen Keast, a spokeswoman for the Herbster campaign, said the candidate had no comment on Thibodeaus potential candidacy.

Were just going to keep going, she said.

If she ran, she said she would emphasize education, tax reform, illegal immigration and the Department of Health and Human Services. She said she would bring the perspective of a woman, a mother and a small-business owner to the office.

Nebraska's only female governor has been Gov. Kay Orr, who served from 1987 through 1991. She defeated another woman in the election, former Lincoln Mayor Helen Boosalis.

Ricketts appointed Thibodeau to the Legislature in 2017 and backed her campaign to keep the seat in 2018. However, she was defeated by Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who holds the central Omaha seat.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Police arrested a Des Moines man on murder charges Wednesday in the shooting death of an Omaha woman at a Des Moines bar.

Police charged Wichang Gach Chawech, 33, with first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with an Oct. 10 shooting at the High Dive Bar.

Two people were injured in the shooting and on Tuesday, Nyamal Deng, 26, died at a hospital, police said. A 27-year-old man was treated for his injury and released from the hospital.

Chawech was held at the Polk County Jail.

The death was the eight homicide in Des Moines this year.

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
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Democrat Cindy Axne and Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks would be pushed into the same congressional district under Iowa redistricting maps released Thursday.

The proposal from Iowa's nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency also would keep the Democratic counties of Johnson and Linn in separate districts, unlike a previous plan rejected by Republicans this month.

The proposal would move Miller-Meeks into the 3rd District, now represented by Axne. That would leave the southeast Iowa district now represented by Miller-Meeks, newly numbered District 1, with no incumbent living there. Hinson, of Marion, would be in a slightly reshuffled and renumbered 2nd District.

Under the new plan, each of Iowa's four congressional districts would have favored Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden. That's a switch from the first set of maps that created two districts with strong Republican majorities, one that favored Democrats and one that was nearly equal.

Trump won Iowa with 53.1% of the vote to 44.9% for Biden.

The latest map would include 20 counties in District 1, 22 in District 2, 21 in District 3 and 36 counties in the sprawling 4th Congressional District. Each would be close to the ideal population for congressional districts of 797,592.

Fewer incumbent state lawmakers are paired in this plan, with 20 senators paired in the same district, compared with 24 in the first plan. In the House, 38 incumbents were drawn into the same districts the same as in the first plan.

The Iowa Legislature is scheduled to meet in special session next Thursday to consider the maps.

The Iowa Senate on Oct. 5 rejected the first set of redistricting maps on a party-line vote, with all 32 Republicans voting no and the 18 Democrats voting yes.

By state law, the Legislative Services Agency is responsible for following detailed guidelines to ensure population balance among Iowas congressional districts and to prevent political influence in the initial drafting of changes. The Legislature can only accept or reject the first and second set of maps without amendment.

The agency noted in its second drawing of maps that the Senates resolution rejecting the first plan and ordering LSA to submit a map that better balances compactness with population deviation would violate state law and the Iowa Constitution, which place a higher priority on population equality.

If the second set of maps is rejected, the LSA will have 35 days to draw a third set, which could be amended with majority Republicans leading that process. The Iowa Supreme Court has given lawmakers until Dec. 1 to approve the new maps.

Democrats have expressed concern Republicans may amend the third set, as the law allows, to give the GOP a partisan benefit. It would be the first time lawmakers reworked maps themselves rather than taking an LSA plan.

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
A lawyer representing the Rapid City Journal has asked a judge and the Pennington County state's attorney to explain why a state lawmaker arrested for DUI was able to have his case sealed in an apparent violation of state law.

State Sen. Gary Cammack of Union Center was arrested at 5:31 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2020, a Saturday. The charges were filed Jan. 21 in Meade County. Pennington County Deputy State's Attorney Alexandra Weiss was assigned the case due to conflict-of-interest concerns with the local states attorney, Mark Vargo, the Pennington County states attorney, previously told the Journal.

Cammack, 69, pleaded not guilty to first offense DUI on Feb. 4. On June 29, 2021, he pleaded guilty to the reduced charges of careless driving and speeding.

Fourth Judicial Circuit Magistrate Judge Chad Callahan gave the current state Senate majority leader a suspended imposition of sentence and upon the completion of sentencing conditions, which typically includes what is known as the six-month condition, meaning the defendant cant violate the law during that period of time to satisfy the sentence. Cammack also was ordered to pay a fine of $431.50 for careless driving, $39 for speeding and $222 in court costs.

The case remained unsealed until Corey Heidelberger saw the court documents on a state judicial website and published it Oct. 5 on his political blog, Dakota Free Press. Judge Callahan ordered the case sealed on Oct. 4.

In his letter to Judge Callahan, Vargo, Weiss and Cammacks defense lawyer, Nathaniel Nelson of Sturgis, the Journals attorney, said the decision to seal the case at this time is an apparent violation of state law. Since Cammack pleaded guilty on June 29, the case cant be sealed until Dec. 29, Jon Arneson said in his letter while seeking clarification on the judges decision and the Pennington County states attorney office's role in crafting the plea agreement that appears to violate the states 6-month condition.

"My client understands that mistakes happen, but under the unusually odd circumstances of this case, I sincerely believe we are entitled to a better understanding of how this matter went off the rails, so to speak, and a detailed account of how it was put back on the rails in an effort to keep Mr. Cammacks file sealed, retroactively, to June 29, 2021," Arneson wrote in the email sent Tuesday. "At the end of the day, we would just appreciate a definitive chronology.  Otherwise, reasonable doubt remains."

None of the parties have responded to the attorneys request as of Wednesday morning. A call Tuesday to Vargos office by the Journal for this story was not answered. The reporter left a message asking if the prosecution approved the deal.

Nelson, however, in an email to the Journal, claims the plea bargain included an order to seal the case in June. The defense attorney also sent the Journal a copy of the arrest report, which was filed by a South Dakota Highway Patrol officer. According to the report:

Cammack was stopped that Saturday while traveling east on South Dakota Highway 34 in Meade County for speeding and not dimming his lights. The officer said radar showed the vehicle traveling 54 mph in a 45-mph zone. He noted the smell of alcohol on Cammack after he approached the vehicles driver side window.

A bloodshot and glassy-eyed Cammack explained to the officer that he and his wife had just butchered a cow that had hurt their son earlier that day and were returning to their son's residence to see how he was doing.

Cammack said that the only thing he had for supper was a whiskey coke that he drank 10 to 15 minutes before the traffic stop. He also did not have his drivers license with him. After a field-sobriety test, Cammack was arrested at 5:47 p.m.

When the officer informed Cammack that he was being placed under arrest, the Republican lawmaker "stated that he was a legislator and asked if there was another test he could do," the report states.

Cammack then agreed to a blood test, was handcuffed and transported to the Meade County Jail in Sturgis where his blood was withdrawn at 7:11 p.m. His blood-alcohol level was .082, which is over the states legal limit of .08.

Nelson said in an email to the Journal that he recently asked Weiss if the state had any objections to modifying the case and sealing the court records.

Weiss replied "no objection," and Judge Callahan wrote in an email that he had no problem with an immediate seal assuming fines and costs were paid, according to the defense attorney.

The order to seal case was signed by Judge Callahan at 12:54 p.m. on Oct. 4.

The order noted that no probation had been set as a condition by the court and that all other conditions imposed had been observed by Cammack, which made his case eligible under state law to be sealed.

How the conditions set by the court were changed to no longer require that Cammack be required to go six months without violating any laws raised new questions by Arneson.

"I have an obligation to my client to attempt to put all the pieces of the puzzle together," he wrote in Tuesdays email. "Normally, I would apologize for continuing to pester counsel with questions, but, to be frank, my client and I are not the cause of the confusion surrounding the procedure in this case and application of SDCL 23A-27-12.2 and 23A-27-14. And, to be sure, the inability to see the documents that might inform complicates my job immeasurably."

Arneson added there should be evidence of a plea bargain between Weiss and Nelson that was approved by the court.

"Typically, I suspect, there should be some evidence of a plea bargain between Ms. Weiss and Mr. Nelson, approved by the court, that expressly excludes any probationary period. That would at least suggest that the attached dispositional record was just a mistake on somebodys part," he wrote.

Arneson told the parties that if the documents aren't provided he will file a motion in an effort to learn when and why the judge ordered the case sealed less than three months after Cammack pleaded guilty to the reduced charges and was granted an imposition of sentence.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Denied services for Medicaid members increased dramatically following the 2016 switch to managed care, according to the Iowa State Auditor.

A report released by the Iowa State Auditors Office Wednesday shows the number of instances in which an independent judge overturned the decision by the insurer to deny or reduce a service for a Medicaid member increased 891 percent.

At the same time, the number of times a judge upheld the insurers decision dropped 72 percent.

To Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, that indicates managed-care organizations were illegally denying care for Iowans and shows that the state needs to provide more oversight of these private insurance companies to ensure they maintain adequate care for vulnerable Iowans.

Long story short, Iowans are not getting what they paid for, said Auditor Rob Sand in an interview with The Gazette on Wednesday. When I say that I mean taxpayers are not getting what they're paying for and Medicaid members are not getting the medical care that they're legally entitled to get.

The Iowa Department of Human Services  which oversees the Iowa Medicaid program  criticized the report, calling it incorrect and flawed. Officials sad the methodology used by the State Auditors Office is not an accurate comparison of the Medicaid appeals program before and after privatization.

While the Department of Human Services welcomes external oversight, this report is inaccurate and shows a deliberate lack of understanding of the Medicaid appeals process, agency officials said in a statement Wednesday.

THE REPORTS FINDINGS

In 2016, the state switched its Medicaid program from a government-managed fee-for-service model to a managed-care system. Under the managed care model, private insurance companies  called managed-care organizations  are contracted through the state to provide services to the thousands of disabled or poor Iowans who qualify for Medicaid.

Medicaid benefits in Iowa currently are administered by two managed-care organizations  Amerigroup and Iowa Total Care.

Under federal regulation, Medicaid members have the opportunity to have their case reviewed during a State Fair Hearing if their claim for medical services is denied or reduced. If the appeal fits the criteria for a hearing, a judge with the Department of Inspections and Appeals reviews the case.

The report, published on the state auditors website, covered the period between July 1, 2013 through Aug. 31, 2019. It studied the difference in outcomes in appeals filed before April 1, 2016  or pre-privatization  and appeals filed after April 1, 2016  or post-privatization.

The report analyzed 5,074 appeal cases in that time period.

Following privatization, the number of instances a court overturned a decision by a managed-care organization to reduce or deny services to a Medicaid member increased 891 percent. Thats an increase from 11 overturned cases before the switch to managed care to 109 overturned cases following privatization  or an increase of 98 overturned cases.

At the same time, the number of instances a judge agreed with the reduction or denial of services decreased 72 percent. Thats a decrease from 417 upheld denials to 116 upheld denials, or a difference of 301 cases.

The combination of these two measurements shows privatized Medicaid in Iowa for the period reviewed is less likely to treat members according to the law than the pre-privatization system, the report states.

Sand said the report studied Medicaid members who received services from a managed-care organization during the pre-privatization period and continued to receive services under a managed-care organization following privatization.

The total number of appeals dropped 45 percent following the switch to managed care in 2016, the report states. It further says that 891 percent figure calculated by the State Auditors Office shows privatization substantially increased the number of illegal denials of care in Iowa.

THE STATES RESPONSE

DHS officials said the attempt to compare appeals processes between the old fee-for-service and the managed-care models was an apples-to-oranges comparison.

The process is not the same, so making a comparison without factoring in the improvements we built into the MCO appeals process prior to ever seeing an administrative law judge is just wrong, Iowa Medicaid Director Elizabeth Matney wrote in a statement. Under managed care, most appeals can be resolved without an ALJ, allowing them to focus on more complex cases.

DHS officials also had questioned the reports methodology in a letter to the State Auditors Office. They said because managed-care organizations conduct their own review before an appeal hearing is granted, it inherently creates skewed results in the comparison groups.

In short, we believe that much more information would be needed to substantiate that a higher number of reversed administrative law judge State Fair Hearing dispositions was caused by managed care, Matney said in the letter.

In its statement Wednesday, DHS officials also noted clinical staff with the Medicaid program review each appeals cases to resolve any identified issues.

Over the past couple of years, my team and I have made many good faith efforts to demonstrate transparency and integrity with the Auditor of State, which is why this is so disappointing, DHS Director Kelly Garcia said in a statement.

Im proud of the work Iowas Medicaid team is doing and I am excited for the positive changes as Director Matney builds out Iowas Medicaid team to ensure strong managed care oversight, as well as innovative improvements to the program.

OTHER FINDINGS

Throughout the analysis of these appeals outcomes, Sand said his office discovered a number of instances in which a members appeal was misclassified by the managed-care organization as a grievance  meaning the decision was not able to go through the State Fair Hearing process.

Our review raised concerns that issues that should be treated as appeals are regularly, if not systematically, misclassified as grievances or first level reviews, the report states. This means that the member never reaches an independent judge that can review the issue and determine the legal and appropriate resolution.

But Sand said the report did not measure the size of the misclassification problem, so we cant tell you if that happens rarely or if that happens frequently.

Sand pointed to possible issues within the managed-care organizations administrative processes as a potential reason for this trend in appeals outcomes reported by his office. The report, however, did not draw any specific conclusions.

The cause of that issue, whether it's expertise or poor training or whatever, doesn't really change the bottom line, Sand said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A Bellevue man has been sentenced to federal prison for threatening to release a nude photo of a legislative candidates wife unless the candidate dropped out of the race.

Dennis Sryniawski, 48, was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in prison. He was convicted in June of cyberstalking but was found not guilty of threatening with the intent to extort.

Sryniawski also must pay a $10,000 fine and serve three years of supervised release after prison.

FBI investigators found that Sryniawski sent emails to Jeff Parris. of La Vista, who was running for the Nebraska Legislature in 2018. Sryniawski threatened to release personal information and a nude photo of Parris' wife, Diane Parris, unless he dropped out of the race.

Diane Parris was married to Sryniawski for two years about 25 years ago, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

Jeff Parris did not drop out of the race but he lost the election.

Dianne Parris later testified before a legislative committee in support of a proposal to outlaw revenge porn.

This was the first cyberstalking conviction in the federal District of Nebraska, federal prosecutors said.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Omaha World-Herald.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
WALTHILL, Neb. (AP)  A northeast Nebraska woman died when she was struck by a Nebraska State Patrol vehicle early Thursday, the patrol said.

The patrol said in a news release that an investigator was driving an unmarked vehicle south on Highway 77 about a mile north of Walthill when he struck the woman.

The investigator called for paramedics but the woman died at the scene.

A preliminary investigation showed the woman had left a rural home near the highway, crossed the northbound lane and was in the southbound lane when she was hit, the patrol said.

No one else was injured.

No names or other details have been released.

The state patrol has asked the Thurston County Sheriffs Office to investigate the incident

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
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Nebraska hospitals can resume lower-priority surgeries starting Friday after Gov. Pete Ricketts announced he's ending the restrictions that have kept facilities from being overwhelmed with patients during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ricketts said the restrictions will end at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. They had originally been set to expire at the end of the month.

The order applied to inpatient Class D and E elective surgeries for all acute care, critical care and childrens hospitals in Nebraska. Class D and E surgeries are elective procedures, such as knee surgery, that can wait four weeks or longer without substantially changing a patients outcome.

Ricketts said he rescinded the restrictions because coronavirus hospitalizations in Nebraska have fallen below 10% of statewide hospital bed capacity, as measured by a seven-day rolling average.

He said the state will also stop providing daily updates on its online hospital capacity dashboard, opting for weekly updates instead. The dashboard will also no longer include demographic data and county-specific statistics, which will make it harder to track what's happening in parts of the state.

Ricketts imposed the order in late August to help hospitals with a glut of patients. Some of those patients were hospitalized because of the coronavirus, but most were in for other reasons.

Nebraska hospitals have 247 hospital beds occupied by coronavirus patients and 2,126 occupied by non-virus patients, out of a total of 3,109 staffed beds, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BRUSSELS (AP)  European Union leaders pressured a defiant Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki Thursday to fall back into line on recognizing that EU law trumps national decision-making, hoping that dialogue will stave off a crisis in the bloc.

Morawiecki instead painted a picture of an overbearing union that treats its 27 member nations as mere provinces, usurping ever more powers and imposing its values against the wishes of sovereign peoples.

Facing the threat of losing out on tens of billions of EU funds because of his stance, he countered that Poland will not act under the pressure of blackmail.

Almost all other countries replied that respecting common rules and values is essential in a bloc if it is not to unravel and lose political and economic clout in the world.

If you want to be part of a club and have the advantages of a club, you must play by the rules, said his Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo. A red line has been breached and we cannot accept that.

According to a senior official with direct knowledge of the talks, the debate on rule of law took place in a serene" atmosphere as EU leaders stopped short of adopting confronting stances once gathered in the same room. The official spoke anonymously according to EU practice.

Most member states supported dialogue with Morawiecki, while agreeing that the bloc should act to try and make Warsaw comply with EU law, the official said.

Beyond holding up Polands access to billions of euros in help revive its economy in the wake of the pandemic, the EUs executive arm can start infringement procedures, or activate a mechanism allowing the suspension of other EU payments to a member country breaching the principles of the rule of law.

The dispute stems from a recent ruling from Poland's constitutional court challenging the supremacy of EU laws.

EU lawmakers assembled in Strasbourg adopted a resolution Thursday stating that the Polish court lacks legal validity and independence, and is unqualified to interpret the countrys constitution."

They insisted the EU should protect Polish citizens and reiterated calls for the bloc to use all its tools to restore the rule of law in the country, including by putting the Polish coronavirus recovery plan on hold.

If the sniping and accusations continue unchecked, it could turn into the biggest institutional crisis for the EU since the United Kingdom decided to leave five years ago.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as a longtime champion of compromise, warned against a protracted political and legal fight that could hurt all, especially at a time when the bloc is trying to emerge from the biggest economic crisis in its history.

We must find ways and possibilities to come together again on this, because a cascade of legal disputes before the European Court of Justice is not a solution, she said.

France threw itself behind Merkel. Ahead of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron had a brief meeting with Morawiecki. He told the Polish prime minister he is concerned about the situation and also asked him to engage in a dialogue to find a solution compatible with our common principles and rules.

Morawiecki also appeared to shy back from some of the harsh language used in the European Parliament on Tuesday. We are ready for dialogue, he said. We will of course talk about how to resolve the current disputes in agreement and in dialogue.

He said the key quarrel was about EU claims for legal primacy in areas where he argued that the bloc does not have competence.

EU nations have warned for years against what they see as a backsliding of democratic principles in Poland when it comes to an independent judiciary and free media.

They said Morawiecki's conservative PIS government stacked the constitutional court with handpicked judges and then had the same court challenge the supremacy of EU law, arguing it should be subordinate to key national values in cases where they diverge.

It is reminiscent of the power play between nationhood and the EU which also set Britain on course for Brexit. The extent of the legal move of Poland's constitutional court to question the supremacy of EU law is unprecedented however, officials said.

Morawiecki defended his countrys stance that the highest law in Poland is its own constitution. And he has a vocal ally in Hungary.

Poland? the best country in Europe. Oh, theres no need to have any sanctions. Its ridiculous, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said. Hungary has also been accused of democratic backsliding over the years under Orban and is often shunned.

The EU aims to present a united front that makes its 27 nations a formidable power in the world, while as individual countries they would be bystanders. But even if member states are happy to see that power used in international relations, some abhor it when it affects them.



Geir Moulson in Berlin, Mike Corder in The Hague and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw contributed.

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
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea hit back at U.S. criticism over its test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile this week, saying it was rightfully exercising its rights for self-defense and that the weapon doesnt specifically target the United States.

The comments by an unidentified spokesperson of the Norths Foreign Ministry on Thursday came as the U.N. Security Council was set to hold an emergency closed-door meeting over the launch at the request of the United States and the United Kingdom.

Tuesday's launch of a new ballistic missile from a submarine was the North's first test of such weaponry in two years and the most significant demonstration of its military might since President Joe Biden took office.

Washington condemned the launch, which underscored how the North continues to expand its military capabilities amid a freeze in nuclear diplomacy, and called for Pyongyang to engage in sustained and substantive dialogue.

In comments published by Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency, the North Korean spokesperson said its recent test posed no immediate threat to neighboring countries and that there was no need for Washington to agonize over a weapon that doesnt specifically target the United States.

The spokesperson said Pyongyang is truly concerned over what it sees as an abnormal reaction by the United States over a rightful exercise of its rights to defense and described Washingtons efforts to set up the U.N. Security Council meeting as a provocative move.

When doing the recent test-firing, we did not have the U.S. in mind nor aimed at it, but it is the work which had already been planned purely for the defense of the country, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson noted that the United States already possesses submarine-launched ballistic missile systems and said it was exposing its double standards by criticizing the North for pursuing the same weaponry. That only raises the Norths suspicions about the sincerity of the Biden administrations statements that it harbors no hostility toward the North, the spokesperson said.

Ending a months-long lull in September, North Korea has been ramping up its weapons tests while making conditional peace offers to Seoul, reviving a pattern of pressuring South Korea to try to get what it wants from the United States.

Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled for more than two years over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea and the Norths denuclearization steps.

Since his fallout with the Trump administration, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen his nuclear deterrent in face of what he described as U.S. pressure and threats.

His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations open-ended offer to resume talks, saying that Washington must abandon its hostile policy, a term North Korea mainly refers to sanctions and U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises.

North Korea has been pushing hard for years to acquire the ability to fire nuclear-armed missiles from submarines. The submarine missiles are the next key piece in an arsenal that includes a variety of weapons, including ones with the potential range to reach American soil.

Still, experts say it would take years, large amounts of resources and major technological improvements for the heavily sanctioned nation to build at least several submarines that could travel quietly in seas and reliably execute strikes.

Bidens special envoy for North Korea, Sung Kim, is scheduled to meet with U.S. allies in Seoul over the weekend to discuss prospects of reviving talks with North Korea.

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
What a mess

A Boyden, Iowa, man was arrested after he allegedly drove a pickup into a gas pump while intoxicated, causing $100,000 worth of damage.

At about 9:09 p.m. Oct. 11, the Sioux County Sheriff's Office investigated a motor vehicle accident at Co-Op Gas & Oil, 909 Taft St., in Boyden, according to a press release from the sheriff's department.

Sixty-year-old Bernardo Gonzalez-Garcia of Boyden was driving a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup when he struck a gas pump, causing fuel to leak from it. He fled was located a short time later in Boyden.

Gonzalez-Garcia reported minor injuries and declined further medical attention. The pickup sustained approximately $10,000 in damage, and the damage at Co-Op Gas & Oil was estimated at $100,000, according to the press release.

Sioux County deputies suspected that Gonzalez-Garcia was under the influence of alcohol, and he was transported to the Sioux County jail where he was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (second offense) and failure to maintain control of a motor vehicle.

The sheriffs office was assisted by the Boyden Ambulance, Boyden Fire Department and Iowa State Patrol.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
LE MARS, Iowa -- The Ice Cream Capital of the World will become the Ice Scream Capital as Le Mars, Iowa will be the site for several ghoulish activities on Oct. 30.

Beginning at 9 a.m., Hardware Hank and Total Motors, 810 Hawkeye Ave S.W., will be hosting pumpkin car races for preschool to fifth grade kids.

The Le Mars Art Center, 200 Central Ave. S., will be offering free face painting as well as terrifyingly awesome art projects from 1 to 2:30 p.m. while the Turn Around, 127 Central Ave. N.W., will offer a Spooktacular dance routine from 1 to 1:30 p.m.

At 2 p.m., the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce will be announcing the cutest, most creative and scariest Halloween costumes that has been posted on its Facebook page.

But come to the Chamber of Commerce at 1 p.m. to participate in a special trick or treating event.

According to executive director David Westergard, the trick or treating route will begin at the Olson Cultural Event Center, up and down Central Ave., all the way up to Le Mars Public Library, 46 First St., S.W., and back.

Here's a word of advice for candy-loving ghouls and gremlins. Be sure to bring a bag or container in order to carry all of your sugary loot.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
The scientific consensus on climate change gets even stronger

Posted on 21 October 2021 by John Cook

Over time, the scientific consensus on climate change has steadily strengthened as the empirical evidence has piled up.

We see this in the statements of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In 1995, it suggested there was a discernible human influence on global climate  at the time it was a bold statement, and forever changed the life of lead author Ben Santer.

From that point, the language steadily strengthened from most of the warming being very likely due to human CO? emissions in 2007, to extremely likely in 2013.

Earlier this year, the latest IPCC report issued its most definitive statement, concluding that [i]t is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.

Another way to quantify the scientific consensus on climate change is by surveying climate scientists.

The first quantification of the consensus among climate experts was published in 2009, by Peter Doran and Maggie Zimmerman. Surveying the Earth science community, they found 80% agreement that humans were causing global warming.

However, the degree of consensus was higher among scientists with greater climate science expertise. Among actively-publishing climate scientists, 97.4% agreed that humans were causing global warming.

Four years later, I published research examining scientific consensus from a different angle.

Building on earlier work by Naomi Oreskes and working with colleagues from the Skeptical Science team, we analysed more than 12,000 abstracts from scientific studies about global climate change. We found that among the 4000 studies that stated a position on human-caused global warming, 97.1% agreed with the consensus position.

What surprised me after this paper came out was how surprised everyone was at the result. Really? 97%? I didnt realise it was that high!

That response took me aback, as we werent the first research to find 97% consensus on human-caused global warming. We werent even the second (William Anderegg also found 97% consensus in 2010). But the public werent yet getting the message.





In 2014, the opportunity arose to interview Doran as part of a Massive Open Online Course about climate change and misinformation. In our conversation, he revealed an eye-opening revelation  whenever he received criticisms of his 2009 study, he simply redirected them to me as the more recent study into scientific consensus. So thats why Id been receiving so many criticisms of my research!

This year, I collaborated with Doran and other colleagues from George Mason University and Louisiana State University to publish an updated measure of scientific consensus on climate change. It had been a decade since his 2009 study, and we thought it was time to repeat his survey of the Earth science community  an opportunity to gauge whether thered been any change in scientific agreement on human-caused global warming.

Research reflects stronger consensus

Our research, published in Environmental Research Letters, found that the scientific consensus had strengthened even further since 2009. Among Earth scientists overall, there was now 91.1% agreement on human-caused global warming, an 11% jump from the 80% figure in 2009.

The headline figure from the 2009 study  97.4% consensus among climate scientists  had now increased to 98.7% consensus.

Especially interesting was the change in consensus among economic geologists (for example, scientists working for the fossil fuel industry). Back in 2009, only 47% of economic geologists agreed human-caused global warming was happening. Now, the level of agreement has nearly doubled to 84.1%.

This happily casts some doubt on the old saying that its difficult to get a person to understand something when their salary depends upon them not understanding it. It is possible, when the scientific evidence becomes overwhelmingly strong.

Another group in which there was a large shift in opinion was meteorologists  from 64% in 2009 to 91% in our new study.

This is a welcome trend, with real-world implications. TV meteorologists inhabit a climate communication sweet spot  highly skilled communicators who are a trusted source of information about climate change while being watched by millions.

Their growing acceptance of human-caused global warming has paved the way for weathercasters raising public awareness of the reality of climate change through programs such as Monashs Climate Communicators and George Mason Universitys Climate Matters.

Read more: Fighting back against climate misinformation, and the damage being done

As well as investigating the change in consensus over time, we also examined how consensus varies depending on expertise. Multitudes of studies have found that the greater the expertise in climate science, the higher the agreement on human-caused global warming.

Our study replicated this result, using a variety of measures to quantify expertise in climate science. Whether it was the number of years spent working on climate change, or the number of published studies about climate change, the same pattern emerged. The more you know about climate science, the more likely you are to understand that humans are responsible for climate change.

This strengthening consensus among the scientific community  even among traditionally sceptical fields  is also reflected in other parts of society that have in the past been resistant to accepting climate science.

News Corp recently endorsed the goal of Australia achieving net zero emissions by 2050, a striking development given its outlets have been a prolific source of climate misinformation.

Similarly, mining magnate Andrew Forrest recently urged Australia to move away from a reliance on fossil fuels. Perhaps this position is due to his conversations with all the economic geologists who are now convinced about human-caused global warming.

This article was first published on Monash Lens. Read the original article
On Thursday, Ohio unveiled a new license plate, challenging North Carolinians and inspiring a few questions from this online magazine:

Didnt the Wright brothers make their first flight in North Carolina?

Was this design derived from a composite of 200 fake IDs collected at a Columbus-area Buffalo Wild Wings?

Is this butter salted or unsalted?

How did you manage to get the Grim Reaper to visit the Buckeye State at such a busy time?

Ohio's new license plate design gives the big middle finger to North Carolina. WE are the birthplace of aviation, beyatches. pic.twitter.com/Jcur88Fk5v  Corinne@AthensNews (@CorinneColbert) October 21, 2021

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

How am I supposed to fit this thing on my truck?

Does the second, yellow sun represent the looming threat of climate change?

Did you know that Ohio is the birthplace of seven U.S. presidents, more than any state but Virginia, and also a recent and historic peace treaty in the Dayton Accords, but this license plate might as well be from Indiana?

Did you know that Ohio farmers plant more than 10 times more corn and soy, by dollar value, than wheat?

How will the police know who is who if all the plates say OHIO?

How many license plates were produced with the plane pushing, rather than pulling, the banner?

We are aware that the plane on the new Ohio license plate unveiled this morning was oriented in the wrong direction. We regret this mistake and have fixed the image. This is the correct design that will be reflected on all new plates issued to Ohio drivers.  pic.twitter.com/HAire7kr9M  Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (@Ohio_BMV) October 21, 2021

We have not reached out to the Ohio Department of Public Safety for comment.
Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. In addition to our traditional advice, every Thursday we feature an assortment of teachers from across the country answering your education questions. Have a question for our teachers? Email askateacher@slate.com or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

My 6-year-old boy hates kindergarten. He fights me every morning and tells me he doesnt want to go. This morning I had to carry him to my car with his shoes in my hand.

Advertisement

His preschool closed due to Covid when he was 4, so hes been home playing with friends and me since then. He says he doesnt like being told what to do, and he hates worksheets. I know his teacher is warm and kind. I also know she has a reputation in our community for being an excellent teacher.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

How long do I give him to transition? When or why should I unenroll him and homeschool? I dont want this to kill his spirit or damage our relationship. Please help.

War Mom

Dear War Mom,

Getting a kid to transition back to a structured learning environment especially after so much change during the pandemic can be difficult. However, I dont believe homeschooling would be the appropriate response to this situation. While it may seem burdensome or even scarring to drag your son to kindergarten, I believe this will benefit him more than giving in to his behavior by homeschooling.

Advertisement

Its not uncommon after what seems like a year filled with play for him to be work avoidant initially, especially since it seems like he didnt spend much time in Pre-K due to initial pandemic school closures. Regardless, you should allow this transition to take as long as it needs. Socialization with kids his age is especially critical now given that so many of us have been isolated over the past 2 years. By pulling him out to homeschool him you risk his opportunity to catch up in class. I honestly dont think taking a harder stance and continuing to drag him to kindergarten will have a lasting impact on his spirit or your relationship. If anything, it will build his sense of resilience and understanding of boundaries. He needs to learn that sometimes in life we must do things, like worksheets, that we arent excited about.

Advertisement

Mr. Hersey (elementary school teacher, Washington)

Slate needs your support right now. Sign up for Slate Plus to keep reading the advice you crave every week.

My middle schooler has come home this year to say that her English class isnt reading any whole novels this year, only excerpts. What is all that about? Im so upset to think that shell have no opportunities to read good literature in its entirety in a classroom setting. What is the right way to broach this? My instincts tell me its not up to the teacher, but perhaps thats a good place to start anyway.

Advertisement

Bookworm

Dear Bookworm,

Talking to the teacher is nearly always the best place to start. The teacher will likely say that they hate it, but that its a district mandate.

Advertisement

Ive been in a district like that, and I can tell you, it stinks. The district folks, i.e., the people not in the classroom, will insist on teaching isolated skills. Theyll say the students can get what they need from excerpts. Theyll push test-taking strategies, rather than deep comprehension of complex texts. In my opinion (and Id wager that most teachers share my view), its a terrible way to teach.

Advertisement

Ive tried to explain it to people this way:

Imagine you adopt a dog. You love that dog. You learn to feed the dog, walk the dog, pick up dog poop, teach the dog to sit, manage the dogs quirksall at the same time. Maybe after six months or two years, you move on to agility training. You can do that because the bond is there. Youre connected to the dog.

Advertisement

Now imagine you read a book. You love that book. You learn to deduce the meanings of words, make predictions, draw conclusions, support inferences with evidence from the textall at the same time. Maybe after six months or two years, you draw a connection between that book and another book or a real-world event. You can do that because the bond is there. Youre connected to the story.

Making students care about what you do in class is often the hardest thing about teaching. Stories are one of the best ways to draw them in. Kids dont care about excerpts. They wont reminisce ten years later about that excerpt they read.

So what can you do? If the district is mandating this method, and the teachers dont like it, ask how you can support them in changing the policy. Sadly, districts often listen to parents before they listen to teachers.

Advertisement

Advertisement

(And to any teachers reading this letter who are in the same boat: What Ive done in that situation is teach skills using short fiction/articles and then put the kids into book club groups in which they apply the skills to complete texts. They had to do some of the work outside of school, but it was the only way I could shoehorn whole books in.)

Ms. Scott (high school teacher, North Carolina)

Our child starts kindergarten next year, and we are torn between two schoolsa high-quality, mostly white, neighborhood public school that is a 3-minute drive away, or an award-winning, more diverse, magnet school with a social justice and IB curriculum that is 30 minutes away. I love the IB school, but shed lose an hour a day in the car. My husband thinks it doesnt matter how far the drive is, and we need to send her to the best school. What do you think?

Advertisement

What Wins Here?

Dear WWH,

This is a tough decision. When my fifth grade students move onto middle school, some of them have a choice between two middle schools in our district, and I always advise parents to consider drive time when making the decision.

Advertisement

Advertisement

An hour a day is a lot of time to spend in a car when the alternative is six minutes. Over the course of the average 180-day school year, this amounts to 5 hours a week or 20 hours a month, versus 30 minutes a week, or two hours a month.

Im not suggesting that this time calculation should be the sole determining factor, but I think it needs to be weighed against the benefits of the magnet school. Perhaps that hour a day can be well spent listening to music, talking about the day, and telling stories. You may also be able to carpool. While this wont lessen the burden for your student, it would lessen the burden for you.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Then again, that hour per day may become more difficult to manage when homework becomes more onerous, your child becomes involved in after school activities, and time becomes more precious. Also, trips to the school for parent-teacher conferences, fetching a sick child, PTO meetings, and other school-based activities will also require an hour in the car, so be sure to consider this when deciding, too.

I realize that none of this is an answer to your question, but as I said, this is a tough decision. Just be sure to include the element of time, especially how it will add up over the course of a school year and how that may impact your child and family down the road, when making your decision.

Advertisement

Mr. Dicks (fifth grade teacher, Connecticut)

What are good ways to keep your kid engaged and caught up on school when they have to stay home each time they have a Covid symptom or are exposed in school? There are some assignments posted online, but not nearly all (and it varies by grade level). I have been told to keep my kids home whenever they have a Covid symptom, but my kids seem to have coughs for about half the fall and winter seasons.

Long Days Ahead

Dear Long Days Ahead,

Parents have been struggling with this question ever since the pandemic began, and unfortunately, there are no easy answers.

If you have internet access, there are lots of resources that can help your child keep up with the curriculum. I would start with Khan Academy, which is a free service used by tens of thousands of school districts all over the world. Video lessons, practice problems, assessments, and more can help your child keep up with almost any subject.

Advertisement

But just because the resources are available doesnt mean that your child will be engaged and motivated to learn at home. Some students are fantastic remote learners, but most are not. If this is the case for your child and you have the capacity to engage with your child on their quarantine days, you may want to put the curriculum aside and invite your child to explore areas of interest. Outschool, for example, is a website that offers classes on enormously wide range of topics, including traditional academics, social and emotional learning, art and music classes, murder mysteries, science experiments, and much more. These will cost you money, of course, but the options are endless, and in the end, the specific curriculum is not nearly as important as keeping your child engaged in learning of some kind.

Best of luck. These are challenging times to be a parent.

Mr. Dicks (fifth grade teacher, Connecticut)

More Advice From Slate

My 8-year-old daughter is in third grade. She recently shared with me that during lunch last week, a male first grade teacher made a joke that I find inappropriate and not at all funny. What should I do?
There was a time when West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, because he represented by far the most conservative state of any Senate Democrat, was considered the primary obstacle to Democrats proposed Build Back Better Act, the signature piece of social infrastructure and climate change legislation theyre slowly negotiating and Im constantly writing about.

That may no longer be the case. Congratulations, then, to Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Democrats have been clamoring to know what her red lines are on the legislation. Now that they know, they wish they didnt.

Advertisement

Manchin, who had privately documented his concerns about the original $3.5 trillion proposal back in July, does not bring many surprises. He wants to spend less on the overall package, and he wants to narrow eligibility for certain programs. His representation of West Virginia energy concerns are going to complicate the climate change portion of the bill. He is, however, on board with the basic means of funding the bill, such as tax increases on corporations and high earners and drug pricing reforms, all of which poll extremely well.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

As several outlets reported Wednesday, though, Sinema is not on board with a number of the key revenue-raisers that Manchin supports. Sinema, the Wall Street Journal reported, continues to oppose any increase in marginal rates for businesses, high-income individuals or capital gains. These objections alone could blow a hole of nearly half the cost of the bill, which Democrats are now negotiating to come in at around $1.75 trillion to $1.9 trillion. It is not necessarily that the White House didnt know until Wednesday that Sinema felt this way. It was more that they thought they could change her mind. The administration and congressional negotiators are now starting to believe that they cant, and are looking at other options.

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.

Reversing unpopular, central planks of the 2017 Trump tax law, including the corporate tax cut at its core, was not supposed to be a problem. It was supposed to be the easy money for funding the Democrats agenda. From the minute Republicans signed into law a steep cut in the corporate rate nearly four years ago, Democrats started campaigning on reversing some of it, and designing an agenda that they could fund with that revenue. Reversing the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy was something most Democrats campaigned on for the last two election cycles. One typical 2018 campaign ad, for example, hit a Republican opponent for supporting huge tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations at the expense of our middle class. You guessed it: Then-Rep. Kyrsten Sinema ran that ad in her Senate campaign.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Due to Sinemas objections, Democrats are now on the verge of something that could prove inexplicable to their voters: leaving the core of Republicans one major, unpopular legislative accomplishment relatively untouched. And dont they know it.

Advertisement

Every Democrat in the House and Senate voted against the Trump tax cuts, Rep. Richard Neal, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, told CNN on Wednesday. This is a chance to address it. So if you were against it, this is a chance to repeal it.

If thats the case, Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono said of the possibility that Democrats abandon those tax rate increases, considering that is the way were going to pay for so much of the programs that are in the bill, I would not be able to support any kind of posture like that.

Advertisement

There is a sense in which we no longer live in a democracy, New York Rep. Ritchie Torres told CNN of the caucus (somewhat dramatic) feelings toward Sinema, we live under the tyranny of Kyrsten Sinema.

And how, then, would Democrats come up with the budget hole that Sinemas objections create?

One idea that Sinema hasnt ruled out is an annual tax on the unrealized gains of billionaires, also known as mark to market. This is an approach that has a powerful ally in Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, who was pushing it Thursday.

Advertisement

Ive been home a lot the last few weeks, Wyden told reporters, and when I say, Billionaires are going for years and years paying little or no income taxes, I cant even get to the second sentence when people say, Im paying taxes with every paycheck! Of course youve got to make them do it.

Advertisement

But such an approach could create new foeslike, for example, the wealthy whose wealth it would be targeting. It also would be a new, untested concept likely to run into interference on the Hill.

I think anytime you get into stuff thats not proven in the tax code, it becomes a bit dangerous, Montana Sen. Jon Tester told reporters.

Advertisement

Another option would be to test the original theory: that once you get a deal with Manchin, everyone else will come on board.

White House officials and Capitol Hill Democrats now believe it will be easier to find agreement with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) than Sinema, Punchbowl News reported Thursday morning. So while the Biden administration and Senate Democratic leadership plan to work with both Sinema and Manchin, they now believe it would be more productive to seek a deal with Manchin, bring House and Senate progressives on board and then dare Sinema to block it.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The theory here makes sense if you believe senators, whatever flights of negotiating fancy they may have, will ultimately bend to their political circumstances. Manchin should be the most difficult because he represents, by a mile, the most conservative state of any Senate Democrat. Once youve reached a deal with him, everyone to his left has no excuse not to sign on. Can Sinema, who is staring directly at a tough primary challenge in 2024 and whose problems with Arizona Democrats arent getting any better, afford to hold out then?

In other words, theyre betting on Sinema behaving like a rational political actor. The problem is: How has that worked for them so far?
On Thursday, while the House of Representatives voted to refer Steve Bannon to the Department of Justice for a criminal contempt of Congress charge, Attorney General Merrick Garland appeared before the House Judiciary Committee for a general oversight hearing.

Bannons contempt referral is the greatest test of Garlands DOJ tenure thus far, with the rule of law demanding that he prosecute the Trump ally for his blatant defiance of a lawful subpoena to assess his role in the Capitol riot and insurrection. The hearing itself, though, showed why Garlands hyper-cautious approach to his job is already a failure that will turn into a complete disaster if he declines to prosecute Bannon.

Advertisement

The baseline problem is this: Trying to remove all appearance of politics from the work of the DOJ, given the rights continued assault on democracy, is like bringing a spoon to a knife fight. Garland is so committed to being apolitical that he is even willing to put this position ahead of defending democracy against attacks from people like Bannon and others who organized the insurrection and are continuing to plan further assaults on our elections. And no matter how far he bends over backward to appear not to target possible criminals who also happen to be Republicans, those same Republicans will target him as a corrupt Communist who is vengefully going after his personal political enemies, as they did during Thursdays hearing. Not only will he not get credit for protecting the institution of the DOJ, but he will also enable attacks on democracy.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

The GOPs strikes against Garlands impartiality started almost immediately, when ranking member Jim Jordan targeted Bidens attorney general in his opening statement. Jordan suggested Garland had politicized the DOJ by issuing a memo earlier this month seeking law enforcement to protect local school board members after the National School Boards Association issued a request following a spate of violence and threats against local board members across the country. Despite all of Garlands efforts to appear nonpartisan, Jordan portrayed the attorney generals memo as an attack on free speech that will lead down the road to communism. Others painted the memo as a corrupt effort by Garland to benefit his son-in-law who has an education company.

Advertisement

First, Jordan claimed that Garland had set up a snitch line on parents  five days after a left-wing political organization asked for it and insisted that if thats not political, I dont know what is.

I think your memo, Mr. Attorney General, was the last straw, Jordan continued with typical bombast. When the attorney general of the United States sets up a snitch line on parents, Americans arent going to tolerate it. I think theyre going to stand up to this accelerated march to communism we now see.

Advertisement

Next, Rep. Mike Johnson alleged that Garlands actions were motivated by his familys financial stake in this issue. Johnson claimed that because Garlands son-in-law co-founded an education company that publishes and sells critical race theory and so-called anti-racism materials, Garlands impartiality is being questioned and he was not following ethics requirements. According to Johnson, Garlands efforts to chill free speech around school curricula has resulted in people losing their faith in the idea that justice is blind, that theres not two standards, that theres one standard of the law.

Advertisement

Advertisement

So, despite Garlands many efforts to not appear political by declining to investigate Trump and his cronies for possible crimes and by using DOJ resources to actively protect Trump from civil liability, Republicans are still portraying him as the most political attorney general in history.

The other weakness of Garlands timid approach was on full view during his opening statement and responses to Democratic members of Congress. The essence of the rule of law is that like cases are treated alike. That there not be one rule for Democrats and another for Republicans; one rule for friends, another for foes, Garland stated grandly. But by declining to investigate Trump and his associates, Garland is enabling further attacks on our democracy.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Crucially, the two parties are not the same. Garlands standard sets up a false equivalency between the Democratic Party and a political party whose national leader, Donald Trump, incited and celebrated a violent assault on our nations Capitol to overthrow the results of a free and fair election and who continues to portray the insurrection as a glorious protest. To that end, in the middle of the attorney generals testimony, Trump issued a statement highlighting Garlands feebleness at failing to even investigate the organizers and leaders of the Jan. 6 events, declaring the insurrection took place on November 3, Election Day. January 6 was the Protest!

Trump is widely expected to be the partys nominee in 2024. And he remains a threat to democracy. Trump has instructed loyalists like Bannon to block all congressional efforts to investigate the crimes that he incited that day. In seeking to protect Bannon, Republicans on Thursday parroted Trumps line that the select committee is illegally persecuting a peaceful protest. Here in the land of the free, [Bannon and other witnesses] are under congressional investigation for the sole crime of planning a legal political protest, Rep. Jim Banks said in his opening of the debate for the Republican side. Why are they seeking information about a permitted political rally? What legislative purpose does that serve? Is the committee considering laws to limit Americans right to political protest? Jordan then went to the floor to repeat his allegations against Garland as part of his defense of Bannon. Garland saying that there cant be one rule for Republicans and another for Democrats is absurd in this context.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Moreover, Garlands efforts to depoliticize the DOJ have proved to be an abdication of his responsibility to protect the rule of law. Take just a few examples: Garlands failure to reconsider the obstruction of justice case against the former president, his deferral of an investigation of possible financial crimes by Trump and his organization to local prosecutors in New York City and Westchester, his use of the DOJ to protect Trump from defamation allegations, and his deferral of a soliciting of voter fraud felony probe in Georgia to local prosecutors there. By abdicating his responsibility, Garland is also opening the door for Trump to commit these possibly criminal abuses all over again, this time with the full support of the Republican Party, and maybe ultimately return to power.

Advertisement

The last and perhaps most damning piece of evidence of Garlands failed approach came when his testimony was interrupted by the House vote to open debate on whether to hold Bannon in contempt. With this vote, the GOP confirmed its position as the insurrectionist party when only two Republican members of the House of Representatives voted to debate the referral. Ultimately, just nine voted to hold Bannon in contempt. The actions of the GOP make the stakes of Garlands decisions painfully clear. He is now responsible for determining if we will continue to have a rule of law in this country, or if our democracy will be abandoned while the officials in charge of protecting it cling to their illusory ideals of political independence.
In the last month, North Korea has test-launched seven different kinds of missiles. One of them carried a hypersonic glider, one was launched from a train, one was fired from a submarine, and another was a missile with the range to hit any spot in the United States. What is going on?

First, a few caveats. The North Koreans havent produced these missiles in large number (or, in most cases, any number). They havent loaded any of them with nuclear weapons and havent demonstrated an ability to make a nuclear warhead small enough to fit in a missiles nosecone. Except for an experimental model, they havent built any submarines that can carry ballistic missiles. In other words, theres no need to cower in a shelter just yet.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

One thing is clear: Theyre not building up a first-strike capability. Or, if they are, the goal lies so far in the future, its not worth a moments thought, much less worry. More likely, theyre trying to make it very hard for the United States to launch a nuclear strike on North Korea.

Theyre doing this in two ways. First, theyre making some of their missiles mobilehence the launches from trains and submarinesso that the U.S. (or any enemy) would have a hard time finding, tracking, and hitting them. Second, theyre trying to ensure that we cant nuke them without worrying that they will nuke us backin which case we probably wont nuke them in the first place.

Advertisement

Probably nobody is musing that an American president might wake up one morning and launch a nuclear strike against North Korea. However, it is a reasonable concern that tensions might someday escalate between the U.S. and North Korea, to the point where a conventional war breaks out between the two countries. If that were to happen, the U.S. could exert great leverage by threatening to launch nuclear weapons. However, if North Korea also has nukes (even a few of them), and if some of them are mobile (meaning the U.S. couldnt knock them out preemptively), then our nuclear card loses its trump value.

Advertisement

In other words, North Korea is doing what all nuclear powers are fundamentally doingtrying to deter a nuclear attack. This isnt a purely defensive strategy. A deterrent can be used as a cover for non-nuclear aggression. In any case, as many small nuclear powers have learned over the years, it doesnt take a lot of nuclear weapons to pull this feat off.

Advertisement

Advertisement

North Korea is stepping up its nuclear-missile programs possibly in response to the U.S. missile-defense program. Lets say North Korea thinks it needs 10 nuclear-armed missiles to deter an attack. And lets say the U.S. has the ability to shoot down 50 nuclear missiles. (Im making up these numbers; they are for illustrative purposes only.) North Korea might, therefore, think it needs 60 missiles to ensure that 10 of them get through the defenses. (This may be why China is upping its nuclear programs as well.)

There are two uniquely concerning things about a North Korean submarine-launched missile. First, latching a missile to a submarine means you can extend the range of a missile and makes it easier for North Korea to attack the United Statesagain, assuming it one day builds the missiles and a submarine that can go out that far. Second, a submarine can sneak right up to an adversarys shore, underwater, and launch a missile with next-to-no warning. Japanese officials are particularly worried about thiswhich is making some of them contemplate building a missile-defense system, or its own offensive nuclear arsenal, either of which might drive North Korea to build more offensive missiles.

Advertisement

Advertisement

But the experimental submarine model North Korea has built is very noisy; its also diesel-electric, which means it cant go very far without coming up to the surface or disappear the way that modern nuclear-powered submarines can. However, this isnt entirely reassuring. One can imagine a scenario where a North Korean submarine is surrounded, and the captain onboard fires his missiles, on the premise that he either uses them or loses them. Its also possible that the North Korean leader might not allow a submarine crew to roam too far from home, out of fear that theyll defect.

Advertisement

The main point of all this is that nuclear-armed nations build up their arsenals, at least in part, as responses to what their nuclear-armed rivals are doingor at least to what they think those rivals are doing. For instance, test data suggest that the U.S. missile-defense program has little ability to shoot down long-range ballistic missiles. However, intelligence agencies tend to exaggerate an enemys strength, and to devise worst-case scenarios, as justification for their own programs. So it may be no coincidence that North Korea tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile just one month after South Korea did the same.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In that sense, domestic politics also play a role. Kim Jong-un has put renewed emphasis on his missile program. Its very expensive. He justifies the expense with propaganda that North Korea is surrounded by enemies who are hellbent on destroying the peoples paradise. He therefore cannot allow South Korea, in particular, to eke out an edge in the arms race without matching it as quickly as possible.

Two larger inferences can be derived from all this. First, there is no way North Korea will ever dismantle its missiles or its nuclear weapons. They are all that the regime hasas a token of strength and, less symbolically, as a deterrent to foreign attack. The official U.S. positionthat North Korea must agree to complete, verifiable, irreversible de-nuclearizationis a pipedream. If we want to lower tensions, and reduce the threats to our regional allies, through negotiations, we have to devise a different formula.

Advertisement

Second, back in April 2009, just months into his presidency and during his first foreign trip to Prague, Barack Obama made this lofty pronouncement: To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy and urge others to do the same. It hasnt happened. All countries that had nuclear weapons back thenincluding the United Statesare planning to improve or embellish their arsenals. Other countries, which have long had the ability to make nuclear weapons but have held back for one reason or another, are thinking of diving in. One reason for this is that the world has become a more turbulent, anarchic place. Countries that had once been assured by the U.S. nuclear umbrellathe pledge that Washington would use its own nuclear weapons in response to an attack on its alliesare less convinced that wed make good on that promise and are, therefore, thinking of hoisting their own umbrellas to guard against a hard rain.

North Koreas missiles are only the most glaring signs of danger on the horizon, and not necessarily the most ominous. Things are unsnapping all over. It will take some brilliant thinking and even more brilliant diplomacy to put them back together or to fashion some new international system to make the world more secure.
Over the past few years of racial and criminal justice protests, you may have heard something about qualified immunity. This concept isnt a law; its a legal interpretation from the judicial system. Qualified immunity says that government workers doing their jobs cant be held financially accountable, most of the time, when something goes wrong. The result is that when regular people try to sue cops who hurt them, those two words become a justification for their claims going unanswered. Kimberly Kindy, national investigative reporter at the Washington Post, thinks that the way people think about qualified immunity started to change when a few extreme cases attracted national attention, involving public officials stealing from and sexually assaulting people and getting qualified immunity. Theres even a case where one officer warned others that a mentally ill man shouldnt be tased because hed doused himself with gasoline. The cops fired their tasers anyway, the man died, and the officers were granted immunity. These cases led to more people learning about qualified immunity and speaking up about it, yet the idea has gone nowhere on a major legislative level. When Congress tried to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, talks broke down when politicians started talking about ending qualified immunity, and the bill was scuttled. On Thursdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Kindy to find out why qualified immunity is hard to endand what happens when a local government ends it anyway. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Mary Harris: When did you first hear the words qualified immunity?

Kimberly Kindy: I first heard about it way back during the Ferguson protests. But after the death of George Floyd, people were showing up at protests with signs that said End qualified immunity. I remember just shaking my head and thinking, Wow, how did that go mainstream? Five years ago, I could only have a conversation about it with, say, an academic.

Lets talk about how this qualified immunity doctrine started in the first place. My understanding is this a constitutional protection, but its not in the Constitution. It was created by the Supreme Court. Can you explain how we started talking about police use of force and thinking about how we deal with it at the civil level?

Advertisement

So Congress, back in the 1800s, believed that citizens should be able to sue individual government workers who have violated somebodys constitutional rights. And so in that time, they passed a law that was then informally called the Ku Klux Klan Act. The motivation for was that there were a number of government workers who were aiding and abetting the Ku Klux Klan and the terrorist acts the group was committing against Black people. Congress decided there should be some legal path for people to bring civil lawsuits against government workers who are violating peoples constitutional rights. That was on the books for a very long time. Then in the 1960s a suit was brought that stemmed from a Freedom Riders case. SCOTUS said that officers, in that case, deserved some type of immunity when they were acting and doing things in the course of their job. With subsequent court rulings, the Supreme Court has continued to strengthen it.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Whats interesting to me is how, from the very beginning, the idea of police accountability was deeply tied up with race.

Advertisement

Exactly. The history can be traced back to racist acts and racism. Thats why you cant divorce that history: The courts stepped in and made it so that its really, really difficult to be able to do that very thing that Congress said should be a right of every citizen.

After qualified immunity was created by the Supreme Court, it started to be used as a defense in state courts too. The doctrine doesnt mean police officers cant be sued, just that they just have a decent legal defense once they get in front of a judge. Theres one more twist: In the 1980s, a Supreme Court ruling stated police should only be convicted if their behavior violates a clearly established precedent. So unless a similar case found that a certain behavior was wrong, its almost impossible to get a conviction. That creates a catch-22. No one is getting convicted because no one has been convicted before. And its led to some officers getting away with pretty egregious misconduct.

Advertisement

Advertisement

I think something people did not understand is that qualified immunity can be and is granted even when theres been a constitutional violation. The courts can grant qualified immunity to an officer before it even takes up the issue of whether or not there was a constitutional violation. Theres a pretty high-profile case people often point to from Fresno, California. There were officers that were accused of stealing rare coins and cash from some business owners. The business owners sued, and the court said that even though what the cops were being accused of was clear misconduct and morally wrong, that still did not mean they didnt have the right to qualified immunity.

For a long time, qualified immunity drew the attention of criminal justice reform advocates and pretty much no one else. But that changed after George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in 2020. For a moment, lawmakers around the country started taking a closer look at how they could limit the way this doctrine was used.

Advertisement

Advertisement

More than two dozen states introduced bills to either end or limit the use of qualified immunity in their state courts after Floyd was killed. It was a pretty significant number, but most of these bills were not successful. There were seven bills that ultimately passed. Two of them actually strengthened qualified immunity for officers in their states. But only one state out of all those, Colorado, actually passed a law that bans qualified immunity as a defense for individual officers. So you can sue individual officers, and they cannot claim that as a defense.

Advertisement

Four other states passed bills that tried to deal with the doctrine. In New Mexico, you cant sue individual officers, but you can sue their employers. So there is a legal path for people to get financial restitution if an officer violates their constitutional rightsthe county that employs that officer cant declare qualified immunity as a defense, but you cant go after the individual officers, like you can in Colorado. The other states that passed something on qualified immunity, they limited the use of it but did not straight-up ban it.

Advertisement

So how do they do that?

In some of these states, theres language that says something like, if the officer did not intend to violate somebodys constitutional rights, they still would be able to get qualified immunity.

That seems so squirrely, because whos to know what someone intended?

Right. Legal scholars have told me that its going to be very difficult to make use of that law because the burden is then placed on the plaintiff to prove what was going on inside the mind of the officer at the time. And its pretty rare that an officer would blurt out, I plan to violate your constitutional rights.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Looking at what ended up coming out of Colorados session, theres liability of just $25,000 for police officers who are successfully sued. I look at it and I wonder if that is a success. Its a really small amount.

Advertisement

Well, its still a significant chunk of change for somebody in law enforcement, particularly in some of these smaller departments. Theyre not making huge salaries. What this model would ultimately look like, if it prevailed in other states and if the officers were really held liable for the money damages, is that they would need to get insurance. If youre an officer who violated someones constitutional rights, your insurance would go up, and so the idea is that eventually you would get priced out of your job. If youre a rogue cop who keeps getting in trouble and your insurance rates keep going up, pretty soon youre not going to be able to be an officer.

Advertisement

In the year since it was passed, Colorados ban on qualified immunity hasnt had the earth-shaking impact that police claimed it might. Officers arent leaving the force in droves, recruitment numbers seem to be just fine, and theres been no deluge of misconduct lawsuits. Even so, Colorados law hasnt inspired much change in other states or on the federal level.

It has to be handled at the federal level. Unless the Supreme Court does something to change qualified immunity, or unless Congress does something to eradicate or limit it, people who decide to bring their cases to federal court are going to be facing the same obstacles as before. Just this week, the Supreme Court overturned two lower courts decisions and gave the officers involved qualified immunity. So its pretty clear thats not going to be the path for change.

Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts

Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday.
An aspirin a day was, for decades, believed to keep heart disease at bay, and older Americans out of the doctors office. But proposed recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force moved away from this piece of common wisdom last week.

Preliminary advice from the panel suggests that Americans over the age of 60 who havent had a heart attack or stroke should not take daily aspirin. The panel also advised that high-risk patients ages 40 to 59 who havent had a heart attack speak to a doctor before starting an aspirin regimen. The recommendations, which will be finalized in November at the earliest, follow a review of medical research, revealing that the risk of internal bleeding from taking regular aspirin appears to outweigh the benefits in those groups. The directive against daily aspirin for many people might seem like a bit of a flip-flopaspirin is good! Wait, now its bad! But delving into the history of aspirins use for heart attacks makes it clear that the shift has been a lot more gradual than that.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Aspirin, in some form, has been used to treat pain for thousands of years. One of the earliest known instances of aspirin being recruited to prevent heart disease occurred during the 1950s, when Lawrence Craven, a California physician, noticed that children who chewed on aspirin-infused gum had bleeding complications. Craven figured that the drugs blood thinning effects could be harnessed to ward off heart attacks. Craven asked all his healthy male patients between the ages of 45 and 65 to take a daily aspirin. Within the same decade, he published three research articles determining that aspirin warded off heart attack and stroke. (Its been reported that Craven asked patients whod recovered from a heart attack to take an aspirin as well.)

Advertisement

Though Craven and other physicians prescribed aspirin off-label as a preventative, larger, more robust clinical investigations of aspirins effect on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease didnt begin until the 1970s and 1980s. (Primary prevention refers to medical intervention in patients at risk for a heart attack or stroke but who havent had one.) It was around that time that doctors also began giving aspirin as soon as they could after a heart attack. Also in the 80s, the Food and Drug Administration issued two important authorizations for aspirin use: In 1980, aspirin was approved for preventing future strokes in folks whod already had one, and in 1985, the same endorsement was announced for people whod had heart attacks. During the early 1990s, the American College of Chest Physicians recommended that aspirin be used for preventing the first heart attack or stroke in people over the age of 50. And, in 1995, the Physicians Health Study, which began in 1982, released its findings that a low-dose aspirin did in fact decrease the risk of the first heart attack.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Since then, the need for aspirin as a stroke and heart attack preventative has declined as medicine has gotten better at stopping them from happening in the first place. Were now doing a much better job of controlling blood pressure, of controlling cholesterolmaybe even, you know, to a certain extent controlling diabetes and fewer people are smoking, said Donald Lloyd-Jones, a cardiologist and volunteer president of the American Heart Association. With those risk factors under better control, people who havent had a heart attack just dont need aspirin.

In the early 2000s, when somebody came to me and said, Well, I want to reduce my risk of having a heart attack or stroke, aspirin would be one of the first things to discuss, said Salim Virani, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Now it is like the third or the fourth thing.

Advertisement

Theres been mixed evidence on aspirin for a while now, with some doctors arguing against recommending it for everyone in older age groups as early as 2012like primary care doctor Michael Tam did in the Conversation. The doubt got a boost in 2018 when three large-scale clinical trials, including a total of more than 47,000 participants, solidified the idea that daily aspirin isnt a perfectly harmless healthy habit. These studies, which looked at people who had never had a heart attack, compared aspirin takers against a group that got a placebo. Researchers tracked major cardiovascular events, as well as the number of participants who experienced major bleeding. This kind of bleeding typically occurs in the stomach or head and, in some cases, requires hospitalization or a blood transfusion, or can cause death. There are a couple ways aspirin can contribute to these events, explains Lloyd-Jones: Aspirin can cause bleeding in the GI tract by directly irritating the lining of the stomach, or by potentiating something that is already bleeding, because aspirin slows the bloods ability to clot.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

One of the studies, which focused on older adults, found that, in general, using aspirin for primary prevention significantly increased the risk of major bleeding, while having minimal effect on the risk of heart disease. A second study looking at patients with diabetes concluded that aspirin was useful in preventing any serious cardiovascular complications, but it caused major bleeding. Not everyone is at the same risk of that happening. The risk of bleeding depends on many things, like whether there is a history of bleeding [and] what other medications a patient may be taking, says Lloyd-Jones. But the outcomes prompted the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology to issue their own recommendations, which Virani helped write, against the blanket use of aspirin for primary prevention in 2019.

Advertisement

Aspirin isnt inherently dangerous, but the risks need to be weighed against potential benefits. Its important to emphasize that this proposed recommendation change focuses on primary prevention. For people whove had a heart attack, a stroke, a stent placed, or bypass surgery, the risk calculus changes a bit. They need more aggressive blood thinning, since they have heart disease and a higher risk of experiencing a future heart attack or stroke. In most cases, this outweighs the risk of bleeding, explained Lloyd-Jones.

While theres always the possibility of new evidence, it would make sense if the recommendations have shifted away from aspirin-for-everyone for good. For primary prevention, aspirin may well have run its life course, said Lloyd-Jones. Were really understanding, if we take away the fuel that creates plaques in our arteriesthat is what leads to heart attacks and strokesthen we dont need the safety net of aspirin anymore.
This article is part of the Free Speech Project, a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech.

No, I cant get much time for my idols.  I have to invest my life in the revolution, said Kelvin, a 19-year-old democratic activist in Myanmar. (Like others in this piece, he is being referred to here by a pseudonym for his safety.) The erstwhile K-pop superfan first learned strategies for social media organizing and amplification via tireless campaigns to get his idols to trend on Twitter.

Now, he devotes all of his timeand digital coordination and influence skillsto fighting online for free speech and democracy in his home country. He and fellow activists live in constant fear of being kidnapped in the middle of the night by the military junta, but they continue to organize tens of thousands of people to spread awareness about ongoing injustices across Myanmar.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Three characteristics define Kelvin and his fellows. First, they are young. Kelvin and the other administrators of their widely popular social media group, which has a significant presence across Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, range in age from 17 to 21. Second, they heavily rely on encrypted messaging apps like Telegram for coordination purposes because they consider them more securefree from the prying eyes of the junta. Finally, and perhaps most uniquely, they are all K-pop stans who have temporarily hung up their fan hats to fight for democratic revolution.

Encrypted messaging apps, particularly Telegram, are currently top of mind for researchers and journalists concerned about disinformation. Telegram had already made a reputation for providing an alternative for extremists chased off more mainstream platforms such as Twitter over the course of 201617. Since 2018, Europol has been cracking down massively on ISIS on Telegram. But however, law enforcement officials admit that new groups of various extreme ideologies pop up regularly on the platform. For instance, it captured headlines following the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. Mis- and disinformation on encrypted messaging apps have become particularly dangerous in the global COVID-19 pandemic. In response, WhatsApp, for example, has intervened by limiting message forwarding and notifying users when theyve received viral messages, though its unclear whether this truly limits the spread of disinformation, even if it slows it down. Research does suggest, however, that flagging content as potentially misleading or wrong can deter people from spreading the content further.

Advertisement

Encrypted spaces like Telegram and Signal can provide a home for those on the margins.

But activists in authoritarian countries utilize these platforms to organize in a clandestine manner. Many well-intentioned proposals to limit these apps usefulness to extremists and disinformation merchants could also hurt this activism. In our ongoing research, we found that formerly (self-described) apolitical influencers in Myanmar have turned activists and are now leveraging encrypted messaging apps to organize opponents of the military junta but also to find and share legitimate news. Crucially, they bring the tech knowledge they built as fans to bear on a whole new set of issuesand the influence strategies often involve actions a company like Facebook might flag as inauthentic coordinated behavior. In the fight against the global spread of propaganda and disinformation, it is critical to remember there are many places in the world where social mediaand particularly encrypted messaging apps and other closed communication servicescontinue to allow democratic activists and others to organize more safely and securely. The strategies of Myanmar K-pop activists mirror digital information manipulation efforts, which reveals something important: The people who are using these tools, and the ends toward which they use them, matter very much.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been ruled almost exclusively by the military since British colonizers left the Southeast Asian country in the late 1930s. From 20152021, it had a civilian government, headed by internationally renowned figure Aung San Suu Kyi. Yet this interim period of fledgling democracy failed to last. Free speech in the country continues to be basically inexistent. The online information environment is highly polluted with disinformation and trolling from the suppressive military regime. Meanwhile, sporadic internet shutdowns further corrode the already limited amounts of information.

Advertisement

Because of these things, skilled digital organizers like Kelvinwith their knowledge of anonymity as well as their cross-platform information gathering and amplification abilitiesare instrumental in fighting for democracy in the country.

Advertisement

Due to the legacy of Free Basics in Myanmar, an internet initiative that provided users with free (limited) internet in exchange for creating a Facebook account, Facebook still dominates internet use in Myanmarbut that doesnt make it safe. Moreover, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are now all blocked in Myanmar, so citizens have to hide their IP addresses using virtual private networks in order to use them. Our administrators organize on Facebook and Telegram, Kelvin told us. Telegram is safer for us, so most of the time we always discuss hashtags and taglines on Telegram. Telegram, meanwhile, does not require a VPN. Bethany said, I dont bring my phone when I go out. Cause if they check Facebook Messenger, I would be sentenced for life.

Advertisement

For Kelvins group, organizing is multifaceted and multiplatform. He and his collaborators share clear guidelines for their followers on how to use Twitter effectively (including changing location and using a VPN). They create specific hashtags to use in mass trending parties, in which they all message at once to make important information trend, and coordinate times for these events. Some Burmese activists do not feel safe using Facebook at all. Bethany said she uses Telegram because she is able to delete messages on her end and the recipients end as well, and only uses Facebook with a fake name. Telegram features afford her more safety and security than anything available on Facebook.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In Myanmar, Telegram is not only safer from the surveilling eye of the military than Facebook and Twitter, but also a safer space for reading and fact-checking news. This is an invaluable feature for K-pop activists, as a major piece of democratic activism for people like Kelvin and Bethany is the spread of real news in an information desert. Kelvin gets his news from Indonesian media outlets on Telegram and Signal (they always give the true information to us, he says), and uses these platforms to share Burmese news as well.

Advertisement

Kelvin also said that although there is false information spreading on encrypted messaging apps, he is able to fact-check and correct misinformation by reaching out directly to the post owner, and then communicate this verified information with his followers. Bethany, meanwhile, created a Google Drive of information about the human rights violations in Myanmar, and uses Telegram to both do her research and share what she has compiled. She is of the opinion, moreover, that the false information in Myanmar is more on Facebook than Telegram. Limits to Telegram and other encrypted messaging apps would cut these democratic activists off from activism and trustworthy information, which is in very short supply in Myanmar.

Advertisement

Advertisement

K-pop stans in Myanmar and the United States are similar in that they use strategies cultivated for promoting their musical idols to organize for serious political action. Last year, for instance, K-pop fans organized a widespread initiative where thousands reserved tickets to Donald Trumps June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then didnt show, leaving an almost 19,000 capacity venue largely vacant. K-pop activists in Myanmar differ in their specific political goals and the platforms they use to achieve them, relying on private chat spaces in addition to public forums such as Twitter or TikTok like those who organized the Trump rally buyout. Trevor, an academic in South Korea who writes on K-pop, told us that [K-pop] is being used by other people  all these different groups from around the world were able to put on this mask of K-pop and use it in their own cultural milieu and environment.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Encrypted spaces like Telegram and Signal can provide a home for those on the marginswho need anonymity and security to thrive. It is the who of groups operating in the margins that bears consideringparticularly when it comes to future policy in these spaces. How can democratic uses of these apps be preserved while mitigating harmful ones? In the United States, Telegram has become a home for some violent and racist groups who have been deplatformed elsewhere. In Myanmar, democratic activists would have trouble operating without the very same platform. So, while it is easy to concentrate on the utilization of encrypted messaging apps by white supremacists and propagandists to coordinate disinformation campaigns, spread racist ideology, and call for violence, it is dangerous to have one narrative dominate the entire discourse on regulatory steps.

Advertisement

Instead, researchers and policymakers should think critically about how our interventions prioritize the Western perspective and Western fears about informational issues. K-pop stans, far from mere fan girls and boys, have brought to light an essential issue in the growing problem of disinformation in encrypted spaces. While it has become increasingly clear that measures to intervene to stop the spread of disinformation by legislative and private (technology companies) actors are necessary, regulatory attempts rarely recognize the granularity of usage patterns around the world. Research and dialogue with people outside of the United States is necessary in order to understand what encryption affords to those living under dangerous regimes or in dangerous areas. Different parts of the globe face different issuesand our policies for managing issues should reflect as much. For instance, the regularly surfacing calls for back doors for law enforcement into encrypted spaces or recent calls for banning anonymous social media accounts induce chills among people working hard for (some) freedom of speech in authoritarian regimes, such as Myanmar. As Kelvin told us, Please hear us, we are living in the darkest area. So, all you can do, all you can bring justice for us. Please supply the true information of what is happening in our country.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
ARCHIVED - The first driverless air taxi takes flight in Spain



The air taxi could be operating in Spain as early as 2024

Spains first fully autonomous air taxi, developed by Tecnalia, will be unveiled at the Expodronica fair, which is being held in Madrid on October 26, 27 and 28. The unique vehicle will be presented by UMILES, Spains first provider of remotely piloted aircraft services.

The companies have already applied for certification for the air taxi and are confident that it will be the first vertical take-off aircraft to fly across Spain carrying passengers. The prototype can transport loads of up to 15 kilograms and is capable of covering urban distances of up to 15 kilometres in approximately 15 minutes, travelling at a speed of around 90 kilometres per hour. With climate change and sustainable transport constantly on the agenda at the moment, the air taxi could be the way forward for city travel in Spain.

Tecnalia has insisted that their air taxi offers ultimate comfort. The aerodynamic cabin measures 1.8 metres by 2 metres and features a rear door and window, while the four drones based at the bottom of the aircraft ensure a smooth ride even in the most adverse weather conditions. Thanks to an advanced control system, these drones move independently but in coordination with each other, guaranteeing stability and precision.

Joseba Lasa, one of those responsible for the development of the aircraft, explained that the main novelty of the Tecnalia taxi is that it allows the cabin to maintain its own orientation regardless of speed, a clear advantage over conventional drones and current "air taxi" applications. This feature enhances the flight experience, creating a feeling similar to that of a car or bus.

The final product will be fully autonomous and will have precise take-off and landing capabilities in confined spaces, such as car parks.

It is expected that, depending on European legislation, this Spanish air taxi prototype may enter into operation in 2024.

Image: Tecnalia
Yet Slovakia belongs among countries with lowest poverty risk rates in Europe.

News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription.

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled

More than one tenth of Slovakias population are at a risk of poverty.

The statistics of the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) show that 615,000 people, about 11.4 percent of the population, are at risk of poverty. Together with Czechia and Finland, Slovakia belongs among European countries with the lowest poverty risk rates.

While Czechia is the country with the lowest poverty depth, Slovakia ranks 25.2 percent on this indicator, which is somewhat above the EU 24 average of 24.5 percent.

That means that there are more families in Slovakia that have income further away from the poverty line, NBS reported as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Childless couples the best off

Households facing the lowest risks of poverty are composed of just two adults. On the other hand, the largest poverty risks are faced by households with three or more children, single parents with young children and individuals over the age of 65.

In comparison with the average of 27 EU member states, poverty risks in Slovakia are lower by five percentage points. The most resilient households are those with individuals below the age of 65, two adults and no children, from which at least one individual is over the age of 65.

Even though there is a relative difference between the wages and pensions of men and women in Slovakia, single women face a 3.5 percentage point lower risk of poverty than single men.

Marginalised communities

In comparison with the EU, households with single parents and at least one dependent child face an above-average risk of poverty. The poverty risks of a family with three or more children are threefold compared to families with just one child.

In a household comprised of two adults and two or more dependent children, there is a significant risk of poverty compared to other EU member states, with a score of 14 percentage points higher. One result of this is that when sorting by age, the group most at risk of poverty are children up to the age of 17.

In Slovakia, families with three or more children, particularly those coming from a worse socio-economic background, tend to belong to marginalised Roma communities as well. The risk of poverty in marginalised Roma communities, in comparison to the rest of the population, is higher by 76 percentage points, with children up to the age of 17 from this background also facing the most risks.

Since 2015, there has been a decrease in the risk of poverty for households composed of individuals up to the age of 65, and couples with 2 dependent children. The most striking poverty risks only became worse for individuals over the age of 65 and single people.
The reform is made up of three main laws that have been already approved by parliament.

News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription.

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled

Education Minister Branislav Grohling (SaS) announced a substantial reform that should move the Slovak education system into the 21st century. The reform is made up of three main laws that have been already approved by parliament.

Reform months

The reform includes the amendment of the school law, the law on pedagogic and expert employees, and the law on expert education and preparation.

Thanks to the amendments, it will be possible to digitalise the education system, support inclusive education and improve the education of teachers.

The amendments of these three laws are the basis for reforms in the education system. The minister added that there will be a total of 100 changes.
The Covid vaccine booster will be available for more people starting Monday. Education system reform is about to start.

News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription.

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled

Good evening. Catch up on the main news of the day in less than five minutes with the Thursday, October 21 edition of Today in Slovakia. We wish you a pleasant read.

Education Ministry kicks off big reform

Education Minister Branislav Grohling (SaS) (Source: SITA)

The Education Ministry is ready to launch a reform that should bring the education system in Slovakia into the 21st century, Minister Branislav Grohling (SaS) said.

The reform is made up of an amendment to the school law and laws on pedagogic and expert employees, and expert education and preparation.

These amendments aim to change the school curriculum, digitalise the education system, support inclusive education and improve the education of teachers.

The largest reform months in the education system await us, the minister said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

State sent first aid money to shell companies

Illustrative stock photo (Source: TASR)

Slovakia sent millions of euros in pandemic first aid to shell companies, the Investigative Centre of Jan Kuciak reported.

Up to 24 million was likely sent in public money to suspicious companies who do not file final accounts. It is not clear whether they have employees, and several owe money in taxes.

The Labour Ministry did not specify for the investigation centre if these companies will face consequences and how the control mechanism works.

The Investigative Centre asked how these companies could request money from the ministry when they did not submit financial statements or only did so many years ago.

Coronavirus and vaccination news

European Covid map (Source: ECDC)

Central and eastern Slovakia is in the dark-red tier on the map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The colour signalises the highest possible risk of infection .

on the map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The colour signalises . 3,091 people were newly diagnosed as Covid positive out of 14,273 PCR tests performed on Wednesday. The number of people in hospitals has increased to 1,052 people. 11 more deaths were reported on Wednesday. The vaccination rate is at 45.22 percent; 2,487,216 people have received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here.

out of 14,273 PCR tests performed on Wednesday. The number of people in hospitals has increased to 1,052 people. 11 more deaths were reported on Wednesday. The vaccination rate is at 45.22 percent; 2,487,216 people have received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here. With All Saints' Day approaching, experts are relying on people's responsibility. They recommended that people reconsider travelling to graves and families . They do not recommend travelling to districts that are in the dark-red or black tiers.

. They do not recommend travelling to districts that are in the dark-red or black tiers. From Monday, registration for the third dose of the Covid vaccine will start for people over 55, people with chronic diseases or people in high-risk occupations . 6,400 people have already been vaccinated with the third dose so far. The state has also begun vaccinating health professionals and social workers.

. 6,400 people have already been vaccinated with the third dose so far. The state has also begun vaccinating health professionals and social workers. Slovakia's group of experts will not recommend lifting the rules for vaccinated people in the black-tier districts. In the black-tier districts, even the vaccinated cannot go to restaurants or gyms, for example.

Photo of the day

An unusual guest was seen on the Senianske ponds in eastern Slovakia - the Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus). It has stopped at this site several times in the past, but it is always an unusual observation, said SOS/BirdLife Slovakia, an organisation dedicated to the protection of birds.

Feature story for today

MEP Martin Hojsik believes that the high prices of electricity and gas on the market aren't due to the system of emission permits or the fact that the EU is pushing for zero-emission energy production. He rather sees Russia as the culprit and believes the planned changes are an opportunity for the EU to avoid similar situations in the future.

Russia, not emission allowances, is to blame for electricity and gas prices Read more

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.

In other news

The secondary school leaving exam , called Maturita in Slovakia, will not be cancelled this year in schools , said Education Minister Branislav Grohling. The Maturita has not taken place in the past two years due to the pandemic. However, since a certain percentage of pupils and teachers are vaccinated, it can take place this year, according to the minister.

, called Maturita in Slovakia, , said Education Minister Branislav Grohling. The Maturita has not taken place in the past two years due to the pandemic. However, since a certain percentage of pupils and teachers are vaccinated, it can take place this year, according to the minister. The statistics of the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) show that 615,000 people, about 11.4 percent of the population, are at risk of poverty . Together with Czechia and Finland, Slovakia belongs among the European countries with the lowest poverty risk rates.

. Together with Czechia and Finland, Slovakia belongs among the European countries with the lowest poverty risk rates. Medline postponed the launch of production of its new plant in Partizanske to April of the next year. The American producer of surgery kits reasoned the delay with its plans to widen the plant, the mayor of the town said.

in Partizanske to April of the next year. The American producer of surgery kits reasoned the delay with its plans to widen the plant, the mayor of the town said. The Bratislava City Council has approved strict rules for street advertising . In some places, it will not be possible to install new billboards. Advertisements should not obstruct the view of the city, its landmarks and valuable objects.

. In some places, it will not be possible to install new billboards. Advertisements should not obstruct the view of the city, its landmarks and valuable objects. Former SIS counterintelligence chief Peter Gasparovic and ex-police officer Ladislav Vican are guilty of accepting a bribe in the phase of preparation, the Specialized Criminal Court has ruled. Gasparovic should serve an 11-year sentence and pay a fine of 50,000. Vican should serve a 10-year sentence and pay 40,000. They both appealed.

of accepting a bribe in the phase of preparation, the Specialized Criminal Court has ruled. Gasparovic should serve an 11-year sentence and pay a fine of 50,000. Vican should serve a 10-year sentence and pay 40,000. They both appealed. The biggest Slovak producer of mattresses, Materasso Slovakia, plans to build a new plant in Oravske Vesele for more than 5 million. This will enable the company to produce matresses with higher-added value and to fulfil the orders more operatively. Construction should start in May 2022.

for more than 5 million. This will enable the company to produce matresses with higher-added value and to fulfil the orders more operatively. Construction should start in May 2022. Twitter recently bought the communication software Sphere, which transforms groups into vibrant communities. The software was developed by Slovak Tomas Halgas and Briton Nick DAloisio.

Do not miss on Spectator.sk today

New Low Tatras attraction fascinates and worries hikers Read more

Some petrol stations report a shortage of fluid for diesel engines. Minister says no cars will have to remain parked Read more

In a rich English family, she had to shower an eight-year-old. What followed surprised her even more Read more

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
https://sputniknews.com/20211020/hundreds-of-netflix-employees-walk-out-in-trans-rights-protest-amid-continued-chappelle-fallout-1090085240.html

Hundreds of Netflix Employees Walk Out in Trans Rights Protest Amid Continued Chappelle Fallout

Hundreds of Netflix Employees Walk Out in Trans Rights Protest Amid Continued Chappelle Fallout

Several hundred Netflix employees walked out of their offices in protest on Wednesday over the media companys handling of complaints about a Dave Chappelle... 20.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-20T23:34+0000

2021-10-20T23:34+0000

2021-10-20T23:34+0000

transgender

netflix

us

comedy

trans rights

davechappelle

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/14/1090085215_0:0:2875:1617_1920x0_80_0_0_9841b41bfca09ca1f92a06969c60f2d5.jpg

The virtual walkout occurred at Netflixs Vine Street offices in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, and coincided with an in-person protest outside the offices that was attended by hundreds of people. It had been planned since last week, when three trans employees were temporarily suspended and CEO Ted Sarandos made several public statements repudiating claims that transphobic content leads to real-world harm.The media company has already fired the lead organizer of the protest, allegedly for leaking confidential information to the press.Several prominent trans figures also came to the rally and spoke, including Ashlee Marie Preston, a Black trans activist who is editor of Wear Your Voice Magazine. Prior to the protest, Preston joined other LGBTQ figures, many of whom have done shows with Netflix or that have been streamed by Netflix, including Peppermint, Jonathan Van Ness, Angelica Ross, Mason Alexander Park, Jameela Jamil and Colton Haynes, in a video expressing and explaining their solidarity with the Netflix employees struggle.A much smaller group of counter-protesters carried signs that said we like jokes and chanted Dave is funny, jokes are funny.Netflix issued a statement on Wednesday ahead of the walkout acknowledging the deep hurt thats been caused.Employees Demand More Trans ContentThe employees have sent a letter to Sarandos detailing a list of demands in the wake of his refusal to remove the Chappelle special, titled The Closer, from Netflixs online streaming service. However, removal is notably absent from the letter, according to The Verge, which obtained a copy.Their demands include additional funding to develop trans talent; adding an amount of trans and nonbinary content to balance it out with transphobic content; revising internal processes on the release of potentially harmful content; adding a disclaimer to programs that contain harmful content; and recruiting trans and nonbinary leadership, including content executives. They also ask the company to acknowledge the harm its caused by airing transphobic content, especially to Black trans women.In an interview with Variety on Tuesday, Sarandos seemed amenable to some of their demands, including increasing funding for trans and nonbinary content. However, he continued to reject the assertion that Chappelles jokes, which hinged on the idea that trans women are actually men, could cause real-world harm.Judge Grilled for Supporting Trans RightsHowever, those same ideas also made an appearance on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as Holly Thomas appeared for a confirmation hearing for her appointment to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) challenged Thomas for a brief she filed in 2016 against a bathroom bill that would have barred trans people from using the bathroom of their gender. They cited an alleged incident in Virginia in which a person, claimed by opponents to be trans but whose gender identity has not been actually verified, sexually assaulted two girls in the school bathroom after the district adopted a trans-inclusive bathroom policy.Also on Wednesday, LGBTQ news site Them reported that a man had recently been charged for the August murder of a Latina trans woman named Zoella Rose Martinez, and that a Black trans woman named Royal Poetical Starz had been found shot to death more than 20 times in her vehicle.

us

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

transgender, netflix, us, comedy, trans rights, davechappelle
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/bojos-net-zero-strategy-new-taxes--insufficient-investments-cast-doubt-on-build-back-greener-plan-1090079968.html

BoJo's Net Zero Strategy: New Taxes & Insufficient Investments Cast Doubt on Build Back Greener Plan

BoJo's Net Zero Strategy: New Taxes & Insufficient Investments Cast Doubt on Build Back Greener Plan

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out his new climate strategy on how to deliver on the commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. At the end... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T04:45+0000

2021-10-21T04:45+0000

2021-10-21T04:45+0000

boris johnson

world

opinion

climate change

nuclear plant

fossil fuels

renewable energy

transition

green economy

uk

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/0b/1089846973_0:321:3071:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_7c0bd36f0ec90837a3a6a1a081870ddc.jpg

BoJo's 368-page net zero strategy envisages dramatic changes to the country's transportation, electricity consumption, and heating. It includes an expansion of electric vehicles and charging points, further development of offshore wind turbines, as well as investments in at least one nuclear power station. However, the Treasury has warned about the necessity of new tax increases to meet the programme's goals.Tax Increases May Prompt Public ProtestsNet zero is a great economic opportunity, and there is little doubt the total benefit is higher than the total cost, but there are also good reasons to take Boris Johnson's Net Zero Strategy with a grain of salt, believes Dr Renaud Foucart, senior lecturer at Lancaster University Management School.HM Treasury's review of BoJo's plan warns that the transition to a green economy has "material fiscal consequences". The biggest impact will come from the erosion of tax revenues from fossil fuel-related activity, according to the ministry, which forecasts that the government will lose tens of billions in revenues from fossil fuel taxes. Currently, tax revenues from fossil fuel duty amount to 30 billion ($41.4 billion) a year.The review further explains that "any temporary revenues from expanded carbon pricing" won't "be sufficient to offset the structural decline in tax revenues", though being important in supporting the transition. The government "may need to consider changes to existing taxes and new sources of revenue" throughout the transition, the paper emphasises.However, the government has already raised the taxes "to unprecedented levels", mostly on the young and the middle class, argues Foucart. It is unclear how the British government will react to public discontent with additional taxes, according to him: "At the moment it is still fine to blame the pandemic, but in five years?" he asks. Moreover, the academic does not rule out that Britons could resort to protests akin to those held by the Yellow Vests in France.'Underfunding Will Lead to Much Greater Costs'Meanwhile, the UK government's investments in the new bold strategy don't seem sufficient, according to Professor Alex de Ruyter, a regional economist at Birmingham City University and director of the Centre for Brexit Studies.According to UK officials, 26 billion ($35.9 billion) of funding towards the green plans would come from the public sector from 2021 to 2025. In addition, 60 billion ($82.9 billion) are expected from the private sector, The Guardian notes. However, the media outlet deems that it's not enough: "the policy announced at the Labour partys recent conference, of investing 28 billion [$38.7 billion] a year on green measures until 2030, would have taken the UK further, faster", argues the daily's editorial."It is unclear precisely how the 60 billion of private sector funding will be 'unlocked'", de Ruyter says. "Presumably a large part of this will relate to a small number of nuclear power plants".The British government promised to create up to 440,000 jobs. However, this figure is "misleading", as it "includes jobs that transition", according to the economist. In this sense, it would be more accurate to claim that it "supports" rather than creates these jobs, argues de Ruyter. In addition, the words up to are doing a lot of heavy lifting in this sentence, he remarks.

https://sputniknews.com/20211017/boris-johnson-chancellor-sunak-reportedly-at-odds-over-cost-of-uk-moving-to-carbon-free-economy-1089979361.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211020/more-pick-and-mix-than-substantial-meal-british-net-zero-strategy-panned-amid-planned-tax-hikes-1090060975.html

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

boris johnson, world, opinion, climate change, nuclear plant, fossil fuels, renewable energy, transition, green economy, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/coeval-of-dinosaurs-100-mln-year-old-amber-reveals-one-of-the-oldest-crabs-ever-known-1090088066.html

Coeval of Dinosaurs: 100-Mln-Year-Old Amber Reveals One of the Oldest Crabs Ever Known

Coeval of Dinosaurs: 100-Mln-Year-Old Amber Reveals One of the Oldest Crabs Ever Known

The 55-millimeter crab was discovered in Southeast Asia's rainforests and is the first dinosaur-era creature of this species yet unearthed. 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T02:58+0000

2021-10-21T02:58+0000

2021-10-21T02:58+0000

research

crab

tech

paleontology

amber

harvard

crab

evolution

research

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090088420_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_bd1933f0bdc372be0672887f7749c98f.jpg

The first-ever remains of an ancient tiny crab have been unearthed, encased in amber for 100 million years, making it the oldest modern-looking crab ever discovered, an international team of researchers revealed on Wednesday in Science Advances magazine.According to the paper, nonmarine crabs first appeared on land and in freshwater about 75 to 50 million years ago, based on previous fossil records, which mostly consist of bits and pieces of claws.Researchers at Harvard University and the China University of Geosciences, as well as 10 other collaborators who studied the ancient amber, did not believe at first sight that the crustacean trapped inside could assist in filling a critical gap in crab evolution. The research team believes their discovery marks the earliest evidence of "true crab" (in contrast to "false crabs" such as hermit crabs) incursions into non-marine environments.According to the scientists, the Cretaceous Crab Revolution  when crabs expanded globally and began evolving into their distinctive, crabby-looking body shapes  occurred more frequently than previously assumed. This latest study takes the total number of times various crab species have evolved to dwell outside their marine home to at least 12, according to the press release.Cretapsara athanata, or "the immortal Cretaceous spirit of the clouds and waters," was the name given to the new fossil. The name pays homage to its history as well as mythological spirits from South and Southeast Asia. The specimen was discovered by miners in Myanmar in 2015, and it was recently shared with the Longyin Amber Museum in China, which allowed the Harvard team to examine it further. During the study, Luque and his team employed micro-CT scans, which allowed them to see the delicate tissues of the crab's antennae, legs, and mouthparts, which are lined with fine hair, huge compound eyes, and even its gills in detail.The crab could have been a freshwater juvenile species or a semi-terrestrial juvenile crab, according to the researchers. It could have traveled from the sea to land, similar to the famed Christmas Island red crabs, which discharge their offspring into the ocean before returning to shore."The discovery provides new insights into the evolution of these crustaceans and when they spread around the world," Luque concluded.

Preterist-ADSeventy But saltwater crabs in Florida, USA migrate on dry land to mate then return to the saltwater after theyre done mating. Similar to the sea turtles laying their eggs in the sand on the beaches. 0

1

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

research, crab, tech, paleontology, amber, harvard, crab, evolution, research
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/dengue-fever-engulfs-delhi-with-surge-in-cases-among-children-1090092732.html

Dengue Fever Engulfs Delhi, With Surge in Cases Among Children

Dengue Fever Engulfs Delhi, With Surge in Cases Among Children

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that generally occurs in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The Dengue mosquito (Aedes aegypti) larvae breed... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T11:20+0000

2021-10-21T11:20+0000

2021-10-21T11:20+0000

delhi

dengue fever

india

dengue

arvind kejriwal

covid-19

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089131034_0:97:1040:682_1920x0_80_0_0_15979b4518f7eb394657fb2273e46fc8.jpg

Amid the declining number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi, the Dengue outbreak has caused havoc in India's capital.Many government hospitals are struggling to tackle the growing number of dengue cases in Delhi. Earlier this week, a 35-year-old woman from South Delhi succumbed to dengue and became the first fatality due to the vector-borne disease reported in the city this year. Hospitals like Safdarjung Hospital, GTB Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital, Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, and LNJP Hospital are swamped with dengue cases. Some patients are reportedly forced to share beds or lie on the floor of these hospitals in order to get treatment.Some doctors also revealed that there has been a huge rise in dengue among children since last month. The doctors are concerned, as the severity of dengue this year is comparatively worse than last year. According to the Dengue outbreak report by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), 1,269 dengue cases were reported last year. According to a report Delhi's civic body released on Monday, one death due to dengue and 723 dengue cases had been recorded as of 16 October. Reportedly, it is the highest case count since 2018 for the same period. In the month of October, over 380 dengue cases were reported, which is the highest number of cases recorded so far in a month this year. Dr. Pandit said that the common symptoms like lack of appetite, headaches, backache, vomiting, and nausea for three to four days shouldn't be ignored. Platelets start declining after five days of recurrent fever. He also informed that the majority of the patients are young men and women in the age group of 18-30 years. The symptoms of vector-borne diseases like Malaria, dengue, and chikungunya are accompanied by high fever and doctors are concerned that people might suspect of having contracted COVID-19 which may delay the right diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, the civic bodies, as well as the state authorities, have intensified measures to tackle the outbreak across Delhi.

delhi

india

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Sushmita Panda https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926186_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_4474d0d7e27a36878eb8727832be74b4.jpg

Sushmita Panda https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926186_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_4474d0d7e27a36878eb8727832be74b4.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

Sushmita Panda https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926186_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_4474d0d7e27a36878eb8727832be74b4.jpg

delhi, dengue fever, india, dengue, arvind kejriwal, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/erdogan-says-turkey-will-recoup-14-bn-paid-to-us-over-scrapped-f-35-deal-one-way-or-another-1090101024.html

Erdogan Says Turkey Will Recoup $1.4 Bn Paid to US Over Scrapped F-35 Deal 'One Way or Another'

Erdogan Says Turkey Will Recoup $1.4 Bn Paid to US Over Scrapped F-35 Deal 'One Way or Another'

As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed last weekend that negotiations between Turkey and the US were continuing on Ankaras purchase of F-16 fighter jets... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T13:31+0000

2021-10-21T13:31+0000

2021-10-21T13:31+0000

recep tayyip erdogan

news

turkey

f-35

s-400

f-16

tayyip erdogan

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107698/94/1076989455_0:13:1281:733_1920x0_80_0_0_a8d06eee3cea2c65fd30f909f2212763.jpg

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has voiced optimism regarding the outcome of talks between Turkey and the United States regarding the sale of Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighter jets, Anadolu agency reported on Thursday.Furthermore, Ankara is hopeful that it will be recouped for the $1.4 billion it paid to acquire F-35 stealth fighters from Washington, also produced by the Lockheed Martin company. "I believe we will make progress. We will of course talk about this with (U.S. President) Biden at the G20 meeting in Rome", said Erdogan, in a reference to the event slated for 30-31 October.The Turkish governments $2.5 billion deal signed in December 2017 with Russia to purchase its S-400 surface-to-air missiles had triggered a conflict between the US and its NATO partner Turkey.Washington argued that the S-400 air missile systems could be used by Russia to covertly obtain classified details on the Lockheed Martin F-35 jets. It also claimed they were incompatible with NATO systems.Thus, Washington expelled Turkey from the F-35 stealth fighter jet project, which also includes seven remaining partners: the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, Canada and Norway.In defence of its deal with Russia, Turkey, which had helped fund the development of the stealth jet, insisted that the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems and would not pose a threat to the alliance.After the deal was scrapped, Turkey said it was considering the possibility of expanding its fleet and upgrading existing F-16 military aircraft as an alternative."Our first choice is to buy the F-35, and this is our right. If the crisis with the United States is overcome, Turkey will re-enter the program and we will receive our F-35s. If the problem is not solved, we will continue to search for alternatives. The expansion of the existing fleet of F-16s and their modernization can be considered an alternative. Depending on the conditions, a final decision will be made based on our needs," Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalyn said in an interview with Milliyet newspaper.He also underscored that Turkey's exclusion from the F-35 program is "completely illegal and unfair," as Turkey had already paid the United States $1.4 billion for participation in the program.

Ladyshadow good luck Turkey, the US of lie, cheat and steal are well versed on how to screw their allies. 6

Kiwi Once US get their hands on your money, you'll never see it again. Ask Venezuela. And Iran. 6

9

turkey

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

recep tayyip erdogan, news, turkey, f-35, s-400, f-16, tayyip erdogan
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/german-defence-chief-warns-europe-against-detaching-from-america-nato-in-wake-of-afghan-debacle-1090109923.html

German Defence Chief Warns Europe Against Detaching From America & NATO in Wake of Afghan Debacle

German Defence Chief Warns Europe Against Detaching From America & NATO in Wake of Afghan Debacle

Following the unexpected 15 August collapse of the Afghan government and defence forces, European nations led by France began pushing for more strategic... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T17:55+0000

2021-10-21T17:55+0000

2021-10-21T18:58+0000

european army

nato

annegret kramp-karrenbauer

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/1c/1083742018_0:118:1400:906_1920x0_80_0_0_ba49fe02e0a09ef82330b1ada959410a.jpg

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has criticised European officials and governments pushing for European defence integration, stressing that the bloc could not defend itself independently against its potential adversaries without American help.There is a lot of talk about European autonomy, or sovereignty, or  as I prefer to call it  more ability to act from the European Union in security and defence. People are asking why we were not in a position to hold the Kabul airport ourselves, Kramp-Karrenbauer said. We have to say quite openly: without the capabilities of the Americans, we, as Europeans, would not have been able to do that, she added, referring to the chaotic evacuation of Kabul.Discussing the recent conflict between France, the US, the UK and Australia over the AUKUS security pact, which robbed Paris of a submarine contract worth over $65 billion, Kramp-Karrenbauer defended the agreement as a bilateral question of armament between two states and asked France to "get over" its grievances so that the West can jointly tackle China.Because in view of the challenges that China poses for us, I believe it needs the full force of the West. What we cannot afford right now is to be divided on this, the minister said. China, she suggested, is a problem that the Western alliance will have to deal with in a manner beyond the question of national interests of each individual state.Kramp-Karrenbauer is meeting with her fellow defence ministers at NATOs two-day ministerial meeting in Brussels Thursday and Friday. The meetings, the first face-to-face interaction of its kind since the fall of Kabul in mid-August, are expected to discuss lessons learned in Afghanistan, as well as new warfare technologies, including cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence and big data. The alliance plans to hold a formal summit in Madrid, Spain in June of next year.Kramp-Karrenbauer and her fellow currently ruling Christian Democrats are considered likely to become the opposition later this month after the next government is formed  likely consisting of the Social Democrats, the liberal Free Democrats and the Greens. Germans went to the polls on 26 September for legislative elections, with the Social Democrats narrowly overtaking the CDU/CSU coalition, while the Greens and the Free Democrats took third and fourth place, respectively. CDU leader Armin Laschet decided to step down from the party leadership over the partys poor showing.

https://sputniknews.com/20211018/us-reportedly-wants-uk-to-do-more-to-repair-relations-with-france-amid-aukus-deal-spat-1090006143.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210929/making-ourselves-be-respected-macron-calls-for-european-army-as-us-focused-on-itself-1089499532.html

LINDADREW Boris Johnson told Mr Macron to "prenez un grip", the increasingly isolated president is likely to still be angry over the military pact between the UK, Australia and the US.- WHY DOESNT FRANCE JOIN RUSSIA THEN 2

TruePatriot AKK proves time and again that she is stupid and incompetent and closely tied to Western idiocy. How she got to be a defense chief after she crumbled trying to take Merkel's spot is beyond comprehension because she has nothing but incompetence on which to rely. 2

5

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

european army, nato, annegret kramp-karrenbauer
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/gop-senator-wants-more-cash-for-pentagon-budget-in-wake-of-alleged-prc-hypersonic-missile-tests-1090099049.html

GOP Senator Wants More Cash for Pentagon Budget in Wake of Alleged PRC Hypersonic Missile Tests

GOP Senator Wants More Cash for Pentagon Budget in Wake of Alleged PRC Hypersonic Missile Tests

Earlier this week, Western media alleged that China had carried out a missile test in the summer involving a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle. Beijing... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T11:34+0000

2021-10-21T11:34+0000

2021-10-21T11:38+0000

lindsey graham

china

hypersonic weapons

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106188/72/1061887212_0:182:1001:745_1920x0_80_0_0_465f9e4e714b15f4f8d89ef5c3165013.jpg

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has suggested that Chinas recent alleged testing of hypersonic missile technology is likely to spark a new arms race with the US, and has urged Washington to respond by pouring more money into the military-industrial complex, if reporting on the matter is accurate.If press reports are accurate regarding Chinas test of a hypersonic missile with a nuclear capability, then this is a military game changing event that the United States cannot ignore, the hawkish South Carolina senator added.The letter, reportedly sent to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday, demands a closed-doors briefing to lawmakers on Chinas hypersonic weapons programmes, and its implications for the United States.Two for One?Grahams letter follows a report by the Financial Times last weekend citing sources alleging that the Peoples Republic carried out a missile test in August involving a nuclear-capable hypersonic glider, with the trial reportedly catching the US intelligence community off guard. Beijing dismissed the claims that the test was military in nature, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stating Monday that it was strictly peaceful and involved a routine trial of reusable space rocket technology. Zhao further indicated that the test took place in July, not August.US State Department spokesman Ned Price said this week that the Biden administration was very concerned about media reporting on Chinas novel hypersonic delivery systems. On Wednesday, when asked if he was worried by the suspected tests, President Biden said Yes, without elaborating.Much Ado About Nothing?The reason for renewed US concern about Chinas alleged hypersonic missile testing is not clear. Along with its conventional ballistic missile programmes, the PRC has already publicly shown off a hypersonic glide vehicle known as the DF-ZF which was introduced into service with the Peoples Liberation Army Rocket Force in October 2019.The United States itself has more than half-a-dozen hypersonic weapons systems in development, including a so-called Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) for the Air Force, a joint Army-Navy Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB), an Intermediate Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) system for the Navy, a Long-range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) for the Army, a Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW) and a Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) for the Air Force. The secretive Pentagon research entity Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is also known to be working on a separate, so-called Operational Fires programme.Despite years of work and tens of billions of dollars in spending, only the CHGB is anywhere close to operational among US hypersonic weaponry endeavours. Earlier this month, the US Army boasted about taking delivery of its first hypersonic weapon capability, after an Army unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state received the system, known as Dark Eagle. The delivery included a battery operations centre, four transporter-erector-launchers, associated trucks and trailers, but crucially  not the hypersonic rounds themselves. According to DefenseNews, those arent expected to be delivered until fiscal year 2023.

greg1242 So $ 700 BILLION + a year is not enough to develope something what the Russians did and already deployed on a shoe string $ 60 BILLION military budget? 9

Ladyshadow No more funds for the Pentagon, they can't even balance the books now, giving them, more is like flushing it down the drain. 2

2

china

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

lindsey graham, china, hypersonic weapons
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/houthis-claim-ballistic-missile-attack-on-jazan-command-hq-killed-wounded-35-saudi-troops-1090112594.html

Houthis Claim Ballistic Missile Attack on Jazan Command HQ Killed, Wounded 35 Saudi Troops

Houthis Claim Ballistic Missile Attack on Jazan Command HQ Killed, Wounded 35 Saudi Troops

A recent missile strike by Yemens Ansarallah, or Houthi movement, against a Saudi airport near the border is reported to have killed dozens of soldiers in a... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T19:42+0000

2021-10-21T19:42+0000

2021-10-21T19:42+0000

saudi arabia

middle east

houthis

ballistic missile

jizan

headquarters

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/17/1080251754_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_edf42304b48b150b891b677994f51812.jpg

A Wednesday attack on al-Wajab military camp in the Saudi city of Jazan accurately struck its target, killing or wounding at least 35 Saudi officers and soldiers, including two pilots of Apache attack helicopters, according to a report by the Yemen Press Agency in Sanaa, which is controlled by the Houthis. The strike also reportedly destroyed weapons stores and Apache hangars.According to the report, the camp was hit by five ballistic missiles, although the Saudi Defense Ministry on Wednesday claimed to have intercepted at least one missile targeting Jazan.The Jazan strike comes days after another attack on King Abdullah Airport in Jazan on October 8 that injured at least 10.The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which includes forces loyal to Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, has significantly escalated its air operations against the Houthis over the last few weeks as the Zaidi Shiite group continues its advance through Marib and Shabwa Provinces, the last stronghold of Hadis government in the north.By Thursday, the tenth consecutive day of Saudi airstrikes in Marib, Houthi forces had suffered more than 1,300 casualties, according to the coalition.Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdusalam was quoted by AFP as saying that their fighters were facing elements linked to Al-Qaeda* and Daesh* in southern Marib, which were linked to the Saudi coalition. Sputnik has also previously reported on allegations of Daesh forces fighting on the coalitions side in Marib.The ancient region, which is believed to have been home to the Biblical Queen of Sheba, is today rich in oil, with pipelines running across Houthi territory to the Red Sea coast. However, it is also the temporary home of some 2.2 million refugees, who fled to the region earlier in the war when it was far from the front line and are staying in 139 different refugee camps. The UN has warned that war in Marib could further threaten those already displaced, making their precarious situation worse.The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday condemned Houthi cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia as well as the offensive in Marib, and called for an immediate ceasefire. However, the statement made no mention of Saudi airstrikes.Another UN agency, the UN Childrens Fund or UNICEF, reported on Tuesday that a shameful milestone had been reached, with more than 10,000 children wounded by the conflict, which has raged since March 2015.The most recent estimates from the UN on deaths in the Yemen war, which date to December 2020, are that more than 233,000 have been killed, including 131,000 from indirect causes such as hunger, disease, and lack of access to medicine.The war began in March 2015, when the Houthi movement rebelled against planned austerity measures and a federalization plan pitched by Hadi. After they captured Sanaa, Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia, which formed an anti-Houthi coalition that included Hadis government, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Sudan, and the United States.While the coalition enjoyed air supremacy in the wars early years and waged a relentless bombing campaign, the Houthis have mounted increasingly daring attacks into Saudi Arabia itself, targeting Saudi military facilities, oil infrastructure, and civilian targets. They have been accused of being Iranian proxies, but significant aid from Tehran has never been demonstrated.*Terrorist groups banned in Russia and many other countries

Ahson Iran's goin win this......by hook or by crook. 8

mandrake Pity the murderer mohammed bin salman wasnt there! Maybe he was contemplating having bought a fake da vinci painting and paid 450 million bocks for it from a jewish broker! 8

7

saudi arabia

jizan

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

saudi arabia, middle east, houthis, ballistic missile, jizan, headquarters
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/human-bones-found-in-florida-wilderness-park-confirmed-as-belonging-to-brian-laundrie-1090114762.html

Human Bones Found in Florida Wilderness Park Confirmed as Belonging to Brian Laundrie

Human Bones Found in Florida Wilderness Park Confirmed as Belonging to Brian Laundrie

The fiance of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old American woman who disappeared in late August, has been the subject of a search since early September after he... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T21:50+0000

2021-10-21T21:50+0000

2021-10-21T23:08+0000

us

florida

murder

fbi

park

bones

trip

skeleton

person of interest

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090115819_0:0:1600:901_1920x0_80_0_0_97bf7b3a421aa65f17037478093fb268.jpg

Human remains discovered in Florida's T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Wednesday, have been confirmed as belonging to Brian Laundrie, FBI Denver announced on Thursday.Due to the late stage of decomposition, the authorities used a comparison of dental records to establish the identity of the remains.Earlier, a spokesperson for the North Port Police told media that the remains found at the Carlton Reserve were "skeletal." The "bones" were supposedly hidden in a swampy area, and exposed when the water level dropped in that area of the park.FBI special agent Michael McPherson stated at a press conference on Wednesday that the "personal items" found alongside the remains consisted of a "backpack and notebook."An attorney for Laundrie's parents, Steven Bertolino, also said that they were present at the reserve when the then-unidentified remains and Laundrie's belongings were found.The Murder of Gabby PetitoLaundrie's remains were discovered approximately five weeks after authorities found Petito's body in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest in late September. Her death was ruled a homicide by strangulation by the Teton County Coroner.Investigators claimed that Laundrie, 23, returned to his house in North Port, Florida, on September 1 without Petito but drove her 2012 Ford Transit.It took some time for police to list Laundrie as a "person of interest" in Petito's disappearance. A federal arrest warrant was issued on September 23 for illegally using Petito's credit card. He was, however, never charged in her death.On September 13, the suspect vanished after reportedly refusing to speak to the police. North Port police did not seek to interrogate him when they first visited the Laundrie house. His parents told police they thought he was on his way to the Carlton Reserve in North Port, where he allegedly loved to hike.Laundrie and Petito embarked on a cross-country road trip in late June, and had been featuring their journey in a YouTube vlog. Petito's parents reported her missing on September 11, after she had stopped communicating with them on August 24.In mid-August, Petito and Laundrie had an encounter with police in the state of Utah as officers responded to a "domestic problem" between the two, as a witness claimed he saw Laundrie "slapping" Petito. However, the police ruled Petito was the "aggressor" and separated the two for the night.Petito refused to press charges against her boyfriend, explaining to the officers that they were in love and were going to get married.

https://sputniknews.com/20210922/park-ranger-implored-gabby-petito-to-distance-herself-from-toxic-relationship-with-brian-laundrie--1089284962.html

Question All I suggest you keep an open mind. That his bones were discovered, skeletal remains after such a short time from when he disappeared is unusual. He may have been eaten by an animal, he may have been murdered and his body dumped in acid, the bones then being dumped. I have a suspicion there are others involved in both their murders. 2

TruePatriot What about the other 8-9 bodies they found while searching the swamps? Is there a serial swamp killer loose? 1

3

us

florida

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, florida, murder, fbi, park, bones, trip, skeleton, person of interest
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/hundreds-leave-church-of-finland-after-bishops-urge-to-vaxx-1090091343.html

Hundreds Leave Church of Finland After Bishop's Urge to Vaxx

Hundreds Leave Church of Finland After Bishop's Urge to Vaxx

In the aftermath of Helsinki Bishop Teemu Laajasalo's open letter urging the flock to vaccinate, disaffected worshippers explained their desire to leave the... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T06:58+0000

2021-10-21T06:58+0000

2021-10-21T06:58+0000

news

finland

vaccination

church

scandinavia

covid-19

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105595/18/1055951867_0:103:1920:1183_1920x0_80_0_0_1933485807aef5715fc4619efc304a83.jpg

Eroa Kirkosta, the unsubscribe service that allows disaffected worshippers to leave the Church of Finland, has seen an influx of users following a letter by a senior church official urging people to get vaccinated.The choice of not vaccinating oneself is not just a matter of individual freedom, but part of the community's responsibility, Helsinki Bishop Teemu Laajasalo contended, maintaining that vaccine resistance due to fear or misinformation should be met with wisdom.However, the very same day the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat published his call, about 200 Finns availed themselves of the Eroakirkosta service. Among others, the explanations featured Laajasalo's un-Christian and unscientific stance and accusing comments about the unvaccinated, the newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet reported.According to online statistics, those who left the church because of Laajasalo's pro-vaccine stance were older than the average churchgoer, and more often women.Subsequently, the service founder, Jori Mantysalo, issued a message, urging its users to take the vaccine.Shortly before Laajasalo's letter, we had made a video together with Tampere Bishop Matti Repo, in which we urge to trust doctors and authorities. In this matter, the bishops and the free thinkers are of the same opinion, Mantysalo contended, signalling a rare partnership between the Church and the secularists.Finland has so far vaccinated over 67 percent of its population of 5.5 million. An earlier goal voiced by Prime Minister Sanna Marin was to vaccinate 80 percent of the population by October. In a new step to combat the pandemic, Finland has approved so-called COVID passports, a measure that sparked protests outside of the country's parliament.

https://sputniknews.com/20210907/finland-to-lift-covid-restrictions-when-80-fully-vaccinated-1083812988.html

TruePatriot The congregation ought to vote to oust the clown bishop and continue on without his ignorance and stupidity. 1

1

finland

scandinavia

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Igor Kuznetsov

Igor Kuznetsov

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Igor Kuznetsov

news, finland, vaccination, church, scandinavia, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/hunter-biden-reportedly-offered-us-company--80000-worth-of-info-on-russian-businessman-deripaska-1090093120.html

Hunter Biden Reportedly Offered US Company $80,000-Worth of Info on Russian Businessman Deripaska

Hunter Biden Reportedly Offered US Company $80,000-Worth of Info on Russian Businessman Deripaska

Just over a year ago The New York Post offered its series of exposes on Hunter Biden, son of the current US President, with damning emails obtained from his... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T07:45+0000

2021-10-21T07:45+0000

2021-10-21T07:45+0000

oleg deripaska

aluminum

hunter biden

us

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/01/1082505950_0:0:3269:1838_1920x0_80_0_0_95ecdea4a0d68ec76c884a26442e9546.jpg

Hunter Biden once offered to sell intelligence pertaining to Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska, founder of Rusal, the second-largest aluminium company in the world, to a major US company for a sizeable fee, reported a columnist for The New York Post. The Russian billionaire has been under Washington-imposed sanctions since 2018 over purported close ties to the Kremlin amid allegations of Russias role in the US presidential elections in 2016. Deripaska, who on Wednesday condemned FBI raids of homes of his relatives in the United States, remains on the American sanctions list despite the fact that a number of his companies were subsequently relieved of sanctions in exchange for the billionaire ceding direct control over the assets. The son of the current US President had put forward the proposal to US aluminium firm Alcoa from his own company Rosemont Seneca in 2011, according to emails contained on Hunter Bidens purported laptop and cited by Post reporter Miranda Devine, who has written a book "Laptop from Hell: Hunter Biden, Big Tech, and the Dirty Secrets the President Tried to Hide", which is slated to come out on 30 November. Alcoa was to be provided with statistical analysis of political and corporate risks, elite networks associated with Oleg Deripaska (OD), Russian CEO of Basic Element company and United company RUSAL, state documents on the so-called laptop from Hell, believed to have been abandoned by Hunter Biden at a MacBook repair shop in Delaware in April 2019. An email addressed to Daniel Cruise, Alcoas then-Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, dated 3 June 2011, and cited by the outlet, reads:The proposal is said to have pertained to a list of elites of similar rank in Russia, map of ODs [Deripaskas] networks based on frequency of interaction with selected elites and countries. Alcoa was to be charged $25,000 for phase one of the project [and] $55,000 for refined analysis, says the report. Another email, dated 8 June 2011 and forwarded to Hunter Biden, showed Pei Cheng, at Alcoa, writing to Cruise: Separate mention was made in the email of the fact that Rosemont Seneca [has] Co-chairmen: Hunter Biden, son of Joe Biden, and Christopher Heinz . . . stepson of Sen. John Kerry. At the time of the cited proposals, Alcoa had signed a two-year metal supply agreement with Russias RUSAL. In an email on 10 June 2011 to Hunter Biden, his business associate Eric Schwerin wrote that Rosemont Seneca offered Alcoa a price tag of $25,000 for information about Deripaska. In response to the report in the Post, a spokesman for Alcoa Corporation, a spinoff of Alcoa Inc., said they were not in a position to respond on behalf of our prior parent company. This comes as slightly over a year has passed since The New York Post published an expose on the alleged unethical and potentially illegal influence peddling involving his father, then-Vice-President Joe Biden.The damning emails were taken from a laptop supposedly abandoned by Hunter Biden at a Delaware repair shop. The documents suggested that then-Vice President Biden met Vadym Pozharskyi, an executive from the Ukrainian gas firm Burisma, less than a year before Ukraine's then-General Prosecutor Viktor Shokin was fired at the US VP's request. Another batch of emails weighed in on an unspecified business venture with a Chinese firm and allocation of "20 [percent] for H[unter]" and "10 percent" for "the big guy," with Hunter Biden's former business associate Tony Bobulinski telling media that the "big guy" referred to Joe Biden. Hunter Biden is also currently facing a probe into his taxes by the Justice Department, launched as far back as 2018 and connected to suspicious foreign transactions, including possible exchanges of money with China and other foreign nations. Amid the bombshell revelations that erupted in late 2020, Democratic-aligned US media have largely ignored the allegations targeting Hunter Biden and his father. In an op-ed on 12 October The Post's editorial board underscored that although "the media have (mostly) stopped pretending we got anything wrong, most outlets still dont even mention these revelations". Nevertheless, the media outlet vowed to keep asking questions about the Bidens' alleged "pay-to-play" schemes to ensure that they would not be allowed to get away with it again".

monti Most regular Americans would be rotting in prison right now... Hunter Biden gets dubious arts deals...all he can sniff coke/crack...the US is ruled by clowns... 2

Question All God is not a whoremonger like this lout. Neither his father nor himself nor spoonfed Harris have any righteousness to boast of. 1

2

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

oleg deripaska, aluminum, hunter biden, us
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/india-teacher-beats-boy-to-death-for-not-finishing-homework-tells-father-he-is-playing-dead-1090101608.html

India: Teacher 'Beats Boy to Death' for Not Finishing Homework, Tells Father 'He Is Playing Dead'

India: Teacher 'Beats Boy to Death' for Not Finishing Homework, Tells Father 'He Is Playing Dead'

After the boy's father reached the school, pupils told him that the teacher had beaten the boy mercilessly, reportedly punching and kicking him. The boy's body... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T13:47+0000

2021-10-21T13:47+0000

2021-10-21T13:47+0000

murder

india

teacher

student

rajasthan

crime

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090103465_0:97:1024:673_1920x0_80_0_0_f6f2a94214743ec811eff7be23477e48.jpg

A private school teacher was arrested for allegedly beating a 13-year-old pupil to death for not completing his homework. The incident took place on Wednesday in Salasar Village, in the Churu region of India's Rajasthan state. The boy, Ganesh, was a pupil in Class 7 at a private school. According to media reports, the teacher, Manoj, called the student's father Omprakash and informed him that his son had become unconscious. The teacher also told Omprakash that his son was beaten because he hadn't done his homework. His father asked the teacher if he had killed his son. To this, Manoj reportedly replied that the boy was indeed "pretending to be dead". According to local police, Omprakash told the father that his son had complained around four to five times that his teacher was "beating him for no reason". The boy was taken to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him dead. The police immediately arrested the teacher after his father filed a complaint against him.

https://sputniknews.com/20211020/woman-in-india-found-murdered-with-feet-reportedly-chopped-off-for-silver-anklets-1090065328.html

india

rajasthan

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Sushmita Panda https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926186_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_4474d0d7e27a36878eb8727832be74b4.jpg

Sushmita Panda https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926186_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_4474d0d7e27a36878eb8727832be74b4.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

Sushmita Panda https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926186_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_4474d0d7e27a36878eb8727832be74b4.jpg

murder, india, teacher, student, rajasthan, crime
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/irans-nuclear-programme-and-peace-with-the-palestinians-dont-bother-israelis-what-does-1090090218.html

Iran's Nuclear Programme and Peace With The Palestinians Don't Bother Israelis; What Does?

Iran's Nuclear Programme and Peace With The Palestinians Don't Bother Israelis; What Does?

The Israeli Voice Index, released earlier this month, reveals what the Israeli public cares about; surprisingly, neither the Israeli-Palestinian conflict nor a... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T05:59+0000

2021-10-21T05:59+0000

2021-10-21T05:59+0000

middle east

israel

palestine

covid-19

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/0d/1082875001_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_5991449951bb9e84139b4420ae4f5be4.jpg

In mid-June, when Naftali Bennett took over as Prime Minister, very few in Israel believed the coalition he had forged would actually hold.That coalition is comprised of eight parties with conflicting ideologies and the priority was to stabilise Israel's political system, especially given the fact that the country has been stuck in a loop of elections for the past three years.Now, as Bennett's coalition shows it has every chance to last, his priorities will be shifting.COVID-19 as a Major ConcernThe Israeli PM might be wise to hear out what the public cares about. According to the Israeli Voice Index for October, published by the Israel Democracy Institute, one third of Israelis (33 percent) asserts that the stabilisation of the economy is their primary concern.Among Israeli Jews, this number is slightly higher, standing at 35 percent. The country's Arabs tend to be less preoccupied with the economy, with slightly more than 22 percent saying they care about the situation.The economy has been a major headache in Israel since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in February 2020. Three lockdowns and various restrictions have affected local businesses, pushing hundreds of thousands into the ranks of the unemployed.At the peak of the pandemic, Israel's unemployment rate stood at more than 25 percent. Although the situation is significantly better now, with only 8 percent of the population being unemployed, experts are worried that the government still lacks the tools to handle the situation.Second in line after the economy in the Israeli Voice Index is the fighting of the pandemic itself. 24 percent of Israelis said the government should be focusing on the issue. Here too, a gap between Jews and Arabs was evident: 26 percent of Jews say its a top priority, versus only 14 percent of Arabs.The way it stands now, Israel has nothing to worry about. Nearly 6 out of 9 million citizens have been vaccinated with two shots of the Pfizer vaccine. More than 3.8 million have received a booster shot.The number of daily infections is gradually going down. Tuesday registered less than 1,500 new cases, compared to 10,000 daily infections that have been the reality of Israel in September.Yet, Israeli experts have already warned that the crisis is far from over. On Tuesday, the first case of a sub-variant of the Delta strain was spotted in Israel, and it is not really clear whether it is more contagious or whether it is resilient to the vaccine.Burning Issues?In comparison to the coronavirus, other issues seem to be less burning. Despite the fact that crime is still raging in the Arab community, where 40 people have been murdered since the beginning of the year, only 20 percent of Israelis (13 percent of Jews and 53 percent of Arabs) thought the problem of criminal violence was the worst.Containing Iran's nuclear programme, which has been presented as a threat to the Jewish state, was hailed as an issue only by 15 percent of Israelis (18 percent of Jews and 3.5 percent of Arabs).This is despite the fact that reports suggest that Iran is stockpiling uranium to reach nuclear independence, and in spite of the decision to allocate $1.5 billion for a potential strike on the Islamic Republic.Another issue that is not on the radar of the Israelis is the conflict with the Palestinians. This is true for both Jews and Arabs, with only 4 and 7 percent respectively saying that was a problem that should be addressed.The last round of direct talks between Israelis and the Palestinians were held in 2014 but after their failure, the peace process was stalled.Recently, there have been attempts to revive that process. Although Bennett would not meet the leader of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, he has already discussed the issue with a number of other important players. In July, he spoke to King Abdallah of Jordan and in September he met with President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.But the Israeli Voice Index shows that these efforts dont bother the public that much.

Hess Typical pro-Israel Zionist Propaganda. 2

far bat the whole zionist usurper entity is a mistake it should never have existed to begin with because it was never build on any sustainable fundation 2

6

israel

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Elizabeth Blade

Elizabeth Blade

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

Elizabeth Blade

middle east, israel, palestine, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/is-zuck-stuck-facebook-facing-new-challenges--rebranding-unlikely-to-save-the-day-observers-say-1090109587.html

Is Zuck Stuck? Facebook Facing New Challenges & Rebranding Unlikely to Save the Day, Observers Say

Is Zuck Stuck? Facebook Facing New Challenges & Rebranding Unlikely to Save the Day, Observers Say

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg has been named as a defendant for the first time in a consumer protection lawsuit stemming from the 2018 Cambridge Analytica... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T18:35+0000

2021-10-21T18:35+0000

2021-10-22T16:17+0000

mark zuckerberg

world

society

us

tech

opinion

facebook

rebranding

eu

cambridge analytica

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/05/1082811977_0:120:3214:1928_1920x0_80_0_0_ec9af9bbecf7a21258ffb38757bff707.jpg

District of Columbia's Attorney General Karl Racine is seeking to hold the Facebook CEO personally liable under DCs Consumer Protection Procedures Act. The legislation makes individuals accountable for company violations of the law if they knew about them at the time. "Our continuing investigation revealed that [Zuckeberg] was personally involved in decisions related to Cambridge Analytica and Facebooks failure to protect user data," Racine tweeted on 20 October.'Zuckerberg Unlikely to Lose Power'The 2018 scandal erupted after The New York Times and The Guardian revealed that British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica harvested information from 50 million Facebook profiles prior to the 2016 election in the US. Later, the tech giant specified that data from a whopping 87 million profiles was improperly shared with the British company. At the time, Facebook allowed third-party access to many features which paved the way for Cambridge Analytica's data harvesting. The scandal also triggered concerns as to how the British company may have used the obtained information to target US users ahead of the 2016 presidential race.Judging from the lawsuit's non-redacted sections, Zuckerberg was closely involved in Facebook operations, CNBC News pointed out. Moreover, the CEO owns over half of the voting shares in the tech giant, which grants him immense control over the business.However, it appears unlikely that Zuckerberg will face a large fine or lose his power in the near future as he has "one of the most solid appointments in Silicon Valley," says Kevin Curran, professor of cyber security at Ulster University and group leader for the Ambient Intelligence & Virtual Worlds Research Group at the Computer Science Research Institute.New Rules and Regulations May Be Around the CornerNevertheless, the Cambridge Analytica case may backfire on Facebook and other social media giants by opening the door for slapping new regulations on American tech companies, according to Curran. But that is not all: Facebook is also facing a bipartisan investigation from the US Congress for anti-competitive conduct, he points out.In recent years, Big Tech, including Facebook, has faced growing criticism from both sides of the US political aisle over disinformation, political bias, and privacy breaches. Curran cites then-Senator Kamala Harris who accused Facebook of prioritising its growth over the best interests of its consumers and their privacy. "There is no question in my mind that there needs to be serious regulation, and that that has not been happening," she said in June 2019.In addition to that, Silicon Valley giants have also found themselves in the crosshairs of European authorities. For example, European regulators have recently fined Google 1.5 billion euros for antitrust violations in online advertising. "This was only one of three antitrust moves against Google by European officials in recent years," Curran points out.Earlier this year Facebook and Google crossed swords with the Australian government over its law obligating Big Tech companies to pay for news. Google blinked first and signed payment deals with major Australian media outlets. Later, Canberra reached a compromise with Zuckerberg over the Media Bargaining code, which underwent certain changes while Facebook, in its turn, committed to make a "significant contribution" to local journalism.What's Behind Facebook's Rebranding?As clouds are gathering on Facebook's horizon, Zuckerberg is allegedly planning a rebrand, according to the Verge. Facebook will reportedly be a part of a bigger company, with a brand new name and new focus on building the "metaverse." It's expected that the Facebook CEO will talk about coming changes on 28 October, at the companys annual Connect conference, or, perhaps even earlier.Vanity Fair suggests that Zuckerberg "seems to be aware of how toxic his brand has become," following rows with both of America's major parties, legal battles, latest massive outage, and whistleblowers' revelations."This is tricky," suggests Petros Iosifidis. "The basic reason for the rebranding is that Facebook's reputation is damaged in the wake of scandals like Cambridge Analytica, 2016 US elections, also the parade of former employees detailing in public its wrongdoings. But any change in the brand name runs the risk of making the company less 'visible."For his part, Curran believes that the situation is even worse than that: "Facebook is on the edge of a crisis," he suggests.Facebook will never be anything other than Facebook, a corporate name change doesn't affect consumers in the least, believes James R. Bailey, professor of leadership at the George Washington University School of Business.Instead of rebranding, the tech giant should think about how to protect people's data, as Europe's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires, Curran says. Facebook needs to inform users as to how their personal data is used and processed, and provide a clean way for users to have their data deleted and corrected and abandon 'dark design patterns' to trick users into consent. The company also needs to be particularly careful with collecting data from children younger than 16 and report certain types of data breach to the ICO, and sometimes to individuals within 72 hours.

https://sputniknews.com/20211019/facebook-to-cough-up-14mln-in-fine-payment-to-victims-in-discrimination-case-1090046749.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211018/ready-player-one-facebook-to-hire-thousands-of-europeans-to-help-create-a-metaverse-1090001357.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211021/clash-of-the-tech-titans-twitter-ceo-sees-facebook-metaverse-as-dystopian-corporate-dictatorship-1090105680.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211021/trump-to-launch-new-social-platform-truth-social-with-mission-to-create-rival-to-liberal-media-1090087022.html

BillOwens If I were zuch, I'd cash in and resign. How much money do you need? 2

TruePatriot Take this CIA sponsored zio POS down along with that trash he calls Farcebook. 2

6

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

mark zuckerberg, world, society, us, tech, opinion, facebook, rebranding, eu, cambridge analytica, political bias
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/kremlin-putins-big-press-conference-planned-for-december-1090091947.html

Kremlin: Putin's Big Press Conference Planned for December

Kremlin: Putin's Big Press Conference Planned for December

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The big press conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin is planned for December, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T06:43+0000

2021-10-21T06:43+0000

2021-10-21T06:43+0000

russia

vladimir putin

putin's annual press conference

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107085/17/1070851785_0:141:3141:1907_1920x0_80_0_0_fe12cd69b2d986416b05f87b8b8217b9.jpg

"We are looking to December," Peskov said, when asked if the president will hold his traditional meeting with reporters in November or the following month.This year, the press conference will not be combined with some other formats, as the president already held his Direct Line Q&A session in the summer, the Kremlin spokesman added.Putin has been meeting with journalists at a big press conference every year since 2001. There was only a hiatus when he served as prime minister - from May 2008 to May 2012. However, after being elected head of state for a six-year term in 2012, he resumed the practice of holding such events.In December 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the format of the press conference was changed: some of the journalists were with the president at his residence near Moscow in Novo-Ogarevo, while some communicated with him via video link from the World Trade Center, where these press events usually take place. The shortest of these press conferences, the first meeting of Putin with journalists in 2001, lasted 1 hour 35 minutes. The longest, in 2008, lasted 4 hours 40 minutes. Since 2004, each has lasted at least three hours.

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

russia, vladimir putin, putin's annual press conference
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/latvia-revokes-license-of-rebroadcaster-of-russias-channel-one-1090104324.html

Latvia Revokes License of Rebroadcaster of Russia's Channel One

Latvia Revokes License of Rebroadcaster of Russia's Channel One

RIGA (Sputnik) - Latvia's National Electronic Mass Media Council has decided to revoke the broadcasting license in the country of the rebroadcaster of Russia's... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T14:25+0000

2021-10-21T14:25+0000

2021-10-21T14:28+0000

latvia

channel one

news

russia

license

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105693/55/1056935550_0:0:3258:1833_1920x0_80_0_0_7bdb8116dc5b71a5becfe73b08a54ca3.jpg

"The Council decided to cancel the broadcasting license of the First Baltic Channel in connection with three violations," Abolins wrote.The rebroadcaster can challenge this decision in court.The authorities of the Baltic countries have repeatedly obstructed the work of the Russian media. The Russian Foreign Ministry saw clear signs of a coordinated policy of these states. Cases of harassment of the media in the Baltic states "clearly demonstrate what demagogic statements about the adherence of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn to the principles of democracy and freedom of speech are worth in practice," the ministry said.

TruePatriot Simply put the Baltic States cannot handle, and do not want to hear, the truth. Probably on orders from ZATO and the West. 1

1

latvia

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

latvia, channel one, news, russia, license
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/meghan-markle-sends-letter-advocating-for-paid-parental-leave-to-congress-in-latest-political-1090097922.html

Meghan Markle Sends Letter Advocating for Paid Parental Leave to Congress in Latest Political Inroad

Meghan Markle Sends Letter Advocating for Paid Parental Leave to Congress in Latest Political Inroad

Earlier, US President Joe Biden cut funding for a national family paid leave programme in the "Build Back Better" budget reconciliation bill, informing... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T11:39+0000

2021-10-21T11:39+0000

2021-10-21T11:39+0000

chuck schumer

news

nancy pelosi

us congress

paid family leave

meghan markle

duchess of sussex

uk

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/01/1083051574_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_9d6a7521ff0c998f51751bec08ff27a4.jpg

Meghan Markle has forayed openly into American politics, publishing an open letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, and House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, advocating for paid leave. In the memo, made public via the Paid Leave for All website, the national organization of campaigns for family and medical leave, the Duchess of Sussex urges a federal guarantee that parents can take compensated time off after the birth of a child.The wife of Prince Harry, sixth in the line of succession to the British throne, deplored the fact that the United States currently "does not federally guarantee any person a single day of paid leave. And fewer than one in four workers has dedicated paid family leave through their employer." Meghan Markle, who together with her husband has been residing in the US since quitting royal life in 2020, also shared her personal experience following the birth of her daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. The former Suits actress emphasised that no family should be faced with these decisions. Meghan Markle also suggested that the effort to ensure paid leave could become a bipartisan one, possibly helping the Democrats and Republicans work together. "I know how politically charged things canand havebecome. But this isnt about Right or Left, its about right or wrong. This is about putting families above politics. And for a refreshing change, its something we all seem to agree on. At a point when everything feels so divisive, let this be a shared goal that unites us," she wrote. Markle concluded the letter by hoping that this consequential moment would not be lost. Earlier, Democrats in the Senate and House pushed back against a preliminary decision by President Joe Biden to significantly cut funding for a national family paid leave program from the budget reconciliation bill, the vast price tag of which has generated extensive opposition. On Wednesday it was revealed that the proposed legislation would only cover four weeks of paid leave benefits instead of the 12 originally discussed by lawmakers. A group of 15 Senate Democrats led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to Biden, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Wednesday, urging them to include a national paid leave program that is meaningful, comprehensive and permanent in the Build Back Better Act. It must be universal to cover all workers, provide progressive wage replacement to help the lowest wage earners, and cover all existing types of leave with parity. Since stepping away from official duties in early 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have regularly made the headlines, either by dishing the royal dirt in interviews, like the tell-all sit-down with TV host Oprah Winfrey, or by venturing into big business and investment. After the Sussexes forged a number of lucrative multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix, Spotify and Apple, New York-based Ethic sustainable investment group unveiled the couple as impact partners and investors.

MadeIn USA First, the letter came from the office of the Duke AND Duchess so he is involved in that letter. Second, an employer is NOT responsible for the personal and private choices of employees and should NOT have to pay for their parental time off. I say this as a Mom, an ex-employee, and a current business owner. Saving an employee's spot while on parental leave I believe in completely. People seem to want free money for nothing and it's insanely greedy and not right. 1

Hampar Tokatlian What does this entitled cunt know about parental leave. This is this publiciyy hound's attempt to stay in the lime light/ 1

4

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

chuck schumer, news, nancy pelosi, us congress, paid family leave, meghan markle, duchess of sussex, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/moscow-pays-attention-to-russophobic-statements-made-during-austins-visit-to-ukraine-1090103955.html

Moscow Calls Statements Made During Pentagon Chief's Visit to Ukraine 'Russophobic'

Moscow Calls Statements Made During Pentagon Chief's Visit to Ukraine 'Russophobic'

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow paid attention to "aggressive Russophobic" statements made during the visit of US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to Ukraine, Maria... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T14:00+0000

2021-10-21T14:00+0000

2021-10-21T14:08+0000

world

russia

us

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/0f/1082634948_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_99e9ef8504e162dda65ce1ca64bb4f4e.jpg

"At the same time, of course, we drew attention to the aggressive Russophobic tone of the head of the Pentagon. These statements directly encourage revanchist sentiments of the war party in Kiev," Zakharova said.Russia's foreign ministry noted that each country has the right to develop relations in all areas with other sovereign states. Earlier, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, commenting on the prospects for Ukraine's membership in the alliance, said that third countries do not have the right to veto Ukraine's accession to NATO, while Washington supports Kiev in its aspirations. On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said that Ukraine's possible NATO entry would be an extremely dangerous step, which would force Moscow to react. Also, the Kremlin said last month that any expansion of NATO military installations in Ukraine would cross its "red lines".

TruePatriot All Unka Lloyd's statements were false, intended to provoke, or just plain stupid. What an ignorant, sold-out token he is. 1

1

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

world, russia, us
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/moscow-to-react-to-ukraines-possible-nato-entry-sees-it-as-dangerous-step-deputy-fm-says-1090092622.html

Moscow to React to Ukraine's Possible NATO Entry, Sees It as Dangerous Step, Deputy FM Says

Moscow to React to Ukraine's Possible NATO Entry, Sees It as Dangerous Step, Deputy FM Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine's possible NATO entry would be an extremely dangerous step, which would force Moscow to react, the alliance was warned about the... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T07:18+0000

2021-10-21T07:18+0000

2021-10-21T07:18+0000

world

russia

nato

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090092579_0:159:3079:1890_1920x0_80_0_0_bae882ba0310aac109daa92fe19627b1.jpg

Commenting on prospects for Ukraine's NATO membership, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin confirmed Washington's support for Kiev's aspirations and emphasized that third countries have no right to veto the accession.Rudenko noted that NATO member states representatives made similar comments many times, and similar approach is reflected in statutory documents."Since these are negotiations between NATO and Ukraine, it is up to them to decide when and what is needed, but we warned them that any step would have consequences. NATO is aware of our position on Ukraine," the diplomat added.Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that the country would suspend the activities of the NATO military liaison mission in Moscow and its information bureau in response to the alliance expelling Russian diplomats. In addition, the Russian permanent mission to NATO is set to halt its operations from 1 November or a little later. For contacts with Russia, the alliance should now contact the Russian ambassador to Belgium.

Boris Jaruselski Russia usually reacts asymmetrically, like banning European food imports, but energy as a weapon Russia certainly won't use! ...wonder how hard Russia is going to hit, if and when NATO becomes permanent in the Ukraine? One thing is for certain: it will HURT! 4

1

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, russia, nato
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/no-business-being-there-meghan-mccain-revisits-rage-at-ivanka-jared-for-attending-dads-funeral-1090111447.html

No Business Being There: Meghan McCain Revisits Rage at Ivanka, Jared for Attending Dads Funeral

No Business Being There: Meghan McCain Revisits Rage at Ivanka, Jared for Attending Dads Funeral

The McCain and Trump families have a notoriously poor relationship, with the feud dating back to the Arizona senators first run for the presidency in 1999... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T19:01+0000

2021-10-21T19:01+0000

2021-10-21T19:10+0000

donald trump

john mccain

meghan mccain

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107331/14/1073311436_0:145:1885:1205_1920x0_80_0_0_0907890d22f4b3406dd0f9b18ad5b95f.jpg

Meghan McCain has lashed out against Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner over their decision to attend her fathers 2018 funeral, telling talk show host Andy Cohen that the couple had no business being there after John McCain explicitly told his inner circle before to his death that he didnt want Trumps at the event.McCain admitted that she still wasnt certain what drove the presidents daughter and son-in-law to attend, but said one of her dads advisors told her that it was just an event that they wanted to go to because his funeral at the National Cathedral [in Washington] ended up being this enormous moment.While the Arizona senator was still alive, Trump often attacked McCain and Graham as sadly weak hawks and "losers" who should focus their attention on issues like the fight against terrorism and border security instead of always looking to start World War III.Two Plus Decade-long FeudThe feud between John McCain and Donald Trump dates back more than twenty years, and began in 1999 after Trump, who was considering a run for president from the Reform Party at the time, attacked McCain for being captured after the fighter-bomber he was piloting was shot down over Vietnam. Does being captured make you a hero? I dont know. Im not sure, Trump said at the time.The real estate mogul would repeat the comments in 2015, after being criticized by McCain during his own run for president, with the senator claimed that crazies in the Republican Party were fueling his successful run.Hes a war hero because he was captured. I like people that werent captured, Trump said in a widely publicized discussion in Iowa. Some political prognosticators suggested at the time that Trumps attack on a GOP grandee like McCain at the time threatened to derail his campaign, but Trump went on to win the 2016 primary, and the November election.The feud between the men continued to escalate as McCain skipped the July 2016 Republican National Convention. At several points during the 2016 race, Trump sought to quell the feud, telling reporters that he likes McCain and does consider him a hero and endorsing him in 2016 in his run for the Senate seat. The attempt at reconciliation came to an end after McCain withdrew his support for the Republican nominee in October 2016 after audio from 2005 emerged in which Trump bragged to an Access Hollywood reporter about kissing women and grabbing them by their private parts.After McCains cancer diagnosis was made public in July 2017, Trump expressed hope that the senator gets better very soon because we miss him. A week later, McCain blocked a Trump-led effort to repeal Obamacare. Later that same year, McCain attacked Trump over his service record and claims that a bone spur was responsible for his deferment from the Vietnam War.McCain passed away on 25 August 2018. His funeral took place on 1 September, and as per the senators wishes, Trump did not attend.After the senators death, his daughter Meghan took up her fathers cause, attacking Trump as a person who spends his weekend obsessing over great men becausehe will never be a great man, and suggesting that no one will ever love [Trump] the way they loved [her] father.The president continued to attack McCain even after his death amid revelations that the senator attempted to sabotage his campaign in 2016. Trump later also complained that the McCain family never thanked him for giving the senator the kind of funeral that he wanted, and called him the most overrated person in Washington, DC.The younger McCain has gone on to attack Trump on policy too, slamming him for attempting to pull troops out of Syria, and falsely claiming WikiLeaks was an instrument of Russian intelligence."In 2019, Meghan McCain told late night talk show host Stephen Colbert that in the words of Cardi B, [the Trumps are] going to have beef with me forever, and Im not going to forget.

https://sputniknews.com/20190317/trump-mccain-attack-1073322474.html

TruePatriot Unhinged Meghan shows she still hasn't found her hinge pin as she squawks over her traitorous Daddy's funeral attendees. I hope the Trumps took the opportunity to spit on his grave as America surely should as well for what he did in the POW camps in Nam and after he got home regarding the POWs. 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

donald trump, john mccain, meghan mccain
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/paris-may-slap-financial-sanctions-on-poland-in-light-of-constitution-primacy-ruling-1090092771.html

France Hints at Possible Financial Sanctions Against Poland Over Controversial Constitutional Reform

France Hints at Possible Financial Sanctions Against Poland Over Controversial Constitutional Reform

PARIS (Sputnik) - Earlier, the Constitutional Court of Poland confirmed the superiority of the constitution of the republic over the legislation of the... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T07:21+0000

2021-10-21T07:21+0000

2021-10-21T08:17+0000

france

europe

poland

eu

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090093097_322:0:3963:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_16c92e6096edfd0501944e7253de16d7.jpg

France may slap sanctions, including financial ones, on Poland in light of Warsaw's decision on its constitution supremacy over EU regulations, French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune said on Thursday."First of all, it is necessary to continue the political dialogue ... But if the dialogue brings no fruit, there may be various sanctions, including financial ones," Beaune said on air of the LCI broadcaster.At the same time, Beaune does not believe that Poland wants to leave the European Union. "But I believe she is taking risks by not following the general rules," he added. According to Beaune, at the summit of the heads of state and government of the EU, which opens on Thursday, no concrete decision on Poland will be made.He said that in the future, the procedure for imposing sanctions may be started, if Poland does not change its position in the coming months.On 7 October, Poland's constitutional court ruled that its basic national law had primacy over EU legislation in response to criticism of a series of rulings in Warsaw. The move raised concerns within the bloc, while the European Commission launched an investigation into the ruling to decide on further measures. The commission has published a statement saying it would uphold the blocs founding principles, namely the primacy of EU law over national law, including constitutional provisions, and the binding nature of all rulings passed by the European Court of Justice. Poland is not the only country that puts its own constitution above the EU. Last year, the German constitutional court ruled that the European Central Bank's public sector asset-purchase programme was partially in violation of the country's basic law.

Old Shagnasty Time for Polxit. 2

Ronnie Bell Sanctions the poison of Empires, Frogs and British dogs. 0

4

france

poland

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

france, europe, poland, eu
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/porn-addicted-children-allegedly-murder-girl-aged-six-in-india-1090098318.html

Porn-Addicted Children Allegedly Murder Girl Aged Six in India

Porn-Addicted Children Allegedly Murder Girl Aged Six in India

Many health experts and surveys have warned that an alarming number of children in the 12 to 13 age range are addicted to online porn. After a nationwide... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T12:37+0000

2021-10-21T12:37+0000

2021-10-21T12:37+0000

porn

world

porn

india

state of assam

porn

india

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090101925_62:0:1668:903_1920x0_80_0_0_954281fb76abdcfc7659b349bcc1dd65.jpg

In a shocking incident in the Indian state of Assam, three boys aged between eight and 11 have allegedly murdered a six-year-old girl after she refused to watch porn with them.She was killed this Tuesday."The three juveniles were arrested from Kaliabor town on Wednesday [20 October]. Police have also arrested the father of one of the boys, whose phone contained the pornographic material," East Mojo, a local website in Assam state, reported.

dozacosmo Its easier to blame the porn then the parents huh? 0

1

india

state of assam

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

porn, world, porn, india, state of assam, porn, india
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/putin--xi-give-boris-pr-summit-a-miss-1090106506.html

Putin & Xi Give Boris' PR Summit a Miss

Putin & Xi Give Boris' PR Summit a Miss

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are among several world leaders who will not be attending the big climate summit scheduled to begin next week in Britain. 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T15:23+0000

2021-10-21T15:23+0000

2021-10-21T15:24+0000

boris johnson

xi jinping

columnists

vladimir putin

climate

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107588/47/1075884772_0:0:3185:1793_1920x0_80_0_0_9a92789be1a64daaa7415e420d1f6640.jpg

And the absence of the Russian and Chinese presidents is being seen as a blow to the confabs ambitions and in particular Britains international prestige.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was hoping that the United Nations COP26 conference to be held in Glasgow would give Global Britain a huge public relations boost.Addressing the challenges of climate change, the summit would be widely seen as an opportunity to boost the image of post-Brexit Britain as a forward-looking nation ready to lead the rest of the world, now that it is supposedly independent and free from the European Union.However, not having the Russian and Chinese leaders attending COP26 is a deflating blow to efforts for an international deal on climate change. Russia is a major producer of fossil fuels and China is reckoned to have overtaken the United States as the worlds biggest emitter of global warming gases.Its not that the Russian or Chinese leaderships are unaware of the urgency to mitigate climate change. Russia battled with record wildfires in Siberia this year from melting permafrost, while China was hit with devastating floods across large swathes of the country. Presidents Putin and Xi have also set targets for their nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming.Given the Covid-19 pandemic, it is understandable that Russias Putin and Chinas Xi would prefer to stay at home. Both leaders have cut back extensively on foreign travel over the past year. Putins only trip abroad is believed to be the summit he held with US President Joe Biden in Geneva in June. The personal health and safety of the Russian leader and his Chinese counterpart is sufficient grounds for caution over attending large gatherings abroad.But there is another possible reason for the absence at COP26, which has not been officially stated. Americas Biden has also invested a lot of political capital in trying to make himself look like a responsible leader alert to the challenges of climate change. The Democrat president will be attending COP26 in Glasgow in what is seen as commitment to a signature issue for his White House.For Johnson and Biden, not having Putin and Xi present in a some cheesy family photo appearing to make some global commitment to tackling climate change will be a setback to pretensions of world leadership.The Western logic betrays incredible arrogance and insincerity. If the United States, Britain and the rest of Europe really want to engage with Russia and China on a matter of existential climate crisis, then the West should at least show a bit of respect in all other regards.Seriously, Britain sends warships to mess with Russias territorial integrity in the Black Sea, it is planning to sell missiles to an anti-Russia regime in Kiev, and it continues to issue slanderous claims about the Kremlin carrying out an alleged assassination plot on its soil with nerve agent.Meanwhile, Johnsons Global Britain has dispatched an aircraft carrier strike group to conduct provocative war maneuvers in the South China Sea.For its part, the United States has ramped up rhetoric accusing Russia and China of being national security threats. Biden has increased military supplies to both Ukraine and Taiwan which greatly risks fueling an all-out war with Russia and China.Under Biden, more US warships have conducted transits through the Taiwan Strait in blatant flouting of Chinas territorial sovereignty.In short, the United States and its British bulldog and European NATO lapdogs have plunged relations with Russia and China back to the Cold War.Despite weasel words to the contrary, Washington and London have greatly gone out of their way to insult, smear and antagonize Moscow and Beijing. The Anglo-Americans are jeopardizing world security, and yet they are posing as climate saviors.Boris Johnson is a clown and a buffoon with as much sincerity as a snot-covered hankie. He wants to bask in the glory of having world leaders turning up for his hot air conference, all nodding and chortling like good old pals.Well, the next time Johnson, Biden and other Western leaders want something from Russia and China they should remember to have some manners in the first place.

https://sputniknews.com/20211015/queen-overheard-saying-shes-irritated-by-world-leaders-who-talk-but-dont-do-ahead-of-cop26-1089938460.html

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Finian Cunningham https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/01/0c/1081745381_0:429:2048:2477_100x100_80_0_0_02c0961b33c51d5d1a17db3237ef3811.jpg

Finian Cunningham https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/01/0c/1081745381_0:429:2048:2477_100x100_80_0_0_02c0961b33c51d5d1a17db3237ef3811.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

Finian Cunningham https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/01/0c/1081745381_0:429:2048:2477_100x100_80_0_0_02c0961b33c51d5d1a17db3237ef3811.jpg

boris johnson, xi jinping, columnists, vladimir putin, climate
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/pyongyang-points-to-us-double-standards-in-wake-of-sub-launched-ballistic-missile-test-1090102972.html

Pyongyang Points to US Double Standards in Wake of Sub-launched Ballistic Missile Test

Pyongyang Points to US Double Standards in Wake of Sub-launched Ballistic Missile Test

Pyongyang has confirmed that it carried out a successful test-launch of a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the 8.24 Yongung... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T13:29+0000

2021-10-21T13:29+0000

2021-10-21T18:01+0000

submarine

missile tests

north korea

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090102879_0:96:1011:665_1920x0_80_0_0_37f9b05e83c4c47b1bc1a070583f9c47.jpg

Pyongyang has urged Washington not to trouble itself over its recent SLBM test, and suggested that US criticism of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Koreas testing of a missile class that America already possesses constitutes the height of double standards.When carrying out the recent test-firing, we did not have the US in mind nor were we aiming at it. This was work which had already been planned purely for the defence of the country. So there is no need for the US to worry or trouble itself over the test-firing, the spokesperson stressed.The spokesperson suggested that tensions on the Korean Peninsula would ease if the United States ended its opposition to the DPRKs regular and legitimate exercise of [its] sovereign rights, and emphasised that Pyongyang has already expressed strong concern over the fact that the US and the [United Nations Security Council] are tampering with a dangerous time bomb.Threat to PeaceIn the wake of the 19 October missile test, Washington accused Pyongyang of posing a threat to regional peace and stability, and called an emergency meeting of the Security Council together with Britain to discuss the test launch. The closed-door meeting took place on Wednesday. No joint communique was issued, and China called on all parties in the region to exercise restraint, commit to safeguarding peace and stability on the Peninsula and engage in talks.White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called on the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and engage in sustained and substantive dialogue, and warned that Americas commitment to the defence of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad.The State Department, meanwhile, suggested that the test fire was a violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions.US Indo-Pacific Command said the launch did not pose an immediate threat to US territory or personnel, or those of its allies, but similarly condemned the test and called on Pyongyang to refrain from any further destabilising acts.Missile PowerTuesdays SLBM test was the first of its kind since April 2016. The missile in the latest test, said to be of a new-type SLBM, reportedly flew about 430-450 km, reaching an altitude of 60 km, and splashing down in international waters outside Japans exclusive economic zone.KCNA boasted that the new SLBM features advanced control guidance technologies including flank mobility and skip-glide mobility, and that it would greatly contribute to putting the defence technology of the country on a higher level and enhancing the underwater operational capability of the Navy.Pyongyangs statement Thursday is the second time this month that the DPRK has accused the United States and other powers of double standards over its missile tests. On 3 October, Jo Chol Su, director of the North Korean Foreign Ministrys department of international organisations, accused the Security Council of open ignorance and wanton encroachment on Pyongyangs sovereign rights while remaining silent on US military activities and weapons tests with allies.North Korean, South Korean, and US officials have signalled agreement to work to improve inter-Korean communications amid escalating tensions. Relations between Pyongyang and Washington sunk to new lows after President Joe Bidens inauguration and the collapse of the strong personal rapport formed between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump during the latters presidency. Biden helped to set the stage for worsened ties by criticising Trump on the campaign trail over his meetings with Kim, and by characterising the North Korean leader as a thug and a tyrant. North Korea responded by calling Biden an imbecile and a rabid dog that must be beaten to death with a stick.North Korea has is reported to have tested at least seven missiles this year. Last month, the country test-fired a new hypersonic glider vehicle mounted aboard a Hwasong-8 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). Before that, the country tested a new missile launched from aboard a train car, and a long-range cruise missile.North Korea insists that its weapons are aimed strictly for the defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the event of foreign aggression. The country has signalled a willingness to scale back its missile and nuclear activities if the US were reduce its military footprint and drills with South Korea on the Peninsula, but has rejected out of hand demands for the complete elimination of its nuclear deterrent.

https://sputniknews.com/20211019/china-calls-for-restraint-after-new-north-korean-missile-launches-1090042704.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211012/kim-jong-un-blasts-us-as-root-cause-of-inter-korean-tensions-vows-to-build-invincible-military-1089852303.html

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

submarine, missile tests, north korea
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/radical-islamists-across-south-asia-emboldened-by-taliban-win-analyst-says-on-kashmir-killings-1090101712.html

Radical Islamists Across South Asia 'Emboldened' by Taliban Win, Analyst Says on Kashmir Killings

Radical Islamists Across South Asia 'Emboldened' by Taliban Win, Analyst Says on Kashmir Killings

The Taliban has assured the global community, including India, that it won't allow Afghan soil to be used as a terror launchpad for attacks against foreign... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T14:54+0000

2021-10-21T14:54+0000

2021-10-21T14:54+0000

pakistan

bangladesh

kashmir

narendra modi

bharatiya janata party (bjp)

afghanistan

india

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/07/1083811925_0:131:2500:1537_1920x0_80_0_0_5a6e1df12500ba0ea28d3442bf77df99.jpg

The takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban* has emboldened radical Islamists across South Asia, including in Jammu and Kashmir, according to veteran Indian strategic affairs expert Qamar Agha.In Kashmir, they have adopted the method of targeted killings, he said.The Indian analyst reckons that radical elements in the Kashmir region have been exploiting the fragile security and political situation.At least 11 civilians, many of them outsiders and belonging to Hindu and Sikh communities, have been killed in targeted shootings in the Kashmir region this month. The killings have been claimed by a newly-formed jihadist group, The Resistance Front (TRF). While the TRF claims that it is leading an indigenous resistance against the Indian occupation, Indian security agencies claim it is a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).According to Indian media reports, the killings have sparked fears among non-locals in Kashmir and many have fled the region fearing similar attacks by terrorists.The TRF came into existence after Prime Minister Narendra Modis government abrogated the semi-autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir and stripped it of its statehood in August 2019. The decision has been protested by Kashmiri political parties and a large section of the population.Both Prime Minister Modi and federal Home Minister Amit Shah have on several occasions claimed that the move to dissolve Kashmirs autonomy has directly contributed to a decrease in terror incidents in the region, disputed between India and Pakistan. Shah has even said that Article 370 was the root cause of terrorism in Kashmir. Article 370 was the Indian constitutional provision allowing semi-autonomy and several special rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.However, the rise in terror attacks on non-Kashmiri civilians this month has sparked doubts about the Modi governments previous assurances.On numerous occasions, Pakistan has denied supporting any terrorist group operating in Jammu and Kashmir. However, it also says that it backs the right of Kashmiris to self-determination and has been highly critical of India's military presence in the disputed region.Have Been Warning About Kashmiri Backlash Against BJP, Says Kashmiri PoliticianFirdous Tak, the spokesperson of Kashmir's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), blames the Modi government for the present state of affairs in Kashmir, saying that the opposition parties have been warning the federal authorities about the backlash from the August 2019 decision.The PDP, which once ruled over the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, has demanded the immediate restoration of the regions special status as well as its statehood. At a meeting of Kashmir political organisations this year, Prime Minister Modi said that his government would restore the regions state statehood at an appropriate time. Jammu and Kashmir presently exists as a federally administered union territory.Tak also challenges New Delhis claims that federal decisions have led to an end of terror activities in the valley.The militancy in Jammu and Kashmir has seen several turns and, every time, new methodologies are being adopted. It seems that the basic target this time around is the BJPs peace facade which it has been trying to sell to the Indian voters, he claimed.Under Article 370, non-Kashmiris were barred from owning land or property in the region. Opposition parties now accuse the BJP of trying to implement a demographic change in Kashmir by trying to settle Hindus and other non-Muslim communities in the region.The Kashmiri politician, however, refuses to believe that the Taliban victory has led to the current state of affairs in Kashmir, instead pinning the blame on the Hindu nationalist agenda of the BJP.*The Taliban is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.

https://sputniknews.com/20211018/were-scared-migrants-leave-jammu--kashmir-as-militants-target-civilians-death-toll-rises-to-11-1090004642.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210917/pakistan-will-get-badly-burnt-if-it-courts-the-taliban-beyond-a-point-warns-author-1089151573.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210628/pm-modis-kashmir-policy-a-failure-says-prominent-indian-muslim-leader-owaisi-1083259383.html

pakistan

bangladesh

kashmir

afghanistan

india

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Dhairya Maheshwari

Dhairya Maheshwari

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

Dhairya Maheshwari

pakistan, bangladesh, kashmir, narendra modi, bharatiya janata party (bjp), afghanistan, india
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/russia-and-us-are-on-the-right-track-following-geneva-summit-putin-says-1090108021.html

Biden Was Right to Withdraw US Troops From Afghanistan, Putin Says

Biden Was Right to Withdraw US Troops From Afghanistan, Putin Says

The Joe Biden administration has faced much backlash over a chaotic troop pullout and evacuation from Afghanistan, which saw the Taliban seize control of the... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T16:25+0000

2021-10-21T16:25+0000

2021-10-21T18:30+0000

world

russia

us

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/11/1083172957_211:0:3852:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_ddbb467c3e6c4b402f9542def9ae1a96.jpg

Joe Biden was right to withdraw the US troops from Afghanistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, addressing the Valdai Forum on Thursday.According to the Russian president, his US counterpart realised that the political decision to leave Afghanistan would face much criticism at home, but he took responsibility anyway.The main responsibility for what is happening in Afghanistan lies with the countries that fought there for 20 years, but in order for the state to solve its social and economic problems, it is necessary to unfreeze their assets, Putin said.The Russian president stated on Thursday that Moscow would decide on removing the Taliban from the list of banned terrorist groups based on the decisions they make. Biden has repeatedly been criticised for the "chaotic" American troop exit from Afghanistan, which wrapped up in late August and came amid the Taliban's* rapid offensive that led to the terrorist group seizing power in the country on 15 August. The capture of Kabul by the Taliban prompted the US and NATO to begin a massive evacuation of citizens, embassy staff and vulnerable locals ahead of Biden's self-imposed 31 August deadline.Amid the frantic rush to leave the country, terrorist attacks claimed by a Daesh* affiliate killed scores of Afghan citizens and 13 US soldiers. Controversy has been triggered by the US retaliation for the attack, as the Pentagon said it had targeted an alleged Daesh-operative in its recent drone strike in Kabul. However, an investigative piece in The New York Times claimed the strike had mistakenly killed an Afghan aid worker and his seven children on August 29th.The developments were followed by the Taliban announcing an all-male interim government in Afghanistan in early September, with key ministerial posts going to the militant group's hardliners.US-Russia Relations 'on Right Track'Putin earlier said that Russia and the United States are on the right track following the Geneva summit in June."The administration from the US side and Russia, on the other hand, are fulfilling their plans and are moving along this path, and there is always a signal of such a systemic nature. Look, our trade has already grown by 23 percent, moreover, in many areas. This is an indirect influence, including from our meeting in Geneva," he added.Putin described his meeting with US President Joe Biden as "fruitful," saying Washington seemed to be intent on reviving relations with Moscow.The Russian and US presidents held their first face-to-face talks in Geneva on 16 June, discussing a wide range of topics and coming to an agreement on a number of issues, including nuclear weapons and the return of ambassadors.At the time, Biden told reporters that he saw a genuine opportunity to significantly improve the relationship between the United States and Russia. He added that the success of the summit would be determined by practical, straightforward, no-nonsense decisions that we have to make or not make.During a post-summit press conference, Putin, for his part, said that his negotiations with Biden were important because the leaders met to make this world a safer place.A month after the much-anticipated summit, where Putin and Biden agreed on strategic dialogue, the US and Russian delegations met in the Swiss capital to discuss strategic stability.Before the consultations, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the two sides would discuss maintaining and strengthening strategic stability, as well as prospects for arms control. The State Department, for its part, added that such a dialogue with Moscow should lay the foundation for the future arms control regime and measures to mitigate risks.Russia-US relations soured in the wake of the 2014 coup in Ukraine, which Moscow blamed on Washington and other Western states. The US, in turn, accused Moscow of meddling in Kiev's affairs and condemned Crimea's reunification with Russia, which happened following a referendum the same year. The tensions have also affected the two states diplomatic missions, with Washington expelling dozens of diplomats under various pretexts and Moscow responding in kind.*The Taliban and Daesh are terrorist groups banned in Russia and many other countries.

https://sputniknews.com/20211020/lavrov-daesh-and-al-qaeda-are-trying-to-take-advantage-of-instability-in-afghanistan---1090062746.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211021/putin-says-discussion-on-men-and-women-in-west-has-become-phantasmagorical-1090106736.html

mandrake Of course, a retreat is not what you want to do but in this case it was the right thing to do! 2

Francesco Slossel Pienamente d'accordo, non so cosa aspettino da andarsene da tutti i paesi che non li hanno invitati! 1

2

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

world, russia, us
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/russian-conservationists-report-1st-return-of-polar-bear-to-pacific-arctic-ice-in-20-years-1090100915.html

Russian Conservationists Report 1st Return of Polar Bear to Pacific Arctic Ice in 20 Years

Russian Conservationists Report 1st Return of Polar Bear to Pacific Arctic Ice in 20 Years

VLADIVOSTOK Russia (Sputnik)  Scientists have recorded the first cooling of the Pacific Arctic Region in two decades amid the global warming, allowing... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T12:09+0000

2021-10-21T12:09+0000

2021-10-21T12:09+0000

arctic

russia

polar bear

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090100861_0:412:2706:1934_1920x0_80_0_0_a044f4f05f3be5e3a4bb2afe7d775635.jpg

"Primarily, we can talk about temperature drop in Chukotka and Alaska, because there, no walruses were this year on the spots [at the shore] that they were occupying for the past 20 years This is not anomaly, but a return to normalcy. The anomaly was during the past 20 years, during the warming. Now the ice is not that heavy as it was 40 years ago, for example, but close to it. I am happy for walruses and bears, as all of them got a respite," Kochnev said.The ice in the coastal waters did not melt throughout the summer, and walruses lived on the ice, though in the past years, the animals formed rookeries at the shore, the expert said.The expert explained that the ice shrank, which prompted walruses and polar bears to go out to the seashore in search of food. Polar bears began hunting for walruses, though they used to do so rarely.The polar bear is in the Russian Red Data Book and has been recorded as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Polar bear hunting has been prohibited since 1957.

arctic

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

arctic, russia, polar bear
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/secret-migrant-flights-to-fight-gerrymandering-1090086188.html

Secret Migrant Flights to Fight Gerrymandering

Secret Migrant Flights to Fight Gerrymandering

While an unprecedented migration crisis is hitting the US southern border, and more than 1.5 million illegal immigrants have tried to cross the border in the... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T01:10+0000

2021-10-21T01:10+0000

2021-10-21T01:10+0000

joe biden

us

migrants

border

migrant crisis

us-mexico border

biden administration

cartoons

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090086685_0:30:1201:705_1920x0_80_0_0_8a576ad1697cb7032c668c71320caba6.jpg

The New York Post reported earlier this week that at least 2,000 migrant children and teenagers may have been brought to New York suburbs since early August. Later media reported that chartered flights with migrant children on board were also going to Tennessee and Florida.The Democratic administration seems to have been attacked by everyone recently, besides the traditionally critical Republicans, for mismanagement of the apparent crisis situation at the border. Perhaps as a result of the aforementioned mistakes of the current administration, the outcome of the next elections will serve to compound its growing problems. US media reported last month that Republicans in Texas  where Latinos have accounted for most of the population growth in recent years  are seeking to gerrymander the electoral map so that people of color, who tend to vote for Democrats, would not comprise the majority in a single district and GOP politicians could secure two-thirds of the states House seats.

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

joe biden, us, migrants, border, migrant crisis, us-mexico border, biden administration, cartoons
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/senate-panel-approves-extra-29-billion-for-pentagon-1090088170.html

Senate Panel Approves Extra $29 Billion for Pentagon

Senate Panel Approves Extra $29 Billion for Pentagon

The Senate panel approves an annual Pentagon budget of $7.25.8 billion, $10 billion more than what was requested. 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T09:44+0000

2021-10-21T09:44+0000

2021-10-21T10:07+0000

julian assange

oleg deripaska

china

pentagon

nato

voting rights

the critical hour

radio

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090088145_29:0:1273:700_1920x0_80_0_0_57e3049f0566a09b3ff9f20a09bfd4a3.png

Senate Panel Approves Extra $29 Billion for Pentagon The Senate panel approves an annual Pentagon budget of $7.25.8 billion, $10 billion more than what was requested.

National Director for Code Pink Ariel Gold joins us to discuss US spending. The Senate panel on Monday approved an annual Pentagon budget of $725.8 billion, giving the US military $29 billion more than last year. This amount was $10 billion more than requested.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss Russiagate. The Russiagate plot thickens as Clinton lawyer Michael Sussman's indictment has opened a new line of questions into the shady firm Crowdstrike, which he hired to "investigate" the alleged DNC hack.Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net & CounterPunch and the author of "Danger to Society: Against Vaccine Passports," and John Kiriakou, journalist, author, and Host of The Back Story, come together to discuss Julian Assange and Kiriakou's latest article about Daniel Hale.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, and Martin Sieff, senior fellow at the American University in Moscow, join us to discuss NATO. Russia suspended its NATO mission on Monday in response to the NATO expulsion of eight Russian mission diplomats for alleged spying.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut joins us to discuss the Middle East. Iraqi protesters demand an election recount in Baghdad and Israel is said to approve a $1.5 billion budget for a potential strike on Iran.Dr. Emmitt Riley, political scientist, author and assistant professor of Africana studies at DePauw University, and Greg Palast, investigative reporter, joins us to discuss Congressional politics. The Senate is set to vote on a sweeping voting rights bill that the Republicans promise to filibuster.Phil Giraldi, former CIA case agent and Army Intelligence Officer, American columnist and commentator, joins us to discuss Oleg Deropaska. Two homes that are financially connected to Russian aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska were raided by the FBI. It is not well known that Deripaska worked with the FBI in an attempt to free a CIA asset that was held in Iran.George Koo, journalist, social activist, international business consultant, joins us to discuss China. Despite the current Bidenesque softer approach, the US's latest policies towards China seem to mirror the Trump administration's anti-China stance.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com

china

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

julian assange, oleg deripaska, china, pentagon, nato, voting rights, the critical hour, , radio
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/south-koreas-space-rocket-nuri-fails-to-place-dummy-satellite-into-orbit-1090095975.html

South Korea's Space Rocket Nuri Fails to Place Dummy Satellite Into Orbit

South Korea's Space Rocket Nuri Fails to Place Dummy Satellite Into Orbit

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - South Korea's first domestically developed space rocket Nuri (KSLV-II) has failed to place a dummy satellite into orbit, President Moon... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T09:59+0000

2021-10-21T09:59+0000

2021-10-21T10:40+0000

south korea

news

tech

satellite

rocket

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090095950_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_6f2113d84bbb527d94f741645e14886b.jpg

"Unfortunately, the goal was not fully achieved ... It is important that we managed to lift the rocket by 700 kilometres [434 miles] into space and the space became closer. But placing a dummy satellite into orbit remains an unsolved task," Moon said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.Five more launches are scheduled by 2027, with the earliest expected to take place in May, he added. "What failed to be done today will be further investigated, and next year in May at the second launch it will be successfully completed," Moon said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.Some 300 South Korean firms were involved in the production of the 200-ton, three-stage Nuri rocket, First Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Yong Hong-taek, told the media. South Korea has been trying to join the club of countries with their own satellite launch capability. Seoul plans a 4% increase in its space budget of $544 million for 2022.

south korea

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

south korea, news, tech, satellite, rocket
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/ten-years-since-libyas-gaddafi-was-murdered-by-nato-backed-rebels-1090087300.html

Ten Years Since Libyas Gaddafi Was Murdered by NATO-Backed Rebels

Ten Years Since Libyas Gaddafi Was Murdered by NATO-Backed Rebels

October 20, 2021, marks ten years since the revolutionary leader of Libya Muammar Gaddafi was killed by rebel forces who had overthrown his government with... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T01:16+0000

2021-10-21T01:16+0000

2021-10-21T01:16+0000

libya

muammar gaddafi

africa

nato

coup

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107397/08/1073970886_0:21:2032:1164_1920x0_80_0_0_66f4850e93dd429401a814171eb113a1.jpg

"Before 2011, Libyans were the masters of their destiny. Since then we've seen 10 years of injustice, bombing, killing and kidnapping," Mohammad Abi Hamra, a resident of Bani Walid, told France 24 on Wednesday."Revolution is meant to bring change for the better. But what has happened since 2011 hasn't been a real revolution, it has been a conspiracy against Libya," he added.The town of 85,000 remained loyal to Gaddafi to the end, and support for his legacy remains strong in the city. Today, they support one of the late leaders sons, Saif al-Islam, who entered the running last month for the Libyan presidency, to be decided in elections at the end of the year.Gaddafi came to power in 1969 in a coup detat that overthrew the monarchy of King Idris, which was supported by the former colonial power Italy and the Greek dictatorship of Georgios Papadopoulos. While motivated by Arab socialism, they rejected Marxism-Leninism due to its atheism and instead incorporated significant socialist elements into an Islamic government of direct democracy, which Gaddafi ultimately named the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. However, Gaddafi remained its titular leader and representative on the global stage.Based upon nationalization of the countrys massive oil wealth, Libya under Gaddafi implemented extensive social welfare programs including free education, healthcare, electricity, and even interest-free loans. Having a home was considered a human right. Libya went from a backwards backwater to a rich, educated, urban society.Gaddafis 42-year-rule was brought to a swift end in early 2011, when protests supported by the West erupted early on during the Arab Spring uprisings, which had begun in nearby Tunisia. When those protests turned to armed revolt, and the Libyan military responded in kind, NATO quickly organized air and cruise missile strikes that gave the rebels the upper hand.By October 20, Gaddafi only controlled a small area around his hometown of Sirte. After his convoy was attacked by NATO aircraft, he sought cover in a protected culvert, where he was found. On live video, the revolutionary leader was beaten by his rebel captors and sodomized with a bayonet before he died. His body was frozen for several days, to confirm that he was really dead.Today, Libyas once-glorious cities lie in ruins, the houses that every citizen was once entitled to are bombed out concrete hulks. Open-air slave markets have brought human trafficking on a horrific scale as migrants fleeing conflicts across Africa try to risk a water crossing to Europe. Daesh* and other terrorist groups have flourished in the chaos, seizing the countrys remote desert interior and spreading across much of West Africa.*A terrorist group banned in Russia and many other states

TruePatriot "Not only was Libya debt-free, but it helped other African countries to escape their debts to European nations and to institutions like the International Monetary Fund..." which is why the West and the Rothschilds had to do away with him and turn a glorious country into a hell-hole. 4

Gone History will forever remember what Gaddafi did for Libya. And what Clinton did to Libya, and then Syria. She indeed cackles with the worst of them, isn't she? One of the boys. "Brothers under the skin", huh? 3

8

libya

africa

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

libya, muammar gaddafi, africa, nato, coup
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/threat-level-against-mps-raised-to-substantial-after-amess-killing-as-police-review-their-security-1090096181.html

Threat Level Against MPs Raised to Substantial After Amess Killing as Police Review Their Security

Threat Level Against MPs Raised to Substantial After Amess Killing as Police Review Their Security

Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old Briton of Somali heritage was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of murdering Conservative lawmaker David Amess, who was stabbed... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T10:01+0000

2021-10-21T10:01+0000

2021-10-21T10:05+0000

news

priti patel

uk

sir david amess

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107864/33/1078643320_0:141:1800:1154_1920x0_80_0_0_0dd6d33e7bdd1eaa7bdd908c0bade74f.jpg

The threat level against UK Members of Parliament has been elevated to substantial following a security review by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), reported the BBC. The JTAC divides threat levels into five categories: low, moderate, substantial, severe and critical. The current review was prompted by the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess on 15 October. Addressing the House of Commons, Home Secretary Priti Patel said:As she urged MPs to take the change in risk, which is at the same level as the current national threat to the United Kingdom as a whole, seriously, Patel added:Priti Patel also urged the MPs to seek security provisions and support available under Operation Bridger. The nationwide police effort was originally established to boost security of MPs after the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016. The new level corresponds with the national risk guidance on terrorist attacks, implying that an attack is likely. A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs Council was quoted as saying: In light of this announcement, we will be working closely with government, forces and parliamentary authorities to review the security offering for MPs, ensuring a more consistent security response wherever MPs are in the country. Any recommendations made to members will need to be bespoke to their individual circumstances.A day earlier, Patel and Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, wrote to inform MPs that counter-terrorism police were on standby to provide security advice. During constituency surgeries, or person-to-person meetings of MPs with voters, "trained security operatives" were available to offer support.69-year old Southend West MP David Amess was fatally stabbed on Friday afternoon as he was meeting constituents at his weekly surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in the Essex town of Leigh-on-Sea. A suspect was arrested at the scene and detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. He was later identified as 25-year-old Somalian Ali Harbi Ali, the son of Harbi Ali Kullanea, who describes himself on his Twitter account as a "Former Director of Media and Communication" to Somalia's ex-prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire. The fatal stabbing is being investigated as a possible terrorist incident.The attack on Amess came slightly over five years after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in a Yorkshire constituency, similarly on the day when she had been due to hold a surgery. In May 2010, Labour MP for east Ham Stephen Timms was stabbed twice in the stomach at a constituency surgery in east London by a 21-year-old student, Roshonara Choudhry.

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, priti patel, uk, sir david amess
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/uk-defense-ministry-confirms-information-about-missiles-deal-with-ukraine-1090097536.html

UK Defene Ministry Confirms Information About Missiles' Deal With Ukraine

UK Defene Ministry Confirms Information About Missiles' Deal With Ukraine

LONDON (Sputnik) - The UK Ministry of Defene on Thursday confirmed information about a deal to deliver missiles to Ukraine, adding that it was made public in... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T10:55+0000

2021-10-21T10:55+0000

2021-10-21T10:56+0000

news

ukraine

military

missile

defence

uk

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090097639_0:242:3072:1970_1920x0_80_0_0_28b36c734d6f6bbc7e6390e5bd038403.jpg

The Times has reported that the UK is holding negotiations with Ukraine on their first arms deal under which London will provide Kiev with missiles. The parties are discussing possible deliveries of surface-to-surface missiles for Ukrainian patrol boats and aircraft missiles, the newspaper reported, adding that the Ministry of Defene was considering the sale of Brimstone missiles developed by MBDA UK."Please see below for a news release which was published last June detailing the agreement," the ministry told Ria Novosti and sent a statement published in June.The ministry confirmed that the statement is about the information shared by the Times and was surprised that the media wrote about the deal four months later.In June, the UK and Ukraine defene ministries signed a memorandum on the implementation of support for building up the naval potential of Ukraine. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the deal involves the supply to Ukraine with new naval platforms and defensive naval weapons, training of personnel of the Ukrainian naval forces, the creation of new military bases and the purchase of two Sundown-class mine action vessels.

ukraine

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, ukraine, military, missile, defence, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/uk-govt-mulls-covid-plan-c-to-keep-economy-open-amid-warning-new-daily-cases-may-reach-100000--1090090729.html

UK Gov't 'Mulls COVID Plan C' to Keep Economy Open Amid Warning New Daily Cases May Reach 100,000

UK Gov't 'Mulls COVID Plan C' to Keep Economy Open Amid Warning New Daily Cases May Reach 100,000

As 223 more COVID-19 deaths were reported on 19 October - the highest daily-reported figure in seven months  the chief executive of the UK's National Health... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T05:54+0000

2021-10-21T05:54+0000

2021-10-21T05:54+0000

national health service (nhs)

news

sajid javid

uk

covid-19

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/0c/1082864368_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_7e7c3c2e2284451a2337e91ee9136b0b.jpg

UK government ministers are said to be considering elements of a potential plan C if COVID-19 cases continue to surge amid a lethargic vaccine booster rollout, reported The Telegraph. Members of the Cabinet Office's coronavirus taskforce reportedly do not rule out bringing back the measures, including a ban on households mixing, which were in place for a significant period of last year. These contingency proposals are ostensibly being considered as a last-ditch effort to relieve pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) and dodge a shutdown of the economy, if a winter plan B is introduced, yet fails to be sufficient.While plan A  currently in place  is rooted in encouraging COVID-19 boosters and flu jabs, ministers had published a potential coronavirus Plan B in September. It presupposed possible mandatory vaccine passports, legally obligated face coverings in some settings and recommendations to work from home, if the NHS was found to be facing unsustainable pressure.Downing Street is still hesitating to enforce its Plan B strategy for tackling the spread of the disease. Reports of a possible plan C looming come amid concerns that people are most likely to experience prolonged exposure to the respiratory virus within their home environment. This is further compounded by fears that the currently high incidents of COVID among teenagers and children could result in a surge of cases among the older adult community. If a plan C were to come into force, sources suggest it would offer UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson an opportunity to allow businesses to stay open, thus avoiding crippling the economy. According to sources, the plan C discussions are at an early stage. Furthermore, it was added that the proposals will not be automatically set in place if a Plan B was set in motion but fell through. Calls to activate Plan B The UK government had initially announced a winter plan for dealing with the pandemic in September, If hospitalisations were to soar amid a sluggish pace of COVID booster jab rollout for the over-50s, plan B presupposed such restrictions as legally mandating face coverings in certain settings, potential introduction of vaccine passports, working from home where possible. However, speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday, Health Secretary Sajid Javid emphasised that ministers would not be hurrying to reintroduce mandatory face masks and work from home (WFH) guidance at this point. Against the backdrop of the current surge in coronavirus cases, Javid urged those eligible for jabs to get them. As on Tuesday the UK government reported 223 more coronavirus deaths in the highest daily-reported figure in seven months, Javid said: The Health Secretary warned that further restrictions would be more likely during winter if people failed to get vaccinated, wear face coverings in crowded places or exercise greater caution, such as opting to meet outdoors and undergo regular testing. On the same day, UK Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said on LBC that he could categorically rule out lockdowns."Weve worked really hard to get to the point that we could actually open up the economy, said Kwarteng. However, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the UK's National Health Service Confederation, has called on the government not to procrastinate with a rollout of a Plan B for anti-Covid winter measures. Furthermore, he stated:Taylor was cited by Sky News as saying that under a "Plan B plus", people should be recommended to wear masks, work from home, and avoid indoor gatherings. The British Medical Association has also warned that Plan B needs to be activated. BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul was cited as saying: As for what COVID case thresholds could trigger a Plan B, previously government scientific advisers suggested that further restrictive measures might be considered if hospitalisations soared to 1,200 a day. Currently, hospital admissions are registered at 869 daily. Last month, when daily admissions were at 600, British epidemiologist Professor Neil Ferguson told MPs that a doubling in hospitalisations could warrant triggering introduction of further control measures.

CountTo5Manual Too late as always.. 3

TruePatriot ROFLMAO - but, but, the UK just announced Plan B this week, and now they are going to Plan C? LOLOLOLOL. I'll give you a clue. All this spike represents is those who are jabbed that are now getting the bug or other adverse reactions as they start to fade out of this life because of the jabs. I predicted a deathly bleak winter, and well, here it comes. 2

4

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

national health service (nhs), news, sajid javid, uk, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/uk-in-talks-with-ukraine-on-missile-deliveries--reports-1090087731.html

UK in Talks With Ukraine on Missile Deliveries  Reports

UK in Talks With Ukraine on Missile Deliveries  Reports

LONDON (Sputnik)  The United Kingdom is holding negotiations with Ukraine on their first arms deal under which London will provide Kiev with missiles, media... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T01:33+0000

2021-10-21T01:33+0000

2021-10-21T01:33+0000

ukraine

gas

defense

negotiations

crisis

arms deal

united kingdom

brimstone missiles

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107355/05/1073550570_62:0:1436:773_1920x0_80_0_0_0ec83c47e8860dc224e4ea43868c56e7.jpg

As part of the talks, the parties are discussing possible deliveries of surface-to-surface missiles for Ukrainian patrol boats and aircraft missiles, the Times newspaper reported, adding that the US Ministry of Defense was considering the sale of Brimstone missiles developed by MBDA UK.The negotiations have been reportedly launched amid the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's fears that Russia could allegedly try to escalate tensions amid the current gas crisis.Ukraine has been actively boosting its ties, including military ones, with the West since 2014, when an armed conflict erupted in the eastern region of Donbas and the Crimean Peninsula rejoined Russia. Kiev accuses Moscow of being behind the crisis in the country.Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the internal Ukrainian conflict and is interested in Kiev overcoming the political and economic crisis.

TruePatriot For a country that doesn't have two shekels to rub together, and if it found them, they'd have been stolen. 4

Ronnie Bell Old dog, new fleas. Goon Britain, Broke, Bonkers and Beastlywhat else is left an Aircraft Carrier that leaks, someone elses jets flying off it .plus an oldie but a regular.Rum Bum and the Lash, the beats go on. 2

4

ukraine

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

ukraine, gas, defense, negotiations, crisis, arms deal, united kingdom, brimstone missiles
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/us-anti-war-activist-says-ex-wife-contacted-by-fbi-over-his-russia-venezuela-trips-1090091613.html

US Anti-War Activist Says Ex-Wife Contacted by FBI Over His Russia, Venezuela Trips

US Anti-War Activist Says Ex-Wife Contacted by FBI Over His Russia, Venezuela Trips

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) coordinator Joe Lombardo told Sputnik that the FBI contacted his former spouse about trips he... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T06:32+0000

2021-10-21T06:32+0000

2021-10-21T06:33+0000

world

fbi

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107440/84/1074408435_0:106:2048:1258_1920x0_80_0_0_45564ae4131b5cd81c6bae6591300c3b.jpg

"I dont really know the purpose but I assume it was to intimidate our movement and me and to try to get information that might be used against us," Lombardo said when asked about the FBI contacting his former wife. "Although our activity is not illegal, the government has been more aggressive lately toward people who dissent from their policies."Lombardo said the trips to Russia and Venezuela were done on behalf of UNAC.Prior to the FBI contacting his former spouse, Lombardo said he and other activists met with the Venezuelan delegation to the UN General Assembly at the Venezuelan Consulate in New York. The meeting was organized by the Sanctions Kill Coalition.Lombardo pointed out that the US government has also cracked down on other activist movements, including Black Lives Matter.Lombardo revealed that with respect to the UNAC, the government went after 23 activists from some of its coalition members several years ago.Lombardo went on to say that the FBI contact took place after the United States defeat in Afghanistan as the antiwar movement continually opposed and protested the invasion and occupation of that country.Lombardo emphasized, however, that the FBI actions will not have an effect on his activities."I think this shows that the United States is vulnerable to public opinion and that we have been having an effect," he said.

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, fbi
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/us-distributes-200mln-vaccines-to-over-100-countries-most-shots-go-to-africa-1090105286.html

US Distributes 200Mln Vaccines to Over 100 Countries, Most Shots Go to Africa

US Distributes 200Mln Vaccines to Over 100 Countries, Most Shots Go to Africa

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The United States has distributed 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to over 100 countries around the world, with most of the shots... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T14:43+0000

2021-10-21T14:43+0000

2021-10-21T14:43+0000

news

africa

us

vaccine

covid-19

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/18/1083703620_0:136:3161:1914_1920x0_80_0_0_23dd8335783f609bc2eaf9f93efaebca.jpg

We are very pleased to be hitting the milestone of having shared and delivered 200 million doses of vaccine to more than a 100 countries around the world as of today, State Department Coordinator for Global COVID-19 Response, Gayle Smith, said during a telephone press briefing.The US makes deliveries to other countries on a regular basis, she added.Smith has emphasized the great progress in vaccine distribution efforts, but acknowledged that there is still a lot of work to do. We are also encouraging other countries to share [surplus] as quickly as possible, she added.The US provides the most vaccines to African countries, USAID COVID-19 Task Force executive director, Jeremy Konyndyk, noted. Speaking of Sub-Saharan Africa, Gayle Smith estimates that the region needs to receive about 1.6 billion vaccine doses in order to approach the goal of vaccinating 70% of the population.Smith added that the US has shipped over 1 million doses to Tanzania. Asked about Ethiopia, she expressed the hope that those who live in conflict zones have unrestricted access to vaccines.We have shared a substantial number of vaccines with Ethiopia. They also have other sources. Certainly [it is] our hope that those vaccines will be made available equitably to everyone who needs them, Smith said.The US is trying to ensure that vaccines are distributed based on epidemiological data, not on politics, she added.

TruePatriot Ah the US striking back at the African nations because they are doing business with China or are have signed up to the BRI. 2

Preterist-ADSeventy Gates wanted his vaccines for Africa. Europe has been seen up. Are these vaccines headed for Africa Gates vaccines? 1

2

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

news, africa, us, vaccine, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20211021/who-to-inspect-sputnik-v-vaccine-in-russia-in-coming-weeks-1090105926.html

WHO to Inspect Sputnik V Vaccine in Russia in Coming Weeks

WHO to Inspect Sputnik V Vaccine in Russia in Coming Weeks

MOSCOW, October 21 (Sputnik) - The World Health Organization will conduct inspections of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in Russia in the upcoming few weeks... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-21T14:52+0000

2021-10-21T14:52+0000

2021-10-21T14:52+0000

world health organization (who)

russia

vaccine

covid-19

sputnik v

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/0d/1089890381_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_ec6ec4890360e6303e654737ae6ae98d.jpg

"We havent received all of the submission from Sputnik V yet and let me say that the process was on hold until yesterday evening because of a legal procedure, but we still need the applicant to sign to the WHOs rules and procedures to continue to do the assessment. It has restarted as of today so we expect that we will be able to do again the inceptions in the next few weeks" Simao told a virtual briefing.On Wednesday, the WHO confirmed that the preliminary assessment of Sputnik V was in the final stages, and a team of inspectors would soon visit Russia.Earlier this month, WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the UN health agency could approve the Russian vaccine by the end of the year."There are some legal documents that need to be signed by both parties before the process [WHO review of the Russian vaccine] continues, and I think this is where we are now. The Russian authorities have assured us that these documents will be signed very soon, and as soon as this is completed ... the dossier evaluation will restart again, the dialogue will restart, and then inspections will be planned," Swaminathan said.The vaccine's developers first applied for WHO approval in February, and the organisation conducted inspections of the Russian manufacturing facilities in May and June. In October, Moscow announced that the WHO had lifted all barriers for Sputnik V's approval.Sputnik V is currently authorised for use in 70 countries representing a total population of four billion people, or 50 percent of the world's populace. It is the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus and shows over 91.6% efficacy.

TruePatriot Editors note: It's "inspections" not "inceptions". 1

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

world health organization (who), russia, vaccine, covid-19, sputnik v
Milton Downey was a pioneer. He owned, trained and drove in the Maritimes for many years. He also is remembered fondly for his breeding of young horses in New Brunswick.

On Saturday, Oct. 23, Horse Racing New Brunswick will pay tribute to the legendary horseman and businessman at Exhibition Park Raceway. Post time is at 1 p.m.

As a breeder of young horses, the aptly named Milton Downey Memorial Stakes will feature two-year-old colt and filly pacers in two divisions with a purse of $9,000 each.

The colt division showcases two freshman who have both surpassed the $40,000 mark in season earnings. Fern Hill General from the Earl Smith stable and driver Brodie MacPhee has the inside post advantage in race seven of the day. The 'General,' an early season sensation, will square off with the his rival, Stash It Away from the Kevin MacLean stable and driver Corey MacPherson. Both colts have been outstanding in their freshman campaigns.

In the filly division, Girl In A Tavern will look to catch the eyes of bettors this weekend in Saint John and starts from the inside post for the Jason Hughes stable. Ultimate Long Shot, red hot of late, will leave right beside her rival from post two for David Dowling from the Earl Watts stable.

In the Autumn Gold Series finals, the top tier divisions reunite the "Big Three" pacers at Exhibition Park Raceway this season, who will square off for a $4,000 purse.

Woodmere Ideal Art, who has been dominant in his Exhibition Park Raceway starts, will have post five for catch-driver David Dowling and the Ultimate Stables of Greater Lakeburn, N.B.

Blood Money, who also comes off a win last week, will leave from post four for the cagey veteran Mike Downey, driving for son Mitch and trainer Ellen Stevenson.

Little Manny, rounding out the big three from 2021, will score from post three for driver Stephen Trites, who co-owns with Brad & Dean McLaughlin and Mark Taylor.

K D Overdrive gets post one for Kyle Mason for owner Steve Mason and Instant Shadow has post two for Ultimate Stables and catch-driver Mark Haig.

Horse Racing New Brunswick would like extend its gratitude to all horsemen and women who have supported the 2021 racing season in Saint John. The organization is looking to come back even stronger in 2022.

To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Exhibition Park Raceway.

(With files from HRNB)
Many letters have been promoting Republican candidates from top to bottom in recent weeks. Id like to express an alternate view.

As the election nears, Glenn Youngkin and his running mates, along with Freitas and Webert, appear to be aligning themselves with the most xenophobic, racist, and tinfoil-hat-wearing members of the Republican party. Wonder how hell govern? Look at Trump, Texas, and Florida. He has also embraced state Senator Amanda F. Chasea pariah among fellow Senate Republicans, who joined Democrats in censuring her this year after she called the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 patriotssound familiar? Jon Russell called them patriots, too.

Star-Exponent columnist Tim Cotton made clear this past Sunday that he was talking about the crazed far-right lunatics who have taken control of the Republican Party while still worshipping their former president, who even now, will just not let go.
NORTH PLATTE  Trey Wasserburger figures hes got half a decade invested in his cattle before he sells them to a meatpacker.

It starts with getting his Angus cows bred, then helping pull their calves, and weaning the young steers and heifers. Ultimately, theyre fattened with corn and other rations to a market weight of about 1,400 pounds, then sold and processed.

But lately, hes walked away from the sales barn with scant profits.

Well have five years invested in those animals and well give away all the profits in 48 hours, Wasserburger said of the hours that cattle are held at a meatpacking facility.

Were just tired of pissing away our profits, he said.

The 33-year-old former state wrestling champ is part of a group of Nebraska cattle producers and feeders planning to do something about that, by establishing their own meat processing facility in North Platte.

The goal is to capture some of the record profits now being reaped by the four large meatpackers, which process 85% of the fat cattle in the United States. While packers and grocers capture a bigger share than ever of record consumer beef prices, ranchers portion of the retail dollar has slipped.

Theres another goal, too  preserve a way of life that he hopes to pass on to his four children, a life that includes rising at dawn to chop sileage, fixing fence under a hot sun, and monitoring cattle markets, minute by minute, for the best bargains.

Weve got to do something different, Wasserburger said. Its just not sustainable what were doing now at all.

Starting their own meatpacking plant  a risky and expensive venture costing $325 million  is just one of the many solutions being pursued by those in Nebraskas beef industry to restore profits for those who raise and fatten cattle, a sector reporting scant profits in recent years while beef prices at the grocery store have soared.

In Washington, D.C., politicians are proposing to require more transparency in cattle sales  so ranchers know if theyre getting a fair price or not  and to increase enforcement of the federal laws that prevent price fixing among the big packers.

Some farmers are marketing steaks and hamburger directly to consumers from their farms or from main street stores, the pasture-to-plate approach.

Still others are working to set up a state meat inspection program in Nebraska to give producers more options to process cattle, and to reach consumers.

Others, like Wasserburger, are looking at ways to bypass the large packers, by establishing their own, smaller-scale packing plants.

Whatever happens will be critical for Nebraska, which leads the nation in beef production. The states beef industry, generating more than $10 billion a year, is the most valuable piece of Nebraska agriculture, the No. 1 sector of the states economy.

New locally owned plants

The proposed $325 million slaughterhouse in North Platte, called Sustainable Beef, is the most ambitious alternative being tried and, some say, the most risky.

With a capacity of 1,500 head per day, it wont rival the packinghouses run by the Big Four packers  Cargill, JBS, National Beef and Tyson. But Wasserburger and his partners figure it will give area producers a better chance at turning a profit, by giving them shares of the profits reaped by a packing plant, along with what they make on sales of their own beef cattle.

Our model is a co-op model  members will supply the cattle and share in the profits, said David Briggs, CEO of the Alliance-based cooperative, WESTCO, and the chief executive of Sustainable Beef.

Right now, those who raise cattle  particularly those who dont have row crops to fall back on  are barely scratching by. Some are selling off part of their cattle herds to reduce expenses and hang on until prices for cattle rebound.

Were selling to a cartel. We dont like the prices were getting paid, and the risk we take is ridiculous, said Justin Raikes, whose family is direct-marketing American Wagyu beef raised on their farms near Ashland.

Vertical integration  in which a packer not only controls slaughtering but also own the cattle that come to the packinghouse  is a dirty term in cattle country. It conjures fears that ranchers and farmers who raise cattle will lose their independence and become like most U.S. producers of chickens  contract growers for huge meat companies that provide the animals to grow, the rations to feed them and dictate what a grower will be paid.

But Briggs said that Sustainable Beef is vertical integration in reverse, from the bottom up, in which the producers own the packinghouse.

They say that studies indicate the nation needs an increase in its shackle space  the industrys term for slaughtering capacity  by about 5,000 cattle a day. That could mean one giant packing plant or three to four the size of the one proposed in North Platte.

A similarly sized packinghouse is proposed near Glenwood, Iowa, about 15 miles south of Council Bluffs, and construction of a 500-head-a-day slaughterhouse is already underway at Jerome, Idaho. Sustainable Beef hopes to break ground in North Platte yet this fall.

This foray into meatpacking is not for the faint of heart. Several small- to midsized packing plants have closed or been gobbled up by the Big Four in recent years. And big packinghouses have economies of scale, such as specialized meat cutters, and increase profits by selling valued byproducts, such as hides and bones.

Dustin Aherin, a beef industry analyst with Rabobank, said margins are low, startup costs are high and labor is short in the meatpacking industry, plus operators need plenty of capital to survive the industrys ups and downs.

Thats not a recipe for thin capital or weak hearts, he said.

In 2003, a group of 900 farmers leased a previously shuttered plant in Tama, Iowa. But despite millions in grants and loans from both the federal government and State of Iowa, the plant closed after just 13 months.

Its a very challenging business. There are lots of costs and little return, said Galen Erickson, an agriculture economist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In addition, some worry that Sustainable Beefs timing is bad. By the time the North Platte facility starts processing beef two years from now, the market probably will have flipped, with fewer cattle causing higher prices after herd reductions now underway due to droughts in Montana and the Dakotas. That usually translates into higher expenses  and lower profits  for packinghouses.

Some government help is available.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a project to invest $500 million in new, smaller packing plants. Sustainable Beef hopes to tap into that fund, and also expects to gain tax credits from the Nebraska Advantage Act, which provide such breaks to companies that create jobs or invest in facilities.

At a White House press briefing in September, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack alluded to the new plant announcements in North Platte and Council Bluffs, saying the beef industry can no longer rely on just the big four processors to do the job.

Thats going to send a strong message to the industry that theres going to be competition, and theyre going to have to respond and react to it, Vilsack said.

Chad Tentinger, one of the the producers and investors behind the Cattlemens Heritage packing plant in Glenwood, sees both a producer need and consumer demand for plants like his that provide higher quality beef thats both raised and processed locally.

Out in North Platte, Wasserburger and Briggs say theyre not out to compete with the Big Four packers, but to create their own niche of higher-quality beef. Consultants, Wasserburger said, tell them up to 70% of their beef could be exported for overseas markets.

Nebraska beef is like the Napa Valley is to wine, internationally, and we need to benefit from that, Wasserburger said.

Briggs and others said that the COVID-19 pandemic, along with some black swan events, such as the August 2019 fire that closed a giant packing plant in Holcomb, Kansas, and the cyberattack this May that temporarily shuttered JBS facilities, exposed the fragile nature of the nations food supply.

Meat hoarding, exploding prices and empty meat cases greeted consumers after slowdowns and closings of the packinghouses.

As a society, if we really want to fix the food security issue, we need three to four plants like ours, Briggs said.

But others, including the president of Tyson Fresh Meats, Shane Miller, told a congressional panel in August that opening such plants wont have much of an impact because they are so small.

The North American Meat Institute, which represents the packers, says that large packers are already expanding capacity to meet increased demand without such government intervention. They argue that creating more, smaller regional packinghouses wont shelter cattle producers from cyclical and volatile markets.

Wasserburger, who was recently named Young Cattleman of the Year by the High Plains Journal, is undaunted.

He said that Sustainable Beef will be a state-of-the-art plant that will be more efficient than those run by the big packers, and will pay better, to avoid labor shortages. People are already attracted to the story of the company  local cattle producers, growing a premium product and processing it themselves.

His TD Angus Ranch already enjoys some diversification. It specializes in raising and selling premium breeding stock. In March, one of his purebred bulls, Doc Ryan, sold for $525,000  the highest price ever paid for a Nebraska bull by a Nebraska buyer  to Falls City cattle breeder Charles W. Herbster, who is also a Republican candidate for governor.

That, Wasserburger said, was a one in a million sale, while Sustainable Beef is about ensuring a future for cattle producers, as well as his four kids.

I am lucky. But you create your own luck, he said. Ag is continuing to become more consolidated. But theres a lot of room for someone willing to step in and work hard.

Pasture to plate

Mike Callicrate, who launched his own beef retailing operation, Ranch Foods Direct, in 2000, said the answer isnt to create a mini version of the current beef processing system with new, midsized packing plants, but to go local with small locker plants. He wants to create a totally new food distribution system that sells beef and other products at public markets, instead of massive box stores and chain supermarkets.

His farm-based slaughterhouse in northwest Kansas has a capacity for 30 head per day, which are later shipped for processing and sale at two retail stores he operates in Colorado Springs.

We have to build an alternative path to the consumer, alongside this industrial side, Callicrate said. The monopoly held by the big packinghouses and supermarket chains  one he maintains is sustained with the help of government agencies and producer groups  must be broken up.

He has spent most of his career fighting the big meatpackers  he was one of the plaintiffs in the price-fixing lawsuit brought against IBP in 1996. Cattle producers won the lawsuit and were awarded $1.28 billion, but the award was later rescinded on appeal.

Callicrate said he created Ranch Foods Direct after the lone packing plant that would slaughter his cattle quit on him, in what he thinks was retribution. Sales at his company now total more than $5 million a year.

He estimates that he delivered about $2,200 more per head in proceeds to ranchers this spring by having a more efficient slaughtering operation, processing locally instead of after a long, costly truck transport to a big meatpacker, and avoiding expenses incurred by the big packers, including highly paid executives.

We can build a better, more efficient, lower-cost food product thats safer, and ends up a better deal for consumers, he said, as well as more profitable for ranchers and farmers.

Others are also directly marketing their product to consumers in hopes of keeping family operations alive.

In a tiny storefront on Ashlands main street, Justin Raikes and his wife, Lindsey, sell high-quality steaks and ground beef produced by hormone-free, American Wagyu cattle raised on the Raikes farm. The breed is sometimes called the Cadillac of cattle because the meat they produce is more marbled and tender than most.

Their beef sells at prices slightly higher than that of supermarket chains, but the couple believe that plenty of customers are looking for something different, something better.

Once you taste it, it sells itself, said Lindsey.

This isnt your everyday beef, Justin said. We arent the grocery store.

Casey and Nicole Tjaden are doing something similar out at their ranch near Madrid, in southwest Nebraska. They sell sides and quarters of beef, as well as specific steaks, ground beef and jerky, via their website and at farmers markets in the state. He also peddles freezers to customers  freezers that allow his customers the space to store a side or quarter of beef.

Theres too danged much work to give our cattle away at the sale barn, Casey said.

But both the Raikeses and the Tjadens admit that selling directly is more work and requires quite a learning curve.

Marketing and processing beef, the Raikeses said, are much different tasks than raising a premium calf and feeding it to market weight.

Marketers must deal with labeling requirements and learn details such as which shipping containers work best in keeping product fresh. Also, half of a beef carcass consists of less profitable roasts and ground beef, so theres a lot to learn about marketing the meat that isnt the prime- and choice-grade sirloins and ribeye steaks. The Tjadens had to buy a refrigerated trailer to haul produce to farmers markets and equipment to store beef at their farm.

Tjaden Ranch Beef sells to two area steakhouses, but would like to sell to others. The Raikeses have expanded into school lunch programs and at cafeterias at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but are looking for more wholesale customers.

Perhaps the biggest challenges for pasture-to-plate operations is finding a packer who will process their cattle. The competition, they said, is fierce for space in federally inspected slaughterhouses, where meat must be processed for retail sale, both within the state and across state lines.

The Raikeses have worked with three packing plants since launching Raikes Beef. But now they are looking to find a new one, probably out of state. Casey Tjaden said hes stayed up all night to load and transport cattle so he can arrive at his scheduled slot at the locker plant he works with in Elwood, which is about a 105-mile drive from Madrid.

Sometimes I dont get a lot of sleep, he said.

One partial solution would be to set up a state meat inspection program, as is done in 27 states including Kansas, South Dakota and Wyoming. But proposals in Nebraska to institute state meat inspection have failed in the past, and again stalled in 2021.

Launching a state inspection program is billed as a way to give direct marketers like the Raikeses and Tjadens more options to get their beef processed and to consumers. Justin Raikes said the lack of such a state program is the dumbest barrier they face.

The idea that the federal government is uniquely qualified to inspect meat plants is not logical, or true, he said.

But the 2021 state inspection bill, introduced by State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, was opposed by Steve Wellman, the director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Wellman maintained that there were better ways to expand shackle space, and that the high cost of setting up such a program, projected to be $3 million a year, wasnt worth it. There were also concerns that locker plants wouldnt opt for state inspection because it would only open up retail sales within the states borders.

Brewer, who maintained that the fiscal impact was inaccurately inflated, is not giving up. He has proposed to amend his bill into a pilot project, involving no more than 10 local locker plants, costing no more than $1 million a year.

Meanwhile, the Nebraska Legislature did pass a law this year to allow the sale of herd shares. It allows consumers to buy a portion of the meat  from a half or quarter to just steaks or roasts  produced by a ranch or farm before the beef is processed.

Its a win-win for everyone involved  Im not retailing, but I am, is how State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, the sponsor of the law, described it. He compared it to the Community Supported Agriculture or CSA programs in which consumer/members regularly receive a box of assorted vegetables grown by a local farmer.

Brandt said he could probably make 20% more per head if he sold all of the 140 cattle he feeds and fattens each year directly to consumers via herd shares.

His Legislative Bill 324 also established the Independent Processor Assistance Program to help small locker plants make the transition to a federally inspected facility. No money was allocated to the program in 2021, but Brandt has hope that federal pandemic recovery money can be found in 2022 to provide $1 million in grants or more.

An attempt to bring back country-of-origin labeling, or COOL, is also underway.

U.S. cattle producers argue that prices for American cattle get depressed when lower-grade, cheaper beef raised in Brazil or other foreign countries is mixed into hamburger processed in the United States. But COOL, which had been the law of the land, was rescinded in 2015 after the World Trade Organization ruled that it discriminated against products from Mexico and Canada.

In September, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill to require the USDA and trade representatives to come up with a new COOL, one that is WTO-compliant, to label beef that is raised, fattened and slaughtered entirely in the United States as a product of the USA.

Obtaining a bigger slice of the profits in the beef business will take a multifaceted approach, according to Ashley Kohls, a vice president with the Nebraska Cattlemen.

Laws need to be changed to provide more transparency in the prices paid for cattle, Kohls said. The cattlemens group backs a proposal by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., that would set up a library of contracts between packers and feeders that could be accessed by the public. A similar public library of contracts exists in the pork industry.

Kohls said that shackle space must be increased so that the big packers dont have as much leverage as they do now to dictate prices. Plus, she said, the beef chain would be more resilient against black swan events if there were more regional packers, like the ones planned in North Platte and in southwest Iowa.

The pricing of beef is complicated and few in Congress really understood the issue, but Kohls said shes seen a shift recently that gives her hope that there will be action to restore profitability in raising and feeding cattle.

Theyre asking questions they never asked before, she said. Its finally to a level that people are asking about it: Why are these cattlemen so angry?'"
The kids are super excited about it, she said. We do sneak peeks throughout the week, and so theyre kind of guessing (what it would be).

It took about two days to get all the decorations put up and in place, with the final night before being when the majority of the work was done.

Last night (Tuesday night) if you were here after school, everybody was here, Gass said. It was a huge team effort of putting things up and you get your stuff done and then you run down the hall and you help somebody else get their stuff up.

Both Gass and Morris said its a lot of work, but its worth it.

Its exhausting to get this put together, but  when the kids come in, its almost like a renewal, Morris said.

Gass said, I emailed Angela (Morris), and Im like, I dont know if I got it me for another year. And then I came last night and Im like, Oh, we got to do this  Theyre (the students) so cute because theyre like, Oh, were not going to learn anything. Its just a fun day. Its a day we come to school and have fun, and Im like, Mm-hmm, OK. But they do. Theyre learning all the time in here, and the whole thing behind it is, its a great day to get our kids to want to come to school.
Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Thursday that Nebraska's statewide COVID-19 dashboard will be disappearing again.

Ricketts said the seven-day average of COVID-19 patients has dropped below 10% of total hospitalizations in the state, the threshold he set for reinstating the daily dashboard. Therefore, the state will return to providing only weekly COVID-19 statistics, and local health districts will no longer be allowed to report county-specific statistics for counties with fewer than 20,000 people.

Also because of the drop in patients, Ricketts announced he was rescinding a directed health measure that suspended elective surgeries at the state's hospitals that could be safely postponed for at least four weeks.

It's unclear, however, how many hospitals will resume doing elective surgeries right away.

Bryan Health suspended any elective surgeries that required an overnight stay before Ricketts issued his DHM in late August and said in a statement that it is not prepared to resume them at the present time.
Geischen told the investigator that in 2015, Huber had requested permission to purchase and lease a 2005 Yamaha boat and trailer using 21st Century Leasing. The boat and trailer were purchased for $17,500. Records werent available for the original transaction, and the leasing company doesnt possess any records that show whether Humber made payments on the boat and trailer. However, Geischen said he believed that the boat and trailer were used by Huber as a trade-in in January 2019 when he purchased another boat, accessories and a boat trailer. Huber received a credit of $11,000 and allegedly used 21st Century Leasing to take out a bank note in the amount of $38,053.45, the same amount used in wiring money to a North Dakota boat retailer.

According to the interview, when 21st Century Leasing finances equipment or vehicles, they self-finance or do it through a bank loan. Bank loans are paid by the company, regardless if the lessee makes payments to ensure the company remains in good standing. The company made installment payments on the loan for five months. Furby told investigators that he believed Huber had sold the second boat and though Huber payed $31,339.54 on the loan, he did not pay the full purchase price or the interest on the loan. The investigator alleges that 21st Century Leasing suffered a loss of $11,966.76 on the note related to the alleged theft by deception.
As Americans, we tendunderstandablyto focus on the Constitution as the source for our representative democracy. It is, after all, our basic operating document, the blueprint for the system weve been shepherding for the last 234 years. But the Constitution did not arise out of thin air; our forebears marked key steps along the way with other documents as well. Heres a quick tour of some of them.

The first was the Mayflower Compact, signed in 1620 by 41 of the male colonistsincluding two indentured servantsaboard the Mayflower after it made land in Massachusetts. There is no historical certainty about who actually wrote it, though its often attributed to William Brewster, one of the leaders of the community.

Its not long, and it essentially says that the colonistswho at the time were divided between the Pilgrims, who had intended to settle in Virginia, and the merchants, craftsmen, servants, and others whod gone along for the ridewould work together to establish the colony and enact the laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices the colony needed. This seems mundane today, but at the time it was revolutionary, at least in European society: It established the right of the colonists in essence to govern themselves, based on the consent of the people, while at the same time remaining loyal subjects to the king.
As interim senior aerospace/unidentified flying object correspondent for this award-winning publication, I often receive first-person close-encounter stories from readers.

Well, maybe not often, but I did this week in the form of an email with the subject line UFO.

When I get an email with the subject line UFO, I immediately open it, unlike emails with the subject lines Action Required or Past Due Notice or Dear Lying Liberal News Media Scum.

The following are some excerpts from that email as well as my expert analysis of its contents. Well call the reader Robert, since that is the name he listed, but I wont reveal his last name because if the tale is true, he may be whisked away by some shadowy government entity because he knows too much.

Come to think of it, after reading it, I may know too much so Im not going to use my last name either. And if you continue reading, you may know too much so lets all just not use any last names so shadowy government entities cant find us and whisk us away.

Roberts story begins.

How would you like to look up and see this UFO hovering about 50 feet above your head?
Mine is the story of a black kid of no early promise from an immigrant family of limited means who was raised in the South Bronx, he wrote in his 1995 autobiography, My American Journey.

Its an experience he was fond of recalling later in his life. When he appeared at the United Nations, even during his Iraq speech, he often reminisced about his childhood in New York City, where he grew up the child of Jamaican immigrants and got one of his first jobs at the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant directly across the East River from the U.N. headquarters.

Powells path toward the military began at City College, where he discovered the ROTC. When he put on his first uniform, he wrote, I liked what I saw.

He joined the Army and in 1962 was one of more than 16,000 military advisers sent to South Vietnam by President John F. Kennedy. A series of promotions led to the Pentagon and assignment as a military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. He later became commander of the Armys 5th Corps in Germany and was national security assistant to President Ronald Reagan.

During his term as Joint Chiefs chairman, which started in 1989, his approach to war became known as the Powell Doctrine, which held that the United States should only commit forces in a conflict if it has clear and achievable objectives with public support, sufficient firepower and a strategy for ending the war.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
For nearly a decade Taiwan has been trying to come up with a strategy that would enable the small island state to withstand a threatened Chinese attack. It is generally believed that Chinese military power is so large and technically advanced that Taiwanese resistance is useless. Taiwan has not maintained its independence from China for over 70 years and achieved a higher GDP per capita than China just because of luck. The Taiwanese had to be smarter, faster and more flexible than the mainland cousins and their communist police state. Taiwan has once more used those qualities to come up with a unique and apparently successful strategy to deal with any Chinese attack plans. As is their custom, the Taiwanese do not publicize their military plans or weapons development activities. There is enough public information about Taiwanese procurement plans, and what China has aimed at them, to figure it out.

The important indicators have been showing up for years and its not that difficult to connect the dots.

In late 2019 Taiwan ordered eleven HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) rocket launchers and 135 AGM-84K SLAM-ERSLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile - Expanded Response) missiles from the United States. Taiwan already had hundreds of locally produced Hsiung Feng missiles that are like the Harpoon but faster. Taiwan could not produce locally what they needed for their new strategy. It was clear that Taiwan was putting a lot of anti-ship missiles on trucks that can also launch them.

HIMARS rocket launcher vehicles are a useful addition to the anti-ship missile force because they fire GPS guided rockets at targets nearly a hundred kilometers distant. Half of these HIMARS use heavier trucks with armor added. These heavy trucks are normally used as wreckers for retrieving vehicles that get stuck. The Taiwanese order included 65 pods each with six GMLRS rockers and 90 pods with shorter range (and cheaper) practice rockets. The order also includes spares, maintenance equipment and technical support and training.

HIMARS is a cheaper and lighter version of the original American MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System). HIMARS is a truck mounted launcher, with each vehicle carrying only one six rocket pod (instead of two in the original MLRS). The 12-ton truck can fit into a C-130 transport (unlike the 22-ton tracked MLRS vehicle). The first of the initial 900 HIMARS vehicles were issued to American combat units in 2004. The U.S. Army is using most of the HIMARS, with the marines getting the rest. A growing number of American allies have become export customers for HIMARS. The key to the combat success of HIMARS is its use of the 227mm diameter 309 kg (680 pound) GMLRS (guided multiple launch rocket system) GPS guided rocket.

GMLRS was first used in 2004. It initially had a range of 85 kilometers and the ability to land within meters of its intended target at any range. This was because of the GPS, plus a less accurate backup inertial guidance system, for finding its target. Most users buy the rockets equipped with an 82 kg (180 pound) high explosive warhead. The next version of GMLRS will be more accurate and have a range of over a hundred kilometers.

The U.S. Army has bought over 100,000 GMLRS rockets so far, and this weapon has been used with great success in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. The guided rocket is, obviously, much more effective than the older, unguided, version and has replaced it.

AGM-84K SLAM-ER entered service in 2002. It is a 725 kg (1,598 pound) cruise missile with a range of 270 kilometers, a speed of 855 kilometers an hour and GPS/shape recognition guidance system that has proved very accurate. Launched from aircraft, the target can be changed or mission aborted remotely by the pilot at any time. SLAM-ER costs nearly over two million dollars each and has a 220 kg (500 pound) warhead based on the one used on the Tomahawk cruise missile. AGM-84K SLAM-ER is a scaled-up RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. Taiwan also has the similar land-based RGM-84L that can be truck mounted and launched with four missiles per vehicle. These missiles have a range of 124 kilometers. Taiwan adopted the truck mounted concept for its Hsiung Feng III ship or ground launched supersonic anti-ship missiles. Taiwan is planning to have 400 truck launchers with 1,200 Harpoon and Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles. Denmark pioneered this concept in 1988 and several other nations have adopted it, including Russia.

A large force of Taiwanese mobile, truck mounted anti-ship missiles is seen as the only counter to planned Chinese use of hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles with explosive warheads that can carry out a surprise attack on Taiwan air and naval bases. The truck mounted missiles and a smaller number of truck mounted radars can locate the incoming Chinese invasion fleet and cripple it with an overwhelming number of anti-ship weapons.

Taiwan is also dispersing and hardening its airfields, including basing some aircraft on highways during a crisis. A Chinese invasion would not come as a complete surprise as ships of the invasion fleet would have to be gathered and transports taking aboard troops and vehicles. To give maximum warning Taiwan also purchased dozens of American reconnaissance pods that enable an aircraft flying over Taiwan to record, in detail, what is going on across the 300 kilometers Taiwan Strait that separates China from Taiwan. The United States, Japan and South Korea have taken a keen interest in these Taiwanese preparations because China, along with North Korea, is threatening these two nations as well.

China responded to these Taiwanese tactics by basing their longer-range non-nuclear ballistic missiles away from the coast and practicing launching air strikes on Taiwan from more distant bases. There is still the problem of concealing the assembling of the invasion fleet. China increased its airborne force and number of civilian ferries that were built to be quickly shifted to military use in wartime.

Currently Taiwan has the advantage because a Chinese attack must succeed or the Chinese government and economy are in big trouble. Thats because the aftermath of an invasion attempt would be a blockade of Chinese ports and all the exports and imports China depends on to keep its economy going. Taiwan knows that it does not have to make a successful invasion impossible, but simply too risky for any Chinese leader to attempt.
The answer is everywhere. And if you know someone who has left the area, but would like to return, now is the time to reach out to them.

Including Wythe and adjoining counties, local and regional community colleges, area high schools, and regional resources like Virginia Career Works offices. The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program team will also recruit outside the local area, from universities across Virginia; neighboring states like North Carolina, Tennessee, and beyond; to just about anywhere in the United States, Clark said in an email. Some of the professional positions will likely need to be filled by people relocating from outside the area, and the team will specifically look for people who have ties to the region and would like to move back for great job opportunities. We expect the vast majority of the employees will be recruited from within the region and former residents moving back.
ABINGDON, Va.  The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last Tuesday to abolish the countys farm equipment tax.

An ordinance abolishing the tax will take effect July 1, 2022.

I dont like taxes, said Supervisor Randy Pennington. I wish we didnt have to pay any.

Commissioner of Revenue Mark Matney earlier proposed abolishing the tax.

It just dont make sense to me why theres an argument about this, said Matney.

Washington County is the only locality in Southwest Virginia that has a farm equipment tax.

About 700 farmers pay the tax on tractors, hay balers, four-wheelers and other equipment. Farm equipment is taxed at the same rate as personal property: $.1.70 per $100 of assessed value.

You have a chance to right a wrong.  Do the right thing for the farmers, Matney told the supervisors. Vote this ordinance in. Quit playing around with it.

This tax brings in revenue of about $136,592 each year, according to Matney.
Cowlitz County is part of the Washington State Patrol region with the largest number of employees who quit or were fired for not complying with state COVID-19 vaccine requirements by Monday.

Washington State Patrol reports 14 out of the 127 who no longer work for the agency as of Monday were stationed in Cowlitz, Lewis, Clark, Skamania and Klickitat counties. The Southwest Washington region includes three more removed employees than the next highest region of Pierce and Thurston counties, which lost 11. Three regions that border the state to the west, northwest and northeast each lost 10 employees.

In February, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee signed a proclamation stating state and health-care employees had to be vaccinated by Monday or lose their jobs. The federal government has vaccine mandates also. One requires federal employees to be vaccinated by Nov. 22. The U.S. Department of Labor also is drafting language to eventually require businesses with 100 employees or more to have staff vaccinate or receive weekly COVID-19 tests.

Effect of loss

Washington State Patrol reports 67 troopers, six sergeants, one captain and 53 civil servants no longer work for the agency due to the vaccine mandate. Cowlitz Countys state patrol region includes 11% of dismissed staff.

The agency reports it employs roughly 2,200 personnel total and created a contingency plan when the vaccine mandate was announced. The agency said it will move resources where necessary and [where] specific personnel losses demand adjustment. They also are recruiting to fill vacancies.

Washington state troopers enforce traffic laws and investigate accidents on state highways. According to an agency report, from Oct. 20, 2020 to Wednesday, troopers assisted in 731 collisions in Cowlitz County.

In a personal message to staff, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste thanked remaining employees for following the rules, according to the state patrol.

COVID is a killer and the state is taking action intended to improve public safety, Batiste said in the message. I thank you for staying on post and staying in service to this state and agency. Better days are ahead. Believe that and know I believe in you.

Love 23 Funny 5 Wow 1 Sad 7 Angry 15

Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Campaign finance numbers from the Longview City Council candidates highlight the differences among the three races on next months ballot.

Funding details for the candidates in Longview have been reported to Washingtons Public Disclosure Commission throughout the campaign and are listed in detail on the commission website.

Angie Wean has taken the clear fundraising lead of this years Longview candidates. Her campaign has received more than $20,000 through campaign contributions and loans as of Wednesday afternoon. Weans campaign total is roughly triple the $6,700 raised by Chet Makinster, the incumbent councilman Wean is looking to unseat.

Weans fundraising comes from more than 100 individual donations, but also includes significant support from major donors. Seven of the contributions to Weans campaign have been of at least $1,000. All other candidates for the Longview City Council seats this year combined for just five donations of that size.

In the race for council position 7, Spencer Boudreau and Tom Lee have gathered a nearly identical amount from contributions. As of Wednesday, Boudreaus campaign had collected $13,271 in cash or in-kind contributions while Lee had raised $13,273. Lee has the larger total campaign balance of the two due to a $2,100 loan taken out to support his campaign.

The total for Lees campaign includes a significant amount of his own money. Lee provided a $4,500 cash contribution to his own campaign, along with lower amounts of in-kind work and contributions.

The third race on the local ballot, between Mayor MaryAlice Wallis and Matthew Gisby, has much lower financial stakes than the other two. Wallis has collected about $3,300 in campaign contributions for her re-election and is the only major candidate who hasnt received a donation of more than $500. Gisby, who has said he filed for the election partially as a joke, has reported no fundraising numbers to the Public Disclosure Commission.

Longviews City Council races are the only elections in Cowlitz County with available financial information. Nearly ever other candidate chose the mini-reporting option for campaign funds, which allows them to avoid filing detailed financial reports with the state as long as their finances stay below a certain threshold.

Washington code says campaigns qualify for the mini-reporting option if they have no individual contributions of at least $500 and the total contributions and expenses are less than $5,000.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Samsung hosted its Galaxy Unpacked event (Part 2) tonight after holding the earlier one in August when the company launched the third-gen foldable display smartphones, which included the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 along with the Galaxy Watch 4 series smartwatches. Today, at the Galaxy Unpacked event of the year, the Korean tech giant rolled out its Bespoke Edition Galaxy Z Flip 3 smartphone. In short, there was no new product launched, just special versions of the same.

In addition to that, Samsung also launched Galaxy Watch 4 smartwatch and Galaxy Buds 2 TWS earbuds. Both these devices are a result of Samsungs collaboration with fashion brand Maison Kitsune. Additionally, Samsung unveiled Android 12-based OneUI 4.0 mobile OS for its smartphones.

Also read: Looking for a smartphone? Check Mobile Finder here.

If you missed the Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 event, here are top announcements that you should know about:

-- Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Flip3 Bespoke Edition smartphone. It is a special edition version of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 smartphone that was launched back in August this year. Samsung said that it is offering a palette of 49 possible color combinations for Galaxy Z Flip3 Bespoke Edition. Interested buyers can mix and match to create their own unique combination by choosing phone frame options of Black or Silver, and front and back colors of Blue, Yellow, Pink, White or Black.

-- Samsung hasnt revealed the pricing of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition yet. However, the company said that the Galaxy Z Flip3 Bespoke Edition will be available in Korea, US, UK, Germany, France, Canada and Australia starting October 20.

-- Samsung today announced a partnership with independent fashion brand Maison Kitsune. As a part of this partnership, Samsung and Kitsune have launched Maison Kitsune edition Galaxy Watch 4 smartwatch and Galaxy Buds 2 TWS earbuds.

-- Samsung said that the Galaxy Watch4 Maison Kitsune Edition and Galaxy Buds2 Maison Kitsune Edition will be up for purchase in select markets starting October 20.

-- Samsung also announced a host of new features that are coming to the Galaxy Watch 4. Samsung said that on the Galaxy Watch 4, users can opt to adjust the sensitivity of the fall detection feature so that it is capable of detecting a fall even when youre standing still. Also, Galaxy Watch 4 can send out an SOS notification to up to four pre-selected contacts. In addition to this, Samsung has also added more gesture control features, which includes moving forearm up and down twice to receive calls, rotating wrist twice to reject calls or dismiss alarms, knocking motion with wrist to open a pre-selected app among other things. Lastly, the company has also added a host of new watch faces, some of which have been inspired by Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3.

-- Samsung also gave us a glimpse of the much-awaited One UI 4.0. One UI 4.0 is based on Googles Android 12 mobile OS.
The top two rows show images of cars and digits. Given such data, conventional methods are fairly good at spotting anomalies (right) among ordinary cases (left). The bottom two rows show medical scansthese prove to be more difficult. Credit: Nina Shvetsova et al. / IEEE Access

Scientists from Skoltech, Philips Research, and Goethe University Frankfurt have trained a neural network to detect anomalies in medical images to assist physicians in sifting through countless scans in search of pathologies. Reported in IEEE Access, the new method is adapted to the nature of medical imaging and is more successful in spotting abnormalities than general-purpose solutions.

Image anomaly detection is a task that comes up in data analysis in many industries. Medical scans, however, pose a particular challenge. It is way easier for algorithms to find, say, a car with a flat tire or a broken windshield in a series of car pictures than to tell which of the X-rays show early signs of pathology in the lungs, like the onset of COVID-19 pneumonia.

"Medical images are difficult for several reasons," explains Skoltech Professor Dmitry Dylov, the head of the Institute's Computational Imaging Group and the senior author of the study. "For one thing, the anomalies look very much like the normal case. Cells are cells, and you usually need a trained professional to recognize something's amiss."

"Besides that, there's the shortage of anomaly examples to train neural networks on," the researcher adds. "Machines are good at something called a two-class problem. That's when you have two distinct classes, each of them populated with lots of examples for traininglike cats and dogs. With medical scans, the normal case is always grossly overrepresented, with just a few anomalous examples cropping up here and there. And even those tend to be different between themselves, so you just don't have a well-defined class for abnormalities."

Dylov's group studied four datasets of chest X-rays and breast cancer histology microscopy images to validate the universality of the method across different imaging devices. While the advantage gained and the absolute accuracy varied widely and depended on the dataset in question, the new method consistently outperformed the conventional solutions in all of the considered cases. What distinguishes the new method from the competitors is that it seeks to "perceive" the general impression that a specialist working with the scans might have by identifying the very features affecting the decisions of human annotators.

What also sets the study apart is the proposed recipe for standardizing the approach to the medical image anomaly detection problem so that different research groups could compare their models in a consistent and reproducible way.

"We propose to use what's known as weakly supervised training," Dylov says. "Since two clearly defined classes are unavailable, this task usually tends to be treated with unsupervised or out-of-distribution models. That is, the anomalous cases are not identified as such in the training data. However, treating the anomalous class as a complete unknown is actually very strange for a clinical problem, because doctors can always point to a few anomalous examples. So, we showed some abnormal images to the network to unleash the arsenal of weakly supervised methods, and it helped a lot. Even just one anomalous scan for every 200 normal ones goes a long way, and this is quite realistic."

According to the authors, their approachDeep Perceptual Autoencodersis easy to carry over to a wide range of other medical scans, beyond the two kinds used in the study, because the solution is adapted to the general nature of such images. Namely, it is sensitive to small-scale anomalies and uses few of their examples in training.

Study co-author and the director of the Philips Research branch in Moscow Irina Fedulova commented, "We are glad that the Philips-Skoltech partnership enables us to address challenges like this one that are of great relevance to the health care industry. We expect this solution to considerably accelerate the work of histopathologists, radiologists, and other medical professionals facing the tedious task of spotting minute abnormalities in large sets of images. By subjecting the scans to preliminary analysis, the obviously unproblematic images can be eliminated, giving the human expert more time to focus on the more ambiguous cases."

Explore further Neural network helps doctors detect epilepsy-causing malformation in the brain

More information: Nina Shvetsova et al, Anomaly Detection in Medical Imaging With Deep Perceptual Autoencoders, IEEE Access (2021). Nina Shvetsova et al, Anomaly Detection in Medical Imaging With Deep Perceptual Autoencoders,(2021). DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3107163
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A California semiconductor company took its stock public Wednesdaystraight into the maw of a global chip shortage that could pose either a threat or an opportunity.

The company is Navitas, based in El Segundo. Its stock offering created a company with an enterprise value of about $1 billion and brought in $320 million in cash. Navitas will use the cash to expand its core businessselling chips made of gallium nitride to makers of phone and laptop chargersand move into new markets.

The vast majority of computer chips are made with silicon, but Navitas said its chips outperform that material for charging, making it faster, cooler and more energy efficient, with smaller charge units.

"Who doesn't want faster charging with smaller, lighter weight?" said Navitas Chief Executive Gene Sheridan, one of four co-founders.

With revenue of only $12 million and no profit yet, Navitas' valuation reflects tremendous growth expectations both for gallium nitride chips in general and the company in particular.

Semiconductor supply chain problems could constrain that growth. Perhaps that's why the stock was slow out of the gate, with the share price closing down 3.47% at $12.80.

But Sheridan said using gallium nitride chips gives the company a supply chain edge, allowing it to take advantage of unused or underused chip fabrication plants built in the 1980s and 1990s. Those plants etch a large number of chips onto 6-inch-diameter wafers that are then cut into individual chips. Modern silicon fab plants turn out 12-inch wafers.

Because these gallium nitride chips are smaller than their silicon counterparts, a lot more can be put on a single wafer. That, plus gallium nitride's current low-volume production, should help Navitas avoid the bottlenecks seen elsewhere in the chip business, Sheridan said.

Only 2% of the charger market today consists of devices made with gallium nitride chips, versus 98% for silicon chips. There are other gallium nitride power chip companies, but, according to Navitas' filing documents, the company's market share is bigger than the others' combined.

The company has deals with major manufacturers such as Dell and big aftermarket suppliers such as Anker. It's also pushing into new markets: data center computers, solar power inverters and power systems for electric vehicles. Sheridan plans to put much of the new cash into hiring, especially engineers. Today it has 160 employees, 60 in El Segundo.

Sheridan and another Navitas co-founder, Chief Technology Officer Dan Kinzer, worked together at El Segundo-based International Rectifier, an old-fashioned name that conjures images of short-sleeve, button-down shirts and pocket protectors. (That company was later sold to German chipmaker Infineon.)

Sheridan, 55, sees the old-school image as an advantage. "We're made up of seasoned executives," he said. "We worked at big companies. We know how to scale the business."

Gallium nitride as a chip material has been around for decades. It's already common for use in video screen LEDs and at cell tower base stations.

The material is much harder than silicon, and its crystal structure can take higher voltages while significantly boosting "electron mobility"which in lay terms means data can be crunched faster using less electricity per calculation.

The drawback is cost. Silicon has dominated the semiconductor industry almost from its beginning, with performance evolving rapidly alongside a dramatic reduction in price.

The "secret sauce," Sheridan said, is the company's ability to combine several functions onto one integrated circuit, which analysts say puts it ahead of the pack.

Navitas's chips are fabricated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and packaged onto circuits by Phoenix-based Amkor.

Within two years, system costs for gallium nitride should reach parity with silicon for charging and similar applications, Sheridan said.

Although Navitas might have been sold to a larger chip company, Sheridan acknowledged that given the easy financial markets of 2021, a public offering made more sense.

Navitas went public through a SPAC, or special purpose acquisition company, a popular if controversial alternative to the traditional initial public offering which requires less financial disclosure. It can be used as a quick way for management to cash out on a company that might not survive closer scrutiny.

The sketchy reputation of SPAC deals, Sheridan said, gave Navitas pause. To demonstrate that the company is in it for the long term, he said, it created a three-year lockup period before management can sell stock. Many SPAC lockups are set for a year or less.

Explore further New heat model may help electronic devices last longer

2021 Los Angeles Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
US authorities have drafted new rules to hamper the export of hacking tools to certain governments.

US authorities unveiled Wednesday long-delayed new rules aimed at clamping down on export to nations like Russia and China of hacking technology amid a sharp uptick in cyberattacks globally.

The rules, which are set to go into force in 90 days, would prevent the sale of certain software or devices to a list of countries unless approved by a bureau of the Commerce Department.

"The United States opposes the misuse of technology to abuse human rights or conduct other malicious cyber activities, and these new rules will help ensure that US companies are not fueling authoritarian practices," a Commerce statement said.

The news comes days after US government data showed $590 million in ransomware-related payments were reported to Washington in the first half of 2021 alone, setting a pace to beat totals for the whole previous decade.

The figure was also 42 percent higher than the amount divulged by financial institutions for all of 2020, the US Treasury report said, and there are strong indicators the true cost could be in the billions.

Although Moscow denies any responsibility, most recent ransomware attacks against the United States have been blamed on Russian-speaking hacker groups or those operating from Russian territory.

Under Commerce's new rules, a license would be required when selling to places deemed "countries of national security or weapons of mass destruction concern," or which are already under an arms embargo.

The United States, along with Israel, has been a major presence in the market to sell cybersecurity products.

Commerce's new rules were in the works for years, as officials tried to balance legitimate uses of technology for things like cyber defense against criminal exploitation.

Because of the complexity of the technology and the mix of uses, the rules can be complicated as they differentiate between governments, defensive uses and private individuals.

Explore further $590 mn in ransomware payments reported to US in 2021 as attacks surge

 2021 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Elon Musk could become the world's first trillionaire, according to a prediction made by investment firm Morgan Stanley.

However, it won't be from his highly successful electric vehicle company Tesla. Instead, it'll likely be from his fledgling space startup SpaceX, The Guardian reports, despite the fact that Tesla's net worth is about $850 billion, almost 30 times SpaceX's $30 billion price tag.

Tesla became the most valuable American carmaker in 2020, eclipsing veterans such as Ford and General Motors, while SpaceX is still privately traded.

The business mogul's personal wealth recently ballooned to $222 billion, building his lead as the richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.

How did Elon Musk get SpaceX to take off?

SpaceX was founded in 2002 with lofty ambitions to send humans to Mars while bringing down the cost of space travel.

To get his spaceflight ambitions off the ground, Musk attempted to buy refurbished Russian ballistic missiles. That proved to be too expensive, and working with Russian officials was difficult.

"After my second or third trip back from Russia, I was like, 'Whoa, there's got to be a better way to solve this rocket problem," Musk said at the 2018 South By Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. "So we embarked on that journey to create SpaceX."

At the same time, NASA was relying on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and paying around $80 million for each seat, according to NASA Director Phil McAlister.

After SpaceX's Falcon 1 failed to reach orbit three times but succeeded on the fourth try, his upstart company was strapped for cash and turning the page to its final chapter.

At that point, NASA and SpaceX decided to enter a mutually beneficial partnership.

Two days before Christmas 2008, NASA announced SpaceX had been awarded a $1.6 billion contract to fly supplies to the International Space Station, a program now known as Commercial Resupply Services.

"We've been working with SpaceX and Boeing on their systems for about the last ten years, transferring some of our knowledge of 60 years of human spaceflight to those companies, and helping them with their development, both financially and technically," McAlister says.

The partnership has paid off for NASA. A seat that originally cost $80 million on Soyuz spacecraft now costs about $58 million on SpaceX's rockets, says McAlister.

Most recently, SpaceX launched its first all-civilian crew into orbit. For three days, a physician's assistant, an engineer, a professor and a billionaire circled the Earth in a rocket called Inspiration4.

Explore further NASA announces first SpaceX crewed flight for May 27

(c)2021 U.S. Today

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The announcement by Facebook to pay French newspapers for content is accompanied by plans to launch a French news service.

Facebook said Thursday it had reached an agreement with some French newspapers to pay for news content shared by its users, months after Google announced plans to renumerate them for articles shown in web searches.

Facebook said the licensing agreement with the APIG alliance of national and regional newspapers "means that people on Facebook will be able to continue uploading and sharing news stories freely amongst their communities, whilst also ensuring that the copyright of our publishing partners is protected."

The company said it would also launch a French news service, Facebook News, in January to "give people a dedicated space to access content from trusted and reputable news sources".

The head of APIG, Pierre Louette, said the deal would generate "significant financing" for the alliance's members, "particularly the smallest of them."

Louette, who is the CEO of the group that publishes the Le Parisien and Les Echos dailies, said it would also bring Facebook in line with French and EU law.

Neither Facebook nor APIG said how exactly the licensing agreement would work.

Huge fine for Google

News outlets struggling with dwindling print subscriptions have long seethed at the failure of Google in particular to give it a cut of the millions it makes from ads displayed alongside news stories in search results.

In January, Google said it had finally reached a draft agreement with APIG to pay publishers for the snippets of articles, photos and videos shown in its search results.

It said payments would be based on criteria including internet viewing figures and the amount of information published.

But six months after the announcement of the breakthrough Google was hit with a stinging 500-million-euro ($590 million) fine from France's competition authority, which said it had failed to negotiate "in good faith" with the media companies.

Google has appealed that decision, which requires it to return to the negotiating table and come up with a better offer for the newspaper groups.

Google has also been negotiating with Agence France-Presse over an accord to recognise neighbouring rights, but has yet to sign an accord.

France was the first country in the EU to enact a 2019 EU directive on "neighbouring rights", but Google initially refused to comply, saying media groups already benefit by receiving millions of visits to their websites.

France has also been at the vanguard of a global push to get tech giants to pay more tax on their international revenues.

Explore further Google faces French ruling on copyright row with media groups

 2021 AFP
Facebooks Ray-Ban Stories glasses capture photos and video and play audio, but the company has much bigger plans for smart glasses, including AI that can interpret what the wearer is seeing. Credit: Facebook

Facebook's smart glasses ambitions are in the news again. The company has launched a worldwide project dubbed Ego4D to research new uses for smart glasses.

In September, Facebook unveiled its Ray-Ban Stories glasses, which have two cameras and three microphones built in. The glasses capture audio and video so wearers can record their experiences and interactions.

The research project aims to add augmented reality features to smart glasses using artificial intelligence technologies that could provide wearers with a wealth of information, including the ability to get answers to questions like "Where did I leave my keys?" Facebook's vision also includes a future where the glasses can "know who's saying what when and who's paying attention to whom."

Several other technology companies like Google, Microsoft, Snap, Vuzix and Lenovo have also been experimenting with versions of augmented or mixed reality glasses. Augmented reality glasses can display useful information within the lenses, providing an electronically enhanced view of the world. For example, smart glasses could draw a line over the road to show you the next turn or let you see a restaurant's Yelp rating as you look at its sign.

However, some of the information that augmented reality glasses give their users could include identifying people in the glasses' field of view and displaying personal information about them. It was not too long ago that Google introduced Google Glass, only to face a public backlash for simply recording people. Compared to being recorded by smartphones in public, being recorded by smart glasses feels to people like a greater invasion of privacy.

As a researcher who studies computer security and privacy, I believe it's important for technology companies to proceed with caution and consider the security and privacy risks of augmented reality.

Smartphones vs. smart glasses

Even though people are now used to being photographed in public, they also expect the photographer typically to raise their smartphone to compose a photo. Augmented reality glasses fundamentally disrupt or violate this sense of normalcy. The public setting may be the same, but the sheer scale and approach of recording has changed.

Such deviations from the norm have long been recognized by researchers as a violation of privacy. My group's research has found that people in the neighborhood of nontraditional cameras want a more tangible sense of when their privacy is being compromised because they find it difficult to know whether they are being recorded.

Absent the typical physical gestures of taking a photo, people need better ways to convey whether a camera or microphone is recording people. Facebook has already been warned by the European Union that the LED indicating a pair of Ray-Ban Stories is recording is too small.

In the longer term, however, people might become accustomed to smart glasses as the new normal. Our research found that although young adults worry about others recording their embarrassing moments on smartphones, they have adjusted to the pervasive presence of cameras.

Smart glasses as a memory aid

An important application of smart glasses is as a memory aid. If you could record or "lifelog" your entire day from a first-person point of view, you could simply rewind or scroll through the video at will. You could examine the video to see where you left your keys, or you could replay a conversion to recall a friend's movie recommendation.

Our research studied volunteers who wore lifelogging cameras for several days. We uncovered several privacy concernsthis time, for the camera wearer. Considering who, or what algorithms, might have access to the camera footage, people may worry about the detailed portrait it paints of them.

Who you meet, what you eat, what you watch and what your living room really looks like without guests are all recorded. We found that people were especially concerned about the places being recorded, as well as their computer and phone screens, which formed a large fraction of their lifelogging history.

Popular media already has its take on what can go horribly wrong with such memory aids. "The Entire History of You" episode of the TV series "Black Mirror" shows how even the most casual arguments can lead to people digging through lifelogs for evidence of who said exactly what and when. In such a world, it is difficult to just move on. It's a lesson in the importance of forgetting.

Psychologists have pointed to the importance of forgetting as a natural human coping mechanism to move past traumatic experiences. Maybe AI algorithms can be put to good use identifying digital memories to delete. For example, our research has devised AI-based algorithms to detect sensitive places like bathrooms and computer and phone screens, which were high on the worry list in our lifelogging study. Once detected, footage can be selectively deleted from a person's digital memories.

X-ray specs of the digital self?

However, smart glasses have the potential to do more than simply record video. It's important to prepare for the possibility of a world in which smart glasses use facial recognition, analyze people's expressions, look up and display personal information, and even record and analyze conversations. These applications raise important questions about privacy and security.

We studied the use of smart glasses by people with visual impairments. We found that these potential users were worried about the inaccuracy of artificial intelligence algorithms and their potential to misrepresent other people.

Even if accurate, they felt it was improper to infer someone's weight or age. They also questioned whether it was ethical for such algorithms to guess someone's gender or race. Researchers have also debated whether AI should be used to detect emotions, which can be expressed differently by people from difference cultures.

Augmenting Facebook's view of the future

I have only scratched the surface of the privacy and security considerations for augmented reality glasses. As Facebook charges ahead with augmented reality, I believe it's critical that the company address these concerns.

I am heartened by the stellar list of privacy and security researchers Facebook is collaborating with to make sure its technology is worthy of the public's trust, especially given the company's recent track record.

But I can only hope that Facebook will tread carefully and ensure that their view of the future includes the concerns of these and other privacy and security researchers.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Remi Wolf, seen here performing in Los Angeles in June 2021, called the Shopify-Spotify deal allowing the sale of merchandise on Spotify "huge"

Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify announced Wednesday a partnership with music streaming giant Spotify that will allow in-app sales of artists' merchandise.

The tie-in comes just two months after the Ottawa-based company reached a similar deal with video-sharing app TikTok.

In a statement, Shopify said musicians would be able to connect their Shopify store directly to their Spotify profile, so listeners can buy merchandise on the same Spotify page where they can find their latest music.

Shopify's director of product Amir Kabbara said artists are increasingly entrepreneurial in building "multifaceted brands and businesses, and now we're making it easier for them to meet fans where they are."

With this, he said, "we're empowering artists to think beyond the traditional merch table with new ways to monetize, and to experiment with their brands through commerce."

The service will be available to listeners in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, Britain, and New Zealand.

Explore further TikTok to offer in-app shopping with Shopify

 2021 AFP
A week after a lawyer representing one of three men on trial for murder in the death of an unarmed, jogger complained about Black pastors in the courtroom, hundreds came from around the country and held a rousing prayer rally in front of the Glynn County Courthouse.
Looking for in-depth reporting on labor issues? You're in the right place.

Subscribe to The Chief and get stories that cover every side of civil service in New York City and beyond. You can sign up in minutes for immediate access.
Brazos County health officials reported nine new COVID-19 cases among county residents on Thursday, the lowest number of new cases in a single day since July 9.

The number of active cases in Brazos County continued to fall on Thursday, dropping to 378. County health officials said 1,242 cases of the virus reported by health care systems and testing centers were awaiting confirmation Wednesday.

Brazos County officials have confirmed 32,873 cases of COVID-19 in the county since the pandemic began more than a year ago.

A Texas A&M University website said the number of active, self-reported cases of the virus among students, faculty members and staff had fallen to 59 as of Monday, the last date for which figures were posted. The latest figures were down from a high of 1,635 cases reported on campus Sept. 10.

Officials with the Brazos County Health District said 32,145 cases were considered recovered as of Thursday; health officials classify all cases older than two weeks as recovered.

Eleven Brazos County residents were hospitalized Thursday for treatment of symptoms related to the virus, officials said.
I feel strongly about this in part because of a picture in a photo essay I saw about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her sons grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone  it didnt have a Christian cross, it didnt have the Star of David. It had the crescent and star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he could go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way. And Im troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.
Grand Island area schools have received grants to help foot the bill for college exploration in eighth grade.

EducationQuest Foundation has awarded a total of 75 Nebraska schools with Eighth Grade Campus Visit Grants totaling more than $45,000. The schools will use the grants to help fund college visits and related activities to get students on the path to college.

EducationQuest Vice President Eric Drumheller said, When younger students are able to visit college campuses they are able to see first-hand the opportunities that exist. We want that experience to motivate students to take the necessary steps to make college possible.

The Eighth Grade Campus Visit Grants are awarded annually and are one of several programs EducationQuest provides to fulfill its mission of improving access to higher education in Nebraska.

EducationQuest has awarded approximately $300,000 in Eighth Grade Campus Visit Grant funding to Nebraska schools since the programs inception in 2011.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Area awardees include:

Grand Island - Barr Middle School

Greeley - Central Valley High School

Hastings - Hastings Middle School
CalGEM has long faced criticism that its too cozy with the industry it regulates. Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the state natural resources agency, acknowledged the regulator needs to better enforce oil companies compliance with state law.

Wells within 3,200 feet of community sites account for about a third of the states oil extraction, Crowfoot said. There are about 32,400 wells in that zone, said Erin Mellon, a Newsom spokeswoman. Community sites include homes and apartments, preschools and K-12 schools, day cares, businesses, and health care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes.

Existing wells would not be shut down but would be required to meet many new pollution control measures, including comprehensive leak detection and response plans, vapor recovery, water sampling and a reduction of nighttime lighting and dust. They are designed to limit health effects such as asthma and pregnancy complications, and cut nuisances like noise pollution.

Administration officials said they hope the new rules will be burdensome enough to prompt some drillers to close the wells. Operators would be financially responsible for meeting the requirements and have one to two years to do so.

Jared Blumenfeld, California's environmental protection secretary, said the rules signal to existing drillers that theyre going to have to invest a significant amount of time, money and attention in order to get into compliance."

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
"American will not be placing any team members on unpaid leave as part of the federal vaccine mandate," said American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller.

Southwest and American are both based in Texas, where the Republican governor has ordered businesses not to require employees or customers to be vaccinated. Both say they will comply with President Joe Biden's federal mandate that contractors require vaccination, which they believe has legal priority over state orders.

Southwest Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly originally said in a statement that Southwest "must join our industry peers in complying with the federal government's COVID-19 vaccination directive."

In the days after that statement, however, the pilots' union asked a judge to temporarily block the order, saying Southwest should negotiate with the union over the issue. A hearing is scheduled Friday in federal court. This week, anti-mandate protesters demonstrated at the airline's headquarters.

Kelly has indicated personal reluctance about the vaccine mandate.

"We are not going to fire any employees over this," he told ABC-TV last week. "We are urging all our employees to get vaccinated. If they can't get vaccinated, we're urging them to seek an accommodation."
CLARKS AND CENTRAL CITY -- Strobel Fabrication in Clarks has announced the purchase of the facility and acreage on the north edge of Central City by Strobel Properties.

The former location of Atlantic Homes, which was Central Citys largest employer back in the early 2000s, will now be used to fabricate equipment for the oil and gas industry. Though sitting empty much of the past couple decades, Strobel Energy Group has leased the facility and has conducted work for Phillips 66 among others.

This is an exciting growth step for our companies, said President and CEO Steve Strobel. Weve lived and worked in this community all our lives, and now we have the opportunity to work out of this facility -- we really like the location and are looking forward to the possibilities this brings to us and to the area.

Strobel Fabrication will design and fabricate for a wide range of industries including power generation, oil and gas production, renewable fuels, chemical, ethanol, petrochemical and more.

CFO Jordan Dowdy added that they will be looking to hire a number of positions.
Theres been increasing confusing over the legality of delta-8, a cannabis derivative that can be found in vape cartridges, tinctures and candy at smoke shops and CBD stores in Texas. While the Texas health department maintains that delta-8 is a controlled substance and is on the states list of unlawful drugs, the 2018 federal Farm Bill legalized the production of hemp, which naturally contains delta-8 and has less than 0.3% THC. In 2019, Texas also legalized hemp growing. Delta-8 retailers believed the substance was as legal to sell as hemp. Delta-8 is legal in Texas for now after a Travis County judge blocked the state from criminalizing it. Should delta-8 continue to be legal in Texas?

You voted:
Glenn Poshard took to the sidewalks last year in the 39 counties he served as a Southern Illinois congressman to talk about peace and unity.

He used the words of two old documents as he spoke to the people who joined him in each county: the Declaration of Independence and Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address.

This government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth, Poshard said, reciting the Gettysburg Address in each county.

On Saturday, Poshard's effort will come full circle with viewings of a documentary on his efforts called Thirty-Nine Counties, created by filmmaker Sandra Pfeifer.

The new film will be screened twice at 5 and 7 p.m. Saturday in the Varsity Theater in Carbondale. Question and answers will follow each screening. The doors and bar will open at 4:30 p.m.

Poshard said one of the first friends he made in Congress was John Lewis, who passed away in July of last year.

When I went to Congress in 1989, I walked to the house gym in the basement and there was a gentleman named John Lewis, Poshard said.

For the next 10 years, Poshard worked out with Lewis, Richard Durbin and Peter DeFazio.

As he was mourning the death of Lewis, Poshard said he felt inundated with the violence, divisiveness and hatred he was seeing in the nation. He planned the walks to help people understand that they dont have to agree to be nice.

Thirty-Nine Counties is about those walks around the courthouses in the 39 counties Poshard represented during his tenure in U.S. Congress, parts of two separate districts.

The marches alone, all 39 of them, are a thing unto themselves, Pfeifer said.

They showcase the grand stone courthouses across 17,800 miles of cornfields, farmland and two-lane highways. In each county, Poshard asked others to join him in those walks and spoke to the groups that gathered.

People were alarmed at the talk of violence, Poshard said. You dont have to go to Washington D.C.; you can do it in your own community. This is important that in your own community you can stand up.

Poshard served in the Illinois Senate from August 1984 to January 1989. Poshard was a Congressman in the 22nd District from 1989 to 1990. As a result of losing a Congressional district from the 1990 Census, Poshard ran for the 19th District and won. He served as Congressman until 1998, when he ran an unsuccessful bid for governor.

Pfeifer said the film shows we all live in the same house and that loving each other is the evidence of democracy.

The film shows walkers who joined Glenn and his wife, Jo Poshard, at each courthouse with the signs they carried.

Pfeifer is a filmmaker who graduated from SIU in 1998. She has two documentaries that air on public television, one on rural homemakers and one on East St. Louis.

Thirty-Nine Counties was shot in cinema verite, according to Pfeifer. The film itself is still in rough form. Pfeifer said it will need full funding to get all the copyrights that are outstanding settled.

She hopes it will end up in a format that is acceptable to high school, community college and university classes and civil rights organizations will love it.

Once you start down a path conservatively, it moves on, Pfeifer said.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
A screening of the Independent Lens film "Storm Lake" highlighting the struggles of a family-run newspaper and a community conversation on the future of local journalism is set for Oct. 26 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The screening and panel discussion is from 6 to 8 p.m. in Morris Librarys John C. Guyon Auditorium. The event is open to the public and admission is free. All those attending must follow current campus and state pandemic safety protocols and wear masks in shared indoor spaces.

Hosted by WSIU Public Broadcasting Service, the SIU School of Journalism and the Carbondale Public Library, the Independent Lens film Storm Lake focuses on challenges facing The Storm Lake Times, a Pulitzer Prize-winning community newspaper in Iowa where family members comprise half of the newspapers 10-person team. According to filmmakers Jerry Risius and Beth Levinson, the film looks at the Cullen family where against tight deadlines and slimmer margins they wonder how the paper will survive as readers cease to support journalism like they used to.

The film notes more than 2,000 local newspapers have closed in the last 20 years, a crisis accelerated by COVID-19.

A discussion moderated by WSIU Public Radios Jennifer Fuller will explore topics addressed in the film, such as the national decline of local news and reporting. The conversation will include panelists Annie Hammock, managing editor of The Daily Egyptian newspaper at SIU Carbondale, and Renee Trappe, group editor of the Southern Illinois LOCAL Media Group and deputy managing editor of The Daily Herald newspaper in Arlington Heights.

We can never talk enough about how important trained local media is in the lives of citizens, and how without it, the very framework of democracy is in danger, Trappe said. It's also critical that those of us in the media are reminded what is still possible in an era of cutbacks, closures and a disinterested public.

The film should be a must-watch documentary for anyone who decries the state of mainstream media and declares most news fake news, Hammock said.

The Storm Lake Times shows journalism in its purest form. Small town residents telling the stories of their communities to keep their neighbors informed about whats happening around them, she said. These journalists and their work are the backbone of democracy. Im a passionate believer in the need for communities to have their own dedicated journalists. This film captures the power of the local press while highlighting the crucible small town journalists are facing.

Storm Lake will broadcast on WSIU/WUSI-TV and WSEC/WMEC/WQEC-TV at 9 p.m., Nov. 15, and will stream online at pbs.org and via the PBS video app. A national virtual screening featuring the films directors and producers is planned for Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. Learn more about the local and national screening events at wsiu.org/storm-lake.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A top Chicago police union official on Wednesday referred to the organizations vaccine standoff with Mayor Lori Lightfoot as The Hunger Games and warned younger officers that if they gave in on this, What issue is next?

The message from local Fraternal Order of Police First Vice President Michael Mette, in a video posted on social media, came as the Police Department slowly works through the process of dealing with the thousands of employees who did not report their vaccine status by Fridays deadline. The city has been giving those employees counseling and a final chance to comply before placing those who refuse on no-pay status.

Welcome to day three of The Hunger Games, where we find out who the city is going to offer up as tribute, Mette said, likening the situation to a series of young adult books and movies in which children in a dystopian world are forced to fight to the death for the enjoyment of viewers.

Police Superintendent David Brown on Tuesday afternoon said 21 officers were on no-pay status because they refused to report their vaccine status in the city portal.

Mette called on officers to stand strong, saying the union needs to make the city bargain with them about enforcing the mandate.

Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.

If we fail to make them bargain with us on this issue, what issue is next? he asked. For all you young coppers out there, you got a long way to go and dont think it cant get worse.

A Cook County judge last week issued a temporary restraining order against FOP President John Catanzara, prohibiting him from making public statements that encourage members not to report their COVID-19 vaccine status to the city.

In court Wednesday, city attorney Michael Warner told Judge Cecilia Horan the administration would seek to extend the restraining order against Catanzara, which is set to expire Monday, and will ask to broaden the order to cover other FOP officials.

There have been some mass email communications coming from officials other than Mr. Catanzara that we believe, if they do not violate the letter of your honors orders, violate the spirit, Warner said. And also, while this underlying issue of the vaccination policy remains unresolved, we think the status quo needs to be maintained.

Horan on Wednesday ruled against the FOPs motion calling for her to recuse herself from the case.

The union requested she do so because attorneys from Hinshaw & Culbertson, the law firm at which Horan was a partner before becoming a judge, took part in the Task Force on Police Accountability created in 2015 by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel and co-chaired by Lori Lightfoot, which recommended sweeping changes in Police Department oversight and accountability following the Laquan McDonald shooting.

Horan said she had nothing to do with that work, and didnt know other lawyers at the firm were involved in it.

Lightfoot on Tuesday said fewer than 65% of Chicago cops had met the citys vaccination reporting requirement, days after Fridays deadline for city workers to disclose their status.

About 72% of Chicago firefighters had by then met the requirement set by Lightfoot as a condition of city workers employment, she said. The mayor extended the deadline for city workers to be fully vaccinated, allowing for twice-weekly testing as an alternative through the end of the year. But police union officials have said part of their concern is the security of their medical data in the citys portal.

More than 95% of all other city workers outside the Police and Fire departments have complied with the vaccine reporting rules, Lightfoot said. City officials have also stressed the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
When Columbia College Chicago issued its new policy for visitors this fall, many knew it would look different from previous years.

But faculty members and staff were surprised at one excluded group: children.

The college recently instituted rules limiting children on campus. The policy, which limits when and whether children can accompany parents to campus, prompted pushback and a rally last week by upset parents.

As offices figure out how people return to workplaces, many are making changes on what and who is allowed. Companies have shifted their return-to-work policies as the delta variant of COVID-19 complicated the pandemic recovery; many employers worked through whether to mandate vaccines or keep pandemic measures like masks.

Most workplaces do not involve children, but professors sometimes bring kids to campus to attend events or swinging by an office or having them sit in the back of a classroom during unexpected situations like a teachers strike at a childs school.

Columbias policy, which was formed as the university considered COVID-19 safety and bringing people back to campus, was announced in September. Within the visitor policy, children are allowed to accompany adults only for things like an exhibition, performance, tour or other event open to the public. Otherwise, children are allowed on campus only in the event of an emergency or unavoidable circumstance with prior approval.

Jennifer Sadler, a professor in the business and entrepreneurship department, said the September email with the new policy created a flurry of concerned emails and text threads among faculty members who are parents.

A lot of people were upset, she said.

According to a statement from the institution provided by Lambrini Lukidis, an associate vice president of strategic communications and external relations, the addition to the visitor policy was prompted by safety measures.

We believe COVID safety measures will be with us for the foreseeable future, according to the statement.

Faculty members expressed concern that the policy might remain indefinitely; the college noted it is not ready to commit to a post-pandemic visitor policy. When the Columbia Chronicle first reported on the policy, the Office of the Provost said the policy would be revisited. The college convened a group of faculty, staff and students to discuss the issue and formulate recommendations; as of now, this is the policy for the fall semester.

The policy upends an acceptance of people at times bringing children to campus, Sadler said, and also appears tone deaf toward challenges for parents, from the cost of child care to unexpected moments that crop up in parenting to issues facing single parents like herself.

When youre a single parent and your child is a person of color, you really have to navigate some different circumstances of who your child is with, Sadler said. It just has so many different layers.

She tries to keep her daughter with her, she said. Before COVID-19, her daughter sold Girl Scout cookies on campus. On rare occasions she would come to class, wearing headphones and watching shows.

With the new policy, Sadler misses meetings scheduled around or after 3 p.m., when children are getting out of school, that she would have otherwise attended. She is unsure how things like that may affect her tenure. There are just things that I have to say no to, she said.

For her students, she wonders about single parents who might need to print things at the library or come to campus with a child in tow.

It makes it really inequitable, she said.

Christopher Shaw, an associate professor of mathematics, called the policy draconian.

His children, 6 and 9, have sat in the back of a classroom and watched Netflix with headphones or colored, for example, on a day when they had no school. Its not his preference, he noted, especially after juggling working and parenting during the pandemic.

Students said hello to his kids, he said, and he thinks it helped humanize him.

One of the things that weve been talking about a lot during COVID has been recognizing, because so many of our students are struggling with other life issues that normally wouldnt be brought into a classroom, this idea of seeing each other as full human beings, he said. I think seeing each other as human beings is part of the experience of being a faculty member.

On Wednesday, Jackie Spinner, an associate professor of journalism who sometimes writes about the media, including the Tribune, was bringing her toddler to see an exhibit of Pete Souza photos of President Barack Obama, allowed as a campus event open to the public. But the mom of three would not be able to, for example, take the boy to her office.

If the policy is rooted in COVID-19 concerns, she understands that, she said, and isnt rushing to bring my kid to campus during a pandemic. But, she added, If I want to run up to my office on a Saturday and grab a book, I dont want to have to find a babysitter.

As of now, the visitors policy notes exceptions might apply because of an emergency, and granted visits for no more than an hour. Situations can never include bringing a child to class. Faculty members must make a request to the chair, who then forwards the request to the senior associate provost. Other employees make a request through their supervisors, who forward to their supervisors. Students request approval from the dean.

Sadler said this protocol does not reflect the roles individuals play within a family; just because someone is not a parent does not mean they are not responsible for another child in their family. She wants students to feel accommodated and able to be parents and students; this does not seem to send a message of flexibility to faculty or parents.

University policies in Chicago differ. At Northwestern University, the visitor policy says that family members of a Northwestern student or faculty or staff member might qualify as a visitor. And Roosevelt Universitys visitor policy says children under 12 are not recommended but permitted if they have a documented negative COVID-19 test within the past 72 hours and are accompanied by a vaccinated adult.

Im not looking for Columbia to provide me with child care, Spinner said. I can count on two hands the number of times Ive brought my kids to campus. For example, she brought her kids during the CPS teachers strike, and they sat in the back of the classroom. She checked with her students and asked them to message her privately if they had an issue with this. She also includes a line in her syllabus about accommodating parents.

This isnt just about me advocating for myself, but also advocating for my students, she said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Orangeburg City Council honored recently retired Department of Public Safety Chief Mike Adams decades of service to the city on Tuesday.

It has been my absolute pleasure to be a public safety officer for the last 35 years, Adams said during Tuesday's council meeting.

I have watched our community change and grow and I would submit to you grow for the better, he said. To everything there is a season and my season has past. So what I charge you with is looking to the future. The future of Orangeburg is bright."

The Department of Public Safety plays a big picture in Orangeburg's future, Adams continued. I want to thank Council for the support I have got over the years. I want to thank the constituents. I want to thank the citizens of Orangeburg for their steadfast support over the years.

Council presented Adams with a framed resolution recognizing his service.

Adams was flanked by his wife, Delcie; daughters, Courtney and Megan; sister-in-law Mickey Whisenhunt and Megan's fiance, Kole Robinson. A number of ODPS officers were also in attendance.

A number of former city officials were in attendance at the retirement ceremony, including former ODPS Chief Wendell Davis, former Orangeburg Mayor Paul Miller and former City Administrator John Yow.

Adams thanked Davis for his support. Adams took over the department in February 2015, following Davis retirement.

He and I had some pretty lengthy discussions when I became the director of public safety, Adams said. He told me something that I thought was humorous at the time: that one year as a chief is like dog years  you count it as seven.

I am here to tell you one year as a director takes seven years out of your life, Adams said. "I have six years as director and when you count the time as the acting director, that is over seven years. It has been a tough job. We have done some incredible things and we have had some setbacks.

Adams said one thing he would like individuals to celebrate is the department's collaboration with Claflin University and the development of the certified, accredited DNA laboratory.

I would submit to you no one else in the United States has any kind of collaborative effort as we do, Adams said. Let's not forget where we came from because those of you who have been around here a long time know where we came from and think about where we are right now and then think about where we are going to be in the future.

I thank you for your hospitality and I thank you for your good wishes, Adams concluded. God bless you and God bless the City of Orangeburg.

Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said, We certainly are happy for all the services that he gave to the city of Orangeburg.

You have come up through the ranks of public safety. We really appreciate him and his services. City Council really appreciates you. Thank you for all your services to the city.

Butler also thanked Adams for the sacrifices he made to serve.

City Administrator Sidney Evering said, Well done and thank you for your years of dedicated service to the City of Orangeburg and the citizens of Orangeburg.

He also thanked the family members for their support and dedication throughout Adams law enforcement career.

Each city council member took a moment to publicly express their appreciation to Adams for his service to the city and wished him the best in his retirement.

Charles Austin, the former Columbia city manager and police chief, is serving as the interim chief of the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety.

In other business:

 Council passed a resolution encouraging individuals to keep the city clean by placing trash in trash bin receptacles. The resolution was approved as part of the Orangeburg County 2021 fall cleanup effort for the month of October.

 Council gave third and final reading to an ordinance separating the position of city clerk and treasurer.

The separation of positions was recommended by Evering in an effort to improve customer efficiency.

Linda Robinson McDaniel will serve as clerk. Carrie Johnson will remain as city finance director.

 Butler provided council with an update on the employment evaluation process of the city's municipal judge and Department of Public Utilities manager.

Butler said he has met individually with both individuals. Evaluation forms will be a part of the process and will be discussed in closed session at the next city council meeting.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
This subscription will allow existing subscribers of The World to access all of our online content, including the E-Editions area.

NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN

If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please email us at admin@countrymedia.net or call us at 1-541 266 6047.
WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP)  A Southern California woman who refused to wear a mask or leave a grocery store last year was convicted of trespassing and obstructing a business or customers.

The jury found Marianne Campbell Smith guilty on Wednesday and Orange County Superior Court Judge John Zitny sentenced her to 40 hours of community service, a year of informal probation and a $200 fine, the Orange County Register reported.

Smith, 57, was arrested on Aug. 15, 2020 at Mothers Market in the city of Costa Mesa, where an anti-mask protest against California's mask mandate to prevent the spread of the coronavirus was happening nearby.

In a statement in court before sentencing, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the case centered on property rights.

The defendant wanted to make this about masks and freedom, Spitzer said. This trial was about a private business and workers just trying to comply with health orders. Instead she bullied her way around the store and yelled at masked elderly shoppers that they were part of a government conspiracy.

Smith said she cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition and her lawyer said she went into the store to get food, not to protest.

Justice was not served, but I accept it, Smith, 57, said outside the courthouse. Because it was important to talk about these issues today.

The Register newspaper said the case marked one of few times in which arrests or criminal charges involving mask requirements have been pursued in Orange County, where police and prosecutors have focused on education and outreach regarding coronavirus restrictions.

Another woman arrested with Smith previously accepted a plea deal requiring a donation to a coronavirus relief fund and admitted to an infraction for refusing to leave the store when a police officer ordered her to leave the premises at the owners request. A third woman who entered with them apparently left before police responded.

Defense attorney Frederick Fascenelli questioned why Smith wasnt charged with violating mask requirements that had been added to Costa Mesa's municipal code.

This thing is all political, Fascenelli said. They are trying to shoehorn in these trespassing charges because they dont want to touch the third rail of politics that is a mask mandate.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Park County authorities accused of detaining a Missouri family without cause outside of Yellowstone National Park in 2017 are moving to dismiss the case, court filings show.

Brett and Genalyn Hemry filed a lawsuit in July, alleging they and their child were followed out of the park then held at gunpoint for more than an hour while officers were searching for a triple homicide suspect in the area.

Now, Park County Sheriffs officers and National Park Service rangers are asking the federal court to dismiss the case, citing the officers qualified immunity and the lack of specificity in the suit.

As in many contested lawsuits, the defendants argue that the Hemrys did not make an adequate claim for relief in their complaint.

According to the complaint, park rangers flagged the Hemrys car, a white Toyota, as it left the park on July 20, 2017 as possibly carrying the homicide suspect, Gerald Michael Bullinger.

Authorities in Park County had reportedly been looking for Bullinger for around a week by the time the Hemrys were pulled over, and had received a tip from a park employee that the suspect was in a white Toyota described as exactly matching the familys car. To date, Bullinger has reportedly not been found.

The family reportedly pulled over at a campground about 14 miles outside the parks east entrance after noticing two park ranger vehicles following them. The complaint states that the rangers then blocked the familys car from moving and got out carrying long guns, detaining the Hemrys in their car for roughly half an hour.

Two sheriffs officers arrived, court filings state, then handcuffed and moved Brett and Genalyn Hemry into patrol cars while still being held at gunpoint. The Hemrys underage child allegedly remained in the car alone for approximately another half hour.

After around an hour of being detained  52 minutes, according to the defendants  the suit states that the officers offered the first explanation for the stop and asked for identification. The family was then let go.

The family, seeking damages, says that being detained caused them anguish, mental distress, psychological harm, fear and humiliation.

In their motion to dismiss the case, the sheriffs officers argue that they did not knowingly violate any of the familys rights, and the complaint is not clear as to whether they were involved in holding them against their will. According to the motion, the officers use of force was not excessive under the circumstances.

The motion, filed late last month, also says that since the Hemrys do not specify in their complaint which officers were involved in detaining or holding the family at gunpoint, the claims are insufficient.

In a separate motion, counsel for the park rangers make the same case  the accusations must be directed at specific officers to have any basis.

The rangers also contend that stopping the Hemrys while the search for Bullinger was underway was the result of their reasonable suspicion, and therefore would not be a Fourth Amendment violation as the complaint claims. Approaching the car with guns was an appropriate reaction to their suspicion, the motion says.

As far as (the rangers) knew at the time, Bullinger was in that white Toyota, the motion states, except now he had passengers as well, who may have been complicit in his plan or may even have been hostages.

They argue that they did not arrest the family, but would have been justified in doing so either by their authority as federal park agents or as citizens according to Wyoming statute.

Lawyers for the Hemrys and the defendants declined to comment on the case Wednesday.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 2

Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
There was an uproar in the Senate on Tuesday evening after it was announced that Independent
Is mask wearing more important than purchasing testing kits for Covid-19? Proper mask wearing prevents you from transmitting or receiving infection.

The testing kits tell you if you are asymptomatic but carrying the virus.

Wearing your mask properly prevents you from spreading it. A Covid-19 testing kit cannot do this. I am of the view that while it is nice to know if you are a carrier how many times do you have to self-test?
PHOENIX  The Senate is asking a judge to delay any move to force it to immediately surrender certain election audit documents.

In new court filings, an attorney for the senators, Thomas Basile, said he is convinced an appellate court ultimately will conclude the Senate is entitled to shield about 720 disputed documents from public view.

More immediately, Basile said that if the Senate is forced to surrender the documents now, it wont matter if it turns out the Supreme Court finds the lower court judges ruling was in error. Thats because the documents relating to the 2020 election audit would instantly be opened to inspection by anyone.

In other words, it is impossible for the Senate to comply with the courts order but still preserve and maintain any right to meaningful review of its privilege claims, he told Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Kemp.

Basile noted that even Kemp has said the issue of legislative privilege will likely be resolved by the higher courts.

The requested delay is drawing derision from American Oversight, the self-described nonpartisan watchdog group that sued for the documents and, to date, has won in every round.
The final criteria references the ZIP codes released this month. So for those potential applicants, living in the designated ZIP codes helps them meet one of the criteria that will be used by the state to approve an application for consideration.

But why are they so important?

Humble, who oversaw the rollout of Arizonas medical marijuana program in his time as director, praised the department for at least acknowledging there has been an over-policing problem when it comes to marijuana possession.

Its the first time that I know of where the state has conceded, that there are areas that have been over-policed and over-prosecuted, dont forget about that, Humble said.

Mike Robinette, the executive director of the Arizona chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, differed from Humble, giving credit instead to Arizona voters. It truly is the reflection of Arizonas voters will in passing Prop. 207 by a 60 to 40 margin, he said.

Why ZIP codes?

Humble said the department most likely used ZIP codes as one of the criteria because it would be easy to administer that part of the selection process. They can be verified easily and quickly when the applications come in, he said.
Casitas will now be allowed on residential lots in Tucson following the City Councils recent approval of a new ordinance.

The change will go into effect in mid-November and will allow residents to build the small houses  also called accessory dwelling units or ADUs  on lots across the city. Supporters said the decision is one step toward increasing the number of housing options in Tucson.

Casitas have been lauded as a better alternative to nursing homes for senior citizens. The units are built alongside existing houses and have full kitchens, so they can allow elderly people to live independently while still being close to caretakers.

Supporters said casitas can also help large families that need more living space, be used to house young adults who might struggle to afford an apartment and create more rental options citywide.

I think that its not going to solve our housing crisis in and of itself, said Ann Chanecka, the deputy director of Housing and Community Development in Tucson. I think right now given the incredibly high rising cost of housing and not having the stock to meet the current demand, we need all of the tools we can use.
LiBosha is a high school math teacher in the Tucson Unified School District and a former airborne paratrooper in the Army. Shes served as a union representative for the American Federation of Teachers and on the Complete Streets Coordinating Committee for Tucson.

The mantra of LiBoshas campaign is to invest, connect and uplift Tucson in part by making room in the citys budget for social services.

She wants to address some of those programs that are underfunded, such as mental health care access and homelessness access.

When folks dont know where to go, and theyve been unhoused and they dont have the resources in which to make those kinds of contacts, a program like housing first doesnt make sense if people dont know where to go, she said.

LiBosha also wants to improve mass transportation throughout the city and address climate change from a social justice perspective.

Ive gone to certain places in Ward 3 where there arent many trees, the grass is brown. And then Ive gone to other places and parks within the same ward, and theres green space, there are nice beautiful lawns, and there are clean bathrooms, she said. I see some inequities in our ward, and those inequities exist throughout our city.
A hearing officer for the NLRB found in August that Amazon potentially interfered with the election. And the RWDSU is now waiting for a decision from an NLRB regional director to see whether the hearing officers guidance will be sanctioned. But even with a second election, labor experts say a union victory is a long shot.

The unionizing effort in Staten Island differs from the one in Alabama in part because of who is leading the charge  and where.

Wong noted that organizers in Staten Island face a less hostile union environment than Alabama  a right-to-work state that allows employees to decline union membership and not pay union dues. Moreover, there may be more sympathy and better response to the independent worker-run campaign that Smalls is spearheading versus the one led by the RWDSU.

There is a certain David and Goliath quality to this campaign, Wong said.

At the same time, there are downsides to going at it alone versus teaming up with a national retail labor union.

They dont have the same staff and resources, and that makes it challenging, Wong said of the Staten Island effort. This is an uphill battle.
Tens of billions of dollars for U.S. environmental justice initiatives originally proposed in a $3.5 trillion domestic spending package now hang in the balance as Democrats decide how to trim the bill down to $2 trillion.

Investments in a wide range of these projects were proposed in the Build Back Better plan, but Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona demanded that the bill be reduced, with Manchin asking for it to be cut by as much as half.

Now, Democratic leaders are trying to bridge divergent views of progressive and moderate lawmakers over the size and scope of the bill. With Republicans in lockstep against President Joe Bidens proposal, Democrats must hold together slim House and Senate majorities to pass it. Leaders have set an Oct. 31 voting deadline, but that may slip as they struggle for consensus.

Several congressional aides who spoke on background to discuss ongoing negotiations said no one can venture an estimate of how much environmental justice spending will be cut from the reconciliation bill, but the overall amount for such initiatives certainly will be less than the roughly $80 billion originally proposed.
The body of Petitio, 22, was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks.

The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no charges were filed.

Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the Ford van the couple took on their trip. He was reported missing after telling his parents that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve, a nature preserve that was a key area in the search.

The activity Wednesday focused on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found.

Laundrie was charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someone's personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made.
Beshear said Thursday that Kentucky has so many opportunities among business prospects that we need more than one of me to make sure that we realize every future game changer.

She can help in this day-to-day process of making sure that every one of these economic development opportunities, every one of these potentially commonwealth-changing opportunities we're seeing, that we grasp, Beshear said.

Coleman pointed to several initiatives during her tenure as cabinet secretary, including waiving the $125 GED testing fee, prioritizing broadband access in reducing the digital divide and bolstering the state's career training network.

The state Republican Party on Thursday pointed to problems with Kentucky's pandemic-stressed unemployment insurance system in trying to pin the blame on Beshear and Coleman.

The unemployment office had been housed in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, but Beshear shifted it to the Labor Cabinet early in the pandemic. The governor said at the time that the unemployment office was better aligned with the Labor Cabinet.
MIAMI (AP)  The mask mandate for students in some South Florida schools could be eased by the end of October as local rates of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations continue to fall, officials said.

The number of students needing to quarantine in Miami-Dade County public schools has dropped significantly since school started in August, school Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Wednesday.

He said the decision would be based on the latest COVID-19 data and the advice of a task force of local doctors advising the district.

The easing of the mask policy would give parents an opt-out provision for their children, he said.

A parental opt out was the original back-to-school plan in Miami. But the delta variant spread rapidly across Florida during the summer, causing a spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

The district, which is the state's largest, joined a handful of other districts  representing about half of Florida's public school students  in adopting mask requirements with an opt-out only for medical reasons.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP)  Fishing and conservation groups on Thursday joined with the state of Oregon, the Nez Perce Tribe and the Biden administration to seek a pause in litigation challenging the latest federal plan for hydropower operations on the Snake and Columbia rivers in an effort to save endangered salmon runs.

If the federal court in Portland, Oregon, grants the stay, these parties will use the time to develop a comprehensive solution that could resolve decades of litigation.

The federal lawsuit, filed against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, involves the most recent plan for dam operations issued by the Trump administration in late 2020.

The conservation groups, along with the state of Oregon and the Nez Perce, had sued to block the Trump administration plan and also filed a request for an immediate injunction to dramatically increase water flow through the dams to help salmon migrate to the ocean. Thursday's settlement covers only that injunction request. The lawsuit intended to save salmon is still moving forward.
Bundy did not immediately respond to phone and email messages left by The Associated Press.

Last year, the organization had just under 22,000 members nationally, according to a report by IREHR and the Montana Human Right's Network. Now it has grown by roughly 53%, according to the new IREHR report, with more than 33,000 members including nearly 400 official leaders in 38 states. It also includes more than 100 members in Canada  largely in Ontario  even though most of its political ideology centers on fringe interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and Christian nationalism, according to the report.

We noticed three or four months ago that they started having Canadian provinces listed on their website. It's not big, but it's kind of strange, Tanner said.

Peoples Rights is still mostly focused in the northwestern states, particularly Idaho, where Bundy lives and roughly 17 out of every 10,000 are members, according to the report. Most of the growth has been around COVID-19-related activism, said Tanner.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  The conservative Texas Republican leader who pledged bounties to those who prove fraud at the polls has paid a liberal Democratic poll watcher who reported illegal voting by a Pennsylvania Republican.

Tipster Eric Frank deposited a $25,000 check from Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks campaign this week, and Patrick may be on the hook for more bounties, The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday.

Frank reported Ralph Thurman, a 72-year-old registered Republican, after seeing him vote twice on Election Day, once for himself and once for his son, who was a registered Democrat. Frank told The News that he would have reported anyone he saw voting illegally, regardless of party. Having come from a family of Democratic operatives, however, he said he sees the irony of the situation.

Its my belief that they were trying to get cases of Democrats doing voter fraud. And that just wasnt the case, Frank said. This kind of blew up in their face.

Patrick campaign spokesman Allen Blakemore did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
One year ago: Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the partys 2012 presidential nominee, told CNN that he had voted in the Nov. 3 election, but not for Donald Trump. Former President Barack Obama made his first in-person campaign pitch for Joe Biden, urging voters in Philadelphia, especially Black men, not to sit out the election and risk seeing Trump reelected. Spain became the first western European country to reach more than 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases. The Justice Department said drugmaker Purdue Pharma, the company behind the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin that experts said had helped touch off an opioid epidemic, would plead guilty to federal criminal charges as part of a settlement of more than $8 billion. At least 10 bodies were found in an unmarked mass grave in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where investigators were searching for the remains of victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
SEATTLE (AP)  Isaiah Obet was behaving erratically and in mental distress in 2017 when Auburn police officer Jeff Nelson ordered his police dog to attack and then shot Obet in the torso. Obet fell to the ground and Nelson fired again, fatally shooting Obet in the head. Police said the officers life was in danger because Obet was high on drugs and had a knife. The city later reached a settlement of $1.25 million with Obets family.

The next year, Joseph Allen was crossing in front of Nelsons patrol car when the officer swerved and pinned him against a fence, breaking both his ankles. His justification: Allen was a dangerous criminal.

In 2019, Nelson scuffled with Jesse Sarey after attempting to arrest him for disorderly conduct. He punched Sarey seven times and then shot him in the torso. After Sarey fell to the ground, Nelson killed him with a second shot to the forehead. He claimed Sarey was on his hands and knees ready to spring forward, which later was disproved by both video and witnesses.
MCDONOUGH, Ga. (AP)  A Kentucky woman is accused of threatening a Georgia judge and his family after he dismissed a lawsuit that sought to review absentee ballots from the 2020 election to see if any were fraudulent.

The Henry County Sheriff's Office said Erin Northup, 42, is accused of leaving a threatening voicemail with the judicial assistant to Henry County Superior Court Judge Brian Amero, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Details of the call were not released.

Amero last week dismissed a lawsuit alleging fraud in Fulton County during last year's election and sought a review of some 147,000 absentee ballots. The lawsuit relied heavily on sworn affidavits from several people who participated in a hand recount of the ballots and said they saw suspicious-looking ballots.
The Cherokee Nation is putting additional funds toward its early childhood programs.

First announced in September and approved unanimously Oct. 12 by the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. formally signed legislation Tuesday to invest $40 million in federal and general funds toward replacing eight existing Cherokee Nation Head Start centers with new facilities and upgrade others within the tribes reservation.

New Cherokee Nation Head Start Centers are planned for construction in Tahlequah, Nowata, Kenwood, Jay, Cherry Tree, Redbird, Salina and Pryor.

The tribe also operates a Head Start facility in Shady Grove and collaborates with eight school districts to provide Head Start services for pre-kindergarten students.

The tribes current Head Start campuses serve about 900 children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 5 years old across 65 classrooms throughout northeastern Oklahoma.

Named for Cherokee Nation Head Start Director Verna Thompson, the measure also calls for a comprehensive review of the tribes early childhood education services.
The Tulsa City Council approved zoning changes that will make it easier to build multi-family housing in areas near downtown, including historic Riverview, despite multiple residents of the neighborhood asking Wednesday evening to be exempted.

Three other areas  Owen Park, Tracy Park and Buena Vista  had already received exemptions after homeowners complained that an infill overlay would threaten the historic character of their neighborhoods. But those residents voiced concerns before the proposed overlay zoning had been endorsed by the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission.

Riverviews opposition arose only in recent weeks, officials said.

Riverview had the same opportunity everyone else did to raise objections earlier, said Councilor Kara Joy McKee, adding that she would be willing in the future to reconsider the size of multi-housing developments that the overlay would allow.

Meant to encourage development on vacant lots and increase Tulsas supply of affordable housing, the new zoning will allow condos or apartment buildings with as many as eight units to be built alongside existing single-family homes, officials said.
Active cases of COVID-19 are down more than 52% from about a month ago, while the death toll reported by Oklahoma health authorities has jumped week-over-week due to a federal reporting change.

According to a report Wednesday from the Oklahoma State Department of Health, 10,540 Oklahomans have died of COVID-19. The change in reporting brings the states COVID casualty count closer to that listed by the Centers for Disease Controls National Center for Health Statistics: 11,010.

The discrepancy in the death toll reported by the state and that from the CDC has been cut in half through a data reconciliation process, according to a news release.

The surge of COVID-19 started by the delta variant this summer continues to wane, with the seven-day rolling average for new cases back down to about 1,000 per week.

The seven-day average of new cases was at 1,035 on Wednesday.

Statewide COVID hospitalizations dropped to 594 from 780 from a week ago, according to the three-day averages released by the state.
It remains unclear how labs can get a standard operating procedure to test for THC-O-acetate and report flagged results.

Were kind of left on an island to figure things out, Brixey said, adding lab professionals will still be working independently so the next time through we will catch them.

In the meanwhile, Pagonis urges patients to shop with caution. All dispensaries must keep certificates of analysis (COAs) on file for any product being sold, though these will not include THC-O-acetate yet.

Check the package to make sure it matches the COA, Pagonis said, then ask yourself should this have such a high potency? ... It is a helpful tip to think should it be in that range or is that high?

The product that tested positive for the THC analogue, a sugar wax, was listed with a potency of 91% compared to similar products that max out in the 70-80% range, according to OMMA.

This is not a compound thats been heavily studied, Pagonis said of THC-O-acetate. The effects are unknown (and) could range from difficulty speaking to you have several seizures in one night. Its very dangerous to try to seek out this compound solely for its higher potency. ...
Any human being could be in the situation that they are in now, she said. Heaven help us that we may not be, but if we are, I hope that kind caring people like Tulsans will be there to rescue us and welcome us.

Several Tulsans also voiced their support for the resolution before the council voted on it.

Craig Bryant, a retired state department foreign service officer who worked in Afghanistan in 2007, said Afghans in the area he worked were warm and welcoming to the members of his team. He said he was proud to urge the council to give the same welcoming treatment Afghans gave him and his team.

Tulsa has a very deserving reputation as being a city that is open and welcoming to refugees, Bryant said. This follows in that tradition.

Josh Starks, a former Army company commander who served in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012, said he worked side by side with Afghans and watched many give their lives in support of the mission.

A lot of them have sacrificed more than you can imagine, Starks said. Their families have been damaged over and over again because of their work with us, the U.S. forces.

Starks said he hopes the refugees from Afghanistan can be welcomed and integrated into the Tulsa community.
However, the revisions wouldn't be all positive for big companies and the wealthy. The White House is reviving the idea of a minimum corporate tax rate, similar to the 15% rate Biden had proposed earlier this year. That's even for companies that say they had no taxable income  a frequent target of Biden who complains that they pay zero in taxes.

And there could be a new billionaires tax, modeled on legislation from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the chairman of the Finance Committee, who has proposed taxing stock gains of those with more than $1 billion in assets  fewer than 1,000 Americans.

Sinema has not publicly stated her position, and her office did not respond to a request for comment.

Another key Democrat, conservative Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, has said he prefers a 25% corporate rate. He has been withholding his support for the bill with additional objections to its provisions on climate change and social services.

On the call with the administration and the White House, Wyden said he stressed the importance of putting an end to Americas two tax codes, and finally showing working people in this country that the wealthiest Americans are going to pay taxes just like they do.
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the power to make such a change resides with the legislative branch.

This is an egregious example of executive overreach that should be corrected as soon as possible, Treat said.

McCall said his office was never approached about the settlement agreement.

The agreement is invalid and unenforceable, he said. Slowing this down so the complete process can be followed is the proper course of action by the governor.

State Health Commissioner Lance Frye said the settlement was reached in May by the previous Attorney Generals Office.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health will work with the governor and Attorney Generals Office for input and counsel on next steps, Frye said. Our responsibility is to maintain vital statistics, and we will continue to do so in accordance with the laws of Oklahoma. Should a challenge to the previous agreement be made, we will proceed accordingly.

Meanwhile, Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, has filed a bill that would require male and female to be the only options on Oklahoma birth certificates to identify a childs sex at birth.
I know Koreans who have lived in the U.S. for decades and speak no English  and have no need to. All their wants are met in Korean, from banking to television to shopping. I also know U.S.-born Salvadorans who talk about El Salvador as my country. The wheels have come off assimilation.

The receiving countries deserve some blame for those who remain alien. The prevailing identity politics doesnt meld a nation. The woke reverence for every culture except its native culture and language is destructive.

The immigrants who flooded the U.S. in the 19th century and the first half of the last century came to assimilate, refusing to teach their children their native tongues. Now immigrants think and feel as though they are the citizens of other countries. It is easy to do, and multiculturalism is the facilitator.

American hearts go out to those who are living in hell on the southern border: Frightened, in need of food, in need of places to sleep and to defecate, often sick, preyed on by criminals in their own number, and believing myths  especially the myth that when Donald Trump lost the presidential election, they would be welcome in the U.S.
Thankfully, Oklahomans havent strayed across the line, going by local reports. That doesnt mean people arent upset with local board members, raise their voices or even display poor behavior. They just havent been violent.

Thats how it should be. Oklahomans ought to condemn violence against elected officials.

Board members generally seek office because they care about schools. They typically have children or grandchildren in schools. They view public education a critical aspect of a healthy community and workforce.

Their most important votes are for the superintendent and annual budgets. But, some issues get more impassioned responses.

Lately, thats been about mask mandates, quarantine rules and distance learning. The continued misinformation about critical race theory has compounded anger.

Every year, board members face controversies specific to their districts such as changes in a mascot, bell times, dress codes, school closures or staff decisions. Sometimes, a national issue like Common Core or American exceptionalism will take the spotlight.

We dont always agree with local school boards, but we defend the right of local control of schools.
A foreign-trained postdoctoral researcher from Nghe An Province in north-central Vietnam has spent years abroad exploring new horizons to benefit his home countrys telecommunications field.

Phan Duy Tung graduated with a bachelors degree from a university in his hometown, Nghe An Province, before earning his masters and PhD degrees in Russia and South Korea, respectively.

The 33-year-old man is doing his postdoctoral research in Finland.

He has published 21 articles and four papers in international scientific journals and conference proceedings on telecommunications.

It took years for Tung to get where he is now.

Tung shared he comes from a farmer family in a poor neighborhood in Thanh Chuong District, where most residents would leave school early and find work to make ends meet.

Until his elder brothers time, most local kids could not make it to senior high school.

When he was only ten, Tung was sent by his grandparents to a middle school and a high school for the gifted away from home as there were no good schools in their neighborhood.

It was then that the boy began his independent life, when he stayed on his own in a tenanted room.

Self-reliance at such a tender age is a gift. But like everything else in life, it has its cons, according to Tung.

The pluses include having the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wherewithal to look after himself, which allows him to take on challenges he would otherwise pass by, he shared.

The minuses, however, are many.

When he was on his own and things went wrong, there was no one around to help him figure out a solution.

He also found it difficult to connect to his loved ones when he needed them most during his teenage years.

Tung recalled a stumbling block in his early adulthood years but the adversity, however, turned into a stepping-stone and marked his turning point in career choice.

The young standout took his entrance exam into a prestigious university in Hanoi but against his familys expectations, he failed despite getting relatively high marks.

He had to make do with his second choice, the telecommunications program at Vinh University in his hometown.

I was frustrated at letting my loved ones down and began to question my own abilities, Tung recalled, adding he planned to retake the exam the following year.

To his surprise, the deeper he got into the new major, the more he got hooked.

The young man was through a bit of a bad patch, but things were gradually picking up.

His school grades and mood both improved.

Every cloud has a silver lining," Tung shared.

"As long as we give it our best, when a door closes, another will open.

The young academic added earning scholarships to study in different countries comes with both rewards and challenges.

His capacity and mentality were put to the test when he was working on a masters degree in Russia.

I had one year to study the Russian language, but I only understood 20 to 30 percent of what the professors and classmates said in my first year, he recollected.

Tung said the method of working out the meaning by key words in contexts that he adopted did help.

The professors taught us by giving explanations slowly and using visual aids.

The sky was clear at the end, Tung noted.

His time working on a doctoral degree at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology in South Korea was also a trying one.

On top of language barriers, the pressure to fit into the rigorous learning environment which South Korea is known for was intense.

He found himself in shambles in late 2020, when he was racing against time for his doctoral thesis while his wife, in his hometown then, was expecting their first child.

The novel coronavirus pandemic, which hit South Korea quite hard then, kept him from taking his pregnant wife to his place or returning to his hometown because of the long quarantine mandate.

I was not there for her when I was most needed, Tung recalled.

I kept asking myself if I was doing the right thing.

I really wanted to hold our baby and be by its side.

It took his small family almost two years to be reunited.

The predicament taught him a lot and added skill to his repertoire.

Tung, his wife, and their baby are currently in Finland, where he is giving 100 percent effort in his post-doctoral research on designing antennae for new-generation telecoms networks including design of transparent antennae and smart antennae for 5G and 6G wireless applications.

The engineers ambition is putting together a research group who can contribute to the growth of the new-generation telecoms networks.

Tung looks out into the field, which is still in its infancy in Vietnam, and sees bright promises.

He hoped his profound research and expertise gained abroad in the burgeoning discipline would help develop his countrys sector.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Ho Chi Minh Citys public transport authority has announced the resumption of eight more public bus routes, which are expected to appease travel demands following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

After surveying the demand public transport, as well as epidemic safety conditions, the Ho Chi Minh City Management Center of Public Transport has gained approval from the municipal Department of Transport to relaunch eight public bus itineraries, including routes No. 14, No. 20, No. 27, No. 29, No. 141, No. 65, No. 74, and No. 79, starting October 25.

All of these bus routes will operate every day from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm, except for No. 74, which has vehicles leaving Cu Chi Bus Terminus from 4:30 am to 5:30 pm and departing An Suong Bus Terminus between 5:30 am and 6:30 pm.

The Ho Chi Minh City Management Center of Public Transport will consider proposals for more routes to be relaunched based on customer demands and safety conditions, a representative of the center told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

On October 5, four bus routes in Can Gio District resumed operations, the first in Ho Chi Minh City to see a relaunch after COVID-19 restrictions shuttered all bus services in late June.

Ho Chi Minh City has been the hardest-hit locality in Vietnam since the beginning of the fourth virus wave on April 27, with more than 418,000 local infections and over 16,300 fatalities.

However, infections have slowed down in recent times while over 6.9 million of its nearly-nine-million population have been given at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the national COVID-19 vaccination portal.

The city had imposed social distancing measures of various levels since May 31 before easing multiple restrictions on October 1.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Functional forces in the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Duong found the body of a two-year-old boy at a stream near his house on Wednesday after he had been missing for six days.

The family of the victim, Lam Gia Hung, arrived at the scene to identify his body the same day, according to authorities in Binh Duongs Dau Tieng District, where the incident took place.

Hungs family noticed his disappearance on October 15 before notifying authorities, launching a search, and calling for help on social media.

Police in Dau Tieng District also published posters and public announcements regarding the missing boy.

Rumors about the boy being kidnapped took hold of the Internet, but none appeared to be true.

After thousands of people in Binh Duong and the neighboring province of Binh Phuoc responded to Hungs familys call for help, a search party on Wednesday discovered that the boy had already been dead at a stream in a forest of rubber trees a few hundred meters from his house.

Currently, police are still investigating the cause of the death.

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 have arrested two suspects for running a prostitution ring involving underage girls, many of whom were high school students.

The Department of Public Security in Tuyen Quang City, the capital of the namesake province, confirmed on Wednesday that Hoang Mai Ly, 24, and Phi Thi Viet Trinh, 25, had been taken into custody for prostitution brokerage.

A police investigation showed that Ly and Trinh had pimped young girls aged 14 to under 18.

They mainly recruited local girls who were either in high school or who had dropped out.

Depending on their clients request, the ring could arrange sexual services, locations for such services to take place, and narcotics.

On October 12, a team of police officers raided a hotel in Tuyen Quang City and caught red-handed five men and five women trading sex and consuming drugs inside several rooms.

Among the five sex workers, two were under 16, two under 18, and one over 18 years old.

At the police station, Ly and Trinh stated that their clients paid VND2-3 million (US$88-132) per session.

The two suspects then took 50 percent of the money while the rest was given to the victims.

A further investigation is ongoing.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The Ministry of Health announced 3,636 more COVID-19 patients in Vietnam on Thursday, together with 1,541 recoveries and 71 fatalities.

The latest cases, including 18 imported and 3,618 local infections, were found in 50 provinces and cities, the health ministry said, adding that 1,649 patients were detected in the community.

Ho Chi Minh City reported 1,255 of the domestically-infected cases, Binh Duong Province 483, Dong Nai Province 390, Tay Ninh Province 185, An Giang Province 174, Soc Trang Province 109, Bac Lieu Province 102, Binh Thuan Province 78, Khanh Hoa Province 40, Can Tho City 23, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province 18, and Hanoi nine.

Vietnam had documented 3,635 locally-acquired infections on Wednesday.

The country has recorded 872,811 community transmissions in 62 out of its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth virus wave emerged on April 27.

Ho Chi Minh City leads the table with 422,201 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 227,328, Dong Nai Province with 60,081, Long An Province with 33,999, Tien Giang Province with 15,331, Dong Thap Province with 9,334, Khanh Hoa Province with 8,629, Da Nang with 4,942, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 4,441, and Hanoi with 4,374.

Vietnam registered only 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in total in the previous three waves.

The health ministry logged 1,541 recoveries on Thursday, bringing the total to 798,124.

The toll has spiked to 21,487 deaths after the ministry confirmed 72 fatalities on the same day, including 41 in Ho Chi Minh City and 12 in Binh Duong Province.

Vietnam has found 873,901 infections since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit it early last year.

Health workers have given more than 68.8 million vaccine doses, including 1,728,941 shots on Wednesday, since vaccination was rolled out on March 8.

Over 19.4 million people have been fully inoculated.

Health authorities target to inoculate at least two-thirds of a population of nearly 98 million people against COVID-19 by the first quarter of next year.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Over the past 25 years Australian Story has travelled the country, and the world, to tell more than a thousand stories.

To mark their quarter century, the show asked fans to vote for the episode they most wanted to revisit.

Plenty of politicians, actors and sport stars have opened up to our cameras over the years, but the episode fans always champion is a little love story from the bush.

With This Ring was the story of central Queensland horsewoman Gayle Shann, who survived a horrific farming accident in 2002, with the enduring love of her husband Mac.

Australian Story began filming Gayle and Mac just months after she left hospital as they grappled with a new way of living life on the land. Our cameras have been rolling ever since.

In this heartwarming next chapter, were thrilled to discover the Shanns are thriving. Proving love really does conquer all.

Australian Story executive producer, Caitlin Shea, got out from behind her desk and travelled northwest to film with the popular couple.

Its an absolute honour to be voted as the most popular story. I cant believe it, to be honest, but we just feel like a normal couple, Gayle Shann says.

Gayle and Mac had watched their three previous Australian Stories the night before the crew arrived at Cantaur Park, near Moranbah.

Its an amazing diary to look back on and just see how tough the tough times were and how good the good times are. Im just glad that the Australian public likes it. They always love a good love story, Mac Shann says.

These days Gayle is no longer a frail and vulnerable twentysomething but runs a highly successful horse and cattle breeding business with Mac.

Weve been through some horrific years of drought and some tough, tough times, but we have worked and managed through those years together and come out the other side and having beautiful green waving grass around us, beautiful fat, happy calves, cows, horses, foals and doing what we absolutely love. So this is where we are now, Gayle Shann says.

8pm Monday on ABC.
As restrictions are lifting around the country and the nation surpasses 70% double vaccination, what are the rules for broadcast network staff?

It varies from state to state, and network to network.

10:

Jarrod Villani, Executive Vice President of ViacomCBS ANZ told TV Tonight, Throughout the entire pandemic weve followed the government guidelines. Weve probably taken a more conservative approach in terms of how many people weve allowed back into the building. Technically speaking, virtually all of our workforce could have probably been exempt under the under the guidelines in the various states from time to time.

But in Sydney at the moment, for example, its really only those that are broadcast critical: journalists, producers, broadcast operations teams, which are coming into the building. So well continue to follow the government guidelines as we have done throughout this.

Seven:

James Warburton recently told Mediaweek: We have not mandated vaccinations at all. We did a survey asking the staff and 75% supported mandatory vaccination and 93% intended to or already had been vaccinated. Many of the production companies we work with demand it as do the studios we work with. You cant go on sets etc unless you are double vaxed.

Nine:

From December 1st all Sydney employees must be vaccinated to enter North Sydney headquarters (also home to Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review). Rules vary based according to state regulations.
About 100 people have protested in LA against the streaming pioneers decision to release comedian Dave Chappelles new Netflix special, which they say ridicules transgender people.

Netflix staff members, transgender rights advocates and public officials protested outside a Netflix office block in Los Angeles.

It was the latest move in a furore over a Dave Chappelle comedy special, The Closer. Discussing his views on gender, he defended Harry Potter author J.K. Rowlings controversial transgender tweets and declared himself to be on Team TERF! (referencing the term for trans-exclusionary radical feminist).

But staff were also fuming over co-chief executive Ted Sarandoss assertion that content on screen doesnt directly translate to real-world harm.

Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean-spirited but our members enjoy it, and its an important part of our content offering, he wrote in a staff email.

Sarandos said Chappelles language did not cross the line into inciting violence.

Demonstrators held signs proclaiming Trans Lives Matter and Team Trans and chanted slogans.

Terra Field  a Netflix senior software engineer who identifies as a transgender woman on her Twitter account  posted a thread online, saying the Chappelle special attacked the transgender community while trying to pit us against other marginalised groups.

Speaking to Variety, Ted Sarandos conceded, Obviously, I screwed up that internal communication. I did that, and I screwed it up in two ways. First and foremost, I should have led with a lot more humanity. Meaning, I had a group of employees who were definitely feeling pain and hurt from a decision we made. And I think that needs to be acknowledged up front before you get into the nuts and bolts of anything. I didnt do that. That was uncharacteristic for me, and it was moving fast and we were trying to answer some really specific questions that were floating. We landed with some things that were much more blanket and matter-of-fact that are not at all accurate.

He added, Ive spent the past couple of days listening to folks and sitting down with folks, about where theyre at and how theyre feeling and what theyd like to see moving forward. Im continuing to do that now. One of the things that I think is very important that I want people to understand is that, going forward, it should be really clear that I support artistic freedom and the creators that work at Netflix. Im committed to continuing to increase representation on screen and behind the camera, and Im always open to learn and improve on how to address these challenges.

Additional Source: ABC
On Restoration Australia host Anthony Burke meets a couple who are saving an important example of Federation Queen Anne architecture in coastal NSW, while dealing with a profound health crisis.

Seacroft stands frozen in time amid the new homes of Fernhill, a suburb of Wollongong first established to accommodate the miners and managers of the once booming coal mines of the Illawarra. Seacroft is weary, neglected and crumbling and when Dutch-born couple Pieter and Nettie first saw it they thought it might have been destined for demolition.

Thankfully it was protected by heritage orders and once they stepped inside it quickly became clear that it was a perfect project for the newly retired but enduringly practical engineer Pieter and his artist wife Nettie. They vowed to restore the existing structure  a stunning example from Queen Anne Federation period  add an extension including workspaces to accommodate the interests and passions of two very busy and active people.

Then came the crushing blow. Just as plans for their project were approved Pieter was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver and stomach cancer and given months to live.

Incredibly, the couple decide to proceed with their project. Pieter is determined to remain involved in the renovation even as he undergoes punishing chemotherapy treatment. And when COVID hits, sending immuno-compromised Pieter into strict isolation, he remains focussed on Seacroft, constructing a scale model to stress-test plans and colours and working on small restoration elements in the safety of his garage.

7:40pm Sunday on ABC.
After 99 episodes, the explosive 100th episode of Wentworth will shut the gates for the final time next week.

The multi-winning series will have fans glued to their screens for the last Teal Tuesday -and look out for the Prisoner cameos -yes- finally making an appearance.

Brian Walsh, Executive Director of Television said: Wentworth will leave an indelible mark on the international television landscape. We are incredibly proud of the success of this much-loved drama, not only has it been wholeheartedly embraced by our audience here in Australia but across the globe. I would personally like to acknowledge the extraordinary cast, creative teams, writers, and directors who have brought this television phenomenon to life, it has been an incredibly rewarding journey.

Chris Oliver-Taylor, Fremantle CEO Asia-Pacific, said: Wentworth has written its own chapter in television history and like its predecessor Prisoner, will continue to garner audiences around the world for many years to come. The final chapter has been a heart-stopping run to the end with all the surprise twists that the series is renowned for and brilliantly performed by a cast second to none in this country.

Wentworth is Foxtels highest rating and most successful locally produced drama. Since 2013, 90 episodes have screened in 173 territories including the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Canada, Israel, Finland, Japan and the USA, where it has placed in the Top 10 of Netflixs most watched series. It has amassed an impressive catalogue of awards and nominations locally and internationally, with both the Most Popular and Most Outstanding Drama at the TV Week Logie Awards in 2018  the first time an Australian drama has taken out both accolades in the same year. In 2019, it claimed Most Outstanding Drama for the fourth time.

Wentworth is a Fremantle production for Foxtel with Executive Producers, Jo Porter and Penny Win. Pino Amenta is series producer for season eight part 2. The directors are Kevin Carlin, Beck Cole, Fiona Banks, Roger Hodgman and Mat King. The writers are John Ridley, Kim Wilson and Marcia Gardner, who is both script producer and writer. Season 8 part 2 is supported by funding from Film Victoria.

8:30pm Tuesday on FOX Showcase.
William George Davis listens to closing arguments Tuesday in the 114th District Court at the Smith County Courthouse. He was found guilty of capital murder on Tuesday and the punishment phase began Wednesday morning.
William George Davis, left, waits for the jury to return to the courtroom with their verdict during his trial for the death of four patients at Christus Trinity Mother Frances in Tyler, on Oct. 19, in the 114th District Court at the Smith County Courthouse. He was found guilty of capital murder Oct. 19 and sentenced to death this Wednesday.
If you read the syllabus for Tom Albrechts course, Chinas Challenge to American Free Market Capitalism, you may be reminded of an early Tom Clancy book. International intrigue and global economic positioning resonate. But the world is very different since we were introduced to Jack Ryan. Global economies are more closely tied than would have been predicted at the end of the 20th century. The economies of the United States and China have evolved along distinct, but undeniably linked, pathways. This new Spring 2022 Finance course explores the real and projected results that influence both countries, as well as other smaller, but still significant, national economies.

Tom Albrecht brings over 40 years of experience with finance law to the classroom, as well as an international leadership background with the offices of Sidley Austin LLP. His close observations of major geopolitical events, statutory and regulatory changes, shifting economic policies  where and when they happened  help shed credible light on not only what is happening currently with world economies, but also on the histories that brought the US and China to where they are today, locked in inescapable association within a race to increase global economic power. As Tom has observed, A thoughtful consideration of the future of the US and China relationship on the global stage must start, not with a military or political analysis, but with economics.

Albrecht received degrees in Economics and Psychology from the University of Dayton in 1976, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1979. He also sits on UDs Board of Trustees and is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Bureau of Asian Research, a policy think tank focusing on US and Asia Pacific relations.

Hear more about Tom Albrechts intriguing and noteworthy service to his profession, to global relations, and to the University where it all started, in the next episode of the Business Class podcast with host Trevor Collier, Interim Dean of UDs School of Business Administration.

You can find the Business Class podcast on Apple Podcast, Google Play, and/or Spotify.

Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-class/id1586874418

Google Play link: https://podcasts.google.com/search/business%20class%20dayton

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/1VrvAg8gdXy5tV71tZNhOg




By Jerry Zezima

When life hands you lemons, goes an old saying, you will have a lot of car repair bills. Thats why you should have a yard sale. And what better way to lure customers than with a lemonade stand.

That was the brilliant idea my granddaughters Chloe and Lilly had when my wife, Sue (their grandmother), and our younger daughter, Lauren (their mommy), decided to embark on this allegedly moneymaking enterprise.

The idea of the yard sale, which was held in Laurens front yard, was to foist a bunch of junk that had been piling up in our respective houses on bargain-happy people who would, we hoped, pay fistfuls of cash for stuff they dont need, take it home and make it their junk.

On the day of the big event, the lawn was filled with stuff, much of which was priceless, mainly because it wasnt worth anything.

In a prime spot was the lemonade stand.

Chloe wanted to charge $3 a cup. Lauren said no, so Chloe suggested $2. Finally, it was decided that 50 cents was a fair price.

OK, said Chloe. But I want a tip jar.

That was nixed, too, though Chloe did prevail in charging 25 cents extra for Unicorn syrup, which is colored sugar water that could be added to the lemonade.

And there was enough to quench the thirst of the entire population of Luxembourg: two 96-ounce bottles of organic lemonade. We also had three small bottles of syrup (red, green and purple), 100 seven-ounce cups and an equal number of ecologically correct straws.

The sale was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. The first customer showed up at 8:15.

How much is this stool? she asked.

Ordinarily, its a thousand dollars, I replied, but theres a special deal today for only five bucks.

Ill take it, the woman said.

It was my only sale of the day.

Another woman came by and asked about a wine rack.

Ive lightened the load for you by drinking all the wine, I said.

She left without saying another word, probably because I had driven her to drink.

Someone else asked about a baby seat.

Its three dollars, I said. Baby not included.

Money wasnt included, either.

Chloe, 8, and Lilly, 5, had better luck with other customers.

We have lots of nice things! Chloe chirped.

To which Lilly added, Lets sell everything for free!

I can go for that, a man said.

Meanwhile, the lemonade stand was cleaning up. I poured the drinks, Lilly put in the syrup and Chloe collected the money.

Unfortunately, the swarm of people was outnumbered by a swarm of bees.

This must be a wasp neighborhood, I told a guy who didnt buy any lemonade but left a 25-cent tip for the girls anyway.

When it was time for lunch, Chloe and I went inside for a peanut butter sandwich and a cup of lemonade each.

Then Lilly came in and had a bowl of macaroni and cheese. I had one, too.

Have some lemonade, Lilly said.

I filled a cup, to which Lilly added red syrup.

Then she wanted me to have another cup with green syrup, followed by one with purple syrup. Lilly stirred all of them with paper straws.

Why dont you have some? I asked.

Lilly shook her head and said, I dont like lemonade.

Seven cups later, I made a beeline  even though the bees were outside  to the porcelain convenience.

Back in the yard, a woman walked up with her young son and a pair of giant schnauzers, who smothered Chloe in kisses (the dogs, not the kid, who lapped up three cups of lemonade).

The woman yakked with Sue and Lauren for an hour before buying something.

Tom and Mary Ann, husband-and-wife neighbors who have an 8-month-old granddaughter, bought a kiddie slide and some childrens ride-on vehicles.

Theyve all been grandfather-tested, I assured them.

The sale ended at 3 p.m., at which time we calculated the days receipts.

Lauren made $160.

Sue made only $32.

Considering the sale lasted for six hours, Lauren commented, thats not even minimum wage.

Chloe and Lilly raked in a grand total of $6.25. I threw in 10 bucks.

Lets put it in our piggy banks! Lilly said.

I got to take home the rest of the lemonade.

Maybe, Chloe suggested, you can have a lemonade stand at your house.

 Jerry Zezima

Jerry Zezima writes a humor column for Tribune News Service, which distributes it to newspapers nationwide and abroad. He is also the author of five books, Leave It to Boomer, The Empty Nest Chronicles, Grandfather Knows Best, Nini and Poppies Excellent Adventures and Every Day Is Saturday, all of which are crimes against literature. He has won seven awards from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists for his humorous writing.
American news channels show people crossing the border every day, but director Neel Esh Patel wanted to highlight how its not just Mexicans doing this, but people from across the world who dream of starting a new life in the USA. Mr. Deshee is a lower-middle-class Indian man who wants to find success in America, but ends up getting mixed up with a Mexican coyote who illegally smuggles him across the river to Kingman, Arizona. He struggles to keep going but never gives up on the American Dream.

Idea

Patel is the writer, director, producer, and lead actor in this powerful Film.

He was born in India and worked in Bollywood before moving to Las Vegas, and said the idea for "The Journey of Mr. Deshee" came from people hed met in the village he grew up in. Patel said his film had a very strong message for those who were tempted to make the dangerous journey to another country as an illegal immigrant: "Money is not important, family is most important."

Film crew

The team overcame many production problems. Originally an actor from Texas was due to play Mr. Deshee and there was another director on board. But just before pre-production, the director asked Patel to reschedule to three months later. Patel replied that he could not change the dates, so he would direct the film himself.

The crew were planning to shoot the film in Mexico, but the Mexican government didnt permit them to do so. So in the end, they filmed on the Mexican border in Arizona, as well as in Las Vegas and Ahmedabad in India.

Then, three days before the shoot, the lead actor dropped out. Patel held a meeting with the crew and announced that he would play Mr.

Deshee himself. The rest of the cast includes Devanny Pinn, Adam Berardi, Sejal Parikh, Jay Alfonso Lopez, Jagruti Thakor and Ronnie Nanos.

About Neel Esh Patel

Neel Esh Patel was born and brought up in Ahmedabad, India, and always loved drama at school. He received a master's degree in chemistry, but never wanted to work as a chemist, as he dreamed of working in the film industry.

He moved to Las Vegas, but soon realised that it was tough without contacts in Hollywood.

While he was making his way, he opened an Indian restaurant on the Las Vegas strip, while writing the script for "The Journey of Mr. Deshee" in his spare time. During this period he learned the ins and outs of filmmaking with his producer friend, with whom he produced his first Hollywood film, starring actress Tara Reid.

In 2018 he opened up his own company, Patel Films, and started working on "The Journey of Mr. Deshee." The film has now received dozens of awards from film festivals around the world.

"The Journey of Mr. Deshee" was released on streaming platforms, including Amazon Vimeo, on 15 October.
Karolis Sereika Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Event #37: $1,500 Super Turbo ($195,310)

October 21 2021 Leo Contreras

Karolis Sereika was crowned the winner of Event #37: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Super Turbo at the 2021 World Series of Poker to win his first bracelet. The Lithuanian professional player defeated a 1441-player field including the formidable Brazilian Pedro Padilha in heads-up play to win the $195,310 top-prize and some bounties worth $500 each.

The Lithuanian grinder had a big rail behind him all night and could be heard throughout the Amazon room in every hand he was involved. His previous best finish was second in a $1,100 No-Limit Holdem event in 2018 in which he cashed $159,969. Sereika has cashed for $302,858 lifetime with this being his biggest to date at $195,310.

This is the first live Lithuanian WSOP bracelet so that means a lot to me and all Lithuanian players, Im very happy and very excited. Just so many emotions, I really wanted it with all my heart.

Sereika becomes the first Lithuanian live player to earn a WSOP bracelet, and perhaps as impressive, he eliminated all but one player from the final table. Three other Lithuanian players in Vincas Tamasauskas, Gediminas Uselis, and Vladas Burneikis have all won WSOP Online bracelets at GGPoker.

Final Result Event #37: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty NLHE

Position Winner Country Prize (in USD) 1 Karolis Sereika Lithuania $195,310 2 Pedro Padilha Brazil $120,700 3 Lorenzo Adams United States $88,435 4 Pierre Calamusa France $65,494 5 Steve Buell United States $49,033 6 Alec Gould United States $37,114 7 Romuald Pycior United States $28,406 8 Alexander Norden Sweden $21,986 9 Wing Yam United States $17,211

A lot of familiar faces gave it a shot to win a bracelet in one day but most of them didn't make it. Qui Nguyen, Greg Raymer, Kenny Hallaert, David Chino Rheem, and Maurice Hawkins all gave it a shot but failed to make the money in this event. Plenty of others did make the money as there were a total of 217 players that ended up winning a piece of the $1,923,735 prize pool.

Some of the fortunate players include Jason Stockfish (19th - $6,025), Jeonggyu Cho (47th - $4,307), Jesse Yaginuma (47th - $3,710), Bertrand Grospellier (54th - $3,710), and Joe Serock (136st - $1,876).

Final Table Action

Wing Yam was ousted in ninth place when he lost a flip with ace-seven suited against the fours held by Alec Gould.

Eliminated in eighth place Alexander Norden after making the call with the better hand pocket Jacks but unfortunately for him, Sereika ran good at the right time and hit a wheel on the turn with his ace-five of clubs and eliminated Norden.

Sereika put on quite the display as after eliminating Norden he sent Lorenzo Adams, Pierre Calamusa, Steve Buell, Gould, and Romuald Pycior to the rail to leave him heads-up with Padilha.

It wasn't smooth sailing for Sereika heads-up despite eliminating a slew of players and holding a 3:1 chip advantage against Padilha. Padilha battled back and took 3:1 chip advantage himself before he doubled Sereika twice to put the Lithuanian back in control

Soon after, Padilha found himself short of a bracelet and had to settle for the runner-up prize of $120,700 plus bounties after he unsuccessfully jammed king-eight suited into ace-nine.
Day 2 action has ended in Event #38: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Holdem 8-Handed at the World Series of Poker with Michael Addamo having nearly half of the chips in play with a stack of 11,475,000. The next closest is Justin Bonomo with 4,975,000, who is followed closely by Erik Seidel with 4,335,000. Joining them for the live-streamed Day 3 action will be Gal Yifrach (3,160,0000), and Chris Hunichen (405,000).

Addamo, who is after his third WSOP bracelet, entered Day 2 with a commanding chip lead and his stack only increased throughout the eight hours of play. The Australian crusher put maximum pressure on his opponents throughout the day and at the final table  perhaps best demonstrated in a hand where Yifrach folded a set of fives on a board of when facing a shove from the runaway chip leader.

End of Day 2 Results

RANK PLAYER COUNTRY CHIP COUNT/PLACE 1 Michael Addamo Australia 11,475,000 2 Justin Bonomo United States 4,975,000 3 Erik Seidel United States 4,335,000 4 Gal Yifrach United States 3,160,000 5 Chris Hunichen United States 405,000 6 Bin Weng United States $202,236 7 Sam Soverel United States $157,666 8 Mustapha Kanit Italy $126,141 9 Leonard Maue Germany $103,635

Bin Weng was the last player eliminated on Day 2 when he lost nearly all of his chips by calling off with pocket eights against the pocket nines of Bonomo. Weng was forced all-in in the big blind the next hand and his eight-seven couldn't get ahead of the king-jack of Bonomo.

Leonard Maue, Mustapha Kanit and Sam Soverel all made the nine-handed final table but couldn't make it to the end of the day.

Day 3 action will commence on Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. local time and will be live-streamed by PokerGO. The day will play down to a winner, who will earn a bracelet and a seven-figure cash of $1,132,968.

Will Addamo continue his spectacular high-stakes run and take down Event #38: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Holdem 8-Handed? Stay tuned to find out as the PokerNews live reporting team will be back tomorrow to cover Day 3.
(Aurora Safari Camp/PA)

Days are darker and considerably colder, but winter promises one great delight: an opportunity to see the northern lights. Already, there have been good reports of strong activity with some solar flares strong enough to show up as far south as the UK.

There are no guarantees, of course, but gambling is all part of the fun. And with several exciting new activities available for this season, aurora hunts have even greater appeal.

Walking in the air

One of the downsides of searching for the aurora in Finland is coping with chilling temperatures that can easily dip down to minus 25C. Remedying the problem, the Iso-Syote hotel have constructed a glass panel walkway offering panoramic views of the aurora and surrounding landscape. Sleep in traditional log cabins and rooms spread throughout the forest  or opt for the Bear Cave suite, with interior walls made from stone, pine and lichen. Located in Finlands southernmost fell, 90 miles from the Arctic Circle, the opportunities for aurora viewing are excellent.

How: Best Served Scandinavia (0207 664 2241; best-served.co.uk) offers a four-night half-board stay from 880pp per person (two sharing) including return flights to Rovaniemi and transfers.

Following a road less travelled

(Visit Iceland/PA)

Clear skies and a lack of light pollution are essential for aurora viewing, so its good to get as far off the beaten track as possible. Although thousands of tourists head to southern Iceland every year, few venture to the remote Westfjords region. Historically, roads have been badly paved and difficult but a new route  the Westfjords Way  opens up the isolated area. Measuring 950km long, it runs through fjords, waterfalls and mountains.How: Hire a camper van for a flexible journey and follow vedur.is for the latest aurora forecasts. From 76 per day off peak; happycampers.is

Hot air balloons in the cold

Balloon rides in the Arctic (DTW/PA)

According to Sami folklore, if you listen hard enough its possible to hear the aurora pop and crackle. Take the chance to tune in by getting up close on a hot air balloon, an exciting new activity set to launch in Swedish Lapland in February 2022. Organised by a company who run ballooning experiences in Kenyas Masai Mara, the evening trips will use balloons tethered to one spot for optimal aurora viewing (199). For a longer trip, take the morning ride above the snow covered landscapes of the Rane River Valley and its frozen lakes and forests, keeping an eye out for wildlife far below (510).How: Stay at the companys own luxury Arctic glampsite, Aurora Safari Camp, to be close to the action. A three-night stay with return airport transfers starts from 2,219 per person (two sharing). aurorasafaricamp.com.

Story continues

Aurora-lit dinners

(DTW/PA)

Dine out on fine food beneath a ceiling of electrifying views with the new Aurora Hideaway Dinners. The small mobile restaurant moves around the Lulea archipelago depending on cloud cover and light viewing opportunities. Travel out by snowmobile to reach the evenings chosen spot and spend 2.5 hours enjoying a three-course meal (from 208 per person). Combine it with a stay at Brandon Lodge which offers a wide choice of winter adventures including husky sledding, a snowmobile forest safari and a Northern Lights sled tour.

How: Discover The World (01737 214 250;discover-the-world.com) offer a four-night full-board stay from 1,323 per person, including excursions. Flights extra.
As Azerbaijan prepares to resettle hundreds of thousands of its citizens in the territory it retook during last years war, it has embraced a new development concept: smart villages. The idea has become popular around the world; it envisages small communities using the latest technologies like digital connectivity, automation, and renewable energy to maximize economic development, Eurasianet reports.

The Azerbaijani government tentatively explored the idea before the war: a State Program of Socio-Economic Development of Regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan 2019-2023 called for two pilot smart villages to be created. But the idea has gained momentum following last years war, in which Azerbaijan retook more than 8,000 square kilometers of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, about 75 percent of the land it had lost to Armenian forces in the first war in the 1990s. More than 600,000 Azerbaijanis were displaced in that war; many of those now hope to return.

In February, President Ilham Aliyev said that the first smart village project would be implemented in Uchunju Agali, in the Zangilan district. In a September interview with Turkish media, Aliyev said that the first displaced people would return to a pilot smart village in Zangilan by the end of this year or early next year, though he didnt name the village. On October 17, he formally laid the foundation for another smart village in the Fuzuli region.

The Ministry of Agriculture has explained that the smart villages will introduce agriculture based on modern technologies and joint management and control, but that the concept goes beyond simply farming methods. The concept consists of smart street lighting, cold- and heat-resistant homes, management of household waste, the installation of hydro and solar power stations and biogas energy, the ministry said.

The government is spending $1.3 billion this year alone on building smart cities and villages, Aliyev told a September meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. Azerbaijani state-affiliated media have covered the smart village concept extensively, repeating government talking points that the use of automation will reduce the need for human labor. But analysts are divided on whether the government's enthusiasm for "smart villages" is warranted.

Gubad Ibadoglu, an economist and opposition politician, said that the government could have implemented projects like "transparent villages" or "accountable municipalities" instead of smart villages.

Attention also has fallen on another of the governments plans for redeveloping rural Karabakh: the expansion of the countrys agropark system. Agroparks are large-scale, government-backed agribusiness enterprises that started operating in Azerbaijan in 2012. A total of 49 agroparks have already been established in Azerbaijan.

Agroparks in Azerbaijan are "sustainable businesses because the government creates all the infrastructure necessary and provides subsidies for them to operate," Ibadoglu told Eurasianet. The government signaled its interest in expanding the agroparks into Karabakh shortly after the end of last years war. In March, the Economy Ministry told state-affiliated cable Space TV that research is being carried out in the liberated territories regarding the creation of agroparks and proposals are being prepared.

While there have been no further details announced, during a visit this month by Aliyev to the Jabrayil region, the president was briefed on a new 50-hectare agropark there. Ibadoglu said that the agroparks in the newly retaken territories likely will be controlled by powerful people, as well.

Other analysts, though, emphasize the potential efficiency of the governments development model. The smart village system will allow all government services in Karabakh to be organized in one centralized system, said Elmir Safarli, another economist. "And this in turn will pave the way for the best tech projects in the region to be applied and facilitate the flow of investments into Karabakh in the future," Safarli said.

While Azerbaijan faces challenges implementing the smart village (and the related smart city concept), Karabakh is an ideal place to experiment, wrote urbanist Anar Valiyev in an article for the Baku Research Institute. The whole territory is devastated, and there is no infrastructure now; therefore, it should be built from scratch, and certain types of innovations should be implemented, he wrote. While doing this, the needs and demands of the population should be the primary consideration.

After the war, the government announced that it was conducting a major survey among displaced people to find how many are interested in returning to the region and what they would like to do there; results of the survey have not yet been made public. But Bakhtiyar Aslanov, a researcher and national coordinator for Germanys Berghof Foundation, and himself a displaced person from the first war, said attitudes on the smart village concept appear to be changing.

"In the beginning, people were uncertain about the idea, partly because the concept is new to Azerbaijani society, but also because most were imagining their homes just like they left them 30 years ago," Aslanov told Eurasianet.
Last week, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon visited Europe. With stops in Brussels to meet with European Union leaders and a state visit to France, Rahmon has parlayed his firm public position against the Taliban (prohibited in Russia) into continued engagement with Europe, The Diplomat writes.

On October 11, Rahmon met in Brussels with European Council President Charles Michel. In a tweet, Michel said: The #EU is committed to cooperating with Tajikistan on post-COVID19 recovery, the spill-over of the situation in Afghanistan and climate change. He also stated: We underlined the need for an inclusive government in Afghanistan.

On October 13, Rahmon was welcomed to Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron referred to their earlier phone call in noting that Tajikistan has a long border with Afghanistan and shares a large number of concerns with France. He characterized the visit as an opportunity to strengthen dialogue on regional security in this period of uncertainty and said the two leaders would take stock of the assistance that France can bring to stabilize the situation and the useful contribution that we can make to the entire region.

Rahmon visited France back in 2019, again at the invitation of Macron. That visit was his first to France since 2002. Human Rights Watch at the time urged Macron to be true to his principles and publicly call out President Rahmon for his brutal policies.

Tajikistans position vis-a-vis the Taliban aligns more closely with the position of European capitals, and even the United States, than the other states of the region or even other global powers like China and Russia. This, as Ive written previously, gives Rahmon a moment in the spotlight to re-cast himself as a useful partner, no matter his autocratic means.

Tajikistan, in contrast with its Central Asian neighbors, has remained firm in not directly engaging with the Taliban. Since the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August and the subsequent full withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, the wider Central Asian region has had to recalibrate their policies toward Afghanistan to fit the new reality. Broadly this has meant tepid urging for an inclusive Afghan government, followed by acknowledgement (though not formal recognition) and engagement with the existing all-Taliban government.

This was perhaps easiest for Uzbekistan, which has engaged the Taliban in recent years within the confines of promoting a peace process, and Turkmenistan, which has also engaged the Taliban more directly in recent years (and did so during the Talibans earlier tenure in power in the 1990s). Those already-established channels of communication came in handy. But even Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have adjusted their efforts, despite fewer pre-existing contacts with the Taliban: In late September, Kyrgyzstan dispatched a delegation to meet with Taliban officials in Kabul and Kazakhstans ambassador in Afghanistan met with Taliban officials.

Tajikistan, meanwhile, has traded verbal barbs with the Taliban, prompting both Russia and Pakistan to urge the two sides to turn down the heat earlier this month. The Talibans frustration with Tajikistan is most clearly linked to the countrys welcoming of the would-be Afghan resistance, as led by Ahmad Massoud. Last week, RFE/RL reported that Massoud had briefly visited Dushanbe for talks with Taliban representatives in early October  sponsored by Tajikistan and Pakistan  but the Taliban didnt show up. Massoud, Tajik officials told RFE/RL, returned to Afghanistan afterward. Its not clear where Massoud is now.

With no regional options for truly like-minded partners, France at least seems to be settling on Tajikistan. How useful the relationship will be in addressing France, or Europes, concerns in Afghanistan is to be seen. Tajikistan has carved out for itself a unique position which does not (yet) exclude any of its partners, but if there is an acute crisis Dushanbe may not be able to satisfy all those same partners at the same time.

This week, following Rahmons return to Tajikistan, the country is hosting military exercises with the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) near the Afghan border.
Citizens have allegedly been given Vitamin C injections instead of flu shots at Gogelia clinic in Tbilisi.

People at the clinic claim that they were not shown the vaccine vials before being injected, but were asked to pay 75 GEL in advance.

Unfortunately, we are not sure that it was Vitamin C. It is our assumption because we found the unopened vials, - explained one citizen.

The healthcare ministrys regulation agency says that Gogelia clinic is not authorised to give flu injections as they have not requested the license.

The agencys representatives have already arrived at the medical centre to investigate the case, Agenda.ge reported.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the opening of Fuzuli International Airport within the framework of his upcoming visit to Azerbaijan, the head of the Turkish state said to the reporters accompanying him during his visit to a number of African countries.

According to Erdogan, he does not plan to visit Baku within the framework of his upcoming visit to Azerbaijan

Erdogan also said that he will take part in the opening of a number of infrastructure facilities in Azerbaijan.
According to the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, the early release of Mikheil Saakashvili or his extradition to the Ukrainian side is out of the question. Gharibashvili told journalists about it, InterPressNews reports.

As the Prime Minister noted, Saakashvili will be in prison for at least 6 years.

"The main culprit is in prison, Saakashvili will be in prison for at least 6 years. I have heard from several of our supporters that they deliberately spread information as if he won't be in prison for 6 years, that there is a plan to transfer him to Ukraine, etc. Both of these are out of the question. It is impossible for Saakashvili to be released from prison early. He will be in prison for at least 6 years. It is also impossible, I can not make a serious comment on it, whether it is planned to transfer him to Ukraine. This is completely absurd", - Gharibashvili said.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi hosted his Turkish counterpart Suleyman Soylu in the capital Tehran on October 20.

In a statement following a bilateral meeting, Soylu wished Vahidi all the best in his new office.

"To date, we have had very successful cooperation on various issues," he said, adding many problems were solved.

Hailing the cooperation between the two countries, Soylu said: "We acted like members of a single country in our cooperation at the border, counter-terrorism efforts, fight against drug smuggling, and cross-border organized crime. Our collaboration is not diplomatic cooperation, it is a fraternity."

After the meeting between the delegations, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding regarding cooperation in the field of security.

The deal aims to increase and develop security cooperation between the two countries. It foresees the prevention of all kinds of terrorist and illegal acts concerning the two countries, especially in the border regions, and the mutual development of all kinds of law enforcement activities.

Turkey and Iran seek to achieve the desired results in operational workforce capability and share knowledge and experience more rapidly via the agreement.

Soylu said that they evaluated the problems the Muslim community faces and underscored their responsibilities about this issue, Hurriyet reported.

Vahidi, who assumed office on Aug. 25, was the defense minister under former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, having held the post from 2009 until 2013.
Two Iranian drivers who had been arrested in Azerbaijan were released, Azeri state customs committee reported on Thursday.

Shahroud Norouzi and Ja'far Barzegar, the two Iranian drivers arrested in Nagorno-Karabakh region, have been released relying on good will, good neighborliness, mutual respect, and human principles, the state committee announced.

It also added the two were freed based on agreement.

The drivers will return home after going though the legal formalities.
Latvia has announced a month-long Covid-19 lockdown after an unprecedented surge in infections, becoming the first country in Europe to reimpose far-reaching restrictions amid a new wave of cases in countries across the continent.

The Baltic country has one of the highest rates of new Covid cases relative to population in the world, according to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after successfully keeping the virus at bay for months.

Our health system is in danger  The only way out of this crisis is to get vaccinated, the prime minister, Krisjanis Karins, said on Monday evening at an emergency government meeting. He said the countrys low vaccination rate was to blame for the surge in hospital admissions.

Only 57% of the 1.9 million Latvians are fully vaccinated, well below the EU average of 74%. The government imposed a month-long night-time curfew, from 8pm to 5am, this week and closed schools and all non-essential shops.
Russian and Belarusian Foreign Ministers Vladimir Makei and Sergey Lavrov have discussed the preparation for the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State during the telephone conversation, TASS reported citing the press service of Belarusian Foreign Ministry.

"During the conversation, the foreign ministers exchanged information on the pandemic in the two countries. The sides discussed the preparation for the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State," the message reads.

The ministers also reviewed the preparations for the upcoming joint board meeting of the foreign ministers of both countries, within the framework of which the Program of Coordinated Actions in Foreign Policy of the Member States of the Treaty Establishing the Union State in 2022-2023 will be signed. In addition, the heads of the foreign ministries touched upon the issues of interaction within international organizations.

Earlier, Lukashenko said that a meeting of the States Supreme Council of Russia and Belarus could be held on October 4. Later, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed this information. On October 15, Union State Secretary Dmitry Mezentsev said that the format of the next meeting of the Supreme State Council will be arranged taking into account the current epidemic situation. As it is said, Russian and Belarusian foreign ministers will hold a joint board meeting in November, where its planned to discuss questions of the integration of both countries.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan received NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina Piriz on October 21, the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

The two men expressed satisfaction with the level of political dialogue between Armenia and NATO. Mirzoyan underscored the implementation of the NATO-Armenia Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) as an effective tool for the development of cooperation between Armenia and NATO. Piriz noted that Armenia is considered a reliable partner of the North Atlantic Alliance.

The parties were said to have also touched upon the involvement of the Armenian peacekeeping units in international peacekeeping missions. Piriz thanked Armenia for participating in NATO peacekeeping operations.

Mirzoyan and Piriz also discussed a number of issues related to international and regional security.
Russia may recognize the government of the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) in Afghanistan on the condition of its inclusivity and observance of human rights, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Thursday, TASS reports.

"The Taliban have come to power, they are controlling the entire country and it is necessary to hold a dialogue with them, it is necessary to meet with them. <...>. Undoubtedly, contacts are also needed in order to convince the Taliban to create a truly inclusive government which would not only include the representatives of those tribes and ethnicities, peoples residing on Afghanistans territory, but also all political forces," she told journalists adding that only such a construction would be stable and ensure the peaceful evolution of Afghanistan as a state.

She noted that Russia, just as the entire global community, is urging Afghanistan to "join the ranks of civilized states, guarantee and protect human rights, above all, those of women and children." "The issue of recognition or non-recognition today is not the priority act. I think, that if as a result of this dialogue the Taliban accepts those conditions I mentioned, not just approves in writing but implements in actions, I think that this will be, of course, their recognition since nowadays they are the actual power there," the Federation Council speaker said.

She added that this is a difficult and slow path and everything will depend above all on the Taliban. According to her, the dialogue held on Wednesday within the framework of the Moscow talks on Afghanistan was useful. "Of course, I think, that the important result of the meeting with the Taliban delegation in Moscow was the appeal to the UN, to the international community announcing the humanitarian initiative of support for Afghanistans people. Indeed, there is a state of a looming humanitarian catastrophe," the Federation Council speaker explained, adding that she hoped the UN and other countries would support this humanitarian mission.
Russia manufactured 95 mln doses of vaccines against coronavirus, by the end of the year it will release over 300 mln doses, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said on Thursday. Russia has a stock of vaccines for at least 2 months, he said.

"To date, around 95 mln doses of all vaccines, taking into account Sputnik Light, have already been put into civilian circulation. By the end of 2021, we plan to produce more than 300 mln doses of all vaccines. The vaccine stock is formed for at least 2 months," TASS cited him as saying.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, the situation with coronavirus in Russia is becoming increasingly challenging due to poor vaccination rates and noncompliance with restriction measures. According to her, mandatory immunization against coronavirus has been implemented in 79 Russian regions for various groups of people.
Russia registered some isolated cases of the AY.4.2 COVID-19 variant, a subtype of the Delta strain, Kamil Khafizov, Head of the Scientific Group for the Development of New Diagnostic Methods of the Russian Central Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology, said.

The AY.4.2 COVID-19 variant was discovered in the UK. According to British scientists, it is one of the 45 subspecies of Delta. Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London Francois Balloux suggested that the new variant could spread 10-15% faster than the previous ones.

"Yes, some isolated cases of the AY.4.2 COVID-19 variant are already being recorded in Russia <>. [It is] one of the many subtypes of the Delta variant, which probably has a number of advantages over the original and other versions of the pathogen," TASS cited the expert as saying.

The Russian expert noted that the emergence of a new variant was likely to aggravate the epidemiological situation in the country. "The Delta variant has already caused a serious increase in the incidence, and AY.4.2 is likely to give another impetus to the surge in the COVID-19 cases," Khafizov warned.

The specialist explained that AY.4.2 "would perhaps steadily supplant Delta, however, it was unlikely to happen soon <>." "This is potentially just a slightly more infectious variant," he pointed out.

At the same time, Khafizov emphasized that the Russian vaccines were effective against the AY.4.2 variant.
Georgia's third president Mikheil Saakashvili, who was detained in Tbilisi on October 1, has been officially charged for the illegal crossing of the state border.

Six other criminal charges are filed against Saakashvili who has been convicted to six years of imprisonment in two cases while four other criminal cases are still being heard in Tbilisi City Court, Agenda.ge reported.

Based on the interior ministry investigation, Saakashvili arrived in Georgia late on September 28 on a vessel Vilnius, which entered the Poti port from Ukraine.

Saakashvili was reportedly hiding in a semi-trailer truck loaded with milk products. He illegally crossed the state border of Georgia, bypassing the customs control.

Detained a day before the October 2 municipal elections, Saakashvili remains on a hunger strike at No. 12 penitentiary facility in Rustavi.
The United States is lagging in the 'hypersonic race' as Russia and China develop game-changing weapons including AI 'drone swarms' and autonomous rockets, The Telegraph writes.

U.S. aircraft carrier superiority would no longer matter as the ships would be sitting ducks for nuclear-armed hypersonic missiles swooping in from space.

Seven years ago China started testing its Dong Feng-17 Hypersonic Glide Vehicle - known to Pentagon officials as the WU-14 - from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre.

Hypersonic means travelling above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. The DF-17 can do Mach 10 and carry a nuclear warhead. Last year, numerous DF-17s were proudly shown off in a military parade in Beijing.

In August 2018, China tested the hypersonic, nuclear-capable "Xingkong-2," or "Starry Sky-2," blasting it to space and showing off the launch on state television.

The People's Liberation Army believes hypersonic missiles like the DF-17 and Xingkong-2 will make obsolete US missile defence systems deployed in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the US risks becoming the third wheel in the hypersonic race as it also lags behind Russia.

Two weeks ago Russia successfully test-fired its hypersonic missile "Zircon" from a submerged nuclear submarine for the first time, using mock targets in the Barents Sea.

Zircon is capable of Mach 8 and could be fitted with a nuclear warhead to take out US aircraft carriers in minutes. The captain of a US carrier would have only seconds warning.

More advanced still is the Kremlin's pride and joy, the Avangard hypersonic missile, which has reached a staggering Mach 27.
UFC President Dana White says he has not talked to Conor McGregor since an assault allegation was made against the Dubliner.

But McGregor is alleged to have punched Italian DJ Francesco Facchinetti when the pair partied together in the Italian capital in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Facchinetti claimed he and McGregor were on good terms before the alleged attack, talking about everything from McGregor's 'Notorious' documentary to his Lamborghini yacht. It was around 2.30am when Mr. Facchinetti said things took a turn for the worst as McGregor allegedly struck him in the mouth "without motivation".

Speaking to reporters post-fight at Dana Whites Contender Series 44, the UFC President said: "We talked about it a little bit today in matchmaking  I dont know enough about it. I honestly dont even know enough about it to comment on it. Obviously Ive seen what you guys have  you guys have seen more than me, actually, to be honest with you. I havent talked to Conor, so I dont know what the truth is. I dont know exactly what happened. So to comment on it, I really cant."

McGregor has repeatedly found himself on the wrong side of the law having been fined for punching a man in a Dublin pub in 2019, Mirror reported.
The second session of the 15th National Assembly which opened on October 20 is expected to discuss a series of socio-economic issues that have arisen after the fourth pandemic wave.

National Assembly Deputies at the first session

Since late July, when the first session of the 15th National Assembly ended to now, the country has experienced unprecedented events because of the fourth wave, especially in HCM City and neighboring provinces. Twenty-three provinces had to impose lockdowns, while most of the remaining localities had to implement social distancing.

In HCM City, the GRDP (Gross Regional Domestic Product) was minus 24.39 percent in the third quarter and minus 4.98 percent in the first nine months of the year, figures which had never been seen before in a city that is the locomotive of the national economy.

The country witnessed the minus 6.17 percent growth rate in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, which has forced the GDP growth rate in the first nine months of the year to 1.42 percent, the lowest since 2000.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment reported that the number of enterprises withdrawing from the market in the first eight months of the year was 85,500, an increase of 24, 2 percent over the same period in 2020. Of this, 24,000 enterprises, or 28.1 percent, were based in HCM City, an increase of 6.6 percent.

Economists have predicted that the growth rate for the year 2021 will be 3 percent, much lower than the 6 percent target set by the National Assembly.

Enterprises activities and peoples lives are facing difficulties, especially in areas applying anti-pandemic measures under Directive 16.

A high number of businesses have had to suspend operation, have been dissolved or have gone bankrupt. Bad debts are likely to increase with risks for the finance and monetary market, macroeconomic stability and business environment.

The fourth plenum of the Party Committee in early October pointed out that its necessary to change the way of thinking and have more awareness about preventing, fighting and controlling the pandemic in association with maintaining, restoring and developing production and business.

As such, the country needs to keep fighting both fronts  fighting the pandemic and developing the economy.

Reserving budget for vaccines, drugs

Regarding the fight against the pandemic, the Government has released Directive 128 which says Vietnam needs to safely and flexibly adapt to Covid-19 and effectively control the pandemic, instead of pursuing the zero Covid strategy.

To date, Vietnam has received 92.5 million doses of vaccines and 61 million doses have been used. About 60.2 percent of people aged 18 and over have had at least one shot and 24.7 percent have been fully vaccinated. The proportion of people having at least one shot has risen more rapidly than some other regional countries and the worlds average rate.

Experts say that it was a good decision for Vietnam to shift from zero-Covid to a safe and flexible policy.

To live together with the pandemic, the only way is to use vaccines and drugs. Other countries began buying vaccines very early and started the race for drugs.

The issue needs to be put into discussion at the agenda of the session. Money needs to be reserved in the budget for vaccines so that the country has weapons to fight the pandemic.

One policy for all localities

Differing rules to control the entry and exit in localities must be stopped. If the situation cannot improve, the dual goal of both fighting the pandemic and developing the economy will be unattainable, not to mention the revival of disrupted goods and labor supply chains.

A series of international finance institutions, including World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), have updated their predictions about Vietnams economic growth rates this year. The figures are much lower than the previous predictions, and even lower than other regional countries.

Domestic institutions have given similar forecasts. We have controlled the fourth Covid wave, but have incurred serious economic damages.

Maintaining production and business and ensuring goods circulation for businesses and livelihoods for people must not be implemented with extreme measures, applied differently in different localities.

Differing rules to control the entry and exit in localities must be stopped. If the situation cannot improve, the dual goal of both fighting the pandemic and developing the economy will be unattainable, not to mention the revival of disrupted goods and labor supply chains.

Many local officers are afraid of taking responsibility, so they would rather close their doors and impose isolation to prevent the spread of the virus. They dont understand the difficulties enterprises and people have. These cadres should be named.

The National Assembly has released Resolution 30, giving more power to the Government and Prime Minister. By releasing the resolution, the National Assembly shows it is an acting legislative agency, and a fellow traveler of the Government and the entire political system in pandemic prevention and control.

How Resolution 30 has been implemented is a question that needs to be answered at the session. There are also questions from people and businesses about the economic stimulus packages.

The urgent issues are expected to be discussed by the peoples delegates to find reasonable solutions that satisfy voters aspirations.

Tu Giang

Were fighting Covid-19, not each other After the Government issued Resolution 128 a number of cities and provinces began changing their pandemic prevention and control measures, facilitating production, goods circulation and peoples livelihoods.
Developing electric vehicles is a "golden opportunity" that comes once every hundred years and a chance for Vietnam to rewrite the development scenario for the auto industry.

VinFast has developed 10,000 charging columns nationwide, and plans to invest in another 30,000 charging columns in the near future.

An electric car model VF e34 has been officially introduced by VinFast. The VF e34 measures 4,300 mm long, 1,793 mm wide and 1,613 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,611 mm and 180 mm of ground clearance, which places it in the ballpark of the B-segment SUV in terms of physical size, and weight of 1,490 kg.

A single electric motor is rated for output of 147 hp and 242 Nm of torque, driving the front wheels. This is fed by a lithium-ion battery pack  earlier noted to have a capacity of 42 kWh  offering the VF e34 a range of 300 km on a full charge, and a claimed 180 km of range from 15 minutes of charging.

Equipment as listed in a Vietnamese brochure indicates that the VF e34 comes with a HEPA filter with PM2.5 filtration, while a 10-inch infotainment unit offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, in addition to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for smartphone integration.

In HCM City, a truck manufacturing and assembly company said that it was testing a number of electric truck models. Some automakers are also "eyeing" the electric vehicle market of Vietnam. A number of large automotive FDI firms, including Japans Mitsubishi Corporation, have discussed with Vietnamese authorities their plans to expand investment in manufacturing and assembling electric cars in the future.

According to VinFast, it has developed 10,000 charging columns nationwide, and plans to invest in another 30,000 charging columns in the near future. Previously, Mitsubishi Vietnam and Porsche Vietnam have also invested in battery charging stations to serve the distribution of electric vehicles in Vietnam.

Although it is still new, the electric vehicle market in Vietnam is considered one with high potential. A survey by Frost & Sullivan (USA) in 2017 showed that 33% of Vietnamese consumers had thought of buying an electric car for the first time. Vietnam has a young population and a high proportion using the Internet. Vietnamese interest in electric vehicle technology has overcome its limitations such as high cost, and time-consuming battery charging. This is a high/potential market, Frost & Sullivan commented.

Six months after launching the VF e34 electric car model, 25,000 customers have placed orders for this model, according to Vinfast.

Experts say that developing electric vehicles is a "golden opportunity" for Vietnam to rewrite the auto industry development scenario because using electric cars is considered an inevitable trend in the future.

Nguyen Trung Hieu, planning development chief expert from Toyota Vietnam, said it is forecast that by 2030, annual sales of cars in Vietnam will reach 1 million units, three times higher than the current figure. Thus, the number of people using electric vehicles will be higher.

However, the development of electric vehicles depends greatly on state policies. This is a matter of national competition. According to Toyota, electric cars are a change that happens once every 100 years.

In Southeast Asia, Thailand has announced a plan to become the production center of electric cars and electric motorbikes of the region, with 750,000 units/year by 2030. This ambitious goal is gradually realized by comprehensive policies aimed at bringing the price of electric vehicles down close to the price of petrol and diesel cars.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is on the way to become the region's electric vehicle manufacturing hub and has ambitions to overtake Thailand in terms of scale. Car manufacturers are lining up to invest in Indonesia, because attractive policies have been issued.

Vietnam still does not have a roadmap and goal for electric vehicle development, and does not have a system of complete standards and regulations on safety technical standards of component parts, systems and complete vehicles. Incentive policies are still minor and unattractive.

Duong Dinh Giam, former director of the Institute of Industrial Policy (Ministry of Industry and Trade), said that the most important thing for the electric vehicle manufacturing industry at present is support policies, not technology. Many auto manufacturers are still waiting for policies to make investment decisions. The countries with good policies will be able to develop an electric vehicle industry.

Not only tax and fee incentives, but also an overall strategy with a long-term vision are needed. Many countries have launched a roadmap to ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles at specific times.

If Vietnam does not develop electric vehicles, with specific routes to replace internal combustion engine vehicles, there is a risk that it will consume outdated technology products, Giam said.

When the electric vehicle industry develops, it will bring great benefits to Vietnam by creating jobs, improving the manufacturing industry, and making a great contribution to the countrys GDP and helping it to escape from the "middle income trap" to become a developed country with high technology.

Tran Thuy
The Government issued Resolution 127 after its September regular meeting, which says that offline teaching will resume in areas that have controlled Covid-19 and can ensure safety from October 2021.

Localities are now gearing up to prepare to receive students, including HCM City, the major epicenter of the fourth pandemic wave.

Nguyen Tang Vu from the HCM City High School for the Gifted believes that as students return to school, online teaching will stop but not completely.

Vu said students have adapted well to online teaching. His students study seriously and effectively, always fulfilling exercises.

However, he found some problems in online teaching.

I found that many students have to study online with devices with small screens, such as smartphones and tablets. As students have busy schedules, they will bear negative impact if having to look at small screen for too long, he said.

The other problem is online exams. No one can say for sure if students cheat during the exams.

It is difficult to ensure the seriousness of exams and assess students abilities through online exams. There should be a closed exam procedure to ensure strict student supervision in order to minimize cheating.

Not all teachers and students can adapt quickly to the new teaching mode. The difference in students conditions and learning capacity, as well as the concentration level, may widen the gap even further.

Vu believes that everyone wants to resume in-person classes. If the outbreak can be controlled well and students come back to school, online teaching will stop. However, as this teaching mode has its own advantages, it will still be maintained in some classes and in some extracurricular lessons.

Videos and online lectures will be uploaded into e-libraries for students reference. The posting of lectures and home exercises via MS teams and Google Classroom will still be applied by teachers.

The basic programs and content on libraries will still be very helpful to students and teachers, Vu said.

Duy Khanh, a teacher at Nguyen Du High School in Phu Yen province , agreed that online teaching will still exist but will be organized in a more flexible way.

I think that no teaching mode can replace teachers and students in classes. However, online teaching still can be applied in some circumstances, he said.

For example, if students dont understand lessons, they may ask teachers via Zoom, Team and Zalo, and teachers can also give exercises via the platforms.

The biggest problem to improve online teaching, according to Khanh, is the limited capability of IT software. The other problems include the quality of internet transmission and the students lack of devices.

He said online teaching allows students from many different localities to study with teachers they will never meet in life, especially in English study.

Khanh said that teachers will act as the organizers and mentors of students.

I never think I am the person who transmits knowledge but just a guide, especially when there is a lot of knowledge available on the internet and in publications, he said.

Phuong Duc Viet, Vice Headmaster of Hoang Hoa Tham Secondary School in Hanoi, said the school decided to train teachers on how to use MS Teams on February 27, 2020. At that moment, both the board of management and teachers did not think that they would have to teach online. The training was organized just because it was free.

However, Covid-19 broke out which accelerated the shift from offline to online teaching. And teachers have realized a lot of advantages which offline teaching doesnt have.

With online teaching, you can learn from everywhere and at any time, he said. The board of management can convene meetings with parents of the entire school, which cannot be done with offline meeting mode.

Online teaching also ensures safety for teachers and students as they dont have to go to school. They can save money on motorbike fuel, and help ease traffic congestion. Technological devices are getting cheaper and its easier to obtain them.

Viet believes that after students return to school, online and online meetings will still be maintained, but the proportion of online and offline hours will depend on the decisions of the board of management and the students and teachers technological adaptability.

Phuong Chi

Studying online, via TV applied in 40 localities: Ministry Online teaching and studying via the Internet and television were being carried out in 40 centrally-run cities and provinces nationwide as of October 8 due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hanoi has proposed an allowance equal to 3-month salary for 21 ward leaders who will have to leave when the city officially applies the pilot urban administration model.

Hanoi seen from above (Photo Le Anh Dung)

The Hanoi Peoples Committee has released a draft statement on the financial support to be given to chairs and deputy chairs of ward Peoples Councils, chairs and deputy chairs of ward Peoples Committees, and civil servants who will leave when the new model is applied on a trial basis.

Hanoi now has 175 wards belonging to 12 districts and one town. Before piloting the urban administration model, the total number of chairs and deputy chairs of Peoples Councils and Peoples Committees was 3,535.

The figure included 172 chairs of Peoples Council, 116 deputy chairs, 168 chairs of Peoples Committees and 331 deputy chairs. There were 831 officers in different positions and more than 1,900 ward civil servants.

Hanoi began implementing the pilot urban administration model in early July with no peoples council at ward level. As many as 58 persons who were chairs and deputy chairs of Peoples Council, and chairs and deputy chairs of Peoples Committee have left or changed agencies.

Of these, 21 persons (11 chairs and 9 deputy chairs of Peoples Council, and 1 deputy chair of Peoples Committee) have to leave because they have become redundant. They have not been appointed to new posts, and cannot satisfy the requirements for an appointment or shift to wards civil servant positions.

Hanoi has proposed a 3-month-salary allowance for these 21 cases, totaling VND388 million. The money would come from the wards and towns budgets for salary reforms.

The tentative policy is expected to be submitted to the Peoples Council for consideration and approval at the meeting this year end.

On November 27, 2019, the National Assembly approved a resolution on piloting a new urban administration model in Hanoi.

Under the resolution, Peoples Council in 177 wards in 12 districts and Son Tay town from 2016  2021 will be abolished. The local authorities at ward level will only have peoples committees, while the local authorities at other levels will still have both a peoples council and peoples committee.

The new urban administration model will help streamline the government apparatus. Also, it helps more clearly define the leaders responsibilities, reduce the payroll and save the budget.

Districts and towns have appointed some chairs and deputy chairs of peoples councils to other posts. Some of them have been admitted to the civil service system without having to attend exams.

Huong Quynh
The use of different teaching modes, including online teaching and teaching via TV, is putting pressure on teachers. Parents also have concerns about teaching quality and their childrens health.

The National Assemblys Committee for Culture and Education has submitted to National Assembly Deputies a report on the impact of Covid-19 on education and training; culture; sports; tourism, information and communications; religion and religious belief; and youth and children.

In education and training, the report shows that since early 2020, students have had to stop going to school for many consecutive months. Many students and teachers were infected with Covid-19.

Preschool education experienced a long period of interruption, which affected the routines of 4 million children, especially in urban areas and localities with Industrial Zones

For 5-year-old children, the pandemic has affected preparation in knowledge and skills to enter school under the program on preschool education.

Its very difficult to organize online preschool education, which is especially unfair for 5-year-old children and children in ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas and areas with difficult socio-economic conditions, and children from poor families.

When preschool children and first graders have to stay at home for a long time, this affects their psychological development, health and communication skills. The children in difficult conditions, in ethnic minority areas, children with disabilities, and those who are children of workers who have lost their jobs are in danger of growth retardation.

As for general and continuing education, students have become used to online learning and learning via TV. However, online teaching is only suitable for students in areas with favorable socio-economic conditions.

Online teaching has been ineffective for primary school students, especially first graders, students in rural, remote and mountainous areas, and students from families with difficult conditions.

Meanwhile, teaching via TV is suited to primary school students thanks to the low cost, but it restricts communications between teachers and students, affecting teaching quality.

The report also pointed out that children of Covid patients and of close contacts of Covid patients put under concentrated quarantine suffered the most from the pandemic. As they are not accompanied by parents in concentrated quarantine, they face problems which may affect their mental health.

The pandemic has also led to increased risks of child abuse. The number of child abuse cases in H1 increased by 21.8 percent compared with the same period last year.

As of August 31, there were 11,822 Covid child patients. Many children have become orphaned after parents died of Covid, including 1,517 in HCM City.

Thu Hang

Studying online, via TV applied in 40 localities: Ministry Online teaching and studying via the Internet and television were being carried out in 40 centrally-run cities and provinces nationwide as of October 8 due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) at a press conference reviewing the agencys work in Viet Nam in the first half of the 2021 fiscal year.  VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI  The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) will continue its efforts to support Viet Nam's socio-economic development, JICA Chief Representative in Viet Nam, Shimizu Akira, said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference reviewing the agencys work in Viet Nam in the first half of the fiscal year 2021 (from April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021), Shimizu said that JICA has focused on technical and financial cooperation and consolidating friendship between Viet Nam and Japan.

He said that he highly appreciated efforts made by Viet Nam during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the most recent wave since late April.

Japan has been supporting Viet Nam to overcome this difficult time, he said, adding that Japan has given Viet Nam more than four million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. More than 260 Japanese companies have donated 158.6 billion (US$7 million) to Viet Nams fund for vaccination.

During the first half of the 2021 fiscal year, JICA implemented 168 projects in Viet Nam including Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans, technical assistance, non-refundable aid, development partnership programmes and volunteer exchange programmes.

JICA also implemented infrastructure improvement projects, human resource development projects and market-oriented economy institutions, as well as more traditional assistance in agriculture, climate change, green growth and environmental improvement.

The agency completed surveys and studies for a project on developing Lien Chieu Port in the central city of a Nang. In October last year, the Mai Dich Nam Thang Long viaduct, part of Ha Nois Ring road No3, was opened.

In May 2021, JICA lent $25 million to develop an on-land wind power plant with a capacity of 144MW in the central province of Quang Tri. In August, the expansion of a Nhim Hydropower Plant in Lam ong and Ninh Thuan Provinces was completed.

In human resource development, JICA conducted projects with the Viet Nam-Japan University, Viet Nam-Japan Human Resource Cooperation Centre, Can Tho University and continued the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS Program), offering Masters course in English in Japan.

In healthcare, JICA helped Viet Nam improve healthcare service quality and medical facilities in hospitals. Testing capacity relating to communicable diseases was improved in both Hue Central Hospital and Cho Ray Hospital.

In July 2021, JICA provided Viet Nam with 1,600 cold boxes, with attached temperature monitoring devices, in a bid to support the national inoculation campaign in vaccine transportation.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, JICAs Chief Representative in Viet Nam said that JICA would continue to provide assistance in COVID-19 prevention and control measures, as well as economic development.

As shown by the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to strengthen the healthcare system, he said. For the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, it is important to further develop infrastructure and human resources.

He added that as well as projects that increase Viet Nams connections to the rest of the world, JICA would also pay attention to improving local transport, for example fixing degraded bridges on national highways.

To meet the requirements of economic development and population growth, JICA has been implementing projects that aim to improve living conditions for people in Viet Nam, such as clean power plants and wastewater treatment plants.

During the 2020 fiscal year, Japan committed over VN10 trillion ($442 million) in loans to Viet Nam, technical assistance worth VN874 billion and non-refundable aid of VN427 billion. More than 100 Japans projects were conducted in Viet Nam during the fiscal year.  VNS
Thankfully, we are one step closer to the truth, despite the millions of dollars Baylor is spending to conceal that truth. Dunnam said. At the end of the day, lawsuits are about accountability. We are approaching the day when those responsible for the horrific treatment of hundreds of sexual assault survivors at Baylor will be exposed. The policy decisions to suppress reports of sexual assault, retaliate against and re-victimize sexual assault survivors and deny the mere existence of criminal activity directed at students will all be revealed. Our clients are dedicated to exposing the truth, for only the truth will protect others in the future. That Baylor has spent five years fighting these women tooth and nail to hide the real facts and protect those responsible is shameful.

The 15 former Baylor students allege in their lawsuits that Baylor maintained discriminatory policies and displayed deliberate indifference in handling reports of their sexual assaults and that those practices created a heightened risk for sexual assault.

Baylor assured the court in fighting the plaintiffs motions to turn over the Pepper Hamilton materials that it would not invoke the law firms investigation in defending the case. However, it did so in responding to a motion in Jane Doe 11s case, Pitman noted. After that, Baylor asked to amend its response, but Pitman denied that request.
Pumpkin painting contest

Susan L. Sistrunk Fine Art Gallery, 2120 Washington Ave. will host a Bring Your Own Pumpkin, pumpkin painting event at 1 p.m. Saturday. The event is for adults and children. All paint and embellishments will be provided by the gallery, just bring a pumpkin.

For an additional $5, pumpkins will be entered into the pumpkin contest to be judged at 6 p.m.

St. Philip OktoberFest

St. Philip Catholic Church, 13095 Old China Spring Road, will host Oktoberfest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

A German meal of pork loin, sausage, sauerkraut, German potato salad and homemade dessert will be available. The event will also features Czech music.

Games, a raffle, silent auction and live auction will start at 1 p.m.

Mayborn science day

The Mayborn Museum, 1300 S. University Parks Drive, will host Sic Em Science Day with events starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. Several scientists will present cutting-edge research throughout the museum, culminating with a chemistry magic show at 2 p.m.

Fright Night at the Rite
BALTIMORE (AP)  Marylands attorney general announced Thursday that he will not seek another term.

In a message to staff, Attorney General Brian Frosh, who has spent decades in public service, said the work in the attorney generals office has been the most fulfilling and productive of his professional life. He added that he plans to stay busy during the 15 months he has left in office.

I intend to make the most of every single moment, he wrote to staffers. I will continue to work with you to provide the best possible legal advice to our clients, to protect Marylanders, to improve their lives and to fight for justice.

The 75-year-old Montgomery County Democrat is in his second term as attorney general. He previously served more than 25 years in the General Assembly, where he developed a reputation as an environmental advocate and served as the chairman of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee .
We tried so hard for you. We waited so long for you, the adoptive parent imagines telling his future child.

Well, that story is real, and it belongs to Pete and Chasten Buttigieg, as told to The Washington Post earlier this year, before they got the news that they were finally expecting twins through adoption.

But instead of congratulating the former Democratic presidential hopeful and his husband on their new family, the predictable voices on the right slammed his absence from his Transportation Department post for paternity leave, and even mocked him for his decision to spend time with his prematurely born babies.

Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted, Pete Buttigieg was completely unqualified to serve as Secretary of Transportation. But Biden still picked him. Now Pete is absent during a transportation crisis that is hurting working-class Americans.

This is the same Cotton who argued the value of life, especially for premature babies who survive abortions: These are precious little children, made in the image of God and endowed by Him with the same worth and dignity as you and me and all of us, he said.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn piled on, slamming Buttigieg for sitting at home  or what millions of new parents call family leave.
Colin Powell symbolized the values this country once respected, and a kind of moderate Republican that has virtually gone the way of the dodo. He supported leaders of both parties, depending on who he thought would do the best job, and who he thought might bring the country together.

So what Powell will be remembered for goes far beyond his professional achievements. It can be summed up in a word: character.

Of course, his character underlaid his achievements, which were enormous, and deserve listing. Born in New York City to Jamaican immigrants, he rose to become the youngest and first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He oversaw the first, successful Iraq War in 1991 and laid out the Powell Doctrine, calling for applying military might only with overwhelming and decisive troop strength.

He served as national security adviser under President Ronald Reagan and became the first Black person to serve as secretary of state under President George W. Bush. Although he had long considered himself a Republican, he endorsed Barack Obama, praising the inclusive nature of his campaign.
Steve Bannon, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, may face prison time if the House of Representatives proceeds with criminal contempt proceedings.

At the committee hearing, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY ), the committee's vice-chair, said that "based on the committee's research, it seems that Mr. Bannon had significant prior knowledge of the plans for January 6 and presumably had a major part in developing those plans."

On January 6, Mr. Bannon was in the war room at the Willard.

His awareness of the president's attempts to sell millions of Americans on the scam that the election was stolen seems to be extensive as well," she said.

The entire House will vote on the issue on Thursday, relegating the decision on whether to bring charges against Bannon to the Justice Department, which may result in a fine, prison time, or both for the former White House staffer.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS ), the chair of the special panel, questioned on Tuesday why Bannon would be considered a "martyr" for Trump, who fired him after only a few months at the White House but ultimately pardoned the former aide on his final day in office as Bannon faced charges related to fundraising for Trump's border wall. Bannon was charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to prison.

Their tense relationship seems to have improved in the weeks leading up to the protest on January 6, as Bannon met with rally organizers and promoted the gathering on his podcast.

This is not going to happen in the way you want it to happen...."

To which I can only respond, "buckle up."

"You were instrumental in making this happen, and tomorrow is game day, so buckle up," Bannon urged the audience.

According to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), one of nine members on the January 6 committee, "his testimony is important because he was predicting that all hell was going to break loose on January 6, and he was reportedly in communication with the president in the weeks leading up to the 6th, in multiple communications with the White House leading up to that day."

"The president's involvement before, during, and after the presidential election on January 6 is, I believe, the most significant unknown about the day, and we're determined to find out."

On Monday, the committee published the entire text of Bannon's subpoena, which requested him to provide information about any role Trump had in the organization of the event on January 6, as well as any discussions he had with anybody else at the White House regarding Trump's comments at the rally.

As part of the investigation, the committee inquires as to whether Bannon had any contact with Kash Patel, the chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, or Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), a staunch Trump supporter who has emerged as a key figure in Trump's pressure campaign against Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the waning days of his presidency.

In recent weeks, the committee's attention had shifted to a rally at which Trump spoke just before his supporters stormed the Capitol, a focus that has become more prominent.

Eleven of the key organizers of Women for America First, which planned the event on the Ellipse where Trump spoke and urged supporters to "fight like hell," were subpoenaed by the panel for questioning.

Katrina Pierson, Trump's former campaign spokesperson, is among others who have joined the organization.

The committee also subpoenaed a right-wing agitator and "Stop the Steal" organizer named Ali Alexander. According to the committee, Alexander had obtained a permit for the Capitol grounds and had instructed participants of an earlier protest to march to that location after the event ended. Bannon's remarks made the day before the event is now being scrutinized much more closely than previously.

Rep. Jaime Raskin (D-MD) said after the vote that Bannon had said "all hell is going to break loose" the day before the riots and insurrection took place and warned, or advertised essentially, that this was going to be an absolute game-changer in American politics, urging everyone to watch to participate in it.

In other words, he possesses evidence regarding what happened. Since he has been subpoenaed, that evidence must be turned over to the United States Congress.

According to a lawyer representing Bannon, the committee's subpoena would not be honored until the courts addressed Trump's claims to executive privilege, which sought to prevent documents and witness testimony from being disclosed to the committee.

However, committee members argue that such arguments lack validity since executive privilege has only been used by serving presidents in the past.

As a result, Bannon's short tenure in the White House came to an end far earlier than the period under consideration by the committee and is limited to his activities as a private person.

"Donald Trump did not even employ Steve Bannon at the time; the president had dismissed him in August of 2017."

"He wasn't even an employee of the government, so he's on the same level as everyone else in this room," Raskin said of the man.

The information he has concerning this aggressive attack on Congress, this effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, is similar to that of anybody who has been subpoenaed to bring in evidence about anything.

His claim to executive privilege is completely and utterly without merit."

Executive privilege rights to a trove of documents requested by the committee, which covered a wide range of Trump White House matters, had already been waived by President Biden. The committee had sought any documents or communication in any way related to the president's wife, adult children, and nearly all of his top aides and advisers.

On the other hand, Cheney believes that Trump's executive privilege battle is important in and of itself.

"One thing seems to emerge from Mr. Bannon's and Mr. Trump's privilege claims, though," the Wyoming Republican said during the hearing.

Some have suggested that President Trump directly participated in the planning and executing the events on January 6.

Those are the kinds of things we'll look at."
CONGRESS

Senate funding bill zeros out TMF

NOTE: This article first appeared on FCW.com.

Once again, Senate appropriators are offering zero dollars to the central revolving fund set up by the Modernizing Government Technology Act.

The Senate's Financial Services and General Government appropriation, released on Monday, includes no new money for the Technology Modernization Fund, which is currently flush thanks to a $1 billion addition included in the American Rescue Plan Act. More funding could be coming via the two-part infrastructure package sought by the Biden administration. Another $1 billion for the fund was included in the House Oversight Committee's markup of the Build Back Better legislation. However, that bill won't come to the House floor for a vote until there is a deal in place among Democratic lawmakers and the White House to advance the Build Back Better bill and a separate bipartisan infrastructure bill that has already passed in the Senate.

The House of Representatives did include a $50 million plus-up to the fund in an appropriations package that passed 219-208 in July.

"It has always been an uphill battle in the Senate," Mike Hettinger, a former senior congressional staffer who lobbies on technology issues, told FCW. "The Senate has always been focused on transparency and showing results."

In the past, lawmakers have usually split the difference, with annual funding boosts in the $25 million to $35 million range for TMF.

Additionally, Senate appropriators are seeking more oversight authority over efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to tap into TMF funding. So far, Customs and Border Protection has been awarded $65 million in TMF funding across two projects.

The legislative report accompanying the DHS appropriations bill states that the committee supports efforts at DHS to obtain TMF funding and that it wants to be notified "when the department or a component agency submits an initial project proposal to the Technology Modernization Board." In the event of an award, DHS must brief appropriators "on the project and the plan for paying back the TMF, e.g., identify projected cost savings."

Senate appropriators are also allowing DHS for the first time to set up its own pot of non-year money to support IT modernization. The DHS funding bill sets up a new "Nonrecurring Expenses Fund" for the agency, funded by "unobligated balances of expired discretionary funds." Any funds that go into this account are considered available until they are spent, and can be used for "information technology system modernization and facilities infrastructure improvements necessary" for DHS operations, subject to the approval of the Office of Management and Budget.

Agencies are authorized to set up their own revolving IT funds under the Modernizing Government Technology Act, but so far few have done so.

New TMF awards on the way

Federal CIO Clare Martorana said Tuesday at an event hosted by Bloomberg that the next set of TMF awards would be announced in a matter of weeks, and added that the program management office has been scaled to address a backlog of proposals. The board announced $311 million in awards at the end of September -- the first tranche of TMF funding since the $1 billion addition to the program in March.

Martorana, who heads the TMF board, described the investment as "the best seed funding" possible to ensure the government is making "strategic investments" in cross-agency service improvements, cybersecurity and modernization efforts. The board recently made a $187 million award to Login.gov, a public-facing identity and credentialing management program that provides users with secure access to participating government programs and services.

She said the board has been meeting weekly to go through over $2 billion worth of proposals for funding. The board has been receiving assistance from federal IT workers in reviewing project proposals.
Introducing the 2021 WT Fast 50

Welcome to the 2021 edition of our Washington Technology Fast 50 that ranks the fastest growing small businesses in the government market.

Its a celebration of the depth, diversity and hard work of small businesses in the federal sector.

The rankings are based on information that companies submit, including five years of revenue data. We then calculate their compound annual growth rate over those five years. For 2021, the range is 2016 through 2020. Companies are then ranked according to that CAGR.

Thats why the largest company by revenue isnt necessarily the No. 1 company. That honor goes to the fastest growing. It might seem like a no-brainer, but I get questions about that each year.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE RANKINGS

In the coming weeks, well profile several of the companies on the Fast 50 but here are a few things I want to point out.

In a rarity, we have a repeat at No. 1.

Data Intelligence Technologies Inc. is on quite a roll and is one of the few companies to capture the top spot in consecutive years. They did it this year with a 2016-2020 CAGR of 311.1 percent.

They are the third company in 20 years to repeat as No. 1. The others were Merlin International in 2005 and 2006, and OBXtek in 2013 and 2014.

We have 20 companies on the 2021 list that also appeared on the 2020 Fast 50. Last year's rankings had 17 companies repeat.

In what must be a record for the Fast 50, DigitalSpec is making its eighth consecutive appearance on the Fast 50 with a CAGR of 41.2 percent from 2016-2020.

The depth and focus on this years group of companies also stands out to us.

For example, Data Intelligence is focused on data just as its name implies. That means everything like engineering, cloud hosting, science, security, visualization and analytics

The OM Group at No. 14 has focused its efforts on cloud migration and the many services that surround those efforts.

Some of the Fast 50 firms keep their target agencies in a tight group. For example, Advanced Concepts & Technologies at No. 29 has focused its acquisition expertise on supporting the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as one of the main lines of business.

This isnt the first year weve noticed the depth of capabilities among the Fast 50. But it is still important to note that innovation and cutting edge skills arent solely found at the largest companies in the market.

As you explore the rankings, youll find that weve collected valuable information on these companies including leadership, contracts, major customers and lines of business. Each profile links to the company website where you can learn more.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu of Canada was named early Thursday as the winner of the 40,000-euro ($45,000) first prize in the 18th Frederic Chopin international piano competition, a prestigious event that launches pianists world careers.

The announcement from the jury came just hours after Liu played as the last entrant among the 12 finalists, performing Chopin's concerto in E minor, opus 11 with the orchestra at the packed National Philharmonic in Warsaw. His inspired performance was met with huge applause.

Oh my god. I dont know what to say, honestly, Liu said after being name winner.

We have been dreaming with all these people here for this prestigious stage, the 24-year-old born in Paris said in English.

Being able to play Chopin in Warsaw is one of the best things you can imagine, of course, so Im truly honored for this award, of course, and for this jurys trust and for all the warmth I have received in recent days, Liu said.

The second prize and 30,000 euros ($35,000) went jointly to Alexander Gadjiev, representing Italy and Slovenia, and Kyohei Sorita of Japan. Gadjiev also won Krystian Zimerman's prize of 10,000 euros ($11,800) for the best sonata performance.

The third prize of 20,000 euros ($23,000) was awarded to Martin Garcia Garcia of Spain, who also won the 5,000 euros ($5,800) prize for best concerto performance.

The fourth prize and 15,000 euros ($17,000) was shared by Aimi Kobayashi of Japan and Poland's Jakub Kuszlik, who also won best mazurka performance prize and 5,000 euros. Italy's Leonora Armellini was awarded the fifth prize of 10,000 euros ($11,600), while the sixth prize and 7,000 euros ($8,000) went to Canadas J.J. Jun Li Bui.

The first prize was funded by the office of Poland's president, and other prizes were funded by the government, state culture institutions and by private individuals.

High ranking in the renowned competition opens the worlds top concert halls to the pianists and paves the way to recordings with best known record companies.

Jury head Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron said after the announcement that the level of the pianists was very high and made the award decisions very hard for the 17 jurors. She called the participants wonderful young people.

During the competition, she had said that apart from being excellent pianists, the participants should also show sensitivity and bring freshness to the music.

I try to look for a rapport between the performer and Chopin, Popowa-Zydron said in an interview. Music is a message from a person, and (the musicians) should know what kind of person Chopin was.

Bowing to their artistry, the jury allowed two more finalists this year than usual. The competition, held every five years, was postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic.

Among previous winners are Maurizio Pollini of Italy, Argentinas Martha Argerich, Garrick Ohlsson from the United States, Polands Krystian Zimerman and Artur Blechacz, and Seong-Jin Cho of South Korea.

Chopin, Polands best known and beloved classical music composer and pianist, was born in 1810 in Zelazowa Wola near Warsaw to a Polish mother and a French father. He left Poland at 19 to broaden his musical education in Vienna and then in Paris, where he settled, composing, giving concerts and teaching the piano. He died on Oct. 17, 1849, in Paris and is buried at the Pere Lachaise cemetery. His heart is at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw.

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
Here's a roundup of news about the Deere strike from Oct. 19-20:

Ag secretary visits

Ankeny picket line

The countrys top agriculture official said in Iowa on Wednesday that he hopes Deere & Co. and its striking workers achieve a rapid resolution to their labor impasse.

But U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, also expressed his strong support, both in word and deed, for the striking workers and the union that represents them.

Wednesday was the seventh day of the impasse between Deere & Co. and the UAW. The strike affects about 10,000 workers at factories in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas.

Vilsack held a number of public events Wednesday in central Iowa with his counterpart from Mexico, Victor Manuel Villalobos Arambula, to discuss international trade issues. After those events, Vilsack spoke to a few dozen striking workers on the picket line at Deeres plant in Ankeny.

(The striking workers) need somebody to give them a pat on the back, Vilsack told reporters just after addressing some of those workers. John Deeres a great company. They ought to be able to get this worked out to a point where its fair to the workers, to make sure that we continue to have the equipment and farm machinery thats important to American agriculture.

While Vilsack spoke, cars driving by frequently honked their horns in support of the striking workers.

You folks are hard-working folks. You provide a tremendous product. Its one Americans rely on, Vilsack told the striking workers. Its important, necessary for these issues to get resolved in a way thats fair and equitable to all of you.  I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I havent forgotten you.

Vilsack told the striking workers that the UAW was a critical supporter of his first gubernatorial campaign, in 1998. He said the union supported him even when he was struggling.

The UAW was with me from the get-go. You dont forget the people that were with you, Vilsack. The UAW is important to me, I sincerely hope that they get these things this resolved as quickly as possible and as fairly as possible.

Sen. Grassley

on UAW strike

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters from The Gazette that he doesnt find any fault with Vilsack going to the picket lines.

Well, I would see it as positive from this standpoint that we have Deere workers and their families now facing a very stressful situation, Grassley said. And I presume that he's trying to give them some comfort by going there. He can't do much more because, you know, it's covered by federal law, the bargaining process, and the negotiations are ongoing.

Grassley, a member of the International Association of Machinists in Waterloo, said it is not an easy decision to go without a paycheck.

(Negotiations are) covered by law, and just have to wait until they work their way through it, Grassley said. There seems to be a movement nationally, because of the worker shortage, that unions have a lot more power bargaining now than they have before. I'm not sure I know how that affects the Deere workers. But we just have to wait until the bargaining gets done.

When asked about the impact of the strike, Grassley said he is only able to speculate but is following the negotiations closely.

I've heard concerns about farmers maybe needing parts and we have this supply chain problem, Grassley said. It could make that worse, but I don't have any evidence of that at this point.

Truck speeds into

Deere Moline gate

Moline Police said a semi-truck entered Gate 24 of the John Deere Seeding plant in Moline driving too fast on the morning of Oct. 19, and near a group of union workers on the picket line.

Union members were near the driveway when the truck entered the gate. A night shift officer in a squad car was at the intersection when the truck entered the plant and asked the driver to drive slower upon entrance to the site.

The officer dealt with the incident like any any other observed traffic infraction, Moline police said in an email to the Quad-City Times/Moline Dispatch-Argus. No additional police were called to the scene.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
CEDAR RAPIDS  Election politics may do more to win approval of the trillion-dollar infrastructure package he voted for than congressional arm-twisting has  so far  accomplished, Sen. Chuck Grassley said.

The Iowa Republican has heard Democrats may bring it up for a vote before the end of the month to help win the Nov. 2 Virginia gubernatorial race.

What Ive heard is that the race for governor is tightening up so much against the Democrats in Virginia that maybe this administration needs to show a win in order to keep Democrats voting in that particular state, Grassley told reporters Wednesday.

Democrat Terry McAuliffes lead has disappeared, according to a recent Monmouth University poll, which showed him tied with Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Grassley was among the 19 Republicans who joined Senate Democrats in passing the bipartisan infrastructure package in August. It includes $550 billion in new spending over five years to improve hard infrastructure.

Since then, however, the package has been tied up in negotiations among Democrats. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planned a floor vote in late September, but still is working to get a majority of her caucus to support the bill. Progressives want to tie its approval to passage of a human infrastructure bill with large investment in education, health care, child care and family leave paid for with tax increases on wealthy people and corporations.

Its pretty darn sure that said Speaker Pelosi shouldnt hold roads, bridges, locks and dams hostage, Grassley said.

He voted for the infrastructure package because of the support it received from Iowans. The topic comes up at nearly every one of his county meetings, he said.

He also heard support from the chambers of commerce of the 10 or 12 largest Iowa cities and the Iowa Farm Bureau as well as commodity groups representing cattlemen, pork producers, and soybean and corn growers.

Just a lot of support, he said, probably because our bridges, you know, are the most structurally deficient of any of the 50 states at about 23% of our bridges.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
WATERLOO -- EMBARC and RISE AmeriCorps will host a walk-in flu vaccine clinic in partnership with People's Clinic from from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church, 614 Randolph St.

If you have insurance, please bring your card. For those without insurance, there will be financial assistance available.

Interpreters will be available in Burmese, Karen, Karenni and Vietnamese. Language hotlines are available for questions. Suggested call hours are between 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Burmese: (515) 783-3258; Karen: (515) 512-1883 Karenni: (515) 512-1884; Chin: (515) 512-1887; English: (515)512-1881.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Wenceslao Valentin III, Cleveland Jones Jr. and John Orsini, all of UAW Local 774 in Buffalo, New York, grabbed signs and joined several hundred other people who had fanned out Tuesday evening to picket outside the John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline.

Lining East Molines 12th Avenue and Harvest Way were also UAW members from Michigan and Ohio, and local members of AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

As vehicles drove by honking their horns, the picketers raised and shook their signs and screamed in approval.

This is a fight, said Valentin, president of UAW Local 774. This is a fight that our brothers and sisters from the UAW are in and were here to support them.

Valentin said that a number of UAW members from Buffalo are in town for a conference for Roberts Custom Software, in East Moline. I believe about 60 people came over from that conference, he said.

We were at Local 281 yesterday, and we were at Local 865 today, Valentin said.

We like to say, One day longer, one day stronger, he said. Theyre fight is our fight because we know in a couple of years weve got our contracts up with General Motors, and hey, we might be in the same position again.

Were out here supporting our brothers and sisters, Valentin said. We want them to have their fair wages. We want them to have the benefits they deserve. This companys (Deere) is making billions of dollars. Theres no reason they cant pay their employees a fair wage along with fair benefits for them and their families.

Valentin said that each employee at Deere supports eight jobs in the area. Theyre buying from all these shops around here, and the shops are supporting the workers.

Valentin said here are 2,000 nurses on strike from Catholic Healths Mercy Hospital of Buffalo demanding safe staffing and fair wages and benefits.

What are they calling this, Striketober? he said. The workers are striking back. Its about time.

Wednesday marked the seventh day of the Deere strike.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
If you're looking for an excuse to get off your couch and do some social distancing while supporting local business, celebrate the end of a long week of Zoom meetings by heading to two closed-off blocks of Valencia Street on Thursday through Sunday nights for shopping, outdoor dining, and even some live music.

Thanks to a push from the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association and board member (and Manny's proprietor) Manny Yekutiel, Valencia between 16th and 17th streets and between 18th and 19th streets is closing to cars four days each week beginning Thursday, July 23rd. The second San Francisco street to implement this model, following Chinatown's car-free Grant Street debut last weekend, Valencia Street will see parking spots and bike and traffic lanes cleared of vehicles at 4pm to be transformed into makeshift patios and exercise space by 5pm.





While Valencia Street's boarded up storefronts are slowly starting to come down as more and more restaurants pivot to sidewalk or parklet seating via temporary Shared Spaces permits, the once always-buzzing neighborhood is still undeniably empty. Organizers and local businesses are hopeful that expanded outdoor seating and shopping, plus a 26-foot-wide corridor in the middle of the street for walkers, runners, and cyclists, will restore some of Valencia's pizzaz by attracting locals looking to support the neighborhood's merchants or simply get outside.



Despite organizers' original hopes to utilize the stretch of Valencia from 15th to 19th streets in its entirety, according to Mission Local, the two agreed upon blocks are intended to accommodate the Mission Police Station, Community Thrift, and senior housing's need for vehicle accessibility. Entry and exit ways will be blocked off by barriers courtesy of the Valencia Corridor Merchants, with volunteers ready to open the middle of the street to police or fire vehicles in case of emergency. At 10pm, the two blocks will reopen to traffic.



With endless eateries lining these two blocks of Valencia alonenot to mention many more in the surrounding areabe sure to come hungry. If you're looking for live music, you'll find it at The Chapel-adjacent Curio (775 Valencia St.) which has rolled out a new outdoor-friendly menuthink spring rolls, burgers, and smoked pork sandwichesand socially distanced seating for more 100 people, and at Etcetera Wine Bar (795 Valencia St.)make a reservation for a table on their new parklet.

You'll also be able to get a taste of Mission Cheese's (736 Valencia St.) California Gold grilled cheese and raclette for the first time since they closed for normal service in March. Pair it with a glass of wine or two at an outdoor table. Meanwhile, Limon (524 Valencia St.) is serving empanadas and ceviche and, a couple of storefronts down, you'll find plenty of outdoor tables at West of Pecos (550 Valencia St.) for munching on cast iron fajitas and fish tacos. Don't skip to-go cocktails with happy hour pricing, perfect for sipping while you stroll down the closed street.



Although some eateries and shops won't be expanding outdoors with formal seating, they are preparing for an increase in foot traffic and remain hopeful that the extra space will positively impact the neighborhood. Therapy (545 Valencia St.), a Valencia Street fixture for 26 years, has already extended its hours, while Dandelion Chocolate (740 Valencia St.) has spruced up its parklet with new lights and reduced capacity seating for those looking to brace the fog with a hot chocolate, ordered from the pickup window or online, and will likely extend their hours starting next weekend.

While the new plan will provide a taste of normalcy, the harsh reality is, we are still in a pandemic. An increase in outdoor seating and customers will hopefully allow restaurants and shops to safely survive the coming monthsand maybe even rehire some employeesbut open air dining and shopping won't instantaneously reverse months of closure or reduced customers. Plus, as COVID-19 cases rise in California, wearing a mask and social-distancing, even when you're outside, are as important as ever. So mask up, pack your hand sanitizer, and go join the street party.
Tony, its more than 90 percent effective at reducing the risk of developing severe COVID! Bourla said. For a scientist like Fauci, it was a deeply emotional, cathartic moment.

A week later, Moderna divulged similar results. Perhaps the most stunning thing about these two vaccines, which rely on new mRNA technology, is how well they were shown to work across all age, racial and ethnic groups. Its like having personal protective equipment, at a molecular level; it turns the human body into an internal vaccine factory.



And while you may fret that these new vaccines are just that  new  they are born from decades of study. They take vaccine technology from an analog to a digital space.

The new mRNA COVID vaccines represent a new class of vaccines because of their messenger RNA technology, but the concept is the same: Introduce instructions to the body for making a protein that the immune system will tag as a bad guy  so when the real bad guy shows up, the body is ready to fight it. These mRNA vaccines do not contain the live virus that causes COVID. They contain only the code for a small portion of the virus, the spike protein. They do not affect or interact with your DNA whatsoever.



These new mRNA-based vaccines for COVID have the power to inflict a double whammy against the virus  they stimulate the immune system to make antibodies and immune system killer cells. Thats like possessing two kinds of ammo just in case one is not as effective. And while we are still learning how variants of the virus, such as the delta variant, may impact the diseases ability to spread, theres no doubt these new vaccines are on track to save hundreds of thousands of lives. Most vaccines require some sort of booster; while booster shots may be recommended to everyone ultimately, their greatest impact will most likely be in those who are already at increased risk of disease, such as those of advanced age or with preexisting conditions.



I had the pleasure of speaking with two of the chief scientists behind the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine. Soon after the Chinese released the viruss genetic code in January, Ugur Sahin, M.D., and Ozlem Tureci, M.D., got cracking thousands of miles away in their German laboratory. Theyd been studying mRNA technology for cancer, but could pivot to tackle this new challenge. Previously, no new vaccine had been developed in less than four years. The race was on.



Sahin and Tureci are a married couple with Turkish roots who founded BioNTech in Germany in 2008. As doctors who specialize in cancer treatments, they described for me the sense of urgency that cancer brings to peoples lives. And when Sahin read an article in The Lancet in January 2020 about the quickly spreading coronavirus in China, his gut told him that a full-blown pandemic was upon us. Vacations were canceled and Project Lightspeed was born.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

The state Children, Youth and Families Department has given up its controversial plans to sole source a multimillion-dollar modernization of its child welfare information system and now favors an open bid process.

The decision to begin a competitive bid process comes two months after the departure of former CYFD Cabinet Secretary Brian Blalock, who as far back as 2019 pushed his agency to give the work to a California software company without seeking proposals from other vendors.

Blalock, who had been under fire, resigned in early August citing personal reasons. He was replaced earlier this month by retired state Supreme Court Justice Barbara Vigil.

Through ongoing evaluation and analysis of the needs of CYFD, the department has determined the best option forward for a (Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System) solution is to evaluate additional options through a competitive process so that we identify the best solution for our state, agency spokesman Charlie Moore-Pabst said in an email. A timeline is still being determined, but CYFD plans to publish a request for proposals by early 2022.

Binti Inc. of Oakland, California, currently has a $440,000 annual contract for software covering two aspects of the overall project  matching foster/adoptive families with children and licensing potential foster/adoptive parents.

But state records show CYFD and the state Department of Information Technology had signed off on a draft contract to pay Binti $17 million to modernize CYFDs entire 24-year-old child welfare data system.

Around the country, such case management information systems help child welfare staff make decisions and track children in foster care, foster families, placements and child abuse investigations. The technology upgrade is also key to meeting federal reporting requirements.

Two Binti software modules were deployed statewide in December 2020 and the remaining four Binti modules will be deployed statewide in October 2022, according to an independent assessment of the project released in early September.

But the project was considered high risk in part because there had been no final state approval of the pending Binti contract, according to the assessment by CSG Government Solutions Inc., which was hired by CYFD to oversee the projects health. The state Legislative Finance Committee staff also considered the project high risk.

Felicia Curcuru, CEO of Binti, told the Journal this week her company followed all the procurement steps required. Since its creation in 2017, she said, the company is now working with over 170 agencies in 24 states across the country.

We see ourselves as the pioneer for software as a service in child welfare, Curcuru added.

For now, she says Binti will seek a renewal of its $440,000 yearly contract, which expires later this year.

Wed be very interested in doing more, Curcuru said. We dont have that contract. And we hope to, but like, were going to have to compete and win for that.

Prior to Blalocks appointment by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to head CYFD in early 2019, the agency took the initial step toward building a new data system by seeking requests for information. Binti, along with more than 20 other vendors, responded.

But, emails obtained through public records requests show that by May 2019, Blalock had singled out Binti for a possible sole source contract. About a year later he announced the hiring of the firm for the project in the publication, Government Technology.

Curcuru told the Journal this week that Blalock was familiar with Binti because she had met him three to four times over the last five years prior to him joining CYFD. Blalock had been a policy director with a nonprofit organization in the San Francisco area focused on poverty and homelessness and also had worked on child welfare issues.

An LFC report last summer said federal approval of the project, including a match of up to $28 million, was at risk given the fact that CYFD, rather than seeking competitive bids, hired Binti through a master price agreement, which allows government entities to buy from vendors at a set price.

The price agreement was already executed with another IT company, but at CYFDs request, Binti was added to the agreement as an authorized manufacturer.

CYFDs chief procurement officer Lucy Vigil-Rendon in an email in March 2020 cited her concerns about that method of hiring Binti. She said she believed CYFD had failed to purchase the software at the best obtainable price and there hadnt been a fair and equitable treatment of all persons involved in public procurement. CYFD had failed to provide safeguards for maintaining a procurement system of quality and integrity, she added. The Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System project was to be completed by October 2022. With additional costs including hardware it had an estimated price tag of $45 million.

The state Children, Youth and Families Department has yet to produce documents related to the multimillion-dollar child welfare data project in response to a Journal public records request filed July 23.

The Journal sought emails received or sent over a four-month span by six CYFD employees working on the project.

In an initial response on Aug. 6, CYFD records custodian Kathleen Hardy told the Journal the request was broad and burdensome and additional time would be required to produce the records. She set an Oct. 15 deadline for responding.

Last Friday, Oct. 15, Hardy told the Journal in an email additional time was needed to comply with records production.

There are presently 3,582 presumptively responsive records under review, she wrote. You may expect to hear from me by or before Dec. 17, 2021, on our progress.

When the Journal asked for production of what records have been deemed responsive so far, Hardy sent an automatic-email response stating, Due to health and safety measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19, responses may be delayed. I apologize for any inconvenience.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The board that oversees New Mexicos pension fund for teachers and other educators has the sole authority to set salaries and does not need approval from the governor to change pay levels, a state judge has ruled.

The ruling this week by Santa Fe-based District Judge Francis Mathew could clear the way for salary increases for top Educational Retirement Board officials, as previous proposed pay raises have been blocked by the administrations of both Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former Gov. Susana Martinez.

The pension funds interim executive director, Rick Scroggins, said Wednesday its too early to say what the courts ruling might mean for salary increases previously approved by the ERBs board.

Were pleased with the ruling and evaluating next steps, Scroggins told the Journal.

The ERB, which manages about $16 billion in total funds, filed a lawsuit in February in an attempt to clarify who has the legal authority to set salary levels for the pension fund, Scroggins said.

That came after the Martinez administration blocked pay raises for several top ERB officials in 2018, including a proposed increase from $165,000 to $240,000 per year for the pension funds then-director, Jan Goodwin. Goodwin left the state this year for a new job in New Hampshire and filed a federal lawsuit over pay inequity issues.

A subsequent proposal to increase the salary of the retirement systems chief investment officer, Bob Jacksha, was stalled last year by the state Department of Finance and Administration, an agency now run by Lujan Grisham appointees.

The agency was listed as the defendant in the lawsuit, along with Cabinet Secretary Debbie Romero.

In his ruling this week, Mathew said state law and the Constitution gives the ERB the sole and exclusive duty and responsibility of administering the pension fund, which includes paying its employees.

Although state government has authority to safeguard the pension fund from erroneous or fraudulent disbursements, it lacks the authority to approve salary increases, Mathew said.

Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett said Wednesday that the judges ruling is still being reviewed and a final decision about whether to appeal it has not been made.

We dont necessarily agree with what some members of the public may perceive as inordinate salaries set by the board for its officials, Sackett told the Journal.

Top New Mexico pension fund officials already make more money than Cabinet secretaries in the Lujan Grihsam administration  and the governor and other statewide elected officials.

Under state statute, the governor is paid $110,000 annually, while the attorney general is paid $95,000 a year.

The secretary of state, treasurer and auditor are each paid $85,000 a year.

However, pension fund officials are also among the highest-paid public officials in other states, and ERB officials have pointed out other state investment officers in New Mexico are paid higher salaries than they are.

The pension fund is overseen by a nine-member board.

It had roughly 61,000 active members and paid benefits to more than 51,000 retirees as of this summer.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

A 13-year-old boy charged in the shooting death of a Washington Middle School classmate is scheduled for a hearing Nov. 8 to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

Juan Saucedo Jr. has been charged as a juvenile with first-degree murder in connection with the Aug. 13 shooting death of 13-year-old Bennie Hargrove, an eighth grade student, during a lunch break at Washington Middle School.

Saucedo also was charged Aug. 17 with unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on a school campus, and two counts of conspiracy, 2nd Judicial District Court records show.

No other arrests had been made in the shooting as of Wednesday, said Lauren Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office.

Police allege Saucedo took his fathers gun to school the morning of the shooting. Investigators said Hargrove was trying to stop Saucedo from bullying his friends when Saucedo pulled a gun and shot him multiple times.

A Childrens Court judge ordered a psychologist to evaluate Saucedo to determine his ability to stand trial and to recommend a treatment plan for him.

If a judge finds him competent, Saucedo will be tried as a juvenile because he is under 14.

Dennica Torres, Saucedos attorney, said the psychologist must determine whether he is capable of assisting in his own defense, based on medical records, mental health assessments, educational records and interviews with the child and parents.

If Saucedo is not competent to stand trial, the case will be stayed for up to a year in an attempt to treat him to competency, Torres said in a written statement.

However, New Mexico currently does not offer any therapeutic programs to treat juveniles to competency, Torres said.

At a hearing in August, Torres argued Saucedo should be released from custody because he needs treatment for mental health issues that is unavailable at the Bernalillo County Youth Services Center.

Saucedo is a special education student under the care of a therapist and takes medication to treat mental illness, Torres told the judge.

Childrens Court Judge Catherine Begaye ordered Saucedo to remain in custody after Hargroves grandmother, a probation officer, and prosecutor Mari Martinez spoke in opposition to his release.
SANTA FE  An advisory panel to the Legislature on political redistricting on Wednesday advanced three proposals for overhauling district boundaries in New Mexicos Democrat-dominated House of Representatives, with special deference to Native American communities.

Two of the endorsed redistricting maps follow competing recommendations from Indigenous nations and tribes in northwestern New Mexico, a celebrated cradle of ancient civilization where a recent decline in population threatens to disrupt and dilute majority-Native American voting districts.

A coalition that includes 19 Native American pueblo communities and the Jicarilla Apache Nation painstakingly advanced a plan for the northwest region that emphasizes each tribes right to self-determination. Breaking with that emphasis, redistricting negotiators for the Navajo Nation have advanced a plan that focused on retaining Native American majorities of roughly 65% or more in six House districts.

Those Native American plans each won endorsement by the states Citizens Redistricting Committee, alongside a map from the left-leaning Center for Civic Policy that reduces the number of state House districts in an area of Albuquerque home to predominantly white, non-Hispanic residents.

In the redistricting process, New Mexico presents unusual challenges in efforts to comply with the U.S. Voting Rights Act to preserve communities of interest and give minority voters a fair shot to elect candidates of their choice. Nearly 48% of state residents claim Hispanic ancestry  the highest portion in the nation  and more than 12% identify themselves as Indigenous by race or by combined ancestry.

I do believe that we have an opportunity to do something with the House map that has not been possible for decades, if ever, said redistricting adviser and attorney Lisa Curtis, a Democrat who voted for all three maps that won endorsements.

Ryan Cangiolosi, a former chairman of the state Republican Party, voted against the committee endorsements.

He said the map from the Center for Civic Policy in particular had partisan objectives and was meant to make way for a Democratic super-majority in the House over the coming decade. The recently announced retirement of Democratic state Rep. Debbie Armstrong of Albuquerque next year makes way for that map with less friction from incumbents.

The recommendations of the Citizens Redistricting Committee are a nonbinding reference point for the Legislature as it enters the once-a-decade process of drawing new political boundaries.

Republicans won a majority in the state House in the 2014 election for the first time in 60 years, but were relegated again to minority status in 2016. Democrats now hold a 45-24 seat advantage, with one unaffiliated representative.

Several states, including New Mexico, are using citizen advisory boards to temper political inclinations without taking redistricting powers away from state lawmakers. Judges might end up using the advisory maps to resolve redistricting lawsuits.

New Mexico lawmakers plan to convene in December to redraw the boundaries for three congressional districts, 112 legislative seats and a commission that oversees public charter schools.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham holds veto authority in the process. It has been 30 years since Democrats controlled both the governors office and Legislature during redistricting.

Proposed changes to a congressional swing district in southern New Mexico are under special scrutiny.
JERUSALEM  Israels new environmental protection minister has set some ambitious goals: She believes she can use her office to play an important role in the global battle against climate change while also promoting peace in the volatile Middle East.

Tamar Zandberg laid out her agenda in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the upcoming U.N. climate conference in Glasgow. She says Israel, despite its small size and own inability to reach the global goal of zero net emissions by 2050, has the potential to be a key player.

Zandberg said the country is eager to share its expertise in green technologies. Israel is widely considered a world leader in areas such as solar energy storage, sustainable protein alternatives, agriculture technology and desalination.

These are fields where Israel is already in the cutting edge frontier of global innovation, and we hope that this is something that small Israel can contribute to bigger countries than us to adjust better to the new climate reality, she said.

Major countries, including China and India, have become important markets for Israeli environmental technologies. Zandberg said she already has held a pair of meetings with her counterpart in the United Arab Emirates, which established diplomatic ties with Israel just over a year ago, and that the two countries have teams working together on issues like agriculture and water in the arid Middle East.

Israel and Jordan last week held a signing ceremony on a new water-sharing agreement, and Zandberg said the two countries are having extensive talks on various environmental issues.

Our neighbors share our region and share our climate, she said. So its only natural that we will face them together. That can contribute to climate change, but also to the regional stability and to our peace in the Middle East.

Zandberg took office in June as part of Israels new government  a diverse patchwork of small and midsize parties spanning the political spectrum. This includes deep ideological differences over how to handle the decades-long conflict with the Palestinians.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett heads a religious, ultranationalist party that opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, and Bennett, a former leader of the West Bank settlement movement, has ruled out peace talks with the Palestinians.

Zandbergs Meretz party is the most dovish member of the eight-party coalition and supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians. As part of the coalition deal, forged to prevent the country from plunging into a fifth election in a two-year span, all members were forced to compromise on their core beliefs.

Zandberg acknowledged some frustration with the limitations created by the political reality, but said environmental cooperation provides an opportunity to improve the atmosphere and lay the groundwork for future negotiations. She said she has met with her Palestinian counterpart, and that professional teams meet regularly to work on issues of mutual concern, such as protecting shared water resources.

We live here together and we share the land and we share the air and share the water, she said. The better we communicate, the better our peoples will live.

At home, Zandberg has a long to-do list.

Israel has acknowledged it will fall short of the goal of the international community to reach zero net emissions by 2050. It expects to reduce emissions by 85% by that time. Environmentalists have cited a lack of political will by previous governments and the countrys reliance on newly discovered natural gas for energy for the lower target.

Zandberg said this figure was calculated based largely on a situation inherited from previous governments. She also said Israels relatively high population growth is an obstacle. And while Israel lags on its own renewable energy goals, she said the government is determined to help the world reach the zero-emissions target through its technology exports and to do more on the domestic front.

Thats our goal to close that gap, she said. We are working on new climate legislation for the first time in the Israeli parliament. We are working on the series of implementation plans, how to take the low carbon economy governmental declaration and make it a reality in sectors of energy, transportation, waste, agriculture. So we are serious.

There are other challenges. The Dead Sea, which is actually a salty lake situated at the lowest place on earth, is slowly shrinking. This is the result of years of water diversion from the Jordan River for drinking and agriculture and from damage caused by mineral-extraction companies. A secretive oil pipeline deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has raised fears that an oil spill might one day destroy the Red Sea coral reefs, prized by scientists for their unique resilience against warming seas. Water resources that traverse Israel and the occupied West Bank are threatened by sewage and pollution.

Zandberg said her team is involved in negotiations to ensure that Dead Sea factories, which are among Israels worst polluters, address environmental concerns as licenses are renewed in the coming years. The Israel-UAE pipeline is now under review by the government, and we will express our concerns in those discussions, she said. Zandberg has been pushing for a new tax on single-use plastics to go into effect next year.

Gidon Bromberg, the Israeli director of EcoPeace, an environmental advocacy group with offices in Israel, Jordan and the West Bank, said it is too early to judge Zandbergs performance. But he said her appointment has raised hopes that Israel can finally make some progress on long-festering issues.

Were in a very unique position where we have a minister of environment who is extremely committed to the issue and wants to succeed, Bromberg said. You have an environment minister whos an environmentalist.

Whether she succeeds, he said, will depend in part on her political skills, largely her relationship with Bennett. Despite their different backgrounds, Bromberg said that so far they appear to have a good rapport.

Its still very early days. The issues are enormous, he said.
SEATTLE  Isaiah Obet was behaving erratically and in mental distress in 2017 when Auburn police officer Jeff Nelson ordered his police dog to attack and then shot Obet in the torso. Obet fell to the ground and Nelson fired again, fatally shooting Obet in the head. Police said the officers life was in danger because Obet was high on drugs and had a knife. The city later reached a settlement of $1.25 million with Obets family.

The next year, Joseph Allen was crossing in front of Nelsons patrol car when the officer swerved and pinned him against a fence, breaking both his ankles. His justification: Allen was a dangerous criminal.

In 2019, Nelson scuffled with Jesse Sarey after attempting to arrest him for disorderly conduct. He punched Sarey seven times and then shot him in the torso. After Sarey fell to the ground, Nelson killed him with a second shot to the forehead. He claimed Sarey was on his hands and knees ready to spring forward, which later was disproved by both video and witnesses.

Nelsons actions in all three cases were outlined in a criminal complaint, eyewitness accounts, and police dashcam video obtained by The Associated Press. In the past decade, Nelson has been investigated in more than 60 use-of-force cases that involved choking suspects until they passed out, severe dog bites, and physical force that required medical care. But he was not on the King County Prosecuting Attorneys list that flags officers whose credibility is in question due to misconduct  a designation that must be shared with defense attorneys.

Nelson was only added to its potential impeachment disclosure list, or Brady List, after he was charged with killing Sarey. A trial is set for February 2022. Mohammad Hamoudi, a federal public defender, said given Officer Nelsons history, all of his cases should be reviewed. And he hopes his story will encourage prosecutors to track excessive force cases involving other police officers.

It has to do with respect for the rules, the laws, and others, he said. If an officer lacks impulse control or the ability to exercise informed judgment, you can call into question how he investigates cases.

The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked a national conversation on police reform, ranging from defunding departments to enhancing training. But reform activists and civil rights advocates say prosecutors already have powerful tools at their disposal to curb bad behavior by police: They can use Brady Lists to shine a light on troubled officers, and they can then refuse to put forward cases from those officers with tarnished histories.

The AP found that prosecutors sometimes dont even compile the lists and that wide disparities in what offenses land officers on them are prevalent across the country, with excessive force often failing to merit inclusion.

The AP also found that many prosecutors and police unions have gone to great lengths to keep Brady List information from becoming public.

Now, defense attorneys, public defenders, civil rights groups and even some prosecutors are calling for an increased use of Brady Lists and a broadening of the offenses that will land a police officer on them, while police unions are resisting those efforts.

Amy Parker of the King County Department of Public Defense called it imperative for officers violent histories to be exposed.

As a career public defender, I have listened to prosecutors routinely make the argument that defendants with prior unlawful uses of force/crimes of violence are more prone to violence and lack credibility, she said in an email. If prosecutors are going to apply that standard to defendants, then the same standard should apply to police officers when judging their conduct.

King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg argues excessive force doesnt make an officer less credible. An officer who was accused of using too much force in an unrelated arrest has nothing to do with the impeachment of their veracity, he said.

Brady Lists stem from a ruling in the 1963 Supreme Court case, Brady v. Maryland, mandating prosecutors turn over exculpatory evidence to defense attorneys, including information that could be used to question the officers credibility. But the ruling did not define the steps prosecutors and police departments must take to ensure defendants are informed or whether lists of troubled officers must be kept at all.

The result, critics say, is a mishmash of policies that vary state to state  and even jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Prosecutors in Atlanta, Chicago, Tulsa, and Pittsburgh told the AP that they dont track officers with disciplinary problems, and Milwaukee prosecutors only listed officers who have been convicted of crimes.

The Dallas County district attorneys list contained 192 names, with infractions ranging from making false statements to convictions for theft, assault, and driving under the influence. The Suffolk County, Massachusetts, prosecutors list included Boston officers who lied on their timesheets or embezzled funds. Louisianas Orleans Parish district attorney tracked officers who committed crimes, lied, or drove dangerously, but not violent arrests.

Dishonesty lands an officer on the list in Detroit, Denver, and Seattle, but using excessive force does not.

The Phoenix district attorney, along with prosecutors in Orange County, Florida, and Los Angeles, were among the few the AP found who include excessive use of force cases on their lists.

Its like theres a huge continuum and the result is you dont have the same procedures being followed not only across the country but within individual states, said Will Aitchison, an attorney with Portland, Oregon-based Labor Relations Information Systems, which represents officers after theyve appealed discipline orders.

Some states have attempted to pass legislation that would address the lack of consistency, including the Washington State Legislature, which approved a bill this year requiring county prosecutors to develop written protocols for collecting potential impeachment information by July 2022.

The California Legislature approved a bill last year that required prosecutors to maintain a list of officers who have had sustained findings for conduct of moral turpitude or group bias, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure due to the cost of such a significant state mandate.

___

When Larry Krasner was elected Philadelphia district attorney in 2017, his staff discovered a do not call list of police officers that had been compiled by a previous prosecutor.

The officers had a history of lying, bias, and excessive force and were barred from testifying absent explicit permission from the highest levels of the district attorneys office.

Krasner shared the list with defense attorneys, who used the information to challenge the convictions of people imprisoned by testimony from those officers and has continued to provide timely Brady material to public defenders.

When my client goes for a preliminary arraignment first appearance in court where they set bail, the prosecutor might disclose 20 to 30 or 40 pages of materials that theyve generated on a particular police officer, Philadelphia public defender Bradley Bridge said.

Using Brady List information, Bridge has filed motions to dismiss about 6,000 convictions based on officer misconduct, with more than 2,000 convictions thrown out so far.

Bridge acknowledges some of those released might be guilty.

The problem is, theres no way to know, he said. I have no idea how to evaluate whether theyre guilty or not guilty because the officers behavior in the cases is too tainted.

Bridge has filed more than 500 petitions to reopen convictions tied to a sole officer who admitted falsifying records  Christopher Hulmes of the Philadelphia Police Departments Narcotics Strike Force, who was charged in 2015 with perjury and tampering with public records. So far, 357 of those convictions have been dismissed, many involving drugs and guns, Bridge said.

Krasner said he feels prosecutors have both a legal and moral obligation to use Brady Lists, but that local police have pushed back.

Last month, he asked for the Philadelphia Police Department to be held in contempt for not cooperating with his request for officer disciplinary material.

Kym Worthy, the prosecutor for Wayne County, Michigan, which includes Detroit, also is disclosing Brady List material to defense attorneys and the public because in an era of criminal justice reform, she said, it just makes sense.

Worthy has compiled a list of officers who have committed offenses involving theft, dishonesty, fraud, bias or bribery, saying officers who commit these crimes have lost their credibility and wont be called to testify.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner also has said she wont take criminal cases filed by untrustworthy officers and has an exclusion list with more than 50 names.

The unions predictable over-the-top sky is falling reaction to any attempt to distinguish the vast majority of honest and hardworking officers from the few bad actors is one big reason why community relations with the people they serve are so frayed, Gardner said.

Last year, police misconduct records were at issue in the hotly contested Los Angeles district attorney race between Jackie Lacey and former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, who had been the San Francisco police chief when now Vice-President Kamala Harris was the citys district attorney and became the DA when she ascended to the state attorney general job.

Gascon had partnered with Harris and the police union to establish a do not call list that became the model for the state. After he won the Los Angeles election, he sent letters to local law enforcement agencies seeking the names of officers involved in 11 categories of misconduct, including bribery, theft, evidence tampering, dishonesty, and unreasonable force.

If the officers history is such that we just dont believe the officer, period, we will not use him, Gascon said.

______

Settlement agreements  and many police union contracts  often prohibit the release of the names of officers named in disciplinary records, but Brady Lists can blow open those closed doors.

The contract between Seattle and its police department, for instance, prohibits releasing disciplined officers names. But the Brady Lists sent to the AP by the King County prosecuting attorney included 51 Seattle officers.

Seventeen of those officers had criminal charges filed against them, 26 had sustained findings of dishonesty, six had shown racial bias and one violated the departments ethics policy.

An investigation by the Office of Police Accountability found that a Seattle officer violated policies against biased policing by posting offensive comments on social media in 2019. The office was prohibited from naming the officer and so referred to him in its report as Named Employee #1, but the Brady List identified him as Ron Smith.

One of Smiths social media comments stated that the Islamic religion was not one of peace, suggesting that the Islamic religion and all of its approximately 1.57 billion adherents were supportive of violence, the OPA report said.

Another post targeted Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, saying: you weak wristed lefties dont want border security  you want votes to keep your anti-American party in power, the report said.

Smith resigned, but the OPA investigation did find that he engaged in bias-based policing.

Another Seattle officer on the Brady List was Salvatore Ditusa, who was working a side job flagging traffic when he approached three workers and engaged in a diatribe that included multiple racial slurs towards African Americans, the OPA said. Ditusa also resigned. The OPA found that he had also engaged in biased policing.

In Los Angeles, the battle over disclosing officer misconduct information traveled all the way to the states highest court.

When Jim McDonnell took over the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department, he wanted to share the list of officers accused of misconduct with the prosecutors office, but both sides were concerned that a state law  the peace officers bill of rights  would prohibit the move.

After the police union filed an injunction to block any sharing, the case went to the state Supreme Court, which ruled in 2019 that prosecutors could be given the list.

One of the people named was homicide detective Daniel Morris.

In 2003, a car theft suspect had said Morris and other officers kicked, punched, and stomped on him  an accusation Morris denied to three different supervisors. But he eventually admitted to the beating, receiving a 30-day suspension.

That information was not shared with the district attorneys office until 2019.

Ten years before that, Morris had investigated the murder of a gang member in Paramount, California, obtaining a search warrant for the home of Filipe Angel Acosta.

Morris testified that Acosta, who had no criminal history, was associated with a gang and he was charged with drug possession, with a gang enhancement.

Acosta refused a deal that would have involved admitting to gang involvement, but changed his mind and entered a plea of no contest after getting sick in jail and being hospitalized.

At no point did the district attorney reveal that Morris had been disciplined for dishonesty.

When Morris misconduct finally was disclosed, Acosta filed a motion to overturn his conviction because of the prosecutors Brady violation. The charges were dismissed.

As a 2013 report on the sheriffs department by a civilian oversight group called the Office of Independent Review put it: Instances of deputies lying in reports or during investigations do not simply affect the immediate case at hand. Instead, they may influence the outcome of every other case in which the deputys testimony is considered.

___

Email APs Global Investigations Team at investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/. See other work at https://www.apnews.com/hub/ap-investigations.

___

Follow AP investigative reporter Martha Bellisle at https://twitter.com/marthabellisle
WASHINGTON  The FBI found a trash bag of shredded documents, thousands of dollars in cash, latex gloves and a go-bag when they searched the home of a Maryland couple accused of trying to sell information about nuclear-powered warships to a foreign country, an agent testified Wednesday.

Jonathan Toebbe, a Navy nuclear engineer, and his wife, Diana, were arrested in West Virginia this month. Prosecutors allege that Jonathan Toebbe tried to pass secrets about sophisticated and expensive Virginia-class submarines to someone he thought was a representative of a foreign government but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. The government accuses Diana Toebbe of serving as a lookout for her husband at several dead drop locations at which sensitive information was left behind.

The couple pleaded not guilty in federal court in Martinsburg, West Virginia to espionage-related charges that carry life in prison. The Toebbes have been jailed since their arrests.

The country to which Toebbe was looking to sell the information has not been identified in court documents and was not disclosed in court during a detention hearing Wednesday. A judge heard arguments but did not immediately rule on whether Diana Toebbe should continue to be locked up. Jonathan Toebbe waived his right to a detention hearing, meaning he continues to be held.

Peter Olinits, a Pittsburgh-based agent specializing in counterintelligence investigations, testified in support of the governments argument that Diana Toebbe was a potential flight risk and should remain jailed as the case moved forward.

He described how agents on the day of the couples arrest found in their home, among other objects, $11,300 in cash, childrens valid passports and a go-bag containing a USB flash drive and latex gloves.

Olinits also cited messages from 2019 and 2020 in which the Toebbes discussed leaving the country, including one in which Diana Toebbe said, I cannot believe that the two of us wouldnt be welcomed and rewarded by a foreign government. Months later, in another message, she said, I think we need to be actively making plans to leave the country, according to Olinits.

But Diana Toebbes lawyer, Edward MacMahon, raised the possibility that his 45-year-old client, who worked as a teacher at a progressive private school in Annapolis, Maryland, was simply referring to her distress over the prospect of President Donald Trumps reelection.

Shes not the only liberal thats wanted to leave the country over politics, MacMahon pointed out. Thats correct, isnt it, sir?

The investigation began in late 2020 after an FBI legal attache office in an unspecified country obtained a package that prosecutors say Jonathan Toebbe had sent that nation. In a letter, he offered to sell confidential U.S. Navy information, according to prosecutors.

The letter, sent on April 1, 2020, and bearing a return address in Pittsburgh, says: If you do not contact me by December 31, 2020 I will conclude you are uninterested, and will approach other possible buyers, according to Olinits testimony.

After receiving the letter, the FBI began using an undercover agent to communicate with Jonathan Toebbe, arranging for the information to be deposited at dead drop locations around the region.

Olinits testified that Diana Toebbe accompanied her husband on three of the four missions. To avoid suspicion, Olinits said, the Toebbes would dress as if tourists or hikers and meander around the drop site. Authorities say Jonathan Toebbe left at the locations memory cards containing government secrets, concealing them in objects including a chewing gum wrapper, a Band-Aid wrapper and a peanut butter sandwich.

Olinits said the FBI has not been able to locate the roughly $100,000 in cryptocurrency payments that the bureau sent the Toebbes in exchange for the stolen government secrets, and that agents have also not yet recovered all the classified documents.

MacMahon, the lawyer for Diana Toebbe, argued that because the FBI did not record any of the couples conversations, agents actually had no proof that his client had any knowledge of her husbands activities or what precisely he was doing.

He said the couple, who has children, had been planning a family trip, which could explain the bag that agents found and why their passports were being renewed. And he suggested that Diana Toebbe, who has a doctoral degree in anthropology, has no knowledge of nuclear submarines.

Did it occur to you as part of your investigation that maybe Mr. Toebbe was telling her he was up to something other than espionage against the United States? MacMahon asked.

I think thatd be a difficult thing to sell, but maybe, Olinits said.

____

Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
PHOENIX  Maricopa County officials approved a settlement Wednesday with a restaurant owner in metro Phoenix who claimed in a lawsuit that then-Sheriff Joe Arpaios office had defamed him and violated his rights about seven years ago when investigating whether employees at his restaurants used fraudulent IDs to get jobs.

The $5 million settlement with Uncle Sams owner Bret Frimmel came weeks after officials signed off on a separate $400,000 settlement to resolve similar claims brought by Uncle Sams manager Lisa Norton. County officials approved $3.1 million of Frimmels settlement. The remaining $1.9 million in his settlement is being covered by an insurer.

Frimmel and Norton were arrested by Arpaios office in January 2014 on employment-related identity theft charges that were dismissed after a judge ruled one of Arpaios detective recklessly disregarded the truth in affidavits used to get search warrants and ultimately found that there was no probable cause to back up the warrants. Frimmel and Norton maintained they did nothing wrong.

Their lawsuit was among the last civil cases pending against Arpaio, who was voted out of office in late 2016 after 24 years in office and lost a 2020 bid to win back his old job.

Arpaio raided Frimmels restaurants and about 80 other businesses from 2008 through 2014 in investigations that led to the arrests of hundreds of immigrant workers under a law that made it a felony to use fake or stolen IDs to get jobs.

Nine employees were arrested in the investigation of Uncle Sams.

Even though a judge in the criminal case said there was no probable cause for the warrants, another judge handling the civil case found in March 2019 that the detective leading the investigation had probable cause to arrest Frimmel and Norton on the ID theft charge and ruled against the lawsuits claims of malicious arrest and abuse of process.

What remained of the lawsuit were the claims of illegal search and search, defamation and negligent restraint related to the handcuffing of Frimmel during the arrest.

Frimmel and his manager said they were arrested after the restaurant owner was asked by the U.S. Justice Department for help in a now-settled civil rights lawsuit that accused the sheriffs office of racial profiling, retaliating against Arpaios critics and other civil rights violations.

One of Frimmels attorneys said the Justice Department contacted his client during the federal investigation, but Frimmel never returned the call.

The retaliation claim wasnt mentioned in the extensive March 2019 pretrial order that examined the legal claims and evidence.

Leon Silver, one of the lawyers representing Frimmel and Norton, said the 2019 decision wasnt a final judgment and that the judge might have still allowed the malicious arrest claim to be heard at trial. Silver said investigators never proved his client knew that job applicants were using fake IDs to seek jobs.

My clients feel vindicated by the settlement, Silver said. They are relieved to have this behind them. They have lived with this way too long. They just want to get on with their lives.

Arpaio, who is now running for mayor of his adopted hometown of Fountain Hills, said it was the countys decision to settle the case.

I was ready to go to court and go before a jury of my peers to testify, Arpaio said. I didnt have that chance. I still feel like we would have won that trial if it went before a jury.

____ This story has been corrected to say the overall amount of Bret Frimmels settlement was $5 milllion, not $3.1 million.
MAHBAS REGION, Western Sahara  As a glowing sun sank behind the sandy barrier that cuts across the disputed territory of Western Sahara, Sidati Ahmeds battalion launched two missiles that sizzled through the air and then followed with an artillery attack.

Within minutes, a barrage of mortar shells flew in the opposite direction, from Moroccan positions, landing with a thick column of smoke in the barren desert of what is known as Africas last colony.

Low-intensity hostilities, as a recent United Nations report describes them, have raged for the past year along the 2,700-kilometer (1,700-mile) berm  a barrier second in length only to the Great Wall of China that separates the part of Western Sahara that Morocco rules from the sliver held by the Polisario Front, which wants the territory to be independent. Both sides claim the area in its entirety.

For nearly 30 years this swath of North African desert about the size of Colorado  that sits on vast phosphate deposits, faces rich fishing grounds and is believed to have off-shore oil reserves  has existed in limbo, awaiting a referendum that was supposed to let the local Sahrawi people decide their future. Instead, as negotiations over who would be allowed to vote dragged on, Morocco tightened its control of the territory, which was a Spanish colony until 1975.

Last year, the Polisario Front announced that it would no longer abide by the 1991 cease-fire that ended its 16-year guerilla war with Morocco.

The decision was fueled by frustration among younger Sahrawi  many of whom were born in refugee camps in Algeria, have never lived in their ancestral homeland, and are tired of waiting for the U.N.-promised referendum.

Everybody is ready for war, said Ahmed, who spent more than half of his 32 years in Cuba before returning to enlist for battle when the truce ended last year.

We are fed up. The only thing that is going to bring our homeland back to us is this, Ahmed said pointing at his AK-47 weapon, as he stood on the front line in Mahbas. The region, at the crossroads of Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria, is where most of the exchanges of fire take place.

Ahmed is typical of a generation of Sahrawi youth, most of whom traveled abroad to study  from Spain to Libya  but returned to the camps to form families. And theyve told their elders that they dont want to die in exile, with no future to offer to their own children.

Life abroad can be tempting, said Omar Deidih, a baby-faced soldier and cybersecurity student who on a recent visit to the front line organized by the Polisario spoke to foreign reporters in fluent English. But the most important thing is that we have fresh blood in this new phase of the struggle.

The possibility, however remote, that clashes could escalate into a full-out regional war may be the Polisarios only hope of drawing attention to a conflict with few known casualties in a vast but forgotten corner of the desert. Many in the camps feel that efforts to finally settle the status of Western Sahara have languished since Morocco proposed greater autonomy for the territory in 2004.

The fronts hopes for independence suffered a major blow last year when the U.S. in the waning days of the Trump administration backed Moroccos claim to the territory, as part of efforts to get Morocco to recognize Israel. Other countries, including the Polisarios main ally Algeria, recognize Western Sahara as independent, while still more support U.N. efforts for a negotiated solution.

The rising tensions have gotten the attention of the U.N., whose Minurso force oversaw the cease-fire and whose secretary-general recently appointed Staffan de Mistura, a seasoned Italian diplomat and former U.N. envoy for Syria, to take charge of the negotiations.

The Polisarios leader, Brahim Ghali, last week warned that de Mistura must be given a clear mandate from the Security Council to carry out a referendum. Western Sahara will be before the Council on Oct. 28, when members vote on whether to extend the Minurso mission.

Achieving progress is also a matter of legitimacy for the Polisario. After years of internal division, the new hostilities have rallied pro-independence supporters around its leadership, but many fear that the lack of results could lead to more radicalization.

In the camps, the live fire from the front line reverberates strongly among refugees, who were forced to confront the precariousness of their existence when the humanitarian aid they rely on slowed to a trickle during the pandemic.

Medical missions were halted, medicine was in short supply and prices of camel, goat and chicken meat all went up, said 29-year old Dahaba Chej Baha, a refugee in the Boujdour camp. On a recent morning, the mother of a 3-year-old was sheltering in the shade while in her third hour of waiting for an Algerian truck to deliver gas canisters.

Everything is so difficult here, Chej Baha said, adding that those who would typically find ways to work overseas and send money back have become trapped because of pandemic-related travel restrictions. I dont like war, but I feel that nothing is going to change without it.

Meima Ali, another mother, with three kids, said she was against the war, but that her voice was not listened to in a community dominated by men.

My husband has to decide between finding work or looking like a traitor for not going to the front, she said. How am I going to survive without him? Here, we live as if we were dead.

Morocco denies that there is an armed conflict raging in what it calls its southern provinces, where about 90,000 Sahrawi people are estimated to live alongside 350,000 Moroccans. Morocco has told the U.N. mission that its troops only return fire in cases of direct threat and always in proportion to actions of the Polisario.

In a response to questions from The Associated Press, the Moroccan government said that there have been unilateral attacks by the Polisario but no casualties on the Moroccan side.

It called any effort to portray the conflict as something bigger propaganda elements intended for the media and desperate gesticulations to attract attention.

Intissar Fakir, an expert on the region for the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said that a full-fledged conflict  which could pit Morocco and Algeria against each other  wasnt in anyones interest. But she said that negotiating a lasting solution wouldnt be easy either.

Maybe in terms of international law, the Polisario have their standing, but I think Morocco here is the strongest it has ever been with the U.S. recognition and de facto control over most of the territory, she said. But the Polisario, she added, is more entrenched in their own position because they really have kind of nothing to lose at this point.

Although many interviewed by the AP at the camps or on the front line expressed frustration with the years of negotiations that the Polisario defended until last year, open criticism is hard to come by in such a tight community.

Baali Hamudi Nayim, a veteran of the 1970s and 1980s war against Mauritania and Morocco, said he had been against the 1991 cease-fire.

If it was up to me, the time for a political solution without any guarantees, through the U.N. or others, is over, said Hamudi, who is back in his guerrilla attire to oversee battalions in the restive Mahbas. For me, the solution is a military one.

___

Associated Press journalists Bernat Armangue in Sahrawi refugee camps and Tarik El Barakah and Mosaab Elshamy in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report.
WARSAW, Poland  Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu of Canada was named early Thursday as the winner of the 40,000-euro ($45,000) first prize in the 18th Frederic Chopin international piano competition, a prestigious event that launches pianists world careers.

The announcement from the jury came just hours after Liu played as the last entrant among the 12 finalists, performing Chopins concerto in E minor, opus 11 with the orchestra at the packed National Philharmonic in Warsaw. His inspired performance was met with huge applause.

Oh my god. I dont know what to say, honestly, Liu said after being name winner.

We have been dreaming with all these people here for this prestigious stage, the 24-year-old born in Paris said in English.

Being able to play Chopin in Warsaw is one of the best things you can imagine, of course, so Im truly honored for this award, of course, and for this jurys trust and for all the warmth I have received in recent days, Liu said.

The second prize and 30,000 euros ($35,000) went jointly to Alexander Gadjiev, representing Italy and Slovenia, and Kyohei Sorita of Japan. Gadjiev also won Krystian Zimermans prize of 10,000 euros ($11,800) for the best sonata performance.

The third prize of 20,000 euros ($23,000) was awarded to Martin Garcia Garcia of Spain, who also won the 5,000 euros ($5,800) prize for best concerto performance.

The fourth prize and 15,000 euros ($17,000) was shared by Aimi Kobayashi of Japan and Polands Jakub Kuszlik, who also won best mazurka performance prize and 5,000 euros. Italys Leonora Armellini was awarded the fifth prize of 10,000 euros ($11,600), while the sixth prize and 7,000 euros ($8,000) went to Canadas J.J. Jun Li Bui.

The first prize was funded by the office of Polands president, and other prizes were funded by the government, state culture institutions and by private individuals.

High ranking in the renowned competition opens the worlds top concert halls to the pianists and paves the way to recordings with best known record companies.

Jury head Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron said after the announcement that the level of the pianists was very high and made the award decisions very hard for the 17 jurors. She called the participants wonderful young people.

During the competition, she had said that apart from being excellent pianists, the participants should also show sensitivity and bring freshness to the music.

I try to look for a rapport between the performer and Chopin, Popowa-Zydron said in an interview. Music is a message from a person, and (the musicians) should know what kind of person Chopin was.

Bowing to their artistry, the jury allowed two more finalists this year than usual. The competition, held every five years, was postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic.

Among previous winners are Maurizio Pollini of Italy, Argentinas Martha Argerich, Garrick Ohlsson from the United States, Polands Krystian Zimerman and Artur Blechacz, and Seong-Jin Cho of South Korea.

Chopin, Polands best known and beloved classical music composer and pianist, was born in 1810 in Zelazowa Wola near Warsaw to a Polish mother and a French father. He left Poland at 19 to broaden his musical education in Vienna and then in Paris, where he settled, composing, giving concerts and teaching the piano. He died on Oct. 17, 1849, in Paris and is buried at the Pere Lachaise cemetery. His heart is at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw.
MOSCOW  Russia hosted talks on Afghanistan on Wednesday involving senior representatives of the Taliban and neighboring nations, a round of diplomacy that underlined Moscows clout in Central Asia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov opened the talks and emphasized that forming a really inclusive government fully reflecting the interests of not only all ethnic groups but all political forces of the country is necessary to achieve a stable peace in Afghanistan, a nation of 39 million.

Russia had worked for years to establish contacts with the Taliban, even though it designated the group a terror organization in 2003 and never took it off the list. Any contact with such groups is punishable under Russian law, but the Foreign Ministry has responded to questions about the apparent contradiction by saying its exchanges with the Taliban are essential for helping stabilize Afghanistan.

Unlike many other countries, Russia hasnt evacuated its embassy in Kabul and its ambassador has maintained regular contacts with the Taliban since they took over the Afghan capital of Kabul in August.

Lavrov commended the Taliban for their efforts to stabilize the military-political situation in the country and ensure the operation of state structures.

We are satisfied with the level of practical interaction with Afghan authorities, which allows to effectively ensure the security of Russian citizens in Afghanistan and the unimpeded operation of our embassy in Kabul, Lavrov said in his opening speech.

At the same time, he emphasized the importance of respecting human rights and pursuing balanced social policies, adding that he discussed those issues with the Taliban delegation before the talks.

Lavrov said Russia would soon dispatch a shipment of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

Zamir Kabulov, the Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan who also attended the talks, said the international recognition of the Taliban will hinge on the inclusiveness of their government and their human rights record.

We expect the Taliban to meet  the request of the international community about inclusivity and basic human rights, which include broadly all kinds of human rights, and they confirmed that they are working on that, the process of improvement of governance, the process of improving the human rights situation, Kabulov told reporters.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, a deputy prime minister in the Talibans interim government who attended Wednesdays talks, said the meeting is very important for stability of the entire region.

In a conclusive statement, the participants in the talks noted that further practical engagement with Afghanistan needed to take into account the new reality, that is the Taliban coming to power in the country, irrespective of the official recognition of the new Afghan government by the international community.

Participating countries call on the current Afghan leadership to take further steps to improve governance and to form a truly inclusive government that adequately reflects the interests of all major ethno-political forces in the country, they said, stressing the need for the Afghan leadership to respect the rights of ethnic groups, women and children.

The talks participants called for an international donor conference under the auspices of the United Nations, with the understanding that the core burden of post-conflict  reconstruction and development of Afghanistan must be shouldered by the powers which had military contingents in the country for the past 20 years.

The Soviet Union fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with its troops withdrawing in 1989. In recent years, Moscow has made a strong comeback as an influential power broker in international talks on Afghanistan, hosting the Taliban representatives and members of other factions for bilateral and multilateral meetings.

Along with the Taliban and other Afghan factions, the so-called Moscow format talks held since 2017 also include representatives of China, Pakistan, Iran, India and the former Soviet nations in Central Asia.

Wednesdays talks were preceded earlier this week by a meeting of top diplomats from Russia, China and Pakistan. The U.S., which is also part of that troika plus format, didnt attend the meeting.

In explaining its absence from the meeting, the U.S. said it supported the talks, but was unable to attend for logistical reasons. State Department spokesman Ned Price did not elaborate on those reasons but his comments came just hours before the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad resigned. The resignation was effective on Tuesday and his successor, Thomas West, was not prepared to join the Moscow meeting, officials said.

The Troika Plus has been an effective, a constructive forum, Price said. We look forward to engaging in that forum going forward, but were not in a position to take part this week.

Kabulov, the Kremlin envoy, said West is expected to visit Moscow for talks next month.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted there must be no rush in officially recognizing the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, but emphasized the need to engage in talks with them.

At the same time, Putin and other Russian officials stressed the threats posed by the Islamic State group and other militants based in northern Afghanistan, and noted that drug trafficking from Afghanistan will continue to present a challenge.

Numerous terrorist groups, notably the Islamic State and al-Qaida are trying to take advantage of the instability in the country mounting bloody attacks, Lavrov said. There is a real danger of terrorism and drugs spilling into the neighboring nations under the guise of migration.

Russias top diplomat urged the Taliban not to allow the territory of Afghanistan (to be) used against the interests of any third countries, primarily its neighbors, our friends and allies in Central Asia.

Russia has vowed to provide military assistance to its ex-Soviet allies in Central Asia to help counter the threats, and held joint drills in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which neighbor Afghanistan. Another sweeping military exercise in Tajikistan involving 5,000 troops, more than 700 military vehicles and combat jets has started this week.

___

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington.
MINNEAPOLIS  A Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report a possible rape happening behind her home was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison  the most the judge could impose but less than half the 12 years he was sentenced to for his murder conviction that was overturned last month.

Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married. But the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out Noors murder conviction and sentence last month, saying the third-degree murder statute didnt fit the case because it can only apply when a defendant shows a generalized indifference to human life, not when the conduct is directed at a particular person, as it was with Damond.

Judge Kathryn Quaintance, who also presided at Noors trial, granted prosecutors request to impose the maximum sentence in state guidelines on Noors manslaughter conviction, 57 months. In doing so, she brushed aside the defenses request for 41 months, which is the low end of the range. With good behavior, Noor could be freed on supervised release by next summer. The state prison website listed his anticipated release date as June 27.

Mr. Noor, I am not surprised that you have been a model prisoner, Quaintance said. However, I do not know any authority that would make that grounds for reducing your sentence. She cited Noor shooting across the nose of your partner and endangering others the night of the shooting to hand down the stiffest sentence she could.

Quaintance also remarked that because neither side had sought a departure from the sentencing guidelines, she was unable to deviate from them.

Noor, who was fired after he was charged, has already served more than 29 months. In Minnesota, inmates who behave well typically serve two-thirds of their prison sentences and the remainder on supervised release.

Noor testified at his 2019 trial that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said he saw a woman appear at the partners drivers side window and raise her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.

He was sentenced to 12 1/2 years on the murder count and had been serving most of his time at an out-of-state facility.

Noors appeal of his murder conviction was watched closely for implications in the case of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of the same charge in George Floyds death. After the state Supreme Court overturned Noors third-degree murder conviction, experts said they expected the same eventual result for Chauvin but that it would likely have little impact because Chauvin was also convicted of a more serious second-degree murder charge in Floyds death. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years.

Noors attorneys, Tom Plunkett and Peter Wold, sought 41 months at the resentencing, citing Noors good behavior behind bars and harsh conditions he faced during many months in solitary, away from the general prison population.

Plunkett said Thursday that much attention has been given to the victim as a kind and giving person  all true, he said. But Plunkett said there is similar goodness in Noor. He said Noor had always sought to help people around him, and recapped Noors good behavior while in prison.

Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy, meanwhile, asked Quaintance to give Noor the longest possible sentence. She said the case is worse than typical because of who Noor is. The most serious sentence this court can impose is required, she said.

Damonds parents, John Ruszczyk and Maryan Heffernan, also asked the judge to impose the longest sentence. In a statement read by prosecutors, they called Damonds death utterly gratuitous and said that the Minnesota Supreme Courts overturning of a poorly written law didnt change the jurys belief that Noor committed murder.

Our sorrow is forever, our lives will always endure an emptiness, they said.

The victims fiance, Don Damond, gave his statement via Zoom. He started by praising prosecutors for their sound application of the law and criticizing the state Supreme Court for its reversal, which he said does not diminish the truth that was uncovered during the trial.

The truth is Justine should be alive. No amount of justification, embellishment, cover-up, dishonesty or politics will ever change that truth, he said.

But Don Damond also spoke directly to Noor, saying he forgave him and had no doubt Justine also would have forgiven him for your inability in managing your emotions that night.

Noor, wearing a suit and tie and donning a face mask, appeared impassive as the victims loved ones statements were read. He later addressed the court briefly, saying, Im deeply grateful for Mr. Damonds forgiveness. I am deeply sorry for the pain that Ive caused that family. And I will take his advice and be a unifier. Thank you.

Damonds death angered citizens in the U.S. and Australia, and led to the resignation of Minneapolis police chief. It also led the department to change its policy on body cameras; Noor and his partner didnt have theirs activated when they were investigating Damonds 911 call.

Noor, who is Somali American, was believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting. Activists who had long called for officers to be held accountable for the deadly use of force applauded the murder conviction but lamented that it came in a case in which the officer is Black and his victim was white. Some questioned whether the case was treated the same as police shootings involving Black victims.

Noors father, Mohamed Abass, denounced Quaintance on his way out of the courthouse as the worst judge in Minnesota and very hateful. Speaking to reporters, he said, This judge hates (the) Somali community and said he believed racism was a factor in her decision to impose the toughest sentence she could.

Days after Noors conviction, Minneapolis agreed to pay $20 million to Damonds family, believed at the time to be the largest settlement stemming from police violence in Minnesota. It was surpassed earlier this year when Minneapolis agreed to a $27 million settlement in Floyds death just as Chauvin was going on trial.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

What goes around comes around.

Thats what authorities say a bloodied hitchhiker told his ride hours after he decapitated a man with an ax and threw his head into a wood stove earlier this month in western New Mexico.

Shilo Oldrock, 28, a member of the Navajo Nation, is charged with murder in Indian Country in the Oct. 10 incident that left a man in his 40s  referred to as John Doe in federal court documents  dead in Navajo, New Mexico.

Oldrock, who could face up to life in prison, will remain in custody pending trial.

According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court:

FBI agents responded around 11:25 a.m. to the investigation of a slaying at a rural home off Indian Service Route 12. Agents found the mans decapitated body at the bottom of the stairs in front of the house.

They found a bloody ax near the body and a charred human head inside the wood stove in the home. The mans cousin had found the body and told agents Oldrock was responsible for Does death.

He said Oldrock and his girlfriend were homeless and would stay at his cousins home. The cousin told agents Oldrock had been arrested the week before for attacking Doe.

A neighbor of Does told agents he picked up Oldrock walking alongside the road. He said Oldrock had a black eye, cuts on his face and blood on his hands and clothes.

The neighbor told agents Oldrock wanted to be dropped off at the flea market where his mother worked. He said Oldrock told him he killed Doe because Doe had previously killed Oldrocks uncle and attacked his mother.

The neighbor told agents Oldrock said he cut off Does head with an ax and threw it into the wood stove.

Oldrock stated what goes around, comes around,  the complaint says.

Oldrocks mother told agents her son was dropped off at the flea market and appeared visibly intoxicated and had a black eye. She said he told her, See ya mom, love you mom before leaving in another vehicle.
WENN/Adriana M. Barraza/Avalon Celebrity

Along with Forest Whitaker and Djimon Hounsou, the 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' actor are working with the Duke of Sussex and conservationists to save the Okavango River Basin.

Oct 21, 2021

AceShowbiz - Leonardo DiCaprio has joined Prince Harry's campaign to end oil and gas drilling in the Okavango River Basin in Africa.

The "Titanic" star, as well as actors Forest Whitaker and Djimon Hounsou, are working with the Duke of Sussex and conservationists to save the river system that provides water to nearly one million people, as well as surrounding wildlife, in Angola, Namibia, and Botswana.

They are opposing an action by bosses at Reconnaissance Energy Africa, a Canadian oil and gas company, who began drilling in the Okavango River Basin in 2020, despite objections and concern from local communities.

Leonardo posted a video to his Instagram last week (ends October 15), calling for fans to sign an open letter calling for an end to drilling for fossil fuels in the region.

He and chiefs at his organization re:wild, who work to protect and restore wildlife around the world, released a statement on Wednesday, October 20 that reads, "Re:wild stands with the people of the Okavango River Basin, who depend on the health of the watershed for their survival."

"ReconAfrica is poised to pollute their farms and destroy a beautiful landscape - one that benefits all life on Earth - forever. Join us by signing the open letter at the link in bio. Together, we can #SaveTheOkavango. For all wildkind."

Also at stake is the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for its biodiversity, and two Ramsar wetland areas.

Prince Harry has also shared his thoughts on the issue - last week he co-authored an editorial with Namibian activist, conservationist and poet Reinhold Mangundu in the Washington Post, noting the drilling would cause "permanent destruction" to the area.

"We believe this would pillage the ecosystem for potential profit. Some things in life are best left undisturbed to carry out their purpose as a natural benefit. This is one of them," the two wrote.

The editorial also cited this month's (October 2021) disastrous oil leak in southern California. "There is no way to repair the damage from these kinds of mistakes," the Duke and Mangundu added.

"Drilling is an outdated gamble that reaps disastrous consequences for many, and incredible riches for a powerful few. It represents a continued investment in fossil fuels instead of renewable energies. In a region already facing the abuse of exploitation, poaching and fires, the risk is even higher. Knowing the above, why would you be drilling for oil in such a place?"
DC Comics Movie

Gabe Eltaeb says he is not renewing his contract with DC Comics because he is 'tired' of the comic's embrace of wokeness, insinuating there's no place for a conservative like him in the company.

Oct 21, 2021

AceShowbiz - A DC Comics employee has had enough with the company's recent major changes on its characters to embrace wokeness. Superman: Son of Kal-El colorist Gabe Eltaeb said he is not renewing his contract following the Man of Steel's bisexual reveal.

"I'm finishing out my contract with DC. I'm tired of this s**t," Eltaeb said during a recent podcast hosted by Cyberfrog creator Ethan Van Sciver, a former contracted DC employee, according to Bounding Into Comics. "I'm tired of them ruining these characters; they don't have a right to do this."

Eltaeb specifically pointed out at the Superman logo change. "What really pissed me off was saying truth, justice, and a better world," he vented out his frustration. "F**k that it was Truth, Justice, and the American way. My Grandpa almost died in World War II; we don't have a right to destroy s**t that people died for to give us. It's a bunch of f***ing nonsense."

The colorist went on insinuating that there's no place for a conservative like him in the company. He ranted, "They call us bigots and racist and s**t, I would ask them, find me in the f**king mainstream, not on the fringes, one f**king book, one f**king T-shirt, one movie that says that leftism is bad, and conservatism is good, find it for me, they f**king won't they're not letting people have a voice, they're the f**king bigots."

"Sorry," Eltaeb said after lashing out, adding, "that's been bottled up for five years."

Of Eltaeb's appearance on his show, Van Sciver recalled, "Gabe just exploded on my livestream, he had a lot to say, a lot of feelings and a lot of thoughts that he wasn't able to share because he was working for DC Comics."

He then confirmed Eltaeb's claims as saying, "And that's the reality. You cannot come out and be a conservative and criticize the company that you work for in this way. You have to be completely supportive of the corporate agenda, whatever it is."

"You have to keep your negative or critical opinions to yourself, and it's so liberating to be able to not work for DC comics and be able to say exactly what you think," he added. "And I think that's what Gabe is going through here."

DC Comics recently announced that Superman's new slogan no longer states that the hero is fighting for "truth, justice, and the American way" but now stands for "truth, justice and a better tomorrow." Jim Lee, DC's chief creative officer and publisher, explained during the company's virtual DC FanDome event on Saturday, October 17, "To better reflect the storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor Superman's incredible legacy over 80 years of building a better world, Superman's motto is evolving."

In addition to the slogan change, earlier this month it was revealed that Jon Kent, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, will come out as bisexual in an upcoming issue.
WENN/Avalon Movie

While admitting that she loves 'the energy' behind the fan-cast for the potential follow-up of Robert Pattinson's Batman movie, the Princess Diana depicter in 'Spencer' prefers to 'do something new.'

Oct 21, 2021

AceShowbiz - Kristen Stewart is not that "stoked" with the idea for her to play Batman's villain the Joker. Addressing fan campaign that proposes for her to star as the mad clown in a potential "The Batman" sequel that would likely reunite her with her "Twilight" co-star Robert Pattinson, the actress said she prefers to "do something new."

The "Snow White and the Huntsman" star addressed the social media campaign during an interview with Variety. Asked if she would ever consider playing the famous villain, she admitted, "I love the energy behind that."

On why she would likely skip the role, the 31-year-old explained, "It's really been done so well. I feel like, maybe, we don't traipse over, but I love that gusto. Let's figure something else out." She went on noting, "I'm totally down to play a freaky, scary person."

When asked if that was a definite "no," Stewart replied, "Not 'no,' but not the most stoked I've ever been." She added, "Let's do something new."

There have been several incarnations of the Joker on the screen, including the ones played by Jack Nicholson, Jared Leto and Mark Hamill. The late Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix both won Academy Awards for their portrayals of the Clown Prince of Crime in "The Dark Knight" (2008) and "Joker" (2019), respectively.

While Joker won't appear in Pattinson's upcoming film, the character will be referenced in the Matt Reeves-directed pic. There was a speculation that Phoenix's Joker would appear in the movie after the British actor reportedly spilled the beans, but another report said any future Batman movies may feature a new incarnation of Joker.

The new Batman movie is coming on March 4, 2022 in the United States. Zoe Kravitz stars as Catwoman, Colin Farrell is cast as the Penguin, Paul Dano portrays the Riddler with John Turturro as a Gotham crime lord, Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson, and Andy Serkis as Alfred.
WENN/Johnny Louis Celebrity

The plan is reportedly to have the new social media platform, which aims to 'create a rival to the liberal media consortium,' at the top of 2022 as a beta version will be available starting next month.

Oct 21, 2021

AceShowbiz - Donald Trump is still banned on Twitter, so he decides to create a new social media platform. The former president of the United States is reportedly planning to launch "Truth Social" through the new company Trump Media and Technology Group.

Deadline reports that the plan is to have the new social media platform at the top of 2022 as a beta version will be available starting next month. According to a press release, the forthcoming social media service is set to "create a rival to the liberal media consortium and fight back against the Big Tech companies of Silicon Valley, which have used their unilateral power to silence opposing voices in America."

"Truth Social" is not the only thing that Trump has been preparing. The controversial public figure is also set to launch a subscription video service called "TMTG+" that will have "non-woke" content. The reality TV personality says in a statement, "I created Truth Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech."

Back in January, Twitter announced its decision to permanently ban Trump's account. "After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence," Twitter explained. "In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action."

Earlier this month, Trump filed a lawsuit to have a federal district judge force Twitter to reinstate his account, which was banned permanently in the wake of the Capitol riot. "Plaintiff Donald J. Trump respectfully moves for a preliminary injunction directing, inter alia, Defendant Twitter, Inc. and all persons acting in concert with Defendant, to reinstate Plaintiffs access to Defendants social media platform(s)," Trump's legal team claimed in the filing.

In the filing, his attorneys also stated that the social media company "exercises a degree of power and control over political discourse in this country that is immeasurable, historically unprecedented, and profoundly dangerous to open democratic debate."
Instagram Celebrity

In her statement, 'The Real Housewives of Orange County' alum says that she believes she had antibodies since she already had the virus but she decides to take the vaccine 'because of travel restrictions.'

Oct 21, 2021

AceShowbiz - Kelly Dodd has unveiled the reasons why she "regrets" getting the COVID-19 vaccines. Expressing her skepticism, the former "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star called the vaccine "potentially deadly jab."

"I already had the virus so I already had antibodies. I was protected and unlikely to get Covid again but got the vaccine because of travel restrictions," the 46-year-old reality star said in a statement to Page Six. She then admitted that taking her vaccines "made life a lot easier since [she] could show the card and not have to keep getting tested." However, Kelly noted, "But if the government would've allowed an antibody card I never would've gotten the shot."

Kelly's statement continued, "Now I personally know of at least two otherwise healthy people who died of blood clots after getting the vaccine and three others who developed Bells Palsy." The former Bravo star shared, "Another friend of mine who was fine before she got jabbed got Myocarditis and almost died and is still really suffering and she only got the vax because her employer required it."

"If people want to get this experimental vaccine that we now know only lasts a few months and doesn't keep you from catching or spreading Covid, go get it but no one should be forced to do it," Kelly added. "If it's so effective than [sic] the people who get it shouldn't be worried about people who don't."

Kelly then asked people to "look at the actual stats" if "this is all about the science." She added, "I know this virus has killed more than 700,000 people but more than 90% of them had preexisting comorbidities. They were already very sick and most were elderly. For the general population, Covid has a 99% survival rate."

Kelly ended her statement by rhetorically asking, "Why are we demanding young healthy people risk their bodies for something that's been proven not to work very well? And why is this such a controversial stance in America, where we used to value freedom and independence and choice so highly?" She then sarcastically concluded, "I feel like I woke up in the USSR."

Expressing her regret publicly, Kelly took to her Twitter account on Tuesday, October 19 to say, "I got the vaccine  And regret it." She added in her tweet, "I'm trying not to be a d**k," referencing a character named Dick, who "thinks the government cares about him."
WENN Movie

New movies 'The Lost Daughter' and 'Passing' have dominate the nominations for the upcoming Gotham independent movie awards, vying for best film honor.

Oct 22, 2021

AceShowbiz - Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut, "The Lost Daughter", and Rebecca Hall's "Passing" lead all nominations for the 2021 Gotham Awards with nine nods between them.

Both actresses-turned-moviemakers have scored Breakthrough Director mentions while their films are both up for Best Feature at the annual independent film honours.

In the Best Feature category, "The Lost Daughter" and "Passing" will be up against "The Green Knight", "Pig", and "Test Pattern".

Meanwhile, "The Lost Daughter" 's Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, and "Passing" 's Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga are up for lead and supporting performance prizes.

It was previous confirmed that Jane Campion will receive the Director's Tribute, Kristen Stewart the Performer Tribute, Eamonn Bowles the Industry Tribute, and the cast of "The Harder They Fall" the Ensemble Tribute at the Gotham Awards, which will be held next month (29Nov21) at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.

Jane Campion, whose latest film "The Power of the Dog" for Netflix has been playing the fall festival circuit to critical acclaim, will receive the Director's Tribute at this year's Gotham Awards ceremony.

The full list of this year's nominees is:

Best Feature:

Best Documentary Feature:

" Ascension "

" " Faya Dayi "

" " Flee "

" " President "

" "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)"

Best International Feature:

" Azor "

" " Drive My Car "

" " The Souvenir Part II "

" " Titane "

" " What Do We See When We Look at the Sky? "

" "The Worst Person in the World"

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award:

Best Screenplay:

Outstanding Lead Performance:

Outstanding Supporting Performance:

Breakthrough Performer:

Emilia Jones in " CODA "

in " " Natalie Morales in " Language Lessons "

in " " Rachel Sennott in " Shiva Baby "

in " " Suzanna Son in " Red Rocket "

in " " Amalia Ulman in "El Planeta"

Breakthrough Series - Long Format (over 40 minutes):

Breakthrough Series - Short Format (under 40 minutes):

" Blindspotting "

" " Hacks "

" " Reservation Dogs "

" " Run the World "

" "We Are Lady Parts"

Breakthrough Nonfiction Series:

" City So Real "

" " Exterminate All the Brutes "

" " How To with John Wilson "

" " Philly D.A. "

" "Pride"

Outstanding Performance in a New Series:
RED BLUFF, Calif.  A Red Bluff man was arrested after authorities said he kidnapped a prominent businessmans son for ransom Tuesday evening.

It started Tuesday around 9:30 p.m. when the Tehama County Sheriffs Office said they received a report from a woman who had also been involved in the attempted kidnapping around Cone Grove Park.

The suspect, 37-year-old Andrew Cornelius Loewen, was seen by responding deputies speeding off from the park in a gold-colored SUV. Deputies chased Loewen throughout Highway 99E, and said they saw him throw what appeared to be a gun from his car.

Loewen finally yielded on Highway 36E near Stice Road. Once Loewen was pulled over, deputies said they located an adult male victim restrained inside his car.

Deputies said they learned the male victim was the son of a prominent businessman in the area who had previously employed Loewen. Loewen went to the property where the male victim and a woman were working and restrained them both. However, he only forced the male victim into his vehicle, according to the sheriffs office. Loewen then left a ransom note demanding a large amount of money for the male victims release and sped off.

The woman, who Loewen left behind, was able to free herself from the restraints and call the Tehama County Sheriffs Office for help.

Loewen was arrested on several charges including kidnapping for ransom, false imprisonment, and assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Tehama County Jail and his bail is set at $2 million.

Deputies told Action News Now both victims were not injured during the kidnapping.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP)  The 2-month-old California wildfire that threatened the Lake Tahoe resort region during the summer has been declared 100% contained.

The fire reached the containment milestone late Wednesday.

Storms this week covered the west side of the fire and rain fell on the east side, and stronger storms are expected through this week.

Authorities say smoldering and creeping within the fire area will continue long into winter.

The 346-square-mile fire was reported Aug. 14 and destroyed 1,000 structures including nearly 800 homes as it marched toward South Lake Tahoe, which was spared.

Much of the loss occurred in the forest community of Grizzly Flat.
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - The Butte County District Attorney has filed criminal charges against a 22-year-old suspect for illegally hacking multiple computers at California State University, Chico.

Mike Ramsey, the Butte County District Attorney, said an investigation lead to Alejandro Benitez.

Ramsey said Benitez hacked Chico State computers that lead to an internet posting of a list of University students who applied for COVID-19 vaccination exemptions.

Benitez is a recent Chico State graduate and worked for the Information Technology Support Services Office at Chico State.

The investigation began when a Sacramento newspaper published an article in August describing a spreadsheet that included vaccine exemption requests from 130 Chico State students.

Included in the spreadsheet were the students names and their personal information was included in 18 of the entries.

RELATED: Chico State data breach leaks names of students requesting exemptions from vaccine

Ramsey added that Chico State University Police was able to examine and backtrace the posting to Benitez.

Police determined that a Chico State professor told the media about the online post. The professor told police he told the media and his union in hopes of any potential civil rights and privacy violations would be investigated, according to Ramsey.

Ramsey said the professor will not be facing charges as the criminal conduct in the case is unlawfully accessing the computers.

Benitez was able to get the confidential exemption list by accessing at least two computers assigned to Chico State administrators. Benitez then download numerous files which included the spreadsheet.

RELATED: Chico State provides statement about COVID-19 vaccination data breach

Benitez attempted to redact the students personal identifying information by replacing the data column with student emails with anonymous but Bentiz never saw the students identification was located in a different column of the spreadsheet, according to Ramsey.

Benitez has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of unauthorized computer access and he faces up to two years in county jail.

A warrant will be issued for Benitezs arrest if he does not voluntarily appear in court.
DURHAM, Calif. - The Durham Unified School Board voted unanimously to approve a letter they will send to Governor Gavin Newsom's office requesting the state to recommend the vaccine for students and staff instead of requiring it.

Durham Unified School board voted at Durham High School's Library to tell the state they wish to not require the vaccine for students and staff.

"The motion is passed unanimously," said School Board President Ed McLaughlin.

Durham School Board stood up to the state to not enforce the vaccine mandate on school districts across the state.

James Yuhasz is a Durham school parent of two boys, he does not want his children to get the vaccine.

"I'm suggesting that the freedom of choice be preserved. To promote the vaccine as an option is one thing, but to require a vaccine for people is a completely different thing. Total government overreach," said Yuhasz.

But more important to him, he doesn't want the vaccine imposed on other children.

Other parents agree, a sign posted outside the meeting reads, "You have to do what is right for you, no one walks in your shoes."

RELATED: Parents outraged over student vaccine mandate, Thermalito School Board will discuss next meeting

Plenty of parents have slippers and boots in support, and even some staff members.

The school board already had a letter prepared to send to Sacramento that asked for the vaccine to be a recommendation.

"I don't want to require any mandate, I don't want to recommend it," said one of the School Board Members.

However, a big reason why the district doesn't want to comply with the mandate is because of the effects that could come from it.

"We have about 25% of our staff that has chosen to not yet get vaccinated," said Superintendent John Bohannon." And we're afraid that we're going to lose staff, and we're afraid that is going to make things even worse."

Action News Now reached out to the Governor's Office today to ask what happens when a school board sends in a letter asking the requirement to turn into a recommendation, we have yet to hear back.

Thermalito School District is expected to discuss its decision on the mandate on October 26th.

Happy Valley School District decided to not comply with the mandate.
Photo credit in the video: First graphic is courtesy of MGNOnline / FaceMePLS / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / CC BY 2.0 / CC BY-SA 2.0 / CC BY 2.0 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. Second photo courtesy of MGNOnline / kaylenelise / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 /https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ . Third photo courtesy of MGNOnline / Yad Vashem.

RED BLUFF, Calif. - Action News Now is investigating people's concerns of a local school teacher comparing the vaccine mandate to the Holocaust, saying the yellow Star of David, Nazis forced Jews to wear is the same as mandating teachers get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Many are upset after, Stacy Pearce, a teacher at Berrendo's Middle School in Red Bluff, posted the video on TikTok.

Why am I wearing this yellow star on my chest? In Nazi Germany, the Jews were required to wear this yellow Star of David on their clothing to identify them, to humiliate them, and to isolate them, what's happening today is not much different in our school system, Pearce said in the video.

Many people have sent Action News Now the video. In it, Pearce calls for a"Yellow Star protest."

Vaccinated or not  wear this yellow star to stand up for our freedom, Pearce says in the video.

Action News Now spoke with Samuel Edelman who is a Professor Emeritus of Chico State specializing in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Hes also a member of Congregation Beth Israel in Chico.

Appalled, upset and wanted to note this is a total misappropriation of the Holocaust, and a slap in the face at the survivor community and to the memory of six million Jews and others who were murdered by the Nazis during World War II," Professor Edelman said.

"For a teacher to do this, is amazingly not only inappropriate but it is a slap in the face against all other teachers, and this is something I would hope this teacher and others will stop doing, the Holocaust was a horrific event and not comparable to a vaccine that will save your life, Professor Edelman said.

Action News Now also spoke with Joseph Lankford whose son goes to Berrendo's Middle School.

It's not right, the Holocaust was a lot worse than what she's talking about, Lankford said.

Others think Pearce has the right to voice her opinion.

As long as it wasn't in the classroom and she was at home or whatever, I don't see anything wrong with it, parent, Dennis Galloway said.

Action News Now did reach out to school officials. Antelope Elementary School District Superintendent Jim Weber says they are aware of the situation and are currently investigating, but he says they cannot comment any further.

The school district may not be saying much, but others across the country are upset at the video and posted videos in response.

Professor Edelman says Holocaust misappropriation is a worrisome trend he's been seeing for years and he wants it to stop.

A teacher should be there to teach the facts, evidence, good thoughts and critical thinking. This is not happening when you misuse the Holocaust in such a way, he said.

Again, school officials are not sharing much when it comes to the investigation. All they have said is that they are aware of the situation and are looking into it.

Action News Now reached out to Stacy Pearce for comment but we have not heard back. She has since taken down her video.
As one of the premium Indian cement brand and the leading Wall Putty brand in India, JKCement has been at the forefront of innovation in its product offerings and marketing communication. Its marquee brand, JKCement WallMaxX known for its, Deewarein Bol Uthengi tagline has released a new TVC titled, # ArtManeScience with its iconic brand protagonist, Chhutkau painter.

A partnership of over 12 years, Chhutkau painter has been associated with JKCement WallMaxX (formerly known as JK Wall Putty), to educate and bring awareness among painters and home-owners about the promise of beautiful and durable walls. In the new TVC, # ArtManeScience , Chhutkau collaborates with world renowned scientist Dr. Bakshi, to educate the consumers about the A-R-T of Science that gives your walls worlds most long lasting beauty.

The company saw the need to reinforce the brand promise with a tangible diffentiator showcasing the products superiority. They realized that now is the time to shift from generalized claim of beautiful walls to specific Reason to Believe (RTB) driven campaign and communication. The inception of the campaign idea came after an Abrasion Resistance Test which was conducted in their state-of-the-art lab. The team found out that the surface coated with JKCement WallMaxX Putty was relatively less effective while an external force of abrasion was applied on it.

This is SCIENCE of ART  Abrasion Resistance Technology!

Business Objective: To consolidate the global leadership position of JKCement WallMaxX Wall Putty, by clearly defining the product advantages to prospective customers and loyal buyers.

Communication Objective: To anchor on the popularity of our brand protagonist, Chhutkau Painter, and catch the TAs attention and create a prominent brand recall with a captivating hook  ART mane SCIENCE.

Insights: In order to test the efficacy of the chosen art mane science campaign thought, as also the credibility of the ART mnemonic, the company went in for a pan- India qualitative market research. The larger objective was to also gauge the current perception of both, painters and home- owners, about the product and its current + emerging competitive universe. While the brands attributes were already clearly understood by the audiences, what was hugely exciting, was the enthusiasm for ART as a credible brand promise. That sealed the deal for the new campaign idea!

The campaign has been conceptualized by Basic4 and brought to life by Fullmoon Productions.

Speaking on the launch of the campaign, Mr. Niranjan Mishra (Business Head, JK White Cement Business) said, As JKCement WallMaxX enjoys a market leadership position in the Wall Putty category, it become important for us to constantly innovate and give our customers world-class product quality. Abrasion Resistant Technology, is a testimony to our products superiority and through #ArtManeScience campaign, we will be able to communicate this unique value proposition.

Mr. Nitish Chopra (Head  Branding & Strategy, JK White Cement Business) said, The fact that the idea ART Mane Science, actually stemmed from our products value proposition, was compelling enough to translate it into a successful campaign. Obviously, we also had an advantage to leverage the cult- like status of our brand protagonist, Chhutkau Painter, and catch the TAs top-of-mind space, with the intriguing hook  ART Mane SCIENCE. But, what was particularly satisfying was the execution of this campaign  from the ART gallery set, to the modern contemporary sound track and the hard work put in by the entire team. It all made the TVC film more compelling and entertaining to watch.

Target Audience: Primary-Home-owners, Secondary  painters/builders/ architects/ contractors/ owners of commercial properties.

Media: A 360-degree media approach has been adopted

HSM News Channel & GEC in Television

Leading radio stations

OOH & on-ground activations

Digital- Social, Display, OTT, News & Publications

Campaign start date: The campaign started on September 10th 2021

Media Outcome so far:

A critical mass was reached out through the #ArtManeScience campaign where the initial objective of awareness was fulfilled. 275+ Million core audience reached through HSM news. A target reach of 15 to 20% achieved through our regional television advertising. Radio activity ensured a combined listenership of 8+ million in select markets

The #ArtManeScience campaign has garnered over 20 million views and 42 million impressions across all digital platforms with a 2X engagement than usual so far
Gaming will take off in a real and substantial way in India and finally this is starting to happen, said Ajit Mohan - Vice President and Managing Director, India  Facebook. He was speaking at the social networkers first-ever gaming event Facebook Gaming Press Start.

Like everything we do at Facebook, our work in gaming is focused on building communities and connecting people, he said during the virtual event.

He threw some light on the gaming world of Facebook, providing statistics on the engagement of gamers on the platform, future opportunities and growth related to gaming.

When countries went into lockdown and people were physically distanced and isolated, gaming helped friends and families stay connected and engaged with one another around the world. On Facebook people can find entertaining gaming videos to watch, follow their favourite creators and game titles, he said.

According to a company report, globally Facebook has 900 million people engaged in games. Thats 900 million people playing games, watching game videos, or connecting in gaming groups each month. In India, the social site witnesses 234 million gameplay sessions in two months of July and August this year, ranking third globally.



He said that over 2000 million people watched live-casted gaming videos in July and August this year in India. And more than 20 million people are active members of Facebook gaming groups in the country.



One can build meaningful connections in gaming groups and chats and discover new games and play them with people from around the world all in one place, he said.



India is ready for gaming to take off in a real substantial way and finally this is starting to happen. The last year and a half have seen a massive acceleration in gaming on Facebook and other platforms as well. The goal of Facebook is to provide rocket fuel to what is going on by working with game publishers, developers, and creators, the biggest goal is to bring in more diversity into gaming. With that mind, we have been working with home-grown creators, said Ajit Mohan.

He informed that Facebook has started sowing the seeds and building the blocks of gaming by getting in touch with creators and developers like Rog stream, Game Guru, and others who will expand their presence on Facebook.

He said that in India a team is working with creators who provide live streams in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Punjabi apart from English. Enabling people from across the country to watch their favourite games in a language they follow being played on Facebook is important. Whether you are a game publisher, a developer, or a creator our platform will enable you to find an audience and provide you with tools to build, grow and monetize your games on Facebook, he added.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been sharing about its plans to help build the Metaverse, an immersive version on the internet, along with other companies and partners.

They believe that gaming will play a key role in shaping Metaverse and in building the experiences around the same. Also, to make it more interactive and for great gaming and social experiences, Facebook has united with AR gaming.

The most important future agenda is to develop the gaming ecosystem in India, he said, adding that the end goal is to build a platform that enables developers to reach new audiences, connect with players and monetize their games.
Good Glamm Group on Wednesday said it has acquired digital media and lifestyle content platform ScoopWhoop Media Pvt Ltd. In September, Sanghvi Beauty and Technologies, which operates direct-to-consumer (D2C) beauty products brand MyGlamm, unveiled The Good Glamm Group, under which it has merged its various businesses in a bid to strengthen its position as a digital house of brands powered by a content-to-commerce strategy.

Financial details were not disclosed yet. The group plans to invest Rs 500 crore in the men's category over the next three years, the company added.

Post the acquisition, ScoopWhoop's founders Sattvik Mishra, Rishi Pratim Mukherjee and Sriparna Tikekar will continue leading the platform and will work closely with Darpan Sanghvi, Priyanka Gill and Naiyya Saggi, co-founders of The Good Glamm Group.

Bharti SoftBank (BSB), a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and Japanese Internet firm SoftBank Corp, acquired a 36.5% stake in ScoopWhoop in November 2014. The following year in November, the media firm had elevate 4 million dollars from Kalaari Capital.

Last month, the Good Glamm Group said it would make strategic investments worth Rs 750 crore in beauty and personal care brands.

The company said brands under the Good Glamm Group will be able to leverage the digital audience of POPxo, Plixxo, and Babychakra, which it procure in August this year.In October, it also obtain baby-care products startup The Moms Co for an undisclosed sum.

MyGlamm was founded in 2017 by Sanghvi and Gill. The company claims to be Indias fastest-growing D2C beauty brand, with a range of over 800 cruelty-free and vegan products across categories such as makeup, skincare, and personal care. It also has over 10,000 offline points of sale across 70 cities of India.

In September, MyGlamm ranked upits Series C fundraise with a $34 million (Rs 255 crore) infusion led by an equity investment from the Trifecta Leaders Fund and structured financing from Trifecta Capital and Stride Ventures.
Indian broadcasters will have to implement NTO 2.0 from December 1, 2021, unless the Supreme Court overturns TRAIs new tariff order in its November 30, 2021 hearing. Assuming that the apex court gives the go-ahead for the new pricing regime, what are the likely scenarios? After viewing the revised channel pricing revealed by the major broadcasters in the country, where they have unbundled their driver channels from the bouquets, the TV viewing ecosystem is in for some disruption. Experts see an increase in TV bills for consumers, who are likely to cut down on the number of channels they subscribe to. Some experts even see a transition to either DD Free Dish or OTT platforms. YouTube is also seen as a big gainer from the fallout of increased TV bills.

Lets take a look at the old and new pricing of some major broadcasters who have announced their new RIOs as per NTO 2.0.

While as per NTO 1.0 ZEE TV was priced at Rs 19, the revised pricing is Rs 22.42. The MRP of Zee Cinema, which was Rs 12, has gone up to Rs 17.7 under the new pricing regime, while the MRP of Zee Cinema HD has gone up to Rs 22.42. Previously, Sony Pictures Networks channels were priced at Rs 19. Under NTO 2.0, the MRPs are as follows: SET India  Rs 24, SET HD  Rs 30, SAB  Rs 23, SAB HD  Rs 28, Sony Max  Rs 12, and Sony Max HD  Rs 19.

With the top five broadcasters taking their driver channels off the bouquets and making them available on a la carte basis, the monthly TV bills are set to be much higher than what they are currently. It could go up to as much as Rs 5,000 annually. Will an average Indian middle-class household be ready to shell out that kind of money to watch television? Already reeling under the double whammy of an economic downturn due to the adverse effects of the pandemic and rising prices, an almost 50% hike in TV bills is something that consumers will seriously reconsider.

Analysts are of the opinion that while the lower-income sections are likely to migrate to DD Free Dish in a big way, for the higher income groups, OTT could be an attractive alternative. A quick calculation of the annual subscriptions of the major OTT players reveals that even if one were to subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, SonyLIV, Disney+ Hotstar, Voot, ZEE5, the bill will come to around Rs 3,700, which is still far below the projected revised annual TV bill of Rs 5,000.

Karan Taurani, Senior Vice President - Research Analyst (Media, Consumer Discretionary & Internet) at Elara Capital, described the scenario with an example. A consumer may not pay Rs 20-25/month for a ZEE TV channel a-la-carte basis, if he is able to get a ZEE5 subscription (catch up TV with all channels + movies + original content) for Rs 42/month. Selective viewing will further intensify and negatively impact viewership share of marquee channels with a lower recall, he felt.

Taurani further added, We believe subscriber revenue growth, which is estimated to be in the range of 7-8% YoY, will move lower in the range of 3-5% in the first year of NTO 2.0 implementation; post that, there would be a steady state growth of 6-8% in the medium term. We retain our view that there is little room for TV ARPU growth, given increased move toward digital, specifically in urban areas; increased TV penetration and growth in HD subscribers remain the triggers that will contribute to subscription revenue growth for broadcasters.

He predicted that as penetration of smart TV rises, consumers will either cut the cord or move toward basic low ARPU packages. This, according to him, is primarily on the back of convenience of watching content in the digital format.

Sports and news remain two genres that would be favoured, as they need Live viewing. Further, we believe TV is the only traditional medium in which 60% of the revenue is pay-based; its share may be slightly lower in the medium term, due to less growth in TV subscriber revenue vis-a-vis ad revenue; monetisation of over the top (OTT) too remains a challenge, as most broadcasters offer lower ARPU on their platforms and bundle offers with partners, which too limits ARPU, he added.
Pacific Gaming announces its brand association with south super-star, Shaam, to be the face of its latest ad campaign, which is set to take the real money gaming world by storm. The actor known for his strong masculine roles, brings his charisma along with his gaming skills to this new brand campaign.

The brand will soon launch its media campaign; which reiterates its philosophy behind its games -  You cant cheat and you cant be cheated!. The company plans to capitalise on the upcoming Diwali season where parties engage in real-life card games. The campaign highlights the positives of card games played online and talks about the skill, simplicity, safety and choice of players.

The brand campaign will showcase Shaam prominently & will be targeted towards users across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The campaign will also be featured across various digital platforms

Commenting on the brand association, Actor Shaam said, I plan to engage with my fans outside the movie space using Gully Rummy. I want to show them how safe and fun it is to play. Pacific Gaming is known for its cutting edge technology and engaging competitions. Together, we would love to expand our fan base even further.

Archit Narayan, CEO & Co-founder of Pacific Gaming says We are excited to associate with an actor of such a high calibre for our brand. His charm, cinematic presence and engaging personality make him a great fit to connect with our players. We are committed to giving the best gaming experience, through our state-of-the-art platforms & partnerships with stalwarts like Shaam. We aim to grow in the real money skill gaming space with more value offerings to our users.

Pacific Gaming has also recently announced that it plans to launch a skill-based multi-gaming platform by the year-end
Shyam Steel, one of leading producers and manufacturers of primary TMT Bars, launched their new TVC featuring Olympic medallists Lovlina Borgohain and Manpreet Singh. The new TVC is a continuation of their "Maksad Toh India Ko Banana Hai" campaign. The campaign aims to send across the brand message that winning is just the start of your journey and your dreams are achieved through a perfect balance of strength and flexibility just like Shyam Steel Flexi Strong TMT bars. The TVC has been created by Roadshow Films Private Limited and directed by Aritra Sen and Sourya Deb.

Through this TVC launch, Shyam Steel, represents strength, flexibility, and faith of the masses with the thought process that steel is just an offering but building the nation is the larger goal. Roping in Lovlina Borgohain and Manpreet Singh, known for their achievement in the Tokyo Olympics, enhances the brand message. The passion, grit and determination shown by them resonates as strong and flexible as steel. Their journeys are epitomes of perseverance, strength and determination, which are also affiliated with Shyam Steels core brand philosophy. The TVC campaign reflects on this thought process that winning is the start of the journey and its the correct balance of strength and flexibility which gives you an edge to achieve your dreams.

The TVC Campaign showcases Lovlina Borgohain and Manpreet Singh preparing for their next competition and strengthening themselves further to perform better than their next challengers. The dream to win their game is achieved by having the perfect balance of strength and flexibility just like Shyam Steel Flexi Strong TMT Bars. Through this TVC Shyam Steel India drives across the message that winning is just the beginning of the journey whereas building the nation is the larger goal.

Speaking on the TVC campaign launch, Mr Lalit Beriwala, Director, Shyam Steel said "The campaign narrative embodies the principle of what Shyam Steel stands as a brand. The TVC reflects the brands thought in connection with Lovlina and Manpreets grit and determination to overcome every obstacle and achieve their dreams. We at Shyam Steel aim to build the nation by assisting people in building their dreams. Through this campaign we are looking to establish a deeper connect with our target audience.

On associating with Shyam Steel on the TVC, Lovlina Borgohain said It was a wonderful experience working with Shyam Steel. Through this TVC we look forward to connect with the audience and establish their brand philosophy.

On associating with Shyam Steel on the TVC, Manpreet Singh said I would like to extend my gratitude to Shyam Steel for onboarding me to become a part of their TVC. I am confident that this TVC would inspire people to pursue their dreams no matter what obstacles are ahead.

It has indeed been a matter of pride to collaborate with Shyam Steel on this project. Both Manpreet and Lovlina have been delightful to work with. They have amazed us with their performance in the Tokyo Olympics. And they are indeed personalities to draw inspiration from even in real life. It has been a very special experience for both me and my team, said Mr Aritra Sen, Director of the TVC

Shyam Steel will be undertaking a 360-degree approach in promoting the campaign which will be led by the digital platform. The TVC will be showcased in News and GEC channels followed by Outdoor and Print campaign to sustain the communication until this financial yeaR.
The troll army of social media has grown rapidly in the past few years and the brands are in constant attack by that army. In the social media universe, #ban and #boycott trends have become a daily threat to brand conversations and damage the reputation of brands. Unable to withstand the fury of aggrieved netizens, several brands have withdrawn their campaigns and given an open apology.

Unlike traditional media campaigns, monitoring and management of campaigns on digital platforms is a difficult task, owing to the variety of platforms and the ability of millions of users to engage with the content of the brand.

While in a few cases, brands do get their messaging and communication totally wrong and end up putting out tone-deaf advertisements that rightfully ruffle feathers. But in most cases, the public ire is unreasonable and smacks of fascism.

The trolls that we saw last year of WhiteHat Jr., Tanishq, Eros Now, Flipkart, and Kent RO show that such incidents are becoming more common by the day and the latest victims of this are FabIndia and Zomato.

Fabindia was recently trolled over Twitter with the hashtag #BoycottFabIndia after the brand rolled out its Diwali collection named Jashn-e-Riwaaz. Neitizens took to Twitter saying that it hurts the sentiments of Hindus and the words put up for celebration are not meant to celebrate the pure festival of Diwali.

Next in line was Zomato. The food delivery app bore the brunt of Twitterati after a service representative allegedly told a customer from Tamil Nadu to learn Hindi when reached over phone to complain about an item that was missing from his order.

While Fabindia was forced to pull down its advertisement for hurting Hindu sentiments, Zomato came up with an apology statement.

Brands have realised that the Audience is quite intolerant when it comes to caste and religion. So accordingly, the message that the brands put out has to be very refined and such that it doesnt hurt the sentiment of any segment as such. For example, The Tanishq ad campaign - Ekvatam made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The ad description read, a beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, cultures," but social media did not agree. All the fuss led to the makers finally taking down the video. In a sensitive age like this, commercials like these can only face backlash. Even Titan's stock dropped within a day by 2.5% after the Tanishq ad controversy.

Bhavesh Talreja, Founder, Globale Media, opined, We would not hold grudges on brands like Tanishq and Zomato for having pulled ads out because its contextual to the age we live in, and the society we live in. Its important for brands to understand whether the ad was criticized by real people or was being criticized by trolls with an agenda, and thats where brands need to take a call. Therefore, brands need to have a social media marketing understanding system, which is all about social media market intelligence. Companies and brand custodians need to be sensitive, so as not to needlessly offend any segment - but this also should not stop them from doing what is right in the larger context.

Speaking on whether a brand should pull down the advertisement, Piali Dasgupta, Senior Vice President  Marketing, Columbia Pacific Communities, said, The problem is, most brands tend to give in to the pressure and withdraw their ads, issuing an apology. If, for a change, we have brands that stand by their communication (if they wholeheartedly believe that they have not been offensive or troublesome in their messaging, tone, tenor and visual), that would serve as an antidote to the boycott culture thats steadily setting in India.

Continuing further Dasgupta added, However, it is always a good idea to test out your communication through a dipstick survey for smaller campaigns and an elaborate survey for larger campaigns with a lot more at stake. This will help get adequate unbiased, untainted perspectives from neutral parties who have nothing to do with your brand and business and will help brands assess the communication better. Brand managers and agency teams are so close to the brand that they can sometimes lose perspective, creating and approving communication that may seem inappropriate and problematic.

According to Globale Medias Talreja, In reality, though, what is offensive and what is not will always be subjective; it will always boil down to emotions. And since some advertising and marketing strategies connect to people through their emotions, it will always be hard to not, in any way, offend someone. We live in a world where businesses are constantly under attack from online advertising trolls. It is therefore our responsibility to educate our clients on the situation and gravity of how it could affect their business.

He further noted, All companies live and thrive under a political system, and have an imperative to not only be correct but also appear to be politically correct. This is a business habit in India. Although there is no quantitative data to prove this, the fact is when the trollers start to cancel culture, it affects the image of the brand and eventually the image of the company. Political correctness with ad campaigns very much forms a part of brand strategy in India.
dentsuMB, the integrated creative agency from dentsu India, has won the mandate for the branded portfolio of WayCool Foods, India's largest & fastest growing agri-commerce company. The account will be serviced from the agencys Chennai office.

For the record, WayCool Foods has launched a range of branded food products across its portfolio of staples, dairy products and fresh produce. Formed with the vision to be the most efficient, impactful and sustainable agri-commerce platform, the company has seen unprecedented growth and is set to expand its reach to domestic as well as select international markets. The company has initiated this in response to the demand from consumers for branded staples and food products, which grew particularly during Covid. This has further resulted in a number of retailers switching from loosely sold products to packed and branded ones. WayCool Foods intends to use its direct sourcing advantage, as well as its network of state-of-the-art processing and distribution facilities, to ensure quality, consistency and availability across retail stores in its target markets for its range of branded products.

As per the mandate, dentsuMB will be responsible for managing the brand strategy and developing creative solutions across the brand portfolio.

It is pertinent to note here that dentsuMB India was first awarded the dairy products mandate of WayCool Foods in 2020. On the back of the stellar work created by the agency, the company has now appointed dentsuMB as the lead communication partner for itss portfolio of consumer brands.

Karthik Jayaraman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, WayCool Foods & Products said, "WayCool, being a purpose-driven organization, works across the food supply chain from Soil -to-Sale. Our consumer brands basket is designed around daily meal consumption habits to make home cooking easy, convenient, and magical. dentsuMB has been helping us reach and engage better with our target audience. Its global market intelligence is invaluable to us, and we will continue to strengthen this relationship to serve the Indian consumer globally.



Indrajeet Mookherjee, Managing Partner, dentsuMB India added, The most rewarding part of our business is when the client acknowledges its agency partner with an additional mandate. We are truly humbled and honoured to have been chosen as the lead agency for WayCool Foods to build its portfolio of brands in India and abroad.

Priya CM, AVP, dentsuMB, Chennai commented, Home cooking is even more important today with the current situation we are in and WayCool as a brand is synonymous with quality and high standards. We are happy to have grown this partnership and look forward to building the brand as it looks to enter new categories and new geographies.
After an illustrious 25 years in advertising in India, Tarun Rai, Chairman and Group CEO South Asia will become Executive Director Strategic Initiatives, APAC, effective January 1, 2022. Taruns vast experience will help accelerate growth across the many countries of the region.

In the seven years as Chairman and CEO, Tarun has successfully steered the company through significant changes at an organizational and cultural level  most recently leading the successful and seamless transition to Wunderman Thompson. Previously with JWT, he returned to the agency in 2015 after a long stint in media, and quickly put the company back on an aggressive growth path. He diversified the organizations capabilities to better serve clients, many of whom have been partners for a long time and remain so. He built an excellent leadership team and has fostered a culture of collaboration across the various group companies. Throughout the pandemic, he has led the organization with sensitivity and empathy without compromising on the quality of the work.

Tarun Rai commented, The last seven years have been very exciting and rewarding. The unprecedented changes in these years required nimble leadership. I also had the opportunity to lead the transition to our new company, Wunderman Thompson, which has a powerful mix of creativity and technology. I am extremely proud of our people and of our leadership team for their fantastic work through these years. We partner with some of the best clients in the industry and I value their friendship and support. I now look forward to stepping into my new role in an expanded geography.

We would like to thank Tarun for his leadership and efforts as Group CEO of South Asia, and are pleased that Tarun will continue his strategic guidance and support for the agency as he moves on to serve as our APAC Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives added Ewen Sturgeon, CEO, International, Wunderman Thompson.

Rai will report directly to Ewen Sturgeon, CEO, International of Wunderman Thompson. Details on Rais successor will be announced shortly.
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 21.10.2021 - On 21 October 2021, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees was in Bern for talks with Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis and SDC Director General Patricia Danzi. The meeting with Mr Cassis focused on cooperation between Switzerland and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as the crises in Afghanistan, Libya, Syrie and Yemen.

Mr Cassis, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), reiterated at the meeting with Mr Grandi that Switzerland would continue to actively support efforts to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. He also talked about the additional funds pledged by Switzerland at the UN Conference on Afghanistan, which took place in Geneva on 13 September. This additional funding will be discussed by Parliament this December. The role donor countries can play in ensuring that organisations like the UNHCR are able to respond quickly and adequately to crises, and meet the needs of the affected people as best possible, was also raised. In addition, Mr Cassis gave his assurance that Switzerland would continue to make a significant contribution to the Global Compact for Refugees, and that it would co-host the upcoming High-level Officials Meeting in December, as it did at the Global Refugee Forum.



SDC Director General Patricia Danzi also exchanged views with Mr Grandi on the precarious situation in Afghanistan. The SDC Director emphasized the importance of cooperation with the UNHCR. She also noted the success of the Geneva Technical Hub in particular, which provides technical assistance to the UNHCR and its partner organisations with the aim of mitigating any negative effects of humanitarian work on the environment and in the field of disaster risk reduction.



The UNHCR is Swiss Humanitarian Aid's third largest partner. To bolster the UNHCR's flexibility and planning security, the Swiss Parliament decided in 2019 to grant the organisation a four-year voluntary contribution of CHF 125 million. This year's contribution to the UNHCR amounts to CHF 32 million. The Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit also has 22 members that can be deployed to the UNHCR, in particular for missions concerned with water, hygiene and sanitation. The UNHCR is the UN's largest agency and has its head office in Geneva. It supports and advocates in particular for refugees, internally displaced persons and stateless people  in total around 80 million people all over the world.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

Publisher

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




Federal Department of Justice and Police

Bern, 21.10.2021 - Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter is conducting an official working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 20 and 21 October. In Sarajevo, the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) held talks with Security Minister Selmo Cikotic and Migration Minister Milos Lucic. She also visited a migration centre outside Sarajevo. Ms Keller-Sutter then travelled on to Greece where she will hold meetings with her ministerial counterparts and visit a reception centre.

A migration partnership has been in place between Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009  it is Switzerland's longest standing migration partnership. Ms Keller-Sutter stressed the importance of this cooperation and Switzerland's willingness to continue it: "Migration-related challenges can only be managed through partnership." She also assured Bosnia and Herzegovina further support, particularly in the areas of migration management, border controls, returns and in improving the migration information system.

Focus on migration policy

Since the Western Balkans route gained in importance, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been one of Europe's migration hotspots. Around 66,000 migrants have crossed the country's border since 2018, with Bosnia and Herzegovina primarily serving as a transit country to the EU. "Bosnia and Herzegovina plays an extremely important role in tackling illegal migration. Switzerland greatly appreciates the country's efforts in this area", stressed Ms Keller-Sutter addressing local media representatives in Sarajevo.

Nevertheless, the country relies heavily on international support, be it in border management or in the accommodation and integration of migrants. A functioning asylum system in Bosnia and Herzegovina is also in Switzerland's and the EU's interests.

Since 2017, Switzerland has supported various projects through the migration partnership, investing a total of around CHF 6.8 million. Among other things, it has contributed towards the running of the Lipa temporary reception centre, which accommodates around 900 migrants.

Ms Keller-Sutter gives assurance of further support

During her meetings with Security Minister Selmo Cikotic and Migration Minister Milos Lucic, the head of the FDJP announced that this support would continue. There are plans, for example, to connect the new reception centre at Lipa to the electricity grid and to cover the administrative costs . This is an important contribution to prevent a crisis like the one in the winter of 2020/2021. "Winter will soon be with us, so it's important that there is adequate heating", said Keller-Sutter. A new project involves improving the migration information system thereby enabling more efficient management of regular and irregular migration.

Following the bilateral meetings, Ms Keller-Sutter visited the Usivak migration centre outside Sarajevo. The facility for families, unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable groups has a capacity of around 800 people. The Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) provided the facility with assistance in pandemic prevention and basic medical care. During her visit to Sarajevo, the head of the FDJP commended the commitment of the authorities in addressing the challenges of migration management.

Official working visit to Greece

On the afternoon of 21 October, Ms Keller-Sutter travelled to Greece. In Athens, she visited a centre for unaccompanied girls set up with the support of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). On 22 October, the head of the FDJP will meet with the Greek Minister for Asylum and Migration, Notis Mitarachi, and the Minister for Citizens' Protection, Takis Theodorikakos. To conclude the trip, Ms Keller-Sutter will visit the Mavrovouni facility on the Greek island of Lesbos to assess the situation on the ground.

Address for enquiries

Communication Service FDJP, T +41 58 462 18 18

Publisher

Federal Department of Justice and Police

http://www.ejpd.admin.ch




Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

Bern, 21.10.2021 - The President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr Guy Parmelin, will travel to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory next week. Talks with the heads of state and government will be held on Thursday 28 October. On Friday 29 October, Mr Parmelin will be in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the official Swiss Day at Expo 2020. Talks with the UAE government are also scheduled.

The talks in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territory will focus on bilateral cooperation in economic and science matters, the creation of jobs for Palestinian youth and Switzerland's peace promotion efforts.

In Israel, Mr Parmelin will meet with President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. While in Ramallah, he will take part in an event with representatives of the Swiss-Palestinian Joint Business Council and the innovation scene and will hold talks with President Mahmoud Abbas, at which Vice-Prime Minister Ziad Abu Amr and Foreign Minister Ryiad Al Malki will also be present.

The Dubai Expo, originally scheduled for 2020, did not open until 1 October 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is the first world exhibition in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region and also the first to be held by an Arab country. The motto is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. Mr Parmelin will attend Switzerland's National Day and visit the country's pavilion, which presents Switzerland as a leading location for innovation and as a tourist destination.

Meetings with UAE government representatives are also planned. In addition to Switzerland's presence at Expo Dubai, talks will focus on economic and financial relations between Switzerland and the UAE, cooperation in the fields of education, science and innovation, and regional policy developments.

Address for enquiries

GS-EAER Communication

Tel. +41 58 462 20 07

info@gs-wbf.admin.ch

Publisher

Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

http://www.wbf.admin.ch






From STAND FOR HEALTH FREEDOM:



Our Stand: At-A-Glance

There is an FDA meeting on October 26, 2021 to discuss covid vaccination in children ages 5-11, specifically expanding the Pfizer EUA to children as young as five.



You can make a public comment until October 25, 2021 that will go on record for the FDA to consider as it decides on Emergency Use Authorization for covid vaccines for children ages 5-12.



Click HERE to Read More and to TAKE ACTION.



Stand for Health Freedom cannot give you a script because duplicate comments get screened and deleted. However, we can arm you with inspiration from some of our most salient talking points.



In recent meetings, many panelists have expressed concern about the benefits of vaccination versus the risks to our vulnerable children. Comments about this risk-benefit analysis will stand out to them.



Similarly, myocarditis in our young males has been a key question resonating throughout meetings in VRBPAC. Panelists are very concerned about heart problems in our youth and are not convinced the benefit being pushed by FDA and Pfizer are enough to outweigh the spotty data about myocarditis. Comments about your concerns regarding myocarditis will be very important for the panel. (Comment before October 21 if you can!)
Now that African swine fever has been found in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Paul Sundberg says there is a heightened sense of urgency as the U.S. pork industry works to keep the virus out and develop the ability to contain it should it be found here.

The pathways to entry havent changed, says Sundberg, a veterinarian and executive director of the Swine Health Information Center. Even though its closer, those pathways are still there, and we are doing all we can to manage that risk. The pressure is greater than it has been before.

Sundberg says the real danger is in the evolution of the virus into the Western Hemisphere.

If it gets into other islands and Central America, the pathways become even more challenging, he says.

Thousands of hours of work have gone into prevention and preparation, Sundberg says. A year-long study released in September and funded by SHIC and the Pork Checkoff found no major areas have been overlooked when it comes to prevention.

The study was conducted by EpiX Analytics LLC.

This EpiX review provided a third-party evaluation of potential gaps in national biosecurity that could put the U.S. swine industry at risk of a viral introduction. It is reassuring that the review did not find any gaps that we were not already aware of and working to address, says Harry Snelson, DVM, executive director, American Association of Swine Veterinarians.

The study considered eight FAD entry pathways  legal import of live animals, illegal import of live animals, import of pork products, import of feed and feed ingredients, fomites associated with international movements, international movement of people, trans-boundary movements of wildlife and vectors, and intentional and accidental release.
The 53 members of the Raymond Central FFA Chapter have decided to focus their efforts this year on giving back to the community, which has been so helpful to their chapter.

It was all the students idea, said Katie Donahue, FFA Advisor for RCHS. They wanted to do something to show appreciation for all the support they have received.

This is Donahues first year with the Raymond Central FFA Chapter which was founded in 1970. For the previous five years she had been the FFA Advisor at Wahoo Bishop Neumann. But, even in so short a time, she said the community backing has made an impression.

They help us with everything related to ag ed, Donahue said. They are awesome and I am glad to have them be so active.

The spearhead of the communitys support is the very large and proactive FFA alumni group, she said. It was through the efforts of this group the chapter was able to establish a test plot for experiential learning. The land was donated by members and the seed was donated by the local Farmers Cooperative, Donahue said. Alumni members even help with the harvest, she said. Each year, the alumni hosts an auction as a fundraising event for the FFA chapter.

In an effort to show their appreciation, the chapter has committed to conduct one community service activity each quarter. This fall they are carrying out their Feed A Farmer event during harvest. In the spring, they plan to work at a Highway Cleanup Day. Over the summer they will coordinate with the NRD for a Test Your Well project. They are still thing about what they can do during winter.
So, what is going on in the Ahwatukee real estate market? Is the bubble going to burst?
Air Canada has launched its Leave Less travel programme, offering corporate customers options to offset or reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to business travel and reduce their carbon footprint.

') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // -->

Corporate customers  the first of which is Deloitte Canada  can now purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), carbon offsets or a combination of both. The programme is part of Air Canadas Climate Action Plan, which includes an investment of $50 Million in SAF, and carbon reductions and removals with the aim of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

Building a long-term sustainable aviation industry requires a collective effort and companies will play a key role in building greener and more sustainable air travel. We are pleased to see that customers, such as Deloitte, are taking concrete actions by supporting and contributing to innovative solutions, said Michael Rousseau, president and CEO of Air Canada.

Corporate customers can choose the offering they want through a customized approach using SAF, carbon offsets, or a combination of both, through four core actions. Air Canada first tracks and calculates the GHG emissions associated with customers business travel, and customers can then choose how they want to mitigate their GHG emissions associated with their business travel, whether SAF and/or carbon offsets.

Air Canada then purchases the required SAF volumes and to ensure the customer can claim the benefits of its investment, will implement a SAF certification system in line with industry best practices. Air Canada also facilitates the purchase of carbon offsets so the customer contributes to its sustainability goals.

Air Canada has made sustainability a core component of its business decisions. This initiative allows our corporate customers to offset or reduce the GHG emissions associated with their business travel and empowers their employees to make sustainable choices. With this, companies work towards their sustainability goals while they partner with us to advance decarbonisation in the airline industry, added Rousseau.
Courtesy of JNS; Photo credit: Haim Zach/GPO.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks in Jerusalem, for the outgoing and incoming head of the Shin Bet. To his right is incoming director Ronen Bar, seated next to outgoing head Nadav Argaman.
Letters of the Chazon Ish come to National Library of Israel
By now, it has become painfully clear that many big businesses no longer side with employees or customers and have eagerly embraced the left's ideas. They are now active and willing participants in the destruction of America.

This is easily seen by the fact that many big businesses, eagerly and without reservation, have embraced the federal vaccine mandate despite no actual published rules having been put in place. All it took to achieve vast compliance was the president yelling at the unvaccinated and telling America that his patience was wearing thin. (He was promptly, thereafter, escorted away for milk and cookies.) The mere threat was enough to cause some of the largest businesses in the country to abandon the rights of their employees and institute arbitrary deadlines for vaccination  those unwilling to adjust to the new reality of their employers deciding their medical choices were faced with the threat of firing, full speed ahead, "my body my choice" be damned. Nothing says American freedom and grit like corporations and businesses giving into the Executive Office's whims and distractions without so much as a whimper  an unconditional surrender, and without even seeing any published implementation guidance on the mandate.

It is obvious that it was coming. It was in the smoky air, blowing across America from the burned-out ruins of our inner cities. Corporations and big businesses freely gave their tithes and offerings and performed their black-boxed acts of self-flagellation and contrition to the "mostly peaceful" organizations that spent the "summer of love" looting and pillaging America for its own good. It hurt them more than it did us, they tell us, but that's just the thing about it: sometimes "love" means doing the hard thing, like burning police stations or looting businesses. Knowing that their penance could never satiate the guilt of their sins of living in a capitalist society, and there being no mediator to redeem them of their guilt, corporations sought indulgences by moving their All-Star game and taking bold stances against states that merely wanted trustworthy elections. But it wasn't enough.

Putting their religious practices aside and returning to their embrace of mandates, one can see how far the corporations have fallen, how deep their depravity has become. It seems that, although prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, true religious discrimination is in full bloom in America's big businesses. It is springtime, and the wind is at their back; now is the time to throw caution into that wind and conduct some good old-fashioned inquisitions. The choice was clear: approve or deny the religious exemptions, but always find a way that no "reasonable" accommodation can be made. If the doubter relents and gets vaccinated in the face of utter destitution, his belief must not have been sincere, and the corporation was correct to have denied him accommodation. If the doubter does not relent, then it's probably just as well, as the corporation could use the trimmed staffing cost anyway, and besides, who would want to work with a prude who would choose religion, bodily autonomy, and freedom of conscience over the brilliance of the scientific consensus (minus, of course, any dissent)?

It's amazing, the way religious accommodation is so easily denied by our government and our corporations. Religion is seen as unreasonable, un-accommodatable. Who would want to accommodate something with which the majority of Americans still identify? Preposterous. It's really a very reasonable unreasonableness if you think about it. So far, corporations, schools, and hospitals have been unable to reasonably accommodate many thousands of workers based upon sincerely held religious beliefs. Our corporations seem to be making religious accommodation against a mandate something unattainable and something that is easily dismissed as "not sincerely held," and these actions are hardly even questioned by the general public or the politicians. Yet it is equally amazing to see the ways that other accommodations are not so unreasonable, not so unable to be accommodated.

One quick example would be that of transgenderism. Does anyone in America believe that Bob, from accounting, would face an inquisition before being granted access to the ladies' powder room if he showed up in a dress on Monday and claimed his sincerely held belief that he is really a woman? Would Bob be required to write up his beliefs; the length of time he has held such beliefs; and whether his friends, likewise, also adhere to and participate in his beliefs? Would Bob, after detailing his beliefs, have his request package sent up through the human resources office, where someone antagonistic to or at least not on the side of his beliefs would stand ready as the sole arbiter and decider of Bob's faith, to render unilateral judgment by deciding that Bob really isn't sincere in his convictions? Would Human Resources then demand that if Bob isn't willing to show up to work on Tuesday in a suit and tie and use the men's restroom, he should be terminated and not have access to unemployment benefits?

No one in our depraved America would ever believe that Bob would face any obstacles of note, including an inquisition and summary denial of his "accommodation." Those corporations would fear lawsuits and bad press, and they would move heaven and earth to find a way to accommodate Bob; yet, somehow, these corporations don't fear lawsuits or bad press when denying the religious accommodations of hundreds or thousands of employees. Those who have a religious conviction are treated in a wholly un-American way, and our corporations get away with it when Americans shrug it off.

Many businesses, then, have chosen the side of the left and become enforcers for the government, to the detriment of the convictions and beliefs of their workers. If these businesses cannot be bothered to reasonably accommodate their workers, then I propose that Americans take note of them and fail to reasonably accommodate their bottom lines. See where that gets them.

Image: Triggermouse via Pixabay, Pixabay License.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
In her brilliant foreign policy essay "Dictators and Double Standards," Jeane Kirkpatrick made the commonsense case for always supporting our friends and opposing our enemies. That policy might seem obvious, but Biden seems determined to pursue the opposite.

Like his Democrat predecessor Obama, whose first act in office was to remove the statue of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office, Biden is turning his back on our friends. He abandoned Bagram airbase without even bothering to inform our allies in Afghanistan and fled with no apparent concern for the thousands of allied troops still in the country. He has encouraged the flood of migrants traveling through Mexico and Central America, again without discussion with those nations. His time seems reserved for long talks with Xi and Putin, and the Taliban, whom he has already supplied with $86 billion in arms and with whom he is discussing more American aid. Biden has fallen into precisely the trap that Jeane Kirkpatrick warned against.

Strong American leadership would ensure our safety by deterring our enemies and securing our alliances. Writing in the context of Jimmy Carter's weak foreign policy, a policy that negotiated the transfer of the Panama Canal and the loss of many countries to communism, Kirkpatrick warned of autocrats who had just taken control of Iran and Nicaragua and of others in Central America and Africa  and she was correct in every instance. In the name of "liberalization and democracy," the misguided Carter policy undermined leaders such as Samosa and the Shah who were friendly toward the U.S. and helped install dictators who were opposed to our interests. That approach is the hallmark of liberal foreign policy going back to Truman and JFK.

Biden's policy toward Afghanistan follows this pattern precisely. He fled the country, abandoned our allies there with no warning, left thousands of Afghan interpreters to their fate, and showed the world how unreliable an ally America can be.

Kirkpatrick understood just how damaging this weak liberal policy can be, and her commentary applies to Biden and Obama just as it did to Truman and JFK. Seventy years ago, many were asking, "Who lost China?," and it was clear that Truman and the U.S. State Department did. Now we have lost Afghanistan to a government of terrorists, and we are losing in our strategic and economic rivalry with China and Russia as well, and for the same reasons: the liberal tendency to minimize the threats of our adversaries and to exaggerate the repressiveness of autocratic regimes that are our allies. In this sense, Biden's shameful withdrawal from Afghanistan was a classic example of liberal policy.

As any student of history would understand that the first necessity for survival is economic and military strength. Biden's spending priorities direct funds away from military (and police) and toward so-called social programs that are really just an attempt to buy votes through income redistribution and graft.

Along with a strong economy and military, something further is necessary: a cohesive foreign policy that assures our allies and deters our enemies. Biden does not even appear to know the difference. Like Obama before him, he refuses to acknowledge the existence of "Islamic terrorists." Even as they were killing our troops in Afghanistan, he was checking his watch  wondering, I suppose, when he would get to lunch.

In time, we may return to the wisdom of Jeane Kirkpatrick, who knew that one does not succeed by offending one's friends and coddling one's enemies. Deposing friends and installing enemies is hardly a recipe for success, but it is just what Biden is pursuing in much of the world. By reopening negotiations on the Iran agreement, he has removed pressure that would have prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. By approving the Nord Stream pipeline, he has increased Russian leverage toward Western Europe and weakened the position of Ukraine and other allies.

Kirkpatrick wrote that Carter was "willing to negotiate anything with anyone anywhere," a remarkably prescient characterization of liberal policy that applies particularly to Joe Biden. A better way of saying it is "cut and run" while pretending to negotiate. So far, Biden's policy toward China has been all words, and there's little indication he would stand with Taiwan in the event of an invasion.

Carter's response to communist and Islamic revolution was, Kirkpatrick noted, "do nothing." Biden's sleepy attitude toward adversaries around the world is the same. In part, this is because progressives like Biden view the world in egalitarian terms that undermine America's motives, and that of allies like Israel, while portraying populist revolutionaries as democrats and humanitarians, when they are anything but. If one truly believes in global "equity," as Biden appears to, one must bring America down a peg or three while turning a blind eye to China and other rising economies.

Back in the day, there was a postwar love affair between Western liberals and Mao, the murderer of 50 million of his own people. Now there is a love affair between Biden liberals and the Taliban, as well as Russian oligarchs, Chinese communists, and global caravans crossing our borders. In every instance, Biden's response is "do nothing."

Kirkpatrick concluded that Carter's foreign policy was driven by animus against the United States, and much the same is true of Biden's policies. Biden's policies are failing America because, like progressives everywhere, he wants America to fail. America, he believes, is guilty of untold crimes in the past, and it should not be allowed to succeed. According to progressive thinking, our purpose should be to sacrifice ourselves and lift up others, like the Chinese and Iranians.

Jeane Kirkpatrick knew that the world was largely ruled by autocrats who were either friendly or unfriendly to America and its interests. In the case of the Taliban today, with the Biden administration still determined to employ "negotiations" to get our citizens out, it's good to be reminded of just who our friends and enemies are. President Trump understood and. hopefully, he or whoever is the Republican nominee in 2024 will convert this knowledge into sound policy.

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
A few months ago, I was reading an article from the news station France 24, a piece from its Beirut offices, which reports the news out of Syria in much greater detail and frequency than one can find in America.

This is because, after WWI, France was the occupying power in Syria and Lebanon, according to the mandate system of the League of Nations. Since then, France has maintained a special relationship with these two troubled countries since their independence after WWII. Here is what I read:

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the conflict has claimed 494,438 lives since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests The previous tally, issued by the Observatory in March this year, stood at more than 388,000 dead The war monitor has since confirmed an additional 105,015 deaths following months of documentation efforts supported by its network of sources on the ground The overwhelming majority of these deaths occurred between the end of 2012 and November 2015," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, referring to the latest additions Of the recently confirmed fatalities, more than 42,000 are civilians, most of them killed under torture in Syrian regime prisons, according to the monitor.

Having collected firsthand narratives of male and female non-Muslim Yezidi minorities who have fled persecution by ISIS in Syria and Iraq during this war, my heart went out to the Syrian people who have experienced such unbelievable suffering.

Needless to say, the writer and filmmaker in me felt that the stories of the survivors in Syria would make for real and thought-provoking TV dramas, which could be broadcast on Netflix and other downloadable TV media. I almost sat down and wrote a treatment, that is TV talk for a short summary of what such a series would entail, but unfortunately other priorities got in the way. Until today no one working with Netflix has done what I thought should be done to bring the plight of these people to the public eye in a dramatic and humane way.

Instead, Netflix has decided to invest in a clearly anti-Israel, anti-Zionist series called "Palestinian Stories." As if he was reading my mind from afar, Israel writer Matan Peleg was interviewed in Israel Hayom and had this to say about this new Netflix series.

Netflix isn't launching a category for the atrocities in Syria, where nearly one million people died over the last 10 years, or about the crimes in China. Israel is the only great criminal. We intend to call on the Israeli public and the Israel-supporting public around the world to boycott the company. We will not turn the other cheek. Those who hurt us will get hurt.

Not surprisingly, twenty-eight films out of a total of thirty-two in this series are directed by supporters of BDS. Needless to say, the Israelis are portrayed as bad guys while the Palestinians are portrayed as the good guys. The fact that a majority of Palestinians are in favor of the destruction of Israel and regularly support terrorist attacks against Israel from inside Israel -- Judea and Samaria -- and from Lebanon will no doubt be ignored or downplayed.

The average ahistorical viewer of Netflix in the English-speaking world will find it easy to conclude that the Palestinians are simply a people without a homeland and all they want is a place in the sun among other nations. So here is another bit of history for the ahistorical.

After WWI, the victorious allies divided up the Ottoman Empire. Syria and Lebanon were administered by the French, while Palestine was administered by the British with the intention of creating a Jewish State.

The allies knew that Palestine was the name the Romans gave Judea after they defeated it in 70 A.D. They knew it was the land of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. They knew it was the Jewish homeland.

They also knew that the Jews had lived on both sides of the Jordan for thousands of years but they decided to give the eastern side of the Jordan to their defeated Bedouin Arab Muslim allies in the Hejaz, some of whom had fought with them against the Turks during WWI. This was supposed to be the Palestinian state for that small number of Muslims and Christian who had lived in the land of Israel during Ottoman time.

Ever since the establishment of Jordan in the 1920s, it has functioned as a Palestinian state. Ninety percent of its inhabitants identify themselves as Palestinians. There has been a two-state solution in place for one hundred years. The Palestinians are not a people without a land or a home.

You can be sure that the owners and producers of this new Palestinian series on Netflix have not done their historical due diligence. There will never be a mention that a chunk of the Mandate for Palestine for the Jewish people was lopped off in 1921 and given to the Palestinians, and so the series will be a living justification for resistance which is the popular word of todays lefties for terrorism.

It is time to stop paying Netflix for distorting both Jewish and Arab history in the Land of Israel. They do not need my money. They certainly do need a history lesson.

Image: Netflix

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
A heart attack is no fun. I discovered this the hard way a few days ago. As a consequence I found myself on the frontlines of the Third World War -- the global war against the Chinese created, and deliberately disseminated, COVID virus. Having spent time on the front lines, I am now writing as a war correspondent.

For several days I lived with the battle-hardened infantry of this war. People who were exposed to as much lethal danger as most soldiers in the thick of combat. I mean, of course, the nurses and their doctors.

Such an experience can be rewarding, for I learned many things about this war: what it is like to be in constant danger while being overstressed and physically exhausted; what it means to see people that you have come to love suffer and die; what it means to know that the powers-that-be are incompetent and doing harm and you can do nothing to stop the idiocy.

The first thing to report is this war is serious. It is no joke. People die in astonishing numbers. Those that dont die suffer terribly. Even the most upscale hospital, like mine, has been overwhelmed with the suffering -- stretched far beyond its capacity. Much ingenuity was needed during the peaks of the pandemic to find safe ways of compassionately taking care of the COVID sick. Fortunately, during my time on the war front, the peak waves had passed and the soldiers have been given the opportunity to recuperate.

In our culture soldiers hate death. They see too much of it. Even the most hardened has compassion for the wounded and the dying -- even his dying enemies. And this compassion is especially felt if the fallen is a companion.

Nurses and doctors are particularly torn up by too much COVID death and suffering because their patients are their companions and often become dear friends. A patient has a very intimate relationship with a nurse and affection between them can form instantly.

Doctors have these bonds, as well. Recently, one doctor that I know was devastated because he had just attended the COVID death of an old friend he could not save.

In a shooting war, the troops in battle always see something very different than the generals running the war. And, they often dont like what they see. In this COVID war that disconnect became all too obvious from my conversations with nurses and doctors. Would it surprise you that doctors sometimes talk politics during a surgical procedure? In recent years I have been conscious, and only slightly sedated, during such procedures -- three of them during the COVID War, including my very recent angiogram. Listening in on the banter it is obvious that the doctors working on me, and their assistants, have zero respect for the generals -- i.e. the dictating politicians.

The nurses in the hospital are, quite properly, too circumspect to volunteer political opinions. But they will once the barrier is down. The ones I encountered are truly cynical about the mandates that have been imposed. They are well aware, from practical experience, that these mandates are not only useless, but they are also counterproductive.

Unfortunately, a certain faction of politicians glory in the opportunity that COVID provides to bully the populace with mandates. We all know the type. And they have Dr. Fauci to give them their excuse for imposing tyranny. I was astonished when a very mild-mannered doctor of my acquaintance -- a highly respected infectious medicine specialist -- slipped out a curse word when Faucis name was mentioned. Such language doesnt bother me, but in this case, I was shocked -- it was so uncharacteristic. It was the last thing I expected from this true gentleman.

The doctor was right about Fauci, of course. Fauci is best described as an actor in a white coat. He is in no sense a scientist. He lacks the integrity, the ruthless self-honesty, and public truthfulness that is essential to practice as a scientist.

A key message that I take back from my recent days on the front line is that the political management of the pandemic is a total botch. It almost certainly has made things far worse than they might have been if politics hadnt intervened. After all, the real experts in this epidemic are the doctors and nurses on the front lines -- and a few pioneering scientists such as Robert Malone and Geert Vanden-Bossche -- not the bureaucrats, not the politicians and their media and Big Tech lackeys. The real experts are shunned by these politicians.

While political mismanagement of the pandemic has likely killed a multitude who would still be alive, its worst impact is on the economy and the morale of the nation.

Rigid mandates have done most of the harm. That rigidity is a powerful signal that the political establishment is terrified of the people they govern.

Drop a plastic cup on a tile floor and it bounces unharmed. It is resilient. Drop a glass and the glass shatters. Its rigidity is its downfall. The impact initially opens a single small crack. The stress of impact then instantly propagates the crack and bifurcates it until the glass is nothing more than a multitude of shards. Excess rigidity disintegrates under sudden stress.

So the politicians -- I really mean progressives when I say politicians -- are afraid of the People, of the bedrock citizens of this country. They seek rigid control. And, these politicians see COVID as a perfect opportunity to permanently establish that control so they can never be cast out into political oblivion. But, in so doing, they have made a terrible political mistake: they have unmasked themselves. They are shown as not really being the servants of the people. Rather they have revealed that they think themselves to be our masters. And now we all know them for what they are.

In their greed for power and complete control, these progressive politicians believe that COVID, together with temporary control of the federal government, has given them a very narrow window to fundamentally transform this country, as a former president put it. But you do not fundamentally change what you love. You fundamentally change what you detest and want to destroy. This very slogan tells all we need to know about how much these people despise you and me and real democracy.

The COVID reign of politically induced terror and control will inevitably be the downfall of the progressive faction. They have lost credibility with the common citizens of this nation. How do I know this? A brief incident told me the truth of the matter.

I was lying on the gurney in Emergency while the paramedics were checking me in. Next to me was an extended counter behind which one of the nurses was fussing with a computer. Suddenly she pulled down her mask, turned her head away from us in politeness, and sneezed. Then she put her mask back on. No one thought the incident strange, except me. What I had just witnessed was open rebellion against the mandates. Rebellion by the deeply knowledgeable. Rebellion against tyranny. And, it was obvious, everyone there was a comrade in arms.

Image: Library of Congress

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
I find myself in the position that I must use an alias for fear of reprisal. Those days may be quickly coming to an end, as hospitals are denying requests for vaccine exemptions with impunity. I will likely soon be out the door, with nothing to lose. Even if I survive this round, if the pandemic continues, it wont be long before I am shelved like a can of spam.

Doctors need to be called out. From early in the pandemic, it was like a mass hypnosis or forgetfulness of everything we had learned in medical school. Immune system knowledge was shelved and replaced by government dictates. The thought of early outpatient treatment with off label drugs that could modulate the immune system was forbidden. We essentially told patients that they had to go home and wait until they were sick enough to be hospitalized, then treatment would begin. Imagine telling all diabetics that there is no metformin, Glucophage, or insulin. Would we really wait until patients are in diabetic ketoacidosis, and then treat them only at the hospital? It is medical malfeasance of a grand scale.

We physicians gave up our training and our reasonable medical thought process. The reasons are multiple. First, it was the easy way out. Second, many of us are employed and fear reprisal. Third, despite what the public thinks, we physicians are not bold leaders, we tend to be sheep, and are afraid of having an entire institution ostracize us or our colleagues to think us crazy.

As we got to the point of vaccine rollout, doctors were not using the scientific method, questioning and challenging prevailing hypotheses. They kept their heads down, closed clinics, converted to telemedicine, and pushed only the jab.

I had conversations with doctors who are supposed experts in virology and immunology denying the lasting immunity of natural infection. Conversations about natural immunity:

I have antibodies.

But they will wane.

But I have memory cells.

Dumbfounded look.

Really, are these the leaders we want?

Other conversations about the safety of vaccines:

The vaccine is safe.

No, we would have shut down any trial in the past after even 100 deaths.

This is more serious.

But the survival rate is about 99.6%.

It's killing people.

So is the vaccine

You cant believe VAERS.

It was set up to help protect the public, and if anything, it is underreporting side effects.

Youre a conspiracy theorist.

Or conversations about early treatment

You must get the vaccine, it is the only proven treatment, there are no other treatments.

Really, ivermectin has eradicated COVID in India, parts of Mexico, Japan.

It is a horse dewormer.

It won a Nobel Prize in medicine, is a WHO essential drug, and has been around for decades with a great safety profile.

No, only the vaccine works.

But it is failing

You are a denier and a conspiracy theorist.

Sigh.

Lately, it has been all about getting 100% of the population jabbed. For what reason? I am not sure, and some of the more detailed and investigated theories scare me. I shudder to think. But last years heroes are being labeled selfish and villainous for not getting the vaccine. Hospital systems have abandoned their communitys health and ignored early successful outpatient treatment in favor of huge government subsidies for inpatient and ICU treatment. The success of these treatments was not great, but that is another article. Now we have the same hospital systems turning their backs on their own employees. Basically, health providers have a choice, get shot, or get fired. How does that help? Both vaxxed and unvaxxed can spread the virus, so it doesnt help anyone. It only helps the hospital to get more government money by meeting quotas.

I, for one, will remember that when we faced a real crisis, the hospitals and many physicians chose money and profit over their own communitys best interest. Perhaps it is time for groups of physicians to get back to running their own healthcare clinics and hospitals. We used to have a code of ethics. We used to put patients first. Not anymore.

As for physicians, those who are blindly following the government edicts are culpable in a moral atrocity. Bullying and deriding patients who chose to refrain from this still experimental therapy is an abomination. (You will say it isnt experimental anymore, to which I would say that just because the government broke its own rules regarding approval, doesnt make it legal or right). Patients have sincere beliefs for making their choice. Respect their thoughts. Do you yell as much at smokers, drinkers, fornicators, drug abusers, etc? No, I think not. I think you chose to fit in because it gives you a sense of righteousness.

And going so far as to encourage vaccination in children and pregnant women is crazy. There is blood on the hands of any physician who does this. With children, there is no benefit to the vaccine, only harm. They would serve themselves and society better with natural immunity. The vaccine hasnt been studied on women and their babies. It is pregnancy category X (unknown) but being pushed wholesale on these poor women without proper studies. Shame on you, doctors who are doing this. I certainly have lots to answer for when I meet my maker, but this is on another level.

I beg physicians to get back to basics, remember all the epidemiology and immunology that bored us to tears in school. Investigate the real literature and take a stand. Society needs us to do this. Even if you have been vaccinated, help those who are fighting for their lives. Stand up against this forced vaccine tyranny. Support those who have legitimate reasons for declining the jab. If you dont stand up now, who will stand up for you when you are faced with your choice of yet another booster or your job.

Image: Yuya Tamai

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
That good Catholic, Joe Biden, is troubled by the fact that people are raising religious objections to taking the COVID vaccine. We know this because a leaked White House telephone call lets us listen in as a Department of Justice attorney works with the administration to brainstorm ways to force vaccines on religious people over their faith-based objections. The First Amendment is a dead letter in the Biden White House.

In 1558, when Elizabeth I ascended the English throne, England had seen Catholics and Protestants engaged in deadly fighting for 25 years. Elizabeth wanted none of it. "I would not open windows into men's souls," she said, voicing the world's first expression of religious liberty. By the 18th century, though, Britain had passed a series of laws mandating religious tests barring non-Anglicans from roles in government or academia.

In response, the Founding Fathers ratified the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from requiring religious tests for people to participate in society. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof[.]" And thanks to the Fourteenth Amendment, the First Amendment applies to all governments in America, whether federal or state.

Additionally, contrary to what many leftists assert, the First Amendment does not operate to bar people from having their religious beliefs inform their politics or their dealings with the state. It's a limit on government, not on people. Or as Elizabeth would have said, the government cannot open windows into men's souls.

Nevertheless, a leaked White House recording of Marty Lederman, a Department of Justice attorney, has him cynically talking about getting COVID vaccines into those Americans who object on religious grounds. He doubts their faith but reluctantly concedes that there's little the government can do  except for using government force to override them by claiming a compelling government need:

LEAKED AUDIO: DOJ official on WH call says many federal worker religious exemptions on abortion testing are not sincere pic.twitter.com/qW1L9bi0GC  Jack Posobiec  (@JackPosobiec) October 19, 2021

For instance, in the New York case that's currently going on against the State of New York, the Thomas More Society is representing a bunch of doctors and nurses who claim that they would sin gravely if they acted in cooperation with the evil of abortion. How would they be doing so? The claim is that all three of the current vaccines either have fetal cells that were obtained by abortions in the vaccine itself or, in the case of Pfizer and Moderna, that those vaccines were tested using fetal cells that had been aborted. And even the connection to the previous testing, makes them cooperative with evil in a way that their religion prohibits. I don't want to say anything too categorical, but I believe that this claim will be very difficult for agencies to successfully claim that's either insincere or not religious, even if it is. Even if we know that many of those claims are not sincere, or are sincere but not religions. This is the most common behavior you're going to confront probably, and it's likely that you will have to take as a given the employee's claim. Not always, right? But one response that some hospitals have started to give is, "Well, do you know that Tylenol, and Tums, and Preparation H, those were all tested using aborted fetal cell lines, too?" And I expect that employees will then say, "Well, I didn't know that, but now that you tell me that and I'll stop using those products as well." Then we will turn to what does the government have to do once the employee makes that showing. And here, basically, there is a compelling interest, obviously, in keeping our workforce and the public with which we interact safe from COVID.

About that compelling state interest...if a government action gets to the Supreme Court on the ground that it violates the Constitution, the Court will strictly scrutinize that act, requiring the government to prove a "compelling state interest." Lederman makes the sweeping claim that protecting Americans from COVID meets that incredibly high standard  but does it really?

Let's do a little math. According to the CDC, 718,681 Americans have died from COVID (a number I suspect is grossly inflated to cover both deaths with COVID and deaths without any COVID at all), out of a total of 44,615,528 cases. The percentage calculator tells me that for those who have caught COVID, the average mortality rate is 1.6%. Contrast this with the mortality rates for Ebola (an average of 70%), smallpox (around 30%), or Spanish influenza (roughly 1020%). America is nowhere near the "we're all going to die" levels that would justify calling mass forced vaccines a compelling state interest.

And none of the above statistics considers either (a) that it's the Colin Powell demographic (quite old and quite sick) that's dying or (b) that there is an unusually high number of deaths associated with the vaccines themselves.

I suspect one of the reasons deaths are as high as they are is that the entire Democrat establishment (Biden, Medicare, state medical boards, corporate pharmacies, etc.) is preventing doctors from early intervention (e.g., ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, etc.) for people who test positive but aren't very sick. As I've said before, this is like telling people who have an infection not to take antibiotics but to wait until they're septic, at which point they should head to the hospital, where they might not die. The government policy is not about health, but about control. And when a government wants control that badly, the only sane answer is NO.

Image by Andrea Widburg.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
China may now possess hypersonic missiles and have eclipsed us on the artificial intelligence front, but the Chinese didn't develop UFOs, and neither did Russia. There's definitely something going on up there that we need to figure out in the name of national security. This needs to happen ASAP because various members of the armed forces have stated that incidents continue to increase.

China is putting A.I. to work on the problem. That's something we should definitely do as well. We certainly have plenty of radar, FLIR, and other data that A.I. would be perfect to analyze in ways (and at speeds) people simply cannot.

Mystery Wire posted a video of an event held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. The speakers and statements are worthy of note. The statements come from military types, those with direct knowledge and in a position to know. Here's a fairly terrifying quote that also proves the point that none of our conventional adversaries are behind UFOs.

"In September of 1966, I was a Minuteman ICBM Launch Control Officer and Deputy Commander of a large crew stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. I was involved in a UFO incident at that time, where a flying object tampered with, and took down, a total of 10 nuclear-tipped ICBM missiles by rendering them unlaunchable." Captain Dave Shindele

Remotely take down our nukes way back in 1966? For crying out loud, we can't remotely disable nuclear weapons in 2021. If we had whatever gadget that UFO came bearing (more than a decade before I was born), no one would be concerned about Iran getting nukes, or that a lot of bad actors already have nuclear capabilities.

For most of my life, I made fun of the UFO "crazies." Then the Navy UAP videos came on the scene and compelled me to re-examine something I had always considered a closed subject. I can't say I believe in ET, but there is most certainly something flying around in our skies. These crafts perform inexplicable acrobatics (in the air and under water), and something or someone must be behind the operation of these seemingly magical flying machines made from unimaginably advanced technology.

As a means of backing up those speaking out at the National Press Club, here are some quotes from notable people (with the security clearances to know) that I've collected on my journey to really understand what's going on:

"I became alarmed by the frequency and duration of UAP activity in and around controlled US airspace. The instances seemed more provocative, and during one instance, they came within feet of a US fighter aircraft." Luis Elizondo

"The facts are that there are things flying over our military installations. They don't belong to us. They seem to evidence some technological advancement that we don't have and have never seen." Marco Rubio

"And when we talk about sightings, the other thing I will tell you, it's not just a pilot or just a satellite or some intelligence collection. Usually, we have multiple sensors that are picking up these things." John Ratcliffe

"These objects appear to exceed our military capabilities. We need to determine who this is and what capabilities they possess. It is never a good thing to discover you are vastly behind in technology -- whether terrestrial in origin or not." Mick Mulroy

"We consistently played down the true level of our interest in UFOs, telling parliament, the media, and the public that the subject was of little interest, while all the time, behind closed doors, we struggled to make sense of cases like the Calvine Incident." Nick Pope (former head of the U.K.'s UFO program)

[When asked about Roswell:] "I won't talk to you about what I know about it, but it's very interesting." Donald Trump

"As a Democratic senator from Nevada, I visited Area51, the top-secret Air Force testing site in southern Nevada long associated with UFO-related conspiracy theories. What I saw fascinated me, though much of it must remain classified." Harry Reid

"What is true, and I'm actually being serious here, is that there are, there's footage and records of objects in the skies, that we don't know exactly what they are. We can't explain how they moved, their trajectory. They did not have an easily explainable pattern." Barack Obama

"This used to be a career-ending kind of thing. You didn't want to get caught talking about it because you'd be accused of walking out of an 'X-Files episode." John Podesta

"A bit presumptuous and arrogant for us to believe that there's no other form of life anywhere in the entire universe." John Brennan

"I think that's ridiculous. If the Russians had UFO technology, I mean, they would own us right now." Tim Burchett

Clearly, there's something happening here. What it might all mean, I'm not entirely sure, but better that we figure it out before China or Russia.

Image via Needpix.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
As a former Nebraska attorney general, I have generally declined to comment on legal opinions issued by my successors. However, the recent opinion concerning ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as off-label medicines for the treatment of COVID-19 is extraordinary. Moreover, it addresses an issue that potentially affects every Nebraskan who becomes infected with COVID-19, so that it deserves to be highlighted.

The issue, as stated by the current attorney general, is "whether it would be deemed unlawful or otherwise subject to discipline ... for an appropriately licensed health care provider, once informed patient consent has been appropriately obtained, to prescribe ivermectin [or] hydroxychloroquine ... for the treatment or prevention of Covid-19."

Citing Nebraska case law and regulations, the attorney general states the legal standard as follows: "healthcare providers do not violate the standard of care when they select between two reasonable approaches to ... medicine."

What makes the opinion extraordinary is the extremely detailed review of the medical literature concerning ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Well over 275 of the opinion's 304 footnotes refer to medical studies, medical journals, FDA statements, and similar medical authorities.

A brief summary from the attorney general's opinion concerning ivermectin will illustrate the point.

Ivermectin has been used in humans since the 1980s. ... In 2015 its discoverers won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their work in uncovering it and bringing it to market. ... By 2017, ivermectin had demonstrated antiviral activity against several RNA viruses. ... Before the pandemic, scholarly literature had also recognized ivermectin's anti-inflammatory capacity. ... For more than three decades, ivermectin has also shown itself to be very safe. ... The Mahmud study ... concluded that patients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 infection treated with ivermectin plus doxycycline recovered earlier, were less likely to progress to more serious disease, and were more likely to be Covid-19 negative ... on day 14. ... [The FDA] says that if your healthcare provider writes you an ivermectin prescription, fill it through a legitimate source such as a pharmacy, and take it exactly as prescribed.

Each of these statements is footnoted to the medical literature that supports it.

Similarly, concerning hydroxychloroquine, the opinion states the following:

In 2004, long before the Covid-19 pandemic began, a lab study revealed that chloroquine is an effective inhibitor of the replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in vitro and thus that it should be considered for immediate use in the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV infections. ... It is widely recognized in the medical community that hydroxychloroquine is generally safe, so safe in fact that it may be prescribed to pregnant women and children of all ages.

The attorney general's opinion has several practical applications.

First, physicians who were not prescribing ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine for fear that it would jeopardize their Nebraska medical licenses can now prescribe them based on their best medical judgment.

Second, Nebraska pharmacies that have refused to fill prescriptions for ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 are now on notice that the failure to fill those prescriptions in the future could result in adverse action against their pharmacy licenses or in civil liability.

Finally, there needs to be more focus by physicians and the news media on pursuing treatments for COVID-19 that will reduce the need for hospitalizations and reduce deaths for people who contract COVID-19. While vaccines are important, they are not the whole answer.

The attorney general's opinion is available on the attorney general's website. Health care providers and anyone interested in this issue are encouraged to read it. Congratulations to Solicitor General James A. Campbell, Assistant Attorney General Mindy L. Lester, and Attorney General Doug Peterson on a well-written, timely, and critical opinion.

Don Stenberg is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School, served for twelve years as Nebraska's attorney general, and has argued several constitutional law cases in the Supreme Court of the United States, including the partial-birth abortion case Stenberg v. Carhart. He is also the author of the book Eavesdropping on Lucifer, available on Amazon.com.

Image via Pxhere.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Now that the Biden administration is treating the Taliban as some kind of partner, allowing them to determine who was flown out of Afghanistan at the time of our abandonment of a massive trove of armaments and depending on them to rescue the large number of Americans left behind, this State Department tweet, issued yesterday, is not going to win a lot of hearts and minds:

Today on International Pronouns Day, we share why many people list pronouns on their email and social media profiles. Read more here on @ShareAmerica: https://t.co/gWhoItvGvo.  Department of State (@StateDept) October 20, 2021

Nor is the Arab world going to be impressed. The Chinese leadership, now campaigning against effeminate men as they seek to inculcate a fierce and warlike spirit in their present and future military, must be suppressing effeminate giggles as they congratulate themselves on their global rival's preoccupation with political correctness and what they surely see as a descent into madness.

It's not as if the State Department has such a great track record of successes that it can afford to take its eye off the ball of advancing American influence in world affairs.

The document to which the tweet links tries to justify the obliteration of the distinction between singular and plural in pronouns  something that actually hinders clarity:

These pronouns include the gender-neutral they/them/theirs  words that traditionally refer to a plural number but that today are used by some individuals who identify as gender nonbinary or who prefer not to share gender information. Other pronouns include the feminine she/her/hers and the masculine he/him/his. Some people are pioneering gender-neutral pronouns such as ze/zir/zirs.

It also deliberately misrepresents a poll result:

American society is showing acceptance of the trend. Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults knows someone who goes by gender-neutral pronouns, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center.

Knowing someone who uses these pronouns does not indicate acceptance. People can think the practice is stupid or dysfunctional but still know people who use them.

Perhaps the most useful paragraph is the one in which it explains the mystery of what are called the Alphabet people: LGBT...etc.:

(LGBTQI+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people, with the "+" signifying all the gender identities and sexual orientations that are not specifically covered by the other initials.)

Keep in mind that this is almost certain to be revised and expanded.

But P.M. Trudeau of Canada must be grateful:

This State Department tweet is one of those progressive failures that provokes the kind of commonsense reactions that the corporate media inevitably describe as "Republicans pounce." (Hat tip: Breitbart.)

Former ambassador to Germany (a very senior State Department post) Ric Grenell (incidentally a person of gaiety):

Dear God. The politicization of my beloved State Department is a crisis.



Anthony Blinken and Wendy Sherman are neutering our diplomats. This isnt diplomacy. https://t.co/Mu2tC8FJbM  Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) October 20, 2021

And some people wonder how the Embassy in Afghanistan fell so quickly. https://t.co/UupCTDsbf9  House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) October 20, 2021

China successfully tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile, Afghanistan is now a terror super-state, Central American countries are sending a FLOOD of migrants to our border, and THIS is what the State Department prioritizes!? What is WRONG with these people??? https://t.co/IfxP68wFHz  Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) October 20, 2021

The State Department still hasnt helped extract our remaining allies in Afghanistan who could not escape.



But they have time to tweet about gender pronouns. https://t.co/qiNJcrO2LB  Rep. Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) October 20, 2021

There are more such tweets at Breitbart.

Photo credit: Twitter screengrab

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
A lot of people are angry that more doctors aren't prescribing ivermectin when they first get diagnosed with COVID. However, a Washington State physician assistant lost his license because he prescribed ivermectin. Most doctors, having invested upwards of seven years of their lives in preparing to be a physician, don't want to destroy that career over a politically incorrect prescription.

Andrea Salcedo, who to my great surprise has degrees in journalism, is a terrible writer. Nevertheless, she has a job at the Washington Post, from which platform she wrote a barely comprehensible article about a physician assistant named Scott C. Miller whose license the Washington Medical Commission suspended. The article is framed to make it appear as though ivermectin will kill people.

If you wade through Salcedo's disordered, chaotic prose, you can discern a few points. First, Salcedo makes sure everyone knows that ivermectin is a "deworming" or anti-parasite drug, although she concedes that it works on humans, too. Second, Scott Miller believes in ivermectin. Third, he prescribed it to some very sick people: a woman so ill she was dependent on oxygen used it but still died. Another man's family, working with Miller, tried to get a hospital to prescribe ivermectin. The hospital refused, and the man died. And a third man who needed oxygen got a prescription of ivermectin from Miller, although it's not clear whether he used it. The man later died.

All told, Miller had "more than a dozen complaints" made against him for prescribing ivermectin to people. Some of the complaints revolved around the fact that he prescribed the medicine after speaking with people over the phone rather than examining them. Of course, nowadays, that's become a standard of care.

If you read the Washington Medical Commission's press release about its decision to suspend Miller, the real anger seems to be that he dared to promote ivermectin at all  and that he was kind of aggressive and jerk-like about doing it. What seems like the most serious allegation  that he lied about being under investigation in California  is a throwaway line:

WMC alleges PA Miller's treatment of COVID-19 patients fell below the standard of care. Miller began a public campaign promoting ivermectin as a curative for COVID-19, and prescribed it without adequate examination to at least one person, with no reliable clinical studies that establish its efficacy in preventing or treating COVID-19.

Allegations against Miller also include: interfering with the care of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, engaging in a hostile and and [sic] threatening public campaign against both hospitals and individual physicians regarding COVID-19 treatment; and lying on his initial licensing application by denying that he was under investigation by the State of California's Physician Assistant Board.

Certainly, Miller sees himself as an apostle of ivermectin. Back to the WaPo article:

Miller, who obtained his state physician assistant license in 2013, has publicly rallied against masks. At a May school board meeting in Camas, Wash., a maskless Miller told the audience that he had written mask exemptions so his children could attend school without face coverings, the medical commission found. He also said they had traveled without wearing a mask at the airport or on the plane.

At that same meeting, Miller said he had treated 350 covid patients with ivermectin, vitamin C and vitamin D. "It actually cures, if anybody cared to look at the data," Miller said, according to the commission's report.

In describing ivermectin, the WaPo article says only that it's a drug "long used to kill parasites in animals and humans" and is something that the FDA "and other public health agencies have urged people to refrain from taking the unproven treatment, warning it could be 'dangerous' and potentially fatal."

However, whether because Salcedo is uninformed, incurious, or biased (or all three), the article makes no mention of ivermectin's success in India. One Indian study showed that "[t]wo-dose ivermectin prophylaxis at a dose of 300 g/kg with a gap of 72 hours was associated with a 73% reduction of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers for the following month." In Delhi, when people received early-intervention ivermectin, there was a 97% decrease in cases.

However, in America, the order is "no ivermectin" (and no hydroxychloroquine). Moreover, no one has studied early intervention. Instead, the minimal "studies" or anecdotal cases concern people who have already become extremely ill.

I'm neither recommending nor speaking out against ivermectin because I'm not a doctor. I'm simply pointing out that the "premier" Washington Post is slinging word hash slamming ivermectin and anyone who dares use a medicine that has been safe and uncontroversial (even earning a Nobel prize) for fifty years.

No wonder people are paranoid about COVID, treatments, and the vaccine. Our media are activists, not journalists. Americans pay the price for this because doctors are too afraid to prescribe early treatment that both the patients and the doctors believe might work.

Image: Ivermectin tablet packaging by TajPharmaceuticalsLtd. CC BY-SA 4.0.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Erich Hartmann is the highest-scoring fighter ace of all time, recording a total of 352 aerial victories in World War II. After the war, he was imprisoned by the Soviet Union. During his captivity, the Soviets tried to get him to spy on fellow POWs and to adopt communist ideologies. Hartmann refused. He was offered a position in the East German Air Force, to which he responded:

If, after I am home in the West, you make me a normal contract offer, a business deal such as people sign every day all over the world, and I like your offer, then I will come back and work with you in accordance with the contract. But if you try to put me to work under coercion of any kind, then I will resist to my dying gasp.

Anne Askew was an Anabaptist preacher who was persecuted in England during the reign of Henry VIII. She refused to divulge the names of any of her co-religionists despite torture on the rack and eventual execution by burning at the stake.

There is, it would seem, a personality type that refuses to be coerced or bullied, even when the point of such coercion does not seem worth the effort to resist it. Recently, a 16-year-old girl in Laramie, Wyoming was arrested rather than comply with a mask mandate. These acts of defiance, as well as those who forfeit their employment rather than comply with COVID-associated mandates, are possibly representative of an innate obstinacy against authoritarianism. There appears to be a point of principle, as illustrated by Erich Hartmann's quote above, that is opposed to coercion, simply because it is coercion.

One suspects that this opposition is instinctive and, like most instincts, persists because it is beneficial to the socializing activities of humans. It is a personality trait, not a character flaw. It is also to be expected that this trait is present in different people to different degrees. While some people may maintain their defiance only to a certain point of coercion, others, like Anne Askew, cannot be dissuaded even under the most extreme coercion.

This trait of resistance to coercion is found throughout history and in various societies. It is sometimes portrayed heroically, as in the case of religious martyrs or soldiers who fight to the death against impossible odds. What is perhaps of most significant are the times throughout history that the obstinate, those who refuse to give in to coercion even to the point of death, do so on behalf of principles that ultimately prevail.

Image: rauschenberger via Pixabay, Pixabay License.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while, a cosseted leftist will get his comeuppance.

So here we are, with a case of two pampered young lawyers caught bombing and burning a police car as their "contribution" to the Black Lives Matter riots in New York now pleading guilty.

According to the Daily Mail:

Two New York lawyers pleaded guilty on Wednesday to federal charges for their roles in a Molotov cocktail attack targeting an NYPD vehicle during the May 2020 Black Lives Matter protests sparked by George Floyd's death. Prosecutors said one of the lawyers, Urooj Rahman, threw a gasoline-filled bottle into an empty police vehicle, attempted to distribute Molotov cocktails to others, and then fled in a minivan driven by Colinford Mattis. The incident came during Brooklyn protests after Floyd, a black man, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, sparking widespread protests against racism and police violence.

Like leftist power couple Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn in years well before them, they were having a lot of fun.

Here's the lovely photo of one of these pleaded-guilty wokesters, Urooj Rahman, in action:



Image: Eastern District of New York.

Still, the conclusion is a little puzzling. After all, aren't leftists getting off after their year-long BLM rioting spree, with charges dismissed?

One can only surmise what happened. Perhaps the evidence was overwhelming, and their defense lawyers knew they wouldn't get a sympathetic jury in New York. There were photos of them in action. There were efforts by Rahman to get others to join the Molotov cocktail party. There were text messages on a cell phone from one urging another to burn the New York police headquarters down. It's hard to talk one's way out of evidence like that.

And perhaps the lawyers knew that the public was not being fooled. The riots they had such fun in have since made life hell for the working classes in New York. Crime is out of control now, and few can get hold of the cops. Worse still for the two lawyers, they had both been beneficiaries of every affirmative action privilege and free ride academia could give them. One of them, getaway driver Mattis, went to an Ivy League school and got a white-shoe law job. The other, Rahman, was a denizen of non-profits "serving the poor," which, as the poor know, paid her very, very well. They might have been in for a rough ride should their plea have gone to a New York jury, particularly in the outer boroughs, where the pro-cop voters propelling mayoral candidate Eric Adams reside. So it was easier to plead guilty.

Perhaps, even more likely, they got word that they'd be let off easy. They'd probably been seeing the inside of various jails since the fun and games with the Molotov cocktails, and since they were facing ten-year prison terms with the sort of people who make up Rikers Island's finest, they knew that it was going to get bleak for them if a jury called the verdict against them. Pleading guilty might have been a bid for a smaller punishment, especially if their lawyers knew they had a judge on hand who would get them off easy, accompanied by lots of pity stories from the likes of the New York Times.

It's all fun and games for these snowflake radicals educated by wokester professors until the cell blocks clink closed.

It does highlight the larger problem of college students these days being immersed not in studies, but every kind of radicalism from their wokester professors.

In an interesting coincidence, Dohrn, who suffered few consequences for her involvement in the domestic terrorist group Weather Underground, went on to become a law professor, focusing the rest of her life on educating young people such as Rahman and Mattis, who carried on the "tradition."

Dohrn wouldn't have survived in academia with a record like hers had she not had a privileged background and fit right in with the rest of them. That a law school could embrace her suggests that they are undoubtedly birds of a feather. Ditto for Ayers, who went on to design schoolchildren's education and support Critical Race Theory.

And ditto in a different way for their adopted son, Chesa Boudin, who now serves as San Francisco's district attorney and lets pretty much every criminal off without consequences while focusing on charging cops with crime. That's part and parcel of the malevolent influence of Ayers and Dohrn. While New York is entirely left-wing, there was no Chesa Boudin in that city to simply let this pair off.

In a way, it's a pity, since had these young people been raised with values beyond wokesterism, they might have gone on to lead productive lives. What a waste, actually.

Young people are immature and impulsive and often do stupid things. Fill their heads with wokester tripe, and some will go off the rails in the ecstasy of revolution, riots, and destruction, as this pair obviously did.

Once off campus, their idiot ideas remain. But the real world and its competing interests are also there, so for them, reality can hit hard. They were looking at ten years in the hole, and apparently nobody wanted them out. They were failed by the educational system which apparently instilled in them no values.

The empty-headedness of academia is evident in this new guerrilla video, done by filmmaker Ami Horowitz, who decided to pretend to be someone who was raising money for the Taliban on the University of California at Berkeley's elite campus. He not only raised cash and pledges from the empty-headed wokesters filled with anti-American thinking from their professors  he didn't meet anyone who criticized him. Horowitz says he would have been glad to have been punched in the face for that one but was chilled to find that nobody called him out. One of them said he wanted to work with him.

Call that the Ayers and Dohrn effect on the young people, including Rahman and Mattis.

The lesson now is that woke, malevolent, and stupid is no way to go through life.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Pets hold a special place in our hearts. For a flat rate of $50 along with a photo, celebrate their life and a special message through placing a Pet Obituary today. Pet Obits are published once a week in the Anchorage Press and on AnchoragePress.com. Our customer service team will contact you directly if there are any questions during our regular business hours. Thank you and please accept our deepest sympathies for your loss.

Click here to submit




Have any questions? Please give us a call at 907-561-7737
Andover, MA (01810)

Today

Rain and snow showers this evening. Then becoming clear overnight. Low 27F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 30%..

Tonight

Rain and snow showers this evening. Then becoming clear overnight. Low 27F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 30%.
Theres a bit of a catch-22 among productivity apps: they help you be more productive, but they themselves are a distraction that can lower productivity. Google is looking to help this little issue by introducing Focus time for Google Calendar.

Focus Time will automatically reject conflicting Google Calendar events

This new feature comes soon after the company gave Google Calendar the Material You overhaul. People who use Google Calendar to organize their entire existence should benefit from this new feature.

If you have your main priority, youll want to give it precedence over other tasks. Focus Time is a feature that will reject conflicting Google Calendar events. Sometimes, scheduled events clash. According to the report from Google, similarly to the Out of Office option, Focus Time will have a different appearance compared to regular events.

Advertisement

During this time, any other events that pop up will automatically be rejected. This will help cut down on any extraneous notifications that will tear you away from your work.

Focus Time is mostly for people who work with others and share the same Calendar. Unexpected events come up among your team, and you can be roped into the chaos. With Focus Time, youll be able to focus on what youre doing and nothing else.

If you think you can benefit from Focus Time, the update is gradually rolling out at the moment. Some people may have it by now, but its still hitting phones. The company says that this process will be happening over the next 15 days. It also wouldnt hurt to check your apps update status on the Play Store as well.

Advertisement

In Other Google News: The Android 12 beta is still ongoing

We all thought that the Android 12 beta was done, but thats not the case. Even though the stable version is making its way to phones, Google has chosen to continue with the beta program. Those who continue with the beta program will get updates, new features, and bug fixes before they hit the public.

Those who were in the beta before are automatically enrolled in this extended beta. However, if you want out, you will need to do so soon. The next beta is going to drop sometime in December. If you exit the beta program before then, you will be able to keep your data.

However, if you exit the beta program after the next beta drops, you will lose all of your data. Google didnt state just how long this extended beta will last. Since the next version of Android will be coming out next year, we dont expect it to last for too long.
Posted on: October 21, 2021 10:56 AM

More than half of the provinces in the Anglican Communion have pledged to join the Anglican Communion Day of Prayer on 30 November.

More than half of the provinces in the Anglican Communion have pledged to join the Anglican Communion Day of Prayer on 30 November. A 24-hour global wave of prayer has been organised by USPG, with the support of the Anglican Communion office and several Anglican agencies from around the world.

General Secretary of USPG, Duncan Dormor, has said: We believe this is the first global day of prayer of its kind and are very excited about the response we are receiving from around the world. We sense this is very timely. We believe God is calling us to join together to pray for our world  a world that is reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, the increasingly alarming impact of climate change, and from injustice, exploitation and war.

Davidson Solanki, USPGs regional manager for Asia and the Middle East, said: We saw how churches around the world went online, using technology to keep in touch and we felt we could use this growth in the virtual church to unite everyone together and pray.

The virtual gathering will take place over 24 consecutive hours, and will be divided into half-hour time slots, each of which will be led by one of the Anglican provinces or extra-provincial churches in the Anglican Communion. This means people will be able to join online prayer wherever they are in the world at whatever time suits them.

Regular updates on the Day of Prayer will be posted on USPGs website and social media channels. Details of how to join in will be released in November.
PLEASE NOTE: ALL ONLINE PURCHASES ARE AUTOMATIC RENEWALS UNLESS YOU EMAIL JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM OR CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE @ 256-235-9253....

Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM



*NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY join with a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! AMEX is not accepted through this site.



After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel*


A two-vehicle crash involving commercial vehicles on AL 144 at Old Coal City Road shut down the intersection Thursday morning.
(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 21 - A 22-year-old warehouse worker from Guinea Bissau was crushed to death by a lorry at the warehouse of courier firm Sda Express Courier outside Bologna on Thursday, the latest in a spate of workplace accident deaths in Italy.

The accident happened at the Interporto di Bologna, ia logistical hub situated at Santa Maria in Duno di Bentivoglio.

For reasons still to be established the young man go trapped between the loading dock and the truck, and was crushed to death.

The man, who was an employee of the Metra transport cooperative, had his chest caved in and died instantly, medical sources said.

Workplace deaths in Italy are a national tragedy, Justice Minister Marta Cartabia said Wednesday amid the months-long spate of fatal accidents at the workplace across the country.

She said the government had intervened by increasing the number of inspectors and checks, but a new law on administrative responsibility would be even more useful in stopping the rash of fatalities.

Premier Mario Draghi said Friday that workplace safety norms recently approved by the government sent the "unequivocal signal that you cannot save (money) at the expense of workers' lives" after the shocking spate of workplace accident deaths continued with more fatalities, one near Milan in Lombardy, one near Modena in Emilia-Romagna, one at Sassari in Sardinia and one at Barletta in Puglia.

"As the government, we committed ourselves to doing everything possible to prevent these episodes happening again." Draghi said "the norms are the realisation of this promise. We are increasing the numbers of workplace inspectors, we are stiffening sanctions, we are boosting computerization to improve checks." Italy's big three trade-union confederations, CGIL, CISL and UIL, will hold a major demonstration on Rome on November 13 to demand action on health and safety to stem the tide of deaths.

Some 667 people lost their lives in workplace accidents in the first seven months of the year, sources said last month.

The issue has been top of public debate in Italy 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).


NAPLES - The United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to work together on two space missions, including Israel's second attempt at a lunar landing, reported UAE daily The National.

It said an agreement was signed between the UAE Space Agency and the Israel Agency at Expo 2020 Dubai on Wednesday.

As part of the cooperation, the UAE will develop scientific instruments and exchange research with Israel's Beresheet 2 lunar landing mission.

"Sharing knowledge and expertise is a key part of the UAE's vision to create an attractive and competitive national space industry," said Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology and chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency.

"If you look at the most successful global space programmes in history, the common denominator is collaboration. Israel has a globally recognised space industry and developing bilateral and multilateral partnerships has never been so important as we embrace a new era of space exploration." Israel's first attempt at a lunar landing in 2019 failed after the spacecraft crash-landed on the surface.

The two countries will also cooperate on an Israeli-French satellite that was launched in 2017 and works on environmental topics, gathering data from space on vegetation and the environment that will now be shared with the UAE.

Universities in Israel and the UAE will also launch collaborative research projects.

"Today I am pleased to sign a series of agreements for cooperation with the UAE Space Agency," said Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Israel's Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.

"Thanks to this work we are already launching advanced initiatives. I share Minister Al Amiri's vision of harnessing science and space, not only as an economic stimulus but also for educating our future generations."


STRASBOURG - Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic sent a message to European leaders gathered in Brussels on Thursday, urging them to oppose legalising migrant pushbacks.

"Pushbacks of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants at the borders of member states of the Council of Europe must not be legalised, and governments must oppose this practice, which violates human rights, and any legislative or political initiative to normalise it," she said.

"Rights violations at Council of Europe member countries' borders have increased at an alarming rate, and are often carried out with brutal violence, putting people's lives at risk," she said.

"Now is the time to say enough is enough to these practices and attempts to render them normal and legal," she said, referring to the proposal put forward by 12 EU member states to "adapt the legal framework to the new situation".

"The states must instead finally act to hold each other accountable for the violations committed and face the lack of true solidarity in welcoming refugees, asylum seekers and migrants," she said, adding that the "absence of solidarity creates an incentive for pushbacks".


ROME - An international conference of foreign ministers, including Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, is being held today in Tripoli in support of a recent Libyan initiative to stabilize Libya.

The adoption of a final declaration is expected at 2 pm, but the draft agenda revealed tensions on the ground over reunification of the militias, the exit of mercenaries and foreign forces, and a plan for securing the southern borders, as these topics were the subject of two reports foreseen in a draft agenda that then disappeared.

The draft said the goal of the conference, which was organised by the Libyan Foreign Ministry and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), is to "evaluate mechanisms in place for implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 2570 and 2571 and the conclusions of the first and second Berlin Conferences on Libya".

In an invitation letter, Libyan Foreign Minister Najla El Mangoush stressed that today's conference will serve to help get the "Libya Stabilization Initiative", which she herself recently launched, off the ground, in order to "create an international group under the leadership of Libya and the United Nations" to serve as a "forum to begin to collectively address challenges and threats as well as to optimally unify all the mechanisms for implementing the Security Council resolutions and the results of international conferences".
ROME - The Rome Book Fair "Piu libri piu liberi", promoted and organised by the Italian Publishers Association (AIE), is back with an in-person format this year, marking its 20th anniversary from 4 to 8 December at the Rome Convention Center La Nuvola.

The most important publishing event in Rome, dedicated entirely to small and medium-sized Italian publishers, had a one-year pause due to the Covid pandemic.

This year's festival is dedicated to the topic of freedom and will host writers from around the world, with scheduled guests including: Jonathan Safran Foer, Alessandro Baricco, Roberto Saviano, Guadalupe Nettel, Zerocalcare, Chiara Valerio and Francesca Mannocchi.

The festival will also host new writers such as Reni Eddo-Lodge, who will speak about the books that provided freedom and broke barriers and taboos. This year's festival will explore the concepts of collective and personal freedom, the commitment to civil and political rights, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

The focus of this year's festival, which has freedom in its very name (More books, more freedom), is on the fact that books can liberate and elevate us. The festival will include publisher booths, meetings, lectures and round-table discussions.

The poster for the 2021 festival was designed by Lorenzo Mattotti, depicting a cloud in the middle that transforms into a hot-air balloon with two readers aboard. The image, like in the ending of Calvino's The Baron in the Trees, shows the power of literature to spark imagination.
Rome Book Fair back to in-person format on 20th anniversary From 4 to 8 December at La Nuvola, edition dedicated to freedom

(ANSAmed) - ROME, 21 OTT - The Rome Book Fair "Piu libri piu liberi", promoted and organised by the Italian Publishers Association (AIE), is back with an in-person format this year, marking its 20th anniversary from 4 to 8 December at the Rome Convention Center La Nuvola.



The most important publishing event in Rome, dedicated entirely to small and medium-sized Italian publishers, had a one-year pause due to the Covid pandemic.



This year's festival is dedicated to the topic of freedom and will host writers from around the world, with scheduled guests including: Jonathan Safran Foer, Alessandro Baricco, Roberto Saviano, Guadalupe Nettel, Zerocalcare, Chiara Valerio and Francesca Mannocchi.



The festival will also host new writers such as Reni Eddo-Lodge, who will speak about the books that provided freedom and broke barriers and taboos. This year's festival will explore the concepts of collective and personal freedom, the commitment to civil and political rights, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.



The focus of this year's festival, which has freedom in its very name (More books, more freedom), is on the fact that books can liberate and elevate us. The festival will include publisher booths, meetings, lectures and round-table discussions.



The poster for the 2021 festival was designed by Lorenzo Mattotti, depicting a cloud in the middle that transforms into a hot-air balloon with two readers aboard. The image, like in the ending of Calvino's The Baron in the Trees, shows the power of literature to spark imagination. (ANSAmed).




Egypt, Greece and Cyprus link their power grids Countries aim to create natural gas hub in Mediterranean

(ANSA) - NAPLES, 21 OTT - Egypt, Greece and Cyprus signed a major agreement to link their electricity grids, in the latest sign of increasingly close and wide-ranging relations binding the three nations, which are already partnering on an ambitious energy project to turn the Eastern Mediterranean into a major natural gas hub.



UAE daily The National said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi described the agreement as a first step towards connecting the three nations' grids with the rest of Europe.



It said their alliance is also partially designed to counter the growing influence of Turkey in the Middle East.



"It's my personal pleasure to witness with you today the signing of the tripartite agreement to link our electricity grids," said El Sisi after meeting in Athens with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades.



The agreement follows the signing this month of an agreement on the project, which includes an undersea cable 1,396 kilometres long with a cost of 2.7 billion dollars.



The cable will be the world's longest and will allow the three countries to share up to 2,000 megawatts.



Egypt in recent years has become an exporter of electricity and already has plans to link its electricity grid with Sudan, Libya, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.



However, the current contract also came about because Greece and Cyprus increased their political ties with Egypt following the arrival of El Sisi to power in 2014, putting an end to a history that included strong political tensions.



The meeting in Athens coincided with the announcement by the Egyptian army of joint exercises in the Mediterranean with Greek and Egyptian military fleets. (ANSA).




Israel and Emirates, cooperation on space exploration Working together on research and new Israeli lunar lander

(ANSA) - NAPLES, 21 OTT - The United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to work together on two space missions, including Israel's second attempt at a lunar landing, reported UAE daily The National.



It said an agreement was signed between the UAE Space Agency and the Israel Agency at Expo 2020 Dubai on Wednesday.



As part of the cooperation, the UAE will develop scientific instruments and exchange research with Israel's Beresheet 2 lunar landing mission.



"Sharing knowledge and expertise is a key part of the UAE's vision to create an attractive and competitive national space industry," said Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology and chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency.



"If you look at the most successful global space programmes in history, the common denominator is collaboration. Israel has a globally recognised space industry and developing bilateral and multilateral partnerships has never been so important as we embrace a new era of space exploration." Israel's first attempt at a lunar landing in 2019 failed after the spacecraft crash-landed on the surface.



The two countries will also cooperate on an Israeli-French satellite that was launched in 2017 and works on environmental topics, gathering data from space on vegetation and the environment that will now be shared with the UAE.



Universities in Israel and the UAE will also launch collaborative research projects.



"Today I am pleased to sign a series of agreements for cooperation with the UAE Space Agency," said Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Israel's Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.



"Thanks to this work we are already launching advanced initiatives. I share Minister Al Amiri's vision of harnessing science and space, not only as an economic stimulus but also for educating our future generations." (ANSA).




MADRID - The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands led authorities to order new evacuations on Wednesday evening.

According to information released by the Canary Islands' regional emergency service, the preventive measure involved about 40 to 50 homes in the towns of Los Llanos de Aridane and Tazacorte, considered at risk due to advancing lava flows.

Pending an official update on the number of people evacuated since the start of the eruption on 19 September, an estimated 7,000 people have been evacuated, Spanish media reported.

Thus far, lava flows have buried around 866 hectares of land and destroyed 2,185 buildings, including hundreds of homes, according to the latest update from Copernicus, the EU's earth observation programme.

In recent hours the town of La Laguna has been particularly under threat from lava that had already reached the town's edge.


Libya: conference on stabilisation today in Tripoli At foreign-minister level, divisions on mercenaries

(ANSAmed) - ROME, 21 OTT - An international conference of foreign ministers, including Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, is being held today in Tripoli in support of a recent Libyan initiative to stabilize Libya.



The adoption of a final declaration is expected at 2 pm, but the draft agenda revealed tensions on the ground over reunification of the militias, the exit of mercenaries and foreign forces, and a plan for securing the southern borders, as these topics were the subject of two reports foreseen in a draft agenda that then disappeared.



The draft said the goal of the conference, which was organised by the Libyan Foreign Ministry and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), is to "evaluate mechanisms in place for implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 2570 and 2571 and the conclusions of the first and second Berlin Conferences on Libya".



In an invitation letter, Libyan Foreign Minister Najla El Mangoush stressed that today's conference will serve to help get the "Libya Stabilization Initiative", which she herself recently launched, off the ground, in order to "create an international group under the leadership of Libya and the United Nations" to serve as a "forum to begin to collectively address challenges and threats as well as to optimally unify all the mechanisms for implementing the Security Council resolutions and the results of international conferences". (ANSAmed).




Migrants: Council of Europe urges no legalising pushbacks Mijatovic says lack of solidarity incentivises practice

(ANSAmed) - STRASBOURG, 21 OTT - Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic sent a message to European leaders gathered in Brussels on Thursday, urging them to oppose legalising migrant pushbacks.



"Pushbacks of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants at the borders of member states of the Council of Europe must not be legalised, and governments must oppose this practice, which violates human rights, and any legislative or political initiative to normalise it," she said.



"Rights violations at Council of Europe member countries' borders have increased at an alarming rate, and are often carried out with brutal violence, putting people's lives at risk," she said.



"Now is the time to say enough is enough to these practices and attempts to render them normal and legal," she said, referring to the proposal put forward by 12 EU member states to "adapt the legal framework to the new situation".



"The states must instead finally act to hold each other accountable for the violations committed and face the lack of true solidarity in welcoming refugees, asylum seekers and migrants," she said, adding that the "absence of solidarity creates an incentive for pushbacks". (ANSAmed).




Tourism: Spanish government says 16.9 mn visited in summer 45% of the number in the same period in 2019

(ANSAmed) - MADRID, 21 OTT - In the summer months of this year (June-September) a total of 16,9 foreign tourists visited Spain, 45% of the number during the same months of 2019, according to Spanish Tourism Undersecretary Fernando Valdes, during a hearing of the parliamentary committee for industry, trade and tourism.



Valdes said the figures are a preview of the data that will be officially published by the National Statistics Institute at the start of November.



"The forecast we made at the start of the summer will be confirmed," he said. (ANSAmed).




The parents of a university student killed outside a city centre bar in 2018 told a coroner their nightmare had been made worse by delays to the investigation.

Olivia Burts parents said it was 1,353 days since they lost the 20-year-old Durham University student in the most horrific circumstances imaginable.

The coroner, Oliver Longstaff, said he empathised and told them that Durham County Council was still considering whether there had been breaches of health and safety legislation.

Ms Burt, who was studying natural sciences, was crushed when a barrier collapsed outside the busy Missoula bar in February 2018.

Mr Longstaff held a brief hearing at Crook Civic Centre to assess progress in the case, and allowed Mr Burt to address him via a live link.

With his wife Paula beside him, Mr Burt said: It is exactly 1,353 days since our wonderful daughter Olivia was killed outside Missoula nightclub in Durham in the most horrific circumstances imaginable.

Every one of those 1,353 days has been a nightmare made worse by delays in the investigation.

Mr Longstaff said the county council had asked for a further adjournment while a decision was made on whether to charge parties with health and safety breaches.

He said coroners had no power to make investigators speed up their inquiries, but he would write to the county council to pass on the Burt familys comments.

Mr Burt agreed when the coroner said: A thorough investigation is sometimes of more value than a swift one.

Mr Longstaff said he would list the case for another mention hearing in January.

The coroner praised Ms Burts parents, saying: The family have dealt with their loss and the long wait for an outcome of the investigations that are ongoing with impeccable patience and dignity.

Ms Burt was a member of the British sailing team, grew up in Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, and had been head girl of Bournemouth School for Girls.
The Labour Party has been branded an absolute embarrassment by one of its own MPs when it comes to the conversation about womens rights and gender identity.

Rosie Duffield said she felt she was in a safe space attending the first annual conference of the LGB Alliance in central London.

The Canterbury MP appeared on a panel entitled Cancel Culture and Free Speech alongside fellow parliamentarians Joanna Cherry, of the SNP, and Tory Jackie Doyle-Price.

Ms Duffield stayed away from the Labour Party conference last month because of the abuse she suffered after being labelled a transphobe.

At a Fringe event, she had reportedly accused colleagues of chucking me on the railway tracks over her stance on issues such as people being allowed to self-identify as female and comments including only women have a cervix.

Speaking at the LGB Alliance meeting on Thursday, she said it felt incredibly lonely within her own party, and credited Ms Cherry and Ms Doyle-Price for supporting her throughout the past year.

MP Rosie Duffield (2nd left), MP Joanna Cherry QC (2nd right) and writer Graham Linehan (right) during the first LGB Alliance annual conference at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in central London (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

She told the conference: Were OK to talk about everyone elses rights, but were not supposed to talk about women, and were not supposed to talk about our bodies without quantifying it or justifying it, or adding on other groups that we also support to, sort of, you know, have our credentials allowed.

So were not allowed to just speak about things that really only do affect women.

She said being called homophobic was the most insulting and distressing thing, and described it as incredibly hurtful not to be able to attend Canterbury Pride after being told it was not safe for her to do so.

She said she cannot shut up and be quiet, adding: This idea that womens rights are, we have to justify talking about them is just completely ridiculous and Im afraid my party is an absolute embarrassment at the moment.

She said she had seen Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday night, and told him: Look, Im trying to be supportive of you as our leader, and he said I know, I know and then he got whisked away.

The LGB Alliance has said rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people are under threat in the face of a campaign to replace sex with gender.

The organisation, which describes itself as standing for the rights of same-sex attracted people, said there is currently so much acrimony in the debate.

The organisation said it had received a letter from Boris Johnson describing the event as ground-breaking and thanking them for their incredible hard work as he wished them a successful conference.

The Prime Minister had been invited to attend and but was unable to due to diary pressures, it said.

Mr Johnson was at a church service in County Armagh on Thursday to mark 100 years since the formation of Northern Ireland

A group of demonstrators holding placards saying Trans rights are human rights gathered outside the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre where the event was being held.

Ms Doyle-Price said Ms Duffields comments make her an inconvenience to Labour, adding: Because shes forcing her party to face up to what is a conflict of rights.

The Conservative MP said her own party is having a more healthy discussion on the issue.

Meanwhile Ms Cherry told of her concern that being expelled from her party is a real possibility.

She said had been sacked from her post as the SNPs justice and home affairs spokeswoman at Westminster because Ive spoken out in favour of lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights and because Ive spoken out for womens rights.

She added: I dont want to stand here and criticise the SNP Scottish government because I dont want to be expelled from my party, which I think could happen to me.

She said when she got into politics she thought the pursuit of Scottish independence would be the fight of my life.

She added: But at that time I didnt realise that what probably is now the fight of my life would be to protect womens rights, and also to protect the rights of lesbians and gay men and bisexuals.

Asked about the letter, a No 10 spokesman said: The Government is clear that biology matters and there are different health needs between the sexes.

We are clear that all transgender people should be treated with dignity and respect.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said the Government alone cannot tackle the rise in fraud as three new industry charters were unveiled with the aim of strengthening security.

Fraud offences have risen by 24% during the pandemic, according to the Home Office, and the charters will see banks, accountancy firms and telecommunications businesses commit to working with the Government to stem the tide.

Plans include a pilot scheme to bring in point of sale bank authorisations for mobile phone contracts; a cross sector plan to protect customers who fall prey to a data breach; and a crackdown on fake text messages that appear to be from legitimate companies.

Received an email which youre not quite sure about? Is it asking you to login to your account, or maybe to "confirm" your payment details? If you are suspicious, you should report it by forwarding the email to: Report@phishing.gov.uk #CyberProtect pic.twitter.com/TgFcydV7yS  Action Fraud (@actionfrauduk) October 20, 2021

The Joint Fraud Taskforce, a body including members from Government, the private sector, law enforcement and victims groups, is also being re-launched under the leadership of Security Minister Damien Hinds and will meet for the first time on Thursday.

Ms Patel said: I am deeply concerned about the devastating impact fraud can have on victims and I will not tolerate criminals lining their pockets at the expense of law-abiding citizens.

Government alone cannot fix this which is why The Joint Fraud Taskforce will bring together key business leaders to work in partnership to protect the public and tackle this cowardly crime.

All the major high street banks have signed the charter for the sector, which includes commitments to crack down on the movement of stolen money, and to give consistent advice to consumers about where to get support if they fall victim to fraud.

David Postings, chief executive of UK Finance, said: Banks are fighting fraud on every front, but the sector cant stop all fraud on its own. Only by working together with other key industries and government can we combine our powers to make the UK a safe place to do business.

The main mobile firms  BT EE, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone  are signatories of the telecoms charter, and 12 leading accountancy bodies have signed up for their sector.

Members of the public are encouraged to forward suspicious text messages to 7726, and if they are victim to a scam to report it to Action Fraud.
Senior politicians, family and friends have gathered to mourn and remember former Cabinet minister and Conservative MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup James Brokenshire.

A heavy police presence was seen in Bexley and around St John the Evangelist Church, where the service took place on Thursday.

Fellow Tory MP Sir David Amess  who was killed during a constituency surgery in Essex just a week after his colleagues death  and his family were remembered during prayers in the packed church.

Mr Brokenshire was described by Reverend Scott Lamb as unassuming and the most decent of men.

James Brokenshires coffin is carried from St John the Evangelist Church in Bexley, south-east London, after his funeral (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Former prime minister Theresa May, in whose government Mr Brokenshire held two Cabinet roles, gave a Bible reading from Marks Gospel and, referring to the passage, Rev Lamb said Mr Brokenshire also came not to be served but to serve.

Rev Lamb said Mr Brokenshire went into politics not out of ambition but because he wanted to make a difference, underlined by the fact that he was doing constituency work two days before his death from lung cancer at the age of 53 on October 7.

He said: As a local MP no case was too trivial or the plaintiff too lowly.

Former prime minister Theresa May gave a Bible reading (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

He also spoke of how, when Mr Brokenshire became MP for the constituency, the fate of Queen Marys Hospital in Sidcup had been sealed.

The deal was done, the hospital closed, and the land sold for housing, he said.

But Mr Brokenshire intervened, and Rev Lamb said: There are hospital services on that site today because of James vision.

He added: The irony was not lost on James that he received the cancer care services himself that he had fought to bring to local people, and he did so in the building where he had turned the first earth, passing each day a plaque with his name on it.

Rev Lamb said Mr Brokenshires father, Peter, had worked in local government, while his mother, Joan, would take him to local Conservative fundraisers.

He joined the Young Conservatives in his teens and started campaigning, and, well, just never stopped, he told the congregation.

On their wedding day in 1999 Mr Brokenshires widow Cathy gave her husband a drawing of the House of Commons, Rev Lamb said.

And she told him: I expect you will be there.

Mr Brokenshire was elected as the MP for Hornchurch in 2005 and then for Old Bexley and Sidcup in 2010.

In 2002, while a candidate, he was meant to meet Mrs May for a visit, but the birth of his first child, Sophie, meant he had to cancel on his future boss.

When his second daughter, Jemma, was born in 2005, it was the day the general election was called.

His son, Ben, was born in 2006 while the family were on holiday in Cornwall, which Rev Lamb said had started a Conservative Party tradition.

Former Cabinet minister David Davies (centre) arrives for the funeral of James Brokenshire in Bexley, south-east London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Rev Lamb also outlined how many of those who worked with Mr Brokenshire had become close friends.

People were more than that to James, he said.

Sophie, now 18, also gave a reading and said that, while to many Mr Brokenshire had been a colleague, an MP, a friend, to her he was simply Dad.

Maybe you can sum the person up by the little moments, she said.

And she recalled how her childhood was often full of being told Mr Brokenshire was on a conference call, or recently discussing the events in Afghanistan.

She said there is now only one thing we can do  follow what he started, adding that, like her father, she would strive to be a very decent person.

Tory MP James Brokenshire died of lung cancer on October 7 at the age of 53 (PA)

Mr Brokenshires funeral was attended by senior figures including Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Home Secretary Priti Patel, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, father of the House of Commons Peter Bottomley, Commons deputy speaker Dame Eleanor Laing, minister Chloe Smith, Tory peer Baroness Morgan, former Cabinet ministers Julian Smith and David Davis, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, former Northern Ireland first minister Arlene Foster, and Conservative MPs Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly and Chris Grayling, among others.

Dont You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds was played at the end of the service.

Rev Lamb said Mr Brokenshire had raised more money for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation than anybody except for Roy Castle himself.

The charity also said it had been overwhelmed with inquiries about lung cancer since the MPs death.

The Brokenshire family said anybody interested in sharing memories or donating to the charity can visit https://jamesbrokenshire.muchloved.com/
Nearly 1,500 suspected drug traffickers have been arrested, while weapons including zombie knives and samurai swords were seized, in a week-long county lines crackdown by police.

Forces in England and Wales focused on the organised drugs crime, which involves dealers using mobile phones to help transfer class A substances from large cities to towns and rural areas, between October 11-17.

County lines are run by line holders and young children and vulnerable adults are often groomed, coerced, or threatened into being used as runners to deliver the drugs.

The practice also routinely leads to violence, and 289 weapons  including 49 firearms and 120 knives  were seized in the week-long police operation.

Weapons uncovered also included 12 zombie knives, 22 machetes, eight samurai swords and four crossbows.

Some 1,468 people were arrested, and 2,664 vulnerable people  mostly children  were engaged for safeguarding by police.

A total of 1,254,384 was also seized, along with 2 million worth of class A drugs.

Some 28.8kg of heroin and 26.8kg of cocaine were found, and officers visited 894 cuckooed addresses, which are households usually of vulnerable people used to store drugs.

Graham McNulty, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead for county lines, said police are making significant inroads into dismantling violent county lines.

The figures speak for themselves  were stopping abhorrent criminals abusing young people and lining their own pockets in the process, he said.

Nearly 2,000,000 worth of class A drugs and hundreds of weapons are now off our streets thanks to the work of officers up and down the country.

He praised the work of the Childrens Society charity, which has helped officers to identify children involved in the crimes, and urged anyone worried about a vulnerable person who could be engaged in county lines to contact police.

The NPCC said the number of county lines operating in England and Wales has declined from 2000 in 2018 to around 600 active lines currently, thanks to the work of forces in major exporting areas including Merseyside, West Midlands and London.

Police can now bring victimless prosecutions for modern slavery offences, which ensure children and vulnerable adults are spared the ordeal of having to face their exploiters in court.
The Queen attended a number of engagements before spending a night in hospital on Wednesday.

She was ordered to rest by doctors and advised to miss a trip to Northern Ireland following her busy schedule.

Here is what the 95-year-old monarch has been up to since her return to Windsor Castle at the start of October:

 October 6: The Queen holds two virtual audiences at Windsor with the Greek ambassador and the ambassador for Belize.

She meets Canadian troops from 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, and later has a telephone audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The Queen meets members of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (Steve Parsons/PA)

 October 7: The Queen, with the Earl of Wessex, launches the Queens Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

 October 12: The Queen, accompanied by the Princess Royal, attends a Westminster Abbey service of thanksgiving to mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion.

The Queen with her walking stick (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

She uses a walking stick at the abbey  the first time she has done so at a major event.

 October 13: The monarch has a face-to-face audience with pianist Dame Imogen Cooper to present her with the Queens Medal for Music. She also holds three other audiences.

Dame Imogen Cooper is received by the Queen at Buckingham Palace (PA)

 October 14: On an away day to Cardiff, the Queen delivers a speech at the sixth session of the Welsh Senedd.

 October 16: The Queen enjoys a day at the races at Ascot, and presents the trophy after the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes during the Qipco British Champions Day.

The Queen ahead of presenting the trophy after the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Steven Paston/PA)

 October 18: She holds a virtual audience with the new Governor-General of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro.

 October 19: The Queen has three engagements  two virtual audiences with the Japanese ambassador and the EU ambassador, and then hosts an evening reception at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit.
The delay between a second dose of Covid-19 vaccine and a booster could be cut from six months to five under plans reportedly being discussed by ministers and experts.

Boris Johnson said the time period between doses was an extremely important point and stressed the need to keep going as fast as possible to deliver booster jabs.

A media blitz is to be launched to encourage people to take up the booster shots, which ministers hope will drive up demand which has so far failed to match the enthusiasm of the initial vaccination programme.

Government officials and ministers said the time interval between doses was a matter for the experts on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

But The Guardian said Downing Street sources confirmed the option was being examined, while The Daily Telegraph said the JCVI was showing an interest in the idea of giving booster doses a month early.

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: Does it really matter when its only nine weeks until the Christmas holidays if someone has their booster jab after five months?

And should we not look at whether there should be flexibility in that decision so we can get more people in more quickly for their booster jabs?

Vaccines minister Maggie Throup said: The JCVI have provided the advice that it should be a minimum of six months from the second jab.

HEALTH Coronavirus

During a visit to Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister said: On the issue of timing, all I will say is I think we just need to keep going as fast as possible.

Mr Johnson stressed that, unlike the early stages of the vaccine rollout, there were no problems with supply of doses, instead its a demand issue.

In a sign that demand may be picking up, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said a record 234,000 booster vaccine bookings were made on Wednesday.

Getting your booster when offered is vital to keep you protected from Covid-19 over winter, he said.

I urge everyone to book theirs as soon as eligible.

Great results from @pfizer showing 95.6% efficacy against COVID-19 after your booster jab compared to just two doses. Please get yours when you get the call. https://t.co/jPIhmqSZyZ  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) October 21, 2021

A booster shot of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech has a dramatic effect, the firms claimed after a trial.

In the trial, a booster dose given to patients who had the initial two jabs showing a relative vaccine efficacy of 95.6% when compared to those who did not receive a booster.

The Prime Minister said the findings, which have not yet been peer reviewed, were great results.

The push to encourage vaccine take-up came as the daily number of cases reported in the UK surpassed 50,000 for the first time since mid-July.

HEALTH Coronavirus

But Mr Johnson is continuing to resist calls from health leaders for tighter Covid restrictions despite the rising levels of infections.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the numbers were high but said they were within the parameters forecast by scientists advising the Government.

His comments followed calls from the NHS Confederation and the British Medical Association (BMA) for ministers to activate their winter Plan B for England amid fears the health service could be overwhelmed.

BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said the refusal to introduce supplementary measures  including Covid passports, mask-wearing in crowded public spaces and a return to working from home  amounted to wilful negligence.
When it comes to COVID-19, what happens in the United Kingdom rarely stays in the United Kingdom  and that, in turn, rarely bodes well for the rest of the world.

Again and again, the U.K. has previewed the next unwelcome phase of the pandemic. The highly transmissible Alpha variant was first identified in Kent. The even more infectious Delta variant originated in India but used Britain as its springboard to global domination. The U.K. was one of the earliest movers on vaccination  and one of the first to see uptake level off. It was also the first country to declare freedom from Delta, lifting nearly all restrictions soon after its summer surge appeared to crest.

We [must] learn to live with, rather than cower from, this virus, Health Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted in July.

But now, almost exactly three months later, the U.K. again has one of the worst COVID rates in the world. Up 35 percent over the last two weeks, new cases are currently averaging more than 45,000 a day. They will soon surpass Julys initial Delta peak of about 47,000 daily cases, with no end in sight. On a per capita basis, the U.K.s average daily case rate is more than 2.5 times as high as the United States, more than four times as high as the European Unions, nearly five times as high as Germanys, more than nine times as high as Frances and more than 15 times as high as Spain's or Italy's.

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid, right, and U.K. Health Security Agency Chief Executive Jenny Harries show a COVID-19 slide during a press conference in London on Wednesday. (Toby Melville/Pool via Reuters)

The question is why  and whether Deltas surprise U.K. comeback foreshadows another dark winter in the U.S.

We are concerned," Javid said Wednesday, predicting that new cases could surge to 100,000 a day. "Everyone is right to be concerned."

Its not all bad news for the Brits. For one thing, theyre testing at a higher rate than any other major country, so thats part of the reason their case numbers are so elevated. Theyve also managed to fully vaccinate more than 95 percent of residents over 60  by far the most vulnerable age group  which has broken some of the link between cases and deaths. Right now, new daily cases are three-quarters of the way to matching last winters all-time U.K. peak. Yet new daily deaths are just a tenth what they were then. Thats progress.

The U.S. has not done as well on that front. Many states here still have large pockets of unvaccinated seniors  and as a result, deaths and hospitalizations during this summers Delta wave were about as high as they were last winter, relative to cases. With safe and effective vaccines now widely available, that should no longer be happening. Similarly, the U.S. would be detecting far more cases if it nearly quadrupled its current rate of testing to match the U.K.

But the troubling thing about the U.K. is its trajectory. Its a country that has fully vaccinated 80 percent of its eligible population and endured some of the worlds biggest waves of infection, yet the coronavirus is now spreading again at an alarming rate. Does that mean the U.S.  where 77 percent of the eligible population is vaccinated, where previous surges have presumably left behind a lot of natural immunity, and where cases have plummeted more than 50 percent over the last month  will suffer the same fate?

A man views the National COVID Memorial Wall, a dedication of thousands of hand-painted hearts and messages commemorating victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, in London on Wednesday. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

Not necessarily. But Deltas U.K. comeback is a warning sign for the U.S.

Experts have floated several reasons for the resurgence. One could be waning immunity. The earlier you vaccinate your population, the earlier population-wide protection starts to taper off (particularly among seniors who were first in line); thats why Israel, the fastest country out of the gate on vaccination, also suffered a massive Delta wave over the summer. The fact that the U.K. initially relied on vaccines from AstraZeneca (which offers less protection against Delta) and Pfizer (which has waned more than Modernas) probably isnt helping.

Making matters worse, an estimated 43,000 people across the U.K. reportedly received incorrect negative test results due to technical issues at a private laboratory in Wolverhampton, allowing infections to keep spreading unchecked in the region. A new, possibly more infectious sub-lineage of Delta called AY.4.2 is also on an increasing trajectory across the country (though its role is unclear at this point).

On top of that, U.K. residents are increasingly reporting catching Sars-CoV-2 for a second or even third time, according to the Guardian. A year ago, reinfection seemed rare; only two dozen cases had been recorded worldwide. But just like protection from vaccination, natural immunity also seems to fade over time and in the face of new variants such as Delta. In Oklahoma, for instance, reinfections have risen 350 percent since May.

With rising levels of Sars-CoV-2 infections in the U.K., many of us are personally aware of children and adults who got reinfected, sometimes after a relatively short period from their first infection, Dr. Nisreen Alwan, a public health professor at the University of Southampton, told the Guardian. We still dont know much about the risk factors for reinfection but the theoretical assumption that once all the young get it the pandemic will be over is becoming increasingly unlikely.

A health worker administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to a woman at a vaccination center in London on Oct. 6. (Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the post-July rollbacks and messaging from U.K. leaders seem to have persuaded many Britons to stop taking precautions. About 15 percent of U.K. adults now say they never wear a mask in public spaces, according to a YouGov poll from mid-October  far more than in Spain and Italy (below 2 percent) or France (about 4 percent). The poll also found that Brits were less cautious about using public transportation, attending large gatherings, and entering crowded spaces than their European counterparts. In Italy, nightclubs limit capacity and require proof of vaccination; in Spain, they require masks. In England, clubs are operating without restrictions.

Amid these differences, COVID rates in the U.K. and its peer countries have sharply diverged. According to the Financial Times, the UKs weekly death rate [now] stands at 12 per million, three times the level of other major European nations, while hospitalisations have risen to eight Covid-related admissions a week per 100,000 people, six times the rate on the continent. In other words, the gap between cases and serious outcomes may be bigger in the U.K. than before  but more COVID cases still means more hospitalizations and deaths.

These small measures like mask-wearing, distancing, ventilation and an emphasis on homeworking are greater than the sum of their parts, Martin McKee, professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the paper. It really doesnt take an awful lot to bring this down, as France, Italy and others have shown.

Two fans out of dozens wear face coverings despite no social distancing guidelines being in place during a soccer match at Etihad Stadium on Saturday in Manchester, England. (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

And that may be especially true among younger people. Perhaps the biggest difference between the U.K. and its counterparts  including the U.S.  has been its lack of emphasis on vaccinating teens and slowing the spread of the virus in schools. Despite high-profile bans in red states such as Florida and Texas, masks are now required in about two-thirds of U.S. public schools, and a recent study found that schools without mask mandates were significantly more likely to experience a coronavirus outbreak than schools where everyone has to mask up. Quarantines are commonplace.

In contrast, no one in the U.K. under the age of 18 has to quarantine after contact with a positive virus case, regardless of vaccination status, and masks are not required for any students or staff. And while the U.S. started offering jabs to 12-to-15-year-olds in May, the U.K. waited until September  and even now, England (one of the nations that constitutes the U.K.) administers them solely through schools, which causes all kinds of logistical delays.

As a result, Englands teen vaccination rate is now less than half Spains, Frances, Italys or the United States  and U.K. infections are now highest among secondary schoolchildren, with an estimated 8.1 percent of that group thought to have had COVID-19 during the week ending Oct. 9, according to the Guardian.

And while most kids dont get terribly sick, they do transmit the virus to others.

People at Trinity Leeds shopping center pass by a temporary NHS COVID-19 vaccination site on Aug. 8 in Leeds, England. (Daniel Harvey Gonzalez/In Pictures via Getty Images)

If you dont clamp down on prevalence [in schoolchildren], youll get the spread of infection and possibly reinfection, which will then potentially spread to parents whose vaccines may be waning, and more critically to grandparents and clinically vulnerable people, Stephen Griffin, associate professor of virology at the University of Leeds, explained to the Guardian.

That appears to be the problem now vexing the U.K., leading to calls from experts to revive mitigation measures before winter comes  a move the British government said Wednesday it was not yet ready to make. We are right on the edge  and it is the middle of October, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the health care system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, warned this week. It would require an incredible amount of luck for us not to find ourselves in the midst of a profound crisis over the next three months.

To avoid a similar Delta comeback, the U.S. would be wise to heed Taylors warning. America is already doing some things right. Teen vaccinations continue apace. Boosters  which are rolling out more slowly than expected in the U.K.  may soon be available for Americans as young as 40. And the Biden administration is planning to introduce vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 later this month. Even then, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicated Wednesday that her agency will still recommend that all teachers, students and staff mask up at school.

As we head into these winter months, we know we cannot be complacent, Walensky said during a White House COVID briefing.

Fortunately, U.S. cases, deaths and hospitalizations are falling right now. But Deltas U.K. resurgence is a reminder not to relax too soon. Even in a country with a higher overall vaccination rate and far more testing, the virus can still spiral out of control  especially if you let it spiral among young people first.

Explore how the Delta variant correlates with the national political landscape in this 3D experience from the Yahoo Immersive Team.

For more Immersive stories click here.

____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 62F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
The protracted but ultimately successful Air India sale has recharged the governments resolve to expedite its disinvestment efforts

The Air India sale is finally done with, fittingly, the Tatas back in the cockpit. But there is no rest for Tuhin Kant Pandey, secretary of the department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM). Already, he and his department colleagues are looking ahead at their next disinvestment targets. Sources say that the government has now turned its attention to BPCL in the current financial year. Much is also riding on the plan to float an IPO for the Life Insurance Corporation, by the last quarter of the current year. It is likely to be the biggest IPO in the Indian stock market.

The protracted but ultimately successful Air India sale has recharged the governments resolve to expedite its disinvestment efforts. It has sent out a clear message that the Centre has the political will to restart the stalled reforms process, of which disinvestment of non-performing public sector companies and financial institutions is a major component.

Mr Pandey and his colleagues in various concerned ministries have been set an unenviable target to achieve  Rs 1.75 lakh crores for the 2021-22 fiscal. But the Air India sale has given a second wind to the government and new energy to the babus to continue their efforts.

Sanjeev Sanyal tipped as next CEA

Barely weeks ahead of the Economic Survey and the Union Budget in January, the chief economic adviser (CEA) Krishnamurthy Subramanian will move back to academia after his three-year tenure ends in December.

His predecessor Arvind Subramanian had also stepped down, though before the end of his term, in December 2018 citing pressing family commitments and returned to his academic world. Earlier, former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan had quit after his very publicised differences with the Centre over policy and returned to teaching.

Clearly, academics still offers a quiet refuge from the hurly-burly of policymaking and politics. Before joining the government, Mr Subramanian taught at the Centre for Analytical Finance at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad and is noted for his specialisation in banking and economic policy. But among his other contributions to policymaking at the finance ministry, he will be remembered for coining the phrase Thalinomics in the last economic survey he presided over  the equivalent to the Big Mac Index  to explain the economics of a plate of food in India. It is also learnt that for now, Mr Subramanian has no plans, as of now, to write a book about his time at the finance ministry, unlike his immediate predecessor!

The Centre has reportedly started the process of identifying Mr Subramanians successor and the buzz is that his deputy, principal economic adviser Sanjeev Sanyal, will now supervise the drafting of the 2021-22 Economic Survey and is a likely frontrunner to take over as the next CEA. Watch this space for updates.

Faesals much-awaited homecoming?

This column had reported earlier (August 19) that Shah Faesal, the IAS officer from Jammu & Kashmir who resigned in 2019 in protest against the Centres policies towards the region, was looking to rejoin the civil service. Now the buzz in babu corridors is that Mr Faesal may be inducted as an advisor to J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha in place of Baseer Khan who was recently relieved of his charge.

Mr Faesals resignation from the service remains a mystery and the government is tight-lipped about it. Sources say that the Centre has still not taken on any decision on Mr Faesals resignation, and the rules state that in such a scenario the resignation is considered withdrawn automatically! The official stance, according to the department of personnel and training (DoPT), is that the resignation is still under consideration.

He had resigned citing personal reasons which had created a stir. Subsequently, Mr Faesal who had formed the short-lived Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement was detained at the Delhi airport, a day before Parliament revoked Jammu & Kashmirs special status. Apparently, the buzz about Mr Faesals possible appointment as advisor to Mr Sinha is also being fuelled by a flood of praise from him in recent times of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah on social media. That alone may not work, or will it? Your guess is as good as mine
You are the owner of this article.
Story Timelines

In our effort to always give our readers the best, up to date local reporting, we have recently collaborated with Ohio University students to build interactive, constantly updated timelines for stories that are important to you.
SUV

Customers are further offered the SR5 with the TRD Off-Road Package, the middle-road trim level known as the Limited, the Platinum, and the well-equipped 1794 Edition. Its called that way after the land purchased from the oldest cattle ranch in the state for Toyotas first assembly site in Texas.Finally, TRD Pro is how the Japanese automaker calls the most off-road trim level available. It rocks 2.5-inch internal bypass shock absorbers from Fox, and 1.1-inch lift up front, Falken all-terrain rubber, and lots of tech goodies that include Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control. There is, however, another grade thats expected to premiere in the coming weeks.Leaked by forum users from Tundras.com and Tim Esterdahl of Pickup Truck PlusTalk, the Capstone will be released with a luxurious ivory interior. This information is reportedly sourced from Toyotas GMs meeting in Las Vegas, and the featured photo also confirms the ivory-themed cabin.We can further notice a six-spoke wheel design that isnt shared with other trim levels, the Capstone badge on the decorative molding on the drivers door, and the i-Force Max badge on the drivers side of the hood. Hearsay suggests only the CrewMax crew cab body style with the 5.5-foot bed rather than the 6.5-foot bed. Tundras can also be had with 8.1 feet for longer items as long as you choose the Double Cab extended cab from the configurator.Pretty much Toyotas response to the Ford F-150 Limited and the GMC Sierra Denali, the upcoming Capstone could be priced in the ballpark of $70k, give or take a few hard-earned grand.
Following the recent unveiling of three prototypes in the Model C, Model E and Model T, Liu spoke to reporters about the matter without giving much of anything away.Europe will be a bit faster, I agree with that. But as to where, I cant tell you, he stated.When asked about working together with German carmakers, he said that it would be an indirect cooperation, while confirming that production in Europe would be prioritized timewise and that Mexico was also a possibility (as far as Latin America is concerned), reports Reuters Foxconn refers to its business model as BOL, meaning Build, Operate and Localize. Basically, they invest with partners to build and operate local factories and then sell the products to local consumers.Earlier this year, Foxconn and Stellantis announced a plan to create a joint venture for supplying in-car and connected-car technologies for the entire industry. The Taiwanese firm also bought a factory from U.S. startup Lordstown Motors, as well as a chip plant in Taiwan  the latter already looking like a really smart move.These are the advantages that Taiwan has cultivated for many years and is best at, added Liu while referring to Taiwans strength in software and semiconductors.One near-term endgame for Foxconn, which is still best-known for making iPhones, is to provide components or services for 10% of the worlds EVs either by 2025 or 2027. Yesterday, its shares were up 0.5% and are up almost 17% since the start of the year.
To unlock this rating, you have to specify the 2.0-liter turbo and towing package from the options list. As for payload, the Ford Motor Company quotes 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms). The bed is 54.4 inches long, which is roughly 4.5 feet, which means that youll have to keep the tailgate down if you want to haul two motorcycles back there. Maverick Truck Club forum user blackie did just that with his brand-new XLT turbo with the FX4 package.You dont have to reinforce the tailgate cables either for this kind of load because the tailgate is rated from the factory at 500 pounds (227 kilograms) when fully open and 400 pounds (181 kilograms) at 45 degrees in the intermediate position. The right-sized pickup is also rocking pre-stamped slots in the Flexbed that allow the owner to customize storage using 2x4 or 2x6 pieces of lumber. As many as eight tie-downs also have to be mentioned, along with two 12V access points and a 110V domestic-type outlet.Another highlight of the Maverick comes in the guise of low bed walls, low enough that its easy to reach over them to get stuff out of the truck's bed. Whats more, the Maverick holds the titles of Americas most affordable pickup truck ( $19,995 for the XL) and the most efficient pickup truck on sale today ( 42 miles to the gallon or 5.6 liters per 100 kilometers for urban driving).According to Ford, the 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission will start shipping to dealers in December 2021. U.S. deliveries are scheduled to kick off in January.
Japan Airlines (JAL) has kicked off the process of determining the infrastructure and certification requirements, as well as the right partners, for shaping the first aircraft ride-sharing project. A huge step in that direction is the recent agreement signed with Avolon, through which JAL commits to purchasing or leasing 50 eVTOLs, with an option for 50 additional units.According to JAL representatives, this is a strategically important step for achieving Air Mobility revolution in Japan and significantly reducing aviations negative impact on the environment.The eVTOLs that Avolon will be providing to JAL are the revolutionary VA-X4 aircraft developed by Vertical Aerospace. Verticals eVTOL aims to become globally certified. By the time it beings operating in Japan, it will be certified by UKs Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and Japans Civil Aviation Bureau. At the moment, the companies that have signed the agreement are working on obtaining the type certificate validation for the VA-X4, in Japan.The VA-X4 claims to be powered by the worlds lightest and safest electric powertrain, developed together with Rolls-Royce. In addition, the proprietary battery system significantly reduced the overall weight, making it easier to comply with certification requirements when it comes to design. Another remarkable feature of this eVTOL is the enhanced maneuverability and high level of automation, thanks to the advanced avionics that are similar to the ones of the military F-35B.Flying at over 200 mph (322 kph), Japans future air taxi will boast a remarkable range of more than 100 miles (161 km). Besides being powerful and eco-friendly, the VA-X4 will also be almost completely silent  claiming to be 100 times quieter than a helicopter, both at cruise and hover.After the official unveiling at the Osaka Kansai Expo, Japans air taxi is planned to start operating in 2025.
One young driver from Ludwigsburg, Germany is learning this the hard way, Stuttgarter Nachrichten is reporting (hat tip to CarScoops ). A judge just ordered him to sell his BMW 440i or risk having the state seize it , in which case he wont see a dime for it. A portion of the money from the sale will go to the state.In April this year, after a session of burnouts with his pals at a local parking spot, the 23-year-old driver made the questionable decision of fleeing the cops when a patrol unit showed up. That would have been pretty bad on its own, but he didnt stop here: he raced through the city streets, blowing up red lights and forcing evasive maneuvers on other drivers, and he jumped over sidewalks.The police pursued him for as long as it was deemed safe to do so. One police officer in the patrol unit admitted that they gave up at one point because their car would have had to go past 120 kph (74.5 mph) within city limits, where maximum legal speed is either 30 or 50 kph (18.6 or 31 mph). They eventually caught up with him after he parked the BMW at a local fire station. One of the firefighters noticed his speeding entrance and alerted the police.In court, the BMW driver claimed he had some sort of blackout when he saw the police because he was stressed by extended lockdowns and travel restrictions in the area, which had impacted both his personal and professional life. Once the panic subsided, he pulled over and handed himself over to the officers, he claimed.The judge didnt buy it, saying hed turned a fast car into a weapon and that it was only luck that kept him from harming someone with it. The man already had his drivers license suspended for six months, to which the judge added another six, and a 7,000 (approximately $8,200) fine payable from the sale of his car. Should he fail to sell it within three months, the state will confiscate it
EPPO announced the successful completion of an operation against an organized crime group that was evading taxes, by re-selling luxury cars numerous times in different European countries. This is known as a VAT (value-added tax) carousel. The groups main operations were unfolding in Eichstatt (Germany) and Milan (Italy), and Euronews reported that police in Augsburg, Germany, has been investigating this case for over a year.According to EPPO, this is how things went down: a car dealership in Italy purchased luxury cars from the German car dealership, but this was done as a fake private purchase agreement between a non-existing third company, in Germany, and an individual in Italy. This way, they evaded taxes, since the German cars were supposed to be registered in Italy.The private buyer then faked a sale to the car dealership in Milan, which then sold the cars to other dealers or individual customers. The people involved in the scheme managed to not only evade taxes, but also make bigger profits.The operation involved arrests made in Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria. A total of 13 high-end cars were seized in Germany, and the value of the recovered assets is estimated at 13 million ($15 million). The authorities involved in the case did not release any further details about the luxury vehicles that were seized, or the people who were arrested, other than the fact that three of them are connected to Ndrangheta.This Italian mafia organization is located in Calabria and is considered one of the largest organizations of this type. In fact, this tax evasion EPPO operation also led to the detection of a drug trafficking case in Italy, which resulted in several arrests and seizures.Its a shame when luxury cars are involved in illegal actions, especially when public figures are also involved.
The autonomous voyage of the Nellie Bly totaled 1,027 miles and 96.9 percent of that distance was accomplished under fully autonomous control. 31 collision-avoidance and traffic separation maneuvers have been executed by the SM300, with the vessel averaging a speed of 7.9 knots. It was a journey that began and ended in Hamburg, Germany, with over a dozen ports being visited along the way, in both Germany and Denmark.According to Michael Johnson, Sea Machines CEO, this autonomous voyage marks the catalyst for a new era of at-sea operations. These Danish waters have been transited by 100 million vessels over the last two millennia, and while ships, destinations, and cargos have changed over the years, the way they are operated has remained virtually constant. Humans have always been the ones in charge of making navigational decisions and controlling the vessels, which is why the Nellie Bly was different because it was remotely commanded.Sea Machines named the vessel Nellie Bly in the honor of a famous journalist in the United States. She took a 25,000-mile journey around the world in 1889, inspired by Jules Vernes book Around the World in 80 Days.The autonomous voyage took place under a project called The Machine Odyssey, with Sea Machines SM300 autonomy system being at the helm of the vessel . A remote team located in Boston was also in charge of monitoring the ship.Sea Machines is based in Boston and it develops autonomous command and control technology for marine navigation. Its SM300 system is AI-enabled, comes with long-range computer vision, features obstacle detection and collision avoidance. It integrates with the ships onboard equipment such as GPS, radar, AIS ENC charts, and specialized cameras that offer full awareness at sea.
According to NTSB, the damages to the top and left side of the outer rim were caused by something impacting against it. In this case, Varner, the owner of the 2019 Tesla Model S P100D. Everett Talbot was in the passenger seat right beside Varner when everything happened.NTSB describes the incident started at 9:07 pm on April 16. Former reports said it had occurred at 11:25 pm, but thats not correct. We know that Varner and Talbot had just had dinner with their wives and were talking about the Tesla. After leaving the women at Varners house, they went for a quick spin.What followed next was that the driver pushed the pedal to 98.8% of its course, which you would just call pedal to the metal. The car reached 67 mph in a matter of 5 seconds, lost control, left the road on a curve, and drove over the curb. In the 550-feet (167.6 meters) trip until hitting a tree, it hit a drainage culvert and a raised manhole. NTSB discovered all that thanks to the Model S EDR (Event Data Recorder).NTSB states that as a result of the crash and fire, both car occupants were fatally injured. According to the Harris County Fire Marshals Offices report, Varners body was found in the rear seat in a rear-leaning position, with both arms rolled back and in a pugilistic pose. That led to rumors that Autopilot might have been involved.The national board absolved the ADAS of guilt in this case. According to its teams analysis, Autopilot could only be engaged if the TACC (Traffic-Aware Cruise Control) and Autosteer functions were turned on. In that part of the road, it was not possible to engage Autosteer. The autopsy revealed both men had alcohol levels above the legal limits.The investigation will now probably focus on why Varner was in the back. If he did not have his seat belt, he would be thrown against the windshield, not the rear seat. The most probable reason for him to be there is that Varner may have tried to escape the car after trying to open his door.In a recent Tesla crash in Miami that killed two people, the fire seems to have spread so fast that there was no time to rescue the people inside it. NTSB is also investigating it.The safety board said that the Texas crash assessment is still ongoing. According to NTSB , information in this update is preliminary and will be supplemented or corrected during the course of the investigation.
Finally, after years of non-stop chaos, it appears help is on the way. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new construction plan to enhance safety and ease congestion worth over $80 million. The LIE is a road thats been battered by years of the hustle and bustle that comes with such close proximity to New York City. Apart from the obvious side effects of a road so perpetually overstressed, the LIE has become a safe haven for illicit substance distributors in recent years. Thus, leading to the dubious nickname of "The Heroin Highway."The latest influx of money from the State of New York will tackle several significant safety concerns that have largely gone unanswered for decades. The first order of business is to add three auxiliary lanes between 48th Street and Little Neck Parkway in Queens.A section of the Interstate is often choked by gargantuan car accidents and resulting traffic jams. That project alone will account for $19.7 million of the initiative's overall budget.Other improvements will come in the form of an exit and entrance ramp extension by approximately 370 feet in sections of the Borough of Queens, which the LIE stretches through. These are intended for motorists who dont have the luxury of launching their Nissan GTR down short entrance ramps designed for cars built in the late 50s.Further safety improvements come in the form of traffic impact attenuators (crash cushions) designed to reduce collision damage to structures. But also the installation of new guide rails or concrete barriers with reflective markers at each new acceleration, deceleration, and auxiliary lane location.New York State is committed to building back our infrastructure to create a more resilient transportation network that meets the demands of the 21st century and allows our communities to flourish. Said Governor Hochul in her press announcement for the project. If successful, it will be a great confidence booster as New York State gears for its next gubernatorial election in 2022.
The Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound has been the primary long-range jet interceptor for the Soviet and then the Russian Air Force for 40 years and counting.Attempts have been made in the past to improve the jet further, like the Izdeliye 701 (Project 701) in the early 90s, which aimed to use the existing Foxhound to add upgraded engines, weapons, and avionics. This project was deemed insufficient in meeting the demands of the Russian Air Force.Almost 20 years after the first attempt to replace the Foxhound, Mikoyan is now developing an all-new platform that it hopes will fly higher, faster, and deliver more powerful weapons to any threat that dares challenge Russian airspace. Dubbed the PAK DP while under development, this aircraft is expected to outperform the incumbent MiG-31 in every conceivable metric.Since the Foxhound flew at Mach three at some of the highest altitudes possible for an air-breathing jet-interceptor to achieve, If the PAK DP is to improve on those metrics, the new jet will likely travel at least four times the speed of sound. It could also dance on the ragged edge between the stratosphere and space.Here, the MiG could conduct enemy aircraft and ballistic missile interception. The possibility exists that the platform will use the same engines found in the cutting-edge Sukhoi SU-57 stealth fighter.Early this year, Rostec Corporation , the majority owner of PAK-DPs designer Mikoyan announced the project had entered the final developmental phase, declaring that the development of the aircraft some in the west have dubbed the MiG-41 has already begun. Even before Mikoyan made any formal announcement.Expect first flights to begin sometime around 2025 and full-service introduction around 2028. As of October 2021, very little information exists on the specifics of the project. As deadlines for the first flight get closer, expect that to change rapidly.
On October 15th, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed into the Bay of Bengal, completing its second voyage in the past three months aimed at demonstrating the expansion of the two countries' strategic partnership. During the 40-nation tour, Rolls-Royce plans to showcase naval propulsion solutions aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth warship, which includes the MT30 marine gas turbine and a low voltage electrical distribution system."The HMS Queen Elizabeth visiting India is one of the finest examples of technological excellence in naval warfare. We are looking forward to familiarising our Indian customers with Rolls-Royce's capabilities aboard this majestic warship and to explore areas for collaboration to further strengthen the might and range of the Indian Navy," said Abhishek Singh, Senior Vice President  Defence, India and South East Asia, Rolls-Royce.The Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers have an Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) system, which is capable of providing more power, flexibility, and reliability. It includes two MT30 marine gas turbine alternators that generate 36 MW. That's enough power to propel the vessels beyond 25 knots (29 mph/ 46 kph).The MT30 provides substantial design benefits through its power density, drastically reducing the number of gas turbines necessary to power modern naval vessels. The HMS Queen Elizabeth also has a robust Rolls-Royce low voltage electrical distribution system that can power the equivalent of 5,000 homes. Rolls-Royce hopes to provide the best options for integrating hybrid-electric and fully electric propulsion systems for Indian Navy's vessels, including the integration of the MT30, which is introducing one of the most powerful gas turbines to the next-generation warships.
I've had a strong Star Wars phase for the next 20 or so years. I kind of went out of it for a while after re-reading "Dune." As Frank Herbert's book felt monumental to me, I was angry that Star Wars had borrowed so many ideas from it. But after recently seeing the 2021 movie version of the aforementioned book, by Dennis Villeneuve, I felt that it didn't get to me as Star Wars managed to do so before.I'm not a big fan of the newer Disney releases, although I didn't skip a single episode of the "Mandalorian." And, if you'll remember, earlier this year Mando's ship popped up in Russia . It wasn't the actual ship from the series, but a replica that was built by a 28-year-old guy named Ayaal from Yakutsk. Located in Eastern Russia, this city is closer to Fairbanks, Alaska, than it is to Moscow, Russia's capital.Now, Ayaal has been a big cosplay fan ever since he was 11. He was so determined to build the "Razor Crest," that he even sold his car to accomplish that dream. And ever since I talked to him back in March, I knew that at one point he's going to finish another ambitious project. It just so happens that he recently contacted me, showing me pictures of his newly built X-Wing!I was curious as to why Ayaal and his team decided on building this ship next, and the answer is quite simple. They were planning on shooting a fan video of Luke Skywalker meeting up with the Mandalorian. Judging by the harsh Siberian winters in the region, the background may have reminded fans of the icy planet of Hoth. They started work on the replica in July and had an old-fashioned approach to the whole thing.They found photos for every angle of the ship, and started converting from millimeters to centimeters and so on until they calculated its real-life size. All in all, it took them 3 months to build it from the ground up. That's slightly faster compared to the "Razor Crest," which took them about 5 months in total. "This time we took into account all the mistakes encountered when building the first ship, and everyone knew what to do," said Ayaal.I guess that with the right team and proper funding, their next project is going to be finished even faster. Building the "skeleton" of the ship was the first part. They used a bunch of different materials including mostly wood, glass, metal, plastic, and water pipes. But their initial project went further than just building the ship, as they made several costumes: Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and R2-D2 are all there.Six people were working on the build: Kolya, Ivan, Dima, Arsen, and Ayaal were responsible for the actual build and the props, while Vanya was the man behind the lens, documenting the journey. I was also curious how much they had spent on the project: just under $6,000. Of course, this only includes the rent for the workshop and the cost of the materials.I was curious to know what the most difficult part of the assembly was. It seems like the small workspace was an issue, and they had to build the ship piece by piece. There were 17 pieces: 1 hull, four wings, four large engines, and four blasters. Taking the ship out of the workshop was not an easy task, but the team brought in more people to assist with the process.So far, Pedro Pascal's understudy is the only official Star Wars cast member to comment on the team's work. During the construction of the "Razor Crest," he sent Ayaal a message stating "This is the way". The team told me that they would love to build the "Millenium Falcon" next if they can get the budget for it. With all their ideas, in a few years from now, they could put on a real Cosplay festival for Star Wars fans.
South Korea is taking huge steps towards becoming a key global player in terms of defense and space-related development: a fifth-generation fighter jet, a new generation fully-electric trainer jet, plus the countrys first private center, which has developed a launch vehicle and a satellite.The KF-21 Boramae (Korean for Young Hawk) is the most prominent of these projects. Koreas first fighter jet designed and developed locally is the most advanced military aircraft ever made and the most expensive military project in its history  Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the country spent $7.8 million (8.5 trillion won) for its development. Indonesia also contributed to that, as this is a joint project between the two nations.The KF-21 Boramae prototype was unveiled earlier this year and is being showcased at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2021 ( ADEX 2021 ), held between October 19 and 23.. Developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the KF-21 is a supersonic fighter jet thats 55 feet (16.9 meters) long, with a supersonic speed (1,400 mph/2,250 kph) and a maximum thrust of 44,000 lbs (20,000 kg).Koreas fifth-generation fighter integrates cutting-edge avionics, a powerful Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, infrared search-and-track features, electro-optical targeting pods, and an electronic weapon suite. An additional benefit of owning a locally-produced fighter jet is a steady supply, plus easier maintenance, as parts can be replaced at any time.This impressive military jet will replace Koreas aging McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and Northrop F-5 fighter jets. It will also be supported by the new Sorigae (Black Kite), a fully electric trainer that boasts a highly advanced dual command cockpit, which will enable training operations compatible with next-generation fighter jets The KF-21s first flight is scheduled for 2022.
The all-new, all South Korean Nuri rocket system consists of three stages, all built by the Korean Aerospace Research Institute with the help of financial backings from hundreds of South Korean companies. In addition, the rocket carried a dummy payload approximately 1.5 tons in weight.Reports from South Korean Mission Control revealed the ignition of the first stage then subsequent transfer to the second and third stages was largely successful. Only after the third stage failed to burn for a sufficient period was the mission declared a partial failure. After the launch, South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced that the rocket was unsuccessful in its planned objective. Even so, the launch had still given data vital to the advancement of the program in the future.South Korea is more compelled than ever to establish a foothold in low Earth orbit, as its bitter enemies to the North have shown no signs of slowing down their nuclear ICBM program in recent months.South Korea has collaborated with other space-faring nations like Russia and the United States in the past to help them establish a presence in space. Notably, the Russian space agency co-developed the Naro rocket, which successfully launched a payload into orbit in 2013. Additionally, they employed the assistance of a Space X Falcon 9 rocket to launch a top-secret military satellite successfully into orbit in 2020.Its hoped that the data gathered from this latest partial failure will bring newfound reliability to the brand new rocket program. For a space administration still in its infancy compared to that of other established space agencies, theyre still farther ahead than most any other country on earth, relatively speaking, of course.
kW

The start-up company is based in Israel and offers several personal mobility devices, including, but not limited to, e-scooters. None of them are as powerful as the Ultra Fast, which comes with two electric motors that deliver up to 5, which is 6.7 horsepower.Its 60-volt, 15 Ah, lithium-ion battery is placed under its floorboard, and it can offer a range of up to 25 miles (40 km). Unfortunately, that range estimate involves a 75-kilogram (165 lb.) rider, a flat surface, and no wind to slow them down.Speaking of weight, the e-scooter comes in at 59 lbs. (27 kg), and it can accommodate a rider of up to 220 lbs. (100 kg), The Pack notes. Unfortunately, the company has not specified how far would the heaviest rider allowed could ride.Regardless, this is different from other e-scooters through the fact that it has two rear wheels instead of one. It can be leaned, just like a conventional scooter.Those who have a license that allows them to ride a motorcycle understand what it means to operate a two-wheeled vehicle at 62 mph (ca. 100 km/h) or more, and how something like a pothole can get you in trouble.Things do not improve if the seat is removed and the wheels are smaller, so think about that before attempting to remove the speed limiter on an e-scooter.In other words, our advice to anyone dreaming of riding such a device at a speed this high would be to wear proper safety equipment that is suitable for a motorcycle . It is just as important to stay off public roads as that kind of speed on wheels that small can get you into a world of trouble.
NASA has launched a new challenge! This time, it asks students to envision a robot that can scoop or dig lunar soil called regolith and carry it from an area located around the South Pole of the Moon to a holding container close to where Artemis astronauts may explore in the future.

6 photos
Tatamel Bike, or Tatameru Bike in Japanese, has been around for almost a year, but its just now that company ICOMA is ready to bring it into production. Unveiled on national media earlier this week, its an electric moped that has the ability to neatly fold onto itself until its no larger than a suitcase.As of the time of press, there is no word on whether this transformative e-bike will ever be marketed outside of the country, or pricing. Theres no harm in window shopping, though, especially since this tiny and undeniably cute vehicle seems to hold the key to one of the most pressing problems in the urban landscape: space  or lack thereof.If you live in the city in an apartment building, dont own a car or are not particularly fond of driving, and have to commute to work , you know what its like. You could get a motorcycle, but that would mean parking it outside. A bicycle would be easier to steal, especially if you dont have the space to store it inside your apartment. Other electric variants, whether e-scooters or larger mopeds, pose similar issues.Tatamel Bike doesnt, because it can become very compact once you fold it down. Introduced as a concept one year ago, its now going into production with ICOMA. Folded down, it measures 70 cm (27.5 inches) long, 68 cm (26.7 inches) tall and 26 cm (10 inches) wide, so no bigger than a piece of luggage. The company doesnt mention the weight of the vehicle, which right now, seems like the only thing going against it in its run at being the most city-friendly means of personal transportation.When ready for the road, the Tatamel Bike folds out: the seat extends backward, the frame folds out, as does the handlebar. Sizes almost double: the e-bike is now 123 cm x 100 cm x 65 cm (48.5 x 39 x 25.5 inches). Its still small by comparison with similar vehicles, but it has everything you need for it to be road legal, including a bright LED headlight, brake lights and turning lights, and you also get pegs for your feet and a kickstand.Without a doubt, even when its ready for the road, this e-bike is still incredibly small and, because of it, only comfortable to riders of a slender constitution and no taller than medium height. The idea with it isnt to be an e-bike that looks intimidating  or particularly impressive in any way , but to be something that gets you moving than you would by walking or pedaling, and without having to resort to using a passenger car or public transport.Power comes from a lithium iron phosphate battery and an unspecified motor that can take it to speeds of up to 40 kph (25 mph). Range is an estimated 50 km (31 miles) on a single charge, which probably means daily charging, depending on your commute. A portable power supply is included, so you can charge your smaller devices on the go.Another way in which ICOMA hopes to attract young buyers (because this is probably the target demographic for this product) is by offering customization options . The company says the side panels on the Tatamel Bike can be made of whatever materials and in whatever colors you like best, so that you might actually be able to match it with your furniture or workstation  so that it perfectly blends in. You can further add illustrations or accessories, according to your exact needs.After all, if youre going to be riding on such a ridiculous (but cute) thing , you might as well own it.
The exercise took place at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, in September. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry, which is also known as Geronimo, received two Project Origin vehicles and used them in a simulated battle with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.The Project Origin vehicles are a surrogate system designed for experimentation to support the development of RCVs . The Geronimo force tested them on the field to validate the combat benefits of adding robots to a manned-unmanned teamed formation.Among the exercise's highlights was the soldiers' deployment of the Project Origin platform to block an intersection for 36 hours, a feat made possible by Origin's minimal heat signature while performing extended hours of battery-powered "silent watch."In addition, Geronimo used the project Origin vehicles to deny helicopter landing zones and conduct route reconnaissance. Again, the robots helped the soldiers gain a major advantage. While the vehicles were used to conduct these operations, the troops who would have been assigned those tasks could carry out different missions.The exercise proved to be even more complicated than initially planned, as soldiers had to complete it during a tropical storm.While everything was going down in Fort Polk, on-site engineers and technicians gathered the necessary technical data. The exercise allowed the U.S. Army to explore the capabilities of the robotic vehicles and provided more insight into how to effectively use them on the battlefield."This validated the notion that if we assign the dumb, dirty, dangerous missions to the robots, we can re-assign our Soldiers to the high-priority complex missions and tasks," said Major Cory Wallace, the Robotic Combat Vehicle lead within the Army Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team (NGCV CFT).
Parked in a big yard about seven years ago, this Piper PA-23 Aztec appears to be in a sorry state. But under that dirty fuselage lurks an airplane that still has what it takes to fly. YouTube's "Jimmys World," known for buying, reviving, and flying abandoned planes, set out to get this old Piper back on its feet.With absolutely no maintenance operated over seven years, this Aztec seems like a tough nut to crack. The Lycoming engines refuse to fire up at first, but Jimmy managed to get them spinning after a few good hours of meddling with the internals. With both propellers in working order, it seems like this airplane could fly again. With a bit of additional work, that is.The video ends on a somewhat funny note, as Jimmy finds out that starting the plane would have been much easier if he knew about a switch under the dash, installed to prevent people from stealing the plane. Well, it wasn't exactly funny to Jimmy, who busted his hump to revive the aircraft, and who steals airplanes anyway?If you're not familiar with the PA-23, this light, twin-engined airplane was produced by Piper Aircraft from 1952 to 1981. The American company built two series, the Apache and the Aztec, the latter introduced in 1962.The PA-23 was originally offered with a pair of naturally aspirated, Lycoming flat-six piston engines, but later versions of the Aztec were also made available with turbocharged units.Capable of sitting up to five passengers, the PA-23 tips the scales at around 3,200 pounds (1,451 kg) and boasts a maximum take-off weight of 5,200 pounds (2,359 kg). It has a cruise speed of 172 mph (277 kph), a maximum speed of 215 mph (346 kph), and a service ceiling of 18,950 feet (5,780 pounds). It can cover up to 1,519 miles (2,445 km) on a full tank.On top of civilian use, the Piper PA-23 was also run by various military operators, mostly in Central America, South America, and Africa. The Spanish Air Force and the United States Navy also commissioned Piper airplanes.In 1975, an Aztec piloted by retired Formula One ace Graham Hill crashed while en route from Circuit Paul Ricard to London. Hill and all five passengers, members of the Embassy Hill F1 team, were killed in the crash.Now that you know a little bit about this twin-engined plane, hit the play button below to see a turbo Aztek fire up and spin its propellers.
kW

The latest spy video was shot at the Nurburgring and surrounding area and shows the M3 Touring , which is its official designation, doing what it does best. The camo has yet to come off, but when it does, it will reveal a styling similar to that of the sedan up front, and a mean design out back that will help it differentiate from the normal 3 Series Touring models.One does not have to be a BMW connoisseur by any means to see that massive kidney grille. It is flanked by the LED headlamps and two additional air intakes further down. Elsewhere, the car has a front apron, chunky side skirts and wheel arches, bespoke bumper at the back with an aggressive diffuser, and quad exhaust pipes. It also rides closer to the asphalt compared to the regular five-door 3er and has uprated brakes.Power will be supplied by the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine from the M3 Sedan, M4 Coupe and Convertible, and upcoming M4 CS / CSL , among others. It will have identical output and torque to the four-door model, pumping out as much as 503 hp (510 ps / 375) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) in the Competition. The M-tuned xDrive rear-biased all-wheel drive system will help it corner better, helping it at the same time hit 62 mph (100 kph) from a standstill in around 4 seconds.Despite looking almost ready to hit showrooms, BMWs M Division is understood to launch it late next year in Europe. It might not arrive in North America, not at first anyway, but if enough people express their interest in it, then who knows, maybe it will apply for a U.S. visa after all.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Not even a month later, Volvo decided to extend the recall to the 2001-2007 V70 station wagon and XC70 Cross Country station wagon. According to documents filed with the, precisely 194,546 such vehicles have been fitted with the ZF-built airbags.In combination with high inflator temperatures, moisture leads to volumetric changes of the propellant tablets, creating dust over time. This dust increases the burn surface area, resulting in a higher burn rate, higher pressure in the combustion chamber, and a higher risk of inflator rupture.Just like the notorious Takata-built airbag, the ZF design could spew metal fragments in the drivers face. Shrapnel automatically results in serious injury, and Volvo is aware of a rupture incident that led to a fatality.The ZF-built airbag inflator on the driver's side will be replaced at no charge to the customer with a modern inflator. Authorized retailers have already been informed of the recall, while customers will have to wait until December 14th, 2021, to receive notification through first-class snail mail.In the meantime, owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552 for additional information. The automakers number for this recall is R10136. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations search engine is another way of telling if your vehicle is included in the callback.Based on the P2 platform developed by Volvo right before the 1999 acquisition by the Ford Motor Company, the second-generation V70 ran from 2000 through 2007. Previously known as the V70 XC, the XC70 looks chunkier thanks to unpainted bumpers, plastic cladding on the front and rear wheel arches, and raised suspension. North American models feature a 2.4-liter turbo, while European customers also had the D5 turbo diesel option.
North and South Korea restored communication hotlines on Monday in an attempt to improve the countries' relationship, AP reports.

State of play: North Korean officers answered calls from their South Korean counterparts for the first time in two months, per AP. The hotlines are communication channels between the Koreas used to schedule meetings, discuss border issues and avoid conflict.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said last week he was willing to reopen the hotlines to promote peace between the two nations, AP notes.

Catch up quick: North Korea had cut off the hotlines in August following the announcement that South Korea and the U.S. would have joint military exercises, per Reuters. The North Korean government considered the exercises to be invasion rehearsals.

Prior to August, the hotlines had not been in use for over a year since North Korea cut off communications in protest of South Korean civilian informational campaigns against it, according to AP.

What they're saying: "Long time no talk. Were very pleased because the communication channels have been restored like this. We hope that South-North relations will develop into a new level," a Seoul official told his North Korean counterpart during a phone conversation, per AP.

The South Korean Defense Ministry said it hoped the hotlines' reopening would lead to a better relationship and help ease military tension, per Reuters.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters that it supports the hotlines because they are "an important component in creating a more stable environment on the Korean Peninsula."

Yes, but: "Its unclear how substantially the move will improve ties between the Koreas, as Pyongyang has a history of using the hotlines as a bargaining chip in dealings with Seoul," AP writes.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said late last week that Moscow is now setting up in Tajikistan five Russian-language schools that will have curricula created on the basis of our methodology. He claimed that the Armenian government recently showed an interest in having the same program drawn up for Armenia.

There is no such issue on our agenda, Dumanian told journalists. At the moment no discussions are taking placing on opening Russian schools in Armenia or Armenian schools in Russia.

He suggested that Lavrov may have only referred to Russian-backed educational programs in schools in former Soviet republics.

Any such program deserves attention so that one can understand what it is all about. Lets familiarize ourselves and understand, added the minister.

Dumanian also stressed the importance of improving the teaching of Russian and other foreign languages in Armenian schools. The Russian language is a mandatory subject there. Schoolchildren study it for ten years.

Armenian has been the countrys sole official language ever since the break-up of the Soviet Union. A law enacted in 1991 also made it the principal language of instruction for Armenian children enrolled in both public and private schools.

Several public schools have Russian-language sections for Russian citizens as well as those Armenian children who lived in Russia and only recently returned to Armenia. The latter are allowed to study there only temporarily.

Armenia also has five schools financed and run by the Russian government. Most of their students are children of Russian military personnel serving in the South Caucasus state.
The Armenian Ministry of Health also said in the morning that 32 more people have died from COVID-19 in the past day, raising to 5,902 the official death toll from the disease. The figure does not include the deaths of 1,243 other citizens which the ministry also links to the coronavirus.

The daily number of new officially confirmed cases has been growing steadily since June amid a continuing lax enforcement of sanitary rules and a very slow pace of coronavirus vaccination.

Yerevans ambulance service said its medics are working nonstop to respond to hundreds of phone calls from people infected with COVID-19.

People call us during the day and they call us at night, one ambulance doctor told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. People are suffocating in their homes. Only we can help them.

The Ministry of Health said late last week that Armenian hospitals have run out of vacant beds for COVID-19 patients, resulting in a waiting list of more than 400 infected people in need of urgent care.

The coronavirus section of the largest of those hospitals, the Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center, has over 500 regular and 114 intensive-care beds. All of them were occupied when an RFE/RL correspondent visited the facility on Tuesday.

It can be said that we are now at the peak [of the new coronavirus wave,] said Petros Manukian, the Yerevan-based hospitals deputy director.

Zarik Hakobian was one of the patients treated there. The 70-year-old woman was taken to Surb Grigor Lusavorich two months ago and was still not discharged from its intensive-care unit.

Im very tired and want to feel well, but I cant, said Hakobian.

Another patient, Siranuysh Nalbandian, was five months pregnant. She was connected to oxygen equipment and had to use hand gestures to communicate with the journalist. Nalbandian, 41, smiled and pointed to a picture of her elder son Hayk who was killed during last years war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Only one of the more than 100 patients in intensive care was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the hospital administration.

Vaccine hesitancy remains widespread in Armenia despite the soaring coronavirus cases and deaths caused by them. Nor do the vast majority of Armenians wear mandatory masks indoors, including in overcrowded public buses. Authorities essentially stopped fining them more than a year ago.

Ministry of Health data shows that just over 403,000 people received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and only about 185,000 of them were fully vaccinated as of October 17. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ordered relevant authorities to use their administrative levers to speed up the vaccination process.

The authorities had already obligated all public and private sector employees to get inoculated or take coronavirus tests twice a month at their own expense, a requirement effective from October 1. Health Minister Anahit Avanesian said on October 11 that they could also introduce a mandatory coronavirus health pass for entry to cultural and leisure venues.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov spoke of such signals coming from Yerevan ahead of Wednesdays session of a Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani task force working on the restoration of transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He expressed hope that they will translate into concrete results soon but did not go into details.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians office and the Armenian Foreign Ministry had no comment on Bayramovs remarks. Pro-government lawmakers also declined to say what signals, if any, were sent to Baku.

Earlier this week, Azerbaijan released and repatriated five more Armenian soldiers taken prisoner during or shortly after last years war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

I think that velvet messages sent by the Armenian authorities are clearly pleasing the Turks and the Azerbaijanis, said Tatul Hakobian, a veteran political analyst. They are therefore trying not to use very tough rhetoric [against Armenia,] even if their actions suggest that they are sticking to their tough positions.

Its hard to tell what understandings have been reached, Hakobian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. But it is obvious that there is a certain process which is leading to some understandings.

The Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani working group co-headed by deputy prime ministers of the three states did not announce any agreements in a statement on its latest meeting in Moscow issued late on Wednesday. It said the three parties agreed to meet again soon.

The trilateral group has been discussing practical modalities of opening the Armenian-Azerbaijani border for commercial traffic in line with the Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the Karabakh war last November.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly claimed that the deal envisages a permanent land corridor that will connect the Nakhichevan exclave to the rest of Azerbaijan via Armenias Syunik province also bordering Iran. He has threatened to forcibly open such a corridor if the Armenian side continues to oppose its creation.

Armenian leaders have denounced Aliyevs threats as territorial claims, saying that the truce accord only calls for transport links between the two South Caucasus states.

I repeat that the issue of providing corridors is not discussed, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian told journalists before flying to Moscow on Tuesday.

Aliyev claimed, meanwhile, that Azerbaijan is succeeding in securing the Zangezur corridor.

His stance and rhetoric have also prompted concern from Iran. Earlier this month, a senior Iranian parliamentarian accused Aliyev of trying to cut Irans access to Armenia with the help of Turkey and Israel.

In an October 11 editorial, the official Iranian news agency IRNA said that the idea of the Zangezur corridor is part of a hidden plan to change the borders of Armenia and Iran.

This would result in the elimination of Iran's land border with Armenia and Irans exclusion from this important route for international transport in the northwest, it wrote, adding that a recent Iranian military exercise was a warning to adventurers from inside and outside the region trying to diminish the Islamic Republics geopolitical role.
Javier Colomina Piriz, the NATO secretary generals new special representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, held separate talks with Karapetian and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian during his first visit to Yerevan.

Official Armenian sources said the talks focused on the future of Armenias relations with NATO as well as regional security and the current situation in the Karabakh conflict zone in particular.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said Karapetian spoke about NATO member Turkeys role in the 44-day war unleashed against Artsakh. He said that it reduced confidence towards NATO in the task of maintaining peace and stability in the region, the ministry added in a statement.

It did not specify whether Karapetian, who has frequently visited Russia since being appointed defense minister in July, signaled Yerevans plans to reconsider its relationship with the alliance because of that.

A separate statement released by the Armenian governments press office, said Pashinian attached importance, in the political sense, to cooperation with NATO. It was not clear whether he too complained about the Turkish involvement in the six-week war stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire last November.

Turkey provided decisive military assistance, including sophisticated weapons and personnel, to Azerbaijan during the hostilities. Armenia maintains that Ankara also sent Islamist mercenaries from Syria to fight in Karabakh on the Azerbaijani side. The Turkish and Azerbaijani governments deny that.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Karabakh war, President Emmanuel Macron of France, another key NATO member state, also accused the Turks of recruiting Syrian fighters from jihadist groups for Azerbaijan.

"A red line has been crossed, which is unacceptable," Macron said on October 1, 2020. "I urge all NATO partners to face up to the behavior of a NATO member.

Armenian President Armen President Armen Sarkissian brought up the matter with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg when they met in Brussels later that month. At a joint news conference with Stoltenberg, Sarkissian charged that Turkey is also obstructing international efforts to broker an Armenian-Azerbaijani ceasefire.

Stoltenberg expressed serious concern about the hostilities but stopped short of criticizing Ankara. He said that NATO is not part of this conflict.

According to Pashinians press office, Piriz said NATO stands ready to use its ties with regional states to contribute to peace and stability in the South Caucasus.

Successive Armenian governments have sought to deepen ties with NATO while keeping Armenia allied to Russia politically and militarily. Armenian troops participated in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, and dozens of them remain deployed in Kosovo as part of a multinational peacekeeping operation also led by the alliance.
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Pinal County Public Health announced Wednesday two people have died due to the West Nile Virus, and the number of people dying from this virus is growing quickly in Arizona this year.

Pinal County announces first deaths from West Nile virus in 2021 In both cases, the victims were over 80 years old and had other underlying health conditions.

A mosquito bite is something you may not think twice about, but for one Arizona family, they are facing the worst after their loved one caught the West Nile virus.

Vickie Beard's husband has been on a ventilator since the beginning of September. Doctors diagnosed him with the West Nile virus. Since then, he has been fighting for his life in the hospital, and his family is just praying for a miracle.

"I'm not ready to let go," Beard said.

Despite being vaccinated, Beard's husband of 50 years was first admitted to the hospital back in August after contracting COVID-19. He was sent home and doing just fine. But then something changed.

"I came to check on him after I took a shower, and he was half on and half off the bed with a look of utter terror in his eyes," Beard said.

She called 911, and after her husband was admitted to the hospital once again. That's when doctors diagnosed him with the virus.

"I had no idea it would lead to something so severe," Beard said.

Like many people, Beard didn't think a mosquito bite could lead to something so awful. Her husband is paralyzed and on a ventilator.

"I can say 'I love you,' and he will mouth I love you more," Beard said.

Arizona State Health Department data shows there are more than 200 confirmed cases of the virus in Maricopa County this year alone. Forty-three people have died from it in Arizona. That number skyrocketed from two deaths last year and 19 in 2019.

"The virus has been spreading in our community in high numbers," Johnny Dilone, the Public Information Officer with the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department, said.

Dilone says the monsoon may have contributed to the sharp rise in cases.

"This year, we are experiencing a monsoon season where we were hit with heavy storms and rainfall, so there has been more accumulating of rainfall and standing water," Dilone said.

While mosquito season is coming to an end, Beard is now left putting all of her faith in God.

"I know he is going to answer our prayers, but it's in his timing, and that's the hard part," Beard said.

Dilone recommends wearing long sleeves if you are out at dawn and dusk and clearing any standing water you may have in your front and backyard.
GLENDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Police are investigating after a man was shot during a road-rage incident in Glendale Wednesday afternoon.

Police say officers responded to the area of 63rd Avenue and Brown Street, which is just south of Peoria Avenue, around 3 p.m. for reports of a possible shooting. Responding officers spoke to a man who had reportedly been shot by another man during a road-rage incident. According to police, the man has a non-life-threatening injury, and is expected to be released from the hospital.

Authorities are investigating to learn what caused the road rage and what led up to the shooting. Police were not able to provide any information regarding the suspected shooter. The investigation is ongoing.

This is the second reported road-rage shooting in the West Valley. Earlier Wednesday morning, Peoria police responded to 91st Avenue and Happy Valley Road around 7 a.m. after a caller told dispatchers there was a possible road-rage incident. The suspected shooter also called to report the incident as well. No arrests have been made as the investigation into the shooting is also ongoing.
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5)  Protesters who confronted Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in the bathroom on the ASU campus in downtown Phoenix earlier this month may face legal consequences. On Wednesday, the ASU police department confirmed that officers completed their investigation and submitted charges in the case to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. The recommended charges would be against four people and are misdemeanors, Adam Wolfe with ASU Police said. No other details were made available.

On Oct. 3, activists recorded themselves trying to stop Arizona's senior senator outside her classroom and asking her questions about the Build Back Better Act and why she won't support it. They also criticized her for not supporting proposals of a pathway to citizenship for people who are in the U.S. illegally. The protesters then followed her into the bathroom as she went into a stall while they kept recording. One of the protesters said in the video Sinema wasn't keeping her promises. "We need to hold you accountable for what you promised us that you were going to pass when we knocked on doors for you," said the woman who identified herself as Blanca. Living United for Change in Arizona, also known as LUCHA, posted the video on social media.

Immigration activists confront, follow Kyrsten Sinema into bathroom at ASU Sinema is seen surrounded by students following her and chanting "build back better, pass the bill! Undocumented, unafraid!"

A day later, Sinema sent out a statement condemning the confrontation and said it wasn't a "legitimate protest." "In the 19 years I have been teaching at ASU, I have been committed to creating a safe and intellectually challenging environment for my students," Sinema said. "Yesterday, that environment was breached. My students were unfairly and unlawfully victimized." Sinema, a former social worker, is a lecturer at ASU's School of Social Work.

LUCHA said its members were forced to confront Sinema at ASU because she has been inaccessible. "Sinema's constituents have not been granted access to her office. They have been ignored, dismissed, and antagonized," the group said in an Oct. 4 statement. Sinema said in her statement she has met with the group multiple times since she was elected to the Senate.

The protest gained national headlines, with President Joe Biden commenting on it. "I don't think they're appropriate tactics, but it happens to everybody. The only people it doesn't happen to are people who have Secret Service standing around them. So it's part of the process," Biden said.
New attention is being focused on what some see as Kern's under-tapped potential for turning eastern Kern military research into commercial en
Stay up to date on COVID-19

Get Breaking News

Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.
First Oregon Coast King Tides Lecture of Season, Oct. 28

Published 10/19/21 at 4:36 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast) - The time for Oregon coast's king tides will soon be upon us, and now comes the pre-season programming of sorts for the big event. (Above: Seal Rock during King Tides, courtey Alex Derr / CoastWatch)

King Tides in Your Neighborhood is the first of four events this season, coming up on October 28, a virtual event co-hosted by The Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve, Oregon Shores' volunteer program CoastWatch and Oregon Coast Management Program. Bringing the Oregon King Tides Project to the public's attention, it prepares everyone for those manic, highest tides of the year that coincide with the new and full moons of November through January (though the new moon brings a higher tide than a full moon).

The first set of the always-dramatic king tides this year is November 5 - 7. The Oregon King Tides Project's goal is to document the inland reach of these king tides on the Oregon coast with photography, tracking sea level rise and envisioning how it will change in the future.

The October 28 event will take a look at north coast locations that have not yet been monitored as well as needed comparison photos of regular high tides. Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve coordinator Kristin Bayans will join CoastWatch coordinator Jesse Jones and share news about the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve and photo-points needed around the reserve. This session will be of interest to those who live and work on the north coast.

Register for this event here: https://oregonshores.org/engage/featured-events. Upcoming king tides events in November and December will focus on other areas of the Oregon coast. Check out Oregon Shores website for more information or contact jesse@oregonshores.org.

Oregon King Tides Project is the product of a collaboration by the Oregon Coastal Management Program (OCMP) and CoastWatch, along with numerous other partners who participate directly on the beaches. OCMP works with coastal cities and counties along with state and federal agencies to administer the Coastal Management Program, which aims for conservation of shorelands, beaches, dunes, estuaries and ocean resources up and down the state's shoreline.

The Oregon King Tides Project is co-coordinated by the Oregon Coastal Management Program and CoastWatch. Many other partners support the project on-the-ground. The Oregon Coastal Management Program works with coastal cities, counties, and state and federal agencies to administer Oregon's federally approved Coastal Management Program, which emphasizes conservation of estuaries, shorelands, beaches and dunes, and ocean resources.

The program provides financial and planning assistance to local governments, implements a coastal hazards and resilience program, supports the Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council, maintains an online Oregon Coastal Atlas to provide coastal data and tools, and has authority under federal law to review federal programs and activities for consistency with Oregon's federally approved coastal program standards.

The King Tides Project is an international grass roots effort to document areas flooded by the highest winter tides. It started in Australia in 2009 and has since spread to the United States and elsewhere around the world. https://www.oregonkingtides.net/

The Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition was founded in 1971 to protect the public interest in Oregon's beaches created by the Beach Bill. The CoastWatch program was created in the 1990s to engage volunteers in adopting a mile of the Oregon coast, and observing and reporting its natural and human caused changes via photographs and written reports. CoastWatch connects volunteers to scientists and researchers for citizen science survey projects from Fort Stevens to the California border to monitor sea stars, tides, beach grasses, beached birds and more. https://oregonshores.org/coastwatch

About The Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve



King Tides at Hug Point, courtesy Seaside Aquarium

The Friends group is comprised of volunteer citizens and organizations working to increase understanding and appreciation of the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve. The Friends coordinate education events and promote scientific research in the area through a number of citizen science projects. Located in the ocean between Manzanita and Cannon Beach, Oregon, the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve site is a 20 square mile area dedicated to conservation and scientific research. https://www.nehalemtrust.org/capefalconmr/

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours





MORE PHOTOS BELOW













King tides at Rockaway Beach, courtesy Lawrence Soto

King tides at Rockaway Beach, courtesy Steve Morey

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
Cheniere Energy has been hit with a proposed $2.2 million federal penalty for its Sabine Pass LNG export facility just across Sabine Lake from the small Port Arthur namesake community.

The charges stem from an investigation by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration into several cracks found in tanks at the facility in January 2018. The agency said the tanks could have created a flammable cloud of low-lying gas around the tanks.

In a notice made public earlier in this month, the safety agency alleged that the cracks were the result of incorrect operations, adding that Cheniere knew the tank design was inadequate to handle operations.

Two of the five tanks at Sabine Pass LNG still are shut down and pending approval from the administration.

Not only were tank designs not up to standard, according to the agency, but Cheniere didnt have alarms properly set to warn of hazardous conditions that, if addressed, could have prevented the cracks from happening.

Experts estimated months later that 825 thousand cubic feet of natural gas vaporized into the atmosphere around the tanks.

Cheniere representatives said crews at Sabine Pass LNG handled the incident and resulting investigation correctly and prevented danger to workers and nearby residents.

Related: replace this text with your teaser head and add hyperlink

We engaged in responsive, transparent and productive dialogue with our regulators throughout the investigatory process regarding this event that occurred more than three years ago, representatives for Cheniere wrote in a statement. Our people responded properly to the incident, there was no danger to our workforce or the community, and we have made substantial additional investments and modifications to our storage tanks to further enhance the continued safe operations at our facility.

The company and safety agency have been in frequent contact since the initial incident, according to public filings, and other inquiries and cases have been opened since the cracks were detected.

As a part of the investigation, the agency found that Cheniere didnt properly design its valves to withstand icing conditions.

It isnt the first time the company has been penalized for its valves.

The company last fall was fined more than $80,000 related to the installation of specialized valves. The company allegedly used contractors who werent trained to do that work and its maintenance staff also were likely untrained to do the work.

The valves were connected to key equipment believed to be the source of a fire at the facility in April 2018.

Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox

Five months ago, the agency also found that Cheniere didnt have the proper procedures in place to investigate or report fires, leaks or explosions in or around the plant.

The findings were the most recent events that worry local advocates who believe area agencie are unprepared for an industrial disaster.

John Beard, a Port Arthur resident and CEO of the Port Arthur Community Action Network, said that most people living near the facility or in Port Arthur probably still dont know about the 2018 findings.

The city and the county are remiss in not holding companies feet to the fire and alerting the community when these things happen, Beard said.

The facility is across the state line and under the jurisdiction of Lousianas environmental regulators but Beard said ignoring its proximity to Texas communities and the chance of an incident was a disservice to residents.

The Cheniere case also is the example that environmental advocates have been looking for as they continue to fight approval of LNG facilities across the Gulf Coast.

Related: replace this text with your teaser head and add hyperli

Sabine Pass LNG was a trendsetter for the industry when it became the first to convert to an export facility to take advantage of the glut of gas from shale fields during the U.S. fracking revolution.

Since then, other companies have been building and proposing export facilities, including two on the Texas side of Sabine Pass.

LNG is seen as a clean fuel that can be used amid a global transition to renewable sources. It could also be a permanent part of future power grids that will have to continue to use some fossil fuels.

On Thursday, the Sierra Club said that it was happy to see regulators holding a company accountable, but it still believes the best solution would be to end expansion of gas exports.

Its clear that the massive expansion of gas export facilities proposed for the Gulf Coast would be a disaster for our communities and our climate, Sierra Club Senior Campaign Representative Roddy Hughes said in a statement. Theres no such thing as a safe fracked gas facility, and these projects should never be built.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
A voice rang out in the Luxx Hair Studio in the morning hours of Sept. 23.

Where is Mrs. Smith? Has anyone seen Mrs. Smith? She was with us, Charmayne Hadnot, 57 of Newton, said.

Sitting in the salon chair, Lamesa Smith, 58 of Silsbee, turned around and put down the mirror. She appeared puzzled and confused.

Then, she realized Hadnot was staring directly at her with a sly smile.

Smith looked brave and beautiful with a fresh new look after surviving the hardships that come with breast cancer. She and Hadnot were one of a handful of women from Jefferson County who participated in the almost-annual day of pampering hosted by The Enterprise and sponsored by Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital and Texas Oncology.

Last year, The Enterprise was unable to host the special day due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. But this year, it was full speed ahead with some safety precautions, including masks, as we carried on the tradition our newspapers team enjoys and loves to gift the community.

Related: Breast cancer survivor overcomes changes with diep flap reconstruction

This year also was my first experience with the ladies and the event. I started working at The Enterprise as a reporter in June. When my editor, Kaitlin Bain, asked me if I would be interested in participating  I was more than excited.

I had written about women, doctors and others in my news writing experience, but I had never had the chance to spend a day with them. And what a tremendous opportunity it proved to be for us all.

We first met at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Beaumont where we welcomed everyone. We then headed on over to the Luxx, where the women had a chance to enjoy scalp massages and a fresh hair style, including one of the women who had chemotherapy in the morning and a radiation appointment scheduled that afternoon.

We headed back to the hotel for lunch, which included some goodie bags for the ladies, and then the real fun began. The women had their makeup done by students with the Southeast Texas Career Institute and clothes provided by a local boutique.

At times, the women would sit and swap battle stories, including showing each other their port scars and discussing how much numbing cream made a difference. But the true treasure we all found that day was how much the brave brought out the beautiful in each other.

Related: 'We both had it' Cancer requires a strong support system

Throughout the day, we saw their confidence and laughter grow  especially when Peggy Bowie stunned us all with her grand reveal fit for the runway.

These women taught me the 1) value of opinion and support, especially from spouses and family, who were there for them but are not always there for others in similar situations. 2) The need for those who have been through this experience to have support when navigate decisions and to hear something other than being encouraged to seek a second opinion. 3) But also, that there is more to life than surviving.

Because regardless of what stage of breast cancer you are overcoming, what experience you had, or if you had no experience with cancer at all  life is about living and being there for each other through it all.

If we can have even an ounce of the bravery these women have shown, as they carried on their life despite the difficulty  including during the novel coronavirus pandemic  then just maybe we can bring out the beautiful in each other too.

This story was sponsored by Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital and Texas Oncology.
When family members or friends receive hard-to-hear cancer diagnoses, loved ones often struggle with how to help.

You ask Google how to help, and find articles simply suggesting being there for your loved one. But what does that mean?

We sat down with Christus Southeast Texas breast navigators to learn to best ways to be there:

1. Just listen

Sometimes, I feel that some of the patients that call me, theyre calling me because Im going to listen to them, said Christus Southeast Texas Health System St. Elizabeth Breast Patient Navigator Billie Loncon. Really listen to what theyre saying. Dont just kind of go, Youre going to be fine, but really listen to what theyre saying and then try to help them.

Christus St. Mary Outpatient Pavilion Mid-County Breast Navigator Ruth Hatcher encourages family and friends to realize that every diagnosis is different.

Some people think, Well this is how I did it, because Ive had patients tell me that, she added. When I had breast cancer, this is what I did. Why arent they doing this?

Related: Breast cancer survivor overcomes changes with diep flap reconstruction

Hatcher said everyone is going to deal with breast cancer differently because of different treatments, depending on what stage the cancer is, and their personality type.

You have to understand what works for one isnt going to work for another, she said. Dont just hear what you want to hear, actually take the time to focus on what theyre saying.

Hatcher recalled one patient who told her about the emotional toll of dealing with cancer and how she wasnt able to process it while her family did.

(The patient) felt like when she (was diagnosed), it was Lets get this taken care of, so that when it was all over, she was just like, Oh my gosh, I didnt have time to really process everything, Hatcher said. Everybody else had processed it and youre done with the treatment, youre done. She said, But they didnt understand, I may be done with my treatment, but I still emotionally have not gotten past the fact that I had cancer.

After one diagnosis, patients are often afraid that the cancer will come back, which is why consistent support is so vital, Hatcher said.

Related: The Brave bring out the beautiful in each other

2. Work to remain positive and upbeat, even when its hard

Be encouraging  if your family member that has cancer is getting depressed or down or theyre concerned, just lift them up, Loncon said. The biggest thing is to stay positive. (Tell them), Youre going to get through this, were here to support you.

3. Dont assume just because someone doesnt ask, they dont need anything. Offer to do things.

Some people will tell me, I dont really have anybody to take me to treatments, or this or that, Hatcher said. Sometimes they feel like theyre always asking for things. So, at some point, sometimes some people dont ask, so offer.

4. Take care of yourself, too

Its also important for the support system to take care of themselves, too, Loncon said.

Sometimes family members need to see someone, she said. They need to see a social worker or psychologist or somebody that can talk to them about how to deal with this new diagnosis that their family member has.

Loncon said sometimes family members neglect to seek help because they feel theyre not the ones dealing with a tough disease.

(They) dont really know how to deal with it, she said. So, maybe (they) should seek out some counseling to help (them) understand whats going on and help (them) be able to cope.

This story was sponsored by Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital and Texas Oncology.
Billie Loncon had been a mammography technician for nearly a decade when her director at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital started a new program to further help breast cancer patients.

They hired an oncology nurse to start with, Loncon said. She was here maybe six months or so and she didnt really know anything about breasts  that wasnt really her background.

When the nurse left, Loncon asked if she could work as the facilitys breast navigator until someone else was hired.

Shes been in the position ever since.

A breast navigator is many things  they educate patients about procedures, sometimes give them results, hold their hand during a biopsy, routinely check on them and everything in between. Breast navigators walk with patients from the biopsy all the way through treatment and recovery.

We try to follow those patients for five years, Loncon said. Its mostly phone calls, but if they need help, like with financial assistance, we try to give them information to help them with (that). We try to help them get in touch with whoever they need to get in touch with.

Related: 'We both had it' Cancer requires strong support system

In addition to the 60 to 100 newly-diagnosed patients she sees every year, there are also the patients from one, two or five years back that she still follows up with.

The newly-diagnosed patients, they get the most attention because everythings new to them, she said. We want to give them as much education as we can. I always think knowledge is power, so the more you know about your diagnosis, the better you feel about it.

Loncon said St. Elizabeth conducts up to 10,000 screenings each year. Out of those patients, the facility will see maybe 60 to 100 new diagnoses.

If we catch breast cancer early, we can cure it  not just treat it, but cure it, she said. So, make sure you have your screening mammogram every year, not every two years  every year.

Loncon is the sole breast navigator at St. Elizabeth, but she has a counterpart, Ruth Hatcher, who works at Christus St. Marys Mid-County Outpatient Pavilion Center in Port Arthur. Loncon and Hatcher also help patients from Christus Jasper Memorial Hospital.

Hatcher has worked for Christus for 36 years, three of them as a breast navigator.

Related: Don't let COVID stall your breast cancer screenings

I was at St. Elizabeth for most of the time Ive been with Christus, she said. I got into radiology as a nurse a long time ago, and we do biopsies, imaging, nursing, and I was doing a lot of breast biopsies. When this position came open, I applied for it because it was something different.

Hatcher was drawn to the position because she had been with patients during their breast biopsies and liked helping them through the procedure.

I knew when they were having the biopsies, it was a very emotional time for them, she said. Theyre scared  they dont really show it, they dont always say it, but a lot of them just needed some support because their family cant be in there with them while were doing the procedure.

Breast navigators offer a lot of informational support to help patients navigate through the healthcare system. However, they also are there to offer emotional support. Loncon said they always give patients their business cards so that they can call, even if its just to talk.

I have patients call me all the time and say, Im so glad youre here. Youre always there to answer my phone call, if you dont answer you always call me back, Loncon said. Unfortunately, I guess some places dont call people back or they cant ever get through. Sometimes its harder to get through to the doctors office than it is to get to us.

Related: The best way to support a loved one after a cancer diagnosis? Listen.

Loncon said breast navigators serve as a continual line of contact for patients.

Were just there to, even if they just need to talk to somebody, youre just there to listen, she said.

Hatcher said its common to develop close relationships with patients and that sometimes patients will tell them more than they tell their own family members about what theyre feeling.

Sometimes friends and family dont understand what it is for the patient to go through it, she said. I had a patient tell me that she couldnt necessarily talk to people about it because they just didnt understand. They dont want to burden their family with it, they think theyve already burdened them enough. We see sometimes the different side that family or caregivers wouldnt see.

Patients that have good support systems at home tend to call less, Loncon and Hatcher said.

We call to check on them, but they dont tend to need us as much, Loncon said. Its the patients that dont have that support system at home  older women who dont have family left, those are the ones I find really call the most, older women who maybe their husband is deceased, their kids live out of town or state  they dont really have that support system close by.

Loncon said while the navigators do not provide psychological help to patients, they do listen to them to help however they can. For patients who need more specific counseling after their cancer diagnosis, Loncon said they can connect patients with a social worker or any other outlet a patient might need.

Related: Beaumont woman gets married, grows stronger after pandemic breast cancer diagnosis

I think sometimes, What did these patients do before these navigation programs were in place? Who did they talk to? Loncon said.

Loncon said, through her work, she feels like she makes a real difference in her patients lives.

(This job) has made me more conscious of the patients and their feelings, Hatcher said. I thought I was pretty aware of that before, (but with this position) Im in contact with patients longer. You learn different things about them and their life, not just about the cancer part of it.

Hatcher said the strength her patients have in dealing with breast cancer is humbling. Her experiences also helped her when a breast cancer diagnosis hit close to home.

My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer a year and a half ago, she said. Her and I kind of bonded a little bit more over that, we were always close anyway, but I think it helped her to be able to call me and talk to me about it and she gave me insight to the patient side of things, too. I think its made me want to be better and do better for my patients.

As rewarding as the job can be, it still can take an emotional toll.

We see these really young women that come in that are diagnosed with breast cancer and you think, God, shes got little children, and shes going to have this long journey to go through, its going to be difficult for her, Loncon said. Ive cried with patients  we laugh with them, we cry with them, you just cant help it.

Related: Port Arthur woman no longer thinks about breast cancer following early diagnosis

Loncon said crying with patients is a natural response, especially when delivering tough news.

You get a young patient that comes in and you have to tell them they have breast cancer, and they start crying, what are you going to do? she said. Of course, youre going to cry with them because its emotional.

Loncon said the emotional impact of the job is something people pursuing breast navigation as a career should keep in mind. Hatcher said every patient is different and to be effective at the job, a prospective navigator needs to really listen to them.

Understand theyre not going to all react the same way and know that you just have to take time with them because thats what they need, Hatcher said. They need somebody there who cares and whos going to give them support.

Christus started the first breast navigation program in Southeast Texas and since then, the program has been implemented at other area hospitals, including Baptist. Loncon said shes probably the most experienced breast navigator in the area and even trained Hatcher for the position.

Loncon and Hatcher work closely even though they work at different facilities. In addition to helping Jasper patients, each helps each others patients when one is off.

Hatcher actually is the third navigator Loncon has trained for St. Marys. Hatcher said shes done a lot more than just training, shes helped her handle the challenging emotions that the work can bring.

I said, Im not training another navigator down there, youre the third one Ive trained. Youre not going anywhere, youre staying. Were in this until the end, Loncon said.

This story was sponsored by Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital and Texas Oncology.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  The Canadian winner of what is arguably the piano worlds most important competition says the coronavirus pandemic lockdown helped him concentrate on music, and now he'll have to try to retain the sense of inner peace he gained.

Bruce Xiaoyu Liu of Canada, 24, was named Thursday as the winner of the 40,000-euro ($45,000) first prize in the 18th Frederic Chopin piano competition, that has launched many a pianists successful global career.

I still wouldnt call myself (a) professional pianist," the Paris-born musician told The Associated Press later Thursday.

He sees his win as a huge responsibility to continue this shape that I have and to be able to constantly keep finding freshness despite all this noisy world.

Liu said the pandemic and the resulting postponement of the event  held every five years  from 2020 helped him peacefully concentrate on music and refining his playing.

Now, with this kind of exploding events and stuff I have to keep this kind of peace inside myself" and not destroy this inner feeling that led to his success, through three weeks of playing Chopin's works  competing against 86 other young pianists from around the world.

The program included technical challenges like the Etudes, musical challenges like Poland's dances  mazurkas and polonaises  as well as concertos with an orchestra. In the final stage Liu played the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11, to great applause from the packed National Philharmonic concert hall in Warsaw.

A resident of Montreal, Canada, Liu, of Chinese descent, says his victory is a life-changing event as his career is expected to rapidly accelerate. And he is ready for it.

Finding new ideas, new inspiration will be the hardest thing because the moment that you are satisfied with your performance that is the moment that you are going down, Liu told the AP.

Being in Warsaw, where Chopin lived and performed, you feel closer to Chopin," Liu said. "Everywhere you see him.

His biggest dream after winning the Chopin competition is just to be able to keep doing what Im doing.

Liu started piano lessons at the age of eight, but had other hobbies and practiced little. But he won prizes from junior competitions that made him concentrate on music. He loves Baroque and French music.

But still I devote a lot of time to other passions like carting, swimming, reading, he said. Im not a really nerdy guy.
An amendment to the pending bipartisan infrastructure package expanding the congressional designation of Interstate 14 across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia is one step closer to making an impact on Jasper, Tyler and Newton counties. The I-14 corridor is planned to run from Midland and Odessa, Texas all the way to Augusta, Georgia.

Senator, Ted Cruz of Texas and Raphael Warnock of Georgia offered the amendment and it was unanimously approved by the US Senate to now await a full senate vote on the infrastructure package.

We expect that the Senate infrastructure package will be voted on soon and sent to the House for consideration, said John Thompson, the chairman of the I-14 Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition. It appears the momentum is in place to get this passed and signed by the President.

The Coalition has been working for the past decade building grassroots support to the interstate project. Senator Cruz applauded the bipartisan support for the amendment and said, I am grateful to Senator Warnock for joining me in leading this effort to ensure Texans and Georgians have the critical infrastructure they deserve and reap the benefits of the economic development and growth that come along with it.

Interstate 14 will branch off I-10 in west Texas and go through Midland-Odessa, San Angelo, Killeen-Fort Hood, Bryan-College Station, on to Livingston then to Woodville, Jasper across Newton County into Louisiana to Fort Polk. The Interstate in total will be 1,300 miles long.

Congressman Brian Babin has been one of the lead sponsors of the I-14 project in the House. The Interstate follows the US 190 corridor from Brady, Texas east going all the way to Leesville, Louisiana. The Interstate will make for easier transportation of freight east to west. Military resources will have greater access to major roadways, evacuations will be aided with increased roadways and economic development follows with gas stations, restaurants, hotels and other services for travelers.

The future will look much different in every city along the path of the new I-14. The biggest changes that will come to cities like Jasper, Woodville and northern Newton County. The changes will not happen overnight, but they will happen as Americas newest Interstate looks to be headed this way.
CULLMAN, Ala. (AP)  A jury convicted a man Thursday in the gunshot killing of a friend whose 2018 slaying was covered up for weeks before relatives and authorities realized he was dead.

Andrew Jacob Maresh, 23, was convicted of murder in the death of Daniel Ray Osborn II of Hartselle, news outlets reported. A prosecutor said he would seek the maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and two other people await trial.
Whether Herbert Clark Jr. will be found guilty of murder seemed to teeter on Wednesday on the testimony of two men  his alleged victims best friend and a man who never knew the late Scharonn TyV Leroyce Cole.

Clark has been accused of killing Cole, 41, near a nightclub on Dec. 2, 2018. He faces a life sentence.

As testimony in the first-degree murder trial continued Wednesday in Jefferson County Judge Raquel Wests 252nd District Court, one man took the stand and denied witnessing his best friends murder.

Related: Witnesses tight-lipped during Port Arthur murder trial

Jefferson County Assistant District Attorney Luke Nichols said Derrick Petry spoke to investigators about the case for the first time about two weeks ago while in prison in Travis County.

Nichols said Petry gave a written statement, which was signed, notarized, and identified Clark as the man who shot and killed Cole.

Do you recall that Herb turned and started to shoot and shot TyV? Nichols asked, reading Petrys statement during the trial on Wednesday. That it was a black gun that you had seen before in Herbert Clarks possession? That you fell down while you were running next to TyV and that there was a girl there trying to help and you told her to leave him alone until the police showed up?

Despite a seemingly clear statement, there was a problem before his testimony could even begin.

I am being forced to take the stand, Petry said on the case, which he wanted no part in.

Related: Murder trial to begin with potential life sentence on the line

West informed Petry that the fifth amendment did not apply, and that he could not refuse to take the stand. West and Nichols mentioned they had learned that Petry allegedly had been threatened while he was in prison and unable to protect his family.

When he ultimately took the stand, Petry denied being threatened or witnessing the event that led to Coles death, including denying seeing the car that Clark allegedly drove at the scene or seeing Clark pull the trigger during a heated altercation.

I never talked to nobody, Petry said.

He also denied that it was his handwriting on the signed testimony. Nichols accused him of being dishonest, as he accused Austin Sam during the trial on Tuesday.

Think I would be sitting up here lying? Petry said.

I think you are lying to me, sir, Nichols said.

Defense attorney Wendell Chip Radford had no problem getting Petry to confirm that he did not see Petry shoot Cole.

Did you see him on the night of Dec. 2 kill Scharonn Cole outside of the Sistahs Club in Port Arthur? Radford said.

No sir, Petry said.

Ok, pass the witness, Radford said.

The tide changed with the states next witness  a man who never knew Cole.

Longtime Port Arthur resident Floyd Hill has been in-and-out of the Jefferson and Orange County jails for theft and robbery over the past several years and has earned a reputation as an O.G. or Original Gangster - but its not something hes proud of, he said.

He said he was in jail with Clark when he overheard him bragging about emptying his clip into Cole.

He said they got in an argument and they were supposed to fight, Hill said. But (Clark) didnt want to fight.

Hill said the two men argued twice before Clark shot Cole.

Hill added that he did not have any benefits to gain and had not been cut any deals for the testimony. However, he risked his life and had concerns about his familys safety by sharing the information.

I just felt it was the right thing to do at the time, Hill said on the stand.

Port Arthur police detective Tomas Barboza later explained, in part, why its so challenging to move forward with cases like these, as the department doesnt get cooperation from community members in about 80% of the cases.

Even though in this case, we know there is a group of people outside, they dont want to get involved and they dont want to come forward, Barboza said.

Seizing on that, during closing arguments Radford reminded the jury that Clark cannot be convicted based on uncorroborated testimony, which requires further evidence to prove.

In your mind, you may be seeing all kinds of demons, he said. This is part of society we dont want to see, we dont want to acknowledge  these types of murders are horrible. But we still have a justice system that requires the state to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, and all they have brought you is a cadre of criminals who have said different things, but not a single one of them pointed to Mr. Clark and said he shot Scharonn Cole.

Nichols, on the other hand, read every word of Petrys written statement, referencing various pieces of evidence the jury heard throughout the trial. He encouraged them to make reasonable inferences and understand the potential circumstances of the lives of the people involved.

Herbert Clark shot and killed Scharonn Cole because he didnt want to take a whoopin he probably deserved, Nichols said. He didnt just shoot him. He shot him nine times. He shot him in the back; all to

build a street rep, all to get a body. It is so stupid. It is so dumb.

Scharonn Cole should not have been doing drugs and looking to fight anybody at 2 a.m. That is obvious. But doing so is not a death sentence.

meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/megzmagpie
BOSTON (AP)  Authorities are offering a reward of up to $20,000 to anyone who can help track down a 78-year-old man suspected of killing his girlfriend in Massachusetts 40 years ago.

The FBI on Thursday announced the reward for information regarding the whereabouts of Andrew Peter Dabbs, who is accused of shooting 20-year-old Robin Shea on Oct. 10, 1981 while they were driving through Norton. Her body was found by a passerby on the side of Route 123 after authorities say Dabbs pushed her out of the car.
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)  A Brazilian Senate report recommended Wednesday pursuing crimes against humanity and other charges against President Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly bungling Brazils response to COVID-19 and contributing to the country having the world's second-highest pandemic death toll.

Sen. Renan Calheiros presented the proposal to a committee of colleagues that has spent six months investigating the Brazilian governments management of the pandemic. The decision on whether to file most of the charges would be up to Brazils prosecutor-general, a Bolsonaro appointee and ally.

Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the threat of the coronavirus and touted misinformation and unproven COVID-19 treatments while ignoring international health guidelines on mask use and public activity. The 11-member Senate panel examined whether his actions caused many of Brazils more than 600,000 COVID-19 deaths.

In a nearly 1,200-page report based on the committee's work, Calheiros called for Bolsonaro's indictment on charges ranging from charlatanism and inciting crime to misuse of public funds and crimes against humanity.

By insisting on so-called early treatment drugs like the anti-malarial medication hydroxychloroquine as practically the only government policy to fight the pandemic, the report states, Jair Bolsonaro strongly collaborated for COVID-19s spread in Brazilian territory and, as such, showed himself to be the main person responsible for the errors committed by the federal government during the pandemic.

The far-right Brazilian leader has repeatedly described the Senate investigation as a political instrument aimed at sabotaging him and denied any wrongdoing.

We know we are not to blame for anything. We know we did the right thing from the very first moment, Bolsonaro said Wednesday from the northeastern state of Ceara.

The office of Prosecutor-General Augusto Aras said in a statement that the report would be carefully analyzed once it's received. Analysts said it was unclear if Aras would charge the president even if there are legal grounds to do so, and that the report was far more likely to hamper Bolsonaro's push for reelection in 2022 than make him a defendant in a courtroom.

The major impact of the investigation is political, because it generated tons of news that certainly will be used by campaign strategists next year, said Thiago de Aragao, director of strategy at political consulting firm Arko Advice.

Calheiros, whom the committee designated to write the report, read a summary to the Senate committee on Wednesday. In addition to Bolsonaro, the report recommends charges for current and former members of his administration, dozens of allies, the president's three sons who are politicians and two companies.

The committee collected evidence that abundantly demonstrated that the federal government was silent and chose to act in a non-technical and reckless manner, the report states.

The document can be modified before the 11-member senatorial committee considers endorsing it; a vote is set for Oct. 26. The committee's approval is needed before the report goes to the office of the prosecutor-general, who has the authority to carry the investigation forward and eventually pursue charges.

Pierpaolo Bottini, a lawyer with the Brazilian Bar Association who has advised the committee members, told The Associated Press that other avenues for bringing charges are available to the Senate if the prosecutor-general doesn't ask the Supreme Court for authorization to investigate the president. But those would run through the speaker of Congress' Lower House, another Bolsonaro ally.

Regardless of whether the report leads to charges, it is expected to fuel criticism of the divisive president, whose approval ratings have slumped ahead of his 2022 reelection campaign. The investigation itself has for months provided a drumbeat of damaging allegations.

Senators obtained thousands of documents and heard testimony from over 60 people. Scandals came to light, such as Bolsonaro allegedly turning a blind eye to possible corruption in a deal to purchase coronavirus vaccines.

Prevent Senior, a Sao Paulo-based hospital chain, also faced accusations that it forced doctors to toe the line on prescribing unproven drugs that Bolsonaro championed for treating COVID-19. The Senate report recommends charging the chain's executive director with four crimes. The company has denied wrongdoing.

Bolsonaro continues to argue that the hydroxychloroquine is effective in treating COVID-19, though broad, major studies have found it to be ineffective and potentially dangerous. On Wednesday, referring to criticism around his push for chloroquine, he portrayed his advocacy as a historical event.

Back then, no one knew how to treat this disease and I had the courage, after listening to many people, especially doctors, to put forward a possible solution.

More recently, the senators heard heart-rending tales from family members of COVID-19 victims.

On Monday, Giovanna Gomes Mendes da Silva, 19, spoke tearfully of her parents deaths and assuming custody of her 10-year-old sister. Her testimony so affected the sign language interpreter for the Senates broadcast channel that he struggled to contain his emotion and had to be replaced halfway through.

We lost the people we loved the most, da Silva told senators. "And I saw that I needed my sister, and that she needed me. I leaned on her, just like she leaned on me.

An earlier draft of the Senate report had recommended the president be indicted for homicide and genocide, as well, though the two proposed charges were scrapped in the face of opposition from committee members and concern that bombastic claims could undermine the reports credibility.

Still, the report concluded that the government deliberately exposed the population to a concrete risk of mass infection, influenced by a group of unofficial advisers who advocated for pursuing herd immunity long after many experts said that wasnt a viable option. ___ Jeantet reported and David Biller contributed from Rio de Janeiro.
SEATTLE (AP)  Isaiah Obet was behaving erratically and in mental distress in 2017 when Auburn police officer Jeff Nelson ordered his police dog to attack and then shot Obet in the torso. Obet fell to the ground and Nelson fired again, fatally shooting Obet in the head. Police said the officer's life was in danger because Obet was high on drugs and had a knife. The city later reached a settlement of $1.25 million with Obets family.

The next year, Joseph Allen was crossing in front of Nelsons patrol car when the officer swerved and pinned him against a fence, breaking both his ankles. His justification: Allen was a dangerous criminal.

In 2019, Nelson scuffled with Jesse Sarey after attempting to arrest him for disorderly conduct. He punched Sarey seven times and then shot him in the torso. After Sarey fell to the ground, Nelson killed him with a second shot to the forehead. He claimed Sarey was on his hands and knees ready to spring forward, which later was disproved by both video and witnesses.

Nelsons actions in all three cases were outlined in a criminal complaint, eyewitness accounts, and police dashcam video obtained by The Associated Press. In the past decade, Nelson has been investigated in more than 60 use-of-force cases that involved choking suspects until they passed out, severe dog bites, and physical force that required medical care. But he was not on the King County Prosecuting Attorneys list that flags officers whose credibility is in question due to misconduct  a designation that must be shared with defense attorneys.

Nelson was only added to its potential impeachment disclosure list, or Brady List, after he was charged with killing Sarey. A trial is set for February 2022. Mohammad Hamoudi, a federal public defender, said given Officer Nelsons history, all of his cases should be reviewed. And he hopes his story will encourage prosecutors to track excessive force cases involving other police officers.

It has to do with respect for the rules, the laws, and others, he said. If an officer lacks impulse control or the ability to exercise informed judgment, you can call into question how he investigates cases.

The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked a national conversation on police reform, ranging from defunding departments to enhancing training. But reform activists and civil rights advocates say prosecutors already have powerful tools at their disposal to curb bad behavior by police: They can use Brady Lists to shine a light on troubled officers, and they can then refuse to put forward cases from those officers with tarnished histories.

The AP found that prosecutors sometimes don't even compile the lists and that wide disparities in what offenses land officers on them are prevalent across the country, with excessive force often failing to merit inclusion.

The AP also found that many prosecutors and police unions have gone to great lengths to keep Brady List information from becoming public.

Now, defense attorneys, public defenders, civil rights groups and even some prosecutors are calling for an increased use of Brady Lists and a broadening of the offenses that will land a police officer on them, while police unions are resisting those efforts.

Amy Parker of the King County Department of Public Defense called it imperative for officers violent histories to be exposed.

As a career public defender, I have listened to prosecutors routinely make the argument that defendants with prior unlawful uses of force/crimes of violence are more prone to violence and lack credibility, she said in an email. If prosecutors are going to apply that standard to defendants, then the same standard should apply to police officers when judging their conduct.

King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg argues excessive force doesn't make an officer less credible. An officer who was accused of using too much force in an unrelated arrest has nothing to do with the impeachment of their veracity, he said.

Brady Lists stem from a ruling in the 1963 Supreme Court case, Brady v. Maryland, mandating prosecutors turn over exculpatory evidence to defense attorneys, including information that could be used to question the officers credibility. But the ruling did not define the steps prosecutors and police departments must take to ensure defendants are informed or whether lists of troubled officers must be kept at all.

The result, critics say, is a mishmash of policies that vary state to state -- and even jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Prosecutors in Atlanta, Chicago, Tulsa, and Pittsburgh told the AP that they dont track officers with disciplinary problems, and Milwaukee prosecutors only listed officers who have been convicted of crimes.

The Dallas County district attorneys list contained 192 names, with infractions ranging from making false statements to convictions for theft, assault, and driving under the influence. The Suffolk County, Massachusetts, prosecutors list included Boston officers who lied on their timesheets or embezzled funds. Louisiana's Orleans Parish district attorney tracked officers who committed crimes, lied, or drove dangerously, but not violent arrests.

Dishonesty lands an officer on the list in Detroit, Denver, and Seattle, but using excessive force does not.

The Phoenix district attorney, along with prosecutors in Orange County, Florida, and Los Angeles, were among the few the AP found who include excessive use of force cases on their lists.

Its like theres a huge continuum and the result is you dont have the same procedures being followed not only across the country but within individual states, said Will Aitchison, an attorney with Portland, Oregon-based Labor Relations Information Systems, which represents officers after theyve appealed discipline orders.

Some states have attempted to pass legislation that would address the lack of consistency, including the Washington State Legislature, which approved a bill this year requiring county prosecutors to develop written protocols for collecting potential impeachment information by July 2022.

The California Legislature approved a bill last year that required prosecutors to maintain a list of officers who have had sustained findings for conduct of moral turpitude or group bias, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure due to the cost of such a significant state mandate.

___

When Larry Krasner was elected Philadelphia district attorney in 2017, his staff discovered a do not call list of police officers that had been compiled by a previous prosecutor.

The officers had a history of lying, bias, and excessive force and were barred from testifying absent explicit permission from the highest levels of the district attorneys office.

Krasner shared the list with defense attorneys, who used the information to challenge the convictions of people imprisoned by testimony from those officers and has continued to provide timely Brady material to public defenders.

When my client goes for a preliminary arraignment first appearance in court where they set bail, the prosecutor might disclose 20 to 30 or 40 pages of materials that theyve generated on a particular police officer, Philadelphia public defender Bradley Bridge said.

Using Brady List information, Bridge has filed motions to dismiss about 6,000 convictions based on officer misconduct, with more than 2,000 convictions thrown out so far.

Bridge acknowledges some of those released might be guilty.

The problem is, theres no way to know, he said. I have no idea how to evaluate whether theyre guilty or not guilty because the officers behavior in the cases is too tainted.

Bridge has filed more than 500 petitions to reopen convictions tied to a sole officer who admitted falsifying records -- Christopher Hulmes of the Philadelphia Police Departments Narcotics Strike Force, who was charged in 2015 with perjury and tampering with public records. So far, 357 of those convictions have been dismissed, many involving drugs and guns, Bridge said.

Krasner said he feels prosecutors have both a legal and moral obligation to use Brady Lists, but that local police have pushed back.

Last month, he asked for the Philadelphia Police Department to be held in contempt for not cooperating with his request for officer disciplinary material.

Kym Worthy, the prosecutor for Wayne County, Michigan, which includes Detroit, also is disclosing Brady List material to defense attorneys and the public because in an era of criminal justice reform, she said, it just makes sense.

Worthy has compiled a list of officers who have committed offenses involving theft, dishonesty, fraud, bias or bribery, saying officers who commit these crimes have lost their credibility and wont be called to testify.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner also has said she wont take criminal cases filed by untrustworthy officers and has an exclusion list with more than 50 names.

The unions predictable over-the-top sky is falling reaction to any attempt to distinguish the vast majority of honest and hardworking officers from the few bad actors is one big reason why community relations with the people they serve are so frayed, Gardner said.

Last year, police misconduct records were at issue in the hotly contested Los Angeles district attorney race between Jackie Lacey and former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, who had been the San Francisco police chief when now Vice-President Kamala Harris was the citys district attorney and became the DA when she ascended to the state attorney general job.

Gascon had partnered with Harris and the police union to establish a do not call list that became the model for the state. After he won the Los Angeles election, he sent letters to local law enforcement agencies seeking the names of officers involved in 11 categories of misconduct, including bribery, theft, evidence tampering, dishonesty, and unreasonable force.

If the officers history is such that we just dont believe the officer, period, we will not use him, Gascon said.

______

Settlement agreements -- and many police union contracts -- often prohibit the release of the names of officers named in disciplinary records, but Brady Lists can blow open those closed doors.

The contract between Seattle and its police department, for instance, prohibits releasing disciplined officers names. But the Brady Lists sent to the AP by the King County prosecuting attorney included 51 Seattle officers.

Seventeen of those officers had criminal charges filed against them, 26 had sustained findings of dishonesty, six had shown racial bias and one violated the departments ethics policy.

An investigation by the Office of Police Accountability found that a Seattle officer violated policies against biased policing by posting offensive comments on social media in 2019. The office was prohibited from naming the officer and so referred to him in its report as Named Employee #1, but the Brady List identified him as Ron Smith.

One of Smiths social media comments stated that the Islamic religion was not one of peace, suggesting that the Islamic religion and all of its approximately 1.57 billion adherents were supportive of violence, the OPA report said.

Another post targeted Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, saying: you weak wristed lefties dont want border security  you want votes to keep your anti-American party in power, the report said.

Smith resigned, but the OPA investigation did find that he engaged in bias-based policing.

Another Seattle officer on the Brady List was Salvatore Ditusa, who was working a side job flagging traffic when he approached three workers and engaged in a diatribe that included multiple racial slurs towards African Americans, the OPA said. Ditusa also resigned. The OPA found that he had also engaged in biased policing.

In Los Angeles, the battle over disclosing officer misconduct information traveled all the way to the states highest court.

When Jim McDonnell took over the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department, he wanted to share the list of officers accused of misconduct with the prosecutors office, but both sides were concerned that a state law -- the peace officers bill of rights -- would prohibit the move.

After the police union filed an injunction to block any sharing, the case went to the state Supreme Court, which ruled in 2019 that prosecutors could be given the list.

One of the people named was homicide detective Daniel Morris.

In 2003, a car theft suspect had said Morris and other officers kicked, punched, and stomped on him  an accusation Morris denied to three different supervisors. But he eventually admitted to the beating, receiving a 30-day suspension.

That information was not shared with the district attorneys office until 2019.

Ten years before that, Morris had investigated the murder of a gang member in Paramount, California, obtaining a search warrant for the home of Filipe Angel Acosta.

Morris testified that Acosta, who had no criminal history, was associated with a gang and he was charged with drug possession, with a gang enhancement.

Acosta refused a deal that would have involved admitting to gang involvement, but changed his mind and entered a plea of no contest after getting sick in jail and being hospitalized.

At no point did the district attorney reveal that Morris had been disciplined for dishonesty.

When Morris misconduct finally was disclosed, Acosta filed a motion to overturn his conviction because of the prosecutors Brady violation. The charges were dismissed.

As a 2013 report on the sheriffs department by a civilian oversight group called the Office of Independent Review put it: Instances of deputies lying in reports or during investigations do not simply affect the immediate case at hand. Instead, they may influence the outcome of every other case in which the deputys testimony is considered.

___

Email APs Global Investigations Team at investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/. See other work at https://www.apnews.com/hub/ap-investigations.

___

Follow AP investigative reporter Martha Bellisle at https://twitter.com/marthabellisle
Twitter is coming for Gov. Greg Abbott again.

The Texas Governor is receiving backlash after he railed against the idea of mandating people to be vaccinated annually against COVID-19. Abbott voiced his views during an interview with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, October 17.

He expressed his disapproval of President Joe Biden's mandate requiring companies with 100 or more employees ensure that their work forces are vaccinated or regularly tested.

"Where does this end? We're talking about a federal mandate for a shot," Abbott, who banned vaccine mandates in Texas, said. "Are people going to be required by the federal government to take a shot every year for the rest of their lives? Americans need to come to grips with the unconstitutional overreach of the Biden administration."

You can watch the clip here:

In the comments and quote retweets, many folks on Twitter criticized Abbott for his stance on the annual vaccine. Bill Kristol, the former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dan Quayle, called out Abbott and said "wait until he hears about the flu shot."

See more reactions below:
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announces the opening of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center, on the outskirts of Dhaka, during a virtual speech from her official residence, Oct. 21, 2021.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday opened the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center, a centerpiece of the South Asian nations first smart city, but which critics have challenged in court over concerns about its environmental impact.

The center, located in the heart of the under-construction Purbachal New Town, cost U.S. $95 million, of which China donated nearly $61.5 million. With 33,000 square meters of floor space, the building is one of the biggest exhibition centers in Bangladesh.

However, the projects chief engineer noted that the buildings transfer to the Ministry of Commerces Export Promotion Bureau could not occur because of the environmental challenges in the courts.

We need to see an end to the legal battle at the High Court so we can hand over the center to the EPB, Ujjwal Mallick, director of Purbachal project, told BenarNews. So we have been in the process of filing an appeal in the court against its order on a fifth amendment of the Purbachal land-use plan.

The Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center is named after Bangladeshs founding leader, Hasinas late father. She inaugurated the building during a virtual speech from her official residence in nearby Dhaka.

In 1995, the Capital City Development Authority (RAJUK) established a plan to construct the Purbachal smart city on 6,150 acres in the Gazipur district in central Bangladesh, with construction beginning in 2002. The city on the outskirts of Dhaka is to accommodate about 1 million people to reduce pressure on the Bangladeshi capital.

Environmentalists have alleged that RAJUK introduced amendments detrimental to forest reserves and floodplains in the area. They said the proposals veered from Bangladeshs forest law and an existing law to protect water bodies.

In 2013, the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Ain-O-Salish Kendra and five other NGOs filed a complaint before the High Court against RAJUKs proposed amendments, Nur Khan, former executive director of Ain-O-Salish, a human rights group, told BenarNews.

The next year, he said, the court approved the projects fourth amendment proposal and asked RAJUK not to subtract, vary or modify the forest, lakes, canals, urban green, parks and playgrounds without the courts permission.

RAJUK introduced a fifth amended proposal in 2017, Khan said while alleging that this violated the courts earlier ruling.

RAJUK proposed infrastructure construction on open spaces protected by the fourth amendment, Khan said. It also proposed increasing the commercial center at Purbachal.

A view of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center on the outskirts of Dhaka, Oct. 21, 2021. [Focus Bangla]

The latest amended plan also extended the land housing the exhibition center from 10 to 26 acres, Mallick told BenarNews.

The court in 2019 had turned down RAJUKs fifth amended proposal and limited the scope of its building project, according to the environmentalists.

There are some legal issues with the Purbachal project, but there was no legal bar to construct the exhibition center, project director Mohammad Rezaul Karim told BenarNews on Thursday. So we went ahead with the construction of the exhibition center.

The Chinese Embassy in Dhaka did not respond immediately to a BenarNews request for comment.

China, which has launched One Belt, One Road project, an estimated $1 trillion-plus infrastructure program to build a network of railways, ports and bridges across 70 countries, is Bangladeshs biggest partner in infrastructure projects.

The Chinese want to further extend the project. But we are not sure whether we can do it because of the legal challenges by the environmentalists, Mallick said.
Villagers make their way in a boat through a flooded palm-oil plantation as they leave their village after heavy rain inundated a large area in Matangkuli, in Indonesias Aceh province on Oct 1, 2021.

At least 600 plantation companies have illegal operations in Indonesian forests, including in national parks, wetlands, and U.N. world heritage sites, Greenpeace said in a new report released Thursday.

Palm-oil plantations occupy 3.12 million hectares of Indonesias so-called forest estate, encompassing more than 300,000 hectares of land previously mapped out as habitats for orangutan and Sumatran tigers, according to the report by Greenpeace. The international environmental activist group, in producing the report, worked with a group of scientists to analyze data from 2019.

Indonesias national forest estate is the term the government uses to designate areas where agricultural plantations are prohibited.

More than 600 companies have a plantation covering more than 10 hectares each in forest areas. Of the total 3.1 million hectares, 1.56 million belong to independent smallholders, and 1.5 million hectares belong to corporations, Arie Rompas, Greenpeaces chief campaigner in Indonesia, said during a press conference on Thursday.

According to Greenpeace, illegal palm-oil plantations occupy protected forestland including national parks, wetlands identified for conservation under the 1971 Ramsar Convention, and UNESCO World Heritage sites. These areas represent some of the highest levels of biodiversity that are critical in trying to tackle climate change, the environmentalist group said.

This is a clear indication that the Indonesian government is not willing to enforce laws to stop deforestation on public lands or follow through on its climate commitments, Kiki Taufik, a Greenpeace forest campaigner in Indonesia, said in a statement.

Instead, it is governing in the interest of corporate elites. Laws and amendments introduced in the last 12 months aim to legalize the plantation sectors illegal use of Indonesias forests and seizing indigenous peoples lands, he said.

The environmental group said it found 100 companies that are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a global palm-oil certification scheme, among those operating in forests.

Some of the companies hold up to 10,000 hectares each of illegal plantations, the group said.

Greenpeace said that members of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO), a national certification scheme, occupy 252,000 hectares of plantations in the forests  an area almost four times the size of Jakarta.

The implications of Indonesia prioritizing oil palm plantation expansion over forest landscapes remain disastrous for Indigenous and traditional communities, and for addressing the global climate crisis, Greenpeace said.

On track

Indonesia has set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent through its own efforts and by 41 percent with international support, by 2030.

Indonesias deputy foreign minister, Mahendra Siregar, said Indonesia was on track to fulfill its commitment of reducing carbon emissions.

The rate of deforestation during 2019-2020 fell to its lowest level in 20 years, the state-run Antara news agency quoted Mahendra as saying during an event in Dubai on Wednesday.

Forest fires are also at their lowest level, down 82 percent from the previous year, Mahendra said. In fact, in several other parts of the world, both in the United States, Europe, Australia, there have been extraordinary fires which have caused very high greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Greenpeace, the clear-burning of forest land to make way for palm-oil plantations has generated nearly 104 million metric tons of carbon emissions during the past 19 years. That equals 33 times the annual emissions from powering all the homes in the Indonesian capital.

On Thursday, officials at the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry did not immediately respond to requests from BenarNews for comment on the findings in the Greenpeace report.

The government has not renewed a three-year-old moratorium on permits for new plantations after it expired last month.

Moratorium

Environmentalists and experts have urged the government to extend the moratorium, warning the new rules under the Jobs Creation Law may undermine efforts to limit deforestation.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar had said that the new legislation provided for stricter requirements for minimum forest cover.

For instance, the new regulations restrict a company or a corporate group to manage 100,000 hectares of the plantation across Indonesia. The previous law allowed them up to 100,000 hectares within a province.

At the same time, the new law removes a stipulation for the government to maintain forest cover of at least 30 percent of a land area or an island.

The moratorium on new palm oil plantations  as well as the expansion of existing ones  was instituted in 2018 to improve the sustainability of plantations, protect the environment and support the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the government had said then.

The moratorium, among other things, aimed to end the practice of clearing land by burning vegetation to set up lucrative palm oil as well as paper and pulp plantations. Experts had told BenarNews that the economic incentive to use fires was huge.

Fires emitted toxic greenhouse gases and even spread to protected forestlands. The resulting heavy haze often crosses national boundaries and engulfs other Southeast Asian countries.

Mansuetus Darto, the chairman of the Palm Oil Plantation Workers Union (SPKS), said he suspected that many large companies disguised their plantations as belonging to smallholders.

The government must review them. It needs to conduct mapping on the ground, Darto told an online discussion on Thursday.

In September, the forestry ministry said 3.37 million hectares of palm-oil plantations occupy forest areas, but permits had been applied for around 700,000 hectares of them. The companies have two more years to receive permits for the rest.

Meanwhile, President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Thursday launched a biodiesel plant in South Kalimantan province belonging to PT Jhonlin Agro Raya, an influential business group whose interests include palm oil.

Jokowi said Indonesia was committed to switching to renewable energy, including biodiesel.

In 2021, our goal is to produce and distribute 9.2 million kiloliters (of biofuel), and I request that next year production be increased, Jokowi said.
Washington is talking with ASEAN member Singapore about limiting the Burmese military regimes access to money, as part of efforts to pile pressure on the junta chief who has been barred from an upcoming regional summit, a senior U.S. State Department official said Thursday.

The decision by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last week to disinvite junta chief Min Aung Hlaing from the ASEAN summit in late October, and his subsequent release of thousands of prisoners, shows how effective international pressure can be, State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said during a news conference by phone from Jakarta.

The foreign minister of Malaysia, an outspoken ASEAN state, similarly said on Thursday that the regional bloc needed to use its standing to put pressure on those who violate human rights  and should therefore rethink its cherished principle of non-interference in members affairs.

Deepening our partnership with ASEAN is the main objective of our inter-agency trip, for example  Singapore has significant financial leverage over the regime and we discussed how we can partner effectively to wield that, Chollet said about his trip to the city-state a day earlier.

Chollet was speaking to reporters on the final leg of a three-country visit to Southeast Asia by an inter-agency American delegation, which he is leading.

At each stop, we reiterated our support for the people of Burma and their aspirations for democracy, he told reporters. We have underscored that the international community has the responsibility to pressure the military regime to stop violence and respect peoples will. It is a critical juncture in the crisis.

While visiting the Lion City, Chollet tweeted, he had a productive meeting with Ho Hern Shin, deputy managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

We discussed ways to limit the Burmese military regimes access to overseas financial assets, he said.

Singapore overtook China to become the largest investor in Myanmar in 2019, The Myanmar Times reported back then. From October 2018 to February 2019, Singapore invested U.S. $20.6 billion there, according to a government agency called Enterprise Singapore.

Chollet also cited the example of jointly taking advantage of Thailands long border with Myanmar.

Thailand is a critical humanitarian assistance partner because of its long border with Burma and the leverage that gives is one of the things we discussed in Thailand, he said.

In addition, Washington, for several months now, has held talks with members of the shadow civilian National Unity Government in Myanmar, Chollet said.

We are deeply committed to engaging with them  encouraging them to unify [the pro-democracy] movement. And we will continue to engage with them, he said.

People wait outside Insein Prison in Yangon as the military authorities announced that more than 5,000 people jailed for protesting against a February coup, which ousted the civilian government, would be released, in Myanmar, Oct. 18, 2021. [AFP]

ASEAN should do soul searching

Meanwhile, on the far side of the globe, a senior U.S. National Security Council (NSC) member said that apart from ASEANs decision to bar the Burmese junta chief from the summit on Oct. 26-28, more action needed to be taken to respond to post-coup challenges in Myanmar effectively.

Of course, we applaud ASEAN for the leadership it has shown, but obviously this is not enough, Edgard Cagan, senior director of East Asia and Oceania at the NSC, said at an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington late Wednesday.

Addressing the challenges of the coup and the difficulties people are facing because of the coup, those things require a broader and more effective effort.

Cagan did not specify what those efforts could be. But many analysts have said that ASEAN should suspend Myanmars membership, stop trade with it  and not take steps such as lobby to water down a United Nations resolution calling for an arms embargo on the country.

Indeed, there has been criticism of ASEAN, even from within its members, about the slow pace of its decision making and because it took the bloc more than 100 days to appoint a special envoy to Myanmar.

In recent weeks, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah has been forthright about what ASEAN needs to do and about its shortcomings.

On Thursday, he said that ASEANs almost sacrosanct principle of not interfering in member-states internal business has in many ways, been useful and practical in many situations.

But when we are faced with a situation like the one that is currently occurring in Myanmar, then perhaps ASEAN should actually do some soul searching, he said. Saifuddin was referring to the violence unleashed after the coup by security forces who have killed almost 1,180 people, most of them pro-democracy protestors.

Maybe now is the time for ASEAN to do serious soul searching on the application of the principle of non-interference and look at other experiences of other regions, he said.

Saifuddin cited the African Union, which suspended its member Mali after a military coup there in late May.

Saifuddin said that at last weeks meeting with his ASEAN counterparts, some member-states had shown reluctance on the issue of shutting out Min Aung Hlaing.

I stated the fact that we cannot use the principle of non-interference as a shield to avoid issues being addressed, the minister recalled.

The principle of non-interference cannot be applied separately from, or above, other ASEAN principles of strengthening democracy, promoting and protecting human rights, good governance and the rule of law.

In previous years, ASEAN members have talked about constructive engagement rather than non-interference, regional analysts said.

I think ASEAN is starting to move away from strict non-interference, but  the newer members may feel intimidated if ASEAN chooses to snub Myanmar or punish it, Tunku Mohar Mokhtar, an academic at the International Islamic University Malaysia, told BenarNews.

However, ASEAN should also make it clear to Myanmar that the association does not tolerate blatant abuse of human rights by any of its members.

Still, the biggest sticking point in ASEANs decision-making process remains the principle of consensus  all decisions taken by the bloc have to be approved by all members.

The problem is the mechanism itself, because as we know, to reform ASEAN you need consensus among all the countries, including countries that do not want to change. Therefore there can be no consensus.

Its an irony  to change the system you need people in the system who want to change, so that is the difficulty.
The United States on Thursday blocked imports of rubber gloves by Malaysian glove maker Supermax after citing ample evidence of forced labor in the companys manufacturing operations, according to a statement by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The manufacturing and palm-oil sectors in Malaysia rely heavily on migrant labor and have long battled allegations of exploitation of workers, analysts have said  the U.S. last year barred three firms in these areas citing forced labor, although the ban on one company was lifted this year.

CBP issued a WRO [withhold release order] against Supermax Corp. Bhd and its subsidiaries based on information that reasonably indicates their use of forced labor in manufacturing operations, it said in a statement about the block, which took effect Thursday.

CBP identified 10 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) indicators of forced labor during its investigation.

ILO standards include restriction of movement, physical and sexual violence, intimidation, retention of documents, withholding of wages, abusive work and living conditions and excessive overtime.

Until Supermax and its subsidiaries can prove their manufacturing processes are free of forced labor, their goods are not welcome here, AnnMarie R. Highsmith, CBP Office of Trade executive assistant commissioner said in the statement.

Supermax, a U.S. $512 million (sales) company, issued a statement to the Malaysian stock exchange on Thursday, saying it began efforts in 2019 to meet the 11 ILO standards on migrant workers.

According to its 2020 annual report, the company places great emphasis on employee health and safety.

An international migrant worker rights specialist challenged Supermaxs claims about its facilities.

Regular, irregular, directly hired and outsourced foreign workers at Supermax have reported to me and my team appalling conditions of systemic forced labor at the companys various workplaces for several years, Andy Hall said in a Facebook statement.

Embarrassing

Rights activists blamed the Malaysian government for labor issues.

Hall called on the international community to take action to ensure the Malaysian government and private companies take the issue of systemic forced labor seriously.

Malaysias management of migrant workers, a crucial part of its economy and labor intensive export production, continues to be undeveloped, with systemic corruption and little to no respect for the rule of law, Hall said.

Malaysia leads the world in rubber-glove manufacturing and accounts for about 65 percent of the worlds production, according to a 2020 statement by the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association.

The Malaysian government, therefore, needs to align its employment laws and regulations with international standards, said migrant rights activist Adrian Pereira.

While the action by the Americans are welcomed, it is embarrassing that Malaysia cant resolve this 30-year-old problem. Even worse we are now a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council, Pereira, from the North South Initiative, told BenarNews.

He was referring to Malaysia having been recently voted into the United Nations body that is responsible for promoting human rights globally.

A former Malaysian cabinet minister also criticized the government over the U.S. sanction.

I raised this matter in April, but the government failed to respond to me, said M. Kulasegaran who served as the Human Resources minister during and earlier administration.

Supermax is not the first Malaysian manufacturer to face U.S. sanctions over working conditions.

In July 2020, U.S. Customs announced it was blocking products made by Top Glove, the worlds largest glove maker, because of evidence it used forced labor.

The ban was lifted last month after Top Glove showed improvements in response to the U.S. block.

Hadi Azmi and Nisha David in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 23F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 70%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 23F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 70%.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Becoming partly cloudy later with any flurries or snow showers ending by midnight. Low 23F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 30%..

Tonight

Becoming partly cloudy later with any flurries or snow showers ending by midnight. Low 23F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
US: More threats, more desperate refugees as climate warms

The Biden administration is laying out the heightened security threats, rising tensions and increased refugee flows facing the U.S. as the climate warms
Investigations editor

Larry Parnass joined The Eagle in 2016 from the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where he was editor in chief. His freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant, CommonWealth Magazine and with the Reuters news service.
Working for $5 per week while behind bars, Jasmin Borges could afford just one 20-minute phone call with her daughters each week.

When I came home 12 years later, nothing could prepare me for the cold, dark truth that I didnt know my daughters, Borges said at an Oct. 4 legislative hearing. I had to learn my daughters. I had to learn their personalities, their likes and dislikes.

Quote Phone calls are a way to reconnect you with your humanity, a way to reconnect you with your identities, whether as a mother, daughter, sister, wife, friend or life partner, theyre a lifeline." Jasmin Borges

Borges, now an organizer for the Massachusetts Bail Fund, was one of more than 25 speakers at the hearing who advocated for a bill that would make phone calls free for people incarcerated in Massachusetts. A similar bill was on the slate for a Thursday hearing by the Legislatures committee on public safety and homeland security. The new hearing begins at 10 a.m. and can be accessed at malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/3990.

Massachusetts families spent around $25 million in 2018 on phone calls to incarcerated relatives, the advocacy group Worth Rises has estimated. Prison telecommunications companies  three companies dominate the $1.4 billion industry  raked in the profits, and correctional facilities received around $7 million in site commissions.

In June, Connecticut passed legislation to allow 90 minutes of free phone calls per day from prisons, becoming the first state to do so, although cities such as New York and San Francisco have made phone calls from jails free.

The push to make phone calls free for people incarcerated in Massachusetts hits a crucial moment Tuesday A coalition is working to pass legislation that would make Massachusetts the second state to offer free phone calls to people who are incarcerated.

Days after Connecticut finalized its law, Massachusetts sheriffs announced an agreement to provide at least 10 minutes of free phone calls per week and to charge no more than 14 cents per minute afterward ($2.10 for a 15-minute call). Sheriffs previously have expressed opposition to making all phone calls free, claiming that they use site commissions to pay for rehabilitative programming.

Critics of the prison telecommunications industry, however, say the true cost of providing phone calls remains a fraction of even the 14-cent rate. In Illinois, an in-state call from a state prison costs less than a penny per minute. In New Hampshire, the cost is 1.3 cents per minute.

If the state and counties believe in rehabilitation, they must pay for the treatment and programs in prison, not extract that money from prison families who cannot afford it and have to ration their calls because [costs are] so inflated, Bonnie Tenneriello, a staff attorney for Prisoners Legal Services of Massachusetts, said at the Oct. 4 hearing.

Phone calls, Tenneriello added, remain key to helping people remain connected to support systems and loved ones who can help with reentry, although the present cost prevents many people from maintaining the level of connection they need.

Many studies have shown that people who are connected to their families and community during incarceration are far less likely to go back to prison, Tenneriello said. Each person who is reincarcerated costs the state an average of around $70,000 a year.

In state and federal prisons, less than two-thirds of people with a history of mental illness access mental health treatment, and in jails, less than half of people with a history of mental illness access treatment, a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Justice found. Suicide is the leading cause of death in jails, responsible for around 30 percent of deaths.

Telephone lifeline from jail costly for family members CHICOPEE  Jennifer Thurston's family spends up to $50 a week on phone calls to stay in touch with her while she is in custody. It's a lot for a family struggling with poverty and poor 

Borges, who was incarcerated for 12 years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution-Framingham, said that lawmakers should listen to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people as they seek to understand the impacts of current policies and proposed solutions. Her unit at MCI-Framingham had three phones for around 60 women, Borges said.

You stand in line for 20, 30 minutes to make one 20-minute phone call, Borges said in a Wednesday phone interview. And if your loved ones didnt pick up the phone, you would have to hang up and get back in line again.

Borges said she had to make difficult decisions between calling her sister or calling her daughters. It cost her 25 cents to send an email.

Phone calls are a way to reconnect you with your humanity, a way to reconnect you with your identities, whether as a mother, daughter, sister, wife, friend or life partner, theyre a lifeline, Borges said. Because the system is set up, it takes away all those identities and views you only as an inmate.

State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, said at the Oct. 4 hearing that the judiciary committee, which he co-chairs, asked the Department of Correction if it would allow people currently incarcerated to testify at the hearing, but the department declined. Borges said that she would like to see lawmakers visit correctional facilities themselves to hear directly from people who are incarcerated.

I think its hard for people who have never been incarcerated to understand how a phone call or a video phone call can be the biggest thing to save your life, Borges said. Theyre just a lifeline.
Reporter

Greta Jochem, a Report for America Corps member, joined the Eagle in 2021. Previously, she was a reporter at the Daily Hampshire Gazette. She is also a member of the investigations team.
News

BGISD seeks clarity about school choice court ruling

Joining five other independent school districts in Kentucky, the Bowling Green Independent School District is seeking clarity about the scope of a recent Franklin Circuit Court ruling challenging the legality of House Bill 563  a prominent school choice law.

Passed by the General Assembly in March, the measure grants tax credits to donors supporting private school tuition scholarships. Another key provision eases the pathway for non-resident students to attend public schools outside their district.

At the time, school choice advocates heralded it as a historic win for Kentucky students.

After the legislature overcame a veto from Gov. Andy Beshear and gave the bill final passage, then-EdChoice KY President Charles Leis said: Kentucky legislators told families across the commonwealth: We hear you and are going to work with you to give your kids all the opportunity they need to succeed in the classroom.

In June, the Council for Better Education sued  with Warren County Public Schools as a key plaintiff  to challenge the provision of the law establishing tax credits for private school tuition, alleging it would divert $125 million in state tax dollars to private schools.

The lawsuit did not challenge the non-resident provision of the law.

Earlier this month, Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled that Kentuckys constitution prohibits the element of House Bill 563 that would enable scholarship tax credits for private school tuition.

But in a statement it issued Tuesday, BGISD said it had filed motions to intervene and clarify the Oct. 8 ruling, which has resulted in conflicting interpretations of the school choice law.

Since the ruling, there have been multiple interpretations, including the Kentucky Department of Education, which has stated that the ruling invalidates all aspects of House Bill 563, resulting in no change to non-resident enrollment agreements in July 2022, BGISD said in the statement.

WCPS Superintendent Rob Clayton issued the following statement Wednesday in response to a request for comment from the Daily News: The Warren County Public Schools District is pleased Judge Phillip Shepherds ruling upheld CBEs assertion that the Educational Opportunity Accounts within HB 563 are unconstitutional. This ruling blocks public tax dollars from being siphoned away from our already underfunded public schools across the commonwealth. At WCPS we prioritize safety, achievement and opportunity and we will continue to oppose any legislation that adversely impacts our most vulnerable students by creating greater inequities among our schools.

The non-resident provision of House Bill 563 has created something of a rift between independent school districts and their larger county school counterparts.

Specifically, the provision allows students who attend school outside their home district to be counted as part of the out-of-district schools daily attendance  a key factor in how schools are funded in Kentucky.

BGISD Superintendent Gary Fields had been a vocal and ardent defender of that provision, citing an ongoing crisis of the independents across the state with independent school districts being swallowed up by the larger county school districts that border them.

In contrast, Clayton tweeted his disappointment after the bills passage: The negative impact of H.B. 563 is clear and pleading ignorance will be no excuse.

In its statement Tuesday, BGISD relayed a recent message from Council for Better Education President Matt Robbins to Kentuckys school district superintendents that the council would clarify or amend the order regarding the colloquially-termed open borders provision. However, the organization later reversed course and decided not to proceed with such action.

BGISD joins five other Kentucky school districts  all independent districts  to seek clarity about the scope of the ruling. They include Augusta Independent, Corbin Independent, Paintsville Independent, Pineville Independent and Raceland Worthington Independent.

The motion states: The severability language in the courts opinion has caused great concern and confusion with regard to the portions of the statute which reference non-resident students. No party argued or briefed this issue because the parties agreed non-resident student transfers were not in dispute. The intervening school districts seek to intervene with the objective of clarifying the courts opinion with regard to non-resident students.

Because of its differing interpretation, the Kentucky Department of Education will not submit a report with regard to the equitable transfer of education funds for non-resident students, BGISD said in its statement, nor will the KDE allow local districts to enroll non-resident students unless the court clarifies its opinion and order.

A virtual hearing on the motion is scheduled for Monday morning.

 Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @NewsByAaron or visit bgdailynews.com.
Spearfish, SD (57783)

Today

Evening light rain followed by a mix of rain and snow showers overnight. Low 34F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 60%..

Tonight

Evening light rain followed by a mix of rain and snow showers overnight. Low 34F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 60%.
The Sound of God's Voice

Although God can and does speak in these various ways, the most common way is referred to in the Bible as the still, small voice. It is the voice of the Holy Spirit within us which nudges us in one direction or the other. Its been described as:

- An inner witness (Yes)

- An inner peace (Okay)

- An inner nudging (Get moving)

- An inner check (No... Stop... Warning)

- An inner green light (Go ahead)

- A clear (or bothered) conscience (This is good/not good)

The sound of God's voice is a perception or sense of knowing; it's the leading of the Holy Spirit, and every Christian believer can hear Him.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:27).

Elijah and the Still, Small Voice

In the book of 1 Kings, the prophet Elijah had an encounter with God that should encourage every person who has struggled to hear the voice of God. In this account, the man of God had just called down fire from heaven and defeated all the prophets of Baal. Queen Jezebel vowed to kill him, and Elijah fled and hid himself in a cave on the Mountain of Horeb. He began to cry out to God for answers, and this was God's response:

Then He said, Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever cried out to God like that, prayed for answers or direction, and felt God did not respond? Or could it be that God did indeed respond, but you were expecting Him to show up with a booming voice or an angelic messenger?

When Elijah heard God speak, He was not in the powerful and destructive windstorm. Nor was He in the dramatic, terrifying earthquake. He was also not in the fiery, consuming inferno. But He was in the still, small voice. Not on the outside, but from within. It is the primary way the Holy Spirit communicates to His children  His Spirit to our spirits.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).

Too many people have been looking for answers in the wind, earthquakes and fires of life, instead of listening to hear the voice of God within their spirits. When we do, we will get direction, guidance, wisdom and answers that are sure to bring us through, and catapult us over, and take us to victory and triumph!

Like fine tuning a radio to a favorite station, we can learn to hear His voice by practicing three simple things:

Photo credit: Getty Images/solarseven
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a bipartisan coalition of 15 attorneys general calling on Congress to pass legislation supporting local journalism.

"As stated in our letter, local journalism is absolutely critical to our communities and our democracy, Nessel said. This industry has struggled for many years and this pandemic has only exacerbated these challenges. I am urging Congress to support local journalism and pass this legislation.

The letter the coalition wrote to Congress calls on key leaders to pass the Local Journalism Sustainability Act of 2021 (H.R. 3940 and S. 2434).

Approval of the act would provide:

Up to $250 in tax credits to local newspaper subscribers to offset subscription fees;

Up to $5,000 in tax credits to some local businesses for buying ads in local newspapers; and

Up to $25,000 for local newspapers to hire local journalists.

The letter reads:

Local newspapers are responsible for half of our countrys original reporting, although they only account for one-quarter of media outlets. In many rural communities, local news organizations provide the only information and updates about issues impacting the community.

Regional journalism is critical, as is journalism by and for Black, Indigenous, and people of color, including ethnic media organizations, the letter continues. These organizations are best positioned to identify, investigate, and report on issues of concern to their respective communities, and Congress should take action to support and strengthen them.

Joining Attorney General Nessel in sending this letter are the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington.
MOSCOW (AP)  Russia's defense chief on Wednesday voiced concern about a buildup of NATO forces near the country's borders, and called for stronger defense ties with neighboring Belarus.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted recent efforts to boost military cooperation between the two allies, including modernization of military infrastructure for shared use.

After a meeting of the two countries' military top brass, Shoigu said he and his Belarusian counterpart extended agreements on two Russian military facilities in Belarus  an early warning radar in the Brest region near Poland and a naval communications center in Vileyka near the Belarusian capital of Minsk. He didn't specify for how long they were extended.

Russia and Belarus have a union agreement envisaging close political, economic and military ties. Moscow has staunchly backed Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko amid Western sanctions triggered by Belarusian authorities' crackdown on protests following his re-election to a sixth term in an August 2020. Belarus' opposition and the West rejected the election as a sham.

In a bid to secure more Kremlin support, Lukashenko has repeatedly described Belarus as a bulwark against the West and called for boosting defense ties with Russia.

Russia's relations with the U.S. and its NATO allies have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Earlier this month, NATO withdrew the accreditation of eight Russian officials to its Brussels headquarters, saying it believed they had been secretly working for Russian intelligence. Russia responded Monday by suspending its mission at NATO and ordering the closure of the alliances office in Moscow.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced concerns over the deployment of NATO forces near Russian borders, describing it as a threat to its security. Russia and the alliance also have blamed each other for conducting destabilizing military exercises near the borders.

Shoigu charged Wednesday that dozens of NATO drills near Russia's borders have been used to rehearse scenarios of military confrontation with Russia. He specifically voiced concern about a buildup of NATO troops in Poland and the Baltics, the deployment of U.S. missile defense facilities in Romania and Poland and the modernization of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe.

The Russian defense minister emphasized that NATO's activities make a coordinated defense policy, cooperation in the development of armed forces, an increase in coordination and combat training and a shared use of military infrastructure particularly acute for Russia and Belarus.
Plan 2022 opening of Immerse Delaware Lab

Waters Corporation and the University of Delaware announced a five-year research partnership to develop new analytical solutions for bioprocessing and biomanufacturing.

Key to this partnership is Immerse Delaware, an Innovation and Research Lab, set to open in early 2022 located at the University of Delaware Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) campus. At Immerse Delaware, Waters will partner with students and faculty to identify and address the most significant challenges facing the biopharmaceutical industry.

Waters is partnering with the University of Delaware because of its leadership in chemical and biological manufacturing research as well its active support and proximity to the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), a collaborative effort amongst industry, academia, and regulators.

The Immerse Delaware Lab will feature a purpose-built research testbed, with a focus on leveraging LC-MS and adjacent technologies to support bioprocess engineers empirical data in the areas of process and informatics. Initial projects at Immerse Delaware will seek to gain a deeper understanding of novel schemes to quantify and ultimately minimise process-related impurities from uncontrolled glycosylation, which negatively impacts drug efficacy. These will be paired with informatics solutions to predict the evolution of biotherapeutic products.
The key objective is to serve the increased needs for professionals who are highly skilled in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality (XR) and Haptics technology

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and Monolith Research And Training Labs are going to launch an advanced diploma programme in virtual reality to be offered in both online and offline mode.



The course would be open for anyone with an engineering background including students currently enrolled in engineering degrees anywhere in India. The applications will be available from November 2021 and the first batch will commence from January 2022. The course will have an annual intake of 50 students.



An MoU towards this collaboration was signed recently between IIT Madras and Monolith Research And Training Labs, an associate company of Monolith.Asia- a leading Japanese media communication technology company.



The course is being coordinated by IIT Madras by the Centre of Excellence on Virtual Reality and Haptics, set up under the Institute of Eminence initiative of the Government of India.



Graduates of this course will have potential job opportunities in sectors such as IT Companies, animation industries, architecture, and engineering industries to healthcare and media production.
Africa's Achilles heel remains the limited access to diagnostics, particularly locally manufactured RT-PCR-based tests. With the slow vaccination rates across the continent, reliable diagnostic tests will be in demand, likely for years to come.

Source: UNICEF/UN0493554/Msirikale Flight docked at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam ready to offload the initial delivery of 1,058,450 doses of Johnson & Johnsons Janssen vaccine donated by the United States government through the COVAX Facility

Low numbers due to limited testing

Other factors

Alternative tests

Funding required

In general, the ability of any country to effectively contain the Covid-19 pandemic depends on the capacity for widespread testing, early diagnosis, tracking, and contact tracing.For a population density equivalent to almost 20% of the world population, only 44 out of the 47 countries in the WHO African region have at least one certified laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 testing (at the start of the outbreak only two could do so).Nevertheless, due to the centralised nature of these tests, only a small percentage of the population has been tested.According to the CDC, this is just over 0.1% of the African population, in stark contrast to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries who on average test 2.3% of their population.Thus, access to reliable diagnostic tools to detect Covid-19 remains a critical pillar to monitor and contain new waves of Covid-19.SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics also need to be affordable and widely accessible to test vaccine efficacy in Africa, especially if vaccine trials are conducted in African communities.Despite the escalating threat of Covid-19, Africa has initially faced a relatively low fraction of global Covid-19 mortalities.Data from 2020, generated by the United Nations (UN) showed that Africa has 1.5% of the world's reported cases of Covid-19 and less than 0.1% of the world's deaths.However, the numbers are likely underestimated due to limited testing.The current gold standard of testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome of Covid-19 infection is reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).This test is resource intensive and becoming increasingly inaccessible for most African countries, particularly in rural settings.RT-PCR diagnostic capacity is severely limited in most African countries, with the number of qualified testing laboratories ranging between one and three in 40 African countries as of mid-April 2020.Nevertheless, the level of testing in Africa varies as a function of the economic status of the countries among other factors such as political leadership, socioeconomic realities, and stage of the pandemic.These factors, and the need for highly trained personnel, limit the capacity of African countries to run Covid-19 tests, further tipping the global imbalance against Africa.The major challenges of deploying alternative testing modalities include test reliability (sensitivity and specificity), supply chain, and fitness for utility.It is anticipated that in the coming three to six months there will be several reliable antibody-based tests in use in Africa.Alternative SARS-CoV-2 tests that do not require nucleic acid extraction, such as rapid antigen diagnostics for PoC testing, exist.However, antibody-based serological tests only indicate prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and do not diagnose current infection and transmission.Rapid antigen tests are scalable and affordable alternatives to RT-PCR. Thus, they allow for decentralised testing in rural and resource-constrained communities.Other SARS-CoV-2 tests such as near-patient solutions are preferred and one such test is a PoC RT-PCR-based Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 testing with a fast turnaround (45 min) using small GeneXpert machines.The GeneXpert platform, already in place for TB testing across most African countries, allows the use of SARS-CoV-2 cartridges, however, drawbacks include cost and scarcity of cartridges, as well as competition with TB diagnosis.However, as new waves of Covid-19 ravage the globe, the reliance on supply chain from non-African developers needs to be urgently replaced with local development and manufacturing of these rapid tests.Funding is required to support African research institutes and science initiatives that are currently developing in-house SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests, with the same accuracy, reliability, and convenience, at a lower fraction of the cost, in partnership with large international biopharma availability of rapid local diagnosis will help to better gauge the scale of infections and to respond accurately to pandemics, both now and in the future.Read the full article here
The One Club for Creativity has broadened the scope of its support for the global creative community with the addition of gaming as a new dedicated discipline for The One Show 2022.

Game platforms are driving innovation, reimagining how the world creates and experiences entertainment, and represent an important emerging medium for brands to reach consumers. The One Show Gaming discipline has been launched to recognise creative excellence in the way brands are integrated into interactive experiences that use gameplay and the metaverse to entertain, inform, and create community.The new discipline places a spotlight on how the relationship between brands and gaming is evolving and growing to produce innovative marketing initiatives. It also recognises creative excellence in gaming experiences themselves, in areas such as art direction, visual effects, animation, music and others.Most importantly, The One Show Gaming entries will be judged by a jury of creative leaders from the gameplay world, who will use their extensive knowledge and expertise to select the worlds best work in the discipline.Categories in the new discipline include Branded Games and Brand Integration/Placement for web, mobile, PC and console games; Experiential and Immersive Games, Brands and The Metaverse; Physical Gaming Accessories; Innovation in Gaming; Innovation in Lockdown; and Craft in Art Direction, Storytelling, VFX and Animation, Music, and Sound Design.In addition, the club will soon announce the formation of The One Show Gaming Advisory Committee to provide guidance related to the field.Game technology has empowered creators around the world, and redefined pipelines for VFX, filmmaking, interactive experiences, said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of The One Club. The One Show Gaming discipline will shine a global spotlight on innovation and creative excellence in this fast-growing industry, and serve as a high-visibility platform for gaming companies to engage with the worlds leading brands.Entries to The One Show 2022 can be submitted now, with fees increasing after each deadline period. Early entry deadline for the greatest savings is 29 October 2021, with the second deadline 31 December 2021, after which a first round of judging will take place. The third deadline is 4 February 2022, and final deadline 4 March 2022.Finalists will be announced in early May 2022, with The One Show Gold, Silver and Bronze Pencil winners awarded later that month during Creative Week.
SA has received a C-grade, ranking 31st out of the 43 retirement income systems in the 13th annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (MCGPI). The country's grade indicates that the system has some good features, but also has major risks and/or shortcomings that should be addressed.

SouthAfrica

Increasing the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals.

Increasing the coverage of employees in occupational pension schemes thereby increasing the level of contributions and assets.

Introducing a minimum level of mandatory contributions into a retirement savings fund.

Introducing preservation requirements when members withdraw from occupational pension funds.

Overall rankings

President of CFA Society South Africa, Jennifer Henry, CFA says the MCGPI benchmarking and insights provide South Africa with tangible objectives that will help improve the pension system.Key being that increasing coverage of employees, particularly self-employed or entrepreneurs into private pensions will positively contribute to the systems sustainability, she says.Pension funds should aim to improve governance and increase transparency so that members knowledge and confidence in their retirement savings improves, she notes.The MCGPI is a comprehensive study of global pension systems, accounting for two-thirds (65%) of the worlds population.It benchmarks retirement income systems around the world highlighting some shortcomings in each system and suggests possible areas of reform that would provide more adequate and sustainable retirement benefits.The top three systems, all receiving an A-grade, were sustainable and well-governed systems, providing strong benefits to individuals. The Index uses the weighted average of the sub-indices of adequacy, sustainability and integrity.South Africa had an overall index value of 53.6 among the countries analysed, and for the sub-indices scoring 44.3 for adequacy, 46.5 for sustainability and 78.5 for integrity. In comparison to 2020 the sub-indices were 43.0, 46.7 and 78.3 respectively.The improved score for adequacy is mainly due to recent reforms which came into effect on 1 March 2021."Members of provident funds, who were younger than 55 on 1 March 2021, must purchase an income stream with at least 2/3rds of their savings at retirement, unless their savings is less than R247 500."However, this excludes savings until 1 March 2021 with growth, which can still be taken as a cash lump sum, says Vickie Lange, CFA, head of best practice at Alexander Forbes, Mercers strategic partner in Africa.Lange says that South Africans have generally need to take responsibility for their own retirement income, as their private pension system is largely on a defined contribution basis.Several reforms have been implemented over the last few years, and theres likely to be an even stronger focus on governance, with further reforms expected in the near future, says Lange.Iceland had the highest overall index value (84.2), closely followed by the Netherlands (83.5). Thailand had the lowest index value (40.6). For each sub-index, the systems with the highest values were Iceland for adequacy (82.7), Iceland for sustainability (84.6) and Finland for integrity (93.1).The systems with the lowest values across the sub-indices were India for adequacy (33.5), Italy for sustainability (21.3) and the Philippines for integrity (35.0).In comparison to 2020, China and the UK showed the most improvement as a result of significant pension reform, which improved outcomes for individuals and pension regulation.Governments the world over have responded to Covid-19 with significant levels of economic stimulus, which has added to government debt, reducing the future opportunity for governments to support their aged population, comments Dr David Knox, senior partner at Mercer and lead author of the study.Retirement schemes globally are tipping further towards accumulation-style plans, away from traditional defined benefit plans.Despite the challenges, now is not the time to put the brakes on pension reform  in fact, its time to accelerate it. Individuals are having to take more and more responsibility for their own retirement income, and they need strong regulation and governance to be supported and protected, says Knox.Read the report here
A call that vaccine booster shots should be available to healthcare workers - including doctors - immediately has been made by the South African Medical Association (SAMA).

Vaccines in good supply

On the frontline

We believe the scientific evidence strongly favours this approach, notes Dr Angelique Coetzee, chairperson of SAMA.The Association says research indicates that the immunity and efficacy of single dose vaccination, such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, is unknown and that a single J&J vaccination only provides good immunity up to, at most, eight months.Its critical, in our view, that booster shots be administered to all doctors and healthcare workers as a matter of routine, and as early as is needed, says Coetzee.Resources, both human and operational, are already stretched and the battles against Covid  especially during the first three waves  have exacted a further heavy toll.Doctors are emotionally strained, and we are still receiving information on burnout among many of our colleagues.Booster doses will go a long way to send a message to doctors that they are being supported, and that their efforts are being recognised, notes Coetzee.In light of the fact that vaccines are in good supply, and that providing booster shots will not dent supply to those who need their first shots, Coetzee says its now time to start prioritising the roll-out of boosters to all healthcare workers.We still need to focus on getting as many South Africans vaccinated as possible and we will support those efforts.But vaccine supply is not constrained and some of those which are available must be given to the people who face this pandemic head-on every day without diverting anything from the public, she stresses.Coetzee says the high effectiveness of reducing hospitalisations among those who have received second doses and booster shots will ensure the continued health of healthcare workers and reduce transmissions in health facilities.These are people who are literally on the frontline of a war, and who have made enormous sacrifices to assist others.Its our duty, and the duty of authorities, to ensure these brave men and women receive the best possible protection they can, which is possible through authorizing booster shots, says Coetzee.She says that government should give healthcare workers the individual right to choose between the second dose of J&J or Pfizer.In addition, she says, booster shots will become more necessary as new variants of Covid-19 arise.Coetzee says the administration of booster doses to healthcare workers must not detract from intensive efforts to ensure all healthcare workers who have not yet received their initial doses get these done as a matter of urgency.


PLEASE DISABLE AD BLOCKER TO VIEW DISQUS COMMENTS Ad Blocking software disables some of the functionality of our website, including our comments section for some browsers.







Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
What's Included

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 814-368-3173 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com.
Police arrested a man under a warrant at the hospital on Tuesday.

Advertisement Advertise With Us

Police arrested a man under a warrant at the hospital on Tuesday.

At approximately 7 p.m., officers arrested the man at the Brandon Regional Health Centre on a warrant for possession of a dangerous weapon, police said in a press release.

He is scheduled to appear in court in December.

 The Brandon Sun
WINNIPEG - A judge who ruled against seven Manitoba churches that were fighting public health orders says the restrictions were reasonable and necessary to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Advertisement Advertise With Us

The Law Courts are shown in Winnipeg on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. A judge has ruled against seven Manitoba churches that were fighting public health orders meant to stem the spread of COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski

WINNIPEG - A judge who ruled against seven Manitoba churches that were fighting public health orders says the restrictions were reasonable and necessary to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Chief Justice Glenn Joyal of Court of Queen's Bench said the orders did not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedomsand the chief provincial public health officer can lawfully impose such restrictions.

"The decision to temporarily close places of worship and otherwise limit the size of gatherings was rational, reasoned and defensible in the circumstances of an undeniable public health crisis," Joyal wrote in one of two judgments in the case released Thursday.

While the closure of churches limited certain charter rights such as the freedom of assembly and freedom of religion, it was reasonable and justifiable, Joyal ruled.

In the second decision, Joyal rejected the churches' argument that only the legislature, not the chief public health officer, should issue public health orders.

"If every public health order and subsequent modification had to be enacted by the Legislative Assembly,it could potentially handcuff and immobilize governments ability to act in a timely manner," he said.

Manitoba Justice Minister Cameron Friesen said the government has enacted reasonable measures to respond to the pandemic and its position has been upheld by the rulings.

"Those measures are demonstrating their value even now, as we continue to see a stabilizing of the daily case counts, even while other jurisdictions are experiencing very significant case spread and hospitalizations," Friesen said in an emailed statement.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a Calgary-based group representing the churches, said it may appeal the ruling.

"We are disappointed in these decisions and in the unwavering deference accorded to public health officials," Allison Pejovic, a lawyer with the centre, said in a news release.

A special hearing for the case was held in July after Joyal said he learned that the president of the justice centre had hired a private investigator to follow him while he was presiding over the case.

John Carpay took a short leave from his position at the justice centre and professional misconduct complaints were filed with law societies in Manitoba and Alberta.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been times when Manitobas health orders restricted worship services. A significant surge of infections in the second wave clogged hospitals and prompted all in-person and drive-in services to be banned.

Government lawyers told court its within the bounds of the legislature to grant the chief public health officer the authority to impose reasonable rules.

Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, testified that he is bound by using the least restrictive means to stop the spread of the pandemic. The decision about churches was made because, he said, "we were in crisis."

"Our hospitals were full of COVID-19 patients. Our ICUs were full of COVID-19 patients," he said.

Lanette Siragusa, the province's chief nursing officer, told court she supported the orders because hospital staff were exhausted and facing tough decisions about who could get care.

During often heated and confrontational cross-examinations, the health-care leaders were questioned about capacity in hospitals and intensive-care units, as well as the efficacy of certain COVID-19 tests.

Joyal said the case was one of the first in Canada where a church's constitutional challenge also attacked the science that a government relied on to make its decisions.

But, the judge said, after the restrictions were put in place, COVID-19 numbers began to decline in Manitoba, which was consistent with what the province's science and modelling predicted.

"Manitobans flattened the curve and avoided a disastrous situation," said Joyal.

Court also heard from Tobias Tissen, a minister at the Church of God Restoration, which is located south of Steinbach in rural Manitoba. Tissen said he cannot force worshippers attending his church to follow public health orders because it is "God's jurisdiction."

Tissen was arrested by RCMP earlier this week on an outstanding warrant for contravening health orders.

Restrictions have been loosened significantly in Manitoba since the spring as cases of COVID-19 dropped and there was less pressure on the health-care system.

Currently, places of worship have to choose between requiring people to be vaccinated or restricting in-person attendance to 33 per cent capacity or 25 people  whichever is more.

Joyal said public health orders achieve an important societal benefit: protecting the health and safety of others.

"I have no difficulty concluding that any of the restrictions on gatherings and in-person faith services that were eventually implemented, were as Manitoba has argued, temporary and necessary."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2021
Alumna Karen McCullah graduated from JMU with a marketing degree, and after various jobs in different fields, she discovered screenwriting. Since then, she's helped write various well-known films like "Legally Blonde," "10 Things I Hate About You" and "The House Bunny." Some themes in her films relate closely to her own college experiences.
Want to praise someone or get something off your chest? Darts and Pats is the place to do it.
Qantas has brought forward the restart of flights from Melbourne and Sydney to destinations including London, Singapore, Bangkok and Johannesburg as Australias two biggest states prepare to reopen for international travel.

Foreign airlines also said they would make thousands of seats available in and out of Melbourne after Victorian premier Daniel Andrews confirmed on Friday he would follow NSW and lift all quarantine restrictions on vaccinated Australian residents returning home from overseas on November 1.

Qantas said on Friday that the reopening of state and international borders in the coming months meant all 11,000 employees who remain stood down would be back at work in December - something not expected until June next year.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans announce the changes on Friday morning. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Australians rolling up their sleeves means our planes and our people are getting back to work much earlier than we expected, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said at a press conference at Sydney Airport with prime minister Scott Morrison and NSW premier Dominic Perrottet.
The one certainty about the workplace of the future is that it wont stand still. As we worship at the new shrines of strategy, technology, sustainability and diversity, most likely in a shape-shifting office, the employee of the 21st century will need to be hard-wired for change.

Macquarie University meets this challenge with PACE (Professional and Community Engagement), a program that trains students to be nimble, ensuring they hone their problem-solving, critical thinking, cultural competence and creativity, with an eye firmly on employability.

Professor Dominique Parrish, Macquarie University Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching).

PACE aims to produce engaged and active employees who can problem-solve and grapple with the ethics and complexities of the workplace, in the process expanding career opportunities and social networks and developing cross-cultural competencies. Above all, PACE boosts a graduates confidence in his or her abilities.

Professor Dominique Parrish, Office of the Pro Vice Chancellor (Learning and Teaching), which oversees PACE, says, for a long time there was a disconnect between knowing the thinking and theories of a discipline and its application in the workplace.
Children attending early learning centres and kindergartens do not drive the transmission of COVID-19 through the community, even though the Delta variant is five times more infectious among the young than previous strains.

Analysis of coronavirus cases in schools and early learning centres by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute has found the Delta variant has mostly spread from adult to adult, less frequently from adult to child and is only rarely transmitted between children.

Prep students Aeyana, 6, and Nancy, 5, on their first day back at Resurrection Catholic Primary School in Kings Park on Monday. Credit:Penny Stephens

The institutes finding is based on analysis of COVID-19 cases in 51 schools and early learning centres in NSW between June 16 and July 31, a period when daily infections surged from as few as one a day to about 200.

Childcare remained open during all of NSWs lockdown, while schools switched to remote learning for part of the period analysed. Cases in childcare settings have declined in recent weeks.
The NSW government minister overseeing the proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall has accused Australias peak body of insurers of trying to drive up premiums in western Sydney by opposing the controversial project.

The comments made by Minister for Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, on Thursday, came after Insurance Council of Australia boss Andrew Hall said the public money spent raising the wall would be better used buying back flood-prone land that never should have been developed in the first place.

Partly submerged homes in western Sydney during the March floods. Credit:Lukas Coch

Mr Hall told an industry forum last week that settlement in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley was the countrys biggest example of historically poor planning decisions, with tens of thousands of people living on one of Australias most effective flood plains.

I think there is no simplistic answer and some of these are really hard conversations to have with communities that are established, that, in fact, governments 50 years ago, 100 years ago ... made very poor decisions in allowing you to build there in the first place, Mr Hall said.
The Federal Court in Sydney has refused to stop an episode of the ABC current affairs program Four Corners from going to air, after a cosmetic surgeon brought urgent action in an attempt to halt it.

Daniel Lanzer, also a dermatologist, who has clinics in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, brought legal action on October 18 in an attempt to stop the episode about him from being broadcast the following Monday.

Cosmetic surgeon Daniel Lanzer

On Thursday, Justice John Nicholas dismissed the application for an injunction on the basis there was no prima facie case made out for the relief sought. He said his provisional view was that Dr Lanzer should pay the ABCs costs.

Dr Lanzers barrister Bruce McClintock, SC, said he would make a written submission about why the costs order should not be made against his client.
Its not the best thing for Australia to become known for in terms of its contribution to the pandemic, Dr Rayner said. But thats what it is, unfortunately. It has promoted vaccine hesitancy and people are dying because theyre taking a veterinary medicine that has not been proven. The fire spreads Within weeks of the Monash study being published, research efforts were diverted to ivermectin and clinical trials were registered in several countries. Loading In April, the American healthcare analytics company Surgisphere published a preprint (meaning it was not subjected to peer review) that purported to show a strong positive association between ivermectin and COVID-19 patient survival. Surgisphere would later be exposed for scientific fraud and the data would be retracted, but only after it had been used in studies published in the high-profile New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. Some countries included ivermectin in treatment guidelines. Enthusiasm for the drug continued unabated.

An Iranian study showed an 80 per cent reduction in mortality. A Lebanese study showed reduced hospitalisation. Both were later found to contain major flaws. An influential Egyptian preprint found a 90 per cent reduction in mortality for patients taking ivermectin. The website later retracted the article amid fraud claims  some patients had died before the study started, among other concerns  but it had been cited by 30 other studies in the interim and included in meta-analyses that amplified its findings. The meta-analyses continue to be quoted as proof of the drugs efficacy. Belief in ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 has taken root despite a lack of scientific evidence. Credit:Bloomberg By November 2020, the Monash study had been referenced in 450 journals. Dr Rayner addressed a conference on COVID-19 drugs organised by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Science and cautioned against using ivermectin. Were hoping [it] will not become the next hydroxychloroquine, he said. Then, on December 8, US physician Dr Pierre Kory appeared before a US Senate committee and described ivermectin as miraculous. If you take it, you will not get sick. The clip was viewed over a million times, according to the Associated Press, before YouTube took it down  which only served to raise its profile. Conservative commentators cried censorship, anti-vaccination activists co-opted the drug for their purposes and ivermectin prescriptions surged by 2400 per cent over the pre-pandemic weekly average in the United States. In South Africa, a black market developed.

Kyle Sheldrick, a medical doctor and researcher at the University of NSW, has scrutinised 29 of the most influential studies on ivermectin and found the only studies to show a statistically significant improvement in mortality have turned out to be false. But belief in ivermectin has taken root. Once the idea that something works is in the popular domain, winding it back is almost impossible, Dr Sheldrick said. Loading More recently, large clinical trials have shown marginal to zero benefit from ivermectin in COVID-19 patients. A Cochrane review, which is considered the gold standard in analysing scientific research, found there was not enough evidence to say whether ivermectin was effective against COVID-19. The TOGETHER trial, conducted by Canadas McMaster University and involving 9000 patients, was terminated in August because it did not demonstrate a statistical effect. Dr Sheldrick said it should not be surprising that so many of the first trials were flawed. A lot of these trials came out incredibly quickly, he said. Legitimate trials take longer than fake trials.

Last month, Australias Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) banned the off-label prescribing of ivermectin, citing the public health risk and national shortages created by a three- to four-fold increase in prescriptions. Monash University has moderated its original press release to highlight disclaimers about the drugs effectiveness and added a warning against ivermectin put out by the USs FDA. The university said in a statement it had always been clear that ivermectin was effective at killing the virus in a lab environment and further testing and clinical trials would be needed to establish the effectiveness of the drug at levels safe for humans. It still intended to conduct these trials. The university remains committed to making its research results known in a timely manner, the statement said. It is important that significant research findings  particularly during times of global crises like COVID-19  are shared with the broader research and medical community to enable a greater effort to solve such problems. Promotion Down Under

Australia has its own ivermectin evangelists, most prominently Sydney gastroenterologist Thomas Borody. Dr Borody, who developed a therapy for peptic ulcers in the 1980s, has been a driving force behind faecal transplants and treated Labor politicians including Bob Hawke and Ian Macdonald. Last year Dr Borody announced via press release that he had discovered a cure for COVID-19: a triple therapy of ivermectin, zinc and doxycycline. Ivermectin has since been championed by federal politicians Craig Kelly and George Christensen. Dr Borodys research was quoted by the plaintiffs seeking to challenge mandatory vaccination in NSW. Loading The biggest thing about this is no one will make money from this, Dr Borody told 2GBs Chris Smith in August 2020. So theres no big pharma behind it. I mean, one ivermectin tablet costs $2. Its the cheapest, fastest way  with fewest side effects  to end this pandemic. Smith: So you dont have the lobbyists for the pharmaceutical companies banging on the door of the federal health minister, for instance?

Thats probably why its not getting through. The Herald does not suggest Dr Borody does not genuinely believe in ivermectin as a treatment, but he does stand to profit from the drug. The drug by itself is off-patent and therefore unprofitable, but his company Topelia Australia owns the global patent rights to his triple therapy and is raising money to support clinical trials. A US-based trial found it had a 100 per cent survival rate among moderate to severe COVID-19 patients without hospitalisation and a rapid resolution of hypoxia. But the trial had 24 patients and Dr Sheldrick has pointed out that the patients in a synthetic control group were older and sicker than those who took ivermectin. Dr Borody said patents were necessary because nobody would fund the trials otherwise. He has applied for 196 patents since the 1980s, covering inventions in his specialty area of gut health and extending to treatments for autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and Parkinsons disease. His peptic ulcer cure, which is now widely used, was initially derided as well, he said, and more than 600 COVID-19 patients had benefited from his triple therapy. Essentially, this works. The results are yet to be published. The Big Pharma conspiracy

The claim that Big Pharma has a vested interest in preventing ivermectin from being adopted as a COVID-19 treatment is a common thread among those who promote the drug. There is little argument pharmaceutical companies have no commercial incentive to repurpose off-patent drugs. The regulatory process is expensive because authorities require high-quality evidence that medicines are safe and effective. Glenn Begley, an international biotechnology consultant, said the regulatory process was an essential element of bringing new medicines to market, but academic research was not subjected to the same rigour. Besides, academics had a vested interest too. Dr Glenn Begley, left, with John Brumby, the chairman of the translational research group BioCurate. Credit:Photo: Peter Casamento In 2012, Dr Begley reviewed all the oncology drugs his company Amgen had investigated over the preceding 10 years and found 90 per cent of the projects it had pursued based on studies published in major journals were later terminated. This was because the original researchers were unable to replicate their results when Amgen asked them to repeat the experiments blind. None of those papers had been retracted, he said. The real purpose for academics is to get their paper published, Dr Begley said. Youve just got to get published to get the next research grant.
So, will we all get COVID eventually? The short answer is probably yes, according to infectious diseases physician Professor Peter Collignon. But this could take years. The virus will not infect everyone at the same time, and those who are unvaccinated will have a much higher risk of being infected. Experts predict Australia will face a pandemic of the unvaccinated in coming months. In Australia, where a large percentage of adults are vaccinated, Professor Collignon suggests 10 to 15 per cent of people could be infected in the first year, or even far fewer, depending on what restrictions remain in place. There are many uncertainties around this and the answer is we just dont know yet, he said. But what we do know is almost every vaccinated infection will be very mild infections. Some will be completely asymptomatic and wont even know they have it. If Im vaccinated, what will it feel like to have coronavirus?

Many will have an asymptomatic infection or not be infected at all. But for others it could be a mild illness, much like the common cold, that lingers for a few days. You might have a mild fever for a day or two and feel a bit under the weather, Professor Collingon says. But even if you are mildly ill, youre far less likely to pass it on to other people if you are vaccinated. Its possible, but rare, for people to become quite unwell from the virus if they have been vaccinated. The good news is that youre far less likely to end up in hospital and even more unlikely to die, Professor Collingon says. Infections diseases expert Robert Booy predicts coronavirus will eventually become endemic, much like the flu, predicting there will be annual outbreaks of the disease, infecting about 10 to 20 per cent of the population.

It will become like influenza where every five to 10 years youre likely to get an episode, Professor Booy says. As a person ages, their risk of death from COVID-19 increases exponentially, from one in 50,000 at age 20 to one in 1500 at age 40; one in 130 at age 60; and one in 12 at age 80. Several underlying conditions also increase the risk of death. Many of these conditions are relatively common. Consider obesity: it more than doubles the risk of hospitalisation and increases the chance of death by 48 per cent, according to a meta-analysis published in Obesity Reviews in November. About one in three Australians are obese. Im vaccinated. How else can I protect myself against COVID? Vaccination is the most important thing we can do to protect ourselves. But there are other easy actions we can take, like washing hands regularly and using face masks, particularly in high-risk indoor settings like shopping centres and public transport.

Keeping socially distanced, where possible, is also important. Crowded venues pose a higher risk, as do indoor gatherings. How worried should I be about catching COVID-19 from a surface? What if my child licks a piece of playground equipment, for example? At the start of the pandemic, there was tremendous anxiety about the surface spread of COVID-19, to the point some started washing their groceries. As more evidence has come in, those fears have largely abated. While the virus can survive on surfaces, surface spread appears to be extremely rare. Indeed, the World Health Organisation now admits there are no specific reports which have directly demonstrated surface transmission.

Going back 18 months, we expected surfaces to play a major role in transmission. Thats common for infections through droplets, says Associate Professor Philip Russo, president of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control. But now were aware aerosols are the major risk for transmission, and surfaces dont appear to be playing a major role. Should we try to keep under 12s isolated until there is a vaccine for young children? Pediatrician Professor Robert Booy says it is not necessary to keep children under 12 isolated until they have been vaccinated. Although children can be infected, he says coronavirus remains a very mild disease for them. If they contract COVID they will get it like cold or no symptoms at all, he said. For every 10,000 children who were infected with the disease in the United States, one child died. But Professor Booy says the vast majority of those children had an underlying serious medical condition that contributed to their death. This compares to a death rate of one in 10 unvaccinated people aged over 75.

An analysis of coronavirus cases in schools and early learning centres by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute released this week found the Delta variant spread mostly from adult to adult, less frequently from adult to child and was only rarely transmitted between children. Is COVID like chicken pox? Is it better to get it while you are young? It is unhelpful to compare coronavirus with chicken pox as they are different kinds of viruses. Chicken pox is a DNA virus, which mutates minimally. Spread of this virus is stable in Australia and has been for years; there is also a vaccine that offers lasting protection for decades. Meanwhile, coronavirus is an RNA virus that, much like influenza, frequently mutates and will likely require an annual vaccine booster, much like the flu jab. You really cant make comparisons between the two because coronavirus will be a different virus next year, Professor Booy says.

You dont want to get coronavirus at all. But the one benefit is that if you do get it when youre young it will be pretty mild. He said the combination of being vaccinated and getting infected gave people stronger and longer-lasting immunity, regardless of their age. Masks will be a common sight in Victoria for sometime to come. Credit:Getty Images Do we still need to wear masks? As Melbourne emerges from lockdown, a fundamental question remains: can we get rid of these wretched masks?

Not any time soon. According to experts, masks should remain in high-risk settings, such as poorly ventilated rooms, public transport and other places where people gather close to each other, as well as healthcare settings and schools. Lockdown is over but COVID still exists, and we can still be infected even if we are vaccinated, says Professor Lidia Morawska, the director of International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to wear a mask where the likelihood of being infected is high. Under the governments latest guidelines, anyone 12 years and over must wear a fitted face mask whenever they leave their home, unless a lawful exception applies, or if you happen to be exerting yourself, for instance running or cycling. Theres a growing school of thought that we ought to embrace a culture where face masks are worn by people with cold and flu symptoms to mitigate the spread of viruses in the future. Such is the case in many Asian countries where mask-wearing is regarded as a socially responsible thing to do. By contrast, until COVID-19 hit, it was often viewed with cynicism in the West.

Youd look at people wearing a mask and think: what are you afraid of? But now we all know how effective they are, says Professor Nathan Grills, a health and diseases expert from the University of Melbourne. The flu has killed many more people than COVID over the past 10 years, and one of the reasons we havent seen that this year is the strict wearing of masks. So, I think it would be premature to drop mask requirements in all settings because they have played an important role. Loading Which masks provide the best protection? One recent study conducted by Duke University in North Carolina found that bandanas, neck fleeces and scarves  used by some in the early days of the pandemic  are almost useless at stopping the spread of the virus.

Surgical masks  the flimsy disposal ones that are readily available  are far more effective because they are made of non-woven fabric and therefore create a barrier that blocks droplets and aerosols that may contain the virus that causes COVID-19. Theyre also meant to filter out large particles in the air when the wearer breathes in. The gold standard, however, is the N95 mask used in most healthcare settings, which is a type of respirator. It filters out both large and small particles when the wearer inhales. Professor Lidia Morawska from the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health says, whatever type of mask is used, the most important thing is to ensure it is worn properly. Theres never zero risk because were breathing, so the issue is whether the mask is tightly sealed. If the fit is not right, air goes between the mask and the face, and is inhaled or exhaled. Should children wear masks?

Research shows that for the vast majority of children, COVID remains asymptomatic or a mild illness, and the majority of kids will not get sick enough to end up in hospital. Masks have the potential to reduce the likelihood of this even further. However, when Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton ruled earlier this month that children in years three to six would be required to wear a mask while at school, and that masks for prep to year two students would be strongly recommended, not everyone was impressed. Masks are compulsory at school for students from grade three up, and advised for the younger year levels. Credit:iStock Many warned that mask mandates on children would be difficult to enforce, and in some cases, kids simply wouldnt adapt. The University of Melbournes Professor Grills argues the mental health and socialisation of children have already been affected by months of lockdown  therefore, any mask rules for children should be nuanced, temporary and measured.
Inmates at a south-east Queensland prison armed themselves with shards of glass, broken chair legs and squash racquets in a riot last year against COVID-19 restrictions.

They also smeared peanut butter on CCTV cameras to obscure the view and, as part of the $32,000 damage they caused, used whiteboard markers to graffiti walls.

Yager D-Vos Kururangi. Credit:Facebook

Yager D-Vos Kururangi, 21, and Joseph Carmine Renella, 24, were sentenced in the Brisbane District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to one count of rioting.

The court heard 14 inmates were involved in the riot at Woodford Correctional Centre, north of Brisbane, with some already sentenced over the incident and others still to be dealt with by the courts.
Gold Coast residents have been urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible, with the city still lagging behind the overall state vaccination levels despite being on the literal frontline of the fight against COVID-19.

After it was revealed a man in his 30s had been infectious in the community for the past 10 days, Queensland authorities were urging residents in the region to get their first vaccine dose if they had not already had one.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the man, an Uber driver, was so unwell contract tracers were unable to gather information about his movements.

In response to the first community case in Queensland in more than two weeks, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged people in the city to get tested if they had any symptoms.
Scott Deveril gets out on the water in Merimbula Bay a few mornings a week. On a nice, clear morning, you can be out there with the dolphins and see the whales in the distance, he said.

Theres no better way to be.

Merimbula business owner Scott Deveril, who runs a fishing charter and kayak hire service for tourists. Credit:James Brickwood

Its that sense of solitude that has made the far South Coast of NSW such a magnet for visitors from Sydney and Victoria. However, with few visitors to speak of, the solitude has taken over.

There were times when the stay-at-home orders were on, and youd drive down the street, and it looked like a scene out of the wild west  just bare bones, Mr Deveril says.
Suddenly everybodys talking about immigration. As Australia opens up and emerges from almost two years of global isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg warns our record low population growth  due to closed borders  will act as a handbrake on the economy in coming decades. The Australian Chamber of Commerce is calling for a big injection of skilled migrants. And Premier Dominic Perrottet wants a big NSW. Bring back the migrants, reignite the economy!

Well, good luck with that, Australia.

An empty Sydney Airport during lockdown this year. Credit: James Brickwood

Already there is evidence that people overseas looking to migrate are considering countries such as Canada and the United States over Australia. The US, Canada and Britain were already in stiff competition with Australia to attract the best and brightest, but this competition is only set to increase.

I fear the damage done during COVID through the lack of goodwill shown to temporary migrants, a critical source of skills in the Australian workforce, will undermine any renewed efforts to welcome much-needed people from overseas. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told non-citizens living in Australia to go home and the government denied financial assistance to temporary migrants, forcing many to rely on donations.
A secretive parliamentary committee with the power to recommend punishment for MPs is considering Christian Porters use of a blind trust to pay for part of his legal fees, along with the broader issue of anonymous donations sourced via crowdfunding.

Several backbench Liberal MPs are uncomfortable about having to continue to defend Mr Porter, while former Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy QC warns questions about perceived conflicts of interest will remain as long as the donors stay secret.

A parliamentary committee is looking at the issues around Christian Porters use of a blind trust to pay legal fees. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Its gaming the system. If its technically legal, that doesnt make it right, said one Coalition MP, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Several government MPs told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age they were upset about setting a precedent allowing donors to the trust to remain secret, with Leader of the House Peter Dutton moving to reassure them that the issue will be looked at.
Fewer than half of the Moderna doses sent to pharmacies around the country have been used, with tens of thousands of doses redirected to state clinics for use before they expire within weeks.

Pharmacies, which campaigned for months to be part of the vaccine rollout, administered just over 30,679 doses of Moderna and AstraZeneca on Wednesday, and over the seven-day period to Wednesday averaged 7.2 doses per day.

Less than half of Australias available Moderna doses have been used. Credit:AP

Dubbo pharmacist Sally Sheehan said the rollout of Moderna has been slower than I would have expected.

At the start of the outbreak everyone wanted Pfizer. Its hard to know if the Moderna uptake has been slow because the number of people vaccinated is so high now and the general public doesnt realise Moderna is an mRNA vaccine. There needs to be better education, she said.
A NSW bureaucrat has told a corruption inquiry that then-premier Gladys Berejiklian appeared to have a personal interest in securing a controversial grant for a gun club in Wagga Wagga in early 2017.

Chris Hanger, then a director of funding and infrastructure in the Department of Industry, on Thursday said he understood the $5.5 million grant was a priority project for Ms Berejiklian.

At the time Ms Berejiklian had been newly anointed premier of NSW and was in a secret relationship with the now-disgraced former member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire, who had lobbied heavily for the funding.

Chris Hanger, who is now deputy secretary in the Department of Regional NSW. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Mr Hanger said he was asked by an adviser to then-deputy premier John Barilaro to review an unsatisfactory business case for an upgrade to the Australian Clay Target Association, but understood it was a request from Ms Berejiklian herself.
Fraud squad detectives will be forced to make public the votes enclosed in dozens of suspicious ballots from last years council elections, in a decision that could result in thousands of people returning to the polls in Melbournes northern suburbs.

Labor councillor Milad El-Halabi, who has hired prominent barrister Robert Richter QC, is expected to be charged on summons for allegedly tampering with the election in the north-west ward of Moreland City Council  which covers Pascoe Vale, Glenroy and Hadfield.

Milad El-Halabi. Credit:Facebook

An unusual number of people in the October 2020 postal vote complained they did not receive a ballot pack, prompting concerns they could have been stolen from mailboxes and fraudulently filled in.

The Victorian Electoral Commission was required by law to declare the election, and four councillors  independents Oscar Yildiz and Helen Davidson, Greens candidate Angelica Panopoulos and Labors Cr El-Halabi  took seats at Moreland town hall.
Foodpanda, Asias largest food and grocery delivery platform, said it had formed a long-term, multi-market partnership with Rebel Foods to enable restaurant partners and cloud kitchen operators to grow additional revenue streams, at little or no start-up costs. Rebel Foods is the worlds largest internet restaurant company headquartered in India. The new digital-first F&B (food and beverage) format sees and Rebel Foods joining forces for the benefit of local and small players in the F&B industry.

Through this partnership  for an initial five years  both will aim to launch more than 10 virtual brands in over 2,000 outlets across the region. This makes it the largest virtual brand partnership in Asia, and the first of its kind in the region at this scale.

This foodpanda-Rebel Foods partnership introduces a new digital-first F&B format to Asia. is always seeking new, innovative ways to change the way F&B businesses operate in a hyper-digitalised economy  we want to push our ecosystem further into the future, said Pedram Assadi, COO, Most importantly, these virtual brands will give our restaurant partners, especially SMEs, new opportunities to earn additional revenue.

As part of the partnership, Rebel Foods brings their culinary expertise, SOPs (standard operating procedure) and ready-to-deploy brands that are easily customisable for local preferences in any region. Meanwhile, foodpanda enables hundreds of thousands of restaurant partners and cloud kitchen operators to plug-and-play virtual brands into their current operations to grow additional revenue streams, at little to no start-up costs. Smaller SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and restaurant partners on the foodpanda platform can adopt new recipes and utilise their spare capacity to grow additional revenue streams while creating diversity in their menu offerings.

Over the years, we have built some category-leading brands in its current markets and a full-stack operating system which integrates culinary expertise, efficient SOPs and technological innovations together, said Kallol Banerjee, co-founder, Rebel Foods. We are glad to partner with foodpanda and scale our iconic brands with localized offerings across their network in Asia.

This month Rebel Foods became Indias 31st unicorn. The firm raised $175 million in a Series F round led by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar with participation from existing investors Coatue and Evolvence. This round catapults the company to a unicorn status with a valuation of $1.4 billion, up from about $800 million last year.



Also read: Indian food services market to hit $13 billion in GMV by 2025

In the first phase of the partnership with foodpanda, which began in December 2019, Rebel Foods introduced four brands across six markets  Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines through the foodpanda network. Orders for Rebel Foods brands on the foodpanda app on average grew 40 per cent month-on-month in the past six months, with more than 200 outlets across the six markets signed up to add virtual brands to their existing food and beverage (F&B) offerings.

A virtual brand is an online-only food concept where a brand exists digitally, with no dine-in presence. It offers food that is available for delivery or pick-up from the outlet. Virtual brands can operate from the kitchen of an existing restaurant or through traditional cloud kitchens.

Through this partnership, customers across Asia can get food options from virtual brands such as Faasos, Behrouz Biryani and Lunchbox that provide local food. There is also Honest Bowl, a newly jointly-developed localised offering by foodpanda and Rebel Foods.

Globally, the online market is worth more than $35 billion annually, according to the ASEAN Post. In its H1 2021 Trading Update, foodpandas parent company Delivery Hero reported that orders in Asia doubled year-on-year, as GMV (gross merchandise value) for the region grew 175 per cent, surpassing the EUR 10 billion mark. Foodpanda alone reported more than 70 million orders completed each month  sure signs that will continue to grow.

Beyond activating virtual brands, foodpanda restaurant partners are also able to tap into a variety of digital growth tools to attract new customers, boost exposure and visibility on the app to drive sales and reward loyal customers. This includes new merchant-growth features like pandabox, pandaclicks and pandapicks  restaurant partners can take control of their business growth by easily activating these growth tools via foodpandas self-service platform on the merchant app.
American retail giant has moved the Supreme Court, appealing against a National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) order that had allowed the Future Groups listed to hold shareholders' and creditors' meetings to clear its proposed transaction with Ventures.

In its application, has urged the to pass an order to set aside the September 28 order of the NCLT, Mumbai Bench, pending disposal of the case by the top court.

On September 28, the NCLT Mumbai Bench had allowed firms to hold extraordinary general meetings (EGMs) of their shareholders and creditors to seek approval for selling assets to Following the order, has scheduled its shareholders/creditors meetings from November 10 onwards.

On October 18, the NCLT had also allowed Ventures to hold its creditors and shareholders meeting to acquire Future Groups businesses.

Both Reliance and had announced in August last year that Reliance Retail Ventures would acquire the entire retail, wholesale, logistics, and warehousing businesses from Future as a going concern for Rs 24,713 crore. But the transaction was delayed due to litigation by

Amazon, which holds 50 per cent in a holding company of Future Retail, moved an arbitration court in Singapore, saying the deal would convert into a shell company while the businesses would be hived off and sold to its arch rival Reliance Retail. The matter is currently pending in the and at the Singapore arbitration centre.

While both Amazon and Future were litigating, the financial metrics of Future Group have deteriorated. All Future Group have reported massive losses, a fall in sales, and a substantial rise in debt in FY21 as compared to the previous financial year.
E-commerce firm said that it is setting up a digital learning academy to upskill thousands of students every year. The Supply Chain Operations Academy (SCOA) is Flipkarts ambitious project and commitment to providing relevant industry training and knowledge to help create a pool of skilled supply chain operations talent in the country. This will further help bridge the skill gap and create employment opportunities in the expanding supply chain industry in the country.

The specialised and robust training program under SCOA has been designed and created by the team to provide a holistic experience and training to candidates, which will involve 15 days of digital classroom training and 45 days of on-the-job apprenticeship at supply chain facilities. The program has been designed to impart knowledge on various facets of the e-commerce supply chain, the roles within the supply chain, soft skills, safety and compliance know-how. It involves a 60-day skilling program that will empower the youth to build careers in various aspects of supply chain management and certify them to increase their employability.

India can unlock its potential through large-scale skilling and upskilling initiatives to reap the benefits of its demographic dividend, said Hemant Badri, senior-vice-president and head of supply chain at Flipkart. Having created one of the most tech-enabled modern supply chains in the country, there is an urgent need to bridge the skill gaps in the industry and Flipkart aims to solve this challenge through the Supply Chain Operations Academy. This academy will offer a judicious mix of online and on-the-job training for the wholesome development of the workforce.



Also read: Flipkart Wholesale, Rupifi partner to offer 'Buy Now, Pay Later'

The students will be imparted skills through Flipkarts Learning Management System. It is an online platform for learning programs, where students can learn a diverse set of skills through courses developed by leading industry experts.

As per a recent BCG and Dell Foundation study, the gig economy has the estimated potential to service up to 90 million jobs in Indias non-farm sector and contribute an incremental 1.25 per cent to the countrys GDP over the long term. This would require large-scale skilling and upskilling initiatives, particularly in the e-commerce logistics space, to build a pipeline of talented individuals skilled in various aspects of supply chain management, and Flipkarts Supply Chain Operations Academy is aimed at achieving the same.

For the first phase of the program that begins on October 22, Flipkart has onboarded students from Haryana, Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal. They will undergo the training followed by on-the-job training. During this program shortlisted students will get an opportunity to work along with full-time supply chain employees at facilities across the country.

Over the years, Flipkart has trained thousands of its supply chain employees across the country in partnership with various government bodies, which has helped them upskill themselves and grow in their careers.
Private lender IDBI Banks net profit rose by posted 75 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 567 crore in the second quarter ended September 2021 (Q2Fy22), on uptick in the net interest income (NII) and dip in provisions.

Mumbai-based bank, which is on block for strategic sale by government, had posted net profit of Rs 324 crore for Q2 Fy 21.

Its NII rose by nine per cent in reporting quarter at Rs 1,854 crore for Q2 FY 2022. The Net Interest Margin (NIM) improved by 32 basis points at 3.02 per cent on Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) basis for Q2 FY 2022.

Its stock was down by 2.03 per cent to Rs 55.6 per share.

Its provisions declined by 12 per cent to Rs 642 crore in Q2Fy22 from Rs 730 crore in Q2Fy21. The provision Coverage Ratio (including Technical Write-Offs) improved to 97.27 per cent in September 2021 from 95.96 per cent in September 2020.





Gross Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) ratio improved to 20.92 per cent in September 30, 2021 as against 25.08% as on September 30, 2020. Bank has treated exposure to SREI group entities as NOA in Q2 and made provisions.

Its Net NPA ratio improved to 1.62 per cent in September 2021 from 2.67 per cent a year ago.

Its Gross Advances were flat at Rs 1,64,506 crore in September 2021 as against Rs 1,63,841 crore in September 2020. Rakesh Sharma, its managing director and chief executive, said with economic upturn, the credit is expected to grow at 8-10 per cent in the current financial year (Fy22).

Its deposits fell by 0.26 per cent Rs 2,23,323 crore from Rs 2,23,915 crore in September 2020. The share of low cost money  Current account and Savings account (CASA)  in total deposits improved to 54.64 per cent in September from 48.33 per cent a year ago.

Its Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) rose to 16.59 per cent in September 2021 from 13.67 per cent a year ago.
Refineries of Corporation (IOCL) are running at nearly 90 per cent capacity according to company chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya. Speaking to reporters at the side lines of India Energy Forum by CERAWeek, Vaidya said that the refineries will soon be operating at 100 per cent capacity as demand for most fuels cross or reach pre-pandemic levels.

The only laggard is Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) which is lower because international flights have not been operating at full capacity, Vaidya said.

He noted that under a business-as-usual scenario, around 30 per cent of IndianOils ATF sales are to these international flights.

IndianOil is the countrys largest fuel refiner and retailer, commanding close to a third of Indias 5 million barrels per day crude oil refining capacity.

Also speaking at the side lines, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) chief M K Surana told journalists that, at a group level, his refineries are running at full capacity while petrol demand at better than pre-pandemic levels.



Also read: Indian Oil in talks with state transport undertakings for hydrogen projects
Sajjan Jindal-led today reported highest ever consolidated net profit of Rs 7,179 crore in the quarter ending September 30, 2021, up 350 percent from same period last year on increased revenue.

The company also reported highest ever quarterly revenue from operations at Rs 32,503 crore and highest ever quarterly operating EBITDA of Rs 10,417 crore.

Net sales of the company stood at Rs 31,909 crore in the September quarter, up 71 percent from corresponding period last year and up 12 percent from preceding quarter.

According to Bloomberg estimates, the companys net sales in September quarter were expected to be at Rs 32,108 crore, while the net profit was seen at Rs 5,744 crore.

Saleable steel sales for the quarter stood at 3.83 million tonne (Indian operations excluding JVs), an increase of 10 percent sequentially. The company enhanced exports by 22 percent sequentially to partially offset the fall in domestic demand due to seasonality, said the company release.

The company registered strong Value-added & Special Products (VASP) volume, with share of VASP at 60 percent as against 61 percent in Q1 FY2022 and 51 percent in Q2 FY2021, driven by increased domestic sales to automotive, solar and appliance segments, it said.

VASP volumes were also boosted by robust export demand for coated products.

During the quarter, the performance of Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd. (BPSL) improved significantly, driven by an increase in sales volumes. The share of profit from JVs for the quarter stood at Rs 603 crores, an increase of 86 percent quarter-on-quarter from Rs 323 crore in Q1 FY22.

With regard to stake in BPSL, the company said it exercised the conversion option of its Optional Fully Convertible Debenture (OFCD) held in Piombino Steel Limited, the SPV holding 100 percent of the shares of BPSL. Due to this conversion of the OFCDs into equity, now holds a controlling stake of 83.28 percent in BPSL through the SPV, effective from 1st October 2021.

The company reported highest ever quarterly operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and ammortisation (EBITDA) at Rs 10,417 crore in September quarter with net debt to equity going to 0.92x as against 1.04x at the end of Q1 FY2022 and net debt to EBITDA at 1.58x as against 1.89x at the end of Q1 FY2022, said

During the quarter, the company spent Rs 3,639 crores on capex, as against a total planned capex spend of Rs 18,240 crore for FY2022.

Alongside, the company commenced integrated operations of the Dolvi's five million tonne brownfield expansion on October 19 2021.

The five million tonne brownfield expansion at Vijayanagar is progressing well, with civil works underway at the site, said JSW Steel. Also, the downstream expansion projects at Vijayanagar, Vasind and Tarapur are in advanced stages of implementation.
About 35 per cent of internet users looking for a laptop, searched for a piece by a specific brand, instead of putting in a generic query. And within this space, topped the charts, being the most searched brand in both Mumbai and Delhi, and with the highest number of searches at an all-India level. The second spot went to Lenovo in the two major metros, and to Dell at the pan-India level.

Along with this, AMD Ryzen processors are becoming more common in searches, and small-screen laptops, particularly 13-inch models, are becoming more popular in metro cities, while the overall Indian market still searches for the larger 14-inch-plus screen sizes.

These were some of the findings in a survey by Sciative, a deep-tech enterprise that uses AI-powered automated price-optimisation solutions. The firm captures search data and draws insights about consumers, brands, industries, companies, and culture, to strengthen pricing algorithms.

In the air-conditioner space, Mumbaikars looked more for 1-ton ACs, while searches in Delhi and the rest of India were focused on 1.5-ton ACs. Two-ton ACs grabbed third spot across all three geographical groups. In a sign that suggests that the Indian consumer is getting more energy conscious, searches for 5-star rated ACs--the most energy-efficient variety--crossed 70 per cent in all three domains--Mumbai, Delhi and all-India. As far as brands are concerned, grabbed pole position all across, while it was a tussle between Voltas and Daikin for second place.

According to the research by Sciative, electronics is one the top searched and compared categories on the internet, and has emerged as the leading e-commerce category recently, with the highest GMV share of total e-commerce sales. Categories considered for the analysis include laptops, television sets, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, dishwashers, mobile accessories, speakers and headphones. The report, created after analysing data of online searches across India for 2020-21, helps understand buyer behaviour in online searches in Delhi, Mumbai and at an all-India level.

The company claims in a press release that the consumer preferences thrown up in the report could help manufacturers and dealer in inventory planning, particularly during the upcoming festive season.

"Consumers' considerations in each category can help brands determine an effective pricing and discounting strategy during the festive sale period, allowing them to maximise revenue," the release quoted Vijeta Soni, Co-Founder & CEO of Sciative, as saying.

In terms of televisions, brand preference is consistent across India, with Samsung, LG, and Sony ranking higher in

online searches. In the more price-sensitive markets models like MI, BPL and TCL and Realme are also searched sometimes. Model number searches are uncommon, and consumers are more interested in brands and other key features".

Surprisingly, Mumbai visitors have higher preference for Smart TVs than others--16 per cent compared to 12 per cent in Delhi. While over 50 per cent of the searches in Delhi happen for 32-inch screen size, only 44 per cent of Mumbaikars searched for it. Thirty two per cent of the Mumbai population focuses ots searches on 43-inch or higher while 25 per cent of the Delhi and 27 per cent of the rest of the India population searched for larger screen sizes.

Brand is a top search criterion for refrigerators as well, according to the report. Consumers in metros and non-metros have nearly identical preferences for star ratings, with a strong liking for 5- and 4-Star fridges in online searches.

In washing machines, brand and capacity proved to be important online search factors. In the dishwasher category, there is consistency in brand searches as visitors had a higher preference for Bosch and IFB. In India, 56.9 per cent of consumers look for popular brands when purchasing mobile accessories such as cases, chargers, covers, and adapters. Premium brands like JBL, Bose, and Sony are at the top of search volumes for speakers. Mivi and Noise, two new popular headphones brands, are on the lookout.

Anshu Jalora, Founder and MD of Sciative, was quoted in the release, saying, "Consumers' online shopping habits for electronic gadgets reveal some fascinating trends in terms of the factors they consider before making a purchase. Brands and retailers can use this information to plan their inventories and marketing strategies."
Ltds net profit declined by 68.7 per cent to Rs 247.86 crore in the second quarter ended September 2021 (Q2Fy22) on fall in interest income and sharp rise in expenses for impairments.

It had posted a net profit of Rs 790.9 crore in Q2Fy21.

Its net interest income (NII) for the reporting quarter fell by 5.25 per cent to Rs 1,173 crore from Rs 1,238 crore in the second quarter of last year (Q2Fy21). The net interest margin moderated from 2.34 per cent in Q2Fy21 to 2.0 per cent in Q2Fy22.

The expenses for impairment on financial instruments jumped to Rs 625.34 crore in Q2Fy22 from Rs 103.02 crore a year ago.

The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to 5.14 per cent in September 2021 from 2.79 per cent a year ago, according to an investor presentation.

Its stock closed 1.1 per cent higher at Rs 440.35 per share on BSE.

The total loan portfolio expanded by 11 per cent to Rs 2,37,660 crore in September 2021 as against Rs 2,13,349 crore a year ago. Out of which, individual Home Loans grew at 15 per cent from Rs 1,63,218 crore in Q2Fy21 to Rs1,88,348 crore in Q2Fy22.

The disbursements in Q2Fy22 were up 29 per cent at Rs 16,110 crore from Rs 12,443 crore in the same quarter last year.

There has been significant improvement in business in Q2 FY22 compared to the corresponding previous quarter with gradual lifting of restrictions post the second wave, HFC said in a statement.
Telecom gear maker India has renewed its lease agreement for 5.11 lakh square feet office space at Embassy Office Parks REIT's business park in

said in a statement that it has "completed a lease renewal in Embassy Manyata at with Solutions and Networks India Pvt Ltd ( India),



Indian subsidiary of the Finland based telecom giant Nokia."



Embassy Manyata, which is spread over 121 acres, is one of the largest business parks in India with an operational area of around 12 million square feet.

Vikaash Khdloya, Deputy CEO and COO of Embassy REIT, said, "We are delighted to extend our decade long relationship with Nokia and are grateful for the strengthened partnership. This deal underscores Embassy REIT's position as the landlord of choice for top Indian and multinational corporates."



is India's first publicly listed Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).

It owns and operates a 42.4 million square feet portfolio of eight infrastructure-like office parks and four city-centre office buildings in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, and the National Capital Region (NCR).

(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.)
Covid-19 has emerged as a top hiring trend during the pandemic in India, with 82 per cent of the workforce and agreeing to make it mandatory in the workplace, according to a survey by job site Indeed.

Around two-thirds or 70 per cent of surveyed would either not allow employees, who refuse to get vaccinated to step into the workplace or ask them to quit the organisation. It also showed that 94 per cent and 87 per cent employees want people coming in to work to be vaccinated with at least a single dose.

Some businesses are either making it mandatory or heavily encouraging among their new hires. But the common trend among employees and employers is that a majority of both are in favour of hybrid work models as compared with either going to work every day or working from home every day, said Sashi Kumar, head of sales, Indeed. Fifty-two per cent employers and 61 per cent employees are in favour of hybrid work models.

There was also concurrence on transparency, when it comes to Nearly half of all employees leave vaccine transparency in the hands of their employers.

While 87 per cent of all employees believe entry to the workplace should be for people who are vaccinated at least once, 43 per cent believe that people coming to offices need not carry vaccination certificates, and 41 per cent think they need not know the vaccination status of other employees. This is probably because they are aware that their employer may not allow employees who arent vaccinated to enter the workplace.

According to Indeed, the strong support for vaccination indicates a desire to leave behind a pandemic that has taken an economic, physical and emotional toll on employees. More than half of all workers (59 per cent) surveyed said they had been somewhat or greatly affected by the pandemic.

Meanwhile, a vast majority of employees (91 per cent) want their employers to incentivise them to get vaccinated. However, half of all employers (51 per cent) do not wish to sweeten the deal and incentivise employees for getting vaccinated.
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
Ltd said on Thursday that a required majority of its shareholders have passed the resolution to appoint Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan as an independent director to the conglomerate's board.

A little over 98% of the total votes polled on the resolution were in favour of Al-Rumayyan's addition, Reliance said in a statement. The announcement comes a day ahead of RIL's Q2 results. Al-Rumayyan has been the governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia since 2015.

In September, Ltd said Yasir Al-Rumayyan met all regulatory criteria for his appointment as an independent director.

The California State Teachers' Retirement Fund (CalSTRS, a shareholder of the Indian conglomerate, had decided to vote against the move based on US proxy advisory research firm Glass Lewis' recommendation, Business Standard had reported.

The voting to confirm Al-Rumayyan's appointment for a period of three years ended on October 19.

RIL had said last month that the appointment will "help strengthen the Board's diversity and skill-sets and benefit Reliance through the transition from oil to chemicals and the aim to achieve Net Carbon Zero by 2035".

"H.E. Yasir Al Rummayyan is an accomplished global business leader. H.E. is the Non-Executive Chairman of (SA). H. E. 's experience encompasses over 25 years working in some of Saudi Arabia's prominent financial institutions, including as the Governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. His experience encompasses international business and governance experience, expertise in finance, global energy industry and insights on emerging technology-led business models. This will help strengthen the Board's diversity and skill-sets and benefit Reliance through the transition from oil to chemicals and the aim to achieve Net Carbon Zero by 2035," said Reliance in a statement.

Rumayyan's appointment has no connection with the contemplated transaction with Saudi Aramco, Reliance had sought to clarify.

"The appointment of H. E. Yasir Al Rumayyan has no connection with the contemplated transaction with Further, as approved by the shareholders, the O2C business of RIL is being spun off to a subsidiary and as per the terms of the proposed transaction, Saudi Aramco will participate in the equity of the O2C subsidiary. The O2C Subsidiary Board may have nominees of Saudi Aramco to protect its interest... RIL has been and shall continue to adhere to the best practices of corporate governance in all matters including appointment of independent directors," said RIL.

CalSTRS has decided to oppose the appointment of Yasir Al-Rumayyan due to his position in PIF, as its governor, as well as in Aramco.

PIF has already invested Rs 9,555 crore in Reliance Retail and Rs 11,367 crore in RILs Jio Platforms. Aramco and RIL have been in talks for another equity deal that involves 20 per cent of Reliances oil-to-chemical business.

An on June 30, 2020, CalSTRS held 5.3 million fully and partly paid shares of RIL, according to its website. CalSTRS is the Americas second largest public pension fund with assets totalling approximately $318.4 billion as of August 31, 2021.

CalSTRSs opposition is based on a report by Glass, Lewis & Co., an American proxy advisory services company, that claims to advise more than 1,300 clients. According to Glass, Lewis & Co, its clients include a majority of the worlds largest pension plans, mutual funds and asset managers, who collectively manage more than $40 trillion in assets.

Speaking at the 44th annual general meeting (AGM) of RIL, Ambani said Al-Rumayyan joining our board is also the beginning of internationalisation of Reliance. You will hear more about our international plans in the times to come.

According to Glass, Lewis & Co., since Al-Rumayyan has a key role in the operations of Aramco and PIF, he does not qualify to be an independent director. Under the Indian law, an independent director cannot have a role in any company that has a business or equity partnership with the company that intends to appoint him or her. As PIF has a stake in RILs subsidiaries and Aramco is looking to buy stake in Reliance OTC Ltd, Al-Rumayyans independence on the RIL board is under question.
The on Wednesday rejected the plea of the ex-director of seeking bail on medical grounds in the money laundering case against him saying that it is not a case of a medical emergency as such.

The top court said that the prayer for bail on medical grounds has been pursued unsuccessfully since September 2020.

The apex court in its July 23, 2019, verdict had cracked the whip on errant builders for breaching the trust reposed by home buyers and ordered the cancellation of the registration of the under real estate law RERA and ousted it from prime properties in the NCR by nixing the land leases.

Amrapali Group's ex-directors Anil Kumar Sharma, Shiv Priya, and Ajay Kumar are behind bars on the top court's order since 2019 and multiple cases have been lodged against them for allegedly diverting homebuyers money.

A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar rejected the plea of ex-director Shiv Priya filed against the Allahabad High Court order of August 4 rejecting his bail plea and said We decline to interfere in this special leave petition as it is not a case of a medical emergency as such.

The top court directed the Special Judge, PMLA, Lucknow to decide the pending regular bail application filed by the petitioner expeditiously and not later than one month from the date of receipt of the copy of this order.

It noted the assurance of the counsel for the petitioner that the accused will extend full cooperation for early disposal of the bail application before the Trial Court.

The bench directed the registry to forward the copy of the order to the concerned Trial Court through email forthwith for information and necessary action.

Besides the Enforcement Directorate, Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police and other investigating agencies are probing into the alleged irregularities committed by the top brass of erstwhile promoters of

Last year, the EOW of the Delhi police arrested the two ex-directors Anil Kumar Sharma and Shiv Priya in two fresh cases of cheating and criminal breach of trust.

On February 28, 2019, the top court had allowed Delhi police to arrest and interrogate Anil Sharma and two ex-directors of Amrapali Group on a complaint that homebuyers of their various housing projects were cheated and duped of their funds.

The top court, which is seized of several pleas of homebuyers seeking possession of around 42,000 flats booked in projects of the Amrapali group, had also ordered attachment of personal properties of the ex-directors -- Shiv Priya and Ajay Kumar.

On July 23, 2019, the top court had directed a probe by the Enforcement Directorate into alleged money laundering charges against ex-Amrapali top brass.

It had provided relief to over 42,000 home buyers of the Amrapali group by directing the state-run National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) to complete the stalled projects of the realtor.

The top court had then accepted the forensic audit reports of two court-appointed auditors--Ravi Bhatia and Pawan Kumar Aggarwal--and said their findings indicate prima facie violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and anti-money laundering laws.

(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.)
Security forces on Wednesday eliminated four militants, including two commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), who were involved in the killing of migrant labourers in Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

While two ultras were killed in the encounter at Dragad in Shopian, two others were eliminated in a gunbattle in Kulgam district, a police official said, adding so far 15 terrorists have been killed in two weeks.

One soldier lost his life while two others sustained injuries in the Shopian operation.

"Police and Army #neutralised LeT district commander (Gulzar Ahmad Reshi) of Kulgam and one other, who were involved in #killings of two poor labourers from Bihar on 17/10/21 at Wanpoh," IGP Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar said in a tweet.

According to a defence spokesman, a joint operation was launched on Wednesday evening after information was received about the movement of two terrorists along the road Ashmuji-Devsar in Kulgam district



"The area was cordoned off and contact established at about 07.40 PM. Repeated surrender appeals were turned down by terrorists," the spokesman said.

He said the ultras opened fire, forcing the security forces to retaliate.

"In the ensuing firefight, two terrorists have been neutralised. An AK rifle and other warlike stores have been recovered," he added.

Earlier in the day, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Dragad area of Shopian district following information about the presence of militants there, the officials said.

They said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire on the security forces who retaliated.

The officials said two ultras of The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Toiba, were killed.

Three security force personnel also sustained injuries in the operation. One of the injured soldiers later succumbed to injuries at a hospital here, the officials said.

One of the slain ultras was been identified as Adil Wani, who had joined the militant ranks in July 2020.

"One of the killed #terrorists has been #identified as Adil Ah Wani, active since 7/2020... So far, 15 terrorists have been #neutralised in 2 weeks," IGP Kumar said in another tweet.

He said Wani was involved in the killing of Saghir Ahmad, a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur,



"Adil Wani was District Commander Shopian of proscribed #terror outfit LeT(TRF)," Kumar tweeted.

Meanwhile, security forces foiled a terror plot by arresting a man with a live hand grenade in Kishtwar district on Wednesday, officials said.

The arrested person has been identified as Sohail Ahmed Bhat of Bathri Gandoh village of Doda district. He is a suspected overground worker of the LeT, they said.

During a search of vehicles and passengers, the security personnel noticed suspicious movement of one person who was trying to evade checking and frisking, sources added.

However, alert jawans immediately overpowered him and a hand grenade was recovered from his possession, they 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.)
A study on the and intellectual disability among death row has shown that over 62 per cent had at least one mental illness, half of them contemplated suicide in jail and experienced adverse childhood and traumatic life experiences.

Project 39A, a criminal justice program at the National Law University Delhi, conducted a study on 88 death row prisoners, three female, and 85 male, and their families across Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh.

The findings of the study titled "Deathworthy: A Perspective of the Death Penalty" presented empirical data on and intellectual disability among death row in India and the psychological consequences of living on death row.

The report which was released after five years of research also established correlations between conditions of incarceration and ill-health.

The report stated that it was found that an "overwhelming" majority of death row interviewed -- 62.2 per cent, had a and 11 per cent had an intellectual disability.

This proportion is overwhelmingly higher than the proportion in the community population, it said.

51 death row prisoners (62.2 per cent) were diagnosed with at least one mental illness. 35.3 per cent were diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MMD), 22.6 per cent were diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder and 6.8 per cent screened positive for psychosis, the report said.

On Wednesday, speaking at a panel discussion organized to mark the release of the report, Justice S Muralidhar, Chief Justice of Orissa High Court, said that sentencing should be a socio-legal exercise and take into account a 360 degree understanding of the victim's perspective, the victim's family perspective, history and the wider impact of the society at large.

This report tries to show us that even the accused are, in a way, victims, he further said.

The study showed that 19 out of the 88 prisoners who were interviewed were ultimately acquitted and the sentence of 33 prisoners was commuted to various terms of life imprisonment.

13 out of the 19 prisoners who are now acquitted were diagnosed with at least one mental illness, three had attempted suicide in prison. Of the 30 prisoners diagnosed with depression, 17 are now no more on death row, Maitreyi Misra, the lead author of the study, stated in the report.

The report added, Of the 34 prisoners who had been at risk of suicide, 20 are not on death row anymore. Half of those who were actively contemplating suicide around the time of the interview is not on death row anymore.

Almost 9 out of 83 death row prisoners were diagnosed with intellectual disability. Over 75 percent of prisoners were found to have deficits in intellectual functioning.

While international law prohibits the imposition of the death sentence on persons with mental disabilities, in the case of these nine prisoners, their disability was not even brought to the attention of the courts, Misra added.

Besides this, 34 death row prisoners, over 50 per cent, out of the 63 prisoners who volunteered information on suicidal behaviour and ideation spoke about contemplating suicide at least once in prison.

According to the report, one man spent 14 years on death row in solitary confinement and reported having heard voices, seen a goddess, and even attempted to kill himself.

Eight prisoners had attempted suicide in prison, the study stated, adding that these numbers and proportions are alarmingly high when compared to the proportion of those at high risk of suicide among the general prison population and in the community.

The study also showed that the death row prisoners suffered from childhood abuse, neglect, and disturbed family environments.

Among the 88 prisoners interviewed, the cascading effect of poverty was clear. 46 prisoners were physically or verbally abused as children, 64 were neglected, and 73 prisoners grew up in disturbed family environments. 46 prisoners had less than 10 years of education, 28 had early onset of substance abuse. 73 prisoners had experienced three or more adverse experiences, the report finds.

Over 56 prisoners experienced three or more potentially traumatic experiences like natural disasters, physical abuse, accidents, the report said adding that prisoners who were diagnosed with a current episode of MDD reported experiencing more traumatic life events than those who were not diagnosed.

It further stated that death row prisoners are treated as a separate class of prisoners and, more often than not, the violence and alienation are directly linked to their belonging to this separate class -- the living dead.

It stated that the families of death row prisoners go through this punishment as well, who are assumed to be guilty by association and are left behind to face the wrath and collective condemnation of society.

Not knowing whether their loved one is going to live or die, families deal with this 'ambiguous loss' without being able to grieve openly because who, after all, would mourn the loss of a death row prisoner. Their 'disenfranchised grief' remains unexpressed and unvalidated, the report 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.)
The on Thursday staged a state-wide protest in over the alleged failure of the BJP-led government to check the rise of prices of fuel and other essential commodities.

Pradesh Committee leaders and workers, carrying banners and placards and shouting slogans, staged demonstrations across the state barring Tamulpur, Mariani, Thowra, Gossaigaon and Bhabanipur constituencies where by-elections will be held on October 30.

The party members denounced the BJP for allegedly failing to keep its poll promise of checking the rise of prices of petrol, diesel, LPG cylinders and other essential commodities.

(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 Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai crime branch has arrested two persons, one of whom was out on bail in a rape case, and seized 160 grams of mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant drug, valued at around Rs 16 lakh here, police said on Wednesday.

The accused persons were identified as Abdulla Iqbal Shaikh (29), a resident of Jogeshwari (East), and Altaf Abdul Rahman Shaikh (44), a resident of Andheri (West), an official said. Altaf Shaikh is a notorious criminal and has at least 13 cases, which include rape, molestation, theft, rioting and assault, pending against him, he said. The 44-year-old is also an accused in a case filed earlier under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) at the ANC's Kandivali unit, the official said.

He recently came out of prison on bail in a rape case, the police official said. Officials of the ANC's Bandra unit on Tuesday evening apprehended Abdulla Shaikh and recovered 100 grams of mephedrone from him during patrolling in Andheri (West), he said. His questioning revealed he had procured the drug from Altaf Shaikh, the official said. The ANC Bandra team later raided Altaf Shaikh's residence and arrested him with 60 grams of mephedrone, he 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.)
superstar on Thursday met his son Aryan Khan in the Arthur Road jail where the latter is lodged following his arrest in a drugs case earlier this month, a day after a Mumbai court rejected his bail plea, prolonging his stay in prison. The 55-year-old superstar, dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of jeans and wearing a face mask, reached the high-security prison located in Mumbai Central around 9 am and came out at 9.35 am, an official said. A large number of people and media persons had gathered outside the jail when the actor visited the prison. As he came out of the prison, was mobbed by reporters, one of whom could be heard asking what he talked to Aryan Khan about. The superstar waded his way through a sea of people and got into his car without a word. He was seen greeting some people with folded hands in videos circulating on social media. This was the first time Aryan Khan (23) met any family member since his arrest by the (NCB) on October 3 in the case related to alleged seizure of drugs from a cruise ship. The superstar's visit to the Arthur Road jail was his first public appearance since his son's arrest and was followed by a team of NCB officials visiting his home 'Mannat'.



The prison authorities checked the actor's Aadhaar card and other documents before he entered the premises, officials said. After the verification of documents, a token was given to him by prison officials, following which he was allowed to meet his son, who is lodged in the jail's general cell as an undertrial. met his son for 15 to 20 minutes, a prison official said, adding that there was a glass fencing between them and they spoke on the intercom. Four guards were present along with them during their conversation, he said. The actor was allowed to meet his son, as per the prison manual, like any other family member of a prisoner and no special treatment was given to him, the official said.

A large number of mediapersons and local residents had gathered outside the prison when the actor arrived. Heavy police security was deployed outside the jail premises where a large number of people and media persons had gathered. Till now, family members of the prisoners were not being allowed to visit the jail in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prison authorities started allowing the family members of prisoners to visit them from Thursday morning, the official said. Aryan Khan was arrested along with a few others after the NCB raided the cruise ship off the Mumbai coast and claimed to have seized drugs, including charas.



A special court here on Wednesday denied bail to Aryan Khan, observing that 'on the face of it', he was indulging in "illicit drug activities on a regular basis". His WhatsApp chats also showed, prima facie, that he was in touch with drug peddlers, the court noted. On Thursday, the special court extended the judicial custody of Aryan Khan and seven other accused till October 30. Aryan Khan has moved the Bombay High Court for bail and his plea will he heard on October 26. Meanwhile, a team of the NCB's Mumbai zonal unit visited Shah Rukh Khan's residence 'Mannat' in suburban Bandra in the afternoon for seeking certain material related to the investigation into the drugs case, a senior official of the central agency said. "It was not a raid," he clarified, without providing details.

A large number of Shah Rukh Khan fans had gathered in front of his home in a show of solidarity. The NCB conducted searches at multiple locations in Mumbai since Wednesday night in connection with its probe into the cruise drugs party case, according to sources. In a related development, the NCB on Thursday recorded the statement of actor Ananya Panday after it allegedly came across some WhatsApp chats during its investigation against Aryan Khan in the drugs case, sources said. Ananya Panday's actor-father Chunky Panday accompanied her to the NCB office located at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai, where they reached around 4 pm.

After recording her statement, Ananya Panday left the agency office around 6.15 pm, the sources said adding she is likely to be called on Friday as well. The NCB's Mumbai zonal unit, which is probing the cruise drugs seizure case visited Ananya Panday's residence in Bandra in the morning and summoned her to record her statement later in the day, they said. Ananya Panday's name cropped up in the case after certain WhatsApp chats between her and Aryan Khan were allegedly found in the latter's mobile phone, the sources said, adding that earlier in the day, the NCB officials seized her mobile phone and laptop. However, the NCB officials are yet to clarify about her role, if any, in the case. There was heavy deployment of police outside the NCB office and a large number of media persons were also present there when the father-daughter duo arrived in the afternoon.

(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 (NCB) on Thursday recorded the statement of actor Ananya Panday after it allegedly came across some WhatsApp chats during its investigation against Aryan Khan, son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in a drugs case, sources said.

Ananya's actor father Chunky Panday accompanied her to the NCB office located at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai, where they reached around 4 pm.

After recording her statement, Ananya left the agency office around 6.15 pm, the sources said adding that she is likely to be called on Friday as well.

The NCB's Mumbai zonal unit, which is probing the cruise drugs seizure case, in which Aryan Khan has been arrested, visited Ananya Panday's residence in Bandra this morning and summoned her to record her statement later in the day, they said.

Ananya's name cropped up in the case after certain WhatsApp chats between her and Aryan Khan were allegedly found in the latter's mobile phone, the sources said, adding that earlier in the day, the NCB officials seized her mobile phone and laptop.

However, the NCB officials are yet to clarify about her role, if any, in the case.

There was heavy deployment of police outside the NCB office and a large number of media persons were also present there when the Panday father-daughter duo arrived in the afternoon.

Aryan Khan was arrested with a few others on October 3 after the NCB raided a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast and claimed to have seized drugs, including charas.

An NCB team visited Shah Rukh Khan's residence 'Mannat' in suburban Bandra this afternoon for seeking from him certain material related to the investigation into the case, an official said.

On Thursday morning, Shah Rukh Khan met Aryan at the Arthur Road jail in the city,i where the latter has been lodged following his arrest in the case.

(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 Thursday restored the charges under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) against one of the accused in the journalist case by setting aside the high court order which had quashed the charge sheet for alleged offences under the stringent law.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar allowed the two separate appeals filed by the state and Kavitha Lankesh, the sister of Gauri Lankesh, who have challenged the April 22 order of the Karnataka High Court.

The apex court said the conclusion reached by the high court in partly allowing the plea filed before it by accused Mohan Nayak N was manifestly wrong and cannot be countenanced.

The bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar, noted that the high court had quashed the August 14, 2018 order issued by the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City, according to prior approval to invoke offences under section 3 of the KCOCA against the accused.

Further, the high court has clearly exceeded its jurisdiction in quashing the charge sheet filed against the writ petitioner-Mohan Nayak N for offences punishable under section 3(2), 3(3) and 3(4) of the 2000 Act at this stage (of prior approval under section 24(1)(a)), the bench said in its 29-page judgement.

Lankesh was shot dead on the night of September 5, 2017, from close range near her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru.

In its verdict, the top court noted that as regards offences punishable under section 3(2), 3(3), 3(4), or 3(5) of the Act, it can proceed against any person sans such previous offence registered against him, if there is material to indicate that he happens to be a member of the organized crime syndicate who had committed the offences in question and it can be established that there is material about his nexus with the accused who is a member of the organized crime syndicate.

It said the high court has completely glossed over the crucial fact that the writ petition was filed before it by the accused only after the sanction was accorded by the competent authority and more so, cognizance was also taken by the competent court of the alleged offence of organized crime, to which there was no challenge.

Taking any view of the matter, therefore, these appeals deserve to be allowed and the impugned judgement and order of the high court needs to be set aside, the bench said.

It said the rejection of the plea filed by the accused would not come in his way in pursuing other remedies as may be available to him and permissible in law.

The bench said its judgement is limited to the consideration of the question of whether the prior approval of August 14, 2018, granted by the Commissioner of Police was valid or not and it has held that the same does not suffer from any infirmity.

It said the high court had opined that in the absence of at least two charge sheets filed against the accused in respect of specified offences and of which cognisance had been taken by the competent court as required to attract the offence of organized crime, he was not engaged in continuing unlawful activity.

Notably, the high court was not called upon nor has it analysed the entire material collected by the investigating agency, which had been made part of the charge sheet filed before the competent court and in respect of which cognizance is also taken, the bench said.

It said the moot question to be answered in these appeals is about the purport of section 24 of the Act which deals with cognisance of and investigation into an offence.

The apex court said what is crucial in this provision is the factum of recording of offence of organised crime and not of recording of a crime against an offender as such.

It said the approval was not for registering crime against individual offenders as such, but for the recording of information regarding the commission of the offence of organised crime and therefore, the specific role of the concerned accused is not required to be and is not so mentioned in the stated prior approval.

That aspect would be unravelled during the investigation, after registration of offence of organized crime. The high court, thus, examined the matter by applying an erroneous scale. The observations made by the high court in the impugned judgement clearly reveal that it has glossed over the core and tangible facts, it said.

The bench said at the stage of granting prior approval under section 24(1)(a) of the Act, the competent authority is not required to wade through the material placed by investigating agency before him along with the proposal for grant of prior approval to ascertain the specific role of each accused.

As long as the incidents referred to in earlier crimes are committed by a group of persons and one common individual was involved in all the incidents, the offence under the 2000 Act can be invoked, it said.

It said if the role of the offender is merely that of a facilitator or an abettor as referred to in section 3(2), 3(3), 3(4), or 3(5) of the Act, the requirement of named person being involved in more than two charge sheets registered against him in the past is not relevant.

The top court said he can be proceeded under the Act if the material collected by the investigating agency reveals that he had nexus with the accused who is a member of the organised crime syndicate or such nexus is related to the offence like the organized crime.

(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.)
leader on Thursday hit out at the Centre over rising prices of petrol and diesel and said the government is playing a "cruel joke" on the public.

Petrol and diesel prices on Thursday were hiked by 35 paise per litre each, the second consecutive day of increase that took pump rates across the country to record high levels.

Slamming the government, Gandhi tweeted, "GOI is playing a cruel joke on our public."



He used the hashtag 'TaxExtortion' and shared a social media post which said that a new word -- Fillionaire (One who cannot afford a full tank in India) -- has been coined, courtesy "Modi government's fuel loot".

The price of petrol in Delhi rose to its highest-ever level of Rs 106.54 a litre and Rs 112.44 per litre in Mumbai, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

In Mumbai, diesel now comes for Rs 103.26 a litre, while in Delhi it costs Rs 95.27 per litre.

This is the second consecutive day of price hike. There was no change in rates on October 18 and 19, prior to which prices were hiked by 35 paise per litre each on four straight days.

While petrol has already hit the Rs 100-a-litre mark or more in all major cities of the country, diesel has touched that level in over a dozen states and is treading towards that mark in places from Srinagar to Chennai. Diesel costs Rs 99.14 a litre in Srinagar while it is priced at Rs 99.59 in Chennai.

(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.)
Healthcare industry leaders on Thursday hailed the country surpassing the 100-crore COVID-19 vaccination mark and termed it as a historic moment.

Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla, whose company is one of the major providers of COVID-19 vaccine in the country, congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, various ministries and healthcare workers for achieving the milestone.

"My heartiest congratulations, Shri @narendramodi Ji, as India crosses 1 billion doses of COVID vaccine inoculations today under your exemplary leadership. I also congratulate all the GOI ministries, agencies, & healthcare workers for their relentless efforts during this pandemic," he tweeted.

Bharat Biotech Joint Managing Director Suchitra Ella, while tagging PM Modi, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and others, tweeted: "Congratulations India. Thanx a Billion! A global feat achieved overcoming Covid Challenges Collaborations Commitment Confidence Courage Compassion in PUBLIC HEALTH CARE."



Similarly, in a tweet, Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw tweeted: "PM Says "Triumph Of Indian Science" As 100 Crore Jabs Administered - Proud mega milestone. Jai hind Folded hands".

In a statement Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Prathap C Reddy noted that the milestone of 100 crore vaccination doses administered is an indication of the success of the government's vaccination programme.

"Overcoming the challenges of the vast population spread across the length and breadth of our country is an achievement all Indians can be proud of. With the hope and reassurance of protection from disease provided by the vaccine, we can look forward to a return to normalcy!", he added.

Apollo Hospitals, as the largest private vaccinator, pledges to support the government in working to achieve the target of vaccinating India's entire eligible population by December 2021, Reddy said.

"We are also preparing for vaccinating children and adolescents as and when the approvals are in place, " he added.

Fortis Healthcare Managing Director and CEO Ashutosh Raghuvanshi noted that amidst numerous challenges related to supply, logistics and vaccine hesitancy, and also a severe second wave this year, the landmark achievement is a salute to the efforts of Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who is spearheading the vaccination drive, along with many public and private partners and stakeholders who have worked hard to spread awareness and vaccinate as many people as possible.

"Our goal should now be to continue supporting the vaccination drive and focus on ensuring the second dose for those who took the first. Continuing to vaccinate while following the covid protocols is the only way to beat the virus and prevent community transmission," he stated.

The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, with health care workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2.

The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1, for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specific co-morbid conditions.

The country launched vaccination for all people aged over 45 years from April 1.

The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing all above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India completed administering 1 billion doses (100 crore) of Covid-19 vaccines on Thursday: an event the government plans celebrating with a song, promotional film and announcements on airplanes, ships and railway stations.

"The country is close to making a vaccine century.

To be a part of this golden opportunity, I appeal to the citizens who are yet to be vaccinated to contribute in this historic golden vaccination journey of India by getting vaccinated immediately," said Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday on Twitter.

India had administered 995 million vaccine does (99.54 crore) till Wednesday, PTI reported citing data till 7.15 pm data from the Co-WIN portal. As many as 75 per cent of all adults have taken the first dose and around 31 per cent are fully vaccinated with two doses, according to the portal.

ALSO READ: Live news: India nears 1 bn vaccine doses, 52 die in Uttarakhand rains
Exporters on Wednesday expressed discontent over long waiting periods of carrying consignments to Bangladesh, at Petrapole and Ghojadanga land borders, apprehending disruption of shipments to the neighbouring country.

The with export cargo are being detained for over a month and in some cases, it has reached 55 days, they said.

There are several reasons. Export volume from both countries has increased and Puja holidays have compounded the problem, Federation of Indian Exporters chairman (east) Sushil Patwari told PTI.

Petrapole in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal is the largest land trade border with with a total trade of over Rs 20,000 crore. Ghojadanga is also in the same district.

Petrapole-Benapole(Bangladesh) is an important land border crossing for the two neighbouring countries both in terms of trade and passenger movement.

Earlier the detention period before crossing the border was about 15 days, now it is over a month, Patwari said.

Currently, around 250 with export cargo cross the border but this number can increase if customs officials make a little extra effort, he said.

The detention period for exports has reached 55 days at Gojadanga, a rice exporter said.

Benapole CF Agents secretary Sajidur Rehman said detention problems had surged at Petrapole and India is also not accepting more Bangladeshi trucks with export cargo leading to thousands of trucks lined up on both sides of the border.

However, exporters of both countries said there were no disruptions in trade following recent reports of attacks on the minority Hindu community in several districts of

Exports from have also jumped and the average number of trucks crossing Petrapole with Bangladeshi goods is 200-250 against 150 trucks earlier.

(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 on Thursday called former chief minister Amarinder Singh the "architect" of the Centre's three farm laws against which farmers have been protesting at the Delhi borders.

Sidhu's remark came two days after Amarinder Singh said he would launch his own political party and that he was hopeful of a seat arrangement with the BJP, provided the ongoing farmers' stir against farm laws was resolved in the agriculturists' interest.

Amarinder Singh, who faced an unceremonious exit from the state government last month, had also said that he was looking at an alliance with like-minded parties such as breakaway Akali groups.

"The architect of three black laws Who brought Ambani to Punjab's kisani Who destroyed Punjab's farmers, small traders and labour for benefiting one-two big corporates," Sidhu tweeted in an apparent reference to farmers' allegations that big corporates will dictate terms to agriculturists with the passage of these laws.

Amarinder Singh had resigned as the chief minister last month amid a bitter power tussle with Sidhu. Charanjit Singh Channi replaced him as the chief minister.

Hundreds of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at the Delhi borders since November 26 last year, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a major development, teams of (NCB) are paying a 'visit' to the residences of megastar in Bandra West, actress Ananya Pande in Khar west, and raided a location in Andheri on Thursday as part of the ongoing probe into the October 2 luxury cruiser rave party.

The reasons for the raids at Khan's sea-facing bungalow, 'Mannat' were not immediately available, but took place shortly after the Bombay High Court this morning decided to take up his son Aryan Khan's bail plea on next Tuesday, October 26.

NCB teams were reportedly keeping a watch on the Khans since the past few days and Nationalist Congress Party Spokesperson and Minister Nawab Malik had said that among various bigwigs targeted, the superstar was on the radar of the central probe agency.

--IANS

qn/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.)
Congress leader Vadra on Wednesday night met the family members of a man who died in police custody in Agra after being detained for allegedly stealing Rs 25 lakh from a police station.

Earlier, she was stopped in Lucknow by the Uttar Pradesh Police from going to Agra, but was later allowed to proceed.

The police allowed to go and she left for Agra in the evening, Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said.

The Lucknow Police allowed four people, including UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu and senior leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam, to accompany Priyanka Gandhi, Awasthi said.

met family members of Arun, who was accused of stealing Rs 25 lakh from a police station in Agra and died in police custody after his health deteriorated during interrogation.

AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also met the family and said that under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's regime, the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh has deteriorated to a new low.

Police said the Congress general secretary was stopped at the Lucknow-Agra expressway as the Agra district magistrate had requested not to allow any political personality to go there following the man's death.

"She was neither taken into custody nor arrested. Because of the massive crowds, the traffic movement was being hampered and she was first asked to either go to the party office or her residence but when she did not agree, she was sent to the police lines," Lucknow Police Commissioner D K Thakur said.

A Congress spokesperson had claimed that Priyanka Gandhi was taken into custody while she was going to Agra.

To a query from reporters in Kushinagar on the Congress leader being stopped from going to Agra, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "Law and order is supreme and no one will be allowed to play with it."



While being taken to the police lines, Priyanka Gandhi had told reporters that she will definitely go to Agra.

A similar confrontation had occurred earlier this month when the Uttar Pradesh Police had prevented the Congress leader from visiting the families of the farmers killed in Lakhimpur Kheri.

She was taken into preventive custody for over 48 hours before being allowed to visit the families along with Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders.

When Priyanka Gandhi was shown the Agra district magistrate's message, she told police personnel: "Do I need someone's permission whenever I move out of Lucknow? Is there a problem? Why am I not being allowed to go to Agra? Is there a law-and-order issue?" Priyanka Gandhi asked the policemen who stopped her cavalcade."



"Someone has died, how can it be a law-and-order issue? Ask the DM by calling him. It is too much that I cannot go out anywhere and should remain confined to a guesthouse in Lucknow," she told the police personnel.

Congress workers who had reached the spot in large numbers raised slogans against the after Priyanka Gandhi was not allowed to proceed to Agra.

In a tweet in Hindi, the Congress general secretary asked if beating anyone to death in police custody was any kind of justice.

"The incident of Arun Valmiki's death in police custody in Agra is condemnable. On the day of Valmiki Jayanti, the has acted against his messages. A high-level investigation should be held and action taken against the policemen, and the victim's family should be compensated," she said.

In another tweet after being stopped from going to Agra, the Congress leader said, "Arun Valmiki died in police custody. His family is seeking justice. I want to visit the family. What is the afraid of? Why am I being stopped? Today is Valmiki Jayanti, the prime minister spoke a lot about Buddha but is attacking his messages."



Arun's incident comes close on the heels of Kanpur-based businessman Manish Gupta's death allegedly after being thrashed by police in a Gorakhpur hotel. The Uttar Pradesh police has already recommended a CBI probe into the incident.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Agra) Muniraj G said the accused, Arun, suddenly fell sick on Tuesday night while a raid was being carried out at his house to recover the stolen money.

He was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead, the officer said.

Arun was accused of stealing the money on Saturday night from the "malkhana" (a storage house where items confiscated by police are kept)" of the Jagdishpura police station, where he worked as a cleaner.

Following the theft, six police personnel, including the station house officer, were suspended by the additional director general (ADG) of police of the Agra zone.

During the investigation, police rounded up several suspects. Arun was one of them as he had access to the "malkhana".

He was arrested from the Taj Ganj locality in Agra on Tuesday. According to the police, Arun had shaved his head to hide his identity.

"Police teams were questioning several suspects in connection with the theft. On Tuesday evening, a man named Arun, who is a resident of the Lohamandi area, was taken into police custody," the SSP said.

"During interrogation, Arun admitted that he had committed the theft and informed us that the stolen money was kept at his home," he added.

Police recovered Rs 15 lakh during the raid at his house before his health deteriorated and he died.

The SSP said the body was sent for a post-mortem examination and suitable action will be taken after the report comes. A complaint has also been filed by Arun's family in connection with his death, he added.

People from the Valmiki community gathered at Arun's house and demanded a fair probe into his death.

Local leaders of the community said they would not observe "Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti" on Wednesday until a fair investigation is launched in the matter.

(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.)
Ahead of a proposed strike by Rajasthan employees, the state government on Wednesday night invoked the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act on Rajasthan State Road Transport Service Corporation (RSRTC).

RSRTC's services have been declared as most essential for a period of three months starting from Wednesday.

The employees had announced going on a strike on October 27 to press for various demands, including implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, new recruitment and ex-gratia on Diwali, among others.

The home department issued an order to declare RSRTC services as most essential while exercising powers under the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). It also restricted the proposed strike.

The strike call was given for the day when the Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) recruitment examination (prelims)-2021 will be held.

The state government has announced free travel for the candidates appearing for the exam. The government has also announced free travel for candidates of Patwari exam to be held on October 23 and 24.

Earlier on Wednesday, the employees held demonstrations at roadways offices across the state.

In Jaipur, Sanyukt Morcha convener M L Yadav said the demands of the roadways employees have not been fulfilled, therefore the decision has been taken for a one-day strike on October 27.

He also said the recent decision of the chief minister for payment of Rs 476 crore gratuity to retired roadways employees before Diwali has not served the purpose. He said pending allowances of Rs 100 crore of retired drivers and conductors have not been included in the announcement.

(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 Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) reiterated its demand on Wednesday for a fair probe into the of a Dalit man at the farmers' protest site at the Delhi-Haryana border in Singhu.

The umbrella body of farmer unions, which is spearheading the agitation against three new agriculture laws of the Centre, also alleged that a fair investigation into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence is "not possible with Ajay Kumar Mishra continuing as a Union minister.

"We reiterate our demand for a comprehensive investigation into the conspiracy related to the brutal murder at the Singhu border on October 15. While the attempt to tarnish the image of the farmers' movement has not succeeded, the true story behind the whole episode has to come out to reveal to the world what the BJP is up to," the SKM said in a statement.

On October 15, the body of Lakhbir Singh, a Dalit labourer, was found tied to a barricade at the Singhu border, where the anti-farm law protesters are camping, with a hand chopped off and multiple wounds caused by sharp-edged weapons.

In a video clip that surfaced on social media platforms, some Nihangs were seen standing around the injured man with his severed left hand lying next to him. The Nihangs were heard accusing the man of desecrating a holy book of the Sikhs.

However, the victim's family has questioned the attackers' claim that he committed sacrilege and has demanded a high-level probe into the incident. So far, four people have been arrested in connection with the gruesome killing.

"As more news emerges about a group of Nihang Sikhs having met the Union agriculture minister in the presence of other people with dubious antecedents, and even about the offer of money for leaving the morcha sites, the SKM reiterates its demand for a comprehensive investigation into the conspiracy related to the brutal murder at the Singhu border," the morcha said.

Referring to the Supreme Court hearing in the Lakhimpur Kheri matter on Wednesday, it alleged that the statements of eyewitnesses to the incident were not recorded.

"A fair investigation in this matter and securing justice are not possible with Ajay Mishra 'Teni' as a Union minister. The SKM once again demands speedy justice and says that it is possible only if Ajay Mishra 'Teni' is sacked and arrested," it said.

Four of the eight people who died in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3 were farmers who were allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers. Angry farmers then allegedly lynched two workers of the saffron party who were travelling in the car and their driver.

Farmers have claimed that Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra's son Ashish was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father.

Ashish Mishra was arrested in the case on October 9.

(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.)
Chief Minister has urged the Centre to find a permanent solution to the fishermen's issue, the government said on Wednesday.

Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, flagging the incident of a Sri Lankan naval ship ramming into the boat of from the state.

The Sri Lankan Navy said on Wednesday that they recovered the body of an Indian fisherman who went missing after the boat he was in along with two others was hit by a naval vessel of the island nation off the northern coast, the second such incident this year.

According to an official release from the government, Stalin said such incidents were recurring for a long time and a permanent solution was required in the matter.

He also sought rehabilitation of two other fishermen who were rescued by the Lankan navy from the boat that sunk in the impact, in the incident that happened at Neduntheevu on Monday evening.

Fishermen from India and Sri Lanka are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.

In a similar incident in January, four were killed.

India had lodged a strong protest with Sri Lanka over the death of the four in the collision between their vessel and the naval craft of the island nation, saying steps should be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

(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.)
More than two weeks have passed since the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI's) new guidelines on e-mandates for recurring payments came into effect but consumers are still taking to social media platforms to complain about the disruptions. More than that story in our top headlines this morning.

New recurring payment norms trouble people

More than two weeks have passed since the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI's) new guidelines on e-mandates for recurring payments came into effect but consumers are still taking to social media platforms to complain about the disruptions they are facing. This comes as most stakeholders in the ecosystem have not put in place systems in accordance with the new rules, resulting in many transactions not going through. Read more

Future Retail party to dispute with Amazon: Singapore arbitration panel

Future Retail must take part in arbitration over a commercial dispute with Amazon.com Inc, a Singapore arbitration panel ruled on Wednesday, rejecting the Indian retailers bid to avoid the process.

Amazon is trying to block Futures $3.4 billion sale of its retail assets to Indian market leader Reliance Industries, accusing it of breaking contracts. Future denies any wrongdoing. Read more

PSBs told to push for financial inclusion

The Centre has asked public sector banks (PSBs) to aggressively target financial inclusion, expand pension and insurance coverage and, at the same time, use financial technology (fintech) to extend credit to borrowers during the festive season through co-lending arrangements. Read more

Ahead of Diwali, domestic airfares soar 30%-45%

Airfares on certain routes are up by 30-45 per cent higher during Diwali on a year on year basis led by higher demand. While last year, at the same time, airlines were allowed to operate at 70 per cent capacity, the government has now withdrawn the capacity caps. Read more

Employees' Provident Fund sees record net payroll in August

The formalisation of the economy gained further momentum in August, with Covid-induced lockdowns easing. The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) saw net addition of 1.48 million subscribers, which was a record high. Read more
The representatives of various recognised met Chief Minister and demanded amendments in the labour laws introduced by the previous government.

The Labour Code to be implemented by the Centre should be discussed with all the and there should be improvement in fixation of minimum wages, they told CM, according to a release.

They also apprised the CM of the demands of roadways employees.

Gehlot said the state government is serious on the labour issues and would take decisions in a phased manner with a positive attitude regarding genuine demands of the workers.

He said decisions will also be taken soon on various issues related to roadways.

(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 Congress on Wednesday claimed the actions of the suggest that it is rattled with the growing popularity of party leader Vadra and said it was indicative of the things to come in the future.

Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said that wherever goes to meet the people affected by violence or crime, the state government imposes Section 144 of the CrPC and stops her from visiting them.

"What does this show? It shows that the has given up before and her popularity," he said alleging that the BJP-led state government is now indulging in "petty things".

He asked whether it was a crime or if it was against the law to stand with a person who has lost someone.

"This also shows the fear of the UP government and the fact that they have seen the things to come due to her exponentially growing popularity," Vallabh claimed.

Priyanka Gandhi was stopped by the Uttar Pradesh police in Lucknow from going to Agra to meet the family members of a man who died in police custody but was later allowed to proceed.

The police allowed the Congress to leave for Agra on Wednesday evening, party spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said.

The Lucknow police has allowed four people, including UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu and senior leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam, to accompany Priyanka Gandhi, Awasthi said.

Police said the Congress general secretary was stopped at the Lucknow-Agra Expressway as the Agra district magistrate did not allow any political personality to go there following the man's death.

Earlier too, Vadra was stopped from meeting the farmer victims of Lakhimpur violence and prior to that she was stopped from meeting a rape victim in Hathras.

(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 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared a path for millions more Americans to receive Covid-19 vaccine booster shots, as the nation looks to bolster its defenses and prevent another virus surge.



The agency said in a statement on Wednesday that Moderna vaccine recipients 65 and over can receive a third shot, as can adults aged 18 and above who are at high risk of severe Covid or with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to the virus that causes the disease.



Additionally, all J&J recipients 18 and older are eligible for a booster shot at least two months after receiving their first dose.

The agency also allowed each of the available Covid vaccines to be used as a booster dose for eligible individuals following completion of a primary vaccination with a different vaccine.



The moves will mean the US has a bigger toolkit to try to limit a potential winter virus rebound. The summers delta-variant fuelled spike in infections helped increase urgency to make boosters available, and health officials across the US are eager to forestall a rebound in cases that could cripple hospitals and disrupt work and school this winter.



FDA officials indicated they would also move quickly to expand eligibility for booster shots as more data become available or if breakthrough cases start to rise in younger adults.



We will not hesitate to drop this age range as we see that that benefit clearly outweighs the risk, said Peter Marks, the head of the agencys Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, during a media briefing following the announcement.



Moderna shares climbed 0.8 per cent in after-hours trading in New York, while J&J shares gained 0.4 per cent and shares rose 0.2 per cent. US-traded shares of Germany-based BioNTech gained 0.9 per cent.



Novartis extends deal to make Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines



Novartis has agreed to expand its fill-and-finish support for the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine by using manufacturingfacilities Ljubljana, Slovenia, to fill at least 24 million doses in 2022, the Swiss drugmaker said on Thursday. Novartis plans to take bulk mRNA active ingredient from BioNTech and fill this into vials under sterile conditions for shipment back to BioNTech for distribution.
The US on Thursday donated its 200 millionth COVID-19 shot to help vaccinate the rest of the world, the White House announced.

The Biden administration aims to lead a global vaccination campaign even as it rolls out boosters for domestic use, which critics say diverts doses from those who are in greater need around the world.

The donated doses include more than 120 million in surplus from the US stockpile of shots, as well as the initial deliveries of the 1 billion doses the Biden administration has purchased from Pfizer for overseas donation by September 2022. More than 100 countries and territories have received the American doses, and the US remains the largest vaccine donor in the world.

These 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have helped bring health and hope to millions of people, but our work is far from over, US Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power said in a statement.

To end the pandemic, and prevent the emergence of new variants, as well as future outbreaks within our nation's borders, we must continue to do our part to help vaccinate the world.

While aid groups have praised the US for leading the world in vaccine donations, they have criticised the US for approving booster doses for use in the country while many people in lower-income nations have no protection at all. The Food and Drug Administration approved booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines Wednesday, following last month's authorisation of a third dose of the Pfizer shot.

The reality is, the more wealthy countries use booster shots, the further we will be from ending the pandemic," said Tom Hart, acting CEO of the One Campaign. While some argue that we can both administer boosters and vaccinate the world, the simple fact is that boosters divert supply from an urgent area of need administering first shots around the world.

While half the planet has been vaccinated, there are massive geographic and wealth disparities. The majority of global shots have been administered in high- and moderate-income countries.
Landslides blocked roads, many villages went without electricity and the death toll climbed to 52 as authorities on Wednesday faced the aftermath of the rains that had battered Uttarakhand for over two days.

Six more bodies were pulled out from the rubble of collapsed houses. Five people are still missing and 17 injured, according to official data.

The weather cleared on Wednesday morning after the incessant rains since Sunday night that had triggered floods which washed away bridges and landslides which blocked access to towns like Nainital for hours.

Most of the deaths were due to house collapses - an official statement said 46 of them suffered damage. Twenty-eight of the deaths were in Nainital district alone.

The official count of people missing due to rain-related incidents does not include a trekking team of 11 people that left Uttarkashi but had not reached its destination Chitkul in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

Also missing are three porters accompanying an ITBP patrol near the India-China border.

The Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said it has rescued hundreds from the flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand. The federal force has deployed 17 rescue teams in the state.

"So far, NDRF rescuers have evacuated more than 1,300 stranded people from Udham Singh Nagar and Nanital. They are also distributing relief material in flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand," a spokesperson said.

Six NDRF teams are deployed in Udham Singh Nagar, two teams each are stationed in Uttarkashi, Chamoli and one each in Dehradun, Champawat, Pithoragarh and Haridwar.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami toured rain-hit areas in Kumaon region, assessing the damage.

Accompanied by Union Minister of State for Defence and Nainital MP Ajay Bhatt and State Disaster Management Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, Dhami boarded a tractor to cross waterlogged fields in Udham Singh Nagar district.

"Standing crops have been damaged extensively, water has gushed into homes. I am moving from door to door in the affected areas to share the woes of the people," he told reporters. His constituency Khatima is a part of the district.

The CM travelled by road as his helicopter could not take off from Haldwani due to a technical problem, he tweeted.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah was expected to arrive in Dehradun late Wednesday night, and may undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas on Thursday morning, officials said.

Tourist town Nainital was returning back to normalcy on Wednesdsay.

A furious Gaula river has damaged the tracks at Kathgodam railway station in Nainital, which experienced a record 445 mm rainfall on Tuesday.

The damaged tracks in Kathgodam could take four or five days to be repaired, DGP Ashok Kumar told PTI.

In Nainital, tourists woke up to a bright morning without a trace of rain and were out on the streets for shopping and sightseeing. Taxis had begun running through the town.

"It was suffocating to be locked up inside our hotel rooms due to the incessant rains on Tuesday, a young tourist from Uttar Pradesh said.

He added that the scenic beauty of the place had made up for what they suffered over the last two days.

At most places in Nainital, the water had receded from the streets. Taxis were running again.

Electricity supply and telephone connections, badly hit by the rains, have been restored in the townl. But villages on the outskirts remain affected, officials said.

The rescue and restoration work was likely to pick up with the improvement in the weather, Nainital District Magistrate Dhiraj Garbiyal said.

The Haldwani and Kaladhungi roads have been opened partially, restoring connectivity to Nainital which remained cut off on Monday and most of Tuesday.

The Haldwani-Nainital highway is open for light vehicles only because of landslide-prone zones at some spots.

As the weather cleared across Uttarakhand on Wednesday, the authorities allowed stranded pilgrims to proceed towards the Chardham destinations of Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri.

But the highway leading to Badrinath was still blocked by landslides at several points.

(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 hailed Maharshi Valmiki on his birth anniversary on Wednesday, saying the great sage had taught people how to achieve every target through collective efforts.

Addressing a rally after inaugurating the international airport at Kushinagar and laying the foundation stones of several projects, Modi said, "Maharshi Valmiki not only made us have a glimpse of Prabhu Shri Ram and Mata Sita, but also taught us how to achieve every target through collective efforts of the society."



Earlier, the prime minister paid tributes to Maharshi Valmiki, who had authored the epic Ramayana.

(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.)
UP Chief Minister on Thursday questioned a recent meeting between the father of student leader Umar Khalid, an accused in the Delhi violence case, and SP President Akhilesh Yadav, charging the main opposition party with crossing all limits.

"Opposition parties can go to any extent. You must have seen who recently came to meet with a party. Umar Khalid's father. Umar Khalid who says 'Bharat tere tukde honge', the chief minister said addressing 'samajik pratinidhi sammelan' here.

That person (Khalid's father) comes to meet the Samajwadi Party president and assures him not to worry as he was working for the Samajwadi Party," Adityanath added.

"What do you expect if these people come (to power), what can be expected of them?" he asked.

On October 2, the national president of the Welfare Party of India, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, had met SP president Ilyas is the father of student leader Umar Khalid, an accused in the February 2020 Delhi violence case. His party has announced its support to the SP in the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Khalid is in jail for over a year now in the Delhi violence case. He had been shot into the limelight earlier for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Attacking previous governments, the chief minister said, "Whether it was the Congress, SP or the BSP government, they all tore the social fabric in the name of casteism and threw the state in the fire of riots.

They had mortgaged the state to the mafia but after the BJP government took over with your blessings, not only proper security arrangements were made, but it was also ensured that no mafia element can now walk with its head raised, he said.

"We have to always keep in mind that those who divided the society for their political interests have damaged it irreparably, have torn its social fabric. But they have been pushed into history by society without hesitation. This is an example before all of us," he said.

Stressing that every individual should take pride in his country, Adityanath said if we promote nationalism while avoiding casteism, we will be able to lead both the country and the society on the path of welfare.

Attacking SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, he alleged that during the SP government, about 1,500 children died of encephalitis within two months in Gorakhpur Medical College but the then chief minister never went to enquire about their condition.

Claiming to have fought the COVID-19 pandemic in a proper way, the chief minister said, "Had this pandemic come during the tenure of the Congress government, imagine what would have happened.

The brother and sister duo (Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi) would have fled to Italy, they wouldn't have been seen in India, he said.

Had this outbreak occurred during the SP government, there would have been a competition between the uncle and nephew (SP president and his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav) as to who should grab how much without caring for the poor and how to give contracts (for different works during the pandemic ) to which mafia, he said.

And had it come during the time of Behen ji (BSP President Mayawati), bhagwan hi malik hota' (only God could have saved us), he added.

The chief minister said everyone has seen how a proper campaign was undertaken to fight against the pandemic.

All need to feel proud that India has become the first country in the world to cross 100 crore COVID-19 vaccination mark, 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.)
West Bengal Finance Minister on Thursday cited three different studies to claim that 35,000 Indian of high net worth left the country between 2014 and 2020 during the tenure of the government.

He wondered whether this was due to "fear psychosis", and demanded that PM Modi must place a white paper in parliament on "massive flight of Indian during his regime".

"Under Modi Govt 35,000 Indian of High Net Worth LEFT India between 2014-2020, as NRI/Immigrants. India RANKED No 1 IN EXODUS IN THE WORLD. WHY? Fear psychosis'??



"PM must place WHITE PAPER to Parliament on massive flight of Indian entrepreneurs during his regime," Mitra wrote on Twitter.

Citing a study, he claimed 23,000 high net worth entrepreneurs left India during the 2014-18 period, the worst in the world.

"In 2014-2018, 23,000 High Net worth entrepreneurs left India ( Morgan Stanley study) Worst in the World. 7,000 left India in 2019 (AfrAsia Bank). 5,000 left India in 2020.(GWM Review)," he said.

"Recall 19 minutes of TIRADE against Indian business by Piyush Goel (Goyal), reportedly saying business practices of Indian Industry went against national interest - short of calling them "anti national'. Breeds 'fear psychosis', motivating exodus? But the PM did not rebuke Goel (Goyal). Why?" Mitra also said on the microblogging site.

(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 has asked the heads of all departments under it to ensure contractual or outsourced workers are paid bonus by their contractors during the ongoing festive season, officials said on Thursday.

According to order issued by the Labour Department, a large number of people are engaged by various departments through contractors and several complaints regarding non-payment of bonus have been received from the outsourced workers.

It is informed that all the contractors' establishments are covered under the Payment of Bonus Act 1965, who have employed 20 or more workers on any day during the accounting year. It is a statutory responsibility of the contractor to pay bonus to its employees, the order said.

Non-payment of bonus is a serious issue and all the principal employers are urged upon to ensure disbursement of bonus to outsourced workers/employees by their contractors in the forthcoming Deepawali festival season, the order dated October 14 said.

In compliance of the Labour Department's directives, the Public Works Department (PWD) has also asked its officials to ensure that contractors pay bonus to employees outsourced to the department.

A communication issued by the PWD to its officials on Thursday said the Labour Department has issued an advisory to disburse the bonus to outsourced workers by their contractors.

You are therefore requested to direct concerned officials of all divisions of PWD to strictly comply with the instructions issued by Labour Department in the advisory, the PWD circular 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 is making a quick buck by selling some of the cheaply bought stored in the countrys strategic reserves to Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL). This emptied reserve, that currently holds Upper Zakum grade (bought from Abu Dhabi), will be replenished with from Saudi Arabia, according to H P S Ahuja, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves (ISPRL).

ISPRL is a government-controlled company tasked with managing the countrys crude oil storage facilities while MRPL is a public sector undertaking. Both are under the administrative control of the Petroleum Ministry.

Business Standard had reported in August 2021 that storage space in Indias strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs) is being freed up to allow more commercial usage. This is being done by selling some of the already stored crude oil to and making more leasable space available in the ISPRL caverns.

Speaking to reporters at the side lines of India Energy Forum by CERAWeek, Ahuja said that the government has already sold 300,000 tonnes of the stored crude oil to MRPL at market price. This allows the government to rake in a significant margin over the purchase price of around $ 19 a barrel. Brent crude oil is currently trading at over $ 80 a barrel.

According to Ahuja, MRPL will take the balance crude oil by December-end, following which the entire 750,000 tonnes cavern will be leased to it.



Also read: Indian Oil's refineries running at 90% capacity utilisation, says chairman

Efforts to fill up the strategic petroleum reserves were doubled when global crude oil prices crashed in April and May 2020. According to the Petroleum Ministry, this had resulted in a notional saving of Rs 5,000 crore to the exchequer. It is estimated that the average price at which crude oil was purchased for filling up the strategic reserves during this period stood at $19 a barrel, around one fourth of the present oil prices.

The three strategic storages at Visakhapatnam, Mangalore and Padur collectively store 5.33 million tonnes (MT) of crude oil. Visakhapatnam's storage has a capacity of 1.33 MT (9.77 million barrels), Mangalore has a capacity of 1.5 MT (11 million barrels) and Padur can stock 2.5 MT (18.37 million barrels). The combined cost of the three projects is pegged at Rs 4,098.35 crore. These reserves can meet around 9 to 10 days of Indias crude oil demand.

ISPRLs Mangalore facility has two caverns of 750,000 tonnes capacity each. One such cavern has already been leased out to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) that has filled up the reserve.

India imports roughly 226 MT (1,656.58 million barrels) of crude oil every year. This meets around 84 per cent of Indias total crude oil requirement.
In a meeting with World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the country's top manufacturers on Thursday raised concerns regarding excess capacity of Covid-19 jabs created during the pandemic.

"With the outbreak of the pandemic, manufacturers have rapidly created capacities to meet demand. Going ahead, manufacturers are concerned about excess capacity and how it can be utilised," said a person in the know, adding that similar concerns have been raised by manufacturers of other countries as well.

Okonjo-Iweala, who is on a three-day visit to the national Capital, met key industry leaders, including makers, such as Managing Director (MD) Suchitra Ella, Panacea Biotech MD Rajesh Jain, and Biological E Chief Operating Officer Lakshminarayana Neti, among others.

Some manufacturers also said that the regulatory approval framework for Covid-19 vaccines in other nations also takes a substantial amount of time.

They urged the D-G if the could help in ways to reduce delay.

Vaccine makers are concerned about optimal utilisation of excess capacities created during the pandemic.

Ella raised similar concerns at a Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry event on Thursday, and pointed out that when the Covid-19 pandemic is gone, what would happen to the excess capacities created.

The excess capacities, manpower recruited... what happens? How many companies will be able to sustain it? It will be a global challenge, said Ella, adding, Today we want more production, tomorrow who will want that excess production?




While making the appointments, the government said these officials can get another two-year extension if they are eligible but only after a performance review. The government has appointed Nidhu Saxena (53), a general manager in UCO Bank, as executive director in Union Bank of India, from Febraury 1, 2022, in place of Gopal Singh Gusian, one of the EDs in Union Bank, who will be retiring on January 31, 2022. Provided that he shall be ...

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
More than two weeks have passed since the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI's) new guidelines on e-mandates for recurring payments came into effect but consumers are still taking to social media platforms to complain about the disruptions they are facing. This comes as most stakeholders in the ecosystem have not put in place systems in accordance with the new rules, resulting in many transactions not going through.

Industry sources said most banks are still not ready, especially the smaller ones. Some of the bigger ones have complied with the new regulations at the very last moment, ...
Apple, valued at $408,251 million, retained its first spot for the ninth consecutive year in Interbrands list of the best for 2021. However, it was that was the highest gainer with a 184 per cent increase in value to rest at $36,270 million and the 14th spot.

The combined value of the top 100 brands increased from $2,326,491 million in 2020 to $2,667,524 million in 2021  a jump of nearly 15 per cent. Technology remained the fastest growing, most valuable and top performing sector. The top three brands  Apple, (valued at $249,249 million) and ($210,191 million)  made up 62.3 per cent of the total value of the top 10 brands.

co-founder Stephen Wozniak  better known as the Woz  in a conversation with Daniel Binns, CEO, Interbrand New York, credited Apples relevance and success to its flexibility of moving with the market and being honest to consumers.

Besides Apple, and Microsoft, the top ten brands included Google ($196,811 million), Samsung ($74,635 million), Coca Cola ($57,488 million), Toyota ($54,107 million), Mercedes-Benz ($50,866 million), McDonalds ($45,865 million), and Disney ($44,183 million).

Sephora  the multinational beauty and fashion product retailer  was the only new entrant this year, valued at $4,628 million. CEO Martin Brok credited the feat to his 35,000 colleagues across the globe and their culture of disruptive innovation.

With Sephoras entry, the LVMH group became the first to have five brands  Louis Vuitton at 13th spot, Dior (at 77), Tiffany and Co (92), Hennessy (95) and Sephora (100)  in the list.

The brands were valued keeping three key components at the centre: analysis of the financial performance of the branded product or service; the role the brand plays in purchase decisions; and the brands competitive strength.

Harkening back to the impressionists who broke away from art conventions to represent not the subjects but their human experiences, Interbrand stressed on the need for brands to rethink the role of business and become part of the solution to the problems the world faces today.

Some of the rising brands in our study are actively expanding possibilities, by driving decisive innovation, developing kinder, more viable business models, making hard choices and taking uncompromising stances, said the Interbrand report.

Colin Fleming, senior vice president, global brand, events, product, content, and customer marketing at Salesforce  the second fastest growing brand, ranked 38 and valued at $14,770 million in the listattributed their success to a consumer-focused approach.

Lorraine Barber-Miller, vice president and chief marketing and e-commerce officer at Royal Philips (ranked 57 and valued at $12,088 million) spoke of the companys transformation from an electronics company to a health-tech business.
US President Joe Biden's pick for ambassador to Beijing has told lawmakers considering his nomination that Americans should "have confidence in our strength when dealing with the rise of China, a nation he said the US and its allies could manage.

Nicholas Burns, a former senior State Department official and diplomat with decades of experience in Washington and overseas, on Wednesday testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a time when the Biden administration is trying to swing US focus overseas to managing competition with China. The post of China ambassador stands to be one of the most important for US foreign policy.

China's assertiveness militarily, diplomatically and economically in the region and beyond under its ambitious president, Xi Jinping, increasingly has given rise to warnings of a new Cold War. This includes hawkish talk of an arms race with warnings of China threatening to overtake the US in high tech, trade, military technology and other arenas while challenging the US for world influence.

In his testimony Wednesday, Burns had a calmer take, framing the US relationship with China as manageable.

China is not an Olympian power, Burns said. While a country of extraordinary strength, it also has substantial weaknesses and challenges politically, economically and demographically.

We should have confidence in our strength, American strengths, confidence in our business community, in our innovation community, in our universities, in our ability to attract the best students from around the world, confidence in our unmatched military. In our first rate Foreign Service and civil service, confidence in our values that stand in brilliant opposition to China's authoritarian regime.

"We will succeed if we build this American strength around our diplomacy, he said.

He emphasised building alliances in the Indo-Pacific as essential to countering China. That included praising the defence alliance Biden announced last month with Australia and the United Kingdom as potentially transformational".

Domestically, the defence pact is best known for triggering French pique, when Australia broke off a deal for French-made submarines in favour of subs with US nuclear power.

Burns also gave what would be a rare bit of credit from the Biden administration to its predecessor, praising President Donald Trump and his last secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, for reinvigorating a bloc with Australia, India and Japan.

He echoed the Biden administration's stand on cooperating with China where possible but condemning many of its actions, calling China's treatment of its largely Muslim Uyghur minority genocide" and its trade practices unacceptable. He aligned with US support for Taiwan and Hong Kong in the face of China's military and political actions there.

As the No. 3 State Department official in the George W Bush administration, Burns led negotiations to control Iran's nuclear programme and to close a nuclear deal with India, which some have criticised as weakening longstanding policy on nuclear nonproliferation. His work since leaving the foreign service includes teaching diplomacy at Harvard's John F Kennedy School of Government.

Burns' status as a senior statesman under Republican and Democratic administrations is likely to win his nomination broad support in a Senate vote. However, two Republican senators, Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, are pledging to block Biden's nominees over unrelated disputes, creating what the Biden administration says is a critical shortfall in US diplomatic representation abroad.

(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 high-level delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan's interim government Abdul Salam Hanafi on Wednesday met with an Indian delegation here during which the Indian side expressed its readiness to provide extensive humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country, which is now ruled by the insurgent group.

The Indian delegation led by J P Singh, the joint secretary of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division of the Ministry of External Affairs, which was here to attend the Moscow Format meeting at the invitation of Russia, held talks with the leaders on the sidelines of the conference, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a brief statement.

There was no official word from on the meeting.

India had its first formal contact with the Taliban in Doha on August 31. However, the meeting on Wednesday was the first formal contact between the two sides after an interim Cabinet was announced by the Taliban last month.

The Indian side expressed readiness to provide extensive humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, Mujahid was quoted as saying by Afghanistan's Tolo news.

India has in the past provided assistance both for infrastructure as well as for humanitarian purposes to Afghanistan.

The two sides also emphasised the need to take into account each other's concerns and improve diplomatic and economic relations, Mujahid said.

The Moscow format was established in 2017, based on a six-party consultation mechanism of the special envoys of Russia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China and Pakistan to address Afghan issues. Several rounds of talks have been held in Moscow since 2017.

This was the first Moscow format dialogue since the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war.

During the Moscow Format meeting, Hanafi called on the community to recognise Afghanistan's interim government, which is dominated by the Taliban's established leaders, including those who are on the UN blacklist.

"Afghanistan's isolation is not in anyone's interests. And this has been proven in the past," he was quoted as saying by the Afghan news agency Khaama Press.

Hanafi also urged the United States to unfreeze the reserves of Afghanistan's Central Bank, which is about USD 9.4 billion.

(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 leak of documents has shown how countries are trying to change a key scientific report on how to tackle climate change, a report by BBC news stated.



The documents reveal Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia, among other countries, are asking the UN to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels, the report stated.



It also shows some wealthy nations are questioning paying more to poorer states to move to greener technologies.



The BBC report stated that the leak reveals that countries are pushing back on UN recommendations for action and comes just days before they will be asked at the summit to make significant commitments to slow down and keep global warming to 1.5C.



The documents comprise over 32,000 submissions by governments, companies, other interested parties to the team of scientists compiling a UN report designed to bring together the best scientific evidence on how to tackle



Rome agenda



The need to curb greenhouse gases will be high on the agenda of the Rome gathering on October 30-31, seen as a key stepping stone immediately ahead of broader climate talks, called COP26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.



COP26 president, Britains Alok Sharma, said in a speech this month that the G20, which accounts for 80 per cent of global emissions, would be make or break for achieving success in Glasgow.



Big polluters such as China and India have so far dug in their heels, however, and little progress has been made since energy and environment ministers met in Naples in July, said three sources, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the talks.



Countries are not moving, at the moment they are still just making sure their positions are heard loud and clear, said one of the sources.



But he added that such intransigence was normal at this stage and that any concessions were unlikely to come before G20 climate sherpas meet face-to-face next Thursday and Friday, immediately before their leaders weekend meeting.



Where I see the problem is in the commitment to 1.5C and in the phase out of coal and fossil fuels by China, India and Russia, said another source, a G20 minister.



In a letter to G20 president, Italys Mario Draghi, nine countries urged G20 nations to hike their climate pledges to set the tone for COP26. Climate scientists say capping global warming at 1.5C compared with pre-industrial levels is vital to limit environmental disasters.



In Naples, energy and environment ministers recognised that environmental risks were lower at 1.5C than at 2C, but again fell short of clearly stating 1.5C must not be breached.



Coal still powers more than half the electricity generated by China, the worlds largest energy producer and also the largest greenhouse gas emitter.



Big-hitters stay home



At least four G20 leaders are not expected to come to Rome, including Chinas Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin of Russia, another major oil and gas producer.



One source said while such absences were not a great political signal, they would not necessarily prevent progress.



Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be coming to Rome, officials said, and New Delhi confirmed on Thursday that he will also be at the COP26 in Glasgow.
has been taken off the grey list by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental body that sets anti-money laundering standards, while acknowledging the progress the island nation had made in its fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT) in the past few months.

has retained in the grey list, saying the country had made good progress in tackling most of the action plans, but needs to further demonstrate that investigations are being pursued against senior leaders of terror groups and organised criminals are being prevented from profiteering.

was put on the list by in February 2020, and that had a significant impact on its credibility as a prudent and compliant jurisdiction. This list is often referred to as the grey list. Jurisdictions under increased monitoring actively work with the to address strategic deficiencies.

Subsequently, the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, included in its revised list of high-risk countries with strategic deficiencies in their AML/CFT frameworks.

The inclusion in the grey list may have created a negative perception towards Mauritius globally, said experts.

The exit will reinvigorate the global business sector and enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of Mauritius as a domicile of choice for cross-border investments into Asia and Africa, said Rama Sithanen, chairman of Sanne Mauritius. It will now pave the way for the EU and the UK to take Mauritius off their list of high-risk countries.





Mauritius whitelisting would be a boon for several investment funds, especially India dedicated ones. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had rejected a few applications for NBFC licences last year as the investments were routed through Mauritius. At present, any FPI from Mauritius can only acquire voting rights of an NBFC not exceeding 20 per cent of the total shareholding.

Most custodian banks, pursuant to the inclusion of Mauritius in the FATF grey list, had put the country as high risk. The threshold for the determination of the UBO was fixed at 10 per cent. This is most likely going to be done away with but the call is still with the custodians, said Anand Singh, co-founder, Wilson Financial Services.

Some of the large limited partners, or LPs, had expressed concern on investing in a fund that is domiciled in an FATF grey listed country. The whitelisting would significantly boost the investment morale of such funds, said Singh.

Soon after its inclusion in the grey list, one of the large foreign custodians operating in India had put a halt on trades from Mauritius, raising concerns that all fresh registrations and purchases routed through Mauritius would be stopped.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), however, later clarified that foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) from Mauritius would remain eligible for registration, but with increased monitoring.
Oil hit a three-year high above $86 a barrel on Thursday driven by tight supply and a global energy crunch, although prices eased as some investors took profits on signs the rally is looking overstretched.

Helping to drive the latest gain, a supply report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday showed crude and fuel inventories tightened, with crude inventories at the Cushing storage hub falling to a three-year low. [EIA/S]

Brent crude rose as high as $86.10, the highest since October 2018, but by 0815 GMT was down 79 cents, or 0.9%, to $85.03.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 57 cents, or 0.7%, to $82.85.

"We saw some correction, but overall sentiment remained firm as there have been no large increases in output by the United States or OPEC," said Satoru Yoshida, a commodity analyst with Rakuten Securities.

The price of Brent has risen over 60% this year, supported by a slow ramp-up in supply by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, and a global coal and gas crunch which has driven a switch to oil for power generation.

Oil also came under pressure from a drop in coal and natural gas prices. In China, coal fell 11% on Thursday, extending losses this week since Beijing signalled it might intervene to cool the market.

"With coal and gas prices easing and with the relative strength index technical indicators still in overbought territory, the odds of a sharp, but material fall in oil prices are rising," said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at brokerage OANDA.

Even so, some analysts are calling for oil to rally even more as OPEC+ is likely to stick to its plan for gradual output increases while demand is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels.

Giovanni Staunovo of Swiss bank UBS said in a report he expected Brent to trade at $90 in December and March.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Oil slipped after hitting a seven-year high following a surprise draw in US crude stockpiles and a robust decline in fuel supplies.

Futures in New York edged toward $83 a barrel after advancing more than 1 per cent on Wednesday to settle at the highest level since 2014. US crude inventories fell by 431,000 barrels last week, according to government data, compared with a Bloomberg survey that had forecast a fourth weekly increase. Gasoline and distillate inventories also decreased more than expected.

The market has tightened significantly recently as coal and natural gas shortages drive greater crude consumption, underpinning a rally in prices. Saudi Arabia said any extra oil from Opec+ would do little to tame the surging cost of gas, predicting oil demand may rise as much as 600,000 barrels a day if the northern hemispheres winter is colder than normal.





The supply-side slack in oil that emerged during the 2020 lockdowns is gone, said Victor Shum, Singapore-based vice president of energy consulting for IHS Markit. Oil demand is not back to preCovid levels, but the balance between demand and supply is.

US gasoline stockpiles fell by 5.37 million barrels for a second weekly draw the Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday.

Crude inventories at the key storage hub of Cushing slid by 2.32 million barrels to the lowest level since 2018.

India became the second major Asian oil importer this week to sound the alarm over high crude prices. The global economic recovery will become fragile if prices arent predictable, stable and affordable, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said at the CERAWeek India Energy Forum on Wednesday, echoing the sentiments of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Record electric vehicle sales last summer amid a shortage of computer chips and other materials propelled to the biggest quarterly net earnings in its history.

The company said Wednesday that it made $1.62 billion in the third quarter, beating the old record of $1.14 billion set in the second quarter of this year. The profit was over five times larger than the $300 million Tesla made in the same quarter a year ago.

Revenue of $13.76 billion from July through September also set a record, but it fell short of Wall Street expectations of just over $14 billion, according to FactSet.

Excluding special items such as stock-based compensation, Palo Alto, California-based Tesla made $1.86 per share, beating analyst estimates of $1.62. CEO Elon Musk has said he's moving the headquarters to Austin, Texas, the dateline of Wednesday's earnings release.

Some of the quarterly profit, though, came from selling regulatory credits to other automakers. Tesla made $279 million on credits during the quarter. Other automakers buy the credits when they can't meet emissions and fuel-economy standards.

"A variety of challenges, including semiconductor shortages, congestion at ports and rolling blackouts, have been impacting our ability to keep factories running at full speed," the company said in a statement to shareholders.

We believe our supply chain, engineering and production teams have been dealing with these global challenges with ingenuity, agility and flexibility that is unparalleled in the automotive industry.

Earlier this month Tesla said it delivered a record 241,300 in the third quarter even as it wrestled with the shortages that have hit the entire auto industry.

Third-quarter sales rose 72% over the 140,000 deliveries Tesla made for the same period a year ago.

So far this year, Tesla has sold around 627,300 vehicles. That puts it on pace to soundly beat last year's total of 499,550.
The has ordered a halt to imports of disposable gloves from a Malaysian company and its subsidiaries after determining they rely on forced labour.

Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday issued an order to stop any inbound shipments from Supermax Corporation Berhad and three subsidiaries.

CBP said its investigation of the company found 10 indications of forced labour, which typically include such things as intimidation, threats and withholding of wages, under standards.

The agency identified the subsidiaries as Maxter Glove Manufacturing, Maxwell Glove Manufacturing and Supermax Glove Manufacturing.

Until the manufacturers can prove their manufacturing processes are free of forced labour, their goods are not welcome here," AnnMarie Highsmith, executive assistant commissioner of the Office of Trade, said in announcing the order.

Malaysian rubber glove makers have come under scrutiny over abusive practices, and the US this year downgraded to the worst level in an annual report on human trafficking. In response, Malaysia's government pledged to take steps to eliminate forced labour.

The US lifted a similar order against another Malaysian glove manufacturer, Top Glove Corporation Berhad, after the company addressed indicators of forced labour at its manufacturing facilities.

Supermax Corporation, which says it sells its products in 165 countries, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Chennais prime travel market is seeing a 70 per cent increase in demand on a month-on-month basis since the re-opening in June 2021, said a report by Limited, Indias leading integrated travel services company.

After 18 months of Covid-induced restrictions, with positive announcements on re-opening of borders and vaccine acceptance, the companys data reveals strong travel desire from Chennais customers, the report said. The upcoming festive and winter season, together with Expo 2020 Dubai, is resulting in encouraging recovery at 55 per cent of pre-pandemic levels overall; an impressive 290 per cent for domestic travel; 60 per cent international (acquisition data September 2021 against September 2019). Favourite outbound destinations for Chennai customers include Maldives, Switzerland, France, Turkey, Egypt, Russia and Dubai.

In addition to its holiday business, Thomas Cook India has observed increased uptick from the wedding and honeymoon segment; furthermore, students from Chennai are highly interested in overseas education and Thomas Cook India has delivered well in that sector with their quarantine packages.

The survey has revealed that over 70 per cent respondents from Chennai are keen to travel in 2021 itself, with a mix of both international and domestic destinations. Around 65 per cent prefer international destinations; favourites include Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Maldives/Mauritius, Europe (Switzerland, France, Austria), USA, Russia, and Iceland. Nearly 75 per cent prefer domestic holidays; favourites include Andamans, Kashmir, Himachal, Rajasthan and Goa, it said.

Customers from Chennaienjoy travelling with family and multi-generational families (55 per cent); as a group of friends/colleagues (20 per cent); couples (20 per cent); solo (5 per cent), it said.

Thomas Cook India has an extensive footprint through 11 outlets in Tamil Nadu with six outlets in Chennai (owned & franchise).Chennai serves as a convenient hub for nearby regions including Vellore, Kanchipuram, and Chengalpattu.
Ace investor Rakesh Jhujhunwala has bought an additional 10 million equity shares, or 1.97 per cent stake, in in July-September (Q2FY22), increasing his stake in the Tata Group company to 3.93 per cent in Q2 from 1.97 per cent at the end of June quarter (Q1), according to the shareholding pattern filed by the company.

As per the data, Rakesh Radheshyam Jhunjhunwala held 2.70 per cent stake or 13.75 million equity shares in in Q2, as against 1.97 per cent stake (10 million shares) in the previous quarter. Ace investor has purchased 1.23 per cent stake or 6.25 million shares in name of Rakesh Jhujhunwala during the quarter, against nil or below 1 per cent holding in previous quarter, data shows. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS



Differential Voting Rights (DVR) shares are shares that are permitted to be issued with differential voting and differential dividend rights.

At 01:08 pm, was trading 6 per cent higher at Rs 247, after hitting an intra-day high of Rs 253.25 on the BSE. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 0.69 per cent at 60,835 points. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 284 on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 in the intra-day trade. Meanwhile, in the past one month, it has zoomed 66 per cent, as compared to 3 per cent rise in the benchmark index.

On October 12, 2021, Tata Motors had said it will raise Rs 7,500 crore ($1 billion) in its passenger electric vehicle (EV) business from TPG Rise Climate at a valuation of up to $9.1 billion. Tata Motors and TPG Rise Climate entered into a binding agreement whereby TPG Rise Climate along with its co-investor ADQ, shall invest in a subsidiary of Tata Motors that will be newly incorporated. It is expected that the first round of capital infusion will be completed by March 22 and the entire funds will be infused by end of 2022.

The new company shall leverage all existing investments and capabilities of Tata Motors and will channelise the future investments into EV, dedicated BEV platforms, advanced automotive technologies and catalyse investments in charging infrastructure and battery technologies, the company said.

In another development, Standard and Poors (S&P) has upgraded the global ratings for Tata Steel, Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC (JLR) following the reassessment of influence and potential for extraordinary financial support from Tata Sons to group entities today.
The are likely to bounce back at the opening bell as indicated by the SGX Nifty. At 08:30 AM, the SGX Nifty was up 38 points at 18,358. Here are the top stocks to focus in trade today:



Key Results Today: Asian Paints, Biocon, Concor, Heritage Foods, IDBI, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, Indian Energy Exchange, Indian Hotels, IIFL Securities, JSW Steel, Jubilant Industries, Lemon Tree Hotels, LIC Housing Finance, Lodha, MphasiS, Opto Circuits, Rane Engines, South Indian Bank, Trident, TVS Motors and VST Industries are some of the prominent companies to announce September quarter results on Thursday.

PSU Banks: The Centre has asked public sector banks (PSBs) to aggressively target financial inclusion, expand pension and insurance coverage and, at the same time, use financial technology (fintech) to extend credit to borrowers during the festive season through co-lending arrangements. READ MORE



Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel added 649,000 and 138,000 new subscribers, while Vodafone Idea lost 833,000 subscribers in August 2021 according to Trai data. Meanwhile, VodaIdea has accepted the government proposed 4-year moratorium on spectrum dues.

REC: Raised a USD 75 million (about Rs 561 crore) term loan from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC).

L&T Finance Holdings: Reported a 10 per cent YoY decline in consolidated net at Rs 223 crore for the second quarter ended September 2021. Total income declined fell to Rs 3,134.46 crore as against Rs 3,508.91 crore in the year-ago period.

Havells: September quarter net drops 7.34 per cent YoY to Rs 302.39 crore from Rs 326.36 crore. Revenue, however, grew 31.65 per cent YoY at Rs 3,238.04 crore.

Angel Broking: Consolidated net profit soared 80 per cent YoY to Rs 134.2 crore for the September quarter, while revenue jumped to Rs 527.34 crore from Rs 309.85 crore YoY.

Mahindra & Mahindra: The automakers XUV700 model has received 65,000 bookings in two weeks.

Yes Bank: Crisis-hit YES Bank has shown remarkable progress after its management was taken by the clutch of investors led by State Bank of India (SBI) last year and may take two more years to stabilise, said former SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar. READ MORE



Tata Communications: Q2FY22 consolidated net rose 10.6 per cent to Rs 425.38 crore on a YoY basis, while revenue fell to Rs 4,174 crore from Rs 4,401 crore YoY.

Bharat Gears: Board approved rights entitlement ratio at 1:10 (one equity share for every 10 shares held by shareholders) and fixed issue price at Rs 105 per rights equity share.

Tejas Networks: Reported 19.2 per cent drop in Q2FY22 consolidated net at Rs 3.66 crore as against Rs 4.53 crore in Q2FY21. Revenue, however, jumped 57 per cent to Rs 172.78 crore from Rs 110.06 crore YoY.

Hathway Cable & Datacom: Q2FY22 consolidated profit plunged 63.6 per cent to Rs 19.05 crore from Rs 52.33 crore in a year ago period. Revenue, however, was up 3.9 per cent at Rs 447.87 crore from Rs 431.24 crore YoY.

Snowman Logistics: Q2FY22 net jumps to Rs 47 crore as against a net loss of Rs 2 crore in Q2FY21.

Ramkrishna Forgings: Wins export order worth Rs 52 crore in mining & earthmoving segment.

In F&O ban today: Amara Raja Batteries, Escorts, Voda Idea, IRCTC, L&T Finance Holdings, National Aluminium, PNB, SAIL, Sun Tv and Tata Power.
The Australian share market finished session on a flat note on Thursday, 21 October 2021, after fluctuating between gains and losses of the neutral line, as positivism over lifting of restrictions in Melbourne later in the night was offset by worries about China Evergrande Group's potential debt default.

At closing bell, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 rose marginal 1.70 points, or 0.02%, to 7,415.37. The broader All Ordinaries index added 1.27 points, or 0.02%, to 7,728.51.

Shares of metals and mining sector, which relies considerably on exports to China, took the biggest hit on Evergrande news.

China Evergrande Group said its $2.6 billion stake sale to lesser rival Hopson Development Holdings had fallen through, further raising fears about offshore bond defaults from China's No. 2 property developer. BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue all ended the session between 0.2% and 1.3% lower.

Financials were mixed, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Australia and New Zealand Bank ending 0.1% and 0.5% lower, respectively. National Australia Bank and Westpac, added 0.2% and 0.6%, respectively.

Engineering contractor CIMIC Group rallied 5.9% after reporting an increase in revenue and providing a positive outlook.

Investment group Perpetual jumped 7.8% after the company said it had closed the first quarter with 2.7% growth in assets under management.

CURRENCY NEWS: The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7485, holding on to gains after climbing from below $0.744 earlier this week.

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 Mainland China share market finished session marginally higher on Thursday, 21 October 2021, as risk sentiments remain subdued amid lingering worries about China Evergrande Group's potential debt default despite reports that China Evergrande Group has secured an extension on a defaulted bond.

At closing bell, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added 0.22%, or 7.78 points, to 3,594.78. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, dropped 0.16%, or 3.86 points, to 2,416.18. The blue-chip CSI300 index increased 0.36%, or 17.84 points, to 4,928.02.

Chinese officials sought to reassure investors and homeowners on Wednesday over a debt crisis.

Vice Premier Liu He told that overall risks in the property market are controllable, and the property market is on track for healthy development.

The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission said on Thursday that the Evergrande crisis will not hurt the credit of Chinese companies, citing China's stable growth.

The China Evergrande Group reportedly won a more than three month extension to the maturity of a $260 million bond, a day after company said its $2.6 billion stake sale to lesser rival Hopson Development Holdings had fallen through. Evergrande, which has already missed multiple coupon payments for its bonds, also warned there is no guarantee that the Group will be able to meet its financial obligations under the relevant financing documents and other contracts.

CURRENCY NEWS: China's yuan rose against the U. S. dollar on Thursday after firmer mid-point fixing by central bank. Prior to the market opening, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) set the midpoint CNY=PBOC at 6.3890 yuan per dollar, 179 pips, or 0.28%, stronger than the previous fix of 6.4069.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hong Kong stock market closed lower for the first time in five consecutive sessions on Thursday, 21 October 2021, as investors opted to secure recent profit amid concerns about a slowdown in the Chinese economy and worries about China Evergrande Group's potential debt default despite reports that China Evergrande Group has secured an extension on a defaulted bond.

At closing bell, the benchmark Hang Seng Index declined 0.45%, or 118.49 points, to 26,017.53. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 0.03%, or 3.12 points, to 9,273.57.

Chinese officials sought to reassure investors and homeowners on Wednesday over a debt crisis. Vice Premier Liu He told that overall risks in the property market are controllable, and the property market is on track for healthy development.

The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission said on Thursday that the Evergrande crisis will not hurt the credit of Chinese companies, citing China's stable growth.

The China Evergrande Group reportedly won a more than three month extension to the maturity of a $260 million bond, a day after company said its $2.6 billion stake sale to lesser rival Hopson Development Holdings had fallen through.

Evergrande, which has already missed multiple coupon payments for its bonds, also warned there is no guarantee that the Group will be able to meet its financial obligations under the relevant financing documents and other contracts.

China Evergrande slumped 11.6% to HK$2.61 as the stock resumed trading after a three-week halt, while Evergrande Property Services Group lost 9%. The developer terminated a US$2.6 billion deal to sell a 50.1% stake in its property services unit following a disagreement on deal terms. The proposed buyer, Hopson Development, jumped 13.6% to HK$28.10.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pfizer Ltd is quoting at Rs 5195.3, down 1.26% on the day as on 13:24 IST on the NSE. The stock jumped 2.63% in last one year as compared to a 52.37% rally in NIFTY and a 21.48% spurt in the Nifty Pharma index.

Pfizer Ltd fell for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 5195.3, down 1.26% on the day as on 13:24 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.77% on the day, quoting at 18126.15. The Sensex is at 60768.2, down 0.8%.Pfizer Ltd has eased around 10.34% in last one month.Meanwhile, Nifty Pharma index of which Pfizer Ltd is a constituent, has eased around 2.15% in last one month and is currently quoting at 14177.35, down 1.07% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 16363 shares today, compared to the daily average of 31637 shares in last one month.

The benchmark October futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 5192.45, down 1.63% on the day. Pfizer Ltd jumped 2.63% in last one year as compared to a 52.37% rally in NIFTY and a 21.48% spurt in the Nifty Pharma index.

The PE of the stock is 41.83 based on TTM earnings ending June 21.

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 Steel Long Products slumped 4.24% to Rs 873.85 after the company's net profit declined by 59.36% to Rs 134.77 crore in Q2 FY22 from Rs 331.60 crore in Q1 FY22.

The company had recorded a net profit of Rs 59.05 crore in Q2 FY21.

Revenue from operations in the second quarter fell by 2.98% to Rs 1,637.37 from Rs 1,687.64 reported in the first quarter of the financial year 2021-22. As compared with Q2 FY21, revenue in Q2 FY22 has risen by 38.07%.

Total expenses in Q2 September 2021 was Rs 1,502.45 crore, up by 17.14% QoQ and up 31.36% YoY. The sharp increase in expenses was primarily on account of a steep rise in raw material costs (up 37.13% QoQ and up 78.96% YoY).

The company posted a pre-tax profit of Rs 184.74 crore in Q2 FY22, down by 58.40% from Rs 444,03 crore in Q1 FY22. The company had registered a pre-tax profit of Rs 57.78 crore in Q2 FY21.

Tata Steel Long Products is one of India's largest merchant sponge iron manufacturers. The company is engaged in the production of sponge iron by direct reduction method of iron ore and power generation from waste heat.

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 Trinamool Congress on Wednesday questioned the silence of the Union government on attacks on the Hindu population in and asked the BJP to refrain from pursuing "vulture politics" in Bengal by allegedly trying to fan communal sentiments.

Hitting back, the saffron party wondered if TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is generally ahead of others in tweeting posts on every issue, is keeping mum on the violence "to please her vote bank" in the state.

"Why is the union government, central ministers and even our prime minister are silent on the attack on Hindus in All of us are concerned about what is going on in that country.

"Obviously, we need to maintain good relations with the Sheikh Hasina government, but that does not mean we would not speak out against the atrocities that are going on there," senior MP and TMC spokesperson Sougata Ray said.

It is shocking that nearly a week has passed, but not a single word was heard from the prime minister, though he had visited a temple in during the West Bengal assembly elections, Ray said.

The senior TMC leader was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to a temple of the Matua community, which is politically significant in West Bengal, in March.

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP's West Bengal unit of trying to fan communal sentiments in the state and asked the saffron camp to shun the culture of "vulture politics".

"Some of the BJP leaders is saying that the incident in Bangladesh will benefit the BJP. This means the BJP is the beneficiary of this atrocious attack on Hindus in Bangladesh. There should be a proper investigation on the role of the beneficiaries also," he said.

The BJP quickly hit back and wondered why Chief Minister had not uttered a single word condemning the incident.

"Why is silent on this issue? Is it to please her vote bank in Bengal that TMC has turned a blind eye to the atrocities against the Hindus in the neighbouring country?" state BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said.

Reacting to Bhattacharya's allegation, Roy said why would the chief minister of a state react to issues that could have implications on bilateral ties.

Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs noted that the government in the neighbouring country had reacted promptly to ensure that the situation is under control and said the Indian mission is in close contact with the Bangladeshi authorities over the matter.

Violence had erupted in pockets of Bangladesh over an alleged blasphemy incident at a Durga Puja pavilion at Cumilla, around 100 km from Dhaka, following which paramilitary forces were deployed in many affected areas. However, sporadic clashes broke out between the police and bigots as media reported the vandalization of Hindu temples and Durga puja venues.

At least five persons were killed, and scores of others were injured in the clashes.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said action will be taken again those trying to "disturb communal harmony".

She also said the perpetrators would be hunted down and punished.

(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.)
Britain agreed to a trade deal with on Wednesday, eliminating tariffs on a wide range of goods as the seeks to expand economic links around the world following its exit from the European Union.

The deal was cemented in a conference call between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, after 16?months of talks by negotiators. Although trade with accounts for only 0.2% of the UK's trade, Britain hopes it will help open the door toward membership in the trans-Pacific trade partnership.

The partnership, which includes Japan, Canada, and Vietnam, had GDP of 8.4 trillion pounds ($11.6 trillion) in 2020.

This is a great trade deal for the United Kingdom, cementing our long friendship with New Zealand and furthering our ties with the Indo-Pacific,'' Johnson said.?It will benefit businesses and consumers across the country, cutting costs for exporters and opening up access for our workers.''



Ardern said the deal was among the best ever achieved by New Zealand and would boost the nation's by about 1 billion New Zealand dollars ($720 million) as it opens the way for more sales of the country's wine, butter, cheese and beef.

This is a historic but substantial deal and it's been achieved basically in a year, Ardern said. That has never been done before.

Trade officials in the U.K. trumpeted the benefits of the deal, declaring that sauvignon blanc wine, Manuka honey and kiwi fruit from New Zealand would be cheaper for British consumers. Clothing, buses and bulldozers will also no longer face tariffs.

British farmers expressed disquiet, however, saying the deal, together with another signed with Australia earlier this year, would mean significant extra volumes of imported food at a time when labor shortages and rising costs are already hurting many U.K. farmers.

This could damage the viability of many British farms in the years ahead, to the detriment of the public, who want more British food on their shelves, and to the detriment of our rural communities and cherished farmed landscapes,'' National Farmers Union President Minette Batters said.

Instead of repeating the refrain that these deals will be good for British agriculture, our government now needs to explain how these deals will tangibly benefit farming, the future of food production and the high standards that go along with it on these shores, he said.

Asked if the deal meant New Zealand would be less reliant on China for its exports, Ardern said diversification would improve options and resilience for its exporters.

There remain some hurt feelings in New Zealand after Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community back in 1973, leaving many New Zealand exporters feeling abandoned.

Ardern said the new deal meant that perhaps it was time to draw a line under that period of history.

Johnson's Conservative government has been focused on negotiating free around the world in an effort to boost economic growth following Brexit. The biggest prize would be a trade deal with the United States, although a deal with America seems far off.

(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 today that starting on January 1, 2022, it will be decreasing the service fee for all subscriptions on Play to 15 per cent from 30 per cent, and for developers offering subscriptions, this means that first-year subscription fees will be cut in half.

"Digital subscriptions have become one of the fastest growing models for developers but we know that subscription businesses face specific challenges in customer acquisition and retention. Weve worked with our partners in dating, fitness, education and other sectors to understand the nuances of their businesses. Our current service fee drops from 30 per cent to 15 per cent after 12 months of a recurring subscription. But weve heard that customer churn makes it challenging for subscription businesses to benefit from that reduced rate. So, were simplifying things to ensure they can," said Sameer Samat, Vice President, Product Management at Google, in a blog post on Thursday.

Play currently charges 30 per cent fees for subscription services after 12 months. Now this will be 15 per cent for subscription services from the first day.

Earlier this year Google launched the Play Media Experience programme to encourage video, audio and book developers alike to help grow the Android platform by building cross-device experiences. This helped developers invest in these multi-screen experiences with a service fee as low as 15 per cent, the firm said in the blog post.

The tech giant further said e-books and on-demand music streaming services, where content costs account for the majority of sales, will now be eligible for a service fee as low as 10 per cent.

"The new rates recognize industry economics of media content verticals and make Google Play work better for developers and the communities of artists, musicians and authors they represent. You can go here for more information," Samat added.

Some of Google Play's practices, like commissions, have been a contentious issue with developers in India and globally. In March, it lowered commission for developers when they make $1 million in annual revenue for in-app purchases. From July 1, it said it would slash its 30 per cent billing fee to 15 per cent for developers globally when they make the first $1 million of their annual revenue.

Since last year, Indian start-ups and unicorns have been claiming that Google abuses its monopoly, enforcing the billing system, and takes a 30 per cent commission on the transactions. All apps distributed on the Google Play Store, that were offering in-app purchases of digital goods, needed to use Google Plays billing system.

Google had said this wasnt new and its payments policy has always required this. It had said Google Play billing had always taken a 30 per cent commission on these transactions. It said at the time this would only apply to less than 3 per cent of developers with apps on Play Store, as 97 per cent anyway don't offer in-app purchases of digital goods, and therefore don't need to use Play billing services.
today announced the launch of the Unnati Program to help equip engineering students in India with industry-relevant data-centric skills. The chipmaker said that it plans to setup 100 Unnati Centric Labs over the course of next year.

The idea is to bring academia and industry together to address skills gap in the new age technologies. Focused on inclusion, the Intel Unnati Program strives to broaden access to infrastructure for educational institutions across all tiers.

Institutions will have a choice of lab variants to suit their budgets and based on where they stand in their and infrastructure journey. Each Intel Unnati lab includes hardware and software stack recommendations from Intel, course content and co-branded course completion certificates for students. Currently, labs are available for artificial intelligence (AI), FPGA solutions and AI Internet of Things (AIIoT), with multiple other technologies in the pipeline including smart mobility and security.

When asked what differentiates Unnati from several programmes being run collaboratively with academia and the industry, Nivruti Rai, country head Intel India and VP of Intel Foundry Services said: These labs would be places where students get access to cutting edge tech like IoT set ups, server setup, multiple funnels of coming in etc. This will enable leading edge R&D capability to students within their university premises, they do not have to wait to graduate and then join a company like Intel and then get access to such compute capabilities.

The Intel Unnati Program has been piloted across 15 colleges that are in the process of setting up Centres of Excellence on their campuses. The labs are already operational in 3 institutes including Galgotias University  Uttar Pradesh, OPJU  Chattisgarh, and Vinayaka Mission  Tamil Nadu. Other colleges that are part of the pilot include IIIT Dharwad  Karnataka, Amrita University  Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)-AP, Yeswant Rao Chavan Engineering College  Maharashtra, T John Engineering College  Karnataka, Marwadi University  Gujarat, SRM University  Tamil Nadu, Hindustan University - Tamil Nadu, LPU  Punjab, COE, Roorkee  Uttarakhand, Parul University  Gujarat, and Kumaraguru College  Tamil Nadu.

Program implementation is supported by a network of system integrators across India who can customize the lab configuration to suit each institutions requirements, train the faculty on course content, and provide ongoing maintenance support. The emphasis is on hands-on experiences that build confidence among students in the use of hardware and software toolkits.

Making technology inclusive and expanding digital readiness is a key component of Intels RISE strategy and critical to the companys corporate purpose. Intel has committed to expanding digital readiness to reach 30 million people in 30,000 institutions in 30 countries by 2030.
Lets talk about buying an for $1,000. Tim Cook, Apples chief executive, once compared this eye-popping price tag to buying a cup of coffee a day over a year. No big deal, right?

But financial advisers see this differently. By some estimates, an investment of $1,000 in a retirement account today would balloon to about $17,000 in 30 years.

In other words, $700 to $1,000  the price range of modern  is a big purchase. Fewer than half of American adults have enough savings set aside to cover three months of emergency expenses, according to the Pew Research Center. Yet one in five people surveyed by the financial website WalletHub thought a new phone was worth going into debt for.

Tech companies fairly argue that our are our most powerful tools for work and play and thus worth every penny. But they also play numbers games to downplay the costs of a new phone. Samsung, for example, has said the price of its new Galaxy phone is $200  but thats only if you trade in a year-old phone for credit toward the new one. The true price is $800.

So its worth looking at phone upgrades in a different light to weigh their financial impact. That can help us make well-considered decisions so that the move isnt automatic.

The irony of Mr. Cooks coffee analogy isnt lost on Suze Orman, the financial adviser who once famously equated peoples coffee habits to peeing $1 million down the drain. The seemingly small amount of money that people mindlessly spend on java  and now phone upgrades  could be a path to poverty, she said.

Do you need a new one every single year? asked Ms. Orman, who hosts the Women and Money podcast. Absolutely not. Its just a ridiculous waste of money.

and Samsung didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

So whats the true cost of a phone upgrade? Lets look at the math.

Flipsy, a company that buys and sells used phones, published an analysis this year arguing that its smart to buy a new every year. Here was its breakdown:

The 12 cost $799 last year. Its now worth $460 if you trade it in to defray the cost of a new phone. The newest iPhones, the iPhone 13, also cost $799. So if you traded in your iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 would cost $339. At this rate, if you bought an iPhone every year for four years, including the original $799, the net total would be $1,816.

If you waited three years for the iPhone 15, your iPhone 12s trade-in value would diminish to about $200.

Trade it in and the cost of the iPhone 13 would be $599. Add in the original $799 and your net cost over four years would be $1,398.

In summary, upgrading annually over three years costs $418 more, or roughly $12 a month, compared with upgrading every three years, Flipsy said.

Framed this way, it may sound like a bargain to get a new phone every year as opposed to every few years. But plugging these numbers into a financial calculator tells a different story.

If you put $12 a month into a retirement account, like a Roth I. R. A. that has an average annual rate of return of 10 percent, that amount would turn into $25,161 over 30 years, according to Ms. Ormans savings calculator.

Ms. Orman compared the trade-in dilemma to buying cars. Car manufacturers could argue that the diminishing trade-in value of your car should compel you to buy a new one regularly  but dont fall for it.

I love my car, and I dont care that the value goes down, she said. Think of the 11 years I have saved money not having car payments, or trading it in and spending more money to get another car.

So what about those cups of coffee? On average, we pay $3 a cup, so $1,000 could buy roughly 333 cups. But naturally, making your own coffee is much cheaper.

I plugged some numbers into a coffee calculator designed by Bone Fide Wealth, a financial planning service. A $16 bag of beans from Peets Coffee at Costco could brew about 41 cups of coffee for 39 cents each. So a $1,000 iPhone is worth about 2,500 cups of coffee. Not as compelling.

Doug Boneparth, the president of Bone Fide Wealth, made a counterpoint. For people who have plenty of cash and are aware of the impacts of their spending, splurging on new phones could be inconsequential to their overall savings goals compared with bigger expenses like housing  and if phones make them happy, go for it. He said he sets aside cash every year to buy a new iPhone as a sort of hobby.

Personal finance is quite personal, Mr. Boneparth said.

But he acknowledged that even his hobby was beginning to have diminishing returns because new phones werent getting much better technologically every year. The 13 is the first one where Im like, This one literally only has a better camera, he said of the latest iPhone.

Ms. Orman cautioned that for most people who didnt have as much money in the bank, especially those in debt, the effects of a phone upgrade could snowball. A $1,000 phone charged to a credit card could turn into $3,000 with interest by the time its paid off, she said. More debt could also affect your credit score, making it harder to buy or rent a home.

If you think a phone is worth going into debt for, then, oh my God, youve now just set yourself up for always being in debt, she said. The truth of the matter is theres nothing other than a medical expense worth going into debt for.
New Delhi, [India], October 21 (ANI/ Mediawire): Mental health is of utmost importance in our well-being and with so much uncertainty and chaos in the ever-changing world, now more than ever, wellness is of paramount importance. Simultaneously, the pandemic has forced us to see our homes and built environments in a radically new light - as the protectors of our health and the enablers of our wellbeing.

Lodha Luxury, an advocate for wellness, is known for developments that provide a one-of-a-kind, unique and holistic living experience that stretches beyond the residence.

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, celebrated on 10th October, Lodha Luxury paid a tribute to eminent healthcare & wellness leaders and their families through a felicitation by His Excellency Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Governor of Maharashtra at the Raj Bhavan for their selfless work and contribution towards the physical & mental well-being of the citizens of Mumbai. The event witnessed notable personas like Dr Zirak Marker, Dr Pratik Samdani, Dr Zarir Udwadia, Dr Shashank Joshi, Dr Chetan Bhatt, Dr Abdul Ansari, Dr Gautam Bhansali, Dr Pankaj Parekh, Dr Anjali Chhabria, Dr Milind Kirtane, Luke Coutinho, along with their families, amongst others.

Vinti Lodha, Advisor at Lodha Luxury says, "We all understand the importance of mental health and through this engaging and heartfelt gesture, we are hoping to encourage people to take better care of their overall health and well-being."

In continuation of the brand's recent campaign 'What Are You Waiting For' - Lodha Luxury also launched an exclusive anthem sung by Ayraah Lodha to spark conversations and drive more awareness about focussing on integrated wellness - including preventive healthcare, mental health, physical health, exercise and nutrition - which is critical in ensuring an enhanced quality of life and in turn, happiness.

Watch the anthem on the following link: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JJIKWnX-io)

This story is provided by Mediawire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Mediawire)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi[India], October 21,(ANI/NewsVoir): South Asia's largest overseas education company Leap, that runs Leap Finance and LeapScholar (https://leapfinance.com) and (https://leapscholar.com), has announced the launch of 'LevelUp H1B', a job-matching portal for international students that allows international students to apply directly to a curated list of companies sponsoring H1B Visas.

The free of cost portal aims to make the job search process easier for international job seekers, who have bespoke employment requirements like visa sponsorship and thus present unique hiring challenges.

The 'LevelUp H1B Job Portal', expected to be functional from 25th October, will be launched on the sidelines of https://levelup.leapscholar.com/events">H1B Careers Summit on 23rd October 2021 (9 AM PDT | 12 PM EST | 9 PM IST), organised in association with Yocket.

During the summit, 13 global leaders will share their experiences and will give advice to students on how to navigate the US job market as recent graduates, mid-career professionals or in leadership roles, as immigrants.

Through the summit, these leaders will address an audience of more than 10,000 international students and professionals.

In a bid to make these aspirants career-ready, they will deep dive into insights on how to break into roles without work experience, hiring processes, desired skills and typical career trajectories.

During the summit, Leap will also launch an e-book titled 'From Admit Letter to Offer Letter' to provide international students a roadmap to navigate the job landscape in the US and prepare them to land their dream internships and jobs.

The impressive lineup of guest speakers includes Sanket Firodiya - Co-founder at Hammr, Lokesh Kumar - Senior Director, Engineering at StockX and ex-Microsoft, Tanya Shastri - Vice President of Products, Blockchain at VMware and Amit Bhojwani - Director, Products at Facebook, amongst others. The guest speakers will emphasize on the 3 most popular career tracks for international students in the US: Software Development, Product Management, Data Science.

On the launch of the job portal, Vaibhav Singh, Co-founder of Leap said, "We at Leap are passionate about ensuring professional success of our community of students. Kickstarting a career in a new country can be a daunting task. We are excited to launch LevelUp H1B job portal which will significantly ease the job search process for international students as well match them to the right career options. The contribution made by migrants to the world economy is well documented and we hope to empower the next generation of global leaders through this initiative"

Sumeet Jain, Co-founder of Yocket said, "The H1B Careers Summit is a unique initiative to help international students and H1B visa holders navigate through an often challenging job market in the US. Through this summit and the subsequent guest lectures, aspirational students/job seekers will get a good understanding of the situations they might encounter and the best possible ways to counter the same. We're delighted to partner with Leap for this initiative and believe this will be a great platform for viewers, aspirants and participants alike."

The H1B Careers Summit is one of many offerings from Level Up by Leap-a community-based learning and mentorship program for International students. The 5000 members strong community conducts several workshops, career-track sessions and offers free resources to equip participants to navigate the US job market successfully as an immigrant.

Founded in 2019, Leap (https://leapfinance.com) and https://leapscholar.com/">leapscholar.com) is the first online platform to offer end-to-end services for students pursuing international education and careers. Headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Bangalore (India), Leap offers counseling services, visa services, education loans, and other financial products tailored for international students.

Yocket is India's largest community-based digital platform of more than half a million study abroad aspirants, enabling them to pursue an education worldwide by connecting to fellow aspirants, universities, loan providers, and counseling experts in one place.

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.)
New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI/Mediawire): Sunstone Eduversity has recently announced its advisory board, comprising seasoned educators, industry champions, army personnel, and proficient corporate professionals, who will assist Sunstone with strategic inputs for driving an exceptional education product.

Sunstone's Advisory board has 5 leaders with varied experiences,

- DilipChenoy, Secretary General of FICCI,

- Prof. M.V. Rajeev Gowda, Professor of Economics and Social Sciences & Advisor for Bridge India,

- Lt. Gen Arun Kumar Sahni, Army veteran and currently mentoring ventures in Information security & HR management domains,

- Mohit Thukral, Founder and Managing Partner of Vivtera, Elected NASSCOM Executive Council Member, and

- Anuranjita Kumar, Founder and CEO of the Women in Technology India, previously held leadership roles at RBS & CitiBank.

Addressing its newly constituted advisory board, CEO & Co-founder of Sunstone Eduversity, Ashish Munjal says, "Thankful to all the members for being a part of Sunstone Advisory Board! The expert guidance of the board will push Sunstone into transformative action. Their experience will help us lead & build the best path to success for our students."

https://twitter.com/SunstoneEdu/status/1439138403400912898

What is the direction Sunstone expects from this board?

The board will guide Sunstone in 4 key aspects:

1. Curriculum and Pedagogy

Thought leadership on redefining academic curriculum

Effective teaching & learning methodologies in Sunstone's pedagogy

Student success via Mentorship Program for Sunstone Super 10

2. Strategic Initiatives

Strategic evaluation of new programs and initiatives launched by Sunstone

Avenues to support Sunstone's Global expansion plans

3. Partnerships

Strategic partnership with curriculum and academia partners, university and college partners, industry partners, international immersion, & government initiatives for education

4. Tech-First and Student-Centric Approach

Tech-first solutions to help build a future-ready product

Build Sunstone's values with students at the core of every decision

Sunstone's vision for a brighter tomorrow

Archaic education practices focus on an "input-driven" approach and mostly emphasise infrastructure, the number of courses, the number of faculty members, and other "quantity" specific metrics. However, these are only hygiene elements. What sets the student's experience and learning apart is the curriculum's ability to deliver transformational learning & experience that leads students to success.

In the absence of such "outcome-based" learning methodologies, many talented and ambitious students in India will be left without the opportunity to achieve their true potential.

In 2022, Sunstone plans on scaling the brand across the country by partnering with 60+ campuses and bringing on board 25000+ students. Sunstone has launched its MCA and BBA courses this year along with its online management programs, with much more on the cards for the future.

Sunstone recently raised USD 28 mn in a Series-B funding round that will facilitate the execution of this plan, within the next year. The advisory board will transform the future of higher education with the highly driven mix of professionals at Sunstone Eduversity.

Click (https://sunstone.edu.in/advisory-board) here to know more about Sunstone's Advisory Board.

This story is provided by Mediawire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Mediawire)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Surat (Gujarat) [India], October 21 (ANI/PNN): Pay it forward: an initiative to bring together pioneers of the IT industry in Surat saw its pilot event in the last week.

As an initiative to pay forward the gratitude for nourishment and growth industry without anything in return.

The event was inaugurated by Dr. Anand Deshpande (CEO, Persistent Systems). Dr. Deshpande congratulated panel members (Dr. N. L. Kalathia, Sailesh Khawani, Jitesh Kapadia, Vipul Kapoor, Ashish Narola, Dhara Shah, Naren Burade, Mickey Shah, Vishal Rajpara, Dr. Rakesh Doshi, Ritesh Mehta and Suresh Kalathiya, Mitul Golakia, Varun Trivedi, Hiral Gondaliya, Neerka Tandon).

Dr. Deshpande emphasised the importance of scale and growth through collaboration, encouraging software builders of the Gems and Jewellery industry to join the workshop at IIT Bombay. In a pandemic context, he recommended retaining urban talent as they are already working from home and leveraging industry expertise at scale. He suggested establishing boards of advisors and independent directors to stay focused.

Panel discussion on industry insights and solutions to critical problems at present started with Ashish Narola (CEO, Narola Infotech) exploring the availability of good talent and emphasizing on training, stating 'if we assume that employees will leave after training, what if they are not trained and stay?' Dr. Rakesh Doshi (PhD, Traders' Psychology) encouraged owners to be driven enough, stressing that one does not have to be a leader to lead; leadership comes with the drive.' Jitesh Kapadia (CEO, August Infotech) emphasized a top-down approach to empower management and team leads for greater results and scale of businesses. Ms. Dhara Shah (Director, Sanskruti Technologies) emphasized leveraging local talent and prioritizing tech expertise over soft skills. Privileged education was clarified by panellists Sailesh Khawani (CEO, Hard n Soft Consultancy) and Ms Shah as a privilege for an initial career but experience and passion as proper drivers for sustainable success. Suresh Kalathiya (CEO, Ebizz Infotech) emphasized the importance of creating a support system.

Vipul Kapoor (Co-founder, Ezee Technosys) shared a remarkable IT journey with emphasis on building a business rather than joining the bandwagon of start-ups, emphasizing on clarity and prioritizing on being a businessman rather than an entrepreneur to ensure business longevity.

Khawani and Kalathiya amplified the message by articulating the need of creating a support system. Dr. Doshi advised on an understanding of the business model before thinking of a start-up. Varun Trivedi (Co-founder, Iconscout) drew audience attention to explore all funding options from VCs to non-equity grants and government programs. Mr. Khawani, Mr. Kapadia and Dr. Doshi emphasized building financial literacy with a humorous anecdote: if you hire 1 person and pay him for 2, he's bound to work equivalent to 3.

Vishal Rajpara (CTO, Casepoint) focused on a solution-oriented approach: solving the problem is essential than building a product. Growth was further perceived as health, wealth, happiness and spirituality by panellists. Mr. Mitul Golakia (CEO, InfyOm Tech) addressed the industry shift from 'talent searching for jobs to companies searching for talent' over a span of years in Surat and how talent filtration has shaped the resource crisis in the IT sector for the region. Mr. Rajpara emphasized the need for newbies to channelize research, seek guidance from veterans and build an ecosystem. This was further echoed by Mr. Trivedi via Iconscout journey from Surat to Bangalore and back, highlighting the potential of the city and its culture in the IT sector.

Pay It Forward Panel explored various issues ranging from efficiency in recruitment by connecting appropriate talent to appropriate company, to breaking comfort zone, understanding business model, thinking of start-up as business and bridging the skill gap via corporate training or formalized way with universities academic outlets in the city. Veterans encouraged mentorship opportunities and how to absorb shocks from failures, navigate common potholes and improving the infrastructure for all.

Dr. Naren Burade advised the current generation to use reliable resources while avoiding short-cuts that can prove futile in the long term. Intelligent interaction of 3 hours created a feeling of belonging for techies in the cities and opened doors for fellowships and friendships.

The event saw vibrant culture with the opening performance of Bharatanatyam and an enthralling flute performance by Suresh Kalathiya at a conclusion. Coruscate Ventures, the organiser of the pilot event, celebrated its 8th anniversary at Platinum Hall, SEICC, with veterans of industry coming together for panel discussion echoing the need for innovation, entrepreneurship, mentorship, product-market-fit, talent retention, training and scaling from regional to global scale.

Everyone at Coruscate Venture companies (DhiWise, Zujo, TallyWiz and DiamNow) attended the event. In keeping with the spirit of the 8th-anniversary celebration, all were decked up in stunning sarees and blazers, making the event a unique intersection of the corporate and cultural landscape of IT in Surat. Vishal Virani, the CEO, concluded the event by quipping 'Innovation has no designated place; it finds its way when we appreciate the resources at hand. Going to Silicon Valley is a mindset; learning from it to build an equivalent or better community here at home is a far more important pursuit.' Kalpesh and Rahul echoed the same message by quoting Isaac Newton, 'If I am able to see further than others, it is because of standing on the shoulders of giants".

The city of Surat echoed the potential of the tech industry as equivalent to that of textile and diamond as the next generation continues to flood Surat IT Industry. Pay it Forward is intended around identifying, recognizing, and celebrating IT industry experts and their expertise. The intention is to build and nurture IT Infrastructure to ensure that city of Surat is able to promise, deliver, and sustain innovation and technological revolution.

Pay it Forward is an ethos of DhiWise where the critical focus is on uncovering stories of success and failure alike that remain hidden and undiscovered. People of Surat have written programs and systems. Program as simple as Daalroti.org and as complex as Global Positioning System. Surtis are essentially living breathing books with a lot to offer in terms of advice, expertise and insight. Pay it Forward intends to uncover as many stories as possible.

As Vishal Virani (CEO, DhiWise) puts it, 'If 10 people from 500 companies of Surat come together every quarter, we could have a tech-convention of 5000 people, that's a tremendous opportunity to connect, share and celebrate'.

This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI/SRV Media): (https://mitwpu.edu.in) MIT-World Peace University(MIT-WPU) has started the admission process for their PG Diploma programs in (https://admissions.mitwpu.edu.in/pg-diploma-in-cybersecurity/?utm_source=SRVPR & utm_medium=ANI%2BHTPR & utm_campaign=MITWPU+PGDCS) Cybersecurity (PGDCS) and (https://admissions.mitwpu.edu.in/pg-diploma-aiml/?utm_source=SRVPR & utm_medium=ANI%2BHTPR & utm_campaign=MITWPU+PG+AIML) Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Ranked as the 3rd best university to study in India, MIT-WPU has developed programmes to focus on comprehensive academics, research tie-ups with global brands for students to get relevant & wide industry exposure.

The theory and practical interwoven program structure make the learning more enthralling and fun.

Program Overview - Since the advent of the digital age, technology has grown at a rapid speed with IT permeating into every sphere of life. With the continuous advancement in connected technologies, coping with and being resilient against cyberattacks are the top priorities of modern organisations.

The (https://admissions.mitwpu.edu.in/pg-diploma-in-cybersecurity/?utm_source=SRVPR & utm_medium=ANI%2BHTPR & utm_campaign=MITWPU+PGDCS) Postgraduate Diploma in Cybersecurity (PGDCS) is an agile learning program of 11 months duration, which is joint design and delivery with KPMG in India. Eminent cybersecurity practitioners of KPMG in India will leverage their experiential learnings to add value to the program. Further, KMPG in India will offer their services in preparing the course structure, make suitable faculties available for delivering training to participants and provide study material for 3 modules in the program. The post-graduate diploma is a 3-trimester course with 675+ hours of learning, 135+ hours of KPMG in India training and 40+ hours of project mentorship.

MIT-WPU has also formed an Advisory Body for PGDCS, which includes eminent cybersecurity professionals such as Vishal Salvi (CISO, Infosys), Dr Balsing Rajput (DCP - Mumbai and Chevening Cybersecurity Fellow), and Venkatesh Murthy (Director, Data Security Council of India), among others. The curriculum has been carefully designed to provide an in-depth exposure of cybersecurity-related areas, including but not limited to, Cybersecurity and Governance, Cyber Transformation, Cyber Defence, Cybercrime and Incidence Response, Data Privacy and Regulatory Landscape, among others.

The (https://admissions.mitwpu.edu.in/pg-diploma-aiml/?utm_source=SRVPR & utm_medium=ANI%2BHTPR & utm_campaign=MITWPU+PG+AIML) PG Diploma in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is offered by the School of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE). The highly selective and rigorous 11 months PG Diploma in AI & ML, aims to prepare professionals for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning roles and job opportunities. The hands-on immersive learning, case studies and assignments using high-end tools are sure to give a head start. The instructors from reputed universities will give a global perspective to the course and will ensure industry readiness.

Delivered by the best minds in the field, this course gives aspiring candidates the specialist knowledge and adaptability to move to the forefront of AI transformation. Students will gain hands-on experience with up-to-date technologies that are backed by sound training in fundamental concepts, models and methods.

Placements And Career Opportunities: MIT-WPU's has successfully provided 100% placement to all the eligible students of previous batches with the highest package of 37.26LPA and an average package of 6.5 LPA. Some of the recruits are Wipro, Amdocs, Synchron, SunGard, Cognizant, EMC2, Thoughtworks, Infosys, Mahindra and many more.

Graduates can choose from a plethora of roles and opportunities such as Machine Learning Engineer, Data Scientist, Business Intelligence Developer, Big Data Engineer/Architect, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Information Security Auditor, and Cyber Policy Makers to name a few.

Eligibility Criteria: Aspirants interested in the PG Diploma in Cybersecurity program require a completed Diploma or Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering OR Science (with Computer Science / IT as Major) OR Management (with Systems / IT as Major) from any recognized University approved by UGC / AIU with 50% of Marks (45% in case of candidates of backward class categories and Persons with Disability).

For the PG Diploma in AI & ML program, candidates require a completed BE, Btech, ME, MTech in Electronics and Computer Engineering, MSc in Mathematics, Electronics, and Computer, BCA or MCA. Further to the eligibility criteria, the candidates will require to go through a selection process comprising a personal interview.

Covid Policies: MIT-WPU prioritizes students' safety and has moved the entire admission process online. In accordance with government directives and to ensure that students do not miss out on critical academic time this year, all study programs at MIT-WPU are being conducted online and through a blended mode of learning. As a precaution, MIT-WPU will not reopen its campus to students until it is completely safe, as per Government Guidelines.

Online Admission Process: MIT-WPU is currently accepting online applications for all the programs. Adhering to the strict guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic, students can apply and appear for the required tests online from the comfort of their homes to be considered for provisional admission offers to the program followed by the induction and commencement of classwork.

For further details, please visit - (https://admissions.mitwpu.edu.in/pg-diploma-in-cybersecurity/?utm_source=SRVPR & utm_medium=ANI%2BHTPR & utm_campaign=MITWPU+PGDCS) PG Diploma in Cybersecurity (PGDCS) and (https://admissions.mitwpu.edu.in/pg-diploma-aiml/?utm_source=SRVPR & utm_medium=ANI%2BHTPR & utm_campaign=MITWPU+PG+AIML) PG Diploma in AI & ML

This story is provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV Media)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Wenatchee/Washington,( U.S), October 21,(ANI/ NewsVoir): Washington Apple Commission launches their brand-new website, along with a complete rebrand. The Washington Apple Commission, the industry marketing arm for international promotions, has updated their website to create a modern and visually striking "one-stop-shop" for all things Washington apple - from the newest varieties to delicious new recipes.

(https://waapple.org), the new Washington Apples website is the go-to resource for apple discovery. Whether someone is looking for the sweetest apple available in January or the best red baking apple, with just a few clicks on the new apple variety page users will quickly find the answer they are looking for.

Enhancing the apple variety page led to a complete overhaul of the apple recipe portal. With completely new recipes, videos and photography, this recipe index reflects a delightful experience that will locate the right recipe for anyone's taste buds.

Another focus of the website is the extensive history of Washington apple growing in the state. The new site highlights the faces behind the industry and shares their stories and brings these to life with insightful and beautifully crafted pages.

"We are thrilled to release a website that reflects the quality of our brand and authentically represents our growers," says Rebecca Lyons, International Marketing Director for the Washington Apple Commission. "The site is available in eight different languages besides English, so consumers in the US and international markets have the opportunity to learn more about Washington apples and the dedication and care that makes them "Grown with Goodness"."

The Washington Apple Commission is a non-profit, promotional organization dedicated to marketing and advertising fresh Washington apples internationally.

For more information on the Washington Apple Commission, please visit (https://waapple.org)

The Washington Apple Commission is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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.)
Amitabh Bachchan recently pulled out of an endorsement deal with a popular pan masala brand on his 79th birthday after facing a backlash on social media. The Bollywood megastar, who featured in the ad for this brands silver-coated cardamom seeds with actor Ranveer Singh, claimed that he was not aware when the ad was being filmed that it fell under surrogate advertising. He also returned the money he had received for the endorsement.

This was not the first time an actor had landed in such a controversy. In 2016, former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan had appeared in a surrogate advertisement for another pan masala manufacturer. He had claimed that the company cheated him by not disclosing the harmful nature of its product. The company, on the other hand, stressed that the product Brosnan endorsed was a mouth freshener and should not be associated with chewing tobacco.

Several actors, including Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Mahesh Babu, Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra, Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan, have also made appearances in the ads of mouth fresheners made by pan masala brands.

Indias pan masala market size*

2020: Rs 45,585 crore

2026: Rs 69,518 crore

*Projections by IMARC Group

According to market research firm IMARC Group, the size of the pan masala market in India, which was Rs 45,585 crore in 2020, is projected to reach Rs 69,518 by 2026.

Amitabh Bachhans pullout has reignited a debate on the legality of such ads. Companies use surrogate advertising as a workaround to promote tobacco and alcohol products, whose advertising is banned by law in the country.

But how are celebrities able to promote such brands? It is done through what is called surrogate advertising.

Surrogate advertising first surfaced in India after the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 banned direct advertisements of liquor, cigarettes and tobacco products.

Such ads promote the established brand names of companies whose main products fall under the category whose advertising is not allowed. This is done by using the same brand names for different products altogether. The purpose of surrogate ads is to increase brand recall in the minds of consumers. New products carrying the same brand name are known as brand extensions, which is not illegal under the Act. The rules allow some liberty for such surrogate advertisements under the pretext of brand extensions. Notable examples include the ads for soda and music CDs by liquor companies. This is done using trademark diversification.

The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 prohibits direct and indirect advertising of tobacco products. This Act also does not allow ads of other goods using the brand name of tobacco products.

But plain pan masala that does not contain tobacco can be advertised on television, even though its packaging contains a mandatory health warning, since it has ingredients like betel nut, a known carcinogen that is addictive.

But celebrities are restricted from advertising plain pan masala because of explicit Advertising and Standards Council of India guidelines, which say that products bearing health warnings by law cannot be endorsed by them. Nonetheless, ads for cardamom seeds, such as those done by Amitabh Bachhan and Hrithin Roshan, are seen as surrogate for tobacco products or pan masala bearing the same brand name.

Established in 1985, the ASCI is a voluntary self-regulatory organisation with members from marketing, media, and allied companies.

It has laid out the criteria for what constitutes a genuine brand extension and not a surrogate advertisement for tobacco and liquor products.

In January this year, it banned surrogate ads of 12 liquor companies after they failed to convince these were genuine extensions.

In May this year, ASCI issued strict guidelines to crack down on surrogate ads. The rules state that the product sold under the brand extension that has been present in the market for less than two years must have a turnover of Rs 20 lakh per month or demonstrate fixed asset investment of at least Rs 10 crore.

If the brand has been present for more than two years, its annual turnover should be Rs 5 crore nationally or Rs 1 crore per state where distribution has been established. The numbers must be validated by an independent agency or a CA firm.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting last year advised that surrogate advertisements be previewed and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) before they are allowed for public viewing on television. The law prohibits surrogate advertisements while allowing ads of genuine brand extensions, subject to certain conditions.

While celebrities in some rare cases may stop doing surrogate ads due to public uproar, the government can re-examine the law in this area, as such ads defeat the very purpose of the advertising ban on tobacco and liquor. Despite multiple layers of prohibition, surrogate ads are only thriving, as evidenced by their presence in mega events like the Indian Premier League.
Painter Zhang Ben opened his new exhibition on Nov. 6 at Shanghai's M50 Art Zone. Zhang, born in Huangshan, East Chinas Anhui province, in 1984, is now working at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. Known for his Symbolist oil paintings, Zhang presents a surrealistic space that reflects his inner self, including religious elements. Xiangwai Artha, an art-sharing platform, contributed to todays gallery

Nov 19, 2021 06:03 PM
St. Johnsbury, VT (05819)

Today

Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Partly cloudy. Low near 25F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Partly cloudy. Low near 25F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Become A Subscriber

A subscription opens up access to all our online content, including: our interactive E-Edition, a full archive of modern stories, exclusive and expanded online offerings, photo galleries from Caledonian-Record journalists, video reports from our media partners, extensive international, national and regional reporting by the Associated Press, and a wide variety of feature content.
CAMEROUN :: Agriculture, infrastructure sectors causing most loss of Biodiversity in Cameroon

A study has found that theagro-pastoral and fisheries sub-sectors, particularly rural production and agro-industry and the infrastructure sector (roads, dams, seaports etc.), are responsible for the most loss of biodiversity in Cameroon.

The study which assessed the threat and prioritized sectors causing huge impact on biodiversity in Cameroon, was conducted within the framework of the BIODEV2030 project implemented by WWF Cameroon in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED).

The results of the study were presented during a working group meeting of the BIODEV2030 project held in Douala, Cameroon, October 6 to 7, 2021, by an international consultant, Dr. Leonard Usongo. Participants drawn from seven government ministries, representatives of civil society and the private sector, researchers and international experts, scrutinized the study report and agreed the aforementioned sectors must be urgently engaged to stop biodiversity loss in Cameroon.

Prof. TchawaPaul, Secretary General at MINEPDED and president of the BIODEV2030 working group, said, after reviewing the report, rating and categorization of the sectors, we now understand that the challenges and stakes are enormous.

According to Prof. Armand William Malla, a lecturer and researcher, we will need an integrated approach to bring the two sectors together. The agriculture is in the productive sector, while infrastructure enables other sectors to grow. Actors in these sectors must work in synergy in order to effectively reduce biodiversity loss, he said.

For his part, Hon. Louis Roger Essola, head of CEFDHAC, a civil society organization, said a change of attitude of all the actors, especially decision makers, youths and the civil society is need to reverse the trends of biodiversity loss in Cameroon.

An in-depth diagnostic study of the two sectors will be conducted in the months aheadto analyze the situation of each sector at the national level, identify the options, opportunities and challenges for future commitments of economic actors in favor ofbiodiversity protection. The findingsof the study will help provide input for discussions during a multi-stakeholder dialogue phase to co-develop common commitments and an action plan to reduce pressure on biodiversity in Cameroon.

The BIODEV2030 project is an experimental approach implemented in 16 pilot countries, include 9 countries in Africa. Financed by the French Development Agency (AFD) BIODEV2030 supports governments to identify and initiate, together with the private sector and civil society, profound changes in sectors that have a strategic impact on the country's development and biodiversity.
Beat the queues and order ahead with Capita3Eats!

Explore your favourite eateries across CapitaLand Malls and order online or via the CapitaStar app for takeaways or deliveries to your doorstep. With a place for every taste, it's that easy to satisfy your cravings when you order from Capita3Eats.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and consider subscribing for only $7 per month to get access to more articles and news as it happens.
Photo: Contributed Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas

It was in an October 2018 MP Report that I referenced serious concerns raised by residents on news that Statistics Canada was demanding access to certain Canadians personal financial and banking information, including all transactions along with bank account balances, without their consent.



At that time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it clear he supported Ottawa bureaucrats having access to this personal financial information.The prime minister also stated Statistics Canada was actively engaged with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner in that data gathering effort.



We later discovered that the privacy commissioner had no idea Statistics Canada wanted this data from 500,000 Canadian households. The commissioner further stated Statistics Canada was falling way short of its stated objective of being transparent.



It was also revealed the minister (responsible for Statistics Canada) at the time was not notified of the data gathering effort, as is required under legislation. Fortunately, this plan was halted.



I bring this up because an Ottawa-based journalism outlet, Blacklocks Reporter, has just revealed, through an access to information request, that the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has recently been involved in a data gathering effort again involving your personal financial records.



According to Blacklocks Reporter nearly nine million mortgage holders had their data obtained without borrowers informed consent, including personal income, municipal addresses, credit scores and household debts, even for homeowners who were not CMHC customers.



The report further states that, once again, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner was not consulted on this data gathering effort.



When this similar situation occurred in 2018 with Stats Canada, Parliament was in session and we, as the official Opposition, were able to ask questions of both the minister and the prime minister to hold the government accountable.



Unfortunately, we learned recently the prime minister does not intend to recall Parliament until Nov. 22, well over a month away from today and more than two months since the Sept. 20 election.



This leads to my question for this week:



Do you believe two months to recall Parliament after an election is a reasonable period of time or should this occur within a shorter time frame?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.
Photo: The Canadian Press Business groups are warning that the looming end of pandemic-relief programs in Canada could send shockwaves through the economy. Space available signs are shown on storefronts on Queen Street in Toronto on Thursday, April 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Business groups in Canada are warning that ending federal pandemic-relief programs too soon could send shock waves through the economy.

Cutting off wage and rent subsidies as planned on Saturday will force many businesses to reduce their hours, lay off staff or shut down for good, they say.

"It would be absolutely devastating," said Bruce Miller, president and CEO at The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro Inc.

"We're just starting to pay back the mountain of debt that we all have. Now is not the time to walk away from us."

The federal government introduced the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy to help businesses cope with pandemic restrictions, rehire workers and resume normal operations.

Business groups say cutting off the financial aid amid an unpredictable fourth wave, growing labour shortages and ongoing restrictions such as capacity limits and proof-of-vaccination rules could trigger an economic crash.

"We'll see restaurants close across Canada and fewer people working if the subsidies end," Miller said.

Restaurants Canada said 80 per cent of restaurants are operating at a loss or barely scraping by.

Without subsidies, the industry group said many won't survive the fall and winter.

Most have been losing money or barely breaking even since coming out of initial lockdown last year, and at least 10,000 establishments have already closed," Restaurants Canada president and CEO Todd Barclay said in a statement earlier this month.

The rest need government support to help them survive the fall and winter so they can continue feeding our recovery.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said only 40 per cent of businesses are back to normal sales as the deadline for financial aid programs approaches.

The group said only businesses with significant ongoing losses are continuing to receive the subsidies. Without the pandemic support, the group warned that there could be another wave of business closures.

Corinne Pohlmann, senior vice-president of national affairs and partnerships with CFIB, said the emergency pandemic support has been a lifeline for many businesses.

Ending the subsidies at such a critical time in the country's economic recovery would hurt both businesses and workers, she said.

"It would be a huge misstep," Pohlmann said. "Businesses need certainty. So many are still dodging constant curveballs."

The CFIB is also asking Ottawa to scale back the Canada Recovery Benefit, an income support program for workers who do not receive employment insurance benefits.

The business group said the program is contributing to the labour shortage by creating a disincentive for some part-time employees to work.

Pohlmann said that's because unlike the employment insurance program, which is a percentage of previous earnings, the income benefit for workers is a flat amount.

"For people who normally worked 10 to 15 hours a week, they can actually earn more by remaining on the benefit," she said. "We need to change the program to ensure it doesn't incentivize workers to stay home."

However, a recent report by the Business Development Bank of Canada suggests the phaseout of CERB and programs like it won't fix the issue of labour scarcity.

BDB's report said that while sectors like accommodation and food services, retail, and manufacturing have lost thousands of jobs during the pandemic, professional and business services, education, public administration, and health care actually gained workers. In fact, a full 20 per cent of workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic are now working in an entirely different field.
Photo: The Canadian Press

British police charged a man with murder and preparing acts of terrorism Thursday in the stabbing of a Conservative lawmaker who was killed as he met constituents at a church hall last week.

Authorities say a 25-year-old British man with Somali heritage, Ali Harbi Ali, has been charged in the death of David Amess. The case shook a nation accustomed to having face-to-face contact with its leaders and engaging in vigorous debate on issues of the day.

We will submit to the court that this murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations, said Nick Price of the Crown Prosecution Service. He has also been charged with the preparation of terrorist acts."

The death of Amess, who had served in Parliament for almost 40 years and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015, escalated concerns about security among Britain's politicians, who pride themselves on being accessible to their constituents.

A special session of the House of Commons on Monday resounded with appeals to force social media giants to do more to prevent the spread of online hate that has poisoned political discourse.

The slaying came five years after Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by a far-right extremist. Cox was the first British lawmaker to be killed since a peace accord ended large-scale Northern Ireland violence almost 30 years earlier.

Amess, 69, was a social conservative who opposed abortion, campaigned for animal rights and strongly supported Britains exit from the European Union.

Matt Jukes, the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations, said the force will continue to build our case. He said detectives had analyzed computers, searched several London addresses and reviewed CCTV footage as part of the investigation.

It remains the case that no other arrests have been made and at this time we are not seeking anybody else in relation to this incident, he said.
Why aren't all, or most of, the employees at city hall riding the bus when coming to work? The bus (transit hub) is right beside city hall.

Shouldn't the city make it a prerequisite to even having a job? After all, they are shoving buses down the general public's throat.

Shouldn't the municipality be setting the example as they eliminate dozens of parking stalls?

All the staff paid-parking spots used up by civil servants could be used by customers patronizing downtown businesses. Transit would, of course, be free for government employees. Maybe some of those 35-foot long busses might actually have some people on them.

Don't hold your breath though. I've seen the mayor himself drive from a parking stall a block and a half, from where he does his once-a-month radio program to his office.

Kelowna is a do as I say bureaucracy.

Stan Macruger, Kelowna
Photo: Vancouver Police Department Police are looking for this suspect after he was seen in downtown Vancouver on Oct. 19 with a hand gun.

Vancouver police are searching for a man seen with a handgun in the city's core.

The man was spotted on Tuesday, Oct. 19, walking through parts of the city. Around 10:15 a.m. a witness watched as the man walked north on Granville Street holding what looked to be a gun and pointing it around, according to a press release from the Vancouver Police Department.

This is very concerning as we dont know who this person is, if the gun was real or an imitation, and what the person was doing with the gun, says Const. Tania Visintin.

In security footage from the area he can be seen apparently interacting with someone and makes a cutting motion across his neck. He then enters Nordstrom at the Pacific Centre shopping mall.

The man is described as a white male around 50 years old. He stands around 5'8" and weighs around 175 lbs. His hair is short, black, and curly and he has a goatee. At the time of the incident he was wearing glasses, a dark grey jacket, black pants and black shoes.

Anyone who recognizes him or has more information is asked to call police at 604-717-3445.
Cement market in Spain expands 4% in September

ICR Newsroom By 21 October 2021

Cement consumption in Spain advanced 4.4 per cent to 1,305,861t in September 2021 when compared with the equivalent period in 2020, according to Spain's cement association, Oficemen. In the first nine months of the year, demand increased to 11,127,341t, up 12 per cent YoY.



Exports from Spain in September 2021 declined 5.9 per cent to 482,241t when compared with September 2020. However, in the 9M21 there was a 22 per cent increase YoY.



Imports expanded by more than 10 per cent in the January-September 2021 period when compared with the 9M20.

Published under
Erlanger announces that through the philanthropic efforts of associates, physicians and community, the Pediatric MRI campaign has met the $6 million goal.Over the past two years, Erlanger Health System Foundation has been raising money to build a Pediatric Outpatient MRI and Procedure Center at Childrens Hospital at Erlanger Kennedy Outpatient Center. Although it was canceled and changed to a virtual format, proceeds from the 2021 Believe Bash helped to complete and exceed the campaign goal of $6 million.We are blessed to live in a community that values children, their health and their unique needs, and for the translation of that value into actionable, philanthropic giving, filling the gaps and ensuring better outcomes for our children, said Julie Taylor, president of Erlanger Health System Foundation.We continue to be astounded by the generosity of the region. It never fails that when presented with a need, our community provides a solution.Merrianne Kennedy, Erlanger senior director of Radiology, stated, Understanding the unique perspectives children have toward the world, it was important to tailor their experiences in a safe and exceptional way. The new area and services will allow children and adolescents to experience MRI scans and minor procedures in a space that is uniquely designed for them.Construction on the new Pediatric Outpatient MRI and Procedure Center will begin in January and is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2022. The suites will feature bright colors, fun designs and inviting environments to change the perception of the hospital environment for children.
The East Brainerd Church of Christ will host the 8th annual Miss Beautiful Pageant for Special Needs at 6 p.m. this Saturday.

This years Autumn Masquerade will celebrate the beautiful life and talent of 16 amazing women.

This annual community event is sponsored by Chick-Fil-A, Chattanooga Horse Trams, Bender Realty, CPO Professional Imaging, Carrie Workman Photography and Design, Kettle Creek Designs and Mary Kay/Lynn Hubbard.

"Join over 60 volunteers for this special celebration. The Miss Beautiful Pageant may only last a day, but the magic will last a lifetime," officials said.

See Facebook.com/missbeautifulpageant.
Lets talk about it- those words quickly identify my friend, the late Ben Haden. We lost Ben Oct. 24, 2013. As we approach the eighth anniversary of the popular pastors death, I decided to reflect on our friendship that goes back to when the Haden family relocated to Chattanooga in 1968.

Mr. Haden had a career with the CIA, he was an attorney, and a newspaper CEO before answering Gods call to the ministry. He pastored two churches, Key Biscayne Presbyterian and First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga. He was a friend of President Richard Nixon. The Nixon family attended his Florida church. Mr. Haden was a guest at the White House several times.

Mr. Haden enjoyed radio and television as a medium for evangelism. He succeeded Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse on the broadcast, Bible Study Time. Mr. Haden said during the two years of traveling to Philadelphia for the program, God was calling him to start his own radio ministry. After coming to Chattanooga, he organized Changed Lives.

I was working at WDOD radio in Chattanooga when Ben Haden became pastor of First Presbyterian Church. Their Sunday morning service was the first radio program broadcast in the city dating back to 1925. The established weekly radio program instantly gave Mr. Haden a pulpit and his Gospel messages became very popular. It wasnt long until he used those Sunday sermons to start his Changed Lives radio and TV program. By the early 70s, Changed Lives had grown to international proportions. Changed Lives was picked up by the American Forces Radio and Television service and broadcast to service members worldwide.

Most of the listeners and viewers who wrote to Changed Lives received a personal letter back from Ben. He said, If they take the time to write me, I feel I need to respond to as many as possible.

I once told Ben, Ive heard more of your sermons than most of your members and never was there on Sunday morning in the auditorium. With a long pause and smile, he responded, You had a front row seat at the radio station for the broadcast. He remained pastor of the historical Chattanooga church for 31 years.

Charlene Wood worked at a downtown restaurant when Mr. Haden became pastor of the Chattanooga church. She served his breakfast during those early days. Mrs. Wood said Mr. Haden didnt talk much but enjoyed reading his newspaper. For many years, Ben also ate breakfast at Wallys on McCallie Avenue. The server would write on the ticket BEN and the cook knew exactly what to prepare.

Mr. Haden enjoyed being on my talk show. He didnt like to be called Reverend or Mr. He told our radio audience many times, Im Ben.

Although Ben Haden wasnt my pastor, we became close friends. There were lengthy telephone conversations. Hed join Roy Morris and me many afternoons for coffee at the Waffle House on Signal Mountain Road. Move over boys, can I join you? Ben would enjoy his traditional hamburger, meat on a bun, nothing else. Hed talk with us about everything for about an hour while enjoying his black coffee. See you boys next time, and Ben would leave. He always had a kind word for the employees. Roy and I felt good hed call us boys.

Ben spent a lot of time visiting his members and friends in the hospital. I remember it was nearing Christmas and my father was hospitalized at Parkridge Medical Center. I saw Ben at the elevator and when he found out I was going to see my dad, Ben immediately followed me to the room and had prayer. He was there nearly an hour with dad who told him, Youve given me the best Christmas present with your visit.

Bens stories were endless. We did a television interview in 2010 about his friends Billy Graham, George Beverly Shea, and Cliff Barrows. Ben handled the news media for several Billy Graham crusades. Ben resigned the church in 1998 to devote his time to Changed Lives.

When Ben stopped producing new programs, the ministry continued on several hundred radio stations including WDYN and WFLI in Chattanooga. After Bens passing, his daughter Dallas took over Changed Lives to preserve her fathers programs and legacy.

The ministry has compiled two devotional books, One on One, a minute with Ben. Hundreds of these books were sent out to Changed Lives listeners. These one minute devotionals cover topics from Grace to Forgiveness. Mr. Haden authored over a dozen books that are available through Changed Lives.org.

Mr. Haden said after his wife went forward in a Billy Graham crusade in Washington, D.C., God started dealing with him and 11 years later he told the Lord, If you want me, you got me. Ben once said the greatest thrill in his life was seeing a person accept Christ as his or her Savior. Because of recordings, that message of forgiveness still goes out over the radio every week across the United States. Dozens of Ben Hadens sermons can be heard on Changed Lives.org.

During one of our last visits, Ben gave me an audio recording of his testimony given at a Billy Graham crusade in 1971. Thanks to Ben Cagle for posting on YouTube. Those of us who knew Ben can never forget that famous laugh. Ben Haden, Oct. 18, 1925-Oct. 24, 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoKft7paMRo
The Tennessee Department of Education on Wednesday announced the subcommittee members of the Teacher Advisory Subcommittee, Principal Advisory Subcommittee, School System Personnel Subcommittee, School System Leadership Subcommittee, Rural and Small District Subcommittee, Suburban Districts, Municipals, and Fast-Growing Communities Subcommittee, Urban District Subcommittee, which is the next in the series of announcements on Tennessees review of a student-based public education funding strategy.

Governor Bill Lee on Oct. 8 called for a full review of the states funding formula for public education to focus on a student investment strategy that emphasizes all students rather than systems, empowers parents to engage in their childs education and outcomes, ensures all students are prepared for postsecondary success, and reflects Tennesseans values, said officials. In total, 18 subcommittees will convene twice per month to hold conversations on how to create a student-focused investment strategy from the lens of their subcommittees respective stakeholder group.

"Bringing our district and school leaders and educators who are the boots on the ground in our school systems each and every day is essential as we hold discussions on a student-focused funding strategy for public education in Tennessee, said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. Our educators, district and school leaders and advocates for these groups understand the needs our students have in the classroom and can provide critical insights during these conversations as we explore how to better support our students and their futures.

The 86 members of the school and district focused funding review subcommittees are:

Teacher Advisory Subcommittee

Chair: Morgan Rankin, 2021-22 Teacher of the Year, Johnson City Schools, First Region

Daniel Warner, 2020-21 Teacher of the Year finalist, Shelby County Schools, Southwest Region

Brianne Matheney, 2021-22 Teacher of the Year finalist, Chester County Schools, Southwest Region

Danielle VanCleave, 2021-22 Teacher of the Year finalist, Weakley County Schools, Northwest Region

Elizabeth Evans, 2021-22 Teacher of the Year finalist, Anderson County Schools, East Region

Kami Lunsford, 2020-21 Teacher of the Year, Knox County Schools, East Region

Erin Blalock, 2021-22 Teacher of the Year finalist, Warren County Schools, Upper Cumberland Region

Hannah Hopper, 2020-21 Teacher of the Year finalist, Hamblen County Schools, First Region

Laura Boyd, 2021-22 Teacher of the Year finalist, Franklin Special School District, Mid Cumberland Region

Lauryn England, 2020-21 Teacher of the Year finalist, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Mid Cumberland Region

Samantha Stevens, 2020-21 Teacher of the Year finalist, Tullahoma City Schools, South Central Region

Sheron Smith, 2021-22 Teacher of the Year finalist, Cleveland City Schools, Southeast Region

Dawn White, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly

Tim Hicks, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

Principal Advisory Subcommittee

Chair: Farrah Griffith, Principal, White County Schools

Kimberly Shurett, Principal, Marion County Schools

Stephanie Beach, Principal, Bartlett City Schools

Lance Taylor, Principal, Sumner County Schools

Monti Hillis, Principal, Warren County Schools

Corey Limburg, Principal, Bradley County Schools

Nancy Lay, Principal, Campbell County Schools

Jenna Sharp, Principal, Clinton City Schools

Lee Ziegler, Principal, Hamilton County Schools

Rusty Crowe, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly

John Gillespie, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

School System Personnel Subcommittee

Chair: Steve Starnes, Director of Schools, Greeneville City Schools

Kim Worley, Director of Schools, Dyersburg City Schools

Bo Griffin, Director of Schools, Millington Municipal Schools

Cathy Beck, Director of Schools, Cheatham County Schools

Dr. Joey Vaughn, Director of Schools, Manchester City Schools

Clint Satterfield, Director of Schools, Trousdale County Schools

Dr. Bruce Borchers, Superintendent, Oak Ridge City Schools

Dr. Nakia Towns, Interim Superintendent, Hamilton County Schools

Tutonial Williams, Chief Financial Officer, Shelby County Schools

Gary Hicks, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

Ed Jackson, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly

Mark Cochran, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

Nick Darnell, Member, State Board of Education

School System Leadership Subcommittee

Chair: Dr. Danny Weeks, Director of Schools, Dickson County Schools

Mark Florence, Director of Schools, Benton County Schools

Dr. Gary Lilly, Superintendent, Collierville Schools

Dr. Steve Barnett, Superintendent, Johnson City Schools

Chad Moorehead, Director of Schools, Moore County Schools

Diane Elder, Director of Schools, Pickett County Schools

Rob Britt, Director of Schools, Blount County Schools

Dr. Russell Dyer, Director of Schools, Cleveland City Schools

Dr. Mischelle Simcox, Director of Schools, Johnson County Schools

Page Walley, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly

John Ragan, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

Urban District Subcommittee

Chair: Cato Johnson, Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President of Public Policy/Regulatory Affairs, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

Candy Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Urban League of Greater Chattanooga; Liaison, Tennessee Urban League Affiliates

Terence Patterson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Memphis Education Fund

Cardell Orrin, Memphis Executive Director, STAND for Children Tennessee

David Jordan, President & Chief Executive Officer, Agape

Tyler Boldin, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee; Liaison, Big Brothers Big Sisters Tennessee Statewide Association

Ted Cornelius, Executive Director, Tennessee State Alliance of YMCAs

Ryan Hughes, Executive Director, Boys and Girls Club in Tennessee

Chris Henson, Chief of Finance, Metro Nashville Public Schools

Dr. Joris Ray, Director of Schools, Shelby County Schools

Raumesh Akbari, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly

Eddie Mannis, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

Darrell Cobbins, Member, Tennessee General Assembly

Suburban Districts, Municipals, and Fast-Growing Communities Subcommittee

Chair: Dr. Ted Horrell, Director of Schools, Lakeland School System

Dr. Annette Tudor, Director of Schools, Bristol City Schools

Scott Becker, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Genesco

Bill Spurlock, Director of Schools, Rutherford County Schools

Dr. Catherine Stephens, Director of Schools, Tullahoma City Schools

Dr. Del Phillips, Director of Schools, Sumner County Schools

Vanessa Presson, Complex Human Resources Manager, Tyson

John Aitken, Advisory Board, Association of Independent and Municipal Schools

Paul Rose, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly

Charlie Baum, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

Lillian Hartgrove, Chair, State Board of Education

Rural and Small District Subcommittee

Chair: Janet Ayers, President, The Ayers Foundation

Dr. Allan Pratt, Board Member, Tennessee Rural Education Association

Charlie Hatcher, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Dr. Jerry Boyd, Director of Schools, Washington County Schools

Mike Garren, Superintendent, Loudon County Schools

Kristy Brown, Director of Schools, Jackson County Schools

Shawn Kimble, Director of Schools, Lauderdale County Schools

Dr. Norma Gerrell, Director of Schools, Paris Special School District

Eddie Pruett, Director of Schools, Gibson County Special School District

William Curtis, Director of Schools, Cannon County Schools

John Stevens, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly

Ron Gant, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

Bob Eby, Vice Chair, State Board of Education

I am very honored to serve on the funding review subcommittee," said Dr. Mischelle Simcox, director of Schools, Johnson County Schools. "A student-focused funding strategy is essential to systems for innovation and progress that centers around every child in our state being treated fairly and equally. Our goal as educators is to ensure that all of our students PreK-12th grade are college and career ready and to prepare the students in Tennessee for success outside of the classroom.

Matching funding to the needs of the students is something we have been doing at MNPS for several years to create a more equitable public school system here in Nashville," said Chris Henson, chief financial officer, Metro Nashville Public Schools. "Students in urban areas especially often experience significant challenges outside of school that require additional resources to address if they are going to be successful in learning and in life. Moving towards a student-based budgeting model has the potential to close historic resource gaps that have existed for far too long in public education."

"I am pleased that Governor Lee is forming several working committees to analyze and possibly revise the current education funding formula in the state of Tennessee, said Jenna Sharp, principal, Clinton Elementary School. I look forward to being a part of this collaborative conversation, keeping students in public education as the center of our focus. This work will be essential in shaping public education for years to come and is worthy of much input and consideration."

I look forward to engaging in this important work as Tennessee makes big moves to meet the educational needs of all students, said Hannah Hopper, 2020-21 East Grand Division TOY Winner, teacher at Fairview Marguerite Elementary School in Hamblen County Schools.

The states engagement includes the central steering committee and 18 subcommittees, in addition to a committee of national experts, regional meetings of county commissioners and school board members, public engagement representatives, and an opportunity for public comment through a formal survey later in the fall. Each of the 18 subcommittees, composed of 8-10 members, will be led by a chair who is tasked with capturing ideas and feedback based in the unique perspective of the stakeholder group or respective topic area they serve. Each chair is a trusted advocate to responsibly collect and share feedback and suggestions for a student-based funding approach.

Over the next three months, the subcommittees will meet twice a month, either in person or virtually. The central steering committee will convene monthly and review finalized feedback provided by the subcommittees. All associated committee meeting materials, including recordings, transcripts, and minutes, will be posted here. Additional subcommittee members will be released in the coming days.

More than 1,000 Tennesseans have already submitted their interest in engaging in discussions and receiving updates related to a student-centered investment strategy. Members of the public are encouraged to continue to submit their interest via this form.

Visit this webpage for more information and learn how to get involved: https://www.tn.gov/education/tnedufunding. For funding related inquiries, contact tnedu.funding@tn.gov.




A woman told police that a man known as "Willie," while lying on the sidewalk on East 11th Street, was touching her feet and making comments that she "had a nice butt." When he was interacting with her, she said she told him to go and leave her alone, which he did.

* * *

A man told police that overnight the two passenger side tires of his vehicle were punctured on the sidewall. He said the vehicle was parked in the parking lot of Chestnut Flats Apartments, 2108 Chestnut St., during that time frame. He said he has been having ongoing problems with his ex-girlfriend, who he said damaged two tires on his vehicle in February. He showed police text messages that he said were from his ex-girlfriend during the time frame which the vandalism occurred. The text messages showed that the sender was extremely upset at him. One of the messages said, "Just can't stay out them projects can ya? You might as spend your whole Sunday out here. But anyway we even." Police responded to Chestnut Flats and observed cameras at the entrance/exit, but were unable to review the camera footage due to the office being closed. The man said he wishes to prosecute and requested police take out warrants on the ex-girlfriend. Warrants were attempted, but denied by magistrate pending additional information.

* * *

A man on Workman Road told police another man stole miscellaneous hand tools off his cart inside the junkyard. He said he did not wish to prosecute. Staff of the business, LKQ Pick Your Part, requested that the man be trespassed from the property. Police explained to him he was no longer allowed to be on the property and if he returned he would be arrested.

* * *

An abandoned auto was reported at 800 N. Market St. Officers saw a Silver Toyota Yaris that was tagged with an abandoned auto sticker a week earlier after being left for a few days in front of the gates to private property. The Toyota does not come back as stolen. Registration expired October 2020 and the last registered owner is a man on Hamilton Avenue. The address is an abandoned home with structural damage. The Toyota was towed by Cain's Wrecker Service due to abandonment.

* * *

A suspicious person was reported at a residence on Merrydale Drive. Police spoke with a man who said that he used to live at that address, but not anymore. Police asked the man to leave the property. He agreed and left the area.

* * *

While patrolling on Torey Court, officers observed a U-haul truck sitting in the driveway with the ramp down. Officers were informed of possible stolen bikes being taken to this address. While

watching the home another homeowner came out and told officers the U-haul had only been at the home for five minutes prior to police arrival. The homeowner informed police that a red pickup came to this address a few days ago with a frame to a bike in the bed. The homeowner said the man, driving a silver Chrysler, went back into the home counting what appeared to be money. The homeowner also said the Chrysler seen at this address before had a normal tag on it two days ago

and now has a drive-out tag displayed.

* * *

A woman on Bunch Street told police that she and her husband got into a verbal argument at her

grandmother's house over a phone charger. She called police because she had a feeling he was going to hit her. Eventually the woman walked away from him and he left the scene. Neither person got physical.

* * *

A woman on Timber Knoll Drive told police she was still having an issue with the same people she has reported before. She said around 9:53 that morning her Ring doorbell camera captured a man urinating in front of her door. She said that no damage was done and she does not know who this man is. She said she believes that this is the same man that she caught smoking "weed'' before.

* * *



A caller reported an unconscious person at 20 Highway 27 southbound. Chattanooga City Fire assessed the man, who was determined to be asleep in the driver's seat of an impaired truck. Police also assessed him with a field sobriety test and determined there was no impairment. Police offered to call a tow truck for the man, but he refused, saying he did not have the money to pay for a tow truck. Police offered to transport him and he accepted and asked to go to the Waffle House on East 23rd St.

* * *

A suspicious person was reported at City Cafe, 901 Carter St. Police spoke with a man matching the description given in the parking lot, and identified him and another man he was with. Police told them that they received a call regarding them knocking on people's car windows and asking for

money. Police told the two that this kind of conduct is not allowed and to stop. Both of the men acknowledged the command given by police. They then told police that they were going to head home.

* * *

A woman called police from the Chattanoogan Hotel, 1201 Broad St., and said that she and her husband had gotten into a verbal disorder that resulted in her husband taking her property. She said he took her wallet ($10), Louis Vuitton Shoes ($800) and her Dell Laptop ($1,500). She said she called him multiple times attempting to get him to return her items, and he hung up the phone. At this time she does not wish to press charges.

* * *

A woman on Camilla Drive called police and said she wanted her husband to leave for arguing. The man left.

* * *



A woman at a home on East 44th Street told police that she and her mother were there attempting to get her daughter from the father, The father said he did not want to give his daughter back to her mother, due to her being intoxicated. Both of them were able to work it out for the father to take their daughter to school and for the mother to pick her up after school.

* * *

An employee at the Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy., told police a navy blue Jeep Patriot (TN

tag) had parked in front of their establishment approximately two hours before she called police. She said she was receiving multiple complaints from her customers, so she approached the vehicle and observed a man asleep behind the wheel while the vehicle was still running. She said she made several attempts to wake him, and when she was unsuccessful, she turned the vehicle off and removed the keys. Police spoke with the man and noted his words were heavily slurred and he had obvious impaired motor functions. Police instructed him to call someone to pick him up. He complied. His vehicle was locked and secured before his transportation retrieved him.

* * *

A man on Bonny Oaks Drive called police and said he had just been released from Silverdale and his mother had picked him up. He said during the ride home they began to argue and his mother stopped the vehicle and told him to get out, so he did. Police checked the man for any active wants or warrants, which came back negative. Police transported the man to his father's house on Wheeler Avenue without incident.

* * *

A security guard at the Miller Building, 629 Market St., told police that a man was sleeping in the stairwell of the building; however, he had left the location prior to police arrival. Police were unable to locate the man.

* * *

An employee at WoodSpring Suites told police that a woman had a room there and police were called to her room the other day, and they said that she would have warrants out for her arrest. Police got the woman's information and ran it. She did not have any warrants at that time.

* * *

Police observed a white female walking on the side of the interstate at 17780 I-24 westbound. Police gave her a ride to the Americas Best Value Inn, 103 Patten Chapel Road.

* * *

A woman on Grove Street called police and said she wanted information added to an earlier report. She said the reason she brandished a firearm was because the girl touched her forehead with two fingers while in a verbal altercation. Police told her to call back at anytime and to contact the original officer who took the report for further inquiry.

* * *

Police met with a park officer on Manufacturers Road who said that a man went into the women's restroom, peeping, and startled a woman who was in there. When the park officer spoke with the man about his activity, he fled the area on foot. The park officer said that the man was wearing jeans, a gray shirt and carrying a small blue women's style bag. This description led the officer to believe that the subject was a man he knew due to him having seen the man earlier in the shift wearing the same clothing. Police drove the area the man was last seen in and did not find him.
The final of three controversial side by side large hillside homes in St. Elmo was given the go-ahead on Thursday morning by the Chattanooga Historic Zoning Commission.

The third one was approved at 4182 Tennessee Ave. after Jason Craven of Watchtower Investors said he had made all the recommendations by the board from a previous meeting.

He said that included lowering the house from two and a half stories to two stories with a drop in roof lines of 4'7".

Mr. Craven said, "The scale and massing is down. We feel like we've come to the end of a six-month process."

Initially, there were a number of St. Elmo residents speaking in opposition. That had dwindled only to Denise Shaw, who said the homes were too large for the small lots. She said, "The scale doesn't match the site."

She said, "The guidelines were written to protect the integrity of the entire community."

Board member Thomas Palmer said, "There are larger homes in the neighborhood, some even down the street. That hill is making everything seem massive."

Mr. Craven said 30 feet of vegetation will be retained on the lower slopes, and said there are woods on either side.

The homes will be reached off of Seneca Avenue above.

Mr. Craven said one solution to an issue about where to put the trash cans is to build a 5'x5' foot concrete pad by Seneca that can be reached by the arms of city trash trucks.

Steve Lewin, chairman of the commission, is involved in the project. He left the room during the discussion and vote.

In another case, a couple was not allowed to replace their wooden windows on their home at 5401 Glenn Falls. The couple said the windows were deteriorating and hard to open. They said it was a safety factor in case of a fire.

They said they purchased windows that looked like wood, especially since their home sits 90 feet off the street.

Melissa Mortimer of the historic zoning staff said she visited the home and found the windows to only need new glazing.

The commission denied the request, saying that keeping the original wood windows was a requirement. Members said the windows could be reglazed as well as oiled to make them work correctly.

In a third case, the commission ruled against a request by Pat Kelly at 864 Oak St. to be able to keep the horizontal wood fence he erected behind his two-story Victorian brick home. The commission had put a stop work order on the project since he did not get permission.

Mr. Kelly said the fence was needed because there is theft in the neighborhood and much coming and going at all hours from an adjacent rental home. He also said he has two dogs.

Sue Glascock, who said she and her husband own several Fort Wood homes, spoke in favor of the existing Kelly fence. She said such fencing "is desperately needed in the neighborhood."

Mr. Palmer said a horizontal fence "will warp. It won't look good after three months."

Board members put down a requirement for a vertical picket fence in the back yard.
Uno Avisto, 88, of Signal Mountain, passed away on October 18, 2021.

He was born in Tartu, Estonia. He escaped the Soviet invasion of World War II and emigrated to America via Ellis Island in 1950. He graduated with a degree in chemistry from Upsala College in 1955, then enlisted in the U.S. Army. He became a naturalized citizen in 1956, on his first day of eligibility. He enjoyed a long and successful career as a beverage industry executive, ultimately joining Mr. Jack Luptons company (JTL) in 1985, until his retirement.

He was preceded in death by his mother Hilda and father Rihart. He is survived by Patricia, his loving wife of 61 years, son Peter (Courtney), daughter Teri, grandchildren Harrison Avisto, Palmer Avisto, Taylor Luthringer, Sydney Luthringer, brother-in-law Bob Sorensen, several cousins and many close friends.

He devoted time to Metropolitan Ministries and St. Timothys Episcopal Church where he was a former vestry member.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, Oct. 25, at 11 a.m. at St. Timothys Episcopal Church, Signal Mountain. Visitation will be held prior to the service, beginning at 10 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either the Alzheimers Association or St. Timothys Episcopal Church, Signal Mountain.
County Commission Chairman Sabrena Smedley said Thursday she is strongly considering running for county mayor.

Jim Coppinger announced Wednesday that he is retiring after serving as county mayor since January 2011.

Other names mentioned included County Commissioner Greg Martin and former Congressional candidate Weston Wamp.

Commission Chairman Smedley said, "Serving with Mayor Coppinger for the last eight years has been an absolute privilege. As chairman of the County Commission, I have had the honor and important responsibility of leading the commission forward to conduct the essential business of the county alongside the mayor, and I am proud of all the great things we have achieved.

"Together, we have maintained the highest fiscal position with a Triple-A bond rating, supported public education, invested in critical infrastructure needs, supported new and local businesses with a focus on increased job opportunities for the residents of Hamilton County, and the list goes on.

"I will work diligently with the mayor over the next nine months to continue to create great opportunities for the citizens of Hamilton County.

"Following the mayor's announcement yesterday, I received numerous calls, texts, and emails from folks encouraging me to consider running to be the next Hamilton County Mayor. I am honored and humbled that so many folks reached out and asked me to consider this important leadership position.

"At this time, my plans are to stay focused on the county business and to continue praying about this possibility. Serving the residents of District 7 for two terms on the county commission has been an incredible honor, and from Day One I have taken this responsibility seriously, remained fully engaged with my constituents, and served my community with integrity, honesty and transparency.

"I will continue to actively talk with my family, constituents, and peers and strongly consider this leadership opportunity. I am confident that I will be able to fulfill any future role in which God calls me to serve."
After several months of a fact-finding mission spearheaded by Chairman of the Wrecker Board Bill Glascock, action is being taken to amend the Chattanooga Wrecker Code. Mr. Glascock has visited similar sized cities around Tennessee and held numerous meetings with Chattanooga Police Officer and Wrecker Inspector John Collins, Board Member Ron Smith, Attorney Melinda Foster, and others including owners of various towing businesses for varying opinions of the tow truck business in Chattanooga.

A motion passed at the Wrecker Board meeting Thursday to hold a special meeting to tackle the problems that have been recognized. It has been set for Thursday, Dec. 2, from 11 a.m.- noon to discuss revisions to the citys ordinance. The meeting will be advertised so those interested will have notification. The purpose will be to set the ground rules and to start discussion about the problems that the board would like to solve.

Some of the issues include the rates that towing businesses are allowed to charge for their services and the possibility of creating a city run centralized impound lot. Currently, each tow truck business has their own storage lots and some are in locations where the public does not feel safe. The centralized lot would benefit Chattanooga, said Officer Collins, by making a towed car easier to find. Currently, he said towing companies are not required to notify insurance companies they have a vehicle for 10 days and can store the cars during that time.

The central lot would also make it safe for people to pick up their cars, and prices for storage would be stable, said Officer Collins. He said that currently, tow truck businesses require a cash payment to get a car out of their lots and he said that this can no longer be a cash business. Most people do not carry or have that amount of cash and it is a problem when the businesses do not accept checks or credit cards. Cards are the best option, he said because people have been known to cancel payment on their checks after they have their cars back.

Another issue that will be discussed is the necessity that all tow trucks have all the equipment that they need. A recent problem has emerged with crashes involving electric vehicles. Captain Chuck Hartung with the Chattanooga Fire Department told the board that if a battery in a wrecked electric vehicle catches fire, it would take 40,000 gallons of water to extinguish the blaze. And in storage the vehicle must be isolated no less than 72 hours because of the possibility that it might re-ignite. The lots or centralized lot will need to figure out how to tow the car and isolate it for that amount of time, he said.

The tow truck businesses will be asked to choose a representative from each of the six districts to participate in the special meeting, which will be to start the discussions. The Wrecker Board can only make recommendations and pass them to the Mayor and City Council who will ultimately vote on the revisions.
When Chattanooga State Community College opened the Michael P. Hennen Hospitality and Culinary Center six years ago, it introduced students to the delectable world of culinary arts where they learn to hone their skills by preparing, cooking, presenting and serving a variety of foods. Being receptive to new challenges led to establishing the first Chattanooga State Cookoff scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 4, featuring the culinary talents of students in the ROME in Culinary Program.



ROME (Real Opportunities for Mentoring Experiences) in Culinary, a Tennessee Board of Regents-funded project, offers neurodiverse students the opportunity to audit culinary classes while being mentored by neurotypical culinary students. Neurodiverse students are not typical in how they think and interact, while neurotypical means those who think and interact typically, explained Dr. Kristi Strode, director, Center for Access and Disability Services.

Dr. Strode went on to explain that she came across an an article in a Lumina Foundation publication about a culinary program for those with intellectual disabilities. Once she shared the idea with Chef Matthew Williamson, MPH culinary arts program director, they applied for and were awarded a TBR Student Engagement, Retention, and Success grant to pilot this new mentoring project at the College.

As the students acclimate to college life, the mentors and mentees learn from each other while learning valuable culinary skills. After the mentees have four audited classes, they will receive a skills report card that will show potential future employers what has been mastered, added Dr. Strode. It is believed that the structured and purposeful friendships that will develop in this mentoring experience will allow mentees and mentors to develop deeper roots within the college.

The ROME in Culinary Program was inspired by the dream of Anna Frierson, a neurodiverse student, through our work with her for the past four semesters, said Chef Williamson. Her interest and participation in the culinary arts program paired with her dream to make all things possible, encouraged us to seek greater opportunities for the neurodiverse.

Although there may be other similar programs elsewhere, ROME and the program itself belongs to Chattanooga State. The greater goal is recognizing that all people can learn without limits here, said Dr. Strode. As a caring and inclusive community, marketable skills will be learned, but the structured friendship through mentoring and the ability for the mentors to be a part of our community is great, not only for them, but for everyone at Chattanooga State. Expanding this model within other areas of the college is a distinct possibility.

Join ROME in Culinary students on Thursday, Nov. 4, from 12-1 p.m. for this first cookoff event. ROME participants will partner up with mentors to serve free hors doeuvres and refreshments during the free event from 12-1 p.m. in the Amphitheater on Chattanooga States main campus, 4501 Amnicola Highway. In case of rain, the event will be held in the Center for Business, Industry & Health building, Michael P. Hennen Culinary Center dining room.
The partnership between Chattanooga State Community College, Hamilton County Schools, the STEM School, and the Public Education Foundation came full circle on Wednesday as representatives from each entity, including public officials, community members, and invited guests gathered to witness the grand opening of the Global Center for Digital Innovation. The completed Global Center for Digital Innovation is where ideation, creation, and fabrication collide with entrepreneurship in the worlds first K-14 teaching and learning fabrication lab.

This is a truly magical space, commented Dr. Rebecca Ashford, Chattanooga State president. Student creators of all ages will imagine, design, and experiment, get their hands dirty, collaborate and grow entrepreneurial, digital fabrication, and advanced manufacturing skills while learning problem solving and soft skills as well. Their ability to work as a team and to communicate with others will allow students to truly learn without limits, added Dr. Ashford. I think it is serendipitous that this ribbon cutting takes place during startup week in Chattanooga as the GCDI will build on the amazing entrepreneurial ecosystem already in place.

Dr. Nakia Towns, Hamilton County Schools interim superintendent, noted that the partnership between Chattanooga State and HCS has spurred STEM education in the region fostering the development of STEM opportunities throughout the county for thousands of school students. Were really proud to acknowledge that HCS now has the most STEM-designated schools in Tennessee, as well as the most digital fabrication education labs in the country."

The GCDI, a 15,000 sq. ft. second floor addition to Chattanooga States Center for Engineering, Technology, Arts and Sciences building has been called a super fab lab or someplace where students can earn micro-credentials but Dr. Tony Donen, STEM School principal, broke it down quite simply: Its a place where if you think it, you can make it. Dr. Donen said he hoped to hear a visitor today, say, I wish I could have had the opportunity to create them. But that's not the best part. The best part is that our next generation of students will be able to say I did create it in this space.

GCDI features a clean space lab with 3D printers, laser cutters, computers, and electronics. A second lab workshop will include saws, CNC routers, CNC mills, and other tools to allow students to produce prototypes. There will also be a collaboration and entrepreneurship center for large and small groups to work together on projects to plan and consider marketing concepts.

Noting that GCDI is a beautiful new building outfitted with amazing high-tech tools, Michael Stone, Public Education Foundation, title, cautioned that there is plenty more under the hood, something much more powerful in function. This innovative space represents a critical shift in how we prepare students for a brighter future and graduates today must be prepared to thrive in a dynamic environment where they may not know everything but must be able to learn it and do almost anything. Innovative education ensures that generations of students from our region will have unparalleled opportunity to pursue their passion and experience success in life, said Dr. Stone.

The Global Center for Digital Innovation is now open for meetings, tours and future entrepreneurs. Call Dr. Tremaine Powell, dean, Chattanooga State Engineering and Information Technologies at 697-4471 or email Tremaine.powell@chattanoogastate.edu. You may also call Kristin Burrus in the GCDI at 697-4416 or email burrus_kristin@hcde.org for more information.






Natalie Mordovtseva is on 90 Day: The Single Life Season 2, where she will be looking for love after splitting with her ex-husband, Mike Youngquist. Lets take a look back at Natalies history. How many times has Natalie been married?

Natalie Mordovtseva on 90 Day: The Single Life | discovery+

How many ex-husbands does Natalie have?

Thanks to internet sleuths (@90daythemelenatedway), fans found out that Natalies first husband was Zenon Pieridies from Cyprus. In a confessional on 90 Day Fiance season 8, Natalie mentioned, My first wedding was huge. Natalie revealed, We had a lot of guests. We hired a very expensive hotel. We spent [a] crazy amount of money on it. Natalie stayed with her first husband there in Cyprus while they were married. However, after he had financial issues and filed for bankruptcy, Natalie left him and moved back to Ukraine.

Next, her friends in Ukraine introduced her to her second husband, Mr. Podyakov. She mentioned on 90 Day Fiance Season 7, I met my ex-husband [through] my friends in Ukraine. Because of his work, he used to travel a lot. But after eight years, it kind of, um, we didnt have kids. I realized its not really what I want. I want to have a child, I want to have a family and when I left him, it was hard. But I understood that its [the] right decision.

Natalie splits with third ex-husband, Mike Youngquist

Next, she met Mike Youngquist after she was the godmother, and he was the godfather of the same child. After major issues after their engagement, shown on season 7, fans thought they were never going to make it down the aisle, but then Mike and Natalie set a date, just three days before her K-1 visa was to expire.

90 Day Fiance fans will never forget when Mike called off the marriage to Natalie the day of the wedding. Heartbroken, Natalie went to Seatle in the hopes of flying back to Ukraine. However, she couldnt book a hotel on her own due to not having a credit card in her name and ended up going back to Mikes home in Washington. The two reconnected, and they decided to give it another chance.

Just hours before Natalies visa expired, 90 Day Fiance fans watched Natalie marry her third husband, Mike, at the finale of season 8 in April 2020. Mike and Natalie returned for 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? where their relationship problems continued to grow. After major blow-ups, miscommunications, and a pet rat, the two called it quits less than a year after getting married. According to Mikes Uncle Beau, the pair separated in March 2021. Mike announced he would like a divorce from Natalie during the tell-all after finding out she was hanging out with other men during their separation.

Natalie is looking for love on 90 Day: The Single Life Season 2

Now that Natalie is no longer married, shes looking for love again. Shes ready to start over after moving across the country from Washington to Florida. After three failed marriages, Natalie knows exactly what she wants in a partner and, more importantly, what she doesnt want.

During the trailer for 90 Day: The Single Life season 2, Natalie is asked what shes looking for in a partner. She says, I just fing like to be in charge. She says, I just want family and child. I just want good guy. [sic]

Will the fourth time be a charm for Natalie? It will be interesting to see how dating goes for the 90 Day Fiance star. The Single Life airs Nov. 12, 2021, on discovery+.

RELATED: 90 Day: The Single Life Season 2: Fans Are Not Happy About Stephanie Mattos Return to Franchise
Malia White from Below Deck Mediterranean went into greater detail about the intense pain she suffered following her horrific scooter accident in Spain. While fans knew the accident was extremely serious and she had broken bones and severe road rash, she never described what happened when she arrived at the hospital for treatment.

Malia White from Below Deck Med said doctors had to scrub debris from her wounds

White estimated that she was going about 70 miles per hour on the Vespa scooter when one of her deckhands accidentally clipped her tire and sent her soaring. She recalled being calm immediately following the accident but warned her team she was going into shock. Then she described what happened when she arrived at the hospital.

Malia Whites scooter accident was far worse than she first shared |Virginia Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images/TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images

Honestly, that was the worst part, she said about the accident on the Hollywood Raw podcast. Like I speak broken Spanish. [The medical professional] was speaking broken English. And basically, she brought the tub in. And she was like, Im was so sorry, this is going to hurt. And Im like, What? Whats going on? And she just takes this sponge and like this brush, and she just starts scrubbing all of my [wounds].

She recalls screaming from the pain in the hospital

White reminded listeners that her wounds covered most of her arms and legs. I had wounds that were like massive, she recalled. Then she shared how the doctors cleaned her wounds. And it was pure iodine. And I just started screaming. She gave me a popsicle stick to like bite down on. I was like, No, please stop!'

RELATED: Malia From Below Deck Med Reveals She Hooked up With Engineer Jake in Split

The pain was horrific but White said they couldnt numb her or give her anything for the pain at the time. That was the other thing, she said. They didnt give me any pain medication, and I was like, Why? Please give me pain medication. Shes like We cant yet. Because they had to do scans and everything you know, which I understand.

Thankfully White didnt suffer any long-term infections, but she had broken bones and a concussion. No, no infections. I was concussed pretty badly, but nothing long-term. White ended up flying home to Florida to recover and spent a considerable amount of time healing. Only recently was she permitted to return to work.

Malia Whites helmet even cracked

When White hit the pavement, she hit asphalt and gravel to create the massive road rash. It was like asphalt, but there was a patch of gravel when my friend like trying to swerve, she recalled. So loose gravel in it. But it was asphalt, and I just kind of felt like flew and just my body just did a bunch of barrel rolls on asphalt.

The impact was so intense, White said her helmet cracked. My helmet had a crack all the way down the middle, just split, she said. Luckily, I had a face shield.

White told Showbiz Cheat Sheet the recovery period was hard because shes not one to sit still for a long period of time. She finally went for a run before her broken toes were fully healed and admitted it was painful. It was [painful] but to me, I just cant sit, she said about not being able to be active. Not working out is kind of worse for me.

RELATED: Below Deck Mediterraneans Malia White Returns Home After Serious Scooter Accident
Ever since Meghan Markle joined the royal family in 2018, she has received a lot of attention. Her personal life and charity work are often talked about, but so is her designer wardrobe. However, recent research has shown that Meghans expensive clothes are the subject of ridicule more so than awe.

Meghan Markle | Robert Kamau/GC Images

Meghan Markle has been known to wear expensive clothes

Every time Meghan is photographed, her outfit is dissected and information about her clothes are published online. Many people have been able to tally up the prices of her fashion items, and the results do not paint a portrait of a frugal duchess.

During her first year as a royal, Meghan reportedly spent anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000 on fashion alone. In fact, during one trip to Morocco, she wore more than $100,000 worth of clothing items. For comparison, Kate Middleton only debuted $85,000 worth of new clothes around the same time. It should also be noted that Kate was on maternity leave for much of that year.

Nonetheless, this past year, Meghan has been more private, especially after leaving the royal family in 2020. However, during a recent trip to New York City, Meghan made news once again for her expensive wardrobe. For example, she wore over $7,000 worth of clothes when visiting an underprivileged school in Harlem. The Daily Mail also reported that she wore almost $40,000 worth of fashion items while attending the Global Citizen Live festival to promote vaccine equity.

Research shows many people are laughing at Meghan Markles outfits

RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys New Way of Making Money is a Deadly Move, Expert Says

Meghans fashion might be extravagant, but not everyone is reacting positively to her outfits. According to Express, a study from clothing brand Pretty Little Thing found that, of the 25,000 online reactions to Meghans NYC wardrobe, only 34 percent of it was loving.

The biggest online response was laughing at 51 percent of the online reaction, while others included angry at 12 percent, wow at two percent, and one percent for sad, the outlet noted.

This matches up with reports by various news outlets. As reported by IBTimes, there were many people on Twitter who slammed Meghan for wearing expensive designer clothes during a trip to promote equality.

Kate Middletons outfits have received more love

RELATED: Kate Middleton Tried to Help Meghan Markle Adjust to the British Way of Life, Royal Commentator Says

Pretty Little Things research revealed that Kates outfits tend to be more well-received by people.

Recently, Kate wowed the internet by wearing a $5,400 gown by Jenny Packham to the premiere of the James Bond film No Time to Die. Shortly afterward, she wore an Emilia Wickstead purple pantsuit on a trip to Northern Ireland. More recently, Kate attended the Earthshot Prize while re-wearing a $5,800 Alexander McQueen dress that she debuted 10 years ago.

The study reveals that the Duchesss style has been very popular this week with 92 percent of the online reaction loving her choice of outfits, Express wrote. Other reactions included laughing at three percent, wow at three percent, and angry at a mere one percent.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Tom Hardy admits to experimenting with sex, drugs, and alcohol in his teens and twenties

Hardy met his wife Charlotte Riley on the set of BBCs Wuthering Heights

Tom Hardy is back in Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Venom: Let There Be Carnage star Tom Hardy at the premiere of The Revenant | Samir Hussein/WireImage

Tom Hardy has been happily married to British actress Charlotte Riley since 2014, and they have two children together. But when he was a single man in his teens and twenties, Hardy admits he did his share of experimenting with sex, alcohol, and drugs.

The Venom: Let There Be Carnage star once admitted in an interview that of course hes had sex with men because hes an actor for f**k sake.

Tom Hardy met his wife on the set of BBCs Wuthering Heights

Two years before American audiences became familiar with Hardy  thanks to his turn as Eames in Inception  the actor starred as Heathcliffe in the BBC remake of Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights. Thats where Hardy met his future wife, as Riley played his on-screen love, Catherine Earnshaw.

The couple got engaged in 2009, and then they tied the knot in secret in 2014. Hardy and Riley reportedly became husband and wife at the 18th-century castle Chateau de Roussan in the south of France.

RELATED: Tom Hardy Really Wants To See An MCU Spider-Man and Venom Crossover Happen  I Would Do Anything To Make That Happen

It was a beautiful, low-key day made even more special because they just had their closest friends and family around them, a source revealed at the time.

Becoming a dad made the Venom star look at life differently

In addition to the six-year-old and two-year-old that Hardy shares with Riley, the actor also has a 13-year-old son from a previous relationship. He once told The Sun that becoming a father gave him purpose, and it has made him think more carefully about how he lives his life.

RELATED: Tom Hardy Reveals What Kind of Snack He Is and Answers Other Difficult Questions Asked by Children

I made a lot of mistakes and I put my mum and dad through a lot because they were so worried about me. I take great pride in being a father and make sure Im there for him and helping him as he makes his way in the world, Hardy said.

Tom Hardy says that of course hes had sex with men

The 44-year-old actor admits he did a lot of experimenting in his youth with everything from drugs to sex. Back in 2010, Hardy talked about his fluid sexuality and having gay sex in his teens.

RELATED: Venom Star Tom Hardy Reveals His Worst Injury Took Me to the Floor

Of course I have. Im an actor for f**ks sake, he told Now Magazine, according to The Daily Mail. Ive played with everything and everyone. I love the form and the physicality, but now it doesnt do it for me. Im done experimenting but theres plenty of stuff in a relationship with another man, especially gay men, that I need in my life.

The Inception hunk doesnt feel masculine

The London-born actor noted that a lot of people say that he seems masculine since he stars in movies like Bronson, Warrior, The Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Venom. But Hardy says he doesnt feel masculine at all. Instead, he explained that he feels intrinsically female.

RELATED: Tom Hardys Venom Voice Inspired by Busta Rhymes and Method Man

Id love to be one of the boys but I always felt a bit on the outside. Maybe my masculine qualities come from overcompensating because Im not one of the boys, Hardy said.

Tom Hardy is part of an old married couple in his new film

Hardy is back as journalist Eddie Brock (plus the voice of Venom) in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The actor says that in the sequel, he and his fearsome alien parasite are 100 percent an old married couple.

Its very clear cut that these two belong together. They cant stand each other but they cant be without each other, Hardy told USA Today.

RELATED: Why Venom Star Tom Hardy Asked Lord of the Rings Actor Andy Serkis for Help With First Movie

The plot ideas for the sequel came from Hardy and screenwriter Kelly Marcel, which resulted in the actor receiving a story credit in the film. This time around, theres a lot more banter and witty delights between the two characters that fans enjoyed in the original.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is now playing theaters.
We take a standard pump tube and make both ends just a bit bigger.



This allows the connection of two different sized tubes without the usual struggle. An example is the pump tubing used for the internal standard on an ICP-OES / ICP-MS which usually has an ID of 0.2 to 0.4mm and is incompatible with the sample tubing OD of 1.3mm.



The flared end of this pump tubing allows the larger sample capillary tubing to be inserted.



Contact us for a free sample.
For our location in Berlin we are looking for a

Duties

Where your expertise is needed

As a Scientist (m/f/d) in the Analytics & Materials Science ww (word wide) function, your responsibilities include ensuring the transfer of know-how between our world wide laboratories. This includes conducting training - in-house, on-site or online - and supporting colleagues and customers with analytical and materials science issues.





Contact person and consultant for employees and customers for technical issues

Consulting and training of the Analytics and Materials Science laboratories with regard to the continuous improvement of the quality of investigations

Planning, implementation and further development of training, education and workshops

Implementation of projects to improve efficiency in the laboratories with regard to cost optimization

Performing analytical studies and developing and validating analytical methods for quality and process control in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025

Observation of new developments in the field, initiation and implementation of projects for the introduction of new methods in close consultation with R&D

Coordination of investigations by external laboratories as well as other Tech Centers

Preparation of reports, technical documents, guidelines and work instructions according to ISO 9001 and DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025

Preparation and maintenance of information of the CPC function for the intranet

Planning, execution and evaluation of worldwide interlaboratory comparisons and monitoring of quality measures

Requirements

What were looking for

Degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, physics or materials science, doctorate desired

Many years of professional experience in analytical chemistry or doctorate in analytical chemistry

Presentation skills with experience as a trainer

Very good command of written and spoken English

Structured and careful way of working

Strong communication skills, especially in dealing with people from different cultural backgrounds

Willingness to travel on longer business trips, especially to Asia

Company

Atotech (NYSE: ATC) is a leading specialty chemicals technology company and a market leader in advanced electroplating solutions. Atotech delivers chemistry, equipment, software, and services for innovative technology applications through an integrated systems-and-solutions approach. Atotech solutions are used in a wide variety of end-markets, including smartphones and other consumer electronics, communications infrastructure, and computing, as well as in numerous industrial and consumer applications such as automotive, heavy machinery, and household appliances.



Atotech, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, is a team of 4,000 experts in over 40 countries generating annual revenues of $1.2 billion (2020). Atotech has manufacturing operations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. With its well-established innovative strength and industry-leading global TechCenter network, Atotech delivers pioneering solutions combined with unparalleled on-site support for over 9,000 customers worldwide. For more information about Atotech, please visit us at atotech.com.
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have identified a chemical compound that is probably suitable as an active agent against several single-cell parasites. These include the pathogens that cause malaria and toxoplasmosis. The target of the promising substance is the protein tubulin: it helps cells to divide and is thus also indispensable for the reproduction of the parasites. The study appeared in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.

The idea behind this comes from tumour research: by blocking the protein tubulin in cancer cells, the cells are prevented from dividing successfully - and thus also from multiplying. Doctors have long used this principle successfully in chemotherapy, administering tubulin-inhibiting substances to patients.



PSI researchers Natacha Gaillard and Ashwani Sharma from the Laboratory of Biomolecular Research have now extended the concept to unicellular parasites, including the causative agent of malaria (Plasmodium sp.) and toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii). That's because their cells also need tubulin for cell division. "When this protein stops working as it should, it hits the parasite hard," says researcher Ashwani Sharma. "Therefore, tubulin is a good drug target. In tumor research, the protein has been known in this regard for a very long time, but in parasitology it has received little attention."



The causative agents of malaria and toxoplasmosis belong to the apicomplexa, a group of unicellular parasites belonging to the eukaryotes. Their cells have a true nucleus and they undergo both sexual and asexual stages of reproduction. Apicomplexa use humans or animals as hosts or intermediate hosts. The infectious diseases they cause sicken many millions of people each year.

In search of targets

All eukaryotes, from amoebae to humans, produce the protein tubulin. In the form of long filaments, it spans the cells as a kind of scaffold. During cell division, it forms the so-called spindle apparatus, which pulls the chromosomes apart and distributes them to two daughter cells.



The protein differs from creature to creature in a few, but possibly important, places. In order to find active substances against the specific protein of eukaryotic unicellular parasites and to block it, the exact structure of the protein must be known.



The PSI researchers therefore isolated tubulin from the cells of the ciliated animal Tetrahymena thermophila. "Its protein is virtually identical to the one in Apicomplexa," explains scientist Natacha Gaillard. "And that saves us from having to work with malaria pathogens in the lab."



Using the Swiss Synchrotron Light Source SLS and electron microscopy, the researchers deciphered the protein's molecular structure. Then they looked for a chemical compound that could inhibit the protein. A substance database provided five candidates as potential active ingredients - in the laboratory, one chemical compound was confirmed to be effective. The researchers christened it "parabulin." "It prevents tubulin from forming long stable protein filaments. So it also blocks successful cell division," Gaillard says. Parabulin blocks the protein at the exact site where cancer drugs dock in human tubulin by analogy.

Hope for a future drug

The PSI cooperation partners from the University of California in Irvine, USA, tested the compound on Toxoplasma gondii in human cells. In fact, the parasite was virtually unable to reproduce. On human cells, on the other hand, parabulin had virtually no effect. "This is a good sign: The substance apparently acts exclusively on the tubulin of the parasite - a basic requirement for it to be used as a drug against infectious diseases," explains Sharma.



It seems reasonable to assume that parabulin is not only effective against Toxoplasma gondii, but against all representatives of the Apicomplexa, including the causative agent of malaria. The PSI has now filed a patent and plans to test parabulin further in the laboratory in order to develop it into a drug with the help of the pharmaceutical industry.
The internationally active life science company Eppendorf, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, has completed its conversion to the European legal form Societas Europaea (SE) as of October 19, 2021. The company will operate as Eppendorf SE with immediate effect.

"We are convinced that we have taken the right step at the right time with this modern legal form, which is very common in large family-owned companies," said Eva van Pelt and Dr. Peter Fruhstorfer, Co-CEOs of Eppendorf SE. "The company's name as a European public limited company is a clear signal that even more strongly expresses Eppendorf's global corporate culture. In addition, the new legal form shows that Eppendorf is an international company and that national borders play less and less of a role for us."

The new company name as Eppendorf SE demonstrates the company's further development into a modern, progressive, and internationally active European company, the CEOs added. Also, it provides important support that will enable Eppendorf to continue its global success course even more effectively, they said.

The conversion into a Societas Europaea will not result in any changes to the company's structure. Management Board and Supervisory Board members continue to work for Eppendorf SE. Eppendorf's Group headquarters will remain in Hamburg, Germany, and the character of an independent family-owned company will be preserved.
Letter to the Editor

The hair on my neck stood up when I heard Speaker of our House, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tell a member of the media that their job was to support her political agenda.

Recalling the civics lessons that I had as a youth, I learned it is not the job or role of the press, in our society, to advocate a political position, but to provide factual information and to challenge those in power to defend their positions. Since Ive not been in school for some time, I wondered if things have changed.

I found the following passage on the ACLU website: The freedom of the press, protected by the First Amendment, is critical to a democracy in which the government is accountable to the people. A free media functions as a watchdog that can investigate and report on government wrongdoing. It is also a vibrant marketplace of ideas, a vehicle for ordinary citizens to express themselves and gain exposure to a wide range of information and opinions.

I am pleased to find that the job of a free press has not changed.

Many societies and governments have been designed to have the press and the government work hand-in-hand. To my knowledge, in the majority, if not all the cases, individual freedom and liberty have been reduced and eliminated and the regime has gone on to do incredibly evil things. The extremes are easy to point out  Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and Communist China.

We must be on guard against the anti-American, anti-freedom beliefs that Pelosi is advocating. While a compromised press may make Pelosis life easier, it will not make your life any easier, better or more fulfilling.

Wayne Gebhard

Spokane
David Shane Lowry, left, distinguished fellow in Native American Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Alvin Donel Harvey, president of the MIT Native American Student Association, stand on Oct. 7 in front of the Walker Memorial building on the schools campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT is grappling with the legacy of one of its founding fathers, whose name graces the iconic building. Francis Amasa Walker was a former head of the U.S. office of Indian Affairs who authored The Indian Question, a notorious treatise on Native Americans that helped justify the nation's tribal reservation system.
On Saturday, a gang kidnapped 17 North American missionaries in Haiti as the party returned from an orphanage in a suburb of Port-au-Prince. Since then, the group, known as 400 Mawozo, has demanded a ransom of $17 million for the victimswho include five men, seven women, and five childrenand threatened death if the demand is not met. While many locals have been kidnapped in recent years as security on the countrys roads has been increasingly threatened, this incident has drawn significant international attention.

This kidnapping comes roughly two months after US troops withdrew from Afghanistan. Americas departure and the chaos that ensued led many expats, including aid workers and missionaries, to leave the country.

This week on Quick to Listen, we wanted to talk about how Christians in ministry should evaluate risk. What is worth putting our lives on the line for? How do we know when were acting selfishly or selflessly?

Anna Hampton is the author of Facing Danger: A Guide Through Risk, which is based on her doctoral dissertation at Trinity Seminary in Newburg. Shes been in full-time ministry for 28 years, more than 17 of those years in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey and other parts of Central Asia and the Middle East. She and her family are now based in the US, but still doing work in Central Asia, so Anna Hampton is a pseudonym.

Hampton joined global media manager Morgan Lee and executive editor Ted Olsen to discuss how the Bible discusses risk, what has shaped Western Christians perspectives on this issue, and how saviorism affects how we make these decisions.

What is Quick to Listen? Read more.

Rate Quick to Listen on Apple Podcasts

Follow the podcast on Twitter

Follow this week's hosts on Twitter: Morgan Lee and Ted Olsen

Music by Sweeps

Quick to Listen is produced Morgan Lee and Matt Linder

The transcript is edited by Faith Ndlovu

Highlights from Quick to Listen: Episode #285

Risk with God means something different from just jumping in because God will take care of you. Applying that to overseas work in dangerous areas, what is the key misunderstanding that we as Christians who are trying to follow God have?

Anna Hampton: I would just have to start with the fact that there's this misconception that a theology of suffering and theology of risk are the same thing. Risk is situational and most of the time when we have a risk question, it's a specific situational question. But the global church tends to answer the risk question with a suffering answer. While the answer is true that God is good and he works all things together for good, for those who love him, it doesn't answer the actual question and therefore it does not help. When we were in Afghanistan, we were responsible for an extremely valuable and very large project, and we had a lot of people that we were responsible for, and you asked the risk question and to get that verse was not helping us. It did not lead to resiliency. So, theology of suffering and theology of risk are different. Some of us have more risk than others depending on what our calling is in life.

A verse that might come quickly to mind when someone is debating whether to do something risky in ministry could be something like, trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your understanding (Prov 3:5) or have I not commanded you be strong and courageous, don't be frightened or dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Josh 1:9).

Do we need to think of other verses or do we need to think of those verses through a different lens than it'll be okay because God's with you?

Anna Hampton: We have to define what okay means because one of the things that I discovered as I was writing the dissertation, I was bothered one day and I thought, what are all the things that people have said to me that were not helpful? The first one that came to mind was, you're never safer than when you're in the center of God's will.

Article continues below

As I kept on writing, what came out of that eventually was 14 risk myths that the global church says. These are things that we repeat to comfort us, but they're partially true or they're used in a way thats not answering the risk question.

The verses are great, but we also have to say what does it mean to say it's going to be okay. Yes, it will be okay in eternity but I do need to look at what are the threats and the vulnerabilities I have when I go into an area with a high crime rate to share the gospel because this high crime part of whatever city you want to name in America right now; what am I risking and what is wise to do.

As for me as a young mom, there were certain things I chose not to do in ministry in Afghanistan because I did not want to subject my children to an even greater risk than we were already in. So, I didn't go to refugee camps, for example, because I had three small children at home. I didn't want to bring disease into the home.

I evaluated risk, even though you can say I was already crazy to be in Afghanistan with children, but you're always evaluating the risk in practical terms as well. Coming back to the verse as an example and has helped me to feel calmer. Picking one verse of many that have a very similar thought; Deuteronomy 31:6 (Deut 31:6) where it says be strong and courageous. Don't be afraid for the Lord your God is with you and he won't fail you. If we stay in English, which it seems like a lot of preaching does, be is not an action verb in English, and strong looks like an adverb there, I believe. Be strong. The problem is that in Hebrew, be is not in there. It's stronging, it's a verb. It's stronging and courageousing not fearing.

What does the action of stronging and courageousing look like? You cannot have courage if you don't have fear, but I'll just have to tell you it's not helpful when the preaching says don't fear you can't help it when you're afraid and you actually should be afraid.

There should be some measure of caution when you go into a high crime situation because that's wise, you don't want to lose your life. We're not out here to just randomly let ourselves be killed. We're there to be purposeful about serving the Lord Jesus. In that moment where we walk with a lot of people who are in frontline hostile situations for the sake of the gospel, what is he asking you to do today for him right now? If you're a Chinese house pastor, is he asking you to go to the church today? Is he asking you to risk today or is he asking you to stay home today? Is he asking you to turn right on the street because the police are left? What is he asking you to do right now at this moment as you serve him and it's a very specific application of walking in the Spirit, but also reading the text as in Hebrew, not in just the surface English interpretation translation?

A number of people may say, fear is not the opposite of faith. Fear can be a way in which God does speak to us and call us.

There are certain ways in which we think of it, even despite our best efforts as the more dangerous the call, the more holy the call. Should we disentangle our attempts to hear what God is calling us to from that kind of view that God calls us to do the thing that we're most afraid of?

Anna Hampton: Taking Gideon as an example, there were thousands of men afraid and the Lord said, send those men home. Three hundred men stayed to fight the battle and the preaching on that one is commonly that, isn't that bad they were afraid, so God sent them home. But God didn't judge those people for their fear. I believe when you read the Book of Judges, that those men fought another day, they just didn't fight that day because God had other purposes in mind for the battle.

Article continues below

So, they were not condemned for their fear and sometimes our fear can disqualify us from a certain battle. But on the other hand, we shouldn't say, the more dangerous it is, then I should go do that because that's not how the Lord evaluates us. When we walk into heaven, when he says, well done good and faithful servant, he's commending us for our obedience and faithfulness to whatever it is that he called us to. He's not calling all of us to danger. That's not going to be the standard by which we are evaluated from God's perspective, it's obedience and faithfulness.

Would you say it is fair to say that God will hold us accountable for not doing things because we specifically went out of our way to avoid situations that made us afraid?

Anna Hampton: We could say if he was calling you to do something and you didn't do it because you were afraid, then you missed an opportunity. If somebody was able to walk with a person in that situation and disciple them and see, he's going to be with you in that.

This is where I would say, bring in John Piper's book Risk is Right. He wrote it to the North American church that's risk avoidant. The problem is that in Afghanistan you can't say risk is always right or in Haiti in this case, it's not always right.

There are times when we should withdraw. There were times that Jesus and Paul withdrew. So, we should not always risk our lives, but if he's calling us to do something risky for us, whatever it is, it might be as minor as, and I don't mean to downplay it but it's hard to go up to a stranger and tell them about Christ. But if we avoid something he's asking us to do, then we've missed an opportunity. We may have disobeyed him and grieved the Holy Spirit. He's a gracious God though.

As Christians, we probably have this assumption that much of our convictions about risk and danger in what bravery looks like come from the Bible but of course, they also come from our culture as well. What would you say has shaped most Western Christians perspective on what constitutes risk?

Anna Hampton: We elevate people who do those dangerous things, and we tend to not elevate people who are faithful day in and day out and it doesn't look big or flashy. What looks courageous, what looks worthy of risk as to the Greco-Roman white male body that's been honed for the Olympics and Aristotle and Plato, I think they were both similar on this, that it's only courageous when you are in a forward attacking position of battle when you die and that is what is the hero.

If you die and you're on retreat, then you're a coward and it's shameful. This feels a little bit sometimes like how the church responds. My husband and I have a working theory as we travel to different mission fields, that the missionaries in that geographic region begin to take on the spiritual and the issues of that culture and it impacts the missionaries and it seems like that in some ways in the church, we'll just talk about America because I'm an American. We elevate that forward risk-taker, even if it actually might be foolish instead of elevating faithfulness and obedience to the Lord and doing it in such a way that we're demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit. We're doing it with relationships intact and authenticity of not having lots of conflict with people. Weve seen missionaries in the field, just not doing well relationally with others, but to the church back home it sure looks brave and courageous.

Article continues below

Ted Olsen: Related to that is the question of consistency. The Book of 1 Kings has a story on Elijah where God speaks directly to him and sends him to tell Ahab about the drought because of sin and he tells Elijah to go and hide from Ahab because he is going to want to kill you.

How are we supposed to know when God is telling us to rest and when God's telling us to confront or to hide?

Anna Hampton: The problem for me in Afghanistan was people would send risk stories, people would say, you should do it, Esther did cause you're there for such a time as this. Other people would say you need to leave, Paul fled over the wall in the night. We were getting this back and forth, which is why I said, what does the Bible say about it? In Hebrew, there is no word for risk. There are only stories that describe situations.

As we looked at the different stories, both in the Old and the New Testament, it seemed that you could describe three elements that contribute to a theology of risk. When we look at risking and the theology of risk, we want to say, what is our foundation?

We can't risk the project as it has become the foundation instead of God Himself. So, you're right for Elijah that must've been key he was trusting God and God's timing for when he was supposed to do what he was supposed to do. I would have to say he's demonstrating that kind of faith of really walking close to the Lord to know what he should do. God was his foundation. We can see that clearly.

For Elijah, he's walking with the Lord and obeying Him. He's not letting what other people think about when he should hide or when he shouldn't hide. If it's a high-risk situation, it's a minute-by-minute thing. I can only say we see God's faithfulness in all of these different situations in that passage in 1 Kings 17 of God taking care of him, even when the brook dries up and the Lord provides for him. You get a front-row seat, its a risky moment you don't know if it's going to turn out well or not turn out well. It's like this place where your faith grows and you see God working. It's such an honor and a privilege to be there, but it can be scary at the same time.

I can think of a time in 2008 in Afghanistan and God was just right there. He spoke to me, and it was a faith-building moment. Gail Williams was shot at point-blank range in the fall of 2008, two blocks from my house. She was working for another organization, and she was murdered by two guys on a motorcycle on the route that the kids walk to get to the international school. This had a major impact on the faith-based NGOs that were working there in Kabul. That day we went into lockdown. Everybody stopped movement on the street, so we could figure out what was going on. The long part of that story is it went into an eight-month lockdown and 75% of the faith-based workers left the country.

We went into lockdown and the country directors of all the faith-based organizations were meeting together to decide what to do. It was determined that we were going to have to go into this lockdown and the threats were getting even louder from the Taliban that they were looking to kidnap and kill foreigners. It didn't matter if it was men, women, or children and they amply did that a number of times with women. So, I was never more tempted in my life. I'm an emancipated educated woman. I can take the credit card and buy myself a plane ticket and get my kids on there and let my husband finish our contract and I was so tempted to do that. I was so afraid. I was sitting there in my kitchen on the rug, and the Lord just brought this vision to me, and it was his hands holding a cup and I couldn't see what was in the cup. What this was all about was, would I be willing to stay for the lockdown period, whatever it was, they were saying, it looks like it's going to be eight months for those of us who are just going to maintain the work in the country. It meant for me that I was going to have to somehow get myself and my children and just support my husband without long-term psychological damage. How can I be joyful and make this be a place of life and peace for my children, but also still be loving on this culture that's abrasive and these threats are just breathing down you of kidnapping and murder. He was holding this cup out to me, and he said, will you drink it? I looked in the cup and I couldn't see the bottom; I couldn't see what was the result. There were no guarantees. There was no, I promise you Psalm 91. You're never going to stumble, nothing's going to come near you. There was none of that. He just said, would you stay, and would you drink the cup? What it meant was could I stay joyfully and willingly, and would I do my best to make this a fun time for my children and a place of restoration for my husband as he was going out to do this significant work every day.

Article continues below

I looked at the nail holes in his hands and I said, it's a small thing he's asking me compared to what he did and so yes, I can do that. Would you know that right then and for the rest of the time, it was like a supernatural peace enveloped me and us, not that I was perfect in that I don't claim that but as a community, we felt this amazing peace that was over us, even though we knew at any point something bad could happen.

It was that moment of intimacy with the Lord and he's gracious, loving, and he's so gentle when he invites us to do something like risking our lives. He doesn't demand. He's not like a Middle Eastern ancient Mesopotamian God who demands blood. He's gentle and I would say he's worthy and he's worth it.

We saw more fruit of people choosing Christ in that dark time, among Afghans than at any other time that we were there.

Morgan Lee: Thank you for sharing that with us Anna.

One of the things that gets mentioned in your story, is the fact that you're talking about families that decide to stay. That's one of the really challenging elements when discussing risk when you were making decisions about risk that affect other people specifically one's children.

What type of wisdom do you have for those conversations and how have you seen Christians answer those challenges in different ways?

Anna Hampton: When we do risk assessment, for example for Haiti even before the earthquake, you would still say it's a little bit crazy to go down there with your family.

But in the end, when God calls us to do something like go to Haiti or go to Afghanistan, it's going to look irresponsible from a secular perspective and even from the average churchgoer's perspective.

I remember one time, a little old lady came up to me and said, are you safe there and I said, no, ma'am, I'm not safe. She was expecting a different answer.

First of all, we have to recognize that people are going to say this is crazy.

We walk with people and say, what's your calling? What is God calling you to? You have to know and it can't just be the husband. It has to be both the husband and the wife. What are they called to in agreement? Because when things get hard, that's when you want to leave and you have to remember what he's called you to and what you're willing to face.

Article continues below

Morgan Lee: I say that because I think of times where people have left because of pregnancies that they're concerned might not get adequate treatment if they decide to stay in a place. I would say that I personally, with that particular example, I've had somewhat of a visceral reaction to that because part of me says, didn't you know that was a risk when you decided to go down there and to leave a country for those reasons.

After you've said I felt called to go to a place. It challenges my kind of understanding about someone being called to a place.

When we think of calling when we're evaluating the risks, is it okay to evaluate those risks in light of being an American citizen and having an American passport and saying, if a certain threshold of things gets reached, I'll just go back and return? Or would you say that that's kind of callous to the situation that's on the ground and not showing a certain level of seriousness about what it means to be called, to be somewhere, or being called to a community?

Anna Hampton: But you can't just say there's only one way we're going to evaluate a situation because Jesus called us to also be stewards of kingdom resources, which includes my body and my pregnancy because that's two people. If I choose to say, I want to be like the people and I'm going to give birth in a substandard hospital.

It doesn't have appropriate cleanliness and no blood supply and no NICU and I or my baby dies, we as a family might be finished in ministry because we might not be able to recover from that. So, there's stewardship that has to be brought into the question. What is being a good steward and what has God provided for this?

Part of the problem is we can't always boil these things down to very simple blanket answers for every situation. When I first went into ministry, I had a calling as a single woman, but then I got married and so then my calling and what I was willing to sacrifice changed. When the children come, then I have to decide again, what is my trigger point? Where is my calling and when I'm going to sense that God's asking me to leave? Any risk consultant worth their profession would say you have to have a trigger point. You have to know when this thing happens.

So, it's wise to say, I'm called to this place. What are the threats, how am I going to deal with those situations, and what does being a good steward to longterm endure in that situation? The point of fact is we never can fully identify with the people, we will always be the outsider.

I just want to ask for grace and compassion as people work through these complex situations. The example use of pregnancy, it was never advised to give birth in Afghanistan and very few foreign women ever did. They usually flew out to Dubai or to their passport countries that had better medical care.

It's always wise to evaluate these things also from a kingdom stewardship perspective so that we can long-term serve in the place that he's called us to be.

How does saviorism affect how we Christians understand calling specifically Western Christians that may feel called somewhere and how we often evaluate risk and danger?

Anna Hampton: God will use scripture, but we have to remember that he's building his body around the church. It's a community. He might be calling me, but don't cherry-pick one verse and say, it's all about me and you're bringing in the risk and danger and decide you will go to the most dangerous place and risk of your life. And then for sure, God's going to show up and He's going to do something. One thing we discovered is that this is very uncomfortable, on a number of occasions we realized prosperity gospel has impacted me more than I realized and I don't subscribe to that one bit, that gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. But if I risk this much, then he should do this. That's prosperity gospel. I put this into the vending machine and I get this from God. There are no guarantees about that.

Article continues below

Saviorism means I'm the savior, I'm going to go do this thing, and then this is what's going to happen. That puts me on the throne of saving these people and that's pretty much a guarantee to fail because it's not taking into account a theology of evil and that those evil people are out there and they're operating under the father of evil.

When we're trying to do this on our own as the savior and not relying on the one Savior, not only is it likely to fail whatever it is, but then oftentimes we've seen people's faith shipwrecked on the rocks because they don't understand why God didn't work.

We've been talking a lot from the perspective of people who are on the field. Bringing it back to a little bit of us who are following this as outsiders. For those of us who are trying to make sense of these situations, would you advise us to analyze them based on the motives or what we believe to be the motives of the aid workers and missionaries who have decided to stay and as a result are kidnapped, or would you say that thats the fruit of their decisions, be it kidnapping or being murdered, whatever it's going to be that should be the thing that we are using to evaluate the decisions that were made?

Anna Hampton: I agree with you. There are questions you have about whether they were paying attention to the situation, and we can very easily jump to what we think would be right or wrong. One thing I'm hoping is that the listeners are hearing that risk is complex. It's very difficult to have a binary right and wrong, black or white answer on these things. John Chos murder was evaluated extremely harshly by many people.

I understand that people want to evaluate, and they want to find out what's right, what's wrong, what's good, what's bad. I want to caution people from evaluating based on the public media. I would have compassion for the men, women, and children that are kidnapped. I think it's quite clear to everybody in Haiti and around the world that this is a dangerous place and people need to consider evacuating or they need to consider their risk if they want to stay knowing that that's the risk.

My armchair guess is that many Christian organizations didn't realize Haiti was so dangerous. We've been walking with a couple of organizations and consulting with them, for them to figure out what they should do because it's not just foreigners who are at risk in Haiti. It's all the Haitians that work for that foreign NGO, there's a lot of orphanages that are in danger, and so forth. So, I know we want to evaluate, I just would caution against it because people's lives are at stake.

Ted Olsen: Pivoting to a situation that we have all been dealing with, an issue that is very much dividing Christians right now, the masks, vacs, and vaccine mandates and stuff like that. We hear a lot of the same rhetoric about faith and fear especially on masks, to wear a mask is to show fear, and that as Christians, we are called to show that we're not afraid.

How would you apply that to all of us right now trying to manage or talk to folks who are wrestling with risks about masks, risks about COVID 19, risks with how we're witnessing to the world at this moment?

Article continues below

Anna Hampton: We can't agree on everything. We're a family in God's kingdom and we're all in a different risk situation when it comes to COVID-19. I'm in a town where there's a lot of old people. So, there are times when I might feel that I need to put on the mask out of care for my neighbor, but it's situational. I want to draw people back to Jesus Himself because this is such a complex thorny question, and there's a lot we could unpack about how we interact with science as Christians.

People need to know this and they probably do to a degree, but confirmation bias in the COVID-19 particular risk and threat is extremely high. What I mean by that is people can go to the internet to find any data set they want to buttress their view and their approach. That's not helpful. We can find anything we want to have our view and we can manipulate that data and we see the data being manipulated as well. So, it's very difficult to figure that all out, but we do have a standard that Jesus gave us and that is Mark 12:29-31. The young scribe said, what commandment is most important?

What he's asking is what are we supposed to do and what does Jesus say? He says, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul. And the second is like it to love your neighbor as you love yourself. The question is, what is the Lord asking the Christian wherever they are in the world to do right now in this situation: to love God and to love their neighbors as they love themselves. Does it mean putting on the mask today in this situation? I guess the question is, what is the Lord asking you to do and to encourage people to be honoring to him and put his leading ahead of nationalism. I know some people won't like that. I'm always suspicious when somebody says this is what the Christian response is and then they give their view. That probably stems from what they want and confirmation bias because of whatever data sets they looked at.
This week Heather visits with her friend Ed Stetzer for a no-holds-barred conversation on the evangelical communitys often fractious online engagement with politics and culture. Ed is a professor and dean at Wheaton College, where he also serves as executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books on faith, leadership, and culture. He is regional director for Lausanne North America, editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine, and is frequently interviewed by news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. He is also the founding editor of The Gospel Project, a curriculum used by more than 1.7 million individuals each week for Bible study.

Heather and Ed discuss themes from his most recent book, Christians in the Age of Outrage: How to Bring Our Best When the World Is at Its Worst. How can we be faithful ambassadors of Jesus in a caustic, divisive, and frequently irrational social media environment? Listen in to this stimulating discussion for helpful reflections on the churchs opportunity for outreach in this age of outrage. You can follow Ed on Twitter @edstetzer.

Also, in this weeks #GrowingViral, meet Quantrilla Ard, host of the blog The PhD Mamma. As a faith-based personal and spiritual-development writer, Quanny is on a quest to shine a light on the shadowy, hidden places in her own life while helping others do the same. Dr. Ard has a multidisciplinary background in public health and health psychology, professions that speak to her desire to address both the physical and spiritual needs of hurting people.

Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper
The popular reformed evangelical pastors conference Together for the Gospel (T4G) will hold its final gathering in April 2022, following the departure of one of its founders, Albert Mohler.

Cofounders Mark Dever and Ligon Duncan announced Thursday that after 16 years of putting on the biannual event in Louisville, This is it.

Dever, Duncan, Mohler, and C. J. Mahaney developed the idea for T4G out of their friendship in ministry. They held the first T4G conference in 2006, drawing 3,000 attendees.

We were all surprised how many people came, said Dever, who leads Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.

Still, the founders deliberately limited the scope of T4G and saw the conference as a finite project.

Our goal was to encourage pastors. We did not want to become a ministry. We did not want to become an organization, said Duncan, CEO and chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary. We wanted to make it clear whats happening in local churches is the important thing; T4G is not the important thing.

The end date for T4G comes as Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, moves on.

In a video discussion on the T4G site, Dever said Mohler recently told them, Brothers, I love you guys very much, but Ive just got to do other things now. Dever and Duncan cited Mohlers involvement with a new opinion section at World magazine and his role in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), which is facing deepening divides and institutional shakeups.

Mohler said in a statement to CT, Each of us faces questions of urgency and priority in life and ministry. At this stage in my life, I need to concentrate on helping the SBC and working on some important new priorities, including WORLD Opinions.

Ligon Duncan and Mark Dever are two of the closest and dearest friends I ever hope to have on earth, he said, and I pray Gods blessing on the T4G 2022 gathering, which will be a tremendous blessing to pastors.

Pastors David Platt and Alastair Begg were added to the April 2022 lineup, with Mohler taken off.

Former attendees celebrated the legacy of T4G after the news broke of its plans to wind down. Many were drawn to the every-other-year conference not only for the well-regarded preachingJohn Piper, H. B. Charles, and Kevin DeYoung are also on next years schedulebut also for the opportunity for fellowship. (Dever said that T4G, though held in the US, had represented the largest gathering of Canadian evangelical pastors.)

The Gospel Coalitions Collin Hansen, in a tribute to T4G, called it the visible manifestation of the Young, Restless, Reformed, the name of his book about the movement, and celebrated it as an early gathering place for Reformed pastors.

T4Gs lineup has shifted over the years, especially as it addressed issues like sexual sin and racism.

Cofounder Mahaney, former president of Sovereign Grace Ministries, withdrew from T4G in 2018 as allegations of abuse and coverup at Mahaneys former church continued to make headlines.

The following year, Mohler apologized for previously dismissing concerns raised over Mahaneys response to abuse claims, including remarks made at T4G. Mohler has called for an independent investigation and for Mahaney to step down, and said he severed all personal and ministry ties with Mahaney as a result.

In 2018, Duncan repented of racial blindness and discussed his friendship with African American pastor Thabiti Anyabwile, who spoke at T4G events from 2008 to 2018. David Platt preached from Amos on race, asking why so many evangelical churches and ministries, including T4G, were so white.

Anyabwile didnt speak at last years event, which was held online due to COVID-19, nor did pastor John MacArthur, who had spoken at every prior T4G conference. MacArthur is among a group of conservative pastors who have critiqued how Christians have applied Scripture to social justice concerns.

Sovereign Nations president Michael OFallon, another critic of what he sees as woke preaching and critical race theory infecting the SBC and broader evangelicalism, suggested Mohler was leaving T4G to reinvent himself as a conservative.

Hansen also reflected on how divides over public theology came into the Reformed movement, saying, In retrospect the 2018 T4G probably signaled the end. Reformed theology no longer guarantees as much unity.

From left to right, many pastors find more in common with even unbelievers who share their political and cultural assumptions than with believers who affirm the same doctrine. Allegiance to parties and politicians obscures friendships in the fog of suspicion that has overtaken so much of the American church, he said. But when April 2022 comes, Ill still give thanks for a time when we could delight in the wondrous gospel of And Can It Be, singing shoulder to shoulder.

Dever and Duncan said theres something exciting, or even freeing, about it being their final conference.

They emphasized being able to use the T4G stage to introduce new, lesser-known speakers this year who arent on what Duncan called the celebrity circuit. Four of 14 plenary speakers in the 2022 lineup are African or African American.

Im pretty pumped about this being the last one and maybe being the best one, Dever said.

Because of the lineup change, organizers extended early bird rates through mid-November and also added an option to cancel tickets for a full refund. The final T4G is scheduled for April 1921 in Louisville.
79-year-old American pastor kidnapped 2 weeks before missionaries in Haiti still missing

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Nearly two weeks before the notorious 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti kidnapped 17 mostly American missionaries and demanded a $17 million ransom, Pastor Jean Pierre Ferrer Michel, another American, was abducted from his church along with two others. And like the missionaries, Michel is still missing.

They dont talk about it, like they are talking about the case of the group of 17. But this man is an American citizen, too, a family friend told the Miami Herald on the condition of anonymity in a recent interview about the kidnapping of Michel, who is a founding member of the church Jesus Center in Delmas 29. Its not the same attention that the 17 people who they abducted in Croix-des-Bouquets are getting.

A Haiti Libre report said at about 8 a.m. on Oct. 3, heavily armed individuals dressed in different uniforms of the National Police of Haiti kidnapped Michel, 79, Isabelle Devendegis and Norman Weiner in front of the Jesus Center Church of Delmas 29.

While the gang released the female congregant, Michel and Weiner are still being held hostage even though they have paid a ransom that was initially $15 million for the three Christians, including $8 million for Michel.

When they (gangsters) say dollars, you dont know if they are talking about American dollars or Haitian, the family friend said. They asked us for a ransom, the two families came together and paid a ransom and after we paid it, they called and said the money wasnt enough and they cannot release them. Since then, there has been no contact.

While there have been rumors that Michel had been released, the pastors wife, Maryse Michel, released a video Tuesday in Haitian Creole begging for his freedom.

They have yet to release him after 17 days, she said. Hes without his medication. Hes an old man who is nearly 80 years old, and doesnt have a lot of years in front of him. Ive come to plead, and I came to ask everyone who it concerns: Release the pastor. Release my husband. Give the children back their father. Give the family back their brother because we did everything already. They are still holding them. They have to let them go. We did everything we were supposed to do.

The Christian Post reached out to Michels family for further comment Thursday, but they werent immediately available.

While the missionaries and Michel are now getting widespread international attention, the targeting of the church by kidnappers in Haiti has been ongoing for months and has resulted in at least one casualty.

On Sept. 26, as they prepared to enter the First Baptist Church of Port-au-Prince, 60-year-old deacon Sylner Lafaille and his wife, Marie Marthe Laurent Lafaille, were attacked by a heavily armed group. They tried to kidnap the deacons wife, but he fought back the gunmen and was fatally shot for his bravery. Some church members who witnessed the attack were injured, a Haiti Libre report said.

In April, gunmen were also recorded in a livestream broadcast on Facebook and YouTube kidnapping a pastor and three members of the Seventh-day Adventist Gospel Kreyol Ministry Church in Diquini on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince. The pastor and his congregants were released three days later. It is unclear if a ransom was paid.

Gregory M. Figaro, whose father, Greger Figaro, founded the church, told the Miami Herald that eight to 10 gunmen were involved in the attack.

If this can happen, then anything is possible in the country because there is no respect for any institution, whether its a church or school, Figaro said.

Earlier this week, Christian Aid Ministries said an 8-month-old baby is among the 16 American missionaries and Canadian colleague waiting to be rescued from the 400 Mawozo gang.

Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel confirmed Tuesday that the gang, which kidnapped the missionaries Saturday while they were working with Christian Aid Ministries, demanded $1 million each for their safe return.

Christian Aid Ministries said Tuesday that officials in the troubled Caribbean nation and the U.S. are working to negotiate the release of the missionaries, which include six men, six women and five children.

The international charity has been calling for prayers for the abducted group since the first day they were reported missing but called for a day of fasting on Thursday.

We are entering day number five since our workers and loved ones were kidnapped in Haiti. We, along with government authorities, continue to work hard to bring them home safely. We appreciate the work of those knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with kidnapping cases, the charity said in a statement. As CAM associates, we plan to have a special day of fasting and prayer, October 21. We invite believers around the world to join us in seeking God for His mighty hand to work.

Christian Aid Ministries also drew attention to the worsening crisis of governance unfolding in Haiti. Since the kidnapping of the missionaries, Haitians have taken to the streets demanding their release. Schools and most businesses were closed for a second consecutive day in Port-au-Prince Wednesday, according to The Haitian Times, following a call for a general strike to protest kidnappings and widespread insecurity which followed the assassination of the countrys late President Jovenel Moise in July.

This time of difficulty reminds us of the ongoing suffering of millions of Haitians. While our workers chose to serve in Haiti, our Haitian friends endure crisis after crisis, continual violence, and economic hardship, the charity said. Despite the difficulties and dangers involved in working there, both our Haitian and American workers carry a vision to minister the love of Jesus in Haiti. Our goal is to seize opportunities around the world, even in difficult contexts, to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who went about doing good (Acts 10:38).
Its deadly and it kills you: Ex-medium was possessed, saw shadow people until exorcism saved her life  and her family

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The fear was overwhelming. This is just one of the ways in which ex-medium Ivani Greppi described her childhood  a Brazilian upbringing that was deeply steeped in the occult.

Greppi, an ex-medium who once believed her spiritual abilities were a gift from God, is now sharing how her harrowing 38-year journey  which included regular possessions  led to a dramatic deliverance (known as exorcism in some circles) that transformed her entire family.

LISTEN: HEAR STORIES OF POSSESSION, EXORCISM AND HEALING ON THE PLAYING WITH FIRE PODCAST

Greppis spiritual issues were multigenerational, as she said her great-grandparents and grandparents were mediums and healers. Despite calling themselves Catholics, she said the familys real religion was spiritism.

We didnt even have a Bible. We didnt own a Bible. We didnt believe in the Bible, she said on the premiere episode of The Playing With Fire Podcast, a four-part docu-series produced by Edifi. Spiritism is where a medium becomes possessed by a spirit who can either bring healing, bring counseling or a message from a relative that has passed.

Listen to episode one of Playing With Fire:

Greppis experiences with what she called shadow people started early on as a child, and she revealed how these apparitions left her absolutely terrified.

From early on in my childhood, I was able to see what we believed to be spirits, but now I know were demons, she said. The fear was overwhelming.

By the time Greppi was an adult, she said it was normal to see these shadowy figures moving in and out between walls and doors throughout the day. Having been raised to believe that seeing these spirits was a gift, she pushed fear to the side and continued on in her spiritism journey.

Then, as a teenager, Greppi was introduced to Umbanda, a Brazilian religion that engages in the occult and spirit worship  and as the years wore on she involved herself in elements of temple worship, possession and other related practices.

You call on [spirits] to come and take possession of you, she said of the rituals she took part in. For two years  at least once a week I was becoming possessed.

Greppi eventually moved with her family from her native Brazil to the United States, got married, had kids and became a nurse, but she never left behind these religious practices  something that left her trapped in a very dark space.

In 1997, though, something profound happened. Her family had opened a print shop in Florida and a pastor walked in one day and began speaking with her sister, Marli Souto.

Like Greppi, Souto was raised around spiritism, but had never actively participated in Umbanda. Something the pastor said that day truly resonated with Souto.

He introduced her to Christ, Greppi said, explaining that her sister instantly became a Christian. It was a conversion that greatly troubled Greppi. We were afraid of Christians. We thought they were evil.

At Soutos request, Greppi reluctantly agreed to meet with the pastor at her sisters home one day. During the encounter, the preacher clashed with Greppi over faith and religion, as Greppi doubled down on her spiritism and scoffed at the idea that Christianity had legitimacy.

At the end of their conversation, though, something strange unfolded.

At the end, he said, Can I at least pray before we leave? Greppi recalled. As soon as he started praying, I became possessed.  it was something that took over.  I became distorted and I was dancing  backwards. And I did lose consciousness off and on.

Souto, who also appeared on The Playing With Fire Podcast, backed up this account and noted that this was the first of a number of dramatic spiritual interactions with the pastor.

In the moment, Greppi was angry and believed that the pastor was manifesting the experience, though she soon learned that something else far more sinister was afoot: her more than three decades engaging in the occult had brought her to the end of herself.

From there, Greppi said an intense spiritual battle began. On another occasion, the pastor began performing a deliverance at Greppis home and she was once again possessed  an account that three family members recounted and corroborated on the podcast episode.

They started praying and that entity got a hold of Ivanis body, Souto said, revealing some of the dramatic moments that followed. It looked up at my son and my nephew and it said, Help me.

All of this culminated in a third and final deliverance. Greppi, her son, nephew and Souto all appeared on the podcast to verify the details of what unraveled, but one of the more startling moments took place when the pastor placed two crosses near Greppis forehead.

The first cross, which had Jesus pinned to it, sparked a sinister reaction.

He pointed it at Ivanis head and the entity that was in her started laughing and laughing and laughing, Souto said, adding that an empty cross sparked a starkly different reaction. As soon as he put it on Ivanis forehead, the entity started screaming and I started crying because it was so horrible to hear.

After many hours, Greppi was healed and never again experienced any sort of possession. Today, shes a committed Christian  and she shares all of the details on Playing With Fire.

I was born again. That day I was born again and it was beautiful, she said. My heart goes out to these people who are deceived, [who] are in this darkness. Its deadly and it kills you and thats what these spirits want to do.

The impact of Greppis healing was deep and profound on her family, with many of her loved ones later converting to Christianity.

Her son, Andre, said he knows some will be skeptical of the story, but he said what his mother and the family experienced was undeniable.

I know out there theres a lot of doubt about this, he said. The truth is the truth, and once youre faced with it you have to decide.

Listen to the full story on the premiere episode of The Playing With Fire Podcast, a show based on the book, Playing With Fire: A Modern Investigation Into Demons, Exorcism and Ghosts.
Amazon driver in blonde wig filmed naked girls in women's bathroom with pen camera, police say

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

An Amazon driver has been arrested for wearing a wig and going into a girls bathroom while wearing shoes equipped with cameras.

The Wrentham Police Department in Wrentham, Massachusetts, announced Tuesday that it arrested 23-year-old Jacob Guerrero of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, for possession of child pornography as well as violating the states upskirt law.

Guerrero was arrested Monday night in the Amazon parking lot and was arraigned in Wrentham District Court Tuesday morning.

The initial incident and subsequent investigation began August 24, 2021 when Wrentham Police received a call from customers at the Wrentham Outlets reporting a person who appeared to be a man acting suspiciously in the public Ladies bathroom, Wrentham Police Chief Bill McGrath said in a statement.

A witness photograph of Guerrero revealed the suspect wearing a blonde wig.

During the August 24th incident, the suspect, wearing a blonde wig, reportedly entered the Ladies room and occupied stalls next to adjoining stalls that women and younger girls, estimated to be 12-15 years old, were using, McGrath stated.

The initial investigation revealed the suspect appeared to have a pen camera fastened to his sneaker. Pen cameras are easily concealed surveillance cameras that have the ability to record video and photos on Micro SD cards contained within the pen.

Guerrero escaped the scene before police arrived, but Wrentham Police tracked him down using surveillance camera footage.

While Guerrero was arrested on Sept. 2 for violating a law banning the photography of an unsuspecting nude person, he was released on bail later that day. Following his release, the investigation continued. The Wrentham Police Department uncovered evidence in Guerreros vehicle that led to issuing a second arrest warrant for 12 counts of possession of child pornography.

The child pornography found in Guerreros possession indicated that his voyeurism extended far beyond the Aug. 24 incident at the Wrentham Outlets.

The evidence obtained from the search warrant includes twelve videos where the unsuspecting victims were either nude or partially nude. Five of the twelve victims were under the age of 18.

Of the victims under 18 years old, several are estimated to be between 8 and 11 years old. In at [least] one case, the evidence suggests the suspect secretly recorded a young girl through her bedroom window as she undressed.

In an interview with CBS Boston, McGrath elaborated on the investigation, saying that Guerrero engaged in illegal activity while working as an Amazon delivery driver.

He had returned to a home that was on his route and actually filmed a child through a second-story window, McGrath said.

The statement from the Wrentham Police Department explained that the investigation into Guerrero is active and on-going, including several law enforcement agencies in more than one state.

CBS Boston reported that most of the video footage contained on Guerreros phone was taken during trips he took to New Jersey and California in his capacity as an Amazon delivery driver.

Guerreros arrest comes amid renewed concerns about sexual predators in restrooms.

Last week, a report from The Daily Wire detailing how a boy allegedly wearing a skirt raped a teenage girl in the girls bathroom at her Loudoun County, Virginia, high school caused outrage among parents and accusations of a cover-up.

The May 28 sexual assault occurred as the Loudoun County School District considered implementing a policy allowing trans-identified students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identities.

When asked at a June 22 school board meeting if any sexual assaults at the hands of a trans-identified student had ever taken place, Superintendent of Schools Scott Ziegler denied that such an assault had occurred. The school board approved the transgender bathroom policy on Aug. 10.

More than four months later, the May 28 sexual assault perpetrator, who had been transferred to another school in the district after the incident, sexually assaulted another teenage girl in an empty classroom. Upon learning this, the father of the first victim, Scott Smith, went public with his story. In response to the backlash, Ziegler apologized for the districts response to the assaults in remarks slammed by parent groups as insufficient.
Mike Stone sues Russell Moore for 'defamation,' 'emotional distress' in wake of leaked letters

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Mike Stone, the former chair of the Southern Baptist Conventions Executive Committee, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Russell Moore, the former president of the denominations Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission who stepped down this year.

Stone, who pastors the Emmanuel Baptist in Blackshear, Georgia, is suing Moore for for claims of defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and emotional distress.

According to The Tennessean, lawyers for Stone filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court for Middle Tennessee. The complaint centers on leaked letters written by Moore, who resigned as ERLC president in May.

In the first letter from February 2020 leaked to Religion News Service in May, Moore alleged that the SBC Executive Committee wanted him to live in psychological terror and that he and his family had endured unfair treatment by denominational leaders. The letter came amid the ERLCs promotion of racial justice initiatives and calls for the denomination to improve its handling of sexual abuse allegations.

Another letter leaked to the media was written by Moore to then-SBC President J.D. Greear in May, alleging that SBC leaders mishandled a crisis of sexual abuse.

You and I both know leadership in the Executive Committee, at the trustee level with Mike Stone and his allies, and at the staff level by former Executive Vice-President Augie Boto, have stonewalled many attempts at reform for the sake of the sexually abused, Moore wrote in the letter.

Stone, who has been a member of the SBC Executive Committee since 2014 and served as its chairman from June 2018 through June 2020, claims that Moore began a malicious, intentional, and egregious campaign to harm him by defaming him with the text of two letters strategically concealed from general distribution within the ERLC and the SBC.

The letters were leaked just weeks ahead of the SBCs 2021 annual meeting in June, where Stone ran for convention president. He subsequently lost to Alabama Pastor Ed Litton.

Stone, represented by the Brentwood-based Cole Law Group, alleges that Moores letters directly led to his loss, harmed his overall reputation and diminished his future earning capacity. Hes seeking $750,000 in damages.

Plaintiffs business operations have already been negatively impacted by Defendants untruthful statements due to a decreased trust and confidence in Plaintiff in the religious community, and the Plaintiffs pastoral efforts will undoubtedly suffer decreased church attendance and a reduction in donations and honorariums because of Defendants statements which are untruthful and have cast Plaintiff in a false light, the lawsuit alleges.

At the time Moore wrote his letters, the SBC Executive Committee, headed by Stone, had scrutinized the ERLC amid concerns from within the denomination about Moores leadership. Some had threatened to withhold donations from the SBC Cooperative Program, which in part funds the commission.

At the time, the task force also said its findings showed considerable conversation continued in the SBC as to the effectiveness and efficiency of the ERLCs current structure in addressing public policy concerns.

In his lawsuit, Stone claims that Moores letters were retaliation for his role in chairing the study.

Shortly after the release of the letters in June, Stone told The Christian Post that he did not recognize the SBC that Moore described and that he had mischaracterized Southern Baptists.

The accusation that a special 2020 ERLC Task Force was a unilateral action on my part is blatantly and provably false, Stone said. This attack is a deflection from the fact that Russells leadership of the ERLC has been an ongoing source of division and distraction for Southern Baptists.
Nearly 70% of born-again Christians say other religions can lead to Heaven: study

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Nearly 70% of born-again Christians disagree with the biblical position that Jesus is the only way to God, according to a new survey from Probe Ministries, a nonprofit that seeks to help the Church in renewing the minds of believers with a Christian worldview.

The survey, which looked at religious beliefs and attitudes toward cultural behaviors, polled 3,106 Americans ages 18 to 55 from all religious groups, including 717 respondents who identified as born-again Christians.

Born-again respondents were identified based on their affirmative response to the question, Have you ever made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in your life today? They were also identified by their belief about what happens after they die. Born-again believers agree that I will go to Heaven because I confessed my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.

Despite this claim by the self-identified born-again Christians in the study, however, among all respondents ages 18 to 39, who profess an affiliation with some religion, fewer than 1 out of 5 of them strongly disagree with the statement that Muhammad, Buddha and Jesus all taught valid ways to God.

Still, some 60% of this cohort said they shared their faith with someone else at least annually with the intent of converting them.

If you think that there are multiple ways to Heaven, why would you want to go out of your way to convert someone to your religion? Of course, you could be sharing with an unaffiliated person who needs to choose a valid religion, noted Steve Cable, senior vice president of Probe Ministries, in his analysis of the data.

The survey also found that among the top reasons given by born-again Christians for not telling others about their faith is the acceptance of pluralism. When asked why they dont share their beliefs with others, born-again respondents chose They can get to Heaven through their different religious belief, We shouldnt impose our ideas on others, and The Bible tells us not to judge others as their top three responses, respectively.

At first glance, this may seem surprising. But in a culture where pluralism is a dominant part of all religious groups, it begins to make sense. And the pluralistic reasons were dominant, attracting around two-thirds of the population across all religious groupings, Cable said.

Cable argued that pastors and churches need to make the exclusivity of Jesus as the only way to Heaven a stronger focus in teaching their congregations in order to push back against the tide of pluralism.

On the most common reasons (which indicate a belief that other people dont really need to know about salvation through faith in Jesus), we need to make the exclusive role of Jesus Christ in any hope of salvation a recurring and prominent theme in our teaching, he said. This is not a topic to tiptoe gingerly around. Rather, we need to boldly proclaim, There is salvation in no other name under Heaven other than the name of Jesus Christ. God would not have planned from before the beginning of time to sacrifice Himself on the cross for our salvation if there were any other means to reconcile sinful men and women to Himself.

He added: God will not force reconciliation on us. We can choose to reject His grace. But as Paul tells us in Romans, How are they to believe in one they have not heard of? If we think we can slough off our responsibility to tell others, we do not understand the grace of God and our role as citizens of Heaven living on this Earth.

In 2008, a Pew Research Center study found that more than half of all American Christians believe that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to salvation. Nearly a decade later, a Pew survey found that even among the most traditional Christian groups, significant minorities have been rejecting God as described in the Bible.

While 80% of all Americans surveyed in the 2018 study said they believe in God, only 56% said the God they believe in is the one "as described in the Bible."

The strongest supporters of God as described in the Bible were Christians who self-identified as members of historically black Protestant churches at 92%, followed closely by evangelicals at 91%.

Significant minorities of Christians who identified as Catholics, 28%, and mainline Protestants, 26%, also indicated that they believe in a higher power or spiritual force, which is not God as described in the Bible.

This confusion among Christians and what they believe was also recently reflected in the American Worldview Inventory published last month by the Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University.

Of an estimated 176 million American adults who identify as Christian, just 6% or 15 million of them were actually found to hold a biblical worldview.

The study showed, in general, that while a majority of Americas self-identified Christians, including many who identify as evangelical, believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and is the Creator of the universe, more than half reject a number of biblical teachings and principles, including the existence of the Holy Spirit.

Strong majorities were also found to errantly believe that all religious faiths are of equal value, people are basically good and that people can use acts of goodness to earn their way into Heaven. The study further showed that majorities dont believe in moral absolutes, consider 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 you pursue.
Should Christians surrender American public schools?

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Californians were unsuccessful in the recall effort against Governor Gavin Newsom despite an impressive grassroots campaign that garnered widespread support. Since that special election in September, Newsom appears to be exacting revenge on his opponents through several mandates targeting our most vulnerable population  children.

In late September, Newsom signed into law AB 1184, which allows minors to keep sensitive services confidential from the insurance policyholder, generally their parents. Those services may include abortion, contraception, and even gender reassignment therapy. This law not only affects parental rights over their minor children, but it also can have financial burdens placed on parents who are obligated to pay for the services received at a facility without their knowledge.

Soon after, AB101 was signed into law that requires all high school graduates to have at least one semester of ethnic studies to graduate. On its face, an ethnic studies curriculum that provides a well-rounded perspective on people from different cultures would be a good thing. Unfortunately, it is often a smokescreen for teaching critical race theory, which is dangerously anti-American and anti-semitic.

Lastly, in what many consider the breaking point, Governor Newsom announced that COVID-19 vaccines will be mandatory for in-person learning once full FDA approval is granted in July 2022. Though most COVID infections in minors are usually mild and the rate of infections is declining, Newsom plans to add the COVID vaccine to the list of other vaccines required by law to attend any school in the state. California has one of the most stringent vaccination laws because it does not allow exemptions based on personal or religious beliefs, and prohibits most medical exceptions.

In my district, Placenta Yorba Linda Unified, hundreds of concerned parents turned out to a recent school board meeting, hoping to sway the school board into taking a stand against these measures. The overwhelming opinion of parents who spoke at the meeting, which lasted until midnight, is these actions are antithetical to our values as a community. Our district was not alone in its disapproval, as many parents and students staged walkouts across California to protest the vaccine mandates. Across the US, parents are standing up against states that target their children. Many feel the best solution is to pull the kids out of public education and home school instead.

For Christians, all these regulations go to the core of our beliefs on pre-marital sex, gender, racial equality, and the rights we have to make medical decisions for our family. However, we need to ask ourselves, is turning thousands of parents into stay-at-home teachers and isolating our kids from the rest of society, the best solution as Christ-followers? When we turn our schools over to those who seek to permanently remove God from the public square and teach a neo-Marxist philosophy to whoever is left behind, it sends the message that we are not willing to fight for what we believe is right. The Apostles risked every personal comfort and physical well-being to preach the Gospel amongst the non-believers. They were imprisoned, beaten, and crucified to spread the message of redemption and salvation. Thousands of Christians in China, Iran, and Africa still pay the ultimate price to preach the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. How then can we justify a total surrender of American public schools?

We are called to be salt and light in our communities. We are told to pick up our cross and follow Christ, regardless of the personal sacrifice. Therefore, the best solution for American Christians is realizing that our mission field right now may not be the jungles of South Asia but the streets of California, New York, and Virginia. We need to expand programs like Bring your Bible to School Day, Christian student clubs on campus, and supporting believing Christians who run for public office on the school boards and city councils across America. The only way we stem the tide of demonic influences flooding our cities and the nation is to follow Christ and the examples God has given us throughout humanity. Remember the Prophet Daniel who refused the Kings decree to stop worshipping God or the Apostle Paul who boldly stood up to the Romans, threatening to kill him for preaching. God teaches us to defend the Truth of His Word, despite the consequences.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Mathew 5: 11-12

Many of us were horrified to watch the total surrender of our values and standing on the world stage when the US unilaterally withdrew from Afghanistan. If most Bible-believing Christians pull their kids out of public school, isnt that sending a similar message?

We live in perilous times, and there is a lot at stake. No parent takes the well-being of their children lightly, and so emotions are running high. Yet, if we equip our children to withstand the difficulty of being believers when it is increasingly unpopular, then we are preparing them for real life in the years to come. Hopefully, they will take that strength and courage into adulthood so they can be a witness to others of what it means to follow Christ.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Mathew 10:28
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Its an undisputed fact that Southwest Airlines had serious, widespread issues getting flights off the ground over the last weekend. Its been documented that well over 2,000 flights were canceled, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded.

While other airlines, like Spirit, suffered some cancellations as well, no other major airline had such large-scale issues.

On Saturday, October 9, Southwest issued a tweet, claiming that ATC [Air Traffic Control] issues and disruptive weather have resulted in a high volume of cancellations throughout the weekend while we work to recover our operation.

ATC issues and disruptive weather have resulted in a high volume of cancellations throughout the weekend while we work to recover our operation. We appreciate your patience as we accommodate affected Customers, and Customer Service wait times are longer than usual. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/o1scQJ5lLb  Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) October 9, 2021

However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) disputed the notion that ATC issues had anything to do with the delays. In a statement on Saturday, the FAA claimed, No FAA air traffic staffing shortages have been reported since Friday. In this effort to shift the blame back to Southwest, the FAA also noted, Some airlines continue to experience scheduling challenges due to aircraft and crews being out of place.

Some airlines continue to experience scheduling challenges due to aircraft and crews being out of place. (2/2)  The FAA  (@FAANews) October 10, 2021

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly appeared to walk back the claim about ATC issues over that weekend, during an appearance on ABC News. He pinpointed a few issues on Friday  the FAA delays, weather, the nature of Southwests logistical operations  that apparently had a massive domino effect. While the real cause remains debated, its reported that operations are largely back to normal at this point in the week.

Was this an anti-vaccine mandate strike or not?

Weve covered the what? but what about the why? Why did this happen?

Fairly soon after the cancellations started piling up, it began circulating that the delays were in fact being caused by Southwest pilots walking out or calling in sick  on purpose. This sick out was an effort to protest the impending threat of losing their jobs due to the Biden administrations vaccine mandate (for a refresher on that mandate, see here).

Shawn Andrew Walker, ostensibly a pilot (captain) for American Airlines, issued a strong warning for everyone across America to stand up for freedom in the face of increasing mandates  before its too late. The video quickly went viral, and now has over 2 million views across multiple platforms.

Additionally, strike-themed photos began circulating, including one with a Gadsden Dont Tread on Me flag  that rallying cry of the Tea Party  hanging out of a Southwest cockpit.

Southwest CEO Kelly himself acknowledged that the mandate is a real issue. Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, he said:

Ive never been in favor of corporations imposing that kind of a mandate. Im not in favor of that, never have been. But the executive order from President Biden mandates that all federal employees and then all federal contractors, which covers all major airlines, have to have a vaccine mandate in place by December 8. So were working through that.

One Southwest pilot, speaking off the record out of fear of reprisal, endeavored to shed some more light on the issue. Speaking to American Greatness, the pilot said the Southwest pilots are the most conservative collection of white-collar employees in the country. American Greatness reported that he estimated that at least 60 to 70% of pilots at Southwest are, like himself, former military and that the tyrannical mandate, he explained, erased all of the goodwill pilots and other conservative employees had felt toward their company.

According to this anonymous pilot, the result wasnt an organized strike, per se, but with many disgruntled employees calling in sick, or not signing up for overtime to help the airline fulfill the increase in flights typical for a holiday weekend, the result was a domino effect of grounded flights. In other words, pilots saw the writing on the wall with the vaccine mandate and began using sick days before they lose them.

Adding further fuel to the fire of speculation that these delays were the result of a widespread protest against the vaccine mandates is the fact that the Southwest Airline Pilots Association recently filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Dallas, seeking to block the vaccination mandate. In the filing, the pilots union argued, The new vaccine mandate unlawfully imposes new conditions of employment and the new policy threatens termination of any pilot not fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021.

As it stands today, both Southwest and the Southwest Airline Pilots Association deny that any of the issues are due to vaccine mandate protests, coordinated walk-outs, or sick outs. But is this really the case? They havent had their story entirely straight from the beginning, so why should we believe them now?

What really matters: A moment of moral inspiration and much-needed courage

This entire story is a perfect example of how hard it can be to find the ground truth in the age of coordinated disinformation campaigns being regularly run by our legacy media. The weather excuses didnt seem plausible. The FAA pushed back on anything ATC-related. Maybe this wasnt a coordinated protest by Southwest employees, but maybe it is a warning signal that many of their pilots are seriously concerned about losing their civil liberties and arent inclined to pull overtime for a company that wants to force them to be vaccinated just to feed their family.

Maybe none of that matters in the end, because the moral of this story  regardless of the reality behind the scenes  shines out clear as day.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn  the famous Russian dissident who opposed the Soviet Union, served time in the gulags and then became a world-renowned spokesperson for the truth  once remarked that the lie has, in fact, led us so far away from a normal society that you cannot even orient yourself any longer; in its dense, gray fog, not even one pillar can be seen.

All of the lies, half-truths, inaccurate reporting and state-sponsored propaganda about COVID and vaccines has indeed made this episode a rather dense, gray fog. But, even though the muck of MSNBCs ministry of truth style reporting and phony Facebook fact-checkers, there is a pillar that can be seen. And that pillar, that moral of the story, that truth, is this: Americans are desperate for inspiration and longing for leaders  anyone  to stand up to the tyrants and defend their freedoms; to stand athwart history  this dystopian history unfolding before our eyes  and yell stop! Enough with the mandates. Enough with the madness. Enough.

For a moment, for a weekend, even as flights were grounded, spirits soared. Millions of Americans were inspired simply by the thought that a critical mass of employees took a stand against the unlawful, unconstitutional Biden administration vaccine mandates.

Its been a moment of moral inspiration and a shot of much-needed courage into the veins of our republic.

Robby Starbuck, a Cuban American running for Congress as a Republican in Tennessee, echoed this rallying cry with a tweet claiming an influx of messages from like-minded airline employees. He wrote:

Im getting DMs on all my social media accounts right now from employees at nearly every major airline. Theyre all emboldened by the Southwest situation. Expect this to get a lot more serious for airlines very quickly. Lions are awake and people are recognizing their power. Im getting DMs on all my social media accounts right now from employees at nearly every major airline. Theyre all emboldened by the Southwest situation. Expect this to get a lot more serious for airlines very quickly. Lions are awake and people are recognizing their power."  Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) October 11, 2021

And, perhaps even more substantially, Southwest CEO Kelly publicly stated that, even as they would work to comply with the forthcoming mandate, they were not going to fire anyone for refusing to be vaccinated. In the above-mentioned ABC interview, Kelly said: Were not going to fire any employees over this. Were urging all of our employees to get vaccinated. If they cant get vaccinated, were urging them to seek an accommodation, so well do everything we can to support our people here.

In a season that seems shot-through with the little guy taking losses, this is a huge win.

So, as another chapter in the hysterical saga that is our COVID times come to a close, remember this truth: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

It seems like one cant say for sure and certain that the grounded flights were entirely due to an anti-vaccine protest  and as truth-telling freedom fighters that matters. We should never resort to the same tactics we denounce in media.

That said, there is enough evidence out there to suggest that, this weekend, many good men, and women of Southwest Airlines employment, decided the time for doing nothing had passed. The time to stand their ground  and stay on the ground  for the sake of our American way of life, our Constitutional rights, and our civil liberties, had come.

While thousands may have been frustrated due to flight delays, it appears that millions more have been inspired. Perhaps this will go down in our history as a fable of sorts, as a pseudo-factual legend. Whatever it is, its a story, thats for certain. And like all good stories, it has a moral: The time to stand is now. Bravery is inspiring. We the People have more power than we can possibly dream of.

Sometimes we just need someone to help show us the way, to inspire us to take action. That someone was our pilot friends at Southwest Airlines, who just happened to have their moral compasses pointing due North.

Originally published at Standing for Freedom Center.
Nearly half of evangelicals say their church is back open with no COVID restrictions: Pew

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Roughly half of church-going evangelical Protestants are now attending worship services in person and without any COVID-19-related restrictions, a new survey by Pew Research Center suggests.

Forty-nine percent of evangelical Protestant congregants  those who say they typically attend services at least once or twice a month  say that their churches are open without any coronavirus-related restrictions, according to the new Pew survey.

The resumption of in-person services appears to be highest among evangelicals, as only 20% of mainline Protestants say their churches are open. The percentage drops to 14% among congregants in the historically black Protestant tradition and 19% among Catholics.

"Among religious attenders, evangelical Protestants, white (non-Hispanic) Americans and Republicans are considerably more inclined than others to say their congregations should be open without pandemic-related restrictions," the survey report says.

The study also shows that a clear majority of overall American congregants ( 64%) have actually gone to their place of worship in person in the past month, "the first time that has been the case in three surveys conducted since the pandemic began," the survey adds.

Only 6% now say their congregation is closed entirely for in-person services, down from 31% who said this in July 2020 and 17% earlier this year.

Pew also asked American congregants about their confidence in their clergy to provide guidance on the coronavirus vaccines.

The survey report shows: "Almost two-thirds of Protestants in the historically black tradition (64%) say their clergy have encouraged people to get the vaccine, much higher than the share of Catholics (42%), mainline Protestants (42%) and evangelical Protestants (21%) who say they have received the same kind of encouragement from their leaders."

While a small portion of evangelical Protestant clergy have encouraged congregants to get the vaccine, "just 4% of evangelicals say they have heard their clergy discourage the vaccine," the report says, adding that "more than half of U.S. congregants (54%) and nearly three-quarters of evangelical churchgoers (73%) say their clergy have not said much about COVID-19 vaccinations either way."

Pews says the study shows that religious attendees express more trust in their clergy on this issue than they do in state elected officials, local elected officials or news media. "Among the options presented by the survey, only primary care doctors rank above clergy in the share of U.S. congregants who have at least 'a fair amount' of trust in each group to provide guidance on vaccines."

In July, an NBC News poll asked Americans about their vaccination status and found that 59% of white evangelicals, a group long portrayed as hesitant to take the vaccine, had been fully vaccinated.
Over 360 CofE churches at risk of being closed by 2026, church preservation group warns

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Over 350 Church of England churches are at risk of being closed or demolished within the next five years, the church preservation charity Friends of Friendless Churches has warned.

Based on a report released by the Church Commissioners in July, the FCC estimates that between 131 and 368 churches, including Grade I and Grade II historic buildings, could be sold or torn down due in part to the loss of tithes and donations while churches were forced to remain closed because of the government's response to COVID-19.

"A significant strategic concern for the Church ... as a result of COVID-19 is that the pandemic will have a negative impact on the infrastructure that keeps churches open ... If many churches do not or cannot sustainably re-open, then more closures might be needed sooner rather than later," the report released by the Church Commissioners, the body that administers the CofEs property, states in part.

While the CofE said the estimate of 368 church closures is high and a worst-case scenario, the startling figure is based on a survey that asked dioceses to give an estimate of the number of closures they're expecting to initiate over the next two to five years.

Twelve dioceses responded that each was "planning a light number of closures" of up to five; nine estimated between six and 12 closures, nine were planning between six and 12 closures, and five were planning up to 40.

Among these, it added: "Four dioceses in our survey were thinking about shutting 152 churches over the medium term (five years), which would represent a significant increase on recent trends."

This rate of CofE church closures "would be up to eight times faster than before the pandemic," The U.K. Times reported.

The Church of England has an estimated 16,000 churches, a significant drop from its height of 18,666 in 1941, according to the report. The authors blamed the downward trend on a "strong cultural shift away from the Anglican faith" and fewer people attending its worship services. Others might contend that it's also a reflection of the secularization of the population and Christians leaving the CofE for Catholic or evangelical churches.

During the 1990s, church closure remained consistent at between 20 to 25 per year, either because village congregations were considered to be too small or were no longer able to maintain the expense of ongoing maintenance.

Between 1969 and 2021 the CofE let go of 2,013 churches, the report said. This was done by giving the buildings to other denominations or selling them to be turned into housing, shops, offices or community centers. Over 500 of those churches were demolished, however.

Earlier this year, the CofE's 42 diocesan bishops were accused of living opulent lifestyles financed by the denomination while leaving village churches and their parishioners to flounder.

The spate of church closures has affected numerous churches among all denominations in England. According to The Gatestone Institute, from 2001-2017, as many as 500 churches in London had been closed and turned into private homes.

Statistics from the NatCen Social Research Institute showed that between 2012 and 2014, the number of Britons who identified as Anglicans fell from 21% to 17% of the population, representing a decrease of 1.7 million people. Data from British Social Attitudes surveys also showed that those who identified as religiously unaffiliated in England and Wales outnumbered Christians.

Among the concerns that parishioners and church preservation organizations have raised is that local residents would no longer be consulted before a diocese closes a church.

Parish churches are public buildings, originally built and endowed locally and all members of the parish, whether practicing Anglicans or not, are entitled to be heard and considered properly. But the Commissioners propose to reduce the rights of the public in this instance, FCC said in a Twitter thread.

The church preservation charity added: "Historic churches are the essence of placemaking. It should not be fast or easy to close a place of worship. Their futures should be assessed by people with appropriate expertise and there should be a reasonable opportunity for the whole community to contribute its views. There also seems to be a failure to appreciate the relationship the Church has with the State, esp. in terms of public money it has received to repair its buildings; and the 70% State funding of the CCT to protect historic churches for the benefit of the nation."

In response to concerns, the Church Commissioners added: "To the Church community, church closure and re-use is often seen as a failure, which is partly why more are not closed, ... Closure can be traumatic for a community, but in the language of public policy it is a transition, rather than a death."
'Creepy Line' Film Examines Facebook, Google's Influence; Director Talks 'Scary' Way They Use Censorship

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A new documentary examines the way in which sites like Google and Facebook can influence people's thoughts through their control of private information.

Titled "The Creepy Line," the film takes its name from a remark former Google CEO Eric Schmidt made years ago about concerns some had regarding his company's handling of private information.

"There's what I call the 'creepy line,' and the Google policy about a lot of these things is to get right up to the creepy line but not cross it," Schmidt said at the time.

The documentary features interviews ranging from conservative Canadian professor Jordan Peterson to researcher Robert Epstein, who supported Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

"The Creepy Line" had two premieres last month, one in New York City on Sept. 17 and then in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 19.

It's scheduled for release later this month in select theaters, as well as through iTunes, Amazon, and special screening kits for those looking to host their own viewings.

M.A. Taylor, director of "The Creepy Line," who also helped with other parts of the production, talked with The Christian Post on Tuesday. Below are excerpts from that interview.

CP: Why did you decide to help make this documentary?

Taylor: I'm a huge technology fan. I've followed technology my whole life. I love technology. I love opening a computer up and getting into the motherboard.

The rise of Facebook and Google has been something I've kept my eye on for years. And I think they did a lot of good things. I think Google did a lot of good things, disseminating information. Facebook did some amazing things connecting people. But I think, in addition, we've come to a point now where Google and Facebook have been discovered to do some very naughty things as well.

Especially, the EU has found a number of things. Whether it's spying on our kids, whether it's reading our emails, whether it's scooping up all of our private information, whether it's selling it to governments and/or law enforcement. And the thing is, these companies were always caught.

I think that with the level of intrusion they have in our daily life, whether its communication, education, transportation, we really need to sit down and say, 'Hey, look, what's the cost of a free email address? What's the cost of using Google maps?' And I don't really think the cost is worth it for the average consumer and the average citizen.

CP: Some have argued that there should be increased regulation of sites like Google and Facebook. Do you agree with that conclusion?

Taylor: The film doesn't particularly propose a specific answer.

Everybody in the film has a different answer. Epstein wants a public utility. Some people want regulation.

My personal opinion is this: is that we have to proceed with extreme caution because we don't actually know the ramifications of any of these solutions yet. The thing is, we haven't had this conversation in this country. They've had it in Europe and what we're seeing in Europe, the EU has taken some very harsh positions on Google and Facebook, and some of the regulations they implemented will be very damaging. And so if we are going to use regulatory, or we're going to use some other thing, we're going to have to really figure out.

These guys are integrated into our everyday life. So if you come along and break up a Google, what does that mean for all the platforms that link all of our communications together? And so we don't actually know what the consequences will be based on these kinds of things that we want to do.

The other thing is that tech moves infinitely faster than government. And you may regulate today, but they can change a number of things that then move outside of the regulations.

This isn't a Standard Oil. Or a Microsoft, even. This is a company where we are the actual product. I would say that we don't know, but we need to start evaluating and this film is really the beginning of that conversation.

There are a lot of people with a lot of solutions and we're going to have to sit down and look at them all very carefully, proceed very carefully.

CP: Have your online habits changed any since you helped make this film?

Taylor: I think that I have always been cautious of Google and Facebook anyway. I've never been a big social media person, to start with.

I am on the tail end of Generation X, so we have a slightly different way of using these platforms than say millennials. So I was already cautious of these platforms. I had a Gmail, but I never really used it.

I have a Facebook but it was primarily for family members. But I did delete a couple apps on my phone. The Facebook App, the Messenger App.

CP: There was some talk in the film about some of the censorship of conservative views by Google and Facebook. Do you see the reported incidents of alleged censorship of pro-life groups, the Activist Mommy, and Prager University by social media as further evidence of this politically biased censorship?

Taylor: Absolutely. I always try to not prescribe motives to people, but, I mean, there is a certain extent where there are certain people who are getting censored. And here's the thing, we don't even know who is getting censored, because the way the censorship works with these guys, is that you don't know.

For everybody you know, for every PragerU, there's a whole lot of people who are demonetized or who are just completely wiped out. And then it extends to things like businesses. If Google decides to move you to Page 2 of the search engine, when you search for something, you might as well just be gone as a business.

Whereas they might be targeting people for political bias, for example Jordan Peterson or people who support pro-life activism or anything like that, but they could also be targeting a business that has those kinds of ideas and you would never know. So that's what's really scary for the average citizen.

So imagine that you are, that you have a company, an automotive company and you put Bible verses on your pamphlets, and somebody at Google doesn't like that, your automotive business gets moved to Page 2. You're effectively censored. And you're censored, but you don't know it. You don't know it because you're still there, but you're not really there because only 1015 percent of people go to Page 2. If they move you to Page 3, well, you're gone.

The big problem is we don't really know how they decide these things or what their worldview is, but we do know that their worldview tends to lean in a certain way, at least by how people donate.

We do think that there is a certain political leaning in San Francisco itself and Silicon Valley itself has been very open with how they lean politically, especially toward people of specific religions or specific political leanings.
Senators launch investigation as leaked internal data shows Instagram can be harmful for teens

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Members of the U.S. Senate have vowed to investigate Instagram's negative impact on the self-esteem of young users after a recent report showed that the platform's parent company, Facebook, knew but didn't disclose how the image-sharing platform is harmful to teen users.

On Tuesday, 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, announced intent to launch a bipartisan probe into Facebooks knowledge of its platforms negative impact on teenagers. The probe is expected to begin next month.

The announcement comes days after a Wall Street Journal report revealed that an internal study launched by the social media giant found that one out of three teenage girls who used Instagram say the platform made them feel worse about their bodies. The leaked study also found that among teens who reported suicidal thoughts, "13% of British users and 6% of American users traced the desire to kill themselves to Instagram."

It is clear that Facebook is incapable of holding itself accountable. The Wall Street Journals reporting reveals Facebooks leadership to be focused on a growth-at-all-costs mindset that valued profits over the health and lives of children and teens," the senators stressed in a joint statement.

"When given the opportunity to come clean to us about their knowledge of Instagrams impact on young users, Facebook provided evasive answers that were misleading and covered up clear evidence of significant harm. We are in touch with a Facebook whistleblower and will use every resource at our disposal to investigate what Facebook knew and when they knew it  including seeking further documents and pursuing witness testimony. The Wall Street Journals blockbuster reporting may only be the tip of the iceberg.

Last month, Blumenthal and Blackburn called on Facebook to release its internal research on the potentially harmful impacts of its platforms on mental health and how the data has been used for marketing its products to young users.

Blumenthal and Blackburn held a hearing in May focusing on how to protect children online as the amount of time children spend on popular social media apps has surged.

On Wednesday, Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass, along with Reps. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., and Lori Trahan, D-Mass., wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to demand answers in light of the Wall Street Journal report. They called on Facebook to abandon plans to develop an Instagram platform for kids under 13.

"Children and teens are uniquely vulnerable populations online, and these findings paint a clear and devastating picture of Instagram as an app that poses significant threats to young peoples wellbeing," the lawmakers wrote in their Sept. 15 letter. "As the internet  and social media specifically  becomes increasingly engrained in children and teens lives, we are deeply concerned that your company continues to fail in its obligation to protect young users and has yet to commit to halt its plans to launch new platforms targeting children and teens."

"The recently uncovered evidence published in the Wall Street Journal underscores Facebooks responsibility to fundamentally change its approach to engaging

with children and teens online," they added. "That starts with Facebook abandoning its plans to launch a new version of Instagram for kids."

The Wall Street Journal reports that researchers from Facebook discovered that 32% of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse. Out of 1 billion Instagram users, 22 million teen logins occur per day.

Comparisons on Instagram can change how young women view and describe themselves, said researchers in a March 2020 slide presentation posted to Facebooks internal message board, according to the newspaper.

Findings displayed in the presentation also revealed that teens blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression.

Anastasia Vlasova, a teenager in Virginia, told The Wall Street Journal that she started to see a therapist because she developed an eating disorder, which she believed developed due to viewing Instagram content.

When I went on Instagram, all I saw were images of chiseled bodies, perfect abs and women doing 100 burpees in 10 minutes, she said.

The negative impact social media can have on mental health is well-documented.

Child Mind Institute research found that increased time on social media can cause teenagers to feel more isolated, which could be linked to pre-existing feelings of loneliness. Theories suggest that social media is not helpful and can potentially be harmful to teenagers self-esteem.

Seeing lots of perfect pictures online might make kids (especially girls) view themselves negatively [and] feeling bad about themselves can lead to depression, the Child Mind Institute study states.

The less you are connected with human beings in a deep, empathic way, the less youre really getting the benefits of a social interaction, Alexandra Hamlet, a clinical psychologist, told researchers. The more superficial it is, the less likely its going to cause you to feel connected, which is something we all need.

In May 2021, an option was rolled out on Facebook and Instagram so that users can hide the number of likes generated from each post.

Now, Facebook is being accused of keeping its internal studies secret from the public. In May, Instagram head Adam Mosseri told reporters that he had seen research revealing the apps effects on teen wellbeing is likely quite small, according to The Wall Street Journal report.

The hope here was to try and depressurize the experience a little bit, Mosseri told the reporters on a press call. It turned out that it didnt actually change nearly as much about the experience in terms of how people felt or how much they use the experience as we thought it would.

Tony Souder, head of the Chattanooga-based Pray for Me Campaign, a Church-wide initiative that equips adult believers to pray for children and students, told The Christian Post that todays teens are being discipled by their phones.

As a Church, we have to be able to think differently and help them differently than we ever even imagined, he said. The Church has to come alongside young people in a different way. If we dont do something different, were going to miss an entire generation. We have to create intergenerational relationships so they will have the resources they need to flourish in faith and life.
Unvaccinated people are not the virus

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

On my social media platforms last week, I said:

If you do not stand with me in 2021 while the government segregates me for being unvaccinated, Why should I believe you would have stood with me in 1921 when the government segregated people like me for being threatening to white people? Is segregation ever justifiable?

That offended many people who support or sympathize with vaccine passports. They were offended I indicated their support for vaccine passports suggests they might not have advocated against segregation 100 years ago.

The most common objection to my words addressed the supposedly different basis or motives for Jim Crow segregation and vaccine segregation. For instance, one person replied to my questions with:



For one, race is an inalienable attribute whereas vaccination is a choice. Second, unlike the racial fear-mongerings of priors decades, in principle unvaccinated people actually pose *some* risk to others.

That argument, however, is destructive. Indeed, there is a difference between our skin color and our personal choices. Every skin color honors God. Not every choice, however, honors God. Nevertheless, that argument prioritizes the wrong inalienable attribute.



Americas Founding Fathers were right when they said:



We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

All people are created equal  that includes black people and it includes unvaccinated people. What made Jim Crow segregation evil isnt that it discriminated against some peoples skin color. No, what made Jim Crow segregation evil is that it discriminated against people who are made in the image of God. In the same way, what makes vaccine segregation evil is that it discriminates against people who are made in the image of God.

Since discrimination against a particular group of people requires an excuse, its always linked with unscientific justifications and characterizations. For instance, Jim Crow advocates defended racial segregation by making the unscientific claim that black people are biologically inferior and a morally corrupt group who threaten the peace and safety of white people.



In a similar sense, some people who support or sympathize with vaccine passports claim, in principle unvaccinated people actually pose *some* risk to others.

That, however, is an unscientific claim. That is discrimination against unvaccinated people. That is partiality.

Unvaccinated people do not pose any risk to others  at least not anymore risk than vaccinated people. Unvaccinated people are not unclean. Unvaccinated people are not threatening. Unvaccinated people are not the virus.

The people who pose some risk to others are people infected with the virus  whether they are unvaccinated or vaccinated. This is basic science. Their vaccination status doesnt matter.

Its disturbing that needs to be said. Unvaccinated people are not the virus. It might be dangerous or risky to be around infected people, but its not dangerous or risky to be around unvaccinated people.



An unvaccinated person isnt an infected person.

However, because of our unscientific and unrighteous justifications for discriminating against unvaccinated people, were destroying so many lives and livelihoods.

Some people claim COVID vaccine passports and mandates are not unprecedented. But thats not true. Indeed, other forms of vaccine mandates exist. However, these other vaccine mandates are not nearly as widespread or as mandatory as the COVID vaccine mandates.

The vast majority of the billions of people around the world have never been asked to show proof of their vaccination statuses in order to live as an average member of society. And from what I understand, these existing vaccine mandates are for serious diseases, not viral infections. Actuallyfrom what I understandvaccines have never been mandated (at least, widely) for a viral infection with a relatively low death rate as COVID-19.

Still, the unscientific and unrighteous issue with vaccine passports and mandates is that they associate unvaccinated people with infected people.

Many of us do not seem to understand  or want to understand  that an unvaccinated person isnt an infected person.

You see, Its not wrong to sequester infected people  whether they are unvaccinated or vaccinated. There is a scientific and righteous basis for that. After all, God instructed ancient Israel to quarantine people with infectious diseases (Leviticus 13:2).



However, God didnt instruct ancient Israel to segregate healthy people. There isnt a scientific or righteous basis for segregating healthy people.

Nevertheless, since I am an unvaccinated person in Canada  by the end of November, I will not be allowed to take a plane (or drive across the border) to marry my fiancee in Ohio. I have to choose between a vaccine I desperately do not need and a wife I desperately need.



In Oakville, Ontario  a city just 20 minutes from my home  unvaccinated couples will not be granted marriage licenses unless they get the vaccine.



In Toronto, Canadas largest organ transplant centers have introduced a policy that bans unvaccinated people from receiving organ transplants.

In Newfoundland, like many denominations and churches across Canada, the Pentecostal Assemblies Of Newfoundland And Labrador have made the COVID vaccine mandatory in their denomination. Every unvaccinated church member and visitor will be banned from entering their churches for worship.

One of these unvaccinated church members is a father of a friend of mine. My friend prayed for her elderly fathers salvation for many years. Her prayers were answered last year when by the grace of God, her father became a believer.

However, his church is now treating him as worse than an unbeliever. She says, hes so defeated.

My friend tells me her father is considering leaving Newfoundland to live with her, her husband, and their children  so they can attend a good church together. However, that could be impossible.

He might need a vaccine passport to leave Newfoundland.

Meanwhile, many of the evangelicals who remain silent about these injustices in 2021 continue to virtue signal about why our evangelical forefathers maintained silence about segregation in 1921.

No one is obligated to speak against every injustice in our society. However, what does is it say about us when were more concerned about addressing the injustices of yesterday than the injustices of today?

Originally published at Slow to Write.
Colin Powell dies from COVID-19 complications amid cancer battle; he was fully vaccinated

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Gen. Colin L. Powell, the first African American to serve as U.S. secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, died Monday morning from COVID-19 complications despite being fully vaccinated his family announced. He was 84.

Former U.S. Secretary of State and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Colin L. Powell, who was the first African American to hold both offices, died Monday morning from COVID-19 complications despite being fully vaccinated, his family announced. He was 84.

"He was fully vaccinated. We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment. We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," the Powell family said in a statement.

Powell also suffered from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that makes it difficult to fight infections even if a person is vaccinated, according to The New York Times.

As news of his passing spread Monday, many praised Powell for the life he lived, even if they disagreed politically.

"Today, the nation lost a man of undaunted courage and a champion of character," Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, tweeted. "A statesman & trailblazer, devoted to America and the cause of liberty, Colin Powell's legacy of service & honor will long inspire. Ann & I offer our love & sincere condolences to Alma and his family."

Donna Brazile, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee and current King Lecture Chair at Howard University in Washington, D.C., called Powell a "good decent man."

"He made a way out of no way for so many to serve," Brazile tweeted. "I'll never forget his kind words about my Dad who served in the military. May his soul rest in power. To all who knew him and worked along his side, my sympathy to you and his family."

Alexander Vindman, the former director for European Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council and retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, said Powell was the "epitome of a soldier-statesman."

"Agree with him or not, he was a patriot committed to public service and doing his very best to advance U.S. interests," Vindman stated on Twitter. "He left an indelible mark on the U.S. Military and this nation. May his memory be a blessing."

Powell was born April 5, 1937, in Harlem, New York, to Jamaican immigrants. He grew up in the South Bronx, then attended school at the City College of New York, participating in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

Upon graduation in 1958, Powell was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He met and married his wife Alma while stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in 1962. The union produced three children  daughters Linda and Annemarie and son Michael.

A year after Powell got married, he was sent as one of 16,000 advisers to South Vietnam by President John Kennedy. He was wounded by a punji-stick booby trap and received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service.

Powell took over the Army Forces Command and was made chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President George H. W. Bush in 1989, becoming the first African American to rise to that position. He would continue as chairman of the Joint Chiefs in the first few months of the Clinton administration.

In 1993, Powell retired from the Army. In a 1994 Howard University commencement address, Powell urged graduates to "never lose faith in America." Powell was raised in the Episcopal Church.

"Above all, never lose faith in America. Its faults are yours to fix, not to curse. America is a family: There may be differences and disputes within the family, but we must not allow the family to be broken into warring factions," he said in the speech. "From the diversity of our people, let us draw strength and not seek weakness. Believe in America with all your heart and soul, with all of your mind. Remember, that it remains the 'last, best hope of Earth.' You are its inheritors and its future is today placed in your hands."

In 1995, Powell published his autobiography, My American Journey, highlighting aspects of his personal life and lessons learned from his service in the military.

He also served as chairman of America's Promise, a nonprofit dedicated to building character and competence in young people. At the time of his death, he and his wife served as co-chairs of the organization.

Powell was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001 as secretary of state. At the time, his appointment as secretary of state was the highest rank in civilian government held by an African American. While serving in that position, Powell faced heavy criticism for his role in building the case for the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Since his retirement in 2005, Powell remained active politically, openly criticizing different administrations over the years.
Kamala Harris, Terry McAuliffe criticized for campaign ads targeting Virginia churches

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A progressive church-state watchdog group has expressed concerns over a political campaign video featuring Vice President Kamala Harris slated for viewing at around 300 predominantly African American churches in Virginia.

CNN reported Saturday that over 300 African American churches would watch a video message of Harris endorsing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe during worship services beginning this Sunday through the Nov. 2 election day.

McAuliffe, who previously served as governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018, is in a tight race against Republican businessman and Richmond native Glenn Youngkin. The RealClearPolitics average of polls taken since the beginning of October shows McAuliffe leading Youngkin by 2.2 percentage points.

"I believe that my friend Terry McAuliffe is the leader Virginia needs at this moment," says Harris in the video, as reported by CNN. Additionally, she praised McAuliffe's "long track record of getting things done for the people of Virginia."

Harris' remarks did not sit well with Rob Boston of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a secular advocacy organization that advocates for a strict separation of church and state.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Boston said that elected official campaigning for a political candidate during a worship service is at odds with the Johnson Amendment, a U.S. tax code rule that bars nonprofit entities and churches from endorsing political candidates.

"The Johnson Amendment protects the integrity of tax-exempt nonprofit groups, including houses of worship, by ensuring they don't endorse or oppose candidates for public office. No one wants their charities and houses of worship to be torn apart by partisan campaign politics," explained Boston.

"Playing a video during services that urges people to vote for a specific candidate would raise concerns about violating the Johnson Amendment."

Boston also told CP that "houses of worship and other nonprofits are not allowed to intervene in partisan elections."

"It doesn't matter if they're doing it on behalf of Democrats or Republicans," he said.

While Boston believes that endorsement videos in churches violate the Johnson Amendment, he explained that the Internal Revenue Service "has not been particularly vigilant in enforcing it in recent years."

"Yet, the Johnson Amendment serves a vital function. It protects all nonprofits, including houses of worship, all taxpayers and our election system," he added.

Legal scholar Jonathan Turley accused Democrats of hypocrisy regarding the Johnson Amendment in an entry to his website.

"Trump's desire to get the vote out through evangelical churches was widely denounced as an attack on the separation of Church and State," wrote Turley.

"That was before McAuliffe ran into trouble in what was viewed as a reliably blue state that Biden won by a wide margin. Now the same media and legal figures are silent."

Passed in 1954 and named after then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, the Johnson Amendment has garnered controversy in recent years by those who believe it curbs the rights of nonprofits.

In May 2017, then-President Donald Trump signed an executive order that called for the federal government to stop enforcing the Johnson Amendment due to religious freedom concerns.

"In particular, the Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure, to the extent permitted by law, that the Department of the Treasury does not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship, or other religious organization on the basis that such individual or organization speaks or has spoken about moral or political issues from a religious perspective," stated the executive order.

During the 2016 presidential election, then-Republican vice presidential hopeful Mike Pence had a video sent to thousands of churches encouraging the faithful to vote for Trump.

"President Donald Trump will appoint justices to the Supreme Court who will uphold our Constitution and the rights of the unborn," said Pence in the 2016 video.

"Donald Trump will also sign into law legislation that will free up the voices of faith all across this country by repealing what's come to be known as the Johnson Amendment."
Illinois pastor accused of sexually grooming minor via Snapchat

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A pastor in Illinois has been charged with grooming a minor for sex by sending the teenager sexually explicit messages on Snapchat, according to authorities.

Joseph Krol of Dawson, the 36-year-old pastor of Rochester First Baptist Church, was arrested last Friday and charged with grooming a 15-year-old minor.

Sergeant Roger Pope with the Macon County Sheriffs Office explained in comments published by the Herald Review that Krol appeared to try and erase evidence on his phone of the alleged grooming.

Prior to answering the door, [Krol was] seen grabbing his cellphone and manipulating the buttons while standing in the kitchen area, stated Pope. Deputies immediately located his phone, but [Krol] had factory reset the phone in an attempt to wipe all of the data.

Nevertheless, the parents of the grooming victim provided police with the phone of their child, which included the sexually explicit messages from Krol.

The pastor is accused of having requested nude photos from the minor and having played social media games of a sexually suggestive nature with the child, according to the Herald-Review.

Galilee Baptist Church of Decatur, a congregation that Krol used to pastor, released a statement that was published by WAND News in which they expressed sorrow over the charge.

We are saddened to hear of the recent allegations made against Dr. Krol. We as a church take these allegations seriously and will cooperate with law enforcement in any investigation, stated Galilee Baptist Church leadership.

We are eager to minister to all involved in this situation and will be offering professional counseling services to the victim of the alleged incident. Dr. Krol has not been affiliated with Galilee Baptist Church since June 2021. We are praying for all involved.

A popular social media app for young people, Snapchat has garnered criticism from some for purportedly not doing enough to safeguard users from sexually exploitative content.

In 2018, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation put Snapchat on its Dirty Dozen List of mainstream entities that enable sexual exploitation.

Snapchat's business model facilitates sexual exploitation yielding hefty profits for the company without any regard for the associated harms, stated NCOSE at the time.

While Snapchat has made some minor improvements to allow Discover publishers to age-gate content, Snapchat still does not allow users to opt-out of sexually graphic content or to report Snapchat users that are sending sexually explicit photos and videos, or using their Snapchat app to promote or advertise pornography or prostitution.

For its 2021 list released in February, NCOSE removed Snapchat following some improvements on user safety, but kept them on a Watch List as they felt there remained some issues to be resolved.
Most say 'life was better' before Facebook; over 40% of Gen Z now addicted to social media: poll

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe life was better before social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook were launched, according to a new poll.

Pollster and author John Della Volpe of SocialSphere posted a series of tweets explaining an online survey his group conducted Oct. 8-9 with a sample of 1,638 Americans aged 16 and older.

According to the findings, 64% of respondents believed that life was better before social media, with 59% saying it was better before Facebook and 49% saying it was better before Instagram.

Some 28% of respondents, including 42% of those who were between the ages of 16 and 27, and thus labeled Gen Z, said they were addicted to social media.

The poll also found that many respondents believe social media negatively impacts many aspects of life and that most people support the regulation of social media sites, namely, to protect children and teens.

Social media users recognize that it has a net negative effect on politics, the media, the country and how we think of ourselves, tweeted Della Volpe, who is also director of polling at the Harvard Institute of Politics.

Two-thirds of social media users support government regulation of social media to protect children  including 75% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans.

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the harms of social media, especially when it comes to issues of mental health and political discourse.

Last month, Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., announced their intention to investigate the extent to which Facebook knows how its platforms negatively impact teenagers.

It is clear that Facebook is incapable of holding itself accountable, stated Blumenthal and Blackburn, who serve as chair and ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, respectively.

When given the opportunity to come clean to us about their knowledge of Instagrams impact on young users, Facebook provided evasive answers that were misleading and covered up clear evidence of significant harm.

According to a July 2020 report by the Pew Research Center, individuals who get their news primarily from social media were less likely to get the facts right about issues like the coronavirus and politics, and were also more likely to hear some unproven claims.
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Though we are mostly a country of immigrants, immigration reform has remained a divisive issue for two decades. Based on news reports, some might think that most American Christians oppose immigration. But in reality, its the opposite. The active response of many faithful Christians to the current influx of Afghan refugees shows the point.

Even as Afghanistan has faded from the headlines, the work of welcoming and supporting those refugees continues in earnest. Christians and churches have been on the frontlines of welcoming brave Afghans, perhaps up to 95,000, who have risked everything for a new life here.

As with past generations of Christians who fled persecution, these Afghans are likewise fleeing persecution in search of safety, freedom, and opportunity. How Americans welcome them into our communities is and will be a test of our commitment to American ideals. For many Christians, it is also a test of the values at the core of our spiritual identities, whether we walk as well as talk.

For example, in the Washington D.C. area where we live, the outpouring of support for Afghans resettling here or transitioning through here has been literally overwhelming. Thousands of everyday Christians and hundreds of churches have stepped up quickly to help address urgent needs such as shelter, food, clothing, transportation, translation, healthcare, and other necessities. Just aligning and organizing these volunteers is a monumental task, and its not a challenge any single charity or government agency can address on its own.

In fact, this effort is another opportunity for the entire community to put aside differing theological, social, and political perspectives to work together for the good of those in urgent need. OneHeartDC has mobilized churches in this region to work alongside nonprofits and government under the banner With Afghans to bring hope and help to our new neighbors.

In this effort, OneHeartDC partnered with social services agencies, such as Lutheran Social Services, Catholic Relief Services, World Relief, and Ethiopian Community Development Council. These agencies have decades of experience in resettling refugees and whose mission and passion for this work arises from their faith.

These agencies have championed the cause of refugees even when it has been unpopular, focusing solely on the needs of those who arrive here fleeing persecution and violence and seeking to build a new life among us. They know, as do we, that refugees do not take jobs from Americans but instead add to our economy and to our social fabric, as generations of immigrants have in the past. They also know that to abandon this work would leave those they serve vulnerable to xenophobia and conspiracy theories that paint the men, women, and children seeking shelter here as a threat.

The reality is that this is not the work of a moment. Effective work with refugees involves long-term commitments to engage with Afghan families and help them adjust to their new lives in the United States by finding housing, healthcare, English classes, education, work, and meeting other needs.

Churches understand this and are in the work for the long haul, often partnering with individual families to help them learn basic skills of American life as well as making friends. As refugees begin to adjust, the work shifts to the longer, and in some ways, harder work of helping refugees settle into their new and very different lives. This includes education, cultural awareness training, trauma sensitivity training for volunteers so they can help in this process. The goal is to ensure refugees have the knowledge and tools to eventually meet their own needs.

In all this, Christians are motivated by the example and teaching of Jesus, who in his last discourse before the events of Palm Sunday that led to the cross on Good Friday and to resurrection on Easter implored his followers to welcome the stranger, in the knowledge that Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these . . . you did it to me (Matthew 25:35, 39). It is a powerful reality of our faith to see the face of Jesus in the face of tired and disoriented Afghans arriving here often with only the clothes they wear. But that is what Jesus has said.

And so Christians pray and work  ora et labora, as St. Benedict wrote  to help Afghans, to serve new immigrants at our borders, and to welcome the strangers and feed the hungry and relieve the thirsty as if we were serving Jesus Himself. Loud voices of certain Christians in opposition to immigration do not reflect the views and quiet work of so many dedicated Christians in the Washington D.C. region and around the country, coming alongside our newest neighbors with practical assistance and heartfelt love.
7 pastors arrested in India on false charges of forced conversions

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Authorities in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh arrested seven pastors at a prayer meeting under the states anti-conversion law, which Christians have accused Hindu nationalists of using as a tool to persecute them.

The pastors were arrested during a prayer meeting they were holding in Mau district last Sunday, UCA News reported, adding that the pastors have been charged with illegal assembly.

The U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said this past weekend that the Christians remained in jail.

We will move bail applications and are hopeful that they will be out of jail soon, the pastors lawyer, Ashish Kumar, was quoted as saying.

The police initially also detained 50 worshipers but released them the same day. Two Catholic nuns who were at a bus stop near the prayer house were also held at the police station for several hours until the evening, said UCA News.

Police wanted to book the sisters along with the pastors but let them go after the pastors and the faithful said they were not part of the prayer group, Father Anand Mathew, a member of the Indian Missionary Society, was quoted as saying.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the several Indian states that have anti-conversion laws, which presume that Christians force or give financial benefits to Hindus to convert them to Christianity.

While some of these laws have been in place for decades in some states, no Christian has been convicted of forcibly converting anyone to Christianity. These laws, however, allow Hindu nationalist groups to make false charges against Christians and launch attacks on them under the pretext of the alleged forced conversion.

The law states that no one is allowed to use the threat of divine displeasure, meaning Christians cannot talk about Heaven or Hell, as that would be seen as forcing someone to convert. And if snacks or meals are served to Hindus after an evangelistic meeting, that could be seen as an inducement.

The ICC previously noted that Indias population data proves that the conspiracy of mass conversions to Christianity is a false claim. In 1951, the first census after independence, Christians made up only 2.3% of Indias overall population. According to the 2011 census, the most recent census data available, Christians still only make up 2.3% of the population.

India ranks as the 10th worst country globally when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2021 World Watch List. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged the U.S. State Department to label India as a country of particular concern for engaging in or tolerating severe religious freedom violations.

Open Doors USA warns that since the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party took power in 2014, persecution against Christians and other religious minorities has increased.

The group reports that Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences.

Hindu extremists believe that all Indians should be Hindus and that the country should be rid of Christianity and Islam, an Open Doors fact sheet on India explains. They use extensive violence to achieve this goal, particularly targeting Christians from a Hindu background. Christians are accused of following a foreign faith and blamed for bad luck in their communities.
A moisture-rich atmospheric river is forecast to hit California on Sunday and Monday, delivering a much needed drenching of rain to a drought-plagued state at a time of year when big storms are unusual.

Its unclear at this point where the bull's-eye of the storm will dump the most rain, but forecasters agree it will likely be anywhere from far Northern California to Central California, with the San Francisco Bay Area being impacted. The wettest spots could see up to a foot of rain.

To answer questions about what an atmospheric river is and how this storm event might unfold, we checked in with Marty Ralph, the director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego who is recognized as the pioneer of research on atmospheric rivers impacting the Western United States.

Ralph's work on the weather systems includes developing a ranking system, launching a center of research and leading multiple studies and the development of the book on atmospheric rivers, with contributions from many other scientists.

SFGATE: Whats an atmospheric river?

Marty Ralph: A river of water vapor in the sky that is organized in the storm setting of a cyclone, and has a fairly narrow and long structure. Its down in the lowest 10,000 feet of the atmosphere typically, and its 300 to 400 miles wide on average and maybe 500 to 1,000 miles long, or more.



An average atmospheric river transports 25 times the water in the Mississippi River as vapor. Think of the mouth of the Mississippi River dumping water into the Gulf of Mexico.



SFGATE: The storm taking aim at California is both an atmospheric river and a pineapple express. Explain.

Ralph: A pineapple express is one flavor of an atmospheric river that happens to cross over near Hawaii. We have plenty of atmospheric rivers that are not pineapple expresses and they can be very impactful.

SFGATE: You developed a system for categorizing atmospheric rivers by strength. Tell me about that.

Ralph: There are five rankings. We call it AR1, AR2, AR3, AR4 and AR5. Theres weak, moderate, strong, extreme and exceptional, and those are terms we use for the intensity of the atmospheric river. Thats like the peak amount of water vapor transported in the atmospheric river, which is the combination of the wind and the water vapor in the air.

Then we have the duration of the atmospheric river. If youre in San Francisco and you have an atmospheric river coming in, the way we calculate the scale is we first determine the start time when the atmospheric river arrives and then the end time when its over. That gives us the duration of the atmospheric river at your location. Then we determine during that period where at your location was the atmospheric strongest overhead in terms of that vapor transport.

Those two parameters determine what its ranking is  1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. We built in the duration because we learned from the science that when we factor in the duration it explains more of the precipitation than just the intensity.



The scale was intended partly to allow the public and decision makers to distinguish from atmospheric rivers that are probably going to be mostly beneficial from those that could potentially pack the big wallop and be more hazardous.



AR3s on average do a few million dollars of damage, AR4s average tens of millions in damage and AR5s average hundreds of millions in damage. But they cant do that much damage if they hit an area with little population, or where soils are very dry, and rivers and lakes are low, like after the long dry season or drought..



SFGATE: How does the atmospheric river forecast to hit California on Sunday to Monday rank?

Ralph: I just did the calculation  theres about a 30% chance itll be an AR3, and this is for the San Francisco Bay Area specifically. Theres about a 35% chance itll be an AR4 and 30% chance of an AR5.

AR5s are really quite rare in California in general, and in October theyre super rare. The study we did around the Bay Area, we looked at 40 years and there was only one AR5 in October in 40 years. Its a rare event. There were 10 total in 40 years, but only one was in October.

SFGATE: How tricky is it to forecast how an atmospheric river event will unfold?

Ralph: In the weather business, some storm types are more predictable than others. Planning out exactly when and where a thunderstorm is going to fall over the Great Plains is super hard to do. Figuring out where a hurricane is going to make landfall  20, 30 years ago, there was still a lot of air in that. The science has improved to make that better.

Atmospheric rivers are easier to predict than other storm types. Were able to take advantage of that. In California, we can potentially use that to help reservoir operators, to operate their dam in a different way that allows for more flexibility and build up potential resilience to climate change.

SFGATE: Why are atmospheric rivers important to California?

Ralph: They provide a lot of beneficial water. When were in a drought and we get a good atmospheric river, it can break the drought. It might be whats sort of happening right now. At least, were hopeful that if this isnt the only one we get this year, its the start of a wetter winter. And, of course, the flooding Ive mentioned.

SFGATE: How many atmospheric rivers would it take to end the California drought?

Ralph: If theyre strong, it would only take a couple of those, three or four, to really make a big dent. Three or four of those sequences, or families as we call them.

This weeklong period ahead is looking like it could produce anywhere from 10% to 15% of the average annual precipitation for much of Northern California, and in some locations that percentage could be even higher.



SFGATE: What would happen in Northern California if we got three or four atmospheric rivers, beyond the drought ending?

Ralph: We only have to look back to 2019 and 2017 for examples of flood years. In 2019, we had a serious flood on the Russian River. Other rivers also flooded.

In 2017, there was a series of atmospheric river events that included families [of storms] that ended up triggering the problems with the Oroville Dam spillway. Thats just due to four years ago. Were always paying attention to whats happening today and we often forget what happened long ago. If we keep getting atmospheric rivers this year, it could turn into a flood season, right after a drought.

SFGATE: What are some specific examples of damage atmospheric rivers have done in California?

Ralph: The big flooding events from 1997 in the Sacramento area on the American River, and storms in 1995 and in 1998 that have created local and regional flooding, the big storm in the Seattle area or Washington state in 2006, 2009  all of these storms, they essentially contain an atmospheric river.

SFGATE: Are atmospheric rivers more common due to climate change?

Ralph: We dont have a good answer to that, but the climate projections suggest we could have bigger atmospheric rivers and some of them will be stronger and there will be longer dry periods between them.



SFGATE: Why does it seem like meteorologists are using the term atmospheric river in their forecasts more than they did in the past?

Ralph: Scientists have described them, explained them and now we know how to detect and measure them. Weve also done work to show how they impact water supply and flooding, among many other things. For example, if you look at 40 years of flood data from FEMA in the Western U.S., 84% of all flood damage has been from atmospheric rivers. On the West Coast in Northern California, its 95% to 99%. They are literally the type of storm that causes flood damage more than any other in the West. In addition  a third of all the precipitation in parts of California on average comes from atmospheric rivers  some get 50%. In the Southern Sierra, about 40% of the snowpack comes from atmospheric rivers.



They are both providers of beneficial water supply and the cause of most of the big flood damages.



SFGATE: Whats the biggest atmospheric river you imagine happening in your lifetime?

Ralph: Theres a formal study called the ARkStorm. It was done about 10 years ago, organized by the U.S. Geological Survey, as part of a hazard risk assessment. I helped develop the physical scenario for it, in other words, described the storm. It stitched together two super-strong atmospheric rivers, just four days apart, one in Northern California and one in Southern California, and one of them stalled for an extra day because that can happen and that produced what is now known as the ARkStorm.

They ran that Ark output through the planning and then worked with people to find out what the flood damage would be, what the transportation disruption would be, what the power disruption would be and lifelines and all that and economic disruption  $700 billion in California. The previous natural hazard study that group had done was a big earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, as they call it The Big One, and its estimated damage was $200 billion. The ARkStorm was a very formal study with 100 experts involved, estimated closer to $700 billion of impacts on California.



SFGATE: What are people getting wrong when they talk about atmospheric rivers?

Ralph: Some people have the concept that all atmospheric rivers bring moisture directly from the tropics, but many do not. The storm we have now, thats not happening. Its coming from the West, and even when we have a tropical tap as we call it, like the pineapple express in Hawaii, most of that water vapor thats coming out of the tropics into the base of the atmospheric river, the southwestern point of the atmospheric river and flowing along the atmospheric river, most of that gets rained out before it ever reaches California. And its replaced by water that has evaporated off the ocean and converged into the atmospheric river along the way. So you can think of an atmospheric river as a freeway with on-ramps and off-ramps, and if you take that freeway from Hawaii all the way to the West Coast, most of the cars that got on in Hawaii have gotten off the freeway by the time youre in California.
Shares of Novavax, Inc. NVAX were down almost 15% on Wednesday following a Politico report, which claimed that the company was facing core manufacturing problems related to its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Per the report, Novavaxs method to test the vaccines purity has not met regulators standards, and could take a lot of time before it is set right.

However, Novavax issued a statement to reaffirm its commitment to deliver a high-quality vaccine that meets the strict standards of production and manufacturing. The company believes that its COVID-19 vaccine will be ready by the end of this year.

Novavax plans to complete rolling regulatory submissions for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in the next few weeks. The company has already commenced its regulatory filings seeking emergency use of its vaccine in India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The company has also filed for Emergency Use listing with the World Health Organization last month, and plans to submit an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) request with the FDA by 2021-end.

Shares of Novavax have rallied 22.7% so far this year against the industrys decline of 10.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Based on data from a late-stage study announced in June 2021, the companys COVID-19 vaccine candidate demonstrated an overall vaccine efficacy of 90.4% and achieved 100% protection against moderate and severe coronavirus disease. The COVID-19 vaccine candidate was found to be effective against strains of the coronavirus first found in the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, South Africa and India.

Novavax candidate, NVX-CoV2373, is also being evaluated in studies in adolescents aged between 12 years and less than 17 years.

The company aims at manufacturing 150 million doses per month by the end of 2021. It has also signed advance purchase agreements with different countries and organizations for supplying more than one billion doses.

We note that Pfizer PFE / BioNTechs Comirnaty and Moderna MRNA were granted EUA by the FDA in December last year. J&J JNJ received EUA in the United States for its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in February this year. Although AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine is yet to be authorized in the United States, it is available in multiple other countries.

We note that Novavaxs COVID-19 vaccine is lagging the race. Novavax plays a key role for the COVAX Facility as the latter is dependent on the company to vaccinate low-income groups. Novavax has partnered with the Serum Institute of India to jointly supply 1.1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine candidate to Gavi through the COVAX facility.

Zacks Rank

Novavax currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America

A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. Its bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.

The only question is Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?

Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today its free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): Free Stock Analysis Report



Pfizer Inc. (PFE): Free Stock Analysis Report



Moderna, Inc. (MRNA): Free Stock Analysis Report



Novavax, Inc. (NVAX): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research

Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Since Sony launched its new PS5 in November 2020, consumers have struggled to get it, as it sells out as soon as they are restocked. That explains the outrage caused by a viral video from TikTok that supposedly would show that Walmart has a huge secret reserve of PlayStation 5 consoles in the midst of a shortage crisis.

On October 12, user Hisham Hasan posted on TikTok a video of just 5 seconds allegedly taken at a Walmart warehouse . The clip shows high shelves full of white boxes that, according to its description, would be hundreds of PS5 consoles .

"That's why all of you do not have PS5, because Walmart is monopolizing them all," says a strange female voice replicating the text that appears in the video.

So far, the clip exceeds 3.4 million views , has more than 318 thousand likes and has thousands of comments. Among these, there are some who would confirm the complaint.

"Bro, I swear to God you're not lying, I worked at a Walmart distribution center and they have over 2,000 PS5s, I was literally touching them every second," wrote a user named Chris Patrick.

Also read: Netflix signs alliance with Walmart to sell products inspired by its content

Why would Walmart stockpile the PlayStation 5 amid the console shortage?

Some media had already reported that Walmart would be playing with the supply and demand of PS5 , although it is not known exactly for what purpose. There are even reports that the chain of stores has not had these equipment for sale for much of October.

There are those who speculate that the alleged hoarding would be a strategy given the global shortage of this and other consoles, such as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S , derived from the low availability of chips and components that has plagued the entire technology industry since the pandemic.

"It is difficult for us to increase production of the PS5 amid the shortage of semiconductors and other components ," Hiroki Totoki, Sony's chief financial officer, recently explained, quoted by Independent en Espanol . "We have not been able to fully meet the high level of customer demand, but we continue to do everything in our power to ship as many units as possible to customers who are expecting a PS5."

In this scenario, the vast majority of retailers and ecommerce platforms are struggling to satisfy gamers eager to buy consoles, since they run out as soon as they hit the shelves (or virtual stores, as the case may be).

It has been almost a year since they were launched and they always sell out. Resellers are ridiculous, " commented another user, referring to the practice of accumulating products to sell them at a higher price when demand rises.

Other netizens have considered the possibility that Walmart is withholding the coveted item in order to have sufficient stock for Black Friday and holiday season sales.

So far, Walmart has not commented on the matter.

See also: Chip shortage affects you more than you think

Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
ODESSA -- In addition to rows of exhibits and swag bags, this years Permian Basin International Oil Show features Angie Jordan, an artist who travels the world drawing digital caricatures.

Jordan said she drew her first caricature in the late 80s while she was serving in the U.S. Army as a drafter. Soldiers began asking her to create portraits of their family members, and one day she was asked to draw a caricature as a going-away present for a retiring general.

My style started to develop more and more and then I met The Caricature Society, she said during the oil show on Tuesday. Thats what opened doors for me with this.

After getting started with traditional caricature drawings on paper, Jordan began the transition to digital while she was working as a CAD (computer-aided design) operator for an engineering company. She got used to drawing with a computer mouse before purchasing one of the first Wacom pen tablets in the early 2000s.

The concept took off, and Jordan wrote a book teaching other artists to draw caricatures on tablets. Now, the Pennsylvania native travels from Italy to Australia, drawing on an iPad when clients hire her for events like trade shows and weddings.

Jordan said she can draw about eight to 10 caricatures an hour, which can be printed out instantly for attendees and also downloaded online.

While many believe the nose is the focus of a caricature drawing, Jordan said she homes in on whatever the most prominent feature is on a persons face.

Its just like taking a balloon and pushing your air into the biggest thing on someones face, but you have to take away air from the smallest (feature) to make it a caricature, she said. The more you do that, the more exaggerated it is.

It can be a challenge to balance the comic nature of caricature art with the insecurities of the person sitting for a portrait, Jordan said. She said all caricaturists have accidentally offended someone at some point.

It all depends on what they expect in their mind, she said. If a person asks Jordan not to highlight something about them, she knows they want a really happy Disney style.

Jordan will be at the Permian Basin International Oil Show until Thursday in the main building of the Ector County Coliseum.
A robot artist made it to an exhibit at Egypt's pyramids after its British maker said airport security held his creation for 10 days on suspicion it could be part of a wider espionage plot.

The release came in time for the android that goes by the name Ai-Da to showcase work, alongside human artists, at a show opening Thursday at the pyramids of Giza. Hours before, the robot was in the custody of Egyptian border guards over security fears about the cameras in its eyes that enabled it to paint, according to gallerist Adrien Meller who told U.K. media the British ambassador stepped in.

"I can't really gouge her eyes out," he told The Guardian. "Let's be really clear about this. She is not a spy."

Some people took the opportunity to note the robot fared better than thousands of people, including lawyers and journalists, who have faced detention in Egypt where advocates have long urged authorities to ease the crackdown. Human rights groups have called on the United States to attach tougher conditions to the millions in aid that go to Egypt.

An Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman did not immediately respond on Thursday to a request for comment on reports about the robot, which arrived by air cargo.

In a statement, the British embassy in Cairo did not clarify whether diplomats had intervened. "Customs clearance procedures can be lengthy, and are required before importation of any artworks or IT equipment," it said. "The Embassy is glad to see that this particular case has now been resolved."

The art consultancy putting on the show, with Egypt's tourism and foreign ministries, said the robot was joining the first contemporary art exhibition to ever take place at the pyramids.

The humanoid - billed as the world's first robot artist - has sparked debate about the boundaries of artificial intelligence since programmers and psychologists finished building it in 2019. With the machine giving media interviews and displaying artwork in London museums, it also raised questions about the meaning of human creativity.

- - -

The Washington Post's Siobhan O'Grady in Cairo contributed to this report.
A man tried to smuggle a boy into the United States claiming he was his nephew, according to an arrest affidavit.

Luis Angel Cazares was arrested and charged with making false statements

Cazares and a boy arrived at about 8:53 p.m. Monday at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge as passengers of a commercial bus. Cazares stated the boy was his nephew, a U.S. citizen. The boy presented a U.S. birth certificate and claimed to be that person. Both were referred to secondary inspection. Further investigation revealed that the boy was a migrant from Mexico.

The boy added that he met the defendant approximately four days ago and stayed at his home in Michoacan before attempting to make entry.

While he was there, the minor stated that the defendant provided him with the documents and advised him what to learn and what to say at inspection, states the affidavit.

Cazares claimed the boy was his sister's son who lives in Memphis and attends middle school in Memphis. Cazares was told the consequences of attempting to smuggle a person into the United States. He then allegedly asked if he would qualify to be released on bond. Cazares refused to answer further questions after CBP officers asked him about the true identity of the juvenile.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Tiny Cyprus aims to join the global space exploration drive by developing a compact, X-Ray instrument capable of dating Martian soil and rock samples relatively accurately to potentially reveal more about the Red Planet's geological history and offer a glimpse of Earth's own future.

George Danos, President of the Cyprus Space Exploration Organization, told reporters on Thursday that the 1.5 million euro ($1.75 million) European Union funded project is a first for Cyprus and aims to be completed over the next 18 months.

Danos said the CSEO will look for partners including NASA and the European Space Agency that would take the instrument aboard a Mars-bound spacecraft for more accurate, on-the-ground soil and rock dating on the Martian surface.

A group of prominent scientists have joined the project. They include Marcello Coradini, former head of the European Space Agency's Solar System Exploration division, Enrico Flamini, ex-chief scientist at Italy's Space Agency ASI, and planetary geologist Lucia Marinangeli.

The scientists chose Cyprus to develop the instrument because it can be tested on pockets of the east Mediterranean island nation's volcanic rock and soil that are similar to those found on Mars. Danos said scientists identified at least two areas where Cypriot rock and soil sediments weathered by water and wind erosion bear similarities to the Martian surface.

The instrument, called In Time, works by emitting X-Rays on tiny soil and rock samples that give off a luminescence whose intensity enables scientists to determine their age.

Danos said any astronaut trips to Mars must be preceded by careful study of the planet to understand its potential to possibly host human habitation.

Coradini said the experimentation would help scientists to also understand the geological evolution of Mars, which is considered a sister planet to Earth. Understanding the catastrophes that preceded Mars' transition from a wet to a dry planet could offer clues about where the Earth's own geological future is headed, Coradini said.
RENO, Nev. (AP)  A Salvadoran immigrant agreed Thursday to plead guilty to all crimes in the killing of four Nevada residents as part of a deal with prosecutors that will spare him from two death penalty trials and put him in prison for the rest of his life with no possibility of appeals or parole.

Wilber Ernesto Martinez Guzman, 22, pleaded guilty after intense questioning by Washoe County District Court Judge Connie Steinheimer in Reno to two counts of first-degree murder in the January 2019 deaths of Gerald and Sharon David in their Reno home.

Steinheimer acknowledged the plea took the death penalty off the table and told Martinez Guzman he will have to enter formal guilty pleas in Douglas County to the killings of two women in Gardnerville during his two-week string of crimes.

In addition to four consecutive life terms with no possibility of parole, Martinez Guzman faces a minimum of another 214 years in prison for multiple burglary, larceny, weapons and possession of stolen property charges under the plea agreement outlined in court.

He will never be free, Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said about the deal unveiled just before a status hearing was scheduled Thursday morning.

Hicks told reporters after the two-hour hearing that the decision to drop pursuit of the death penalty came as a result of a direct appeal from families of the victims who didnt want the case to continue for years longer.

They shared a collective request for closure and finality in the case, Hicks said. As a result of his pleas, there will not be decades of appeals that have become common in death penalty litigation.

Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson added: They want this nightmare to end. They want justice.

Larry David, a son of the Reno couple, joined the prosecutors at the news conference to express his family's full support for the decision.

Martinez Guzman told police he committed the series of break-ins, thefts and shootings over a three-week stretch because he needed money to buy methamphetamine.

Steinheimer told Martinez Guzman on Thursday if he fails to plead guilty in Douglas County, prosecutors there and Washoe County can void his plea deal and again seek the death penalty. Martinez Guzman also has agreed to plead guilty to multiple burglary and possession of stolen property charges in Carson City. The judge tentatively set sentencing for Feb. 28.

Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, Martinez Guzman responded to dozens of questions from the judge intended to establish that he was making an informed decision to plead guilty based on his own choice and understanding of the law.

I spoke with my attorneys and understand after I plead, I will spend the rest of my life in prison, Martinez Guzman said. I believe it is the best way to close my case ... It makes it so they remove the death penalty.

Public defender John Arrascada assured Steinheimer Martinez Guzmans decision was his own.

Hicks and Jackson initially planned one death penalty trial for Martinez Guzman in Reno, but the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Sept. 30 that the defendant would have to be tried separately in the two county jurisdictions.

Authorities said Martinez Guzman stole a .22-caliber handgun from the Davids southwest Reno home on Jan. 4, 2019; shot and killed Constance Koontz, 56, and Sophia Renken, 74, in separate attacks in their Gardnerville homes several days later; and returned to the Davids house to rob and kill them Jan 15.

Gerald David, 81, and his 80-year-old wife were prominent in the Reno Rodeo Association and had employed Martinez Guzman as a landscaper the summer before.

Martinez Guzman was arrested in Carson City during a manhunt that had investigators track an Apple watch stolen from Koontz to Martinez Guzmans mother.

Martinez Guzman has been held without bail at the Washoe County jail in Reno.

Washoe County sheriffs Detective Stefanie Brady told a grand jury several weeks after Martinez Guzmans arrest that he initially denied wrongdoing but later acknowledged through an interpreter he had done something thats unforgiveable.

He said he needed the money for the meth, Brady testified.

The case drew attention at the time from then-President Donald Trump, who said it showed the need to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities said he was in the country illegally but they didnt how or when he arrived.

___

Associated Press reporter Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
Submitted

EDWARDSVILLE  Safety preparedness just got easier for Father McGivney Catholic High School students after a recent donation from True Value Rental-Edwardsville.

In partnership with the True Value Foundation, the family-owned business provided free health and safety kits to students through the newly created Educational Heroes Safety Campaign.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP)  El Salvadors congress voted yet again Wednesday to uphold the countrys total ban on abortions.

Womens rights groups had petitioned congress to approve at least exceptions in the case of rape, risk to a womans health or life-threatening deformities. But the body voted 73 to 11 to maintain the current law.

Legislators said the countrys constitutional right-to-life article passed in 1998 made any changes impossible. Congress has been asked three times before to return to the pre-1998 exceptions, but has refused each time.

Populist President Nayib Bukele has backed the ban, which is among the harshest in the hemisphere, along with Nicaragua. Bukele also opposes same-sex marriage.

There are currently 40 women serving prison sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years for convictions related to abortions.
BRUSSELS (AP)  European Union leaders struggled to find a common ground during a long debate Thursday on how to ease the pain of soaring energy bills.

The hours-long energy discussion at the EU leaders summit came amid spiraling prices that are pummeling households and businesses still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In need of immediate solutions, leaders are also seeking to safeguard energy supplies to the 27-nation bloc by speeding up the transition away from polluting fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives.

To help consumers and companies this winter, leaders agreed that tax cuts, state aid and other measures like bill payment deferrals proposed by the European Commission would be useful on both the short and longer terms.

In their conclusions, they asked the EUs executive arm to look into the gas and electricity markets, as well as the blocs emissions trading program, under which companies pay for carbon dioxide they emit. The aim is to check whether manipulation of the market could have influenced the carbon price increase.

But there was no mention of setting up a joint procurement program for gas reserves, an idea recently proposed by Spain.

The talks came just 10 days ahead of the opening of a U.N. climate summit that is widely seen as the last chance to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU's executive and its member states already are working to ease the burden of soaring energy bills on households and businesses.

She said leaders also will have to look at the way energy markets function but stressed that in the mid and long term, it is very clear that the strategy has to be to invest massively in clean and renewable energy produced in Europe.

The debate on spiraling energy prices also took place against a backdrop of frosty relations with Russia, a key supplier of gas to Europe.

Von der Leyen said Wednesday that with the bloc importing 90% of its gas  much of it from strategic rival Russia  this makes us vulnerable. Gas makes up one quarter of all European energy consumption.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the energy price explosion this year the consequence "of a big geopolitical game.

Von der Leyen has said that while Norway had raised its gas exports to the bloc to meet increased demand, Russia's Gazprom had not gone beyond honoring its long-term contracts with the EU.

Gas prices have soared this year to 95 euros from about 19 euros per megawatt hour, affecting everything from household heating bills to farmers and food producers. The EU's executive commission says that lower-income households are hardest hit because they spend a higher proportion of their income on energy. Many countries have already offered energy tax cuts to ease the pain.

While all leaders want to minimize the impact of soaring energy prices on their populations, they differ on how to do it.

Entering Thursdays summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the issue of soaring energy prices should be differentiated from the long-term fight against climate change.

I think that we should react calmly; we in Germany will do so in any case, she said.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country is among those that are helping households and businesses foot rising power bills. But he added that long-term solutions must also be found.

And in the long term, there is only one solution  invest more in renewable energy so we are less vulnerable to price fluctuations for fossil fuels, he said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blamed the hike specifically on the Commissions Green Deal plans that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and making the bloc carbon neutral by 2050.

The current crisis has reignited a debate on whether the EU should promote nuclear power projects as a way of becoming more energy independent. That could be done by making them eligible for billions of euros as part of the European Green Deal and coronavirus recovery fund.

Two years ago, leaders agreed that nuclear energy could be part of the EUs efforts to become carbon-neutral. However, they have yet to decide whether nuclear projects can be included in the so-called taxonomy, a classification system attempting to define what activities can qualify for sustainable investment.

France recently asked for the inclusion of nuclear power in the taxonomy framework by the end of the year, leading the charge with nine other EU countries  Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Energy ministers from the bloc will meet as early as next week to continue the talks, with leaders set to reassess the situation at their next summit in December.

___

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands.

___

Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change.
RICHLAND, Wash. (AP)  A farm in southeastern Washington has been fined $304,000 by the Washington state Department of Ecology for irrigating 250 acres (101 hectares) without rights to the water.

Frank Tiegs LLC in Franklin County has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Washington state Pollution Control Hearings Board, The Tri-City Herald reported.

Ecology said the illegal water use threatened stream flows on the Columbia and Snake rivers, which are critical rivers for salmon and steelhead.

The farm built pipelines and two 125-acre (51-hectare) irrigation pivot systems to water previously unfarmed land out of the McNary Pool of the Snake River in the irrigation season of 2021, the penalty notice issued this week said.

Ecology asked the landowner in August about the water rights and the farm said it was irrigating the acreage and that it was a mistake. Discussions began to remedy the issue, with reduced irrigation elsewhere on some fields.

Since 1993, the Columbia River has been managed under a rule that requires mitigation for new surface water withdrawals.

But a check Sept. 20 showed some of the proposed irrigation practices were not being implemented as reported, according to the penalty notice.

The penalty amount is for $2,000 per day for 152 days of illegal irrigation, according to the document.

Frank Tiegs didn't immediately respond to a Tri-City Herald request for comment.
OPELIKA, Ala. (AP)  A former Alabama House speaker imprisoned for felony ethics convictions really is sorry for what he did and is not a danger to society, defense lawyers said in urging a judge to disregard prosecutors' objections to an early release.

Attorneys for one-time Republican leader Mike Hubbard told a court in legal arguments filed Wednesday that the state attorney general's office was wrong to discount a letter Hubbard wrote last month apologizing for his actions and asking a judge for leniency.

Prosecutors' veiled portrayal of (Hubbard's) apology as crocodile tears or anything other than completely honest is conclusory, speculative, and simply erroneous, the defense told Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker. While the state compared Hubbard to an arsonist seeking forgiveness after a fire, they said, an arsonist is a danger to society and the 59-year-old Hubbard is not, they argued.

Hubbard has served more than a year of a 28-month prison sentence after losing appeals that challenged his 2016 conviction for violating the state ethics law, including using his public office for personal financial gain. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging the Speaker's office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses.

Hubbard argued that contracts were legitimate work and unrelated to his position as House speaker, a post he held for nearly six years. Hubbard's time in prison has obviously given him the opportunity to reflect not only on his actions, but also on the broader implications that his convictions have had on his former constituents and the entire political system, the defense said.

Hubbard, who represented an east Alabama district in the Legislature, was automatically removed from office because of the conviction. He played a key role in engineering the Republican Party's takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010.

Barring an early release, Hubbard is scheduled to be released from prison in January 2023, records show.
NEW DELHI (AP)  India celebrated giving its billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose on Thursday, a hopeful milestone for the South Asian country where the delta variant fueled a crushing surge earlier this year and missteps initially held back its inoculation campaign.

About half of India's nearly 1.4 billion people have received at least one dose while around 20% are fully immunized, according to Our World in Data. Many of those shots have come in just the past couple of months, after the rollout languished in the first half of the year amid vaccine shortages and problems with the system for rolling them out.

The success of the campaign has been credited with driving down coronavirus cases since the devastating months at the start of the year when India was recording hundreds of thousands infections a day, hospitals buckled under the pressure, and crematoriums and graveyards became overwhelmed. But experts warn that India must speed up the delivery of second shots in order to ensure the outbreak doesn't flare again.

The country widened the gap between shots from 12 to 16 weeks in order to administer more first doses at a time when supply was limited and infections were surging  a tactic countries like the United Kingdom have used in times of crisis. But it created a lag in getting people fully immunized.

India is using vaccines that require two doses. Ramping up the second dose is an important priority, V.K. Paul, the head of the countrys COVID-19 taskforce, said last week.

We would like to see this number go up. Complete coverage is absolutely critical, Paul said.

For now, the country appears to have enough vaccines to do that  but its supplies will be watched closely since it is a major supplier of the shots globally. When it halted exports in April as cases surged at home, it had a devastating impact on poorer countries that particularly rely on doses from India. Exports resumed earlier this month.

The government is now optimistic that the countrys rising vaccine supply will be enough to cover its international and domestic commitments. Both of the two main suppliers have ramped up production, with the Serum Institute of India now producing around 220 million doses a month and Bharat Biotech about 30 million, Paul said.

Still, experts say the vaccine situation will need constant review. There can be no written-in-stone rule  if infections rise drastically, they can again stop exports until theres enough doses, said K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India.

On Thursday, India confirmed more than 18,400 new cases and 160 deaths  dramatically below the worst days in May when daily fatalities exceeded 4,000. Overall, the country has recorded around 34 million infections and over 450,000 deaths, according to the Health Ministry, though those figures, as elsewhere, are likely undercounts.

Even states where infections were swelling a few weeks ago, such as Kerala along the tropical Malabar coast, have seen a sustained decline.

There is a sense of comfort that India has suffered the worst of the delta variant, but this must be accompanied with a feeling of caution, said Reddy. Even if cases go up, we are unlikely to see the scale of the surge earlier  if that does happen, it would be fairly unexpected.

India earlier said it aimed to vaccinate all eligible adults by the end of the year, but experts say the current pace of immunizations will need to increase to meet this goal, even though it has already ramped up significantly. Though the campaign began in January, by mid-June, only about 3.5% of the population had been fully vaccinated.

India celebrated the achievement of 1 billion shots with fanfare Thursday  though it's not that surprising since it's the world's second-most populous country. The first country to reach that milestone, China, is the most populous.

Billboards announcing the feat with a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were posted across New Delhi. Outside a local politicians house in the capital city, residents gathered as sweets were distributed. A song and film to commemorate the moment have been released, and the Indian flag was unfurled at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi.

In recent months, life in India has swung back to normal. Markets buzz with activity, foreign tourists are allowed again after a 19-month hiatus and the country is gearing up to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

But there are fears this could be a lull before a storm. Even though India may have borne the brunt of the delta variant already, things could escalate quickly if a new variant emerges  either from within the country or outside.

If the virus becomes different or mutates, it changes the dynamics. This could change everything, Paul said.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A Bellevue man has been sentenced to federal prison for threatening to release a nude photo of a legislative candidates wife unless the candidate dropped out of the race.

Dennis Sryniawski, 48, was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in prison. He was convicted in June of cyberstalking but was found not guilty of threatening with the intent to extort.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A company headed by Tesla Inc. chief Elon Musk passed a hurdle Wednesday in its plan to drill an underground motorway beneath the Las Vegas Strip that could one day also link the citys busy international airport and downtown casino mall.

The Clark County Commission unanimously approved a special use permit for The Boring Co. to submit plans for some 29 miles (47 kilometers) of twin tunnels dubbed the Vegas Loop.
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina man has been charged with murder and arson in connection with the discovery of three bodies after a house fire, a sheriff's office said Thursday.

Corey Alexander Cook, 21, was arrested by the Iredell County Sheriffs Office and charged with murder and first-degree arson, the Statesville Record & Landmark reported. A magistrate ordered Cook held without bond. It wasn't immediately known if Cook has an attorney.
ANDREWS, N.C. (AP)  A private pilot and a passenger were killed earlier this month when the small plane they were in collided with pine trees in North Carolina, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report.

The single-engine Beech S35 was flying from Liberty, Texas, to Franklin, North Carolina, on Oct. 3 when the unidentified pilot diverted to Western Carolina Regional Airport in Andrews due to weather conditions, according to the report issued Wednesday.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  An Oklahoma appeals court on Thursday reversed the double-murder conviction of a Spencer man and remanded the case for a new trial.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals issued its 3-2 ruling in the case of Jamar Mordecai Simms, 27, who was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the 2016 shooting deaths of Kendre Smith, 25, and Chameeka Harris, 26.

Prosecutors allege that the two were shot during a drug deal involving Simms and another man, and Simms was convicted of felony murder during the underlying crime of drug dealing. The state's felony murder charge applies when someone dies during the course of the commission of certain felony crimes.

But the appeals court said the evidence suggests Simms was buying, not distributing, drugs and was insufficient to support his felony murder conviction.

As purely a buyer, Simms argues he cannot be held liable as a principal to the underlying felony of drug distribution," the court wrote.

Simms' attorney, Andrea Miller, said she was pleased with the ruling.

The court determined that Simms could be retried under the state's alternative theory that the killings happened during a separate underlying crime of robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater, whose office prosecuted Simms, said he plans to retry Simms for the killings.

As we move forward, the state will proceed consistent with the court's interpretation of the statutes," Prater said in a statement.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Portland veterinary services provider Hannah Pet Hospital will pay over $43,000 to a former pet nurse to settle a federal sexual harassment lawsuit.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Hannah last fall on behalf of a nurse at Hannahs Tigard clinic who said that she quit because a veterinarian sexually harassed her throughout her employment, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

The federal agency said the veterinarian also used gendered pejoratives to address other employees and would say things like, Shut up, woman, and Stupid woman.

Although complaints were made, Hannahs failed to take action and instead promoted him, the federal agency said.

Under the settlement terms, Hannahs will pay $43,179 to the pet nurse for emotional distress and lost wages, will hire an outside expert to help make changes to workplace policies and internal complaint procedures and will train employees on the policies, the federal agency said.

Hannah Pet Hospital did not respond to a request for comment from the newspaper Wednesday.

The Oregon Department of Justice also launched an investigation into the company, previously known as Hannah the Pet Society, in 2016 after receiving complaints that it failed to provide pets with proper care, among other things. Hannah reached a settlement with the state in 2018, The Portland Tribune reported.
NEW YORK (AP)  An associate of Rudy Giuliani hatched a scheme to funnel $1 million in funds from a wealthy Russian financier into U.S. elections knowing full well he was breaking campaign finance laws, a prosecutor said Thursday during closing arguments at a federal trial.

A defense attorney countered by telling the New York City jury that the government failed to prove its case against Lev Parnas.

After closings were finished, Judge J. Paul Oetken read instructions on the law to jurors and told them to begin deliberations when they return Friday morning.

In his closing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten accused Parnas and a co-defendant, Andrey Kukushkin, of using lies and tricks to conceal the source of the money.

Parnas made a series of straw donations despite being told again and again that he couldnt donate somebody elses money, Scotten said.

The defendant lied to the financier, Andrey Muraviev, about how much he was actually donating, the prosecutor said. He also failed to come through on pledges he was making to candidates, he added.

Put simply, Parnas is ripping everybody off, he said.

Scotten said the prosecution was about a conspiracy to bring Andrey Muraviev's wealth and corruption into American politics.

He added: The voters would never know whose money was pouring into our elections.

Defense attorney Joseph Bondy called the allegations against Parnas absurd. The lawyer said his client was a legitimate businessperson trying to use loans from Muraviev to launch an energy company that would be involved in exporting natural gas to Europe.

There was no effort to hide anything, whatsoever, Bondy said. He told jurors his client doesn't want your sympathy. He wants a verdict based on the facts and the law.

As Bondy finished his closing, Parnas became emotional while looking toward the jury, nodding his head repeatedly as Bondy described how his client grew up in Brooklyn, saying: He's a part of us. He's a part of our community. After the jury left the room, Parnas hugged his attorney.

Kukushkin's lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, told jurors that his client was not guilty and had no criminal intent whatsoever.

Lefcourt said there was not just reasonable doubt in the case, but there was overwhelming doubt.

His client, he said, was focused on developing a legal marijuana business and had no interest in spending any of Muraviev's money on anything political.

Parnas, a Florida businessperson, and Kukushkin have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to use the investment from Muraviev to contribute to politicians they thought could advance their business interests, including the energy company and legal marijuana industry startups. Giuliani is not charged in the case.

Parnas and another Soviet-born Florida businessman who has already pleaded guilty in the case, Igor Fruman, initially caught the attention of journalists and investigators after making big donations through a corporate entity to Republican political committees, including a $325,000 donation in 2018 to America First Action, a super PAC supporting Donald Trump.

The pair then became middlemen in Giulianis effort to discredit then-candidate Joe Biden. They connected Giuliani with Ukrainian officials as the former New York City mayor tried to get that country to open an investigation into the future presidents son, Hunter. Ukrainian tycoons and officials, meanwhile, sought Giulianis help connecting with the Trump administration.

Though Giuliani is not part of the case, he is under investigation in New York for whether he was required to register as an agent of a foreign government for actions he said he took in his capacity as a private attorney for then-President Trump.
SEATTLE (AP)  The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed civil rights attorney Tana Lin as a federal judge in Seattle.

Lin, the president of the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, will be the first former public defender and the first Asian American to serve as a federal judge in Washington state, said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray.

Americans deserve a justice system that will uphold the rights of everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected," Murray said. "Building a more fair and just court system starts by appointing more public defenders and more civil rights lawyers  like Ms. Lin  as judges.

The 55-year-old Lin helped challenge former President Donald Trumps travel ban and has represented workers in employment discrimination cases, including immigrant farmworkers in Washington state who were cheated out of wages.

President Joe Biden has said he wants his nominees to bring more professional and demographic diversity to the federal courts. Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell recommended Lin's appointment after Lin was chosen by a judicial merit selection panel.

Civil rights groups cheered her confirmation, which came on a 52-45 vote.

Tana Lin is a trailblazing lawyer and exactly what we need to ensure that our federal courts benefit from a diversity of perspectives," said Christopher Kang, chief counsel of the progressive legal reform group Demand Justice.

The Senate has also recently confirmed Lauren King, a tribal law expert who is serving as Washington states first Native American federal Judge, and David Estudillo, a former immigration attorney and Grant County Superior Court judge, for the federal bench in the Western District of Washington.

Before the confirmations, five of the seven active judge positions in the Seattle and Tacoma courthouses were vacant  the highest ratio in the country.

Lin began her career as a public defender in Washington, D.C., before becoming a trial attorney in the employment litigation section of Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

She immigrated from Taiwan at age 3 and spoke only Mandarin at home before being enrolled in school.

She attended Cornell University and New York University School of Law.
(RNS)  On the corner of East Avenue and West Yates Street in East Syracuse, New York, sits Emmanuel Episcopal Church. The quaint building, with its bright white exterior and cherry red doors, is the home to not one, but two distinct congregations. The first, a modest parish of 25 Americans, meets early on Sunday morning, and the other, a group of South Sudanese refugees, in the midafternoon.

Diangdit Episcopal Chapel has been worshipping out of Emmanuel Church for three years. The congregation is made up of refugees from South Sudan who pray in their native language, Dinka. Their success has been fostered by the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York and a local interfaith resettlement agency that found them a place to hold services and supported their integration into the community.

Many of the congregants of Diangdit Chapel have been in East Syracuse for more than two decades. The first to arrive in the area were part of the Lost Boys of Sudan, a group of over 20,000 Sudanese and South Sudanese boys who were forced to seek refuge on foot in neighboring countries due to conflict and violence. In 2001, many of these boys were offered resettlement in the United States through a program created by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Shortly after arriving in the United States, the few men who were relocated to the Syracuse area began meeting at University United Methodist Church, said Garang Achiek, senior warden of Diangdit Chapel. On Sunday afternoons, they would sing worship songs and pray in Dinka after the 10:30 a.m. English service at the church was finished.

They didnt have any family here, said Abiei Gai, Diangdit Chapel secretary. So, they decided to get together and come up with a church.

There is a large Episcopalian community in South Sudan, said Gai. In 2011, when the country seceded from Sudan, the larger Episcopal Church of Sudan was split in two, creating the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan. According to the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, the Episcopal Church is the second largest in the country, behind the Catholic Church.

After a year, the group moved to St. Pauls, an Episcopal church in downtown Syracuse, where group members could worship in a church of their own denomination, said Achiek.

While they were at St. Pauls, American pastors joined them on Sundays to preach and lead services, said Gai. But in 2014, one of their lay readers, the Rev. Mother Amuor Garang, traveled home to be ordained in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. When she arrived back in the United States, she began leading services in Dinka.

The refugee congregation, which at the time was known as Malek Chapel, spent more than a decade at St. Pauls. Many of the first men to arrive in the United States got married and started families there, said Gai. The congregation grew to more than 50 members and they began a Sunday school for the children and a Dinka school, to teach new generations their native language.

In 2018, a conflict arose between the two parishes surrounding the use of space, which left the congregation looking for a new home. Members contacted the Episcopal Dioceses of Central New York, which began the process of finding them a new space as well as setting up a program for their integration with a new parish in the area.

When finding a new home for this congregation, Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe was intentional about finding a church that would understand the mutual agreement over the use of space, which led her to Emmanuel Episcopal Church in the fall of 2018.

When they moved to Emmanuel, I wanted to set them up with the best chance for success, said Duncan-Probe.

With the help of InterFaith Works, a faith-based resettlement agency based in Syracuse, Duncan-Probe started a program called Building United Communities, funded by a United Thank Offering Grant, designed to facilitate dialogue between predominantly white churches and refugee congregations that share their space.

This program has helped identify common areas of conflict and ways to be more intentional about building community through differences, said Duncan-Probe.

When Diangdit first started worshipping out of Emmanuel there was some skepticism throughout the congregation that it would be welcomed by the mostly white parish. But, through potlucks and gatherings organized by Building United Communities, the two congregations got to know each other and began to foster a relationship.

We would cook Dinka food, they would cook American food, and we would just get together and talk, said Gai.

Weve been very happy to have such a lively and vibrant congregation using our space, said the Rev. Gerard Beritela, the priest at Emmanuel Church. As a welcoming act early in the relationship, Beritela said members of Emmanuel decided to change the sign outside of the church to include the services held in Dinka.

As the group was settling into its new home at Emmanuel, members were also beginning the canonical transition into the Episcopal Church of the United States. Among the many steps in this process, said Gai, was choosing a name for their church. After much discussion, they settled on Trinity, an ode to Trinity United Church of Christ of the American civil rights movement, and which in Dinka translates to Diangdit.

It took a year, but at the 151st Diocesan Convention in late 2019, Diangdit was officially recognized as a mission chapel of the Diocese of Central New York. Its status as a mission chapel means it receives support from the diocese as it continues to grow, but with the hope that one day Diangdit will be able to sustain itself, said Duncan-Probe.

The story of Diangdit is a story of finding your way home, the bishop said. Were much stronger and much more capable as a community because they are part of us.

The future of Diangdit is in the hands of the youth, said Achiek. The congregation is young  most families in the parish have five or six children. Leaders hope to set up a day care program and a tutoring program for struggling students, and to expand the Dinka school.

While Sunday services do not get as many worshippers post-COVID-19 as they did before  they now average 30 people  members still hope their children will learn and carry on the Dinka language.

It has always been about preserving our language through prayer, said Achiek.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  The conservative Texas Republican leader who pledged bounties to those who prove fraud at the polls has paid a liberal Democratic poll watcher who reported illegal voting by a Pennsylvania Republican.

Tipster Eric Frank deposited a $25,000 check from Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks campaign this week, and Patrick may be on the hook for more bounties, The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday.

Frank reported Ralph Thurman, a 72-year-old registered Republican, after seeing him vote twice on Election Day, once for himself and once for his son, who was a registered Democrat. Frank told The News that he would have reported anyone he saw voting illegally, regardless of party. Having come from a family of Democratic operatives, however, he said he sees the irony of the situation.

Its my belief that they were trying to get cases of Democrats doing voter fraud. And that just wasnt the case, Frank said. This kind of blew up in their face.

Patrick campaign spokesman Allen Blakemore did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Five voting fraud cases from last years elections are being prosecuted in Pennsylvania, with four of the suspects Republican, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday. The cases undercut assertions by Patrick and other Republicans that voter fraud cost Donald Trump re-election last year.

Patrick set aside $1 million to reward information leading to voter fraud arrests and convictions but said nothing about how to claim the rewards. Then Thurman pleaded guilty last month to repeat voting and was sentenced to three years' probation and barred from voting for four years, The Inquirer reported. Frank contacted The News to learn how to file a claim, and The News contacted Patrick spokesman Blakemore, who said he would handle the claim.

Frank said that, as a poll worker, he worries about voter fraud now that he has seen it in action. However, he said the attention on Democrats is misplaced.

(Republicans) need to look within their party and not focus so closely on fraud on the Democratic side, he said.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday picked as the state's new elections chief an attorney who briefly joined former President Donald Trump's legal team last year as it challenged the 2020 election results.

John Scott is also a former state litigator who defended Texas' strict voter ID law, which was eventually upheld after a federal judge found it was designed to intentionally discriminate against minorities.

His appointment as secretary of state troubled voting rights groups near the end of an already highly charged year in Texas over elections, and at a moment when Trump and GOP activists are pressuring Abbott to perform a full audit of the 2020 election results  even though Trump won the state by 300,000 votes.

In what world does it make sense to appoint someone who took an active role to discredit the will of voters?" said Stephanie Gomez, associate director of Common Cause Texas.

Scott, who has served in other roles for Abbott over the past decade, did not immediately return a phone message Thursday.

Shortly after President Joe Biden's victory last November, Scott filed notice in federal court that he was joining the Trump campaign's legal team as it challenged the outcome in Pennsylvania. Biden beat Trump in the state by more than 80,000 votes, according to certified results.

Scott withdrew from the case after just three days, along with fellow Texas attorney Bryan Hughes, a Republican state senator. Hughes was the main author behind a sweeping a new elections law in Texas that imposes new voter restrictions and led to Democrats walking out of the state Capitol in protest.

Abbott made no mention of Scott's brief stint with Trump's legal team in announcing the appointment.

John understands the importance of protecting the integrity of our elections and building the Texas brand on an international stage, Abbott said in a statement.

Because Abbott waited to reveal his pick until after the Legislature was no longer in session  lawmakers went home Tuesday  Scott can take the job without immediately submitting to a confirmation process that derailed one of the Abbott's former elections chiefs in 2019. State Rep. Chris Turner, the Democratic leader in the Texas House, said the timing denies Texans the fair and transparent process they deserve.

Abbott, who is up for reelection in 2022, has not given in to Trump's demands for a full audit. In September, hours after Trump first prodded Abbott, the Texas secretary of state's office said it would audit four large counties  three of which were won by Democrats  but those efforts include standard post-election reviews.

Still, Abbott said Scott's experience will enhance his oversight and leadership over the biggest and most thorough election audit in the country.

Republicans have also sought election reviews in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin  all battlegrounds lost by Trump. In practically every case, the reviews were launched under pressure from Trump and his allies to carry out an investigation into ballots, voting machines and voter rolls for evidence of fraud to legitimize claims that have universally been debunked.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The United States and several European countries on Wednesday condemned North Koreas recent missile tests and said Pyongyangs technical advances demonstrate the urgent need to ramp up implementation of U.N. sanctions on its nuclear and missile programs and its economic activities.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged North Korea to stop its reckless provocations that violate Security Council sanctions resolutions. She said it should start talks with the Biden administration without preconditions toward the goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

She urged all countries to fully implement U.N. sanctions so that we can prevent the DPRK from accessing the funds, the technology, the know-how it needs to further develop unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

Thomas-Greenfield reiterated to reporters before an emergency closed meeting of the council on North Koreas latest missile tests that the United States has offered to meet officials from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea -- the countrys official name -- and we have made clear that we have no hostile intent toward the DPRK.

In a separate statement, the three members of the European Union on the Security Council -- Ireland, France and Estonia -- said Mondays reported test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile forms part of a pattern of provocations by the DPRK in recent weeks, including launches of short-range ballistic missiles, long-range cruise missiles, and what it has claimed to be a hypersonic glider.

They said the new submarine missile launch underlines the continued enhancement of the nuclear and ballistic program of the DPRK, which stated the ambition to ultimately acquire sea-based nuclear capabilities.

The EU council members urged North Korea to immediately end its destabilizing actions and take concrete steps to abandon its ballistic missiles and other weapons of mass destruction including its nuclear program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

Ireland, France and Estonia also urged North Korea to respond positively to the repeated offers by the U.S. and South Korea for dialogue saying there is no other way to achieve peace, security and stability on the Korean peninsula.

The 15-member Security Council heard a briefing on the latest missile tests from U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Khaled Khiari, but did not issue a statement.

The council has imposed increasingly tough sanctions on North Korea severely restricting its imports and exports while demanding an end to its nuclear and ballistic missile activities. But North Korea has repeatedly flouted council resolutions and continues to launch increasingly sophisticated missiles, escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the region.

Thomas-Greenfield said the Biden administration is committed to working with the international community to reduce tensions and maintain peace on the Korean peninsula. And the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan is ironclad," she said.

She criticized the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions on North Korea, saying it is not doing its job.

We must enforce these violations, she said. We need to ramp up the implementation of the sanctions and weve not done that. And particularly, we need to focus on those who are violating the sanctions and others who are engaging in activities that break the sanctions.

The U.S. ambassador didnt name any countries, but the panel of experts monitoring the implementation of sanctions has cited alleged violations by North Koreas neighbors China and Russia.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Problems plaguing a nuclear waste treatment plant in eastern Idaho appear to be solved, U.S. officials said Thursday, and converting high-level liquid waste into safer, more easily managed solid material could start early next year.

Joel Case of the U.S. Department of Energy said a test startup without waste will begin next week at the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit at the Energy Departments 890-square-mile (2,305-square-kilometer) site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory.

I'm very confident that we can fix the actual process issues," he said during a meeting of the Idaho Cleanup Project Citizens Advisory Board, but noted the plant hasn't run for several years, so there could be glitches. It's now about sustained operations.

The 900,000 gallons (3.5 million liters) of sodium-bearing, radioactive waste comes from processing spent nuclear fuel to recover highly enriched uranium. The waste is in tanks above a giant aquifer that supplies water to cities and farms in the region.

The waste has been a sore spot between Idaho and the Energy Department for years, Case said, and the federal agency is paying $6,000 in fines a day for missing a deadline to transform the liquid waste into solid material as stipulated in a 1995 agreement that was the culmination of a series of federal lawsuits.

Idaho, because of the missed 2013 deadline, is preventing the Energy Department from bringing in research quantities of spent nuclear fuel to be studied at the lab. Scientists say the spent fuel is needed to develop new technologies for the next wave of nuclear reactors that's part of a U.S. strategy to expand nuclear power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The prohibition could also damage the lab's status as one of the nation's top nuclear research labs, Energy Department officials have said. Additionally, the lab is one of the state's largest employers and a huge economic driver, especially in eastern Idaho.

But Idaho officials have been wary of voiding that part of the agreement, which overall is seen as preventing Idaho from becoming the nation's high-level nuclear waste dump.

In 2019, Republican Gov. Brad Little and Republican Attorney General Lawrence Wasden granted a conditional waiver to the agreement allowing the Energy Department to bring research quantities of spent nuclear fuel into the state if the agency proved the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit could process the liquid waste.

That could happen next year if everything goes according to plan at the treatment plan, Case said. Scientists initially plan to use simulant rather than liquid waste, then mix in 10% sodium-bearing waste. If that goes well, the waste will be increased to 50% and then 100%. Case said once the plant reaches routine operations, anticipated some time next year, it will take about five years to treat all the liquid waste.

This has been a long journey, Case said.

The solid waste will be placed in stainless steel canisters, each holding about 35 cubic feet (1 cubic meter), and stored at the site. The canisters will be stored in groups of 16 in concrete vaults. The site can store 745 canisters, Case said, but estimates indicate the waste could fill more than 1,000 canisters. Case said that could mean building more storage.

Another possibility, officials said, is trying to reclassify the solid waste to transuranic waste, which would allow it to be sent to the Energy Department's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico.

It's (classified) high-level waste because of where it came from, but if you look at it terms of its actual content, it could be something else, said Connie Flohr, manager of the Idaho Cleanup Project.

The Integrated Waste Treatment Unit cost more than $500 million to build. Officials on Thursday didn't give an updated cost that included delays or additional work to get the plant operating.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP)  As Democrat Terry McAuliffe worked the crowd at Norfolk State Universitys homecoming football game, many fans at the historically Black school were ready with answers before he could even ask for their vote.

Everybody I talked to said: Dont worry, Ive already voted. Ive already voted, McAuliffe said of his campaign stop last weekend.

But McAuliffe can't afford not to worry. Polls have consistently shown him with the overwhelming support of Black Virginians, but his victory may hinge on whether this core part of his base shows up in strong numbers to vote.

National activists worry that President Joe Biden's falling approval ratings, and a lack of action by the Democrat-controlled Congress on voting rights and issues important to African Americans, could spell trouble in a race with Republican former businessman Glenn Youngkin that already looked exceedingly tight.

Black voters, by and large, are feeling like theyre being taken for granted, said Wes Bellamy, co-chair of Our Black Party, which advocates for political positions that benefit African Americans.

And any hint of waning enthusiasm among Democratic base voters could prove even more disastrous for the national party in next years midterm elections  when the party's narrow control of both congressional chambers is at stake.

Black voters made up 11% of the national electorate in 2020 and 9 in 10 of them supported Biden last year, playing critical roles in delivering close states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the 2020 electorate. But that means any softening of support could have the opposite effect in statewide races net year.

Democrats have been mobilizing their brightest national stars in hopes of staving off complacency in party ranks. Vice President Kamala Harris recorded a video praising McAuliffe that will be seen at 300-plus churches statewide and campaigned for McAuliffe on Thursday. Former President Barack Obama will be in Richmond this weekend and Biden is coming next week.

"This race is tight, Harris told hundreds of cheering supporters in the Washington suburb of Dumfries on Thursday night. And we got to make it clear, Virginia, that were paying attention. We got to make it clear that were not taking anything for granted.

They're following Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who each visited Black churches last weekend. Abrams will be back in the state for a Charlottesville rally Sunday.

McAuliffe, who served as governor from 2014 to 2018, has visited 60-plus Black churches, his campaign says, and last Sunday held the first of several planned Souls to the Polls efforts to bring African American worshipers to early voting stations.

It's difficult to gauge the success of those campaigns, since Virginia has only recently begun allowing no-excuse early voting. Still, McAuliffe advisers say they're encouraged by the total number of early ballots cast so far. Nearly 310,000 people have cast in-person ballots, with another almost 180,000 voting by mail.

That pales in comparison to the more than 1 million Virginians who voted by mail during last years presidential race, though. Those totals could also be offset by a strong showing on Election Day, when more Republicans than Democrats have tended to vote.

At nearly every campaign stop, McAuliffe, who is white, mentions how he was recruited by leading members of the statehouse Black caucus to run again, and that helped him top three Black candidates in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, two of them woman.

This week he released an ad focusing on the violent 2017 clash between white supremacists and counterprotesters in the college town of Charlottesville, part of an ongoing effort to keep former President Donald Trump front of mind for Virginia voters. The ad contrasted Trump saying there were very fine people on both sides against McAuliffes own reaction as governor, when he implored the white supremacists and the Nazis that came into Charlottesville today: Go home. You are not wanted.

Youngkin's message to Black voters promotes his economic plans.

Terry McAuliffe failed to deliver for the Black community as governor  losing their support  and now he is desperately trying to regain their trust, said Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter.

Bellamy, of Our Black Party, spent recent weeks driving around Virginia and was surprised at the number of Youngkin yard signs he saw. He said McAuliffe has a very strong record that will help him with the Black community, but national Democrats present potential hurdles.

When you look at national politics, when you look at some of the things that the Biden campaign promised but not quite delivered on yet, I think there will be some trickle-down effect, he said.

Bellamy singled out Congress' failure to pass federal voting rights legislation and policing reform. He said many Black voters have been troubled that some top Democrats haven't endorsed changing Senate rules to get such legislation passed over unified Republican opposition  but have said they might be willing to change chamber rules to move major spending bills.

Indeed, the Senate took up a voting rights package Wednesday only to have it blocked by Republican opposition  the kind of maneuver changing chamber rules might prevent.

McAuliffe counters that Black voters know his record from his first tenure as governor, when he restored voting rights for many former Virginia felons and others who had been removed from the states voting rolls, and pushed state lawmakers to expand Medicare coverage under the Obama administration's signature health law.

He's also released a campaign plan to Lift Up Black Virginians, which includes pledges to accelerate the pathway to a $15 per hour minimum wage while working to ensure state government better supports Black-owned banks and promotes diversity in financial fields.

Jenkins Zardee, 62, a retired Navy sailor who attended a recent McAuliffe rally with Abrams in Norfolk, said he believes "theres enough enthusiasm.

Its all about turnout," said Zardee. "But people know, if you didnt like the last four years we just came out of, you have to come and vote for Terry McAuliffe.

That message hasnt reached everyone, though. Regina Scheithauer, a singer and part-time school volunteer, attended the same rally and said of Abrams, Thats how you get the people to pay attention.

But Scheithauer said she knew little about McAuliffe  despite the fact that he's already been governor  and said she hadn't yet decided whether to vote for him.

Another potential wildcard is Princess Blanding, the sister of a Black man who was killed by Richmond police in 2018. She is running for governor as a third-party candidate. At McAuliffes rally with Abrams, some attendees hoisted Blanding campaign signs, and though their ranks were small, they outnumbered the few protesters present waving Youngkin signs.

The Democratic National Committee has announced a campaign featuring ads on Spanish-language and Black radio, and in print outlets targeting the Asian American community. Thats in addition to spending $5 million in Virginia boosting campaign staff and organizing and training capacity.

But Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, said Democratic outreach efforts in Virginia have generally been late and underfunded and have relied too heavily on things like ads instead of on-the-ground outreach. Bringing in Democratic standouts likely wouldn't be enough to correct that, he predicted.

Pulling in new, infrequent voters, its going to take more than a couple of visits. Its really going to take creating some type of excitement at the grassroots level, and ideally some excitement thats around policy that people feel passionate about and feel like is really on the line," Albright said. I just dont know if McAuliffe has really specified to folks about what the urgency is in order to get some of the new voters that they need.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  The chairman of the Florida Board of Education has been charged with illegally excavating in waters around his former property in the Florida Keys.

Federal prosecutors late last month charged Tom Grady with misdemeanor obstruction of navigable water, alleging he excavated at the property without a permit in April 2017.
An Austin hemp manufacturer and retailer asked a judge Wednesday to temporarily suspend the Texas Department of State Health Services classification of Delta 8 THC as a controlled substance, the first legal step taken since the department quietly announced the change last week.

Delta 8 THC is a cousin of marijuana's active ingredient and is sold over the counter across the state. Up until last week, retailers and manufacturers worked under the assumption that Delta 8 THC products were legal to sell and possess under Texas law after the federal Farm Bill of 2018 and subsequent changes to Texas law legalized certain hemp products, according to attorneys for Austin-based Hometown Hero CBD. But a sudden change to DSHS's website on the state's Consumable Hemp Program detailing Delta 8's controlled substance designation left the industry in a lurch.

"These recent developments have caught companies that sell hemp-derived products as well as their consumers off guard, immediately turning them into potential felons subject to arrest despite years of engaging in this same business without issue or law enforcement interference, and without having any knowledge of or intention to violate the law," attorney David Sergi wrote in the petition provided by the Texas Hemp Federation.

Attorneys claim DSHS and Commissioner John Hellerstedt didn't have the authority to change the list of controlled substances, despite the department claiming otherwise. In August 2020, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency updated its list of controlled substances to reflect the changes made by the Farm Bill, paving the way for other types of THC to be legal under the new hemp law  including Delta 8 THC.

Any time the DEA "designates, reschedules, or deletes" any part of the federal controlled substances, individual states are allowed to choose whether or not to adopt the changes or stick with their existing rules. In Texas, that decision is solely up to Hellerstedt. However, attorneys argue that the changes implemented by the DEA in 2019 were merely "conforming" the list to the new federal law rather than taking action that "designates, reschedules, or deletes" anything.

That means, according to the attorneys, that DSHS had no legal authority to object to the changes. State law already mirrored the Farm Bill's language on hemp-derived products, but the state's controlled substance list reflected otherwise because of the department's decision. A public notice for the hearing to decide the change was posted online in September 2020 titled "Objection to Implementing DEA Rule Changes," but it provided no further context. No one showed up to the public hearing in question, and no one wrote in any comments.

Then, when publishing their ruling in Texas' official record March 19, they used screen grabs of a document rather than the text itself, records show and attorneys argue. Typically, attorneys and those in the industry use web services to comb through expansive documents published online by the government to find relevant information based on specific keywords. But those programs don't work on pictures of text, only the text itself  meaning no one in the industry knew that the rules had been changed.

In Houston, some shops stopped selling Delta 8 products upon learning of the questionable legality earlier this week. The Texas Department of Public Safety did not respond to questions about any plans to enforce the law, including what shop owners are to do with Delta 8 products they've amassed. In Harris County, a spokesperson for the District Attorney Kim Ogg said any arrest for Delta 8 possession brought by by law enforcement will be treated on a case-by-case basis. In College Station, one person is already facing charges.

Bayou City Hemp, which manufactures and sells CBD and Delta 8 products to customers and retailers, helped finance Hometown Hero CBD's legal effort to fight the so-called ban on Delta 8 products.

"Prohibition is very tough," Bayou City Hemp CEO Ben Meggs said. "We don't think that's the right direction."

Meggs said the timing of DSHS' announcement is questionable. Crop growers typically harvest this time of year, but could be unable to sell any products if bulk buyers and manufacturers are skeptical of the plant's legality. It follows the same timing pattern of 2019's smokeable hemp ban, which also hurt the industry that season, according to Meggs.

But despite the ban in 2019, industry leaders fought back and eventually got the new law overturned, according to Hemp Industry Daily. Meggs said they're hoping for similar results regarding Delta 8's legality.

"Here we are again," Meggs said. "We're going to go through another round of issues on a slightly different case but within the same field."

From here, a judge will decide whether or not to grant the temporary restraining order, which will last 14 days if approved. During that time period, attorneys will be exploring additional legal remedies, according to Jay Maguire of the Texas Hemp Federation.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's standing bounty offer for proof of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election didn't quite turn out like he planned, it would appear. The Republican this week cut a $25,000 check to progressive poll worker Eric Frank in Pennsylvania, whose tip led to a single conviction of illegal voting by a registered Republican, according to Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News.

"It's my belief that they were trying to get cases of Democrats doing voter fraud. And that just wasn't the case," Frank, whose father is an election judge and mother a campaign manager for Pennsylvania Democrats, told the Dallas Morning News. "This kind of blew up in their face."

Just a week after the 2020 election, as former President Donald Trump refused to admit defeat, Patrick announced he had set aside $1 million for whistleblowers in exchange for evidence of voter fraud. Anyone whose information resulted in a conviction would receive at least $25,000, according to a press release.

In his announcement, Patrick blamed Democrats for not passing stricter voting laws to prevent election fraud.

"The Democrats have no one to blame but themselves for creating suspicion of final vote totals," the lieutenant governor said in the release, citing reasons like last minute election law changes in battleground states and alleged improper verification of mail-in ballots. This lack of transparency has led many to believe that the final count is not accurate in states where the winner was determined be a very small percentage of the vote."

In Pennsylvania, five cases of voter fraud from last year's presidential election have been prosecuted, four of which involved Republican voters, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The latest instance centered on Ralph Thurman, a 72-year-old Republican whom Frank turned in after seeing the man vote twice on Election Day, once for himself and once for his son, a registered Democrat, McGaughy wrote.

Frank said that after applying to to claim his prize, he was told by Patrick's spokesperson Allen Blakemore that he was the first and only person to actually seek the money and added he didn't receive more because higher dollar rewards were reserved for "bigger fish." Blakemore did not respond to a request for comment from the Dallas Morning News.

"Was he looking for a celebrity or a political group as a whole?" Frank asked. "I don't know what he meant by bigger fish."

Frank told the Dallas Morning News he plans to use some of the cash toward a house for him and his fiancee, and reserve a small amount for political or philanthropic causes.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday appointed John Scott  a Fort Worth attorney who briefly represented former President Donald Trump in a lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania  as Texas' new secretary of state.

As secretary of state, Scott would oversee election administration in Texas  a task complicated in recent years by baseless claims of election fraud from Republicans in the highest levels of government, fueled by Trump. The former president has filed a flurry of lawsuits nationwide and called for audits in Texas and elsewhere to review the results of the 2020 presidential elections. Trumps own attorney general, Bill Barr, said there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud nationwide, and in Texas, an official with the secretary of states office said the 2020 election was smooth and secure.

Scott could not immediately be reached for comment.

On Nov. 13, Scott signed on as counsel to a lawsuit filed by Trump attempting to block the certification of Pennsylvania's election. A few days later, Scott filed a motion to withdraw as an attorney for the plaintiffs. Scott's motion also asked to withdraw Bryan Hughes, a Texas state senator from Mineola who works for Scott's law firm, as an attorney for the case.

Reference

Read the amended filing which names John Scott as an attorney for Donald Trump's campaign.

Scott will eventually have to be confirmed by the Legislature, which is not scheduled to meet again until 2023. Until then, he'll serve as interim secretary of state, and oversee next year's statewide races, in which Abbott will run for reelection.

Abbott's announcement of Scott's appointment did not mention Scott's work for Trump  even as Abbott has endured mounting pressure from Trump supporters to call for audit elections.

"John Scott is a proven leader with a passion for public service, and his decades of experience in election law and litigation make him the ideal choice for the Texas Secretary of State," Abbott said in a statement. "John understands the importance of protecting the integrity of our elections and building the Texas brand on an international stage. I am confident that John's experience and expertise will enhance his oversight and leadership over the biggest and most thorough election audit in the country."

In September, Trump publicly called on Abbott to add an election audit bill to a 30-day special legislative session, despite winning in Texas.

A day later, Abbott announced the state was reviewing election results in four Texas counties: Collin, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant. But he has so far resisted pressure to pursue a deeper review.

Scott is no stranger to election law. When Abbott was attorney general, Scott worked under him as a deputy attorney general in 2014, where he defended the state's voter identification law. Federal courts found the law to have discriminatory effect. Eventually, lawmakers had to rewrite the law to address concerns from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Scott will also be the state's liaison to Mexico, the state's biggest trading partner, and will advise Abbott on border and trade affairs.

Abbott's last two appointments for the top elections position, Ruth R. Hughs and David Whitley, were not confirmed by the Senate. Hughs resigned in May.

Scott has 33 years of legal experience, arguing more than 100 legal cases in state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Working at the attorney general's office under Abbott, Scott was deputy attorney general for civil litigation, overseeing more than 22,000 lawsuits for the state. He later was appointed chief operating officer of the state's Health and Human Services Commission, where he was in charge of 56,000 employees and a biennial budget of $50 billion.

Scott also has served as board chair for the Department of Information Resources. He has law offices in Fort Worth and Austin.

Disclosure: The Texas secretary of state has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/21/john-scott-texas-secretary-state-elections-trump/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
A. A sales tax would have meant visitors contributed to repaving.

B. We already are taxed too much.

C. Money for repaving should be put into the county's annual operational budget.

C. The road resurfacing program is behind schedule so the county needs to act ASAP.

Vote

View Results
Canada will lift ban on Morocco flights Canada is lifting restrictions on direct flights to Morocco.

Canada will lift ban on Morocco flights Canada is lifting restrictions on direct flights to Morocco.

Canada will lift ban on Morocco flights Canada is lifting restrictions on direct flights to Morocco. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

Sans Font Size A

A

Direct flights between Canada and Morocco will resume next week.

At 00:01 Eastern Time on October 29, travellers will be able to board direct flights from Morocco to Canada, with a few additional measures, according to the Canadian government.

Travellers will need to have a negative COVID-19 molecular pre-departure test that is issued by the Government of Morocco and recognized by the European Commission. This test should be taken within 72 hours before lift off.

Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Those who have previously had COVID-19 in the past and still test positive can supply a positive test result taken between 14 and 180 days before departure. Travellers who got COVID-19 before coming to Morocco must prove that they were infected in another country prior to their arrival.

Before boarding, airlines will authenticate the COVID-19 test results by scanning the digital QR codes to confirm the identity of the passenger and their test result. They will also check that travellers have uploaded their information to the ArriveCAN app.

If travellers from Morocco are coming to Canada via an indirect route, they will still need a valid negative COVID-19 molecular test from the third country where they landed.

New arrivals will also have to meet the entry requirements to Canada. Currently, non-essential travel is only open to fully-vaccinated travellers. New arrivals must come with a negative pre-departure test, proof of vaccination, and a quarantine plan even if they do not expect to use it.

Canada originally closed the border to Morocco in August as the country was hit with a surge of coronavirus cases. The first ban went into effect for 30 days, and was extended again in September.

What to know before travelling to Canada

Before coming to Canada, travellers need to use the ArriveCAN mobile or web application to submit their personal and travel information to border officials.

If travellers want to be exempt from quarantine, or travel to Canada for a non-essential reason, they will need to show that they are fully vaccinated with a Canada-approved vaccine such as: Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, or Janssen (Johnston & Johnson).

They will also need a quarantine plan, regardless of whether or not they will use it, and a negative COVID-19 molecular test.

Those who are not considered fully vaccinated will only be allowed to travel to Canada for essential reasons, such as work, family reunification, school, compassionate reasons, or immigration. Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as their families, who are not fully vaccinated will still be allowed to enter, however, they may have to quarantine at home.

Official information on border crossing is available on the government website.

Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
The desire to analyze data that will drive insights and competitive differentiation is older than computing itself. Digitization just speeded things up. Richard Miller Devens used the term business intelligence as far back as 1865. The LEO computer was calculating optimal inventory deliveries based on shop performance and generating management reports for the Lyons tea rooms chain from 1951. And the very first edition of CIO magazine, published in 1987, included an editorial on an increasing cadre of increasingly demanding customers seeking faster access to information.

Fast-forward to today, and the dreary meme of data is the new oil that must be chanted at every tech conference by rule of law. The power of data is better understood than ever, but for many, harnessing data, checking its quality, and applying context to assist decision-making remains challenging. CIOs report fragmentation, slowness and silos, even as digital transformation has been accelerated by the pandemic. But there is cause for optimism, in the form of broad modern data pipelines that drive activity and allow what Qlik calls Active Intelligence  the ability to act on reliable data with a rich supporting fabric of context and collaboration to support the right decisions and take informed actions in the right moment. By assembling joined-up processes, companies are following the path from uncovering data to delivering it where it needs to go, governing it through data catalogs, understanding it, augmenting it, and putting it to use via context-sensitive alerts and actions taken in close to real time.

The 1990s rise of databases that cleaved to structured query language (SQL) led to a glut of developers and specialists and created a boom in analytics activities. But the dirty secret of SQL is that its great for moving data, but not analytics, says Mike Potter Chief Technology Officer at Qlik, so weve ended up using the wrong tool for the job.

For change, you need to capture data and lay the foundations for an analytics supply chain and a pipeline that builds on this to enable Active Intelligence, Potter explains. You cant create value in any business process unless you do something. If you believe analytics is all about driving change, increasing revenues and profits, and enabling digital transformation, none of that can occur unless you take action.

<<Read more about Active Intelligence and how it can help you drive more business value>>

Todays decision-makers have a lot of tools to work with  from cloud platforms massive elastic compute power and the Internet of Things generating sensor-data that supplements existing sources to networks that carry data instantly to the locations where decisions are made. But Potter is surely correct in highlighting the link between information overload and paralysis in decision-making.

So, we need systems that advise, working alongside smart human beings who understand business domain, context, and risk. Whether these are progressive (its a great time to build a shop that sells finger spinners in New York) or defensive (this service level agreement is very close to breaking so we need to address it now), decisions must be taken quickly before context has changed and the moment is gone. Seize that moment and the promise is enormous.

The importance of velocity and first steps cant be overstated. We must be able to free data, find it and only then invest in data quality processes and add value via augmented data on the fly, to create a holistic, contextual basis for actions. At credit reporting giant Experian, for example, data integration has been critical to ensuring that data is dynamic and fresh to incorporate up-to-the-second verification.

Then, of course, we must be able to interrogate data and build insights, going beyond dashboards and adding the convenience and immediacy of natural language support, so that non-specialists can ask questions and receive sensible answers without drowning in jargon. As more data sources are added in, unforeseen connections are traced, leading to a-ha moments of serendipitous revelation. To that end, chief data officers are becoming popular appointments, and DataOps teams are becoming mainstream; but there must be buy-in across the company to build a culture for data success.

Assemble that supply chain of elements, and we begin to realize the promise of real-time analytics. In practice, it may not always be truly real-time, but if you can make a better decision, faster than your rival, you are fulfilling ITs age-old pledge to provide an auditable end-to-end decision-support platform on which great decisions are made in a business moment.

For too long, weve struggled to connect the dots between whats needed for a holistic approach to data and analytics, but today theres no excuse as all the technology components are available. Now, its incumbent on leaders to lead. As Clayton Christensen wrote in The Innovators Dilemma, many companies have failed because they stuck to the road that had made them successful when they should have realized they were heading for a dead-end. Analysis paralysis is a silent killer for innovation and strategic change.

For dynamic companies, however, the rewards are large. For example, Schneider Electrics finance department is able to predict some quarterly financial performance to within one per cent using analytics.

Data is the thing that determines how bright the signal is in the fog of uncertainty, says Clint Clark, the companys Vice President, Finance Performance Systems and Data, Global Finance. When you build a pipeline thats robust, you can illuminate those signals clearer and with better timing, and people can make better decisions quicker.

You need to build a culture of trust and show that data has value through repeated demonstrations, he adds. You have to find a way to put data at the center of your decision-making process and be honest about what youre doing, including understanding your own hidden assumptions and biases.

What can get neglected? Clark advises not to underplay the importance of data governance to avoid the garbage in, garbage out effect. Also, he says, watch out for the potential tragedy of the commons, where people act in individualistic, self-interested ways or use data to back up their prejudices.

<<Read the full Schneider Electric story>>

By synthesizing all the assets we have to hand, we can create a new wave of data-empowered companies that make the right decisions at the right time.

Elif Tutuk, Vice President, Innovation and Design at Qlik, believes we can advance enormously if we combine the best of tools, humans, and robots working side by side using natural language for interactions. Theres a need to select a business moment to match the data. Active Intelligence enables the right action at the right moment  and gives users superpowers, she says.

Now we just need men and women to apply that advice. Ready, set action!

For more on this and for the latest trends, visit Qliks Executive Insights Center qlik.com/executiveinsights.
Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

24 Hour Access
LUCKNOW, India (AP)  At least 46 people have died and several are missing after floods triggered by heavy rains hit the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, officials said Wednesday.

Rescuers worked through the night to retrieve bodies stuck in debris and to evacuate those in vulnerable areas, said S.A. Murugeshan, secretary of the states disaster management. On Tuesday, officials said 22 people were killed by the rains.

The mountainous state has seen incessant rains for the past three days, flooding roads, destroying bridges and causing landslides in which several homes were washed away. The situation has prompted help from more than 2,000 members of the paramilitary and civil police.

The Indian Meteorological Department said the rains were likely to recede in Uttarakhand on Wednesday, but warned of more heavy downpours in the countrys northeastern and southern regions.

The majority of the deaths in Uttarakhand were reported in the picturesque town of Nainital, where 28 people were killed on Tuesday, said Murugeshan. Most of the deaths were caused by homes and buildings collapsing in the torrential rains, he added.

In Mukteshwar, a popular hill station in the state, five laborers died when a wall collapsed on their shanty. In another hilly town, Ramgarh, nine members of a family died as the rains washed away their home, the official said.

Videos shared on social media showed the Ganges River bursting its banks at Rishikesh, and the scenic Nainital Lake overflowing with floodwaters.

Experts say the magnitude of the rains has been staggering. Uttarakhand saw 17.8 centimeters (7 inches) of rain in the first few weeks this month, but recorded nearly 58 centimeters (22.8 inches) within just 22 hours on Tuesday, said Bikram Singh, the director of the Meteorological Center in Dehradun, the states capital city.

He said climate change has not only increased the frequency of the rains, but also their intensity.

India has seen worrisome rains across several regions this week. Flooding and landslides caused by downpours over the week have killed at least 39 people in the southern Kerala state, which is on high alert for more rains in the coming days.

Landslides and floods are common in Indias Himalayan north. Scientists say they are becoming more frequent as global warming contributes to the melting of glaciers there.

In February, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in Uttarakhand. In 2013, thousands of people were killed in floods there.

About the photo: This photograph provided by Indias National Disaster Response Force shows NDRF personnel rescuing civilians stranded following heavy rains at Chhara village near Nainital, Uttarakhand, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. ( National Disaster Response Force via AP)

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A Navy report has concluded there were sweeping failures by commanders, crew members and others that fueled the July 2020 arson fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard, calling the massive five-day blaze in San Diego preventable and unacceptable.

While one sailor has been charged with setting the fire, the more than 400-page report, obtained by The Associated Press, lists three dozen officers and sailors whose failings either directly led to the ships loss or contributed to it. The findings detailed widespread lapses in training, coordination, communication, fire preparedness, equipment maintenance and overall command and control.

Although the fire was started by an act of arson, the ship was lost due to an inability to extinguish the fire, the report said, concluding that repeated failures by an inadequately prepared crew delivered an ineffective fire response.

It slammed commanders of the amphibious assault ship for poor oversight, and said the main firefighting foam system wasnt used because it hadnt been maintained properly and the crew didnt know how to use it. The report is expected to be released Wednesday.

U.S. Navy officials on Tuesday said that while crews at sea consistently meet high firefighting standards, those skills drop off when ships move into maintenance periods. The Bonhomme Richard was undergoing maintenance at the time of the fire.

During maintenence there are more people and organizations involved with the ship, including contractors. And the repairs often involve equipment and chemicals that present different hazards and challenges.

The report describes a ship in disarray, with combustible materials scattered and stored improperly. It said maintenance reports were falsified, and that 87% of the fire stations on board had equipment problems or had not been inspected.

It also found that crew members didnt ring the bells to alert sailors of a fire until 10 minutes after it was discovered. Those crucial minutes, the report said, caused delays in crews donning fire gear, assembling hose teams and responding to the fire.

Sailors also failed to push the button and activate the firefighting foam system, even though it was accessible and could have slowed the fires progress. No member of the crew interviewed considered this action or had specific knowledge as to the location of the button or its function, the report said.

The report spreads blame across a wide range of ranks and responsibilities, from the now retired three-star admiral who headed Naval Surface Force Pacific Fleet _ Vice Adm. Richard Brown _ to senior commanders, lower ranking sailors and civilian program managers. Seventeen were cited for failures that directly led to the loss of the ship, while 17 others contributed to the loss of the ship. Two other sailors were faulted for not effectively helping the fire response. Of the 36, nine are civilians.

Adm. William Lescher, the vice chief of naval operations, has designated the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet to handle any disciplinary actions for military members. The Navy officials said the disciplinary process is just beginning. One official said the key challenge in making improvements will be addressing the human factor, including leadership skills and ensuring that everyone down to the lowest ranking sailors understands their responsibilities, and can recognize problems and correct them.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the report ahead of its public release.

Specifically, the report said failures of Vice Adm. Brown; Rear Adm. Scott Brown, the fleet maintenance officer for the Pacific Fleet; Rear Adm. William Greene, the fleet maintenance officer for U.S. Fleet Forces Command; Rear. Adm. Eric Ver Hage, commander of the regional maintenance center; Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, commander of Navy Region Southwest; Capt. Mark Nieswiadomy, commander of Naval Base San Diego; and Capt. Tony Rodriguez, commander of Amphibious Squadron 5, all contributed to the loss of the ship.

The report also directly faults the ships three top officers _ Capt. Gregory Thoroman, the commanding officer; Capt. Michael Ray, the executive officer; and Command Master Chief Jose Hernandez _ for not effectively ensuring the readiness and condition of the ship.

The execution of his duties created an environment of poor training, maintenance and operational standards that directly led to the loss of the ship, the report said of Thoroman. And it said Ray, Hernandez and Capt. David Hart, commander of the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, also failed in their responsibilities, which directly led to the loss of the ship.

The report only provides names for senior naval officers. Others were described solely by their job or rank.

More broadly, the crew was slammed for a pattern of failed drills, minimal crew participation, an absence of basic knowledge on firefighting and an inability to coordinate with civilian firefighters.

The loss of the USS Bonhomme Richard was a completely avoidable catastrophe, said U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee. He said he read the report with shock and anger, and will look into the matter carefully to determine the full extent of the negligence and complacency that occurred.

The ship was undergoing a two-year, $250 million upgrade pierside in San Diego when the fire broke out. About 115 sailors were on board, and nearly 60 were treated for heat exhaustion, smoke inhalation and minor injuries. The failure to extinguish or contain the fire led to temperatures exceeding 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, melting sections of the ship into molten metal that flowed into other parts of the ship.

Due to the damage, the Navy decommissioned the ship in April. In August, Seaman Apprentice Ryan Mays was charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel. He has denied setting the fire.

The blaze began in the lower storage area, which Mays duty station had access to, according to a court document. Investigators found three of four fire stations on the ship had evidence of tampering, including disconnected firehoses, and highly flammable liquid was found near the ignition site.

Efforts to put out the fire were hampered because the ships crew and other outside fire response departments and organizations were not coordinated, couldnt communicate effectively, hadnt exercised together and werent well trained, the report said.

The report, written by Vice Adm. Scott Conn, included a number of recommended changes and improvements that have been endorsed by Lescher. The Navy set up a new fire safety assessment program that conducts random inspections, and has taken steps to increase training. Nearly 170 of those inspections have already been done, and officials said they are finding good results.

The Navy also conducted a historical study, looking closely at 15 shipyard fires over the last 12 years. It found recurring trends including failures to comply with fire prevention, detection and response policies.

As a result, Navy leaders are expanding the staffing and responsibilities of the Naval Safety Center to perform audits and unannounced assessments of Navy units. The final costs are still being calculated.

About the photo: In this July 12, 2020 file photo fire crews spray water from the dock onto the side of the USS Bonhomme Richard, in San Diego. The Navy on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, said that it will decommission the warship docked off San Diego after suspected arson caused extensive damage, making it too expensive to restore. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Johnson & Johnson could start collecting on its new legal strategy for dealing with baby-powder cancer claims as early as Wednesday as it seeks to win an initial courtroom showdown with 35,000 people who claim they were hurt by the widely used product.

The consumer health-care company wants a federal judge to temporarily halt all lawsuits related to the talc in its baby powder so it can negotiate a settlement under bankruptcy rules usually reserved for failed companies that cant pay their debts.

Johnson & Johnson itself is healthy financially. The company created a new corporation responsible for paying all baby-powder claims, then put that unit into bankruptcy where it will seek a temporary halt to lawsuits.

The strategy, known as the Texas Two Step, has enraged victims who filed lawsuits claiming they got cancer and other diseases from J&Js baby powder.

Bankruptcy was the only option to bring an end to litigation that has been increasing at an alarming rate, attorney Greg Gordon of Jones Day said on behalf of J&J at the hearing Wednesday.

Victim Trust Fund

J&J is seeking to use special rules that allow companies in Chapter 11 bankruptcy to set up a trust fund that pays all current and future asbestos claims. Victims claim the baby powder contains asbestos, an industrial substance that causes fatal lung disorder, and say they developed health problems including ovarian cancer after using the product.

Once a bankruptcy judge approves such a fund, all lawsuits end and the claims are paid through the trust. Setting up such a fund often requires years of negotiation with victims lawyers. During those talks, the lawsuits are typically halted, saving the company money.

Gordon said at the hearing that the $2 billion J&J says its ready to put into the fund for victims is not intended to and will not set a ceiling for potential payouts.

The two sides are facing off in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the unit, LTL Management, sought bankruptcy protection to help negotiate an end to J&Js talc and asbestos liabilities.

On Monday, J&J asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Whitley to block the lawsuits while LTL tries to negotiate a deal with victim groups, arguing in court papers that it deserves the same protection given other parent companies that have faced similar problems.

Under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, companies that file bankruptcy are routinely granted such protection. Related companies also sometimes get the same help, even if they are not in bankruptcy themselves. For example, lumber giant Georgia Pacific and building products maker CertainTeed both won a reprieve from asbestos lawsuits after units they created under the Texas Two Step sought court protection.

Victim lawyers said in response that LTL filed the wrong paperwork when it sought to protect J&J from the suits.

J&Js bankruptcy strategy started just as lawyers for victims began gearing up for a trial next year in federal court in New Jersey.

The company denies that its baby powder, which it stopped selling in the U.S. last year, causes cancer.

The case is LTL Management LLC, 21-30589, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina (Charlotte).

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
Avis "Darlene" Searan, age 75, formerly of California, passed away at Restwell Home Plus in Oskaloosa, KS, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. She was born the daughter of Leo Abraham and Avis Amelia (Gabbert) Searan in Claremore, OK, on June 25, 1946. Darlene loved watching baseball, especially,
Kamiah, ID (83536)

Today

Cloudy with occasional light rain throughout the day. High 41F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 34F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.


Viewed of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
If You Go

WHAT: Cleveland Jewish News 18 Difference Makers reception and awards ceremony

WHEN: Dec. 9 beginning at 6 p.m. with cocktails and hors douevres; 7, seated dinner, dessert and awards ceremony

WHERE: Landerhaven, 6111 Landerhaven Drive, Mayfield Heights

TICKETS & INFO: Individual tickets are $108; table sponsor is $1,300. Email glloyd@cjn.org if you would like to request a kosher meal or have a dietary restriction. Visit cjn.org/18dm to purchase tickets.

Livestream Option: For those unable to attend the in-person awards ceremony, livestream attendance is $18. Dont miss any content from the CJN and take advantage of a special 18 Difference Makers offer with a livestream, plus a one-year print and e-edition subscription to the CJN for only $54, which is an $18 savings. Your livestream and/or subscription purchase allows the CJN to continue to fulfill our mission of providing a public service to the Jewish community of Northeast Ohio. Subscription offer is for new subscribers only. Current subscribers are asked to gift their subscription. Visit cjn.org/18dm to purchase the livestream.

MISC.: To purchase a congratulatory ad in the CJNs 2021 18 Difference Makers special section publishing Dec. 10, contact Vice President of Sales Adam Mandell at amandell@cjn.org or 216-342-5191.
At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of workers stayed home, rendering physical office spaces useless, at least temporarily. Now that employees are returning to in-person work, what does the current commercial real estate market look like? And what does the future of office space
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 28F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 28F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
|  EP 6
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  The country received over 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 reported.

A shipment of 1,014,390 government-procured doses made by US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer arrived on Thursday evening. Over 800,000 landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. met the delivery, while accompanied by US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Heather Variava, Health Director Ariel Valencia, and Health Usec. Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taino.

The task force earlier said 100,620 doses would arrive in Cebu while 100,620 would be sent to Davao Friday morning.

At around 10 p.m., a plane carrying 400,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine (200,000 component 1 and 200,000 component 2) also landed at NAIA.

As of Tuesday, over 52 million people in the country have been vaccinated against COVID-19, or around 31% of the target population. Galvez earlier said the government plans to ramp up vaccination to 1.5 million shots a day with the arrival of more doses.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian met with presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. at an event organized by the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

Marcos attended the ceremony for the embassy's new photo wall on Wednesday, which included the image of his father, the late strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Huang said it was a "great honor" to meet the presidential aspirant and his family.

"While always cherish and honor old friends, we hope that more and more people from our two countries will be committed to deepening our partnership and cooperation... Together, we are opening up a brighter future!" the envoy said in a Facebook post.

Marcos and Huang also met earlier this year in another event at the embassy.

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario previously said high officials from China bragged that they used their influence in the 2016 national polls so that then-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte would win as president.

Duterte has vehemently denied China helped him secure 16 million votes in the election.

Bongbong Marcos recently said the Philippines cannot go to war against China following the Asian giant's incursions in the West Philippine Sea, supporting Duterte's stance.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  The Commission on Elections will put its voting day protocols to the test through a simulation on Saturday, Oct. 23.

A total of 4,235 test voters have been tapped for the exercise, which will be held from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., the poll body said in a statement. This is higher than the ideal limit of 800 voters per precinct, based on Comelec's current protocols.

READ: Up to 1,000 voters may share a precinct without additional voting machines - Comelec

The voters will be spread across four polling precincts inside the San Juan Elementary School, while three other classrooms will serve as holding areas.

The May 2022 polls are the country's first national elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The trial run would start at the Voter's Assistance Desk, where people can check which precinct they have been assigned to. Body temperatures will be taken upon entry.

READ: Comelec plans rollout of online precinct finder in January

Voters will be required to wear face masks and face shields. Frequently touched surfaces in the school would be disinfected regularly, while election officers will stand behind plastic barriers during the process.

One-meter physical distancing will be enforced by COVID-19 marshalls within the premises.

Also to be put to the test is the Comelec's proposed isolation polling place for voters with a body temperature higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius or those showing flu-like symptoms. Medical personnel will be on standby.

Comelec would assess if voting day protocols are sufficient to prevent a superspreader event as millions of Filipinos are expected to go out and vote. Its spokesperson James Jimenez said the dry run will help Comelec "streamline the overall voting experience."

A special polling place within the school will also be prepared for voters with disabilities, senior citizens, and heavily pregnant women.

READ: Comelec mulls 5 voters per precinct, limited poll watchers during 2022 elections
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21) A subtype of the Delta variant which has reportedly contributed to the rise in coronavirus infections in the United Kingdom has not yet been detected in the Philippines, the Department of Health said Thursday.

In a statement, the DOH said the countrys biosurveillance team has been closely monitoring 46 sublineages of the Delta variant, but has so far not seen the feared AY.4.2.

READ: A new Delta descendant is rising in the UK. Here's what to know.

As of this moment, experts are still studying the potential impact of the Delta sublineage on the transmissibility and severity of COVID-19. The particular Delta sublineage has not yet been detected among the COVID-19 positive samples sequenced in the country, the DOH said.

A report by the UK Health Security Agency said the AY.4.2 accounted for an estimated 6% of cases by the end of September, adding that it is on an increasing trajectory.

Experts, including the World Health Organization, are still monitoring and investigating its transmissibility.

No complacency

Local health experts, meanwhile, urged the public to remain vigilant amid the development.

I think we should still not be complacent with our health protocols even if we will downgrade our alert level, infectious disease specialist Dr. Rontgene Solante told CNN Philippines News.PH.

The prospect of these new variants coming in and in fact, this new variant, the subtype, is detected in a country where there is a higher rate of vaccination so there is a possibility we can have this variant and that can also again cause more surge in cases, he added.

The DOH also underscored the importance of abiding by the COVID-19 health protocols in order to curb the virus transmission.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21) The Department of Justice (DOJ) would still be looking into thousands more cases in relation to the governments war on drugs, an official said Thursday, adding that the panels review would focus next on incidents in urban areas.

Anim na libo iyan na natitira na kailangang tingnan, DOJ Undersecretary Adrian Sugay said during the Laging Handa briefing.

Pero sabi nga masyadong marami iyan, so we have a few months to do it, so ang napag-usapan namin siguro nararapat na mag-concentrate tayo on certain urban areas, he added. Ang direktiba ni Secretary (Menardo Guevarra), maybe we should go after cases doon sa mga urban areas.

[Translation: Thats 6,000 that we still have to look into. But thats a lot and we have a few months to do it, so we have decided that maybe it would be better if we concentrate on certain urban areas. The directive of the secretary is maybe we should go after cases in urban areas.]

The DOJ on Wednesday released details on 52 deadly cases in the administrations anti-drug campaign, with the report finding lapses in police operation protocols.

READ: Lack of records, negative gunpowder tests: DOJ releases drug war report

While the Philippine National Police welcomed the move for transparency, some rights and lawyers groups believe the review is insufficient and barely scratches the surface of the killings.

Sugay, for his part, vowed the work wont stop for the DOJ.

Kung ano man iyong naibigay sa amin, ire-review namin [Whatever is given to us, we will review] and give the proper recommendations, he said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  A lawyers' group lambasted the Department of Justice (DOJ) after it released a report involving only 52 cases of killings from the Duterte administration's bloody drug war.

Citing data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) pointed out 6,191 deaths have been reported as of August 31, 2021.

"The review of just 52 cases barely scratches the surface and is grossly insufficient and inconsistent with the government's commitments under international law to provide effective review of cases involving alleged extralegal killings," it said Thursday.

FLAG noted the report was constrained by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte, who barred the release of "other cases invoking national security, a truth that is nowhere reflected in the statement of the Department of Justice or in the results of the review."

Atty. Chel Diokno, human rights lawyer and national chairperson of the group, lamented that what was supposed to be a "judicious review" failed to provide "useful information to assist in making the offenders accountable nor comfort or solace to the families of the victims."

Of the 52 cases, only seven resulted in the dismissal from service of erring police officers. 35 were suspended for 22 to 180 days, one was just reprimanded, while five other cases were dismissed.

"What the review does reveal is what human rights advocates have known all along and have consistently brought attention to the government  that there is lack of transparency in the investigation [....] and that whatever investigation is conducted is either watered down or trivialized," Diokno said.

He urged the DOJ to investigate all the remaining cases, including those barred by the President, then "take the next logical step  prosecute those it has already found accountable."

"This is not just to fulfill in good faith the country's commitments under international law, but also to provide the true picture of the extent of the killings under the so-called 'war on drugs,'" FLAG stressed. "The people deserve more than what the panel is providing."

READ: Lack of records, negative gunpowder tests: DOJ releases drug war report

Atty. Jacqueline De Guia, spokesperson of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), echoed Diokno's sentiment, reminding the government of its job "to protect life and ensure justice."

"While we see movement, [we] continue to urge the government to remain mindful of the remaining thousands of alleged [extrajudicial killing] cases waiting for resolution and justice," she said.

"The first step towards making perpetrators accountable for their offenses is through genuine and straightforward investigations," De Guia added.

The CHR said it was "open, willing, and ready" to help in the review through the conduct of its own probe, "provided that we are given access to pertinent case files as well."

Last month, the International Criminal Court authorized a full-blown investigation into Duterte's controversial anti-drug campaign, citing alleged crimes against humanity. It estimated that around 12,000 to 30,000 people were killed from July 1, 2016 to March 16, 2019 alone.

The President has repeatedly insisted he won't participate in the probe, but the Supreme Court ruled that even if the state has withdrawn from the Rome Statute which created the ICC, it is still obliged to cooperate with the investigation already initiated.

On Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, reacting to criticisms about the probe, said the findings of the DOJ "will belie all claims that the President is responsible under the principle of command responsibility, because on the contrary, it proves that the Philippine state has, in fact, investigated and prosecuted individuals for these extrajudicial killings."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  The Department of Health said Thursday it has not yet completed the distribution of the meal, accommodation and transportation (MAT) allowance for health workers nationwide.

Health Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire told CNN Philippines' The Source that the DOH already requested for additional funds from the Department of Budget and Management but many hospitals from different regions have failed to submit their complete list of beneficiaries among their workforce.

"We are just completing the list. We have been able to download already most of the funds to our regional offices to provide to our facilities within their jurisdiction," Vergeire said.

"We just need to complete the list kasi may mga additional pong binibigay ang mga hospital sa ngayon (because hospitals are only submitting additional names now)," she said.

"We had an initial list which we thought was complete already but then again, our facilities have been submitting piece-meal, paisa isa," she noted.

Jao Clumia, president of the St. Luke's Medical Center Employees Association, told The Source that their health workers were able to get the promised special risk allowance by the government. However, all of them, including the ones who are directly attending to COVID-19 patients, are still waiting to get their MAT benefits until now.

"Pinagod lang nila yung management namin, pinag-submit lang ng requirements, hanggang ngayon walang dumating," he said.

[Translation: They only wore out our management, they made them submit the necessary requirements but we haven't received anything until now.]

Clumia said over 230 health workers from St. Luke's have already resigned since January.

Earlier this month, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III urged President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an executive order that would allow the release of the MAT allowance of health workers who did not receive the benefit, since this falls under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act which expired months ago.

In total, 2.51 billion is needed to fund the allowances of 423,000 health workers for the period of Sept. 15, 2020 to Dec. 19, 2020. Each will receive 2,000 per month.

READ: Duque asks Duterte to issue order for release of health workers allowances
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  The government should fast-track the approval and release of guidelines for giving a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine as 400,000 Moderna shots are reportedly nearing expiration, health experts said on Thursday.

Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Benjamin Co said the shots procured by the private sector are expiring in November, so it should instead be administered as additional doses to avoid vaccine wastage.

"Such a waste because that would be free boosters to those that bought," he said.

Health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon, a former special adviser of the pandemic response task force, said the government should be more proactive when deciding on the use of additional shots.

"Its taking too long to provide more detailed guidance and recommend that individuals try to get a booster of the same vaccine as their initial series, but allow for mixing and matching too. We need a plan," he said in a tweet.

Many employees who listed with their companies were vaccinated through the local governments since the vaccines ordered by the national government arrived first, so some supplies received by the private sector remain unused.

The government is eyeing to administer by November additional COVID-19 shots to healthcare workers and immunocompromised who were vaccinated from March to May. However, no clear guidelines or final date have been released.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  Metro Manila may soon ease to Alert Level 2 if COVID-19 cases continue to decline this week, the Health department said Thursday.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source, Health Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the capital region currently has a seven-day average of 1,156 daily new cases, now getting closer to its figure prior to the March and April surge.

"Before the increase in cases last March and April, we were just averaging in NCR (National Capital Region) less than 500 a day. So I think that will be a comfortable number," she said.

"If this number continues to decline, it is very possible that we can be deescalated in the coming weeks," Vergeire noted.

She added that Metro Manila's positivity rate is now at 11%, and 17% at the national level.

Vergeire attributed the improving numbers to a better Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate or PDITR strategy of the government, as well as the large number of residents vaccinated in the National Capital Region.

She noted that aside from the daily COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions are also decreasing, but ICUs are still at a 70% utilization rate since severe and critical cases take a longer period before they can get discharged.

The Department of Health reported on Wednesday 3,656 new COVID-19 cases nationwide, a new three-month-low in daily infections. Vergeire said they are monitoring other regions like the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley and Zamboanga Peninsula for a possible surge in cases.

COVID-19 watchdog OCTA Research said on Thursday that Metro Manila's COVID-19 reproduction number is at 0.47 as of Oct. 21. This is lower than the previously reported 0.52 as of Oct. 19, and 0.55 as of Oct. 18, which was the lowest since May. Medical experts have reiterated that the reproduction number should be one or less to indicate that community transmission is decreasing.

READ: DOH logs 3,656 new COVID-19 cases as technical issues hound data system anew

"Hopefully all of us will not be complacent, all of us will work together so we can reach that goal of having the Alert Level 2 in NCR," Vergeire said.

Metro Manila is under a more relaxed Alert Level 3 from Oct. 16 to 31.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  The pandemic situation in the country is improving based on declining daily cases, patients confined in hospitals and positivity rate, a monitoring group said Thursday.

Ibig sabihin we somehow nalampasan na natin ang peak (This means we somehow passed the peak). We are at a declining phase, the University of the Philippines COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team spokesperson Jomar Rabajante told CNN Philippines.

The average number of people who got sick from Oct. 14 to 20 was more than 6,400. Rabajante said the weekly average reached this low in the last week of July.

But Rabajante noted, the number of cases reported still do not reflect the actual number of daily infections. He noted possible underreporting as many local governments, private companies and citizens rely on antigen testing. Antigen test results are not yet included in the Health department's COVID-19 case tally.

We don't know if actual numbers kasi ang na-report lang ay RT-PCR results at di pa nalalagay ng LGUs (local government units) at DOH (Department of Health) ang antigen test. Marami tayo naririnig, kahit Metro Manila are saying many people are using antigen test. Pag antigen test tapos positive tapos hindi na nag-RT PCR, posibleng di na ma-record, Rabajante said.

[Translation: We dont know if these are actual numbers because RT-PCR test results were only reported and the LGUs and DOH have yet to include the antigen test results. We have heard, even in Metro Manila, many people are using antigen test. When you use an antigen test and you tested positive and you did not undergo RT-PCR test anymore, its possible that it will not be recorded.]

Rabajante said other indicators such as percentage of people testing positive and the number of patients needed hospital care show an improving trend.

Based on the Department of Health's daily COVID-19 reports, Rabjante said the number of people in non-ICU beds matches hospitalization rates at the height of the Alpha and Beta variant surge in April. However, he noted the health care system is still facing challenges..

Ang declining trend I think hindi sya artificial hospitalizations both sa non-ICU and ICU ang trends declining din. Even sa provinces nag-start sila mag-decline. Stretched pa rin ang heath care [system] natin and we are not yet at the level na free na ang maraming beds, he said.

[Translation: I think the declining trend we have is not artificial...hospitalizations both in non-ICU and ICU are also declining. Cases in provinces are also starting to decline. But our healthcare system is still stretched and we are not yet at the level where more beds are now available.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21)  The Department of Labor and Employment has set the record straight on the issue of requiring COVID-19 vaccination among workers.

Speaking to CNN Philippines The Final Word on Thursday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said there is no such thing as mandatory vaccination and there is no law requiring employees to have COVID-19 shots. But he said there is an exception when it comes to workers in the restaurant industry, which is indicated in a resolution from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

"There is no law which requires everybody, including workers, to get vaccinated. It is only a resolution of the IATF which requires that in operating a restaurant, you have to have your workers vaccinated. That is the only instance where vaccination is required of workers. Otherwise, there is no law which requires everybody, including workers, to be vaccinated," he explained.

According to the IATF resolution, restaurants in areas under Alert Level 3 can offer indoor dining services at 30% capacity and al fresco dining at 50% capacity as long as the workers are fully vaccinated.

Early Thursday, Bello was quoted in reports saying that employers could now fire unvaccinated employees since the said provision obligates employers to ensure that their staff are immunized against COVID-19.

He said in the interview that this "is a case of misinformation."

Moreover, vaccination should not be made mandatory in the future, Bello said.

Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion has proposed to the government to make vaccination mandatory for those who interact directly with customers, such as those who work in hospitality, tourism, retail, and personal care services and those who engage in labor-intensive work like construction, automotive, wearables and manufacturing, electronic semiconductors and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO).

"I don't think it's correct na bakunado na ang customers namin exclusively and yung empleyado namin ay hindi pa bakunado. So that's where we're also recommending that they impose that," he said on Friday.

[Translation: I don't think it's correct that our customers are vaccinated, but the workers aren't.]

Concepcion said Bello responded positively, saying they will study the recommendation.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22)  Presidential aspirants Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and former Senator Bongbong Marcos presented similar proposals to curb the effects of rising oil prices.

During a dialogue with farmers in Tarlac on Thursday, Moreno said he aims to practice delayed gratification if he is elected president. His plan: slash taxes on oil and power by as much as 50%.

The standard bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko also promised tax cuts on electricity.

We cannot bring down the cost of power generation but the end-users or the consumers, can be made to pay lower electricity bills. How? Bawasan natin ang buwis sa kuryente ng 50 porsyento (Reduce electricity taxes by as much as 50%), he said.

Moreno hopes that by doubling down on tax cuts, people would have more money to spend and the economy would recover.

A 50-percent reduction in fuel excise tax can lower the power generation cost and another 50-percent cut on taxes on electricity would mean savings for the majority of our people, many of whom are jobless now due to the pandemic, he explained.

Meanwhile, Marcos called for a suspension of excise tax on oil products to cushion its impact on the transport sector.

We need to do something about this issue urgently because one sector that will be gravely affected has been suffering for the longest time in this pandemic. Transport workers and operators who depend on their daily operations for their livelihood are already in dire straits, Marcos said in a statement after meeting with several transport groups.

The presidential bet of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas also called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to restore the Oil Price Stabilization Fund (OPSF)

I implore the DOE to make a careful study on the possibility of bringing back the OPSF to cushion Filipinos from the impact of rising oil prices," he said.

The fund was established in 1984 during the term of Marcos father and namesake, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, to reduce price changes brought by exchange rate adjustments or movements in the global oil market. It was scrapped during the term of former President Fidel Ramos and just before the Oil Deregulation Law was signed in 1998.

Idea theft: Did Marcos copy Morenos proposal?

Aksyon Demokratiko called Marcos proposal an idea theft, saying the late dictators son copied the idea of the Manila Mayor, who proposed it first.

This is similar to a rich kid from Forbes Park stealing the term paper of a poor but smart kid from the slums of Tondo. It seems that thievery and fakery is in the blood of the Marcoses. Fake war medals of Senior. Fake diploma from Oxford of Junior, said Aksyon Demokratiko chairman Ernest Ramel.

Moreno has made no secret for his own copying of Marcos-associated projects during his term as mayor, such as feeding programs for school children, socialized housing, and the Kadiwa program in Manila.

Partido Lakas ng Masa standard bearer Leody de Guzman called out both Marcos and Moreno, saying he has been calling for the suspension of excise taxes since 2020.

Hindi unahan sa pagtanggal ng excise tax, o kung galing Forbes Park o Tondo. Ilaban niyo ang masa hindi lang kapag kampanyahan na, De Guzman tweeted.

[Translation: Its not about who proposed to remove the excise tax first or if the person is from Forbes Park or Tondo. Fight for the masses not only when youre campaigning.]

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi told the ABS-CBN News Channel on Wednesday that he raised the possibility of suspending excise taxes on petroleum, but he also recognized that that the decision is up to Congress and that amendments to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law (TRAIN Law) are needed.

Cusi also called for the authority of the DOE to suspend the implementation of these taxes under certain abnormal conditions.

Under Section 43 of the TRAIN Law, petroleum excise tax suspension is only allowed from 2018 to 2020 should crude oil prices reach $80 per barrel. The decision to cut taxes is left to Congress as mandated by the 1987 Constitution.
The Coastal Point is a local newspaper published each Friday and distributed in the Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, Millsboro, Long Neck and Georgetown, Delaware areas.
Staff Reporter

Mike has bachelors and masters degrees in journalism from Northwestern and is a 25-year member of the National Press Club. He has won four national writing awards for editorial work. He is a native of McLean, Va., and lives in Millville.
Indian Culture and Language Club is back with another event. This time, the members are inviting the Penn State community to celebrate Diwali with them on Nov. 6.

Shashwat Shekhar, president of ICLC, said Diwali  which is also known as the festival of lights  is one of the most famous festivals in India.

We are celebrating this auspicious occasion with a night filled with a music performance by Jay Sean, traditional Indian food and a Bollywood DJ, Shekhar (senior-computer science) said.

Amisha Chander, public relations chair of ICLC, also said ICLC is providing a home for students who cannot visit their families during Diwali.

We try to have different groups perform and show off all the talent thats here on campus and then progress onto our artist of the year, Jay Sean, where hell perform some of his hits, and everyone can enjoy, Chander (sophomore-finance) said.

Chander said Diwali is important in the Hindu culture because it stems from one of the epics that demonstrates the win of good over evil, and they worship those mentioned in the story.

The background story of Diwali involves deities Ram and Laxman who work alongside Hindu god Hanuman, who personifies bravery and selflessness, to save the kidnapped Sita from King Ravana, according to Chander.

In the end, after a hard battle, Lord Ram succeeds and is able to bring back Sita, and everyone celebrates the win of good over evil, Chander said. As celebrations, we decorate our houses, buy presents, put up loads of lights to welcome them home, pray and eat loads of good food.

Shekhar said ICLC has started selling tickets for the event as of Wednesday, and there are a limited number of tickets for this event.

According to Shekar, tickets are $10 for Penn State students and $15 for all others. The club is selling tickets at the HUB-Robeson Center or through its Instagram.

The event will begin at 8 p.m. in the HUBs Alumni Hall, and the club will post more updates on its Instagram leading to the event.

MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro addressed union members, Penn State students and State College community members at his Big Fights Bus Tour" campaign event for Pennsylvania governor Monday.

State College was the first of three stops on Monday for Shapiros campaign tour, and he has made several stops across the commonwealth since he announced his campaign for governor on Oct. 13.

Shapiro, a Democrat, has served as Pennsylvanias attorney general since 2017  after his time as a state representative for the 153rd District and on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

Shapiro spoke at the Teamsters Local 8 Union office and was joined by Centre County Commissioners Michael Pipe and Mark Higgins. The PA Conference of Teamsters endorsed Shapiro as the next governor, according to its website.

Jonathan Light, president of the Teamsters Local 8 Union, which represents more than 2,700 Penn State technical service employees, introduced Shapiro.

[Shapiro] is the first attorney general that I know of who has actually gone after companies that take advantage of working class people, Light said.

After Light, Higgins and Pipe spoke briefly about their experience working with Shapiro as attorney general.

I know [Shapiro] well, Higgins said. Hes fair, he walks the walk and he knows what hes doing  he ran the third largest county in Pennsylvania.

Pipe said Centre County residents need to do everything we can to elect someone who has the courage, conviction and compassion needed at this moment.

When I first ran for representative in 2004, the first place I went was to Teamsters Local 463, Shapiro said. They welcomed me  they were the first union to ever support me, and Ill never forget that.

Then, Shapiro spoke about the urgent need to address the systemic inequities that hold communities back, as well as rural hospital closures and the burden of student debt.

Im 48 years old, I've got four kids with one in college, and Im still paying off my student loans, Shapiro said.

At the conclusion of the event, Shapiro said he believes community college should be free, and if elected, he would look at how higher education is funded "to ensure it is more affordable, whether you're going to a state school or a state-related school like Penn State.

Samuel Ajah, executive vice president of Penn State College Democrats, attended the campaign event along with several of his peers.

I think we have a huge problem of student debt in this country so I think it is really important to elect someone who will fight for these issues, Ajah said.

Ajah expressed his support for Shapiro in the next election.

We need to elect someone tried-and-true like Josh Shapiro, Ajah said, who has fought for Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE
Those who follow the judicial nominating and confirmation process believe Colorado has been quick to repopulate its bench for one likely reason: U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have been fast at making their preferences known.
John Hickenlooper had a hard time staying on point, but his diversion was big news.

A few days before The New York Times reported it last Sunday, Hick broke the news that Congress is on the cusp of passing a carbon tax to cut pollution, raise revenue and speed the transition from fossil fuels to green energy.

The former governor turned U.S. senator was on a Zoom call with experts last week to talk about electrified transportation, specifically electric trucks to replace the diesel engineers.

Having industry to pay a government-set price for each ton of emissions will financially motivate it to cut emissions. At the same time, that windfall could pay the fare for delivering climate change.

Whether it's pay me now or pay me later, John Q. Public can expect to foot the bill. There's no magic money that politicians try to sell you on.

Hickenlooper suggested U.S. carbon taxes can change the planet. "Setting a price on carbon with tariffs will really help the rest of the world follow our lead."

Hickenlooper is in a jam sandwich with the oil and gas industry, which is critical to Colorado's economy, and the most progressive members of his party who contend hes not doing enough, if his hair is not on fire.

As far back as last summer, Hickenlooper was talking up taxing carbon.

The thing Id like more than anything is to get a price on carbon, Hickenlooper said during a virtual town hall in August, which was supposed to focus on the Democrats $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

Were going to have some of the largest investments in electrification in this country to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, he told his constituents on the call, citing $7.5 billion to build out the nations charging station network.

Hick was one of 11 members of his party appointed to negotiate the infrastructure package with 11 Senate Republicans last summer. His roots on the issue run much deeper than his nine-month tenure in Washington, way deeper.

In 2017, he held a press conference at Red Rocks Amphitheater to sign an executive order that kept Colorado on pace with the Paris Climate Agreement, as then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the global response.

Colorados connection to the outdoors and wilderness is central to our core identity. Its really who we are, Hick said then. Clean air and clean water is central to that brand, to our values.

The Senate has come around to Colorados way of thinking, as they typically do on green issues, Hick said on the call last week.

In reality, senators came around to Oregons way of thinking.

Carbon pricing has been percolating on the left for months, but when it became clear last week that the $3.5 trillion Biden wish list wouldnt pass with clean energy in the mix, the focus shifted to making industries (and ultimately customers) pay up.

Ive had a carbon pricing bill in my desk for the last three years just waiting for the time, Sen. Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, chair of the Senate Finance Committee and former chair of the Energy Committee, told The New York Times Saturday. ... Now there are a number of senators, key moderate senators, whove said theyre open to this. And a lot of House folks have said they would support it if the Senate sends it over.

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill set a Halloween deadline to reach an agreement on President Joe Biden's economic package.

The political hobgoblin in all this is Joe Manchin.

The West Virginia Democrat wont support the package's $150 billion investment in greener electricity. His state is a major coal producer, and Manchin is politically fat on campaign contributions from fossil fuel producers.

He articulates a good case that hastily abandoning fossil fuels would harm Americas energy independence and, ironically, sacrifice climate change at the alter of politics.

Thats a view supported by the industry. Fof the first time, the American Petroleum Institute is endorsing carbon pricing.

Confronting the challenge of climate change and building a lower-carbon future will require a combination of government policies, industry initiatives and continuous innovation, Mike Sommers, API's president and CEO, told Colorado Politics in March.

Last month, API was among the industry groups opposing proposed fees on methane, however.

Back on July 1, I was part of a small group of reporters invited out to the 11-acre Namaste Solar farm east of Aurora, as Hickenlooper showed off Colorados efforts to produce green power to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Colorado has anted up up: 348 solar companies employed about 7,719 people, including about $390 million in solar investments in 2019, before the pandemic, with a total of $3.9 billion invested overall, according to the Department of Energy.

I know theres a sense of urgency on the part of the administration and the president himself, Granholm told us. Yesterday with the wildfire issue, Gov. (Jared) Polis was part of a whole Western governors chat with the president that I was at, too, and we were talking about the underlying issues, which is climate change.

Finding a way to pay for it always winds up coming from the same back pocket, yours and mine. Carbon taxing might be big news, yet the costs are anything but.
In a news release, EMILY'S List president Laphonza Butler said the group is backing Rep. Yadira Caraveo because she "understands the complexities of the health care system as well as the reforms needed to make high quality care affordable and accessible for everyone."
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.
Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
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

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth shows of bravery and dedication from nurses, doctors and other health-care workers. In a less dramatic way, other essential workers, from supermarket clerks to bus drivers, have stepped up to serve the public at risk to themselves.

But alongside these impressive efforts has emerged a puzzling disappointment  pockets of law-enforcement officers who refuse to get vaccinated. From Los Angeles to Chicago to New York City, a surprisingly high percentage of those who have taken an oath to protect and serve the public are  with the support of their police unions  choosing to put themselves, their fellow officers and the public at risk.

That resistance came to Raleigh, North Carolina, last week. A group of 118 city employees  including 53 police officers and 48 firefighters  has united under the banner of City of Raleigh Freedom to Choose (CRFC). The group hired Raleigh attorney James R. Lawrence, III, who has presented the city with a 14-page letter threatening legal action. CRFC says that the citys rules on vaccinations represent illegal discrimination. Raleighs city manager has ordered that all city employees show proof of vaccination or submit to weekly COVID tests and that only vaccinated city employees will be considered for promotion.

Charlotte has likewise faced vaccine resistance among its officers. The Police Departments 66.5% vaccination rate is the third lowest among Charlottes city departments, WCNC reported. In the U.S., 78% of adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Charlotte has stopped short of mandating vaccinations, but it has offered cash rewards for city employees who get the shot and it requires that the unvaccinated be tested weekly. The city also requires that all new hires be vaccinated.

The resistance among U.S. law-enforcement officers is particularly striking given the toll the virus has taken on their ranks as the leading cause of officer deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, 476 officers have died from COVID-19 compared to 94 killed by gunfire and about 100 who died in vehicle-related incidents, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Still, the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police remains neutral on the issue. William H. Hollingsed, the groups executive director, said in a statement: As an association, we feel like this decision is up to individual agencies and municipalities. Individuals in the law-enforcement profession, the same as those in the medical profession, other emergency services, transportation, education, etc., have different feelings toward a vaccination mandate.

In Raleigh, the police holdouts say their refusal is about freedom. In its letter to the city, the CRFC said that its members are not opposed to vaccines, but they oppose top-down mandates, coercion, and control. Fundamentally, CRFC is for freedom and for respect of the individual.

No, officers refusing to get vaccinated is not about freedom. Its about shirking their duty. As police departments seek to improve their culture in response to protests against police abuses, now may be a good time to let go of officers who resist the rules at the publics expense.

Fortunately, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin is standing firm on her citys vaccination rules. She said the city will ignore the CRFC letter.

Our job is to make sure our employees are safe and our community is safe, she told the Editorial Board.

Baldwin noted that the testing of unvaccinated city workers has found seven who tested positive. Those results helped prevent the infection of other employees and members of the public.

There are real implications to the choices being made, Baldwin said. Testing at least helps us curb exposure.

Law-enforcement officers should be the first to choose to protect each other and the public. Instead, some are choosing their freedom to do otherwise.

This was first published by the Charlotte Observer and distributed by The Associated Press.
Marjorie P. Gurvis, born to Ann and Frank Berger in Providence, R.I., on March 29, 1924, passed away in Bal Harbour, Fla., on Nov. 14, 2021, at the age of 97.

Arrangements under the direction of Epstein Memorial Chapel.
Janet May True, 82, from Covington, IN, a former Danville resident went to be with the Lord at 9:45 P. M. Thursday November 18, 2021 at the home of her daughter in Champaign. She was born December 17, 1938 at Los Angles, CA the daughter of Jack and Vera Mary (Branch) Guyer. She was a homemak
What's Included

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-352-3334 or email legals@waverlynewspapers.com.
They're here. They're really, truly, officially here.

After what's felt like 47 years of waiting and approximately 994 gazillion unofficial leaks, Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones are out of hiding and on their way into the world.

Well, okay: To be fair, they've technically been in the world for a handful of days now  at least, for those of us lucky enough to receive loaner review units for evaluation. I've been totin' the Pixel 6 and its plus-sized sibling around in my dusty ol' dungarees for nearly a week at this point, and lemme tell ya: Based on these first several days, the devices are every bit as impressive as we'd been hoping they would be.

We'll save the nitty-gritty of the Pixel-using experience and how the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro differ, specifically, for another day. (Hint: The comparison isn't as simple and straightforward as you might expect.) Today, I want to talk a bit about the most consequential Pixel 6 revelations of all  actually, two of 'em.

And fair warning: My logic around this might come as a surprise.

[Got a Pixel? Any Pixel? Check out my free Pixel Academy e-course to uncover all sorts of advanced intelligence lurking within your current Googley phone!]

The pivotal Pixel 6 numbers

We'll start with the most obviously prominent Pixel number, and that's the price: The Pixel 6 is selling for an almost shockingly low $600 in the U.S., in its lowest storage configuration, while the Pixel 6 Pro will run $900 in its base-model option. (The prices do go up from there, but only as a result of increased local storage capacity.) That, if you'll pardon my French, is gosh-darned cuckoo. For context, Samsung's current top-of-the-line standard Android flagship, the Galaxy S21, starts at $800 in its smallest available model and goes up to $1,200 for the most premium, plus-sized version  the one that's most comparable to the Pixel 6 Pro.

Just on price alone, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro have the potential to be a total shapeshifter for the state of Android and expectations around the ecosystem. But the price is only half the story. There's another number that's every bit as important, and it's a number most tech-pondering organisms tend to overlook.

That number is the length of software support the new Pixel 6 phones will receive. These are the first phones to feature a custom Google-made chip under their hoods, after all, and expectations have been high that the processor's presence would lead to new lengths of support we Android-preferrin' people-folk have yet to encounter.

And it has  sort of. Google says it'll support the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro with five entire years of timely and reliable monthly security patches, which is certainly significant. That's a full two years more than the current platform standard and what most Android phones (if they're lucky) receive.

As for the actual operating system updates, though  which, believe you me, absolutely do matter beyond their surface-level value  Google says it's sticking with the same three-year promise it's had in place for Pixels over the past several years. (Technically, the OS update support window is "at least three years," as Google explained to me ahead of this week's event. But when making an assessment of a device's value, we have to go by what's actually guaranteed, not what's maybe-sorta-potentially possible.)

So, yeah: For anyone who's been paying close attention lately, that may be a bit of a bummer. Recent rumors had suggested the new Pixels would receive four years of Android OS updates, which would've been truly incredible and a more explicit-seeming fulfilment of the Pixel processor's potential. That was certainly my first reaction upon hearing the news.

But then I started thinking about it more deeply, and I realized that snap assessment is actually missing the bigger picture.

Some important Pixel 6 number perspective

Let's get the easy questions out of the way first: Could Google have bumped the Pixel 6's support window up to four years of OS update support to go along with the phone's five years of security patches? Absolutely. Is there anything stopping Google from doing that now that it's in control of both the hardware and the software, inside and out? Almost certainly not. Would I have rather had that happen? You'd better believe it, bucko.

And here's another one for ya: Was I initially moved to write this column about how Google missed a major opportunity by not extending the OS update support time with the Pixel 6? Yes  yes, I was. I even had a pithy headline in mind and was bracing myself for the inevitable backlash that comes when someone who frequently writes positive things about a particular brand or type of technology dares to (gasp!) say something critical.

But then  well, I got to thinking about that first number that stands out in the Pixel 6's presence. Y'know, the price. And something dawned on me: Initially, we all expected these phones to be $1,000 or more, given their premium positioning and nearly compromise-free nature. Then we heard they'd more likely be in the neighborhood of $750 for the smaller model and $1,000 for the Pixel 6 Pro, and that seemed like a phenomenal value for what the phones had to offer.

And you know what comes next: It turns out those figures are even lower, at least here in the States  again, $600 for the regular Pixel 6 and $900 for the Pixel 6 Pro. That, my Android-adoring amigo, is absolutely insane.

For context, consider: Last year's Pixel 5 cost $700 in the U.S., and that was considered a value play  a deliberate move away from the Pixel's previous premium positioning in order to achieve a more affordable, almost Nexus-reminiscent price. The Pixel 5 cut corners and eliminated some of the higher-end niceties of Pixels past in order to achieve that price. It was still an exceptional phone, mind you, and it definitely delivered on the areas that mattered the most. But it wasn't exactly a premium, top-of-the-line device, and that was very much by design.

Well, lemme tell ya: Having carried both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro around for nearly a week, neither of 'em is a corner-cutting phone. They are both premium, flagship-caliber devices through and through. And their starting price is a hundred bucks less than what Google charged for the Pixel 5.

So when you look at the software support period and the overall value through that lens, suddenly, things take on a very different coloring.

The Pixel 6 and smartphone math numbers

One number-oriented notion I like to think about is the concept of smartphone math. Put simply, an Android phone is only fully advisable to use when it's actively receiving both regular operating system updates and regular security updates. Anyone who studies Android and understands how the platform works will tell you the same thing. Using an out-of-date phone may not be the end of the world, realistically speaking  especially given how wildly unlikely you are to encounter most major security threats in the real world  but it's certainly not optimal, particularly if you use your phone for work-related purposes. In addition to their more front-facing elements, Android OS updates almost always contain critical enhancements in areas like privacy, security, and performance, so using a device that isn't up to date can put you at a serious disadvantage.

With that in mind, what makes sense is to think about a phone in terms of its relative value for the amount of time it'll remain viable and fully advisable to use. That lets you understand how much you're actually paying per year that you own the phone and what kind of experience you're getting in exchange for that cost.

So with the regular Pixel 6 costing $600 in its 128GB form and receiving three years of operating system updates, the phone ultimately ends up costing you $200 per year in that three-year period of fully advisable use. Realistically, you could hang onto the phone for a fourth year, too, since Android OS updates typically come out only once a year these days (and since you'll still be getting active security updates during that fourth year). If you did that, you'd end up paying just $150 per year over that four-year period when the Pixel 6 will be completely up to date and current.

Let's compare that to some other noteworthy phones of the moment, for perspective:

With the $800 Galaxy S21, which receives that same three-year period of active operating system updates (albeit in a much less timely and reliable manner) along with four years of security patches, you pay $267 per year of advisable ownership in the three-year scenario and $200 per year in the four-year view.

With the $1,200 Galaxy S21 Ultra, you pay $400 per year across three years of ownership or $300 per year across four.

And with Google's own affordable Pixel 5a, which costs 450 bucks, you pay $150 per year across three years  just $50 more per year than you'd be paying with the vastly superior Pixel 6. (The 5a is guaranteed only three years of updates on both the operating system and security patch front, so there is no fully advisable fourth year of ownership option.)

To take that a step further, yes: You'd actually end up paying less per year of advisable ownership with the $800 Pixel 6 than you would with the $450 Pixel 5a if you were to hold onto the Pixel 6 for its entire four-year-max fully supported lifespan. How crazy is that?!

And none of that is even taking into account that fifth year of security patches, which gives you a bit of a buffer in case you end up needing to hang onto the phone a little longer or maybe just want to keep using it for other purposes after replacing it. Security patches without OS updates aren't entirely ideal, but they're a heck of a lot better than nothing  especially when you also factor all of the other ongoing updates Android devices receive to system-like elements via the Play Store.

Pixel 6 and the bigger Android picture

Putting this all together, Pixel phones were already in a league of their own when it comes to user experience, support, privacy, and security. Now all of that is combined with a level of value that almost seems unthinkable in comparison to the current Android standard.

So, once more: Would it have been nice if Google had offered four years of OS updates to the Pixel 6 devices in addition to its elevated security patch support? Obviously, yes. But that kind of extended support requires resources, and resources come at a cost  to Google. And instead of building that cost into the Pixel 6, the company opted to give us a startlingly low price.

To put that in perspective: If the Pixel 6 had cost $1,000, as previously expected, and had a full four years of OS update support, that would've made the phone effectively cost $200 a year for its maximum advisable lifespan (five years, counting that extra year of security patches). And let's be honest: Lots of people who buy Pixel phones aren't gonna hang onto their phones for a full five years, anyway, so that theoretical value may not have ultimately ended up mattering  especially when it stretches out that long.

With a $600 price tag and three years of OS update support, that's an even lower per-year effective price for the phone's maximum advisable lifespan, if you follow the same pattern and go with the four-year approach. And after those four years are up, you can buy another Pixel phone and be in the exact same place you would've been in terms of cost and value  only you'll be moving into a newer, better phone even sooner.

It's tempting to frame the Pixel 6's three-year OS update promise as a failure  as Google missing the opportunity to raise the standard and bring a whole new level of value to the Android device domain. But the truth is that Google did raise that standard. It did completely change the Android value equation. It just adjusted the price part of that equation instead of adjusting the support window side of it. That creates an incredibly compelling new purchasing option within the realm of Android, for sure, but it also might eventually force other Android device-makers to either bring their own prices down or bring their support periods up even higher if they want to stay competitive.

For most people and purposes  especially those of us who replace our phones every two to three years, anyway  that might actually be the most optimal result imaginable.

Don't let yourself miss an ounce of Pixel magic. Sign up for my new Pixel Academy e-course and discover tons of hidden features and time-saving tricks for your favorite Pixel phone.
10/21/2021

Photo (c) matejmo - Getty Images Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 45,234,901 (45,157,284)

Total U.S. deaths: 731,541 (728,826)

Total global cases: 242,288,846 (241,824,120)

Total global deaths: 4,925,854 (4,917,467)

Scientists concerned about a variant of a variant

Health experts blame the Delta variant, a mutation of the original coronavirus, for the latest wave of COVID-19 cases. Scientists are now voicing concerns about a mutation of that mutation that they worry could spread even more easily.

The new variant, formally known as AY.4.2, is also being called Delta Plus. It has been identified by scientists in the U.K.

British health officials are watching the new variant closely but say that it is too early to tell whether it poses a greater risk to public health than the original Delta variant. So far, Delta Plus accounts for about 6% of infections in the U.K.

FDA clears Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters

As expected, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines for COVID-19 booster shots. It previously gave the green light to Pfizer booster shots.

The agency said the Moderna booster should be administered at least six months after the second shot of the initial dose. The Johnson & Johnson booster should be given at least two months after the first shot.

The FDA also gave its approval for so-called mix-and-match boosters, saying someone vaccinated with one type of vaccine can receive a booster shot of another type.

Indiana recruits disgruntled Chicago cops

Chicago requires its police officers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing. The state police force in neighboring Indiana has no such requirement and is making a bold move to recruit Chicago police officers who are unhappy with the policy.

Hey Chicago Police Officers, were hiring! No vaccine mandate, Sgt. Glenn Fifield, an Indiana State police spokesman, posted on Twitter. Apply today at http://statetrooper.com Lower taxes, great schools, welcoming communities.

Chicago police officers who dont comply with the COVID-19 rules can face disciplinary action. At least 21 Chicago police officers have reportedly been suspended or punished in other ways.

Around the nation

Louisiana: Gov. John Bel Edwards says the coronavirus is in full retreat across the state, with fewer than 400 people with the virus being hospitalized this week. Our positivity rates for tests currently in Louisiana is a little less than 3%, it had gotten over 16% at the peak. We had over 3,000 people in the hospital at one time, Edwards said.

New Jersey: Virtua Health, which operates five hospitals in South New Jersey, has reported that another 100 employees have quit rather than comply with the networks vaccine mandate. RWJBarnabas Health announced this week that it had fired 118 unvaccinated employees.

Maine: State health officials say unvaccinated patients and visitors are driving outbreaks of COVID-19 at hospitals within the state. A health department report shows there have been 13 outbreaks at Maines hospitals since March 1, resulting in 45 patients and 142 staff members testing positive.

Wyoming: Sublette County is experiencing its worst COVID-19 outbreak of the pandemic. The rural county has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state and has no hospital to treat people who get sick. "We literally don't know where to send those patients that just need hospital treatment because the hospitals are full of COVID patients," said Jason Ray, a physicians assistant at a local health clinic.
Cynthia Muse: The majority of executive councilors ignored the concerns of the majority of the people of N.H.
Kyogakusha.co.jp 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 10 Feb 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the kyogakusha homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if kyogakusha has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the kyogakusha homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the kyogakusha homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the kyogakusha homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the kyogakusha homepage on Twitter + the total number of kyogakusha followers (if kyogakusha has a Twitter account).

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE  DESCRIPTION  KEYWORDS , , , , , , , , , , ,  OTHER KEYWORDS topics,



The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. 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.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE Japanese UTF-8Japanese DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. The language of kyogakusha.co.jp as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Operative System running on the server.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for kyogakusha.co.jp by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND

A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. 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 description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The type of Facebook page.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
Funeral service for Otis C. Harrison, Jr., 47, formerly of Oakwood, passed away November 6, 2021 in Cypress, CA. Viewing will be on, Monday, November 22 at Emanuel Funeral Home of Palestine from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Funeral will be held on Tuesday, November 23, at True Vine DOXA Center, Fairfie
Steve Chapman - Is the U.S. too disunited to survive?
Yes, I have been a victim.

No, but not for lack of trying.

I don't think so.

Vote

View Results
Magecart definition

Magecart is a consortium of malicious hacker groups who target online shopping cart systems, usually the Magento system, to steal customer payment card information. This is known as a supply chain attack. The idea behind these attacks is to compromise a third-party piece of software from a VAR or systems integrator or infect an industrial process unbeknownst to IT.

[ How much does a data breach cost? Here's where the money goes. | Get the latest from CSO by signing up for our newsletters. ]

Shopping carts are attractive targets because they collect payment information from customers: if your malware can tap into this data stream, you have a ready-made card collection tool. Almost all ecommerce sites that use shopping carts dont properly vet the code that is used with these third-party pieces  a recipe for a ready-made hack.

Magecart is known to have been active since 2016 and is quite prolific. In its analysis of a Magecart breach in 2018, RiskIQ said it was seeing hourly alerts for websites being compromised by its skimmer code. That earned Magecart a spot on Wired magazines list of Most Dangerous People On The Internet In 2018.

Most recently, Magecart was blamed for planting payment card skimming scripts at MyPillow.com and AmeriSleep.com. Other Magecart attacks include:

How Magecart works

Typically, the Magecart hacker substitutes a piece of Javascript code, either by altering the Magento source or by redirecting the shopping cart using an injection to a website that hosts the malware. Researchers have identified nearly 40 different code-injection exploits. The only way to detect this is to compare the entire ecommerce code stack line-by-line and see what has changed.

One clever way for attackers to host their malware (and not sadly limited to just Magecart attacks) is to upload their code to an unused GitHub project. The criminals try to take ownership of the project and then publish a new version of the code that contains the malware. This has a direct benefit of quickly getting malware in active use across thousands of websites. Security tools might not scan code from GitHub, so criminals can hide in plain sight and get away with the compromised project.

In at least the British Airways hack, Magecart tailored the attack to the specific system, according to the RiskIQ report. This particular skimmer is very much attuned to how British Airways payment page is set up, which tells us that the attackers carefully considered how to target this site instead of blindly injecting the regular Magecart skimmer, the reports authors wrote.

Magecart showed that it is willing to evolve further with its MyPillow website attack. MyPillow discovered and removed their original malware quickly, but Magecart retained access to the site according to another report from RiskIQ. A second attack changed tactics. "The attackers played a brilliant game the second time they placed a skimmer on the MyPillow website, adding a new script tag for LiveChat that matched a script tag usually inserted by the LiveChat scripts," the RiskIQ researchers said. "The Magecart attackers went even further by proxying the standard script returned from the real LiveChat service and appended the skimmer code below it."

How Magecart has evolved

Analysts from RiskIQ and Flashpoint combined forces last year and published a report that dissects Magecarts code and its methods of compromise. They continue to track at least six different hacking groups that are actively developing versions of the malware, adding various enhancements and trickery. Each group has its own distinctive code signature and methods so that researchers can classify them. That research has found a series of improvements in this malware family.

Movement beyond Magento with new plug-ins. The attack on the Shopper Approved website was significant. Most of the Magecart efforts have involved compromises to the Magento shopping cart. This one leveraged the vendors customer scoring plug-in to rate various websites, which then displays a badge of honor. Researchers found that the malware was eventually deployed across more than 7,000 ecommerce sites. Once researchers identified the source of the infection, Shopper Approved moved quickly to remove the malware.

Using ad servers. A second direction is still attacking shopping carts, but using a new method to infect advertising banners, so that ad servers will place Magecart code into a webserver. Once a user views the ad in a browser, the code is downloaded to their computer. The malware code can also be hosted by a compromised server.

Using more targeted and more elaborate attacks. This shows a movement away from spraying malware widely and spending time with potential victims to study their coding and infrastructure. This is what happened with British Airways, when hackers were able to take advantage of the logic flow of their internal applications. Researchers were able to track 22 lines of code of an infected script that dealt with the British Airways baggage claim information page and came to the conclusion that they were seeing a XSS attack that compromised the British Airways own servers.

Magecart was able to steal data that wasnt stored on the British Airways-owned servers. They found the modifications because of an odd circumstance: The last time any of the baggage scripts had been modified prior to the breach was in December 2012.

This shows a movement away from spraying malware widely and spending time with potential victims to study their coding and infrastructure. This is what happened with British Airways, when hackers were able to take advantage of the logic flow of their internal applications. Researchers were able to track 22 lines of code of an infected script that dealt with the British Airways baggage claim information page and came to the conclusion that they were seeing a XSS attack that compromised the British Airways own servers. Magecart was able to steal data that wasnt stored on the British Airways-owned servers. They found the modifications because of an odd circumstance: The last time any of the baggage scripts had been modified prior to the breach was in December 2012. Dual exfiltration and payment form injection. In a September 2021 report, security firm RiskIQ documented the past and current activities of a Magecart group it calls Group 7 that has been operating since 2018. The group started out with a skimmer dubbed MakeFrame skimmer that they tested and constantly improved using victims' websites. This skimmer stood out because it used dual data exfiltration paths to both compromised sites and actor-controlled servers.

The researchers have managed to link more recent attacks with a skimmer dubbed Bom to Magecart Group 7. The new skimmer, which has been in use since last year and has been documented by other security firms as well, seems to be a predecessor to MakeFrame and shares similarities with it. Like MakeFrame, Bom uses dual exfiltration paths and even injects its own rogue payment forms into the compromised sites.

Supply chain attack mitigation and prevention methods

While hackers can use sophisticated techniques to plant and hide skimmers, website owners with limited resources should not despair. There are free website scanners online that can help spot suspicious connections opened by scripts like Magecart and browser developer tools that can help analyze their contents.

Researchers from Trustwave SpiderLabs published a guide with detailed information on how such investigations can be performed as well as a list of useful tools specifically designed for detecting and fixing Magecart infections. Web technologies like Content Security Policy (CSP) and Sub Resource Integrity (SRI) can also be used to protect website visitors, as they can be used to restrict where scripts are loaded from and to protect their integrity.

These best practices will help harden your networks and try to stop Magecart and other supply chain attacks.

Think about first identifying all your third-party ecommerce and online advertising vendors. You could require them to do self-assessments of their code or other audits.

Implement subresource integrity so that modified scripts are not loaded without your permission. This will require a concerted education of your devops teams and a thorough code review to track down these scripts.

Host as many of your third-party scripts on your own servers as you can rather than on any of your suppliers servers. That is more easily said than done, given that the average ecommerce webpage has dozens of third-party sources.

Vet your endpoint protection provider and determine if they can stop Magecart and other third-party compromise attacks.

Make sure your cyber insurance covers this type of compromise.

Review and revise your security policies to include the same treatment of your contractors and suppliers, as if they are full-time employees working directly for your corporation. This is one reason why the supply chain attacks work, because the hackers are counting on less-than-stellar security applying to these workers.

If you are using WordPress, make sure you update to v.5.2, which specifically screens and tries to prevent supply chain attacks being used across their plug-in library.

Editor's note: This article, originally published on June 6, 2019, has been updated with new information on data exfiltration and payment form injection capabilities.
Organizations are facing several data protection challenges driven by the constant threat of ransomware, the rising volume of data, and the use of emerging technologies such as AI, containers, and cloud-native apps.

The latest 2021 Dell Technologies Global Data Protection Index (GDPI 2021) revealed that IT decision makers from the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region feel that their data protection solutions may not be sufficient to cope with malware and ransomware threats.

The key APJ highlights from the 2021 GDPI

67% lack confidence that all their business-critical data can be recovered in the event of a destructive cyberattack or data loss;

82% felt that their enterprises data protection solutions were not ready for future business challenges; and

Lack of data protection solutions for newer technologies was one of the top three data protection challenges for organizations.

Ultimately, the 2021 Dell Technologies Global Data Protection Index illustrates a cautionary tale with regards to data protection. But it also provides a view on what can be done to address the challenges that are lowering confidence and slowing transformation initiatives.

Data protection strategies must address cyber recovery

As a result of rapid data growth and increasing cyberattacks, we are observing increased interest in innovative data protection solutions.

In my conversations with customers, I encourage them to build a data protection capability that includes three key components: data immutability, data isolation, and data intelligence. Leveraging these components ensures that critical business data is safely isolated from cyber threats and can be recovered quickly and with confidence. This promotes business resiliency and supports rapid recovery with integrity of the environment and resumption of normal business operations.

The isolation of data has been highlighted by several regulators and industry bodies as a best practice for cyber resilience. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCert) are examples of organizations that have recommended the use of isolation for backup copies.

Building cyber resiliency within an organization requires a shift towards applying an overarching strategy that enables identifying, protecting against, detecting, responding to, and recovering from cyber incidents.

To address our customers data protection and cyber resiliency needs, this September we announced five new software and service enhancements to our portfolio of cyber resiliency solutions:

Dell EMC PowerProtect Data Manager with Transparent Snapshots;

Dell EMC PowerProtect appliances with Smart Scale;

Dell Technologies Managed Services for Cyber Recovery Solutions;

Enhancements to our cyber protection offering with Superna for PowerScale; and

Dynamic NAS Protection, a simple, modern way to protect NAS systems.

APJ healthcare case study

The health sector has been under increasing threat that stem from rapid data growth, accelerated cloud adoption, managing legacy environments, and modernizing applications. A health organization's ability to recover systems and data with integrity in the event of a cyberattack determines their ability to deliver critical care services.

To simplify and modernize data protection for its healthcare customers, NTT leverages offerings from the Dell EMC PowerProtect portfolio including the integrated PowerProtect DP Series Appliances. These solutions coupled with APEX Flex on Demand consumption allow organizations to apply a pay-per-use experience, metered in a variety of ways. This enables NTTs healthcare clients to consume modern data protection capabilities to protect all workloads, leverage cloud services, and scale to meet their data growth needs. Dell Technologies advanced deduplication technology also enables NTT to ensure their data protection offerings for healthcare are cost optimized and can protect data across multi-cloud environments in the most efficient manner possible.

The result is a simple and easy to manage modern data protection solution, delivered by NTT, that removes healthcares reliance on legacy tape infrastructure and accelerates their cloud strategy. Moreover, the Dell Technologies PowerProtect Cyber Recovery solutions combined with NTTs cyber services ensures fast and trusted recovery in the event of a cyberattack.

As cyber threats continue to make headlines, we need not resign ourselves. New innovations in the data protection space are already providing us with clear reasons to be optimistic.

For more information on the Dell Technologies 2021 Global Data Protection Index, visit this link.

Lucas Salter, general manager, Data Protection Solutions, Dell Technologies Asia Pacific & Japan

Lucas Salter

Lucas has over 20 years of experience specializing in solving business problems with technology in the areas of security, risk, and data protection. At Dell Technologies, he leads a team of data protection specialists who work with customers to help accelerate digital transformation by focusing on the value and resilience of their data and enabling them to scale for current and future demands.
Every Connecticut voter will be able to vote by absentee ballot next month, a common-enough occurrence nationally but a rarity here due to some of the nations most restrictive laws on absentee voting.

A temporary law passed by Democrats in May will give every voter access to absentee ballots due to COVID-19 for the second consecutive year and most likely for the last time unless the Connecticut Constitution is amended.

Im happy to say that due to the work of the legislature and the governor, we are able again in 2021 to use an absentee ballot  that is to say that any voter can use an absentee ballot in 2021, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said Tuesday.

The law allows anyone concerned about contracting COVID-19 to vote by absentee, the same option available in 2020.

Gov. Ned Lamont joined Merrill and others at a press conference to promote the coming municipal elections, which generate lower turnout than presidential and statewide contests in even-numbered years.

A subtext was the long campaign to allow no-excuse absentee voting, favored by Democratic lawmakers and opposed by most Republicans.

The legislature approved a referendum on a constitutional amendment to allow no-excuse absentee voting, but Republican opposition kept the vote shy of the supermajority necessary to put it on the 2022 ballot.

The Connecticut Constitution empowers the General Assembly to set by law means to vote in cases of absence from the city or town of which they are inhabitants or because of sickness, or physical disability or because the tenets of their religion forbid secular activity.

Until the temporary measures passed in response to COVID, state law defined sickness as a voters sickness, not a general concern about the risk of contracting a virus during a pandemic or the need to stay at home and care for a sick family member.

Its really extraordinary when you think about the fact that in 2020, about 650,000 people in Connecticut voted by absentee ballot, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said. When they cast their vote, they cast their vote for whichever candidates they preferred. But I think they also cast their vote for no excuse absentee balloting. They cast their vote for a more convenient way to express your voice in elections.

President Donald J. Trump made absentee voting synonymous with fraud for many of his supporters, who have accepted his baseless assertion that President Joe Bidens victory last year was due to fraud.

Trump supporters heckled Biden last Friday at a visit to a day care center near the state Capitol, chanting vulgarities while the president mingled with children at a playground.

Right across the fence were angry protesters, yelling, cursing, dropping the F bomb. And it was embarrassing, Lamont said, decrying a coarsening of the political culture in this country.

As of Tuesday, there were 2,256,052 voters registered in Connecticut, down from 2,309,576 from a year ago. The voter rolls typically shrink in odd-numbered years, when only municipal offices are on the ballot.

Democrats outnumber Republicans, 825,038 to 463,393, but the largest voting bloc is 928,981 unaffiliated voters.

The latest numbers reflect a 20-year trend favoring Democrats in Connecticut. Since 2001, Democratic registration has increased by nearly 200,000, compared to little more than 20,000 for Republicans.

Merrill said the interest in the 2020 presidential election was extraordinary.

There were more registered voters in Connecticut than any time in the history of the state. And there was a higher turnout, Merrill said.
AP

DECATUR, Ala. (AP)  A man being booked into an Alabama jail wound up at a hospital rather than behind bars after a scan revealed a shotgun shell in his abdomen.

Prisoners entering the Morgan County Jail routinely undergo a body scan when being admitted, and a recent image showed what appeared to be a shell from a .410-gauge shotgun that had been swallowed inside a person, spokesperson Mike Swafford said Thursday.
Two prisoners at the Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers have tested positive for Legionnaires disease, a rare lung infection caused by bacteria, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Department of Correction confirmed.

The illnesses were first confirmed in two prisoners from the medium-security unit while they were undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, according to Karen Martucci, a DOC spokeswoman. Both individuals were treated and returned to the prison, she said.

Martucci confirmed the positive tests in an email on Monday. She did not say when prison officials first learned of the outbreak.

The Department of Correction is working closely with the Department of Public Health (DPH), following CDC recommendations to protect the health and safety of the incarcerated population and staff at the Osborn facility, Martucci said in an email.

Legionnaires disease is caused by a bacteria that can grow in large water systems such as heating and cooling units and is typically spread through water droplets in the air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the disease can be treated with antibiotics, it is fatal in about 10 percent of cases.

Helenna Hauser, a medical assistant from Barkhamsted, said that she learned of the outbreak last week from her father, who had been moved from his housing unit as a precautionary measure. Hauser said that her father, who was transferred to Osborn earlier this year, had long complained about the water quality and stiff, non-circulating air in the unit that he blamed for worsening respiratory problems.

I get that its prison, I get that it shouldnt be a luxury but it also shouldnt be affecting them the way that it has, Hauser said.

As part of the prison's remediation efforts, Martucci said officials moved the population of prisoners from the affected area. Because the prisoners were moved, Martucci said there was no need to distribute bottled water.

Martuccis initial statement did not identify a suspected source of the illnesses, and she did not respond to follow-up questions seeking more information.

Osborn held just over 1,000 individuals last month, according to population logs published online. The prison was among those in the state that were noted for their relatively low number of coronavirus infections early in the pandemic.

Ken Krayeske, an activist and attorney who has filed several lawsuits against the prison system's medical practices, said however that the infections were not a surprise at a prison like Osborn, which he described as having dirty, brown water and poorly-maintained sanitation systems.

Describing a recent visit to a hospital wing at Osborn, Krayeske said it was not the sanitary environment that you feel when you walk in a Yale New Haven or Hartford Hospital.

Outbreaks of Legionnaires disease have also occurred at prisons in Florida, California and New Jersey in recent years, sickening more than a dozen prisoners. The disease is named for the first identified outbreak, which occurred at an American Legion conference in Philadelphia in 1976.
BRIDGEPORT  It was one of the most horrifying crimes in the citys history.

Karen Clarke and her 8-year-old son, Leroy BJ Brown, were found shot to death in their East Side home on Jan. 7, 1999 just days before they were scheduled to testify in the trial of a major city drug dealer, Russell Peeler Jr. in the 1998 murder of a drug associate.

Now, two decades later, the man alleged to have executed the boy and his mother, Peelers younger brother, Adrian Peeler, will get a hearing to determine whether he should be released from prison early.

The truth is that I no longer see the world at 43 in the same way that I saw it at 22. I realize, sadly, that I stole a lot from my community. Now I would just like the opportunity to give back in a more meaningful way, Peeler stated in his request for early release.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton set a hearing for Nov. 17 in New Haven federal court on Peelers request.

Clarks brother, Oswald Clarke, said he was adamantly opposed to Peelers release.

No, no, no, there is no way he should get out early, said Clarke. He doesnt deserve to have the privilege to be out in the free world.

Russell Peeler was later convicted of ordering the murders of Clarke and Brown in state Superior Court. His initial death sentence was later converted to life in prison without the possibility of release after the death sentence was abolished in the state.

But Adrian Peeler, who was identified by an eyewitness as the shooter, was only convicted of conspiracy to commit murder by a jury in Waterbury and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He would be scheduled to be released next April, according to court documents, but is also being held in prison on a consecutive 35-year federal sentence for drug dealing.

He is requesting that the federal sentence be ended so that he will go free when the state sentence is completed next year.

Peeler initially requested his release from the federal sentence under the First Step Act, which aimed to address concerns that too many Americans were imprisoned for nonviolent crimes as a result of the drug war.

Bridgeport States Attorney Joseph Corradino and Assistant States Attorney Susan Campbell opposed Peelers release under the federal act citing Peelers violent criminal history.

The defendant is not a nonviolent drug offender for whom this legislation was intended, they wrote in a letter to federal authorities. He and his brother terrorized the streets of Bridgeport, destroying the very community that raised him, disgracing the memory of their mother who was a Bridgeport police officer, and leaving drugs and bodies in their wake.

Although its been 22 years since the murders, Oswald Clarke said he is still haunted by the deaths of his sister and nephew. He still has photos of them all together in his Florida home.

Not a day goes by that I dont think about them, he said. And now the man accused of killing them may be coming back into the community, he said.

Imagine that your family member was murdered and the perpetrator is going to walk out of prison for good behavior. Good behavior, thats a laugh, he said.
SHELTON  City police officers will be donning body cameras and driving with dash cams by early next year, well before the state-mandated deadline of July 1, 2022.

The Board of Aldermen, at its meeting Thursday, approved a five-year contract with Axon, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company which develops technology for military and law enforcement, including a line of body cameras and Evidence.com, a cloud-based digital evidence platform.

(The cameras) are another set of eyes capturing an incident, Lt. Robert Kozlowsky told Hearst Connecticut Media. But the cameras are not the end-all, be-all. It is still important to do a thorough investigation.

The aldermen also approved spending $131,712 in the first year of the contract, with the remaining costs  $42,132 annually for years two through five  being placed in the Police Department budget. The total cost will be $300,240.

Kozlowsky said the department will purchase 50 body cameras and 20 in-vehicle cruiser cameras.

By entering into the contract before years end, the department can access state grant funds to help cover the cost. The department must pay up front but now has the ability to recoup as much as 30 percent of the initial $131,712 payment, plus 30 percent of the hardware cost each year of the remaining four years. In all, department officials estimate being reimbursed about $56,000.

Through the 2020 Police Accountability Law, all police departments in the state are required to have body cameras and cruiser cams by July 1, 2022. The law, passed in the wake of national protests against racial injustice and police brutality after the killing of George Floyd, went into effect Oct. 1, 2020.

Among the new rules included in the law are tighter restrictions on police searches, a duty to intervene if police witness another officer using excessive force and penalties for civilians who call in an incident based on race.

Other changes to policing brought by the law, including adjustments to qualified immunity that protect police from lawsuits over their conduct and further restrictions on the use of deadly force, went into effect this year.

Kozlowsky said the cameras and other hardware would be delivered by early 2022, and he expects that the equipment will be ready, and the officers trained in time to allow full implementation by spring of 2022.

We are track to be up and running well before the deadline, Kozlowsky said.

Chief Shawn Sequeira said officers have been fully prepared for the introduction of the cameras.

Weve had some trial runs where certain officers wore assigned body cameras on-shift and there was little resistance, Sequeira said.

We are police officers, and we adapt and overcome, he said. We have been through these challenges with cameras were first placed in cruisers and GPS in was installed. Like any change, things progress in time.

Kozlowsky said any change, particularly having to wear cameras while on the job, can be difficult. With that in mind, Kozlowsky said the command staff asked officers to volunteer to test out the equipment before any decision on company or style of camera was selected.

The feedback was positive, Kozlowsky said. At the end of the day this is a benefit to the department.

Sequeira said he believes the body cameras will reveal a more accurate perspective of incidents that may need to show how officers handle situations in a positive light.

They also protect the citizens as well as the officers, he said. The majority of us officers do our jobs and have nothing to hide. The Shelton PD prides itself on integrity.

Kozlowsky said with todays technology, people understand they could be videoed at any time. Police in particular have been the focus of peoples cellular phone cameras when on an incident scene.

With a cell phone, you dont know when the video was started or if it has been edited, Kozlowsky said. For police, here, we will have the entire video of an incident, from beginning to end. It will make more sense when viewing the video.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
ORANGE  The states attorney general is seeking to get state custody of seven pit bulls seized in a raid at a property in Orange as part of an ongoing investigation into a multi-state illegal dog fighting ring.

Attorney General William Tong announced Thursday that he applied for state custody of the dogs in a court filing on Wednesday.

Dog fighting is cruel and illegal. No animal should ever be treated this way, Tong said in a prepared statement.

Connecticut State Police on Oct. 5 raided a property at 968 Grassy Hill Road and seized seven pit bulls found in what authorities described as unsanitary cages in the backyard.

Law enforcement also found numerous record books, including a list of about 80 dogs potentially involved in dog fighting. Tong said police discovered dog fighting guides and magazines, breeder information, scales, collars, and veterinary-grade equipment and medicine believed to be tied to the dog fighting ring.

Tong secured an order granting the Department of Agriculture temporary care and custody. The dogs are currently being housed at the Milford Animal Shelter. He said the investigation is ongoing and that his office continues to work with police and the Department of Agriculture to ensure the safety of each dog recovered.

The petition filed in court on Wednesday seeks to give the state permanent custody of the dogs, who were suffering from ear and eye infections, and malnutrition. Tong said the dogs also had scars, likely caused by bite wounds.

The dogs have been named Vera, Angie, Zebra, Sypher, Mugshot, Horris and Lucy.

This summer, on July 31, state police raided a property at 109 Britannia St. in Meriden and seized eight pit bulls found in cages in the backyard. Tony said evidence seized in that raid, including a text message chain with videos of dog and cock fighting operations, led police to the location in Orange.

Tong previously moved for state custody of the Meriden dogs. That custody case is pending. Those dogs are also at Milford Animal Shelter.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report a possible rape happening behind her home was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison  the most the judge could impose but less than half the 12 years he was sentenced to for his murder conviction that was overturned last month.

Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married. But the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out Noors murder conviction and sentence last month, saying the third-degree murder statute didnt fit the case because it can only apply when a defendant shows a generalized indifference to human life, not when the conduct is directed at a particular person, as it was with Damond.

Judge Kathryn Quaintance, who also presided at Noor's trial, granted prosecutors' request to impose the maximum sentence in state guidelines on Noor's manslaughter conviction, 57 months. In doing so, she brushed aside the defense's request for 41 months, which is the low end of the range. With good behavior, Noor could be freed on supervised release by next summer. The state prison website listed his anticipated release date as June 27.

Mr. Noor, I am not surprised that you have been a model prisoner, Quaintance said. However, I do not know any authority that would make that grounds for reducing your sentence. She cited Noor shooting across the nose of your partner and endangering others the night of the shooting to hand down the stiffest sentence she could.

Quaintance also remarked that because neither side had sought a departure from the sentencing guidelines, she was unable to deviate from them.

Noor, who was fired after he was charged, has already served more than 29 months. In Minnesota, inmates who behave well typically serve two-thirds of their prison sentences and the remainder on supervised release.

Noor testified at his 2019 trial that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said he saw a woman appear at the partners driver's side window and raise her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.

He was sentenced to 12 1/2 years on the murder count and had been serving most of his time at an out-of-state facility.

Noor's appeal of his murder conviction was watched closely for implications in the case of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of the same charge in George Floyd's death. After the state Supreme Court overturned Noor's third-degree murder conviction, experts said they expected the same eventual result for Chauvin but that it would likely have little impact because Chauvin was also convicted of a more serious second-degree murder charge in Floyds death. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years.

Noor's attorneys, Tom Plunkett and Peter Wold, sought 41 months at the resentencing, citing Noor's good behavior behind bars and harsh conditions he faced during many months in solitary, away from the general prison population.

Plunkett said Thursday that much attention has been given to the victim as a kind and giving person  all true, he said. But Plunkett said there is similar goodness in Noor. He said Noor had always sought to help people around him, and recapped Noors good behavior while in prison.

Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy, meanwhile, asked Quaintance to give Noor the longest possible sentence. She said the case is worse than typical because of who Noor is. The most serious sentence this court can impose is required, she said.

Damonds parents, John Ruszczyk and Maryan Heffernan, also asked the judge to impose the longest sentence. In a statement read by prosecutors, they called Damonds death utterly gratuitous and said that the Minnesota Supreme Courts overturning of a poorly written law didnt change the jurys belief that Noor committed murder.

Our sorrow is forever, our lives will always endure an emptiness, they said.

The victim's fiance, Don Damond, gave his statement via Zoom. He started by praising prosecutors for their sound application of the law and criticizing the state Supreme Court for its reversal, which he said does not diminish the truth that was uncovered during the trial.

The truth is Justine should be alive. No amount of justification, embellishment, cover-up, dishonesty or politics will ever change that truth, he said.

But Don Damond also spoke directly to Noor, saying he forgave him and had no doubt Justine also would have forgiven him for your inability in managing your emotions that night.

Noor, wearing a suit and tie and donning a face mask, appeared impassive as the victim's loved ones' statements were read. He later addressed the court briefly, saying, Im deeply grateful for Mr. Damonds forgiveness. I am deeply sorry for the pain that Ive caused that family. And I will take his advice and be a unifier. Thank you."

Damonds death angered citizens in the U.S. and Australia, and led to the resignation of Minneapolis police chief. It also led the department to change its policy on body cameras; Noor and his partner didnt have theirs activated when they were investigating Damonds 911 call.

Noor, who is Somali American, was believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting. Activists who had long called for officers to be held accountable for the deadly use of force applauded the murder conviction but lamented that it came in a case in which the officer is Black and his victim was white. Some questioned whether the case was treated the same as police shootings involving Black victims.

Noors father, Mohamed Abass, denounced Quaintance on his way out of the courthouse as the worst judge in Minnesota and very hateful. Speaking to reporters, he said, This judge hates (the) Somali community and said he believed racism was a factor in her decision to impose the toughest sentence she could.

Days after Noors conviction, Minneapolis agreed to pay $20 million to Damonds family, believed at the time to be the largest settlement stemming from police violence in Minnesota. It was surpassed earlier this year when Minneapolis agreed to a $27 million settlement in Floyd's death just as Chauvin was going on trial.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP)  A western South Dakota inmate who walked away from a minimum-security facility was arrested Wednesday, corrections officials said.

Inmate Timothy Mitchell had been on escape status since Oct. 6, after he failed to return to the Rapid City Community Work Center following a shift on work release.

Mitchell is currently being held at the Meade County Jail. He faces a charge of second-degree escape, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Mitchell is serving two sentences for possession of a controlled substance from Butte County.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  An Iowa State Patrol trooper died Wednesday, nearly a week after he was injured in a car crash in northeast Iowa that happened while he was rushing to assist another agency.

Trooper Ted Benda, 37, was hurt Oct. 14 in a single-vehicle crash while en route to help the Clayton County Sheriff's Office with a wanted suspect, according to the Department of Public Safety. He died of those injuries Wednesday.
PHOENIX (AP)  Maricopa County has become the first local government in Arizona to sign onto a massive settlement agreement with pharmaceutical companies over the nation's opioid epidemic.

The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the settlement, which is expected to bring the county about $80 million of Arizona's anticipated allocation, which could reach $550 million or more.
State officials on Thursday defended their response to a lead crisis in a small southwestern Michigan city, telling lawmakers that steps to reduce corrosion in aging water pipes began in 2019, just a few months after tests revealed troubling results.

Benton Harbor residents will be urged to use free bottled water for drinking and cooking for weeks more, until a federal study confirms that filters can work effectively with the city's tap water, Liesl Clark, the head of Michigan's environmental agency, said.

But Clark said the ultimate remedy is the replacement of about 6,000 old water lines at homes, a job that could take nearly two years. Nearly $19 million in state and federal money has been set aside, but the goal is $30 million.

High lead level tests in Benton Harbor homes result from the water picking up lead as it moves to the faucets. ... The situation in Benton Harbor is urgent and inexcusable," Clark said.

Her remarks to the House Oversight Committee came as Benton Harbor was dealing with yet another water woe: A pipe rupture Wednesday cut off water to virtually the entire community. Mayor Marcus Muhammad told lawmakers that he had only a bird bath before driving to Lansing.

Benton Harbor is a predominantly Black, mostly low-income community of 9,700 people, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Chicago. Residents have been urged to use bottled water due to elevated levels of lead, though bathing and washing clothes with tap water is OK.

Eric Oswald, head of Michigan's drinking water division, said chemicals to control corrosion inside old pipes were first injected into Benton Harbor's system in 2019, followed by higher doses in 2020.

It's shown some improvement, Oswald said. These systems take a long time. ... When you don't have corrosion control in your drinking water, you dont have any coating on the pipes.

He said the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has been working far more aggressively than the law dictates.

The committee chairman, Republican Rep. Steven Johnson, said he wasn't trying to turn Benton Harbor into a Flint water crisis for Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. But he repeatedly wondered why the city seemed to be getting so much attention lately from her administration.

Oswald said bottled water has been pushed hard because of questions about the effectiveness of tap filters in Newark, New Jersey.

Before we go back and say the filters are absolutely, positively effective, they want to make sure the water chemistry in Benton Harbor" doesn't pose a challenge, Oswald said.

Chris Cook, an engineer for the city, said 100 water line replacements are under contract so far with a federal grant and 200 more could be added by the end of 2021.

___

Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez
ADEL, Iowa (AP)  Unemployed Iowans would be required to meet weekly with state case managers, conduct twice as many weekly work searches and undergo audits to prove they're actively looking for work under a new proposal announced Wednesday by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Unemployment payments could be frozen if unemployed workers fail to meet the new criteria, an Iowa Workforce Development spokesman said.

Unemployment benefits were never intended to provide long-term support and with the current workforce shortage exacerbated by COVID Iowa cannot afford for workers to be disconnected from our states economy, IWD Director Beth Townsend said at a news conference at which she and Reynolds announced the proposed changes expected to be enacted next year.

The event was held at Iowa Spring Manufacturing, a factory in Adel that manufactures springs for garage doors, agricultural equipment and other devices. Tim Bianco, the president and CEO of the company who attended the gathering, has donated to Reynolds and other Republican candidates.

Townsend said more than 86,500 job openings are posted on the IWD website spanning all industries statewide. She said nearly 68,000 Iowans remain unemployed.

Historically, Iowa workforce officials wait for unemployed people to come to them to request assistance, but given today's high demand for workers, the state must be more proactive in helping the unemployed get back to work, she said.

Reynolds was among several Republican governors to cut off extended federal unemployment benefits to jobless workers last spring. The state ended the additional $300-a-week unemployment payment in June even though it was scheduled to run through early September.

Reynolds said the benefits were causing a labor shortage  a charge echoed by conservative groups and Republican governors in Alabama, Arkansas, Montana and South Carolina.

Data released in September by the U.S. Department of Labor suggested there was little difference in job growth in states that ended benefits early and those that kept the benefits in place.

The number of unemployed Iowans actually increased by 300 in August to 67,900, but that was still 18,100 lower than the year-ago level of 86,000. Iowas unemployment rate remained at 4.1% in August, down from 5.3% a year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 5.2% in August.

Townsend said the agency will hire 18 more workers to meet with and monitor the progress of unemployed Iowans.

Sen. Nate Boulton, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Labor & Business Relations Committee, questioned Reynolds' approach.

"Reynolds' idea of having the government assign jobs to Iowa workers is all wrong, Boulton said.

He said the state should be partnering with underemployed and unemployed Iowans to help them find the right jobs for them and their families.

Reynolds also said the state would spend $30 million in federal funds to provide grants to help manufacturers retain existing workers and recruit new employees.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Koreas military said Thursday it will appeal a landmark court ruling that struck down its decision to discharge the countrys first known transgender soldier before she was found dead earlier this year.

A district court ruled this month that the military unlawfully discriminated against the soldier by forcing her out last year for undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

The Defense Ministry said it respects the verdict but has decided to let the army appeal. Ministry officials said they asked the Justice Ministry to approve the filing, a process required by law.

In response to questions by The Associated Press, the Justice Ministry said itll make a decision on the appeal request soon after reviewing major legal issues and other aspects of the case.

An appeal could draw strong protests from human rights groups, which have been urging the military to accept the verdict and work out measures to guarantee service for sexual minorities.

The government may appeal, but our position is that they must not do so because thats the attitude the government must have in the democratic society, said activist Cho Kyu-suk with the Center for Military Human Rights Korea.

Cho called the appeal a delaying tactic because the military worries about a possible backlash from conservatives while having no policy on transgender soldiers.

South Korea prohibits transgender people from joining the military but has no specific laws on what to do with those who have sex change operations during their time in service. When the army discharged Byun Hui-su in January last year, it cited a law provision allowing it to dismiss personnel with physical or mental disabilities if those werent a result of combat or suffered in the line of duty.

In its Oct. 7 ruling, the Daejeon District Court ruled against the discharge, saying that Byun had already informed the army that she had registered her request to change her legal status as a woman with another local court. Her request for a legal gender change was approved less than a month after her discharge.

Defense Minister Suh Wook told lawmakers Thursday that a decision on allowing transgender people in the military must come after reviewing whether there's a public consensus and how it would affect military morale. He earlier said the army considered Byun as a male soldier when it discharged her.

Byun was found dead at her home in March at age 23. Before her discharge, Byun, a staff sergeant, told reporters that she wanted to serve as a female soldier near the tense border with North Korea.

Under conscription aimed at deterring aggression from North Korea, all able-bodied men in South Korea must serve 18-21 months in the military. Byun voluntarily joined as a non-commissioned officer to become a professional soldier.

Public views on gender issues in South Korea have gradually changed in recent years. However, a strong bias against sexual minorities still runs deep.
Hours before Democratic state Rep. Michael DiMassa was arrested on allegations of wire fraud in connection with an investigation into the misuse of federal coronavirus relief money in West Haven, the top two Republicans in the state Senate called for a probe into how all 169 cities and towns in the state have spent the federal money.

These funds are intended to help residents and communities recover during one of the most challenging times of a generation. To learn that officials may have allegedly diverted funding for other purposes shatters public trust. It is wrong and it is infuriating, Sens. Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, and Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, said in a letter Wednesday to the states budget director, which referenced the FBI investigation but not DiMassas arrest.

The top state budget official responded by saying state oversight is already under way and that a full review will happen.

DiMassa is also an employee for the city of West Haven. Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced earlier this month that shed come across several large expenditures some of which appeared improper and potentially fraudulent when reviewing the citys federal CARES Act expenditures.

Connecticut and its cities and towns have received several rounds of federal funding during the pandemic. Towns will have received more than $2 billion in all, when the money is full disbursed.

The CARES Act money, approved by Congress in 2020, was intended to offset costs municipalities incurred because of the pandemic such as the purchase of personal protective equipment, cleaning of public buildings, and hazard and overtime pay for workers, but was not allowed to replace lost revenue.

In a statement Wednesday, Melissa McCaw, secretary of the states Office of Policy and Management, promised a thorough review of how municipalities have spent the federal funds.

When we hear of potential misuse of any type of funds we are deeply disappointed and will take action to investigate, McCaw said. Consequently, OPM is already bringing in an independent auditor and will collaborate with the federal investigation to fully investigate these claims in West Haven and wherever else there are allegations.

McCaw said OPM has ordered municipalities to report their federal relief spending to the state by Friday.

They have been routinely cautioned that their use of funds must meet the highest standards and withstand audit, she said.

State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, co-chair of the legislative Appropriations Committee, said while she appreciates the concerns of her Republican colleagues, the federal dollars are already being audited at multiple levels of government.

In this case, its clear they were paying attention because within just a few months they were able to identify a potential problem, Osten said, referring to the allegations in West Haven.

The West Haven case is not indicative of widespread misuse or fraudulent activity by towns and cities, Joe DeLong, executive director and CEO of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, said after the arrest.

In fact, much like what happened in West Haven, if someone does something improper, its going to be found and come out, he said. The reporting of these funds is really pretty well defined and strict.

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com
SHELTON  Board of Alderman candidate Chris Jones is aware that he owes the city back taxes. Now, motorists driving around town are aware of it too.

Jones was part owner of the since-closed Bricks and Barley Tavern and city records show he and his partners owe back taxes on the business that closed in 2017. This week political signs popped up around town letting residents know about Joness situation.

There were three partners involved in this establishment, Jones told Hearst Connecticut Media Tuesday. Upon closing the doors, there was disagreements as to who should be paying which bills. It was turned over to the attorneys. This civil litigation matter was recently resolved.

Jones, endorsed by Envision Shelton and running for a seat in the Third Ward, acknowledged there are $11,572 in back taxes owed on the business, which was located at 441 Howe Ave. before closing in 2017. The amount owed includes $6,043.34 in property taxes, plus $5,529.65 in interest from the initial 2015 tax bill.

The amount owed is as of Oct. 18, 2021, according to personal property data from the citys finance department.

Envision Shelton head Lorraine Rossner said the tax situation regarding the closing Bricks & Barley Tavern has been resolved, but, it does take a long time to finalize financial responsibilities through the court system.

The court action regarding the tavern has been settled and a payment plan is in place and Chris Jones is doing his due diligence in making an effort to return back taxes owed to the city, Rossner said. Chris is doing the right thing and living up to the former businesses financial obligation.

I am sure this is not the first time a business in Shelton has gone through this process, Rossner added.

Jones said he was instructed to start a payment plan for any owed taxes to avoid additional interest.

A payment schedule of $500 has been arranged with the Shelton Tax Collector, Jones said. He also supplied a receipt for the initial payment dated Oct. 19, 2021, the day after receiving a media request for comment on the issue.

Jones called the signs dirty politics, adding that he by no means do I just choose not to pay my taxes. I have always paid my taxes on time and in full.

The signs were paid for the Shelton Republican Town Committee. One of them, on Long Hill Ave., was vandalized only hours after it was put up and has since been removed. The RTC filed a police report, which Lt. Robert Kozlowsky confirmed but offered no further details.

The truth and transparency of Chris Joness delinquent tax situation is disturbing. Jones has been criticizing the Lauretti team and Shelton RTC for 15 years, RTC Chairman Anthony Simonetti said. His failure to pay taxes is an insult to those who do pay them on a timely basis. As a candidate for elected office, Joness tax delinquency of six years is not something that should be hidden from voters in Shelton and specifically those in the Third Ward.

Vandalism of any property should be reported to the police, Simonetti said, adding that the cost to the Shelton Republicans for signs and other campaign materials are provided by citizens who voluntarily donated in support of the partys candidates.

The aldermen provide the fiscal oversight per the Shelton City Charter, Simonetti said. They set the mill rate each year. It is hypocritical to be a candidate for alderman when you do not respect the tax regulations of our municipality.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
LONDON (AP)  British police charged a 25-year-old man Thursday with the murder of a Conservative lawmaker, alleging that the killing was an act of terrorism by a supporter of the Islamic State group.

Prosecutors said Ali Harbi Ali, a man from London with Somali heritage, had religious and ideological motivations when he attacked David Amess last week in the town of Leigh-on-Sea. Prosecutors allege Ali targeted Amess because the lawmaker had voted for air strikes on Syria.

The slaying took place as Amess, who was 69, attended a routine meeting with his constituents. The slaying shook a nation accustomed to having face-to-face contact with its leaders, heightened concerns about extremism and rattled British politicians, who say they face increasing levels of vitriol and abuse as they perform their jobs.

At a briefing hearing at Londons Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday, prosecutor James Cable said Ali began planning to kill a lawmaker two years ago, and initially focused on two other politicians before choosing Amess.

Ali was not asked to enter a plea at the preliminary hearing, which lasted less than 15 minutes. He smiled at his legal team as he entered the court and spoke only to confirm his name, age, and address. He was ordered detained until the next hearing.

Nick Price of the Crown Prosecution Service said the murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations.

Matt Jukes, the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations, said no other arrests have been made and at this time we are not seeking anybody else in relation to this incident.

Jukes said detectives had analyzed computers, searched several London addresses and reviewed CCTV footage as part of the investigation.

The death of Amess, who had served in Parliament for almost 40 years and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015, escalated concerns about security among Britain's politicians, who pride themselves on being accessible to their constituents.

The slaying came five years after Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by a far-right extremist. Cox was the first British lawmaker to be killed since a peace accord ended large-scale Northern Ireland violence almost 30 years earlier.

British politicians are protected by armed police when they are in Parliament but generally are not given such protection in their home districts.

Home Secretary Priti Patel told the House of Commons on Wednesday that intelligence officers had upgraded the threat level for politicians from moderate to substantial, though she said there was no specific or imminent threat.

A special session of the House of Commons on Monday resounded with appeals to force social media giants to do more to prevent the spread of online hate that has poisoned political discourse.

Amess was a social conservative who opposed abortion, campaigned for animal rights and strongly supported Britains exit from the European Union. He was well liked even by his political opponents for his civility, good humor and commitment to his constituents in the seaside constituency of Southend West, 40 miles (60 kilometers) east of London.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped Amess loved ones would get the justice they deserve as fast as possible.

What we must not do is be intimidated by this appalling murder into changing the way we conduct our parliamentary business or the way we work in our constituencies, he said. Which I think is the last thing that David Amess wouldve wanted.
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Joshua Samuel painfully recalls the day, one year ago, when Nigerian soldiers opened fire in Lagos while he and thousands of others were protesting police brutality.

People were running and some were falling, the 23-year-old said of the Oct. 20, 2020, shootings at the Lekki toll gate plaza in Lagos. I was shot in the back.

Still recuperating from his injuries, he's out of work and homeless and has not received any help from the government.

I am not OK. Every single word I am speaking, I am feeling pain, he told The Associated Press.

Samuel is among more than 100 Nigerians awaiting rulings on their petitions seeking compensation and justice for what they allege are abuses by police. They made their applications to a government panel reviewing both the Oct. 20, 2020, shootings and earlier allegations of police brutality that inspired the protests.

The protests erupted in Lagos against a police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, which faced widespread accusations of brutality, unwarranted arrests and bribery. Dubbed the #EndSARS movement, they climaxed a year ago Wednesday, when 38 protesters were killed nationwide, according to Amnesty International's Nigerian office.

Another 69 protesters and police were killed in the more than weeklong unrest that preceded the Oct. 20, 2020, killings, with many government facilities and police stations set ablaze, according to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari vowed his government would not allow such a breakdown of order again, and police deployment was heavy on Wednesday's anniversary, with hundreds turning out to demonstrate and police firing tear gas. At least four people were arrested and others picked up during the chaotic situation.

The anti-robbery squad was accused of illegally arresting, torturing and extorting mostly young Nigerians, according to court hearings and victims' testimonies. From 2017 to 2020, Amnesty International said it uncovered 82 cases of torture and killings of suspects by anti-robbery squad personnel, with little or no action from authorities.

In response, Nigerian authorities scrapped the police unit and announced they would pursue police reforms and ensure justice for victims.

However, Damian Ugwu of Amnesty Internationals Nigerian office, said he believes authorities have no intention of fulfilling those promises.

In Nigeria, court actions seeking justice for victims of alleged police brutality are usually slow, while many officers accused of abuse are not prosecuted or face any other repercussions.

And while the SARS unit has been disbanded, many Nigerians say police brutality continues.

Ayobami Adesina, 29, was sleeping in his house in southwest Oyo state when police stormed in last November and arrested him. For two weeks his family searched for him thinking he had been kidnapped, said his sister Kemi Adesina.

They eventually learned that he was in police custody along with 10 others accused of killing police officers during the anti-SARS protests. Adesina spent six months in prison before he was even taken to court, his sister said, and his trial is proceeding slowly.

(There is) no proper evidence and nothing to point that he did this," she said.

More than 200 #EndSARS protesters are still in prison in Lagos and some have not been charged with any crime or even had a court appearance, according to Nicholas Mba, who was released on bail after spending eight months in prison accused of arson during the October 2020 protests. He still faces trial.

The first night of being in prison was the worst day of my life, he said. We were more than 1,000 arrested over #EndSARS and some have not been taken to court, while some do not even know how to communicate with their families, the 33-year-old said.

Oke Ridwan, a lawyer who offered legal services to arrested protesters, said he helped win the release of at least 70 people whose charges were later dropped.

After the protests, Nigerian authorities set up judicial panels in every state and the capital, Abuja, to address the widespread allegations of police brutality and calls for compensation for those shot or arrested during the demonstrations.

In Lagos, the panel has considered over 235 grievance petitions, according to Tony Eze, who represents the Nigerian Bar Association at the hearings.

At least $637,470 has been awarded to 47 petitioners, but many, including 39-year-old Nicholas Okpe, are still awaiting the panels decision.

He told the AP he was shot in the chest and a year later still has an open sore from the bullet wound, but he can't afford medical treatment. He said he hasn't received any assistance from the government.

I just thank God I am alive. I have not worked since that day, said Okpe, who was a bus driver before he was shot, grimacing in pain.

Dozens of petitions still remain unanswered and at least nine states have indefinitely postponed their proceedings, Amnesty International and petitioners told the AP.

One of those whose petition has been delayed is Chijioke Iloanya, who was arrested by SARS operatives in 2012 in southeast Anambra state. The family later learned he had died in police custody, his sister Obianuju Iloanya said. The AP could not independently confirm what led to his death.

Ugwu with Amnesty International said challenges include secretive panel hearings in some states, lack of funds, the failure of police officers to appear and the incessant adjournment of the panels hearing petitions.

We need a special tribunal that will look at issues of fundamental human rights cases in Nigeria, lawyer Ridwan said. And they will also be empowered to actually punish officers."
In coordination with International Credit Union Day, 17 credit unions near Spokane, Wash., have teamed up to help two area non-profits.

Credit unions around the world are preparing to celebrate International Credit Union (ICU) Day on Thursday, Oct. 21.

The annual event, which started in 1948 and is held by CUNA and the World Council of Credit Unions, is intended to highlight what it means for people to have a credit union as their financial partner. The theme for 2021, Building financial health for a brighter tomorrow, focuses on the heart of the credit union movementa commitment to members financial well-being.

Visit cuna.org/icuday to learn more about the 2021 ICU Day, which is sponsored by Harland Clarke.

Participating credit unions are encouraged to share their days by using #ICUDay. Some ICU Day-themed activities that credit unions have already announced include:
The Federal Reserve earlier this month announced that it will adopt the ISO 20022 message specification for the FedWire Funds Service, using a single-day implementation approach that leverages a controlled testing environment. The notice also invites the public to comment on the revised plan for migrating to the new message format, which was previously proposed to run in three separate phases. In a new Regulatory Alert sent to members Monday, NAFCU seeks credit union feedback on the notice.

The Regulatory Alert details how the issue impacts credit unions and outlines questions for credit unions to consider when providing feedback on this topic, including what costs credit unions expect to be incurred due to the proposed transition.

In addition, NAFCU noted that to support a single day implementation framework the Reserve Banks will require users of Fedwire Funds to leverage various controlled testing environments for the new message format. The Reserve Banks plan to publish a final testing plan after the Federal Reserve announces a final implementation strategy.

Of note, NAFCU highlights that the single-day migration will be targeted for and will be no earlier than November 2023.
This year four states legalized adult-use (aka recreational) marijuana (New York, Virginia, New Mexico, Connecticut) and one legalized medical marijuana (Alabama), but passing a law is just the first step in a long process before customers and patients can buy marijuana. Regulatory agencies need to be established, the day-to-day operating rules of the program drafted, applications reviewed, licenses granted  only then can the process of growing, processing, and selling marijuana products begin. This can easily take up to a year from the moment that the law is signed, but if youre a credit union interested in banking the industry you shouldnt wait that long  theres a lot of behind the scenes activity that goes into standing up a marijuana-related business before an entrepreneur can even think about putting a seed in the ground or ringing up their first sale.

First, just like any other business they need to collect operating capital. If a business wants to start growing or selling the moment they get a license  and they do  they need to get their ducks in a row as soon as possible. Just as any other entrepreneur would, the hopeful marijuana-related business owner(s) have to be able to receive funds from investors via wires and deposit checks from friends and family. This is a great opportunity to start banking these hopeful marijuana entrepreneurs; you can offer them accounts before they even touch marijuana so your risk remains relatively low. Until they get their license they are essentially just another small (or not so small) business.

However, theres always going to be challenges unique to marijuana. For instance, obtaining retail or cultivation space isnt necessarily as easy as it would be for a grocery store or flower shop. A savvy real estate speculator is ready to grab real estate thats desirable for these businesses as soon as marijuanas legalized so that they can turn around and sell or rent those properties to others that werent quite quick enough. Not everyone wants to host a marijuana-related business in their shopping center or industrial park, so the ones that do realize they can add an additional marjiuana tax on top.

Once they have secured a space a marijuana entrepreneur has to purchase equipment, both marijuana-specific and mundane. The machines that extract cannabinoids or process raw cannabis flower into consumer goods might be the most expensive, but theres also computers, printers, internet access, copier paper, desks, security cameras, and the like. This all adds up quickly so even before licenses are issued you can establish relationships with marijuana entrepreneurs. From day one they are going to need to take advantage of the basic business banking services you offer. After all, you can bet a state isnt going to allow someone to walk in with a bag of cash to pay the application fees; they are going to require they be paid electronically or by check drawn on a financial institution. The same with a person thats selling farmland or a manufacturer of industrial equipment.

So if youre willing to take on this market, where do you find these businesses? Its not as hard as you might think. Start with any other small business owner in your community that helps any other non-marijuana business get up and running, like lawyers, bookkeepers, accountants, even the plumbers and electricians that are going to be called in to build out cultivation facilities and dispensaries. If you dont know anyone actively working with the industry they more than likely will be able to point you in the right direction. If youre in a state that already has a medical program today, reach out to those existing license holders and known service providers (you might be surprised by what you find by typing cannabis lawyer into a search engine). Many of the same third party providers and suppliers actively supporting a medical program today are going to be involved in a new adult-use market.

Considering how capital-intensive it is to start a marijuana business, credit unions dont have to wait until licenses are issued to start working with the industry. In fact, credit unions that jump in early benefit from being able to audition prospective business owners when the risk associated with these businesses is as low as it could possibly be. The financial institution that waits until licenses are awarded has forfeited the first-mover advantage and lost the market opportunity before they even knew there was one.
For the better part of a year now, I have been talking with Michigan credit union leaders about how theyre planning to transition from the pandemic-induced home office to in-person work. It has been interesting to hear unique perspectives on how credit unions are answering the question: to stay remote, bring team members back to the office or something in between?

I have heard responses from across the spectrum. Some are very proud to have maintained in-office work when possible. Others are keeping their back-office team remote with very little face-time required, and have even started hiring out-of-state employees for certain positions. Then, there are some credit unions that fall somewhere in the middle of these two, experimenting with a hybrid model.

A common refrain from teams that prefer remote work claims consistent high production throughout the pandemics mandatory remote work era. Theres no doubt that most people are productive from home and it cuts out a commute, allows for more flexibility with kids and pets and several people prefer the remote work environment. However, there are others who find work-from-home distracting, isolating and hard to separate the lines of work and home.

Where is the balance? Just because something works, because it yields high production, is that enough reason to settle on that one model as the solution?

One Michigan credit union, Christian Financial Credit Union, with over $800 million in assets and a team of 175 employees, has adopted a hybrid approach for its back-office teams. Support employees work remote on Monday and Friday and are in the office the rest of the week.

Teams are highly encouraged to work together, in-person, fostering strong collaboration in the unique spaces they built in our new headquarters, which opened in Fall 2019, said President/CEO Patty Campbell, regarding the three in-office days. The heads-down approach on Mondays and Fridays is aimed at giving the team time to focus, generally free of meetings, allowing for accelerated launch of new initiatives, fostered by the ability to manage their quiet time to accomplish self-directed goals and tasks.

Campbell said the team has been thriving under this model, giving employees Monday to plan their week and Friday to wrap up projects following a few days of collaboration. The credit union found what works for them.

I think were selling ourselves short if we think productivity is all we should look for from our teams. Gathering together as a unit allows us to be creative, to brainstorm, to learn from one another and to teach each other. In-person work fosters interpersonal relationships and broadens professional networks in a way that technology can only compliment, not replace altogether. Our credit unions and leagues benefit from these aspects of in-person work, and our movement, as a whole, becomes stronger.

Of course, time will reveal all the pros and cons of remote work  the ones weve considered and the many we probably havent yet. But Im encouraged that many of the credit unions Ive talked to here in Michigan still believe, as I do, that there are many reasons why we should continue to embrace in-person collaboration.

It may have taken a pandemic to get us there, but I believe the future of a prosperous company is a hybrid workforce  a perfect balance of productive work and collaborative culture.


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.
Send us your pets!

If chosen, your pet will be featured in the Wednesday Life section and you will be mailed a Daily Journal T-shirt.

Submit your pet
Lawyers for a Latino advocacy group told a panel of federal judges Wednesday that the new legislative district maps passed by the Illinois General Assembly the night before still dilute the vote of Hispanic citizens in the state, and they intend to proceed with a lawsuit in hopes of having them overturned.
Other speakers

Excerpts from the presentations of all speakers at Wednesday's "State of the County" event.

Mike Downey, Kankakee County sheriff

Reported the sheriff department is back to 51 officers, a significant increase since a low of 43 due to budget cuts of a few years ago. Downey noted the ideal manpower for the department  which is responsible for 635 square miles of patrol and some 34,000 residents  is 60.

John Bevis, Kankakee County Health Department administrator

If there has been one public official busier than anyone else in the past year-plus time frame, it would be Bevis. At the forefront of Kankakee County's battle with the COVID-19 pandemic, Bevis continues his push to bring up the county's approximate 43 percent COVID vaccination rate.

Bevis joked about his decision to work in public health. "Work at the health department, they say. You'll have fun, they say."

Nicole Smolkovich, Community Foundation of the Kankakee River Valley director

Smolkovich has eyes on the present day, but she is very much looking to protect the region's future as well.

She noted between Kankakee and Iroquois counties, there could be as much as $4 billion changing hands in the next decade due to inheritance from parents to children.

Smolkovich said a recent study indicated if just 5 percent of the 10-year transfer of wealth is captured by community endowments, an estimated fund of $199 million could be established here.

Tim Nugent, Economic Alliance of Kankakee County president/CEO

While the pandemic certainly impacted every community across the country, Nugent noted Kankakee County faired better than most due to its large number of essential manufacturers.

Nugent also noted the region has done well in the past five years in terms of capital investment with some $2.2 billion being plugged into the economy.

"People continue to make large investments. They see opportunity. They see opportunity to make money."

Ladonna Russell, Grundy Livingston Kankakee Workforce Board director

With more than 3,500 unemployed people in Kankakee County and with more job openings than that here, Russell explained it is quite the puzzle to get the unemployed to fill those positions.

"There are some great opportunities."

Staci Wilken, Kankakee County Convention & Visitors Bureau executive director

After working out of her spare bedroom for much of the past 12 months as the pandemic forced the organization to vacate its office, Wilken noted the organization is in a new location in downtown Kankakee and more importantly, the CVB is back to full staff.

In addition to herself, the organization has Nicole Gavin as office and retail operations manager; Kathy Lee, sales manager; Meegan Massey, marketing coordinator; and Mileen Joines, finance manager.

Chad Miller, Kankakee County Farm Bureau director

A strong harvest could pump a significant amount of revenue into the local economy and investment opportunities within Kankakee County's ag community.

Miller said yields are coming in strong  at least those which have been gathered before the series of storms prevented area farmers from harvesting  and corn and soybean prices are high.

Ashley Villarreal, Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce executive director

Villarreal has been at the helm for the chamber only since May 24, but the chamber's fourth director since the spring of 2020 is already working to bring in new members.

Villarreal noted membership dues provide the lifeblood to the organization and she is working to bring membership back into the high 300s to low 400s in the coming months.
Local

featured

High-speed chase ends with bus collision in Camden, one student transported for evaluation

cday / Chris Day/The Daily Advance Camden Sheriffs Deputy Luke Marcum (center) walks around to the rear of a BMW that was involved in a high-speed chase with police before colliding with a loaded school bus at the intersection of U.S. Highway 158 and Gumberry Road, Wednesday. One student was transported to Sentara Albemarle Medical Center for medical evaluation. At least one other was later transported by a parent to SAMC, also for medical evaluation. The driver of the BMW was seen handcuffed as he was transported from the wreck scene, a local official said. cday / Chris Day/The Daily Advance Parents of children who were on a school bus that was involved in a two-vehicle collision pick up their children from the Tidewater Agronomics Inc. building on Gumberry Road in Camden, Wednesday. The school bus was struck by a BMW four-door sedan whose driver was speeding to elude police, at U.S. Highway 158 and Gumberry Road. The accident occurred 50 yards from Tidewater Agronomics, which opened its doors to the school district as a place for parents to pick up their children. cday / Chris Day/The Daily Advance State troopers investigate a collision involving a BMW four-door sedan (left) and a Camden County Schools bus at U.S. Highway 158 and Gumberry Road, Wednesday. The driver of the BMW, Shelton T. Gordon Jr. of Elizabeth City, is facing a host of charges in connection with the incident. jeure / Chris Day/The Daily Advance A Camden County Schools bus is shown in the roadway near the intersection of U.S. Highway 158 and Gumberry Road after it collided with a vehicle (shown at left) Tuesday. One student aboard the bus was transported to Sentara Albemarle Medical Center for treatment.

CAMDEN  A vehicle being pursued by law enforcement on U.S. Highway 158 Wednesday collided with a loaded Camden County school bus, sending one student aboard the bus to the hospital for evaluation by medical personnel.

The driver of the light blue BMW that collided with Bus 86 was taken by ambulance to Sentara Albemarle Hospital. According to law enforcement officials, a helicopter was prepared to transport the driver to another hospital.

Camden County Schools Superintendent Joe Ferrell said Bus 86 had 50 students and a driver aboard when the collision occurred near the intersection of U.S. Highway 158 and Gumberry Road. All of the students were either from Grandy Primary or Camden Intermediate School.

Ferrell said one student aboard the bus was disoriented after the collision but walked of his own accord to an ambulance and was transported to Sentara Albemarle Medical Center for evaluation.

The students parents have been contacted and are going to meet them at the hospital, he said.

Ferrell said later that at least one other student was transported by a parent to the hospital for evaluation.

Ferrell said the driver of the bus was a little shaken up by the collision but was doing fine.

Trooper J.N. Wood of the N.C. Highway Patrol said the BMW was being chased by Currituck County authorities and the Camden Sheriffs Office took over the chase after the vehicle crossed into Camden. According to Wood, the BMWs speed at times reached 120-125 mph.

The Camden deputy stopped pursuit shortly before the collision occurred after Camden Sheriff Kevin Jones expressed concern about a high-speed chase approaching the area around the high school, Wood said.

The bus was pulling out of Gumberry Road onto U.S. 158 when it was struck by the BMW, Wood said.

Ferrell said the vehicle appeared to collide with the drivers side of the bus and that the bus appeared to be undrivable.

Lane said Bus 86 will be checked out by the districts transportation department but it appears to be totaled.

Patrol officials couldnt be immediately reached for information about the BMW driver. Ferrell said its his understanding the driver was handcuffed and transported by EMS from the scene.

School officials initially were going to transport the students back to the two schools but decided instead to have them get off the bus and walk across the street to the Tidewater Agronomics building at 133 Gumberry Road.

Camden Schools Chief Student Services Officer Lane said the plan to transport students to the school on a different bus was canceled after the students said they didnt want to get back on a bus.

School officials contacted parents and directed them to the Tidewater Agronomics building to pick up their children.

Lane said the owners of the business were extremely gracious and accommodating in allowing the building to be used as a reunification site. She the building was selected because it was so close to where the crash occurred.

Camden Board of Education members Chris Purcell and Christian Overton assisted with traffic control at the entrance to the reunification site.

One parent who asked that her name not be used said she was concerned that parents were not notified sooner.

Lane said parents were notified as soon as a plan was in place. The notification took a little longer than it might have otherwise because the original reunification plan was dropped in favor of using the Tidewater Agronomics building.

Law enforcement officials closed U.S. 158 eastbound and westbound near the accident scene but announced around 4:30 p.m. that they were reopening westbound U.S. 158 to traffic.
Jason Martin Moore, 40, of Ashland Ky, died Saturday November 13th, 2021 at Kings Daughters Medical Center in Ashland Ky. Jason was born September 4th, 1981 in Ashland KY. A son of the late Jarome "Marty" and Donna Roe Moore. He is preceded in death in addition to his parents by his grandmot
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a real Tory government rather than the neo-Blairite confection that has been served up by Boris Johnson?

A Tory government that sought to lower taxes rather than increasing them to their highest level for 70 years since Clement Attlee  a fine man but a committed socialist was prime minister.

A Tory government that wouldn't allow an 80-year-old, chronically ill former soldier (I speak of Dennis Hutchings), who had loyally served Queen and country, to face charges in Northern Ireland of which he had been twice cleared. And there, far from his home in Cornwall, the poor man died of Covid.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a real Tory government rather than the neo-Blairite confection that has been served up by Boris Johnson?

A Tory Government that didn't produce revolutionary and uncosted proposals for dealing with climate change, which seem likely to bankrupt the country if future governments are daft enough to follow the Prime Minister's madcap plan.

Before he entered No 10, I had doubts about Boris's temperamental suitability for high office. Was he serious enough? Would he master his official briefs? Could he be trusted to keep his word?

But one thing about which I was pretty sure was that Boris was a genuine Tory. I knew him a bit, and was for many years a keen reader of his excellent columns in The Daily Telegraph, in which he made no attempt to conceal his Conservative beliefs.

Being a Tory means that you don't get a kick out of spending other people's hard-earned money. It means that you are instinctively in favour of smaller government, and do not believe that it is the job of politicians to boss law-abiding citizens around.

Above all, Toryism involves putting practicality before ideology. A Conservative is interested in what works  not in using the electorate as a laboratory to test economic theories that are liable to end in disaster.

By all these definitions Boris Johnson does not look like a proper Tory, and this is not a Tory government as the term has been traditionally understood.

Look at the latest roll-call of climate-change measures which the Prime Minister unleashed with revolutionary zeal on Tuesday  measures which surpass in scope and speed those being adopted by any other country. Being Boris, he claimed with characteristic boosterism  and a total lack of evidence  that his wildly ambitious net-zero targets will be met 'without so much as a hair shirt in sight'.

Dennis Hutchings (pictured) was allowed to face charges in Northern Ireland of which he had been twice cleared

The old, sceptical Boris would have greeted such an assertion with protestations of incredulity, and doubtless an undertaking that, if such wildly unrealistic plans were ever fulfilled, he would eat his entire hat garnished with bacon.

Already people who know about these things are speculating that buyers of old, poorly insulated houses may struggle to get a mortgage. The cost of a heat pump which seems roughly to be at the same stage of development as was the internal combustion engine circa 1910  will be devastating.

As for the Government, it will be squeezing the already hard-pressed taxpayer to bankroll its elaborate schemes (which have nonetheless been dismissed already as inadequate by the voracious green lobby, as well as Labour spokesman Ed Miliband).

If you don't believe me, listen to the Treasury which, unlike Boris, knows enough about money to have serious reservations. It foresees a 37 billion black hole in its finances because of a loss of revenue from fuel duty.

It also estimates that from 2026 the additional public and private sector capital investment required to decarbonise will amount to more than 50 billion a year. In the Treasury's view, it is 'uncertain' how much of this increased investment will result in long-term GDP growth.

With his broad-brush approach to finance, Mr Johnson is not interested in such boring details. At a press conference on Tuesday, billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he had agreed to match the Government's investment of 400 million in a new green fund.

Johnson is not prepared to sit down with the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and go through the climate figures painstakingly

The Prime Minister thought that each party had agreed to stump up 200 million. In fact, he was right. But he seemed easily persuaded by Mr Gates that the true figure was 400 million apiece. What's a couple of hundred million pounds between friends?

The rapid transformation of Boris from a Tory sceptic with his feet firmly on the ground to a climate-change fanatic is one of the most amazing political phenomena of modern times.

Not long ago, he was expressing sensible caution. In a newspaper column from January 2013 he wondered whether solar activity might not be a contributory factor to global warming. He confessed that he had an 'open mind'. In 2015, one of his columns was faithfully headlined: 'I can't stand this December heat, but it has nothing to do with global warming.'

Over the years he has doubted the efficacy of wind power and advocated more nuclear power stations. He has also championed fracking for gas, which the Government under his leadership has comprehensively, and very unwisely, kiboshed.

We are not talking here about juvenile scribblings that can be easily disowned. The mature and grown-up Boris of the very recent past did not believe that climate change presented such an immediate danger that the economy had to be turned upside down, and taxpayers required to fork out endless dollops of cash.

The usual reason given for Mr Johnson's sudden conversion to being the Che Guevara of climate change and evangelist of higher taxes is the influence of his wife, Carrie, who is something of an eco-zealot. No doubt this is part of the explanation.

But I think there is something else in play  Boris's unconquerable love of drama. He's not prepared to sit down with the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and go through the figures painstakingly, weighing up the pros and cons of reaching net zero in record time.

He is not detained by the argument that the UK, which produces a mere 1 per cent of the world's carbon emissions, shouldn't hobble its economic future while other countries make hay, and China is building hundreds of new coal-fired power stations. Something in his mindset renders him predisposed to grand gestures and apocalyptic solutions.

For the time being, of course, he gets away with it because the hikes in taxation which will have to pay for his revolution are some way down the track. Even the painful increases already announced have not yet happened. He is still seen as a mesmerising force who cracks good jokes and adds to the gaiety of the nation.

Conceivably he will continue to get away with it. For although he has turned out not to be a Tory as the word is normally understood, he is obviously more of one than Sir Keir Starmer. Nor is there any alternative Conservative Party to which voters can defect.

Yet Tory voters with Tory values haven't gone away. When runaway tax increases hit home, and people find they can't get mortgages on uninsulated houses and are forced to impoverish themselves with expensive and inefficient heat pumps  why, then there will surely be a political backlash.

Sooner or later there has to be an adjustment. Tory voters will demand authentic Tory policies. Someone promising to supply them will emerge though Boris being Boris, he may then decide that he has become a Tory again.
Half a century or so ago, creaking boarding school sanatoriums were invariably run by eccentric dears in the Maggie Throup mould.

Known to the boys as nurse or matron they wore cable-knit cardies and had an unnerving preference for pre-Crimean remedies over emerging modern medicines. Rarely was there an ailment, it seemed, which couldnt be alleviated by a stiff saltwater gargle.

Ms Throup, you probably wont be aware, is our new vaccines minister. No, must admit Id never heard of her either. She popped up like a cork during the last reshuffle.

She is a biochemist by training, so one assumes she possesses a more sophisticated pharmaceutical brain than those medical matriarchs of yesteryear. Yet there is a certain befuddlement about her, endearing at times but, at others, well, a trifle unnerving.

Half a century or so ago, creaking boarding school sanatoriums were invariably run by eccentric dears in the Maggie Throup mould. (pictured, the new vaccines minister yesterday)

She was summoned yesterday to answer an urgent question from Labours health spokesman Jon Ashworth on the Governments coronavirus winter strategy now that infections are on the rise again.

Ashworth looked miffed by Throups presence. The main purpose of asking these urgent questions is to get one over on the Secretary of State, in this case Sajid Javid. Perhaps for that reason Ashworth kept his interactions short.

His opponents opening responses were rickety to put it mildly. Answers were punctuated with hesitant pauses and the occasional flash of bamboozlement. There was an over reliance on prepared answers. And every now and again there would be a hurried shuffle of papers as she struggled to locate a figure from her clippings.

Small wonder Number 10 is yet to unleash her on a tour of the television studios.

She got a predictably warm welcome from health committee chairman Jeremy Hunt, who lamented that Throup  unlike her predecessor Nadhim Zahawi  had been denied a seat at the Cabinet table. Maggie dutifully shot him a bashful smile. Would it be harsh to say there is an unctuousness to Hunts charms? He does lay it on a bit thick sometimes. Bet hes a mother-in-laws dream.

She is a biochemist by training, so one assumes she possesses a more sophisticated pharmaceutical brain than those medical matriarchs of yesteryear. Yet there is a certain befuddlement about her, endearing at times but, at others, well, a trifle unnerving

Peter Bone (Con, Wellingborough) complained that Throup had been sent out onto a sticky wicket without a bat. This was meant to sound sympathetic but came across as an acknowledgement that she wasnt faring very well.

Some of Throups colleagues certainly made it pretty sticky. Chief among them was Sir Desmond Swayne (Con, New Forest W), whose laconic appearance conjures up images of rakish supper clubs and tones of musky aftershave. The mere mention of making facemasks compulsory in public again had got Sir Dessies mutton chops twitching.

Up stood Mark Harper (Con, Forest of Dean) who, like Swayne, froths at the gills at the threat of restrictions. He pointed out that hospitalisations are currently lower than they were a few months ago.

Holly Mumby-Croft (Con, Scunthorpe) demanded a vote before the imposition of any new restrictions in the coming weeks. Whoa, hold your horses, said Throup. We were still some way off all that. From Labours benches we heard the usual sermons from on high about protecting the NHS. Isnt it meant to protect us?

She was summoned yesterday to answer an urgent question from Labours health spokesman Jon Ashworth (pictured) on the Governments coronavirus winter strategy now that infections are on the rise again

Steve Brine (Con, Winchester) pointed out that the Government had just voted for manifesto-busting tax rises to help the NHS clear the Covid backlog.

Yet a demand to suspend life-saving operations is Labours default response whenever there is an uptick in infections. Another is to blabber on about government complacency. Now is not the time to be complacent, they always say. When is?

Richard Burgon (Lab, Leeds E), who moonlights as membership secretary of the Jeremy Corbyn fan club, said it was complacency that was threatening the lives of low-paid front-line workers.

Throup gave him little mind. Few ministers do any more. There appears to have been an edict issued by the Governments whips office that responding to Burgons interventions isnt worth precious oxygen. Anyway, Throup survived just about. Sometimes in this game thats all a debutante can ask for.
Sometimes it seems like nothing in life is going your way, but these very unlucky people are sure to make you feel much better.

A hilarious online gallery collated by Docjournals has revealed a serious of disastrous incidents shared to social media, which are bound to put your own life into perspective.

The unfortunate mishaps include one unlucky person who ruined his wireless headphones after an entire bottle of sauce broke in his bag and another who bit into a raw chicken burger.

One man was forced to remove a spider who had made a giant web inside his car, while a woman discovered her laptop had broken because of a single grain of rice in the screen.

Here, Femail reveals some hilarious examples of people who got very unlucky.

In too deep! This driver, from the US, was looking for his phone when his car rolled into a nearby lake

DIY disaster! A homeowner in the US, was trying to renovate her house when the top of her hammer broke off

Leaf it out! This employee, from the US, wasn't happy when his entire salad spilled on his keyboard

What the cluck! This diner, from the US, was stunned after taking a bite of his chicken burger and discovering the chicken was raw

Leg it! This unlucky driver stepped into their car only to discover a spider had spun a giant web nearby his seat

Mail fail! A shopper from Indiana will probably never see their package again, and even if it does arrive, it's probably going to be soggy

Watch your step! This unfortunate man, from the US, accidentally stepped in a puddle of mud on his way home from the supermarket

Sweet and sour explosion! A man from the Netherlands, ruined his wireless headphones after an entire bottle of sauce broke inside his bag

You can always try the bus! This man, from New York was disappointed after finally getting his license to find it was out of date the next day

Can't compute! A woman from the US, was baffled when a tiny grain of rice caused their laptop to totally malfunction

Burn! This very unlucky camper, from Germany, left his phone next to a smouldering campfire

Oh snap! This driver, from the US, had no idea how to get to work after the handle to her door broke off as she tried to open it

Screw it! This Germany-based tradesperson shared a picture of a tray of nuts and bolts which had spilled everywhere
An ambitious psychotherapy student who emigrated from Russia to Perth at the age of eight has been crowned Miss Universe Australia 2021.

Daria Varlamova, 27, scooped the title while sitting at home in her Melbourne apartment, watching the national final which was held virtually for the second year running due to the pandemic.

The blonde beauty, who describes herself as 'Russian-born, Western Australia-bred and Melbourne-based', first entered the pageant at the age of 19 but was devastated when she didn't make it to the state finals. In 2020, she was fourth runner-up.

Persistence paid off for the self-professed 'travel addict' when she triumphed in a field of 29 finalists on Tuesday night, with Mia Brooks from New South Wales coming in as runner-up.

Russian-born psychotherapy student Daria Varlamova (pictured) has been crowned Miss Universe Australia 2021

The 27-year-old (pictured) scooped the title while sitting at home in her Melbourne apartment

Ms Varlamova, who is working towards her Masters of Counselling to become a psychotherapist, said the first thing she would do is call her grandmother in Russia.

'I don't think my heart has ever pounded so hard before,' she told the Herald Sun.

'She's been rooting for me so hard, she's my favourite and her joy is my joy.'

Born in Bryansk, 379km southwest of Moscow, Ms Varlamova arrived in Australia in 2003 'without a word of English' and learned by devouring as many books as she could get her hands on. She still speaks fluent Russian.

After graduating with a business degree from Perth's Murdoch University in 2015, the brainy beauty queen worked in development and digital marketing before earning her graduate certificate in counselling from Edith Cowan University in 2020.

In her spare time, Ms Varlamova facilitates workshops for young girls, discussing topics such as friendship and mental wellbeing.

Persistence pays off: Ms Varlamova (pictured) first entered the pageant at the age of 19 but was devastated when she didn't make it to the state finals; in 2020, she was fourth runner-up

Born in Bryansk, 379km southwest of Moscow, Ms Varlamova (pictured) learned English by devouring as many books as she could get her hands on

Brains and beauty: After graduating with a business degree from Perth's Murdoch University in 2015, Ms Varlamova (pictured) worked in development and digital marketing

In a recent interview with Gold Coast Magazine, she described mental health awareness as one of her greatest passions.

'I'm incredibly passionate about destigmatising mental health issues,' she said.

'I think they are just as valid as physical ailments, and therefore should be treated with the same level of courtesy and care.'

Ms Varlamova, who was named one of Yahoo Finance's Top 21 Health and Wellness Influencers for 2021, says she wants to use her platform to share this message.

She is the third Victorian to win the contest in three consecutive years, following Maria Thattil in 2020 and Priya Serrao in 2019.

In her spare time, Ms Varlamova (pictured) facilitates workshops for young girls, discussing topics such as friendship and mental wellbeing

Ms Varlamova (left) takes the crown from Miss Universe Australia 2020, Maria Thattil (right)

Handing over the crown, Ms Thattil praised Ms Varlamova as a worthy winner.

'I've said this to every woman in the program, it's every woman's journey but one woman's destiny. Her time is now,' she said.

'Like every finalist, this woman deserves it. Her heart is empathetic, kind and compassionate. She is purpose driven and committed to her message. And overall, a beautiful representative for our country. I cant wait to watch all that you do.'

The international Miss Universe final will be held in December in Eilat, Israel.
A self-confessed 'sugar mama' has fans on TikTok begging her for a job after revealing she spoils her boy-toy lover with luxury vacations and gifts.

Julie, 44, a widow from the US, met her partner Zach, 29, on the dating app Bumble a year ago, and their unusual arrangement involves her treating him to the finer things in life  as long as he does whatever she wants.

This year alone she has spent a total of $30,000 on trips with him, including getaways to Cabo, Florida, and Niagara Falls. They also have two more holidays booked, which will cost another $10,000.

Scroll down for video

Boy toy: Self-confessed 'sugar mama' Julie, 44, from the US, met her partner Zach, 29, on the dating app Bumble a year ago

Stipulation: The widow said she treats her beau to the finer things in life, as long as he does whatever she wants

Love language: Julie likes to spoil Zach with lavish vacations, and this year alone she has spent a total of $30,000 on trips with him, including getaways to Cabo, Florida, and Niagara Falls

The content creator, who earns between $30 to $40,000 a month, has posted playful videos about their relationship on her @Julie.Withthebooty TikTok account, where she has more than 65,000 followers.

Julie recently went viral after answering some of the most popular questions she gets asked as a sugar mama, confirming that she buys Zach 'anything he wants.'

But when asked what he does in return, she responded: 'Anything I want.' She also claimed she gives Zach an allowance, but later revealed she was joking.

'It's $15,000 a month right now,' she alleged. 'I lowered it because last month he forgot to clean the pool.'

Inquiring minds: Julie recently went viral after answering some of the most popular questions she gets asked as a sugar mama on TikTok

Tit for tat: Julie confirmed that she buys Zach 'anything he wants,' but when asked what he does in return, she responded: 'Anything I want'

Sign me up: Commenters were begging to become Julie's sugar baby after finding out she gives Zach a $15,000-per-month allowance, but she later claimed she was joking

Julie's followers were quick to comment on the controversial post, which has been viewed more than 3.5 million times and had some desperate to find themselves a sugar mama.

'Can someone post where to go to sign up for this cause like I have a resume ready,' one person wrote, while another asked: 'Where can I find one?'

'Wonder how many people Google how to find a sugar mama after watching this,' someone else joked.

One TikToker even offered up his services, writing: '15k??? Madam I am 31 and gay but by thunder I would be willing to make an attempt.'

Claim to fame: Julie earns between $30 to $40,000 a month as a content creator

One to watch: She has 463,000 followers on Instagram and more than 65,000 on TikTok

Drawing the line: Julie insisted she doesn't give Zach an allowance, but she does 'spoil' him

Speaking of the reaction to her video, Julie told Jam Press that 'most of the comments have been, "Can you by sugar mama" or "I'll fight him for that spot."

'But there's always a few super rude comments too. I'm surprised people don't see that it was a TikTok trend joke.'

In reality, Julie insisted she doesn't actually pay Zach an allowance, but her partner still does things like cooking for her and brushing her hair.

'Although I am a cougar, and I do make $30-40,000 a month, I definitely don't give him an allowance,' she said. '[But] I absolutely do spoil him.

Finding love: The mother of two, who has an 18-year-old and a 21-year-old, found love with Zach after her husband died

Looking back: She explained that when she finally stated dating after her husband's death, she realized she had 'more in common with younger men'

If you can't beat 'em... Julie also noticed that men her age tended to date younger women

'We travel a lot, and I pay for that. And I like to buy him gifts  that's my love language. I spoil my kids that way also.

'[The most expensive things I have bought him are] probably the vacations we go on  we are always jetting around somewhere.'

Julie said they've been on about 10 trips so far, and in a few weeks they are headed to Exuma Bahamas and then Costa Rica right after that.

'Costa Rice will be the most expensive so far  about $10,000,' she said.

Love: Julie gushed that Zach is 'very sweet and nurturing,' saying 'he does most of the cooking'

Travel partners: Julie said they've been on about 10 trips so far, and in a few weeks they're going to Exuma Bahamas and then Costa Rica right after that, which will cost another $10,000

Living single: Julie said she doesn't have any plans to remarry, despite their connection

The mother of two, who has an 18-year-old and a 21-year-old, found love with Zach after her husband died.

'When I eventually started dating again, I found that I had more in common with younger men and that men my age are typically dating younger women,' she explained.

'He's very sweet and nurturing,' she said of Zach. 'He does most of the cooking and makes me the most delicious meals.

'He pampers me too. He brushes my hair every night before bed, and rubs me until I fall asleep.'

Despite the pair's sweet connection, Julie has no plans to re-marry.
Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter has said the Queen will not step down, despite concerns over her health after she cancelled a trip to Northern Ireland this week following medical advice to rest for the next few days.

Speaking on GMB this morning, the former press secretary to the Queen, 95, told Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid that anyone asking the monarch to retire was 'patronising and fighting fire'.

Instead, Dickie, 81, suggested the Queen would ask officials to 'pace' her engagements as she continues her duties as sovereign.

Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter has said the Queen will not step down, despite concerns over her health after she cancelled a trip to Northern Ireland this week following medical advice to rest for the next few days (seen last week in Cardiff)

Speaking on ITV today, Dickie said: 'The Queen made her feelings very crystal clear when she told the "Oldie awards" to naff off.

'Remembrance Day is coming up and is sacred in her diary. To suggest she'll step back is patronising and fighting fire - the Queen will instead ask her officials to pace her engagements more.'

Explaining why the Queen would not step down, he continued: 'During her coronation she made a vow in the eyes of god, and you can't compare that promise to the pope retiring.

'The Queen has had a very strenuous few days ago, which is why doctors probably advised her to cancel her upcoming trip. It's a lot to ask of anyone any age - even when she's not at engagements the monarch has mounds of paperwork to go through.'

He concluded: 'The officials at Buckingham Palace will be looking very carefully to pace her engagements. There's only so much Charles, William and Kate can do.'

Dickie, 81, suggested the Queen would ask officials to 'pace' her engagements as she continues her duties as sovereign.

However biographer Angela Levin argued that the Queen is battling feelings of guilt, and should be encouraged to step down.

She said: 'The Queen feels very guilty as she made a promise at 21 that she'll be Queen until she dies, but the Pope made the same vows and has since retired.

'Things have changed since the royal made that promise and people live longer nowadays.

'The Queen is incredibly alert but it's too much for her physically - at the moment it's a fight between mind and body - she should be encouraged to step back slowly.'

Arguing that the Queen should retire after the Platinum Jubilee in June, which marks 70 years on the throne, Angela added: 'The Queen needs to look after herself and make allowances.

'Prince Philip said the same thing when he retired and allowed himself a break. We should all be encouraging the Queen to step back and enjoy the rest of her life.'

Angela Levin argued that the Queen is battling feelings of guilt, and should be encouraged to step down

Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid discussed the news that the Queen cancelled her trip to Northern Ireland after she 'reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days'

On Wednesday the Queen cancelled her trip to Northern Ireland after she 'reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days'.

The monarch - who has been seen using a walking stick at engagements over the past week - is said to be in good spirits but disappointed not to be able to carry out the two-day trip, which was due to begin yesterday.

The Queen has had a busy few days and hosted a major global investment summit at Windsor Castle yesterday evening. She also had engagements last week at the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff and Westminster Abbey in London.

Queen Elizabeth II meets attendees at a reception for Global Investment Conference delegates at Windsor Castle on Tuesday

October 14 -- Queen Elizabeth II uses a walking stick attends the opening ceremony of the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff

The Queen is now resting at Windsor Castle and is still expected at this stage to host a reception in Scotland on November 1 for the Cop26 conference, although it is likely a view will be taken on this nearer the time.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said in a statement issued shortly after 11am this morning: 'The Queen has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days.

'Her Majesty is in good spirits and is disappointed that she will no longer be able to visit Northern Ireland, where she had been due to undertake a series of engagements today and tomorrow. The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland, and looks forward to visiting in the future.'

A royal source said there was 'no cause for caution' about the Queen's health - and her decision is understood not to be related to coronavirus. Her condition has not been revealed.

The Queen is double-vaccinated, having been given her first jab by a household doctor at Windsor Castle on January 9 and her second at the end of March ahead of what was her first public appearance in five months.

Buckingham Palace would not comment on whether the head of state had received her booster Covid-19 jab, but given her age it is likely she has already had it.
An ex-Mormon has gone viral with a video explaining the sexual practice of 'soaking' among unmarried couples.

Lexie George, of Florida, explained on TikTok that couples not wishing to 'sin' by having premarital sex might choose to engage in 'soaking', which refers to a man sexually penetrating a woman without thrusting or moving.

'Soaking is when you have a man who just "sticks it in" and let's it soak,' she said in the clip that has been viewed more than 11million times. 'The idea behind it is if it's just in but there's no moving back and forth, no movement, then it's not a sin.'

For couples who want greater stimulation than 'soaking' there is also 'jump soaking', where a trusted friend will shake the bed to create movement, providing greater simulation for the couple.

Eye-opening: Lexie George, of Florida, explained on TikTok that Mormon couples not wishing to 'sin' by having premarital sex might choose to engage in 'soaking', which refers to a man sexually penetrating a woman without thrusting or moving

Lexie, who left the Mormon faith at 25, continued: 'If you want to take it one step further then there's a thing called "jump soaking", which is where you "stick it in".

'And then you have a good friend who will go underneath the bed, or even on top, and create movement, have outside forces move you, because if you're not doing it then it's not premarital sex.'

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches the 'law of chastity' which strictly forbids sex outside of a heterosexual marriage, framing it as the worst sin 'next to murder'.

'The theology there is that god gives humans the power to create and destroy life  these are godly powers,' Patrick Mason, chair of Mormon history and culture at Utah State University, told BuzzFeed News.

Lexie, pictured, went viral with her video explaining how couples find ways around the rules

'The church does teach that sexuality is beautiful, but its only supposed to be exercised within these bounds [the confines of marriage], because the church doesnt want it to be turned into lust or objectification.

'So, seeing someone and being attracted to them sexually is fine, but those thoughts have to be disciplined.'

It means many Mormons feel extreme guilt for simply having sexual thoughts or desires, let alone acting on them.

'Soaking' was devised as a way to try and circumvent these religious teachings, according to Lexie. She explained it is especially popular at the Mormon-led Brigham Young University, in Utah, or among 'young people in general, who aren't married'.

Viewers were quick to confirm Lexie's explanation, with one commenting: 'I'm from Utah... She isn't lying. Sadly.' However others, including Mormons, said they had 'never heard' the term

She added: 'I wish I was making this up. It is pretty sad how common this is.'

Viewers were quick to confirm Lexie's explanation, with one commenting: 'I'm from Utah... She isn't lying. Sadly.'

However others, including Mormons, said they had 'never heard' the term.

Podcast host Carah Burrell, another ex-Mormon and host of Mormon Stories Podcast, said she had thought 'soaking was a joke' but has been 'proved wrong'.

She added other couples have anal sex, believing it is different enough to vaginal sex to avoid being classed as sinful.
A mother who used sunbeds twice a week has warned she will never use them again after being diagnosed with skin cancer.

Paris Tippett, 25, from Crowthorne, Berkshire, went on sunbeds on and off from the age of 18, but started going twice-weekly for up to 14 minutes a session last year.

Not only did Paris find the tanning sessions gave her a desired golden glow, she claims they also helped her through 'down patches' - including when she experienced seasonal affective disorder [SAD].

After four months of regular tanning sessions the masseuse business owner, who is mother to three-year-old Saskia Brown, spotted a tiny freckle on her right shin while moisturising her legs.

Paris went to her GP and was referred to skin specialists who whipped off the freckle for a biopsy - and two weeks later she was given the devastating news that it was cancerous and she had stage-two melanoma.

Paris Tippett (pictured), 25, from Crowthorne, Berkshire, went on sunbeds on and off from the age of 18, but started going twice-weekly for up to 14 minutes a session last year

Not only did Paris find the tanning sessions gave her a desired golden glow, she claims they also helped her through 'down patches' - including when she experienced seasonal affective disorder [SAD]. Pictured, the freckle Paris discovered on her right shin

After four months of regular tanning sessions the masseuse business owner, who is mother to three-year-old Saskia Brown, spotted a tiny freckle on her right shin while moisturising her legs. Pictured, Pairs in hospital after surgery

Terrified at the 'silent killer' diagnosis, Paris quit using sunbeds and, now that she is relieved to have had the all-clear, is sharing her ordeal to demonstrate that using them 'isn't worth it'.

Paris said: 'I first started using sunbeds when I was 18 as I wanted to try them. From then I've just gone in and out of using them in my life.

'I haven't used them solidly every week of my life, I tend to use them just before I go on holiday or for summer.

'They also make me feel a bit better. Sometimes when I've been feeling a bit down in the past, I get SAD [seasonal affective disorder] and it has made me feel like it's helping me.

'When the doctor told me it was melanoma, a vicious one, I just sat there and was beside myself. I just cried and said "is this terminal?"'

Paris (pictured with her daughter) went to her GP and was referred to skin specialists who whipped off the freckle for a biopsy - and two weeks later she was given the devastating news that it was cancerous and she had stage-two melanoma

It was only after lockdown was lifted last year and beauty and tanning salons opened back up that Paris had decided to take advantage of sunbeds again, unsure when they might be shut again.

Paris said: 'I was using sunbeds more so in between lockdowns because I didn't know when I was going to be able to get a sunbed again.

'From last summer I upped it to two [sessions] a week, sometimes three for 12-14 minutes a time over the course of four months, and that's when a little freckle on my shin came up that winter.'

Paris visited her GP in June who referred her to Frimley Park Hospital in Frimley, Surrey. There, Paris underwent a biopsy and was devastated to learn she had melanoma.

Paris said: 'I don't have loads of freckles on my legs. I have a few moles on my thigh but nothing on my shin.

Terrified at the 'silent killer' diagnosis, Paris quit using sunbeds and, now that she is relieved to have had the all-clear, is sharing her ordeal to demonstrate that using them 'isn't worth it'. Pictured left to right, Pairs' leg before and after surgery

Paris (pictured) visited her GP in June who referred her to Frimley Park Hospital in Frimley, Surrey. There, Paris underwent a biopsy and was devastated to learn she had melanoma

After undergoing surgery to remove the freckle on July 20, Paris (pictured) faced an agonising two-week wait until she got her results back on August 3

'I was moisturising my leg and I thought "oh that looks different, that's a new one", it was on its own at the front.

'I kept an eye on it, still carried on using the sunbed for a few weeks with a plaster over it, but then decided I needed to get it looked at.

'I went to the doctors and they weren't really concerned at all as it was a perfect circle and not really dark.

'The skin specialist at the hospital checked me from head to toe and said it was the only one that looked a little bit different but she wasn't really concerned.

What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? This is a type of depression that appears in response to changing seasons. It is typically known as 'winter depression' and is thought to be brought on by the longer evenings. What are the symptoms?: A persistent low mood

A loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities

Irritability

Feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness

Feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day

Sleeping for longer than normal and finding it hard to get up in the morning

Craving carbohydrates and gaining weight The NHS says these symptoms may be more severe in some than in others. When should I seek treatment?: Those struggling to cope during winter are encouraged to speak to their GP, who can carry out an assessment and check on mental health. Questions they could ask will include ones about your mood, lifestyle, eating habits, sleeping patterns and any seasonal changes in thoughts or behaviour. What are the treatments?: A range of treatments are available for SAD. Lifestyle measures - including getting as much natural sunlight as possible, exercising regularly and managing stress

Light therapy - this involves using a special lamp called a lightbox to stimulate exposure to sunlight

Talking therapies - such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or counselling What causes SAD?: The reason that this condition develops 'is not fully understood' says the NHS, although they think it is caused by shorter autumn and winter days and a lack of exposure to sunlight. The main theories claim that this stops part of the brain, the hypothalamus, from working properly, leading to lower mood. Advertisement

'But she said that because it was new and I didn't feel comfortable with it, it could be removed if I wanted. I know my body and I just got that feeling and I knew something just wasn't right.'

After undergoing surgery to remove the freckle on July 20, Paris faced an agonising two-week wait until she got her results back on August 3.

Paris said: 'I had it removed in July and then I got my results back two weeks after that. I was a little bit apprehensive about getting it removed, but it was better than leaving it.

'Waiting a couple of weeks for the results to come back was just hell. I wasn't myself, I was all over the place. I couldn't focus on work, I couldn't concentrate at the gym - I would just go and sit there, I couldn't focus.

'I was just so worried. I was so petrified when I got the results, it was like I'd been put in someone else's life. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.'

After the shock diagnosis, Paris underwent a second surgery three weeks later on August 24.

During the procedure lymph nodes were removed and a wider section of tissue was taken to ensure it hadn't spread any further - even going down to the bone on her shin.

Paris, who runs massage therapy business P.Y.T Treatments, said: 'Stage two melanoma is a fast-spreading cancer. It's all about time with melanoma, if you catch it fast you're lucky.

'This mole was probably only on my body for six months and I had to go through what I had to go through and that was really lucky.

'Whereas if it had been there for years it could have spread to my lungs, it might have got in my blood, you just don't know.

'I'm so thankful I did listen to my body and got it removed. Three weeks later [after the diagnosis] I had surgery, it was a really difficult time.

'They removed lymph nodes from my right groin and removed quite a wide area, going down to the bone in my shin, to make sure it hadn't spread.'

After hearing her results were all clear four weeks later on September 23, Paris described it as being like 'winning the lottery'.

Paris said: 'When they said I was all clear it was priceless, it felt like I'd won the lottery, you can't put a price on it.'

Now, Paris will have regular check-ups with her dermatologist and surgeon and has vowed to never go on sunbeds again - and is urging others to do the same.

Paris said: 'I couldn't believe that sunbeds could do this. I'll never get on one ever again, it's not worth it.

'The thing with melanoma is you don't know you've got it, it's a silent killer. It doesn't show necessarily in a mole - it can be a patch of skin, uneven patch of skin.

'I would say to anyone who is thinking of using sunbeds to invest in an amazing tan - there are some amazing tans out there. It'll be fake tan only from now on.'
A royal photographer who captured the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Earthshot Prize Awards has praised the couple as a 'strong team' and recalled how Kate was Prince William's number one fan.

Chris Jackson told People that the mother-of-three, 39, was 'so clearly, really proud' of her husband when he came back from his speech during the ceremony at Alexandra Palace, in London, on Sunday.

'She had been watching on the backstage TV. They are a strong team,' the photographer said.

A royal photographer who captured the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Earthshot Prize Awards (pictured) has praised the couple as a 'strong team' and recalled how Kate was Prince William's number one fan

Chris Jackson told People that the mother-of-three, 39, was 'so clearly, really proud' of her husband (pictured together) when he came back from his speech during the ceremony at Alexandra Palace, in London, on Sunday

He added: 'Seeing firsthand, you had this realisation of the huge amount of work this was for [William]. It was a really special evening.'

Yesterday Chris, who is married to The Duchess of Cambridge's stylist and close friend Natasha Archer, 34, took to Instagram and explained how he captured a series of behind-the-scene pictures from the awards.

Among the black and white images, which were shared to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's social media account, include the moment Kate, 39, put a loving hand on Prince William's lower back in a rare display of public affection - as they are captured looking intensely in each other's eyes and smiling at one another.

In another adorable photograph from Sunday's engagement, a dapper dressed Prince William pulls back the curtain as he and Kate are seen smiling and laughing together.

'She had been watching on the backstage TV. They are a strong team,' the photographer said. Pictured, William and Kate arriving at Sunday evening's event

Elsewhere, two poignant individual shots of the pair show them both reflecting before they're about to go on stage to give their speeches on the importance of looking after the environment for several generations to come.

Alongside the series of snaps, Chris penned: 'Some of you may have noticed I was a little quiet after the Earthshot awards

'This was because I had a fantastic opportunity to shoot "behind the scenes" with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the groundbreaking environmental initiative that will do a huge amount to change the narrative over the next few years.'

'It was special to witness the passion and energy that went into this event from close quarters and performances from talented artists such as @teddysphotos @ksi and @coldplay. I think these pictures illustrate some the depth of feeling throughout the event.'

Kate can be seen holding onto the railings as she takes to her seat next to husband, Prince William

Another poignant shot of Prince William shows him reflecting before heading on stage at the end of the event

In another powerful snap, Prince William can be seen stepping on stage after ditching his usual black tuxedo for a trendy polo neck and green velvet jacket

To match the event's ethos and highlight on sustainability, the mother-of-three recycled the Alexander McQueen dress she first wore ten years ago in 2011, at a Bafta reception in Los Angeles while she and Prince William were touring America as newly-weds.

The decade-long global environmental competition awards 1million to five winners for an idea to protect the planet.

However, the choice of the monochrome snaps comes after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose two black and white family photos to announce Meghan's pregnancy with Lilibet, where the royal couple can be seen posing in the grounds of their $14 million Californian mansion in front of a 'tree of life.'

They also opted for the same style to announce their son's name on Instagram in May 2019, and released a further two from the photocall at Windsor Castle earlier the same day.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are 'very focused on having a high profile in US' after 'their popularity took a dive because of the Oprah interview', sources have claimed.

Insiders told Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 39, are highly likely to make a high profile visit across the pond next year in an effort to boost their popularity.

The source added: '[They] are aware that their popularity took a bit of a dive post the Oprah interview, and that the focus now is on getting that support back.'

During the explosive interview in March, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent shockwaves through the Royal Family in when they accused the Firm of institutional racism, said Kate had made Meghan cry, and alleged one member of the family questioned what colour their son Archie's skin would be.

Prince William and Kate Middleton, both 39, are 'very focused on having a high profile in US' after 'their popularity took a dive because of the Oprah interview', sources have claimed

The insider added that the couple were highly sensitive about the impact the explosive interview had had on their profile.

On Sunday, William closed his first ever Earthshot Prize event by announcing that the following year's Earthshot ceremony would be held in the United States - where his brother Prince Harry lives with Meghan Markle.

The Duke and Duchess' last official visit to the U.S. was to New York in December 2014 when Kate was pregnant with Princess Charlotte.

They previously visited California at the end of a tour to Canada in 2011.

During the explosive interview in March, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent shockwaves through the Royal Family in when they accused the Firm of institutional racism, said Kate had made Meghan cry and alleged one member of the family questioned what colour their son Archie's skin would be

It is unknown if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would visit California to meet with Meghan and Harry if they were in the US.

Meghan and Harry, who now reside in a $14million Montecito mansion in California, have spoken out about their relationship with Kate and William in several high profile interviews since Megxit.

Harry claimed Prince Charles, 72, and brother Prince William are 'trapped' within the system, and that his father stopped taking his calls post-Megxit.

Meanwhile Meghan claimed Kate made her cry before she married Prince Harry.

Meghan said she was not sharing the information to be 'disparaging', but added it was 'really important for people to understand the truth.

'She's a good person,' the duchess added.



The comments come after Kate and Prince William appeared to be following in the footsteps of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by releasing photographs in black and white - and choosing to share their rare moments of public affection.

The Duke and Duchess' last official visit to the U.S. was to New York in December 2014 when Kate was pregnant with Princess Charlotte (pictured)

Royal photographer Chris Jackson, who is married to The Duchess of Cambridge's stylist and close friend Natasha Archer, 34, took to Instagram and explained how he captured a series of behind-the-scene pictures from the Earthshot Prize Awards on Sunday at Alexandra Palace in London.

Among the black and white images, which were shared to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's social media account, include the moment Kate, put a loving hand on Prince William's lower back in a rare display of public affection - as they are captured looking intensely in each other's eyes and smiling at one another.

The couple have always acknowledged the Queen's wishes for royal family members to avoid loved-up displays in public.

However, photographer previously Glenn Gratton told FEMAIL the Duchess of Sussex is putting her own stamp on royal photos by releasing them in black and white.

It comes after Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, have plumped for black and white pictures on a number of important occasions, including their official engagement shoot and their first Christmas card.

The comments come after Kate and Prince William appeared to be following in the footsteps of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by releasing photographs in black and white - and choosing to share their rare moments of public affection

Prince Harry, 37, and Meghan Markle, 40, have often shared snaps in black-and-white (pictured, posing in the grounds of their $14 million Californian mansion in front of a 'tree of life')

In another adorable photograph from Sunday's engagement, a dapper dressed Prince William pulls back the curtain as he and Kate are seen smiling and laughing together.

Elsewhere, two poignant individual shots of the pair show them both reflecting before they're about to go on stage on give their speeches on the importance of looking after the environment for several generations to come.

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe previously said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are competing in a 'petty transatlantic popularity contest' with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Speaking to The Sun, Duncan said: 'William and Kate are quite clear they need to do more to sell themselves as a couple, family and personalities.
Marilyn Monroe was nearly courted by Prince Rainier III of Monaco in order to save his principality, according to a new documentary.

Curiosity Stream's Royals: Keeping the Crown claims the blonde bombshell was considered by royal aides as a possible wife for the ruler until concerns were raised about her unsuitable 'sex-bomb image'.

Instead Rainier went on to wed Grace Kelly, the darling of Hollywood, less than a year after first meeting on April 18, 1956.

The two enjoyed a successful marriage and had three children together - including the current monarch Prince Albert II - before the actress-turned-princess sadly died from a car crash in September 1982 at the age of 52.

According to People, Rainier was in danger of losing control of his throne after World War II, so aides suggested he break tradition and marry an A-lister instead of a royal to help improve tourism in the principality.

Marilyn Monroe (pictured in 1953) was nearly courted by Prince Rainier III of Monaco in order to save his principality, according to a new documentary

Curiosity Stream's Royals: Keeping the Crown claims the blonde bombshell was considered by royal aides as a possible wife for the ruler until concerns were raised about her unsuitable 'sex-bomb image'. Pictured, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco on 19 April 1956

A longstanding agreement with France meant the prince's crown was going to be lost if Rainier couldn't revive his county's primary industry of tourism.

The monarch was also an unmarried man without an heir to inherit his throne, so at 32, that was 'uppermost in his mind', according to University of St. Andrews historian Dr. Chandrika Kaul, who appears on the documentary.

The historian explains: 'Prince Rainier is now 32, and the idea that he might lose his principality if he doesn't marry well and produce a male heir is uppermost in his mind.'

Royal historian Kate Williams adds: 'The stakes couldn't be higher. Monaco is under threat. It could collapse, and Rainier has to save it.'

Advisers reportedly told the royal turn to America's 'new royalty' for a wife, suggesting he search for a Hollywood star to wed.

Instead Rainier went on to wed Grace Kelly, the darling of Hollywood, less than a year after first meeting on April 18, 1956. Pictured, Monroe in 1954

Dr. Kaul says: 'Prince Rainier was advised that he would do well to marry a Hollywood "princess," and all the celebrity and fame that went with that marriage.

'What Monaco needed was to revive its tourism trade. It made perfect economic sense.'

Royal advisers at the time reportedly suggested the prince date Marilyn Monroe but questions were raised over whether her 'sex-bomb image is suitable for a royal princess'.

Instead Prince Rainier went on to marry Grace Kelly, after first meeting her in Monaco when she was in the principality for the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.

The two (pictured with their family) enjoyed a successful marriage and had three children together - including the current monarch Prince Albert II - before the actress-turned-princess sadly died from a car crash in September 1982 at the age of 52

The two-time Oscar winner was invited to the nation by Paris Match magazine for a photo shoot at the royal palace, with Prince Rainier himself being the tour guide.

Dr. Kaul says: 'The executive at Paris Match think that this will be a really dramatic, sensational meeting between the Queen of Hollywood and their own Prince, who is an eligible, young, handsome bachelor  who also just happens, rumour has it, to be looking for a wife.'

Historian Kate adds: 'During this photo shoot, you really see how Rainier is entranced by Grace, and really, I think, he falls in love with her on a personal level  but he also sees her as the answer to so many of his problems.'

The couple married less than a year later on April 18, 1956 and went on to have three children: Princess Caroline, Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie.
Advertisement

Kate Middleton and Prince William can be seen chatting to David Attenborough and sharing a joke with Dame Emma Thompson in more behind the scene photographs from the Earthshot Prize Awards on Sunday.

In the unseen snaps, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 39, stand side by side as they greet presenters backstage at the ceremony at Alexandra Palace in London for the most ambitious environmental prize in history which gave 1million to five winners.

In one black and white image, the smiling royal couple laugh with Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, who donned a very quirky backless white tulle dress worn over flared black trousers, and presented the second award, which went to AEM Electrolyser, which turns renewable electricity into emission-free hydrogen gas.

Other adorable snaps show them both sharing touching moments with Emma Thompson, with Kate placing a tender hand on her shoulder as the actress comes off stage after presenting the fourth Earthshot award to the city of Milan, whose Food Waste Hubs aim to halve waste by 2030.

Kate Middleton and Prince William can be seen chatting to David Attenborough in a behind the scene photograph from the Earthshot Prize Awards on Sunday

The Duchess of Cambridge can be seen placing a reassuring hand on Emma Thompson's shoulder as they cross paths backstage

To match the event's ethos and highlight on sustainability, Kate (pictured, on stage) recycled a dress she first wore ten years ago in 2011, at a Bafta reception in Los Angeles while she and Prince William were touring America as newly-weds.

The smiling royal couple laugh with Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, who donned a very quirky backless white tulle dress worn over flared black trousers (pictured)

Sir David Attenborough, who has supported the project from the beginning and is a member of the Earthshot Prize council, who choose the winners, also appears to be in jovial spirits as he chats away with the royal duo backstage.

Another shot shows an assistant using a torch to shine a light on The Duke of Cambridge's speech as he rehearses his lines before heading on stage and giving the final act of the night.

William closed the event by announcing that the following year's Earthshot event would be held in the United States - where his brother Prince Harry lives with Meghan Markle.

Elsewhere, the poignant snaps also show performers from the night - including Ed Sheeran, who looked dapper in a burnt orange suit as he performed his new track Visiting Hours.

Presenter Clara Amfo and performer KSI both enjoyed a chat with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The Duke of Cambridge preparing backstage as an assistant uses a torch to shine a light on his speech (left) and (right) giving a final speech of the night

The Duke of Cambridge and Dame Emma Thompson share a touching moment back stager as they place a firm grip on each other's arms

Kate wore an Alexander McQueen dress made for her in 2011, while her husband wore a dark green velvet blazer and a polo neck (pictured)

Actors Emma Thompson (left), Emma Watson and David Oyelowo (right) joined Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, in handing out the awards at Alexandra Palace in north London

Kate Middleton is seen smiling in a recycled Alexander McQueen dress before presenting an award on stage

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge congratulate the winners backstage at the inaugural award ceremony

Nigerian Afropop star Yemi Alade, 32, is also captured giving a performance of a lifetime in a dramatic red mini playsuit with a statement skirt cape.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appear to be following in the footsteps of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by releasing photographs in black and white - and choosing to share their rare moments of public affection.

Royal photographer Chris Jackson, who is married to The Duchess of Cambridge's stylist and close friend Natasha Archer, 34, took to Instagram on Wednesday and explained how he had captured a series of behind-the-scene pictures.

Among the black and white images, which were shared to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's social media account, include the moment Kate put a loving hand on Prince William's lower back in a rare display of public affection - as they are captured looking intensely in each other's eyes and smiling at one another.

The couple have always acknowledged the Queen's wishes for royal family members to avoid loved-up displays in public.

However, photographer previously Glenn Gratton told FEMAIL the Duchess of Sussex is putting her own stamp on royal photos by releasing them in black and white.

It comes after Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, have plumped for black and white pictures on a number of important occasions, including their official engagement shoot and their first Christmas card.

William Hague is seen giving a speech backstage at the inaugural event which took place in London on Sunday (pictured)

Ed Sheeran (pictured) looked dapper in a burnt orange suit as he performed his new track Visiting Hours at the first-ever Earthshot Prize awards ceremony

Nigerian Afropop star Yemi Alade, 32, is also captured giving a performance of a lifetime in a dramatic red mini playsuit with a statement skirt cape

Olajide Olatunji, aka KSI (pictured, left) and Yemi Alade (right) were just two of the performers on the night

London Mayor Sadiq Khan (right) also put on a dapper display as he was seen arriving at the Earthshot prize awards in London

This exclusive image captures a general view during the Earthshot Prize 2021 at Alexandra Palace

Sir David Attenborough (pictured, speaking on stage) has supported the project from the beginning and is a member of the Earthshot Prize council, who choose the winners

Yemi Alade (left) arrives for the Earthshot Prize 2021 Awards at Alexandra Palace in London on Sunday

A general view of preparations for the most ambitious environmental prize in history which gave 1million to five winners (pictured)

In another adorable photograph from Sunday's engagement, a dapper dressed Prince William pulls back the curtain as he and Kate are seen smiling and laughing together.

Elsewhere, two poignant individual shots of the pair show them both reflecting before they're about to go on stage on give their speeches on the importance of looking after the environment for several generations to come.

Alongside the series of snaps, Chris penned: 'Some of you may have noticed I was a little quiet after the Earthshot awards

'This was because I had a fantastic opportunity to shoot "behind the scenes" with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the groundbreaking environmental initiative that will do a huge amount to change the narrative over the next few years.'

Royal photographer Chris Jackson captured Kate Middleton making a rare moment of affection towards her husband Prince William at the Earthshot Prize Awards on Sunday

In another adorable photograph from the engagement, a dapper dressed Prince William pulls back the curtain as he and Kate are seen smiling and laughing

Prince William and Kate appear to have followed in the footsteps of Prince Harry, 37, and Meghan Markle, 40, with the latest snaps shared behind-the-scenes at the Earthshot Prize on Sunday. Pictured, posing in the grounds of their $14 million Californian mansion in front of a 'tree of life'

Kate Middleton can be seen holding onto the railings as she takes to her seat next to husband, Prince William

Another poignant shot of Prince William shows him reflecting before heading on stage at the end of the event

In another powerful snap, Prince William, can be seen stepping on stage after ditching his usual black tuxedo for a trendy polo neck and green velvet jacket

'It was special to witness the passion and energy that went into this event from close quarters and performances from talented artists such as @teddysphotos @ksi and @coldplay.

'I think these pictures illustrate some the depth of feeling throughout the event.'

To match the event's ethos and highlight on sustainability, the mother-of-three recycled the Alexander McQueen dress she first wore ten years ago in 2011, at a Bafta reception in Los Angeles while she and Prince William were touring America as newly-weds.

The decade-long global environmental competition awards 1million to five winners for an idea to protect the planet.

However, the choice of the monochrome snaps comes after Prince Harry and Meghan chose two black and white family photos to announce Meghan's pregnancy with Lilibet, where the royal couple can be seen posing in the grounds of their $14 million Californian mansion in front of a 'tree of life.'

They also opted for the same style to announce their son's name on Instagram in May 2019, and released a further two from the photocall at Windsor Castle earlier the same day.

Another shot shows Sir David Attenbrough speaking on stage at the first Earthshot Prize awards ceremony

Nigerian Afropop star Yemi Alade, 32, turned heads in a dramatic red mini playsuit with a statement skirt cape

Speaking to Femail, photographer Glenn Gratton said Meghan is 'image conscious' and would have carefully thought through which photos to release of her son to make the best impression.

He added black and white is 'in vogue' and is a way for the royal mother to distance her photos from the high contrast, filtered photos that flood social media feeds.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a statement when they released two of the three official engagement photos in black and white.

The snaps, taken by Alexi Lubomirski, captured the couple looking loved-up in the grounds near their now-home Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor.

The snaps, taken by Alexi Lubomirski, captured the couple looking loved-up in the grounds near their now-home Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor. Pictured, one of the engagement photos

Harry and Meghan also opted to have black and white photos on their wedding day, later choosing this one of them standing with their backs to the camera as their first Christmas card

Harry and Meghan also opted to have some black and white photos on their wedding day, later choosing one of them standing with their backs to the camera as their first Christmas card.

Social media has proved an excellent platform for the couple to showcase their personal take on photography.

The first post on their Sussex Royal account was a gallery culminating in a previously unseen black and white snap on their royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.

They have since shared monochrome snaps to highlight their work and charitable causes.

The Duchess of Sussex showed she is personally a fan of black and white snaps when she shared a monochrome photo of husband Prince Harry rehearsing for an Invictus Games speech during the royal tour last autumn.
A couple who met on ITV's Blind Date in 1988 have proved doubters wrong by celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.

Londoners Alex, 56, and Sue Tatham, 55, who first laid eyes on each other on the Cilla Black show 33 years ago, marked the milestone with a ballet performance and dinner on 19 October.

Cilla Black was one of their guests when they tied the knot in 1991 in a Blind Date special watched by 17 million people, and the couple told Metro they are still as smitten today as they were back then.

Londoners Alex, 56, and Sue Tatham, 55, who first laid eyes on each other on the Cilla Black show Blind Date in 1988, celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on 19 October (pictured in 2017)

The couple first laid eye on each other during the show, pictured, and went on their first off-camera date as soon as it wrapped up filming (pictured on Blind Date with host Cilla Black)

Now, on the year of their Pearl anniversary, Alex and Sue share two children, Emily, 27, and Charlie, 25, and have told how their philosophy is to hold hands and laugh through life together.

Thirty years on and were still being romantic today, Alex said.

It was a fabulous evening where Sue and I celebrated 30 years of a wonderful marriage by doing lots of things we love best culminating in one of the best ballets we have ever seen,' he added, quipping he was thankful their love story didn't end like Romeo and Juliet's.

While their meeting and wedding were televised, the rest of their relationship blossomed off cameras for the next three decades, and with their two children grown up, the pair are looking forward to having more time to themselves.

Alex and Sue on with Cilla Black their wedding day, which was filmed for a Blind Date special and watched by 17 million people

They've remained upbeat throughout their lives together and said they've learn to 'laugh through life.'

The pair first saw each other when Alex was asked to pick between three potential matches: Lynne from Middlesex, Kate from Essex and luck number 2: Sue, who lived in Walsall.

Alex decided to sign up for the show - which was one of the 1980s' most popular TV programmes, with 18.2 million viewers at its peak - when a coworker suggested it for fun.

He told the FEMAIL in 2011 he thought the show was the first example of reality TV, and said: 'I just thought Id be showing off very heavily, that it would be a funny experience and would be something I could laugh about for the rest of my life.

The couple have given the media updates about their 30-year-long relationship throughout the year. Pictured with their first baby Emily after she was born in 1995

The couple met in 1988, married in 1991 and welcomed their daughter Emily in 1995, pictured. They also had a son named Charlie, who is now 25

Meanwhile, Sue's friends tried to sign her up behind her back, and egged her on to apply herself when they were told only contestants who signed up for themselves would be accepted on the show.

The pair eventually appeared together on the Cilla Black show's third season in 1988.

Alex said he doesn't know why he picked Sue out of the three contestants, but he hasn't lived to regret this choice: There was lovely Sue, looking absolutely gorgeous,' he said.

This particularly episode of Blind Date ended up being watched 10 million times.

Recalling the unique moment, Sue admitted her legs were shaking at the time and that she had hoped Alex would be taller than her, and said he sounded charming.

Alex picked Sue, centre, out of three other contestants: Lynn from Middlesex, left and Kate from Essex, right

Alex revealed in 2011 he thought going on the show would just be a bit of fun, while Sue was egged on to do it by friends (pictured in 1991)

5'2 Sue's wish was exhausted, with Alex being 62, and the pair hit it off right away.

They were whisked away to Shannon, Ireland as part of the show, where they stayed in a 5 star hotel.

The couple cheekily revealed the show was trying to keep them apart, but that the attraction was obvious from the start.

When Alex and I met, Blind Date was anything but a tacky show. On our date we were placed in hotels five miles apart and we were heavily chaperoned all the time. We were barely allowed to hold hands,' Sue revealed.

They returned to London to film the final portion of the Blind Date episode, where they told Cilla they did want to see each other again.

The pair with their two children, Emily, left and Charlie, right. The children are now 27 and 25 respectively and have flown the nest. Sue and Alex can finally have some time to themselves

Off camera, Alex revealed they had their first real date the very same day the filming ended, and headed to London Zoo.

We were more than holding hands by the end of the day, Alex quipped.

What followed was a two-year-long long-distance relationship, with Alex in London and Sue in Walsall.

Eventually, Eton-educated Alex proposed and asked Sue to move to London, which she did.

His upper-class parents admitted they had never heard of the show Blind Date before, but approved his choice of wife.

The pair's wedding was a big affair, attended by both their families and Cilla Black, as well as six TV crews.
A mother-of-two has revealed how she took a herbal supplement to start lactating for her fiance - who she now breastfeeds twice a week.

Lana Michaels, who is originally from Edinburgh but now lives in Spain with her partner, Shawn, explained how she missed breastfeeding, and after reaching on the internet learned you could restart the milk in your breasts with the help of a herbal milk supplement.

Three days after taking the supplement, the first drop of milk appeared - with Shawn then latching on to help get the milk flowing.

The couple, who will be appearing in Channel 4 documentary, Breastfeeding My Boyfriend, which airs on Monday, have praised their breastfeeding habit for its nutritious value.

'I breastfed my children and I really missed breastfeeding and the feeling of it,' she explained, speaking to The Sun. 'I don't want to have another baby and my children are way too old to feed now but I liked the idea of breastfeeding with Shawn.'

Lana Michaels, who is originally from Edinburgh but now lives in Spain with her partner, Shawn (pictured, together), has explained how she missed breastfeeding so started letting him suck milk from her 34D breasts

Lana, who breastfed her eldest son, 11, for eight months and daughter, seven, for two years, says she has gone up from a 34C to a 34D since breastfeeding her fiance (pictured)

The experimental pair, who first played around with the idea after a foursome with another couple, also claims it builds up positive 'physical energy' between them before things get steamy in the bedroom.

Lana, who breastfed her eldest son, 11, for eight months and daughter, seven, for two years, says she has gone up from a 34C to a 34D since breastfeeding her fiance.

The couple, who have sex five times a week, went on to explain how they have an open relationship and 'like trying new things' when it comes to the bedroom.

'I'd been sucking from another woman when I started feeling milk in my mouth,' explained Shaun. 'That burned up the sexual idea of breast milk connected with sex and it went from there.'

Lana (pictured) and Shawn, who will be appearing in Channel 4 documentary, Breastfeeding My Boyfriend, which airs on Monday, first played around with the idea after a foursome with another couple

Lana (pictured) claims it builds up positive 'physical energy' between them before things get steamy in the bedroom

The couple enjoy roleplaying including playing 'daddy and a girl' (pictured)

Lana says breastfeeding not only makes her boobs 'fuller and bigger' but also helps her to feel 'sexier and more womanly' when they are filled with milk.

But for Shawn, he finds the process 'relaxing' and says it's perfect when he 'craves' any form of physical connection.

The couple, who insist they 'get really good comments' about their breastfeeding habits, insist they are not 'weird' for enjoying adult breastfeeding - with Shawn adding he 'doesn't care if it is not normal' because it makes them happy.

He added: 'I think breastfeeding as adults is still seen as a taboo as we suppose adults should not be doing that.

'They think perhaps it is not necessary, but the milk is really nutritious and it's made for us. I really like Lana's milk.'
An influencer has become a viral sensation after recreating Salt Bae's 1450 gold-plated Tomahawk steak for less than 65 - just 5 per cent of the price.

Harrison Webb, 24, from London, took to TikTok to recreate the dish which is served at the Nusr-Et Steakhouse in Knightsbridge.

The food blogger made the meal using 2 worth of President butter, 60p of garlic, 70p of coriander, and a 32.92 cote de boeuf before topping it off with 28 worth of edible gold.

The total cost of the dish came to a total of 64.44 - meaning he could mark it up a huge 2150 per cent if he sold it at the same price as Salt Bae.

Harrison's clip has racked up more than 126,000 hits with many suggesting it's a great way to indulge in steak without the hefty price tag.

However, some Salt Bae defenders pointed out Nusr-Et's steak is Wagyu - one of the most expensive in the world, also adding he had the cost of labour and rent.

It's not clear if the steak Harrison used in Wagyu, the beef that has come from Japanese cows is one of the most expensive in the world and cost around 50 per kg.

Harrison's steak was also slightly smaller than Salt Bae's at 1.4kg not 2kg - but many have commented it still demonstrates Salt Bae's 'tremendous' overpricing.

Turkish butcher-turned-chef Nusret, has racked up more than 38million followers on Instagram since he went viral on social media in 2017 for his way of seasoning meat.

Harrison Webb, 24, from London, took to TikTok to recreate the dish which is served at the Nusr-Et Steakhouse in Knightsbridge. The food blogger made the meal using 2 worth of President butter, 60p of garlic, 70p of coriander, and a 32.92 cote de boeuf before topping it off with 28 worth of edible gold

The total cost of the dish came to a total of 64.44 - meaning he could mark it up a huge 2150 per cent if he sold it at the same price as Salt Bae

Harrison bought 28 gold leaf and covered his steak in it (left and right). The final product was just 64.22

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.

He opened his London branch last week, with reality stars and influencers keen to get a taste of the internet celebrity's meat.

But the restaurant has been widely slammed by critics and foodies, with the Guardian's Jay Rayner taking a 8.50 kebab from Fulham's Kebab Kid to eat outside the restaurant in protest.

Evening Standard restaurant reviewer Jimi Famurewa described the food as 'categorically bad and called the clientele 'wealthy, bored-looking new parents, super-rich kids that always keep one AirPod in, tanned fifty-somethings with the air of suburban hot tub owners and groups of young aspirant influencer girls in swishy dresses.'

Celebrity restaurant Nusr-Et Steakhouse has been controversial since the start and has been accused of 'deleting negative reviews', after a customer's eye-watering bill went viral last month

There's also been controversy since opening, including bad reviews reportedly being deleted from Google.

Last month a customer's receipt from went viral after totalling a staggering 1,812.40 earning the restaurant an onslaught of backlash, however Google reviews currently show a 4.8 star rating - with the site stating it was 'updated by the business a week ago.

According to My London News, 'a flurry of reviews appearing to criticise the restaurant when it first opened' have since 'disappeared.

The restaurant now boasts 4.8 stars on Google and 4.7 stars on Facebook, where one client writes: 'What can I say apart from WOW! Yes the prices are not cheap but you get what you pay for in regards to service, ambience and quality of food and drinks.

The menu includes gold plated steaks (right) - which cost up to 1500 and a 100 golden burger (left)

The upscale eatery chain is owned by Turkish butcher-turned-chef Nusret Gokce, better known as Salt Bae, whose theatrical salt-sprinkling antics have earned him over 38million followers on Instagram

London diners will be able to get their hands on the 24-Carat gold Tomhawk steak, which has previously been a menu item in their Dubai branch (pictured)

'I was lucky enough to meet Nusret and hes a lovely, humble man. The theatre of performing the signature steak slicing by Nusret and then later the Baklava by another gentleman was absolutely fantastic.'

Only one less flattering review remains, with a customer branding it 'too expensive' and 'not child friendly'.

Last month a customer's receipt from Nusr-Et Steakhouses showed how a single steak cost 630, with 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.
Loose Women's Charlene White has broken down in tears when discovering how her four-times great grandparents were 'among the first to live as free black Jamaicans' after being born into slavery.

The London-born news presenter, 43, delves deep into her family history, as well as their links to the British Empire, for tonight's ITV documentary, Charlene White: Empire's Child, and is left shocked by what she finds.

Tracing her family tree in Jamaica, the mother-of-two is told how her four-times great grandparents, Andrew and Elsey Pusey, were born into slavery.

But the couple were among the first Jamaicans freed in 1834 when slavery was abolished and went on to purchase land at a discounted rate from the Baptist Church so they could live on it and sell produce.

Saying she felt proud of her relatives, Charlene said: 'They were born slaves but when they were my age they were freed, and they wanted more, and despite everything that was thrown at them as slaves, they still had hope and they still believed they could create something.'

Scroll down for video

Charlene White (pictured), 43, delves deep into her family history, as well as their links to the British Empire, for tonight's ITV documentary, Charlene White: Empire's Child, and is left shocked by what she finds

Tracing her family tree in Jamaica, the mother-of-two is told how her four-times great grandparents, Andrew and Elsey Pusey, were born into slavery. But the couple were among the first Jamaicans freed in 1834 when slavery was abolished and went on to purchase land (pictured) at a discounted rate from the Baptist Church so they could live on it and sell produce

'And my gosh they did,' she continues. 'To know that I came from here and that generations and generations kept on it, they kept on it, they all wanted more, they wanted more for their children, my grandparents wanted more for their children, my parents wanted more for their children and then you've got me, my brother and my sister.

'And the dream that Andrew and Elsey had here, was us. And they did it and I hope that coming home to here in some weird way, going full circle, I hope they realise that they did it.

'... What they wanted and what they hoped they actually did it, and I'm so proud of them.'

Saying she felt proud of her relatives, Charlene (pictured) said: 'They were born slaves but when they were my age they were freed, and they wanted more, and despite everything that was thrown at them as slaves, they still had hope and they still believed they could create something.'

'And my gosh they did,' she continues. 'To know that I came from here and that generations and generations kept on it, they kept on it, they all wanted more'. Pictured, the area Charlene visited

Elsewhere in the documentary, the Loose Women star shockingly discovers her five times great-grandfather was a slave owner.

The news presenter traces her family tree back to Jamaica where she uncovers the history of her five time great-grandfather, John Stanbury.

Upon discovering his identify, Charlene emotionally says: 'He was a slave owner, he owned people who looked like me.

'And that is within my bloodline, which is a weird thing to get my head around and he is responsible for my families' lighter skin. Is it a nice history? No, but I feel it is something I needed to know. '

Elsewhere in the documentary, the Loose Women star (pictured) shockingly discovers her five times great-grandfather was a slave owner

Charlene is told by Genealogist Dianne Golding-Frankson that several of John's children were mixed race.

To which she responds: 'You know the red in my hair when it's not dyed? Gosh, it's because of this man. This man could have been responsible for a lot of pain. And chose to put his children in a stock take of the slaves he owned.'

Discussing the filming of the show, commissioned as part of ITV's celebration of Black History Month, Charlene told MailOnline last week how she initially planned to keep her cool journalist's head, but soon discovered that the deeper she delved into the past, the more emotional she became.

She said of the show: 'Empires Child is about where I sit in the British Empire as a child of immigrants here. Its basically looking at the roots of my mums maiden name and looking to see how far back in history wed be able to go in history to figure out where the surname came from.

Family: Charlene's family were part of the Windrush generation who settled in the UK. Here she is pictured with her late mother Dorrett who sadly passed away aged 47 in 2002

'To figure about more about my history, by nature, of essentially descending from slaves can be very difficult to work out where you come from because a lot of those documents were destroyed after independence or are under lock and key with the national archive. So these things, it can be quite difficult.

'But the genealogist that worked on this went further than they ever thought possible, which was quite a shock. Because it turned out that the record for my family were actually well kept and were traceable, so it just was an incredible journey.'

She continued: 'I started it with very much a journalists mind and heart, like I was thinking "do not get connected to the story".

'But by the end of the programme, I became a lot more emotional than I ever expected her to be and the story hit me in the heart in a way that I was not expecting.

'The detachment that I wanted to have with this programme just didnt happen. And it was an overwhelming sense of finally understanding the roots of me, its just hit me like a ten ton truck in the heart!

'Theres a moment in the film where essentially, you just slowly see me crumble because I was in a really fortunate position where I was able to figure out where I come from and to find out those stories of my family and to figure out where I sit within the British Empire as a black British woman who is born of immigrants, not everybody gets to do that.'

Reflecting on the experience, Charlene revealed she hoped it would encourage people to reach out to their grandparents and learn more about their family past before the opportunity goes.

Charlene White: Empires Child is on ITV on Thursday at 9pm
Victoria Beckham has confessed she had an 'innocence and naivete' when she first launched her ailing clothing brand in 2008 - and insisted she'd be 'locked away by the fashion police' if she wore her 90s looks now.

The British popstar-turned-fashion designer, 47, made the admissions in an interview with the WSJ. Magazine as she promoted her new knitwear capsule collection in partnership with Woolmark.

Asked if she was nervous to launch her eponymous label, she replied: 'Actually, no, I wasnt nervous. [But] if I had just known then what I know now, I probably wouldnt have had the courage to do it! There was an innocence and naivete at the time because I was coming from the music industry.'

Earlier this year, it was revealed the company faced an uncertain future after racking up total losses of more than 46million since it launched, with auditors warning of significant doubt about the firm's ability to continue operating.

The mother-of-four also accepted in the one-on-one chat that some of her well-known looks from the 90s would get her 'locked away by the fashion police'.

Victoria Beckham (pictured) has confessed she had an 'innocence and naivete' when she first launched her ailing clothing brand in 2008 - and insisted she'd be 'locked away by the fashion police' if she wore her 90s looks now

For example, Victoria noted her memorable his-and-hers black leather Gucci motorcycle attire that she wore alongside her husband David Beckham to a Versace event in 1999.

When asked what her children think about her 90s style, she said they now find it 'cool' and wondered why she doesn't dress like that now since the era is back in fashion.

However, she said: 'Im thinking, if I dressed like that now Id be locked away by the fashion police.'

The designer's candid admissions come after it was revealed her fashion label has racked up total losses of more than 46million since it launched.

In accounts submitted in February, auditors warned of significant doubt about the companys ability to continue operating.

For example, Victoria noted her memorable his-and-hers black leather Gucci motorcycle attire that she wore alongside her husband David Beckham to a Versace event in 1999 (pictured)

The brand also recorded losses of 11.8million for 2019 and 12.3million for 2018.

While the former Spice Girls publicists sought to put a positive gloss on the figures, accountants said the business will need continued financial support from shareholders to keep it going.

These events or conditions indicate that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the companys ability to continue as a going concern, the auditors wrote.

Victoria launched her fashion label in 2008 with a small collection of dresses. It swiftly grew to an extensive range that now includes handbags, coats, shoes and accessories.

In January, it emerged that she and her husband David had paid themselves 40,000-a-day thanks to the profit made by his company, DB Ventures, which has covered Victoria's losses in previous years.

Victoria pictured attending Bergdorf Goodman on October 14, 2021 in New York

She attracted criticism last year for trying to use the Governments furlough scheme to pay 30 of her 120 staff and was forced into an embarrassing U-turn.

A spokeswoman for Victoria told MailOnline: 'Whilst 2019 was a challenging year, the business halved its losses - a significant step in the road to profitability.

'The launch of the hugely successful beauty line in the same year helped drive overall revenues up 7% on 2018 and both businesses are focused on profitable growth.

'The showcase of the recent AW21 fashion collection has been well-received by fashion critics and the beauty business has seen multiple sell-out products in recent months.'
Advertisement

Prince Charles was moved to tears when a young man paid tribute to his college tutor for her support as he turned his life around with help from the Prince's Trust.

Aidan Sayers' transformation from an unemployed teenager excluded from school to someone who has a home, car and a job was recognised with an award from the trust presented by Charles.

The award winner became emotional as he thanked Claire McGarvey for guiding him through a trust course, telling her, "I've got as much love for you as my grandma."

Charles appeared tearful as the 20-year-old spoke during the awards ceremony staged at St James's Palace and he later praised the determination of the young people recognised.

Prince Charles was moved to tears when Aidan Sayers (pictured, together) paid tribute to his college tutor for her support as he turned his life around with help from the Prince's Trust

The Prince of Wales, who founded the Prince's Trust organisation in 1976, made a speech before announcing the winners

Prince Charles put on a smart display as he welcomed a whole host of celebrities - including Richard E Grant (pictured, together) to The Prince's Trust Awards at St James' Palace in London on Thursday

Prince of Wales, Fearne Cotton and Edward Enninful appeared to share a joke together as they were seen laughing

Presenters Fearne Cotton and Kate Garraway posed for the cameras as they awaited for the ceremony to begin

During a speech, he said: 'It really is marvellous to be together again in person after this delay of 18 months or so, this dreadful pandemic, then to share in the celebrations of all these wonderful young people.

'I find their stories have alternatively moved me, made me laugh and cry.

'So, I've come to know how proud I am of all of them, and what they represent in terms of the incredible amount of effort and determination they put in to all of this and to win their awards.'

The awards were presented virtually earlier in the year and the event gave Charles the opportunity to recognise the winners in person.

Among the guests were ambassadors and supporters of the Prince's Trust and its international body including actors Richard E Grant and Colin Salmon, Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, comic Hugh Dennis, presenter Kate Garraway and host Fearne Cotton.

Aidan Sayers described school as 'not for me' and later revealed his hopes of joining the Army were dashed because of an allergy, but he enrolled on a Prince's Trust Achieve course which gave him purpose and confidence.

Edward Enninful looked dapper in a black suit and crisp white shirt as he shook hands with Prince Charles

Kate Garraway looked effortlessly stylish in a paisley-print dress (pictured, left) while Fearne Cotton put on a bold display in a bright fuchsia suit

A smiling Gaby Roslin shook hands with Prince Charles while Tyler West awaited his turn

Gaby Roslin was all smiles during the trophy ceremony as she spoke with the Princes of Wales

The Prince's Trust Awards honour the achievements of young people supported by The Trust's programmes. Pictured, Prince Charles giving a speech

Tyler West (pictured, shaking hands with Prince Charles) put his best foot forward in a grey blazer, which he paired with a smart, black top and trousers

The Prince of Wales meets Adam Pearson and Hugh Dennis (right) during a trophy ceremony to recognise award winners from the Prince's Trust Awards and the charity's supporters

Prince Charles shook hands with a smartly dressed Edward Enninful (pictured, left), while Richard E Grant was suited and booted in a three-piece suit and burgundy tie

The Prince of Wales speaks with Hugh Dennis, Kate Garraway and Colin Salmon at the Prince's Trust Awards Trophy Ceremony at St James Palace

While on stage, Mr Sayers, who won the Educational Achiever Award, said: 'Without people like Claire around us I don't know where I'd be, I wouldn't have a house, I wouldn't have anywhere to go, I wouldn't have job, I wouldn't have anything.

'Without the Prince's Trust I wouldn't be standing here obviously, I would probably be on the streets. Because of what the Prince's Trust has done, what all you lovely people have done. I'm stood here today and I can't say thank you enough.'

Among the winners was Cordell Jeffers, awarded the Young Change Maker Award, after supporting thousands of black and ethnic minority students through resilience training, motivational talks and entrepreneur workshops.

Mr Jeffers was sent to the Caribbean to finish his education after being excluded from school but began on his current path after completing the trust's enterprise programme.

The Prince of Wales spoke with Tyler West, Adam Pearson, Hugh Dennis, Kate Garraway and Colin Salmon

Fearne Cotton put on an animated display as she spoke with British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful (pictured)

Emily Hallie and Edward Enninful pose for the cameras during the Prince's Trust Awards Trophy Ceremony at St James Palace (pictured)

A smartly dressed Hugh Dennis also spoke with Prince Charles during the award's ceremony this evening

Actor Colin Salmon, who appeared in three James Bond movies, joked with Charles before the event began about how he did not need fight training, he just 'worked out how to hold a pen'.

The celebrity was impressed by Mr Jeffers, who opened the awards ceremony by telling his story, saying: 'What Cordell did up there was almost like a warm-up and almost like a performance. And he's entered that poetic phase in his life when he understands the depth of what he's doing - and that's the game.'

The Prince's Trust Awards recognise young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community.

Among those celebrating tonight include Cordell Jeffers, winner of The Watches of Switzerland Group Young Change Maker, and Noor Kimit, who was awarded the NatWest Enterprise Award.

The organisation was founded in 1976 by the Prince of Wales and supports 11 to 30-year-olds who are unemployed, or pupils at school who are at risk of being excluded.

The charity, which had to axe 100 jobs as part of a 2.8million funding shortfall in 2014, works with around 60,000 young people every year and says three in four of them move on to employment, education or training.

Prince of Wales presented The Watches of Switzerland Group Young Change Maker award to Cordell Jeffers during the Prince's Trust Awards Trophy ceremony

Cordell Jeffers, Winner of The Watches of Switzerland Group Young Change Maker, was seen celebrating

Winner of the NatWest Enterprise Award, Noor Kimit spoke with presenter Fearne Cotton during the Prince's Trust Awards Trophy Ceremony

Prince of Wales can be seen smiling alongside the Winner of the NatWest Enterprise Award, Noor Kimit (pictured)

The charity has helped 870,000 young people since 1976 and supports over 100 more each day. Three in four of these young people move into work, training or education.

The royal is still actively involved in the charity and it's work, and keenly took part in visits to meet volunteers early last year.

Actor and comedian Hugh Dennis also attended and was seen chatting to a jovial Prince Charles ahead of the award's ceremony.

In February, Prince Charles was greeted by well-wishers who lined the streets before he strolled into a TK Maxx store on Tooting High Street to meet with Prince's Trust alumni.

And on Valentine's Day the royal hosted The Prince's Trust Invest in Futures Gala, which is the largest fundraising event for the charity, in London

Since its inception in 2005, the star-studded event has raised an astounding 23 million and has enabled The Trust to change the lives of over 22,000 young people.

The Prince of Wales, dressed in a dapper navy check suit, looked in high spirits as he took a seat during this afternoon's event

Fearne Cotton (pictured, left and right) has been an ambassador for The Trust for more than 10 years, attending events and meeting young people. Pictured, giving a speech

A beaming Aidan Sayers poses next to Prince Charles with his Ascential Educational Achiever Award

The Prince of Wales alongside winner of the Homesense Young Achiever Award, Thomas Pemberton (left), while Jhorvis Tyrell took home the Delta Air Lines Rising Star Award (right)

The Prince of Wales presented the Winner of the NatWest Enterprise Award to Noor Kimit during the ceremony

Cleo Johnson (left) looked delighted as she was awarded the HSBC UK Breakthrough Award by Prince Charles, while Kristin Topping was also a worthy recipient (right)

Winner Kristin Topping was delighted to be one of the very worthy winners and was seen shaking hands with Prince Charles

The Prince of Wales congratulated Team 8 from Hemel Hempstead on their win for the Dell Technologies Community Impact Award

Prince of Wales and Volunteer of the Year in association with GMB, Neal Clements (pictured left), and right, the royal giving a speech
Princess Leonor of Spain, who has returned to Spain for half-term, enjoyed a family night out to a concern on Thursday evening.

The 15-year-old heir to the throne has been studying at UWC Atlantic College in Wales since September, but headed home for a week of down time with her loved ones during half term, with classes resuming on November 1.

Cutting a stylish figure in a fuschia pink wrap dress and Carolina Herrera heels, the young royal joined her parents, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia as well as her younger sister Princess Sofia, 14, as they attended the traditional concert of the Princess of Asturias Award held at Principe Felipe auditory in Oviedo.

The event traditionally takes place on the eve of the Princess of Asturias Award, but was cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Princess Leonor of Spain, 15, who has been studying at the UWC Atlantic College in Wales, has returned home for half-term to attend a concert with her parents King Felipe VI and Queen Letizis, pictured right, tonight

Leonor, who wore her blonde hair loose in a glossy blow dry, paired her bold, long-sleeved dress with nude-coloured heels.

The teen opted for little make up, adding just a dash of eyeshadow and mascara, and donned a protective face amid Covid-19.

Her outfit complemented her sister Sofia's blue ensemble, who opted for flat shoes rather than heels.

The family arrived as a happy quartet. Leonor, left, donned a hot pink dress while her sister Sofia, 14, right, opted for a blue number

Queen Letizia opted for a deep teal dress with a feathery skirt and metallic heels that matched her golden hoop earrings. Pictured, with Princess Sofia

Meanwhile, Letizia put on a stylish display in a deep teal feathery dress with fluted sleeves.

The mother-of-two wore her hair up in a loose ponytail, and looked delighted to have her two daughters by her side again.

The Monarch opted for golden metallic stilettos, and accessorised with a pair of stylish gold hoop earrings.

Meanwhile, proud dad Felipe VI looked sharp in a dark striped suit with blue tie and a crisp white shirt.

The family, who were all wearing protective face masks, were greeted by organisers as they made their way to the concert

Tonight's concert precedes tomorrow's Princess of Asturias Awards, where Leonor will take centre stage as she hands awards to the winner

Letizia wore her hair in a low ponytail, while Sofia's luscious blonde locks cascaded over her shoulders, pictured

Tomorrow will be an exciting day for Leonor, who will hand out the awards during a glamourous ceremony.

Sharing its name with Leonor, who is heir to the Spanish throne and holds the title of Princess of Asturias, the annual awards are presented to individuals or organisations who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs.

The Princess of Asturias Awards was established in 1980 by Felipe, who was then heir to the throne, before he ascended the throne in 2014.

The event was established to consolidate links between the autonomous community Principality of Asturias and the King, as well as to encourage scientific, cultural and humanistic development.

Each year the recipients of the awards receive a sculpture created by Spanish prestigious sculptor Joan Miro.

King Felipe exchanged a few words with his eldest daughter after the family sat down for the concert, pictured
A dedicated teacher from Pennsylvania read a bedtime story to her students on Facebook Live just one day after she had brain surgery.

K.D. Meucci, 39, underwent a procedure to remove a brain tumor on October 13, but she refused to miss her weekly storytime with her students at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Bethel Park.

The next evening, she hosted a Facebook Live for her fourth-graders and read a library book to them from her hospital bed in the intensive care unit, WTAE-TV reported.

Scroll down for video

Procedure: K.D. Meucci, a teacher at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, had surgery to remove a brain tumor on October 13

Dedicated: The next evening, the 39-year-old read Mr. Walker Steps Out by Lisa Graff to her students at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School on Facebook Live

So sweet: Meucci used the story to reassure her students that she would be well soon, saying: 'I want you to know that I love you and I miss you'

Meucci created Franklin Bedtime Stories  a closed Facebook group  years ago as a place for teachers and students to have live readings every Thursday at 8:00 p.m.

'Of course I packed a book,' she told her students during her post-surgery reading. 'I knew I would be here on Thursday night, so I packed a book from the library.'

The teacher opted to read Mr. Walker Steps Out by Lisa Graff, which is about a human-shaped figure who lives inside a traffic signal box and tells people when they can safely cross the street.

Meucci used the story to reassure her students that she would be returning to her classroom as soon as she can.

Big news: Meucci found out that she had a brain tumor, which she was told was 'probably benign,' a week before the surgery

Success: Meucci's doctors believe they removed all of the tumor, and she's continuing to recover

'Most importantly, I wanted to see you, [for you] to see that I'm OK. I look a little funky, but I wanted you to see it and know that I'm OK,' she said.

'I want you to know that I love you and I miss you, and I know you're going to have a great day tomorrow, strong and brave, and I'm proud of you, Ben Franklin, so you have a good night.'

Meucci found out that she had a brain tumor, which she was told was 'probably benign,' a week before the surgery.

She told WTAE-TV that her doctors believe they removed all of the tumor, and she is continuing to recover.
Bundaberg has launched an alcohol version of its famous range of ginger beer

Bundaberg has delighted shoppers with the launch of an alcohol version of its classic range of ginger beer.

The Australian-owned brewery produced the iconic brewed soft drink, made with homegrown ginger, in the 60s - and it has become a family favourite ever since.

And now Bundaberg Distilling Company and Bundaberg Ginger Beer have joined forces to create the new adults-only drinks that's set to hit shelves next month.

Offering a 'zesty ginger bite and refreshing taste' the brand said the drink, which is brewed in Queensland's Bundaberg for three days, has been 'skilfully crafted by locals with real flavour-packed ingredients'.

'We are so excited about working with Bundaberg Ginger Beer to bring their delicious, market leading non-alcoholic ginger beer to a new category,' Duncan Littler, Bundaberg Distilling Company marketing and experience manager, said.

Offering a 'zesty ginger bite and refreshing taste' the brand said the drink, which is brewed in Queensland's Bundaberg for three days, has been 'skilfully crafted by locals with real flavour-packed ingredients'

'Nobody is better placed than two local Aussie icons to introduce the best Alcoholic Ginger Beer.

'This is not a limited edition, Bundaberg Brewed Drinks are in this for the long haul.'

Bundaberg Ginger Beer CEO John McLean said the company was 'thrilled' to create an alcoholic version of the nation's favourite ginger beer.

'Aussies have been asking for this for a long time,' he said.

'We believe our 53-year history of brewing, paired with Bundaberg Distilling Company's 133-years of distilling is a match made in flavour heaven.'

The Bundaberg Alcoholic Ginger Beer is expected to launch in liquor stores next month for $21.99 for a pack of four.
If you're in the habit of trying to get eight hours of sleep a night, you might want to start setting your alarm 30 minutes earlier.

Because seven and a half hours is the 'sweet spot' to preserve the brain and offset Alzheimer's disease, a study shows.

Those who get too little or too much sleep experience greater cognitive decline, according to research.

Seven and a half hours is the 'sweet spot' to preserve the brain and offset Alzheimer's disease, a study shows. (Stock image)

Associate professor of neurology at Washington University Sleep Medicine Centre Dr Brendan Lucey said: 'Our study suggests that there is a middle range, or 'sweet spot', for total sleep time where cognitive performance was stable over time.

'Short and long sleep times were associated with worse cognitive performance, perhaps due to insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality.'

In the study, published in the journal Brain, 100 older adults with an average age of 75, slept with a tiny monitor strapped to their foreheads most nights to measure brain activity during sleep for an average of four-and-a-half years.

In the study by Washington University Sleep Medicine Centre 100 older adults with an average age of 75 slept with a tiny monitor strapped to their foreheads most nights. (Stock image)

Scientists also took cerebrospinal fluid  found within the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord  to measure levels of Alzheimer's proteins.

Cognitive scores declined for the groups that slept for what would be the equivalent of less than five and a half or more than seven and a half hours per night.

Previous research has found that memory loss, confusion and being slower to learn new things, all symptoms of Alzheimer's, are linked to poor sleep.
A third dose of Pfizer's Covid vaccine provides near-total protection against symptomatic disease, the drugs giant has claimed.

The first full trial of the jab as a booster found that the additional shot raises immunity by a further 95.6 per cent.

Among 10,000 volunteers followed for almost a year, those who only had two injections were far more likely to test positive and fall ill than those given three.

Pfizer admitted that protection from the initial two-dose regimen wanes to about 84 per cent within six months.

The study also found that the booster shot was found to be safe with no safety concerns or severe adverse events reported.

Pfizer's findings are in line with real-world data from Israel, which found people were 20 times less likely to be hospitalised with Covid if they were boosted.

The key question now is how long the boost to immunity from a third dose lasts, and whether people will need to be revaccinated again at a later date.

Both Britain and the US are pressing ahead with booster rollouts for the elderly and vulnerable to safeguard against a winter surge in infections.

New Phase III clinical trial data from Pfizer-BioNTech found that a booster dose of their COVID-19 vaccine was 95.6% effective against infection, up from 84% four months after two doses. Pictured: Shyrel Ritter, a certified nursing assistant at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, receives her COVID-19 booster shot at her workplace in New York, October 8

Five cases of COVID-19 were detected in the booster group compared to 109 cases in the control group. Pictured: A vial of the Pfizer vaccine sitting n a table, October 15

'These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease,' said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in a statement.

'In addition to our efforts to increase global access and uptake among the unvaccinated, we believe boosters have a critical role to play in addressing the ongoing public health threat of this pandemic.

'We look forward to sharing these data with health authorities and working together to determine how they can be used to support the rollout of booster doses around the world.'

For the study, participants were split into two groups: half of whom received a 30 microgam (g) booster - the same dose as that used for the two-dose vaccine - and the other half of whom received a placebo.

The median age of the participants was 53 years, with 55.5 percent of participants between 16 and 55 years, and 23.3 percent at 65 years or older.

Researchers found five cases of COVID-19 in the booster group compared to 109 cases in the control group - a difference of 21.8-fold.

They say the findings suggest an efficacy of 95.6 percent against infection.

'These important data add to the body of evidence suggesting that a booster dose of our vaccine can help protect a broad population of people from this virus and its variants,' said Dr Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech.

'Based on these findings we believe that, in addition to broad global access to vaccines for everyone, booster vaccinations could play an important role in sustaining pandemic containment and a return to normalcy.'

The companies said they would submit detailed results of the trial for peer-reviewed publication to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency and other regulatory agencies as soon as possible.

U.S. and EU regulators have already authorized a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech for patients with compromised immune systems who are likely to have weaker protection from the two-dose regimens.

Last month, the FDA also authorized a third dose for Americans aged 65 and older or those between ages 18 and 64 who are at high risk due to underlying conditions or their jobs.

This has since been expanded to allow fully vaccinated Americans to 'mix and match' Covid vaccines and booster shots.

This means people can receive a Pfizer booster even if they initially received a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans of color were far more likely to be hospitalized or die of the disease than white Americans, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds.

Researchers analyzed hospitalization data from 99 U.S. counties, including more than 140,000 patients who caught Covid between March 2020 and February 2021.

Non-white Americans were up to four times more likely to be hospitalized with Covid and up to seven times more likely to die of the disease.

Native Americans faced the highest risk with 233 Covid deaths for every 100,000 people - 7.2 times higher than the death rate for white Americans, who had 32 deaths for every 100,000 people.

This higher risk may be tied to people of color working essential jobs, living in low-income urban areas, and relying on public transportation - along with other factors, the researchers said.

'Equitable access to Covid preventive measures, including vaccination, is needed to minimize the gap in racial and ethnic disparities of severe Covid,' the researchers wrote.

Minorities face dramatically higher risk of being hospitalized or dying of Covid in the first year of the pandemic, a CDC study finds. Pictured: A member of Louisville Metro EMS tends to a patient experiencing a Covid emergency in Louisville, Kentucky, September 2021

Throughout the first year of the pandemic, non-white Americans faced higher Covid hospitalization rates - up to eight times higher - than white Americans

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Covid has disproportionately impacted black, Latino, and other non-white Americans.

In the U.S., people of color are more likely to work essential jobs that put them at increased risk of encountering the coronavirus.

They're also more likely to be low-income, live in urban communities and rely on public transportation - all additional drivers of increased Covid risk.

Numerous studies have shown higher Covid case rates, hospitalization rates and death rates in non-white Americans.

For example, the COVID Racial Data Tracker at the COVID Tracking Project found that black, Native American, Hispanic,and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Americans all had significantly higher Covid death rates than white Americans during the first year of the pandemic.

A new study from the CDC provides additional evidence about the elevated risk that non-white Americans face for severe Covid disease.

This new analysis was published on Thursday in JAMA Network Open.

The CDC researchers used data from COVID-NET, a CDC surveillance system including hospitals in 99 U.S. counties - representing about 10 percent of the national population.

The system spans 14 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah.

In this analysis, the CDC researchers included about 143,000 patients.

All of the patients were hospitalized with a lab-confirmed Covid case between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021.

The analysis showed that non-white Americans had a much higher chance of severe Covid than white Americans - with hospitalization up to four times more likely.

Native Americans had the highest hospitalization rate, at about 1,063 Covid hospitalizations for every 100,000 people.

That's 3.7 times higher than the hospitalization rate for white Americans, which was 288 hospitalizations for every 100,000 people.

Native Americans also had the highest death rate at 233 deaths for every 100,000 people, which is 7.2 times higher than the 32 deaths per 100,000 people rate for white Americans.

While older Americans of every race and ethnicity had higher Covid risk, non-white Americans remained at an elevated risk in every age group compared to white Americans

Latino Americans had the second-highest hospitalization rate, at 879 hospitalizations for every 100,000 people - 3.1 times higher than for white Americans.

The CDC researchers also noted that Latino Americans had the highest Covid hospitalization rate for children under age 18 at 57 hospitalizations for every 100,000 children.

That's almost four times higher than the Covid hospitalization rate for white children, which was 15 hospitalizations for every 100,000 children.

Hospitalization rates increased with age across all race and ethnicity groups, the researchers found - but people of color continued to have higher hospitalization rates than white people.

Among seniors and adults between ages 18 and 64, Native Americans had the highest Covid hospitalization rates.

'During every month, the highest age-adjusted hospitalization rates occurred among American Indian or Alaska Native, Latino, and Black persons,' the researchers wrote.

This was true throughout the three Covid surges that occurred in 2020: spring, summer and winter.

Non-white Covid patients were also more likely to require intensive care or die in the hospital

The researchers also found that Native American, Latino and black Covid patients were most likely to require intensive care or die in the hospital.

'American Indian or Alaska Native, Latino, Black, and Asian or Pacific Islander persons were significantly more likely to be hospitalized, receive ICU care, or die with COVID-19associated illness compared with White persons,' the researchers wrote.

'These disparities were present across all age groups and persisted during the entire 12-month surveillance period.'

This study follows past analyses showing Covid's disproportionate impact on people of color in the U.S., including research that has demonstrated particularly high risk for Native Americans.

The researchers also noted that Asians and Pacific Islanders have 'modestly higher rates of hospitalization, ICU admission, and in-hospital death compared with white persons.'

But combining Asians and Pacific Islanders into one category may be an issue in data analysis, the researchers said, as some studies have suggested that Pacific Islanders are higher-risk than other Asian groups.

The researchers listed work in essential jobs, poverty, unstable housing, lack of transportation, and multigenerational housing as reasons why non-white Americans face increased Covid risk.

'Importantly, members of racial and ethnic minority groups face inequity due to structural racism,' the researchers wrote, 'with its many downstream consequences on overall health, including poor access to health care and economic instability.'

In order to address this issue, the researchers said, racial and ethnic minority groups should be a priority for Covid vaccination and other preventative measures.
Swedish health officials are extending the pause of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in young people over continued concerns that the shot causes rare heart inflammation cases.

The pause was initially supposed to last until December 1, but will now last beyond that to a date that is yet to be announced.

Sweden is one of four Nordic nations that restricted the use of the jab in young people this month, with a fifth, Norway, also discouraging younger males from getting the Moderna shot.

Despite the concerns arising about the vaccine in Europe, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stood by its authorization of the shots, and even authorized booster shots of the vaccine earlier this week.

The pause of use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in young people in Sweden will continue beyond the original December 1 date, public health officials announced (file photo)

The Moderna vaccine has been tied to cases of heart inflammation, particularly in young people, leading to officials in the Nordic country putting a pause on its use in some populations. Pictured: A woman in Ishoej, Denmark, receives a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on September 11

Sweden paused usage of the Moderna COVID-19 shot in everyone born after 1990 earlier this month.

The decision came after health officials viewed data that found the shots were causing cases of myocarditis in young people who got the vaccine.

Sweden's Public Health Agency says that the unpublished data signals 'an increased risk of side effects such as inflammation of the heart muscle or the pericardium' - the double-walled sac containing the heart and the roots of the main vessels.

It added: 'The risk of being affected is very small.'

That data is still not publicly available.

Denmark followed Sweden's lead, and restricted access to the vaccine to anyone under the age of 18 as well.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare said earlier this month that authorities won't give the vaccine to males under age 30, and they will be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech immunization instead, also citing the heart inflammation data.

Iceland also paused use of the vaccine citing concerns from the same data.

Norway, another Nordic country, has not taken as drastic action as its neighbors, with health officials urging people under 30 to opt for the Pfizer vaccine instead.

Myocarditis and pericarditis, both types of inflammation of the heart, are known side effects of the Covid vaccines, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) even warns that the condition may develop in young males after vaccination.

Heart inflammation is also a symptom of many viral infections like COVID-19, though, and the likelihood of developing the inflammation after infection is much higher than it is after vaccination.

Those conditions involve an inflammation of the heart or its lining.

On Thursday, data on the Moderna vaccines likelihood to cause heart inflammation was presented to a CDC advisory panel.

The presentation showed that males were much more likely to develop the condition than females - with those aged 18 to 24 at most risk, and the 25 to 29 group at risk as well.

The second dose of the vaccine is also the one that usually causes the condition.

Myocarditis risk falls off after age 30, though.

Malesunder the age of 29 who receive the Pfizer (right) or Moderna (left) vaccine are at an increased risk of developing myocarditis after the second dose

Females do not share the same risk of developing heart inflammation as males do, even among the younger age groups

Researchers found that in both males and females, the risk of myocarditis is higher in people that receive the Moderna vaccine than the Pfizer. There are approximately 13.3 excess cases of heart inflammation per every one million shots of the Moderna vaccine than there are of the Pfizer shot

The data also shows that people who receive the Moderna shot are more likely to develop myocarditis.

For every one million doses of the Moderna shot administered, there are 13.3 more cases of myocarditis detected compared to every one million of the Pfizer jab.

The reason for this is now yet known.

The increased risk seems to appear for both males and females.

'The connection is especially clear when it comes to Moderna's vaccine Spikevax, especially after the second dose,' the Swedish health agency said.

A Moderna spokesperson said in an email last week that the company was aware of the decisions by regulators in Denmark and Sweden to pause the use of its vaccine in younger individuals because of the rare risk of myocarditis and or pericarditis.

'These are typically mild cases and individuals tend to recover within a short time following standard treatment and rest,' they wrote.

'The risk of myocarditis is substantially increased for those who contract COVID-19, and vaccination is the best way to protect against this.'

According to one U.S. study that has yet to undergo peer review, young males under agr 20 are up to six times more likely to develop myocarditis after contracting COVID-19 than those who have been vaccinated.

Denmark said that, while it used the Pfizer vaccine as its main option for people aged 12 to 17 years, it had decided to pause giving the Moderna vaccine to people below 18 according to a 'precautionary principle'.

In June, the CDC issued a warning that young males were at an increased risk of myocarditis after receiving the vaccine.

The label for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were changed in the U.S. to reflect the warning, though usage was never paused.

Cases of inflammation after vaccination are rare, though they do occur often enough to concern regulators.

A recent study from Kaiser Permanente Southern California found that around seven out of every one million people that receive a two-shot COVID-19 vaccine will develop myocarditis.

People who receive the Covid vaccine are seven times as likely to develop heart inflamation after the second dose of the jab when compared to the first, finds a recent study by KPSC. Those who are unvaccinated are significantly more likely to develop myocarditis, however

The same study found that 47.5 out of every one million Covid patients experience heart inflammation.

While myocarditis will often resolve itself, it can be dangerous.

Heart inflammation can often lead to fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain for patients.

People with inflamed hearts are at a higher risk for heart failure, heart attacks and strokes.

Attempting strenuous physical activity with an inflamed heart could also potentially lead to sudden cardiac arrest, or even death.
COVID-19 cases in children are continuing to decline, according to the latest data from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

About 130,000 cases were reported in the week ending October 14, representing a 12 percent drop from the previous week, when about 148,000 cases were reported.

Currently, kids make up about one in four Covid cases recorded in the U.S. last week and 16.4 percent overall.

Overall, Tennessee has seen the highest rate of Covid cases in under-18s (16,000 total cases for every 100,000 children) while Puerto Rico has seen the lowest (4,600 total cases per 100,000).

Children between ages five and 11 may soon have the opportunity to be vaccinated against Covid with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expected to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for this age group in early November.

However, many parents are hesitant about vaccinating kids because they rarely get severely ill and make up less than 0.1 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.

Covid cases in children are continuing to decline, according to a new report. Pictured: A young resident of Ferguson, Missouri receives her Covid shot, August 2021

The U.S. reported about 130,000 new cases in children last week, down 12% from the week prior, when 148,000 cases were reported

When schools across the U.S. opened for in-person learning this fall, this reopening coincided with the Delta variant surge - which was already driving higher cases in children.

During the week ending September 2, more than 250,000 children were diagnosed with Covid.

In some parts of the country, school districts were barred from instituting mask mandates or other safety measures in schools - contributing to uncontrolled Covid spread.

But now, as the Delta surge wanes, Covid case numbers in children have also been declining.

A total of 130,575 cases were recorded in the week ending October 14, according to the latest report from the AAP and Children's Hospital Association.

This represents a drop of 11.9 percent from the week ending October 7, when 148,222 cases were reported.

It's also a drop of almost 50 percent since the week ending September 2, when the highest number of Covid cases in children was reported.

Children represent 25.5 percent of all Covid cases reported in the U.S. in the past week.

AAP researchers regularly compile national reports on Covid cases in children based on data from 49 states, New York City, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam.

The latest report does not include up-to-date case numbers for Texas, Nebraska, and Alabama due to a lack of available state-level data in these states.

In addition, the AAP researchers note that age ranges differ from state to state. In some states, child case counts include state residents up to age 20, while in others, counts include residents up to age 17 or 18.

Still, the AAP reports allow state-by-state comparisons of Covid case rates in children.

South Carolina and Tennessee have reported the highest shares of Covid cases among children, out of their total state Covid cases

In the week ending October 14, about one in four U.S. Covid cases occurred in children

Tennessee has the highest case rate at about 16,100 total Covid cases for every 100,000 children.

That's almost double the national case rate of 8,200 cases for every 100,000 kids.

South Carolina has the next-highest rate, at 15,600 total Covid cases for every 100,000 children.

Alaska, West Virginia, and North Dakota also have some of the highest rates of cases in children - at 14,800, 14,200, and 13,600 cases for every 100,000 children, respectively.

At the other end of the spectrum, Puerto Rico has seen just 4,600 total cases for every 100,000 children.

Puerto Rico has the highest vaccination rate in the country, with almost 100 percent of seniors fully vaccinated.

Currently, children aged 12 and older are approved to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

The company has asked the FDA to authorize its shot for kids, with a lower dose specifically designated for younger ages.

On October 26, the FDA's vaccine advisory committee is set to discuss this potential authorization - meaning younger children could be fully vaccinated by Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Yet parents are split about 50/50 on whether or not to vaccinate their children.

One survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, conducted in April 2021, found that just 29 percent of parents with children under age 18 said they would get their child vaccinated 'right away' once authorization occurred.

One-third of parents (32 percent) said that they would 'wait and see' how the vaccine was working for kids before vaccinating their child.

About 15 percent said that they would only get their child vaccinated if it was required for school, and 19 percent said they definitely would not get their child vaccinated.

While the summer surge of cases in children may have shifted attitudes for some parents, many remain hesitant about vaccinating their children.

Surveys suggest that conversations with pediatricians and other doctors will be important in communicating the benefits and risks of Covid vaccines to parents.
A man whose brother and sister-in-law died of COVID-19 last month has slammed people who have called their deaths 'fake news'.

Mike Mitchem told the story of his brother, Kevin, and Kevin's wife, Misty, to NBC Washington earlier this month.

Kevin, 48, and Misty, 46, were both unvaccinated, and had believed misinformation about the virus and the vaccine.

Misty died from Covid in September and Kevin in October, with both expressing regrets about not getting vaccinated before their deaths.

They are survived by five children, Riley, 17; Leah, 14; twins Taylor and Aiden, 11; and Angel, 22, a child from Kevin's previous relationship.

Now, Mike tells The Washington Post that he has had people reach out to him to tell him his family's story is 'fake news'.

Kevin and Misty Mitchem (pictured) were high school sweethearts that both died of COVID-19 in September. Both were unvaccinated despite pleas from their family to get the shots. Kevin's brother, Mike, reports that he has received messages claiming their story was 'fake news'

Kevin (pictured) expressed regrets in his decision to not get vaccinated to his family before his death. His parents are both fully vaccinated and have received their booster shots

'Why would the media make up a story this tragic?' Mike told the Post.

'I would give anything for it to not be true, just to have my brother back.'

Kevin and Misty were high school sweethearts from Stafford County, Virginia, around 50 miles from Washington D.C.

Misty was diabetic, putting her at an increased risk of suffering complications from the virus.

Still, she did not receive the vaccine despite pleas from family and friends to get the jab.

'Both our families have been turned upside down,' Mike told the Richmond Times-Dispatch earlier this month.

'The kids are the main thing. His oldest daughter just had a son, and I'm sure she wanted him to get close with his grandfather, and that's not gonna happen now.'

After their parents' deaths, the four younger children went to live with an aunt and uncle in South Carolina, according to Mike.

Mike says Kevin developed a cough last month and went to an urgent care facility in Stafford County.

He was sent home with cold medicine. Kevin returned to the urgent care facility a few days later after he wasn't feeling any better, his brother said.

NBC Washington says Kevin then tested positive for COVID-19. Days later, Misty started feeling ill.

She was sent to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she was treated for COVID-19.

Misty's health deteriorated quite rapidly. Within days of her hospitalization, she was unable to breathe on her own and was put on a ventilator.

Doctors also said that her kidneys were only functioning at 50 percent, according to NBC Washington.

The next day, Kevin was admitted to the same hospital. By the time he was taken in for treatment, the family was told that Misty might have fewer than 24 hours to live.

Misty died on September 23 - just days after the onset of her symptoms.

Kevin (pictured) died from complications related to COVID-19 on October 8

Kevin's father Don rushed to the hospital to try to speak to his son before he was put on a ventilator.

'He said, "Dad, I'm scared to death,"' Don recalled to NBC Washington.

'I told him to call his mom.'

Kevin then called his mother, Terry Mitchem.

'He called me up and said, "Mom, I love you and I wish that I'd got the shot,"' Terry said.

'Of course I told him: "It's past. You can't do anything about it."'

Kevin died on October 8. At one point during his treatment, he appeared to be improving, but the coronavirus inflicted too much damage on his lungs, according to NbC

His brother, Mike, told Richmond Times-Dispatch that Kevin was a healthy person before COVID.

'He never smoked, never drank, didn't do drugs, didn't have diabetes, wasn't overweight, was a heavy equipment operator, did a lot of highway work,' Mike said.

'He worked every day. He was always working, always outside, always doing something. Very active.'

'My brother was healthy. He was still pretty much young and he had everything to live for.

Mike said that his brother and his sister-in-law refused to get vaccinated even though the family was urging them to do so.

'They'd just been leery. They were going off what they've been hearing and reading on the internet,' he said.

Misty and Kevin are survived by five children, four of which are now living with extended family in South Carolina. Mike's parents, Don and Terry, are urging others to get vaccinated to protect themselves

Don and Terry, who have each had their booster shots, said they tried in vain to convince Kevin to get vaccinated.

Mike said he was angry about vaccine misinformation that likely cost the lives of his brother and his wife.

'Part of our pain is anger,' he said.

'Anger because people are still not getting the vaccine. If you think about it, you need to have certain vaccines before you can even go to school.

'What's the big deal about this one?'

One relative, Rachael Rhodes, Mike's daughter-in-law, works as a nurse practitioner specializing in family medicine.

She said she encouraged all of her relatives to get vaccinated.

'It's incredibly frustrating to be a medical provider right now with all the misinformation being spread online,' Rhodes told the Times-Dispatch.

'It's become very discouraging to hear reasons why vaccines are being declined by patients/people.

'It's gotten to the point where it's not even worth the discussion anymore because it's completely unrelated to anything medical or scientific.'

Mike launched a GoFundMe fundraiser that aims to raise $20,000. As of Sunday, it has raised more than $18,000.

The proceeds will go toward helping the five children. Their aunt in South Carolina plans to start a college fund for them.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded $1.7 million to a Texas hospital to research new treatments for COVID-19 patients.

Despite the progress made at developing vaccines to prevent infection, few options exist to treat symptoms if a person contracts the virus.

Researchers at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso will use the grant to examine the effectiveness of four repurposed drugs, including ivermectin.

The team hopes that if just one of the drugs turns out to be effective, it can be used at home once a person finds out they are infected with Covid, reserving hospital beds for the sickest of patients.

The NIH awarded a $1.7 million grant to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (pictured) to study four drugs that could be repurposed to treat COVID-19

One of the medications is the anti-parasite drug ivermectin (pictured), a version of which is safe for use in humans and FDA approved, but has not been show to treat viruses such as COVID-19

'Usually treatments for diseases take many years to develop, and everything we're doing is on a fast track because people need it now,' Dr Edward Michelson, chairman of Texas Tech's Department of Emergency Medicine, told The Washington Post.

The $1.7 million will go towards two separate clinical trials: a national trial, known as ACTIV-6, and a local trial.

The nationwide trial will look at three drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and see if they can treat mild-to-moderate cases of Covid.

Among them is ivermectin, commonly used for animals. There is a version for human used which is safe in small doses and approved by the FDA to treat parasite infections.

However, it has become the center of public attention in recent months after social media rumors caused many to believe the drug could treat or prevent COVID-19.

Doctors say it has no capacity to treat Covid nor is the medication FDA-approved to treat the virus.

'People like Dr Google, and they don't really know how to safely take ivermectin,' Michelson told The Post.

'Some people are probably overdosing. With this trial, we will give them the appropriate number of pills so that the amount of drug is appropriate for their individual weight.'

The nationwide trial will also be testing fluticasone, a nasal spray used to treat sneezing, itchy or runny nose and fluvoxamine, used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.

A total of 15,000 non-hospitalized participants will be enrolled and the drug will be compared to a placebo.

The local study with examine cromolyn, an inexpensive drug used to treat eye and nasal allergies as well as asthma.

Michelson told the El Paso Herald Post that, unlike the nationwide trial, the patients in this trial will be hospitalized.

'They won't be the sickest inpatients, but they'll have evidence of pneumonia from COVID-19 and require supplemental oxygen,' he said.

'This could be helpful in curbing the long-term effects of COVID-19 that we've been hearing and reading about.'

According to the El Paso Herald Post, the team is hoping to enroll 60 patients in the trial.

An initial 10 patients will receive the drug to check safety and the remaining 50 will be split into two groups, with half receiving cromolyn and the other half a placebo.

'If it turns out to be effective, then it could be used as a home treatment,' Michelson told the newspaper.

'And because it's inexpensive, it also would be a best option for developing nations and lower-income areas.'
Being overweight or obese can increase a person's likelihood of being symptomatic after contracting COVID-19, a new study finds.

Researchers from Children's Hospital Los Angeles investigated the likelihood of COVID-19 symptoms depending on patients' weights.

They found overweight and obese people were more likely to have a symptomatic Covid case than those with normal weights.

The disparity was largest for those aged 12 to 17, with overweight and obese participants found to be twice as likely to suffer a symptomatic case.

Overweight people also felt more symptoms on average, reporting three compared to only two reported on average for people with lower weights.

Researchers found that overweight and obese teens were twice as likely to suffer a symptomatic case of COVID-19 than those who were of healthy weight (center). They were also more likely to experience more symptoms from the virus

America's obesity epidemic likely made the pandemic worse for the nation, and turned some potentially asymptomatic cases into more mild ones (file image)

'Even when infected with similar amounts of virus, overweight and obesity are risk factors for greater severity of COVID-19 symptoms,' lead researcher Dr Pia Pannaraj, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, told UPI.

'COVID-19 vaccination of all individuals, and especially those with overweight and obesity, is important to prevent severe COVID-19.'

Researchers, who published their findings Thursday in the journal Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, gathered data from 552 participants, 470 of whom tested positive for the virus and had cases that did not require hospitalization.

The body mass index (BMI) of each participant was calculated, and they were categorized as either underweight, normal, overweight or obese.

They found that among participants aged 12 to 17, a total of 34.2 percent of Covid patients who were not overweight experienced symptoms of the virus.

Overweight and obese patients were much worse off, with 66.7 percent - or two-thirds - having a symptomatic case of Covid.

Across all ages, none of the four people considered underweight experienced a symptomatic case of the virus.

Just under half, 48 percent, of people considered to be of a 'normal' weight by BMI had a symptomatic case.

Overweight people were 59 percent likely to suffer a symptomatic case if they caught the virus, and obese people were 60 percent likely overall.

People who are overweight or obese of all ages reported more symptoms of the virus as well, and were significantly more likely to have shortness of breath or trouble breathing.

There was no significant difference in how long the symptoms lasted when they appeared, though.

Experts believe that these results mean one part of fighting pandemics like Covid in the future is to promote the general health and well-being of citizens.

'The slow-motion pandemics of obesity and chronic illness have made the acute COVID-19 pandemic far worse than it needed to be, both among those hospitalized, and even among those with milder disease,' Dr David Katz, president of the True Health Initiative, told UPI.

'These findings add to the already compelling case for defending against the threat of acute pandemics by doing far more to promote general good health, including healthy weight, for the population at large.'

More than 42 percent of Americans suffer from obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Experts believe the obesity epidemic has likely played a role in the U.S. suffering more Covid deaths than any other country in the world despite being a generally richer nation with more medical resources.

The pandemic did its part to exacerbate the problem as well, causing childhood obesity to double over the course of a year.
BOOK OF THE WEEK

UNMASKING OUR LEADERS

by Michael Cockerell (Biteback 20, 352 pp)

When the current Prime Minister was at Eton, he enjoyed acting but couldnt always be bothered to learn his lines.

Performing in a Moliere comedy, he hid behind a pillar reading them out, which was probably funnier than the actual words. Knowing this, author Michael Cockerell asks Boris Johnson if he had learned a lesson about the advantage of not learning your lines.

Johnson replies: As a general tactic in life, it is often useful to give the slight impression that you are deliberately pretending not to know whats going on  because the reality may be that you dont know whats going on, but people wont be able to tell the difference. Pretty revealing that, no?

Michael Cockerell has penned a memoir which also gives insight into modern British politics. Pictured: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson

It has often been said of politicians that until the eminent BBC broadcaster and documentary-maker Michael Cockerell has profiled you, you havent made it. Andrew Marr put it this way: Ive sometimes thought there is a media honours system running in parallel to the official one. Being invited on to Desert Island Discs is the equivalent of a CBE, while This Is Your Life is a knighthood.

If so, to be Cockerelled, getting a full film biography, beautifully written and edited, is the Order of Merit and the Privy Council rolled into one.

Now, in this brilliant new book masquerading as a memoir but in fact as enthralling a history of modern British politics as you will find anywhere, we can see the scale of Cockerells achievement.

Hes been ringside at more or less all the significant events of modern politics  and in the company of all the main players  so it is richly stuffed with anecdotes and gags and as compelling as a Jack Reacher thriller, though with fewer dead bodies. In politics the violence can be equally lethal, just not so bloody.

Cockerell lets us in on the techniques he uses to put his subjects at ease: he likes to film them watching footage of themselves in earlier days as it encourages them to open up.

He once showed the noted philanderer Alan Clark newsreel footage from decades earlier of his wedding to Jane, a colonels daughter who was just over half his age. God thats me, says Clark. What a dreadful man and what a complete waste of a beautiful girl.

He also likes to ask any would-be Prime Minister if they have any doubts about their ability to fulfil the role of PM. The replies are uniformly interesting: only Heath replies with the one word No. Johnson says revealingly that if you dont have doubts or anxieties, you probably have something terribly awry.

Initially politicians hated television: Churchill referred to it as Tee Vee as if it was an unpleasant and transmissible infection, and would walk straight past the cameras or put his hand over the lens. Harold Macmillan was equally hostile: Coming into a television studio is like entering a 20th-century torture chamber, he said, though he did admit that we old dogs have to learn new tricks.

Cockerell reports on the ferocious feuding among the key members of Wilsons kitchen cabinet in one of the most eye-watering passages in his book. Pictured: Marcia Falkender and Harold Wilson

The Labour Prime Minister from 1964, the ever wily Harold Wilson, knew how to present an image. He smoked Havana cigars away from the camera, but a pipe on television. This stopped him gesturing to cameras with his fist clenched, which his team reckoned looked threatening. He would put his left hand on his cheek which showed up his wedding ring, in contrast to the Tory leader Ted Heath, who was a bachelor.

In one of the most eye-watering passages in the book, Cockerell reports on the ferocious feuding among the key members of Wilsons kitchen cabinet: on the one side was the hugely influential Marcia Falkender, and on the other his Press secretary Joe Haines and LSE academic Bernard Donoughue.

Wilson was frightened of Marcia, Donoughue tells Cockerell. He became difficult when she was attacking him . . . and he reached for the brandy bottle. The PM was becoming ill with the tension, and his personal doctor, Joe Stone, was always on call.

Dr Stone came into my room one day, Haines tells Cockerell, saying he was worried about the stress Marcia Falkender was causing Harold. He said something had to be done about it. I said, Joe, Ive tried it  he wont get rid of her. Then Joe Stone said: I could dispose of her. Im her doctor. And I would write the death certificate.  The spin doctors decline the offer, seemingly more worried about the bad headlines  Murder in No. 10  than the morality of a doctor trashing the Hippocratic Oath.

Meanwhile, Heath was an image-makers nightmare. He hated television and wanted to make his interrogator feel ill at ease. When he sat down for one interview, he asked: Have you got your usual list of boring questions? Thats a good sign, Heaths private secretary tells Cockerell. If hes rude to you it means he likes you.

UNMASKING OUR LEADERS by Michael Cockerell (Biteback 20, 352 pp)

Heath won the Tory leadership in opposition in 1965, beating Enoch Powell, who invited the new leader to dinner at his home to show there were no hard feelings. There Heath met the family hamster, the pet of Powells daughter Jennifer. She tells Cockerell: The hamster liked Heath and sat on his lap and washed his little face. Thats the greatest compliment a hamster can pay to a human being . . . we subsequently realised that was a momentary lapse of judgment by the hamster.

At the opposite end of the political spectrum, Labours Barbara Castle  the woman tipped for many years to become the first female Prime Minister  had a keen appreciation of her market value on camera.

Halfway through an interview, she tells Cockerell: Youre covering so much more ground than I thought you would, if you want to do any more then youll have to up the fee. They did. And it was Castle who refuted the famous Powell doctrine that political careers end in failure. Political careers dont end in tears, she tells Cockerell. They end in fury. Many modern politicians would doubtless agree.

Though how many would make the grade to be Cockerelled is questionable. Cockerell looks for three main criteria: his subjects should be or have been at the top of politics; they should know where the bodies are buried and be prepared to talk about them; and they should have a hinterland  a world beyond politics.

One figure who eminently ticked all the boxes was the great Labour bruiser Denis Healey, who in the end lost out to Jim Crisis, what crisis? Callaghan. A keen lover of poetry, music and photography, and a decorated war hero, Healey was still swimming 20 lengths at 96 when Cockerell interviewed him.

Its not the swimming thats the difficulty  its getting into the pool. He died aged 98 in 2015, and was described by David Cameron as a huge figure of post-war politics.

Michael Cockerell  a man rarely burdened by self-doubt  has also been an important figure in modern politics. In his films, and now this funny, riveting and utterly illuminating book, he doesnt just reveal what our politicians are really like, but offers great insights into the wider nature of the human condition.
'THE COMPENDIUM OF (NOT QUOTE) EVERYTHING'

by Jonn Elledge (Headline)

Lots of books have mentioned the fact that one of the early names for Google was BackRub. Lots of books have mentioned the fact that there was a war lasting from 1272 to 1278, which killed 15,000 people, and which started because a peasant in what is now Belgium stole a cow. But Ill bet this is the first book ever to mention both those facts.

Jonn Elledges self-professed aim with this compendium is to provoke the enjoyable feeling of getting lost in an online encyclopedia, sinking deeper into a warm bath of trivia. The book covers simply what interests him, for no other reason than thats what interests him.

Jonn Elledge gives the feeling of getting lost in an online encyclopedia in a new tome. Pictured: Gordon Kaye and Vicki Michelle in Allo Allo

In the section on measurements he reveals that myriad  these days a general word meaning a lot  was, to the ancient Greeks, a specific word for 10,000. In the section on countries we learn that only about 13 of the worlds 150 or so non-European countries entirely escaped colonisation by a European one. And in the section on food we find the loganberry, cross between a raspberry and blackberry that only occurred because an American man named Logan accidentally planted some vines too close together.

Some of the facts are astonishing. If the 13.8 billion year history of the universe is converted to a single year, for instance, the dinosaurs dont become extinct until 6am on December 30. And Jesus Christ doesnt exist until five seconds before midnight on New Years Eve.

Genghis Khan killed an estimated 11 per cent of the worlds population. The Australian army could have done with him in 1932, when they were sent in to dispatch some emus that had been destroying crops. Despite the fact they were using machine guns, the soldiers couldnt cope with the birds incredible speed, or ability to run in zig-zags, so after a few days they admitted defeat and left.

Other facts are memorable because of their silliness. The TV programme Allo Allo ran from 1982 to 1992, meaning it lasted more than twice as long as the real-life Nazi occupation of France.

Then there are the beautiful facts, the ones which prove that the supposedly dull world of (adopts nasal librarian monotone) facts and figures can have a poetry all of its own. The point on Earth that is furthest from dry land (its in the South Pacific, 1,670 miles from the Pitcairn Islands, Easter Island and Antarctica) is known as Point Nemo, Latin for no one.

And the Beaufort wind force scale reads like a poem in itself. Force three includes leaves and small twigs in constant motion, six means umbrellas used with difficulty, while force 12 is simply devastation.

'THE COMPENDIUM OF (NOT QUOTE) EVERYTHING' by Jonn Elledge (Headline)

This wouldnt be a bad book to give to a child whos about to start secondary school. Not only because some of the facts will be useful to them, but also because it will make them question the notion of what counts as a fact in the first place.

Elledge is very good at reminding us that supposedly hard-and-fast information  the sort that gets quoted in textbooks, and indeed news reports  is often far less certain than we think.

Even something as simple as the worlds longest river. Youll usually see the answer the Nile, with a figure anywhere between 4,130 and 4,404 miles. But as that discrepancy shows, measuring the length of a river is never easy. Which of its multiple sources do you choose?

At the other end, it isnt always clear where a river stops and the sea starts. Do you measure the left bank, the right bank or a line down the middle? These and other factors affect the answer. Some people claim that the worlds longest river is actually the Amazon.

What counts as interesting is a very personal matter. So Id be amazed if you were interested in everything in this book. But then Id be amazed if you were interested in nothing in this book. Youll certainly learn something.

For instance, I really thought I knew my Michael Caine  but somehow Id missed the fact that in 2016 the actor (famously born Maurice Micklewhite) had finally changed his name by deed poll. It was to make life easier at airports.

A security guard would say Hi Michael Caine, and suddenly Id give him a passport with a different name on it. I could stand there for an hour.
Advertisement

A one-off Ferrari hypercar finished in a red wine paint colour with a brown interior is set to go under the hammer in London next week, with the auction house saying bidding could reach 2.5million.

The 2016 LaFerrari is one of just 499 produced by the iconic Italian marque - but the only one in this colour - and has covered fewer than 1,000 miles from new. It also the first to be made available at a UK public auction for three years.

Classic car experts say its combination of heritage, rarity and unique colour scheme could make it hugely attractive to potential collectors and see the sale price eclipse the average value for the modern-era hybrid performance machines.

Raise a glass! This one-off red wine colour 2016 LaFerrari is set to be offered at a UK auction next month with an estimated top-end sale price of 2.5million

The LaFerrari is considered among the so-called holy trinity of hypercars launched in the last decade, with Ferrari's first foray into hybridisation rivalling McLaren's P1 and Porsche's similarly-hybrid 918 Spyder.

This example will be offered to the highest bidder at the RM Sothebys London auction on 6 November.

It is the first time a LaFerrari has been sold at a UK public auction since 2018, meaning plenty of well-heeled buyers will be eager to get their hands on the first Italian stallion to feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The mid-engined two-seater is powered by the most potent naturally-aspirated V12 engine to ever be slotted into a Ferrari road car.

It also features F1-derived KERS (Kinetic energy recovery system) technology, which provides an extra kick of power from additional energy generated during braking.

Under special orders to the Maranello factory, this 2016 LaFerrari was requested in 'Rosso Vinaccia' - which translates to 'red wine' - paint with contrasting brown tan leather interior

It has two previous owners - the first in Switzerland and the second in the UK - and has covered just 918 miles. When it hasn't been driven it has been kept in temperature-controlled storage

It will go under the hammer at RM Sotheby's London sale event on 6 November. It will mark the first time a LaFerrari coupe has been offered at a UK public auction since 2018

 Slide me  The LaFerrari is considered among the so-called holy trinity of hypercars from the last decade, with Ferrari's first foray into hybridisation launched to rival McLaren's P1 and Porsche's similarly-hybrid 918 Spyder. Weighing just 1,255kg, it was the lightest of the three hypercars. Though it wasn't the most exclusive in terms of production

In total, the LaFerrari develops a combined 950bhp. From a standing start it can hit 62mph in just 2.9 seconds and the officially-quoted top speed is in excess of 217mph.

Weighing just 1,255kg, it was the lightest of the three hypercars. Though it wasn't the most exclusive in terms of production.

One fewer than 500 were built - which is less than half the number of F40s made - but McLaren's P1 was produced in fewer units with only 375 examples in total.

What sets this particular car - which has two owners from new - apart is the stunning specification, not least the interesting choice of colours.

Ferrari LaFerrari: at a glance Production: 2013-2016 Units: 499 built Price new: 1,150,000 Engine: 6.3-litre V12 petrol electrically assisted by Ferrari's HY-KERS system Power: 950bhp Torque: 970Nm Top speed: 217mph+ 0-62mph: 2.9seconds CO2 emissions: 330g/km Weight: 1,255kg

Under special orders to the Maranello factory, it was requested to be painted in 'Rosso Vinaccia', which translates to 'red wine', with contrasting brown tan leather interior.

It's an unusual combination to say the least, but one that's likely to earn it some attention - as we have seen recently.

Earlier this year, a blue Ferrari F40 - believed to be the only one painted in a shade that isn't red, white or black - sold for a record online auction price of 1,000,500 via The Market.

RM Sotheby's estimates that it will take a winning bid of 2.2million to 2.5million when it goes to the block next month, which experts say is above the average value of this incredibly special model.

John Mayhead, collectible vehicle valuations expert at Hagerty, told This is Money: 'Values of the LaFerrari have slipped slightly over the last few years, with the Hagerty Price Guide range now spanning 1.52million to 2.4million, depending on condition - down from 2.67million to 3.06million in January 2019.

'With each car being built to order, there are many combinations of colour and interior trim, with a few options, but mileage seems to be the big differentiator in value.

'This example has 918 miles on the clock, but for a LaFerrari, thats actually a fair amount: of those offered at auction since January 2019, none has exceeded 1,000 miles and this one is the second-most driven.'

The lot description says the original owner had the Ferrari delivered to Switzerland and kept it for just two years before it was sold to the consignor who imported it to the UK, with it being registered in May 2018.

It has 'lived a quiet life', kept in controlled storage while not in use.

In total, the LaFerrari develops a combined 950bhp. From a standing start it can hit 62mph in just 2.9 seconds and the officially-quoted top speed is in excess of 217mph

John Mayhead, collectible vehicle valuations expert at Hagerty, told This is Money that the average age of a LaFerrari owner is 60, though there is a much bigger percentage than normal of Generation X (born 1965-1981) owners: 37 per cent compared to 27.4 per cent for all classics that it insures

RM Sotheby's estimates that it will take a winning bid of 2.2million to 2.5million when it goes to the block next month, which experts say is above the average value of this incredibly special model

Hagerty says the average age of a LaFerrari owner is 60, though points out that there is a much bigger percentage than normal of Generation X (born 1965-1981) owners: 37 per cent compared to 27.4 per cent for all classics that it insures.

Mayhead says that this example is very unlikely to exceed the record $7million (5.53million) auction price achieved for a non-Aperta LaFerrari model, which was also sold by RM Sotheby's back in 2016.

Though he adds: 'It will undoubtedly draw the crowds.

'A price close to the middle of the pre-sale estimate of 2.2million to 2.5million seems very possible.'

It comes with accompanying colour-matched luggage, a toolkit, and owners manuals, as well as a full service history conducted by authorised dealers in Switzerland and the UK.

The LaFerrari's engine is the most powerful naturally-aspirated V12 to ever be slotted into a Ferrari road car in the brand's history

It also features F1-derived KERS (Kinetic energy recovery system) technology, which provides an extra kick of power from additional energy generated during braking
For my 60th birthday last year, I bought a used Aston Martin DB9 Volante Convertible.

However, due to Covid restrictions, we could not make our planned dream trip around Spain and the car did no more than a couple of hundred miles.

For that reason, I decided to sell it through We Buy Any Car. My valuation went up three times and on 1 October 2021, it sat at 36,660.

This was 2,000 more than I paid so I decided to proceed. While it was all going smoothly, the agent noticed a discrepancy with the VIN number and the log book.

Shaken, not stirred: A We Buy Any Car customer was frustrated after there were problems selling his Aston Martin DB9 (stock image)

The digits on the car and service manual were correct but not on the log book. I was told it was a typo and nothing to worry about so signed the paperwork,

But after that I did not receive any communication from We Buy Any Car so began to worry.

Days later, I received a phone call telling me the car would have to be handed back to me due to the VIN error.

I had already cancelled the insurance and received a letter from the DVLA to say I was no longer the owner plus had signed the paperwork so don't feel this is fair. Is there a way for the sale to continue? S.C., via email

Grace Gausden, consumer expert at This is Money, replies: You were certainly shaken, not stirred, after your dealings with We Buy Any Car when selling your Aston Martin DB9, a motor made famous by fictional film icon James Bond.

The lack of communication with thousands of pounds at stake made you increasingly anxious, especially as you weren't sure when, or if, the payment would be sent over to you.

Initially, all went well and you were more than happy with the price that you were offered - it's been well documented that used car prices are going through the roof lately.

GRACE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Grace Gausden tackles reader problems and shines the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: grace.gausden@thisismoney.co.uk

When going to sign the paperwork, one of the firm's agents noticed the cars vehicle identification number (VIN) number only had 16 digits on the log book when there should have been 17.

A car's VIN is the identifying code for a specific vehicle and no two cars in operation have the same one.

Used buyers of cars need to be aware of VIN fraud as the number can sometimes be replaced or altered with cars stolen and sold on illegally.

However, the agent told you he thought it was a typo error by the DVLA and it was nothing to worry about.

The paperwork was signed and the car was collected but four working days later, the time agreed that payment would be with you, there was nothing in your account.

You tried to contact We Buy Any Car but said you found it impossible to get through.

In the meantime, you had cancelled your car tax and had received a refund as well as received a letter from DVLA stating you were no longer the owner of the vehicle. You had also cancelled your insurance.

A few days later, you finally got an email reply from one of their agents to say the issue was with the compliance department.

Becoming concerned, you sent an email to the only address you could find stating you would give them 48 hours' notice to put the money into your account.

The Aston Martin DB9 was a car made famous by film icon, James Bond & sells for thousands

Shortly after this, you received the phone call from an agent who said he had been told to drop off the car back due to an error with the VIN.

Shocked, you told him you were no longer the owner of the car and would not be accepting it back, leaving you in limbo.

If the car was returned to you, you were not sure who would then be the legal owner plus you would have to reinstall insurance and tax - just to try and sell it again.

You argue that if We Buy Any Car knew the VIN would be an issue, it should have advised you of this before signing the paperwork ensuring you did not give up ownership of the vehicle.

Therefore, I contacted We Buy Any Car to find out why you had been left with very little communication and why the firm agreed to purchase a car but then not send over the funds - essentially holding on to a very expensive vehicle.

It replied to say it had looked into the issue and has now rectified it  but did not explain how it managed to resolve the problem.

A spokesperson for We Buy Any Car said: 'On rare occasions, some purchases are flagged for further compliance checks, such as the vehicle chassis number not matching the V5 documentation, which can signify a car is stolen or cloned.

'In Mr C's case, it was an error with the vehicle registration and we've worked with him to ensure the issue has been resolved.'

Fortunately, you did have a Licence to Sell and have confirmed the full amount reached your account a day after I spoke to the company.

It failed to say how this was resolved but added if it had done so, it could help criminals cheat the system if more information was given.

While We Buy Any Car are right to do all due diligence on the vehicle, the days of waiting for a response to update you on the situation left you increasingly frustrated - especially with such money and a DB9 at stake.

No Time to Die? More like: too much time to reply...

Problem: A Wren Kitchens customer was delivered an AEG cooker hood with an EU plug socket (stock image)

Hit and miss: This week's naughty and nice list

Each week, I look at some of the companies that have fallen short of expected standards as well as those that have gone that extra mile for customers.

Miss: Robert has been left disappointed by Wren Kitchens after the firm sent him a cooker hood with an EU plug.

Robert and his wife received a replacement AEG cooker hood from Wren Kitchens after the first unit had a fault identified within 30 days.

However, unlike the first AEG hood which had no plug, as it was hardwired, the replacement was supplied with an EU plug.

Obviously their home was not equipped with an EU plug socket so they were unable to use the hood.

Aside from this, it is illegal to sell a product in the UK with an EU plug, unless it is fitted with a conversion plug.

Robert was also unsure whether his warranty would be invalidated if he was to get an electrician to convert the plug into a UK socket.

He struggled to get answers from Wren and so I contacted the company to ask why it had sent over an EU hood, as opposed to a UK compliant one, and what it was planning to do to rectify the situation.

A spokesperson for Wren said: 'The quickest and easiest way for this type of problem to be rectified for a customer is for the manufacturer to arrange for a technician to visit the customers home, as they are best equipped to deal with faults onsite without the need for removal or disturbance of other items within the kitchen.

'This was offered to the customer however, they did not find this option acceptable to them and instead a replacement item was ordered from AEG and delivered to them.

'As you will no doubt be aware, appliances such as this are not manufactured by Wren.

'Wren do not hold stock of any appliances and they are all ordered on a "Just in Time" basis directly from the manufacturer, which means they are ordered and delivered to our factory ready for delivery to the customer the following day.

'AEG have carried out an investigation into the matter and have confirmed this item was sent from their factory in error.

'We are very sorry this oversight has affected our customers and, as mentioned above, have since instructed AEG to dispatch a replacement chimney hood.'

An AEG spokesperson added: 'We take our legal obligations seriously and are investigating why the consumer was sent this item in error.

'We have taken steps to ensure that the consumer receives a suitable replacement in order to resolve this matter.'

Fortunately, you are now expecting a replacement hood with a UK plug socket but it's safe to say the two firms were certainly not cooking on gas when they delivered you a non-compliant kitchen appliance.

One customer praised firm, Freddie's Flowers, after it delivered a new bouquet for free

Hit: In positive news, this week, reader Laura praised Freddie's Flowers.

She said: 'I bought my mum a three month subscription to Freddie's Flowers and phoned to request the flowers be lily free as we have a cat.

'However, when they arrived they had lilies. My mum phoned and they were very apologetic and explained they had trouble with their system so they sent her a new bouquet without lilies for free.

'They were very polite and friendly on the phone.' Most cat owners know that lilies are toxic for their four legged friends - it sounds like the firm has blooming good customer service.
Tax hikes are making Britain less competitive and holding back the economy, the Chancellor has been warned.

As Rishi Sunak prepares for next week's Budget and Spending Review, a report by the Centre for Policy Studies shows the UK is sliding down the global rankings for competitive taxes.

The UK is ranked 22nd out of 37 OECD nations in the International Tax Competitiveness Index published by the US-based Tax Foundation.

Stifling business: The UK is currently ranked 22nd out of 37 OECD nations in the International Tax Competitiveness Index published by the US-based Tax Foundation

But the CPS warns we will fall to 30th in 2023 after corporation tax jumps from 19 per cent to 25 per cent and the introduction of the new health and social care levy.

Tom Clougherty, head of tax at the think tank, said: 'The UK's tax regime is already significantly less competitive than is generally realised.

'But our analysis also shows how much worse the planned tax rises will make things. The UK cannot afford to fall behind its international competitors  especially amid reports of increasing scepticism towards the UK as an investment environment.

'The Government needs to rethink its plans, and put growth, investment and competitiveness at the heart of its agenda.'

Daniel Bunn of the Tax Foundation said: 'The UK is at a critical juncture with its tax policy. The levelling up agenda could be curtailed by tax hikes.'

With the tax burden in the UK heading to its highest sustained level in peacetime, business leaders also called for a rethink.

CBI director general Tony Danker said: 'Are we going for growth? Or going back to tax and spend?

'There is a fundamental inconsistency where the Government wants to unlock business investment, but its tax policies do the opposite. Tax growth stunts investment.'
Finding inventive new uses for leftover food is one of the best ways to reduce waste.

It's something Angellica Bell and Joe Swash both do at home - helping in a small way towards tackling a huge problem that sees one third of all food produced worldwide going uneaten, contributing to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

'My gran was a chef in the Caribbean, so I learned from her the importance of using whatever was in the house to make something without wasting anything,' Angellica says.

Angellica Bell and Joe Swash at Branston, which has been supplying Tesco with potatoes for 25 years. They are seen with James Truscott, the company's Managing Director, (far left) and Tesco's Ben Rowbotham (second from left)

'That's something that was drummed into from a young age.'

With his growing family, Joe does his best to cut the amount of food that's wasted.

'I've got four kids so we always try to find new uses for leftovers,' he says.

I'm sure that millions of households across the country have the same challenge.'

But coming up with new flavour combinations in the kitchen so nothing goes to waste is just one part of a bigger picture.

During a road trip to Glasgow, where the upcoming climate change conference COP26 will take place, Angellica and Joe discovered how Tesco is doing something similar on a much bigger scale as part of its mission to halve the environmental impact of the average shopping basket.

Joe peers into a container packed full of potatoes after they have been processed at the Branston factory

Angellica and Joe made the stop on an eco-friendly road trip in an electric car, ending in Glasgow, where the upcoming climate change conference COP26 will take place

As the third stop on their trip, they visited Branston in Lincolnshire, which has been supplying Tesco with potatoes for 25 years and has come up with lots of clever ways to ensure no potato that comes through its factory goes to waste.

James Truscott, the company's Managing Director, told the fascinated pair how spuds from the farm are sorted into ones that look good enough to go on the shelves - think smooth and rounded - while imperfect ones with bruises or knobbly bits are put in another pile, to be used as mash for ready meals, or in Tescos Perfectly Imperfect range.

Joe was amazed by how much effort went into grading every one of the estimated 250,000 tonnes of potatoes that Branston sends to Tesco every year - and came up with an unlikely comparison to showbusiness.

'The factory was like a beauty school for spuds  they all get washed and cleaned and pampered, and then they're ranked by appearance.

'The potato is thought of as a humble veg, so I was surprised by the huge thought process behind sorting them,' he says.

Branston finds new uses for 'ugly' spuds, including turning them into chips and mash in ready meals

Angellica and Joe chat as they peer over Branston's impressive production line

James told Joe and Angellica how Branston finds new uses for potatoes that arent quite right for the shelves, including sending them to be repurposed as chips, roasties and dauphinoise.

Others are peeled and washed so theyre ready to be sent to one of Tescos ready meal suppliers - such as Samworth Brothers - to be added to dishes like shepherds pie.

Even the peel doesnt go to waste - it is processed in Branstons anaerobic digestion plant and used to create green energy.

Angellica was impressed to hear how this process ensures that the whole of farmers crops can be used in some form.

'It was great to learn all the various ways the potatoes are used to stop them going to waste,' she says.

'No doubt this process is made easier by it being such a versatile veg.

'Branston saves an incredible 30,000 tonnes of waste this way every year.'

Joe and Angellica had a go at sorting the spuds themselves, with Angellica coming out on top.

Joe and Angellica had a go at sorting the spuds themselves, with Angellica coming out on top

They also spoke with Ben Rowbotham, Category Buying Manager at Tesco.

He told them how the supermarket's long-term partnerships with suppliers like Branston gives them the confidence to invest in technology that makes their operations more efficient.

Angellica knew her waste-conscious gran would be pleased.

'She taught me the importance of finding new uses for things so you don't throw them away.

'So I like Tescos approach of working with their suppliers to make sure everything is utilised!'
A gun-toting, militia-supporting Las Vegas city councilwoman announced her candidacy for Nevada governor in a fiery ad that saw her shooting at bottles labeled 'vaccine mandates' and 'critical race theory'.

Republican Michele Fiore, 51, who gained national attention for her support of the Proud Boys militia, announced her plan to run at a news conference on Tuesday, and followed the formal announcement with a dramatic campaign video ad.

In the video, Fiore comes out of a pick-up truck with a Trump 2024 bumper sticker, then touts her gun and status as a Washington outsider who was an early supporter of former President Donald Trump.

'We need outsiders, fighters, not the same old boring, moderate, compromised blue-blazer politicians,' Fiore said in the campaign video, which was filmed in the Nevada Desert.

She then talks about her 'Three Shot Plan' and fires a gun at beer bottles labeled vaccine mandates, critical race theory and election fraud, vowing to put an end to all three.

Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore presented herself as a gun-toting Washington outsider in her campaign ad for Nevada governor

Fiore took aim against vaccine mandates, critical race theory and voter fraud

Fiore shot and destroyed bottles representing vaccine mandates, voter fraud and critical race theory as a vow to do away with them if she wins her bid for governor

It is not the first time Fiore has used guns to promote herself. In 2015 she sent out a Christmas card of her family holding pistols and semi-automatics, including her five-year-old grandson Jake who held a Walther p22.

She defended the image saying: 'If you look real close, you'll see that his finger is not on the trigger.

'That five-year-old grandson of mine has total trigger control.

'I think giving firearms as a present and getting firearms as a present is a great present, and I think because Christmas is a family affair, our ultimate responsibility is to protect and make sure our family is safe.'

In 2015, Fiore sent out a Christmas card of her family holding pistols and semi-automatics, including her five-year-old grandson Jake, who held a Walther p22; also pictured are Fiore's mother, Lili, daughters Sheena and Savannah and their husbands, David and Kyle; as well as five of her now seven grandchildren, Jake, twins Morrigan & Mara, Jayden and Jemma

Fiore again posing with her two daughters to promote the protection of second amendment rights

Fiore was born in Brooklyn to a Kennedy-era liberal, lesbian mother who raised her around equality parades in the late 1970s. Her uncles were NYPD officers who taught her how to fire a gun. Her biography says she still takes care of her mother Lili.

Married and divorced twice, she wed her first husband, Timothy Johnson, at the age of 16 and had her first daughter at the age of 19 while living on a United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay.

Fiore has two daughters, Sheena and Savanah, whom she says are both married to first responders, David and Kyle. Between the two daughters, she has seven grandchildren, Jake 10 years old; Twins Morrigan & Mara 7; Jayden 7; Jemma 3; Jackson 2 years and infant Jetson.

Her second marriage to Nat Kaime, who she ran a health care business with, helped inspire her conservative leanings as he was a regular listener to Rush Limbaugh.

Fiore eventually began to volunteer and run for Congress. In 2010 during the tea party uprising, the casino mogul Steve Wynn encouraged her to run for the House of Representatives. She finished second in an eight-person primary.

Fiore has featured gun rights heavily in several of her campaigns and claims to carry a pistol with her regularly

Fiore also pushed a bill that would allow students to carry guns on college campuses, suggesting it could decrease sexual assaults

'If these young, hot little girls on campus have a firearm, I wonder how many men will want to assault them,' she told the New York Times

Fiore is also a staunch supporter of police and has expressed displeasure with the Black Lives Matter movement

Fiore isn't just comfortable with a gun, she can also ride a horse, as seen in this campaign ad when she ran for Nevada State Assembly

She served in Nevada's Assembly from 2012 to 2016 and was the only Republican in the legislature to support same sex marriage. She also backed the legalization of marijuana.

She received an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association and carries a pistol at all times.

She also pushed a bill that would allow students to carry guns on college campuses, suggesting it could decrease sexual assaults.

'If these young, hot little girls on campus have a firearm, I wonder how many men will want to assault them,' she told the New York Times.

'The sexual assaults that are occurring would go down once these sexual predators get a bullet in their head.'

Her gun advocacy even includes a pro-second amendment calendar she posed for in 2015.

The calendar features quotes from founding fathers of America, fellow gun rights activists like Ted Nugent and Rush Limbaugh and monthly themed snaps featuring Fiore, including the famous Christmas photo with her family.

The calendar was dubbed 'Michele Fiore's 2016 Walk The Talk 2nd Amendment Calendar.'

Fiore's gun advocacy even includes a pro-second amendment calendar she posed for in 2015. The calendar was dubbed 'Michele Fiore's 2016 Walk The Talk 2nd Amendment Calendar'

The photos featured Fiore posing sometimes provocatively, but always with a firearm

One of the months featured a photo in tribute to conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh

May is Military Appreciation Month and Fiore's calendar celebrates it appropriately

A James Bond theme pose suggests that 'diamonds aren't a girls only best friend'

One of the calendar photos features a quote from fellow second amendment activist and rocker Ted Nugent

Fiore caused controversy in 2015 for saying she would shoot Syrian refugees herself when asked if Nevada should offer them asylum.

'What, are you kidding me? I'm about to fly to Paris and shoot 'em in the head myself,' she told a local radio station.

'I am not okay with Syrian refugees. I'm not okay with terrorists. I'm okay with putting them down, blacking them out, just put a piece of brass in their ocular cavity and end their miserable life. I'm good with that.'

She also pushed 'Right to Try' laws to allow patients to choose experimental treatments, claiming that cancer is a fungus and could be cured by baking soda.

'If you have cancer, which I believe is a fungus, and we can put a PICC line into your body and we're flushing with, say, salt water, sodium carbonate, through that line and flushing out the fungus,' she said in 2015.

Fiore, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, continued to praise the president at a Republican Party event just days after the Capitol riot

Fiore also pushed 'Right to Try' laws to allow patients to choose experimental treatments, stating the widely debunked theory that cancer is a fungus and could be cured by baking soda

Her ties to rancher Cliven Bundy and his family put her in a media spotlight during armed standoffs between self-described citizen militia members and federal law enforcement in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014 and Malheur, Oregon, in 2016.

Fiore was credited with helping negotiate an end to the standoff and diffusing the situation.

According to the Washington Post, she 'began conducting a complex balancing act, calming down the terrified occupiers while telling them that she shared their outrage and also reaching out to the FBI to prevent a shootout.'

She told reporters she was able to get to the refuge to coordinate the occupiers' surrender.

Despite being a fiscal conservative, Fiore has admitted to owing the IRS more than $1 million in unpaid taxes. She blamed it on money stolen by an employee and bad accounting by her ex-husband.

Fiore served as Mayor Pro Tem of Las Vegas, a largely ceremonial position. She had to step down from the platform in 2020 after causing outrage over comments she allegedly made regarding race at a local Republican convention.

Niger Innis, a conservative activist who is Black and attended the county convention, claims he heard Fiore say 'If there's a job opening and my white ass is more qualified than somebody's black ass, then my white ass should get the job.'

Innis said Fiore's comments were 'sloppy' but didn't believe they were racist.

Fiore also has connections to the Church of Scientology.

Journalist Tony Ortega has speculated that she is a member and Fiore is on the Board of Directors of Applied Scholastics, a school that provides 'Study Technology, a precise set of learning tools developed by American author and educator L. Ron Hubbard.

Its purpose is to promote and develop programs of effective education for educators, business trainers, parents and children  anyone who need to improve their study skills to enhance their scholastic, business and person success.'

Fiore and President Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., met during a campaign stop in Nevada, a state Trump ended up losing in 2020

Michele Fiore participates in a Republican debate in Henderson, Nevada, in 2016

Prior to her forays into politics, Fiore gave the entertainment business a try.

Fiore co-wrote, produced in starred in a low budget, semi-autobiographical film called Siren.

'She seems like your ordinary overweight middle-aged wife & mom except her dream of being a rock star still weighs heavy on her soul,' says the imdB description of the 2006 film. ''They' say she can't do it, watch her transform and over come life's brutal obstacles to turn her dream into reality.'

The movie was a flop, with Fiore herself calling herself a 'Sundance reject,' as a screening at the festival drew as few as 12 people.

Prior to her forays into politics, Fiore gave the entertainment business a try. Fiore co-wrote, produced in starred in a low budget, semi-autobiographical film called Siren

Firen co-wrote and produced the film with her ex-husband Nat Kaime

'She seems like your ordinary overweight middle-aged wife & mom except her dream of being a rock star still weighs heavy on her soul,' says the imdB description of the 2006 film. ''They' say she can't do it, watch her transform and over come life's brutal obstacles to turn her dream into reality'

The movie was a flop, with Fiore herself calling herself a 'Sundance reject,' as a screening at the festival drew as few as 12 people

Fiore's entrance adds her to a list of Republican gubernatorial candidates in Nevada and other purple states who are assailing state-level executive actions that Democratic incumbents running for reelection have enacted.

In Nevada, candidates trying to unseat Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak have blamed the state's sluggish economic recovery on mandates and restrictions he put in place.

'Michele Fiores entrance will only make this primary more expensive, bruising, and as far-right as it can get. Whoever makes it out alive will spend the general election trying to redefine themselves and refill their bank account,' said Mallory Payne, a spokesperson for Nevada Democratic Victory, a group working to reelect Sisolak.

Fiores announcement comes amid reports of an FBI probe into Fiores campaign finance records and tales of physical confrontations with a former political ally at City Hall. The Las Vegas Review-Journal has reported that agents have subpoenaed records and searched Fiores home in northwest Las Vegas.

Fiore is described as a supporter of militant groups like the one for LaVoy Finicum and the Proud Boys

She will likely draw support from conservative Republicans who see her as a champion for gun rights and an advocate for former President Donald Trump, who remains hugely popular within his party.

Her entrance may shift debates to the right in a race in which former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, once known as a moderate, has refused to explicitly say Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

The teaching of critical race theory in schools, and vaccine mandates are among the hot button social issues currently sweeping the US, with Fiore keen to capitalize on both topics to set herself apart from her rivals.

Besides Fiore and Heller, Nevada's June 2022 Republican primary field includes Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, Reno attorney Joey Gilbert, Gardnerville surgeon Fred Simon and venture capitalist Guy Nohra.

On Tuesday, Fiore, who was elected Nevada's Republican National committeewoman in 2020, said she supported efforts to audit the state's 2020 election result. Gilbert, who was outside the U.S. Capitol when it was violently stormed on Jan. 6 has also called for additional election review.

Fiore said she planned approach the campaign similar to her previous political battles and wouldnt work with Democrats if it meant compromising her positions.

'That isnt me. Youll never hear me do that. If you want that, then vote for one of my primary opponents,' Fiore said.
Actress Shelley Long has been spotted in Los Angeles going for a leisurely stroll with her pet Chihuahua.

DailyMail.com captured the Cheers star taking a break from her walk and relax on a park bench while she watched her dog roam around.

She kept it casual in a gray jacket, light blue top, cuffed jeans and Nike sneakers, appearing almost unrecognizable from her heyday in the 80s.

The reclusive 1980s TV icon keeps an extremely low profile these days and was last photographed in public back in April 2019.

DailyMail.com spotted actress Shelley Long, 72, walking her pet Chihuahua earlier this month

She kept it casual in a gray jacket, light blue top, cuffed jeans and Nike sneakers

The reclusive actress keeps a very low profile these days and was last photographed in public back in April 2019

The reclusive Cheers star took a break at a park bench near her home in Pacific Palisades

Shelley, who has been divorced twice and is a mother of one, has lived in a $1.3 million condo in the upscale West Los Angeles enclave of Pacific Palisades, California, since divorcing her second husband Bruce Tyson in 2004

Shelley found fame playing intellectual barmaid Diane Chambers in the 1980s sitcom but has also appeared in a string of other hit shows and movies including The Money Pit, Troop Beverly Hills, Hello Again and The Brady Bunch Movie.

She also reprised her Cheers role to appear as a guest character on Frasier opposite on-screen love interest Kelsey Grammer.

In his 1995 biography 'So Far' Kelsey claimed Shelley was unpopular with producers on Cheers, whom he alleged grew tired of her constant complaints about his own character and plotlines.

Her character's on-again, off-again romance with former Red Sox relief pitcher Sam Malone (played by fellow Emmy winner Ted Danson) kept the show on the top of the ratings chart year after ye

Shelley found fame playing intellectual barmaid Diane Chambers in the 1980s sitcom, opposite Ted Danson

Shelley quit at the end of Season 5 in 1986, believing her character had run its course

Despite starring in several iconic films, it was her role as Diane on Cheers that won her an Emmy and endeared her to the public

Shelley quit at the end of Season 5 in 1986, believing her character had run its course.

Shelley, who has been divorced twice and is a mother of one, has lived in a $1.3 million condo in the upscale West Los Angeles enclave of Pacific Palisades, California, since divorcing her second husband Bruce Tyson in 2004.

But according to locals, she is rarely seen out and about.

Other celebrities who live in the family friendly Pacific Palisades include Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Larry David, and Tom Hanks.

Despite starring in several iconic films, it was her role as Diane on Cheers that won her an Emmy and endeared her to the public.
But top GPs complained they were too overworked to help accelerate Britain's sluggish Covid booster drive

Sajid Javid yesterday urged eligible people to come forward as boosters 'could really not be more important'

But experts warned top-up jabs are being dished out too slowly, with just 47% of eligible people having them

And Professor Mark Woolhouse said we should see a drop in hospitalisations shortly after cases fall from jabs

Dr Simon Clarke said decline could be 'early sign' of the booster effect after jabs were rolled out to over-50s

The rate of week-on week growth in Covid cases among older groups is falling faster than younger groups

Advertisement

Britain may already be beginning to reap the benefits of its Covid booster vaccine drive, according to official data that will pile more pressure on ministers to accelerate the sluggish programme in the face of rising cases and the new Delta variant.

Over-85s  who were among the first in line for their top-ups  have seen the biggest slowdown in the growth of cases, in what scientists believe is the 'early signs' of the revaccination campaign kicking in.

Experts told MailOnline that the country will really start to see the rewards of the drive over the coming weeks, as millions more get the crucial jab which tops up their immunity.

NHS bosses are already facing calls to urgently speed up the programme, with up to 5million people eligible for a third dose yet to receive it.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair today demanded the Government sets concrete targets to speed the drive up to jab 500,000 a day. It's currently only reaching about 200,000. Discussing the issue on Sky News, he said ministers need to urgently increase capacity and rope in more pharmacies.

The slow progress has led to finger pointing among officials, with the NHS blaming a lack of urgency among the public and insisting there are more than enough doctors, nurses and jabs available.

But sources close to the booster drive told MailOnline capacity was the main issue, with nearly a third fewer mass vaccination hubs in operation now compared to during the peak of the initial vaccine effort in spring. And top GPs yesterday complained they were too overworked to help accelerate Britain's sluggish Covid booster drive.

Meanwhile, the chair of the National Care Association today warned healthcare staff are giving flu jabs to care home residents, but don't have enough booster jabs to administer.

Booster doses started being dished out last month as part of the Government's winter plan to manage the spread of the pandemic.

The graph shows the week-on-week percentage change in the seven-day rolling rate among different age groups. Among the over-90s (dark blue line), week-on-week growth peaked at 35.2 per cent on October 11, before falling by 24.4 per cent to just 10 per cent by October 14. Weekly growth also fell quickly last week among those aged 85 to 90 (green line)  by 11.5 per cent in the last three days and among 80 to 84-year-olds  by 10.3 per cent

NHS bosses are already facing calls to urgently speed up the programme, with up to 5million people eligible for a third dose yet to receive it. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair today demanded the Government sets concrete targets to speed the drive up to jab 500,000 a day. It's currently only reaching about 200,000. The graph shows the number of booster jabs that have been administered each day (orange bars) the cumulative booster doses given in October (red line) and the cumulative, compared to the rollout of second doses that were dished out in April (blue line)

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair last night demanded the Government sets concrete targets to speed the drive up to jab 500,000 a day. It's currently only reaching about 200,000

More than 30million over-50s, NHS staff, carers and immunosuppressed people will be invited to come forward for a top-up of Pfizer over the coming weeks, but only six months after they had their second jab.

Ministers are overseeing the booster rollout to protect the health service as much as possible and prevent No10 having to reintroduce masks and work from home guidance as part of its 'Plan B'.

And more evidence of the importance of boosters emerged today, with data released by Pfizer showing a third dose of its jab slashes the chance of becoming ill with Covid by 95 per cent. Bosses behind the injection said the findings show the boosters may 'play an important role in sustaining pandemic containment and a return to normalcy.'

NHS bosses yesterday demanded the Government immediately impose the contingency measures but Sajid Javid last night held his nerve and rejected pleas, despite warning cases could breach 100,000 a day in weeks. Doctors today accused No10 of being 'wilfully negligent'.

The Health Secretary did, however, leave the door open to curbs in the coming months if the situation gets worse, insisting that minsters would 'stay vigilant'.

In a glimmer of hope, figures suggest the boosters are already starting to squash infections, with the rate of week-on week growth among older groups starting to head downwards.

Booster backlog: Almost five million patients are still waiting for third Covid jab as fears grow that slow rollout will worsen The booster backlog is likely to grow as more patients become eligible for their third jab, figures suggest. Around 4.8million who received their second dose at least six months ago are still waiting for their next one  leaving them with reduced immunity from Covid. The NHS is giving around 1.3million boosters a week, while inviting another 2.2million patients to apply. It means it could be the New Year until all 30million over-50s, health and social care staff and clinically vulnerable are fully-protected. Experts warn hospitals risk being overburdened by coronavirus patients if uptake is not rapidly increased. The AstraZeneca vaccine is 77 per cent effective at preventing infection one month after the second dose but this falls to 67 per cent after six months. The Pfizer jab also falls over the same period from 88 per cent to 74 per cent. Earlier this week, Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said there is 'plenty of capacity' for people to get their boosters, and cited complacency as a key factor. She claimed that 'the crux' of the problem is that people 'are not coming forward as quickly when they receive their invitation as we certainly saw for the first jabs'. But patients say they are struggling to get them after GP surgeries that administered first and second doses pulled out of the programme to focus on routine care. It means some have been told to travel miles from home to a mass vaccine centre. Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, yesterday admitted the issue was not about supply but 'how one can access it in, in a way that's convenient to patients'. Advertisement

Cases are on the rise in all age groups, Department of Health figures show.

But MailOnline's analysis of the week-on-week percentage change in infections show the speed of growth began falling earlier and sharper among those eligible for boosters.

Among the over-90s, week-on-week growth peaked at 35.2 per cent on October 11, before falling by 24.4 per cent to just 10 per cent by October 14.

Weekly growth also fell quickly last week among those aged 85 to 90  by 11.5 per cent in the last three days and among 80 to 84-year-olds  by 10.3 per cent.

But Covid cases are yet to show the same signs of slowing down in younger, less-vaccinated groups  particularly children and young adults.

Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist based at Reading University, said falling rates in elderly groups may be an 'early sign' of a booster effect but added it might be that senior Britons are 'reducing their socialising as we move into autumn'.

Discussing MailOnline's analysis, he said: 'It only represents a few weeks data, so needs to be taken with some caution, but its an encouraging sign.

'News that only about half of this age group have had a booster jab means that, hopefully, there could be a greater decrease of numbers to come. As more age groups reach their six month period and are called for a booster, I expect to see similar effects.'

And Professor Mark Woolhouse, an infectious disease expert at the University of Edinburgh, told MailOnline we should see the impact of boosters in case numbers, followed by hospitalisation rates 'a week or so later'.

Asked if it was the result of a booster effect, he said: 'In principle, yes, if the roll out to date has concentrated on the over-80s then we should see a signature of that in the numbers of cases  and hopefully in hospitalisations a week or so later.'

Just 4.05million out of the 8.7million eligible people in England have received their top-up doses to date, with patients saying they are struggling to find out where to get the shots.

NHS England data also shows only 27.8 per cent of care home residents have received their third jab, alongside 14.1 per cent of care home staff. Around half of over-80s have received their boosters to date.

Mr Javid last night urged eligible people to come forward for their third doses as they 'could really not be more important'. The vaccines have 'changed our daily lives and we all want to sustain that', he said.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference this evening, he said 'we're going to deploy everything' and there is a 'Blitz spirit'. Boosters will be administered at vaccination centres, by GPs visiting people in care homes and during home visits to those who need them, as well as through mobile units.

Mr Javid said: 'We need to sustain the progress weve made. We could lose it. We really could lose that progress if people do not take up their vaccination offers. I really couldn't emphasise it more.'

He warned jabs are ahead in the race between vaccines and the virus but the 'gap is narrowing'. Britain has 'come so far', but with winter ahead 'we can't blow it now', he said.

Sajid Javid (pictured during the Downing Street press conference yesterday evening), the Health Secretary, promised to speed up the vaccine drive and encourage more people to come forward

The above maps show the proportion of Covid cases that were the Delta sub-variant AY.4.2 in the fortnight to June 26 (left) and the fortnight to July 31 (right). Darker colours indicate that more cases of the sub-variant had been detected

The above maps show the proportion of cases that were AY.4.2 in the fortnight to September 25 (left) and October 9 (right). The darker colours indicate that a higher proportion of infections were down to this sub-variant.

Tony Blair urges ministers to set target of 500,000 booster jabs every day over fears a fresh Covid wave could cripple NHS Tony Blair today demands ministers set a target of delivering 500,000 Covid booster jabs a day, amid fears a fresh wave of disease could overwhelm the NHS. With cases rising, the former prime minister says the Government needs to act rapidly and decisively to avoid the need for another lockdown as winter approaches. A report by his think tank, the Tony Blair Institute, said ministers should set a daily target for booster jabs, reactivate the vaccine infrastructure set up earlier in the year and start using the AstraZeneca vaccine for boosters. The report said the Government should also aim to ensure half of all 12 to 15-year-olds are vaccinated by the start of December, while making the approval of vaccines for the under-12s a priority. And it called on ministers to urgently explore the options for introducing a Covid passport while reinstating mandatory face coverings for crowded indoor public spaces. Mr Blair says that without action now, there was a danger that further restrictions would be required in the weeks ahead. The 500,000 figure compares to a vaccination rate of about 200,000 now  and is well behind the 600,000 figure over the summer. Advertisement

The country has to do everything it can to maintain the lead and strengthening the vaccination programme is the 'primary line of defence', the Health Secretary said. He warned protection from the vaccines 'reduces materially over time', especially in older groups, which will translate into a real world impact without booster jabs.

And Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, said: 'If youve been invited for booster and you haven't had one, or youre getting your invitation in the next few weeks then get that booster as quickly as possible because we know that the immunity we get from vaccines will drop off over time. And we don't want that to occur going into winter.

'This is not something that we just need to leave, we can get the public to help us on this.

'And during the last 18 months of the pandemic, I think the public has been fantastic at responding to assist us in the NHS with pressures.

'And the public can do it again by remembering Covid is still here, we need to be cautious where appropriate and we need to get those jabs when were offered them.'

Members of No10's own scientific panels have publicly called for ministers to hurry up with the programme, which prompted Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to admit yesterday it was 'something we really need to address'.

It is feared the slow drive could push hospital and death rates up again and force ministers to revert to its Covid winter 'Plan B', which would see mandatory face masks and vaccine passports introduced.

Up to now, some experts have said the booster programme is moving slowly because the UK is juggling administering first jabs to children in secondary schools and running the largest flu vaccination programme in history.

Pictures this week showed clinics lying virtually empty, some of which are not open for booster jab walk-ins  further highlighting the complexity of Britain's current rollout.

Earlier, the chair of the Royal College of GPs Professor Martin Marshall said many surgeries were having to prioritise clearing treatment backlogs and a surge in demand for doctor appointments over dishing out third doses.

Doctors and the health service won widespread praise for their Herculean effort behind Britain's first Covid vaccination programme, which was one of the fastest in the world and outpaced many European countries.

But top GPs yesterday complained they were too overworked to help accelerate Britain's sluggish Covid booster drive.

And former Prime Minister Tony Blair told Sky News this morning the booster programme needs to be accelerated.

A report by his think tank, the Tony Blair Institute, said ministers should set a daily target for booster jabs, reactivate the vaccine infrastructure set up earlier in the year and start using the AstraZeneca vaccine for boosters.

Pfizer's Covid booster vaccine cuts risk of falling ill by 95%, trial data shows More evidence of the importance of boosters emerged today as data released by Pfizer shows a third dose of its jab slashes the chance of becoming ill with Covid by 95 per cent. Bosses behind the injection said the findings show the boosters may 'play an important role' in containing the pandemic and returning to normal. More than 10,000 over-16s were enrolled in the trial, half of which received a standard dose of Pfizer, while the others received a placebo injection. All participants previously received two doses of Pfizer and there was an average of 11 months between their second and third jab. Between a week and 2.5 months after receiving an injection, five Covid cases were recorded among the booster group, while 109 were registered among those who had the placebo jab. The data suggests Pfizer's jab has an efficacy rate of 95.6 per cent at preventing disease. Pfizer said the side effects from the booster were 'generally consistent' with those recorded after a first or second dose. And no safety concerns were identified, it said. Albert Bourla, chairman and chief executive officer at Pfizer, said 'boosters have a critical role to play in addressing the ongoing public health threat of this pandemic'. Dr Ugur Sahin, managing director and co-founder of BioNTech, said the data adds to the body of evidence suggesting booster doses of Pfizer can 'help protect a broad population of people from this virus and its variants'. He added: 'Based on these findings we believe that, in addition to broad global access to vaccines for everyone, booster vaccinations could play an important role in sustaining pandemic containment and a return to normalcy.' The data is the first efficacy results from any randomised, controlled Covid vaccine booster trial. The efficacy - how well the jabs work during trials - can vary from real-world effectiveness. The UK launched its booster programme last month using Pfizer as the first-choice injection. But a half dose of the Moderna vaccine is also being used if there is not sufficient supply of Pfizer, because trials have found the jabs - which are made in the same way - to have similar effects. Advertisement

He said: 'Were doing about 165,000 a day. We think you need to take that up to 500,000 and you could do that if you put in place the right mechanisms.'

Mr Blair also called for the distribution of jabs to 12 to 15-year-olds to be sped up and encourage more pregnant women to get vaccinated.

He said: 'Its not that the Government dont have in place the things that are necessary. Its really a call for accelerated sense of urgency.

'If you look at the UK today and compare it with France, Italy, Germany, whereas at one point during this pandemic you could say we were well ahead on vaccinations and doing far better, now when you look at our case levels and hospitalisation levels, they are several times the rate that they are in those countries.

'So it may be, as the health minister said, the pressures are sustainable at the moment.

'But really from an abundance of caution, because we have always been surprised on the downside with this disease, it would be sensible to take these measures now with that sense of accelerated urgency.'

Mr Blair said: 'You've just got to say what's going to happen as we approach what will always be difficult  because you always do have winter pressures on the health service  if those cases reach levels north not of 40,000 but of 80,000 or 100,000, as the Health Secretary was saying yesterday.

'Its not right right at this moment that the situation is unsustainable but it could develop that way.'

His call to get more boosters in arms comes as figures suggest the backlog for the top-up jabs is likely to grow as more patients become eligible for their third jab.

Around 4.8million who received their second dose at least six months ago are still waiting for their next one  leaving them with reduced immunity from Covid.

The NHS is giving around 1.3million boosters a week, while inviting another 2.2million patients to apply.

It means it could be the New Year until all 30million over-50s, health and social care staff and clinically vulnerable are fully-protected.

Experts warn hospitals risk being overburdened by coronavirus patients if uptake is not rapidly increased.

And the chair of the National Care Association said residents in care homes are still waiting for Covid boosters.

Nadra Ahmed told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that the situation is 'either [to do with] the availability, or the actual rollout isnt as smooth as the previous one'.

She said: 'Some teams are coming in and doing the flu jab, because we have got both running together, but not having enough booster vaccine to bring that in as well.'

Ms Ahmed told the programme that 'the entire methodology of getting this booster in is not quite mirroring what we did last time to get the vaccine in' and care homes are 'waiting to be contacted; if they are contacting GPs, the GPs are saying "Well, you need to contact the NHS, it might not be them that are dealing with it".'

She added: 'We have got some homes who are telling us they have not been contacted at all, which is really worrying because they know that they are in the cohort to be having it. They are worried.

'There is a concern because obviously the six-month gap is getting bigger and bigger so the efficacy of the vaccine is reducing. We have infection rates that are rising so, for both staff and residents, there is this fear.'
The organisers of a festival originally designed to celebrate Britain leaving the EU have been accused of 'airbrushing' Brexit from their project after it was rebranded with a more 'open, original and optimistic' alternative name.

Formerly titled the 'Festival of Brexit' when it was revealed in 2018, the 120million government-funded ceremony was coined as a way of championing Britain's decision to leave the bloc.

But internally, the celebrations were renamed with the working title 'Festival UK 2022' after organisers distanced the project from the UK's split with the EU, reports the Telegraph.

The national event, due to take place next year, will instead be branded as 'Unboxed' after its chief creative director Martin Green shared his vision of orchestrating an 'original, open and optimistic' party.

He added: 'Unboxed represents an unprecedented and timely opportunity for people to come together across the UK and beyond and take part in awe-inspiring projects that speak to who we are and explore the ideas that will define our futures.'

The 10 art programmes will kick off next March, and range from a decommissioned oil rig being placed in Weston-super-Mare to Moon-inspired satellite and festival events in Leicester, Newcastle and Southampton.

The 'Festival of Brexit' celebrations have now been branded as 'Unboxed' after organisers distanced the project from the UK's split with the EU

Former Prime Minister Theresa May gave the green light to plans to celebrate Britain's exit from the EU in 2019 - quickly gaining support with Conservative MPs across Parliament.

The scheme was dubbed the 'Festival of Brexit', with Jacob Rees-Mogg echoing similarities to the 1951 Festival of Britain.

Although 'Unboxed' make no clear reference to Brexit, the commissions will 'explore ideas that will define our futures', insists Mr Green.

Despite Government ministers adopting an optimistic tone, a handful of parliamentarians have revealed their disappointment that the celebrations appear to veering away from its original purpose.

Craig Mackinlay, MP for South Thanet and a staunch 'hard' Brexiteer, told the Telegraph: 'What could have been a great celebration of global Britain post-Brexit has now been Whitehall sanitised down into something anodyne and meaningless  it is a great opportunity missed.'

And David Jones, MP for Clwyd West, revealed he was 'shocked' that it appeared Brexit was going to be airbrushed from any national celebrations.

He told the Telegraph: 'Brexit is the rebirth of the UK as an independent nation. It is something that we should be celebrating and this is a huge opportunity to do so.

'I very much hope that reference to Brexit will be made in future. A lot of colleagues will wish to take this up with new Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.'

A handful of Tory MPs are said to be frustrated with the decision to rebrand the 'Festival of Brexit'. Pictured: Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries

Unboxed's Galwad project, based in Wales, is set in a dystopian 2052 future that will use futuristic streets as a backdrop to live performances and television dramas.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: 'Next year we will celebrate creativity in all four corners of the UK in what is set to be a huge year for the nation.

'Everyone should have the opportunity to experience world-leading arts and culture no matter what their background or where theyre from - and thats what Unboxed is all about.

'In 2022 were also preparing to host the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and mark Her Majesty The Queens Platinum Jubilee. Together, these events will be at the heart of a year of celebration that will showcase the best of the UK to the world.'
As Gladys Berejiklian stepped out after one of the most difficult days of her political life, she couldn't stop grinning.

But her broad smile may be short lived given the corruption watchdog has announced her former boyfriend Daryl Maguire will give evidence next week.

Joining him on the witness list for the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings is her former deputy premier John Barilaro, one-time chief of staff Sarah Cruickshank, and Ms Berejiklian herself.

But she does at least have one heavyweight figure in her corner.

Graham Richardson - who was once known as the 'Senator for Kneecaps' - jumped to Ms Berejiklian's defence in a radio interview on Thursday.

Gladys Berejiklian was all smiles on Thursday morning, but that may not last long

The Premier smiled and waved on Thursday - giggling upon seeing photographers waiting for her

ICAC is investigating if Ms Berejiklian is corrupt.

Mr Richardson said he and Ms Berejiklian 'have never been close' but the idea that she is corrupt is 'absurd'.

'There's always going to be personality differences, and she and I have had our share,' he told presenter Ben Fordham on Sydney radio station 2GB.

'All of us need to stand up and say that this ICAC thing has got out of hand. If she is corrupt then I don't understand the meaning of the word,' he said.

Mr Richardson said he has known Ms Bereijklian 20 years 'and there's no way in the world you can describe this woman as anything but an honest woman.

'I think it's just terrible what's happened to her,' he said.

He said 'the only crime she's ever committed' is to not openly acknowledge her relationship with disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.

Former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson (pictured) has defended Gladys Berejiklian as 'an honest woman'

Mr Richardson said ICAC has ruined people's reputations, even when ultimately no wrongdoing was found.

'You have to give people's reputation a legitimate weighting in the decisions that you're going to make, and I don't believe that there's ever a good reason, ever, that you destroy reputations when there's no evidence of corruption.'

ICAC witness list Friday October 22- Stuart Ayres MP Gary Barnes Monday 25 - Peter Minucos John Barilaro MP Tuesday 26 - Neil Harley Brad Burden Sarah Cruickshank Wednesday 27 - Gary Barnes (if not completed on Friday 22) Daryl Maguire Thursday 28 - Gladys Berejiklian MP Friday 29 - Gladys Berejiklian MP Advertisement

One of two 'case study' grants at the centre of the inquiry is a $5.5million grant given to a gun club in Mr Maguire's electorate of Wagga Wagga when his then secret partner Ms Berejiklian was the NSW state Treasurer. The grant was passed by the government's expenditure review committee (ERC).

'If you get a situation like that where there's unanimity, it's very very hard to then say the grant should not have been made,' said Mr Richardson.

But the former Labor senator had a warning about pork barrelling by both state and federal governments. 'You make sure when you do these things that there's a good case for them.

'You also make sure that you don't give it all to your own side (in electorates that vote for you). When you do, that's when you get into strife,' he said.

After a day of sensational evidence at the ICAC on Wednesday, counsel assisting ICAC Scott Robertson began Thursday's proceedings by saying 'I expect today to be quite a full day of evidence.'

The inquiry was expected to run for ten days but Mr Robertson said there is 'quite a full and perhaps ambitious program' of witnesses next week and there is a 'serious prospect' the inquiry will need to be extended into a third week.

He said Ms Berejiklian and Mr Maguire will need to be afforded a fair opportunity to test the evidence presented to the inquiry.

Chris Hanger, deputy secretary in the Department of Regional NSW, is expected to be in the witness box all day on Thursday.

In early testimony he said he first became aware of the Wagga Wagga grant after the state government's ERC made the decision and that he took this 'as a positive indication that the government wanted this project supported'.

The grant said it was conditional on a satisfactory business case being finalised.

Assisting counsel Scott Robertson arrives at the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing in Sydney. ICAC is in its first week of hearings into whether former premier Gladys Berejiklian breached public trust

However, in an email received by Mr Hanger in early 2017, another bureaucrat recalled a conversation with then NSW Office of Sport director Michael Toohey.

Mr Toohey was said to have indicated the government was interested in providing funding to 'though the bureaucracy does not support the project'.

Mr Toohey gave evidence to ICAC on Monday that he did not regard the proposal as urgent and it was not accompanied by a strong business case or feasibility study.

An email tendered as evidence to ICAC on Thursday, saying a funding proposal was not supported by 'the bureaucracy'

Mr Hanger said the state department of industry engaged a company to produce a business case for the upgrade of facilities at the Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA) in Wagga Wagga.

The $5.5million grant was conditional on a business case for it being done.

Mr Hanger said 'in the vast majority of cases' the government does not pay an organisation seeking state funding to get a business case to support their proposal.

He agreed with Mr Robertson the difference in this case was the ERC had effectively directed that the business case be developed because it had already made a conditional grant to the association.

Mr Hanger told the ICAC that Peter Minucos, an adviser to the then NSW deputy premier John Barilaro, was a key figure in developing a business case for the ACTA facilities upgrade.

He said Mr Minucos, who is due to give evidence at ICAC on Monday along with Mr Barilaro, was the 'key contact' and was 'heavily involved in the development of the project, in particular the advice back to the consultants ... in regards to an addendum to the original business case'.

Neither Mr Minucos nor Mr Barilaro are accused of wrongdoing.

Mr Robertson asked if it was 'unusual to have someone in a ministerial office involved in procuring a business case as an addendum to a business case?'

'It's peculiar for them to be involved in advice around that in the way Mr Minucos did,' Mr Hanger anwered.

Mr Robertson asked: 'As a longtime public servant with responsibility for procurement of infrastructure, did you regard it as inappropriate that there was the kind of advice ... provided at the political level rather than the agency or departmental level?'

'We indicated that it wasn't ... where or how they should be providing advice,' Mr Hanger said, adding that this view was expressed to Mr Barilaro's office.

The Australian Clay Target Association is part of an ICAC inquiry into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian

Mr Hanger also understood there was interest from the 'premier herself', Gladys Berejiklian, who replaced Mr Baird following his resignation in January 2017.

'I was clearly of the impression that the premier's office and the premier wanted that business case revisited,' Mr Hanger said.

An initial business case had estimated the benefit to cost ratio for the project was below one (0.88), which was too low to justify state agency Infrastructure NSW backing the plan.

A subsequent version of the business case put the ratio at one, which was high enough to justify funding.

Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly and strenuously denied all wrongdoing.

Mr Hanger is also being questioned about a $30million grant for the Riverina Conservatorium of Music, which is also being investigated by the corruption watchdog.

The conservatorium, which is in Daryl Maguires electorate of Wagga Wagga, received funding in 2018.

Mr Hanger agreed with counsel that an initial funding proposal was sought to be brought under the governments unsolicited proposals process in mid-2017, but did not meet the requirements of such a proposal.

Mr Hangers then worked for a regional NSW agency which sat under the Department of Premier and Cabinet and whose relevant minister was Mr Barilaro.

Mr Barilaro is not accused of wrongdoing and is due to give evidence on Monday.

Mr Hanger said Mr Maguire or the conservatorium may have written directly to the premier.

An ICAC witness must Appear at a public inquiry or compulsory examination when you receive an ICAC summons Produce any documents required by the ICAC Before giving evidence, take an oath or make an affirmation that your evidence will be truthful Answer all questions asked truthfully. It is an offence under the ICAC Act to give false or misleading evidence Not discuss the evidence you give in a compulsory (private) examination or the fact that a compulsory examination has been held with anyone except your lawyer Not breach any other suppression order. Advertisement

NSW Jobs Minister Stuart Ayres, who is due to front the inquiry on Friday, said he won't provide a 'running commentary' on the ICAC proceedings.

He is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Speaking in Sydney on Thursday, he was asked about evidence already heard from other witnesses.

Mr Ayres was Sport Minister at the time Mr Maguire was lobbying the government for a multi-million dollar upgrade grant for a gun club in Wagga Wagga.

The ICAC heard earlier this week that Mr Ayres' office asked a NSW government agency to draft an urgent funding proposal for the upgrade to be examined by cabinet's expenditure review committee in 2016.

'In relation to those matters, everyone knows I am going to be a witness at the Commission's hearing tomorrow,' Mr Ayres said.

'I have no intention of providing a running commentary. It's a public hearing and you can all watch my evidence tomorrow morning.'

Mr Ayres' comments were echoed by the new NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

'Former premier Mike Baird was a witness at the Commission yesterday,' he said on Thursday.

'I'm the Premier of the state. I'm not giving a running commentary on matters before the integrity commission.

'I've made it very clear, I'm not going to be giving a running commentary ... it would be completely prejudicial to an ongoing inquiry, it's a public inquiry and those matters are being dealt with the commission and the integrity agency.

'It should be done with complete independence and not have public commentary surrounding it.'

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro has been called as a witness to the ICAC investigation into former premier Gladys Barilarlo

A former NSW premier, Mike Baird, on Wednesday afternoon condemned Ms Berejiklian for her secret love affair with Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.

Giving evidence to the corruption inquiry into his one-time close political ally on Wednesday, Mr Baird said Ms Berejiklian should have told him that she was dating Mr Maguire when she was the state's Treasurer.

The first he heard of their relationship was 'when it was revealed here (at ICAC) about a year ago,' he said, adding that he was 'incredulous' when he heard it.

'Certainly I think it should have been disclosed  to myself as the premier' and that it was a 'potential conflict of interest,' he said.

Gladys Berejiklian's former chief of staff Sarah Cruickshank (pictured) is set to give evidence in an ICAC corruption inquiry next week

That 'potential conflict of interest' was that Ms Berjiklian was head of a committee deciding on funding for a multi-million dollar project that Mr Maguire was very keenly backing.

Speaking to reporters after his testimony, Mr Baird said: 'I am devastated to be here, giving evidence into events that have taken place.'

'Clearly it's with a heavy heart I had to give my evidence and I've done that and now it's a matter for the commission.'

Mike Baird (pictured right) and Gladys Berejiklian (left) were very close political allies

Mr Baird told ICAC counsel Scott Robertson that while he could not recall the specific advice he was given about the Wagga Wagga gun club proposal.

ICAC is investigating whether Ms Berejiklian 1. Engaged in conduct between 2012 and 2018 that was 'liable to allow or encourage the occurrence of corrupt conduct' by former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire, with whom she was in a close personal relationship between 2015 and 2018 2. Exercised her official functions dishonestly or partially by refusing to exercise her duty to report any reasonable suspicions about Mr Maguire to the ICAC 3. Exercised any of her official functions partially in connection with two multimillion-dollar grants in Mr Maguire's electorate, to the Australian Clay Target Association Inc and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music. Advertisement

'My sense was that they - the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Treasury - were probably against' it due to economics and costings,' he said.

He said Mr Maguire strongly followed up on projects he was backing. 'Daryl relentlessly pursued his own agenda' and he 'advocated very strongly' on issues of interest to him, Mr Baird said.

But he added that Mr Maguire was 'at times aggressive and at times abusive to members of staff and public servants'.

Mr Robertson asked Mr Baird if the support of the Treasurer was a big factor in deciding if a particular proposal would receive the support of the ERC.

'Yes,' Mr Baird said. 'As a principle, that would have given me great comfort' but he said he read proposals in detail and did not just rely on the advice he got from others.

Mr Baird was asked when he first knew that Ms Berejiklian had been in a relationship with Mr Maguire.

'When it was revealed here (at ICAC) about a year ago,' he said, adding that he was 'incredulous' when he heard it.

He said if the relationship was known about at the time, Ms Berejiklian would have been excluded from the committee meeting concerning the gun club project.

He added that if Ms Berejiklian had disclosed the relationship: 'It could have been managed'.

'Gladys is a close personal friend, always has been,' Mr Baird said after his appearance at ICAC.

'I think that she has the highest integrity and has a real commitment to public service and public life and public priorities.'

He said he wished she had told him about her relationship with Mr Maguire, but 'as I've given evidence, she didn't, and obviously I'm disappointed, but that doesn't change the way I feel (about her).'

Mr Baird said Ms Berejiklian's secret relationship could have been accommodated if she had told him about it.

'Knowing her, in terms of integrity and character ... she would be able to manage the conflict  she absolutely had the capacity to do it.'

Former NSW premier Mike Baird (pictured right) appeared before the ICAC inquiry into another former NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian (pictured left)

Former NSW premier Mike Baird arrives at the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing in Sydney on Wednesday, October 20, 2021

The revelation of former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian's (pictured left) secret relationship with Daryl Maguire (right) left another former premier, Mike Baird 'incredulous'
Cleo Smith could have been driven eight hours away from the campsite she was last seen at in the time between when she went missing and before police were called - as detectives investigate whether the four-year-old was abducted.

A map showing the possible roads she may have travelled on has suggested she could have reached as far as Tom Price just over eight hours north-east of the Blowholes camping ground near Carnarvon in WA where she vanished from in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Cleo may also have been driven south with the town of Kalbarri, five hours away, also a possible area she may have passed through, as is the suburb of Meekatharra, 670km south-east.

The Minilya Roadhouse is around 165km north of the campsite and is on the only northbound road away from Blowholes and records every vehicle that passes through.

It's understood police are investigating the CCTV taken from the roadhouse.

A map showing the possible roads Cleo Smith travelled in the time between when she went missing and police were called suggests the four-year-old could have been taken eight hours away

The missing four-year-old was last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning in a tent shared with her parents

The four-year-old girl, wearing pink pyjamas, was last seen by her parents at about 1.30am on Saturday in the family's tent at the camping grounds.

By the time her mother Ellie Smith and step father Jake Gliddon woke up at about 6:30am, she was nowhere to be found - with the tent zip leaving the entrance open.

It was at least another three hours before police were called with officers arriving 'mid-morning Saturday'.

WA Police Inspector Jon Munday said little Cleo was too short to reach the zipper of the tent entrance, which was found hanging open by her mother at 6.30am.

He said the height of the zip opening on the tent was a major piece of evidence that could point to the possibility Cleo has been deliberately taken from the tent while her parents slept.

'The positioning of that zipper for the flap is one of the circumstances which has caused us to have grave concerns for Cleo's safety,' he said.

By the time her mother Ellie Smith and step father Jake Gliddon woke up at about 6:30am, she was nowhere to be found - with the tent zip leaving the entrance open

The search for Cleo has entered a sixth day with crews continuing to scour the area

Cleo had been inside the tent with her mother and stepdad but was gone in the morning with the zipper almost completely open

'There are circumstances around her disappearance that make it very concerning ... like the fact that the zipper was allegedly up so high (and) the sleeping bag is missing.'

The family tent had several entry points that could be unzipped, with the one found open being at the front-facing area of the tent where the little girl had been sleeping.

Campers have claimed they heard the sound of a car speeding off around 3am, with police revealing up to 20 sex offenders live in the Carnarvon area which is near the campsite where Cleo was last seen.

Ellie Smith and her partner, Jake Gliddon (pictured) fronted the media for the first time on Tuesday after four-year-old Cleo (middle) went missing near the Blowholes campsite north of Carnarvon in Western Australia five days ago

Investigators have disclosed that while there are currently no concrete suspects for Cleo's disappearance, there are 'groups they are interested in'.

As each hour passes the situation grows more and more concerning for Cleo.

But search crews have not given up hope of finding the little girl.

WA Police Inspector Jon Munday said search crews would cast the net wider on Thursday.

'We will be here until we are satisfied that Cleo is not in this area, we have searched thoroughly all the high probability areas... we are now extended into the further reaches of the places where Cleo could have possibly walked herself,' he told The West.

Her shell-shocked parents fronted the media for the first time on Tuesday fighting back tears as they made a public appeal for information.

When Ellie Smith first realised her 'delicate and funny' daughter was missing from their family tent before the sun had even risen, she made a beeline for her old favourite spots to play.

'[Cleo] would never leave us. She would never leave that tent alone... She's lazy when it comes to walking,' Ms Smith said on Tuesday.
Rival gangland bosses have drawn up a hitlist of Hamze clan targets to execute as the bitter drugs war in Sydney's west escalates, warn police.

Detective fear several high-profile members of the Hamze family could be next after Wednesday's brutal double murder of Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik, 64.

They believe Toufik Hamze was an innocent victim caught in the crossfire of the bloody hit, and neighbours said they were sure a 'terrible mistake' had been made.

Mr Hamze had lived for years at number 17 on Osgood St in Guildford, literally across the road from the Alameddines at number 18.

Residents in the street insist that, despite the deadly feud between their namesakes, there was never any friction between the two families on Osgood St.

Salim Hamze, 18, is believed to have had a minor association with the underworld conflict with the Alameddine clan. He was brutally executed in broad daylight on Wednesday

The front yard of Toufik Hamze's home (pictured) where the pair died was littered with construction site debris, including a toilet and a frying pan

Daily Mail Australia understands the Hamze victims were distant relatives of the family at the centre of the underworld conflict, and Toufik was not involved.

'I think someone has made a terrible mistake,' said one neighbour. 'I think there's been a misunderstanding.

'Toufik was not related to the gangster Hamzes, They were not from the same family, same village, same part of Lebanon or even the same religion.

'He had nothing to do with the other Hamzes.'

He added: 'There was never any trouble between the Hamzes and Alameddines on Osgood Street. They got on well - there was no hint of any trouble.'

Toufik Hamze was hit by a shot to the head in the hail of bullets that cut down his son as they sat in the front of their red Nissan Navara ute outside Toufik's home.

Police said Salim suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene while his father was rushed to hospital with a head wound but later died.

Paramedics desperately tried to revive Toufik before he was raced to Westmead Hospital, where he later died

The gunmen struck as Salim and Toufik Hamze got into their battered old ute in the front yard of the home in Osgood Street (pictured) while on their way to work in the building industry

The shooting is understood to be the latest escalation in the increasingly bloody Sydney underworld feud between the Alameddine and Hamze families.

Police believe Salim was the intended target and his father was collateral damage. Police are unaware of any criminal involvement of the slain father.

The teenager was said to have been warned he was a possible target as a reprisal for a drive-by shooting at Assad Alahmad's home, brother-in-law of rival crime boss Rafat Alameddine.

Police last month caught Salim with a gun in his car and he admitted he was living in fear of his life after becoming a target for criminal rivals.

Salim Hamze, 18, (pictured) and his father Toufik, 64, were found critically injured in the front seat of a red Nissan Navara ute on Osgood St, Guildford shortly before 9am on Wednesday

Salim Hamze and his father Toufik were found slumped in a red ute (pictured) following reports of a shooting in Guildford on Wednesday morning

Toufik Hamze was hit by a shot to the head in thesalvo of shots that cut down his son as they sat in the front of their bullet-riddled red Nissan Navara ute (pictured)

'He was known to us as a person who was sometimes under threat and known to be involved in criminal organisations,' said Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett.

Salim's lawyer Ahmed Dib said the young teenager knew he was heading down a troubled path and was eager to turn over a new leaf.

Mr Dib said Salim said he came from a good family and 'he wanted to excel in life in a positive way'.

He told his lawyer he planned to move out of his neighbourhood in southwest Sydney and build a career in construction, like his father.

'I think it's absolutely tragic when you have young people who haven't even begun their lives yet falling victim to what they say is gang-related crime,' the lawyer told the SMH.

A secret police document submitted to court revealed Ghassan Amoun (centre) and Bilal's brother Ibrahem Hamze (second from right) were at the top of an Alameddine hitlist

Now they expect the gang war to ramp up, with at least two more Hamze family members warned they are on the Alameddine's kill list.

The father and son are among four Hamze men to be killed within the past 12 months, after gang leader Mejid was shot dead last October and his cousin Bilal was assassinated in June.

Different branches of the family use variations of the 'Hamze' surname including the alternative spelling 'Hamzy', with Salim's name is recorded as 'Hamiz' in police data bases.

Ghassam Amoun, brother of Bassam Hamzy, was told he was the number one target after Bilal was gunned down outside a restaurant in Sydney's CBD.

A secret police document submitted to court revealed Amoun and Bilal's brother Ibrahem Hamze were at the top of an underworld hitlist.

Salim's lawyer Ahmed Dib said the youth was eager to turn his life around after being charged with illegally possessing firearms

Osgood St (pictured) in Guildford was cordoned off as a high presence of police investigate the scene of the shooting

Police tried block the pair from going to Bilal's funeral in a bid to avert more possible bloodshed, but the men ignored the warnings.

Amoun was said to have hidden his face behind a mask to attend the funeral.

And in August Ibrahem Hamze dodged an alleged hit when highway patrol officers spotted two masked gunmen in a stolen Mercedes allegedly on their way to execute him.

A police pursuit through the streets of North Sydney saw the assassins abandon the Mercedes to carjack a 76 year old man's Toyota Corolla in Cammeray and escape.

One man was later arrested and charged in connection with the alleged hit attempt.

'Our main focus is a number of known families involved in serious and organised crime,' said Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett.

'We're worried about reprisals, we're worried about family feud and we're also worried about drug and kidnapping turf wars.

'They're going on in south-west Sydney all the time.'

Mejid Hamzy (left), the brother of jailed Brothers for Life gang founder Bassam (right) was gunned down outside his home at Condell Park in October last year

He added: 'We'll be chasing up every lead in relation to this matter and we will be hoping to interview people in the coming days.'

He described Wednesday's double murder as an appalling act of violence on the streets of Sydney.

'It's an atrocious crime that shouldn't have taken place,' DCS Bennett said.

'It's another appalling crime in a long list of gangland style shootings that have taken place in south-west Sydney.

'The State Crime Command and local police are hand in glove trying to stop to these crimes before they happen.'

Police tried block Ghassan Amoun and Ibrahem Hamze from going to Bilal' Hamzes funeral in a bid to avert more possible bloodshed, but the men ignored the warnings. (Pictured, mourners at the funeral in June)

Homicide detectives are now on the hunt for two assassins behind the latest killings.

A burnt-out Lexus SUV was found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane a short time after the shooting is believed to be the killers' getaway car.

Officers are also trying to track down a dark-coloured Ford Mustang spotted leaving that area moments after the SUV went up in flames.

Law enforcement teams are expected to crackdown on the two gangs as their bloody battle for drug territory continues to spiral out of control.

A burnt-out Lexus SUV was found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane a short time after the shooting

Daily Mail Australia understands Salim and his father were leaving home to go to work when they were assassinated.

The victims carpooled together most morning and police believe their attackers were aware of their morning routine.

There were frantic scenes near the site of the execution on Wednesday afternoon as police pulled over residents driving just a block away from the shooting.

Police secure the crime scene around the red ute where the father and son were shot on Wednesday

Police forced a Toyota Hilux to pull over and give his phone to officers while officers pored over his vehicle with gloves and torches about 4pm - from the engine to the undercarriage of the car.

His phone was eventually returned and he drove away.

Police pulled over at least two more drivers, but both were released.

There were frantic scenes near the site of the execution on Wednesday afternoon as police pulled over residents driving just a block away from the shooting (pictured)

A burnt out Lexus SUV (pictured) was found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane a short time after the shooting

Police forced a Toyota Hilux to pull over and give his phone to officers while officers pored over his vehicle with gloves and torches about 4pm (pictured)

Dozens of police have arrived at the scene in Guildford to investigate the latest escalation in the long-running underworld feud between Alameddine and Hamze families

Police have confirmed Salim was 'well known' to them and on bail for firearms offences after being arrested by the State Crime Command on September 10.

'He was known to us as a person sometimes under threat and known to be involved in criminal organisations.' Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett said.

Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik, 64 were shot while leaving for work. Pictured are police being briefed at the scene

Sources close to the Hamze clan told Daily Mail Australia family members held an urgent Zoom meeting with a criminal defence lawyer shortly in the wake of the slaying.

'We live in Merrylands but we were driving through this morning at about 9.30 and we saw the police everywhere,' these women (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia

The slain pair are among four members of the extended Hamze family to be shot dead in the last year.

In June, the crime boss cousin of Brothers for Life gangster Bassam Hamzy was executed in a drive-by shooting after leaving Sydney's ritzy Kid Kyoto Japanese restaurant.

Underworld figure Bilal Hamze, 34, had a bounty on his head when he was shot twice in the stomach and once in the shoulder in front of shocked onlookers.

Bilal was hiding out in the city amid underworld conflict with members of the rival Alameddine clan.

His public assassination came after his own mother Maha Hamze's home in Auburn was the target of a drive-by shooting in February.

A burnt out Lexus SUV (pictured) found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane shortly afterwards has since been towed away

Police were called to the Guildford street off Woodville Road shortly before 9am following reports of a shooting.

No one inside was injured but a nurse at a nearby hospital was hurt when a stray bullet destroyed a window she was standing near.

In October last year, Mejid Hamzy - the younger brother of Bassam, was gunned down in broad daylight outside his Condell Park home.

Two brothers allegedly linked to the Alameddine family have been arrested over the fatal shooting of Mejid, but police believe the gunmen are still at large.

In September, police released CCTV footage of two hooded men fleeing from the scene moments after Mejid was shot dead as they continue to hunt for the killers.

The CCTV captured the face and distinct blond hair of one the men briefly exposed after his hoodie fell off while fleeing the scene through the reserve before getting into two luxury cars.

Almost two months later, Shady Kanj, 22, was struck by a bullet while a passenger in a car driving on Boundary Rd, Chester Hill in western Sydney on August 6.

Bilal Hamzy, the cousin of Bassam, was executed in a drive-by shooting in Sydney's CBD in June (pictured above sequence of events)

Kanj was an associate of both the Hamzy and Alameddine gangs,

A week later, a suspected murder attempt against another member of the Hamze clan was foiled following a police traffic stop in Sydney's north.

Police believe gangland rivals had been planning to carry out an attack on Ibrahem Hamze when a stolen Mercedes was spotted on Walker Street on August 14.

The driver allegedly refused to stop the vehicle for officers before speeding off and running through a red light.

But the car suffered a flat tyre forcing the driver and another passenger to abandon the vehicle on Miller Street at Cammeray.

Anyone with information about Wednesday morning's shooting is urged to call Crime Stoppers.
A young woman whose throat was slashed in a murder that shocked Australia had just months before consulted a psychic for advice on her jealous boyfriend.

Shandee Blackburn, 23, went for a spiritual reading in the coastal town of Mackay, Queensland, while her then boyfriend John Peros sat waiting outside in 2012.

Ms Blackburn recorded the session on her phone as she asked the woman, who promoted herself as a clairvoyant, if her on-and-off again relationship with Mr Peros was 'worth pursuing'.

The new recording has emerged as part of The Australians podcast series 'Shandee's Story' investigating her 2013 unsolved killing in which her boyfriend was later accused of and acquitted of murder.

Mr Peros, who was no longer dating Ms Blackburn at the time of her murder, has always maintained his innocence despite a coroner later finding he was most likely responsible for her death.

Shandee Blackburn, 23, died after being brutally stabbed more than 20 times while walking home after a shift at Harrup Park Country Club in Mackay, Queensland in February of 2013

The psychic said Ms Blackburn's boyfriend had to stop bringing up the past to which she replied: 'He just doesn't know how to stop, to get it out of his head'.

Ms Blackburn revealed her boyfriend was 'hung up' on her past relationships and maintained she had never cheated on him and never would.

The couple had broken up in mid-2011 while Mr Peros travelled to Thailand without her but on his return to Australia in early 2012 the pair decided to date again.

The psychic asked Ms Blackburn what her boyfriend did overseas to which she responded with: 'Same thing men  all men, go there for'.

'They're only prostitutes, don't worry about it,' the psychic said.

'He'll pay for it, you know. It's not free. It's no big coup to his ego. They're funny bastards, aren't they?'

Ms Blackburn confirmed she had received a phone call from Mr Peros while he was in Thailand telling her he missed her and wanted 'to give things a go'.

The psychic offered up further advice during the session suggesting all men 'screw around' out of revenge to a 'nagging woman'.

'It's a revenge. For finding fault with them. Don't find fault and there's no need for them to get revenge on us, is there?'

The psychic recommended Ms Blackburn meditate and use sandalwood oil on her pillowcase and to chant a mantra that 'removes ghosts'.

Ms Blackburn's ex-boyfriend John Peros was acquitted of her murder in 2017 and maintains his innocence

At the end of the session she had only one warning for Ms Blackburn on her relationship: 'The guilt you're getting projected on you could make it go bad.'

Shortly after the spiritual reading Ms Blackburn and Mr Peros broke up for good and she entered a new relationship before she was brutally murdered.

Ms Blackburn was stabbed more than 20 times while walking home after a shift at Mackay's Harrup Park Country Club in February 2013.

She was just metres away from the house she shared with her mother Vicki when CCTV captured a mysterious figure running towards her.

Her voice box was slashed and she crawled into a nearby gutter, unable to call out for help before she later died in hospital.

Mr Peros was initially a suspect in the case, but after being charged with her murder he was acquitted in 2017 and maintains his innocence.

The death of Ms Blackburn (centre) is now the subject of an investigative podcast series run by The Australian's national chief correspondent, Hedley Thomas

During a two-week inquest in July last year, however, Queensland Central Coroner David O'Connell said Mr Peros was most likely responsible for her death.

Handing down the findings of the inquest, Coroner O'Connell said there was 'no doubt' in his mind that Mr Peros had been the one to attack Ms Blackburn and cause her injuries.

It came after Mr O'Connell heard evidence that a vehicle similar to Mr Peros' white Toyota Hilux was seen near the area where Ms Blackburn was attacked.

Despite the coroner's findings Mr Peros will not be arrested or charged because he has already been acquitted of murder.

Mr Peros, who was an amateur boxer and diesel fitter, has always denied any involvement into the crime.
The White House told Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday that a proposed hike in US corporate taxes is unlikely to make it into their signature social spending bill, according to a congressional source familiar with the discussions.

President Joe Biden's plans to hike the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 21 percent, a key campaign promise, are likely to be one of the steep concessions he makes to steer his economic revival package through Congress, the White House disclosed in the private meeting with top Democrats.

The proposed rate had sparked concern among small business owners who feared they could be penalized as harshly as larger corporations the proposed rise was intended to target, despite assurances from Biden that it would have no such impact.

'There is an expansive menu of options for how to finance the president's plan to ensure our economy delivers for hardworking families, and none of them are off the table,' said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates.

Biden, his aides and congressional leadership are racing to close a deal as soon as this week on a set of tax hikes they hope will fund more than $1.75trillion over a decade in programs ranging from childcare to eldercare, healthcare, affordable housing and climate change mitigation.

President Joe Biden is seen above returning to the White House on Wednesday. Biden aides have told Democratic lawmakers that it is unlikely new spending legislation will include a corporate tax hike

They have no margin for error because Democrats hold only narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. Republicans oppose the legislation.

'The president knows that he's not going to get everything he wants in this package,' White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Air Force One.

'Nor will any member of Congress, probably, and that's what compromise is all about.'

The original price tag for the social spending bill was $3.5trillion, but it has now been hacked back to less than $2 trillion, with tuition-free community care college and indefinite raises to child tax credits also on the chopping block.

Democrats hope to pass the measure in the Senate through a 'reconciliation' process that requires support by only a simple majority rather than the 60 votes needed for most legislation in the evenly split 100-member chamber.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris holds the tiebreaking vote.

Biden, who framed the 2020 election against Republican then-President Donald Trump as one between working-class Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Manhattan's Park Avenue, pitched the tax hike as an effort to make sure the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share.

Trump and congressional Republicans cut corporate rates to 21 percent from 35 percent in 2017.

After taking office in January, Biden paired the tax hike with a mix of programs he has argued will put the United States on a more sustainable economic footing to compete with China, from universal pre-kindergarten to dental benefits for seniors and incentives to encourage a shift to low-carbon energy sources.

Progressive legislators led by Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, have argued for a hike in corporate taxes

But centrist Democrats in Congress, including Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia (left) and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona (right), have balked at the proposed tax hikes and the $3.5trillion price tag

Business groups and Republicans have fought the measures, arguing they will hamper the economy's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two moderate Democrat senators - Joe Mancin and Krysten Sinema - have also held out, and are believed to be responsible for many of the concessions Biden has made so far.

'When I ran for president, I came back to Scranton,' Biden said on Wednesday on his first trip back to his birthplace since Election Day last November.

'I resolved to bring Scranton values to bear, making fundamental shifts in how our economy works for working people, build the economy from the ground up ... and not from the top down.'

Top Democrats may now put on the table alternate financing proposals for the bill that have been discussed for weeks, including imposing new levies on stock buybacks and business partnerships, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Kyrsten Sinema, a key swing-vote Democrat who has expressed the most concern about tax hikes, may be amenable to other measures that only raise rates for highly profitable large corporations paying next to nothing in federal taxes under current rules, according to Senate colleague Elizabeth Warren.

'Our problem is partly about too low a rate at the top, and obviously some Democrats disagree,' Warren, a Democrat, said on CNN.

'But I think all the Democrats agree, by golly, everybody ought to be paying something.'

The S&P 500 closed 0.4 percent higher after the news about the White House's private comments was first reported by The Washington Post.

After-hours trading in the US stock index trended 0.3 percent higher.
A 59-year-old man has denied murdering his estranged wife who was beaten and choked while taking out rubbish at her Gold Coast hinterland home.

Andrew John Cobby is accused of murdering Gaylene Cobby, who was known as Kym, outside her Worongary home in November 2017.

He pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Gaylene Cobby's (pictured) last words have been revealed to a Brisbane court on Wednesday after her murder outside her Worongary home

Cobby and 51-year-old Ms Cobby had been separated for many years at the time of her death.

Her bloodied body was found about 11pm on November 12 by her ex-brother-in-law Craig Eden near the road at the end of the long driveway of the house where they both lived, prosecutor Philip McCarthy told the jury in his opening address.

At first Mr Eden - who had been married to Kym's sister - didn't recognise the mother-of-three.

'Kym Cobby had been choked, asphyxiated, and left for dead,' Mr McCarthy added.

He said the jury would hear a locked red Chrysler Cobby borrowed from his flatmate that evening was found near the body.

The jurors would also hear audio from a neighbouring home's security camera of a woman start screaming about 11pm.

Andrew John Cobby (pictured), 59, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the murder of his estranged wife

Mr McCarthy said the prosecution would suggest in the recording the woman could be heard screaming 'Andrew, please', the screaming continued and it abruptly stopped.

'The Crown contend that the recording you will hear in this court room is of the last moments of Kym Cobby's life as she is killed,' Mr McCarthy added.

Within hours of arriving at the scene officers found Ms Cobby's estranged husband outside a nearby house.

He told police Ms Cobby had called him as she feared for her safety.

The trial will hear evidence of blood on his jeans and shirt that contained Ms Cobby's DNA, Mr McCarthy said.

Cobby admits being there with Ms Cobby, but says he ran away into the bush when they were both assaulted by an unknown assailant, barrister Tony Kimmins told the jury.

Within hours of arriving at the scene officers found Ms Cobby's estranged husband outside a nearby house (pictured, the scene of the murder)

Cobby says the pair had been investing money with others, but there had been a falling out.

Mr Kimmins said Ms Cobby had complained she and family members had been threatened by people associated with the investments.

This included a report to police less than a month before she died.

'The real question is ... have the prosecution established beyond reasonable doubt that Andrew Cobby killed Kym Cobby?' Mr Kimmins said.

He argued the jurors will have 'great problems' in coming to that conclusion.

The jury is set to hear from more than 50 witnesses over at least three weeks before Justice Peter Callaghan.
The debunked Amtrak story that Joe Biden told in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Wednesday was the fifth time in the last year - and fourth since entering the White House - that the president repeated the tale.

Biden made similar remarks on these occasions.

October 12, 2020

Then-candidate Joe Biden spoke to a small group at Cincinnati's Museum Center at Union Terminal on October 12, 2020

During an appearance on the campaign trail in Cincinnati, Ohio, then-candidate Joe Biden repeated the story about his friend, Amtrak conductor Angelo Negri.

'And so I started commuting every day back and forth, and that's how I got involved as sort of Mr. Amtrak,' Biden said.

'Because when they publish that, they keep fastidious records on how many miles you travel on government aircraft when your vice president.

'And I had traveled a little over, I think it was a 1,400,000 miles.

'It was on the front page of the paper, but I used to like to take the train home on Fridays still as Vice President because it costs a lot of money to take that small plane back.

'But in addition to that, the Secret Service felt much more secure if I wasn't on a train, but they humored me and let me go home on Fridays sometimes.

'My mom was living at my home as she was passing.

'And I remember getting on the train and a guy named Angelo Negri, I got to know their families, all the conductors and all the people all those years.

'And he came up to me and he grabbed me and he said, "Joey." He grabbed my cheek.

'I thought the Secret Service was going to shoot him. I said, "No." I said, "He's okay."

'Its a true story.

'And he said, "I just read, Joey, 1,400,000 miles on Air Force Two, big deal. The boys, we were checking. We had our retirement dinner. Went up to New Jersey for the dinner. You know how many miles you traveled on Amtrak?"

'I said, "No, Ang, I don't."

'He said, "Joey," he said, "we figure 117 days a year, 36 years, and then X number of days as Vice President, you've traveled 2,100,000 miles on Amtrak."

'I think I hold the record, other than a conductor.'

April 30, 2021

Delivering an April 30 speech in Philadelphia commemorating the 50th anniversary of Amtrak, Biden launched into the tale of reaching 1.5 million miles on the service

Delivering a speech in Philadelphia commemorating the 50th anniversary of Amtrak, Biden launched into the tale of a certain conductor congratulating him on reaching the milestone as he traveled to visit his sick mother.

Biden said the incident occurred in his 'fourth or fifth year as vice president', or around 2014-2015, at which time the conductor he named had been retired for 20 years and had passed away, inconsistencies first pointed out by Fox News.

Biden, who served in the Senate for 36 years, famously commuted by Amtrak to Congress from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, racking up many miles on the train service.

'When I became vice president, one of the Capitol Hill newspapers estimated that I had taken more than 7,000 round trips on Amtrak over my career,' he explained in his speech on Friday.

'I think that's an exaggeration. I'm going to rely on those two conductors  one of them was a guy named Angelo Negri,' he continued, launching into the anecdote.

'There was an article, I guess my fourth or fifth year as vice president, saying Biden travels 1,300,000 miles on Air Force One [Two]. I used to  the Secret Service didn't like it  but I used to like to take the train home,' he continued.

'My mom was sick and I used to try to come home almost every weekend as vice president to see her. I got on the train and Angelo Negri came up and he goes, 'Joey, baby,' and he grabbed my cheek like he always did. I thought he was going to get shot. I'm serious. I said, 'No, no, he's a friend,' Biden recalled.

'He said, "Joey, what's the big deal? 1,300,000 miles on Air Force Two? Do you know how many miles you traveled on Amtrak?"

'I said, "No, Angie, I don't know."

'He gave me the calculation and he said you traveled 1,500,000 miles on Amtrak.

'The fact is, I'd probably take Angie's word before I'd take the word of what the article said,' Biden said.

June 29, 2021

Biden told the same story during a June 29 speech at La Crosse Municipal Transit Utility in La Crosse, Wisconsin

President Biden made an appearance at La Crosse Municipal Transit Utility in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to tout his bipartisan infrastructure framework.

During his remarks, he once again told the story of being 'Mr. Amtrak.'

'Now, I know Im "Mr. Amtrak",' the president said.

'I've traveled over 2 million miles on Amtrak. I commuted every day. I get it.

'I know you think Im nuts. But after my wife and daughter were killed, I decided to commute back and forth to Delaware.

'It was a 257-mile roundtrip.'

Biden continued: 'I'll tell you a real quick story. I shouldn't bore you with it.

'But, you know, the Secret Service - they're the best in the world - doesn't like you taking Amtrak because it stops too many times - the train.

'They want me flying home in the small jets that were available as Vice President.

'And that cost a lot of money, so I would go home on Fridays, you know, because my mom was passing away.

'Id go home on Amtrak. And they published - they keep fastidious record of the miles you travel in an air- in a Air Force aircraft as President and Vice President.

'And toward the end of my term, a headline came out in all of the papers: "Biden travels"  I think it was 1.3 or 1.7 million miles on Air Force planes.

'And so, Im getting on the train on that Friday, and these guys who all became my family - all - the conductor.

'And a guy named Angelo Negri came up, and he goes, "Joey, baby!"

'Grabs my cheek like that. And I thought they were going to shoot him. I really did.

'I said, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Hes a friend."

'He was like, "What the hell."

'And he said, "Big deal, Joey. A million" - whatever it was - "three-hundred thousand miles. You know how many miles youve traveled on Amtrak, Joey?"

'And I said, "No, Ang. I don't."

'And he said, "At that retirement dinner, we calculated it. We estimated 127 days a year, 250 miles back and forth, 3  36 years, then as Vice President.

'"Joey, you traveled more on Amtrak.

'Well, I - and when they named a station after me in my city, someone complained that Biden is using his influence.

'I said, "Hell, they should name the whole Northeast Corridor after me."

'Ive [traveled] more than anybody else.'

September 21, 2021

President Joe Biden holds a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office at the White House on September 21. Biden relayed the same story to the British premier

The president told the same story during a one-on-one meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office of the White House.

At the beginning of their meeting, Biden and Johnson exchanged pleasantries and joked about their shared love of trains.

The prime minister took the Amtrak train down from New York City, where he was at the annual UN General Assembly meeting, to meet with Biden at the White House.

'They love you,' Johnson told Biden of Amtrak. 'You are a living deity on Amtrak, I can tell you.'

The president bragged how he had ridden over 2 million miles on the nation's train system.

'Well, they should. I've traveled more on Amtrak,' he said. 'If I were conductor I'd be number one in seniority.'

Biden then shared the oft-repeated story with Johnson.

'I got to tell you a quick story that has nothing to do with anything,' Biden told the British premier.

He told Johnson that 'the Secret Service didnt like me traveling on Amtrak because there were too many options for people to cause trouble along the way.

'But I insisted I do it.'

'One day,' Biden continued, 'they put in the newspaper: "Biden travels 1 million " - and I think - don't hold me to the exact number - I think it was - " 350,000 miles on Air Force Two".'

The president then told Johnson that whenever he hopped on the train home to Delaware, he was met by 'a guy, who was the number three guy from New Jersey in seniority as a conductor, [who] walked up and grabbed me and he goes like this: "Joey, baby!" [and] grabs my cheek.

'I thought the Secret Service was going to shoot him.'
A pregnant fitness influencer has tearfully revealed her doctor has told her to abort her unborn baby - and opened up on why she will ignore the advice.

Australian vlogger Sarah Stevenson, who goes by Sarahs Day online, announced last month she was expecting her second child with her photographer boyfriend, Kurt Tilse.

But in her latest YouTube video, the holistic health blogger, 28, opened up about her struggles behind closed doors after being told her unborn baby had a health condition.

The 28-year-old fitness star shared two black and white scans, updating her followers on her progress

Ms Stevenson revealed she went for a NIPT scan and blood examination, which test for abnormalities in unborn babies.

She began to get emotional on camera as she spoke about the call she received from the ultrasound clinic following the tests.

'Basically during the call, she disclosed to us that our baby has some, I guess, unforeseen health issues or a health issue that you wouldnt expect your baby to have. It has nothing to do with Kurt or I, it's just sometimes luck of the draw,' she said.

Sarah Stevenson and her partner Kurt opened up about their unborn son and how they found out that he had a health condition

The holistic health blogger announced the news of her pregnancy on September 22, sharing a photo of her photographer boyfriend Kurt Tilse kissing her growing belly

She was encouraged to take further tests.

'They said look, it's basically a 99 per cent chance this is correct, but we encourage you to get further testing to make sure and we can find out a little bit more about your baby,' Ms Stevenson said.

Ms Stevenson took a CVS test, a Chorionic villus sampling, and met with a doctor two weeks later to discuss the results.

She went into the meeting with a 'positive attitude' and believed whatever the outcome was, it was 'God's plan'.

But the doctors comments left her stunned: 'Stop and start again'.

The fitness blogger revealed that after taking further tests, her doctor recommended that she terminate her unborn child and 'start again'

'He kind of said, "for your own wellbeing and for the wellbeing of your child, I think you should terminate",' she said.

Ms Stevenson tearfully explained how the doctors comments stayed in her head for the next few days as she agonised over her decision.

'I was asking for a sign like "what do I do"? Nothing in my heart, in my body, felt right to terminate this baby,' Ms Stevenson said.

Despite the advice from the doctor, the health vlogger said she had reached a point where she is now 19 weeks pregnant and has come to peace with her unborn babys condition - and that her son was 'designed' for the couple.

Ms Stevenson said she had reached a point where she has come to peace with her unborn babys condition

Ms Stevenson said she had a zoom call with pediatricians, counsellors and practitioners who specialise in their unborn babys health condition, which helped point her in the right direction.

She said she felt her unborn baby could have the opportunity to have a healthy and happy life with the proper support.

At the end of the video, Ms Stevenson and Mr Tilse said they didnt want to disclose the health condition as they didnt want it to define their unborn son.
A second young woman has been charged over the alleged kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl - who police claim was later injected with heroin and threatened with a blowtorch.

NSW Police allege the teenager was allegedly lured to a party in July, held against her will a unit in Greenacre in Sydney's south-west, plied with drugs by a 'man and woman known to her', and repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by a group of men.

Elham Naaman, 24, was arrested on October 3 and charged over her alleged involvement the girl's horrific detention, followed by a 39-year-old man nine days later.

On Wednesday, 25-year-old Madeleine Rose Young was arrested and taken to Paramatta Police station.

Madeleine Rose Young (pictured), 25, has been arrested for her alleged involvement in the 14-year-old girl's horrific ordeal

Madeleine Rose Young (pictured) has been refused bail. She was charged with a range of offences including kidnapping, stalking and intimidation, and damaging property with fire

She was charged with kidnap in company with intent serious indictable occasion actual bodily harm, stalk and intimidate intend fear physical harm, and damage property by fire/explosive with intent to injure.

Young was refused bail and will appear in at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday.

None of the three people arrested so far have been charged with sexual assault.

Police allege Naaman, from Berkshire Park in Sydney's north-west, met the teen at a party, added her on social media and planned to party with her in a hotel room in Parramatta - but the situation did not pan out the way the girl thought it would.

Naaman is accused of stealing the teenager's iPhone and threatening her with a blowtorch by holding it up to her face, setting alight the hijab-like scarf she was wearing.

Elham Naaman, 24 (pictured), is accused of luring the girl to a party before holding the teen against her will at a unit in Greenacre in Sydney's south-west

Elham Naaman, 24, (pictured) is accused of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl and trying to set her hijab on fire

Court documents state the teenager had drugs including ice and GBH forced upon her and police allege she was injected with heroin.

Naaman was hit with a litany of charges, including kidnapping in company, supplying a prohibited drug, stealing, intimidation and damaging property by fire with intent to injure.

She was refused bail on October 5 at Bankstown Local Court after a magistrate heard of her 'violent' criminal history, which included motor vehicle theft, common assault and destroying property.

Her then-solicitor Upol Amin said at the time that she would defend the charges.

Elham Naaman (pictured) smiled widely when her lawyer came on screen in court via video link

Court documents state the teenager had drugs including ice and GBH forced upon her and police also allege she was injected with heroin (Elham Naaman pictured)

Last week, Naaman appeared in Sutherland Local Court via video link in her prison greens over a separate incident in which she allegedly set fire to a studio apartment in Hamilton, in Newcastle's western suburbs, on August 14 - causing $30,000 worth of damage.

She crossed her arms and gave the magistrate the name of her new lawyer, Gazi Abbas - smiling so widely when he came on screen that it was difficult to discern whether she understood the severity of the allegations against her.

Police allege she deliberately lit the fire in an an attempt to destroy evidence of a stabbing - allegedly writing a text to an unknown person which said: 'I lit a hotel room on fire to cover your a**'.

She will enter a plea in Newcastle Local Court on October 28.

Naaman is also accused of stealing goods in custody in Riverwood, south Sydney, in February, though the nature of the goods remain unclear. She will reappear in Sutherland Local Court on October 26.

Elham Naaman looked spritely in her prison greens last week. She will reappear in court on October 26 and 28

Naaman (pictured left and right) faces a string of charges relating to the 14-year-old girl's alleged ordeal in July this year

The magistrate made reference to the alleged kidnapping incident during her court appearance last week.

On October 12, a 39-year-old man also accused of being in the 14-year-old's alleged abduction and assault was stopped in his car in Ryde at about 11.30, where a subsequent search allegedly locate the drug methylamphetamine.

He was charged with take/detain in company with intent to get advantage occasion actual bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, steal from the person value less than $2,000.

The man was also charged with three counts of supply prohibited drug.

He was refused bail and appeared in Hornsby Local Court last Wednesday.

Investigations are ongoing and police say more arrests are expected.
A colorist who helps produce DC's Superman comics says he is quitting over a decision to make the Man of Steel bisexual, and a change to the iconic comic's patriotic slogan.

Gabe Eltaeb, announced he was quitting his position on a YouTube livestream with fellow former DC Comics worker Ethan Van Sciver on October 13.

The outgoing colorist, who says he'll serve out his contract with DC before leaving, said in the podcast 'I'm tired of this sh**' in response to the decision to make the Man of Steel bisexual.

Eltaeb also called the company's decision to scrap the old Superman slogan 'truth, justice, and the American way' in a favor of 'truth, justice and a better tomorrow' 'f**king nonsense'.



Former Superman colorist Gabe Eltaeb (right) quit DC Comics in response to their new woke decisions to make the Man of Steel bisexual and change the classic slogan 'Truth, Justice and the American Way'

Eltaeb made the announcement in a podcast on October 13 saying 'I'm tired of this s**t' and the change in the slogan was 'f**king nonsense'

DC Comics announced on Monday that the new Superman, Jonathan Kent, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, will begin dating a refugee 'hacktivist' reporter in a new issue

The slogan for the 83-year-old superhero was changed to 'Truth, Justice and A Better Tomorrow' on Saturday, from the former slogan 'Trust, Justice and the American Way'

Eltaeb expressed anger over the change from the former slogan 'Truth, Justice and the American Way!'

'I'm finishing out my contract with DC. I'm tired of this s***,' Eltaeb said during the podcast, according to Bounding Into Comics.

'I'm tired of them ruining these characters; they don't have a right to do this.'

He then expressed his anger over the change of the DC slogan for the 83-year-old superhero to 'Truth, Justice, and a better tomorrow.'

'What really p*ssed me off was saying truth, justice, and a better world,' he added. 'F**k that it was Truth, Justice, and the American way.'

'My Grandpa almost died in World War II; we don't have a right to destroy sh*t that people died for to give us. It's a bunch of f**king nonsense.'

Eltaeb ended his rant over the 'bigoted' behavior of companies like DC Comics who favor modern woke voices over that of the traditional conservative media.

'They call us bigots and racist and sh*t, I would ask them, find me in the f**king mainstream, not on the fringes, one f****** book, one f****** t-shirt, one movie that says that leftism is bad, and conservatism is good, find it for me, they f****** won't they're not letting people have a voice, they're the f****** bigots,' he said.

'Sorry, that's been bottled up for five years,' he added at the end of his rant.

In response to Eltaeb's appearance, Van Sciver described the former colorist's 'agenda' and what he was going through after quitting DC Comics.

'Gabe just exploded on my livestream,' Van Sciver said. 'He had a lot to say, a lot of feelings and a lot of thoughts that he wasn't able to share because he was working for DC Comics.'

'And that's the reality. You cannot come out and be a conservative and criticize the company that you work for in this way.'

'You have to be completely supportive of the corporate agenda, whatever it is.'

'You have to keep your negative or critical opinions to yourself, and it's so liberating to be able to not work for DC comics and be able to say exactly what you think.

'And I think that's what Gabe is going through here.'

Eltaeb also later posted a video of his own explaining why he left DC Comics.

'And I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner we're going to stand up to these tyrants and we're not going to let them intimidate us there's a hell of a lot more of us than there are of them,' he said.

The decision to drop the American Way essentially denounces the character's fundamental core, which is about as American as it gets  a boy raised in Kansas by two farmers who wears a costume in shades of red and blue that nod to the American flag; character pictured on US postage stamps issued September 2021

The iconic all-American superhero has also been portrayed by multiple different Hollywood actors as well as being featured in various cartoons

The decision to change the classic motto and the sexuality of the beloved superhero sparked a mixed reaction from comic fans.

The company recently announced that the current Superman of Earth, Jon Kent (Clark and Lois Lane's son) would be coming out as bisexual and begin dating a refugee 'hacktivist' reporter.

Jon Kent had previously appeared as Superboy, but has now graduated to follow in his dad's footsteps.

The change will come in a November issue of Superman: Son of Kal-El.

The series, which debuted in July, has seen the legendary superhero take on a much more woke stance than former iterations of the character.

In place of sinister supervillains, Jon takes on several hot-button issues, including high school shootings, climate change, and the deportation of refugees - all of which are a world away from the old-school evil that the Man of Steel once fought.

Former Superman actor Dean Cain slammed the new moves as 'bandwagoning.'

'They said it's a bold new direction... I say they're bandwagoning,' Cain said in his on-air interview. 'Robin, of Batman and Robin, just came out as bi or gay recently and honestly who's really shocked about that one? I had some thoughts about that a long time ago.'

Cain also took aim at these issues, insisting that DC Comics could have done much more to highlight the impact of 'real evil in the world' like human trafficking, women's rights in Afghanistan, or corruption.

'Brave would be having him fighting for the rights of gay people in Iran where they'll throw you off a building for the offence of being gay,' he said.

'They're talking about him fighting real-world problems like climate change and the deportation of refugees and he'll be dating a 'hacktivist' whatever a 'hacktivist' is, I don't know.

'Why don't they have him fight the injustices that created the refugees whose deportation he's protesting? That would be brave, I'd read that. Or fighting for the rights of women to attend school and have the ability to work and live, and boys not to be raped by men under the new warm and fuzzy Taliban. That would be brave.

'There's real evil in this world today, real corruption and government overreach, plenty of things to fight against. Human trafficking, real actual slavery going on... it would be brave to tackle those issues, shine a light on those issues. I'd like to see the character doing that. I'd read that comic.'

Former Superman actor Dean Cain has accused DC Comics of 'bandwagoning' after the company announced that the legendary superhero is bisexual

Additionally the next Superman film is rumored to be starring a black Superman for the first time.

It was previously reported that J.J. Abrams would be producing the project and Hollywood Reporter insiders said that Warner Bros. and DC were committed to hiring a black director.

The Flash film producer Barbara Muschietti, also hinted that Cavill's Superman may be making an appearance in the 2022 movie by way of a 'liked' Instagram comment.

When one fan commented that they were hoping to see a '#henrycavillsuperman cameo' Muschietti like the comment, as seen in a Twitter video obtained by The Flash Film News.

In a statement from DC, they had announced that the company was 'evolving', possibly in reference to the new changes.

'To better reflect the storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor Superman's incredible legacy of over 80 years of building a better world, Superman's motto is evolving,' DC Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee said at the DC FanDome fan event on Saturday.

'Superman has long been a symbol of hope who inspires people, and it is that optimism and hope that powers him forward with this new mission statement.'

The superhero's backstory is about as American as it gets  a boy raised in Kansas by two farmers who wears a costume in shades of red and blue that nod to the American flag.

The last time a specifically Clark Kent centered film hit the big screen was 2013's Man Of Steel with Henry Cavill playing the titular character; pictured in Man Of Steel

The last time a Clark Kent-centered film hit the big screen was 2013's Man Of Steel with Henry Cavill playing the titular character.

He also appeared as Superman in 2017's Justice League and the 2021 extended cut: Zack Snyder's Justice League.

A nod to his American identity, in Justice League his character even says: 'I'm from Kansas. It's about as American as it gets,' but Snyder said he had to fight to keep the line in the movie as he strove to portray 'that perfect mix of Americana'.

Fans are torn on the new motto, with some proud of the superhero's new motto and suggesting 'the American Way' isn't as 'American' as people think, while others slam the notion that Superman is anything other than American.

One fan wrote: 'I'm a fan of #Superman 's new motto: 'Truth, Justice, And a Better Tomorrow.' It fits the character really well, sounds impactful, and hopeful. Overall I think it's something a lot of people could stand to hear.'

Another fan encouragingly wrote: 'Superman doesn't fight for exclusively America. Him fighting for a better tomorrow is a better motto. He's not the man of America, he's for everyone.'

Fans are divided over the new motto, which some favoring the more inclusive stance, while others slammed it being that the character is born in Kansas by American parents and wears red and blue

The iconic superhero is known around the world, but others slam DC Comics for making 'America' the problem.

'An American icon, raised in America by American parents - created by a pair of Americans for an American comic book publisher. But 'the American way' is a problem,' one critic wrote on Twitter.

Others questioned if 'the American Way' was even worth fighting, even by Superman. And that the new motto goes beyond just making Superman a fighter for everyone.

'The core narrative in Superman has been and continues to be the values and belief about the US experience being strong enough and good enough to address the troubles facing the generation engaged with the character.'

'He's always been the ultimate immigrant story,' added comic book writer Mark Waid.
Haulage companies are offering six-figure salaries and $15,000 sign-on bonuses while struggling to attract 80,000 new drivers who are needed to relieve the nations supply crisis.

But industry experts said more drivers wont alleviate the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach backlog, where an empty shipping container fiasco is preventing trucks from moving product to consumers.

Facing an exodus of 600,000 retiring truckers by 2028, the transportation industry is desperate to recruit more people and estimates that 80,000 new hires are needed this year to offset attrition and clear a backed-up supply chain.

I can tell you that pretty much every single one of our members  no matter what part of the industry theyre in  is looking for drivers, Chris Shimoda, senior vice president of government affairs at the California Trucking Association, told DailyMail.com.

They are raising pay across the board, introducing things like signing and retention bonuses, trying to provide more local driving opportunities so that the drivers can be home with their families at night, but it's been a real struggle for several years.

Companies are offering lucrative sign-on and retention bonuses in an attempt to lure more people into the truck driving industry, which seeks to hire 80,000 more drivers this year

Lorries laden with empty shipping containers are now parking in residential neighborhoods, such as Wilmington in California, because there is no space at ports

Local residents complain that the trucks are blocking their driveways after being abandoned by the drivers

The supply chain crisis has seen a backlog of containers build up at ports meaning that empty ones can't be returned because there is no room for them

US Foods, seeking a Northern Californian with a commercial drivers license (CDL), is offering a $15,000 sign-up bonus and a $1,000 quarterly bonus to candidates willing to work for $38.50 an hour.

And last June, JK Moving Services said it would guarantee its qualified drivers a salary of at least $100,000 as market demands grow and the pool of qualified candidates shrinks.

Its all happening as shipping backlogs delay cripple the supply chain, with Christmas toys and holiday goodies among the items stranded in the Pacific as freightliners queue for weeks to unload cargo.

Truck drivers wages have spiked by about 20 percent as companies work to lure newcomers into the industry, Shimoda said.

Some trucking companies are offering six-figure salaries to persuade prospective hires during a time when demand outweighs supply and California's biggest ports are backed up

Chris Shimoda, a California Trucking Association exec, CDLs are 'worth their weight in gold'

The industry is really using every tool at their disposal to try to get drivers in the door and to get them to stay, he said. It's a drivers world right now. If you have a commercial driver's license, it's worth its weight in gold right now.

It's a good time to have a have a CDL.

But more drivers wont solve all the transportation industrys problems at the embattled Ports of Long Angeles and Long Beach, experts said.

Matt Schrap, chief executive of the Harbor Trucking Association, said thousands of empty containers are creating a nightmare for drivers trying to move product.

There's no truck driver shortage in the Long Beach and Los Angeles areas, where a steady stream of transports is coming and going to keep the movement of commerce flowing

A group of 160 Republican lawmakers have addressed the importance of fixing the supply chain crisis in a letter to President Joe Biden while attacking his embattled spending proposals.

The letter, led and signed by Representative Sam Graves, was sent to Biden on Wednesday in an attempt to further address the urgency of the crisis.

The current supply chain crisis has caused a delay in shipping multiple products to stores and warehouses which has resulted in a months-long shortage of multiple products, amid warnings that the crisis will get even worse before it improves.

TGS Logistics Inc chief operations officer Robert Loya said the cost of storing the containers is driving some small trucking companies out of business

Right now, the mass congestion of empty containers is monopolizing space in nearby truck lots, blocking filled containers from getting moved, and crippling efficiency.

In order to fetch a new order at the port, trucks must first return their previously-used container to the steamships  but with space at a premium, cargo operators are refusing to accept the empty containers.

What were seeing in [Long Beach and L.A.] is really an issue around productivity, not necessarily a lack of drivers, Schrap told DailyMail.com.

Its a function of our inability to return empty containers back into the port to pull the important loads off the docks.

The empty containers arent just taking up space.

Theyre also preventing truckers from freeing up their chassis, a piece of equipment necessary to wheel loads of cargo onto modular trailers for delivery.

It is extremely inefficient, Schrap said. We are essentially moving containers around for the operational needs of the steamship lines and not being compensated for it.

As far as the eye can see, cargo trucks wait in long lines to enter the LA port on October 13

To top it off, ship operators are charging trucking companies  stuck with storing the equipment on their own lots - a per diem (daily levy) of $40-to-$50 for failing to return them on time, Schrap said.

We have to be accountable for them if they're in our possession, he said. We just have nowhere to keep them. So that's why they're literally on streets and theyre being graffiti tagged because they're sitting out there.

A neighborhood in LA has been backed up with delivery trucks throughout the day waiting for the jammed up cargo ships to unload, much to the dismay of residents trying to maneuver around the huge vehicles.

Sometimes they just unload the trailer in the street with no front part of it, and they just leave it there, Sonia Cervantes told CBS Los Angeles.

UCTI Trucking owner Frank Arrieran told the outlet that hes resorted to keeping the containers on his yard, where space is already at a premium.

Right now with the ports and everything thats going on over there, were stuck with the containers, having to bring them all to the yard, and we only have so much space, he said.

The ports' contingency anchorages, which previously went unused, are now 'essentially full'

Of the 100 vessels at anchor October 18, 70 are cargo ships carrying consumer goods

The backlog of ships appears to have the opposite effect on tourists to Savannah, Georgia who are fascinated by the phenomenon and making special trips to witness the spectacle.

Shawn Yadon, CEO of the California Trucking Association, said officials in Southern California should consider declaring a state of emergency to help ease clogged ports.

'I think we are in a situation in California where a state of emergency related to the ports is certainly something that should be considered,' he said.

Its not helping the situation at the ports, which broke more records Monday as massive bottlenecks continued to wreak supply chain havoc.

The Marine Exchange of Southern California reported 100 vessels berthed October 18, topping the previous record of 97 set September 19.

Both figures are markedly higher than during pre-pandemic times, when just 17 ships were anchored.

The Marine Exchange of Southern California reported 100 vessels at anchor October 18, topping the previous record of 97 set September 19

Governor Gavin Newsom on October 20 signed an executive order directing state agencies to find ways to alleviate congestion at the ports, including by identifying state-owned properties and other locations that could be used for storage.

While TGS Logistics Inc chief operations officer Robert Loya welcomed the news, he said it wasnt clear who would pay for storing the empty containers, or whether trucking companies would still be on the hook for per diems.

These small American companies are going under because these big foreign entity steamship lines are controlling the port and controlling our economy. It's a shame.

Will they take them off the chassis? Are they going to take the containers and put them on the ground so we can use the chassis? Loya told DailyMail.com. Theres a lot of things that need to be worked out, and fingers are going to be pointing about whos going to pay.

He said the extra operating costs being brought on by the steamships has driven some small trucking businesses out of business.

We operate on razor-thin margins, Loya said. These small American companies are going under because these big foreign entity steamship lines are controlling the port and controlling our economy.

It's a shame.

The supply chain crisis is one unseen since World War II when 'there were submarines sinking commercial traders,' an expert has warned.

And it's bringing disaster for shoppers as items are being resold for more than double their cost and shipping delays mean more barren shelves.

Holiday shopping is expected to be especially fraught this year, as buyers contend with aggressive resellers and inflated prices - some jacking up toy prices by 400%.

Basic Fun chief executive Jay Foreman - who has been working in the toy industry for more than 30 years - said the current situation is unlike anything he's ever seen.

'I would predict that there's never been anything like this disruption in the global trade supply chain since World War Two,' he told DailyMail.com. 'And you know World War Two, with a global supply chain was upset because there were submarines sinking commercial traders. We had a war going on.'

American Girl's sold-out blonde winter princess doll, which retailed for $250, is now going for up to $999 on platforms such as Mercari and eBay.

The Biden administration has come under fire for its 'too little, too late' response to the backlog after it announced West Coast shipping ports would be running around the clock to ease bottlenecks in the system.

Toy flippers are already charging hefty premiums for sold-out products and computer chip shortages could leave some sought-after items back-ordered for several months, meaning kids who've requested them for Christmas could be left sorely disappointed on December 25 - just over two months away.

American Girl's sold-out blonde winter princess doll, which retailed for $250, is now going for up to $999 on platforms such as Mercari and eBay.

The cat-themed Gabby's Dollhouse, which is all the rage for this year's preschoolers, has nearly quadrupled on some sites from its original $55 price tag.

The cat-themed Gabbys Dollhouse (picture, right), which is all the rage for this years preschoolers, has nearly quadrupled on some sites from its original $55 price tag

Factory closures in China, labor shortages in the U.S., a freight container shortage, and a port backup are among the reasons for retail chaos.

The troubles are compounded by a lack of truck drivers, warehouses unequipped to receive mass amounts of product, the rising cost of fuel and more, Foreman said.

'Usually there's 10 or 15 things in a supply chain that can affect whether you get things or not,' he said. 'This year, all bets are off and of the 10 or 15 things that make a supply chain tick, eight or 10 of them are all out whack at the same time.

'Totally unprecedented.'

The toy was on eBay for $175 plus $40 shipping, putting the item at more than $200

An up-and-coming toy called Tiny TV Classics is even getting snapped up faster than it can be produced, he said.

The problem is that the miniature televisions, which play snippets of real shows, require an integrated circuit chip that has a 200-day lead time.

It means that once those novelty items sell out, they'll be off the shelves for several months, Foreman said.

Production of other computerized toys is also being hampered by the chip shortage, he added.

A reseller on Walmart.com had listed the item for $210

'Even the Lite-Brite uses an integrated circuit chip, and that controls the movement of the light.

'In the Speak and Spell, it stores all the dialogue; that's all in these integrated circuit chips.'

Amid the frenzy, young shoppers are likely to be most significantly affected by the supply shortage, a recent Morning Consult survey indicated.

About 70 percent of Generation Z and millennial holiday shoppers said an item they wanted was already out of stock in stores and 72 percent said an item was out of stock online; 65% found an item to be backordered or delivery delayed. Responses were gathered from October 1-3.

About 70 percent of Generation Z and millennial holiday shoppers said an item they wanted was already out of stock in stores and 72 percent said an item was out of stock online; 65% found an item to be backordered or delivery delayed

A Morning Consult survey published last week indicated that half of Americans have not yet begun their Christmas shopping - which means the supply chain crisis could be exacerbated as more and more shoppers look to make purchases

Another Morning Consult survey published last week indicated that half of Americans have not yet begun their Christmas shopping as of October 11 - which means the supply chain crisis could be exacerbated as more and more shoppers look to make purchases.

About half of shoppers who have started buying gifts experienced supply chain issues, the survey found.

It's not just toys and goods that are becoming harder to find ahead of the holidays.

Stocking the fridge for holiday festivities could also be a challenge, with turkey giant Butterball warning that smaller birds might be harder to find this year.

Overall food prices are skyrocketing in the U.S., where beef prices have jumped 12.2 percent during the past year and the cost of bacon increased 17 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Meat, poultry, fish and eggs sold at an eight percent premium this year, with prices up 15.7 percent since August 2019.

Katie Denis, vice president of research and industry narrative at the Consumer Brands Association, said the grocery sector is facing supply chain challenges of its own.

'We're entering what is going to be one of the busiest times of the year when it comes to shipping,' she told DailyMail.com.

Bare shelves are seen at a Walgreen's in Minneapolis on Oct 9, 2021

'That's true whether you're shipping gifts, whether you're trying to get toys to your destination, or whether you're trying to get grocery to stores.

'It's just going to be a volume game, and that's a lot of what's been troubling the supply chain for months now.

'Demand has been off the charts.'

'When you compound that with a profound labor shortage, you're really setting up the perfect storm for a very difficult holiday season.'

Denis urged shoppers to avoid panic buying and hoarding items.

'Don't overbuy,' she said.

'I think overbuying is what drove a lot of the shelf clearing we saw earlier in the pandemic. That can really go a long way to making sure everyone has what they need and you're not struggling to find the stuff on your list.'

Right now, thousands of freight containers filled with Christmas decorations, toys and other goods are stranded at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where cargo ships queue for weeks just to unload.

It takes twice as long as it normally would for a freight order from China to reach its final U.S. destination, Ocean Audit Inc. chief executive Steve Ferreira told Dailymail.com.

Supply chain bottlenecks are resulting in empty retail displays across the country. Pictured: more bare shelves in Minneapolis on Oct. 9, 2021

It's also more expensive to move commerce by ocean freight.

About a year ago, retailers paid about $1,100 for a 40-foot crate traveling from Asia to LA.

The price has since skyrocketed to $5,000 per box, with some big box stores paying upward of $9,000 per container to ensure delivery, Ferreira said.

The costs will be absorbed by customers, who'll be hard pressed to find a good deal on toys this season said Foreman, whose toymaking company produces Tonka, Care Bear and My Little Pony products.

'You won't probably find as many deals,' Foreman said.

'There certainly will be some deals, but the retailers have to cover the cost of the inflation and the high cost of ocean freight and transportation, which wasn't calculated into the retail price of the merchandise when the season started.

'So if they don't want to raise prices - which many of them don't want to do - they're probably less likely to discount as much.'

Exacerbating the issue is that importers previously stuffed their warehouses before former president Donald Trump's trade tariffs kicked in and have nowhere to store incoming product.

'It is such a complex issue,' Ferreira, an ocean freight expert, said. 'The warehouses are full, but they're filled with the wrong kind of product.'

Big box retailers - who often have their own storage facilities - are working around port backlogs and warehouse issues by chartering their own intercontinental freight ships, he said.

The nation's largest ports shattered more records Monday as massive bottlenecks at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach continue to wreak supply chain havoc.

The Marine Exchange of Southern California reported 100 vessels berthed October 18, topping the previous record of 97 set September 19.

Both figures are markedly higher than during pre-pandemic times, when just 17 ships were anchored.
Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban have claimed Britain is the 'worst country in the world' for processing their claims.

Vulnerable Afghans, including unaccompanied children, have become stranded in tented camps awaiting flights to the UK, MPs heard yesterday.

Since the withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan, just one RAF flight carrying refugees from a third country has arrived in Britain  and with only 35 Afghans on board.

At a parliamentary committee hearing Angus MacNeil, an SNP MP, said while meeting refugees in Qatar last week: 'I asked them which countries were best at moving people on.

Vulnerable Afghans, including unaccompanied children, have become stranded in tented camps awaiting flights to the UK, MPs heard yesterday. Pictured: Border Force staff assist a female evacuee as Afghan refugees arrive from Kabul at Heathrow Airport

Since the withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan, just one RAF flight carrying refugees from a third country has arrived in Britain  and with only 35 Afghans on board

'Sweden and Italy came first. I asked who were the worst and they said we were. So we could be doing an awful lot better.'

The UK's national security adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove said it was 'disturbing' to hear of the poor efficiency assessment made by refugees and suggested the delays might be caused by enhanced security checks.

He admitted the Government does not know how many Afghans entitled to come to Britain remain in Afghanistan and require assistance.

A government spokesman said it was 'working at pace to establish the resettlement scheme, which will see 20,000 in need welcomed to the UK'.

The Daily Mail's award-winning Betrayal of the Brave campaign has long highlighted the plight of Afghan translators.
The risk of Covid infection decreases by 90 per cent in fully vaccinated 12 to 18-year-olds, a study suggests.

Researchers from the Clalit Research Institute in Israel analysed data from 94,354 adolescents who had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

In those doubled jabbed, the risk of symptomatic Covid decreased by 93 per cent compared to those unvaccinated.

And the risk of infection decreased by 90 per cent. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, also found those who had received their first dose were still 57 per cent less likely to get symptomatic Covid and 59 per cent less likely to be infected.

Separate research by the University of Edinburgh also found Pfizer is 90 per cent effective at preventing deaths from the Delta variant, while AstraZeneca is 91 per cent.

The risk of Covid infection decreases by 90 per cent in fully vaccinated 12 to 18-year-olds, a study of 94,354 adolescents suggests (stock image)

The Israel study took place between June and September this year, during which the Delta variant was the dominant strain in the country.

Professor Ran Balicer, senior author of the study, said: These results show convincingly that one week after the second dose, this vaccine is highly effective in adolescents against symptomatic COVID-19 and against all documented infections.

These data should facilitate informed individual risk-benefit decision-making, and, in our view, make a strong argument in favour of opting-in to get vaccinated, especially in countries where the virus is currently widespread.

Professor Ben Reis, a researcher from Harvard Medical School who also worked on the study, said: To date, one of the main drivers of vaccine hesitancy has been a lack of information regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine.

This careful epidemiological study provides reliable information on vaccine effectiveness, which we hope will be helpful to those who have not yet decided about vaccination. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the separate study, a team from the University of Edinburgh analysed data from 5.4 million people in Scotland who received two doses of the jabs.

Professor Ran Balicer, head of innovation at Clalit, Israel's biggest health services provider, was a senior author on the study looking at the impact of vaccines on young people

Professor Aziz Sheikh, study lead, said: With the Delta variant now the dominant strain in many places worldwide and posing a higher risk of hospitalization than previous variants seen in the UK, it is reassuring to see that vaccination offers such high protection from death very shortly after the second dose. The NHS is offering a first dose of a Covid vaccine to people aged 16 and 17, while teenagers who are three months away from turning 18 can also get a second dose.

All children aged 12 to 15 will also be offered a first dose, most of whom will receive their jab at school.

Some young people and children aged 12 to 17 are being offered two doses of the vaccine if they live with someone who is more likely to get infections, or they have a condition that means they are at high risk of getting seriously ill from Covid.
Former ultra-orthodox school principal Malka Leifer will stand trial on child sexual abuse charges in Melbourne next year.

Leifer, 55, pleaded not guilty to 70 charges of child sexual abuse after being ordered to stand trial earlier this month, and just days later an additional 20 charges of the same nature were filed against her.

She is alleged to have abused sisters Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper during her time at the Adass Israel School in Melbourne's inner suburbs between 2004 and 2008.

Former ultra-orthodox school principal Malka Leifer will stand trail on 70 charges of child sexual abuse next year (pictured, Leifer being escorted in to a Jerusalem court)

Leifer faced a directions hearing in Victoria's County Court on Thursday when Judicial Registrar Matthew Phillips confirmed her case would go to trial in 2022.

'It certainly will be next year,' he confirmed, adding it would be listed as quickly as legal teams could get organised.

He said he was mindful Leifer had been in custody for a lengthy period of time and was keen to progress the case.

Leifer appeared again by video link from Melbourne's Dame Phyllis Frost women's prison. She said nothing during the hearing and sat with her head down, resting a hand on her chin.

Leifer is accused of the abuse of sisters Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper (pictured) while principal of the Adass Israel School

The trial is expected to take three to four weeks, with evidence from the three complainants.

Prosecutor Stephanie Clancy noted Ms Sapper would be unavailable to give evidence between mid-May and August next year, so a trial would need to be arranged around those dates.

Prosecutors have been given until February to put together their indictment and summary of allegations, with defence granted until March 4 to respond.

Leifer's case is due back in the County Court on March 16.
A restaurateur has won a $5million defamation and rights violation payout from police who raided his business seven years ago during an investigation into whether employees used fake IDs to land jobs.

Uncle Sam's owner Bret Frimmel claimed then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio defamed him and violated his rights by conducting an illegal search and handcuffing him during the raid seven years ago.

The settlement was approved by Maricopa County Officials on Wednesday, weeks after officials signed off on a separate $400,000 settlement to resolve similar claims brought by Uncle Sam's manager Lisa Norton.

County officials approved $3.1million of Frimmel's settlement with the remaining $1.9 million to be covered by an insurer.

Frimmel and Norton were arrested by Arpaio's office in January 2014 on employment-related identity theft charges.

Restaurateur Bret Frimmel (centre) has won a $5million defamation payout from police who raided his business seven years ago during an investigation into whether employees used fake IDs to land jobs

The charges were dismissed after a judge ruled one of Arpaio's detective recklessly disregarded the truth in affidavits used to get search warrants and ultimately found that there was no probable cause to back up the warrants.

Frimmel and Norton maintained they did nothing wrong.

Their lawsuit was among the last civil cases pending against Arpaio, who was voted out of office in late 2016 after 24 years in office and lost a 2020 bid to win back his old job.

Arpaio raided Frimmel's restaurants and about 80 other businesses from 2008 through 2014 in investigations that led to the arrests of hundreds of immigrant workers under a law that made it a felony to use fake or stolen IDs to get jobs.

Nine employees were arrested in the investigation of Uncle Sam's.

Uncle Sam's owner Bret Frimmel claimed then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio (pictured) defamed him and violated his rights during the raid seven years ago

Even though a judge in the criminal case said there was no probable cause for the warrants, another judge handling the civil case found in March 2019 that the detective leading the investigation had probable cause to arrest Frimmel and Norton on the ID theft charge and ruled against the lawsuit's claims of malicious arrest and abuse of process.

What remained of the lawsuit were the claims of illegal search, defamation and negligent restraint related to the handcuffing of Frimmel during the arrest.

Frimmel and his manager said they were arrested after the restaurant owner was asked by the U.S. Justice Department for help in a now-settled civil rights lawsuit that accused the sheriffs office of racial profiling, retaliating against Arpaios critics and other civil rights violations.

One of Frimmel's attorneys said the Justice Department contacted his client during the federal investigation, but Frimmel never returned the call.

The settlement was approved by Maricopa County Officials on Wednesday, weeks after officials signed off on a separate $400,000 settlement to resolve similar claims brought by Uncle Sam's (pictured) manager Lisa Norton

The retaliation claim was not mentioned in the extensive March 2019 pretrial order that examined the legal claims and evidence.

Leon Silver, one of the lawyers representing Frimmel and Norton, said the 2019 decision was not a final judgment and that the judge might have still allowed the malicious arrest claim to be heard at trial.

Silver said investigators never proved his client knew that job applicants were using fake IDs to seek jobs.

'My clients feel vindicated by the settlement,' Silver said. 'They are relieved to have this behind them. They have lived with this way too long. They just want to get on with their lives.'

Arpaio, who is now running for mayor of his adopted hometown of Fountain Hills, said it was the county's decision to settle the case.

'I was ready to go to court and go before a jury of my peers to testify,' Arpaio said. 'I didnt have that chance. I still feel like we would have won that trial if it went before a jury.'
A former top jockey has revealed how Kerry Packer made millions at the races after his cheeky sledge convinced the media mogul to bet big on his 'unbeatable' horse.

Champion rider Greg Hall revealed this week the late billionaire added $20million to his fortune after their trackside chat during Derby Day at Flemington back in 1993.

Hall was on board Victorian stayer Mahogany as he made his way to the mounting yard when Packer approached.

'I'm standing [next to] this bloke who's worth $12 billion, and I've got $12,' Hall told That's Racing on Tuesday night.

'He used to call me boy or son, and he said "What do you think boy? Do you think this so and so can win?"

A former top jockey has revealed how Kerry Packer (pictured at Derby Day in 2001) made millions at the races after his cheeky sledge convinced the media mogul to bet big on his 'unbeatable' horse

'And I said "How much have you had on it"? He said, "What do you mean son? How much have I had on it", and I said "Well, how much have you had on"? And he said "I've had $1.6 million on it"!

'It's not normal for a four-foot jockey to be asking a bloke who's eight-foot to be asking how much you've had on it.

'I said "What, did you drop your handbag? Go and have a decent bet, this will win by a minute", and he tapped [part owner] Lloyd Williams and said "I like that kid," so he went and had another $3 million on it.'

Hall's confidence was justified when Mahogany bolted to the front at the 400-metre mark and won by seven lengths.

Walking away with $20million in winnings, Packer later named the 'Mahogany Room' at Melbourne's Crown Casino in honour of the horse.

Former jockey Greg Hall (pictured) recalled Packer's $20million payday at the races

Packer was known for his love of the punt.

In 2005, his magazine The Bulletin once put up $1.25million for the capture of a 'live, uninjured' Tasmanian tiger to prove the fabled animal still exists.

However first the big-time gambler had to know the odds of someone claiming the prize before he risked footing the bill.

Bulletin editor Garry Linnell, explained to Packer the conditions of claiming the reward were so onerous it was next to impossible for anyone to score the prize money.

The late Packer (pictured) named the 'Mahogany Room' at Crown Casino in honour of the racehorse's victory

A successful applicant would have to capture a Tasmanian tiger without breaking any Australian or state laws and deliver it unharmed to The Bulletin's office in Park Street, Sydney.

'I said, "We've spoken to the experts - it's a billion-to-one that there's a Tassie tiger alive - and even if there is, think about this, they have to give it to us,' Mr Linell said.

'He was a betting man so he always liked those sort of odds.

'He grunted and then he smiled and said, "I like the sound of that. Go and do it. Off you go." And off we went.'
The parents of murdered schoolboy Daniel Morcombe have revealed their anguish at hearing about the disappearance of Cleo Smith.

Daniel, who was 13 at the time, was abducted and killed by Brett Peter Cowan while waiting for a bus to get a haircut in 2003. Cowan was arrested eight years later after an international undercover sting by police.

Cleo disappeared from her tent near Carnarvon on the north coast of Western Australia early on Saturday morning, sparking a state-wide search for the four-year-old.

The parents of Daniel described the interview Cleo's mum and dad on national television as 'haunting' and said they were reliving their own trauma all over again.

'That was us,' Bruce Morcombe told The West newspaper.

'Honestly it was an immediate flashback. We could feel their emotion as they were speaking because we have walked in their shoes. We have sat in that chair.'

The parents of murdered schoolboy Daniel Morcombe have revealed their anguish at hearing of the disappearance of Cleo Smith

The parents of Daniel, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, described the interview Cleo's mum and dad on national television as 'haunting' and said they were reliving their own trauma all over again

Cleo's mother Ellie and partner Jake Gliddon gave an emotional interview about the disappearance of the young girl

Cleo, who has now been missing for six days, disappeared from the family tent at the Blowholes campsite north of Carnavon between 1.30am and 6am on Saturday.

She, along with her mum Ellie, stepdad Jake Gliddon and baby sister Isla had only arrived for the weekend getaway hours prior.

The devastated mum said in an interview she has no clue what happened to her daughter and despite thinking of 'a million' different scenarios still feels helpless.

'The worst part is that there's nothing more we can do. It's out of our hands now and we feel hopeless and out of control,' she admitted.

'We hold hope that she is still here somewhere. If I think about the idea of her being taken, a million things cross my mind.'

Mr Morcombe said watching their interview made their own ordeal 'feel like yesterday' and triggered the horrific memories of having to front the media with his wife Denise in the days following Daniel's disappearance.

Mr Morcombe said watching their interview made their own ordeal 'feel like yesterday' and triggered the horrific memories of their son's disappearance and murder

Mr Morcombe said he and his wife were closely following developments of the case and were praying for Cleo to be found safely

Ellie Smith is seen with Cleo (left) and her baby sister Isla. The mother said when she woke in the morning the tent zipper was nearly completely open

'I'm sure they're in a dark place and feel traumatised by what's happened,' he said.

'I think they'd just be numb and not know what to do. They're perhaps even blaming themselves, asking: 'Why didn't I check on her sooner or do this or that?'

'Don't blame yourself.'

Mr Morcombe said he and his wife were closely following developments of the case and were praying for Cleo to be found safely.

'You just cannot help but think the worst I suppose,' he said.

'Our family is thinking of them and so is the rest of Australia.

'We all hope that Cleo is found healthy and well. We genuinely wish and pray for a positive result.'

Little Cleo Smith's mother is holding out hope that the four-year-old will 'come home' to her

Cleo was nowhere to be found when her mother and stepdad woke in their shared tent at around 6am on Saturday

Cleo's mother said the first thing she said to her partner when she realised the little girl was missing was: 'Cleo's gone, Jake'.

The couple began to frantically search their tent and the surrounding campsite in hopes they would find the four-year-old before notifying police.

'Absolutely everything was going through my mind,' a teary Ms Smith revealed.

'Where is she? She needs breakfast, what's she doing? Everything was going through my head.'

Ms Smith said Cleo would never have left the tent on her own and said she would have asked her mum for help unzipping her one-piece sleeping suit.

Ms Smith (pictured) has insisted Cleo would never leave the tent on her own and said she would have asked her mum for help unzipping her one-piece sleeping suit

Cleo's stepdad Jake Gliddon was frantic when he discovered Cleo was gone, according to a camper on the scene who assisted with the search

'She's lazy when it comes to walking. She'd never leave that tent alone,' she said, adding that someone has to know where the little girl is.

She said while her friends, family and the local community had been 'so supportive', all she wanted was her 'beautiful, funny and delicate' four-year-old to come home.

The couple have asked the public to report anything they see 'big or small' to police.

'I know she can get through whatever she's going through,' a teary Ms Smith said.

'We're going to find her, we have to'.
Arriving in the UK from war-torn Eritrea at the age of 14, Mebrak Ghebrehiwet was unable to speak English and often felt like an 'outcast'.

Now, after qualifying as a nurse just four years ago, she has been hailed by the Prime Minister for her 'heroic' work in transforming care for patients suffering eating disorders.

Miss Ghebrehiwet, 45, was awarded the top prize at the Daily Mail's Health Hero Awards last night.

She was among seven finalists nominated by Mail readers for making extraordinary sacrifices to help patients during the pandemic.

Mebrak Ghebrehiwet, 45, has been hailed by the Prime Minister for her 'heroic' work in transforming care for patients suffering eating disorders

Presenting the healthcare workers with their awards at Downing Street, Boris Johnson said: 'You guys saved my life and you got the whole country back on its feet.'

The Prime Minister, who was admitted to intensive care with Covid last year before recovering, said the past 18 months had been 'a truly exhausting and tragic time for the country'.

He added: 'On behalf of the Government, thank you for what you have done and congratulations to the Daily Mail for this initiative. I am incredibly proud of every single worker in the NHS.

'There is no doubt that these heroes saved my life, along with thousands of others, and they did so at enormous personal sacrifice without hesitancy.'

The Mail's Health Hero Awards, sponsored by eBay, were launched in 2013 to honour unsung heroes in healthcare.

Miss Ghebrehiwet was awarded the top prize at the Daily Mail's Health Hero Awards last night

The mother-of-one was among seven finalists nominated by Mail readers for making extraordinary sacrifices to help patients during the pandemic

Miss Ghebrehiwet, whose native Eritrea fought for independence from Ethiopia for decades, said she was 'absolutely gobsmacked and overwhelmed' to win the top prize and hoped it would shine a spotlight on the efforts of staff working in mental health wards.

The mother-of-one said: 'I arrived in the UK from Eritrea at the age of 14 not speaking any English.

'I felt extremely alone and I am aware of what it's like to feel an outcast or to think that nobody understands you.

'There were times where I really struggled and those years made me aware of mental health issues.'

The nurse worked her days off throughout the pandemic to ensure the specialist eating disorder ward at St Ann's Hospital in Tottenham, north London, remained open while many others had to close due to staff shortages.

She was nominated for her heroic work in devising ways of minimising the use of forcible restraint on patients.

Most are young girls with illnesses such as anorexia.

Restraint is a last resort in the treatment of eating disorders and involves feeding patients through a plastic tube inserted through the nostril into their stomach.

The process can be a traumatic experience.

Her thoughtful initiatives, such as printing off menus in advance to help reduce patients' anxiety around food, led to a dramatic fall in the use of restraint methods on the ward.

Many patients and their families singled out Miss Ghebrehiwet for her acts of compassion, which included spending her own money to buy them books or soft toys.

Even after finishing exhausting days at work she would always put others first, with acts such as doing shopping for vulnerable neighbours during the pandemic.

Miss Ghebrehiwet, who has won a 5,000 luxury holiday, said she hoped to visit Peru with her son Akeem, 27.

Ellie Orton OBE, chief executive of NHS Charities Together, said: 'The people of the NHS are its beating heart and their efforts to care for us are something to be truly celebrated. Every day in the UK there are doctors, nurses, porters and paramedics  people from all walks of life  working tirelessly to keep us safe and healthy.

'The Health Hero Awards are so important because they give us a chance to give back to our healthcare professionals and show exactly how grateful we are to them.

'Every single one of these finalists has changed people's lives  and if that doesn't make a hero, I don't know what does.'
Medical professionals have told Sajid Javid they will not cooperate with any new law on assisted dying.

They spelt out their opposition in an open letter to the Health Secretary signed by 1,689 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical students.

They insisted that 'the shift from preserving life to taking life was enormous and should not be minimised'.

Medical professionals have told Sajid Javid they will not cooperate with any new law on assisted dying

The Assisted Dying Bill, which would allow terminally ill adults to legally seek assistance to end their lives, has its second reading in parliament tomorrow.

Campaigners say it will give people with terminal illnesses greater choice and control over how and when they die, with safeguards to protect them and their loved ones.

Opponents say it will put pressure on people to end their lives.

The letter reads: 'The prohibition of killing is the safeguard. The current law is the protection for the vulnerable.

They spelt out their opposition in an open letter to the Health Secretary signed by 1,689 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical students

'Any change would threaten society's ability to safeguard vulnerable patients from abuse.

'It would undermine the trust the public places in physicians, and it would send a clear message to our frail, elderly and disabled patients about the value that society places on them.'

Faith leaders have also expressed 'profound disquiet'. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Roman Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis have written to Mr Javid warning him the safeguards are inadequate.
Britons should consider meeting outdoors and wearing masks in crowded spaces to prevent a winter Covid spike, Sajid Javid said yesterday.

The Health Secretary said people should consider taking lateral flow tests before seeing friends and family at Christmas parties.

If they have to meet indoors, they should open windows to let in fresh air, he added.

Mr Javid urged everyone to take part in the national mission to ensure the country secures the freedoms it regained in July.

He warned that otherwise the Government could be forced to adopt its Plan B for the winter  and that would include making face masks mandatory in some settings.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said people should consider taking lateral flow tests before seeing friends and family at Christmas parties

The Health Secretary said: After the decisive steps that weve taken this year, none of us want to go backwards now.

'So we must all play our part in this national mission and think about what we can do to make a difference.

That means getting the jab when the time comes  whether its for Covid-19 or flu.

Mr Javid said that although vaccinations were the primary form of defence, there were many more things that we can all do to help contain the spread of this virus.

Like meeting outdoors where its possible, and if you can only meet indoors, letting in fresh air.

'Like wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially if youre coming into contact with people that you dont normally meet, and like making and taking rapid tests and making them part of your weekly routine.

With winter soon upon us, these little steps make a big difference.

'If we all play our part, then we can give ourselves the best possible chance in this race, to get through this winter, and enjoy Christmas with our loved ones.

Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, urged workers not to go into the office if they had cold symptoms.
A best friend of Cleo Smith has penned a heartfelt letter to the missing four-year-old.

Six days after she disappeared from her family tent at the Blowholes campsite north of Carnarvon in Western Australia, Cleo's little friends are starting to ask questions about where she is.

'Dear Cleo, can you please come back for a little while and come to my nan's?' one letter written by one of her friends reads.

'I miss you and I hope you are alright.'

The letter is accompanied with a drawing the little friend made of two girls, presumably she and Cleo, standing side by side with smiles on their faces.

One of Cleo Smith's best friends has penned a heartfelt letter to the missing four-year-old

The little girl's mum, who has been actively sharing Cleo's missing person poster and photos online to raise awareness, said her daughter was desperate to write her friend a letter.

'We all just want you home safe and sound baby girl,' the woman added.

Friends and family of Cleo's mum, Ellie Smith, have been pillars of support since the four-year-old's disappearance, vouching for her character online and doing everything they can to alert the public.

Ms Smith made a harrowing statement about 6.20am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing.

'I miss you. I love you. Please come home to me,' the mother-of-two said.

Cleo, along with her mum, stepdad Jake Gliddon and baby sister Isla had only arrived for the weekend getaway hours prior

Cleo disappeared from the family tent between 1.30am and 6am on Saturday.

She, along with her mum, stepdad Jake Gliddon and baby sister Isla had only arrived for the weekend getaway hours prior.

Ms Smith has issued several pleas for her daughter's safe return since she realised Cleo was missing, the first on her Facebook page on Sunday and the second to the media on Tuesday.

Early on Thursday morning, she spoke publicly again to share the missing child poster that was created by strangers and distributed widely across the nation.

The poster illustrates the red and grey sleeping bag that disappeared with Cleo along with a number to call police.

Cleo's family have told detectives they will remain at the campsite, hopeful the little girl will wander back in

She also shared a fresh picture of Cleo enjoying a Cornetto ice-cream in a leopard print jumpsuit. Her pink scooter was visible in the background.

'My sweet girl, come home to me,' Ms Smith captioned the photo.

Cleo's family have told detectives they will remain at the campsite, hopeful the little girl will wander back in.

But detectives fear with every passing hour, there is less of a chance they'll find Cleo alive - or nearby.

'Whilst time is not on our side... there have been instances in the past where even small children lost in remote areas still being found safe and well,' acting Deputy Police Commissioner Darryl Gaunt said.

'There's been some rain that gives us hope that there's water on the ground, those type of things which, you know, we take all of these things on as a positive, and we keep searching with every bit of energy that we have.'

Ellie Smith made a harrowing statement about 6am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing

If she was abducted, a map showing the possible roads she may have travelled suggests she could have reached as far as Tom Price just over eight hours north-east of the camping ground.

Cleo may also have been driven south with the town of Kalbarri, five hours away. Meekatharra, 670km south-east of the grounds, is also a possibility.

The Minilya Roadhouse is around 165km north of the campsite and is on the only northbound road away from Blowholes and records every vehicle that passes through.

It's understood police are investigating CCTV taken from a roadhouse on that route out of town.

A map showing the possible roads Cleo Smith travelled in the time between when she went missing and police were called suggests the four-year-old could have been taken eight hours away
A Georgia county court overseeing the trial of Ahmaud Arbery has mistakenly exposed potential jurors to banned evidence, creating a chance for a mistrial.

Jury candidates who visited the Glynn County Superior Court website to learn about the jury duty process had easy access to all the motions filed so far on the murdered black jogger and the three suspected killers, Travis and Gregory McMichael and William 'Roddie' Bryan.'

Among the documents jurors could access was the mental health and prior criminal history records of the victim, which a judged removed as admissible evidence from the trial.

It also included evidence of Travis's truck with a Confederate flag vanity plate and how often he and his father's used their firearms. The judge has yet to decide whether these two pieces of evidence will be admissible in court.

'We are aware of that issue, and the decision about that [solutions] will be made by the judge,' Glynn County Superior Court Clerk Ronald Adams told VICE News.

Ahmaud Arbery, 25, died on February 23, 2020, while he was out for a run in his neighborhood

Travis McMichael (left) his father Gregory McMichael (center) and their friend William 'Roddie' Bryan, right, have all been charged with federal hate crimes over the death of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery

Suparna Malempati, a professor at John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, said the courts error court hurt the validity of the trial.

'Prominently displaying that information and it being accessible to jurors with just a click of a button, I would say is problematic,' Malempati said.

'When potential jurors have information that may or may not be admitted in the courtroom, the jurors may be influenced.'

But the chances of this incident trigger a mistrial is slim.

The court has only recently verified eight potential jurors among a pool of dozens, who would then be whittled down to the 12 jurors who will oversee the trial, the Associate Press reports.

It is unclear if steps have since been taken to remove the evidence that is not supposed to have been shared.

The defense had previously asked to use Arbery's mental health records to argue that it could have influenced his actions on the day of his death.

A judge ultimately ruled that such records would not be allowed in court as it would violate the late Arbery's right to medical privacy, as would any use of previous run-ins with the police.

Arbery was chased by the armed McMichaels as he was jogging last February

Arbery, in a white t-shirt, is confronted by Travis McMichael, who holds a shotgun

Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley argued that Arbery's history could 'lead the jury to believe that although Arbery did not apparently commit any felony that day, he might pose future dangerousness in that he would eventually commit more alleged crimes, and therefore, the Defendants' actions were somehow justified,' Newsweek reported.

The defense also asked the courts to limit photographic evidence that depicts the front of his white Ford truck that displays the former 'Georgia State Flag' also known as the Confederate flag. His lawyers claim 'it is not relevant and is prejudicial,' a court motion said.

But prosecutors are asking that the courts reject McMichael's request, claiming that it is actually relevant that the jury see the vanity plate because it was on McMichael's new truck at the time of the homicide.

The flag can be seen on McMichael's truck in bodycam footage of the February 2020 killing. That saw McMichael, his son Gregory and pal Roddie Bryan box Arbery in with the truck, before shooting him dead as he tried to flee. Travis McMichael fired the shots that killed Arbery, while his dad watched, and Bryan filmed.

The judge is still deciding whether or not to enter the photo as evidence in the trial.

Police bodycam footage shows the Confederate flag vanity plates on Travis McMichael's pickup truck

Arbery was killed on February 23, 2020, by three close-range shotgun blasts after the McMichaels pursued him in a pickup truck as he was running through their neighborhood.

The McMichaels and Bryan, who are all being held in jail pending a trial date, all deny felony murder charges.

Their lawyers, who have previously said McMichaels and Bryan believed Arbery was a burglar, are yet to comment on the federal hate crime allegations.

The federal indictment alleges the McMichaels 'armed themselves with firearms, got into a truck and chased Arbery through the public streets of the neighborhood while yelling at Arbery, using their truck to cut off his route and threatening him with firearms.'

It also alleges that Bryan got into a truck and then chased Arbery before using the vehicle to block his path.

Gregory McMichael, left, and Travis McMichael are photographed being taken into custody

The indictment alleges that the men 'used force and threats of force to intimidate and interfere with Arberys right to use a public street because of his race'.

In addition to the hate-crime charges, prosecutors allege the men tried 'to unlawfully seize and confine Arbery by chasing after him in their trucks in an attempt to restrain him, restrict his free movement, corral and detain him against his will, and prevent his escape'.

The McMichaels and Bryan already face state criminal charges of murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony but no trial date has been set.

They weren't arrested until 10 weeks later when when a cellphone video of the shooting was leaked online and a national outcry erupted.
Police and Westminster council have failed in a bid to ban the 65th in line to the throne from the borough after years of violence, threats, criminal damage and racist behaviour.

Rowan Nash Lascelles, 43, would simply ignore the proposed Criminal Behaviour Order and take his offending to other neighbourhoods, Deputy District Judge Olwen Davies ruled.

Lascelles, who is the son of The Hon. James Lascelles, the Queen's first cousin once removed, fled City of London Magistrates' Court minutes before the hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He is addicted to powerful synthetic marijuana 'Spice' and mixes with the users and dealers who congregate in Westminster, particularly around The Strand, the court was told.

The great-great-grandson of George VI has multiple convictions for racially-aggravated criminal offences and was once banned from Sainsbury's in The Strand for telling staff: 'Go back to where you come from. I'm going to kick you out of the country. You're not English.'

Scotland Yard had backed the application to ban him, with one officer, PC Zak Ali, telling the judge Lascelles was a 'burden on the Metropolitan Police'.

And Westminster's rough-sleeping co-ordinator, George Bossman, said Lascelles had 'always ended up losing his accommodation due to his inappropriate behaviour and has now exhausted all of his options'.

Mr Bossman said: 'It costs a lot of money to place him in a hotel, but there was constant anti-social behaviour and criminal damage. There have been frightening aggressive outbursts and racist behaviour and he has been engaging in the illicit use of substances and buying it in Westminster.'

Rowan Nash Lascelles, 65th in line to the British throne, would simply ignore the proposed Criminal Behaviour Order and take his offending to other neighbourhoods, Deputy District Judge Olwen Davies ruled

The court heard that his father, The Hon. James Lascelles, has provided him with hotel accommodation in Victoria.

Judge Davies dubbed him 'plainly a persistent offender, who leaves misery in his wake'.

Refusing the Criminal Behaviour Order application, Judge Davies ruled: 'An order will not deter him due to his entrenched criminality.

'He is either unable or unwilling to change and ignores the criminal law.

'An order excluding him from Westminster would simply be ignored. If he does not obey the law he will not obey a Criminal Behaviour Order and simply offend in other London boroughs and transfer his misery to Camden or Wandsworth.

'I doubt Mr Lascelles gives consideration to his behaviour and it seems to be spontaneous, possibly associated with ADHD.'

Mr Bossman had told the court Lascelles 'engages with rough sleepers, resulting in fights and he has caused a number of incidents at the drug and alcohol treatment centre in Wardour Street, Soho'.

Rowan Nash Lascelles is the son of The Hon. James Lascelles, the Queen's first cousin once removed

He continued: 'We have tried everything in the book to contain his behaviour, with mental health and drug and alcohol teams attempting to help him.'

'If this behaviour continues in Westminster there could be a fatality,' Mr Bossman added.

The court was told that the only break Westminster gets from Lascelles are his occasional trips to France, where he works at his parents' 'very, very big farm'.

The Criminal Behaviour Order application application was supported by Westminster's anti-social behaviour officer Anna Hows.

Ms Hows told the court: 'There is a history of Mr Lascelles returning to places he has once engaged with and causing harassment, alarm and distress to the people, residents and businesses.

'He says he is not happy with the support he has been offered regarding housing and removal from the borough would give him a fresh start.

'Westminster is the hub of rough sleeping and Spice use and it is in his best interests to be removed from the borough and for the respite of the community.'

And PC Zak Ali told the court: 'It is quite a lengthy history when it comes to his offending pattern. We are seeking an order on behalf of the businesses and residents of Westminster to offer respite from this individual, who has convictions for anti-social acts and criminal damage.'

The officer said on August 10 police were called to a fight outside Italian restaurant Prezzo in the West End, adding: 'One of the individuals was Mr Lascelles and he threw a bar stool, causing significant injury and was arrested for grievous bodily harm.

'That is just one. There are others and he would commit a number of offences on the same day and be arrested numerous times in one week.

'He is a burden on the Metropolitan Police and many violent incidents are not reported to the police, particularly from outreach services and the council.

'He is a Spice addict and Westminster is the epicentre of Spice dealing. This order would prevent him legally from doing that.'

However, Judge Davies ruled the application could not be used as an additional punishment and would not control Lascelles.

He said: 'My reservation is that it is not going to stop him coming back to Westminster. He is not going to be deterred.'

Lascelles was also due to be sentenced for an offence of criminal damage after pleading guilty to vandalising a door on April 27 at Look Ahead Housing & Care in Vauxhall Bridge Road, Victoria and this will be dealt with when he is arrested.
Woolworths and Coles staff will be required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in the coming months.

The mandate enforced by the nation's biggest retailers will apply to all staff including those working in stores, distribution centres and offices.

Woolworths employs 170,000 staff while Coles has more than 120,000 workers.

Woolworths staff in NSW, the ACT, Victoria, the Northern Territory, and WA will need to have received the jab by January 31.

Workers in all other states will be required to be vaxxed before March 31, unless public health orders are brought in sooner which will bring this date forward.

All 170,000 Woolworths workers will be required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in the coming months

Coles has meanwhile announced their vaccine mandate will apply to staff working in Victoria, NSW, the ACT, WA and the Northern Territory.

Those in NSW and the ACT will need to have had the jab by December 17.

Coles staff in Victoria, the NT and Western Australia have already been required to get the vaccine under health mandates.

The supermarket giant says it will continue to work with health authorities to encourage vaccination in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.

Vaccines are currently not required as a condition of work in those states.

Some Coles and Woolworths employees have already been required to receive the vaccine based on health orders in their states.

Coles has meanwhile announced their vaccine mandate will apply to staff working in Victoria, NSW, the ACT, WA and the Northern Territory

Workers can apply for an exemption on medical or religious grounds while customers at Coles and Woolworths stores will not be required to be fully jabbed.

Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said the move would ensure the safest working environment for staff.

'With each store welcoming an average 20,000 customers a week, a single team member can come into contact with quite literally thousands of people in the course of a normal working week,' he said.

'As we enter the next phase of the pandemic and learn to live with COVID-19, we need to strengthen our workplace safety settings and vaccinations are clearly a key part of this.'

Pop up vaccination sites had been arranged for Woolworths staff at distribution centres and closed Big W stores with 12,000 employees jabbed at these clinics.

Coles Group CEO Steven Cain said the company had encouraged workers to roll up their sleeves as soon as they were eligible to.

'As people are able to circulate more freely in NSW, ACT and Victoria, health authorities have warned that COVID case numbers in these states are expected to increase, which also means a higher risk of positive cases visiting our stores,' he said.
Single-use items such as wooden cutlery and paper cups could soon face charges to put an end to throwaway culture.

The proposal made in Parliament yesterday would target materials that do not contain plastic but are intended to only be used once.

It would mean additional levies, similar to the 10p charge on plastic bags, to discourage consumers from using them, and to cut the amount of rubbish going to landfill or incineration.

Single-use items such as wooden cutlery and paper cups could soon face charges, similar to the 10p charge on plastic bags, to put an end to 'throwaway culture' (stock image)

The Daily Mail, with campaigns including Turn the Tide on Plastic and Banish the Bags, has championed the battle against plastic pollution.

The Government hopes it will encourage consumers to use more sustainable items, with the carrier bag charge cutting sales by 95 per cent.

Ahead of MPs votes on the Environment Bill today, a Government spokesperson said: This change to the Environment Bill will mean we can put an end to here-today gone-tomorrow throwaway culture.

The proposal made in Parliament yesterday would aim to discourage consumers from using them, and to cut the amount of rubbish going to landfill or incineration (stock image)

'We have already made huge progress turning the tide on plastic. But new powers will mean we can turn our target to any single-use item destined to landfill.

The move is a concession to peers, led by Labours Shadow Environment Minister Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, who passed an amendment to the Governments flagship Environment Bill.

The legislation already contained laws to make it easier for ministers to introduce charges on single-use plastics, which will now be extended to cover all materials.
JK Rowling has secured her 16th number one book.

The Harry Potter authors childrens story  The Christmas Pig  has shot to the top of the official UK charts.

It sold 60,010 copies during its first week  almost double that of the book in second place.

JK Rowling has secured her 16th number one book after The Christmas Pig shot to the top of the official UK charts

The Christmas Pig  illustrated by Jim Field  follows a little boy called Jack who has a special toy pig that he loses.

An identical replacement appears, called Christmas Pig, which takes him on an adventure to find his original toy.

The official book chart is compiled by market measurement firm Nielsen. This marks Miss Rowlings 16th book to reach the number one spot.

Her previous chart-toppers include her five-part crime series written as Robert Galbraith as well as her Harry Potter novels which have sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide.

It is also the authors 85th week in the top spot overall since Nielsen records began in 1998.

The Christmas Pig  illustrated by Jim Field  follows a little boy called Jack who has a special toy pig that he loses

Miss Rowling, 56, beat competition from a host of other writers after last weeks super Thursday saw a glut of new titles released.

Current Strictly Come Dancing star Tom Fletchers book  The Christmasaurus and the Naughty List  written with Shane Devries, took second place.

It sold 33,074 copies in its first week.

Billy Connollys Windswept and Interesting was number one for hardback non-fiction.
Lauren Wambles, also known as Aubrey Gold, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday for her role in a murder last year

A former porn star was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in a murder - and she plans to testify against her boyfriend, who shot the man.

Lauren Wambles, 24, pled no contest to one count of 'accessory after the fact to second degree murder with a firearm' for the July 2020 killing of 51-year-old Raul Ambriz Guillen, according to the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida.

Wambles, who performed as Aubrey Gold in 31 movies between 2015 and 2018, was sentenced on Monday.

Authorities believe that Wambles' boyfriend, William Shane Parker, is the one who shot Guillen. He's awaiting trial on a charge of second degree murder with a firearm. No motive for the killing has been given, although investigators say they believe it was linked to a drugs dispute.

Guillen, the victim, was last seen at the Graceville, Florida home of Jeremie Odell Peters with couple Wambles and Parker.

Prosecutors believe Parker shot Guillen on July 4, 2020. His body was discovered close to two months later at a remote location in Holmes County.

Wambles performed in 31 adult movies under the name Aubrey Gold, between 2015 and 2018

Wambles pled no contest to one count of 'accessory after the fact to second degree murder with a firearm' in the July 4, 2020 shooting of Raul Ambriz Guillen, 51, above

Authorities believe Wambles' boyfriend William Shane Parker, 35 (left), shot Guillen at the home of Jeremy Peters, 43 (right), who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison

In June, Peters was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of 'accessory after the fact to second-degree murder with a firearm' and 'conspiracy to commit first-degree tampering with a witness.'

Wambles testified against Peters at his trial and has agreed to testify against Parker as part of her plea deal, according to Law & Crime.

The investigation into Guillen's death started after a woman told the Jackson County Sheriff's Office that she had been raped by Parker in May.

Two months later, she told them that she believed her roommate, Guillen, had been murdered, but was unable to confirm it, WDHN reported.

'Its all about drugs and money,' Holmes County Sheriff John Tate said of the motive for the death of Guillen, above

His daughter Rosa Ambriz, who lives in Texas, had reported him missing three weeks before the alleged rape victim told police he was murdered, according to Law & Crime.

She told the Dothan Eagle in early August, when authorities were still searching for him, that she and her mother knew Guillen 'was in danger.'

'My father called my mother, his ex-wife, the day before he went missing and told my mother he was with people he believed to be dangerous, and he needed to get out of the situation,' Ambriz said.

'He asked my mother for money, but she had just moved, and her mind was focused on other things at the time. She just told my father he needed to get out of the situation he might be in for his safety.'

The JCSO began investigating Guillen's disappearance, collaborating with the Houston County Sheriff's Office - from Wambles' town of Dothan, Alabama - to follow potential leads.

It led to a break in the case showing that Guillen had been killed in Holmes County, which then brought in the Holmes County Sheriffs Office.

Holmes County Sheriff John Tate called it 'a very complex case.'

Authorities believe that Parker shot Guillen at Peters' home. He was then buried in a 'shallow grave,' where he was found by cadaver dogs.

'After a long investigation and important tips from the public, Mr. Guillens body was discovered on August 25, 2020 by the Holmes County Sheriffs Department with the assistance of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement,' authorities said on August 26.

Wambles is expected to testify against her boyfriend, Parker, at trial as part of her plea deal

'The 14th Circuit Medical Examiner's office determined that Mr. Guillen died from a single gunshot wound to the back of his head.'

'Its all about drugs and money,' Sheriff Tate said of the suspected motive, according to WTVY.

Wambles will be subject to five years of felony probation after her release.

She pleaded 'no contest' to the accessory charge on October 6.

In Florida, the charge has the same effect as a guilty plea, but instead of admitting guilt, the defendant concedes that the state has sufficient evidence to convict them at trial.
A meat tax should be brought in to tackle climate change and 'help everyone eat more sustainably', experts have told the Government.

A model for a tax on 'high-carbon foods' was drawn up for ministers exploring ways to tackle rising global temperatures.

Other solutions included increasing the 'relative availability' of plant-based food and providing children with 'sustainable defaults' in schools, according to the document published by the Business department's Behavioural Insights Unit, known as the 'nudge unit'.

The details were later removed from the Government's website, with the Business department claiming they were uploaded by mistake when approached by the Telegraph.

Shoppers could be given vegan recipes with new pots and pans and students could be offered cooking classes that avoid high-carbon foods, if the Government follows through with the recommendations.

A model for a tax on 'high-carbon foods' was drawn up for ministers exploring ways to tackle rising global temperatures (file image)

It also called for taxes on flying, with business flights blasted as an 'immoral indulgence'.

A Government spokesman assured Britons the suggestions were part of a research paper rather than official policy.

A number of options were included for introducing the meat levy - including a 'producer or retailer-facing tax' or a charge for beef and sheep farmers as well as milk producers.

It read: 'Effort to win "hearts and minds" may be better spent building public support for bold policy, such as a producer-facing carbon tax on ruminant products.

Farming groups have slammed the suggestions, claiming the tax could hit businesses at a time when profits are already low.

James Rebanks, a farmer and author of a book on sustainability, said the tax was a 'massively stupid idea'.

Farming groups have slammed the suggestions, claiming the tax could hit businesses at a time when profits are already low (file image)

He suggested a tax on processed foods instead and called the suggestion a 'stunt' that would penalise his farm.

Hannah Dillon, at Zero Carbon, which advocates for carbon taxes, said the tax would subject British farmers to competition from environmentally-damaging imports.

Stuart Roberts, of the National Farmers' Union, said the paper didn't take into account the tax' affect on British farming.

And Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, said farmers in his constituency could go out of business if the tax is introduced.

A number of options were included for introducing the meat levy - including a 'producer or retailer-facing tax' or a charge for beef and sheep farmers as well as milk producers (file image)

He said it would 'not only hit farming' but would 'devastate communities'.

The nudge unit is the same group that suggested 2018's sugar tax, which raised 336million in the 2020 fiscal year.

The Government said: 'This was an academic research paper, not government policy. We have no plans to dictate consumer behaviour in this way. Our net zero strategy published yesterday contained no such plans.'
An unvaccinated Gold Coast Uber driver has tested positive to Covid-19 - bringing an end Queensland's 15-day run of coronavirus-free days.

The man in his 30s, who had lived at the Broadbeach resort for about 12 months, was infectious in the community for up to 10 days, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

He tested positive at Robina Hospital on the Gold Coast on Wednesday and was unvaccinated.

The man is so sick with the virus it has been difficult to get information on his movements since he returned from a trip to Melbourne on October 10, it was revealed.

The man had not used Queensland's QR check-in system since September 18, making it difficult to trace his movements.

It's believed the man had also visited Sydney in late September.

Queensland Police are currently investigating whether the man had tried to enter the state unlawfully after being turned away at the border.

The Broadbeach man in his 30s was infectious in the community for up to 10 days after returning from a trip to Melbourne on October 10

'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that [he was] not vaccinated.'

'We are a little bit concerned about this person that has been infectious in the community and if you have any symptoms whatsoever, now is the time to get vaccinated.'

The new case immediately raised fears of a repeat of Sydney's most recent Delta outbreak, which began with an infected limousine driver from the northern beaches.

The building manager of the Broadbeach resort, Greg Jermyn, told the ABC the man returned a week ago and lived in a part of the resort where there no other residents.

'We've got bookings over the weekend. I'm just ringing people and advising them that we've had a COVID case so you're better off to organise to go somewhere else. As if it's not bad enough as it is,' he said.

'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that they were not vaccinated'

No lockdown will be imposed on the Gold Coast as a result of the new case, Ms Palaszczuk said

'This is a man in his 30s... so sick that we are having difficulties talking to him and getting information from him,' Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said of the Uber driver

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the man in his 30s, who lives alone at a resort complex in Broadbeach, developed symptoms the day after his return from Melbourne.

He became increasingly unwell before presenting to the Robina Hospital emergency department yesterday, where two separate tests confirmed he was positive.

'He is so sick. This is a man in his 30s. He is so sick that we are having difficulties talking to him and getting information from him,' Dr Young said.

'We are working very closely with Uber to get information about whether he has had any drives during the time he was infectious.

'We don't have venues at this stage because he is so sick and having difficulty communicating with us and difficulty remembering, as you can imagine.'

Uber were quick to issue a statement that said the man had not driven with the service since September 19.

'We work with public health authorities in each state, and have processes in place to temporarily remove an individuals access to the Uber app if authorities report an infection,' it told Daily Mail Australia.

'We may also limit other individuals access to the app if health authorities advise there is a risk.'

The new case ends a run of 15 days in which Queensland has not had any community acquired cases of Covid-19

She urged anyone who had been in the Broadbeach or greater Gold Coast areas since October 11 to monitor for Covid symptoms.

'It is really important, please use the QR check-in,' she said.

The infected man was later transferred to the Gold Coast University Hospital.

Ms Palaszczuk said there were currently 156,000 people on the Gold Coast, 16 and over, who remained unvaccinated.

A lockdown on the Gold Coast was not likely as a result of the new case because of the area's relatively high vaccination rate, Ms Palaszczuk said.

Queensland Health figures show more than 60 per cent of people in the Broadbeach area are fully vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk was speaking in Mackay as part of a week-long tour to encourage vaccination rates in regional Queensland, where rates have been lagging.

The premier announced 73.21 per cent of the state had now received a first dose, while 58.07 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Island Beach resort at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, where the man had lived for the past 12 months

The rideshare driver went to Robina Hospital emergency department yesterday, having become increasingly unwell following his return from Melbourne on October 10

Ms Palaszczuk identified a number of towns where she said vaccination rates were too low given the state's deadline of a phased reopening by November 19 and a full reopening on December 17.

She mentioned Bowen at 48.4 per cent having received a first dose of vaccine, Moranbah at 46.5 per cent, Serena at 61 per cent and the Whitsundays at 63 per cent as places where rates were too low.

'We know Mackay and Proserpine and the Whitsundays are absolutely gateways for tourism,' she said. 'We know that, on December 17, there will be tourists coming from all around Australia so please go and get vaccinated.'

Queensland Health plans to turn 100 high schools into mass vaccination clinics across a number of areas of the state with lagging vaccination rates, including Mackay, West Moreton, Cairns, Townsville, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Metro South and Metro North.

Yesterday Ms Palaszczuk urged regional residents to 'hop on the lifeboat' by getting vaccinated before the December 17 reopening date.

'I can't look after you if you won't hop in the lifeboat,' she said at a press conference in Maryborough on Wednesday.

'We need everyone to get on the lifeboat and we'll be protected. We have 11 days to go to get everyone vaccinated.'

Four additional cases were identified in hotel quarantine.
Police have launched a manhunt after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed on a residential street in east London.

Officers and ambulance crews were called to Charter Avenue in Ilford at around 6.30pm yesterday following reports a teenage boy had been injured.

The schoolboy was rushed to hospital with stab injuries and his condition is not believed to be life-threatening.

Police officers were called to Charter Avenue in Ilford at around 6.30pm yesterday after the teenage boy, 13, was stabbed

No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing into the incident.

In a statement the Metropolitan Police said: 'Police were called at 6.26pm on Wednesday, October 20 to reports of a teenage boy found injured in Charter Avenue, Ilford.

'Officers attended along with London Ambulance Service.

'A 13-year-old boy was taken to hospital with stab injuries. His condition is not believed to be life-threatening.

'Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing. At this early stage of the investigation, no arrests have been made.'
Former President Donald Trump said he will launch his own social media network called TRUTH Social in early 2022.

The new Trump Media & Technology Group said it will create a rival social network to the current 'liberal media consortium' and 'fight back against the 'Big Tech' companies of Silicon Valley, which have used their unilateral power to silence opposing voices in America.'

Trump, who will serve as TMTG's chairman, said, 'I created TRUTH Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech. We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced.

'This is unacceptable. I am excited to send out my first TRUTH on TRUTH Social very soon. TMTG was founded with a mission to give a voice to all. I'm excited to soon begin sharing my thoughts on TRUTH Social and to fight back against Big Tech. Everyone asks me why doesn't someone stand up to Big Tech? Well, we will be soon!'

Donald Trump will create his own brand of social media to compete with Silicon Valley in 2022

The social network's app is available for pre-order on the Apple store

Scott St. John was named head of TMTG+ Corporate Operations to oversee the new streaming service.

The TRUTH Social app is currently available for pre-order on the Apple App store, with plans to launch a beta version for testers in November.

A nationwide rollout is expected in the first quarter of 2022, according to a TMTG statement.

Trump Media & Technology Group's merger deal Trump Media & Technology Group will merge with Digital World Acquisitions Corps to launch a social media and video streaming services tailored for conservatives and supporters of former President Donald Trump. DWAC is a Miami-based special purpose acquisition company with a $293 million trust to finance TMTG's launch as a publicly traded company. TMTG is expected to have an initial value of $875 million, with a potential additional earnout of $825 million, combining to a total $1.7 billion. Advertisement

Along with social media service, TMTG also plans to launch a subscription video on demand service called TMTG+, which it says will feature 'non-woke' entertainment programing, news, podcasts and more.

Scott St. John, executive producer of Deal or No Deal and America's Got Talent, was named head of TMTG+ Corporate Operations and will oversee the service.

Patrick Orland, CEO of Digital World Acquisitions Corp, said his company would merge with TMTG to create the new services.

'Digital World was formed to create public shareholder value and we believe that TMTG is one of the most promising business combination partners to fulfill that purpose.

'DWAC currently has $293 Million in trust, assuming minimal redemptions, which can fuel TMTGs scale up, including to provide world class leading technology services to build strong and secure social networks and diverse media offerings.'

TMTG is expected to have an initial value of $875 million, with a potential additional earnout of $825 million, combining to a total $1.7 billion. Trumps move comes as he was banned from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram earlier this year following the January 6 Capitol Hill riot. The Twitter ban is permanent, with Facebook and Instagram saying they'll consider reinstating Trump at a later date. Trump famously used Twitter to reveal policy decisions, fire aides and argue with critics, and considered it a vital means of communication with his 88 million followers, many of them supporters.

The president is among those being investigated by the January 6 committee for allegedly knowing about the riot before hand and helping to organize it.

The former president had previously lashed out against the companies, claiming they were infringing on his freedom of speech and run by 'Radical Left Lunatics.'

With his social media presence hindered, Trump had been left to communicate with supporters through his website, From the Desk of Donald J. Trump, which was launched in May.

Facebook recently suffered backlash from Republicans who were outraged after a bombshell report claimed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife gave nearly $420million to nonprofits that aided in the administration and infrastructure of the 2020 election, and heavily favored Democrat counties.

Will TRUTH Social be anything like 'From the Desk of Donald J. Trump' Donald Trump's TRUTH Social is the former president's latest step to build a conservative-leaning social network to rival Facebook and Twitter. Trump launched a communications platform in May called 'From the Desk of Donald J. Trump', which gets around his social media bans by allowing supporters to share his statements on Twitter and Facebook. The platform, linked to Trump's website, allowed only the former president to upload content, which users could then share on other social media outlets. Former President Donald Trump launched a webpage, www.DonaldJTrump.com/desk, which allows supporters to share the statements Trump has been emailing to the press to their social media platforms The platform was seen as a major flop, which only garnered a little more than 212,000 engagements in its first weeks, a fraction of what the attention Trump's tweets usually got, The Daily Beast reported. It was taken down about a month later in June. It is currently unknown if TRUTH Social will operate the same was as From the Desk of Donald J. Trump or if it will be a complete social media platform that allows anyone to create posts. A TRUTH Social app is currently available for pre-order on the Apple App store, with plans to launch a beta version for testers in November. Advertisement

Facebook and Twitter banned Donald Trump from their services following the January 6 riot. Pictured, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg faced criticism for his alleged bias against the former president

The January 6 Capitol riot was aimed at blocking Congress from certifying the election win for Joe Biden and resulted in five deaths and the second impeachment of Trump

Zuckerberg, 37, and his wife Priscilla Chan, 36, donated $419.5million to The Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) and The Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR), which the report says was given with specific conditions.

Using the donations, both CTCL and CEIR sent funds to local governments to implement administrative practices, voting methods, data-sharing agreements, and outreach programs for the 2020 elections, according to the report published in the Federalist on Tuesday.

Analysis shows Biden-winning counties were three times more likely to get funding from the organizations than Trump ones, and the Democrats were reportedly given a significant boost in key swing states through promotion of practices that have typically favored their vote tally, such as mail-in voting.

While CTCL and CEIR are both non-partisan organizations, the report calls the non-profits 'demonstrably ideological', and claims both likely contributed to the record-breaking turnout that led to Joe Biden's win in 2020.

Zuckerberg has been under a barrage of criticism from GOP lawmakers after a bombshell report detailed his $400 million donation on Tuesday

CTCL grants, which largely went to Democrat-heavy counties, boosted the dollar per vote value of a Biden voter. A Biden-wining county was 3.5 times more likely to be funded by CTCL and Trump, and on average the dollar per vote for Biden was $2.85 compared to only $0.59 for Trump. In Philadelphia, the highest funded Biden county, the average dollar per vote was $6.32 compared to Berks, the highest funded Trump county, which was only $1.12

Zuckerberg's contributions to the groups nearly matched the federal and state funding for COVID-19 related election expenses, which totaled $479.5million during the 2020 election.

North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop accused the tech billionaire of putting 'his thumb on the scale' to give Democrats an edge in last year's races.

'Our elections are not for sale, but Mark Zuckerberg apparently believes otherwise as he did all he could to put a thumb on the scale for Democrats in 2020,' Bishop told DailyMail.com.

'Its clear that no one meddled more in the last election than Zuckerberg and the Big Tech elites.'

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul on Wednesday ripped Zuckerberg for trying to 'purchase' Wisconsin, a critical battleground state that was reportedly targeted by one of the Zuckerberg-funded groups, for Biden.

'Are our elections for sale? Did Mark Zuckerberg purchase the Wisconsin Presidential election?' Paul asked.
A paramedic seeking relief to continue working unvaccinated has not been swayed by a recent NSW Supreme Court ruling in favour of mandatory health orders.

John Larter is seeking declaratory relief to allow him to work unvaccinated following the September 30 cut-off date as long as he is wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.

The Tumut veteran paramedic's case against what he calls 'medical apartheid' follows a recent decision that laws requiring mandatory vaccinations for certain workers are valid.

Anti-vaccine paramedic John Larter (pictured) is seeking declaratory relief to allow him to work unvaccinated following the September 30 cut-off date

Sydney construction worker Al-Munir Kassam, Byron Bay aged care worker Natasha Henry and eight others, had argued their rights to bodily integrity and freedom of movement were being impinged.

But Justice Robert Beech-Jones dismissed the case saying the public health orders did not authorise the involuntary vaccination of anyone.

On Thursday Shane Prince SC said that Mr Larter, who is also deputy mayor of the Snowy Valleys region, would be presenting a more conservative case.

'We say the Kassam decision is quite different ... the way that the case was run was more ambitious than the way we propose to run our case,' he said.

He noted that Kassam challenged the 'premise of the utility' of vaccinations, while Mr Larter's would focus on the 'proportionality' of the public health orders.

'The health directive is only directed to a relatively small cohort of the community, that small cohort will be effectively coerced into vaccination,' he said.

'Let's say for example, 90 per cent of people who aren't mandated to get vaccines, get vaccines, you're really talking about directing a health order to maybe 10 per cent of a cohort of about 140,000 people.'

Mr Larter's new hearing follows a NSW Supreme Court ruling in favour of vaccine mandates (pictured, ambulances outside Liverpool Hospital)

He argued that if the objective was to increase community vaccination rates in line with the Doherty Institute's modelling, the public health order was 'disproportionate' to that goal.

Mr Prince said there would be no need to question Justice Beech-Jones' reasoning in Kassam.

After Mr Larter filed his lawsuit NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said it was challenging enough already defending two sets of challenges to the vaccine laws.

Mr Larter, a father of six, has received support from Berejiklian government backbencher Tanya Davies and One Nation MP Mark Latham, with Ms Davies saying vaccine mandates were a 'serious, critical issue of our community'.

The matter is due to return to court in November.
Today I resigned my position as a Minister in the Morrison Cabinet.

I thank the Prime Minister and my Cabinet colleagues for the strong support they have shown me throughout my period in Cabinet.

On 26 February 2021, I was the subject of an allegation in an article published by the ABC that was not true. That article depicted events that never happened and which the ABC, in settlement of a defamation case, acknowledged was an allegation that could not 'be substantiated to the applicable legal standard  criminal or civil.'

As I tried my best to say at a media conference shortly after the allegation was reported, the initial article and subsequent media reporting has created a new standard under which literally any Australian can be the subject of an accusation widely published and, without due process or fairness, be tried and judged in a trial by media.

After my experience it now seems to be a part of modern public life that if you are a politician, particularly a conservative politician, a mere allegation is considered enough to warrant an accusation being widely published, regardless of its inability to be proven to a civil or criminal standard.

From the moment the ABC article was published, I entered what appears to me now to be an inescapable media frenzy where the evidence, or in this case lack of it, appeared to be irrelevant. Instead, all that appeared to matter was the presence of an accusation.

To my disbelief, even in some mainstream media the onus of proof was completely reversed. The Sydney Morning Herald summed up the new reversed standard of proof in its declaration just days after the ABC article was published that: 'It's up to the Government to convince Australians that the Attorney General is innocent.'

It is almost impossible  for anyone  to prove that something did not happen, let alone to positively disprove what are at times completely bizarre allegations about something claimed in an unsigned document about a night 33 years ago, where the person withdrew the complaint and is now sadly deceased.

From that point, when the reporting on both social media generally, and in parts of the mainstream media, shifted from a presumption of innocence to one of guilt, an impossible standard was set for any person to meet - politician or not.

The most frightening indicator that the public broadcaster was central to this shift to a presumption of guilt in a trial by media is the fact that the ABC  seemingly with great care and effort  has reported only those parts of the information that it has in its possession which feeds into its narrative of guilt.

I have recently been provided from a source outside the ABC with a copy of the only signed document that the person who made and subsequently withdrew the complaint ever made.

Many parts of that 88-page document are such that any reasonable person would conclude that they show an allegation that lacks credibility; was based on repressed memory (which has been completely rejected by courts as unreliable and dangerous); which relied on diaries said to be drafted in 1990/91 but which were actually words composed in 2019; and, was written by someone who was, sadly, very unwell.

This material, which remains unreported, clearly does not feed the ABC's predetermined narrative of guilt by accusation. And presumably because this document detracts so substantively from the credibility of the allegations there has been careful and deliberate avoidance in reporting it or publishing the parts of it that run counter to the chosen narrative.

Having set in motion its trial by accusation, the ABC unleashed the Twitter version of an angry mob. In this online mob environment the mere accusation  reported by Australia's national broadcaster  was determined adequate to assign guilt, with no regard to evidence or, indeed, lack of evidence. All that seemed to matter was the fact that the accusation had been made and the identity of the person accused.

The target of the Twitter mob then extended to anyone who contradicted the narrative of guilt by accusation.

So fierce and vengeful is the response of the Twitter mob to anyone who dares say anything contrary to the narrative of guilt that those people then come to be deemed to commit a form of social crime for defending the subject of the unproven allegation and the mob turns on them. This happened to my two female lawyers, amongst many others.

The journalists who said anything in support of what were once accepted principles of due process, rule of law and presumption of innocence in the context of the accusations against me felt the full force of the Twitter mob.

Thousands of ordinary people contacted me, expressing disgust at what the ABC had done. Even though I suspected action against the taxpayer-funded broadcaster was probably going to be financially unsustainable, as it ultimately was, I decided I had to commence action against the ABC.

Some people wanted to help in that course by supporting my defamation case. They contributed to a Trust on the basis of confidentiality and a belief that their contribution would remain confidential within the rules of disclosure.

Whilst I have no right of access to the funding or conduct of the Trust, on my request the Trustee provided me an assurance that none of the contributors were lobbyists or prohibited foreign entities. This additional information was provided as part of my Ministerial disclosure.

No doubt the desire of some, possibly many, of those contributors to remain anonymous was driven by a natural desire to avoid the inevitable fact that for supporting me, the trial by mob would inevitably turn on them if they were identified.

Facing a false allegation is an experience that places your family, friends and staff under enormous and cruel pressure. It has resulted in constant abuse and ongoing threats.

For me personally, the physical threats of violence, the experience of being spat at and publicly abused for something I didn't do has been nearly beyond comprehension in a civilised country.

To my family, friends, staff, colleagues and supporters who have helped me get through these most difficult days, words will never be able to adequately express the deep gratitude I feel.

I understand the questions raised in the media about the financial arrangements to help fund the now settled litigation. But I consider that I have provided the information required under the Members' Register of Interests.

I also considered that the additional disclosures I provided under the Ministerial Standards were in accordance with its additional requirements. However, after discussing the matter with the Prime Minister I accept that any uncertainty on this point provides a very unhelpful distraction for the Government in its work.

To the extent that that uncertainty may be resolved by seeking further information in relation to the identities of the contributors, this would require me to put pressure on the Trust to provide me with information to which I am not entitled.

I am not prepared to seek to break the confidentiality of those people who contributed to my legal fees under what are well-known and regular legal structures, including the confidentiality attached to the Trust contribution.

Ultimately, the Prime Minister is a person for whom I have great personal and professional respect. But fully understanding the consequences, where I am not willing to put pressure on the Trust to provide me with any further information, I respectfully informed the Prime Minister that I would not place pressure on the Trust to provide me with information to which I am not entitled.

I explained my reason for this was that I could not assist any process that would ultimately allow people who have done nothing wrong to become targets of the social media mob and I would continue to respect their position.

Ultimately, I decided that if I have to make a choice between seeking to pressure the Trust to break individuals' confidentiality in order to remain in Cabinet, or alternatively forego my Cabinet position, there is only one choice I could, in all conscience, make. Consequently, I provided the Prime Minister with my resignation earlier today. It is effective immediately.

It has been a great honour to serve as a Coalition Cabinet Minister over the past six years and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister before that. I believe the Morrison Government has been a good and considered government in the most difficult time our country has faced since World War II.

If the last decision I was a part of in Cabinet was to provide Australia with the future deterrent of nuclear-powered submarines, then I have been part of a Government that works to change the face of Australia's future security with a decision that our children will thank us for.

My greatest privilege has always been to serve the people of Pearce as their representative in the Australian Parliament since 2013 and to be re-elected by them in 2016 and 2019.

I have previously stated my determination to contest the next election in Pearce and have nominated for preselection, and I have no intention of standing aside from my responsibilities to the people of Pearce.

Again, I thank the Prime Minister, my Cabinet and Ministerial and Parliamentary colleagues for their fellowship and support. I have always tried my best to fulfil my role as part of a hard-working team in Government and now will work again to secure the return of the Morrison Government whenever the next election is held.
A former Liberal MP and the mother of model Tziporah Malkah has been blasted in Parliament for suggesting poor people lack discipline and housekeeping skills.

Pru Goward, who until 2019 was the NSW minister for community services and social housing under former premier Gladys Berejiklian, has been widely condemned for an opinion piece in The Australian Financial Review about social divides.

The 69-year-old former ABC journalist and federal sex discrimination commissioner said she 'understood poor people' growing up as the daughter of a shopkeeper.

But Ms Goward recalled there was an underclass among the poor who 'behaved differently' and in her mother's words were 'not very nice', especially to social workers.

'Of course, they are always seen as a deficit,' she said.

Scroll down for video

A former Liberal MP and the mother of model Tziporah Malkah has been blasted in Parliament for suggesting poor people lack discipline and housekeeping skills. Pru Goward, who until 2019 was the NSW minister for community services and social housing, has been widely condemned for an opinion piece in The Australian Financial Review about social divides

What Pru Goward said 'Social workers, traditionally good young men and women who thought it would be nice to be kind for a living, despair of their appalling housework, neglect of their children and, notably, their sharp and unrepentant manner when told to lift their game by the patronising do-gooder' 'Their children languish in the growing number of behavioural support classes in general high schools where they learn little and teachers itch to send them to the local TAFE to do some form of home-schooling and get them off their books' Advertisement

'Social workers, traditionally good young men and women who thought it would be nice to be kind for a living, despair of their appalling housework, neglect of their children and, notably, their sharp and unrepentant manner when told to lift their game by the patronising do-gooder.'

Premier Dominic Perrottet condemned his former cabinet colleague.

'I completely disagree with it. I thought the entire premise of it was terrible,' he said on Thursday.

One Nation's New South Wales leader Mark Latham said Ms Goward's column was a 'slurring of all the children' from families that live in outer south-west Sydney.

'It's disgraceful that Pru Goward would write this generalisation, writing off a whole generation, not knowing these success stories,' he told the Legislative Council on Thursday.

'So out of touch, so arrogant, so condescending, so elitist.'

Mr Latham, who lives in south-west Sydney near where he grew up, likened Ms Goward to a Jane Austen novel from the early 19th century.

'You've written an article that is sort of out of Pride and Prejudice, sitting there like someone in a Victorian-era parlour room sneering at the poor,' he said.

In August 2019, Western Sydney University appointed Ms Goward as Professor of Social Interventions and Policy, which Mr Latham said should be reviewed.

'She shouldn't be at that university and she should actually be removed from that position,' he said in Parliament.

Premier Dominic Perrottet condemned his former cabinet colleague: ''I completely disagree with it. I thought the entire premise of it was terrible,' he said on Thursday

One Nation's New South Wales leader Mark Latham said Ms Goward's column was a 'slurring of all the children' from families that live in outer south-west Sydney and likened it to 'sitting there like someone in a Victorian-era parlour room sneering at the poor'

In her AFR piece, Ms Goward suggested the children of the poor continued to languish in 'behavioural support classes in general high schools'.

'They learn little and teachers itch to send them to the local TAFE to do some form of home-schooling and get them off their books,' she said.

Ms Goward's column saw Mr Latham heap some rare praise on his old Labor Party, which he led from December 2003 to January 2005 when he was the federal member for Werriwa.

He gave a special mention to former state Labor housing minister Craig Knowles, who held the overlapping electorate of Macquarie Fields for more than a decade and oversaw the successful redevelopment of public housing at Minto.

'It's a great tribute to that former Labor government and the member Craig Knowles - the Minto project showed the way forward,' he said.

'Because of the renewal of the public housing estate and uplifting of the school, Minto Public, which parents had avoided, now had out-of-area enrolments.'

Pru Goward's daughter Tziporah Malkah was previously a model known as Kate Fischer and was the product of her first marriage to Adelaide-based economics lecturer Alastair Fischer

Mr Latham, who used to campaign against Labor's left faction at state conferences, found common ground with left-wing state Labor upper house MP Rose Jackson, who had campaigned to have him expelled from the ALP

Mr Latham, who used to campaign against Labor's left faction at party state conferences, found common ground with left-wing state Labor upper house MP Rose Jackson, who had campaigned to have him expelled from the ALP.

'"They are damaged, lacking in trust and discipline, and highly self-interested." No former NSW Govt Minister Pru Goward isnt talking about politicians, it turns out this is what Liberals really think about poor people,' Ms Jackson said.

Melbourne-based federal Labor MP Andrew Giles, who belongs to the left faction, also condemned the former minister.

Melbourne-based federal Labor MP Andrew Giles, who belongs to the left faction, also condemned the former minister

'The sneering opinion piece by Pru Goward in todays Financial Review is a revealing, distressing insight into how some Australian conservatives see their fellow human beings,' he tweeted.

Ms Goward's daughter Tziporah Malkah was previously a model known as Kate Fischer and was the product of her first marriage to Adelaide-based economics lecturer Alastair Fischer.

The mother and daughter have had a strained relationship.

Her second husband David Barnett was a press secretary to former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser.
The supply chain crisis has continued to affect US port cities with trucks hauling cargo containers remain backed up in Los Angeles traffic and Savannah tourists flocking to see cargo ships stuck outside the city's port.

The cities of Los Angeles and Savannah have some of the country's busiest ports as goods and products, or lack thereof, are shipped there for delivery.

A neighborhood in LA has been backed up with delivery trucks throughout the day waiting for the jammed up cargo ships to unload, much to the dismay of residents trying to maneuver around the huge vehicles.

The backlog of ships appears to have the opposite effect on tourists to Savannah, Georgia who are fascinated by the phenomenon.

Traffic jams in the LA neighborhood of Wilmington have been reported as trucks remain backed up near the city's port waiting for cargo ships to unload with supplies. Parked cargo container trucks are seen on the Wilmington street on October 21

Another set of parked trucks are seen in Wilmington on October 20, amid the ongoing supply chain crisis

Cargo container trucks are seen lined up next to containers being shipped by rail in Terminal Island in Los Angeles on October 19

Tourists have been flocking to the port city of Savannah, Georgia to see the back log of ships

About 40% of all shipping containers entering the U.S. come through the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.

The logjam of ships has interrupted the global supply chain and last week prompted the Biden administration to allow the port complex to operate 24 hours a day to try to get goods unloaded and out to consumers.

Since then, residents of the Wilmington neighborhood just north of the ports have complained that trucks are backed up in the streets at all hours.

Meanwhile, cargo companies running out of space to store containers off-loaded from ships are stacking them outside overloaded warehouses and in parking lots.

Marine Traffic Port map for Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. The green dots are cargo ships anchored outside the city's logjammed ports

Marine Traffic Port map for Savannah , Georgia

This week a container slid off a truck making a turn on a narrow street, pancaking a parked car.

Nobody was hurt, but local officials say with so many trucks crammed into a small area it was an accident waiting to happen.

'This is becoming an issue of safety,' said Jacob Haik, deputy chief of staff for LA City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents the working-class area.

Haik said the city would start issuing citations to firms that stack containers unsafely or whose trucks clog streets.

As of Tuesday, there were 63 ships berthed at the two ports and 96 waiting to dock and unload, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California that oversees port vessel traffic.

On Monday, the number of ships waiting to enter the ports hit a record 100.

Cargo containers sit stacked at the Port of Los Angeles as seen on October 20

Cargo container trucks wait in line to enter AMP Terminals at the Port of Los Angeles on October 20

Cargo containers sit stacked on ships at the Port of Los Angeles on October 20

Wilmington resident Sonia Cervantes said her driveway was blocked by a truck as she tried to leave for work at 6:30 a.m. Her whole block is fed up with the traffic, she said.

'Its a bunch of neighbors that are very upset because its a non-stop situation,' Cervantes told CBS LA.

Maria Arrieran, who owns the UCTI Trucking Company along with her husband, Frank, said she sympathizes with the community, but the truck traffic is a result of limited container storage.

'Its an ongoing problem. Were just trying to get these truckers in and out,' she said Wednesday. 'Im literally out on the streets directing traffic.'

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday issued an executive order that aims to ease the backlog.

He directed California government agencies to look for state-owned properties that could temporarily store goods coming into the ports. Newsom, a Democrat, asked the states Department of General Services to review potential sites by December 15.

He also ordered the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development to examine other properties not owed by the state, such as private or locally owned parcels, that could also be used for storage, though he didnt give a timeline for that review.

Newsom's order is a start, Haik said, but he urged the governor to also allow cities to make it easier to change zoning rules.

A truck is seen arriving to pick up shipping containers as it drives by vessels moored at the Maersk APM Terminals Pacific, Pier 400 at the Port of Los Angeles on October 19

Container ships CMA CGM T. Roosevelt (far left) and CMA CGM Panama (middle) are seen moored at Maersk APM Terminals Pacific at the Port of Los Angeles on October 19

The city has identified several port-owned plots that could be quickly paved and transformed into storage sites if not for existing red tape, he said.

'The lots are quite small. But if you could pull together 10 or 12 lots, and put 40 containers on each of them, thats 500 containers,' Haik said. 'Thats some serious relief.'

More relief could come by diverting cargo ship traffic to the Port of Oakland.

Mayor Libby Schaaf told KRON-TV on Wednesday that her city's port 'has unused capacity right now' and Oakland can 'take some of those ships off your hands, L.A.'

Newsom's order also directed the states transportation agency to look for freight routes where vehicle weight limits can be exempt to help with the movement of goods.

He asked his administration to come up with port and transportation improvements that could be included in the next state budget, which he will introduce in January.

A coalition of business groups including retailers, truckers, grocers and others said Wednesday that Newsom's order doesn't go far enough.

'There are additional real, tangible actions the governor could take to meet the moment and tackle this crisis head-on, but convening taskforces in 2022, delaying urgent actions for at least a month, and pushing funding discussions to the January budget proposal do not provide the sense of urgency needed to address this crisis now,' the coalition said in a letter.

The group urged Newsom to take drastic steps including suspending air quality rules governing truck emissions, allowing cities to drop prohibitions on unloading goods at stores after hours and expediting permitting processes for warehouses.

A large number of shipping containers are seen stacked at the Port of Savannah, Georgia on October 17

A commercial freight train carries a load of shipping containers at the Port of Savannah, Georgia on October 17

In Georgia, the state's port city has continued to see an increase rate in tourism.

Joseph Marinelli, the president of Visit Savannah, said that he has seen the tourists coming to look at the ships.

'We're seeing visitation numbers grow with people that are interested in seeing, sort of, the parade of ships that are coming in and out of town,' he told Insider.

Marinelli also reported that people have been using online sites and smartphone apps to track the ship's movement in the city.

'It's almost like having a live IMAX theater right in front of you,' he said.

'Because these container ships, some of which are 1,000 feet long, are literally so close that you can almost feel like you can reach out and touch them.'

The ability for tourists to see the jammed up ships comes from the fact that the cargo ships travel near the shore through the Savannah River to get to the city's port.

The Port of Savannah is said to be going through a future $600 million expansion to fix the cargo ship congestion, according to a New York Times report.

Bigger ships, larger storage space and new rails for train tracks are to be expected as part of this expansion.

Griff Lynch, Director of the Georgia Ports Authority, shared the updates on the expansion on Wednesday.

'Were building a new birth, were putting in new yard space, the mega rail comes on in two weeks, fully operational,' he told Fox 28 Savannah.

'We realize the responsibility we have, to help clean this up and be a part of it,' he added in reference to the ten-year plan.
As a former NSW Treasurer, Gladys Berejiklian has a head for numbers. But the number 0.88 is not one she will be pleased is getting aired at an Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing in Sydney.

The ICAC has heard evidence from a senior public servant that he understood in early 2017 that then-NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and her office wanted a project funding proposal revisited, after it failed to meet government benchmarks.

The proposal was for her secret boyfriend Daryl Maguire's pet project - a $5.5million clay target shooting centre in his electorate of Wagga Wagga.

An initial business case had estimated the benefit to cost ratio (BCR) for the project being pushed by Mr Maguire at 0.88, which was too low to justify state agency Infrastructure NSW backing the plan.

A BCR of below 1 meant a project would not return to the state as much money as it cost to fund it.

A subsequent version of the business case put the ratio at 1.1, which was high enough to justify funding.

The public servant said he was given the impression Ms Berejiklian's office wanted the critical figure 'revisited'.

'I was clearly of the impression that the premier's office and the premier wanted that business case revisited,' Chris Hanger, deputy secretary in the Department of Regional NSW, told the ICAC on Thursday.

Gladys Berejiklian was all smiles on Thursday morning, but that may not last long

The $5.5million grant for an upgrade of facilities at the Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA) in Wagga Wagga, in Mr Maguire's electorate, was conditional on a satisfactory business case for it being finalised.

Mr Hanger was asked by Scott Robertson, counsel for ICAC, what he would have done if he had known the time about the relationship between Ms Berejiklian and Mr Maguire.

He replied that he would have 'put in place ways of identifying and managing ... conflicts of interest' and notified his senior managers.

He agreed this was due to there being a potential conflict of interest that needed to be managed.

In earlier evidence, Mr Hanger said he first became aware of the Wagga Wagga grant after the state government's expenditure review committee (ERC) made the decision and that he took this 'as a positive indication that the government wanted this project supported'.

Chris Hanger gave evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Thursday

At the time, Ms Berejiklian was the state Treasurer and head of the ERC.

However, in an email received by Mr Hanger in early 2017, another bureaucrat recalled a conversation with then NSW Office of Sport director Michael Toohey.

Mr Toohey was said to have indicated the government was interested in providing funding to 'though the bureaucracy does not support the project'.

The Premier smiled and waved on Thursday - giggling upon seeing photographers waiting for her

As she stepped out after one of the most difficult days of her political life, Ms Berejiklian couldn't stop grinning.

But her broad smile may be short lived given the corruption watchdog has announced her former boyfriend Daryl Maguire will give evidence next week.

Joining him on the witness list for the ICAC hearings is her former deputy premier John Barilaro, one-time chief of staff Sarah Cruickshank, and Ms Berejiklian herself.

But she does at least have one heavyweight figure in her corner.

Graham Richardson - who was once known as the 'Senator for Kneecaps' - jumped to Ms Berejiklian's defence in a radio interview on Thursday.

ICAC is investigating if Ms Berejiklian is corrupt.

Mr Richardson said he and Ms Berejiklian 'have never been close' but the idea that she is corrupt is 'absurd'.

'There's always going to be personality differences, and she and I have had our share,' he told presenter Ben Fordham on Sydney radio station 2GB.

'All of us need to stand up and say that this ICAC thing has got out of hand. If she is corrupt then I don't understand the meaning of the word,' he said.

Mr Richardson said he has known Ms Bereijklian 20 years 'and there's no way in the world you can describe this woman as anything but an honest woman.

'I think it's just terrible what's happened to her,' he said.

He said 'the only crime she's ever committed' is to not openly acknowledge her relationship with disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.

Former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson (pictured) has defended Gladys Berejiklian as 'an honest woman'

Mr Richardson said ICAC has ruined people's reputations, even when ultimately no wrongdoing was found.

'You have to give people's reputation a legitimate weighting in the decisions that you're going to make, and I don't believe that there's ever a good reason, ever, that you destroy reputations when there's no evidence of corruption.'

ICAC witness list Friday October 22- Stuart Ayres MP Gary Barnes Monday 25 - Peter Minucos John Barilaro MP Tuesday 26 - Neil Harley Brad Burden Sarah Cruickshank Wednesday 27 - Gary Barnes (if not completed on Friday 22) Daryl Maguire Thursday 28 - Gladys Berejiklian MP Friday 29 - Gladys Berejiklian MP Advertisement

One of two 'case study' grants at the centre of the inquiry is a $5.5million grant given to a gun club in Mr Maguire's electorate of Wagga Wagga when his then secret partner Ms Berejiklian was the NSW state Treasurer. The grant was passed by the government's expenditure review committee (ERC).

'If you get a situation like that where there's unanimity, it's very very hard to then say the grant should not have been made,' said Mr Richardson.

But the former Labor senator had a warning about pork barrelling by both state and federal governments. 'You make sure when you do these things that there's a good case for them.

'You also make sure that you don't give it all to your own side (in electorates that vote for you). When you do, that's when you get into strife,' he said.

After a day of sensational evidence at the ICAC on Wednesday, counsel assisting ICAC Scott Robertson began Thursday's proceedings by saying 'I expect today to be quite a full day of evidence.'

The inquiry was expected to run for ten days but Mr Robertson said there is 'quite a full and perhaps ambitious program' of witnesses next week and there is a 'serious prospect' the inquiry will need to be extended into a third week.

He said Ms Berejiklian and Mr Maguire will need to be given a fair opportunity to test the evidence presented to the inquiry.

Assisting counsel Scott Robertson arrives at the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing in Sydney. ICAC is in its first week of hearings into whether former premier Gladys Berejiklian breached public trust

However, in an email received by Mr Hanger in early 2017, another bureaucrat recalled a conversation with then NSW Office of Sport director Michael Toohey.

Mr Toohey was said to have indicated the government was interested in providing funding to 'though the bureaucracy does not support the project'.

Mr Toohey gave evidence to ICAC on Monday that he did not regard the proposal as urgent and it was not accompanied by a strong business case or feasibility study.

An email tendered as evidence to ICAC on Thursday, saying a funding proposal was not supported by 'the bureaucracy'

Mr Hanger said the state department of industry engaged a company to produce a business case for the upgrade of facilities at ACTA in Wagga Wagga.

Mr Hanger said 'in the vast majority of cases' the government does not pay an organisation seeking state funding to get a business case to support their proposal.

He agreed with Mr Robertson the difference in this case was the ERC had effectively directed that the business case be developed because it had already made a conditional grant to the association.

Mr Hanger told the ICAC that Peter Minucos, an adviser to the then NSW deputy premier John Barilaro, was a key figure in developing a business case for the ACTA facilities upgrade.

He said Mr Minucos, who is due to give evidence at ICAC on Monday along with Mr Barilaro, was the 'key contact' and was 'heavily involved in the development of the project, in particular the advice back to the consultants ... in regards to an addendum to the original business case'.

Neither Mr Minucos nor Mr Barilaro are accused of wrongdoing.

Mr Robertson asked if it was 'unusual to have someone in a ministerial office involved in procuring a business case as an addendum to a business case?'

'It's peculiar for them to be involved in advice around that in the way Mr Minucos did,' Mr Hanger answered.

Mr Robertson asked: 'As a longtime public servant with responsibility for procurement of infrastructure, did you regard it as inappropriate that there was the kind of advice ... provided at the political level rather than the agency or departmental level?'

'We indicated that it wasn't ... where or how they should be providing advice,' Mr Hanger said, adding that this view was expressed to Mr Barilaro's office.

The Australian Clay Target Association is part of an ICAC inquiry into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian

Mr Hanger also understood there was interest from the 'premier herself', Gladys Berejiklian, who replaced Mr Baird following his resignation in January 2017.

'I was clearly of the impression that the premier's office and the premier wanted that business case revisited,' Mr Hanger said.

An initial business case had estimated the benefit to cost ratio for the project was below one (0.88), which was too low to justify state agency Infrastructure NSW backing the plan.

A subsequent version of the business case put the ratio at 1.1, which was high enough to justify funding.

Asked by counsel assisting the inquiry Scott Robertson whether he 'understood the request was made to see if the benefit-to-cost ratio could become a one?', Mr Hanger replied, 'Yes'.

'You understood that the request was made by the premier herself?', Mr Robertson asked.

'Yes,' Mr Hanger said.

Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly and strenuously denied all wrongdoing.

Mr Hanger is also being questioned about a $30million grant for the Riverina Conservatorium of Music, which is also being investigated by the corruption watchdog.

An ICAC witness must Appear at a public inquiry or compulsory examination when you receive an ICAC summons Produce any documents required by the ICAC Before giving evidence, take an oath or make an affirmation that your evidence will be truthful Answer all questions asked truthfully. It is an offence under the ICAC Act to give false or misleading evidence Not discuss the evidence you give in a compulsory (private) examination or the fact that a compulsory examination has been held with anyone except your lawyer Not breach any other suppression order. Advertisement

The conservatorium, which is in Daryl Maguire's electorate of Wagga Wagga, received funding in 2018.

Mr Hanger agreed with counsel that an initial funding proposal was sought to be brought under the government's unsolicited proposals process in mid-2017, but did not meet the requirements of such a proposal.

Mr Hanger then worked for a regional NSW agency which sat under the Department of Premier and Cabinet and whose relevant minister was Mr Barilaro.

In February 2018, Mr Maguire issued a media release announcing the Riverina Conservatorium of Music would be moving to Wagga Wagga, where a 'world-class music recital space' would be developed.

Mr Hanger told the commission that at that time the conservatorium had not secured the site and there was no allocation of funds to develop a recital space.

The conservatorium would later receive $30 million in funding.

Mr Hanger said he was told to find a funding stream for the $20.5 million development of the recital hall to allow Ms Berejiklian to make an announcement during the Wagga Wagga byelection campaign prompted by Mr Maguire's resignation.

NSW Jobs Minister Stuart Ayres, who is due to front the inquiry on Friday, said he won't provide a 'running commentary' on the ICAC proceedings.

He is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Speaking in Sydney on Thursday, he was asked about evidence already heard from other witnesses.

Mr Ayres was Sport Minister at the time Mr Maguire was lobbying the government for a multi-million dollar upgrade grant for a gun club in Wagga Wagga.

The ICAC heard earlier this week that Mr Ayres' office asked a NSW government agency to draft an urgent funding proposal for the upgrade to be examined by cabinet's expenditure review committee in 2016.

'In relation to those matters, everyone knows I am going to be a witness at the Commission's hearing tomorrow,' Mr Ayres said.

'I have no intention of providing a running commentary. It's a public hearing and you can all watch my evidence tomorrow morning.'

Mr Ayres' comments were echoed by the new NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

'Former premier Mike Baird was a witness at the Commission yesterday,' he said on Thursday.

'I'm the Premier of the state. I'm not giving a running commentary on matters before the integrity commission.

'I've made it very clear, I'm not going to be giving a running commentary ... it would be completely prejudicial to an ongoing inquiry, it's a public inquiry and those matters are being dealt with the commission and the integrity agency.

'It should be done with complete independence and not have public commentary surrounding it.'

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro has been called as a witness to the ICAC investigation into former premier Gladys Barilarlo

On Wednesday afternoon Mr Baird condemned Ms Berejiklian for her secret love affair with Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.

Giving evidence to the corruption inquiry into his one-time close political ally, he said she should have told him that she was dating Mr Maguire when she was the state's Treasurer.

The first he heard of their relationship was 'when it was revealed here (at ICAC) about a year ago,' he said, adding that he was 'incredulous' when he heard it.

'Certainly I think it should have been disclosed  to myself as the premier' and that it was a 'potential conflict of interest,' he said.

Gladys Berejiklian's former chief of staff Sarah Cruickshank (pictured) is set to give evidence in an ICAC corruption inquiry next week

That 'potential conflict of interest' was that Ms Berjiklian was head of a committee deciding on funding for a multi-million dollar project that Mr Maguire was very keenly backing.

Speaking to reporters after his testimony, Mr Baird said: 'I am devastated to be here, giving evidence into events that have taken place.'

'Clearly it's with a heavy heart I had to give my evidence and I've done that and now it's a matter for the commission.'

Mike Baird (pictured right) and Gladys Berejiklian (left) were very close political allies

Mr Baird told ICAC counsel Scott Robertson that while he could not recall the specific advice he was given about the Wagga Wagga gun club proposal.

ICAC is investigating whether Ms Berejiklian 1. Engaged in conduct between 2012 and 2018 that was 'liable to allow or encourage the occurrence of corrupt conduct' by former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire, with whom she was in a close personal relationship between 2015 and 2018 2. Exercised her official functions dishonestly or partially by refusing to exercise her duty to report any reasonable suspicions about Mr Maguire to the ICAC 3. Exercised any of her official functions partially in connection with two multimillion-dollar grants in Mr Maguire's electorate, to the Australian Clay Target Association Inc and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music. Advertisement

'My sense was that they - the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Treasury - were probably against' it due to economics and costings,' he said.

He said Mr Maguire strongly followed up on projects he was backing. 'Daryl relentlessly pursued his own agenda' and he 'advocated very strongly' on issues of interest to him, Mr Baird said.

But he added that Mr Maguire was 'at times aggressive and at times abusive to members of staff and public servants'.

Mr Robertson asked Mr Baird if the support of the Treasurer was a big factor in deciding if a particular proposal would receive the support of the ERC.

'Yes,' Mr Baird said. 'As a principle, that would have given me great comfort' but he said he read proposals in detail and did not just rely on the advice he got from others.

Mr Baird was asked when he first knew that Ms Berejiklian had been in a relationship with Mr Maguire.

'When it was revealed here (at ICAC) about a year ago,' he said, adding that he was 'incredulous' when he heard it.

He said if the relationship was known about at the time, Ms Berejiklian would have been excluded from the committee meeting concerning the gun club project.

He added that if Ms Berejiklian had disclosed the relationship: 'It could have been managed'.

'Gladys is a close personal friend, always has been,' Mr Baird said after his appearance at ICAC.

'I think that she has the highest integrity and has a real commitment to public service and public life and public priorities.'

He said he wished she had told him about her relationship with Mr Maguire, but 'as I've given evidence, she didn't, and obviously I'm disappointed, but that doesn't change the way I feel (about her).'

Mr Baird said Ms Berejiklian's secret relationship could have been accommodated if she had told him about it.

'Knowing her, in terms of integrity and character ... she would be able to manage the conflict  she absolutely had the capacity to do it.'

Former NSW premier Mike Baird (pictured right) appeared before the ICAC inquiry into another former NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian (pictured left)

Former NSW premier Mike Baird arrives at the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing in Sydney on Wednesday, October 20, 2021

The revelation of former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian's (pictured left) secret relationship with Daryl Maguire (right) left another former premier, Mike Baird 'incredulous'
Premier Daniel Andrews has snubbed Melburnians as they prepare to leave what has been the longest period of Covid-19 lockdown on the planet.

Instead, smiling health bureaucrat, Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie, addressed the daily press conference on Thursday to declare their hard lockdown would officially end at 11.59pm.

With 70 per cent of Victorians now vaccinated, Melburnians will from Friday be allowed to freely travel within the metropolitan region.

Melbourne will reopen on Friday, but for many CBD businesses it is already far too late

Melbourne on Wednesday night as the city prepares to reopen after enduring the longest period of lockdown on the planet

Hardware Lane in the heart of Melbourne in January 2020. Even when not locked down, the popular strip has not enjoyed anywhere near the numbers of old

By then, they would have spent 262 days in harsh Covid-19 lockdown since the pandemic hit - surpassing that experienced by Argentinians.

Accompanied by Victorian Deputy Premier James Merlino, Mr Cowie beamed as he spoke of the 'new freedoms' Melburnians could soon enjoy.

In recognition of the pain Victorians have experienced after months of house arrest, Mr Merlino announced nine pop-up mental health clinics would open across Melbourne.

Poll DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE LAST LOCKDOWN VICTORIANS WILL ENDURE? YES NO DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE LAST LOCKDOWN VICTORIANS WILL ENDURE? YES 76 votes

NO 331 votes Now share your opinion





While the true mental health toll of the lockdown on Victorians will likely never be known, Commonwealth Health Department statistics reveal between March 16 last year and June 27 this year almost 17.6 million Victorians accessed Medicare Benefits Schedule payments for mental health services.

The toll on Victorian children will likely be realised in the decades to come.

Melbourne students spent more than 20 weeks learning from home last year.

When Grade Prep kids (aged five to six) were allowed to return to school this week they had spent 74 days behind a computer screen at home.

For 20 long weeks since the pandemic began they had been unable to attend a playground.

On Saturday, they will still be forced to Zoom into classes such as ballet despite being able to sit in a classroom all day with other children.

Even then, it will only be for three days a week.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews put out a tweet on Thursday instead of fronting up to Victorians. He continues to hide in the shadows amid speculation he may be called to public hearings into alleged corruption within his government

Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino speaks to the media during a press conference in Melbourne on Thursday

Melbourne was once considered the beating heart of Australia's night life. On Wednesday it was dead

Students who began high school last year still remain locked-up at home and will endure a staggered return to the classroom between now and November 5, when the state is expected to reach an 80 per cent double-vaccination status.

While Melbourne's CBD will bustle with activity on Friday night, it will be a shadow of its former glory for perhaps years to come.

Retail shops will remain firmly closed despite the easing of obviously contradictory restrictions on businesses such as hairdressers and pubs.

The cost of lockdown on Victorian businesses equated to $8.3billion last year.

In March, Victoria's State Budget revealed its total debt was at more than $61 billion, with net government debt increasing by $17.4 billion in the previous six months.

More than 3000 private businesses have shut their doors permanently - some having never had a chance to even open them before they were locked down and destroyed.

Melbourne's CBD has been hit hard, with empty shop fronts scattered across the city.

Those pub and restaurant owners that open on Friday will count themselves lucky.

Many are insolvent and without help from their landlords will fade away in the weeks ahead.

In Melbourne next week, people still won't be allowed to pop down to their local retailer unless they have somehow set-up shop outdoors.

Retail trade has been closed for more than six months.

International students line up for free groceries from the Food Bank International Student pop up store in Melbourne's CBD on October 1

Sydney restaurant Glass Brasserie was open for business on Wednesday. In Melbourne, restaurants will be restricted to a handful of customers at a time

Life in Sydney has effectively returned to normal. While in Melbourne residents continue to live in fear of Covid and their Premier's iron fist

A look at unemployment figures would suggest Victorians had been enjoying an economic boom, with an unemployment rate of just 4.8 per cent.

The state had reached an all-time high of 13.171 per cent in 1994 and a record low of 4.006 percent in August this year.

Looks can be deceiving, AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver said this month.

'The unemployment rate has become pretty useless as a guide to how the labour market is faring at present,' he said.

'Covid had created distortions in the labour market, which meant the unemployment rate needed to be taken with a large grain of salt. These included people withdrawing from active job hunting, as well as a rise in people being classified as employed but working zero hours.'

There were 258,464 Victorians on JobSeeker and Youth Allowance in August - 81,853 more than the 176,611 Victorians on welfare ahead of the first lockdown last year.

Victoria's tourism, arts and live music industries have been decimated and continue to be hamstrung into non-existence.

In 2018-19, tourism in Victoria was estimated to be worth $29.4 billion of Gross State Product and 6.5 per cent of the total Victorian economy, generating 263,300 jobs.

As a result of the lockdowns, total tourism expenditure in Victoria totalled just $13billion in the year ending December 2020, a decline of 60 per cent year-on-year.

Total tourism expenditure in Victoria recorded a net loss of $19.5 billion year-on-year.

International education had also played a key role in the states visitor economy.

Today those remaining students line up in Melbourne's CBD for free food just to survive.

On Thursday, Mr Andrews put out a tweet congratulating Victorians on reaching the 70 per cent vaccination target.

'Because of everything Victorians have done, tomorrow we can start getting back to the things we love. Thank you Victoria - I'm so proud,' he wrote.

The reality remains that Melburnians are not really free - a point noted by many a Victorian that took to social media in response.

'It's not really the end of lockdown though is it,' one man wrote. 'I'll be glad to be getting to the pub, but I'm still banned from seeing my parents. I can't go top the beach, I can't lift weights and I can't take my mask off outdoors.'
Vice President Kamala Harris accepted flowers from the president and was serenaded by a roomful of staffers as she celebrated her 57th birthday from the White House on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden held a bouquet and a framed photo of them both as he walked into the vice president's office in a 34-second video posted on Twitter Wednesday night.

Harris, 57, wore a grey blazer and matching pants and stood behind her desk, laughing at the sight of the commander-in-chief bearing gifts.

'Really? Aw Joe, Im very touched. Thank you,' she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Biden turned the frame to reveal a photo of he and the vice president smiling and walking alongside each other in front of the White House. It had a note written on it too, although it is unclear what the annotation said.

President Biden surprised Vice President Harris with flowers for her birthday on Wednesday

The president also gifted her a framed photo of the two of them walking side-by-side

The duo posed for a photo, with Harris gushing: 'I'm gonna hang this up with great pride'

The gifted photo shows Biden and Harris smiling as they walks past the White House lawn

'This is my favorite,' Harris said, posing for a photo with the president and his gift.

'I'm gonna hang this up with great pride.'

Also on Wednesday, the former Senator from California walked into a room full of staffers a in a large White House dining room.

Balloons covered the table. A chocolate sheet cake sat on top of it with a single slice cut out and a candle on top.

The crowd shouted, 'Surprise!' and sang Happy Birthday, and Harris accepted yet another bushel of flowers.

Masked staffers lined the room and filmed the celebration.

Harris was born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland, California to Tamil Indian biologist Shyamala Gopalan and Stanford professor Donald J. Harris, who is from Jamaica.

Harris, 57, also walked into a roomful of masked staffers singing Happy Birthday to her

The vice president accepted more flowers as staffers filmed the mini-celebration

On Wednesday, Harris criticized Republicans in the Senate after they blocked voting rights legislation for the third time this year.

The Freedom to Vote Act, which would make Election Day a national holiday, was opposed by all 50 Republicans in the upper chamber.

Though Harris can break ties as vice president, 60 votes are required to break a filibuster, a tactic used to delay the passage of a bill, often through endless debate.

The legislation would combat what Democrats say are restrictive anti-voting measures being put in place in Republican-led states that disenfranchise poor and black and Latino voters.

Harris reacts as people sing 'Happy Birthday' to her when she arrived at the Capitol to break a Senate tie - the responsibility of the sitting vice president

Harris's vote was not enough to end a Republican filibuster against voting rights legislation

The bill would also require states to allow at least 15 consecutive days of early voting in places with at least 3,000 voters and would allow citizens to vote early with no excuse needed.

'The United States Senate and members of the United States Senate had an opportunity to uphold the importance of every American's right to exercise their fundamental right in a democracy - which is their right to vote,' Harris told reporters.

'When presented with this opportunity, the Democrats unanimously upheld the importance of that right. And the Republicans, sadly, unanimously failed to do so.'
Passengers on board a metro Philadelphia train who filmed a man raping a stranger will not face charges for failing to intervene, prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday - despite widespread outrage at their actions.

Fiston Ngoy, a 35-year-old from the Congo who has been living illegally in the U.S. since 2015, was arrested and charged in the horrifying attack last Wednesday.

He is seen on surveillance camera footage on board a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transport Authority (SEPTA) train near the suburb of Upper Darby.

Police say that as many as 10 bystanders on the train did nothing but pull out their phones to film as Ngoy sexually assaulted the stranger shortly after 9.15pm.

The attack continued until 9.52pm, when an off-duty transit worker eventually called 911.

'It's still an open investigation, but there is no expectation at this time that we will charge passengers,' said Margie McAboy, spokeswoman for the Delaware County District Attorney's office.

District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said prosecutors want witnesses to come forward, rather than fearing prosecution.

'Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of a passenger who may have witnessed a crime.'

Fiston Ngoy, 35, was present in the US illegally when he was charged with raping a woman on a Philadelphia train

SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas Nestel III, seen through window at left, stands by during a news conference regarding the horrifying sex attack on a SEPTA train last week

The assault took place in Northeast Philadelphia aboard a SEPTA train

Authorities continue to investigate the October 13 attack, where a woman was repeatedly touched and groped over the course of a 40-minute ride.

The attack continued despite her trying to push Ngoy away, according to an arrest affidavit that detailed the surveillance footage from the train.

Investigators say Ngoy ripped the woman's pants off and proceeded to rape her for somewhere between six and eight minutes before officers boarded the train and detained him.

Ngoy sat down next to the woman about a minute after he boarded the train car, shortly after 9.15pm, investigators wrote in an affidavit of probable cause for his arrest, obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Surveillance video, which police have not released, shows him forcing himself on her as she pushed him away multiple times for over 30 minutes, until he is seen ripping off her pants around 9.52pm.

Jack Stollsteimer, the district attorney, said he was not intending on prosecuting people for failing to assist the woman during the attack

Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said that while there were multiple people on the train, it was ultimately an off-duty SEPTA employee who made the call to 911, which allowed officers to arrest Ngoy.

Bernhardt said officers responded within three minutes following the lone 911 call, which came when the SEPTA employee saw Ngoy forcefully pulling off the victim's clothes.

Police would not disclose exactly how many witnesses were there and how many filmed the scene, but it the train made 27 stops on SEPTA's busiest route in the time Ngoy assaulted the woman.

'There was a lot of people, in my opinion, that should have intervened. Somebody should have done something,' Bernhardt said.

'It speaks to where we are in society and who would allow something like that to take place. So it's troubling.'

SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas Nestel III told Philadelphia radio station WPHT on Tuesday that the attack was deeply concerning.

'As many as 10 people actually saw some part of the attack on this rider,' he said.

Describing police review of surveillance video, Nestel said: 'We were watching to see if somebody put a phone up to their ear indicating they might be calling 911.

'Instead, what we saw was people holding their phone up as if they were recording or taking pictures.'

Transit officials speak at the 69th Street Transportation Center, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, in Philadelphia, following a brutal rape on the train, as other riders watched, over the weekend

SEPTA spokesman John Golden added in a statement: 'It may have been stopped sooner if a rider called 911.'

A new report revealed that Ngoy, who gave his address as Philadelphia-based homeless shelter the Broad Street Ministry, is a Congolese national present in the U.S. illegally.

He entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2012, but remained after the visa was terminated in 2015 and was protected from deportation by the immigration system - despite multiple convictions as recent as this May.

Court records show that Ngoy had multiple arrests dating back to 2015 and two misdemeanor convictions, one for controlled substances and one for sexual abuse.

He pleaded guilty to the sex charge in 2017 in Washington DC and was sentenced to 120 days in jail, and was then placed in immigration detention in January 2018.

However, Ngoy was never deported, because an immigration judge granted him a 'withholding of removal' in March 2019, after an appeals board found that his sex crime was not a 'serious crime' that made him eligible for removal.

Since then, Ngoy, has been free and required only to check in periodically with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under an order of supervision.

Nevertheless, he was arrested twice more in the past year, both for disorderly conduct, once in January 2020 and again just this May.

Ngoy told police on October 13 that he recognized the woman and went over to speak to her, according to the affidavit.

However, surveillance video and the victim's account say otherwise.

Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said it was disturbing that no passengers called 911 as they witnessed the victim being raped

She said that she had never seen Ngoy before he sat next to her, and then attacked her.

The alleged victim told police she remembered getting on the train and then nothing until the cops pulled her assailant off her.

She said she had had several beers after work, and got on the wrong train when Ngoy approached her.

She repeatedly pushed Ngoy away, as he attempted to touch her and at one point grabbed her breast, the video showed.

'Throughout this time, the victim is obviously struggling with keeping him off of her,' investigators wrote in the affidavit.

'It's disturbing that there were definitely people on the L, and no one intervened or did anything to help this woman out,' Bernhardt said in an interview with NBC 10.

The victim was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was treated for her injuries following the assault.

Ngoy was charged with rape and assault.

He is currently being held at the Delaware County Prison and his bail is set at $180,000, according to court records, which do not show that he has hired an attorney or requested a public defender.

His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on October 25 at 9am.
Sydney is finally re-open, but the once bustling city centre remains largely deserted as diners seek food options closer to home.

The Harbour City's lockdown was largely lifted on October 11, allowing bars and restaurants to re-open, but a recent video uploaded to YouTube page More Locations shows the area around Town Hall station on George Street resembling a ghost town.

As the video creator walked south toward Chinatown, there were a few more people out and about - but still in worryingly low numbers.

With over 80 per cent of the NSW population now double vaccinated, some anticipated the city would quickly be reborn - however, the early signs are suggesting it will be some time before the city regains its former life.

As the clip continues, the man passes KFC on Bathurst St before moving on to a nearby shopping centre, where people were again scarce.

When Sydney was re-opened on October 11, the CBD still resembled a ghost town in some parts (pictured, Town Hall on George St)

Diners are instead flocking to the likes of King St in Newtown (pictured) famous for its eateries and buzzing nightlife

Chinatown's Dixon St, usually a popular venue for food lovers, remains quiet as does Market City on Hay St, which was previously a hub for bargain-hunters.

Comments on the video reflected a sadness that lockdowns had stripped the city of its former vibrancy.

'The city is so quiet and so empty... of course, getting vaccinated doesn't mean you are protected from Covid, so everyone is still being cautious,' one wrote.

A second commented that it was a 'sad and morbid scene.,. and that it was a far cry from the vibrant Sydney of yesteryear.'

Another stated he hoped people will return soon as the 'virus is not in the open air' and that 'Sydney is a great city to walk around.'

While Sydney's central business district is currently lacking its usual atmosphere, there was much more life in suburban restaurant and cafe strips in areas like Newtown, Parramatta, Bondi and Manly.

With many residents of those areas still working from home, the after-work drinking and dining scene has moved entirely away from the city.

Iconic 'foodie' locations such as King St in Sydney's inner-west are filling up quickly, with similar scenes at the Corso on the northern beaches and Campbell Parade on Bondi Beach in the east.

Parramatta, which prides itself on cultural diversity, also has an array of food options now re-open which scores of locals in the west are lapping up.

Back in July, the lockdown in Sydney and surrounding regions came at a cost of close to $1 billion a week.

Ravaged small businesses and frustrated families begged for the lockdown to be lifted, with one at the time warning 'it's like Chernobyl out there'.

The CBD was abandoned and previous hot spots like the historic Rocks area - adjacent to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge - were also silent and empty.

Countless business owners were desperate for a return to normality before the damage became permanent.

There was a fear that the lockdowns might make working from home a permanent phenomenon, robbing the CBD of the office workers that sustain the city's food and drink venues.

Manly's iconic Corso is already seeing an influx of people as summer rapidly approaches

Diners are spoilt for choice when it comes to food options at Parramatta, in Sydney's west (pictured)
Hunter Biden once offered to sell a major US company information and analysis on Oleg Deripaska, the Russian oligarch currently under federal investigation, emails from his abandoned laptop show, according to a new report.

The president's son made the offer in 2011 to aluminum giant Alcoa, saying he could provide the company 'with statistical analysis of political and corporate risks, elite networks associated with Oleg Deripaska,' according to New York Post columnist Miranda Devine.

He wanted to charge Alcoa fees of $25,000 for 'phase one' of the project and another $55,000 for 'refined analysis', according to emails Devine cited from the laptop Hunter Biden abandoned in a Delaware repair shop in 2019.

Deripaska is the founder of Russian aluminum giant RUSAL, with which Alcoa had recently entered into a two-year metal supply agreement at the time of the emails.

Hunter Biden once offered to sell a major US company information and analysis on Oleg Deripaska (above), the Russian oligarch currently under federal investigation, according to the New York Post

Hunter Biden (seen in 2010) made the offer on behalf of his company Rosemont Seneca to an Alcoa executive, according to a report. His father was vice president of the United States at the time

Hunter reportedly made the offer in 2011 to aluminum giant Alcoa, saying he could provide 'statistical analysis of political and corporate risks, elite networks associated with Oleg Deripaska'

Hunter Biden made the offer on behalf of his company Rosemont Seneca to an Alcoa executive, according to the Post.

His father Joe Biden was vice president of the United States at the time, a fact which Alcoa executives took note of in assessing the proposal, the emails reportedly show.

It's unclear whether a deal was ever reached to provide Alcoa the information on Deripaska, though the emails reportedly suggest that Rosemont Seneca lowered the proposed fee after hearing feedback from the prospective client.

Divine is set to release a book on secrets revealed in the hard drive next month

Like DailyMail.com, Devine has a copy of the abandoned laptop's hard drive. She is set to release a book on secrets revealed in the hard drive, titled Laptop From Hell, next month.

The US imposed sanctions on Deripaska, 53, and other influential Russians in 2018 because of their ties to President Vladimir Putin after alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, which Moscow denies.

After FBI agents raided Washington and New York properties linked to Deripaska's family this week, he slammed American 'stupidity' in a mocking social media post on Wednesday.

'I cannot help but marvel at the utter stupidity of a part of the American establishment as they persist in spinning this story about the supposedly colossal role of Russians in the 2016 US presidential election,' Deripaska said.

'It's time to face the obvious: Trump didn't win on his own, of course!'

But he said it was Washington, DC's own fault for alienating Americans so they voted for an 'operetta character' like Trump.

'He had help from those dumb a**s in Washington who had so fed up with their electorate that they were ready to vote for anybody (even an operetta character, but not the bribe-ridden members of the Clinton clan),' he said.

'It is convenient to feed your electorate (brought up on Hollywood movies about horrible Russians) with all sorts of bulls**t for another 10 years.'

A spokesman for Deripaska said the searches stemmed from sanctions imposed on him in 2018 and that the homes belonged to his relatives.

The Kremlin vowed to protect Deripaska's interests 'in every possible way.'

Images of FBI agents surrounding the Washington, DC residence connected to Deripaska, a close Putin ally who has been linked to Paul Manafort and Christopher Steele, were first reported by NBC late Monday morning.

The action was court-ordered, an FBI spokesperson told multiple outlets.

A home in New York City's wealthy West Village neighborhood linked to Deripaska was raided by FBI

The raids are reportedly connected to US sanctions against Deripaska, which were levied in 2018 (pictured: Law enforcement outside a Washington, DC mansion linked to the tycoon)

Deripaska mocked investigators, apparently believing there was little relevant information to be found.

'One has to ask: was a s**tload of Putin's money found yesterday in these abandoned houses?

'Did they manage to snack on the sour jam from the pantries and a couple of bottles of vodka stolen in the best traditions of the Bolsheviks during the search?'

He added, 'P.S. I'm fed up with the unfunny a**holes...'

The Kremlin said on Wednesday, 'We have heard statements that these real estate assets are not a property of the entrepreneur.'

The billionaire Deripaska is believed to currently be in Austria, according to one Moscow source.

Deripaska still owns a stake of RUSAL via his shares in its parent company En+ Group, but relinquished control in both in 2018 as part of his deal with Washington that removed those companies from the sanctions list.

Hunter Biden's defense attorney Chris Clark did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Thursday.
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan will make an important announcement about missing four-year-old Cleo Smith.

The premier announced on Thursday he would address the media at 12.30pm local time (3.30pm AEST) to 'support the investigation into the disappearance of Cleo'.

Taskforce RODIA has been established to help piece together the events leading to and immediately after Cleo's disappearance.

Mr McGowan has previously thanked volunteers and emergency services crews for their tireless efforts in trying to find Cleo earlier this week.

The four-year-old Carnarvon girl has been missing for six days after she disappeared from a tent she shared with her mum, stepdad and baby sister on Saturday.

Friends of Cleo's family said the smart four-year-old (pictured) 'wouldn't just wander' away from the tent

The search for Cleo has entered a sixth day with crews continuing to scour the area

She was last seen when she woke her mum Ellie Smith up about 1.30am to ask for a sip of water. When Ms Smith got up again about 6am to feed Cleo's sister Isla, she realised Cleo and her sleeping bag were gone.

The family had only arrived at the campsite about 6.30pm on Friday for a weekend getaway.

Ms Smith has been visiting the Blowholes campsite since she was a little girl and Cleo was also familiar with the area.

Mr McGowan previously said he, like everyone, was hoping for a happy outcome and that little Cleo would be reunited with her family sooner rather than later.

'To every officer and volunteer involved in search can I say thank you for your efforts on behalf of the Smith family,' he said.

'To Cleo's family and on behalf of West Australians, we are thinking of you at this difficult time.'

The four-year-old Carnarvon local has been missing for six days after she disappeared from a tent she shared with her mum, stepdad and baby sister in the dead of night on Saturday

But hopes are fast fading that Cleo will be found near the campsite as it becomes increasingly likely she was abducted.

There are concerns she 'could be anywhere' and could have travelled eight hours before police even arrived at the scene to assist with the search on Saturday morning.

Search crews have vowed to continue scouring the campsite until they're absolutely certain she's no longer there.

'Whilst time is not on our side... there have been instances in the past where even small children lost in remote areas still being found safe and well,' acting Deputy Police Commissioner Darryl Gaunt said.

'There's been some rain that gives us hope that there's water on the ground, those type of things which, you know, we take all of these things on as a positive, and we keep searching with every bit of energy that we have.'

Mr McGowan will be joined by Police Minister Paul Papalia and Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch when he addresses the media on Thursday.

Police say they do not yet have any suspects in relation to Cleo's disappearance.

Little Cleo Smith's mother is holding out hope that the four-year-old will 'come home' to her

Ms Smith made a harrowing statement about 6.20am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing.

'I miss you. I love you. Please come home to me,' the mother-of-two said.

Early on Thursday morning, she spoke publicly to share the missing child poster that was created by strangers and distributed widely across the nation.

The poster illustrates the red and grey sleeping bag that disappeared with Cleo along with a number to call police.

She also shared a fresh picture of Cleo enjoying a Cornetto ice-cream in a leopard print jumpsuit. Her pink scooter was visible in the background.

'My sweet girl, come home to me,' Ms Smith captioned the photo.

Cleo's family have told detectives they will remain at the campsite, hopeful the little girl will wander back in.

Ellie Smith made a harrowing statement about 6am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing

All you need to know about Cleo's disappearance Friday 6.30pm: Cleo and her family arrive at the campsite as the sun begins to set. They quickly set up their tent and get settled in, feeding both of the girls. Friday 8pm: Cleo went to bed while her younger sister and parents stayed up for a little while longer. Saturday 1.30am: Cleo woke up asking for a drink of water. Ellie tended to her and checked on Isla, who was in a crib right next to Cleo's mattress in one room in the tent. Saturday 6am: Ellie woke up to Isla wanting a bottle. She passed the divider that separated the two rooms in the tent and immediately noticed the zipper was almost entirely open. Cleo was gone. Saturday 'mid-morning': Police and emergency services arrive to assist with the search, starting with local Carnarvon officers. Sunday: Cleo's mum issues a desperate plea on Facebook to find her daughter. Sunday/Monday: Homicide detectives, bush trackers and more volunteers are brought in to assist with the search. Monday: Police confirm Cleo's grey and red sleeping bag also disappeared. They are yet to comment on whether there were marks that indicate it was dragged from the tent. Police reveal they are not ruling out any possibilities relating to Cleo's disappearance. Tuesday morning: Search is suspended due to wild weather. Daily Mail Australia confirms the 'interaction' Cleo had with her mother was 'not sinister' and simply the four-year-old asking for a sip of water. Tuesday midday: Search continues again as storm passes. Tuesday 1.30pm: Cleo's mum and stepdad, Jake, speak to the media for the first time since she disappeared, revealing key pieces of evidence, including: - The tent they were staying in was left almost entirely open. Cleo and Isla were in the room nearest to the entrance, which was unzipped when Ellie woke up at 6am. Isla remained in her crib unharmed, but Cleo was gone - Cleo is 'not the sort of child to wander off' and would have woken her parents if she needed anything, like when she woke hours earlier to ask for a sip of water Wednesday: Police confirm reports a car was heard 'screeching off' from the campsite at about 3am. Assistant Commissioner Darryl Gaunt revealed there are 'between 10 and 20' known sex offenders in the Carnarvon area, but none are suspects into Cleo's disappearance following inquiries. 'We don't have any concerns about that,' he said on 6PR Mornings. 'I know part of the investigative strategies have included reaching and making inquiries into their whereabouts and movements, and this point in time we're very comfortable where we sit with those inquiries.' Investigators confirm Cleo would be too short to open the tent zip by herself, stoking fears she was abducted Thursday 12.30pm local time (3.30pm AEST): WA Premier Mark McGowan says he has an 'important announcement' about investigation into Cleo's disappearance Advertisement

Worrying map shows how far Cleo Smith may have gone before the desperate search even began - as new clue suggests she was snatched

Cleo Smith could have been driven eight hours away from the campsite she was last seen at in the time between when she went missing and before police were called - as detectives investigate whether the four-year-old was abducted.

A map showing the possible roads she may have travelled on has suggested she could have reached as far as Tom Price just over eight hours north-east of the Blowholes camping ground near Carnarvon in WA where she vanished from.

Cleo may also have been driven south with the town of Kalbarri, five hours away, also a possible area she may have passed through, as is the suburb of Meekatharra, 670km south-east.

The Minilya Roadhouse is around 165km north of the campsite and is on the only northbound road away from Blowholes and records every vehicle that passes through.

It's understood police are investigating the CCTV taken from the roadhouse.

A map showing the possible roads Cleo Smith travelled in the time between when she went missing and police were called suggests the four-year-old could have been taken eight hours away

The missing four-year-old was last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning in a tent shared with her parents

The four-year-old girl, wearing pink pyjamas, was last seen by her parents at about 1.30am on Saturday in the family's tent at the camping grounds.

By the time her mother Ellie Smith and step father Jake Gliddon woke up at about 6:30am, she was nowhere to be found - with the tent zip leaving the entrance open.

It was at least another three hours before police were called with officers arriving 'mid-morning Saturday'.

WA Police Inspector Jon Munday said little Cleo was too short to reach the zipper of the tent entrance, which was found hanging open by her mother at 6.30am.

He said the height of the zip opening on the tent was a major piece of evidence that could point to the possibility Cleo has been deliberately taken from the tent while her parents slept.

'The positioning of that zipper for the flap is one of the circumstances which has caused us to have grave concerns for Cleo's safety,' he said.

Cleo had been inside the tent with her mother and stepdad but was gone in the morning with the zipper almost completely open

'There are circumstances around her disappearance that make it very concerning ... like the fact that the zipper was allegedly up so high (and) the sleeping bag is missing.'

The family tent had several entry points that could be unzipped, with the one found open being at the front-facing area of the tent where the little girl had been sleeping.

Campers have claimed they heard the sound of a car speeding off around 3am, with police revealing up to 20 sex offenders live in the Carnarvon area which is near the campsite where Cleo was last seen.

Investigators have disclosed that while there are currently no concrete suspects for Cleo's disappearance, there are 'groups they are interested in'.

As each hour passes the situation grows more and more concerning for Cleo.

But search crews have not given up hope of finding the little girl.

WA Police Inspector Jon Munday said search crews would cast the net wider on Thursday.

'We will be here until we are satisfied that Cleo is not in this area, we have searched thoroughly all the high probability areas... we are now extended into the further reaches of the places where Cleo could have possibly walked herself,' he told The West.

Her shell-shocked parents fronted the media for the first time on Tuesday fighting back tears as they made a public appeal for information.

When Ellie Smith first realised her 'delicate and funny' daughter was missing from their family tent before the sun had even risen, she made a beeline for her old favourite spots to play.

'[Cleo] would never leave us. She would never leave that tent alone... She's lazy when it comes to walking,' Ms Smith said on Tuesday.
More than 650 people in 37 states have fallen ill in a salmonella outbreak linked to onions imported from Mexico, and at least 129 people have been hospitalized as a result.

Of the 652 people infected, the Centers for Disease Control reports, 60 were new infections as of Wednesday, and of the 129 hospitalizations, 13 were new.

No deaths had been reported.

The Food and Drug Administration has identified ProSource Inc., of Hailey, Idaho as a source of the potentially contaminated whole, fresh red, yellow and white onions imported from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico in August, and are working to determine whether other onions and suppliers are linked to the outbreak.

'We are issuing this update early in our investigation as part of our continued commitment to transparency and early communication,' the agency said in a statement.

'We will provide updates as we learn more during our continuing traceback investigation, especially if there is any updates to this critical public health advice.'

The Food and Drug Administration has linked onions imported from Mexico to a salmonella outbreak that has infected 652 people across 37 states, and hospitalized at least 129

The CDC urges consumers to throw away and not consume any onions imported from Mexico

ProSource said the onions were last imported to the United States on August 27, but onions can last up to three months in storage - and may still be in people's homes or businesses.

The FDA therefore advised restaurants, retailers and consumers not to eat, sell or serve red, yellow and white onions supplied by ProSource that were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico from July 1 through August 22.

It said in its announcement that ProSource has agreed to voluntarily recall the onions.

They can be identified with stickers or packaging indicating that they come from ProSource and the country, Mexico.

The CDC also urged consumers to throw away any red, yellow or white onions that do not have a sticker or packaging indicating where they were grown as a precaution.

And consumers and business should wash and sanitize any surfaces that may have been in contact with onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico or distributed by ProSource.

Salmonella causes about 135 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States each year

The distributor of the affected onions, ProSource Inc., of Idaho, has agreed to voluntarily recall the onions

The CDC says, on average, salmonella causes about 135 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States each year.

But a majority of those who get infected experience only mild symptoms of diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.

More severe cases may lead to a fever exceeding 102-degrees, aches, lethargy, a rash, blood in the stool or urine.

In rare cases, it can be fatal.

Symptoms can start between six hours to six days after ingesting the bacteria, the CDC says, and most people recover without treatment after four to seven days.

Those who are younger than 5 or are 65 and older, as well as those with weakened immune systems may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.

The CDC urges consumers to call their health care provider immediately if they have a high fever, diarrhea for more than three days, bloody diarrhea and are vomiting so much that they cannot keep liquids down.
Police say Salim was the intended target and his father was collateral damage

Toufik Hamze, 64, and his son Salim Hamze, 18, died out the front of their rental

A baby-faced gangster shot dead alongside his father lived in a hoarder house littered with loose windows, and rusty sheets of corrugated iron and a kitchen sink.

Salim Hamze and his father Toufik Hamze, 64, were killed in a spray of bullets as they sat in the front seat of a red utility in Guildford, north-west Sydney, on Wednesday.

But neighbours insist Toufik was an innocent victim caught in the crossfire aimed at his 18-year-old son who was heavily involved in gangs.

The single father had gunshot wounds to the head and died in hospital, while his son suffered multiple injuries and died amid the piles of building junk strew across the weeds on the front lawn.

A blood-soaked rag was still lying among shattered glass from the window of their ute on Thursday afternoon, and was likely left behind because it was surrounded by clutter and didn't appear out of place - one man said he mistook it for a red sock.

While not much is known about Hamze senior, neighbours revealed to Daily Mail Australia that the 'relatively fit and healthy' divorcee was a lonely man who 'no one cared about'.

Salim Hamze, 18, (pictured) and his father Toufik, 64, were gunned down on Osgood St, Guildford shortly before 9am on Wednesday

Salim Hamze died among bins, toilets, planks of food and construction material at his father's home (pictured)

A bloody rag could be seen among the clutter out the front of the home on Thursday morning (pictured)

'It's really sad,' an old school friend of Salim said.

'No one really cared about the dad, and neighbours never cared about him.

'He has no real family - they only cared about the son.'

The woman, who did not want to be named, said Hamze would leave building scraps outside the house after work instead of dumping it at the tip.

Her dad sometimes said hello to the 64-year-old to make sure he was okay.

She also explained that Salim - who was known to police due to his involvement in criminal activity, including a situation where cops found a gun in his car - was on 'curfew' and only left home to go to work.

Salim's lawyer Ahmed Dib said the youth was eager to turn his life around after being charged with illegally possessing firearms

Salim Hamze and his father Toufik were found slumped in a red ute (pictured) following reports of a shooting in Guildford on Wednesday morning

'He was just at home, not going anywhere, and worked with his dad,' she said.

'Sometimes he was with his mum, but he'd go to work and come home, his mum used to drop him food sometimes, and that's it.'

But another neighbour said the home was 'often raided by police'.

'They would have detectives and police over all the time - they weren't the cleanest of people,' she said.

Glancing at the old sinks, pipes, electricals and planks of wood piles high in the front yard of the 64-year-old's rental, she added: 'I have no idea what that is, and it gives me anxiety just looking at it.'

'It's a big mess - how does one live like that?' she said.

One neighbour said looking at the cluuter outside the home (pictured) gives her 'anxiety'

Toufik Hamze was hit by a shot to the head in the salvo of shots that cut down his son as they sat in the front of their bullet-riddled red Nissan Navara ute (pictured)

The woman explained that no one complained about the junk to the council because it never spilled beyond the property, and said Hamze largely kept to himself.

'You'd have one or two older men coming to check up because he's an older single man, but it wasn't a buzzing household.'

Homicide detectives are now on the hunt for two assassins behind the killings.

A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia they heard the 'bang! bang! bang!' of bullets early this morning. 'It sounded like an automatic weapon,' they said.

There were frantic scenes near the site of the execution on Wednesday afternoon as police pulled over residents driving just a block away from the shooting.

Salim Hamze, 18, is believed to have had a minor association with the underworld conflict with the Alameddine clan. He was brutally executed in broad daylight on Wednesday

Police forced a Toyota Hilux to pull over and give his phone to officers while officers pored over his vehicle with gloves and torches about 4pm - from the engine to the undercarriage of the car.

His phone was eventually returned and he drove away.

Police pulled over at least two more drivers, but both were released. Detectives are now looking for a dark-coloured Ford Mustang which was spotted being driven away by the killers.

The shooting is understood to be the latest escalation in the increasingly bloody Sydney underworld feud between the Alameddine and Hamze families.

A burnt-out Lexus SUV was found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane a short time after the shooting is believed to be the killers' getaway car.

Officers are also trying to track down a dark-coloured Ford Mustang spotted leaving that area moments after the SUV went up in flames.

A burnt out Lexus SUV (pictured) was found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane a short time after the shooting

There were frantic scenes near the site of the execution on Wednesday afternoon as police pulled over residents driving just a block away from the shooting (pictured)

Residents who live near the burning car recalled their shock of looking out the window and seeing a Lexus SUV on fire.

Angela Virzi has lived in the street for 22 years.

'No one knows this street except locals - they all go to the end of the street to turn around, but no one knows the lane way is behind there there. Whoever did it knew,' Ms Virzi told Daily Mail Australia.

It really p***** me off that these people are bringing the neighbourhood down. Its not a bad area.

Her daughter Talia, 16 added: We were so shocked. We heard this scream, like someone saying oh my god and a horn and popping coming from the car.

Daily Mail Australia understands the Hamze victims were distant relatives of the family at the centre of the underworld conflict, and Toufik was not involved.

Paramedics desperately tried to revive Toufik before he was raced to Westmead Hospital, where he later died

Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik, 64 were shot while leaving for work. Pictured are police being briefed at the scene

The shooting is understood to be the latest escalation in the increasingly bloody Sydney underworld feud between the Alameddine and Hamze families.

Mr Hamze had lived for years at number 17 on Osgood St in Guildford, literally across the road from the Alameddines at number 18.

Residents in the street insist that, despite the deadly feud between their namesakes, there was never any friction between the two families on Osgood St.

'I think someone has made a terrible mistake,' said one neighbour. 'I think there's been a misunderstanding.

'Toufik was not related to the gangster Hamzes, They were not from the same family, same village, same part of Lebanon or even the same religion.

A burnt out Lexus SUV (pictured) was found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane a short time after the shooting

'He had nothing to do with the other Hamzes.'

He added: 'There was never any trouble between the Hamzes and Alameddines on Osgood Street. They got on well - there was no hint of any trouble.'

Police believe Salim was the intended target and his father was collateral damage. Police are unaware of any criminal involvement of the slain father.

The teenager was said to have been warned he was a possible target as a reprisal for a drive-by shooting at Assad Alahmad's home, brother-in-law of rival crime boss Rafat Alameddine.

Police last month caught Salim with a gun in his car and he admitted he was living in fear of his life after becoming a target for criminal rivals.

Mejid Hamzy (left), the brother of jailed Brothers for Life gang founder Bassam (right) was gunned down outside his home at Condell Park in October last year

'He was known to us as a person who was sometimes under threat and known to be involved in criminal organisations,' said Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett.

Salim's lawyer Ahmed Dib said the young teenager knew he was heading down a troubled path and was eager to turn over a new leaf.

Mr Dib said Salim said he came from a good family and 'he wanted to excel in life in a positive way'.

He told his lawyer he planned to move out of his neighbourhood in southwest Sydney and build a career in construction, like his father.

'I think it's absolutely tragic when you have young people who haven't even begun their lives yet falling victim to what they say is gang-related crime,' the lawyer told the SMH.
A former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report a possible rape occurring outside her home was sentenced Thursday to less than five years in prison, after Minnesota's Supreme Court overturned the cop's initial murder conviction last month on a technicality.



Mohamed Noor, 36, was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

But that sentence was tossed in September after the ex-cop's lawyers argued that he was scared when the the blonde-haired, unarmed woman suddenly appeared at the window of his squad car in an attempt to flag him down after allegedly witnessing a rape on the night of July 15, 2017.

Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report a possible rape behind her home in 2017. The disgraced lawman was sentenced on a lesser charge Thursday, after his murder conviction had been overturned

In 2017, Minneapolis cop Mohamed Noor shot dead Justine Ruszczyk Damond, an Australian-American woman who called 911. He was convicted of murder but the charge was overturned in September. He has since been resentenced on manslaughter charges to less than five years

Just before the encounter, Damond had frantically dialed 911, telling dispatchers that she heard a woman screaming in the alley beside her home.

Damond, who feared it was a sexual assault, proceeded to run outside when a cop car arrived at the scene - with Noor in the passenger seat and his partner behind the wheel.

In an attempt to get the officers' attention, Damond ran up to the vehicle from behind, appearing at the driver-side door, allegedly 'spooking' both officers.

Noor then fired his service weapon while seated in the vehicle, across his also-seated partner, killing Damond at the scene.

Neither Noor nor his partner had their bodycams turned on during the incident, but another officer who arrived after the encounter did - and captured Noor's partner telling him to 'keep his mouth shut.'

Noor never testified, nor was he interviewed by police. The only information his attorneys gave was that he may have been scared of the victim during their brief-but-hectic encounter.

During the rookie officer's ensuring trial, despite being found guilty of third-degree murder and manslaughter, attorneys argued on the grounds of a technicality that the specific wording of Noor's murder charge - using the phrase 'depraved mind' to describe the lawman - did not fit the crime he was convicted of and, as a result, his sentence should be reduced.

Noor was initially slammed a 12-and-a-half-year sentence for his actions leading up to Damond's death, of which he has already served two years.

The court decided to grant the defense's request last month, overturning the initial 2019 murder charge but upholding the indictment for manslaughter that Noor was already facing.

Noor then received a new sentence of four years and nine months on Thursday for the 2019 manslaughter conviction that was upheld, with the state's foremost court throwing out the much more serious murder conviction.

During Thursday's hearing, justices said that the murder charge Noor was facing can only apply when a defendant shows a 'generalized indifference to human life' - not when the conduct is directed at a particular person, as it was with Damond.

Judge Kathryn Quaintance, who also presided at Noor's initial trial, granted prosecutors' request to impose the maximum sentence called for by the state on Noor's manslaughter conviction, 57 months - less than five years.

The judge subsequently brushed aside the defense's request for a 41-month sentence, who argued that the fact Noor had been a 'model prisoner' for his two years of incarceration should earn him a lighter sentence.

Noor's attorneys, Tom Plunkett and Peter Wold, also argued that the former cop faced harsh conditions during many months in solitary, away from the general prison population.

In Minnesota, inmates who behave well typically serve just two-thirds of their prison sentences and the remainder on supervised release.

Judge Quaintance, however, did not budge at the attorneys' further appeal.

'Mr. Noor, I am not surprised that you have been a model prisoner,' Quaintance said during the resentencing hearing.

'However, I do not know any authority that would make that grounds for reducing your sentence.'

She then cited Noor 'shooting across the nose of your partner' and endangering others the night of the shooting to justify handing the ex-cop the stiffest sentence she could, given the charges.

Noor, who was fired from the force after he was charged, has already served more than 29 months, spending most of it in an out-of-state facility.

But the overturning of Noor's murder charge and his subsequent resentencing opens the door for other, similar cases to also be reexamined, with their rulings potentially being overturned, experts say.

Experts told The Associated Press Thursday that the state Supreme Court ruling that rejected Noor's third-degree murder conviction could mean that the third-degree murder conviction earlier this year against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in George Floyd's 2020 death could also be tossed out.

However, such a change would have little impact on that particular case, because Chauvin was also convicted of a more serious second-degree murder charge in Floyd's death, which cannot be overturned on the same grounds as Noor's case was.

Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years. The city of Minneapolis agreed to shell out a $27 million settlement to Floyd's family after his death, just as Chauvin was going on trial.

Noor's attorneys sought a 41-month sentence Thursday, citing the ex-cop's good behavior behind bars and harsh conditions he faced during months in solitary confinement

The home in Minneapolis where Damond lived with her fiance in 2017. She ran out of it after hearing screams from the alley and tried to flag down a cop car while calling 911

Noor testified at his 2019 trial that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives.

He said he saw a woman appear at the partners driver's side window and raise her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.

Plunkett, however, assured the court Thursday that while a great deal of the prosecution's proceedings have pointed out the victim was a kind and giving person - 'all true,' he said - there is 'similar goodness' in Noor.

The attorney argued that Noor had always sought to help people around him, and again emphasized Noor's good behavior while in prison.

Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy, of the defense, meanwhile, asked Quaintance to give Noor the longest possible sentence.

She argued that the case 'is worse than typical' because of Noor's former status as a police officer.

'The most serious sentence this court can impose is required,' she said Thursday.

Damonds parents, John Ruszczyk and Maryan Heffernan, also asked the judge to impose the longest sentence. In a statement read by prosecutors at the hearing, the couple called Damonds death 'utterly gratuitous' and said that the Minnesota Supreme Court's overturning of a 'poorly written law' didnt change the jurys belief that Noor committed murder.

'Our sorrow is forever, our lives will always endure an emptiness,' they said.

The victim's fiance, Don Damond, gave his statement via Zoom.

The victim's parents, John Ruszczyk and Maryan Heffernan, asked the judge to impose the longest sentence possible on Moor. In a statement read by prosecutors, they called their daughter's death 'utterly gratuitous' and said the Minnesota Supreme Court's overturning of a 'poorly written law' didn't change the jury's belief that Noor committed murder

Damond's fiance, Don, gave his statement via Zoom, praising prosecutors for their 'sound application of the law' and criticizing the State Supreme Court for overturning their original ruling, which he said 'does not diminish the truth that was uncovered during the trial'

He started by praising prosecutors for their 'sound application of the law' and criticizing the State Supreme Court for its reversal, which he said 'does not diminish the truth that was uncovered during the trial.'

'The truth is Justine should be alive. No amount of justification, embellishment, cover-up, dishonesty or politics will ever change that truth,' he said.

However, Don Damond also spoke directly to Noor, saying he forgave him and had no doubt Justine also would have forgiven him 'for your inability in managing your emotions that night.'

Noor, pictured here at his initial trial in 2019, appeared expressionless as the victim's loved ones' statements were read

Noor, wearing a suit and tie and donning a face mask, appeared expressionless as the victim's loved ones' statements were read.

He later addressed the court briefly, saying, 'I'm deeply grateful for Mr. Damonds forgiveness. I will take his advice and be a unifier. Thank you.'

Damonds death angered citizens in the U.S. and Australia, and led to the resignation of Minneapolis' police chief. It also led the department to change its policy on body cameras, since Noor and his partner didnt have theirs activated when they were investigating Damond's 911 call.

Noor, who is Somali American, is believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting.

Activists who had long called for officers to be held accountable for the deadly use of force applauded the murder conviction but lamented that it came in a case in which the officer is Black and his victim was white.

Some questioned whether the case was treated the same as police shootings involving Black victims.

Days after Noors conviction, Minneapolis agreed to pay $20 million to Damonds family, one of the largest settlements stemming from police violence in Minnesota - surpassed only by the settlement paid to Floyd's family earlier this year.
A seal has been spotted cleverly using waves at a popular Sydney beach to propel itself into a huge school of fish.

Known by locals of Sydney's eastern beaches as Alex, the seal was recorded by a drone last week riding the swell to feast on a huge ball of bait fish.

Alex inquisitively glides underneath the surfers before surfacing with a large fish in his mouth.

Incredible drone footage shows a seal called Alex (pictured) cleverly using waves at a popular Sydney beach to propel itself into a huge school of fish

Alex swims into the large dark school of fish as they reform around the hungry seal (pictured)

The seal, known by locals of Sydney's eastern beaches as Alex, was recorded last week riding the swell to feast on a huge ball of bait fish

The drone footage was captured by Nick Holton and follows a range of videos called Locked Down in Blue Planet, exploring Sydney's coastline during lockdown.

The seal is beloved in the eastern beaches and is regularly spotted feasting on large schools of fish and swimming with surfers off Bronte and Tamarama.

Drone-lovers often shoot him feeding and enjoying the waves.

Alex, who is an Australian fur seal, can be seen separating the large ball of bait fish as they try to avoid his attempts.

The seal swims back out behind the school before using the swell to again propel himself into the ball.

The drone footage was captured by Nick Holton and follows a range of videos called Locked Down in Blue Planet , exploring Sydney's coastline during lockdown

The seal is a beloved local in the Eastern Suburbs, regularly feasting on large schools of fish and swimming with surfers off Bronte and Tamarama

Alex, who is an Australian fur seal, can be seen separating the large ball of bait fish as they try to avoid his attempts

The fish use the technique as a defence mechanism, exposing the least amount of fish to predators as possible.

Alex is eventually successful, emerging with a large fish as surfers watch on.

He then glides into the shore and swims around joyful locals wading in the shallows.

'We watched Alex steal a fish from a fisherman's line at Bronte recently,' one person commented on the video.

'Alex sure is a great surfer that's for sure,' another replied.

The fish use the technique as a defence mechanism, exposing the least amount of fish to predators as possible
Detectives searching for missing four-year-old Cleo Smith have let slip they have been looking for a body, as police confirm their leading theory is she 'was taken' from her tent.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has offered a $1million reward for any information which leads to the discovery of the missing four-year-old girl - the quickest time such a reward has been issued after a disappearance in Australian history.

Rescuers are preparing to wrap-up the land search at the Blowholes campground near Carnarvon on the state's remote west coast, with police admitting they 'imagined' that if Cleo was in the area she would have already been located.

'That leads us to believe she was taken,' deputy police commissioner Col Blanch said.

'Cleo disappeared from her family's tent, despite an extensive land, sea and air search, we have not yet located her body,'

Police Minister Paul Papalia said detectives were 'hopeful' they would find Cleo alive, but admitted 'we hold grave fears for her safety'.

Authorities vowed to work 'around the clock' to find Cleo, with more than 100 police 'and a whole nation' looking for her.

Friends of Cleo's family said the smart four-year-old (pictured) 'wouldn't just wander' away from the tent

The search for Cleo has entered a sixth day with crews continuing to scour the area

The $1million reward has been offered for any information that brings Cleo home, with police revealing they have CCTV evidence that proves the little girl had been at the campsite before she disappeared without a trace.

Cleo has been missing for six days after she disappeared from a tent she shared with her mum, stepdad and baby sister in the early hours of Saturday morning.

She was last seen when she woke her mum Ellie Smith up about 1.30am to ask for a sip of water.

When Ms Smith got up again about 6am to feed Cleo's sister Isla, she realised Cleo and her sleeping bag were gone.

The family had only arrived at the campsite about 6.30pm on Friday for a weekend getaway.

Ms Smith has been visiting the Blowholes campsite since she was a little girl and Cleo was also familiar with the area.

Mr McGowan previously said he, like everyone, was hoping for a happy outcome and that little Cleo would be reunited with her family sooner rather than later.

'To every officer and volunteer involved in search can I say thank you for your efforts on behalf of the Smith family,' he said.

'To Cleo's family and on behalf of West Australians, we are thinking of you at this difficult time.'

But hopes are fast fading that Cleo will be found near the campsite.

The four-year-old Carnarvon local has been missing for six days after she disappeared from a tent she shared with her mum, stepdad and baby sister in the dead of night on Saturday

Hopes are fast fading that Cleo will be found near the campsite as it becomes increasingly likely she was abducted

Little Cleo's disappearance is officially being treated as an abduction as authorities offer a $1million reward for information that leads to an arrest or her return

Key details from Mark McGowan's press conference about missing Cleo Cleo has likely been abducted from her tent on Saturday night

A $1million reward has been offered for any information which leads to her safe return, an arrest or conviction

Deputy commissioner Col Blanch said at the beginning of the press conference that 'despite an extensive land, sea and air search, we have not yet located her body'

Detectives are certain that if she were still at the campsite, she would have already been located

Police have not ruled out any suspects and have fielded hundreds of Crime Stoppers reports

As soon as police were notified of her disappearance, they began taking down the registration details of cars arriving and leaving the campsite Advertisement

Mr Blanch later said detectives are keeping an open mind and would not be drawn to comment further on whether it was likely Cleo has been 'buried in the area'.

There are concerns she 'could be anywhere' and could have travelled eight hours before police even arrived at the scene to assist with the search on Saturday morning.

More than 100 police are on the taskforce to help bring Cleo home. They are sifting through 'hundreds of Crime Stoppers reports' that have been lodged since she disappeared.

'The process of any investigation is a process of elimination,' Mr Blanch said. 'If we can prove a person was not there, then they're off the list.'

Detectives confirmed known sex offenders were in the area at the time.

Little Cleo Smith's mother is holding out hope that the four-year-old will 'come home' to her

Ms Smith made a harrowing statement about 6.20am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing.

'I miss you. I love you. Please come home to me,' the mother-of-two said.

Early on Thursday morning, she spoke publicly to share the missing child poster that was created by strangers and distributed widely across the nation.

The poster illustrates the red and grey sleeping bag that disappeared with Cleo along with a number to call police.

She also shared a fresh picture of Cleo enjoying a Cornetto ice-cream in a leopard print jumpsuit. Her pink scooter was visible in the background.

'My sweet girl, come home to me,' Ms Smith captioned the photo.

Cleo's family have told detectives they will remain at the campsite, hopeful the little girl will wander back in.

Ellie Smith made a harrowing statement about 6am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing

All you need to know about Cleo's disappearance Friday 6.30pm: Cleo and her family arrive at the campsite as the sun begins to set. They quickly set up their tent and get settled in, feeding both of the girls. Friday 8pm: Cleo went to bed while her younger sister and parents stayed up for a little while longer. Saturday 1.30am: Cleo woke up asking for a drink of water. Ellie tended to her and checked on Isla, who was in a crib right next to Cleo's mattress in one room in the tent. Saturday 6am: Ellie woke up to Isla wanting a bottle. She passed the divider that separated the two rooms in the tent and immediately noticed the zipper was almost entirely open. Cleo was gone. Saturday 'mid-morning': Police and emergency services arrive to assist with the search, starting with local Carnarvon officers. Sunday: Cleo's mum issues a desperate plea on Facebook to find her daughter. Sunday/Monday: Homicide detectives, bush trackers and more volunteers are brought in to assist with the search. Monday: Police confirm Cleo's grey and red sleeping bag also disappeared. They are yet to comment on whether there were marks that indicate it was dragged from the tent. Police reveal they are not ruling out any possibilities relating to Cleo's disappearance. Tuesday morning: Search is suspended due to wild weather. Daily Mail Australia confirms the 'interaction' Cleo had with her mother was 'not sinister' and simply the four-year-old asking for a sip of water. Tuesday midday: Search continues again as storm passes. Tuesday 1.30pm: Cleo's mum and stepdad, Jake, speak to the media for the first time since she disappeared, revealing key pieces of evidence, including: - The tent they were staying in was left almost entirely open. Cleo and Isla were in the room nearest to the entrance, which was unzipped when Ellie woke up at 6am. Isla remained in her crib unharmed, but Cleo was gone - Cleo is 'not the sort of child to wander off' and would have woken her parents if she needed anything, like when she woke hours earlier to ask for a sip of water Wednesday: Police confirm reports a car was heard 'screeching off' from the campsite at about 3am. Assistant Commissioner Darryl Gaunt revealed there are 'between 10 and 20' known sex offenders in the Carnarvon area, but none are suspects into Cleo's disappearance following inquiries. 'We don't have any concerns about that,' he said on 6PR Mornings. 'I know part of the investigative strategies have included reaching and making inquiries into their whereabouts and movements, and this point in time we're very comfortable where we sit with those inquiries.' Investigators confirm Cleo would be too short to open the tent zip by herself, stoking fears she was abducted Thursday 12.30pm local time (3.30pm AEST): WA Premier Mark McGowan offers $1million reward for any information which leads to Cleo coming home or the arrest and conviction of those responsible for taking her Advertisement

Ms Smith appeared emotional during a media interview on Tuesday while Cleo's stepdad Jake Gliddon sat silently beside her.

'In the cases similar to this that I've worked on I've seen much more emotion from both parents. I think she's working hard to keep it together,' body language expert Traci Brown told Daily Mail Australia.

'I heard her voice waiver a bit and that's the only way I could tell real sadness is there. I think his stress response is to shut down so that's what we're seeing.'

She added the couple appeared to be 'wired differently' in terms of emotional responses, pointing out Mr Gliddon gave off a 'heavy energy' despite appearing stiff and less reactive.

'My guess is he's the strong silent type,' Ms Brown said.

Both had their arms crossed, which was a sign the pair were facing 'stress triggers' as the pair exhibited 'self-comforting behaviour' during the interview.

Body language experts have weighed in on the interview analysing the gestures, tone of voice and facial expressions of the couple

Ms Smith has been left distraught since her four-year-old daughter Cleo (pictured) vanished from a campsite in Western Australia

Body language expert David Stephens from Critical Insights added people often cross their arms as a way to 'self comfort' in stressful situations.

'The question we always need to ask of course, is why are they seeking comfort - what is it that has them worried?,' he explained.

He added the gesture, tone of voice and facial expressions seen during the interview indicated truth-telling while mirroring the couple's sadness and distress.

Ms Smith's voice faltered as she relayed the moment she unzipped the tent to discover her four-year-old was missing.

'Her gestures and illustrators, of which there are several, broadly match what she is saying, which is a good indication that she is being truthful,' he said.

The couple (pictured with their family) first appealed for help locating missing Cleo via social media on Sunday

'The pitch of her voice, her tone and facial expressions generally match what she is saying verbally, which indicates distress and sadness.'

While Ms Smith fought back tears, Mr Gliddon sat quietly by her side.

His twitching mouth and the licking of his lips was a sign he was preparing to talk but hesitated during the moment, Ms Brown pointed out.

'His hesitancy to speak comes down to the fact he is not Cleo's biological father,' she said. 'He's unsure of how to respond to the situation.'

Mr Stephens agreed, noting that while Mr Gliddon showed genuine sadness Ms Smith was clearly the speaker of the couple.

'He wants to say something but is not given the chance or is simply unable to verbalise it,' he said.

Cleo's stepdad Jake Gliddon was frantic when he discovered Cleo was gone, according to a camper on the scene who assisted with the search

'The media obviously like to focus on the mother, so you don't necessarily get a lot of the partner shots especially when it's not the biological father in this case.'

Mr Gliddon was frantic when he realised Cleo was missing, according to a camper on the scene who assisted with the search.

He started dating Ms Smith two-and-a-half years ago, when Cleo was barely one. It's understood he has raised Cleo as his own ever since.

'You are incredible and the best dad Cleo could ask for,' Ms Smith said in a tribute post to her partner last Father's Day.

'Thank you for stepping up and being her Daddy. We love you... our favourite man.'

A close friend of the couple said Mr Gliddon 'absolutely adores Cleo [and] took her on as his own not long after she was born'.

'He may be a stepfather but those kids mean the world to him... He's a great dad.'

Meanwhile, police have received information from people 'from around the world' adding police are treating the little girl's disappearance as a 'search and rescue mission'

Worrying map shows how far Cleo Smith may have gone before the desperate search even began

Cleo Smith could have been driven eight hours away from the campsite she was last seen at in the time between when she went missing and before police were called - as detectives confirm they believe the four-year-old was abducted.

A map showing the possible roads she may have travelled on has suggested she could have reached as far as Tom Price just over eight hours north-east of the Blowholes camping ground near Carnarvon in WA where she vanished from.

Cleo may also have been driven south with the town of Kalbarri, five hours away, also a possible area she may have passed through, as is the suburb of Meekatharra, 670km south-east.

The Minilya Roadhouse is around 165km north of the campsite and is on the only northbound road away from Blowholes and records every vehicle that passes through.

It's understood police are investigating the CCTV taken from the roadhouse.

A map showing the possible roads Cleo Smith travelled in the time between when she went missing and police were called suggests the four-year-old could have been taken eight hours away

The missing four-year-old was last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning in a tent shared with her parents

The four-year-old girl, wearing pink pyjamas, was last seen by her parents at about 1.30am on Saturday in the family's tent at the camping grounds.

By the time her mother Ellie Smith and step father Jake Gliddon woke up at about 6:30am, she was nowhere to be found - with the tent zip leaving the entrance open.

It was at least another three hours before police were called with officers arriving 'mid-morning Saturday'.

WA Police Inspector Jon Munday said little Cleo was too short to reach the zipper of the tent entrance, which was found hanging open by her mother at 6.30am.

He said the height of the zip opening on the tent was a major piece of evidence that could point to the possibility Cleo has been deliberately taken from the tent while her parents slept.

'The positioning of that zipper for the flap is one of the circumstances which has caused us to have grave concerns for Cleo's safety,' he said.

Cleo had been inside the tent with her mother and stepdad but was gone in the morning with the zipper almost completely open

'There are circumstances around her disappearance that make it very concerning ... like the fact that the zipper was allegedly up so high (and) the sleeping bag is missing.'

The family tent had several entry points that could be unzipped, with the one found open being at the front-facing area of the tent where the little girl had been sleeping.

Campers have claimed they heard the sound of a car speeding off around 3am, with police revealing up to 20 sex offenders live in the Carnarvon area which is near the campsite where Cleo was last seen.

Investigators have disclosed that while there are currently no concrete suspects for Cleo's disappearance, there are 'groups they are interested in'.

Anyone with information about Cleo's disappearance is urged to contact police on 131 444.
Virginia's Republican gubernatorial candidate said the current debates at school board meetings would help put him over the top in a race that is in a dead heat as early voting begins in the state.

'Virgina parents deserve this. Our schools aren't safe, Glenn Youngkin said during an interview with Sean Hannity on Thursday.

'Our schools are teaching our kids what to think as opposed to how to think. We're going to go in on day one and re-establish excellence in schools.'

Youngkin attacked his opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, saying the Democrat was at odds with what parents want in Virginia, citing a recent incident where McAuliffe said, 'I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.'

McAuliffe was responding to questions about banning books from school libraries parents had deemed inappropriate, the rights of transgender students, and the teaching of critical race theory, which he maintains isn't being taught in Virginia.

But parents at school boards have insisted divisive racial concepts are being foisted on students, with the GOP contender seizing on that discontent. Both men are now polling at 46 per cent, with polling day scheduled for November 2.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, right, is now tied with Democrat Terry McAuliffe in Virginia's governor's race

Youngkin vowed to ban critical race theory from schools and said he would open an investigation into the Loudoun County School Board, which has been marred in controversy over an alleged rape of a 15 year-old girl by a boy in a skirt in a high school bathroom.

The alleged attacker was then moved to another school, with the father of the girl who made the claims arrested after he tried to broach the subject at a Loudoun County School Board meeting.

Youngkin, who was trailing behind McAuliffe in August at 42 per cent to 47 per cent is now tied with opponent at 46 percent, according to the latest poll by the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

The race is currently tied at 46 per cent after Youngkin gained support in recent months

The new poll indicates that a surge in support from independents is coming in for Youngkin, who now leads 48 percent to McAuliffe's 39 per cent among independents.

Youngkin also leads among women 52 per cent to 38 per cent.

Monmouth University Polling Institute director Patrick Murray told Fox News that Youngkin's numbers jumped when he made school's a key focus of his campaign.

'McAuliffe's sizable edge on handling Covid and his competitiveness on economic issues last month helped put him ahead in this race, but Youngkin has been able to change the terms of the debate, by using his opponent's words on parental involvement in the school curriculum to shift voter attention on that issue,' Murray explained.

'Not only has this eaten away at the Democrat's previous advantage on education policy, but it has also raised doubts about McAuliffe's ability to handle the pandemic.'

At center of the debate is the Loudoun County School District, which has became the battle ground for the country's culture war debating hot button issues such as CRT and transgender rights.

Parents in the Loudoun County School District protest teaching CRT in schools in June

The school quickly became a symbol for the national debate surrounding 'woke teachings' in public schools. Pictured, parent Shelley Slebrch leading protests inside the school

Parents also protested the school's trans-inclusionary policies

In April, the county announced that they planned to allocate more then $6 million to 'equity training' which was met with strong opposition by some residents.

They claimed that training was part of a pro-CRT push which would lead to students seeing themselves as victims or oppressors, depending on their race.

Then over the summer, a rowdy school board meeting debating transgender rights ended in an arrest.

An elementary school teacher, Tanner Cross, sued the school system and was reinstated after he was suspended or refusing to use a transgender student's preferred pronouns citing that it went against his religious beliefs.

Cross, a physical education teacher, was filmed sharing his beliefs at a meeting. He became a hero in conservative circles, and was also condemned as a bigot by online progressives.

Earlier this month an organization against critical race theory, spent half a million dollars on ads criticizing the Loudon County School Board.

Protests then reignited in September, when the school board voted 6-3 in favor of beginning a study into whether it would be appropriate to give reparations to black people after it previously ignored a landmark desegregation ruling.

The school board then faced another incident when it was revealed that a 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped in the girls' bathroom by a 'boy wearing a skirt.'

That boy was moved to another school, where he is said to have carried out a second sex attack in October. The youngster is now in custody, amid an uproar over how he was allowed to allegedly offend again.

Loudoun County Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler apologized on Friday for failing to provide a 'safe' environment for students

Smith was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after the June 22 meeting where Ziegler allegedly lied. He said he was trying to contain himself after listening to school board staff say they'd never had a report of a sexual assault in a bathroom, when that is what his daughter reported weeks earlier

Superintendent Scott Ziegler formally apologized for the incident last week but did not resign despite calls for him to do so.

He had mad 'misleading' claims in June 22 when he told a crowded meeting that there had been no sex assaults on campus by transgender kids, and that predatory transgender people 'do not exist,' despite the alleged incident taking place in May 28.

In that same meeting, Scott Smith, the father of the alleged victim, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after confronting Ziegler over his statement.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, right, has attacked Democrat Terry McAuliffe's stance on school policy regarding CRT and trans rights

Youngkin has repeatedly attacked the Loudoun County School Board for its handling of the situation and said he would bring the FBI to fully investigate the board if he's elected governor.

He added that the race in Virginia will serve as a message of where the US will be heading towards.

'Terry McAuliffe wants government between parents and their children. On the ballot right now in November is the future of Virginia and of America,' Youngkin said.
China's second biggest property developer Evergrande is on the verge of collapse after critical deal to stop a default fell through - and it could have major implications for Australia.

The 25-year-old mega apartment developer has debts of more than $400billion and has during the past month missed three annual interest payment deadlines to bondholders.

A 30-day extension on an offshore debt servicing obligation expires on Saturday - the end of a grace period which kicked in late last month.

Now the company founded by billionaire Xu Jiayin could fold with Hong Kong-based Hopson Development Holdings pulling out of a $3.4billion deal to buy 50.1 per cent of Evergrande's property services arm.

China's second biggest property developer Evergrande is on the verge of collapse after deal to delay a default fell through - with major implications for Australia (pictured is the Evergrande Centre in Shanghai)

Evergrande has admitted it would struggle to meet its debt repayment requirements, sparking fears of a default.

That would cause wider financial market problems in China, Australia's biggest trading partner and the world's second biggest economy.

'There is no guarantee that the group will be able to meet its financial obligations,' Evergrande told the Hong Kong stock exchange late on Wednesday night.

Evergrande, headquartered in Shenzhen, saw its share price plunge by 10 per cent during Thursday's Asian trade.

It had suspended trading on October 4 pending 'an announcement containing inside information about a major transaction' which hasn't materialised.

In August 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping's government introduced a new 'three red lines' policy requiring developers to sell assets, even at a cheap discount, to avoid piling on more unsustainable debt.

Billionaires have also been targeted as part of his 'common prosperity' program to redistribute wealth away from the ultra-rich.

The 25-year-old mega apartment developer has debts of more than $400billion and has during the past month missed three annual interest payment deadlines to bondholders. A 30-day grace period on debt servicing expires on Saturday

Now the company founded by billionaire Xu Jiayin could fold with Hong Kong-based Hopson Development Holdings pulling out of a $3.4billion deal to buy 50.1 per cent of Evergrande's property services arm

China is already home to 65million empty apartments, with enough space to house 90million people in a nation of 1.4billion.

The property crisis is coinciding with Chinese Communist Party orders to reduce steel production to meet 2060 net zero climate change targets.

This has caused the spot price of iron ore, Australia's biggest export, to halve from $US200 a tonne in late July to less than $US100 by the end of September.

The latest Evergrande developments have hurt Australia's big miners with Rio Tinto plunging by 1.3 per cent to $96.79 on Thursday.

Iron ore group Fortescue Metals Group dropped 0.6 per cent to $14.41.

The Reserve Bank of Australia's October meeting minutes highlighted concerns about Evergrande.

'While Evergrande is small relative to the financial system in China, members noted a financial stability risk from spill overs to other developers and financiers if the resolution of Evergrande's problems were to be disorderly,' it said.

People's Bank of China governor Yi Gang on Monday admitted Evergrande's problems 'casts a little bit of concern' in a virtual meeting of the Group of 30 but he was optimistic there would not be wider effects.

The spot price of iron ore, Australia's biggest export, has halved from $US200 a tonne in late July to less than $US100 by the end of September (pictured is an dump truck at Fortescue Metals Group's Solomon Hub mining operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region)

'Overall, we can contain the Evergrande risk,' he said.

Nonetheless, Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe and his board members noted China's attempts to address financial system problems could potentially lower growth in China.

'In China, authorities had continued to balance addressing increased financial system vulnerabilities with avoiding a realisation of those vulnerabilities that would sharply lower economic growth,' the RBA minutes said.

'This trade-off had been a feature of the significant focus on the liquidity crisis facing Evergrande.'
Democratic candidate for Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe is denying a local news station's claim that he abruptly stormed out of an interview halfway through.

McAuliffe spokesman Renzo Olivari on Wednesday shared screenshots of his text messages with WJLA-TV reporter Nick Minock, which purport to show the interview was scheduled for 10 minutes, not 20 as the station claimed.

Olivari accused the ABC affiliate station of 'mislead[ing] viewers by saying Terry "abruptly" left an interview that was ALWAYS scheduled to be 10 mins long.'

McAuliffe's campaign went on the defensive as a poll shows GOP rival Glenn Youngkin has closed their once substantial polling gap, crediting chaos at two of the state's woke school boards with helping drive voters to his side.

On Tuesday, the station published the full interviews and transcripts of Minock's sit-downs with McAuliffe and Youngkin, with an anchor claiming that 20 minutes had been allotted for both candidates, but that McAuliffe left early.

The controversy is the latest twist in the closely-watched November 2 election, which is now neck-and-neck, and has major implications for President Joe Biden's agenda and next year's midterms.

Terry McAuliffe, the Democrat running for Virginia governor, is denying that he left a local TV interview 'abruptly', with a spokesman saying it was only scheduled for 10 minutes

The station claimed that reporter Nick Minock (above) had promised both candidate an interview of exactly 20 minutes to give them equal time, but McAuliffe cut his interview short

McAuliffe spokesman Renzo Olivari denied WJLA-TV's portrayal of the interview

Youngkin seized on the controversy, claiming McAuliffe walked out on the interview because of a sense of 'entitlement' stemming from having previously served as governor of Virginia from 2014 until 2018.

Indeed, in its promos for the interview ahead of the November 2 election, a WJLA anchor claimed that McAuliffe had walked out 'abruptly' before the scheduled time expired.

'We do want to point out that the Terry McAuliffe interview is shorter than our interview with Glenn Youngkin, that was not by our doing,' the anchor explained on-air.

Text messages shared by the McAuliffe campaign purport to show that Minock agreed to a 10-minute interview

'Nick offered both candidates 20 minutes exactly to be fair, for the interviews. McAuliffe abruptly ended 7 News' interview after just 10 minutes and told Nick that he should have asked better questions,' the anchor added.

Just over 10 minutes into the interview recorded last week, McAuliffe is heard telling Minock: 'Alright, we are over. That's it. That's it. Hey I gave you extra time. C'mon man.'

'You should have asked better questions early on. You should have asked questions your viewers care about,' McAuliffe continues, as he gets up and walks away.

In his response, McAuliffe spokesman Olivari shared a screenshot of what appears to be an iMessage conversation with Minock, in which he tells the reporter: 'We will have an event in Fairfax County at around 10am so we can do it after that - we have about 10mins for it. Let me know.'

'Let's do it. Thank you!' Minock apparently responded.

Olivari said that it was misleading to characterize McAuliffe's departure as abrupt, writing 'in the video you can see how lighthearted and joking Terry was after the interview.'

Representatives for WJLA, which is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, did not immediately respond to an request for comment from DailyMail.com outside of business hours on Thursday.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin (right) slammed McAuliffe over the controversy in an interview with Fox & Friends on Wednesday

McAuliffe's opponent Youngkin, who is backed by Donald Trump, pounced on the interview controversy and said McAuliffe is 'losing it'.

'This is what Terry McAuliffe does, I guess,' Youngkin told Fox & Friends in Falls Church, Virginia. 'I think he might feel entitled because, he thinks, he was governor - but he didn't do a good job - people shouldn't ask him hard questions.'

'These aren't that hard of questions. How are you going to fix our schools' and what are you going to do to make our communities safe? I mean, these are questions I get every day.'

He compared it to spending his Tuesday at a campaign rally with voters in Fairfax County, Virginia.

'We had nearly 1,000 people last night, we were talking about it, I know what we are going to do to make our community safe,' Youngkin said.

'And here is Terry McAuliffe, who won't even answer questions from a local reporter. I mean, he yells at sheriffs, he barks at people all the time. I think he's losing it because he knows this race is slipping away from him.'

He was referring to a September incident in which McAuliffe got into a tense exchange with a sheriff who confronted him about an endorsement from a group that the sheriff claimed want to defund the police. In video of the event McAuliffe tells the sheriff, who has appeared in a Youngkin campaign ad, that he didn't 'care' whether he believed him or not.

At his rally on Tuesday Youngkin attacked Loudon education officials and called for an investigation into a reported sexual assault at one of the county's schools said to have been carried out by a boy in a skirt using a girl's bathroom, while also outlining a plan for keeping students safe.

Youngkin needs the support of Donald Trump, the most popular figure in the GOP, but must avoid being tied too closely to someone who is unpopular in much of the state

The race is shaping up to be the most closely watched of 2021, with major implications for President Joe Biden's agenda and next year's midterms

Youngkin accused Loudon County officials of 'gross negligence' on Wednesday and said what happened there 'could happen across Virginia.'

The boy accused of attacking the 15 year-old girl was later moved to another school in Loudoun County, where he is said to have struck again in October. He is now in custody awaiting his next court hearing.

Issues surrounding the deepening divide between the Justice Department and parents opposed to mask wearing and Critical Race Theory in schools have polarized the two candidates even further and focused the race, in its final weeks, on the question of who exactly is the final decision maker on public school education.

McAuliffe, who held a commanding lead over Youngkin earlier this year, has recently seen his poll numbers slipping as the Biden administration cracks down on violent outbreaks at schoolboard meetings and outside education officials' homes.

'Terry McAuliffe is on the wrong side of this issue,' Youngkin said on Wednesday. 'He knows it, he wants government to control our children, and parents aren't having any part of it.'

Polls show that the gubernatorial contest in Virginia is now extremely tight, despite the state's increasing tendency to elect Democrats to statewide and federal offices.

The latest poll from Monmouth University shows the candidates deadlocked in a tie with 46 percent support each among registered voters.

McAuliffe previously served as Virginia's governor from 2014 to 2018, but was barred from running for a consecutive term by the state's constitution.

The incumbent governor, Democrat Ralph Northam, is similarly term-limited this year.

Youngkin, the Republican candidate, is a businessman who built a career in private equity, and later founded a non-profit focused on job skills training.

A Youngkin win could rattle Democrats uncertain about riding Biden's political coattails - potentially making them less likely to take risky votes to pass his agenda - and would buoy Republicans heading into the midterms.

Both candidates have had to delicately balance their relationships with their party leaders, as they seek support from independents in the swing state.

Youngkin needs the support of Donald Trump, the most popular figure in the GOP, but must avoid being tied too closely to someone who is unpopular in crucial swaths of the state, particularly the suburbs that surround Washington, D.C., and Richmond.

Similarly, McAuliffe has distanced himself from Biden, downplaying the importance of Congress passing the president's agenda before the Virginia election.

Congress now faces a Halloween deadline to resolve a deadlock between moderates and progressives in the party, and reach a deal to pass a $1 trillion infrastructure bill and $3.5 trillion social and environmental spending package.

Democrats believe that if they can push the package through by the deadline, it will boost McAuliffe's fortunes in the election just days later.

But at a campaign stop in the DC suburbs on Tuesday, McAuliffe said he didn't think voters in Virginia were too concerned about the congressional impasse.

'What I'm hearing around Virginia is not what's going on in Washington DC at all. It's, 'What are you going to do for my life?'' McAuliffe told reporters in McLean, according to Yahoo News.

McAuliffe has been surprisingly public in his criticism of the Biden administration's legislative strategy, urging Democrats to pass the infrastructure bill, on its own if necessary, before Election Day to give him something to show voters.

White House officials privately expect McAuliffe to emerge with a narrow win and believe they can ignore worries about a smaller-than-expected margin of victory dampening party support for Biden's agenda.
Loudoun County school board's only conservative member has called for a full investigation into allegations that a 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in a school bathroom by a boy who was wearing a skirt.

On Tuesday night John Beatty, a member of the Loudoun County school board, said he 'absolutely' supports an investigation into the circumstances of the alleged attack May and subsequent cover-up.

'What happened is so awful and I feel so bad for the parents of both families that are victims to this, and it's incredibly important that we have a full investigation into everything that happened,' said Beatty, speaking on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show.

'We need to get to the bottom of who didn't communicate what, and find out where the communication breakdowns were so that this never happens again.

'Because parents need to worry about their kid getting an education, and not the safety of them in their schools.'

Jess and Scott Smith have claimed that their daughter was raped by a 'skirt-wearing male student' in a 'gender fluid' school bathroom on May 28 at Stonebridge High School in Leesburg, Virginia.

John Beatty appeared on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show on Tuesday night to lift the lid on the events at the most controversial school board in the US

Beatty told Ingraham that he 'absolutely' backs calls for an investigation into events at Stonebridge High School in May

They claim that the school district attempted to cover up the alleged assault, and are suing the county.

The boy allegedly went on to allegedly sexually assault another girl, at a different school, Broad Run High School, on October 6. Broad Run is also part of Loudoun County.

The boy is now in juvenile detention awaiting a court appearance on all charges, which include sexual battery and forcible sodomy.

Loudoun County Superintendent Scott Ziegler played down the threat posed by students in June, weeks after the first alleged attack, and has since issued a groveling apology, amid calls for him to resign.

On June 22, Scott Smith was filmed exploding with anger about the assault at a school board meeting, and was later convicted over the disturbance.

He only revealed the alleged sex attack that had sparked his fury earlier this week.

The county has become the epicenter of the nation's culture wars, with its attempts to bring in critical race theory to classrooms and allow transgender students to use whichever bathroom they want.

Beatty, who joined the school board two years ago, said his time there had been 'crazy'.

He said he aimed 'to be a voice for the parents, standing up for them, for all the things that are going on.'

Beatty continued: 'They don't want politics.

'Unfortunately that's in there, with the equity committee, critical race theory ideology, all the teaching plans.

'They encourage teachers to read Ibram Kendi's book, How To Be An Antiracist - a big proponent of critical race theory. They encourage teachers to use the Southern Poverty Law Center's learning for justice teaching material.'

Beatty said that the NAACP had tried to get him removed from the school board.

'They sent emails and pressured the school board because I don't agree with critical race theory ideology,' he told Ingraham.

'I wanted to understand why they were pushing sexually explicit material and why there was such strong support for that from the equity committee.

'And it is part of this idea - critical theory, gender theory.

'The idea is that we have to teach these awful ideas to parents and students.'

Beatty said he is now running for Congress in Virginia's 10th district to try and enact change. The election is in November.

Scott Smith was arrested at a Loudoun County school board meeting on June 22 after his daughter, 15, was allegedly attacked by a boy in a dress

Smith was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after the June 22 meeting. He said he was trying to contain himself after listening to school board staff say they'd never had a report of a sexual assault in a bathroom, when that is what his daughter reported weeks earlier
An Australian nurse was kept apart from her sweetheart for 551 days, who was deemed an unacceptable travel risk - even though his country has never had a local case of Covid.

Stephanie Wheeler finally gave up and moved from Newcastle to her partner Tommy Esau's hometown, Honiara, in the Solomon Islands after he was denied an exemption from Australia's ban on international arrivals 17 times.

Ms Wheeler said Australian Border Force's handling of the couple's repeated attempts to reunite on compassionate grounds was 'callous' and 'cruel'.

Stephanie Wheeler, from Newcastle, decided to move to her partner Tommy Esau's hometown, Honiara, in Solomon Islands after he was denied an exemption to Australia's ban on international arrivals 17 times

Ms Wheeler slammed as 'callous' and 'cruel' the Australian Border Force's handling of the couple's repeated attempts to reunite on compassionate grounds. The couple are pictured in the Solomons

'As an epidemiologist, I understood the border measures initially. It saved lives,' she wrote on Twitter.

'But the callous lack of communication, compassion and any form of concrete plan moving ahead to reunite partners apart and families and get stranded Aussies home is cruel. Its been awful.'

The tiny Pacific Island nation 3,000km north east of Queensland did not have a single local case of Covid the whole pandemic.

The Solomons has an even stricter hotel quarantine regime than Australia and all 20 cases were overseas arrivals.

Mr Esau, a health researcher, was told 16 times by the Australian Border Force that his 'circumstances do not outweigh the risk to the Australian community', the ABC reported.

'Happy to be happy again' Ms Wheeler wrote on Twitter after mental health issues during the prolonged separation from her partner Tommy Esau led to her decision to emigrate. They are pictured together at the end of September

Ms Wheeler said the repeated rejections of her fiance by the ABF were 'awful'.

'You feel like you are baring your soul to a robot or someone on the end of the ABF email who gets to look at all the most intimate details of our relationship and then goes, "Nah",' she said.

Ms Wheeler also enlisted the help of Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon - who told the couple's story in parliament - and wrote to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

Despite having a good case, her appeal was to no avail and her mental health began to suffer.

In September, she left Australia and spent three weeks in hotel quarantine in Honiara before reuniting with her fiance on September 28.

'After being kept apart in different countries for 551 days due to endless border closures and the ABF rejecting [Tommy's} entry 17 times we are finally reunited,' she wrote on Twitter.

'Happy to be happy again.'

Ms Wheeler had enough of 'cruel' rejections from the Australian Border Force and decided to leave Australia at the end of September to live in the Solomon Islands. The couple are pictured after reuniting

The couple met in Honiara in September 2019 when she flew to the town to research malaria.

Mr Esau was assigned to collect her from the airport and sparks flew immediately between the pair.

He spent Christmas 2019 in Newcastle and the couple returned to Solomon Islands in March 2020.

With border closures imminent, she was forced to return home without him.

As a field epidemiologist, Ms Wheeler knew Covid had the potential to become a global pandemic.

But she admitted being 'shocked' at the government's response and restrictions.

There are 47,300 Australians overseas registered as wanting to return home.

Australia's Department of Home Affairs said it did not comment on individual cases
An Alabama man who avoided execution in February because his pastor wouldn't be present is scheduled to be put to death Thursday evening for the 1991 killing of a woman taken at gunpoint from an ATM location and shot in a cemetery - this time with his pastor in tow.

Willie B. Smith III, 52, is set to receive a lethal injection at 6 pm at a southwest Alabama prison for his conviction in the kidnapping and murder of 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson.

'Willie Smith is sentenced to death, and his last wish is to have his pastor with him as he dies,' Justice Elena Kagan wrote, claiming that the state could take 'any number of measures' to make sure that a clergy member will act responsibly during the execution.

Smith had previously sought to allow his spiritual adviser, Pastor Robert Wiley, in the execution chamber, which the state didn't allow back in February. Pastor Wiley will now be accompanying him for his execution on Thursday.

'Mr. Smith pled that he believes that the point of transition between life and death is important, and that having his spiritual advisor physically present at that moment is integral to his faith,' Smith's lawyers wrote in court documents.

Prosecutors said Smith had a shotgun when he abducted Johnson in October 1991 from an ATM location in Birmingham.

He withdrew money using her bank card and then took her to a cemetery and shot her in the back of the head. Johnson was the sister of a Birmingham police officer.

This is Smith's second execution date this year. He was 22-years-old when he and two others were convicted of capital murder in 1992. Smith was handed the death sentence by a vote by jurors of ten to two.

Scroll down for video

Willie B. Smith III, pictured, in an undated file photo provided by the Alabama Department of Corrections

Smith was convicted back in 1992 in the kidnapping and murder of 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson, pictured, who was the sister of a Birmingham police officer

Pictured: Alabama's lethal injection chamber at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, where Smith III will be executed via lethal injection Thursday evening

Last February 11 - while Smith was in a holding cell near Alabama's death chamber - the state called off a lethal injection when the US Supreme Court upheld an injunction affirming he could not be executed unless allowed to have his pastor by his side - saving his life, albeit temporarily.

The Alabama prison system has now said Smith will be able to have his pastor with him Thursday in the death chamber.

Smith's attorneys have urged the courts to stay the latest execution plans, saying the inmate has an intellectual disability that prevented him from understanding the prison paperwork related to selection of an execution method.

The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request for a stay Thursday hours ahead of the scheduled execution. His lawyers plan to appeal to the US Supreme Court.

Experts have estimated Smith's IQ from 64 on the low end and 75 on the high end, but courts have ruled he is not intellectually disabled and thus eligible for the death penalty.

A defense expert in a post-trial appeal said while Smith's IQ was measured at 64, his language, reading, and mathematics skills, and that these particular results were inconsistent with a diagnosis of intellectual disability.

A sign reads, 'HELP,' in the window of an inmate cell seen during a tour by state officials at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, where Smith has been held for 30 years

The William C. Holman Correctional Facility, pictured, where Smith has been incarcerated since he was 22-years-old back in 1992, a year after the abduction and murder

The Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that executing intellectually disabled people is unconstitutional.

In reviewing Smith's case in 2019, the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a later Supreme Court decision that 'states may not weigh a defendant's adaptive strengths against his adaptive deficits' in determining disability did not retroactively apply to Smith.

Last-minute court filings centered on whether Smith should have given assistance to understand the form distributed to death row inmates in 2018 regarding selection of an execution method.

After adopting nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, state law gave inmates a 30-day window to request that as their preferred execution method.

If Smith had requested nitrogen hypoxia, his death sentence could not be carried out to date because the state has not yet developed a system for using nitrogen to execute inmates.

While the 11th Circuit denied the stay request, one member of the three-judge panel sharply criticized Alabama.

The execution was stayed after the US Supreme Court ordered that Smith's pastor must by allowed into the death chamber William C. Holman Correctional Facility, pictured

Circuit Judge Jill Pryor wrote in a concurring opinion the state has acknowledged Smith has 'significantly sub-average intellectual functioning' and that Smith said he received no explanation of the form related to execution method selection.

'It disturbs me that ADOC, which took on the responsibility to inform prisoners about their right to elect death by nitrogen hypoxia within 30 days, did so in such a feckless way,' Pryor wrote.

The state of Alabama argued Smith had access to his lawyers for help in requesting nitrogen. The Alabama attorney general's office urged the court to let the lethal injection proceed.

'He has been on death row longer than Ms. Johnson was alive,' lawyers with the Alabama attorney general's office wrote in urging the courts to let the execution proceed.

The Department of Corrections changed some procedures in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prison system limited media witnesses to the execution to one journalist, a representative from The Associated Press.
Major countries are attempting to put pressure on scientists to water down a key United Nations report into climate change, it has today been reported.

Countries including Australia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Japan are reportedly among the countries who have asked the UN body compiling the report to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels.

Wealthier nations have also reportedly questioned giving more funding to poor countries to assist the move to greener technologies.

The claims comes from a leak of documents, seen by the BBC, having been shared by Green Peace's investigative platform Unearthed.

It has been published just days before the major COP26 climate summit due to be held in Glasgow.

Leaders at the summit will be asked to make commitments to slow down climate change and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees.

According to the BBC, the documents contain 32,000 submissions made by governments, companies and other interested parties to officials at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The panel is the UN body tasked with evaluating the science of climate change anre in the process of compiling bringing together scientific evidence on how to tackle climate change.

Countries including Australia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Japan are reportedly among the countries asking the UN to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels (pictured: Library image)

Queen, 95, 'is still set to host world leaders at Cop26 in Glasgow after 'reluctantly' cancelling Northern Ireland trip The Queen is still expected to meet world leaders at the Cop26 climate change conference in Glasgow despite cancelling a trip to Northern Ireland after she 'reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days'. The 95-year-old monarch - who has been seen using a walking stick at engagements over the past week - is said to be in good spirits but disappointed not to be able to carry out the two-day trip, which was due to begin today. The Queen has had a busy few days and hosted a major global investment summit at Windsor Castle yesterday evening. She also had engagements last week at the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff and Westminster Abbey in London. The Queen is now resting at Windsor Castle and is still expected at this stage to host a reception in Scotland on November 1 for the Cop26 conference, although it is likely a view will be taken on this nearer the time. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said in a statement issued shortly after 11am this morning: 'The Queen has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days. 'Her Majesty is in good spirits and is disappointed that she will no longer be able to visit Northern Ireland, where she had been due to undertake a series of engagements today and tomorrow. The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland, and looks forward to visiting in the future.' A royal source said there was 'no cause for caution' about the Queen's health - and her decision is understood not to be related to coronavirus. Her condition has not been revealed. The Queen is double-vaccinated, having been given her first jab by a household doctor at Windsor Castle on January 9 and her second at the end of March ahead of what was her first public appearance in five months. Buckingham Palace would not comment on whether the head of state had received her booster Covid-19 jab, but given her age it is likely she has already had it. Advertisement

The submissions are a normal part of the report-making process and, because a consensus is needed to make the report effective, evidence from scientists in each country is important.

According to the BBC, the comments are 'overwhelmingly designed' to be 'constructive'.

But the submissions reportedly contain comments lobbying for issues important to officials' respective countries.

According to the BBC, one comment from Australian officials rejects a draft conclusion in the report that closing coal-fired power plants is necessary.

Australia is a major coal exporter, shipping the fossil fuel to the likes of Japan, China and South Korea.

The draft document also reportedly recommends countries shifting to use of zero-carbon energy sources - like solar, wind, wave or hydro energy.

But countries such as Saudi Arabia, a major exporter of oil, and Japan and China, major users of fossil fuels, instead reportedly urge scientists to focus on carbon capture and store technology (CSS).

Such technology allows for the continual use of fossil fuels, but instead of allowing the carbon into the atmosphere, captures and stores it permanently underground.

It is claimed these CCS technologies could dramatically cut fossil fuel emissions from power plants and some industrial sectors, while allowing countries dependent on fossil fuels to continue to use them.

It comes as Boris Johnson's big COP26 moment suffered another blow yesterday as Vladimir Putin confirmed he is snubbing the summit.

The Kremlin said the Russian president will not be attending the gathering in Glasgow at the end of the month.

It comes after China's Xi Jinping made clear he is not intending to travel to the UN event, heightening fears that the summit will fail to make significant progress in the fight against climate change.

Although both countries are expected to send delegations, the presence of national leaders is seen as crucial to add impetus to the process.

Mr Johnson has insisted he is hoping for a 'good' turnout in Glasgow, but pointed to the pandemic as a factor.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Covid situation was preventing Mr Putin from travelling.

'He will also not fly to Glasgow, unfortunately,' the spokesman said. 'We need to work out in what format it will be possible to speak via video conference, at what moment

'The issues that will be discussed in Glasgow right now form one of the priorities of our foreign policy.'

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro have also not committed to attending.

US President Joe Biden confirmed only last week that he will be there, and Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is coming despite initial doubts.

The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin (left) will not be attending the gathering in Glasgow at the end of the month. China's Xi Jinping (right) is also not expected to go

Boris Johnson has insisted he is hoping for a 'good' turnout in Glasgow, but pointed to the pandemic as a factor

Who is coming to the COP26 summit? Even the Queen has been publicly complaining that she does not know who is coming to the big UN climate summit in Glasgow. CONFIRMED OR LIKELY US president Joe Biden Australian PM Scott Morrison Israeli PM Naftali Bennett Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan French president Emmanuel Macron Italian PM Mario Draghi Colombian president Ivan Duque Swedish PM Stefan Lofven Swiss President Guy Parmelin South Korean President Moon Jae-in Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau OUT OR DOUBTFUL Chinese president Xi Jinping Russian president Vladimir Putin Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Japanese PM Fumio Kishida Pope Francis Advertisement

If China does not commit to new action, the prospect of keeping global warming to 1.5C could well be scuppered. The country is responsible for 27 per cent of global carbon emissions.

Even the Queen has been unable to conceal her frustration at the vague guest list for COP26.

Caught on microphone while attending the opening of the Welsh parliament in Cardiff last week, the monarch said: 'Extraordinary isn't it... I've been hearing all about Cop... still don't know who is coming... no idea.

'We only know about people who are not coming... It's really irritating when they talk, but they don't do.'

Mr Johnson vowed to make Britain the 'Qatar of hydrogen' today as he wooed businesses chiefs including Bill Gates at a glitzy pre-COP26 summit - urging them to invest 'trillions' in tackling climate change.

The PM gave a speech and chatted to the Microsoft billionaire on stage at the Science Museum as he asked industry leaders to commit funding to decarbonising the world economy - insisting 'green is good, green is right'.

He said the UK had a responsibility to act on cutting emissions as 'we were the first to knit the deadly tea cosy of CO2' - pointing to the 'big bets' the government is making on electric vehicles and gigafactories for battery production.

Mr Johnson also played down concerns that the looming COP26 summit in Glasgow will be a failure, saying he is hoping for a 'good turnout' of world leaders despite expected snubs from China and Russia.

He said there were $24trillion represented in the room at the Science Museum conference London.

'I can deploy billions  with the approval of the Chancellor, obviously  but you in this room, you can deploy trillions,' he said.

'I want to say to each and every one of those dollars, you are very welcome to the UK and you have come to the right place at the right time.'

He said hydrogen would be a significant part of the solution to replacing fossil fuels. 'To drive a digger or a truck or to hurl a massive passenger plane down a runway, you need what Jeremy Clarkson used to call ''grunt''  I think there may be a technical term for it  but ''grunt''.

'Hydrogen provides that grunt, so we are making big bets on hydrogen, we are making bets on solar and hydro, and, yes  of course  on nuclear as well, for our baseload.'
A landmark $1million reward for information helping to find Cleo Smith indicates police believe someone knows what happened to the missing toddler and could be enticed into coming forward.

The sixth day of the search for the missing four-year-old Carnavon girl took a sinister turn on Wednesday as police revealed they have been looking for a body, as the hopes of finding her alive begin to fade.

Abduction is now the key line of inquiry, and WA Premier Mark McGowan has offered $1million for any information relating to the disappearance of Cleo, who disappeared from a tent she shared with her mum, stepdad and baby sister during the early hours of Saturday morning.

It is the first time in the state's history that the seven-figure sum has been offered for help solving a case within the first week of an investigation.

Renowned criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said the payment - which is the highest police will ever exchange for information - is typically only offered once a case goes cold, as a means to get it back in the public eye.

A whopping $1million reward has been offered for help finding missing Western Australian toddler Cleo Smith (pictured)

'Its just day six and there is a $1million reward out,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Im unaware of that ever occurring. Normally it takes years for these kinds of rewards to be offered.'

Detective Superintendent Scott Cook told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2018 that the amount offered does not reflect the importance of a case or of the person missing but is tactical.

'If we set every unsolved homicide at $1 million overnight, no one would notice. We need to bring attention to it in order to get value out of it,' he said.

'An investigation might suit three (stages of reward) announcements, so we can make a fresh appeal for information.'

Such large rewards are offered in the belief that someone knows critical information but considers the benefit of revealing it is outweighed by the downside, particularly if it implicates them in the crime.

The reward is designed to make the pro's of giving information outweigh the cons.

Once the $1 million is on the table, the price will not climb any higher.

WA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) announced the $1million reward in a press conference on Wednesday, as police let slip they have been searching for a 'body'

Cleo's mother Ellie Smith has been left distraught since her four-year-old daughter (pictured) vanished from a campsite in Western Australia

The search for Cleo has entered a sixth day with crews continuing to scour the area

Key details from Mark McGowan's press conference about missing Cleo Cleo has likely been abducted from her tent on Saturday night

A $1million reward has been offered for any information which leads to her safe return, an arrest or conviction

Deputy commissioner Col Blanch said at the beginning of the press conference that 'despite an extensive land, sea and air search, we have not yet located her body'

Detectives are certain that if she were still at the campsite, she would have already been located

Police have not ruled out any suspects and have fielded hundreds of Crime Stoppers reports

As soon as police were notified of her disappearance, they began taking down the registration details of cars arriving and leaving the campsite Advertisement

'If we jump from zero to $1 million in one move, were done. That is the limit,' he said.

With the hopes of finding Cleo alive declining by the day, police have immediately gone to $1 million to throw everything at the case now.

Mr Watson-Munro said the top reward being offered at this point in the case also suggests police have a lot more information about the disappearance than has been released.

'My thoughts on the reward being announced so early is that there is extreme urgency in this case, however a lot of cases have extreme urgency and it is a lot of money to flush somebody out of the woodwork,' he said.

'So it is quite probable WA Police have an idea about who the abductor might be, or it could be that they have an idea that other people may know who it is.'

'I dont think it is a move out of desperation and I suspect they have much more information than they are disclosing to the public, which is strategically wise.'

'Its actually quite refreshing to see such a proactive and pre-emptive move so soon after a crime has occurred because if it goes on too long the trail will go cold,' he said.

Of the thousands of unsolved cases across Australia, only a handful will ever be escalated to the $1million mark.

All you need to know about Cleo's disappearance Friday 6.30pm: Cleo and her family arrive at the campsite as the sun begins to set. They quickly set up their tent and get settled in, feeding both of the girls. Friday 8pm: Cleo went to bed while her younger sister and parents stayed up for a little while longer. Saturday 1.30am: Cleo woke up asking for a drink of water. Ellie tended to her and checked on Isla, who was in a crib right next to Cleo's mattress in one room in the tent. Saturday 6am: Ellie woke up to Isla wanting a bottle. She passed the divider that separated the two rooms in the tent and immediately noticed the zipper was almost entirely open. Cleo was gone. Saturday 'mid-morning': Police and emergency services arrive to assist with the search, starting with local Carnarvon officers. Sunday: Cleo's mum issues a desperate plea on Facebook to find her daughter. Sunday/Monday: Homicide detectives, bush trackers and more volunteers are brought in to assist with the search. Monday: Police confirm Cleo's grey and red sleeping bag also disappeared. They are yet to comment on whether there were marks that indicate it was dragged from the tent. Police reveal they are not ruling out any possibilities relating to Cleo's disappearance. Tuesday morning: Search is suspended due to wild weather. Daily Mail Australia confirms the 'interaction' Cleo had with her mother was 'not sinister' and simply the four-year-old asking for a sip of water. Tuesday midday: Search continues again as storm passes. Tuesday 1.30pm: Cleo's mum and stepdad, Jake, speak to the media for the first time since she disappeared, revealing key pieces of evidence, including: - The tent they were staying in was left almost entirely open. Cleo and Isla were in the room nearest to the entrance, which was unzipped when Ellie woke up at 6am. Isla remained in her crib unharmed, but Cleo was gone - Cleo is 'not the sort of child to wander off' and would have woken her parents if she needed anything, like when she woke hours earlier to ask for a sip of water Wednesday: Police confirm reports a car was heard 'screeching off' from the campsite at about 3am. Assistant Commissioner Darryl Gaunt revealed there are 'between 10 and 20' known sex offenders in the Carnarvon area, but none are suspects into Cleo's disappearance following inquiries. 'We don't have any concerns about that,' he said on 6PR Mornings. 'I know part of the investigative strategies have included reaching and making inquiries into their whereabouts and movements, and this point in time we're very comfortable where we sit with those inquiries.' Investigators confirm Cleo would be too short to open the tent zip by herself, stoking fears she was abducted Thursday 12.30pm local time (3.30pm AEST): WA Premier Mark McGowan offers $1million reward for any information which leads to Cleo coming home or the arrest and conviction of those responsible for taking her Advertisement

In Western Australia, three other unsolved cases have drawn seven figure price tags, including two other instances involving children.

One is for the murder of 11-year-old Newman boy Gerard Ross who vanished during a family holiday to Rockingham in October, 1997.

His body was found 20km away two weeks later, with police announcing the top reward for information last year - more than 20 years after his death.

A $1million reward is also on offer for help solving the suspected murders of 12-year-old Lisa Mott in Collie, in October, 1980, and 28-year-old Lisa Govan who disappeared from Kalgoorlie without a trace in October, 1999. Both have never been seen since.

While abductions are rare, cases involving missing children are typically treated with urgency as studies showing kids who have been kidnapped are usually killed within the first two days.

Despite the rapid response employed in these instances, Cleo's case remains a remarkable departure from the norm when compared to similar cases.

In comparison, when three-year-old William Tyrell disappeared from the backyard of his foster mother's Kendall home in September, 2014, it took two years before NSW Police announced a $1million reward.

The four-year-old Carnarvon local has been missing for six days after she disappeared from a tent she shared with her mum, stepdad and baby sister in the dead of night on Saturday

Hopes are fast fading that Cleo will be found near the campsite as it becomes increasingly likely she was abducted

Announcing the reward for Cleo's case on Wednesday, Mr McGowan said the state government 'have ensured that we have delivered all the resources that police have requested'.

'Police are looking around the clock to try and find Cleo right now,' he continued.

'I urge anyone who has any knowledge of the location of Cleo, please provide that permission to police and ensure that we can provide some certainty and information to Cleo's loved ones. and hopefully bring Cleo back safe.'

Cleo and her family arrived at the popular Blowholes campsite on WA's northwest coast about 6.30pm on Friday, just hours before the little girl disappeared.

She was last seen by parents about 1.30am on Saturday, when she woke up her mother Ellie Smith to ask for a sip of water.

Ms Smith said she then woke around 6am to feed Cleo's baby sister Isla, and discovered her oldest daughter was missing from the family's tent.

Police have confirmed the zipper on the family's tent was found open to a height Cleo could not have reached, seemingly ruling out the possibility she wandered off on her own.

Her red and black sleeping bag is also missing.

Detectives have not given up hope of finding Cleo alive but admit all signs point to her having been abducted.

A land search in the immediate vicinity of the campsite, north of Carnarvon, will wind down on Friday with the focus to shift to a criminal investigation.

The couple (pictured with their family) first appealed for help locating missing Cleo via social media on Sunday

'Given the information now that we've gleaned from the scene, the fact that the search has gone on for this period of time and we haven't been able to locate her ... it leads us to believe that she was taken from the tent,' Detective Superintendent Rob Wilde told reporters on Thursday.

More than 100 police officers, as well as SES volunteers and army reservists, have been deployed to the land search in rugged terrain north of Carnarvon.

Homicide detectives have been assigned to the criminal investigation into her disappearance, dubbed Taskforce RODIA.

Superintendent Wilde said authorities were keeping an open mind in relation to whether Cleo may have been taken by someone known to her.

Police have not ruled out the possibility Cleo may have been taken across interstate borders.

'We've been in touch with all jurisdictions around Australia,' Superintendent Wilde said.

'We want to get this information out there and if anyone Australia-wide has information that could be relevant to the investigation, we ask that they call CrimeStoppers.'
The unvaccinated Uber driver who is 'so sick with Covid he can barely speak' and publicly slammed Daniel Andrews as a 'gronk' has been identified as Duran Raman.

The ride-share driver and exercise enthusiast tested positive to the virus on Wednesday, bringing an end to Queensland's 15-day run of Covid-free days.

Mr Raman, aged in his 30s, has lived in a private resort in Broadbeach for about 12 months and has been infectious in the Gold Coast community for up to 10 days, health chiefs say.

The Broadbeach man has previously reposted anti-vax videos on his social media and has labelled the Victorian Premier 'a dead set gronk'.

Duran Raman, aged in his 30s, (pictured) was infectious in the community for up to 10 days after returning from a trip to Melbourne on October 10

Mr Raman tested positive at Robina Hospital on Wednesday and was unvaccinated, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announcing the new case on Thursday.

The gym junkie is so sick with coronavirus it has proven difficult to get information on his movements since he returned from a trip to Melbourne on October 10.

The ride-share driver has allegedly not used Queensland's QR check-in system in over a month, making the lives of scrambling health officials even more difficult.

Mr Raman shared his reaction to a Victorian Covid press conference from the start of September in which the state leader announced some eased restrictions.

He captioned the video posted to his Instagram: 'Mr Gronk. A dead set gronk'.

Mr Raman posted his reaction to a Covid press conference from the start of September in which Mr Andrews announced some eased restrictions, labelling the premier a 'gronk'

In the conference, the premier announced playgrounds would be reopening and authorised workers would once again be permitted in homes to provide services.

'Yay. The playgrounds are going to reopen. Wow,' Mr Raman is heard saying.

'Playgrounds and looking after kids, you f***ing gronk. You're a gronk, look at ya.'

Queensland Police are currently investigating whether the Broadbeach man had tried to enter the state unlawfully after being turned away at the border.

It's believed the ride-share driver also visited Sydney in late September.

'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that [he was] not vaccinated.'

'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that they were not vaccinated'

'We are a little bit concerned about this person that has been infectious in the community and if you have any symptoms whatsoever, now is the time to get vaccinated.'

The new case immediately raised fears of a repeat of Sydney's most recent Delta outbreak, which began with an infected limousine driver from the northern beaches.

It was one of five new cases reported on Thursday, the others acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine facilities.

The building manager of the Broadbeach resort, Greg Jermyn, told the ABC the driver returned a week ago and lived in a part of the resort with no other residents.

'We've got bookings over the weekend. I'm just ringing people and advising them that we've had a Covid case so you're better off to organise to go somewhere else. As if it's not bad enough as it is,' he said.

Mr Raman developed symptoms on October 11, the day after he returned from Melbourne, meaning his infectious period dates back to October 9.

No lockdown will be imposed on the Gold Coast as a result of the new case, Ms Palaszczuk said

'This is a man in his 30s... so sick that we are having difficulties talking to him and getting information from him,' Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said of the Uber driver

He became increasingly unwell and presented to the Robina Hospital emergency department on Wednesday, where two separate tests confirmed he was positive.

Mr Raman was later transferred to the Gold Coast University Hospital.

'He is so sick. This is a man in his 30s. He is so sick that we are having difficulties talking to him and getting information from him,' Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said.

'We are working very closely with Uber to get information about whether he has had any drives during the time he was infectious.

'We don't have venues at this stage because he is so sick and having difficulty communicating with us and difficulty remembering, as you can imagine.'

Uber were quick to issue a statement that said the man had not driven with the service since September 19.

'We work with public health authorities in each state, and have processes in place to temporarily remove an individuals access to the Uber app if authorities report an infection,' it told Daily Mail Australia.

'We may also limit other individuals access to the app if health authorities advise there is a risk.'

The new case ends a run of 15 days in which Queensland has not had any community acquired cases of Covid-19

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has urged anyone who had been in the Broadbeach or greater Gold Coast areas since October 11 to monitor for symptoms.

'It is really important, please use the QR check-in,' she said, adding compliance in those areas 'had not always been great'.

Ms Palaszczuk said there were currently 156,000 people on the Gold Coast, 16 and over, who remained unvaccinated.

A lockdown on the Gold Coast was not likely as a result of the new case because of the area's relatively high vaccination rate, Ms Palaszczuk said.

Queensland Health figures show more than 60 per cent of people in the Broadbeach area are fully vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk was speaking in Mackay as part of a week-long tour to encourage vaccination rates in regional Queensland, where rates have been lagging.

The premier announced 73.21 per cent of the state had now received a first dose, while 58.07 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Island Beach resort at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, where the man had lived for the past 12 months

The rideshare driver went to Robina Hospital emergency department yesterday, having become increasingly unwell following his return from Melbourne on October 10

Ms Palaszczuk identified a number of towns where she said vaccination rates were too low given the state's deadline of a phased reopening by November 19 and a full reopening on December 17.

She mentioned Bowen at 48.4 per cent having received a first dose of vaccine, Moranbah at 46.5 per cent, Serena at 61 per cent and the Whitsundays at 63 per cent as places where rates were too low.

'We know Mackay and Proserpine and the Whitsundays are absolutely gateways for tourism,' she said. 'We know that, on December 17, there will be tourists coming from all around Australia so please go and get vaccinated.'

Queensland Health plans to turn 100 high schools into mass vaccination clinics across a number of areas of the state with lagging vaccination rates, including Mackay, West Moreton, Cairns, Townsville, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Metro South and Metro North.

Yesterday Ms Palaszczuk urged regional residents to 'hop on the lifeboat' by getting vaccinated before the December 17 reopening date.

'I can't look after you if you won't hop in the lifeboat,' she said at a press conference in Maryborough on Wednesday.

'We need everyone to get on the lifeboat and we'll be protected. We have 11 days to go to get everyone vaccinated.'

The premier warned the Sunshine State would reopen borders to the rest of Australia on December 17, even if the 80 per cent double-dose target is not reached.
Four muscle men Brits have reportedly been warned they could face prosecution after breaching police checkpoints near the La Palma volcano to take selfies.

The men are understood to have travelled by boat from their homes in Tenerife to reach dangerous out-of-bounds areas near the 1075 degree Celsius lava under the cover of darkness.

They now face possible court action for putting their lives and those of the security services at risk according to local media.

One of the group of four posted a photo of himself on social media sweating in shorts and a T-shirt near burning lava alongside a message boasting: 'We had to cover to sneak round the army and police. It was a full SAS mission with roadblocks, search points and animals to dog in pitch black.'

Four muscle men Brits have reportedly been warned they could face prosecution after breaching police checkpoints near the La Palma volcano to take selfies

The men are understood to have travelled by boat from their homes in Tenerife to reach dangerous out-of-bounds areas near the 1075 degree Celsius lava under the cover of darkness

In another message he added: 'Took a plane, a rental car, a ferry, and a five hour night hike around the army's roadblocks but we f*****g did it. Once in a lifetime s**t.'

The close-up footage and photos the group took are understood to have been used by Civil Guard officers in La Palma to identify the daredevil group.

One shows a well-built heavily-tattooed Brit with bulging arm and leg muscles smiling as he bends down and points to a shower of molten lava shooting high into the sky behind him.

Another picture posted on his Instagram showed a barrier with the words 'Atencion carretera cortada' on it, which translates into 'Attention Road Closed' in English.

The Civil Guard have yet to make any official comment.

Spanish TV broadcaster La Sexta said police had identified the men in a report sent to government officials and prosecutors proposing possible disobedience charges.

The men, who haven't been named, now face possible court action for putting their lives and those of the security services at risk according to local media

Another picture posted on his Instagram showed a barrier with the words 'Atencion carretera cortada' on it, which translates into 'Attention Road Closed' in English

They have not yet been officially named. The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on September 19 and more than 1,880 acres of land and 2,000 buildings have so far been destroyed.

No fatalities have been reported because of prompt evacuations by police who have worked hard to ensure people stay away from off-limits areas.

The temperature of the volcanic lava which has done so much damage has been put at 1075 degrees Celsius.

The Cumbre Vieja explosion, which took place in an area known as Cabeza de Vaca on the western slope of the volcanic ridge as it descends to the coast, came after La Palma registered up to 1,000 earthquakes in the previous five days.

Spain's UME military unit were immediately mobilised to help with the emergency response as Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez showed his support by travelling to La Palma, nicknamed La Isla Bonita which means Beautiful Island.
Distressing pictures have shown the horrific injuries suffered by an engineer who was so badly beaten inside his home that his family only recognised him by his watch.

Alan Dyke, 69, suffered multiple facial fractures and a bleed on the brain after being savagely attacked inside his new house in Hull, in May this year.

He was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary and remained in hospital for six weeks following the incident.

The engineer, who worked on oil refineries all over the world, is now suffering from memory loss and 'repeatedly asks his family what day it is.'

A 23-year-old woman and 38-year-old man were charged with grievous bodily harm and robbery.

Detectives said the pair were charged with stealing their alleged victim's mobile phone and bank card.

Son Cameron Dyke said he only recognised his father, who was found barely conscious, from a Breitling watch he was wearing in his hospital bed.

The horrendous injuries suffered by engineer Alan Dyke, who was hospitalised for six weeks after sustaining a bleed on the brain and multiple facial fractures

Alan had a successful career as an engineer in which he travelled the world, but he has now been left unable to work and living in supported accommodation with the support of a charity

He added: 'I wasnt allowed to see him until the day after the attack. When I went to see him, as you can imagine from the photos it was heartbreaking to see my dad in such a state.

'I only recognised him from his Breitling watch I bought him, which he was wearing in the hospital bed.'

Cameron said his dad's life has changed forever following the attack.

He added: 'Since the attack, his memory has been declining rapidly. He asks me the same repeated questions such as, what day is it?

'And then he cant remember what he had for food.

'He remembers his life before the attack such as people, his working life, but nothing thats happened recently.'

Alan visited America, Canada, Germany, Holland and Norway as part of an established career as an engineer and was still working at the time of the attack.

However, he is now unable to work and has lost his home, instead having to now live in supported accommodation helped by a local charity.

Two people have been charged in relation to the incident and await trial next year.

A spokesperson for Humberside Police said: 'A 23-year-old woman and 38-year-old man were charged with grievous bodily harm and robbery following an incident on Berkeley Street, Hull on Monday, May 10, 2021.

'Ashleigh Hunt and James Fenwick were remanded into custody following their first court appearance.'
Alok Sharma is furious with Boris Johnson for talking up the COP26 summit as a make or break moment for the planet, it was claimed today, amid Cabinet fears the event will be a 'damp squib'.

The COP26 President is said to be 'raging' at the Prime Minister for 'ramping up' hopes of a major climate change breakthrough in Glasgow when world leaders meet at the end of the month.

Some ministers believe the Government's messaging ahead of the summit has been too bullish and is 'completely out of control'.

The claims came after the summit suffered a significant blow as Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed he is not attending the event.

Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, is said to be 'raging' at Boris Johnson for 'ramping up' hopes of a major climate change breakthrough at the summit in Glasgow

Mr Johnson has said the UN summit 'must succeed' but some ministers fear the event could be a 'damp squib'

China's Xi Jinping is also expected to snub the UN summit, heightening fears that significant progress will not be made in the fight against climate change.

Both countries will send delegations to take part in negotiations but the presence of national leaders is seen as crucial to add impetus to the process.

Mr Johnson has repeatedly hailed COP26 as a major moment, saying in September that 'this is the most important period I think now in the history of the planet - because COP simply must succeed'.

But The Sun reported that Mr Sharma is angry at Mr Johnson for boosting expectations.

One minister told the newspaper: 'Nobody has pitched properly that this is not going to be some big hand of history moment where a new deal is done, so it's going to feel like a damp squib.

'Alok is raging. It's got completely out of control.'

The aim of the summit is to persuade countries to agree to take action to restrict global warming to nothing more than 1.5 degrees.

But the minister said the message of 'keep 1.5 alive' is 'incomprehensible' and many people simply do not know what it means.

The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin (left) will not be attending the gathering of world leaders in Glasgow. China's Xi Jinping (right) is also expected to snub the event

However, a COP26 insider defended the message as they said: 'Communities on the front line of climate change understand very starkly that keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees could quite literally be a matter of life or death.'

An ally of Mr Sharma denied that he is angry at the Prime Minister.

'He is delighted the PM's personal drive, enthusiasm and determination is fully behind COP26,' they said.
Victoria is set to scrap all quarantine requirements for Australian travellers within two weeks as millions prepare to depart from the world's longest lockdown.

International arrivals touching down in Victoria will no longer be required to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days or at home, as long as they are fully-vaccinated.

Hotel quarantine has been in place for all people arriving back into Australia since March 2020 when international borders closed to all but citizens and permanent residents, with strict arrival caps leaving many stranded overseas.

Current quarantine requirements are likely to be axed on November 1, the same day NSW plans to similarly introduce quarantine-free travel for vaccinated Australians.

Returning travellers must be fully vaccinated with two doses of a Covid vaccine and return a negative test once they have arrived.

Victoria is set to scrap all quarantine requirements for vaccinated Aussie travellers within weeks as the state prepares to leave lockdown (pictured, Melburnians exercising)

International arrivals touching down in Victoria will no longer be required to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days or at home from as early as next month (pictured, Melbourne Airport)

The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday night where attending ministers signed off on the plan.

It comes after Victoria announced vaccinated NSW residents would be welcomed into the state without having to quarantine.

From midnight on Wednesday, red zones that applied to Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong were officially scrapped.

Locals from these areas can now enter Victoria on an orange zone permit, without any quarantine or testing necessary.

Anyone who isn't vaccinated requires a permit, must get tested within 72 hours and isolate until they receive a negative Covid-19 test result.

Unfortunately, that would involve leaving Greater Sydney - something residents of the city and its surrounds are still banned from doing.

From November 1, vaccinated Australians will be able to travel overseas from any state, however only NSW and Victoria will allow them back without quarantine.

Fully vaccinated travellers from states where more than 80 per cent of people are double-jabbed will be allowed to travel abroad freely.

Victoria is set to hit the 80 per cent milestone on the first week of November.

Current quarantine requirements will likely be thrown out on November 1, the same day NSW plans to introduce quarantine-free travel for vaccinated Aussies (pictured, a return traveller)

Travellers touching down in Victoria must be fully vaccinated with two doses of a Covid vaccine and return a negative test to skip out on quarantine (pictured, Melbourne airport)

VICTORIA FAST-TRACKS ROADMAP Victoria's lockdown will end at 11.59pm Thursday with a raft of eased restrictions. * Reasons to leave home and curfew no longer in place * 10 people including dependents can visit a home each day * 15 people can gather outdoors * Pubs, clubs and entertainment venues can open to 20 fully vaccinated people indoors and 50 fully vaccinated people outdoors * Funerals and weddings allowed for 20 fully vaccinated indoors and 50 fully vaccinated outdoors * All students to return to school at least part-time * Hairdressing and beauty salons to open for up to five fully vaccinated people at a time. Advertisement

The remainder of regional NSW is now classified as green zones and vaccinated people from there will simply require a permit to enter Victoria.

Travellers coming into NSW from Victoria have to stay-at-home for 14 days but can leave home for essentials such as food, exercise, medical care or work or study if they can't do that at home.

Victoria recorded its second-most new Covid cases ever on Thursday at 2,232 infections as residents wait out the final hours of their gruelling lockdown.

With 70 per cent of Victorians now vaccinated, Melburnians will on Friday be allowed to freely travel within the metropolitan region.

Mildura residents will also be released from lockdown at midnight on Thursday, a day earlier than planned.

By then lockdown-weary residents will have spent 262 days under stay-at-home orders since the pandemic hit - surpassing that experienced by Argentinians.

On Thursday, Mr Andrews put out a tweet congratulating Victorians on reaching the 70 per cent vaccination target.

'Because of everything Victorians have done, tomorrow we can start getting back to the things we love. Thank you Victoria - I'm so proud,' he wrote.

The state recorded 12 Covid-related deaths just hours before residents are set to get their first taste of freedom.

Under the new rules, people will be able to leave their homes for any reason and travel anywhere within metropolitan Melbourne.

'Because of everything Victorians have done, tomorrow we can start getting back to the things we love. Thank you Victoria - I'm so proud,' Daniel Andrews (pictured) tweeted on Thursday

Victoria recorded 12 Covid-related deaths just hours before residents are set to get their first taste of freedom on Friday (pictured, a lone man walking in Melbourne)

The curfew will be scrapped, home gatherings of up to 10 will be allowed, and hairdressers and hospitality businesses will reopen for the fully vaccinated.

However, in a last-minute change to reopening plans, all hospitality staff must be fully vaccinated to work.

This is despite online health directions stating authorised workers, including those in hospitality, must have one vaccine dose by October 22 and two by November 26.

Australian Hotels Association Victoria chief executive Paddy O'Sullivan said the government had 'moved the goalposts' on the sector and has asked for a grace period to allow staff time to get vaccinated.

But Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said 'there is no wriggle room' on the mandate.

With some pubs in the city to reopen at midnight, staff at hospitality venues will be allowed to go into work after the curfew kicks in at 9pm to get their venues ready, but patrons will need to wait until 11:59pm to leave home.

Fully vaccinated NSW residents have been able to enter Victoria without having to quarantine from Wednesday (pictured, hotel quarantine workers in Melbourne)

From Friday, the dreaded curfew will be scrapped, home gatherings of up to 10 will be allowed, and hairdressers and hospitality will reopen (pictured, pedestrians in Melbourne)

Deputy Premier James Merlino said he was grateful and proud of the sacrifices Victorians had made to save lives.

'I hope everyone enjoys those first reunions with their families, the first football, netball, cricket training with the kids, the first drink at the pub,' he said.

Victoria is earmarked to reach its next vaccine milestone of 80 per cent double-dose within the next two weeks.

Once this target has been hit restrictions will loosen further on travel and retail with trips between Melbourne and regional Victoria still off the cards until then.

'We are not connecting Melbourne to regional Victoria yet. It isn't far away,' Mr Merlino said.

'You are able to travel around from midnight tonight, you can travel around Melbourne, but we still have that restriction in terms of travelling to regional Victoria.'
Advertisement

Zara Owen said she fell ill at a nightclub and found a pinprick on her leg the next day (pictured above). She said she had no hangover, but was suffering a sharp agonising pain in her leg

A 27-year-old man has claimed a woman spiked him with a needle in a London nightclub as police are investigating 12 reports of 'injection spiking' in nightclubs, amid claims of a spate of attacks being carried out across the UK.

Richie Waynes, 27, from Camden, said he was stabbed with the needle by a woman in March last year at a nightclub in Greenwich and only realised when he looked down to see a needle sticking out his arm.

Richie, a marketing account manager, wanted to share his story now following recent reports that spikings by injection are increasing.

He told MyLondon: 'I looked down and there was a needle sticking right out of my arm. The woman who I believe did it just ran off afterwards. I flung the needle out of my arm and then went into panic mode.

'I was so scared. At first my friends I was with didn't believe me until I found the needle on the floor and showed them.

'I have seen recently that there has been an increase in spiking cases in nightclubs across the country, especially towards girls. I wanted to share my story to show people that it is happening and we should be aware of it.'

Richie explained that apart from the initial pain of being stabbed he didn't feel any adverse effects and believes he was lucky he acted fast and pulled the needle out, which probably meant that nothing could be injected into him.

The initial stabbing was just the start of a traumatic ordeal for Richie as he then spent weeks wondering if he had contracted a deadly virus. He said: 'The actual incident wasn't that traumatic for me, it was what came after.

'I went to the hospital to test for diseases that could be carried on a needle. They tested me for all sorts. I was worried I would contract hepatitis or HIV.

'I had to wait several weeks and a few more tests before I heard the results. Those weeks were horrifying. I was constantly thinking about all the diseases that I could have and it worked me into a kind of frenzy.'

Richie's story comes days after Home Secretary Priti Patel urged the police to investigate recent spiking incidents via needles in nightclubs.

One spiking victim Zara Owen, 19, (left) said she woke up 'with a limp' before finding a 'pinprick' on her leg the morning after attending Nottingham's Pryzm nightclub. Sarah Buckle, 19, (right) who is also studying in Nottingham, said she discovered she had likely been spiked via a needle to the back of her hand while out in a nightclub

Ms Buckle woke up in hospital with what appears to be a needle mark surrounded by a sore on her hand having been spiked in a nightclub in Nottingham

A third student Leah Wolstenholme, 18, said she suddenly fell ill on a night out before waking up to find a pin-prick mark in her arm. Nottingham Trent University student Leah said that she had 'barely' been drinking when she was targeted

Where are the 'Girls Night In' nightclub boycotts taking place? October 25 Exeter October 26 Durham October 27 Southampton Belfast Bournemouth Nottingham Brighton Bristol October 28 Swansea Edinburgh Stirling Aberdeen Newcastle November 3 Leeds Advertisement

Richie called police after the incident and they investigated the case. Due to a lack of cameras inside the venue they were unable to identify any suspects and the case was closed.

It comes as a police force in England has today revealed it is investigating 12 reports of 'injection spiking' in nightclubs, amid claims of a spate of attacks being carried out across the UK.

Nottinghamshire Police say it has received 44 spiking reports since the start of September, a dozen of which the victims believe involved the use of needles.

Yesterday, Home Secretary Priti Patel demanded an urgent update from police investigating the scale of the UK's so-called 'spiking epidemic', amid a rise in claims that women have been drugged by men at nightclubs and parties injecting women with 'date-rape' drugs.

Police chiefs have also been tasked by the Commons Home Affairs Committee to urgently provide more information on their assessment of the scale of the problem after reports of incidents in several parts of the country, including Nottingham, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Three students in Nottingham have come forward to say they believe they have been spiked by men using needles.

One 19-year-old student in the Midlands city said she had blacked out going clubbing, before waking up to find a pin-prick hole in the back of her leg. Police are investigating and have arrested a man on suspicion of administering a poison or noxious substance.

Another student in Nottingham, also 19, said how she woke up in hospital with a throbbing pain in her hand after going clubbing. She too believes she was targeted with a needle, this time to the back of her hand.

A third student, 18, said she suddenly fell ill on a night out on which she was 'barely' drinking before waking up to find a pin-prick mark in her arm.

Nottinghamshire Police say a man has been arrested in relation to one of the incidents. They also say out of the 12 reported of alleged needle spiking, one victim had an injury consistent with the use of a needle.

Meanwhile, there have also been as-of-yet unverified reports of incidents in Liverpool and at least two cities in Scotland, where they have been posted by a social media group - sparking a wave of panic on social media.

Police Scotland say it is investigating Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and Aberdeen, though officers do not believe the reports to be linked. Merseyside Police say their investigation did not uncover 'any evidence of criminality'.

And West Midlands Police last night said it had received one report where the circumstances 'appear to match the description of someone being spiked by injection'. However, the force says it is 'unclear exactly what has happened' and officers are continuing to investigate.

A Home Office source said: 'The individual case studies are awful but we don't know if there is more of it happening yet.'

Drugs experts, meanwhile, have called for calm on as-of-yet unverified social media reports of injection spiking, saying the use of needles would be difficult for someone without medical training.

They also say the kind of drugs needed for a quick and discreet injection are 'highly detectable' within a victim's system for several days - meaning police would be able to verify if the person had been spiked.

Other experts warned against conflating reports of injection spiking with a verified rise in drink spiking cases across the UK.

Meanwhile, groups from more than 30 universities around the UK have joined an online campaign calling for the boycott of nightclubs, with campaigners seeking 'tangible' changes to make them safer, such as covers/stoppers for drinks, better training for staff and more rigorous searches of clubbers.

A huge student movement first set up in Edinburgh, called Girls Night In, is calling for people to boycott nightclubs on certain dates in October and November to ensure the 'spiking outbreak is taken seriously'.

A petition launched last week to make it a legal requirement for nightclubs to thoroughly search guests on entry has already gained more than 130,000 signatures.

A petition launched last week to make it a legal requirement for nightclubs to thoroughly search guests on entry has already gained more than 130,000 signatures

Devon and Cornwall Police say a woman reported being assaulted in Fever & Boutique (pictured) in Exeter on Saturday October 16

What do the experts say on reports of injection spiking? Is it possible? Yes - and there are credible reports where people have woken up with needle marks having been spiked. But the likelihood of it being a widespread phenomena is 'deeply improbable', according to one medical consultant. David Caldicott, an emergency medicine consultant and founder of drug testing project WEDINOS, told VICE News: 'The technical and medical knowledge required to perform this would make this deeply improbable. 'It's really hard to stick a needle in someone without them noticing, especially if you have to keep the needle in there for long enough, maybe 20 seconds, to inject enough drugs to cause this.' Could someone not give the injection really fast? Yes - but they'd need a very powerful drug to do so discreetly, experts say. GHB is one of the most well-known 'date rape' drug and is also self-administered in small doses by people recreationally. But Guy Jones, senior scientist at drugs charity the Loop, told VICE it would be a 'poor candidate' for injection because of the large amounts of fluid needed. 'Therefore (it would require) a thick, painful needle. This means that the substance involved would be something that would be highly detectable for several days in a toxicology screening,' he said. Adam Winstock, director of the Global Drug Survey, added: 'There are very few easily accessible drugs / medicines that could be given intramuscular in a small enough volume that people would not notice and the effects would take some time to come on. 'What you see in the movies is not reality. People need to keep their drinks close to them, avoid taking them from strangers and keep an eye out for their mates.' Can drugs be administered to any part of the body? Yes - but some parts are more effective than others Mr Jones told VICE: 'Where drugs can be injected non-intravenously, there are specific injection sites that do not work well. 'The back is one of these unsuitable sites due to the low fat-muscle content, and high concentration of pain receptors.' What about drink spiking? While injection spiking is still possible, drink spiking is a lot more common. Incidents of drink spiking in the UK increased by 108 per cent between 2015 and 2018, with 179 incidents taking place in 2017 alone. This is only the officially recorded numbers - and is likely to be much higher as it is common for people not to report it to police. Charity Drinkaware advise: 'Don't accept a drink from someone you don't know and if they're available, use drink stoppers, which can be purchased online, for the top of your bottle.' Advertisement

It comes as women have say they are now taking measures to protect themselves amid reports of needle spiking in clubs.

Some women say they are now wearing denim jackets in nightclubs and bars because the material is 'harder to pierce' with a needle. Others are choosing to wear thick clothing in fear of being spiked.

Zara Owen, 19, from Surrey, said she blacked out soon after arriving at a venue last Monday, telling BBC Breakfast earlier this week: 'I know I didn't drink as much as I usually would on a night-out this night, and the fact that I don't remember anything is terrifying for me because this is something that is a very rare occasion to me.

'I've never suffered with memory loss and then the next morning... I woke up with a really painful leg.

'I found a pin prick in my leg which was the epicentre of all pain. It made me unable to walk and I was limping around.

'As a young person who's at university, I'm hearing stories of people who have been to nightclubs and they have been injected. I have heard stories of someone having it through their hand or through their back, so this kind of gave me an idea this had happened to me.'

Another 19-year-old, who is also studying in Nottingham, said she discovered she had likely been spiked via a needle to the back of her hand while out in a nightclub.

Sarah Buckle told ITV she arrived at the nightclub around 11pm, but later had to be taken home by friends who though she had drunk too much.

She said: 'The taxi home I started being sick all over myself and my friends could sense something was wrong.'

Her friends called an ambulance and she was taken to hospital where she woke up the next day with no recollection of the night before.

'My hand was throbbing really bad. I also knew I wasn't intoxicated on a stupid level or overly drunk, she sad.

'I knew I had clearly been spiked but it would have never occurred to me it was via injection if my hand wasn't throbbing. I thought how? I never take a drink away from the bar.

'You think spiking is to do with your drink, you don't think something would go into your body.'

Leah Wolstenholme, 18, from Essex, was another Nottingham student to claim she had been targeted while clubbing in the Midlands city.

Ms Wolstenholme, who studies at Nottingham Trent University, told Good Morning Britain that she had 'barely' been drinking when she was targeted and left in a bad 'state' after feeling a 'scratch' on her arm. When she woke up she found a red pin prick mark on her wrist.

Both Leah and her older sister Jemma claim they have been targeted while out on nights out in a six month period.

Speaking on GMB, their mother, Karen, said: 'She (Leah) was in a real panicked state, luckily she had some great friends with her who looked after her.

'With the panic and everything I just asked her to calmly with her friends to go back to their halls and call an Uber and just go to hospital and let them help her.

'I was over two hours away as there wasn't much I could have done really apart from that.

'She was very peaky, she was disorientated scared she felt sick and wasn't Leah. She wasn't talking any sense and just scared really.

'She didn't notice, nothing at all, it was a surprise to her she had heard of this happening before but she didn't think that it would happen to her.

'The mark was on her right wrist, it just it was just really scary it was a very scary moment.'

Leah Wolstenholme, 18, from Essex, was another Nottingham student to claim she had been targeted while clubbing in the Midlands city

Ms Wolstenholme, who studies at Nottingham Trent University, told Good Morning Britain that she had 'barely' been drinking when she was targeted and left in a bad 'state' after feeling a 'scratch' on her arm. When she woke up she found a red pin prick mark on her wrist

Jemma, who was targeted in August, added: 'I think when it happened to me I was more scared. When it happened to my sister it made me really angry.

'She'd never been out clubbing really before and it was someone taking advantage of that in the first place.

Nottinghamshire police investigating 12 reports of alleged injection spiking made this month Nottinghamshire Police is investigating 12 reports of alleged injection spiking made this month, officers have revealed. The force says it has received 44 spiking reports dating from 4 September 2021. Of those, 12 involve alleged spiking by something sharp. The first of these 12 were reported on October 2, police say. Officer say the largest number of reports were made last week and the majority by young female students. However they say there have also been reports of young men being potentially spiked too. Police say that in one case of reported injection spiking an injury has been sustained which could be consistent with a needle. Reported offences have taken place on different days at different venues and are not believed to be targeted to one specific city venue. Police say a 20-year-old man was arrested as part of a wider investigation into spiking after officers received a report of suspicious activity in Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham city centre, on 16 October. He remains on conditional bail and enquiries are continuing. Advertisement

'The fact that someone would do that to my litter sister and take this idea of her going out and enjoying her fresher's just made me feel even more sick.'

Nottinghamshire Police said it has seen a rising number of reports of spiking over recent months and has arrested a man as part of a wider operation.

The force says it has received 44 spiking reports dating from 4 September 2021. Of those, 12 involve alleged spiking by something sharp.

The first of these 12 were reported on October 2, police say.

Officer say the largest number of reports were made last week and the majority by young female students.

However they say there have also been reports of young men being potentially spiked too.

Police say that in one case of reported injection spiking an injury has been sustained which could be consistent with a needle.

Reported offences have taken place on different days at different venues and are not believed to be targeted to one specific city venue.

Police say a 20-year-old man was arrested as part of a wider investigation into spiking after officers received a report of suspicious activity in Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham city centre, on 16 October.

He remains on conditional bail and enquiries are continuing.

Superintendent Kathryn Craner, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'Over the last few months we have seen an increase in reports where people believe that drugs may have been put in their drink...

'But we've also received a small number of reports where people are telling us, as Zara has, that this has been associated with a pain or a mark on a part of their body, scratching sensation, and as though they have been physically spiked.'

The University of Nottingham said it was 'extremely concerned' by the reports and was working with police and venues to 'monitor, review and learn from incidents and experiences in the city centre'.

Police Scotland is also looking into similar reports. A spokesman said: 'Officers are carrying out inquiries and a small number of reports from the Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow areas are being investigated. These do not appear to be linked.'

Larissa Kennedy, president of the National Union of Students (NUS), said: 'It's absolutely disgusting that in the past few days a number of students have reported instances of women being spiked on nights out.'

Sarah Crew, temporary Chief Constable for Avon and Somerset Police who leads the National Police Chiefs' Council's (NPCC) work on rape and adult sexual offences, told the Commons Home Affairs Committee on Wednesday: 'In terms of the injection spiking, I only became aware of that this morning so I know about the reports... I think it's a fair assumption there may be a sexual motive in those, but there isn't an indication.'

It is 'difficult to make an assessment on that particular trend at the moment, in terms of the more general drink spiking we do know that that's a problem,' she added.

Spiking drinks can lead to up to ten years in prison - or even higher if other offences like rape, robbery or another assault has taken place.

Journalist Lucy Ward last night shared a message from her daughter revealing the extent of spiking in UK clubs - along with the recent reports of spiking through injection.

Taking to Twitter, she said: 'The epidemic of drinks spiking targeting young women - students and not - in nightclubs has a horrific new variant: injecting women in the back or leg with the same drugs.

'Young women are going to clubs wearing denim jackets and other thick clothing to try to protect themselves from attackers armed with syringes and an apparent desire to harm young women purely for having fun and freedom.

'I asked my daughter - first year at a UK university - if she had heard of it and she sent me this.'

As part of the Twitter thread, Ms Ward, a former Guardian journalist, goes on to share the message from her daughter, which details the scale of the problem.

In the message, her daughter reveals how she has knows at least 'half a dozen girls' who have been spiked and 'more who suspect having been'.

She says in the message: 'The injections thing is the most recent thing they are doing now and people are more scared than ever.

'But the scariest thing to me is how unsurprised we all are. We go out in groups, we refuse drinks, we keep our phones on and in our hands.

'Girls are wearing denim jackets because the material is harder to pierce. We simply accept the latest horror and come up with new ways to protect ourselves, and of course remain weak and vulnerable anyway.'

Ms Ward said students across the country were now holding boycotts of nightclubs in order to persuade nightclubs to take action to better protect women.

The boycotts are due to take place later this month in cities such as Southampton, Brighton, Bristol, Nottingham, Durham and Belfast.

Ms Ward added: 'I cannot describe the rage I feel at this (situation). These are simply random acts of extreme harm.

'I don't blame universities - my daughter's has worked hard to help when students have sought help. But there is a culture here that we must acknowledge and address.'

A Home Office source told Politico: 'This is absolutely awful. We have asked for an update from the police on this and would encourage anyone to report this behaviour to the police.'

Meanwhile, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), the trade body for UK nightclubs, has called for an urgent inquiry into the wide issue of spiking.

Michael Kill, CEO of the group, urged the Home Office to look at Devon and Cornwall Police, who have recently launched a drink spiking testing pilot using on-site testing to allow people to get their drinks test.

Meanwhile, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), the trade body for UK nightclubs, has called for an urgent inquiry into the wide issue of spiking. Michael Kill (left), CEO of the group, urged the Home Office to look at Devon and Cornwall Police, who have recently launched a drink spiking testing pilot using on-site testing to allow people to get their drinks test. A Home Office (pictured right: Home Secretary Priti Patel) source told Politico: 'This is absolutely awful. We have asked for an update from the police on this and would encourage anyone to report this behaviour to the police'

He said: 'NTIA are very concerned to learn about the reported increase in the number of spiking incidents taking place across the country.

'We support all those coming forward to speak about their experiences. It goes without saying that everyone should be able to enjoy a night out without fearing for their own safety, and we are saddened to hear that some don't feel this way.

Have you seen, heard or been targeted through spiking by injection? We would like to hear from your story: Contact james.robinson@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

'We have been encouraged to see the progressive approach taken by Devon and Cornwall Police through their drink spiking testing pilot.

'The Home Office should launch a formal inquiry to examine the results of that pilot, and the lessons that can be applied to the industry and policing nationally.'

However experts have warned people not to panic, with one medical expert saying the likelihood that injection spiking is a widespread phenomena is 'deeply improbable'.

David Caldicott, an emergency medicine consultant and founder of drug testing project WEDINOS, told VICE News: 'The technical and medical knowledge required to perform this would make this deeply improbable.

'It's really hard to stick a needle in someone without them noticing, especially if you have to keep the needle in there for long enough, maybe 20 seconds, to inject enough drugs to cause this.'

Meanwhile, Guy Jones, senior scientist at drugs charity the Loop, told VICE most 'date rape' drugs would need to be administered in large quantities with thick needles.

He said GHB, one of the more well known 'date rape' drugs, which is also used recreationally by some users, was a 'poor candidate' for injection because of the large amounts of fluid needed.

The entrance to Nottingham's Pryzm nightclub, where Ms Owen claims to have been spiked by a needle amid similar reports elsewhere in the UK

What have police forces said about injection spiking? Nottinghamshire Police A 20-year-old man has been arrested by Nottinghamshire Police on suspicion of drug offences and causing or administering a poison or noxious substance following three reports of women being spiked by injection at two nightclubs in the city within the last fortnight. A spokesperson said: 'We are currently investigating reports of individuals suspecting that their drinks have been spiked. 'Linked to this a small number of victims have said that they may have felt a scratching sensation as if someone may have spiked them physically. Consequently, we are actively investigating all these reports. 'We have a dedicated group of officers currently carrying out CCTV enquires at various venues where we have received such reports. 'Our enquiries into these incidents are ongoing but we understand people may be concerned about incidents like this and want to reassure the public we are working incredibly hard to investigate.' Police Scotland A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'We are aware of posts circulating on social media about spiking incidents involving injections in Scotland. 'Officers are carrying out enquiries, and a small number of reports from the Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and Aberdeen areas are being investigated. 'These do not appear to be linked. 'We take all reports seriously and we would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of spiking in any form to contact Police via 101.' West Midlands Police A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: 'We're aware of posts circulating on social media about drink spiking, particularly those involving injections. 'At present we've had one report where the circumstances appear to match the description of someone being spiked by injection. However, it's unclear exactly what's happened and we're in the process of trying to speak to the woman to gather more information. 'A separate drink spiking incident involving a Birmingham-based university student is under investigation, and we've had a small number of reports from Birmingham city centre over the last few months.' Merseyside Police Media reports emerged of a woman wearing a backless dress being injected in the back in Liverpool. However, Merseyside Police said it could not find any evidence 'that any criminality occurred'. A spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We have been made aware of a social media post reporting that a woman was injected in the back in a Liverpool city centre nightclub and a report was received by Merseyside Police. 'We have worked closely with the club and examined CCTV footage. We have fully investigated the matter and we can't find evidence that any criminality has occurred. 'No formal statement has been made by the woman and no other persons have come forward.' Devon and Cornwall Superintendent Antony Hart, local commander for Exeter, East and Mid Devon, said it is the only incident of its type that has been reported to police in Devon and Cornwall. 'There has been a lot of media and social media coverage in relation to drink-spiking, plus the understandable fear following a woman being attacked with a needle in a bar in Nottingham,' he said. 'We are investigating an incident in Exeter and progressing inquiries to identify and arrest those responsible. 'Whilst assaults using needles are very rare, we ask that people are vigilant when in crowded spaces and notify premises staff or police of any suspicious behaviour. 'This incident has also raised the wider issue of drink-spiking and what can be done to combat this. 'Women must be able to feel safe across all aspects of their lives and that includes when out socialising. 'Those who think it's acceptable to assault women, whether that be verbally, subjecting them to physical attacks or by drink-spiking, must be challenged and will be brought to justice where a criminal offence has been committed. 'We are asking for the public to help us to tackle this issue head-on. That means if you have witnessed something suspicious in a bar, then you must report this to door and bar staff immediately. 'We also need people who believe they have been spiked or assaulted to come forward to door staff and the police as soon as possible. 'Not only does this give us the best chance in catching those responsible, but it will also allow us to get medical treatment for the victim at the earliest opportunity.' Advertisement

'Therefore (it would require) a thick, painful needle. This means that the substance involved would be something that would be highly detectable for several days in a toxicology screening,' he said.

Adam Winstock, director of the Global Drug Survey, added: 'There are very few easily accessible drugs / medicines that could be given intramuscular in a small enough volume that people would not notice and the effects would take some time to come on.

'What you see in the movies is not reality. People need to keep their drinks close to them, avoid taking them from strangers and keep an eye out for their mates.'

A university club event manager has acknowledged that plans to put cling film over drinks to prevent spiking is not a perfect solution but hopes it will offer 'an extra layer of assurance' to clubbers.

Ben Lewis, who manages the weekly Woo Cambridge event, said the issue 'wasn't on our radar last week as much as it is this week' and more needs to be done at venues across the UK.

Ahead of its event this Wednesday evening, the club is offering a cling film covering for drinks to guests as a 'temporary measure' before more permanent methods of prevention can be put in place.

Mr Lewis, 24, told the PA news agency his team had looked at several different preventative measures that could be implemented quickly ahead of the event.

'We're aware that there's a nationwide problem and people want something done about it... and we wanted to do something before opening tonight,' he said.

'We researched quite a few different measures... but we didn't think any of them would really work properly. So while it's not the perfect solution at all, tonight we'll have cling film, then next week we'll have proper drink stoppers... for free for customers that want them.

'It's a strong cling film and it's more for people when they're not drinking to have a little bit of peace of mind. We know it's not a perfect solution but we simply couldn't get the official measures in time.'

Campaigners from more than 30 universities who plan to join the nightclub boycott say they are seeking 'tangible' changes to address a problem that has become an 'epidemic'.

Mr Lewis said both event and venue staff would be given specialist training and extra security would be put in place to identify and protect those who looked 'tipsy or a little bit vulnerable'.

'It wasn't on our radar last week as much as it is this week... and because it is a nationwide problem I think every venue in the UK has gone and ordered the official measures,' he said.

'(The cling film) was more to reassure people that it was on our minds and we're trying to do something about it... it's not just 'oh yeah, we'll sort it out next week'.

'I don't think it offers concrete reassurance but... I think it makes it at least a little bit more difficult to spike someone and that's the crux of the issue.

'The issue should have been at the forefront of our minds but... after two years of not clubbing, I think it is quite easy for everyone to be comfortable, including customers.'

He added: 'We should really have had a few more awareness posters in the venue and every venue in the UK should have.

'One positive thing is that this campaign has brought it back to the forefront of everyone's minds.

'Everyone's security and safety is always number one.'

Meanwhile, women in Liverpool, Edinburgh and Dundee of victims have reported being pierced with a needle in their leg, hands and back before waking up with no recollection of the night before - symptoms similar to those who have had their drinks spiked with

Detectives say they are currently reviewing CCTV footage as well as toxicological reports to identify what substance was contained within the needles.

A police spokesperson added, though, that the force does not believe the incidents are targeted and they are 'distinctly different' from anything seen previously due to victims disclosing 'a physical scratch-type sensation before feeling very unwell'.

A statement said: 'This is subtly different from feelings of intoxication through alcohol according to some victims.'

Stealth, another Nottingham nightclub, said it had also received reports of two women feeling unwell within the last fortnight as a result of being spiked.

One 19-year-old woman said she was targeted with a mystery liquid as she left the venue in on October 12.

Ellie Simpson said her sister felt a 'pinch on the back of her arm' before blacking out and being taken to hospital, where blood samples were taken.

Ms Simpson, 21, added that she was 'in shock' and her sister had not been out clubbing since the incident took place.

She told the BBC: 'Normally she's the type of person that would stick up for herself, so I think if it could happen to her it could happen to somebody who is more vulnerable.

She said: 'I don't think it's quite yet sunk in what's happened to her. It's really frightening because I don't know how you're meant to prevent it.

'Obviously you can put your hand over your drink but how do you stop somebody stabbing you with a needle?'

The entrance to Stealth, another Nottingham nightclub, which says it also received reports of two women feeling unwell as a result of being spiked with needles

Nottinghamshire Police has said a local male has been arrested, but did not state which incident this is in connection with

Industry body for nightclubs calls for urgent inquiry into wider issue of spiking The industry body for nightclubs has called for an urgent inquiry into the wider issue of spiking. They have urged the Home Office to look at Devon and Cornwall Police, who have recently launched a drink spiking testing pilot using on-site testing to allow people to get their drinks test. Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said: 'The NTIA are very concerned to learn about the reported increase in the number of spiking incidents taking place across the country. 'We support all those coming forward to speak about their experiences. It goes without saying that everyone should be able to enjoy a night out without fearing for their own safety, and we are saddened to hear that some don't feel this way.' 'There is a lot that we as a sector are already doing to try to tackle drink spiking. 'In response to recent reports, operators across the country have been working with the police, local authorities and key stakeholders, focusing on safeguarding customers, particularly women, at night. 'It varies by region, but many cities already have well-established networks amongst operators and community support representatives, and work very closely with authorities, communicating on a regular basis to highlight increases in crime or disorder. 'The truth is though, very real challenges still exist. We know this a societal problem, but it is very difficult to say with any real certainty what the scale of this problem is, because drink spiking is currently criminalised under an offence which encompasses many other types of incident, and it is also not possible to ascertain whether incident occurred within a licensed venue or some other setting. 'The result is that police data revealed through FOI requests does not give an accurate picture of what's happening, or lend itself to specifically categorising this particular crime. 'We have been encouraged to see the progressive approach taken by Devon and Cornwall Police through their drink spiking testing pilot. The Home Office should launch a formal inquiry to examine the results of that pilot, and the lessons that can be applied to the industry and policing nationally. 'The scheme found that through having on-site testing available in the night time economy, data could be collected that would provide a more accurate picture. 'Having testing available and clearly communicating this to customers was also found to have de-escalated situations - where tested drinks came back negative - and generally provided reassurance to customers who had spiking concerns. 'We believe the widespread implementation of these measures  to complement existing routine duty of care measures  is an important step in making sure everyone can enjoy a night out safely and without fear, as it should be. The Home Office should work with the industry as part of this inquiry, and also speak to campaign groups and listen to their concerns.' Advertisement

A statement from Stealth said: 'We, much like our customers, are concerned by the national news reports about spiking in bars and nightclubs around the UK, and believe it is absolutely unacceptable for women to have tp live in fear of being spiked on nights out.

'Here at Stealth, in recent weeks two of our customers have reported feeling unwell and suspected they may have been spiked. Both were seen by our on site medic who made sure they were appropriately looked after, were able to safely leave the venue, and we are currently liaising with police to aid in their ongoing investigations.

'Customer safety is our top priority and our aim is to create a safe environment for people to come together and enjoy a night out.'

A police spokesperson, speaking about the incident in Lower Parliament Street, involving Ms Owen, said: 'We are currently investigating reports of individuals suspecting that their drinks have been spiked.

'Linked to this a small number of victims have said that they may have felt a scratching sensation as if someone may have spiked them physically. Consequently, we are actively investigating all these reports.

'We have a dedicated group of officers currently carrying out CCTV enquires at various venues where we have received such reports.

'Our enquiries into these incidents are ongoing but we understand people may be concerned about incidents like this and want to reassure the public we are working incredibly hard to investigate.'

The statement continued: 'What we need is that if any person experiences such an incident whilst on a night out that they or their friends make contact with us immediately in order that we can investigate at the earliest opportunity and secure evidence quickly.'

It follows reports from Edinburgh and Dundee, too. Police Scotland said it is also investigating reports of a female being spiked by injection and enquiries were at an early stage.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'We are aware of posts circulating on social media about spiking incidents involving injections in Scotland.

'Officers are carrying out enquiries, and a small number of reports from the Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and Aberdeen areas are being investigated.

'These do not appear to be linked. We take all reports seriously and we would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of spiking in any form to contact Police via 101.'

Victims have reported waking up with a pinprick surrounded by a giant bruise, as well as no memory of the night before.

Those targeted with needles also carry the risk of shared or unclean needles being used, posing threats of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

One woman who claimed to have been spiked said she now has to go for monthly blood tests following a night out with friends last week.

She tweeted: 'So after seeing recent posts and thinking back to the weekend when I was out I phoned my doctor who confirmed it's likely that I was spiked by injection.

'I now need to go for monthly blood tests. Please please just be so vigilant when out. I can't confirm where it happened sadly.'

Another woman also took to social media to report being targeted with a needle.

She added: 'Please be careful on nights out. Last Saturday I was spiked in a club in through an injection in my hand.

'Luckily I was with people I trust who looked after me, but it was terrifying. I was sober when this happened and it shows protecting your drinks isn't enough.

'I don't remember the evening at all but was very unwell the next few days. Please be careful on nights out and if you do not feel right tell somebody.. Stay safe. X'

A petition calling for nightclubs to be legally required to search guests on arrival for weapons and 'date rape' drugs has now reached more than 75,000 signatures following the reports.

@Edi_Anonymous, an Instagram page that publishes anonymous submissions, said it had received multiple reports of women being spiked at nightclub venues

It says: 'There are too many cases of weapons and 'date rape' drugs being used in clubs.

'It begs the question, why aren't nightclubs required to do more to prevent harmful items making it into their clubs?'

Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome added that she is in contact with police following Ms Owen's report of being spiked with a needle.

She tweeted: 'I'm aware of extremely concerning reports of suspected spiking in Nottingham nightclubs, including by injection, and am in discussion with @nottswomenscent.

'If you have any information, please get in touch with @nottspolice, @nottswomenscent or me.'

Social media reports also emerged of a woman wearing a backless dress being injected in the back in Liverpool. However, Merseyside Police said it could not find any evidence 'that any criminality occurred'.

A spokesman for the force told MailOnline: 'We have been made aware of a social media post reporting that a woman was injected in the back in a Liverpool city centre nightclub and a report was received by Merseyside Police.

'We have worked closely with the club and examined CCTV footage. We have fully investigated the matter and we can't find evidence that any criminality has occurred.

'No formal statement has been made by the woman and no other persons have come forward.'
Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico Zorro Ranch housed three huge computer rooms to spy on famous guests, one of the pedophile's victims has claimed.

Maria Farmer, a former employee of the late billionaire, alleges that the footage would include Prince Andrew's alleged 2000 stay at the 33,339 square foot estate.

Farmer claims the rooms were 'bigger than houses', and were packed with computers and video equipment belonging to Epstein and his former girlfriend and alleged accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and used in his spying network.

'All of Epstein's residences had these mechanical rooms and tunnel systems. I know this because Epstein told me,' Farmer told The Sun.

'These rooms were enormous - bigger than houses. I have no idea why anyone needs so many computers in one room.

Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico Zorro Ranch (pictured in an aerial photo from July) housed three huge computer rooms to spy on famous guests, one of the pedophile's victims has claimed

Jefferey Epstein (pictured in a mugshot in New York before his death in 2019) is said to have spied on all his VIP guests using hidden cameras around his ranch

Farmer claims Epstein filmed the many guests that he hosted at the ranch, including the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, picture here in a 2001 photograph with accuser Virginia Roberts with Ghislaine Maxwell in the background - believed to be in Mazwell's Belgravia home

All of Epstein's estates had 'pinhole cameras' used to record everything, that were invisible to the naked eye unless you were looking right at them, Farmer said.

Using these camera, Farmer claims that Epstein filmed the many guests that he hosted at the ranch, including the Duke of York, Prince Andrew.

Andrew is alleged to have vacationed there with his 'friend - neurosurgeon Dr Melanie Walker - who has previously been described as 'beautiful, young and brilliant' by former Zorro housekeeper Deidre Stratton.

Ms Stratton has previously claimed she was given the task of looking after Andrew and his guest, and claimed that Andrew asked her to bring him aphrodisiac tea.

The Duke is also alleged to have spent two days alone at Epstein's ranch in 2001 with the pedophile's 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts, court documents have claimed.

Roberts, who was 17 or 18 at the time, wrote in a manuscript that she had a 'really good time' at the ranch, and that she gave him 'erotic massages'. She later told police that she was paid 'close to a thousand dollars' by Epstein.

Prince Andrew has strenuously denied claims by Ms Roberts that he sexually assaulted her.

Maria Farmer, now 51, worked as a receptionist at Epstein's New York home in 1996, before she was transferred to businessman Les Wexner's estate in New Albany. There, she claims she was abused by Epstein and Maxwell.

It is claimed that Epstein had the twisted idea of using the Zorro Ranch for inseminating women with his sperm to create a 'master race'.

Eddie Aragon, a local radio station owner, has obtained the architect plans for the Zorro Ranch, found in New Mexico. The plans date back to 1998, five years after Epstein bought the property.

The plans reportedly reveal a huge underground floor - around 8,000 square feet - which includes gym, massage and jacuzzi rooms that were later transformed into a pool, according to The Sun.

But the plans also reveal the three unusually large 'mechanical rooms' on the floor.

Aragon - who owns Albuquerque radio station Rock of Talk - told the newspaper that an architect and former IT contractor who worked on Epstein's internet communications and security from 1999 to 5007 - called into his radio station.

The architect provided inside photographs of the ranch, and revealed other unusual features of Epstein's mysterious estate.

Maria Farmer (pictured during an interview with ABC news), a former employee of the late billionaire, alleges that the footage would include Prince Andrew's alleged 2000 stay at the 33,339 square foot estate

Zorro Ranch, one of the properties of financier Jeffrey Epstein, is seen in an aerial view near Stanley, New Mexico

Zorro Ranch (pictured), approximately 35 miles from Sante Fe, comes equipped with a 30,000-square-foot house which is said to have had a huge underground space which housed computers belonging to Epstein and alleged accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell

One such feature, which the architect told Aragon was something he would never forget, was a six-foot naked portrait of Ghislaine Maxwell holding a gold dagger that had been hung in the basement elevator hallway.

The portrait of Maxwell - with her legs reportedly spread - was the first thing that any guests or victim would see on their way down to the basement and pool areas.

This, the radio host said, was designed to intimidate the victims being brought to the ranch for Epstein.

Aragon also said that the plans reveal the ranch had an unusual number of bedrooms - just four - which for a house over 33,000 sq feet in size seems like a small amount.

'These plans give us a firmer idea of what was going on at the ranch,' Aragon told The Sun. 'All of that in the basement feels more like a dungeon with the nebulous mechanical rooms,' he added.

The plans show that Epstein's master bedroom takes up most of the space on the first floor, while on the same level there were two relatively tiny en-suite bedrooms and a fourth 'staff bedroom' on the first floor.

Aragon noted to The Sun that it is understandable why Epstein's underage victims would have felt trapped in the ranch.

The three-level main house was designed by Alberto Pinto and includes a gym, a large indoor pool, a library and a living room

There are also equestrian facilities, which include an eight-stall barn with a tack room, an arena for equestrian activities and an exterior-gated horse run

Every room - from the closets to the bathrooms - appears to have a 'vestibule', which Aragon suggested were holding areas for the women before they visited Epstein.

'The maze of rooms, doors, vestibules, waiting areas and doors, there's no doubt were used to maximum effect to trap and contain the victims until they were needed for Epstein's rituals,' Aragon said to The Sun.

'There appears to be no escape, can you imagine how that would feel for young teenage girls? They must have felt so hopeless and vulnerable.'

The house is currently for sale, but the radio host said that the brokers will not allow anyone to view it unless they are a 'qualified party', or someone who they know could actually afford it.

Maxwell, a 59-year-old British socialite - is facing six charges at her trial, including sex trafficking conspiracy and the sex trafficking of a minor. It is alleged that she would find young girls to bring to Epstein.

After being arrested in July 2020, she has been in prison for over 470 days in Brooklyn, New York's Metropolitan Detention Center. She denies the charges.

The ranch has stood empty since Epstein's death in a Manhattan prison in 2019, and is only being looked after by a few on-site staff. It is on the market for $27.5 million with Sotherby's.

Pictured: The master bedroom of Jeffrey Epstein's mysterious New Mexico ranch

The 8,000-acre property, found approximately 35 miles from Sante Fe, went on the market in July this year.

It comes equipped with the 30,000-square-foot house and includes a private grass air strip 4,400-feet long for easy access in and out of the area. A hangar and helipad are also available and the airstrip could be expanded.

There are several other homes on the property, in addition to a yurt and a log cabin.

The three-level main house was designed by Alberto Pinto.

Looking out the windows, a resident may be able to see the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Cerro Pelon and the Galisteo Basin.

The ranch is made from a mix of private lands and federally-leased lands, with 7,575 deeded acres and 423 acres of Bureau of Land Management-leased land.

There's also a small village within the ranch - 'Ranch Central' - which consists of small homes, studio casitas and garages.

This massive chandelier is one of the many furnishings that once belonged in Jeffrey Epstein's ranch

Two different angles of the library in Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico ranch

Other amenities include a greenhouse, a firehouse, a barn that can be used for heavy equipment, a seven-bay heated garage, a lodge, a log cabin, a yurt and an additional guesthouse.

There are also equestrian facilities, which include an eight-stall barn with a tack room, an arena for equestrian activities and an exterior-gated horse run.

Epstein's estate is planning on using proceeds from the sale 'as necessary to compensate claimants, tax authorities, and creditors.' according to Sotheby's International Realty.

Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts has said she was taken to the ranch as an underage sex slave, sharing photos of herself on the property taken when she was about 17.

Epstein revealed to scientists and close friends that he 'hoped to seed the human race with his DNA by impregnating women' at the vast New Mexico ranch, according to the New York Times.

On February 22, 1993, Epstein's shell company the Zorro Trust completed a purchase of lands owned by members of the King family, a powerful New Mexico agricultural and political dynasty that included then-Governor Bruce King.

Zorro's deal included rights to the Kings' leases on public lands, a total of 1,159 acres rented for $872.22 a year.

According to county records, Epstein began constructing a stable, detached garages, and homes in 1994, and began building his mansion in 1999. Including porches and patios, the mansion came to 57,420 square feet.

In addition to Virginia Roberts, Epstein accuser Maria Farmer said he and his then-assistant Ghislaine Maxwell abused her underage sister Annie on Zorro Ranch.

Annie Farmer was allegedly reluctantly introduced to Epstein and Maxwell, who coerced her into visiting the Zorro Ranch alone, where she says she was sexually assaulted at the age of 16.

She sued Maxwell and Epstein's estate in 2019, with the lawsuit stating: 'She was alone with Epstein and Maxwell. She had no way to access a phone or other method of communication without Epstein or Maxwell knowing. She had no way of leaving.

'Annie knew she had no way of escaping Epstein's massive estate, and attempted to escape by saying she needed to use the restroom. She was in shock, and frightened by what she was experiencing.

'She feared for her safety, knowing she was alone in Epstein's ranch in another state and that Maxwell and Epstein were closely monitoring her activity.'
The EU's Parliament has threatened to sue Ursula Von Der Leyen if she refuses to withhold funding from Poland amid an increasingly bitter row over the rule of law.

David Sassoli, parliament's president, said lawyers have been instructed to 'prepare a lawsuit against the [EU] Commission' - which Ms Von Der Leyen heads - 'to ensure rules are properly enforced.'

Mr Sassoli, an Italian politician who was elected parliament's president in 2019, spoke out as national leaders from the bloc's 27 member states convene in Brussels today for two days of talks with Poland set to be top of the agenda.

Backing Mr Sassoli are EU heavyweights such as France and the Netherlands, along with smaller states such as Sweden, Finland and Luxembourg.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is relying largely on Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban for support, though outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned the EU against isolating Poland and urged compromise.

The row was sparked when Poland's top constitutional court ruled that laws made within the country take precedence over laws written in Brussels - a major challenge to the EU's founding principles.

Ms Von Der Leyen is now facing pressure to withhold 48billion in EU Covid recovery funding that is earmarked for Poland unless the government falls back into line.

Von der Leyen said she was 'deeply concerned', adding that 'we cannot and will not allow our common values to be put at risk'

Mateusz Morawiecki told the parliament in Strasbourg that Poland would not bow to 'European centralism' and that the constitution of a country was the highest law on the Continent

Which EU laws is Poland disputing? Article 1 What is it? This sets out the founding principle of the EU, which is to create a Union and develop 'an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe.' In dispute: Poland argues the way the law is being applied blocks the country from applying its own constitution and could force it to apply unconstitutional laws laid down by EU courts What Poland's court said: The EU is acting outside of its remit by preventing the country from acting as a sovereign state, and that Polish law should take precedence Article 4 What is it? This establishes the principle of 'sincere cooperation' between states which must 'work together to implement' EU laws. In dispute: Poland again argues that the way the law is being interpreted will stop it from applying its own laws or compel it to apply unconstitutional laws if they are laid down by EU courts Court ruling: Judges again found the EU is acting outside of its remit by preventing the country from acting as a sovereign state, and that Polish law must take precedence Article 19 What is it? This establishes the authority of the European Court of Justice which 'shall ensure that in the interpretation and application of... the law is observed.' In dispute: Poland says the article, as applied, grants the EU the power to oversee the appointment of judges made by the Polish President Court ruling: Judges found that, by interfering in the process of appointing judges, the EU is preventing Poland from acting as a sovereign nation and that the President's decision-making must take precedence Advertisement

Ms Von Der Leyen could also take the issue to the EU's top court, the European Court of Justice, to obtain a ruling that Poland is in violation of EU laws.

If the court rules in her favour, then it can levy daily fines until Poland returns to compliance. If Poland refuses to pay, then it can withhold funds.

Ms Von Der Leyen could also try to strip Poland of voting rights within EU institutions, but she would need the support of the bloc's 26 other leaders - with Hungary likely to block the move.

The row is just the latest crisis to rock the EU since Britain voted to leave in 2016, in large part due to concerns over sovereignty.

It has sparked concerns over a so-called 'Polexit', which observers have warned may lead to the wholesale collapse of the European project.

Poland - an ex-Communist nation where support for the EU is high among voters - is unlikely to vote to leave the EU as Britain did, but many fear it could cause a collapse from within by challenging the bloc's founding principles.

Mr Morawiecki has denied trying to break up the bloc, saying he is not challenging the EU's laws themselves - only interpretations of them.

Poland and Hungary are bitterly opposed to agreements negotiated last year as the EU's 1.5trillion Covid recovery budget was agreed, which linked the funding to enforcing laws such as equality and human rights legislation.

Both countries are led by right-wing populist parties who have been involved in long-running spats with the EU over the independence of courts, freedom of the press, and LGBT rights.

In a fiery speech to the European Parliament earlier this week, Mr Morawiecki accused the EU of 'blackmail' over the recovery funds which he said poses a threat to the union.

But Ms Von Der Leyen struck back. Referring to the fall of Communism in Poland in 1989, she said: 'The people of Poland wanted democracy  they wanted the freedom to choose their government, they wanted free speech and free media, they wanted an end to corruption and they wanted independent courts to protect their rights.

'This is what Europe is about and that is what Europe stands for,' she added. 'The recent ruling of the Polish Constitutional Court puts much of it into question.'

Last week, the Polish Constitutional Court ruled that EU law was incompatible with aspects of the country's constitution.

Morawiecki insisted that there was no reason why this should drive a wedge between Warsaw and Brussels, but maintained that he would not budge on the issue.

'The EU will not fall apart simply because our legal systems will be different,' he said, adding: 'If you want to make a non-national superstate out of Europe, first get the consent of all the European states and societies.'

Meanwhile, he praised the 'strong political and economical organism' of the Bloc, showing the complex position his party is seeking to straddle as it grapples with Brussels, while up to 80 per cent of Poles back being part of the EU.

He also rejected any suggestion that the country was on a pathway to 'Polexit,' following in Britain's footsteps.

'We should not be spreading further lies about Poland leaving the EU,' he said.

'For us, European integration is a civilisational and strategic choice,' he said. 'We are here, we belong here and we are not going anywhere.'

He said that Western countries, especially France and Germany, had benefited enormously from the entrance of eastern states into the Bloc.

However, he said that the West-East divide had resulted in first and second classes within the EU, with member states like Poland given short shrift.

'Today all Europeans, expect one thing. They want us to face up to the challenges posed by several crises at the same time, and not against each other, looking for someone to blame - or rather, those who are not really to blame, but whom it is convenient to blame,' he said.

Earlier this month, Poland's Constitutional Court (pictured) ruled that EU treaties were incompatible with the Polish constitution, putting Warsaw and Brussels on a full collision course

'We cannot remain silent when our country - including in this Chamber - is attacked in an unfair and biased manner.'

The PM said that Poland was a 'proud nation' and would not be cowed by threats of financial penalties which were tantamount to 'blackmail.'

'I reject the language of threats, hazing and coercion,' Morawiecki said.

Morawiecki also criticised the 'creeping' expansion of EU powers, with particular regard to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Von der Leyen warned that Poland's constitutional ruling 'is a direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order.'

She said a first option is so-called infringements, where the Commission legally challenges the Polish court's judgment, which could lead to fines.

Another option is a conditionality mechanism and other financial tools whereby EU funds would be withheld from Poland.

Until Warsaw's clash with Brussels is resolved, it is unlikely to see any of the 23.9 billion euros in grants and 12.1 billion in cheap loans that it applied for as part of the EU's recovery fund after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The EU could even block Polish access to EU grants for development and structural projects in the 2021-2027 budget worth around 70 billion euros.

Von der Leyen said a third option is the application of Article 7 of the EU's treaties. Under this, rights of member states - including the right to vote on EU decisions - can be suspended because they have breached core values of the bloc.

Morawiecki, speaking after her in the EU assembly, accused the bloc of overstepping its authority.

'EU competencies have clear boundaries, we must not remain silent when those boundaries are breached. So we are saying yes to European universalism, but we say no to European centralism,' he said.

A succession of members of the parliament then stood up to castigate the Polish leader, while some EU ministers gathering for a meeting in Luxembourg joined the chorus of criticism.

Morawiecki ended up running over his allotted speaking time, prompting warnings from Parliament Vice President Pedro Silva Pereira.

'You will take note that I was extremely flexible with the allocated time so that nobody can say that you didn't have time enough to give explanations to the European Parliament,' Pereira told the PM.

'But respect of the allocated time is also a way of showing respect for this house of the European democracy.'
The real 'Wolf of Wall Street' Jordan Belfort has joined OnlyFans.

The infamous Wall St. trader, 59, announced he is joining the platform to provide fans a glimpse of his 'freakin' cool as hell life', joining a growing number of celebrities that have flocked to the content subscription service in recent months.

OnlyFans is a platform through which content creators can build a following and receive funding from fans via monthly subscriptions or one-off payments in return for exclusive content.

It is known primarily as a subscription-based porn website which allows sex workers to monetize adult content, but it is also used by several high-profile names such as Bella Thorne, Cardi B, and DJ Khaled to host paid-for content.

Belfort, whose debaucherous lifestyle and fall from the dizzying heights of multi-millionairedom was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2013 Scorsese film, now works as a business consultant and motivational speaker.

His arrival to OnlyFans comes as the platform aims to diversify its offerings and shirk its reputation as a subscription porn site.

Jordan Belfort, 59, was one of the most notorious Wall Street stock traders and is renowned for a lifestyle of debauchery, drugs and outrageous wealth. Since his incarceration in 1999, Belfort has rebuilt himself as a business consultant and motivational speaker and has now announced he is joining OnlyFans (pictured left: Instagram video announcement. Pictured right: Belfort during a speaking tour in Amsterdam, 2014)

OnlyFans is a platform through which content creators can build a following and receive funding from fans via monthly subscriptions or one-off payments in return for exclusive content (pictured right: Belfort's announcement video on OnlyFans' Instagram page)

Belfort's rise to notoriety as one of Wall Street's biggest stock traders and subsequent fall from the dizzying heights as founder of brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont was portrayed in the 2013 Scorsese film 'The Wolf of Wall Street', in which he was played by Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured)

Belfort announced the launch of his OnlyFans account via the platform's Instagram page last week.

In the video, the serial entrepreneur said he was 'super excited' to join the platform and promised fans 'exclusive behind-the-scenes content of my freakin' cool as hell life.'

Belfort built one of the most dynamic and successful sales-organizations on Wall Street in the 1990s, but his eye-watering success and the millions that came with it are only part of the story.

The Wall St titan founded Stratton Oakmont in 1989, a stock brokerage he started with a few desks and phones set up in a former Long Island auto shop but quickly grew into a giant company of over 1,000 employees involved in stock issues totaling more than $1 billion.

Stratton Oakmont was a 'boiler room' firm that marketed penny stocks - those of minimal value - and defrauded investors with the 'pump and dump' type of stock sales, taking large commissions on the trades, often at the expense of their investors.

Belfort lived a life of incredible wealth and decadence, but also succumbed to a spiral of greed and drug addiction synonymous with it.

Living large: 'The Wolf of Wall Street', a film directed by Martin Scorsese released in 2013, tells the story of Belfort's meteoric rise to multi-millionairedom as the chairman of brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont (pictured: Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort)

Belfort has rebranded himself as a business consultant and motivational speaker following his release from prison, but is obligated to pay at least $10,000 per month in restitutions to former clients who were defrauded by Stratton Oakmont (pictured: Belfort at the Oxford Union, UK, in 2018)

Belfort, who lives a comparatively modest but nonetheless jet-setting life since his days on Wall St, joins several high-profile names on OnlyFans such as Bella Thorne , Cardi B, and DJ Khaled (pictured: Belfort out at dinner with rapper Drake in September 2021)

Tim Stokely, the British entrepreneur behind the website OnlyFans, said the company's short-lived decision to ban sexually explicit content was the result of pressure from banks

Belfort pleaded guilty in 1999 to securities fraud and money laundering and in 2003, was sentenced to four years in prison - of which he served 22 months - and ordered to chip away at the $110 million restitution by giving 50 percent of his future earnings to the government.

He has since gone on to rebrand himself as a business consultant and motivational speaker, having abstained from drugs after becoming sober following his release from prison, but he is still obligated to pay at least $10,000 per month in restitutions to former clients who were defrauded by Stratton Oakmont.

OnlyFans' top five highest earners: Celebrities like Bella Thorne and Blac Chyna rake in MILLIONS a month on the site OnlyFans has become a hugely lucrative endeavor for many of its users - particularly celebrities like Blac Chyna, Bella Thorne, and Mia Khalifa who are among its highest-earning creators. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, these A-listers rake in eye-watering monthly incomes: 1. Blac Chyna: $20 MILLION 2. Bella Thorne: $11 MILLION 3. Cardi B: $9.34 MILLION 4. Tyga: $7.69 MILLION 5. Mia Khalifa: $6.43 MILLION Advertisement

His arrival to the OnlyFans platform represents the serial entrepreneur's latest business venture in a career which has seen him write two best selling books since his release from prison and conduct motivational speaking tours around the world.

For OnlyFans meanwhile, Belfort's arrival marks the latest attempt to dissolve its reputation as the go-to subscription site for porn stars and sex workers.

OnlyFans in August announced it would drop plans to ban sexually explicit photographs and videos on its platform, in a major U-turn after an intense backlash from creators who said the move had already cost them thousands in revenue.

The London-based online subscription service previously said it would implement a ban on 'any content containing sexually explicit conduct' from October, after CEO Tim Stokely said its reputation as a subscription porn site was damaging its relationships with banks.

But the company quickly turned back on its decision after drawing a hail of criticism from thousands of sex workers and subscribers alike.

OnlyFans experienced an explosive growth in popularity during the pandemic, when thousands of new creators signed up to the platform in-person adult venues shut, many of whom turned to online sex work to supplement their income amid lockdown.

However, a number of celebrities, musicians and comedians also use the platform for non-sexual content to build additional revenue streams - a direction OnlyFans executives have been keen to pursue.
Advertisement

Boris Johnson could have romped home with an even bigger majority of 96 under new Commons boundaries, a new estimate claims.

A map has given a stark illustration of the scale of the challenge facing Keir Starmer to change Labour's fortunes when the country goes to the polls again.

Number-crunching by Election Maps UK suggests that if the proposals for overhauling constituencies had been in force in 2019 the Conservatives would have won eight more seats.

Labour's tally would also have been reduced by five - from a figure that was already its worst performance since 1936 - while the Lib Dems would have been down one and Plaid cut by two.

Overall Mr Johnson's margin of victory would have been 16 bigger than his historic majority of 80.

Opinion polls have narrowed since the 2019 vote, when the Tories had an 11-point lead, but they are still routinely showing the party ahead.

Experts told MailOnline the hypothetical boost from boundary changes in the Election Maps UK estimate was 'at the top end of expectations', but it would 'definitely' be worth Mr Johnson waiting for the reworking to come into effect in 2023.

Number-crunching by Election Maps UK suggests that if the proposals for overhauling constituencies had been in force in 2019 the Conservatives would have won eight more seats

Boris Johnson could have romped home with an even bigger majority of 96 under new Commons boundaries, according to a new estimate that underlines the scale of the challenge facing Keir Starmer (right)

Overall Mr Johnson's margin of victory would have been 16 bigger than his historic majority of 80 in 2019, according to the estimates

Separate reviews of boundaries have been taking place in different parts of the UK, to account for shifts in local populations.

The process has happened several times, but no alterations have been finalised since 2005 due to elections being called early and other political factors.

Based on constituent numbers, England is due to gain 10 seats, Wales lose eight seats, and Scotland shed two.

Of the 533 existing English constituencies, fewer than 10 per cent will remain unchanged under the proposals.

Sir Keir would see his parliamentary boundaries substantially redrawn in his Holborn and St Pancras seat, potentially taking some voters from Jeremy Corbyn's neighbouring seat of Islington North.

Mr Johnson's Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat and Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Richmond in North Yorkshire seat would remain largely unchanged under the new electoral map.

The proposals would see the south east of England allocated 91 constituencies - an increase of seven from the current number.

The West Midlands would be allocated 57 constituencies, down two, and the north west would be allocated 73, also down two.

The reduction in the number of seats in Wales and Scotland as well as the creation of extra seats in the south east of England will in theory benefit the Tories.

Due to Labour's dire situation in Scotland, it might now require a 12-point lead in votes to secure an overall majority, while the Conservatives need just 5 per cent as their support is more efficiently distributed.

Elections expert and Tory peer Lord Robert Hayward told MailOnline the mooted eight-seat boost to the Tories from the changes might be 'marginally generous'.

'I have always thought it would be five-10 seats. I think it is marginally generous to the Conservatives, possibly boosted by the exceptional performance in 2019.'

He added: 'I think it is in the right ballpark but possibly at the top end of expectations.'

Lord Hayward said that he only expected 'small' changes to the boundaries before they are finalised.

'There will be quite a lot of change in some parts of the country... overall these projections won't change that much,' he said.

He insisted that it would 'definitely' be worth Mr Johnson waiting until after the boundary review is due to take effect in 2023 to call an election.

'It is definitely worth having,' he said. 'Generally parties that cut and run before their period is expended, people view it with suspicion.

'You have to have a very strong reason. In 2017 Theresa May was not perceived to have a reason, whereas in 2019 there was a general acceptance that you had to have an election to break an impasse.'
Advertisement

Death rates for over-65s in England and Wales have dipped below pre-pandemic levels thanks to the success of the Covid vaccine rollout, data revealed today.

Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IfoA) figures show the mortality rate in people aged 65-85 in September was 0.66 per cent lower than average. In over-85s it was even lower at 1.7 per cent below levels seen during the same month over the past 10 years.

But the data suggests a 'two-tier' pandemic may be starting to appear, with deaths in September  before cases began to kick off  at 7.5 per cent above normal levels in adults aged 45-64.

Experts claimed the low rates seen in the elderly are proof that vaccines have helped to stop serious disease from taking hold.

They said the spike in deaths seen during the darkest days of the second wave in January has now been offset because those who were most vulnerable are likely to have died in the winter, with the majority of over-65s who survived the peak now protected.

Cobus Daneel, chairman of the IFoA's continuous mortality investigation (CMI) mortality projections committee, said vaccinating 'the more vulnerable first undoubtedly saved more lives overall and reduced strain on the NHS'.

And previous studies suggest excess deaths from diseases other than Covid have increased through the pandemic  which may in part explain the comparative rise in mortality in under-65s. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 4,635 of the 9,619 excess deaths (48 per cent) across all age groups in England and Wales since July were not related to Covid.

It comes after an Italian study found the average age of people dying with Covid after vaccination was 85  but they usually had at least five underlying illnesses.

Analysis carried out by the Italian National Health Institute (ISS) looked at deaths from February 1 to October 5, finding the average age of death with Covid in the unvaccinated was 78.

Pressure is building on No10 to speed up its booster programme to prevent spiking cases in younger age groups reaching the elderly, whose immunity from vaccines earlier in the year may be beginning to wain.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair today demanded the Government sets concrete targets to speed the drive up to jab 500,000 a day. It's currently only reaching about 200,000. Discussing the issue on Sky News, he said ministers need to urgently increase capacity and rope in more pharmacies.

Graph shows: The mortality rates indifferent age groups in 2020 (green line) and 2021 (purple line) over the year compared to a baseline average in 2011 to 2020 before the pandemic. 2021 data goes up to October 1

The current disparity in mortality rates compared to pre-pandemic levels between over-65s and under-65s comes despite the elderly feeling the brunt of the Covid crisis in terms of the number of people dying from the virus. Graph shows:

Covid case growth rates are slowing down quickest in over-85s, data shows Britain may already be beginning to reap the benefits of its Covid booster vaccine drive, according to official data that will pile more pressure on ministers to accelerate the sluggish programme in the face of rising cases and the new Delta variant. Over-85s  who were among the first in line for their top-ups  have seen the biggest slowdown in the growth of cases, in what scientists believe is the 'early signs' of the revaccination campaign kicking in. Experts told MailOnline that the country will really start to see the rewards of the drive over the coming weeks, as millions more get the crucial jab which tops up their immunity. NHS bosses are already facing calls to urgently speed up the programme, with up to 5million people eligible for a third dose yet to receive it. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair today demanded the Government sets concrete targets to speed the drive up to jab 500,000 a day. It's currently only reaching about 200,000. Discussing the issue on Sky News, he said ministers need to urgently increase capacity and rope in more pharmacies. The slow progress has led to finger pointing among officials, with the NHS blaming a lack of urgency among the public and insisting there are more than enough doctors, nurses and jabs available. But sources close to the booster drive told MailOnline capacity was the main issue, with nearly a third fewer mass vaccination hubs in operation now compared to during the peak of the initial vaccine effort in spring. And top GPs yesterday complained they were too overworked to help accelerate Britain's sluggish Covid booster drive. Meanwhile, the chairman of the National Care Association today warned healthcare staff are giving flu jabs to care home residents, but don't have enough booster jabs to administer. Booster doses started being dished out last month as part of the Government's winter plan to manage the spread of the pandemic. Advertisement

The IfoA data shows the mortality rate in over-85s soared to nearly nine per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels at the height of the Covid crisis last December.

It was similarly high in people aged 75 to 84 and those aged 65 to 74, which peaked at 6.69 per cent and 4.77 per cent above average respectively.

But comparative mortality rates have plummeted this year since the introduction of Covid vaccines, with the rate in over-85s dipping more than two per cent below average in August.

The same trend cannot be said for the middle aged, however, who last month had comparable mortality rates for the time of year to those seen at the height of the pandemic.

Rates in people aged 45 to 64 rose to eight per cent above average on the final day of September (8.04 per cent), the latest date data is available for.

This was only slightly less than the rate in December last year, which peaked at 8.78 per cent above average on December 31.

More surprisingly still, the comparative rate in those aged 15 to 44  normally considered least vulnerable to the virus  has been steadily climbing since the start of the year.

The rate was 8.01 per cent the average for 2011 to 2020, compared to a peak of just 3.54 per cent above average in December last year.

Mr Daneel told The Daily Telegraph vaccines have helped keep over-65s' mortality rate 'well below' the average for this time of year.

He said: 'We've seen a two-tiered effect. In the oldest population, mortality rates from other causes are well below what we would normally expect at that time of year

'This could be some mortality displacement, where deaths we would have expected to see in this period have been accelerated to the first wave.

'Remarkably, that is not the case for the under-65s, who have seen mortality increase still further this year.

'The main source of that increase was the second wave that we experienced at the start of 2021, and we think that may be due to the timing of the vaccination programme, the older people first, followed by the younger people after that.'

The current disparity in mortality rates compared to pre-pandemic levels between over-65s and under-65s comes despite the elderly feeling the brunt of the Covid crisis in terms of the number of people dying from the virus.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows in total 65,813 people aged 85 and over have died from Covid since the start of 2020.

This was higher than those aged 75 to 84 (50,650), 65 to 74 (25,678) and more than three times the level seen in those aged 45 to 64 (17,420). Just over 2,000 people have died aged 15 to 44.

Separate data from the ISS shows a similar story in terms of who is most likely to die with the virus among fully vaccinated people.

The graph shows the week-on-week percentage change in the seven-day rolling rate among different age groups. Among the over-90s (dark blue line), week-on-week growth peaked at 35.2 per cent on October 11, before falling by 24.4 per cent to just 10 per cent by October 14. Weekly growth also fell quickly last week among those aged 85 to 90 (green line)  by 11.5 per cent in the last three days and among 80 to 84-year-olds  by 10.3 per cent

Graph shows the number of booster jabs that have been administered each day (orange bars) the cumulative booster doses given in October (red line) and the cumulative, compared to the rollout of second doses that were dished out in April (blue line)

The study showed that of the 38,096 Covid deaths in Italy between February 1 and October 5, 33,620 were in unvaccinated people, 2,130 were in those freshly jabbed and therefore without antibodies, and 1,440 were fully vaccinated.

It found the average age of death among vaccinated people (85) was higher than in unvaccinated (78) but elderly in both cases.

Those dying despite vaccination tended to have more underlying illnesses  five  than the average of four in those without a jab.

The most common underlying illnesses in vaccinated deaths were heart problems, dementia and cancer.

The authors said: 'The results presented here clearly indicate that people who died after completing the vaccination course have a high level of clinical complexity, significantly higher than people who could not benefit because they haven't started the vaccination course.

'It is possible to hypothesise that very elderly patients with numerous diseases may have a reduced immune response and therefore be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and its complications despite having been vaccinated.

'These very fragile persons with reduced immune response are those who benefit most from a broad vaccination coverage of the entire population as this would further reduce the risk of infection.'
Advertisement

The mother of five-year-old Logan Mwangi has been charged with his murder along with a teenager and the victim's stepfather after the child was found dead in a river.

South Wales Police said Angharad Williamson, 30, has been charged with murdering her son and and is due to appear in Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Friday. She had previously appeared in court charged with perverting the course of justice.

Her partner, 39-year-old John Cole, has also previously appeared in court charged with Logan's murder and perverting the course of justice.

Logan was found dead in the River Ogmore near Pandy Park in Bridgend after police were called to a report of a missing child at 5.45am on July 31. He was taken to the town's Princess of Wales Hospital, where it was confirmed that he had died.

Earlier today, a 14-year-old schoolboy, who has not been identified by police because of his age, appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court charged with murder to confirm his name, age and address. He had previously appeared at Newport Crown Court on August 14 charged with perverting the course of justice.

Judge Stephen Harmes told him 'take your hands out of your pockets' before he remanded him in authority care ahead of a crown court appearance. He said: 'Mr Isaac (your lawyer) will help you understand what's going on. You'll be going to Crown Court probably next week but for now you'll continue as you have been.'

The court head the teenager's bail conditions included wearing an electronic tag and staying away from Sarn.

A spokesman for South Wales Police told MailOnline: 'Detectives investigating the death of five-year old Logan Mwangi from Sarn, Bridgend have charged a 14 year-old boy with murder.'

Tragic Logan Mwangi, five, was found in the River Ogmore close to his home in the village of Sarn near Bridgend in July

Logan's step-father John Cole, 39, has also been accused of murder after he was found with a string of injuries. Cole, Logan's mother Angharad Williamson, 30, and the 14-year-old boy have also been charged with perverting the course of justice

A police diver surfaces in the bank of river Ogmore in Lower Llansantffraid near Bridgend during the investigation

Logan was in a nursery class at Brynmenyn Primary School in Bridgend where he was loved by pupils and staff.

Mother Lois Shepherd, 25, left a cuddly toy baby shark chosen by daughter Maisie-Rae, four, after news of his death was made public.

She said at the time: 'I'm just shocked and gobsmacked - the is such a small community everyone is feeling the pain of what happened.'

Messages left at the river bank also included: 'Fly high Logan, sending love and kisses,' 'RIP angel' and 'Thinking of you.'

A mother of two who drove two miles to the scene said through tears in August: 'I didn't know the little boy and his family but I felt I had to come. It's so sad, I can't comprehend it'

An inquest opening heard Logan was discovered in the River Ogmore, in Sarn, Bridgend on July 31.

Coroner's officer Lauren Howitt told the Pontypridd hearing Logan had been formally identified by his grandmother Claire Williamson.

Logan - also known as Logan Williams - was found dead in Ogmore River in Bridgend after he was reported missing in July

Pictured here are police and forensics on the scene of the murder after Logan was found dead in the river near Bridgend

Floral tributes near the scene where the body of five-year-old Logan was found in July as the neighbourhood mourned

A police officer at a police cordon near the scene on August 3, 2021 in Sarn, Bridgend, at the scene where Logan was found

A post-mortem examination was carried out but a provisional cause of death was pending further investigation.

Assistant South Wales Coroner Rachel Knight said: 'I am satisfied it's necessary to open an inquest as there is reason to expect his death maybe violent or unnatural.

'I have seen correspondence from the CPS in this case which says people have appeared in criminal courts and a trial date has been set.'

Cole, Williamson and the youth are set to face a four-week trial next year to decide on their part in the tragic death of 'cheeky boy' Logan.

A court previously heard the youngster suffered 'extreme pain' in an attack before he was found following a search.

A provisional trial date for all three was set for January 31 next year with a time estimate of four weeks.
Advertisement

Fewer than two dozen areas of England are yet to record a single case of the new Delta off-shoot, official figures suggest.

One of the Government's largest Covid surveillance programmes found AY.4.2 was in 294 of 315 local authorities (93 per cent) up to October 9, the latest day statistics are available for.

But there were 21 areas  scattered in pockets mostly across the North East and Midlands  that still have not recorded a single case of the subtype.

It comes amid fears AY.4.2 is helping to turbo-charge outbreaks in parts of the South West, where cases have reached record highs in the wake of a laboratory testing blunder.

The strain is now behind more than one in five infections in areas of Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset, which have some of the fastest growing infection rates in the country. It makes up more than 10 per cent of infections across England, having doubled in the space of three weeks.

Scientists have raised concerns over AY.4.2 after it advanced from London and the South East to the rest of the country within a matter of weeks.

But yesterday they sought to dampen fears, saying it has taken four months to spread and is only 10 to 15 per cent more transmissible than Delta. Data shows it has not triggered the same explosive change as when Alpha was replaced this year.

The above maps show the proportion of cases that were AY.4.2 in the fortnight to September 25 (left) and October 9 (right). The darker colours indicate that a higher proportion of infections were down to this sub-variant.

The above graph shows the proportion of cases down to different variants in England over time. It reveals AY.4.2 (yellow) is beginning to make up a higher proportion of cases. But Delta (light green) remains the dominant Covid strain. Alpha (purple) was dominant last winter, after it replaced the old virus (pink and dark green)

SWINDON: There are growing fears AY.4.2 may be triggering an outbreak in this local authority. Its Covid cases have risen by 242 per cent in a week

SOUTH SOMERSET: There are also concerns AY.4.2 could be triggering an outbreak in this local authority. It is making up an increasingly larger proportion of cases, and the authority has seen its infections double in a week

WILTSHIRE: AY.4.2 cases are also rising in this local authority. Its Covid cases more than doubled in the latest week, prompting fears it may have triggered an outbreak there

MID-DEVON: There are also fears AY.4.2 has triggered a surge in cases in Mid-Devon. The variant is making up a growing proportion of cases here, while overall infections surged 97 per cent in the latest week

AY.4.2: Everything you need to know Where did AY.4.2 come from? This sub-variant of Delta was first detected in the UK on June 26, according to UK-based tracking. Scientists say it is likely that AY.4.2 evolved here because the UK has much higher case numbers than other countries. But it is possible that the variant was imported from abroad and then started to spread in the country. Why is it only in a few countries? AY.4.2 has been spotted in the UK, Germany, Denmark and the US to date. It may not have been spotted in other countries due to a lack of Covid surveillance, which would lead to new sub-variant not being spotted. But travel restrictions may also be behind the slow spread, which have made it less likely that the virus will be passed between countries. How infectious is the sub-variant? Experts estimate that AY.4.2 is up to 15 per cent more infectious than the Delta variant. They say this may lead to a marginally higher number of cases, but that it will not trigger a spike in cases similar to that seen when Delta arrived in the UK. Should I be concerned about AY.4.2? Scientists say there is no reason to be too concerned about AY.4.2. There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines are less effective against the sub-variant, or that it increases the risk of hospitalisation and death. Professor Lawrence Young from Warwick University said: 'There is no reason to suggest vaccines won't be as effective.' And Professor Anders Fomsgaard from Denmark's Covid surveillance centre said: 'We are not concerned by this. We see nothing in this point of time that indicates it is more contagious, resistant or pathogenic.' Advertisement

Experts are monitoring Covid infections to track the spread and emergence of variants, in case a mutant strain appears that is more infectious or better able to evade vaccine-triggered immunity.

Sanger Institute data shows that to date just 21 areas are yet to record a single infection of AY.4.2.

These are: Burnley, Cambridge, Copeland, Erewash, Forest of Dean, Ipswich, Mansfield, Melton, Mid Suffolk, Newark and Sherwood, North Kesteven, North Norfolk, North Somerset, Oadby and Wigston, Rossendale, Rushcliffe, Ryedale, South Hams, South Holland, South Tyneside and Tandridge.

Although they are yet to record an infection with the strain, scientists say this does not necessarily suggest it has not already arrived in these neighbourhoods.

Britain checks around 30 per cent of cases for variants, which leads to it missing those that only make up a few infections. It can also take weeks to analyse samples.

It was also suggested that the variant, yet to be officially named, may be fuelling outbreaks in parts of the country because it is more transmissible.

In Swindon the strain made up 31.4 per cent of infections in the week to October 9, while in Mid-Devon it was behind 25.9 per cent, in South Somerset 21.2 per cent and in Wiltshire 20.4 per cent.

These four local authorities were all among the top 20 areas recording the fastest surge in Covid cases in the UK last week.

In Swindon cases had surged by 242 per cent in a week, while in South Somerset and Wiltshire they had doubled and in Mid-Devon they had risen by 98 per cent.

The four areas have seen thousands of people asked to take PCR tests again this week, after a laboratory error led to infected Britons being wrongly told they did not have the virus.

But Adur, the country's hotspot where three in ten infections are down to the off-shoot, has only seen its cases rise by 20 per cent in a week, official data shows.

Dr Jonathan Stoye, who heads up a virus research laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute, said more research was needed to establish whether AY.4.2 was triggering spikes in cases in some areas.

He told MailOnline: 'Given that the changes seen in AY.4.2 most probably result in minimal changes in transmissibility, my best guess is that the appearance of this variant is not responsible for the surge in cases.

'However, any changes in transmissibility could have serious consequences and we must continue to monitor the spread of this variant.'

Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick Medical School, told MailOnline that Briton's should not 'get too worried' about the Delta off-shoot.

He said: 'It is not going to be at the level of the difference between Alpha and Delta in terms of transmissibility, and there is no reason to suggest that the vaccines won't be as effective.

'This should make people more conscious that they need to get their boosters. It is a warning message that we are not out the woods yet and we have got to get a handle on the current levels of infection.'

Professor Andrew Rambaut, a geneticist at Edinburgh University, tweeted he was not convinced that AY.4.2 had an advantage over Delta.

He said: 'It first arose months ago, its growth rate is highly variable across UK regions. The key evidence will be what happens as it is imported into other locations with existing Delta.'

There is no evidence that it makes vaccines less effective or is more likely to trigger hospitalisation and death but No10 has vowed to keep a 'close eye' on AY.4.2. There have been some 20,248 cases of AY.4.2 in the UK to date, data suggests, and 13 in the US.

Experts believe that the World Health Organization will elevate the subtype to 'Variant under Investigation' in the coming days. It is likely to be named 'Nu', the next letter in the Greek alphabet.

There have been suggestions that the variant may be elevated to 'Variant under Investigation'. If this is the case the World Health Organization is likely to give it the name 'Nu', which is the next letter in the Greek alphabet

AY.4.2 carries the mutations Y145H and A222V. These were both spotted on mutant strains last year but did not spark concern among scientists at the time. But they have not been found in other major variants including Beta and Gamma.

Professor Francois Balloux, a geneticist at University College London, said analysis found A222V did not increase transmission, and that Y145H was a 'fairly uncommon' mutation first spotted in March 2020.

He added: 'The two mutations have been found together in some strains dating back to April 2020.'
Dominic Raab has urged UK companies to hire more ex-offenders when they leave prison in order to ease the nation's labour shortages.

The Justice Secretary said companies struggling to fill roles should realise there is a 'captive market' of potential workers who are more skilled than bosses may think.

He said many ex-convicts have the 'right kind of attitude that those employers want' and businesses have found former prisoners take 'less sick days' and work harder than other staff.

Dominic Raab has urged UK companies to hire more ex-offenders when they leave prison in order to ease the nation's labour shortages

An estimated 45,000 working age offenders are released from prison every year.

But just one in seven reportedly find work within six months, with Mr Raab telling The Times he wants to see a 'quantum leap' in employment rates in the coming years.

Mr Raab recently met with prisoners who are training to be lorry drivers and the Deputy Prime Minister said the haulage sector is a key industry where ex-convicts could help alleviate worker shortages.

He told the newspaper: 'To those employers who are saying they have short-term issues, I'm saying you've got a captive market here and these people are probably better than you think.

'If you've got shortages - and we know there are some - there is a captive audience there with some skills and not the wrong kind of attitude but in many cases the right kind of attitude that those employers want.

'There's a great added bonus to society too as well as dealing with any temporary shortages that you may have.'

An estimated 45,000 working age offenders are released from prison every year but only one in seven find work within six months

The Justice Secretary is hosting a summit today with major employers, including Greggs and Halfords, as he tries to persuade firms to hire more ex-offenders.

Mr Raab said he was not aware of any companies which have signed up to such recruitment programmes having had a negative experience.

'We had one employer say you have less sick days, more motivation, harder work and they're easier not just to employ but to promote,' he said.
A British Army soldier accused of fondling a female colleague's breasts while she slept has been cleared of sexual assault after telling a court martial he had simply been reaching for a TV remote control.

Trooper Ratu Salabogi was accused of groping the woman after she fell asleep on a sofa while watching a film on an army base.

Others claimed to have spotted the 29-year-old Fijian groping her in the early hours of the morning and then woke the female soldier.

Trooper Ratu Salabogi has been cleared of two counts of sexual assault after a military trial

It was alleged Mr Salabogi had later apologised to the woman and told her he thought she had 'liked it'.

He denied two charges of sexual assault, saying that on the first occasion he had been trying to get the remote and the other time he was attempting to wake her, and was cleared on both counts.

He was also cleared of battery after it was alleged he punched one of the woman's colleagues in an ensuing argument.

During the trial, Wing Commander Michael Saunders, prosecuting, said the incident happened in a common room of Bovington Camp in Dorset, where Mr Salabogi and the female soldier were in the Royal Armoured Corps.

He told the hearing that two male colleagues had spotted Mr Salabogi fondling the woman's breasts over her clothing on two separate occasions and then confronted him.

The prosecutor added: 'He claims this is a misunderstanding and others wrongly interpreted what they witnessed.

'He says on the first occasion he was retrieving a remote control and on the other occasion he was simply trying to wake her up.'

Regarding the accusation of battery, Mr Salabogi said he accidentally struck one of the soldiers while he was defending himself because another soldier was 'becoming aggressive' towards him.

Giving evidence at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire, the woman said: 'I remember putting the movie on but I fell asleep halfway through. I remember being woken by [another male soldier] and he said I had to wake up.

Mr Salobagi was cleared following a trial at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire

'He said [one of the other soldiers] caught Mr Salabogi touching my breasts while I was asleep.'

Cross examining the woman, Yogain Chandarana, defending, said: 'Mr Salabogi had never acted inappropriately or shown any interest in you before had he? No. And you had not shown any interest in him.

'He was not apologising to you for touching you. He was apologising to everyone because they had got it wrong and it was a misunderstanding.'

Mr Salabogi denied the two charges of sexual assault and one charge of battery and was cleared of all three.
This is the heartbreaking moment a helpless baby monkey clung onto its dead mother as her lifeless body hung from a leopard's mouth.

The tiny vervet monkey refused to let go of its mother after the predator pounced at South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, despite putting itself in grave danger.

The youngster was also eventually killed by the leopards - led by a female known as Olimba - during the hunt on October 14.

The heart-wrenching moment was caught on camera by wildlife photographer Shafeeq Mulla from Chipata, Zambia, who said: 'Nature is not always pretty and this picture definitely shows us the harsh reality of life.

'To have a sustainable environment, animals need to die for others to survive.'

This is the heart-breaking moment a helpless baby monkey clung onto its dead mother as her lifeless body hung from a leopard's mouth

The tiny vervet monkey refused to let go of its parents after the predator pounced at South Luangwa National Park in Zambia
Labour MPs are planning to attempt to expel Jeremy Corbyn permanently from the parliamentary party, in a move with could case fresh turmoil in the party.

They are said to want to change internal rules to give themselves the power to make his suspension from representing the party on the green benches permanent.

Mr Corbyn has sat as an independent in the Commons after having the Labour whip removed last year in the wake of a damning independent investigation into anti-Semitism during his tenure.

But the suspension is, at least in theory, temporary, and any attempt to make it permanent would cause an outcry among his hard left supporters.

Those behind the plan are said to believe that it would remove the need for Mr Corbyn's successor Sir Keir Starmer to get involved in such a divisive action, Sky News reported.

But a party source today told MailOnline that the idea was 'nonsense' and there was no appetite for such a manoeuvre.

Mr Corbyn has sat as an independent in the Commons after having the Labour whip removed last year in the wake of a damning independent investigation into anti-Semitism during his tenure.

Those behind the plan are said to believe that it would remove the need for Mr Corbyn's successor Sir Keir Starmer to get involved in such a divisive action, Sky News reported

Corbyn: in Labour but not in Labour Jeremy Corbyn is something of Shroedinger's MP at the moment, both inside Labour and outside it thanks to rather Byzantine party rules He had both the party whip - which allows him to represent Labour in the Commons - and his party membership suspended last October after claiming the scale of anti-Semitism had been 'dramatically overstated for political reasons' by opponents, along with the media. However his membership was later rstored by a panel from its national Executive Committee, whose five members are independent of the Labour leadership. However the NEC has no power to restore the whip. That decision rests with Sir Keir and party chief whip Nick Brown. It means that he is a Labour Party member, even while he is barred from sitting as a Labour MP. Mr Corbyn knows that an apology for his remarks is a pre-requisite for having the ship restored, but he has yet to do so. At the conference fringe last month he and his supporters rounded on a party member who asked him when he would apologise. Advertisement

Any reignition of the party's civil war over Mr Corbyn's leadership and subsequent fall from grace would create negative headlines at a time Sir Keir is trying to restore the party's image as a unit fit to govern instead of Boris Johnson.

The MPs are said to have been emboldened by rule changes brought in at the party conference in Brighton last month that makes it harder for them to be deselected by hard-left local party members.

At the same conference, Mr Corbyn refused to rule out running as an independent if he is still suspended when the next general election takes place.

Speaking at a fringe event alongside MP Barry Gardiner he was asked about his plans in Islington North seat but refused to discuss 'hypotheticals'.

But he added: 'As far as I am concerned I was proud to be elected as the Labour MP in December 2019. I have been elected 10 times for my constituency since 1983. I love the area, I do my best to represent all the people in the community...

'I dont think the Parliamentary Labour Party should try to gainsay what the National Executive has decided so as far as I am concerned there is no case other than I should be reinstated on the Labour whip.'

An election is expected in 2023 or 2024. If Mr Corbyn was to stand as an independent it would be a major headache for Sir Keir, who has been under attack from the Corbynista left wing of the party at the Brighton conference.

He has been attempting to show that Labour can be trusted after its anti-Semitism shame under Mr Corbyn, but a run by the outcast former leader would reopen wounds and could damage the party's chances.
A married Warrant Officer in the British Army accused of forcibly kissing a superior female officer in their office has told a court martial that it was her who leapt into his arms and wrapped her legs around his thighs - adding that he 'didn't fancy her at all'.

WO1 Peter Simons denied cornering his colleague, telling Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire that later that day the pair embraced again and it was the female officer who actually tried to kiss him.

The serviceman of 23 years told the hearing he turned his head away, adding: 'I don't want to cause her offence but I have no attraction to her whatsoever'.

The female officer claims WO1 Simons sexually assaulted her by trapping her between desks, wrapping his arms around her, gazing into her eyes and pressing his lips against hers in a kiss which lasted 'a couple of seconds'.

She said: 'I felt horrified and pushed him away with my hands to his chest.

'I said, "Don't ever kiss me again". I just wanted to get out of the office as quick as possible.'

The court heard WO1 Simons and his superior female officer had been posted together on a British military base for a matter of weeks before the incident.

WO1 Peter Simons (pictured) denied cornering his superior female colleague, telling Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire that it was her who tried to kiss him

The pair had not long been working together and he had asked for 'hugs' and told her she was 'cute' after she became increasingly stressed due to an increased workload, the court was told.

Giving evidence, WO1 Simons, who is hard of hearing as a result of his service in Iraq, said: '[When I arrived] I could see [the alleged victim] was really, really busy... we were both overwhelmed.

'I realised we needed to build a rapport [in the office]. We broke down barriers quite quickly and had nice chats with each other.

'Within a couple of days the banter starts and the atmosphere becomes more relaxed.

'Someone came into the office talking about Valentine's cards, saying it was crap [being single] during Covid.

'I was not interested in whether she was single or not, really. I don't want to be disrespectful, but I didn't fancy her at all.'

WO1 Simons insisted the female officer had instigated the kiss and that morning had rushed up to him and leapt into his arms to give him a 'welcome' hug.

He said: 'I came into the office at about half nine or a quarter to ten, after dropping my boys off at school.

'[The female officer] rushed out and put her arms up as she approached me. I bent down and put my arms around her back - she was lifted off the ground and put her legs around my thighs.

'A couple of hours later she was coming back into the office. I said, "Hug break" and held my arms out.

'We hugged the same as before and there was a real closeness... her head was touching my chin.

'Then we both pulled back and were staring into each others' eyes. At that moment we started moving towards each other, and it was like, "We are going to kiss".

'I just thought, "abort". I turned my head to avoid it and there was a clash of cheeks - no kiss. It was awkward and she went absolutely bright red.

'I said, "Sorry about that" and she said, "Me too." She went to the shops and when she came back you could feel the atmosphere in the office... it was tense.

The pair had not long been working together and he had asked for 'hugs' and told her she was 'cute' after she became increasingly stressed due to an increased workload, the court was told (Pictured: Bulford Military Court)

'Just before leaving that day, I said, "I'm sorry about that... I'm a dickhead" and she just went "apology accepted".

'To be honest, I was a bit perturbed that she didn't say sorry back. There were two people involved.

'She tried to kiss me and I stopped it. I don't want to cause her offence but I have no attraction to her whatsoever.'

WO1 Simons, of 3rd Regiment Royal Military Police, told the court he had 'a lot going on' at home at the time, with his wife taking on a new job and the devastating news of a close relative's breast cancer diagnosis.

Prosecutor William Peters previously told the court martial: 'He nuzzled his face into [the victim's], lunged forward and kissed her on the lips.

'She was stunned but managed to push him away and told him not to kiss her ever again. She was left shocked.

'That night she decided to make a formal complaint.'

WO1 Simons denies a charge of sexual assault.

The trial continues.
Republican congressman Matt Gaetz claimed he is being targeted by a hitman in a bizarre speech in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The Florida lawmaker, 39, who is currently the subject of an investigation into various crimes including sex with an underage girl, declared he had received a death threat on Twitter from a 'professional hitman'.

'I think someone may be trying to kill me. If they are successful, I would like my constituents and my family to know who stopped their arrest,' Gaetz said on the House floor.

He went on to accuse the Department of Justice of blocking a recommendation from the Capitol Police that the individual in question be arrested, and alleged the DOJ did so because he is a Republican.

It is the latest development in what has been a tumultuous few months for the congressman who is accused of sex trafficking and corruption.

Republican congressman Matt Gaetz claimed he is being targeted by a hitman in a bizarre speech in the House of Representatives on Wednesday

'I think someone may be trying to kill me. If they are successful, I would like my constituents and my family to know who stopped their arrest,' Gaetz said on the House floor

In a later tweet, Gaetz claimed the Department of Justice blocked a recommendation from the Capitol Police that the individual who allegedly made the death threat be arrested

Following his stunning House speech on Wednesday, Gaetz took to Twitter later that evening to reinforce his message.

The Floridian published a tweet showing the video of his speech and said: 'A man traveled across the country with the explicit goal of killing me in Washington D.C.,' before alleging the Department of Justice prevented the arrest of the 'hitman'.

Gaetz claimed he received a direct message on October 8 via Twitter from a user which read: 'I lived in Portland. Portland has ordered a hit on you. I accepted the contract. Have a good day.'

He went on to say he was told by a source that the Capitol Police recommended the arrest of the individual, who had purportedly traveled to D.C., but it was later blocked by the Department of Justice.

'It is just yet another example of the Department of Justice having a double standard,' Gaetz declared, before alleging the DOJ blocked his arrest due to his ethnicity and a disdain for Republicans.

'If my name weren't Gaetz, if it were Omar or Talib, you bet this person would have been arrested. Because that's what the Capitol Police recommended.

'But the Department of Justice doesn't seem to care so much when it's Republicans.'

Gaetz is facing a number of allegations that include sex trafficking, prostitution, obstruction of justice, campaign finance violations and a number of other corruption claims.

The lawmaker, who is a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has denied any allegations of wrongdoing and has repeatedly pointed out that despite his alleged crimes, no charges have yet been brought against him.

Gaetz has been steadfast in his denial of the claims and has said repeatedly he will not resign from Congress as a result.

Meanwhile, it emerged earlier this week that a federal Florida judge delayed GOP Rep Joel Greenberg's sex trafficking sentence by five months so Greenberg can cooperate with a probe into Gaetz.

US District Judge Gregory Presnell said Monday he had agreed to postpone the sentencing until next March, in order for Greenberg to probe prosecutors with more information on sex trafficking crimes as per his plea deal.

Greenberg, the former Seminole County tax collector, is facing up to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty last May to six federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a child, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official.

His cooperation in helping to investigate sex trafficking crimes is said to play a possible role in looking into allegations against his friend Matt Gaetz.

Gaetz is facing a number of allegations that include sex trafficking, prostitution, obstruction of justice, campaign finance violations and a number of other corruption claims. He has denied any allegations of wrongdoing and has repeatedly pointed out that despite his alleged crimes, no charges have yet been brought against him

The sentencing for former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg's trial has been pushed back till March, so he can co-operate with a probe into the alleged crimes of Gaetz (pictured: Greenberg in September 2019)

A 17-year-old girl Gaetz is rumored to have paid for sex also previously agreed to have sex with Greenberg, who admitted to recruiting women from a sugar daddy website and paying them more than $70,000 from 2016 to 2018.

The age of consent in Florida is 18.

'Joel Greenberg has pleaded guilty to lying about another man having sex with minors,' a spokesman for the congressman told WESH.

'That person was innocent and so is Representative Gaetz. No one has sought to question Representative Gaetz.'

Meanwhile, Assistant US Attorney Roger Handberg labelled Greenberg a 'prolific criminal;, but said he believed he 'was not alone' in his crimes.

'Mr. Greenberg was a prolific criminal. (But) he was not alone. This is an unusual case in the number of investigations that we have been pursuing.

'We need more time before sentencing, so that we can follow up on these other leads, and so we can give this court as much information as we can.'

Despite Gaetz's denial, Greenberg has continued to agree in aiding with sex trafficking investigations.
LBC is facing calls to sack radio host Steve Allen after he described Tilly Ramsay as a 'chubby little thing' on his morning show.

Allen, 67, who is on air from 4am to 7am, was asked by a caller on Wednesday about Tilly, the 19-year-old daughter of celebrity chef Gordon who is starring on Strictly Come Dancing.

In response, he remarked: 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.'

Tilly took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a lengthy statement in which she expressed her hurt and shock at having her appearance criticised by Allen.

And criticism has continued to flood in today, with supporters demanding LBC bosses axe Allen in light of the comments.

The radio host failed to mention the row on today's edition of his show.

Fans have already reported him for his comments on Tilly, with Ofcom confirming it is currently assessing the complaints.

However, an spokesman for Ofcom refused to say how many complaints it has received so far when approached by MailOnline, simply commenting: 'We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.

'Complaints figures for programmes that attracted more than 50 complaints will be published in our 'Audience Complaints' Bulletin - issued every Wednesday.'

Campaigner Brie Read told MailOnline: 'People need to be held accountable for such awful comments like this, as they can be extremely hurtful and potentially dangerous for a persons' wellbeing.

'The language, labelling, and analysis of bodies in the media and on social media makes it near impossible to accept our bodies, especially for young people and those in the public eye, like Tilly.'

It is not the first time Allen has courted controversy with his on-air comments, after attracting the ire of Ofcom on several occasions over the years for remarks about blind people, travellers and Portugal.

MailOnline has contacted LBC for comment.

Nikita Kuzmin and Tilly Ramsay during the the dress run for the second episode of Strictly Come Dancing 2021

Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly Ramsay (right) criticised Allen (left) who referred to her as a 'chubby little thing' live on air

Strictly's Tilly Ramsay was seen for the first time yesterday (left with dance partner Nikita Kuzmin) since she hit out at LBC's Steve Allen, 67, for calling her a 'chubby little thing'

A beaming Tilly later emerged from the studios with Nikita Kuzminafter her TV appearance

The pair smiled for the camera as they posed for photos after visiting the Strictly studios

The television personality headed to a car as she made her way home after visiting the studio

In response to the remarks, Tilly wrote on Instagram yesterday: 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far.

'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.'

She continued: 'This isn't the first and definitely wont' be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I'm learning to accept myself.

'But please remember that words can hurt. And at the end of the day I am only 19 and I'm so grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been able to take part in.

'And I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with it's own repercussions and I've been aware of this from a young age.

'However, I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx'

She captioned the post '#bekind'.

The many controversies of LBC radio host Steve Allen The ongoing row between Steve Allen and Tilly Ramsay is the latest spat the LBC host has been involved in. A scan of his Twitter shows a bizarre feud with reality TV star Gemma Collins, whose weight he frequently criticised and who he described as 'a beach hut'. He made similar comments about TV personality Sally Jacks, who he said was 'fat like you can't believe'. Ms Jacks replied to the tweet to reveal she was struggling to shed baby weight. Back in 2018, he was rapped by Ofcom after he mocked a blind journalist who became the first person in the UK to use a miniature guide horse. Mohammed Salim Patel from Blackburn, Lancashire, was using two-year-old American miniature horse Digby because of his fear of dogs - until the horse grew too big. In a broadcast on October 1, Allen said he'd 'never heard of anything so stupid' while discussing a story on Digby. He also said on air: 'Well if he's blind, tell him it's a rabbit or something. I've never heard of anything so stupid. 'This is the blind man scared of dogs hoping that a horse will guide him on his commute. Where are you going to take that for goodness sake?' In December, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint that the comments had been offensive. In 2015, LBC was given a warning from Ofcom after Allen made comments about 'beating up' London Tube workers. Allen said: 'I think we should go round and start beating up tube people, the people that bring them all out on strike.' In 2017, Ofcom also received complaints after Allen said: 'Why do we have to start being nice to travellers? Every time I read a story in the newspaper its either thieving, robbing or brawling what is the matter with them?' And in the same year, Ofcom found him in breach of the code for making discriminatory comments about people from Portugal. Advertisement

Commenting, Jane Kenyon, founder of Girls Out Loud, said: 'Whilst everyone is entitled to their opinion, I would hope people who brandish an element of influence would know better. Calling Tilly Ramsay chubby on the national airwaves is mean and irresponsible when she then has to hear this along with the whole nation.

'It is throwaway comments like this that confirm to all our young girls that they will be judged on their appearance no matter how smart, brave, hardworking or talented they are. We are telling them their hot monitor rules and unless they pay attention to this above all else they will remain invisible and irrelevant.

'Is it any surprise eating disorders are back on the rise and girls harm themselves for feeling less than perfect?'

Brie Read, the founder & CEO of Snag, an size inclusive fashion brand, added: 'Comments like this are accentuating the already dire body confidence issue we have in society. It's no wonder hospital admissions for eating disorders are up by a third across all age groups this year  a shocking statistic highlighting that change needs to happen now.

'I wish everyone could embrace their beautiful bodies, but this is of course easier said than done when comments like this are repeatedly being made. Enough is enough.'

Tom Quinn, director of External Affairs at Beat Eating Disorders, said: 'We were very disappointed to hear Steve Allen's comment about Tilly Ramsay's appearance.

'Whilst comments about appearance or body image are unlikely to be the sole cause of an eating disorder, idealising thinness can be very damaging to those affected and could be a contributing factor to someone becoming unwell.

'Eating disorders are serious and complex mental illnesses that impact around 1.25 million people in the UK. To protect people with or vulnerable to eating disorders, it is crucial that the media avoids making judgemental comments about people's appearances.'

Love Island star Alex George, comedian Jason Manford and presenter Stacey Dooley were among the celebrities to show their support for Tilly.

Dr George, 30, wrote to LBC and said in his letter that he was 'horrified' by the remarks: 'The discussion about a young person's weight live on air is not acceptable.'

Strictly stars also supported the teenager, with Janette Manrara writing: 'How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someone's mental health. You are a POWERFUL young lady! Wear your crown w/ your head held high'.

Giovanni Pernice penned: 'Some people are very nasty !! Don't listen to this crap .. we love You girl ! #bekind'.

GBBO star and Strictly contestant John Whaite penned: 'He's a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.'

Her sister Holly meanwhile wrote: 'Very well said x #bekind', while their sister Megan echoed: 'Love you Tills'.

Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian reached out to Tilly to write: 'what a total w**ker. bloody uncalled for. can't wait for you to have the last laugh and keep winning. sending you love'.

However, Julia Hartley-Brewer defended Allen's comments and said that he was 'entitled' to call Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly a 'chubby little thing' on his show.

The Talk Radio presenter, 53, claimed on Thursday's episode of This Morning: 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors.'

But viewers were quick to disagree online as many took to Twitter to call Julia 'totally out of order' and question 'why can't people just be kind?'

One viewer said: 'Just heard Julia Hartley Brewer come on @thismorning saying freedom of speech entitles anyone to publicly comment on someone else's weight. Listen, I know I've been guilty of it in the past, as I'd bet we all have. But that doesn't mean it's right and should be encouraged!'

Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon

Allen has hosted the early morning breakfast show on LBC since 2000 and it isn't the first time the presenter has come under fire for making controversial comments.

Back in 2018, he was rapped by Ofcom after he mocked a blind journalist who became the first person in the UK to use a miniature guide horse.

Mohammed Salim Patel from Blackburn, Lancashire, was using two-year-old American miniature horse Digby because of his fear of dogs - until the horse grew too big.

In a broadcast on October 1, Allen said he'd 'never heard of anything so stupid' while discussing a story on Digby.

He also said on air: 'Well if he's blind, tell him it's a rabbit or something. I've never heard of anything so stupid.

'This is the blind man scared of dogs hoping that a horse will guide him on his commute. Where are you going to take that for goodness sake?'

In December, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint that the comments had been offensive.

In its ruling, Ofcom said: 'Mr Allen seemed to be implying that people who are blind cannot differentiate between a rabbit and a dog.

'We considered that this remark could have been interpreted as belittling blind people and offering a highly pejorative view of them.

'Further, Mr Allen repeatedly questioned, in dismissive terms, the practicality of using a guide horse and emphatically dismissed what was an individual's choice to equip himself in this way as 'ludicrous'.

Steve (pictured in March) read out a comment from a listener alerting him to the fact Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia

In the post, Tilly, 19, revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks

'He also concluded that the man in question should be denied this choice ('He's afraid of dogs. Why? Why's he afraid of dogs? Well don't give him - don't give him anything at all then. Just give him a white stick').

'In our view the potential offence was exacerbated by Steve Allen mocking the idea that the BBC had employed a blind cameraman.'

LBC said in its response to Ofcom that the programme is 'centred around (Steve Allen's) unique and acerbic take on the news of the day'.

The response added that he 'provides fast-moving opinions on the headlines and rarely dwells on one topic for any significant amount of time' and said his comment on the Mr Patel's story 'had a total duration of less than a minute'.

In 2015, LBC was given a warning from Ofcom after Allen made comments about 'beating up' London Tube workers.

Allen said: 'I think we should go round and start beating up tube people, the people that bring them all out on strike.'

In 2017, Ofcom also received complaints after Allen said: 'Why do we have to start being nice to travellers? Every time I read a story in the newspaper its either thieving, robbing or brawling what is the matter with them?'

And in the same year, Ofcom found him in breach of the code for making discriminatory comments about people from Portugal.

Earlier this year, Allen took an extended leave of absence from his radio show due to illness.

He did not front the show from February 17 to March 15.

'Why can't people just be kind?' Viewers slam Julia Hartley-Brewer for claiming LBC presenter Steve Allen, 67, was 'entitled' to call Tilly Ramsay, 19 a 'chubby little thing' live on air

BY LYDIA SPENCER-ELLIOTT FOR MAILONLINE

Julia Hartley-Brewer has defended LBC's Steve Allen saying that he was 'entitled' to call Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly Ramsay a 'chubby little thing' on his show.

The Talk Radio presenter, 53, claimed on Thursday's episode of This Morning: 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors.'

But viewers were quick to disagree online as many took to Twitter to call Julia 'totally out of order' and question 'why can't people just be kind?'

'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors. Obviously, a personal dig isn't nice,' Julia claimed of the remarks towards Tilly (pictured on Strictly)

Julia claimed during a video call interview on the show: 'Steve Allen is entitled to say what they want to say.

'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors. Obviously, a personal dig isn't nice'.

Steve said of Tilly earlier this week: 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.'

Tilly then responded to the savage remarks with a lengthy Instagram post where revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks.

Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the 19-year-old's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion.

One fumed: 'All this woman on This Morning is defending some kn*b on the radio making fun of Tilly Ramsay's weight. Get Gordon on the radio to ask him about it, but best be sure to get your sh*tting pants on first - kn*bheads. The poor girl is 19!'

Another added: 'That radio presenter was totally out of order shes only 19 for god sake thats going to damage her mental health... absolutely terrible. Why can't people just be kind ffs i dont see what her weight has anything to do with her being on strictly... tilly is beautiful.'

A third user wrote: 'Just heard Julia Hartley Brewer come on @thismorning saying freedom of speech entitles anyone to publicly comment on someone else's weight. Listen, I know I've been guilty of it in the past, as I'd bet we all have. But that doesn't mean it's right and should be encouraged!'

Free speech? Julia said during a video call interview on the show: 'Steve Allen is entitled to say what they want to say,' despite mounting backlash that his comments were 'fat shaming'

'The poor girl is 19!': Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the teenager's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion

Backlash: This Morning viewers called Julia 'totally out of order' as they stuck up for Tilly and pointed out 'that's going to damage her mental health'

Another viewer wrote: 'The way they are discussing and justifying the comments made about Tilly Ramsey are shameful. She is 19 and the conversation was not about her appearance he mentioned it with no relevance to the conversation what so ever. It's bullying!!!'

'Just because you have the right to say something doesn't mean that you SHOULD say it smh,' chimed in another.

One fan questioned: 'Why are they sticking up for Steve Allen? he had no right in calling Tilly chubby.'

While another simply stated: 'If you haven't got anything nice to say don't say it.'

'It's bullying: Tilly's supporters flooded Twitter timelines as they took Julia and Steve to task over what they had said

Support was also shown for Tilly on the London Underground by the writers who post messages on information boards inside the city's stations.

They wrote a letter on a whiteboard inside Piccadilly Circus station that read: 'Dear Matilda, Hope you're doing alright?

'We thought we would write you this letter, well done for standing up for yourself against disgraceful behaviour and disgusting comments from people who should know better;

'You are spectacular on Strictly, keep dancing and doing what you do, today we are changing Piccadilly Circus to PiccaTILLY Circus to pay tribute to you.'

'Well done for standing up for yourself': Support was shown for Tilly on the London Underground information boards

Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly.

Strictly star Tilly was quick to thank Alex for his support, commenting beneath his letter - shared on Instagram - 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness.'

In his letter, Alex highlighted that 'it is widely recognised just how damaging such comments about someone's weight are and the effect they can have on an individual's mental health'.

He also noted: 'We must not underestimate the impact such remarks can have, feeding into the perpetual cycle of weight stigma that still exists here in the UK.'

Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay.To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity.'

Support: Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly

Letter: Alex told LBC in his letter that he was 'horrified' by the remarks and highlighted: 'The discussion about a young person's weight live on air is not acceptable'

Caption: Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay. To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity'

Tilly replied: 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness. You are amazing'

The daughter of Gordon Ramsay took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a lengthy statement in which she expressed her hurt and shock at having her appearance criticised 'by a 67-year-old man on national radio'.

The CBBC presenter is competing on Strictly with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin and is simultaneously featuring on the pre-recorded Celebrity MasterChef Australia.

Alongside the statement she shared a soundbite from Steve's show, in which he read out a comment from a listener alerting him to the fact Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia.

Tilly penned: 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far.

'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.'

Tilly continued: 'This isn't the first and definitely wont' be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I'm learning to accept myself.

'But please remember that words can hurt. And at the end of the day I am only 19 and I'm so grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been able to take part in.

'And I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with it's own repercussions and I've been aware of this from a young age.

'However, I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx'

She captioned the post '#bekind'.

MailOnline has contacted LBC for comment.

Two of a kind: Tilly is partnered with Nikita Kuzmin on this year's Strictly

Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly with Janette Manrara writing: 'How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someone's mental health. You are a POWERFUL young lady! Wear your crown w/ your head held high'.

Giovanni Pernice penned: 'Some people are very nasty !! Don't listen to this crap .. we love You girl ! #bekind'.

GBBO star and Strictly contestant John Whaite penned: 'He's a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.'

Her sister Holly meanwhile wrote: 'Very well said x #bekind', while their sister Megan echoed: 'Love you Tills'.

Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian reached out to Tilly to write: 'what a total w**ker. bloody uncalled for. can't wait for you to have the last laugh and keep winning. sending you love'.

Support: Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly

Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon.

She presented Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch on CBBC, which saw her cooking and having adventures along with her family, for which she received three Children's BAFTA nominations.

In 2017 she published her first cookery book, inspired by the show, titled: Matilda & The Ramsay Bunch: Tilly's Kitchen Takeover.

Tilly and her Dad also hosted a regular cooking item on This Morning, Big Chef Little Chef.
Advertisement

Meghan Markle was today accused of using her British royal title to meddle at the top of US politics and adopting the 'ruthless streak' and 'tactics of an aspiring politician' to lobby two senior Washington figures on Joe Biden's proposed parental and sick leave legislation in a 1000-word letter sent on the Sussexes' own headed paper.

Royals experts have also questioned whether Americans will be impressed 'by her account of how she had to struggle' on $4.99 salads from Sizzler when her estranged father Thomas put her through private school from kindergarten and she now lives in a $14million LA mansion while sitting on a $100million fortune.

The Duchess of Sussex's letter was sent, she claims, as an 'engaged citizen and a parent and as a mom' - but is being viewed as her most overtly political intervention in US life yet after speculation she has dreams of being a Democrat politician or even to run for US President.

The extraordinary 1,030-word letter to Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and the Majority Leader in the US Senate Chuck Schumer, both Democrats is written on the Sussexes new post-royal letterhead, which prominently uses their titles but not their official cyphers. In one highly-political line, she says the US's economic systems are 'past their expiration date' and 'too many Americans are forced to shortchange themselves when it comes to what matters to them'.

Angela Levin, journalist and biographer of Prince Harry, told MailOnline that while the duchess is an American citizen, the letter from 'the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex' signed 'on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry', amounts to using her British title and marriage to the sixth in line to the throne to interfere in US politics.

She said: 'Meghan's two page letter to lobby Congress about giving money on parental leave, is obviously another step towards trying to turn herself into a politician. But the notepaper she is using is astonishingly "From the Office of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex" and shows how she isn't even aware that she is talking to politicians in a republic that won its independence from the crown in 1776.

'The truth is that the bill about parental leave is on its way to being confirmed, and could be hijack by Meghan's belief it was largely due to her. In addition if she was writing a profession letter what on earth is she getting all cosy and intimate by stating the letter is also 'on behalf of Archie and Lili - notice she is not calling her Lillibet, the Queen's nickname - and Harry. Poor old Harry has come last'.

Prince Charles is known to have written to several US Presidents over the years, including Joe Biden, and also sent the so called 'Black Spider Letters' to British government ministers and politicians over the years, but never in the same public way as Meghan's missive to Schumer and Pelosi.

Meghan says in her letter she 'grew up on the $4.99 salad bar at Sizzler' and meals at the 'The Old Spaghetti Factory' chain restaurants. She also details how she had to work at the local frozen yogurt shop from the age of 13 just to make ends meet and, when she was older, to fill up her car.

But critics have pointed many families couldn't afford to eat out at all and that Meghan attended a prestigious private nursery and kindergarten called Little Red Schoolhouse which starts at $18,800 a year for kindergarten and $22,600 year for sixth-grade, paid for by her father Thomas, who she no longer speaks to.

Meghan's reference to Sizzler has been seized upon on social media, with users labelling her comments as 'out of touch' and questioning what relevance the statement has to maternity leave.

The Duchess has suggested she had to struggle to make ends meet as a youngster and that $4.99 salads from Sizzler was one of her family's few options, but Twitter users pointed out many families don't have the money to eat out whatsoever, and sprang to the defense of the salad bar.

Royal commentator and former editor of International Who's Who, Richard Fitzwilliams, told MailOnline: 'Using the example of the $5 salad bar and how she had to struggle in the past is an attempt to link with the way so many families struggle to pay their bills.

'Aspiring politicians use these sort of examples and it remains to be seen, since she was privately educated and her father was one of Hollywoods top lighting directors, whether the audience she seeks are impressed by her account of how she had to struggle. She and her father are estranged as she is at the moment from the royal family. The issue she highlights is undoubtedly an important one, but many will sense a ruthless streak in her behaviour which needs moderating if she were ever to seek election'. He added: 'What, I wonder, is Harrys future in all this? An autobiography at the end of next year wont be helpful to mending his relations with his family. Meghan is where she is because she married into the royal family. It will be fascinating to see how, if she chooses politics, people in the US will regard her'.

A source close to the Palace has said Meghan's intervention is unlikely to cause waves in the UK, as she is unlikely to return to royal duties. Shes an American citizen, highly political and it's not the first time she's lobbied using her title. The Palace wont be shocked at all, the expert said.

Meghan Markle, pictured above with Prince Harry and her first born Archie, made a rare political statement on Wednesday

Meghan Markle said she was writing the letter to House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Charles Schumer 'as a mom' and 'on behalf of millions of American families'

The Duchess went on to detail her humble beginnings: 'I grew up on the 4.99-dollar salad bar at Sizzler,' she said

The letter was written and sent on headed paper from the couple's home in Montecito, California

The US parental leave pay debate explained The USA may be among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it does not offer a government-led paid parental leave scheme in 2021. Instead, seven states, including California, New Jersey and Massachusetts, offer their own individual forms of paid leave for new parents. Historically, such decisions have been left for private businesses to decide whether or not employees are offered such benefits. Approximately one quarter of American firms offer paid leave programmes. But in April, President Joe Biden proposed a 163billion package of worker benefits that would see paid parental leave brought in from 2023. If passed, workers could take up to 12 weeks of absence with their newborn while still receiving up to to two thirds of their pay packet. The Democrat-backed policy would be funded by increasing tax on the top 1% of America's highest earners. Advertisement

The letter pertains to historic legislation moving through Congress, which would make 12 weeks of paid family and sick leave available to most workers as part of new federal policy.

The US is among a handful of nations that do not guarantee paid sick leave or maternity or paternity pay.

While the issue itself is not controversial and is supported by many in the US, Meghan's very public statement is likely to ruffle feathers and add fuel to speculation that she has political ambitions.

Royal author Ingrid Seward said: If Meghan does have political ambitions then this is just the kind of cause she will pursue, adding: 'On this matter I agree with her entirely'.

Meghan insists that the letter was as an American and 'mom', not a politician.

She writes: 'I'm not an elected official, and I'm not a politician. I am, like many, an engaged citizen and a parent.

'And because you and your congressional colleagues have a role in shaping family outcomes for generations to come, that's why I'm writing to you at this deeply important time  as a mom  to advocate for paid leave.'

Meghan, 40, claims the Covid pandemic has exposed 'long-existing fault lines in our communities' and says 'millions of women' have been forced to drop out of the workforce to look after their children as a result of schools and childcare providers being closed.

In one of the most astonishing parts of her letter, she suggests her family were impoverished even though her father was an Emmy award-winning lighting director and she was educated at private school.

She says: 'I grew up on the $4.99 salad bar at Sizzler  it may have cost less back then (to be honest, I can't remember)  but what I do remember was the feeling: I knew how hard my parents worked to afford this because even at five bucks, eating out was something special, and I felt lucky.

'And as a Girl Scout, when my troop would go to dinner for a big celebration, it was back to that same salad bar or The Old Spaghetti Factory  because that's what those families could afford.'

She also details how she had to work at the local frozen yogurt shop from the age of 13 just to make ends meet and, when she was older, to fill up her car.

'I waited tables, babysat, and piecemealed jobs together to cover odds and ends,' Meghan writes.

'I worked all my life and saved when and where I could  but even that was a luxury  because usually it was about making ends meet and having enough to pay my rent and put gas in my car.'

Meghan's reference to Sizzler has been seized upon on social media, with users labelling her comments as 'out of touch' and questioning what relevance the statement has to maternity leave

The Duchess has suggested she had to struggle to make ends meet as a youngster and that $4.99 salads from Sizzler was one of her family's few options, but Twitter users pointed out many families don't have the money to eat out whatsoever, and sprang to the defense of the salad bar

Meghan reflected on her family life after the birth of Lilibet earlier this year, saying: 'In June, my husband and I welcomed our second child. Like any parents, we were overjoyed. Like many parents, we were overwhelmed'

Meghan Markle lived this home in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles with both her parents and half-siblings Thomas Jr and Samantha until 1983, for the first two years of her life before her parents divorced

After living with her mum Doria, Meghan would later move back in with her father in the 1990s, as Thomas put her through private school. She stayed at the Hollywood property until she left for college in 1999

The former Suits actress, who signed off as 'Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex', concluded the letter, by writing: 'If we're going to create a new era of family-first policies, let's make sure that includes a strong paid leave program for every American that's guaranteed, accessible, and encouraged without stigma or penalty.

'I know how politically charged things can  and have  become. But this isn't about right or left, it's about right or wrong.

'This is about putting families above politics. And for a refreshing change, it's something we all seem to agree on. At a point when everything feels so divisive, let this be a shared goal that unites us.

'So, on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry, I thank you for considering this letter, and on behalf of all families, I ask you to ensure this consequential moment is not lost.'

The duchess concedes that she and Harry are lucky enough not have had to make 'impossible' choices about their work and their family.

'No family should be faced with these decisions.

'No family should have to choose between earning a living and having the freedom to take care of their child (or a loved one, or themselves, as we would see with a comprehensive paid leave plan),' she says.

'I understand that with everything going on these days, people might find it easy to be apathetic about what's happening in Washington DC... but with stakes this high none of us can afford to let apathy win.

'So, on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry, I thank you for considering this letter, and on behalf of all families, I ask you to ensure this consequential moment is not lost.'

A spokesman for Meghan said she 'cares deeply about advocating for families in the US and around the world' and had partnered with three campaign organisations on the issue.

A slice of happy family life: Sitting next to grandmother Jeanette, 12-year-old Meghan tucks into a cake at her cousin Donovan's birthday party in 1993

Meghan on her 11th birthday with mum Doria in 1992, seen in pictures kept by her uncle Joseph Johnson

The Sussexes have established a new life for themselves in the celebrity enclave of Montecito in California, buying a multimillion-pound home and launching a non-profit foundation.

Harry and Meghan have also signed lucrative deals  thought to be worth well over 100 million  with Spotify and Netflix that have given them the capital to pursue their new lifestyle and public goals.

Last week, MailOnline revealed how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's move into the stock market will see them work alongside a band of self-styled Wall Street 'hippies'.

Ethic, a New York-based fintech asset manager, is run by a wealthy British former public schoolboy who starts meetings with 'gratitude sessions' where staff thank each other for their hard work and can pet the office dog given the title 'Chief Smile Officer'.

It is the couple's latest move in their efforts to build what experts believe could be a $1billion brand in the US after quitting the Royal Family for independence and to earn their own money.

Business experts declared themselves flummoxed at what an 'impact partner' is, although the best guess seemed to be a super-charged brand ambassador.

The Sussexes have not said how much of their fortune they have invested in the 1.3billion investment fund, having been introduced to the founders by a mutual friend.

Ethic, which was set up by Briton Jay Lipman - a red-haired Prince Harry lookalike from London now settled in the US having worked for Deutsche Bank - 'loves hippies' to invest with them, because the team, several of whom worked for JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, consider themselves hippies too.
A British-made robot that uses algorithms and cameras to create works of art has been released by Egyptian customs after spending 10 days in detention.

Ai-da, the creation of Oxford-based gallery owner Aidan Meller, was held at the border last week by agents who feared her robotics may have been covert spy tools.

Mr Meller had been intending to take her to an art show in Cario which opens today where Ai-da is due to exhibit her works - but instead sparked a minor diplomatic incident that ended up embroiling the British ambassador.

Ai-da, who is named after 19th century scientist and mathematician Ada Lovelace, was eventually released late Wednesday - just hours before the exhibition started.

Ai-da, a British-made robot artist, was stopped at the border with Egypt last week by guards who feared she might be part of a spy plot

Aidan Meller, Ai-da's creator and an Oxford-based gallery owner, then faced a 10-day battle to have her released that dragged in the British ambassador

The British Embassy in Cairo disclosed Ai-da's release to The Guardian on Wednesday evening, saying diplomats are 'glad' the issue has been resolved.

Speaking just ahead of the robot's release, Mr Meller had said: 'The British ambassador has been working through the night to get Ai-Da released.

'Were right up to the wire now. Its really stressful.'

Mr Meller said that Ai-da had originally been detained by guards who were suspicious of her modem, a device which connects her to the internet.

He offered to remove it, but then guards raised issues with cameras mounted in her eyes which are essential to her ability to paint.

'I cant really gouge her eyes out,' he said.

Following the robot's release, Ai-da and Mr Meller entered Egypt just hours before the exhibition opened and are still due to appear.

The show, called Forever is Now, runs from October 21 until November 7 and is being hosted by Art DEgypte.

Ai-da is due to exhibit a huge sculpture she made of herself with three legs, which is a play on the ancient riddle of the Sphinx - 'What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening?'

The answer is 'a human', referring to toddlers who crawl, adults who walk upright, and elderly people who use a stick to support themselves.

Mr Meller said that, with developments in AI and robotics, humans are still trying to achieve eternal life in the same way the Egyptians did with mummification and strong belief in the afterlife.

Ai-da was finally freed late Wednesday, meaning she can attend an art exhibition where she is due to show off some of her works (pictured in the process of drawing)

Ai-da uses cameras, algorithms and a robotic arm to create works of art that include paintings, sculptures and self-portraits

Created by engineers in Leeds two years ago, Ai-Das robotic hand calculates a virtual path based on what it sees in front of it and interprets coordinates to create a work of art.

She is said to be the worlds first ultra-realistic robot capable of drawing people from life.

And her paintings have caused a stir with exhibitions at the V&A, the London Design Festival, the Design Museum and Tate Modern.

Speaking about the exhibition, Mr Meller said: It is the first time in 4,000 years that contemporary art has been allowed so close to the pyramids.

We put in eye-watering amounts of time and energy to create the innovations for Ai-Da to put her hands in clay to enable her to create a huge sculpture.

Mr Meller, who owns an art gallery in Oxford, added: She is very much a machine. She is switched off.

But I hope they [the guards] dont knock her. She is the most sophisticated ultra-realistic robot in the world.

He thanked the British embassy in Cairo for the amazing work they are putting in to get Ai-Da released.

Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, founder of Art DEgypt, which has organised the exhibition, said: The pyramids have a long, illustrious history that has fascinated and inspired artists from all over the world.

Im thrilled to share what will be an unforgettable encounter with the union of art, history and heritage.
Advertisement

How do I book a booster? And who's eligible for a third shot? Who is eligible for a booster? Anyone over the age of 50 who had their second dose at least six months ago. Younger people with health conditions that put them at greater risk of getting very ill from Covid are also due a booster, as well as frontline NHS and care home staff. How can I get one? When you become eligible you should receive a text, letter or phone call from your GP to arrange a booking. However, if you had your second jab six months ago and still haven't been contacted, you can now book your booster online via the NHS website, or by calling 119. Where are boosters being dished out? NHS England says there are 2,200 vaccine hubs around the country, 'most' of which are stocking boosters. There are less mass vaccination hubs now than in the first rollout with the emphasis now on local pharmacies and GP surgeries. A full list of facilities administering boosters can be found when booking online. How many boosters have been delivered already? 4.05million, but 8.7m are eligible. There have been calls for the rollout to speed up. Eventually more than 30m adults will qualify for boosters. Advertisement

Britains daily Covid cases have breached 50,000 for the first time in three months, official figures revealed today amid growing fears the sluggish booster vaccine roll-out and impending fourth wave will force ministers to bring back face masks and working from home.

Department of Health bosses recorded another 52,009 infections today, a 15 per cent jump on a week ago and the highest number since July 17 at the peak of the summer spike. The daily average is now approaching peak second wave levels.

Latest hospitalisations rose by a third in seven days after 969 Covid-infected people were admitted to wards, but deaths (115) dropped compared to last Thursday.

Separate figures today showed infections are rising in every age group and four-fifths of areas in England, with an even more transmissible strain of Delta thought to be to blame. AY.4.2 has spread to all but two dozen places in the country.

And the countrys largest symptom-tracking surveillance study suggested daily cases have already hit 80,000, feared to be the threshold at which the epidemic becomes 'unstable'. Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, has maintained that the country is equipped to deal with 100,000 cases per day, however.

Boris Johnson today issued a desperate plea for more Britons to come forward for their boosters to 'fortify' people's defences against the virus, amid fears the rising cases could lead to last-minute curbs ahead of Christmas once again.

Speaking during a visit to a school in Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister acknowledged that 'the numbers are high', adding: 'We can see what's happening, we can see the increase, now is the time to get those booster jabs.'

The Government has so far resisted growing pressure to revert to its winter 'Plan B' to bring back masks and WFH guidance despite surging case numbers and in the face of doctors accusing them of being 'wilfully negligent'.

But Downing Street has said that neither of its top experts  Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance  had formally requested the activation of the Government's Covid 'Plan B' yet, in an attempt to shoot down claims ministers are ignoring the scientific advice.

While the Government has insisted it has no plans to enact the plan yet, it emerged today that heightened support is to be delivered to areas which have consistently had Covid infection rates above the national average.

Four local authorities  Leicester, Bolton, Luton and Blackburn and Darwen  will be subject to surge testing and targeted vaccination programmes. Another 15 areas have been earmarked for the support package.

The rising statistics came as England's Covid booster jab drive struggles to get off the mark, leaving millions of vulnerable people without a crucial third dose heading into what is expected to be one of the toughest winters ever for the NHS.

Only 4million out of the 8.7m patients in England who are eligible for a booster now have had one, including just a third of care home residents and half of over-80s. The Government and the NHS claim the slow start to the rollout is due to a dip in demand among the public.

But there have been growing reports of old and vulnerable people being turned away from clinics because they had not been sent an official invitation, despite having their second dose six months ago.

Labour leader Keir Starmer today told ministers to 'get a grip' on the top up drive to protect the most vulnerable. Speaking visiting a pharmacy in London, he said: 'The Government said that the vaccine would be the security wall against the virus. And now the Government is letting that wall crumble.'

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called for the Government to cut the gap between second and third doses from six to five months to speed up the lacklustre scheme, like Israel is doing.

Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the 'stalling' booster programme was to blame for the country's escalating Covid crisis, as he warned that at the current rate the jab drive won't be completed until March. Fewer than 200,000 boosters are being deployed per day.

The comments came after Tony Blair set out a strategy to fix the autumn booster rollout, which includes setting a daily target of 500,000 boosters, re-opening mass vaccination centres and using AstraZeneca doses.



The sluggish booster programme comes against the backdrop of rising case numbers, with nearly 50,000 Britons testing positive each day. Britain's largest symptom-tracking study, however, estimated today that the true number of infections is actually closer to 82,000  which would dwarf the rate at the peak of the second wave. King's College London scientists running the study estimated 81,823 people were getting infected with Covid daily in the week ending October 16, up 17 per cent from 69,993 the week before. The graph shows the number of infections recorded among all people (blue line) and those recorded among double-jabbed Britons (red line)

Infections are now rising in all age groups, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), amid calls for the country's sluggish booster rollout to get up to speed. A total of 1,366.8 cases per 100,000 people aged 10 to 19 were recorded in the seven days to October 17, up week-on-week from 1,134.9. The rate for five to nine-year-olds is 719.2, up week-on-week from 585

Younger people are still driving the epidemic, with children as young as ten and teenagers making up the bulk of infections. They are largely unvaccinated. But cases are starting to rise quite sharply in middle-aged people

Rates are also increasing in all but one region of England. South-west England has the highest rate, with 667.6 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to October 17, up from 327.1. The East Midlands has the second highest rate at 494.0, down from 496.7 - the only region to record a week-on-week drop. London has the lowest rate at 253.0, up from 220.5

Only around 4.05million(purple line) out of the 8.7million eligible people (green line) in England have received the crucial third dose, prompting ministers to urge people to come forward for their inoculations. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair today demanded the Government sets concrete targets to speed the drive up to jab 500,000 a day. It's currently only reaching about 200,000. The graph shows the number of booster jabs that have been administered each day (orange bars) the cumulative booster doses given in October (red line) and the cumulative, compared to the rollout of second doses that were dished out in April (blue line)

Boris Johnson (pictured today visiting a school in County Antrim, Northern Ireland) has called on Britons to come forward for their booster doses ahead of what is expected to be one of the hardest winters ever for the NHS

Britain is detecting some 46,791 Covid cases every day on average, official data shows, with the latest figure up 17 per cent on the same time last week.

Some 54,571 people who were swabbed for the virus on October 18 tested positive. This is barely inches from the peak in mid-July when 60,763 people were found to be infected with Covid.

The weekly report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)  which has replaced Public Health England  revealed Covid cases have risen in all age groups, but are now at a record high among school children.

And some 85 per cent of the 149 local authorities in England had seen a spike in infections in the week to October 17, with 12 areas recording a spike of more than 50 per cent.

A total of 1,366.8 cases per 100,000 people aged 10 to 19 were recorded in the seven days to October 17, up week-on-week from 1,134.9. The rate for five to nine-year-olds is 719.2, up week-on-week from 585.0.

For both age groups this is the highest weekly rate since this data was first collected in October 2020, according to the UKHSA.

Case rates are continuing to rise in all age groups in England. The lowest rate is among people aged 80 and over, at 121.2, up from 115.6. Rates are also increasing in all but one region of England.

Furious Tories warn masks are hitting mental health and holding back Covid jabs drive Furious Tories today complained that an 'obsession' with masks is hitting mental health and the Covid jabs drive, after Sajid Javid urged MPs to don face coverings. Former ministers Andrew Murrison and Desmond Swayne were among those venting anger after the Health Secretary insisted they should be 'setting an example'. The backlash came as vaccines minister Maggie Throup updated the Commons amid a clamour from scientists and doctors for tougher restrictions to curb rising infections. Few MPs on the have worn masks on the government benches in recent weeks, even when the chamber is busy - although the numbers were noticeably higher today despite there being plenty of space. Deputy chief whip Stuart Andrew, health minister Gillian Keegan and trade minister Penny Mordaunt used face coverings in the chamber, but Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg went without. When he was challenged later in the masks issue, Mr Rees-Mogg said: 'There is no advice to wear face masks in workplaces. 'The advice on crowded spaces is with crowded spaces with people that you don't know. We on this side know each other.' He joked that 'it may be that the honourable gentleman doesn't like mixing with his own side', adding 'but we on this side have a more convivial, fraternal spirit, and therefore are following the guidance of Her Majesty's Government'. Advertisement

South-west England has the highest rate, with 667.6 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to October 17, up from 327.1. The East Midlands has the second highest rate at 494.0, down from 496.7  the only region to record a week-on-week drop. London has the lowest rate at 253.0, up from 220.5.

The rate of Covid hospital admissions in England stood at 7.2 per 100,000 people in the week to October 17, up from 6.3.

Admission rates were highest in the West Midlands, at 10.1 per 100,000 people. The highest admission rates continue to be for those aged 85 and over, at 42.2 per 100,000 - the highest for this age group since the week to March 7.

Separate data from King's College London's symptom tracking study found that cases among Britons had risen by a fifth in a week to the highest level this year.

It estimated 81,823 people were getting infected with the virus every day in the week ending October 16, up 17 per cent from 69,993 the week before, and nearly double the 45,000 officially reported each day.

Data from the study  which is based on reports from around 750,000 users of the ZOE Covid Symptom Study app  suggests one in 63 people in the UK have symptomatic Covid.

Professor Tim Spector, the epidemiologist who leads the study, warned that the UK is 'really in trouble' and 'needs to act now to prevent the situation from escalating out of control ahead of winter'.

Professor Spector said: 'With over 80,000 new cases a day the UK really is in trouble.

'This hasn't happened overnight, but frustratingly our calls for a more cautious approach to Covid management have gone unheeded, despite the upward trends we've reported now for several weeks.

'As feared, cases have spilled over into the older age group which will certainly lead to more hospitalisations and deaths. The UK needs to act now to prevent the situation from escalating out of control ahead of winter.'

According to the KCL symptom study, new daily cases are on the rise in all age groups, with the highest levels spotted among 10 to 19-year-olds, with one in 29 of infected.

Children aged nine and under are the next-most infectious group, with one in 44 of them having Covid symptoms. Infection rates are also higher than the national average among people in their 40s (one in 46) and 30s (one in 54).

Meanwhile, those in their 20s are less likely to be infectious (one in 76), as well as age groups over 50 (between one in 102 and one in 600).

Within England, Covid cases are highest in the North West (one in 52), East Midlands (one in 54) , Yorkshire and the Humber (one in 54) and the West Midlands (one in 55).

Despite the Government's insistence that it is not moving to 'Plan B yet', The i reported today that sections of the contingency plans are being introduced in parts of England with 'enduring transmission'.

Sajid Javid (pictured during the Downing Street press conference yesterday evening), the Health Secretary, promised to speed up the vaccine drive and encourage more people to come forward. But he failed to address concerns about NHS bureaucracy and a lack of capacity

Councils in Leicester, Bolton, Luton and Blackburn and Darwen have been told they are due to receive the support but have not been given an official start date.

The Enduring Transmission Area (ETA) support was outlined in the Government's 33-page Plan B strategy document published last month.

It defined 'enduring transmission' as places recording infection rates above the English average for a prolonged period of time.

First sign of booster effect? Covid case growth rates are slowing down quickest in over-85s Britain may already be beginning to reap the benefits of its Covid booster vaccine drive, according to official data that will pile more pressure on ministers to accelerate the sluggish programme in the face of rising cases and the new Delta variant. Over-85s  who were among the first in line for their top-ups  have seen the biggest slowdown in the growth of cases, in what scientists believe is the 'early signs' of the revaccination campaign kicking in. Experts told MailOnline that the country will really start to see the rewards of the drive over the coming weeks, as millions more get the crucial jab which tops up their immunity. Among the over-90s, week-on-week growth peaked at 35.2 per cent on October 11, before falling by 24.4 per cent to just 10 per cent by October 14. Weekly growth also fell quickly last week among those aged 85 to 90  by 11.5 per cent in the last three days and among 80 to 84-year-olds  by 10.3 per cent. But Covid cases are yet to show the same signs of slowing down in younger, less-vaccinated groups  particularly children and young adults. Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist based at Reading University, said falling rates in elderly groups may be an 'early sign' of a booster effect but added it might be that senior Britons are 'reducing their socialising as we move into autumn'. Discussing MailOnline's analysis, he said: 'It only represents a few weeks data, so needs to be taken with some caution, but it's an encouraging sign. 'News that only about half of this age group have had a booster jab means that, hopefully, there could be a greater decrease of numbers to come. As more age groups reach their six month period and are called for a booster, I expect to see similar effects.' And Professor Mark Woolhouse, an infectious disease expert at the University of Edinburgh, told MailOnline we should see the impact of boosters in case numbers, followed by hospitalisation rates 'a week or so later'. Asked if it was the result of a booster effect, he said: 'In principle, yes, if the roll out to date has concentrated on the over-80s then we should see a signature of that in the numbers of cases  and hopefully in hospitalisations a week or so later.' Advertisement

With cases rising nationally, a report by the former prime minister's think-tank, the Tony Blair Institute, said the Government needed to act 'rapidly and decisively' to avoid the need for another lockdown as winter approaches.

It urged ministers to set a daily target for booster jabs, reactivate the vaccine infrastructure set up earlier in the year and start using the AstraZeneca vaccine for boosters.

And it called on ministers to 'urgently explore' the options for introducing a Covid passport while reinstating mandatory face coverings for crowded indoor public spaces.

Mr Blair said that without action now, there was a danger that further restrictions would be required in the weeks ahead.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said last night that while the NHS was facing increasing pressure, it was not 'unsustainable'.

Responding to the comments today, Mr Blair said: 'It may be, as the health minister said, the pressures are sustainable at the moment.

'But really from an abundance of caution, because we have always been surprised on the downside with this disease, it would be sensible to take these measures now with that sense of accelerated urgency.'

Mr Blair said: 'You've just got to say what's going to happen as we approach what will always be difficult  because you always do have winter pressures on the health service  if those cases reach levels north not of 40,000 but of 80,000 or 100,000, as the Health Secretary was saying yesterday.

'It's not right right at this moment that the situation is unsustainable but it could develop that way.'

His recommendations were echoed by Jonathan Ashworth in the the Commons today.

He told MPs: 'Yesterday the Secretary of State said the pressures on the NHS are sustainable, but we have ambulances backed up outside hospitals, patients waiting hours upon hours in A&E, cancer operations cancelled and NHS staff exhausted.

'Has there ever been in the history of the NHS a more complacent attitude from a secretary of state as we head into winter?'

The slow progress has led to finger pointing among officials, with the NHS blaming a lack of urgency among the public and insisting there are more than enough doctors, nurses and jabs available.

But sources close to the booster drive told MailOnline capacity was the main issue, with nearly a third fewer mass vaccination hubs in operation now compared to during the peak of the initial vaccine effort in spring.

And top GPs have complained they are too overworked to help accelerate Britain's sluggish Covid booster drive.



Meanwhile, the chair of the National Care Association today warned healthcare staff are giving flu jabs to care home residents, but don't have enough booster jabs to administer.

Mr Ashworth warned that the booster jab programme is estimated to finish in March on current trends and called on the Government to commit to 500,000 boosters jabs a day.

He added: 'Isn't the truth that we are in this situation because the vaccination programme is now stalling? Ministers cannot blame the public when two million haven't even been invited for a booster jab and on current trends we won't complete the booster programme until March 2022.'

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the head of the British Medical Association, yesterday called on ministers to bring back Covid restrictions including face masks and working from home immediately. But Health minister Edward Agar (right) said today that the NHS was under 'sustainable' pressure and that the current plan was still working

Mr Ashworth said: 'With infections running so high, ministers need to, if I may, stop vacillating and get vaccinating. The wall of defence is crumbling, we know with this virus you have to get ahead of it, otherwise it gets ahead of you.'

Fewer than two dozen parts of England have yet to see 'Nu' Delta off-shoot which scientists fear is up to 15% more transmissible than its ancestor Fewer than two dozen areas of England are yet to record a single case of the new Delta off-shoot, official figures suggest. One of the Government's largest Covid surveillance programmes found AY.4.2 was in 294 of 315 local authorities (93 per cent) up to October 9, the latest day statistics are available for. But there were 21 areas  scattered in pockets mostly across the North East and Midlands  that still have not recorded a single case of the subtype. It comes amid fears AY.4.2 is helping to turbo-charge outbreaks in parts of the South West, where cases have reached record highs in the wake of a laboratory testing blunder. The strain is now behind more than one in five infections in areas of Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset, which have some of the fastest growing infection rates in the country. It makes up more than 10 per cent of infections across England, having doubled in the space of three weeks. Scientists have raised concerns over AY.4.2 after it advanced from London and the South East to the rest of the country within a matter of weeks. But yesterday they sought to dampen fears, saying it has taken four months to spread and is only 10 to 15 per cent more transmissible than Delta. Data shows it has not triggered the same explosive change as when Alpha was replaced this year. Advertisement

Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt said one way to speed the booster rollout up could be to cut the six-month gap to five months.

He told the Commons: 'At its peak in the spring we were jabbing 400,000 people a day. Now it's less than 200,000 people a day.

'If you look at the higher hospitalisations, cases and death rates, compared to countries like France and Germany, the heart of it is not actually things like mask wearing and Covid passports, it is their higher vaccine immunity.'

He continued: 'Does it really matter when it's only nine weeks until the Christmas holidays if someone has their booster jab after five months?

'And should we not look at whether there should be flexibility in that decision so we can get more people in more quickly for their booster jabs?'

It comes after worrying figures suggested just a third of care home residents have been jabbed in England. The chairman of the National Care Association said that confusion about who is responsible for the boosters was to blame.

Nadra Ahmed told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the situation is 'either (to do with) the availability, or the actual rollout isn't as smooth as the previous one'.

She said that 'people are unsure', and added: 'Some teams are coming in and doing the flu jab, because we have got both running together, but not having enough booster vaccine to bring that in as well.'

Ms Ahmed told the programme that 'the entire methodology of getting this booster in is not quite mirroring what we did last time to get the vaccine in' and care homes are 'waiting to be contacted; if they are contacting GPs, the GPs are saying 'Well, you need to contact the NHS, it might not be them that are dealing with it'.'

She added: 'We have got some homes who are telling us they have not been contacted at all, which is really worrying because they know that they are in the cohort to be having it. They are worried.

'We are hearing every day that providers are saying to us that 'We have not been contacted yet' or 'We were contacted to be ready and it is two weeks since then'.

'There is a concern because obviously the six-month gap is getting bigger and bigger so the efficacy of the vaccine is reducing.

'We have infection rates that are rising so, for both staff and residents, there is this fear. We are still having visitors coming in who don't have to be vaccinated to come into our service.

'It is the pressure of the challenge now when we are also facing this chronic shortage of staff which is not being addressed at all.'

But several Tories came out in defence of the Government's decision to hold its nerve on restrictions, adding that constituents on the ground did not want to have their freedoms pinched again.

Speaking in the Commons, former health minister Steve Brine said there was a 'depressingly familiar drumbeat towards Plan B, Plan B+, Plan C in the papers today.'

Holly Mumby-Croft, MP for Scunthorpe, said: 'When I speak to people in Scunthorpe they are really concerned about any potential increase in restrictions, and they're quite right to be worried about that, but we also understand that it's an incredibly challenging situation for the Government to balance.

Is Britain getting scared of Covid again? Face mask use rises amid surging cases More and more adults in their 30s and 40s are choosing to wear face masks on buses and trains amid spiralling Covid cases, official data suggests. An Office for National Statistics (ONS) poll revealed 33 per cent of middle-aged adults wore coverings while on public transport at the start of September, just after schools went back. But just a month later this had ticked upwards to almost 40 per cent, despite no change in official guidance. A similar rise in face mask use on public transport was also seen among 50 to 69-year-olds towards the end of September, while it remained constant among the over-70s. For young adults use of the coverings dropped towards the end of September. Face mask use has risen since January because the figures are based on people saying whether they wore a face mask on public transport, and not everyone used buses at the height of the second wave in January. Dr Raghib Ali, a statistician at Cambridge University, said it was to be expected that face mask use on buses and trains would rise as Covid cases headed north. He told MailOnline: 'People tend to change their behaviour when Covid cases go up. We saw that in July as well, and we are heading to a similar level of cases at the moment.' Britain yesterday recorded another 49,139 Covid cases. Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned infections may breach 100,000 within weeks. Advertisement

'Can she once again reassure people in Scunthorpe and our surrounding villages that should the Government come to the conclusion that further restrictions are necessary that this House will have a proper opportunity to debate, to discuss and to vote on those measures?'

Health minister Maggie Throup replied: 'We are in Plan A and we still have more to do in Plan A to put all the measures in place to protect our communities  to continue to build that wall of defence and to continue to have our freedoms.'

Doctors have accused the Government of 'wilful negligence' for not to re-imposing face masks and WFH guidance despite rising cases.

This week NHS bosses, trade unions and a slew of high profile scientists called for the country to take a tougher stance on coronavirus restrictions amid surging infection numbers and a lagging booster vaccine rollout.

But in a Downing Street press conference Health Secretary Sajid Javid held his nerve and insisted the pressure on hospitals was not yet 'unsustainable', in comments that angered health chiefs who warn the NHS is already starting to creak under the pressure of Covid, flu and backlogs caused by the pandemic.

Health Minister Edward Agar echoed his boss this morning, saying the NHS was under 'sustainable pressure at the moment' and that the current plan was 'still working'.

But the Government has been accused of sleepwalking into another crisis and not heeding the warning of Sir Patrick Vallance who said last month that ministers must 'go hard and go early' with coronavirus restrictions this winter if there is a surge in cases.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the British Medical Association chief, said last night: 'It is wilfully negligent of the Westminster Government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection, such as mandatory mask wearing, physical distancing and ventilation requirements in high-risk settings, particularly indoor crowded spaces.

'The Westminster Government said it would enact 'Plan B' to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed; as doctors working on the frontline, we can categorically say that time is now.

'By the Health Secretary's own admission we could soon see 100,000 cases a day and we now have the same number of weekly Covid deaths as we had during March, when the country was in lockdown. It is therefore incredibly concerning that he is not willing to take immediate action to save lives and to protect the NHS.'
Police have condemned a 'reckless' laser pen user who temporarily blinded a naval helicopter crew out at sea - and warned that the consequences could have been 'catastrophic'.

The incident happened while the Royal Navy Merlin helicopter was on a training flight off the west coast of Scotland on Monday, October 4, with four crew on board.

The chief pilot reported that the aircraft was hovering in low-altitude over the sea off Stevenston, north Ayrshire, when a laser pen distracted the flight crew.

The Royal Navy Merlin helicopter was flying off the west coast of Scotland on October 4 when a laser pen was shone at the crew

A police spokesman said: 'Use of a laser pen in this manner is extremely reckless'

North Ayrshire Police are appealing for more information about the incident, which could have been 'catastrophic' for those on board

Luckily, the crew managed to recover their flight path despite the disruption and made it safely to shore.

Police are investigating and appealing for information about the incident, which took place at around 11.15pm.

A police spokesman said: 'Use of a laser pen in this manner is extremely reckless and this incident could have been catastrophic for the aircraft and crew of four on board.

'We would like to remind people that matters such as this are taken very seriously by both Police Scotland and Scottish Courts Service.

'The pilot noted the laser beam to be coming from the Stevenston Point area.'

Anyone with information about the incident to contact Police Scotland online or by calling 101, quoting incident 3910 of October 4.
British troops have shot dead two suspected ISIS gunmen in Mali, the first time that regular UK forces have killed enemies in combat since 2014.

Soldiers from the Queen's Dragoon Guards were taking part in a UN mission near the village of Menaka, in the east of Mali, when they got into a gun fight with two suspected ISIS militants riding a motorbike on Wednesday morning.

The men crashed their bike as British troops chased them in open-topped Jackal vehicles, before opening fire with an AK-47 and a Soviet PKN machine-gun.

UK troops then fired back with .50 calibre machine-guns and grenade launchers during a 20-minite firefight that left the two suspected militants dead.

British troops stationed in Mali as part of a UN mission shot dead two suspected ISIS militants Wednesday, the first time regular UK forces have killed enemies in combat since 2014 (file)

Members of the Queen's Dragoon Guards were taking part in a reconnaissance mission near the town of Menaka, in eastern Mali, when they got into the firefight

No British forces were injured, though one of the vehicles was damaged.

Major Gavin Hudson said the troops were taking part in a reconnaissance mission from Menaka to the nearby village of Indelimone, trying to find a new route between them after regular routes had come under continual attack by militants.

British forces were several miles from the nearest road, driving through dunes and desert scrubland, when they crested a mound and spotted the two men.

The men attempted to flee on their motorbike, but crashed it and then ran on foot. UK troops got out of their Jackal vehicles and gave chase.

Major Hudson told The Sun that UK forces were intending to detain and interrogate the two men, but before that could happen they opened fire.

British troops quickly retreated back to the Jackals and continued to the chase, returning fire with 'every weapon available'.

After 20 minutes, both of the suspected militants had been killed.

'I am quite surprised that two guys with small arms decided to take on all the British vehicles, but maybe they felt they had no choice,' Major Hudson said.

The last time British forces shot and killed enemy combatants was in Afghanistan in 2014, before Camp Bastion in Helmand province was handed over to US forces and combat troops were withdrawn from the country.

British troops are on deployment in Mali as part of a UN peacekeeping mission, which is widely considered the global body's most-dangerous.

British troops are on deployment in Mali as part of a UN mission that has been ongoing since 2013, and is widely-considered to be the agency's most-dangerous

UN forces have been in the country since 2013, when they were initially deployed to stabilise the country following the 2012 Tuareg rebellion - led by ethic Tuareg groups accused of having links to Islamist groups.

But it has since expanded into a wider terrorist-fighting mission after ISIS established a presence in the wider region, known as the Sahel, after the fall of its so-called Caliphate in the Middle East.

France is fighting a separate counter-insurgency mission in the same region, Operation Barkhane, that began in 2014 and has seen 42 of its troops killed.

On Thursday, French soldiers said they had killed the commander of a group with links to al-Qaeda which operates along Mali's border with Burkina Faso.

Nasser Al Tergui was the number two in the Gourma-Serma brigade of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin), the French statement said.

Al Tergui, who joined Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in 2012, had 'major operational responsibilities' in the support group.

'He was notably specialised in planting improvised explosive devices', according to the statement.

His death 'will reduce the capacity to cause harm of an armed terrorist group known for carrying out attacks against local forces and numerous acts of violence against the local population,' it added.

French troops (file image) are also deployed in the same region on a separate anti-terror mission, and on Thursday claimed to have killed a terrorist commander affiliated with al-Qaeda

A drone spotted a vehicle believed to be carrying Al Tergui and five other members of the brigade about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of Gossi on October 15.

The following day an operation was launched to intercept the vehicle, which refused to stop.

'Two air strikes were unleashed, the vehicle destroyed and the five occupants neutralised,' the army said.

Meanwhile presumed jihadists kidnapped five civilians in southern Mali, security sources said, a rare abduction in an area that has been largely spared the violence convulsing much of the landlocked African nation for nearly a decade.

The five people were seized by 'terrorists on motorcycles in Blendio in the Sikasso region during the night Wednesday to Thursday,' one security source said on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

Another security source confirmed the incident and a local official said that between 11 and 17 kidnappers were involved in the attack that happened shortly before midnight.

Kidnappings have been common in Mali since the country was plunged into turmoil in 2012 when an insurgency first erupted in the north. But abductions are rare in the south, which has largely been spared the violence.

Mali's interim government this week entrusted its religious affairs ministry with talking to jihadist groups, a policy fiercely opposed by former colonial power France, but that is seen by many Malians as one of the few ways to end the violence that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
Secondary school pupils and staff in Suffolk have now been told to wear face masks from next month in an attempt to slow the wave of infections sweeping through classrooms.

Suffolk County Council said students in secondary and higher education, as well as staff, should wear masks in communal areas outside of classrooms unless medically exempt.

And only essential visitors should be allowed inside school buildings and they must wear face coverings while on-site  including parents collecting their children in the play ground.

The measures, not yet rolled out a national level, should be imposed from November 1 and will be reviewed two weeks later, the council said.

Stuart Keeble, the council's director of public health, said the move was in response to high infection rates among students in the area.

It comes as hundreds of schools across England are taking Covid-control measures into their own hands, by reintroducing masks, cancelling assemblies and introducing their own isolation policies.

Official estimates suggest nearly one in 10 secondary school pupils in England are carrying Covid.

Education bosses have blamed a slow vaccine rollout in children for the rising rates, with just 3 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds jabbed against Covid so far in the areas that are lagging most behind.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid this week revealed children will be able to book their vaccines online next week as part of a half-term jabbing blitz to get more youngsters protected.

But many parents are reluctant to get their child inoculated because the risk/benefit ratio is more finely balanced than in adults.

Suffolk County Council said students in secondary and higher education and staff should wear masks in communal areas outside of classrooms unless medically exempt

A record 111,000 pupils missed school last week because they tested positive for Covid, official figures revealed today. The number of youngsters absent because they're infected has doubled since mid-September, as coronavirus continues to rip through classrooms

North and south divide. Scotland is roaring ahead with rolling out the first dose of the Covid vaccine to 12-to-15-year-olds compared to England. All 10 of the best performing areas were north of the border with England hosting the bottom 10, the majority of which are in London

NEARLY 219 MILLION SCHOOL DAYS LOST DUE TO COVID-19 IN SPRING TERM, DATA SHOWS Pupils in England missed nearly 219million days of in-person education in the spring term due to Covid, figures show. Historically, around 5 per cent of school is missed due to absence during the spring term, but in spring this year 57.5 per cent of sessions (half a day) were recorded as missed due for Covid-related reasons. This represents almost 219million school days, according to the Department for Education (DfE) data. For the majority of the spring term in England, students - except children of key workers and vulnerable pupils - were told to learn remotely until March 8. A further 3.3 per cent of sessions were missed during the spring term due to absence - the equivalent of an additional 12.5million days on top of the 219million days where pupils did not attend due to Covid. The overall absence rate in special schools during the spring term was substantially higher at 25.5 per cent, compared with around 10 per cent historically. James Bowen, director of policy at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'This data serves as a useful reminder at just how disruptive the pandemic has been for children and young people. 'Schools worked hard to provide remote learning, but we know that is no substitute for being in the classroom. 'It also reinforces the need for the Government to provide further recovery funding to schools so that they can provide the support pupils need. 'So far the Government has only provided a fraction of what its own recovery tsar said was needed. Further investment is clearly needed at the upcoming spending review.' Advertisement

Mr Keeble told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the virus is 'really working its way through that younger population at the moment'.

He said: 'For me now it is also about trying to keep children in school. We have had around 7,300 pupils test positive in the last 28 days.

'If we can keep transmission rates down, we can also keep more pupils in school as well while the vaccine is being run out for 12 to 15-year-olds.'

Department for Education data shows 2.6 per cent of pupils  more than 200,000 children, equivalent to 8,000 classrooms  were off school last week due to the coronavirus, with 111,000 testing positive.

Suffolk Council bosses said children in the region have lost 26,264 days of education in October alone due to positive Covid cases.

Last month, Suffolk health chiefs introduced a 'sibling policy' advising children and young people aged four to 18 to stay at home if their brother or sister tests positive.

Mr Keeble said there is a risk if the infection starts to spread to the older population  including parents and grandparents.

He added: 'We have started to see that. We have started to see an increase over the last few weeks in that parent age group of those in secondary school.'

He also said increases in infections among over-60s 'is a concern given, there are more vulnerable people in those age groups'.

The Government lifted Covid restrictions placed on schools  including face masks and bubbles  earlier this year as part of No10's drive to learn to live with the virus.

But ministers published guidance in August, which set out that some measures could be brought back to manage local outbreaks, respond to variants of concern or prevent the NHS from becoming overwhelmed.

And it was revealed this week hundreds of schools in England  including in Wiltshire, Staffordshire and Essex  are cancelling assemblies as Covid continues to rip through classrooms.

Some schools in Wales were advised last month to cancel assemblies where the entire school was in attendance.

Scotland, which saw record-high infections in August after pupils returned to classrooms, has told schools to avoid assemblies and other large gatherings.

It comes as Department for Education (DfE) today revealed pupils in England missed nearly 219million days of in-person education in the spring term due to Covid.

Historically, around 5 per cent of school is missed due to absence during the spring term, but in spring this year 57.5 per cent of sessions (half a day) were recorded as missed due for Covid-related reasons.
Advertisement

Britain's politicians need to focus on overhauling the flagship Prevent programme fighting radicalisation - rather than trying to ensure social media users face a ban on anonymous accounts, it was claimed today.

Prevent is claimed by counter-terrorism think-tank the Henry Jackson Society to have been hijacked by political correctness, skewing it away from the threat posed by Islamists and putting too much focus on the far-Right.

In the wake of Conservative MP Sir David Amess's fatal stabbing in Essex last Friday, critics claim that police and others who oversee Prevent have allowed its work to be swayed by 'false allegations of Islamophobia'.

The think tank said in a report this week that it was 'vital that the UK is not paralysed by political correctness and identity politics when it comes to holding hardheaded discussions on the prevailing threat of Islamist extremism'.

Ali Harbi Ali, 25, has been charged with killing Sir David at a church in Leigh-on-Sea.

It comes as politicians suggested in the House of Commons this week that Facebook and Twitter users should be banned from creating anonymous accounts under a new 'David's Law' in memory of the politician.

Online trolling is a hot topic among MPs, with Home Secretary Priti Patel suggesting that she is looking at changing the law on online hate, further than the current proposed Online Safety Bill currently before Parliament.

But ex-Labour MP Ruth Smeeth, now chief executive of the Index on Censorship, said she would not support a ban on anonymous accounts, telling the BBC: 'We have to do something to tackle and improve our online culture.

'But a knee-jerk response to ban anonymous accounts will have unintended consequences - not just on our collective free speech but on our ability to engage with whistleblowers and dissidents in every corner of the world.'

She also told the Daily Telegraph: 'I am troubled by the speed with which online anonymity has become the dominant topic in discussions about what our response to this tragedy should be.'

Ms Smeeth added: 'It is understandable that, in the wake of such a horrifying tragedy, our instinct is to grasp wildly for an instantaneous tool or trick that will mean we can say "never again".

'And, given the torrent of threats and abuse to which many MPs and their staff are subject on a daily basis on social media, it is all too easy to conflate two separate issues, and look for a catch-all solution. Sadly, it's just not that simple.'

And Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, told MailOnline today: 'The Free Speech Union has come across a number of examples of Prevent being abused to shut down perfectly reasonable points of view.

'For instance, a mother of a student at a school in the West Midlands contacted us after she learned the school's Prevent training cautioned teachers against allowing certain points of view to be discussed in the classroom, including the view that 'governments are using the pandemic as a cover for restricting individual freedoms, (e.g. masks, gatherings)'.

'Labelling such a point of view as 'extremist' is patently absurd. We have shared our concerns about this with the Prevent review team and we hope it will be addressed in their soon-to-be published report.'

The Prevent strategy is being undermined by a politically correct emphasis on right-wing extremism, it has been claimed. This graph shows the different levels of referrals over the past five years

In recent years, much of its resources have been diverted to tracking suspected right-wing extremists, which made up 43% (302) of cases considered among the most serious last year compared to just 30% (210) concerning Islamism, data shows

Since 2015/16, there has been an 80% drop in the number of initial referrals over concerns of Islamic radicalisation and a steady increase in those concerning far-right beliefs

Meanwhile the Henry Jackson Society has claimed that anti-terror resources are being diverted away from the principal terror threat to the UK of Islamist extremism.

Instead, Prevent is spending growing amounts of time and money combating other types of extremists, such as the far Right, even though they make up a smaller proportion of the overall threat to national security, it said.

Official review 'will call for changes to Prevent' An official review will call for major changes to the Government's beleaguered anti-extremism programme, it has been claimed. The report, commissioned by the Home Secretary, will suggest giving the Home Office more direct control of the Prevent scheme. The recommendation is expected to be contained in a review due out by the end of the year, the Times reported. It comes amid concern some Prevent panels - run by local authorities - have involved Muslim groups which strongly oppose the entire programme and claim its very basis is Islamophobic. The Prevent review - conducted by William Shawcross, ex-chairman of the Charity Commission - is also expected to say deradicalisation schemes should be funded for three years rather than one to give financial stability. Under the main recommendation, the Home Office would appoint Prevent co-ordinators directly rather than leaving the decision to local authorities, it is thought. It is also expected to recommend a change to the structure of the Prevent panels, to mirror the police's 11 Counter-Terrorism Units nationally. Fiyaz Mughal, of Faith Matters and Muslims Against Antisemitism, told the Times: 'There is no point in bringing on deeply polarising groups who have no interest in seeing the positive in counter-extremism programmes on to Prevent steering groups. This is totally counterproductive and needs to change.' Advertisement

Dr Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, said: 'The Prevent scheme has been hamstrung by political correctness following a well-organised campaign by Islamist groups and the political Left of false allegations of 'Islamophobia' so that its work is skewed away from the gravest threat, that of radical Islam.

'The reality is that the programme has struggled to cope with the increase in referrals to it over the years given increased extremism and the unremitting hostility of some leaders in the Muslim community and the political Left to its activity.

'What the murder of Sir David shows is that we need more Prevent going forwards, not less, and we should be redoubling our efforts to strengthen the programme.'

The report said there is a 'fundamental mismatch' between the threat posed by Islamist terrorism and the attention given to it by Prevent.

Just 22 per cent of all referrals to Prevent relate to Islamist extremists, while 24 per cent are for neo-Nazi or other far Right extremists, official Home Office data shows.

And among cases actually taken up by the Prevent scheme in its 'Channel' programme - which mentors individuals to turn them away from terrorist causes - just 30 per cent relate to Islamists compared with 43 per cent which are far-Right.

This is despite the most recent report by the Government's Independent Review of Terrorism Legislation, Jonathan Hall QC, saying that 'Islamist terrorism remains the principal threat in Great Britain'.

There were also unconfirmed reports last year that the vast majority of suspects on MI5's 'watch list' - 39,000 from a total 43,000 - are jihadists.

The British Muslim academic who compiled the report, Dr Rakib Ehsan, said: 'The Prevent scheme's central aim is to reduce the UK's overall terror threat and maximise public safety.

'At the moment, it is failing to deliver on this front. There is an all too real prospect of Islamist extremists who present a significant security risk not being sufficiently monitored by the public authorities.'

The report called for a 'forensic analysis' of cases where an individual referred to Prevent leaves the scheme and goes on to be commit terrorism-related offences.

People leave flowers at a memorial and wall of condolence for MP Sir David Amess outside the Houses of Parliament this week

A series of terrorists have gone on to commit atrocities despite being on Prevent's books.

They include Reading knife attacker Khairi Saadallah, who killed three men in a Reading park in June last year, and Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan, who plotted his attack on a Tube train in 2017 under the nose of his mentors.

Separately, another think-tank, Policy Exchange, this week published a commentary asking whether anti-terror schemes were making the correct balance between Islamist and other categories of terror threats.

Dr Paul Stott, its head of security and extremism, called on ministers to research whether 'greater social acceptance within the public sector' had led to staff concentrating on far-Right extremism rather than Islamists.

'Has the vilification of Prevent by its opponents as racist or Islamophobic deterred some employees in the public sector from fulfilling their statutory duties,' he asked.

Dr Stott also questioned the accountability of Security Service, MI5, and whether it was giving 'value for money'.

He asked: 'With the expansion of MI5 over the 20 years since 9/11, ministers need to ask whether we are we getting value for money from the domestic security service?

'Is their sufficient oversight of how the resources pie is being cut up inside what one wag referred to as the 'independent republic of Thames House'?'

Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured in South East London today) has suggested that she is looking at changing the law on online hate, further than the current proposed Online Safety Bill currently before Parliament

On Monday, a Conservative former minister has urged MPs to 'toughen up' the Online Harms Bill as he proposed 'David's law' in memory of Sir David.

How does the Prevent scheme work? Under the Prevent programme, local authority staff and other professionals such as doctors, teachers and social workers have a duty to flag concerns about an individual being radicalised or drawn into a terrorism. This report is then be passed to a local official charged with deciding whether the tip-off merits a formal referral. Prevent referrals are handled by expert officers in the local police force. Cases are then categorised depending on the nature of the individual's alleged beliefs - based on evidence ranging from comments they have been overheard saying to their social media history. People who are not viewed as either far-right or Islamist are categorised as having a 'mixed, unstable or unclear' ideology. Less serious reports may be sent to council services, which could include parenting support for families whose children have been watching inappropriate videos online. Serious reports are forwarded on to Prevent's Channel stage, at which a panel of local police, healthcare specialists and social workers meeting monthly will consider the case. At this stage, counter-terror police will be involved and will receive information from counsellors, social workers or theological mentors working with the individual concerned. Advertisement

Mark Francois said Sir David had 'become increasingly concerned about what he called the toxic environment in which MPs, particularly female MPs, were having to operate in'.

The Rayleigh and Wickford MP hit out at the founders of Facebook and Twitter, telling the Commons: 'If the social media companies don't want to help us drain the Twitter swamp, then let's compel them to do it by law because they've had more than enough chances to do it voluntarily.'

Mr Francois added: 'He (Sir David) was appalled by what he called the vile misogynistic abuse which female MPs had to endure online and he told me very recently that he wanted something done about it.'

He went on: 'Surely we can all agree that we came here to try for which we are now systematically vilified day after day... I suggest that if we want to ensure that our colleague didn't die in vain, we collectively all of us pick up the baton, regardless of our party and take the forthcoming Online Harms Bill and toughen it up markedly.

'So let's put, if I may be so presumptuous, David's law onto the statute book, the essence of which would be that while people in public life must remain open to legitimate criticism, they can no longer be vilified or their families subject to the most horrendous abuse, especially from people who hide behind a cloak of anonymity with the connivance of the social media companies for profit.'

Boris Johnson said yesterday that social media bosses could face 'criminal sanctions with tough sentences' if they allow extremist content to appear on their platforms.

He told MPs that the forthcoming Online Safety Bill would tackle web giants if they allow 'foul content' to circulate.

And he promised the long-awaited legislation would make quick progress in the Commons, with the bill receiving its second reading before Christmas. But a Whitehall source later said the second reading might not take place until early next year.

Published in May, the draft bill gives regulator Ofcom the power to impose multibillion-pound fines on technology giants that fail to show a duty of care to users.

A series of terrorists have gone on to commit atrocities despite being on Prevent's books. They include Reading knife attacker Khairi Saadallah (left), who killed three men in a Reading park in June last year, and Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan (right), who plotted his attack on a Tube train in 2017 under the nose of his mentors

But it stops short of bringing criminal sanctions against bosses. Instead, a new criminal offence for managers has been included as a deferred power that can be introduced if Ofcom finds that firms are failing to keep to their new responsibilities.

Anti-terror schemes went online and are still there Anti-extremism schemes were shut down during the pandemic and many have still not restarted face-to-face. Projects  including some operated by the Prevent programme  were abandoned in the early days of the crisis, it is understood. They later resumed in the form of telephone calls between extremists and their handlers, making it almost impossible for their behaviour to be properly gauged. The projects then adopted online video calls and some face-to-face meetings. But the Daily Mail understands some crucial supervision is still taking place remotely, prompting fears that extremism has been allowed to flourish unchecked. Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered MP Jo Cox, said last night: 'We can't press the pause button on counter-extremism, especially not when lockdown made online recruitment easier.' The Prevent programme's voluntary Channel scheme, which assesses and helps individuals at risk of radicalisation, was one of the key projects to suffer last year. It normally deals with 600 to 700 individuals at any one time, but its activities were carried out by phone for weeks, or even months, before moving to video conferencing. Some face-to-face meetings with individuals assessed to pose a lower threat have yet to resume, it is understood. Sources said the absence of face-to-face contact made it more difficult for officials, including police officers and psychiatrists, to assess individuals' truthfulness and their compliance with the programme. Another scheme, called the Desistance and Disengagement Programme (DDP)  which can be compulsory for known terrorists  followed a similar pattern of telephone and online contact. A similar scheme in jails, called Healthy Identity Intervention, also came to a halt, it is understood. Hannah Baldock, of the counter-terror think-tank the Henry Jackson Society, said: 'When this scheme acts as the Government's first line of defence against terrorism, these shortcomings are deeply concerning. 'The Government must urgently explain what measures are now being taken to mitigate the effects of this arm's-length mentoring.' Separately, a Home Office-commissioned report that called for an urgent law change making it illegal to glorify terrorism has still not received an official response eight months after it came out. The report published in February by the Commission for Countering Extremism said extremists can currently operate 'lawfully, freely and with impunity' providing they stop short of directly encouraging violence or terrorism. But its findings are still being considered by the Home Office. A further troubling delay, set out in the Mail yesterday, has involved a review of the entire Prevent scheme. The Government promised a review at the beginning of 2019 but it did not begin work until this year and its findings are yet to be published. The Home Office said: 'During Covid-19, Prevent continued to provide intervention sessions sometimes face-to-face but in some instances via telephone. 'Now with the end of restrictions, most Prevent providers and Channel panels are able to operate in person.' Advertisement

Some campaigners have raised fears that the rules risk stifling the free press, 'silencing marginalised voices' and introducing 'state-backed censorship'.

The Prime Minister was asked by Sir Keir Starmer to use the 'inescapable desire' of MPs in the aftermath of the killing of Sir David to 'clamp down on the extremism, the hate and the abuse that festers online'.

Speaking in the Commons, the Labour leader said 'arrogant' social media firms should be made to take responsibility.

'It's three years since the Government promised an Online Safety Bill but it's not yet before the House,' he said.

'Meanwhile, the damage caused by harmful content online is worse than ever. Dangerous algorithms on Facebook and Instagram, and Hope Not Hate have shown me an example of violent Islamism and far-Right propaganda on TikTok.'

Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons culture committee, said: 'We find ourselves in an unworkable situation where, at the whim of the Prime Minister at the despatch box, the process of scrutiny of this important piece of legislation to tackle online harms will be undermined. We need urgent clarity.'

Owen Meredith of the News Media Association said last night: 'This is vitally important legislation and there is an understandable desire for speed.

'However, we are very concerned this may mean complex legislation with far-reaching consequences for freedom of speech and the public's right to know does not get the proper parliamentary scrutiny it needs.'

Rival politicians Matt Hancock and Rupa Huq united to urge that that Sir David's murder sparks permanent change to tackle online hatred of politicians and 'set public debate on a better path'.

In a co-authored column in The Times, Tory Mr Hancock and Labour's Ms Huq said the killing of the veteran MP had 'shocked parliament to its core', and that they had also been 'disgusted' to see MP Michael Gove harassed in public only days later.

The pair said democracy 'cannot survive a continuing coarsening of public debate' and called on social media companies - 'the creators of algorithms that feed people content that only reinforces what they already think' - to bear responsibility.

They also shone a light on the difficulty of enforcing libel laws in the internet age.

'There have been hecklers as long as there have been public meetings. But using online social media, keyboard warriors post accusatory, aggressive messages often based on conspiracy theories and lies. Our timelines and inboxes are awash with threats,' Mr Hancock and Ms Huq wrote.

They pair said female politicians, particularly from ethnic minority backgrounds, received the worst online abuse but white men were not immune, citing one social media post calling for Mr Hancock to be executed live on BBC One.

The murder of MP Jo Cox, they wrote, had been followed only weeks later by 'unprecedented vitriol' surrounding the EU referendum.

'This time we must make permanent changes to tackle the problem and set public debate on a better path,' they said. 'The online harms bill is a good start, but it does not yet tackle anonymous abuse.

'It is a particular problem that libel laws don't work in the internet age. It is hard to prove that a single post by a social media user with a few hundred followers causes significant damage, but when that post is shared and added to by hundreds or thousands of others, it has the same effect as a defamatory newspaper piece in days gone by.'

Saying politicians also needed to treat each other with respect, Mr Hancock and Ms Huq said threats could no longer be ignored and that a permanent campaign was needed 'because 'keep calm and carry on' is no longer an option'.
Question Time panellist Nazir Afzal today backed Fiona Bruce, saying he had 'no criticism' of the host after accusing her during the show of asking him first about the cricket racism row because he is a 'brown person'. The BBC programme has become embroiled in an 'unconscious racism' row after Bruce asked Mr Afzal, the only non-white member of the panel, to be the first person to answer an audience member's query about racism. During the show, Mr Afzal agreed with Bruce that he thought she was 'wrong' to go to him first. But reacting this morning after the incident prompted huge debate online, Mr Afzal tweeted: 'I have no criticism of Fiona Bruce. I made point that racism is something which everyone should have a view on, not just minorities. If the subject was say child or domestic abuse, you wouldn't just ask the victim. It's everybody's business.' The question, which was partly about recent allegations of racist abuse made by cricketer Azeem Rafiq, was asked last night to a panel made up of former crown prosecutor Mr Afzal; white psychologist Jordan Peterson; and three white MPs - Mims Davies from the Conservatives, Stella Creasy of Labour and Stephen Flynn from the SNP. Bruce then immediately turned to Mr Afzal and asked him to answer, prompting him to say: 'The brown person will answer first'. As he made the comment he turned to the audience and laughed, which saw some chuckle with him. The presenter then asked him: 'Nazir, so do you think that was wrong of me to come to you first?' Mr Afzal replied: 'I think so' and attempted to continue answering the question while pointing towards the audience. But Bruce then added: 'Well let's not do it. I'm not being sarcastic at all. I mean if that's how you feel, I respect that.' Mr Afzal then stopped speaking and sat silently, while Bruce went to Mr Peterson to hear from him instead.
The UK is in talks to sell weapons to Ukraine for the first time amid fears of a growing threat from Russia, it was claimed today.

Britain is considering providing surface-to-surface missiles for Ukrainian patrol boats and missiles for aircraft, according to The Times.

The move would underline determination to support Ukraine as it faces continuing interference from Moscow - with concerns Vladimir Putin is trying to exploit the gas crisis to get more influence in the region.

Meanwhile, NATO defence ministers are set to agree a new master plan to defend against any potential Russian attack on multiple fronts.

The West is trying to stress its determination to support Ukraine as it faces continuing interference from Moscow - with concerns Vladimir Putin (left) is trying to exploit the gas crisis to get more influence in the region. Pictured right, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace

The Ministry of Defence is reportedly discussing supplying surface-to-surface Brimstone missiles that can be used by sea and air forces to hit 'swarms' of targets simultaneously.

The RAF has deployed Brimstones against ISIS because they can hit small, fast-moving enemies.

The new NATO strategy aims to prepare for any simultaneous attack in the Baltic and Black Sea regions that could include nuclear weapons, hacking of computer networks and assaults from space.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: 'It recognises a more 21st century threat and how to deal with it.'

Officials stress that they do not believe any Russian attack is imminent, while Moscow denies any aggressive intentions and has warned NATO risks destabilising Europe.

But diplomats say the 'Concept for Deterrence and Defence in the Euro-Atlantic Area' - and its strategic implementation plan - is needed as Russia develops advanced weapon systems and deploys troops and equipment closer to borders.

In May, Russia was accused of amassing some 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, the highest number since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.

Asked about the talks on supplying weapons, an MoD spokeswoman said: 'The UK, alongside allies and partners, stand with Ukraine in opposing Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and threats to Ukraine's security and territorial integrity.

'We and partner nations already support Ukrainian military development as well as regularly exercising with their armed forces.'
Cleo Smith's desperate mother has asked the burning question on the lips of the entire nation, as she asks her missing daughter - 'my princess, where are you?'

Ellie Smith posed the harrowing question on Instagram on Thursday night as the sixth day of the desperate search for her little one comes to a close.

She posted a photo of her daughter and tagged a video created by the WA Police to raise awareness of the $1million reward offered to anyone with information.

The reward comes as police reveal after six days of land, sea and air searches for the missing four-year-old they still have no 'concrete suspects' - but now believe she was likely abducted.

Cleo's devastated mother posted a photo of her daughter and tagged a video created by the WA Police to raise awareness of the $1million reward offered to anyone with information

Ellie Smith asked the harrowing question at around 6pm on Thursday night as the sixth day of the desperate search for her little one (pictured) comes to a close

The $1million reward will go to anyone who has any information that could lead police to the culprit, who detectives fear snatched Cleo as her family lay sleeping.

Cleo disappeared from the family tent at the Blowholes campsite north of Carnavon in Western Australia between 1.30am and 6am on Saturday.

She, along with her mum, stepdad Jake Gliddon and baby sister Isla had only arrived for the weekend getaway hours prior.

Police now believe an abduction took place because the zipper of the tent was found undone at 6:30am, even though Cleo is too short to reach it.

WA Police Inspector Jon Munday said the height of the zip opening was a major factor in the possibility Cleo was now in the hands of an unknown third party.

'The positioning of that zipper for the flap is one of the circumstances which has caused us to have grave concerns for Cleo's safety,' he said on Wednesday.

Ellie Smith made another harrowing statement at 6am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing

Ms Smith (pictured) woke up on Saturday morning to find her tiny daughter missing, as well as her red and grey sleeping bag, launching the search that has spread nation-wide

Ms Smith woke up on Saturday morning to find her daughter was missing, as well as her red and grey sleeping bag, triggering the search that has spread nation-wide.

Police are still considering the possibility Cleo has been taken interstate, with other campers claiming they heard the sound of tyres screeching at 3am on Saturday.

Detective Superintendent Rob Wilde told reporters on Thursday WA Police have been in talks with all jurisdictions around Australia.

'We have got the nation looking for Cleo. Today's announcement is to say everyone needs to be looking for Cleo,' he said.

'Look at people who have acted strangely since the 16th (of October), look at people who have been in that area  ask questions.

'We want to get this information out there and if anyone Australia-wide has information that could be relevant to the investigation, we ask that they call Crime Stoppers.'

Premier Mark McGowan announced the $1million reward would go to anyone who could give information on Cleo's location, or lead to an arrest or conviction of those involved in her disappearance.

'It's a very sad situation, a very difficult situation,' the Premier said on Thursday.

Police now believe an abduction took place because the zipper of the tent found undone at 6:30am was too high for little Cleo (pictured) to reach it

Mother Ellie Smith and step-father Jake Gliddon (pictured) were distraught during their first press conference since the disappearance of Cleo Smith on Saturday

'I just urge anyone who has any knowledge of the location of Cleo, please provide that information to police and ensure that we can provide some certainty and information to Cleo's loved ones and hopefully bring Cleo back safe and sound.'

From Friday, police will focus their attention on pursuing a criminal investigation rather than searching the vicinity of the Blowholes Campsite.

Homicide detectives from Taskforce RODIA will join the search as authorities keep an open mind for the possibility Cleo was taken by someone known to her.

'Given the information now that we've gleaned from the scene, the fact that the search has gone on for this period of time and we haven't been able to locate her ... it leads us to believe that she was taken from the tent,' Superintendent Wilde said on Thursday.

However, Inspector Jon Monday said teams would remain in the area until they were satisfied Cleo was no longer there, as well as her family who remain close-by.

Volunteers, local Indigenous bush trackers and mounted police returned to the campsite on Thursday, with over 100 police officers now involved in the operation.

The search at the campsite has shifted away from looking for the little girl in 'high probability' areas to places that Cleo could have walked herself.

Ms Smith, who is a local in the area and has frequented the Blowholes Campground many times said she looked for Cleo in places she would have hid as a child.

Investigators also plan to revisit nearby shacks along the coastline.

The search at the campsite (pictured) has shifted from looking for the little girl in 'high probability' areas to places that Cleo could have walked herself

Ms Smith (pictured with Isla, right, and Cleo, left) has made a series of heartbreaking pleas for her little one to be returned home

From Friday, police will focus their attention on pursuing a criminal investigation rather than searching the vicinity of the Blowholes Campsite (pictured)

Acting police commissioner Col Blanch revealed CCTV vision from a nearby shack had placed Cleo at the campsite on the night in question.

He described the investigation as 'wide open' with the Crime Stopper line running hot with hundreds of calls reporting suspicious people in the area.

Officers have spoken to at least 20 registered sex offenders who live in the surrounding area, however none are considered suspects.

Ms Smith appeared emotional during a press conference on Tuesday while she described having the horrifying realisation Cleo was gone.

'As we passed the (tent) divider, I went into the other room and the zipper was open,' the shell-shocked mum revealed. 'She was gone. The tent was completely open.'

The devastated mum said the first thing she said to her partner Jake Gliddon when she realised her little girl was missing was: 'Cleo's gone, Jake'.

'I know she can get through whatever she's going through,' a teary Ms Smith said.

'We're going to find her, we have to'.
Cyber criminals have stolen cryptocurrency worth more than 146m in the first nine months this year - a jump of more than 30 per cent compared with the whole of 2020.

Action Fraud released figures today outlining the scale of the problem.

Their specialist team of detectives have received 7,118 reports of cryptocurrency fraud since January resulting in a total loss of 146,222,332.

Cybercriminals have stolen almost 150m from Britons in high tech cryptocurrency frauds since the start of the year - a 30 per cent increase over the whole of 2020

Criminals often use fake celebrity endorsements and flashy websites to convince victims that the opportunity is genuine. Teacher Julie Busnell from Farnborough in Hampshire lost 9,000 after responding to a bogus online advert. The criminals used an image of Elon Musk - who had no involvement in the scam - to convince victims the illegal enterprise was legitimate

Criminals target people who have invested money in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin with the average victim losing in the region of 20,500.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Craig Mullish of City of London Police said: 'Reports of cryptocurrency fraud have increased significantly over the past few years, which is unsurprising given everyone is spending more time online. Being online more means criminals have a greater opportunity to approach unsuspecting victims with fraudulent investment opportunities.

'We would encourage anyone thinking about making an investment to do their research first and to stop and think before making an investment as it could protect you and your money.'

DCI Mullish said one in ten victims were aged between 18 and 25 while more than half of those to lose cash were 18 to 45.

Officers warn that criminals often entice victims using bogus celebrity endorsements, creating 'professional and credible looking online adverts' or web pages.

Criminals embellish their fraudulent advertisements with photographs of unsuspecting celebrities and use made up quotes to offer fake testimonials to make their offer look legitimate.

In a new report released today, Action Fraud said between April 2020 and March 2021, the agency received 558 investment fraud reports including a bogus celebrity endorsement. More than three quarters of these involved cryptocurrencies.

Action Fraud warn that the market volatility associated with cryptocurrencies allows criminals to offer high returns and easy money using adverts on social media.

In some cases the criminals are seeking a victim's personal details while often the main aim is to steal cash.

Teacher Julie Busnell from Farnborough in Hampshire lost 9,000 after being duped by a fake BBC News website that reported that Elon Musk had bought $1.5bn of Bitcoin and would double anybody's cryptocurrency investment.

There is no suggestion the Tesla billionaire was involved in the scam.

Ms Bushnell, who is a teacher, committed 9,000 to the scheme and quickly realised it was a scam.

After reporting the crime, Ms Bushnell spoke to the BBC. She said: '

'I wish I could have that time back - go in a time machine and not make those couple of clicks.

'They have robbed me of my dignity, self-respect, self-worth and strength. They have sucked all the goodness of life out of me.

'I want to raise awareness of this scam so it doesn't happen to other vulnerable people.'
A woman who allegedly believed she was talking to a nine-year-old girl's mum and arranged to meet up to sexually abuse her daughter has been charged by police.

The middle-aged woman from southern New South Wales was really talking with detectives from the NSW Police Child Exploitation Internet Unit when she struck up a conversation online in August.

The 48-year-old then allegedly arranged to meet the mother and child for sexual activity and travelled to Liverpool Station in Sydney's south-west where she was arrested by police just before 10am on Tuesday.

The woman was arrested at Liverpool train station in Sydney's south-west after traveling to meet who she thought was the mother and her nine-year-old daughter (stock image)

She is also alleged to have separately had explicit conversations with someone she thought was a 14-year-old girl online.

Police charged her with two counts of use carriage service-groom person procure under 16 years, use carriage service transmit/publish/promote child abuse, and use carriage service-procure child under16 years for sexual activity.

The woman was refused bail and appeared at Liverpool Local Court on Tuesday where she was formally refused bail.

She is to reappear at Parramatta Local Court on Friday December 10.
A California judge denied Scott Peterson bail Wednesday ahead of his December re-sentencing hearing for the 2002 murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner.

Peterson, 48, has spent 15 years living on death row after being sentenced in 2005.

His death sentence was overturned last year after the California Supreme Court found that jurors who disagreed with the death penalty, but were willing to impose it, had been improperly dismissed.

Peterson is expected to be re-sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on December 8 at the San Mateo County courthouse.

Meanwhile, Peterson's attorneys are pushing for a new trial due to alleged juror misconduct.

Scott Peterson, 48 (pictured with police in 2005), was denied bail ahead of his December re-sentencing hearing. He has spent 15 years living on death row for the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, and unborn son, Conner. His death penalty conviction was overturned last year

Peterson, pictured with Laci, is expected to be re-sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on December 8 at the San Mateo County courthouse

Last year, the state's high court ordered Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo to decide if Peterson should be granted a new trial and if the alleged juror misconduct did take place during his 2004 trial.

Peterson and his legal team maintain his innoncene, saying earlier this month that 'it's time to get him out.'

Lara Yeretsian, who was on Peterson's original defense team in 2005, also claimed Wednesday that there is new evidence that will prove Peterson did not kill Laci and Conner.

'There is new evidence that Scott's not the one. It will show who the true suspects are,' Yeretsian told Fox News.

'I didn't think he would be convicted the first time around.

'I really believe in Scott's innocence based on the evidence I had seen during the first trial.

'I truly don't believe he got a fair trial because of all the publicity and all of the emotions and visceral reactions of him having an affair.'

Yeretsian declined to provide specifics about the alleged new evidence, pointing out that Peterson is not currently her client.

She did note, however, that she may join his defense team if a new trial is granted.

Peterson (pictured at his trial in 2004 with defense attorneys Mark Geragos, left, and Pat Harris, right) and his counsel are seeking a new trial due to alleged juror misconduct

Laci Peterson's family also previously said they have 'no doubt' that Scott killed her and their unborn child. The couple is pictured on their 1997 wedding day

Peterson will also have to sign a 'waiver of irregularities' in order to have his current counsel - who are appellate attorneys - represent him in a new trial, a judge ordered Wednesday.

The ruling came after the prosecution argued that, by law, appellate attorneys only handle death penalty cases, which the new trial would not be.

Michael Hersek, executive director of the Habeas Corpus Resource Center, which is currently representing Peterson, argued that 'withdrawing from the case after a partial victory' was not an option.

'Number one, it would abandon Mr. Peterson in this case, which would not be fair to him,' he said.

'Number two, it would send a terrible message in all of our other cases because we spend years developing relationships with our clients  relationships of trust that require them to provide us a great deal of information about not only their social history and their life issues, but also the facts of the underlying offense.

'Not only would we lose the trust and confidence of all of our clients because they will see us as a penalty phase only shop, because once we get partial victory, they're out of luck. And we can't have that. That's an institutional concern from our point of view.'

Hersek also claimed the decision to require new counsel was out of the judge's jurisdiction.

Stanislaus County Assistant District Attorney David Harris argued that, regardless of jurisdiction, allowing the Habeas Corpus Resource Center attorneys to remain on the case would set a 'bad precedent.'

'I think that's more of a bad precedent than the court looking at this in the first place to determine what the court gets to do and what their jurisdiction is. ... They are capital habeas litigators, but they want to stay on a non-capital case.'

The prosecution and defense will return to court on November 10 to discuss the waiver of irregularities.

Investigators say Peterson took Laci's corpse out on his fishing boat, pictured, after killing her, then dumped the body in the San Francisco Bay

Peterson maintains his innocence and claims Laci was killed after disturbing a burglary at the couple's home in Modesto, California (pictured)

Peterson was convicted in San Mateo court after his trial was moved from Stanislaus County due to the massive pre-trial publicity that followed the Christmas Eve 2002 disappearance of 27-year-old Laci, who was eight months pregnant with Conner at the time.

Her corpse was found floating in the San Francisco Bay in April 2003, with Conner's fetus found to have been mutilated.

Investigators say Peterson took the bodies from their Modesto home and dumped them from his fishing boat into the bay.

Peterson was convicted of his wife's murder in 2004 after jurors were told how he had a masseuse mistress named Amber Frey.

Frey did not realize Peterson was married when they first began dating.

He is also said to have dreaded becoming a father.

Peterson maintains his innocence and claims Laci was killed after disturbing a burglary.

His death sentence was overturned in August 2020.

Peterson's attorney argues that he he can prove that there was a nearby burglary the day Laci (right) disappeared, aiding the defense's contention that someone else killed her when she stumbled upon the crime

In May 2021, District Attorney Birgit Fladager announced that Peterson would spend his life in prison, saying there were no plans to have his 2005 death sentence reinstated.

The death penalty was thrown out after a court ruled jurors should not have been excluded from Peterson's murder trial for being anti-capital punishment.

Fladager also noted at the time that Laci Peterson's family found the legal process 'simply too painful to endure once again.'

The family has 'no doubt' Peterson killed his wife and unborn son and deserves the death penalty but doesn't want to pursue that punishment because 'this process is simply too painful to endure once again,' Fladager said in her filing in San Mateo Superior Court in May.

However, the defense is arguing in favor of a new trial after they say a juror, Richelle Nice, failed to disclose her own history of domestic abuse while pregnant in order to convict Peterson.

The basis for re-examining the conviction comes after the court found a juror committed 'prejudicial misconduct' for not disclosing prior legal proceedings. The juror Richelle Nice (pictured) didn't disclose that she filed a lawsuit in 2000 to obtain a restraining order after her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend harassed her while pregnant

According to Peterson's counsel, Nice did not disclose that she had filed a lawsuit in 2000 to obtain a restraining order after her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend harassed her while she was pregnant.

The juror said in her lawsuit that she feared for her unborn child.

Peterson's attorneys previously said that when asked as a potential juror whether she had ever been a victim of crime or involved in a lawsuit, she responded 'no.'

His attorneys have also claimed that Nice deceived the judge to get on the jury for the high-profile case.

Nice, who was among the jurors to jointly publish a book about the case, has denied the allegations that she lied just to get on the jury.

The defense also accused Nice of writing letters to Peterson while he was in jail, asking him to confess to the murder of his pregnant wife.

Fladager has called the move a 'witch hunt' to try and discredit the juror in an attempt to throw out the original case against Peterson and trigger a retrial.

Superior Court Judge Christine Massullo will rule on whether or not Nice performed juror misconduct.

Nice has asked for immunity from testifying in Peterson's trial and plans to plead the fifth.
Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called for the gap to getting a booster to be cut

Covid booster jabs should be dished out from five months after the second dose, the former Health Secretary suggested today.

Over-50s are currently required to wait half a year after their last vaccine before they are eligible for a top-up dose.

But amid spiralling infection rates and the fast approaching Christmas holidays Jeremy Hunt has called for ministers to cut the gap to match Israel's approach.

He told the House of Commons that it would boost uptake and ensure millions of vulnerable Brits had the best possible protection before the festive period.

It comes as ministers face growing pressure to turbo-charge the booster roll out, with less than half of eligible people in England having already received their third dose.

Only a quarter of care home residents have been inoculated with the extra dose to date.

Mr Hunt, who also stood for the Conservative leadership, told the Commons: 'Does it really matter when its only nine weeks until the Christmas holidays if someone has their booster jab after five months?

'And should we not look at whether there should be flexibility in that decision so we can get more people in more quickly for their booster jabs?'

Only around 4.05million(purple line) out of the 8.7million eligible people (green line) in England have received the crucial third dose, prompting ministers to urge people to come forward for their inoculations

The above graph shows the pace of the booster vaccination drive. It reveals the number of doses given out by day in October (orange bars) and the total number of boosters given out over time (red line). This is compared against the number of second doses given out in April (blue line). People who got their second dose in April would now be due to get a top up dose

GPs complain they have no 'capacity' to play major role in accelerating sluggish Covid booster vaccine drive Top GPs yesterday complained they were too overworked to help accelerate Britain's sluggish Covid booster drive which has seen just a quarter of care home residents revaccinated. The slow vaccination roll-out has led to finger pointing among officials, with the NHS blaming a lack of urgency among the public and insisting there are more than enough doctors, nurses and jabs available. But the chair of the Royal College of GPs Professor Martin Marshall hinted family doctors were struggling to get involved in the programme because they were already juggling a surge in demand for appointments and the flu jab campaign. He told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: 'I don't think general practice should be drawn back into the high level of vaccinations that we provided early in the pandemic because we simply don't have the capacity to do that. We need to look after our other patients who have other health problems. 'There are a number of practices that have had to drop out of the vaccination programme because of the massive pressures [they face].' Advertisement

Health minister Maggie Throup responded: 'The JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) have provided the advice that it should be a minimum of six months from the second jab.'

She reassured the Commons that 'the immunity doesnt fall off a cliff edge'.

She said 'it has waned slightly' but 'they still have a huge amount of immunity over and above those who are yet to get their first jab'.

And Ms Throup asked for people to come forward 'as soon as they are eligible'.

The JCVI  which directed the UK's vaccine roll out  approved booster doses for over-50s, the vulnerable, care home residents and healthcare workers last month.

But it said the top ups should only be given six months after the second dose because this was the 'sweet spot' for boosting immunity.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, the head of their vaccines unit, said at the time: 'We want to suggest a six-month limit as a lower limit because we dont want people to feel they need to rush to have this booster dose.

'Getting a booster dose too early might mean getting a dose when they dont actually need to have a vaccination because they still have a high level of protection.

'And, as we have seen with the first and second dose, it may be that a longer interval to the third booster dose may actually be beneficial in the longer term.'

It takes about two weeks after a third dose is administered for it to bolster immunity against the virus.

Britain's booster drive is lagging far behind the first vaccine roll out with just 4.05 out of 8.7million eligible people in England (47 per cent) having received their top up doses to date.

NHS England data also shows only 27.8 per cent of care home residents have received their crucial third vaccine, alongside 14.1 per cent of care home staff, despite the two being high priority groups. Around half of over-80s have received their boosters to date.

Patients say they are struggling to find out where to get their boosters, amid mounting pressure on the Government to get the programme moving in a race against surging infections and a new Delta variant.

Members of No10's own scientific panels have publicly called for ministers to hurry up with the programme, which prompted Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to admit today it was 'something we really need to address'.
Advertisement

More and more adults in their 30s and 40s are choosing to wear face masks on buses and trains amid spiralling Covid cases, official data suggests.

An Office for National Statistics (ONS) poll revealed 33 per cent of middle-aged adults wore coverings while on public transport at the start of September, just after schools went back.

But just a month later this had ticked upwards to almost 40 per cent, despite no change in official guidance.

A similar rise in face mask use on public transport was also seen among 50 to 69-year-olds towards the end of September, while it remained constant among the over-70s. For young adults use of the coverings dropped towards the end of September.

Face mask use has risen since January because the figures are based on people saying whether they wore a face mask on public transport, and not everyone used buses at the height of the second wave in January.

Dr Raghib Ali, a statistician at Cambridge University, said it was to be expected that face mask use on buses and trains would rise as Covid cases headed north.

He told MailOnline: 'People tend to change their behaviour when Covid cases go up. We saw that in July as well, and we are heading to a similar level of cases at the moment.'

Britain yesterday recorded another 49,139 Covid cases. Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned infections may breach 100,000 within weeks.

The above graph reveals face mask use on public transport. It shows how it has risen among 30 to 49-year-olds since September, when schools went back leading many adults to also return to the office. The lines show the percentage of people who said they wore face masks on public transport, out of those who said they had worn a face mask in the week before they were questioned. The data is from a survey by the Office for National Statistics

Where do I still have to wear a face mask in the UK? Although many Covid restrictions have already been dropped, face masks are still required in some parts of the UK. England Boris Johnson made face masks optional on 'Freedom Day' July 19. But transport operators and supermarkets were among those appealing to people to keep wearing the coverings. The Prime Minister is now under pressure to reintroduce masks, with doctors saying they will help to head off a rise in Covid cases. Some schools in parts of the South West and Greater Manchester have already brought back face masks. Scotland Face masks are still required in schools, shops and on public transport in the country. Secondary school pupils must wear the masks in classrooms, and primary school children are required to use them when moving between rooms or in communal areas. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has not suggested these measures will be lifted in the near future. Wales Face masks are still required on public transport and in most indoor areas in the country. The only indoor places they now do not have to be worn are pubs and restaurants. Wales changed its rules on August 7. There is also no sign that they may be eased further. Northern Ireland Like two other UK nations, Northern Ireland still requires face masks on public transport and in shops. But rules say they must also be worn in hospitality venues such as pubs and bars. The coverings were dropped from classrooms in July. Advertisement

Boris Johnson made coverings optional in England on Freedom Day in July, despite No10's top scientists urging them to be kept mandatory. They are still in use in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister is now facing mounting pressure from unions and doctors to make the masks mandatory again and re-impose work from home guidance to help head off rising cases.

Face masks help stop the spread of the coronavirus by catching miniscule droplets exhaled by infected people. But the science on how well they work has been patchy, although experts insist the benefits of wearing coverings are obvious.

The ONS survey  titled 'Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain'  estimates how many people are wearing face masks, social distancing and following other measures to control the spread of the virus.

But the more than 5,000 British households it surveys self-report their answers, and are not required to offer any proof that they have actually worn face masks regularly.

The weekly or bi-weekly survey asks participants whether they are wearing face masks in certain settings including public transport, at work, in the supermarket and while exercising outdoors among others.

Face mask use on public transport was low from January to March  during the third lockdown  because many people were not taking buses and trains due to restrictions.

Schools returned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at the start of September, which data suggests also co-incided with a return to the office.

The number of commuters going through 15 key tube stations in the City of London reached a post-Covid peak on September 16, according to Transport for London.

And a poll by the Chartered Management Institute of more than 1,000 managers found four-fifths reported that 'at least' some of their staff who were homeworking in July would be asked to return to the office in September.

Dr Ali told MailOnline: 'Behaviour change, whether it is wearing masks or reducing social contacts... has been seen before over the course of the pandemic, and especially in July when there was no other measure in place.

'I expect we are seeing the same thing now.'

England is the only UK nation that has made face masks optional to date.

Scotland still requires them to be worn in schools, shops and on public transport, while Wales says they should be used on public transport and in health and social care settings. In Northern Ireland they are still needed in crowded spaces.

In July, the last time cases topped 50,000 a day, an ONS survey found two thirds of adults were still planning to wear face masks on shops and public transport even after they became advisory.

Before restrictions were eased many SAGE scientists came forward to say they would still be carrying face masks even though they would no longer be required, and wear them in public spaces.

Supermarkets also called on shoppers to continue wearing the masks when they come to pick up their groceries.

It comes as unofficial data today suggested that Britain's Covid cases may have already breached 80,000 cases a day.

About 45,000 Britons are currently testing positive for Covid every day officially, but Britain's largest symptom-tracking study estimated today that the true number of infections could be double that number.

The sluggish programme comes against the backdrop of rising case numbers, with nearly 50,000 Britons testing positive each day. Britain's largest symptom-tracking study, however, estimated today that the true number of infections is actually closer to 82,000  which would dwarf the rate at the peak of the second wave. King's College London scientists running the study estimated 81,823 people were getting infected with Covid daily in the week ending October 16, up 17 per cent from 69,993 the week before. The graph shows the number of infections recorded among all people (blue line) and those recorded among double-jabbed Britons (red line)

The King's College London's research found that 81,823 people were getting infected daily in the week ending October 16, up 17 per cent on the week before.

Top doctors have accused ministers of 'willful negligence' for ignoring the warning signs, while Tony Blair warned that having more than 80,000 daily cases was 'unsustainable'.

But Downing Street has said that neither of its top experts - Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance - had formally requested the activation of the Governments Covid 'Plan B' yet, in an attempt to shoot down claims ministers were ignoring scientific advice.

While the Government has insisted that it has no plans to enact the contingency plan yet, it emerged today that heightened support will be delivered to areas in England which are seeing persistent and above average Covid levels.

Four local authorities  Leicester, Bolton, Luton and Blackburn and Darwen  will be subject to surge testing and targeted vaccination programmes. Another 15 areas have been earmarked for the support package.

The Tony Blair Institute has said ministers need to act 'rapidly and decisively' to avoid the need for another lockdown as winter approaches.

It urged ministers to set daily targets for booster jabs, re-activate the vaccine infrastructure set up earlier in the year and start using the AstraZeneca jab for boosters.
The Queen has been dragged into a blazing row about a possible future French President pointing a gun at journalists and telling them to Back off!.

Eric Zemmour, 63, was widely criticised for the stunt at a Paris arms show, and has deepened the controversy by tweeting a picture of the Queen looking down the barrel of a gun.

The image  which Mr Zemmour posted with a love heart  shows Her Majesty at the National Shooting Centre in Bisley, Surrey, 28 years ago.

But, unlike the far-Right French TV pundit, the Queen was not pointing the gun at anybody, and she was following all other safety procedures. MailOnline reached out to Buckingham Palace who declined to comment.

The image  which Mr Zemmour posted with a love heart  shows Her Majesty at the National Shooting Centre in Bisley, Surrey, 28 years ago

In scenes posted on social media, Mr Zemmour could be seen brandishing a sniper rifle in the direction of journalists at a Paris gun fair, without making any safety checks whatsoever. Pictured: Still grabs from a video of the incident a Paris gun fair showing Zemmour looking down the scope of the rifle before pointing it at the press on Wednesday

This contrasted sharply with Mr Zemmour who mumbled Push up, back off!' as he pointed the gun  one used by French police special forces  at mainstream journalists whom he hates.

Citizenship Minister Marlene Schiappa was among the many who attacked Mr Zemmour, saying: 'Aiming at journalists with a weapon and telling them to "back off!" Is not funny.

'It is horrifying. Especially after having seriously said that he wanted to "reduce the power of the media. In a democracy, press freedom is no joke and should never be threatened.'

Despite such controversies, polls in France continually point to Mr Zemmour going head-to-head with Emmanuel Macron during the next presidential election in April 2022.

Eric Zemmour, 63, was widely criticised for the stunt at a Paris arms show, and today he deepened the controversy by Tweeting a picture of the Queen looking down the barrel of a gun

Beyond posting a picture of the Queen, Mr Zemmour has since insisted the gun incident was a joke.

Im not holding anyone up, he said. There was no political message or threat.

Mr Zemmour also described Ms Schiappa as an imbecile, whose reaction was grotesque and ridiculous.

He added: When people attack me, I hit three times very hard. Let them be warned.

Other Twitter users meanwhile mocked Mr Zemmour, with one saying: The Queen has too much military experience and too much class to point a gun at journalists. When it comes to journalists, she knows she is the target and she accepts it.

And another wrote: At least [Her Majesty] knows where the trigger is.

Mr Zemmour has not officially stated that he will stand to become head of state, but polls show he has huge popularity among the far-Right.

He has two convictions for spreading hatred against ethnic and religious minorities, and regularly blames immigrants for causing all the problems in modern France.

Mr Zemmour is an admirer of former U.S. President Donald Trump (pictured), and positions himself as anti-elite, anti-immigration champion

Marine Le Pen, of the far-Right National Rally party, was runner up to Mr Macron in the May 2017 presidential election, but her vote could be eclipsed by Mr Zemmour next year.

Mr Zemmour is an admirer of former U.S. President Donald Trump, and positions himself as anti-elite, anti-immigration champion.

He often criticises the 'fake news' mainstream media, despite frequently appearing on TV and writing articles and books.

Like Trump, he has long criticised 'establishment' media and hopes to build a political coalition of white working-class voters and wealthy conservatives.
Boris Johnson led celebrations of Northern Ireland's centenary today after the Queen was forced to stay at home through ill health.

The Prime Minister was joined by Irish foreign minister Simony Coveney and unionist leaders at a church service in Armagh this morning.

But as well as the Queen's absence there was also no appearance by Sinn Fein after the hardline nationalists boycotted the event.

There was also no place for Irish president Michael D Higgins, who refused to attend what he said was not a politically neutral commemoration.

It is 100 years since Northern Ireland was created under a treaty which saw it remain part of the United Kingdom when the rest of Ireland was granted home rule and became the Irish Free State - later the Republic of Ireland.

Bump the bishop: The Prime Minister with clergy ahead of the service in Armagh this morning.

Sinn Fein (deputy first minister deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, left) boycotted the event and Irish president Michael D Higgins (right) refused to attend what he said was not a politically neutral commemoration.

The Queen cancelled her two-day trip to Northern Ireland after she 'reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days' yesterday

Mr Johnson elbow bumps student Billy Wilson from the City of Armagh High School during the service

The Queen is still expected to meet world leaders at the Cop26 climate change conference in Glasgow despite cancelling her trip to Northern Ireland after she last night 'reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days'.

The 95-year-old monarch - who has been seen using a walking stick at engagements over the past week - is said to be in good spirits but disappointed not to be able to carry out the two-day trip.

The Queen has had a busy few days and hosted a major global investment summit at Windsor Castle yesterday evening. She also had engagements last week at the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff and Westminster Abbey in London.

Also at today's service at St Patrick's Cathedral were Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, First Minister Paul Givan, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, UUP leader Doug Beattie, moderate nationalist SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and Alliance leader Naomi Long.

The Queen was represented by the Lord-Lieutenant of Co Armagh Lord Caledon.

About 150 people attended the service, including a number of schoolchildren.

Boris Johnson at the service to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland at St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh

The sermon was delivered by the president of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Dr Sahr Yambasu. Originally from Sierra Leone, he is the first African-born leader of one of Ireland's main churches.

The service became the centre of a row last month after the president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, declined an invitation to attend because he believed it was not politically neutral.

The Irish government was represented by Mr Coveney and chief whip, Jack Chambers.

The Service of Reflection and Hope in Armagh began with the ringing of the cathedral bell before the Dean of Armagh, Rev Shane Forster, sent his good wishes to the Queen.

Welcoming the congregation to the service, he said: 'Our past has shaped us and scarred us, it has divided us. And, yet, it has also on occasion brought us together.

'As we lament our failures, sorrows and pain, and recognise our wounded yet living history, may we with a united voice commit ourselves to work together for the common good, in mutual respect and with shared hope for a light-filled, prosperous and peaceful future.'

The leaders of Ireland's main churches delivered their personal reflections on the creation of Northern Ireland at the centenary service in Armagh.

Catholic Primate of All Ireland Eamon Martin said: 'I reflect as a church leader on the last 100 years.

'I have to face the difficult truth that perhaps we in the churches could have done more to deepen our understanding of each other and to bring healing and peace to our divided and wounded communities.'

David Bruce, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, said: 'I grieve the times when fear has held us back from building relationships with those with whom we differ.

'If we are to build a better future, then we must recognise our own woundedness and our responsibility to care for the wounds of one another.'

The Church of Ireland Primate of All Ireland, John McDowell, said: 'We obsessed about some things, especially borders. One way or another, we're obsessing about them again, and being distracted from really thinking about what a good society would look like.

The Irish government was represented by Simon Coveney (pictured) and chief whip, Jack Chambers

'But I am hopeful. Hopeful in a new generation who know that the big problems we've landed them with, especially climate change and economic inequality, can only be tackled together.

'I think there are already signs that the next generation will see the things that we obsessed about as secondary and place their priorities elsewhere.'

Earlier this month, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said his Government's stance 'doesn't in any way undermine the position of the president'.

He said the president, as the head of state, 'comes at these issues from a different perspective'.

The prayer service at St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral has been organised by the four main churches to mark the formation of Northern Ireland and the partition of Ireland in 1921.

Church leaders expressed their sadness after learning the Queen would not be attending.

'We are very sorry to learn that it will not be possible for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to be present for the Service of Reflection and Hope in Armagh tomorrow,' they said in a statement.
What is the UK getting from its trade deal with New Zealand? Tariff-free access for British goods: UK businesses sending goods to New Zealand will no longer have to pay tariffs on any items, reducing the cost of exporting. A tariff of up to 10 per cent on clothing and footwear will be one of many to go. Cheaper Kiwi goods: Tariffs on imports from New Zealand will be scrapped which means UK consumers should see prices in shops fall. The price of favourite items like wine, Manuka honey and kiwi fruit should all be lower under the deal. Red tape slashed: The Government said bureaucracy associated with exporting goods to New Zealand will be reduced significantly, benefiting 6,200 small and medium-sized businesses who already trade with the country. Easier for professionals to work in New Zealand: The trade pact will make it easier for people in certain careers to operate in New Zealand. Lawyers and architects will be among those to benefit, paving the way for UK firms to establish operations in the country. Advertisement

British farmers have slammed Boris Johnson's new trade deal with New Zealand as they warned cheap meat imports could force UK farms to close.

Mr Johnson and his counterpart Jacinda Ardern announced the pact last night, with the Government insisting the agreement will cut red tape for businesses and end tariffs on exports.

But the National Farmers' Union has responded with fury to the deal, claiming it will 'damage the viability of many British farms in the years ahead'.

NFU President Minette Batters said the deal with New Zealand, as well as a similar pact agreed with Australia earlier this year, will have a 'huge downside' for UK agriculture.

She warned the nation's dairy, red meat and horticulture sectors could be particularly badly hit by an increase in lower-cost and lower-quality imports.

The pact with New Zealand comes after 16 months of negotiations and Mr Johnson said the 'great trade deal' will 'cement our long friendship' and improve the UK's ties to the Indo-Pacific.

The deal was announced by Mr Johnson and Ms Ardern yesterday evening as they spoke to each other virtually.

Mr Johnson used a rugby metaphor to describe the striking of the deal, telling Ms Ardern: 'This is a big moment for the UK and for our partnership with New Zealand. And we are absolutely thrilled that we seem to have driven for the line.

Weve scrummed down, weve packed tight and together weve got the ball over the line and we have a deal. And I think its a great deal.

I think it means that we will be able to have the benefit of our wonderful New Zealand products even more cheaply than before.

From sauvignon blanc to Manuka honey and Kiwi fruit and all sorts of other benefits. So I think it is a good deal for both of us.

British farmers have slammed Boris Johnson's new trade deal with New Zealand as they warned cheap meat imports could force UK farms to close. The PM and Jacinda Ardern announced the deal last night

NFU President Minette Batters said the latest deal with New Zealand, as well as a similar pact agreed with Australia earlier this year, will have a 'huge downside' for UK agriculture

Why are UK farmers angry about the New Zealand trade deal? The new trade pact will allow farmers in New Zealand to increase their meat exports to the UK in the coming years. Much of the concern in the UK focuses on the sheep meat market - a major industry for New Zealand. World Trade Organisation rules mean New Zealand can currently export 114,000 tonnes of sheep meat to the UK each year. The trade deal gives the go ahead for an additional 35,000 tonnes during the first four years of the agreement. A further 50,000 tonnes would be permitted from the fifth year of the deal being in place. All quotas will then be removed by the 15th year of the deal, allowing New Zealand farmers to supply unlimited quantities of sheep meat to the UK. Tariffs are being removed on all types of goods travelling in both directions which will make exporting easier and less costly. UK and New Zealand agriculture are subject to different rules and regulations and British farmers fear being undercut by cheaper imports produced to lower standards. The National Sheep Association said the deal 'risks undermining UK sheep farming and the standards that the country's hard-working shepherds adhere to'. Advertisement

Ms Ardern joked in her response: I loved your use of rugby metaphors but if we were going to continue that on there, naturally, it would conclude with the All Blacks winning.

And I know that New Zealand feels that way with this free trade agreement.

But its good for both of us as it happens.

Trade between the two nations was worth 2.3billion last year, and the Department for International Trade (DIT) said that will now grow.

Meat is one of New Zealand's top exports to the UK, with sheep farming a major industry in the country.

The trade deal will enable farmers in New Zealand to send more of their products to the British market.

That has sparked an angry backlash from British farmers who fear being undercut by international competitors who are not subject to the same high standards and regulations.

Ms Batters said the deal, coupled with the Australia pact, will open the UK to 'significant extra volumes of imported food' while 'securing almost nothing in return for UK farmers'.

She said: 'We should all be worried that there could be a huge downside to these deals, especially for sectors such as dairy, red meat and horticulture.

'The fact is that UK farm businesses face significantly higher costs of production than farmers in New Zealand and Australia, and it's worth remembering that margins are already tight here due to ongoing labour shortages and rising costs on farm.

'The Government is now asking British farmers to go toe-to-toe with some of the most export orientated farmers in the world, without the serious, long-term and properly funded investment in UK agriculture that can enable us to do so.'

She said it is 'very, very difficult for the NFU to show any support for these deals', adding: 'They involve significant upsides for farmers on the other side of the world who can now access our hugely valuable market but contain little discernible benefit for UK producers, either at home or overseas.

'This could damage the viability of many British farms in the years ahead, to the detriment of the public, who want more British food on their shelves, and to the detriment of our rural communities and cherished farmed landscapes.'

The National Sheep Association said the deal 'risks undermining UK sheep farming and the standards that the country's hard-working shepherds adhere to'.

Phil Stocker, NSA chief executive, said: 'For all the warm words we've heard from our Government this news is highly disappointing, even though I'd say it's no surprise.

'You only have to see the statements being made by the red meat sector in New Zealand for evidence they intend to send more and more sheep meat in our direction, and this in addition to the increase in access by Australia means together, in just over a decade, these two countries will have access to our entire volume of lamb consumption.'

He added: 'The worry continues that Government is content to wind down livestock farming in the UK, to fulfil climate commitments and grand images of high standards  and then scour the world to feed our nation from sources that are out of sight.'

NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy said: 'Our fears that the process adopted by the UK Government in agreeing the Australia deal would set a dangerous precedent going forward have just been realised.

'Having now put in place a similar deal to grant unfettered access to New Zealand, another major food exporting nation, the cumulative impact of all such deals on farmers and crofters will be substantial.

'This latest deal offers virtually nothing to Scottish farmers and crofters in return but risks undermining our valuable lamb, dairy and horticultural sectors by granting access to large volumes of imported goods that could be produced in farming systems not currently permitted here.

Mr Johnson said the 'great trade deal' will 'cement our long friendship' and improve the UK's ties to the Indo-Pacific

What are the main goods currently traded between the UK and New Zealand? The top five goods exported from the UK to New Zealand: 1. Cars - 21 per cent of all UK goods exported to New Zealand. 2. Specialised machinery - seven per cent. 3. Medicinal and pharmaceutical products - four per cent. 4. Road vehicles other than cars - four per cent. 5. Manufactured consumer goods - four per cent. The top five goods imported to the UK from New Zealand: 1. Drinks - 30 per cent of all UK goods imported from New Zealand. 2. Meat - 27 per cent. 3. Vegetables and fruit - six per cent. 4. Scientific instruments - five per cent. 5. Sugar - five per cent. Source: Department for International Trade statistics for the four quarters to the end of Q1 2021 Advertisement

'As with the Australian deal, there is to be a cap on tariff-free imports from New Zealand for 15 years. That is merely a slow journey to allow New Zealand, a major exporter of food and drink, unfettered access to food and drink UK markets.'

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan told British farmers they should not be worried by the deal and said it was a 'possibility' they could start sending lamb to New Zealand.

'In terms of New Zealand lamb, I'm not at all concerned that my Northumberland farmers will be at risk. Different seasons, in a practical sense, because it's the other side of the world,' the Berwick-upon-Tweed MP told reporters aboard the HMS Prince of Wales in Portsmouth.

'When I'm eating my Northumberland lamb at Easter I wouldn't be eating New Zealand lamb but I might now be able to have some lovely New Zealand lamb for my Sunday lunch in autumn, which otherwise I wouldn't have had.'

Tariffs as high as 10 per cent will be removed on a huge range of UK goods, from clothing and footwear to buses, ships, bulldozers and excavators.

Meanwhile, New Zealand products like sauvignon blanc wine, manuka honey and kiwi fruits will be cheaper to buy.

The Government said that UK workers such as lawyers and architects will also be able to work in New Zealand more easily.

Under the deal, New Zealand will be granted more access to the UK market for lamb exports.

The deal will see all quotas on lamb lifted after 15 years, but before that there will be a quota of 35,000 tonnes for the first four years, then 50,000 additional tonnes thereafter.

However, the extra quota will only be accessible once the existing quota that the country has under World Trade Organisation rules of 114,000 tonnes is filled to 90 per cent, and officials insisted that as it stands New Zealand currently only uses half of that. They also stressed there are safeguards in place to protect UK farming.

Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison pose with a variety of British and Australian goods, including a personalised 'Boris' Vegemite jar at Downing Street in July this year

Shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry said the deal 'fails on every count', adding: 'It is a deal whose only major winners are the mega-corporations who run New Zealand's meat and dairy farms, all at the expense of British farmers who are already struggling to compete.'

The deal with New Zealand is the second major post-Brexit trade accord struck by the UK after it agreed terms with Australia in June this year.

Farmers blasted that accord as well, arguing that they will be unable to compete with cheap foreign imports.

Mr Johnson defended the Australia deal at the time as he insisted it 'will be good news for the agricultural sector on both sides'.

He stressed the new trade rules for farmers will be phased in over a 15 year transition period and the deal contains the 'strongest possible' protections for UK farmers.
Advertisement

Incredible colourised pictures have been revealed featuring some of Londons most iconic landmarks from times past.

One image, from 1948, showed crowds of people gathered in front of Buckingham Palace, awaiting news as the then-Princess Elizabeth gave birth to her first child.

In another, from 1946, a goggled man drives a vintage Panhard-Levassor automobile through London near Big Ben.

The amazing snaps have been newly released by the TopFoto archives and painstakingly colourised.

In the twenty years following World War II, London was in a period of rebuilding, recovering from the physical impact of the Blitz and the emotional impact of the war.

People started to return to London, with soldiers coming home from war and children rejoining their families after having been evacuated - but unfortunately there were 30,000 Londoners who did not survive the war.

 Slide me  Excited crowds gather in front of Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948, awaiting the birth of then-Princess Elizabeth's first child. Prince Charles was the firstborn of The Queen and Prince Philip, as well as the first grandchild of King George VI.

 Slide me  A goggled man drives a vintage Panhard-Levassor car through London near Big Ben, 1946. Panhard et Levassor, later shortened to Panhard, was one of the first French automobile firms - opening in 1887. It was acquired by Renault in 2012.

 Slide me  Grenadier guards present outside Buckingham Palace in 1950. The Grenadiers are an infantry regiment of the British Army and can trace their lineage back to 1656 when a Royal regiment of guards was founded by King Charles II.

 Slide me  Westminster Abbey in the 1950s. The abbey has been the centre stage for England's monarchy since it was first built in 960, with much of the current building dating to the 13th century. It was the scene of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 and the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

 Slide me  Beefeaters run through drills in front of Buckingham Palace. Members of the group, which wears London's most memorable uniform, famously went on strike over pension changes in 2018, picketing outside Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London.

 Slide me  Men removing sandbags from Westminster Abbey as work begins on rebuilding the city in 1945. Around 60,000 sandbags were placed around royal tombs during the Second World War to protect them against the risk of blast damage. Stained glass windows were also covered.

 Slide me  Choristers line up on their way to service in Westminster Abbey in 1947. Today, services in the abbey are still sung by the world-renowned choir of Westminster Abbey - many of whose members attend the attached choir school.

 Slide me  Two boys play in the sand on the bank of the River Thames in the 1950s. The waterfront along Bermondsey was one of the most polluted areas in London in the 19th century, but had vastly improved by the time this picture was taken.

 Slide me  A shot of trams crossing Westminster Bridge with Big Ben in the background, 1938. A bridge has existed on the site since 1750 and it was built after complaints that the nearest bridge at Kingston was becoming overwhelmed with passing trade.

 Slide me  A group of schoolchildren admiring a dodo at the Natural History Museum in 1949. The museum as we know it today opened in 1883, housing the collections from an earlier museum, after a building project which lasted over seven years.

 Slide me  A boy plays on the snow-covered cannons by the River Thames in 1962, near the Shad Thames along the river bank in Bermondsey, with Tower Bridge in the background, as well as some emblems of London's industrial past. In the 19th century, the Shad Thames area contained the city's largest warehouse complex, in which goods from boats were regularly unloaded.

 Slide me  A group of men setting off for the annual Stock Exchange Walk from London to Brighton in 1950. The walk was the brainchild of exchange member William Bramson in 1903, who decided members should embrace the rage for 'pedestrianism' and walk the 53 mile distance from Westminster Bridge to Brighton's sea front.

 Slide me  Famous steeplejack, Mr Larkins, cleans the face of Big Ben in 1924. The Westminster landmark has been undergoing a 80million restoration since 2017 - which has been significantly delayed due to the Covid pandemic - and may conclude next year.

Those who did took renewed interest in their city, exploring landmarks and enjoying the freedom of peace.

Other pictures in the set show landmarks from across the city, including men removing sandbags from Westminster Abbey in 1945, a group of men setting off for the annual Stock Exchange Walk from London to Brighton, and a group of beefeaters practising drills outside Buckingham Palace.
A parish magazine is facing a backlash after publishing a cartoon about a woman and a priest joking about the murder of an MP.

Residents reacted with fury over the 'joke' cartoon published in Instow Parish News - a parish magazine covering the North Devon village and nearby Westleigh and West Yelland.

The cartoon features an elderly woman giving a confession to a priest, saying: 'Bless me, father, for I have sinned. Last night I killed a politician...'

The priest responds: 'My daughter, I'm here to listen to your sins, not your community service work.'

The cartoon was published in the magazine's August edition, two months before the killing of MP Sir David Amess.

The Tory politician was stabbed to death at a constituency surgery held in a church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex earlier this month.

The cartoon has since been removed from the online edition of the publication, after a backlash from residents who wrote in to the publication saying it was in 'bad taste'.

And now one councillor from the area now called for an end of 'demonising our MPs' in the wake of Sir David's death.

Residents reacted with fury over the 'joke' cartoon published in Instow Parish News - a parish magazine covering the North Devon village and nearby Westleigh and West Yelland

The row over the carton began after it was first published in the Instow Parish News magazine in August.

A number of residents wrote into the magazine, which is published in print and online, to complain about the joke, including the local Bishop Revd. Brenda Jacobs.

One resident, John Collins, wrote in a letter, published in September's version of the magazine: 'Unfortunately a joke - which this clearly was - can sometimes touch a raw nerve.

'Politicians are quite often the butt of our satire for many reasons, but they nevertheless put themselves forward for public service, and in the main they deserve our respect, if not our support.

'A democracy, like ours, is not something to be taken for granted; large swathes of the population do not live in one.

The carton was published in Instow Parish News (pictured: The latest edition) - a parish magazine covering the North Devon village and nearby Westleigh and West Yelland

'Moreover, throughout history politicians of all persuasions have sometimes been killed simply for what they stand for. It is not a laughing matter.'

Councillor Colin Frajbis, the editor of the Instow, Westleigh & West Yelland Parish Council magazine, later wrote that he thought the joke to be appropriate at the time but considered it a 'misjudgement' in hindsight.

He added: 'I'm sorry that some readers appear to have been so offended by the cartoon on page eleven of the last edition of the parish news.

'In my defence, I would point out that the contribution was obviously intended as a light-hearted comment on the general public's feeling about the all too often frustratingly evasive and disingenuous behaviour of their political masters.

'There is a reason that, rightly or wrongly, politicians regularly figure so prominently in polls of least trusted professions.

'Having said that, I accept that it was a misjudgement in the current atmosphere to use the cartoon. The decision was mine and mine alone.

'In light of several criticisms and recognising my error I removed the cartoon from the online editions as soon as I could but could not nothing about the print issue - it already having been published and distributed.'

But in the light of Sir David's death, Councillor Pru Maskell, a Conservative from North Devon, has criticised the publication of the cartoon.

She told Devon Live: 'I feel very strongly that we need to stop the continual demonising of our MP's on social media and in the press.'

She said claimed the cartoon was a joke aimed at the North Devon MP Selaine Saxby.

Councillor Maskell said: 'Our North Devon MP Selaine Saxby has been subject to a rather nasty cartoon in her parish magazine which is written and edited by a parish councillor.

The carton was published in the magazine's August edition, two months before the killing of MP Sir David Amess (pictured). The Tory politician was stabbed to death at a constituency surgery held in a church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex earlier this month

'The cartoon, published in the August edition, shows a parishioner in the confessional box in church, confessing to killing a politician, to which the priest says she has been doing her community a service.

'A number of people wrote in the following month to complain, including the local bishop.

'The editor, Councillor Colin Frajbis, published a poor apology, which tried to justify his actions by questioning the behaviour of politicians, basically saying that they deserve everything they get.

'Selaine is understandably upset that in the community where she lives, a fellow political figure thinks that this is acceptable to incite ill feeling towards her and in light of the events of Friday, this sort of language 'killing a politician' is abhorrent.'

A number of people were published in a subsequent edition having written to the editor to complain about the joke, including the local Bishop Revd. Brenda Jacobs.

MailOnline has contacted Instow Parish Council for comment.
A cinema, a barber shop and an entire beachside resort are on urgent Covid alert with hundreds plunged into isolation after an infected Uber driver spent 10 days in the community - sparking fears Queensland could be forced into another lockdown.

Duran Raman, aged in his 30s and unvaccinated, tested positive to the virus on Wednesday, bringing an end to the state's 15-day Covid-free streak.

Health authorities said the exercise enthusiast, who is 'so sick he can barely speak', has lived in a private resort in Broadbeach for about 12 months and was out and about around the Gold Coast while infectious.

If he spread the virus to other people while out in the community, Queensland's notoriously cautious health officials could order a snap lockdown - particularly if any unlinked cases emerge.

Eight new alerts were issued for several venues on Wednesday night, including a cinema, barber shop, petrol station, and the entirety of Island Beach Resort where he'd been staying, as contact tracers scramble to stem a possible outbreak.

Duran Raman, aged in his 30s, (pictured) was infectious in the community for up to 10 days after returning from a trip to Melbourne on October 10

Guests, residents, and workers who have been at Island Beach Resort in Broadbeach (pictured) anytime from Saturday through to Tuesday have been plunged into isolation

Adding to the difficulty of their task, Mr Raman - who was unvaccinated and shared anti-vax videos over his social media accounts - allegedly has not used Queensland's QR check-in system for over a month, according to health officials.

Of the new exposure sites, authorities are most concerned about Gilly Barber in Richlands and Stafford's Hoyts Cinema, which were both visited on October 18 between 5.10pm to 6pm and 7.15pm to 10.45pm, respectively.

Both venues have been deemed close contact sites, with anyone who was there during the time window of concern urged to immediately isolate, get tested, and quarantine for 14 days.

Freedom Fuels, in Acacia Ridge, is now considered a casual contact site on Tuesday 19, between 6.25pm-640pm.

The same applies to Mr Raman's home, Island Beach Resort, which is the subject of four alerts after residents were exposed all day on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Hoyts Cinema in Stafford (pictured) has been declared a close contact venue for Monday October 18, between 7.15pm to 10.45pm

Anyone who visited Freedom Fuels in Acacia Ridge (pictured) on Tuesday is considered a casual contact

Everyone who was at the resort or petrol shop during those times will need to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result - including cleaners, front desk staff, and guests.

Mr Raman, who was a member of gym EMF Performance centre, which has branches across the city, tested positive at Robina Hospital on Wednesday before Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the new case on Thursday.

It is alleged he checked out of the hospital before the results came back and had to be tracked down at his home by police and health authorities when he could not be contacted, the Courier Mail reports.

Police arrived at the resort, where he lives alone, about 5.30pm on Wednesday and he was taken to Gold Coast University by an ambulance.

The gym junkie is no so sick with coronavirus it has proven difficult to get information on his movements since he returned from a trip to Melbourne on October 10.

Mr Raman shared his reaction to a Victorian Covid press conference from the start of September in which Premier Dan Andrews announced some eased restrictions.

He captioned the video posted to his Instagram: 'Mr Gronk. A dead set gronk'.

In the conference, the premier announced playgrounds would be reopening and authorised workers would once again be permitted in homes to provide services.

'Yay. The playgrounds are going to reopen. Wow,' Mr Raman is heard saying.

'Playgrounds and looking after kids, you f***ing gronk. You're a gronk, look at ya.'

QUEENSLAND'S NEW COVID-19 EXPOSURE SITES Anyone who visited the following venues is considered a close contact and should get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of result: Stafford: Hoyts Cinema - Monday 18 October, 7.15pm - 10.45pm Richlands: Gilly Barber - Monday 18 October, 5.10pm - 6pm Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received: Acacia Ridge: Freedom Fuels - Tuesday 19 October, 6.25- 6.40pm Broadbeach: Island Beach Resort - all day on Saturday October 16, Sunday October 17, Monday October 18, and Tuesday October 19 Anyone who attended the following venues at the times is considered low risk and should get tested at their earliest convenience, but do not need to isolate until a negative result is received: Stafford: Hoyts Cinema - Monday October 18, 7pm - 11 pm Advertisement

Queensland Police are currently investigating whether the Broadbeach man had tried to enter the state unlawfully after being turned away at the border.

It's believed the ride-share driver also visited Sydney in late September.

'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that [he was] not vaccinated.'

'We are a little bit concerned about this person that has been infectious in the community and if you have any symptoms whatsoever, now is the time to get vaccinated.'

Mr Raman, who has also played for local AFL team Broadbeach Cats, reportedly had a brush with the law earlier this year when he was charged with low-range drink driving and driving unlicensed.

He pleaded guilty to both charges in Southport Magistrates Court in June and was fined $1000 and banned from driving for two months.

The new case immediately raised fears of a repeat of Sydney's most recent Delta outbreak, which began with an infected limousine driver from the Northern Beaches.

It was one of five new cases reported on Thursday, the others acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine facilities.

The building manager of the Broadbeach resort, Greg Jermyn, told the ABC the driver returned a week ago and lived in a part of the resort with no other residents.

Mr Raman posted his reaction to a Covid press conference from the start of September in which Mr Andrews announced some eased restrictions, labelling the premier a 'gronk'

'We've got bookings over the weekend. I'm just ringing people and advising them that we've had a Covid case so you're better off to organise to go somewhere else. As if it's not bad enough as it is,' he said.

Mr Raman developed symptoms on October 11, the day after he returned from Melbourne, meaning his infectious period dates back to October 9.

'He is so sick. This is a man in his 30s. He is so sick that we are having difficulties talking to him and getting information from him,' Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said.

'We are working very closely with Uber to get information about whether he has had any drives during the time he was infectious.

'We don't have venues at this stage because he is so sick and having difficulty communicating with us and difficulty remembering, as you can imagine.'

Uber were quick to issue a statement that said the man had not driven with the service since September 19.

'We work with public health authorities in each state, and have processes in place to temporarily remove an individuals access to the Uber app if authorities report an infection,' it told Daily Mail Australia.

'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk (pictured) said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that they were not vaccinated'

The rideshare driver went to Robina Hospital emergency department yesterday, having become increasingly unwell following his return from Melbourne on October 10

'We may also limit other individuals access to the app if health authorities advise there is a risk.'

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has urged anyone who had been in the Broadbeach or greater Gold Coast areas since October 11 to monitor for symptoms.

'It is really important, please use the QR check-in,' she said, adding compliance in those areas 'had not always been great'.

Ms Palaszczuk said there were currently 156,000 people on the Gold Coast, 16 and over, who remained unvaccinated.

Although the state's exposure site list is likely to grow, Ms Palaszczuk said lockdown on the Gold Coast was not likely as a result of the new case because of the area's relatively high vaccination rate.

Queensland Health figures show more than 60 per cent of people in the Broadbeach area are fully-vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk was speaking in Mackay as part of a week-long tour to encourage vaccination rates in regional Queensland, where rates have been lagging.

The premier announced 73.21 per cent of the state had now received a first dose, while 58.07 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk identified a number of towns where she said vaccination rates were too low given the state's deadline of a phased reopening by November 19 and a full reopening on December 17.

The new case ends a run of 15 days in which Queensland has not had any community acquired cases of Covid-19 (pictured, locals enjoying a sunny day on the Gold Coast)

She mentioned Bowen at 48.4 per cent having received a first dose of vaccine, Moranbah at 46.5 per cent, Serena at 61 per cent and the Whitsundays at 63 per cent as places where rates were too low.

'We know Mackay and Proserpine and the Whitsundays are absolutely gateways for tourism,' she said. 'We know that, on December 17, there will be tourists coming from all around Australia so please go and get vaccinated.'

Queensland Health plans to turn 100 high schools into mass vaccination clinics across a number of areas of the state with lagging vaccination rates, including Mackay, West Moreton, Cairns, Townsville, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Metro South and Metro North.

Yesterday Ms Palaszczuk urged regional residents to 'hop on the lifeboat' by getting vaccinated before the December 17 reopening date.

'I can't look after you if you won't hop in the lifeboat,' she said at a press conference in Maryborough on Wednesday.

'We need everyone to get on the lifeboat and we'll be protected. We have 11 days to go to get everyone vaccinated.'

The premier warned the Sunshine State would reopen borders to the rest of Australia on December 17, even if the 80 per cent double-dose target is not reached.
Grieving families of the Manchester Arena terror attack have spoken of their 'horror' that the elder brother of suicide bomber Salman Abedi was allowed to leave the country just a day after police stopped him at airport.

Ismail Abedi, 28, flew out of the UK a day after he was stopped at Manchester Airport by police, the public inquiry into the May 2017 atrocity in which 22 people, many of them children, were murdered.

Officers used powers under counter-terrorism laws to question him for six hours, which caused him to miss his flight on August 28. However, his lawyers have said Ismail Abedi successfully boarded a plane at the same airport the next day and has not returned to the UK since.

Ismail Abedi had been called to give 'highly important' evidence on Thursday to explain how Salman, 22, and his 24-year-old brother Hashem - jailed for life after he aided the plot - became radicalised.

In a statement from eleven of the bereaved families, read outside court earlier today by Shane Smith from law firm Slater & Gordon, they said: 'We are appalled to learn that Ismail Abedi left the country in August, having been stopped at the airport once before.

'We want to put on record our horror that Ismail Abedi could be allowed to leave the country in the face of an upcoming appearance at a statutory inquiry which he had been ordered to attend.

'We are shocked that this can have been allowed to happen and we note the inquiry are seeking urgent clarification on this.

'Despite professing his innocence and claiming to disassociate himself from radical ideology and terrorism, he consciously chose not to attend today. A man who had genuinely rejected extremism would want to help the search for truth and would have been here today.

'Ismail Abedi is clearly not such a person but has taken the coward's way out.'

Officers using counter-terrorism powers interviewed Ismail Abedi (pictured), 28, which caused him to miss his intended flight from Manchester on August 28

The attack was committed by Salman Abedi (pictured), and aided by Hashem Abedi, 24, who was jailed for life last year

In a statement from eleven of the bereaved families, read outside court by Shane Smith from law firm Slater & Gordon, they said: 'We are appalled to learn that Ismail Abedi left the country in August, having been stopped at the airport once before'

The inquiry into the attack which claimed 22 lives will next hear from the police and security services, with several witnesses scheduled to give evidence behind closed doors

Bomber's friend denies 'trying to do a runner' and claims he was going hiking A close friend of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi has denied he tried to 'do a runner' before he was forced to attend to give evidence to the public inquiry into the attack. Ahmed Taghdi, 29, said he had been arrested at Manchester Airport on Saturday while going on a 'little break' hiking in Slovakia. He denied trying to flee the UK to avoid questions about his close relationship with the bomber and what he knew of the plot to attack the Manchester Arena. Another key witness, the bomber's brother Ismail Abedi, was also due to give evidence this week, but to the anger of the families of the 22 murdered, the inquiry was told on Thursday he was allowed to leave the UK in August. Both were arrested and questioned after the May 22, 2017 atrocity which also left hundreds injured. Neither were charged with any offence. Advertisement

Ismail Abedi was held by counter-terrorism police for a fortnight following his arrest in May 2017 before he was released - without charge - under investigation.

He denied any involvement in or knowledge of the bombing and stated he had played no part in the radicalisation of Salman Abedi.

In July, Ismail Abedi received a summons to attend the inquiry and was informed any objection needed to be received by mid-August.

When no response came, the inquiry's solicitor e-mailed Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and requested to be notified as soon as possible if they received any information 'to suggest that Ismail Abedi may not comply with the notice for example by leaving this jurisdiction'.

However, inquiry officials had no prior warning of Ismail Abedi's plans as they were not informed by Greater Manchester Police of either airport visit until August 31.

Ahmed Taghdi, 29, a childhood friend of Salman Abedi, was arrested over the weekend after he attempted to leave the country following the granting of a High Court order last week which ordered him to attend.

He gave evidence on Thursday before he was later released from custody.

Counsel to the inquiry Paul Greaney QC told inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders it was 'a matter of some doubt' whether the High Court would have been prepared to take enforcement action nearly two months before Ismail Abedi was due to give evidence but the inquiry had lost the opportunity to pursue that route.

He said: 'Whether something has gone wrong here in accordance with the existing structures of the law or whether the law was simply not adequate to deal with the situation we simply do not know at the moment.

'A situation in which this important witness has been able to flee and effectively laugh in the face of the inquiry is one which should never be permitted to occur again.'

Care worker, 28, 'might have survived Manchester Arena bombing if he had been treated at hospital' but went into cardiac arrest more than an hour after the blast, inquiry hears A Manchester Arena bombing victim might have survived if he had been treated at hospital before he went into cardiac arrest at the scene more than an hour after the blast, an inquiry has heard. Care worker John Atkinson, 28, from Bury, Greater Manchester, was six metres away from bomber Salman Abedi when he detonated the bomb at 10.31pm at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on May 22, 2017. The Manchester inquiry was told a member of the public, Ronald Blake, used his wife's belt to act as a tourniquet on Mr Atkinson's right leg after the blast in the City Room foyer and did not let go of it for nearly an hour. Meanwhile, a police officer who asked for assistance in moving Mr Atkinson said he felt 'ignored' by paramedics, and body-camera footage showed the care worker pleading with another officer to help him, saying he did not want to die. Mr Atkinson lost a significant amount of blood as he laid in agony on the foyer floor for 47 minutes before he was carried downstairs by police on a makeshift stretcher to a casualty clearing area at Victoria station. As ambulances queued outside, Mr Atkinson went into cardiac arrest at at 11.47pm - one hour and 16 minutes after the blast - and was rushed to Manchester Royal Infirmary at midnight. Advertisement

The inquiry heard Ismail Abedi told officials on the August 28 port stop that he intended to return to the UK, while Mr Greaney said a 'self-serving and frankly disgraceful' statement was received from his solicitor on Wednesday which 'makes plain that Ismail Abedi's failure to attend this hearing is entirely deliberate'.

The statement said Ismail Abedi 'intends no disrespect to any of the parties, but he is unwilling to give evidence'.

It pointed out 'hostile media coverage' that he received had led to fears for his safety and that of his family.

The statement said: 'The questions now asked by the inquiry are essentially the same as he was asked by the police. Any evidence he might give to the inquiry would be in public and open to cross-examination by other parties.

'Requiring him to attend before the inquiry will place him and his family at further risk. After all the problems he has been through, he does not seek to engage with the public and he has nothing to add to the information he has given in interviews.'

Paul Greaney QC told chairman Sir John Saunders it is 'a matter of some doubt' whether the High Court would have been prepared to take enforcement action nearly two months before Ismail Abedi was due to give evidence but the inquiry has lost the opportunity to pursue that route.

He said: 'That he (Ismail Abedi) has been able to thwart the wishes of the inquiry by getting on a plane is the subject of intense public concern and, moreover, anger among the bereaved families, and it has caused your inquiry team - and you - considerable frustration, to say the least.

'There is considerable doubt about whether the police had a power to prevent him from leaving when he did.

'They believe that they didn't and there must be some doubt whether the High Court would have been prepared to take action.

'It is not our intention to criticise anyone and it shouldn't be assumed that Greater Manchester Police failed to pass on the information promptly when received by them.

'And, in any event, we understand that they considered there was simply no power available to them to prevent his departure when he did, and they may well be right.

'Whether something has gone wrong here in accordance with the existing structures of the law, or whether the law was simply not adequate to deal with the situation, we simply do not know at the moment.'

He added: 'A situation in which this important witness has been able to flee and effectively laugh in the face of the inquiry is one which should never be permitted to occur again.'

The inquiry was told earlier this week Ismail was 'effectively laughing in the face of the inquiry' by being able to flee the country. Pictured: The aftermath of the attack

Abedi's other brother, Hashem Abedi, was previously found guilty of 22 counts of murder relating to the attack

The inquiry heard Ismail Abedi told officials during the August 28 airport stop he intended to return to the UK.

Mr Greaney said a 'self-serving and, frankly, disgraceful' statement was received from his solicitor on Wednesday which 'makes plain that Ismail Abedi's failure to attend this hearing is entirely deliberate'.

Duncan Atkinson QC, representing some of the bereaved families, said: 'The families have the very gravest of concerns and the most extreme sense of frustration that this has occurred, not only that so important a witness has flouted this inquiry but has shown such profound disrespect to the families in doing so.'

Sir John said he does not want to rush to judgment but would like a detailed explanation from GMP and what governed their actions or lack thereof.

He said: 'I fully recognise the frustration that must be felt by the families. We all wanted him to be here to answer questions.

'Whether he would have been able to claim privilege against self-incrimination, I have no idea, but the reality is we have lost the opportunity to do that, so I recognise the frustrations.'
The federal judge assigned on Tuesday to hear Donald Trump's lawsuit against the House Select Committee on January 6 has a history of harsh words and harsh sentencing for people involved in the Capitol attack.

She denounced the rioters as a 'violent mob seeking to overthrow the lawfully elected government' during the sentencing hearing of one participant, Matthew Mazzocco, who she sentenced to 45 days in jail despite prosecutors not recommending any incarceration.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan was handed the case at random a day after Trump filed the suit in a bid to block the release of records to the Democrat-led committee. The case is expected to test the limits of executive privilege.

Overseeing the potentially landmark case is a 59-year-old Washington, DC judge who was appointed by Barack Obama in 2013.

Public records show she donated around $2,200 to Obama in 2008, when she was a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner.

Already Chutkan is known for handing down sentences of at least 14 days for Capitol riot defendants who've entered her courtroom.

During the sentencing hearing of Capitol rioter Mazzocco, she condemned the Trump supporters as a 'very real danger' to democracy, CNN reported.

Prosecutors recommended home confinement for Mazzocco's misdemeanor charge but Chutkan reportedly disagreed.

US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan (left, pictured attending Antonin Scalia's memorial) was randomly assigned Donald Trump's lawsuit (pictured leaving Trump Tower on Oct. 18)

'There have to be consequences for participating in an attempted violent overthrow of the government, beyond sitting at home,' she said in court.

Chutkan said the rioters had 'soiled and defaced the halls of the Capitol.'

She went after Trump directly when she said Mazzocco didn't go to the Capitol on January 6 'out of any love for our country.'

'He went for one man,' the judge said.

She also slammed comparisons to earlier Black Lives Matter protests in DC.

'To compare the actions of people around the country protesting, mostly peacefully, for civil rights, to a violent mob seeking to overthrow the lawfully elected government is a false equivalency and downplays the very real danger that the crowd on January 6 posed to our democracy.' Chutkan said.

An earlier case of Chutkan's made headlines in 2019 when she sentenced Russian spy Maria Butina to 18 months in prison for conspiring to infiltrate the National Rifle Association.

That sentence was in line with the government's recommendation.

In his lawsuit filed on Monday Trump panned the bipartisan January 6 committee's quest for information as 'harassment.'

He said their request for documents was 'illegal, unfounded and overbroad.'

'The Committees request amounts to nothing less than a vexatious, illegal fishing expedition openly endorsed by Biden and designed to unconstitutionally investigate President Trump and his administration,' the lawsuit read.

The committee, led by Democrat Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Republican Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, requested the National Archives turn over White House records related to the Capitol riot.

The January 6 panel is looking for White House records related to the Capitol riot

Joe Biden greenlit an earlier batch of documents to be handed over earlier this month, but Trump claims he can still assert executive privilege over it if Biden won't.

The panel also sent subpoenas to people in Trump's orbit including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, ex- Pentagon official Kash Patel, his former social media aide Dan Scavino and political strategist Steve Bannon.

Bannon has refused to provide testimony until Trump's assertion of executive privilege has been resolved by a court or through negotiations with the committee.

A full House vote on whether to hold Bannon in contempt is taking place today.

Trump's lawyer in the lawsuit is Jesse Binnall of Virginia law firm Binnall Law Group. He has not returned a request for comment.

Binnall previously defended onetime Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had twice pleaded guilty in DC federal court to a false statement charge amid the FBI investigation of Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Trump pardoned Flynn in November 2020.

Judge Chutkan will be overseeing another Capitol riot case today. Defendant Troy Smocks pleaded guilty last month to threatening to harm law enforcement on his social media.

A lawyer for Smocks has asked for a sentence of about nine months, as time already served incarcerated.

Chutkan is married to fellow Obama appointee Associate Judge Peter Krauthamer of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The former Democratic president picked him for the 15-year term in 2011.
Brian Laundrie's parents may have already spilled what they know about Gabby Petito's murder to the FBI to avoid obstruction charges, law enforcement experts have told DailyMail.com.

Christopher and Roberta Laundrie joined the hunt for their fugitive son Wednesday and within hours cops had finally located his backpack, notepad and possible remains in Florida swampland.

Authorities said the breakthrough - five weeks into the manhunt - came after receding water levels allowed greater access to some of keen hiker Brian's favorite trails and hangouts in the alligator-infested Carlton Nature Reserve.

But former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan thinks authorities issued the Laundries with a behind-the-scenes ultimatum: help us find Brian or face years behind bars yourselves.

Roberta Laundrie was last seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos Wednesday after she and husband Chris returned from the Carlton Reserve where human remains were found

Law enforcement experts tell DailyMail.com it's possible Chris and Roberta - who have remained tight-lipped on son and person of interest Brian Laundrie - are finally speaking up

The couple has come under scrutiny since their son went on the run after Gabby Petito's body was found. Pictured: Chris Laundrie returns home Wednesday

'There's no doubt that Brian Laundrie's parents are fully engaged with law enforcement,' Kaplan told DailyMail.com.

'I do believe that there was some sort of agreement where they accepted immunity in exchange for their full cooperation.'

Despite a rash of unconfirmed sightings across the US, police and FBI search teams had maintained a laser focus on the sprawling Carlton Reserve ever since Laundrie, 23, was reported missing by his parents on September 17.

Gabby's remains were found two days later at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Ground in Grand Teton National Park.

The 22-year-old travel vlogger's death was declared a homicide by strangling and Laundrie - who came home from a cross-country road trip without her on September 1 - remains the only confirmed person of interest.

'I think from the very beginning that Brian Laundrie's parents were torn between wanting to protect their son and not wanting to cross a line that would put them in the crosshairs of law enforcement,' added Kaplan, now a criminal defense lawyer.

Human remains and a backpack were found near a bridge between Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park and the Carlton Reserve, just four miles north of Brian Laundrie's home, just a mile or two into the park. The Laundrie parents say they told the police that it's where Brian might have been, but the portion of the land was submerged in water when cops first searched it in September

Brian Laundrie, 23, is the sole suspect in the murder of his 22-year-old fiancee Gabby Petito. Her strangled body was found in September, weeks after she was last seen alive. The pair were on a cross-country camper van trip when she vanished and he went home in September

Christopher, 62, and Roberta, 55, initially told the North Port Police Department they last saw their son when he headed off to go hiking at the reserve on September 14

Former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan says he believes 'there was some sort of agreement where they accepted immunity in exchange for their full cooperation'

'If you lie to a federal agent, mislead them or give them false information that can lead to prosecution for obstruction of justice and you could be looking at five years in jail. And it's an easy trap to fall into.'

Christopher, 62, and Roberta, 55, initially told the North Port Police Department they last saw their son when he headed off to go hiking at the reserve on September 14, leaving his Ford Mustang parked nearby and never returning to it.

The couple came under renewed scrutiny, however, when they suddenly 'revised' their timeline, saying through their attorney, Steven Bertolino, that they last saw him on the evening of September 13.

'The probability is strong that it is Brian's remains, but we're going to wait for the forensic results to come in and verify that,' Bertolino told CNN on Wednesday night.

He said Christopher and Roberta would wait until a final determination was made before making any comment.

To date the couple have not said a single word publicly about Brian and Gabby, who got engaged last year and lived under their roof before they headed off in July for a road trip in a converted van.

Chris and Roberta Laundrie (pictured) alerted investigators on Tuesday night that they intended to search Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park for their son on Wednesday morning. The FBI and North Port Police Department agreed to meet them at the park

A police officer is pictured walking in the Carlton Reserve with what appears to be the dry bag discovered by Laundrie's father in the preserve. The discovery was made on Wednesday, five weeks after he went on the run following the disappearance of his fiancee Gabby Petito. She was found strangled to death in September in Wyoming

The Sarasota County Medical Examiner's Office was at the scene Wednesday after human remains were found. It's unclear how long it may take for the remains to be formally identified

Pictured: A map showing the location of where Laundrie's belongings were found near a bridge connecting the the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park and the adjoining Carlton Reserve, in relation to the Laundrie family home in North Port, Florida (pictured bottom right). The home is located around four miles south of where the belongings were found

Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told DailyMail.com that if Laundrie's parents knew his whereabouts, they could be vulnerable to aiding and abetting charges but cautioned that authorities would need compelling evidence in the event Brian was confirmed dead.

'That evidence could include text messages telling him to run or telling him they were going to destroy evidence,' Coffindaffer speculated.

'There's no blood involved in a strangulation but there could be some cells on his clothing. I think the strongest possibility would be an obstruction charge on the cleaning of the Petito van.'

Without such evidence there is nothing, however, that prosecutors can do to force Christopher and Roberta Laundrie into revealing what Brian told them in the 12 days he spent at home before disappearing under the noses of police.

'They can't be compelled. But you would hope, especially since now that it appears their son is dead, that if they are decent people they will disclose what they know,' Coffindaffer added.

DailyMail.com spotted Brian Laundrie's parents on a five-hour shopping trip Tuesday morning

They also refused to answer DailyMail.com's inquiries of 'is he in the park, did you help him get there?' in reference to the massive swampland search for survivalist Brian, 23, that started nearly five weeks ago at the alligator-infested Carlton Reserve near North Port

'The guilt builds and I would not be surprised at all if one of them came forward, eventually, although it could take a long time.'

At a briefing Wednesday afternoon FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson confirmed that human remains had been found in an area of the 24,000-acre Carlton Reserve that was previously submerged in water.

The reserve has been reopened to the public but Bertolino told NewsNation that he contacted police on Tuesday to tell them the Laundries wanted to resume the search personally now that the water level had receded.

Christopher had previously joined investigators to look for his son but this was the first time he was accompanied by his wife.

Bertolino said the parents spread out on either side of a trail. A short while later Christopher found a bag containing some of Brian's items while a cop accompanying Roberta found the backpack.

McPherson did not discuss the condition of the human remains found nearby but the painstaking use of cadaver dogs over a wide section of swamp is telling, according to his former FBI colleagues.

North Port cops block the entrance to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park Wednesday after items belong to Brian Laundrie and potential human remains were found in a Florida wilderness park during a search for clues

At a briefing at 4.30pm, FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson confirmed that human remains had been found, but he would not speculate on the identity of those remains, nor would he reveal how long they had been there

A crowd of spectators listen in on a press conference held by Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Field Office Michael McPherson at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port Wednesday

'The reality is very morbid but when you're exposed to the natural elements, wildlife can be drawn to the body. You only have to live in Florida for a brief period of time and know we're surrounded by coyotes, alligators, bobcats, even panthers,' Kaplan told DailyMail.com.

'So I think the fact that you saw the cadaver dogs gridding that area leads me to believe that there were parts that would not be intact and that may have been scattered about. They may have some difficulty in retrieving the entire body.'

The FBI in Denver revealed on September 23 that Laundrie was wanted on a federal arrest warrant over the unauthorized use of a credit card, however Bertolino insists the alleged criminality occurred after Gabby's death and is 'not related to her actual demise'.

Nonetheless the FBI referred to the case as a murder for the first time at Wednesday's briefing, just days after a Wyoming coroner said the cause of death was strangulation and that domestic violence played a role.

'I think Brian went there to kill himself,' added Coffindaffer. 'The fact that he left behind his wallet and his phone, leads me to believe that he planned this.

'It's terribly sad for the Petitos but there's no way to get closure, honestly, if he doesn't go to trial. And it looks increasingly like that's going to be the case here.'
Officials slammed bystanders who failed to call 911 and instead filmed as a man went on a gun rampage and killed his girlfriend.

Jarvis Jarrette, 32, leapt from balcony to balcony at the Atlanta high-rise where he shot Courtney Cox, who he began dating over the summer.

He engaged cops in a gun battle before turning the weapon on himself.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said during a news conference: 'Just a reminder to the public to please call 911.

'We did start receiving phone calls but social media received information, and has received more information, quite frankly, than we have received through our 911 center.'

'So for us to be able to appropriately respond and assess, we just ask if you can put down your camera, put down your phone, call 911 and then allow us to do what we do.'

Police Chief Rodney Bryant said authorities recovered multiple firearms from Jarrette in their investigation and they were able to locate him using, in part, drone footage.

It comes just days after passengers stood by and filmed as a man raped a woman on a Philadelphia train.

Police say that as many as 10 bystanders on the train did nothing but pull out their phones to film as Fiston Ngoy sexually assaulted the stranger.

Officials are irate after discovering that crowds filmed an Atlanta gunman in action with their cell phones rather than stop him as he killed his girlfriend, Courtney Cox (pictured)

The shooter, 32-year-old Jarvis Jarrette, leapt from balcony to balcony at the high-rise where he shot Cox

The shooting took place in the early morning hours of Wednesday on West Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta. Officers responded to a report of gunfire at the building at 3:14 am.

When they approached, they saw Jarrette actively shooting from a balcony before turning a rifle at the responding officers. At least one returned fire.

When they got to Cox's apartment, they found her dead. They then found Jarrette also dead on the balcony.

It was a second incident in the past week where bystanders in a major city pressed record rather than dialing 911.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appeared frustrated when making pleas for citizens to contact 911 rather than just hit the record button

The shooting took place in the early morning hours of Wednesday on West Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta. Officers responded to a report of gunfire at the building at 3:14 am

When officers approached, they saw Jarrette actively shooting from a balcony before turning a rifle at the responding officers. At least one returned fire

Passengers on board a metro Philadelphia train who filmed a man raping a stranger will not face charges for failing to intervene, prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday - despite widespread outrage at their actions.

Fiston Ngoy, a 35-year-old from the Congo who has been living illegally in the U.S. since 2015, was arrested and charged in the horrifying attack last Wednesday.

He is seen on surveillance camera footage on board a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transport Authority (SEPTA) train near the suburb of Upper Darby.

Police say that as many as 10 bystanders on the train did nothing but pull out their phones to film as Ngoy sexually assaulted the stranger shortly after 9.15pm.

The attack continued until 9.52pm, when an off-duty transit worker eventually called 911.

'It's still an open investigation, but there is no expectation at this time that we will charge passengers,' said Margie McAboy, spokeswoman for the Delaware County District Attorney's office.

District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said prosecutors want witnesses to come forward, rather than fearing prosecution.

'Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of a passenger who may have witnessed a crime.'

Fiston Ngoy, 35, was present in the US illegally when he was charged with raping a woman on a Philadelphia train

SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas Nestel III, seen through window at left, stands by during a news conference regarding the horrifying sex attack on a SEPTA train last week

The assault took place in Northeast Philadelphia aboard a SEPTA train

Authorities continue to investigate the October 13 attack, where a woman was repeatedly touched and groped over the course of a 40-minute ride.

The attack continued despite her trying to push Ngoy away, according to an arrest affidavit that detailed the surveillance footage from the train.

Investigators say Ngoy ripped the woman's pants off and proceeded to rape her for somewhere between six and eight minutes before officers boarded the train and detained him.

Ngoy sat down next to the woman about a minute after he boarded the train car, shortly after 9.15pm, investigators wrote in an affidavit of probable cause for his arrest, obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Surveillance video, which police have not released, shows him forcing himself on her as she pushed him away multiple times for over 30 minutes, until he is seen ripping off her pants around 9.52pm.

Jack Stollsteimer, the district attorney, said he was not intending on prosecuting people for failing to assist the woman during the attack

Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said that while there were multiple people on the train, it was ultimately an off-duty SEPTA employee who made the call to 911, which allowed officers to arrest Ngoy.

Bernhardt said officers responded within three minutes following the lone 911 call, which came when the SEPTA employee saw Ngoy forcefully pulling off the victim's clothes.

Police would not disclose exactly how many witnesses were there and how many filmed the scene, but it the train made 27 stops on SEPTA's busiest route in the time Ngoy assaulted the woman.

'There was a lot of people, in my opinion, that should have intervened. Somebody should have done something,' Bernhardt said.

'It speaks to where we are in society and who would allow something like that to take place. So it's troubling.'

SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas Nestel III told Philadelphia radio station WPHT on Tuesday that the attack was deeply concerning.

'As many as 10 people actually saw some part of the attack on this rider,' he said.

Describing police review of surveillance video, Nestel said: 'We were watching to see if somebody put a phone up to their ear indicating they might be calling 911.

'Instead, what we saw was people holding their phone up as if they were recording or taking pictures.'

Transit officials speak at the 69th Street Transportation Center, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, in Philadelphia, following a brutal rape on the train, as other riders watched, over the weekend

SEPTA spokesman John Golden added in a statement: 'It may have been stopped sooner if a rider called 911.'
News organisations such as MailOnline should be given a 'positive exemption' from the provisions of the new Online Safety Bill, an industry representative said today.

Peter Wright, editor emeritus of DMG Media, said social media platforms should not moderate journalistic content when it is produced by 'recognised news publishers'.

He told a Parliamentary committee that he was 'hugely sceptical' about Facebook's teams of fact checkers with some appearing to be 'single-issue lobby groups'.

Speaking to the Joint Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill, he also pointed out that Google and Facebook's algorithms and artificial intelligence are 'very poor'.

Mr Wright added DMG's titles including MailOnline were already 'fully subject to the law' and there could be a case where it is following the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) code of conduct but breaking a US tech firm's terms of service.

He wants a positive exemption for journalism from the provisions of the bill, which aims to establish a new regulatory framework to tackle harmful content online.

Facebook and Google will fall within the scope of the new bill, which will give UK regulator Ofcom the power to hand out multi-million pound fines to tech companies.

Peter Wright, editor emeritus of DMG Media, whose brands include MailOnline and the Daily Mail, gives evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill today

Mr Wright was asked today about whether the protection given to journalistic organisations from the duty of care principles within the bill was sufficient.

He said: 'My reading of the bill is that we're protected in the first case by the fact that the duty of care does not apply to our content, both on our own websites but also when it's distributed on search and social media, so there's no obligation on the platforms to censor our content.

Social media bosses face tough criminal sanctions for hosting extremist content Social media bosses could face 'criminal sanctions with tough sentences' if they allow extremist content to appear on their platforms, Boris Johnson said yesterday. He told MPs that the forthcoming Online Safety Bill would tackle web giants if they allow 'foul content' to circulate. And he promised the long-awaited legislation would make quick progress in the Commons, with the bill receiving its second reading before Christmas. But a Whitehall source later said the second reading might not take place until early next year. Published in May, the draft bill gives regulator Ofcom the power to impose multibillion-pound fines on technology giants that fail to show a duty of care to users. But it stops short of bringing criminal sanctions against bosses. Instead, a new criminal offence for managers has been included as a deferred power that can be introduced if Ofcom finds that firms are failing to keep to their new responsibilities. Some campaigners have raised fears that the rules risk stifling the free press, 'silencing marginalised voices' and introducing 'state-backed censorship'. Advertisement

'However, the problem comes because there is also no compulsion on them not to, and clearly the authors of the bill envisage that they will block and take down items of content because the journalistic protections are there.

'And the journalistic protections specifically apply to news publisher content, so we have to look at the journalistic protections and ask how effective they are, and in my view they're not effective.'

He added that the moderation of content by social media firms will be done by algorithm, and the bill puts them under threat of possible criminal penalties.

Mr Wright continued: 'And their inevitable response to that will be to set the parameters of any moderation they do as widely as possible. It's human nature  they'll want to protect themselves. So they'll be using a very blunt instrument.

'I saw in Google's submission, they say their algorithms are very poor at understanding context, they're going to find moderating journalism particularly difficult.

'And we also know from articles in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend that Facebook's artificial intelligence is very poor at actually moderating this type of content. But what does the bill demand of them? That they take freedom of expression into account?

'Well, that can mean almost anything. It's left to the platforms to determine how they do this, what rules they set.'

The Wall Street Journal claimed that documents revealed Facebook's artificial intelligence cannot consistently identify first-person shooting videos, racist rants and even the difference between cockfighting and car crashes.

Mr Wright continued: 'From what I've seen of how Facebook have been trying to moderate journalism in the USA  where they're doing it for completely different reasons, they had an advertiser boycott last year, which has prompted them to do this - it's arbitrary, it often fails to understand the nature of the content, it's imposed without any sort of process, it is not in line with English legal thinking on journalism, which is that the editor must take responsibility for what he or she publishes, and pay the consequences afterwards.

Facebook will fall within the scope of the new bill, which will give UK regulator Ofcom the power to hand out multi-million pound fines to tech companies

'It's blocking before people have had an opportunity to read it. And they also outsource their decisions to fact checkers of which there are large numbers, and some of which appear to be single-issue lobby groups under another guise.

Scandal-hit Facebook 'planning to change its name' Facebook is set to unveil a major rebrand in a bid to put recent scandals over its social media platforms behind it. Founder Mark Zuckerberg is said to be planning a new name for the tech giant, which owns Instagram and Whatsapp. A holding company is expected to be created to encompass the firms it has taken over in recent years, with the Facebook app retaining its name. Facebook is under pressure after leaked internal research revealed bosses knew its platforms were fuelling hate and worsening teenagers' mental health. And at the US Congress this month, a former worker accused the firm of prioritising 'astronomical' profits over user safety. The multi-billion pound company is also facing investigations from regulators in the UK, US and the European Union over its market dominance. Yesterday Britain's Competition and Markets Authority fined it 50million for 'deliberate failure' to comply with a probe into its takeover of the Giphy website. Mr Zuckerberg will discuss the rebrand at the company's Connect conference on October 28, tech website The Verge said. It is believed the new name could be Horizon  a word used in two virtual reality products Facebook is developing. But it remained tight-lipped, saying it 'doesn't comment on rumour'. Advertisement

'So I'm hugely sceptical about this and in my view the exemption needs to be made a positive exemption so that the duty of care obliges platforms not to moderate journalistic content when it's produced by recognised news publishers, for which there is a very good definition in the bill.'

Speaking about the issues this raises in terms of where content could be deemed to fall within one set of policies set by Ipso, but breach another set by Facebook, Mr Wright added: 'We're fully subject to the law. We are also subject to regulation in the case of our company, our titles are regulated by Ipso, our journalists are obliged to follow a code of conduct.

'Other companies have slightly different arrangements - the Guardian follows the same code of conduct as us but isn't a member of Ipso.

'Redress is available. We employ trained journalists, we have teams of lawyers, we are not the problem this bill is trying to address  and enormous energy has been spent over the last decade debating regulation of the Press, and enormous energy continues to go into refining and improving defamation law, so all the necessary procedures for dealing with journalistic content when produced by proper, responsible news publishers is in place.

'And this raises the danger of setting up an entirely separate and different system of regulation.'

Former minister David Davis warned in June that the Online Safety Bill will be 'catastrophic' for ordinary people's freedom of speech.

The Conservative MP said forcing social networks to take down content in Britain they deem unacceptable 'seems out of Orwell's 1984'.

Mr Davis, 72, slammed the idea Silicon Valley firms could take down posts they think are 'not politically correct - even though it is legal'.

The backbencher's calls were echoed by the Index on Censorship magazine and a top media barrister Gavin Millar QC who launched the 'Legal to Say. Legal to Type' campaign to scrutinise and push back against the bill.

It hands more power to Ofcom, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and social media platforms to regulate what news users see on social media.

Mr Wright told how Google said their algorithms are 'very poor at understanding context'

It says platforms have a duty to protect journalistic content but can still take down or block content if it generates complaints.

Ofcom will be in charge of regulating social media firms, with the power to issue fines up to 18million and block access for repeat offences.

The aim is to make Britain one of the safest places to be online in the world - especially for children.

But its implications for the press have prompted a backlash from free-speech campaigners, civil liberties groups and media organisations.

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen will give evidence to the same Parliamentary committee on October 25, after her bombshell testimony to the US Congress on October 5

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen will give evidence to the same committee on October 25, after her bombshell testimony to the US Congress on October 5.

Miss Haugen, a former product manager on Facebook's civic misinformation team, has been invited to help inform the committee in how they will shape the bill.

Earlier this month she went before Congress in Washington DC to accuse the social media platform of failing to make changes to Instagram, which it owns.

She said internal research had showed its apparent harm to some teenagers and claimed Facebook was being dishonest in its public fight against hate and misinformation.

MailOnline has contacted Facebook and Google for comment this afternoon.
The California mother who has been accused of hosting alcohol-fueled sex parties across two states for her 15-year-old son and his school friends was denied bail on Wednesday and was hit with 15 protective orders barring her from contacting the victims, including her own child.

Shannon O'Connor, 47, also known as Shannon Bruga, was extradited from Idaho to Santa Clara County, California, on Tuesday and appeared before a judge the following day.

O'Connor, a mother-of-two, allegedly organized at least a half-dozen large parties and a smattering of smaller gatherings at her home in Los Gatos, but also in Santa Cruz and Lake Tahoe, where prosecutors said she would ply 14- and 15-year-olds with vodka, hand out condoms, encourage minors to have sex, and even watch and laugh while the teenagers engaged in sex acts, some of which were said to be nonconsensual.

O'Connor was arraigned on Wednesday on 39 charges, including felony child endangerment, child molestation, sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and ordered jailed without bond pending her next court appearance scheduled for December 17.

Bail was denied Wednesday for Shannon O'Connor (pictured in court), a California mother accused of hosting alcohol-fueled parties for her teenage son and his friends where she encouraged them to drink and have sex with intoxicated girls

O'Connor's defense lawyer, Sam Polverino (right), argued that the no-bail order has violated his client's civil rights

Officials in Idaho, where O'Connor had recently moved with her children, stated that when deputies arrived to arrest her earlier this month on a fugitive warrant, they found a dozen teenagers at her home.

Judge Johnny Gogo ruled to deny bail after prosecutors said that they have 'clear and convincing evidence that if the defendant were to be released to the public, there is likely going to be great bodily harm to the victims in this case and to members of the public,' reported East Bay Times.

Deputy District Attorney Rebekah Wise also alleged that O'Connor, who had relocated with her sons to Star, Idaho, where she allegedly continued throwing boozy parties for minors, was a flight risk.

The judge told O'Connor's defense attorney, Sam Polverino, that he could request a hearing to revisit the issue of his client's bail eligibility in the future.

Polverino argued that the court has violated his client's civil rights and denied her due process.

O'Connor was arraigned on 39 criminal counts for allegedly hosting alcohol and sex parties for her son and his teenage friends in her home at the time in Los Gatos, California (pictured)

After the arraignment, Polverino told reporters he was 'saddened and shocked' by the judge's no-bail order.

'Everyone is entitled to a fair hearing,' he stated. 'We were deprived of one today.'

Judge Gogo also issued protective orders for 15 underage victims, among them O'Connor's elder son.

Family members of some of O'Connor's teenage party guests who attended the arraignment applauded the decision to keep O'Connor locked up without bail.

O'Connor was extradited on Tuesday to California from Idaho, where she had moved recently with her two sons

'We truly all feel she is a threat to the community: We experienced it, our children experienced it, and our community is not safe while she is out on the street,' said one mother. 'We are very grateful that the judge decided this today and didnt prolong this.'

Sherri Mullin, whose daughter attended two of O'Connor's parties in Silicon Valley early on, told ABC 7 News that her 'mom friend' had turned out to be a 'pure con artist' who betrayed her trust.

'She promised me that my kid was safe and she was going to be a responsible adult and a parent,' Mullin said. 'And she knew how I felt about that and she did the exact opposite.'

O'Connor is said to have kept the parties secret from her husband and other parents while 14- and 15-year-olds would get so drunk they 'would vomit, be unable to stand and fall unconscious,' prosecutors said.

O'Connor is married to Robert Amaral, chief revenue officer at SlashNext, an anti-fraud software company.

'It took a lot of brave children to come forward and to untangle this deeply disturbing case,' Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement.

'As a parent, I'm shocked. As the DA, I'm determined to hold those adults who endanger children fully accountable to the law and our community.'

O'Connor is accused of holding several parties for her son and friends during an eight-month period starting in 2020 to March of this year, pressuring those in attendance to keep quiet about the debauchery.

'She stated if anyone was told she could go to jail,' the statement of facts said.

In one case, she allegedly went to a bedroom and watched a drunk teenage boy get on top of and grope a girl who was a friend of O'Connor's then-15-year-old son, according to court documents.

In October 2020, there was $9,000 worth of damages done at this house O'Connor rented for a birthday party in Santa Cruz

A 14-year-old also claimed that she was threatened with retaliation if she told anyone, which would entail rumors being spread about her.

At one party, O'Connor allegedly handed a boy a condom and pushed him into a room where a drunk 14-year-old girl was lying on the bed.

Frightened, the girl ran and locked herself in the bathroom, the statement said.

At another, O'Connor is said to have taken a boy to a room and left him with a girl who also was drunk.

Prosecutors say the girl was allegedly assaulted and that she later confronted O'Connor over leaving her while she was extremely drunk.

'Like why did you like, do that?' the girl allegedly said. 'Like, you knew what he was going to do to me.'

In yet another incident, the mother is accused of seeing a boy punching and kicking an intoxicated girl but doing nothing to intervene.

In October 2020, there was $9,000 worth of damages at a house O'Connor rented for a birthday party in Santa Cruz; surveillance footage showed teens throwing up and stumbling around the property.

The owners of the rental property claimed that O'Connor lied about who would be staying at the home, saying there would be four adults; instead she was the only adult with a dozen teens, who were said to have had a food fight and carved their names into furniture.

One girl broke a finger and a boy got a concussion when some of the teens drove O'Connor's car in a school parking lot on December 19, 2020, prosecutors said.

During the incident, two of the teenagers are said to have clung to the back of the SUV while an unlicensed driver sped around.

One of the boys holding onto the back fell and hit his head, prosecutors allege, blacking out for 20-30 seconds.

When deputies from the Ada County Sheriff's Office arrived at O'Connor's new home in Star to arrest her on October 9, they found 10 teenage boys and two girls  most of whom had spent the night there, according to officials.

Detectives contacted the parents of O'Connor's underage guests and later released them.

Deputies declared Brugas two sons to be in imminent danger and placed them in the custody of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Investigators now suspect that O'Connor may have been hosting parties with local teenagers in Ada County over the last several months, the sheriff's office said.

Ada County Sheriffs detectives began investigating O'Connor over the summer after hearing from a local family, which originally connected with her over the internet and then met her in the Boise area this past spring when she started looking for a home in Idaho.

That family later found out about the alleged parties and sexual abuse investigation in California and tried to end their relationship with O'Connor.

'They told detectives thats when Bruga started harassing them,' according to the sheriff's office.

O'Connor also faces unrelated fraud charges of more than $120,000 in unauthorized charges on company credit cards while working as an administrative assistant at Aruba Networks.

Prosecutors said O'Connor used the cards to charge limousine rides, clothing purchases and alcohol deliveries to her home.
An Illinois high school student who posted a 'slave for sale' ad on Craigslist of a black classmate two years ago has pleaded guilty to a hate crime.

An unnamed male Naperville Central High School was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service after he posted a racist ad on Craigslist of an African American schoolmate in November 2019 when they were both 14-year-old freshmen.

The ad showed a photo of an African American student under the words 'Slave for sale (Naperville)' with the caption 'Hardworking thick n**** slave. For 'da' low'

The racist ad was posted to Craiglist but was heavily circulated across social media, including on Snapchat.

The racist ad was posted to Craiglists but was heavily circulated across social media, including on Snapchat

A Naperville Central High School (pictured) was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service after posting a racist ad on Craigslist

After pleading guilty to hate crime and disorderly conduct charges the student, who remains unnamed because he is a juvenile, was ordered by Judge Anthony Coco to undergo any counseling deemed necessary.

State Attorney Robert B. Berlin said in a statement that the student's actions were unacceptable and detrimental.

'Hate crimes have no place in a civilized society and will not be tolerated, regardless of the accused's age,' Berlin said. 'Studies show that the victims of hate crimes can suffer from depression, increased anxiety, low self-esteem and insecurity among other things.'

Naperville Central High School principal Bill Wiebrook assured parents in 2019 the racist incident was not reflective of the school's values

'Everyone deserves the right to feel safe and welcome in our communities and my office will continue to charge and prosecute anyone, regardless of age, who engages in this type of behavior,' he added.

When the ad first circulated in 2019 Naperville Central High School Principal Bill Wiebrook sent an email to parents saying administrators became 'aware of a racially insensitive electronic post and worked as quickly as possible to investigate and address this with the students involved.'

He also assured parents the racist incident was not reflective of the school's values.

'The sentiment being displayed is not reflective of NCHS,' he continued. 'We hold our students accountable for their behavior, which includes appropriate disciplinary consequences.
The suit alleged that 'Wongel's death was caused by reckless acts' and cited that 'Colorado investigators (have) determined that Wongel was killed because of multiple failures by Glenwood Caverns'.

An accident investigation report filed by the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety on September 5, 2021, revealed that Wongel was sitting on top of her seatbelt when the ride started 'at approximately 7.15pm'.

'Wongels uncle specifically observed the ride operators interacting with Wongel, and he trusted that they were properly securing Wongel on the ride.

'Operators did not notice she was sitting on top of both seatbelts. The control system of the ride prevented the operators from dispatching the ride and alerted them to a seatbelt safety issue on Ms Estifanos seat,' the report read.

'Operators took several incorrect actions and reset the ride seatbelt monitors which allowed them to dispatch the ride,' it added, to which the suit concluded: 'It was plainly foreseeable that the failure to properly restrain a rider would cause that rider to fall 110 feet to her death.'

This was not the first time ride operators at park didn't properly secure a child.

In 2018, a six-year-old boy nearly suffered the same fate before his terrified mother was able to alert the Haunted Drop's operators to avert a tragedy.

The mom sent an email to the park and reported that when she took her young child on the ride, the operators 'left the room to deploy the ride without securing' her son's seatbelt.

'All the riders started screaming: "Wait! Wait!" at the operators but (they) left the room anyway,' the suit described.

The suit described the Haunted Mine Drop (pictured) as a 'drop tower-style ride that uses gravity to create free fall'. It 'carries six passengers and drops 110 feet into a shaft in the ground'

The suit detailed the events of the fatal accident. 'When the ride came to a stop at the bottom of the mine shaft, Wongels uncle checked to see whether Wongel had enjoyed the ride. He was stricken with terror to see that Wongel was not in her seat,' it read

The unidentified mother wrote in her email: 'I sat there knowing that the floor was about to roll away with him not buckled in. I understood the ride went faster than free fall so was immediately thinking about how to try to protect my small child from what was about to be a large flailing body that was about to come crashing down onto our heads.'

The operators of the ride then finally came back into the room, 'apologized and put the seatbelts on the unrestrained rider'.

Even more worrisome is that the Human Resources Manager of Glenwood Caverns reportedly emailed the mother back the same day and 'falsely assured (her) that the ride had a safety feature which ensured that the ride could not begin until all of the riders were restrained by seatbelts'.

'Again I appreciate you bringing this to our attention and we will take any necessary steps to improve the safety of our operation,' the Human Resources Manager also wrote in his 2018 email.

Then in August 2019 a concerned passenger emailed the park after arguing with the operators when they were about to deploy the ride and he told them he was not buckled in. They 'insisted that the passenger was buckled in' when he was actually sitting on top of his seatbelt, just as Wongel was last month.

The suit noted that 'Glenwood Caverns did not disclose the 2019 complaint to the Colorado investigators' and they only learned of it after Wongel was killed. The park confirmed to investigators that they had received the email but 'had not provided it to Colorado investigators due to an issue with their email system'.

Despite an order from the State of Colorado to let investigators know of all prior complaints, it was also later revealed that the park did not tell investigators of the 2018 email from the mother of a six-year-old child.

Wongel's parents are suing the park, seeking 'economic and non-economic wrongful death damages,' including compensation for the parents' 'grief, loss of companionship, impairment of quality of life, inconvenience, pain and suffering, emotional stress, fear and anxiety, funeral and burial expenses and financial loss'

Wongel was a student at Stetson Elementary School in Colorado Springs at the time of her death

'Plaintiffs learned of the 2018 incident because a witness called after seeing news coverage about Wongels death on the Haunted Mine Drop,' the court document read.

Wongel's parents are now suing the park, seeking 'economic and non-economic wrongful death damages, past and future, including but not limited to' compensation for the parents' 'grief, loss of companionship, impairment of quality of life, inconvenience, pain and suffering, emotional stress, fear and anxiety, funeral and burial expenses and financial loss'.

Wongel was a student at Stetson Elementary School in Colorado Springs at the time of her death.

The grieving parents' lawyer Dan Caplis said in a statement that they are suing so that they and the public can learn the full truth about what happened.

'Their mission is to protect other families by holding all who are responsible for the killing of their daughter fully accountable, and by sending a loud and clear message to the entire amusement park industry,' he said.

In a statement, park officials said they could not comment on pending litigation but extended their condolences to Wongel's family. 'Our hearts go out to the Estifanos family and those impacted by their loss,' it said.

The lawsuit described the amusement park (pictured) as having a 'crowd-pleasing assortment of rides' and that its 'high elevation thrill rides are among the most heart-pounding anywhere'

The Haunted Mine Drop first opened in 2017 and the ride's designer Stan Checketts told a local news station that it was specifically designed without shoulder restraints to make the dramatic drop 'a little bit more scary'.

The lawsuit described the amusement park as having a 'crowd-pleasing assortment of rides' and that its 'high elevation thrill rides are among the most heart-pounding anywhere'.

The Haunted Mine Drop was detailed as a 'drop tower-style ride that uses gravity to create free fall'. It 'carries six passengers and drops 110 feet into a shaft in the ground,' the suit read, adding that 'Glenwood Caverns invites and encourages young children to ride the Haunted Mine Drop'.

Wongel reportedly met the height requirement - at least 46 inches - to go on the ride.
The owner of a herd of zebras was charged Tuesday with animal cruelty after three zebras escaped his Maryland farm, including one found dead in an illegal snare trap.

Jerry Lee Holly, 76, of Upper Marlboro has been charged with three counts of animal cruelty.

Holly is accused of inflicting 'unnecessary suffering or pain on a zebra' and failing to provide the zebras with 'nutritious food in sufficient quantity' or give them 'proper shelter.'

The exotic animal trader is the owner of a 40-zebra herd that was moved to Maryland from Florida in late summer, Prince George's County Animal Services Chief Rodney Taylor.

Three zebras escaped in August and one was found dead last month, officials said.

Five zebras (only four pictured) have been on the loose in Prince George's County, Maryland for almost two months now after they escaped from a private farm

Farm owner Jerry Holly has 39 zebras, brought up from Florida two weeks before the five escaped in late August, according to the county's Animal Services Division

Animal control has been trying to catch the two zebras that remain at large by setting up a feeding station and an 8-foot corral.

Charging documents state Holly was charged after the dead zebra was found just outside the fence enclosing his herd.

If the caretaker had attended to the herd, it should have been seen or heard while dying, investigators wrote.

Investigators said another dead zebra was found in the 300-acre farm's enclosure on Tuesday, which prompted police officers to swarm Jerry Holly's property at night to remove the dead animal. A backhoe, animal control, department of Natural Resources and crime scene van showed up to the property.

Officials with the Prince George's Department of Environment, which is responsible for overseeing the escaped zebras investigation, said in a statement that they are 'not impounding the remaining animals housed on the property.'

However, they said they would explore the option to move them to other facilities 'should the animals be removed.' Maryland's Natural Resources Police has taken over the investigation on the snare trap, which is illegal in the state.

County officials said Wednesday the other two escaped zebras remain on the loose.

The zebras have been on the run since late August when they escaped from Holly's farm. Many residents in the area reported sighting them and posted photos, videos and updates on where they'd been spotted on social media.

These 'local celebrities' have been popping up in citizens' backyards and on roadsides

Rodney Taylor, the chief of Prince George's County Animal Services division, said the zebras are most likely lacking in terms of food, water and veterinary care

Rodney Taylor, the chief of Prince George's County Animal Services division, said his agency received a call August 26 that three zebras were spotted 'at large' on nearby Croom Road, according to court documents.

Taylor added that he contacted Holly, who responded that he was 'aware the zebras were loose, but had no plan to recapture the zebras at that time.'

The county decided not take to take care of the matter, leaving it primarily to Holly's caretakers to capture the escaped zebras. However, it was agreed that the best way to do that was to lure them to a field near Holly's property with hay and feed and to then gradually put up fencing to try to secure their capture.

But last week, the county said that one of the zebras had died from being captured in a snare trap on private land that's owned by the Girl Scouts and neighbors Holly's land.

Maryland's Natural Resources Police said it received a call from a private individual affiliated with the Girl Scouts in mid-September to report the sight of a dead animal. When officers arrived at the scene, they found one of the zebra's hind legs caught in a snare.

The Girl Scouts released a statement mentioning that the snare trap was placed by an 'unauthorized trespasser' on their property.

Taylor said in court that Holly's caretakers failed to recapture the zebras, who 'pose a threat to the community' as they 'continue to wander through communities, railroad and public roads.' He added they were 'also at risk, as evidenced by the death of one of the zebras while at large.'

He also said the zebras are likely dehydrated, in starvation and lack veterinary care. The zebra that died after getting itself in the snare trap's tangle, according to Taylor, was 'within two feet of the fence line,' where 36 other zebras were being held.

The exotic animals were spotted by a family as they passed along their backyard in the tiny town of Upper Marlboro

Six zebras escaped from a farm in Prince George's County, Maryland. They were spotted near Croom Road and Duley Station Road in Upper Marlboro

An investigating officer with the Maryland Natural Resources Police said the 'animal should have been seen or heard while it was dying from being caught in the snare if the caretaker had attended to the zebras in the fenced enclosure,' court papers read.

The zebra 'most likely died of dehydration after a period of a few days struggling in the trap,' the officer said.

Maryland's Natural Resources Police have said they weren't made aware of the dead zebra until September 16 and that by the time their officers got to the reported area, 'the animal was completely decomposed.'

Officials said the 'cause of death could not be specifically determined.'

The other dead zebra that was found Tuesday on Holly's property, where there are also other living zebras, had been dead 'long enough' that it had entered the 'rigor-mortis stage,' according to the court papers.

In the court filing, Taylor described the zebras a 'public nuisance' and said 'media coverage surrounding the zebras has brought traffic and trespassers to surrounding homes.'

'These animals are being kept in the county in such manner as to disturb the peace, comfort, or health of neighbors and other residents of the county,' the document read.

County officials said that they are still in the midst of their search to capture the other two wild zebras.

The zebra sage dates back to August 26, of this year, when the Prince George's County Animal Services Division was made aware of three zebras that had escaped from Holly's 300-acre farm

Two of the three missing zebras (pictured) were caught on camera in Prince George's County

That said, zebra owner Jerry Lee Holly is no stranger to the exotic animal business.

He owns an abundance of wild animals at his properties in Florida and the one in suburban Maryland, including bison, kangaroos, zebras, camels and even spider monkeys.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency that is responsible for licensing and inspecting animals, Holly has a breeder's license for both of his farms.

Richard Bell, a spokesman for USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, confirmed that Holly does 'have the appropriate license for the zebras.'

Holly has been issued citations for multiple animal welfare violations including ones for inadequate veterinary care, unsafe enclosures and filthy conditions, according to USDA inspection records.

Jerry Lee Holy owns a slew of animals at his properties in Florida and one in Maryland (pictured), including bison, kangaroos, zebras, camels and spider monkeys

Inspectors filed the finding of a dead monkey at his property in Florida in a 2014 USDA report, as well as sightings of sharp ends of wires on shelters for monkeys.

They also found 'dirt, insects, rodent droppings and food debris' in storage areas for the animals' food.

Two years later, Holly was charged at his other farm in Marion County, Florida, with possession of captive wild animals without a permit. He was found guilty and paid about $280 in court costs, according to online court records.

USDA officials said that, in 2017, an estimated 170 animals  including gibbons, a giraffe, lemurs, spider monkeys, camels, kangaroos and roughly 51 zebras  were found at his Florida farm and that there were 'a number of animals with physical conditions that need veterinary examination.'

The latest episode in the missing zebra sage 'shows exactly what's wrong with treating animals as commodities,' said Kitty Block, the president of the Humane Society of the United States.

'We hope that this incident will spur the county and state to reconsider their current laws to hopefully prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.'
The baby-face gangster who was shot dead alongside his father in Sydney's northwest was on a list of suspects in another murder, it has been revealed.

Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik Hamze, 64, were killed in a spray of bullets as they sat in the front seat of a red utility in Guildford on Wednesday.

It is understood police were investigating whether the 18-year-old had anything to do with the murder of Shady Kanj, who was shot dead in Chester Hill in August.

Salim Hamze, 18, (left) and his father Toufik Hamze, 64, (right) were killed in a spray of bullets as they sat in the front seat of a red utility in Guildford on Wednesday

Salim Hamze, 18, (pictured) is believed to have had a minor association with the underworld conflict with the Alameddine clan

Kanj, 22, moved drugs for the Alameddine family - the Hamze's rival gang - and is the only member to so far be killed in the turf war, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The 22-year-old was struck by a bullet while sitting in a car driving on Boundary Rd, Chester Hill in Western Sydney about 11pm on August 7.

Salim Hamze is said to have been warned he was a possible target as a reprisal for a drive-by shooting at Assad Alahmad's home, brother-in-law of rival crime boss Rafat Alameddine.

The 18-year-old and his father were just about to leave for work when they were fatally shot outside their dilapidated home just before 9am on Wednesday.

The single father had gunshot wounds to the head and died in hospital, while his son suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene.

Neighbours have since insisted Toufik was an innocent victim caught in the crossfire aimed at his 18-year-old son, who was involved in gangs.

It is understood police were investigating whether the 18-year-old had anything to do with the murder of Shady Kanj, 22, (pictured) who was shot dead in the same suburb in August

Salim and his father Toufik were just about to leave for work when they were shot dead outside their Guilford home (pictured) just before 9am on Wednesday

Toufik Hamze was hit by a shot to the head in the salvo of shots that cut down his son as they sat in the front of their bullet-riddled red Nissan Navara ute (pictured)

Salim was charged with possessing a firearm in September and ordered by a magistrate to live at his father's home.

At the time, the 18-year-old admitted to police he was living in fear of his life after becoming a target for criminal rivals.

The bail condition was later loosened to allow him to spend time at his mother's, with a neighbour explaining to Daily Mail Australia the 18-year-old had been on 'curfew' when he died.

'He was just at home, not going anywhere, and worked with his dad,' she claimed.

'Sometimes he was with his mum, but he'd go to work and come home, his mum used to drop him food sometimes, and that's it.'

While not much is known about Hamze senior, neighbours revealed that the 'relatively fit and healthy' divorcee was a lonely man who 'no one cared about'.

'It's really sad,' an old school friend of Salim said. 'No one really cared about the dad, and neighbours never cared about him.

Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik, 64 were brazenly shot in daylight on Wednesday (pictured, police being briefed at the scene in Guilford in Sydney's northwest)

A burnt out Lexus SUV (pictured) was found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane a short time after the shooting

'He has no real family - they only cared about the son.'

Homicide detectives are now on the hunt for two assassins behind the killings.

A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia they heard the 'bang! bang! bang!' of bullets early this morning. 'It sounded like an automatic weapon,' they said.

A burnt-out Lexus SUV was found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane a short time after the shooting is believed to be the killers' getaway car.

Officers are also trying to track down a dark-coloured Ford Mustang spotted leaving that area moments after the SUV went up in flames.

Police believe Salim was the intended target and his father was collateral damage. Police are unaware of any criminal involvement of the slain father.

Daily Mail Australia understands the Hamze victims were distant relatives of the family at the centre of the underworld conflict, and Toufik was not involved.

The Hamzes and the Alameddine networks have been feuding in recent months with a number of kidnappings and shootings.

Mejid Hamzy (right), the brother of jailed Brothers for Life gang founder Bassam (left) was gunned down outside his home at Condell Park in October last year

The shooting is understood to be the latest escalation in the increasingly bloody Sydney underworld feud between the two families.

In July, two men were arrested over the shooting of underworld figure Mejid Hamzy, who was gunned down outside his southwestern Sydney house, in October 2020.

The 44-year-old brother of the jailed Brothers 4 Life gang leader Bassam Hamzy was allegedly ambushed by the gunmen as he walked out into the street.

Police Minister David Elliott has slammed the latest lives lost as 'devastating' and said the brazen killing was a 'complete disregard and respect for human life'.

'These criminal gangs will be brought to trial, but unfortunately whats going to happen is they will find themselves in Long Bay or in Rookwood,' he said.
The 'woke' generation will be unwilling to defend Australia in a military conflict because schools are failing to teach them why the country is a success, the federal education minister has warned.

Alan Tudge is worried students are being taught to focus on negative aspects of the country's history and to take their liberal democracy for granted.

In a speech to libertarian think-tank the Centre for Independent Studies on Friday, Mr Tudge will insist practices in school such as referring to Anzac Day as a 'contested idea' will undermine the younger generation's ideological belief in Australia.

Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge (pictured) says school are undermining the younger generations belief in the Australia as a successful liberal democracy

A draft school curriculum document wants children to be taught that notion of Anzac Day and commemorating those who fought for Australia is a 'contested idea'

That suggestion was put forward earlier this year when the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority released its draft changes to national school curriculum.

At the time Mr Tudge praised some aspects of the proposal such as strengthening language phonics and pushing forward some mathematics concepts by a year.

But he slammed other aspects such as Year 9 being taught about: 'the commemoration of World War I, including different historical interpretations and contested debates about the nature and significance of the Anzac legend and the war'.

The word 'contested' appears in the draft curriculum 19 times.

'[Curriculum changes] go to the heart of what our children our taught: the content, the priorities and the values embedded in the materials.' Mr Tudge said.

He also said the teaching of Indigenous history should be balanced with learning how a modern, free Australian society originated.

'We have an opportunity to enrich the history curriculum with more emphasis on indigenous history and indigenous perspectives.'

'This would be a positive development... but as our greatest historian, Geoffrey Blainey, has said, it should not come at the expense of the teaching of classical and western civilisations and how Australia came to be a free, liberal democracy.'

Mr Tudge said that students should be taught why millions of people from around the world emigrate to Australia (pictured, a school strike in Brisbane)

And he claimed the draft curriculum document 'weakened Christianity' despite its inherent values being the foundation for our modern civilisation.

'We live in one of the most prosperous egalitarian societies in the world and children should develop an understanding of how this came about.'

'If we diminish this understanding, we are less likely to protect and defend it.'

With the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, communism, far-right extremism and an increasingly aggressive China in recent decades, Mr Tudge says children in Australia should learn how fortunate they are and why millions of people emigrate Down Under.

'There has not been a more important time to teach children the origins, values and singular greatness of liberal democracy since the 1940s,' he said.

China (pictured) has grown increasingly aggressive in recent years with concerns mounting of a military move against neighbouring Taiwan

He also noted Australia has fallen from the top group of educated countries to the middle of the pack over the last two decades with countries such as Poland and Estonia rocketing above us.

The original draft curriculum was released in April.

'I am not satisfied with the current draft [curriculum] which has been presented because some of those core things which underpin our democracy are not there.' Mr Tudge told parliament on Thursday.

In his speech, Mr Tudge refers to a Lowy Institute poll which found 40 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds believe a non-democratic government would be acceptable or that they don't care what system of government is in place.

'Ultimately, students should leave school with a love of country and a sense of optimism and hope that we live in the greatest country on earth and that the future is bright,' he said.
A distraught woman who was barred from raising her own children allegedly kidnapped a girl, nine, before repeatedly stabbing and battering her to death, say Russian police.

Sofia Zhavoronkova's head was completely 'smashed' and her face and body 'disfigured' during agonising torture, according to reports citing law enforcement.

She was covered in slash wounds and her head was 'a broken, bloody mess', reported Vologda-Poisk media.

Foreign languages teacher Ulyana Lanskaya, 40, was deprived of her parental rights by a judge after repeatedly claiming her healthy daughter suffered from cancer and needed urgent medical treatment.

Ulyana Lanskaya, 40, (pictured) who was barred from raising her own children is alleged to have kidnapped a girl, nine, before repeatedly stabbing and battering her to death, say Russian police

After her son and daughter were taken from her, she tried several times to collect children from local kindergartens, say reports.

On 16 October, she invited Sofia and another local girl to come to her flat after buying them sweets.

She had met the girls in the street on the way home from school.

Sofia's friend went home in the evening.

On 16 October, foreign languages teacher Ulyana invited Sofia Zhavoronkova (pictured) and another local girl to come to her flat after buying them sweets

Sofia was reported missing and a huge police search started with 272 volunteers in Vologda city, with the girl's mother Anna Zhavoronkova, 32, making an emotional appeal on social media.

Police eventually located her friend after volunteers scanned CCTV footage and saw the girls together.

The friend told them the address where she last saw Sofia.

Lanskaya was absent but police broke in and found Sofia's body.

Police discovered Sofia's body before later arresting Ulyana on a train as she headed for Murmansk

Her throat had been slit and head battered with a blunt object, say police.

Lanskaya was later detained on a train heading for the Arctic port of Murmansk, say police.

A local said: 'She is an intelligent woman, with an education.

'She used to be a tutor in several foreign languages.

Pictured: Anna Zhavoronkova, the mother of nine-year-old Sofia

'But then something went wrong and she closed in on herself.'

She was upset when her children were removed from her care.

A mother had complained that Lanskaya earlier tried to collect her children from kindergarten without permission.

Police did not take action because 'she was missing her own kids, and would not harm anyone', said a report.

After her detention, the woman confessed to killing the child, said police.

Pictured: Russian police search what is believed to have been Sofia's last known location

She stabbed and tortured the nine-year-old girl 'to leave a trace in history', she said.

Lanskaya repeated a claim that she was terminally ill with blood cancer and had kidnapped the child because she did not want to die alone.

Police say there is no evidence she is terminally ill.

Legal action has not been ruled out against the dead girl's mother amid claims that Sofia was not properly supervised.
Facebook has agreed to pay French newspapers for content shared on its website.

The US tech giant struck a deal with APIG which represents 300 French publishers including some of the country's biggest newspapers such as Le Monde, Le Figaro, Le Parisien and L'Equipe.

The exact terms and fees agreed were not disclosed.

Mark Zuckerberg's company is still thrashing out separate deals with other French media companies, such as the national news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP).

APIG's deal with Facebook comes after Google in February agreed to pay $76 million over three years to the French publishing consortium.

But just six months after the announcement, Google was lashed with a stinging 500-million-euro (420 million) fine from the French competition watchdog, which said it had failed to negotiate 'in good faith' with the media companies.

The deals are part of a global battle between social media firms and publishers over how they feature and profit from news content which they have not previously paid for.

Mark Zuckerberg's company is still thrashing out separate deals with other French media companies, such as the national news agency Agence France-Presse (pictured: Zuckerberg speaking in Germany in February 2020)

A news stand on the Champs-Elysees in Paris (file photo)

Politicians in London, Washington and Canberra have accused Google and Facebook of running an 'advertising duopoly,' while news outlets say that the social media platforms are editorialising content which they have not bought the rights for.

In Britain, Google and Facebook raked in 80 per cent of the 14 billion spent on digital advertising in 2019, but national and local newspapers took just 4 per cent.

Facebook today said its deal meant that users could 'continue uploading and sharing news stories freely ... whilst also ensuring that the copyright of our publishing partners is protected.'

The Silicon Valley giant said it would also launch a French news portal, Facebook News, in January to 'give people a dedicated space to access content from trusted and reputable news sources'.

The head of APIG, Pierre Louette, said the deal would generate 'significant financing' for the alliance's members, 'particularly the smallest of them.'

Louette, who is the CEO of the group that publishes the Le Parisien and Les Echos dailies, said it would also bring Facebook in line with French and EU law.

Neither Facebook nor APIG said how exactly the licensing agreement would work.

France was the first country in the EU to enact a 2019 EU directive on 'neighbouring rights', but Google initially refused to comply, saying media groups already benefit by receiving millions of visits to their websites.

France has also been at the vanguard of a global push to get tech giants to pay more tax on their international revenues.

In the US, Congress has proposed legislation to allow news publishers to collectively negotiate with tech companies over revenue sharing and other deals.

While in Australia, the government passed a world-first law in February to force Google and Facebook to pay for news content on their platforms.

News outlets struggling with dwindling print subscriptions have long seethed at the failure of Google in particular to give it a cut of the millions it makes from ads displayed alongside news stories in search results.

But even the deals which Google and Facebook have negotiated are deeply controversial because they have been shrouded in secrecy.

News outlets struggling with dwindling print subscriptions have long seethed at the failure of Google in particular to give it a cut of the millions it makes from ads displayed alongside news stories in search results

And by failing to disclose the terms and fees agreed, it makes it even more challenging for news organisations to broker deals which they believe to be fair.

Google last year launched a news aggregation service called News Showcase, allocating a $1 billion budget to pay to media companies for their content.

Partners include the Telegraph and Financial Times in the UK, Le Monde in France, Der Spiegel in Germany, the Indian Express, Canada's Globe and Mail, Reuters in several countries, and Clarin in Argentina.

Rupert Murdochs News Corp signed a deal thought to be worth $50 million a year.

But despite the high-profile names secured by Google, the deals themselves remain opaque.

'Nobody knows how much anybody else is being paid,' one executive at a major international media company told The Press Gazette.
Animal activists dressed as 'bruised and bloodied' sheep were demonstrating today outside Urban Outfitters in London to protest against the use of wool which they claim is 'always a product of extreme violence'.

The demonstration was organised by PETA, an animal rights charity, and took place outside the Oxford Street branch of the retailer this afternoon.

The supporters could be heard 'bleating' as they stood outside the store holding placards bearing vegan slogans including 'sheep suffer, ditch wool' and 'wool hurts, wear vegan'.

The charity claims that a 2018 investigation revealed workers in the wool trade mistreat sheep during the shearing process.

Pictured: PETA animal activists dressed as 'bruised and bloodied' sheep were demonstrating today outside Urban Outfitters in London to protest against the use of wool in their clothing

The demo in London was the latest action by PETA targeting Urban Outfitters and use of wool

Pedestrians were seen taking pictures of the protestors in Oxford Street, London, earlier today

It is the latest demonstration targeting Urban Outfitters Inc - which includes Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People - urging them to abandon the use of animal products in their clothing.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) accuses the company of 'selling clothing and accessories made of numerous animal-derived materials, including wool, cashmere, mohair, leather, down, and alpaca fleece, which are always a product of extreme violence, cruelty, and fear'.

Charity Director Elisa Allen said: 'Whenever kind shoppers learn that shearing can leave sheep bruised and bloody, they rush to buy vegan materials instead.

Activists were dressed as 'bloody' sheep in a bid to urge Urban Outfitters to ditch use of wool

The three activists were holding anti-wool signs and were heard bleating outside the store

'PETA is calling on all Urban Outfitters brands to live up to their progressive marketing and ditch wool.'

PETA says it has collected dozens of videos which show sheep being mistreated on English farms after an undercover investigation in 2018.

Distressing footage which can be viewed on their YouTube channel shows that during shearing, workers hit, kick, and mutilate sheep for their wool, the charity says.

According to PETA,the company already sell luxurious animal-free textiles, and they also banned items made with fur, angora, and exotic skins after learning how these industries abuse animals but is calling on the company to go one step further.

As part of its international campaign against Urban Outfitter Inc, PETA US became a company shareholder last year.

The charity has targeted other shops across the world and in the UK, including one in Cambridge in May this year.

Urban Outfitters has been approached for comment.
Barbados has elected a 72-year-old Dame as its first ever president as the country prepares to remove the Queen as head of state and become a republic.

Dame Sandra Mason, the island nation's governor-general since 2018, will be sworn in on November 30 - the 55th anniversary of Barbados' independence from Britain.

She was voted in a joint session of the House of Assembly and the Senate on Wednesday. Prime Minister Mia Mottley described her election as a 'seminal moment' for the nation.

Last year Dame Sandra announced Barbados would become a remove the Queen as head of state and become a republic by November 2021 - 22 years after it was recommended in a constitutional review.

Barbados has elected Dame Sandra Mason, 72, as its first ever president as the country prepares to remove the Queen as head of state and become a republic

Last year, Dame Sandra announced Barbados would become a remove the Queen as head of state and become a republic by November 2021

'The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. Barbadians want a Barbadian Head of State,' she said at the time, reading a speech written by Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

'This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving.

'Hence, Barbados will take the next logical step toward full sovereignty and become a Republic by the time we celebrate our 55th Anniversary of Independence.'

Buckingham Palace said at the time that Barbados' intention to remove the Queen as head of state and become a republic is a 'matter' for the Caribbean nation.

Downing Street said it was a 'decision for Barbados and the Government there' but that Britain would continue to 'enjoy a partnership' with the Caribbean island nation as members of the Commonwealth.

A Number 10 spokesman said: 'We obviously have a shared history and remain united with Barbados in terms of history, culture and language, and we will continue to have and enjoy a partnership with them as members of the Commonwealth.'

The country gained its independence from Britain in 1966, though the Queen remained its constitutional monarch.

Buckingham Palace said at the time that Barbados' intention to remove the Queen as head of state and become a republic is a 'matter' for the Caribbean nation (Pictured, the Queen with governor-general of Barbados Dame Sandra Mason at Windsor Castle in 2018)

Left, Queen Elizabeth ll smiles with a young girl in Barbados on November 1, 1977. Right, Queen Elizabeth II on a walkabout during a visit to Bridgetown

The Queen inspects a guard of honour upon arrival in Barbados in 1977

Prince Charles attends a wreath laying ceremony in Bridgetown in March 2019

In 1998, a Barbados constitutional review commission recommended republican status, and in 2015 Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said 'we have to move from a monarchical system to a republican form of government in the very near future'.

Barbados took another step away from the UK in 2003 when it replaced the London-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice, located in Trinidad and Tobago's Port of Spain, as its final appeals court.

Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur promoted the idea of a referendum on becoming a republic in 2005, however the vote was called off due to concerns raised by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

Most Caribbean countries have kept formal links with the monarchy after achieving independence although Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Guyana have all become republics.

Jamaica has also flagged such a transition, with Prime Minister Andrew Holness saying it is a priority of his government, but has yet to achieve it.

The map shows the Caribbean states where the Queen is still head of state. Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica removed the monarch and become republics in 1970, 1976 and 1978 respectively. Most other Caribbean nations have kept Queen Elizabeth II
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee are tearing into Biden's Attorney General Merrick Garland at his first appearance before the panel on Thursday.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) kicked off Garland's hearing on a raucous note with an opening statement attacking Garland and his Democratic colleagues.

'The chairman just said Trump's DOJ was political. Are you kidding me?' Jordan asked in response to Chair Rep. Jerry Nadler's opening statement.

He accused the DOJ of 'opening a snitch line on parents' with his memo announcing a crackdown on school board meeting incidents and giving lawmakers who asked about it 'the finger.'

'Republicans on this committee have sent the Attorney General 13 letters in the last six months,' he said. 'Eight of the letters, we've got nothing - they just gave us the finger.'

'Folks all around the country, they tell me, for the first time they are afraid of their government.'

Earlier this month Garland issued a memo directing the FBI to work with law enforcement to crack down on a rising number of violent incidents at school board meetings and education settings. The normally apolitical field has become an ideological battleground as parents express outrage at mask mandates and critical race theory being taught in schools.

It's Garland's first appearance before the House Judiciary Committee. In his opening statement Garland condemned the Capitol rioters and vowed to fight for civil rights

The hearing got off to a contentious start, with Republicans accusing Democrats of censorship

He wrote the memo after a letter from the National School Boards Association compared those parents to domestic terrorists.

In his opening remarks Jordan cited a line in Garland's order establishing 'dedicated lines of communication for threat reporting' to discuss the matter.

'A snitch line on parents, started five days after a left wing political organization asked for it. If that's not political I don't know what is,' he said. 'Where's the dedicated lines of communication with local leaders regarding our southern border?'

'Nope, can't do that, the Biden Justice Department is going to go after parents who object to some racist, hate-American curriculum.'

Jordan blasted Garland's memo on school board protests as a 'snitch line' on concerned parents

Republicans demand Garland appoint special counsel to probe Hunter Biden

At one point in the heated hearing Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) pressed Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate President Joe Biden's son Hunter.

In a bizarre opening to his question time Buck displayed famous artworks by Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, which he claims are worth $700,000 and $500,000 respectively.

In fact the Money sold for $57.3 million in London in 2014, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The following painting was one by the president's son, which was valued by Georges Berges Gallery at $500,000.

'A single piece of art from Hunter Biden sells for more than the average American home,' the lawmaker said.

Laughter erupted in the tense chamber when Buck revealed the work.

'You may think that when Hunter Biden is in such exclusive company that he would have a background, artistic training for example. But you would be wrong if you thought that,' he said.

He claimed that Hunter couldn't find a gallery to list his work in 2019 - before his father became president.

'By the way Mr. Attorney General, this is the same Hunter Biden being investigated by your department and the IRS for tax fraud,' Buck said, questioning who would buy his art if not someone looking to curry favor with the Biden White House.

During his time to speak, Rep. Ken Buck questioned Garland on whether he would appoint a special counsel to probe Hunter Biden. He claimed that the White House was fueling an ethics violation by letting the president's son sell his art at prices similar to what classic works sell for

Garland appeared confused when Buck showed him several artworks and said he wasn't familiar with Hunter Biden's painting

Buck asked Garland if he would appoint a special counsel to investigate the recovering drug addict.

Garland said he wasn't able to discuss 'pending investigations.'

At another point, Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) questioned Garland on the guidelines for appointing a special counsel - and appeared to accuse the president himself of potentially committing a crime.

'There have been multiple reports that Hunter Biden made enormous sums of money, and he's admitted that's because of his family ties. Now that, by itself, might not be a crime,' McClintock said.

'But there have also now been multiple reports that emails and communications from Hunter Biden have indicated that his finances are intermingled with those of his father's.'

He asked Garland, 'If that doesn't call for an independent investigation, the president, what would?'

Garland again declined to comment on any specific investigation but pointed out that Hunter Biden was already under investigation in Delaware.

Garland denies angry parents are 'domestic terrorists'

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) pressed Garland on allegations that a 'boy wearing a skirt' raped and sexually harassed two girls at two different Loudoun County high schools, though Garland denied having knowledge of the case.

Asked whether the FBI was investigating the matter Garland said, 'I don't believe so but I don't know.'

Videos of the alleged victim's father being violently restrained by law enforcement at a Loudoun County schoolboard meeting after speaking out in fury went viral and sparked Republican outrage.

'Attorney General do you believe that a father attending a meeting exercising his First Amendment rights and yes, getting angry, about whatever lies are being told about his daughter getting raped at the school he sent her to be educated in, that this is domestic terrorism - yes or no?' Roy asked.

Garland, visibly weary, replied: 'No, I do not think people getting angry at schoolboards for whatever reason constitute domestic terrorism. It's not even a close question.'

Jordan and several other lawmakers grilled Garland over the DOJ memo instructing federal law enforcement to work with local police to crack down on rising violence in education settings

Reps. Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Green were seen in the audience. Greene and Boebert are not members of the House Judiciary Committee

Jordan and other Republican representatives were asked several times to wear their masks when not speaking

Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), a Trump ally and former NFL star, asked if Garland supported the comparison between domestic terrorism and parents' school board protests.

Garland said the DOJ was only concerned about 'violence and threats of violence.'

'We are not investigating peaceful protests,' he said.

Burgess also attacked CRT and said parents should be encouraged to weigh in on public school curricula.

'We do not expect, nor will we tolerate, leftist teaching of our children behind our backs, the evil of CRT, how to hate our country and hate others based on skin color,' he said.

At another point Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) accused Garland of 'trampling on the rights of parents.'

Later on Jordan asked Garland if FBI agents would be attending public school board meetings, which the stunned Biden official denied.

'I want to be as clear as I can be: This is not about what happens inside schoolboard meetings. This is only about threats of violence,' Garland said of his memo.

GOP Rep. Johnson accuses Garland of a conflict of interest

At another point Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) grilled Garland on his son-in-law, who founded a company called Panorama Education that allegedly utilizes CRT teachings.

Johnson accused Garland of a conflict of interest by cracking down on anti-CRT parents.

'Did you seek ethical guidance before you issued a letter that promotes the financial interests of your family?' he asked.

Garland denied that his memo had anything to do with the controversial theory.

He also flatly denied any ethics violations, snapping at Johnson that he was 'exquisitely aware of the ethics requirements.'

'But you didn't follow them,' Johnson shot back.

At another point, Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) questioned whether meetings between local and federal law enforcement that he directed to occur within '30 days' of issuing his memo were actually occurring.

Garland again failed to provide a direct answer, claiming he hoped the directive was being carried out.

'I don't know whether they're ongoing but I expect and hope that they are going,' he said. 'I doubt there have been meetings in every jurisdiction.'

Bishop replied, 'Doesn't that make it worse, Mr. Attorney General, if you don't even know if these meetings that you directed urgently to occur, are occurring?'

'What is left indeed of the memo, except that your use of federal law enforcement moral authority to stigmatize widespread movement of first amendment activity, at least a significant portion of which is directed on the ideology by which your son-in-law makes a living?'

'What are you afraid of?': Hearing erupts over House GOP video

Decorum in the chamber broke down soon after the hearing began when Jordan attempted to show a video of school board meetings - that Democrats claim was against the rules to show.

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) rose to object, asking Jordan if he had 'given 48 hours' notice to the committee clerk that he was going to use a video.'

Jordan replied, 'Well first of all, there's no 48 hour rule, it's not in the committee rules. Second we did let the majority staff know there's a video and we've given it to them this morning.'

Chaos broke out when Nadler sustained Dean's objection.

The New York Democrat said Republicans were acting out of order.

'What's out of order is there is no 48-hour rule, that's what's out of order,' Jordan snapped.

'What are you afraid of?' Rep. Chip Roy questioned during the heated moment. 'Mr. Chairman, what are our colleagues on the other side of the aisle afraid of?'

Jordan accused Nadler of 'censoring' him for not allowing the video.

Twice during the chaotic hearing, House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) urged House lawmakers to wear masks when they were not speaking.

Rep. Madeleine Dean objected to Jordan playing a video during his opening statement, claiming it ran afoul of the committee's hearing rules

During the chaotic hearing Donald Trump chimed in with an emailed statement from his Save America PAC.

'The insurrection took place on November 3, Election Day. January 6 was the Protest!' he wrote.

Garland condemns Capitol rioters but doesn't say whether he'll prosecute Steve Bannon

The hearing comes at a tense moment for Garland's DOJ. House Democrats have been calling on him to enforce the January 6 committee's subpoenas, particularly after the House's planned vote to hold Steve Bannon in criminal contempt on Thursday.

Asked about the possibility of prosecuting Bannon, Garland said: 'If the House of Representatives votes for referral of the contempt charge, the Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances - apply the facts of the law and make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution.'

In his opening statement, Garland defended the Biden Justice Department's prosecution of January 6 participants' 'intolerable assault' on the US Capitol.

Garland lauded prosecutors' efforts in what he calls 'one of the largest and most expansive' operations in US history, according to Garland's prepared remarks obtained by Axios.

In his opening statement Garland condemned the Capitol rioters and swore to fight for civil rights

Democrats, meanwhile, are connecting violent Trump supporters' 'extremist ideology' to the increased tensions at school boards and education settings across the country.

'The violence we witnessed that day was an intolerable assault, not only on the Capitol and the brave law enforcement personnel who sought to protect it, but also on a fundamental element of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power,' he will say.

'I have great confidence in the prosecutors who are undertaking these cases. They are doing exactly what they are expected to do: make careful determinations about the facts and the applicable law in each individual case.'

To date roughly 650 people have been arrested in connection to the January 6 attack. The expansive investigation involves 55 out of 56 FBI field offices across the country.

Democrats ask Garland how to 'protect' themselves after Capitol riot

In his opening, House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-NY) attacked the rioters themselves and took an indirect swipe at his Republican colleagues.

'This growth in extremist ideology is echoed in an epidemic of violence and intimidation directed at our health care professionals, teachers, essential workers, school board members and election workers,' Nadler said.

He claimed there was a 'broader pattern' that led to increased violence across the country - from the riot, to increased attacks against Asian Americans during the pandemic, to 'the growing threats of violence against public servants.'

'The same set of individuals have leveraged the same sorts of misinformation, stoked the same sorts of grievances and shown remarkably little interest in solving our problems,' Nadler said

Protestors storm inside the US Capitol, Washington DC, on January 6 2021

He told Garland at the hearing: 'You must build back everything DOJ lost under the last administration.'

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) told Garland he was harassed the day after the Capitol riot, but was told he couldn't file charges because no laws were broken.

'Mr. Attorney General, I'm trying to figure out some clear lines here. How do we as elected officials protect ourselves, are we left to conceal weapons? What is it exactly that we need to do?' he asked.

'I'm an elected official, but where does the First Amendment stop and the threat of serious bodily injury come into play?'

Garland said the courts have been 'clear' that threats of that nature are not protected by the First Amendment.

'Anger, getting up in your face, those things are protected,' he said. 'People can argue with you, people can say vile things to you, people can insult you - I'm sorry to say this, it doesn't mean I like the idea...but the First Amendment protects vigorous argument.'

Republican accuses Garland of a double standard

Rep. Greg Steube held up images from the Capitol riot and last week's climate change protest and demanded that Garland condemn both as domestic terrorism

Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) accused Garland's Justice Department of a double standard in its prosecution of January 6 rioters and climate change protesters who attempted to occupy the federal Interior Department building last week.

He held up images of both situations.

When the lawmaker asked Garland to condemn both as domestic terrorists, he said he couldn't comment on specifics because he wasn't personally aware the incident took place.

'One I know the facts of, the other I don't know the facts of,' Garland said. 'I'm not going to be able to resolve a legal determination based on one picture. In the January 6 case we have terabytes of video which disclose exactly what happened there.'

Steube told Garland he was giving him an 'opportunity to set the record straight and say both of those actions, regardless of ideology, are against federal law and will be prosecuted with the full faith and credit of the Department of Justice.'

'You're refusing to do that, and that's the challenge that everyday Americans are having right now, is because they're seeing what you guys are doing to the people on January 6.'

Democrat grills Garland on why he's not prosecuting Trump

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) demanded to know whether Garland would look into prosecuting Trump the same way his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, was charged and indicted for paying off porn star Stormy Daniels on the former president's behalf.

At time, the federal lawsuit referred to an 'Individual- 1' who Michael Cohen later claimed was Trump.

'Michael Cohen has a felony on his record and spent time in prison for paying at the direction of President Trump hush money to Stormy Daniels and another woman,' Cohen said. 'I believe it's pretty well known that Trump was 'Individual 1' as described in the indictment.'

He acknowledged that Trump couldn't be indicted while he was in the White House.

'He's no longer a sitting president. Do you believe that not looking into and indicting 'Individual 1' - equally if not more guilty than Michael Cohen - is not an abuse of equal protection under the law and an abrogation of the idea that the rule of law is principle?'

Garland wouldn't answer directly, electing to lean back on DOJ policy guidelines.

'A very important element of the rule of law is the norm of the Justice Department that we don't comment on whether we're investigating, what the status of investigations are unless and until there's a public charge,' the attorney general said.

'That's important to protect everyone, whether it be a former president, an existing president or a public official, or a private individual.'

Cohen said he would accept the answer but urged Garland to look into the possibility of prosecution.

'I believe he is equally if not more guilty, and it does seem that people get favored treatment if he is not prosecuted,' the Democrat said.
A former New York City plastic surgeon convicted in the 1985 killing of his wife has made a shocking confession after maintaining his innocence for over 30 years.

Robert Bierenbaum - who was an experienced pilot - admitted during his December 2020 parole hearing that he strangled his wife, Gail Katz, to death and threw her body out of an airplane because he was 'immature' and 'didn't understand how to deal with his anger.'

'I wanted her to stop yelling at me and I attacked her,' he said. 'I went flying. I opened the door and then took her body out of the airplane over the ocean.'

Now, less than a year he took responsibility for the crime, those who knew the couple share exclusively on ABC's 20/20 how an outwardly charming doctor with a successful career and many hobbies was actually violent and controlling.

'The Bierenbaum story when you get right down to it is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,' Dan Bibb, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney who prosecuted the Bierenbaum case, said. 'Disbeliefs switched to 'Good God, this guy was a psychopath.'

Former New York City plastic surgeon Robert Bierenbaum (left) has admitted that he strangled his wife, Gail Katz (right), to death and threw her body out of an airplane back in 1985

Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder, who presided the case, said that 'one of the most critical moments of the case' was the prosecution's video recreation of a small plane pilot pushing a body bag out of the aircraft while still flying the plane

'Never in a million years you thought you'd be using cold calculated murderer in the same description as Dr. Bierenbaum,' a man who knew the couple said.

'This perfect renaissance man, spoke several languages, a Jewish doctor,' echoed Gail's sister, Alayne Katz.

'He was tall, dark and handsome - pilot, surgeon, a big catch right, for any young lady,' Denise Kastenbaum, childhood friend of Gail, shared.

Bibb said that Bierenbaum's confession prompted a wave of shock amongst prosecutors, especially since it mirrored what investigators had hypothesized all along.

'I was like, 'Holy s---, are you kidding me?' he said. 'I was stunned because I always thought that that day would never come, that he would own up, take responsibility for having killed his wife.'

However, Alyane claimed her ex-brother-in-law's admission of guilt meant nothing: 'This is exactly the same man that I knew 35 years ago. He hasn't changed  he is incapable of a shred of remorse.'

She claims she suspected that Bierenbaum had killed Gail the moment she learned her sister was missing.

'She's not with me, and she's not with my parents, and at that moment I know that my sister's dead,' Alayne recalled. 'And if she's not alive there's only one person who is a likely suspect to murder her, and it's Bob. There's no other suspect.'

Bierenbaum (pictured with his second wife, Janet Chloett) said he killed Gail because he was 'immature' and 'didn't understand how to deal with his anger'

Gail's sister, Alayne Katz (pictured), said his confession means nothing: 'This is exactly the same man that I knew 35 years ago. He hasn't changed  he is incapable of a shred of remorse'

Why did a handsome doctor, pilot, husband  really kill his wife? The only thing more shocking may be how he tried to cover up the crime. @JohnQABCs all-new 20/20 premieres Friday at 9/8c on @ABC. Stream next day on Hulu. https://t.co/ZGewRPfd2o pic.twitter.com/hChNN4jYRW  20/20 (@ABC2020) October 20, 2021

Bierenbaum and Gail met in the early 1980s and had what their friends called a 'magical romance'.

'One of the first dates he took Gail on was a flight around Manhattan. She was so enamored,' Denise said.

However, the couple's relationship quickly turned toxic.

According to Gail's sister, Bierenbaum began showing his violent tendencies before the two were ever wed, citing an example where he attempted to drown Gail's cat in the toilet at their Upper East side apartment.

'[She said], 'No, no, no, Alayne we're gonna get rid of the cat and then everything's gonna be fine because he's gonna believe that I love him,' Alayne recalled. 'And I'm like, 'No. Not really. You really have to get rid of Bob.'

Alayne said, despite several red flags, Gail went through with the wedding: 'My sister told me, 'I'm smart. I'm loving. My love will cure. This is going to work out.''

During the course of their marriage, Gail grew fearful of her reportedly controlling and violent husband, telling neighbors she 'didn't feel comfortable at home'.

In 1983 Gail reported to police that Bierenbaum had choked her into unconsciousness after he caught her smoking on their balcony. However, nothing came of the complaint.

One of the prosecutors on Bierenbaum's case said described the case as an instance of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' (Pictured: Bierenbaum and Gail Katz)

The couple's romance started off magical, but quickly turned toxic. Alayne said she was fearful for Gail (pictured) from the very start

'If this had happened in 2021  Robert Bierenbaum would have been in handcuffs immediately,' Bibb told ABC. 'The fact that this was [1983] ... nothing was done about it.'

She disappeared on July 7, 1985. Bierenbaum told police the couple had an argument and Gail stormed out.

Months after Gail's disappearance, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office took over the case and called on Detective Andy Rosenzweig to investigate.

Rosenweig's probe revealed that Bierenbaum had rented a plane from a New Jersey airport on July 7, 1985 but altered his flight logs to indicate he went flying on July 8.

The detective theorized that Bierenbaum had thrown Gail's body into the Atlantic Ocean. However, there was not enough evidence to press charges.

Meanwhile, Bierenbaum returned to the dating scene and attended parties in the Hamptons.

In 1989, a torso believed to belong to Gail surfaced on a Staten Island shore. Because DNA forensics had not been invented yet, officials used a chest x-ray to identify the body.

'An X-ray technician compared this X-ray with the torso and said, 'This is Gail,' Alayne explained. 'Now  we have a body to bury. We have some closure.'

In 1983 Gail (left) reported to police that Bierenbaum (right) had choked her into unconsciousness after he caught her smoking on their balcony. Nothing came of the complaint

Gail (above) disappeared on July 7, 1985. Her body has never been found

However, in 1998, as Rosenweig, nearing retirement, remained haunted by Gail's cold case. He outreached to the Katz family and convinced them to exhume the torso and have it tested with now-invented DNA technology.

The tests determined the torso did not belong to Gail.

'That little, little shred of closure that I had has now been ripped away,' Alayne stated. 'I looked up at Dan [Bibb] and at Steve [Saracco], and I said, 'Now, you better get a conviction.'

Investigators reopened the case and decided to interview Bierenbaum, who had since remarried and was living in North Dakota with his wife - a Las Vegas gynecologist named Janet Challot - and daughter.

They also spoke with several of his former girlfriends.

One of his exes told police she was with Bierenbaum in New York City when he received a phone call from Port Authority police, saying they thought they found his wife.

He reportedly told police he would call them back and said to his lover: 'I doubt it's Gail.'

Another one of his exes, chiropractor Dr. Stephanie Youngblood, shared a story of their relationship somewhat mirroring his behaviors with Gail.

Youngblood said their relationship started off wonderfully with the couple attending black tie events and taking lots of ski trips. Then, he exploded with rage, prompting her to seek a therapist for them.

She claims the therapist recommended she leave Bierenbaum because her 'life could be in danger with him'.

Bierenbaum was convicted of second-degree murder in Gail's death in October 2000 - fifteen years after she disappeared - after the jury deliberated for five-and-half-hours

'I thought the demonstration with the airplane was extremely effective,' Crocker said

Youngblood also said that Bierenbaum told her he had been previously married, his wife had disappeared and he didn't like to talk about the situation.

'The way he told the story, it was believable,' Youngblood said. 'He goes, 'Listen, this isn't for public knowledge. I would really appreciate it if you kept this under wraps.'

With testimony from his former girlfriends and the record that Bierenbaum took a flight on the day Katz disappeared, investigators moved forward with their case.

'We knew it was going to be the toughest trial that we'd ever had. No forensics, no eye witnesses, entirely circumstantial,' Bibb said. 'There was no foregone conclusion to this case, by any stretch of the imagination.'

Bierenbaum was convicted of second-degree murder in Gail's death in October 2000 - fifteen years after she disappeared - after the jury deliberated for five-and-half-hours.

Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder, who presided the case, said that 'one of the most critical moments of the case' was the prosecution's video recreation of a small plane pilot pushing a body bag out of the aircraft while still flying the plane.

'I thought the demonstration with the airplane was extremely effective,' Crocker said.

Bierenbaum was sentenced to 20 years-to-life in prison.

The former surgeon, however, maintained his innoncene and attempted to get his conviction overturned on several occasions but was unsuccessful.

After serving 20 years of his sentence, he confessed to murdering Gail. Her body has never been found.

Bierenbaum remains in prison and is expected in court next month for a parole hearing.
Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff shared an awkward kiss through their masks during a supposed surprise birthday celebration for the vice president on Wednesday.

Just before walking into the room, Harris confusingly yelled 'surprise' for her own surprise 57th birthday party. The room then erupted in cheers and claps  but it did not appear anyone else yelled 'surprise.'

Vice President Harris then walked over to her husband, first gentleman Doug Emhoff, and accepted flowers before the two exchanged a kiss through both wearing black masks.

She was then serenaded by a roomful of staffers with 'Happy Birthday', the 40-second video posted Wednesday showed.

In the room where the celebration was being held, balloons covered the table where a chocolate sheet cake sat on top with a single slice cut out and a candle on top.

Masked staffers lined the room and filmed the celebration.

Upon walking into a supposed surprise birthday party on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris (left) yelled 'surprise' as she entered the room, lined with masked staffers and her husband, first gentleman Doug Emhoff (right)

Harris walked over to her husband and gave him a kiss  even though they were both wearing black face masks

Harris, now 57, walked into a room full of staffers singing Happy Birthday to her on Wednesday

In another short Twitter video, President Joe Biden was shown holding a bouquet of flowers and a framed photo of them both as he walked into the vice president's office to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Harris, now 57, wore a grey blazer and matching pants and stood behind her desk, laughing at the sight of the commander-in-chief bearing gifts.

'Really? Aw Joe, I'm very touched. Thank you,' she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Biden turned the frame to reveal a photo of he and the vice president smiling and walking alongside each other in front of the White House. It had a note written on it too, although it is unclear what the annotation said.

'This is my favorite,' Harris said, posing for a photo with the president and his gift.

'I'm gonna hang this up with great pride.'

Harris was born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland, California to Tamil Indian biologist Shyamala Gopalan and Stanford professor Donald J. Harris, who is from Jamaica.

President Biden surprised Vice President Harris with flowers for her birthday on Wednesday

The president also gifted her a framed photo of the two of them walking side-by-side

The duo posed for a photo, with Harris gushing: 'I'm gonna hang this up with great pride'

The gifted photo shows Biden and Harris smiling as they walks past the White House lawn

On Wednesday, Harris criticized Republicans in the Senate after they blocked voting rights legislation for the third time this year.

The Freedom to Vote Act, which would make Election Day a national holiday, was opposed by all 50 Republicans in the upper chamber.

Though Harris can break ties as vice president, 60 votes are required to break a filibuster, a tactic used to delay the passage of a bill, often through endless debate.

The legislation would combat what Democrats say are restrictive anti-voting measures being put in place in Republican-led states that disenfranchise poor and black and Latino voters.

Harris reacts as people sing 'Happy Birthday' to her when she arrived at the Capitol to break a Senate tie - the responsibility of the sitting vice president

Harris's vote was not enough to end a Republican filibuster against voting rights legislation

The bill would also require states to allow at least 15 consecutive days of early voting in places with at least 3,000 voters and would allow citizens to vote early with no excuse needed.

'The United States Senate and members of the United States Senate had an opportunity to uphold the importance of every American's right to exercise their fundamental right in a democracy - which is their right to vote,' Harris told reporters.

'When presented with this opportunity, the Democrats unanimously upheld the importance of that right. And the Republicans, sadly, unanimously failed to do so.'
Advertisement

China carried out a second test of what is believed to be a hypersonic orbital missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead earlier this year, intelligence sources have claimed.

The new test is believed to have taken place on August 13 and involved a similar 'hypersonic glide vehicle' to one launched into space on board a Long March rocket back in July, which was first reported earlier this week.

Beijing has acknowledged one of the tests, claiming it launched a 'peaceful' civilian spacecraft. But analysts believe the craft can actually be tipped with a nuclear warhead which would be able to evade missile defences.

Even government scientists are struggling to work out exactly what the new craft is capable of, with one source telling the Financial Times that it appears to 'defy the laws of physics' and is unlike any technology the US has.

The White House has refused to comment, while the US Department of Defense has refused to confirm or deny the existence of any hypersonic weapons tests.

China is thought to have carried out two tests of a hypersonic orbital nuke - the first on July 27 and the second on August 13 this year. Observers believe the 'weapon' is an updated version of a Soviet concept called a 'Fractional Orbital Bombardment System', or FOBS. It is designed to evade powerful US radar systems and anti-missile defences designed to shoot down traditional ICBMs by flying in low-Earth orbit, making it harder to spot, track and destroy

China, the US and Russia are engaged in a global arms race that now includes the development of hypersonic missile technology. Here, the MailOnline has compared (from left) each country's main nuclear weapon, the latest hypersonic technology they have tested, their most up-to-date aircraft carriers, main battle tanks, and cutting-edge jets

China launched the dummy weapon into space on board a Long March 2C rocket (pictured) during a test in mid-August which it did not disclose at the time and was only revealed at the weekend by security analysts assigned to work out its purpose

Pictured: China launches the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft on October 16, carried on the Long March-2F carrier rocket, to Chinese Tiangong space station

What is the new 'weapon' that China has tested? Intelligence sources say Beijing has tested two nuclear-capable hypersonic vehicles that flew around the planet in low-Earth orbit before coming back down. If confirmed - Beijing denies it, saying it actually tested a civilian spacecraft - then it marks a major jump in the country's nuclear programme, though the concept itself is nothing new. The idea behind China's 'new' weapon actually came from the Soviets, who developed it during the Cold War. Called a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, or FOBS, it was designed to evade powerful US radar arrays and missile defence systems. Those systems work by detecting launches of ICBMs - very long-range missiles that can be tipped with nuclear warheads - tracking them into space and then firing at the warheads as they come down in the hope of blowing them up before they hit their targets. This is possible because ICBMs and their warheads follow a predictable trajectory that rises high above the horizon - making them relatively easy to spot and allowing defence crews to calculate where they are aimed so they can be shot out of the sky. FOBS is designed to negate these defences by firing warheads along a much-flatter trajectory that is assisted by Earth's gravity. This means the warheads pass under the scope of many radar detection arrays and are harder to track. It also makes the warheads much harder to shoot down because their trajectory is harder to calculate. In addition, using orbit to carry the warheads makes their range potentially unlimited, meaning they can be fired at its target from any direction. This helps to avoid radar systems which are generally pointed at a fixed spot in the sky - in America's case, over the North Pole. Soviet Russia had a FOBS system - comprising, at its peak, of 18 R-36O missiles - which were active from 1969 until 1983 when it scuttled the programme in response to changes in America's missile defence systems. China now appears to be pursuing the technology anew, while coupling it with a new 'hypersonic glide vehicle' to carry the warheads. The 'HGV' is thought to make the warhead easier to manouevre while in orbit and increase its accuracy. Despite its 'hypersonic' name, it actually travels much slower than ICMB warheads - some 3,800mph compared to 15,000mph+ for 'traditional' nukes. Russia and the US are both developing HGVs of their own, though neither has put them to use in the same way as Beijing. Moscow has one that can be fitted to its latest Satan 2 ICBM, while the US is working on one that can be launched from a B-52 bomber - though two recent tests of the system have failed. Advertisement

The first test was disclosed earlier this week, when the FT quoted five intelligence sources who said that China had tested what appeared to be an orbital hypersonic nuclear missile some time in early or mid-August.

Beijing subsequently acknowledged the test, but said it had taken place on July 16. Intelligence sources now believe the test which the FT initially reported and the test acknowledged by the Chinese are different.

The newspaper now reports that the first test took place on July 27, before a second test of the same technology a little over two weeks later, on August 13.

Observers say the weapon appears to be an update of Cold War-era Soviet technology called a 'Fractional Orbital Bombardment System' - or FOBS.

Soviets developed the technology to get around powerful US radar arrays designed to detect the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) tipped with nukes, and defence systems designed to shoot them down.

FOBS works by putting the nuclear warheads into a low-Earth orbit, allowing them to circle the globe and manoeuvre in flight before coming down on their targets.

This makes the warheads harder to detect, track and destroy than those carried on board ICBMs.

China appears to have updated the concept by fitting the nuclear warhead on to a 'hypersonic glide vehicle', which is designed to travel faster and manoeuvre easier - making it even harder to stop.

After the second test was disclosed, Hu Xijin - the editor of the state-owned Global Times newspaper - said the US needs to be 'rational' and accept the idea of 'mutually assured destruction'.

'The US must abandon the crazy idea that it can strike China and Russia, but they cant strike it,' Hu tweeted.

However, he stopped short of confirming the test had taken place - describing it as 'speculation'.

A follow-up editorial in the Global Times also stopped short of confirming the test, but said - if true - the development of hypersonic missiles would 'help contain the US strategic arrogance over China and further exclude the possibility that the US blackmails China with nuclear weapons.'

The paper claims that US policy has been to develop nuclear weapons that will allow it to strike other nations while they cannot strike it - but calls this 'an unattainable mad idea' and says Washington must accept a reality in which all superpowers can strike one-another, describing it as a 'balance of nuclear terror'.

'Absolute security does not exist in today's world,' the editorial concludes.

The Chinese foreign ministry has yet to make a statement on the latest test claims.

Several countries, including the US and Russia, are developing their own hypersonic glide vehicles - though neither of them have put them to the same use as China.

China has shown off hypersonic glide vehicles before, including one mounted to the nose of the DF-17 nuke which featured prominently in military parade in 2019.

Analysts believe something similar was launched into space on board a rocket during its two recent hypersonic tests, and then released into low Earth orbit - circling the planet before being brought back down and aimed at a target.

It is thought the craft missed by some 24 miles, but the test still stunned analysts who believed China was far off being able to launch such technology.

Beijing did not report the test or its results at the time, but after it was disclosed earlier this week the country's state media mocked America by saying it is a 'new blow to the US's mentality of strategic superiority over China'.

An op-ed in the Chinese state media outlet Global Times, Beijing's mouthpiece, said the test means 'there is a key new member in China's nuclear deterrence system', adding that this is a 'new blow to the US's mentality of strategic superiority over China'.

It is just the latest move in a global arms race between Russia, China and the US which is taking place against the backdrop of mounting tensions between the superpowers in the eastern Pacific.

All three countries are engaged in wholesale updates of their militaries including the development of new nuclear technology with which they can strike each-other at range.

Russia and China have, in recent years, unveiled new and more-powerful ICBMs which are capable of launching multiple nuclear warheads at targets many thousands of miles away.

The United States, Russia and at least five other countries are also working on hypersonic technology, and last month North Korea said it had test-fired a newly-developed hypersonic missile.

Russia has previously tested a hypersonic cruise missile known as Zircon, but it flies below the atmosphere and uses fuel to power itself to hypersonic speeds rather than the Earth's orbit.

The Pentagon did not comment on China's testing of the hypersonic missile, but did acknowledge China as their 'number one pacing challenge'.

'We have made clear our concerns about the military capabilities China continues to pursue, capabilities that only increase tensions in the region and beyond,' John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, told Fox News. 'That is one reason why we hold China as our number one pacing challenge.'

An op-ed in Beijing's state media outlet Global Times said: 'If the FT report is to be believed, it means that there is a key new member in China's nuclear deterrence system, which is a new blow to the US' mentality of strategic superiority over China.

'It is important to note the unstoppable trend that China is narrowing the gap with the US in some key military technologies as China is continuously developing its economic and technological strength.'

China unveiled a hypersonic glide vehicle during a military parade in 2019, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Beijing has now used a hypersonic vehicle to test a low-orbiting weapon capable of defeating nuclear defences

'China doesn't need to engage in an 'arms race' with the US  it is capable of weakening the US' overall advantages over China by developing military power at its own pace,' the editorial added.

It is just the latest episode of nuclear sabre-rattling to come out of Beijing, after a senior Chinese diplomat suggested that Beijing should abandon its long-standing policy of not using nuclear weapons first in conflict.

Sha Zukang, the country's former ambassador to the UN, told a summit of Chinese nuclear policy experts that it is time to 're- examine and fine-tune' a long-standing commitment to only use nukes in retaliation as the US 'builds new military alliances and as it increases its military presence in our neighbourhood.'

Beijing's current policy - which has been in place since the 1960s - has given China the 'moral high ground' but 'is not suitable . . . unless China-US negotiations agree that neither side would use [nuclear weapons] first,' he said at a meeting in Beijing last week

Zukang's comments - which come as China builds hundreds of new nuclear missile silos - are significant because Beijing often floats changes of policy through senior diplomats. The body he was speaking to - the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association - is officially independent, but has strong ties to the Communist party.

China became a nuclear power in 1964 with its first successful test of a bomb, and adopted its 'no-first-use' policy four years later. It states that Beijing will never be the first to use nukes in a conflict, but will use them if struck first.

It mirrors a policy that Russia implemented between 1982 and 1993, though abandoned due to fears that the weakened state of its army following the break-up of the Soviet Union could encourage an attack by the US.

The US has a policy to never use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against a majority of other nations including all those without nuclear weapons - but has exempted China, Russia and North Korea from the policy.

Global nuclear policy is rapidly changing as a number of Cold War-era treaties - notably New START and the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty - expire, with Washington hoping to renegotiate them to include China.

Zukang, in his speech, said it is 'only a matter of time' before such a deal is negotiated, but that Beijing should be prepared to take a more-aggressive stance until the trio put pen to paper.

China is in the midst of a major upgrade of its nuclear forces, which in recent years has seen it unveil more-advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and hypersonic nuclear missiles that are thought to be un-stoppable by current missile defence systems.

Beijing is thought to possess around 320 nuclear warheads that can be fitted to those missiles at present, but is also thought to be in the midst of a major expansion of that arsenal.

14 silos are currently under construction at the site (in yellow) while land has been cleared for 19 more (in green). But analysts who looked at the site believe it could eventually expand to house 110 silos, each of which can hold a nuclear missile

A second site, under construction near Yumen, has space cleared for up to 120 silos - meaning China's arsenal of nukes could expand from roughly 320 at present to almost 900

Both sites were identified by distinctive tents erected over the top of the under-construction silos that hide their inner workings from spy satellites

It comes after the discovery in July of two huge new missile silo bases under construction in remote desert regions of China.

Experts believe the first, near the city of Yumen, will eventually house 120 silos while the second, near the town of Hami, will house 110. A dozen more are under construction near Jilantai, with older sites also being upgraded.

Each silo can house a nuclear missile, with each missile capable of carrying up to 12 nuclear warheads if China upgrades all of them to carry its latest DF-41 rocket.

That means China's nuclear arsenal could theoretically expand to 875 warheads. Hu Xijin, editor of the state-mouthpiece Global Times newspaper, has previously argued that it should expand to 1,000.

The move would elevate China above the low-ranking nuclear powers such as the UK, Pakistan, France and India which have stockpiled warheads in the low hundreds.

But it would still be well short of the US and Russia, the world's two largest nuclear powers, which possess arsenals of around 4,000 warheads each.

The construction of hundreds of silos also marks a major shift in the make-up of China's nuclear threat, which currently relies heavily on mobile road-based launchpads and nuclear-capable bombers. China also has four nuclear-armed submarines.

China is expanding its military as its economy balloons to rival that of the US, having lagged behind for decades.

In addition to building new nuclear missiles and silos, it has constructed new aircraft carriers, tanks, fighter jets, spy and attack drones, along with new rifles for its troops.

Beijing has used the new hardware to take a more aggressive stance in the Pacific: Imposing its rule on Hong Kong, menacing Taiwan, and laying claim to a number of uninhabited islands in the South China Sea which it has constructed military bases on top of.

It has also been pressing its claim to a number of other islands whose ownership is disputed, creating tensions with other regional powers such the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and others. Similar disputes are underway in the East China Sea, around islands claimed by Japan.

China claims rights over the South China Sea in its entirety, which would hand Beijing control over hugely valuable international shipping lanes, fishing grounds which neighbouring countries rely on for food, and deposits of coal and oil which dot the seabed.

The US and its allies have been pushing back on these claims, and frequently conduct what they call 'freedom of navigation' operations through waters that China claims as its own in defiance of Beijing.
Advertisement

Mourners today watched on in tears as a horse and carriage carried the coffin of a mother who was killed with her two children and their friend at a sleepover.

Well wishers packed the streets outside St Giles Church in Killamarsh, on the outskirts of Sheffield, for the funeral of Terri Harris. The West Ham fan had a blue and claret themed service in a nod to her beloved team.

The 35-year-old was found dead with her children John Paul Bennett, 13, Lacey Bennett, 11, and Lacey's friend Connie Gent, 11, after the massacre last month.

Damien Bendall, Ms Harris' boyfriend, is charged with all four murders and has been remanded in custody. The 31-year-old is due to stand trial in March.

Mourners today watched on in tears as a horse and carriage carried the coffin of a mother who was allegedly killed with her two children and their friend at a sleepover

Well wishers packed the streets outside St Giles Church in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, for the funeral of Terri Harris

Ms Harris' coffin is carried into the church off the carriage after it passed through crowds on either side of the street today

The 35-year-old was found dead with her children John Paul Bennett, 13, Lacey Bennett, 11, and Lacey's friend Connie Gent, 11, after the massacre last month

The West Ham supporter had a blue and claret themed service in a nod to her beloved team

The carriage was decorated in West Ham colours because Ms Harris supported the Hammers

Pictured: Terri Harris (left) and (right) with her children Lacey Bennett with John Paul Bennett

Pictured: Connie Gent, 11, was at a sleepover where she was found dead alongside friend Lacey, John and their mother Terri Harris

Ms Harris' coffin was pulled through Killamarsh to St Giles Church in a white carriage pulled by two horses. Flowers were laid on top of it as well as on top of the casket while flowers were also put down outside the chapel.

The West Ham supporter had a blue and claret themed service in a nod to her beloved team. Mourners bowed their heads as the procession went by and many appeared to be sobbing.

One card read: 'My lovely friend Terri, I will treasure the memories we made. May you and your babies rest in perfect peace.' Two doves and blue and pink balloons were released at the end of the service.

Only close family and friends were able to attend the church service, but it was relayed on loudspeakers which could be heard within the church grounds.

The service was followed by a private cremation in nearby Chesterfield. Ms Harris, a care worker, was born in the east end of London where she lived until she was 17, when she moved to Sheffield with her mother.

Her family said she would regularly to Essex to spend time with her father.

Ms Harris' coffin was pulled through Killamarsh to St Giles Church in a white carriage pulled by two horses

Flowers were laid on top of it as well as on top of the casket while flowers were also put down outside the chapel

One card read: 'My lovely friend Terri, I will treasure the memories we made. May you and your babies rest in perfect peace'

Lacey Bennett (right), 11, and her 13-year-old brother John Paul (left) were both found dead alongside the bodies of their mother Terri Harris and their best friend 11-year-old Connie Gent

Pictured: Damien Bendall is next due to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on November 26

Ahead of his children's funeral, Mr Bennett issued a plea to those planning to attend in a heartbreaking post on social media.

He wrote: 'Me and my babies always used to sing a certain song in our car and belt it out like nothing else matters.

'I'm trying to stay strong and while I'm carrying both my babies on my shoulders I'm determined to belt the song they love out loud as if we were in our car.

'Sing along if you like and give me hope and strength and celebrate my beautiful happy babies.'

Below the post is the video for Never Enough from the movie musical The Greatest Showman with an additional note, adding: 'Practice if you like...all my love to you all.'

In the wake of their deaths, the devastated father collapsed in tears as he laid flowers near the home where they were allegedly killed.

Mr Bennett stayed at the scene for more than half-an-hour, and said he was 'heartbroken; million pieces; shattered'.

Jason Bennett, father of two children (pictured with Jason) who were killed during a sleepover massacre, has asked mourners to his children's favourite song when they attend their funeral

In a statement, he said: 'Life will never be the same again. Families have been left broken by the awful loss of John, Lacey, Terri and Connie.

'I've been left broken. I'm devastated. John and Lacey came into our lives and brought so much love and happiness and were adored by myself and their big sisters, forever loved and remembered.

'We would also like to thank everyone for their loving support and our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the tragic loss of four precious lives.'

Connie's father Charles Gent said: 'The pain is indescribable. I wake up every morning hoping this has all been a terrible nightmare, but it's not. It's the unbearable reality that my little girl has gone.

'Connie was an absolute superstar in every way. She had a gift - if someone was down she could instantly make them feel okay.

'She lit up every room she went in and meant something to everyone she came across, even in hard times. Connie had the ability to keep everyone smiling.

'This by far is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through; it still doesn't even feel real.

'Fly safe my angel. They came for you and left me behind. I could never say goodbye, so I'll see you soon. I love you more than you can possibly imagine forever and always.'

Pictured: Floral tributes left near to the scene in Chandos Crescent, Killamarsh, last month

Ms Harris's parents, Angela Smith and Lawrence Harris, issued a joint statement through the police.

They said: 'Our Terri, our daughter, our world, our everything. From the day she was born she was our princess and remained so until she was cruelly taken from us.

'She was an amazing mum; her babies were her world. Terri would put herself out not just for her family and friends but anyone who needed her help.'

They added: 'She absolutely loved her work as a care worker and would go above and beyond for the people she cared for.

'She will be missed more than any words can ever express, not only by her family but by anyone who had the privilege to have been in her life.'

An inquest hearing into the four deaths was told all victims died as a result of a 'violent attack'. Bendall is due to enter a plea to the charges at Nottingham Crown Court on November 26.


President Joe Biden is getting more personally engaged in negotiations as lawmakers haggle over the composition of a scaled back reconciliation bill  pressing an idea to give seniors gift cards for dental benefits.

Biden is faced with a highly complex task  figuring out which prized programs to throw overboard from a $3.5 trillion framework in order to try to secure support from two Senate Democratic holdouts.

He has already signaled that a program providing free community college is already not likely to survive, despite support by first lady Dr. Jill Biden, who teaches at a community college.

A new benefit extending Medicare benefits to cover hearing and dental coverage appears likely to survive negotiations.

President Joe Biden is seen above returning to the White House on Wednesday. Biden has been touting a proposal to give seniors $800 gift cards they could use on dental spending through Medicare. It could fill in a gap if a new benefit Democrats want to create takes a while to phase in

But Biden is touting another short-term benefit: $800 gift cards for the elderly to help them spend on dental coverage as part of Medicare, the Washington Post reported.

Sanders, who has championed the dental and hearing expansion for Medicare, has proposed his own $1,000 version of a gift card proposal.

One reason is that establishing a new benefit under Medicare will take time. A House bill wouldn't have it in place until 2028, with hearing benefits beginning to come online in 2023. The debit card may be one way to fill in the gap.

A summary provided by Senate Democrats on the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package says only: 'Expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, hearing benefits and lowering the eligibility age.'

Biden has been meeting with various factions of the House and Senate for weeks. According to the Post, Biden has revealed is feeling heat from his wife on the higher education benefit, which was also a Sanders priority. Sanders chairs the Senate budget committee. The president has joked that if he doesn't push for the spending he might need to find another place to sleep.

'Although it's a smaller bill, it's still historic,' said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of a slimmed-down reconciliation bill being negotiated

Remarks by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Wednesday indicated negotiators have been making some decisions.

'Although it's a smaller bill, it's still historic,' she said.

She responded to a question about negotiators pulling back tax hikes on the wealthy, amid reported objections by Kyrsten Sinema. 'That's one of the options, that's for sure,' she said. She pointed to House-passed hikes in corporate tax rates and capital gains. 'It was a very well received proposal because it wasn't punitive, it was fair,' she said.

As for reports of Sinema's opposition, Pelosi said: 'Her position is well known.'

The White House told Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday that a proposed hike in US corporate taxes is unlikely to make it into their signature social spending bill, according to a congressional source familiar with the discussions.

President Joe Biden's plans to hike the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 21 percent, a key campaign promise, are likely to be one of the steep concessions he makes to steer his economic revival package through Congress, the White House disclosed in the private meeting with top Democrats.

The proposed rate had sparked concern among small business owners who feared they could be penalized as harshly as larger corporations the proposed rise was intended to target, despite assurances from Biden that it would have no such impact.

'There is an expansive menu of options for how to finance the president's plan to ensure our economy delivers for hardworking families, and none of them are off the table,' said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates.

Biden, his aides and congressional leadership are racing to close a deal as soon as this week on a set of tax hikes they hope will fund more than $1.75trillion over a decade in programs ranging from childcare to eldercare, healthcare, affordable housing and climate change mitigation.

They have no margin for error because Democrats hold only narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. Republicans oppose the legislation.

'The president knows that he's not going to get everything he wants in this package,' White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Air Force One.

'Nor will any member of Congress, probably, and that's what compromise is all about.'

The original price tag for the social spending bill was $3.5trillion, but it has now been hacked back to less than $2 trillion, with tuition-free community care college and indefinite raises to child tax credits also on the chopping block.

Democrats hope to pass the measure in the Senate through a 'reconciliation' process that requires support by only a simple majority rather than the 60 votes needed for most legislation in the evenly split 100-member chamber.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris holds the tiebreaking vote.

Biden, who framed the 2020 election against Republican then-President Donald Trump as one between working-class Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Manhattan's Park Avenue, pitched the tax hike as an effort to make sure the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share.

Trump and congressional Republicans cut corporate rates to 21 percent from 35 percent in 2017.

After taking office in January, Biden paired the tax hike with a mix of programs he has argued will put the United States on a more sustainable economic footing to compete with China, from universal pre-kindergarten to dental benefits for seniors and incentives to encourage a shift to low-carbon energy sources.

Progressive legislators led by Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, have argued for a hike in corporate taxes. Sanders had made dental, vision and hearing coverage under Medicare a priority as well

But centrist Democrats in Congress, including Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia (left) and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona (right), have balked at the proposed tax hikes and the $3.5trillion price tag

Business groups and Republicans have fought the measures, arguing they will hamper the economy's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two moderate Democrat senators - Joe Mancin and Krysten Sinema - have also held out, and are believed to be responsible for many of the concessions Biden has made so far.

'When I ran for president, I came back to Scranton,' Biden said on Wednesday on his first trip back to his birthplace since Election Day last November.

'I resolved to bring Scranton values to bear, making fundamental shifts in how our economy works for working people, build the economy from the ground up ... and not from the top down.'

Top Democrats may now put on the table alternate financing proposals for the bill that have been discussed for weeks, including imposing new levies on stock buybacks and business partnerships, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Kyrsten Sinema, a key swing-vote Democrat who has expressed the most concern about tax hikes, may be amenable to other measures that only raise rates for highly profitable large corporations paying next to nothing in federal taxes under current rules, according to Senate colleague Elizabeth Warren.

'Our problem is partly about too low a rate at the top, and obviously some Democrats disagree,' Warren, a Democrat, said on CNN.

'But I think all the Democrats agree, by golly, everybody ought to be paying something.'

The S&P 500 closed 0.4 percent higher after the news about the White House's private comments was first reported by The Washington Post.

After-hours trading in the US stock index trended 0.3 percent higher.
The parents of a toddler who was gouged by a giant sea otter that leapt over an enclosure wall of Dallas World Aquarium are suing for $1miilion.

Stacey Williams of Texas, mother of 18-month-old Nathan Williams, is seeking a jury trial after the horrific attack which left permanent scarring and caused a bacterial infection that took three months to heal.

The family's lawyer insists the aquarium 'knew these animals could get out' after previous visitors wrote reviews mentioning the animals escaping.

'The Dallas World Aquarium knew that these animals, with these crazy claws, with aggressive tendencies, could get up and reach visitors  and they did nothing about it,' Heather Davis told NBC5 on Wednesday.

Nathan's father Ryan, who stands at six-foot-three, was holding the toddler beside the exhibit, as Stacey knelt down with her elder son beside the five-and-a-half foot plexiglass wall to watch the otters swim under the water on May 2, the lawsuit said.

A giant river otter leapt up from the water onto the plexiglass barrier and swiped its claws into the flesh of her son's arm.

Ryan Williams was holding his 18-month-old son Nathan (pictured) beside the Giant Sea Otter exhibit, as Stacey Williams knelt down with her elder son beside the plexiglass. A giant river otter leapt up from the water onto the plexiglass barrier and swiped its claws into the flesh of the toddler's arm

Stacey Williams of Texas (pictured above), mother of 18-month-old Nathan Williams (pictured below), is seeking a jury trial after the horrific attack which left permanent scarring and caused a bacterial infection that took three months to heal

Her husband, who stands at six-foot-three, was holding the toddler beside the exhibit, as she knelt down with her elder son beside the five-and-a-half foot plexiglass wall (pictured) to watch the otters swim under the water

A giant river otter leapt up from the water onto the plexiglass barrier and swiped its claws into the flesh of 18-month-old Nathan Williams' arm

Giant Sea Otters, the river otter's larger cousin, can grow up to six feet long and weigh 75 pounds. The lawsuit notes that, in Spanish, the animals are known as 'River Wolves,' or 'El Lobo de Rio.' 'Its webbed feet are tipping with sharp claws-claws Plaintiff knows are sharp enough to rip through human skin like paper,' reads the complaint

'Ms. Williams' next memory is of Mr. Williams handing her a bloody, screaming Nathan,' reads the lawsuit filed on Monday.

'Nathan began crying and bleeding profusely. Ryan Williams, Nathans father, handed him to Ms. Williams, who immediately squeezed her hand around Nathans wound as a make-shift tourniquet,' the lawsuit said.

The three deep gouges left by the animal took more than a dozen stitches to close, the lawsuit alleges.

After he was sent home from the hospital, Nathan developed a fever, and was subsequently diagnosed with an infection from Pasteurella bacteria, which is found in otters. He did not recover for three months, his family said, and is left with permanent scarring.

The toddler did not recover for three months, his family said, and is left with permanent scarring

The three deep gouges left by the animal took more than a dozen stitches to close, the lawsuit alleges

They Williams family they saw no signs cautioning visitors, and there was no information about the potential danger at the otter enclosure on the aquarium's website

Although otters are known for their playful, social behavior, they have a track record of being aggressive - just last month in Anchorage Alaska, a nine-year-old boy and an adult woman were bitten on separate occasions by unprovoked river otters.

Giant Sea Otters, the river otter's larger cousin, can grow up to six feet long and weigh 75 pounds. The lawsuit notes that, in Spanish, the animals are known as 'River Wolves,' or 'El Lobo de Rio.'

'Its webbed feet are tipping with sharp claws-claws Plaintiff knows are sharp enough to rip through human skin like paper,' reads the complaint.

The family said in the suit that the aquarium didn't do enough to warn visitors that otters 'can be aggressive' or that they should stand back from the exhibit.

They said they saw no signs cautioning visitors, and there was no information about the potential danger at the otter enclosure on the aquarium's website.

The family's lawsuit included photos of social media posts from 2007 and 2013 where posters mentioned the otters escaping their enclosure or climbing on the plexiglass barrier within visitors' reach.

The family's lawsuit included photos of social media posts from 2007 and 2013 (pictured) where posters mentioned the otters escaping their enclosure or climbing on the plexiglass barrier within visitors' reach

'What's disturbing is that the Dallas World Aquarium knew that these animals could get out. Because it had happened at least twice before,' Heather Davis, an attorney who is representing the family, told NBC 5 on Wednesday

The aquarium knew full-well that the animals could get out of the enclosure and didn't increase the height of the plexiglass wall, Davis said to NBC5.

'Now here we are in 2021 where nothing has been changed and a baby has been injured and will have permanent scarring for the rest of his life,' she said.

Before 2007, the exhibit housed jaguars and had a fully-enclosed acrylic barrier - if the aquarium hadn't removed it, the lawsuit said, the accident could have been avoided entirely.

'The DWA, although aware of the attack on Nathan Williams, has still failed to fully close the exhibit.'

The Dallas World Aquarium did not return Dailymail.com's request for comment on Thursday.
Boris Johnson is breathing a sign of relief today after Indian PM Narendra Modi confirmed he will attend the COP26 climate summit.

Mr Modi will be coming to Glasgow, in a much-needed boon for the UN event after it emerged by Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jingping are set to stay away.

Downing Street hailed the news, which brings the number of confirmed world leaders attending to more than 120. As one of the biggest carbon emitters, India's involvement is regarded as critical.

But signs of anxiety in Cabinet surfaced today with claims that COP26 president Alok Sharma is 'raging' about the way Mr Johnson has talked up hopes of a major breakthrough in the battle against climate change.

Mr Sharma reportedly fears that the event will end up looking like a 'damp squib'.

Boris Johnson has insisted he is hoping for a 'good' turnout in Glasgow, but pointed to the pandemic as a factor

The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin (left) will not be attending the gathering in Glasgow at the end of the month. China's Xi Jinping (right) is also not expected to go

Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, is said to be 'raging' at Boris Johnson for 'ramping up' hopes of a major climate change breakthrough at the summit in Glasgow

Who is coming to the COP26 summit? Even the Queen has been publicly complaining that she does not know who is coming to the big UN climate summit in Glasgow. CONFIRMED OR LIKELY US president Joe Biden Indian PM Narendra Modi Australian PM Scott Morrison Israeli PM Naftali Bennett Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan French president Emmanuel Macron Italian PM Mario Draghi Colombian president Ivan Duque Swedish PM Stefan Lofven Swiss President Guy Parmelin South Korean President Moon Jae-in Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau OUT OR DOUBTFUL Chinese president Xi Jinping Russian president Vladimir Putin Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Japanese PM Fumio Kishida Pope Francis Advertisement

Welcoming the announcement from Mr Modi, Mr Johnson's spokesman said: 'India play an important role in this and the Prime Minister has had a number of conversations with Modi on the importance of climate change so we look forward to discussing it with him further.'

Mr Johnson has insisted he is hoping for a 'good' turnout in Glasgow, but pointed to the pandemic as a factor.

The Kremlin said yesterday that Mr Putin will not be attending the gathering in Glasgow at the end of the month, citing the Covid situation.

He is expected to address the conference by video-link.

It comes after China's Xi Jinping made clear he is not intending to travel to the UN event, heightening fears that the summit will fail to make significant progress in the fight against climate change.

Although both countries are expected to send delegations, the presence of national leaders is seen as crucial to add impetus to the process.

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro has also not committed to attending.

US President Joe Biden confirmed only last week that he will be there, and Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is coming despite initial doubts.

If China does not commit to new action, the prospect of keeping global warming to 1.5C could well be scuppered. The country is responsible for 27 per cent of global carbon emissions.

Even the Queen has been unable to conceal her frustration at the vague guest list for COP26.

Caught on microphone while attending the opening of the Welsh parliament in Cardiff last week, the monarch said: 'Extraordinary isn't it... I've been hearing all about Cop... still don't know who is coming... no idea.

'We only know about people who are not coming... It's really irritating when they talk, but they don't do.'

Mr Johnson has repeatedly hailed COP26 as a major moment, saying in September that 'this is the most important period I think now in the history of the planet - because COP simply must succeed'.

But The Sun reported that Mr Sharma is angry at Mr Johnson for boosting expectations.

One minister told the newspaper: 'Nobody has pitched properly that this is not going to be some big hand of history moment where a new deal is done, so it's going to feel like a damp squib.

'Alok is raging. It's got completely out of control.'

The aim of the summit is to persuade countries to agree to take action to restrict global warming to nothing more than 1.5 degrees.

But the minister said the message of 'keep 1.5 alive' is 'incomprehensible' and many people simply do not know what it means.

However, a COP26 insider defended the message as they said: 'Communities on the front line of climate change understand very starkly that keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees could quite literally be a matter of life or death.'

An ally of Mr Sharma denied that he is angry at the Prime Minister.

'He is delighted the PM's personal drive, enthusiasm and determination is fully behind COP26,' they said.
Here's the terrifying moment an Atlanta police officer was nearly killed by an out-of-control driver while investigating a crash on the side of the highway.

Officer Steve Randerson, a nine-year veteran of the APD, had pulled over his cruiser along I-285 around 8.10am on October 6 while responding to a traffic accident on the right shoulder of the highway.

He 'positioned his police vehicle behind (the crash) to warn oncoming traffic of the hazard and to shield the citizen's vehicles from another collision,' according to the department's Facebook post.

It had just stopped raining and 'the oncoming vehicle was traveling too fast for the wet conditions and lost control,' the post explained.

In Randerson's body camera footage, he was using his iPhone to seemingly take pictures of the crash he was investigating before suddenly getting struck from behind and thrown onto the pavement.

In a Facebook post the City of Atlanta Police Department (APD) released Officer Steve Randerson's body camera footage showing the moment he was hit from behind while investigating a separate crash on the side of the highway

In a Facebook post the APD explained that it had just stopped raining and 'the oncoming vehicle was traveling too fast for the wet conditions and lost control' when it hit Officer Randerson while he was on-duty

In the video Randerson fell and was face-down on the ground when he said that his head hurt and an off-camera voice, presumably a fellow female officer, said: 'Officer down! Officer down! Please come get him right now! Right now!'

As of Tuesday, Randerson (picture) is still off-duty and recovering from his injuries

He can be heard moaning as lay facedown on the ground while an off-camera voice, presumably a fellow female officer, screams: 'Officer down! Officer down! Please come get him right now! Right now!'

'What's hurt?' she asked, to which Randerson replied: 'My head.'

'Randerson was seriously injured in the collision' and as of Tuesday 'remains off-duty during recovery,' the APD reported, adding: 'We are grateful that Officer Randerson is in the healing process. This could have ended so much worse.'

The police department told DailyMail.com that 'Officer Randerson is resting and recovering at this time'.

'We often say: "Officers put their lives on the line every single day to protect and serve their community." Not many understand how real that statement is,' the APD said on its Facebook page.

'Whether officers are conducting a traffic stop, serving warrants on known gang members in a dimly lit housing complex, patrolling the streets at 3am, or responding to an auto accident on I-285, their safety is always at risk and their bravery is always on display,' they added.

The police department said the incident serves as a reminder 'of Georgia's Move-Over Law,' which requires drivers to move over at least one lane when they see an emergency vehicle on the side of the road with its lights on.

The law, which was passed in 2003, also asks drivers to slow down to a speed below the speed limit and prepare themselves to stop in case of an emergency.

Back in April of this year NYPD Highway Officer Anastasios Tsakos (left), 43, was fatally hit by 32-year-old Jessica Beauvais (right) as he directed traffic around 2am on the Long Island Expressway

Just hours before the fatal crash Beauvais posted a one-hour and 51-minute livestream on her Facebook page where she took shots (pictured) and said: 'F*** the police'

Earlier this year, NYPD Highway Officer Anastasios Tsakos, 43, was fatally hit by a Volkswagen as he directed traffic around 2am on the Long Island Expressway.

Oddly enough the driver, 32-year-old Jessica Beauvais, slammed police officers and the justice system in a one-hour and 51-minute livestream she posted to her Facebook page just hours earlier.

In the podcast, which was part of her Face The Reality radio show, she addressed ex-cop Derek Chauvin's trial for the murder of George Floyd, downed shots of tequila and said: 'F*** the police'.

Back in April, Tsakos - a 14-year veteran of the NYPD - was redirecting traffic following a separate fatal car accident in Queens when Beauvais' car allegedly veered and struck the officer head-on.

Tsakos, a married father to a three year-old son and six year-old daughter, was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Beauvais - who was intoxicated at nearly double the legal alcohol limit for drivers - had a suspended license at the time and allegedly fumed at the arresting officers, telling them: 'F*** you. I don't have to listen to you.'

Beauvais, who said she has a 13-year-old son in the video, later offered a tearful apology for Tsakos' death as she was led out of the NYPD's 107th Precinct in handcuffs.

'I'm sorry that I hit him and that he's dead,' she sobbed.
Indiana is trying to lure disgruntled police officers from neighbouring Illinois where thousands of Chicago city police officers are being punished for not complying with the city's new Covid-19 vaccination mandate.

All of Chicago Police Department's (CPD) roughly 13,000 officers were required to share their vaccine status from October 15, and those that are not vaccinated will be required to be tested for Covid-19 twice per week.

Those that don't follow the mandate risk being suspended and having their pay withheld, leading to an escalating dispute between the city and police union.

Indiana is trying to lure disgruntled Chicago police officers to join the Indiana State Police. U.S. Senator Mike Braun (pictured DC on October 7) tweeted that his office would help Chicago officers connect with Indiana police departments that are hiring

Indiana has looked to capitalise on the dispute in Chicago by trying to lure CPD officers to the Indiana State Police. Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Glen Fifield announced to police in Chicago that the Indiana department was hiring (top), while state senator Mike Braun told CPD officers: 'Welcome to Indiana!' (bottom)

But as the argument rages in Chicago, Indiana has looked to capitalise on the dispute by trying to lure CPD officers to the Indiana State Police.

'Hey Chicago police officers, we're hiring!' an Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Glen Fifield said in a tweet on Thursday. 'No vaccine mandate  lower taxes, great schools, welcoming communities.'

U.S. Senator Mike Braun also tried to lure officers across the state border.

'Welcome to Indiana,' he wrote in a tweet. 'My office stands ready to help connect Chicago police officers to an Indiana police department that is hiring now and doesn't have a vaccine mandate.'

Speaking to Fox News, Braun said CPD officers deserved more respect than they are being shown in the Windy City, and that in Indiana they won't suffer the same 'government overreach'.

'Our police do the hardest job in the world, and they deserve respect  not losing their pay or being fired for refusing to comply with a ridiculous vaccine mandate,' he said.

All of Chicago Police Department's (CPD) roughly 13,000 officers were required to share their vaccine status from October 15, and those that are not vaccinated will be required to be tested for Covid-19 twice per week. Pictured: CDP officers seen earlier this year (file photo)

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said as of Tuesday, 21 officers had been placed on 'no pay status' for refusing to comply with the city's order to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Brown said that the refusals have not affected staffing.

Though the police department lags behind all other city departments in complying with the city's requirement to report vaccination status, Brown said that more police department employees had entered their status in recent days.

Brown said that 67 percent of the police department's employees had entered their vaccination status of which 82 percent are fully vaccinated.

The dispute between the union and city has been escalating with both sides taking the matter to court.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has accused the police officers' union and its president of spreading misinformation about the reporting process, which asks for vaccination status and allows for a temporary window of regular COVID-19 testing at the employee's own expense until vaccines can be administered.

'I want to make sure that our officers who are literally working their tails off every single day, risking life and limb, are absolutely able to take advantage of this lifesaving vaccine,' Lightfoot has said.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said as of Tuesday, 21 officers had been placed on 'no pay status' for refusing to comply with the city's order to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status. Pictured: Brown seen in Chicago in August

The union's president, John Catanzara, maintains that the order to provide information to the portal is both a violation of the officers' constitutional rights and their rights under the union's contract with the city.

The police union's website again on Tuesday directed members to not comply, but also has offered an option to comply while providing a form to show they are doing so 'under complete duress and threats of termination.'

Brown, who disclosed that three members of his own family who he described as 'anti-vaxxers' have died of complications from the virus in recent weeks, said he is simply trying to protect officers and the public from harm.

'This virus is no different than the gunfire we take as cops...' he said. 'It would go against our oath to take this virus into (residents') homes.'

The Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks law enforcement deaths in the U.S., shows that 265 officers died in 2020 due to Covid-19, and 237 in 2021. The number of officers killed by gunfire in the same period was 95, the website said.

Following Chicago's lead, New York City announced it will require its entire municipal workforce to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be placed on unpaid leave.

Chicago's police officers - around 6,500 - could face disciplinary action because of a dispute between the city's mayor, Lori Lightfoot (pictured), and their union over the vaccine requirement

Mayor Bill de Blasio gave an ultimatum on Wednesday that ensures a fight with some unions representing employees, including police officers and firefighters, who have refused the shots.

The Democrat gave approximately 46,000 unvaccinated city employees until Nov. 1 to get their first vaccine dose, and he offered an incentive: City workers who get a shot by Oct. 29 at a city-run vaccination site will get an extra $500 in their paycheck.

'My job as your mayor is to keep this city safe, keep this city healthy. And vaccination is the way,' he said.

Several unions castigated the mandates as unfair and vowed to sue.

New York City's largest police union, the Police Benevolent Association, said getting vaccinated is a 'personal medical decision' that officers should make in consultation with their doctors.

'Now that the city has moved to unilaterally impose a mandate, we will proceed with legal action to protect our members' rights,' said its president, Pat Lynch.

The city previously mandated vaccines for teachers and the state has previously mandated vaccines for health care workers. Previously, most city workers could avoid being vaccinated by showing proof of a negative COVID-19 test each week.

With the expanded mandate, more than 300,000 city employees will need to be vaccinated, roughly 160,000 more than previously covered by vaccination rules. Jailers on Rikers Island, where the city has been grappling with staffing shortages, won't be subject to the mandate until Dec. 1.

De Blasio's announcement came amid new uproar over NYPD officers defying even simple measures, like wearing face masks.

On Monday, two police officers were seen on video shoving a man out of a Manhattan subway station when he confronted them for flouting rules requiring they wear masks.
Advertisement

A traditional Georgian townhouse that has its own shisha lounge hidden below ground has gone on the market for nearly 8million.

The current owner of the Grade II listed property in London's Mayfair spends most of his time in Dubai and has put it up for sale for 7.925m.

But he decided to put the shisha lounge in when he had the home refurbished about three years ago.

It was created in a vaulted storage room underground at the front of the four bedroom house.

The Grade II listed home looks like all the others in its street from the outside in the expensive area of Mayfair in London

Hidden below ground level it has its very own shisha lounge for smokers to light up and enjoy the atmosphere down under

This living room area in the near 8million property boasts a comfy corner sofa, flat screen television and chandelier

The large windows in the living room allow sunlight to cascade through the glass and illuminate the huge area

Even the staircase looks expensive with ornate designs creating the full luxurious effect leading away from the living room

Most of the Georgian properties in the area have the vaults, but most are used for storage or as a utility room.

Park Street, which is the longest street on the Grosvenor Estate, has a long history of being inhabited by British aristocrats, including Baron John Dewar, founder of the whisky giant Dewar's, and James Matthews, hedge fund manager and husband of Pippa Middleton.

The property has 2,519 sq ft of accommodation over five floors. The ground floor has an entrance hall, dining room, kitchen and conservatory with a large living room on the first floor.

The lower ground floor has a TV room, utility room and a bedroom with an en suite, as well as the two vaults, one of which is the shisha lounge.

The house is decorated in a tasteful pink and creme shading range and has been kept up to an exquisite high standard

One of the four bedrooms looks like a deluxe hotel with a huge bed and plush comfortable under foot carpets throughout

A charming portrait of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe adorns one of the walls of the sprawling property's living room

Staircase to heaven? The landing on one of the floors even has a comfy couch for visitors to wait to see the residents

There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms over the top two floors.

Joe Le Beau, from estate agents Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, said: 'This house was fully refurbished by our client about three years ago and done to a typical Mayfair standard.

'It's barely been used since then, it's pretty much brand new. That's why he's selling as he's just not using it.

'I've never seen a house like this with a shisha lounge before. He enjoys shisha - he spends most of his time in Dubai - so he decided to have a shisha lounge put in when he had the refurbishment done.

The stylish and traditional Georgian townhouse has been decorated to a high standard throughout and should sell fast

The dining room has a futuristic table and chairs with spotlights in the ceiling making sure dinner is always illuminated

This bedroom is one of just four and has been decorated in keeping with the others dotted around the huge property

This part of the living room also boasts an area for people to eat or read, away from the sofa and big television screen

'It's in one of the vaults to the front of the property. It's quite standard for these Georgian houses to have a vaulted storage.

'They're used for various things - bike storage, a utility room, just general storage or sometimes people dig down to create a bedroom, but this is the first time I have seen one turned into a shisha lounge and I think it works well. It's an interesting use of the space.

'Park Street is one of the prime streets in Mayfair and you're literally a couple of seconds away from Hyde Park itself and Claridge's and The Dorchester are just round the corner so this is a prime spot.

'With a lot of Georgian houses, because they are listed, you can struggle to do a lot with them but this one had a lot of changes made internally before it was listed so the first floor reception room is really open and has a good spacious feel.

'I think it will appeal to an international buyer, being in Mayfair, and we have had some virtual viewings already.

'To find a freehold house on a prime Mayfair street, fully refurbished for sub 10m is difficult so this is very sellable.'
A love letter from Edward VIII which reflects his disenchantment with life as a royal, years before he met Wallis Simpson, has sold at auction for 7,117.

The four-page letter, written by the then-Prince of Wales in 1919, aged 25, fetched almost 12 times its pre-sale estimate of 400 to 600.

It was bought by a UK-based telephone bidder, who asked to remain private, at Cheffins auctioneers in Cambridge today.

Edward wrote the letter to his mistress Freda Dudley Ward, who was at the time married to Liberal MP William Dudley Ward, while aboard the ship HMS Renown as it took him on a royal tour of Canada.

Their affair continued until 1934, only ending when Edward became involved with American socialite Mrs Simpson, who he met in 1930.

Edward reigned as king from January 1936 until December of the same year, when he abdicated to marry divorcee Mrs Simpson.

Charles Ashton, a director at Cheffins, said Edwards 1919 letter to Mrs Dudley Ward gives a window into his 'disenchantment with his life as a royal'.

A love letter from Edward VIII which reflects his disenchantment with life as a royal, years before he met Wallis Simpson, has sold at auction for 7,117. Pictured: Edward (second left) and Prince George of Hanover (far right) with Freda Dudley Ward (second right), and Viscountess Furness (left)

Pictured: The love letter from Edward VIII which was sent to Freda Dudley Ward and reflects his disenchantment with life as a royal, years before the constitutional crisis over Wallis Simpson

In the letter, Edward refers to speeches he had made, writing: 'What I think of all this official wonk and these cornie pompous stunts and Ive made no less than 7 speeches today.'

He described Canadian prime minister Robert Borden, whom he had dined with, as 'such a stick and deadly dull except re politics and I cant tackle him on that subject'.

Freda Dudley Ward: Edward VIII's other woman Freda Dudley Ward was a married socialite who became the paramour of the future King of England. The couple first met at a party in March 1918 after Freda took shelter from a Zeppelin raid in the doorway of a London home. Freda was married to Liberal MP William Dudley Ward with whom she had two daughters. But the relationship between the Prince of Wales and the married Ward was common knowledge in aristocratic circles. Winston Churchill famously observed in 1927, after travelling with them on a train, 'It is quite pathetic to see the Prince and Freda. His love is so obvious and undisguisable.' Edward was known to have written hundreds of letters to Mrs Dudley Ward expressing his love. Freda was the grown-up in their partnership, and that was a large part of her appeal. Indeed, Edward had found dominant women attractive long before Wallis Simpson arrived on the scene. Explaining to Freda what he needed in a relationship, he wrote in a separate letter: You know you ought to be really foul to me sometimes sweetie and curse and be cruel; it would do me worlds of good and bring me to my right senses!! But the future King was not the only man with whom Freda had an affair. For most of their relationship, Freda had been involved in an equally intense affair with Michael Herbert, a banker and a cousin of the Earl of Pembroke. After his death in 1932, Freda was devastated and her family believes that he, rather than the Prince of Wales, was the love of her life. In 1926, Edward met, and later started seeing, a twice-married American, Thelma Furness  as well as Freda. It was Thelma Furness who would later introduce Edward to Wallis Simpson for whom he would abdicate the throne. Thelma encouraged Edwards friendship with Wallis, then married to Ernest Simpson, an Anglo-American shipping broker and Mrs Simpson soon replaced Thelma in the prince's affections. The end of Edwards 16-year relationship with Freda was equally brutal and abrupt. After she hadnt heard from him for a few weeks, she called St Jamess Palace and was told by the operator: I have orders not to put you through. Freda and the prince never spoke again, and she was deeply hurt by his neglect. He had made up his mind that he wanted to be with Wallis and was determined to make a lasting commitment, no matter how great the cost. Advertisement

Mr Ashton said: 'This letter saw some significant pre-sale interest, with over 20 separate parties leaving absentee bids, as well as a number of telephone bidders and those online.

'The letters between the prince and his married lover are of importance as they shed light on the very personal feelings and passions of the future King Edward VIII, which strong sentiments then re-emerged in no less a way in his love for Wallis Simpson.

'Edward VIII was known to be a prolific letter writer, with at least 300 of his letters being offered to the market in a significant sale in 2003.

'The majority of these are now in private hands and very few have surfaced to the market since.

'The market is truly alive and well for autographs and letters, with a significant number of private collectors who were out in force at todays library sale.'

Edward told his mistress he would be spending a day at Prince Edward Island, one of eastern Canada's maritime provinces, writing: 'I don't think it will be very strenuous as it's such a pip squeak province'.

Expressing how much he misses her, he added: 'I do love you, love you, my very own blessed little Fredie darling & I find life very hard & dour without you......it's hell when we are parted sweetheart & when I can't hear you say all your divine things which is what keeps me alive.'

Edward, for whom sex had been a major preoccupation for him since 1916, when his equerries introduced him to a French prostitute called Paulette, was known to have written hundreds of letters to Mrs Dudley Ward, many of which were destroyed or lost.

In one he asked her to come up to London to give me that hiding.

In another he wrote: I do need you so so badly to chase me into bed with a big big stick.

Freda and Edward first met during a Zeppelin raid in March 1918, after Freda took refuge in the doorway of a grand house in Belgrave Square, London.

A party, with the Prince of Wales among the guests, was taking place, and when the hostess invited Freda inside, Edward was captivated, according to Before Wallis: Edward VIII's Other Women, by Rachel Trethewey.

Freda had married William Dudley Ward shortly before her 19th birthday in 1913, and together they had two daughters, Penelope ('Pempie') and Angela ('Angie').

By the time Freda met the prince, however, the marriage was under strain. And when, in 1917, her husband William, or 'Duddie', was made vice-chamberlain to the Royal Household  a job that took him away from home  a bored Freda found new ways of amusing herself; among them, a growing dalliance with the most eligible bachelor in the world.

Soon, the besotted couple found ways to be together almost every day. Physically they were well matched.

Indeed, Fredas power over Edward was emotional as much as sexual.

She was not just the princes lover but also his confidante who seemed almost to wield the authority of a dominatrix.

As he repeatedly begged her to marry him, Edward demonstrated an unsettling level of devotion, frequently abasing himself with baby talk in letters to his precious darling little Mummie and even begging for punishment.

When not in London, Freda stayed at Kilbees Farm, near Windsor, owned by one of her husband's sisters, and the couple could meet there undetected.

Edward's passion for his married mistress became all-consuming and if they were apart, he would phone her four or five times a night. If she were not at home, he was bereft.

Freda Dudley Ward married William Dudley Ward, a Liberal MP, shortly before her 19th birthday

He spent much of the 1920s on a series of Royal tours around colonies to thank them for their war effort.

While he was away, he bombarded Freda with dozens of letters written to 'My Angel' and signed with 'tons and tons of love from your E'.

For Freda, though, the idea of marrying or running away was ridiculous. As she was already married there would have to be a divorce, and his parents and the Church would never have allowed it.

The 7,117 sale price includes the buyers premium of 24.5% and VAT.
Democrat Terry McAuliffe announced Thursday that President Joe Biden will campaign for him again, as a new poll shows him tied with Republican Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia governor's race.

Biden will appear at a rally with McAuliffe Tuesday night in Arlington, Virginia - one of Washington, D.C.'s heavily blue suburbs.

Wednesday's Monmouth University survey showed 46 per cent of registered voters favoring McAuliffe, the former governor of Virginia who is running for a non-consecutive second term, while 46 per cent support Youngkin, a wealthy businessman who formerly worked for the Carlyle Group.

President Joe Biden (left) will return to the campaign trail to help Virginia Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Terry McAuliffe (right) at a Tuesday night rally in Arlington. Biden campaigned for McAuliffe in the same D.C. suburb on July 23

Virginia Republican gubernatorial hopeful Glenn Youngkin (pictured) has caught up with McAuliffe in the race, according to a Monmouth University poll that was released Wednesday

While McAuliffe had a five-point advantage of Youngkin in August and September, it vanished in October

Youngkin overtakes McAuliffe for the first time when pollsters used a turnout model that predicted moderate turnout overall with a whiter electorate.

In that scenario, the Republican led the Democrat 48 per cent to 45 per cent.

The race has tightened in Virginia - which went for Biden by nearly 10 points - as Biden's approval numbers have slipped.

Biden now stands at 43 per cent approval and 52 per cent disapproval among the commonwealth's voters.

The president has lost support as the Democratic majority on Capitol Hill has bickered over his two key packages - a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and the so-called 'Build Back Better' reconciliation package, with no end of negotiations in sight.

Meanwhile, McAuliffe's five-point advantage in August and September has vanished.

Allies of McAuliffe have pleaded with Washington Democrats to get the bills over the line to help their candidate's prospects.

Besides Biden's event next Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris will attend a McAuliffe rally later Thursday, while first lady Jill Biden toured Virginia with the Democrat on Friday.

Biden previously appeared at a rally for McAuliffe in July.

Former President Barack Obama will campaign for McAuliffe - a former Democratic National Committee chair - over the weekend.

Also bad news for McAuliffe: Democrats are less motivated than Republican voters in Virginia and have become decreasingly enthusiastic about the gubernatorial race

In September, Biden helped California Gov. Gavin Newsom overcome a recall election threat - in part because the two men nationalized the election and made it about former President Donald Trump.

McAuliffe will also need to reinvigorate Democratic voters.

The poll showed that while about the same percentage of Republicans and Democrats were motivated to vote in August - 76 per cent of Democrats and 75 per cent of Republicans - now 79 per cent of Republicans are motivated to vote, compared to 72 per cent of Democrats.

The enthusiasm gap has grown between the voters of the two parties in the state.

In August, 34 per cent of Republicans said they were enthusiastic to vote, compared to 21 per cent of Democrats.

In September, enthusiasm grew by 10 points among voters of both parties: Republicans bumped up to 44 per cent and Democrats to 31 per cent.

In October, however, Republican enthusiasm increased by five more points, to 49 per cent.

Democratic enthusiasm actually decreased by five points - currently sitting at 26 per cent.

The Virginia election will be held on November 2.
Nadine Dorries has paid a touching tribute to murdered Tory MP David Amess, revealing his last letter to her pleaded for help making Southend a city - a campaign that has been completed in his memory.

The new Culture Secretary shared a letter sent by the Southend West Tory before he was killed last week.

In it he congratulated on her promotion to replace Oliver Dowden in Boris Johnson's reshuffle, adding: 'Let's now make Southend a city!'

In her tweet, Ms Dorries wrote: 'Its taken me a while to get through the post in my Parliamentary office.

'Just opened this letter from David, in his true style, asking me to make Southend a city.

'It happened David, it happened.'

The new Culture Secretary shared a letter sent by the Southend West Tory before he was killed last week.

In it he congratulated on her promotion to replace Oliver Dowden in Boris Johnson's reshuffle, adding: 'Let's now make Southend a city!'

The letter was sent a month ago to Ms Dorries' parliamentary office

The Queen granted Southend city status on Monday in tribute to Sir David, the veteran politician who led a decades-long campaign for it to be bestowed on the seaside town.

Boris Johnson announced the move in the Commons as he led passionate cross-party tributes in the House to one of the 'nicest, kindest and most gentle' of parliamentarians.

Southend was one of several towns competing for city status as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June next year, with Sir David having pushed for the recognition for at least two decades.

With a population of around 183,000, Southend is a large coastal town and is home to the longest pleasure pier in the world, Southend Pier, measuring 1.33 miles. It also has London Southend Airport less than two miles north of the town centre.

Cities historically were settlements with cathedrals, which is why small places such as Ely in Cambridgeshire and Salisbury remain cities. But having a cathedral is no longer an official requirement for a city-aspiring town. In recent years, towns have been able to apply to the Government for city status via competitions by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

At the last competition, held to honour the Queen's Diamond Jubilee nine years ago, three towns were granted city status - Perth, Chelmsford and St Asaph. In 2002, Preston became a city, while Brighton and Wolverhampton were granted the upgrade to mark the turn of the millennium.
Disgruntled residents have compared a new 250,000 statue erected on a former Ikea building site to 'an android Flava Flav doing a Nazi salute'.

The life-size steel sculpture was built in honour of the 19th century African-American Shakespearean actor Ira Frederick Aldridge - who wowed stages across Europe with his abolitionist roles.

The installation which was planned as a means of 'connecting with the history of the city, was placed on top of the roof of the former Ikea store in Coventry, which has been named the UK's City of Culture for 2021.

The controversial statue was unveiled this week after artist Favour Jonathan was crowned the winner of Sky Arts TV's seven-part series, Landmark which pitted sculptors against each other in a bid to see who could create a new national landmark.

But residents took to social media demanding it is taken down, saying its outstretched arm, which is holding a giant pocket watch, looks more like a famed American rapper 'performing a Nazi salute'.

A controversial statue clutching a giant timepiece was unveiled this week on the site of the former Ikea building in Coventry, West Midlands

But stunned residents have slammed the structure's actual design, instead comparing the statue to American rap icon Flava Flav (pictured in 2014)

The original inspiration for the steel sculpture came from actor Ira Frederick Aldrige - who became the first African-American to manage a British theatre after he was appointed the head of Coventry Theatre at the tender age of 20.

Local Labour councillor David Welsh, who oversees arts and culture in the city, previously said he hoped the new artwork would eventually become a 'popular tourist attraction' in the city.

But stunned residents have slammed the structure's actual design, instead comparing the statue to American rap icon Flava Flav.

William Jonathan Drayton Jr, 62, known by his stage name Flava Flav, co-founded the rap group Public Enemy in 1985 and was recognisable because of an oversized watch he would wear as a chain.

Writing on Facebook, Chris Girvin said: 'Why you put an android Flava Flav doing a Nazi salute on IKEA?'

Carl Hunter added: 'Global pandemic. Costs going up for everything. People losing their jobs.

'Council and income tax going up, and you waste 250,000 for a tiny naff looking statue on an empty building.'

The life-size steel sculpture was built in honour of the 19th century African-American Shakespearean actor Ira Frederick Aldridge - who wowed stages across Europe with his abolitionist roles

Meanwhile Kyle Armour wrote: '250,000 for something that looks like it's out of B&M. Scrap men will be onto that by the weekend.'

Others writing online revealed they had a more positive first impression of the statue.

Jim Clifford wrote: 'Fabulous idea, its another example of the types investment going into Coventry for the next generation. Art is such an important and undervalued part of everyday life.

'Its great the a large organisation like Sky feels Coventry is worth showcasing.'

Ikea operated from the iconic store in Coventry from 2007 but closed the branch last year blaming 'lazy shoppers'.

Coventry City Council had agreed to turn the blue-and-yellow building into a national Collections Centre showcasing art and heritage.
A federal judge has denied Ghislaine Maxwell's request for jury selection to be held in private ahead of her upcoming sex trafficking trial next month.

Judge Alison Nathan on Thursday said that she would not conduct jury selection privately because the factors in the case 'point strongly against deviation from standard practice.'

She also rebuffed Maxwell's request to keep the jury questionnaire sealed and said she was 'not persuaded' it could prejudice jurors.

The latest rulings are a setback to Maxwell and come weeks ahead of her trial for allegedly procuring underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein to abuse.

Jury selection is due to begin on November 15 with opening statements scheduled to begin on November 29. Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Judges in federal court in New York typically conduct screenings of jurors in open court in groups of about 20 with prosecutors and defense asking questions.

A federal judge on Thursday denied Ghislaine Maxwell request to have jury selection in secret as her November trial approaches

Earlier this week, the British socialite's attorneys also filed a motion seeking to ban references to any 'alleged rape by Jeffrey Epstein' at the trial. He died in jail in 2019

But Maxwell wanted the process done privately because the 'tsunami' of negative publicity over the case meant it was necessary to root out potential bias and because of jurors possibly being asked highly personal questions.

Her attorneys also proposed leading the process instead of the judge, in another departure from normal.

During the hearing Judge Nathan said that she was 'not going to permit' attorney-led jury questioning.

She said that the 'factors point strongly against deviation from that standard practice' and that other judges in the Southern District of New York had dealt with other high profile cases without issue.

Judge Nathan said that conferred with Judge Ann Donnolly in the Eastern District of New York, the neighboring federal judicial district, who dealt with 'similar issues' of sensitive questioning of jurors.

Judge Donnolly recently presided over the trial of R. Kelly who was accused of sexually abusing underage girls as well.

Maxwell is shown in prison earlier this year 'with a black eye'

Judge Nathan said that due to Covid-19 there would be some changes to the process of jury selection.

Jurors would be given a questionnaire ahead of time and after that potential jurors would be questioned by her in court one-on-one rather than as a group.

These measures would 'protect the health of the parties and the jurors, help protect juror privacy and help protect juror candor' while ensuring first amendment rights, Judge Nathan said.

Maxwell's lawyer Bobbi Sternheim tried to argue that allowing the jury questionnaire to be made public before the trial would be like giving potential jurors a take-home exam where they could work out the answers beforehand.

Sternheim said that she feared some jurors could be 'motivated to sit on this jury', suggesting that they would be biased against Maxwell.

Judge Nathan said she was 'failing to see what the prejudice is' and said that her questioning of jurors would be 'probing.'

'I am not persuaded that on the off chance there is a juror who has seen a media report of the questionnaire in advance and fails to disclose it is somehow prejudiced,' she said. 'If a juror is going to lie and be dishonest we will smoke that out.'

Nathan ordered that the questionnaire be filed to the public docket by the end of the week.

Sternheim asked for the wording on one question to be altered which asked if jurors had 'protested for any regulations regarding sex trafficking against minors or sexual harassment.'

Prosecutors also asked that sketches of Epstein's hearings in the Manhattan federal court after his arrest in 2019 which are hanging inside the building be removed before the jury selection process began.

Sterhneim said that it was 'something we were going to raise,' adding that the 'pictures are in the corridor right by the elevator.'

Judge Nathan said: 'We'll get that down for sure.'

Before the hearing, the clerk asked if Maxwell was on the dial-in phone line from the grim Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she has been held since her arrest last July.

Speaking in a nervous-sounding voice, Maxwell said: 'Yes I am, this is Miss Maxwell and I am on the line.

Maxwell's attorneys filed this on Tuesday asking for the judge to exclude mention of 'any alleged rape by Jeffrey Epstein'

The Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn where Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged accomplice of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, is awaiting trial

The clerk had some technical difficulties and asked if Maxwell could hear her.

Maxwell said: 'I beg your pardon, I cannot hear you. Vaguely hear you.

The clerk asked: 'Are you in the room alone?' to which Maxwell replied: 'I am alone in the room.'

When Judge Nathan asked if Maxwell was listening and she said: 'Good afternoon, your honor.'

Defense attorneys had claimed that prospective jury members would be less likely to 'respond honestly in open court' due to the 'sensitive' nature of the case and the 'negative' publicity surrounding Maxwell, 59.

'This case amplifies the likelihood that jurors will be more apprehensive and constrained to respond openly and honestly in open court within earshot of other jurors, members of the public, and the media,' attorney Bobbi Sternheim said in court filings last week.

'The negative publicity has been so pervasive, vitriolic, and extreme that Ms. Maxwell has been demonized in the press.'

Maxwell's attorneys argued that a private screening would prevent jury members from being 'influenced by (or influence) the answers given by fellow jurors or fear embarrassment in giving an honest response.'

Earlier this week, her legal team had also asked for the women who claim they were abused by Maxwell to be referred to as 'accusers' instead of 'victims.'

They also requested for all evidence that was seized from Jeffrey Epstein's Palm Beach house to be excluded from her trial.

Maxwell denies charges of sex trafficking multiple girls for Epstein, the disgraced late pedophile who hanged himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting his own trial.

In court filings on Tuesday, her lawyers listed all of the things they don't want to be discussed in front of the jury.

They include details of a flight she took, 'testimony about any alleged "rape" by Jeffrey Epstein' and 'reference to the accusers as "victims" or "minor victims".'

Maxwell's attorneys filed a motion last week listing everything they don't want to be discussed in front of the jury including 'testimony about any alleged "rape" by Jeffrey Epstein' and 'reference to the accusers as "victims" or "minor victims"'

The motion also asks the judge to exclude some of the hundreds of exhibits that prosecutors want to submit, but it doesn't say why.

Maxwell's older brother Ian spoke to The Daily Telegraph earlier this week to tell how the family planned to stand by her.

'This is a family that sticks together,' he said.

'Ghislaine has people who love her; people who trust her. This is a family that has been knocked down, gets up, gets knocked down again and then gets up.

'We are a family that fights for each other and this is a big fight we are in. We are hopeful justice will prevail as it must.'

He added that his sister had been convicted in the court of 'public opinion', but that he believes she is innocent.

'The narrative is all women must be believed. Epstein was a monster, but Epstein is now dead.

'So Ghislaine is the monster and she's a woman makes her doubly a monster. And she's the daughter of Bob Maxwell makes her trebly a monster, ' he continued.

Their father, disgraced newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell, died 30 years ago after falling overboard to his death from his yacht Lady Ghislaine.

Just over a month before the criminal trial starts, Maxwell was finally and officially given the names of the women who have accused her of recruiting them as teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse them.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, the woman who has accused Prince Andrew in a civil claim of sexual assault and rape, is not among the complainants in the Maxwell trial.

Maxwell has long denied the charges against her and her attorneys say she is being mistreated in prison.

They released a photograph of her with a black eye to prove it earlier this year and claim she has not been able to sleep in custody.

'We just want a fair opportunity, a fair chance, so she can get ready for the trial of her life.

'It's impossible to prepare for trial when you're getting no sleep,' one of her attorneys told the court earlier this year as he begged for her to be allowed out on bond to wait for the trial at home.
President Joe Biden used an event marking the 10-year anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial to ridicule Republicans who polls show have concluded he is not their legitimate president.

Biden bemoaned the 'something like 20 per cent of Republicans, half the Republicans' who think 'I am not your president. Donald Trump is still your president,' amid polling that shows large swaths of Republicans believe Trump's repeated claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent.

'As the Catholics say, "oh my God!"' he said, earning laughs.

But much of his speech was deadly serious.

Biden spoke at the memorial's site - on the banks of the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. - and demanded voting rights legislation, accusing the Republicans of pushing '21st Century Jim Crow,' after the Senate GOP blocked a Democratic proposal this week.

Standing in the shadow of a 30-foot King statue, Biden called out efforts by GOP legislators for what he called an 'assault' on the right to vote.

'Today, the right to vote and the rule of law are under unrelenting assault from Republican governors, attorneys general, secretaries of state, state legislators, and they're following my predecessor, the last president, into a deep, deep black hole and abyss,' Biden said.

'This struggle is no longer just over who gets to vote  It's about who gets to count the votes. Whether they should count at all. Jim Crow in the 21st century is now a sinister combination of voter suppression and election subversion,' he added.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris arrive at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. Biden ripped new GOP election laws and mocked Republicans who don't think he is their president

'It's unfair, it's unconscionable and it's un-American,' Biden said of efforts to block an expanded Voting Rights Act.

Biden said the Capitol riot, which came the day Congress met to count the electoral votes, 'was about white supremacy in my view.'

He called out President Trump by name, saying he 'appealed to the prejudice.'

Biden said Trump also 'ripped the band aid off  made it absolutely clear what's at stake.'

He accused Republicans of 'using authorities to challenge the onslaught of state laws, undermining voting rights, whether in old or new ways.'

He also used the occasion to plug elements of his embattled build back better agenda, as lawmakers negotiate to whittle it down.

'We can afford to do this. We can't afford not to do it,' he said of the plan's universal pre-K proposals.

He called for passing 'meaningful police reform' after the biparisan collapse of negotiations over legislation sparked by the death of George Floyd.

'We haven't fulfilled that yet. I understand,' Biden said.

Biden gave a shout-out to a nearby statue of founder Thomas Jefferson, located across the Tidal Basin from the MLK memorial - days after a Jefferson statue was removed from New York's City Hall.

Biden called Jefferson 'another giant of our history,' adding his words 'declared the very idea of America.'

The New York statue is being removed because of opposition from city council members; the primary author of the Declaration of Independence Jefferson was a slave owner.

After the announcement, Trump sent out a statement that mocked the decision.

'Next up, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and, of course, George Washington,' the former president warned.

Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke about voting rights

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quoted from the late civil rights champion Rep. John Lewis, who spoke at the original dedication.

Biden spoke during a critical week for his agenda

Earlier, Vice President Kamala Harris blasted Republicans for voting Wednesday to block the Freedom to Vote Act, which would have changed election laws and made Election Day a national holiday.

'We must summon our own power. As leaders we must leverage our own power,' said Harris.

On Wednesday, Democrats didn't have enough votes to override a Republican filibuster to advance the voting rights bill.

They would have needed 10 Republicans to join them to meet the 60-vote threshold.

They got zero instead.

It marked the third time Senate Democrats tried to advance the voting rights bill.

Some Democrats have suggested creating a carve-out of the filibuster to get the voting bill passed, however moderates including Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin have indicated they don't want to tamper with the procedure.

The memorial, located near the Tidal Basin where Washingtonians and visitors view the annual cherry blossoms, features an imposing 30-foot statue of King, along with inscriptions carved in stone with 14 quotations.

At a time when confederate statues are being removed  including the prominent statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia - King's was the first memorial to honor a black person on the National Mall.

Biden and Harris  the nation's first black vice president  and the crowd were treated to a performance of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing.'

The memorial was designed around a King quotation, ' Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.' The line comes from his 'I Have a Dream' speech, delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quoted from the late civil rights champion Rep. John Lewis, who spoke at the original dedication.

Lewis called it 'a monument to peace to love and to nonviolent resistance on the front yard of America.'

Added Pelosi, 'It has brought luster to the front lawn.'

'Isn't it a thrill and an honor, a privilege to be here with President Biden today,' she said.

She added she was 'proud' to be with the first woman and first black vice president.

She quoted King saying it was not the purpose to have some living in 'inordinate wealth' while others 'live in abject, deadly poverty'  on a day she acknowledged opposition to tax hikes on the wealthy by Sinema.
Two Catholic colleges in Minnesota are investigating allegations of an ongoing 'sex competition' among men living in one campus dormitory.

A group of St. John's University students living in Saint Patrick Hall reportedly started a competition to see who could have the most sexual encounters with women at their sister school, the College of St. Benedict.

Two people familiar with the situation, speaking to the student newspaper The Record on the basis of anonymity, said the competition is run through a group chat and began with a list of names - all Benedict women - that the men were supposed to seduce.

The men also are said to have assigned point values to various sex acts, but specifics regarding the acts, as well as how the contest is run, remain a secret.

It is unknown how many students have participated in the competition or exactly how it has evolved since it first began, or when it even began.

A group of St. John's University (pictured) students started a 'sex competition' to see who could have the most encounters with women at their sister school, the College of St. Benedict

The partner schools have launched an investigation into the allegations, which the schools' spokeswoman Katie Alvino said were first reported in late September.

Due to the ongoing investigation, she could not disclose the nature of the allegations or whether they involved criminal acts or sexual assault. However, Alvino reiterated that the schools are taking the matter seriously.

'We will not tolerate sexual misconduct in any form,' she told DailyMail.com.

'We are utilizing trained, impartial, third party investigators to determine the responsible parties.

'We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which all members of the community respect the rights and human dignity of all.'

Several St. Benedict's students have expressed concern with how the investigation has gone, saying they fear their fellow classmates don't understand the severity of the situation.

'We've had conversations with a lot of our guy friends about it and a lot of it is [implying] girls are making [a] big deal about it and then we get told that we're being overdramatic and that we're trying to ruin people's lives,' one woman told the school newspaper.

'That's just been a consistent thing, that they don't think that these comments or games are wrong. They just think of it as part of their lives.'

The competition, which was allegedly created by residents of Saint Patrick Hall (pictured), is run through a group chat and began with a list of Benedict women the men were supposed to seduce. It also assigned point values to various sex acts

Another woman said: 'I feel like a lot of people that we know, guys that we associate with are like oh, well, we would never do that, that's just their problem, but then they will say comments and do other things, maybe on [a] lesser scale, but that still are all part of that same cycle of things.

'I feel like they don't really understand that they play a small role in a lot of this stuff too.

'They made that choice; we're not trying to ruin their lives; they chose to do their actions, and now they're not owning up to them.

'I'm not ruining their lives, they ruined their own lives,' the woman added.

Last week, the administration sent an email to students alerting them of the investigation and encouraging anyone with information about the competition to come forward.

They also held mandatory residence hall meetings to address the allegations.

'[The meetings were] a way to start a conversation about rape culture and the implications of toxic masculinity on our campus,' Saint Patrick Hall resident adviser Liam Miller said.

'You can't just say boys will be boys, there has to be acknowledgement and there has to be accountability.'

As of Tuesday, the school had not identified any students involved in the alleged contest.

Several St. Benedict's (pictured) students have expressed concern with how the investigation has gone, saying the mandatory residence hall meetings addressing the issue were not harsh enough

Jeff Glover, assistant director for student support, said he is surprised that the school has not been able to obtain any solid evidence connecting students to the competition.

'With the numbers of people who know about it, it surprises me that we haven't been able to get a copy of anything,' he told the student newspaper.

'Worse than trying to empathize with people who are outraged about it is not being able to give them the direct justice that they want and that I want.

'At times there are people who I think feel like we don't care about these issues, or that we think boys will be boys and we try to sweep things under the rug. And that's always really hard to hear, because I don't, I don't know sometimes how to better, I guess, to express how serious we take this.'


When a black Las Vegas woman's white neighbors called the police on the morning of her father's funeral claiming that their limousine was blocking their driveway, she took out her phone and posted proof that the vehicle was nowhere close on TikTok.

Audreena Harris said that the egregious incident was the latest in four years of complaints about her and her family from the neighbors to her landlord and police, and called the October 18 incident 'some Karen racist sh**.'

The video begins at about 9 am after the altercation has already begun, with Harris's mother telling her neighbor that she has 'no respect for nobody' as she holds a phone to her ear and her husband paces and gestures. Dressed for mourning, a large group of her family members look on.

'Theyre saying were in front of their house - its my daddy's funeral and theyre over here reporting us and arguing with us,' Harris says, clearly exasperated.

She swivels the camera, showing that a limousine parked outside her house is entirely clear of the driveway next door, then back to her elderly neighbors.

The limousine parked outside Audreena Harris' house is entirely clear of her elderly neighbors' driveway next door, according to her footage

She told DailyMail.com that, in addition to calling the police, her neighbors texted her landlord, telling them that when the man of the couple took trash outside '15 to 20 attacked him' and that those people were 'outside their house threatening them'

Before she began filming, Harris told Dailymail.com, a limousine pulled up to her house to take her family to her father's funeral service. The man of the elderly couple, she said, approached her brother and asked what was going on.

After her brother told him it was their father's funeral, the neighbor replied that they were 'always park[ing] in front of [his] house.' When the brother offered to move the cars, the neighbor said that their family 'always [does] this.'

The neighbor pointed his finger into her brother's face, she told DailyMail.com, and at that point 'everyone gets angry.' She said she ran inside to get her phone to 'prove' to her landlord that 'they are just picking on [her].'

When she comes back outside, they are calling the police.

After she turns back from the limousine to her neighbors in the video and tells them they 'do this all the time,' the husband of the next door couple takes both of his hands to make chatting gestures, then speaks unintelligibly while pointing to himself.

In a caption, Harris writes that losing my daddy was the worse thing in life and this is how we had to start our day off, I couldnt even focus on my dad's funeral because of them.' Her father, MarVie Lee Harris, died on September 24.

In a caption, Harris writes that losing my daddy was the worse thing in life and this is how we had to start our day off, I couldnt even focus on my dad's funeral because of them'

After she turns back from the limousine to her neighbors in the video and tells them they 'do this all the time,' the husband of the next door couple takes both of his hands to make chatting gestures, then speaks unintelligibly while pointing to himself

Harris moves closer to the limousine in the video, capturing it from multiple angles in the TikTok.

'I want yall to see that we are not blocking the driveway,' she said. 'I always record. I dont have nothing parked in front of nothing, cause I know how they are.'

'Lets go y'all, get in the car, please. I got the video, I dont care.'

She told DailyMail.com that, in addition to calling the police, her neighbors texted her landlord, telling them that when the man of the couple took trash outside '15 to 20 attacked him' and that those people were 'outside their house threatening them.'

The police, according to Harris, arrived at the house after the family had left for the funeral. The Las Vegas Police Department did not confirm whether an officer had been dispatched to the neighborhood.

Harris's father, MarVie Lee Harris, died on September 24

'Im at my fathers funeral are the first 45 minutes to an hour my landlord is texting me about this and I have to tell her I am literally at my fathers funeral burying my dad,' she said. 'Can this wait?'

In a follow up video, after the TikTok had accrued more than 400,000 views and a clearer version without audio captioning posted later garnered almost 200,000, Harris said that her neighbors' behavior isn't new.

'Ive been living here for four years, and for the last four years this is how they treated us,' she said. 'Theyve called the police on my kids, my brother, shes had the police come to my house numerous times, she writes numerous letters to my landlord.'

'Every time she has a problem I always try to fix it. Im not a disrespectful person, I wasnt raised like that, Im a respectful person.'

She said she was at a loss for how to handle the relationship going forward: 'I made her go viral, I'm not even sure she knows she's viral... I don't know what else to do.'

The Las Vegas Police Department did not return DailyMail.com's inquiries about whether police were, in fact, called to the scene or how frequently complaints between the two families were fielded by the department.
Surveillance footage captured the terrifying moment a group of five teenagers unleashed a barrage of bullets during a shootout outside a Bronx elementary school as the young students were about to be dismissed for the day.

The brazen gun violence broke out near the Boys Prep Bronx Elementary School on October 5 at around 2:50 pm as the students at the K-8 school were being sent home.

No students were shot and the gunmen escaped seemingly unharmed in another incident of the city's out-of-control crime that has seen victims of gun violence nearly double in two years.

The New York City Police Department shared the videos with the public asking for help in locating the unidentified individuals connected to the 'reckless endangerment incident.'

Surveillance footage captured the terrifying moment a group of three teenagers fired shots at another group of teenagers outside an elementary school as they dismissed students who are seen walking down the street towards the violence

The group of three teenagers were gathered at the entrance of a parking lot on a residential street when the one wearing a gray hoodie fired his gun on Tuesday October 5

A group of two teenagers hid between cars as the one also in a gray hoodie fired back at the group of three who ran away down the street around 2:50 pm on October 5

The group of three were later caught on different surveillance footage as they casually walked down the street near the Bronx Terminal Market

The video shows two groups of hooded teens shooting at each other at the corner of East 150 Street and Cedar Lane behind the elementary school on a residential street.

A group of three men - one in a gray hoodie and mask and two wearing black - are seen first in a triangle formation looking around as they stand in front of the entrance to a parking lot. The masked gunman then fires down the block at two other men.

The video then cuts to two men at the other side of Cedar Lane, one wearing a gray hoodie and the other in black, hiding between parked cars to avoid getting hit. A man in the gray hoodie standing behind a white SUV then fires back at the trio before shielding himself between a white van driving down the road as he crosses the street.

All three men duck and flee westbound on East 150 Street toward Exterior Street.

A wide shot of the scene shows a group of kids nearly 60 feet away walking from the elementary school towards the violence as it breaks out.

The NYPD video shows a clip of the group of three men casually walking on a sidewalk near the Bronx Terminal Market, a few blocks down from the shootout.

A man getting out of a red minivan directly across the street from the group of two is seen getting into his backseat as the shooting begins and the gunmen run around the street.

The group of two is recorded running through the street between cars towards the other group before circling back to take off eastbound on East 150 Street.

There have been no arrests as of Thursday morning.

Crime has sky rocketed in New York City, while rates have stayed relatively consistent with last year, they have more than doubled since 2019 in some cases including shooting victims

Principal Dr. Khalek Kirkland told PIX 11 that the shootout put all 800 students grades K-8, their families and staff in serious danger

'The crime is horrific and we just want to make sure that we're keeping our scholars safe,' he said.

He said that the precinct notified the school immediately.

'So we were able to make sure that not only did none of our students leave the building, but we were also able to put our families safe as well, those [that] were picking up their children,' he told the TV station.

'Boys Prep will be a beacon in the South Bronx,' Kirkland added. 'We pride ourselves on education and will continue to do that.'

The shooting was another one incident among New York City's rising gun violence, particularly impacting the city's children.

According to NYPD crime data, the city has had 1,526 shooting victims this year through October 17, nearly double the amount of gun violence victims through the same time as 2019, which had 760. There were 1,507 shooting victims through Oct. 17 of last year.

The data recorded 89 shooting victims 17 years old and younger from January 1 to September 26 of this year. In 2019, there were 45 shooting victims 17 years old and younger during the same time period.

Of those injured in shootings, 16 young people were killed by gun violence between January 1 and September 26 - an increase of more than 136% compared with the same time period in 2019, when three children or teens were killed.
GOP Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., on Thursday demanded that Attorney General Merrick Garland appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden's art deals, as he noted that the amateur artist and president's son was selling his work for the same amount as renowned artists Edgar Degas and Claude Monet.

Buck, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, held up a poster board showing a Claude Monet painting that had sold for $700,000 and an Edgar Degas painting that had sold for $500,000.

He then displayed a picture of a Hunter Biden piece that had sold for $500,000.

'You may think, when Hunter Biden is in such exclusive company, he may have a background in artistic training, for example. You would be wrong about that.' Garland put his hand to his forehead, seemingly in a display of exasperation.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., also called for an independent investigation of Hunter.

'There have been multiple reports that Hunter Biden made enormous sums of money, and he's admitted that's because of his family ties. Now that, by itself, might not be a crime,' McClintock said.

'But there have also now been multiple reports that emails and communications from Hunter Biden have indicated that his finance are intermingled with those of his father's.'

He asked Garland, 'If that doesn't call for an independent investigation, the president, what would?'

Buck noted criticism even from Obama-era ethics chief Walter Shaub, who said in July that Hunter's art deals would 'tarnish' his father's legacy.

'I just think that's absolutely appalling,' Shaub said of the art deals, valued between $75,000 and $500,000.

Buck, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, held up a poster board showing a Claude Monet painting that had sold for $700,000 and an Edgar Degas painting that had sold for $500,000

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., also called for an independent investigation of Hunter

The Obama-era ethics chief continued: 'If he were a patriotif he cared about this countryhe would not want to tarnish his father's reputation that way.'

'You may think he had some sort of apprenticeship with a world renowned artist but you would be wrong if you thought that,' Buck continued. 'Or perhaps, he has been selling his works for years, but again, unfortunately, you would be wrong about that.'

'Having a fake skill set is nothing new to Hunter Biden,' Buck continued, noting that the president's son had earned $50,000 per month sitting on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma while his father was vice president, despite having no experience in the industry.

The president's son made his gallery debut at the famed Milk gallery in Los Angeles earlier this month, where around 200 invites for the tightly-policed event went to a host of Los Angeles glitterati and potential buyers of Hunter's art, the prices for which range between $75,000 and $500,000.

The White House intervened to say that buyers would be kept anonymous to Hunter and other Biden officials, but Hunter attended his own gallery opening along with renowned potential buyers and celebrity guests who attended the event included World Champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, Moby, Garcetti and the artist behind Barack Obama's iconic Hope poster.

Buck questioned why Hunter Biden's art was sellilng for prices similar to world-renowned artists

Five of Hunter's works sold for at least $75,000 each in LA this month, raising questions of whether purchasers might believe they are buying the president's favor

Five of Hunter's works sold for at least $75,000 each, raising questions of whether purchasers might believe they are buying the president's favor.

Last week White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked if the White House knew the identity of the buyers and whether lawyers were now scrutinizing who would be allowed into gallery showings.

'I know this is your favorite topic,' said Psaki when asked, 'but again it still is the purview of the gallerist.'

'We still do not know, and will not know who purchases any paintings.

'And the president remains proud of his son.'

Former chief White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter claims Biden's attendance at the show 'illustrates how this veil-of-secrecy idea is not happening'.

He claims the White House's attempt at keeping buyers anonymous is not effective.

'It shows the deal's not going to be secret,' Painter said of the show.

'I think the White House needs to go to Plan B.'

Painter continued: '[Buyers] tend to be rich people, and rich people come to their houses and it tends to get around.

'Everyone's going to be talking about it and everyone's going to know.'

He argues that the best way to prevent people from 'gaining leverage' over the White House by purchasing Biden's artwork is to prevent sales of the work until his father, President Joe Biden, leaves office.

Painter also advocated for 'full transparency' of buyers' identities and thinks the president and his appointees should 'all sign recusal pledges to ensure these people can't get access to the White House'.

'We did that in the Bush White House,' he said.
Doctors in England have threatened to take industrial action in protest against plans to strongarm them into seeing more patients face-to-face.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid published proposals last week to use league tables and 'name and shame' surgeries that fail to meet in-person appointment targets.

Before the pandemic, around eight in 10 appointments happened face-to-face, but just 58 per cent took place in-person in August.

The British Medical Association's England GP committee has called on doctors at the country's 6,600 surgeries not to comply with the requirements.

It will shortly decide whether doctors should take industrial action over the plans, saying it was 'outraged by the deliberate, relentless denigration of GPs'.

While it would not be an outright strike, the move could see thousands of doctors reduce the amount of work they undertake at a critical time heading into winter.

'GPs have been left with no alternative but to take this action. All efforts to persuade the government to introduce a workable plan that will bring immediate and longer-term improvement for doctors and their patients have so far come to nought,' said Dr Richard Vautrey, the chair of the BMA's GPs committee.

It comes as doctors said this week they have no capacity to play a major role in speeding up the rollout of Covid booster drives, because of the surge in demand for appointments post-lockdown.

GPs 'out-and-out rejected' Sajid Javid's (pictured, right) 250million plan to give patients more face-to-face appointments, the British Medical Association claimed today. Pictured left: Dr Richard Vautrey, BMA GP committee England chair

The number of GP appointments taking place face-to-face tumbled at the start of the pandemic when surgeries were told to see patients remotely where possible. But despite the country largely returning to normal, in-person visits are yet to climb back to pre-pandemic levels. The above graph shows the number of face-to-face GP appointments (red line) by month since the end of 2019

The average number of sessions GPs works in a day have gone down over the last decade while their wage growth has gone up. In 2012 the average GP worked 7.3 sessions a week but this has now fallen to 6.6 a week, the equivalent of just over three days of work a week. In the same period the average GP income went up by more than 6,000. A GP's daily work is divided into sessions. According to the NHS, a full-time GP works 8 sessions a week, formed of two sessions a day, generally starting at 8am and finishing at 6.30pm, though these hours can var

The Health Secretary's plans - which triggered outrage among doctors - included 250million extra funding for surgeries to boost their capacity for face-to-face appointments.

The cash would go towards using locums and other health staff - such as physiotherapists and podiatrists - to increase same-day care.

Doctors accuse No10 of 'wilful negligence' for ruling out masks and WFH Doctors have accused the Government of 'wilful negligence' for not to re-imposing face masks and WFH guidance despite warnings Covid cases could surge to 100,000 a day within weeks. This week NHS bosses, trade unions and a slew of high profile scientists called for the country to take a tougher stance on coronavirus restrictions amid surging infection numbers and a lagging booster vaccine rollout. But in a Downing Street press conference Health Secretary Sajid Javid held his nerve and insisted the pressure on hospitals was not yet 'unsustainable', in comments that angered health chiefs who warn the NHS is already starting to creak under the pressure of Covid, flu and backlogs caused by the pandemic. Health Minister Edward Agar echoed his boss this morning, saying the NHS was under 'sustainable pressure at the moment' and that the current plan was 'still working'. But the Government has been accused of sleepwalking into another crisis and not heeding the warning of Sir Patrick Vallance who said last month that ministers must 'go hard and go early' with coronavirus restrictions this winter if there is a surge in cases. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the British Medical Association chief, said last night: 'It is wilfully negligent of the Westminster Government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection, such as mandatory mask wearing, physical distancing and ventilation requirements in high-risk settings, particularly indoor crowded spaces. 'The Westminster Government said it would enact 'Plan B' to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed; as doctors working on the frontline, we can categorically say that time is now. 'By the Health Secretary's own admission we could soon see 100,000 cases a day and we now have the same number of weekly Covid deaths as we had during March, when the country was in lockdown. It is therefore incredibly concerning that he is not willing to take immediate action to save lives and to protect the NHS.' Advertisement

Under the plans, the NHS would also publish a league table of how many in-person consultations each GP surgery has per month to 'enhance transparency and accountability'.

But the BMA's England GP committee rejected the proposals, because they 'fundamentally failed to address the ongoing crisis in general practice'.

It said the Health Secretary 'ignored the expertise and experience of family doctors' when setting out the plan and 'patient care will suffer as a result'.

They called on surgeries to not implement the plans and pause efforts to recruit extra staff to increase in-person appointments.

The committee will shortly vote on whether to take industrial action over the plans, as well as the move to publish details of the highest-earning GPs.

The requirement, due to come into effect next month, would force doctors making more than 150,000 per year from the NHS to have their earnings revealed alongside their name.

The BMA said this has 'no benefit to patients or their care' and could increase aggression towards doctors, damage morale and worsen their ability to recruit and retain GPs.

Plans for doctors to write letters for people medically exempt them from Covid jabs would also come to a half if industrial action went ahead.

Doctors expect they would mainly have to write the letters for social care staff, who are required to be double-jabbed from next month to stay in their job, unless they are medically exempt.

The BMA called on ministers to work with GPs on a new contract that gives general practice more money, a 'safer workload', reduced bureaucracy and improved working conditions.

Dr Vautrey said: 'GPs have been left with no alternative but to take this action.

'All efforts to persuade the Government to introduce a workable plan that will bring immediate and longer-term improvement for doctors and their patients, have so far come to nought.

'The Government has completely ignored our requests for a reduction in bureaucracy to allow us to focus more on patient care, and we are therefore encouraging doctors to withdraw from this bureaucracy themselves.

'The ultimate outcome should be to end the current crisis in general practice, to properly support practices to manage their workload pressure, including safely getting through the backlog of care caused by the pandemic and deliver a safe service to patients, allowing time to create an agreed long-term plan to make general practice sustainable for the future.'

Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: 'This shows the Government's deliberately provocative plans to name and shame GPs has backfired.

'Sajid Javid must now dial down the rhetoric and get round the table with doctors and patient groups to find a way forward.

'It would be unforgivable if, as we enter a winter crisis, people are unable to access their local GP.'
An ex army vicar is facing jail after being convicted of a string of historic sex offences against children.

Former chaplain Richard Landall, 64, was found guilty of ten charges of indecent assault, one of assault by penetration and one of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was convicted after a trial at Durham Crown Court, which concluded on Wednesday.

The court heard Landall abused his first teenage victim in the early 1990s when he was padre in the military in Folkestone, Kent.

In the early 2000s he then preyed on two other youths when he was a vicar in Armthorpe, outside of Doncaster.

Landall, of Penrith, Cumbria, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced for his crimes next month.

Former chaplain Richard Landall, 64, was found guilty of ten charges of indecent assault, one of assault by penetration and one of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He will be sentenced next month

He joined the military in 1992 before being posted to Germany where he was a Royal Fusiliers padre.

He served in Bosnia in 1997 where he counselled soldiers through 18 marriage break-ups and 11 suicides and saw two civilians lose their legs after they stepped on land mines.

However, in 1998, he returned to the UK to face a court martial in Aldershot for allegations of indecent assault against a soldiers wife.

He was cleared of the charges but his army contract wasnt renewed.

He was also divorced by his wife before the allegations came to light, a court heard.

Durham Crown Court (pictured) heard Landall abused his first teenage victim in the early 1990s when he was padre in the military in Folkestone, Kent. In the early 2000s he then preyed on two other youths when he was a vicar in Armthorpe, outside of Doncaster

Following his exit from the army, Landall got a new job as parish of St Clares Church on a council estate in Guildford in 1999.

DC Claire Trewick, who led the investigation said: 'These offences were horrendous for the victims who were subject to abuse over several years and had to relive their experiences in a crown court trial because Landall refused to admit his crimes.

'It is possible other victims linked to Landall have not yet come forward and I would encourage anyone who thinks they might have been to get in touch so we can make sure justice is served.'
A neurologist pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges alleging he was a serial sexual abuser of women who had gone to him for help with debilitating, chronic pain.

Dr. Ricardo Cruciani entered the plea in federal court in Manhattan, prosecutors said. Cruciani, 63, who lives in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, already faces 22 civil suits across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

He was arrested Wednesday morning in Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania, on charges he abused patients over 15 years at his offices in New York City, Philadelphia and Hopewell, New Jersey.

The doctor was expected to be released into home detention with electronic monitoring once he posts a $3million bond secured by three properties and signed by three other people.

Cruciani surrendered his medical license in 2017 and had to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to sex assaults in Pennsylvania, but has never served time in prison.

Each of the five federal counts against him carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and could see any assets gained from committing the offenses seized by the government.

The indictment described Cruciani, who specialized in rare pain syndromes, grooming patients who were dependent on him for care and prescriptions to addictive opioids, turning back rubs and hugs into gradually more invasive physical attacks and sexual demands.

'The alleged pattern of abuse in this case is outrageous,' U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a news release.

'Doctors like the defendant take an oath to do no harm. It is difficult to imagine conduct more anathema to that oath than exploiting patients' vulnerability in order to sexually abuse them.'

A neurologist pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges alleging he was a serial sexual abuser of women who had gone to him for help with debilitating, chronic pain. Dr. Ricardo Cruciani (pictured with his wife, Nora, in 2018) entered the plea in federal court in Manhattan, prosecutors said.

Cruciani is expected to be released into home detention with electronic monitoring once he posts a $3 million bond secured by three properties and signed by three other people

If certain victims refused to engage in sex acts, he retaliated by referring them to another medical provider that would not prescribe the same combinations or quantities of narcotics, the indictment said.

The federal charges follow years of public complaints by Cruciani's accusers that authorities in some places weren't taking his crimes seriously, particularly in Philadelphia, where he pleaded guilty to relatively minor misdemeanor groping counts involving seven patients.

Cruciani's lawyer, Elizabeth Macedonio, declined to comment on the case but told the New York Times she anticipated that Mr. Cruciani will be released from detention 'in the very near future.'

The latest civil allegations against Cruciani say he hooked dozens of women on 'astounding' doses of painkillers before sexually abusing them was reportedly protected by staff who 'looked the other way' over 12 years at three different hospitals.

Cruciani is accused in the civil suits of forcing patients to touch his penis, masturbate him, give him oral sex, allow him to grope and digitally penetrate them.

If they refused, he allegedly withheld the huge and addictive doses of pain medications he prescribed them.

The latest lawsuit, filed on behalf of six alleged victims in July, states that the failure of hospital staff to report Ivy League-trained Cruciani 'fail(ed) victims every step of the way.'

In addition to the federal charges, there are 18 pending civil suits against Cruciani in Pennsylvania, three in New Jersey covering 18 or 19 women and one in New York on behalf of 12 victims

The latest civil allegations against Cruciani say he hooked dozens of women on 'astounding' doses of painkillers before sexually abusing them was reportedly protected by staff who 'looked the other way' over 12 years at three different hospitals

Cruciani is accused in the civil suits of forcing patients to touch his penis, masturbate him, give him oral sex, allow him to grope and digitally penetrate them

None of the medical practices that employed the disgraced doctor - including Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, Capital Institute for Neurosciences in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, and Drexel University in Pennsylvania - have been held liable for employing him despite the repeated red flags raised throughout his 35-year tenure.

The women from Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey who have stepped forward to accuse the doctor claim this date back to at least a dozen years.

In total, there are 18 pending civil suits against Cruciani in Pennsylvania, three in New Jersey covering 18 or 19 women and one in New York on behalf of 12 victims.

'[The hospitals] knowingly ignored their reporting and oversight duties... and knowingly let [Cruciani] walk out the door so that he could continue his predatory sexual misconduct... at subsequent healthcare systems,' reads the lawsuit.

Attorney Jeffrey Fritz, who is representing six women in a suit against the New Jersey and New York hospitals, told Dailymail.com that there are typically multiple checks to prevent abuse going unchecked.

'All of the checks failed these women, therefore the hospitals failed these women every step of the way,' he said.

The attorney is also representing 18 more women suing Drexel University, where Cruciani served as the chair of the neurology department.

At one point, she said in an interview with the New York Times, plaintiff Tanisha Johnson was prescribed a heady dose of 1,300 pain pills per month. Over the course of several months in Cruciani's care, the doctor's behavior escalated from putting an arm around her during his first consultation to exposing his penis, masturbating in front of her and forcing her to perform oral sex

One of the earlier victims, Hillary Tullin, told a psychologist at Beth Israel that Cruciani 'forcibly grabbed her face and stuck his tongue down her throat,' according to the suit. The psychologist never reported the accusation

Fritz said the doctor is facing more then 30 criminal charges in New Jersey, and more in New York and Pennsylvania.

After he was fired in 2017 from his last position at Drexel, Cruciani was merely forced to register as a sex offender and surrender his medical license in a plea deal that year.

In 2018, Cruciani was released on $1million bail for criminal charges against him in New York, and has yet to reappear in court, in part due to COVID-related postponements.

One of the plaintiffs in the latest suit, Tanisha Johnson, told the New York Times on Monday how she began seeing Cruciani at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York for her repeated migraines.

She said Cruciani overprescribed her a heavy dose of 1,300 pain pills per month, and then began to exhibit inappropriate behavior.

Over the course of several months he allegedly went from putting an arm around her during his first consultation, to exposing his penis, masturbating in front of her and forcing her to perform oral sex, according to the suit.

When she attempted to refuse, Cruciani threatened to withhold the cocktail of medications that she had become dependent on.

'The first week of opioid withdrawal is excruciatingly painful,' she told The Times.

On one occasion in 2010 or 2011, according to the lawsuit, a nurse at Beth Israel walked into the room when Johnson was in Cruciani's office and his penis was exposed.

Yet, Cruciani was never reported to the New York Board for Professional Medical Conduct.

Another patient, Nella Vince (pictured), reported Cruciani's sexual assault in 2013 to the New York City Police Department and offered evidence: a shirt with his semen on it, according to the New York Times

The lawsuit states that multiple patients across the hospitals he worked told nurses that they had been sexually assaulted.

Several patients said they repeatedly asked nurses or other staff members to stay in the room with them during consultations, but the requests were usually turned down.

One of the earlier victims, Hillary Tullin, told a psychologist at Beth Israel that Cruciani 'forcibly grabbed her face and stuck his tongue down her throat,' according to the suit. The psychologist never reported the accusation.

'I told her, 'I want you to report it,''Tullin told The Times.

Tullin, a former producer with ABC and CBS, experienced severe chronic pain, which said said '15 or 18' doctors failed to treat before she went to see Cruciani at Beth Israel Medical Center (now Mount Sinai Beth Israel) who diagnosed her with full-body complex regional pain syndrome, which is not well understood.

She said the doctor began to call her on a daily basis, telling her about his personal and family life, complimenting her appearance and telling her that he was thinking of her. He began embracing her during sessions, which soon escalated into extended touching and then sexual assault, she said.

Several patients said they repeatedly asked nurses or other staff members to stay in the room with them during consultations with Cruciani, but the requests were usually turned down

Cruciani was fired by Drexel University in Philadelphia (above) after his initial conviction

'These hospitals created this perfect storm of opportunity for him to victimize so many patients,' she said. 'The system failed.'

Another patient at Beth Israel, Nella Vince, reported Cruciani's sexual assault in 2013 to the New York City Police Department and offered evidence: a shirt with his semen on it, according to the Times.

She was even preparing to wear a wire but the case was dropped, with the police citing Vince as 'uncooperative.' In an interview, she said that they did not take her accusation seriously because, they told her, Cruciani had no criminal record.

Later in 2013, Cruciani abruptly resigned from the New York hospital and went to work at Capital Institute in Hopewell, New Jersey - many of his patients, including ones that were abused, followed him there, unable to get other doctors to prescribe the amounts of medication he would.

In a statement at the time of Cruciani's 2017 arrest, a Mount Sinai spokesman told DailyMail.com: 'We are deeply disturbed to learn about these charges and have been working closely with the investigation being led by the District Attorney's office.

'The Mount Sinai Health System is committed to a safe environment for all patients, faculty, staff, students, trainees and visitors.'

In 2014, a patient at Capital and her mother approached Dr. Steve Boyland, who also worked at the hospital, to report that Cruciani had forcibly groped and french kissed her. Boyland, the lawsuit said, never reported the behavior.

The next year, according to the lawsuit, an unnamed victim messaged Capital Nurse Ann Friedland on Facebook to report Cruciani's behavior, which the victim said made her feel 'uncomfortable.' The woman specifically asked the nurse whether Cruciani had abused any other women at the Capital Health facility.

Friedland replied that she 'didn't know of any circumstances [where Cruciani was] inappropriate with patients,' but that she 'did suspect it.'

The nurse also told the unnamed woman that, while Cruciani was 'flirtatious' with her, she 'kept him at arms length.'

Friedland, the lawsuit alleges, did not share this information with Hopewell detectives when the neurologist's behavior was under investigation.

After Cruciani left Capital for Drexel in 2016, Friedland allegedly told another unnamed woman that she knew Cruciani had been 'sexual with other women in the office' and that she had urged him not to be alone in examination rooms with female patients.

Another patient's husband reported that Cruciani was overmedicating and sexually abusing his wife at Capital through the hospital's Patient Advocacy Office, the lawsuit alleges- the office never reported the allegation to the state of New Jersey.

Representatives of Capital Health denied that numerous members of its staff were approached about the abuse, saying that the hospital received no complaints about Cruciani from patients while he worked there.

'We were shocked and saddened when these allegations came to light,' a statement issued by Capital Health's press office said.

In a statement at the time of Cruciani's 2017 arrest, a Mount Sinai Beth Israel spokesman told DailyMail.com: 'We are deeply disturbed to learn about these charges and have been working closely with the investigation being led by the District Attorney's office

''We were shocked and saddened when these allegations came to light,' a statement issued by Capital Health's press office regarding Ricardo Cruciani's sexual misconduct said

In 2015, the disgraced doctor transferred to Drexel amid mounting accusations.

By February of 2017, at least five patients and at three staff members came forward, forcing Drexel t initiate an investigation into the doctor's behavior, according to the lawsuits filed in 2018 in Philadelphia.

Drexel representatives blamed Cruciani's former hospitals for failing to raise the alarm.

'Drexel hired Cruciani after conducting a thorough background check, as is done with all potential employees, that did not reveal any improper or illegal conduct,' the statement said.

In September 2017, Cruciani was arrested on charges of multiple counts of indecent assault and a single count of indecent exposure. Two months later, he was sentenced to serve seven years probation in connection with the allegations in Philadelphia.

While he avoided jail time, he was forced to give up his license and to register as a sex offender. He was also fired from Drexel University following his conviction.

During his sentencing, Cruciani apologized for the pain he had caused victims.

Months later in February, Cruciani was arrested for the set of disturbingly similar allegations out of New York.

Azza AbuDagga, a researcher with Public Citizen's Health Research Group, told the New York Times that Cruciani's ability to continue seeing patients despite the slew complaints against him isn't atypical.

'We've been calling for zero tolerance for sexual abuse by health care providers against patients,' said AbuDagga.

'If that standard isn't adopted, we're not going to be anywhere close to solving the problem.'
The exiled former Spanish king Juan Carlos was 'injected with female hormones to control his rampant sex drive', an ex-police chief has sensationally claimed in a parliamentary hearing.

Jose Manuel Villarejo also said the disgraced former monarch, now living at a luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, was given testosterone blockers by the Spanish secret service after his libido was categorised as a 'state problem.'

Villarejo, a former Spanish Police commissioner currently on trial in a blackmail case, said, according to The Times: '[The National Intelligence Centre (CNI)] injected female hormones and testosterone blockers to control his libido because it was considered a problem of state that he was so horny.'

Danish-German philanthropist Corinna Larsen, Spanish singer Sara Montiel, Belgian governess Liliane Sartiau and Italian princess Maria Gabriela de Saboya are just some of the women he is rumoured to have bedded besides his wife, Queen Sofia.

News of the disgraced former king's legendary libido are not new, however. It comes after a Spanish author and military historian Amadeo Martinez Ingles wrote a book entitled 'Juan Carlos: The King Of 5,000 Lovers', piecing together evidence of his sexual history and painting the king as a rampant sex addict.

Princess Diana is rumoured to have been just one of the young ladies the ex-king pursued in a romantic career in which  like his namesake, the seducer Don Juan  he is said to have bedded almost 5,000 women.

An ex-police chief, Jose Manuel Villarejo (pictured), who is on trial in a blackmail case claimed the former Spanish king Juan Carlos, 83, was injected with testosterone blockers after his libido was categorised as a 'state problem'

News of the disgraced former king's legendary libido are not new. Spanish author and military historian Amadeo Martinez Ingles wrote a book entitled 'Juan Carlos: The King Of 5,000 Lovers', piecing together evidence of his sexual history and painting the king as a rampant sex addict (pictured: Juan Carlos in Spain, 2019)

Danish-German philanthropist Corinna Larsen, Spanish singer Sara Montiel, Belgian governess Liliane Sartiau and Italian princess Maria Gabriela de Saboya are just some of the women he is rumoured to have bedded besides his wife, Queen Sofia (pictured: Juan Carlos and Sofia, Madrid, 1973)

Corinna Larsen, also known as Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, 57, had an affair with the 83-year-old monarch - who is married to Queen Sofia, 82 - between 2004 and 2009

Villarejo, who has been accused of spying on and working to discredit some of Spain's most high-profile politicians as a key figure in the nation's 'sewer politics', also insisted he was asked to get rid of medical documents which would have proved the medication went on.

He denied having any involvement in the effort to bring Juan Carlos' notorious sex drive under control and said he found out about it from Corinna Larsen, a former lover of the ex-monarch now living in London.

Larsen, also known as Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, 57, had an affair with the 83-year-old monarch - who is married to Queen Sofia, 82 - between 2004 and 2009.

In his explosive book published in 2016 called 'Juan Carlos: The King of 5,000 lovers', author Martinez Ingles dubbed the ex-king a sex addict and said he had hundreds of relationships even after marriage to his wife Queen Sofia in 1962.

The book claimed he had had 62 lovers in one six-month period alone, and during his 'passionate period' between 1976 and 1994, the king had slept with a staggering 2,154 women.

Spanish royal family expert Pilar Eyre has corroborated Martinez Ingles' claim that the former King attempted to bed Princess Diana, saying said Juan Carlos made a 'tactile' advance to Diana when she was just 25.

Corinna Larsen (pictured 2019), who had an affair with Juan Carlos, is said to have told ex-police chief ex-police chief Villarejo about the Spanish secret service's attempt to tame the former monarch's rampant sex drive

Spanish royal family expert Pilar Eyre said the former King attempted to bed Princess Diana, claiming Juan Carlos made a 'tactile' advance to Diana when she was just 25

An explosive book published in 2016 called 'Juan Carlos: The King of 5,000 lovers', dubbed the ex-king a sex addict, claiming he had hundreds of relationships even after marriage to wife Queen Sofia in 1962 (pictured together in 1994)

Juan Carlos, who was crowned king in 1975, allegedly became estranged from his wife after the queen found him in a compromising position with Spanish actress and singer, Sara Montiel (pictured, undated)

Diana herself denied anything untoward had happened but admitted that while the libidinous king was 'charming' he could be a 'little too attentive.'

One of Juan Carlos early sexual encounters is said to be with Maria Gabriela de Saboya, daughter of the last king of Italy.

Later, Juan Carlos, who was crowned king in 1975, allegedly became estranged from his wife after the queen found him in a compromising position with Spanish actress and singer, Sara Montiel.

It is rumoured that Queen Sofia caught him in the act with Montiel just weeks after their coronation, but she denied any affair.

In January 2017 it was claimed spymasters paid a former Miss World contestant millions of pounds of taxpayers' money to stop her spilling the beans on her supposed affair with Juan Carlos when he was still King of Spain.

Former beauty queen-turned-actress Barbara Rey reportedly had the cash paid into an offshore account to make sure she kept quiet about her long-standing romance with the ex-monarch.

One of Juan Carlos early sexual encounters is said to be with Maria Gabriela de Saboya, daughter of the last king of Italy (pictured 1966)

The claims were made by respected Spanish news website OKDIARIO and were immediately picked up by other Spanish media who focused on the shocking allegation that the money allegedly paid to Ms Rey, the country's Miss World candidate in 1971, came from public funds that should have been spent on fighting terrorism and organised crime.

A spokesman for Spain's Royal Family declined to comment on the reports at the time.

A Belgian housewife has also claimed to be the daughter of Juan Carlos, alleging that the former King had an affair with her mother, governess Liliane Sartiau.

In 2015, her daughter Ingrid brought a paternity suit to the Spanish courts. But the writ was thrown out on the basis of the kings legal inviolability under Spanish law.

Spanish waiter Albert Sola also claimed around the same time as Ingrid that he was an illegitimate son of Juan Carlos - but his attempts to be recognised failed early on.

Juan Carlos reigned as King of Spain from 1975 to 2014 when he abdicated in favour of his son Felipe VI.

The 83-year-old left Spain for Abu Dhabi in August last year after Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into bank accounts he allegedly held in tax havens.

Martinez Ingles labelled Juan Carlos an authentic royal stud and a monarch who might have left behind him more than 20 of his own children.

He says the list of Juan Carloss best-known lovers represent the tip of a monumental sexual iceberg.
A Ukrainian business associate of Rudy Giuliani returned to court on Thursday for closing arguments a day after he declined to take the stand in his trial for allegedly donating to political campaigns using money from a Russian financier.

Lev Parnas, 49, heard prosecutors outline their case that he hatched a scheme to funnel $1 million of foreign funds into U.S. elections despite knowing he was breaking campaign finance laws.

In response, a defense attorney told the New York City jury that the government had failed to prove its case.

Parnas and his co-defendant Andrey Kukushkin have pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them.

The trial has generated global headlines because of Parnas' ties to Giuliani, a vocal supporter of former President Trump's election fraud claims.

Parnas has said he worked with Trump's personal lawyer to investigate President Biden's son Hunter, whose role in a Ukrainian energy company has been under scrutiny.

In his closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten accused the two defendants of using 'lies and tricks' to conceal the source of the donation.

Rudi Giuliani associate and Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas, 49, arrives at court to hear closing arguments in his trial for allegedly donating to political campaigns using money from a Russian financier

Parnas poses for a selfie with his lawyer Joseph Bundy outside the United States Court in Manhattan on Thursday. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges

Parnas listens as the first witness Wes Duncan delivers evidence during the trial last week

Parnas made a series of straw donations despite being 'told again and again that he couldn't donate somebody else's money,' Scotten said.

The defendant lied to the financier, Andrey Muraviev, about how much he was actually donating, the prosecutor said. He also failed to come through on pledges he was making to candidates, he added.

'Put simply, Parnas is ripping everybody off,' he said.

Defense attorney Joseph Bondy called the allegations 'absurd.'

The lawyer said his client was a legitimate businessperson trying to use loans from Muraviev to launch an energy company that would be involved in exporting natural gas to Europe.

The funds were used for business investments, he said, not campaign contributions.

'There was no effort to hide anything, whatsoever,' Bondy said.

He told jurors his client 'doesn't want your sympathy. He wants a verdict based on the facts and the law.'

On Wednesday, Parnas told U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken that he would not be testifying in his own defense.

He said he had made the decision after discussing it with his wife and family.

Parnas and another Soviet-born businessman Igor Fruman worked with Rudi Giuliani to persuade Ukraine to investigate the family of Joe Biden

Parnas and another Soviet-born Florida businessman, Igor Fruman, attracted media attention when it emerged they had made big donations through a corporate entity, including a $325,000 contribution in 2018 to America First Action, a super PAC supporting Donald Trump.

The pair then became middlemen in Giuliani's effort to discredit then-candidate Joe Biden.

They connected Giuliani with Ukrainian officials as the former New York City mayor tried to get that country to open an investigation into the future president's son, Hunter.

Ukrainian tycoons and officials, meanwhile, sought Giuliani's help connecting with the Trump administration.

Though Giuliani is not part of the case, he is under investigation in New York for whether he was required to register as an agent of a foreign government for actions he said he took in his capacity as a private attorney for then-President Trump.
The leader of the Haitian gang that kidnapped 17 missionaries is threatening to kill them if he doesn't receive a ransom of up to $1 million for each person.

'I swear by thunder that if I don't get what m asking for, I will put a bullet in the heads of these Americans,' 400 Mawozo leader Wilson Joseph said in a video posted to social media Thursday.

Joseph - who goes by the alias Lanmo San Jou or 'Death Without Days' - issued the threat as he stood in front of open coffins apparently holding several members of his gang who were recently killed.

Although he has formally issued his ransom demands to the country chief of Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, the nonprofit ministry affiliated with the group, he has yet to issue a deadline for the payment.

400 Mawozo leader Wilson Joseph - who goes by the alias Lanmo San Jou or 'Death Without Days' (pictured left and right) - is threatening to kill all 17 American and Canadian missionaries if he does not receive a ransom payment of $1 million per person

The 17 American and Canadian missionaries and their families were forced out of a bus at gunpoint after visiting an orphanage on Saturday in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince and taken captive.

It remains unclear if Joseph's $1 million per person demand includes the five children in the group, among them an 8-month-old.

The gang leader also threatened Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the chief of Haiti's National Police, Leon Charles, in his Thursday address.

'You guys make me cry. I cry water. But I'm going to make you guys cry blood,' Joseph said, referencing the deceased members of 400 Mawozo.

Neither Henry or Charles have publicly addressed the threat.

Weston Showalter, spokesman for Christian Aid Ministries, held a news conference Thursday before the video surfaced.

Wilson (right, pictured previously with gang members on his left) also threatened Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the chief of Haiti's National Police, Leon Charles, in his Thursday address

Weston Showalter, spokesman for Christian Aid Ministries, held a news conference Thursday before the video surfaced. He invited everyone to pray for the hostages

Complete letter from the hostages' families Dear Church of Christ around the world, thank you for your prayers for our family members who are being held hostage in Haiti. God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lord's command to love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, Matthew 5:44. God invites us to call upon his name in the day of trouble, Psalm 15.1-5. We thank him, that he is god, and ask him to hear our prayers and bring our families home. We also pray that the light of god's love might shine out against the darkness of sin, that the gang members might be freed from their bondage to sin and experience freedom in Jesus Christ. Thank you brothers and sisters in Christ, and please keep praying for the families of the hostages. Advertisement

'We are inviting believers from all around the world to join us in praying for our workers, our loved ones that are being held hostage in Haiti,' he said, before reading a letter from the hostages' families.

'God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lord's command to love your enemies,' the letter said in part.

'We also pray that the light of god's love might shine out against the darkness of sin, that the gang members might be freed from their bondage to sin and experience freedom in Jesus Christ.'

Showalter offered no updates on the fate of the hostages who are from Amish, Mennonite and other conservative Anabaptist communities in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Ontario, Canada.

The church spokesperson instead invited people to join in prayer for the kidnappers as well as those kidnapped and expressed gratitude for help from 'people that are knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with' such situations.

'Pray for these families,' he said. 'They are in a difficult spot.'

Meanwhile, the FBI and other US agencies are reportedly 'part of a coordinated U.S. government effort' to free the missionaries.

Haiti has the highest per-capita kidnapping rate in the world, with Port-au-Prince now seeing more kidnappings than vastly larger Bogota, Mexico City and Sao Paulo combined, according to the consulting firm Control Risks.

Criminal gangs in Haiti kidnapped at least 119 people, including the missionaries, during the first half of October alone, the Port-au-Prince-based Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights said on Wednesday, marking a clear escalation over even the previous month.

The 400 Mawozo, a self-mocking name that loosely translates to '400 inexperienced men,' controls the city known as Croix-des-Bouquets where a mission of Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries was traveling.

The 400 Mawozo gang (pictured with leader Joseph in front) controls the city known as Croix-des-Bouquets where a mission of Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries was traveling

Protestors took to the streets of Titanyen Tuesday demanding the release of the missionaries

How Haiti became the kidnapping capital of the world Haiti has the highest per-capita kidnapping rate worldwide. Kidnappings in the country have increased 300 percent between July and September, when at least 221 abductions recorded. The rise in abductions has coincided with the nation's deepening political turmoil following the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Port-au-Prince is now posting more kidnappings in absolute terms than Bogota, Mexico City and Sao Paulo combined. At least 328 kidnapping victims were reported to Haiti's National Police in the first eight months of 2021, compared with a total of 234 for all of 2020. Abductions dropped briefly after Moise's assassination, but surged again to 73 in August and to 117 in September. Gangs are responsible for most of the nation's kidnappings and have been accused of abducting schoolchildren, doctors, police officers, busloads of passengers and others. In recent weeks, people have been taken while attending church and commuting to work. Preachers have been abducted while delivering sermons. Gang members have even kidnapped poor street vendors who have little to no money. These individuals are then forced to sell items from their homes, such as radios or refrigerators, to afford their freedom. In another instance, a group of schoolchildren came together to raise money to pay their classmate's ransom. The 400 Mawozo gang, which abducted 17 missionaries and their families on Oct. 16, is responsible for approximately 80 percent of the kidnappings in Haiti. 400 Mawozo is known for its 'collective kidnappings' in which they abduct entire cars or buses of people. The gang's leader, Wilson Joseph aka Lanmo San Jou (Death Without Days), has been wanted by the Haitian government for several months. The Police Nationale d'Haiti publicly announced they were searching for Joseph in December 2020. They claimed he was on the run following the first phase of an operation to dismantle the gang. Advertisement

In April, the gang abducted 10 people including five priests and two nuns - among them, two French citizens.

The 10 were released after three weeks and said they had not been tortured or harmed, but suffered from a lack of food and medications.

A ransom was paid in that case.

The same day that the missionaries were kidnapped, a gang also abducted a Haiti university professor, according to a statement that Haiti's ombudsman-like Office of Citizen Protection issued on Tuesday.

It also noted that a Haitian pastor abducted earlier this month has not been released despite a ransom being paid.

'The criminals ... operate with complete impunity, attacking all members of society,' the organization said.

However, Gedeon Jean, the executive director of the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, an advocacy group in Port-au-Prince, previously told the The New York Times that the Christina Aid Ministries missionaries would definitely be released.

'The hostages are going to be freed - that's for sure. We don't know in how many days, but they're going to negotiate,' Jean said Tuesday.

'The 400 Mawozo gang don't want to kill the hostages. Nowadays the gangs, especially in a situation that is a little financially vulnerable, they increase kidnappings to have enough money.

'So the motive behind the surge in kidnappings for us is a financial one, if the gangs need money to buy ammunition, to get weapons, to be able to function.'

The rash of kidnappings led to a strike Monday that shuttered businesses, schools and public transportation.

Life was largely back to normal on Wednesday, but unions and other groups vowed to organize another strike next week, and sporadic protests erupted Wednesday in Port-au-Prince over the lack of fuel, with gangs blamed for blocking gas distribution terminals.

Dozens of moto taxi drivers zoomed around one Delmas neighborhood, setting barricades of tires on fire and throwing rocks across roads to block them.

'We want gas for work! If we don't find gas, we're going to shut down the country completely!' they yelled. '(Prime Minister) Ariel Henry, if he cannot run the country, he must go!'

Similar protests erupted the day before.

In a more peaceful demonstration Tuesday north of Port-au-Prince, dozens of people walked through the streets of Titanyen demanding the release of the missionaries. Some carried signs that read 'Free the Americans' and 'No to Kidnapping!' and explained that the missionaries helped pay bills and build roads and schools.

'They do a lot for us,' said Beatrice Jean.

One protest took place near the prime minister's residence, where police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd demanding fuel.

The kidnapping was the largest of its kind reported in recent years.

Haitian gangs have grown more brazen as the country tries to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and the earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people.
A gun dealer who shot his wife dead while convinced he was ill with Covid-19 has been sentenced to be detained in a mental health hospital.

Peter Hartshorne-Jones, 52, took a double-barrelled shotgun and twice shot his wife, Silke, a 42-year-old solicitor, at close range as she lay in bed in her pyjamas at their home in Barham in Suffolk.

The pair had been using separate bedrooms at the time as Hartshorne-Jones, who wanted to social distance after convincing himself he had contracted Covid-19, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Hartshorne-Jones did not face murder charges after pleading guilty to manslaughter, claiming he was suffering from psychosis 'exacerbated by lockdown.'

Judge Martyn Levett said that the 'motive is very much left in the air', but noted that the defendant had complained that his wife had not paid him 'enough attention' when he claimed he had coronavirus.

The judge said there was 'no clinical evidence' that the defendant had Covid-19 and that his symptoms may be explained by anxiety.

Peter Hartshorne-Jones, 52, took a double-barrelled shotgun and twice shot his wife, Silke, a 42-year-old solicitor, at close range as she lay in bed in her pyjamas at their home in Barham in Suffolk

Silke Hartshorne-Jones was shot dead by her gun dealer husband with two children hearing a 'clattering noise' and witnessing the aftermath of her death

Two children were in the house when they heard a 'clattering noise' as Hartshorne-Jones blasted his wife twice with a 12 bore shotgun in a bedroom at their 17th century home Chestnut Farm in Barham near Ipswich in May 2020.

The children were also said to have witnessed 'the aftermath' of the shooting, and found him having his breakfast and said he should call an ambulance, the judge said.

Shotgun dealer Hartshorne-Jones dialled 999 within minutes of the shooting at 4.45am on May 3 to report that he had shot his German-born wife.

He allegedly told police: 'I am sorry, I don't know what came over me'. He was said to have stated later: 'I didn't mean to kill her'.

Mrs Hartshorne-Jones was in a critical condition and taken by ambulance to Ipswich Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 6.40am the same day. A post mortem found she died of a shotgun wound to the chest.

At the time of her death, her husband sold vintage shotguns for game shooting and ran a recruitment agency hiring staff for the catering industry.

His website called Hartshorne Fine English Shotguns said he sold 'the finest sporting English and Scottish shotguns.'

Although Hartshorne-Jones had a licence to legally hold a firearm in his home, it was revealed he had lied on previous renewal forms by claiming he had never suffered with any mental health issues.

Forensic investigators at the 600,000 Chestnut Farm in Barham, Suffolk after the killing

The family lived at Grade II-listed Chestnut Farm in Barham near Ipswich, Suffolk

Mrs Hartshorne-Jones worked as a lawyer for technology company K2 Partnering Solutions. Her LinkedIn profile described her job as being in charge of the company's 'legal and compliance function' across Europe.

Neighbours said at the time that she used to commute to work, leaving her 600,000 home at 5.30am every weekday and not returning until the evening, but she had been at home since lockdown started.

The judge said Hartshorne-Jones appeared calm as he was arrested, while the children were 'evidently distressed'.

He had made contact with various care providers 26 times in the 42 days between March 16 and April 27, the court heard.

In a voicemail message to his wife's father, on March 29, Hartshorne-Jones said he had been anxious and this was 'driving Silke crazy'.

'She thinks I'm exaggerating and just have a chest infection but I've never felt so unwell,' Hartshorne-Jones said, in a statement read by the judge.

Mrs Hartshorne-Jones was in a critical condition and taken by ambulance to Ipswich Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 6.40am the same day

Neighbours said at the time that she used to commute to work, leaving her 600,000 home in Barnham (pictured) at 5.30am every weekday and not returning until the evening, but she had been at home since lockdown started

In other messages the defendant said there were 'tissues everywhere', and he 'needed to be somewhere where I was in a sanitised, sterile environment'.

He added that his wife had used paint stripper outside when he was trying to get fresh air.

'You thought your wife, the victim of this fatal shooting, was not paying enough attention to you and your needs,' said the judge.

He said that the defendant, who was found to have an abnormality of mental functioning, had not disclosed his history of mental ill health in order to hold firearms.

He said Hartshorne-Jones had been suffering from a 'depressive mental illness over a period of a decade, maybe more'.

The judge described Mrs Hartshorne-Jones as an 'intelligent, resourceful lady' who 'had every prospect of furthering her career had her life not been cruelly cut short by her husband'.

He said: 'There are in fact only two people who could have told me what happened and the reason why but sadly one of them is dead.'

He told Hartshorne-Jones, who at an earlier hearing admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility: 'It's not possible to reliably estimate when you will cease to be a danger.'

Judge Levett sentenced the defendant to a hybrid order under the Mental Health Act, of life with a minimum term of eight years.

Hartshorne-Jones is to be detained in a mental health hospital but may be transferred to prison to serve the rest of his sentence if he becomes well enough.

He must serve at least eight years before he can be considered for release.

Mrs Hartshorne-Jones, a German national, moved to London in 2007 and married her husband in 2010.

The judge said it was 'a tragic case' and praised the dignity of family members of Mrs Hartshorne-Jones.
A 19-year-old Afghan national has been staying in Montana as part of the Biden Administration's humanitarian parole program has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman in a Missoula hotel.

Zabihullah Mohmand was charged on Tuesday with a felony count of sexual intercourse without consent and was ordered held in jail on $50,000 bond.

After initial questions about Mohmand's immigration status, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, issued a statement confirming that the sexual assault suspect had been resettled in the state by the US State Department.

Senator David Daines, a Republican from Montana, revealed in a separate statement that Mohmand was admitted to the US and placed in Montana under Humanitarian Parole.

Afghan national Zabihullah Mohmand, 19, has been charged with sexual intercourse without consent for allegedly raping a 18-year-old woman in Montana

The victim told police she met Mohmand and two other met at the Badlander bar in Missoula on Sunday and then left with them to go to a party

According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services' website, Humanitarian Parole 'is used to bring someone who is otherwise inadmissible into the United States for a temporary period of time due to an emergency.'

Both Gianforte and Daines on Thursday called on President Joe Biden to stop all Afghan resettlements to Montana 'until we get answers' in the wake of Mohmand's arrest.

'While I welcome our fully-vetted Afghan allies to Montana, this situation and others across the country raise serious concerns about whether the Biden administration is meeting its obligations to fully vet Afghans prior to resettlement,' Ginaforte stated, as reported by KGVO.

'I'm calling on President Biden to immediately halt resettlements to Montana until federal agencies provide me with adequate assurance that Afghans coming to Montana are fully-vetted in accordance with federal law.'

Police in Missoula, Montana, stated that the incident began unfolding at around 4.30am on Sunday, when they got a 911 call from an 18-year-old woman who told an emergency dispatcher she had just been raped by a man she met at the Badlander bar, reported Missoulian.

When interviewed by the police, the victim told them she met her alleged attacker, later identified as Mohmand, along with two other men at the drinking establishment, and the four of them later left to go to a house party, according to court documents.

When they learned that there was no party, Mohmand allegedly invited the 18-year-old woman to his room at Residence Inn Marriott.

The victim told police Mohmand invited her over to his room at Residence Inn Marriott, and she went with him but said she did not want anything to happen between them

The woman said she agreed to come but allegedly warned Mohmand she did not want anything to happen between them.

After she went to sleep, she claimed Mohmand forced himself on her and would not let her leave. She said he pinned her down on the bed by placing his hand around her neck, leaving bruises and red marks, according to documents.

Speaking to investigators through tears, the woman said she could not get Mohmand off her as he sexually assaulted her while another man was present in the room.

When the victim eventually left the room to call an Uber, Mohmand followed her.

Hotel staff reported seeing a visibly upset woman walking through the lobby and out the door, with a man trailing behind her.

Under questioning by the police, Mohmand claimed he was visiting Missoula on 'a worldwide trip.' He admitted that he had sex with his accuser but claimed it was consensual.

In light of Mohmand's arrest, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (left) and Senator David Daines (right) on Thursday demanded that President Biden stop resettlements of Afghans in Montana

Mohmand also told cops the woman had not left any of her belongings in his hotel room, but a police search turned up items of her clothing.

During Mohmand's initial court appearance, prosecutors argued that he presents a serous flight risk because he is not a permanent resident of Missoula.

Public defender Ted Fellman stated that Mohmand is an immigrant, and suggested that cultural and language barriers between him and his accuser may have played a role in the alleged assault.

Mohmand is due back in court for his arraignment on November 1.
After five years of unbearable chronic pain, six gastrointestinal specialists and several emergency room visits, an Army spouse finally learned the cause of her pain: a laparotomy towel was left inside her abdomen from a C-section performed at a US air base outside Tokyo.

The Air Force offered Angie Perry $50,000 to settle her medical malpractice claim but she refused and is seeking $1 million in compensation.

'There is no doubt in my mind if that towel wasn't found, it would've killed me,' she told Stars and Stripes. And Perry isn't the only one, in 2020 the Pentagon reported 17 cases of objects left in patients by surgeons at their medical centers.

Perry had a scary Cesarean section in 2013 on the Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, at points thinking she was going to die. The surgeon, who no longer works on the base, was new to the job, according the doctor's resume.

'At one point, the surgeon couldn't stop the bleeding and things got a little frantic in the surgery room where the nurses were pleading with the surgeon to let them go ask another surgeon to come and assist,' Perry said.

'I thought for certain I was going to die right there.' But Perry and her newborn made it home.

The Air Force has offered Angie Perry, left, $50,000 to settle her medical malpractice suit

A CT scan revealed that Perry had a laparotomy towel left inside her abdomen for five years from a C-section performed on her at an army base outside Tokyo

The towel caused Perry years of chronic pain, digestive issues, and bladder problems along with the emotional toll her health struggles it took on her family

Following her surgery, Perry suffered through a series of chronic health problems and saw 27 doctors while living in Japan.

She experienced three years of distracting pain, thought her digestive system shut down, and had to wear diapers because she lost control of her bladder.

Her health anomalies disrupted her from bonding with her newborn child for the first years of his life and added stress to her marriage.

'I was getting into fights with my husband because he was so angry and believed I turned into a hypochondriac,' she said. 'He didn't understand why I was addicted to going to the doctor  I had never experienced pain like this before.'

Perry, who now lives in Vancouver, Washington, finally found an answer in 2018 when a CT scan detected the metal tag on the laparotomy towel inside her abdomen. She finally had the towel removed on October 31, 2018.

Three years after the removal of the towel and five years after the piece of surgical equipment was left inside Perry's body, the Air Force in July offered Perry $50,000.

'We do recognize that a laparotomy pad was discovered to have been retained in the abdomen, which may have caused some pain,' the letter from the Air Force states.

'Although abdominal pain is a symptom of a retained laparotomy pad, pain is subjective and by October 22, 2013, Ms. Perry had no abdominal pain.'

But Perry will not settle, she explained to DailyMail.com: I won't take their offer is because I can't sit quiet about it and be paid off not to expose them.

Perry claims: The military basically has free reign to experiment and practice on our bodies overseas without any repercussions because there are specific laws that protect them from being held accountable.

She also said: This surgeon just received her medical license in 2013 to become an MD & Was NOT A surgeon yet. The system is broken - And there's nothing that stopping them from doing harm.

Perry hired a medical malpractice attorney in Texas in April 2019 and now is seeking different representation to continue her fight.

'My bladder still doesn't work, there's a lot of scar tissue, it caused a huge wedge between my husband and me,' she said.

Perry went to 27 doctors in Japan, six gastrointestinal specialists, and had several emergency room visits before a doctor in the US found the laparotomy towel

The same doctor who performed Perry's surgery also botched another C-section on the Yokota Air Base (pictued) in 2013. Lamia Lahlou discovered she had a mass of infection along with cotton balls left inside her abdomen, a 21-cm abscess and other leftover materials after months of being in chronic pain following the birth of her second child

'The stress of knowing every single day that something was wrong with me, but I couldn't get a doctor to listen to me. It took away the first five years where I should have been enjoying the new baby, but I was so weak that my health consumed every waking moment. I believe, after everything I have been through, it is what I deserve.'

A spokesperson from Yokota Air Base told Stars and Stripes the 374th Medical Group and the base's legal department cannot speak about individual cases.

'We cannot provide the details on an individual's specific case in the interest of protecting personal privacy or avoiding impact to a potential ongoing investigation,' Tech Sgt. Taylor Workman said in an email.

But Perry wasn't the only one who was left with a piece of medical equipment left inside them from the Yokota Air Force Base. Lamia Lahlou, a former Arabic linguist for the Army, shared a similar disturbing situation with Stars and Stripes.

Lahlou had a C-section performed by the same surgeon the same year as Perry.

Following her childbirth, Lahlou also began to experience excruciating chronic abdominal pain and digestive issues which her doctors in Japan were unable to diagnosis.

'I was in so much pain that I thought maybe they put my organs in wrong,' she explained. But her doctors insisted that her pain was a normal part of the healing process and then told Lahlou that her pain was psychological directing her to a mental health clinic.

'I felt like I was being told I was crazy,' she said. 'But I thought that maybe they were right. I believed that doctors knew better.'

When Lahlou finally returned to the US several months later, she couldn't handle the intense pain and called a doctor who ordered a CT scan. The scan finally revealed that Lahlou was not crazy, she had a mass of infection along with cotton balls left inside her abdomen, a 21-cm abscess and other leftover materials.

Lahlou underwent five surgeries and the removal of part of her bladder to remedy the situation but the malpractice has had lasting effects on her life.

An annual report of DOD medical centers found that last year, found 17 cases of objects left in patients by surgeons and 21 cases of surgeons operating on the wrong patient, performing the wrong procedure or operating on the wrong body part

'This story for me is very personal, because what was meant to be the arrival of my second baby resulted in so much pain and suffering and, at the end, my divorce,' she said. After the CT scan, Lahlou remained in the US while her husband returned to Japan.

She attempted to file a malpractice claim against the Yokota Air Force Base but dropped it after failing to find a attorney to take the case.

'If I didn't fly back to the US and kept being seen at Yokota, what could have resulted?' she wondered. 'I could have easily died, and what would my parents have gotten? An 'Oops, sorry?' If you are in pain, keep seeking answers. We know our own bodies.'

For the past nearly 70 years, it was prohibited to sue the Department of Defense for medical malpractice, until a provision in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act allowed active-duty members to file medical malpractice claims against the DOD.

The Richard Stayskal Military Medical Accountability Act has a two-year statute of limitations, and allows service members and family members to file a medical malpractice claim to medical facilities at bases overseas but does not allow them to sue.

While Perry and Lahlou's cases seem shocking, this type of detrimental mistake is not uncommon in DOD hospitals. In 2016, the Pentagon began conducting its annual Tricare program report to monitor their medical centers.

The first Tricare annual report recorded 18 cases of objects left in patients by surgeons and 38 cases of surgeons operating on the wrong patient, performing the wrong procedure or operating on the wrong body part.

In the five years since the DOD began tracking these cases, the terrifying mistakes persist. Last year, the reported recorded 17 cases of objects left in patients by surgeons and 21 cases of surgeons operating on the wrong patient, performing the wrong procedure or operating on the wrong body part.
Advertisement

A Reuters reporter tweeted that the United States military had to delay a test of its hypersonic weapon system due to rocket failure

The United States military had to delay a test of its new hypersonic weapons system due to rocket failure, according to Reuters on Thursday.

A booster rocket with a hypersonic glide body attached failed to launch during a test at Kodiak, Alaska, according to ABC News.

The aborted launch was part of the joint 'Dark Eagle' program jointly run by the Army and Navy to develop land and submarine based hypersonic missiles.

It came just hours after the Pentagon released a statement touting the successful testing of hypersonic weapon component prototypes at a facility in Virginia.

The C-HGB hypersonic glide missile, that the Navy and Army are developing, is launched by a conventional rocket and then glides to its target at speeds of up to 13,000mph. It can maneuver in flight making it near impossible to shoot down.

It comes after it was revealed that China carried out a second test of what is believed to be a hypersonic orbital missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, intelligence sources have claimed.

The new test is believed to have taken place on August 13 and involved a similar 'hypersonic glide vehicle' to one launched into space on board a Long March rocket in July, which was first reported earlier this week.

The new technology is reported to have caught US officials off guard, particularly as the system 'defies the laws of physics' and appears superior to anything in the American arsenal.

Beijing has acknowledged one of the tests, claiming it launched a 'peaceful' civilian spacecraft. But analysts believe the craft can actually be tipped with a nuclear warhead which would be able to evade missile defenses.

ABC News cited a US official on Thursday who said that a booster rocket with a hypersonic glide body attached failed to launch during a launch test at Kodiak, Alaska. The image above shows a March 19, 2020 test of the joint Army-Navy common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB) that is being developed for launch from both land and submarine

Although the Army has not revealed how far or fast the C-HGB flew in the test launch, the Pentagon has previously said that this weapon would allow the Army and Navy to 'strike targets hundreds and even thousands of miles away' and that it will get up to a speed of Mach 17

Hypersonic weapons travel in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound, or about 3,853 miles per hour.

These tests 'demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems in a realistic operating environment,' the Pentagon said in a statement.

The United States has actively pursued the development of hypersonic weapons as a part of its conventional prompt global strike program since the early 2000s.

Companies such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies are working to develop the hypersonic weapon capability for the United States.

Meanwhile, analysts are busy trying to decipher what China has managed to test in the hypersonic realm.

Government scientists are struggling to work out exactly what the new Chinese craft is capable of, with one source telling the Financial Times that it appears to 'defy the laws of physics' and is unlike any technology the US has.

The White House has refused to comment, while the US Department of Defense has refused to confirm or deny the existence of any hypersonic weapons tests.

China is thought to have carried out two tests of a hypersonic orbital nuke - the first on July 27 and the second on August 13 this year. Observers believe the 'weapon' is an updated version of a Soviet concept called a 'Fractional Orbital Bombardment System', or FOBS. It is designed to evade powerful US radar systems and anti-missile defences designed to shoot down traditional ICBMs by flying in low-Earth orbit, making it harder to spot, track and destroy

China, the US and Russia are engaged in a global arms race that now includes the development of hypersonic missile technology. Here, the MailOnline has compared (from left) each country's main nuclear weapon, the latest hypersonic technology they have tested, their most up-to-date aircraft carriers, main battle tanks, and cutting-edge jets

China launched the dummy weapon into space on board a Long March 2C rocket (pictured) during a test in mid-August which it did not disclose at the time and was only revealed at the weekend by security analysts assigned to work out its purpose

Pictured: China launches the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft on October 16, carried on the Long March-2F carrier rocket, to Chinese Tiangong space station

What is the new 'weapon' that China has tested? Intelligence sources say Beijing has tested two nuclear-capable hypersonic vehicles that flew around the planet in low-Earth orbit before coming back down. If confirmed - Beijing denies it, saying it actually tested a civilian spacecraft - then it marks a major jump in the country's nuclear programme, though the concept itself is nothing new. The idea behind China's 'new' weapon actually came from the Soviets, who developed it during the Cold War. Called a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, or FOBS, it was designed to evade powerful US radar arrays and missile defence systems. Those systems work by detecting launches of ICBMs - very long-range missiles that can be tipped with nuclear warheads - tracking them into space and then firing at the warheads as they come down in the hope of blowing them up before they hit their targets. This is possible because ICBMs and their warheads follow a predictable trajectory that rises high above the horizon - making them relatively easy to spot and allowing defence crews to calculate where they are aimed so they can be shot out of the sky. FOBS is designed to negate these defences by firing warheads along a much-flatter trajectory that is assisted by Earth's gravity. This means the warheads pass under the scope of many radar detection arrays and are harder to track. It also makes the warheads much harder to shoot down because their trajectory is harder to calculate. In addition, using orbit to carry the warheads makes their range potentially unlimited, meaning they can be fired at its target from any direction. This helps to avoid radar systems which are generally pointed at a fixed spot in the sky - in America's case, over the North Pole. Soviet Russia had a FOBS system - comprising, at its peak, of 18 R-36O missiles - which were active from 1969 until 1983 when it scuttled the programme in response to changes in America's missile defence systems. China now appears to be pursuing the technology anew, while coupling it with a new 'hypersonic glide vehicle' to carry the warheads. The 'HGV' is thought to make the warhead easier to manouevre while in orbit and increase its accuracy. Despite its 'hypersonic' name, it actually travels much slower than ICMB warheads - some 3,800mph compared to 15,000mph+ for 'traditional' nukes. Russia and the US are both developing HGVs of their own, though neither has put them to use in the same way as Beijing. Moscow has one that can be fitted to its latest Satan 2 ICBM, while the US is working on one that can be launched from a B-52 bomber - though two recent tests of the system have failed. Advertisement

The first test was disclosed earlier this week, when the FT quoted five intelligence sources who said that China had tested what appeared to be an orbital hypersonic nuclear missile some time in early or mid-August.

Beijing subsequently acknowledged the test, but said it had taken place on July 16. Intelligence sources now believe the test which the FT initially reported and the test acknowledged by the Chinese are different.

The newspaper now reports that the first test took place on July 27, before a second test of the same technology a little over two weeks later, on August 13.

Observers say the weapon appears to be an update of Cold War-era Soviet technology called a 'Fractional Orbital Bombardment System' - or FOBS.

Soviets developed the technology to get around powerful US radar arrays designed to detect the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) tipped with nukes, and defence systems designed to shoot them down.

FOBS works by putting the nuclear warheads into a low-Earth orbit, allowing them to circle the globe and manoeuvre in flight before coming down on their targets.

This makes the warheads harder to detect, track and destroy than those carried on board ICBMs.

China appears to have updated the concept by fitting the nuclear warhead on to a 'hypersonic glide vehicle', which is designed to travel faster and manoeuvre easier - making it even harder to stop.

After the second test was disclosed, Hu Xijin - the editor of the state-owned Global Times newspaper - said the US needs to be 'rational' and accept the idea of 'mutually assured destruction'.

'The US must abandon the crazy idea that it can strike China and Russia, but they cant strike it,' Hu tweeted.

However, he stopped short of confirming the test had taken place - describing it as 'speculation'.

A follow-up editorial in the Global Times also stopped short of confirming the test, but said - if true - the development of hypersonic missiles would 'help contain the US strategic arrogance over China and further exclude the possibility that the US blackmails China with nuclear weapons.'

The paper claims that US policy has been to develop nuclear weapons that will allow it to strike other nations while they cannot strike it - but calls this 'an unattainable mad idea' and says Washington must accept a reality in which all superpowers can strike one-another, describing it as a 'balance of nuclear terror'.

'Absolute security does not exist in today's world,' the editorial concludes.

The Chinese foreign ministry has yet to make a statement on the latest test claims.

Several countries, including the US and Russia, are developing their own hypersonic glide vehicles - though neither of them have put them to the same use as China.

China has shown off hypersonic glide vehicles before, including one mounted to the nose of the DF-17 nuke which featured prominently in military parade in 2019.

Analysts believe something similar was launched into space on board a rocket during its two recent hypersonic tests, and then released into low Earth orbit - circling the planet before being brought back down and aimed at a target.

It is thought the craft missed by some 24 miles, but the test still stunned analysts who believed China was far off being able to launch such technology.

Beijing did not report the test or its results at the time, but after it was disclosed earlier this week the country's state media mocked America by saying it is a 'new blow to the US's mentality of strategic superiority over China'.

An op-ed in the Chinese state media outlet Global Times, Beijing's mouthpiece, said the test means 'there is a key new member in China's nuclear deterrence system', adding that this is a 'new blow to the US's mentality of strategic superiority over China'.

It is just the latest move in a global arms race between Russia, China and the US which is taking place against the backdrop of mounting tensions between the superpowers in the eastern Pacific.

All three countries are engaged in wholesale updates of their militaries including the development of new nuclear technology with which they can strike each-other at range.

Russia and China have, in recent years, unveiled new and more-powerful ICBMs which are capable of launching multiple nuclear warheads at targets many thousands of miles away.

The United States, Russia and at least five other countries are also working on hypersonic technology, and last month North Korea said it had test-fired a newly-developed hypersonic missile.

Russia has previously tested a hypersonic cruise missile known as Zircon, but it flies below the atmosphere and uses fuel to power itself to hypersonic speeds rather than the Earth's orbit.

The Pentagon did not comment on China's testing of the hypersonic missile, but did acknowledge China as their 'number one pacing challenge'.

'We have made clear our concerns about the military capabilities China continues to pursue, capabilities that only increase tensions in the region and beyond,' John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, told Fox News. 'That is one reason why we hold China as our number one pacing challenge.'

An op-ed in Beijing's state media outlet Global Times said: 'If the FT report is to be believed, it means that there is a key new member in China's nuclear deterrence system, which is a new blow to the US' mentality of strategic superiority over China.

'It is important to note the unstoppable trend that China is narrowing the gap with the US in some key military technologies as China is continuously developing its economic and technological strength.'

'China doesn't need to engage in an 'arms race' with the US  it is capable of weakening the US' overall advantages over China by developing military power at its own pace,' the editorial added.

It is just the latest episode of nuclear sabre-rattling to come out of Beijing, after a senior Chinese diplomat suggested that Beijing should abandon its long-standing policy of not using nuclear weapons first in conflict.

Sha Zukang, the country's former ambassador to the UN, told a summit of Chinese nuclear policy experts that it is time to 're- examine and fine-tune' a long-standing commitment to only use nukes in retaliation as the US 'builds new military alliances and as it increases its military presence in our neighbourhood.'

Beijing's current policy - which has been in place since the 1960s - has given China the 'moral high ground' but 'is not suitable . . . unless China-US negotiations agree that neither side would use [nuclear weapons] first,' he said at a meeting in Beijing last week

Zukang's comments - which come as China builds hundreds of new nuclear missile silos - are significant because Beijing often floats changes of policy through senior diplomats. The body he was speaking to - the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association - is officially independent, but has strong ties to the Communist party.

China became a nuclear power in 1964 with its first successful test of a bomb, and adopted its 'no-first-use' policy four years later. It states that Beijing will never be the first to use nukes in a conflict, but will use them if struck first.

China unveiled a hypersonic glide vehicle during a military parade in 2019, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Beijing has now used a hypersonic vehicle to test a low-orbiting weapon capable of defeating nuclear defences

It mirrors a policy that Russia implemented between 1982 and 1993, though abandoned due to fears that the weakened state of its army following the break-up of the Soviet Union could encourage an attack by the US.

The two types of hypersonic weapons: Hypersonic glide vehicles A hypersonic glide vehicle is boosted aloft on a rocket to heights of between 25 miles to 62 miles above the earth before detaching to glide along the upper atmosphere towards its target. It is released at a height and speed that would allow it to glide unpowered to the target. Control surfaces on the glide vehicle mean it can steer an unpredictable course and maneuver sharply as it approaches impact. These glide vehicles follow a much flatter and lower trajectory than the high, arching path of a ballistic missile. Hypersonic cruise missiles These missiles are powered by high-speed, air-breathing engines after acquiring their target. While they have internal engines, unlike regular cruise missiles, they travel far faster and higher. Advertisement

The US has a policy to never use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against a majority of other nations including all those without nuclear weapons - but has exempted China, Russia and North Korea from the policy.

Global nuclear policy is rapidly changing as a number of Cold War-era treaties - notably New START and the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty - expire, with Washington hoping to renegotiate them to include China.

Zukang, in his speech, said it is 'only a matter of time' before such a deal is negotiated, but that Beijing should be prepared to take a more-aggressive stance until the trio put pen to paper.

China is in the midst of a major upgrade of its nuclear forces, which in recent years has seen it unveil more-advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and hypersonic nuclear missiles that are thought to be un-stoppable by current missile defence systems.

Beijing is thought to possess around 320 nuclear warheads that can be fitted to those missiles at present, but is also thought to be in the midst of a major expansion of that arsenal.

It comes after the discovery in July of two huge new missile silo bases under construction in remote desert regions of China.

Experts believe the first, near the city of Yumen, will eventually house 120 silos while the second, near the town of Hami, will house 110. A dozen more are under construction near Jilantai, with older sites also being upgraded.

Each silo can house a nuclear missile, with each missile capable of carrying up to 12 nuclear warheads if China upgrades all of them to carry its latest DF-41 rocket.

That means China's nuclear arsenal could theoretically expand to 875 warheads. Hu Xijin, editor of the state-mouthpiece Global Times newspaper, has previously argued that it should expand to 1,000.

The move would elevate China above the low-ranking nuclear powers such as the UK, Pakistan, France and India which have stockpiled warheads in the low hundreds.

But it would still be well short of the US and Russia, the world's two largest nuclear powers, which possess arsenals of around 4,000 warheads each.

The construction of hundreds of silos also marks a major shift in the make-up of China's nuclear threat, which currently relies heavily on mobile road-based launchpads and nuclear-capable bombers. China also has four nuclear-armed submarines.

China is expanding its military as its economy balloons to rival that of the US, having lagged behind for decades.

14 silos are currently under construction at the site (in yellow) while land has been cleared for 19 more (in green). But analysts who looked at the site believe it could eventually expand to house 110 silos, each of which can hold a nuclear missile

A second site, under construction near Yumen, has space cleared for up to 120 silos - meaning China's arsenal of nukes could expand from roughly 320 at present to almost 900

Both sites were identified by distinctive tents erected over the top of the under-construction silos that hide their inner workings from spy satellites

In addition to building new nuclear missiles and silos, it has constructed new aircraft carriers, tanks, fighter jets, spy and attack drones, along with new rifles for its troops.

Beijing has used the new hardware to take a more aggressive stance in the Pacific: Imposing its rule on Hong Kong, menacing Taiwan, and laying claim to a number of uninhabited islands in the South China Sea which it has constructed military bases on top of.

It has also been pressing its claim to a number of other islands whose ownership is disputed, creating tensions with other regional powers such the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and others. Similar disputes are underway in the East China Sea, around islands claimed by Japan.

China claims rights over the South China Sea in its entirety, which would hand Beijing control over hugely valuable international shipping lanes, fishing grounds which neighbouring countries rely on for food, and deposits of coal and oil which dot the seabed.

The US and its allies have been pushing back on these claims, and frequently conduct what they call 'freedom of navigation' operations through waters that China claims as its own in defiance of Beijing.
A top Russian university has destroyed its only copy of a thesis on Marxism written by a former student who is now Joe Biden's pick to head a major bank regulator.

Republicans on the Senate banking committee are furious that Saule Omarova, 55, is refusing to turn over her Moscow State University dissertation on Marxism and revolution.

And DailyMail.com has been told that there is no longer a copy in the institution's archives.

'It was destroyed long ago,' said a university official.

'We do not have a copy.'

Moscow State University only keeps such works for five years, said the official.

Omarova, a Cornell University law professor, has been under intense scrutiny since Biden nominated her for the post of Comptroller of the Currency.

U.S. Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Pat Toomey, R-Pa, demanded she turn over a copy of her Moscow thesis  in both English and the original Russian  for review by the committee.

Saule Omarova, a Cornell Law School professor, has been nominated to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Republican Sen. Pat Toomey (right) has demanded that she had over her dissertation to the Senate Banking Committee which must confirm her appointmennt

An exclusive new photograph shows Omarova as a proud 'Young Pioneer' - the Communist youth mass movement - at her Soviet school number 21 in Uralsk, now Oral, in Kazakhstan. She is wearing the red scarf of the movement in a picture dating from 1979-80

It was titled: 'Karl Marx's Economic Analysis and the Theory of Revolution in The Capital'.

But she ignored a deadline he set, and appears unlikely to hand it over.

It is assumed she has her own copy of the thesis even if her old university no longer possesses one.

'Ms. Omarova has time to attack Republicans in an interview with the Financial Times, but she can't be bothered to comply with a Banking Committee requirement that nominees  regardless of their political party or ideology  submit copies of their writings,' said Amanda Gonzalez Thompson, spokesperson for Senate Banking Committee Republicans.

'We certainly hope she reconsiders so senators have the information necessary to fulfill their constitutional duty to advise and consent on appointments.'

Omarova did not respond to requests for comment.

DailyMail.com has obtained pictures of Omarova from her time in the Soviet education system.

An exclusive new photograph shows her as a proud 'Young Pioneer' - the Communist youth mass movement - at her Soviet school number 21 in Uralsk, now Oral, in Kazakhstan.

It was taken in the year 1979-1980, and she wears the red scarf of a movement dedicated to Vladimir Lenin.

Pictures obtained by DailyMail.com show Omarova growing up in the communist education system. This one shows her around grade nine in about 982-83

Omarova graduated from school in 1984 en route to Moscow State University. She was already a member of the Komsomol, or Young Communists, as she graduated with a gold medal

Another image shows her in class, believed to be in Grade 9, in 1982-83.

One more is a picture from 1984 of her school graduation when she was already an enthusiastic member of the Komsomol, or Young Communists as she left to study at prestigious Moscow State University.

She graduated with a rare gold medal, signifying her academic achievements, and opening the door to her move to the prestigious Moscow university.

Omarova recently denied having Communist sympathies and said that in the USSR there was 'no academic freedom', making it unfair to judge her by what she wrote as a Soviet undergraduate student.

She told the Financial Times: 'I was in the Soviet Union, where there was no academic freedom, and this was a mandatory assigned topic.

'What I wrote in that paper has nothing to do with what I believed in then or in what I believe in now.'

She said: 'My grandmother was orphaned because Stalin sent her entire family to Siberia and they died there.

Saule Omarova (circled) is photographed during her studies at Moscow State University, in Russia in 1988 when Mikhail Gorbachev was president of the Soviet Union. She studied under a scholarship named after Vladimir Lenin and wrote a thesis on Karl Marx

Omarova has previously called Wall Street's hedge funds a 'quintessential a**hole industry' in the documentary A**holes: A Theory (pictured here). She has offered other controversial opinions such as opposing private banking and praised the Soviet Union's financial system

'Her family was destroyed because they were educated Kazakhs who didn't join the party.

'I was really lucky to get to Moscow State University . . . I was 18, and within a year I became an anti-communist like most of my classmates.

'We were reading stuff that was prohibited.

'We were listening to Pink Floyd, which was illegal, we were talking about Solzhenitsyn [the author and Soviet dissident].'

Former school classmate Elena Samokisha said: 'I remember her as a kind and nice person.

'I was her classmate beginning from Grade 7.

'She is really a cool person. and I am happy the fate brought us together. I would love to wish her luck.'

In announcing her as Biden's pick for Comptroller of the Currency last month, the White House said: 'She is one of the countrys leading academic experts on issues related to regulation of systemic risk and structural trends in financial markets.'

The job involves regulating and supervising all national banks and savings institutions as well as foreign banks in the United States.
Tasmania's premier is expected to outline his plan for reopening the island's borders with the mainland on Friday.

Peter Gutwein, who wants the state's 16-and-over population to be 90 per cent fully vaccinated against coronavirus by December 1, says he will also release scientific modelling on which the plan is based.

Mr Gutwein has previously indicated he wants Tasmania to reopen before Christmas.

Tasmania's premier is expected to outline his plan for reopening the island's borders with the mainland on Friday

The state is closed to New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, while high-risk premises are declared in Queensland and South Australia.

More than 70 per cent of Tasmanians aged over 16 are fully vaccinated and more than 85 per cent have received one dose.

The state has had just three cases this year on the back of a hard border approach but has dodged several COVID-19 bullets.

An infected NSW man, who recently sparked a three-day lockdown in the south after escaping hotel quarantine and spending 18 hours in the community, did not spread the virus.

Neither did a 15-year-old boy who left home quarantine in the north earlier this month to go to a supermarket.

Peter Gutwein, who wants the state's 16-and-over population to be 90 per cent fully vaccinated against coronavirus by December 1

The state government is enforcing mandatory vaccines for healthcare workers on October 31 and says it will sack anyone who doesn't meet the deadline.

It was revealed this week about 10 per cent of the workforce had not yet received the jab, some 1600 people.
Little Cleo Smith's parents are keeping a lone gut-wrenching vigil at the campsite where the four-year-old was likely abducted six days ago.

Cleo vanished from the Blowholes campsite in Carnarvon, on Western Australia's north-west coast, last Saturday - with detectives now convinced she was abducted by a brazen child predator.

Her mother Ellie Smith and step father Jake Gliddon remain at the isolated coastal camping ground six days later in the desperate hope she may yet turn up.

Police have blocked public access to the tourist attraction, which has been declared a crime scene, meaning only Cleo's parents and search workers are still left behind at the campsite.

A criminal psychologist on Thursday told Daily Mail Australia an otherwise unassuming and 'ordinary' child abductor could have snatched Cleo from her family tent.

Cleo Smith was last seen by her parents (pictured with her mum Ellie and partner Jake Gliddon) about 1.30am on Saturday. The couple are still on site at the Blowholes campsite where the youngster went missing, joined only by search workers

Police have conceded Cleo was likely snatched from the tent, given the tent's zipper was too high for her to open by herself.

A 20sq/km search in every direction from the campsite for Cleo and the red and grey sleeping bag she disappeared with has so far been fruitless.

Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro, who has spent the past four decades analysing the minds of some of the worst criminals of our times: terrorists, mass murderers, sex offenders and torturers of children, said the real danger about these people is how easily they blend in.

'The problem with a person like this is it could be anyone,' he said.

'It's someone who can blend into a suburban lifestyle, he could be a father, he could be involved in community or sporting clubs.

'If you met the offender he may appear very normal.

'This is the danger about these people - their ordinariness. They can blend in very easily and generally they are well presented.'

Ellie Smith and her partner, Jake Gliddon (pictured) fronted the media for the first time on Tuesday after four-year-old Cleo (middle) went missing near the Blowholes campsite north of Carnarvon in Western Australia five days ago

Cleo had been inside a tent with her mother and stepdad but was gone in the morning with the zipper almost completely open

The depraved monster who likely snatched little Cleo Smith (pictured) from her family tent in the dead of night is someone who appears 'very normal' and can 'blend in' easily, a renowned criminal psychologist has told Daily Mail Australia

Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro (pictured) has spent the past four decades analysing the minds of some of the worst criminals of our times: terrorists, mass murderers, sex offenders and torturers of children

Dr Watson-Munro said the kidnapper is most likely to be a 'calculated' man and a textbook psychopath driven by a sickening desire for 'power and control'.

'We are talking about someone who is bad but not mad,' he said.

'To do something like that without any anxiety suggests they are psychopathic in their disposition because psychopaths have a very high threshold for anxiety.

'Things that would make a normal person's blood turn cold doesn't bother them.'

Friends of Cleo's family said the smart four-year-old (pictured) 'wouldn't just wander' away from the tent

A map showing the possible roads Cleo Smith was taken on in the time between when she went missing and when police

Someone who could sneak into a tent and abduct a child in her sleeping bag as her parents lay next to her 'is not somebody who is prone to nervousness'.

Police now believe an abduction took place because the zipper of the tent was found undone in the morning, even though Cleo is too short to reach it.

It can be the case that child predators and sex offenders are dishevelled, affected by drugs and alcohol or have below average intelligence, but in this case Dr Watson-Munro says 'it's very unlikely'.

'In order to plan a crime like this you have to be at least average intelligence to get away with it. We are not looking at some bumbling imbecile,' he said.

'They are capable of forward planning both in terms of abducting the child and allowing themselves plenty of opportunity to get far away.'

So far police have no 'concrete suspects' in the baffling case and on Thursday afternoon announced a $1million reward for anyone who has any information that could lead police to the culprit.

Ellie Smith made a harrowing statement online at 6am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing

Alarmingly, there are about 20 known sex offenders living in the surrounding area.

But Dr Watson-Munro says that while the perpetrator may have a history of sexual offending, it's quite possible it could also be a first-time offender because there 'haven't previously been any child abductions in that area before'.

'It could be somebody who is Paedophilicly-inclined and may have sexual fantasies about abducting a kid,' he said.

'They may peruse the internet looking for child porn and this abduction represents the next step up because this kind of offending always escalates.'

While it might seem contradictory for a crime to be both 'planned and opportunistic', in the bizarre case of Cleo that is what it appears to be.

The strange details of the abductions seem to indicate the kidnapper had 'cased' the remote camping grounds and was waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Cleo Smith (pictured) has now been missing for six days and there is now a $1million reward for anyone who can lead police to her suspected kidnapper

Hopes are fast fading that Cleo will be found near the campsite as it becomes increasingly likely she was abducted

Cleo's stepdad Jake Gliddon was frantic when he discovered Cleo was gone, according to a camper on the scene who assisted with the search

'It is hard to determine if it was a local or someone passing through but it could be both,' Dr Watson-Munro warned.

'It could be somebody who lives in the area and has a thing about kids - a paedophile perhaps - who has seen this child with her parents and has seized the moment,' he said.

'Or there is the possibility that it's somebody who knows the family or knows the child and has been potentially stalking the child for some time.

'They may have even followed them there. You couldn't rule that out.'

Taskforce RODIA has now been established to help piece together the events leading to and immediately after Cleo's disappearance.

Little Cleo Smith's mother is holding out hope that the four-year-old will 'come home' to her
A bisexual cop is suing an upstate New York police department claiming she was sexually harassed for years after her sexuality became public.

Greenburgh Police Officer Kristin Stein claims she put up with years of inappropriate comments about her girlfriend, and even allegedly had a male officer grind up against her while fellow officers laughed and said she likes to play hard to get'.

Stein is now suing the town, police department and 16 officers, alleging 'constant sexual advances, humiliation and embarrassment' from her male colleagues since she joined the force in 2017 that increased in severity after they learned she was bisexual and dating another woman.

On her very first day of work on July 12, 2017, the lawsuit alleges that she was told 'not to sleep around' and not to report any instances of sexual harassment that she bore witness or was subjected to by the officer training her.

'At first, I was retaliated against because I was a woman, but it became a more hostile work environment once they found out that I had a girlfriend,' she said.

The Greenburgh Police Department did not return Dailymail.com's request for comment on the pending lawsuit.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO.

Greenburgh Police Officer Kristin Stein (pictured) is suing the town, police department and 16 officers, alleging 'constant sexual advances, humiliation and embarrassment' from her male colleagues since she joined the force in 2017 that increased in severity after they learned she was bisexual and dating another woman.

Officer Jeff Cerone (pictured on far left of right image) can be seen biting his lip in the footage before he moves off camera. There, the alleged abuse takes place outside of view: according to the lawsuit, he 'grind[s] against [Stein's] rear [and] ram[s] himself into her backside with his genitals.' Then, Stein (pictured left) is seen shooting into the middle of the room, where Cerone allegedly 'threw her'

One of the most severe of the alleged incidents was captured by Officer John Pilla's body camera in 2019, then shared by user @truthbetold2019 on TikTok, according to the Daily Dot.

A group of seven officers, including Stein, are seen at police headquarters ahead of a roll call meeting. Officer Jeff Cerone, Stein's night shift partner, is seen biting his lip, then moving off camera toward where Stein was earlier captured standing.

Then, lawsuit filed on July 1 alleges, Cerrone then 'grinded against her rear, rammed himself into her backside with his genitals, then threw her towards the middle of the room.'

After the alleged assault, other officers can be seen laughing and commenting on the display: one officer said that Stein is likes to play hard to get, and another said I think he has a crush on her.

He tries to assert his dominance to show that he has the penis in the relationship, another officer said as their shift supervisor looks on.

The sexual assault that they witnessed was a crime, but they merely looked on.

'They were witnessing something illegal and did nothing,' Stein told the Yonkers Times. 'We are mandated to report and get involved. Their involvement was mocking the situation and then lying about it when asked.'

Officer Jeff Cerone (pictured), is accused of 'grind[ing] against her rear, rammed himself into her backside with his genitals, then threw her towards the middle of the room' and asking her if she 'was going to the beach with her girlfriend in a bikini and high heels'

'Every single word is truthful and factual,' Stein (pictured) said of the lawsuit. 'My main priority is to get out the truth about what happened. I need and want things to change, particularly in the Greenburgh Police Department. There are major, major issues with the Greenburgh PD'

Most of the officers denied participation in the humiliating stunt, even though they were captured on film.

'I was in police headquarters with my uniform on and my badge, and I was treated worse than a criminal,' said Stein.

One officer that not was laughing, according to the Yonkers Times, was her brother. Both he and Stein were inspired to become police officers, she told the outlet, by their NYPD cop parents and other blue-blooded family members.

'It runs in the family, its hereditary,' she told the outlet. 'I looked up to my family and wanted to become a police officer since I was five years old.'

She was born and raised in the town of Greenburgh, and becoming a cop in her hometown, she said, was a 'dream come true.'

Now, she said, she has been 'blacklisted from ever being a police officer again.'

When she tried to transfer to eight different police department and got a job offer from the Westchester County Police, the lawsuit alleges it was quickly rescinded after Chief of Police Chris McNerney told someone in the other department that she was a 'sexual harassment liability.'

'What happened to me was never addressed properly by the Greenburgh PD,' Stein said.

'I was never spoken to again by my supervisors, to ask if I was ok or how I was being treated. Two supervisors, Lt. Martin, and Sgt. Fernandez followed protocol and reached out to me.'

'All of the other officers either ignored me or engaged in talking poorly about me.'

After an investigation into the incident, Cerrone was merely docked two weeks of vacation time, according to the lawsuit.

'I attempted to go through the normal way, by speaking with my supervisors, who opened an investigation. I want to be a role model for other women police officers so Im willing to sacrifice and stand up for what is right and what is wrong.'

Kristin Stein (pictured left) was born and raised in the town of Greenburgh, and becoming a cop in her hometown, she said, was a 'dream come true.' Both of her parents were New York Police Department cops, and many of her family members are police officers. 'It runs in the family, its hereditary,' she said. 'I looked up to my family and wanted to become a police officer since I was five years old'

Among other alleged forms of sexual harassment against Stein include lewd text messages, comments, jokes and remarks; sexual solicitations; negative work assignments; unwanted sexual attention; displaying pornographic photos; and the silent treatment.

Once, the suit alleges, Cerrone asked her if she 'was going to the beach with her girlfriend in a bikini and high heels.'

'Every single word is truthful and factual,' Stein said of the lawsuit.

'My main priority is to get out the truth about what happened. I need and want things to change, particularly in the Greenburgh Police Department. There are major, major issues with the Greenburgh PD.'

The 16 officers are named defendants in the lawsuit they are: Brian Ryan, Robert Gramaglia, Kobie Powell, Brian Matthews, Frank Farina, Dennis Basulto, Eric Vlasity, Patrick Grady, Michael Cookingham, Alex Rodriguez, Brian Doherty, Dyana Albano, Frank Kozakiewicz, and Cerone, Pilla and McNerney.

'For more than one year I was sexually harassed. I felt someone thrust their groin into me, but it wasnt just that assault but the retaliation against me and my brother after it happened. He was transferred and I was blacklisted,' said Stein.

Presently, Stein is still employed by the Greenburgh Police, but is using her accumulated sick and vacation days to stay at home. After they run out, she will be an unpaid employee of the department.
Crews have begun a fourth morning combing coastline in Tasmania's northwest in the search for a young man who remains missing after going on a boat trip with friends.

The bodies of Isaiah Dixon, 26, and Bree-Anna Thomas were found on Wednesday afternoon washed ashore near Table Cape.

Search efforts are ongoing for Thomas Courto, who was part of the group of three that set off from the town of Wynyard on Monday.

The trio who went missing are Isaiah Dixon (pictured left) from Wynyard, Thomas Courto from West Ulverstone and Bree-Anna Thomas (pictured right) from the Burnie-Wynyard area

They were reported missing that afternoon after they failed to return.

The white and yellow 17-foot motorboat was last spotted off Boat Harbour Beach to the west of Wynyard on Monday afternoon.

Tasmania Police Inspector Steve Jones said air searches would continue on Friday and over the weekend.

He said an underwater surveyor with a sonar would be used on Monday to search an area of about 320 hectares where authorities believe the boat may be.

'Tasmania Police will use whatever we can to try and locate that missing vessel and Thomas as well,' Insp Jones told reporters late on Thursday.

Isaiah's uncle, John-Paul Dixon, said his nephew will be remembered as having a beautiful heart.

'They were planning on going out for a bit of a fun day,' he said.

Two of the three people missing in the Bass Strait on a half cabin motor boat have been found on Wednesday (pictured left, the boat and right Thomas Courto, one of three missing)

'(They) had a bit of a swim in front of a waterfall and sat on the beach, the three of them. It's just a tragedy.'

Police have told volunteers not to join search efforts at sea because of the rough weather, after many members of the tight-knit northwest took out their own boats on Tuesday.

'If a person had a boat, it was in the water. If they had a plane, it was in the air,' Mr Dixon said.

'If they had a pair of boots, they were walking. I just can't thank everyone enough.'

Mr Dixon said the two men had grown up together and the trio were close friends.

A vigil was held on Wednesday night at the Wynyard boat ramp and flowers and messages of support have been left in a park.
Seven male students - including one who was assigned male at birth and identifies as nonbinary - are part of a gender bias lawsuit suing a Texas school district for their gendered rules banning long hair for males but not females.

Magnolia Independent School District in suburban Houston has the suspended seven male students for breaking the student handbook's grooming code, which states that males' hair can be 'no longer than the bottom of a dress shirt collar'.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas filed the lawsuit on Thursday on behalf of the students asking for a restraining order or permanent injunction 'to stop Magnolia ISD from enforcing its gender-based hair restrictions'.

The student handbook, which was reviewed by the district's Board of Trustees on August 2, says, 'Hair will: Be no longer than the bottom of a dress shirt collar, bottom of the ear, and out of the eyes for male students (and) not be pinned up in any fashion nor be worn in a ponytail or bun for male students.'

Magnolia ISD, which has 17 schools and more than 13,000 students, issued a statement in response to the backlash from their rules that read: 'Magnolia ISD has used a dress code that sets different standards for boys and girls for many years.

Magnolia Independent School District (ISD) released a statement saying gender-based rules in school 'reflect the values of our community at large' because they have 'been approved by the Texas courts and continues to be used by roughly half the districts in the state of Texas'. However, the community seemed to disagree at a school board meeting at Monday (pictured)

Seven male students - including one who was assigned male at birth and identifies as nonbinary - are part of a gender bias lawsuit suing Magnolia ISD in suburban Houston, Texas, for their gendered rules (pictured) banning long hair for males but not females

Daniel Hoosier (left) and Tristan Berger (right) - who identifies as nonbinary but is not part of the lawsuit - blasted the school district's male-only ban at a school board meeting on Monday.

'For example, hair length for boys must be no longer than the bottom of the collar. This has been approved by the Texas courts and continues to be used by roughly half the districts in the state of Texas. Magnolia ISD's approach to the dress code reflects the values of our community at large.'

The student handbook's guidelines also state that 'earrings may be worn only by girls'.

Yet the community seemed to disagree at a school board meeting Monday where several parents and students spoke out against the gender-biased handbook.

'It feels dehumanizing to have a school - a government entity - force me to cut my hair and meet their expectations of appearances,' student Daniel Hoosier told NBC after the meeting.

While Hoosier cut his hair after being placed in in-school suspension (ISS), fellow student Tristan Berger said he refused.

'I've actually dropped my physics AP class because I can't attend the meetings they were doing during lunch because I was in in-school suspension,' he said, adding that he's also 'lost hours of band practice'.

'I feel like I'm being discriminated against,' he noted.

An unidentified man, presumably the father of a student, was also seen addressing the school board. 'It's hair. People have a right to have hair,' he said.

The suit also frequently cited Title IX - a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools - and detailed the account of a fourth-grader, aged nine, who had to attend ISS for one month, which kept him from lunch breaks and recess.

The young boy, referred to as AC in the court documents, attended Ellisor Elementary School in the district and was known to wear his long locks in a ponytail to 'keep it out of his face'.

The lawsuit cited a fourth-grader the court documents referred to as AC who wore long hair and was consequently 'pushed out of the school altogether (and) removed from campus entirely to a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP)'. DAEP (pictured) was described as 'typically reserved for students who have violated state or federal law or committed serious violations of school policies'

'Wearing long hair is a crucial part of who AC is. He is Latino and many men in his family wear long hair, including his dad and uncle,' the suit read, adding that he 'has a sister who also attends Ellisor Elementary School and is allowed to wear long hair without being punished'.

After AC refused to cut his hair, he was 'pushed out of the school altogether (and) removed from campus entirely to a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP)'.

DAEP was described in the court documents as 'typically reserved for students who have violated state or federal law or committed serious violations of school policies'.

The suit said that being separated from his peers caused the boy's grades to plummet. He 'was denied regular classroom instruction and not permitted to attend art, music, physical education, recess, or lunch'.

The isolation also made it 'impossible to make friends'.

'The only time that he interacted with other students was on the school bus, where another student made fun of him by calling him ISS kid,"' the suit read.

AC eventually dropped out of school altogether and is now being homeschooled.

An 11-year-old nonbinary student - identified as TM in the suit - was also punished with ISS and banned from participating in student government or other extracurricular activities.

Although assigned male at birth, the fifth grader uses they/them pronouns and said that the gender-specific rule makes them 'lose a vital part of who they are and sacrifice an essential element of their gender expression,' according to the court document.

Other students - referred to as Plaintiffs CP, 15; TT, 17; TB, 17; RP, seven; and CW, 12 - were also sent to ISS for five weeks.

Several angered parents spoke in front of the school board, including an unidentified man, presumably the father of a student, who said: 'It's hair. People have a right to have hair'

Earlier this year the ACLU wrote an email (above) to Magnolia ISD's board of trustees 'to express concerns about (the school's) gender-specific dress and grooming code'

Earlier this year the ACLU wrote an email to Magnolia ISD's board of trustees 'to express concerns about (the school's) gender-specific dress and grooming code'.

In the email they demanded that the school district 'undergo a process to remove all gender stereotypes' from its student handbook because they 'violate the US Constitution and Title IX'.

'Requiring boys, but not girls, to wear short hair was unlawful gender discrimination,' the ACLU wrote. However, the letter did not enact any changes and the union subsequently filed the gender bias lawsuit in hopes of making the district change their rules.

ACLU staff attorney Brian Klosterboer has said that Magnolia ISD is taking discipline to a level that's detrimental to students' learning and noted that the students are not academically hindered by the length of their hair, according to NBC.

Klosterboer also said that he's unsure why the school district has 'vigorously enforced' their hair policy, especially following a year of online learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Two female tourists were murdered and three others were wounded following a shooting sparked by rival drug dealers at a bar in Tulum, Mexico.

The victims were dining at a bar known as La Malquerida in the popular Mexican tourist when the assailants opened fire Wednesday night at 10:40pm.

At least one of the shooters, Jose Antonio Lira Perez, 24, was placed under arrest after security cameras tracked him down to a local medical facility, where he was being treated for a wound.

Two foreign nationals vacationing Tulum were killed after gunmen opened fire against a rival drug dealer Wednesday night. Three tourists and a drug dealer, who was arrested at a hospital, were wounded in the attack

Paramedics tend to the victims of a bar shooting in Tulum, Mexico, on Wednesday that left two Indian nationals dead. The women were identified by local digital media outlets Las Noticias de Tulum and Noticias Pedro Canche as India nationals Jennifer Itenzold, 35, and a woman named Angeli

Local media outlet Noticias Pedro Canche reported that the gunmen were chasing after Lira Perez, who sought refuge in the bar as the assailants shot at him.

The Quintana Roo State Attorney General's Office declined a request from DailyMail.com to provide the names, ages, and nationalities of the fatal and injured victims.

Local digital media outlets Las Noticias de Tulum and Noticias Pedro Canche identified India nationals Jennifer Itenzold, 35, and a woman named Angeli, as the fatal victims. Angeli's name and age are unknown.

The wounded victims were identified as Evan der Kooij Eline, 21, of Holland; Anima Gandaf, 27, of Germany; and 32-year-old Maicol, of England.

Results of a preliminary investigation indicated that the attack was the result of a feud between drug dealing groups that operate in the resort town.

'I strongly condemn the tragic events that occurred last night in Tulum in which two people lost their lives and three others were injured,' Tulum mayor Marciano Dzul Caamal tweeted on Thursday.

Paramedics tend to one of the five tourists who were shot at a bar in Tulum, Mexico, on Wednesday night. Two women from India were confirmed dead

Bar customers tend to a man who was among the three people who were wounded when a group of men opened fire on a rival drug dealer in Tulum on Wednesday night. Two India nationals identified as Jennifer Itenzold, 35, and another woman named Angeli

A man sits inside an ambulance after he caught in the middle of a shootout at a Tulum bar and was wounded on Wednesday night in an incident that left two tourists dead and a total of three injured

Customers at a bar in Tulum give aid to a European man who was wounded after gunmen opened fire on a rival drug dealer on Wednesday night. Two women from India were killed and two other visitors from Europe were also shot and survived

One of the women was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics while the other victim died at a local hospital.

The three surviving victims were rushed to area hospitals where they were treated for their wounds.

The shooting was the second deadly bar attack to take place in the last six weeks in Tulum, a destination that has become popular with international tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Customers at the Rosa Negra bar had to seek cover the evening of September 11 when a group of armed men aboard a motorcycle shot dead a taxi driver. One of the bullets struck a security guard, who also died.
A council employee from the Republic of Ireland who released two rats at his workplace because of an alleged grievance with his boss has been jailed for six months.

John O'Neill, of Glanduff, County Cork, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage by releasing rats at Cork County Council's offices in February.

The 61-year-old, who had worked for the council for 23 years, was captured on CCTV entering the building with an item covered by his jacket and leaving shortly afterwards. When staff came to work the next day, the offices were covered in excrement.

John O'Neill, of Glanduff, County Cork, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage by releasing rats at Cork County Council's offices in February (stock image)

Pest control officers were called in and identified the source, the BBC reported. Management reported their suspicions that the rat infestation was deliberate in March.

Garda Sgt Paul Kelly told Bandon District Court that over the course of a few days the offices were 'destroyed in excrement'. The cleaning process, in addition to the damage caused, cost about 3,000 (2,530).

O'Neill, who had no previous convictions, was subsequently arrested and made 'full and frank admissions', Sgt Kelly said. His solicitor said O'Neill had brought 3,000 to court in compensation for his actions.

The maximum sentence in the case was 2,500 or 12 months in prison.

Defence solicitor Diarmuid O'Shea said O'Neill had simply 'flipped', but Judge James McNulty said that there were plenty of ways of dealing with feelings of stress that did not involve releasing rats into an office.

Sentencing O'Neill to 12 months but suspended for six, the judge called O'Neill's actions 'uniquely wicked' and 'committed with malice'.

'This required forethought and was a deliberate act. He needed to catch and find rats, he needed to release them,' the judge added.
A House vote on holding Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress featured an angry exchange between Rep. Marjority Taylor Greene and Rep. Liz Cheney, who serves as vice chair of the Jan. 6th committee.

According to Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, another panel member who testified in favor of holding Bannon in contempt, it all got started when he was speaking to Cheney on the floor of the House.

He said Greene, who was kicked off her congressional committees after the House voted to sanction her for her comments supporting QAnon and other statements, approached the pair and started 'screaming' at them, said Raskin.

'Well, I was just talking to Miss Cheney. And then she started screaming at us saying: "When are you going to start investigating murders over the summer and BLM?" he recounted to reporters.

'I said, Oh, like when Kyle Rittenhouse went and killed two people at the BLM protest? said Raskin. Rittenhouse shot and killed two protesters at Wisconsin George Floyd protests last summer.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) got into a heated exchange with Rep. Liz Cheney on the House floor during a vote to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress. She is seen here with Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida

'And she said, "Why don't you represent the American people? And I said, We represent the American people. In fact, the vast majority of American people,' Raskin recounted.

'And then she started screaming, I don't know. She starts screaming at Liz.'

He said he couldn't remember exactly how Cheney responded, but 'they got into a back and forth about Jewish space lasers.'

That was a reference to the lawmaker's 2018 tweet that touted a conspiracy theory that California forest fires were caused by Pacific GAs & Electric, which she linked to the Rothschilds, Democrats, and space solar generators that 'collect the sun's energy and then beam it back to earth.' She wrote there were 'too many coincidences to ignore.'

The Georgia Republican started 'screaming' at Cheney (pictured) and Rep. Jamie Raskin, according to Raskin

Raskin serves on the Jan. 6th select committee

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., attend the House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the United States Department of Justice

The Georgia Republican defended herself from that characterization.

'She was saying I never said that. That was made up by the media that was made up.'

Pressed on whether the outspoken Trump loyalist shouted first, Raskin responded: 'Oh, she shouted us.'

One source familiar with the conversation said Marjorie Taylor Greene said Cheney was a joke, prompting the vice president's daughter to respond that Greene was a joke  then asking sarcastically 'if she needed to be focusing on her anti-Semitic space lasers.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Cheney and Greene's office for comment.

Gaetz and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) testified at the Rules Committee in opposition to the resolution voted on by the House. Jordan said the Jan. 6th committee, created to probe the Capitol riot, should be probing violence at Black Lives Matter protests over the summer.

Nine Republicans including Cheney voted to hold Bannon in contempt of Congress

Steve Bannon

The tense conversation took place when the House voted 229-202 to hold Bannon in contempt.

Cheney was one of nine Republicans who backed the measure. The Jan. 6th subpoenaed Bannon and is demanding he appear to answer questions about the 'Stop the Steal' rally.

Cheney ripped into Bannon at a Jan. 6th committee hearing, saying 'it appears that Mr. Bannon had substantial advance knowledge of the plans for January 6th and likely had an important role in formulating those plans.'

'The day before this all occurred  on January 5th  Mr. Bannon publicly professed knowledge that '(a)ll hell is going to break loose tomorrow,' she said.

Bannon through his lawyer has said he will not respond to the subpoena while Trump is asserting executive privilege.
President Joe Biden heads to Baltimore on Thursday evening for his third CNN town hall, plumping once again for his favorite TV forum while continuing to avoid one-on-one interviews.

He has given just 10 interviews in his first nine months in office, falling well short of his two immediate predecessors Donald Trump and Barack Obama who had done 57 and 131, according to Mark Knoller, a former CBS News White House correspondent who maintains a tally.

He added that Obama had held 21 town halls - one hosted by ABC, one by AARP and the rest run by the White House itself - by this point.

Even the pace of Biden's interview has slowed - five came in Biden's first two months in office.

Critics within his own party see a siege mentality in a president even as he reaches a crucial moment in steering his massive spending plans through Congress.

'The guy has always been a gaffe machine. He loves talking but the people around him want to keep him under wraps,' said a Democratic strategist who asked speak on background in order to freely discuss White House strategy.

'This is one way to do it but you lose a bit of what makes Joe tick.'

President Biden heads to Baltimore on Thursday for a CNN town hall. It is his third appearance at such an event since taking office but he trails his predecessors for number of interviews

By this time in their first term, President Trump had conducted 57 interviews and President Obama, pictured in June, had done 131

This will be Biden's third CNN town hall since taking office

Biden finds himself in familiar territory on Thursday.

The town hall will be compered by Anderson Cooper who was master of ceremonies in February for his first town hall as president.

It offers a chance to pitch his mammoth Build Back Better agenda directly to the watching public while his own party is split on how to trim its $3.5 trillion of social programs into something that can be swallowed by moderate Democrats.

His last one-to-one interview was more than two months ago, with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News - an alumnus of the Clinton White House.

But it was followed by days of fact checking misleading claims, from the number of Afghan troops to whether or not there were U.S. troops in Syria.

White House officials play down the significance of interviews, pointing out that the president has frequently taken a handful of questions from reporters attending events.

But that gives him the ability to pick and choose what he answers, say presidential observers, and allow him to simply walk away when he wants to.

Thursday's town hall will be held before an invited audience.

'Joe Biden can sometimes get off message so putting him in unscripted environments might not be the best way of Joe Biden communicating,' Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons told The Hill.

Biden's last one-on-one interview was with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on August 18

Even so Biden himself has joked about the way his aides prefer him not to get chatty.

'I'm not suppose to take any questions,' he said, during a visit to FEMA headquarters in August, 'but go ahead.'

On that occasion he quickly brushed off a question about trouble in Afghanistan and walked away from reporters.

In May, he took a couple of questions after a COVID-19 update but said: 'Im not supposed to be answering all these questions.'

White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitted that was how officials wanted him to play it.

'This is not something we recommend,' she told David Axelrod, the former Obama adviser, during an interview for his podcast.

'In fact, a lot of times we say, "Don't take questions."'

Republicans have used Biden's lack of interviews against him, saying the president lacks stamina or mental energy to fulfil the duties of the office. Some have dubbed him 'Sleepy Joe.'
Advertisement

Britain's sluggish booster vaccine rollout is being held up by the NHS sending texts to elderly Britons who 'do not know how to use their phones', medics warned today amid growing demands to speed up the drive and prevent ministers from reimposing restrictions once more.

Reena Barrai, a pharmacist in Surrey, said many patients have come in 'anxious' because they cannot work out how to access the online system to book their top-up dose.

She added the pharmacy was becoming a 'surrogate' 119 service, with patients coming to her because they did not want to be a burden on the telephone hotline or their doctor.

A couple of GPs said today they were also seeing patients who were struggling to work out how to book booster jabs, and that the 'urgency' to get vaccinated seen during the first drive was lacking.

It came as one of No10's top advisers said today the wait for booster jabs could be cut to five months amid surging infections across the country. Boris Johnson last night piled pressure on his scientific advisers to slash the waiting time from six months to five, which would make nearly 9million more Britons eligible for the jab.

And today Professor Anthony Harnden, the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which set the gap, admitted this was 'something we will need to consider in due course'.

Professor Harnden claimed although the current wait was the 'sweet spot' for shoring up immunity, the country's runaway infections were likely to shift the equation in favour of an earlier third dose. He also shot down calls for over-40s to be offered booster doses, saying the jabs were still doing their job in the age group because they got theirs more recently.

JCVI chiefs have been flexible with dosing times in the past. They extended the gap between first and second jabs from three weeks to 12 in the second wave to get more people partially protected. In July, they slashed this to eight following a surge in Covid cases.

Professor Adam Finn, another JCVI member, said that booster doses would make 'only a modest difference' to infection rates in the UK. Yesterday Britain's infections surged through 50,000 daily cases for the first time in three months.

Studies have shown that vaccine-triggered immunity wanes over time, with one showing the Pfizer jab only blocks infections in 84 per cent of cases four months after the second dose compared to 96 per cent at the peak.

But papers have shown that a third dose can reverse this decline. Pfizer released data yesterday showing a top-up dose pushes immunity back to its previous near-perfect levels and works against the more infectious Delta variant.

Concern has been growing that the rollout of the Covid booster scheme has been far too slow, putting the public at risk as cases rise. At present, over-50s and those with health problems are invited for their jab six months after their second dose.

But less than half of those who are eligible have booked their top up jabs, with just four out of 8.7million Britons having got their third dose so far.

Only around 4million(purple line) out of the 8.7million eligible people (green line) in England have received the crucial third dose, prompting ministers to urge people to come forward for their inoculations

Professor Anthony Harnden, the deputy chair of the JCVI, said experts would need to consider whether to cut the gap between doses in 'due course'. Boris Johnson (pictured yesterday visiting a school in County Antrim) and other ministers last night heaped pressure on advisers to slash the gap to top up jabs from six months to five

Slowness has led to finger pointing, with the Government and the NHS saying demand is not there. But medics on the frontlines of the booster rollout said today there was still confusion about the programme.

Following a sluggish start the NHS has now made it so that people who are eligible can book themselves in without having to wait on an invite. Figures showed that yesterday a record 240,000 people booked their third dose of the vaccine in a sign uptake may be starting to tick up.

Ms Barrai also warned that many people were unaware that there was even a booster programme taking place and that they might be eligible.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We've had many people who maybe have got a bit fed up with the Covid media and didn't even realise there is a booster programme.

'So, when they come in to collect their prescriptions we have been able to remind them, "you do know there's a booster programme and you are eligible? You can book in".

Huge awareness campaign urging older people to have their Covid booster and flu jabs will launch today Ministers will launch a multi-million-pound advertising campaign today urging older people to have their Covid booster and flu jabs. The new adverts will be screened during prime-time TV shows like Coronation Street and Emmerdale, as well as running on outdoor billboards, radio and social media platforms. They depict families and healthcare workers with blue and yellow halos around them to represent the extra protection that the vaccines give them. It is a nod to the 1980s Ready Brek adverts that showed children who had eaten the warm porridge cereal with a yellow glow around them under the slogan 'central heating for kids'. The Downing Street campaign aims to improve take-up of the booster jab in a bid to head off the need for new Covid restrictions this winter. The new TV advert urges people to 'get vaccinated, get boosted, get protected' and features an NHS nurse. And in a subliminal message, everyone featured in settings such as public transport and shopping centres is wearing a face mask. The advert's nurse, a real-life NHS employee identified only as Michelle, says: 'As a frontline worker for the NHS, I've seen first-hand the devastating impact both Covid and flu can have in winter. 'Vaccines offer the best protection and I hope this campaign drives home the importance of coming forward for your vaccine.' Advertisement

'And, I guess, we have had another cohort of patients that actually have been receiving texts on mobile phones that they struggle to use, bless them, and I had an elderly gentleman come in this week who was so anxious because he just did not know how to book online.'

Ms Barrai said her pharmacy was becoming a bit like a 'surrogate' 119 service, because people did not want to be a burden and contact the phone service or bother their GP practice.

A GP near Bradford also told the programme that they were seeing patients who were struggling to work out how to book appointments.

They said: 'This is a bit like the moon landings in the 1970s. Last year the vaccine when the vaccine was being used everybody was interested and everybody switched on and took their vaccine at the first opportunity.

'But like the moon landing theres probably about a sixth or seventh of people who have switched off now and are less interested.'

He added: 'There is not the same sense of urgency (as with the first roll out).'

Asked whether the gap should be cut to five months, Professor Harnden told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think it is something that should be considered, but I think the data has shown that six months is a sort of sweet spot.'

He continued: 'Whether it is five months or whether it is seven months is not so important, but I think what is important is that people get their booster dose and I think if people could actually get that booster dose they will get that extra bit of protection.

'So, whether it would be five months, six months, seven months and so on, on the JCVI we advised six months because that's what the data shows is the sweet spot.

'But as you know with the 12-week (gap), which was the appropriate gap for the second dose, that was brought down to eight weeks when infection rates were high.

'Infection rates are high at the moment and it is important that vulnerable people get their boosters.'

He also called for face masks and social distancing to return in the country, saying although vaccines can do the 'heavy lifting' they cannot 'do everything'.

The professor, who is also a GP in Oxford, told the programme: 'We should be still maintaining social distancing, we should be wearing masks in crowded spaces and we should all remain sensible.

'The Government is currently coming through a winter period where we are going to have flu around as well probably and I think we just need to be cautious really as a society.'

Asked when over-40s should get their third dose, Professor Harnden said this was not something that they needed to worry about yet adding that these people received their second dose only relatively recently.

He said: 'I dont think we need to make those decisions yet.'

Professor Finn said that boosters would not bring down infection rates on their own today, telling The Times: 'Tinkering with the dose interval might drive the numbers of people getting a third dose up a bit sooner but this is arguing over the pennies while letting the pounds  measures to reduce transmission: masks, social distancing, lateral flow test  look after themselves.'

Ministers are facing calls to turbo-charge the booster programme amid its sluggish uptake as cases rise across the country.

Many elderly people have said they are struggling to get boosters because they can't find out how to sign up, while others say they still have not heard from their GP.

But some people also appear to be completely unaware they could be eligible for a top-up jab, amid criticism at a lack of advertising to drive the campaign.

Care minister Gillian Keegan told Sky News today that ministers would cut the gap between doses to five months if the JCVI advised this.

She said: 'Theyve advised us six months so we put that plan in place on 14 September, and the first booster jab went into an arm on 16 September.

'Of course they continually look at the data but they are the only people who can answer this question (Whether the gap should be cut). If they advise us, our job then is to get ready to do whatever they say.'

Pfizer booster dose offers near-perfect protection against falling ill A third dose of Pfizer's Covid vaccine provides near-total protection against symptomatic disease, the drugs giant has claimed. The first full trial of the jab as a booster found that the additional shot raises immunity by a further 95.6 per cent. Among 10,000 volunteers followed for almost a year, those who only had two injections were far more likely to test positive and fall ill than those given three. Pfizer admitted that protection from the initial two-dose regimen wanes to about 84 per cent within six months. The study also found that the booster shot was found to be safe with no safety concerns or severe adverse events reported. Pfizer's findings are in line with real-world data from Israel, which found people were 20 times less likely to be hospitalised with Covid if they were boosted. The key question now is how long the boost to immunity from a third dose lasts, and whether people will need to be revaccinated again at a later date. 'These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease,' said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in a statement. 'In addition to our efforts to increase global access and uptake among the unvaccinated, we believe boosters have a critical role to play in addressing the ongoing public health threat of this pandemic. 'We look forward to sharing these data with health authorities and working together to determine how they can be used to support the rollout of booster doses around the world.' Advertisement

The six-month deadline was imposed by the Governments advisers on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The Prime Ministers intervention suggests the JCVI may be asked to revisit the timeline.

Speaking during a visit to Northern Ireland, Mr Johnson urged over-50s to come forward and get their booster jabs as soon as they become eligible  saying it was important to fortify defences against the virus.

The most important thing people can do now is get that booster jab. You get the call, get the jab. We have done about four million booster jabs already but as soon as you become eligible, as soon as you get that call, everybody over 50 should be getting that jab.

We are in a much better position going into the autumn/winter now than we were 12 months ago, incomparably better, because of the huge level of protection we have got from the vaccines.

Ninety per cent of the adult population has antibodies right now, but we most fortify ourselves further.

The numbers are high, we can see whats happening, we can see the increase, now is the time to get those booster jabs.

Earlier in the day, Mr Hunt said: At its peak in the spring, we were jabbing 400,000 people a day. Now its less than 200,000 people a day.

If you look at the higher hospitalisations, cases and death rates, compared to countries like France and Germany, the heart of it is not actually things like mask-wearing and Covid passports, it is their higher vaccine immunity.

On the decision that people cannot have their booster jab until six months after their second job, how hard and fast should that rule be? Does it really matter, when it is only nine weeks until the Christmas holidays, if someone has their booster jab after only five months?

Should we not look at having some flexibility on that decision, so that we can get more people in for their booster jabs more quickly?

Replying, vaccines minister Maggie Throup did not indicate a change was on the horizon.

The JCVI has provided advice that there should be a minimum of six months after the second jab, but I would like to reassure the House that the immunity does not fall off a cliff edge, she said. It has waned slightly but not sufficiently, so there is still time for people to come forward.

Obviously, we are encouraging them to come forward as soon as they are eligible, but they still have a huge amount of immunity over and above those who have yet to get their first jab. But later the PMs official spokesman suggested that pressure could be brought to bear on the JCVI.

We want to move as swiftly as possible on boosters, he said.

More than 5.5 million people have been invited, more than four million doses have been administered so far and we want to move as quickly as possible on that.

As youll know, there is that six-month time period that the JCVI currently recommends... so its only when those people become eligible that we are able to provide their boosters. Asked about Mr Hunts call to cut the waiting time to five months, the spokesman said: That six-month gap is on JCVI advice currently. Obviously we would expect them to keep that under review and if they were to change the advice we would want to be in a position to move on that. It comes as a new study confirmed the importance of a third dose for boosting protection.

A booster shot of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine is 95.6 per cent effective against Covid-19 compared with two shots and a placebo, the study revealed.

Ugur Sahin, the head of BioNTech, said the important data added to the body of evidence suggesting that a booster dose could help protect a broad population of people from this virus and its variants.

Vaccine Q&A: How do I book a booster? What is a Covid booster jab? A booster is a third dose of a Covid vaccine. The particular brand of vaccine you receive  Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna or Oxford/AstraZeneca  might be different from the one you got for your first and second doses. The booster helps improve the protection you have from your first two doses. This is because the immunity given by two jabs starts to wane after about six months. Who is eligible for a booster? Anyone over the age of 50 who had their second dose at least six months ago. Younger people with health conditions that put them at greater risk of getting very ill from Covid are also due a booster, as well as frontline NHS and care home staff. When will I get my booster? You will be offered a booster jab about six months after your second dose. The NHS is contacting people around six months and one week after their second dose, inviting them to get their jab. It is important not to contact the NHS before then. Frontline health or social care workers can book a booster appointment online and do not have to wait to be contacted by the NHS. How can I get one? When you become eligible you should receive a text, letter or phone call from your GP to arrange a booking. However, if you had your second jab six months ago and still haven't been contacted, you can now book your booster online via the NHS website, or by calling 119. Where are boosters being dished out? NHS England says there are 2,200 vaccine hubs around the country, 'most' of which are stocking boosters. There are less mass vaccination hubs now than in the first rollout with the emphasis now on local pharmacies and GP surgeries. A full list of facilities administering boosters can be found when booking online. How many boosters have been delivered already? 4.05million, but 8.7m are eligible. There have been calls for the rollout to speed up. Eventually more than 30m adults will qualify for boosters. Which vaccine will I get? Most will be offered a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or Moderna vaccine. This means your booster dose may be different from the vaccines you had for your first and second doses. Some people may be offered a booster dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if they are allergic to the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. Can I get my Covid jab if I am getting a flu vaccine? The majority of people who can get a Covid booster vaccine are also eligible for the annual flu vaccine. If you are offered both vaccines, it is safe and effective to have them at the same time or one after the other in any order. Advertisement

Don't panic! He's the expert who's got every Covid prediction right. Now read PHILIP THOMAS's peerless analysis of the new infection fright - and why there's nothing to fear

by Philip Thomas for the Daily Mail

Sajid Javids warning this week could not have been more stark. With rates of infections from Covid now rising fast, the Health Secretary said, Britain is on course to top 100,000 infections per day in the coming weeks.

That is a huge number  it would far exceed the near-70,000 daily rate reported at the height of the winter wave last Christmas  and has brought with it the inevitable doom-laden calls for a reinstatement of restrictions such as masks, social distancing and even more lockdowns.

As a mathematician, however, I can tell you that numbers alone do not always tell the whole story  and they certainly do not in this case.

Too much has changed since the dark days of last winter.

As this newspaper has reported, Britains world-beating vaccination programme has broken the chain between infections and rates of serious illness and death.

Indeed, a study this week by the Italian National Health Institute makes it abundantly clear: people who are fully vaccinated against Covid are highly unlikely to die of the disease unless they are both very old and already ill.

Booster

And lets not forget, protecting the NHS from being overwhelmed with seriously ill Covid patients has always been the sole criteria behind ramping up restrictions, or plunging us into lockdowns.

So, instead of bowing to calls to reimpose restrictions  with their own devastating impact on the nations health and finances  the Government must press ahead with its booster programme, which has, regrettably, been slowing.

Mr Javid is standing firm, for now at least, declaring it critical that those eligible for a third jab have it.

He is right to do so: both clear data and the events of recent months show that the combination of vaccination and a growth in natural immunity have meant the virus has lost much of its sting.

I see no evidence to justify reintroducing any social restrictions  and that has been the case for a while.

Only one in 20 people being tested for Covid in the UK has the virus Only one in 20 people being tested for Covid in the UK has the virus  suggesting the epidemic remains under control. Some 4.8 per cent of tests are positive, down from 13.3 per cent in January. The positive rate is a good indicator of how adequately countries are testing. In countries with a high positive rate, the number of confirmed cases is likely to represent only a small fraction of infections. The World Health Organisations criteria says less than 5 per cent is an indicator the epidemic is under control. The positive rate in the US is 8.1 per cent, while it is 6.7 per cent in Germany and 0.7 per cent in South Korea, according to Our World in Data. Advertisement

Last spring, ahead of the nations July 19 Freedom Day, when almost all remaining Covid restrictions were lifted (which many branded reckless), I wrote that I did not believe we would see a third wave of any significance.

I was confident in this view because I had developed my own mathematical model at the University of Bristol, which I call the Predictor Corrector Coronavirus Filter (PCCF), to chart and forecast the shape of the pandemic.

Its proved impressively accurate  far more so than the panic-inducing scenarios formulated by the Governments advisers at Sage, who warned of rocketing infections if restrictions eased. But it didnt work out like that, did it? In fact, the opposite occurred  and while infections initially went up, we then experienced a rapid drop at the end of July.

So lets look at the current situation.

While infection rates have been rising in recent weeks (new cases are running at about 40,000 a day in England) my calculations do not envisage them running much higher than 60,000 a day for England  far short of the predictions weve heard this week.

Protecting

However, the key question is: who exactly is being affected?

Currently, it is mainly high-school children, an age group that hasnt been vaccinated to the same extent as adults and which is also very unlikely to become seriously ill.

In recent weeks, the proportion of children aged 12 to 16 with Covid has leapt from one in 20 to around one in 12. In stark contrast, just one in 165 of those aged 70 and above currently has Covid.

As we know, it is almost entirely older people who are vulnerable to dying from the virus. That is why hospitalisations and death rates have mercifully not kept pace with the rises in infection.

Indeed, death rates for over-65s are now back to normal for this time of year.

Only fully vaxxed at 3rd dose? Britons may need three Covid jabs to be classed as fully vaccinated in a move aimed at increasing booster uptake. The change could see people who have only received two doses denied entry to crowded places if ministers press ahead with controversial plans for vaccine passports and restrict foreign travel. Downing Street yesterday said officials were looking at whether to change the definition of fully vaccinated status in future, but there were no plans to do it at the moment. A spokesman added: There is further work being done on that by clinical experts. Speaking last month, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan van Tam said there was no current consideration of Covid certification in terms of the boosters. Asked if he would consider people fully vaccinated if they had not had three jabs, he added: I would consider they dont have the optimal protection on board, as a scientist. Advertisement

However, it is also true Covid antibodies appear to lose some effectiveness many months after either vaccination or infection with the virus.

It is worth noting that harder-to-measure T-cells  groups of cells that target and destroy viruses  could play as big a role in protecting us as antibodies. But, regardless, a concerted programme of booster jabs can only be beneficial  if not just for the difference they make to infection rates. For instance, yesterday it was reported that in Israel, where nearly half the population has received a booster jab, Covid infection rates have now fallen dramatically from a peak of 10,000 cases per day in September to only around 1,000 cases per day as of Tuesday. The Israeli death toll has also seen a steady decline.

It must also be acknowledged that any rise in infection rates cannot be the only yardstick by which we measure the health of our nation.

Many of those shrieking loudest for the return of restrictions  either in the shape of mask mandates and vaccine passports under the Governments Plan B, or harsher measures such as bans on visits between households under a putative Plan C  fail to appreciate that a restricted society is also a profoundly unhealthy one.

Education is disrupted, enterprise wrecked, financial insecurity heightened and mental health undermined.

Immunity

Meanwhile, Covid is wreaking a tragic legacy on the NHS, with waiting lists soaring alongside the number of patients with serious diseases who have not been given the treatment they need.

Doom-mongers may also point to a possible rise in flu infections this winter, thanks to lower overall immunity as a consequence of lockdowns.

But to those concerns it is worth pointing out that an ambitious flu jab programme is under way for the over-50s.

Whats more, 50,000 deaths a year from flu and pneumonia were not uncommon in the 1990s, before vaccinations were widely given. No one thought of locking down then  and restrictions to regulate non-Covid illnesses would be a concerning new over-reach of the state.

Of course, soaring Covid numbers can look scary  even my PCCF model projects that total active infections could reach 1.2 million by the end of November (slightly above Januarys peak) before starting a long fade.

But that number is manageable, as the vast majority would likely be among the under-25s  ensuring hospitalisations and deaths will remain similar to current levels.

So, yes, winter is coming. And, yes, Covid and flu infections will likely rise. But we need not be daunted.

If we commit wholly to this booster programme, then the wall of strong immunity we have developed will be maintained into spring  by which point I am confident we will be able to put the spectre of Covid behind us once and for all.

And as for fresh restrictions: the Government was right to ignore apocalyptic warnings in the summer. They must find the courage to do so again.
Australians desperate for an overseas holiday can book flights to five favourite destinations even earlier than expected.

Qantas previously announced flights would begin on major routes out of Sydney such as London and Los Angeles from November 1.

But now popular vacation spots like Singapore, Fiji, Phuket, and Bangkok that weren't scheduled until December or next year will be brought several weeks forward.

Singapore will be the first destination to reopen with flights restarting on November 23 - four weeks ahead of schedule.

International travel will kickstart weeks ahead of schedule with flights soon reopening to five major holiday destinations including Singapore and Fiji (stock image of a beach at Phuket)

Fiji will be next with flights beginning on December 7 - instead of December 19.

Johannesburg will welcome arrivals from January 5, Phuket from January 12 and Bangkok from January 14.

Qantas will also be launching a new route between Sydney and Delhi. Flights will begin from December 6.

Plans are also underway to reopen flights to Bali in time for Christmas.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said it was big news for Australia that many of their favourite holiday spots were accessible again.

'This 20 [past] months is probably the darkest period in Qantas' 100-year history,' he told reporters at Sydney Airport.

Singapore will be the first destination to reopen with flights restarting on November 23 - four weeks ahead of schedule

'It has meant we have had to ground aircraft, stand down people and restructure the business. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

'It is very clear that because Australians have rolled up their sleeves and taken the jab, we can see that light.'

A new route between Sydney and New Delhi will launch on December 6 with three flights a week.

Flights to Honolulu, Vancouver, Tokyo, and New Zealand are still scheduled to commence from mid-December 2021, with other destinations to restart in the new year.

All travellers will have to be fully vaccinated and will be required to test negative for coronavirus within 72 hours of departure.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised the high vaccination for fast-tracking the restart of international arrivals.

International travel from Sydney to Bangkok, Thailand, will restart from January 14

'The national plan was all about opening up Australia safely so we can remain safely open, and that's what we are seeing here today,' he said.

'And that means planes get back in the sky.'

Around 70.8 per cent of residents over the age of 16 have received both doses of the vaccine.

'Australians have prepared for this day, and I'm looking forward to people coming back to Australia and leaving Australia as well, and enjoying the things they did before,' Mr Morrison said.

All 11,000 of the airline's staff stood down without pay, about half its workforce, will return to work by early December as domestic and international flying returns to more normal levels, the airline said.

Fiji will be next with flights beginning on December 7 - instead of December 19

Qantas will bring back two of its flagship Airbus SE A380 super-jumbos in April - three months earlier than planned.

The airline is also in talks with Boeing about the delivery of three new 787-9s in storage to accelerate its international flight plans.

Mr Joyce said for four of the past five weeks, the airline's international sales were stronger than domestic sales for the first time since the pandemic began.

'There is massive demand for Australians wanting to see their family and relatives,' he said.

'There is massive demand for loved ones wanting to get together for Christmas. There is demand for people wanting to take that holiday that they have been looking forward to for nearly two years.'
A missing Milwaukee 3-year-old, whose mom was found murdered last week, was himself found dead in an alleyway on Thursday.

The Milwaukee Police Department confirmed that they had found Major Harris, the subject of an Amber Alert, dead near N 35th Street and Rohr Avenue. His remains were found in a container close to some dumpsters, but police have yet to say how he was killed.

Announcing the news, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Clark said: 'With a heavy heart, I'd like to pass that we have found Major Harris, unfortunately, deceased at North 35th Street and West Rohr.

'This is an ongoing investigation. This is something that is very fluid at this time. My heart and my condolences go out to the family.'

Harris was last seen on October 9, four days after his mother, Mallery Muenzenberger, 25, was murdered. Her body had been found last Thursday with several gunshot wounds.

Jaheem Clark, 20, a person of interest in Muenzenberger's murder and a suspect in Major's disappearance, died of an apparent suicide on Sunday as police closed in on his home, WBAY reports. The relationship between Clark, Muenzenberger and Major has not been disclosed.

Major Harris, who has been missing since October 9 amid the disappearance and murder of his mother, was found dead on Thursday in Milwaukee

Mallery Muenzenberger, pictured with her son Major Harris, was found dead last week with several gunshot wounds

Jaheem Clark was a person of interest in the disappearance and death of Muenzenberger and Harris. Officials said he killed himself as police cornered him in his home on Sunday

Police said they have made six arrests involving this case, but have yet to identify possible suspects. Two suspects aged 21 and 29 remain in custody.

Muenzenberger's family released a statement on Thursday saying that she was a victim of domestic violence, but did not elaborate as the investigation is ongoing, Fox 6 reports.

'We are heartbroken as we prepare to say our final goodbyes to Mallery who was taken from us in such a violent fashion,' the statement read.

'As we have been searching through her belonging's we came across her high school senior project. How ironic that the topic she chose to present was Domestic Violence Awareness. Mallery faced her death in the hands of domestic violence in October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month.'

The family has yet to comment on Harris' death.

The toddler's father, Carlton, who lives separately from Harris and Muenzenberger and had been helping police to search for his son, has also yet to comment on the death of his son.

Carlton, of West Virginia, had previously criticized the city's police department in their search for his son.

'The Milwaukee Police Department is a joke,' Carlton said. 'There's no faith in the police department.'

Milwaukee Acting Police Chief Jeffery Norman said the investigation is ongoing

The Milwaukee Police Department said officers began searching for Harris as soon as they could and issued the Amber Alert in early October.

'This is stuff we don't take lightly,' said Milwaukee Acting Police Chief Jeffery Norman.

He said leads came in in recent days that helped locate Harris at N 35th and Rohr.

Norman added that the investigation was ongoing.
Police are searching for a man who drove over the hood of a cop car that was parked next to him after an officer fired a Taser at him Tuesday night.

The incident happened just after 7pm outside of 180 Troye Avenue in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Video shows a NYPD officer pointing his Taser at the driver's side window of a white Hyundai Sonata parked alongside the curb.

The car begins to jerk violently, hitting the two cars in front of it.

The officer keeps his Taser pointed at the driver while an unidentified man shrugs in confusion behind him.

Suddenly, the car pulls away from the spot, turns at a 45-degree angle - revealing its undercarriage - and runs over of the unmarked police vehicle parked next to him, according to video obtained by the New York Post.

Video shows a white Hyundai Sonata driving over an unmarked cop car Tuesday night

The officer had just deployed his Taser at the driver, who is unidentified and still at large

It then continued on down the street and away from the scene.

The erratic driver has not been located. Police are still investigating the incident.

Officers first approached the running vehicle, which had three people in it, because it was parked in a no parking zone, according to the NYPD.

Officers smelled marijuana and ordered the 29-year-old driver out of the car.

He complied, but an unidentified male in the passenger seat hopped into the driver's seat - triggering a standoff with an officer that led to a trampled police car.

The officer deployed his Taser during the incident.

The car was recovered less than a mile away at Utica and Atlantic avenues. The driver who drove over the cop car hood had fled but a third passenger, a female, was still there.

Officers say they first approached the car because it was parked in a no parking zone

After ordering the driver out, a passenger hopped in the driver's seat and began the standoff

The second driver crashed into two other cars before running over the cruiser. It was later found less than a mile away, with a female passenger still at the scene

The incident happened at 180 Troye Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, above

Darrelle Williams, who was originally driving the car before he was ordered out, was found to have fraudulent credit cards and a skimmer device, which can be attached to card readers at ATMs and other points of sale to steal card information.

The 29-year-old was arrested and charged with possession of a forged instrument and possession of a skimmer device.

New York City has reported 541 more crimes this year compared to the same time last year, an increase of 0.72 percent, according to the NYPD's most recent statistics.

New York City has reported 541 more crimes this year compared to the same time last year

The biggest increase has been in grand larceny auto, which is up 14.8 percent compared to last year.

Felony assault is also up 7.9 percent compared to the same time in 2020.

Overall, crime is New York City is at historically low levels.

Total crimes are down 81 percent compared to 1990 and 41 percent compared to 2001.
Kurt Huschle was certain he wanted to die. Diagnosed at 58 with incurable bile-duct cancer, he was in agony and his pain medication no longer seemed to work. Once a fit and muscular man, he had been reduced to a walking skeleton.

In 2016, Kurt, an aircraft engineer, and his wife Susan had voted in a referendum in favour of a new law to allow doctors in the American state where they lived, Colorado, to help terminally ill patients die by prescribing a lethal cocktail of drugs.

On July 10 the following year  their 24th wedding anniversary  Susan booked a table at their favourite restaurant in their town, Highlands Ranch, but Kurt was so ill he could barely stay awake, let alone eat. Unable to climb the stairs to their bedroom, he was sleeping in the sitting room  and, six days later, he woke her in the middle of the night. I want to die. Will you just let me go? he said.

Susan held him and tried to soothe him: Well figure it out.

As required by Colorado law, the couple had already asked two doctors to certify that he had less than six months to live, and filled out forms making it clear that Kurt wished to die at a moment of his choosing.

The cocktail of drugs had been prescribed and they had found a pharmacy ready to supply it in liquid form. They were told the process would probably take between two and four hours.

Kurt Huschle was certain he wanted to die. Diagnosed at 58 with incurable bile-duct cancer, he was in agony and his pain medication no longer seemed to work. Once a fit and muscular man, he had been reduced to a walking skeleton. Pictured: Kurt with his wife Susan in 2008

As required by Colorado law, the couple had already asked two doctors to certify that he had less than six months to live, and filled out forms making it clear that Kurt wished to die at a moment of his choosing

On the morning of July 16, a nurse arrived at their home and checked that Kurt stood by his decision. By noon, he was ready to go. Following the directions given, Susan mixed the contents of two small bottles into a bigger one and gave it to Kurt.

She had expected him to drink the drug cocktail, share a last hug, then pass away peacefully.

Instead, as Susan later told the Denver Post newspaper: With every sip hes choking and coughing, choking and coughing.

After 20 minutes, she said, he began to gasp unevenly. He seemed to have lost consciousness. But more than four hours after he took the drugs, he was still alive.

Scared and upset, Susan called a doctor and asked for help. It was then the thought struck her that, like many dying patients, Kurt might still be partly conscious and able to hear her.

At 8.15pm, more than eight hours after Kurt took the drugs, he sat up in bed, retched and finally stopped breathing.

Susan said she still believed it was right to help him die. But it had not been a peaceful farewell and they had not been able to say goodbye as she had wanted.

Kurts story has relevance for Britain, as today peers will give Baroness Meachers Assisted Dying Bill its second reading.

It also figures prominently in a dossier compiled by the new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Dying Well, made up of 30 MPs and five peers.

The Group is setting up an inquiry into questions which, it says, the Bill leaves unanswered  not only major ethical issues but the physical details of what it really means to be helped to die.

Many of us assume that assisted dying means being injected with a lethal dose of a drug such as morphine by a doctor, then going gentle into that good night.

But it doesnt. That describes euthanasia  which, although legal in Belgium, the Netherlands and some other countries, is not envisaged here, for fear it might allow a new Harold Shipman, the family GP-turned- serial killer who is thought to have murdered up to 250 patients by giving them opiate overdoses.

Nor does it mean the introduction here of the equivalent of Dignitas, a Swiss society that provides assisted/accompanied suicide, supported by independent doctors, to members suffering from terminal or serious physical/ mental illnesses and where some 350 Britons have been helped to die. This, a spokeswoman for the Bills supporters told me, is not in their plans, either.

Baroness Grey-Thompson, who won 16 Paralympian medals as a wheelchair athlete, and is a member of the APPG, says: Assisted dying is portrayed as this Hollywood death where you just slip away . . . the reality is not like this and people need to be made aware of it

Instead, Meachers Bill would create something similar to the system used in Colorado and other American states. It would allow the prescription of a cocktail of drugs at a lethal dose for those meeting certain criteria.

The patient must be certified by two doctors to have less than six months to live, to have asked the High Court for permission, to have the necessary mental capacity to make the decision, and a genuine wish to end their life, having been made aware of the palliative care alternatives.

The only major difference from the U.S. system is that under Baroness Meachers Bill, a doctor would be present until the patient died. But the patient must administer the lethal dose themselves.

Even those paralysed or suffering from motor neurone disease would have to push a button to operate an intravenous pump  or even, in extreme cases, switch it on with a blink. But most would have to drink a drug cocktail, just like Kurt.

Baroness Grey-Thompson, who won 16 Paralympian medals as a wheelchair athlete, and is a member of the APPG, says: Assisted dying is portrayed as this Hollywood death where you just slip away . . . the reality is not like this and people need to be made aware of it.

According to House of Lords convention, the Assisted Dying Bill will pass unopposed. Then it moves to its committee stage and, if successful there, to the Commons, where a political battle is certain.

Boris Johnson is said to be firmly opposed and, on Wednesday, the heads of the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Jewish faiths issued an unprecedented joint statement, saying that while they accepted that the Bills supporters wanted to alleviate suffering, it would put the vulnerable at risk. The way to help people die well was better palliative care, they said: The aim of a compassionate society should be assisted living rather than an acceptance of assisted suicide.

The APPG inquiry will not neglect such matters. Its co-chair, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, an NHS palliative care consultant, told me: There are too many stories about bad terminal care but the Bill wont make it better quite the reverse. That could leave patients with a terrible choice: either dying at their own hands or living longer but being forced to endure suffering that could have been alleviated.

It will send the message that when people are ill and distressed, they should have their lives ended by lethal [doses of] drugs, rather than doing everything possible to improve their situation and valuing them as people.

Baroness Grey-Thompson told the Mail she feared what it might mean for the disabled and other vulnerable individuals if the Bill became law: Youre not too far away from seeing this as a way of getting rid of people. Once it passes, there will be no going back.

The inquiry will also investigate matters such as what drugs should be prescribed, how effective they are and if they cause suffering.

It will also take evidence on what exactly happens at Dignitas, for which there is little published data.

The APPG dossier sets out some of the evidence underlying these concerns. As well as the case of Kurt Huschle, it highlights others in the U.S.

One is that of lung cancer patient David Prueitt, from Oregon, who ingested dozens of capsules of a powerful barbiturate, only to wake up 65 hours later.

His wife told a local paper that when he regained consciousness, he asked: What the hell happened? Why am I not dead? He lived for another two weeks before dying of natural causes.

The most detailed published data comes from Oregon, where assisted dying has been legal since 1997. To the end of 2020, a total of 1,905 people tried to die with a doctors help.

According to the states annual report on the subject, information about possible complications is available in 775 cases. Of these, eight woke up after taking their drugs cocktail. But there were 33 cases of difficulty ingesting and regurgitating the drugs, and three people had seizures. A further 16 patients experienced unspecified other complications.

This means there were 60 cases where things did not go smoothly, either because the patient did not die or suffered complications.

Yesterday, Baroness Meacher told the Mail that, in Oregon, the average time to unconsciousness is five minutes; and to death, half an hour. However, these are median averages and they conceal a wide range.

According to the official state report, the shortest period between taking the drugs and losing consciousness was one minute, while the longest was four hours.

As to dying, the time between ingestion and death varied from one minute to 104 hours  more than four days. The mean average, as opposed to the median, was not 30 but 137 minutes.

The APPG dossier claims these issues have been exacerbated by the drugs now being used. The drugs of choice would be barbiturates, which depress the central nervous system and were once commonly used to treat anxiety, sleep problems and as anti-convulsants.

But because of the widespread abuse of barbiturates  they can cause physical and psych- ological dependence and have overdose potential  they are no longer available in the large-dose formulations needed for assisted dying in America.

This has forced doctors to use cocktails, usually of four separate and commonly used drugs, for a purpose for which they have never been intended or tested.

Kurts story has relevance for Britain, as today peers will give Baroness Meachers Assisted Dying Bill its second reading

There is evidence, according to the APPG dossier, that such cocktails have lengthened the average time between ingestion and death. Indeed, the official Oregon report says: All drug combinations have shown longer median times until death than the barbiturates, which are no longer readily available.

The dossier adds: No medical association oversees assisted suicide and no government committee helps to fund research on the prescribed drugs . . . Drugs for the purpose of medical use are required to undergo a stringent approval process in order to assess patient outcomes.

The drugs being prescribed for assisted suicide have not undergone such assessments and it remains unclear which drug or drug combination is most effective for bringing about a quick and peaceful assisted death.

Hence, says the APPG, the need for a rigorous inquiry, for the Bill says nothing about which drugs should be used, only that this is a matter for the Health Secretary to decide in due course.

GP and Mail columnist Dr Martin Scurr, who is also a former medical director of a hospice in Britain, argues that parallels should not be drawn between Britain and the experience of Oregon and other U.S. states if the Assisted Dying Bill should become law. He believes the British pharmaceutical industry could readily gear up to meet a need for large-dose formulations of barbiturates, obviating the need for drug cocktails.

Clinical pharmacologists would have to agree what was the right dose [to achieve death], Dr Scurr says. No one wants to prescribe a drug for someone who wants to die who takes it, then wakes up.

The public and political debate in Britain over Meachers Bill is likely to be contentious. In Oregon, more than 20 years after assisted dying was made legal, the controversy continues.

Palliative care physician Dr Chandana Banerjee, of the City of Hope National Medical Centre in California, said: The medications used for medical aid in dying are the same time-tested ones used for many medical purposes and added that she had helped many patients to die, to gently end unbearable suffering.

However, Oregon surgeon Dr Brick Lantz told the Mail : Only a minority of physicians [in Oregon] will do this work and most are not trained for it. It offends our fundamental philosophy: not to do harm, but good.

Yet Baroness Meacher said yesterday: My Bill is modest in its scope, yet its potential to transform all our lives and deaths for the better is colossal. It would enable terminally ill, mentally competent people whose suffering is beyond the reach of palliative care to die well and on their own terms.

Many more would be comforted by the simple fact of its existence, regardless of what they might choose. It is an insurance policy against intolerable suffering.

She added: If we truly care about protecting our dying citizens, we must give them the safe, legal choices they want, not abandon them as we do under the current law.
Advertisement

The Queen spent the night in hospital for tests just hours after dramatically cancelling an official trip to Northern Ireland to mark the 100th anniversary of the partition of the island.

Royal doctors ordered Her Majesty, 95, to rest and advised her to miss a trip to the province, sparking speculation about the reason for the eleventh-hour cancellation.

It is understood the trip to the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Wednesday afternoon was expected to be for some 'preliminary investigations', and that the overnight stay was for practical reasons. For these reasons, as well as in order to protect the Queen's medical privacy, the visit was not announced by Buckingham Palace at the time.

The Palace said that the monarch was discharged yesterday morning and returned to Windsor Castle at lunchtime, where she is expected to recuperate for the rest of the week. She was not thought to have had an overnight hospital stay since March 2013, when she was treated for a stomach bug.

The Queen was understood to be in 'good spirits' and back at her desk reading her official government red boxes yesterday. Her admission is understood not to have been related to coronavirus. The Palace has not commented on whether the world's longest reigning monarch has received her booster Covid jab, but given her age it is likely she has had it.

It is highly unusual that any major engagement would be cancelled at the last minute, suggesting that staff are taking no chances with the elderly head of state's health.

The sovereign, whose husband the Duke of Edinburgh died just six months ago aged 99, has had a busy schedule since returning from Balmoral at the start of October. Including her return from the royal estate in Aberdeenshire, where she spent the summer, the Queen has travelled nearly 1,000 miles this month.

Last week, she was forced to start using a walking stick in public for the first time - a stark reminder of her advancing years. And on Tuesday evening she hosted a major Global Investment summit at Windsor Castle, where she looked bright and cheerful as she carried out her royal duties.

Aides say they are still confident she will be well enough to undertake a series of meetings and audiences next week, and also lead the Royal Family at the Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow at the beginning of November.

She has faced a tumultuous 18 months, including the death of the Duke of Edinburgh as well as the acrimonious departure of Prince Harry and wife Meghan.

The Queen at a reception for the Global Investment Summit in Windsor Castle, October 19, 2021

It is understood the trip to the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London (pictured) on Wednesday afternoon was expected to be for a short stay for some 'preliminary investigations'

The Queen (right with Boris Johnson) at a reception for the Global Investment Summit in Windsor Castle, October 19, 2021

The Queen arriving to attend the ceremonial opening of the sixth Senedd, in Cardiff, Wales on October 14, 2021

The Queen's busy October schedule before a night in hospital The Queen attended a number of engagements before spending a night in hospital on Wednesday. She was ordered to rest by doctors and advised to miss a trip to Northern Ireland following her busy schedule. Here is what the 95-year-old monarch has been up to since her return to Windsor Castle at the start of October: - October 6: The Queen holds two virtual audiences at Windsor with the Greek ambassador and the ambassador for Belize. She meets Canadian troops from 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, and later has a telephone audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. - October 7: The Queen, with the Earl of Wessex, launches the Queen's Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. - October 12: The Queen, accompanied by the Princess Royal, attends a Westminster Abbey service of thanksgiving to mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion. She uses a walking stick at the abbey - the first time she has done so at a major event. - October 13: The monarch has a face-to-face audience with pianist Dame Imogen Cooper to present her with the Queen's Medal for Music. She also holds three other audiences. - October 14: On an away day to Cardiff, the Queen delivers a speech at the sixth session of the Welsh Senedd. - October 16: The Queen enjoys a day at the races at Ascot, and presents the trophy after the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes during the Qipco British Champions Day. - October 18: She holds a virtual audience with the new Governor-General of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro. - October 19: The Queen has three engagements - two virtual audiences with the Japanese ambassador and the EU ambassador, and then hosts an evening reception at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit. Advertisement

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits.'

A source said yesterday: 'Quite understandably, a cautious approach is being taken by the medical team.

'Her Majesty was back at her desk this afternoon and undertaking light duties.'

The Queen is expected to rest at Windsor Castle and aides said there were no plans to cancel her attendance at events for the UN climate summit in Glasgow at the end of this month.

She is likely to continue to hold private meetings at Windsor Castle next week but has no public engagements.

The Queen still keeps a busy diary of events and audiences and deals with her daily red boxes of official papers.

Since she returned to Windsor from her summer break at Balmoral, the Queen has carried out 15 engagements, listed in the Court Circular, including her audiences, plus an additional trip to Ascot.

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said the Queen's autumn schedule had been more crammed than expected, but last-minute cancellations were inevitable in the future.

'Every now and again there will be this reminder that she is 95 and she can't do what was expected of her 10, 20 years ago,' Mr Little said.

The Queen held two audiences this week via video link from Windsor Castle, greeting the Japanese ambassador Hajime Hayashi and the EU ambassador Joao de Almeida, followed by the investment summit in the evening.

Among those at the Windsor reception for billionaire business leaders, presidential envoys and tech entrepreneurs were Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, US climate envoy John Kerry, Poppy Gustafsson, chief executive of cyber security firm Darktrace, and Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, managing director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Royal sources had insisted there was no cause for concern, and stressed that the decision was made purely as a 'precautionary' measure.

There was no suggestion that the Queen had fallen ill and it was understood that her decision was not linked to Covid. It is understood she has received her booster jab.

But the monarch, who will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee next year, continues to stoically meet hundreds of work commitments each year - 30 years after most people have retired - and does suffer from recurrent back pain.

On Tuesday she hosted a summit for global investors and politicians at Windsor Castle, standing and shaking hands for around 40 minutes, the Mail was told.

A source said she was on 'sparkling form', welcoming guests including Microsoft founder Bill Gates and US presidential envoy John Kerry, telling Mr Kerry: 'I saw you on telly the other night doing [Prince] William's Earthshot Prize thing.'

As part of her planned trip to Northern Ireland, she had been expected to stay at Hillsborough Castle and undertake a series of public engagements there, staying overnight to attend a service to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland.

It is highly unusual that such a major engagement would be cancelled at the last minute, suggesting staff are taking no chances with the head of state's health, even if it is just precautionary.

Royal commentator Joe Little said the Queen's age meant last-minute cancellations might become more frequent. The managing editor of Majesty magazine said: 'When you get to the age of 95 and you have a role such as the Queen has, there is an inevitability about last-minute cancellations. Unfortunately, I think this is just how it's going to have to be from time to time.'

Queen, 95, 'is still set to host world leaders at Cop26 in Glasgow' after 'reluctantly' cancelling today's Northern Ireland trip on doctor's advice - following another gruelling week of official engagements The Queen is still expected to meet world leaders at the Cop26 climate change conference in Glasgow despite cancelling a trip to Northern Ireland after she 'reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days'. The 95-year-old monarch - who has been seen using a walking stick at engagements over the past week - is said to be in good spirits but disappointed not to be able to carry out the two-day trip. The Queen has had a busy few days and hosted a major global investment summit at Windsor Castle. She also had engagements last week at the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff and Westminster Abbey in London. The Queen is now resting at Windsor Castle and is still expected at this stage to host a reception in Scotland on November 1 for the Cop26 conference, although it is likely a view will be taken on this nearer the time. The Queen is double-vaccinated, having been given her first jab by a household doctor at Windsor Castle on January 9 and her second at the end of March ahead of what was her first public appearance in five months. Buckingham Palace would not comment on whether the head of state had received her booster Covid-19 jab, but given her age it is likely she has already had it. Advertisement

He added: 'Mentally, the Queen is pin-sharp as ever and when she makes speeches she speaks well. Every now and again there will be this reminder that she is 95 and she can't do what was expected of her ten, 20 years ago.'

Mr Little said he believed the Queen would carry out fewer public engagements to mark her Platinum Jubilee than she did for her Diamond Jubilee.

And he said he did not believe she would agree to allow Charles to take over duties as a prince regent unless there was a 'sharp deterioration' in her health.

Her doctor's advice will strengthen calls for her and her advisers to reconsider the number of engagements she undertakes. She has made schedule 'tweaks' and has handed over more arduous public duties such as investitures to other senior royals.

But there are some duties that only the reigning monarch can conduct. In recent weeks she has travelled to Holyrood and Cardiff to attend the opening of the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments, taken part in a tree planting at Balmoral and launched the Commonwealth Games baton relay at Buckingham Palace.

Last week she used a walking stick for the first time at a public event - at a service for the centenary of the Royal British Legion. She has also taken part in several audiences at Windsor.

A royal source said: 'With her Platinum Jubilee on the horizon, many are thinking that perhaps her private office needs to look at the diary again.'

Another source said: 'No one is saying that she should take a step back, but perhaps another slight step to one side might be in order.'

At the weekend, the Queen enjoyed a day at the races at Ascot, and on Monday held a virtual audience with the new governor-general of New Zealand.

Last week, she travelled to Cardiff to deliver a speech at the ceremonial opening of the sixth Welsh Senedd in Cardiff.

The monarch has been pictured out and about at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and Ascot in the months since, and still enjoys riding her own ponies.

Earlier yesterday, security sources had speculated whether the health scare was something of a 'smokescreen' with the centenary event becoming a 'political hot potato' after details of the Queen's itinerary were leaked by Irish newspapers.

The Irish Times previewed the Queen's visit at the end of September and a leading security expert pointed out that details of the trip had been widely reported in Belfast. He said that revealing where the Queen would be 'was as dangerous as it gets'.

In the past, details of Royal visits to Northern Ireland were kept under wraps until the last moment. Off-record briefings would be given to the media on condition that the news would be embargoed until the visit was underway.

There had also been confusion over the last-minute nature of the trip's cancellation, especially as President Higgins's invite rejection and the leaking of the Queen's visit took place several weeks ago. However, the revelation tonight appears to have laid those rumours to rest.

The Queen's husband of 73 years the Duke of Edinburgh died in April at the age of 99. As well coping with the duke's death, the Queen and the royal family have endured some of their most turbulent times in modern history in recent years.

October 16 -- Queen Elizabeth II attends Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire

October 14 -- Queen Elizabeth II uses a walking stick attends the opening ceremony of the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff

October 13 -- Dame Imogen Cooper is received by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London, where she was presented with The Queen's Medal for Music for 2019

October 12 -- Queen Elizabeth II uses a walking stick as she arrives to attend a service at Westminster Abbey in London

October 7: Starting Commonwealth Games baton relay at Buckingham Palace

Political and church leaders wish Queen well Political leaders have wished the Queen well following the cancellation of her visit to Northern Ireland this week. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis tweeted: 'Wishing Her Majesty The Queen all the very best as she takes a few days' rest. I look forward to meeting her in Northern Ireland in the future.' DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson also tweeted his best wishes. 'We thank Her Majesty for her good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland and trust that she will keep well and benefit from a period of rest,' he tweeted. 'It is always a joy to have Her Majesty in Royal Hillsborough and we look forward to a further visit in the near future.' Church leaders expressed sorrow after learning the Queen would not be attending. 'We are very sorry to learn that it will not be possible for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to be present for the Service of Reflection and Hope in Armagh tomorrow,' they said in a statement. 'We wish to convey to Her Majesty our good wishes and, in doing so, to acknowledge the significance of her commitment to the work of peace and reconciliation, which has meant a great deal to people throughout this island. 'We hope that tomorrow's service will provide an opportunity to further that work, with an emphasis on our shared hopes for the future.' Advertisement

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex plunged the monarchy into crisis with their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, while Philip was in hospital.

Harry and Meghan accused an unnamed member of the family of racism towards their son Archie before he was born, and the institution of failing to help the suicidal duchess.

The pair quit as senior working royals in 2020 in favour of more freedom and the ability to earn their own money in the US.

Harry said he felt let down by Charles and that 'there's a lot of hurt that's happened' in their relationship, and his long-standing rift with William has continued.

In the aftermath of the Oprah broadcast, the Queen issued a statement saying 'while some recollections may vary', the issues would be taken 'very seriously', but dealt with privately as a family.

The scandal that engulfed the Queen's second son the Duke of York, who was forced to step back from public duties in November 2019, moved up a gear this year.

Andrew had faced mounting pressure and calls to answer the FBI's questions following his 'car crash' Newsnight interview about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein

His friend Ghislaine Maxwell is to go on trial, charged with recruiting girls for Epstein. Maxwell denies the charges against her. Then in August 2021, Virginia Giuffre, who says she was trafficked by Epstein, started legal action against Andrew for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 and still a minor under US law.

Lawyers for Ms Giuffre filed the civil suit seeking unspecified damages at a federal court in New York.

She alleges she was sexually abused by Andrew at Maxwell's home in London, Epstein's New York mansion and at other locations including Epstein's private Caribbean island Little St James. Andrew categorically denies he had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Ms Giuffre.

Despite the royals' problems, there have also been times of celebration, with the Queen welcoming a host of new great-grandchildren.

Princess Eugenie gave birth to her first child, a son called August, in February 2021 and Zara Tindall welcomed her third, Lucas, who was born at home on the bathroom floor the month after.

Harry and Meghan's daughter Lilibet, who the Queen has yet to meet in person, arrived in June, and Princess Beatrice, who wed during the pandemic in a secret lockdown ceremony, had her daughter Sienna in September.

On Tuesday evening, the Queen welcomed billionaire business leaders, presidential envoys and tech entrepreneurs to Windsor Castle for a reception.

Mr Gates was among the guests invited to the Queen's Berkshire home after the day-long conference in London aimed at encouraging foreign funding by showcasing the best of British innovation.

October 10 -- Queen Elizabeth II is seen on her way to The Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor as she returns to church

October 7 -- Prince Edward and Queen Elizabeth II attend the launch of the Queen's Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022, the XXII Commonwealth Games, at Buckingham Palace

October 6 -- Queen Elizabeth II gestures as she meets members of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery to mark the 150th Anniversary of the foundation of A and B Batteries, at Windsor Castle

October 4 -- The Queen is shown the baton that will carry her personal message at Buckingham Palace in London ahead of the launch of the Queen's Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

October 2 -- Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall looks on at the opening of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament

October 1 -- The Queen and Prince Charles walk to the Balmoral Cricket Pavilion to plant a tree to mark the start of the official planting season for the Queen's Green Canopy on the Balmoral Estate in Scotland

The Queen was joined by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge at the reception, and met some of the leading figures in the castle's green drawing room before the royals mingled more widely. Neither the royal family nor the guests were wearing masks.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was due to be introduced first, but he appeared after the Queen began welcoming her guests and took his place at the end of the line.

In a foreword for the Global Investment Summit's official brochure, the Queen said she was 'proud' of how the UK is moving towards a sustainable future but 'there is still much more to do'.

The head of state also urged nations to 'rise to the challenge' and avert the problems associated with climate change.

It comes after the monarch appeared to suggest last week she was irritated by a lack of action in tackling climate change.

In an overheard exchange following the opening of the Welsh Senedd she appeared to express her exasperation just a few weeks before world leaders gather in Glasgow for Cop26.

Queen, 95, will NOT step back from royal duties but will 'pace' her engagements and it's 'patronising' to suggest she should retire, Her Majesty's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter claims Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter has said the Queen will not step down, despite concerns over her health after she cancelled a trip to Northern Ireland this week following medical advice to rest for the next few days. Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the former press secretary to the Queen, 95, told Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid that anyone asking the monarch to retire was 'patronising and fighting fire'. Instead, Mr Arbiter, 81, suggested the Queen would ask officials to 'pace' her engagements as she continues her duties as sovereign. 'The Queen made her feelings very crystal clear when she told the 'Oldie awards' to naff off,' he said. 'Remembrance Day is coming up and is sacred in her diary. To suggest she'll step back is patronising and fighting fire - the Queen will instead ask her officials to pace her engagements more.' Explaining why the Queen would not step down, Mr Arbiter continued: 'During her coronation she made a vow in the eyes of god, and you can't compare that promise to the pope retiring. 'The Queen has had a very strenuous few days ago, which is why doctors probably advised her to cancel her upcoming trip. It's a lot to ask of anyone any age - even when she's not at engagements the monarch has mounds of paperwork to go through.' He concluded: 'The officials at Buckingham Palace will be looking very carefully to pace her engagements. There's only so much Charles, William and Kate can do.' Dickie, 81, suggested the Queen would ask officials to 'pace' her engagements as she continues her duties as sovereign. However, royal biographer Angela Levin argued that the Queen is battling feelings of guilt, and should be encouraged to step down. She said: 'The Queen feels very guilty as she made a promise at 21 that she'll be Queen until she dies, but the Pope made the same vows and has since retired. 'Things have changed since the royal made that promise and people live longer nowadays. Angela Levin argued that the Queen is battling feelings of guilt, and should be encouraged to step down 'The Queen is incredibly alert but it's too much for her physically - at the moment it's a fight between mind and body - she should be encouraged to step back slowly.' Arguing that the Queen should retire after the Platinum Jubilee in June, which marks 70 years on the throne, Ms Levin added: 'The Queen needs to look after herself and make allowances. 'Prince Philip said the same thing when he retired and allowed himself a break. We should all be encouraging the Queen to step back and enjoy the rest of her life.' Advertisement

'No fuss approach to infrequent illness': The Queen's health over the years after her first overnight hospital stay since 2013

The Queen during the Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse, October 16, 2021

The Queen is known for her strong constitution and no fuss approach to her infrequent illnesses.

The monarch's overnight stay at King Edward VII's Hospital is her first in eight years.

She was treated at the private clinic for a nasty bout of gastroenteritis in 2013, when she also stayed for one night.

Last week, the sovereign used a walking stick at a Westminster Abbey service - the first time she has done so at a major event.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Queen retreated to Windsor Castle for her safety, where she was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh in lockdown.

The couple were vulnerable to Covid-19 because of their advanced age, but were protected by the so-called HMS Bubble - their reduced household of about 20 staff.

On January 9, 2021, the 94-year-old Queen and the 99-year-old duke received their coronavirus vaccinations, with Buckingham Palace taking the rare step of confirming what would usually have been a private medical matter, as the national rollout of the injections gathered pace.

Philip had heart surgery in March 2021, but returned to Windsor where he died a few weeks later in his sleep at the age of 99.

In January 2020, the Queen missed her annual visit to the Sandringham Women's Institute due to a slight cold.

The year she turned 90 - the monarch called time on her overseas travels, leaving long-haul destinations to the younger members of her family, but she still maintains a busy diary of events. The monarch still rides her Fell ponies at Windsor, and drives, mainly around her private estates.

The Queen missed the christening of her great-grandson Prince Louis in July 2018 but not because of illness.

It was mutually agreed in advance by the monarch and the Cambridges that the Queen would not attend the celebration, which fell at the beginning of a busy week of engagements including the centenary of the RAF and a visit by US President Donald Trump.

In June that year, the Queen pulled out of a service at St Paul's Cathedral because she was feeling 'under the weather'.

In May 2018, the head of state had eye surgery to remove a cataract. She was treated as a day patient and did not cancel any engagements nor appearances, but was spotted wearing sunglasses.

In November 2017, the Prince of Wales led the nation in honouring the country's war dead on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph. It was the first time that the Queen, as head of state, had watched the ceremony from a nearby balcony, and was seen as a sign of the royal family in transition and an acknowledgement of her age.

October 13: Giving pianist Imogen Cooper The Queens Medal for Music

The Queen leaving King Edward VII's Hospital, after being admitted with symptoms of gastroenteritis, March 2014

Just before Christmas 2016, the Queen and Philip both fell ill with heavy colds, forcing them to delay their trip to Sandringham by a day.

The Queen was not well enough to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church and also missed the New Year's Day one. She later described it as a 'particularly grisly mixture of cold and flu'.

She turned 90 in 2016 and, the same year, used the lift rather than stairs to enter Parliament for the State Opening, avoiding the 26 steps of the royal staircase at the Sovereign's Entrance.

Buckingham Palace said the 'modest adjustment' to arrangements were made for 'the Queen's comfort'. The decision was attributed to the Queen suffering from knee pain.

In 2014, the Prince of Wales stood in for the Queen for part of the Order of the Bath service to avoid her having to make an extra journey up and down some steep steps in full regalia.

In November 2013, the Duke of Cambridge stepped in to represent the Queen at an investiture ceremony after she suffered some 'mild discomfort' with her ankle after a busy weekend of engagements including the service of remembrance at the Cenotaph.

Her first hospital stay in 10 years came in 2013 when she was 86 after she suffered symptoms of gastroenteritis and missed an engagement in Swansea when she was due to present St David's Day leeks to the 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh.

On March 3, 2013, she was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital to be assessed. A week of engagements, including a two-day trip to Rome, was cancelled. The Queen spent one night in hospital and left thanking staff and smiling before being driven to Buckingham Palace to rest.

October 12: Royal British Legions centenary service

The Queen smiling at an event in celebration of The Big Lunch initiative at The Eden Project, near St Austell, June 11, 2021

It was thought her public appearances were back on track until Buckingham Palace announced on the morning of the Commonwealth Day Observance service on March 11 that she regrettably could no longer attend 'as she continues to recover following her recent illness'.

It was the first Commonwealth Day Observance service she had missed in 20 years, the last occasion being when she had flu in 1993.

The Queen, who placed great importance to her role as Head of the Commonwealth, did however attend the Commonwealth Reception at Marlborough House on the evening of March 11 to sign the new Commonwealth Charter.

Buckingham Palace insisted it was just the 'tail end' of the symptoms and that her condition had not worsened. But the next day she cancelled her engagements for the rest of the week, with her son, the Duke of York, saying later that it was sensible not to risk her coming out, but that she was not ill.

Her illnesses have been few and far between over the years.

She has suffered from back pain, and also had operations to remove torn cartilage from both knees. She caught measles when Prince Charles was two months old in 1949 and had to be separated from her baby son.

The first time the Queen was actually admitted to hospital was in July 1982 when she had a wisdom tooth extracted at the King Edward VII Hospital in central London.

The Queen's no fuss approach to injury and illness was perfectly illustrated in 1994.

She broke her left wrist when her horse tripped during a ride on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

The break was not diagnosed until almost 24 hours later when her arm was X-rayed and set in plaster at a hospital.

It was the first time she had fallen in many years and the Queen had simply brushed herself down, remounted her horse and trotted on back to Sandringham.
The wife of a nuclear engineer accused of 'acting as lookout' as he allegedly tried to sell Navy secrets in peanut butter sandwiches must remain behind bars until a trial on her and her husband's alleged espionage continues, a judge ruled on Thursday.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Trumble rejected arguments from defense lawyers that Diana Toebbe could be released under certain conditions to her Annapolis home, and declared her a flight risk.

'Although Defendant has no prior criminal history, the nature and circumstances of the charges against her and her actions demonstrate that Defendant is a danger to every community and to our national security by clear and convincing evidence,' Trumble wrote in his ruling.

He added that there was 'strong' evidence she could be a flight risk, the Washington Post reports, citing her previous text messages to her husband in 2019 and 2020 in which she appeared to express a strong desire to leave the country quickly.

Diana and her husband, Jonathan, a Navy nuclear engineer, were arrested earlier this month on charges that they violated the Atomic Energy Act by selling information to foreign governments.

U.S. authorities say Jonathan Toebbe had tried to pass secrets about sophisticated Virginia-class submarines to someone he thought was a representative of a foreign government, but who was actually an undercover FBI agent.

Jonathan Toebbe, a Navy nuclear engineer, and his wife, Diana, were arrested this month on espionage charges. The couple (seen above with their two young children) pleaded not guilty in federal court in West Virginia. They face life in prison if convicted

Diana Toebbe is accused of serving as a lookout on three separate occasions in which her husband deposited memory cards containing sensitive information at several dead-drop locations. Those cards were concealed within peanut butter sandwiches.

The couple pleaded not guilty in federal court in West Virginia.

They face life in prison if convicted, with new details of their alleged crimes emerging in court Wednesday, when an FBI agent testified Diana may be a potential flight risk.

Peter Olinits, a Pittsburgh-based agent specializing in counterintelligence investigations, said the FBI found a trash bag of shredded documents, thousands of dollars in cash, latex gloves and a 'go-bag' prepped for a quick getaway when they searched the Toebbe's Maryland home.

He argued that Diana should remain jailed as the case moved forward.

Olinits also described how agents on the day of the couple's arrest discovered $11,300 in cash, children's valid passports and a 'go-bag' that appeared prepped for a sudden departure, containing a USB flash drive and latex gloves.

He cited text messages from 2019 and 2020 in which the Toebbes discussed leaving the country over their anger at Donald Trump's presidency.

But that was met with an objection But Diana Toebbe's lawyer, Edward MacMahon.

He raised the possibility that his 45-year-old client, who worked as a teacher at a progressive private school in Annapolis, Maryland  was referring to her distress over the prospect of President Donald Trump's reelection.

'She's not the only liberal that's wanted to leave the country over politics,' MacMahon told the court, 'That's correct, isn't it, sir?'

Prosecutors allege that Jonathan Toebbe tried to pass submarine secrets to someone he thought was a representative of a foreign government but who was actually an undercover agent.

Court documents do not reveal the identity of the foreign country he is accused of trying to sell the information to, but it is believed to be an ally or neutral state, because the foreign government alerted the US to the plot.

Undercover agents then posed as members of that foreign government to catch the couple out, it is alleged.

Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, both of Annapolis, Maryland, were indicted on Tuesday by a Grand Jury in Elkins, West Virginia, on national security charges

The leaked secrets contained 'militarily sensitive design elements, operating parameters and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors,' according to a federal court affidavit

They accuse Diana Toebbe of serving as a lookout for her husband at several 'dead drop' locations at which sensitive information was left behind.

The country Toebbe was looking to sell the information to has not been identified in court documents and was not disclosed in court Wednesday.

To avoid suspicion, Olinits said, the Toebbes would dress as if tourists or hikers and meander around the site, and Diana Toebbe was spotting snapping photographs.

Jonathan Toebbe (left) and Diana Toebbe (right) were both charged with spying on the U.S. for an unidentified foreign government and were ordered held without bail during a court appearance Tuesday after it was determined that they pose a 'serious risk' of flight

Edward MacMahon, a lawyer for Diana Toebbe, argued that since the FBI did not record any of the couple's conversations, agents actually had no proof that his client had any knowledge of her husband's activities or what precisely he was doing.

'Did it occur to you as part of your investigation that maybe Mr. Toebbe was telling her he was up to something other than espionage against the United States?' MacMahon asked.

'I think that'd be a difficult thing to sell, but maybe,' Olinits said.

As the Annapolis, Maryland, couple faces legal peril, more information has emerged about their alleged motive.

Diana Toebbe was reportedly known to complain about her $60,000-a-year salary and spoke seriously about fleeing the US after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016.

Two dozen friends were interviewed by the New York Times, including one who said Diana had once remarked: 'I'm not doing this for the money' after helping a student work on a paper at the private Key School in Annapolis, Maryland, where she taught.

The Times' investigation paints a picture of a couple who were consistently worried about money for over a decade - among other anxieties - with Mr Toebbe repeatedly telling friends he needed to 'provide for his family' in 2010.

He also joined the Navy in 2012 despite being a talented graduate student studying for a PhD at the time, a decision a friend told The Times was made to earn more, and came after the couple lost their house due to the 2008 financial crash.

Legal sources told the Times that cash was a likely incentive for the alleged passing of secrets, with the Toebbes offering nuclear submarine secrets for an initial payment of $100,000 in cryptocurrency.

Jonathan is said to have smuggled information out of his work, with Diana accompanying him to dead-drops. The pair now face life in jail over communicating restricted data and conspiracy charges filed on Wednesday.

They were likely motivated by a thirst for money, and dissatisfaction with the United States, particularly the Trump administration, which they expressed vocal despair over

But self-described feminist Diana's horror of Donald Trump's election win was also noted by multiple acquaintances, who say she became notably more vocal about politics in the wake of his November 2016 win, and even spoke seriously about leaving the US.

Former student Garrett Karsten said Diana seemed 'genuinely distraught' by the Trump win, and appeared deadly serious about her plans to leave the country.

The Times also reported how the couple were forced to sell their $270,000 home in Aurora, Colorado, for a significant loss because the 2008 financial crisis triggered a foreclosure, amid speculation that experience may have sparked their desire for money and stability.

At the time, Jonathan was working on a Ph.D which came with a stipend of just $20,000, with the loss of the couple's house mooted as a possible reason for his application to join the US Navy, which would have offered a good and rapidly-increasing salary for a scientist as skilled as Toebbe.

They were making a combined salary of $210,000 at the time of their arrest on October 9, with Jonathan Toebbe earning $153,000 for his work at Washington Navy Yard to design nuclear reactors for submarines.

They were arrested in West Virginia on October 9 and previously charged in a criminal complaint with violations of the Atomic Energy Act. The couple is due in federal court Wednesday for a detention hearing.

None of the friends interviewed by The Times said they expected the couple to once day be accused of betraying the United States.

Janet Monge, who worked with Ms. Toebbe as a curator at the University of Pennsylvania Penn Museum, told the newspaper: 'It just seems so out of character. Not very academic and thoughtful at all.'

Written communications between Jonathan and an undercover FBI agent posing as a foreign spy show that the engineer had collected the classified military information over several years

Mr Toebbe reached the rank of lieutenant and mostly worked in the Washington area on naval reactors, but also did a brief stint at the Pentagon.

According to court documents, he had physical access to information when he was stationed at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, a government-owned research center near Pittsburgh.

He was assigned there for just five months in 2014. He remained on active duty in the Navy until 2017, at which point he joined the Navy reserve.

As a civilian, he continued to work at the Washington Naval Yard designing the reactors for the next generation of nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed submarines - known as the Columbia class.

The project is one of the most important the Navy has, and he earned $153,737 a year, according to The Times report.

Prosecutors are working to learn at which point in his career he began collecting information that he is alleged to have gone on to try and sell.

Prosecutors say Diana Toebbe accompanied her husband on several instances to pre-arranged 'dead-drop' locations at which he left behind memory cards containing the sensitive information.

After their home went underwater during the Great Recession, and they were forced to sell at a loss, Jonathan Toebbe left his nuclear physics doctoral study to join the Navy, a faster path to higher income.

Diana Toebbe, meanwhile, often lamented about her paycheck as a teacher at an elite private high school, frequently pointing out that she had a PhD, students and colleagues say.

One former colleague said Diana had a flair for history, and expressed disappointment that she hadn't chosen to pursue a career in academic.

The couple have two children and lived in their own home in a middle-class neighborhood in Annapolis.

The indictment alleges that on April 1, 2020, just weeks into the pandemic Jonathan Toebbe sent a package to a foreign government, listing a return address in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, containing a sample of classified information and instructions for establishing a covert relationship.

The residence of Jonathan and Diana Toebbe is shown on October 10 in Annapolis, Maryland, a day after it was searched by FBI agents

Jonathan Toebbe entered into email correspondence with an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of the foreign government, and eventually handed over three items of nuclear sub secrets in exchange for $100,000 paid in cryptocurrency, the indictment claims.

The FBI also arranged a 'signal' to Toebbe from the country's embassy in Washington over the Memorial Day weekend. The papers do not describe how the FBI was able to arrange such a signal.

In June 2021, the FBI says, the undercover agent sent $10,000 in cryptocurrency to Toebbe, describing it as a sign of good faith and trust.

Weeks later, federal agents watched as the Toebbes arrived at an agreed-upon location in West Virginia for the exchange, with Diana Toebbe appearing to serve as a lookout for her husband during a dead-drop operation for which the FBI paid $20,000, according to the complaint.

The FBI recovered a blue memory card wrapped in plastic and placed between two slices of bread on a peanut butter sandwich, court documents said.

Jonathan also hid encrypted memory cards in a chewing gum packet and Band-Aid wrapper at different drop-off locations.

The FBI provided the contents of the memory card to a Navy subject matter expert who determined that the records included design elements and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors, the Justice Department said.

The FBI conducted similar dead-drop exchanges over the next several months, including one in August in Virginia in which Toebbe was paid roughly $70,000 and concealed in a chewing gum package a memory card that contained schematic designs for the Virginia-class submarine, according to court documents.

The social media posts on Diana Toebbe's Facebook account include one saying 'Women Can Stop Trump'

One retweet from the her account in 2017, just days after Trump's inauguration, shows a photo saying, 'To the rest of the world, due to an insufficient amount of moral courage, America is temporarily out of order. We hope to restore service as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we in the resistance movement join hands with those around the world who realize we are one people. May the forces of good be with us. #TheResistance.'

Diana also retweeted an anti-trump tweet from TED Talk follower and cosmologist Katie Mack, saying the Trump administration suppressed LGBT rights

One post she shared in 2019 is a photo from an unidentified Women's March with the above quote about 'staying angry'

Only six countries currently operate nuclear-powered submarines  China, France, India, Russia, the UK and the US. The US and UK are set to provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, as part of the first initiative under the new trilateral security partnership AUKUS.

The couple were ordered held without bail during a court appearance Tuesday after it was determined that they pose a 'serious risk' of flight.

In a letter outlining what classified information he had obtained, Jonathan, who spent two years working on nuclear reactors in Arlington, Virginia, is said to have explained how he meticulously smuggled documents over the years.

'This information was slowly and carefully collected over several years in the normal course of my job to avoid attracting attention and smuggled past security checkpoints a few pages at a time,' he wrote.

'I no longer have access to classified data so unfortunately cannot help you obtain other files. But I can answer your experts questions using my own knowledge, if we can establish a secure and confidential means of communication.'

He is also said to have suggested meeting his handler for a drink after their 'mission was complete.

An email prosecutors say was sent by Jonathan Toebbe said: 'Thank you for your partnership as well my friend. One day, when it is safe, perhaps two old friends will have a chance to stumble into each other at a cafe, share a bottle of wine and laugh over stories of their shared exploits.

'A fine thought, but I agree that our mutual need for security may make that impossible. Whether we meet or no[sic], I will always remember your bravery in serving your country and your commitment to helping me.'

A bird's eye show of Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory lab, where the FBI claims is the only place where Toebbe could have obtained the classified information on US nuclear subs. Toebbe has worked on naval nuclear propulsion since 2012, including a 15-month tenure in the office of the chief of naval operations

And written communications - said to have been shared Jonathan and an undercover FBI agent posing as a foreign spy - show that the engineer and his wife were also prepared to be extracted to a safe country should their plot be exposed.

'I will be forever grateful for your help extracting me and my family,' Jonathan is said to have written in an encrypted email documented in the criminal complaint.

'I surmise the first step would be unannounced travel to a safe third country with plans to meet your colleagues. We have passports and cash set aside for this purpose. I pray such a drastic plan will never be needed, but you are right: it is a comfort to know you are ready and willing to aid us.'

The complaint also revealed that Jonathan had a longstanding relationship with the foreign entity, although the name of the country whose spies Jonathan allegedly thought he was communicating with has not been shared.

Diana, a humanities teacher at a private K-12 school in Annapolis, Maryland, has been placed on an indefinite suspension, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday.

Matthew Nespole, head of Key School where Diana worked for the last 10 years, said the academic institution was 'shocked and appalled' to learn of the charges against the Toebbes.

'Key School had no prior knowledge of their alleged criminal activities, nor is the School connected to the investigation in any way,' Nespole said. 'Key School supports the administration of justice by the FBI and NCIS, and will cooperate with the investigation if requested through our school's legal counsel to do so.'

One of Diana's former students, Craig Martien, - who collaborated with her on a yearbook and an after-school anthropology club - echoed the school leader's claims, saying he too was shocked to learn of the news.

'She was someone who I really looked up to. I was totally blindsided,' he said in a Wednesday interview on Good Morning America.

Key School is now focusing on 'minimizing disruptions for our students and supporting them emotionally'.
Furious parents have lashed out at a Tennessee school district for detaining kids who refuse to wear masks all day in separate classrooms where they're not taught properly.

Williamson County Superintendent William Golden explained at a school board meeting on Monday that the move is a response to a court order barring families from opting out of school mask mandates.

Under the policy in the school district outside Nashville, students who don't wear masks, and don't have an approved religious or medical exemption, are being placed in separate rooms from their classmates and supervised by detention monitors.

'We do have teachers, who are in-school suspension teachers, who do that daily work -- the quality of it, I'm just going to be frank, is not the same as physically being in a classroom,' Golden told the school board.

But as he spoke, angry mother Kristin McKinney could be heard yelling from the audience: 'No one's teaching my kids. No one's in there talking to them, they're being told to be quiet.'

Williamson County Superintendent William Golden said at a school board meeting on Monday that students who don't wear masks without exemptions are getting in-school suspension

Mother Kristin McKinney slammed the district and explained that she and her daughters were refusing to apply for a mask exemption or wear masks on ideological grounds

As McKinney was escorted out by deputies for interrupting, Golden conceded that those kids who'd been separated for not wearing masks were effectively at an all-day detention.

He said: 'We don't have the capacity, for someone who elects not to be there, to give them that same quality instruction, we just don't.'

Earlier in the meeting, McKinney had spoken out during the public comments portion, explaining that she and her daughters were refusing to apply for a mask exemption or wear masks on ideological grounds.

'My children deserve better,' she said, saying that her kids had been isolated in in-school suspension for six days as of Monday.

'There are at least 400 kids in their school right now who walk around the school without mask all day long, because their parents signed a piece of paper against an unlawful mandate,' McKinney said as her children stood beside her.

'Because my kids don't have that piece of paper, and as a parent, I am not going to put them in harm by putting a mask on them, they're being isolated, sensory deprivation!' she added.

'And yes I'm angry because these are the most precious things in my life,' she said, gesturing to her children, 'and what you are doing to them is evil and wrong.'

'And yes I'm angry because these are the most precious things in my life,' McKinney said, gesturing to her children, 'and what you are doing to them is evil and wrong'

Third grade teacher Keyona Moxey is masked up as is all of her third grade students at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee in August

Public health agencies say indoor mask-wearing is a key coronavirus-prevention tool.

The CDC says masks don't pose health risks for children older than toddlers, and recommends them for schools since vaccines still arent authorized for children younger than 12.

But some parents argue that masks hinder social and psychological development, and point out that most children are at very low risk for serious cases of COVID.

As in the rest of the country, the debate over school mask mandates in Tennessee has played out in contentious legal battles for months.

Republican Governor Bill Lee has issued an order allowing families to opt out of school mask mandates, but multiple court rulings have overturned the order in several counties.

Last month, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw blocked Lee's order in Williamson County, an affluent region just south of Nashville, after two other judges ruled against it elsewhere in the state.

All three lawsuits claimed that Lee's order violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits the exclusion of students with disabilities from public educational programs and activities.

Republican Governor Bill Lee has issued an order allowing families to opt out of school mask mandates, but multiple court rulings have overturned the order

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.

'Based on the record before the court, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Williamson County, including at plaintiffs schools, along with a significant number of students who have opted out, plaintiffs have likewise been denied access to a safe, in-person education experience,' Crenshaw wrote in his 18-page decision.

'Gov. Lee has offered no affidavits, declarations, or any other factual predicate to support his assertion that universal mask mandates would require significant resources,' the judge added.

Lee told reporters at the time that he couldnt talk about the specific litigation but pointed out that there had been multiple lawsuits against mask mandates.

'There are very strong opinions on both sides of this. I think thats why the strategy we took, which allowed districts to provide a requirement but gave parents an opt-out, was a good way forward,' Lee said. 'And we still believe thats the right direction.'
Scott Morrison wants Queensland to more quickly relax its border rules by expanding home quarantine so families can be reunited.

Queensland has been closed off the NSW, Victoria and the ACT for months and even requires its own residents to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days when returning.

The harsh rules led to heart-breaking scenes on Father's Day when families were separated by bollards at the NSW-Queensland border.

Scott Morrison (centre with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, left, and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, right) wants Queensland to more quickly relax its border rules so families can be reunited

A home quarantine trial with 1,000 places began last week - but there are more than 13,000 people waiting to enter the Sunshine State.

The Prime Minister on Friday urged Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to 'rapidly expand' the home quarantine system.

'We have got home quarantine having begun in Queensland for some cases.

'I think we need to expand that very, very quickly, so we can get those Queenslanders home to Queensland,' he said in a press conference at Sydney Airport.

'You've all seen those reunification scenes as people have got back over the border into Victoria.

'There was a real Love Actually moment watching that happen, it was tremendous,' he said referring to the 2003 British romantic-comedy starring Hugh Grant and Keira Knightly.

Latest data on October 20 showed 13,335 people are waiting to have border pass applications processed by Queensland Police.

Queenslanders met with family at the NSW border on Father's Day due to the border closure

Between September 5 and October 18, there were 16,267 border pass applications submitted.

About one third were returning Queenslanders and two thirds were interstate residents moving to the Sunshine State.

Queensland on Monday announced it would not allow quarantine free travel until December 17.

NSW and Victoria will drop all quarantine requirements for the fully vaccinated from November 1.

The move has allowed Qantas to restart international flights ahead of schedule, with a Singapore travel bubble expected by November 23.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) announced she would not allow quarantine free travel until December 17

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce announced on Friday that flights from Sydney would begin to resume from as early as the end of November.

Singapore will be the first destination to reopen with flights restarting on November 23 - four weeks ahead of schedule.

Fiji will be next with flights beginning on December 7 - instead of December 19.

Johannesburg will welcome arrivals from January 5, Phuket from January 12 and Bangkok from January 14.

Qantas will also be launching a new route between Sydney and Delhi. Flights will begin from December 6.

International travel will kickstart weeks ahead of schedule with flights soon reopening to five major holiday destinations including Singapore and Fiji (stock image of a beach at Phuket)

Plans are also underway to reopen flights to Bali in time for Christmas.

Mr Joyce said it was big news for Australia in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic which began in early 2020.

'This 20 (past) months is probably the darkest period in Qantas' 100-year history,' he told reporters at Sydney Airport.

'It has meant we have had to ground aircraft, stand down people and restructure the business. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

'It is very clear that because Australians have rolled up their sleeves and taken the jab, we can see that light.'

A new route between Sydney and New Delhi will launch on December 6 with three flights a week.

Flights to Honolulu, Vancouver, Tokyo and New Zealand are still scheduled to commence from mid-December 2021, with other destinations to restart in the new year.

All travellers will have to be fully vaccinated and will be required to test negative for coronavirus within 72 hours of departure.

Mr Morrison praised high vaccination rates for fast-tracking the restart of international arrivals.

Singapore will be the first destination to reopen with flights restarting on November 23 - four weeks ahead of schedule

International travel from Sydney to Bangkok, Thailand, will restart from January 14

'The national plan was all about opening up Australia safely so we can remain safely open, and that's what we are seeing here today,' he said. 'And that means planes get back in the sky.'

Around 70.8 per cent of residents over the age of 16 have received both doses of the vaccine.

'Australians have prepared for this day, and I'm looking forward to people coming back to Australia and leaving Australia as well, and enjoying the things they did before,' Mr Morrison said.

All 11,000 of the airline's staff idled without pay, around half its workforce, will return to work by early December as domestic and international flying returns to more normal levels, the airline said.

Qantas will bring back two of its flagship Airbus SE A380 super-jumbos in April - three months earlier than planned - and is in talks with Boeing Co about the delivery of three new 787-9s in storage to accelerate its international flight plans.

Mr Joyce said for four of the last five weeks, the airline's international sales were stronger than domestic sales for the first time since the pandemic began.

'There is massive demand for Australians wanting to see their family and relatives,' he said.

'There is massive demand for loved ones wanting to get together for Christmas. There is demand for people wanting to take that holiday that they have been looking forward to for nearly two years.'
A cyclist has been filmed defecating in the driveway of a ritzy home after making a pitstop during her morning bike ride.

The woman was caught in the unsanitary act by security cameras set up outside the house at Brighton, in Melbourne's south-east, on Thursday.

The cyclist, wearing a bike helmet, a full face of makeup and expensive Gucci sneakers worth $1,175, is seen casually walking through the open gates of the driveway.

A cyclist has been filmed defecating in a driveway of a ritzy home after making a pitstop during her morning bike ride

The cyclist, wearing a bike helmet, is seen casually walking through the open gates of the driveway

She then turns her back to the side bushes, pulls down her pants and relieves herself.

She briefly inspects the poo, lifts her pants back up and makes her getaway.

A disgusted homeowner uploaded footage and photos of the woman to Reddit and Facebook.

'Please lemme know who did a (poo) in my driveway,' he wrote.

Social media users have been quick to air their disgust and disbelief.

'When she didnt give a s*** but literally did,' one person wrote.

Another person added: 'Just cyclist things.'

Some social media users were even impressed at how rapidly the woman had relieved herself.

'That's disgusting and also impressive,' one person wrote. 'Some F1 pit crew tier speed.'

'Gotta give it to her,' another person wrote. 'The efficiency in which she snapped it off really is quite impressive though.'

The cyclist was seen wearing a pair of expensive Gucci sneakers with the luxury shoe costing as much as $1,175

She briefly inspects the poo, lifts her pants back up and makes her getaway (pictured, the scene of the unsanitary crime)

In 2018, a man who repeatedly defecated near a Brisbane apartment block was identified as a corporate executive

It is the latest in a string of public defecation incidents in Australia, including a business executive who was famously caught relieving himself repeatedly while on morning jogs.

Psychologist Dr Grant Brecht said possible motivations for poo jogging behaviour include vindictiveness, the 'thrill' of it, mental illness - and, obviously, stomach issues.

'One reason is they may actually need to go to the loo - they've got a bout of diarrhea or something. Let's not exclude that,' Dr Brecht said.

'If we're talking about recidivists, who do it quite regularly ... it can also be a 'get back' (at someone).

'Something has happened and "cop this". It's kind of, "I'm going to poo all over you''.'

Dr Brecht said a more 'alarming' explanation is the result of an obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder.

Sydney PR maven Roxy Jacenko published video of an alleged 'poo jogger' leaving a mess close to her business in Paddington, inner Sydney, in 2019

'(That is) where a person believes if they don't do this, if they don't continue to do it, something bad is going to happen to them or a family member.

'Or they'll bring bad luck on themselves or others and then get these compulsive thoughts and obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours around needing to do this in the same spot everyday.

'It's a similar sport of thing to people not wanting to step on cracks, a superstitious thing.'

A third explanation is that the 'poo joggers' enjoy the sheer thrill, or relief, from the brazen act.

'They take a risk and they get a buzz,' said Dr Brecht.

'It can have that element, as does any sort of addictive behaviour associated with an emotional and physiological high.

'They get an adrenalin rush - it's like having an gambling addiction or a sex addiction.'
The Republican attorneys general of Texas and Missouri are suing the Biden administration in an effort to get former President Donald Trump's border wall completed.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday that he and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit that would compel the federal government to build the wall with funds Congress already appropriated for it.

'The Biden Administration's flat refusal to use funds that have already been set aside by Congress to build the border wall is not only illegal and unconstitutional. It's also wrong, and it leaves states like Texas and Missouri footing the bill,' Paxton said in a statement.

Former President Donald Trump's border wall remained uncompleted. On Thursday, the attorneys general of Texas and Missouri sued the Biden administration arguing that the wall must be completed using the funds Congress appropriated for it

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (left) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (right) joined forces to sue the Biden administration in an effort to get former President Donald Trump's border wall completed

Missouri is not geographically located on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Democratic President Joe Biden is being hammered politically over the influx of migrants under his watch.

Customs and Border protection detained more than 1.7 million migrants along the southern border during the 2021 fiscal year, which ended in September.

Images from border towns show migrants walking through gaps that exist in the half-finished border wall.

While the White House indicated Thursday that Biden continues to oppose renewed construction of the border wall - one of Trump's top campaign promises - his nominee to head U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Chris Magnus, told lawmakers earlier this week that he wasn't fully against it.

In a Senate hearing, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican, asked Magnus if he would support restarting construction.

Magnus answered that there are some places 'where that could make sense.'

Asked about Magnus' statement at Thursday's press briefing, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she'd have to look at what 'context' the nominee made the comments.

'But we have talked about the border wall here in general, as a way that it's been used to close the border, and we feel it is a policy that doesn't work,' Jean-Pierre added.

'And it's not just us, experts said that - the border wall is not an effective policy,' she said.
Angela Merkel has slammed calls by EU leaders including Emmanuel Macron to punish Poland amid an increasingly bitter row over the rule of law.

In her last summit as Chancellor, Merkel tried to play down the war of words and called for calm over fears the dispute could cause serious damage to the bloc.

She said she doesn't want a repeat of Brexit by provoking Poland, hours after the EU's Parliament threatened to sue Ursula Von Der Leyen if she refuses to withhold funding from the country.

The row was sparked when Poland's top constitutional court ruled that laws made within the country take precedence over laws written in Brussels - a major challenge to the EU's founding principles.

Merkel, 67, told the meeting, according to The Telegraph: 'Germany does not want to have a Polexit. Poland's place is in the middle of Europe.

'We must not talk about how to isolate. We must try to fix the problem.'

Angela Merkel has rebuffed calls by EU leaders including Emmanuel Macron to punish Poland amid an increasingly bitter row over the rule of law

Macron met Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (pictured), who is relying largely on Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban for support, at the airport in Brussels before the summit

She earlier told reporters: 'An avalanche of lawsuits at the ECJ won't fix it.

'It's the question of how the individual members envision the EU. Is it an ever closer union, or is it more about the nation state? And this is certainly not only an issue between Poland and the UE, but also in other member states. We have to find ways of coming back together.'

Macron, along with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and EU Parliament President David Sassoli have pushed for Poland to be hit with financial punishments for attempting to overrule the bloc's legal primacy.

A French diplomatic source said: 'We will quickly move on to the next stage, which is the determination of a serious violation of the rule of law, which requires a four-fifths majority.

'This isn't financial blackmail  it's a response to fundamental principles, including judicial independence.'

In her last summit as Chancellor, Merkel tried to play down the war of words and called for calm over fears the dispute could cause serious damage to the bloc

Macron met Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who is relying largely on Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban for support, at the airport in Brussels before the summit and ordered him to find a solution compatible with EU rules.

But Merkel, in her 107th summit as Chancellor, urged her European counterparts to slow down internal procedures that could cause Polish funding being cut.

She was toasted by the parliament over a dinner which consisted of Pistou soup, fillet of sea bass and raspberry gateau.

The EU leaders eventually agreed to carry out an extended period of dialogue rather than immediately hitting Poland with sanctions.

Von Der Leyen is facing pressure to withhold 48billion in EU Covid recovery funding that is earmarked for Poland unless the government falls back into line.

Von der Leyen said she was 'deeply concerned', adding that 'we cannot and will not allow our common values to be put at risk'

Mateusz Morawiecki told the parliament in Strasbourg that Poland would not bow to 'European centralism' and that the constitution of a country was the highest law on the Continent

Which EU laws is Poland disputing? Article 1 What is it? This sets out the founding principle of the EU, which is to create a Union and develop 'an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe.' In dispute: Poland argues the way the law is being applied blocks the country from applying its own constitution and could force it to apply unconstitutional laws laid down by EU courts What Poland's court said: The EU is acting outside of its remit by preventing the country from acting as a sovereign state, and that Polish law should take precedence Article 4 What is it? This establishes the principle of 'sincere cooperation' between states which must 'work together to implement' EU laws. In dispute: Poland again argues that the way the law is being interpreted will stop it from applying its own laws or compel it to apply unconstitutional laws if they are laid down by EU courts Court ruling: Judges again found the EU is acting outside of its remit by preventing the country from acting as a sovereign state, and that Polish law must take precedence Article 19 What is it? This establishes the authority of the European Court of Justice which 'shall ensure that in the interpretation and application of... the law is observed.' In dispute: Poland says the article, as applied, grants the EU the power to oversee the appointment of judges made by the Polish President Court ruling: Judges found that, by interfering in the process of appointing judges, the EU is preventing Poland from acting as a sovereign nation and that the President's decision-making must take precedence Advertisement

Ms Von Der Leyen could also take the issue to the EU's top court, the European Court of Justice, to obtain a ruling that Poland is in violation of EU laws.

If the court rules in her favour, then it can levy daily fines until Poland returns to compliance. If Poland refuses to pay, then it can withhold funds.

Ms Von Der Leyen could also try to strip Poland of voting rights within EU institutions, but she would need the support of the bloc's 26 other leaders - with Hungary likely to block the move.

The row is just the latest crisis to rock the EU since Britain voted to leave in 2016, in large part due to concerns over sovereignty.

It has sparked concerns over a so-called 'Polexit', which observers have warned may lead to the wholesale collapse of the European project.

Poland - an ex-Communist nation where support for the EU is high among voters - is unlikely to vote to leave the EU as Britain did, but many fear it could cause a collapse from within by challenging the bloc's founding principles.

Mr Morawiecki has denied trying to break up the bloc, saying he is not challenging the EU's laws themselves - only interpretations of them.

Poland and Hungary are bitterly opposed to agreements negotiated last year as the EU's 1.5trillion Covid recovery budget was agreed, which linked the funding to enforcing laws such as equality and human rights legislation.

Both countries are led by right-wing populist parties who have been involved in long-running spats with the EU over the independence of courts, freedom of the press, and LGBT rights.

In a fiery speech to the European Parliament earlier this week, Mr Morawiecki accused the EU of 'blackmail' over the recovery funds which he said poses a threat to the union.

But Ms Von Der Leyen struck back. Referring to the fall of Communism in Poland in 1989, she said: 'The people of Poland wanted democracy  they wanted the freedom to choose their government, they wanted free speech and free media, they wanted an end to corruption and they wanted independent courts to protect their rights.

'This is what Europe is about and that is what Europe stands for,' she added. 'The recent ruling of the Polish Constitutional Court puts much of it into question.'

Last week, the Polish Constitutional Court ruled that EU law was incompatible with aspects of the country's constitution.

Morawiecki insisted that there was no reason why this should drive a wedge between Warsaw and Brussels, but maintained that he would not budge on the issue.

'The EU will not fall apart simply because our legal systems will be different,' he said, adding: 'If you want to make a non-national superstate out of Europe, first get the consent of all the European states and societies.'

Meanwhile, he praised the 'strong political and economical organism' of the Bloc, showing the complex position his party is seeking to straddle as it grapples with Brussels, while up to 80 per cent of Poles back being part of the EU.

He also rejected any suggestion that the country was on a pathway to 'Polexit,' following in Britain's footsteps.

'We should not be spreading further lies about Poland leaving the EU,' he said.

'For us, European integration is a civilisational and strategic choice,' he said. 'We are here, we belong here and we are not going anywhere.'

He said that Western countries, especially France and Germany, had benefited enormously from the entrance of eastern states into the Bloc.

However, he said that the West-East divide had resulted in first and second classes within the EU, with member states like Poland given short shrift.

'Today all Europeans, expect one thing. They want us to face up to the challenges posed by several crises at the same time, and not against each other, looking for someone to blame - or rather, those who are not really to blame, but whom it is convenient to blame,' he said.

Earlier this month, Poland's Constitutional Court (pictured) ruled that EU treaties were incompatible with the Polish constitution, putting Warsaw and Brussels on a full collision course

'We cannot remain silent when our country - including in this Chamber - is attacked in an unfair and biased manner.'

The PM said that Poland was a 'proud nation' and would not be cowed by threats of financial penalties which were tantamount to 'blackmail.'

'I reject the language of threats, hazing and coercion,' Morawiecki said.

Morawiecki also criticised the 'creeping' expansion of EU powers, with particular regard to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Von der Leyen warned that Poland's constitutional ruling 'is a direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order.'

She said a first option is so-called infringements, where the Commission legally challenges the Polish court's judgment, which could lead to fines.

Another option is a conditionality mechanism and other financial tools whereby EU funds would be withheld from Poland.

Until Warsaw's clash with Brussels is resolved, it is unlikely to see any of the 23.9 billion euros in grants and 12.1 billion in cheap loans that it applied for as part of the EU's recovery fund after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The EU could even block Polish access to EU grants for development and structural projects in the 2021-2027 budget worth around 70 billion euros.

Von der Leyen said a third option is the application of Article 7 of the EU's treaties. Under this, rights of member states - including the right to vote on EU decisions - can be suspended because they have breached core values of the bloc.

Morawiecki, speaking after her in the EU assembly, accused the bloc of overstepping its authority.

'EU competencies have clear boundaries, we must not remain silent when those boundaries are breached. So we are saying yes to European universalism, but we say no to European centralism,' he said.

A succession of members of the parliament then stood up to castigate the Polish leader, while some EU ministers gathering for a meeting in Luxembourg joined the chorus of criticism.

Morawiecki ended up running over his allotted speaking time, prompting warnings from Parliament Vice President Pedro Silva Pereira.

'You will take note that I was extremely flexible with the allocated time so that nobody can say that you didn't have time enough to give explanations to the European Parliament,' Pereira told the PM.

'But respect of the allocated time is also a way of showing respect for this house of the European democracy.'
Republicans are telling Meghan Markle to 'stick to acting' and daring the royal family to strip her of her title after she wrote a letter to Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer advocating for paid family leave on Thursday.

The duchess wrote a lengthy note detailing times in her childhood when she was forced to participate in middle class activities, like getting a job as a teen for gas money and eating at a salad bar, in order to push for the national paid family leave program tucked into Democrats' budget reconciliation plan for social spending.

'Ms. Markle's latest interference in U.S. politics reignites the question in my mind as to why the Royal Family does not simply strip her and Harry officially of their titles, particularly since she insists on sending this under the pretense of being the Duchess of Sussex,' Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., told DailyMail.com.

Republicans are telling Meghan Markle to 'stick to acting' and daring the royal family to strip her of her title after she advoacted for paid family leave on Thursday

'While her attempts at appealing to working class families by recalling her days of eating at Sizzler were laughable, her comments make crystal clear that the passage of this massive tax-and-spend bill is aimed more at helping global elites get huge tax breaks than helping the working families she claims to have dined with.'

The letter sparked rumors that Markle was using the 'tactics of an aspiring politician' to lobby two senior Washington figures on Joe Biden's proposed parental and sick leave legislation in a 1000-word letter sent on the Sussexes' own headed paper.

'Meghan Markle is incredibly out of touch with the American people and should stick to acting instead of trying to play politics,' Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., told DailyMail.com.

'The last thing we need right now is wealthy celebrities pushing their liberal agendas on the American people.'

Last October, Smith requested the Crown strip Harry and Meghan of their titles over interference in the US election.

In remarks made on the election at the end of September, as some states had begun their early voting, Prince Harry urged people to 'reject hate speech' while Meghan called November 3 the 'most important election of our lifetime.'

Royals experts have also questioned whether Americans will be impressed 'by her account of how she had to struggle' on $4.99 salads from Sizzler when her estranged father Thomas put her through private school from kindergarten and she now lives in a $14million LA mansion while sitting on a $100million fortune.

The Duchess of Sussex's letter was sent, she claims, as an 'engaged citizen and a parent and as a mom' - but is being viewed as her most overtly political intervention in US life yet after speculation she has dreams of being a Democrat politician or even to run for US President.

The extraordinary 1,030-word letter to Pelosi and Schumer, both Democrats, is written on the Sussexes new post-royal letterhead, which prominently uses their titles but not their official cyphers. In one highly-political line, she says the US's economic systems are 'past their expiration date' and 'too many Americans are forced to shortchange themselves when it comes to what matters to them'.

Angela Levin, journalist and biographer of Prince Harry, told MailOnline that while the duchess is an American citizen, the letter from 'the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex' signed 'on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry', amounts to using her British title and marriage to the sixth in line to the throne to interfere in US politics.

She said: 'Meghan's two page letter to lobby Congress about giving money on parental leave, is obviously another step towards trying to turn herself into a politician. But the notepaper she is using is astonishingly 'From the Office of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex' and shows how she isn't even aware that she is talking to politicians in a republic that won its independence from the crown in 1776.

'The truth is that the bill about parental leave is on its way to being confirmed, and could be hijack by Meghan's belief it was largely due to her. In addition if she was writing a profession letter what on earth is she getting all cosy and intimate by stating the letter is also 'on behalf of Archie and Lili - notice she is not calling her Lillibet, the Queen's nickname - and Harry. Poor old Harry has come last'.

Prince Charles is known to have written to several US Presidents over the years, including Joe Biden, and also sent the so called 'Black Spider Letters' to British government ministers and politicians over the years, but never in the same public way as Meghan's missive to Schumer and Pelosi.

Meghan says in her letter she 'grew up on the $4.99 salad bar at Sizzler' and meals at the 'The Old Spaghetti Factory' chain restaurants. She also details how she had to work at the local frozen yogurt shop from the age of 13 just to make ends meet and, when she was older, to fill up her car.

But critics have pointed many families couldn't afford to eat out at all and that Meghan attended a prestigious private nursery and kindergarten called Little Red Schoolhouse which starts at $18,800 a year for kindergarten and $22,600 year for sixth-grade, paid for by her father Thomas, who she no longer speaks to.

Meghan's reference to Sizzler has been seized upon on social media, with users labelling her comments as 'out of touch' and questioning what relevance the statement has to maternity leave.

The Duchess has suggested she had to struggle to make ends meet as a youngster and that $4.99 salads from Sizzler was one of her family's few options, but Twitter users pointed out many families don't have the money to eat out whatsoever, and sprang to the defense of the salad bar.

Royal commentator and former editor of International Who's Who, Richard Fitzwilliams, told MailOnline: 'Using the example of the $5 salad bar and how she had to struggle in the past is an attempt to link with the way so many families struggle to pay their bills.

'Aspiring politicians use these sort of examples and it remains to be seen, since she was privately educated and her father was one of Hollywood's top lighting directors, whether the audience she seeks are impressed by her account of how she had to struggle. She and her father are estranged as she is at the moment from the royal family. The issue she highlights is undoubtedly an important one, but many will sense a ruthless streak in her behaviour which needs moderating if she were ever to seek election'. He added: 'What, I wonder, is Harry's future in all this? An autobiography at the end of next year won't be helpful to mending his relations with his family. Meghan is where she is because she married into the royal family. It will be fascinating to see how, if she chooses politics, people in the US will regard her'.

A source close to the Palace has said Meghan's intervention is unlikely to cause waves in the UK, as she is unlikely to return to royal duties. 'She's an American citizen, highly political and it's not the first time she's lobbied using her title. The Palace won't be shocked at all', the expert said.

Meghan Markle, pictured above with Prince Harry and her first born Archie, made a rare political statement on Wednesday

Meghan Markle said she was writing the letter to House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Charles Schumer 'as a mom' and 'on behalf of millions of American families'

The Duchess went on to detail her humble beginnings: 'I grew up on the 4.99-dollar salad bar at Sizzler,' she said

The letter was written and sent on headed paper from the couple's home in Montecito, California

The US parental leave pay debate explained The USA may be among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it does not offer a government-led paid parental leave scheme in 2021. Instead, seven states, including California, New Jersey and Massachusetts, offer their own individual forms of paid leave for new parents. Historically, such decisions have been left for private businesses to decide whether or not employees are offered such benefits. Approximately one quarter of American firms offer paid leave programmes. But in April, President Joe Biden proposed a 163billion package of worker benefits that would see paid parental leave brought in from 2023. If passed, workers could take up to 12 weeks of absence with their newborn while still receiving up to to two thirds of their pay packet. The Democrat-backed policy would be funded by increasing tax on the top 1% of America's highest earners. Advertisement

The letter pertains to historic legislation moving through Congress, which would make 12 weeks of paid family and sick leave available to most workers as part of new federal policy.

The US is among a handful of nations that do not guarantee paid sick leave or maternity or paternity pay.

While the issue itself is not controversial and is supported by many in the US, Meghan's very public statement is likely to ruffle feathers and add fuel to speculation that she has political ambitions.

Royal author Ingrid Seward said: 'If Meghan does have political ambitions then this is just the kind of cause she will pursue', adding: 'On this matter I agree with her entirely'.

Meghan insists that the letter was as an American and 'mom', not a politician.

She writes: 'I'm not an elected official, and I'm not a politician. I am, like many, an engaged citizen and a parent.

'And because you and your congressional colleagues have a role in shaping family outcomes for generations to come, that's why I'm writing to you at this deeply important time  as a mom  to advocate for paid leave.'

Meghan, 40, claims the Covid pandemic has exposed 'long-existing fault lines in our communities' and says 'millions of women' have been forced to drop out of the workforce to look after their children as a result of schools and childcare providers being closed.

In one of the most astonishing parts of her letter, she suggests her family were impoverished even though her father was an Emmy award-winning lighting director and she was educated at private school.

She says: 'I grew up on the $4.99 salad bar at Sizzler  it may have cost less back then (to be honest, I can't remember)  but what I do remember was the feeling: I knew how hard my parents worked to afford this because even at five bucks, eating out was something special, and I felt lucky.

'And as a Girl Scout, when my troop would go to dinner for a big celebration, it was back to that same salad bar or The Old Spaghetti Factory  because that's what those families could afford.'

She also details how she had to work at the local frozen yogurt shop from the age of 13 just to make ends meet and, when she was older, to fill up her car.

'I waited tables, babysat, and piecemealed jobs together to cover odds and ends,' Meghan writes.

'I worked all my life and saved when and where I could  but even that was a luxury  because usually it was about making ends meet and having enough to pay my rent and put gas in my car.'

Meghan's reference to Sizzler has been seized upon on social media, with users labelling her comments as 'out of touch' and questioning what relevance the statement has to maternity leave

The Duchess has suggested she had to struggle to make ends meet as a youngster and that $4.99 salads from Sizzler was one of her family's few options, but Twitter users pointed out many families don't have the money to eat out whatsoever, and sprang to the defense of the salad bar

Meghan reflected on her family life after the birth of Lilibet earlier this year, saying: 'In June, my husband and I welcomed our second child. Like any parents, we were overjoyed. Like many parents, we were overwhelmed'

Meghan Markle lived this home in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles with both her parents and half-siblings Thomas Jr and Samantha until 1983, for the first two years of her life before her parents divorced

After living with her mum Doria, Meghan would later move back in with her father in the 1990s, as Thomas put her through private school. She stayed at the Hollywood property until she left for college in 1999

The former Suits actress, who signed off as 'Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex', concluded the letter, by writing: 'If we're going to create a new era of family-first policies, let's make sure that includes a strong paid leave program for every American that's guaranteed, accessible, and encouraged without stigma or penalty.

'I know how politically charged things can  and have  become. But this isn't about right or left, it's about right or wrong.

'This is about putting families above politics. And for a refreshing change, it's something we all seem to agree on. At a point when everything feels so divisive, let this be a shared goal that unites us.

'So, on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry, I thank you for considering this letter, and on behalf of all families, I ask you to ensure this consequential moment is not lost.'

The duchess concedes that she and Harry are lucky enough not have had to make 'impossible' choices about their work and their family.

'No family should be faced with these decisions.

'No family should have to choose between earning a living and having the freedom to take care of their child (or a loved one, or themselves, as we would see with a comprehensive paid leave plan),' she says.

'I understand that with everything going on these days, people might find it easy to be apathetic about what's happening in Washington DC... but with stakes this high none of us can afford to let apathy win.

'So, on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry, I thank you for considering this letter, and on behalf of all families, I ask you to ensure this consequential moment is not lost.'

A spokesman for Meghan said she 'cares deeply about advocating for families in the US and around the world' and had partnered with three campaign organisations on the issue.

A slice of happy family life: Sitting next to grandmother Jeanette, 12-year-old Meghan tucks into a cake at her cousin Donovan's birthday party in 1993

Meghan on her 11th birthday with mum Doria in 1992, seen in pictures kept by her uncle Joseph Johnson

The Sussexes have established a new life for themselves in the celebrity enclave of Montecito in California, buying a multimillion-pound home and launching a non-profit foundation.

Harry and Meghan have also signed lucrative deals  thought to be worth well over 100 million  with Spotify and Netflix that have given them the capital to pursue their new lifestyle and public goals.

Last week, MailOnline revealed how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's move into the stock market will see them work alongside a band of self-styled Wall Street 'hippies'.

Ethic, a New York-based fintech asset manager, is run by a wealthy British former public schoolboy who starts meetings with 'gratitude sessions' where staff thank each other for their hard work and can pet the office dog given the title 'Chief Smile Officer'.

It is the couple's latest move in their efforts to build what experts believe could be a $1billion brand in the US after quitting the Royal Family for independence and to earn their own money.

Business experts declared themselves flummoxed at what an 'impact partner' is, although the best guess seemed to be a super-charged brand ambassador.

The Sussexes have not said how much of their fortune they have invested in the 1.3billion investment fund, having been introduced to the founders by a mutual friend.

Ethic, which was set up by Briton Jay Lipman - a red-haired Prince Harry lookalike from London now settled in the US having worked for Deutsche Bank - 'loves hippies' to invest with them, because the team, several of whom worked for JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, consider themselves hippies too.
Care homes are closing due to an exodus of staff  leaving NHS hospitals to pick up the pieces, a major report has warned.

Todays annual report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) paints a bleak picture of a healthcare system on the brink of collapse heading into the most challenging of winters.

The watchdog warned of unacceptably long waits in ambulances and at A&E units, adding that many NHS services were already at or beyond capacity.

It found social care staff are increasingly leaving to take up better-paid jobs in supermarkets, retail or hospitality.

One in ten essential jobs in care homes is now vacant, nearly twice the level of six months ago.

The CQC said the exodus is likely to accelerate as travel and hospitality speed up recruitment.

Some nursing homes are having to shut because their attempts at recruitment have failed, making it untenable to continue providing care.

There are fears that more homes could be forced to close when a rule requiring care staff to be double-jabbed against Covid comes into force on November 11, potentially leaving more than 40,000 frontline carers redundant.

Todays annual report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) paints a bleak picture of a healthcare system on the brink of collapse heading into the most challenging of winters. [File image]

CQC chief executive Ian Trenholm said the serious and deteriorating care staffing crisis will have knock-on effects for hospitals and GPs.

Patients who could be cared for in the community are ending up stuck in hospital, which charities said is deeply ominous for the NHS as Covid cases surge.

CQC inspectors raised concerns about unacceptable waits in A&E, noting that half of emergency departments were already having to hold patients outside in ambulances every day.

So desperate, carers with Covid did shifts By Chris Brooke for The Daily Mail Staff shortages at one home were so severe that two carers with Covid worked the night shift over a weekend. The staff were asymptomatic and looked after 11 residents who also had coronavirus, which swept through the Caledonia home in Holyhead, Anglesey, last month. The 15-bed care home is short-staffed and during this crisis incident most of the staff were off ill of self-isolating. The staff were asymptomatic and looked after 11 residents who also had coronavirus, which swept through the Caledonia home in Holyhead, Anglesey (pictured above) Owner Ann Bedford said social services and the local health authority were unable to help and, with no agency care staff available, she was left without night staff. She said the home, which specialises in dementia care, only got through the weekend because the two fantastic staff members who had tested positive agreed to work. Mrs Bedford, 75, said the two homes she owns have had no Covid deaths and had only been hit recently by the virus after all residents and staff had been fully-jabbed. We are still struggling but we are hanging on, she said. When this happened we were short of staff anyway and couldnt find anyone to help us. I have lung cancer and of course for me it was frightening but even I came in. 'Obviously I was very careful but I was double-jabbed and got through it, but it was desperate. 'I was promised help but never got it. We felt abandoned and alone. Advertisement

Last night doctors at Wrexham Maelor Hospital in North Wales claimed it is so short-staffed that its teetering on a knife-edge and just two resignations from collapse.

Meanwhile, the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust declared a critical incident last night and said it is experiencing unprecedented demand... more so this week than at any point during the pandemic.

The CQC report, based on inspections of more than 32,000 services and providers, looked at all aspects of healthcare.

Mr Trenholm said: If nothing changes social care will continue to lose staff to other sectors, outside of health and social care.

'The impact of that will ripple right across the wider system, and those ripples will build and become a tsunami of unmet need across all sectors.

The report called for sharp focus on developing a clearly defined career pathway for social care staff, including better training and higher pay.

Responding to the findings, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said: Social care staff, including nurses, are leaving in their droves which presents a real risk to the continuation of services.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the report had highlighted the gradual disintegration of the social care system, with providers forced to mothball care.

She said: Older people are getting stuck in hospital again when they are medically fit to be discharged, simply because there is not enough care to support them when they get home.

This is deeply ominous for the NHS, with the worst of winter yet to come, as well as miserable and counterproductive for any older person concerned.

Gavin Terry, head of policy at Alzheimers Society, said: The rising numbers of people seeking emergency care tallies with what we know from our own research people with dementia are being rushed to hospital with problems like infections, falls and dehydration that quality social care support could have prevented.

Rachel Harrison, from the GMB Union, called for a minimum pay of 15 an hour for care workers, adding: The care sector is past a crisis  its on the verge of collapse.

'We face 170,000 vacancies by the end of the year and thats before Novembers cliff-edge vaccine deadline forces more career carers out of the door.

The Department of Health last night announced a new 162.5million workforce retention and recruitment fund to bolster the care workforce.

The ring-fenced funding, available until the end of March, will support local authorities working with providers to recruit staff.

It will also be available to help retain the existing workforce - through overtime payments.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: I want to thank care workers for their commitment and tireless efforts throughout the Covid-19 pandemic  we owe them a debt of gratitude which I am determined to repay through ambitious, sustainable social care reform that prioritises their skills and wellbeing.
Boris Johnson has delayed a decision on whether fresh Covid curbs are needed until after half-term in the hope the school break will halt the surge in cases.

Government sources say that ministers have been startled by the rapid spread of the virus among schoolchildren, where infection rates are up to ten times higher than among the wider population.

A source said ministers hoped that next weeks half-term holiday in England would break the increase in daily infections, which rose to more than 50,000 yesterday for the first time since July.

The Prime Minister yesterday said that he was sticking with the existing approach for now, despite a growing clamour from the medical profession to move to the Governments Plan B.

The introduction of Plan B would see the return of mandatory face masks, the introduction of controversial vaccine passports and the revival of the work from home advice.

Boris Johnson (pictured in Northern Ireland yesterday) has delayed a decision on whether fresh Covid curbs are needed until after half-term in hope the school break will halt the surge in cases

Mr Johnson acknowledged that cases are high but said they remained within the parameters predicted by Government scientists when legal Covid restrictions were ended in July.

Speaking during a visit to Northern Ireland yesterday, he said Britain was incomparably better placed than last year as it headed into the winter as a result of the vaccination programme.

Rejecting calls to change approach, he added: We are sticking with the plan. Privately, ministers are alarmed by the continued surge in cases, and the steady rise in hospitalisations and deaths which has followed.

At present, the bulk of the cases is among the younger age groups. But there are concerns that, as vaccine effectiveness wanes, more older people could succumb to the virus, leading to a sharp rise in hospitalisations.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured) this week advised people to start modifying their behaviour to limit the spread of infection. He said they should try to meet outdoors and ensure they opened windows where this was not possible

A Government source said the age split in recent Covid infections was incredibly stark, with secondary school children now ten times more likely to contract the virus than adults aged 50 to 70.

A second source said: We are focused on doing everything we can to avoid having to implement Plan B.

Given the prevalence among children, there is a hope that half-term will reverse the very concerning rises we have seen recently.

Certainly nothing will happen before we see what effect that has had on numbers.

Downing Street vehemently denied reports yesterday that officials are already working on a Plan C, which would involve limiting household contacts by law.

But the former Tory health minister Steve Brine said there was already a depressingly familiar drumbeat on moving towards plan B and plan B+, and plan C.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid this week advised people to start modifying their behaviour to limit the spread of infection. He said they should try to meet outdoors and ensure they opened windows where this was not possible.

A source said ministers hoped that next weeks half-term holiday in England would break the increase in daily infections, which rose to more than 50,000 yesterday for the first time since July

New advice on the need to behave more cautiously is the first step in Plan B, but No 10 yesterday denied that the contingency plans were already under way.

Figures yesterday showed the number of patients in hospital with Covid has risen to more than 8,000 for the first time in more than a month. The PMs official spokesman acknowledged that the NHS is facing a challenging winter. But he said there were still 6,000 free hospital beds.

Downing Street yesterday denied that Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientist Sir Patrick Vallance had made a formal request to move to Plan B. But medical lobby groups lined up to call for immediate action. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association, said the refusal to introduce supplementary measures  including Covid passports, mask-wearing in crowded public spaces and a return to working from home  amounted to wilful negligence.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health trusts, said it was better to act now, rather than regret it later.
Homeowners living in older, rural and even listed properties risk being unable to sell if strict green finance targets are introduced, estate agents have warned.

The warning comes after Boris Johnson unveiled his plan for turning Britain green by 2050 this week, with mortgage lenders having targets for the energy performance of properties in their portfolio.

A body that represents estate agents across Britain claimed that the property market could be distorted as a result of the measures and called for Britain's historic housing stock to be taken into account.

Boris Johnson revealed proposals on how to make the housing stock greener this week

Timothy Douglas, of Propertymark, said: 'Incentivising green improvements to properties via lending creates risks of trapping homeowners with older properties, those who live in rural areas, listed buildings or conservation areas, making their homes difficult to sell and therefore reducing the value.'

Propertymark said that those living in older properties could be left with homes that they could not sell if buyers were unable to secure finance on them due to their lower energy efficiencies.

The effect would be likely to be felt more by less wealthy owners, as deep-pocketed buyers would be more able to overlook mortgage restrictions and high-end older homes would continue to be desirable.

Mr Douglas said: 'The use of targets could distort the market and sway lenders towards preferential, newer homes in order to improve the rating of their portfolio.

'Stopping a large portion of housing stock from being able to enter the market could cause havoc for home buying and selling as well as the wider economy.'

He added that improving the energy efficiency of homes should be reliant on consumer choice and not something enforced by mortgage lenders, with all the knock-on effects this could entail.

He said: 'We would be concerned if lenders raise rates and limit products because fundamentally, improving the energy performance of a property is reliant on consumer choice and it is not the core business of mortgage lenders.'

Mark Harris, of mortgage broker SPF Private Clients, said: 'The green agenda is not new but there is increasing impetus behind it. There are more green mortgage products aimed at those purchasing more energy-efficient properties  A-C rated, and not just from specialist lenders but the high street banks too.

'However, there is a real danger that green initiatives could create the next round of mortgage prisoners if homeowners are trapped in older homes that can't be improved, so they can't move because they can't sell them on.

'Without changes or improvements, lenders may restrict lending to lower loan-to-values, higher pricing, or not lend at all. This could penalise those who are unable to adapt to or adopt new efficient technologies economically.'

A UK Finance spokesperson said: 'Greening our housing stock is vital if we are to meet our climate change obligations and banks and finance providers are committed to helping achieve this goal and making sure consumers are not left behind.'
Health problems linked to climate change are getting worse, a top medical journal said on Wednesday, creating a 'code red' situation where droughts impact food production and rising temperatures lead to diseases like malaria and cholera spreading around the world.

The reports, published by the medical journal Lancet on Wednesday, note that 44 global health indicators connected to climate change, including rising heat deaths, infectious diseases and hunger, saw an 'unabated rise.'

'The current health consequences of the delayed and inconsistent response of countries around the globe ... [provide] a clear imperative for accelerated action that puts the health of people and planet above all else,' the authors of the report wrote.

Over a six month period in 2020, '84 disasters from floods, droughts, and storms affected 51.6 million people in countries already struggling with COVID-19, with the escalating impacts of disasters reducing their ability to respond to health emergencies,' the report added.

The number of heat related deaths for people 65 and older was estimated to be 345,000 in 2019, 80.6 percent higher than in the 2000-2005 average.

The 44 indicators are organized into five areas: climate change impacts, exposures, and vulnerabilities; adaptation, planning, and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement.

Climate change-related health problems are getting worse, a top medical journal said, creating a 'code red' situation

This year's reports - one global, one aimed at the U.S., noted there are several dangerous trends occurring:

Vulnerable populations, notably young children and older people 'are especially susceptible to the health risks of high temperatures and heatwaves,' the authors wrote in the study.

'Results show a steady increase in the person-days of exposure for adults older than 65 years, with an annual average of 2.9 billion additional person-days of heatwave exposure in the past 10 years and 3.1 billion more (or an average of 4.1 days per person >65 years) in 2020, with respect to the 19862005 baseline average,' the report added.

'For children younger than 1 year, there were an estimated 626 million additional person-days of exposure (46 days per person <1 year) affecting this vulnerable group in 2020 compared with baseline years.'

Nearly 60 percent of countries have an increase in the number of days people were exposed to 'very high or extremely high' fire danger between 2017 and 2020, compared with 2001-2004

Nearly 60 percent of countries have an increase in the number of days people were exposed to 'very high or extremely high' fire danger between 2017 and 2020, compared with 2001-2004.

Seventy-two percent of 'countries had increased human exposure to wildfires across the same period,' the report stated.

The number of heat related deaths for people 65 and older was estimated to be 345,000 in 2019, 80.6 percent higher than in the 2000-2005 average.

There was a 155 percent increase in negative expression tweets in 2020, compared to the average between 2015 and 2019.

The number of heat related deaths for people 65 and older was estimated to be 345,000 in 2019, 80.6 percent higher than in the 2000-2005 average

There was a 155 percent increase in negative expression tweets in 2020, compared to the average between 2015 and 2019. Over 6 billion tweets were collected in the six years

More people are now in areas where climate-sensitive diseases can flourish, as the Vibrio bacteria has increased by 35 percent in the Baltics, 25 percent in the Atlantic Northeast and 4 percent in the Pacific Northwest.

In addition, 'the number of months suitable for malaria transmission increased by 39 percent between 195059 and 201019' in some poorer countries, the report added.

'Rising temperatures are having consequences,' said University of Washington environmental health professor Kristie Ebi, a report co-author.

In addition, 'the number of months suitable for malaria transmission increased by 39 percent between 195059 and 201019' in some poorer countries

The report also notes that agricultural workers in countries with low and medium human development index (HDI) were 'among the worst affected by exposure to extreme temperatures, accounting for almost 'half of the 295 billion potential work hours lost due to heat in 2020.'

At any given month in 2020, up to 19 percent of the global land surface suffered from 'extreme drought,' a figure that had not exceeded 13 percent between 1950 and 1999.

At any given month in 2020, up to 19 percent of the global land surface suffered from 'extreme drought,' a figure that had not exceeded 13 percent between 1950 and 1999

Warmer temperatures are hurting the yield potential of some of the world's crops, including a 6 percent reduction for corn, 3 percent reduction for winter wheat, a 5.4 reduction for soybean and 1.8 decline for rice, compared to the 1981 to 2010 average

Warmer temperatures are hurting the yield potential of some of the world's top crops, including a 6 percent reduction for corn, 3 percent reduction for winter wheat, a 5.4 reduction for soybean and 1.8 decline for rice, compared to the 1981 to 2010 average.

'Adding to these health hazards, the changing environmental conditions are also increasing the suitability for the transmission of many water-borne, air-borne, food-borne, and vector-borne pathogens,' the report added.

'Although socioeconomic development, public health interventions, and advances in medicine have reduced the global burden of infectious disease transmission, climate change could undermine eradication efforts.'

Stanford University tropical medicine professor Dr Michele Barry, who was not involved in the research, told the Associated Press 'code Red is not even a hot enough color for this report.'

Barry added that this report, when compared to the last one, is a 'sobering realization that we're going completely in the wrong direction.'

In the U.S., heat, fire and drought caused the biggest problems. An unprecedented Pacific Northwest and Canadian heat wave hit this summer, which a previous study showed couldn't have happened without human-caused climate change.

Study co-author Dr. Jeremy Hess, a professor of environmental health and emergency medicine at the University of Washington, said he witnessed the impacts of climate change while working at Seattle emergency rooms during the heat.

'I saw paramedics who had burns on their knees from kneeling down to care for patients with heat stroke,' he said. 'And I saw far too many patients die' from the heat.

The report said 65 of the 84 countries included subsidize the burning of fossil fuels, which cause climate change. Doing that 'feels like caring for the desperately ill patient while somebody is handing them lit cigarettes and junk food,' said Dr. Richard Jackson, a UCLA public health professor who wasnt part of the study.

Despite the overwhelmingly negative tone of the report, it does have some positive highlights.

Electricity generated from renewable wind and solar rose 17 percent between 2013 and 2018, while investment in new coal declined 10 percent last year.

In addition, the number of electric vehicles jumped to 7.2 million in 2019.

Even the COVID-19 pandemic has helped, researchers said.

'The global pandemic has driven increased engagement in health and climate change across multiple domains in society, with 91 heads of state making the connection in the 2020 UN General Debate and newly widespread engagement among countries in the very high HDI group.

'Whether COVID-19 recovery supports, or reverses these trends, is yet to be seen.'
Sperm have been made from monkey stem cells and used to fertilise a macaque egg in a scientific breakthrough that could lead to human infertility treatments.

Researchers took some stem cells, converted them into primitive sperm and showed this was capable of fertlising an egg from a rhesus macaque.

The monkeys share similar reproductive mechanisms to humans, making them an 'ideal and necessary model for exploring stem cell-based therapies for male infertility,' experts at the University of Georgia (UGA) said.

It comes fives years after scientists were able to create sperm in a laboratory and use it to father healthy baby mice in another pioneering move.

The hope is that the research could one day pave the way to help men with defects that leave them unable to produce sperm, as well as those whose fertility has been damaged by cancer treatment or infections such as mumps.

Breakthrough: Sperm have been made from monkey stem cells and used to fertilise a macaque egg in a scientific breakthrough that could lead to human infertility treatments (stock image)

HOW ARE STEM CELLS MADE INTO SPERM? The scientific breakthrough by experts from the University of Georgia could lead to human infertility treatments. They managed to make sperm in a lab from monkey stem cells, and used the primitive sperm cells fertilise a macaque egg. Making sperm in the testes, which takes more than a month from start to finish in most mammals, is one of the longest and most complicated processes in the body. In the lab, the UGA researchers made functional sperm cells in a dish using primate embryonic stem cells. These cells can morph into any other type of tissue but are made into immature sperm cells with the help of chemicals, hormones and testicular tissue. They must also go through a careful rearrangement of their DNA during a process called meiosis, where the sperm cells lose half of their chromosomes so a fertilised egg has a normal amount. Researchers used embryonic stem cells from rhesus macaque monkeys to generate immature sperm cells known as round spermatids, which do not have a head and a tail for swimming because they're at an earlier stage in their development. These spermatids were shown to be capable of fertilising a rhesus macaque egg. Advertisement

Making sperm in the testes, which takes more than a month from start to finish in most mammals, is one of the longest and most complicated processes in the body.

The UGA-led study is the first to show that functional sperm cells can be made in a dish using primate embryonic stem cells.

These cells can morph into any other type of tissue but are made into immature sperm cells with the help of chemicals, hormones and testicular tissue.

They must also go through a careful rearrangement of their DNA during a process called meiosis, where the sperm cells lose half of their chromosomes so a fertilised egg has a normal amount.

'This is a major breakthrough towards producing stem cell-based therapies to treat male infertility in cases where the men do not produce any viable sperm cells,' said lead researcher Charles Easley, an associate professor at UGA's College of Public Health.

Researchers used embryonic stem cells from rhesus macaque monkeys to generate immature sperm cells known as round spermatids, which do not have a head and a tail for swimming because they're at an earlier stage in their development.

These spermatids were shown to be capable of fertilising a rhesus macaque egg.

Although scientists had previously been able to produce sperm-like cells using mouse stem cells, rodent sperm production is distinctly different to that of humans.

Until now, the researchers said, it wasn't clear the technology could ever work to help male infertility.

'This is the first step that shows this technology is potentially translatable. We're using a species that's more relevant to us, and we're having success in making healthy embryos,' said Easley.

Researchers used embryonic stem cells from rhesus macaque monkeys to generate immature sperm cells known as round spermatids, which do not have a head and a tail for swimming because they're at an earlier stage in their development. These spermatids were shown to be capable of fertilising a rhesus macaque egg (pictured)

This autumn, the researchers plan to take the next step of implanting these embryos into a surrogate rhesus macaque to examine whether they can produce a healthy baby.

If that step is successful, the team will carry out the same process using spermatid-like cells derived from macaque skin cells.

That's because another challenge the field needs to overcome is that no human adult has embryonic stem cells.

Scientists think that converting skin cells into a stem-cell state, which can be done reliably, is the solution.

Sarah Norcross, Director of fertility and genomics charity PET said: This is a significant step in establishing whether sperm created in the lab could, one day, be used for human reproduction.

'We will be watching closely as the researchers carry out this work in macaques, first seeing whether eggs fertilised with this type of sperm can lead to a pregnancy, and then seeing whether a pregnancy can be achieved with sperm derived from skin cells.

'Even if all of these things are achieved in macaques, it will still take many years and much more research before such techniques are fit for use in human treatments.'

The latest research has been published in the journal Fertility and Sterility Science.
From The Birth of Venus to the statue of David, many of the world's most recognisable works of art depict nude people.

But despite being works of art, nude statues and paintings are often mistaken by social media algorithms as real people, meaning they're blocked or censored.

Now, the Vienna Tourist Board has taken matters into its own hands, launching a page on OnlyFans to display the nude statues and paintings featured in the Leopold Museum, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna and Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna and Albertina.

'Vienna and its art institutions are among the casualties of this new wave of prudishness  with nude statues and famous artworks blacklisted under social media guidelines, and repeat offenders even finding their accounts temporarily suspended,' it explained.

'That's why we decided to put the capital's world-famous "explicit" artworks on OnlyFans.'

The Vienna Tourist Board has taken matters into its own hands, launching a page on OnlyFans to display the nude statues and paintings featured in the Leopold Museum, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna and Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna and Albertina

Venus of Willendorf, a Venus figurine estimated to have been made around 25,000 years ago, is featured on the OnlyFans page

Facebook's nudity policy According to Facebook's nudity policy, photographs of nude artworks are allowed on its platforms. 'We understand that nudity can be shared for a variety of reasons, including as a form of protest, to raise awareness about a cause or for educational or medical reasons,' the policy states. 'We also allow photographs of paintings, sculptures and other art that depicts nude figures.' Advertisement

The unusual decision to launch a page on OnlyFans came after famous works of art were 'blacklisted' on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook for containing 'lewd' content, according to the Vienna Tourist Board.

Speaking to NBC News, Helena Hartlauer, a spokesperson for the Vienna Tourist Board, explained: 'Right now, an algorithm determines what is okay to see and what is not.

'And it definitely should not determine our cultural legacy.'

The works of art featured on the OnlyFans page include those from famous artists including Egon Schiele, Richard Gerstl, Koloman Moser and Amedeo Modigliani.

'Besides changing the face of art forever, they are also known for their unflinching depictions of the nude human body,' the Vienna Tourist Board explained.

'So it hardly comes as any surprise to learn that some of their artworks fell foul of the censors over 100 years ago.'

Aside from serving as a fun way to draw attention to their exhibitions, the Vienna Tourist Board hopes the OnlyFans page will help to spark the conversation about censorship on social media.

'We've decided to try to start a conversation about this topic because we thought it's very Vienna,' Ms Hartlauer added.

'Because Vienna has always been a very open minded city. We believe it's important for Vienna institutions in general to have some space for different ideas, and we're not afraid of the naked truth.'

A subscription to the OnlyFans page costs $4.99/month (3.62/month) and includes a free ticket to the featured museums where user can see the works of art in the flesh.

A subscription to the OnlyFans page costs $4.99/month (3.62/month) and includes a free ticket to the featured museums where user can see the works of art in the flesh

According to Facebook's nudity policy, photographs of nude artworks are allowed on its platforms.

'We understand that nudity can be shared for a variety of reasons, including as a form of protest, to raise awareness about a cause or for educational or medical reasons,' the policy states.

'We also allow photographs of paintings, sculptures and other art that depicts nude figures.'

MailOnline has contacted Facebook for comment.
A dinosaur fossil that was previously thought to be a terrifying 'raptor-like' carnivore is actually a timid vegetarian that lived 220 million years ago, a new analysis has revealed.

The fossil footprints were found in an Australia mine around 50 years ago, and were thought to belong to a massive theropod predator.

However, a new analysis by researchers from the University of Queensland has confirmed that the prints were actually left by a Prosauropod  a small and timid vegetarian.

Hendrik Klein, co-author of the study, said: 'This is still a significant discovery even if it isn't a scary Triassic carnivore.

'This is the earliest evidence we have for this type of dinosaur in Australia, marking a 50-million-year gap before the first quadrupedal sauropod fossils known.'

A new analysis by researchers from the University of Queensland has confirmed that the prints were actually left by a Prosauropod  a small and timid vegetarian (artist's impression pictured)

The fossils were discovered more than 50 years ago around 200 metres deep underground at an coal mine just west of Brisbane.

Dr Anthony Romilio, who led the study, said: 'It must have been quite a sight for the first miners in the 1960s to see big bird-like footprints jutting down from the ceiling.'

Researchers from the University of Queensland have now reanalysed the footprints, having suspected something was not quite right with the original analysis.

The fossils were discovered more than 50 years ago around 200 metres deep underground at an coal mine just west of Brisbane

Dr Romilio explained: 'For years it's been believed that these tracks were made by a massive theropod predator that was part of the dinosaur family Eubrontes, with legs over two metres tail.

'This idea caused a sensation decades ago because no other meat-eating dinosaur in the world approached that size during the Triassic period.

'Unfortunately, most earlier researchers could not directly access the footprint specimen for their study, instead relying on old drawings and photographs that lacked detail.'

The new analysis indicates the tracks were made by a dinosaur known as a Prosauropod  a vegetarian that was smaller, with legs about 1.4 metres tall and a body length of six metres (artist's impression)

While the mine has long been closed, geologists mapped the trackway and made plaster casts of the fossils in 1964, which the researchers used in the new analysis.

'We made a virtual 3D model of the dinosaur footprint that was emailed to team members across the world to study,' Mr Klein said.

'The more we looked at the footprint and toe impression shapes and proportions, the less they resembled tracks made by predatory dinosaurs  this monster dinosaur was definitely a much friendlier plant-eater.'

Rather than being left by a carnivorous raptor-like dinosaur, the new analysis indicates the tracks were made by a dinosaur known as a Prosauropod  a vegetarian that was smaller, with legs about 1.4 metres tall and a body length of six metres.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has mocked Mark Zuckerberg's plan to turn Facebook into a 'metaverse,' agreeing with a tweet calling it a 'dystopian corporate dictatorship.'

Facebook wants the 'metaverse' to be a future version of the internet, where users use virtual reality and augmented reality devices to enter virtual worlds.

Dorsey retweeted a post from a user called udiverse21, referencing author Neal Stephenson, who first coined the term 'metaverse' in 1992.

The tweet read: 'the word metaverse was coined by neal stephenson in the book snowcrash and it originally described a virtual world owned by corporations where end users were treated as citizens in a dystopian corporate dictatorship. What if neal was right.'

As Dorsey retweeted the post, he added: 'NARRATOR: He was.'

The 'metaverse' concept is one Facebook appears to be betting its future on, including hiring 10,000 EU staff to develop the shared worlds and technology.

Reports also suggest Facebook is planning to change the company name, while keeping the individual brands like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Facebook has been heavily mocked for this rebranding, with users joking 'why don't they call it wokebook,' and suggesting it is a move by Facebook to distance itself from a series of embarrassing scandals.

Zuckerberg (pictured in an Oculus VR headset) thinks Facebook will transition from 'primarily being a social media company to being a metaverse company' over the next five years

Dorsey retweeted a post from a user called udiverse21, saying 'NARRATOR He was,' referencing author Neal Stephenson, who first coined the term 'metaverse' in 1992

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has mocked Mark Zuckerberg's plan to turn Facebook into a 'metaverse,' agreeing with a Tweet calling it a 'dystopian corporate dictatorship'

What is the metaverse? The 'metaverse' is a set of virtual spaces where you can game, work and communicate with other people who aren't in the same physical space as you. Facebook explained: 'You'll be able to hang out with friends, work, play, learn, shop, create and more. 'It's not necessarily about spending more time online  it's about making the time you do spend online more meaningful.' While Facebook is leading the charge with the metaverse, it explained that it isn't a single product one company can build alone. 'Just like the internet, the metaverse exists whether Facebook is there or not,' it added. 'And it won't be built overnight. Many of these products will only be fully realized in the next 10-15 years.' Advertisement

The rebrand would see the creation of a parent company, overseeing Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and others, similar to the moves Google took in launching Alphabet to oversee its brands, including YouTube and Nest.

The firm's original, flagship social media site and app - Facebook - is expected to keep its moniker, but Facebook Inc., the parent company will get a new name.

Users took to social media to poke fun at the tech giant, which has faced a string of scandals in recent months and has seen its reputation severely bruised.

One commentator called the plan 'the old rebrand trick', in reference to other companies that have changed their names to avoid scrutiny, while others suggested new names for the company, with 'Fakebook' and 'Wokebook' being popular choices.

Facebook already has a substantial share of the social media and virtual reality market, through Instagram, WhatsApp and the Oculus VR headsets.

Creating a new name for the parent company could shield future products, such as the metaverse, from scandals linked to the brand Facebook.

Recently the company has made moves into the corporate market, through Facebook Workplace and a more business orientated version of the its Portal device.

In the Zuckerberg-inspired future, someone could put on a virtual reality headset and meet with a friend or colleague who is working in another part of the planet.

The idea is it would allow people to feel as if they're face-to-face despite being thousands of miles apart.

Building this sort of virtual world isn't a small task, even if it builds on existing technology and brand recognition.

Insiders say this is why the firm is hiring 10,000 plus staff.

The tech giant said the new roles will include 'highly specialised engineers' but did not reveal any more detail about its plans for the new metaverse team.

Dorsey isn't the first to criticise Zuckerberg for his vision of a metaverse.

Ben Sizer, a software engineer from Nottingham, tweeted earlier this week: 'Facebook is a company that has roughly 15,000 moderators who are mostly underpaid outsourcers.

'Yet they announce they will be hiring 10,000 'highly specialised' engineers to create 'the metaverse'. It's all about their priorities, not their capabilities.'

Facebook's Horizon allows users to host boardroom-style get-togethers with cartoon avatars of their colleagues (pictured) and is part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's ambition to turn Facebook into a futuristic 'metaverse'

User udiverse21 suggested a darker motive, tweeting: 'Facebook's insistence on launching a cryptocurrency + becoming a 'metaverse' means one thing. Zuckerberg had enough of running a company. He wants to run a country'

Another Twitter user wrote: 'Facebook seems to find the money and time for their 'metaverse' project but when it comes to tackling hate speech and misinformation on their platform, they really couldn't be bothered.'

Cybersecurity expert Jake Moore told MailOnline: 'Facebook's business model is seemingly far from the social media platform it once was with its core function focusing on making money rather than connecting people.'

He added that there is 'no doubt the metaverse will make serious amounts of money', but that the current Facebook platform 'clearly needs attention' to tackle the ease with which online abuse and misinformation can spread.

In his novel 'Snow Crash,' Stephenson described a virtual world owned by corporations, in which 'end users were treated as citizens in a dystopian corporate dictatorship,' according to the post by udiverse21 that Dorsey shared

Facebook has announced plans to hire 10,000 people in the European Union to develop a so-called metaverse, a virtual reality version of the internet where people can game, work and communicate. Pictured is the company's virtual reality app Horizon Workrooms

RECENT FACEBOOK SCANDALS US officials announced recently that Facebook had agreed to pay pay up to $14.25 million to settle civil claims by the government that the company discriminated against workers. And in the UK, the company was fined 50.5 million ($70 million) after failing to provide enough important information to the competition regulator investigating the firm's takeover of GIF sharing platform Giphy. Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a probe into the acquisition in June last year, shortly after the deal was announced, over concerns about a 'substantial lessening of competition'. Facebook has also admitted users can share information about how to enter countries illegally and about people smuggled on social media platforms. The admission comes as Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich urged the Department of Justice to investigate the firm over its 'facilitation' of illegal migration. It was accused of facilitating the spread of misinformation during the 2016 US presidential election, prompting a a series of congressional hearings and policy changes. In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook $5 billion for allowing 87 million US profiles to be harvested for information used for political advertising by Cambridge Analytica. Some of the advertising was used to help the 2016 campaign of former president Donald Trump. Most recently, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen released a trove of documents dubbed the 'Facebook Files'. The internal research suggests that Facebook promoted divisiveness as a way to keep people on the site, with Haugen saying the documents showed the company had failed to protect young users. It also showed that the company knew Instagram harmed young girls' body image and even tried to brainstorm ways to appeal to toddlers by 'exploring playdates as a growth lever.' Advertisement

In July, Facebook said it was creating a product team to work on the metaverse, which would be part of its AR and VR group Facebook Reality Labs.

Zuckerberg has predicted that Facebook will transition from 'primarily being a social media company to being a metaverse company' over the next five years.

It bought Oculus, a company that makes virtual reality headsets, for $2 billion in 2014 and has since been developing Horizon, a digital world where people can interact using VR technology.

The move towards a metaverse could be eased without the name Facebook attached, as the firm has attracted an increasing number of scandals.

US officials announced recently that Facebook Inc had agreed to pay pay up to $14.25 million to settle civil claims by the government that the company discriminated against American workers and violated federal recruitment rules.

And in the UK, the company was fined 50.5 million ($70 million) after failing to provide enough important information to the competition regulator investigating the firm's takeover of GIF sharing platform Giphy.

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a probe into the acquisition in June last year, shortly after the deal was announced, over concerns about a 'substantial lessening of competition'.

Facebook has also admitted that users can share information about how to enter countries illegally and about people smuggled on its social media platforms.

The admission comes as Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich urged the Department of Justice and US Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the social media giant over its 'facilitation' of illegal migration into the United States.

It was accused of facilitating the spread of misinformation during the 2016 US presidential election, prompting a a series of congressional hearings and policy changes, including the introduction of third-party fact-checkers and further transparency in political advertising.

In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook $5 billion for allowing 87 million US profiles to be harvested for information used for political advertising by British firm Cambridge Analytica.

Some of the advertising was used to help the 2016 campaign of former president Donald Trump.

Most recently, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen released a trove of documents dubbed the 'Facebook Files' to the Wall Street Journal.

The firm's original, flagship social media site and app - Facebook (pictured, stock image) - is expected to keep its moniker, but Facebook Inc., the parent company which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, will be given rebrand

The internal research suggests that Facebook promoted divisiveness as a way to keep people on the site, with Haugen saying the documents showed the company had failed to protect young users.

It also showed that the company knew Instagram harmed young girls' body image and even tried to brainstorm ways to appeal to toddlers by 'exploring playdates as a growth lever.'

'The company's leadership knows how to make Facebook and Instagram safer, but won't make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people. Congressional action is needed,' Haugen said at a hearing.

Haugen told senators that no similar company's CEO has as much unilateral control as Zuckerberg does.

Haugen said the Menlo Park, California-based company 'over and over again has shown it chooses profits over safety'. Pictured: Facebook's headquarters in California

'Mark holds a very unique role in the tech industry in that he holds over 55% of all the voting shares for Facebook.

'There are no similarly powerful companies that are as unilaterally controlled,' she said. 'There's no one currently holding him accountable but himself.'

This lack of accountability could set the firm back when it comes to regulatory oversight, and government intervention in moves to create a metaverse.

However, Facebook isn't the only firm getting into, or even already in this sector.

The popular children's game Roblox describes itself as a metaverse company. Epic Games' Fortnite is also considered to be part of the metaverse.

The metaverse is 'going to be a big focus, and I think that this is just going to be a big part of the next chapter for the way that the internet evolves after the mobile internet,' Zuckerberg told The Verge earlier this year.

'And I think it's going to be the next big chapter for our company too, really doubling down in this area.'
Early dinosaurs were sociable and moved in herds 193 million years ago - 40 million years earlier than first thought, a new study has revealed.

More than 100 eggs, complete with embryo remains still inside, have been dug up at a dinosaur graveyard in the Laguna Colorada Formation in Patagonia, Argentina, providing the world's first evidence of herd behaviour.

Scans show they belong to the same species - a primitive long necked herbivore called Mussaurus patagonicus, according to the team of palaeontologists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The shells, with embryos inside, date back 193 million years to the Mesozoic Era, about 40 million years earlier than previous estimates of the start of herd behaviour.

Fossilised bones of 80 juveniles and adults were also dug up, grouped by age across an area of about half a square mile on the dry margins of a lake.

Eggs and hatchlings were in one area, adolescents nearby and grown ups scattered throughout - typical of a complex, social structure, the team said.

New research on a vast fossil site in Patagonia shows that some of the earliest dinosaurs, the Mussaurus Patagonicus, lived in herds and suggests that this behaviour may have been one of the keys to the success of dinosaurs

Scientists use ESRF high-energy X-rays to penetrate in the eggs without destroying it and get a full view inside it, discovering embryos of Mussaurus Patagonicus

KEY FINDINGS: EARLY EVIDENCE OF DINOSAUR HERDS Dinosaur skeletons were not randomly scattered throughout the fossil site, but instead they were grouped according to their age. Dinosaur babies fossils were located near the nests. One-year old youngsters were found closely associated with each other, including a cluster of 11 skeletons in resting pose, suggesting that Mussaurus formed schools. Adults and sub adults were frequently associated in pairs or alone but all within one square mile area. To determine the age of the juvenile fossils, scientists cut a thin slice of bone and observed the bone tissue under a microscope. All the findings show a well-organised herd structure and it is the first record of this kind of complex social behaviour in an early dinosaur. It pre-dates other records of dinosaurs with evolved social behaviour by more than 40 million years. The scientists compared these results with other fossil egg sites in South Africa and China and suggested that social behaviour can be traced back to the time of dinosaur origins. Advertisement

The dinosaurs worked as a community, laying their eggs in a common nesting ground, according to study co-author Dr Jahandar Ramezani.

Youngsters congregated in 'schools,' while adults roamed and foraged for the herd.

'This may mean the young were not following their parents in a small family structure,' said Dr Ramezani.

'There's a larger community structure, where adults shared and took part in raising the whole community.'

The eggs are about the size of a chicken's egg, and using state of the art X-ray imaging, the team were able to examine the contents without breaking them apart.

Within the eggs they found remarkably well preserved embryos that allowed them to confirm the identity of Mussaurus patagonicus.

The plant-eater reached up to 20 feet long and weighed over a ton. It lived in the early Jurassic and is a member of the sauropodomorphs.

They were the forerunners to Brontosaurus, Diplodocus and other massive sauropods - the biggest animals that ever roamed Earth.

The fossils indicate a communal nesting ground and adults who foraged and took care of the young as a herd, according to Dr Ramezani, who said: 'To borrow a line from the movie "Jurassic Park" - dinosaurs do move in herds.

'And they lived in herds 40 million years earlier than the fossil record showed.'

The international team including experts from Argentina and South Africa have been excavating the ancient sediments since 2013.

Living in herds may have given Mussaurus and other sauropodomorphs an evolutionary advantage, according to Dr Ramezani.

More than 100 eggs, complete with embryo remains still inside, have been dug up at a dinosaur graveyard in the Laguna Colorada Formation in Patagonia, Argentina providing the world's first evidence of herd behaviour

Fossils of early sauropodomorphs were first discovered in the Laguna Colorada Formation around 50 years ago.

Scientists named them Mussaurus, which translates as 'mouse lizard,' as they assumed they belonged to miniature dinosaurs.

Bigger skeletons were found much later - indicating the large size of Mussaurus adults. But the name stuck.

The bones are in three sedimentary layers spaced closely together, and it is thought the region was a common breeding ground for the species.

The fossils indicate a communal nesting ground and adults who foraged and took care of the young as a herd, according to Dr Ramezani, who said: 'To borrow a line from the movie 'Jurassic Park' - dinosaurs do move in herds

Scans show the eggs all belong to the same species - a primitive long necked herbivore called Mussaurus patagonicus, explained the team of palaeontologists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts

LAGUNA COLORADA FORMATION The Laguna Colorada Formation is in Patagonia, Argentina. It is a geological formation that belongs to the El Tranquilo Group and dates back to the Norian, a division of the Triassic-era. A number of dinosaur tracks and remains have been uncovered in the region. Advertisement

Dinosaurs would have returned regularly, perhaps to take advantage of favourable seasonal conditions.

One collection of 11 articulated juvenile skeletons intertwined and overlapped each other, as if they had been suddenly thrown together.

It is believed this particular herd of Mussaurus died 'synchronously' and were quickly buried.

Dr Ramezani said: 'People already knew that in the late Jurassic and Cretaceous, the large herbivore dinosaurs exhibited social behaviour - they lived in herds and had nesting spots.

'But the question has always been, when was the earliest time for such herding behaviour?'

The fossils were precisely dated through chemical analysis of volcanic ash from a distant eruption, with the dinosaurs buried by a flash floor or windblown dust at the same time the volcanic ash was deposited.

The study in Scientific Reports shows Mussaurus and possibly other dinosaurs evolved to live in complex groups around the dawn of the Jurassic.

Scientists Diego Pol and Vincent Fernandez during imaging experiments of the Mussaurus patagonicus eggs at the ESRF, the European Synchrotron, France

Two other types of early dinosaurs - Massospondylus from South Africa and Lufengosaurus from China - are also believed to have lived in herds.

The social behaviour may have evolved even earlier, perhaps as far back as their common ancestor, in the late Triassic.

Added Dr Ramezani: 'Now we know herding was going on 193 million years ago.

'This is the earliest confirmed evidence of gregarious behaviour in dinosaurs.

'But palaeontological understanding says, if you find social behaviour in this type of dinosaur at this time, it must have originated earlier.'

The findings have been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Tesla's closely guarded driving data-storage system has been decrypted by the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), the Dutch government's forensic lab, the organization announced Thursday.

The feat revealed a 'secret trove' of Autopilot information, which the NFI says can be vital to officials investigating fatal Tesla accidents.

All of the data in the system is collected through sensors and cameras on the vehicle and is used by the Elon Musk-led company to refine its self-driving assist system.

The vehicles record speed, accelerator pedal position, steering wheel angle and brake usage and depending on how the vehicle is used, the data can be stored for over a year.

It is widely known that Tesla cars store data from accidents, but the NFI said the data shows vehicles store information about the operation of its driver assistance system, known as Autopilot.

'These data contain a wealth of information for forensic investigators and traffic accident analysts and can help with a criminal investigation after a fatal traffic accident or an accident with injury,' Francis Hoogendijk, a digital investigator at the NFI, said in a statement.

Scroll down for videos

The Netherlands Forensic Institute decrypted Tesla's driving data-storage system that contains information on accidents and data on the company's Autopilot that could help during investigations. Pictured is the remains of a Tesla accident that killed two men in Huston in April

As of October 21, 2021, 210 people have died while driving a or riding inside a Tesla, while 10 are attributed to the company's Autopilot technology, according to a website that keeps track of such data.

A separate investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), initiated in August, is looking into Tesla's Autopilot partially automated driving system over 11 accidents - one deadly - feared to have been caused because the system has trouble spotting parked emergency vehicles.

One of the earliest fatalities involving the technology happened on January 20, 2016 in China.

Gao Yaning, 23, died when the Tesla Model S he was driving slammed into a road sweeper on a highway near Handan, a city about 300 miles south of Beijing. Chinese media reported that Autopilot was engaged.

One of the earliest fatalities involving the technology happened on January 20, 2016 in China. Gao Yaning, 23, died when the Tesla Model S he was driving slammed into a road sweeper on a highway near Handan

Another tragic event happened two years later in Mountain View, California.

On March 23, 2018, Apple software engineer Walter Huang, 38, died in a crash on U.S. Highway 101 with the Autopilot on his Tesla engaged.

The vehicle accelerated to 71 mph seconds before crashing into a freeway barrier, federal investigators found.

The National Transportation Safety Board, in a preliminary report on the crash, also said that data showed the Model X SUV did not brake or try to steer around the barrier in the three seconds before the crash in Silicon Valley.

About two years after the tragic loss of Huang, news surfaced that he had complained about the SUV's Autopilot system previously malfunctioning.

A more recent crash happened this past April, which left two men dead after the fully electric 2019 Tesla Model S slammed into the tree.

The fatal Houston accident is said to have happened while the vehicle was 'on autopilot with no one driving.'

On March 23, 2018 , Apple software engineer Walter Huang, 38, died in a crash on U.S. Highway 101 with the Autopilot on his Tesla engaged. The vehicle accelerated to 71 mph seconds before crashing into a freeway barrier, federal investigators found

When such fatal Tesla accidents occurred, officials are unable to pinpoint the culprit right away due to the vehicle's advanced technology and a lack of knowledge to what happened moments leading up to the incident.

However, NFI's announcement will allow officials to scan through data with the hopes of coming to a more solid conclusion faster.

To crack Tesla's data-storage system, the Dutch lab 'reverse engineered' data logs - a process where software is deconstructed to extract information - present in Tesla vehicles 'in order to objectively investigate them.'

The NFI said Tesla encrypts its coded driving data to keep its technology secure from other manufacturers and protect driver privacy.

It is widely known that Tesla cars store data from accidents, but the NFI said the data shows vehicles store information about the operation of its driver assistance system, known as Autopilot

However, car owners can request their data, including camera footage, in the event of an accident.

Earlier this year, Tesla said it had established a site in China to store car data locally, as automakers came under growing scrutiny over how they handle information collected by vehicle cameras and sensors.

In the Netherlands, Tesla provides data when asked to do so by a court, but by decrypting the code, the NFI now knows more about what kind of data the carmaker is storing and for how long, allowing for more detailed data requests, Hoogendijk said.

'You cannot claim what you do not know, so it's helpful that we now know what else is being stored,' he said.
Mini brains have been grown in the lab out of cells taken from dementia and motor neurone patients, opening the door for new treatments.

Being able to grow small organ-like models of the brain allowed researchers from the University of Cambridge to understand what happens at the earliest stages of a form of motor neurone disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

This condition often overlaps with dementia and tends to occur in younger adults aged 40-45.

The mini brains help scientists see how the condition develops long before any symptoms begin to emerge, and in turn screen for potential drugs.

These conditions cause devastating symptoms of muscle weakness with changes in memory, behaviour and personality, that can be eased if caught early enough.

In the future, the researchers hope individual mini brains could be created from a person's skin cells and used to develop and test personalised drugs to treat their specific symptoms.

Mini brains have been grown in the lab out of cells taken from dementia and motor neurone patients, opening the door for new treatments, according to researchers

Motor Neurone Disease (ALS): No known cure and half of sufferers live just three years after diagnosis There is no cure for MND and the disease is fatal, however the disease progresses at different speeds in patients. People with MND are expected to live two to five years after the symptoms first manifest, although 10 per cent of sufferers live at least 10 years. The NHS describes motor neurone disease (MND) as: 'An uncommon condition that affects the brain and nerves. It causes weakness that gets worse over time.' The weakness is caused by the deterioration of motor neurons, upper motor neurons that travel from the brain down the spinal cord, and lower motor neurons that spread out to the face, throat and limbs. It was first discovered in 1865 by a French neurologist, Jean-Martin Charcot, hence why MND is sometimes known as Charcot's disease. In the UK, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is referred to as Motor Neurone Disease, while in the US, ALS is referred to as a specific subset of MND, which is defined as a group of neurological disorders. However, according to Oxford University Hospitals: 'Nearly 90 per cent of patients with MND have the mixed ALS form of the disease, so that the terms MND and ALS are commonly used to mean the same thing.' Weakness in the ankle or leg, which may manifest itself with trips or difficulty ascending stairs, and a weakness in the ability to grip things. Slurred speech is an early symptom and may later worsen to include difficulty swallowing food. Muscle cramps or twitches are also a symptom, as is weight loss due to leg and arm muscles growing thinner over time. MND is difficult to diagnose in its early stages because several conditions may cause similar symptoms. There is also no one test used to ascertain its presence. However, the disease is usually diagnosed through a process of exclusion, whereby diseases that manifest similar symptoms to ALS are excluded. Advertisement

One medication tested on the artificial brains was found to destroy toxic proteins that gather in clumps, say Cambridge University scientists.

Study leader Dr Andras Lakatos said: 'Neurodegenerative diseases are very complex disorders that can affect many different cell types and how these cells interact at different times as the diseases progresses.

'To come close to capturing this complexity, we need models that are more long-lived and replicate the composition of those human brain cell populations in which disturbances typically occur, and this is what our approach offers.

'Not only can we see what may happen early on in the disease - long before a patient might experience any symptoms - but we can also begin to see how the disturbances change over time in each cell.'

The models were cultivated for almost a year, enabling analysis of dementia-related disorders over a long period.

They were derived from patients with FTD (frontotemporal dementia) and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) - a common form of motor neurone disease.

The conditions cause muscle weakness and memory, behaviour and personality problems - and can affect people in their 30s and 40s.

The mini brains, or 'organoids', show what happens long before symptoms emerge, and can screen potential therapies.

Brain tissue previously created in the lab has only lasted a short time, limiting the scope for experiments, but this experiment survived for 340 days.

During that time it harboured the most common genetic mutation in FTD and ALS.

Instead of balls of cells, the 3D cultures were cut into slices, ensuring they received the necessary fuel.

'When the cells are clustered in larger spheres, those cells at the core may not receive sufficient nutrition,' said first author Dr Kornelia Szebenyi.

'This may explain why previous attempts to grow organoids long term from patients' cells have been difficult,' the researchers explained.

It demonstrated changes occurring at a very early stage, including stress and damage to DNA that harmed proteins.

Brain and nerve cells called astroglia - were affected, and they orchestrate muscle movements and mental abilities.

Dr Lakatos said: 'Although these initial disturbances were subtle, we were surprised at just how early changes occurred in our human model of ALS/FTD.

'This and other recent studies suggest the damage may begin to accrue as soon as we are born.

'We will need more research to understand if this is in fact the case, or whether this process is brought forward in organoids by the artificial conditions in the dish.'

In general, organoids, often referred to as mini organs, are being used increasingly to model human biology and disease.

At the University of Cambridge alone, researchers use them to repair damaged livers, study SARS-CoV-2 infection of the lungs and model the early stages of pregnancy, among many other areas of research.

Typically, researchers take cells from a patients skin and reprogramme the cells back to their stem cell stage  a very early stage of development at which they have the potential to develop into most types of cell.

One medication tested on the artificial brains was found to destroy toxic proteins that gather in clumps, say Cambridge University scientists

As many diseases are caused in part by defects in our DNA, this technique allows researchers to see how cellular changes  often associated with these genetic mutations  lead to disease.

Organoids have an advantage over animal models that often do not show the same brain alterations seen in humans.

The researchers discovered one particular medication combated the accumulation of rogue proteins seen in FTD and ALS.

They reduced cell stress and the loss of nerve cells - hence blocking one of the causes of the diseases.

Similar more suitable drugs approved for human use are now being tested in clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases.

Co-senior author Dr Gabriel Balmus, from the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, said: 'By modelling some of the mechanisms that lead to DNA damage in nerve cells and showing how these can lead to various cell dysfunctions, we may also be able to identify further potential drug targets'

Co-senior author Dr Gabriel Balmus, from the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, said: 'By modelling some of the mechanisms that lead to DNA damage in nerve cells and showing how these can lead to various cell dysfunctions, we may also be able to identify further potential drug targets.'

Patients' brains can only be examined after death. The organoids have an advantage over animal models that do not show similar alterations.

They resemble parts of the human cerebral cortex in terms of embryonic and foetal development, structure and cells.

This is the brain's outer surface which controls consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language and memory.

Dr Lakatos added: 'We currently have no very effective options for treating ALS/FTD, and while there is much more work to be done following our discovery, it at least offers hope that it may in time be possible to prevent or to slow down the disease process.

'It may also be possible in future to be able to take skin cells from a patient, reprogramme them to grow their 'mini brain' and test which unique combination of drugs best suits their disease.'

The study has been published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
It has been billed as the world's most environmentally friendly rocket.

Running on biofuel and producing up to 96 per cent less emissions than fossil fuel-powered vehicles, the Orbex Prime is designed to be reusable and not leave debris on land, the oceans or in the atmosphere.

Not only that, but it's being built right here in the UK.

When it's finished, the plan is to launch Prime by late 2022 from Space Hub Sutherland, the 17.9 million carbon-neutral spaceport being built in the Scottish Highlands.

Running on biofuel and producing up to 96 per cent less emissions than fossil fuel-powered vehicles, the Orbex Prime is billed as the world's most environmentally friendly rocket

It is designed to be reusable and not leave debris on land, the oceans or in the atmosphere. The rocket has been built with the world's largest 3D printed rocket engine (pictured)

BRITAIN'S FIRST SPACEPORT WILL SUPPORT 12 ORBITAL LAUNCHES PER YEAR The UK Space Agency has selected Sutherland, on Scotland's north coast, as the site for Britain's first spaceport. The site is being developed by US aerospace and defence behemoth Lockheed Martin. It will launch satellites and rockets into space as early as 2021. The port will boost Scotland's already burgeoning satellite industry. Outside of the US, Scotland produces more satellites than any country. It is hoped the UK will launch an estimated 2,000 satellites by 2030. The Sutherland project is under pressure from similar bids in Scandinavia. The first Northern European site to offer commercial launches is set to hold a stake in the global space industry worth billions. Advertisement

A new study by the University of Exeter calculated that a single Orbex Prime launch would produce up to 86 per cent less emissions than a similar-sized vertical launch vehicle, and 96 per cent less than a rocket launched horizontally from a carrier aircraft.

This gulf in emissions is primarily due to the similar-sized vehicle emitting high levels of black carbon, the particulate matter formed by the incomplete combustion of fuels containing carbon.

It is a major contributor to climate change when emitted from rocket engines into the stratosphere.

At the moment, the number of rocket flights is very small. In the whole of 2020, for example, there were 114 attempted orbital launches in the world, according to Nasa.

That compares to more than 100,000 flights a day on average in the airline industry.

But emissions from rockets are emitted into the upper atmosphere, which means they stay there for two to three years.

'Orbex will be the first commercial orbital space launch company to use a renewable, carbon-friendly fuel,' said Chris Larmour, CEO of Orbex.

'We believe it is time to move away from the use of heavily polluting fossil fuels now that more efficient, sustainable alternatives are readily available, and we hope to see much tighter regulations coming into force.

'As the world prepares to attend the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, we have already moved decisively to a fully sustainable solution that avoids the massive carbon emissions profiles of old-fashioned fossil fuelled launch solutions.'

Orbex is a UK-based spaceflight company with headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, and design and testing operations in Denmark

Orbex said the rocket's carbon footprint was comparable to the average emissions created by a single person in the UK each year, which is 12.7 tonnes CO2e

Lift off: The plan is to launch Prime by late 2022 from Space Hub Sutherland (pictured), the 17.9 million carbon-neutral spaceport being built in the Scottish Highlands

Highlands and Islands Enterprise plans to build the launch site on peatland on the Moine Peninsula near Tongue in the Scottish Highlands

According to the University of Exeter study, a single launch of the Orbex Prime rocket would result in total emissions of 13.8 tonnes of CO2 equivalent  a standard unit for measuring carbon footprint.

This includes the direct emissions from the launch, the indirect emissions created from the production of the propellent fuels required (biopropane and liquid oxygen), and the radiative forcing effects of non-CO2 emissions at high altitude.

Orbex said the rocket's carbon footprint was comparable to the average emissions created by a single person in the UK each year, which is 12.7 tonnes CO2e.

A key factor as to why it's more environmentally friendly is the biofuel that it uses.

It has a greenhouse gas factor that is 90 per cent lower than a fossil-based fuel such as Kerosene.

'The UK space industry has a key role to play in combating climate change, for example by launching satellites that can monitor environmental changes on Earth  but such benefits must be weighed against the environmental impact of space launches, which by their nature can be highly carbon intensive,' said Dr Xiaoyu Yan of the Environment and Sustainability Institute at the University of Exeter.

'Our study shows that the launch operation planned by Orbex can result in a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to the other launch scenarios considered in our analysis.'

Orbex is a UK-based spaceflight company with headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, and design and testing operations in Denmark.
Advertisement

The world's biggest triceratops skeleton, known as 'Big John,' sold for $7.7 million (6.6 million euros) on Thursday at a Paris auction house.

The enormous skeleton, which is estimated to be over 66 million years old and is more than 60 complete, was found in 2014 in South Dakota.

It was estimated to sell for approximately $1.8 million, Drouot auction house, which handled the sale, said in September.

The hammer price at the Drouot auction house, before commission and other costs, was $6.4 million, or 5.5 million euros.

Auctioneer Alexandre Giquello poses in front of Big John, the largest known triceratops skeleton, as he is being assembled in a showroom in Paris, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. Big John sold for 5.5 million euros ($6.4 million) on Thursday

The fossilized remains of 'Big John', the largest triceratops ever discovered. The skeleton is more than 60% complete and its skull is 75% complete

The auction house did not give any details about the buyer.

Big John, named after the owner of the land where it was found, is certified by the Guinness World Records as the largest documented skeleton of a triceratops.

The first bones were discovered in May 2014 by geologist Walter W. Stein Bill in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota

The first bones were discovered in May 2014 by geologist Walter W. Stein Bill in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota.

Since then, 60 percent of Big John's skeleton has been found, including its nearly-complete skull. In total, more than 200 of the dinosaur's bones have been unearthed.

There is a laceration on Big John's collar, which is likely 'evidence of a duel with another, smaller triceratops in which Big John was reportedly injured'

Since then, 60 percent of Big John's skeleton has been found, including its nearly-complete skull. In total, more than 200 of the dinosaur's bones have been unearthed

According to Drout, there is a laceration on Big John's collar, which is likely 'evidence of a duel with another, smaller triceratops in which Big John was reportedly injured,' the auction house wrote on its website.

'These violent fights took place during the life of these animals, probably for reasons of territorial defense or courtship,' the auction house wrote on its website.

The skeleton is 7.15 meters long (23 feet) and stands 2.7 meters high (8 feet) at the hips. Its skull measures 8.6 feet (2.6 meters) long and 6.6 feet (2m) wide and is 75 percent complete.

The horns on the massive dinosaur are each 3.6 feet (1.1m) long and almost 12 inches wide.

They allowed the formidable creature to withstands 16 tons of pressure, according to New Atlas.

The giant herbivore lived in Laramidia (also the home of Tyrannosaurus rex), an island continent that stretched from Alaska to Mexico.

Big John died in a floodplain, which allowed his skeleton to be preserved in mud, Drout added.

Big John will be exhibited in an emblematic square in Italy before heading over to France in October for the public to see, prior to the October 21 auction.

Other dinosaur fossils have sold for significant sums in recent memory, including two allosaurs sold for $1.66 million (1.4 million euros) and $3.56 million (3 million euros) in 2018 and 2020, respectively, the auction house said.

A diplodocus fossil was sold for $1.66 million (1.4 million euros) in 2018 as well.

Once primarily sold to museums, dinosaur remains have increasingly attracted private buyers, though their numbers remain few.

In October 2020, a 40ft-long T. rex fossil sold for a record-breaking $31 million at auction, nearly four times the previous record of a dinosaur fossil.
Female African elephants are 'rapidly evolving' to become tuskless, according to scientists writing in a new study, who suspect it is due to ivory poaching.

The process started during the Mozambican Civil War from 1977 to 1992, leading to a population decline in the pachyderms, particularly among those with tusks.

Remaining elephants were more likely to be tuskless, meaning their children were also born tuskless, according to the team from Princeton University in New Jersey.

The findings shed new light on the powerful selective forces human harvesting can exert on wild animal populations, the researchers explained.

Female African elephants are 'rapidly evolving' to become tuskless, according to scientists writing in a new study, who suspect it is due to ivory poaching

The process started during the Mozambican Civil War from 1977 to 1992, leading to a population decline in the pachyderms, particularly among those with tusks

The selective killing of species  whether for food, safety, or profit  has only become more common and intense as human populations and technology have grown.

So much so, it's suggested that wildlife exploitation by humans has become a powerful selective driver in the evolution of targeted species.

However, the resulting evolutionary signatures remain unclear, so researcher Shane Campbell-Station and colleagues investigated the impacts of ivory hunting on the evolution of African elephants in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique.

Specifically, they looked at the impacts on populations living in the country during and after the Mozambican Civil War - from 1977 to 1992.

During the conflict, forces on both sides heavily relied on the ivory trade to finance war efforts, which led to a rapid population decline of more than 90 per cent.

Using historical field data and population modeling, Campbell-Staton found that intense poaching during this period resulted in an increase in the frequency of complete tusklessness in female elephants from the region.

According to the authors, the stark lack of tuskless males suggested a sex-linked genetic origin for the pattern.

Whole-genome analysis revealed a pair of candidate genes, including AMELX, a loci with known roles in mammalian tooth development.

The selective killing of species  whether for food, safety, or profit  has only become more common and intense as human populations and technology have grown

The findings shed new light on the powerful selective forces human harvesting can exert on wild animal populations, the researchers explained

In humans, these genes are associated with an X-linked dominant, male-lethal syndrome that diminishes the growth of lateral incisors, similar to elephant tusks.

Campbell-Statons elegant approach is among the rare studies that document a genetic response to harvest selection,,' said Chris Darimont and Fanie Pelletier in a related Perspective article on the study findings.

They are 'informing debate about the potential for selective harvests to lead to evolutionary responses,' the pair expanded.

The findings have been published in the journal Science.
Advertisement

Archaeologists excavating a Byzantine-period structure in Biblical Bethsaida believe they have found new evidence proving the ancient ruins are of the long-lost Church of the Apostles.

The team unearthed a stunning mosaic flooring made of tiny yellow, red and orange tiles that bear two inscriptions written in ancient Greek.

The flooring, dating back 1,500 years, mentions a deacon and a building project, along with a half medallion and words of the bishop, according to a press release.

Much of the text is missing, but DailyMail.com translated part of the ancient language to read: 'In the years [or times] of our master, his holiness our bishop.'

Not only could the find prove the existence of the legendary church, but it would lead the team to the location of the home of Jesus' famed apostles, Peter and Andrew - as the Church of the Apostles was said to have been built atop their residence.

The team unearthed a stunning mosaic flooring made of tiny yellow, red and orange tiles that bear two inscriptions written in ancient Greek

Excavations were led by Steven Notley of Nyack College and Mordechai Aviam of Kinneret Academic College of the Galilee, who have been working at the site since 2016.

In 2019, the team announced the discovery of remains they said belonged to the Church of the Apostles.

The Byzantine church was found near remnants of a Roman-era settlement, matching the location of Bethsaida as described by the first century AD Roman historian Flavius Josephus, Aviam said.

While mentions of the church can be found in Christian text dating as far back as the year 725 A.D., there has been no confirmation of its existence, leading some to doubt whether it was ever real.

The flooring, dating back 1,500 years, mentions a deacon and a building project, along with a half medallion and words of the bishop, according to a press release. Much of the text is missing, but DailyMail.com translated part of the ancient language to read: ''In the years [or times] of our master, his holiness our bishop

Not only could the find prove the existence of the legendary church, but it would lead the team to the location of the home of Jesus' famed apostles Peter and Andrew - the Church of the Apostles was said to have been built atop of their residence

The ruins, however, fit the account of Saint Willibald, a native of England and the Bavarian bishop of Eichstaett, who visited the area around 725 A.D. during a pilgrimage and said that a church at Bethsaida had been built on the site of Peter and Andrew's home.

The ruins, however, fit the account of Saint Willibald (pictured), a native of England and the Bavarian bishop of Eichstaett, who visited the area around 725 A.D. during a pilgrimage

He reported: 'And thence they went to Bethsaida, the residence of Peter and Andrew, where there is now a church on the site of their house.'

According to Willibald, says Aviam, Bethsaida lay between the biblical sites of Capernaum and Kursi.

Aviam told AFP in 2019: 'The plan is of a church, the dates are Byzantine, the mosaic floors are typical... chancel screens, everything that is typical of a church.'

'Between Capernaum and Kursi there is only one place where a church is described by the visitor in the eighth century and we discovered it, so this is the one,' he said.

It is believed the church was destroyed by an earthquake in 749 A.D. and was mysteriously 'buried' by the seismic event, Haaretz reports.

And from then, the Church of the Apostles was lost and eventually forgotten.

Notley and Aviam, however, believe the mosaic floor could be the proof they need to convince the world that the Byzantine structure is indeed what was mentioned by Saint Willibald.

Apostle Peter and Andrew: Brothers called by Jesus to be the 'fishers of men' Apostle Peter Christians recognize Saint Peter, originally a fisherman, as one of the first followers of Jesus and the leader of the early Church following the ascension Peter, whose original name was Simon, is recognized as the leader of Jesus 12 disciples. Born a Jewish fisherman, Peter was married and one of Jesus closets companions. Andrew was Peters younger brother, who met Jesus at the same time Peter is referred to as the gatekeeper of heaven, with troves of artwork depicting him in front of the Pearly Gates to decide who is allowed in heaven and who should be cast down to hell. The Bible says Peter was with Jesus when he walked on Water and was present at the Last Supper. He also denied knowing Jesus three times following the crucifixion. Apostle Andrew Andrew was Peters younger brother, who met Jesus at the same time. And like his brother, Andrew was also a fisherman by trade. The Bible says Jesus told the brothers that they would be fishers of men. Very little is known about Andrew, but it is said he traveled to Greece to preach Christianity, where he was crucified at Patras on an X-shaped cross. Advertisement

The inscriptions, which are incomplete due to pieces of the floor missing, are dedicated to a bishop who reigned when the church was renovated.

Aviam told Haaretz suggests the church had to have significance if it people put the time into fixing it at one point.

The other inscription highlights the deacon who constructed the complex.

The team is not only excited about possibly finding the legendary church, but if this is it that means they have also found the home of Peter and Andrew.

Christians recognize Saint Peter, originally a fisherman, as one of the first followers of Jesus and the leader of the early Church following the ascension.

The ruins, however, fit the account of Saint Willibald, a native of England and the Bavarian bishop of Eichstaett, who visited the area around 725 AD during a pilgrimage and reported that a church at Bethsaida had been built on the site of Peter and Andrew's home

He reported: 'And thence they went to Bethsaida, the residence of Peter and Andrew, where there is now a church on the site of their house.' According to Willibald, says Aviam, Bethsaida lay between the biblical sites of Capernaum and Kursi

The Catholic Church also venerates him as its first pope.

The Apostle Andrew is said to have been the first apostle Jesus called and the first apostle to claim Jesus was the Messiah.

And he was also Peter's brother.

In the Bible, John 1:44, it states that Bethsaida is the city of Andrew and Peter.

However, issues arise later in the book of Mark, chapter 1 verse 29, which says the brothers were from Capernaum, which Willibald said is a city along the way to the Church of the Apostles.
The population of Pacific salmon and trout are declining rapidly not only because climate change is getting worse, but also because of 40 years of changes in their marine and freshwater environments, a new study has found.

Five different species of Pacific salmon (Steelhead, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Dolly Varden and Coastal Cutthroat Trout) are all seeing drastic declines in numbers in the Keogh River, near Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.

Five different species of Pacific salmon and trout are declining because of 40 years of changes in their marine and freshwater environments

Five different species of Pacific salmon (Steelhead, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Dolly Varden and Coastal Cutthroat Trout) are all seeing drastic declines

The declines in numbers are happening in the Keogh River, near Port Hardy on Vancouver Island

Researchers at Simon Fraser University's Salmon Watershed Lab found that stressors in the environments in which the fish swim and live, such as a fluctuating climate, an increase in seals and other competing salmon species are taking their toll.

Warmer water temperatures and an increase in watershed logging, are also playing a role in the decline in the populations of the five salmon species, as well as steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout.

Steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout populations declined by 80 percent and 70 percent between 1976 and 2015, the researchers found

Steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout populations declined by 80 percent and 70 percent between 1976 and 2015, the researchers found.

'It's not just the ocean that is driving declines,' the study's lead author, Kyle Wilson, said in a statement.

Particularly concerning is the survival rate of lower juvenile salmon, which are impacted by watershed logging

'The combination of marine and freshwater stressors effectively 'squeezes' some salmon populations by lowering survival in both the river and the sea.'

Particularly concerning is the survival rate of lower juvenile salmon, which are impacted by watershed logging.

Coupled with the reduced survival rates of adult salmon due to seals and competition from other salmon - wild and those released from hatcheries - and the populations are declining rapidly.

'This study showcases the power and importance of careful monitoring of both adult and juvenile life-stages of salmon and steelhead in order to understand what parts of their life-cycles are driving overall population change,' project collaborator and SFU biology professor Jonathan Moore added.

Salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest have been declining for some time (Alaska salmon are actually shrinking in size), but the environmental factors that are causing the declines are only just becoming understood by experts.

'Some research attributes the decline to worsening ocean conditions while others point to climate change or overfishing,' Wilson added.

'There has even been great uncertainty about which is more responsible, freshwater or marine processes, for salmon and steelhead declines.'

The findings can help inform the U.S. government's recent Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI), which will allocate $647.1 million to help recover the salmon through conservation and scientific efforts, Wilson said.

The study was published today in the journal Global Change Biology.

In July, Pacific Northwest salmon were seen dying from red lesions and white fungus from the extreme temperature spike the western part of the U.S. experienced over the summer.

Separately that month, researchers said the heatwave - caused by a 'heat dome' that hung over the Western U.S. and Canada and spiked temperatures to 121 degrees Fahrenheit in some spots - killed over 1 billion sea creatures.
Thomas Tuchel has confirmed Chelsea's interest in Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland next summer - but how the German could do with the Norwegian sensation immediately.

While everything was going according to plan in terms of the result, Chelsea were lurching into a worrying attacking injury crisis against Malmo on Wednesday as Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner limped off with injuries before half-time.

Earlier in the day, Chelsea fans were daydreaming about the prospect of adding another jewel to their attacking crown following a revealing interview from Tuchel in his native Germany.

Thomas Tuchel will need to rethink his attack after injuries to Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner

In comments that will strike fear into the Blues' domestic and European rivals, Tuchel revealed the club's plot to sign Haaland - and in doing so raising the frightening prospect of a formidable strike partnership with 98million club-record signing Lukaku.

Haaland appears likely to leave the Bundesliga ahead of next summer due to a 64million release clause in his existing contract.

The planet's biggest clubs all harbour hopes of signing the young striker - and Tuchel has revealed Chelsea will join the race.

'We have talked about Haaland a couple of times also in the transfer window. It looked unrealistic and not possible to do,' Tuchel revealed in an interview with SportBild.

Lukaku is consoled by Tuchel after limping off half-way through the first half against Malmo

His Chelsea strike partner Timo Werner also had to depart shortly before half-time

'Of course we talk regularly about him because he is a fantastic player and a profile at Dortmund, which is a big rival for us in the Champions League.'

When asked whether Lukaku's presence may prevent any deal, Tuchel replied that he would have 'no problem' in using the pair together.

When pressed again about the possibility of signing Haaland, Tuchel added: 'Let us see what will happen the next weeks.'

You'd imagine Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid will have their say in the coming weeks, too.

Tuchel has sounded out the possibility of signing Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund

The immediate concern for Tuchel, however, will be the fitness of Lukaku and Werner heading into Saturday's clash against Norwich.

Belgium international Lukaku limped off in the 22nd minute with a suspected right ankle injury following a poor challenge from Lasse Nielsen as Lukaku won his team a penalty, that Jorginho duly converted.

Werner wasn't far behind him, substituted towards the end of the opening 45 minutes with what looked like a hamstring problem.

The absence of Lukaku, however, will provide Tuchel with the biggest headache.

Werner had missed an excellent opportunity to open the scoring for Chelsea on Wednesday

Lukaku looked in some discomfort as he trudged off the pitch before heading straight back down the tunnel for further assessment.

Having not scored in six games for Chelsea, the 28-year-old showed signs of getting back to his old self in his, albeit, short cameo.

He laid one on a plate for Timo Werner, whose finishing let him down again before seeing his venomous deflected shot tipped over the bar by Johan Dahlin.

Lukaku was at his powerful best as he battered Nielsen into submission in winning Chelsea's penalty. But now Tuchel is facing up to being without his striker for a sustained period.
Advertisement

Photographys ability to mesmerise is demonstrated emphatically by the entries to the Epson International Pano Awards 2021, which showcases the work of panoramic photographers worldwide.

This year the competition received 5,378 entries from 1,245 professional and amateur photographers in 97 countries, with Joshua Hermann from the USA declared the overall winner.

The judges were left awestruck by his photographs of the swamplands of Louisiana, of trees  ancient monoliths  that transported him to the swamplands of ancient times.

Competition Curator David Evans said: We thought 2020 was a challenging year, but 2021 took things to a whole new level. That said, despite the pandemic and so many other challenges the entries this year were nothing short of amazing.

We are, yet again, overwhelmed with the level of support from entrants and sponsors, especially Epson, and we thank you all so very much and also congratulate all this years winners and entrants.

Scroll down for MailOnline Travels pick of the shortlisted and winning snaps

This picture, taken in a Louisiana swamp by overall winner Joshua Hermann, is called Eternal Triangle. Hermann said: 'Growing up in south Louisiana and coming to know the swamp and marshlands from an early age, the unique beauty and interesting ecology of the area have stuck with me throughout my life. I hope to share the beauty of these places through my imagery'

One of the stunning images that earned Austrian Daniel Trippolt the accolade of 2021 Amateur Photographer of the Year. It shows the legendary Three Peaks in the Italian Dolomites. Trippolt said: 'Most landscape photographers are familiar with the legendary Three Peaks and are aware of the difficult accessibility in winter, as the road leading to the destination is closed in winter. But in my favour, I found out in early autumn that it had already snowed there and the road was still open. So I could reach this place under easier conditions. Nevertheless, the night demanded a lot from me'

This mesmerising entry in the Amateur Nature-Landscape category by American photographer Simon Xu was taken in Iceland

A stunning image of a cloud-enveloped Golden Gate Bridge by U.S photographer Wei Lian. It was shortlisted in the Open Built Environment category

This entry in the Amateur Built Environment category is by Russian photographer Petr Ushanov. It shows a sunrise over Kizhi Island on Onega Lake in Russia's Republic of Karelia

Behold the winner of the Curators Award, a photograph taken in Switzerland by Max Rive, from the Netherlands. It is a view in mid-summer from 11,320ft over the Fieschergletscher with the 14,000ft-tall Finsteraarhorn on the right. Max explains that with a length of 10 miles (16km), the Fieschergletscher is the second-longest glacier in Switzerland after its neighbouring glacier, the Aletschgletscher, which is 14 miles (22.6km) long

An amazing snap in the Amateur Nature-Landscape category. It was taken in Tenerife by Spanish photographer Carlos M Almagro

The awe-inspiring Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, captured in breathtaking fashion by Piriya Wongkongkathep from Thailand. This image was shortlisted in the Open Nature-Landscape category

Spanish photographer Sebastian Tontsch was shortlisted in the Open Built Environment category for this striking picture of Dubai. He called it 'Emerging'

The Amateur Nature-Landscape category was blessed by this entry, a snap of the Kuril Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the Russian Far East. It was taken by Russian photographer Sergey Aleshchenko

U.S photographer Peter Jiang is behind this incredible picture of a lightning strike in Montana - a commended entry in the Amateur Nature-Landscape category

This photograph, an entry in the Amateur Nature-Landscape category, is called 'Magic Forest'. It was taken on Tenerife by Spanish photographer Castro Pardo

An out-of-this-world moonrise over Los Angeles, captured by American photographer Elliot McGucken. This was an entry in the Open Built Environment category

The fairy-tale Eltz Castle in Germany, captured in a wonderfully moody shot by German photographer Carl Loveall. It was an entry in the Open Built Environment Category

An incredible shot of the very top of the 2,723ft-tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai that was shortlisted in the Open Built Environment category and taken by UAE photographer Khalid Al Hammadi

This image, by Hong Kong resident Cp Lau, shows his city at its most enticing - shrouded in clouds just before sunrise. His shot was commended in the Open Built Environment category

An other-worldly shortlisted Amateur Nature-Landscape photograph of Bryce Canyon National Park by U.S photographer Abhijit Patil

Mallorca as you've never seen it before - in a jaw-dropping shortlisted Amateur Nature-Landscape snap by Spanish photographer Juan Pablo Dentone

The Torres del Paine National Park in a photograph shortlisted in the Open Nature-Landscape category. It was taken by Chilean photographer Mauricio Narea

Jatenipat Ketpradit, from Thailand, is behind this amazing snap - 'The Glory of Rome'. It was shortlisted in the Open Built Environment category

A spectacular lightning strike in Arizona captured by U.S photographer Peter Coskun. It was shortlisted in the Open Nature-Landscape category

Fancy a trip to Iceland's Highlands region? If this picture by Kai Hornung from Germany doesn't sell it to you, nothing will. The image was shortlisted in the Open-Nature Landscape category

The amazing Maloja Pass in Switzerland, captured by Italian photographer Roberto Moiola. His snap was shortlisted in the Open Nature-Landscape category

Chris Echavarry impressed the judges with this beguiling snap of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was shortlisted in the Open Built Environment category

This amazing picture of Senja Island in Norway was achieved by stitching together 18 shots. It was taken by Italian Alessandro Cantarelli, with his efforts getting him shortlisted in the Open Nature-Landscape category

A striking picture taken in New South Wales by Australian photographer Ray Jennings. It was shortlisted in the Amateur Nature-Landscape category

Vietnam at its terraced best, captured by Spanish photographer Felipe Souto. An image that was shortlisted in the Amateur Nature-Landscape category

Heidelberg in Germany looks magical in this photograph by German photographer Avishek Patra. It was shortlisted in the Amateur Built Environment category
Advertisement

Move over Mowgli and Baloo, there's a new jungle book in town - a brand new edition of the stunning coffee table book Jungle Spirits has just been released.

Published by teNeues (www.teneues.com), the 240-page tome has been put together by award-winning photojournalist Christian Ziegler - a former Wildlife Photographer of the Year - and his tropical biologist wife, Daisy Dent.

It's an ode to the tropical splendour of our planets most diverse ecosystems and features almost 200 photographs of the world's rainforests and jungles, taken on four different continents by 20 different photographers.

TeNeues says: 'Zieglers one-of-a-kind images immerse us in pristine landscapes, let us discover fascinating creatures like bonobos, chameleons, and bats, and delight us with rare plants. Brilliant close-ups show the sculpture-like beauty of flora and fauna.'

Its pages are also filled with explanations of the natural phenomena that take place in tropical ecosystems and anecdotes about the experiences the authors had when compiling the book. Ziegler and Dent explain that they have created the book as both a celebration of tropical forests and a plea for help.

Ziegler says: 'We are losing our tropical forests and the species that live there. With this book, Daisy and I want to dazzle you with the beauty and ingenuity of tropical nature and to encourage you to care about the future of these forest habitats.' Scroll down for a taste of the book's incredible photographs.

This striking image of a female bonobo was taken in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her lips are stained with red clay. Ziegler explains: 'Bonobos often eat clay to help them digest unripe fruit.' There's an entire chapter dedicated to bonobos in Jungle Spirits. Ziegler refers to the animals as 'our unknown cousins'

This characterful photograph captures a southern cassowary in action. According to Ziegler, these flightless birds are native to Papua New Guinea and Queensland, Australia, and they play an important role in seed dispersal. The berries on the floor of this snap belong to a blue quandong plant, which is native to Queensland

In this powerful photo, a fearsome-looking greater bulldog bat catches a fish in Lake Gatun, Panama. In the book Ziegler writes about how he once climbed into the rotted-out trunk of a tree in order to photograph the sleeping bats inside. He says: 'The smell is overwhelming and stings my eyes and nose - I am standing on a soft mound of bat droppings alive with cockroaches'

According to Ziegler, the blue morphotype of panther chameleon that's pictured in this stunning image is very rare in the wild due to exploitation by the exotic pet trade. The book explains how this particular species is endemic to the area around Ambanja, a city in northern Madagascar

This colourful photo shows a keel-billed toucan feeding on palm fruits in Panama. Ziegler reveals: 'Toucans are one of the few birds that can disperse plants with large seeds and play a key role in dispersal in forests in Central and South America. They are especially important in young forests growing on abandoned land, as they bring in seeds of many different species that will help the forest regenerate a diverse tree community'

Pictured is The Daintree rainforest in Queensland, Australia. According to Ziegler it's the worlds oldest tropical forest. This snap is used to introduce a chapter in the book that's titled 'Green'. In it, the authors write about how tropical forests epitomise the power of photosynthesis

This action shot shows a hummingbird pollinating the flower of an orchid in the cloud forest of western Panama. Ziegler explains: 'You can see the purple pollen packet attached to the tip of its beak.' This image features in a chapter on orchids and their pollinators

This saddening image depicts how logging roads and clearfelling have torn into the primary forest of Sabah, Malaysia. The photo features in a chapter titled 'People and the Forest', which considers the impact humans have had on tropical forests and the moral obligation they have to conserve the world's most diverse ecosystems

A complicated tangle of lianas (a woody vine) grows on the slopes of Mount Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, Malaysia, in this image. The book explains: 'Lianas exploit the trees. These vines climb up tree trunks and over branches, using the structure of the trees to put their own leaves above the canopy'

Ziegler calls the cat-eyed snake in this gruesome shot 'a fierce predator'. In this image it's eating a clutch of red-eyed treefrog eggs. The shot was taken in Panama, where Ziegler and Dent now live

The foreword to Jungle Spirits, written by Ruth Eichhorn, former director of photography at Geo magazines, reads: 'Without people like Christian Ziegler and Daisy Dent [pictured], wed be blind to this part of the world that belongs to us and is of the utmost importance to human survival on our planet'
The moon was high and very bright. It lit the clouds creating a very special atmosphere,' Pesquet explained

Advertisement

These photographs are, unquestionably, out of this world.

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet has captured breathtaking images of the Southern Lights under the full moon from the International Space Station (ISS).

The aurora - which is typically green tinged with red or purple - appeared to have a rare bluish hue, which only occurs under specific conditions.

Thomas Pesquet captured breathtaking images of the Southern Lights under the full moon from the International Space Station

The Aurora - which is typically green tinged with red or purple - appeared to have a rare bluish hue

Pesquet, 43, who is an astronaut for the European Space Agency, explained in a Facebook post: The moon was high and very bright, it lit the clouds creating a very special atmosphere... and it made this aurora polar... almost blue.

Wonder what Mother Nature has in store for us for the rest: a yellow borealis or bright red? A huge rainbow?

The aerospace engineer admitted hed witnessed several auroras during his current mission - Alpha - which launched on April 23 of this year.

However, he confirmed this particular view came with something extra thanks to the moon's glow.

Auroras occur when electrically charged sun particles enter the Earth's atmosphere and collide with oxygen and nitrogen particles

The moon was high and very bright, it lit the clouds creating a very special atmosphere,' Pesquet said, describing the rare phenomenon

WHAT ARE AURORAS? There are two types of auroras - Aurora Borealis, which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south'. The lights are created when charged particles from the sun enter Earth's atmosphere. Usually the particles are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, but some enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles. These collisions emit light in many colours, although pale green and pink are common. Advertisement

Pesquet added: An aurora under the full moon, what could be better?

Auroras occur when electrically charged sun particles enter the Earth's atmosphere and collide with oxygen and nitrogen particles.

The natural phenomenon occurs at the north and south poles, meaning people located in very high or very low latitudes have better chances of observing one.

Northern auroras - often known as the 'Northern Lights' - are called Aurora Borealis, which means 'dawn of the north'.

Southern Lights are called Aurora Australis - from the Latin term meaning southern, which incidentally, is how Australia got its name.

The Aurora Australis is best viewed from Antarctica, Tasmania and the southern mainland coastline.

This isnt the first time Pesquet has delivered spellbinding photographs from the ISS. Earlier this year, he shared stunning images of Uluru, Australia, from his perch in space.

He is one of seven astronauts currently undertaking research in the space station, which is a $100 billion (80billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400km) above Earth.

An aurora under the full moon, what could be better? Pesquet wondered, after sharing the photographs from space

The ISS has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000.

This is Pesquets second stint in the ISS.

In November 2016, he was launched into space for his six-month Proxima mission as a flight engineer for Expeditions 50 and 51.
Diane Warren never stops.

The 12 time Oscar nominee, the most nominated woman in Oscar history who hasn't won yet, has yet another song in Oscar contention Somehow You Do, sung by country legend Reba McEntire.

The dramatic film is based on a true story about drug addiction and stars Glenn Close, she has been nominated eight times for an Oscar and has not won, and Mila Kunis. Four Good Days is now on VOD and has been discovered by audiences across the country this year becoming a big hit.

Good girl: Diane Warren never stops. The 12 time Oscar nominee, the most nominated woman in Oscar history who hasn't won yet, has yet another song in Oscar contention Somehow You Do, sung by country legend Reba McEntire

They worked well together: Reba seen with Narvel Blackstock in 2014 in Italy

Warren said she hopes the song will finally land her an Oscar. If she gets nominated, it will be her 13th nod.

When asked about getting the gold, she told DailyMail.com, 'It certainly would be nice to get up on stage and accept an Oscar. I have written so many acceptance speeches in my head, it would be nice to finally deliver one.'

Diane was recently honored with a laser show at Film Fest 919 in Chapel Hill North Carolina, a festival co-founded by industry veterans Randi Emerman and Carol Marshall, which is now its fourth year and is quickly becoming a must stop for studios and filmmakers.

An honor to be here: She was acknowledged at the Film Fest 919

Gold: Warren said she hopes the song will finally land her an Oscar. If she gets nominated, it will be her 13th nod. When asked about getting the gold, she told DailyMail.com, 'It certainly would be nice to get up on stage and accept an Oscar. I have written so many acceptance speeches in my head, it would be nice to finally deliver one'

She was presented with The Spotlight Award as well as a laser light show to her iconic hits, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, Because You Loved Me as well as her recent hits, Stand Up For Something, I'll Fight.

She was also acknowledged for her songs from her current hit album, The Cave Sessions, Vol. 1, which includes Seaside, sung by Rita Ora.

Diane told DailyMail.com she was having a great time at Film Fest 919.

'I love being here, Film Fest 919 is fantastic and this light show is so cool,' said the star who might be best known for her work with Cher.

She was also acknowledged for her songs from her current hit album, The Cave Sessions, Vol. 1, which includes Seaside, sung by Rita Ora

When asked about Somehow You Do? she said, 'I'm excited, it's one of my favorite songs. It's an important song right now, with so many people going through hard times, thinking that you won't get through it but somehow you do.

'I just loved working with Reba!'

Diane was recently on the ABC special A Night in the Academy Museum TV special on ABC hosted by Tom Hanks and Laura Dern, where she cheekily made fun of her not winning the coveted gold statue after 12 nominations.

The Museum has The Oscar Experience as one of its attractions, where you can hold an Oscar and give an acceptance speech to a virtual audience.

Warren, known for her self-deprecating sense of humor, told us 'the Museum is amazing and I was so proud that I got to be the one ironically showing what it's like to give an acceptance speech having not gotten near that stage to give an acceptance speech after 12 nominations!

'I joked at the end that I wasn't going to give the Oscar back and there was a second there that I was going to walk out with that little gold man! They had to pry it out of my hands!'

Film Fest 919 runs from October 18 to 24, 2021.

Film Fest 919 showcases a carefully curated program of the year's most highly anticipated films, including the best in US and world cinema, and will be presented safely in person at two venues: Silverspot Cinema and Drive-in at Carraway Village.

A special opening celebration honoring songwriter DIANE WARREN with the Spotlight Award on Monday, October 18 will launch the Fest, which continues through Sunday, October 24.

Her pal: Cher, seen with Kathy Hilton in September, sang Diane's song If I Could Turn Back Time which became a massive hit

'We are all anxious to get back to the movies and we look forward to continuing our tradition of introducing audiences to bold and remarkable works from celebrated filmmakers,' remarked Film Fest 919 founders Randi Emerman and Carol Marshall.

'We are delighted to honor the profoundly talented, multi-award-winning, 12-time Oscar-nominated queen of the power ballad mega hit, songwriter/musician and record producer Diane Warren with the Spotlight Award. The evening will include a moderated Conversation and special presentation of her extraordinary catalog of hit songs.'

A limited number of passes are available and go on sale Friday, September 3. Click HERE to purchase. The full program line up will be announced by early October. Passholders will have the opportunity to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the public.

Film Fest 919 has enjoyed tremendous success in the past three years, presenting lineups curated to include films from all over the world, including favorites from Sundance and Cannes to Venice, Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals, many of which were on the award season track.
Channel Ten has announced it will produce a local version of the hit UK reality show, Would I Lie To You?

The network announced the new series during the network's Upfronts on Wednesday.

The show will be based on the UK format, where celebrity guests are tasked with fooling each other with incredible stories.

Coming soon: Channel Ten has announced it will produce a local version of the hit UK reality show, 'Would I Lie To You?', which will be hosted by Chrissie Swan, along with Chris Taylor and Frank Woodley as team captains

Chrissie Swan will serve as host of the show, with Chris Taylor and Frank Woodley as team captains.

The show will also feature a stellar line-up of celebrity guests.

Daniel Monaghan, senior vice president, content and programming, ViacomCBS, said the program was a good fit for the network.

Duties: The host in the UK version is Rob Brydon (pictured)

'I'm not going to lie to you  viewers on Network 10 are going to absolutely fall in love with  and that's the honest truth!' he said via Mediaweek.

The show is being produced by Endemol Shine Australia.

'We can't wait to get Australian families playing along  picking the facts from the fibs  and laughing out loud at the impossibly absurd stories,' Endemol Shine CEO Peter Newman said.

The show has been incredibly successful in the UK and has been on-air since 2007.

The original series is now up to season 14 and still going strong with viewers.

The show is scheduled to air next year on Ten and Ten Play.
Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell are doting parents to six-month-old daughter Grace Warrior Irwin Powell.

And on Wednesday, the proud dad shared a sweet photo of his little girl posing next to an Australian water dragon.

'When the water dragon looks like an actual dragon' the 24-year-old captioned it.

Daddy-daughter time! On Wednesday, proud dad Chandler Power shared a sweet selfie with his daughter Grace Warrior as she posed next to an Australian water dragon

The daddy-daughter duo smiled as they appreciated the wildlife on display at Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Chandler's post comes after his wife Bindi, 23, shared a series of photos of her little girl to Instagram on Monday.

In the photos, their firstborn stuck out her tongue and struck a cheeky pose as she held a stuffed bunny toy.

Love: Bindi Irwin is enjoying every moment of motherhood. Pictured with daughter Grace

Grace also held a dummy in her hand, and had on a sweet white onesie with lace trim around the neckline.

Bindi wrote in her caption: 'Our angel and sunshine every day. Always poking her tongue out when I get the camera to take her photo.

'Grace Warrior, I love you beyond description,' she added.

Aww! On Monday, the 23-year-old shared a series of photos of her six-month-old daughter

Baby love: In the images, the sweet tot stuck out her tongue and struck a cheeky pose as she held a stuffed bunny toy

Bindi wrote in her caption: 'Our angel and sunshine every day. Always poking her tongue out when I get the camera to take her photo. Grace Warrior, I love you beyond description'

The conservationist welcomed her first child with her husband Chandler Powell in March.

Last week, she also shared an cute photo to Instagram of her little girl 'talking' to the family dog Piggy.

Bindi captioned the image of Grace, six months, smiling at Piggy: 'Having a chat.'

Aww! Last week, she shared an adorable photo of her little girl 'talking' to the family dog Piggy. Bindi captioned the image of Grace, six months, smiling at Piggy: 'Having a chat.

Family: The conservationist welcomed her first child with her husband Chandler Powell in March

The photo, which was taken on the grounds of Australia Zoo, shows Grace lying on the grass next to Piggy, who is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

In September, Bindi and her husband Chandler celebrated their daughter turning six months old, sharing a gallery of photos to Instagram of Grace sitting in a field while holding a wooden panel with 'six months' engraved on it.

Bindi and Chandler, a former professional wakeboarder, welcomed their daughter on March 25, which coincidentally was their one-year wedding anniversary.
With well over 600,000 followers, Martha Kalifatidis is one of Australia's most popular influencers.

But on Wednesday, the former Married At First Sight star gave her adoring fans more than they bargained for when she modelled a brand of breast tape in a series of videos.

The 33-year-old posed completely topless with nothing more than the tape to cover her chest.

Busting out! Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis gave her adoring fans more than they bargained for when she modelled a brand of breast tape in a series of videos

'If you've never seen a boob tape, don't freak out, this is normal,' she explained as she modelled the product.

She then put a blazer on and struck a few different poses to demonstrate the effectiveness of the adhesive.

Martha isn't the only Married At First Sight bride to plug breast tapes on Instagram, with her former co-stars Ines Basic and Jessika Power both landing deals with Booby Tape.

'This tape by Hold is literally the best boob tape I've ever used,' Martha gushed.

Dare to bare! The 33-year-old posed completely topless with nothing more than the tape to cover her chest

In August, the brunette star revealed that she wants to get explant surgery.

The 33-year-old, who got a boob job 13 years ago, said she is planning on getting her implants removed during an Instagram Q&A at the time.

The reality star-turned-influencer also offered sage advice to fans who are considering getting the procedure.

A 20-year-old female follower asked the reality star: 'How old were you when you got your implants? I'm 20 and want them but scared of hate.'

Modest? Martha put a blazer on and struck a few different poses to demonstrate the effectiveness of the adhesive

Martha told the girl she thinks she should wait until she was a little older to consider the procedure.

'I was probably your age,' Martha replied. 'My advice is wait until you're a bit older, then make the decision. Never make a decision about surgery if you have doubts [or] are unsure.'

She then revealed her plans to get her implants removed. 'Also I've decided I'm having my implants removed,' she added.

'Been looking for a doc in Sydney but don't really know... if anyone has any recommendations please let me know.'
Braunwyn Windham-Burke unveiled her new girlfriend while attending the launch of the new Real Housewives tell-all, Not All Diamonds and Rose.

Just weeks after splitting from girlfriend Fernando Rocha, Braunwyn, 43, attended the event with her new girlfriend, colorist Jamie Parton, 30.

Speaking with Us Weekly at the event on Tuesday, Braunwyn revealed they had been dating for a few weeks after first meeting at an event hosted by Real Housewives Of Dallas star D'Andra Simmons two years ago.

New love! Braunwyn Windham-Burke unveiled her new girlfriend Jamie Parton while attending the launch of the new Real Housewives tell-all, Not All Diamonds and Rose

'We actually met at an event DAndra hosted two years ago,' Braunwyn told the publication. 'And then we reconnected recently.'

Jamie initiated contact with Braunwyn, sending her a message asking for sobriety advice on Instagram.

Braunwyn, who celebrated 500 days of sobriety in June after struggling with alcoholism, said: 'She recently got sober and she reached out to me on Instagram and was like, "Hey, do you have any advice on sobriety?"

'So we started messaging and then when I was out here we hooked up,' she told the magazine, before sharing a kiss with her new love.

Friend of a friend! Braunwyn revealed they had been dating for a few weeks after first meeting at an event hosted by Real Housewives Of Dallas star D'Andra Simmons two years ago

The ladies looked every inch the cute couple in their matching black outfits as they posed up together on the red carpet.

Jamie appeared slightly taller than Braunwyn, who even had a slight boost in her height with her glossy heels.

Braunwyn is currently bicoastal, traveling back and forth between Orange County to visit her family and New York where she is living her own version of Sex And The City.

'I'm living here part time now,' Braunwyn revealed. 'I'm going back and forth between here and Orange County.

The ex factor: The new relationship comes not long after Braunwyn split from RHOC vet Fernando Rocha

'I love it, I love it, it's perfect for m because I get the home, I get the kids, and then I get to come out here and I get to date and get to be single, and really live my best Carrie Bradshaw life. You know, separate from the family.'

Jamie admitted she had seen a little bit of Braunwyn on Real Housewives Of Orange County.

'I thought she was beautiful,' the brunette beauty told the site.

The new relationship comes just weeks after Braunwyn announced her split from Fernanda.

Meanwhile: The mother of seven is technically back on the dating market again, but she is still legally married to Sean Burke

'Fernanda and I, we're in a transitional period,' she told Us Weekly on Sept. 10, which came more than three months after she announced she was dating the fellow RHOC alum.

She later clarified that the 'transitional period' was in fact a breakup, adding, 'I'm single. Okay, yes!'

The two ladies initially started out as friends before becoming a full-fledged couple.

A family affair! They share seven children: Bella, 20, Rowan, 18, Jacob, 15, twins Curran and Caden, eight, Koa, six, and Hazel, three

With the split, the mother of seven is technically back on the dating market again, but she is still legally married to Sean Burke.

After coming out as a lesbian last year, the Burkes, who had been married for more than 20 years, opened up and revealed that they had an open relationship and would date other people.

They share seven children: Bella, 20, Rowan, 18, Jacob, 15, twins Curran and Caden, eight, Koa, six, and Hazel, three.

It turns out the California native has no intention of divorcing her longtime mate and baby daddy.

'I don't think were going to get divorced, honestly. I truly don't think we're going to. We get along great, we have an open marriage - it's working for us. We're happy,' she told Us.
He's the friend of the royals who's become an arbiter of everything that should be avoided by those wishing to mix in polite society.

And now interior designer Nicky Haslam has helpfully compiled a list of the most vulgar aspects of post-pandemic life.

He's put the list on a tea towel  or 'drying up cloth', as he insists  which he sells for a distinctly uncommon 28 . . . or 38 signed.

Under the headline, Even More Things Nicky Haslam Finds Common, two things he finds most vulgar are associated with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Interior designer Nicky Haslam has helpfully compiled a list of the most vulgar aspects of post-pandemic life

The first is 'Baby showers', that American import where a party is held to 'shower' a pregnant woman with baby gifts ahead of her child's birth.

Although they usually last just an afternoon, Meghan flew to New York on a private jet for her two-day event, with Amal Clooney and Serena Williams among the guests. 'They're a terrible idea,' Haslam tells me.

'Awful. In the old days, people didn't shout about it and just kept quiet until the baby was born.'

The second is 'Soho House', Harry and Meghan's favourite chain of private members' clubs where they had their first date. 'They all look the same,' Haslam declares. 'There's nothing special about them at all.'

But why has he included BBC star Richard Osman, the Pointless host turned best-selling author?

'He's everywhere,' Haslam sniffs. 'He's on every time I switch the TV on.'

The woke gambit

Screenwriter Allan Scott who helped create The Queen's Gambit starring Anya Taylor-Joy (pictured) has hit out at critics complaining that the actress was too attractive while portraying a drug addict having a mental breakdown

She played a brilliant woman who beat every man she encountered at chess, but Anya Taylor-Joy still faces whingeing from the 'wokes' for being 'too sexy' in The Queen's Gambit.

Now, celebrated screenwriter Allan Scott who helped create the series, has hit out at critics complaining that she was too attractive while portraying a drug addict having a mental breakdown.

'Have you heard a lot of people are calling The Queen's Gambit sexist?' he asks me at a Catholic Herald drinks party at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair supported by CCLA.

'It's complete bulls**t. It's a show about a woman being better than a man.' Checkmate to Allan Scott?

Inconvenient truth is Emma's bra was the star

Emma Watson got people talking when she met environmental campaigner Al Gore this week

Harry Potter star turned 'activist' Emma Watson got people talking when she met environmental campaigner Al Gore this week  but not for the reason she'd hoped.

Emma, 31, was interviewing the former U.S. vice-president and maker of An Inconvenient Truth eco film, 73  whom she describes as her 'hero'  about climate change, only to later discover her outfit had stolen the show.

She wore a bespoke green, floral two-piece by royal favourite Emilia Wickstead. But when the designer posted a picture online, critics quickly noted Emma's black bra was showing underneath.

'Is there a portion of the dress missing?' asked one. Another wrote: 'If this were a real business meeting, this would be highly inappropriate and no one would take her seriously.'

Emilia says: 'It was an honour to dress Emma.'

It's over, says Countess

The Earl of Bradford's wife has broken her silence on their marriage split. Last week, I disclosed that the restaurateur Earl, Richard Bridgeman, was being divorced by the Countess, who is an obstetrician known as Dr Penelope Law at London's private Portland Hospital, after 15 years.

'Bringing our marriage to an end has been terribly hard for me, but circumstances have arisen, which I intend to keep private, that have given me no choice,' Penny tells me.

'I have instructed Ayesha Vardag and Lois Rogers, of top divorce law firm Vardags, to represent me, and I am confident that they will obtain a fair outcome in due course.'

The Earl, 74, was devastated when his beloved first wife, Jo, abandoned him just days after their silver wedding anniversary.

Sir Mick Jagger's parsimonious tendencies kicked in when he was required to add his voice to the Rolling Stones' 1981 hit Start Me Up.

'I had to try to drag Mick in to put the vocals on, which he didn't really want to do,' recording engineer Chris Kimsey says.

'When he did the vocals he was so budget-conscious that we ended up in the Stones' mobile [studio] in a railway warehouse on the periphery of Paris in winter.

'It was so cold that when we did the handclaps you could see the breath coming out of everyone's mouths.'

Cheers! Jodie in bid to save our local pubs

Jodie Kidd, who owns The Half Moon in West Sussex, visited No 10 wearing a 185 jumper with the apposite slogan: 'She Who Dares Wins'

Forget the catwalk. Society model turned pint-puller Jodie Kidd strutted down Downing Street instead this week to save Britain's pubs.

The former Strictly star, who owns The Half Moon in West Sussex, visited No 10 wearing a 185 jumper with the apposite slogan: 'She Who Dares Wins.'

Kidd, 43, says: 'I was dropping in my petition for the Long Live The Local campaign, urging the Government to rethink its reform of Beer Duty, VAT and business rate taxes within hospitality.

'After a year of lockdowns, severe trading restrictions and huge uncertainty, almost 2,000 pubs have gone for ever.'

Queen star Brian May's wife Anita Dobson is learning that being married to an ageing musician is not all sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.

The guitarist, 74, nearly died last year and Dobson wails: 'Lockdown was dreadful, a nightmare that I wish never to go back to.

'My husband had a heart attack, sciatica and a haemorrhage and suddenly I went from being a working actress to being a cleaner, cook and carer. Not a role I'm easily castable for.'

The former EastEnders star adds: 'Even when Brian started to get better, there was this awful feeling of: ''Is this my life now?'''
Melanie Griffith looked chic yet reserved in an all-black ensemble when she was seen out shopping in West Hollywood on Wednesday.

The 64-year-old actress emerged from the cosmetics store Violet Grey with a small bag of purchases, before making some other stops at the iconic Melrose Place.

The mother of Dakota Johnson highlighted her fit figure thanks to a slim black mock turtleneck top with thumb loops.

Back in black: Melanie Griffith, 64, looked youthful and fit in an all-black ensemble while visiting the cosmetics store Violet Grey on Wednesday at West Hollywood's iconic Melrose Place

Melanie contrasted the tight top with a comfortable pair of baggy black sweatpants that she wore low on her hips.

She stayed on the same theme with black loafer mules with fuzzy backs, and she carried along a black cardigan in case the breeze picked up.

The Body Double star had a small black handbag slung over her shoulder, and she rocked a classic set of black cat-eye sunglasses to match her cat-like ensemble.

She contrasted the otherwise-dark look with her brilliant blond tresses, which she styled up.

Fit figure: Melanie contrasted the figure-hugging top with a comfortable pair of baggy black sweatpants that she wore low on her hips

Retro style: The Body Double star had a small black handbag slung over her shoulder, and she rocked a classic set of black cat-eye sunglasses to match her cat-like ensemble

Melanie has been taking it easy lately after slowing down the pace of her acting jobs.

Her last role was in the narrative podcast Dirty Diana, which starred Demi Moore as a woman secretly running a website in which women could secretly post about their sexual fantasies and desires.

Prior to that, she had a small role in her daughter Dakota's film The High Note, which was released in 2020.

She wished Dakota, whom she shares with her ex-husband Don Johnson, a happy 32nd birthday on October 4.

'Happy Birthday my gorgeous girl! You are so full of love and magic and mystery I love you with all of my heart,' she wrote while posting a sweet black-and-white photo of the two together.

The two were seen enjoying a birthday dinner the following day, which Dakota's boyfriend Chris Martin appeared to have sat out.

Family: She wished her daughter Dakota Johnson, whom she shares with her ex-husband Don Johnson, a happy 32nd birthday on October 4

While Melanie seemed closer than ever with her eldest daughter, her younger daughter Stella, whom she shares with her ex-husband Antonio Banderas, recently filed to have 'Griffith' removed from her name.

According to legal documents obtained by The Blast last month, the Spanish actress asked the Los Angeles County Court to 'shorten' her name from Stella Del Carmen Banderas 'by removing the extra last name.'

'I typically do not use "Griffith" when referring to myself or on documents,' she wrote in her filing.

'So, dropping the name would match my regular use,' she added.

Although she's dropping her mother's last name, there doesn't appear to be any animosity between the two animating her decision.
An Australian woman has used her boyfriend's blunt and unromantic text messages to make a series of 'demotivational' quotes.

Kayla Gray, who once appeared on The Bachelor, compiled texts sent by her beau Mick Gould and put them to music in a hilarious montage video.

Mick, who starred on Married At First Sight in 2019, had sent his girlfriend texts asking her 'what have you done this time?' and telling her to 'turn it down'.

But when they were put against the backdrop of scenic landscapes and accompanied by a piano ballad, they became unintentionally hilarious.

LOL: Aussie woman Kayla Gray turned her boyfriend Mick Gould's very unromantic texts to her into inspirational quotes, in a hilarious video shared to Instagram on Thursday

Kayla captioned the video, which was set to A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton: 'Is your partner this romantic?'

Mick's first 'loved-up' text to his girlfriend read: 'Hurry up you gin around like an old woman.'

The next read: 'What have you done this time?'

It must be love: When Mick's blunt texts were put against the backdrop of scenic landscapes and accompanied by a piano ballad, they became unintentionally hilarious

Chivalry isn't dead: One text message, which Kayla had set over a scenic image of a lake at dusk, read: 'Can you just turn it down?' Another read: 'What have you done this time?'

Another unsentimental text message read: 'The birds are s**tting in the rain gauge again.'

One text message, which Kayla had set over a scenic image of a lake at dusk, read: 'Can you just turn it down?'

The final 'inspirational' message simply read: 'You dirty bludger.'

Fool for love: Another unsentimental text read: 'The birds are s**tting in the rain gauge again'

Romance: Kayla and Mick have been dating since March 2019, and they live together at his farm in Gympie, Queensland

Kayla's fans loved the post, with one commenting, 'This is the best.' Another said it was '#couplegoals'.

Those obviously familiar with Mick said, 'I can literally hear him saying all that,' while another laughed: 'Not the rain gauge again!'

Kayla and Mick have been dating since March 2019, and they live together at his farm in Gympie, Queensland.

Unlucky: Kayla starred on The Bachelor Australia in 2018, but went home on episode three

Mick first found fame on Married At First Sight, where he became embroiled in a cheating scandal when his 'wife' Jessika Power had an affair with another groom.

Kayla was a contestant on The Bachelor Australia in 2018, starring former rugby player Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins.

She was sent home on episode three.
She went to ground and deleted her Instagram account earlier this month after her controversial anti-vax video rant.

But Sam Frost resurfaced on social media on Wednesday, insisting she was 'really happy' in a video taken from the set of her hit soap Home and Away.

The 32-year-old appeared in an Instagram story posted by her co-star Harley Bonner.

What scandal? Home and Away star Sam Frost resurfaced on social media on Wednesday and insisted she's 'really happy' after deleting Instagram following her controversial anti-vax rant earlier this month

'How is Sam Frost?' the fan asked Harley.

He quipped back 'Find out for yourself!' as he panned the camera towards Sam.

In the video, the blonde beamed as she snacked on almonds in between scenes.

'How is Sam Frost?' The 32-year-old appeared in an Instagram story posted by her co-star Harley Bonner

'Hey! I'm really happy and just eating almonds like a loser,' she said in the clip.

Sam was seen filming scenes for the long-running soap at the idyllic Palm Beach on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Sam deactivated her Instagram account shortly after revealing in an emotional video that she was unvaccinated and her mental health had suffered as a result of other people 'judging' her.

'Hey! I'm really happy and just eating almonds like a loser,' she said in the clip

Sam, who has played nurse Jasmine Delaney on Home and Away since 2017, called for less judgement towards unvaccinated Australians.

'I was really hesitant about doing a video or even speaking up about this sort of thing, but I feel like it's getting to a point now in the world where there's a lot of segregation,' she said in the video.

'There's a lot of harsh judgement and opinions being thrown around a lot and it's taking its toll on my mental health for sure, and I know people around me are struggling - particularly if they're on the side of they don't want to get vaccinated, for whatever reason.

Making headlines: It comes after Sam deactivated her Instagram account earlier this month, shortly after revealing in an emotional video that she was unvaccinated and her mental health had suffered as a result of other people 'judging' her

'There are lots of different reasons why people are not getting vaccinated and it might be because of their medical history, their concerns, they might have family history, it could be religious reasons.'

Sam then said she hadn't been vaccinated, but claimed she had spoken to her medical doctor as well as a psychologist about her decision.

However, it's understood she does not have a valid medical exemption.

She added tearfully: 'It's a really hard time to be in society right now and you feel like you are less of a human and you feel like people judge you.

'And you're too scared to talk about your opinion or your feelings and part of you wants to go, "Well, it's none of your damn business why I'm not! And there's good reasons why I'm not and I don't want you to judge me."'

Unvaccinated: Sam then said she hadn't been vaccinated, but claimed she had spoken to her medical doctor as well as a psychologist about her decision. However, it's understood she does not have a valid medical exemption

She explained it was important for the unvaccinated to look after their mental health, especially as freedoms return for fully vaccinated Australians.

'I'm struggling a lot with my mental health and I like to think that I'm pretty on to it. I see a psychologist regularly. So I can't imagine what it's like for people who don't have a support network around them,' she said.

She also added she could 'get in trouble' for coming out publicly as unvaccinated, before urging people to treat each other with more kindness and compassion.

Her video caused a great deal of controversy, mainly because of her use of the word 'segregation' when referring to the way society 'judges' unvaccinated people.

'Segregation' is typically used to describe societies that are divided due to race, religion or sexual orientation.

A Seven spokesperson said shortly afterwards: 'Seven strongly encourages vaccination for all our people and all Seven productions strictly adhere to the public health Covid-19 safe protocols.

'All Home and Away cast and crew also undertake Covid-19 testing three times a week in addition to other preventative measures.

'Sam Frost continues to work on Home and Away and follows the safety protocols in place.'
She is known to be quite the style chameleon.

And Melissa George nailed mod chic as she attended Paris's flagship art fair, the Foire Internationale dArt Contemporain, at the Grand Palais Ephemere on Wednesday.

The former Home and Away star rocked a leather jacket over a black turtleneck sweater and opaque tights teamed with a pair of Sixties-style slingback shoes.

Going hell for leather: Melissa George nailed mod chic as she attended Paris's flagship art fair, the Foire Internationale dArt Contemporain, at the Grand Palais Ephemere on Wednesday

The actress toted a crocodile skin designer handbag and had her red locks styled in a plait.

Melissa, 45, also flaunted her incredibly youthful and line-free visage by wearing barely any makeup on her complexion.

The former soap star currently lives in Paris with her two sons, Raphael, six, and Solal, four.

Tres chic! The former Home and Away star rocked a leather jacket over a black turtleneck sweater and opaque tights teamed with a pair of Sixties-style slingback shoes

Parisian: The former soap star currently lives in Paris with her two sons, Raphael, six, and Solal, four

In 2012, Melissa was left furious when The Morning Show hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies played clips of her soap star days and asked her about her time on Home And Away.

News Corp reported that the actress had threatened to walk off set if her time on Home And Away was mentioned.

'She kept saying she's had so many bigger roles since Home And Away that it was offensive to talk about it - she even said she'd send Seven an invoice because she inadvertently promotes it through the media,' a source told The Daily Telegraph.

Melissa broke her silence about the incident in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, explaining she wasn't going to come back to Australia for a while because of the stress local media interviews caused her.

'I don't need credibility from my country any more, I just need them all to be quiet. If they have nothing intelligent to say, please don't speak to me any more,' she said.

'I'd rather be having a croissant and a little espresso in Paris or walking my French bulldog in New York City.'
A MasterChef Australia judge has lashed out at a British commentator for fat-shaming Tilly Ramsay on his radio show this week.

Tilly, 19, who is the daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay, became the subject of criticism for UK radio announcer Steve Allen, 67, on Wednesday, after he made derogatory comments about her weight.

Allen had referred to Tilly as a 'chubby little thing' - a statement that sparked backlash among fans and celebrities alike.

'You should be ashamed': MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong, 39, (left) has slammed British radio Steve Allen, 67, for calling Tilly Ramsay, 19, (right) a 'chubby little thing' on his breakfast show this week

Hours later, Tilly wrote on Instagram that she was 'hurt' by the shocking remarks.

Among those to publicly slam Allen was MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong, who met Tilly when she competed on the Celebrity spin-off of MasterChef Australia earlier this year.

Posting to her Instagram Stories on Thursday, Melissa, 39, re-shared Tilly's online statement, while adding her own strongly-worded message.

Shocking: Allen (pictured) had referred to Tilly as a 'chubby little thing' - a statement that sparked backlash among fans and celebrities alike

Responding to Allen's remarks via her Instagram Stories on Thursday, Melissa wrote: 'This is not cool. Steve, you should be ashamed at your behaviour... you're not exactly a supermodel mate'

'Elegantly handled, like the graceful woman you are': Melissa also praised Tilly's classy response to the drama

'This is not cool. Steve, you should be ashamed at your behaviour... you're not exactly a supermodel mate,' Melissa wrote.

She then praised Tilly's classy response to the drama, writing: 'Elegantly handled, like the graceful woman you are. #TeamTilly'.

Controversy broke out on Wednesday morning when Allen read a comment form a listener on-air, alerting him to the fact that Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia as well as UK reality show Strictly Come Dancing.

'She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine': Controversy broke on Wednesday morning when Allen read a comment form a listener on-air, alerting him to the fact that Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia as well as UK reality show Strictly Come Dancing

Steve - who is on air between 4am and 7am - then remarked: 'Is she? Well, she can't blimming well dance!

'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.'

In response to the remarks, Tilly penned on Instagram: 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far.'

Upset: In response to the remarks, Tilly penned on Instagram: ' I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far'

'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.'

Tilly continued: 'This isn't the first and definitely wont' be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I'm learning to accept myself.

'But please remember that words can hurt. And at the end of the day I am only 19 and I'm so grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been able to take part in.

Shock: In the post, Tilly revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks

'And I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with it's own repercussions and I've been aware of this from a young age.

'However, I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx'

She captioned the post '#bekind'.

Famous father: Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and father Gordon (left)

Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly with Janette Manrara writing: 'How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someones mental health. You are a POWERFUL young lady! Wear your crown w/ your head held high'.

Giovanni Pernice penned: 'Some people are very nasty !! Dont listen to this crap .. we love You girl ! #bekind'.

Great British Bake Off star and Strictly contestant John Whaite penned: 'Hes a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.'

Her sister Holly meanwhile wrote: 'Very well said x #bekind', while their sister Megan echoed: 'Love you Tills'.

Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian reached out to Tilly to write: 'what a total w**ker. bloody uncalled for. cant wait for you to have the last laugh and keep winning. sending you love'.
Brooke Blurton's much hyped season of The Bachelorette is off to a disastrous start for Channel 10.

Wednesday night's premiere opened to just 397,000 metro viewers, making it the lowest rated premiere in franchise history across all versions of the show.

Even the ill-fated spin-off Bachelor In Paradise, which was recently shelved by 10, has delivered stronger ratings across its three seasons.

Tanked: Brooke Blurton's much hyped season of The Bachelorette is off to a disastrous start for Channel 10, bringing in just 397,000 metro viewers

The Bachelorette tanked across the board, bringing in the lowest numbers ever in metro viewers, national viewers, and even in all key demos.

Compared to last season, which was fronted by sisters Elly and Becky Miles, Brooke's premiere was down 36.4% nationally.

The show's poor performance may come as a surprise to many viewers, who demanded that the franchise introduce more diversity.

Oh no! It the lowest rated premiere in franchise history across all versions of the show and in all key demos

As a result, 10 did a franchise first with Brooke, who is the first ever Indigenous and bisexual lead.

And for the first time in global Bachelor franchise history, Brooke has both men and women vying for her heart.

Brooke teared up on Wednesday's premiere as Indigenous Elders performed a Welcome To Country ceremony in some of the opening scenes from the episode.

The 26-year-old wiped tears alongside host Osher Gunsberg as they showed respect to the Dharug country of the Bidjigal clan.

It's a hit! Even the ill-fated spin-off Bachelor In Paradise, which was recently shelved by 10, has delivered stronger ratings across its three seasons

'It's just like a little piece of home. Thank you so much, guys,' an emotional Brooke said, as she asked to hug the Elders.

'This is a perfect moment and I get tears. It wasn't, like, sad tears. It was, like, a happy cry,' she added.

Viewers were also emotional at the deeply moving moment, with many taking to Twitter, including one who wrote: 'The acknowledgment of country, "You can't be what you can't see".'

Diverse: The Bachelorette made history this season with a mixed-gender cast and a bisexual and indigenous lead in Brooke (pictured kissing Jamie-Lee Dayz on Wednesday)

'Welcome to country! Sincere and authentic! Love it!' another said, as a third called the ceremony 'pure class'.

'This should be a thing at the start of ALL Australian shows, to normalise and celebrate it. Absolutely refreshing,' the viewer added.

'The Bachelorette opening with a Welcome to Country!! This now needs to be a base requirement for EVERY series moving forward,' another suggested.

'They should start doing the Welcome to Country at the beginning of each season going forward,' added another.

Historic moment: Bachelorette Brooke teared up during the Welcome To Country ceremony on Wednesday's premiere

'I'm so unbelievably happy for indigenous and/or queer kids': Viewers were happy to see the show for breaking boundaries and making history

Elsewhere, other viewers were happy to see the show for breaking boundaries and making history.

'Historic moment having not only the first bisexual bachelorette but the first Indigenous woman too. Proud of you tiddah,' one wrote, using the Aboriginal word for sister, best friend or Aunty.

'I'm so unbelievably happy for indigenous and/or queer kids who get to see themselves represented on national television like this. I would have given anything to see proper bisexual representation growing up,' added another.
Scott Disick broke his social media silence on Wednesday, three days after ex-girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian said 'yes' to Travis Barker's marriage proposal.

It appears the 38-year-old bachelor is leaning into fatherhood to cope with news of the engagement, which has been all over social media throughout the week.

The real estate entrepreneur went to Instagram Stories to share a photo of his six-year-old son Reign smiling as he sat on a plush, beige couch.

Finding solace in his son: Scott Disick broke his social media silence on Wednesday, three days after ex-girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian said 'yes' to Travis Barker's marriage proposal

'After school break down with Reign,' the businessman wrote atop the snapshot taken from his point of view from a sofa where he sat with his legs stretched out.

It was reported that Disick feels like 'an outcast' since Kourtney began dating Travis, and that he even avoids family events to stay away from the Blink-182 drummer.

Prior to the mother-of-three's new relationship, the former couple had remained close co-parents since their split in 2015 and though insiders told Us Weekly the Kardashians still 'adore Scott,' he has been keeping his distance.

'He avoids family get-togethers that Travis is at, and he has refused to be in the same room with him at times,' the source said.

'The Kardashians adore Scott and tell him he's part of the family no matter what, but he feels very distant and feels like an outcast more than ever,' they explained.



'Outcast': Scott Disick 'feels like an outcast' since ex Kourtney Kardashian started dating Travis Barker and has even been avoiding family gatherings in order to ignore the drummer

Cold shoulder: 'He avoids family get-togethers that Travis is at, and he has refused to be in the same room with him at times,' the source said. Kardashian and Barker are seen in September above

'It's fair to say the holidays this year are going to be rough and will be a battle over the kids,' they added.

On Tuesday, insiders also told Page Six that Disick, who recently broke up with ex-girlfriend Amelia Hamlin, 20, is struggling after hearing the news, despite having split from the eldest Kardashian daughter more than five years ago.

'Scott is going crazy,' an insider told the publication. 'He's going to go off the deep end. It's really bad. It's about to get dark.'

All the small things: The Blink 182 drummer dropped down to one knee and proposed to Kourtney on the beach overlooking the sunset in Montecito on Sunday night with her famous family looking on from the Miramar hotel

The musician dropped down to one knee and proposed to Kourtney on the beach overlooking the sunset in Montecito on Sunday night with her famous family looking on from the Miramar hotel.

Disick then became a trending topic after fans were curious about his reaction following his disastrous leaked direct message to her ex, Younes Bendjima, where he criticized Kourtney for too much PDA with Travis on their trip to Italy.

'Yo is this chick ok!??? Broo like what is this. In the middle of Italy,' Scott wrote as he sent a photo of Kourtney kissing and straddling the Blink-182 drummer on an inflatable boat.

Bendjima, 28, responded back: 'Doesn't matter to me as long as shes happy. PS: i aint your bro.'

The way they were: Amelia Hamlin reportedly 'ended things' with Scott in September after nearly one year together

Yikes: Things were certainly tense leading up to the split, when just last week, the Talentless designer sent Kourtney's ex Younes Bendjima a direct message about her PDA-packed behavior with boyfriend Travis Barker

Kourtney and Scott dated on and off for nearly a decade and had three children together  Reign, six, Penelope, eight, and Mason, 11  before officially ending things romantically in 2015.

He's remained an active co-parent, appearing on Keeping Up with the Kardashians and attending family events through the years, no matter his relationship status.

Travis' ex-wife, Shanna Moakler took to Instagram on Sunday night, hours after the engagement, with a dramatic reaction as she admitted to being 'temporarily closed for spiritual maintenance.'

The 46-year-old former pageant queen has had a contentious time with Kravis, and even at one point admitted that their romance was 'putting a wedge' between her relationship with her kids.

In the past: Kourtney and Scott dated on and off for nearly a decade and had three children together  Reign, six, Penelope, eight, and Mason, 11  before officially ending things romantically in 2015; seen in 2015
Ulrika Jonsson has signed up to the forthcoming series of Celebs Go Dating, according to reports.

The star, 54, is said to have 'jumped at the chance to be matched up with someone' and Channel 4 bosses hope Ulrika will 'add a totally different element' as she is 'one of the older celebrities to have taken part in the series'.

A source added to The Sun: 'Ulrika is a great sport and knows what makes great TV.' She will be handing her love life over to dating agents Paul Carrick Brunson and Anna Williamson alongside client coordinator Tom Read Wilson.

Quest for love: Ulrika Jonsson, 54, has signed up to the forthcoming series of Celebs Go Dating, according to reports

According to the paper, the thought of 'being matched up to someone by experts' is 'ideal' for Ulrika - who has been married three times in the past.

The source also noted that Ulrika being 'a big name' and having 'an interesting backstory' will draw viewers.

MailOnline has reached out to representatives for Ulrika for comment.

The popular E4 show will air next year with a brand new line-up of celebrities looking for love and will see the famous London-based dating agency once again open its doors.

Trust: Ulrika will be handing her love life over to the show's stars, dating agents Paul Carrick Brunson and Anna Williamson alongside client coordinator Tom Read Wilson (pictured)

Last year's season took on a retreat format in the wake of the pandemic, with famous participants staying in The Manson for four weeks.

Their quest for love saw them watched by cameras 24/7 and participants included Chloe Ferry, Joey Essex and Curtis Pritchard.

It comes after Ulrika addressed the 'Strictly Curse' after Sophie Ellis-Bextor revealed how her time on the show 'took such a toll' on her marriage that her husband ended up in counselling.

In a column penned for The Sun earlier this month, Ulrika said she understands how work trips and office parties can create 'insecurity and excitement for both partners'.

Honest remarks: 'I came home a much-changed wife': Ulrika revealed in a column for The Sun how her time hosting Gladiators contributed to her marriage breakdown and 'subsequent unfaithfulness' (Pictured in 2019)

Honest remarks: Ulrika recalled how she 'faltered' during the second year of the show's recording (1993) when a camera crew member 'caught her eye' (Pictured in a promo shot for Gladiators in 1994)

The Swedish-British TV presenter, who hosted Gladiators from 1992, recalled how her time on the show eventually led to her marriage breakdown with John Turnbull.

Ulrika recalled how she 'faltered' during the second year of the show's recording (1993) when a camera crew member 'caught her eye' at a party towards the end of filming.

'We ended up dancing together, albeit not Strictly-styley. Not intimate but enough for me to get a taste of something enticing and forbidden,' she wrote.

Marriage breakdown: Ulrika explained how the excitement of the show made her feel 'more than just a wife'. The TV presenter eventually divorced Richard in 1995 (pictured in 1991)

'Nothing happened but I developed feelings for this man and came home a much-changed wife. I didn't want to be at home.'

Ulrika explained how the excitement of the show made her feel 'more than just a wife'.

Unlike Sophie, who was able to repair her marriage, Ulrika eventually divorced John in 1995.

'My marriage broke down and I was subsequently unfaithful. Eventually we did manage to reheat the marriage souffle, but I completely understand how going away on work trips and office parties creates an insecurity and excitement for both partners,' she said.
Kip Wightman has quit Nova 106.9's breakfast show, Ash, Kip, Luttsy and Susie.

The Brisbane radio host is leaving the top-rating program after 15 years to focus on his personal life after becoming a single dad, reports the Courier Mail.

He revealed in March he and his wife, Amber, had split after four years of marriage and are now co-parenting their son, Raphael.

Farewell: Kip Wightman has quit Nova 106.9's breakfast radio show, Ash, Kip, Luttsy and Susie

'It has been a privilege to hang out with the people of Brisbane over breakfast these past 15 years, but the time is right for me to switch off the alarm and consider what's next in my professional and personal life,' Wightman announced on air.

He explained that 'priorities have shifted' in his personal life.

'I've had a lot going on, some of which hasn't been easy, and breakfast radio hours aren't the best for a single dad of a young son, so it feels right to call time on being a part of this dream team,' he said.

New start: The Brisbane radio host is leaving the top-rating program after 15 years to focus on his personal life after becoming a single dad. Pictured (L-R): Wightman, Ashley 'Ash' Bradnam, Susie O'Neill and David 'Luttsy' Lutteral at the ACRAs on October 19, 2019, in Brisbane

Wightman hosted the breakfast show for 15 years and was part of the original breakfast team when Nova opened its Brisbane studio in 2005.

He is a veteran of the network, having worked for Nova for a total of 18 years.

'I won't miss the early starts, but I will miss everyone involved with the show, and everyone across the network who has made my years at Nova a great experience,' he added.

Divorce: Wightman revealed in March he and his wife, Amber (left), had split after four years of marriage and are now co-parenting their son, Raphael

Wightman's exit comes as the Ash, Kip, Luttsy and Susie show continues to dominate the ratings as Brisbane's most listened to breakfast radio program.

Nova 106.9 was the only FM station to retain strong ratings in the latest survey as more listeners in the city switched to news and talkback-focused AM channels during the Covid pandemic.

Nova jumped 1.5 points in survey six, securing an 11.7 per cent audience share.

Ash, Kip, Luttsy and Susie was the top breakfast show with a 13.1 per cent share.
Last week, Jesinta Franklin and her daughter, Tullulah, went shopping at their local Bunnings Warehouse store.

And it appears they stocked up on paint to redesign the little girl's bedroom.

The 30-year-old model shared footage to Instagram on Wednesday of a team of renovators putting the finishing touches to the nursery.

Renovation time: Jesinta Franklin shared footage to Instagram on Wednesday of a team of renovators putting the finishing touches to her her daughter Tullulah's bedroom

'Tullulah's room,' she captioned the video, tagging the stylist and wallpaper designer.

Jesinta and her husband, AFL star Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, opted for earthy tones for their daughter's bedroom.

There were also stickers of birds and plants on the walls.



Dreamy! 'Tullulah's room,' she captioned the video, tagging her stylist and wallpaper designer

Chic: Jesinta and her husband, Buddy Franklin, opted for earthy tones for Tullulah's nursery

The glimpse at Tullulah's room comes after Jesinta headed to her local Bunnings last week to buy paint to makeover Buddy's cinema room.

She was joined on Friday by her one-year-old daughter, who was fixated by a giant fluffy puppy that acted as an in-store prop.

'Oh dear... obsessed with the Dulux dog,' she said as Tullulah hugged the big teddy.

Jesinta predicted the trip would 'definitely end in tears' when they got home as her little girl seemed to have grown attached to the toy.

Puppy love: The glimpse at Tullulah's room comes after Jesinta headed to her local Bunnings last week to buy paint to makeover Buddy's cinema room. She was joined on Friday by her one-year-old daughter, who was fixated by a giant fluffy puppy that acted as an in-store prop

'Obsessed': Jesinta predicted the trip would 'definitely end in tears' when they got home as her little girl seemed to have grown attached to the toy

In between her daughter's playful antics, Jesinta also updated fans on her purchases.

She let them know she'd picked several different shades of paint for Buddy's cinema room.

She is yet to share an update on his room, but judging by her taste it will be luxe.
He's never been shy about stripping down for racy Instagram posts.

And Bailey Smith was at it again on Wednesday, stripping down to just a pair of shorts for a photo on Instagram Stories.

The AFL bad boy, 20, shared a selfie in which he flaunted his insanely toned torso.

Hot stuff: AFL bad boy Bailey Smith (pictured) stripped down to just a pair of shorts on Wednesday, showing off his insanely toned body in a selfie on Instagram Stories

The photo appeared to have been taken poolside, in the reflection of a window.

The Western Bulldogs flashed his six pack and seriously toned external obliques.

He added the cryptic caption, 'talk to us then,' followed by a sunshine emoji.

The post comes after Bailey revealed he'd been approached by Channel Nine to appear on Love Island Australia.

Ready for island life? The post comes after Bailey revealed he'd been approached by Channel Nine to appear on Love Island Australia

However, the athlete said that he couldn't accept the offer - partly because he was worried he'd get a 'villain edit'.

'I got messaged by Love Island to go on Love Island,' he told It's A Lot last week.

'But I don't think they understand my schedule and how I can't just stop going to footy,' he added.

'And that was my one nightmare, if I ever went on a show it would be them cutting things and portraying me as a bad person or, like, worrying about something that I'm not.

'It's like, please, I don't like giving someone that much power. It is scary.'

Too busy: 'I got messaged by Love Island to go on Love Island,' he told It's A Lot last week. 'But I don't think they understand my schedule and how I can't just stop going to footy'

Fears: The athlete said that he couldn't accept the offer - partly because he was worried he'd get a 'villain edit'. Pictured: the Love Island Australia season three cast

Bailey has received a lot of attention recently, but not always for the right reasons.

Earlier this month, he was involved in an alleged altercation at a popular Gold Coast pub.

The incident occurred at Burleigh Pavilion on the October long weekend - one week after Smith's team, the Western Bulldogs, lost the 2021 AFL Grand Final.

Location: Earlier this month, he was involved in an alleged altercation at a popular Gold Coast pub. The incident occurred at Burleigh Pavilion (pictured) on the October long weekend - one week after Smith's team, the Western Bulldogs, lost the 2021 AFL Grand Final

Police are investigating after a formal complaint was lodged by a 22-year-old man who alleges Smith pushed him in the early hours of Monday, October 4.

No charges have been laid and it's understood Smith has not been spoken to by police.

It comes after the Western Bulldogs player appeared in a raucous video in which he admits he hasn't slept for 48 hours and is on the hunt for female company.

Posted to social media platform TikTok, the footage shows Smith at a nightclub after the Bulldogs' AFL Grand Final loss against the Melbourne Demons in Perth.

Wild: It comes after the Western Bulldogs player appeared in a raucous video in which he admits he hasn't slept for 48 hours and is on the hunt for female company

'At the end of the day it's about the f***king ticka. We're here right, we're here. We ain't slept in 48 hours. Sleep is for the f**cking weak,' he said.

The party had kicked off on the Saturday night, and on Sunday, the entire team headed out to the Ocean Beach Hotel at Cottesloe Beach to enjoy a few drinks.

On the day, TikTok user @brodeeezy posted a video from the bar in which Bailey Smith could be seen swarmed by female fans.

In the clip, he debunks a 'nude' picture of himself circulating the internet.

Attention: TikTok user @brodeeezy posted a video from a bar in which Bailey could be seen swarmed by female fans. In the video, the AFL star appeared to be debunking a 'nude' of himself circulating the internet

Undoctored: The original image (above) is said to have been doctored to appear as though Bailey is completely nude. Smith made light of the situation on Sunday and posted the original photo on his Instagram Stories along with an eggplant emoji

'That's the actual photo,' Smith said, as he showed two ladies an image of himself shirtless, reclined while wearing shorts.

The original image is said to have been doctored to appear as though Bailey is completely nude.

Smith made light of the situation and posted the original picture on his Instagram Stories along with an eggplant emoji - but afterwards, got an indecent proposal.

Bailey said on the Common Chaos podcast that he was bizarrely offered '$50,000' to sleep with a man he'd never met after the stranger got hold of his phone number.
Tawny Kitaen's death at 59 was the result of dilated cardiomyopathy, a common heart disease, according to medical examiners.

The Orange County Coroner's Office said that other factors in Kitaen's May 7 death at her Newport Beach, California home were linked to antidepressants, opioids, clogged arteries, sedatives, Tylenol and nerve pain medication, TMZ reported.

The outlet in May reported that police told Kitaen's family that the items recovered at the scene indicated there were no signs she tried to take her life, or that drugs or alcohol factored into her passing.

The latest: Tawny Kitaen's death at 59 was the result of dilated cardiomyopathy, a common heart disease, according to medical examiners. She was snapped in 2018 in St Charles, Missouri

Kitaen was cremated; in late May, Kitaen's family and friends had a celebration of life for her at the Newport Beach home of her ex-husband, former MLB pitcher Chuck Finley, according to the outlet.

Kitaen, who was past wed to Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale, made memorable appearances in the band's videos including Here I Go Again, Is This Love and The Deeper the Love.

She appeared on shows such as Seinfeld, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, Moms Anonymous and Santa Barbara, and in films including Bachelor Party, Witchboard and Happy Hour.

She also had a presence on reality TV, with appearances on shows including The Surreal Life and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Flashback: The actress was snapped November of 1994

Jordan Kitaen told the outlet that the April 12 death of their father Terry from skin cancer overwhelmed her, as they were very close

Kitaen's daughters Wynter and Raine said in a statement at the time of her passing, 'We just want to say thank you for all of you, her fans and her friends, for always showing her such support and love. You gave her life everyday.'

Her brother Jordan Kitaen told the outlet that the April 12 death of their father Terry from skin cancer overwhelmed her, as they were very close.

Speaking with Fox in May, Jordan noted that Tawny 'was close with her daughters' and 'they took [her death] extremely hard.

'But we sort of have circled the wagons around them. They've been strong. They both did great speaking at the service.'
Bachelor in Paradise lovebirds Glenn Smith and Alisha Aitken-Radburn thrilled fans last week when they announced their engagement.

And now the pair have shared intimate details about the romantic sunset proposal, which took place on the foreshore in south Perth.

The couple told Studio 10 on Wednesday Glenn, 32, had dropped down on one knee to propose on Alisha's birthday, and had been planning the moment for months.

Romantic: Newly engaged Bachelor in Paradise stars Glenn Smith and Alisha Aitken-Radburn shared details of the moment he proposed during an appearance on Studio 10 on Wednesday

'I had been planning it for quite a few months and I planned on doing it on Alisha's birthday,' Glenn said.

'The ring only arrived the day before... I booked dinner down on the foreshore and I said we had an activity.'

He said he'd told Alisha, 28, a seaplane was coming, before dropping down on one knee.

What a moment: 'The ring only arrived the day before... I booked dinner down on the foreshore and I said we had an activity,' he said

'We walked down onto the jetty and I said, "Turn around," and she was all excited and then I was on one knee and proposed.'

Alisha was 'shocked' at first, then started crying over the romantic moment.

She added: 'The ring, he did very well and it matches the ring he gave me on [Bachelor in] Paradise. I'm a very lucky girl!'

When asked when they'll walk down the aisle, Glenn said they want to enjoy being engaged for a while and will start planning their wedding next year.

'We'll enjoy this moment and maybe start planning next year,' he said.

No rush: When asked when they'll walk down the aisle, Glenn said they want to enjoy being engaged for a while and will start planning their wedding next year

The pair announced their engagement last Thursday.

'MEET MY FIANCE!' Alisha wrote on Instagram. '13.10.21 - Sunset at South Perth Foreshore. My heart is bursting.'

Glenn posted a similar post on his own timeline, writing: 'She said yes!

'I get to marry my dream girl and best friend! Words cant express how happy I am, Not just today but every day!

'The moment I met you in Fiji I knew you were the one. I love you.'

The couple found love on last year's season of Bachelor in Paradise, with Alisha later relocating to Perth to be with Glenn.
Married TV presenter Grant Denyer has admitted he has 'embarrassed' his family after he was pictured with his hand on his dance partner's thigh in between rehearsals for the new season of Dancing with the Stars: All Stars.

The photos, which were published in New Idea this week alongside the headline 'Grant Denyer Caught Out', showed Denyer getting close to 22-year-old Lily Cornish outside a dance studio in Sydney.

The 44-year-old clarified on Thursday the pictures were innocent and in fact showed him consoling his friend after she had received some sad personal news.

He told 2Day FM's The Morning Crew with Hughesy, Ed & Erin the images were taken by a paparazzo just moments after he and Cornish had finished speaking to his wife Chezzi over FaceTime.

'It's such a horrible, made-up story that's embarrassing for everyone. We'd just been on the phone to Chezzi, we had been FaceTiming It had been a bit of a tough day and Lil had a bit going on in her personal life,' he said.

Setting the record straight: Married TV presenter Grant Denyer has admitted he has 'embarrassed' his family after he was pictured with his hand on his dance partner's thigh in between rehearsals for the new season of Dancing with the Stars : All Stars

'It's not up to me to divulge what it [the personal issue] is but I was just giving her a bit of a pep talk and fatherly advice,' he added.

'I just gave her a tap on the leg and she sort of leaned in for a bit of a hug after a chat and that's the photo on the [New Idea] front page.'

Cornish also addressed the New Idea story on Thursday, sharing a post to Instagram thanking her fans for being so understanding.

'Thanks everyone for the kind words and messages. I really appreciate the amount of love that has come out of this yucky / disrespectful situation. Killing it with kindness,' she wrote.

Fake news: The photos, which were published in New Idea this week alongside the headline 'Grant Denyer Caught Out', showed Denyer getting close to 22-year-old Lily Cornish outside a dance studio in Sydney

Explanation: The 44-year-old clarified on Thursday the pictures were innocent and in fact showed him consoling his friend after she had received some sad personal news. Denyer and Cornish are pictured behind the scenes of Dancing with the Stars: All Stars

Denyer and his wife had categorically denied the report suggesting he was having an affair with a woman half his age in a series of social media posts on Wednesday.

Chezzi posted screenshots of the article to Instagram and blasted the publication for fabricating such a 'gross and mean' story.

'What the actual hell is this front-page crap, New Idea,' she wrote, adding that the images had been completely taken out of context.

Breaking her silence: Cornish also addressed the New Idea story on Thursday, sharing a post to Instagram thanking her fans for their 'kind words and messages'

'Lilz [Cornish] is like our adopted daughter. We grew extremely close during her month long stay with us here in Bathurst. We absolutely adore her!

'Poor Lilz doesn't deserve this defamation of character New Idea, you should be ashamed.'

Chezzi went on to claim the photographer who took the photos had apologised to her for the images being 'taken out of context'.

She also pointed out that Cornish's long-term boyfriend Jock White had been pictured visiting her during rehearsals for DWTS.

Denial: Denyer and his wife Chezzi (right) had categorically denied the report suggesting he was having an affair with a woman half his age in a series of social media posts on Wednesday

Denyer later issued his own blistering statement, calling the article a 'brutal' attack on a '22-year-old kid' and a 'dad of three girls'.

'My wife and I are used to fabricated stories from these type of magazine, we've had a life of it but for Lily, she's a 22 yo kid!!' he wrote on Instagram.

'This kind of treatment is brutally unfair and disgusting.

'I'm a Dad of 3 girls. And if any friend is having a bad day or a tough time in their life, I'm going to be there for them. End of story.'

While the magazine is still on newsstands, the online version has been taken down.
Chris Noth showed off some battle wounds, so to speak, while filming Season 2 of The Equalizer.

The 66-year-old actor shared a snap from the set at an undisclosed location as he films the second season of the CBS series.

'Things are getting intense on The Equalizer,' Noth said in his caption, though he wouldn't offer any further details about the scene.

Wounds: Chris Noth showed off some battle wounds, so to speak, while filming Season 2 of The Equalizer

CBS: The 66-year-old actor shared a snap from the set at an undisclosed location as he films the second season of the CBS series

Noth was showing off a facial abrasion on his right cheek in his selfie, while tagging the show's Instagram.

He was seen wearing a grey henley shirt under a blue and green flannel shirt for his on-set attire.

He wasn't seen with any of his co-stars on the set, though the actor has recently been pulling double-duty as of late.

Double-Duty: He wasn't seen with any of his co-stars on the set, though the actor has recently been pulling double-duty as of late

Aside from his work on The Equalizer, where he plays William Bishop, Noth has been filming the Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That...

He was spotted filming in Paris alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, with his character Mr. Big and her Carrie Bradshaw returning to Paris.

They were spotted strolling - and kissing - on the Passerelle des Arts, a scenic pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine River.

Mr. Big: Chris Noth as Mr. Big with Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City: The Movie

His series The Equalizer follows Robin McCall (Queen Latifah), a single mother and former CIA operative who scours the streets of New York City as a street vigilante.

Noth plays the quirky William Bishop, a former CIA director and Robin's old friend, who serves as a liaison between the agency and Robin.

The Equalizer debuted in February after the Super Bowl, with the show picked up for a second season, which debuted earlier this month.

William: Noth plays the quirky William Bishop, a former CIA director and Robin's old friend, who serves as a liaison between the agency and Robin

And Just Like That... follows Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.

Noth also has the movie Someday Sometime with Dabney Coleman, which is in pre-production.

He also has Brooklyn All-American in pre-production with Christopher McDonald and Victoria Summer.
Chyka Keebaugh is the latest Real Housewives of Melbourne star to tease a return to the show.

This week, the 52-year-old hinted that viewers may see her back on screen this season after being quizzed about the popular reality program while appearing on Sunrise to promote her new homewares range.

'Just watch this space, you never know, you may see me appear,' she said cryptically.

Coming back? Chyka Keebaugh hinted that she's returning to the Real Housewives of Melbourne during an appearance on Sunrise this week

The happy homemaker also confirmed that she was asked back full time for this season, and stressed that she's still friends with many of her former co-stars, including Janet Roach and Gamble Breaux.

Reflecting on her time on RHOM, Chyka said: 'The girls were great. I had an incredible time and it was an amazing experience.'

The former reality star is now building her own lifestyle brand, and has just launched her own signature homewares line with Harris Scarfe.

'Just watch this space, you never know, you may see me appear,' she said cryptically

While Chyka is extremely popular with viewers, Gina Liano is arguably the biggest star to come out of The Real Housewives of Melbourne.

So it's no surprise that fans were disappointed when the big-haired barrister decided not to return to the series for season five.

Now, in a new interview, the 55-year-old has hinted that she could come back for season six, but it will only be under one condition.

'Put it this way, if the show needed saving, I would feel like, "oh god, I've gotta go in and fix this." I'm a fixer,' she told the Shine It Up podcast.

Will she? Gina Liano revealed the one thing that could make her return to the show in a recent interview

Gina added that she hasn't decided whether or not she'll return yet, and will only come back if the show truly needs her.

Both Gina and fellow original Housewife Lydia Schiavello opted not to return for season five, leaving the door open for four new cast members to join.

In September, she told The Advertiser that she walked away from the hit series to focus on her legal career.

Fixer upper: 'Put it this way, if the show needed saving, I would feel like, "oh god, I've gotta go in and fix this." I'm a fixer,' she told the Shine It Up podcast

She was originally set to return for the fifth season and was announced as a cast member last year, but it was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and filming didn't begin until April.

'When season five got cancelled last year I threw myself into my career and when they spoke to me about the new series I thought, I can't take six months off my practice, it's just too destructive,' she explained.

'So I just thought now I'll focus on my career, I've been a barrister since 1999, it's enough.'

Undecided: Gina added that she hasn't decided whether or not she'll return yet, and will only come back if the show truly needs her

Gina also revealed she almost walked away from the show seven years ago but Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump convinced her to stay.

She said: 'I thought it would go under the radar and so when it got lots of attention I remember being a bit overwhelmed.'

'Lisa Vanderpump said to stick with it and make it work...I had so many defending me and that's why I did season two,' she revealed.

Flashback: Season four's Gina, Lydia Schiavello, Sally Bloomfield, and Venus Behbahani-Clark all exited the show before season five

Lydia, Gina, and Chyka have all left Real Housewives of Melbourne, along with season four newbies Venus Behbahani-Clark and Sally Bloomfield.

Season five saw the return of OGs Janet Roach and Jackie Gillies, as well as longtime cast member Gamble Breaux.

They also added four newbies with Kyla Kirkpatrick, Cherry Dipietrantonio, Simone Elliott, and Anjali Rao joining.
Lisa Rinna revealed that it was her daughter Amelia Hamlin who called it quits with Scott Disick during Wednesday's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion.

'She made [the decision] on her own,' the 58-year-old reality star insisted after host Andy Cohen asked if she had influenced Amelia to leave the relationship.

It was reported in early September that the 20-year-old model and the 38-year-old dad's age-gap romance had come to an end after just 11 months of dating.

Citing the reasons for their breakup, Rinna said Disick's jealous DMs about ex Kourtney Kardashian's new relationship with Travis Barker weren't 'helpful' to his case.

Who was it? Lisa Rinna revealed that it was her daughter Amelia Hamlin who called it quits with Scott Disick during Wednesday's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion; the former couple pictured in February

During Wednesday's reunion special, Lisa was asked if Scott's direct message scandal played a major part in the pair's eventual split.

In late August, Scott allegedly sending a petty DM about Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker to the 42-year-old reality star's ex boyfriend Younes Bendjima.

He also included a DailyMail.com snapshot of Travis and Kourtney making out on a raft during a vacation to Italy.

'Yo is this chick ok!???? Broooo like what is this. In the middle of Italy,' he caption the alleged message, to which Younes replied: 'Doesnt matter to me as long as shes happy. PS: i aint your bro.'

On her own: 'She made [the decision] on her own,' the 58-year-old reality star insisted after host Andy Cohen asked if she had influenced Amelia to leave the relationship

DM scandal: During Wednesday's reunion special, Lisa was also asked if Scott's direct message scandal played a major part in the pair's eventual split

Numerous reasons: 'Well, I don't think that was helpful,' said Lisa of the scandal, but she shared that it was not the only reason for Scott and Amelia's breakup

Bendjima decided to share the conversation to his Instagram Story, putting the Talentless founder on blast and exposing his antics to the Kardashian clan.

'Well, I don't think that was helpful,' said Lisa of the scandal, but she shared that it was not the only reason for Scott and Amelia's breakup.

'There's never one reason why I think people split up, you know. Now's the time to heal, now's the time for everyone to heal,' she explained.

Shortly after news of Scott and Amelia's split broke, a source divulged to E! News that 'Amelia broke up with Scott' because 'She had had enough and it was time.'

Split: It was reported in early September that the 20-year-old model and the 38-year-old dad's age-gap romance had come to an end after just 11 months of dating; the pair pictured in May

The insider also claimed at the time that Scott and Amelia both knew deep down that it was 'never going to be a long term' thing between them.

Lisa was also quick to make her thoughts on the split known by 'liking' various posts about Amelia and Scott's breakup, as well as joking in the comment section of one of her own posts that she had manifested it.

Scott and Amelia became romantically linked in late October 2020 when they were seen arriving together to Kendall Jenner's star-studded Halloween party in LA.

It came a little over a month after Disick had called it quits 'for good' with his 22-year-old girlfriend of three years, Sofia Richie.

Former flame: Before getting with Amelia, Scott previously dated Lionel Richie's 22-year-old daughter Sofia for three years. They ended their relationship in August 2020; Sofia pictured

Thoughtful: For Scott's 38th birthday in April, Hamlin penned a sweet post to her man and included a slew of never-before-seen photos of the pair vacationing on a yacht

Just two weeks later, Scott and Amelia were photographed packing on the PDA while enjoying a romantic stroll on the beach in Santa Barbara.

Though they waited months before going Instagram official, the couple would often post the food and festivities from their dates to their respective accounts - allowing their followers to connect the dots.

It was not until the early months of 2021 that Scott and Amelia began sharing photos of one another, as well as photos of them together, to their social media platforms.

For Scott's 38th birthday in April, Hamlin penned a sweet post to her man and included a slew of never-before-seen photos of the pair vacationing on a yacht.

Not handling it well: Things appeared to be going well between Scott and Amelia before mounting reports suggested the reality star was 'still in love' with his ex Kourtney and that he wasn't handling her romance with Travis well; Travis and Kourtney pictured in September

History: Scott and Kourtney dated for nearly a decade before splitting in 2015. They share three children; the pair pictured in 2015

Things appeared to be going well between Scott and Amelia before mounting reports suggested the reality star was 'still in love' with his ex Kourtney and that he wasn't handling her romance with Travis well.

Scott and Kourtney dated for nearly a decade before splitting in 2015. They share three children.

This past Sunday, Barker, 45, proposed to the 42-year-old POOSH founder while on the beach in Montecito, California.

The lovebirds eagerly shared the news of their engagement to social media, where they received an influx of well wishes.

An insider told Page Six on Tuesday that Disick was 'going crazy' over the news.

Engaged: This past Sunday, Barker, 45, proposed to the 42-year-old POOSH founder while on the beach in Montecito, California

'Forever': The lovebirds eagerly shared the news of their engagement to social media, where they received an influx of well wishes

'He's going to go off the deep end. It's really bad. It's about to get dark,' they claimed.

Another source told Us Weekly on Wednesday that Scott feels like 'an outcast' since ex began dating Barker and even avoids family events to stay away from the Blink-182 drummer.

'He avoids family get-togethers that Travis is at, and he has refused to be in the same room with him at times,' the source said.

'The Kardashians adore Scott and tell him he's part of the family no matter what, but he feels very distant and feels like an outcast more than ever,' they explained.

'It's fair to say the holidays this year are going to be rough and will be a battle over the kids,' they added.
He's the man at the centre of one of Australian TV's biggest water-cooler moments - but Karl Stefanovic has conveniently ducked the glare of the spotlight by skipping his Today hosting duties to tackle a mysterious 'special assignment'.

The smiling host, dressed for business in an RM Williams vest and boots, was spotted outside his north shore mansion just before lunch on Thursday - after he was hastily replaced on air by Today Extra host David Campbell.

His absence from the Today couch was explained on-air by his co-host Alison Langdon who said Stefanovic is set to miss two days work due to a separate assignment - believed to be a top-secret 60 Minutes report.

All smiles: Karl Stefanovic (pictured) mysteriously appeared outside his home on Thursday clad in R.M. Williams just hours after Channel Nine said the Today star was off on 'special assignment' - ahead of the release of Lisa Wilkinson's shocking tell-all memoir

It was a timely move for the breakfast show host who is at the centre of swirling controversy surrounding the yet-to-be-released memoir of Lisa Wilkinson, his former Today show co-host for more than a decade.

The book titled It Wasn't Meant To Be Like This, which is released on November 3, allegedly blows the lid off the pay furore which ultimately led to Wilkinson jumping ship to Channel Ten in 2017.

However some of the books most explosive claims have already been disputed in the wake of publishers Harper Collins Australia releasing a handful of preview copies to the media.

The most significant is Wilkinson's take on the actual pay disparity between she and Stefanovic - which she describes in the book as 'double' at the time she left Nine.

On mysterious assignment: The smiling host, dressed for business in an RM Williams vest and boots, was spotted outside his north shore mansion just before lunch on Thursday - after he was hastily replaced on air by Today Extra host David Campbell

Sources have since claimed that it was actually Wilkinson who was the original big earner - collecting a mammoth $700,000 salary when she signed on to Today in 2006.

Stefanovic's salary at the time was a comfy but modest $350,000 a year.

After the counter-claims were published by news.com.au, Harper Collins Australia allegedly demanded the website return their preview copy of the tell-all memoir.

Wilkinson is yet to comment on the holes being poked in her version of what went down amid one of television's biggest defections.

All business! His absence from the Today couch was explained on-air by his co-host Alison Langdon who said Karl is set to miss two days work due to a separate assignment - believed to be a top-secret 60 Minutes report

The magazine editor-turned-morning TV doyenne famously walked away from Nine after they refused to match Stefanovic's hefty $2million per-year salary in October 2017.

Soon after Stefanovic also found himself promptly booted from the network amid his divorce and subsequent over-the-top Mexican wedding and the now-infamous 'Uber-gate' scandal.

However the prodigal son of the network has since managed to work his way back in favour at Nine where he juggles Today, various 60 Minutes assignments and now Celebrity Apprentice which is currently in production.
She is currently in Sydney training for the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars: All Stars.

And Olympia Valance showed off her incredibly toned figure in a green bikini as she soaked up the sun in Sydney on Thursday.

The former Neighbours star, 28, reclined on the balcony of her accommodation and sipped on a vodka mixer.

A dream in green! Olympia Valance flaunted her incredible figure in a skimpy green bikini as she soaked up the sun in Sydney on Thursday

She appeared makeup free and shaded her eyes with a pair of designer sunglasses.

It comes after Olympia shared a sweet tribute to her fiance Thomas Bellchambers on Instagram earlier this month.

Olympia posted a number of loved-up photos of the couple, writing: 'Not really sure how I got so lucky.'

Refreshing! The former Neighbours star, 28, reclined on the balcony of her accommodation and sipped on a vodka mixer

'One year ago today this handsome man asked me to be his wifey. Not really sure how I got so lucky,' her post began.

'Thank you for making me so happy, so supported, believed in, cared for and deeply loved. Thank you for always pushing me to achieve the things I'm not always brave enough to do on my own. I adore you more and more everyday.'

Olympia, who is temporarily based in Sydney for her stint on the dancing competition, added that she was missing Tom, who is back in Melbourne where they are based.

Tribute: It comes after Olympia shared a sweet tribute to her fiance Thomas Bellchambers on Instagram earlier this month

'Can't wait to kick off these dancing shoes to come home and give you a big long pash. I miss being wrapped up in those big arms,' she wrote.

She finished: 'LOVE YOU BABY. Home soon I promise.'

In one image she shared, Olympia and Thomas were seen kissing on the beach as she showed off her stunning diamond engagement ring.

Love: Olympia, who is currently in Sydney rehearsing for Dancing With The Stars: All Stars, added that she was missing Tom, who is back in Melbourne. Here: Gustavo Viglio

The couple got engaged in October last year.

Thomas proposed during a trip to Queensland's Orpheus Island and they celebrated with a beachside picnic.

'Today is a special day. The man of my dreams proposed to me,' Olympia wrote in the caption at the time.

'I get to marry my best friend,' she added.

Thomas also shared the happy news online at the time and wrote in the caption: 'Couldn't be happier...stuck with me now,' along with an engagement ring and heart emojis.

Olympia and Thomas began dating in June 2019 after meeting him on the ultra-exclusive celebrity dating app, Raya.
Chris Hemsworth and his family lead an active lifestyle.

And on Tuesday, the doting father was seen picking up a mini dirt bike for his only daughter, India Rose, nine, from a dealership in Ballina, near their home in Byron Bay.

The 38-year-old was seen chatting to a salesman as another staffer wheeled out the brand new bike from the store.

Gift: Chris Hemsworth (pictured) cut a casual figure on Tuesday as he bought a mini dirt bike for his nine-year-old daughter India Rose

India clearly couldn't contain her excitement as she raced out of the shop and into her father's car ready to go home.

Chris opted for a casual look wearing a black t-shirt with grey shorts.

He strolled out of the store with a manual and pamphlets, as well as a bottle of fluid for the bike.

Busy man: The doting father, 38, purchased the mini dirt bike from a dealership in Ballina, near their home in Byron Bay on Tuesday

Very happy! India clearly couldn't contain her excitement as she raced out of the shop

Excited: She quickly headed to her father's car and was ready to go home to try it out

Taking his time: Chris opted for a casual look wearing a black t-shirt with grey shorts. He strolled out of the store with a manual and pamphlets, as well as a bottle of fluid for the bike

He appeared to have purchased his little girl a mini KTM Motocross 50cc dirt bike.

Outside the bike shop, a staffer gave the bike one last inspection before helping load it on to the back of the Thor star's ute.

The actor secured the mini dirt bike in its place with the help of the salesman before getting in the car and heading home to test out the motorbike.

Check: Outside the bike shop, a staffer gave the bike one last inspection before helping load it on to the back of the Thor star's ute

Into place: The actor secured the mini dirt bike in its place with the help of the salesman before getting in the car and heading home to test out the motorbike

Teamwork: The bike salesman helped the actor get the mini dirt bike in place

Chris and his wife Elsa have shared several posts on Instagram of their motorbiking adventures with their three children - India and seven-year-old twin sons Tristan and Sasha - on their sprawling property.

The Marvel Universe star and the Spanish actress first met in early 2010 and married in December of that year.

The family of five live in Byron Bay, on the NSW North Coast, in a mega-mansion estimated to be worth $30million, after relocating from Los Angeles in 2014.

Family fun: Chris and his wife Elsa have shared several posts on Instagram of their motorbiking adventures with their three children - India and seven-year-old twin sons Tristan and Sasha - on their sprawling property

Living it up! The family of five live in Byron Bay, on the NSW North Coast, in a mega-mansion estimated to be worth $30million, after relocating from Los Angeles in 2014

They spent years renovating their home, which sits on 4.2 hectares of land, with the help of Sydney-based MCK Architects - but the development faced some resistance from locals, who compared it to a multi-storey car park or shopping centre.

The former model from Madrid told The Sydney Morning Herald in March that she loved she laid-back vibe in the northern NSW town.

She said: '[When I'm in Sydney] I can't dress down as much as I do in Byron Bay  we hope to get back there on the weekends.'

Heading home: With the bike secure in the back of his ute, Chris was ready to drive back home

Loving life: Elsa has previously said that moving to Australia seven years ago had been the right decision for her family

Elsa added that moving to Australia seven years ago had been the right decision for her family.

'Byron has been beautiful. We made the right decision in 2014 to leave LA and come to Australia,' she gushed.

'It's been great for the kids to be in nature, enjoy animals and go horse riding.'
Meghan McCain stood up for her 'good friend' Erika Jayne and blasted the Trump family on Wednesday during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live.

The 36-year-old DailyMail.com columnist appeared on the Bravo talk show to promote her new Audible book 'Bad Republican' and was asked by host Andy Cohen, 53, about the 'big headlines' from part two of the RHOBH reunion.

'Were you suspicious of the timing of Erika and Tom's divorce filing or does her explanation ring true with you?,' Andy asked referencing Erika filing for divorce from Tom Girardi, 82, last November a month before his embezzlement scandal becoming public.

DailyMail.com columnist: Meghan McCain stood up for her 'good friend' Erika Jayne and blasted the Trump family on Wednesday during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live

'You're good buddies with Erika,' he added.

'I'm like legitimately good friends with her. We became much closer doing Covid. It's a little weird. I remember specifically when I was coming back from my like my first doctor's appointment after I gave birth her calling me and like having a whole conversation about how stuff was going down in her life,' said Meghan, who welcomed her daughter Liberty in late September 2020.

'The timelines match up to me. I believe her. I feel bad for her. I have known, I don't know, but I know wealthy women who don't know anything about their finances,' Meghan added.

Andy also noted that Erika has been criticized for appearing as if she doesn't have sympathy for the victims that Tom allegedly ripped off and asked Meghan what she thought of her presentation.

Good friends: 'I'm like legitimately good friends with her. We became much closer doing Covid. It's a little weird,' Meghan, 36, said of her relationship with Erika Jayne

'I would have loved to have consulted her. I would have loved to have her hire me for some political consulting especially on her social media. I just think unfortunately that perception is reality in the time that we live in,' Meghan said.

She added: 'I believe she has a good heart. I believe that she will be proven innocent.'

Andy during a segment titled Walking Down Memoir Lane asked Meghan about some of the topics in her new Audible book Bad Republican.

Timelines match: 'The timelines match up to me. I believe her. I feel bad for her. I have known, I don't know, but I know wealthy women who don't know anything about their finances,' Meghan added

'At your father's funeral you spotted Ivanka and Jared at the back of the church. In your memoir you referred to them as 'funeral crashers'. What motivated them to come, do you think?,' Andy asked.

'I've heard lots of different stories. One of my dad's old advisers told me that it was just an event that they wanted to go to because his funeral at the National Cathedral ended up being this enormous moment. I was told Lindsey Graham invited him. I've been told many different things from many different people,' Meghan said.

'They should never have come. They had no business being there. I remember seeing them and seeing her specifically. They had no goddamn business being there and it's something that still angers me, clearly,' she added.

Bravo clubhouse: And asked Meghan about topics in her new Audible memoir Bad Republican

Andy also asked about the memoir story of her taking a phone call from Donald Trump while her late father politician John McCain was sick.

'He called because there was a report in Axios by Mike Allen that he had been making fun of my dad's injuries,' Meghan said.

The DailyMail.com columnist shared that she got a call from the White House after tweeting about the article and her late father urged her to respect the office and take President Trump's call.

Funeral crashers: 'They should never have come. They had no business being there. I remember seeing them and seeing her specifically. They had no goddamn business being there and it's something that still angers me, clearly,' Meghan said of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attending her father's funeral

'It was a very weird conversation. He said, ''It's all fake news, it's a lie. I never did that, I never did that, I never did that.'' And then he put Melania on the speakerphone,' Meghan said.

'She said, ''We love you. We love you.'' And I said, ''No, you don't.'' I don't know what this is, it was very comfortable,' Meghan said.

The DailyMail.com columnist added that Trump lost her home state of Arizona 'so all is well now'.

She also dished on her time on The View and told Andy that she was 'bullied' out of her job on the daytime talk show.

Meghan was joined on the Bravo talk show by fellow guest S.E. Cupp, 42, with director Barry Sonnenfeld, 68, behind the bar.

Fellow guest: Meghan was joined on the Bravo talk show by fellow guest S.E. Cupp, 42
She's set to celebrate one year with boyfriend Michael B. Jordan in November.

And on Wednesday Lori Harvey opted to go solo for a House Of CB event at A.O.C. Wine Bar in West Hollywood.

The 24-year-old star showcased her ample cleavage in the corset dress for the evening event.

Looking good: She's set to celebrate one year with boyfriend Michael B. Jordan in November. And on Wednesday Lori Harvey opted to go solo for a House Of CB event at A.O.C. Wine Bar in West Hollywood

Lori donned a knee-length dress featuring a structured bodice, adding strappy black heels and a small handbag.

She wore her brunette locks in waves with pink glossy lips and shimmery eye shadow.

Last week, the Wonderland cover star wowed in a new set of photos shared to Instagram.

Lori delighted her almost 4 million followers with an all brown look that consisted of an oversized button down shirt that she wore as a dress, Bottega Veneta knee high boots, and a plush chocolate coat.

Sultry: The 24-year-old star showcased her ample cleavage in the corset dress for the evening event

A vision: Lori donned a knee-length dress featuring a structured bodice, adding strappy black heels and a small handbag

Fashion-forward: On Thursday the Wonderland cover star wowed in a new set of photos shared to Instagram

Head to toe: Lori delighted her almost 4 million followers with an all brown look that consisted of an oversized button down shirt that she wore as a dress, Bottega Veneta knee high boots, and a plush chocolate coat

Stripped down: In one snapshot she posed indoors against a bronze wall, shedding the coat and giving her fans a closer view of her look

The ensemble was coordinated with the help of stylist Monica Rose.

For accessories, the Hollywood sweetheart sported big, gold, hoop earrings and carried a black handbag with a long strap.

Over her eyes the skincare founder wore black Prada sunnies, a recent got-to of hers.

Her hair was braided straight back in several plaits that gathered into a low bun.

The entrepreneur walked the streets of Paris, France in some of the pictures.

Team work: The ensemble was coordinated with the help of stylist Monica Rose

In one snapshot she posed indoors against a bronze wall, shedding the coat and giving her fans a closer view of her look.

In another, she took a mirror selfie in a luxurious powder room with marble accents.

The beauty used no words in her caption but added brown heart and stars emojis.

Lori and Michael went Instagram official on January 10 on each of their Instagrams with loved up snaps.

They were seen together since the end of November 2021, and the couple were spotted heading to Salt Lake City, Utah ahead of New Years.

Lap of luxury: She took a mirror selfie in a luxurious powder room with marble accents
Holly Willoughby performed a full moon ritual as she continued to promote her new lifestyle site Wylde Moon on Wednesday.

The TV presenter, 40, shared a snap of herself holding her own scented candle with the caption: 'Happy full moon' and told fans how she pays close attention to the moon cycle.

Holly took to Instagram to mark the launch of her new brand, which is thought to rival Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop, and released a fragrance that comes in a 65 three-wick candle and a 40 single wick.

Venture: Holly Willoughby performed a full moon ritual as she debuted her new lifestyle site Wylde Moon on Wednesday

Speaking in a video, Holly told how she lights candles around the full moon and lets 'knew feelings and energies' into her life for the next moon cycle.

She said: 'It was a big day at Wylde Moon today. The full moon behind me, a really powerful one tonight. I don't know about you, I didn't sleep very well last night, I had all sorts of weird dreams about being in a cave.

'The candle launched today and I thought this was a lovely time to share with you what I do on a full moon.

'I get my candle, I light it and I think about all those things that have happened in the last month that I've been working towards that today I feel grateful for. We're all going through a strange time so it's nice to think about the positives.

Clip: Speaking in a video, Holly told how she lights candles around the full moon and lets 'knew feelings and energies' into her life for the next moon cycle

'When the time feels right, I blow the candle out and let all those thoughts and feelings go and I know with the next cycle of the moon, I can let new feelings and energies into her life.'

Holly's first candle is described as a 'fresh, aromatic blend crafted to energise and invigorate, with notes of tomato leaf, geranium, sandalwood, mint and rose.'

According to popular culture and brand expert Nick Ede, Holly's surprise career move draws similarities to that of Gwyneth Paltrow, who has become quite the wellness guru in recent years thanks to her website, Goop.

Speaking to FEMAIL, he commented: 'Like Gywneth with Goop and Kourtney [Kardashian] with Poosh and back in the day Meghan with The Tig she knows she has a captive audience who love everything about her  with her team of experts she's showing her fans the everyday products that are available to buy and how good they can make you look and feel,' Nick continued.

Radiant: Holly has released a 65 scented candle called The Wild as the first products from her new lifestyle brand - with a 40 smaller version on offer

'It's great to see she's not gone for overpriced items and she's mixing and matching just as you would imagine she did in her daily life as a working mother.'

'She is set to open a boutique on the site and this is where she will earn good money from affiliates, sponsorship and I am sure in time she will create a subscription model too. This is an ultra smart move from a woman who is taking control of her brand identity and its working very well.

'I think she could make at least half a million in the first year and then millions moving forward once proof of concept is done.'

Explaining her hopes for her new website, Holly penned: 'I want WYLDE MOON to be a place where I can share the things that I love, the lessons that I've learnt, the things I see and instantly want to share with others.'

'I want it to be a place where we can celebrate other people, too, where we can shine a light on them, their brands, their experiences. It's a celebration of all kinds of beauty.'

Businesswoman: The This Morning presenter has followed in the footsteps of Gwyneth Paltrow by launching her own lifestyle website to share her favourite products with fans and will sell decorative items for the home

On her new site, Holly, who admits she practises sound baths and meditation, explains how she rediscovered herself while filming I'm A Celebrity in Australia without her family when she replaced Ant McPartlin in 2018.

She penned: 'Australia is the land of alternative therapies, and the town that I was in truly had all kinds of things for all kinds of people.

'Through this wonderful kinesiologist called Josie, I really started to unlock pieces of myself and when I came back to England, I knew that I didn't want to stop everything I'd learnt.

'Now I have things in my own hypothetical toolkit, like meditation and sound baths, that really work for me.'

Same but different: Gwyneth sells candles on her website Goop, retailing from between 31 and 70 - The star is seen January 5 above

The presenter went on to explain that she hopes Wylde Moon will help other women discover their 'true sense' of self - just like she did.

She penned: 'The most important pillars of WYLDE MOON are about having a true sense of self, igniting your intuition, knowing your self worth, nourishing your body and soul through music, food, laughter, sex, passion, beautiful things or all of the above.

'I think it's important that we pick those beautiful things carefully, whether they're for your home or your body. And that's not something we should feel guilty about either, because we all love different things. Some of them are meaningful and some of them are utterly frivolous, but they all have their place.'

Brand expert Nick went on to say how creating her own lifestyle brand is an 'incredibly smart move' for Holly.

Exciting: Wylde Moon is an online space to empower women, explore crystal energies and offer fashion and beauty tips

Success: According to popular culture and brand expert Nick Ede, Holly's surprise career move draws similarities to that of Gwyneth Paltrow, who has become a wellness guru in recent years thanks to her website, Goop

'She is such a influential talent and I can see this brand extension being a very informative, lucrative and successful spin off for Holly,' he added. 'The reason it will work is that she has proved time and time again to sell out products, she has a magic touch when it comes to style, lifestyle and beauty.'

It's the latest career move for Holly, who already has several other jobs - from being an ambassador of Garnier and Marks and Spencer, to a novelist who is set to release her first tell-all book in October costing 20 a copy.

As well as her fortune from TV presenting - the mainstay of which is a reported 600,000 a year to present ITV's flagship daytime show This Morning - the mother-of-three also rakes it in from numerous sponsorship deals with the likes of Garnier and Marks and Spencer.

Holly has recently been announced as the new co-presenter of BBC1's Wim Hof's Superstar Survival, alongside comedian Lee Mack. And let's not forget her company Roxy Media recording, which is thought to be worth a cool 10million.
'Persian prince' Darvid Garayeli has emerged as the early fan favourite on the latest season of The Bachelorette following his epic meeting with Brooke Blurton.

The 27-year-old landscaper immediately connected with Brooke when he arrived on the red carpet on a ride-on lawnmower.

Wednesday's premiere episode saw Brooke, 26, hand Darvid the white rose, which guaranteed him the first single date and cemented his place as the frontrunner.

Scroll down for video

Favourite: 'Persian prince' Darvid Garayeli has emerged as the early fan favourite on the latest season of The Bachelorette following his epic meeting with Brooke Blurton

Thursday's episode saw Darvid and Brooke set out on a high-flying helicopter adventure to the Blue Mountains before they enjoyed a date hanging alongside a cliff.

And if fans thought it sounded familiar, it's because this was the exact date that led a past Bachelorette and Bachelor to pick their winners.

In 2020, Elly Miles took Frazer Neate on a similar date, when they visited the Scenic Skyway in the Blue Mountains.

Flying high: Thursday's episode saw Darvid and Brooke set out on a high-flying helicopter adventure to the Blue Mountains before they enjoyed a date hanging alongside a cliff

Back in 2013, Tim Robards took Anna Heinrich on the same Scenic Skyway date on top of the famous yellow cable car.

While Brooke didn't actually take Darvid onto the Scenic Skyway, the similarities between the dates are undeniable.

Adventurous dates in the rugged Blue Mountains led to both Elly and Tim declaring their companions as their final pick.

History repeats: In 2020, Elly Miles took Frazer Neate on a similar date, when they visited the Scenic Skyway in the Blue Mountains

Same but slightly different: Back in 2013, Tim Robards took Anna Heinrich on the same Scenic Skyway date on top of the famous yellow cable car

Photos published by Daily Mail Australia in June showed Brooke and Darvid's date ended on a high, with the pair sharing a kiss by the end of it.

As of Thursday, Darvid is still the clear favourite to take out the top spot on this year's series.

The Brisbane-based hunk is tipped to win with $1.60 odds, according to the TAB.

The Bachelorette continues Sunday at 7.30pm on Channel 10
Lottie Moss looked in good spirits as she caught up with her ex Jack Padgett at the A Taste Of The Capital party held at the 3 Hanover Square in London on Wednesday.

The model, 23, looked nothing short of sensational as she caught up with Jack, who she dated back in 2018 - a month after he split from TOWIE's Ferne McCann.

Lottie displayed her incredible figure in a navy mini dress while she added height to her frame with a pair of gold heels.

Party: Lottie Moss looked in good spirits as she caught up with her ex Jack Padgett at the A Taste Of The Capital party held at the 3 Hanover Square in London on Wednesday

The influencer, who is the younger sister of Kate Moss, also donned a gold necklace and added to her outfit with a matching handbag.

The star added to her outfit during the evening with a bright blue blazer.

Wearing a light pallet of makeup, Lottie completed her look by letting her blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders.

Felllow model Jack cut a dapper figure in a black jacket and a matching pair of trousers while he slicked his locks back.

Still friends: The model, 23, looked nothing short of sensational as she caught up with Jack, who she dated back in 2018

Also in attendance at the event was former Love Island star Eyal Booker who sported a white T-shirt with a pair of black trousers and a matching cap.

Jack was most recently in a relationship with former TOWIE star Ferne McCann, however they split back in June after six months together.

Ferne said of the 'cruel' split.

'It was really weird how it happened. It actually happened really abruptly. That was what was such a shock, it was literally like, right, that's it,' she explains in the scene, filmed at a fancy event. 'I took the weekend to lick my wounds and then it came out in the press...'

Shock: Ferne was dumped by Jack last month, after he told her she was not 'on brand' for him [she is pictured with Jack pre-split]

Her friends Billie and Sam Faiers told Ferne that they're glad there wasn't any 'scandal' around the split, but Ferne goes on to explain how her celebrity status didn't sit well with Jack.

'You've got to have someone that's on board. I'm not saying come and be in the public eye. But every guy that I'm with is either hiding behind a menu or saying "sorry you're not on brand for me!"'

This left Sam and Billie lost for words. 'You're not on brand?' Sam repeated, mouth agape.

'That's what Jack said,' Ferne said. 'It was really upsetting. I thought to myself, this didn't come for free, we've all had to hustle, we've worked hard and I thought - sorry, I'm not on brand!?'

Lottie recently spoke about her romance with The Vamps' Tristan Evans for the first time last month and talked about how she is 'sex-positive' and doesn't shy away from baring all on social media.

'I do OnlyFans and I feel like it's always been stigmatised as dirty and disgusting, but sex is great. Sex should be fun and light and a good conversation topic. Everyone has sex, so why should it be shameful?' she told The Sun.

Pose: Lottie displayed her incredible figure in a navy mini dress while she added height to her frame with a pair of gold heels

Looking good: The influencer, who is the younger sister of Kate Moss, also donned a gold necklace and added to her outfit with a matching handbag

Pals: Also in attendance at the event was former Love Island star Eyal Booker who sported a white T-shirt with a pair of black trousers and a matching cap

'It's something everyone does in the morning. When they wake up, everyone brushes their teeth and everyone has sex. Not at the same time... well, maybe. It depends on the position! I'm very sex-positive.'

The model has earned herself a lucrative fanbase after signing up for subscription only service OnlyFans, which enables paying viewers the opportunity to access exclusive content.

It's understood that she signed up after earning a reported 36,640 in just one month on Glow - a high end alternative to her latest money-making venture.

Speaking to close friend Jaime Laing's Private Parts podcast about her OnlyFans platform earlier this year, she said: 'You can make upwards of like $100,000 a month if you're doing it regularly and have followers.'

The model stressed: 'It's so good.'
Coronation Street viewers were baffled on Wednesday night as they watched Leanne Battersby being hunted down by drugs lord Harvey Gaskell.

Leanne, played by Jane Danson, 42, was bound and gagged by Harvey (Will Mellor) as he terrorised her after she worked with the police to expose his gang in order to protect her son Simon (Alex Bain).

However, despite being tied up in the bistro while in full Halloween costume as Morticia Addams, Leanne inexplicably managed to escape while keeping her scary attire intact, prompting Harvey to chase her through Weatherfield during a storm as visitors flocked to Debbie Webster's House of Horrors attraction.

Horror: Coronation Street viewers were baffled on Wednesday night as they watched Leanne Battersby being hunted down by drugs lord Harvey Gaskell on Coronation Street

Following her escape, Harvey eventually caught up with Leanne only for the floor to fall away as Harvey plummeted through a sinkhole without getting Leanne in his clutches once more.

Finding the scenes hilarious, one viewer took to Twitter to write: 'I cant believe he just went to whack Leanne and fell down the sinkhole like that. Is this Youve Been Framed?'

Questioning Leanne's sudden freedom, one person wrote: 'Am confused, Leanne is gagged and bound, yet she manages to escape from the clutches of Harvey through the kitchen, how did she open that door?'

Evil: Leanne, played by Jane Danson, 42, was bound and gagged by Harvey (Will Mellor) as he terrorised her in a dramatic chase through Weatherfield

Unexpected turn of events: Viewers took to Twitter to express their surprise at seeing Leanne's escape, baffled at how she managed to break free

Another bemused soap fan wrote: 'How has Leannes black wig stayed on through a kidnapping, an escape and a storm?'

'You're seriously telling me they managed to successfully remove all that masking tape off Leanne's wig,' pondered someone else.

Meanwhile, other viewers were concerned nobody was coming to Leanne's rescue despite her hobbling around the cobbles with a gag around her mouth.

House of horrors: Despite being tied up in the bistro while in full Halloween costume as Morticia Addams, Leanne inexplicably managed to escape

Chase: Harvey chased Leanne through Weatherfield during a storm as visitors flocked to Debbie Webster's House of Horrors attraction, while Leanne's costume stayed intact

'Why wouldn't Leanne run to the tram station or something? The Co-op? ANYWHERE BUT WHERE SHE COULD EASILY BE FOUND BY THE GUY WHO'S TRYING TO KILL HER,' a Corrie fan asked.

'Don't think it's meant to be but Leanne hobbling towards Harvey was hilarious,' tweeted another viewer.

While someone else tweeted: 'Why was no one helping a bounded Leanne? surely she could have gone up to someone for help, its packed there.'

Dark character: The Two Pints of Lager star Will, 44, took on the role of menacing drug lord Harvey earlier this year

Another viewer exclaimed: 'Ive seen it all now, Leanne dressed as Morticia Addams, bound and gagged, waddling around in a torrential storm and not one person thinks its weird!!'

'As if Leanne just wandered around all those people without getting someone to untie her or call the cops,' declared another audience member.

While someone else posted: 'How has no one noticed Leanne with tape over her mouth?'

Troubled times: He walked into Weatherfield as Leanne found herself forced into a dangerous world of drugs and despair

The Two Pints of Lager star Will, 44, took on the role of menacing drug lord Harvey earlier this year.

He walked into Weatherfield as Leanne found herself forced into a dangerous world of drugs and despair.

A grieving Leanne battled to save son Simon from the hands of an evil drugs gang he'd got mixed up in, after losing her other son Oliver to mitochondrial disease.

This fierce maternal instinct to protect Simon threw her into the orbit of drugs lord Harvey.

Coronation Street returns to ITV1 on Friday at 7pm.
Karrueche Tran attended Doja Cat's underwater-themed 26th birthday party in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Hitting glitzy restaurants Catch and Delilah's, the actress, 33, sent temperatures soaring as she showcased her ample assets in a a green sheer thigh-split maxi dress.

Opting to conceal her nipples with a pair of pink-and-green dazzling pads, she certainly turned up the heat while going braless for the jaw-dropping appearance.

Sensational: Karrueche Tran went braless in a sheer halter-neck green dress as she made a jaw-dropping arrival at Doja Cat's underwater-themed birthday party on Wednesday in Los Angeles

Flashing her toned midriff in the semi-transparent number, the brunette beauty coordinated her ensemble with a pair of lace-up heels, while clutching a a mint purse.

Accessorising her look with a collection of pearls, she wore a net over her gorgeous dark brown locks and painted her visage with green shadow for the glitzy evening.

The model span around for photographers in order to flash her peachy bottom in the translucent dress, which she layered above a pair of skimpy blue bottoms.

Wow! Hitting glitzy restaurants Catch and Delilah's, the actress, 33, sent temperatures soaring as she showcased her ample assets in a a green sheer thigh-split maxi dress

Sensational: She flashed her perky rear in the translucent number

Hot stuff: Opting to conceal her nipples with a pair of pink-and-green dazzling pads, she certainly turned up the heat while going braless for the jaw-dropping appearance

Karrueche went on to link arms with a stunning pal, who wowed in a pin-exposing sea blue mini dress.

She scored a major career achievement in July when she won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Daytime Fiction Program for her portrayal of Vivian Johnson-Garrett in Popstar TV's The Bay.

She beat out Sarah Joy Brown, as Laurie Smith in Amazon's Studio City; Midori Francis as Lily in Netflix's Dash & Lily' Sharon Lawrence, as Miranda Cryer in Facebook Watch's The Gaze; and her co-star Jade Harlow, as Lianna Ramos in The Bay.

Centre of attention: Flashing her toned midriff in the semi-transparent number, the brunette beauty coordinated her ensemble with a pair of lace-up heels, while clutching a a mint purse

Stunning: Accessorising her look with a collection of pearls, she wore a net over her gorgeous dark brown locks and painted her visage with green shadow for the glitzy evening

Together: Karrueche went on to link arms with a stunning pal, who wowed in a pin-exposing sea blue mini dress

Karrueche was shocked when her name was called during the telecast, beginning her speech with, 'I can't even talk.'

'I'm so thankful and so blessed and so grateful. Thank you to the Academy and to the other nominees,' Tran added.

She went on to thank her friends and family, 'who have always supported me,' adding that she had to thank her costars and crew 'who have believed in me from day one in me when nobody did at all.'

She continued: 'I just won an Emmy. Oh my God. Thank you so much.'

The actress explained that she was proud to 'shine a light' on the Black Lives Matter protests during her speech

'I'm so glad we were able to shine light on such an important situation that was happening and bring it to The Bay,' she said.

The win marked a milestone both for Karrueche and the Emmys, as she became the first Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) woman to win a lead actress prize at either the Daytime or Primetime Emmy ceremonies.
She has been open about enhancing her natural beauty through cosmetic surgery.

And now Love Island Australia star Ari Kumar's surgeon, Dr Mitchell Kim, has shared photo detailing the 25-year-old web content publisher's stunning transformation.

Ari has made no secret of her enhancements, with the brunette bombshell happily mentioning her Brazilian Butt Lift on the reality dating show.

Cheeky! Ari Kumar (pictured) has made no secret of her enhancements, with the brunette bombshell happily mentioning her Brazilian Butt Lift on reality dating show Love Island

'I think I have an amazing booty because I paid for it  and it's okay, you can pay for the things that you want. I love attention, I love it when people stare at me and compliment me,' she said.

According to The Wash, Ari has undergone a number of different surgeries.

In July 2020, she had a Brazilian Butt Lift at Cosmos Clinic on the Gold Coast with Dr Kim and has had Vaser liposuction in several areas.

Wow: On Thursday, Dr Mitchell Kim shared photos of the 25-year-old web content publisher's stunning transformation

Transformation: 'I think I have an amazing booty because I paid for it  and it's okay, you can pay for the things that you want,' she said of her cosmetic enhancement on the show

Dr Kim has documented Ari's transformation on his own Instagram, commenting that he removed fat from nine areas of her body before injecting it into her bottom.

Since her admission, fans have unearthed footage of the bikini-clad beauty looking almost unrecognisable in videos shared to her TikTok account.

Ari was originally coupled up with Taku Chimwaza, who she referred to as a 'daddy' during the first episode, but changed her mind and went for Ryan Reid instead.

Before and after: In July 2020, Ari had a Brazilian Butt Lift at Cosmos Clinic on the Gold Coast with Dr Kim

She describes herself as an independent woman and has been single for the past six years.

'I've been out of the dating scene for a very long time,' she said on the show.

'I thought this would be a good way to get myself out there because I don't do the whole online dating world these days either.'

Love Island Australia continues Monday at 8.45pm on Channel Nine
She never shies away from a figure-flaunting ensemble.

And Rita Ora set pulses race as she stepped out in a daring cut-out dress at Giorgio Baldi in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

The For You hitmaker, 30, put on a very busty display in a snakeskin print ensemble as she attended her sister Elena's 33rd birthday celebrations.

Scroll down for video

Turning heads: Rita Ora put on a very busty display in the snakeskin print ensemble at Giorgio Baldi in Los Angeles on Wednesday night

Rita looked in high spirits as she stepped out to party with her sister for her 33rd birthday.

The pop star beamed as she stepped out in the figure-hugging dress, which she layered under a long-line tan coat to keep off the chill.

She wore her caramel tresses in a relaxed wavy style and accentuated her natural beauty with nude lipstick and a sweep of bronzer.

Rita sported a pair of large glamorous shades as she walked closely next to her sister who wowed in a bright orange dress and a brown leather-look jacket.

Wow: The hitmaker set pulses race as she stepped out in a daring cut-out dress and knee high leather boots

Family: Rita sported a pair of large glamorous shades as she walked closely next to her sister Elena who wowed in a bright orange dress and a brown leather-look jacket

The sister's night out comes after Rita took to Instagram to dedicate a gushing post to Elena.

Sharing a slew of snaps of herself and her sibling, including rare family photos taken when they were little, Rita told her older sister: '[I] couldn't live without you.'

The hit-maker called Elena - who is also her manager - her partner in crime, adding: 'Here's to the next chapter.'

In one photo, the siblings could be seen licking enormous lollipops while another snap saw them as children wearing identical yellow dresses.

Stunning: She wore her caramel tresses in a relaxed wavy style and accentuated her natural beauty with nude lipstick and a sweep of bronzer as she put on a leggy display

In one photo, the siblings could be seen licking enormous lollipops while grinning next to each other.

Another snap saw them as children wearing identical yellow dresses in a ballet recital.

Elsewhere, Rita and her sister worked their best angles while posing in a lift.

Sisterly love: The sister's night out comes after Rita took to Instagram to dedicate a gushing post to Elena

Throwback: One snap saw Rita and Elena as children wearing identical yellow dresses

Elena was also seen as a young girl doting on her younger sister, sweetly placing her hand on little Rita's head.

Rita also uploaded various pictures of them having fun at glamorous events together.

She captioned her post in full: 'Happy happy happy birthday to my sister, manager, partner in crime @elenaora couldn't live without you here's to the next chapter.'

Best angles: Elsewhere, Rita and her sister worked their best angles while posing in a lift

Adorable: Elena was also seen as a young girl doting on her younger sister, sweetly placing her hand on little Rita's head

Sweet tooth: The siblings could be seen licking enormous lollipops while posing on a bed for a photoshoot

Best of friends: The Ora sisters' close bond was easy to see in the fun pictures shared by Rita on social media

Earlier this week, Rita and her Oscar-winning screenwriter Taika Waititi enjoyed a glamorous movie date to the Hollywood premiere of Marvel's Eternals at El Capitan Theatre.

Taika, 46, and Rita reportedly began their romance Down Under in early March before going Instagram official the next month.

'I'm in a great place in my life, that's all I'm going to say about that,' Ora told Vogue Australia last month when asked about the relationship.

'I just think, respectfully, privacy is important. Yeah, I learned a lot in my 20s.'

Before dating the What We Do in the Shadows creator - Rita has had romances with Andrew Garfield, Lewis Hamilton, Travis Barker, Justin Bieber, Calvin Harris, Evan Ross, A$AP Rocky, Rob Kardashian, and Bruno Mars.

Nights out: Rita also uploaded various pictures of them having fun at glamorous events together

Rita wrote: 'Happy happy happy birthday to my sister, manager, partner in crime @elenaora couldn't live without you here's to the next chapter'
Brooke Blurton awarded Darvid Garayeli the coveted 'first impression rose' on The Bachelorette premiere, which granted him the first one-on-one date.

And on Thursday, Brooke, 26, and Darvid, 27, enjoyed a romantic date on a cliffside in the Blue Mountains, located 90 minutes from Sydney.

As they abseiled down to a beautifully decorated hammock to get to know each other, it soon became apparent their bonding moment wasn't for everyone.

Don't look down: As Brooke, 26, and Darvid, 27,(both pictured) abseiled down to a beautifully decorated hammock to get to know each other, it soon became apparent their bonding moment wasn't for everyone

'Is anyone else just finding this hammock chair cliff situation just very stressful?' wrote one viewer on Twitter.

'A date on a ledge high up off a mountain. nope. and this is a tad [yawning emoji],' added another.

Meanwhile, a third quipped: 'How are they holding hands and not the ropes?!'

Not your average date! While looking out to the picturesque vista, the lovebirds shared a romantic kiss

Yikes! There were some viewers who couldn't stomach the idea of being mid-air, including one who said: 'Is anyone else just finding this hammock chair cliff situation just very stressful?'

Another wrote: 'It's so beautiful but I would absolutely be shitting it hanging off that thing.'

'This date is so dull. First it's freaky af, then it'd be boring af cause you can't get away from the other person. Not to mention being afraid to move,' they added.

One person added: 'I feel like these scenes would be so lovely and sweet if Brooke and Darvid were not so clearly physically uncomfortable on this weird mid-air tarpaulin.'

Reaching new heights! 'A date on a ledge high up off a mountain. nope. and this is a tad [yawning emoji],' added another

Freaked out! Another tweeted: 'It's so beautiful but I would absolutely be shitting it hanging off that thing'

Meanwhile another sympathised: 'Can you imagine the risk assessment some poor soul had to do for this episode,' referring to a production staffer.

In The Bachelorette premiere, Brooke dubbed Darvid her 'Persian Prince'.

The Bachelorette continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10
Evanna Lynch has hit back at the comments made by Steve Allen on LBC calling Tilly Ramsay a 'chubby little thing' while making an appearance on Lorraine on Wednesday morning.

The 30-year-old actress, who played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter franchise, was promoting her book The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting on the morning show which details her eating disorder.

She said of the remarks: 'Stop commenting on peoples appearances, its not their business [...] theres just so much more to women, theres so much more to people.

Speaking out: Evanna Lynch, 30, hit back at the comments made by Steve Allen on LBC calling Tilly Ramsay a 'chubby little thing' while making an appearance on Lorraine on Wednesday

'Its very reductive and that woman has so much more to her and shes showing so much more. Why is he focusing on that?'

Tilly, who is the daughter of TV chef Gordon Ramsay, shared a lengthy statement on Instagram in which she expressed her hurt and shock at having her appearance criticised 'by a 67-year-old man on national radio'.

In the post, Tilly revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks.

Alongside the statement she shared a soundbite from Steve's show, in which he read out a comment from a listener alerting him to the fact Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia.

Steve - who is on air between 4am and 7am - then remarked: 'Is she? Well, she can't blimming well dance!

Hitting back: She said: 'Stop commenting on peoples appearances, its not their business [...] theres just so much more to women, theres so much more to people'; Tilly pictured 2021

Shocking: Steve (pictured in March) read out a comment from a listener alerting him to the fact Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia

Shock: In the post, Tilly, 19, revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks

'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.'

The CBBC presenter is competing on Strictly with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin and is simultaneously featuring on the pre-recorded Celebrity MasterChef Australia.

LBC's Julia Hartley-Brewer has come out to support Steve's comments saying: 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors.'

She said during a video call interview on This Morning: 'Steve Allen is entitled to say what they want to say. Obviously, a personal dig isn't nice'.

Viewers took to Twitter to hit back at Julia, calling for people to 'be kind.'

Evanna continued: 'I do also believe that saying chubby as a derogatory word or fat or whatever, its just a size. We all have to get over our fat phobia, its not the worst thing you can be.'

To which Lorraine agreed: 'Youre just taking up a wee bit more space in the world, thats all it is.'

Evanna added: 'I really believe your body changes when your life changes. When I was writing my book, I gained weight and thats fine. Thats where I am. Im sitting at a desk and next year I will be out and about doing stuff, and my body will change again.

Sad: Evanna went on: 'Its very reductive and that woman has so much more to her and shes showing so much more. Why is he focusing on that?'

Honest: Evanna continued: 'I do also believe that saying chubby as a derogatory word or fat or whatever, its just a size. We all have to get over our fat phobia, its not the worst thing you can be'

Controversial: Julia Hartley Brewer has defended LBC's Steve Allen saying that he was 'entitled' to call Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly a 'chubby little thing' on his show

'We have to stop expecting our bodies to stay the same and stay frozen in time. Its kind of like sucking the life out of yourself.'

Dr Alex George has also supported the teen by writing an open letter to LBC Radio after the personal comments made by Steve.

Former Love Island star Alex, 30, told LBC in his letter that he was 'horrified' by the remarks and highlighted: 'The discussion about a young person's weight live on air is not acceptable.'

Strictly star Tilly was quick to thank Alex for his support, commenting beneath his letter - shared on Instagram - 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness.'

He wrote: 'I am absolutely horrified by these remarks. It is widely recognised just how damaging such comments about someone's weight are and the effect they can have on an individual's mental health.

The truth: She went on: 'We have to stop expecting our bodies to stay the same and stay frozen in time. Its kind of like sucking the life out of yourself'

Support: Dr Alex George has also supported the teen by writing an open letter to LBC Radio after the personal comments made by Steve

Evanna, who in the past has spoken openly about her anorexia battle which at times had left her hospitalised, told how it was important to not gloss over her tough times in the memoir and to be as honest as she can so as to spark meaningful conversations.

The book discusses her younger struggles with anorexia, and Evanna explained: 'I do really believe in really talking about the darkness.

'We can be too quick to talk about the "Im good, Im happy, everythings positive now." And I just dont think lifes like that. Life doesnt suddenly get happy and everythings okay. So its a bit of a rollercoaster of a book, but thats life.'

Evanna described her experience the condition as an 'addiction' on the show.

She said: 'I see it as an addiction. You know, you eat food every day, you have to have a balanced relationship with it and I really think you can.

Battle: Evanna, who in the past has spoken openly about her anorexia which at times had left her hospitalised, told how it was important to not gloss over her tough times in the memoir

'This idea that my therapist shared is that we upgrade our problems, you have to find better coping mechanisms because thats all these eating disorders are - theyre coping mechanisms.

'I think you graduate to other things that give you a purpose and I think you gradually learn how to make them better for you.'

Evanna wanted to convey to readers that recovery isn't linear, and that it can manifest itself in many ways.

She said: 'Im trying to show that recovery isnt neat. I think a lot of people think it ends in physical recovery and Im trying to show that even though things were great professionally and on the surface, I still had quite a toxic mindset.

'Even when you recover from an eating disorder, you can still have that addiction to negativity and to me thats also an addiction to feeling safe - you dont want anything to hurt you or to come in and change things.

'Its like not wanting to be vulnerable, really You have to learn to make really positive choices. I now know how to choose positive people and I dont search out the meanness and I just don't indiscriminately believe it.'

Lorraine and Evanna also chatted about her experience with JK Rowling, and it was revealed that she wrote to her as a child before starring in the films.

Evanna shared: 'When I think of that I think, thats real magic!... It felt like a soul match with [Luna], if that makes sense.'

Honest: Evanna described her experience the condition as an 'addiction' on the show

Magic: Lorraine and Evanna also chatted about her experience with JK Rowling, and it was revealed that she wrote to her as a child before starring in the films; pictured 2013

The apperance comes after Evanna recently spoke in an interview with E! about her road to recovery saying: 'I don't have an eating disorder at all anymore. It's been years of eating like a normal, healthy person and having balanced habits. And it's different - somebody asked me recently, "Oh, is it similar to alcoholism, where you're always going to have to avoid it?"

'And it's like, well, no, because you have to eat, you have to do it. And you have to learn how to do it in a functional way. So, I do believe you can properly recover and move on. But I think the healing process continues.'

She said: 'You want to be honest, you know? I don't want to just say, "Everything's cool now, happier, I've fixed all these weird issues." So, I had to find a way that I could be honest about where I'm at, but be positive and leave people with a warm, inspired feeling.'
Julia Hartley-Brewer has defended LBC's Steve Allen saying that he was 'entitled' to call Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly Ramsay a 'chubby little thing' on his show.

The Talk Radio presenter, 53, claimed on Thursday's episode of This Morning: 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors.'

But viewers were quick to disagree online as many took to Twitter to call Julia 'totally out of order' and question 'why can't people just be kind?'

Controversial: Julia Hartley Brewer has defended LBC's Steve Allen saying that he was 'entitled' to call Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly Ramsay a 'chubby little thing' on his show

Julia claimed during a video call interview on the show: 'Steve Allen is entitled to say what they want to say.

'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors. Obviously, a personal dig isn't nice'.

Steve said of Tilly earlier this week: 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.'

Tilly then responded to the savage remarks with a lengthy Instagram post where revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks.

'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors. Obviously, a personal dig isn't nice,' Julia claimed of the remarks towards Tilly (pictured on Strictly)

Free speech? Julia said during a video call interview on the show: 'Steve Allen is entitled to say what they want to say,' despite mounting backlash that his comments were 'fat shaming'

Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the 19-year-old's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion.

One fumed: 'All this woman on This Morning is defending some kn*b on the radio making fun of Tilly Ramsay's weight. Get Gordon on the radio to ask him about it, but best be sure to get your sh*tting pants on first - kn*bheads. The poor girl is 19!'

Another added: 'That radio presenter was totally out of order shes only 19 for god sake thats going to damage her mental health... absolutely terrible. Why can't people just be kind ffs i dont see what her weight has anything to do with her being on strictly... tilly is beautiful.'

A third user wrote: 'Just heard Julia Hartley Brewer come on @thismorning saying freedom of speech entitles anyone to publicly comment on someone else's weight. Listen, I know I've been guilty of it in the past, as I'd bet we all have. But that doesn't mean it's right and should be encouraged!'

'The poor girl is 19!': Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the teenager's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion

Backlash: This Morning viewers called Julia 'totally out of order' as they stuck up for Tilly and pointed out 'that's going to damage her mental health'

Another viewer wrote: 'The way they are discussing and justifying the comments made about Tilly Ramsey are shameful. She is 19 and the conversation was not about her appearance he mentioned it with no relevance to the conversation what so ever. It's bullying!!!'

'Just because you have the right to say something doesn't mean that you SHOULD say it smh,' chimed in another.

One fan questioned: 'Why are they sticking up for Steve Allen? he had no right in calling Tilly chubby.'

While another simply stated: 'If you haven't got anything nice to say don't say it.'

'It's bullying: Tilly's supporters flooded Twitter timelines as they took Julia and Steve to task over what they had said

Support was also shown for Tilly on the London Underground by the writers who post messages on information boards inside the city's stations.

They wrote a letter on a whiteboard inside Piccadilly Circus station that read: 'Dear Matilda, Hope youre doing alright?

'We thought we would write you this letter, well done for standing up for yourself against disgraceful behaviour and disgusting comments from people who should know better;

'You are spectacular on Strictly, keep dancing and doing what you do, today we are changing Piccadilly Circus to PiccaTILLY Circus to pay tribute to you.'

'Well done for standing up for yourself': Support was shown for Tilly on the London Underground information boards

Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly.

Strictly star Tilly was quick to thank Alex for his support, commenting beneath his letter - shared on Instagram - 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness.'

In his letter, Alex highlighted that 'it is widely recognised just how damaging such comments about someone's weight are and the effect they can have on an individual's mental health'.

He also noted: 'We must not underestimate the impact such remarks can have, feeding into the perpetual cycle of weight stigma that still exists here in the UK.'

Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay.To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity.'

Support: Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly

Letter: Alex told LBC in his letter that he was 'horrified' by the remarks and highlighted: 'The discussion about a young person's weight live on air is not acceptable'

Caption: Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay. To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity'

Tilly replied: 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness. You are amazing'

The daughter of Gordon Ramsay took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a lengthy statement in which she expressed her hurt and shock at having her appearance criticised 'by a 67-year-old man on national radio'.

The CBBC presenter is competing on Strictly with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin and is simultaneously featuring on the pre-recorded Celebrity MasterChef Australia.

Alongside the statement she shared a soundbite from Steve's show, in which he read out a comment from a listener alerting him to the fact Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia.

Tilly penned: 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far.

'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.'

Shocking: 'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance,' Tilly told Steve (pictured in March) on Instagram about his comments

Shock: In the post, Tilly revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks

Tilly continued: 'This isn't the first and definitely wont' be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I'm learning to accept myself.

'But please remember that words can hurt. And at the end of the day I am only 19 and I'm so grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been able to take part in.

'And I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with it's own repercussions and I've been aware of this from a young age.

'However, I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx'

She captioned the post '#bekind'.

MailOnline has contacted LBC for comment.

Two of a kind: Tilly is partnered with Nikita Kuzmin on this year's Strictly

Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly with Janette Manrara writing: 'How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someones mental health. You are a POWERFUL young lady! Wear your crown w/ your head held high'.

Giovanni Pernice penned: 'Some people are very nasty !! Dont listen to this crap .. we love You girl ! #bekind'.

GBBO star and Strictly contestant John Whaite penned: 'Hes a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.'

Her sister Holly meanwhile wrote: 'Very well said x #bekind', while their sister Megan echoed: 'Love you Tills'.

Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian reached out to Tilly to write: 'what a total w**ker. bloody uncalled for. cant wait for you to have the last laugh and keep winning. sending you love'.

Support: Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly

Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon.

She presented Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch on CBBC, which saw her cooking and having adventures along with her family, for which she received three Childrens BAFTA nominations.

In 2017 she published her first cookery book, inspired by the show, titled: Matilda & The Ramsay Bunch: Tilly's Kitchen Takeover.

Tilly and her Dad also hosted a regular cooking item on This Morning, Big Chef Little Chef.

Famous father: Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon

Meanwhile, Steve has hosted the early morning breakfast show on LBC since 2000.

This isn't the first time the presenter has come under fire for making controversial comments.

Back in 2018, Steve was rapped by Ofcom after he mocked a blind journalist who became the first person in the UK to use a miniature guide horse.

Mohammed Salim Patel from Blackburn, Lancashire, was using two-year-old American miniature horse Digby because of his fear of dogs - until the horse grew too big.

In a broadcast on October 1, Steve said he'd 'never heard of anything so stupid' while discussing a story on Digby.

He also said on air: 'Well if he's blind, tell him it's a rabbit or something. I've never heard of anything so stupid.

'This is the blind man scared of dogs hoping that a horse will guide him on his commute. Where are you going to take that for goodness sake?'

In December, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint that the comments had been offensive.

Following in her father's footsteps: Tilly is currently featuring on the pre-recorded Celebrity MasterChef Australia

In its ruling, Ofcom said: 'Mr Allen seemed to be implying that people who are blind cannot differentiate between a rabbit and a dog.

'We considered that this remark could have been interpreted as belittling blind people and offering a highly pejorative view of them.

'Further, Mr Allen repeatedly questioned, in dismissive terms, the practicality of using a guide horse and emphatically dismissed what was an individual's choice to equip himself in this way as "ludicrous".

'He also concluded that the man in question should be denied this choice ('He's afraid of dogs. Why? Why's he afraid of dogs? Well don't give him - don't give him anything at all then. Just give him a white stick').

A step too far: Tilly said of Steve's remarks, 'I try not to read and listen to negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far'

'In our view the potential offence was exacerbated by Steve Allen mocking the idea that the BBC had employed a blind cameraman.'

LBC said in its response to Ofcom that the programme is 'centred around (Steve Allen's) unique and acerbic take on the news of the day'.

The response added that he 'provides fast-moving opinions on the headlines and rarely dwells on one topic for any significant amount of time' and said his comment on the Mr Patel's story 'had a total duration of less than a minute'.

Earlier this year, Steve took an extended leave of absence from his radio show due to illness.

He did not front the show from February 17 to March 15.

On March 3, following calls from fans to know how the presenter was doing, LBC responded with a tweet which gave fans an update on his health.

They said: 'Thank you to everyone whos got in touch to ask about Steve Allen.

WHO IS STEVE ALLEN? Steve, 67, first worked as a nightclub DJ where he met long-time friend Dale Winton and subsequently joined the United Biscuits Network, a radio station broadcasting to workers in the United Biscuits factories UBN closed in 1979, and Allen joined LBC as presenter of the Night Extra programme. He then moved on to present The Night is Young on the station. When LBC was separated into two stations- 1152 AM and 97.3 FM, Steve presented the afternoon show for London Talkback Radio and Saturday Night Out. Currently, Steve presents the early breakfast show on LBC between 4am and 7am from Monday to Friday. The show involves discussion of stories from the day's newspapers, and his personal anecdotes and gripes about daily life. In 2015, Allen released a book entitled So You Want to be a Celebrity? The man behind the voice: Steve (pictured in 2012) presents the early breakfast show on LBC between 4am and 7am from Monday to Friday Advertisement

'Steve is still feeling unwell and taking a few more days off. Hes asked us to thank you for all your kind messages.'

Steve responded by tweeting: 'I am truly humbled by the amount of messages of support and promise you all I am doing my very best to be back with you all ASAP, a million thanks from the bottom of my heart.'

Steve's exact illness was never disclosed.
Emily Watson cut a solemn figure as she filmed scenes for Midas Man with Jacob Fortune Lloyd in Liverpool on Thursday.

The actress, 54, could be seen embracing Jacob Fortune Lloyd, 33, as she was dressed all in black other than a purple hairnet.

Jacob wore a black suit with matching tie with a crisp white shirt as the pair acted out emotional scenes on location for the film which tells the story of visionary music manager Brian Epstein.

Emotional scenes: Emily Watson, 54, looked solemn as she filmed scenes for Midas Man while dressed in black with a purple hairnet with Jacob Fortune Lloyd, 33, in Liverpool on Thursday

The music executive, who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967, is portrayed by Jacob in the upcoming flick, while Emily plays his mother Malka 'Queenie' Epstein.

The pair were dressed in all black for the scenes, suggesting they were filming the funeral of Brian's father and Queenie's husband, Harry Epstein, who died at the age of 63 in 1967.

The Jonas Akerlund-directed project is written by Jonathan Wakeham and is based on a story by Brigit Grant.

The plot follows Brian's life as he rose to fame after discovering acts such as The Beatles, Cilla Black, and Gerry and The Pacemakers before his tragic death from an overdose at the age of 32.

Making history: Jacob was dressed all in black while on location for the film which tells the story of visionary music manager Brian Epstein

Fab five: The Beatles stars Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison are seen with manager Brian Epstein in July 1964

Other cast members include Eddie Marsan who plays Brians father and successful businessman Harry, while It's A Sin star Omari Douglas will appear as Lonnie Trimble, Brian's confidant and friend.

The films synopsis states it's a 'definitive cinematic telling of Brians dazzling and tumultuous life which saw him shoot to fame at the tender age of 25 but ended in tragedy at the age of 32.

'The film will highlight his unparalleled influence on pop music, and its colossal impact worldwide which will touch audiences with Brians heartfelt story.'

Seeing double: Jacob is taking on the role of the music executive, who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967

Star power: Emily plays The Beatles' manager's mother Malka 'Queenie' Epstein (pictured right) in the flick

Famous friends: The plot follows Brian's life as he rose to fame after discovering acts such as The Beatles, Cilla Black, and Gerry and The Pacemakers

Director Jonas previously said of the project in a statement: 'Brians family meant so much to him. Im thrilled to have such incredible talent taking on the roles of Queenie, Harry and Lonnie. I think Brian would be smiling on our casting today.

The feature is being made by Trevor Beattie films, with owner Trevor adding: 'Brian was a singular individual, but he was shaped by those closest to him, his beloved mother and father, Harry and Queenie and his trusted right hand man, Lonnie.

'The casting of these roles is vital to our story. To have secured the gigantic talents of Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan and Omari Douglas to play them is a dream come true.

Untimely death: Jacob's character Brian unfortunately died at the age of 32 following an overdose

Ready to roll: Jacob could be seen stepping into a white Rolls Royce as the cast and crew worked on location

'Its a reflection both on the love and respect creative people still have for Brian Epstein and a salute to the skills and reputation of our director Jonas Akerlund.

'Jonas has brought Eppys family back to life. Its a wonderful thing. And we cant wait to get started.'

The film, which began shooting this month, is set for release in 2022.
The cast of Gogglebox Australia had plenty to say about Love Island Australia during Thursday's episode.

After being shown the premiere episode of the Channel Nine reality dating show, many of the Gogglebox cast couldn't believe their eyes.

The scantily clad men on the show proved to be a hit with the ladies on Gogglebox, particularly the older generation.

Eye candy: The cast of Gogglebox Australia had plenty to say about Love Island Australia during Thursday's episode. Pictured, Gogglebox's Di

'Look at the six-pack, Kerrie!' exclaimed Great Grandma 'Emmie' as a shirtless Love Island star wandered onto the screen.

But Kerrie didn't seem as impressed, and as the show's host Sophie Monk introduced the show in a plunging white dress, quipped: 'Oh, she's got her girls out.'

Watching Love Island's Jess pose for a bikini photo shoot, a disbelieving Kerrie added: 'Oh, God! She's got no pubic hair whatsoever.'

Coming in hot: After being shown the premiere episode of the Channel Nine reality dating show, many of the Gogglebox cast couldn't believe their eyes. Pictured, Love Island's Ryan

Get it, Grandma: The scantily clad men on the show proved to be a hit with the ladies on Gogglebox, particularly the older generation. Pictured, Kerrie (left) and Great Grandma 'Emmie' (right)

'She's had a Mexican. Is that what they call it?' asked Great Grandma 'Emmie'.

The boys got a better reception, with many of the Gogglebox women - including Anastasia - enjoying the eye candy.

'Yeah, baby! Oh, s**t, yeah,' screamed an excited Anastasia as Love Island's Jordan made an appearance on her TV screen.

Popping out: Kerrie didn't seem as impressed, and as the show's host Sophie Monk (pictured) introduced the show in a plunging white dress, quipped: 'Oh, she's got her girls out'

Vanishing act: Watching Love Island's Jess (pictured) pose for a bikini photo shoot, a disbelieving Kerrie added: 'Oh, God! She's got no pubic hair whatsoever'

Ryan won the most fans, with both Di and Great Grandma 'Emmie' getting hot and bothered by his shirtless entry into the Love Island villa.

'Ooh, Ryan, baby,' said Di, while Great Grandma 'Emmie' added, 'I like him.'

But Tim couldn't understand what they were doing on Love Island and pointed out: 'They're all gorgeous - why do they need to be on a dating show?'
Angelina Jolie says the diversity in the Eternals cast is 'how it always should have been.'

The 46-year-old actress - who plays Thena in the upcoming Marvel blockbuster - appears as part of a superhero ensemble featuring queer characters, people of color and deaf actress Lauren Ridloff.

'What's really quite stunning is that when we walked out all of us together, it didn't feel like: "This is so new and cool," it felt like: "This is how it always should have been." Why did it take so long? It felt so right,' she told Variety:

Her view: Angelina Jolie feels the diversity in the Eternals cast is 'how it always should have been,' she remarked at the movie's premiere this week

Wow: The 46-year-old actress - who plays Thena in the upcoming Marvel blockbuster - appears as part of a superhero ensemble

Jolie was asked why she feels it takes so long, and while she has 'many things' to say on the subject, she focused on the idea that people should watch the film without actually focusing on its 'diversity.'

She added: 'I could say many things, and I could go on for a while, but I think...it is so good to just bust a hole right in that...'

The Mr. and Mrs. Smith star argued: 'What I hope is that when people watch this film, they're not seeing it and saying: "Oh, this is a film about diversity. This is a film that shows this person can be a superhero."'

Lineup: Angelina is starring in a cast featuring queer characters, people of color and deaf actress Lauren Ridloff

Angelina added: 'They'll just say: "Well of course that person's a superhero, and of course that person also is. Of course."'

'And more shame on us for every questioning that they couldn't be because: "Of course."'

Eternals - which is set to hit the big screen next month - is written and directed by Nomadland filmmaker Chloe Zhao.

Aglow: Her co-stars include Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee and Salma Hayek (pictured)

As well as Jolie and Ridloff, the cast of heroes also features Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee and Salma Hayek.

Meanwhile, Kit Harington will feature as Dane Whitman, also known as the Black Knight.

Eternals, which features a score by Ramin Djawadi of Game Of Thrones fame, will get a wide theatrical release on November 5.

Jolie has plenty of diversity at home as well. She has three biological children with ex Brad Pitt and three adopted children.

Maddox is from Cambodia, Pax is from Vietnam and Zahara is from Ethiopia.
Cara Delevingne's dad Charles has revealed his famous daughter's name was inspired by a budget airline's in-flight magazine.

The property developer, 72, would fly to Dublin regularly with Irish airline Aer Lingus, and would often read their in-flight magazine, which was entitled Cara.

Charles told The Irish Times that he became fond of the Latin name - translating to 'friend' - during his regular flights to Dublin with the airline.

Wow! Cara Delevingne's dad Charles has revealed his famous daughter's name was inspired by Aer Lingus' in-flight magazine titled Cara (pictured in 2018)

He explained: 'I remember I used to go backwards and forwards to Dublin a lot and the name of the Aer Lingus magazine was Cara. I loved the name.'

He added: 'She is very well known. I'm sick to death of everyone saying, "You're Cara's father."'

Sadly, Cara magazine is no longer, as the publication folded last year due to the collapse in airline travel.

The magazine had the most expensive advertising rates of any Irish magazine and was published eight times a year .

Surprise: Sadly, Cara magazine is no longer, as the publication folded last year due to the collapse in airline travel

News of Cara's unusual namesake comes after the supermodel gave a raunchy insight into her sex life.

The model, 29, spoke with Sarah Hyland and comedian Whitney Cummings as part of the Ellentube series Lady Parts in an episode called The Joy of Sex.

Discussing her one-off fling, she said: 'I've had like one one-night stand when I was a lot younger but I remember the spontaneity off it.

'The person I was with, we were playing music for three hours. I was on the drums, he was on the guitar and then we swapped.

'Then he was going to drive me home and we had sex in the elevator. I mean it was so sexy. It was amazing. It's not that I didn't like him, I had met him that day or whatever and was like, 'This is crazy."'

Discussing self-pleasure, she said: 'That was the worst thing growing up. You're shamed for masturbating. I remember the pool jet was probably the first. I would hump a teddy a bit too long.

Hilarious: Charles joked he's 'sick to death' of everyone saying that he's Cara's father (pictured in 2021)

'I remember being in a sandpit and building a sand castle in my underwear and just sitting on it and being like, 'This is nice."'

Cara said she no longer watches porn and doesn't think much of it is 'healthy', adding it is mostly presented from the male point of view.

She said: 'I don't watch it anymore. I think it's fascinating but it's never done from a woman's point of view. Now, more people are doing that but at least when I was growing up, it wasn't healthy.'

She said: 'That's the difference between having sex with men and women. I feel like women have sex for a lot longer.

Candid: Cara Delevingne has revealed intimate details about her sex life, saying she has only had one one-night stand and also discussed her experiences with self-pleasure

'When I discovered tantra, as in the act of so much more foreplay and kind of paying attention to the rest of the body as much as you pay attention to your genitals. It's so much more deep and beautiful.'

Elsewhere during the candid discussion, Cara said she didn't lose her virginity until she was 18.

She said: 'I didn't get confident in sex until way later, but I also didn't ever ask for what I wanted for so long.'

Candid: Charles certainly kept his earplugs in when the supermodel admitted she once had a one-night stand in an elevator

She also she discussed people being 'conditioned' to make certain noises during intercourse - something she likes to abstain from.

'It's way more interesting if you have an orgasm and you don't because I remember after being conditioned to think, 'This is the noise that people make,'' the supermodel explained.

'And I remember stopping making any noise or trying to really maintain it and it's so hot when you just try and not make any noise and feel it way more. It's like, 'whoa!''
He's come under fire for calling Strictly Come Dancing contestant Tilly Ramsay, 19, a 'chubby little thing' on his radio show.

Yet LBC's Steve Allen has history with targeting reality stars, previously calling Gemma Collins 'fat' and comparing her to Jabba The Hutt in a slew of cruel tweets.

After the radio presenter, 67, was called out in an impassioned Instagram post by Tilly by Wednesday, Love Island star Amy Hart also hit out against the star, revealing that Steve often called her 'desperate' on his show.

Under fire: LBC's Steve Allen called Gemma Collins (L) 'fat' and branded Amy Hart (R) 'desperate' prior to dubbing Tilly Ramsay, 19, a 'chubby little thing' on his radio show

TOWIE star Gemma, 40, was the subject of several of Steve's cruel tweets that have resurfaced.

In one tweet posted in June 2014, Steve said of TOWIE castmates Gemma, James Argent, Bobby Norris, Harry Derbidge and Lydia Bright: 'That's Bobby and Harry, the really out to lunch Lydia Dim and her on off boyfriend fat boy fat Arg, who slept with the beach hut Gemma.'

Just a week later, he wrote: 'Poor poor Gemma, fat and boring, no friends apart from Bobby, known as little Ms misery. It's all going pear shaped, and how we laugh.'

In 2015, Steve took aim at Gemma's weight again as he compared her to the Star Wars character, Jabba The Hut.

Called out: LBC's Steve Allen, 67, has been called out for poking fun at Tilly Ramsay this week, with some even calling on the presenter to be fired

He penned: 'Apparently Gemma the hut does have a shop in Brentwood very near the Slug and Lettuce, insert own joke here'

In January 2016 he made yet another jibe at Gemma's expense, tweeting: 'And now Gemma the hut thinks she might be pregnant.. Ha ha ha what doe you mean love, you think? Unprotected sex..'

Gemma wasn't the only reality star to be picked apart by Steve, with Love Island contestant Amy Hart revealing she was also on the receiving end of his cruel jibes.

Speaking to The Sun, Amy, 29, revealed she had been called 'desperate and pointless' and said the radio host has even targeted her family because Steve knows her uncle as they're both members of The Magic Circle.

'I know he brings me up about once a week and my family. He talks about my family as well, about my mum and dad and how we are all so desperate to be famous.'

Shocking: In 2015, Steve took aim at Gemma's weight as he compared her to the Star Wars character, Jabba The Hut (pictured with Harrison Ford)

Over the years: Steve has made several fatshaming comments on Twitter over the years

Saying Steve seems to be 'obsessed' with her, Amy added: 'He says I have no talent, I am lazy, that I am pointless, I am desperate etc.

'We contacted LBC and they said he trolls everyone, its just his thing. I sort of just took that.'

It's not just celebrities have taken aim at, but even his own listeners, as he tweeted in 2013: 'Some poor creature suggested that many of my listeners are female and overweight, bloody cheek, nobody is allowed to listen over 10 stone.'

The resurfaced tweets come after Steve said of Strictly contestant Tilly earlier this week: 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.'

Outrageous: The resurfaced tweets come after Steve said of Strictly contestant Tilly earlier this week, 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she'

Tilly then responded to the savage remarks with a lengthy Instagram post where revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks.

While there has been an outpouring of support for Tilly and mounting calls for Steve to be sacked from his LBC show, Julia Hartley-Brewer spoke out in his defence.

The Talk Radio presenter, 53, claimed on Thursday's episode of This Morning: 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors.'

But viewers were quick to disagree online as many took to Twitter to call Julia 'totally out of order' and question 'why can't people just be kind?'

Julia claimed during a video call interview on the show: 'Steve Allen is entitled to say what they want to say.

'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors. Obviously, a personal dig isn't nice'.

Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the 19-year-old's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion.

Controversial: While there has been an outpouring of support for Tilly and mounting calls for Steve to be sacked from his LBC show, Julia Hartley-Brewer spoke out in his defence

One fumed: 'All this woman on This Morning is defending some kn*b on the radio making fun of Tilly Ramsay's weight. Get Gordon on the radio to ask him about it, but best be sure to get your sh*tting pants on first - kn*bheads. The poor girl is 19!'

Another added: 'That radio presenter was totally out of order shes only 19 for god sake thats going to damage her mental health... absolutely terrible. Why can't people just be kind ffs i dont see what her weight has anything to do with her being on strictly... tilly is beautiful.'

A third user wrote: 'Just heard Julia Hartley Brewer come on @thismorning saying freedom of speech entitles anyone to publicly comment on someone else's weight. Listen, I know I've been guilty of it in the past, as I'd bet we all have. But that doesn't mean it's right and should be encouraged!'

'The poor girl is 19!': Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the teenager's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion

Another viewer wrote: 'The way they are discussing and justifying the comments made about Tilly Ramsey are shameful. She is 19 and the conversation was not about her appearance he mentioned it with no relevance to the conversation what so ever. It's bullying!!!'

'Just because you have the right to say something doesn't mean that you SHOULD say it smh,' chimed in another.

One fan questioned: 'Why are they sticking up for Steve Allen? he had no right in calling Tilly chubby.'

While another simply stated: 'If you haven't got anything nice to say don't say it.'

'It's bullying: Tilly's supporters flooded Twitter timelines as they took Julia and Steve to task over what they had said

Support was also shown for Tilly on the London Underground by the writers who post messages on information boards inside the city's stations.

They wrote a letter on a whiteboard inside Piccadilly Circus station that read: 'Dear Matilda, Hope you're doing alright?

'We thought we would write you this letter, well done for standing up for yourself against disgraceful behaviour and disgusting comments from people who should know better;

'You are spectacular on Strictly, keep dancing and doing what you do, today we are changing Piccadilly Circus to PiccaTILLY Circus to pay tribute to you.'

Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly.

Strictly star Tilly was quick to thank Alex for his support, commenting beneath his letter - shared on Instagram - 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness.'

In his letter, Alex highlighted that 'it is widely recognised just how damaging such comments about someone's weight are and the effect they can have on an individual's mental health'.

He also noted: 'We must not underestimate the impact such remarks can have, feeding into the perpetual cycle of weight stigma that still exists here in the UK.'

Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay.To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity.'

Support: Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly

Letter: Alex told LBC in his letter that he was 'horrified' by the remarks and highlighted: 'The discussion about a young person's weight live on air is not acceptable'

Caption: Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay. To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity'

Tilly replied: 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness. You are amazing'

The daughter of Gordon Ramsay took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a lengthy statement in which she expressed her hurt and shock at having her appearance criticised 'by a 67-year-old man on national radio'.

The CBBC presenter is competing on Strictly with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin and is simultaneously featuring on the pre-recorded Celebrity MasterChef Australia.

Alongside the statement she shared a soundbite from Steve's show, in which he read out a comment from a listener alerting him to the fact Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia.

Tilly penned: 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far.

'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.'

Shock: In the post, Tilly revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks

Tilly continued: 'This isn't the first and definitely wont' be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I'm learning to accept myself.

'But please remember that words can hurt. And at the end of the day I am only 19 and I'm so grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been able to take part in.

'And I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with it's own repercussions and I've been aware of this from a young age.

'However, I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx'

She captioned the post '#bekind'.

MailOnline has contacted LBC for comment.

WHO IS STEVE ALLEN? Steve, 67, first worked as a nightclub DJ where he met long-time friend Dale Winton and subsequently joined the United Biscuits Network, a radio station broadcasting to workers in the United Biscuits factories UBN closed in 1979, and Allen joined LBC as presenter of the Night Extra programme. He then moved on to present The Night is Young on the station. When LBC was separated into two stations- 1152 AM and 97.3 FM, Steve presented the afternoon show for London Talkback Radio and Saturday Night Out. Currently, Steve presents the early breakfast show on LBC between 4am and 7am from Monday to Friday. The show involves discussion of stories from the day's newspapers, and his personal anecdotes and gripes about daily life. In 2015, Allen released a book entitled So You Want to be a Celebrity? The man behind the voice: Steve (pictured in 2012) presents the early breakfast show on LBC between 4am and 7am from Monday to Friday Advertisement

Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly with Janette Manrara writing: 'How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someone's mental health. You are a POWERFUL young lady! Wear your crown w/ your head held high'.

Giovanni Pernice penned: 'Some people are very nasty !! Don't listen to this crap .. we love You girl ! #bekind'.

GBBO star and Strictly contestant John Whaite penned: 'He's a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.'

Her sister Holly meanwhile wrote: 'Very well said x #bekind', while their sister Megan echoed: 'Love you Tills'.

Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian reached out to Tilly to write: 'what a total w**ker. bloody uncalled for. can't wait for you to have the last laugh and keep winning. sending you love'.

Two of a kind: Tilly is partnered with Nikita Kuzmin on this year's Strictly

Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon.

She presented Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch on CBBC, which saw her cooking and having adventures along with her family, for which she received three Children's BAFTA nominations.

In 2017 she published her first cookery book, inspired by the show, titled: Matilda & The Ramsay Bunch: Tilly's Kitchen Takeover.

Tilly and her Dad also hosted a regular cooking item on This Morning, Big Chef Little Chef.

Support: Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly

Meanwhile, Steve has hosted the early morning breakfast show on LBC since 2000.

This isn't the first time the presenter has come under fire for making controversial comments.

Back in 2018, Steve was rapped by Ofcom after he mocked a blind journalist who became the first person in the UK to use a miniature guide horse.

Mohammed Salim Patel from Blackburn, Lancashire, was using two-year-old American miniature horse Digby because of his fear of dogs - until the horse grew too big.

In a broadcast on October 1, Steve said he'd 'never heard of anything so stupid' while discussing a story on Digby.

He also said on air: 'Well if he's blind, tell him it's a rabbit or something. I've never heard of anything so stupid.

'This is the blind man scared of dogs hoping that a horse will guide him on his commute. Where are you going to take that for goodness sake?'

In December, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint that the comments had been offensive.

Famous father: Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon

In its ruling, Ofcom said: 'Mr Allen seemed to be implying that people who are blind cannot differentiate between a rabbit and a dog.

'We considered that this remark could have been interpreted as belittling blind people and offering a highly pejorative view of them.

'Further, Mr Allen repeatedly questioned, in dismissive terms, the practicality of using a guide horse and emphatically dismissed what was an individual's choice to equip himself in this way as 'ludicrous'.

'He also concluded that the man in question should be denied this choice ('He's afraid of dogs. Why? Why's he afraid of dogs? Well don't give him - don't give him anything at all then. Just give him a white stick').

'In our view the potential offence was exacerbated by Steve Allen mocking the idea that the BBC had employed a blind cameraman.'

LBC said in its response to Ofcom that the programme is 'centred around (Steve Allen's) unique and acerbic take on the news of the day'.

The response added that he 'provides fast-moving opinions on the headlines and rarely dwells on one topic for any significant amount of time' and said his comment on the Mr Patel's story 'had a total duration of less than a minute'.

Earlier this year, Steve took an extended leave of absence from his radio show due to illness.

He did not front the show from February 17 to March 15.

On March 3, following calls from fans to know how the presenter was doing, LBC responded with a tweet which gave fans an update on his health.

They said: 'Thank you to everyone who's got in touch to ask about Steve Allen.

'Steve is still feeling unwell and taking a few more days off. He's asked us to thank you for all your kind messages.'

Steve responded by tweeting: 'I am truly humbled by the amount of messages of support and promise you all I am doing my very best to be back with you all ASAP, a million thanks from the bottom of my heart.'

Steve's exact illness was never disclosed.
Olivia Jade and her sister Isabella Giannulli appeared to enjoy a double date on Wednesday evening.

The 22-year-old YouTuber and her older sister, 23, were seen at dinner with two suitors in West Hollywood, just one day after the Dancing With The Stars contestant fueled rekindling rumors with ex Jackson Guthy.

In addition, Olivia recently had to shut down rumors that she was romantically involved with her DWTS partner Val Chmerkovskiy, and was seen coming face to face with his wife Jenna Johnson at practice on Thursday.

Double trouble: The daughters of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli were photographed out on Wednesday evening on what appeared to be a double date in West Hollywood

For the dinner outing, Olivia was seen keeping it cool in all black. She donned a pair of fitted skinny jeans with a black bomber jacket and heeled boots that fell just below the knee.

Her sister Isabella opted for light wash flared denim and an oversized black and white cardigan, and both ladies clipped their locks in half up hairstyles.

While waiting at valet following dinner they were peeped with two strapping gentlemen, but the sisters appeared to leave separately as Olivia clutched some cash for a tip in her hand while walking to her car.

That same day their parents Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli had requested permission from a federal judge to travel to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico from Nov. 5 to 12 for a wedding.

Date look: For the dinner outing, Olivia, 22, was seen keeping it cool in all black which included a pair of fitted skinny jeans with a black bomber jacket and heeled boots that fell just below the knee

Laidback: Older sister Isabella, 23, opted for light wash flared denim and an oversized black and white cardigan, and both ladies clipped their locks in half up hairstyles

The formerly incarcerated pair tried to strengthen the request by arguing they had been complying with the terms of their probation so both were discharged from prison.

Famously both Olivia and Isabella found themselves wrapped up along with their parents in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.

The Full House star and the fashion designer were found guilty of paying $500K in bribes to get the sisters admitted to USC as part of the rowing team (despite having no experience). It was called the largest admissions scandal ever prosecuted.

Loughlin was sentenced in August 2020 and ordered to pay an $150,000 fine as well as 150 hours of community service and Mossimo was slammed with a $250,000 fine and 250 hours of service.

Scandal: Famously both Olivia and Isabella found themselves wrapped up along with their parents in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal after the Full House star and the fashion designer were found guilty of paying $500K in bribes to get the sisters admitted to USC as part of the rowing team (despite having no experience)

Ex files: 'Jackson broke up with Olivia because it was all getting to be too much for him,' a source told Us Weekly at the time before they rekindled in August 2019 and seemed to date until this summer; pictured May 7 2020

Both were also sentenced to prison, with Loughlin serving out her two month sentence at a correctional facility near Dublin, California. She was released on December 28, 2020.

Mossimo on the other hand served nearly five months at a federal prison in Lompoc, California but completed the last of his sentence under home confinement. He was released from from federal custody on April 17, 2021.

Amid the scandal, Olivia was in an on-off relationship with ex-boyfriend Jackson Guthy, 25, and they first ended their romance in May 2019.

'Jackson broke up with Olivia because it was all getting to be too much for him,' a source told Us Weekly at the time. 'It wasn't necessarily affecting his career, but the fact that he couldn't be seen out in public with Olivia was difficult.'

Headed for trouble? Olivia who confirmed she was 'single' in an Instagram Q+A in August 2021 recently had to fend off rumors she and her married DWTS partner Val Chmerkovskiy were having an affair; pictured arriving to DWTS practice October 21

Bad blood? Olivia was seen coming face to face with Val's wife Jenna Johnson at DWTS practice after she tried to bed any rumors of an affair and said 'we are genuinely good friends and I adore his wife'

Heated chat? 'I'm just going to be super blunt and straight up, and just say that Val and I are not hooking up' Olivia said in a video after chatter swirled about the duo

Just three months later they rekindled however and seemed to go strong for two years until August 2021  at which point she confirmed her 'single' status in an Instagram Q+A.

The two however were spotted out together on Tuesday October 19 on a trip to the Cannabis dispensary, in images obtained by DailyMail.com.

Recently she had to fend off rumors that she was romantically involved with her DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy, who is married to another dance pro on the show Jenna Johnson.

The chatter first started after a TikTok user shared a celebrity blind-item style video that spoke to rumors about two DWTS celebrities.

Olivia and Val dispelled the rumors however. 'I'm just going to be super blunt and straight up, and just say that Val and I are not hooking up. We've never hooked up. This is a complete rumor; we are genuinely good friends and I adore his wife,' Olivia said.
Jamie Spears was reportedly dropped as a client by the his law firm after he was suspended by Britney Spears' conservatorship where he sat at the helm for nearly 13 years.

Holland & Knight, the law firm that represented Jamie for years during his daughter's conservatorship case, no longer wishes to work with him over concerns that the pop star's 'attorney will sue when the guardianship is terminated.'

'Litigator Mathew Rosengart has asserted numerous times that he is going to investigate and sue Jamie,' a source close to the situation told Page Six on Wednesday. 'If/when he does, Jamie will need to defend and likely be adverse to parties in the conservatorship.'

Over: Jamie Spears was reportedly dropped as a client by the his law firm after he was suspended by Britney Spears' conservatorship where he sat at the helm for nearly 13 years

A source close to the conservatorship court case said Britney's lawyer Mathew Rosengart will soon be requesting subpoenas and interviewing Jamie Spears and Robin Greenhill under oath.

The attorney plans to grill them about alleged 'financial mismanagement and dissipation of funds' and 'the monitoring and recording of her phone and placing a listening device under her bed,' the source said.

Jamie's lead counsel, Vivian Lee Thoreen, reportedly told her client he'll 'need a different litigator and that she and H&K weren't interested in that role.'

He then allegedly 'authorized' Thoreen to 'help him find a strong litigator.'

Documents obtained by NBC showed that Alex Weingarten, a partner in the litigation department at Willkie Farr & Gallagher accepted the new role.

Free Britney: In June, Spears gave an emotional, 23-minute testimony during a hearing in a Los Angeles court where she pleaded with Judge Brenda Penny for freedom by ending the 13-year conservatorship she's been under where her father, Jamie, has held the power over all of her personal and financial decisions following her multiple involuntary holds in psychiatric hospitals; seen in 2018

Legal: A source close to the conservatorship court case said Britney's lawyer Mathew Rosengart will soon be requesting subpoenas and interviewing Jamie Spears and Robin Greenhill under oath; seen on Sept. 29

'Jamie is pleased with the work done by H&K,' a source told us. 'He and Vivian remain in close touch during the transition.'

Another source said that a 'suspended conservator'  which is what Jamie is  'puts all [H&K's] fees even more at stake.'

'They don't want to fund this anymore because when you represent a suspended conservator it makes it much more likely that fees you've already obtained could be disgorged and future fees may not be paid from the estate, but rather would have to be paid from Jamie,' the source explained.

In the past: One of Britney's wishes was granted last month when Jamie was suspended from the conservatorship, considered a huge legal win for the popstar in her quest for freedom; seen in 2017

'When Britney's lawyer did not file to terminate after multiple hearings at which Britney pleaded with the court to terminate the conservatorship, it was her father Jamie who stepped up and filed to terminate in support his daughter's wishes,' the insider claimed.

In June, Spears gave an emotional, 23-minute testimony during a hearing in a Los Angeles court where she pleaded with Judge Brenda Penny for freedom by ending the 13-year conservatorship she's been under where her father, Jamie, has held the power over all of her personal and financial decisions following her multiple involuntary holds in psychiatric hospitals.

In the shocking testimony, Britney admitted: 'I've lied and told the whole world I'm OK and I'm happy. It's a lie. I've been in denial. I've been in shock. I am traumatized. Fake it 'til you make it, but now I'm telling you the truth, OK? I'm not happy. I can't sleep. I'm depressed. I cry every day.'

Spears said she did not feel she 'was heard on any level' the last time she was able to speak to the court in 2019.

'I want changes and I want changes going forward,' she said. 'I deserve changes. I was told I have to sit down and be evaluated, again, if I want to end the conservatorship. Ma'am, I didn't know I could petition the conservatorship to end it.

'This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good. I deserve to have a life, I've worked my whole life. I deserve to have a two to three-year break.'

And one of Britney's wishes was granted at the end of September when Jamie was suspended from the conservatorship, considered a huge legal win for the popstar in her quest for freedom.
He recently made headlines for saying he is interested in a 'world of not bathing.'

But Jake Gyllenhaal's next flick is so full of action that viewers may need a cold shower.

The 40-year-old actor stars alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzalez in the epic trailer for Michael Bay's latest project Ambulance which was released on Thursday.

Dynamic duo: Jake Gyllenhaal stars alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the trailer for Ambulance released on Thursday as their characters steal an ambulance to use as a getaway when their bank heist goes awry

Awkward: Eiza Gonzalez stars as a paramedic in the flick

In the action packed trailer, Jake and Yahya's characters steal an ambulance to use as a getaway when their bank heist goes awry.

In one of the crucial scenes from the three-minute clip, Jake could be seen pulling an assault rifle on Eiza's paramedic character to take her hostage and seize the emergency vehicle.

They are in quite the predicament as Yahya's character turns to Jake's for help when he is in need of $200K in cash to pay for his wife's surgery.

Uh oh: Jake's character is seen during the bank heist

Scary: In one of the crucial scenes from the three-minute clip, Jake could be seen pulling an assault rifle on Eiza's paramedic character to take her hostage

Yikes: Yahya's character looks worried when it happens

Here we go: The two seize control of the ambulance

Jake's character - who has a checkered past - convinces his friend to assist in a $32million robbery.

However, things take a very interesting turn when Jake's character begrudgingly lets a cop into the bank during the heist.

That law enforcement officer gets shot and out of happenstance the two end up in the ambulance with the policeman who is being cared for by Eiza's character.

Bond: They are in quite the predicament as Yahya's character turns to Jake's for help when he is in need of $200K in cash to pay for his wife's surgery so they decide to do the robbery

Mistake: However, things take a very interesting turn when Jake's character begrudgingly lets a cop into the bank during the heist

Caretaker: That law enforcement officer gets shot and out of happenstance the two end up in the ambulance with the policeman who is being cared for by Eiza's character

Sad: At one point it seems like Eiza's character attempts a getaway but is caught

Like any Michael Bay helmed film, the trailer was full of action including explosions, crashes, and gunfire.

The entire film is set over the course of one day in sunny Los Angeles and takes place primarily in the emergency response vehicle.

Jake recently told USA Today that shooting the movie in the small space gave him a 'respect for first responders.'

Boom: Like any Michael Bay helmed film, the trailer was full of action including explosions, crashes, and gunfire

Interesting: The entire film is set over the course of one day in sunny Los Angeles and takes place primarily in the emergency response vehicle

Jake laughed as he said: 'A lot of the movie Im in an ambulance, so theres not a lot of space.

'There are a lot of scenes where Im just being thrown around an ambulance and Ive got to say, that gave me even more respect for first responders because there are so many sharp edges in an ambulance nobody thinks about when its driving as fast it is.'

Ambulance - written by Chris Fedak - is set for release of February 18, 2022.
Scott Disick may have a 'challenging' holiday season if he continues to brood about ex Kourtney Kardashian's engagement to Travis Barker.

Disick has reportedly been 'in a world of pain and shock' since learning about the Poosh founder's wedding plans.

And insiders a bracing themselves for a tense winter now, telling Us Weekly while 'He'll always be part of the family by virtue of the kids,' he's made things 'awkward' at recent family events.

'The holidays are going to be challenging, especially if he's sulking or kicking up any type of fuss whatsoever.'

Tough times: Scott Disick is set to have a 'challenging' time during the holidays if he continues 'sulking' or 'kicking up a fuss' about ex Kourtney Kardashian's engagement to Travis Barker

Scott and Kourtney have remained close since their split in 2015 and co-parent their kids Mason, 11, Penelope, nine, and Reign, six.

He was also a fixture on the family reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which wrapped this past spring.

But now that Kourtney's moved on, sources say Scott is 'going to have to face facts and fend for himself now in many ways.'

Disick has been upset about Kardashian and Barker's PDA-packed relationship since they went public at the start of this year.

A source told Us: 'He's always believed in giving his partners space and finds the intensity of this relationship  not to mention all the PDA  just way too much to stomach.'

But Kourtney is more than happy in her new relationship, with another insider dishing: 'Scott is a distant memory, but she wishes him no harm.'

'It makes her laugh now that she kidded herself for so many years thinking he was The One when she had Travis right in front of her the whole time. All it took was that leap of faith, and now she thanks God she made it.'

Ouch: Disick has reportedly been 'in a world of pain and shock' since learning about the Poosh founder's wedding plans after the lavish weekend engagement

Finding solace in his son: Scott broke his social media silence on Wednesday, three days after ex-girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian said 'yes' to Travis Barker's marriage proposal

Scott and Kourtney dated on and off from 2006 to 2015.

Disick broke his social media silence for the first time since the engagement news, taking to Instagram to share a snap of son Reign on Wednesday.

'After school break down with Reign,' the businessman wrote atop the snapshot taken from his point of view from a sofa where he sat with his legs stretched out.

It was reported that Disick feels like 'an outcast' since Kourtney began dating Travis, and that he even avoids family events to stay away from the Blink-182 drummer.

Prior to the mother-of-three's new relationship, the former couple had remained close co-parents since their split in 2015 and though insiders told Us Weekly the Kardashians still 'adore Scott,' he has been keeping his distance.

'Outcast': Disick 'feels like an outcast' since ex Kourtney Kardashian started dating Travis Barker and has even been avoiding family gatherings in order to ignore the drummer

Cold shoulder: 'He avoids family get-togethers that Travis is at, and he has refused to be in the same room with him at times,' the source said. Kardashian and Barker are seen in September above

'He avoids family get-togethers that Travis is at, and he has refused to be in the same room with him at times,' the source said.

'The Kardashians adore Scott and tell him he's part of the family no matter what, but he feels very distant and feels like an outcast more than ever,' they explained.



'It's fair to say the holidays this year are going to be rough and will be a battle over the kids,' they added.

On Tuesday, insiders also told Page Six that Disick, who recently broke up with ex-girlfriend Amelia Hamlin, 20, is struggling after hearing the news, despite having split from the eldest Kardashian daughter more than five years ago.

'Scott is going crazy,' an insider told the publication. 'He's going to go off the deep end. It's really bad. It's about to get dark.'

All the small things: The Blink 182 drummer dropped down to one knee and proposed to Kourtney on the beach overlooking the sunset in Montecito on Sunday night with her famous family looking on from the Miramar hotel

The musician dropped down to one knee and proposed to Kourtney on the beach overlooking the sunset in Montecito on Sunday night with her famous family looking on from the Miramar hotel.

Disick then became a trending topic after fans were curious about his reaction following his disastrous leaked direct message to her ex, Younes Bendjima, where he criticized Kourtney for too much PDA with Travis on their trip to Italy.

'Yo is this chick ok!??? Broo like what is this. In the middle of Italy,' Scott wrote as he sent a photo of Kourtney kissing and straddling the Blink-182 drummer on an inflatable boat.

Bendjima, 28, responded back: 'Doesn't matter to me as long as shes happy. PS: i aint your bro.'

The way they were: Amelia Hamlin reportedly 'ended things' with Scott in September after nearly one year together

Yikes: Things were certainly tense leading up to the split, when just last week, the Talentless designer sent Kourtney's ex Younes Bendjima a direct message about her PDA-packed behavior with boyfriend Travis Barker

Kourtney and Scott dated on and off for nearly a decade and had three children together  Reign, six, Penelope, eight, and Mason, 11  before officially ending things romantically in 2015.

He's remained an active co-parent, appearing on Keeping Up with the Kardashians and attending family events through the years, no matter his relationship status.

Travis' ex-wife, Shanna Moakler took to Instagram on Sunday night, hours after the engagement, with a dramatic reaction as she admitted to being 'temporarily closed for spiritual maintenance.'

The 46-year-old former pageant queen has had a contentious time with Kravis, and even at one point admitted that their romance was 'putting a wedge' between her relationship with her kids.

In the past: Kourtney and Scott dated on and off for nearly a decade and had three children together  Reign, six, Penelope, eight, and Mason, 11  before officially ending things romantically in 2015; seen in 2015
Death-defying American's Got Talent star Jonathan Goodwin has confirmed his engagement to Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington after weeks of rumors.

The daredevil hit headlines last week, when he fell 40ft after being struck by two exploding cars simultaneously during a rehearsal for America's Got Talent: Extreme and while updating fans on his health he broke his happy news.

The 41-year-old Welsh escapologist shared a selfie he snapped in hospital alongside a lengthy caption, in which he thanked loved ones for their support while also lauding his fiancee Amanda, 47, after weeks of sparking engagement rumors.

Amanda, who shares two children with Sherlock co-star and ex Martin Freeman from who she split in 2016, took to the comments section of the post to emotionally pen: 'I love you so much Fusband. Weve totally got this.'

Confirmed: Death-defying American's Got Talent star Jonathan Goodwin has confirmed his engagement to Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington after weeks of rumors, as he broke his silence over his near-death 40ft fall

He wrote: 'Then most importantly my fiance and the best thing to ever happen to me, Amanda.

'I have been to the very brink and dodged the worst that a human being can, without fearbecause I was protected by love. Love is all you need, so make sure you get some, cos its good s***. '

There have been rumors that the two had been engaged for weeks after Jonathan added an engagement ring to his bio earlier this month, suggesting he had popped the question.

Amanda shared her first picture with Jonathan last week, posting a throwback from a recent romantic getaway that she captioned: 'When in Vienna, you hang out at the graveyards. What of it.'

Loved up: In the post the 41-year-old Welsh escapologist confirmed his engagement to Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington after weeks of sparking engagement rumors

Could it be? There have been rumors that the two had been engaged for weeks after Jonathan added an engagement ring to his bio earlier this month, suggesting he had popped the question

Cute couple: Amanda shared her first picture with Jonathan last week, posting a throwback that she captioned: 'When in Vienna, you hang out at the graveyards. What of it'

Sweet: Her post came after Jonathan shared his first picture of the pair, penning: 'That was possibly the longest game of hide and seek ever.' Amanda then commented: 'I love you'

Her post came after Jonathan shared his first picture of the pair earlier in the month, penning: 'That was possibly the longest game of hide and seek ever.'

Amanda then commented: 'I love you. '

The Safe actress also confirmed her romance to The Daily Mail's Richard Eden, gushing: 'Jonathan sets fire to himself and catches bullets for a living, but is also grown up, sensitive, and considerate. I'm completely besotted.'

The rumors come just nine months after Amanda revealed she had split from The Queen's Gambit actor Jonjo O'Neill after four years.

The 47year-old actress shares two children with Sherlock co-star and ex Martin Freeman, as the family are seen together in London back in November 2009

Signature role: Amanda is known for playing Mary Morstan in Sherlock from 2014 to 2017

The TV star started dating Irishman Jonjo, 42, after she split from actor Martin, 50, in 2016 after 16 years together.

Amanda, known for playing Mary Morstan in Sherlock from 2014 to 2017, and Jonjo took the step of moving in together in her Hertfordshire home during the pandemic last year.

Amanda and Jonjo first began dating in November 2016 - nine months after she secretly split from The Office star Martin.

The actress recently discussed her break up from Martin as she expressed fears that they had given their two children 'irreparable damage' after their split.

Case of the ex: The rumours come just nine months after Amanda revealed she had split from The Queen's Gambit actor Jonjo O'Neill after four years (pictured in September 2019)

The couple share son Joe, 15, and daughter Grace, 12.

On Wednesday, Goodwin had updated fans by posting a silly selfie while laying out in a hospital bed on Tuesday morning.

Burns could be seen all over his face as his right hand was completely bandaged in the funny snap which was accompanied by a lengthy caption which read: 'You can't say you don't get out what you put in.

'A couple of days ago my life took a complete left turn': On Wednesday, Goodwin had updated fans by posting a silly selfie while laying out in a hospital bed on Tuesday morning

'Ive tried my hardest over the years to be kind, thoughtful, honest supportive and good. A couple of days ago my life took a complete left turn and the out pouring of love from all the corners of the world; from people I didnt even think would know or remember me has just been astonishing. Truly incredible.'

Goodwin went on to acknowledge the thousands who have sent their well wishes,

He continued: 'I will have a lot to say on that matter and the benefits of being kind in the future.. but thank you.

'Thank you to everyone who has reached out and sent their love and support. It literally has been a lifesaver. There are a few people who should not remain nameless.'

Harrowing: The 41-year-old escapologist plummeted 40 feet while performing a risky stunt featuring exploding cars during a rehearsal for America's Got Talent : Extreme and as part of the stunt, Goodwin was suspended in midair between two hanging cars

He then referenced his silly pose in the selfie before reflecting on his road to recovery.

Goodwin concluded his lengthy message by writing: 'To death I say nananana boo boo and to the rest of you watch this space.

'There is a long road to recovery and that wont look like what it didI may leave the daft s*** alone for a while, but I have a lot left to do in this world. Maybe we can make something good together?'

The near-fatal mishap took place in Atlanta last Thursday, but the extent of Goodwin's injuries only emerged on Monday, when TMZ obtained an incident report from the police.

According to the document, despite suffering severe injuries in the fall, Goodwin, 41, remained conscious and alert, and responding paramedics noted that he had good vital signs.

Goodwin was airlifted to a hospital and underwent surgery. A spokesperson for America's Got Talent: Extreme said in a statement that the injured stuntman is continuing to receive medical care, but he did not comment on his condition as of Monday afternoon.

Stuntman Goodwin suffered multiple broken bones in both his legs, cuts and burns all over his face after falling during an America's Got Talent: Extreme rehearsal

Goodwin, an escape artist, was supposed to free himself and fall onto an airbag underneath the vehicles before they collided

Goodwin miscalculated the timing and ended up being crushed between the cars

The crash set off an explosion, and Goodwin fell 40 feet and hit his head

An on-scene media call 911 to report that Goodwin landed on the head

NBC has temporarily suspended production of the reality TV competition.

'Our thoughts and prayers remain with Jonathan Goodwin and his family as he continues to recover from his accident on Thursday,' the spokesperson stated. 'In order to focus on the wellbeing of our crew, we will be temporarily pausing production on Americas Got Talent: Extreme and will resume the last few days of filming at a later date.

Goodwin was airlifted to the hospital and underwent surgery

'The health and safety of our cast and crew continue to be our priority.'

Goodwin's botched stunt was caught on video at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Thursday night.

The recording begins with the Welsh escape artist suspended in midair as two cars are seen coming together.

The stunt was supposed to see Goodwin free himself and fall underneath the vehicles before they collided.

But he miscalculated his timing and ended up being crushed between the two hanging cars, which then exploded in a huge fireball.

Goodwin fell 40 feet to the ground and hit his head.

A recording of a frantic 911 was published by The US Sun on Friday, in which a medic at the scene said: 'We are at the Atlanta Motor Speedway at the America's Got Talent filming location. We had a man suspended from a cable with cars that were supposed to slam into each other, and he didn't drop in time and they slammed into him.

'He's about a 40-year-old white male. He fell about 40 feet. He missed the airbag and landed on his head.'

The accident took place just days after Goodwin sparked engagement rumors by adding a ring emoji to his Instagram bio, after being outed on social media as British actress Amanda Abbington's new boyfriend.

Goodwin, pictured above performing a stunt with Jello, remains in the hospital

Goodwin is a familiar face to fans of America's Got Talent, where he has performed a string of scary stunts

Abbington has confirmed her romance to The Daily Mail's Richard Eden, gushing: 'Jonathan sets fire to himself and catches bullets for a living, but is also grown up, sensitive, and considerate. I'm completely besotted.'

Abbington, 47, who shares two children with her Sherlock co-star and ex-husband Martin Freeman, has not publicly commented on Goodwin's condition as of Monday.

According to her most recent Instagram posts, the loved-up couple spent about a week in Vienna before Abbington returned home to London.

Goodwin is a familiar face to fans of America's Got Talent, where he has performed a string of scary stunts over the years.

In 2013, he wore a straightjacket and dangled from a blazing rope over the River Thames in London.

He was suspended upside down from the London Eye and managed to escape, which was all part of his TV series The Incredible Mr Goodwin.

In early October, Goodwin and Sherlock star Amanda Abbington went Instagram official

The performer has also successfully completed other risky stunts in the past for the the flagship AGT series and has also been featured on its sister series in the UK, Britain's Got Talent.

During his Season 15 performance, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara kept Goodwin in the competition through the semifinals.

His most dramatic stunt for AGT involved Godwin covering himself in flammable liquid and shackling himself up while put his head in a box so that he couldn't see.

He had to escape from the restraints in less than 20 seconds after he was set on fire.

Goodwin successfully completed the stunt, which set several of the judges on edge, despite it being the first time he had ever attempted the death-defying act.

In contrast to his fiery stunts, Goodwin went underwater for the BBC special How Not to Become Shark Bait, in which he demonstrated by allowing a Caribbean reef shark to attack him.

AGT's Terry Crews also hosts the new Extreme version of the competition series, while Cowell, pro wrestler Nikki Bella and stuntman Travis Pastrana are judges.

Contestants on the new series are vying for a $500,000 prize, but NBC has yet to announce a premiere date.

California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health is now looking into Goodwin's accident.

Prior to the failed stunt, NBC promoted Goodwin's episode by saying it featured 'the most outrageous, unique and jaw-dropping acts of enormous scale and magnitude that simply cannot be confined to a theater stage,' according to People.
Zac Efron has already been seen in Thailand with his co-star Russell Crowe for the film Greatest Beer Run Ever. The two actors were spotted walking down a street side by side.

This week it was announced the 34-year-old High School Musical alum will be seen in the flick alongside Crowe, 57.

The film is adapted from Joanna Molloy's and John 'Chickie' Donahue's book The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A True Story of Friendship Stronger Than War.

New Role: Zac Efron joined the cast of the upcoming movie Greatest Beer Run Ever

On location: In the production Thailand will serve in place of Vietnam; here Zac and Russell are seen side by side

According to Variety the literature is nonfiction, and is based on the 'story of Donohue, who left New York in 1967 to track down and share a few beers with his childhood buddies in the army while they were fighting in Vietnam.'

In the production Thailand will serve in place of Vietnam.

The project is being directed by Peter Farrelly (Green Book), who also co-wrote the script with Brian Currie and Pete Jones.

The feature will be available on Apple TV Plus and is being produced by Skydance Media.

Eat up: On Thursday the California native took to Instagram Stories to share his 'favorite meal in Thailand' with his 49.7 million followers

Both Efron and Crowe have taken to social media in recent days to share outtakes of their time in Bangkok as they eat local delicacies.

On Thursday the California native took to Instagram Stories to share his 'favorite meal in Thailand' with his 49.7 million followers.

He posted a picture giving a thumbs up and sticking his tongue out as chef Jay Fai smiled in the background.

'What an incredible chef. Favorite meal in Thailand,' he wrote across the image.

Co-star: The 34-year-old High School Musical alum will be seen in the flick alongside Russell Crowe, 57; seen in NYC in 2018

Nonfiction: The film is adapted from Joanna Molloy's and John 'Chickie' Donahue's book The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A True Story of Friendship Stronger Than War

Documenting their stay: Both Efron and Crowe have taken to social media in recent days to share outtakes of their time in Bangkok as they eat local delicacies

The Hollywood hunk celebrated his 34th birthday October 18.

He rang in the occasion with a shirtless picture that he posted to Instagram. The hearthrob showed off his chiseled abs in a pair of swim trunks as he stood in the ocean.

'Its my bday again? Im gettin old now- thanks for the bday wishes everyone I love you. I am so lucky to be able to be on this amazingly fun ride with you all,' he wrote in the caption.

He noted, 'This one feels very special as I get to spend it in Thailand, alongside the most talented and kind cast and crew, making a movie that I think will be awesome couldnt be a happier moment in my life. Love you all so much.'
Dune (12A, 155 mins)

Rating:

Verdict: Out of this world

The French Dispatch (15, 108 mins)

Rating:

Verdict: Tiresomely mannered

James Bond is still on a one-man mission to save the beleaguered cinema industry, but he was at least joined yesterday by a rampaging army of angry giant sandworms.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune is not the masterpiece some have proclaimed it to be, but it is the roaring, sprawling embodiment of a film that demands to be seen on the biggest screen available.

Villeneuve's last film, unveiled four years ago this month, was the excellent Blade Runner 2049  the French-Canadian director has form in the business of tackling science-fiction material freighted with baggage. The baggage in that case was Ridley Scott's original Blade Runner. Could Villeneuve do it justice with a sequel after 35 years? He did.

With Dune, the baggage is Frank Herbert's bestselling 1965 novel, which scared off film-makers with its narrative breadth and thunderous symbolism until David Lynch had a go in 1984, a suitably apt year in which to spin a futuristic yarn. Unfortunately, Lynch's adaptation span out of control. It was a bloated, incomprehensible mess.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune is not the masterpiece some have proclaimed it to be, but it is the roaring, sprawling embodiment of a film that demands to be seen on the biggest screen available. Timothee Chalamet is pictured above as Paul Atreides and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica Atreides

So here we are again, in the year 10191, transported once more to the planet of Arrakis, a fiercely inhospitable expanse of arid rolling desert where the only creatures that feel truly at home are those worms the size of dirigibles. Tunnelling through the sand, destroying everything in their path, they are meant to inspire awe. So I'm almost ashamed to report that I found them a hoot. They are risible dirigibles.

Arrakis, by the way, contrary to appearances, is also a treasure house. It contains vast quantities of 'spice', the most valuable commodity in this forbidding universe. Spice production is a guarantee of obscene wealth.

Without spice, we are told, 'interstellar space travel is impossible'. You'd have to be a little slow on the uptake not to recognise spice as a euphemism for oil, our own earthly holy of holies.

The story begins on the more salubrious planet of Caladan, home to the noble house of Atreides, where dreamy Prince Paul (Timothee Chalamet) keeps having visions featuring a beguiling beauty from some faraway place.

Of particular interest to the Emperor's mysterious Truthsayer (Charlotte Rampling in an extravagant black headdress), Paul's vision turns out to be beautiful Chani (Zendaya), who lives on distant Arrakis as one of the oppressed Fremen tribe.

The Fremen, led by the brooding Stilgar (Javier Bardem), are warrior-serfs, subjugated by the dastardly House Harkonnen, who have been harvesting spice for decades and duly living high on the hog. Speaking of hogs, their ruthless leader is the terrifyingly corpulent Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard in a fat suit).

Are you keeping up? Back on Caladan, Paul's father Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) plans an alliance with the Fremen as a way to muscle in on the spice business. In homage to Scary, Ginger, Sporty, Baby and Posh, let's call him a spice wannabe. His wife Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) isn't sure about any of this, and she's not the only one. My tip is to mug up on the story beforehand.

Similarly unquenchable are the bagpipes with which the Atreides announce their arrival. Whether it's depressing or uplifting to find that bagpipes are still around more than 8,000 years from now, with so much else having presumably fallen into extinction, you'll have to decide for yourself

Still, it's a heck of a spectacle, with great visual effects, fabulous cinematography (by Greig Fraser), and a soaring Hans Zimmer score. It helps to keep that oil metaphor in mind as the Atreides troops land on Arrakis, aware that if the furious sandworms or the Harkonnen fundamentalists don't nobble their attempts at friendly colonisation, the scorching heat will. Just to flog the modern-day allusions even harder, Paul refers to 'a holy war spreading across the universe like unquenchable fire'.

Similarly unquenchable are the bagpipes with which the Atreides announce their arrival. Whether it's depressing or uplifting to find that bagpipes are still around more than 8,000 years from now, with so much else having presumably fallen into extinction, you'll have to decide for yourself.

If Dune is a hit, incidentally, then we are certain to get a sequel; this movie only covers half the story. I saw it at last month's Venice Film Festival, emerging from the premiere into a hysterical mob of 'Chalamaniacs' desperate for a glimpse of young Timothee.

They will be thrilled that he also looms large in The French Dispatch, as a wild-haired student revolutionary in writer-director Wes Anderson's idiosyncratic 'love letter' to journalism in general and The New Yorker magazine in particular.

If Dune is a hit, incidentally, then we are certain to get a sequel; this movie only covers half the story

Anderson has certainly assembled a spectacular cast: Chalamet, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Willem Dafoe, Benicio Del Toro, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson, Lea Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Henry Winkler, Adrien Brody . . . the list goes on. And his film, segmented into four separate stories, each dramatising a feature article in The French Dispatch, supposedly an outpost in provincial France of a Kansas newspaper, is undeniably exquisite to look at, its every frame a thing of beauty.

Moreover, I write as a huge fan of Anderson's last live-action feature, 2014's glorious The Grand Budapest Hotel. His deliberately mannered narrative and visual style can work triumphantly.

But, while mindful of the rhapsodies heaped on it by others, and having seen it twice just to be sure, I found The French Dispatch to be a pretentious slog, mystifying in its storytelling, laboured in its comedy and generally far too adoring of itself.

There are those who say much the same about The New Yorker, but I don't think that was his point.

Oh Dear, this stage hit's become a film flop

Dear Evan Hansen ( 12A, 137 mins) is the film version of the hit stage musical about a troubled high school kid, Evan (Ben Platt), crippled with shyness and anxiety, forced to sustain the pretence that he was the best friend of a classmate who committed suicide.

The situation springs from the letters he writes to himself by way of therapy, one of which is found by the dead classmate's mother (Amy Adams). She thinks her son wrote it, and so the misunderstanding develops.

Hats off for the idea of trying to address teenage mental health issues through the medium of a musical, but by the end of this overlong film I felt like I'd waded waist-high through treacle. It is slickly done, and a fine cast includes Julianne Moore as Evan's single mum. But there are reasons why the film has bombed in the U.S. and I can't disagree with any of them.

Best Sellers ( 15, 102 mins) tries just as hard, and fails even more dismally, to yank the heartstrings. It stars Michael Caine as Harris, an ancient, cantankerous author who, 50 years after he wrote his only novel, a big bestseller, is tempted away from his reclusive existence to save a venerable publishing house run by his old editor's daughter, Lucy (Aubrey Plaza).

The pair then go on a tour to promote his new book, and I think we are meant to find their relationship by turns funny and moving. In fact it's neither, largely because it isn't remotely believable. Off the top of my head I could name 20 better odd-couple generation-gap movies. That said, it's always nice to see Caine, who first said he was retiring and then that he wasn't. Either way, we should probably cherish him while we can.

The Boss Baby 2: Family Business ( PG, 107 mins) is a sequel to The Boss Baby, the 2017 animation which gave a baby (voiced by Alec Baldwin) a business suit and a briefcase, and was great fun. Baldwin's back for this one but, alas, it entirely lacks the charm of the original.

Best Sellers is on streaming platforms; the other two are in cinemas.
Former rugby league WAG Phoebe Burgess has come out swinging against the Australian press and the NRL's 'PR machine' after her ex-husband Sam Burgess was cleared of domestic violence and drug allegations this week.

On Thursday, she endorsed an opinion piece by women's website Mamamia - which has long been a champion of Phoebe amid her messy divorce from Sam - that argued there was a 'smear campaign' being waged to discredit her.

The article was published after the journalist-turned-influencer, 32, made bombshell revelations about her marriage to the former South Sydney Rabbitohs player, also 32, in an interview with The Weekend Australian Magazine last week - only for NSW Police to drop its year-long investigation into Sam just days later.

Scroll down for video

Defiant: Former rugby league WAG Phoebe Burgess (pictured on the school run in the NSW Southern Highlands on Thursday) has come out swinging against the Australian press and the NRL's 'PR machine' after her ex-husband Sam Burgess was cleared of domestic violence and drug allegations

The police investigation had been launched 12 months earlier following similar allegations published in The Australian newspaper in October 2020.

After the case was closed without any charges being laid, Mamamia published its lengthy op-ed by executive editor Jessie Stephens titled 'The smear campaign against Phoebe Burgess has begun'.

Phoebe reshared it twice on her Instagram Stories on Thursday evening, and clearly agreed with its analysis of the situation.

Support: On Thursday evening, she endorsed an opinion piece by women's website Mamamia - which has long been a champion of Phoebe amid her messy divorce from Sam - that argued there was a 'smear campaign' being waged to discredit her. Phoebe reshared it twice on her Instagram Stories, and clearly agreed with its analysis of the situation

Case closed: The article was published after the journalist-turned-influencer, 32, made bombshell revelations about her marriage to the former South Sydney Rabbitohs player, also 32, in an interview with The Weekend Australian Magazine last week - only for NSW Police to drop its year-long investigation into Sam just days later. Pictured on the school run with her children, daughter Poppy, four, and son Billy, two, in the Southern Highlands on Thursday

The article argued that stories would be appearing in the media 'over the next few weeks' portraying Phoebe as 'a liar, self-interested, a hypocrite, an unreliable witness, a woman scorned [and] a "fame whore".'

Ms Stephens claimed this was proof of what Phoebe had alleged in her Weekend Australian interview - namely that the NRL has a team of spin doctors hired to cover up players' bad behaviour and discredit their accusers.

The article even cited a story by Daily Mail Australia about a newly discovered and unpublished article Phoebe had written downplaying her then-husband's alleged involvement in an 'sexting' incident in 2018.

Ms Stephens implied Phoebe had been coerced into writing the piece, calling it 'a classic example of the NRL PR machine at work', adding: 'She wasn't immune to its influence. She was their first target.'

After the case was closed without any charges being laid, Mamamia published its lengthy op-ed titled 'The smear campaign against Phoebe Burgess has begun'. The article argued that stories would be appearing in the media 'over the next few weeks' portraying Phoebe as 'a liar, self-interested, a hypocrite, an unreliable witness, a woman scorned [and] a "fame whore"'

Sam, then one of the NRL's biggest stars, was embroiled in the scandal when his Facebook account was used for a series of video chats between South Sydney players and a 23-year-old woman.

Leaked screenshots featured one unidentified player exposing his genitalia and another showing his naked backside during video calls in May 2018, which were revealed four months later.

The woman claimed to have been 'violated and disgusted' by the players' actions. Sam was later cleared of any wrongdoing after an NRL investigation.

Phoebe's article was originally supposed to be published by an online news website, but instead it was only shared with family, friends and others.

Op-ed: Ms Stephens claimed this was proof of what Phoebe had alleged in her Weekend Australian interview - namely that the NRL has a team of spin doctors hired to cover up players' bad behaviour and discredit their accusers. Pictured: Sam Burgess this week in Thailand, where he is working on a new film starring Russell Crowe, who co-owns the Rabbitohs

In it, she wrote that the woman at the centre of the scandal, whom she named, was a 'fangirl' who was equally to blame for the encounter, and alleged she had flashed her breasts at the players in 'a game of mutual group peek-a-boo'.

She also explained how she'd come to understand NRL players had 'an overly relaxed attitude that comes with their penises - and a**e cracks.'

Phoebe said had learned from her time around rugby league that a player answering his phone in public to 'have a d**k pop up' on a video chat was 'pretty normal'.

'Penis tapping' and a player spinning his genitals like a helicopter's blades were both 'common practice as a sign of friendship and camaraderie', she wrote.

'And I've learnt that flopping one's d**k out is more about the humour of a reaction than an invitation to engage in phone sex or a rampid [sic] extramarital affair.

'I've seen more flaccid penises being thrown around on consensual, friendship group chats than I have my own body parts.'

Theory: The article even cited a story by Daily Mail Australia about a newly discovered and unpublished article Phoebe had written downplaying her then-husband's alleged involvement in an 'sexting' incident in 2018. Ms Stephens implied Phoebe had been coerced into writing the piece, calling it 'a classic example of the NRL PR machine at work'

Phoebe's laidback attitude to such sexting was at odds with her recent championing of women who have been exposed to grubby behaviour by NRL players.

In a series of recent interviews and social media posts, she alleges professional rugby league creates a toxic environment for susceptible young men and that the NRL 'PR machine' enables a culture of disrespecting women.

Phoebe has accused Sam of engaging in wild partying and 'screaming rages' during their marriage, claiming he was protected from public scrutiny by senior NRL and club figures.

Changing view: Phoebe's laidback attitude to such sexting was at odds with her recent championing of women who have been exposed to grubby behaviour by NRL stars. In a series of interviews and social media posts, she alleges professional rugby league creates a toxic environment for susceptible young men and that the NRL 'PR machine' enables a culture of disrespecting women. Pictured: Sam after the Rabbitohs' victory at the 2014 NRL Grand Final

Sam has denied ever being violent towards Phoebe, but admitted in the latest season of SAS Australia to cheating on her in 2017 and to abusing alcohol and drugs.

'I don't think I was the greatest husband at times,' he said tearfully. 'I embarrassed my wife. I'd had an affair with a girl, a woman in Melbourne.'

Phoebe has described Sam's redemption story as portrayed on the hit Channel Seven program as 'a careful edit, a carefully curated comeback show'.

Sam and Phoebe, who are parents to daughter Poppy, four, and son Billy, two, have gone through a long and messy divorce.
Rolling Stones fans were shocked when the band announced last week that they were dropping one of their biggest hits, Brown Sugar, from their world tour.

Now, I can disclose extraordinary details of how an organised group of woke activists systematically targeted hundreds of thousands of devotees around the world by infiltrating their online fan club.

The group of campaigners posed as hardcore Stones superfans to get access to the online subscription fan club IORR (named after their song It's Only Rock 'n' Roll) before relentlessly hammering fans and discussion threads with angry political trolling posts slamming the song's reference to slavery.

Rolling Stones fans were shocked when the band announced last week that they were dropping one of their biggest hits, Brown Sugar (band pictured last week during their first performance since dropping the song)

The aggressive assault on the 40-year-old club caused such a wave of hysteria among the fanbase and management that the band members felt compelled to make an announcement that the track would no longer be performed.

Guitarist Keith Richards, 77, seemed utterly dumbfounded by the sudden and apparently inexplicable level of hatred for the No 2 hit, which he defended, insisting the lyrics were a condemnation of the slave trade.

Asked why they had not played it on their current tour, he said: 'You picked up on that, huh? I don't know. I'm trying to figure out with the sisters quite where the beef is.'

'Sisters' appears to be a reference to the organised group of female activists who have aggressively targeted unsuspected fans over recent weeks, according to IORR founder and Norwegian Stones superfan Bjornulf Vik.

The aggressive assault on the 40-year-old club caused such a wave of hysteria among the fanbase

He has now been forced to shut down the fan club's subscription service and has started a widescale cull of new members to try to kick out woke activist interlopers.

Vik had warned rogue activist subscribers trolling fans on his site that angry political posts about Brown Sugar would not be accepted.

The band made the announcement about the track being banished four days later.

Vik said: 'IORR has been spammed by political posts related to Brown Sugar lately.

'Like many other things, some people do make this a highly political discussion. It seems like it is impossible for some to discuss Brown Sugar without getting highly political and offensive.'
Darvid Garayeli is the front-runner to win Brooke Blurton's heart on The Bachelorette, according to all major bookmakers.

And now Brooke has addressed claims the winner has already been leaked.

The 26-year-old said on Nova's Fitzy and Wippa on Wednesday fans would just have to wait and see what happens on the show.

Speaking out: Brooke Blurton addressed rumours the winner of The Bachelorette has already been leaked - after all the bookies tipped 'Persian Prince' Darvid Garayeli to win

'Um, I think [that's] because he was one of the first shown [in TV ads]  I don't think you guys have seen anything yet,' she assured fans.

'You're going to have really wait. I don't know how much I'd go off Sportsbet or invest my money on it,' she added.

Sportsbet isn't the only agency tipping Darvid, 27, as the favourite, with TAB also giving him short odds to win.

Red herring: The 26-year-old said on Nova's Fitzy and Wippa on Wednesday that the bookies were only tipping Darvid (pictured) because 'he was one of the first shown [in TV ads]'

The 27-year-old landscaper has odds of $1.50.

Psychologist Carissa Croft comes in second at $5 - which if true means it will be a male-vs-female finale for the show's first bisexual season.

During The Bachelorette's premiere on Wednesday, Darvid was awarded the coveted 'first impression rose'.

Smitten? Meanwhile during the Bachelorette premiere on Wednesday, Darvid was awarded the coveted 'first impression rose'. And on Thursday, Brooke, 26, and Darvid, 27, enjoyed a romantic date on a cliffside in the Blue Mountains, located 90 minutes from Sydney

And on Thursday, Brooke and Darvid enjoyed a romantic date on a cliffside in the NSW Blue Mountains.

She had previously described him as her 'Persian Prince'.

The Bachelorette continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10
While his ex-wife Teresa was basking in engagement bliss, Joe Giudice proved to be having a less than stellar time.

The 49-year-old contractor revealed he had hurt his knee on Thursday and warned 'don't jump off high walls' as he detailed his injury in an Instagram video.

Joe's bodily incident came just hours after it was revealed that his Real Housewives ex had gotten engaged to boyfriend Louis Ruelas after a year of dating.

Leap of faith: Joe Giudice revealed that he had injured his knee just hours after his ex wife Teresa Giudice announced she was engaged to Louie Ruelas

Joe sat slouched in a chair at his Bahamas home with a pained look on his face. Wincing he said 'I was walking around the house, I go to jump off a wall - I didn't realize how high it was and hurt my knee.'

'It's not really too swollen but it hurts. My god, I'm pissed. Make sure you don't jump off any walls,' he warned.

Joe continued to say that two other construction guys  who he lovingly called 'dummies' jumped off the same wall after but didn't get hurt. 'Only I did,' he lamented '...But, I'm the dummy that got hurt.'

Not doing too hot: Wincing, Joe said 'I was walking around the house, I go to jump off a wall - I didn't realize how high it was and hurt my knee'

Managing: 'It's not really too swollen but it hurts. My god, I'm pissed. Make sure you don't jump off any walls,' he cautioned

Joe's relatively trivial status update came just hours after it was revealed that Teresa said 'Yes' when Louie asked for her hand in marriage.

PEOPLE reported that Ruelas had popped the question on Tuesday during their stay at the Amanzoe Resort in Porto Heli, Greece and detailed the 'absolutely exquisite' proposal which included a violinist and fireworks.

'The choreographed fireworks display illuminated a 'Marry Me' sign as Louie got down on one knee. Teresa was completely surprised,' the insider shared.

In attendance were former RHONJ co-star Dina Manzo and her husband Dave Cantin, and the group reportedly celebrated until 5AM with an extravagant meal and lots of champagne.

Future Mrs. Ruelas! Her boyfriend of one year had popped the question on Tuesday during their stay at the Amanzoe Resort in Porto Heli, Greece with an 'absolutely exquisite' proposal

Over the top: 'The choreographed fireworks display illuminated a 'Marry Me' sign as Louie got down on one knee. Teresa was completely surprised,' the PEOPLE insider shared

Forever: The day the proposal went down Teresa posted a snap of with the businessman with the caption 'Don't ever stop dreaming' and called him my 'soulmate'

She had posted a snap of she and the businessman from Tuesday with the caption 'Don't ever stop dreaming' and called him my 'soulmate.'

Teresa's brother Joe Gorga  who had made it known that he never liked Giudice gushed over the proposal, while taking a small jab at him.

'[Luis] came in like what she needed. She needed that Superman to come in and take her life and fix it, and that's what he's doing. I always said she needed a beast of a man, and he is one of them,' he told Us Weekly.

Teresa and Joe share four daughters: Gia, 20, Gabriella, 17, Milania, 15, and Audriana, 12.

Family: They share four daughters: Gia, 20, Gabriella, 17, Milania, 15, and Audriana, 12 and famously the former pair of 20 years both served jail time after they were charged with three counts of fraud in 2013

Famously the former couple of 20 years were charged with bankruptcy fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and failing to pay taxes in 2013, with both serving time.

In 2018 Joe was deported back to his native Italy after completing his federal sentence, and shortly thereafter they began divorce proceedings.

It was finalized in September 2020 and two months later she began dating Louie  the co-founder and EVP of business development at Digital Media Solution.

Just two weeks ago the pair moved into a $3.35 million, 7-bed, 7.5-bath house in Montville, New Jersey.
A leading TV commentator has weighed in on Lisa Wilkinson's bombshell autobiography, which details her sacking from Channel Nine in October 2017 over a reported gender pay gap dispute.

Rob McKnight, a former Nine executive, said on the TV Blackbox podcast on Friday he 'doesn't believe pay parity has a place' when it comes to television talent.

Wilkinson claims in her book the pay disparity between herself and Karl Stefanovic when they hosted the Today show was once 'so off the charts that no-one would have believed it'.

But McKnight said this isn't uncommon in the TV industry because some presenters are just more popular than others, and cited one example of a female host who significantly out-earned her male colleague.

Speaking out: A leading TV commentator has weighed in on Lisa Wilkinson's bombshell autobiography, which details her sacking from Channel Nine in October 2017 over a reported gender pay gap dispute. Pictured: Wilkinson and her former Today co-host Karl Stefanovic

'The simple fact is, an entertainer is a commodity networks use to make money. They invest in talent they believe will drive ratings and revenue,' McKnight said.

'On Today Extra, Sonia Kruger earned a lot more money than David Campbell. On Studio 10, Ita Buttrose was the highest paid panellist.'

McKnight was the executive producer of Studio 10 from 2013 to 2017.

The Daily Telegraph reported in 2017 that Kruger was earning 'close to double' what Campbell got when she was at Nine, with an annual salary of $800,000.

'Talent fees are not based on gender, and nor should they be. They should always be based on that person's value to the project,' McKnight added.

Wilkinson's new book, It Wasn't Meant to Be Like This, includes a chapter dedicated to her sacking from Nine and falling out with Stefanovic over a pay dispute.

Commentary: Rob McKnight, a former Nine executive, said on the TV Blackbox podcast on Friday he 'doesn't believe pay parity has a place' when it comes to television talent

That's business: McKnight said it's not uncommon in the TV industry for presenters on the same show to have wildly different salaries, pointing out that Sonia Kruger (right) 'earned a lot more money' than David Campbell (left) when they co-hosted Nine's Today Extra

Another example: McKnight also said Ita Buttrose was 'the highest paid panellist' on Studio 10, which he used to executive produce

She alleges Stefanovic proposed in August 2015 they join forces to renegotiate their Nine contracts - not unlike how the cast of American sitcom Friends famously worked together to broker better deals with NBC.

But she claims he ended up ditching this idea and instead played rival networks Nine and Seven off against each other in order to secure a better deal for himself.

'Weeks later... the media became awash with stories that Stefanovic was restless at Today and looking for greener pastures  and more civilised working hours  at Channel Seven,' she wrote.

Stefanovic was soon at the centre of a bidding war between Nine and Seven that resulted in him re-signing a five-year deal with Nine worth at least $2million per year.

Wilkinson's deal was worth significantly less, about $780,000 a year, and was only for two years.

'There was no doubt about it: Karl certainly knew the art of the deal,' she wrote, adding that the resulting pay disparity between them 'was so off the charts that no-one would have believed it'.

Bombshell memoir: Wilkinson's new book includes a chapter dedicated to her sacking from Nine and falling out with Stefanovic over a pay dispute. She alleges Stefanovic proposed in August 2015 they join forces to renegotiate their contracts - but claims he ditched this idea and instead played Nine and Seven off against each other to secure a better deal for himself

Response: McKnight offered a simple explanation for the Stefanovic's pay rise. 'When Lisa first joined Today, she was seen as the bigger draw card and got the rewards. Then Karl got drunk at the Logies [in 2009] and connected with viewers, so he got a big pay rise,' he said

McKnight offered a simple explanation for Stefanovic's pay rise in 2015.

'When Lisa first joined Today, she was seen as the bigger draw card and got the rewards. Then Karl got drunk at the Logies [in 2009] and connected with viewers, so he got a big pay rise,' he said.

Wilkinson's book also allegedly doesn't tell the full story of their pay discrepancy.

News.com.au reported this week Wilkinson had in fact earned more than Stefanovic for years when they first joined forces on Today, and it was only at the end of their partnership that the roles reversed.

On Tuesday, an article written by respected political journalist Samantha Maiden reported that when Karl first signed up to the breakfast show in 2006, he was on half of Lisa's pay packet, which was a reported $700,000.

'When they were first on the show, she was paid a lot more than he was,' an alleged Nine insider told the publication.

Challenged: Wilkinson's book also allegedly doesn't tell the full story of their pay discrepancy. News.com.au journalist Samantha Maiden (pictured) reported this week Wilkinson had in fact earned more than Stefanovic for years when they first joined forces on Today, and it was only at the end of their partnership that the roles reversed

'Then, he was able to wedge a fee increase because Seven made him a big offer. If Nine wanted to keep him, they had to pay him, which is what happened.

'If you look at what he's paid now, it's probably not too dissimilar to what she was offered. So, you know, you can take things in a point of time, but I don't think there would have been much difference between the two now.'

This damning article - which challenged Wilkinson's most significant claim about her exit from the Today show - reportedly sent the book's publisher into a major spin.

Harper Collins Australia demanded a preview copy of the memoir be returned by the news website following publication of the story, sources told Daily Mail Australia.

'They blew up and asked for their copy back,' said an insider at the website.

News.com.au editor Lisa Muxworthy declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. A spokesperson for Harper Collins declined to confirm the allegation.

Claims: The news.com.au article challenged Wilkinson's most significant claim about her exit from the Today show. (Wilkinson is pictured on Channel 10's The Project)

It comes after Wilkinson lifted the lid on her final days working at the Today show in an excerpt from her new book, published in The Sunday Telegraph.

She claimed Stefanovic had given her the cold shoulder in the weeks prior to her sacking, which was prompted when she asked for a significant pay rise.

She alleged she and husband Peter FitzSimons had invited Stefanovic and his partner, Jasmine Yarbrough, to attend their 25th anniversary vow renewal ceremony in October 2017.

Two days before the event, however, Stefanovic supposedly contacted FitzSimons to say they wouldn't be attending because they'd extended their overseas holiday.

'In the ten days since [the ceremony] Karl hadn't contacted me, his co-host of almost eleven years, at all. No phone message, no text, no apology, not even a simple congrats. Just complete silence,' Wilkinson alleged.

Twist: Harper Collins Australia demanded a preview copy of the memoir be returned by the news website following publication of the story, well-placed sources told Daily Mail Australia

After returning to work, she claimed Stefanovic did not ask her about her holidays, nor did he apologise for being a 'no-show at the wedding'.

'For the next two hours, I exchanged not a single word with Karl outside of what was scripted  because for the first time, I just didn't trust myself to "play nice",' she said.

However, her recollection of her last show has been disputed, with resurfaced footage showing Stefanovic had in fact said to her: 'It's a big welcome back to Lisa. Nice to see you again. How was your honeymoon?'

Wilkinson went on to claim in her book she was 'quietly fuming' because 'nearly every interview that day was being done by Karl alone'.

'For two hours, I sat there feeling completely useless. The Today Show was now The Karl Show. What was the point of me even being there?' she said.

Upon learning she had been sacked later that day, Wilkinson wondered: 'Was this why [Karl] didn't attend the wedding and hadnt spoken to me since? Was this why he never said a word about the shows strange rundown that morning?'
No stranger to making waves, billionaire Phones 4u founder John Caudwell reveals his 64 million superyacht will star in the new series of The Crown.

Titania, which he bought in 2010, will take on the 'role' of Jonikal  the gin palace once owned by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

It will stage the holiday Princess Diana  played by Elizabeth Debicki  took with Fayed's son, Dodi, in St Tropez in the summer of 1997 shortly before the two died in a car crash in Paris.

Billionaire Phones 4u founder John Caudwell, pictured with girlfriend Modesta Vzesniauskaite reveals his 64 million superyacht will star in the new series of The Crown

Princess Diana took a holiday on the Jonikal with Fayed's son, Dodi, in St Tropez in the summer of 1997 shortly before the two died

Cauldwell said of Titania (pictured): 'It is not only 10m shorter than my 73m luxury yacht, it is also less than half the size, weighing in at 937 gross tonnage'

Titania will take on the 'role' of Jonikal (pictured)  the gin palace once owned by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed

'Jonikal is not only 10m shorter than my 73m luxury yacht, it is also less than half the size, weighing in at 937 gross tonnage,' boasts Caudwell, 69, who often hosts parties on board with his girlfriend, Olympic cyclist Modesta Vzesniauskaite, 38.

'No doubt Netflix's stars and crew will appreciate the extra space and facilities. I know Titania's other highprofile charter guests do.'

How woke trolls silenced Rolling Stones hit Brown Sugar

Rolling Stones fans were shocked when the band announced last week that they were dropping one of their biggest hits, Brown Sugar, from their world tour.

Now, I can disclose extraordinary details of how an organised group of woke activists systematically targeted hundreds of thousands of devotees around the world by infiltrating their online fan club.

The group of campaigners posed as hardcore Stones superfans to get access to the online subscription fan club IORR (named after their song It's Only Rock 'n' Roll) before relentlessly hammering fans and discussion threads with angry political trolling posts slamming the song's reference to slavery.

Rolling Stones fans were shocked when the band announced last week that they were dropping one of their biggest hits, Brown Sugar (band pictured last week during their first performance since dropping the song)

The aggressive assault on the 40-year-old club caused such a wave of hysteria among the fanbase and management that the band members felt compelled to make an announcement that the track would no longer be performed.

Guitarist Keith Richards, 77, seemed utterly dumbfounded by the sudden and apparently inexplicable level of hatred for the No 2 hit, which he defended, insisting the lyrics were a condemnation of the slave trade.

Asked why they had not played it on their current tour, he said: 'You picked up on that, huh? I don't know. I'm trying to figure out with the sisters quite where the beef is.'

'Sisters' appears to be a reference to the organised group of female activists who have aggressively targeted unsuspected fans over recent weeks, according to IORR founder and Norwegian Stones superfan Bjornulf Vik.

The aggressive assault on the 40-year-old club caused such a wave of hysteria among the fanbase

He has now been forced to shut down the fan club's subscription service and has started a widescale cull of new members to try to kick out woke activist interlopers.

Vik had warned rogue activist subscribers trolling fans on his site that angry political posts about Brown Sugar would not be accepted.

The band made the announcement about the track being banished four days later.

Vik said: 'IORR has been spammed by political posts related to Brown Sugar lately.

'Like many other things, some people do make this a highly political discussion. It seems like it is impossible for some to discuss Brown Sugar without getting highly political and offensive.'

Playboy James Hunt's rivalry with fellow Formula One driver Niki Lauda was the stuff of legend and immortalised in the 2013 film Rush.

So I'm fascinated to learn that tomorrow their sons, Freddie Hunt, 34, and Mathias Lauda, 40, will race each other at Donington Park in Leicestershire.

It is part of a forthcoming film called Sons of Speed. May the best man win!

Wily Fox puts his paws on directing

Lewis star Laurence Fox made a surprise move into politics last year when he set up the Reclaim Party.

But he's not the only member of his illustrious acting dynasty to branch out, for I hear his younger brother, Jack, is also adding another string to his bow.

Laurence Fox's younger brother Jack has directed the music video for his fiancee Eleanor Fletcher's new single, Cry In Givenchy (pictured together)

The 36-year-old, who starred in hit TV dramas Riviera and Sanditon, has directed the music video for his fiancee's new single, Cry In Givenchy.

Eleanor Fletcher, 31, whose stage name is Eleanor K, says of the 'alternative R&B' song: 'It's a love story about someone wrapped up in a fantasy. It's about getting caught up chasing the wrong things, essentially.'

How times have changed. Lady Margaret Stirling-Aird, who died last Sunday at the age of 100, was ostracised by the Royal Family in the 1960s for a 'scandal' that would barely make headlines today.

Lady Margaret was caught up in a furore when her first husband, Oliver Dawnay, who was the Queen Mother's private secretary, had an affair with Princess Margaret's lady-in-waiting, Iris Peake. After the liaison was disclosed, he left royal service for ever. The PM's sister Rachel Johnson, who is married to Lady Margaret's son Ivo Dawnay, based her 2012 novel Winter Games on her mother-in-law's colourful life.

Two jabs and 225 for a looky at Loki

Hollywood star Tom Hiddleston is taking no chances with Covid, insisting anyone who wants an autograph or photo with him shows proof of being double-jabbed.

Hollywood star Tom Hiddleston is taking no chances with Covid, insisting anyone who wants an autograph or photo with him shows proof of being double-jabbed

The Night Manager and Loki star, 40, has agreed to meet fans at the MCM Comic Con jamboree in London this weekend, but they have to prove they've been fully vaccinated as well as wearing a face covering. And they'll have to stump up 225 for the pleasure.

They'll be able to remove their masks for a photo only once a Plexiglas screen has been inserted between them and the Old Etonian.

Fans could be forgiven for thinking the screen should be diamond-encrusted, as Hiddleston is charging 225 for a photo plus another 225 for his signature.
Carrie Fisher's friends, family and colleagues are remembering her on what would have been her 65th birthday.

Daughter Billie Lourd was one of the first to remember her late mother, taking to Instagram on Thursday to share a vintage snapshot with the actress.

Fisher died on December 27, 2016, four days after suffering cardiac arrest on a flight home to Los Angeles from production on Star Wars in London, before she could complete work on the final trilogy.

Love: Carrie Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd remembered her late mom with a vintage photo on Thursday, what would have been the Star Wars actress' 65th birthday

Tragically Carrie's own mother and Billie's grandmother Debbie Reynolds died just a day later on December 28th 2016.

Fisher's Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill also went online to celebrate the star.

He posted a candid on-set shot of the pair filming the sci-fi epic while writing: ' Happy Birthday to a very special someone who was never not fun & always highly tolerant of my juvenile on-set high jinks... even when she wasn't in the mood.'

The actor, who played Carrie's twin brother Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga -added the hashtag '#CarrieOnForever' and a heart emoji.

Billie recently opened up about growing up with her famous mom during an appearance on the New Day podcast with host Claire Bidwell Smith.

Gone but not forgotten: Fisher died on December 27, 2016, four days after suffering cardiac arrest on a flight home to Los Angeles from production on Star Wars in London, before she could complete work on the final trilogy. Lourd and her late mother are seen at the LA premiere of Star Wars in 2015 above

Star siblings: Fisher's Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill also went online to celebrate the star. He played her twin brother Luke Skywalker in the sci-fi film saga

'My main job when [my mom] was alive was taking care of her and making sure she was okay,' she explained.

'I was her main support, and I was seven, for a lot of the time, and that was really hard and that's why I grew up really fast because I was her best friend. I was her mother, I was her kid, I was her everything.

'And that's one of the things I'm learning not to do with my kid.'

She said that she absorbed lessons from both positive and negative aspects of her childhood memories with her late mother.

'There's a lot of things that my mom taught me to do and then there's a lot that is, honestly it might be more valuable, of what not to do,' said the Los Angeles native. 'And that's one of the things that I will not do to my son is put this pressure on him that I had on me.'

Lourd, who's been seen on Scream Queens and American Horror Story, welcomed her first child with fiance Austen Rydell in September of 2020.
Christina Haack revealed she's been suffering from extreme stomach pain on and off dating back to 2016.

The 38-year-old reality TV star shared an Instagram post with a lengthy caption on Thursday.

Speaking to her 1.7 million followers on the app the newly-engaged star said, 'As I sit here in Tennessee I feel super grateful for where life has taken me. I love that we have a home where we get total peace in the woods where its just us doing our thing.'

Health issue: Christina Haack revealed she's been suffering from extreme stomach pain on and off dating back to 2016

The blonde mother-of-three continued, 'In the past Ive let stress and being overwhelmed get the best of me and Ive ignored what was going on with myself internally.'

Then she went into her health issues: 'Ive suffered on and off since 2016 with extreme stomach pain. It has been written off as stress and doctors have tried to put me on all the pills / meds but luckily I realized masking it wasnt the answer.'

Underneath a smiling selfie taken in a vehicle she went on, 'I wanted to fix the problem so I really focused on my nutrition and it seemed to get better but then last year it was triggered again and all of a sudden the stomach pain was back

'With autoimmune, anxiety can cause major flare ups and my biggest thing Ive notice being affected is my digestion / gut health.'

Candid: The 38-year-old reality TV star shared an Instagram post with a lengthy caption on Thursday

The HGTV personality explained her stomach sensitivity. 'Basically if I dont eat SUPER clean I get a horrible burning sensation.'

But now, the real estate investor said she's 'found the right doctor who didnt just tell me to take Acid Controllers.'

She reported that her new physician 'did a full endoscopy and GI testing for SIBO' and that she's praying the results come back 'ok.'

The Anaheim, California native mentioned, 'Ive talked to a lot of people about this and just want to advocate how important it is to trust your own health instincts and not ignore things going on in your body.'

Gratitude: Speaking to her 1.7 million followers on the app the newly engaged said, 'As I sit here in Tennessee I feel super grateful for where life has taken me. I love that we have a home where we get total peace in the woods where its just us doing our thing'

Lastly she stated that she's now redirecting her attention: 'Focusing on getting back to taking care of myself, mind, body and spirit. And my favorite things in life like quality time with the kids and one-on-one time with my man.'

Haack became engaged to Josh Hall last month while vacationing in Mexico.

This will be her third marriage after divorcing Ant Anstead and Tarek El Moussa.

The Flip or Flop host has three children: Hudson London Anstead, Taylor El Moussa, and Brayden El Moussa.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  The United States is at a turning point in deciding how to handle the crisis in military-ruled Myanmar, weighing further political and economic steps to pressure the government to change its behavior, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.

The situation is getting worse inside Burma, both from a humanitarian point of view, from a security point of view, in terms of the economy and the lack of progress on the politics, U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet told The Associated Press in an interview.

The U.S. has been one of the most vocal opponents of the military takeover that ousted Aung San Suu Kyis elected government in February. Suu Kyi was arrested and detained with top members of her National League for Democracy party, including President Win Myint.

A detailed accounting by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners blames security forces for the killings of almost 1,200 civilians and arresting over 9,043 others since Feb. 1. The government now faces a growing insurgency in many parts of the country.

Chollet, who serves as an adviser to the secretary of state, gave an online interview while the U.S. delegation was in Indonesia after visiting Thailand and Singapore ahead of an annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Brunei, where the situation in Myanmar is likely to dominate.

We think that we have tools that can help stem the worst from happening in the near term. But as I said, I think we are at an inflection point in the process," Chollet said. There are political and economic levers that can be pulled by the U.S. and other governments to pressure the regime to try to give them the kinds of incentives to change their behavior.

Part of what we are trying to do as the United States is to come in and not dictate the terms, but to offer our best perspectives and also hear from different partners here in the region, he said. In talks with the three key ASEAN members, the U.S. delegation was able to to get "a sense of their ideas of the best way forward.

The U.S., along with the United Kingdom and the European Union, has already placed sanctions on high-ranking Myanmar military members and state-owned enterprises  including those dealing in lucrative timber and gems  that are considered revenue streams for the military.

But activists have been quick to point out that the sanctions have not included American and French oil and gas companies working in Myanmar, allowing the military to maintain its single-largest source of foreign currency revenue. It allows them to make purchases such as refined petroleum, weapons, packaged medicines and other imported goods.

Not having sanctions is allowing these massive multination companies that have huge stakeholder investment to be potentially complicit in ongoing atrocities and crimes in Myanmar, said Manny Maung, a Myanmar researcher for Human Rights Watch. These business relationships are basically going directly to criminal junta. The failure to take reasonable steps ... is really quite reckless and allowing businesses to be complicit.

Chollet admitted there is no question that sanctioning of the oil business is a tool available to the U.S. But he also cautioned that Washington would need to keep in mind the interests of allies and partners in the region.

Thats why were here is to think through whats the way forward, what could actually work to try to change the outlook of the junta, he said. But then also how can we do so in a way that doesnt make our problems worse. He said the Biden administration has not made a final decision.

On Friday, ASEAN announced that it would not invite Myanmars military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to the summit, a major repudiation for the country after it refused to allow an ASEAN envoy meet with Suu Kyi. The envoy, a Brunei diplomat, subsequently canceled his trip to Myanmar.

The decision was applauded by the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews. He said the military government was seeking money, weapons and legitimacy from the international community.

ASEANs announcement that the junta will not be welcome at its upcoming summit denies the junta the ... legitimacy, he said Monday. Sustained pressure on all three fronts ... is the best way the international community can support the people of Myanmar to protect their human rights and save their country.
Skip to main navigation

For Release: Thursday, October 21, 2021

DEC Encourages New Yorkers to Help Safeguard Bats During Annual 'Bat Week'

Annual Halloween Week Observance Raises Awareness to Reduce Human Disturbance to Endangered and Threatened Bats

In observance of the annual, internationally recognized Bat Week, Oct. 24-31, which raises awareness about the critical role of bats in our environment, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today urged outdoor adventurers to avoid visiting caves and mines during the fall and winter months. Bats hibernate in many of these underground cavities, where relatively constant, warm temperatures protect bats from noise and harsh winter temperatures above ground. Human disturbance is especially harmful to New York's bat populations since the arrival of white-nose syndrome, a fungus that has killed more than 90 percent of bats at hibernation sites in the state.

"With Halloween fast approaching, DEC is urging outdoor adventurers to steer clear of caves and mines to protect New York's at-risk bat populations," Commissioner Seggos said. "Right now, bats hunkering down in their winter homes are highly susceptible to disturbance from even the quietest cave visits. If disturbed, bats will wake from hibernation and expend significantly more energy than normal, increasing the harm caused by the white-nose disease. If explorers do venture out and come across hibernating bats in a cave, I urge these visitors to leave quickly and quietly."

DEC reminds the public to follow all posted notices restricting access to caves and mines. When bats are disturbed during hibernation, it forces them to raise their body temperature, depleting crucial fat reserves. This stored fat is the only source of energy available to the bats until the weather warms in spring and insects become readily available. The more frequently bats are disturbed, the less likely they are to survive the winter.

Bat Week (leaves DEC's website) is observed through Oct. 31, and is organized by representatives from conservation groups and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.

In recent years, scientists have found some evidence of recovery of the once-common little brown bat throughout New York State. While this apparent stabilization provides a hopeful outlook after more than a decade of devastating declines, similar evidence of stabilization is not yet seen for other severely affected bat species. Two species of bats are currently protected under federal and State endangered species law. The Indiana bat, which is sparsely distributed across New York, is a federally endangered bat listed before white-nose syndrome began affecting bat populations. The northern long-eared bat is protected as a threatened species under federal and New York State endangered species law. The current population for this formerly common bat is approximately one percent of its previous size, making this species the most severely affected by white-nose syndrome. Nonetheless, northern long-eared bats are still widely distributed in New York and their presence has been documented in most of the state's approximately 100 caves and mines serving as bat hibernation sites.

Anyone entering a northern long-eared bat hibernation site from Oct. 1 through April 30, the typical hibernation period for bats, may be subject to prosecution.

There is currently no treatment for bats suffering from white-nose syndrome. Along with the New York State Department of Health, DEC is partnering with researchers from the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, and experts at universities across the country to better understand the disease and develop a treatment. This collaborative effort helped identify that reducing disturbances at hibernation sites during the winter can help the remaining animals survive. For more information about white-nose syndrome, visit the White-Nose Syndrome Response Team website (leaves DEC's website). Details about the protection of the northern long-eared bat can be found on DEC's website.
Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
A special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Court in Mumbai has refused bail to Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan and also to fellow accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, in the cruise drug bust.

Special Judge VV Patil pronounced the order as soon as the Court began proceedings on Wednesday.

Amit Desai, who argued for Aryans bail, said he was not as yet aware why the bail plea was rejected. We have not received the order yet so I am not aware. Once we read the order we will decide our course of action, he said when asked if he would move the High Court next.

Satish Maneshinde, who has been representing Aryan since the beginning of the case, did not offer any comment. Sameer Wankhede came out of court with two words  Satyamev Jayate. While Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan were not present in Court, his manager Pooja Dadlani and his bodyguard Ravi Singh were there.

Interestingly, during the previous hearing on October 14th, the Narcotics Control Bureau had submitted some details of WhatsApp chats allegedly between Aryan and an upcoming Bollywood actress. They claimed the conversations were about drug consumption. These chats were not presented earlier, but were submitted only before the judge reserved orders for October 20.

Legal experts feel the submission of the new WhatsApp messages could be the reason for bail being denied. Desai had contended during the last hearing that since the NCB didn't recover any contraband or money which could possibly have been used to procure drugs from Aryan Khan, WhatsApp chats were cited to entangle him in the present proceedings.

The NCB arrested Aryan and others on October 3, following a raid the previous night at the international departure terminal, of a Goa-bound cruise liner. Aryan and others accused were booked for offences under Sections 8(c), 20(b), 27, 28, 29 and 35 of the NDPS Act. 33 year-old Aryan was remanded to NCB custody for a few days. After his bail pleas were rejected earlier, on technical grounds, he has been in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail since October 8. He will now remain there till the lawyers decide on the future course of action after reading Justice VV Patils order.



Meanwhile

HL: Twinkle hailed; Kajol trolled

One of Shah Rukh Khans heroines, Twinkle Khanna was hailed, and another heroine, Kajol, was trolled by the actors fans on social media a couple of hours before the order rejecting Aryans bail application.

Twinkle, who worked with Shah Rukh Khan in Baadshah, had shared a post, captioning it  Let the desi Squid Games begin. The former actress and wife of Akshay Kumar referred to the marbles game from one of the episodes of the Squid Games show and explained the Aryan case metaphorically.

Each player is given ten marbles and must get their opponents marbles by competing in any game of their choosing. In this episode, one of the strongest candidates is badgered and ultimately bamboozled into losing his marbles. I seem to have misplaced mine as well when I read the news about Shah Rukh Khans sons arrest. While his friend was apparently carrying 6 gm of charas, there is reportedly no evidence of possession by Aryan Khan. Yet, the young boy has been languishing in Arthur Road jail for almost two weeks now, she said.

Interestingly, Akshay Kumar has maintained silence on the issue.

Kajol, on the other hand, saw that her film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge opposite Shah Rukh was trending and posted the climax scene of the film. Simran caught the train 26 years back and we are still thanking everyone for all this love... #26YearsOfDDLJ she wrote, and was promptly trolled by SRKs fans for posting such content at such a point in the actors life.
Yadav urged people to watch movies only in theatres because cinema gives both direct and indirect employment to innumerable families. (DC Image)

Hyderabad: Cinematography minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Saturday assured that the state government would extend complete support to Movie Artists Association (MAA). He said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is keen on making Hyderabad the hub for Indian cinema.

The minister was speaking at the installation ceremony of MAAs new body, under president Manchu Vishnu, who assured that the new brigade would resolve all issues related to artistes and MAA members. He heads the panel that won the 14th elections in the Associations 28 years since inception.

Yadav urged people to watch movies only in theatres because cinema gives both direct and indirect employment to innumerable families.

Soon after assuming charge Vishnu took the blessings of his father thespian Mohan Babu, who chaired the programme.

Mohan Babu said success and failure are part of life. I was surprised to see heavy politics being played out before and during this election. I am grateful to the voters for having chosen my son to head the panel.

The veteran actor spoke about his role-model N T Rama Raos straight-forwardness and honesty.

The run-up to this years MAA election was marred by personal attacks and unprecedented mudslinging.
The judges said it needs to be recorded that the petition has served out its purpose. (PTI Photo)

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Thursday suggested to the educational authorities to hold classes virtually and physically, depending upon the circumstances and other related issues.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P D Audikesavalu gave the suggestion while disposing of a PIL petition from Nervazhi Iyakkam Trust, seeking a direction to the authorities to frame a new scheme to vaccinate the students above 18, pursuing higher education along with teaching and non-teaching staff of the institutions that provide higher education on an immediate basis and consequently take effective steps to re-start in-person classes.

The judges said it needs to be recorded that the petition has served out its purpose. Most students involved in higher education, together with the teaching and non-teaching staff, had been vaccinated. At any rate, those interested in getting vaccinated have had an opportunity in such regard. Several institutions have also opened and classes are being conducted.

Virtual classes had been conducted across the board. While the atmosphere of being together in a school or in a college or a university must also be experienced as much as the education imparted there, students may exercise the choice of attending classes on the virtual mode, subject to obtaining permission or in cases when they are unwell or the like.

Indeed, several students who spend a lot of time travelling may be spared the daily trouble by choosing which of the days to attend classes physically and which others to attend on the virtual mode, subject to any rules or regulations that may be prescribed in such regard, the bench said.

The idea of the court was to initiate a discussion to continue some form of education on the virtual mode, whether as a substitute for the physical mode or in addition to the physical mode or as a combination.

Papers had been filed by the University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education indicating how several courses were permitted online, while others are not. It might do well for all the nodal bodies to re-visit the matter, without being unnecessarily rigid, so that education may be more accessible, for instance to persons with disabilities who may have locomotor disabilities and face difficulty in travelling.

However, since the petition had worked itself out and there were no reports yet of a further surge, though a substantial part of the festive season was already over, the bench hoped that life could return to normal, but with the lessons learnt from the pandemic in alternative forms of conducting business or education not to be forgotten, so that the virtual mode of operation could go on hand in hand with the physical mode students, the bench added.
The state government on Tuesday had established a help desk for assisting stranded people like passengers, pilgrims, tourists and visitors from Karnataka at various places in Uttarakhand. (PTI File Photo)

Bengaluru: Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Thursday said all the 96 people from Karnataka who are stranded in rain and flood ravaged Uttarakhand are "completely safe".

"We have identified all the 96 people from 10 families and got in touch with them. All of them are safe. We have taken all possible measures to ensure their safety and their safe return," Ashoka said.

The state government on Tuesday had established a help desk for assisting stranded people like passengers, pilgrims, tourists and visitors from Karnataka at various places in Uttarakhand.

On the tremors felt at Gadikeshwar in Kalaburagi district, Ashoka said, he has personally visited the spot and interacted with the families staying there, and the government has taken up measures to construct temporary sheds for the affected families.

"The scientists have given a preliminary report and the study will go on for one more month. We have been in touch with the district administration. Sufficient funds have been allocated to the deputy commissioner's account for taking up relief works," he added.
Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday demanded the Central government to intervene in the matter of alleged attack on his party offices, said President's rule should be imposed in Andhra Pradesh through Article 356 of the Constitution of India.

The former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh alleged that the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) is responsible for attacking Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) Central Office in Mangalagiri.

"The ruling government is responsible for the attack on the opposition party office," said Naidu.

"This is an utter failure of Law and order in the state and the police department is acting as a party cadre. TDP is capable of having their own security if the police is a failure in giving security to the opposition," he added.

The TDP chief alleged that police supported YSRCP cadre to attack his party leaders and party office and "finally false cases have been booked against the TDP, this is how the police system is working"

"We will fight until the state is a drugs free state, TDP always fought for people and democracy. These types of attacks and cases, harassment will not weaken the TDP party," Naidu added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Vijayawada Police arrested TDP national spokesperson K Pattabhi Ram for allegedly using derogatory remarks against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy during a press conference.

Director-General of Police Gautam Sawang said that the TDP leader was taken to the Vijaywada police station.

Earlier on Wednesday, TDP's Central Office in Mangalagiri and Ram's residence in Vijayawada were vandalised allegedly by Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) workers.

The incident took place after Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after Pattabhi Ram's press conference at the TDP's state headquarters at Mangalagiri in Guntur.

Several party cadres were also injured in the attacks.
Besides Aryan Khan (23), the other accused whose judicial custody was extended by the court are Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, Nupur Sarika, Ismeet Singh, Mohak Jaswal, Vikrant Chhoker and Gomit Chopra. (PTI Photo)

Mumbai: A special NDPS court here on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and seven others till October 30 in connection with the case of seizure of banned drugs from a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast earlier this month.

Their judicial custody was extended by Special Judge V V Patil, designated to hear cases related to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, though they were not produced in the court.

On Wednesday, the same court had rejected the bail pleas of Aryan Khan and two other co-accused in the case.

Besides Aryan Khan (23), the other accused whose judicial custody was extended by the court are Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, Nupur Sarika, Ismeet Singh, Mohak Jaswal, Vikrant Chhoker and Gomit Chopra. Their current judicial custody was till October 21.

The previous day, besides Aryan Khan, lodged in the Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai, the NDPS court had rejected the bail pleas of his friend Arbaaz Merchant (26) and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha (28).

While denying bail to the trio, the special court had noted that the WhatsApp chats of Aryan Khan prima facie revealed he was indulging in "illicit drug activities on a regular basis" and that he was in touch with drug peddlers.

The court also held that Aryan Khan knew his friend and co-accused Arbaaz Merchant was in possession of drugs and hence this amounts to conscious possession even though the NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) had made no recovery of drugs from him.

Aryan Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha have moved the Bombay High court for bail and their pleas will be heard on October 26.

Meanwhile, the special court on Thursday heard the arguments on bail pleas of three other accused- Achit Kumar, the alleged drug supplier to Aryan Khan, Manish Rajgaria and Avin Sahu.

Advocate Taraq Sayed, appearing for Rajgaria, submitted that his client was arrested right after the cruise ship came back from Goa in connection with alleged recovery of 2.4 grams of ganja, "a nano-small quantity".

However, he argued that 'panchnama' doesn't mention from where the contraband was allegedly recovered.

Citing the last year's drugs case related to actor Rhea Chakraborty, Sayed said even in that matter 33 people were arrested, but not all were connected.

He said there can be a connection between people, but the NCB should show their link with drugs.

Sahu's lawyer Sana Khan claimed nothing has been recovered from her client. The only allegation against Sahu was that he consumed ganja twice while on the cruise, she said.

While making submissions for Kumar, his lawyer Ashwin Thool claimed that Kumar's custody was illegal as he wasn't produced before a court within 24 hours of detention.

Citing an application of Kumar's father, Thool argued he was illegally detained by the NCB from 5.14 pm on October 5.

As per the NCB, he was formally arrested on October 6 and produced before the court the next day. He also relied on a TV report where there is a video of him being taken into the NCB office on October 5.

Refering to the panchnama, Thool argued it is a "fabricated and concocted document", and cannot be relied upon.

The lawyer argued that Kumar has nothing to do with party on the cruise.

On the probe agency's claim that he was part of drug network, Thool argued "They say I am part of a ganja network. Have they got even one person to say that a one paisa was taken or given to me? At least one transaction, no."

The hearing of the bail pleas will continue on October 22.

The NCB has arrested as many as 20 people in connection with the case until now. Further investigation into the matter was on.
As the child was born out of wedlock, they had forcefully taken away the boy child, three days after she got discharged from the hospital post delivery. (Representational Image)

Thiruvananthapuram: A 23-year old woman, daughter of a senior leader of the ruling CPI(M) here, has accused her parents of forcefully having taken away her new-born child from her soon after its birth a year ago and approached the police seeking to get the baby back.

Anupama S Chandran, daughter of CPI(M) local committee member P S Jayachandran, alleged that though she had lodged a complaint with the police several times since April, they were reluctant to register a case against the family members.

However, Peroorkkada police here said a case was registered on Tuesday against six people including her parents, sister and husband and father's two friends, and said the delay was happened as they were waiting for the legal opinion.

Multiple charges, under IPC Section 343 (wrongful confinement), 361 (kidnapping from wrongful guardianship), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and so on, were imposed against the accused, they said.

A former leader of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), a feeder organisation of the CPI(M), Anupama alleged that though she had submitted her complaint to the senior Marxist party leaders including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, no one had helped her to get her baby back.

"Is this the way the how the police should react when a woman approaches them with the missing complaint of her child? Do they seek legal opinion for every such case? I strongly feel that the delay was made deliberately to protect my father and family members," she told a TV channel.

According to Anupama's complaint, her parents did not like her relationship with Ajith, who was also a youth federation leader of the Left party.

As the child was born out of wedlock, they had forcefully taken away the boy child, three days after she got discharged from the hospital post delivery.

She left her home in April and has been living with Ajith since then, she said.

Police, however, said, her father Jayachandran admitted that the child was separated from his daughter by them but claimed during the interrogation that it was done with her consent.

"The father claimed she had given her consent in a signed stamp paper that she has no objection to hand over the child as she was not able to take care of the infant. However, the complainant said that the family had made her sign on the paper by force," a police officer told PTI.

As per the father's statement, the child was placed in the "Ammathottil", the electric cradle located in front of the state-run Child Welfare Centre at Thycaud here in October last year, he said.

As per the rules of the centre, when they receive a child in the cradle, they would keep the baby with them for the next two months. he said adding that if no one comes claiming the child's ownership, they would allow the public to adopt the infant.

"We have contacted the Welfare Committee authorities...they have admitted that they received a child on the same day but not ready to reveal anything further as it is against their rules and norms regarding adoption," the police officer added.

The investigation is still going on to collect more details and trace the baby, the official added.
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday exhorted the police to maintain law and order without any compromise, and protect women, children and the aged at all times.

The Chief Minister, who attended Police Commemoration Day at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) Stadium here on Thursday, recalled the sacrifices made by police and paid tributes to martyrs. He also gave financial assistance to the families of police martyrs besides releasing a book written on the sacrifices made by police.

Jagan Mohan Reddy also observed that Andhra Pradesh is the only state which has introduced the weekly day-off system for the police to give them rest enabling them to function more efficiently. He, however, added that weekly-off could not be implemented effectively due to the Covid-19 pandemic but the government will try to implement it in the wake of the declining trend of the pandemic.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said 377 police personnel have laid their lives down in the line of duty in the last year across the country. Of this, 11 are from Andhra Pradesh.

He said the state government has cleared previous governments pending arrears of police personnel, increased honorarium for home guards, and recruited 16,000 women police.

The Chief Minister also added that the government will begin recruitment to fill vacancies in the police department.

He said the police department has sanctioned Rs 5 lakh each to the family of police personnel who died due to Covid-19, and the government has sanctioned a matching grant of Rs 5 lakh. He also said that he had directed officials to immediately provide jobs to a family member of the police personnel, who lost their lives because of Coronavirus infection. The process for the compassionate job, he said, would be over by November 30.

Home minister Mekathoti Sucharitha, endowments minister Vellampalli Srinivas, civil supplies minister Kodali Venkateswara Rao, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, DGP Goutam Sawang and other representatives were present.
Mumbai: A team of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) visited Shah Rukh Khan's residence 'Mannat' in Mumbai to collect some documents related to his son Aryan Khan and no raids were conducted, said NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede on Thursday.

"NCB team visited Shah Rukh Khan's residence to collect some documents related to Aryan Khan. No raids were conducted at 'Mannat," Wankhede told media today.

Earlier in the day, teams of NCB arrived at 'Mannat' and also at Bollywood actor Ananya Pandey's residence.

Thereafter, Ananya was summoned to appear before NCB later in the day.

Shah Rukh Khan today paid a visit to his son Aryan Khan, who is lodged in Arthur Road Jail. Aryan was arrested on October 3 in connection with a drug seizure on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.

According to jail authorities, the actor left after a brief meeting with his son. In the wake of the COVID-19, the visitors are restricted from having any physical contact with the jail inmates and thus, Shah Rukh met son Aryan through a glass wall and talked to him through an intercom.

A special court in Mumbai on Wednesday refused to grant bail to Aryan and two others in connection with the seizure of drugs. Bombay High Court is set to hear Aryan Khan's bail application on October 26.

An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2.

A total of 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals, have been arrested so far in the case.
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday directed the state government to submit records to prove that all public revenue is being credited into the states Consolidated Fund.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice C. Praveen Kumar heard a batch of petitions on Thursday filed by TD MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna and two others challenging the validity of Section 12 of the AP State Development Corporation Act, 2020. The petitions also challenge the governments decision to avail a loan of Rs 25,000 crore through AP State Development Corp and mortgaging of government offices to raise funds.

Petitioners counsel Yalamanjula Balaji argued that even though the Governor was having sovereign power under Article 361 of the Constitution of India, it was waived by the state government in the guarantee agreement which it entered with the banks to raise a loan of Rs 25,000 crore.

He submitted that no person or institution could file a criminal or civil case against the Governor under Article 361 but the government had given such power to the financial institutions to do so in order to recover the loan dues.

The counsel also raised an objection to the mention of the Governors name in person for the issue of notices. He submitted that as APSDC was having no income, it might become a non-performing asset in future and all administrative offices might be locked leaving no office to the government to function.

The court asked Advocate-General S. Sriram as to why the Governor was involved and said that if the Governor was made as a guarantor in the agreement, it was a violation of Article 361.

The petitioners counsel requested the court to stop further mortgaging of government offices. The advocate-general argued for the dismissal of the PILs stating that they were filed with a political motive.

The court, however, observed that the PILs could not be dismissed because the petitioner belonged to a political party and said that every litigant could have his or her own identity to project the case before the court.

The court served notice to the Central government and directed it to file counter-affidavits in the case on or before November 15 and posted the next hearing on the same day.
The Telangana state government on Thursday said that all government-run residential schools will start functioning from Friday. (DC file photo)

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government on Thursday said that all government-run residential schools, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, model schools (girls hostels), urban residential schools and colleges, will start functioning from Friday.

The School Education Department, in a news release on Thursday night, mandated standard Covid-19 safety protocols for everyone at these educational institutions. It further said that all teaching activities must be performed only by teachers and lecturers who are vaccinated against Covid-19.

The decision to reopen, according to the department, was taken following Telangana High Court directions.

All residential schools, colleges, hostels, dining halls should be sanitized, and social distance should be observed, and everyone should wear face masks, and if anyone is found to have any health-related issues such as cold, cough, or fever, such individuals should be tested at the nearest primary health care center, the department said.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress has deleted a controversial tweet against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and issued an apology.

President DK Shivakumar on Monday said that the post on the state Congress' official handle was regretted and has been withdrawn.

He said that the tweet was against the "civil and parliamentary language".

"I have always believed that civil and parliamentary language is a non-negotiable pre-requisite for political discourse. An uncivil tweet made by a novice social media manager through the Karnataka Congress official Twitter handle is regretted and stands withdrawn," tweeted Shivakumar.

The deleted tweet by the official Twitter handle of Karnataka Congress had called PM Modi an "angoothachaap" (illiterate).

The tweet in Kannada said that Modi neither went to schools built by Congress nor learned from the schemes set up by Congress.

Meanwhile, bypolls to two Assembly constituencies are set to be held in Karnataka on October 30.
HYDERABAD: Two PIL petitions have been filed before the Telangana High Court challenging the Election Commission of Indias October 18 order that defers implementation of Dalit Bandhu scheme in Huzurabad Assembly constituency, till the completion of the by-election.

The PIl filed by journalist Mallepalli Laxmaiah, and social workers, says that welfare schemes shall not be stopped on account of elections while the other one filed by AICC member Bukka Judson says that the order was to protect the ruling party given the states precarious financial position.

Laxmaiah argues that singling out Dalit Bandhu while leaving out other state and central welfare schemes exposes the mala-fide intention and discrimination against the downtrodden lot. The EC has issued the order without acknowledging the fact that Dalit Bandhu was an ongoing welfare scheme and had no specific relevance to Huzurabad.

Judson said the order was intended to further the interests of the ruling party and to bail itself out of the financial mess created by the populist scheme.

A cursory reading of the impugned order shows that it is bereft of any pragmatism. At whose instance was such a decision taken. What are the grounds on which the EC has arrived on such a decision? It is not indicated whether the office of the Governor had communicated any such letters containing objection to the implementation of Dalit Bandhu scheme to the EC, Judson mentioned in the petition.

The PILs are yet to be listed for admission.
Reportedly, KT Rama Rao had offered to go through a drug test. (Photo: PTI/File)

Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLA Jeevan Reddy warned the BJP's Nizamabad MP Dharamapuri Arvind that defamation cases will be filed against him if he continued linking the state Cabinet Minister KT Rama Rao with the issue of drugs in the state.

"Defamation cases will be filed against Arvind if he keeps making baseless allegations against KT Rama Rao. The court has restrained Revanth Reddy from linking KTR with the drugs issue and now it is Arvind who is doing it," Reddy said.

He further alleged that BJP and Congress are in a secret alliance in the state.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Revanth Reddy on Saturday had proposed a 'challenge' to politicians and celebrities aiming to eradicate the drug menace in the state, as a part of which he challenged KT Rama Rao to undergo a drug test.

Previously, on September 15, Reddy said Telangana has become a hub for addicts as liquor sales are booming in the state. Speaking to ANI, Reddy said, "Telangana has become a hub for addicts. Liquor sales are booming in the state and by giving permission to the illegal liquor shops, the state government is turning people into drunkards."

Reportedly, KT Rama Rao had offered to go through a drug test in response to criticism from Reddy.

"Arvind is trying to create nuisance with his nonsensical politics and statements based on no evidence whatsoever," he added.

Responding to Arvind's allegations that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has manipulated the Election Commission, he said, "The Election Commission is under the centre, does he have any faith in an election commission controlled by them?"

Reddy asserted that TRS will win the upcoming bypolls in Huzurabad.

Bypolls in the Huzurabad Assembly constituency of Telangana is scheduled to be held on October 30.

Huzurabad seat fell vacant after former health minister Eatala Rajender resigned from ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and joined the BJP.
The story of Indias agricultural takeoff began as the nation was forced to import a record 20 million tonnes of grain in 1964-66. (Photo: DC/Representational Image)

Indias agriculture has come a long way since we awaited shiploads of American grain over half a century ago to feed our people. India now produces more than enough for our national appetite. The issue now is how to make agriculture an economically attractive occupation. The farmers movement is supposed to be all about this. But what is really interesting is that the farmers who are protesting the loudest and most vigorously are those from the farming tracts that benefit the most from the Minimum Price Support procurement and from the sugarcane belt of Uttar Pradesh where cane prices are fixed by the state. These form the bulk of the wealthiest and most well-off cohort of farmers in India.

The pitiable condition of the majority of Indias farmers who cultivate small patches of land in the mostly rain-fed areas of India has generally gone unnoticed, both by the social media and the political class. The protesting farmers are not agitating for the assured procurement at MSP for all farm produce and all over the country.

The story of Indias agricultural takeoff began as the nation was forced to import a record 20 million tonnes of grain in 1964-66. The annual wheat production has grown from 11.28 million tonnes in 1962-63 to almost 110 million tonnes for wheat and 122 million tonnes for rice in 2020.

This level of production has created a problem of plenty.

Despite its falling share of GDP, agriculture plays a vital role in Indias economy. Over 58 per cent of rural households depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood. Census 2011 says there are 118.9 million cultivators and 144 million agricultural workers across India, or 24.6 per cent of the total workforce of over 481 million. Read this with the fact that agriculture now only contributes 13.7 per cent of the GDP.

With 157.35 million hectares, India holds the worlds second largest agricultural land area. India has about 20 agro-climatic regions, and all 15 major climates in the world exist here. Consequently, it is a large producer of a wide variety of foods. India is the worlds largest producer of spices, pulses, milk, tea, cashew and jute; and the second largest producer of wheat, rice, fruits and vegetables, sugarcane, cotton and oilseeds. Agricultural exports constitute 10 per cent of our total exports and is the fourth-largest exported principal commodity.

The irony is that only 58.1 million hectares, or just a third of agricultural land, is actually irrigated. Of this, 38 per cent is from surface water and 62 per cent from groundwater. India has the worlds largest groundwater well-equipped irrigation system.

There is a flip side to this great Indian agriculture story. The Indian subcontinent boasts nearly half the worlds hungry people. Half of all children under five in South Asia are malnourished, which is more than even sub-Saharan Africa.

More than 65 per cent of farmland consists of marginal and small farms less than one hectare in size. Moreover, the average farm size has been decreasing. The average size of operational holdings has almost halved since 1970 to 1.05 hectares. Approximately 92 million households, or 490 million people, are dependent on marginal or small farm holdings as per the 2001 census. This translates into 60 per cent of the rural population, or 42 per cent of total population.

Now we come to the crux of todays farmers ferment. There is a clear bias in the governments procurement policy, with Punjab, Haryana, Coastal Andhra, Telangana and western Uttar Pradesh accounting for the bulk (83.51 per cent) of the procurement. The food subsidies bill has increased from Rs 24,500 crores in 1990-91 to Rs 1.75 lakh crores in 2001-02 to Rs 2.31 lakh crores in 2016 to Rs 5 lakh crores in 2021.

Instead of being the buyer of last resort, the Food Corporation of India has become the preferred buyer for farmers. The government policy has resulted in mountains of foodgrains coinciding with starvation deaths.

The gains of rural prosperity and MSP procurement have resulted in a few regions of concentrated rural prosperity. In 2020, of the production of 265 million tonnes of foodgrains, as much as 91.42 million tonnes was procured with MSP, while only 40.5 million tonnes was distributed. This leaves behind huge mounds in the warehouses. Clearly, there is a limit to how much can be procured. This still begs the question -- why MSP procurement, which means the highest prices, should benefit only a few regions?

The total subsidy provided to agricultural consumers by way of fertilisers and free power has quadrupled from Rs 73,000 crores in 1992-93, to Rs 3.04 lakh crores now. While the subsidy was launched to reach the lower rung farmers, it has mostly benefited well-off farmers. These people are now protesting for more.

These huge subsidies come at a cost. Public investment in agriculture, in real terms, had witnessed a steady decline for the last 20 years. Almost all the investment into creating additional irrigation potential has come from private sources, mostly in the form of more tubewells, usually powered by free electricity. Free power has also meant huge pressure on the depleting groundwater resources.

By 2050, Indias population is expected to reach 1.7 billion, which will then be equivalent to nearly that of China and the US combined. In the four decades starting 1965-66, wheat production in Punjab and Haryana has risen nine-fold, while rice production increased by more than 30 times.

These two states and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh can now not only produce enough to feed the country but to leave a significant surplus for export.

Since subsistence farming and farm labour is the main vocation, the priority should be to step up government expenditure on infrastructure and habitations, to create a demand for alternate labour. Instead of distributing benefits to the agriculture sector by MSP procurement and fertiliser subsidies, the Government of India should progressively move towards a transfer of benefits regime based on acreage under crop and nature of the land, to ensure a more equitable distribution of the state largesse.

Finally, the entire governmental machinery geared to controlling food prices to satisfy the urban population should be dismantled. If farmers buying a motorcycle or even a tractor have to pay globally comparative prices, why should the farmers make food available to the industrial sector and urban consumers at the worlds lowest prices?

Why should Bharat have to feed India at its cost?
Shares of Pinterest, a platform combining social networking and photo sharing, soared Wednesday after reports of possible takeover talks by online payment service provider PayPal.

The companies were discussing an acquisition price of $70 per share, according to Bloomberg, which would value Pinterest about $44 billion, taking into account the total outstanding shares.

Neither PayPal nor Pinterest responded immediately to requests for comment.

Read more: PayPal looking to buy Pinterest in $39 billion deal

Just after 1800 GMT, Pinterest stock was up nearly 14 per cent to over $63, while PayPal had lost about five per cent to hover around $258.

Launched in 2009 with a focus on user creativity, Pinterest went public in April 2019.

It had revenues of $1.69 billion in 2020, up 48 per cent, and had 454 million monthly active users at the end of June 2021.

But the market had deemed the growth in the number of its users disappointing when it released its second quarter results in July.

Analysts feared Pinterest would not be able to maintain the momentum it gained during the Covid-19 pandemic, which had boosted its traffic.

At the end of July, the site was reporting a seven per cent year-over-year decline in its users in the United States.

Like many social networks, Pinterest is looking to improve the monetization of its content and traffic.

The group announced Wednesday a series of innovations to expand the site's range of uses, but also facilitate the sale of products by creators on the platform.

Monetization and the use of online payments could thus constitute a junction point between Pinterest and PayPal, a longtime ecommerce player.

As for PayPal, it has more than doubled its market capitalization thanks to the explosion of online commerce during the pandemic, and now exceeds $300 billion.

The company is looking to expand through acquisitions. In early September it announced the purchase of the Japanese specialist in credit purchases online, Paidy, for $2.7 billion.

Check out the latest DH videos:
The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's biggest vaccine maker, has nearly quadrupled its monthly capacity of AstraZeneca shots to as many as 240 million doses and is prepared to export "large volumes" from January, its CEO told Reuters.

India this month resumed Covid-19 vaccine exports for the first time since April, sending some 4 million doses to friendly countries but none yet to the global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX. SII's monthly production was around 65 million doses when the Indian government stopped all exports as the country's infections soared.

"Because we have converted so many buildings and plants for it, 220-240 million is our output now - which is enough for the country," CEO Adar Poonawalla said after India celebrated the milestone of administering 1 billion doses on Thursday.

Also Read | SEC recommends Covaxin for kids: List of jabs for children and their status reports

"India may need booster shots and other things also, so exports in January won't reach as high as 200 million doses. But certainly, it will be large volumes."

The family-owned company may be able to export up to 30 million doses a month in November and December, he added.

"The government will decide how many doses we export, I think 20-30 million could happen in November - volumes will be small until December," Poonawalla said, adding he did not know yet if any exports to COVAX would happen in October.

SII is contracted to supply hundreds of millions of doses to WHO-backed COVAX but has supplied only a few dozen million shots. The company has provided nearly 90% of the doses administered in India.

Also Read | SII gets nod to send Covid vaccines to Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar; Bharat Biotech to Iran

Poonawalla also said SII would make only the single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine from Russia and not the two-dose Sputnik V. He said the output will mainly be exported.

SII could also produce 50 million to 100 million doses of the Novavax vaccine by December, Poonawalla said, again mainly for exports.

Novavax has sought regulatory approvals for the vaccine in India, Indonesia and the Philippines, and plans to do so in the United States this year.

"COVID vaccine demand, with boosters, will sustain for a few years, but after two-three years it should hopefully go down," Poonawalla said.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
The Dutch government's forensic lab said on Thursday it had decrypted electric carmaker Tesla Inc's closely guarded driving data-storage system, uncovering a wealth of information that could be used to investigate serious accidents.

It was already known that Tesla cars store data from accidents, but the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) said it had discovered far more data than investigators had previously been aware of.

The NFI said the decrypted data showed Tesla vehicles store information about the operation of its driver assistance system, known as Autopilot. The vehicles also record speed, accelerator pedal position, steering wheel angle and brake usage, and depending on how the vehicle is used, that data can be stored for over a year.

"These data contain a wealth of information for forensic investigators and traffic accident analysts and can help with a criminal investigation after a fatal traffic accident or an accident with injury," Francis Hoogendijk, a digital investigator at the NFI, said in a statement.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Dutch lab said rather than seek the data from Tesla, it had "reverse engineered" data logs - a process where software is deconstructed to extract information - present in Tesla vehicles "in order to objectively investigate them."

'Who is responsible?'

The NFI investigated a collision involving a Tesla driver using Autopilot and a car in front of it that suddenly braked hard.

The investigation showed the Tesla driver reacted within the expected response time to a warning to resume control of the car, but the collision occurred because the Tesla was following the other vehicle too closely in busy traffic.

"That makes it interesting, because who is responsible for the following distance: the car or the driver?" said NFI investigator Aart Spek.

The NFI said Tesla encrypts its coded driving data to keep its technology secure from other manufacturers and protect driver privacy. Car owners can request their data, including camera footage, in the event of an accident.

Earlier this year, Tesla said it had established a site in China to store car data locally, as automakers came under growing scrutiny over how they handle information collected by vehicle cameras and sensors.

Decryption revealed more data

The NFI found that Tesla had complied with data requests from the Dutch authorities, but left out a lot of data that could have proven useful.

"Tesla however only supplies a specific subset of signals, only the ones requested, for a specific timeframe, whereas the log files contain all the recorded signals," the NFI's report said.

By decrypting Tesla's code, the NFI now knows more about what kind of data the carmaker is storing and for how long, allowing for more detailed data requests, Hoogendijk said.

"You cannot claim what you do not know, so it's helpful that we now know what else is being stored," he said.

Hoogendijk added this also applies to other carmakers, as investigators simply do not know how much and what kind of data manufacturers store and for how long.

Tesla has remote access to the data, the lab said, which is periodically uploaded from cars and used by the company for product improvements or to fix malfunctions.

The NFI said it had obtained data from Tesla models S, Y, X and the mass-market Model 3 and shared the results at a conference of the European Association for Accident Research so that other accident analysts can use it.

In August, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a formal safety probe into Tesla's Autopilot system in 765,000 US vehicles after a series of crashes involving Tesla models and emergency vehicles.

To date, NHTSA has identified 12 crashes that involved Tesla vehicles using the advanced driver-assistance systems and emergency vehicles. NHTSA said most of the incidents took place after dark.
Paytm, the Indian digital payments pioneer backed by Jack Mas Ant Group Co., is considering scrapping the proposed Rs 2,000 crore ($268 million) share sale ahead of its initial public offering over valuation differences, according to people familiar with the development.

The firm had been seeking a valuation of above $20 billion based on initial investor feedback, while advisers on the deal recommended lower pricing, some of the people said, asking not to be named as the information is private. The company was last valued at $16 billion, according to unicorn tracker CB Insights.

Formally called One97 Communications Ltd., Paytm hopes to tap into strong investor demand fueled by easy liquidity that has buoyed Indias blockbuster listings this year. The company had reported a 10 per cent drop in revenue during the year ended March 2021, after intensifying competition from Walmart Inc.s Flipkart and Amazon.com Inc. cut its e-commerce and cloud sales by the same amount.

A final decision hasnt been made and Paytm could still consider a pre-IPO sale potentially at a lower valuation, the people said. Regulators are expected to approve the listing in coming days, some of the people said.

Representatives for the company didnt respond to an email seeking comment.

Banks including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and ICICI Securities Ltd. are running the share sale. Paytm may consider a pre-IPO placement of as much as Rs 2,000 crore, it had said in the Draft Red Herring Prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India on July 16.

Check out DH's latest videos
The World Health Organization said Thursday that 80,000 to 180,000 health care workers may have been killed by Covid-19 up to May this year, insisting they must be prioritised for vaccination.

A WHO paper estimated that out of the world's 135 million health staff, "between 80,000 to 180,000 health and care workers could have died from Covid-19 in the period between January 2020 to May 2021".

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said health care workers needed to be immunised against the disease first, as he slammed the global inequity in the vaccine roll-out.

"Data from 119 countries suggest that on average, two in five health and care workers globally are fully vaccinated. But of course, that average masks huge differences across regions and economic groupings."

Read | After 100-crore vaccine mark, focus now on the unvaccinated, second dose

"In Africa, less than in one in 10 health workers have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, in most high-income countries, more than 80 percent of health workers are fully vaccinated."

He added: "We call on all countries to ensure that all health and care workers in every country are prioritised for Covid-19 vaccines, alongside other at-risk groups."

Tedros said that more than 10 months on since the first vaccines were approved by the WHO, the fact that millions of health workers still had not been vaccinated was an "indictment" on the countries and companies controlling the global supply of doses.

Annette Kennedy, president of the International Council of Nurses, said the organisation grieved for all health care workers who had lost their lives -- "many needlessly; many we could have saved".

"It's a shocking indictment of governments. It's a shocking indictment of their lack of duty of care to protect health care workers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives," she said.

Kennedy added: "They are now burnt out, they are devastated, they are physically and mentally exhausted. And there is a prediction that 10 percent of them will leave within a very short time."

The WHO wants each country to have vaccinated 40 per cent of its population by the end of the year, but Tedros said 82 countries were now at risk of missing that target, chiefly through insufficient supply.

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 4.9 million people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP, while nearly 242 million cases have been registered.
A booster shot of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech is 95.6 percent effective against symptomatic infection, according to trial data published by the makers on Thursday.

The clinical phase three trial with "10,000 participants 16 years of age and older" showed "a relative vaccine efficacy of 95.6 percent against disease during a period when Delta was the prevalent strain", the companies said in a statement.

The study presented the "first results" of a booster trial, with a third shot of the vaccine demonstrating a "favourable safety profile".

Also Read | WHO chief congratulates PM Modi, health workers as India hits 100 crore Covid vaccine milestone

"These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease," said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

The preliminary results would be shared with regulatory agencies "as soon as possible", the companies said in the statement.

Several countries have already approved Covid-19 booster shots to increase immunity in people who have already been vaccinated, but whose protection may have dipped after several months, per some studies.

In the United States, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a third dose in September for everyone aged 65 and up, as well as people at high risk of developing severe Covid.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved a booster for over-18s at the beginning of October, allowing national regulators to decide which groups should be eligible first.

In Israel, authorities have gone further, approving booster shots for everyone aged 12 and over.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
An Indonesian court has jailed a dog meat trader in a landmark case hailed by animal rights activists pushing for a ban on the "brutal" practice.

A court near Indonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta on Monday sentenced the suspect to 10 months in jail and slapped him with a 150 million rupiah ($10,000) fine.

The man, 48, was charged under animal cruelty laws for transporting some 78 canines stuffed inside gunny sacks placed on the back of his pickup truck.

Police in May intercepted the vehicle and later discovered that 10 dogs had died due to lack of food and water, while another six later passed away, a court official said.

"This is the first-ever prosecution for such a case," Edy Sameaputty, spokesman for Kulon Progo district court, told AFP on Thursday.

The animals were bound for Solo city on Java island, where they were expected to be sold for their meat.

Dog Meat Free Indonesia, which has campaigned for years to end the widespread trade, welcomed this week's ruling.

"The verdict sends a strong message to traders who knowingly operate illegally that this trade will not be tolerated," it said in a statement.

While dogs are widely viewed as unclean and are rarely kept as pets in Indonesia their meat remains a delicacy among some groups.

A cheap source of protein, dog meat is also still eaten in several other Asian countries.

Check out latest DH videos here:
NATO defence ministers agreed on a new master plan on Thursday to defend against any potential Russian attack on multiple fronts, reaffirming the alliance's core goal of deterring Moscow despite a growing focus on China.

The confidential strategy aims to prepare for any simultaneous attack in the Baltic and the Black Sea regions that could include nuclear weapons, hacking of computer networks and assaults from space.

"We continue to strengthen our alliance with better and modernised plans," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after the meeting, which also agreed to a $1 billion fund to provide seed financing to develop new digital technologies.

Officials stress that they do not believe any Russian attack is imminent. Moscow denies any aggressive intentions and says it is NATO that risks destabilising Europe with such preparations.

Also Read | Russia suspends its mission to NATO, foreign minister says

But diplomats say the "Concept for Deterrence and Defence in the Euro-Atlantic Area" - and its strategic implementation plan - is needed as Russia develops advanced weapon systems and deploys troops and equipment closer to the allies' borders.

"This is the way of deterrence," German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said of the plan.

"And this is being adapted to the current behaviour of Russia  and we are seeing violations particularly of the air space over the Baltic states, but also increasing incursions over the Black Sea," she told German radio Deutschlandfunk.

Also Read | NATO bars 8 members of Russian mission as 'spies'

The approval allows for more detailed regional plans by the end of 2022, a US official said, allowing NATO to decide what additional weapons it needs and how to position its forces.

Flashpoints

In May, Russia amassed some 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, the highest number since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, Western officials say. In September, Russia used new combat robots in large military drills with its ex-Soviet ally Belarus that have alarmed Baltic allies.

Russia is upgrading or replacing Soviet military space systems to potentially attack satellites in orbit, developing artificial intelligence-based technologies to disrupt allied command systems, and also developing "super weapons".

Also Read | China, NATO officials discuss Afghanistan, regional tensions

Unveiled in 2018, they include nuclear-capable hypersonic cruise missiles that could evade early-warning systems.

Retired US General Ben Hodges, who commanded US Army forces in Europe from 2014 until 2017, said he hoped the plan would foster greater coherence in NATO's collective defence, meaning more resources for the Black Sea region.

"To me, this is the more likely flashpoint than the Baltics," Hodges told Reuters, noting fewer big allies such as Britain and France have a strong presence in the Black Sea, and Turkey is more focused on the conflict in Syria.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:

Jamie Shea, a former senior NATO official now at the Friends of Europe think-tank in Brussels, said the plan might also help to cement a focus on Russia at a time when major allies are seeking to boost their presence in the Indo-Pacific and counter China's rising military power.

"The assumption up until now has been that Russia is a nuisance but not an imminent threat. But the Russians are doing some worrying things. They're practising with robotics, and hypersonic cruise missiles could be very disruptive indeed," Shea said.
An extraordinarily rare coin with a face value of just pennies when it was minted in mid-17th century New England could sell for the equivalent of about $300,000 (Rs 2,24,18,115) when it's put up for auction in London next month.

The silver one shilling coin made in Boston in 1652  considered the finest example of the roughly 40 such coins known to still exist  was recently found in the United Kingdom inside a candy tin containing hundreds of older coins, auctioneer Morton & Eden Ltd, said in a statement Wednesday.

James Morton, the auctioneer's coin specialist, called the New England coin the "star of the collection".

I could hardly believe my eyes when I realised that it was an excellent example of a New England shilling, struck by John Hull in 1652 in Boston for use as currency by early settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, he said in a statement.

The Massachusetts General Court in 1652 appointed Hull and his assistant, Robert Sanderson, as Boston mintmaster, responsible for producing North America's first silver coinage. The mint, considered treasonous by King Charles II, was shut down in 1682, according to the statement.

The coin of rudimentary design has the initials NE for New England on one side, and the Roman numeral XII, for 12, the number of pennies in a shilling, on the other.

Jim Bailey, a coin expert and metal detectorist in Warwick, Rhode Island, who caused a sensation earlier this year by unearthing 17th-century silver coins believed linked to the notorious English pirate Henry Every, called the UK shilling a phenomenal discovery.

The coin has tremendous eye appeal, Bailey said Wednesday. Because there are only about 40 such coins in existence, this specimen can be called the finest known.

The coin was consigned to the auctioneer by Wentworth Wenty Beaumont, whose father found it in a tin in his study at the family estate in northern England.

Beaumont's ancestor, William Wentworth, was an early settler of New England who is thought to have arrived in the Colonies in 1636 and likely obtained the coin new. The Wentworths became a prominent family in New Hampshire.

I can only assume that the shilling was brought back from America years ago by one of my forebears, Beaumont said in a statement.

The online auction, which includes several other early American coins, is scheduled for Nov 26.

Check out latest DH videos here
Uzbekistan is holding a presidential election on Sunday, but it's difficult to tell from the sleepy feel of the capital Tashkent, where nobody doubts the outcome of the vote.

The Central Asian country's president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is standing for a second five-year term after embarking on a surprise reform programme following the death in 2016 of his hardline predecessor and mentor Islam Karimov.

Also read: Uzbek President Mirziyoyev set to run for second term

The 64-year-old former prime minister has won plaudits for dismantling forced labour, releasing dissidents subjected to extreme torture under Karimov and opening the economy to tourism and investment.

But critics say change hasn't extended to the ballot box, where Mirziyoyev is running against four candidates put forward by loyalist parties with roots in the Karimov era, none of whom have dared to cross the president in their campaigns.

For Ikhtiyor Bahromov, a 32-year-old Tashkent taxi driver who smiled wryly as his car passed an electronic billboard alternating images of the five candidates, the choice on offer is no choice at all.

"They should spend all this money on something else," Bahromov said. "These people are all on the same team -- his team!"

Voting on Sunday will begin at 8:00 am local time (0300 GMT) and continue until 8:00 pm (1500 GMT) across Uzbekistan, a landlocked country of 34 million whose steppes and deserts were a key part of the ancient Silk Road.

Once Mirziyoyev has wrapped up what is expected to be a crushing victory, attention will return to the question of whether Uzbekistan can continue the optimistic trajectory that saw it made The Economist magazine's "Country of the Year" in 2019.

Strategically located on Afghanistan's doorstep in a region where Russia and China are asserting their clout, the ex-Soviet country is certainly freer now than it was under Karimov.

Mirziyoyev's decision to end de facto slavery in the cotton fields where thousands of teachers and children once toiled prompted waves of international praise.

But the last two years have seen a crackdown on dissent, particularly in the online spaces that bloomed after 2016.

Dissatisfaction has grown after the coronavirus pandemic ate into impressive economic growth, putting a tourism boom on ice and exposing widespread joblessness as migrants returned en masse from Russia.

Observers speculated that unrest over energy shortages last year -- resulting in rare protests -- might have motivated authorities' decision to hold Sunday's election two months ahead of schedule.

Sabokhat Rakhimova, a 50-year-old resident of Tashkent, complained of growing inequality as the rich tap new economic opportunities and the poor battle rising living costs.

"A great wall is emerging in our society," Rakhimova said, explaining her decision not to vote.

Also read: Jaishankar meets his counterparts from Iran, Armenia and Uzbekistan at SCO

One man who pledged to challenge Mirziyoyev at the election, academic Khidirnazar Allakulov, fell at the first hurdle after failing to register a party that could nominate him.

Human Rights Watch said this month that officials "harassed (Allakulov's) party supporters and interfered in their efforts to collect signatures for registration".

Temur Umarov, a Central Asia expert at the Carnegie Moscow Center, told AFP that Uzbekistan is now running out of space for reforms that don't require a significant overhaul of the authoritarian system.

"Corruption at the top of government still exists and the leadership just ignores it. At the same time, Uzbekistan's society is more active than it used to be, and it will not be satisfied if the government doesn't continue reforms," Umarov said.

Mirziyoyev, however, continues to believe that his pro-change presidency is on track.

"Vote for whomever you want," Mirziyoyev told residents of the densely populated Fergana Valley region during a working trip last month. "I believe we will show the international community that we are on the path to democracy."

Check out latest DH videos here:
On Thursday, India became the second country after China to achieve the milestone of administering 100-crore Covid-19 vaccine doses. The demand for the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine has overtaken the demand for the first dose since October 13 and the trend has continued, indicating another phase in the vaccination drive that is set to protect over a billion people from the deadly virus.

Congratulating the country for the achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians."

While India has managed to achieve a remarkable milestone, challenges still remain. Countries like the US and Israel have moved their focus to booster shots for the vulnerable and have also begun vaccinating children. India is still yet to decide on either of those fronts. Besides, the government's target of vaccinating all adults by the end of the year appears ambitious.

Also read: Historic milestone! India hits 100-crore vaccination mark

Journey so far

India approved the emergency use of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca-Oxford University on January 3 this year. The vaccine is manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India under the brand name Covishield, a two-dose regime. Another tool in the arsenal is Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, an indigenous vaccine that has failed to ramp up production to be on par with Serum's jab. Covaxin has reportedly only contributed 10-11 per cent of total vaccinations.

Hailed as the world's biggest vaccination drive by the Modi government, health workers on January 16 became the first group to receive the much-needed protection against a virus that has claimed the lives of over 49 lakh people worldwide. And in February, a category of frontline workers was formed to make them eligible for the vaccine.

India approved the third vaccine in April. Russia's Sputnik V was given a go-ahead amid rising Covid-19 cases and deaths in the country. The surge of cases snowballed into a massive second wave of the pandemic in the country with half of all Covid-19 deaths reported during the summer.

As patients filled the blocks of hospitals and ICUs across the country, the government was cornered to open vaccinations for all on May 1. But India also saw an acute shortage of vaccines as a large number of fear-driven people drove to the vaccination centres.

The month of May saw a massive dip in vaccinations, mainly owing to crunch in supplies while many states maintained restrictions to stop the spread of the virus.

Also read: India scripts history: PM Modi on 100-crore Covid-19 vaccinations

On June 12, India marked the completion of 25 crore vaccine doses -- 148 days after the vaccination drive began. Next 25 crore vaccinations came on August 26, taking 56 days this time

August also saw the approval of Zydus Cadila's Covid jab, a three-shot system that can be administered to children as young as 12. The vaccine is expected to hit the markets soon. By the end of August, half of adults in the country had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

75 crore vaccinations came on September 13, indicating steady progress in the drive. And then, on September 17, India administered a record of over 2 crore Covid-19 vaccines. The day also marked Modi's birthday.

In between, the Centre, along with civic and social groups, launched various initiatives to eradicate vaccine hesitancy in the country and encouraged people to get inoculated. Among other things, a drone delivery system was introduced to ensure vaccine delivery to remote areas of the country.

Challenges ahead

While administering 100-crore vaccine doses was not an easy task to achieve, the yawning gap between the number of people fully vaccinated and those who have received just one dose is massive. Only a third of the century figure have received both doses, while the three-month gap between the two does of Covishield continues to be in place.

And worryingly, as schools across the country slowly reopen, millions of children are yet to receive a single shot of the vaccine. Experts have also warned of complacency in the vaccination drive as Covid-19 cases in the country plateau at around 13,000 cases.

Vaccine hesitancy continues to be prevalent in pockets of rural areas, and with effectively all restrictions eased, the government faces the challenge to continue incentivising vaccinations.

Check out latest DH videos here
After India achieved the significant milestone of administering 100 crore Covid-19 vaccines on Thursday, the focus will now shift to the unvaccinated citizens and those who have only received the first dose.

According to V K Paul, member (health) Niti Ayog and Chairman of the government's Covid Task Force, the focus of the immunisation drive would now shift to ensure vaccination of the maximum number of the 94 crore eligible beneficiaries.

A little over nine months after launching the immunisation drive on January 16, nearly 75 per cent of India's 94 crore adult population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19, while 31 per cent of the total eligible beneficiaries have been fully vaccinated.

Paul said about 10 crore individuals due for their second dose of the vaccine were yet to turn up for immunisation.

It is now unfinished work that we must accomplish and send reminders to those individuals to take their second dose, he said.

India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said shortly after the 100-crore milestone was crossed around 9:50 am on Thursday.

Today, when India has achieved a #VaccineCentury, I went to a vaccination centre at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The vaccine has brought pride and protection in the lives of our citizens. pic.twitter.com/MUObjQKpga  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 21, 2021

Modi visited the RML Hospital in the national capital to acknowledge the contribution of healthcare workers who played a crucial role in the fight against Covid-19 that had crippled the world economy.

The country now has a strong protective shield of 100 crore vaccine doses. This achievement belongs to India and its citizens, the Prime Minister said.

India has relied on Serum Institute produced Covishield, indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech and Russian-made Sputnik V for the vaccination drive.

Covishield has emerged as the mainstay of the vaccination drive, accounting for 88.58 per cent of the total doses administered and Covaxin has been given to 11.46 per cent of beneficiaries. Sputnik V has been given to a miniscule number of beneficiaries.

It took us 279 days to reach here. Only 52 per cent of Indians have received at least a single dose so far. 70 million people aged 45+ are yet to get even a single dose. Miles to go, said Rijo M. John, Adjunct Professor, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences.

India celebrated the 100-crore vaccination milestone in style with ships blaring horns at various ports, public announcements being made at airports, train stations and bus terminals. The Archeological Survey of India illuminated monuments under its care to celebrate the occasion.

Check out DH's latest videos
CBI director Subodh Jaiswal himself should be considered a "potential accused" in the central agency's probe against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, the state government told the Bombay High Court on Thursday.

Senior counsel Darius Khambata, who appeared for the Maharashtra government, told a bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and S V Kotwal that from 2019 to 2020 when Jaiswal was the state Director General of Police (DGP), he was also part of the Police Establishment Board. The senior IPS officer was thus involved in decisions on transfers and postings of police officers which the CBI is now probing, the lawyer said.

Also Read | CBI raids premises of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in Nagpur, Mumbai

The Maharashtra government has challenged before the high court summons issued by the CBI to state chief secretary Sitaram Kunte and present state DGP Sanjay Pandey to record statements in connection with the agency's probe against Anil Deshmukh. Recommendations for transfers and postings were approved by Jaiswal in his capacity as DGP during Deshmukh's tenure, Khambata said.

"A CBI probe is ongoing into transfers and postings of state police officers made during former home minister Anil Deshmukh's tenure. Then the next in line (to be probed) is the Director-General of Police, who is the fulcrum, who is at the heart of the issue of transfers and postings. So having the former DGP head the investigation is like having Anil Deshmukh investigate it himself," the state's lawyer said.

Also Read | Inquiry commission re-issues warrant against Param Bir Singh for failing to appear before it

The CBI is probing allegations of corruption made by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh against Deshmukh, an NCP leader. Following an order of the Bombay High Court on April 5, 2021, the CBI conducted a preliminary inquiry into the allegations made by Singh against Deshmukh and later registered an FIR. In September this year, the CBI summoned Maharashtra chief secretary Sitaram Kunte and the present DGP Sanjay Pandey for recording statements in the case.

The Maharashtra government has moved the HC challenging the summons. Advocate Khambata also pointed out that the HC's April 5 order had said that whoever was part of the alleged corruption, even the complainant himself, must be investigated. He showed the court the minutes of meetings where Jaiswal, as part of the police establishment board, had approved transfers of several police officers. Jaiswal was present at every meeting on transfers, Khambata claimed. "So shouldn't the CBI ask Jaiswal why he recommended these transfers? But to do this, a CBI officer will have to summon and question his own director.

Also read: Param Bir Singh missing, may have fled to Russia: Report

"Even, in theory, it is absurd. It is the very antithesis of a fair investigation when the CBI director is a potential accused," the state's lawyer added. Jaiswal, who was known to be an "upright officer," must himself state that the CBI cannot go on with its probe, Khambata said.

"It will be absurd if a junior CBI officer will have to put these questions to his director. And it boggles my mind that a potential accused is heading the agency," he said. Khambata urged the HC to appoint a retired judge or some other suitable person to head the probe against Deshmukh and monitor it. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor Generals Aman Lekhi and Anil Singh, who appeared for the CBI, opposed the state's plea.

"The state's stand is disingenuous. It is a misconceived petition to delay and derange the investigation," Lekhi claimed. The court said it could not grant an interim stay to the summons as it would mean making comments on the merits of the case. It granted liberty to the CBI to file a reply and posted the matter for further hearing on October 28.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
The growing dengue cases have stressed Delhi's medical system, with visuals coming out of hospitals across the national capital flooded with patients, their attendants and visitors.

According to a report by The Indian Express, on Wednesday, ward 13 in the Department of Medicine at Safdarjung Hospital was overflowing with patients occupying the floors along three corridors and some sharing beds.

Also read: Delhi reports first death due to dengue, 723 cases

According to Dr BK Tripathi, Professor, Department of Medicine, and former head of the department, patients sharing beds or lying on the floor at the hospital is not new, though dengue cases have been stressing the system further.

In the ward, patients were on the floor in the corridors, some with bystanders accompanying them. Patients blankets and belongings were scattered around. Incidents of doctors crouched on the floor attending to the patients, families and visitors both inside and outside the ward, wanting to bring in food were also reported.

Also read: AAP, BJP spar over rise in dengue cases in Delhi

The hospital does not yet have a separate ward for dengue and other viral fevers, and ward 13 has patients with other ailments as well. We have opened a separate ward for dengue in the past when cases arose to around 40 to 60 patients daily. In the next one or two weeks, if cases keep rising, we will have to open a separate ward for dengue, Tripathi told IE.

Dengue patients from nearby districts of Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh also come to this hospital.

The capacity of each of the three wards in the medicine department is only for around 52 to 54 patients. One-third of dengue patients who report to an emergency is likely to be admitted and shifted to regular wards, the doctor added.

Check out latest DH videos here:
While Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan visited his son in the high-security Arthur Road undertrial prison as he failed to secure bail in the Cordelia cruise rave party case, the Narcotics Control Bureau widened its net and called actor Chunky Pandeys daughter Ananya Pandey for investigations.

Ananya (22), who has acted in films like Student of the Year 2 and Pati Patni aur Woh, was grilled for two-and-a-half-hours at the NCBs Ballard Estate office on Thursday and has been asked to appear once again on Friday.

A team of NCB visited her home in Bandra and took some electronic devices and summoned her - apparently based on the WhatsApp chat with Aryan Khan (23).

In fact, Aryan Khans sister Suhana Khan is known to be friends with Ananya Pandey.

Read | Cruise drugs case: Aryan Khan's judicial custody extended, Bombay HC to hear bail next week

Ananya was seen entering the NCB office along with her father Chunky Pandey, an actor who has made a mark in Bollywood as well as Bangladeshi film industry.

Just because anyone is being questioned does not mean that he or she is an accusedeven suspects and witnesses are called for investigations, said a NCB official as a NCB team left the home of Pandeys.

Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3 by the NCB after a rave party on board cruise ship Cordelia was busted while it was cast off from Mumbai for a voyage to Goa.

Maneshinde mentioned the plea before a single bench of Justice N W Sambre, seeking an urgent hearing on Friday. However, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared on behalf of NCB, sought time.

The hearing would now be next Tuesday, Aryan Khans lawyer Satish Maneshinde told reporters in Mumbai. A total of 20 persons have been arrested so far in this cruise ship case.

All the accused have been booked under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS). Aryan Khans appeal for bail has been rejected by the Esplanade Magistrate Court and the Special NDPS Court.

Meanwhile, a team of NCB visited Mannat, the residence of Shah Rukh Khan at Bandra.

However, when the news of the raid on SRKs home spread like wildfire, NCBs Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede came out with a clarification. A team of NCB visited Mannat seeking certain material related to the investigation of the case involving Aryan Khan by following due procedure of notice. It wasnt a raid as erroneously reported in certain sections/channels of media, he said.

The developments come a day after a Special NDPS Court rejected the bail plea of Aryan Khan.

Meanwhile, the Esplanade Magistrates Court extended his judicial custody till October 30.

Check out DH's latest videos
After being denied permission to hold rallies, Trinamool Congress on Thursday announced a 12-day-long "outreach programme" across Tripura with a target to "expose" the ruling BJP ahead of Assembly elections slated early next year.

TMC leader Sushmita Dev made the announcement at Agartala at a time the party alleged that several of its workers has been attacked by workers of ruling BJP while the administration denied permission to organise a rally on September 22, in which its leader Abhishek Banerjee was supposed to take part.

"People of Tripura have already become pro-Trinamool but the ruling BJP is desperately trying to create a gap by denying to hold rallies and creating an atmosphere of terror by attacking our party workers. But let us make it clear again to BJP today that Trinamool is not scared of such tactics. Since the administration and BJP is not allowing the people to come to us, we will go to the people and tell them about BJP's failure to meet the promises it made before 2017 Assembly elections and Trinamool's vision for Tripura," Dev, who was elected as Rajya Sabha member of TMC from Bengal recently, told reporters at Agartala.

Dev quit Congress in Assam and joined TMC in August.

Dev said the "outreach programme" will continue till October 31 and cover all eight districts, 58 blocks, 60 Assembly constituencies and 20 Municipality areas. "Slogan of our campaign will be Trinamool for Tripura. We will meet the farmers, shopkeepers, rickshawalas, autowalas, shopkeepers, traders, youths, women, students and tell them how BJP failed to fulfil their promises," she said.

"BJP government miserably failed to fulfil the promise of employment they made to the youths. As they can not face the next elections, they are creating division among communities and trying to create an atmosphere of fear among the opposition parties by attacking offices and workers," Subal Bhowmik, another TMC leader in Tripura said.

TMC has set up a 19-member steering committee to be headed by Dev, Bhowmik and Ashish Lal Singh for the campaign.

Elections for 60-member Assembly is slated in early next year. Municipal elections will also be held soon. "Trinamool will contest in every election and we will remove BJP from power for a better and developed Tripura," Dev said.

Trinamool set its eyes on Tripura after its victory in Bengal for the third time in May.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
Afghanistan, India and Pakistan were among 11 countries singled out by US intelligence agencies on Thursday as being "highly vulnerable" in terms of their ability to prepare for and respond to environmental and societal crises caused by climate change.

In a new National Intelligence Estimate, the Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) predicts that global warming will increase geopolitical tensions and risks to US national security over the next four decades, a senior intelligence official involved in drafting the report said.

Also Read | Heatwaves, extreme droughts in 2020 had worst impact on health: Lancet

Such estimates are broad US intelligence community assessments. Thursday's report identifies as particular "countries of concern" Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Iraq, North Korea, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua and Colombia.

Heat, drought, water availability and ineffective government make Afghanistan specifically worrying, the official said. Water disputes are also a key "geopolitical flashpoint" in India and the rest of South Asia.

The report identifies two additional regions of concern to US intelligence agencies. Climate change is "likely to increase the risk of instability in countries in Central Africa and small island states in the Pacific, which clustered together form two of the most vulnerable areas in the world."

Also Read | How to make climate action popular

The report notes disparities around global approaches to tackling climate change, saying countries that rely on fossil fuel exports to support their economies "will continue to resist a quick transition to a zero-carbon world because they fear the economic, political, and geopolitical costs of doing so."

The report also notes the likelihood of increasing strategic competition over the Arctic. It says that the Arctic and non-Arctic states "almost certainly will increase their competitive activities as the region becomes more accessible because of warming temperatures and reduced ice."

It predicts international competition in the Arctic "will be largely economic but the risk of miscalculation will increase modestly by 2040 as commercial and military activity grows and opportunities are more contested."

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
India is on the threshold of achieving the 100-crore Covid-19 vaccination mark with demand for the second dose of the jab overtaking the first dose over the past seven days.

According to the Cowin dashboard, India had administered more than 99.54 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines till 7:30 pm on Wednesday since the immunisation drive began on January 16.

Of the 46.64 lakh doses administered on Wednesday, 26.73 lakh were beneficiaries of the second dose, while 19.98 lakh persons were given the first dose of the vaccine.

The demand for the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine has overtaken the first demand for the first dose since October 13 and the trend has continued till date.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to release an audiovisual film to celebrate the landmark milestone.

Also read: Agreements signed with 11 countries for mutual recognition of Covid vaccines: Centre

As of date, 70.40 crore persons have received the first dose of the vaccine, while 29.13 crore have received both doses of the vaccine.

Government plans to make public announcements at airports, railway stations after reaching the 100 crore vaccination milestone.

Ropeway operator Usha Breco has offered free rides to first 100 double-vaccinated persons on its ropeways in Junagadh, Ambaji, Pavagadh in Gujarat, Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Palakkad and Kollam in Kerala.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

The government had told the Supreme Court that it would administer both the doses of the Covid-19 vaccines to the entire eligible population by December 31, 2021, but that target appears unlikely to be met.

While India is racing to vaccinate its population, countries such as Israel and the US have started administering booster doses. The WHO had asked developed countries to ensure that poor countries get vaccines first.

The government expects to receive 85 crore doses of vaccines between October and December this year and is looking forward to achieving the target.

India is also gearing up to vaccinate children between 2 and 18 years and has lined up two homegrown vaccines developed by Zydus Cadila and Covaxin for the purpose.

Zydus Cadila is yet to launch its vaccine for adolescents despite getting the requisite approvals. Serum Institute is also carrying out clinical trials on children for Covovax, which would be over around January.

Check out latest coronavirus-related videos from DH:
Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday called former chief minister Amarinder Singh the "architect" of the Centre's three farm laws against which farmers have been protesting at the Delhi borders.

Sidhu's remark came two days after Amarinder Singh said that he would launch his own political party and that he was hopeful of a seat arrangement with the BJP, provided the ongoing farmers' stir against farm laws was resolved in the agriculturists' interest.

Also Read | Sidhu writes to Sonia Gandhi raising issues concerning Punjab, seeks meeting with her

Amarinder Singh, who faced an unceremonious exit from the state government last month, had also said that he was looking at an alliance with like-minded parties such as breakaway Akali groups.

"The architect of three black laws Who brought Ambani to Punjab's kisani Who destroyed Punjab's farmers, small traders and labour for benefiting one-two big corporates," Sidhu tweeted in an apparent reference to farmers' allegations that big corporates will dictate terms to agriculturists with the passage of these laws.

Also Read | Forging an alliance? Amarinder Singh likely to meet Amit Shah on Monday

Amarinder Singh had resigned as the Punjab chief minister last month amid a bitter power tussle with Sidhu. Charanjit Singh Channi replaced him as the chief minister.

Hundreds of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at the Delhi borders since November 26 last year, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
Where is the Tata who can restore it to glory?
The Supreme Court on Thursday restored the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) charges against one of the accused in the 2017 murder case of activist Gauri Lankesh. It held that the stringent provisions can be invoked against a member of the crime syndicate involved in organised crimes without two previous charge sheets against him.

A three-judge bench presided over by Justice A M Khanwilkar allowed separate appeals filed by filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh, sister of slain activist Gauri Lankesh, and the state government against the High Court's decision of April 22 to quash the charges against the accused Mohan Nayak N.

Also Read | 4 years after Gauri's murder, sister says 'no one can write against govt anymore'

"Offences punishable under Section 3(2), 3(3), 3(4) or 3(5) of the KCOCA, can proceed against any person sans such previous offence registered against him if there is material to indicate that he happens to be a member of the organised crime syndicate who had committed the offences in question and it can be established that there is material about his nexus with the accused who is a member of the organised crime syndicate," the bench said.

With today's order, the possibility of the accused getting bail would become difficult during the pendency of the trial.

The top court had earlier ordered that the plea for bail moved by accused Nayak, a resident of Dakshina Kannada, after dropping of stringent charges, cannot be allowed until it decided the instant matter.

Also Read | Student leaders out on bail pay tribute to Gauri Lankesh on Sunday

The court noted the investigation by SIT has revealed that Nayak, arrested on July 18, 2018, had "intimate nexus with the brain behind the entire event being none other than Amol Kale and master arms trainer Rajesh D Bangera who are part and parcel of a crime syndicate and committed organised crimes as such".

In its judgement, the court declared if the role of the offender is merely that of a facilitator or of an abettor, the requirement of the named person being involved in more than two charge sheets registered against him in the past is not relevant.

An accused need not be a person who had a direct role in the commission of an organised crime for invoking the charges, the bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar, said.

Also Read | Canadian city declares September 5 as Gauri Lankesh Day

It said the HC's order was "manifestly wrong and cannot be countenanced". The HC exceeded its jurisdiction in quashing the charge sheet filed against Nayak.

According to the petitioners, Nayak was part of the syndicate led by Amol Kale which has committed multiple organised crimes apart from the murder of Gauri.

The plea said that charge sheets have been filed with respect to the murders of Dr Narendra Dabolkar in 2013, Govinda Pansare in 2015, Dr M M Kalburgi in 2015 and conspiracy to murder Prof Bhagavan in 2018.

Accordingly, the condition of at least two charge sheets having been filed against the syndicate in the last 10 years along with cognisance by competent court stands fulfilled," it contended.

Lankesh, a leading journalist, was killed on September 05, 2017, outside her house at Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru. Kavitha is a complainant in the case.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
Five tourists have died in Kapkot in Uttarakhands Kumaon, officials said Thursday as the death toll in the state battered by the recent rains rose to 65.

The confirmation about the death of tourists stranded near Kapkots Sunderdhunga glacier in Bageshwar district came on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted an aerial survey of the rain damage, pegged by the state government at Rs 7,000 crore.

Earlier, the official count of the dead was 60.

Apart from the five dead, one tourist was missing, officials said. Four were rescued.

About 65 tourists had been trapped on the higher reaches of Bageshwar and rescue teams ere at work to bring those still remaining there to safety, officials said.

Read | All 96 travellers from Karnataka safe in Uttarakhand

Amit Shah told reporters at the Jollygrant airport here that the alertness of the Central and state government agencies helped contain the damage in Uttarakhand.

Relief and rescue operations continued in the worst-hit Kumaon region amid efforts to restore connectivity and evacuate people from vulnerable areas.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that three days of incessant rains  which began Sunday night -- have caused damage of Rs 7,000 crore in the state.

Restoring the network of damaged roads and bridges and evacuating people to safety is the priority at the moment, he said. At 28, Nainital district has reported the maximum number of deaths.

Shah said a heavy rain alert was issued well in advance and led to precautionary steps like halting the Chardham Yatra.

"The damage could have been more if this was not done. Timely mobilisation of search and rescue teams and arrival of IAF helicopters to assist in rescue operations helped minimise the potential damage," the home minister said.

He did not announce any immediate relief package for Uttarakhand and said a detailed estimate of the loss needed to be made first.

He said the state was given Rs 250 crore a month ago considering its vulnerability to natural disasters and that can take care of the relief and rescue measures currently underway.

The Centre is with the state government and will give all support to Uttarakhand in its rehabilitation efforts, the Union minister said.

He said all blocked roads in the affected areas have been cleared, except three which suffered nearly 25-metre breaches.

Shah said 80 per cent telephone connectivity has been restored and availability of 60 per cent electricity has been ensured so far in the affected areas.

At a high-level meeting with officials and state ministers after surveying the rain-hit areas, Shah asked the Uttarakhand government to send medical teams to the affected areas to prevent the spread of disease.

Damaged power lines should be repaired at the earliest and the good coordination between central and state agencies, which was evident during the spell of heavy rains in the state, should be kept up, he said.

He also sought the state government's suggestions on better disaster management.

He said 3,500 people were rescued and 16,000 others were evacuated to safe locations.

Seventeen teams of the National Disaster Response Force, seven teams of the State Disaster Response Force, 15 teams of the Provincial Armed Constabulary and 5,000 police personnel are engaged in the relief and rescue operations in the state.

Uttarakhand Governor Gurmit Singh, Dhami, Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt and state Disaster Management Minister Dhan Singh Rawat had accompanied Shah during the aerial survey.

Due to the heavy downpour and the flooding of the Naini lake, the area around Dhobi Ghat in Nainital is experiencing major landslides, District Magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbiyal said.

Around 100 families living there have been shifted, he said.

Garbiyal said relief camps have been set up at a number of places. Twenty-five people were airlifted and six others were rescued with the help of rafts in Ramnagar, while 30 families from Sundarkhal and Ramnagar were airlifted and moved to safe locations.

Relief camps have also been set up in Puchdi area, which was flooded. Fifty-four members of 10 families living in Puchdi Nai Basti have been accommodated in a relief camp set up at the Government Girls Primary School, Poochri, he said.

Altogether 150 people were brought to Ramnagar safely in roadways buses and sent to their destinations, while 97 families affected by floods in Lalkuan have been shifted to a gurdwara and relief camps, he said.

Meanwhile, the Chardham Yatra, which was temporarily halted on October 18 due to the heavy rain alert issued by the meteorological department, resumed with pilgrims leaving for Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri from Rishikesh Chardham bus terminal and Haridwar bus stand.

Heli services for Kedarnath have also resumed. The weather at the Himalayan temples is chilly but there is no rain.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has claimed that he was told he would get Rs 300-crore bribe if he cleared two files belonging to "Ambani" and an "RSS-affiliated man" during his tenure but he cancelled the deals and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting his decision by saying there is no need to compromise on corruption.

Malik, who currently holds the gubernatorial post in Meghalaya, also supported the ongoing farmer agitation against the Centre's farm laws and said he is ready to leave his post and stand with them if their protest continues.

Also Read | Meghalaya Governor Malik supports agitating farmers, cautions Centre against offending farmers

"After going to Kashmir, two files came to me (for clearance), one belonging to Ambani and another to an RSS-affiliated man who was a minister in the previous Mehbooba Mufti-led (PDP-BJP coalition) government and claimed to be very close to the prime minister.

"I was informed by secretaries in both the departments that there is a scandal involved and I accordingly cancelled both the deals. The secretaries told me that 'you will get Rs 150 crore each for clearing the files' but I told them that I have come with five kurta-pyjamas and will leave with that only," Malik told a gathering at an event in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan.

A video of his speech has gone viral.

Also Read | BJP's policies have taken J&K back by decades, says Mehbooba Mufti

Malik did not elaborate on the two files, but he was apparently referring to a file related to the roll-out of a group health insurance policy for government employees, pensioners and accredited journalists, for which the government had tied up with Reliance General Insurance, part of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group.

In October 2018, Malik who was then the governor of J&K had cancelled the tie-up with Reliance General Insurance Company for providing the group health insurance to employees as there was "some bungling" in it.

Two days later, the governor approved foreclosure of the contract with Reliance General Insurance and referred the matter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau for examining the entire process to see whether it was conducted in a transparent and fair manner.

Also Read | It's time sections in Kashmir overcome selective dementia, condemn civilian killings: Army officer

"As a precaution, I took time from the prime minister and briefed him about the two files and the scandal as the people involved were taking his name. I straight away told him (PM) that I am ready to leave the post but if I stay back, I am not going to clear the files," he claimed and praised Modi for saying that there is no need to compromise on corruption.

Malik also alleged that Kashmir is the most corrupt place in the country. "In the whole country, four to five per cent commission is sought, but in Kashmir 15 per cent commission is demanded," he said without explaining but added that under his leadership, there was no big case of corruption reported in J&K and that he even declined a favour to his relatives in the valley.

He said after his return from Kashmir, he made a statement in favour of the agitating farmers.

Read | Security agencies probing Pak's role in J&K killings

He said that being poor is his strength and he can fight any powerful man in the country.

"If the farmer agitation continues, I will leave my post and stand with them without caring for anyone. It is possible when I have done no wrong and do not have any wrong item in my wardrobe. I am satisfied that I have not done anything wrong," he said.

Advising newly recruited officers not to budge under pressure and work honestly for the betterment of society, he asked them to remain alert against their wives who "spoil everything" by demanding more and prompting their husbands to indulge in corrupt practices.

"The pressure will come and you will also feel good (by taking bribe).... In Jaipur, there are officers who did not even have thatched houses in their native places have built palatial houses. But if you remain steadfast and honest, you can fight anyone, Malik said.

The former J&K governor said he does not have a house to live in after his retirement but "I do not have any worry that I have no house."

Malik said he had been an MLA, an MP, a union minister but the people from Rajasthan who have a lot of money would come to his place and be surprised on seeing his small accommodation.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
A 23-year old woman, daughter of a senior leader of the ruling CPI(M) here, has accused her parents of forcefully having taken away her new-born child from her soon after its birth a year ago and approached the police seeking to get the baby back.

Anupama S Chandran, daughter of CPI(M) local committee member P S Jayachandran, alleged that though she had lodged a complaint with the police several times since April, they were reluctant to register a case against the family members.

However, Peroorkkada police said a case was registered on Tuesday against six people including her parents, sister and husband and father's two friends, and said the delay was happened as they were waiting for the legal opinion. Multiple charges, under IPC Section 343 (wrongful confinement), 361 (kidnapping from wrongful guardianship), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and so on, were imposed against the accused, they said.

A former leader of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), a feeder organisation of the CPI(M), Anupama alleged that though she had submitted her complaint to the senior Marxist party leaders including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, no one had helped her to get her baby back.

"Is this the way the how the police should react when a woman approaches them with the missing complaint of her child? Do they seek legal opinion for every such case? I strongly feel that the delay was made deliberately to protect my father and family members," she told a TV channel.

According to Anupama's complaint, her parents did not like her relationship with Ajith, who was also a youth federation leader of the Left party. As the child was born out of wedlock, they had forcefully taken away the boy child, three days after she got discharged from the hospital post delivery.

She left her home in April and has been living with Ajith since then, she said. Police, however, said, her father Jayachandran admitted that the child was separated from his daughter by them but claimed during the interrogation that it was done with her consent.

"The father claimed she had given her consent in a signed stamp paper that she has no objection to hand over the child as she was not able to take care of the infant. However, the complainant said that the family had made her sign on the paper by force," a police officer told PTI.

As per the father's statement, the child was placed in the "Ammathottil", the electric cradle located in front of the state-run Child Welfare Centre at Thycaud here in October last year, he said. As per the rules of the centre, when they receive a child in the cradle, they would keep the baby with them for the next two months. he said adding that if no one comes claiming the child's ownership, they would allow the public to adopt the infant.

"We have contacted the Welfare Committee authorities...they have admitted that they received a child on the same day but not ready to reveal anything further as it is against their rules and norms regarding adoption," the police officer added. The investigation is still going on to collect more details and trace the baby, the official added.

Check out DH's latest videos:
As Kerala recovers from ravaging rainfall in the past week, a political spat is brewing in the state with the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) accusing the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government of lapses in disaster alert and management systems.

More embarrassing to the Left Front was criticism from within over the delay in implementing various flood mitigation projects mooted in the state after a visit by a delegation led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to the Netherlands in 2019.

As CM Vijayan Wednesday flayed the opposition for blindly criticising the disaster management systems, opposition leader V D Satheesan Thursday stepped up the attack by stating that Vijayan was following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's line of terming those criticising the government as anti-nationals. The chief minister was being carried out by the versions of those praising him.

Also Read | Heavy rainfall with thunderstorm lashes several parts of Kerala; Orange Alert for 8 districts

Satheesan also made specific allegations over delay in rescue teams reaching the spot where landslides occured in Idukki on Saturday morning. Even as MLAs and MPs could reach the disaster spots, rescue teams couldn't. Despite back-to-back calamities, no efforts were made to improve the weather alert system, the opposition leader said.

CPM state secretary in-charge A Vijayaraghavan accused Satheesan of making personal attacks on Vijayan, despite effective steps taken by his government.

Left-front leader Cheriyan Philip stated that the Netherland's model of flood mitigation proposed by the state government had not yet happened. A delegation headed by the CM had toured the Netherlands in 2019 but no one knows about the flood mitigation project, he criticised.

Meanwhile, Philip's criticism against the Left Front was also said to be a prelude to his plans of returning to Congress camps. He had left the Congress around two decades ago.

The opposition will be stepping up the demand for a comprehensive review of the disaster alert and management systems of the state in the Assembly next week.

Check out DH's latest videos
British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss will visit India from October 22 to 24 during which she will hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to deepen strategic ties in key sectors such as defence, trade and health.

Truss' visit will be an opportunity to review the 'Roadmap 2030' launched during the virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Boris Johnson earlier this year, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The visit will also be an opportunity to further deepen the partnership across various sectors like trade, science and technology, innovation, defence, climate, education and health, it said.

During her stay in New Delhi, Truss will hold talks with Jaishankar on Friday on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, the MEA said.

As part of the visit, Truss will also travel to Mumbai on October 23.

During the India-UK Virtual Summit between the two prime ministers held on May 4, 2021, the bilateral relationship between the two nations was elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The ties have been marked by regular high-level exchanges and growing cooperation in diverse areas, the MEA said.
Spelling no respite for Aryan Khan, a special NDPS court on Thursday extended his judicial custody till October 30, even as his bail plea is expected to come up before the Bombay High Court on October 26.

Along with Aryan Khan, the son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, the other seven accused - arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau on October 3 after the October 2 raid on a rave party aboard a cruise ship - were also sent to judicial custody till October 30 by the court.

They are: Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, Nupur Satija, Ishmeet Singh Chadna, Mohak Jaswal, Gomit Chopra and Vikrant Chhoker. Twelve others were arrested by the NCB during the subsequent investigations.

Read | Shah Rukh Khan visits Arthur Road Jail to meet son Aryan

Aryan Khan's judicial custody was set to expire on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, Justice N W Sambre of the Bombay High Court posted to October 26 the hearing of the bail application of Aryan Khan, who was declined bail by the Special NDPS Court on Wednesday.

The matter came up before Justice Sambre with Khan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde seeking an urgent hearing on Friday or Monday.

However, Justice Sambre decided to take up the matter on Tuesday next only.

Following a swoop on a cruise ship by the NCB, Aryan Khan, along with Merchant and Dhamecha and the five others, was detained and arrested on October 3, and has since remained in custody for the past 20 days.

He was sent on a day's NCB remand by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R M Nerlikar till October 4, and this was extended till October 7. He was then sent to two weeks' judicial custody, till October 21.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
Hailing Indias vaccination programme on the day it surpassed the 100-crore mark, the Organized Medicine Academic Guild (OMAG) has urged the government to make the drive more even across the country.

While states like Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim are the best-performing ones, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand are still lagging behind with a lower rate of either single-dose or fully vaccinated people in their population than the average national single-dose rate of 51 per cent and fully vaccination rate of 20 per cent of population, OMAG stated.

OMAG, a federation of 15 professional associations of post-graduate doctors in India, said time is of prime essence because all eligible people should be fully vaccinated worldwide within a limited time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is aiming for all countries to fully vaccinate 70 per cent of their population by June 2022, India plans to do that in the next 70 days and the speed chosen is 2 crore vaccines per day.

Vaccines should round the clock, maybe in two shifts of total 16 hours, 8 am till midnight. It should be available all days of the week irrespective of holidays. On public holidays, they should work overtime with a higher workforce. Mobile vaccination vans should come handy, OMAG Secretary General Ishwar Gilada and president Suneela Garg said in a press statement.

Garg called on NGOs to help people who do not have access to digital services and also asked to simplify the walk-in process.

According to OMAG, the Centre has 70 days to fully vaccinate the adult population and the administration needs to gear up to achieve that goal.

There are six vaccines currently approved in India from mid-2021 onwards but only three vaccines are being currently administered, led by Covishield which has been administered to 89 per cent of the beneficiaries. We need to ensure production of all vaccines approved in India matches scale as well and all those approved are being rolled out in the Covid vaccination programme, Gilada said.

Doing so will also help India have a much bigger stock of Covid vaccines for its Vaccine Maitri programme to help other nations. That will also generate foreign capital via exports for our domestic manufacturers, he said.
A team of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) visited the residence of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Mannat, at Bandra in Mumbai to collect some documents related to Aryan Khan.

NCB's Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede clarified that no raids were conducted at Mannat.

Mumbai | NCB team visited Shah Rukh Khan's residence to collect some documents related to Aryan Khan. No raids were conducted at 'Mannat: NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

In a related development, an NCB team also visited the home of actor Ananya Panday, the daughter of Chunky Panday. Aryan Khans sister Suhana Khan is known to be friends with Ananya Panday. The anti-drugs agency has summoned Ananya Panday for questioning today in a drugs-related case, according to ANI.

The agency is investigating WhatsApp chats between Aryan Khan and Pandey.

Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan visited his son in the high-security Arthur Road undertrial prison even as the Bombay High Court posted the bail application plea of the 23-year-old for hearing on October 26.

Also Read  Shah Rukh Khan visits Arthur Road Jail to meet son Aryan

Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3 by the NCB after a rave party on cruise ship Cordelia, on its way from Mumbai to Goa, was busted.

The hearing would be on Tuesday, Aryan Khans lawyer Satish Maneshinde told reporters in Mumbai. Maneshinde mentioned the plea before a single bench of Justice N W Sambre, seeking an urgent hearing on Friday. However, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared on behalf of NCB, sought time.

A total of 20 persons have been arrested so far. All the accused has been booked under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS).

Aryan Khans appeal for bail has been rejected by the Esplanade Magistrate Court and the Special NDPS Court.

Check out latest DH videos here
World leaders applauded India as the Covid-19 vaccination drive crossed the 100-crore doses milestone, saying it had brought the world closer to defeating the global pandemic and achieving vaccine equity.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus were among those who congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the landmark achievement.

I applaud Indias successes in fighting Covid-19 at home and for its efforts to help end the pandemic in the Indo-Pacific region and well beyond, said Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State.

Maldives president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih thanked India for supporting the Maldives in its fight against Covid-19 and vaccination efforts.

Read | After 100-crore mark, focus now on the unvaccinated, second dose

Congratulations to @narendramodi on leading India's successful Covid-19 vaccination campaign that has now administered more than 1 billion vaccines to the Indian people, Bennett said.

Bennett said these life-saving vaccines were helping all defeat the global pandemic.

Ghebreyesus congratulated Modi, scientists, health workers and people of India on their efforts to protect the vulnerable populations from Covid-19 and achieve vaccine equity targets.

Tshering said the feat was a huge accomplishment not just for India, but the world.

India thanked Bhutan for his wishes and his appreciation for the Vaccine Maitri initiative.

Under Vaccine Maitri India has so far delivered around 66.3 million doses of vaccines to 95 countries, including Canada, Britain, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Nepal, South Africa, Ukraine and Bahrain.

Rajapaksa congratulated Modi, the medical community and frontliners of India for achieving this mammoth task.

The way forward & adjusting to the new normal while staying safe is highly dependent on a successful vaccination drive. Congratulations on reaching this milestone, he said.

Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan and Malawi President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera also congratulated India on its achievement of administering 1 billion vaccination doses.

Congratulations, India, on this historic milestone! This impressive achievement brings the world closer to overcoming the pandemic. I salute the efforts of doctors, nurses and all frontline workers, Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India said.

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera said vaccine accessibility was the key to building back better and stronger.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
Paris, prince of Troy, stole Helen, the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. Menelaus led a war against Troy, killing Paris. Helens beauty inspired Christopher Marlowe to gush Was this the face that launched a thousand ships...Sweet Helen make me immortal with a kiss. Whether Helen wished to return to her husband is a matter of conjecture, but the romance of waging a war to repossess a stolen bride continues. On a less heroic scale, Air India, an enchanting bride, was snatched from the Tata empire through nationalisation in 1953. While one can imagine what passions drive men to wage a war to repossess the women they loved, one wonders what possessed Ratan Tata to retrieve Air India, now an impoverished relict.

JRD Tata, the passionate founder of Air India and its chairman until 1977, competed against legendary international airlines  Pan Am, American, United from the US; British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, from Europe; and Japan Airlines, Cathay and Quantas in the East  and earned fulsome praise for operational efficiency and reliability, winning customers. It was no mean achievement. But JRD excelled them in service excellence. He created a distinctive identity and an aura that surrounded the airline. Long before Singapore Airlines created the iconic Singapore Girl, Air Indias air hostesses in their fine silk sarees embodied Indias unique, vibrant and diverse culture  sophisticated, yet traditional with understated elegance and grace.

JRD was a towering figure. It is well known that he was Indias first licensed pilot in 1929. In 1932, he flew Indias first commercial flight, carrying mail and two passengers from Karachi to Chennai via Mumbai on a single-engine hopping flight. That saw the birth of Tata Airlines, which became Air India in 1946. It was a pioneering feat.

But what is less known is that he was a daredevil. In 1930, Prince Aga Khan announced an Air Race for Indian nationals, with a prize for the winner of the first solo flight from England to India, or vice versa, to be completed within six weeks from the start. JRD took the challenge, and so did two other intrepid pilots  Manmohan Singh from Rawalpindi and Aspy Engineer, who had just turned 18. The latter two took off separately from Croydon, England. JRD embarked on his flight from Karachi in the opposite direction. Manmohan damaged his aircraft en route, but managed to reach Karachi after six weeks.

Feisty Aspy Engineer, (who later became the second Chief of the Indian Air Force) flying across Europe had a snag and landed at the remote Aboukir airstrip in the desert near Alexandria in Egypt, needing spark plugs. JRD, taking off from Karachi, lost his way due to a faulty compass, zigzagged via Haifa, Cairo, and also landed at Aboukir and ran into his competitor Aspy. The inherent magnanimity of JRD came to the fore. Both were flying Gypy Moths. Without a thought, JRD gifted Aspy four of his spare spark plugs  which he had kept for himself as reserve in such an eventuality. And soon, both took off in opposite directions and reached their destinations. Aspy won the Aga Khan Prize, beating JRD by two and a half hours. Imagine their grit flying through thunderstorms, high turbulence and fog, over mountains and deserts with just a map and compass. GPS did not exist then.

JRD combined in himself the magical qualities that make a great leader. Vision, magnanimity, charity, insight, decisiveness in complex situations, courage, talent for grooming younger people, and immense charisma.

While JRD also showed remarkable entrepreneurial foresight and set up Tata Motors, Titan, TCS, Voltas and Air India, he founded institutions like the Tata Memorial Centre for Cancer Research and Treatment, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research  which together enhanced the fortunes and the image of the Tatas, and of India.

But what were the unique traits that distinguished him to build a great airline that was both successful and endearing?

JRD could see the big picture and yet never lost sight of the finer details. He would walk the aisles, converse with passengers, make meticulous notes and follow up with letters to departmental heads. On flights, he would wipe any stains on the coffee cups and jugs. He once went into the lavatory, rolled up his sleeves and scrubbed the toilet. The airline staff got the message. With his intuitive Parisian taste for elegance (his mother was French, and he grew up in France as a child), he took great interest in the design of cabin ambience and in the attire and coiffure of the air hostesses (which never appeared like uniforms); he paid attention to the cuisine and the music that wafted through the cabin, which enchanted passengers as they came on board. With flights on time and flawless operations, Air India became the true pride and brand ambassador for the new nation that had just emerged from its dark past.

Ratan Tatas achievements are considerable. He transformed the Tatas into a global behemoth after taking over from JRD, acquiring companies like Tetley, Jaguar and Land Rover, and Corus Steel. But when you look at the recent acquisition of Air India which is drowning in debt, with two of his other airlines also haemorrhaging cash, you begin to wonder if he is chasing a mirage, carried away by sentiment and ego in repossessing an ideal that no longer exists. Its a starkly different world today from the JRD era.

The present generation of leaders at the helm of affairs at Tata companies were all born after the 1950s and were in their late-20s when JRD was sacked as chairman of Air India by the Janata Party government in 1977 (although he returned to it briefly after Indira Gandhi returned to power). None of them have first-hand experience of the great leadership and managerial qualities of JRD  save for Ratan Tata, who was groomed under him, but who is now 84. We all romanticise the past, but who among the phalanx of leaders in the Tata group can fill the shoes of JRD to overcome what seems like an insurmountable challenge from the likes of Indigo, SIA and Emirates? Can an external professional CEO pull it off?

Air India is now in the kitty. Tatas must move with lightning speed. The challenges seem daunting. But everything is possible. As Walt Disney said, If you can dream it, you can do it.

(The writer is a soldier, farmer and entrepreneur)
The revelation of names of national leaders, celebrities and billionaires in the Pandora Papers shows how they have used the services of 14 offshore providers to hide their wealth or pay less tax. The media has already published some sensational stories of how the icons of industrial houses, sportspersons and those with links to politicians have routed illicit financial transactions, stashing away billions. Simultaneously, we have seen the statements issued by these people denying any wrongdoing or illegality, and asserting that they have followed the rule of law.

Offshore service providers put in their professional expertise to advise their clients on how to move their wealth secretly from one destination to other, ostensibly all within legal boundaries. But the ICIJ has unearthed documents that reveal the setting up of dubious structures and trusts in tax havens to hide wealth.

These cross-border financial flows are backed and facilitated by well-organised network of offshore tax havens that rely on intermediaries or enablers. They are not just passive facilitators, they are often active and aggressive purveyors of illicit financial flows. They include tax advisers, financial institutions like banks, and corporate trust providers.

Read more: Kamal Nath's son, AgustaWestland accused Rajiv Saxena on Pandora Papers list: Report

According to Prem Sikka, Professor of Accounting at the Business School, University of Essex, UK, The big four accounting firms -- PWC (Price Waterhouse Coopers), Deloitte, EY (Ernst and Young) and KPMG -- are the epicentres of global tax avoidance industry, adversely impacting and subverting democracy. His study in 2012 revealed that annual tax avoidance in developing countries due to this was about $500 billion. In comparison, the total foreign aid disbursed by the developed countries is about $120 billion per year.

These companies have enormous political and economic clout, as their combined revenue earnings amount to that of the 55th largest economy in the world. Their past history shows dealings with questionable regimes and dictators. Their motive is to make profits by providing opportunities for elites to transfer wealth from poor nations to the safe jurisdictions of tax havens.

It is too naive to accuse tax havens of facilitating these capital flows. In reality, they are just conduits to extract wealth from the global south to the global north, serving bigger financial centres like New York and the City of London. The illegal money from the poorer countries is laundered to make it legal and eventually it reaches the final destinations, especially in the US and Europe. The Pandora Papers have confirmed this to be the case.

What is intriguing is that these illicit flows of money are uni-directional: to the coffers of the old empires, the colonial rulers. In the post-colonial era, the elites established sophisticated mechanisms to take their assets to offshore jurisdictions to continue the extraction of wealth, protecting the interests of old colonial rulers and setting up this new empire.

For the old empires, wealth was created by the exploitative system of slavery and colonial resource exploitation. The all-pervasive and powerful new empire is dominated by the US and Europe, which perpetuate the global system of wealth extraction through tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions.

World leaders hail the economic rise of China and India. But these claims sound so hollow when we see that the wealth created by exploiting people and natural resources through a few billionaires ends up in tax havens, enriching the new axis of the global offshore economy.

The world has never seen this level of amassing of wealth and power, concentrated in the hands of a few, leading to inequitable distribution and widening the gap between rich and poor. This is already unprecedented in human history, but we are only just getting started on digital transactions that can move capital and wealth seamlessly.

This has resulted in the erosion of democratic and human values. Modes of capitalistic production, based on the profit motive as the sole objective instead of community good, will not only create tensions within humanity, but as the signs show, we are annihilating other creatures on the planet in the process.

We need tectonic shifts in global governance to address this challenge that threatens humanity. The Pandora Papers are an indication of the failure of a so-called successful model. The faultlines were evident in the financial crisis of 2008 and the Panama Papers revelations in 2016. But we failed to take note and enact measures to address the structural problems of modern industrial civilisation.

The revelations of the names of prominent Indians in the recent expose show how these links of global capital are being reinforced by global financial systems.

Recall the rhetoric of our Pradhan Sevak to bring back all the offshore money and deposit it into every citizens account? Well, that was the political promise before elections; the reality is now in front of us, revealed by the Pandora Papers.

Let us hope his government takes measures at least to halt the further draining of the countrys wealth to secret destinations in the service of the new empires that our elites and politicians serve.

(The writer is an environmental activist)
The most obvious takeaway from the October 16 Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting was Sonia Gandhi's if you allow me to say so message to the change-seekers, popularly known as the 'G-23' leaders who want an "effective and full-time" leadership in the party. Sonia was blunt when she said that she is a "full-time and hands-on" party president who appreciates "frankness" but who feels that there is no need to speak to her through the media. The last 186 words of Sonias 967-word introductory speech stamped the Gandhi familys authority over the party and made clear her displeasure over the rebellion against Rahul Gandhi.

But this nearly four-hour-long meeting was not just about pushing the rebels to a corner but also about setting the stage for the return of ideology to the centre-stage. Rahul, the former party president, made a brilliant intervention during the meeting espousing the ideology of the party, if at least three senior members of the CWC are to be believed. Soon after, the CWC finalised a continuous training programme for leaders and workers from top to bottom on party ideology, policy, expectation from party workers, election management and countering propaganda among others. A first-of-its-kind for the Congress!

Also Read  I am full-time and hands-on Congress president: Sonia Gandhi to G-23 at key CWC meet

With Rahul indicating that he would consider returning to the hot seat, the fresh focus on ideology assumes significance, as its successful roll-out would have a bearing on his authority. At the CWC meet, he emphasised the need for party functionaries to have ideological clarity and firmness. With the desertions to the BJP, including by Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada, who were close to him, apparently weighing on him, Rahul highlighted that the party workers need to be ideologically and intellectually equipped to counter the BJP/RSS. He told them that only the Congress could choose a Dalit or a woman or a minority community member to be a chief minister, a bridge the RSS would not dare to cross.

Post-2014, the Congress has been in confusion on what course it should take to counter the Hindutva surge. There was a sort of identity crisis following the right-wing surge across the globe. The realisation that the majority community has tilted towards the BJP/RSS prompted a section in the Congress to temper its pro-minorities stance while some others wanted it to become a Hindu party, with the North Indian Hindu votes in mind, against the Sangh-sponsored Hindutva. Rahul himself did temple-hopping, was described as a janeu-dhari Hindu and did not shy away from proclaiming himself a Shiva devotee. Priyanka Gandhi recently opened her speech at a rally in Varanasi with a Hindu hymn. With waning electoral success, many in the Congress were also seen less enthusiastic about countering the BJP/RSS, a perennial complaint Rahul had.

Read more: Any person from outside Gandhi family should become next Congress chief, not Rahul Gandhi: Athawale

Rahul himself provided an example of the differences of perception within the party at the CWC meeting. In October 2015, he had wanted to meet the family of Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob on suspicion that he had stored beef at his home, but a section of senior leaders were against Rahul doing so. They tried to convince him against visiting the family, fearing that his visit could be politically counter-productive. But he did visit the family. This was not the first time that he expressed his dismay at the way the leaders thought the party should fight the BJP. His resignation letter after the 2019 Lok Sabha election debacle amplified his anguish: At times, I stood alone, and am extremely proud of it, he had written.

While the party seeks to turn a new leaf, it may not be easy for the leadership to bring the focus back on what the Congress stands for. Its young supporters are unhappy at the drift in the party and impatient at the way the anti-BJP counter is designed, with many feeling that the seniors approach has passed its expiry date.

For long, the Congress has been a loose confederation of ideas where every thought has space. But with the political landscape changing drastically with the election of a government under Narendra Modi, a section in the Congress believes that it cannot remain the way it was. However, there is division within this group. One section feels that Rahul is pushing the Congress to the left from the centre, sometimes going a bit too far. They argue that Congress is a centrist party and it should not take a radical turn. They view Rahuls dalliance with the left in the country suspiciously and detest the new presence of people like Kanhaiya Kumar in his circle.

Many are also keenly watching to see what line the Congress will take on the economy. With the countrys exacerbating economic woes, especially after Covid-19, the Congress has tweaked its priorities. Rahul himself made a rare admission this September when he said that the economic reforms ushered in in 1991 had run their course by 2012 (the UPA lost power two years later) and that a new approach is needed to come out of the mess India is in. He said the Congress knows the way out but did not spell it out. An out-and-out left turn is not anticipated, but one cannot miss the partys stand on the farm laws and labour issues in recent times, which a senior leftist parliamentarian says is very surprising as he had not expected Congress to take such a stand.

The political situation requires out-of-the-box thinking. The Congress knows that winning is important but realises that ideology-less functioning with just elections in mind, which election strategists sell, will not work. The partys focus recently shows that it realises that the fight is based on the political economy. However, it is aware of the role caste and religion play in Indian democracy. It also acknowledges that the BJP has taken the political space the Congress once held and added its majoritarian tinge to it. A challenging task stares the Congress in the face. If it has to win, it will have to ideologically equip the cadre to take on the BJP/RSS on the political economy while ensuring that it does not lose the plot on issues of caste and religion.

Check out the latest DH videos:
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwats demand that the operating rights of Hindu temples should be handed over to Hindus and their wealth should be utilised only for the welfare of Hindus is a misconceived and mischievous idea, aimed at political control and not any better management of temples. Though the RSS claims to be a cultural organisation, its core is religion and its operating system is political.

The demand for management of temples by Hindus is driven by the idea that control of temples would give it and its allied organisations access to and sway over the minds of devotees. There are countless temples in India, big and small, and the expectation may be that they could serve as nodal political points for organisations that claim to represent Hindus. That is misuse and exploitation of the religious sentiments and devotion of the people. In any case, Hindus have not given any organisation or person the right to speak for them.

It is significant that Bhagwat said temples in South India are fully controlled by state governments. It so happens that Sangh Parivar organisations have not been able to gain dominance in the South, and it may not be an accident that a campaign to free temples from government control was launched in Tamil Nadu before the Assembly elections there earlier this year. There is no case for governments to exit from managing temples and for handing them over to devotees. In many cases, temples have been traditionally managed by governments -- in olden times by kings, later by the British government, and still later by state governments, and administered by their representatives. When governments took over temples, it was because they were mismanaged by their owners  individuals, families or private institutions  or to overcome the caste barriers to temple entry. The management of temples by governments is done under relevant laws, and their right to do so have been upheld by courts.

At the practical level, it is not clear who the devotees are to whom the temples have to be handed over. How are they to be identified? If governments step back, powerful and vested private interests will take over the temples. Some temples are very rich and will attract people who will make a business of them. It is also likely that some wrong and regressive social practices and customs that once prevailed in temples will come back. Some of these social evils and attitudes are already finding a resurgence in society. Bhagwats demand should be seen in that context. If indeed he wants temples to be privatised, perhaps he should begin by asking the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh to begin with the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Check out the latest DH videos:
Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE on Thursday said that data from a Phase III trial demonstrated high efficacy of a booster dose of their Covid-19 vaccine against the virus, including the Delta variant.

They said that a trial of 10,000 participants aged 16 or older showed 95.6% effectiveness against the diseases, during a period when the Delta strain was prevalent.

The study also found that the booster shot had a favourable safety profile.

Also Read | WHO chief congratulates PM Modi, health workers as India hits 100 crore Covid vaccine milestone

Pfizer had said its two-shot vaccine's efficacy drops over time, citing a study that showed 84% effectiveness from a peak of 96% four months after a second dose. Some countries had already gone ahead with plans to give booster doses.

The drugmakers said that the median time between the second dose and the booster shot or the placebo in the study was around 11 months, adding that there were only five cases of Covid-19 in the booster group, compared with 109 cases in the group that received the placebo shot.

"These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.

Also Read | AstraZeneca's new antibody treatment could offer up to 18 months protection against severe Covid-19

The median age of the participants was 53 years, with 55.5% of participants between 16 and 55 years, and 23.3% at 65 years or older.

The companies said they would submit detailed results of the trial for peer-reviewed publication, to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency, and other regulatory agencies as soon as possible.

US and EU regulators have already authorised a third dose of Covid-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Inc for patients with compromised immune systems who are likely to have weaker protection from the two-dose regimens.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
Released: October 21, 2021

Voters may cast a vote-by-mail ballot by mail, drop box, or at the Voter Service Center

Delaware County Elections must receive completed vote-by-mail applications no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 26 from voters who have not yet applied and prefer to vote with an absentee or mail-in ballot for the November 2, 2021 Municipal Election.

With only days remaining before the deadline, voters are advised to use the online Ballot Request Application form at www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/OnlineAbsenteeApplication, or in-person at our Delaware County Voter Service Center at the Government Center Building, 201 W. Front St., in Media.

Voters who applied two weeks ago or more and who have not received a ballot is advised to visit the Voter Service Center at the Government Center in Media to request a replacement ballotor cancel their vote-by-mail ballot and vote in precinct on Election Day.

Voters who visit the Voter Service Center can register to vote, request a vote-by-mail ballot (or a replacement for a missing, damaged, lost or spoiled ballot), receive the ballot, complete it, and submit it during the same visit.

The Voter Service Center is located in the Government Center Building, 201 W. Front St., in Media, and is open Mon., Tue., Thurs., Fri. from 8:30 a.m.  4:30 p.m., Wed. from 8:30 a.m.  8 p.m.; Sat. from 9 a.m.  12 noon., and Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Voters who are unsure if they have requested a vote-by-mail ballot for this electionor have submitted an application but have to receive their ballotare advised to contact the Delaware County Election Hotline at (610) 891-VOTE to confirm the status of their registration and ballot. The Delaware County Election Hotline is available Mon. - Fri. from 8:30 a.m.  4:30 p.m.

Uniformed service members, their families, and citizens residing outside of the United States must complete a Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Federal Post Card Application, available at www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/fpca.pdf.

Dont Vote Naked!

All Pennsylvania mail-in and absentee ballots that are returned without being enclosed in the secrecy envelope will be disqualified, per State law. Such ballots are called Naked Ballots, and will not be counted.

Voters are reminded to carefully follow the vote-by-mail instructions enclosed with their ballot. Their completed ballot should first be placed in the smaller secrecy envelope marked OFFICIAL ELECTION BALLOT, which then should be sealed. Next, the secrecy envelope containing the completed ballot is then placed in the larger bar-coded return envelope marked VOTERS DECLARATION and then signed, dated and sealed.

Voters may return the completed bar-coded envelope via the US Post Office (the return envelope is postage-paid); at the Delaware County Voter Service Center in Media, or at any one of the more than 40 official Delaware County ballot drop boxes.

Ballot Drop Boxes

All Delaware County ballot drop boxes, in more than 40 locations across the County, are now open and accepting vote-by-mail ballots. Drop box locations are listed at delcopa.gov/dropbox. Voters should be aware that, per Pennsylvania state law, the third-party return of ballots is prohibited unless the person returning the ballot is rendering assistance to a disabled voter or an emergency absentee voter. Such assistance requires a declaration signed by the voter and the person rendering assistance. Copies of this form can be found on the Delco Votes! website at delcopa.gov/vote.
Derry, NH (03038)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 27F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 27F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
St. Josephs Boys School in Creggan was the setting for a visit from SDLP leader Colum Eastwood.

He was there at the invitation of the sixthform politics students to speak about his work as an MP, how the House of Commons operates and the challenges of his role as a public representative.

Politics is a very popular subject in St. Josephs sixth form at present where there are currently in excess of 40 pupils.

In addition to the schools own pupils, students from other schools attend as part of the Foyle Learning Community.

This year, St. Josephs deliver the subject to students from St. Marys College, St. Cecilias College, Foyle College and Lisneal College. Indeed, the Westway school is the first in the North to offer a GCSE in politics.

The event was chaired by Peter Smith, the Head of Department for Government and Politics. As a self-confessed political anorak, it was very clear in his opening remarks that Mr. Smith was delighted to be hosting such an event.

He started by reminding the audience that the last time Colum Eastwood was in the school was to debate with Elisha McCallion in November 2019. Elisha McCallion was then the sitting MP and Colum Eastwood agreed that it was a full-blooded and feisty encounter. Of course, in the subsequent election in December 2019 Mr Eastwood recorded a 17,000 majority over his rival, one which resulted in a major overhaul of the Sinn Fein party in Derry.

Free run for the DUP

The Foyle MP opened about his representative role as an Member of Parliament at Westminster and as the current party leader of the SDLP. He first entered local politics at the age of 22 and spoke about the importance of democracy.

He reminded the audience that their grandparents had marched for civil rights in Derry in the 1960s and one of the key demands at that time was the right to vote.

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood pictured at St. Josephs Boys School on Friday afternoon with Mr. Peter Smith, teacher and students from St. Josephs, St. Cecilias, St. Marys, Foyle and Lisneal Colleges. The Year 13/14 students took part in a Political Debate/ Q&A with the MP. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)

He bemoaned the fact that from 2017 to 2019 there was no representation for Irish nationalists in the House of Commons.

During this period the composition of MPs from the North were: 10 DUP, one Independent Unionist and seven Sinn Fein who were abstentionist.

In his opinion, this composition skewed the political debate and gave the DUP MPs a free run. The voice of Irish Nationalists was silenced.

Punching above their weight

There are currently 650 MPs in the House of Commons with the SDLP holding two seats. It would be foolhardy to suggest that the SDLP play a key role at Westminster and Mr. Eastwood conceded this.

However, he did present a cogent case that the party was able to punch above its weight.

The party is given speaking rights which are not commensurate with their numbers. He confessed that he is a good 'bobber, - a reference to the practice of standing and sitting which MPs engage in to catch the Speakers eye in Parliament.

He explained both Claire Hanna and himself got their voices heard and they wee now able to present a more judicious appraisal to Parliament of the effects of Brexit than that which would have been the case 2017-2019.

He then gave an insight into the machinations of Parliament where the SDLP regularly liaise with the celtic nationalist parties (the SNP and Plaid Cymru) to work against the Tories.

This is combined with working closely with the British Labour Party to create a Centre Left Axis in Parliament voting against Tory legislation pertaining to Brexit, Covid and Universal Credit in recent times.

Priorities for Derry'

Sean Kerr, a Year 13 student, posed the question about the MPs priorities for Derry. Mr. Eastwood identified four key areas which he was exercised about. The first was the expansion of Magee to 10,000 students. This would be transformational for the city. He was confident that such a target would attract investment and go some way towards ending emigration.

A second priority would be for Derry to be designated a 'Free Port' which would regenerate 1,000 acres of land around Lisahally port.

Colum Eastwood addressing questions at the debate on Friday afternoon in St. Josephs Boys School.. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)

In the MPs opinion, this would be a game changer for the region.

His third consideration was the looming crisis over energy and the reduction in Universal Credit, which, he said, would have a profound impact on many families in Derry.

A further pressing concern was the current British Governments policy towards legacy issues. Mr. Eastwood considered this policy to be an affront to justice and one which he is not prepared to accept.



Mandatory Vaccination

The Foyle MP has certainly been bold in recent weeks advocating a mandatory vaccination programme. It would be fair to say that this was a divisive issue among the students. Several spoke passionately about their right to decide what should be put in their body. He conceded that people had a right to be unvaccinated but that this came with consequences. Their right to reject the vaccine should not put others in society at risk. He claimed that this was now a pandemic of the unvaccinated and that he wished to avoid another lockdown.

In his opinion, vaccine passports would ensure life could return to normal. Mr. Eastwood claimed that over the course of recent days his constituency office had been the target of anti-vaccine protesters. This exchange certainly raised the political temperature in the room.



PR v FPTP

Thomas McGowan asked about the voting system used at Westminster and whether it was fit-for-purpose? Westminster elections use the First-Past-the-Post system whereas Assembly elections are settled on the basis of Proportional Representation.

Mr. Eastwood concurred that reform was needed. He gave the example of the Green Party in Britain receiving some 850,000 votes at the last election yet they had only one MP.

He said the FPTP system was outdated, and reform was long overdue.

Bigger scandal than RHI

Che McMonagle, Year 14, was annoyed that young people aged 16 and 17 were denied the right to apply for the Spend Local 100 voucher. He was perplexed that as a worker who paid National Insurance she could not avail of this benefit. Mr. Eastwood compared the voucher scheme to the RHI scandal where vast amounts of public money were squandered. He questioned the rationale of giving the voucher to every citizen over 18 including those who did not require it. He claimed that MLAs made the expedient and popular decision rather than the right one.

He suggested that the money would have been better spent on health or to deal with the looming crisis pertaining to cuts in universal credit. Furthermore, he did not share the optimism of the Minister that it would be spent locally.

Period Poverty

One of the students then raised the issue of period poverty. The Foyle MP responded that he was proud that his colleague in the Assembly, Pat Catney, had proposed legislation on this very issue. He thought it was pretty cool that a man had brought the Bill forward but conceded that the legislation is too slow for such an important issue.

Centenary of Partition

It was sure to happen! Niamh Lamberton (St Marys Year 13) questioned whether it was right for the SDLP to attend centenary of partition eent. Mr. Eastwood dismissed the view that it was a celebration of any sort. He made it clear that he was opposed to partition, that this was a religious service to mark partition and that it was an event which happened in our shared past.

Mr. Eastwood made the salient point that he was also opposed to Bloody Sunday and World War One but he still marked these events. He believed it was the right thing to do and that Nationalists needed to stretch themselves and to be inclusive if they were to build a new Ireland. He even speculated that the late Martin McGuinness would have attended such an event.

Misogyny

In light of the Sarah Everard case, Amelie McDermott posed the question on whether the SDLP had a policy on the abuse towards women. Colum Eastwood was unequivocal  there needed to be a law against misogyny. He argued that domestic abuse is the biggest problem and that support for women needs to be more accessible. In the current climate he was certain that we need a clear strategy for protecting women and girls.

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood pictured at St. Josephs Boys School where he took part in a Political Debate Q&A with Year 13/14 students from St. Josephs, St. Marys College, Lisneal College,, St. Cecilias and Foyle. Included from left are Ben Bonner, Conor McKendrick, Abdullah Khello, Head Boy, Mr. Peter Smith, teacher, Shea gallagher, Deputy Head boy, Liam Shiels and Callum McLaughlin. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)

The chair Mr. Smith, thanked Colum Eastwood for his attendance. As the photographs were taken Mr Eastwood indicated to Mr. Smith that he was receiving disturbing news on his phone. Twitter was reporting a stabbing incident involving a Conservative MP. It was a sobering end to the event and a reminder of the dangers that public representatives face in the execution of their duties.

This is the first of a number of similar events the school hope to hold in the coming months with invited guests taking part in debates and Q&As with students.
Emraan Hashmi says he was in Turkey to shop while Salman-Katrina shot for Tiger 3, says he's 'loving all the gossip'

Emraan Hashmi playing the villain in Salman Khans highly anticipated Tiger 3 has been a subject of news for several months now. The Chehre star who has on occasion been probed about his involvement with the project has always been vague about his response. His lean and muscular physical transformation during the time of these reports going the rounds has only added fuel to the fire.

While the actor had previously doused rumours of starring in Tiger 3, rumours came alive again as Emraan headed to Turkey at the same time when Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif were shooting a schedule of the film there. He was once again confronted about Tiger 3 on the sidelines of the trailer launch of his film Dybbuk and talking about his Turkey visit Emraan told New 18, I just went to Turkey for shopping. I bought some evil eyes from there.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emraan Hashmi (@therealemraan)

When prodded further about the coincidence about being in Turkey and Austria while Tiger 3 was being shot there, Emraan said, Let there be peoples judgments and assumptions about me. I am loving all the gossip and how people are intrigued about my work. I never agreed or denied being part of the film (smiles).

The actor talked about his chiseled physique too and added that he simply worked on his fitness since there was not much else to do during the lockdown.

Tiger 3 is expected to be the biggest film of the blockbuster action franchise yet. Emraan had earlier addressed the rumours of being in Tiger 3 while telling Pinkvilla, Who told you what I have already shot for it? People are saying this, but I have not shot for the film. In-fact, I am not a part of the film. I dont know why people are saying this. I have never given a quote or never said that I am doing the film.
Kriti Sanon is now a tenant of Amitabh Bachchan, will move into megastar's Andheri apartment soon

Actress Kriti Sanon is now a tenant of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. According to reports, the actress was on a lookout for a new rented home in Mumbai and her search came to end after seeing a duplex apartment in Andheri which is owned by the megastar.

A Pinkvilla report states that Kriti loved the space upon visiting and has now rented Big Bs Andheri home now. The actress will soon be moving into the house.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan)

In other news, Kriti is also going to be a guest on Amitabh Bachchans quiz show soon. The star had earlier this week posted a lovely picture with the actress as they enjoyed some ballroom dancing on KBC 13 sets.

The actress is on a roll, starring in back-to-back films and her next Hum Do Humare Do with Rajkummar Rao soon headed for release later this month on Netflix. She was last seen in Mimi playing a surrogate mother and her performance was widely lauded by the audience.

In her list on upcoming projects are films like Adipurush, Bhediya, Bachchan Pandey, Ganapath and the actress is said to be in talks for a remake of Kill Bill helmed by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap.
Kriti Sanon will own 2022, and her 5 releases of the year are proof

2021 has been huge hit for Kriti Sanon. The actress lead her first solo female centric film and landed a top notch performance in Mimi. Kriti's film Hum Do Hamare Do is scheduled for release in October 2021 and the film's first look, song and trailer are out already. The actress's look has already been praised a lot by the audiences. The year 2022 is a big one for the actress as she has not one not two but five film's lined up for release.

Kriti's first of the many upcoming is the film, Bachchan Pandey. The film is scheduled for a 4th March 2022 release and stars her alongside Akshay Kumar. The duo has previously worked together in Housefull 4 and their chemistry and comic timing was great which the fans will get to witness once again as the pair reunites onscreen.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon)

Next up on 14th April 2022 is Bhediya. Having worked together in Dilwale, Kriti Sanon and Varun Dhawan come together one more time in his horror-comedy flick. The movie marks third installment in Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe. In this film the fans will get to see Kriti in a never seen avatar of hers, the actress takes on a role that so far she has never taken on in Bollywood.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon)

On August 11th Kriti's film Adipurush will release. The film marks Kriti Sanon's first Pan-India film as well as first Mythological film. The actress will play the role of Sita. This film will mark a new onscreen pairing for the actress as she stars alongside Prabhas and has never worked with him before. The film is set to be a Magnum Opus. The actress recently wrapped her part of the shoot for film and director Om Raut was impressed by her as he praised her saying, "Dear Kriti, it was magical watching you play Janaki. Can't believe your part is wrapped up. What a lovely journey!!!"

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon)

November 4th, 2022 has been chosen as the release date for her recently announced film, Shehzada. The film reunites Kriti with Kartik Aaryan onscreen. The duo have worked together in Lukka Chuppi and their chemistry was great. The duo will be returning together onscreen in this musical action film. The upcoming project is an action-packed, musical, family film and it will be the first time that Kriti is a part of a musical film.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by KARTIK AARYAN (@kartikaaryan)

Lastly, 23rd December 2022 marks the release of Kriti's film Ganapath. The 3 part film franchise brings Kriti back together with her debut mate, Tiger Shroff. The two actors who made their debut together in 2014's Heropanti will share screen together once again. The actress will also be seen doing some action and performing stunts in the movie. Earlier this year the actress also injured herself while prepping for the movie. Her fans would love to see her put in some action moves as she makes it another first with her first time performing onscreen action.
Bigg Boss 15: Jay Bhanushali joins forces with Pratik Sahejpal, defends him against Tejasswi Prakash & Karan Kundrra

In the previous episode, COLORS Bigg Boss noted how the contestants were not taking the competition seriously and decided to set them straight with his decision. The contestants got the baap of all jhatkas as Bigg Boss sent them straight to the jungle and opened two eviction slots. However, there is no end to the agony of Junglewasis as they receive yet another announcement.

The contestants have been divided into pairs. Each pair has a chance to gain entry in the main house using the access ticket, but it comes at a cost. The pairs not only have to win the assigned task but also face a deduction of a certain amount from their prize money should they enter the main house. Moreover, the jungle will also start taking away the necessities required for survival. The contestants thus have no choice but to face the deduction and enter the main house.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv)

In the chaos that ensues, the jungle witnesses a few surprising moments! Jay and Pratik, who have been rivals since day one, start working together as a team. They are on a mission to not let anybody win and Pratik starts ruining the task for others. Tejasswi gets furious and yells at him, Tu sirf yehi kar sakta hai! Dusron ko girana, yeh hi teri soch hai! She also gets upset at Jay for supporting him, who stands his ground and even defends him! He says, Hes not my friend but hes right! So rivals are working as partners, but friends are also turning into foes in this tricky jungle!

Ab kaise taih karenge Jungle Vaasi ghar tak ka safar? Watch BIGG BOSS, presented by TRESemme, powered by Knorr and Dabur Dantrakshak Monday to Friday at 10.30pm and Saturday-Sunday at 9.30 pm only on COLORS!
Skanska marks 75 years in Seattle with a look back by 3 families who were a big part of that history

By YENA WILLIAMS

Skanska USA

Williams

Little did we know it then, but Oct. 1, 1946, was a very important day for Skanska, which now, 75 years later, is a leading global construction and development firm. That Tuesday was the day that one family  the Baugh family  officially laid the foundation for what has become our presence in Seattle and our standing as the Northwest's largest contracting firm. It also began our commitment to making a lasting impression on Seattle's communities by building what matters in the Pacific Northwest.

From the company's humble beginnings in 1946 when Larry Baugh first hung out his shingle and landed a $933 repair job for a burned out room in the New Richmond Hotel, to the formal acquisition of Baugh in 2000, to the $270 million pegged for construction costs on The Eight, the 25-story, 560,000-square-foot Class A office tower in Bellevue we broke ground on last July, Skanska has come a long way in 75 years in the Northwest.



10 notable Skanska projects 1958  Ballard High School (first million-dollar job), Seattle 1968  North Seattle Community College 1977  Children's Orthopedic Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle 1989  Bellevue Place 1998  Benaroya Hall, Seattle 2000  Museum of Glass, Tacoma 2003  Marion Oliver McCaw Hall/Seattle Center Opera House renovation 2005  Lincoln Square and Westin Bellevue 2010  MultiCare's Good Samaritan Hospital Dally Tower, Puyallup 2019  2+U, Seattle





While the size and scope of our projects has changed, one thing has remained steadfast in those seven and a half decades  our commitment to our people. From the first Baughs  Larry and his nephew Bob, who joined the company in 1955 and led the firm upon Larry's retirement in 1976  to our newest hires this month, caring for people has always been an important tenant for our company. That principle lives on today as the very first words of our very first core value, Care for Life.

Over 75 years, we've had countless people work for the company, including many with the same last name, and in a few cases beyond the well-known Baugh name, those family ties have run both deep and wide. As we celebrate our diamond jubilee in the city, we also celebrate the families who have helped make us who we are today. To honor this special occasion, we asked members of three families  the Bradfords, Jellisons and Stricklings  to reflect on their multi-generational experience with the company, working together and building some of the region's most well-known structures.

THE BRADFORDS

While it is Andrew Bradford who works for Skanska today as a general foreman and quality control manager on a large Skanska job in Redmond, it was his father, Jim, who began the family's nearly 45-year legacy with the company in 1978. Having just been laid off as a foreman at a small company and with a 1-month-old (Andrew's older brother, Jorian) at home, Jim was offered a position as a finish carpenter at Baugh. Forty years later, that one-time finish carpenter retired as a senior superintendent, having worked alongside that no-longer-1-month-old and many other family members on several projects along the way.

Five Bradfords have worked for Skanska over the years: Jim, Jorian, Andrew, Kevin (Andrew's younger brother) and Jessica, Andrew's younger sister, who joined the field office on a Seattle University project in 2003.

In a conversation with the family, Jim Bradford shared that in addition to having his kids follow in his footsteps, the thing he is most proud of during his years with Baugh and Skanska is the relationships he forged with so many great people. To him, the ability to build relationships and then build buildings with those same people was the ultimate reward.

Photo by Seattle Public Schools, circa 1963 [enlarge] Skanska worked on the remodel of Ballard High School in 1958, its first million-dollar job. It included a classroom wing, gymnasium, and cafeteria.





Andrew Bradford added, One of the best opportunities I've had in my career was working alongside my family to build Jones Pavilion at Virginia Mason. My dad was the senior superintendent on the project, my older brother was the foreman, and my little brother was on the project, too. It was really something special to come to work with them every day.

Reflecting on the 75th anniversary of the company, both Jim and Andrew acknowledged the major advances in technology over the decades that have improved both efficiency and safety for crews. They also shared their excitement on what's to come.

I appreciate how green Skanska is as a company, added Andrew. We recycle our construction materials at a very high rate, most of our buildings are LEED-certified, and we're doing more and more green roofs. We make sure we're doing what's healthy for the environment, that we're using more sustainable materials, and that we're taking care of our natural resources, and I'm glad to be a part of that, and proud to share that future with my wife and daughter.

THE JELLISONS

The Jellison family got started with the company in 1979 when Paul Jellison, a carpenter foreman, noticed a Baugh Construction pick-up truck in downtown Salem, Oregon. He stopped and asked Gary Larsen, the superintendent that was visiting the site, if he needed any help, telling him he could bring along an apprentice carpenter (his son, Clint), too.

With work scarce in the spring of 1980 and a young son, Stacy, at home, Clint asked who he could talk with about opportunities in Seattle. After a short call with Gil Toso, general superintendent for the company, Clint promised to be there the next day and promptly moved his family to the Emerald City. Clint's first job was Bellevue Square, where he worked as an apprentice carpenter. He then moved on to projects including the First Hill Plaza Tower Condominium, the 520 Pike Tower, a Swedish Hospital parking garage, and MultiCare's Good Samaritan Hospital Daily Tower.

By 1997 Clint had worked his way up to senior superintendent. In that same year, Stacy graduated high school and three generations of Jellisons  Paul, Clint and Stacy  all worked together on the same project for Boeing. It was Stacy's first job for Skanska, and it would be Paul's last; he retired the following year. Today, 24 years later, Stacy serves as senior environmental health and safety manager for Skanska.

The Skanska connection grew a lot further in this family. Jerry Cantrell, Clint's brother-in-law, worked as a laborer for 40 years. Stacy's uncle, Tom RB Dean is celebrating his 30th year with Skanska this year. Clint's younger brother, Greg, and Stacy's brother, Justin, also worked for Skanska during their careers.

In our family, we know this business and we know what's expected, said Stacy Jellison. You get up early, you work hard, you work late. My whole family and I understand that. None of us from my grandpa to my dad to me would be able to do this job without the support of our families. That work ethic is passed down through the generations, and that's why you end up with families like us, people who work in this industry and for the same company for multiple generations.

THE STRICKLINGS

Across three generations and 50 years, seven different members of the Strickling family have worked for Skanska, starting with Marian Strick Strickling, who joined Baugh in 1971 on a job at Swedish Medical Center. The heritage that began with him continues today with his grandson, Jamie, who joined the company in 1997 and works on the L300 light rail project running from Shoreline to Lynnwood. Over the years, Jamie's uncles, Don and Dan; cousins, Andy and Dennis; and brother, Jon, have all put in time on the job.

I kept hearing stories of the big jobs' from my grandpa and my uncle Don, and I couldn't wait to get on one of them, said Jamie Strickling. Then it happened, and it happened with them. I got on my first big project, and it was with both of them building the RealNetworks headquarters.

What soon followed was a series of projects working alongside his grandfather and uncle  Safeco's headquarters, Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Amgen's Seattle campus  before moving on to the next generation, where Jamie got to work with both his uncles, his brother, and cousins to build The Bravern mixed-use development in Bellevue.

I know we all feel very proud to hang our hats on these projects, added Jamie. Construction is in our blood. I've been blessed to have worked with my grandfather and so many others in my family, and not many people can say that. I've loved my job and am excited to pass on my knowledge to the next generation, whether their last name is Strickling or not.

BUILDING WHAT MATTERS

At Skanska, when we talk about building what matters, those jobs get built by people  people with the names Baugh, Bradford, Jellison, Strickling and thousands more over the decades, said Kevin McCain, executive vice president and general manager of Skanska in Seattle. What Larry Baugh ushered in 75 years ago and Bob Baugh continued to foster is a legacy and work ethic all of us at Skanska are proud to carry the torch for and continue to build upon today.

Added McCain, I've been lucky to work for Skanska for 25 years and even more fortunate to have known, worked with, been mentored by, and learned from so many great people. Jim, Clint, Don, and many others  these great leaders helped pave the way not only for their own families, but for me and many other men and women who are with Skanska today, and I can't thank them enough. Here's to all of them, to the next generation and to the next 75 years!

Yena Williams is communications director for Skanska USA's West Region, overseeing communications for Skanska's Building and Civil operations and its projects in Washington, Oregon and California.









Previous columns:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
STONEWALL [ndash] Funeral services for Maple Hamilton, 78, of Stonewall, OK will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, at the Stonewall First Baptist Church with the Apostle Gary Bruner officiating. Interment will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Stonewall, OK. Mrs. Hamilton passed away in a Deni
A church service to commemorate the centenary of partition in Ireland and the formation of the Northern Ireland state will take place this morning.

The service will be held at St. Patricks Church of Ireland in Armagh.

Guests at the church service will include politicians from both Ireland and England, church leaders, and community groups in Northern Ireland.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, and Chief Whip Jack Chambers will be in attendance on behalf of the Irish Government.

In September, President Michael D Higgens announced he would not attend the event.

He said it would be 'inappropriate' to attend given the 'title was not a neutral statement politically'

Queen Elizabeth II was due to attend the church service today, however, she 'reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days' and has decided not to travel to Northern Ireland.

It is understood that political leaders from Britain will be in attendance, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis, a representative from the SDLP, and Stormont's First Minister, Paul Givan of the DUP.

Sinn Fein will not be attending the event.

Speaking on Newstalk this morning, Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the invitation is about reflection on the past and hope for the future.

"It's a church service led by church leaders. It's an event by church leaders and community groups that Politicians have been invited to." she added.

Ms. McNeill said Jack Chamber's and Simon Coveney's attendance at the event is to mark the Shared Ireland Unit set up by the Taoiseach and the day-to-day work by Government on 'difficult issues surrounding institutions and the protocol, working with those political parties and community leaders'

Matt Carthy TD reiterated that Sinn Fein will not be in attendance and said Sinn Fein 'represents the vast majority of Nationalist opinion in the North.'

"The creation of the Northern state is not something we believe that should be celebrated. It is one of the most traumatic and negative experiences to be experienced by the Irish people in our history." He added.

He said peace and reconciliation are hugely important but 'should be based on mutual respect and understanding'

"They have to include the provision and ability for people to give their narrative and experience of what partition meant, how it impacted their communities, our society, and our country as a whole." said Deputy Carthy.

The service is due to take place at 10.30 am and will be broadcast on RTE One.
Artist Natasha Mayers is the subject of a 37-minute documentary that that will be screened Sunday at West Rutland Town Hall Auditorium.
For more than 90 years, The Eagle-Tribune Santa Fund has assisted those in need in the Merrimack Valley through generous contributions from businesses, organizations and individuals. This year the need is as great as ever.

Contribute
EBRD to lend 25 million to TBC Bank for on-lending to private companies

Borrowers to further benefit from EU-funded grants and technical assistance

Fresh funding to help Georgian firms become greener and more competitive

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) are stepping up their support for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Georgia in cooperation with TBC Bank.

The EBRD is providing a 25 million loan for on-lending to local firms, with at least 70 per cent of that aimed at financing investments in green technologies. The EU is complementing the loan with grants and free technical assistance for borrowers under its EU4Business initiative.

The package will allow companies to upgrade their products and services and bring them in line with EU standards, modernise their production to boost their domestic competitiveness and operate more successfully on foreign markets.

The support is being extended under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, a joint financing instrument available in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, which aims to make local firms greener and more competitive.

Since the launch of the programme in 2016, 170 Georgian companies have benefited from the scheme, in sectors ranging from manufacturing and agriculture to hospitality and medical services.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Georgia. To date, it has invested more than 4 billion in 265 projects in the financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors, with 79 per cent of those investments in the private sector.

TBC is a leading universal financial group in Georgia, offering a wide range of traditional financial services and innovative digital solutions. It has a strong presence in its major business segments  retail banking, MSME finance and corporate banking.
Citeste in romana

EBRD loan of up to 20.5 million to help Iasi upgrade 15 buildings and bus and tram depot

Project expected to result in energy savings of around 34 per cent

Financing is part of EBRD Green Cities, Banks flagship urban sustainability programme

One of Romanias largest cities, Iasi, will improve the energy efficiency of public buildings thanks to a 20.5 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

In Iasi, the energy consumption of public and commercial buildings, and the emissions from buses, trucks and other vehicles together account for around 67 per cent of the citys annual emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are responsible for air pollution. The project presents significant potential for energy savings.

The EBRD loan will finance the energy efficiency upgrading of 15 public buildings and the reconstruction of a bus and tram depot, designed and equipped for a new urban transport fleet that currently includes 32 trams and 44 electric buses.

The depot infrastructure will support low-carbon transport in the city and enable the operation and maintenance of the current and future urban transport fleets. The renovation of buildings and the integration of energy-efficiency and renewable-energy measures in the upgraded depot will lead to energy savings of approximately 34 per cent.

The project is part of Iasis commitment to improving the environment under the EBRDs flagship urban sustainability programme, EBRD Green Cities. The programme, which Iasi joined last summer, was created to offer cities tangible support to improve the quality of life of their residents.

This is the 54th project under EBRD Green Cities and serves as Iasis trigger project to formally initiate the citys participation in the programme. In tandem with the project, Iasi will develop a Green City Action Plan (GCAP) that will prioritise local environmental challenges and identify further investment and policy actions to promote the citys sustainable development. The GCAP for Iasi will be funded by the TaiwanBusiness-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund.

Iasi is one of three Romanian cities that are part of EBRD Green Cities, alongside Craiova and Medias. To date, the EBRD has signed 9.3 billion in more than 470 projects in Romania.
A STRICT boil water notice has been issued for the 4,200 residents supplied by the Macroom Public Water Supply in Cork.

The notice was announced today as a "precautionary measure" taken by Irish Water and Cork County Council following consultation with the HSE about an issue at the Macroom Water Treatment Plant.

In affected households, water should be boiled for drinking, brushing teeth, preparing and washing uncooked foods like salads, preparing feeds for infants, and making ice with immediate effect.

"The boil water notice has been put in place as a precautionary measure due to elevated turbidity in the supply," Irish Water said in a statement released today.

"Irish Water and Cork County Council continue to work to rectify the issues at Macroom Water Treatment Plant with a view to lifting the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil their water before use until further notice."

After boiling water at a vigorous, rolling heat, for example in a kettle, it should be covered and stored in a cool place. Do not use water that has been re-boiled several times.

Irish Water wishes to remind customers that the water from hot taps isn't safe to drink and that filters will not render the water safe at this time.

The water in the area can be used for washing but guardians are urged to make sure children don't ingest any bathing water.

Following consultation with the HSE, Irish Water & @Corkcoco are issuing a Boil Water Notice to protect the health of consumers supplied by the Macroom Public Water Supply. For more details on this notice, please visit https://t.co/Hs72mDjXsC.  Irish Water (@IrishWater) October 20, 2021

Public health is Irish Waters number one priority. We appreciate the impact that this notice will have on the community and businesses of Macroom however the restriction has been put in place to protect consumers," said Neil Smyth of Irish Water.

"Irish Water and Cork County Council are working tirelessly to resolve the issues affecting the plant and lift the boil water notice early as it safe to do so.

To help avoid the spread of Covid-19, Irish Water also wishes to advise customers that the water in Macroom remains suitable for handwashing.

For updates or to see if your household is affected see www.water.ie or call 1800 278 278.
Cork politicians have raised concerns about the treatment of horses and ponies in the city in recent months.

Independent councillor Ken OFlynn was speaking following the death of a pony on Blarney Road, whose body has since been removed by the appropriate authorities.

Cllr Flynn said that it is frightfully upsetting to see people mistreat these animals and that it has become a regular occurrence in recent months.

Its very upsetting to see this, what has gone wrong with society when this is allowed to happen with no consequence.

"The treatment of horses and ponies by some in our city is totally unacceptable regardless of culture or any other excuses, this is just simply animal cruelty at its worst and must not be tolerated, he said.

A Cork councillor has raised concerns about the treatment of horses and ponies in the city in recent months after a dead pony was found on Blarney Road. Picture: Councillor Ken O'Flynn.

He said that he would have in the past received a call about a horse being tied to a pole or being mistreated every three months on average, but that it seems to be a weekly occurrence now at this stage.

I really dont know whats going on. Its frightfully upsetting, he said.

Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould, who raised the issue of horse welfare and horses being kept on land right around the periphery of the city and in the city at a northside community safety forum meeting on Tuesday, said he has been in contact with Cork City Council, An Garda Siochana, the Department of Agriculture and My Lovely Horse on the issue.

He described the photograph of the dead pony as disgraceful.

Its shocking that an animal was found on a road like that.

All ponies and horses should be microchipped and registered so the question today is was that pony microchipped and properly registered?

And if not, then it would go to the heart of the whole problem that theres a lack of enforcement, he said.

He said that this is an ongoing issue and that the gardai, the Department of Agriculture and the Council should look at carrying out an operation whereby horses not being treated properly are seized, a similar operation to that which was carried out in recent years where over one hundred horses were collected across the city that werent being looked after.

Cork City Council has been contacted for comment.
JANET Dillon of Cork City Ballet wrote to tell us how delighted her father was to see his younger self in a picture we published recently.

My father, Noel Dillon, is very much enjoying your Throwback Thursday articles in the Echo. This particular week, his sister in Dublin sent him a copy of De Bats, and he was surprised to see himself as a youngster in one of the photos. He asked me to email you the following words....

He wrote: The sight of the photographs of the 14 swimmers posing at the Eglinton Street Baths in Cork in 1951 alerted my attention. I am fourth from the left, standing at the back. On my left is Declan Desmond, a formidable swimmer, and immediately in front is Noel Cronin, a good friend from long ago.

"This evokes affectionate memories of my summer holidays in Graball Bay in Crosshaven when I was a teenager.

"Noel Cronin and I played in a team drawn from the holiday-makers (I dont know where we got the team jerseys) against the local Crosshaven team in the GAA field there. We had a few good players on our team, but one we did not have was the famous Tipperary county player, Tony Wall. He was staying with some fellow-army cadets in Fort Camden, and would be regularly seen playing around with a group of his friends in the field. Whether our selectors were not aware of him, or whether he was unavailable to play, I do not know.

A Dutch family called Hoffsteds lived on a bungalow on top of Graball Hill, recalls Mr Dillon.

Leonard, the father, was the manager of the boat yard. They had three small children  two boys, and a small blonde girl about five years old, who was always running around after her older brothers.

"One day, the little girl (Nellie was her name) fell off the cliff, down on to the beach. Panic ensued all around, but fortunately she was so light, she did not sustain any injury.

Bishop Daniel Cohalan is greeted by Irish Army officers at Fort Camden in Crosshaven as he arrives to celebrate the first mass at the fort back in 1938. Noel Dillon recalls going to Sunday mass there as a child.

In my younger days, my parents would bring me to 11am open-air mass in Fort Camden. After mass, some man (I never knew who he was and it didnt trouble me) would take me and a few other kids in a rowing boat from the pier in Camden back over to Graball Bay. That was the highlight of our Sunday!

My family was also friends with the Olneys (mentioned in your previous article), a friendship that was spawned during our holidays in Crosshaven.

Many years ago, says Noel, a young Cork Examiner reporter by the name of Mary Walsh wrote a beautiful article about the converted buses and railway carriages long ago in Crosshaven.

In response, I wrote to the paper reminiscing on that period. People stopped me in the street to comment on both articles, and all were anxious to tell me their stories as well. As Jake Tapper on CNN would say may these memories be a blessing. 

Indeed they are, Noel, as the response each week to this page shows only too clearly. We always like to remember the days of our carefree youth, but in worrying times such as this, those recollections become ever more reassuring and comforting. Keep them coming! And if you happen to have a copy of that original response you wrote to De Paper about the converted buses and railway carriages at Crosshaven (not to mention De Ford Boxes), Noel, we would be very happy to bring it to a new generation of readers on Throwback Thursday. Railway carriages were (still are) a familiar sight on the north Dublin beaches such as Portrane, and families would spend the entire summer there back in the Sixties. They didnt have far to travel (the carriages, we mean), since there were railway lines nearby, but one wonders how those at Crosshaven were transported to their final sites on the cliffs.

An Aer Lingus timetable from 1968/69.

And with regard to Jerry Holts entertaining anecdote in our Oct 7 page, on the diverted Dublin flight arriving into Cork, which meant passengers had to be transported by train back to the capital in the middle of the night, Michael Nolan wrote: I was certainly not one of the captains of industry or a well-to-do merchant back then, but in the late 70s - early 80s you could fly one way to or from Dublin and complete your return journey by train for the price of the train ticket. Mine was paid for by my employer as I was a regular traveller to the Dublin office from Cork.

On one occasion that I vividly remember, I was due to fly to Dublin the following morning.

"However, during the night I dreamt that the plane crashed into the sea and I could clearly see the water rising up outside the window as the plane sank.

"When I woke up I realised it was all a dream although the horror was still with me. I thought if I dont get on that plane I will never fly again. So off with me up to the airport and took my flight. Which was uneventful, thank Heaven!

Thankfully, he says, he was never diverted due to fog on the return journey to Cork as this would entail a diversion to Shannon and a bus trip to Cork arriving around 2 oclock the following morning.

Aerial view of Cork Airport in 1967. In this weeks Throwback Thursday, Michael Nolan recalls his experiences at the airport in the 70s/80s.

But I do recall two other occasions of note on the same route. I was scheduled to fly to Dublin one morning, but unfortunately I slept it out. I live quite close to the airport and I listened to hear the flight take off.

I couldnt hear the usual sound, so I quickly got dressed and headed up to the airport. In those days you had to pass through the security barrier with your car, and I enquired anxiously at the control hut as to whether the Dublin plane had taken off. The security guard smiled and replied, Taken off? Sure the plane for that flight hasnt even landed yet. So I got away with my oversleeping and nobody was any the wiser.

His second memorable Aer Lingus experience was one night just before Christmas.

After a meeting with Aer Rianta in Dublin, we boarded the propeller plane for Cork. (It used to be called the vomit comet because of its habit of dropping sharply in air pockets.)

"Shortly after takeoff, the pilot announced that he had a malfunction with one of his compasses, and he was required under aviation rules to land at the nearest airport which meant a return to Dublin.

An aerial view of Cork Airport under construction. Michael Nolan recalls his flights in the 70s.

There were a lot of sighs and moans from the passengers, but then a Cork voice from the back of the plane shouted No problem boy, just follow the Cork Road! Well he was right, wasnt he? All roads in Ireland lead to De Real Capital!

SEEKING HALLOWEEN MEMORIES

Halloween is coming up, but despite the powers that be putting the bank holiday this coming weekend, and the jazz festival gearing up for a lively time, the real Halloween or Samhain is actually Sunday October 31. So go out and enjoy the events this weekend by all means, but take time to celebrate the Celtic New Year on the 31st. Its one of our oldest festivals, along with Bealtaine or May Day, and should be observed by all right-thinking Celts. What do you remember of your childhood Halloweens? Let us know.

And related to these upcoming events, Jerry Holt writes to say: I have just read the about the disruption to rail travellers on the jazz weekend. Sorry for the inconvenience but there are a couple of points (!) to make about the forthcoming upgrading of the signalling system at Kent Station. Back in the day there were three signalmen working 24/7 on their own, operating most of the 110 levers in the cabin, all manually operated, no mechanical or electrical assistance.

"Some of the levers were pure killers. In fact one of the signalmen had to wear a special corset to keep his ribs together. You cant imagine the mental and physical dexterity involved in keeping trains apart and going the right way.

"I was put in the cabin to try and learn it, and I got the gist, in fact I got my Signalmans Cert but I can tell you it werent easy as they say.

Jerry was also trained up by Greg in the Kilbarry cabin and Dinny Moore in the Rathpeacon cabin, also known as The Brakehouse.

All the goods trains had to stop there and the brakes applied on each individual wagon before they could make the descent through the tunnel. Dinny Moore was a powerhouse of a man. He lived in Blarney and after his night shift at Rathpeacon he would go shovelling coal for, I think it was Suttons, that was his day job. A mighty man. He had a kitten that assisted him in the cabin so he was an all round nice guy.

21st Century progress can go a bit overboard at times, adds Jerry, but the digitalisation of signalling is long overdue, I hope Institutional Memory is not totally lost though, because, digits can break down.

True for you, Jerry.

Tell us your memories. Email jokerrigan1@gmail.com. Or leave a comment on our Facebook page: (https://www.facebook.com/echolivecork).
CALVIN Mulryan is your typical, happy, little three-year-old - he loves play-school, he loves playing with his superheroes, and he loved Olga and Peg, the POONS nurses.

The duo looked after him when he was going through treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia (ALL), a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow where the spongy tissue inside the bones are made.

Calvin was two and a half when he was diagnosed, says his mum, Emma Galway.

We noticed at the start of December that he wasnt walking anymore, he was complaining of a pain in his legs and the colour in his face was gone. We knew he didnt look like himself, he wasnt right.

Calvin was always a bright, bubbly little boy.

He was always so happy, says Emma.

He was full of life and always on the go, now he was thrown down a lot.

Emma, and Calvins dad, Ciaran, were concerned about their son and took him to the doctor who gave them a letter for the CUH.

Calvin Mulryan, in hospital undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia.

He checked Calvin out and he told us to go the hospital in a day or two if Calvin was still not OK, says Emma.

Calvin was still upset so we decided to go the hospital straight away and not wait any longer. At the hospital his temperature was taken and he was given some Calpol.

The doctor told us some time later that Calvin had an irritable hip and thats why he wasnt walking. We were told to go home and give him some Nurofen and to come back in two or three weeks for further tests.

Over the next few weeks, Calvin was still complaining.

On Christmas Day we were at my sisters, says Emma.

Calvins legs went from under him and he had no control. He was crying and very upset. It was the same on St Stephens Day, Calvin was crying with pain in his arms. We rang South Doc to know what to do. After an hour we were still waiting.

The concerned couple decided to go back to the hospital.

His dad said, Calvin was so small, it wasnt fair to see him so upset. We went back to the CUH where his bloods were done and he had a chest X-ray, says Emma.

The doctor told us Calvin was anaemic and that explained why he was so pale.

Awaiting further test results in a room in the hospital, Emma had a sinking sensation.

This horrible feeling came over me, she says.

I thought, somethings wrong, but what? Calvin was still very upset and he was empty retching.

Emma felt alone.

With Covid, only one parent was allowed to be with their child, she says. I was so upset, I wanted Ciaran to be there.

Then the parents got the dreaded news.

The nurse said that the doctor wanted a word with both of us. She asked us, what is the worst thing you think it could be? says Emma.

Calvin Mulryan, with mum Emma and dad Ciaran.

What is the worst case scenario? I just said, cancer, and she nodded her head.

What was Emma thinking?

I thought, this must be a nightmare, hes only a baby.

Ciaran was crying when he heard it was leukaemia. I was in total shock, says Emma.

I couldnt take it in and the nurse came over to me and asked me if I understood what was being said.

Emma did understand.

My heart was broken when I heard that, she recalls

Calvin underwent blood transfusions throughout the night before an ambulance took him to Crumlin Childrens Hospital the next morning.

My heart sank when I heard Crumlin, says Emma. I only ever heard of that hospital for very sick kids. I thought, this is really serious.

She had to tell her family the news.

We are a very close family, says Emma, who lives with her parents in Ballyvolane. Ciaran lives nearby.

We mind my niece and nephew after school every day, Calvin loves playing with them. Trying to explain things to my parents was hard. They brought in the bags we needed for travelling to Dublin. They couldnt come with us because then we couldnt leave our county (due to Covid restrictions).

The close family said goodbye to one another.

We all hugged each other and wondered when wed see each other again and when they would see Calvin again.

The next morning, Calvin and Emma set off for Crumlin Childrens Hospital in the ambulance.

Ciaran followed us in his car, says Emma.

Calvin Mulryan, who is one of the Mercy Heroes.

We still did not know how severe Calvins condition was.

We were left in the dark, we didnt know much.

But Emma and Ciaran knew their son was a little hero.

Calvin was a bit nervous, everything was so new. None of us knew what to expect.

He was in St Josephs ward and the nurses were so lovely, says Emma.

The toddler had a test to determine if he was high risk or low risk.

They did a lumbar puncture to find out if Calvin was high risk or low risk, says Emma. He also had a bone marrow test.

A Hickman line was put in his chest for chemotherapy and for bloods. When they had done all that the doctor thankfully told us that Calvin was low risk.

Emma and Ciaran were more relieved.

Ok, it was a bad situation, but this was the best news we got, says Emma. Calvins treatment plan was put in place and he started chemotherapy treatment. We were in Crumlin 12 days all together. I stayed in the room with Calvin and Ciaran was in the parents accommodation on the second floor where I could go for a rest or a shower, says Emma.

Calvin began to bounce back.

We felt more positive, says Emma. Now that Calvin was low risk, we were going in the right direction.

He was on steroids for 29 days and that was hard. Calvin was awake all hours and his moods changed from happy, to sad, to angry.

Calvin Mulryan, in hospital undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia.

Calvin was allowed to come home after 12 days of treatment in Crumlin.

He was able to get most of his sessions of chemotherapy at the Mercy Hospital and he took chemo tablets at home every night, says Emma.

His friends came to see him.

Olga and Peg were amazing, says Emma, speaking about the POONS nursing service. POONS stands for Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nursing Service

They came every week, which was fantastic, especially if Calvin wasnt up to a hospital visit. Olga and Peg kept us out of the hospital environment. They provided some normality for us.

Calvin was his usual bubbly bright self when he saw Olga and Peg arriving.

Even though he loved the Mercy nurses on the ward, he was always excited to see Peg and Olga, says Emma. Hed look out the window to see them coming.

Olga and Peg got a great welcome.

And he always had a big smile on his face! says Emma.

Olga and Peg checked his bloods every week and changed the dressings on the tubes. When Calvin had an infection on the Hickman line, Olga came every day for a week to give him antibiotics. She was just fantastic.

Calvin was very brave.

Calvin is very brave, says Emma.

Wed tell him, youre our warrior, our superhero.

Soon, Calvin was back to his old self.

He loves tractors, says Emma.

He loves his cousins who come after school. Calvin is bouncing back well. He is on maintenance now and he is done with all intensive treatment until 2024.

Emma was always there for her superhero.

I stopped work after he was diagnosed, says Emma.

There were so many hospital appointments and we never knew what to expect. That was a constant worry.

Now brave Calvin is a Mercy hero.

It think people should donate for the POONS nursing services 100%, says Emma.

What the nurses do is amazing. They brought normality into our lives and made our lives that bit easier. The service is fantastic. We were so blessed to have Olga and Peg come to the house. The nurses loved Calvin.

Calvin is lovable.

He is a real little charmer and a real little character.

MORE ABOUT MERCY HEROES

The Mercy University Hospital Foundation is encouraging people to support this years campaign to raise much-needed funds for the Mercy Kids & Teens Appeal. Funds raised will especially support the unique POONS service. POONS stands for Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nursing Service and allows children with cancer to receive treatment from the comfort of their own home. The only service of its kind in Ireland, it has proved immeasurable support for Corks youngest patients and their families over the last number of years. This crucial service covers a large geographical area from Youghal to Bantry and Mitchelstown to Kinsale as well as surrounding counties so that all children have access to this service regardless of their location.

Donations can be made online, see: www.mercyhospitalfoundation.

By joining forces with family, friends or colleagues to host a virtual or in-person coffee morning. Schools around the country are also being encouraged to join in the fun by holding a Dress up/Dress down day to support theses young heroes.

See https://www.mercyhospitalfoundation.ie/event/mercy-heroes-2021/ for more




AHDB: UK's September cattle slaughter remains behind a year ago

160,600 prime cattle in the United Kingdom were slaughtered in September, according to the latest Defra figures, said the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

The slaughter level was largely stable compared to August, but 5% lower than the same month a year ago. Overall, beef production for the month fell 6% to 73,600 tonnes.

Based on cattle population data, UK supplies of prime cattle were expected to be tighter. Reflecting this, prime cattle throughputs in September were 3% below the five-year average.

Steers and young bulls showed the greatest decline (-6%), while heifer kill fell by 4%. Carcass weights were 1% (3kg) heavier on average than a year ago.

Cull cow slaughter was 10% lower year-on-year, with 54,800 animals processed. Average carcass weights were also 1% heavier year-on-year.

Breaking the figures down by region, both England and Wales and Northern Ireland reported lower prime cattle kill in September compared to a year ago (-9% and -1%, respectively). Scotland, on the other hand, posted a 4% increase in prime cattle throughputs. Adult cattle kill (cows and breeding bulls) was lower in all countries.

September figures brought UK prime cattle slaughter for the first nine months of the year to 1.48 million head, 4% lower than the same period a year ago. Cow kill totalled 457,300 head over the same period, 6% behind the same period last year. Beef production totalled 667,100 tonnes during January-September, down 4% year-on-year.

The year-to-date figures align with AHDB's forecasts from July.

- AHDB
Stay up to date on COVID-19

Get Breaking News

Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.

Sponsored By: St Anthony's Hospital
Isle of Man's first Shannon lifeboat goes into service

The first Shannon all-weather lifeboat to be stationed in the Isle of Man has entered service.

The long-waited decision comes after RNLI assessors agreed this week that Peels crew members, both ashore and afloat, had demonstrated their ability to safely operate the lifeboat and its launch and recovery system.

These skills were developed and tested through days and weeks of intense training during September and October.

Shannon Lifeboat 13-35 Frank and Brenda Winter first arrived in the Isle of Man in March 2020. The pandemic soon put training on hold, with the lifeboat lying ashore in Fleetwood for 10 months. The lifeboat returned in July 2021 in time for HRH The Princess Royal to conduct a pre-service inspection on 5 July, Tynwald Day.

The 2.2 million Shannon will improve the crews ability to save lives at sea.
Sandra Ellen Dunn Locke of Elkmont, Alabama, passed away at Cape Canaveral Hospital on October 31, 2021. She was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Sandra is survived by her husband, Anthony Locke and their daughter, Ashley Norman; her son, Andrew Tybergh
Gena Hoyer, right, hugs Debbi Hixon during a court recess following Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz's guilty plea on all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Hoyer's son, Luke Hoyer, 15, and Hixon's husband, Christopher Hixon, 49, were both killed in the massacre.
Amazon may soon face a second unionization effort in less than a year. Per The New York Times , hourly workers at the companys JFK8 fulfillment center in New York City are in the process of collecting signatures to file for a union election. Theyre expected to contact the National Labor Relations Board on Monday. If the agency grants their request, it will lead to a vote with potentially significant ramifications for Amazon.

This past April, Amazon beat back a historic union vote at its BHM1 fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama . Approximately 1,700 of the more than 3,000 employees who took part in the election voted against unionization, handing Amazon a comfortable majority. However, the election was mired in controversy, with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which sought to represent the approximately 5,800 workers at Bessemer, accusing the company of unfairly influencing the vote. In August, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Amazon had violated US labor laws , and recommended that workers in Bessemer hold a new election.

Amazon employs more than 5,000 workers at JFK8. Beyond its sheer size, the facility has been the site of multiple protests since the start of the pandemic. Among those leading the unionization effort at JFK8 is Christian Smalls. Amazon fired Smalls after he organized a walkout over the companys handling of COVID safety at the warehouse. At the time, the company said Smalls broke a quarantine order by attending the event. At the start of the year, New York sued Amazon, alleging the company had retaliated against Smalls.

When Engadget reached out to Amazon about the effort, the company noted its employees have always had the option to join a union but said it was against the idea.

As a company, we dont think unions are the best answer for our employees. Every day we empower people to find ways to improve their jobs, and when they do that we want to make those changes  quickly. That type of continuous improvement is harder to do quickly and nimbly with unions in the middle. The benefits of direct relationships between managers and employees cant be overstated  these relationships allow every employees voice to be heard, not just the voices of a select few. Weve made great progress in recent years and months in important areas like pay and safety. There are plenty of things that we can keep doing better, and that's our focus  to keep getting better every day.
Apple has yet to issue a mandate similar to Google's that would require all employees to be vaccinated, but it's tightening its COVID-19 protocols nonetheless. According to Bloomberg, the tech giant will start requiring all unvaccinated corporate employees to be tested for COVID-19 every time they have to work in the office instead of working from home. Back in September, Bloomberg reported that Apple asked employees to share their vaccination status voluntarily. Those who refuse to share their vaccine status will also have to undergo daily testing, while vaccinated office workers will only have to do rapid testing once a week.

The company's retail store employees, however, won't be subjected to daily tests despite having consumer-facing jobs. Unvaccinated staff members are required to be tested twice a week. Like Apple's office workers, vaccinated staff will only have to undergo weekly rapid testing. It's unclear if the tech giant will ever issue a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, but the Biden administration previously gave all federal contractors a December 8th deadline to require all their employees to be inoculated against the virus. As Bloomberg notes, Apple sells products to the US government.

For now, Apple has reportedly given employees an October 24th deadline to report and show proof of their vaccination status, so it could implement the new rules starting on November 1st. Unvaccinated employees will have to pick-up at-home rapid tests from Apple offices and stores, do the test themselves and then report their results through an internal app.
Google is cutting Play Store service fees for more developers. The company currently charges a 30 percent commission for the first 12 months of a recurring subscription, which drops to 15 percent after the first year. Starting on January 1st, Google will lower the service fee to 15 percent from day one. The company said it's making the change because developers say "customer churn makes it challenging for subscription businesses to benefit from that reduced rate."

Elsewhere, fees for music streaming apps and e-books will be as low as 10 percent. "The new rates recognize industry economics of media content verticals and make Google Play work better for developers and the communities of artists, musicians and authors they represent," Sameer Samat, vice president of product management for Android and Google Play, wrote in a blog post . The service fees for apps "primarily offering video, audio or books in which users pay to consume content" will be between 10 and 15 percent if they meet certain conditions as part of the Play Media Experience Program .

Earlier this year, Google reduced its Play Store fees from 30 percent to 15 percent for the first $1 million in annual income that an app generates. The company said that move would cut the fees that 99 percent of Android developers pay the company by half.

Apple has also slashed App Store fees in certain cases over the last two years. Apps that make under $1 million in annual revenue , news organizations who use Apple News and some streaming video services give Apple 15 percent of payments rather than the standard 30 percent. However, as CNBC notes, Apple still takes a 30 percent slice of subscriptions for the first year before lowering its cut to 15 percent, so Google's making its move before Apple this time around.

Google and Apple have been facing more intense antitrust scrutiny over their app stores in recent times. Dozens of state attorneys general filed suit against Google in July, in which they accused the company of maintaining a monopoly over Android app distribution.
Microsoft isnt giving up on its dual-screen dreams. The company is back this year with a new Surface Duo that looks like it might fix some of the originals flaws. Instead of a finicky and low-quality camera, the Duo 2 packs a triple-sensor system on its rear, in addition to a selfie shooter inside. The device also has a narrower overall footprint, faster-refreshing screens and some updated software. Theres also support for Microsofts Slim Pen 2, which should make drawing and taking notes a more intuitive experience.

But despite having addressed many of the previous generations issues and adding some useful features, the Duo 2 remains a frustrating device. And at $1,500, its still a pricey product with a niche, limited appeal.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 SCORE 63 Engadget 63 Critics - Not yet scored N/A Users - Not yet scored N/A Pros Thin and well-built hardware

Sturdy hinge Cons Frustratingly inconsistent and buggy software

Lousy camera app

Expensive

Runs warm

Hardware and design changes

By now, youre probably familiar with the Duos proposition. The second generation features a pair of 5.8-inch screens connected by a hinge. Its also running Android 11 this year, with some tweaks to improve multi-display use. Combined, the two panels offer an 8.3-inch canvas, which is slightly bigger than before. You can flip one screen all the way around to use the Duo 2 in a phone-like single-screen state, use one side as a stand to prop up the other half or have both displays facing you like a book or tablet.

Like the original, this thing is an attractive piece of hardware with an impressively thin profile and a sleek silhouette. The Duo 2 is a bit heavier than its predecessor, and even heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Id chalk most of that gain up to its camera module. Despite the chunky protrusion on the back of the right screen, though, the Duo 2 is evenly weighted and felt balanced when open.

David Imel for Engadget

My main concern when I first saw the camera bump was that two sides would no longer lay flush against each other when opened all the way up. But the bump was surprisingly unobtrusive, and while I didnt mind using the Duo 2 as a single-screen device, its still a bit too wide to replace my phone, especially for one-handed use. Though the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is heavy and its screen is a little too narrow and cramped, it still offers a better experience in this mode.

When the panels are back-to-back, the system will keep the last screen you used active, while the other shows a message saying you can double tap it to switch over. Its basically two phones sandwiching a camera and you can use one side at a time. Youll notice odd aspect ratio issues here and there, thanks to the uncommon 1,892 x 1,344 resolution, but for the most part apps expand to cover the whole screen nicely if you enable the automatic span setting. It even worked with the notoriously finicky Instagram, except photo captions would overflow into the edges and get eaten up, and Stories still had blank space flanking them.

I did appreciate the 90Hz refresh rate when scrolling through my social feeds. The AMOLED panels are lovely, delivering crisp and colorful image and video quality. I do wish they got a bit brighter, though, since theyre about 200 nits dimmer than the iPhone 13 series.

When closed, the Duo 2 is basically useless since, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 3, it doesnt have an external screen. If you want to read your notifications while the device is laying on a table, youll need to leave it open or with one display facing out.

David Imel for Engadget

But Microsoft tries to offer you at least barebones notifications while the Duo 2 is closed via the new Glance Bar. The inside edges of the screens are curved slightly so you can see a little bit of the display through the hinge. When the Glance Bar is enabled, you can see the clock and other system info on this tiny sliver, and itll light up in different colors when you have incoming calls or messages. It actually drew my attention to the fact that the Duo 2 didnt charge overnight by glowing red to indicate the battery was low.

While the Glance Bar is somewhat helpful, its also super tiny, which means you need to have Supermans eyesight to see the clock from more than, say, a few inches away, which basically defeats the purpose. Plus, the Glance Bar works with just first-party apps for now, which means youll only get alerted to text messages and phone calls. Oh, and Teams calls, in case youre that wired into Microsofts ecosystem.

The best uses for the Duo 2s dual-screens

You can also use the Duo 2 in a few other modes (or postures as Microsoft calls them), thanks to the hinge, which is sturdy and smooth. Its easy to open without too much force, yet strong enough to prop up one screen without it budging. Perhaps the best way to use the Duo 2 is in Book and Tent modes, the latter of which is wonderful for playing games while seated at a desk. Its also handy for keeping an eye on Twitter or a YouTube live chat while working on my laptop.

David Imel for Engadget

Then, when youre ready to turn your attention to something more intensive, switch over to Book mode and hold the Duo 2 up with both displays facing you. This can be very immersive on any device, and I had a similar feeling with the Z Fold 3. Its not ideal for idle doomscrolling while you watch TV or firing off a quick reply to your group chats, though. When you have both screens on they basically demand you be actively engaged  whether its reading a book, or building a shopping list on one side while looking at recipes on the other.

The Duo 2 is satisfying in this mode if youre holding it vertically. Flip to landscape orientation and the entire UI just struggles to keep up, especially if youre using swipe-based navigation instead of choosing the older Android home screen, with back and recent buttons. In general, the Duo 2 feels a little clumsy when held horizontally.

Software quirks remain

I want to commend Microsoft for all the work its done to improve the Duo 2s software. Compared to the hot mess of last years model, the system feels a little more cohesive. Part of that has to do with better support for multi-screen devices in Android 11. But quirks still remain and theyre still too numerous for me to list individually, so Im just going to give you a few examples.

Like I said before, the UI doesnt know what to do with the swipe-based navigation and in landscape mode, the typical swipe up to go home gesture doesnt work. Instead, youll have to swipe in from the right to either go home or see all apps. To go back, you can only swipe from the left  bad news for anyone who preferred it the other way.

David Imel for Engadget

Also, trying to type in this mode is still a pain  youll lose more than two thirds of the screen to the keyboard (and a weird row of empty space at the bottom), so good luck trying to see what you composed.

Even in Book mode there are annoying quirks. Theres a pervasive touch input issue that other reviewers noted on the original Duo and it explains why I felt the Duo 2 is sluggish and finicky. Throughout the system, whether its trying to switch lenses in the camera or open the settings menu in a game, the system sometimes just doesnt register a tap. Id need to jab at it repeatedly for something to happen.

There are other issues too, but they happen inconsistently enough that I felt like the Duo 2 was gaslighting me. For example, the Microsoft Start app would randomly launch on the left screen when I had an app on the right. I promise you this wasnt because I accidentally swiped over to the left to see the Start feed; This is a ghost app that appears on its own. Theres also that Instagram caption overflow problem I mentioned earlier that seemed to go away, but would reappear now and then.
You won't have to pay for quick Polestar 2 charges  at least, not for a while. The automaker has struck a deal that will give Polestar 2 drivers two years of free fast charging at Electrify America stations. You'll be limited to 30-minute sessions, but that won't matter so much when a 150kW charger can give you a healthy top-up (though likely not a full one) in that time frame.

The offer applies to both existing and future Polestar 2 owners. Electrify America is keen to highlight the potential advantages, including simpler payments and an easier time finding stations.

The Polestar deal isn't as sweet as the three years Electrify America creator VW gives its own brands. It also doesn't address the coverage and reliability issues that EV charging networks sometimes face. Electrify America is rapidly expanding its network, but it might take years before the infrastructure is robust enough that you could assume a fast charger is reasonably close by. Still, this could make the Polestar 2 an easier choice if you were anxious about recharging away from home.
This content is made possible by our sponsor; it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Engadget's editorial staff.

Although the COVID pandemic has kept many of us physically apart, it has also brought us together in more ways than one, including the move toward more remote workers and even international workforces. Since an employee doesnt have to make it into the office every day, the talent pool now allows many companies to consider bringing on workers from other areas and other countries to handle their open jobs.

But with a staff that could include workers in different states and different hemispheres, thats also introduced new challenges for human resource departments and managers. They have to know how to onboard and manage remote workers while remaining in compliance with a complex web of international tax and labor laws.

Onboarding made easy

Those hurdles were usually enough to keep most companies from experimenting with employees living in far-flung locations. Now, companies like Remote are streamlining that process, making it easier for businesses to take on workers up the street and around the world, all via their platform packed with self-serve onboarding and management tools.

Once youve hired a new remote employee or contractor, Remote can handle all the steps in bringing that new hire into the fold.

With a login, new workers are greeted with an easy-to-follow checklist of tasks to complete, including personal information, emergency contacts, banking details and more. The Remote platform gives both employees and managers 24/7/365 access to all-important salary and benefits data whenever they need it.

Meanwhile, Remote makes it easier for managers to do their jobs, with HR, benefits and payroll all running seamlessly in the background, so invoicing, salaries and even steps like promotions can be handled with a few clicks through Remote.

Remote can make your business an international workplace

But where Remote really shines is when a company makes the move to hire international workers. That step used to require clearing arduous hurdles like in-country legal entities and full knowledge of international tax law, labor issues and even something as simple as knowing when holidays are coming in those distant nations.

Remote isnt only on top of those potential problems; theyre actively smoothing them over. Remote owns their own local legal entities in all their covered countries to offer businesses the best service and protection possible. Essentially, those workers are employed by Remote, who have in-country legal and tax experts to ensure every employee relationship is in full compliance with all relevant international laws. They work for you, while Remote takes care of all the paperwork.

With their unique ultra-secure infrastructure, Remote makes it simple for companies to immediately onboard workers from other countries just as easily as someone in their own city. Plus, Remotes flexible and transparent pricing eliminates hidden fees, so companies always know exactly how much itll cost to bring on a new international employee.

Demo Remote now

While the Remote system is almost completely plug-and-play ready, its platform also offers customization options that can be tailored to virtually any business. And with features contoured to fit companies both large and small, Remote has already become a solid answer for many established and growing companies, including firms like Arduino, GitLab, Loom, Paystack and Lifelink Systems.

Company owners and managers can see exactly how Remote can be shaped to their business needs by heading over to the Remote website and booking a no-obligation demo of their services. Remote is also offering savings of up to 50 percent off the cost of the first three months of onboarding their first international employee.

Engadget is teaming up with StackSocial to bring you deals on the latest headphones, gadgets, tech toys, and tutorials. This post does not constitute editorial endorsement, and we earn a portion of all sales. If you have any questions about the products you see here or previous purchases, please contact StackSocial support here.
Former President Donald Trump has officially revealed that he's launching his own social media platform in 2022, a few months after his aide told Fox News about his plans. He's calling it TRUTH Social, and the platform is apparently part of his camp's efforts to fight back against "the Big Tech companies of Silicon Valley, which have used their unilateral power to silence opposing voices in America."

Some of Trump's supporters believe that social networks are biased against conservative voices  in 2018, a group even sued Twitter, Facebook and Google, accusing them of breaking antitrust laws and violating their First Amendment rights by conspiring to suppress conservative viewpoints. The case was tossed out of court a few times. According to a New York University research published earlier this year, there's no evidence of conservative bias on the world's most popular social networks. There was even an Instagram bug in the months leading to the US Presidential Elections that favored Trump content over Biden's.

It is true, however, that Facebook and Twitter banned Trump from their platforms following the January 6th US Capitol riots. Twitter determined that his tweets at that time violated its policies. According to the website, his tweets (which you can view in an archive) "must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the Presidents statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence..."

Earlier this month, Trump sued to get his Twitter account back, arguing that the ban violates his First Amendment rights. Indeed, his ban on the website gets a special mention in TRUTH Social's announcement. He said in a statement: "We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced."

TRUTH Social will have a beta launch in November for invited guests. Trump and his team are expecting to roll it out nationwide in the first quarter of 2022.
2021 - 2021 The services for infant Ellie Faith Nance will be held at noon Saturday, November 20, 2021, in the Central Assembly of God Church. Burial will follow in the Kremlin Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home. Ellie Faith Nance was born November 17, 
The ESRF  the European Synchrotron  and the INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) have signed a collaboration agreement in the presence of Teresa Castaldo, Ambassador of Italy in France, Genevieve Fioraso, former French Minister for Research and Higher Education, and Gabriele Fioni, Rector for Research, innovation and Higher Education in Auvergne Rhone-Alpes. This agreement strengthens a long-standing collaboration, with the aim to continue pushing the frontiers of X-ray technology for the benefit of Europe.

The ESRF and INFN have a long history of collaboration, dating back to the beginning of the ESRF and the design of the first ESRF machine in 1988. Since 2011, this collaboration has been strengthened further with the conception, engineering design and commissioning of the ESRFs Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS), a new generation of synchrotron that started operation on 25 August 2020, providing the European and international scientific community with the brightest X-rays to open a new era of synchrotron science. Thanks to its expertise, the INFN assisted in all aspects of the design and construction of the vacuum system, a key component of ESRF-EBS.

The new ESRF-INFN agreement will be key to continue advancing R&D accelerator projects, especially to enhance the performances of the Extremely Brilliant Source. It results in an exchange of expertise and a strengthening of technical assistance between the ESRF and INFN.
S Secretary of State Antony Blinken Wednesday in Quito, Ecuador, discussed measures that countries can take to mitigate "the big challenge" of migratory flows in the Western Hemisphere."
CPS Energy President and CEO Paula Gold-Williams is leaving the utility early next year, city-owned CPS said Wednesday.

Her resignation comes amid strife in CPS executive ranks and a financial crunch that prompted the utility to seek a rate increase likely to boost customers bills by 10 percent early next year.

Gold-Williams, 59, was unable to withstand a tidal wave of challenges that have slammed CPS over the past year. Public opinion soured on the utility and Gold-Williams since the deadly winter freeze in February, when power was knocked out citywide and many residents sat in the cold and dark for long periods.

In a Bexar Facts poll in September, 52 percent of respondents said they disapproved of CPS performance.

It appears the final straw for Gold-Williams came when Chief Operating Officer Fred Bonewell resigned last week. A series of employee complaints against Bonewell suggested he made a racially insensitive comment during an internal meeting  allegedly asking participants, Where are all of the Mexicans?  and spent company money freely, seemingly without a budget.

Gold-Williams had promoted Bonewell to the utilitys No. 2 position in June despite eight prior employee complaints against him.

Bonewell was only one in a string of high-ranking executives to leave CPS this year. Seven top managers, including Bonewell, have exited the utility since February.

I want to thank Paula Gold Williams for her service to our community, Mayor Ron Nirenberg, one of five CPS trustees, said in a statement Wednesday evening. CPS Energy is dealing with a number of serious issues simultaneously. The next CEO must ensure that the utility successfully navigates these challenges while ensuring the organizations stability and addressing the ratepayers needs.

Joined CPS in 2004

Gold-Williams earned a base salary of $486,000 last year and was set to earn a $530,000 bonus before the utility canceled its incentive bonus program at the start of the pandemic.

She joined CPS in 2004 as its controller. She was later promoted to chief financial officer.

Before joining the utility, Gold-Williams  an auditor by training  was Luby Inc.s CFO when the cafeteria chain was headquartered in San Antonio. She left Lubys after contending with a debt crunch that nearly crippled the company.

At CPS, Gold-Williams was a frequent target of community and environmental organizers who accused her of releasing too little information about CPS operations  especially its coal-fired power plants  and not pushing hard enough to reduce the utilitys emissions.

But under Gold-Williams  who became CEO in 2016 after serving eight months as interim chief executive  CPS adopted the Flexible Path strategy to gradually increase its reliance on clean energy sources.

Prior to the winter storm, CPS customers experienced fewer power outages than customers of most other U.S. utilities, according to the Energy Information Administration. And San Antonio households have paid lower power bills than most other major cities during Gold-Williams tenure.

CPS total assets were valued at $12.8 billion as of July 31. The utilitys annual contribution of revenue to the city of San Antonio makes up 27.1 percent of this years $1.36 billion general fund, which pays for basic services such as police and fire protection and street work.

Beginning of the end

The February storm was the turning point for Gold-Williams.

CPS Energys lapses in communication with other city agencies during the storm worsened the crisis. And at least one of Gold-Williams comments early the week of Feb. 14 struck some as lacking empathy for customers being deprived of electricity as temperatures plunged. On Feb. 16, CPS posted this tweet: Paula Gold-Williams: We arent looking at individual people. We are looking at the stability of the grid and trying to help San Antonio through this situation.

The financial fallout from the freeze is continuing. CPS racked up about $1 billion in bills for natural gas and electricity it bought on the spot market during the storm, when gas suppliers were charging soaring prices amid tight supply and record demand.

CPS Energy has been preparing to request a rate hike from its board of trustees and City Council in part to cover costs from the storm. Ratepayers will be paying off debt from the storm  at least $450 million  as part of their monthly bills for at least the next 25 years.

The Bonewell controversy

The revelations about Bonewell appear to have been the final blow for Gold-Williams.

Employees under Bonewell alleged the executive, who had worked for CPS since 2015, and his top staffers used company money to pay for frequent work lunches and buy personal items such as earbuds. According to complaints in Bonewells personnel file, he sometimes disappeared from the office for hours, leaving assistants scrambling to reschedule his meetings.

Bonewell was placed on administrative leave Oct. 11 after the collection of complaints  which were filed beginning in 2018 through last year  were made public. Four days later, on Oct. 15, he resigned.

Other senior executives who departed this year: COO Cris Eugster, Bonewells predecessor, and CFO Gary Gold, who retired in June.

Also, CPS general counsel Carolyn Shellman abruptly left the utility in June after working there since 2006. Her exit was an early signal of internal strife at the utility.

Two of Shellmans deputy attorneys, Abigail Ottmers and Zandra Pulis, quit alongside Shellman. The attorneys exits were striking in part because they came shortly after CPS initiated one of the biggest legal fights in the utilitys history.

Storm lawsuits

In March, CPS sued 17 energy companies and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to try to pare down the $1 billion in bills racked up during the storm. CPS has argued that natural gas suppliers gouged the utility during the deep freeze and that ERCOT improperly maxed out the price of power statewide.

It was unclear why Shellman and her deputies left. But in a May 25 letter Ottmers addressed to Shellman, she cited problems with Gold-Williams.

As you know, I attempted to resign several weeks ago, but delayed my resignation when certain Board members pleaded for me to stay while the Board addressed certain claims lodged against the CEO, Ottmers wrote in the letter. It is clear to me now that I am not able to fulfill my professional duties to the organization under the working conditions that exist today.

Shanna Ramirez, formerly a CPS vice president, was named interim general counsel after Shellmans exit.

In September, John Leal, the utilitys director of local government relations, also left.

The Board of Trustees thanks Ms. Gold-Williams for her dedicated tenure as President & CEO of CPS Energy, CPS board Chairman Willis Mackey said in a statement Wednesday. We are confident that Ms. Gold-Williams will continue to provide excellent guidance to her employees and the company as we go through this transition period.

The board will form an executive search committee for a new CEO.

Mackey said the trustees would provide more information about the search in the coming days.

I will continue to work constructively with the Board and our senior leaders to ensure a thoughtful and productive transition, Gold-Williams said in a statement.

diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net
 Scroll down to see PDFs of the complaints 

CPS Energys chief operating officer, Fred Bonewell, resigned from the city-owned utility last week after CPS revealed a series of complaints employees had filed against him since 2018.

CEO Paula Gold-Williams appointed Bonewell to her top management team in June despite the complaints. That promotion  and CPS handling of the ethics concerns about the executive  was the latest controversy to flare up this year under Gold-Williams.

On Wednesday, the utility announced that Gold-Williams will step down in early 2022.

Employees under Bonewell, who joined CPS in 2015, he spent company money seemingly without a budget  including the purchase of personal items such as earbuds  and sometimes disappeared from the office for hours, leaving assistants scrambling to reschedule hiss meetings, according to documents obtained by the Express-News.

On ExpressNews.com: CPS Energy exodus: Under pressure, another top executive resigns from San Antonio utility

In one morning meeting in late October 2018, Bonewell allegedly entered a room with four other employees and asked, Where are all of the Mexicans? The comment prompted an employee to file a complaint with CPS ethics and compliance hotline.

Read the full complaints below.
San Antonio could spend its remaining federal COVID-19 relief funding on vaccination, utility assistance, the arts and more, but that may change depending on what feedback residents give over the next month.

The city is preparing to determine how it might use nearly $230 million in federal COVID-19 recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in March.

Residents will be invited to weigh in at eight listening sessions that could start next week and wrap up by the middle of November.

The city wants to focus its relief money on community needs  like utility assistance and the arts  and what officials see as impactful investments in areas like mental health, homelessness and economic development.

San Antonio is set to receive $326.9 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. The city already received the first half  $163.4 million  in May this year and will receive the second half in May 2022. It also has about $65.5 million unspent from its first phase after allocating almost $98 million in its budget to address revenue loss and other community needs.

That leaves nearly $230 million left in federal funding for San Antonio.

Choosing what gets funded

City staff havent proposed specific projects or put a dollar amount on certain spending areas. They are waiting until the listening sessions conclude and they hear more from City Council.

The only recommended dollar amount was $50 million toward the COVID-19 response, intended to be enough money if the city sees a pessimistic outlook for the pandemic this fall and spring. That would go toward vaccinations, testing, personal protective equipment for employees and enough for a contingency fund.

Council members almost all voiced support for relief dollars going toward utility assistance.

Officials have talked with CPS Energy and the San Antonio Water System about a residential program to help those most at risk of having their utilities disconnected. Staff could bring a more detailed plan to the Municipal Utilities Committee next week and City Council in early November.

Adriana Rocha Garcia, who represents District 4 on the Southwest Side, said she also wanted to see the city spend some of the money on broadband infrastructure.

Generally, City Council members expressed support for putting funds toward the arts, small businesses and more. The city could also invest federal funding to treat and prevent mental health, domestic violence, and homelessness; boost economic development; and improve parks, streets, and drainage.

At least eight outside organizations requested funding from the city under the American Rescue Plan Act, although the city didnt send out any requests for proposals.

For example, Mucho Mas Productions requested $25 million for film studio infrastructure, and Texas A&M-San Antonio asked for $7 million to go toward capital improvements and a new facility.

Extra pay for essential workers

Under federal guidelines, the city can also put COVID-19 recovery funding toward premium, or hazard, pay for essential workers.

Nearly all council members voiced support Wednesday for giving that extra pay to eligible city workers who worked in person throughout the pandemic.

It wasnt directly included in the citys loose plans, though. City Manager Erik Walsh said he doesnt recommend using American Rescue Plan funds for premium pay for city employees if the city cant continue to support those raises when federal funding runs out.

But after hearing the councils support for premium pay, the city will put together a report on how many employees may be eligible and how to define an essential worker or a hazardous work environment in the pandemic, said Maria Villagomez, deputy city manager.

Outside of government employees, City Council could also identify essential workers in the private sector, like grocery store workers, who might be eligible.

Teri Castillo, representing District 5 on the West Side, said the federal relief funds should be used to make the city whole, which includes compensating city employees who have worked in life-threatening environments.

HOME investment

Separate from its fiscal recovery money, San Antonio has a $20 million federal grant under the American Rescue Plan Act that staff plan to go toward permanent supportive housing, typically aimed at people who have experienced long periods of homelessness.

The city proposed using the grant to purchase a hotel and cover its operating costs for two years. It would also focus on rapidly rehousing people who are victims of domestic violence.

Rental assistance

The citys funding for emergency rental assistance is also separate from its fiscal recovery dollars under the American Rescue Plan Act. Some local governments have been slow to dole out that aid, so the Biden administration plans to reallocate those funds to governments that have demonstrated they can distribute it fast enough to meet urgent needs to avoid eviction.

City staff think San Antonio would be eligible to receive more rental relief funds, and they plan to apply once that chance is available.

When you can give input

In December, after listening sessions are finished, City Council members will hear updated recommendations on how to spend the federal money. City Council could approve a final spending plan in January and receive its second phase of funding from the federal government in May.

The city has until December 2026 to spend it.

Other area governments and school districts will receive their own funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.

You can give feedback on how you think the city should spend its federal COVID-19 relief funding at upcoming meetings in both English and Spanish. The city plans to finalize those dates by next week and add additional weekend options.

megan.stringer@express-news.net
Change is inevitable. When it happens, everything gained must be weighed against whatever is lost. Progress hangs in the balance.

That idea holds true for Mixtli, the modernist Mexican restaurant that began as an experiment in a boxcar near Olmos Park eight years ago. With 12 seats and a dream, chefs Diego Galicia and Rico Torres set out to create multicourse tasting menus diving deep into the regions, styles, folklore and inspirations that drive Mexican cuisine. By all accounts, they succeeded.

For two years in a row, the Express-News Top 100 Dining & Drinks guide declared Mixtli to be San Antonios best restaurant. In 2017, Torres and Galicia joined the elite ranks of Food & Wine magazines Best New Chefs.

Shut down last year by the pandemic, Mixtli briefly shifted to takeout taqueria mode. But the time had come to move beyond the 40-by-10-foot railcar, and Mixtli announced plans to move into a bigger space in Southtown, a move that finally happened in June.

Lets take an inventory of what theyve gained by leaving the cramped, dark, all-in-one kitchen and dining room space of their old home.

Windows, for one. Opening tall into the courtyard of the complex they share with Pharm Table, they stream light into an interior set in cool gray and blond wood tones with modern art on the walls.

Mike Sutter /Staff

And space. Now theres room for almost triple the number of people, with tables for two, four or more, plus a separate room for private parties. Now theres a full cocktail bar and a smart, well-matched wine list to replace the old locations sporadic pairings of complimentary alcohol in a space without a license. Now diners get to choose their own pace  and their own company  rather than scraping their plates to keep up with strangers at the old communal table.

On ExpressNews.com: Review: Mixtli's modernist Mexican food earns San Antonio critic's first top rating

The food still connects, served in 10-course tasting menus built with varying degrees of tweezered complexity by Galicia, Torres and a crew led by sous chef Alexana Cabrera and rounded out by pastry chef Sofia Tejeda, all working in a space that still brings the cooks and diners together in the same room.

The menu rotates thematically every few months. A summer menu put the spotlight on the Mexican state of Oaxaca, moving through that surf-and-turf wonderland from the ground up, producing several works of edible art with flavors worth framing.

A bracing calabacitas ceviche delivered color, texture and taste with summer squash, peas, charred cucumber and hoja santa vinaigrette set off with pea and serrano granita and the unexpected roasty nutlike crunch of flying ants called chicatanas.

A mushroom tostada incorporated white bean puree, pickled mushrooms and a mild cheese called quesillo Oaxaca for a satisfying taste like bean and cheese with a turbocharged center. Thats about where any notion of simplicity stopped, because the Oaxaca tour included a seafaring revelation of squid-ink masa cake with chopped mussels and trout roe that looked like an edible Bitcoin symbol rendered in matte black.

Mike Sutter /Staff

But Oaxacas marquee moment arrived on dry ice, a fog-machine bowl of seaweed topped by a seashell with a scallop poached in chile-garlic butter with green apple and coconut foam, a dish with a euphoric one-bite whoa to match the show.

The current menu focuses on Chiapas, the southernmost Mexican state, known for coffee, jungles, cheese, corn, seafood and milder chiles  all things I know thanks to Torres tableside preamble.

Throughout the menu, those elements played off each other like kids in a bouncy castle where its everybodys birthday: aromatic coffee butter for the bread; a tart ceviche of swordfish rendered scarlet red by hibiscus; a resilient globe-shaped tamal with bright shrimp mole; and a sweet vegetable-raisin picadillo contrasted with queso de bola, a cheese from Chiapas with a double rind and a creamy center.

Mike Sutter /Staff

Theres always a standing ovation moment at Mixtli, where the spectacle and the food behind it take a bow together. The Chiapas menu got two. First was a smoky pork rib dotted with dried tropical fruit. It came shrouded under a glass dome filled with cherrywood smoke, lifted tableside for a smoke-shrouded entrance Prince wouldve appreciated.

Then came a satisfying crawfish huarache with a puree of black beans and plantains, a roadside snack served in a wooden box that played jungle sounds when it opened, like a Hallmark card from Anthony Bourdain.

On ExpressNews.com: Review: Frida Mexican Restaurant & Bar in Stone Oak among San Antonio's worst Mexican restaurants

Sometimes the show cant save the performer, and that happened a few times at Mixtli. Seafood barbacoa devolved into a homogenous, acrid pileup like a mixed seafood grill at a taqueria  and not one of the good ones. Crab chileatole soup didnt stand a chance even with the same style of seaweed bedding as the scallop, because the seaweed smelled like the sad part of the beach.

And a pair of proteins missed Mixtlis high bar of flavor and flash, one a rubbery, slick disc of pork on peanut mole and another just a domino pile of aggressively smoked rib-eye slices camped next to slurries of mole and sweet potato.

Now lets account for what Mixtli has lost by moving from the bohemian bootstrap fringes to the full glare of a formal restaurant space.

Mixtlis intimacy was its superpower. A captive audience at a 12-seat table meant the stories behind the dishes  the distillation of weeks of research into history and food  could play out in a longer narrative form because they only had to be told once. Now that theyre told a dozen or more times a night, the stories have shrunk to recitations of ingredients with a few regional footnotes.

In the boxcar, the logistics of moving 10 courses on and off the table in close quarters meant the performance wrapped up in less than 90 minutes. My dinners in the new space ran significantly longer. Ask anybody who felt like they aged an extra year watching the new James Bond film if time is sometimes an unhappy passenger in the car.

Mike Sutter /Staff

Mixtlis core is still driven by the tasting menu. When the new bar program was announced, the notion of an a la carte Mixtli bar menu was intriguing. But its only a few things  the bread from the nights service, suadero tacos, some cheese  not a plate-by-plate peek at the big show. Still, the bars a separate and intimate pregame space for a paloma or a Oaxacan Old Fashioned with mezcal and an imposing single ice cube stamped with the Mixtli brand.

Mixtli **** 812 S. Alamo St., Suite 103, 210-338-0746, restaurantmixtli.com Quick bite: Progressive Mexican restaurant serving a multicourse menu from chefs Diego Galicia and Rico Torres Hit: Shrimp tamal, calabacitas ceviche, chopped mussels on squid ink masa Miss: Seafood barbacoa, crab chileatole soup Hours: 6-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday by ticketed reservation only. Dine-in only. The bar is open seating. Price range: Fixed-price multicourse menu, $125 per person plus tax and 20% service fee; $50 wine pairing available; a la carte dishes at the bar, about $8-$18 Alcohol: Cocktails, wine and beer ***** Excellent, an almost perfect experience **** Good, among the best in the city *** Average, with a few standouts ** Poor, with a redeeming factor or two * Bad, nothing to recommend Express-News dining critics pay for all meals. See More Collapse

So what hangs in the balance?

I liked the old Mixtli more. Not because Im an inveterate nostalgist, but because there was nothing like it, a freestanding culinary library-in-motion examining a countrys history through food, chapter by chapter, without distraction.

But I like the new Mixtli, too. Its a similar story, told in the age of distraction. An internet cafe instead of a library, satisfying our appetites and our curiosity in small bites. Progress, recalibrated to fit a new space and time.

msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking | Instagram: @fedmanwalking
A section of the San Antonio Zoo geared toward little ones is getting a big makeover.

Kronkoskys Tiny Tot Nature Spot will see major renovations at its indoor and outdoor play areas and the addition of a 1,680-square-foot, year-round butterfly house.

The $2.1 million project is expected to be complete in summer 2022, said Hope Roth, the zoos vice president of marketing, sales and communication. Construction, which temporarily will shut down the entire 2-acre section of the zoo, will start early next year.

The renovation is ramping up whats already there, said Lisa Townsend, education director for guest encounters. The mud kitchen will be expanded to include a diner, and more seating space will be added. There will be a track for children in wheelchairs or strollers to feel like they are riding in Hill Country, and there will be various updates to themed play areas.

The entire space has been well loved, Townsend said. Its just time to provide some new opportunities for adventurous play.

On ExpressNews.com: Anacondas, howler monkeys, jaguar catwalk set for SA Zoo

The nature spot was created in 2004 thanks to a donation from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, according to a news release. San Antonios zoo was the first in the country to have a space designed specifically for kids under the age of 5. Still, Townsend said older children are welcome, too, since families often have children of varying ages.

Courtesy via San Antonio Zoo /

When the incoming, climate-controlled butterfly house is in place, Townsend said the existing butterfly section at the front of the zoo will be decommissioned. The existing one is a modified greenhouse, she said. The zoo keeps exotic butterflies there during the warm months of the year.

The new house will allow the zoo to import butterflies from rainforests in South America, Southeast Asia and equatorial Africa any time of year rather than seasonally as is custom.

Townsend said the critters arrive at the zoo in their chrysalis. The new butterfly house will include a room where guests can peek in to watch the insects emerge from their cocoons.

On ExpressNews.com: Video: Hippos create colorful painting at the San Antonio Zoo

The renovation project is made possible by a $1 million challenge grant from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation.

The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation serves Bandera, Bexar, Comal and Kendall counties.

Foundation program manager Rachell Hathaway said in zoo press materials that the zoo gives kids an opportunity to connect with nature in a way that will affect them for years to come.

I think that the San Antonio Zoo and here at the Kronkosky Tiny Tot Nature Spot we can get them young while theyre still developing, and we can help them develop that love for nature so they can continue to care for it for years to come, she said.

megan.rodriguez@express-news.net
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday appointed John Scott, a Fort Worth attorney and longtime ally, as Texas next secretary of state  the top official who oversees Texas voting processes and election law.

Scott, who worked for Abbott while he was attorney general, also briefly represented former President Donald Trump in his bid to overturn the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania, where voters narrowly elected Democrat Joe Biden after doing the same for Trump four years earlier.

Scott served as counsel only for a few days in November before withdrawing his name from the lawsuit  though his background is the latest marker of Trumps sustained influence over Texas election decisions.

The former president has also lobbied the state in recent weeks to pass an election audit bill  a call that Abbott heeded and added to the agenda for the most recent special legislative session. The measure didnt have enough votes to pass, though, even with firm GOP majorities in both chambers.

The secretary of state mostly handles the logistics behind elections, but the position has become increasingly politicized over the past year as Trump has falsely claimed that widespread election fraud cost him a second term as president. After Trump publicly pressured Abbott to prioritize the auditing measure in September, the secretary of states office announced that it had started a full forensic audit of 2020 election results in Texas four most populous counties.

Scott will now supervise that endeavor, which Trump has pushed in other GOP-led states after election litigation failed. In Pennsylvania, where Scott signed onto a lawsuit last year, the former presidents campaign argued that more than 680,000 ballots should be discarded because election watchers were not able to adequately observe their processing.

The suit was dismissed in late November, with a federal judge accusing the Trump campaign of relying on strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations to throw out legally cast ballots. Scott had withdrawn as counsel about a week prior, as had Texas state Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Mineola Republican.

The secretary of states post has been vacant since May, when former interim Secretary of State Ruth Hughs stepped down after the Senate failed to confirm her appointment during the regular legislative session. While GOP lawmakers had not publicly expressed a lack of faith in Hughs, Democrats blamed their inaction on her offices assertion that Texas had a smooth and secure election in 2020.

John understands the importance of protecting the integrity of our elections and building the Texas brand on an international stage, Abbott said in a news release. I am confident that John's experience and expertise will enhance his oversight and leadership over the biggest and most thorough election audit in the country.

Democrats immediately criticized Abbotts pick as the latest GOP attempt to bolster Trumps false voter fraud claims. State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie and head of the House Democratic Caucus, also blasted the governor for waiting until the end of three special sessions to choose Scott, whose appointment could have been considered by the Senate during that time.

Now, the confirmation process will likely take place in 2023, when the Legislature is scheduled to meet for another regular session  a delay that denies Texans the fair and transparent process they deserve, Turner said. Scott will serve in an interim role until then.

Texans need a secretary of state who will fight for and protect the right to vote and not undermine it for political gain, Turner said.

Scott will all but certainly encounter political tension during his tenure. His job will include oversight of Texas new voting law, a controversial overhaul of the states election processes that twice prompted House Democrats to flee the state Capitol this summer in an eventually failed bid to stop Republicans from passing it.

The final version of the bill, which Abbott signed last month, prohibits overnight and drive-thru voting and removes some restrictions on partisan poll watchers, among other provisions.

As secretary of state, Scott also will serve as a senior adviser and liaison to the governor on matters concerning the Texas-Mexico border and relations with the states southern neighbor.

Scott could not be reached for comment Thursday. He has more than three decades of experience as an attorney and served as deputy attorney general for civil litigation while Abbott was attorney general.

Scott then continued to serve in various positions across state government, becoming the chief operating officer of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and later the board chairman for the Department of Information Resources.

He returned to the private sector in 2015 and has law offices in Austin and Fort Worth.

Cayla.Harris@express-news.net
A new member will join the CPS Energy board of trustees as the city-owned utility continues to navigate turbulent times amid the fallout from the winter storm and financial troubles stemming from the pandemic.

Francine Romero, associate professor and chair of the public administration department at the University of Texas at San Antonio, will join the board in February after City Council approved her nomination Thursday. She will fill the seat for the Northwest Quadrant, which includes City Council Districts 7 and 8 and portions of Districts 1, 6 and 9.

The City Councils approval came after a series of questions about whether theres enough public input and transparency in the appointment process and how CPS Energy plans to reduce emissions and move away from coal power plants.

Three City Council members  Mario Bravo, Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and Teri Castillo  declined to vote on Romeros appointment after moving to delay the vote to allow time for more public feedback.

Romero made clear she plans to incorporate data and evidence into her decisions as a trustee. She declined to make some commitments without first getting more information and said she would explore the evidence related to closing the Spruce coal-fired power plant.

Romero replaces outgoing trustee Ed Kelley, a former chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce who was known for bringing a business background to the board but often tussled with environmental activists over how the utility reduces emissions and approaches climate change. Local climate change activists voiced support Thursday for another candidate, Adelita Cantu, an associate professor at UT Health San Antonio. She wasnt among the four finalists trustees considered, however.

Romero joins the board of trustees in a season of change. A possible rate increase was announced last month, and CPS Energy President and CEO Paula Gold-Williams announced Wednesday she would leave the utility early next year. She led CPS through public frustration over the last year over its handling of the winter freeze in February, which left many without power in cold temperatures.

Rate increase looms over appointment

Extra costs stemming from the winter storm  about $1 billion  are just one reason CPS Energy announced last month it will seek a rate increase, which could raise customers bills by 10 to 15 percent.

The utilitys financial pressure also branches from the pandemic, with nearly 1 in 10 CPS customers past due on their electricity and gas bills, adding up to more than $100 million in missing revenue. The city may focus some of its unspent federal COVID-19 relief money on a utility assistance program for customers most at risk of being disconnected.

CPS has also said it needs more revenue for upgrades to its infrastructure and technology systems. The rate increase could go into effect early next year if approved by City Council.

The city and the utilitys response to mitigating the effects of climate change also loomed over Romeros appointment. Her predecessor, Kelley, was criticized by activists for tiptoeing around the issue of climate change.

Romero took a different view when questioned by Ana Sandoval, who represents District 7.

Moving toward decarbonization is a given, Romero told City Council on Thursday. The question here is when and how we do that.

In all, 26 people applied to join the CPS Energy board of trustees. The board is made up of five citizens, including Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who is charged with keeping the City Council informed of board decisions.

Romeros term will expire on Jan. 31, 2027.

Contributing: Diego Mendoza-Moyers of the Express-News

megan.stringer@express-news.net
A smuggler who fled from Border Patrol east of Carrizo Springs and rolled the sport utility vehicle he was driving, killing five of the 13 undocumented immigrants he was transporting in 2018, was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in federal prison.

At a hearing in Del Rio, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses gave Jorge Luis Monsivais Jr., 23, of Eagle Pass, 360 months in prison for his guilty plea to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death; conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury; conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens; one count of transporting illegal aliens resulting in death; and one count of transporting illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury.

On ExpressNews.com: Driver matching name, age of San Antonio TikTok star died in crash after police pursuit, DPS says

Moses also sentenced a co-defendant, Rudy Gomez, 24, of Hockley (northwest of Houston), to 10 years in prison for his guilty plea to conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. The judge ordered each to pay nearly $546,000 in restitution.

On June 17, 2018, Monsivais was driving one of three SUVs loaded with undocumented immigrants that were spotted by Border Patrol off Highway 85, about 90 miles southwest of San Antonio. Monsivais and another driver led Border Patrol agents and Dimmit County sheriffs deputies on a high-speed chase. Monsivais, going more than 100 mph, crashed as he entered the town of Big Wells.

Four of the 13 undocumented immigrants traveling with Monsivais at the time of the crash died at the scene, and nine were transported to a hospital for medical care. One died on the way to the hospital.

Border Patrol agents detained a total of 23 undocumented immigrants  21 Mexican nationals and two Honduran nationals, according to a news release.

Gomezs lawyer, Mike McCrum of San Antonio, said his client was not involved in the fatal crash.

McCrum said Gomez drove a vehicle from Houston to Eagle Pass that was not used to transport immigrants that day, pointed some of the immigrants into a stash house in Eagle Pass, and handed them a piece of paper so they could write their names and contact information for relatives who would pay their transport fees.

He was never even close to the (vehicle) that crashed, McCrum said.

Gomezs father, Marcial Gomez Santana, 58, of Mexico, pleaded guilty in July 2019 to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death; conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury; conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens; and harboring illegal aliens for private financial gain.

On August 20, 2019, Marcials daughter, Johana Gomez, 22, of Houston, along with 48-year-old Mexican citizen Mariela Reyna pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.

In September, Judge Moses sentenced Johana Gomez and Reyna to 10 years in prison, and ordered each to pay $546,000 in restitution.

The judge in September also sentenced Marcial Gomez Santana, who was running the operation, to 262 months  more than 21 years  in prison, plus restitution. He was driving one of the SUVs, acting as a vehicle scouting for law enforcement.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
As state land commissioner in 2011, Jerry Patterson led the General Land Office as it took the reins from the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and became the custodian of the Alamo.

Now Patterson is joining a team charged with promoting state pride that takes its name from the year the famed mission-turned-fort became synonymous with the Texas Revolution.

This week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appointed Patterson to serve on the nine-member 1836 Project Advisory Committee. The panels primary focus is to produce a historical pamphlet for people receiving a Texas drivers license.

Under House Bill 2497, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed in June, the pamphlet will cast a positive light on state history.

The committee also will create a gubernatorial award to celebrate student knowledge of the states history, and it will advise state agencies on how they relay historical facts in museums, landmarks, state parks and other areas.

Some critics have said theyre worried the committee, in its zeal, will omit controversial aspects of the states history, including racial unrest and social and economic disparities.

On ExpressNews.com: Forget the Alamo authors discuss book, respond to criticism

But Patricks office touts the project as an effort to promote patriotic education and increase awareness of the Texas values that continue to stimulate boundless prosperity across this state.

The 1836 Project will play a key role in ensuring that future generations learn the truth about Texas history, and about the core values that have contributed to making Texas the greatest state in the country, Patrick said in a news release.

The release noted that Patterson, of Austin, served in the Marine Corps and as a state senator, and he was named 2007 Texan of the year by Celebrate Texas, a nonprofit that promotes Texas independence events.

In the final years of his tenure as land commissioner, which ran from 2003 to 2015, Patterson put the Alamo under the states authority while retaining the Daughters of the Texas Republic as the sites operations contractor. He helped negotiate an Alamo exhibit of the state-owned victory or death letter signed by William Barret Travis. He opened the first Alamo exhibit devoted extensively to Tejano defenders and survivors of the 1836 battle. And he helped negotiate the donation of artifacts to the Alamo by musician Phil Collins.

On ExpressNews.com: Will Alamo story include different perspectives?

Patrick has led the charge to secure state funding for an extensive public-private makeover of the Alamo that includes building a museum.

But Patterson said he doesnt think the 1836 Project Committee will have a direct impact on the Alamo project, whose key partners include the city of San Antonio and nonprofit Alamo Trust.

The biggest problem we have is covering the wide expanse and lengthy narrative of Texas in a single pamphlet, Patterson said.

Patrick appointed two others to the committee as well. His former senior adviser, Sherry Sylvester, of San Antonio, is distinguished senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation with a focus on Texas history and identity. And state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, is an eighth-generation Texan.

Last month, Abbott appointed another three of the committee members. Author Carolina Castillo Crimm, of Huntsville, is history professor emeritus at Sam Houston State University. History scholar Don Frazier, of Kerrville, is director of The Texas Center at Schreiner University and a former professor at McMurry University in Abilene. And Kevin Roberts, of Liberty Hill, is CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

House Speaker Dade Phelan will round out the committee when he announces his three picks.

shuddleston@express-news.net
San Antonio police arrested a woman accused of driving a getaway car from a fatal shooting at a Northeast Side apartment complex in May.

Monique Denay Scott, 31, was charged Tuesday with murder in connection with the death of 32-year-old Gary Smith.

Police also requested an arrest warrant for Calvin Leon Williams Jr., 33, as the man suspected of shooting Smith, according to the affidavit supporting Scotts arrest warrant.

Police responded to the Oak Manor Apartments, at 2330 Austin Highway, on May 5 after a 911 caller reported hearing shots in the area. When officers arrived, they found Smith dead in the drivers seat of a four-door sedan with a gunshot wound in his head, court documents said.

On ExpressNews.com: These 14 San Antonio-area cities experienced an increase in crime in 2020, according to FBI data

In the roadway behind the sedan, several spent shell casings littered the ground.

Witnesses said they saw a Nissan Altima with a dark window tint and a hubcap missing from one of the passenger-side wheels fleeing the scene. The 911 caller reported seeing a woman with long black hair driving the car.

Smiths girlfriend told police she was in a nearby staircase at the time and that while she didnt see who shot her boyfriend, she heard one of the people in the Altima  whom she later identified as Williams  yelling at Smith before hearing several gunshots, the affidavit supporting Scotts arrest said.

The victims girlfriend also told police that she recognized the Altima as belonging to one of Williams girlfriends. Police later confirmed that a 2012 Altima is registered to that woman.

Investigators learned that the day before the shooting, another one of Williams girlfriends, who was incarcerated at the time, asked him to retrieve her car from Smith.

Police believe Williams subsequently involved Scott in that task, based on evidence obtained from the Altima while executing a search warrant.

When police found the Altima on May 11, there were two cellphones inside that showed Facebook messages between Williams and Scott on the day of the shooting. Williams told Scott that he had to go ghost for the day so that no one would know where he was until the situation was over, the affidavit said.

Investigators also found surveillance footage of Williams and Scott exiting the vehicle at a hotel about an hour after the shooting, and they learned that Scott rented a room there under her name.

Scott is being held at the Bexar County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

taylor.pettaway@express-news.net
In the game of historical what ifs, its worth imagining what might have been if Colin Powell  who in the early 1990s was among the most admired figures in America  had heeded conservative pleas to seek the 1996 Republican presidential nomination, won it and then defeated Bill Clinton that November.

Our first Black president would have been a Republican.

He would also have been the first president since Andrew Jackson to be a child of immigrants  living proof that a country that opens its doors to impoverished strangers is immeasurably enriched by their aspirations and efforts.

The Monica Lewinsky scandal, which so embittered, disgusted and polarized the country, would (at most) have been a disturbing story about a sleazy ex-president.

The Gingrich Republicans, forerunners to the truculent populists who would elect Donald Trump 20 years later, could have been held in check by a president whose moderate instincts, military bearing and public standing recalled Dwight Eisenhower.

The bitter contest over the election of 2000  its outcome determined by the Supreme Court  would almost certainly not have happened. The country might have entered the 21st century with more sobriety and less division.

The fight against Islamist extremism that would have confronted Powell in a likely second term would have played out very differently abroad and at home.

But Powell chose not to run. The character traits that had made him an exemplary military leader and presidential adviser were ill suited for a bruising campaign. He had no particular ideology beyond being a problem-solver with somewhat conservative instincts. He lacked the messianic self-belief that animates most candidates. He saw himself as a soldier-statesman in the mold of George Marshall, not as a politician who lived by the polls and had an elastic relationship with truth.

No wonder Powell seized the chance to be George W. Bushs secretary of state. Here was an opportunity to tutor a foreign-policy novice at a moment of seemingly unique promise for the United States. It turned out to be anything but, both with respect to the opportunity and the promise.

The attacks of Sept. 11 shattered a decades worth of American complacency about its place atop the global order at the supposed end of history. The administrations response to the attacks shattered whatever hopes Powell might have had to be the dominant figure in the Bush administration.

Powell is sometimes remembered as the man who could have stopped the invasion of Iraq but lacked the spine or the political infighting skills to do so. This is unfair and historically inaccurate. Easily forgotten now, the idea that Saddam Hussein posed a unique threat to global security was widely shared at the time of invasion  including by Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer and Adam Schiff, to name a few. The weapons of mass destruction dossier that Powell presented to the U.N. Security Council on the eve of the Iraq War had the full confidence of the intelligence community.

(As for political infighting, its worth remembering that Powell effectively protected his friend and deputy, Richard Armitage, by remaining publicly silent when he knew that Armitage had leaked, inadvertently, the name of the CIA officer Valerie Plame to the press.)

As it is, Powell did have a long private conversation with Bush, outlining the real challenge of invasion: A broken postwar Iraq would be Americas to pay for and fix. That was the right advice, and it called for meticulous planning for the day after Saddams downfall.

Instead, Bush assigned the task of reconstruction to Donald Rumsfeld, who shrugged at postwar looting in Baghdad as little more than exuberant expressions of freedom. More destructive was the cocksure U.S. viceroy in Iraq, Paul Bremer, who reported to Rumsfeld and who helped lay the ground for the insurgency by disbanding the Iraqi army. (Bremer has his own version of events.) Powell, who said he was never consulted on the decision, hardly deserves the blame.

Yet Powells performance as secretary also reflected both the virtues and limitations of the system that had embraced him and that he came to embody for both better and worse.

Powell came of age at a time when American systems worked. His parents arrived in the United States from Jamaica through open doors. He received, by his own account, a remarkably good public school education. The Army, integrated for only about a decade when he joined it, saw his promise and promoted him swiftly. He oversaw the American war machine when it was at the zenith of its power, decimating the supposedly formidable Iraqi military with shock-and-awe-inducing swiftness in the Persian Gulf War. The adulation with which the U.S. public received him seemed to announce the long-awaited post-racial future.

In this sense, Powell uniquely synthesized two strains of American identity that had long been at odds: the radical promise of 1776, that all of us, irrespective of background, are indeed created equal and can rise as far as our talents will take us; and the sturdy traditionalism that goes with being the product of a military hierarchy.

But things went badly wrong with Americas systems between the time they had shaped Powell on his way up and the time he had a hand in shaping them from the top. Immigration processes became incoherent. Public education deteriorated. Social mobility stagnated.

Within the federal government, the intelligence community had become catastrophically inept. In Iraq, the United States could not get the lights to go on. In Afghanistan, it could not competently disburse foreign aid. At least until David Petraeus took charge, the military seemed hapless in the face of the rising insurgency. At almost every level of authority, bureaucracy got in the way of initiative, process in the way of speed, consensus in the way of independent thinking.

Powell, like so many others, could not seem to get his head around the extent of the rot. He had spent days at the CIA personally vetting the intelligence on Iraq before presenting it at the U.N. Even then it was garbage. A responsible case could have been made for Husseins removal because he was a one-man weapon of mass destruction, responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths irrespective of what lay in his arsenal. But the WMD case was pressed because it seemed to be the most convenient. The decision to disband the Iraqi army was made with no interagency process to speak of. The person who defended that fiasco, then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, was chosen to succeed Powell at the State Department.

Again, Powell was not responsible for this. But the same combination of decency, levelheadedness and ambivalence that dissuaded him from running for president prevented him from being the kind of critic and reformer that a broken system really needed.

A modest man who has much to be modest about was Winston Churchills reputed jibe about his successor, Clement Attlee. Powell, by contrast, was a modest man who, for all of his achievements, was still too modest for his countrys good.

General Powell, you shouldve run in 96. Rest in peace.
Much ink  digitally and on paper  has rightfully been spilled recently about Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolffs announcement that he will not seek reelection in 2022.

Wolff is going out the way wed probably all like to leave our job  on a high note, with high approval ratings, an impressive record of public service, numerous successes and big shoes to fill. A fixture in San Antonio and Bexar County politics for decades, he served in the Texas Legislature, as a San Antonio City Council member, and mayor of San Antonio before becoming county judge. Hes just the second person in more than a century to serve as both mayor of San Antonio and Bexar County judge. Again, big shoes to fill.

For those unfamiliar with the position, a county judge in Texas is far more of an administrative job than judicial, akin to a county chief executive. In fact, only in low population Texas counties would a county judge potentially exercise judicial duties over misdemeanor criminal, small civil cases and probate matters. As Texas fourth-most populous county and the 16th-largest county in the U.S., that isnt the Bexar County judges job. The position manages a payroll of more than 5,000 people, oversees a budget of roughly $2.8 billion and presides over services ranging from health care to infrastructure to parks to transportation to budgets to emergency management.

Wolffs decision to retire creates the first open seat opportunity for Bexar County judge since 1992. Given the countys size, stature and politics, the race is going to attract some strong candidates in both parties. Barring Wolff naming a successor, his retirement will likely set into motion some fierce competition for the Democratic and Republican nominations next spring.

With all due respect to the Republicans, given Bexar Countys politics, the conventional wisdom suggests whomever eventually wins the Democratic nomination will likely become the next Bexar County judge. That said, conventional wisdom isnt always right and election cycles can sometimes be fickle things. Its always possible that a Republican could win. In fact, Greg Abbott won Bexar County (barely) in 2014. But lower-level offices, from the Legislature to judges to county offices, are the canary in the coal mine that describes Bexar Countys changing partisan landscape. Similar to what happened in Harris County, there is a slow but perceptible shift in Bexar County from red to purple to a deepening shade of blue, particularly since 2014.

On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Wolff earns gratitude, not harassment

While it would be fun to engage in discussing the horse race aspects of who might or might not run, perhaps its best to defer to others on this and consider the bigger picture. Perhaps a discussion about Bexar Countys demographics and the future might be useful here.

A question that has been the source of some recent discussions in my Texas politics course since Wolff announced his retirement has centered on if the person eventually elected as the next Bexar County judge will reflect the face of Bexar County? After all, Bexar County is, based on the 2020 census, a majority-minority county with persons of color comprising nearly 75 percent of the countys population. Nearly 60 percent of Bexar County residents are Latino and more than 7 percent are African American. It should come as no surprise that my students, who are also primarily students of color, are very interested if the next county judge will be a person of color, thereby better representing the realities of Bexar Countys demographics.

Although inroads have been made, it has been decades since a Latino last served as Bexar County judge. No African American has ever served as county judge. Why raise this point? Because it has everything to do with Bexar Countys population and future. The open county judge position provides a clear opportunity to elect someone who reflects the face of Bexar Countys population. Lets see what transpires over the next year.

Jon Taylor is a professor of political science and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
The billionaire space race may be snatching headlines, but dont ignore NASAs deep space missions.

On Oct. 13, William Shatner, and three others, blasted into space aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft launched from the companys facility near Van Horn. The flight came less than three months after Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, aerospace icon Wally Funk and two others also flew to space from the West Texas site.

And SpaceXs Starship project near Boca Chica Beach outside Brownsville continues to capture imaginations while creating jobs, business opportunities, a real-estate boom and yes, critics, lawsuits and protests.

While commercial space firms are locking their grip on suborbital and low-Earth orbit flight, NASA is looking farther out, to the moon, Mars and beyond. Way beyond.

On ExpressNews.com: NASAs Lucy spacecraft has San Antonio ties and rock n roll friends

One example is NASAs $981 million Lucy mission that launched Saturday aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The spunky space probe with an ambitious 12-year-long, 4-billion-mile journey has deep San Antonio roots.

Southwest Research Institute, San Antonios nonprofit mega lab, leads the project that will be the first to study the Trojan asteroids  the asteroid belt in the same orbit around the sun as Jupiter.

Lead investigators Hal Levison and Cathy Olkin work out of SwRIs Boulder, Colo., office, and engineers and scientists in SwRIs San Antonio facility built several components for Lucys scientific instruments.

The spacecraft, nearly as tall as a five-story building when its solar panels are extended, will help us understand how the solar system evolved. It may also unlock mysteries about asteroids and the risks they pose for Earth.

Views & Voices: Editorials, columns and commentary, delivered to your inbox

After flying by five Trojan asteroids in 2027 and 2028. It will pass another two in 2033 and then will continue in orbit for thousands of years, boldly going where no man, or probe, has gone before.
Life is complicated, but there are truths so profound that they obliterate all ambiguity and nuance.

The Holocaust is one of them. Nazi Germany murdered approximately 13 million Jews, homosexuals and others considered social pariahs. The concentration camps were factories, and the product was death.

It takes a benighted person to see shadings of gray in a portrait of evil that is black and white. Meet Gina Peddy, the executive director of curriculum and instruction for the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake. She recently told teachers to assign books that offered opposing viewpoints on the Holocaust, according to a tape secretly recorded by a staff member.

Just try to remember the concepts of (House Bill) 3979, Peddy is heard saying on the tape, first reported by NBC News.

The new law requires teachers to discuss social issues without giving deference to any one perspective. We vigorously oppose the new law partly because it creates situations like this.

Presenting the Holocaust as horrific is not deferring to any one perspective; it is deferring to the truth, something the children deserve.

Im Jewish, Cara Serber, the mother of two students, told CNN affiliate KTVT. My children are Jewish, so my instant reaction was to be upset.

Obfuscating the facts exacerbates the evil, leading to Holocaust denial, which in turn leads to antisemitism; the Anti-Defamation League recorded more than 2,100 cases of assault, vandalism and harassment against Jews across the U.S. in 2019, the most since tracking began in 1979.

During the conversations with teachers during last weeks meeting, the comments made were in no way to convey that the Holocaust was anything less than a terrible event in history, Lane Ledbetter, superintendent of the Carroll ISD, said in a statement. Additionally, we recognize there are not two sides of the Holocaust.

No, there are not two sides of the Holocaust, and there are not two sides of the ignorance that seeks to diminish the Holocaust. How can parents have any confidence Peddy can do what she has been tasked to do  enlighten the children? She should be fired.
The 3rd Court of Appeals on Thursday ruled in favor of former employees of Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who reported him to law enforcement for alleged corruption, with the court saying the states whistleblower law should have prevented them from being fired and allowing their case to move forward in the trial court.

The attorney generals office had argued that the case should be dismissed because Paxton is protected by sovereign immunity, a legal principle that shields some governmental officials from lawsuits. It claimed he was not subject to the Texas Whistleblower Act because he is an elected official, not a public employee.

The panel, made up of three Democratic justices on the Austin-based appellate court, rejected that argument, warning that such an interpretation of the law would lead to the extreme consequence of excluding from whistleblower protection employees who report misconduct by any of the thousands of elected officials.

Attorneys for the whistleblowers applauded the courts decision.

This opinion reaffirms that Texas law protects public servants who complain about violations of the law by high-level government officials like the attorney general, they said in a joint statement. As we have said from the beginning, no one is above the law, not even Ken Paxton.

Attorneys for the state did not immediately respond to a request for comment; however, the state is likely to request a rehearing by all six justices on the court, all but one of whom are Democrats, or appeal to the all-conservative Texas Supreme Court.

The suit has already cost the state more than $250,000 in fees from outside attorneys from Houston-based firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith  an amount taxpayers would be on the hook for if the whistleblowers win.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Court records depict how investor Nate Paul wielded AG Ken Paxton legal opinion

The case was brought by four of eight former employees of the office who accused Paxton in October 2020 of bribery and abusing the power of his office to help his friend and campaign donor Nate Paul, an Austin-based real estate investor. (One other employee was fired, and three resigned.) The FBI is reportedly investigating those claims.

The states top lawyer, who has also been under indictment for felony securities fraud for five years without going to trial, has denied all wrongdoing.

In August, Paxton raised eyebrows when his office publicized an internal report finding him innocent of the corruption crimes alleged by the whistleblowers. The unsigned report did not have the force of law, and government ethics experts said it should have been conducted by an independent investigator to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.

MORE ON THAT: Embattled Texas AG Ken Paxton releases anonymous internal investigation clearing himself

The whistleblowers are seeking damages for what they characterize as retaliation for speaking up about Paxtons alleged crimes, and two of them have requested reinstatement to their jobs. The law allows for each whistleblower to recover up to $250,000 in damages, plus attorneys fees.

Paxtons attorneys had argued that the Legislature did not intend for the Whistleblower Act to apply to elected officials like him because it could hinder his ability to consider policy concerns, such as the duty of loyalty. They said it could constitute a violation of the separation of powers principle in the Texas Constitution by allowing the courts to overreach and disrupt an executive office function.

Although loyalty and confidence are important considerations in employment matters, the court wrote in its opinion, the act provides that a state employer cannot fire an employee because he reports illegal conduct by the employer, even when it is that act of reporting that causes the employer to lose confidence or feel the employee lacks loyalty.

The appellate courts decision comes months before Paxton faces the political fight of his career. He has drawn three serious challengers in a GOP primary: Land Commissioner George P. Bush, former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and state Rep. Matt Krause.

All three have highlighted Paxtons legal troubles in their campaigns. Bush and Guzman said during Texas Tribune Festival interviews that Paxton should step down.

Adding to the cloud of legal trouble over Paxtons head is an investigation by the Texas bar association into whether his December lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results at the U.S. Supreme Court was frivolous and contained purposely false and misleading information. The probe was sparked by complaints from four public citizens, including one Democratic activist.

taylor.goldenstein@chron.com
WASHINGTON  Senate Democrats latest effort to pass sweeping new voting laws aimed at states like Texas  where Republicans have worked to restrict voting access and redrawn electoral maps in their favor  again ran aground against unified GOP opposition on Wednesday.

Not a single Republican voted to begin debate on the legislation, a pared-down version of a voting bill that the GOP has deemed a federal takeover of elections, despite weeks of outreach by U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate West Virginia Democrat who party leaders had tasked with winning over some Republican senators.

The vote makes clear that if Democrats in D.C. are going to pass new voting rights legislation  lobbied for by their colleagues in Texas who spent weeks in Washington in the summer to delay new state voting restrictions  theyll have to amend Senate rules to do it on their own.

RELATED: Latinos sue against 'racist' redistricting maps in Texas

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to do so, saying, Republican obstruction is not a cause for throwing in the towel and announcing he would bring a separate voting bill to the floor for a vote as soon as next week.

Senate Democrats have made clear that voting rights is not like other issues we deal with in this chamber, he said. This isnt about regular old politics.

But Republicans argue its just that. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said hes just about lost count of how many times Democrats have tried to pass the same takeover with new trappings.

The latest umpteenth iteration is only a compromise in the sense that the left and the far left argued among themselves about exactly how much power to grab and in which areas, McConnell said.

He derided provisions of the bill that he said still subjects popular, common sense election integrity protections like voter I.D. to the whims of federal bureaucrats and still puts Washington in the middle of states redistricting decisions.

The same rotten core is all still there, McConnell said.

Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Many of the provisions in the bill read like direct responses to Texas Republicans new voting laws and electoral maps.

Experts say the legislation would stop the newly drawn Texas maps  already the target of lawsuits  in their tracks, rather than waiting for a court to side with one of the groups suing. A coalition of Latino organizations and individuals filed a lawsuit this week, saying the new maps intentionally discriminate against Hispanic voters based on race and national origin.

The bill would automatically halt maps that produce high partisan bias in legislative districts, measured by how people voted in any two of the presidential and Senate elections going back to 2016. Texas new maps would fail the test in all four of those elections, said Michael Li, an expert on redistricting who serves as senior counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.

The Brennan Center earlier this year sued Texas over new voting restrictions passed by the Legislature.

It would not be surprising to see it be 2025 or 2026 and Texas still be in litigation over these maps  and using the maps all the while, Li said.

He said the provisions against gerrymandering would be important in blue states, as well, saying maps recently proposed by Illinois Democrats would also fail, four out of four.

The bill would also prohibit states from imposing conditions or requirements to vote by mail, strengthen protections for voters who need assistance, including those with disabilities or with limited English proficiency, and limit what partisan poll watchers are able to do, including setting an 8-foot buffer zone between the watchers and voters, among other things.

BACKGROUND: Texas Democrats cheer as U.S. House passes federal voting rights bill

Senate Democrats vowed to continue pushing, calling the legislation urgent.

The first primary for the 2022 elections is in a little over four months in Texas, said U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who led the bill. We must act now.

Schumer said he would soon bring to the floor Democrats other major elections bill, named after former U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon who died last year. That bill would restore sections of the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court has chipped away at, including provisions that required Texas and other states with a history of discrimination to get approval from the U.S. Department of Justice before enacting new voting laws.

But the fate of that bill will almost certainly be the same. With the Senate evenly split, at least 10 Republicans would need to join Democrats to overcome the filibuster, and moderate Democrats remain opposed to eliminating or tweaking the rule, even as calls from the left intensify.

Its the filibuster or democracy, former Senate candidate Beto ORourke of Texas tweeted after the vote.

Members of this body now face a choice, Schumer said. They can follow in the footsteps of our patriotic predecessors in this chamber or they can sit by as the fabric of our democracy unravels before our very eyes.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Sophie and Rindr are good dogs serving in the San Marcos Police Department.

But they dont sniff out drugs or chase down fleeing criminals. Theyre a different breed of police dog.

They dish out snuggles and wet-nosed kisses  and get lots of pets for their efforts.

Sophie, a rescued Shiba Inu/American Eskimo mix, and Rindr, a Belgian Malinois, come when called to the scene of a mental health crisis.

The well-trained pups accompany their handlers to help those who are at a low point. That could mean anyone from a child testifying against a sexual abuser, a twentysomething suffering a psychotic break, or a senior who cant remember where or who they are.

We respond to anybody in a mental health crisis, said Joyce Bender, Sophies handler with the departments mental health response unit.

The units members respond to calls and see how they can help  whether its getting someone to an inpatient hospital, following up with outpatient services, or securing mental health services.

When Bender responds to a scene, she leaves Sophie in her patrol car until she confirms that the person shes there to help is a dog person and wouldnt mind the company. If she gets the go-ahead, its time for Sophie to work her magic.

And Sophie is a very good girl at what she does  people respond well.

Its no judgment with a dog, Bender said. Its natural to actually have the dog there because they naturally bring down the persons anxiety.

The therapy dogs also visit schools, courthouses, hospitals and firehouses to relieve the anxiety of children and people who work in high-stress environments.

Donald Lee, a corporal with the mental health unit, is Rindrs handler. He said the 2-year-old is a bit more rambunctious than Sophie. He shines with first responders and veterans who benefit from an especially friendly dog.

Theyre both good with all kids and people, Lee said, but if were going to a school or having a lot of young kid interaction, the more low-key Sophie is a bit more approachable than my pointy-eared dog that some people think is a patrol dog.

Sophie and Rindr were trained and certified at the Paws and Stripes doggie school at the Brevard County Sheriffs Office in Florida. The program enlists jail inmates to give obedience training.

Bender and Lee say dogs can break barriers that humans simply cant.

Most people have had a dog in their life, Lee said.

Bender once spent an hour trying to prevail upon an older woman whod been released from the emergency room but refused to leave. Abandoned by her family, she was experiencing homelessness and had nowhere to go. Bender tried to coax the woman into inpatient care for further treatment, but to no avail.

Then she brought Sophie in to visit with the ER nurses, and she went to the womans room to say goodbye.

When she saw Sophie, it was just an automatic connection, Bender said. She put Sophie in her lap and was caressing her and petting her, and just like that, she changed her mind and said, OK.

And so we got her to the inpatient center instead of her going out on the streets, which was amazing, Bender said. I have tons of stories just like that.

Sheldon, the Police Departments original therapy dog, is retired. But he used to visit the District Attorneys Office with Bender to help victims testifying about crimes committed against them. Sometimes it was children who were sexually abused, other times it was adults whod been assaulted.

The pair would sit with the victims before they testified and be there when they came out.

It seems to help bring their anxiety down and stress levels down, just for a moment at least, Bender said.

Spreading the love

Bender and Lee are trying to raise money for their departments therapy dog program after the pandemic forced the unit to reduce its budget. Theyve entered Sophie in an online contest where the dog who gets the most votes will win a $5,000 grant from Aftermath, a company that serves traumatized families by cleaning the site of a suicide or murder.

Sophie is up against dogs from all over Texas, and voting ends Oct. 26. If Sophie wins, Bender said the $5,000 will help them raise awareness of the therapy dog unit.

Bender said she could produce and hand out trading cards for both dogs featuring their pictures and biographies. She also could put the dogs faces and the number for the mental health crisis line on ceramic poker chips. Then theres her idea for coloring books featuring the dogs to give to kids.

There are all kinds of things that we can do that just costs money, she said. But the contest is one way that we can hopefully win the money and give back to the community.

To vote, visit aftermath.com/2021-texas-k9-voting/ and click on Sophies picture under San Marcos Police Department. You can vote once every 24 hours every day until the contest ends Oct. 26.

Annie Blanks writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. annie.blanks@express-news.net.
DALLAS (AP)  Passenger revenue almost tripled and Southwest Airlines posted a smaller loss that most had expected, despite slowing air traffic in the third quarter with the spread of the delta variant.

Net income was $446 million, or 73 cents per share, bouncing back from a loss over the same period last year. There were one-time costs that drove a per-share loss of 23 cents, but that's not as bad as the per-share loss of 27 cents that Wall Street was expecting, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research.
FAIRFIELD  Shawn Wynter moved to the United States from Jamaica in 2007. Four years later he joined the Army because he wanted to show his gratitude for his new homeland.

He said he served his country for five years, working as a utilities equipment technician and earning the rank of sergeant.

On Thursday, he saw that gratitude returned with a new 2018 Chrysler Pacifica donated by Operation Homefront, a national non-profit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families. It worked in partnership with U.S. Bancorp through its Driven to Serve program.

Its beautiful, Wynter quietly said as he walked around the new car. Thank you so much.

A single father of five daughters and U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, Wynter said the vehicle would help him get his family around.

Shawn deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012 and spent seven months providing technical support to an infantry platoon, a press release on the Fairfield event stated.

Wynter said he received an honorable discharge and was medically retired in 2016 qualifying for 100 percent disability. He just graduated from Sacred Heart University with a bachelors degree in social work.

The car he currently owns is pure problems, Wynter said. While he and his family live in Waterbury, his oldest daughter still goes to school in Trumbull because he did not want to have to move her before she graduates this year.

Its her last year, he said. So, I have to travel like 30, 35 miles every morning one way  go back and forth every day. I needed a reliable vehicle. This truly means a lot to me.

With his large family, Wynter said he does a lot of driving, adding saying thank you to the organizations that helped him would be an understatement.

This is the ninth vehicle donation U.S. Bank is making to Operation Homefront and the 27th vehicle donated to the Driven to Serve initiative overall. It is the first vehicle the program has given away in Connecticut.

Wynter was presented the vehicle at SCAP Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Fairfield, along with some U.S. Bank swag. Rick Heckler, the general sales manager of the dealership, said the Chrysler is worth $40,000  and later told Wynter the dealership would be providing a 3-year or 30,000 mile warranty.

Things like this, you wonder if just a thank you can exemplify how much it means, because just a thank you is an understatement, Wynter said.

Several representatives from U.S. Bank were at the ceremony Thursday morning, each thanking Wynter for his service to the country and speaking of the importance of honoring veterans for the sacrifices they make.

joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com
GREENWICH  Car thieves in Greenwich are trying a new tactic  stealing vehicles at a local country club, according to police.

Police said they received reports that two Land Rovers had been stolen mid-morning Sunday at a local country club, which was not identified. The cars both had been left unlocked with the ignition devices inside, said police.

For cars thefts, that was something new, police Lt. Martin OReilly said. Well get the word out to country clubs to make sure their members dont leave their keys in their cars. He said police were concerned that thieves would try a similar approach in the future at other sites.

A Prius that had been reported stolen in New Jersey was recovered at the club, police said. The thieves traveled in it to steal the cars in Greenwich, a common pattern, according to authorities.

Obviously, we cannot stress enough that residents need to lock up their vehicles and remove the keys or fobs whenever they are away from the vehicle. As long as the car thieves are successful with stealing cars here, they will keep coming back, OReilly said.

Most of the stolen cars in Greenwich  and there 115 stolen vehicles last year in town  were taken from residential driveways, police said. Some have also been stolen from restaurant parking lots or business areas, police said.

The report of car thefts on Sunday was not the first time this fall that town police have been dispatched to a local country club.

Police said they arrested two men from Queens, N.Y., on Oct. 3 on charges of stealing items from cars at the Round Hill Club. They were in possession of a stolen credit card and a ring taken from a vehicle when they were apprehended, according to the arrest report. A witness spotted them trying to open car doors and called police about the suspicious activity, the report stated.

Two other cars were reported stolen this week, a 2013 Dodge Durango that was taken from Laddins Rock Road in Old Greenwich, and a 2006 Toyota Prius that was stolen from Mary Lane, also in Old Greenwich, police said. The Prius was later recovered in Stamford, police said.

Greenwich police have joined a task force with other regional law-enforcement agency to crack down on the continued wave of car thefts across the area. The member agencies will share real-time intelligence about stolen cars and repeat offenders.
HAMILTON, Mont., Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakthrough U.S. indoor agriculture company Local Bounti Corporation ("Local Bounti") and Leo Holdings III Corp (NYSE:LIII) ("Leo"), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced today that the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the "Extraordinary General Meeting") to approve the pending business combination (the "Business Combination") between Local Bounti and Leo is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time. Additionally, the meeting of the holders (the "Warrant Holder Meeting") of public warrants of Leo to approve certain changes to Leo's warrants is also scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time. The Extraordinary General Meeting and the Warrant Holder Meeting will be held in person at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP located at 601 Lexington Avenue, 50th Floor, New York, New York 10022 and virtually via live webcast. Holders of Leo's Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares at the close of business on the record date of October 15, 2021 are entitled to notice of the Extraordinary General Meeting and to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Holders of Leo's public warrants at the close of business on the record date of October 15, 2021 are entitled to notice of the Warrant Holder Meeting and to vote at the Warrant Holder Meeting.

Leo filed its definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus relating to its Business Combination with Local Bounti (the "Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and expects to begin mailing it to shareholders and public warrant holders on October 22, 2021. Leo will mail the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus to shareholders and public warrant holders of Leo as of the record date of October 15, 2021.

Every vote is important and Leo encourages all shareholders and public warrant holders to make their voice heard by voting online or by mail as soon as possible, regardless of the number of shares and/or public warrants held.

If the proposals at the Extraordinary General Meeting are approved, it is anticipated that the Business Combination will close on or about November 17, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of all other applicable closing conditions. Upon the closing of the Business Combination, Local Bounti's common stock and warrants are expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbols, "LOCL" and "LOCLW," respectively.

Leo shareholders who need assistance in completing the proxy card, need additional copies of the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, or have questions regarding the Extraordinary General Meeting may contact Leo's proxy solicitor, Morrow Sodali LLC, by calling (800) 662-5200 (toll free), or banks and brokers can call (203) 658-9400, or by email at LIII.info@investor.morrowsodali.com.

About Local Bounti

Local Bounti is a premier Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) company redefining conversion efficiency and environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards for indoor agriculture. Local Bounti operates an advanced indoor growing facility in Hamilton, Montana, within a few hours' drive of its retail and food service partners. Reaching retail shelves in record time post-harvest, Local Bounti produce is superior in taste and quality compared to traditional field-grown greens. Local Bounti's USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (GAP Plus+) and non-genetically modified organisms (GMO) produce is sustainably grown using proprietary technology 365 days a year, free of pesticides and herbicides, and using 90 percent less land and water than conventional outdoor farming methods. With a mission to 'bring our farm to your kitchen in the fewest food miles possible,' Local Bounti is disrupting the cultivation and delivery of produce. Local Bounti is also committed to making meaningful connections and giving back to each of the communities it serves. To find out more, visit localbounti.com or follow the company on LinkedIn for the latest news and developments.

About Leo Holdings III Corp and Leo Holdings

Leo Holdings III Corp is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that seeks to invest in entrepreneurially driven growth companies that seek to disrupt existing industries or business models. The management team has extensive experience owning and operating businesses on a global scale through its private equity vehicle, Lion Capital. Leo Holdings' management team has collaboratively worked together for over 20 years.

Leo Holdings III Corp is part of a special purpose acquisition company initiative, Leo Holdings, which is focused on investing in disruptive, innovative business models. The initiative seeks businesses positioned to thrive in the evolving digital information age where changing consumer behavior creates the opportunity for outsized returns. In 2020, Leo Holdings Corp entered into a business combination with DMS, a disruptive performance marketing business which delivers high-intent customers while de- risking client advertising spend. Leo Holdings Corp II (LHC) and Leo Holdings III Corp (LIII) are currently listed on the NYSE.

Leo Holdings was formed by the principals of Lion Capital, which is led by Founder and Managing Partner, Lyndon Lea. For more information, visit https://leoholdings.com/.

Additional Information

In connection with the Business Combination, Leo filed with the SEC, on July 19, 2021, a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (as amended or supplemented through the date hereof, the "Registration Statement"), which includes the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC and is being mailed to Leo's shareholders and public warrant holders. Shareholders and public warrant holders will also be able to obtain copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: Leo Holdings III Corp, 21 Grosvenor Pl, London SW1X 7HF, United Kingdom. Leo shareholders and public warrant are encouraged to read the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, including, among other things, the reasons for Leo's Board of Directors' unanimous recommendation that shareholders vote "FOR" the Business Combination and the other shareholder and warrant holder proposals set forth therein as well as the background of the process that led to the pending Business Combination with Local Bounti.

Participants in the Solicitation

Leo and its directors, executive officers, other members of management, and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of Leo's shareholders in connection with the Business Combination and public warrant holders in connection with the proposed amendment to the warrant agreement that governs all of Leo's outstanding warrants (the "Warrant Amendment"). Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names of Leo's directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in Leo in Leo's filings with the SEC, including the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus. Shareholders and public warrant holders will also be able to obtain copies of the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: Leo Holdings III Corp, 21 Grosvenor Pl, London SW1X 7HF, United Kingdom.

Local Bounti and its directors and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Leo in connection with the Business Combination and the public warrant holders of Leo in connection with the proposed Warrant Amendment. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the Business Combination is included in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus for the Business Combination.

Forward Looking Statements

This communication includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Leo's and Local Bounti's actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Leo's and Local Bounti's expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated financial impacts of the proposed Business Combination, the satisfaction of the closing conditions to the Business Combination and the timing of the completion of the Business Combination. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside Leo's and Local Bounti's control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 17, 2021 (as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Leo, Longleaf Merger Sub, Inc., Longleaf Merger Sub II, LLC and Local Bounti, (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Leo and Local Bounti following the announcement of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; (3) the inability to complete the proposed Business Combination, including due to failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of Leo or other conditions to closing in the Merger Agreement; (4) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement or could otherwise cause the Business Combination to fail to close; (5) the amount of redemption requests made by Leo's shareholders; (6) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the post-business combination company's common stock on the New York Stock Exchange following the proposed Business Combination; (7) the risk that the proposed Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the proposed Business Combination; (8) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; (9) costs related to the proposed Business Combination; (10) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (11) the possibility that Local Bounti or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (12) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus relating to the Business Combination, including those under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in Leo's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2021, and which are set forth in the Registration Statement filed by Leo and in Leo's other filings with the SEC. Some of these risks and uncertainties may in the future be amplified by the COVID-19 outbreak and there may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. Leo cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Leo cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Leo does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Business Combination or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer or securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/local-bounti-disruptive-agtech-company-redefining-the-future-of-farming-and-leo-holdings-iii-corp-announce-november-16-2021-extraordinary-general-meeting-to-approve-business-combination-301405107.html

SOURCE Local Bounti
The government has launched a new 'strengthened' Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) following criticism by MPs and delays in establishing it.

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan made the announcement on Thursday (21 October) as part of the governments response to previous Commission recommendations.

She said the TAC, which was first launched last year, would have a 'formal role' to play in informing MPs and the public on the impact post-Brexit trade deals would have on the farming industry.

Its members have expertise across the agricultural, food production, veterinary, animal welfare, environment and international trade policy sectors.

Professor of International Law at Cambridge University, Lorand Bartels has been appointed the chairman of the independent body.

He said: "I am looking forward to getting started in the role and working with my new colleagues, who bring a wide range of expertise from different fields that will be of great benefit to the Commission.

"The Commission has an important role to play in the scrutiny of new Free Trade Agreements and it's exciting to be involved as the UK forges new trading relationships all around the world."

MPs who sit on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee had expressed major concern over the failure of government to respond to the body's previous recommendations.

The government had also been accused of pushing ahead with post-Brexit trade talks while 'running down the clock' on fully establishing the TAC.

It follows recent UK free trade agreements struck with New Zealand, Japan and a deal struck in principle with Australia.

Chair of EFRA, Neil Parish MP said last month: These delay, both in responding to the original TAC's recommendations and in establishing its replacement, are unacceptable.

"The government has repeated its ambition that the TAC will advise on future strategy. It is difficult to see how this can happen when negotiations are ongoing and the TAC does not exist."

In response to recommendations in the original TAC report, the government said it would also set out more detail on measures being introduced to support farmers.

They include a new cohort of international agri-food attaches who will work globally to promote export opportunities for farmers.

There will also be a new Food and Drink Export Council to work with industry and governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to promote exports.

The government said it would not compromise on the UK's high environmental protection, animal welfare or food standards.

It said the TACs advice would inform a report which would be laid before parliament ahead of the ratification of any new FTA and following the signature stage.
Farming businesses are being reminded to watch out for changes to Capital Gains Tax in the upcoming Budget, a move which could affect many families' plans.

Capital Gains Tax can be charged when as asset such as land or buildings are sold or given away, based on the increase in value during the period of ownership.

Gains are currently wiped away on death, but that could change in the Budget for some farming families if recommendations from the Office of Tax Simplification are enacted.

Financial advisers at NFU Mutual are encouraging farmers to keep an eye out for any changes to the tax in the Autumn Budget on Wednesday 27 October.

Sean McCann, chartered financial planner, explained that many farmers choose to hold on to their farming assets until death.

"On the basis that not only might they be free of inheritance tax thanks to Agricultural or Business Property Relief, but also escape Capital Gains Tax if sold shortly after death," he said.

However, the OTS has recommended that gains should no longer be wiped on death where Agricultural or Business Property relief has been claimed to reduce inheritance tax, meaning bigger tax bills for some farming families.

The biggest impact will be on those who sell land and buildings theyve recently inherited. The good news is that those families that retain the assets and continue to farm wont face any immediate tax liability under these proposals.

There is also a possibility that Capital Gains Tax rates could be increasing, NFU Mutual said, affecting farming families who are considering leaving the industry.

Headline rates of Capital Gains Tax are currently 10% and 20% but could be aligned with Income Tax rates at 20%, 40% and 45%.

The likelihood of tax changes was widely anticipated in an NFU Mutual survey of nearly 2,500 people ahead of the Chancellors Budget. A fifth of respondents (20%) expected changes to Capital Gains Tax.

Farmers will also be hoping for some welcome detail in the Budget on incoming agri-tech grants, as the Chancellor could provide some detail n the new Farming Investment Fund.

As part of the transition away from EU agricultural policy following Brexit, this fund is due to launch in autumn.

It will offer grants to farmers to pay towards the cost of equipment, technology and infrastructure.
Farmers and landowners with woodland are being urged to remain vigilant for a new tree disease discovered in Cornwall this week.

The warning comes after the Forestry Commission (FC) and Forest Research (FR) identified the tree pathogen Phytophthora pluvialis in a woodland in Cornwall.

The fungus-like pathogen is known to affect a variety of tree species, including western hemlock, Douglas fir, tanoak and several pine species, in particular radiata pine.

It is reported to cause needle cast - where needles turn brown and fall off - shoot dieback, and lesions on the stem, branches, and roots.

The UK Chief Plant Health Officer has confirmed the finding, following Forestry Commission plant health surveillance activities.

This is the first report of this pathogen in Europe. At this stage it is unknown if Phytophthora pluvialis is the direct cause of the observed symptoms which have been found on mature western hemlock and Douglas-fir trees.

Forestry Commission, Forest Research and the Animal and Plant Health Agency are conducting further surveillance and diagnostic analysis to understand more about the pathogen.

The bodies have urged farmers, foresters, land managers and landowners to keep a look out for the tree disease.

Nicola Spence, the UK Chief Plant Health Officer, said: We are taking swift and robust action against this finding of Phytophthora pluvialis, as part of our well-established biosecurity protocol used for tree pests and diseases.

I urge all sectors to support efforts to tackle this pathogen by checking the health of western hemlock and Douglas-fir trees.

"Key symptoms to look for are lesions on the stem, branch or roots. Any sightings should be reported to the Forestry Commission via its Tree Alert online portal.

To protect against the pathogen, the Forestry Commission has introduced a demarcated area in Cornwall to restrict the movement of materials capable of spreading the disease.

Farmers and landowners are asked to report any suspect trees via TreeAlert.
Farmers with hospitality diversifications should take advantage of the public's growing appetite to take their dogs everywhere with them, research says.

Ninety-five percent of dog owners are looking to take their pet on holiday, according to survey results from rural insurer NFU Mutual.

Against a backdrop of pandemic puppies and a surge in staycations, nearly two thirds (60%) of dog owners say they will always take their pet away with them.

Nearly one-fifth (18%) will sometimes be taking their dog, while 17% are considering it. Only 5% of owners said they would never take their pet on holiday.

The trend extends to other hospitality venues, with 84% of dog owners having visited a restaurant, pub or cafe with their pet, and a further 10% wanting to in the future.

Even dog friendly weddings are becoming common, with nearly a quarter (23%) of owners saying they have attended or held a wedding where dogs made the guest list.

Holiday accommodation ventures  including caravans, campsites and B&Bs - are the most popular type of diversification, found on 12% of UK farms

Darren Seward, hospitality sector specialist at NFU Mutual, said: Often boasting rural locations perfect for dog walks, these businesses are perfectly placed to cater for the surge of dog owners looking to take their pet away with them.

Self-catered accommodation is the most popular option for those looking to take their dog away ( 85%). B&Bs (34%), camping (32%) and glamping (18%) were also highlighted.

The most popular holiday destinations for dogs were Cornwall in top place (30%), followed by the Lake District (25%), the Scottish Highlands (24%), and Devon (20%).

Mr Seward added: With the PDSA estimating over a quarter (26%) of UK adults now own a dog, its important for farms with hospitality diversifications to consider whether to extend their welcome to dogs, or risk excluding their owners altogether.

Jules and David Mold own Meadow Field Luxury Glamping, a farm-based site in Warwickshire. When opening the business last July, they decided to make one of the tents dog friendly.

Our location and the nature of our accommodation makes Meadow Field Luxury Glamping an appealing option for dog owners," Mrs Mold said.

"Not wanting to exclude dog-owners and their pets, we designated one of the tents to be dog friendly, while keeping the other dog-free for allergy reasons."

The tents have cooking facilities, as well as beds and showers. The farm also supplies a dog bed, food and water bowls, dog towels and waste disposal bags and bins.

"As a luxury camping option, we strive to provide whatever will make our guests comfortable during their stay, and that extends to visiting pets," she added.

Outside we have a secure area, our Heritage Orchard located to the rear of the safari tents, where you can let your dog run, a hose for muddy paws and a tether near the front of the tent."
Sheep farmers have said they are concerned for the future of their sector following the announcement of a new trade deal between the UK and New Zealand.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) warned that the new free trade agreement 'risks undermining' British sheep farming and its high standards.

The deal now gives New Zealand the go ahead to export an additional 35,000 tonnes of sheep meat during the first four years of the agreement, and a further 50,000 tonnes from year five.

This is in addition to the existing tariff-rate quota (TRQ) held as part of the WTO agreement that already allows the country to export 114,000 tonnes to the UK each year.

The new agreement will see all quotas removed by year 15, meaning New Zealand will have tariff and duty free access for unlimited supplies of sheep meat product to be exported to the UK.

This agreement follows quickly on the heels of a similar deal with Australia  the two nations being the largest exporters of sheep meat globally, with Australia having been gifted substantial increases in sheep meat access to the UK.

Phil Stocker, NSA chief executive, said he was worried that the government was "content to wind down livestock farming in the UK."

"You only have to see the statements being made by the red meat sector in New Zealand for evidence they intend to send more and more sheep meat in our direction.

"This in addition to the increase in access by Australia means together, in just over a decade, these two countries will have access to our entire volume of lamb consumption."

He added: Although the government has long made its intentions clear over trade liberalisation the one thing they have promised us is protection of the high standards that British farmers adhere to.

"But here, in the agreement in principle, in black and white, the get out clause is clear for all to see  recognition that New Zealand and the UKs farming systems are different but provide comparable outcomes.

He said the sector was 'frustrated' that the trade deal would dismiss differences in the countries farming standards, meaning requirements for criteria such as journey times would 'just be ignored by the new deal'.

Similarly, he said the Rules of Origin would ease the way for more imported ingredients to be used in multi-ingredient foods "without the buyer being aware of what they were eating".

Mr Stocker said: "This shows our future can only be in our hands  it is down to us to promote British lamb and mutton to our domestic market, a market that currently takes over 65% of our production, in a way that works for us.
The government has been urged to explain how post-Brexit trade deals will benefit British farmers following confirmation of a UK and New Zealand free trade agreement.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the deal on Wednesday evening (20 October), saying it would benefit consumers and businesses.

Tariffs as high as 10% will be removed on UK goods such as clothing, ships and bulldozers, and on New Zealand products including wine, honey and kiwi fruits.

However, the free trade agreement with New Zealand is unlikely to boost the UK's gross domestic product.

An extremely small proportion of UK trade is done with the country, less than 0.2%, according to the government's own figures.

Responding to the announcement, the NFU warned the deal contained "little discernible benefit" for British farmers.

But the prime minister said the development was 'great' for the UK, as it would cut costs for exporters and open up access for workers.

Mr Johnson said: This is great trade deal for the United Kingdom, cementing our long friendship with New Zealand and furthering our ties with the Indo-Pacific.

"It will benefit businesses and consumers across the country, cutting costs for exporters and opening up access for our workers.

It follows the recent trade agreement struck with Japan and the deal struck in principle with Australia.

The government hopes these deals are a step towards joining a free trade trade club with countries such as Canada and Japan.

But the UK farming industry fears that farmers will be unable to compete with these countries due to lower production and animal welfare standards.

NFU President Minette Batters said the new deal would mean "opening our doors to significant extra volumes of imported food" while "securing almost nothing in return for UK farmers."

"We should all be worried that there could be a huge downside to these deals, especially for sectors such as dairy, red meat and horticulture," she warned.

The fact is that UK farm businesses face higher costs of production than farmers in NZ and Australia, and that margins are already tight here due to labour shortages and rising costs on farm.

"The government is now asking British farmers to go toe-to-toe with some of the most export orientated farmers in the world, without the serious, long-term and properly funded investment in UK agriculture that can enable us to do so."

She said it was 'worrying' that the government hadn't implemented a 'coherent approach' to bolster UK farming's productivity as it continues to sign trade deals.

This could damage the viability of British farms in the years ahead to the detriment of the public, the NFU president added.

She said the trade deals involve "significant upsides for farmers on the other side of the world but contain little discernible benefit for UK producers."

Emily Thornberry, Labour's trade secretary, said the government's own figures showed the New Zealand agreement would "cut employment in our farming communities."

She warned that the only winners were "the mega-corporations who run New Zealand's meat and dairy farms".

"As our economy recovers from the pandemic, we need trade deals that will boost jobs and growth, open up big new markets for UK exporters, and support our objectives to buy, make and sell more in Britain."

MPs who sit on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee (EFRA) recently called for 'proper parliamentary scrutiny' on future trade agreements.

The committee highlighted the 'distress and concern' within the farming community following the announcement of the UK-Australia trade deal.

Parliamentarians also urged the government to clarify details of the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC), which was set up to scrutinise new free trade agreements.

The TAC's creation had provided the British farming sector with reassurance that the government would engage with farmers' concerns about the potential weakening of the UKs high standards when sealing deals.
2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.
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.
For the past 17 months, its been my great honor to serve on the local Covid Task Force. Local leaders from all walks of life  health care, business, government, non-profits, churches, first responders, and more  work together so that we can better respond to the real world effects of the 
The Senate this week approved bills that would draw new lines for state Senate and US congre
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category
Sputnik V pioneered the heterologous boosting approach through combination of human adenovirus serotype 26 as the first component and human adenovirus serotype 5 as the second component.

RDIF took the lead in initiating partnerships with global vaccine producers for combination trials of the first component of Sputnik V (the Sputnik Light vaccine) and other vaccines.

Combination trials between Sputnik Light and vaccines by AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna and Cansino confirm Sputnik Light as a universal booster shot with high safety and immunogenicity profile.

One-shot Sputnik Light is a highly effective vaccine when used both on standalone basis and applied as a booster. Sputnik Light is authorized in more than 15 countries, with ongoing registration processes in another 30 countries.

MOSCOW, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowing individuals to receive booster shots that are different from their first COVID-19 vaccine doses, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) reiterates that the heterologous boosting approach pioneered by the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is one of the best solutions against the pandemic. The mix&match approach pioneered by Sputnik V strengthens and lengthens immune response, increases vaccine efficacy against new mutations and provides flexibility to vaccination efforts worldwide.

FDA's decision to approve mixing and matching COVID booster shots in the U.S. is yet another confirmation of efficacy of vaccine cocktail approach at the core of Sputnik V - the world's first registered coronavirus vaccine.

I. Sputnik V as the global pioneer in heterologous boosting

Sputnik V combines human adenovirus serotype 26 as the first component and human adenovirus serotype 5 as the second component. Heterologous boosting approach has proven to be successful against coronavirus: Sputnik V has confirmed overall efficacy 91.4% providing for creation of a strong and durable immunity. Sputnik V's efficacy against infection with the Delta variant is 83% and 94% against hospitalization. To date Sputnik V has been registered in 70 countries in various parts of the world with total population of over 4 billion people.

II. RDIF's leading role in initiating partnerships with other COVID vaccine producers

As part of the global effort to join forces in the fight against the pandemic, RDIF took the lead in initiating partnerships with other vaccine producers to conduct joint mix&match studies. The world's first partnership of this kind was concluded in December 2020 with AstraZeneca aimed at conducting joint clinical trial of a combination of AstraZeneca vaccine and the first component of Sputnik V (the one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine). To date joint clinical studies between Sputnik Light and AstraZeneca are successfully ongoing in a number of countries (Argentina, Azerbaijan, Russia, UAE), demonstrating high safety and immunogenicity profile of the combination.

III. The first component of Sputnik V (Sputnik Light) as a universal booster for other COVID vaccines

One-shot Sputnik Light is a highly effective vaccine when used both on standalone basis and applied as a booster. Sputnik Light has been authorized in more than 15 countries with the registration process ongoing in a further 30 countries.

The latest findings by the Gamaleya Center based on data from 28,000 subjects in Moscow have demonstrated the Sputnik Light vaccine administered standalone has 70% efficacy against infection from the Delta variant of coronavirus during the first three months after vaccination. The vaccine is 75% effective among subjects under the age of 60.

Efficacy of one-shot Sputnik Light as a booster against Delta variant for other vaccines will be close to the efficacy against the Delta variant of the Sputnik V vaccine: over 83% against infection and over 94% against hospitalization.

Sputnik Light has demonstrated a superior efficacy compared with some two-shot vaccines, which have shown a major decline in efficacy against the Delta variant to less than 50% five months after injection. Standalone use of Sputnik Light also provides much higher efficacy against severe disease and hospitalizations.

Clinical trials of a combination of AstraZeneca/Sputnik Light show higher immunogenicity levels than the original AstraZeneca vaccine.

RDIF and the Ministry of Health of Argentina are co-sponsoring the first multivaccine combination trial targeting 2,800 subjects (560 in each of the 5 provinces: City and Province of Buenos Aires, as well as Cordoba, La Rioja and San Luis).

Interim results of the study in Argentina on heterologous regimens combining Sputnik Light and vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna and Cansino from over 1,000 volunteers show Sputnik Light is an effective universal booster for these vaccines. Each "vaccine cocktail" combination with Sputnik Light provided higher antibody titer on 14th day after administering the second dose as compared to original homogenous (same vaccine as first and second dose) regimens of each of the vaccines.

The data from Argentina also demonstrated high safety profile of using Sputnik Light in combinations with all other vaccines with no serious adverse events following the vaccination in any combinations.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said:

"Russia took the lead in utilizing the vaccine cocktail approach (with heterologous boosting at the core of the Sputnik V vaccine) and was also the first to offer vaccine partnerships to other producers. Clinical trials of combinations of the first component of Sputnik V (the one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine) with other vaccines are successfully ongoing around the world. Sputnik Light demonstrates strong safety and immunogenicity results in joint studies making it a universal booster and one of the best solutions for revaccinating individuals, who had been previously administered other vaccine."

***

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling RUB 2.1tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 1 mn people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at rdif.ru
AI-powered meeting assistant and updated cloud computer unveiled at Apsara Conference

HANGZHOU, China, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, today unveiled Tingwu, an AI-powered meeting assistant, alongside a new version of its cloud computer. The solutions are tailored for the new world of work and address surging demand from corporate users looking to work remotely with more automated support, a trend accelerated by the pandemic.

An AI assistant designed for intelligent notetaking

Tingwu is an AI-powered meeting assistant developed by the Speech Lab of Alibaba DAMO Academy (DAMO), the global research initiative by Alibaba Group. The technology works by converting the content of spoken meetings into written minutes in real time with up to 98%* accuracy, delivering an efficient experience for users.

"Underpinned by our end-to-end speech recognition solution, Tingwu's accuracy and powerful features make it a perfect tool for businesses to host multi-location online and offline conferences and interviews. As enterprises continue to embrace the next generation of remote working, Tingwu is well-positioned to transform business meetings with productive and easy-to-use automated voice transcription capabilities," said Zhijie Yan, Head of Speech Lab of Alibaba DAMO Academy.

Using DAMO's proprietary algorithms for analyzing voiceprints and bearings, Tingwu, unveiled during this year's Apsara Conference, can distinguish between the voices of as many as 10 meeting participants. The assistant is equipped with a smart microphone, which can easily receive and recognize speech within a 10-meter range while reducing background noise.

Tingwu's ability to comprehend, powered by automatic speech recognition capabilities, natural language processing and deep-learning technologies, enables it to handle English, Mandarin and 14 other Chinese dialects as well as automatically correct or refine notes based on the entire context of a meeting. The assistant can also organize the minutes by keywords, generate a meeting summary and highlights and list out follow-up items.

In China, Tingwu has been integrated into DingTalk, a digital collaboration platform created by Alibaba Group, to enhance meeting efficiency on the platform by automatically transcribing conversations and sharing notes with users.

"The functionality of Tingwu will continue to expand, as we are now developing a model that can process mixed-language speech. We will also explore additional language options to prepare Tingwu for use in large multinational corporations and overseas markets," Yan added.

*Accuracy in Mandarin. State Information Center Software Testing Center, Report Number: SICSTC/TR-ZJ20190053

An office in the cloud to work from anywhere

Building on the success of the Wuying cloud computer for enterprises which debuted last year, Alibaba Cloud has upgraded its functionality with an all-in-one PC and a one-stop "Cloud Workplace" solution to empower users to work from anywhere.

"Our upgraded cloud computer is 'an office in the cloud' that offers enterprise and individual users flexible remote working options, and at the same time provides them with a secure environment for network access and storage functions," said Jiangwei Jiang, Senior Researcher and General Manager of Infrastructure Products, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. "As remote offices become a more common way of working around the world, we remain committed to innovating products and services that bring the benefits of cloud computing to all."

The upgraded computer draws on the power of the cloud to give users access to organizational resources regardless of whether they are at home or in the office. This access comes through the "Cloud Workplace", an integrated solution consisting of security, network and storage tools enabling enterprises to build "an office in the cloud" in a secure and agile way.

The solution directly addresses the data security challenges faced by many IT departments when they adopt flexible working arrangements. Leveraging cloud-based data security capabilities such as firewalls, end-to-end encryption and cloud backup and recovery, the solution stores information in the cloud, rather than on a device, thereby enhancing corporate information security for both home-based and in-office workforces.

Powered by the "Cloud Workplace", the Wuying family of products now consists of the latest all-in-one PC, the previously launched card and box terminals and a Desktop-as-a Service (DaaS) application, which allows corporate users to connect to the cloud computer from any device regardless of the operating system installed. This gives corporates the flexibility to utilize existing resources and the scalability to support business expansion, allowing them to tailor IT infrastructure based on their unique demands.

During the Apsara Conference, Alibaba Cloud also announced a program to help narrow the digital gap in China. The program will provide cloud computers to 10,000 schools in underdeveloped areas to help build the technical foundation to cultivate digital talent.

About Alibaba Cloud

Established in 2009, Alibaba Cloud (www.alibabacloud.com) is the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group. It offers a complete suite of cloud services to customers worldwide, including elastic computing, database, storage, network virtualization services, large-scale computing, security, management and application services, big data analytics, a machine learning platform and IoT services. Alibaba Cloud is China's leading provider of public cloud services by revenue in 2019, including PaaS and IaaS services, according to IDC. Alibaba Group is the world's third leading and Asia Pacific's leading IaaS provider by revenue in 2020 in U.S. dollars, according to Gartner's April 2021 report.
PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / ARP Tax Pro, a boutique tax consultancy from Phoenix, has found itself in the midst of a tax-planning and estate planning boom in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. We've all been significantly affected by the impact of the virus and the reminder that life is more fragile than we realized still rings in our ears.

It's in times like these when we start to take seriously the risk mitigation and future planning strategies that we should have in place - which are typically ignored when times are good. One of these is long-term tax and estate planning.

Source: Kelly Sikkema

What most consumers don't realize, is that if their retirement planning is not sufficiently optimized for tax purposes, they risk giving up a huge portion of their overall capital which will be owed to the IRS years into the future. In addition, if your estate is not structured appropriately, you are leaving value on the table. It's not enough to merely put some percentage of your income away every month, you also need to be sure that it's in the right vehicles to maximize your returns and transfer as much wealth as possible to your retirement years and then eventually to the next generation.

Bill Spar, the CEO and Founder of ARP Tax Pro, understands this all too well and has helped hundreds of clients over the past 22 years to do exactly that. Taxes, especially within the current IRS system, are extremely complicated and most clients simply don't know what they're missing out on. Bill and his team are passionate about pulling back the curtain for clients and helping them make the most of their hard-fought retirement savings in a personable and approachable way.

"The driving force for me is that people and small businesses in and around my community are not being told the whole story about taxes. They are afraid of the IRS and they haven't been told by their current tax or financial advisor that there are literally hundreds of ways to make their situation much better than it was or could be!" said Spar.

His team provides their tax-planning services with an ethical and moral grounding that is difficult to find in today's world, but that doesn't compromise on the precision that they can deliver for clients. It's staggering how much a difference they can make by having their finger on the pulse of the tax system and helping their clients to make the relevant adjustments. Add to this a rigorous estate planning component and you've got yourself the full package all under one roof.

The recent growth in the company can also be attributed to how clients value the proactive service that they receive. Tax codes are constantly changing and if you don't have someone interpreting those changes and making them actionable, you're likely to miss out on those benefits. Spar and his team have made this a priority and continue to deliver value to their hundreds of clients years after they sign up initially. This puts them in a league of their own when compared to traditional retirement planners who are notorious for disappearing once the initial plan is in place.

It's a constantly shifting landscape that requires a hand on the wheel at all times. And that's what ARP Tax Pro can deliver for families and businesses alike.

It's safe to say that there's never been a better time to get on top of your retirement planning, and if you're not thinking about the tax implications at retirement and in terms of your estate, then you're making a big mistake.

About ARP Tax Pro

ARP Tax Pro is a tax consultancy firm serving individuals and small business owners primarily in the Southwest of the USA. The company offers personable, ethical, and long-term tax and estate planning for retirement and generational wealth transfer.

Contact

ARP Tax Pro

Bill Spar

623-889-3403

wmspar@arptaxpro.com

www.arptaxpro.com

advretirementplanning.com

SOURCE: ARP Tax Pro

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667854/ARP-Tax-Pro-Delivers-Ethical-Tax-and-Estate-Planning-for-Retirement-and-the-Building-of-Generational-Wealth
Das Unternehmen profitiert insbesondere von der hohen Nachfrage nach Halbleitern. Daher erhoht das Unternehmen die Ziele fur das Gesamtjahr nochmals.Konkret stieg der Umsatz im dritten Quartal dieses Jahres um knapp ein Drittel auf 122,2 Millionen US-Dollar an, wie das Unternehmen aus dem St. Galler Rheintal am Donnerstag ...

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.
Regulatory News:

Press release Paris, 21 October 2021

Pernod Ricard (Paris:RI):

Sales for the first quarter of FY22 totalled  2,718 million, with an organic growth of +20%:

Very dynamic start in all regions, with robust demand and strong shipments ahead of festive season

in all regions, with robust demand and strong shipments ahead of festive season Off-trade remaining resilient and markets supported by On-trade reopening

and markets supported by On-trade reopening Travel Retail still very subdued but benefitting from low basis of comparison.

By category, Sales were driven by:

Strategic International Brands: +24%, with broad-based growth, in particular for Martell, Jameson, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal and Absolut. Positive price/mix

with broad-based growth, in particular for Martell, Jameson, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal and Absolut. Positive price/mix Strategic Local Brands: +15%, driven by strong double-digit growth of Seagram's Indian whiskies

driven by strong double-digit growth of Seagram's Indian whiskies Specialty Brands: +21%, thanks in particular to Malfy, Avion, Del Maguey, Aberlour, Monkey 47, US whiskeys and Lillet

thanks in particular to Malfy, Avion, Del Maguey, Aberlour, Monkey 47, US whiskeys and Lillet Strategic Wines: -7% (vs. +9% in Q1 FY21) due in particular to New Zealand supply constraints.

Reported Sales growth was +22%, with an overall favourable FX impact, mainly from Chinese yuan.

As part of this communication, Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated,

"We have had a very dynamic start to the year, as expected, with strong demand in most markets. The Off-trade remains resilient and I am particularly pleased to note the continued recovery of the On-trade.

We expect good sales growth to continue through FY22, albeit moderating vs. Q1. We will continue to implement our strategy, notably accelerating our digital transformation and reinvesting to seize present and future growth opportunities."

All growth data specified in this press release refers to organic growth (at constant FX and Group structure), unless otherwise stated. Data may be subject to rounding.

A detailed presentation of Q1 FY22 Sales can be downloaded from our website: www.pernod-ricard.com

Definitions and reconciliation of non-IFRS measures to IFRS measures

Pernod Ricard's management process is based on the following non-IFRS measures which are chosen for planning and reporting. The Group's management believes these measures provide valuable additional information for users of the financial statements in understanding the Group's performance. These non-IFRS measures should be considered as complementary to the comparable IFRS measures and reported movements therein.

Organic growth

Organic growth is calculated after excluding the impacts of exchange rate movements and acquisitions and disposals.

Exchange rates impact is calculated by translating the current year results at the prior year's exchange rates.

For acquisitions in the current year, the post-acquisition results are excluded from the organic movement calculations. For acquisitions in the prior year, post-acquisition results are included in the prior year but are included in the organic movement calculation from the anniversary of the acquisition date in the current year.

Where a business, brand, brand distribution right or agency agreement was disposed of, or terminated, in the prior year, the Group, in the organic movement calculations, excludes the results for that business from the prior year. For disposals or terminations in the current year, the Group excludes the results for that business from the prior year from the date of the disposal or termination.

This measure enables to focus on the performance of the business which is common to both years and which represents those measures that local managers are most directly able to influence.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales amounting to 8,824 million in fiscal year FY21. The Group, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive portfolios in the industry with over 240 premium brands distributed across more than 160 markets. Pernod Ricard's portfolio includes Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagnes, as well Jacob's Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard's strategy focuses on investing in long-term and sustainable growth for all its stakeholders, remaining true to its founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and strong sense of ethics. The Group's decentralised organisation empowers its 18,500 employees to be on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of "Createurs de Convivialite". Pernod Ricard 2030 Sustainability and Responsibility roadmap "Good Times from a Good Place" is integrated into all its activities from grain to glass, and Pernod Ricard is recognised as a UN Global Compact LEAD participant for its contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.

Appendices

Q1 FY22 Sales by Region

Net Sales ( millions) Q1 FY21 Q1 FY22 Change Organic growth Group structure Forex impact Americas 673 30.1% 773 28.5% +100 +15% +89 +13% +17 +3% (6) -1% Asia/Rest of World 918 41.0% 1,152 42.4% +234 +26% +215 +23% 0 0% +19 +2% Europe 645 28.8% 793 29.2% +148 +23% +144 +22% 0 0% +4 +1% World 2,236 100% 2,718 100% +482 +22% +448 +20% +17 +1% +17 +1%

Note: Bulk Spirits are allocated by Region according to the Region's weight in the Group

Foreign exchange impact on Q1 FY22 Sales

Forex Impact Q1 FY22 ( millions) Average rates evolution On Net Sales Q1 FY21 Q1 FY22 Chinese yuan CNY 8.09 7.63 -5.7% 23 Pound sterling GBD 0.90 0.86 -5.5% 5 Indian rupee INR 86.95 87.33 0.4% -1 US dollar USD 1.17 1.18 0.8% -5 Turkish Lira TRL 8.47 10.07 18.9% -7 Other 2 TOTAL 17

Upcoming communications

Date1 Event 10 November 2021 2pm CET Annual General Meeting 22 November 2021 3pm CET EMEA LATAM conference call 10 February 2022 9am CET H1 FY22 Sales Results 1. Dates are indicative and liable to change

Investor Relations appointments

Florence Tresarrieu, currently Group Treasury Director of Pernod Ricard, is appointed Global SVP, Investors Relations Treasury, effective after the 2021 AGM. Florence will report to Helene de Tissot, EVP Finance, IT Operations.

A Belgian national, Florence is a graduate of EM Lyon. She started her career in 2002 with JP Morgan in London. In 2005, she joined Barclays where she held various positions in London, Singapore and Paris, notably Managing Director running the debt capital markets division for France and Belux. Since January 2019, she has been Group Treasury Director of Pernod Ricard.

Julia Massies, currently VP, Financial Communication Investors Relations, is appointed CFO of Pernod Ricard EMEA LATAM, effective after the 2021 AGM. Julia will report to Gilles Bogaert, Chairman CEO of Pernod Ricard EMEA LATAM, and will be a member of the EMEA LATAM Regional Executive Committee.

Julia is French and British and holds an MA Honours in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from New College, Oxford University. After working as a Strategy Consultant at Corporate Value Associates in the UK, A.T. Kearney in Brazil and Arthur Andersen in France, Julia joined Pernod Ricard in 2001 as M&A manager within Pernod Ricard HQ. In 2005, she was appointed Finance Business Development Director of The Stolichnaya Brand Organisation, an international vodka brand company, and in July 2009 took the role of Finance Director, Pernod Ricard UK. Julia was appointed VP, Financial Communication Investors Relations in October 2014.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211020006137/en/

Contacts:

Julia Massies VP, Financial Communications Investor Relations

+33 (0) 1 70 93 17 03



Charly Montet Investor Relations Manager

+33 (0) 1 70 93 17 13



Emmanuel Vouin Head of External Engagement

+33 (0) 1 70 93 16 34
Event to be held in person in New York, or virtually via a simultaneous live webcast, on Wednesday October 27, 2021 at 8:30 am ET/ 2:30 pm CET

PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Pharnext SA (FR0011191287 - ALPHA) (the "Company"), an advanced late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company pioneering new approaches to developing innovative drug combinations based on big genomics data and artificial intelligence using its PLEOTHERAPY platform, will be hosting a hybrid Research and Development (R&D) Day, on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. CET at Convene, 530 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036, which can also be accessed online here .

The Pharnext 2021 R&D Day will focus on its lead clinical asset, PXT3003, in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) and will provide both the opportunity to hear about the Company from the management team and key thought leaders' perspectives on the late-stage clinical development program.

Agenda:

08:30 a.m. CET: Welcome & Introduction

Dr. David H. Solomon, CEO, Pharnext

08:40 a.m. CET: CMT1A Disease Overview

Disease basics, unmet need, burden of the disease, patient journey, disease evaluation, treatment expectations

Mario Saporta, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Human Genetics and Director of CMT Center of Excellence at Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami (FL, USA) and lead investigator of the PREMIER trial in North America

09:00 a.m. CET: CMT1A - The Patient Perspective

The impact of CMT1A

Allison Moore,Founder and CEO, Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation

09:15 a.m. CET: PXT3003: Candidate Treatment for CMT1A

Discovery, mechanism of action, animal pharmacology study, data from Phase II and first Phase III clinical studies, pivotal Phase III study: the PREMIER trial

Adrian Hepner, MD, PhD, CMO & Head of R&D, Pharnext

Florian P. Thomas MD, PhD, Founding Chair & Professor, Department of Neurology, Hackensack University Medical Center & Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (NJ, USA) and U.S. lead investigator of the PLEO-CMT trial

Mario Saporta, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Human Genetics and Director of CMT Center of Excellence at Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami (FL, USA) and lead investigator of the PREMIER trial in North America

09:45 a.m. CET: PXT3003 Business Opportunity

Xavier Paoli,COO, Pharnext

09:55 a.m. CET: Closing remarks

Dr. David H. Solomon, CEO, Pharnext

10:05 a.m. CET: Questions & Answers Session

Registration to attend is now open and can be accessed on the same link as the webcast here or by visiting the "Events" section of the Pharnext website ( www.pharnext.com ). An archived webcast will be made available on Pharnext's website after the event.

About Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 1A ('CMT1A')

Charcot-Marie-Tooth ('CMT') disease encompasses a heterogeneous group of inherited, severe, debilitating, progressive and chronic peripheral neuropathies. CMT1A, the most common type of CMT, is an orphan disease with a prevalence of 1/5000 people affecting about 150,000 people in Europe and the U.S. and about 1,500,000 people worldwide. The genetic mutation responsible for CMT1A is a duplication of the PMP22 gene coding for a peripheral myelin protein. The duplication of this gene results in overexpression of the PMP22 protein and failure of Schwann cells to produce normal myelin (neuronal sheath). The lack of a normal myelin structure and function leads to abnormal peripheral nerve conduction and axonal loss. As a result of peripheral nerve degradation, patients suffer from progressive muscle atrophy in both the legs and arms causing problems with walking, running and balance as well as abnormal hand functioning. They might also suffer from mild to moderate sensory disorders. First symptoms usually appear during adolescence and will progressively evolve throughout life. Patients with the most severe form of CMT1A end up in wheelchairs, representing at least 5% of cases. To date, no curative or symptomatic medications have been approved and treatment consists of supportive care such as orthotics, leg braces, physical and occupational therapy or surgery. More information can be found at https://pharnext.com/en/disease/charcot-marie-tooth .

About PXT3003

PXT3003 is a novel fixed-dose synergistic combination of baclofen, naltrexone and sorbitol formulated as an oral solution given twice a day. The three individual components of PXT3003 were selected to downregulate the overexpression of PMP22 protein, leading to improvement of neuronal signaling in dysfunctional peripheral nerves that are an essential part of the pathophysiology of this disease. PXT3003 could also have a positive effect on other cellular types of the motor unit such as the axon (direct protection), neuromuscular junctions or muscle cells. PXT3003 has shown promising and consistent results across preclinical and clinical studies in Phase II and Phase III (PLEO-CMT and PLEO-CMT-FU). More information can be found at https://pharnext.com/en/pipeline/pxt3003 .

About Pharnext

Pharnext is an advanced clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for orphan and common neurodegenerative diseases that currently lack curative and/or disease-modifying treatments. Pharnext has two lead products in clinical development. PXT3003 completed an international Phase III trial with positive topline results for the treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A ('CMT1A') and benefits from orphan drug status in Europe and the United States. An international pivotal Phase III study of PXT3003 in CMT1A, the PREMIER trial, is currently ongoing. PXT864 has generated encouraging Phase II results in Alzheimer's disease and will be advanced through partnerships. Pharnext has developed a new drug discovery paradigm based on big genomics data and artificial intelligence: PLEOTHERAPY. Pharnext identifies and develops synergic combinations of drugs called PLEODRUG. More information can be found at www.pharnext.com .

Pharnext is listed on the Euronext Growth Stock Exchange in Paris (ISIN code: FR0011191287).

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Pharnext and its business, including in respect of timing of and prospects for clinical trials and regulatory submissions of the Company's product candidates as well as a potential financing transaction, the use of proceeds therefrom and cash runway. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Pharnext considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be verified, which estimates are subject to numerous risks including the risks set forth in Pharnext's URD approved by the AMF on November 9, 2020 under number N R. 20-029 as well as in its annual periodic management reports and press releases (copies of which are available on www.pharnext.com) and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Pharnext operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Pharnext or not currently considered material by Pharnext. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Pharnext to be materially different from such forward-looking statements. Pharnext disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, Pharnext shares in any country, including the United States. The Company's securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration; any public offering of securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from the issuer that will contain detailed information about the Company and management, as well as financial statements.

Contacts

David Horn Solomon

Chief Executive Officer

contact@pharnext.com

+33 (0)1 41 09 22 30

Media Relations (International)

Consilium Strategic Communications

Mary-Jane Elliott

Sukaina Virji

Alexandra Harrison

pharnext@consilium-comms.com

Financial Communication (Europe)

Actifin

Ghislaine Gasparetto

ggasparetto@actifin.fr

+33 (0)6 21 10 49 24

Media Relations (France)

Ulysse Communication

Bruno Arabian

barabian@ulysse-communication.com

+33 (0)6 87 88 47 26

+33 (0)1 81 70 96 30

SOURCE: Pharnext

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669063/Pharnext-Confirms-Details-for-2021-Hybrid-Research-Development-Day
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Victrex Plc. (VCT.L), a supplier of high performance polymer solutions, has announced its commitment to the Science Based Target initiative or SBTi, in addition to its 2030 carbon net zero goal. As part of its commitment to SBTi, Victrex has joined the Business Ambition for 1.5C campaign that are aligning with 1.5C and helping to halve global emissions by 2030. Victrex's commitment follows on from its enhanced Environmental, Social & Governance strategy launched in 2020, which includes its 2030 net zero goal and targets relating to minimising use of resources including energy, water and waste. The company's enhanced Environmental, Social & Governance goals also include increasing the proportion of sustainable products as a percentage of its portfolio, and enhancing its programme on diversity & inclusion, and social responsibility. 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 / October 21, 2021 / Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc. ("Zinc8" or the "Company") (CSE:ZAIR)(OTC PINK:MGXRF)(FSE:0E9) is pleased to announce its engineering teams have now been relocated to its newly upgraded and renovated facility in Richmond, BC where the construction of multiple test zinc-air energy storage systems ("ZESS") for certification to the UL / CSA battery safety standard and demonstration projects are underway.

The new facility has undergone a variety of upgrades to ensure its safety and to support various engineering activities. Modifications to the facility's electrical systems have been made to facilitate both engineering verification testing and certification validation testing for multiple ZESS's. In addition, the facility has the requisite space for nine subsystem level engineering teams, each of which are tasked with testing and analyzing a specific subsystem of the ZESS for certification.

The energy storage systems are in various stages of development with priority given to the system assigned to the previously announced demonstration project for the cloud service provider. Each of these ZESS's are being built to test various system levels in parallel for certification and are expected to allow Zinc8 to have a certified product available for the company's production of an initial commercial 40-kilowatt ZESS anticipated in the first quarter of 2023.

"We are continuing to advance towards initial production of a certified 40-kilowatt ZESS targeting beachhead markets such as New York State," stated Ron MacDonald, President and CEO of Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc. "These are exciting times as we are actively transitioning the company from research and development into pre-commercialization. We have several core members of our engineering team that have been with Zinc8 from its earliest research and development days. It is understood that developing a new and potentially revolutionary technology requires years of commitment. It is their diligence and innovation that has progressed the technology to the point where we can now present a working product for certification on our path towards commercialization."

"The initial production target in early 2023 has been set by our team, based on our deep knowledge of emerging long-duration markets like New York City" added Mr. MacDonald. "The new facility has allowed for the expansion of our team through the addition of key personnel with the qualifications and past experience to move the company towards this objective. We recognize the opportunity that exists for the energy storage system market and we have worked hard to accelerate our timelines. I am pleased with our progress to date. Our previously announced energy storage systems that were purpose-built for certification and specific demonstration projects are on schedule and we expect to enter the data collection and analysis phase in the near future."

In response to the increasing demand for its proprietary cathodes, which are critical to the cell stack manufacturing process, the company is set to commence the upgrading of its cathode production facility at its original Ash Street location, which is also home to the R&D team. These upgrades will significantly increase the volume capacity of cathode production that in turn will support the future annual production of cell stacks.

Zinc8 Energy Solutions focuses on developing and commercializing its low-cost, long duration ZESS for utilities, microgrid, and Commercial & Industrial markets. By using the patented ZESS as a standalone or an enabling technology, it allows opportunities for peak demand reduction, time-of-use arbitrage, and participation in both the value stacking programs and the distributed long-duration energy storage space, all in conjunction with the opportunity for a significant reduction in carbon footprint. The long duration (8-100+ hours) ZESS has no fire and explosion risk, has no capacity fade over extensive lifetime, and offers complete charge operational flexibility.

About Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.

Zinc8 has assembled an experienced team to execute the development and commercialization of a dependable low-cost zinc-air battery. This mass storage system offers both environmental and efficiency benefits. Zinc8 strives to meet the growing need for secure and reliable power. To learn more about Zinc8's technology, please visit: https://zinc8energy.com

More about the Zinc8 Energy Storage System (ESS)

The Zinc8 ESS is a modular Energy Storage System designed to deliver power in the range 20kW - 50MW with capacity of 8 hours of storage duration or higher. With the advantage of rechargeable zinc-air flow battery technology, the system can be configured to support a wide range of long-duration applications for microgrids and utilities. Since the energy storage capacity of the system is determined only by the size of the zinc storage tank, a very cost-effective and scalable solution now exists as an alternative to the fixed power/energy ratio of the lithium-ion battery.

Technology

The Zinc8 ESS is based upon unique patented zinc-air battery technology. Energy is stored in the form of zinc particles, similar in size to grains of sand. When the system is delivering power, the zinc particles are combined with oxygen drawn from the surrounding air. When the system is recharging, zinc particles are regenerated, and oxygen is returned to the surrounding air.

Applications

The flexibility of the Zinc8 ESS enables it to service a wide range of applications. Typical examples include:

Smoothing energy derived from renewable sources such as wind and solar

Commercial/Industrial backup replacing diesel generators

Industrial and grid scale, on-demand power for peak shaving and standby reserves

Grid-scale services such as alleviating grid congestion, deferring transmission/distribution upgrades, energy trading and arbitrage, and increasing renewable energy penetration.

Architecture

The Zinc8 ESS is designed according to a modular architecture that enables a wide variety of system configurations to be created from a small number of common subsystems. Each subsystem implements a single element of the technology:

The Zinc Regeneration Subsystem (ZRS) provides the recharging function

The Fuel Storage Subsystem (FSS) provides the energy storage function

The Power Generation Subsystem (PGS) provides the discharging function

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements or disclosures relating to Zinc8 Energy Solutions that are based on the expectations of its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Zinc8 Energy Solutions which may constitute forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. All such statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results or developments that Zinc8 Storage anticipates or expects may or will occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements in this press release include that we will commence the demonstration unit now, that we can validate a low-cost, long-duration (8-to-100-hour), and sustainable energy storage technology which can provide megawatt-scale standby power solutions; that we can execute the development and commercialization of a dependable low cost zinc-air battery; that our mass storage system offers both environmental and efficiency benefits; and that we can help meet the needs for secure and reliable power. Zinc8 Energy Solutions believes the material factors, expectations and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable at this time, but no assurance can be given that these factors, expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance. Such forward-looking 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 including, without limitation: that the demonstration unit does not provide the kind of data that can be applied in other projects or validate our technology; that our technology fails to work as expected or at all; that our technology proves to be too expensive to implement broadly; that customers do not adapt our products for being too complex, costly, or not fitting with their current products or plans; our competitors may offer better or cheaper solutions for battery storage; general economic, market and business conditions; increased costs and expenses; inability to retain qualified employees; our patents may not provide protection as expected and we may infringe on the patents of others; and certain other risks detailed from time to time in Zinc8 Energy Solution's public disclosure documents, copies of which are available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the CSE nor any Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information please contact:

Incite Capital Markets

Kristian Schneck / Eric Negraeff

Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.

Ron MacDonald

Ph: 604.493.2004

Email: investors@zinc8energy.com

SOURCE: Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669023/Zinc8-Energy-Solutions-Provides-Progress-Update
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Lancashire Holdings Limited (LRE), an insurance company, on Thursday, said it expects an aggregate net ultimate losses of $165 million to $185 million due to recent natural catastrophe events, including hurricane Ida and the European storms- Bernd, Volker, and Xero. The Bermuda-based insurance provider also said it has reported exposure to large loss events within its political violence portfolio related to the unrest in South Africa during July 2021. The aggregate estimated ultimate net losses for these events are expected to be about $40 million. These estimates are after anticipated recoveries from Lancashire's outwards reinsurance program and the impact of outwards and inwards reinstatement premiums, the company added. Alex Maloney, Group Chief Executive Officer, said, '....Looking ahead, the Company remains strongly capitalized to be able to take advantage of the improving market, both in the rest of this year and in order to achieve our ambitious underwriting plans for 2022. The rating environment continues to improve, premiums continue to grow, and we are well-positioned to achieve our strategic goals.' 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 Italian government's focus on promoting investment in Research and Development (R&D), improving the education system and strengthening worker employability through its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP1), should positively affect human capital development over the long-term. Strengthening human capital is one of the key factors underpinning an improvement in Italy's economic outlook. DBRS Morningstar calculates that Italy's government has scheduled for deployment funds of around EUR 77 billion (4.3% of GDP), out of a EUR 235.1 billion total envelope, the majority of which is to be spent by 2026. This expenditure, including the reforms attached, will likely have a direct and indirect impact on both the demand and the supply of human capital. This is expected to contribute to a more than doubling of potential economic growth from 0.6% to 1.4% by 2026 according to government estimates.

To achieve optimal results, great effort is needed to overcome weak capacity to spend, which tends to be constrained by red tape and to improve coordination between public entities. Moreover, policy continuity to work through general internal resistance including administrative bureaucracy and additional reforms, such as encouraging growth of company size and increasing school autonomy, will be required to achieve the desired results.

Key Highlights:

R&D investment is expected to rise supporting demand for skilled workers.

Better co-ordination between firms and universities should positively affect human capital.

Reforms might come up against internal resistance and weak coordination, requiring more time and government policy continuity.

"Beyond important reforms, including the public administration and the justice system we have to consider the impact the Italian NRRP could have on human capital. This is key in our view as it could positively affect both labour productivity and the supply of labour over the medium- to long-term. Nevertheless, a large share of the NRRP's resources are one-off and additional funding might be needed in the future. Moreover, It is difficult to make things happen in Italy therefore we will monitor the effectiveness of the legislative implementing process and if internal opposition to reforms hinders the success of the plan" said Carlo Capuano, Vice President in the Global Sovereign Ratings Group.

To view the full report, click here: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/386243/italys-recovery-plan-expected-to-improve-human-capital

The DBRS Morningstar group of companies consists of DBRS, Inc. (Delaware, U.S.)(NRSRO, DRO affiliate); DBRS Limited (Ontario, Canada)(DRO, NRSRO affiliate); DBRS Ratings GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany)(EU CRA, NRSRO affiliate, DRO affiliate); and DBRS Ratings Limited (England and Wales)(UK CRA, NRSRO affiliate, DRO affiliate). For more information on regulatory registrations, recognitions and approvals of the DBRS Morningstar group of companies, please see: https:// www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/highlights.pdf.

The DBRS Morningstar group of companies are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Morningstar, Inc. 2021 DBRS Morningstar. All Rights Reserved.

The information upon which DBRS Morningstar ratings and other types of credit opinions and reports are based is obtained by DBRS Morningstar from sources DBRS Morningstar believes to be reliable. DBRS Morningstar does not audit the information it receives in connection with the analytical process, and it does not and cannot independently verify that information in every instance. The extent of any factual investigation or independent verification depends on facts and circumstances. DBRS Morningstar ratings, other types of credit opinions, reports and any other information provided by DBRS Morningstar are provided "as is" and without representation or warranty of any kind. DBRS Morningstar hereby disclaims any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose or non-infringement of any of such information. In no event shall DBRS Morningstar or its directors, officers, employees, independent contractors, agents and representatives (collectively, DBRS Morningstar Representatives) be liable (1) for any inaccuracy, delay, loss of data, interruption in service, error or omission or for any damages resulting therefrom, or (2) for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, compensatory or consequential damages arising from any use of ratings and rating reports or arising from any error (negligent or otherwise) or other circumstance or contingency within or outside the control of DBRS Morningstar or any DBRS Morningstar Representative, in connection with or related to obtaining, collecting, compiling, analyzing, interpreting, communicating, publishing or delivering any such information. No DBRS Morningstar entity is an investment advisor. DBRS Morningstar does not provide investment, financial or other advice. Ratings, other types of credit opinions, other analysis and research issued or published by DBRS Morningstar are, and must be construed solely as, statements of opinion and not statements of fact as to credit worthiness, investment, financial or other advice or recommendations to purchase, sell or hold any securities. A report with respect to a DBRS Morningstar rating or other credit opinion is neither a prospectus nor a substitute for the information assembled, verified and presented to investors by the issuer and its agents in connection with the sale of the securities. DBRS Morningstar may receive compensation for its ratings and other credit opinions from, among https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/disclaimer/ others, issuers, insurers, guarantors and/or underwriters of debt securities. DBRS Morningstar is not responsible for the content or operation of third party websites accessed through hypertext or other computer links and DBRS Morningstar shall have no liability to any person or entity for the use of such third party websites. This publication may not be reproduced, retransmitted or distributed in any form without the prior written consent of DBRS Morningstar. ALL DBRS MORNINGSTAR RATINGS AND OTHER TYPES OF CREDIT OPINIONS ARE SUBJECT TO DISCLAIMERS AND CERTAIN LIMITATIONS. PLEASE READ THESE DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATIONS AT https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/about/disclaimer. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING DBRS MORNINGSTAR RATINGS AND OTHER TYPES OF CREDIT OPINIONS, INCLUDING DEFINITIONS, POLICIES AND METHODOLOGIES, ARE AVAILABLE ON https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com. Users may, through hypertext or other computer links, gain access to websites operated by persons other than DBRS Morningstar. Such hyperlinks are provided for convenience only, and are the exclusive responsibility of the owners of such websites. DBRS Morningstar does not endorse the content, the operator or operations of third party websites. DBRS Morningstar is not responsible for the content or operation of such websites and DBRS Morningstar shall have no liability to you or any other person or entity for the use of third party websites.

The English version of this press release prevails.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005425/en/

Contacts:

Dennis Ferreira european.communications@dbrsmorningstar.com
Landmark Collaboration Will Unify Inventory, Data Privacy, and Addressable TV Identity Strategies for Brands and Broadcasters

Amobee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singtel and global leader in advertising technology, and smartclip, RTL Group's leading European provider for ad-tech solutions, together announced their agreement to form TechAlliance, the European industry's first end-to-end, broadcaster-centric, cross-screen advertising platform. This platform will provide advertisers with exclusive programmatic access to the linear ad break, including digital ads on linear TV inventories, as well as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), privacy-compliant audience and content viewership data across the region.

With monumental changes seen across the advertising industry-accelerated by shifting consumer preferences and new ad-supported connected TV players-this landmark partnership will empower broadcasters to take advantage of this quickly-evolving inventory landscape by tailoring the buying experience for advertisers. This will enable marketers to employ the same degree of data-driven tactics used for digital campaigns across their TV strategies.

By bringing together the advanced video and TV capabilities of Amobee's demand-side platform (DSP) with the first-party relationships and yield optimization tools natively integrated into the smartclip supply-side platform (SSP), this new venture will proactively tackle the uncertain future of identity resolution within programmatic TV, the most sought-after addressable environment.

Data protection and privacy will be at the center of this joint offering, fortifying European broadcasters' position against digital competitors and ensuring advertisers' seamless access to premium video inventory in the rapidly changing advertising industry. This unique offering-supported by Amobee's suite of cross-channel planning, activation, and measurement solutions-will eventually allow advertisers to combine linear TV, connected TV, over-the-top, and digital video touch points with downstream digital actions by consumers. This will enable brands to quantify the return on investment that these premium formats deliver.

With this planned, integrated ecosystem, European broadcasters will be able to control and curate how their products are offered to buyers as well as offer linear and digital programmatic TV capabilities at scale. This will ultimately make premium TV advertising opportunities available to new advertisers (e.g., niche, small, medium, and large enterprises), driving fresh revenue growth for media owners. Additionally, broadcasters will benefit from the efficiencies of shared planning and booking systems, the inclusion of new audience segmentation options, and better monetization of their inventory.

This transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, and is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of calendar year 2022.

Thomas Servatius, Co-Chief Executive Officer at smartclip: "This venture advances our efforts to protect the independence of European broadcasters with a European-built and controlled video marketplace where TV commercials across Europe can be holistically traded. While we initially looked to Amobee for their proven experience and expertise working with the largest broadcasters in the world, like ITV's Planet V, it was quickly evident that our leadership, technology stacks, company values, and future business strategies were a natural fit for each other. Programmatic TV will be just the first step."

Maria Flores Portillo, Managing Director EMEA at Amobee: "Amobee's planned collaboration with smartclip will allow brands to get much closer to the media and audiences that are most important to them with privacy-compliant cross-screen advertising solutions, especially as the industry moves beyond identity strategies that rely on third-party cookies. RTL Group and smartclip offer an expansive ecosystem for advertisers with the most premium content in Europe, combined with deep insight into cross-channel consumer behavior. This extended partnership shows the industry how Amobee and smartclip aim to tackle the next generation of TV and digital adtech innovation together by focusing on data privacy, inventory quality, and control to both ends of the supply chain."

About Amobee

Finally, there is a technology that understands how people consume content today. Only Amobee makes it easy for you to find your audience-no matter where they are, no matter what they're viewing. We help brands, agencies, and media companies unify audiences to optimize advertising results across all linear TV, connected TV, and digital, including social media to deliver the results that drive customer growth. Amobee is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singtel, one of the largest communications technology companies in the world, which reaches more than 675 million mobile subscribers. The company operates across North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit amobee.com or follow @amobee.

About smartclip

At smartclip, we are shaping the future of video advertising-delivering advanced online video and TV advertising solutions. Our proprietary technology and services empower brands with true cross-screen storytelling on all devices, and enable broadcasters and publishers to monetise their content in the most efficient and effective way possible. We are committed to delivering the most innovative video ad experiences-spanning in-stream, out-stream, connected TV, addressable TV, and gaming. As a subsidiary of RTL Deutschland, smartclip is part of RTL Group-Europe's leading free-to-air broadcaster group. Headquartered in Hamburg, smartclip has offices in Berlin, Munich, Dusseldorf, Gutersloh, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Milan and Rome. For more information, please visit www.smartclip.tv, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005164/en/

Contacts:

Kathrin Muller

PR Communications, smartclip Europe

kathrin.mueller@smartclip.tv Tel. +49 40 286686-117

Michael Shmarak

Blast PR for Amobee

312-919-9222, michael@blastpr.com
Gemserv's new report finds that smart thermostats are 10 times more cost effective per 100 spent at decarbonisation than the next best alternatives; solar PV, heat pumps and insulation.

With heating and cooling of homes accounting for 21% of the EU's energy consumption, European housing stock urgently needs decarbonising in order to lower emissions 55% by 2030 and achieve net-zero1 according to a new report from Gemserv and tado.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005179/en/

Smart thermostats deliver over ten times as much annual carbon savings per 100 of up-front cost compared to the next best measure, an important factor in consumer decision-making. (Graphic: Business Wire)

To realise these goals and reduce CO2 emissions, approximately 600 billion has been reserved in the EU's Green Deal funds2. Decarbonisation is a huge challenge for governments across Europe, and any spending must be used as effectively and efficiently to not incur higher costs to the taxpayer.

A new report produced by research consultancy Gemserv looked at the four most common methods of decarbonising homes in Europe and found that compared to solar PV, heat pumps, and insulation, smart thermostats offered the most cost effective first step to decarbonisation based on the upfront cost and carbon saved.

On average a smart thermostat from tado saves 22% of energy used in homes across Europe, based on data provided by over 1 million connected thermostats3. If all homes in Europe were equipped with smart thermostats, the total carbon emissions across Europe could fall by 4.75%, a sizeable contribution to the 55% goal by 2030.

According to tado, the cost for implementing smart thermostats in all European homes would be approximately 40 billion, or 6.67% of the total cost allocated for the European Green Deal. To achieve the same 4.75% reduction in emissions through other infrastructure would be much more costly; the next best alternative heat pumps require ten times the investment at 432 billion, 2.25 trillion for insulation, solar PV being 2.81 trillion, sizeable portion of the EU's investment funds.

The report also highlights that in order for the EU to achieve its targets for CO2 emissions these measures must work in tandem. Heat pumps, insulation and solar PV are all recognised methods of decarbonising for the future, and will each play an important role in achieving the net-zero goal of 2050. Heat pumps, solar PV, smart thermostats and insulation can all play a large role in decarbonising a single home together.

"Intelligently controlled low carbon heating, renewable electricity generation, and insulation upgrades will all play a key role in household decarbonisation. However, this report demonstrates that smart thermostats offer consistent financial returns, whilst saving carbon unique amongst the four technologies we have analysed" says Christopher Lewis, Economic Analyst at Gemserv.

Christian Deilmann, Co-Founder and CPO of tado the leader in intelligent home climate management says "The European Green Deal needs to recognise these findings, and use their budget wisely to make a real difference on an international level. Smart thermostats clearly offer the most cost efficient use of taxpayer funds"

"If policymakers were to incentivise the uptake of smart thermostats as they have for other measures, homes would waste less energy and our net-zero target would be achieved much sooner and at lower cost," Deilmann continued.

The report was peer reviewed by Dr. Tim Forman, Senior Research Associate, University Cambridge who says "Smart thermostats show compelling potential to reduce energy demand, thereby reducing energy-related carbon emissions, based on the study assumptions."

With the low-barrier for entry, and ease of use, policymakers, governments and building regulators should recognise this study and bring about government incentives for smart thermostats in-line with the European Green Deal's Renovation Wave and to better help foster smart thermostat's up-take.

To read the report please visit http://www.tado.com/Energy-Efficiency. For more information on Smart Thermostats and their benefits visit www.tado.com.

About Gemserv

Gemserv is an expert provider of professional services in a world driven by data and technology. It is a purpose-driven company, working across multiple sectors, including energy, the public sector and health to tackle today's social and environmental challenges. The business provides consultancy and outsourcing capabilities to make markets work better, to help organisations harness the power of digital transformation and to ensure people's data is better protected and used ethically. www.gemserv.com

About Dr. Tim Forman

Dr. Tim Forman (BA MSc PhD) is a Senior Research Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge. Dr Forman's research, teaching and professional background relates to the design, construction and renovation of buildings and to improving sustainability and resilience in the built environment under current and future climate conditions.

About tado

tado is the European leader in intelligent home climate management. As the only cross-manufacturer platform, tado Smart Thermostats and services connect with any kind of heating or cooling system. Customers benefit from energy-saving technology such as Geofencing and Open Window Detection, as well as from remote heating diagnostics. Founded in Munich, 2011, and with 180 employees, tado reshapes the way energy is consumed for more comfort, savings, and wellbeing at home. www.tado.com

1 Source: Decarbonisation of Heat: Why it Needs Innovation, 18 March 2020

2 Based on the planned One third of the 1.8 trillion euro investments from the NextGenerationEU Recovery Plan, not including the EU's seven-year budget which will also finance the European Green Deal. Source: https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en

3 Average savings from over 1,000,000 connected thermostats, data provided by tado GmbH.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005179/en/

Contacts:

Cameron Wood

press@tado.com
New SFR Cybersecurite Platform Offers Advanced Threat Prevention and Detection Capabilities for Business and Consumer Customers

BUCHAREST, Romania and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bitdefender, a global cybersecurity leader and SFR, a leading European internet service provider (ISP), have formed a strategic partnership to deliver advanced cybersecurity capabilities to SFR broadband and mobile customers.

Bitdefender collaborated with SFR to develop SFR Cybersecurite, a cybersecurity platform incorporating technology from Bitdefender Total Security, a market leading antimalware and VPN solution for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. With Cybersecurite, SFR consumer and business customers have advanced protection against a full array of threats such as hard-to-detect malware, crippling ransomware, zero-day threats, phishing attacks, spam and more.

SFR Cybersecurite is managed by the user through a co-branded, Bitdefender-enabled interface. For the backend, SFR manages security subscriptions through Bitdefender's platform for Managed Service Providers (MSPs).

"Cybersecurity is a critical concern and we are committed to the online safety of our customers and believe this new solution will offer a new level of protection against security threats," said Gregory Rabuel, chief executive officer of SFR. "We've chosen to partner with Bitdefender, because the quality of the technologies developed by a recognized cybersecurity leader clearly responds to customers' needs and the company's offering for ISPs was the most versatile we found."

The need for advanced cyber threat protection is at an all-time high. Bitdefender Labs saw a surge in online crime prompted by the sudden shift to working from home over the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Bitdefender's 2020 Consumer Threat Landscape Report, there was a 485 percent jump in global ransomware reports last year and a 320 percent rise in global reports of potentially unwanted applications.

"With this partnership Bitdefender and SFR will strengthen cybersecurity for SFR's millions of customers," said Ciprian Istrate, vice president of consumer solutions at Bitdefender. "This partnership highlights Bitdefender's offerings for internet service providers and telcos seeking to optimize future offerings, reduce support costs, expand their portfolio, differentiate themselves and better protect their customers and internal networks."

Bitdefender's flexible platform for ISPs offer a complete cybersecurity ecosystem and can be easily integrated to create customer cybersecurity offers, including IoT security, gateway-level protection with network security, endpoint security and an API and subscription management interface through Bitdefender MSP.

About Altice France - alticefrance.com

Altice France is the leading telecoms-media convergence player in France.

Through SFR, France's second-largest communications services company, Altice France is a telecommunications industry leader serving 25 million customers. Providing a fiber optic network (FTTH / FTTB) of 24 million eligible connections, SFR has launched 5G in France and also covers 99.7% of the population with 4G. SFR has major positions on the entire market, among the public, businesses, local authorities and other telecom companies. Altice France is also a leading media group with iconic brands such as BFM and RMC. In 2020, Altice France achieved a turnover of 10.9 billion euro. Follow the Group's latest news on Twitter: @AlticeFrance.

About Bitdefender

Bitdefender is a cybersecurity leader delivering best-in-class threat prevention, detection, and response solutions worldwide. Guardian over millions of consumer, business, and government environments, Bitdefender is the industry's trusted expert* for eliminating threats, protecting privacy and data, and enabling cyber resiliency. With deep investments in research and development, Bitdefender Labs discovers 400 new threats each minute and validates 30 billion threat queries daily. The company has pioneered breakthrough innovations in antimalware, IoT security, behavioral analytics, and artificial intelligence and its technology is licensed by more than 150 of the world's most recognized technology brands. Founded in 2001, Bitdefender has customers in 170 countries with offices around the world. For more information, visit https://www.bitdefender.com.

*Bitdefender has ranked #1 in 54% of all tests by AV-Comparatives 2018-2021 for real-world protection, performance, malware protection & advanced threat protection.

Contact:

Steve Fiore

Bitdefender

+1-954-776-6262

sfiore@bitdefender.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/833268/Bitdefender_Logo.jpg
Leading European blockchain interface company RIDDLE&CODE and the largest crypto infrastructure platform for node management and staking Blockdaemon, announced today a strategic, long-term partnership that will focus on delivering next-gen industrial tokenization services. RIDDLE&CODE will integrate Blockdaemon's premium full node services to scale and enhance the tokenization capabilities of its Token Management Platform.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005053/en/

Tokenization is potentially the largest use case of blockchain that unlocks illiquid assets, simplifies their transfer and enables companies to expand and diversify portfolios. With a value that could exceed $24 trillion by 2027, it offers a range of benefits, including the development of new business models such as fractional ownership, sale and purchase of assets without middlemen, greater operational efficiency and overcoming geographic restrictions.

RIDDLE&CODE, whose main focus are industrial tokenization and custody services, has built an extensive portfolio of blockchain-powered software and hardware products that operate in multiple markets, have a global reach and access to industry-leading partners and platforms, including Energy Web Foundation, Liquid Network, IPDB, the Sovrin Foundation and Ocean Protocol.

"Unlocking real-world assets opens the door for a new, token-based economy, but at the same time, requires support of a robust infrastructure. We are thrilled to join forces with Blockdaemon, our strategic partner and the world's leading blockchain infrastructure company," said Alexander Koppel, CEO at RIDDLE&CODE. "This collaboration will connect RIDDLE&CODE, our broad array of industrial partners and customers using custody services as well as networks supported by Blockdaemon into an interoperable ecosystem."

With support for more than 40 networks, Blockdaemon is the largest independent blockchain infrastructure platform that provides secure, scalable and easy-to-use solutions for staking and node infrastructure. The company continues to reinvent and upgrade its platform, with a recent increase of its management node count from 8,000 to 18,000.

"Blockdaemon is dedicated to improving the existing infrastructure and bridging the gap between traditional banking and decentralised finance. Partnership with a renowned company like RIDDLE&CODE that shares this vision will allow us to go beyond the current focus of the fintech industry and expand our services to new markets and clients such as energy or mobility," said Konstantin Richter, CEO and founder of Blockdaemon.

About RIDDLE&CODE

RIDDLE&CODE is Europe's leading company for blockchain interface solutions. The company develops hardware and software stacks that combine the security of smart cards with blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT). Together with its tier-one clients and partners, which include Daimler, BMW, Wien Energie and leading Dutch crypto exchange LiteBit, RIDDLE&CODE brings new business models to the fintech, energy, mobility and materials industries. The company is recognised with various awards for its technology.

More information: www.riddleandcode.com

About Blockdaemon

Blockdaemon is the leading independent blockchain node infrastructure to stake, scale, and deploy nodes with institutional-grade security and monitoring. Supporting 40+ cutting edge blockchain networks in the cloud and on bare metal servers globally, Blockdaemon is used by exchanges, custodians, crypto platforms, financial institutions and developers to connect commercial stakeholders to blockchains. We power the blockchain economy by simplifying the process of deploying nodes and creating scalable enterprise blockchain solutions via APIs, high availability clusters, auto-decentralization and auto-healing of nodes.

More information: www.blockdaemon.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005053/en/

Contacts:

Media contact:

Aysenur Yukselal Aji

aysenur@riddleandcode.com
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.
Press Release - Boston, London, Nice, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, October 21, 2021

Scientific Beta welcomes updated TCFD guidance and renews criticism of EU Climate Transition and Paris-Aligned Benchmark Regulation

Index provider reiterates warnings against use of enterprise-value based carbon intensity and regards integration of implied temperature rise metrics into portfolio construction as premature

On 15 October 2021, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) updated its 2017 guidelines on implementing its recommendations that aim to promote more informed financial decisions in relation to the risks of climate change.1

The updated guidance:



Promotes more granular or explicit disclosure of risks and opportunities identified by reporting organisations and how these impact their strategies

Introduces significant revisions to the disclosures of metrics and targets to:

Encourage the uptake of indicators that are relevant across industries and of related targets Require disclosure of Scope 1, Scope 2 and material Scope 3 emissions Require the financial sector to disclose its financed emissions and the extent to which its activities align with the goals of the Paris Agreement



With respect to the supplemental guidance for the financial sector pertaining to the Metrics and Targets pillar of the recommendations, Scientific Beta welcomes two major changes relative to the draft proposals on which the TCFD sought feedback. First, the TCFD reaffirms Weighted Average Carbon Intensity as recommended disclosure2 for funds, products and strategies (while also requiring the disclosure of financed emissions, where possible). Second, it adopts a more cautious approach in respect of disclosure of alignment with Paris-Agreement-consistent temperature scenarios.

"The TCFD is to be commended for taking an evidence-based stance on the evolution of metrics and targets and reversing proposals that would have provided further incentives to counterproductive action by investors," comments ESG Director Frederic Ducoulombier who penned Scientific Beta's contribution to the TCFD consultation.

"The prudent approach of the TCFD in respect of portfolio alignment is befitting the lack of maturity and convergence of methodologies in that area and we salute the work commissioned by the organisation to try and establish bases for the development of robust and convergent portfolio alignment tools," says Ducoulombier.

"While there is understandable interest in financed emissions as a potential carbon footprinting approach for varied financial activities and investments, it should not be allowed to guide security selection and issuer engagement, notably because its reliance on enterprise value introduces capital market volatility into carbon intensity measurement and obscures the relationship to real-world emissions as we have documented in published research3. While not perfect, revenues-based carbon intensity, as endorsed by the TCFD since 2017, is a superior metric for these applications.", he adds.

"The integration of climate considerations into investment management must be based on robust data and fit-for-purpose metrics and methodologies whether its primary focus is on managing climate-related risks and opportunities or on promoting real-world climate change mitigation. The European regulator has erred in the matter and bears responsibility for the proliferation of greenwashing strategies claiming EU labels," says Scientific Beta CEO Noel Amenc, who co-authored a February 2020 report with Ducoulombier that warned of the unintended consequences of the EU regulation then in the making.4

"It is thus a source of comfort and hope that the TCFD, despite a difficult political context, chose to revise its guidance in a manner that preserves established and relevant metrics for climate-related investments, strengthens the issuer-level disclosures on which they are based, and takes a careful, multi-pronged, approach to strengthening the bases for the integration of forward-looking climate-related data in investment management", he adds.

1 The TCFD was established by the Financial Stability Board, an international body that monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system. Financial regulators worldwide have endorsed TCFD recommendations with the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Switzerland, Singapore and Hong Kong having set, or announced they would set, reporting requirements aligning with the work of the TCFD. The TCFD recommendations are organized around four pillars: Governance, Strategy, Risk Management and Metrics and Targets.

2 The TCFD distinguishes between recommended indicators that financial institutions "should disclose" and additional carbon exposure and footprinting metrics that they "should consider" for reporting. Weighted Average Carbon Intensity (WACI) defined as the average, based on portfolio weights, of the issuer-level ratios of Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions to revenues was the sole recommended indicator until the October 2021 update (which added financed emissions to be calculated according to the standards being developed by the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF)). The draft guidelines had proposed requiring the disclosure of "financed emissions in line with PCAF's methodology and WACI, if relevant () with WACI and other carbon footprint metrics () remaining as 'should consider' metrics."

3Carbon intensity bumps on the way to net zero, Frederic Ducoulombier and Victor Liu, The Journal of Impact & ESG Investing, Spring 2021, Volume 1, Issue 3, pp. 59-73.

4Unsustainable Proposals: A critical appraisal of the TEG Final Report on climate benchmarks and benchmarks' ESG disclosures and remedial proposals, Noel Amenc and Frederic Ducoulombier, Scientific Beta, February 2020.
Kensington, London--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - Maslife is the world's first alternative banking and wellness app that helps users take control of their finances, while simultaneously helping them to improve their mental and physical health.

Utilising gamification, nudge theory and A.I. the app taps into users' behavioural patterns to recommend simple changes to people's daily routines which can result in positive long-term results. The app also provides a banking platform with tools to help people gain control over their finances by setting goals and budgeting. It then employs a unique rewards system to entrench positive behaviour.

The wellness element offers fitness trackers, yoga tutorials and meditation workshops all geared to keep the user moving and motivated, while rewards them for achieving their wellness goals. The user is given a progress report monthly so they can keep track of the improvements they are making and a view of the rewards they have earned.

In the wake of Covid 19 people need this kind of assistance more than ever. There have been hundreds of global studies conducted to ascertain the full impact of the pandemic, the statistics are alarming and tell a story that needs to be urgently addressed. Gen Z and millennials have been particularly affected.

According to the WHO depression may be the number 1 cause of disease by 2030

77% of employees say money worries impact them at work

In ONS surveys people under 30 consistently reported that due to the pandemic, their income had been reduced (15%). This was much more than those over 60 years (5%)

"The pandemic shock saw millions of individuals suffer both financially and with their well-being. This continues to be felt more than a year on, with similar amounts of people needing to borrow or use savings to make ends meet as seen last year. Worryingly, the self-employed, parents, young people and those living on the lowest household incomes remain more negatively affected"

In a 2021 Deloitte's Gen Z Millennial Survey, 28% of respondents cited healthcare/disease prevention as their biggest concern, up from 21% in 2020. The second biggest issue was unemployment with 27% expressing concern, up from 21% in 2021.

89% of larger UK businesses say they have been impacted by poor employee financial wellbeing during the pandemic.

Sources, Clothier.com, ONS.gov.uk

The pandemic has disrupted how we work, travel, shop, and spend. In times like these, people experience stress, anxiety, and powerlessness over the direction of their life. Maslife offers the best possible support by providing wellness solutions that enable them to grow into the best version of themselves.

The brainchild behind the Maslife app is Kash Amini, a British-Persian entrepreneur who was bitten by the technology bug at a very young age. He has an eclectic mix of life experiences that took him down the path he is on now. After working as a trader for several years he became mentally and physically exhausted. To improve his well-being, Amini changed his lifestyle and started meditating every day. This helped him gain clarity about what he wants to do in life. After understanding the life-changing impact of meditation and healthy living, Amini wanted to help others too, and so Maslife was conceived.

He is no stranger to the tech start up world, he has a number of blockchain projects under his belt and has been a successful entrepreneur for many years.

Kash says "This unique platform is helping people achieve a healthy lifestyle balance that works for both their financial and health goals. It is continuing to grow every day has received encouraging interest from investors all around the world.

Maslife is currently in a private Seedrs crowdfunding round, and it has been met with enthusiastic interest from investors.

To learn more about Maslife visit https://maslife.com

And follow on:

https://twitter.com/MasLifeapp

https://www.facebook.com/MaslifeApp

https://www.instagram.com/maslifeapp

Media Contact:

Contact person: Martin Lamming

Email: marketing@maslife.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100443
BOSTON and PARIS, Oct. 21, 2021("PathMaker"), a near-commercial stage neuromodulation company developing breakthrough non-invasive systems for the treatment of serious neurological disorders, welcomes John Donoghue, Ph.D. to the Company's Board of Directors. John Donoghue was most recently Founding Director of the Wyss Center for Bio and NeuroEngineering in Geneva, Switzerland where he led the Center's research activities and translational research programs focused on advanced neurotechnology.



"We are incredibly pleased that John Donoghue is joining PathMaker's Board of Directors," said Nader Yaghoubi, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of PathMaker. "As a world leader in both fundamental and translational neuroscience, he brings a rare perspective built on institutional leadership, entrepreneurial experience, and neurotechnology device development that will be instrumental as we expand the clinical applications of our proprietary technology platform."

"PathMaker's technology platform has breakthrough potential as a novel therapeutic device. PathMaker has made strong progress and is nearing launch of their first product. I am delighted to be joining the Board of Directors at such a significant time," commented Dr. Donoghue. "The Company's non-invasive approach to treating a wide range of neurological disorders using multi-site neuromodulation leverages decades of progress in neuroscience. It is very exciting to see this technology advance towards market launch. PathMaker's commitment to this innovative therapy promises to improve the lives of millions of people living with disabling neurological disorders."

Prof. Donoghue is an internationally recognized neuroscientist who works at the forefront of neural devices and brain function. He has been Professor of Neuroscience and Engineering at Brown University for over 35 years, where he was the founding Chairman of the Department of Neuroscience and Founder of Brown University's Carney Brain Science Institute. Before becoming the inaugural Director of the Geneva based Wyss Center for Bio- and NeuroEngineering in 2014, he also co-founded Cybernetics Neurotechnology Systems, a pioneering startup in the field of neuroprosthetics that developed the BrainGate brain-computer interface for people with paralysis. Donoghue has authored over 125 scientific publications and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. His many honors and awards include the Erwin Schroedinger Prize, the Roche-Nature Medicine Prize, the Israel Brain Prize, and the International Prize for Translational Neuroscience.

About PathMaker Neurosystems Inc.

PathMaker Neurosystems is a near-commercial stage neuromodulation company developing breakthrough non-invasive systems for the treatment of people with serious neurological disorders such as stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Source: PathMaker Neurosystems Inc.

Media contact:

PathMaker PR


NIAGARA FALLS, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp. (TSXV:EHT) ("EHT" or the "Company"), a global leader in renewable energy solar and wind technologies, is pleased to provide an update on its progress in Puerto Rico with its joint venture partner Brieke Family Assets Ltd (BFA) and announce the ground-breaking of its CAT5 home project in Puerto Rico on October 23rd.

EHT and BFA use their patented design and sustainable materials to create high performance net-zero housing products for global residential, commercial, and public sector applications. As part of the massive hurricane Maria recovery effort, EHT and BFA have received 341 orders (avg. $150K per home in revenue) to build virtually indestructible cement block and solar-powered homes across Puerto Rico. The Company, which started the construction process in September, expects to finalize the first 35 homes by Q1 of next year and ramp up capacity to build 50+ homes per month starting in March 2022.

John Gamble, CEO and Jerry Foster, President of EHT, will be traveling to Puerto Rico to attend the much-anticipated ground-breaking ceremony. "This has been a long process, but we are encouraged by the increase in government funding to accelerate the 44K homes that must be rebuilt in Puerto Rico. Our dedication to this project is an important element of EHT's growth plan in 2022 and beyond" said John Gamble, CEO of EHT.

Climate change contributes to more frequent and intense weather patterns not only in the Caribbean and North America, but across the entire globe, which means more sustainable fabrication and renewable power systems are critical.

"The recent Hurricane Ida in Louisiana is the latest storm to decimate many homes and structures, and in its aftermath, it's increasingly clear that providing CAT5 homes is one of the only viable sustainable solutions to helping people retain their homes in even more extreme storms to come" says Jerry Foster, President of EHT.

EHT and BFA are also pleased to release the newest CAT5 3-bedroom villa designs which will be used in the Puerto Rico project. The designs and 3D home model can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc_9evfwn_I

BFA's presentation highlighting the benefits of the BFA/EHT JV building solutions, including the award-winning blueprint designs can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdnWHnJdKqg.

EHT will also be meeting with Claro (www.claropr.com), a major telecom provider in Puerto Rico, to present the Windular Smart Tracking wind system for the telecom industry. "The Windular system is ideally suited for locations such as the Caribbean where extreme weather events can result in power outages of telecom towers. Our system's ability to operate during these storms means mobile phone customers can stay connected for longer, and we know that can save lives" added Foster.

About EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies

EHT (TSXV:EHT) delivers proprietary, turn-key energy solutions which are intelligent, bankable and sustainable. Most energy products and solutions can be implemented immediately wherever they are needed. EHT stands above its competitors by combining a full suite of solar PV, wind and battery storage solutions, which can deliver energy 24 hours per day in both small-scale and large-scale format. In addition to traditional support to established electrical networks, EHT excels where no electrical grid exists. The organization supplies advanced solutions for various industries in combination with energy saving and energy generation solutions. EHT's expertise includes the development of module structures with full integration of smart energy solutions. These are processed through EHT's production technologies into attractive applications: modular homes, cold storage facilities, schools, residential and commercial outbuildings and emergency/temporary shelters. The Windular Research and Technologies Inc. (WRT) division provides leading edge wind technology to the global telecommunication market whereby the WRT system can be implemented directly on any configuration of existing or new towers. WRT provides a renewable source of power in remote and rural locations where the primary source of power is diesel. WRT's innovative system provides clients with a lower overall operating cost as well as a reduction in their carbon footprint.

For further information please contact:

John Gamble

Chief Executive Officer

EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp.

Tel: 289-488-1699

Email: info@ehthybrid.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.

The statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information relating to sales of the products (the "Opportunities") involves risk, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, for the Opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although EHT believes that the assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking information on the Opportunities outlined 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. EHT disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669038/EHT-Provides-Update-on-Puerto-Rico-Ground-Breaking-Ceremony-Set-for-October-23rd
- EY is one of the first professional service organizations to achieve carbon negativity, says carbon neutrality isn't enough

- EY becomes carbon negative by reducing absolute emissions and offsetting and removing more carbon than it emits

LONDON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The EY organization has become carbon negative, a major and significant step toward achieving the EY carbon ambition of becoming net zero by 2025. Becoming carbon negative means the EY organization is now reducing its total emissions and offsetting and removing more carbon than it emits.

To achieve this carbon ambition, the EY organization has set an aggressive target to significantly reduce its emissions by 40% by 2025 through seven key actions. This represents one of the most ambitious decarbonization plans not just in professional services, but across global industry. There has been a continued EY investment in a carbon offset portfolio.

Carmine Di Sibio, EY Global Chairman and CEO, says:

"I am proud that EY is leading the way in sustainable business by achieving carbon negative status. Businesses need to take the lead and the reality is that carbon neutrality simply isn't enough if we are to deliver a sustainable planet for future generations. Today's announcement will make a real difference as the world transitions toward a low-carbon future and EY will continue to take actions that create long-term value for EY people, clients and communities around the globe."

A continued reduction in EY absolute emissions

EY global FY21 emissions (394k tons of CO2e) reduced by 60% compared to FY20 (976k tons of CO2e), achieved through a significant reduction in business travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing delivery of the EY seven-point carbon action plan. This also represents a 71% decrease from the 1,354k tons of CO2e emitted in the FY19 baseline year.

As the EY organization resumes business travel and returns to offices and clients, EY teams will continue to keep emissions below the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)-validated 1.5C pathway in FY22 and beyond. EY will remain carbon negative as it works toward net zero in 2025.

Investment in a carbon offset portfolio

The EY organization has invested in a carbon offset portfolio with South Pole, a leading global climate solutions provider, which includes multiple projects that offset or remove carbon through reforestation, regenerative agriculture, biochar and forest conservation. Six new projects, invested in through South Pole, including the QianBei Afforestation Project in China, contribute to removing or offsetting a total of 528k tons of CO2e, meaning the EY organization is removing an additional 34% of the EY FY21 carbon footprint, making EY carbon negative.

Steve Varley, EY Global Vice Chair - Sustainability, says:

"As governments work to forge greater consensus on action and keeping 1.5C alive, the critical role of business is becoming more urgent. After EY became carbon neutral in 2020, the organization looked at the latest climate data and decided it could, and should, do more. The reality is that becoming carbon neutral is a good first step but it isn't enough on its own, and those - like EY - who have the ability to go further and faster must do so now. EY is proud to be one of those organizations setting the standard on carbon negativity and we urge others to do the same."

By achieving carbon negative status, the EY organization demonstrates a commitment toward accelerated climate action and empowering its people to serve EY clients as they also seek to decarbonize.

Alongside the work the organization is undertaking to become more sustainable, EY teams have developed a new set of global sustainability services for EY clients aimed at helping them on their own sustainability journeys. The solutions are focused on value-led sustainability, helping EY clients capture the business opportunities from sustainability and decarbonization, while also protecting and creating value. This follows the approach EY teams have taken to achieve the EY carbon negative ambition.

Today's announcement follows a number of actions the EY organization has taken to reduce the organization's environmental impact and drive sustainable growth. These include two initiatives in collaboration with HRH The Prince of Wales's Sustainable Markets Initiative; The S30, a group of 30 of the world's leading C-suite sustainability leaders focused on accelerating business action on sustainability and joining the "Terra Carta" - a charter that puts sustainability at the heart of the private sector. The EY organization has also joined the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, which is committed to shifting financial flows towards nature-positive outcomes.

The EY organization also recently reported for the first time against the WEF-IBC stakeholder capitalism metrics - a set of 21 ESG disclosures, against which companies and organizations can report, spanning four key areas; Principles of Governance, Planet, People and Prosperity aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Notes to editors

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

Definition of terms

Science-based target (SBT). A greenhouse gas reduction target to reduce an organization's emissions in line with climate science and the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Carbon neutral. The result of an organization removing and offsetting emissions equivalent to its carbon footprint each year.

Carbon negative. The result of an organization both reducing its emissions in line with its 1.5C SBT and investing in nature-based solutions and carbon technologies to remove and offset more carbon than it emits each year.

Net zero. The point at which an organization has achieved its 1.5C SBT and removed its residual emissions from the atmosphere.

Alasdair Gee

EY Global Media Relations

+44 (0) 20 7197 7188

alasdair.gee@uk.ey.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/708904/EY_Logo.jpg
DentalMonitoring has become the first dental software company to attain a valuation over $1 billion announcing a $150 million growth financing. The round is led by a new investment of $90 million from Merieux Equity Partners and $60 million from Vitruvian Partners, an existing financial investor, demonstrating confidence in the company's ambitious plans.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005463/en/

DentalMonitoring

Since CEO and co-founder Philippe Salah launched the company in 2014, DentalMonitoring has become the first player to harness AI for remote monitoring in the dental and orthodontic fields. Driven by the treating doctor, DentalMonitoring's AI automates messages and instructions sent to patients and practice staff to synchronize the delivery of care with the need of care. DentalMonitoring is also the first and only company offering virtual practice solutions for all dental professionals to help streamline and automate their workflow from initial virtual consultation, patient triage and conversion, to remote monitoring of all appliances and brands. To date, there are over one million patients in more than 50 countries that have taken more than a billion intraoral images on the DentalMonitoring platform.

"We are proud to be supported by leading international funds," says DentalMonitoring CEO Philippe Salah. "This achievement marks a new milestone for the company, and is a testament to the new standard of care our team has brought to the profession. We will continue to deliver even more innovative solutions for dental professionals to help them provide better care and scale their practices."

The company plans to use the proceeds to finance its rapid global growth, targeting an increased presence in the U.S. and expanding into new markets such as China and Japan. DentalMonitoring also plans to nearly double the number of employees in the next two years and target relevant acquisitions.

"AI is one of the major technologies to transform the delivery of healthcare and improve patient outcomes. DentalMonitoring's team and their disruptive technology have convinced us of their ability to address the expanding demand for remote care capabilities for dental professionals. We are proud at Merieux Equity Partner to back healthtech talent and look forward to supporting DentalMonitoring in their stellar growth, leveraging our international network." added Caroline Folleas of Merieux Equity Partners.

"By enabling remote dental care, DentalMonitoring is the biggest disruptor to the field since intraoral scanners in the 1990s and digital imaging in the 1980s. The company is an excellent fit with our investment strategy of backing best-in-class companies benefiting from strong market tailwinds with internationalization opportunities. Vitruvian renews its confidence to support the increasing needs of the company's ambitious growth plans." says Torsten Winkler of Vitruvian Partners.

Jefferies LLC, a global investment bank with a deep knowledge of the dental and software markets, served as Sole Placement Agent to DentalMonitoring on this investment round.

About DentalMonitoring -www.dental-monitoring.com

DentalMonitoring was started with a simple idea: oral care should be connected and continuous even outside the practice. The company has created the world's first virtual practice platform in dentistry, protected by over 200 patents, to address rapidly evolving patient expectations. Thanks to the largest database of dental images in the industry, DentalMonitoring has developed the most advanced and comprehensive doctor-driven AI solutions to help dental professionals provide superior care and a better patient experience. From patient lead engagement and conversion, providing treatment options through AI-generated reporting and advanced smile simulations, to remote monitoring of all types of treatments, DentalMonitoring's unique platforms give dental professionals complete control over streamlined assessments and communication. DentalMonitoring has over 400 employees across 18 countries and 9 offices including Paris, Austin, London, Sydney and Hong Kong.

About Merieux Equity Partners www.merieux-partners.com

Merieux Equity Partners ("MxEP") is an AMF-accredited management company dedicated to equity investments in the health and nutrition sector. With more than 45 companies backed, MxEP actively supports entrepreneurs and companies whose products and services bring differentiated and innovative solutions by providing privileged access to its expertise and the industrial, scientific and commercial network of Institut Merieux (BioMerieux, Transgene, ABL, Merieux Nutrisciences); MxEP currently manages over 1 billion in assets.

About Vitruvian Partners - www.vitruvianpartners.com

Vitruvian is a leading international growth investor headquartered in London with offices in London, Stockholm, Munich, Luxembourg, San Francisco and Shanghai. Vitruvian focuses on dynamic situations characterized by rapid growth and change across industries. Vitruvian has backed over 100 companies and has assets under management of approximately 10 billion. Notable investments include global market leaders and disruptors in their field such as CRF Health, Fotona, Ada, doctari, Vestiaire Collective, Farfetch, Just Eat, Marqeta and TransferWise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005463/en/

Contacts:

Press:

Global head of Communication

Charlotte Garzino: c.garzino@dental-monitoring.com
The "France Crane Market 2021-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The France crane market size will be valued at USD 1.5 billion and to reach a volume of 5566 units by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.67% by volume during 2021-2027

The increasing demand for cranes is attributed to investments by developed countries, favorable government policies and FDIs, upcoming industrial developments in the construction industries, and government initiatives such as Grand Paris Project and the upcoming 2024 Olympic games. By switching to intelligent systems driven by IoT and data analysis for service, networking and sustainability, the crane market is transitioning to a more innovative industry.

VENDOR LANDSCAPE

During the forecast period, the increase in private and government investments in new development and construction projects to provide improved infrastructural facilities is expected to boost the crane market growth in France. Vendors such as KOBELCO have developed a new crawler crane equipped with a system for improving fuel consumption and reducing CO2 emissions. Players in the crane industry in France are focusing on innovative technologies to intensify the competition.

For instance, Palfinger Marine, an Austrian deck equipment manufacturer, has been awarded a contract to supply 71 fixed boom cranes to build the 500-MW Fecamp offshore wind farm in French waters.

FRANCE CRANE MARKET OUTLOOK

In 2021, France crane market reached a volume of 4483 units and is expected to reach 5566 units by 2027.

Cranes have intelligent service panels that help operators diagnose and rectify problems more rapidly, fueling the usage of cranes across France.

The Grand Paris Project and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are likely to drive the crane industry.

Several proposals to develop and modernize major airports in France, with an estimated expenditure of USD 1.3 billion, are expected to boost the crane industry.

In France, the rental business is growing rapidly. With most OEMs offering rental services in this space, most of the crane rental market in France is dominated by unorganized players.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT

In 2019, France imported USD 539 million in cranes, making it the world's fourth-largest importer.

The 101-200 tons crane market in France was estimated at 1,691 units in 2020 and is expected to reach 2,122 units by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 3.53% during the period.

Over the previous 3-4 years, the French market for cranes has grown, fueled by government initiatives such as the Macron law.

Cranes used in the construction industry accounted for the largest share of around 50.1%.

FRANCE CRANE MARKET SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

The mobile crane market in France by value is expected to reach USD 502 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.04% during the forecast year.

The demand for crawler cranes is largely driven due to increased investment in both building and civil engineering. The crawler crane industry in France by value is expected to reach USD 63.1 million by 2027.

Truck cranes are smaller, less versatile, and used for lifting lighter loads (load capacity limit of about 45 tons) and are highly demanded in the France market.

France fixed crane industry is expected to reach USD 962.7 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 3.27%.

Tower cranes are used to build tall structures such as skyscrapers. The construction sector in France is driving demand for tower cranes, and the France tower crane market is expected to reach USD 318.8 million by 2027.

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

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS REPORT?

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

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.

Company Profile of 10 key vendors and 5 other prominent vendors

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xaaybx

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005477/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
The Two-Day Event Will Focus On the Evolution of Telecom Business Models, New Revenue Streams and the Role of Operators in the Next-Gen Digital Ecosystem

Netcracker Technology announced today that it will participate in Total Telecom Congress 2021 as the Diamond Sponsor and will showcase its cloud-native BSS/OSS solutions during the two-day conference at the Business Design Centre in London on October 26 and 27, 2021.

Netcracker will present on digital transformation, B2B 5G services and edge computing ecosystems. Representatives will also be available for networking opportunities during the conference.

Netcracker's agenda at Total Telecom Congress 2021

Making digital transformation a reality

Tuesday, October 26, 10:20 AM BST 5:20 AM EDT

Ahmed El Sayad, CIO Global Director of Digital Engineering at Vodafone, will outline the steps that CSPs must take to achieve digital transformation and realize its benefits.

Building B2B 5G services is the key to unlocking new revenues

Tuesday, October 26, 11:20 AM BST 6:20 AM EDT

Netcracker will join a discussion on the potential of B2B 5G services in creating new revenue streams.

Speakers:

Patrick Waldemar, VP, Head of Technology, Telenor Research

Haithem Al Faraj, SVP of Technology, STC

Ari Banerjee, SVP of Strategy, Netcracker

Moderator: Ian Corden, Director, Plum Consulting

Exploring the edge computing ecosystem

Wednesday, October 27, 11:20 AM BST 6:20 AM EDT

Netcracker will participate in a panel on how edge computing can drastically improve operational efficiency, performance, safety and automation for enterprises and industries.

Speakers:

Elizabeth Rumsey, Multi-Cloud and MEC Platform Portfolio Team Lead, Vodafone Business

Kirolous Zikry, Network Strategy Director Mobile, BT

Oyovwe Okorodudu, AVP EMEA, HGC Global Communications

Ari Banerjee, SVP of Strategy, Netcracker

Moderator: Michael Dargue, VP, Cartesian

Fireside chat: Best practices for complex transformation programs

Wednesday, October 27, 12:00 PM BST 7:00 AM EDT

This session will review practical methods for successfully conducting and completing complex digital transformation programs.

Speakers:

Eva Slattery, Director of IT Transformation Programmes, Virgin Media O2

Ari Banerjee, SVP of Strategy, Netcracker



Contact Natalia Soboleva at sobolevan@netcracker.com to schedule a meeting with Netcracker during Total Telecom Congress 2021.

About Netcracker Technology

Netcracker Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, offers mission-critical digital transformation solutions to service providers around the globe. Our comprehensive portfolio of software solutions and professional services enables large-scale digital transformations, unlocking the opportunities of the cloud, virtualization and the changing mobile ecosystem. With an unbroken service delivery track record of more than 25 years, our unique combination of technology, people and expertise helps companies transform their networks and enable better experiences for their customers.

For more information, visit www.netcracker.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005145/en/

Contacts:

Media

Anita Karve

Netcracker Technology

MediaGroup@netcracker.com
Balfour Beatty achieves a major milestone on the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center project by substantially completing the building's West Expansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The milestone signifies the successful turnover of the first major phase of construction that will significantly increase Broward County's meetings, convention and exhibition capacity.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005227/en/

Balfour Beatty team members in Florida celebrate the substantial completion of Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center's West Expansion. (Photo: Business Wire)

The West Expansion of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is a part of a multi-phased design-build contract between Balfour Beatty and Matthews Southwest that creates 350,000 square feet of exhibition space contiguous with the existing convention center. To successfully reach this milestone, Balfour Beatty team members delivered major site work and utility relocations, completed demolition activities and built a new Central Energy Plant to service the County's convention center.

"The timing of the West Expansion completion of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is critical to our recovery and continued growth," said Stacy Ritter, President CEO of Visit Lauderdale. "Group and meetings professionals are eager to book events in Greater Fort Lauderdale, and now we're giving them 350,000 reasons to do so."

The substantial completion of the West Expansion phase arrives in time for the Convention Center to reopen its doors for Fort Lauderdale's 62nd International Boat Show, the world's largest boat show that brings tens of thousands of attendees annually. Balfour Beatty built the original convention center for the 1991 event and 30 years later the company is delivering the convention center's new addition for the world-famous boat show for a second time.

"Achieving this major completion milestone on the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention project is a true testament to teamwork and collaboration by our multiple stakeholders, and the tremendous dedication by our trade partners and workforce who ultimately brought this project to life," said John Harris, Balfour Beatty senior vice president and Florida business unit leader. "I commend our project team for their resilience throughout the delivery of this very critical component towards the success of the overall project."

During the first phase of construction, extensive site work prompted the design-build team to provide a timely solution that supported the County's schedule for the overall project. By advancing the design for the utilities and foundation, project team members were able to start work earlier than expected so the County could capitalize on additional time prior to the closing of the existing convention center to prepare for vertical construction activities.

The next phases of work include the delivery of the 400,000-square-foot East Expansion building and the 29-story Omni Hotel. The East Expansion will be a stand-alone building with ballrooms, exhibit space and a kitchen that will service the entire 1.5 million-square-foot convention center once complete. The 800-room Omni Hotel will include additional meeting and ballroom space, multiple restaurant options, amenity deck, roof top bar, and an array of luxury amenities.

Construction for the East Expansion and Omni Hotel is scheduled to start in late 2021.

About Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty is an industry-leading provider of general contracting, at-risk construction management and design-build services for public and private sector clients across the United States. Performing heavy civil and vertical construction, the company is part of Balfour Beatty plc (LSE: BBY), a leading international infrastructure group that provides innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. Balfour Beatty is ranked among the top domestic building contractors in the United States by Engineering News-Record. To learn more, visit www.balfourbeattyus.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005227/en/

Contacts:

Ashley Webb

+1 (214)?451-1706

awebb@balfourbeattyus.com




TOKYO, Oct 21, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Tokai University, Toyohashi University of Technology, Chubu University, and DENSO Corporation have been developing testing equipment to detect SARS-CoV-2 with support from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)(1). Universities and DENSO announced today that the group has succeeded in developing a biosensor based on a new mechanism and detecting SARS-CoV-2. The group will accelerate the development toward practical application to contribute to early diagnosis of infectious diseases, which is a key factor in limiting virus' spread.To prevent the medical system from being overwhelmed due to viral infectious diseases, it is essential to prevent the spread of viruses by early diagnosis and isolation. At present, PCR tests(2) and antigen tests(3) are used for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. However, these tests cannot evaluate "virus infectivity," which indicates the power of the detected virus to infect. PCR tests are characterized by its high virus detection sensitivity, but effort of sample pretreatment process imposes a high workload on medical professionals. Meanwhile, antigen tests are simple, but the detection accuracy varies. There has been growing demand for a high-sensitivity and simple detection method to evaluate viral infectiousness.The universities and DENSO have been developing a biosensor for clinical testing equipment to enable high sensitive and quick quantitative detection of viral infectivity. Unlike PCR tests and antigen tests, the biosensor detects the spike protein(4) on the virus surface, which triggers infection, by using a semiconductor sensor and aptamer.(5) The group has succeeded in developing highly sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 with high sensitivity by using this technique for the first time in the world.(6)The semiconductor sensor can quantitatively measure the viral load by using electrical signals. Thus, it is expected to be used to determine the status of infection and confirm the efficacy of treatment with high accuracy. An aptamer is small in size and binds selectively to various types of protein. It is also easy to design and can be mass-produced quickly, and so the aptamers can be used to detect unknown viruses.The goal of the development of the biosensor by the universities and DENSO is to determine the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and offer novel tests which have virus detection sensitivity equivalent to that of PCR tests and which is as simple as antigen tests. The group will enhance the basic technology and accelerate the development toward practical application.The universities and DENSO remain committed to preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection by harnessing the technologies that have been refined through the project.(1) AMEDUniversities and DENSO develop biosensor with the support of AMED, with the project called "Advanced semiconductor sensor-based biomolecule detection system towards diagnosis of infectious SARS-CoV-2"(2) PCR testA test for detecting genes in a virus.(3) Antigen testIn a typical antigen test, the nucleocapsid protein in a virus is detected using an antibody.(4) Spike proteinProtein on the virus surface. It has the function of binding to human cell receptors and triggers infection.(5) AptamerAn artificially synthesized nucleic acid molecule. It bonds with specific substances.(6) For the first time in the worldWorld's first technology to detect the spike protein by using a semiconductor sensor and aptamer.Respective roles and commentsTokai UniversityFrom the viewpoint of infection control and laboratory physicians, we are eager to develop a system characterized by superb sensitivity and specificity and capable of quick diagnosis to determine infectiousness with simple operation. We offer advice on practical application and ensure accuracy management by using products, which are developed with world-leading engineering capabilities.Toyohashi University of TechnologyWe fabricated a semiconductor sensor capable of converting the viral load into electrical signals and supplied it to this project. The use of semiconductor technology makes it possible to distinguish viruses which cause very similar symptoms in a single test by using a sensor as small as a grain of rice.Chubu UniversityWe prepared and supplied various types of viruses to evaluate the specificity of the semiconductor sensor. This biosensor is capable of quick detection of "infectious viruses" which cannot be determined by conventional methods such as PCR tests. Determination of the status of viral proliferation (that is, whether the viruses that have entered the body keep their infectivity or not) will clarify the timing when viral detection and/or isolation could be finished, and help infected individuals return to normal life.DENSO CorporationWe supplied biotechnology to detect viruses using a semiconductor sensor with higher sensitivity by taking full advantage of our expertise derived from R&D on detecting various viruses and biomarkers, which was conducted as part of advanced research to create a comfortable cabin space. We will accelerate the development toward practical application by leveraging biotechnology and semiconductor technology that have been refined through many years of operations.Source: DensoCopyright 2021 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Enterprises can scale with cloud-native automation integrated with contact centers powered by Genesys and Google to speed delivery of services and reduce customer hold times

BANGALORE, India, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Automation Anywhere , a global leader in intelligent automation today introduced Automation Anywhere for Contact Centers, a cloud-native, AI-driven automation solution that empowers enterprises to deliver better customer service faster.



Today, customers engage with contact service agents over an ever-growing number of digital channels. At the same time, organizations want to empower agents with a complete view of the customer. But the reality is complicated as call center agents, whether virtual or human, must navigate apps, data sources, and multiple systems before they have the appropriate information required to respond.



Intelligently Automating Away 'Hold Please'



"The last thing today's leading brands want to do is ask a customer to 'hold please,' while service teams scramble to find account details, order history, or other information they need to quickly solve a customer problem," said Mike Micucci, Chief Operating Officer, Automation Anywhere. "Our cloud-native automation platform works with all contact center platforms to connect data and automate manual processes, empowering agents to solve problems, faster."



Automation Anywhere for Contact Centers enables agents to become more efficient in finding, retrieving, and updating information, as well as executing client transactions quickly and accurately to speed delivery of services while reducing hold times. The solution is built on top of Automation 360 , the world's leading cloud-native RPA platform, and includes AARI , a smart, no-code, easy-to-use interface that allows business users to automate tasks and interactions across multiple systems.



With AARI, a personal robotic assistant offering a single pane of glass for all automations, the solution can scale to support thousands of live or virtual agents and offers additional features, that:

Simplify live agent experiences: Automation 360 automates connections across multiple systems of record, including CRM, customer interactions, payment history, and authentications to provide the agent with a complete view of the customer. AARI enables backend automation to speed workflows, update records, and escalations.

Automation 360 automates connections across multiple systems of record, including CRM, customer interactions, payment history, and authentications to provide the agent with a complete view of the customer. AARI enables backend automation to speed workflows, update records, and escalations. Speed response time of virtual agents with complete data: Intelligent automation collects data from modern and legacy systems to speed virtual agent response time to customer questions, addresses more complex inquiries accurately, and provides AI-recommended next-best actions. Virtual agents can go beyond simply answering questions to resolving end-to-end customer cases without human agent intervention.

Intelligent automation collects data from modern and legacy systems to speed virtual agent response time to customer questions, addresses more complex inquiries accurately, and provides AI-recommended next-best actions. Virtual agents can go beyond simply answering questions to resolving end-to-end customer cases without human agent intervention. Connect and scale across existing systems: Automation 360 connects and supports integrations for Google Cloud Contact Center AI (CCAI), and Genesys Cloud CX offering an increasing degree of flexibility to connect the dots for agents hamstrung by complexity.

Lower Response Times, Shorter Average Handling Times, and Higher Case Capacity

Enterprises that have already deployed Automation Anywhere for Contact Centers have been able to reduce customer response times, lower Average Handling Times (AHTs), and increase agent case capacity while enhancing customer experiences.

"Using Automation Anywhere to automate our contact center operations has allowed us to improve our average customer call handling times with superior data accuracy, and increase our transactions," said Manish Pandya, Senior Vice President of Digital Transformation for TaskUs , a provider of outsourced digital services and next-generation customer experience (CX) to innovative and disruptive companies worldwide. "By automating account verification, case summary notes, next-step guidance, and post-call follow-up, we've improved the customer experience.

"Next-generation call centers need to support the scale of customer-facing operations while preserving the sense of personal touch and quality communications," said Amit Zavery, VP and Head of Platform, Google Cloud. "Through our partnership with Automation Anywhere and integration with Apigee we enable virtual agents to hold intelligent customer conversations that are informed by data gathered in the background from multiple processes and systems."



The new solution is available worldwide beginning today from Automation Anywhere and its global partner organization. For more information, go to https://www.automationanywhere.com/solutions/contact-center .



Interact with Automation Anywhere:

Visit our website: automationanywhere.com

Follow us on Twitter: @AutomationAnywh

Explore with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/automation_anywhere/

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/automation-anywhere

About Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere is the world's #1 cloud automation platform, delivering intelligent RPA solutions across all industries in 90+ countries to automate end-to-end business processes, for the fastest path to enterprise transformation. The company offers the world's only cloud-native platform combining RPA, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics to automate repetitive tasks and build enterprise agility, freeing up humans to pivot to the next big idea, build deeper customer relationships and drive business growth. For additional information, visit www.automationanywhere.com .



Automation Anywhere, Automation 360, and AARI are trademarks/service marks or registered trademarks/service marks of Automation Anywhere, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/541440/Automation_Anywhere_Logo.jpg
DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Intelligent Cloud-Network Session themed "Build Intelligent Cloud-Network, Accelerating New Growth" was successfully held in Dubai. As an important part of the 7th Ultra-Broadband Forum (UBBF 2021), this session saw leading operators and analysts of well-known institutions gather from all over the world to discuss topics relating to advanced network architecture and share successful business practices in the cloud-network era.

In the wake of pandemic, governments of many countries have accelerated their digitalization process. This is triggering great changes in the IP industry. Operators' network construction has changed from connection-centric to cloud-centric. During the evolution from traditional IP networks to intelligent cloud-networks, what are the real requirements of enterprise and industry customers? Which innovative technologies can meet these requirements? What impact does the evolution of the network architecture have on operators' infrastructure and operation mode? These were the focal points discussed at this session.

Dan Bieler, analyst from Forrester, kicked things off by proposing that emerging technologies drive user requirements to change. In his view, enterprise digitalization introduces requirements for service cloudification, requiring operators to build intelligent networks that feature cloud-network convergence to transform from ICT to DICT.

Hank Chen, President of Huawei's Router Domain, then gave a speech themed "Building Intelligent Cloud-network, Enabling All-Service Growth". In his speech, he mentioned that consumer and vertical industry services are becoming more diversified, and that user experience upgrade and vertical industry upgrade present great opportunities to operators. Operators need to build an all-in-one IP network that supports network programming, tenant-level SLA assurance, and agile cloudification to meet the growth requirements of all individual, home, and enterprise services, and ultimately lay a foundation for operators' DICT transformation.

Fiber@Home is the largest Internet service provider in Bangladesh, and focuses on how to deliver secure, robust, and faster fiber networks across the country. Sumon Ahmed Sabir, CTO of Fiber@Home, explained how their business success comes from quickly seizing business opportunities. As such, their target network architecture must be agile and flexible to respond to new business demands. In addition, Fiber@Home actively introduces innovative technologies such as SRv6 path programming, FlexE hard slicing, and service visualization to develop new business models and thus succeed in the market.

In Hong Kong, CMHK is undergoing a transformation from providing only mobile services to providing diversified services such as home broadband and enterprise private lines. Lindel Sun, Director of the Business Development Department, believed that network slicing technology enables differentiated service bearing on the live network and meets varying requirements of different services, laying a solid foundation for the strategic transformation of CMHK.

Francois Olivier, chief engineering of Rain, the first 5G service provider in South Africa, said that massive connections, rapid bandwidth growth, and high SLA reliability are the main characteristics of 5G service development. The primary goal of Rain network development is to build a converged bearer network that features ultra-large capacity, SRv6-based simplified architecture, slicing, and automated O&M. In this way, the digitalization process of numerous industries can be accelerated.

UBBF is the world's highest-level fixed network summit, jointly organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Huawei. This Intelligent Cloud-Network Session, aiming to help global operators explore new markets, exhibits operators' cloud-oriented network architectures and Huawei's differentiated capabilities of Intelligent Cloud-Network Solution.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1665791/Huawei.jpg
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil hit a three-year high above $86 a barrel on Thursday before reversing gains on fears that Evergrande's debt troubles could hit China's broader economic recovery. Benchmark Brent crude futures were down 93 cents, or 1.1 percent, at $84.89 a barrel, after having hit as high as $86.10, the highest since October 2018, earlier in the day. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 64 cents, or 0.8 percent, at $82.78. China Evergrande reportedly won a more than three month extension to the maturity of a $260 million bond, a day after a deal to sell a $2.6 billion stake in its property services unit failed. Statements from other property developers also exacerbated investor concern of contagion. Chinese Estates Holdings said it would book a loss of $29m in its current fiscal year from the sale of bonds issued by property developer Kaisa Group. Modern Land has withdrawn its plan seeking permission from its debtholders to allow the Chinese property developer to delay repaying a $250 million bond. Oil also came under pressure from a drop in coal and natural gas prices after China flagged it might intervene to tame record high coal prices and that it would ensure coal mines operate at full capacity. In another development, Kuwait has begun to increase its crude production in accordance with an agreement reached by OPEC+, state news agency KUNA quoted Oil Minister Mohammad al-Fares as saying. 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.
Portfolio includes 15 equity joint ventures across shipping, intermodal and offshore

The Blue Ocean strategy managed by EnTrust Global ("EnTrust"), a leading alternative asset management firm, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Maas Capital Shipping B.V. from ABN AMRO. Since its inception in the late 1990s, the Maas Capital platform has deployed close to $1.0 billion in equity maritime investments and is currently one of the world's leading institutional shipping equity investors. The acquired portfolio includes a diversified portfolio of 15 equity joint venture investments, consisting of a fleet of 76 high-quality vessels within the product/chemical tanker, dry bulk, LPG, container, and offshore services segments. In addition, the portfolio includes an equity stake in a growing intermodal business which leases out container boxes. The acquisition is the latest expansion of EnTrust's maritime finance strategy, Blue Ocean, which is part of the firm's broader maritime-focused Blue Ocean Group.

As part of the transaction, EnTrust has engaged six members of the Maas Capital team led by Mark Ras, who will continue to be involved with the management of the portfolio and to source additional growth opportunities for EnTrust.

"The completion of the Maas Capital portfolio acquisition is another step in our expansion into the equity investment space, and something we view as a significant asset for the Blue Ocean strategy," said Svein Engh, Senior Managing Director of EnTrust Global and Portfolio Manager of Blue Ocean Group. "We look forward to partnering with the Maas Capital team and its extensive experience and to continue the momentum generated by the portfolio in recent years, all at a time when fundamentals continue to stabilize in the global maritime industry."

"This acquisition allows the Blue Ocean strategy to continue the growth of its maritime investment portfolio as a leading alternative capital provider to the shipping sector. We are excited to team up with shipping companies that we view as best-in-class partners and look forward to establishing new partnerships with other leaders in the space," said Omer Donnerstein, Managing Director of EnTrust Global and Investment Analyst for Blue Ocean.

"We are extremely pleased to partner with EnTrust and look forward to continuing to manage and expand the business. This marks a new and exciting chapter in the development of Maas Capital as we expand existing investments, bring on new partners and venture into new markets. A special thanks also goes out to our existing partners, team and stakeholders for their patience and support in this process," said Mark Ras, Head of Maas Capital.

Since its inception the Blue Ocean strategy has raised $2.6 billion.

EnTrust was represented by Watson Farley Williams (London) and NautaDutilh (Amsterdam).

About EnTrust Global

EnTrust Global is a leading alternative asset management firm with approximately $19.7 billion in total assets.* Co-founded in 1997 by Chairman and CEO Gregg S. Hymowitz, the firm manages assets for over 500 institutional investors representing 48 countries and has approximately $11 billion in customized strategic partnerships. EnTrust Global offers a diverse range of alternative investment opportunities across strategies, including private debt and real assets as well as opportunistic co-investments and direct investments. EnTrust Global has 10 offices worldwide and is headquartered in New York and London.

*As of June 30, 2021. Based on estimates and includes assets under advisement and mandates awarded but not yet funded.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005268/en/

Contacts:

Media:

EnTrust Global

Hiltzik Strategies

Meghan Kilkenny

EnTrust@hstrategies.com

+1 (212) 792-9338
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Searchlight Resources Inc. ("Searchlight" or the "Company") (TSXV:SCLT, OTC PINK:CNYCF, FSE:2CC2) has completed staking additional claims along strike of the wholly owned Duddridge Lake Uranium Deposit, located approximately 75 kilometers northwest of La Ronge, Saskatchewan.

Highlights

Expanded Duddridge Lake Claims from 54.4 sq km to 140.7 sq km

Incorporated Sandfly Uranium - Copper showings into the claim block

Airborne Radiometric geophysics survey underway

Searchlight has added 86.3 sq km of claims to the existing Duddridge Lake claim block, for a total of 140.7 sq. km over a strike length of 40 km (Map 1). The new claims extend the claim block both to the north and south of the Duddridge Lake Uranium Deposit which hosts a historic 43-101 inferred resource estimate of 227,880 tonnes, with a grade of 2.14 lbs/tonne U3O8.

The Company is presently conducting airborne radiometric and aeromagnetic surveys. The surveys are being completed by Special Projects Inc. of Calgary, using the same innovative proprietary focused crystal arrays which were instrumental in locating the boulder field which led to the discovery of the Patterson Lake South Uranium Deposit. This survey technology was recently utilized by Searchlight on the Company's Kulyk Lake Rare Earth Project.

"The recent break out of uranium prices highlights Searchlight's Duddridge Uranium deposit, which is the most southerly uranium resource in Saskatchewan, and accessible by road", stated Stephen Wallace, CEO. "We are looking forward to the results from the Special Projects' proven technology to expand the resource area".

Map 1. Searchlight Resources Claims Map for the Duddridge Lake Property

The Duddridge Lake Property is described as stratabound uranium and copper mineralization with abundant polymetallic mineral occurrences associated with basal quartz conglomerate and carbonaceous-bearing lenses in red bed (hematitic) arkose. In addition to the historical copper and uranium mineral exploration, Fission Energy located and sampled 39 boulders near the known deposit in 2012. These boulders returned results of up to 1.91% uranium and 0.69% copper, plus 1,460 ppm cobalt and 5,500 ppm vanadium. Selected results are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Selected Assays from Fission Energy's Boulder Sampling

at the Duddridge Lake Property in 2012

Boulder Sample No. U % Cu ppm Co ppm V ppm DD12-AC-001 0.19 276 910 1,580 DD12-AC-003 1.07 415 382 1,160 DD12-AC-004 0.06 244 42 1,330 DD12-AC-005 0.97 1,480 7 728 DD12-AC-010 1.65 89 4 375 DD12-AC-016 0.39 143 5 804 DD12-AC-030 0.00 6,950 13 15 DD12-HW-029 0.33 377 1,310 1,560 DD12-HW-031 0.39 165 1 125 DD12-JL-002 0.14 6,290 2 35 DD12-JL-003 0.20 928 6 63 DD12-PR-004 0.09 133 10 2,750 DD12-PR-011 1.00 815 3 245 DD12-PR-012 0.62 575 418 685 DD12-PR-018 0.41 813 151 1,960 DD12-SH-012 0.64 348 1,460 746 DD12-SH-013 1.91 1,230 75 2,990 DD12-SH-014 0.49 117 1 3,240 DD12-WM-002 1.51 511 567 5,500 DD12-WM-003 0.31 336 250 1,480 DD12-PR-012 1.04 1,520 5 476

Data Source

The technical report on the Duddridge Lake Uranium deposit, "Report on the Duddridge Lake Uranium Property, Northern Saskatchewan, NTS 73O/9", submitted by Stuart C. Fraser, P. Geol. on June 15, 2007, was not commissioned or completed by Searchlight and therefore is being treated as a historical resource estimate under 43-101 disclosure. This report is available on Sedar. The historical resource estimate used "inferred mineral resource", which is a category of NI 43-101. As a result, Searchlight considers the historical resource estimate as reliable as well as relevant, as it represents a key target for work to be done by Searchlight.

Searchlight has not undertaken any independent investigation of the resource estimates, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the previous exploration work in order to verify the resources, and the Company is not treating the historical estimate as a current resource.

Qualified Person

Stephen Wallace, P.Geo., is Searchlight's Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

About Searchlight Resources Inc.

Searchlight Resources Inc. (TSXV:SCLT, US:CNYCF, FSE:2CC2) is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company focused on Saskatchewan, Canada, which has been ranked as the top location for mining investment in Canada by the Fraser Institute. Exploration focus is on gold and battery minerals throughout the Province, concentrating on projects with road access.

Searchlight holds a 427.6 square kilometre land position within the gold and base metal rich Flin Flon - Snow Lake Greenstone Belt. The Company is currently advancing its Bootleg Lake Gold Project which hosts four past-producing high-grade gold mines, located in Saskatchewan, less than 10 km from Flin Flon, Manitoba.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Stephen Wallace"

Stephen Wallace, President, CEO and Director

SEARCHLIGHT RESOURCES INC.

For further information, visit the Company's website at www.searchlightresources.com or contact:

Searchlight Resources Inc.

Alf Stewart, Chairman

(604) 331-9326

info@searchlightresources.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

SOURCE: Searchlight Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669071/Searchlight-Resources-Expands-Duddridge-Lake-Uranium--Copper-Claims
The three largest shareholders in Greater Than propose;Clare Melford, Tim Flagg and Johan Bendz be elected as new board members. At the same time, Fredrik Rosencrantz is proposed to take over as Chairman as Lars Berg has for intention to retire from the board.

STOCKHOLM, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholders representing approximately 62% of all shares and votes in Greater Than propose that Clare Melford, Tim Flagg and Johan Bendz be elected as new board members for the period until the end of the next Annual General Meeting. In light of the shareholders' proposal, the board intends to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting shortly. At the same time, Lars Berg announces that he will resign from the board and his position as Chairman of the board in connection with the Extraordinary General Meeting. The same group of shareholders propose that Fredrik Rosencrantz takes over the assignment as Chairman of the board from Lars Berg.

The group presenting the proposal has assessed that the proposed board members will complement Greater Than's board. With new global industry expertise and extensive experience in organic growth and international expansion, they will add a unique and valuable perspective for the board, focusing on a comprehensive strategy forward.

In short, the proposal means that the board will consist of seven members without any deputies.

Proposed as the new Chairman of Greater Than, Fredrik Rosencrantz has been a strategic advisor to the company since January 2018 and a member of the company's board since May 2018. Besides his assignment at Greater Than, Fredrik is a board member of the Swedish insurance company Bliwa. Fredrik's background covers a long career within the Zurich Group, including as the CEO of Zurich Global Corporate EMEA, one of the world's largest insurance companies with operations in over 200 countries. Fredrik Rosencrantz is independent of Greater Than, its management and the company's major shareholders.

Nominee Clare Melford is a highly experienced CEO in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors with a proven track record of international turnarounds and integrating of sustainability into growth strategies for multinational companies. Clare spent almost a decade at MTV Networks, ultimately running the Nordic TV business. She was CEO of the International Business Leaders Forum, and has worked with a range of startups. In 2018 Clare, co-founded The Global Disinformation Index with the mission to defund disinformation, and is now its Executive Director. GDI uses a combination of AI and human review to assess the disinformation risk of online news domains. Clare Melford is independent of Greater Than, its management and the company's major shareholders.

The proposed board member Tim Flagg is a driven entrepreneur with a twenty-year background in global marketing at McCann Erickson, BBC Worldwide, NBCUniversal, Hutchison Whampoa and Zipcar, among other organizations. Today, Tim is a co-founder, and the CEO of EntityX, a company that makes display advertising more cost effective and enables brands to target valuable, hard-to-reach audiences. Tim is independent of Greater Than, its management and the company's major shareholders.

Nominee Johan Bendz has extensive experience from international tech companies with a background at Tradedoubler and as a founding team member of iZettle. At iZettle, Johan held the position of Chief Marketing/Strategy Officer from the company's founding in 2011 until 2020. Today, Johan is active as an independent investor, with assignments such as Chairman of the board at the fintech company Juni. Johan Bendz is independent of Greater Than, its management and the company's major shareholders.

"Clare, Tim and Johan are three complementary global competencies, each with unique cutting-edge expertise in transformation, scaling and marketing. Together they will bring valuable perspectives to drive and develop future-proof business opportunities that will contribute to Greater Than's continued growth." - Sten Forseke, founder and board member of Greater Than

A convening notice to the EGM will be issued shortly.

CONTACT:

For media inquiries, contact;

Eva Voors, Chief Communications Officer

+46-708 884 880

eva.voors@greaterthan.eu

www.greaterthan.eu

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/greater-than/r/greater-than-strengthen-the-board-of-directors--three-new-experts-for-election,c3437562

The following files are available for download:
OAK BROOK, IL / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Affluence Corporation (OTC PINK:AFFU), a diversified technology company focusing on innovative Edge Cloud, IoT and 5G enhancing technologies announced today that the company is bringing to market an Industrial IoT solution through its pending acquisition of Saamarthya. Affluence will enter the $9.2 billion Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) market with a closed loop process automation solution. The Closed Loop Process Automation solution offers a unique IoT technology bringing unprecedented efficiencies and cost optimization in the manufacturing sector with real time data acquisition, analytics and instruction data feedback to the computer-controlled processes including various digitalized equipment and machines for action.

"The Affluence Industrial IoT solution is unique to the market as it is a fully integrated and intelligent closed loop solution versus the disparate islands of automation that currently exist in the market," said James E. Honan, Jr. Affluence's Global Chief Executive Officer. Our solution does more than just collect data and operate devices. The Affluence Industrial IoT solution utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data and make decisions in a cloud-based environment so that SCADA monitoring and control can be accomplished remotely using tablets and smartphones. This solution has been successfully deployed at Solar Power generation farms at more than 70 locations in India, the Middle East and Asia. Further, there are multiple projects under discussion at solar and wind power generation farms, machine components manufacturing units and the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. The Affluence Industrial IoT - SCADA solution is deployed as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. Currently we charge a one-time fee and an on-going monthly charge of $10 per machine. Our current forecast calls for installations on over 50,000 machines in India over the next twelve months with additional units throughout North America and Europe as we ramp up our global Industrial IoT business," continued Honan

"The global SCADA market is valued at $9.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% and will reach $13.2 billion by 2026," said Avinash Bector, President & CEO, Affluence Corp for Asia & Africa markets. "The growth of the SCADA market is driven by continued IoT, AI and 5G adoption. There is a very high demand for industrial mobility solutions for efficient process management, especially those that utilize IoT and AI software platforms. This is a complimentary product to our OneMind Smart City Software product, and we plan to take advantage of this synergy in the market," said Mr. Bector.

About Affluence Corporation

Affluence Corporation (AFFU.PK) is a diversified technology company focused on innovative cloud solutions that capitalize on IoT, AI and 5G technologies. We are investing in mid-market businesses to create a cohesive unit which brings together technology for the next generation of internet.

About OneMind Technologies SL

OneMind Technologies SL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Affluence Corporation. The OneMind Intelligent IoT solution builder is used to create applications for smart construction and smart city operations. Functioning as systems of systems, OneMind connects data sources to one single point of insight to provide real-time information on operational processes. It is a key component in the enterprise solutions currently being offered by several Fortune 50 companies that resell, distribute, and integrate smart city enterprise solutions. https://www.onemindtechnologies.com

About Saamarthya Management Consultancy P. Ltd.

Saamarthya is operating in India as an "ACCELERATOR" enabling scaling up of Startups and existing businesses in Industrial IoT space. Mentoring and Guidance includes - Refining concepts and aligning them with present and future Industry needs and facilitating industry & investment tie ups enabling business expansion

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including: general economic business conditions, competitive and technological factors, markets, services, products and prices, availability and the cost of capital, success of growth initiatives, limited operating history and other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commissions. Additionally, this release may not be considered as legal, accounting, or investment advice, and is not, and may not be considered, a solicitation for the purchase of any securities issued by Affluence Corporation.

For further information contact Affluence Corporation Investor Relations at 720-295-6409.

SOURCE: Affluence Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669073/Affluence-Corporation-Announces-Entry-into-92-billion-Industrial-IoT--SCADA-Market-Through-Saamarthya
MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Star8 Corp. (OTC PINK:STRH), a technology and eCommerce company, is excited to announce the launch of its new corporate website, Star8Corp.com. The innovative new website highlights Star8 Corp.'s industry-leading business offerings and is a resource for investors with a stock-price feed, SEC filing records, press releases and more.

"The new website features an intuitive layout with a sleek and modern design that invites brands to join Star8 Corp.'s innovational eCommerce movement," said Mario Diez, Chief Executive Officer of Star8 Corp. "The launch of the new site marks an exciting digital transformation for us, and we can't wait to continue the momentum with more announcements to come."

Star8 Corp.'s new website explains how they "help brands win" through their multifaceted services ranging from providing eCommerce driven strategies, to offering guidance throughout the entire lifecycle of a product. From ideation to design, development and sales, Star8 Corp. is a true partner to its clients, enabling growth across multiple dimensions.

The new website is now live and can found at Star8Corp.com.

About Star8 Corporation

Star8 Corporation (OTC PINK:STRH) is a publicly traded company with expertise in technology and eCommerce driven solutions. Additionally, Star8 Corp. provides sustainable marketing, technology, sales and distribution consulting for clients. To learn more about star8 Corp. please visit Star8Corp.com.

For inquiries please contact: info@star8corp.com | 1-866-316-0808

Investor Inquiries:

Star8 Corp.

1-866-316-0808

Safe Harbor

Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. The above information contains information relating to the Company that is based on the beliefs of the Company and/or its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company or its management. When used in this document, the words "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plans," "projects," and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of the Company regarding future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties noted. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended or projected. In each instance, forward-looking information should be considered in light of the accompanying meaningful cautionary statements herein. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, successful performance of internal plans, the impact of competitive services and pricing and general economic risks and uncertainties. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Star8 Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669042/Star8-Corp-Announces-Digital-Transformation-New-Website-Launches
Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - CBD of Denver, Inc. (OTC Pink: CBDD), a full-line CBD and hemp oil company and a producer and distributor of cannabis and CBD products in Switzerland and Europe, comments on Switzerland's Commission for Social Security and Health of the Council of States' (SGK-S) nine to two vote in favor of cannabis legalization. Switzerland's National Council Commission (SGK-N) previously voted in favor of cannabis legalization with a vote of 13 to 11 in April 2021.

"Once again, the Swiss government is sending a clear signal of its support of cannabis legalization," commented Marcel Gamma, CEO of CBD of Denver. "This latest step forward further confirms our strategy to make Switzerland a cornerstone of our growing European operations as the country moves toward playing a leading role in legalization in Europe."

According to proponents of legalization, the current prohibition of cannabis, first established in 1951, is not based on current scientific arguments. The moral and legal inconsistency in relation to the known harmfulness of tobacco and alcohol, which are freely available across the country, has become increasingly unjustifiable, according to Heinz Siegenthaler, a member of the Bernese National Council who launched the new regulation initiative.

Earlier this year, the Swiss government drafted regulations to establish a regulated adult-use market designed to gather scientific data related to the socio-economic effects of legalization.

CBD of Denver is further strengthening its Swiss operations and is also in the application process for participation in the city of Zurich's pilot program for the legal dispensing of cannabis with more than 1% THC content. Additionally, there have been steps initiated to further expand the Company's presence in Europe by opening dedicated subsidiaries of Rockflowr in cannabis "hotspots" across the continent.

Follow CBDD on Instagram: @CBDofDenver_Inc @Rockflowr @RockflowrRetail

CBD of Denver, Inc., Rockflowr GmbH and Swiss Industry Ventures AG are now also on LinkedIn.

About CBD of Denver, Inc.

CBD of Denver, Inc. (OTC Pink: CBDD) a full-line CBD and Hemp oil company ("CBDD") and a producer and distributor of Cannabis and CBD products in Switzerland, Europe and the US. CBDD is focused on using equity to acquire profitable Swiss assets at attractive valuations to create value for all our shareholders driven by a passion to improve lives and strengthen communities by unleashing the full potential of cannabis.

Through our brand Rockflowr and BlackPearlCBD we reach our consumers and have built up a strong customer base by focusing on top quality products and meaningful customer relationships.

Black Pearl CBD has 0% THC but is not an Isolate where the THC is stripped from the product rendering it ineffective. We use a proprietary technique adding terpenes as the activation ingredient, resulting in a product that is the finest in the industry and only available at www.cbdofdenver.com.

Information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or future financial performance, involving known and unknown risks and you should not place undue reliance on these statements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events. We assume no obligation publicly about update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason.

Contacts:

Investor Relations

investors@cbdofdenver.com

Marcel Gamma

marcel@cbdofdenver.com

Todd McKnight

RedChip Companies

1-800-733-2447

todd@redchip.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100453
CloudCodes is a leading cybersecurity and cloud security provider with a global customer base

This transaction marks Plurilock's second acquisition in 2021

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solutions provider for workforces, has entered into definitive asset purchase agreements (the "Agreements") dated October 21, 2021 to acquire certain assets (the "Purchased Assets") of CloudCodes Software Private Limited ("CloudCodes"), an award winning cloud access security broker ("CASB") based in India (the "Acquisition").

Since 2011, CloudCodes has provided innovative cloud security SaaS solutions for protecting email and group collaboration platforms, offering single-sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and cloud data loss prevention (DLP) solutions. CloudCodes earned approximately CAD$576k in product revenue for its year ended March 31, 2021.

Following the Acquisition, CloudCodes' existing customers will have access to a larger public organization with adequate financial resources, deep security, IT, AI capabilities and expertise, and the Company's world-class sales team while Plurilock will gain a larger market presence in the international cybersecurity space and enter the growing CASB segment. In addition, Plurilock, through its Indian subsidiary, Plurilock Security Private Limited ("PSP") will obtain a technical product team and a new office in Pune, India to complement its office in Mumbai, India.

The Acquisition will add additional functionality within Plurilock's product portfolio, with CloudCodes' CASB solution offered as an early access product under the name of Plurilock CLOUD. This additional technology solution creates new opportunity for Plurilock's customers for a cost-effective cloud security solution and a path to integrate low-friction, high-security behavioral biometric identity with SSO and cloud security functionality. As a result, it is expected that the Acquisition will accelerate Plurilock's sales growth and cement the Company's position in the growing zero trust market.

"The acquisition of CloudCodes provides us with an award-winning CASB solution with broad customer adoption across small, medium and large enterprises. Businesses, especially small businesses, continue to face security risks with workforces that are working in a post-covid, remote centric world, and it has never been more important to secure cloud resources such as corporate email and file sharing," said Ian L. Paterson, CEO of Plurilock. "This acquisition aligns with our commitment to becoming the premier cybersecurity solutions provider in the market, acquiring critical technology to enhance organizations' zero trust architecture. We are looking forward to adding the CloudCodes product to our robust product portfolio and integrating their staff into our growing team, as we continue to develop cutting edge technology that empowers organizations to operate safely and securely while reducing friction for users."

"We are pleased to join the Plurilock family of companies," said Debasish Pramanik, co-founder of CloudCodes. "This transaction offers an opportunity to expand the use of our signature product in the North American market and join a fast-growing organization with deep security and IT expertise that is developing the next generation of cybersecurity solutions that can revolutionize the industry."

Once the Acquisition is completed, CloudCodes assets will be transferred into the Plurilock family of companies, under the guidance of Plurilock's management team.

Terms of Agreements

The Company and its subsidiaries, Plurilock Security Solutions Inc. and PSP, entered into the Agreements with CloudCodes whereby the Company will acquire the Purchased Assets. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreements, the Company has agreed to pay CloudCodes aggregate consideration of US$1,700,000 payable as follows: (i) US$1,000,000 in cash payable on closing; and (ii) US$700,000 in common shares of Plurilock (the "Consideration Shares"), less any deferred revenue. The Consideration Shares will be issued at a deemed price of C$0.59 per share and will be placed in escrow for 18 months to satisfy any indemnification obligations to the Company.

The Acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and receipt of the approval of the TSXV. The Company expects to close the Acquisition on or around October 31, 2021.

About CloudCodes

CloudCodes is an internationally based Cloud Security SaaS platform company, offering a product that protects email and group collaboration platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, while providing SSO, MFA and DLP functionality.

About Plurilock

Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely while reducing cybersecurity friction. Plurilock offers world-class IT and cybersecurity solutions through its Solutions Division, paired with proprietary, AI-driven and cloud-friendly security through its Technology Division. Together, the Plurilock family of companies delivers persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use.

For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact:

Ian L. Paterson

Chief Executive Officer

ian@plurilock.com

416.800.1566

Roland Sartorius

Chief Financial Officer

roland.sartorius@plurilock.com

Prit Singh

Investor Relations

prit.singh@plurilock.com

905.510.7636

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") related to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions, and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, the completion of the Acquisition, obtaining all the necessary approval and consents related to the Acquisition, the impact of general economic conditions, the success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof, and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form. They are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100452
Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - TrustBIX Inc. (TSXV: TBIX) (OTCQB: TBIXF) ("TrustBIX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it signed an agreement on October 1, 2021, to develop a Biomass Quality Traceability Protocol for the Biomass Quality Network of Canada ("BQNC"). BQNC is facilitating the commercialization of agricultural biomass for industrial applications through the development and adoption of quality standards and methods.

BQNC Director and Chairman, Murray McLaughlin, said, "Agricultural biomass is not being used to its full potential for high-value products because of the limited knowledge and understanding of the standards that currently exist for the Canadian bioproducts industry."

"TrustBIX was selected to guide BQNC in this work because it has demonstrated it can support the differentiation of products by tracking quality and sustainability attributes from producer to buyer through the value chain," explained Tom Ogaranko, TrustBIX Chief Innovation Officer.

"Extending our extensive experience in tracking sustainable livestock for the Canadian beef industry, in February 2021 we announced a commercial pilot project with AllWest Demolition and Innovation Reduction Strategies Inc. to expand that work into biomaterials in Edmonton," added Hubert Lau, TrustBIX CEO.

Collaborating with BQNC members on a potential protocol, TrustBIX sees an opportunity to leverage its new insights on managing biomaterials to support the bio industrial sector, assure their customers that the products manufactured with biomass can replace traditional materials, and trace their quality assurance standards, measurement protocols and grading systems throughout the value chain.

BQNC representative, Ray Bergstra, noted, "Enhanced traceability of these standards and measurements will further support the growth of the industry."

"This work builds on TrustBIX's extensive experience with chain of custody value solutions for all levels of the supply chain, from producers to consumers and to become a global leader for traceability in not only the agri-food business, but in the agricultural biomass industry," proclaimed Hubert Lau.

About Biomass Quality Network Canada (BQNC)

BQNC is a value chain group created in 2015 to develop quality standards and measurement techniques to accelerate adoption of Canadian biomass in bioproducts for all stakeholders through the development and deployment of standards, methods and guidelines; management and monitoring of a certification system; and provision of value-added services. BQNC is working with all levels of the supply chain, from farmers to manufacturers, to become a global benchmark for quality standards to support the advancement of the bioproducts industry in three main sectors:

Biomaterials, Biorefineries (Biofuels and Biochemicals), and Bioenergy

Within the bioproducts industry, we are identifying and prioritizing gaps in quality standards, creating a database to record and link to existing standards information, developing standards where gaps exist, becoming a Canadian focal point for communications and coordinating activities with national and international standards organizations. For more information, visit https://www.bqnc.ca.

About TrustBIX (TSXV: TBIX)

As an innovative leader, TrustBIX provides agri-food traceability and chain of custody value solutions. The Company's goal is to create a world where we trust more, waste less and reward sustainable behaviour by addressing consumer and agri-food business demands. The proprietary platform, BIX (Business InfoXchange system), is designed to create trust without compromising privacy through innovative, blockchain-derived use of technology and data. By leveraging BIX and its unique use of incentive solutions, TrustBIX delivers independent validation of food provenance and sustainable production practices within the supply chain - Gate to Plate.

ViewTrak Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, provides a suite of hardware and software solutions to the livestock industry in Canada, United States, Mexico and China, such as Auction Master Pro, Market Master, Feedlot Solutions and pork grading probes.

For more information, visit www.trustbix.com, or follow TrustBIX on Twitter@BIXSCdn, LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/bixsco-inc-/ and Facebook at www.facebook.com/BIXSco.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains certain forward-looking information and reflects the Company's present assumptions regarding future events. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, levels of activity, performance, and/or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. When used in this document, the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "propose", "anticipate", "believe", "forecast", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions used by any of the Company's management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Company's internal projections, expectations, future growth, performance and business prospects and opportunities and are based on information currently available to the Company. Since they relate to the Company's current views with respect to future events, they are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments except as required by applicable securities legislation, regulations or policies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Hubert Lau

President and CEO

Telephone: (780) 456-2207

Email: info@trustbix.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100389
Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) (FSE: CGK1) (OTC Pink: TNMLF) ("White Metal" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of the remaining seven (7) diamond drill holes from the Phase 2 drilling program at its flagship Tower Stock Gold Project (the "Project" or "Property"). The drilling program was very successful in delineating several new gold zones that the Company will be following-up on in the coming weeks with a Phase 3 drilling program. The Company is also in the process of completing a trenching and sampling program on the H Zone, the K Zone, Papa Zone, and the A Zone. Sampling and mapping of these zones will be completed shortly with all samples being submitted to Activation Labs in Thunder Bay. The Phase 2 drilling program totalled 3,760 m in 18 drill holes (TM-21-98 to 116) with 11 drill holes reported to date.

Highlights

TM-21-109 returned 24.0 m grading 1.0 g/t Au (from 116.5 m), successfully extending the A Zone 100 m to the northwest of TM-21-108.

TM-21-110 intersected a new gold zone (the "110 Zone") that returned 52.0 m grading 0.75 g/t Au (from surface), including 7.5 m grading 1.02 g/t Au (from 47.0 m), and remains open at depth.

TM-21-112 returned two zones of gold mineralization: 25.5 m grading 0.68 g/t Au (from 56.0 m) and 24.0 m grading 0.62 g/t Au (from 120.5 m).

TM-21-113 returned 57.0 m grading 0.54 g/t Au (from 164.0 m) with two higher-grade intervals of 6.0 m grading 1.31 g/t Au (from 164.0 m), including 16.5 m grading 1.01 g/t Au (from 204.5 m).

TM-21-112 and 113 confirmed gold mineralization at the Ellen Zone which remains open at depth.

TM-21-116, which intersected a new gold zone, was drilled 100 m south of the 04/36 Zone. This hole returned two mineralized intervals: 5.2 m grading 0.93 g/t Au (from 16.3 m) and 76.5 m grading 0.3 g/t Au (from 93.5 m), including 9.0 m grading 0.65 g/t Au (from 137.0 m).

Michael Stares, President and CEO of White Metal, commented, "The Company has been working on the Tower Stock Gold Project for just over one year and has clearly demonstrated the extensive gold system that is present on the Property. We have completed over 7,000 m of drilling, made several new discoveries, and have expanded known zones of gold mineralization. Prospecting and mapping have also proven quite successful with the discovery of the Star Zone, the C & M Zone and the Papa Zone. I am excited to start the Phase 3 drilling program as we are now beginning to understand the structure and controls on gold mineralization. We still have a lot of work to do but we are moving in the right direction in advancing the Project."

PHASE 2 DIAMOND DRILLING

The Phase 2 diamond drilling program was completed in mid-September. A summary of the latest results is provided in Table 1. A summary of previously announced results is provided in Table 2.

Table 1. Summary of the latest drill core assay results, Phase 2 diamond drilling.

Hole Id From (m) To (m) *Interval (m) Au (g/t) Zone TM-21-109 116.50 140.50 24.00 1.02 A TM-21-111 89.00 96.50 7.50 0.73 Central and 194.00 209.00 15.00 0.32 IP#3 TM-21-112 56.00 81.50 25.50 0.68 Ellen and 120.50 144.50 24.00 0.62

TM-21-113 164.00 239.00 75.00 0.53

incl 164.00 170.00 6.00 1.31

incl 204.50 221.00 16.50 1.01

incl 228.50 239.00 10.50 0.77

TM-21-114 281.00 317.00 36.00 0.21

incl 281.00 287.00 6.00 0.38

TM-21-115 57.50 62.00 4.50 1.40

TM-21-116 93.50 170.00 76.50 0.29 04-36 incl 125.00 170.00 45.00 0.37 IP#5 incl 137.00 146.00 9.00 0.65



*drill hole intervals are not true widths and are being reported as drill core lengths.

Table 2. Summary of previously released drill core assay results, Phase 2 diamond drilling.

Hole Id From (m) To (m) *Interval (m) Au (g/t) Zone see Press Release August 24, 2021



TM-21-98 72.50 107.00 34.50 1.11 Ellen incl 86.00 93.50 7.50 2.33

and 159.50 165.50 6.00 1.02

TM-21-100 23.00 113.00 90.00 1.23

incl 23.00 33.50 10.50 3.68

incl 51.50 65.00 13.50 1.56

incl 92.00 113.00 21.00 2.75

see Press Release September 23, 2021



TM-21-101 68.00 138.50 70.50 0.27 T incl 71.00 77.00 6.00 0.51

TM-21-102 47.00 60.50 13.50 0.73

TM-21-103 81.50 129.50 48.00 0.61

Incl 105.50 116.00 10.50 1.52

TM-21-105 188.00 210.50 22.50 0.75 Bench incl 200.00 210.50 10.50 1.11

TM-21-106 80.00 230.00 150.00 0.56

incl 171.50 230.00 58.50 1.01

incl 215.00 230.00 15.00 1.74

TM-21-107 143.00 192.50 49.50 0.84

incl 143.00 164.00 21.00 1.29

TM-21-108 3.70 59.00 55.40 1.81 A incl 3.70 27.50 23.80 3.94

incl 8.00 15.50 7.50 8.77

TM-21-110 2.50 54.50 52.00 0.75 110 incl 47.00 54.50 7.50 1.02 IP#1

*drill hole intervals are not true widths and are being reported as drill core lengths.

Bench Zone

TM-21-105,106,107 : three holes designed to test the down-dip extension of the central portion of the Bench Zone over a strike length of 150 m (Figure 1). Successful in extending the Bench Zone 40 m to 50 m to the southwest with TM-21-105 and TM-21-106 returning significant widths of gold mineralization between 150 m and 169.5 m, including a number of zones with >1.0 g/t Au. This includes a separate zone of mineralization intersected by TM-21-106 about 150 m below surface, that returned 58.5 m grading 1.01 g/t Au and open at depth.

A Zone

TM-21-108 : designed to test for the east extension of the main A Zone horizon (Figure 1). Successful in intersecting the A Zone, returning 23.8 m grading 3.94 g/t Au (from surface 3.7 m), including 7.5 m grading 8.77 g/t Au (from 8.0 m). Although the A Zone was previously worked by Inco Limited and Noranda Exploration Inc., only sparse work and data was reported.

110 Zone

TM-21-110 : designed to test a high-priority DasVision 3D-IP chargeability anomaly, approximately 250 m southeast of the southern extent of the Bench Zone (Figure 1), resulted in the discovery of a new gold zone. The entire length of the hole (143.0 m) returned anomalous gold (average 0.44 g/t Au) with the main part of the zone returning 52.0 m grading 0.75 g/t Au (from 2.5 m), including 7.5 m grading 1.02 g/t Au (from 47.0 m). It should be noted that the style of mineralization in the 110 Zone is unlike any mineralization found on the Property to-date in that it is wholly-hosted within an intrusive monzonite body with less than 1% pyrite and trace chalcopyrite in quartz-carbonate fractures.







Figure 1. Compilation map showing the location of the drill hole collars and traces, target 3D-IP resistivity anomalies, and approximate locations of known gold zones.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5364/100431_fd873914b4c32a0f_004full.jpg

PROSPECTING AND MAPPING

C & M Zone

Located 720 m east of the 110 Zone discovery area, two surface samples from this newly-discovered zone, returned 2.33 g/t and 5.27 g/t Au (Figure 2). This zone is hosted within fractured monzonite with less than 1% pyrite and trace chalcopyrite. Its similarity with the 110 Zone suggests a significant l target region, interpreted to be up to 800 m across. The area has very poor exposure with about 95% overburden.

Star Zone

Located 600 m to the west of the 4-36 Zone, in a previously unmapped area, this newly-discovered zone hosts widespread gold mineralization with anomalous gold concentrations ranging from 86 ppb to 2.8 g/t Au over a minimum strike length of 400 m and up to 100 m wide (Figure 2). Mineralization is hosted within an extensive zone of felsic pyroclastic volcanic rocks exhibiting extensive and pervasive hydrothermal alteration plus well-developed fracturing and deformation. This area of widespread anomalous gold mineralization shares similarities with the 04-36 Zone and if connected presents an exploration target with as much as 600 m of strike length.

Papa Zone

Located about 700 m northeast of the eastern edge of the Bench Zone, two rock grab samples, taken over a 10-square-metre area, assayed 3.05 g/t and 2.94 g/t Au (Figure 2). This zone is hosted within fractured monzonite with 1%-3% pyrite and located in an area largely covered by overburden. The Company is currently trenching this area to get a better understanding of the extent and controls on gold mineralization.







Figure 2. Compilation map showing the location of previously identified and newly-discovered gold zones, locations of drill hole collars and traces and gold assay results from rock grab samples

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5364/100431_fd873914b4c32a0f_005full.jpg

The Phase 3 drilling program will focus on:

A Zone : extending mineralization hosted within an extensive hydrothermal breccia system within a broad package of metavolcanic rocks.

: extending mineralization hosted within an extensive hydrothermal breccia system within a broad package of metavolcanic rocks. 110 Zone : discovered while testing a DasVision 3D-IP Anomaly with gold zone mineralization associated with a broad fracture system within a monzonite.

: discovered while testing a DasVision 3D-IP Anomaly with gold zone mineralization associated with a broad fracture system within a monzonite. Bench Zone : follow-up on mineralization that remains open at depth to the west, associated with extensive chlorite-calcic alteration.

: follow-up on mineralization that remains open at depth to the west, associated with extensive chlorite-calcic alteration. Ellen Zone : target IP resistivity anomaly roughly 100 m southwest from current location of drilling.

Trench mapping and sampling will help to guide drill holes that are planned to test:

Star Zone : a new prospecting discovery hosted within coarse volcaniclastics with a minimum 600 m strike length.

: a new prospecting discovery hosted within coarse volcaniclastics with a minimum 600 m strike length. H Zone : test the geometry of surface high-grade gold samples at depth.

: test the geometry of surface high-grade gold samples at depth. C & M Zone : similar host rock and mineralization to the 110 Zone.

: similar host rock and mineralization to the 110 Zone. Further test DasVision 3D-IP targets.

To view drill hole sections and additional Project information and maps please visit the White Metal website and slide show at https://www.whitemetalres.com/tower-stock-au.html.

A Qualified Person, as described by NI 43-101, has not done sufficient work to verify the historical assay results and technical information reported herein. Rock grab samples are selective samples by nature and as such are not necessarily representative of mineralization hosted across the Property.

Sample Analysis

Company QA/QC standards and blanks were inserted into the sample stream for all sample types (surface rock grab samples and half drill core samples) and submitted for analysis by Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs) in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Samples were transported under the direct supervision of senior White Metal personnel and delivered from the Property to the laboratory receiving facilities. Samples were analyzed for Au by Fire Assay with an AA finish and Au - Fire Assay with Gravimetric finish. Actlabs is an independent commercial laboratory that is ISO 9001 certified and ISO 17025 accredited.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by NI 43-101.

About White Metal Resources Corp.

White Metal Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company exploring in Canada and southern Africa. The Company's two key properties are the Flagship Tower Stock Gold Project in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and the Okohongo Copper-Silver Project in Namibia, Africa. For more information about the Company please visit www.whitemetalres.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Michael Stares"

President & CEO

For further information contact:

Michael Stares

President & CEO

White Metal Resources Corp.

684 Squier Street

Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A8

Phone: +1 (807) 358-2420

Nancy Massicotte

Investor Relations

White Metal Resources Corp.

Phone: +1 (604) 507-3377

TF: +1 (866) 503-3377

Email: ir@whitemetalres.com

Thomas Do

Investor Relations Manager

CHF Capital Markets

Phone: +1 (416) 868-1079 x 232

Email: thomas@chfir.com

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. 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. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100431
The integration makes system-level automated testing and verification easier for embedded software developers by presenting detailed results in Jenkins

LDRA, the leading provider of automated software verification, source code analysis and test tools, today announced a plug-in that brings the capabilities of the LDRA tool suite into the Jenkins automation server for continuous integration (CI) for agile software development. Jenkins automates and manages the build process and connects build and version control systems with quality management and automated testing processes for large-scale system-level software projects. LDRA has long linked to Jenkins to enable developers to analyze, track test and verification fulfilment, and measure code quality. Now, developers can view LDRA results directly in Jenkins, saving time and reducing development costs associated with building systems that must meet rigorous standards such as the automotive industry's ISO 26262.

"Continuous integration is a key part of agile workflows, so using the LDRA tool suite to generate certificate-grade artifacts at every check-in or daily helps developers stay on track and move faster through feature development cycles," said Ian Hennell, LDRA operations director. "With LDRA fully integrated into the Jenkin's interface, the process is smoother and LDRA results, such as code review analysis and the severity of violations, are easier to access."

LDRA Brings Certification Management to Jenkins for Large-Scale Automotive Project Control

Managing large-scale safety-critical systems, which often require a global array of components and technology providers, is a difficult and costly process, especially when development teams span continents, languages and time zones. This LDRA/Jenkins solution offers developers the ability to track productivity and build process efficiency while easing certification challenges and improving software quality. Defects are identified earlier in the software development life cycle, saving significant time and costs of identifying errors later.

By verifying standards conformance, the LDRA tool suite helps companies demonstrate their systems meet rigorous certification standards, such as DO-178C (Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification) and ISO 26262 (Road Vehicles Functional Safety). Specifically, the LDRA tool suite provides static and dynamic analysis, requirements traceability, verification, testing and automated documentation.

In addition to tracking the progress of static analysis activities and code quality, the reporting features of Jenkins pulls essential information, such as how many test cases have passed and failed, from LDRA's documentation process into the Jenkins dashboard to provide a concise summary. When test cases fail, developers can be informed via email or a web-based interface so they can take prompt corrective action. To maintain development efficiency, Jenkins continues to gather information as the baseline changes so test regression can be performed independently of normal developer activities.

"Instead of following links to LDRA results, developers can directly view trend graphs within Jenkins for static analysis violations and other findings," Hennell added. "Being able to view these LDRA findings without needing to move to another application further facilitates the issues we've long aimed to solve-managing certification challenges and improving software quality."

Learn more by watching the video "Performing code review with Jenkins and the LDRA tool suite" to see how Jenkins and the LDRA tool suite work in tandem to find and fix coding rule violations to comply with the BARR-C:2018 standard.

About LDRA

For more than 40 years, LDRA has developed and driven the market for software that automates code analysis and software testing for safety-, mission-, security-, and business-critical markets. Working with clients to achieve early error identification and elimination, and full compliance with industry standards, LDRA traces requirements through static and dynamic analysis to unit testing and verification for a wide variety of hardware and software platforms. Boasting a worldwide presence, LDRA has headquarters in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and India coupled with an extensive distributor network. For more information on the LDRA tool suite, please visit http://www.ldra.com/.

Readers may direct questions to:

Mark James

Email: mark.james@ldra.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005212/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Kelly Wanlass, Hughes Communications, Inc., Media Relations

Tel: +1 (801) 602-4723, Email: kelly@hughescom.net

Mark James, LDRA, Marketing Manager

Tel: +44 (0) 151 649-9300, Email: mark.james@ldra.com
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Star Alliance International Corp. (OTC PINK:STAL) (www.Staralliancemines.com) is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a twelve month agreement with SRAX which allows the company to utilize the benefits of Sequire, their online, information driven, investor relations platform.

Richard Carey, CEO of Star Alliance International, stated, "I am delighted to report that we have established a relationship with SRAX. The SRAX platform enables the Company to view and monitor specific buying and selling trends and use those insights to engage investors across several marketing channels. We believe the Sequire platform could be a significant step forward in our ability to meet or exceed the expectations of our investors. As always, our first concern is improving shareholder value. Stay tuned for more news."

About Star Alliance International Corp.

Star Alliance International Corp. ("the Company", "we", "us") was originally incorporated with the name Asteriko Corp. in the State of Nevada on April 17, 2014 under the laws of the State of Nevada.

In August 2019, following a change in control, the Company acquired the mining claims, buildings and equipment from Troy Mining Corporation. The Project is located at the base of the "gold mother lode" in one of the three major vein belts where the greatest concentration of minerals settled over the years in California.

Since August 2019, although delayed by Covid 19 and the problems created by the fires in California last year, the Company has worked with the government departments so that a plan of operation of the mine can be submitted and approved.

Historical assay reports performed by top geologists were confirmed to show indications of significant reserves of gold located in veins within the areas that are covered by our mining leases.

While primarily a gold recovery project, geologists and assay reports indicate the amount of recoverable silver available in quantity is equal to that of gold which adds to the potential profit of mining operations.

The Company plans to commence mining as soon as is feasibly possible and we are making every effort to move swiftly through planning, permitting and the assay process.

About SRAX

SRAX (SRAX) is a financial technology company that unlocks data and insights for publicly traded companies. Through its premier investor intelligence and communications platform, Sequire, companies can track their investors' behaviors and trends and use those insights to engage current and potential investors across marketing channels. For more information on SRAX, visit srax.com and mysequire.com.

Safe Harbor and Informational Statement

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 21E of the Security Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), including all statements that are not statement of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) the company's financing plans; (ii) trends affecting the company's financial conditions or results of operations; (iii): the company's growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) the declaration and payment of dividends.

The words "may", "would", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", and similar expressions and variations thereof are intend to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statement is not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including the risk disclosed in the company's statements and reports filed with the OTC Markets. The Company claims the safe harbor provided by Section 21E(c) of the Exchange Act for all forward-looking statements.

For more information contact:

Richard Carey

E Mail: info@staralliancemines.com

Web Site: staralliancemines.com

Twitter: @staralliancin1

SOURCE: Star Alliance International Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669055/Star-Alliance-International-Enters-into-an-Investor-Relations-Agreement-with-SRAXTM
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Perk Labs Inc. (CSE:PERK)(OTCQB:PKLBF)(FKT:PKLB) ("Perk" or the "Company"), the parent company of Perk Hero, the mobile commerce platform with perks on eCommerce, mobile payments and digital gift cards, today announced its plans to build its crypto loyalty reward with Solana, the fastest-growing ecosystem in crypto technology.

Solana is a decentralized blockchain built to enable scalable, user-friendly apps. According to the Solana white paper, the Solana network could theoretically process 710,000 transactions per second (TPS) using a 1 gigabit per second network connection. According to the project's website, the average transaction fee is $0.00025, far lower than the cost of the average Ethereum transaction at the time of this press release. Solana Labs, the company behind the network's software, raised more than $300 million in a token sale led by big-name investors such as Andreessen Horowitz and Polychain Capital. The price of Solana's SOL token has soared this year as more and more teams decide to build their crypto projects on the Solana blockchain. The SOL token made its debut only 18 months ago and a year ago was worth less than $2 and as of yesterday traded at over U.S. $180.

"Our goal is to build a crypto loyalty reward program that brings crypto to mainstream consumers by rewarding them for purchases made online and in brick & mortar establishments" said Jonathan Hoyles, CEO, Perk Labs. "After an extensive review of available options, we decided that the Solana blockchain's high efficiency and low transaction fees provide the best foundation for our platform."

Perk will continue to work with the Jonah Group on the next phase of its cryptoreward loyalty program development, which will include digital wallet development, microservice API development, testing, smart contract development and deploying Perk's cryptoreward on the Solana mainnet. In connection with the development of its cryptoreward, Perk will be incorporating new compliance tools and procedures and is working with a leading German Fintech design firm to update its mobile app with a state-of-the-art user interface to include additional reward features and game design elements. Subject to any unforeseen changes, Perk and Jonah estimate that Perk's cryptoreward will be ready for deployment to the Solana mainnet by mid-January 2022. Perk will provide further updates as it makes progress on its cryptoreward development.

Perk also recently announced its digital franchising program, with the intention to be the first franchise system that enables franchisees to leverage the power of blockchain technology. Perk Labs' CEO Jonathan Hoyles will be presenting on the Perk Hero digital franchising opportunity at 2 pm EST on October 25, 2021 at the Canadian Franchise Association's Virtual Franchise Canada Show. For more information on a Perk Franchise, visit www.perkfranchise.com.

About Jonah Group

Jonah Group is a custom software development company trusted by organizations that are faced with mission-critical business challenges and cannot afford to fail. Jonah Group has built several systems that process billions of dollars' worth of transactions each year for clients who remain partners. Jonah has successfully developed and deployed a wide range of enterprise systems including online banking applications, equity and mutual fund trading systems, content management systems, credit adjudication and provisioning portals, health care benefits and claims management systems, and fleet management solutions. Its clientele includes many leading names in the financial services and health care industries.

About Perk Labs Inc.

Perk Labs Inc. (CSE:PERK) (OTCQB:PKLBF) (FKT:PKLB) is the owner of Perk Hero, the mobile commerce platform on a mission to make shopping and dining experiences more engaging, convenient, and rewarding. Perk has partnered with vetted specialized brands across North America. Consumers can also buy digital gift cards from top merchants that include gaming and electronics, apparel, dining, and more. The Perk Hero platform, currently available in Canada and the U.S., was engineered for reliability and scale using enterprise-level technology fit for businesses of all sizes. The platform also features Shopify integration, contactless payments using Apple Pay, Google Pay, BitPay and Alipay, as well as its own digital currency called Perk Coin, a gamified loyalty program, e-commerce dropshipping capabilities, pre-order and pick up, and in-store payments with a QR code.

For more information about Perk Labs, please visit www.perklabs.io. Visit Perk Hero at www.perkhero.com

For more information contact:

Jonathan Hoyles

CEO

Perk Labs Inc.

(833) 338-0299

investors@perklabs.io

Jordan Shafi

Account Manager

CHF Capital Markets

(416) 868-1079 x 233

jordan@chfir.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "may", "believe", "thinks", "expect", "exploring", "expand", "could", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "pursue", "potentially", "projected", "should", "will" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. These forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to, among other things, the discussion of the Company's business strategies and its expectations concerning future operations, the performance of the Solana blockchain technology and cost of Solana transaction fees, the development of crypto wallet development, microservice API development, testing, smart contract development and deploying Perk's cryptoreward on the Solana mainnet, Perk's upgrades to its user interface, and the estimate that Perk's cryptoreward will be ready for deployment to the Solana mainnet by mid-January 2022. Although the Company considers these forward-looking statements 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. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking information, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur.

SOURCE: Perk Labs Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669053/Perk-Labs-Selects-Solana-and-Provides-Update-on-Cryptoreward-Development
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - Goldshore Resources Inc. (TSXV: GSHR) (OTC Pink: GSHRF) (FSE: 8X00) ("Goldshore" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce gold assay results from the first three holes (MMD-21-001 to 003) drilled to validate gold mineralization at the Moss Lake gold deposit in Northwest Ontario, Canada.

Highlights:

Significant Width Increase: Mineralization was intersected over 550 m in MMD-21-001 which corresponds to an estimated true thickness of 422 m which is a 52% increase over the 2013 historical resource model in that area.

Substantial Depth Extension: Mineralization was intersected between 100 and 500 m below the 2013 historical resource model in MMD-21-002 which represents a +100% increase to the known vertical extent of the gold zones in this area.

Several higher-grade zones identified: best intercepts include:

57.00m at 1.20 g/t Au from 4.0m and

36.00m at 1.15 g/t Au from 182.0m in MMD-21-003

31.00m at 1.18 g/t Au from 122.0m and

16.30m at 2.09 g/t Au from 350.7m in MMD-21-001

35.00m at 1.09 g/t Au from 100.0m in MMD-21-002

Drilling Just Beginning: The three holes reported here represent only 2.3% of the planned 100,000 meters of drilling scheduled to be completed by the end of Q2 of 2022 as the drill program ramps-up from two to four drill rigs.

Brett Richards, President and Chief Executive Officer of Goldshore commented: "These are the first drillhole results from the very beginning of our 100,000m program. The results from these first holes validate our belief that the Moss Lake gold deposit is very under-explored and geologically misunderstood, given the wide lateral extension indicated by these results. We are also seeing a good correlation with the twinned historic drill hole (ML-08-03) as noted below in this release. These two early observations are very encouraging and we continue to advance our campaign and ramp up to 12,000m a month drilling capacity."





Figure 1: Location map showing Goldshore's Moss Lake Project relative to the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8051/100379_23a0e701d44c6b0e_001full.jpg

Technical Overview

Figures 2 and 3 and Table 1 summarize the significant intercepts in MMD-21-001 to 003. Figure 4 and Table 2 show the drill hole location.





Figure 2: Drill section through MMD-21-001 and MMD-21-002 showing mineralized intercepts relative to the 2013 grade model

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8051/100379_23a0e701d44c6b0e_002full.jpg





Figure 3: Drill section through MMD-21-003 and MMD-21-004 showing mineralized intercepts relative to the 2013 grade model. Assays not received yet for Hole MMD - 21-004

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8051/100379_23a0e701d44c6b0e_003full.jpg





Figure 4: Drill plan showing the 2021 drill holes relative to the 2013 resource model and historic drill hole location

To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8051/100379_23a0e701d44c6b0e_004full.jpg

Table 1: Significant downhole gold intercepts in MMD-21-001 to 003

HOLE ID FROM TO LENGTH (m) TRUE WIDTH (m) GRADE

(g/t Au) MMD-21-001 64.30 77.10 12.80 10 0.40 99.00 240.70 141.70 107 0.63 including 122.00 153.00 31.00 23 1.18 and 182.70 194.00 11.30 9 1.18 and 201.00 203.50 2.50 2 2.16 and 229.00 231.00 2.00 2 1.20 256.00 270.00 14.00 11 0.79 281.00 296.00 15.00 11 0.39 310.00 379.00 69.00 52 0.79 including 350.70 367.00 16.30 12 2.09 395.00 409.50 14.50 11 0.34 511.11 522.70 11.59 9 0.86 including 515.73 522.70 6.97 5 1.28 MMD-21-002 100.00 135.00 35.00 18 1.09 including 122.00 125.00 3.00 2 2.84 217.59 253.00 35.41 17 0.37 344.00 362.80 18.80 9 0.47 including 348.73 354.19 5.46 3 1.07 466.61 609.00 142.39 73 0.43 including 472.00 486.54 14.54 7 1.18 and 558.40 570.85 12.45 6 1.19 702.18 715.13 12.95 7 0.42 725.00 795.95 70.95 38 0.65 including 737.15 741.63 4.48 2 1.01 and 748.00 751.10 3.10 2 1.23 and 757.37 761.00 3.63 2 1.03 and 768.29 771.30 3.01 2 1.11 and 789.00 791.88 2.88 1 2.68 857.00 869.00 12.00 6 0.90 including 857.00 859.00 2.00 1 4.83 MMD-21-003 3.00 63.00 60.00 42 1.16 including 4.00 61.00 57.00 40 1.20 75.00 99.00 24.00 17 0.51 including 87.00 89.00 2.00 1 2.92 110.00 128.00 18.00 13 0.75 139.00 290.00 151.00 110 0.50 including 163.00 165.00 2.00 1 1.52 and 182.00 218.00 36.00 26 1.15 and 270.00 273.00 3.00 2 2.08 462.00 482.00 20.00 15 0.51 including 472.00 478.00 6.00 5 1.21 Intersections calculated above a 0.3 g/t Au cut off with a top cut of 30 g/t Au and a maximum internal waste interval of 10 metres. Shaded intervals are intersections calculated above a 1.0 g/t Au cut off with a top cut of 30 g/t Au. Intervals in bold are those with a grade thickness factor exceeding 20 gram x metres / tonne gold. True widths are approximate and assume a subvertical body.

Table 2: Location of drill holes in this press release

HOLE EAST NORTH RL AZIMUTH DIP EOH MMD-21-001 668739 5379139 431 155 -45 653.0m MMD-21-002 668739 5379139 431 155 -65 978.0m MMD-21-003 668855 5379120 434 155 -45 660.6m Approximate collar coordinates in NAD 83, Zone 15N

All three holes drilled through a massive diorite intrusion emplaced within a NE-striking and steeply SE-dipping sequence of intermediate to mafic lavas and felsic to intermediate volcaniclastic rocks. The wall rock sequence is strongly foliated and metamorphosed to greenschist facies. Later porphyritic and fine grained intermediate and mafic dikes cut the preceding rocks. These are variably foliated to massive, suggesting that the later intrusions post-date metamorphism.

All, but the later intrusive phases, are variably altered with quartz-sericite, albite-sericite and chlorite-epidote assemblages. Quartz-calcitechloritetourmaline veinlets occur as a weak stockwork in the more brittle-deformed rocks. Disseminated and veinlet pyrite is common throughout and there is occasional chalcopyrite and molybdenite mineralization.

It is too soon to develop conceptual models for the deposit, though the Company is working with leading researchers in the field of orogenic gold deposits to develop its understanding of the deposit.

MMD-21-001 twinned and confirmed the tenor of gold mineralization in hole ML-08-03, which was terminated at 244.14 meters, before the entire mineralized zone was tested. This hole intersected 227.69m @ 0.52 g/t Au compared to 0.49 g/t Au in MMD-21-001 over a similar interval.

MMD-21-002 was drilled from the same pad as MMD-21-001 because of restrictions due to extreme fire danger in the area. It drilled down the footwall zone of the 2013 model confirming the sparse mineralization in this volume, though increasing the average grade.

MMD-21-003 drilled 289.0m @ 0.61 g/t Au compared with an average grade of 0.40 g/t Au in the 2013 grade model. This highlights the potential to increase overall average grade of the resource.

Peter Flindell, VP Exploration commented: "We are finding that Moss Lake is a highly altered and well mineralised system that is much wider and deeper than previously known. This, together with our preliminary in-house interpretation of the Geotech VTEM Plus survey data, shows an expanded footprint for the Moss Lake gold deposit that includes areas of possible extension and parallel targets. These coincide with gold in historic scout drill holes that was previously considered to be unrelated to Moss Lake. Once we receive the maps and 3D models from TechnoImaging, we will be in a better position to focus and prioritize our next stages of drilling, as we move to four rigs by the winter months at Moss Lake."

Refer to Goldshore press release on Geotech VTEM survey on July 14, 2021 (News: Goldshore Completes Geotech VTEM System Survey (goldshoreresources.com))

Analytical and QA/QC Procedures

All samples were sent to ALS Geochemistry in Thunder Bay for preparation and analysis was performed in the ALS Vancouver analytical facility. ALS is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) for the Accreditation of Mineral Analysis Testing Laboratories and CAN-P-4E ISO/IEC 17025. Samples were analyzed for gold via fire assay with an AA finish ("Au-AA23") and 48 pathfinder elements via ICP-MS after four-acid digestion ("ME-MS61"). Samples that assayed over 10 ppm Au were re-run via fire assay with a gravimetric finish ("Au-GRA21").

In addition to ALS quality assurance / quality control ("QA/QC") protocols, Goldshore has implemented a quality control program for all samples collected through the drilling program. The quality control program was designed by a qualified and independent third party, with a focus on the quality of analytical results for gold. Analytical results are received, imported to our secure on-line database and evaluated to meet our established guidelines to ensure that all sample batches pass industry best practice for analytical quality control. Certified reference materials are considered acceptable if values returned are within three standard deviations of the certified value reported by the manufacture of the material. In addition to the certified reference material, certified blank material is included in the sample stream to monitor contamination during sample preparation. Blank material results are assessed based on the returned gold result being less than ten times the quoted lower detection limit of the analytical method. The results of the on-going analytical quality control program are evaluated and reported to Goldshore by Orix Geoscience Inc.

About Goldshore

Goldshore is an emerging junior gold development company, and owns the Moss Lake Gold Project located in Ontario. Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. is currently a strategic shareholder of Goldshore with an approximate 30% equity position in the Company. Well-financed and supported by an industry-leading management group, board of directors and advisory board, Goldshore is positioned to advance the Moss Lake Gold Project through the next stages of exploration and development.

About the Moss Lake Gold Project

The Moss Lake Gold Project is located approximately 100 km west of the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is accessed via Highway 11 which passes within 1 km of the property boundary to the north. The Moss Lake Gold Project covers 14,292 hectares and consists of 282 unpatented and patented mining claims.

Moss Lake hosts a number of gold and base metal rich deposits including the Moss Lake Deposit, the East Coldstream Deposit (Table 3), the historically producing North Coldstream Mine (Table 4), and the Hamlin Zone, all of which occur over a mineralized trend exceeding 20 km in length. A historical preliminary economic assessment was completed on Moss Lake in 2013 and published by Moss Lake Gold1. A historical mineral resource estimate was completed on the East Coldstream Deposit in 2011 by Foundation Resources Inc2,3. In addition to these zones, the Moss Lake Gold Project also hosts a number of under-explored mineral occurrences which are reported to exist both at surface and in historically drilled holes. The Moss Lake Deposit is a shear-hosted disseminated-style gold deposit which outcrops at surface. It has been drilled over a 2.5 km length and to depths of 300 m with 376 holes completed between 1983 and 2017. The last drilling program conducted in 2016 and 2017 by Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. ("Wesdome"), which consisted of widely spaced holes along the strike extension of the deposit was successful in expanding the mineralized footprint and hydrothermal system 1.6 km to the northeast. Additionally, the deposit remains largely open to depth. In 2017, Wesdome completed an induced polarization survey which traced the potential extensions of pyrite mineralization associated with the Moss Lake Deposit over a total strike length of 8 km and spanning the entire extent of the survey grids.

The East Coldstream Deposit is a shear-hosted disseminated-style gold deposit which locally outcrops at surface. It has been drilled over a 1.3 km length and to depths of 200 m with 138 holes completed between 1988 and 2017. The deposit remains largely open at depth and may have the potential for expansion along strike. Historic drill hole highlights from the East Coldstream Deposit include 4.86 g/t Au over 27.3 m in C-10-15.

The historically producing North Coldstream Mine is reported to have produced significant amounts of copper, gold and silver4 from mineralization with potential iron-oxide-copper-gold deposit style affinity. The exploration potential immediately surrounding the historic mining area is not currently well understood and historic data compilation is required.

The Hamlin Zone is a significant occurrence of copper and gold mineralization, and also of potential iron-oxide-copper-gold deposit style affinity. Between 2008 and 2011, Glencore tested Hamlin with 24 drill holes which successfully outlined a broad and intermittently mineralized zone over a strike length of 900 m. Historic drill hole highlights from the Hamlin Zone include 0.9 g/t Au and 0.35% Cu over 150.7 m in HAM-11-75.

The Moss Lake, East Coldstream and North Coldstream deposits sit on a mineral trend marked by a regionally significant deformation zone locally referred to as the Wawiag Fault Zone in the area of the Moss Lake Deposit. This deformation zone occurs over a length of approximately 20 km on the Moss Lake Gold Project and there is an area spanning approximately 7 km between the Moss Lake and East Coldstream deposits that is significantly underexplored.

Table 3: Historical Mineral Resources1,2,3

INDICATED INFERRED Deposit Tonnes Au g/t Au oz Tonnes Au g/t Au oz Moss Lake Deposit1 (2013 resource estimate) Open Pit Potential 39,795,000 1.1 1,377,300 48,904,000 1.0 1,616,300 Underground Potential - - - 1,461,100 2.9 135,400 Moss Lake Total 39,795,000 1.1 1,377,300 50,364,000 1.1 1,751,600

East Coldstream Deposit2 (2011 resource estimate) East Coldstream Total 3,516,700 0.85 96,400 30,533,000 0.78 763,276

Combined Total 43,311,700 1.08 1,473,700 80,897,000 0.98 2,514,876



Notes:

(1) Source: Poirier, S., Patrick, G.A., Richard, P.L., and Palich, J., 2013. Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Moss Lake Project, 43-101 technical report prepared for Moss Lake Gold Mines Ltd. Moss Lake Deposit resource estimate is based on 0.5 g/t Au cut-off grade for open pit and 2.0 g/t Au cut-off grade for underground resources.

(2) Source: McCracken, T., 2011. Technical Report and Resource Estimate on the Osmani Gold Deposit, Coldstream Property, Northwestern Ontario, 43-101 technical report prepared for Foundation Resources Inc. and Alto Ventures Ltd. East Coldstream Deposit resource estimate is based on a 0.4 g/t Au cut-off grade.

(3) The reader is cautioned that the above referenced "historical mineral resource" estimates are considered historical in nature and as such is based on prior data and reports prepared by previous property owners. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current resources and Goldshore is not treating the historical estimates as current resources. Significant data compilation, re-drilling, re-sampling and data verification may be required by a qualified person before the historical estimate on the Moss Lake Gold Project can be classified as a current resource. There can be no assurance that any of the historical mineral resources, in whole or in part, will ever become economically viable. In addition, mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Even if classified as a current resource, there is no certainty as to whether further exploration will result in any inferred mineral resources being upgraded to an indicated or measured mineral resource category.

Table 4: Reported Historical Production from the North Coldstream Deposit4

Deposit Tonnes Cu % Au g/t Ag Cu lbs Au oz Ag oz Historical Production 2,700,0000 1.89 0.56 5.59 102,000,000 44,000 440,000



Note::

(4) Source: Schlanka, R., 1969. Copper, Nickel, Lead and Zinc Deposits of Ontario, Mineral Resources Circular No. 12, Ontario Geological Survey, pp. 314-316.

Peter Flindell, MAusIMM, MAIG, Vice President - Exploration of the Company, a qualified person under NI 43-101 has approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For More Information - Please Contact:

Brett A. Richards

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Goldshore Resources Inc.

P. +1 604 288 4416 M. +1 905 449 1500

E. brichards@goldshoreresources.com

W. www.goldshoreresources.com

Facebook: GoldShoreRes |Twitter: GoldShoreRes | LinkedIn: goldshoreres

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements relating to expectations regarding the exploration and development of the Moss Lake Gold Project, including planned drilling activities, and other statements that are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, among others: the Company may require additional financing from time to time in order to continue its operations which may not be available when needed or on acceptable terms and conditions acceptable; compliance with extensive government regulation; domestic and foreign laws and regulations could adversely affect the Company's business and results of operations; the stock markets have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the performance of companies and these fluctuations may adversely affect the price of the Company's securities, regardless of its operating performance; and the impact of COVID-19.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. 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.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100379
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly edged lower in the week ended October 16th. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims slipped to 290,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level of 296,000. The modest decrease surprised economists, who had expected jobless claims to inch up to 300,000 from the 293,000 originally reported for the previous week. With the unexpected dip, jobless claims once again fell to their lowest level since hitting 256,000 in the week ended March 14, 2020. 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.
H.I.G. Capital, LLC ("H.I.G."), a leading global alternative investment firm with over $45 billion of equity capital under management, is pleased to announce that one of its affiliates has completed the acquisitions of Cesar di Barbarossa Enio e F.lli S.r.l. ("Cesar"), Gruppo SDA S.r.l. Servizi Distribuzione Associati ("SDA") and VDM Vaccaro Distribuzione Merci S.r.l. ("VDM") (together, the "Companies"). The Companies operate under the Acqua Sapone brand, Italy's leading non-food discount retailer selling a wide range of household and personal care products at value prices through a network of over 700 retail locations. H.I.G. has acquired a controlling stake in the business, with the Barbarossa family reinvesting in a significant minority position. The Companies will generate over 900 million in revenues in 2021. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

H.I.G.'s investment will support the integration of the three Companies and accelerate their customer-focused expansion in Italy.

Stefano Giambelli, Managing Director of the H.I.G. European Middle Market LBO team, commented: "We have been impressed by Acqua Sapone's track record of continuous growth and we see enormous potential in consolidating Cesar, SDA and VDM under the same umbrella. We are proud to partner with Nando Barbarossa and look forward to accelerating Acqua Sapone's growth."

Markus Noe-Nordberg, Managing Director and Head of the H.I.G. European Middle Market LBO team, added: "We are thrilled to welcome Acqua Sapone to the H.I.G. family. H.I.G. has had great success investing in leading family businesses, and we will use this experience to help Acqua Sapone maximise its potential. This transaction is an ideal fit with our investment mandate and underscores once more H.I.G.'s ability to execute on complex transactions."

Nando Barbarossa, on behalf of the Cesar shareholders, said: "We are delighted to partner with H.I.G. to keep building on our 40 year-long success story. By joining forces with H.I.G., we see enormous potential to further scale the business, improve service levels, achieve synergies and make Acqua Sapone the undisputed leader in the Italian market."

About H.I.G. Capital

H.I.G. is a leading global alternative assets investment firm with over $45 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with European offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, and U.S. and Latin American offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach:

H.I.G.'s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.'s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.'s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector.

Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com.

Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005630/en/

Contacts:

Markus Noe-Nordberg

Managing Director

mnordberg@higcapital.com

Stefano Giambelli

Managing Director

sgiambelli@higcapital.com
Specialty property and casualty insurer chooses Duck Creek Reinsurance Management to leverage scalability, speed, and process efficiency

Boston, Oct. 21, 2021has taken the next step in its evolution, selecting Duck Creek Reinsurance Managementto handle its reinsurance processing needs with an evergreen SaaS solution. The organization cited its desire to avoid manual processes and employ sophisticated risk management efforts regarding data accuracy and claims administration as factors in its decision to select Duck Creek. Duck Creek's Professional Servicesteam will be handling implementation.

Everspan Group is a specialty program insurer, uniting insurance distributors with global capital providers. Its highly regarded leadership team has an established track record across all facets of the specialty program insurance business, including reinsurance and MGA markets. The organization offers creative deal structuring to optimize solutions and bring a comprehensive experience set to every partner. Everspan has an AM Best Financial Strength Rating of 'A-' (Excellent), operating as a Financial Size Category Class VIII property and casualty insurer.

"Launching a new insurance business quickly is a significant challenge, so Everspan sought advanced solutions that could help us get to market as swiftly as possible," said Wyatt Blackburn, President of Everspan. "Duck Creek impressed us with their agile approach and the rich features and functionality Reinsurance Management offers. We are confident that this is the right reinsurance solution for our needs as a new and rapidly-growing platform."

By automating critical reinsurance financial and administrative processes, Duck Creek Reinsurance Managementhelps cedants improve operational efficiencies, maximize recoverables, reduce claims leakage, and improve data analytics and financial reporting. Digitally transforming reinsurance administration creates opportunities to strategically leverage data in ways that were previously extremely difficult. With the ability to better understand reinsurance transactions and outcomes, finance and risk management teams can leverage data to make critical decisions regarding risk appetite and support reinsurance contract negotiations. In addition, through rules-based automation, standardization, and data transparency, Reinsurance Management creates a more efficient and productive reinsurance administration program.

"We are very happy that Everspan Group has chosen Duck Creek to support its business," said Jeff Wargin, Chief Product Officer of Duck Creek Technologies. "Labor-intensive tools such as spreadsheets and databases cannot handle today's increasingly complex reinsurance programs and lack the scalability and speed of our SaaS solution. Duck Creek Reinsurance Management is designed to ensure that all reinsurance purchases achieve their intended goals, so this was a great choice for Everspan as it moves quickly into a complex and highly-regulated market."

About Everspan Group:

Everspan Group is a specialty property and casualty insurance platform comprised of Everspan Insurance Company, an admitted insurer and Everspan Indemnity Insurance Company, a surplus lines insurer. Everspan Group plans to operate nationwide on an admitted and non-admitted basis. The companies which comprise the Everspan Group are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Ambac Financial Group, Inc..

About Duck Creek Technologies:

Duck Creek Technologies, the company's enterprise Software-as-a-Service solution, insurance carriers are able to navigate uncertainty and capture market opportunities faster than their competitors. Duck Creek's functionally rich solutions are available on a stand-alone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. For more information, visit duckcreek.com.

Duck Creek Media Contact:

Paul Rechichi

Racepoint Global

617-624-3295

prechichi@racepointglobal.com
LAKEWOOD, CO / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Solera National Bancorp, Inc. (OTC PINK:SLRK) ("Company"), the holding company for Solera National Bank ("Bank"), a business-focused bank primarily serving the Denver metropolitan area, today reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021.

Highlights for the quarter and six-months ended September 30, 2021 include:

Pre-tax, pre-provision income climbed to a new record during the third quarter of 2021 at $4.6 million compared to $4.0 million for the second quarter of 2021.

YTD net income was up 107% at $8.47 million for the nine-months ended September 30, 2021 compared to $4.09 million for the nine-months ended September 30, 2020.

Cost of funds decreased to 17 basis points for the third quarter of 2021 and 18 basis points year-to-date 2021; this is a 50%, or 18 basis point, improvement over the 0.36% cost of funds for the nine-months ended September 30, 2020.

The Company's efficiency ratio increased to 41.16% in the third quarter of 2021 compared to 35.06% for the second quarter of 2021, which reflects additional staff hired to support continued growth.

Traditional gross loans were at $355 million for the nine-months ended September 30, 2021, a 49% increase compared to the nine-months ended September 30, 2020.

Noninterest-bearing deposits rose 17%, or $55.5 million, quarter-over-quarter and $179.6 million, or 85%, year-over-year ending September 30, 2021 at $390.1 million.

Asset quality remained constant with criticized assets at 3.47% of total assets and nonperforming assets at 1.22% of total assets as of September 30, 2021.

Return on average assets increased by 25 basis points to 2.51% for the third quarter of 2021 compared to 2.26% for the second quarter of 2021.

Return on average equity increased by 4% to 24.69% quarter-over-quarter.

For the three months ended September 30, 2021, the Company reported net income of $3.4 million, or $0.79 per share, compared to $3.1 million, or $0.71 per share, for the second quarter of 2021 and $2.1 million, or $0.51 per share, for the three months ended September 30, 2020. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, net income was $8.5 million, or $1.97 per share, compared to $4.1 million, or $0.98 per share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Scott Wilson, CEO, commented: "The results of this quarter demonstrate our trajectory of consistent growth, outperforming our peers, and increasing our stockholders' equity. We couldn't be more excited for the future of the bank."

Total assets were $551.9 million at September 30, 2021, an increase of 36% compared to total assets of $404.7 million at September 30, 2020. Total deposits were $489.1 million at September 30, 2021, an increase of 44% compared to total deposits of $339.7 million at September 30, 2020. Net loans were $415.9 million at September 30, 2021, an increase of 28% from net loans of $324.6 million at September 30, 2020. After adjusting for Paycheck Protection Program Loans, net loans were $349.2 million at September 30, 2021, an increase of 50% from $233.5 million at September 30, 2020. At September 30, 2021, the Bank had $66.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans, net, as compared to $91.0 million at September 30, 2020. The loans are considered short-term and are paid off by the Small Business Administration as the borrower(s) qualify for forgiveness. The outstanding balance of Paycheck Protection Program loans is expected to continue declining through the remainder of the year.

About Solera National Bancorp, Inc.

Solera National Bancorp, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 to organize and serve as the holding company for Solera National Bank, which opened for business in September 2007. Solera National Bank is a community bank serving the needs of emerging businesses and real estate investors. At the core of Solera National Bank is welcoming, attentive and respectful customer service, a focus on supporting a diverse economy, and a passion to serve our community through service, education and volunteerism. For more information, please visit https://www.solerabank.com/

This press release contains statements that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements contained in this release, which are not historical facts and that relate to future plans or projected results of Solera National Bancorp, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Solera National Bank, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Readers of this release are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

**FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW**

SOLERA NATIONAL BANCORP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(unaudited)

($000s) 9/30/2021 6/30/2021 3/31/2021 12/31/2020 9/30/2020 ASSETS









Cash and due from banks $ 2,714 $ 2,525 $ 2,418 $ 4,384 $ 2,339 Federal funds sold 15,000 2,700 2,000 6,200 6,000 Interest-bearing deposits with banks 1,267 880 828 807 824 Investment securities, available-for-sale 82,588 73,308 74,074 52,877 42,225 Investment securities, held-to-maturity 10,423 10,421 10,420 10,418 10,416 FHLB and Federal Reserve Bank stocks, at cost 1,626 2,330 2,766 1,322 1,256 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, gross 68,901 97,172 135,102 73,705 93,372 Net deferred (fees)/expenses, PPP loans (2,165 ) (3,118 ) (3,781 ) (1,520 ) (2,328 ) Net PPP loans 66,736 94,054 131,321 72,185 91,044 Traditional loans, gross 355,636 328,633 307,304 271,184 238,400 Net deferred (fees)/expenses, traditional loans (846 ) (688 ) (850 ) (782 ) (764 ) Allowance for loan and lease losses (5,633 ) (5,500 ) (5,500 ) (4,900 ) (4,124 ) Net traditional loans 349,157 322,445 300,954 265,502 233,512 Premises and equipment, net 12,939 13,019 13,093 13,155 8,287 Accrued interest receivable 2,334 2,080 2,444 1,886 1,855 Bank-owned life insurance 5,015 4,989 4,963 4,937 4,910 Other assets 2,086 3,241 5,839 2,119 2,010 TOTAL ASSETS $ 551,885 $ 531,992 $ 551,120 $ 435,792 $ 404,678

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Noninterest-bearing demand deposits $ 390,138 $ 334,620 $ 272,288 $ 235,172 $ 210,496 Interest-bearing demand deposits 12,809 15,979 15,487 12,576 8,961 Savings and money market deposits 66,444 89,223 107,202 83,399 61,143 Time deposits 19,678 27,647 50,207 50,999 59,089 Total deposits 489,069 467,469 445,184 382,146 339,689

Accrued interest payable 36 41 54 50 68 Short-term borrowings - 4,735 34,133 - 14,000 Long-term FHLB borrowings 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 Accounts payable and other liabilities 2,804 1,589 18,828 1,566 941 TOTAL LIABILITIES 495,909 477,834 502,199 387,762 358,698

Common stock 43 43 43 43 43 Additional paid-in capital 38,748 38,748 38,668 38,518 38,518 Retained earnings 17,185 13,786 10,722 8,718 6,870 Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) gain - 1,581 (512 ) 751 549 TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 55,976 54,158 48,921 48,030 45,980 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 551,885 $ 531,992 $ 551,120 $ 435,792 $ 404,678



SOLERA NATIONAL BANCORP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited)



Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended ($000s, except per share data) 9/30/2021 6/30/2021 3/31/2021 12/31/2020 9/30/2020 9/30/2021 9/30/2020 Interest and dividend income













Interest and fees on traditional loans $ 3,498 $ 3,298 $ 3,005 $ 2,792 $ 2,596 $ 9,801 $ 7,678 Interest and fees on PPP loans 1,152 1,259 986 1,027 616 3,397 1,042 Investment securities 614 647 533 411 388 1,794 1,091 Dividends on bank stocks 17 29 26 15 15 72 47 Other 5 3 3 3 3 11 105 Total interest income 5,286 5,236 4,553 4,248 3,618 15,075 9,963 Interest expense Deposits 192 200 174 187 221 566 768 FHLB & Fed borrowings 17 33 31 18 19 81 69 Total interest expense 209 233 205 205 240 647 837 Net interest income 5,077 5,003 4,348 4,043 3,378 14,428 9,126 Provision for loan and lease losses 149 5 605 782 355 759 1,365 Net interest income after

provision for loan and lease losses 4,928 4,998 3,743 3,261 3,023 13,669 7,761 Noninterest income Customer service and other fees 250 353 206 135 103 809 287 Other income 118 114 114 115 118 346 333 Gain on sale of loan - - - 84 - - - Gain on sale of securities 1,392 462 48 316 866 1,902 1,160 Total noninterest income 1,760 929 368 650 1,087 3,057 1,780 Noninterest expense Employee compensation and benefits 1,279 1,085 811 891 878 3,175 2,685 Occupancy 175 165 155 106 109 495 314 Professional fees 92 65 56 34 35 213 129 Other general and administrative 695 603 484 383 407 1,782 1,236 Total noninterest expense 2,241 1,918 1,506 1,414 1,429 5,665 4,364 Net Income Before Taxes $ 4,447 $ 4,009 $ 2,605 $ 2,497 $ 2,681 $ 11,061 $ 5,177 Income Tax Expense 1,048 945 601 649 564 2,594 1,091 Net Income $ 3,399 $ 3,064 $ 2,004 $ 1,848 $ 2,117 $ 8,467 $ 4,086

Income Per Share $ 0.79 $ 0.71 $ 0.47 $ 0.43 $ 0.51 $ 1.97 $ 0.98 Tangible Book Value Per Share $ 13.02 $ 12.60 $ 11.40 $ 11.23 $ 10.75 $ 13.02 $ 10.75 WA Shares outstanding 4,299,953 4,298,634 4,291,286 4,276,953 4,175,504 4,296,378 4,154,326 Pre-Tax Pre-Provision Income $ 4,596 $ 4,014 $ 3,210 $ 3,279 $ 3,036 $ 11,820 $ 6,542 Net Interest Margin 3.92 % 3.88 % 3.79 % 4.04 % 3.55 % 3.87 % 3.62 % Cost of Funds 0.17 % 0.19 % 0.19 % 0.22 % 0.27 % 0.18 % 0.36 % Efficiency Ratio 41.16 % 35.06 % 32.26 % 32.94 % 39.71 % 36.35 % 44.78 % Return on Average Assets 2.51 % 2.26 % 1.62 % 1.76 % 2.12 % 2.18 % 1.58 % Return on Average Equity 24.69 % 23.78 % 16.54 % 15.73 % 18.95 % 21.81 % 12.70 % Community Bank Leverage Ratio (CBLR) 10.3 % 9.6 % 10.1 % 11.3 % 11.4 %

Asset Quality: Non-performing loans to gross loans 1.89 % 2.07 % 0.31 % 0.36 % 0.41 % Non-performing assets to total assets 1.22 % 1.28 % 0.17 % 0.22 % 0.24 % Allowance for loan losses to gross traditional loans 1.58 % 1.67 % 1.79 % 1.81 % 1.73 %

Criticized loans/assets: Special mention $ 7,734 $ 7,018 $ 6,665 $ 7,730 $ 13,300 Substandard: Accruing 4,729 4,772 10,666 10,709 6,911 Substandard: Nonaccrual 6,710 6,796 955 970 987 Doubtful - - - - - Total criticized loans $ 19,173 $ 18,586 $ 18,286 $ 19,409 $ 21,198 Other real estate owned - - - - - Investment securities - - - - 576 Total criticized assets $ 19,173 $ 18,586 $ 18,286 $ 19,409 $ 21,774 Criticized assets to total assets 3.47 % 3.49 % 3.32 % 4.45 % 5.38 %



For More Information Contact:

Scott Wilson, Chief Executive Officer

319-541-8649

swilson@solerabank.com

SOURCE: Solera National Bancorp, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669028/Solera-National-Bancorp-Announces-Third-Quarter-2021-Financial-Results
Simplified tender offer on S.T. Dupont's shares for EUR 0.14 per S.T. Dupont share, followed by a mandatory squeeze-out

Press release - Paris, October 21, 2021

S.T. Dupont (the "Company") announces that D and D International B.V. ("D and D" or the "Offeror"), its controlling shareholder holding 79.71% of its share capital and 88.44% of its voting rights1, has informed the Company today of its intention to file with the French market authority (the "AMF") a simplified tender offer for the entirety of the shares of S.T. Dupont SA (Euronext Paris: DPT) not already held by the Offeror, for a per share price of EUR 0.14 (the "Offer").

The Offer will be filed in the context of the Offeror's decision to diversify the business activities of the Company, coupled with an expansion of its retail network. All of this will require additional capital and development time, and the risks involved mean that the listing is not a suitable or desirable framework for achieving the above objective. It should be noted that the Company is not able to finance the investment required to deliver the above objectives through its current balance sheet, and therefore additional investment into the Company is required in order to deliver this plan. It should also be noted that the Company's net equity has become less than half of its share capital and the Company currently contemplates all possible options, including a share capital reduction, in order to restore its net equity.

The Offeror indicated its intention to file the Offer within 15 days following this announcement.

The Offer price will represent a premium of 57.7% over the closing share price on 20 October 2021, 53.0% to the volume weighted average price of the Company's shares for the 20 trading days prior to such date, and 53.4% to the volume weighted average price of the Company's shares for the 60 trading days prior to such date.

The Offeror indicated that the Offer would not be subject to any regulatory or other condition precedent.

The Offeror also indicated its intention to implement a mandatory squeeze-out following the Offer if the legal and regulatory conditions are satisfied.

In this context, the Company acknowledged the Offeror's intention. In accordance with articles 261-1 I, 1 and II of the general regulation of the AMF, a meeting of the supervisory board of the Company will be held in order to create an ad hoc committee, comprised of a majority of independent members. The ad hoc committee will notably be in charge of proposing the appointment of an independent appraiser, which will issue a report on the financial terms of the Offer (including the mandatory squeeze-out).

In accordance with applicable stock market regulations, the independent appraiser will issue its final report within no less than 20 trading days following the filing of the Offer.

The ad hoc committee will supervise the work of the independent expert and will make recommendations to the supervisory board in view of issuing its reasoned opinion (avismotive) on the Offer.

The supervisory board of the Company will then be convened in order to issue a reasoned opinion, in light of the conclusion of the report of the independent appraiser, on the Offer and its consequences for the Company, its shareholders and its employees. In accordance with the general regulation of the AMF, the supervisory board's reasoned opinion will be mentioned in the response document to be prepared by the Company.

At the Company's request, trading was suspended on 21 October 2021. The Company announced that it has requested from Euronext Paris that the trading resume (code ISIN FR0000054199 - DPT) at market opening on 25 October 2021.

The Company will keep its shareholders informed of the main developments of the Offer and will make further notifications in accordance with applicable regulations.

About S.T. Dupont :

S.T. Dupont SA is a France-based company engaged in the manufacture, marketing and sale of luxury goods. The Company offers a range of products including lighters, writing instruments, leather goods, ready to wear, belts, and other accessories. The Company distributes its products worldwide, and the majority of its products are sold in Europe and Asia.

Disclaimer :

This press release is not and cannot in any way be construed as an offering to buy any securities. The Offer will be made only pursuant to the Offer documentation which will contain the full terms and conditions of the Offer. The Offer documentation will be subject to review by the AMF and the Offer will only be opened once the AMF has granted its clearance. Any decision in respect of the Offer should be made only on the basis of the information contained in such Offer documentation.

This press release is of a purely informative nature. This press release does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market, and repealing the Prospectus Directive 2003/71/EC. The dissemination of this press release, the Offer and its acceptance may be subject to specific regulations or restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Consequently, persons in possession of this press release shall inquire about potential applicable local regulations and comply with them. S.T. Dupont excludes all liability to any person or entity, however arising, from or in relation to any breach of any such restrictions by any person.

Pursuant to the Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2016/1055 of 29 June 2016, laying down implementing technical standards with regard to the technical means for appropriate public disclosure of inside information and for delaying the public disclosure of inside information in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council, this press release may contain inside information and has been released to S.T. Dupont's authorized broadcaster on 21 October 2021.

Forward-looking statements :

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, statements announcing or referring to future events, trends, plans or objectives, based on certain assumptions as well as statements not directly relating to a historical fact or factual situation. Such information includes, but is not limited to: information regarding the Company's plans, objectives, prospects and intentions, including financial or other information based on assessments or estimates regarding the Company's future performance, future events, strategy, positioning, resources, capabilities or expectations. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions made as of the date hereof and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Except as required by laws or regulations, the Company does not undertake to amend or revise any of the statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances that are unforeseen or that would occur after the date of this publication or to reflect any change in the expectations, events, conditions or circumstances on which such statements are based.

Contacts :

Investor relations: invest@st-dupont.com

1 On the basis of a share capital composed of 524,279,556 shares representing 945,087,036 theoretical voting rights as at 30 September 2021 in accordance with article 223-11 of the general regulation of the AMF.

Attachment
PEORIA, IL / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Tada Cognitive (Tada), the revolutionary platform with groundbreaking Digital Duplicate technology that enables collaboration, orchestration and visibility across the entire supply chain ecosystem, today announced that it was selected by Bradley University as the 2021 Entrepreneur and Convergence Business Award winner. Tada's revolutionary platform, Data Fabric and persona-based command centers connect data silos to increase revenue and drive efficiency.

The Bradley University Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Convergence Conference was hosted by the Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and featured local and nationally known speakers. Companies nominated for the 2021 award ranged from early startups to seasoned businesses from agricultural technology, medical and technology industries. Both the business and individual award winners were selected by the entrepreneurship and convergence ecosystem committee.

"The Entrepreneur and Convergence Business Award is given to a regional company that is doing exceptional work while providing a positive global impact. This year's company nominations were highly impressive, and we are thrilled to honor Tada with the second annual business award for their collaboration with our students and their dedication to delivering real-time visibility and collaboration across the entire enterprise ecosystem," stated William C. McDowell, Ph.D., Professor and Turner Chair of Entrepreneurship, Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Bradley University.

"We have a strong connection with Bradley University from engaging with undergraduate students to hiring graduates that bring a fresh perspective to enhance our software solution," stated Seshadri Guha, CEO for Tada Cognitive Solutions. "We are honored to be recognized as a leader in entrepreneurial and convergence activities and look forward to building upon our relationship with the Bradley University students and staff."

About Bradley University

Bradley University is a top-ranked private university in Peoria, Illinois, that offers nearly 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students opportunities and resources of a larger university and the personal attention and exceptional learning experience of a smaller university. Bradley offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate academic programs in business, communications, education, engineering, fine arts, health sciences, liberal arts and sciences, and technology. These high-quality programs incorporate global and experiential learning opportunities, preparing graduates to succeed in a complex world.

About Tada Cognitive Solutions

Tada, recently nominated as a Cool Vendor for its Data Fabric technology by Gartner, is a leader in the Supply Chain Solutions. Tada's revolutionary platform, with its patented Digital Duplicate () Technology, continuously integrates data, people, and?processes to deliver real-time visibility, orchestration, and collaboration across the entire supply chain ecosystem.?Tada unleashes the magic of Data at unparalleled speed and scale, allowing our customers to connect data silos within their own and their partner enterprises to create a unique data fabric and persona based command center to increase revenue, and drive efficiency.??Our system operates mission critical solutions for some of the most complex Fortune 100 companies' supply chains in manufacturing, healthcare and insurance. See more details at www.tadanow.com .

Media Contact:

Sarah Thorson

York IE for Tada Cognitive

sarah@york.ie

SOURCE: Tada Cognitive Solutions

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669097/Bradley-University-Selects-Tada-Cognitive-as-2021-Entrepreneur-and-Convergence-Business-Award-Winner
NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP (dpa-AFX) - The Allstate Corporation (ALL), an American insurance company, on Thursday said it expects catastrophe losses for the month of September at $165 million or $130 million, after-tax. With this, the pre-tax catastrophe losses for the third quarter totaled $1.3 billion. The estimated catastrophe losses of $103 million excludes reinsurance reinstatement premium and modest unfavorable reserve re-estimates. Two large wind, hail events, primarily impacting the Midwest, accounted for approximately 50 percent of September estimated catastrophe losses, the company said. During the third quarter of 2021, the insurance provider performed its annual run-off property-liability reserve review, which resulted in unfavorable reserve re-estimates totaling $111 million or $88 million, after-tax, primarily related to asbestos and environmental exposures. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia area saw slower growth in the month of October, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia on Thursday.



The Philly Fed said its diffusion index for current activity fell to 23.8 in October from 30.7 in September, although a positive reading still indicates growth. Economists had expected the index to drop to 25.0.



The slightly bigger than expected decrease by the headline index came even though the new orders index surged up to 30.8 in October from 15.9 in September.



The number of employees index also rose to 30.7 in October from 26.3 in September, while the shipments index inched up to 30.0 from 29.9.



The Philly Fed noted the indicators for prices paid and prices received remained elevated, with the prices paid index climbing to 70.3 in October from 67.3 in September. The prices received index edged down to 51.1 from 52.9.



The report also showed the unfilled orders index jumped to 12.7 in October from 5.4 in September, while the delivery times index shot up to 32.2 from 20.4.



Looking ahead, the Philly Fed said future indexes suggest that the surveyed firms remained generally optimistic about growth over the next six months, with the diffusion index for future general activity rising to 24.2 in October from 20.0 in September.



'Voracious goods demand will keep factory assembly lines churning out products at a healthy clip,' said Oren Klachkin, Lead U.S. Economist at Oxford Economics.



He added, 'However, growth will be constrained by persistent supply chain disruptions, which we think will drag on activity well into 2022, with the risk of persisting into 2023.'



A separate report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York last Friday showed a notable slowdown in the pace of growth in regional manufacturing activity in the month of October.



The New York Fed said its general business conditions index tumbled to 19.8 in October from 34.3 in September. Economists had expected the index to pull back to 27.0.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
EQS Group-News: TERRAOIL SWISS AG / Key word(s): Legal Matter

TERRAOIL SWISS AG: Albanian Key Legal Case



21.10.2021 / 15:51



NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD NOT BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS



Albanian Key Legal Case



Administrative Court of Appeal Annuls Decisions of the Administrative Court of First Instance Vlore in Key Case for Terraoil Swiss AG



Zug, Switzerland, Oct. 21, 2021 - Terraoil Swiss AG, an E&P company with a strong focus on the Mediterranean, today announced that the Administrative Court of Appeal in Tirana, Albania on 30.09.2021 has annulled two decisions of the Administrative Court of First Instance Vlore which were preventing Terraoil Swiss from progressing the final negotiation and signing of the production sharing agreements for Cakran-Mollaj, Gorisht-Kocul and Amonice.



As previously announced by the Company, the heads of terms for these fields were executed with Albpetrol Sh.a. and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (the "Defendants") in June, 2018. The Company had been prevented from finalizing the Production Sharing Agreements ("PSA's") due to a court case filed by unsuccessful bidders against the Defendants to declare the unsuccessful bidders as the winner of the bid and to allow them to negotiate PSA's with the Defendants.



The court case was delayed due to judiciary reforms and COVID-19 restrictions which had closed the courts for several months. Appeals from the plaintiffs also delayed the timely closure of this case. The decision reached by the Administrative Court of Appeal to overturn the previous rulings of the Administrative Court Vlore and move the case for retrial to the Tirana Administrative Court of First Instance cancels the rulings which were preventing the Company from finalizing the PSA's. A thirty-day appeal period applies to this ruling. The Company will provide an update as soon as information is available.



The ruling can be found at the following link: http://www.gjykataadministrativeeapelit.al/detajeteceshtjes1.php/?id=%2034109



Chief Executive Officer, Peter Krempin commented:

"We are happy that these rulings were overturned and the case has been sent to the Tirana courts where we expect a quick conclusion to this issue which has delayed Terraoil from executing our business plan. Our team's credibility has been called into question due to these delays that were beyond our control. Improved transparency in the Albanian court system has resulted in the publication of the ruling on the internet and shows that this case has prevented us from finalizing the PSA's. We believe the ruling will allow us to negotiate the final terms and execute the PSA's while the final decision of the Tirana Administrative Court of First Instance progresses. Operations of the three new oilfields are expected to be taken over shortly after the PSA's are executed."



If you are an Terraoil shareholder and would like additional information, contact Peter Krempin either via email investors@terraoil.swiss or by telephone at +41 71 544 01 20.



About Terraoil Swiss AG

Terraoil is an international E&P company with a focus to identify and rapidly advance undeveloped transformational production potential through state-of-the-art technology with comparably low production cost. https://terraoil.swiss



Legal Notice

This media release serves informational purposes and constitutes neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation or an advertisement to buy any shares of Terraoil Swiss AG in any jurisdiction. This media release does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Article 35 et seqq. of the Swiss Federal Act on Financial Services. Investors should base their decision to purchase shares of Terraoil Swiss AG exclusively on the official prospectus, which is available electronically and free of charge under https://terraoil.swiss/prospectus. The shares described in the prospectus will publicly be offered in Switzerland only. In addition, investors should seek advice from their bank or their financial adviser. This media release and the information contained therein are not being issued in the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, or the European Economic Area and must not be distributed within or to such countries or via publications with a general circulation in such countries.

This media release contains forward-looking statements such as projections, forecasts, and estimates. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those anticipated in this media release. Readers should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this media release are based on the views and assumptions of Terraoil Swiss AG as of this date and Terraoil Swiss AG does not assume any obligation to update or revise this media release.

End of Media Release


Acquisition is the company's first since announcing $315 million Series D funding

FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Weee! ( www.sayweee.com ), the largest and fastest-growing ethnic e-grocer in North America, today announced the acquisition of RICEPO, an online Asian food delivery company. The move will bolster Weee!'s growing demands of customers nationwide seeking diverse and authentic food-at-home options, from groceries to restaurant meals.

Weee! continues to scale to meet increased consumer interest in its unique online grocery and restaurant delivery service; one that combines the availability of high-quality and hard-to-find products with community and social sharing. With the RICEPO acquisition, Weee! will immediately expand its restaurant delivery offering, bringing another dimension of ethnic food delivery to its customers.

"We are excited to welcome RICEPO into our growing operations," said Larry Liu, chief executive officer and founder of Weee!. "Weee! currently partners with over 300 restaurants, and the addition of RICEPO will let us continue to delight and serve our growing customer base as a one-stop shop for delicious food at home."

"RICEPO will complement Weee!'s proven ability to deliver fresh grocery products as well as locally prepared food," said Dax Li, chief executive officer and co-founder of RICEPO. "There is a clear appetite for delivery from authentic restaurants that are often missing or overlooked within the existing food delivery experience, and we look forward to fulfilling this need throughout North America."

Weee! has fulfilled more than 10 million orders to date as it continues to engage the broader Asian and Hispanic communities with state-of-the-art personalization and social commerce features. Weee! merchandise is meticulously sourced and includes rare and often exclusive products such as fresh Pacific black cod from Half Moon Bay, Kyoho grapes, and air-flown Hokkaido uni.

About RICEPO

RICEPO is the leading mobile ordering platform for authentic Asian food in the United States and Europe. Founded in New York and headquartered in Silicon Valley, RICEPO is available on iOS and Android featuring thousands of authentic Asian restaurant partners.

About Weee! Inc.

Weee! was founded in 2015 with the belief that quality, freshness, and accessibility shouldn't ever be compromised when it comes to food. Loved and recognized as a trusted household brand among underserved communities, Weee! makes convenient and affordable access to specialty products and everyday essentials possible. Products are guaranteed to be delivered at peak freshness and priced lower than or comparable to offline stores. No subscription is required to shop and next-day delivery is free with a low order minimum. The company continues to redefine online grocery shopping by leveraging social e-commerce and proprietary forecasting technology.

Forward-Looking Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements include statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "ongoing," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "strive," "will" or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Examples of forward-looking statements in this announcement include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our disclosure concerning the Company's operations, cash flows, financial position and dividend policy.

Press Contact

pr@sayweee.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1232964/Weee_Logo.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1666726/RICEPO_Logo.jpg
- With Over 70% Iron Content, Magnetite Will Remain Highly Sought-After in Iron Ore Pellets Market

- The Fact.MR report on iron ore pellets market uncovers the latest trends affecting sales through 2031. It studies in detail various growth drivers and restraints impacting the demand across key segments including grade, source, application and end use. The report also highlights the strategies adopted by key market players to increase their sales.

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fact.MR - A Market Research and Competitive Intelligence Provider: As per the latest Fact.MR analysis, the global iron ore pellets market size was valued at US$ 46 Bn in 2020 and is expected to reach around US$ 68 Bn by 2031.

Demand for iron ore pellets is expected to soar owing to the rising adoption in steel manufacturing plants. Sales are projected to increase at a CAGR of 4.3% between 2021 and 2031, with market volume surpassing 399 Mn tons in 2021.

As iron forms the main component of steel, increasing steel production is expected to create huge demand for iron ore pellets. According to the Worldsteel Association, world crude steel production for the 64 countries reached 156.8 million tons in August 2021. This is anticipated to create ample of growth opportunities for iron ore pellets market.

Iron ore pellet is a type of agglomerated iron ore fines which has better tumbler index as compared to that of parent ore. It can also be used as substitute of lump ore for the production of direct reduced iron (DRI) and in blast furnaces for the production of hot metal.

Iron ore pellets are a better feed for iron and steel making as compared to other feeds. They are mostly preferred due to various benefits such as uniform size, high metallization rate, increased productivity, lower energy cost, higher yield, increased permeability in blast furnaces to optimize fuel consumption rate, and lower maintenance cost.

Request a report sample to gain compressive insights at

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=6991

Implementation of stringent emission regulations and increasing efforts to achieve de-carbonization targets will continue to fuel the consumption of iron ore pellets. Pellet usage significantly reduces carbon and poisonous gas emissions such as SOx, NOx and CO2 particulate matters.

It also saves the environment as well as cut down the expenditure on waste gas treatment, scrubbers etc. Hence, demand for iron ore pellets is expected to manifold over the coming years, estimates Fact.MR.

As per the study, construction and automotive industries are the two major end-use industries of steel. Rising demand from these industries indirectly plays a crucial role in expanding the iron ore pellets market.

Fact.MR projects North America market was estimated to be worth around US$ 14.5 Bn in 2020. Rapid expansion of steel production industry, presence of leading market players and increasing vehicle production are some of the factors driving the growth across the North America iron ore pellets market.

"As the focus is shifting towards decarbonizing the atmosphere, sales of iron ore pellets are expected to witness huge upsurge. Steel manufacturers are showing keen interest in utilizing iron ore pellets for steel production since it helps to significantly reduce carbon emissions," says the Fact.MR analyst.

Key Takeaways from Iron Ore Pellets Market Survey

With massive steel production, China will continue to dominate the iron ore pellets market across East Asia during the forecast period.

will continue to dominate the iron ore pellets market across during the forecast period. India is emerging as a lucrative market for iron ore pellets, registering 200 BPS to its net value by 2021 end.

is emerging as a lucrative market for iron ore pellets, registering 200 BPS to its net value by 2021 end. Japan market is experiencing strong growth amid increasing steel output, gaining 110 BPS in net valuation by 2021 end.

market is experiencing strong growth amid increasing steel output, gaining 110 BPS in net valuation by 2021 end. Based on source, blast furnace grade is anticipated to dominate the market during the forecast period, expanding at a healthy CAGR of 5.6%

Magnetite remains the most preferred source for manufacturing iron ore pellets due to its high iron content, creating incremental $ opportunity of US$ 1.2 Bn by 2021 end

Key Drivers

Depletion of high-grade ore reserves is positively impacting the growth of iron pellets market.

Various advantages associated with iron ore pellets such as higher iron content and ecofriendly nature fosters their demand across various industries.

Increasing vehicle production and rise in construction activities will continue to fuel the demand for iron ore pellets during the forecast period.

Key Restraints

Poor level of integration between iron ore pellet suppliers and steelmaking companies poses a significant demand and supply gap, denting pellet sales.

Fluctuations in the raw material prices will act as a restraining factor for the iron ore pellets market.

Rising emission levels in steel plants causing adverse environmental effects will also hinder the growth in the market.

To learn more about Iron Ore Pellets Market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=6991

Competitive Landscape

Companies operating in the iron ore pellets market are focusing on increasing their production capacity. Some of the companies are collaborating with local and regional players to retain their dominance in the industry.

In February 2021 , Rio Tinto teamed up with Paul Wurth and SHS-Stahl-Holding-Saar to explore the production of a low-carbon steel feedstock. The partnership will explore the viability of transforming iron ore pellets into low-carbon hot briquetted iron (HBI), a low carbon steel feedstock, using green hydrogen generated from hydroelectricity in Canada .

, Rio Tinto teamed up with and SHS-Stahl-Holding-Saar to explore the production of a low-carbon steel feedstock. The partnership will explore the viability of transforming iron ore pellets into low-carbon hot briquetted iron (HBI), a low carbon steel feedstock, using green hydrogen generated from hydroelectricity in . In May 2021 , Bahrain Steel and IAD signed a land-lease agreement for leasing 368,873 m2 of industrial area land adjacent to the Company's existing stockyard in Hidd. To meet the growing needs of the business, and to ensure uninterrupted availability of pellets to its customers, Bahrain Steel will more than double its iron ore and pellet storage capacity from 1.8 million tons to 4 million tons

, Bahrain Steel and IAD signed a land-lease agreement for leasing 368,873 m2 of industrial area land adjacent to the Company's existing stockyard in Hidd. To meet the growing needs of the business, and to ensure uninterrupted availability of pellets to its customers, Bahrain Steel will more than double its iron ore and pellet storage capacity from 1.8 million tons to 4 million tons In October 2021 , Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ferrous Processing and Trading Company, including certain related entities (FPT), for a total enterprise value of around US$ 775 million . Through this acquisition the company aims to expand its portfolio of high quality ferrous raw materials by including iron ore pellets, direct reduced iron and prime scrap.

, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ferrous Processing and Trading Company, including certain related entities (FPT), for a total enterprise value of around . Through this acquisition the company aims to expand its portfolio of high quality ferrous raw materials by including iron ore pellets, direct reduced iron and prime scrap. In April 2019 , Bahrain Steel signed 20-year agreement with Anglo American for the supply of iron ore pellet feed for its pelletizing plants located in Hidd in the Kingdom of Bahrain .

Some of the prominent players operating in the iron ore pellets market profiled by Fact.MR are:

Vale

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.

Rio Tinto

Fortescue Metals

United States Steel Corporation

Bahrain Steel

ArcelorMittal

NMDC Limited

LKAB

Mitsubishi Corporation

BHP Billiton

ArcelorMittal S.A.

Ferrexpo p2lc

Jindal SAW Limited

Xindia Steels Ltd.

Metso Outotec

More Insights on the Global Iron Ore Pellets Sales Outlook

Fact.MR, in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the iron ore pellets market, presenting historical demand data (2016-2020) and forecast statistics for the period from 2021-2031. The study divulges compelling insights on the global demand for iron ore pellets with a detailed segmentation on the basis of:

Grade

Direct Reduction (DR)

Blast Furnaces (BF)

Source

Magnetite

Hematite

Others

Application

Iron-based Chemicals

Steel Production

End Use

Iron Ore Pellets for Electric Induction Furnaces

Iron Ore Pellets for Oxygen-based/Blast Furnaces

Iron Ore Pellets for Electric Arc Furnaces

Key Questions Covered in the Iron Ore Pellets Sales Outlook Report

The report offers insight into iron ore pellets demand outlook for 2021-2031

The market study also highlights projected sales growth for iron ore pellets market between 2021 and 2031

Iron ore pellets 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

Iron ore pellets market share analysis of the key companies within the industry and coverage of strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations or partnerships, and others

Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on the Chemical & Materials Domain -

Iron Powder Market- Vehicle production has increased significantly over the world, which is likely to fuel demand for iron powder over the projection period. Iron powder is used in the automobile sector for powder metallurgy applications, which include automotive parts, gears, bearings, and sintered components, among others. In recent years, the additive manufacturing and Metal Injection Molding (MIM) processes have gained popularity in a number of end-use industries, resulting in increased demand for iron powder around the world.

Amorphous Iron (Fe Amorphous) Market- End-users are looking to lessen their reliance on rare-earth magnets due to their uncertain supply and skyrocketing pricing, therefore demand for amorphous iron has risen dramatically in recent years. Rare-earth magnetics are being phased out in favor of amorphous iron or Fe amorphous in a variety of industrial applications due to its exceptional magnetic characteristics. Amorphous iron (Fe amorphous) has a wide range of uses as a magnetic material due to its conductive and magnetic properties, which is driving the market for amorphous iron (Fe amorphous).

Iron Oxide Pigments Market- The ongoing necessity for coloring agents in numerous end-use industries has aided demand growth in the iron oxide pigments market. Because it is also less expensive than certain other coloring compounds, its use and demand have benefited greatly. However, the use of iron oxide pigments in end-use products to a greater level is seen as a threat to human safety. In addition, inhaling iron oxides may cause non-specific lung irritation. As a result, iron oxide pigment manufacturers must bear and manage any risks associated with iron oxide pigments.

About Fact.MR

Fact.MR is a market research and consulting agency with deep expertise in emerging market intelligence. Spanning a wide range - from automotive & industry 4.0 to chemical and materials, technology to even the most niche categories. 80% of Fortune 1000's trust us in critical decision making.

MarketNgage is powered by Fact.MR - our Unified Intelligence Engine, a revolutionary Market Research Subscription platform with a flexible pricing to suit your needs.



You can access all our chemical and materials research reports by signing up with MarketNgage's Market Research Subscription with FREE credits. MarketNgage is powered by Fact.MR - A Fully integrated research solution for seamless single-window access Widest coverage on emerging markets, nascent products, and disruptive technologies.

Contact:

Mahendra Singh

US Sales Office

11140 Rockville Pike

Suite 400

Rockville, MD 20852

United States

Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583

E: sales@factmr.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713666/FactMR_Logo.jpg


BANGALORE, India, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wireless Mesh Network Market is Segmented by Type (Sub 1 GHz Band, 2.4 GHz Band, 4.9 GHz Band, 5 GHz Band, Others), Application (Hospitality, Government, Logistics, Mining, Education, Health Care, Others). The report covers global opportunity analysis and industry forecasts from 2021 to 2027. It is published in Valuates Reports under Networking Category.

The global Wireless Mesh Network market size is projected to reach USD 5644.8 Million by 2027, from USD 3293.7 Million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.0% during the forecast period 2021-2027.

Major Factors Driving The Growth Of The Wireless Mesh Network Market Are

The Wireless Mesh Network market is predicted to develop due to the rising use of smart connected devices, rising bandwidth demand, a decline in the price of connected devices, and advancements in wireless mesh network technology.

The entire network does not shut down if any of the wireless end nodes, devices, or stations fail. This means that a problem or error on one node has no impact on the rest of the network. Only the area encircled by specific malfunctioning nodes would be impacted. The service will be automatically or manually restored by another healthy node. This capability is likely to boost mesh network usage and hence the wireless mesh network market growth.

Get your sample today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Othe-4X442/Wireless_Mesh_Network_Market

Trends Influencing The Growth Of The Wireless Mesh Network Market

Wireless mesh networking eliminates reliance on wired infrastructure, making it ideal for offering low-cost Internet connectivity to low-income communities and sparsely inhabited locations. This characteristic is predicted to propel the Wireless Mesh Network market forward.

Wireless mesh networking market expansion is being fueled by rising IoT use and industrial automation in industries such as mining and logistics. Wireless mesh networking (WMN) is ideally suited for tracking pallets and monitoring huge physical items with a highly dependable wireless communication network due to its connectivity advantage and low cost.

The expansion of the Wireless Mesh Network market is likely to be fueled by government initiatives to build free municipal wireless networks in public locations. A municipal wireless network is a network that spans the entire city. This is commonly accomplished by installing a wireless mesh network to provide municipal broadband through Wi-Fi to significant portions or all of a municipal territory. Hundreds of wireless access points are typically put outdoors, often on poles, in a typical deployment plan. The network's operator also serves as a wireless internet service provider.

Browse the Table of Contents and List of figures at: https://reports.valuates.com/reports/QYRE-Othe-4X442/wireless-mesh-network

Wireless Mesh Network Market Share Analysis

Based on type, The 2.4 GHz band, which is utilized by a high number of microwaves, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth devices, cordless phones, and other wireless devices, is predicted to be the most lucrative segment.

Based on region, North America is expected to be the most lucrative during the forecast period. The United States and Canada are part of the North American region, which is seeing rapid adoption of wireless mesh networking technology. These countries have significant economic supremacy due to their stable and well-established economies, allowing them to invest heavily in R&D operations and so contribute to the creation of new technology.

Report Customization Request: https://reports.valuates.com/request/customisation/QYRE-Othe-4X442/Wireless_Mesh_Network_Market

Major Players in the Wireless Mesh Network Market

Strix Systems Incorporated

ABB

Cisco Systems

Digi International

Aruba Networks

General Dynamics Mission Systems

Cambium Networks

Synapse Wireless

Vigilent

Firetide

Rajant Corporation

Fluidmesh Networks

ArrowSpan

Concentris Systems

Others

Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-4X442&lic=single-user

Buy Now for Enterprise License + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-4X442&lic=enterprise-license

SUBSCRIPTION

We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans.

SIMILAR REPORTS

- The global wireless connectivity technology market size was valued at USD 53.17 Billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 150.38 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 13.0% from 2020 to 2027.

- The global Wireless Module market size is projected to reach USD 9809.2 Million by 2027, from USD 4549.7 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 11.6% during 2021-2027.

- The global Wireless Network Security market size is projected to reach USD 22900 Million by 2027, from USD 13550 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 7.3% during 2021-2027.

- The global Network Optimization Services market size is projected to reach USD 10540 Million by 2027, from USD 4936.5 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 11.0% during 2021-2027.

- In 2020, the global Connected Home Security System market size was USD 133.6 Million and it is expected to reach USD 503 Million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 20.0% during 2021-2027.

- In 2020, the global Home Security market size was USD 1478 Million and it is expected to reach USD 24960 Million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 50.3% during 2021-2027.

- The global Mobile Device Security market size is projected to reach USD 37340 Million by 2027, from USD 20690 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 8.3% during 2021-2027.

- The global Wi-Fi Analytics market size is projected to reach USD 11390 Million by 2027, from USD 4219 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 14.7% during 2021-2027.

- In 2020, the global WiFi Home Router market size was USD 3271 Million and it is expected to reach USD 4336 Million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 4.1% during 2021-2027.

- The global Smart Personal Safety and Security Device market size is projected to reach USD 54230 Million by 2027, from USD 32780 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 7.4% during 2021-2027.

- The global Public Safety and Security market size is projected to reach USD 514.8 Million by 2027, from USD 292.6 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 7.9% during 2021-2027.

- The global Public and Personal Safety market size is projected to reach USD 540170 Million by 2027, from USD 326520 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 7.4% during 2021-2027.

To see the full list of related reports on the Wireless Network

ABOUT US:

Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs.

Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs.

To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains detail research methodology employed to generate the report, Please also reach to our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources

CONTACT US:

Valuates Reports

sales@valuates.com

For U.S. Toll-Free Call +1-(315)-215-3225

For IST Call +91-8040957137

WhatsApp: +91 9945648335

Website: https://reports.valuates.com

Follow on Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports

Follow on Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports

Follow on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg
DGAP-News: Cryptology Asset Group PLC / Key word(s): Statement/Cryptocurrency / Blockchain

Cryptology's estimated NAV per share as of 20/10/2021 is 11.90



21.10.2021 / 16:04

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Corporate News

Cryptology Asset Group p.l.c. ("Cryptology")

Malta, 21.10.2021

Cryptology's estimated NAV per share as of 20/10/2021 is 11.90

Cryptology's Estimated NAV Reaches a New All-Time High as Bitcoin Surges

Malta, 21.10.2021. Cryptology Asset Group (ISIN: MT0001770107; Ticker: CAP:GR), a leading European holding company for crypto assets and blockchain-related business models, announced its most recent weekly estimated Net Asset Value ("NAV") per share of 11.90.

Bitcoin continued its scorching hot October by reaching a new all-time high price above $67,000 on Wednesday. The movements follow the approval and listing of the first U.S. Bitcoin futures ETF earlier in the week.

GBC AG, an independent capital markets research firm, issued an updated report on Cryptology after the share split with a "BUY" rating. Adjusting for the 20-1 stock split, GBC increased its price target to 18.35. The shares closed yesterday at 6.90, implying well over a 50% discount to GBC's price target.

Cryptology CEO, Patrick Lowry, said "The approval of the ever-elusive Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. has had a substantially positive impact on Bitcoin and general crypto market sentiment. This weeks' movement has led Cryptology to a new all-time high estimated NAV, and I expect the torrid pace crypto is on to continue through Q4. It is indeed a very exciting time to be in crypto!"

Cryptology shares currently trade on several German exchanges including Borse Dusseldorf, Gettex and Tradegate. In order to increase trading liquidity and open up to new shareholder groups, Cryptology is currently exploring an international listing.

About Cryptology Asset Group p.l.c.

Cryptology Asset Group (ISIN: MT0001770107; Ticker: CAP:GR) is a leading European holding company for crypto assets and blockchain-related business models. Founded by Christian Angermayer's family office, Apeiron Investment Group, and crypto-legend Mike Novogratz, Cryptology is the largest publicly traded holding company for blockchain- and crypto-based business models in Europe. Noteworthy portfolio companies include crypto-giant and EOSIO software publisher Block.one, leading HPC provider Northern Data, commission-free online neobroker nextmarkets, and crypto asset management group Iconic Holding.

Media Contact:

Cryptology Asset Group p.l.c.

Jefim Gewiet (COO)

66/67, Beatrice, Amery Street,

Sliema SLM 1707 Malta

E-mail: info@cryptology-ag.com

21.10.2021 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




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The National Restaurant Association or NRA, shot out a letter to the U.S. Conference of Mayors suggesting that expanded outdoor dining is the need of the hour for the restaurant industry to sustain the winter. The NRA also warned that thousands of restaurants without this facility could close down very soon.



The letter urges local leaders to do everything in their power to assist restaurants in offering outdoor dining for as long as possible this winter.



The NRA is looking for an extension of expanded outdoor dining allowances, continued streamlined permitting processes, promotion of outdoor dining efforts by operators in their localities, and funding for outdoor dining infrastructure as some localities did last year.



The letter stated that an NRA study indicated that restaurants are up against a bleak winter, due to the continuing impact of the delta variant, the lack of the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) replenishment, and the changing weather. Outdoor dining provided a lifeline for restaurants this summer.



The NRA said a number of restaurants benefited from the RRF, but they ran out of money very soon. Approximately two thirds of applicants also did not receive any funding and 177,000 restaurants are now in danger of closing down. Further, the Congress is yet to replenish the RRF, leaving a $43.6 billion funding gap.



The outlook for the restaurant industry currently remains dire as the delta variant caused a majority of consumers to change their restaurant use, including 20% who have chosen to sit outside instead of inside, the NRA added. Restaurants currently rely on outdoor dining to stay open, despite the upcoming winter chill.



'Expanded outdoor dining cannot replace robust consumer demand for indoor dining or Congress taking action to replenish the RRF, yet it is critically needed to help the industry sustain the winter,' said Mike Whatley, vice president for State Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy.



During last year's winter period, many restaurants were able to invest in equipment to expand and winterize their outdoor dining areas, despite supply chain issues.



According to the NRA study, the delta variant slowed indoor dining at 78 percent of restaurants in recent weeks, while outdoor dining is 20 percent or more of daily sales at 68 percent of fullservice restaurants.



The study also showed that 61 percent of fullservice restaurants can only use their outdoor space through October, while only 30 percent of fullservice restaurants plan to utilize outdoor seating the entire winter.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
ProAmpac, a leader in flexible packaging and material science, expressed its appreciation to four organizations for their recent recognition of the company's contributions to sustainability, innovation, and package design in fresh food-to-go packaging.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005728/en/

ProAmpac RecycAll Freshpack (Photo: Business Wire)

"This level of recognition underscores the global importance for sustainable fresh food-to-go packaging options and acknowledges the growing public concern for an overall reduction in food-waste," said Adam Grose, chief commercial officer.

Sustainable Sandwich Pack Success

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition recognized ProAmpac's Modified Atmosphere Sandwich Wedge for Innovation in Food Waste Prevention. "The Modified Atmosphere Sandwich Wedge expands on existing design to include a longer shelf-life for fresh packed foods to-go," the award said.

Then, lunch! 2021 honored ProAmpac with a lunch! Innovation Challenge award, saluting RecycAll Freshpack sandwich skillet. The all-fiber sandwich skillet with a window is considered plastic-free in the United Kingdom and Europe. In addition, ProAmpac's novel sandwich wedge was recognized by the 2021 CStore Decisions Hot New Products in the Foodservice, Safety and Sustainability category.

Finally, ProAmpac was short listed for four UK Packaging Awards. Final award winners will be announced during the organization's Nov. 12 awards gala.

"ProAmpac's food-to-go packaging products have been commercial in the United Kingdom for many years, under our legacy brand RAP, but these products are relatively new to North America. So, to experience this amount of industry recognition in both markets is exceptional," states Grose.

For information on ProAmpac's award-winning packaging design innovation and how they can help meet your sustainable packaging goals contact marketing at Marketing@ProAmpac.com or visit ProAmpac.com/Sustainability.

About ProAmpac

ProAmpac is a leading global flexible packaging company with a comprehensive product offering, providing creative packaging solutions, industry-leading customer service and award-winning innovation to a diverse global marketplace. ProAmpac's approach to sustainability ProActive Sustainability provides innovative sustainable flexible packaging products to help our customers achieve their sustainability goals. We are guided in our work by four core values that are the basis for our success: Integrity, Intensity, Innovation, and Involvement. Cincinnati-based ProAmpac is owned by Pritzker Private Capital along with management and co-investors. For more information, visit ProAmpac.com or contact Media@ProAmpac.com.

About Pritzker Private Capital

Pritzker Private Capital partners with middle-market companies based in North America with leading positions in the manufactured products, services and healthcare sectors. The firm's differentiated, long-duration capital base allows for efficient decision-making, broad flexibility with transaction structure and investment horizon, and alignment with all stakeholders. Pritzker Private Capital builds businesses for the long term and is an ideal partner for entrepreneur and family-owned companies. For more information, visit PPCPartners.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005728/en/

Contacts:

Kristy Paulin

ProAmpac

(413) 875-9872

Kristy.Paulin@ProAmpac.com


KENILWORTH (NJ) (dpa-AFX) - Merck & Co., Inc., known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, has recalled one lot of intravenous antibiotic Cubicin (daptomycin for injection) 500 mg for the potential presence of particulate matter identified as glass particles, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or FDA said in a statement.



The potential presence of glass particles can cause serious health consequences if the particulate is small enough to be withdrawn from the vial and infused into the patient, causing local irritation or swelling at the infusion site.



The infusion of the recalled injection can also be more serious and life-threatening if a critical organ is affected, including blockage and clotting in blood vessels. This can also lead to prolonged hospitalization, particularly in those patients receiving an extended treatment regimen for which multiple vials of Cubicin are administered over the course of treatment.



As the treatment with Cubicin is likely to be initiated at a hospital or other monitored healthcare setting, the risk is reduced by the possibility of detection, as the label contains a clear statement directing visual inspection of the vial prior to administration.



However, Merck said it is yet to receive any reports of adverse events related to the use of the recalled product.



Cubicin is packaged in single-dose, 10 mL glass vial containing 500 mg of daptomycin as a sterile, lyophilized cake. The product was distributed to wholesalers between June 1, 2021, and September 9, 2021, in the U.S.



There were a total of 76,163 vials manufactured in the affected lot number 934778, with expiry date of June 2022. The recall involves only 21,603 vials as only these were distributed to date.



The recall was initiated following receipt of a customer complaint reporting that a piece of glass was found in a vial of Cubicin after reconstitution.



Cubicin is a lipopeptide antibacterial indicated for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) in adult and pediatric patients aged 1 to 17 years. It is also indicated for staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (bacteremia) in adult patients and in pediatric patients aged 1 to 17 years.



The Kenilworth, New Jersey-based company is arranging for return of all recalled product. All Merck direct consignees will be instructed to perform a sub-recall and notify all customers to whom they had distributed the lot.



The company has urged customers who have Cubicin vials from the lot that is being recalled to contact Sedgwick, who will provide all customers with prepaid shipping labels, packing slips and business reply cards.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

MERCK & CO-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
Highlights

Assessment of past work and government geological investigations indicates at least three (3) high potential zones which extend beyond the previously existing claims.

Fifty-three (53) new and additional claims encompass these high potential zones and increase the Buck Lake Property to 4,100 acres in size.

The new property area includes similar geological units to those seen on the original Buck Lake Property which typically fall into the category of Volcanic Massive Sulphides (VMS).

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - Advance United Holdings Inc. (CSE: AUHI) (FSE: 9I0) (the "Company" or "Advance United") is pleased to report that based on the results of known and potential geological extensions of favorable geology the Buck Lake Property has been expanded by the addition of fifty (53) additional claims.

The claims have been added in two general areas north and west of the existing property (Figure 1). These cover extensions of potential VMS structures identified in the assessment of past work in the area.





Figure 1: Location of Buck Lake extensions.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8072/100465_1992d295a40478b2_001full.jpg

An analysis of past work combined with government geological mapping indicated that there are additional areas hosting massive sulphide units similar to those found in the drilling on the Buck Lake Property. A Report by the Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) titled "Ontario Geological Survey Open File Report 6354 Report of Activities, 2018 Resident Geologist Program Timmins Regional Resident Geologist Report: Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie Districts Recommendations for Exploration VMS Targets in Lunkie Township and the Batchawana Greenstone Belt" indicated the potential of the areas acquired, and copper and zinc rich samples were collected by OGS staff from the area and referenced in the above report.

To the north of the Buck Lake Property, a series of trenches in the Private Lake North occurrence uncovered two zones which are described as containing massive sulphide beds with copper mineralization while an airborne Electromagnetic (EM) and magnetic survey to the west of Buck Lake identified a 2 km long anomaly that appears, from government mapping, to be comprised of massive sulphide in iron formation. Neither of these areas has reported copper or gold assays.

"We are excited by the potential of the extended Buck Lake property. Our work crews are currently completing the program at Buck Lake and will move to a program of geological mapping, prospecting, and sampling on the new claims. We are preparing our work program to include these new areas and will be completing follow-up work in 2022." Advance United CEO Jim Atkinson said. "This demonstrates the purpose and value behind our business model to re-work existing data in known areas that supports, documents the potential, and allows us to increase quantifiable resources and reserves using current standards and modern technology, thereby increasing the value of the property and overall value of our portfolio of properties."

About the Buck Lake Property

The Buck Lake Property lies in the Batchawana Greenstone Belt within the Abitibi Subprovince of the Canadian Shield. The Abitibi Subprovince is known to host many VMS type of deposits including Glencore's Kid Creek Mine, the deepest base metal mine in the world.

Geologically the Buck Lake Property overlies the contact between mafic and felsic volcanics, a classic Volcanic Massive Sulphide (VMS) target. An EM anomaly identified trending North-South across the property, appears to be associated with the contact between felsic and mafic volcanic units.

A previous drillhole conducted by Noranda Exploration in 1987 along the Electromagnetic (EM) anomaly intersected two (2) zones of massive sulphide mineralization of 4.88 m and 4.72 m in thickness (as reported in the MNDM Assessment Report).

Both massive sulphide zones were described as containing copper and zinc mineralization although assays were not included in the available Assessment Report. Rock sampling during a soil geochemical program completed in 2017 identified copper mineralization in the form of chalcopyrite in rocks adjacent to the EM anomaly. A reconnaissance soil sampling program 2017 identified a 2,000-metre-long copper and zinc anomaly associated with the contact and the EM anomaly.

The newly acquired claims contain similar geology and mineral occurrences which have not been systematically explored.

Qualified Person

James Atkinson M.Sc., P. Geo., a Qualified Person ("QP") as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the geological information reported in this news release. The Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to verify the historic information on the Buck Lake Property, particularly with regards to historical sampling and regional government-mapped geology. He did however supervise the soil and rock sampling program carried out on the property in 2017. The Qualified Person assumes that sampling and analytical results were completed to industry standard practices. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Buck Lake Property but may not be representative of expected results.

About Advance United

Advance United, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange in Canada under the symbol "AUHI" and the Borse Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany under the symbol "9I0".

We are a different kind of Canadian junior mining company, one designed to succeed where other junior mining companies fail. We are involved exclusively in the acquisition and advancement of past projects - with no intent to bring them back into production or to mine them ourselves. Our expertise is in identifying and acquiring undervalued properties with significant historical work, which were uneconomic at the time, but we believe have economic value at today's prices.

We fund the development of re-working historic data and applying modern technology to underwrite new qualified reports, document quantifiable resources and reserves to current standards, thereby recognizing the current value.

Our purpose is to bring immediate and long-term value to our partners and shareholders while seeking to eliminate exploration risk, so that we can all advance united in the shortest possible time frame.

For additional information about us, our projects, or to find out how you can get involved please visit www.advanceunited.ca.

Contact Information

James Atkinson P. Geo., CEO

Email: jim.atkinson@advanceunited.ca

Tel: (647) 278-7502

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to trading on the CSE and the focus of the Company's business. Any such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "contemplates", "believes", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Company's ability to increase the value of its current and future mineral exploration properties and, in connection therewith, any long-term shareholder value, the Company's ability to mitigate or eliminate exploration risk, and the Company's intention to develop a portfolio of historic gold properties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. 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 the Company will continue its business as described above. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and other periodic filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances or actual results unless required by applicable law.

Figure 1: Claims Added to Doyle Property

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8072/100465_1992d295a40478b2_002full.jpg

Figure 1. New claims added to Doyle Property.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8072/100465_1992d295a40478b2_003full.jpg

Figure 4: VLF-EM Conductor Axes. The two general trends are noticeable. Also note that the main gold occurrences are related to VLF-EM anomalies.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100465
Sustainable data centers will streamline National Grid's digital transformation journey

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company has signed a multi-year global strategic IT and digital deal with London headquartered National Grid, a leading multinational electric and gas utility provider to accelerate their digital innovation journey.

As part of this engagement, Wipro through its Boundaryless Enterprise solutions will facilitate National Grid's continued digital transformation, integration of its managed services and consolidation of multiple data centers across UK and US to next generation hosting services. These sustainable data centers will allow for enhanced program governance, as well as heightened consolidation and the migration of all server and application functions from traditional data centers. Wipro will also help with mainframe migration and transition to managed services, including the eventual implementation of a hybrid cloud solution for National Grid.

Shannon Soland, Chief Technology Officer, National Grid said, "As a strategic partner, Wipro will help us accelerate our digital journey as we work to achieve next generation capabilities in infrastructure hosting services. Wipro's expertise will be instrumental as we work to improve our operating model to align with our Net Zero carbon commitment."

Daniel Jablonski, Head of Cloud and Hosting Services, National Grid said, "Our data center consolidation efforts will allow us to realize an over 60% reduction in our data center footprint as well as realize a 40% reduction in our data center CO2 emissions. Additionally this transformational program, in conjunction with Wipro, will position our IT capabilities to enable modernized SDDC techniques, technologies, and operating model to accelerate our own digital transformation as National Grid continues to build the future of energy."

As part of the collaboration with National Grid, Wipro through its innovative solutions and expertise will deliver a flexible, scalable and resilient digital transformation journey for National Grid.

Geoffrey Jue, Vice President ENU Sector Head, Wipro Limited said, "National Grid is one of the world's largest utility companies, and Wipro is excited to be named as a strategic partner. This new collaboration builds on the successful two-decade-old partnership between the two companies. Wipro will employ standardized tools and processes to provide cloud services that will strengthen National Grid's infrastructure services, and support its strategic business objectives."

Note: The deal was highlighted in Wipro Limited's financial results announcement press release, dated July 15, 2021, for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 (Q1 FY21-22), with a description of National Grid, but without naming the company.

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 220,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005780/en/

Contacts:

Sony Shetty

Wipro Limited

sony.shetty@wipro.com
Dynamic leasing activity maintained (763 leases signed, up +34% on the first nine months of 2019 and up +105% on the first nine months of 2020)

Rent collection returning to normal for third-quarter 2021 rents (collection rate 90.1%)

Positive reversion in the first nine months of 2021 on new leases (+3.1% above rental appraisal values) and renewals (+3.7% above)

Net rental income down -9.1% on the first nine months of 2020 and stable (down just -0.2%) like-for-like excluding the temporary effects of the health crisis

Financial occupancy rate unchanged versus second-quarter 2021 at 95.7%

A stable rental base (down just -0.4% like-for-like since end-September 2020)

Robust retailer sales in the third-quarter (higher than in third-quarter 2020 in all three countries, and almost in line with third-quarter 2019 in France and Italy)

Carmila recognised for the quality of its sustainability reporting and CSR strategy (EPRA sBPR Gold and GRESB Development awards)

New 810 million sustainability-linked revolving credit facility signed

S&P confirms Carmila's BBB credit rating and revises its outlook from negative to stable

Launch of a share buyback programme in the third-quarter of 2021

Carmila expects recurring earnings per share to be stable in 2021 versus 2020 (an increase of more than +10% excluding the IFRS 16 impact)

Save the date: Carmila Capital Markets Day on 7 December 2021

Regulatory News:

Marie Cheval, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Carmila (Paris:CARM) commented: "Carmila has benefited this quarter from a gradual return to normal performance following the upturn in trading among its retailers, after a first half disrupted by the health situation. The strength of Carmila's model is clearly illustrated by the exceptional level of leasing activity in the quarter, as well as a financial performance that remains solid, with full-year recurring earnings per share expected to be in line with 2020. The Capital Markets Day to be held in December will be an opportunity to present Carmila's strategic and financial plan."

Key financial information

First nine months 2021 First nine months 2020 Change Change at

constant scope* Gross rental income (m) 263.8 250.4 +5.3% Net rental income (m) 206.2 226.8 -9.1% -0.2% France 141.5 150.6 -6.1% Spain 50.6 62.8 -19.4% Italy 14.1 13.4 +5.1% *Adjusted for the effects of the health crisis

Net rental income down -9.1% on the first nine months of 2020 and stable (down just -0.2%) like-for-like excluding the temporary effects of the health crisis

In the first nine months of the year, net rental income on a like-for-like basis, excluding the temporary effects of the health crisis, was stable (down just -0.2%) versus the first nine months of 2020, demonstrating the strength of Carmila's rental base. Excluding these adjustments, net rental income was down -9.1% in the period.

As a reminder, in 2020 a significant portion of the impact of the health crisis on net rental income had not yet been booked at end-September 2020, making it difficult to compare net rental income for the first nine months of that year with the same period of 2021. In the first half of 2021, stores in Carmila shopping centres remained closed for 2.2 months on average.

Rent collection returning to normal for third-quarter 2021 rents (collection rate 90.1%)

The collection rate for third-quarter rents reflected the gradual return to normal in rent collection, which stood at 90.1% at 19 October 2021, up +12 points on the collection rate for third-quarter 2020 at the same prior-year date1. The collection rate for the first half of 2021 was 76.3% due to closure periods and the impact of tenants anticipating a financial support package in France.

Dynamic leasing activity maintained (763 leases signed, up +34% on the first nine months of 2019 and up +105% on the first nine months of 2020)

A record number2 of leases were signed in the first nine months of 2021 (763 leases signed, up +34% on the first nine months of 2019 and up +105% on the first nine months of 2020), for a total minimum guaranteed rent of 39.2 million, or 11% of the rental base. Reversion was positive on new leases, coming out +3.1% above rental appraisal values on average, and reversion on renewals was +3.7% above on average.

Notable leasing transactions signed in the quarter included:

Differentiating, high-quality brands: Jack and Jones, Lacoste, Rituals, Superdry

New tenants for Carmila: Miniso, Studio Comme J'aime, Crazy Kids

Sector leaders: the discounter Action, Intersport

As at 30 September 2021, the rental base was stable versus end-September 2020 on a like-for-like basis (down just -0.4%) and the financial occupancy rate was unchanged from second-quarter 2021 at 95.7%, demonstrating that vacancy has been kept at a very low level in Carmila centres.

Robust retailer sales in the third-quarter (higher than in third-quarter 2020 in all three countries, and almost in line with third-quarter 2019 in France and Italy)

Footfall in the third-quarter of 2021 was close to the levels seen in third-quarter 2020 (98.1% in France, 101.0% in Spain and 102.9% in Italy) but remained below the levels seen in third-quarter 2019 (89.7% in France, 79.5% in Spain and 84.8% in Italy). In France, the requirement to show health passes to access shopping centres of more than 20,000 sq.m. in some French departments affected footfall in Carmila centres in August and September. However, Carmila centres in France outperformed the sector by seven percentage points in the period3

Retailer sales were very close to third-quarter 2019 levels in France (98.7%) and Italy (99.6%) but remained below those levels in Spain (90.3%). Retailer sales were higher than in third-quarter 2020 (up +1.4% in France, +15.9% in Spain and +4.8% in Italy).

Carmila recognised for the quality of its sustainability reporting and CSR strategy (EPRA sBPR and GRESB Development 2021 awards)

Carmila received an EPRA sBPR4 Gold award for the second time, highlighting the company's alignment with the highest standards in non-financial reporting, and was ranked number one among listed commercial real estate peers in the Development category of the GRESB5 2021 benchmark, with a score of 94/100.

Carmila also received an EPRA Gold BPR award for the quality of its financial disclosure.

Working in partnership with e-commerce players

Carmila is committed to helping the four winners of its DNVB6 Ready competition roll out their brand in its shopping centres. Flotte, Le Beau The, Baya and Bandit will be supported in setting up their own store, a sales space in the Marquette DNVB concept store or a pop-up store. The competition's success attests that brands first developed online see the value of having a physical presence in shopping centres.

New 810 million sustainability-linked revolving credit facility signed

Carmila has strengthened its financial structure by signing a new 810 million revolving credit facility on 21 October, in two (three and five-year) tranches, including two one-year extension options. The facility replaces an existing 759 million revolving credit facility maturing in 2024. It includes two sustainability criteria designed to support Carmila's ambitious strategy to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and to achieve BREEAM certification for its entire asset portfolio by 2025. Carmila will see its credit spread reduced if these targets are met and, in all cases, will be making a financial contribution to sustainability initiatives.

S&P confirms Carmila's BBB credit rating and revises its outlook from negative to stable

On 14 September 2021, S&P confirmed Carmila's BBB rating and revised its outlook from negative to stable.

Launch of a share buyback programme in the third-quarter of 2021

Carmila launched a share buyback programme on 3 September 2021, with a view to cancelling the repurchased shares, for a maximum amount of 8 million. The share buyback period began on 6 September and will run until the end of December 2021.

Carmila expects recurring earnings per share to be stable in 2021 versus 2020

With the resumption of retail trading in the third-quarter and an improved health situation in the three countries where Carmila operates, there is less uncertainty around the financial outlook. On that basis, Carmila expects recurring earnings per share to be stable in 2021 compared with 2020. This corresponds to a more-than +10% increase in recurring earnings per share excluding the impact of IFRS 16 (i.e., the effect of the deferral of rent-free periods related to the first wave of Covid-19 over the remaining life of leases).

Save the date: Carmila Capital Markets Day on 7 December 2021

Carmila will present its strategic and financial plan on 7 December 2021 in Paris.

INVESTOR AGENDA

7 December 2021: Carmila Capital Markets Day

16 February 2022 (after market close): 2021 Annual Results

17 February 2022: Investor and Analyst Meeting

21 April 2022 (after market close): Q1 2022 Financial Information

12 May 2022: Annual General Meeting

ABOUT CARMILA

As the third largest listed owner of commercial property in continental Europe, Carmila was founded by Carrefour and large institutional investors in order to transform and enhance the value of shopping centres adjoining Carrefour hypermarkets in France, Spain and Italy. At 30 June 2021, its portfolio was valued at 6.13 billion, comprising 214 shopping centres, all leaders in their catchment areas. Driven by an ambition to simplify and enhance the daily lives of retailers and customers across the regions, the local touch is at the heart of everything Carmila does. Carmila's teams have a deeply-anchored retail culture, comprising experts in all aspects of retail attractiveness: operations, shopping centre management, leasing, local digital marketing, business set-ups and CSR.

Carmila is listed on Euronext-Paris Compartment A under the symbol CARM. It benefits from the tax regime for French real estate investment trusts ("SIIC").

Carmila became part of the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Real Estate (EMEA Region) indices on 18 September 2017.

Carmila became part of the Euronext CAC Small, CAC Mid Small and CAC All-tradable indices on 24 September 2018.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Some of the statements contained in this document are not historical facts but rather statements of future expectations, estimates and other forward-looking statements based on management's beliefs. These statements reflect such views and assumptions prevailing as of the date of the statements and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause future results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Please refer to the most recent Universal Registration Document filed in French by Carmila with the Autorite des marches financiers for additional information in relation to such factors, risks and uncertainties. Carmila has no intention and is under no obligation to update or review the forward-looking statements referred to above. Consequently, Carmila accepts no liability for any consequences arising from the use of any of the above statements.

This press release is available in the "Financial Press Release" of Carmila's Finance webpage:

https://www.carmila.com/en/finance/financial-press-releases/

1 Collection rate for third-quarter 2020 rents, as disclosed on 23 October 2020

2 Record for the first nine months of the year since the formation of Carmila

3 Quantaflow panel. Change in footfall versus third-quarter 2019.

4 Sustainability Best Practices Recommendations

5 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark

6 Digital Native Vertical Brands

Visit our website at https://www.carmila.com/en/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/carmila/

https://twitter.com/CarmilaFrance

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005739/en/

Contacts:

INVESTOR AND ANALYST CONTACT

Pierre-Yves Thirion Chief Financial Officer

pierre_yves_thirion@carmila.com

+33 6 47 21 60 49

Jonathan Kirk Head of Investor Relations

jonathan_kirk@carmila.com

+33 6 31 71 83 98

PRESS CONTACT

Morgan Lavielle Communications Director

morgan_lavielle@carmila.com

+33 6 87 77 48 80
Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws.

Company Will Exhibit at Balance Festival in London in November

LONDON, UK and BELFAST, IRELAND / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / (CSE:POKO) Poko Innovations, Inc. (formerly Brunswick Resources), an award-winning international UK based CBD and fintech company, is pleased to announce its recent attendance at the White Label Expo in Frankfurt, Germany. The event, the first the company has attended because of COVID restrictions, is an important expo for POKO, as it brings thousands of online sellers, suppliers and buyers from across the globe together for a full two-day event. White Label Expo and similar events are, with the relaxation of COVID restrictions, a core component of POKO's EU and UK growth strategy for is white label service, Cannmed , its luxury skincare brand, Poko , and its lifestyle brand, Canndid .

"The Poko Group is extremely excited to see Europe opening back up again, having had a huge amount of opportunities to sign distribution deals closed off during the bigger part of COVID this last year and half," said Justine O'Hanlon, COO and Co-Founder of POKO. "We're looking forward to attending upcoming expos and events across the UK and Europe over the next six months and bringing our products to these crucial markets, where demand for CBD products of the highest quality continues to grow."

At White Label Expo POKO presented its white-labelling platform to a wide audience from all over Europe. The expo was the perfect opportunity for POKO to showcase more than 1000 SKUs to motivated buyers looking to expand their lines or bring new brands to the market. Cannmed's white label range includes:

CBD Edibles: soft gel capsules, gummies and a variety of flavoured tinctures

CBD Beverages: teas, coffees and hot chocolate

Skincare: full range of natural "kind to skin" skincare products made with organic ingredients

Supplements: vitamins and natural supplements to aid with recovery, sleep, gut health, menopause and more



"Cannmed got a great reception at the White Label Expo last week, and we're diligently working through all the contacts we've made to make sure we can help them in the right way," said David Hughes, CEO of POKO. "Of particular interest amongst attendees and exhibitors was Canndid's new CBD Pouches range, with many attendees excited to see a new kind of CBD product and learn what sets it apart. We saw a huge amount of interest in white labelling from German, French and UK based companies, and we expect this interest to increase as we approach Christmas."

To learn more about Cannmed products, visit the Cannmed website, www.cannmedproducts.com .

Upcoming EU and UK Events

Poko Innovations will be attending Balance Festival in London from November 12 until November 14. Balance Festival is one of the preeminent wellness expos in the UK and features chefs, trainers, yoga instructors and vendors selling a wide range of products for healthy lifestyles. POKO will showcase Poko and Canndid at this event.



"Balance Festival is an event I feel really resonates with Poko Skincare as a brand, and with the individuals who use Poko," said Ms. O'Hanlon, "particularly as its vision of 'achieving a better self' is what the CBD industry is really about. Poko was created out of a love for natural ingredients and desire to find skincare products providing better results. We've got a lot of remarkable things planned for our stand at Balance Festival, and we can't wait to meet likeminded individuals and give them a chance to experience Poko."

Poko will also be exhibiting Cannmed at the World White Label Expo in London, March 2-3rd 2022. With over 7,000 visitors expected to attend, this event, one of Europe's largest online white label supply expos , brings visitors, guest speakers and decision makers together for the best in white label products from around the world.

POKO will update its website regarding upcoming exhibitions and events the company will attend.

Poko comprises four segments:

Consumer Brands

Poko is the group's flagship award winning brand, a natural skin care company harnessing the power of CBD to transform skin care by combining an innovative cannabidiol formula with tried-and-tested "skin-loving" ingredients; Poko's products come in different luxury ranges for several types of skin issues, including aging, acne, blemishes and dry skin. www.pokocbd.co.uk

Canndid is a CBD brand which brings fun, affordable and easy to use CBD products to the market that taste great, are compact and easy to take anywhere and are smoke, vapour and device free. Its aim is to provide customers with products that aid stress and pain relief, as well as anxiety management and improved recovery times. www.canndid.co.uk

Fintech Platform

Lumipay is an easily integrated payment platform gateway service approved for high-risk industries and currently focused on the CBD industry; the platform is expanding into other e-commerce sectors. Lumipay has the benefit of multiple acquiring bank contracts www.lumi-pay.com

News and Media Sites

The Extract is a B2B news and media site covering changes and events in the industry, with an audience in the UK and the USA. Poko is working to build an audience for The Extract in the EU to provide lead generation to Poko Group's other assets and provide extensive market data on the needs and wants of our buyers. www.theextract.co.uk

Candid Magazine, a B2C culture magazine, is part of Poko's marketing media operation. Candid's audience is the avid CBD and cannabis user in Canada and the USA; the magazine covers lifestyle-focused products, lead generation, CBD news and events. Poko has begun marketing the magazine in the EU and UK. www.candidmagazine.com

White Labelling Service

Cannmed Products brings together several vetted, compliant CBD manufacturing companies and provides UK start-ups and established businesses moving into CBD a one stop, trustworthy shop for product creation, consultation on raw materials, white labelling and CBD isolate. Having already applied for its Novel Food license, Cannmed is a serious player in the UK market. www.cannmedproducts.com

Poko also has several new websites and related business activities under development and expects to launch them in 2022.

About The Poko Group, Ltd

The Poko Group is a collection of CBD focused companies that bring innovative, inspiring solutions to the CBD industry through the company's leading platforms which, when working together, form a complete ecosystem.

The Poko Group has is an award-winning UK CBD company that has developed a unique business model comprising complete "turnkey solutions," including fintech payment processing and white label opportunities. Poko plans to export its signature products to the EU and the USA. For more information, please visit https://www.pokogroup.com/ .

Forward-Looking Statements

With the exception of the historical information contained in this news release, the matters described herein, may contain 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. Statements preceded by, followed by, or that otherwise, include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "projects," "estimates," "plans" and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "should," "would," "may" and "could," are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts, although not all forward-looking statements include the foregoing. These statements, involve unknown risks and uncertainties that may individually or materially impact the matters discussed, herein for a variety of reasons that are outside the control of the company, including, but not limited to, the company's ability to raise sufficient financing to implement its business plan, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company's business, operations and the economy in general, and the Company's ability to successfully develop and commercialize its proprietary products and technologies. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward- looking statements, as actual results could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements contained herein. Readers are urged to read the risk factors set forth in the company's filings with the SEC, which are available at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). 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.

Investor Relations

Michael J. Porter, President

Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc.

T: (973) 865-9357

E: mike@plrinvest.com

LinkedIn

@PlRinvest

SOURCE: The Poko Group

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669126/Poko-Innovations-Inc-Attends-White-Label-World-Expo-Germany
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - Jerome Dwight, President of Brane Inc. ("Brane"), a leading independent cryptocurrency custody solutions provider, will be a keynote speaker and panelist at the 2021 Canada FinTech Forum, taking place virtually on October 27-29.

Mr. Dwight is a former Chief Executive Officer of Canadian operations for Bank of New York Mellon, the world's largest custodian bank, and former Global Market Head for Royal Bank of Canada's International Wealth Management, Corporate, and Institutional businesses - where he oversaw RBC's rapid global expansion across Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

In his remarks, Mr. Dwight will explain why independent custody is a critical missing component in the Canadian crypto ecosystem.

He will explain the pressing danger of a significant exchange collapse like those of QuadrigaCX and Mt. Gox, with damaging losses for crypto investors, unless independent custody without conflicts of interest is solidified as a pillar of the cryptocurrency market.

"It's urgent that all market participants including policy makers, regulators, and financial institutions work together to create a sound regulatory environment and a resilient market ecosystem that will protect investors in cryptocurrencies and enable everyone to benefit from the economic opportunity of the world's new asset class," said Mr. Dwight. "With our cutting-edge technology, regulatory-first posture, strong leadership team, and commitment to independence, Brane will play a key role in bringing credibility, confidence, and security to the new financial services ecosystem. I look forward to sharing our perspective with participants across Canada and around the world at the Canada FinTech Forum."

The annual Canada FinTech Forum, an initiative of Finance Montreal, is an international gathering that showcases new global trends in fintech, new applications of technology for the financial industry, and growing fintech start-ups like Brane.

Other featured speakers at the Canada FinTech Forum include leaders from ATB Financial, RBC, BMO Financial Group, National Bank of Canada, Desjardins Group, BNP Paribas, IBM, Portage Ventures, Questrade, Wealthsimple, and the Bank of Canada.

Mr. Dwight will open the program at 12:00 PM EDT on Friday, October 29th. Registration for the Canada FinTech Forum is available at www.forumfintechcanada.com.

For more information

Emile Scheffel

emile@brane.ca

(343) 961-3318

About Brane:

Founded in 2017, Brane Inc. is an independent, carbon neutral, Canadian crypto custody service provider helping institutional clients unlock the opportunities of blockchain and digital assets. Brane Vault, its core digital asset custody technology, is third-party certified to stringent global standards including ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, and NIST CSF Tier 4, and insured against theft and crime.

About Great Place to Work:

Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, GPTW recognizes the world's Best Workplaces in a series of national lists including those published by The Globe & Mail (Canada) and Fortune magazine (USA). Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. Visit us at www.greatplacetowork.ca or find us on Twitter at @GPTW_Canada.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflect Brane's current expectations regarding future events, including statements relating to: the ability of Brane to become carbon neutral, the ability of Brane and other market participants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words or phrases such as "create", "continue to", "expand", "accelerate", "enhancing", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Brane's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Brane does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100473
DELRAY BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / how to Breast cancer, an organization seeking to simplify and streamline information for breast cancer patients, announced today the launch of a new, online platform, thebreastcancerguide.com. The organization and online hub was created by Amelia O'Relly, who became inspired after her own breast cancer journey began. how to Breast cancer serves as an online community with a central source and single location for helpful, easy-to-use tools for breast cancer patients, their loved ones and caregivers.

As part of the launch and in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, how to Breast cancer hosted a webinar to discuss the site. The webinar served as a fundraiser, bringing in more than $12,000 so far. The funds will be donated to METAvivor, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the specific fight of women and men living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

Guest speakers included Dr. Zeina Nahleh, Chair, Department of Hematology-Oncology and Director of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Maroone Cancer Center and psychologist, Dr. Selin Santos Psy.D., Department of Hematology-Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Florida Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Nahleh shared information on how health care providers, family members and friends can provide support to help improve outcomes for breast cancer patients. Dr. Santos shared information on healthy coping strategies, including personal care, healthy eating, establishing a physical care regimen and meditation.

"It is important to remove the stigma and to recognize that a cancer patient is adjusting to a major life event with which they have little or no experience," Dr. Santos said. "Therefore, finding the right ways to cope with the stress, depression, anxiety and trauma often brought on by the cancer diagnosis is an integral part of the journey."

"Cancer care is a partnership between the patient, their family and loved ones, and their cancer team. It's this partnership that leads to the best results," Dr. Nahleh said. "Additionally, each person is unique, as is their diagnosis. Each individual must remain focused on their own health and what they can do instead of comparing themselves to others," Dr. Nahleh added.

The online platform's founder, Amelia O'Relly, gained inspiration to create and lead how to Breast cancer after learning about her own late-stage, metastatic breast cancer diagnosis in 2019.

"While there is a torrent of information online, it is often scattered around the internet and wrought with jargon," O'Relly said. "This lack of centralization leaves already overwhelmed patients with a strong desire for simple resources that can be accessed in one user-friendly place."

O'Relly decided to create the resource herself; an online space that allows patients to find useful information, feel guided and share their personal journeys in a place that offers empathy, shared experiences and humor. Though the website is in its early stages, O'Relly felt it important to begin making the resources available.

In 2021, breast cancer became the most common cancer globally, according to the World Health Organization. An estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. by the end of the calendar year. For men, the estimate is 2,650 new cases by the end of the year.

"The need is staggering for a streamlined resource that cuts through the clutter the way the how to Breast cancer site does. It should be easier for people to find the information they need in a single hub, and to be guided, informed and feel more at ease in managing through an incredibly difficult and confusing time," said O'Relly. "That's my intention for how our website serves people."

O'Relly is actively working on a formal guidebook, the how to Breast cancer Guide, that will further her mission to provide a simple, understandable and relatable resource for those beginning and going through the breast cancer journey.

About how to Breast cancer

how to Breast cancer is an organization fully dedicated to helping breast cancer patients, their loved ones, caregivers and the community by serving as a central source and a single place for helpful, easy-to-use tools and practices for successfully navigating the breast cancer journey. The organization was founded by Amelia O'Relly, whose inspiration to create and lead how to Breast cancer began after receiving her own metastatic breast cancer diagnosis.

Amelia O'Relly's Breast Cancer Story

Amelia O'Relly remembers her reaction the day her doctor told her she had late-stage, metastatic breast cancer, an often terminal diagnosis. "It was pure shock," she said.

That day in 2019, she conducted a rapid mental inventory of the women in her family who had ever been diagnosed with the disease. Zero. She also surveyed her lifestyle choices. Nondrinker. Nonsmoker. Daily exercise and meditation regimen. Gratitude journal keeper.

"None of it made sense. I was utterly perplexed," O'Relly recalled.

Within the next several weeks, and after seeking second opinions, she decided to move forward with an aggressive chemotherapy treatment that began within a month of her diagnosis. That's when her journey to understand how life might unfold and change in the days, weeks, months and prayerfully, the years to come, started.

The top questions that traversed O'Relly's mind regularly were: What did the diagnosis mean? What were her treatment options? How might it change her quality of life? How long could she live? What else in the unknown lay ahead? How could she best support her physical and mental health? Where could she find the most reliable, trusted information about breast cancer and her specific diagnosis?

She began to research to find the answers to her questions and quickly discovered there wasn't an easy-to-find, central place to get the answers she needed without feeling overwhelmed or inundated with information. That's when the idea to create a place for people to find the answers to their questions took root. Two and a half years into her journey, in the summer of 2021, how to Breast cancer was launched.

"I decided after several rounds into my treatment journey, which is still ongoing, to begin to look for what I could do with what I was learning and what I would experience in my journey," said O'Relly. "I did not just want to help myself get better, I also wanted to help as many people as possible to do better."

Prior to founding how to Breast cancer, Amelia spent 20 years serving in executive roles with a focus on Human Resources for several Fortune 500 companies, spanning multiple industries and countries. She was born in Havana, Cuba, and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents and sister in 1980. Amelia grew up in the Tampa, Fla. area and earned her bachelor's degree with honors from the University of South Florida.

Amelia now spends her time focused on creating the very best tools and resources to help others successfully navigate their breast cancer journey and is the author of the upcoming book, the how to Breast cancer Guide.

###

Media Contact: Monique Farmer

Address: Avant Solutions, Linden Place - 14301 FNB Parkway, Ste 100, Omaha, NE 68154

Phone: (402) 882-7277

Email: monique.farmer@avantsolutions.org

SOURCE: how to Breast cancer

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/668534/Online-Hub-for-Breast-Cancer-Patients-makes-Information-and-Guidance-Easier-to-Access-and-Understand
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - ALX Resources Corp. (TSXV: AL) (FSE: 6LLN) (OTC: ALXEF) ("ALX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of David Quirt as a technical advisor to the Company specializing in uranium exploration.

Mr. Quirt is a consulting geoscientist residing in Saskatchewan with 45 years of geological, mineral exploration, and Research and Development ("R&D") experience, both in the consulting sector and within the mineral exploration industry. His applied science work has been primarily in economic geology (uranium, diamonds, gold, base metals, Rare Earth Elements), uranium deposit metallogenesis, geochemistry, and host-rock alteration mineralogy. Throughout his career, David has been a highly-sought speaker at numerous scientific conferences and corporate presentations, and has authored and co-authored technical reports, journal papers and conference-extended abstracts that have resulted from these works.

Mr. Quirt received his B.A.Sc. degree in Geological Engineering (Mineral Exploration) from the University of Toronto in 1976, received his M.A.Sc. from the University of Windsor in 1978 and later undertook Ph.D. studies at Carleton University. After several years working as a field geologist, David joined the world-renowned Saskatchewan Research Council in 1981 where he was appointed Senior Research Scientist from 1991 to 2006. From 2006 to 2018, David was employed by AREVA Resources Canada Inc. in Saskatoon, SK ("AREVA", now Orano Canada) as Senior Geoscientist and was responsible for providing geoscience direction to its mineral exploration activities and in training AREVA's exploration staff throughout Canada. Until his retirement from AREVA in 2018, Mr. Quirt was involved with many of its exploration R&D technical and scientific activities, as well as R&D activities within their Projects and Operations division and at AREVA's head office in France.

Currently, David acts as Adjunct Professor at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Dept. of Earth Sciences, where he advises and supervises M.Sc. students on thesis work, and on their Ph.D advisory committee for thesis advice. David remains involved in the preparation and submission of papers to peer-reviewed journals, and volunteers as a Director with the Mineral Deposits Division of the Geological Association of Canada.

ALX welcomes Mr. Quirt's contribution to upcoming exploration at the Company's uranium projects in the Athabasca Basin area of northern Saskatchewan, Canada.

About ALX

ALX is based in Vancouver, BC, Canada and its common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "AL", on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "6LLN" and in the United States OTC market under the symbol "ALXEF".

ALX's mandate is to provide shareholders with multiple opportunities for discovery by exploring a portfolio of prospective mineral properties, which include uranium, nickel-copper-cobalt and gold projects. The Company uses the latest exploration technologies and holds interests in over 250,000 hectares of prospective lands in Saskatchewan, a stable Canadian jurisdiction that hosts the highest-grade uranium mines in the world, a producing gold mine, and production from base metals mines, both current and historical.

ALX holds interests in a number of uranium exploration properties in northern Saskatchewan, including a 20% interest in the Hook-Carter Uranium Project, located within the uranium-rich Patterson Lake Corridor with Denison Mines Corp. (80% interest) operating exploration since 2016, a 40% interest in the Black Lake Uranium Project (a joint venture with UEX Corporation and Orano Canada Inc.), and 100% interests in the Gibbons Creek Uranium Project, the Sabre Uranium Project and the Javelin and McKenzie Lake Uranium Projects.

ALX also owns 100% interests in the Firebird Nickel Project (now under option to Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc., who can earn up to an 80% interest), the Flying Vee Nickel/Gold and Sceptre Gold projects, and can earn up to an 80% interest in the Alligator Lake Gold Project, all located in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. ALX owns, or can earn, up to 100% interests in the Electra Nickel Project and the Cannon Copper Project located in historic mining districts of Ontario, Canada, the Vixen Gold Project (now under option to First Mining Gold Corp., who can earn up to a 100% interest in two stages), and in the Draco VMS Project in Norway.

For more information about the Company, please visit the ALX corporate website at www.alxresources.com or contact Roger Leschuk, Manager, Corporate Communications at: PH: 604.629.0293 or Toll-Free: 866.629.8368, or by email: rleschuk@alxresources.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of ALX Resources Corp.

"Warren Stanyer"

Warren Stanyer, CEO and Chairman

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include: the Company's exploration projects are prospective for uranium and other minerals. It is important to note that the Company's actual business outcomes and exploration results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include that ALX may not be able to fully finance exploration at its exploration projects, including drilling; initial findings at its projects may prove to be unworthy of further expenditure; commodity prices may not support exploration expenditures at its projects; and economic, competitive, governmental, societal, public health, environmental and technological factors may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and share price. Even if we explore and develop our mineral exploration projects, and even if uranium or other metals or minerals are discovered in quantity, the projects may not prove to be commercially viable. Additional risk factors are discussed in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021, which is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Except as required by law, we will not update these forward-looking statement risk factors.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100471
PRESS RELEASE

21 October 2021

2021 nine-month business review

Revenues: 522.9 million (up 12.5%) including an expected market downturn in Q3

La Plaine Saint Denis, 21 October 2021 - Showroomprive (SRP Group), a leading European online retailer for the Digital Woman, publishes its net revenues for the third quarter and first nine months ended 30 September 2021.

Third quarter down 16.8% versus Q3 2020 but up 7.8% versus Q3 2019



An expected performance resulting from: An accounting cut-off effect[1], without which the quarterly decline would be limited to 11.1%;

A demanding 2020 comparison base due to the boost in e-commerce activity generated by the health crisis, amid a more normalised environment in 2021;

An offering that remains selective, but with less renewal due to current supply shortages and the general production slowdown in 2020, temporarily reducing inventory volumes at brand partners in 2021;

More calibrated marketing investment to reflect the context and maintain an efficient acquisition cost. Growth drivers fulfilling their promise Excellent third quarter performance by SRP Media (up 90% compared to Q3 2020) in line with the first half 2021.

Confirmed rebound of the Travel and Ticketing segment (up 280% compared to Q3 2020) with volumes already significantly above 2020.

Nine-month revenues remain dynamic, up 12.5% compared to nine-months 2020



Performance supported by continued strong indicators: 81% of revenues generated by our loyal customer base;

Revenue per buyer up 11.5% to 177.1 compared to nine-months 2020; Average basket size up to 47.8 over nine months in line with the offer "premiumisation" strategy; 3.2% increase in the number of orders compared to nine-months 2020.

Outlook and ambitions for profitable growth in 2021 confirmed Strong first half financial performance;

Target Full-year 2021 EBITDA above 2020 EBITDA, confirming the success of the profitability initiatives taken under the 2018-2020 Performance Plan and the strength of the business model, despite the expected revenue decline in the second half due to market conditions;

Significant cash position of 95.2 million and net cash of 31.8 million at 30 September 2021 (excl. IFRS 16 impact).

Showroomprive co-founders and co-CEOs Thierry Petit and David Dayan commented on these results: "It will come as no surprise that the third quarter presented a less favourable environment for e-commerce compared to last year, with a return to greater consumption in physical stores, which impacts all players in the sector. However, the increase in e-commerce penetration remains a lasting trend. We have also been impacted by lower stock availability at our brand partners due to disruptions in the global production and supply chain. In this context, our third quarter revenue is, coherently down, but remains up compared to the same period in 2019. In the face of these exogenous disruptions, which may still persist for several months, we can rely on the strength of our organisation that is much more efficient and agile than two years ago thanks to the success of the 2018-2020 Performance Plan, a sound financial structure with a net cash position, and new growth drivers that are significant contributors to profitability. In view of our performance in the first nine months of the year, we are confident that our performance in 2021 will exceed that of 2020, further strengthening the Group's fundamentals and putting us in a very favourable position to benefit from a more normalised economic environment."

Q3 and 9-month 2021 revenues

Revenue analysis

9-month 2019 9-month 2020 9-month 2021 Variation

2019-2021 Variation

2020-2021 Net revenues (m) 427.0 464.7 522.9 +22.5% +12.5% Total Internet revenues 420.3 458.1 518.0 +23.2% +13.1% Other revenues2 6.7 6.5 5.0 -25.5% -23.7% Q3 2019 Q3 2020 Q3 2021 Variation

2019-2021 Variation

2020-2021 Net revenues (m) 124.9 161.9 134.7 +7.8% -16.8% Total Internet revenues 121.9 160.0 132.8 +8.9% -17.0% Other revenues[2] 3.0 2.0 1.8 -39.4% -7.0%

Group net revenues were down 16.8% to 134.7 million for the third quarter of 2021 compared to Q3 2020, with Internet revenues down 17.0% to 132.8 million as a result of two factors:

< >A demanding comparison base:Q3 2020 saw a catch-up of revenues (accounting cut-off effect), due to deliveries of orders placed in the second quarter and delayed by the health situation, which increased an already demanding comparison base. Adjusted for this effect, the quarterly decline amounts to -11.1%; The health environment boosted 2020 revenues as there has been a shift in consumption towards e-commerce. The current environment is less favourable than in 2020, although e-commerce penetration is up markedly on 2019.A market factor due to disruptions in global supply chains that have recently spread to all sectors, resulting in lower inventory availability.

Analysis of key performance indicators

9-month 2019 9-month 2020 9-month 2021 Variation

2020-2021 Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV)[3] NA 653.8 718.6 +9.7% Cumulative buyers* (millions)[4] 9.5 10.3 11.1 +7.2% Buyers** (millions)4 2.6 2.6 2.7 +2.8% of which repeat buyers*** 2.1 2.1 2.2 +4.0% as % of total buyers 80% 80% 81% +1 pp Number of orders (millions) 4 9.5 9.4 9.9 +6.1% Revenue per buyer (IFRS)4 147.8 158.8 177.1 +11.5% Average number of orders per buyer 3.6 3.6 3.7 +3.2% Average basket value () 40.7 44.2 47.8 +8.0% * All buyers who have made at least one purchase on the Group's platform since its launch

** Member who made at least one order during the year

*** Member who made at least one order during the year and at least one order in prior years

The number of buyers increased slightly for the first nine months, with the total number of orders rising sharply to 9.9 million, demonstrating customer loyalty to the site.

The number of cumulative buyers has increased by about 0.8 million since 1 January 2021. However, acquisition of new buyers slowed in the third quarter on the back of a more difficult environment for marketing investments.

Meanwhile, the less buoyant e-commerce environment in the third quarter led to a decrease in the number of orders, explaining the decline in revenues during the period.

Revenue per buyer increased from 158.8 to 177.1 over the first nine months of the year. The increased selectivity of the offering initiated in 2019 followed by its gradual enhancement with new premium brand partners led to a 3.6 increase in the average basket size over the first nine months of the year to 47.8 (48.3 in Q3).

OUTLOOK

On the back of a demanding comparison base and external factors that weigh on short-term activity, the Group is committed to maintaining rigorous management of its operating expenses with the objective of achieving full-year EBITDA higher than 2020 EBITDA, demonstrating the merits of the initiatives taken to improve the Group's structural profitability and the robustness of the business model.

This performance will consolidate an already very solid financial structure with a significantly positive net cash position.

Beyond this financial year, thanks to the positioning of its offering, in line with the expectations of its target customer base, Showroomprive remains perfectly positioned to take advantage in the medium term of a favourable underlying trend linked to the growing and irreversible penetration of e-commerce in consumer habits. The Group accordingly intends to actively pursue its development beyond the next quarter by leveraging:

< >the power of its platform sustained by a strong membership base;continued action to extend and lock in major brands, particularly in the internet business, in order to increase market share whilst controlling gross margin;the transition of the purchasing model towards drop shipping;continued development of its growth drivers, such as SRP Media, the Marketplace, SRP Studio and the recovery in Travel and Ticketing segment;strict control and continuous optimisation of operating expenses. The Group will focus on managing inventory, continued streamlining of logistics and the further ramp-up of its automated logistics warehouse.

Change of governance

The Group has announced (see press release available on the website) a forthcoming change in governance.

Thierry Petit has announced that he will step down from his operational functions at the end of 2021, whilst staying on as a board member of Showroomprive as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, as well as a core shareholder. David Dayan will stay on as Chairman and CEO and Francois de Castelnau, currently Chief Financial Officer, will be appointed Deputy CEO as of 1 January 2022. They will be supported by an Executive Committee renewed in 2019 that has greatly contributed to the Group's improved financial performance in recent periods.

UPCOMING INFORMATION

Annual results 2021: March 2022

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release solely contains summary information and is not intended to be detailed. This press release may contain forward-looking information and statements relating to the Group and its subsidiaries. These statements include financial projections and estimates and their underlying hypotheses, statements with respect to plans, to objectives and to expectations relating to operations that are still to come, to future revenues and services, and statements with respect to future performance. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "believe", "anticipate", "objective" or similar expressions. Even if the Group believes that the expectations reflected by such forward looking statements are reasonable, investors and shareholders of the Group are advised of the fact that the information and forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally out of the control of the Group, which could imply that the effective results and events can differ significantly and in an unfavourable manner from those that are communicated, implied or indicated by this information and these forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those that are advanced or identified in the documents filed or that are to be filed with the Financial Markets Authority by the Group (in particular those detailed in chapter 3 of the universal registration document of the Company). The Group does not take on any commitment to publish updates of the forward-looking information, this whether subsequent to new information, to future events or to any other element.

ABOUT showroomprive.com

Showroomprive.com is a European player in event-driven online sales that is innovative and specialized in fashion. Showroomprive proposes a daily selection of more than 3,000 partner brands over its mobile applications or its Internet site in France and in six other countries.

Listed on the Euronext Paris market (code: SRP), Showroomprive achieved a gross internet business volume[5] with all taxes included of more than 962 million euros in 2020, and net revenue of 698 million euros. The Group employs more than 950 people.

For more information: https://www.showroomprivegroup.com

Contacts

Showroomprive ACTUS finance & communication Sylvie Chan Diaz, Investor relations Gregoire Saint-Marc, Investor relations investor.relations@showroomprive.net showroomprive@actus.fr +33 1 53 67 36 94 Priscilla Le Minter, Communication Manon Clairet, Press Relations priscilla.leminter@showroomprive.net mclairet@actus.fr +33 1 76 21 50 16 +33 1 53 67 36 73

[1] This is the difference in revenue between Q3 2020 and Q3 2021 as a result of delays in booking orders from one quarter to the next.

[2] Other revenues comprise all physical clearance activities, from both returns handling and the rundown of surplus inventories and SRP Studio activities.

[3] Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) is the total amount of transactions invoiced, including all taxes. It therefore comprises gross online sales, including sales on the Marketplace, other services and other revenues.

[4] Excluding Beaute Privee

[5] Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) is the total amount transactions invoiced, including all taxes. It therefore includes gross online sales, including sales on the Marketplace, other services and other revenues.

------------------------

This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ".

- SECURITY MASTER Key:

l5huYZiYapiWm2qaZJppmpdrnG1qx5KaZZLImpWalp2UbJ6UxmyTm5mZZnBimm1s

- 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-0-71586-en-2021-10-21-q3-2021-vfinal_v02.pdf
DENVER, CO and CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Unified Global Corp ("UGC") (OTC PINK:CHYL) announced today its that it signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire its initial US cannabis business, located in Portland, Oregon. Be Wonderful Wellness is a vertically integrated craft cannabis farming operation and retail establishment known for their consistent high quality cannabis production and retail sales throughout the State of Oregon.

"Be Wonderful is excited by this opportunity to continue our growth. This deal allows us to maintain our brand recognition and supports our efforts to grow living-soil cannabis. Upon closing we will also receive the benefits offered by a publicly traded company" stated Brian Hall, dispensary owner and Lead Grower on the farm who has over 20 years of experience in the cannabis industry. UGC will continue to utilize Mr. Hall's talents to oversee the highest quality production at his farming operation.

"Partnering with Be Wonderful is a significant step towards our objective of becoming a vertically integrated, profitable, regenerative cannabis operations that provide naturally grown cannabis from seed to sale," notes Kelly Blume UGC's Chief of Cultivation. "We are excited to have Brian and his team in our collective. They bring a passion for the plant and the desire to grow cannabis that is in harmony with our vision of what "top shelf" cannabis means," Blume stated.

Upon completion of this Oregon transaction and the closing of last week's announced Letter of Intent to acquire a Canadian dispensary chain, UGC would become the world's first Canadian-American Multistate Operator (Can-Am MSO) with retail operations in two counties. The Oregon transaction is expected to have two separate closings. Initially, UGC will acquire the real estate, including the farm and retail location, along with all of Be Wonderful's intellectual property. The second closing will occur upon the approval of the assignment of the applicable licenses by the OLCC. The anticipated purchase price, which is subject to adjustment, is expected to be approximately $2.4 million, which will be paid in cash and stock. While there are no assurances that either of the announced transactions will close. The first closing of the Oregon transaction is expected to occur prior to year end.

About Unified Global

Unified Global intends to become a vertically integrated Canadian/American Multi State Operator (Can-Am MSO) by consolidating cannabis operations in three markets from two countries., The Company's management is an experienced team with significant cannabis operating expertise.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

UNIFIED GLOBAL CORP.

Media@unifiedglobalcorp.com

(888) 881-6572ext. 200

www.unifiedglobalcorp.com

Cautionary Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information contained in this press release includes, without limitation, the Company's intention to acquire the Canmore Cannabis Company and the Cochrane Cannabis Company, strategic plans for Unified Global generally, the growth rate, size or nature of the cannabis market, the success of the cannabis retailers which Unified Global acquires or in which it intends to invest, Unified Global's business plans, Unified Global's business strategy and investment plans, and Unified Global's ability to grow and become a vertically integrated cannabis company. There is no assurance that the transactions described herein will occur on the expected timeline, in the manner described or at all.

Forward-looking information is based upon certain material assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including management's perceptions of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. While we consider these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to management, there is no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.

By their nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward- looking information in this press release including the inability or failure of Unified Global in completing the acquisition of the Cochrane Cannabis Company or Canmore Cannabis Company as described, or at all, the receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals for the transaction, including the AGLC's approval as required under applicable law, the inability or failure of Unified Global to execute their business and strategic plans as contemplated or at all, changes in national or regional economic, legal, regulatory and competitive conditions and a resurgence in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other risk factors include: the risks resulting from the US marijuana industry, which may be legal under certain before the state and local laws but is currently illegal under U.S. federal law; the risks of investing in securities of private companies which may limit Unified Global's ability to sell or otherwise liquidate those securities and realize value; reliance on management; the ability of the Unified Global to service its current or future debt; Unified Global's ability to obtain additional financing from time to time to pursue its business objectives; competition; litigation; inconsistent public opinion and perception regarding the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry; and regulatory or political change. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information.

The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions of management on the date such forward-looking information is made. Unified Global undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE: Unified Global Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669132/Unified-Global-Corp-Signs-Letter-Of-Intent-To-Acquire-Oregon-Vertically-Integrated-Cannabis-Operator
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

21 October 2021

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 50,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 886.70p per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 February 2021.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 200,000; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 224,791,303.

The figure of 224,791,303 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

BURLINGTON, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Murchison Minerals Ltd. ("Murchison" or the "Company") (TSXV:MUR) is pleased to announce that further to its press release dated September 29, 2021, the Company has closed the $4,000,000 non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") as detailed below.

The Company issued 13,500,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.08 per Unit as well as 30,737,571 flow-through units (the "FT Units") at a price of $0.095 per FT Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $4,000,069. Each Unit was comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one-half of a common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant") and each FT Unit was comprised of one flow-through common share of the Company (a "FT Common Share") and one-half of a Warrant. Each whole Warrant shall be exercisable to acquire one additional Common Share at a price of $0.12 for a period of 12 months expiring October 21, 2022. Proceeds from the Private Placement will be used by the Company for exploration, working capital and for other general and administrative costs.

Troy Boisjoli, President and CEO states, "Murchison is very pleased to welcome Michael Gentile as a strategic investor. Mr Gentile's support comes at a pivotal time for the Company as we are starting an inaugural drill program at the highly prospective HPM nickel-copper-cobalt project in Quebec. This Private Placement puts us in an excellent financial position to unlock the potential of HPM."

Following closing of the Private Placement, Mr. Gentile owns 6.85% (10,500,000 common shares) of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares, and on a partially-diluted basis (including 5,250,000 warrants), Mr. Gentile will own 9.94% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares.

Mr. Gentile who has an extensive institutional money management background is an active and strategic investor in the junior mining sector owning significant stakes in over 20 small cap exploration companies. Michael is currently a strategic advisor to Arizona Metals (AMC-V) and a director of Northern Superior Resources (SUP-V), Roscan Gold (ROS-V), Radisson Mining Resources (RDS-V) and Solstice Gold (SGC-V).

The Company is also pleased that SIDEX, that became shareholder in March 2021, has increased its holding in the Company by subscribing to another 2,500,000 Units of the Private Placement. SIDEX is an initiative of the Quebec government and the Fonds de Solidarite FTQ whose mission is to invest in companies engaged in mineral exploration in Quebec in order to diversify the province's mineral base, promote innovation and new entrepreneurs.

Mr. Troy Boisjoli, recently appointed President and CEO of Murchison, acquired 1,705,100 FT Units of the Private Placement and Donald K Johnson, director and major shareholder of Murchison acquired indirectly 10,000,000 Units and 3,158,000 FT Units for aggregate investment of $1,100,010 to maintain his current ownership in the Company at approximately 30%.

The Private Placement is subject to final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. Finder's fees and finder's warrants totaling $198,005 and 2,178,997 respectively were paid in relation to the Private Placement. All securities issued under the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period until February 22, 2022 in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The Private Placement constituted a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as insiders of the Company acquired an aggregate of 10,000,000 Units and 4,863,100 FT Units. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation in the Private Placement by insiders does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the Private Placement, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances in order to complete the Private placement in an expeditious manner. The Private Placement was approved by all independent directors of the Company.

About Murchison Minerals Ltd.

Murchison is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on the exploration and development of the 100%-owned Brabant-McKenzie zinc-copper-silver deposit and surrounding land package in north-central Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in the HPM nickel-copper-cobalt project in Quebec. Following the Private Placement, the Company now has 153.2 million shares issued and outstanding.

Additional information about Murchison and its exploration projects can be found on the Company's website at www.murchisonminerals.com.

For further information, please contact:

Troy Boisjoli, President and CEO

Email: tboisjoli@murchisonminerals.com

Erik H Martin, Chief Financial Officer

Email: emartin@murchisonminerals.com

CHF Capital Markets

Thomas Do, IR Manager

Phone: 416-868-1079 x232

Email: thomas@chfir.com

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information. The parties undertake no obligation to update forward-looking information except as otherwise may be required by applicable securities law.

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

SOURCE: Murchison Minerals Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669104/Murchison-Closes-Fully-Subscribed-Private-Placement-and-Announces-Strategic-Investment-by-Michael-Gentile-CFA
The Software, Which is an End to End Solution for Everybody to Use, is Available at No Cost

AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Dev3lop, a tableau consulting services company, is pleased to announce the launch of their new Colibri Google Analytics Tableau Dashboard.

To learn more about the Google Analytics Tableau Dashboard and how it works, please visit https://dev3lop.com/google-analytics-tableau-dashboard-colibri/.

As a company spokesperson noted, the new tableau dashboard that helps users visualize Google analytics was invented out of necessity.

"When the team at Dev3lop first started blogging on knime.dev, dev3lop.com, and other websites, everybody quickly realized that their data was disappearing and that they were not tracking it collectively," the spokesperson noted, adding that this inspired Dev3lop to begin building out a process to bring all of their data into one dashboard.

"Also, because the free reporting tools that are available are a bit limiting in terms of helping people understand their traffic collectively, the new tableau dashboard was created to allow people to see everything at once, without having to swap tabs."

The new analytics tableau dashboard is a free download that is readily accessible to anyone who would like to use it. The Colibri end to end solution will allow people to research their end user website patterns, which in turn will help them to better understand the major search engine's analytics properties.

The measure values used in the Colibri Google Analytics Tableau Dashboards includes the time, in seconds, that a user spent on a particular page, as well as unique page views, which is the number of sessions during which the specified page was viewed at least once. The total duration of user's sessions, total number of sessions, and time on screen are also measured thanks to Colibri, along with other values.

Dev3lop is excited about the recent launch of the Colibri analytics tableau dashboard-which is Spanish for "hummingbird."

"Just as the hummingbird is essential for plant reproduction and genetic diversity in the plants they help pollinate, as we improve the tableau dashboard, we will continue to release new and alternative versions to help people improve the diversity of their reporting ecosystem," the spokesperson noted.

About Dev3lop:

Dev3lop.com is a grassroots tech startup based out of Austin, Texas. They offer tailored consulting solutions to their customers across an array of services, with a major focus on data analytics and tableau consulting service engagements. They have also launched a new task scheduler software called Canopys. For more information, please visit https://dev3lop.com.

Dev3lop

8416 Selway Dr.

Austin, TX 78736

Media Contact:

Tyler Garrett

tyler@dev3lop.com

dev3lop.com

214-971-9869

SOURCE: Dev3lop



View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669136/New-Colibri-Google-Analytics-Tableau-Dashboard-is-Now-Available-from-Dev3lop
New investment with one of the longest established crypto mining companies

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - Cypherpunk Holdings Inc. (CSE: HODL) (OTC Pink: KHRIF) ("Cypherpunk" or, the "Company"), a sector leader for cryptocurrency, privacy and cryptography focused investments, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with MineOn LLC, dba MiningStore, a large-scale hosted cryptocurrency miner.

Under the agreement signed on October 18th 2021, Cypherpunk has purchased 25 Bitmain S19J Pro miners (the "Equipment") for USD $300,000 which each produce 100 terahashes per second each, and has leased the Equipment to MiningStore, which will host and operate the machines in Iowa, USA for Cypherpunk pursuant to a managed mining and profit sharing agreement.

"Our focus of investing in cryptocurrency has now broadened to include mining," Tony Guoga, Cypherpunk CEO, stated. "This investment in cryptocurrency mining helps Cypherpunk diversify its investment portfolio and is intended to allow Cypherpunk to continue to accumulate cryptocurrency assets. Cypherpunk is in a position to be a supplier of Bitcoin (BTC) and not just a buyer."

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Generally, any statements that are not historical facts may contain forward-looking information, and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or indicates that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" taken, "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to the Company's expectation or belief regarding its ability to supply BTC and its investments. There is no assurance that the Company's plans or objectives will be implemented as set out herein, or at all. Forward- looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions the Company believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors 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 information. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by law. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

For further information contact:

Officer/Director Contact:

Daniel Cawrey

Chief Operating Officer

dan@cypherpunkholdings.com

Office: 1-647-946-1300

Investor Relations Contact:

Veronika Oswald

Investor Relations

veronika@cypherpunkholdings.com

Office: 1-647-946-1300

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100481
Team numbers will double by the end of the year, with ambitious recruitment goals throughout 2022

Today, FunPlus, the leading mobile game developer and publisher behind hit free-to-play titles State of Survival, King of Avalon, and Guns of Glory has announced plans for growth and talent acquisition at its publishing office in Barcelona, Spain. These growth ambitions will further reinforce the company's presence in Europe, in addition to its Global Headquarters in Switzerland.

Based in the center of the city, the FunPlus Barcelona office opened in late 2019 and has been gradually growing its team and scope over the past two years. It will continue to tap into the talented pool of technology and gaming professionals located in the Barcelona region to double the current team of 15 by the end of 2021. This growth will continue into 2022 as FunPlus seeks to build out its teams with a focus on growth marketing, community management and creative services.

The team is led by Enric Cabestany, General Manager, Barcelona office. Enric is a seasoned technology and digital media leader with more than 15 years of management and publishing experience. Having Joined FunPlus in Sept. 2019 to lead all western market operations, Enric has been responsible for building the publishing organization for the FunPlus group in Barcelona.

"Barcelona is a world-renowned center of excellence for talent in the mobile and video game space, and we are excited to position FunPlus at the heart of the action," said Cabestany. "As the team grows here we will have even more opportunities to expand the reach and impact of our games and further engage our communities."

Chris Petrovic, Chief Business Officer at FunPlus added, "FunPlus has seen remarkable team growth over the past year, particularly in leadership roles, and by focusing our search for a number of key publishing roles in Barcelona we're confident that we will be welcoming some of the best talent on the market. Over the past year our games have seen incredible success hitting major milestones, and we're ramping up to make sure those games, and others, continue to perform strongly in the coming years."

In 2021, State of Survival, the free-to-play strategy game available on iOS and Android celebrated an enormously successful first two years surpassing 100 million downloads, with King of Avalon and Guns of Glory also reaching major milestones with four-year and five-year anniversaries, respectively.

For more information on FunPlus, the Barcelona studio, and the entire FunPlus portfolio of games, visit http://www.FunPlus.com.

Find a link to assets here.

Link to open positions on LinkedIn

About FunPlus

Founded in 2010, FunPlus is a world-class, independent game developer and publisher headquartered in Switzerland and with operations in China, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Russia, and the United States.

As an organization that fosters the best creative and diverse talent in the world, and employs 1,700 people, the company has developed and published games that have ranked in the #1 spot in nearly 70 countries, including State ?of Survival, King of Avalon and Guns of Glory. FunPlus studios include KingsGroup, Puzala, Seven Games and Imagendary Studios, each with a focus on developing a unique brand of innovative games for global audiences. The FunPlus brand powers FunPlus Phoenix (FPX), ?one of the world's most successful esports organizations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005930/en/

Contacts:

BHI for FunPlus

Jamie King

jamie_king@bhimpact.com
Chicago, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - According to the new market research report "5G in Healthcare Market by Component (Hardware, Connectivity, Services) Application (Remote Patient Monitoring, Connected Medical Devices, AR/VR, Connected Ambulance, Asset Tracking) End User (Healthcare Providers, Payers) - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the 5G in Healthcare Market is projected to reach USD 3,667 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 76.3% between 2021 and 2026.



Browse in-depth TOC on "5G in Healthcare Market"



98 - Tables

53 - Figures

212 - Pages



Download PDF Brochure:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=248695375



5G stands for the fifth generation of mobile communication technology. With each generation's new technology and standards, there have been improvements in transmission speed and network capacity. 5G represents a big leap in cellular technology and in healthcare by providing essential levels of connectivity to enable a new health ecosystem, one that can meet the needs of patients and providers accurately, efficiently, cost-effectively, conveniently, and at a substantial scale. This massive network will include billions of low-bitrates and low-energy connected health monitoring devices, remote sensors, and clinical wearables, with 5G providing a backbone infrastructure for IoT.



The 5G in healthcare market is valued at an estimated USD 215 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 3,667 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 76.3% during the forecast period. The increasing adoption of telehealth and robotics surgery due to COVID-19 and the rising adoption of 5G-enabled wearable medical devices for real-time remote patient monitoring are key factors driving the growth of this market. The ability of 5G technology to transmit large patient data files quickly, advancements in telecommunication, and the availability of low-cost sensors are other major factors that are driving the growth of this market. However, the high cost of deployment of the 5G network is expected to restrain the growth of this market.



In this report, the 5G in healthcare market is segmented into component, application, end user, and region.



"The Hardware segment accounted for the largest market share in 2020."



Based on component, the 5G healthcare market is segmented into hardware, services, and connectivity. The hardware segment accounted for the largest share of the 5G in healthcare market in 2020. This segment is projected to reach USD 1,871.7 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 76.0% during the forecast period. The large share of this segment can primarily be attributed to the need for frequent upgradation or replacement to make optimal use of the latest software available in the market.



Request Sample Pages:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=248695375



"The Connected Medical Devices segment accounted for the largest market share in 2020."



Based on application, the 5G healthcare market is segmented into remote patient monitoring, connected ambulance, connected medical devices, asset tracking for medical devices, and AR/VR. The connected medical devices segment accounted for the largest share of the 5G in healthcare market in 2020. This application segment is projected to reach USD 1,405.3 million by 2026 from USD 94.5 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 71.6% during the forecast period. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the growth in the telehealth market and the growing inclination towards home healthcare. The high burden of COVID-19, increasing healthcare costs, strong government support and initiatives, and the growing focus on the quality of care and patient safety are further driving the market for connected medical devices in the 5G healthcare market.



"The Healthcare Providers segment accounted for the largest market share in 2020."



Based on end users, the market is segmented into healthcare providers, healthcare payers, and other end users. The healthcare providers segment accounted for the largest share of the 5G in healthcare market in 2020. This end-user segment is projected to reach USD 3,011.1 million by 2026 from USD 170.4 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 77.6% during the forecast period. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the rising need for an efficient healthcare system, growing patient volume, increasing number of hospitals and ambulatory care centers, growth in telehealth, rising adoption of 5G-enabled wearable medical devices, and the rising demand for better technologies that help in the easy transfer of large data files.



Speak to Analyst:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=248695375



"Asia Pacific was the largest regional market for 5G healthcare market in 2020"



The global 5G in healthcare market is segmented into five major regions, namely, North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. In 2020, Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share of 33.8% of the global market. The APAC is the largest and fastest-growing region in the market. This growth can be attributed to the significant adoption of advanced technologies, increasing number of IoT-enabled medical devices, continuously enhancing network connectivity, and government initiatives for IoT.



The prominent players in the market are AT&T (US), Verizon (US), China Mobile Limited (China), Qualcomm (US), T-Mobile (US), Ericsson (Sweden), Telit (Poland), Telus (Canada), Vodafone (UK), Nokia (Finland), Samsung (South Korea), Deutsche Telekom AG (Germany), Orange S.A. (France), SK Telecom Co., Ltd. (South Korea), BT Group (UK), NTT DOCOMO (UK), NEC Corporation (Japan), Telefonica (Spain), Airtel (India), Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (China), and Cisco (US). These companies adopted strategies such as service launches, business expansions, agreements, partnerships, collaborations, and acquisitions to strengthen their presence in the 5G in healthcare market.



About MarketsandMarkets



MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.



Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.



MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.



Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/5g-healthcare.asp

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100445
Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - On Sep. 26th , the closing show of 2021 Beijing Fashion Week was held in Beijing Wangfujing Pedestrian Street. It is reported that in that night, the international renowned designer Lawrence Xu and Poly China Silk Corporation jointly performed the closing show, moreover more than 50 domestic well-known artists were invited to appear on the red carpet and closing ceremony, to help generate sound for the capital fashion together.





Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8247/100470_8691cd55440099cb_001full.jpg

Among them, Miss Helena Zhao, as the Captain of Beijing Ram Union Junior, Co-founder of Art+Charity Youth Charity Organization, Youth Ambassador of Rainbow Angel Coffee House Charity, and the International Public Welfare Ambassador of Miss Culture & Tourism of The World, was also invited to participate. She not only has unique views on fashion, but also a talented woman who loves literature, art and is good at writing. She has won many awards in poetry and other literary and artistic creation.

In 2021, Helena and her older sister published their first English poetry collection "NECTARE" in Hong Kong, with short delicate verses to record the bitter, hot, sweet and sour growth; not only that she has published poetry and other writing works in magazines such as "JingKids" and "UNIT-E", she became the column editor of "UNIT-E" Magazine from 2020 to 2021. In December 2020 she has got "Poetry Competition for SDG UN Sustainable Goals" in Dulwich College Beijing. She was an intern for "JingKids" Magazine in the summer vacation of 2021.

The red carpet at the closing ceremony was starry, and the closing show was even more fantastic. The "butterfly" as the theme of the show, 48 sets of new fashion and 12 sets of gorgeous Chinese clothes with great national charm were launched. The continuous autumn rain in Beijing added some romance to this fashion show.

The closing show of Beijing International Fashion Week of 2021 has been successfully concluded. We look forward to this fashion audio-visual feast next year.

Miss Culture & Tourism of The World

Contact Person: JiaFu

Email: jiafugz@163.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100470
BIRMINGHAM, AL / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / North America's oldest truck brand celebrates 124 years of the proud Autocar name. Autocar, LLC, manufacturer of specialized severe-duty, custom-engineered Class 7 and Class 8 vocational trucks, commemorates the 124th year of the Autocar truck brand. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the company manufactures its vocational trucks in Hagerstown, Ind., and its $120 million, 1-million-square-foot heavy-duty work truck plant in Birmingham, Ala. With deep American roots, the Autocar company is the only 100 percent American-owned company that assembles 100 percent of its trucks in the USA.

Autocar engineers trucks that support critical American infrastructure sectors such as refuse, material handling, concrete and logistics.

"As we celebrate 124 years of the iconic Autocar brand, we appreciate those who have played such a big role in the company's success," said Andrew Taitz, chairman of today's Autocar Truck. "The early builders of Autocar-brand trucks were ahead of their time when they built Autocar No. 1 in 1897. That tricycle, powered by a one-cylinder gasoline engine, now resides in the Smithsonian Museum of American History."

"Today's Autocar is a new company with a historic brand. It continues to disrupt the industry, which is one of the reasons we are known as the BADASS brand. We continue to innovate and lead the industry by manufacturing severe-duty vocational trucks that provide customers the perfect tool for their jobs with the most uptime, support and impact on their bottom line," Taitz added. "The Autocar brand led the way in green innovation dating back to 1923 with its first two EV (electric vehicle) trucks: Autocar Truck E1 and Autocar Truck E2. This year, we introduced Autocar E-ACTT electric powertrain designed for severe-duty applications."

Autocar does not have dealer inventory. Most vocational truck manufacturers sell stock mass-produced trucks through a dealership with no concern as to what body will need to be installed. Then, they compromise the original design with extreme modifications to mount the body. This step almost always includes cutting solid steel, splicing wiring and reconfiguring the chassis outside the control of the OEM (original equipment manufacturer). At Autocar, every truck is built right the first time, specifically designed for a customer's particular job.

Autocar is the only OEM to change the model for refuse truck production, bringing together two main components-the chassis and the body-and building the truck as one complete tool. That means Autocar, alone among truck OEMs, does not build a truck until it knows what body will be used. The company's Power of One process starts with engineering each truck based on specific customer needs. Then, Autocar works closely with the selected body company's engineers to design the vehicle. Body components are installed during the production process, ensuring full Autocar OEM quality. Electrical harnesses are installed together, eliminating the risk of splices, loose connectors or drilled access holes. Body components are huck-bolted onto the frame rails in precise locations rather than being welded, thus avoiding displacement and damage to the rails.

Autocar makes the safest cab-over severe-duty trucks in the nation. Data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows Autocar trucks have 20% fewer accidents overall and 40% fewer accidents with injuries than all other manufacturers combined. No other cab-over severe-duty vocational truck minimizes driver distractions like Autocar. Autocar trucks are engineered with 325 degrees driver visibility and the tightest turning radius, meaning less backing and fewer collisions. Autocar's all-steel cabs and wrap-around bumpers are damage-resistant. Thoughtful details, such as fluid service points on the curbside, add up to make Autocar the safest truck in the business.

Because Autocar thinks differently than any other OEM in the world, it continually drives the industry forward. Autocar proudly claims that it builds the biggest, baddest trucks in America. After all, the company just released the nation's first BADASS dump truck. Autocar's tagline is "Always Up," and its focus is to ensure its products never break down. Autocar brand highlights and firsts:

Louis Semple Clark introduced the world to "Autocar No. 1" in 1897

In 1899, the Autocar-brand vocational truck was engineered to carry and deliver packages. Even in 1899, Autocar-brand trucks were engineered and manufactured specifically for their customers' needs

In 1907, the Autocar brand heralded the first shaft-driven commercial vehicle for operation on solid tires

In 1911, the brand applied to trucks exclusively

In 1923, America's first electric trucks, the E1 and E2, carried the Autocar brand

Fast forward to today's latest innovations:

In 2008, Autocar, LLC introduced the Autocar ACX Low Cab-Over with many industry firsts, including a spacious and ergonomically designed cab, B-pillar corner rear windows and integrated body controls

In 2017, Autocar was the first OEM to provide fuel saving tech with ultra-low emissions

In 2017, Autocar was the first OEM to offer compressed natural gas (CNG Trucks) two years ahead of the industry. Today, 60% of the trucks it sells are CNG and is the largest supplier of Class 8 CNG trucks across all industries

In 2021, Autocar and Big Truck Rental introduced the first and only national terminal tractor rental program for fleets across North America

The nation's first BADASS dump truck was delivered in 2021 with the tagline: "Always Up"

In 2021, Autocar became the first truck manufacturer to implement Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS) in refuse trucks

In 2021, Autocar introduced an emissions-free, all-electric version of its Autocar ACTT terminal tractor, the E-ACTT

A timeline of the proud 124-year history of the nation's first truck brand can be found at AutocarTruck.com/History. For more information about Autocar, visit AutocarTruck.com.

ABOUT AUTOCAR, LLC

Autocar, LLC, manufacturer of severe-duty vocational trucks carrying the first specialized truck brand in North America, is the only American-owned and operated original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of trucks. Autocar's severe-duty vocational trucks provide customers the perfect tool for their jobs with the most uptime, support and impact on their bottom line. Autocar collaborates with customers to build trucks to their exact specifications and needs. Autocar's purpose-built severe-service truck lines include ACMD and ACX cab-over trucks, the ACTT and ACTT-E terminal tractors and the DC-64 Class 8 work trucks. Autocar Truck recognizes that performance and uptime are everything and offers every customer 24/7 access to its Always Up direct factory support center staffed by expert technicians who engineer and build Autocar's trucks. Autocar promises to provide trucks that deliver the best value, provide the best service, provide a complete solution for customers' needs, do the work right the first time and act proactively, timely and with simplicity. For more information on Autocar Truck, visit AutocarTruck.com, or call 833-857-0200.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Tonie Auer, TrizCom PR on behalf of Autocar Trucks

Email: Tonie@TrizCom.com

Office: 972-247-1369

Cell: 817-925-2013

Or

Jo Trizila, TrizCom PR on behalf of Autocar Trucks

Email: Jo@TrizCom.com

Office: 972-247-1369

Cell: 214-232-0078

SOURCE: Autocar, LLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669171/The-Autocar-Brand-Celebrates-124-Years-of-Innovation
Scope of Project Includes Site Clearing, Road Construction, Ash Stabilization, Ash Excavation and Ash Relocation

LOUISVILLE, KY / ACCESSWIRE / October 21, 2021 / Charah Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:CHRA) (the "Company"), a leading provider of mission-critical environmental services and byproduct sales to the power generation industry, today announced that it has been awarded two ash pond closure contracts and one ash pond stabilization contract by a long-term Southeastern utility partner. Work on all three of these projects started in the fall of 2021. Charah Solutions will complete basin excavation work at each site with services including site clearing, haul road construction, ash stabilization, ash excavation and ash relocation into existing lined landfill cells.

The first project's scope includes the excavation and removal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) from a legacy ash pond and the delivery of the CCRs to another existing ash basin for processing. The second project's scope of work includes the construction of a haul road between two existing ash basins, site clearing work within one basin, and the establishment of a rim ditch and sump to begin the excavation and hauling of ash. The third project's scope includes ash basin stabilization so that the material can be excavated and processed in the future.

"Charah Solutions has decades of proven experience and expertise to handle every regulatory, engineering and technical issue related to pond excavation and CCR landfill management," said Scott Sewell, Charah Solutions President and CEO. "We are delighted to meet our customer's specific ash basin excavation and closure needs, paving the way for potential additional work in the future."

About Charah Solutions, Inc.

With 30 years of experience, Charah Solutions, Inc. is a leading provider of environmental services and byproduct sales to the power generation industry. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Charah Solutions assists utilities and independent power producers with all aspects to sustainably manage and recycle ash byproducts generated from the combustion of coal in the production of electricity. The Company also designs and implements solutions for ash pond management and closure, landfill construction, fly ash sales, and structural fill projects. Charah Solutions is the partner of choice for solving customers' most complex environmental challenges, and as an industry leader in quality, safety, and compliance, the Company is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions for a cleaner energy future. For more information, please visit https://charah.com/ or download our 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report at www.charah.com/sustainability.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains 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. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "may," "expect," "estimate," "project," "plan," "believe," "intend," "achievable," "anticipate," "will," "continue," "potential," "should," "could," and similar terms and phrases. These statements are based on certain assumptions made by the Company based on management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, anticipated future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied or expressed by the forward-looking statements. See the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and other periodic reports as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for further information regarding risk factors.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

###

Investor Contact

Roger Shannon

Charah Solutions

(502) 245-1353

ir@charah.com

Media Contact

Tamara Davis

PriceWeber Marketing

(270) 202-8516

media@charah.com

SOURCE: Charah Solutions, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669008/Charah-Solutions-Awarded-Multiple-Contracts-by-Long-Term-Southeastern-Utility-Partner-for-Construction-and-Ash-Pond-Closure-Projects
Reinforces Baxter and bioMerieux's shared commitment to enhancing acute kidney injury (AKI) management through informed clinical decision-making and patient-centered approaches

Aids hospitals in optimizing critical care resources by helping anticipate appropriate level of care for AKI patients

Research suggests CCL14 is the most predictive biomarker of persistent severe AKI when compared with other AKI biomarkers

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), a global leader in acute care, and bioMerieux (EPA:BIM), a global leader in in vitro diagnostics, today announced the CE marking of the NEPHROCLEARCCL14 Test. The NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test is designed to predict persistent severe acute kidney injury (PS-AKI) and can be used to support timely clinical decision-making and care pathways. The companies intend to commercially launch the NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test in western Europe in 2022.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005916/en/

"Baxter is proud to partner with bioMerieux to offer the NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test as an important new diagnostic option to support individualized AKI management that gives every patient the greatest opportunity for recovery," said Reaz Rasul, general manager of Baxter's Acute Therapies business. "We remain committed to advancing purposeful innovation across the care continuum to help reduce complexity and enable efficiencies in critical care, especially as hospitals continue to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic."

"This new step in our collaboration with Baxter further strengthens our innovative diagnostics solutions portfolio for the management of AKI," said Pierre Boulud, chief operating officer, clinical operations, bioMerieux. "True to our public health mission, we bring to the medical community this high-medical-value immunoassay that has the potential to change the current strategy of care for patients suffering from AKI."

AKI is a sudden decrease in kidney function over a period of hours to days, often as a result of illness, trauma or infection. The sudden loss of kidney function leads to the accumulation of toxins and fluid in the blood that, if left untreated, may lead to death. Baxter recently collaborated with bioMerieux and Premier Applied Sciences (PAS) to conduct a study assessing the economic and clinical impact of PS-AKI. Data from this study presented at the International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (ISICEM) showed that PS-AKI (stage 3 AKI lasting 3 days) is independently associated with a longer length of stay and higher costs during index hospitalization and 30-day follow-up compared to non-persistent AKI. Additional data from this study, presented at the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) LIVES congress, showed that PS-AKI is prevalent among hospitalized adults in the U.S. and is associated with a significantly higher risk of death during hospitalization, as well as readmissions, dialysis and death during 30-day follow-up, compared to patients without PS-AKI.

A consensus statement from the Acute Disease Quality Initiative Consensus Conference underscores the importance of new biomarkers like CCL14 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 14), the biomarker measured by the NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test, in helping to manage AKI by identifying high-risk patient groups, guiding therapy and improving care pathways.1 Recent studies published in Intensive Care Medicine2 Critical Care3and Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery4 suggest that CCL14 is the most predictive biomarker of PS-AKI when compared with other AKI biomarkers, including NGAL, CHI3L1, L-FABP, Cystatin C, Proenkephalin, and KIM-1.

The NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test provides a reliable and precise measurement to help clinicians assess an individual patient's risk for developing PS-AKI. The test's area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), which is an indicator of the overall accuracy of a diagnostic test, is 0.82, illustrating the CCL14 biomarker's ability to distinguish patients who will likely develop PS-AKI from those who will not.2, 5 The test results can help clinicians determine personalized treatment approaches for each patient, including level of care and the need for appropriate interventions, based on KDIGO (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) clinical practice guidelines.3, 5, 6 When test results show a patient is at increased risk for PS-AKI, they may be triaged to a higher level of care to help mitigate potential complications of AKI.2, 3

Baxter and bioMerieux previously announced an agreement to develop and distribute this novel AKI biomarker test to assess the risk of PS-AKI and support clinical decision-making in AKI management. Both companies will provide support at the customer site for the NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test, while bioMerieux retains control over the regulatory approval process and Baxter retains control over the commercialization strategy. Baxter is bioMerieux's exclusive distributor of the NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test in Europe and will also be the exclusive distributor in the U.S. pending clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

CE-Marked Intended Purpose/Important Safety Information for the NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test

The NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test is an automated immunofluorescence assay for use on the ASTUTE140 Meter for the quantitative measurement of CCL14 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 14) in human urine.

The NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test is intended to be used in conjunction with clinical evaluation in adult patients who are in the hospital for an acute illness or condition and have moderate or severe (Stage 2 or 3) acute kidney injury (AKI) as an aid in the risk assessment for developing persistent severe AKI (Stage 3 AKI lasting 72 hours) within 48 hours of patient assessment.

Rx Only. For safe and proper use of the products mentioned herein, please refer to the Operator's Manual or Instruction for Use.

About Baxter

Every day, millions of patients and caregivers rely on Baxter's leading portfolio of critical care, nutrition, renal, hospital and surgical products. For 90 years, we've been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers that make it happen. With products, technologies and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxter's employees worldwide are now building upon the company's rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations. To learn more, visit www.baxter.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About bioMerieux

Pioneering Diagnostics

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for over 55 years, bioMerieux is present in 44 countries and serves more than 160 countries with the support of a large network of distributors. In 2020, revenues reached 3.1 billion, with over 90% of international sales (outside of France).

bioMerieux provides diagnostic solutions (systems, reagents, software and services) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are mainly used for diagnosing infectious diseases. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

bioMerieux is listed on the Euronext Paris stock market.

Symbol: BIM ISIN Code: FR0013280286.

Reuters: BIOX.PA/Bloomberg: BIM.FP.

Corporate website Investor website

This release includes forward-looking statements concerning the NEPHROCLEARCCL14 Test, including potential benefits associated with the product. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: demand for and market acceptance for new and existing products; product development risks; inability to create additional production capacity in a timely manner or the occurrence of other manufacturing or supply difficulties (including as a result of natural disasters, public health crises and epidemics/pandemics, regulatory actions or otherwise); satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities (including potential FDA clearance of the NEPHROCLEAR CCL14 Test); product quality, manufacturing or supply, or patient safety issues; changes in law and regulations; and other risks identified in Baxter's most recent filing on Form 10-K and other SEC filings, all of which are available on Baxter's website. Baxter does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

Baxter is a registered trademark of Baxter International Inc. BIOMERIEUX, the BIOMERIEUX logo, ASTUTE140, and NEPHROCLEAR are pending or registered trademarks belonging to bioMerieux or one of its subsidiaries.

1 Ostermann M, Zarbock A, Goldstein S, et al. Recommendations on Acute Kidney Injury Biomarkers From the Acute Disease Quality Initiative Consensus Conference: A Consensus Statement. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(10):e2019209. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.19209

2 Hoste E, Bihorac A, Al-Khafaji, A, et al. Identification and validation of biomarkers of persistent acute kidney injury: the RUBY study. Intensive Care Med 46, 943-953 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-019-05919-0

3 Bagshaw, S.M., Al-Khafaji, A., Artigas, A. et al. External validation of urinary C-C motif chemokine ligand 14 (CCL14) for prediction of persistent acute kidney injury. Crit Care 25, 185 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-021-03618-1

4 Massoth C, et al. Comparison of C-C motif chemokine ligand 14 with other biomarkers for adverse kidney events after cardiac surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2021 Mar 10:S0022-5223(21)00436-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2021.03.016

5 BioMerieux NephroClear CCL14 Test Kit Package Insert

6 International Society of Nephrology. (2012) KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for Acute Kidney Injury. Kidney Int. Suppl.2, 1-138. https://kdigo.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/KDIGO-2012-AKI-Guideline-English.pdf

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005916/en/

Contacts:

Media Contacts

Baxter: Andrea Johnson, (224) 948-5353

media@baxter.com

bioMerieux: Romain Duchez, +33 (0)4 78 87 21 99

media@biomerieux.com

Investor Contacts

Baxter: Clare Trachtman, (224) 948-3020

bioMerieux: Franck Admant, +33 (0)4 78 87 20 00

investor.relations@biomerieux.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - American Aires Inc. (CSE: WIFI) (the "Company" or "Aires") is extremely pleased to confirm the launch of a new product, the "LIFETUNE MINI" in advance of the upcoming 2021 holiday season. With the new LIFETUNE MINI, customers will have the opportunity to benefit from "portable / wearable" protection against the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) / electromagnetic frequency (EMF).

Launching the new LIFETUNE MINI marks an exciting development and broadens the suite of products available within Aries' portfolio. In advance of the peak holiday shopping season, Aires is now positioned to tap into a sizeable new market segment which has grown exponentially in recent years-a trend the Company expects to continue. Wearable products are an emerging trend that enable users to integrate various technology devices into their daily activities, seamlessly adapt to changing lifestyles and can be worn on any part of the body.

As the only wearable product of its kind1, LIFETUNE MINI represents a new and innovative solution designed to mitigate the electromagnetic radiation emitted from data-transmitting electronics, such as cell phones, cordless phones, wireless earpieces, wireless headsets, computers, laptops, monitors, smart TVs, baby monitors, Wi-Fi routers and more.

Based on information collected through the Company's increasing sales data, there is existing consumer demand around the world for a product such as LIFETUNE MINI. As a result of these indications, Aires believes that the Company will be well positioned to improve its gross margins by adding this product to the sales mix.

Dimitry Serov , Chief Executive Officer at Aires, commented, "With the global wearable technology market demonstrating a rapid rate of evolution and innovation, we see this segment transforming into a bustling industry. This sentiment is supported by research firm, Gartner, who forecasts that global spending on wearable devices technology will reach US$81.5 billion this year, an 18% increase over 20202."

About American Aires Inc.

American Aires Inc. is Canadian-based nanotechnology company which has developed proprietary silicon-based microprocessors that reduce the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The technology was developed by a team of highly credited scientists and confirmed by independent third-party validation including peer reviewed studies and publications in scientific journals. Aires' Lifetune products specifically target EMR emitted by consumer electronic devices such as cellphones, computers, baby monitors, Wi-Fi radiation, including the rapidly expanding next-generation high-speed 5G networks. Aires is listed on the CSE under ticker 'WIFI'. Learn more at www.airestech.com.

On behalf of the board of directors

Company Contact:

Dimitry Serov, CEO

Email: dimitry@airestech.com

Telephone: (905) 482-4667

Website: www.airestech.com

For further information please contact:

5 Quarters Investor Relations, Inc.

Cindy Gray, CEO & Managing Director

Email: wifi@airestech.com

Telephone: (403) 705.5076

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any person in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. We seek safe harbour.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Not intended for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of United States Securities laws.

____________________

1 Based on management's assessment of publicly available sources.

2 https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-01-11-gartner-forecasts-global-spending-on-wearable-devices-to-total-81-5-billion-in-2021#:~:text=Worldwide%20end%2Duser%20spending%20on,latest%20forecast%20from%20Gartner%2C%20Inc.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100498
Aura, a Burlington, Mass.-based provider of all-in-one digital security for consumers, raised $200m in Series F funding.

The round, which valued Aura at $2.5 billion post money and brought total funding to $650m, was led by Madrone Capital Partners with participation from TenEleven Ventures, General Catalyst, WndrCo, Warburg Pincus and Accel.

The company intends to use the funds to invest to increase its product, engineering and go-to-market teams, with plans to hire more than 200 employees, bringing the total team to more than 1,000, and to launch a national advertising campaign to drive awareness.

Led by Hari Ravichandran, founder and CEO, Aura provides an integrated suite of services for people to live with the peace of mind that their identity, online accounts and devices will remain safe, private and protected, no matter where they go. In June, the company introduced its flagship product, which provides consumers with a proactive digital security solution.

FinSMEs

20/10/2021
From left to right: Eran Heffetz Tal Nagler Almog and Hagai Horovitz

Bites, a NYC and Tel Aviv, Israel-based employee communications and training platform provider, raised $5m in seed funding round.

The round was led by Vertex Ventures Israel, with participation from Surround Ventures, Oryzn Capital, Lyra Ventures, and J-Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to expand R&D, sales, and marketing efforts.

Founded by Eran Heffetz, Tal Nagler Almog, and Hagai Horovitz, Bites enables anyone within an organization to create and distribute professional, social-media-styled videos and content without requiring employees to download special software or new applications to their phones. While remaining remote, managers receive feedback through discussion boards and have access to analytics data showing engagement and completion rates.

Bites enable users to produce social-media-style content, share it on the channels theyre most attentive to (such as SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.), and reach their frontline employees while reaching business goals quickly without information gaps.

FinSMEs

21/10/2021
Every business owner knows how catastrophic and costly it can be when a worker gets injured on the job. One worker being injured at work represents a crisis from a human and financial standpoint, let alone if multiple employees get hurt in the same incident.

In the United States, more than 540 workplace injuries occur every hour. In total, these incidents cause more than 99 million lost work hours each year. Moreover, workplace injuries lead to millions of dollars in medical costs each year.

Overall, The National Safety Council estimates that work-related deaths and injuries costed a total of $151 billion to American businesses in 2016.

If you are a business owner, you need to be aware of the potential costs of workplace injuries so that you are adequately prepared to deal with these types of situations.

What are the direct costs?

After an employee is injured on the job, the company will have to bear certain direct costs following the incident. Direct costs fall into the following four categories:

1. Medical Costs: The injured worker will require medical attention after the incident. The company will be responsible for paying for all medical expenses incurred by the employee during his or her recovery. On the other hand, it is also possible to hire an insurance company to cover these expenses in case of injury.

2. Legal costs: Sometimes, compensation claims may resort to legal litigation to reach a resolution. In these cases, the company will have to pay an attorney to handle the case.

3. Human resources and recruitment: After a work-related injury, the company may have to replace the injured worker temporarily or permanently. This can entail high costs for the company, especially if the injured employee is essential to the companys business.

4. Asset replacement or repair: During the incident that caused the injury, it is likely that assets belonging to the company were damaged. The cost of replacing or repairing these assets should also be considered.

What are the indirect costs?

Indirect costs are often less evident from the companys perspective. For example, if the worker was essential, a severe injury could significantly impact the companys productivity.

On the other hand, the employer may have to retrain injured workers to retain their employment in another job position. This can represent a significant investment of time and resources on behalf of the business.

Furthermore, there may be other disruptions in the workplace following the injury, which could cost the company dearly. For instance, worker morale may suffer after the event, or the company may have to deal with fines from OSHA or other government agencies.

What about the workers?

In turn, workers will also face substantial costs following a work-related injury. Their quality of life will be diminished, and they will be unable to receive their full wages for as long as they are injured, which can significantly impact their household.

Moreover, they may face even higher costs if their employers or insurers deny their workers compensation claims. In such cases, they will have to pay for their medical treatment out of pocket, forcing them to take on huge debts to deal with the situation.

However, workers may choose to hire a Los Angeles workers compensation attorney if their claims are denied or if they would like legal assistance during the compensation process.

Working with an experienced attorney, such as C&B Law Group, could significantly increase their chances of receiving a fair monetary settlement to deal with their injuries.
ProfitWheel, a Boston, MA and Mumbai, India-based SaaS startup providing intelligence on how to best engage with their existing or new customers, raised USD$3m in funding.

The round was led by Netcore Cloud and ProfitWheel co-founder Vivek Bhargava with participation from over 15 Indian business leaders.

The company intends to use the funds to launch its US operations.

Co-founded by Bhargava, Aman Khanna and Gautam Mehra, ProfitWheel is a new-age distribution, customer data-led commerce company. The company builds products that provide marketing intelligence to brands across marketplaces, online storefronts, and influencer commerce. Its platform can help brands identify and procure new high-value customers whilst utilizing their existing customer base. The company currently powers multiple direct-to-consumer brands globally in its beta phase.

FinSMEs

21/10/2021
 Unlimited website access 24/7

 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7

 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more!

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.
HMD Global just launched the Nokia C30, the companys latest smartphone in the C series in India, after teasing it last week. This comes after the Nokia C20 Plus, which was launched in the country back in August. It packs a 6.82-inch HD+ screen, is powered by Unisoc SC9863A SoC with up to 4GB of RAM, runs Android 11 with two years of quarterly security updates, packs an 13MP rear camera with LED flash along with a 2MP depth sensor and a 5MP front camera.

The phone features a polycarbonate body and packs a 6000mAh built-in battery, which the company says will last up to 3 days on a single charge.

Nokia C30 specifications

6.82-inch (1600  720 pixels) HD+ V-notch 20:9 aspect ratio LCD screen

1.6GHz Octa-Core Unisoc SC9863A processor with IMG8322 GPU

3GB RAM with 32GB (eMMC 5.1) storage / 4GB RAM with 64GB (eMMC 5.1) storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD

Android 11

Dual SIM (nano + nano + microSD)

13MP rear camera with LED Flash, 2MP depth sensor

5MP front-facing camera

Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner

3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio

Dimensions: 177.7 x 79.1 x9.9mm; Weight: 237 g

4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS + GLONASS, micro USB port

6000mAh battery with 10W charging

The Nokia C30 comes in Green and White colours, is priced at Rs. 10999 for the 3GB + 32GB version and the 4GB + 64GB version costs Rs. 11999.

Customers who choose to avail the JioExclusive offer will get an instant price support of 10% or a maximum of Rs. 1000 on the best buy price, and will have to pay Rs. 9999 & 10999 for the 3GB & 4GB variant respectively.

Customers can avail the offer at participating Retail stores or through the MyJio app. In case of self-enrolment via MyJio app, they can opt for JioExclusive offer within 15 days of activating the device and the Price Support benefits would be passed directly to customers bank account via UPI within 30 minutes of successful enrolment.

Additional Benefits for all Jio Subscribers:

Jio subscribers doing recharge of Rs. 249 and above would also be eligible for benefits worth Rs. 4000 across Myntra, PharmEasy, Oyo & MakeMyTrip.

Commenting on the new launch, Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President, HMD Global said:

The new Nokia C30 is the most powerful addition to our C-series range, and it epitomizes what this range stands for  a holistic smartphone experience at an accessible price point. Its the ultimate device, from a brand you know and trust, for people who want to transition into the world of smartphones. The Nokia C30 is an answer to what people have been asking for  more time between charges, bigger screen, our signature security and durability, and an accessible price point.
Friends and family members

Living in the United States

The reduction of new coronavirus cases

All of the above and more

Vote

View Results
IRVINGTON, Ala. (WALA)  The fire chief of the St. Elmo-Irvington Volunteer Fire suffered a heart attack Tuesday while responding to a fire, the agency reported.

The agency posted the news Wednesday on its Facebook page and stated that Fire Chief Josh McKeever was in stable condition and doing well.

According to the agency, three firefighters in two department vehicle and three firefighters in private vehicles responded to a report of a trash fire off I-10 Service Road. While battling the blaze McKeever collapsed and went into cardiac arrest, officials said.

McKeever was unconscious and not breathing. Two firefighters on scene quickly started CPR and resuscitated him with an Automated External Defibrillator. A Mobile County EMS crew then took over care and transported McKeever to an area hospital, officials said.
Bettina Lerman was on a ventilator for weeks after getting COVID-19 and hadn't responded to doctors' efforts to wake her from a coma when her family made the difficult decision to take her off of life support.
About the shooter

As a Navy hospital corpsman, Fantahun Girma Woldesenbet worked as a lab technician, according to a public affairs officer for the Naval Medical Research Center said.

The victims are also lab technicians, spokesman Tommy Lamkin said in April. All three were assigned to the same command, the Naval Medical Research Centers Biological Defense Research Directorate, according to Lamkin.

Woldesenbet joined the Navy in 2012 and was an E4 at the time of his death, Lamkin said. He was not deployed overseas, according to his public military service record.

Woldesenbets first assignment outside training was as a student in the Navy Medicine Readiness & Training Command at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Lamkin said. From there, his military service took him to Corpus Christi, Texas, then Bremerton, Washington, followed by San Antonio, Texas; Portsmouth, Virginia and finally Frederick.

-Mary Grace Keller
We welcome your letters and columns!

Use the button below to send us your thoughts.

Remember:

Letters must include your real name, town of residence and daytime phone number, which we use for verification. We do not accept anonymous letters or letters written under a pseudonym. Letters should be no more than about 400 words. Those of no more than 200 to 300 words are more likely to be published.

Submit
Plans by Republic Services to expand its operations at the Coffin Butte landfill have received the conditional support of Benton Countys Solid Waste Advisory Council.

Coffin Butte is a "regional" landfill that generally serves Benton, Linn, Lincoln, Polk and Marion counties, although it occasionally receives trash from the Portland area. About 12% of the landfill consists of Benton County trash.

Republics plan calls for a new disposal cell south of Coffin Butte Road, relocating two leachate ponds south of the road, vacating Coffin Butte Road and relocating the road around the new disposal cell. The landfill is in north Benton County, just west of Highway 99W near Adair Village.

The council, which met virtually on Tuesday night, Oct. 19, voted 5-1 to recommend approval of Republic Services conditional use permit. The recommendation will be forwarded with concerns and stipulations for the Planning Commission to consider when it reviews the Republic application in a Nov. 2 public hearing.

Inga Williams, associate planner for the county, said a request to hold the record open or a continuance is almost certain to be brought forward, meaning no deliberations or decision to approve or deny the application will take place Nov. 2.

A second meeting likely would be held Nov. 16, Williams said. It also seems likely that any decision the Planning Commission makes will be appealed to the Benton County Board of Commissioners.

Voting in favor of the motion were Chairman Jay Simpkins, Vice Chairwoman Linda Brewer, Deborah Gile, Larry Sleeman and Fred Penning. John Deuel voted no, citing concerns about the process moving too quickly without enough public comment Other council members agreed with Deuel on the timing issue but felt it wasnt enough of an impediment to recommending approval of the plan.

The next step for the council is to draft a letter for the Planning Commission by Friday so that it can be included in the staff report for the Nov. 2 meeting.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

Final county approval of the plan would add approximately 30 years to the lifespan of Coffin Butte, according to company officials.

In an emailed statement, Republic corporate officials in Phoenix said roughly five years of life remain in the current landfill, 15 or so years in the landfills quarry area, with an additional 12 years accruing if the expansion is approved.

Key issues itemized by council members, many of whom indicated that their concerns reflected those of residents, four of whom have published letters of opposition in the newspaper, include:

 Safety near the site and on the nearby roads.

 Future planning for landfill operations in Benton County once those 30 or so years pass and Coffin Butte is full.

 The volume of trash that comes from outside the mid-valley to Coffin Butte, a site defined as regional.

 A need for programs to reduce waste in the county and thus reduce the pressure on Coffin Butte.

Contact reporter James Day at jim.day@lee.net or 541-812-6116. Follow at Twitter.com/jameshday or gazettetimes.com/blogs/jim-day.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Israeli settlers have more than doubled their violence against Palestinians in 2021.

The United Nations office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documented 365 settler attacks in 2021; Haaretz newspaper counted 416, more than double previous years'.

One particularly brutal instance: Fifteen-year-old Tareq Zbeidi was picnicking with five friends near his village Silat ad-Dhahr (northern West Bank). Settlers approached; his friends escaped, but Tareq, who had an old injury, fell behind. Settlers hit him with their car, tied him to the hood, beat him before driving to their settlement, Homesh. They blindfolded Tareq, suspending him from a tree.

I was left hanging like that for about five minutes ... I felt them cutting  the skin of my left foot with a sharp object. I was in so much pain. I couldnt take it. Suddenly, I felt a strong burn on my right foot, from a lighter  It lasted a few seconds. I screamed and cried  It wasnt until then that they took me down from the tree, Tareq told BTselem.

Then a settler hit Tareq in the head, rendering him unconscious, and they turned him over to Israeli soldiers, whod been nearby.

 Settler violence against Palestinians, often with the participation of soldiers, has long been  Israeli policy  integral to the occupation routine, BTselem reported, adding that the violence is intended to dispossess Palestinians, allowing Israeli land appropriation there. Israeli media hasnt reported that the settlers who brutalized Tareq were never prosecuted.

So Israeli apartheid rages on.

June Forsyth Kenagy

Albany

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4
Girls carefully listen as Haley Gordon shows how the fire trucks ladders work and how to use them.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Empire Token recently launched the Empire NFT Marketplace on Binance Smart Chain - a revolutionary marketplace for all kinds of digital assets, designed with unique, never-before-seen features. In November of this year, Empire is also planning to expand the marketplace to Ethereum and Solana chains.



It can be difficult to find projects in the crypto space that have a clear use case and actually offer potential. It's a relief when one comes across a project that not only accomplished this but also offers more than one utility. With that being said, Empire NFT Marketplace is just first of the empire of use cases Empire Token is planning to build.

Empire Token's self-entitlement as a "Super Token" doesn't sound like a vain affirmation when one sees their ambitious roadmap: An NFT Marketplace, ready. A DEX, on its way. A payment processing system to accept fiat money and a bunch of other tokens, also on production.

Empire's forecast for the last quarter of 2021 and the beginning months of 2022 may sound too ambitious, but that's the way Empire's Founder and CEO, Abdullah Ghandour, fondly known as Dulla, wants investors to see his invention: A very, very determined token.

It may sound almost fetish-like, all this pursuit for use cases. But for Dulla and the Empire Token community, utility is taken very personally.

"As Blockchain technology reaches more adopters every day, barriers that fence or blind users must be broken by all means by progressive products that bring economic inclusion solutions to the table, solutions that would be very welcome in the current scenario of the Binance Smart Chain," says Dulla, the Founder and CEO of Empire Token.

One of such products that have in its very core a promise to break fences inside the BSC is the Empire NFT Marketplace, a just-launched dApp in which users can mint, trade, and auction their crypto collectibles. One of the features being planned is allowing users to lease their art for commercial use; this way, creators' digital assets can be leased directly to publishers through the marketplace. Another is the ability for projects to use the platform as a launchpad for their NFT collections and being able to use their native tokens to list and trade their NFTs.

Fiat or Crypto? The answer is BOTH.

"Why should there be a battle when both can win?" states Dulla.

Empire's payment solution wishes to make real-world products and Blockchain technology closer by accepting fiat money via credit card and/or other payment options in order to facilitate investors' everyday lives, creating bridges between DeFi applications, resulting in a better experience for crypto holders.

Amongst the Empire's innovative real-world solutions is a portfolio tracker made exclusively for investors who want to keep track of their investments and crypto holdings. Moreover, Empire engineers are developing revolutionary solutions for booking flights and hotel rooms around the world using cryptocurrency. All of these improvements to the Empire ecosystem will be made possible through the Empire payment solution, expected to launch in the first half of 2022.

The more new or existing projects move to use the Empire Payment System, the more features & payment options will find their way onto the Empire ecosystem. The down-to-earth Empire CEO wants a stable growth, and for this, he wants to take things one step at a time.

"I'm the kind of person who does things right or doesn't do them at all. Perfectionism and being true to ourselves is what brought us here and will eventually lead us to the top. Most things in life you can't predict, but one thing I can say for sure: I won't stop until Empire lives up to its name."

About Empire Token

Built as a super token, Empire Token is a decentralized token on the Binance Smart Chain which brings utility stretching from DeFi applications to real-world operations. It is Empire's goal to bridge the gap between the crypto world and the real world as the latter gradually adapts to cryptocurrency. Empire aims to do this by integrating strong use cases into the token that will bring value not only to the whole DeFi and blockchain ecosystem but also the real world.

Social Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealEmpireToken

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empiretoken/

Media Contacts

Compan: Empire Token

E-mail: admin@empiretoken.world

Website: https://empiretoken.world/

SOURCE: Empire Token
Beter Bed Holding N.V. (BBH)  The Netherlands' largest sleep specialist in retail, wholesale and B2B  announces that Mr P.C. Boone has decided to resign as a member of the Supervisory Board. Mr Boone has been a dedicated member of the Supervisory Board and Chair of the Remuneration Committee since 3 December 2018. His role as Group Chief Executive Officer at Pick n Pay requires his full attention and he feels he cannot fulfil his role in the Supervisory Board of Beter Bed Holding to the extent needed. The resignation will be effective from 31 December 2021.

Beter Bed Holdings Chair of the Supervisory Board, Bart Karis, said:

We sincerely regret but fully understand Pieters decision to step down as a member of our Supervisory Board. We are grateful for the valuable insights he provided to Beter Bed Holding since December 2018 and we wish him all the best."

The vacancy will not be filled as the composition of the Supervisory Board will remain such that the requisite expertise, background, competencies and independence are present. From 1 January 2022 onwards, the Supervisory Board will consist of Mr B.E. Karis (Chair), Mr A. Beyens, Mrs B.M.A. van Hussen (Vice Chair) and Mrs M.C. Schipperheijn.

About Beter Bed Holding

Beter Bed Holding (BBH) is the Netherlands leading sleep specialist in retail, wholesale and B2B.

Our mission is simple. We believe that the better we sleep, the happier, healthier and more productive we are. And we wont rest until everyone gets the high-quality sleep they deserve.

Listed on Euronext Amsterdam, BBH operates the successful retail brands Beter Bed, Beddenreus and the new subscription brand Leazzzy. In addition, through its subsidiary DBC International, BBH has a wholesale business in branded products in the bedroom furnishings sector, which includes the well-known international brand M line.

With 3 distribution centres, a fleet of 80 vehicles, 134 stores and a fast-growing online presence, our team of over 1,000 dedicated employees served nearly 200,000 customers in 2020, generating over  200 million in revenue.

Providing expert sleep advice is at the very heart of our strategy, and thanks to our revolutionary Beter Slapen ID tool, our sleep consultants help customers to get the perfect nights sleep. BBH is proud that

M line is the official sleep supplier of AFC Ajax, TeamNL, Jumbo-Visma, NOC*NSF and the KNVB.

For more information

Press enquiries: Uneke Dekkers / CFF Communications

T +31 (0)20 575 4010 or M +31 (0)6 50261626

E uneke.dekkers@cffcommunications.nl





Please click on the link below for the PDF of the press release. Press photos can be downloaded here .

Attachment
Greeley, Colorado., Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vantage Hemp Co., an industry-leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical-grade CBD extracts, solidifies its position in the global supply chain by attending the leading tradeshow for the nutraceutical industry. SupplySide West & Food Ingredients North America is being held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV from October 25-28, 2021.

Members of the Vantage Hemp team including Deepank Utkhede, Chief Operating Officer, Christian Santi, Director of Sales, and Josh Murphy, Channel Sales Manager, will be in attendance at booth #2454 from 10:00 am-5:30 pm October 27-28. The company will be exhibiting its contract manufacturing capabilities and CBD extracts.

Vantage Hemp has recently launched their new contract manufacturing services to include white labeling and bulk formations for its clients. Vantage Hemps senior leadership understands the challenges of launching new products and how identifying the correct contract manufacturer can have a significant impact on the success and timing of a product development program. Christian Santi, Director of Sales, says, If contract manufacturers and ingredient producers wish to participate in the evolving industry ecosystem, then it is incumbent upon them to clearly articulate and substantiate their value proposition to emerging companies, from which an increasing portion of the early-stage pipeline originates. In the current industry climate, considering its significant potential impact on a products commercial success, Vantage Hemps robust contract manufacturing and ingredient production programs should be considered a competitive asset not a commodity.

Vantage Hemp will also be hosting an exclusive industry and media event for SupplySide West attendees on November 5, 2021, which includes a virtual tour of their extraction facilities that span 60,000 sq ft. and are located in Greeley, Colorado.

To book a meeting with Vantage Hemp at SupplySide West or for more information on contract manufacturing services, contact christian@vantagehemp.com or visit https://vantagehemp.com/. For media inquiries, contact Fatema Bhabrawala at fbhahrawala@marigoldpr.com or by phone at 1-877-681-5541.

About Vantage Hemp Co.

With large-scale high-volume extraction facilities, Colorado-based Vantage Hemp Co. is an industry leader in CBD extraction. By utilizing state-of-the-art technology and having a meticulous focus on every detail of extraction, Vantage Hemp consistently delivers pharmaceutical grade, GMP compliant CBD extracts (including full-spectrum oil, distillate and isolate) that companies can trust. Vantage Hemps contract manufacturing services offer a broad range of benefits as they operate with integrity and abide by stringent pharmaceutical-production standards to provide quality products to their partners. https://vantagehemp.com/

Attachment
English French

MONTREAL, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (Midland) (TSX-V: MD), in partnership with Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd (Wallbridge), is pleased to announce the successful completion of an approximately 5,300-metre exploration drill program at its Casault Gold Property (Casault or the Property), testing various grassroots exploration targets 4 to 12 kilometres west of Wallbridges Martiniere Gold Project ("Martiniere") and 34 to 41 kilometres west of Wallbridges flagship Fenelon Gold Property ("Fenelon").



The first drill hole (CAS-21-123), for which assay results have been received so far, has intersected new gold mineralization with a visible gold-bearing interval returning 6.85 g/t Au over 2.00 metres from 254.50 to 256.50 metres. This intersection is considered significant, as it is located in the northern, largely untested part of the Casault property, where no gold zone has been known so far, approximately 2 kilometres from the nearest anomalous gold intersections both on the Casault and Martiniere properties.

This intersection of encouraging gold mineralization in the first drill hole of our Casault program in an entirely grassroots area is not only a testament to our growing understanding of the regional controls on gold deposition in the Detour-Fenelon area but also to the prospectivity of the over 900 square kilometer land package along this underexplored belt, stated Marz Kord, President & CEO of Wallbridge. We are keenly awaiting the assay results of other completed holes and are looking forward to following-up this intersection, working toward a discovery at Casault, near our existing Martiniere gold deposit.

Drill Program Completed

Between July and September 2021, Wallbridge completed a drill program totaling 13 drill holes, testing a variety of grassroots exploration targets at Casault. Drilling has focused on the unexplored northern part of the Property, within 1 to 2 kilometres north of the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone (SLDZ), on the same assemblage of rocks that also host Wallbridges Martiniere gold system, 5 kilometres east of the closest target tested in the 2021 program, which hosts historic indicated resources of approximately 591,000 gold ounces with an updated resource estimate currently underway.

Hole CAS-21-123, the first drill hole of the program, was testing a prominent NW-SE oriented structure interpreted from airborne magnetics. This structural orientation is known to control gold mineralization at Fenelon and Martiniere, and a series of large structures of this trend also transects the Casault property. The particular structure tested by CAS-21-123 extends for an approximately 8 kilometres across Wallbridges Martiniere, Casault and Doigt properties and was historically tested by one drill hole on Martiniere, yielding 30.40 g/t Au over 0.44 metre, which has not been followed-up since.

The intersection of 6.85 g/t Au over 2.00 metres in CAS-21-123 is associated with a mineralized zone consisting of chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and electrum, a gold-silver mineral phase, within deformed and heavily carbonate-altered host rocks.

The other 12 drill holes of the completed program have also intersected strong shear and alteration zones with sulfide mineralization that are interpreted to potentially be part of gold-bearing systems. Assay results of these drill holes are currently pending and will be released as they become available. A technical meeting will be held in the following weeks to discuss the next follow-up program over this new gold bearing zone.

Cautionary statements

The true thickness of reported intervals cannot be determined with the information currently available; intervals are thus reported in core length.

Mineralization occurring on the Fenelon Gold and Martiniere/Bug Lake projects held by Wallbridge are not necessarily indicative of mineralization that may be found on the Casault property held by Midland.

Casault Gold Property

The Casault property is located approximately 110 kilometres west of the town of Matagami, between Wallbridges Martiniere and Detour East gold properties. Wallbridge has an option to acquire up to a 65% interest in the 177 km2 project from Midland Exploration (see Wallbridge News Release dated June 18, 2020 ). Casault covers more than 20 kilometres of the SLDZ, along which Wallbridges Martiniere and Fenelon gold deposits are located and which also hosts Kirkland Lake Golds world-class Detour Lake Mine.

The Casault property also hosts the Vortex Zone, a syenite-associated disseminated gold system with drill hole intersections grading up to 1.38 g/t Au over 26.5 metres that was traced over a distance of 1.5 kilometre.

Assay QA/QC

Drill core samples from the 2021 drill program at Casault were cut and bagged on site and transported to AGAT Laboratories Ltd. for analysis. Samples are crushed to 75% less than 2mm. A 250g riffle split is pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns. 50g samples are analyzed by fire assay and AAS. Samples >10g/t Au are automatically analyzed by fire assay with gravimetric finish or screen metallic analysis. To test for coarse free gold and for additional quality assurance and quality control, Wallbridge requests screen metallic analysis for samples containing visible gold. These and future assay results may vary from time to time due to reanalysis for quality assurance and quality control.

About Wallbridge

Wallbridge is currently advancing the exploration and development of its 100%owned Fenelon Gold property located along the DetourFenelon Gold Trend, an emerging gold belt in northwestern Quebec. The Company completed approximately 102,000 metres of drilling in 2020 and is currently conducting a fullyfunded 2021 program of approximately 150,000-170,000 metres of drilling and 2,500 metres of underground exploration development (Phase 1 of a 10,000metre program). The Company intends to complete a maiden mineral resource estimate on the Fenelon Gold System in October 2021.

Wallbridge now holds several kilometres surrounding its rapidly expanding Fenelon discovery providing room for growth, as well as future mine development flexibility. Wallbridge's land holdings in Quebec along the DetourFenelon Gold Trend total more than 900.0 km2, improving Wallbridge's potential for further discoveries along a 90kilometre strike length in this underexplored belt.

Wallbridge is also the operator of, and a 17.8% shareholder in, Lonmin Canada Inc., a privatelyheld company with a portfolio of nickel, copper, and platinumgroup metals (PGM) projects in Ontario's Sudbury Basin.

About Midland

Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements and base metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd BHP Canada Inc., Probe Metals Inc., Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Osisko Development Corp., SOQUEM Inc., Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund, and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Corporation portfolio and generate shareholder value.

This press release was prepared by Mario Masson. P.Geo., VP Exploration for Midland and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 in conjunction with Wallbridge technical team.

For further information, please consult Midlands website or contact:

Gino Roger, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel.: 450 420-5977

Fax: 450 420-5978

Email : info@midlandexploration.com

Website: https://www.midlandexploration.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.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midlands periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3212de98-2285-4845-8d61-904cb23d3fc3

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c2ca51e-ecf7-4990-8384-7cbf79d17dd6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7b1d6adb-5cfb-4689-8c86-c9b4b3a68953
TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wallbridge Mining Company Limited (TSX:WM) (Wallbridge or the Company) is pleased to report that a mineralized zone in CAS-21-123, the first drill hole of this summers 5,300 metre drill program on the Casault Gold Property (Casault or the Property), has assayed 6.85 g/t Au over 2.00 metres.



This intersection is considered significant as it is located in the northern, largely untested part of the property, where no gold zone has been identified to date. This hole was collared approximately 2 kilometres from the nearest anomalous gold intersections (> 1 g/t Au over 1 m) on both the Casault and Martiniere properties (see Fig. 2).

This hole is one of 13 drilled over the last few months to test a variety of grassroots exploration targets 4 to 12 kilometres west of the Companys Martiniere Gold Property ("Martiniere").

The other 12 drill holes of the Casault program have also intersected strong shear and alteration zones with sulfide mineralization that are interpreted to potentially be part of gold-bearing systems. Assay results of these drill holes are pending and will be released as they become available.

This intersection of encouraging gold mineralization in the first drill hole of our Casault program in an entirely grassroots area is not only a testament to our growing understanding of the regional controls on gold deposition in the Detour-Fenelon area but also to the prospectivity of the over 900 square kilometre land package along this underexplored belt, stated Marz Kord, President & CEO of Wallbridge. We are keenly awaiting the assay results of other completed holes and are looking forward to following-up on this intersection.

Casault Gold Property

Wallbridge has an option to acquire up to a 65% interest in the 177 km2 Casault Property from Midland Exploration (Midland) (see Wallbridge News Release dated June 18, 2020). Casault covers a number of grassroots exploration targets 4 to 12 kilometres west of the Companys Martiniere Gold Project ("Martiniere") and 34 to 41 kilometres west of its flagship Fenelon gold property ("Fenelon") (see Figs. 1 and 2). The property covers more than 20 kilometres of the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone (SDLZ), along which the Companys Martiniere and Fenelon gold deposits are located and which also hosts Kirkland Lake Golds world-class Detour Lake Mine.

The Casault property also hosts the Vortex Zone, a syenite-associated disseminated gold system with drill hole intersections grading up to 1.38 g/t Au over 26.5 metres that was traced over a distance of 1.5 kilometres.

Drill Program Completed

Between July and September 2021, Wallbridge completed a 13-hole drill program, testing a variety of grassroots exploration targets at Casault. Drilling has focused on the unexplored northern part of the Property, within 1 to 2 kilometres north of the SLDZ, on the same assemblage of rocks that hosts the Companys Martiniere gold system. Martiniere hosts historic indicated resources of approximately 591,000 gold ounces with an updated resource estimate currently underway (see details of the historic resource estimate on the Companys website). The initial drilling at Casault was approximately 5 kilometres east of the closest target tested by the 2021 drilling at Martiniere.

Hole CAS-21-123 tested a prominent NW-SE oriented structure interpreted from airborne magnetics (see Fig. 3). This structural orientation is known to control gold mineralization at Fenelon and Martiniere, and a series of large structures of this trend also transects the Casault property. The particular structure tested by CAS-21-123 extends for an approximately 8 kilometres across the Companys Martiniere, Casault and Doigt properties and was historically tested by one drill hole on Martiniere, yielding 30.40 g/t Au over 0.44 metres, which has not yet been followed-up.

The intersection of 6.85 g/t Au over 2.00 metres in CAS-21-123 is associated with a mineralized zone consisting of chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and electrum, a gold-silver mineral phase, hosted within deformed and heavily carbonate-altered, felsic to intermediate, porphyritic rocks.

2021 Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend Regional Drill Program

This drilling completed at Casault is part of the Companys approximately 20,000 to 25,000-metre regional drill program on the Companys district-scale, underexplored land package on the Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend.

Assay results of one drill hole of the 2021 Casault exploration drill program are reported in the Table and Figures below. All figures and a table with drill hole information of recently completed holes are posted on the Companys website under Current Program at https://wallbridgemining.com/our-projects/detour-gold-trend/casault/.

Figure 1. Overview Map of Wallbridge's Detour-Fenelon land package

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/67535193-8d07-46e6-ae16-53cdd51ac159

Figure 2. Geology Map of the northern part of the Casault Gold Property and the Martiniere gold deposit

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b17848d1-2556-490c-83ed-ef389d4da2f6

Figure 3. Compilation map of the northeastern part of the Casault Gold Property

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c489b145-a1d3-4e15-883e-937cea60e964

Table 1. Casault Gold Property, Recent Drill Assay Highlights

Drill Hole From To Length Au VG(1) Zone/Corridor Section (m) (m) (m) (g/t) CAS-21-123 254.50 256.50 2.00 6.85 VG NEW

(1) Intervals containing visible gold or electrum, a gold-silver alloy ("VG").

Note: There is currently not enough information to estimate the true width of the intersection.

Assay QA/QC and Qualified Persons

Drill core samples from the 2021 drill program at Casault were cut and bagged on site and transported to AGAT Laboratories Ltd. for analysis. Samples are crushed to 75% less than 2mm. A 250g riffle split is pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns. 50g samples are analyzed by fire assay and AAS. Samples >10g/t Au are automatically analyzed by fire assay with gravimetric finish or screen metallic analysis. To test for coarse free gold and for additional quality assurance and quality control, Wallbridge requests screen metallic analysis for samples containing visible gold. These and future assay results may vary from time to time due to reanalysis for quality assurance and quality control.

The Qualified Person responsible for the technical content of this press release is Peter Lauder, P.Geo, Exploration Manager of Wallbridge.

About Wallbridge Mining

Wallbridge is currently advancing the exploration and development of its 100%owned Fenelon Gold property located along the DetourFenelon Gold Trend, an emerging gold belt in northwestern Quebec. The Company completed approximately 102,000 metres of drilling in 2020 and is currently conducting a fullyfunded 2021 program of approximately 150,000-170,000 metres of drilling and 2,500 metres of underground exploration development (Phase 1 of a 10,000metre program). The Company intends to complete a maiden mineral resource estimate on the Fenelon Gold System in October 2021.

Wallbridge now holds several kilometres surrounding its rapidly expanding Fenelon discovery providing room for growth, as well as future mine development flexibility. Wallbridge's land holdings in Quebec along the DetourFenelon Gold Trend total more than 900.0 km2, improving Wallbridge's potential for further discoveries along a 90kilometre strike length in this underexplored belt.

Wallbridge is also the operator of, and a 17.8% shareholder in, Lonmin Canada Inc., a privatelyheld company with a portfolio of nickel, copper, and platinumgroup metals (PGM) projects in Ontario's Sudbury Basin.

This news release has been authorized by the undersigned on behalf of Wallbridge Mining Company Limited.

For further information please visit the Company's website at www.wallbridgemining.com or contact:

Wallbridge Mining Company Limited

Marz Kord, P. Eng., M. Sc., MBA

President & CEO

Tel: (705) 6829297 ext. 251

Email: mkord@wallbridgemining.com

Victoria Vargas, B.Sc. (Hon.) Economics, MBA

Investor Relations Advisor

Email: vvargas@wallbridgemining.com

This press release may contain certain forwardlooking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation relating to, among other things, the operations of Wallbridge Mining Company Limited (Wallbridge or Company) and the environment within which it operates. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of Wallbridge, future opportunities and anticipated goals, the Companys portfolio, treasury, management team, timetable to mineral resource estimation, permitting and the prospective mineralization of the properties, are forwardlooking statements that involve various risks, assumptions, estimates and uncertainties. Generally, forwardlooking information can be identified by the use of forwardlooking terminology such as seeks, believes, anticipates, plans, continues, budget, scheduled, estimates, expects, forecasts, intends, projects, predicts, proposes, "potential", targets and variations of such words and phrases, or by statements that certain actions, events or results may, will, could, would, should or might, be taken, occur or be achieved. 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.

By their nature, forwardlooking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcomes could differ materially from those contained in such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, regulatory, environmental or other required approval, the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuations in prices of commodities, fluctuations in currency markets, actual results of additional exploration and development activities at the Companys projects, capital expenditures, the availability of any additional capital required to advance projects, accidents, or pandemic interruptions.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forwardlooking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. These statements reflect the current internal projections, expectations or beliefs of the Company and are based on information currently available to the Company.

The Company does not undertake to update any forwardlooking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in those forwardlooking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forwardlooking statements included in this press release should not be unduly relied upon by investors as actual results may vary.

Risks and uncertainties about Wallbridges business are more fully discussed in the disclosure material filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available on SEDAR under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are urged to read these materials and should not place undue reliance on the forwardlooking statements contained in this press release.

Covid19  Given the rapidly evolving nature of the Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic, Wallbridge is actively monitoring the situation in order to continue to maintain as best as possible the activities while striving to protect the health of its personnel. Wallbridge' activities will continue to align with the guidance provided by local, provincial and federal authorities in Canada. The Company has established measures to continue normal activities while protecting the health of its employees and stakeholders. Depending on the evolution of the virus, measures may affect the regular operations of Wallbridge and the participation of staff members in events inside or outside Canada.
Dublin, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global On Street Vehicle Parking Meter Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Parking Meter (Single Space) and Parking Kiosks (Multi Space) ), Payment Type( Credit card, Bills, and Coins ), and Geography" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global on street vehicle parking meter market is expected to grow from US$ 590.7 million in 2021 to US$ 1,138.8 million by 2028; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 8.6% from 2021 to 2028.



On street parking has strong roots of deployment in developed nations as the peoples are keen towards a modern solution the adoption ratio is higher in developed countries. However, with rising technological advancement and awareness about modern technologies, developing nations like India and China attract numerous market players. The governments of developing nations are investing substantial capital in the parking industry to resolve traffic congestion, parking space availability issue, and reduce air pollution caused due to vehicles. For instance, in April 2021, the Transport Department ("TD") of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has awarded the contract of US$ 680 million to Flowbird and HKT under the smart city program to develop digital on-street parking systems. The program includes the installation of ~ 12,000 new parking meters across the streets of Hong Kong, offering digital payment and real-time parking vacancy information. Such an increasing focus on installing smart parking solutions has created substantial growth opportunities for the market in the coming years.



The government of India also initiated the new smart city projects under which smart parking meters are getting installed in emerging cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai, among others. The parking meters for on street parking locations are getting installed to facilitate users with varied payment options. Such a rising focus towards the smart parking solution from developing nations is propelling the market growth.



The key companies operating in the on street vehicle parking meter market include Ditech SRL; Duncan Solutions; IEM SA; IPS Group, Inc.; J.J. MacKay Canada Limited (MacKay Meters); MEYPAR, S.L.; Parking BOXX Inc.; and Ventek International.



The overall size of the on street vehicle parking meter market has been derived using both primary and secondary sources. To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the market. The process also serves the purpose of obtaining an overview and forecast for the on street vehicle parking meter market with respect to all the segments pertaining to the region. Also, multiple primary interviews have been conducted with industry participants and commentators to validate the data, as well as to gain more analytical insights into the topic. The participants of this process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers, along with external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders, specializing in the on street vehicle parking meter market.



Reasons to buy

Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the on street vehicle parking meter market

Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies

The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the fall protection equipment market thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long-term strategies

Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets

Scrutinize in-depth US market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it

Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. On street vehicle parking meter Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 PEST Analysis

4.2.1 North America

4.2.2 Europe

4.2.3 Asia-Pacific

4.2.4 Middle East and Africa

4.2.5 South America

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

4.4 Expert Opinion



5. On Street Vehicle Parking Meter Market - Key Market Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Rapid Growth in Urbanization

5.1.2 Increasing Demand for Smart Parking Solutions

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Rising Focus on Off-Street Parking And Emergence of New Payment Technologies

5.3 market Opportunities

5.3.1 Growing Adoption of the Parking Meters in Developing Nations

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Integration Internet of Things in On Street Parking Meters

5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers And Restraints



6. On Street Vehicle Parking Meter - Global Market Analysis

6.1 Global On Street Vehicle Parking Meter Market Overview

6.2 Global On Street Vehicle Parking Meter Market Revenue Forecast and Analysis

6.3 Market Positioning - Five Key Players



7. Global On Street Vehicle Parking Meter Market Analysis - By Type

7.1 Overview

7.2 Parking Meter (Single Space)

7.2.1 Overview

7.2.2 Global Parking meter (single space) Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2028 (US$ Million)

7.3 Parking Kiosks (Multi Space)

7.3.1 Overview

7.3.2 Global Parking Kiosks (Multi Space) Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2028 (US$ Million)



8. Global On Street Vehicle Parking Meter Market Analysis - By Payment Type

8.1 Overview

8.2 Credit card

8.2.1 Overview

8.2.2 Global Credit card Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2028 (US$ Million)

8.3 Bills

8.3.1 Overview

8.3.2 Global Bills Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2028 (US$ Million)

8.4 Coins

8.4.1 Overview

8.4.2 Global Coins Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2028 (US$ Million)



9. On Street Vehicle Parking Meter Market - Geographic Analysis



10. On Street Vehicle Parking Meter Market - Covid-19 Impact Analysis

10.1 Overview

10.2 North America: Impact Assessment of Covid-19 Pandemic

10.3 Europe: Impact Assessment of Covid-19 Pandemic

10.4 Asia Pacific: Impact Assessment of Covid-19 Pandemic

10.5 Middle East & Africa: Impact Assessment of Covid-19 Pandemic

10.6 South America Impact Assessment of Covid-19 Pandemic



11. Industry Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Market Initiative

11.3 New Product Development



12. Company Profile

12.1 Ditech SRL

12.1.1 Key Facts

12.1.2 Business Description

12.1.3 Products and Services

12.1.4 Financial Overview

12.1.5 SWOT Analysis

12.1.6 Key Developments

12.2 Duncan Solutions

12.2.1 Key Facts

12.2.2 Business Description

12.2.3 Products and Services

12.2.4 Financial Overview

12.2.5 SWOT Analysis

12.2.6 Key Developments

12.3 Flowbird

12.3.1 Key Facts

12.3.2 Business Description

12.3.3 Products and Services

12.3.4 Financial Overview

12.3.5 SWOT Analysis

12.3.6 Key Developments

12.4 IEM SA

12.4.1 Key Facts

12.4.2 Business Description

12.4.3 Products and Services

12.4.4 Financial Overview

12.4.5 SWOT Analysis

12.4.6 Key Developments

12.5 IPS Group, Inc.

12.5.1 Key Facts

12.5.2 Business Description

12.5.3 Products and Services

12.5.4 Financial Overview

12.5.5 SWOT Analysis

12.5.6 Key Developments

12.6 J.J. MacKay Canada Limited (MacKay Meters)

12.6.1 Key Facts

12.6.2 Business Description

12.6.3 Products and Services

12.6.4 Financial Overview

12.6.5 SWOT Analysis

12.6.6 Key Developments

12.7 METRIC Group Ltd

12.7.1 Key Facts

12.7.2 Business Description

12.7.3 Products and Services

12.7.4 Financial Overview

12.7.5 SWOT Analysis

12.7.6 Key Developments

12.8 MEYPAR, S.L.

12.8.1 Key Facts

12.8.2 Business Description

12.8.3 Products and Services

12.8.4 Financial Overview

12.8.5 SWOT Analysis

12.8.6 Key Developments

12.9 Parking BOXX Inc.

12.9.1 Key Facts

12.9.2 Business Description

12.9.3 Products and Services

12.9.4 Financial Overview

12.9.5 SWOT Analysis

12.9.6 Key Developments

12.10 Ventek International

12.10.1 Key Facts

12.10.2 Business Description

12.10.3 Products and Services

12.10.4 Financial Overview

12.10.5 SWOT Analysis

12.10.6 Key Developments



13. Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/14th38
Mineral resource definition drilling continuing in the Santa Barbara target area which has been increased to more than 1,400m along strike, is 500m wide and extends to a depth of up to 600m.



TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: ELO; OTCQX: ELRRF; FSE: P2QM) (Eloro, or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on exploration activities at its Iska Iska silver-tin polymetallic project in the Potosi Department, southern Bolivia. To date, the Company has completed 32,606 metres (m) of drilling in 63 holes, including three (3) in progress, to test major targets at Iska Iska. Currently three drills are operating on the property: two surface drills and one underground drill.

Mineral Resource Definition Drilling at Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe

Eloro is continuing mineral resource definition drilling on the Santa Barbara Target Area which includes the Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe (SBBP), the surrounding mineralized envelope and the potential northwest extension indicated by the magnetic anomaly (Figure 1). Additional drilling since the Companys September 28, 2021, press release has further expanded the target area for definition of a maiden National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) compliant mineral resource to more than 1,400m along strike, with significant mineralization being intersected in step out holes DSB-15 and DSB-16 which are collared 200m further northwest than the first step out holes DSB-12 and DSB-13. This target zone is approximately 500m wide and extends to a depth of 600m. Further fill-in drilling on SW-NE sections is being undertaken at approximately 100m intervals.

Three underground drill holes have been completed from the drill bay at the west end of the Santa Barbara adit. DSBU-01, drilled due east at -20 degrees, intersected extensive mineralization in the mineralized envelope of the SBBP. Holes DSBU-02 and DSBU-03 drilled due west at -20 degrees and -50 degrees, respectively, intersected significant mineralization along the southern margin of the SBBP. A fourth underground hole DSBU-04 is currently in progress, drilled due south at -20 degrees to fill in coverage in the mineralized envelope to the south of the SBBP. Assays on the underground and surface holes cited are all pending. Table 1 gives a complete listing of holes with assays pending.

Magnetic Inversion Model, Iska Iska Caldera Complex

On June 7, 2021, Eloro released results of its ground magnetic survey at Iska which confirmed the extent of the Iska Iska Caldera, as determined from geological mapping and satellite interpretation, including Aster data. The Santa Barbara and Central Breccia Pipes, both of which have been confirmed by drill-testing, are marked by prominent areas of low magnetic variability reflecting strong hydrothermal alteration. The Porco Breccia Pipe target, which is approximately 600m in diameter, has a similar signature to the Santa Barbara and Central Breccia Pipes. Drilling subsequently confirmed geologically that Porco is also a major breccia pipe, but assays are pending. Furthermore, it appears that the Central and Porco Breccia Pipes merge at depth. This survey also identified a prominent area of low magnetic variability northwest of the Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe where drilling has now confirmed a major extension of the mineralized envelope northwest of the SBBP.

Figure 2 shows a NNW-SSE section through a 3D Inverse Magnetic Susceptibility Model calculated from the ground magnetic data. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility of representative core samples were used as initial constraints for the model parameters. Geometric constraints were also applied to the model using geological observations. These included magnetic depletion in an oxidized zone near the surface and a depth interval consistent with drill results. Higher grade samples at Iska Iska generally have higher sulphide content and are distinctly magnetic. Magnetic susceptibility thus provides a good tool for outlining potential zones of mineralization.

The model demonstrates that the altered and mineralized zone at Iska Iska has the form of a giant tongue extending for a strike length of at least 2.4km, with a thickness near surface of approximately 400m, expanding to a depth over 1.2km in the southeast. The upper, oxidized part of the mineralized system has a very low magnetic susceptibility as does the underlying basement Ordovician quartz sandstone. SBBP is the shallowest mineralized structure followed by Central Breccia. The core of Porco appears to be deeper. Father south the model indicates strong magnetic susceptibility that may reflect a porphyry at depth.

Tom Larsen, CEO of Eloro commented: "We are working with ALS and AHK Laboratories to reduce the backlog of assay samples. Both ALS and AHK have prep labs in Oruro in Bolivia. AHK recently installed a crusher facility in Tupiza which will increase efficiency of sample preparation. With both laboratories now actively engaged, turnaround times for assay results should improve.

Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Eloros Executive Vice President Exploration, commented: The magnetic model further confirms the immense extent of the mineralized system at Iska Iska which will require much more drilling to fully evaluate. Currently we are completing down hole Induced Polarization/Resistivity surveys in the SBBP area to outline the geometry of the mineralized zones. Volumes with higher sulphide content will appear as anomalous chargeability and lower resistivity. We anticipate being able to model these higher sulphide zones to help develop a robust geological model for mineral resource estimation. We are currently focussing on filling gaps in our drill coverage for defining a maiden NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource in the Santa Barbara target area. This drilling is expected to be completed by the end of November.

Table 1: Summary of Diamond Drill Holes Completed with Assays Pending and Drill Holes in Progress at Iska Iska from press release of September 28, 2021.

Hole No. Type Collar

Easting Collar

Northing Elev Azimuth Angle Hole Length

m Surface Drilling Northwest Extension Santa Barbara DSB-12 S 205072.7 7656867.5 4165.0 225 -40 806.2 DSB-13 S 205072.7 7656867.5 4165.0 225 -60 696.5 DSB-14 S 205283.0 7656587.2 4175.0 225 -65 814.8 DSB-15 S 204973.1 7657053.8 4165.0 225 -40 731.2 DSB-14 S 205283.0 7656587.2 4175.0 225 -65 968.5 DSB-15 S 204973.1 7657053.8 4165.0 225 -40 731.2 DSB-16 S 204973.1 7657053.8 4165.0 225 -65 862.0 DSB-18 S 205207.1 7656676.3 4175.0 225 -40 890.4 Subtotal 6500.8 DSB-17 S 205131.3 7656765.4 4173.0 225 -40 In progress Underground Drilling Huayra Kasa  Santa Barbara Area DHK-23 UG 205418.5 7656360.0 4151.9 270 -50 598.0 Subtotal 598.0 Underground Drilling Santa Barbara Adit DSBU-1 UG 205285.2 7656074.8 4165.0 90 -10 260.5 DSBU-2 UG 205285.2 7656074.8 4165.0 270 -20 563.6 DSBU-3 UG 205285.2 7656074.8 4165.0 270 -20 644.9 Subtotal 1469.0 DSBU-4 UG 205285.2 7656074.8 4165.0 270 -20 In progress Central Breccia Pipe  Surface Radial Drill Program  North Setup DCN-05 S 204902.0 7655860.0 4420.0 90 -60 524.3 DCN-06 S 204902.0 7655860.0 4420.0 180 -80 626.4 DCN-07 S 204902.0 7655860.0 4420.0 270 -60 680.4 Subtotal 1831.1 Central Breccia Pipe  Surface Radial Drill Program  South Setup DCS-03 S 204852.1 7655612.3 4429.7 225 -60 443.5 DCS-04 S 204852.1 7655612.3 4429.7 180 -60 644.4 Subtotal 1087.9 Porco Central  Surface Radial Drill Program DPC-01 S 205457.2 7655110.9 4175.0 270 -60 767.5 DPC-02 S 205457.2 7655110.9 4175.0 225 -60 908.2 DPC-03 S 205457.2 7655110.9 4175.0 135 -60 524.5 DPC-04 S 205457.2 7655110.9 4175.0 0 -60 371.4 DPC-05 S 205457.2 7655110.9 4175.0 90 -60 407.5 DPC-06 S 205457.2 7655110.9 4175.0 243 -60 716.4 Subtotal 3695.5 TOTAL 15,182.3



S = Surface UG=Underground; collar coordinates in metres; azimuth and dip in degrees

Total drilling completed since the start of the program on September 13, 2020, is 32,606m in 63 holes including 3 holes in progress (21 underground holes and 42 surface holes).

Figure 1: Geology of the Iska Iska Caldera Complex showing locations of Major Target Zones including the magnetic anomaly northwest of the Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe and diamond drill holes completed and in progress. A NNW-SSE line A-A indicates the surface trace of the Magnetic Susceptibility Model Section shown in Figure 2. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e8b641e2-3c7a-4f73-87b9-8f2084793a1a

Figure 2. Longitudinal Section Showing the Inverse Model of Magnetic Susceptibility. Susceptibility Highlights Major Targets and Geological Features https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1289f498-2494-4047-94c5-9aa2356251e0

Qualified Person

Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P. Geo., General Manager of Minera Tupiza S.R.L., and a Qualified Person in the context of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101), has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Executive Vice President Exploration Eloro, and who has more than 45 years of worldwide mining exploration experience including extensive work in South America, manages the overall technical program working closely with Dr. Arce. Dr. Quinton Hennigh, P.Geo., Senior Technical Advisor to Eloro and Independent Technical Advisor, Mr. Charley Murahwi P. Geo., FAusIMM of Micon International Limited are regularly consulted on technical aspects of the project.

The magnetic survey was carried out by MES Geophysics using a GEM Systems GSM-19W Overhauser magnetometer. Dr. Chris Hale, P.Geo. and Mr. John Gilliatt, P.Geo. of Intelligent Exploration provided the survey design, preparation of the maps and interpretation from data processed and quality reviewed by Rob McKeown, P. Geo. of MES Geophysics. Messrs. Hale, Gilliatt and McKeown are Qualified Persons as defined under NI 43-101 Mr. Joe Mihelcic, P.Eng., P.Geo., a QP under NI 43-101, of Clearview Geophysics completed the 3D magnetic inversion model in consultation with Dr. Chris Hale, P.Geo. and Mr. John Gilliatt, P.Geo. of Intelligent Exploration.

Drill samples are prepared in ALS Bolivia Ltdas preparation facility in Oruro, Bolivia with pulps sent to the main ALS Global laboratory in Lima for analysis. As announced in the February 26, 2021 press release, Eloro has changed the assay protocol to utilize X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to more accurately analyze higher tin. Tin in the CBP is suspected to occur as cassiterite which is insoluble in acid digestion, and therefore not suited for wet chemical techniques. In addition, other assay protocols have been changed to provide for a more accurate measurement of the wide-ranging suite of polymetallic metals at Iska Iska. Eloro employs an industry standard QA/QC program with standards, blanks and duplicates inserted into each batch of samples analyzed with selected check samples sent to a separate accredited laboratory.

Unfortunately, the ALS Global laboratory in Lima where the Iska Iska samples are being analyzed has had major delays in turnaround time due to the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown of Lima by the Peruvian government. This has restricted availability of critical supplies necessary to carry out analytical work. As a result, there will be delays in reporting of assay results.

Recently, AHK Laboratories, who manage a global network of laboratories have setup operations in Bolivia with the establishment of a preparation laboratory in Oruro. AHK has a strong base of accredited laboratories in South America including Peru, Chile, Brazil and Argentina. Eloro has contracted AHK to provide additional analytical services in order to help reduce the sample backlog. A series of check samples are currently being analyzed by AHK as a QA/QC check.

About Iska Iska

Iska Iska silver-tin polymetallic project is a road accessible, royalty-free property, wholly-controlled by the Title Holder, Empresa Minera Villegas S.R.L. and is located 48 km north of Tupiza city, in the Sud Chichas Province of the Department of Potosi in southern Bolivia. Eloro has an option to earn a 99% interest in Iska Iska.

Iska Iska is a major silver-tin polymetallic porphyry-epithermal complex associated with a Miocene possibly collapsed/resurgent caldera, emplaced on Ordovician age rocks with major breccia pipes, dacitic domes and hydrothermal breccias. The caldera is 1.6km by 1.8km in dimension with a vertical extent of at least 1km. Mineralization age is similar to Cerro Rico de Potosi and other major deposits such as San Vicente, Chorolque, Tasna and Tatasi located in the same geological trend.

Eloro began underground diamond drilling from the Huayra Kasa underground workings at Iska Iska on September 13, 2020. On November 18, 2020 Eloro announced the discovery of a significant breccia pipe with extensive silver polymetallic mineralization just east of the Huayra Kasa underground workings and a high-grade gold-bismuth zone in the underground workings. On November 24, 2020, Eloro announced the discovery of the SBBP approximately 150m southwest of the Huayra Kasa underground workings.

Subsequently, on January 26, 2021, Eloro announced significant results from the first drilling at the SBBP including the discovery hole DHK-15 which returned 129.60 g Ag eq/t over 257.5m (29.53g Ag/t, 0.078g Au/t, 1.45%Zn, 0.59%Pb, 0.080%Cu, 0.056%Sn, 0.0022%In and 0.0064% Bi from 0.0m to 257.5m. Subsequent drilling has confirmed significant values of Ag-Sn polymetallic mineralization in the SBBP and the adjacent CBP. The SBBP thus far extends 800m along strike by 400+m wide and extends to at least 700m depth. CBP extends for 700m along strike by 400+m wide and extends to at least 900m deep.

A substantive mineralized envelope which is open along strike and down-dip extends around the breccia pipes. Continuous channel sampling of the Santa Barbara Adit located to the east of SBBP returned 442 g Ag eq/t (164.96 g Ag/t, 0.46%Sn, 3.46% Pb and 0.14% Cu) over 166m including 1,092 g Ag eq/t (446 g Ag/t, 9.03% Pb and 1.16% Sn) over 56.19m. The west end of the adit intersects the end of the SBBP.

On May 4, 2021, Eloro released results from the first drill hole on the CBP. Hole DCN-01 intersected multiple mineralized intercepts including 196.09 g Ag eq/t (150.25 g Ag/t, 0.10% Sn and 0.05 g Au/t) over 56.2m and containing 342.98 g Ag eq/t (274.0 g Ag/t, 0.16% Sn and 0.16 g Au/t) over 27.53m.

On May 26, 2021 Eloro released results from Hole DSB-07 drilled at -60 degrees to a depth of 683.4m to the southeast from the radial drill platform on SBBP which intersected multiple mineralized intercepts including:

122.66 grams silver equivalent/tonne (g Ag eq/t) (35.05 g Ag/t, 0.72% Zn, 0.61% Pb, 0.11% Sn and 0.06 g Au/t) over 123.61m from 236.60m to 360.21m including 205.74 g Ag eq/t (92.30 g Ag/t, 0.57% Zn, 0.85% Pb, 0.18% Sn and 0.07 g Au/t ) over 32.32m , from 317.21m to 349.53m.





and over from 236.60m to 360.21m including and ) over , from 317.21m to 349.53m. 105.41 g Ag eq/t (8.55 g Ag/t, 1.01% Zn, 0.48% Pb, 0.06% Sn and 0.38 g Au/t) over 173.58m from 449.87m to 623.45m including 199.77 g Ag eq/t (21.90 g Ag/t, 1.18% Zn, 0.93% Pb 0.12% Sn and 0.94 g Au/t) over 39.08 m, from 551.19m to 590.27m.





and over from 449.87m to 623.45m including and over m, from 551.19m to 590.27m. 146.19 g Ag eq/t (1.70 g Ag/t, 0.00% Zn, 0.01% Pb, 0.42% Sn and 0.02 g Au/t) over 10.20m from 171.60m to 181.80m in the oxide zone indicating potential for significant Sn mineralization in this strongly leached nearer surface zone.





(1.70 g Ag/t, 0.00% Zn, 0.01% Pb, and 0.02 g Au/t) over from 171.60m to 181.80m in the oxide zone indicating potential for significant Sn mineralization in this strongly leached nearer surface zone. In aggregate, 64% of this 683.4m long hole returned reportable mineralized intervals.

Eloro reported additional multiple holes with significant silver-tin polymetallic Intercepts in the SBBP and CBP on July 6, 2021 including:

Hole DSB-08, testing the northeast quadrant of the SBBP, encountered eighteen reportable mineralized intercepts beginning near surface to its terminus at 614.4 m. The longest intercept was 69.89 g Ag eq/t over 252.89m from 355.12 to 608.02m including several higher-grade sections of 196.60 g Ag eq/t including 131.13 g Ag/t over 14.52m, 134.62 g Ag eq/t including 93.25 g Ag/t over 21.08m and 145.35 g Ag eq/t including 2.38% Zn over 10.11m .

from 355.12 to 608.02m including several higher-grade sections of including over including and over . Hole DSB-10, testing the southwest quadrant of the SBBP and northern part of the CBP, encountered twenty-nine reportable mineralized intercepts beginning near surface to its terminus at 1,019.4m. Tin was notably elevated in many intervals suggesting proximity to a mineralizing intrusive source in this area. Notable intercepts include 114.96 Ag eq/t including 0.325% tin (Sn) over 56.2m from 322.18m to 378.30m including a higher-grade section of 187.98 g Ag eq/t including 0.535% Sn over 28.86m, 80.71 g Ag eq/t including 0.213% Sn over 74.39m from 474.86 to 549.25m and 118.69 g Ag eq/t over 10.77m from 829.97 to 840.74m.

On July 28, 2021, Eloro reported results from hole DHK-18, drilled due south at -10 degrees from the west drill bay in the Huayra Kasa underground workings, to test the mineralized envelope of the SBBP. This hole intersected 129.65 g Ag eq/t (18.38 g Ag/t, 2.14% Zn, 0.67%Pb, and 0.047% Sn) over 300.75m from 65.14m to 365.91m, including higher grade intervals of 215.54 g Ag eq/t over 72.76m, 163.35 g Ag eq/t over 31.83m and 224.48 g Ag eq/t over 19.39m. This hole intersected significant mineralization approximately 230m below the eastern part of the Santa Barbara adit from which previously reported continuous channel sampling returned 442 g Ag eq/t over 166m (see press release April 13, 2021). 82% of this 446.5m long hole contained reportable intervals.

On September 7, 2021 assay results were reported from a further four (4) additional four holes which tested the mineralized envelope of the Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe (SBBP) and the central-southern part of the Central Breccia Pipe (CBP), including;

Hole DHK-20 , drilled from the west end of the Huayra Kasa underground workings at -50 degrees on section with hole DHK-18, which intersected 129.65 g Ag eq/t over 300.75m (see press release dated July 28, 2021), returned 234.19 g Ag eq/t (70.58 g Ag/t, 2.31% Zn, 2.74% Pb and 0.042% Sn) over 53.20m from 139.35m to 192.55m including a higher grade portion of 931.73 g Ag eq/t (367.29 g Ag/t, 5.64% Zn, 13.67% Pb and 0.10% Sn) over 9.26m. Multiple additional significant mineralized intervals occur above and below this intercept. Mineralization occurs within the mineralized envelope east of SBBP in all host rock types.



, drilled from the west end of the Huayra Kasa underground workings at -50 degrees on section with hole DHK-18, which intersected 129.65 g Ag eq/t over 300.75m (see press release dated July 28, 2021), returned from 139.35m to 192.55m including a higher grade portion of Multiple additional significant mineralized intervals occur above and below this intercept. Mineralization occurs within the mineralized envelope east of SBBP in all host rock types. Hole DHK-19 , drilled to the southeast at -45 degrees from the west end of the Huayra Kasa underground workings, intersected 108.24 g Ag eq/t (3.14g Ag/t, 0.24 g Au/t, 2.03% Zn and 0.58% Pb) over 48.2m from 46.95m to 95.15m in altered dacite in the mineralized envelope of the SBBP. This includes a higher-grade interval grading 180.76 g Ag eq/t (4.46 g Ag/t, 0.35 g Au/t, 3.57% Zn and 1.05% Pb) over 15.02m . Multiple additional significant mineralized intervals occur above and below this intercept.



, drilled to the southeast at -45 degrees from the west end of the Huayra Kasa underground workings, intersected over from 46.95m to 95.15m in altered dacite in the mineralized envelope of the SBBP. This includes a higher-grade interval grading . Multiple additional significant mineralized intervals occur above and below this intercept. Hole DCN-04 was drilled at -80 degrees to the north from the northern radial platform of the CBP. This hole intersected seventeen (17) mineralized intersections, principally Sn-Ag-bearing, over its 851.4m length. Best results include 71.54 g Ag eq/t (32.58 g Ag/t and 0.10% Sn) over 97.10m from 134.40 to 231.5m ; 101.52 g Ag eq/t (28.74 g Ag/t and 0.19% Sn) over 62.01m from 281.40m to 343.41m; 70.42 g Ag eq/t (28.74 g Ag/t and 0.16% Sn) over 22.59m from 417.05m to 439.64m; and 236.96 g Ag eq/t (92.21 g Ag/t and 0.25% Sn) over 17.45m from 659.55m to 677.00.m



was drilled at -80 degrees to the north from the northern radial platform of the CBP. This hole intersected seventeen (17) mineralized intersections, principally Sn-Ag-bearing, over its 851.4m length. Best results include and over from 134.40 to 231.5m and over from 281.40m to 343.41m; and over from 417.05m to 439.64m; and and over from 659.55m to 677.00.m Hole DCS-02 was drilled southeast at -60 degrees from the south radial platform of the CBP. This hole, which was drilled to 800.5m, intersected nine (9) reportable Ag-Zn-Pb-Sn mineralized intervals. Best results include 79.53 g Ag eq/t (including 0.21% Sn) over 19.42m, 101.01 g Ag eq/t (32.76 g Ag/t, 0.76% Zn, 0.75% Pb) over 10.47 and 130.95g Ag eq/t (34.14 g Ag/t, 0.10 g Au/t, 1.35% Zn and 0.56 % Pb over 7.40m. Mineralization in the southern part of the CBP is notable for containing significant Zn and Pb as well as Ag and Sn, a metal assemblage more comparable to SBBP and Porco. The northern part of the CBP is dominantly Sn-Ag suggesting a deeper origin for this part of the breccia pipe.



A detailed ground magnetic survey of the Iska Iska property, reported on June 6, 2021, confirmed the extent of the Iska Iska Caldera as determined from geological mapping and satellite interpretation, including Aster data. The SBBP and CBP, both of which have been confirmed by drill-testing, are marked by prominent low anomalies reflecting strong alteration. The magnetic data suggests that the Central and Porco Breccia Pipes likely merge at depth. In addition, there is a prominent area of low intensity magnetics northwest of the SBBP which was reported on in this press release.

Geological mapping and satellite interpretation identified a third major breccia pipe target, Porco (South), that is approximately 600m in diameter (South) located southeast of the CBP in the southern part of the Iska Iska caldera complex. The Porco (South) Breccia Pipe target has a similar magnetic signature to the Santa Barbara and Central Breccia Pipes, further confirming the likelihood of it being a major breccia pipe. This target is currently being drill tested. Previous channel sampling in the Porco adit located adjacent the target area 200m to the southeast returned 50m grading 519.35 g Ag eq/t including 236.13 g Ag/t, 1.89 g Au/t, 0.87% Cu, 0.22% Bi and >0.05% Sn over an average sample width of 2.49m.

Currently three diamond drill rigs are active at Iska Iska, two surface rigs and one underground drill. Planned drilling for 2021 is 51,000m with the aim of outlining an initial inferred NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource by Q1 2022. A downhole induced polarization/resistivity (IP/Res) survey is in progress to further define drill targets and aid resource definition drilling. Preliminary metallurgical tests are also in progress. An updated NI 43-101 Technical Report is being prepared by independent consultant Micon International Ltd.

About Eloro Resources Ltd.

Eloro is an exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec. Eloro has an option to acquire a 99% interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska Property, which can be classified as a polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department, in southern Bolivia. Eloro commissioned a NI 43-101 Technical Report on Iska Iska, which was completed by Micon International Limited and is available on Eloros website and under its filings on SEDAR. Iska Iska is a road-accessible, royalty-free property. Eloro also owns an 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru some 50 km south of Barricks Lagunas Norte Gold Mine and Pan American Silvers La Arena Gold Mine. La Victoria consists of eight mining concessions and eight mining claims encompassing approximately 89 square kilometres. La Victoria has good infrastructure with access to road, water and electricity and is located at an altitude that ranges from 3,150 m to 4,400 m above sea level.

For further information please contact either Thomas G. Larsen, Chairman and CEO or Jorge Estepa, Vice-President at (416) 868-9168.

Information in this news release may contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Companys plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither the 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.
Pune, India, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global COVID-19 diagnostics market size is projected to reach USD 11.40 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period.

Uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus worldwide will be the major factor propelling the growth of this market, shares Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled COVID-19 Diagnostics Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product (Instruments and Reagents & Kits), By Technology (PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay), Point-of-care (POC), and Others), By Sample Type (Oropharyngeal and Nasopharyngeal Swabs, Blood, Urine, and Others), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Laboratories & Diagnostic Centers, and Research Institutes), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027.





Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/covid-19-diagnostics-market-103291





According to Johns Hopkins University, global COVID-19 infections reached 100,000 in just 60 days, growing to 200,000 in the next 12-14 days, and the recent addition of 100,000 cases has taken only 3 days. The calculation of the spread of this disease is based on the estimation of the reproduction number or R Naught (Ro).

The UK Research and Innovation organization states that if the Ro goes above 1, exponential growth will be witnessed. As per a study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine based on the virus transmission rate in Wuhan, the Ro was computed to be between 2.49 and 2.63. Such rapid transmission of the virus has surged the demand for coronavirus diagnostics tools and kits, which is boosting the growth of this market.





Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market.

Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/covid-19-diagnostics-market-103291





The report states that the value of the global market stood at USD 6.22 billion in 2019 and also provides the following:

Detailed analysis of the short-term and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market;

Comprehensive insights into the upcoming opportunities in the market;

In-depth of the market, drivers, restraints, and segments; and

Careful examination of the regional developments, competitive landscape, and rising investment pockets for the market.

Market Driver

Concerted Efforts towards Developing COVID Detection Tests to Accelerate Growth

With the COVID-19 pandemic showing no signs of abatement, medical and regulatory bodies are collaborating to encourage innovation and speed up research in developing coronavirus detection tools. For instance, in April 2020, the National Institutes of Health in the US announced the launch of Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative with a funding of USD 1.5 billion to commercialize and widen the accessibility of COVID-19 testing. Similarly, in June 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) joined the COVID-19 Diagnostics Evidence Accelerator created by the Friends of Cancer Research and Reagan-Udall Foundation with the aim to evaluate the performance of PCR and antibody tests for COVID. Together, these and similar initiatives are expected to augment the COVID-19 diagnostics market growth throughout 2020.





Quick Buy - COVID-19 Diagnostics Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/103291





Regional Insights

High Number of COVID-19 Cases to Give North America Leading Market Position

The United States is one of the worst-hit countries in the world by the coronavirus pandemic, with the number of cases as of June 2020 standing at 2.68 million and 129,000 deaths. In response, the US government is injecting more funds into medical research facilities to accelerate development of COVID-19 diagnostics and widen the testing net in the country. The regions market size in 2019 stood at USD 2.17 billion.

In Europe, the virus is spreading at a furious pace, with the UK, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany having the highest number of cases. Quick adoption of advanced detection tools in the region will enable it to expand its footprint in the COVID-19 diagnostics market share in the immediate future. Heavy investments by governments in Asia Pacific in the healthcare sector are expected to favor market growth in the region.





Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/covid-19-diagnostics-market-103291





Competitive Landscape

Regulatory Support to Novel Diagnostic Solutions to Encourage Innovation

The coronavirus is tightening its hold on the world and pharmaceuticals and governments are in a race against time to develop and launch quick and accurate diagnostic tests for this deadly virus. As a result, bodies such as the FDA are providing the necessary support to companies by removing unnecessary regulatory barriers, which is encouraging other players to innovate.

Industry Developments:

May 2020: Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA test developed by Quidel was green lit by the FDA, making it the first antigen test approved in the US for the detection of COVID-19. These tests identify unique protein fragments found on the outer walls of the coronavirus and deliver quick results.

Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA test developed by Quidel was green lit by the FDA, making it the first antigen test approved in the US for the detection of COVID-19. These tests identify unique protein fragments found on the outer walls of the coronavirus and deliver quick results. March 2020: The US FDA cleared Abbotts molecular point-of-care test for detection of COVID in patients through its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The test promises to deliver positive results in 5 minutes and negative results in 13 minutes.

List of Key Players Covered in this Market Report:

PerkinElmer Inc.

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated

Quidel Corporation

Siemens Healthcare GmbH

Abbott

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

bioMerieux SA

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd

Danaher Corporation





Table of Content on COVID-19 Diagnostics Market:

Introduction Market Scope Market Segmentation Market Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Overview: Guidelines for COVID-19 Diagnosis New Product Launch Prevalence of COVID-19 Disease Key Industry Developments - Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships

Global COVID-19 Diagnostics Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2016-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Product Instruments Reagents & Kits Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Technology Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Point-of-care (POC) Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Sample Type Oropharyngeal & Nasopharyngeal Swabs Blood Urine Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Hospitals & Clinics Laboratories & Diagnostic Centers Research Institute Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Geography North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa



TOC Continued





Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/covid-19-diagnostics-market-103291





About Us:

Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data.

At Fortune Business Insights we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges.





Contact Us:

Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd.

308, Supreme Headquarters,

Survey No. 36, Baner,

Pune-Bangalore Highway,

Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India.
Miami, FL, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Amazonas Florestal, Ltd. (OTC:AZFL) advised its shareholders today that a Memorandum of Understanding has been completed and signed for the acquisition of 51% of the total issued and outstanding shares of Colombia Dreams Marijuana (CDM), a Colombian company based out of Cienaga, Magdalena. CDM is fully licensed in Colombia and dedicated to the cultivation, product manufacturing and distribution of High-CBD Hemp and Medical Marijuana flower, and its many derivative products. Formal acquisition agreements will be signed this week.



Since 2016, CDM ( www.cdmcolombia.co ) has focused primarily on the research and development of home grown hybrid cannabis plant genetics, keeping the company a step above its local competition. The company has developed hybrid genetics that are testing to some of the highest cannabinoid content levels found anywhere in Colombia. CDM breeds several strains of hybrid genetics, producing an active fully licensed femenized seed bank in several promising strains and then utilizing the home bred seeds to further develop super mothers and clones customized to the local climate and other environmental factors for their cultivation outdoors. These unique genetics have positioned CDM to become an important supplier of original top-shelf cannabis products that include: Medical Marijuana and High-CBD flower, high cannabinoid content oils, standardized and femenized seeds, food supplements, pain balms, creams, lubricants and cosmetics.

AZFL CEO Ricardo Cortez stated: I am thrilled to make this announcement as we continue to take important steps towards establishing our company as a leader in the industry with focus on gaining a market share of the emerging markets here in South Florida and overseas. Colombia is an incredibly biodiverse country that possesses the most favorable climate, PH in the water and soil, natural irrigation systems and the perfect light, temperature and humidity mixmother natures kitchen at its finest. These elements are the foundation that make these unique Colombian strains of the highest quality and chemical content found anywhere and the Colombian cannabis crops a step above most of the rest of the world.

Cortez further expressed: CDM has built an experienced management team, own all of the most important licenses and production farms and have an active agreement with the National University of Colombia that allows for industry-leading scientists to form part of their research and development team.

At CDM we had for some time now been searching for an organization that shares our common vision for the future of the cannabis business in Colombia. I am confident that our combined efforts with the AZFL team will result in the production of innovative cannabis products in Colombia that in turn will develop interesting global markets, said CDMs CEO Jairo Danilo Moreno.

Moreno went on to say, CDMs production centers are located in Guamo, Tolima and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta where some of the worlds best cropping locations for cannabis are found with historically proven results. Our properties are in the same region where during the 1970s, Colombia became the largest exporter of native Marijuana strains to the world markets that were not covered then by the laws and regulations that our country has in place todayand has completely legalized the activity.

About Amazonas Florestal Ltd.

Amazonas Florestal, Ltd.headquartered in Miami, FLis a natural resources company dedicated to the research and development of innovative products and projects to process Industrial Hemp into legal cannabinoid concentrations that include High CBD, THC-Free and Delta-8 products. The company also promotes the sustainable management of large tracts of land in the rainforest state of Amazonas, in Brazil, and sustainable projects that promote the certification and sale of carbon credits from the registered preservation of rainforest properties in areas that UN studies reveal to be in danger of extinction. In 2017, the company shifted gears to concentrate their efforts on growing, harvesting and research and development of Industrial Hemp and related derivative products in the U.S.A. for market both domestically and internationally. In 2021, the company is building a state-of-the-art high CBD Hemp extraction facility in Miami, FL The laboratory titled Green America Laboratories is dedicated to the production of premium bulk T-Free cannabinoid concentrates. Amazonas Florestal's goal is to become a leader in the field of cannabinoid extractions, serving labs in the USA and overseas that use these distillates as raw material for human and animal health/wellness and beauty products.

Disclaimer: Forward Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements in this release regarding Amazonas Florestal Ltd. are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, continued acceptance of the company's products, increased levels of competition, new products and technological changes, the company's dependence upon third-party suppliers, intellectual property rights, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Amazonas Florestal Ltd.

Email: info@azflamerica.com

Website: http://azflamerica.com

Attachment
HIGHLIGHTS



Preliminary results include 8 m @ 4.6 g/t Au from 26 m, 10 m @ 3.0 g/t Au from 32 m, 3 m @ 8.9 g/t Au from 5 m, 13 m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 12 m, and 8m @ 3.2 g/t from 37m

Genie is part of a wider, untested +1.25 km long prospective gold zone within 3 km of the Companys Golden Eagle processing plant (the  Golden Eagle Plant )

) Mineralization remains open in all directions with follow up drilling already in progress

Maiden reverse circulation ( RC ) drilling program intersects multiple zones of high-grade mineralization at Novos Genie oxide gold target in the Pilbara region of Western Australia

) drilling program intersects multiple zones of high-grade mineralization at Novos Genie oxide gold target in the Pilbara region of Western Australia New style of gold mineralization in the Mosquito Creek Basin, relating to an interpreted early phase of dolerite intrusion



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (TSX: NVO, NVO.WT & NVO.WT.A) (OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to provide an update on recent brownfields exploration drilling conducted at the Genie prospect.

The maiden RC drilling program of 31 holes (for a total of 1,787 m) was completed at Genie in September 2021. Significant intersections returned to date include, but are not limited to:

8m @ 4.6 g/t Au from 26 m (21NU0093)

10m @ 3.0 g/t Au from 32 m (21NU0089)

3m @ 8.9 g/t Au from 5 m (21NU0085)

13m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 12 m (21NU0092)

8m @ 3.2 g/t Au from 37 m (21NU0094)



Genie is a near-mine oxide prospect that forms part of a broader +1.25 km long previously untested lode-gold target located within 3 km of the Golden Eagle Plant (Figure 1).

Novo has an exceptional exploration team capable of quickly identifying and testing impactful targets around the Nullagine Gold Project, commented Dr. Quinton Hennigh, Non-Executive Co-Chairman of Novo. Quickly recognizing the excellent potential and new style of mineralization at Genie is a prime example of their strength. And Genie is just one of the first targets on our list. Many more targets are currently being tested, all of which could have near-term impact on delivering resources for the operation. We are thrilled with these early results and eagerly await a large volume of exploration drill results to come. With access to Chrysos PhotonAssay, we expect to deliver a steady stream of results to the market on an ongoing basis.

Figure 1 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c05eca1a-8c72-48dd-b6e0-ec85f617ca56

DETAILS

This maiden drilling program across the western sector at Genie has provided numerous highly significant results and highlights the potential for the prospect to provide valuable oxide feed to the nearby Golden Eagle Plant. Gold mineralization occurs across multiple, stacked, shallow to moderately SW dipping zones and remains open in all directions.

This program was designed to test the tenor of gold mineralization where mapping and rock chip sampling highlighted excellent potential for near-surface mineable gold mineralization. Drilling was completed at 20 m to 40 m line spacing and 20 m hole spacing along the drill traverses.

Table 1 below provides a list of significant intersections (reporting >1 gram/metre) using parameters that include a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off and no more than 2 m internal waste. Reported widths are indicative of true widths.

Considering the highly significant results from this program, further drilling is now a priority with follow up holes designed to extend and further define the extent of mineralization. This second, more aggressive drill program is already in progress.

Genie is located toward the western margin of a prospective gold-mineralized corridor characterized by strong quartz veining within sheeted dolerite dykes and turbiditic sediments of the Mosquito Creek Formation. This style of mineralization relating to an interpreted early phase of dolerite intrusion represents a new gold mineralization style in the region.

The local geology at Genie is characterized by a swarm of mineralized quartz-veined dolerite dykes defined over ~320 m strike, with individual dykes up to 80 m long and 10 m wide (Figure 2). The dolerite dykes trend NW (locally orthogonal to the overall ENE-trending mineralized corridor) and dip shallowly to moderately to the SW. One 50 m long historic working is present in the central drill area. Sand cover and quartz colluvium obscures the geology immediately west, south, and north of the outcropping mineralization where the target extends under cover (Figure 3 and Figure 4).

RC drill samples were submitted to Intertek Testing Services (Australia) Pty Ltd.s (Intertek) lab for PhotonAssay (refer to the Companys news release dated May 18, 2021), providing rapid turnaround time for exploration assay results, with assays received within two weeks of sample submission.

Figure 2 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/37f27fc1-dd56-4390-88ed-4983931d3f9a

Figure 3 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9fec7a6f-0dfa-4dff-a0c6-59d8fd1b6472

Figure 4 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1b74cfd-fc60-4b03-ab69-22453472de66

Analytic Methodology

RC samples from Genie were submitted to Intertek in Perth, Australia. Samples are crushed to -2 mm and RSD split into a single 500-gram jar for PhotonAssay. To test for gold variability and potential coarse gold effect, field duplicates and crushed duplicates were analysed. Standards and blanks are inserted in the sample sequence to test for lab performance.

There were no limitations to the verification process and all relevant data was verified by a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects by reviewing analytical procedures undertaken by the various laboratories. Dr. Quinton Hennigh (P. Geo.) is the qualified person responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Dr. Hennigh is the Non-Executive Co-Chairman and a director of Novo.

About Novo

Novo operates its flagship Beatons Creek gold project while exploring and developing its prospective land package covering approximately 13,250 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In addition to the Companys primary focus, Novo seeks to leverage its internal geological expertise to deliver value-accretive opportunities to its shareholders. For more information, please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or e-mail leo@novoresources.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Novo Resources Corp.

 Michael Spreadborough 

Michael Spreadborough

Executive Co-Chairman

Forward-looking information

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, planned exploration activities, the expected timing of receipt of assay results, and that the second Genie drill program will further define the extent of mineralization. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve 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 statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the resource industry and the risk factors identified in Novos managements discussion and analysis for the six months ended June 30, 2021, which is available under Novos profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Novo assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Novo updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

Table 1: Significant intercept table for all results from this phase of drilling at Genie. The table is generated using a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off grade and no more than 2 m internal waste. Reported intervals (widths) are considered representative of true widths.
BALTIMORE, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MOJO is proud to announce that it has been awarded two 2021 W3 Awards for design work. Its website MyPeachPass.com, created for Kapsch TrafficCom and State Road & Tollway Authority (SRTA), has been honored with a Gold award for Government Website in the State category and the Silver award for Website Features - Best Home Page.

MyPeachPass.com was designed to help drivers in the state of Georgia to manage their tolling expenses through their "Peach Pass." The website design features the Peach Pass website - easy to navigate and to use. This was MOJO's first state transportation contract opportunity to create a tolling website. MOJO relied on its experience, expertise, and forward-thinking processes to ensure that the site launched on time and had less than a one percent error rate. This statistic is impressive, considering the website serves over two million drivers in the state of Georgia. Since then, MOJO has completed work for RCTC and the State of Maryland, as it grows its government portfolio.

W3 is a national accreditation, accessible to all companies involved in website marketing, regardless of size. It honors websites, marketing, video, podcasts, mobile sites & apps, and social media, and their creation. All entries are judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA). The AIVA is made up of top-tier professionals and is an invitation-only group.

This recognition for truly outstanding work has presented an amazing opportunity for MOJO and its hard-working staff. They feel honored and grateful to be distinguished as the best of the web in these categories.

"As MOJO reflects on this honor, it's rewarding to see the hard work, energy, and enthusiasm of the MOJO team be recognized. We're incredibly proud of our team and the way they bring their own MOJO to the work they do every day," said Alexander Fakeri, CEO and founder, MOJO.

MOJO Creative Digital is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business located in Baltimore, Maryland. We are a Marketing Agency that's Humble, Hungry & Diligent. We take great care in crafting our website to suit our customer's needs. To visit the Peach Pass site, use https://www.MyPeachPass.com. To learn more about our agency and how we can help with your digital marketing, visit us at https://www.MojoWebSolutions.com or use the contact information below.

Press Contact:

Alexander Fakeri, CEO & Founder

Email: afakeri@mojo.biz

Office: (410) 439-1994

Direct: (443) 618-5025

URL (GOV): http://www.MOJOWebSolutions.com

8100 Ft. Smallwood Rd.

Baltimore, Maryland 21226







Related Images











Image 1: MOJO and SRTA - MyPeachPass.com Website Design Award





Website Design award for My Peach Pass tolling website project









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
WESTPORT, Conn., Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HMG Strategy, the Worlds #1 digital platform for enabling technology executives to reimagine the enterprise and reshape the business world, is excited to be hosting its 2021 HMG Live! Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit in-person on October 29 at the Hotel Nia in Menlo Park, CA. HMG Strategys highly interactive events bring together the worlds most distinguished and innovative business technology leaders to discuss the most pressing leadership, strategic, cultural, technology and career challenges and opportunities that they face today  and into the future.



World-class business technology and industry executives at the in-person 2021 HMG Live! Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit will discuss how a command-and-control leadership style no longer resonates with empowered employees, along with how a Trust and Inspire leadership model is better suited to foster employee engagement and to spark collaboration and innovation in the changing workplace.

Every technology executive is wrestling with how to effectively hire, retain, recruit, grow and inspire a trusting, high-performing organization, said Hunter Muller, President and CEO of HMG Strategy. Our partnership with bestselling author and leading trust authority Stephen M.R. Covey dovetails perfectly into these critical challenges facing todays business technology executive and offers leaders a practical guide for winning in the workplace  and in the marketplace.

World-class business technology and innovation executives speaking at the 2021 HMG Live! Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit will include:

Abhishek Agarwal , CISO, Fresenius Medical Care North America

, CISO, Fresenius Medical Care North America Brad Arkin , SVP, Chief Security & Trust Officer, Cisco

, SVP, Chief Security & Trust Officer, Cisco Renee Arrington , President, COO & Director, Pearson Partners International, Inc.

, President, COO & Director, Pearson Partners International, Inc. Nishant Bhajaria , Global Head of Privacy, Engineering and Analytics, Uber

, Global Head of Privacy, Engineering and Analytics, Uber Stuart Evans , Director of the Emirates, Carnegie Mellon University i-Lab

, Director of the Emirates, Carnegie Mellon University i-Lab Chris Jacquet , VP and CISO, Enterprise Security, Hitachi Vantara

, VP and CISO, Enterprise Security, Hitachi Vantara Alicia Johnson , Principal, Technology Transformation, Ernst & Young

, Principal, Technology Transformation, Ernst & Young Shadaab Kanwal , Executive Leader of Digital, Data, and Analytics Services, Charles Schwab

, Executive Leader of Digital, Data, and Analytics Services, Charles Schwab Prakash Kota , SVP, CIO, Autodesk

, SVP, CIO, Autodesk Arnie Lopez , VP, Global Systems Engineering, McAfee Enterprise, McAfee

, VP, Global Systems Engineering, McAfee Enterprise, McAfee Gautham Pallapa , Global CTO, VMware, Inc.

, Global CTO, VMware, Inc. Sherry Ryan , Former VP CISO, Juniper Networks; Partner, Fortium Partners

, Former VP CISO, Juniper Networks; Partner, Fortium Partners Muddu Sudhakar , CEO, Aisera

, CEO, Aisera Josh Tamayo-Sarver, VP Innovation, Vituity & Inflect Health

Valued Partners for the 2021 HMG Live! Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit include Aisera, Akamai, Auth0, Azul, BetterCloud, Darktrace, Forescout Technologies, Globant, Nutanix, Palo Alto Networks, RingCentral, SafeGuard Cyber, Skybox Security, Zoom and Zscaler.

To learn more about the 2021 HMG Live! Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit and to register for this in-person event, click here.

HMG Strategy will also be hosting its 2021 HMG Live! San Diego Technology Executive Leadership Summit in partnership with SIM San Diego at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine on October 27. Top tier technology executives at the 2021 HMG Live! San Diego Technology Executive Leadership Summit will discuss opportunities for next-generation technology leaders to navigate the future course with digital transformation, along with recommendations to attract, retain and grow talent in todays highly competitive labor market.

Distinguished executives speaking at the 2021 HMG Live! San Diego Technology Executive Leadership Summit will include:

Sandra Bissember , Senior Project Manager, IT, Baker Electric

, Senior Project Manager, IT, Baker Electric Christopher Ceppi , Chief Product Officer, Science 37

, Chief Product Officer, Science 37 Bryan Clayton , SVP, Strategic Solutions, YPrime

, SVP, Strategic Solutions, YPrime Tony Costa , SVP & CIO, Bumble Bee Foods

, SVP & CIO, Bumble Bee Foods Doug Cyphers , VP IT, WD-40 Company; VP, SIM San Diego

, VP IT, WD-40 Company; VP, SIM San Diego Bradley H. Feldmann , Chairman, President and CEO, Cubic

, Chairman, President and CEO, Cubic Maija Goyarts , Director, Enterprise Applications, Breg

, Director, Enterprise Applications, Breg Abe Lietz , SVP & CIO, KinderCare Education

, SVP & CIO, KinderCare Education Philippe Marchand , COO, Biosplice Therapeutics

, COO, Biosplice Therapeutics Steve McMahon , CIO & VP Operations, CrowdStrike

, CIO & VP Operations, CrowdStrike Barb Munro , Co-Founder and Membership Chair, SIM San Diego; Co-Founder, Partner, The Carrera Agency

, Co-Founder and Membership Chair, SIM San Diego; Co-Founder, Partner, The Carrera Agency Steve Phillpott , CIO/CDO, SK hynix; President, SIM San Diego

, CIO/CDO, SK hynix; President, SIM San Diego James Rinaldi , CIO, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

, CIO, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Vimal Subramanian , Head of Information Security and Privacy, Cue Health, Inc.

, Head of Information Security and Privacy, Cue Health, Inc. Adam Wolfberg , Chief Medical Officer, Current Health

, Chief Medical Officer, Current Health John Zavada, Chief Administrative Officer, Petco

Valued Partners for the 2021 HMG Live! San Diego Technology Executive Leadership Summit include Akamai, Auth0, BetterCloud, CGI, Cox Business, CrowdStrike, Darktrace, Forescout Technologies, Globant, Nutanix, Palo Alto Networks, RingCentral, SafeGuard Cyber, SIM San Diego, Singtel, Skybox Security, Slalom, SnapLogic, Teradata, Trace3, Zoom and Zscaler.

To learn more about the 2021 HMG Live! San Diego Technology Executive Leadership Summit and to register for this in-person event, click here.

HMG Strategy is producing other upcoming events that are customized for business technology executives. On October 25, the 2021 HMG Live! Global Women in Technology Summit will focus on the role of female technology executives in creating a community of mentorship which aligns top talent to the mission of the organization while embracing diversity, equity and inclusion. A-list speakers for this virtual event will also discuss the mind shift that needs to take place in a male-dominated C-suite to better mentor women into leadership roles.

Top-tier business technology and industry executives speaking at the 2021 HMG Live! Global Women in Technology Summit will include:

Julia Anderson , Former Global CIO, Smithfield Foods

, Former Global CIO, Smithfield Foods Marcia Ballinger , Co-Founder and Principal, Ballinger|Leafblad

, Co-Founder and Principal, Ballinger|Leafblad Priscilla McCarthy Barolo , Head of Communications, Zoom

, Head of Communications, Zoom Robin Brown , CIO, Protein Group, Cargill

, CIO, Protein Group, Cargill Cindy Finkelman , Former CIO, FactSet Research Systems

, Former CIO, FactSet Research Systems Dax Grant , CIO, Global Operations, HSBC

, CIO, Global Operations, HSBC Edward Greene , Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, Iron Mountain

, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, Iron Mountain Judy Hatchett , VP Information Security & CISO, Surescripts

, VP Information Security & CISO, Surescripts Patty Hatter , Chief Customer Officer, Palo Alto Networks

, Chief Customer Officer, Palo Alto Networks Marc Kermisch , CIO, CNH Industrial

, CIO, CNH Industrial Rashmi Kumar , SVP & CIO, Global IT, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

, SVP & CIO, Global IT, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Deb Muro , CIO, RN, CHCIO, El Camino Health

, CIO, RN, CHCIO, El Camino Health Pat Phelan , VP, Market Research, Rimini Street

, VP, Market Research, Rimini Street Melissa Vice , Interim Director, Vulnerability Disclosure Program, DoD Cyber Crime Center

, Interim Director, Vulnerability Disclosure Program, DoD Cyber Crime Center Laura Whitt-Winyard , Global CISO, DLL Group

, Global CISO, DLL Group Angela Yochem , EVP, Chief Transformation and Digital Officer, Novant Health

, EVP, Chief Transformation and Digital Officer, Novant Health Sigal Zarmi, Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley



Valued Partners for the 2021 HMG Live! Global Women in Technology Summit include Akamai, Auth0, BetterCloud, Darktrace, Forescout Technologies, Globant, Nutanix, Palo Alto Networks, Rimini Street, RingCentral, SafeGuard Cyber, Skybox Security, Zoom and Zscaler.

To learn more about the 2021 HMG Live! Global Women in Technology Summit and to register for this in-person event, click here.

To learn about all of HMG Strategys Upcoming CIO & CISO Summits, click here.

HMG STRATEGYS CUSTOM WEBINARS AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

HMG Strategy will be hosting its latest Innovation Accelerator Panel Discussion on October 28 at 11 a.m. ET. These 60-minute, highly interactive panel discussions enable CIOs, CISOs and other business technology executives to pose questions and share perspectives with the founders and CEOs of emerging enterprise technology companies whose organizations are delivering on business and cybersecurity innovation by tackling gaps and opportunities theyve identified in the market. Featured speakers for the Innovation Accelerator Panel on October 28 include Eric Olden, Co-Founder & CEO of Strata Identity and Muddu Sudhakar, CEO of Aisera.

To learn more about the HMG Innovation Accelerator on October 28 and to register for the event, click here.

HMG STRATEGYS 2021 GLOBAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE AWARDS

The HMG Strategy 2021 Global Leadership Institute Awards honor exemplary technology leaders and leadership teams who are delivering exceptional value to their organizations. This award recognizes those who have reimagined and reinvented themselves to place their organizations on the fast track to groundbreaking transformation in dynamic times. Technology executives and their teams who receive these awards are being recognized for accomplishments in the following areas: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Leading into the C-suite; Creating New Go-to-Market Business Models; Modernizing Enterprise Architecture; and Building a Culture of Trust.

To learn more about HMG Strategys 2021 Global Leadership Institute Awards and to nominate a deserving executive, click here.

About HMG Strategy

HMG Strategy is the world's leading digital platform for connecting technology executives to reimagine the enterprise and reshape the business world. The HMG Strategy global network consists of more than 400,000 CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CDOs, senior business technology executives, search industry executives, venture capitalists, industry experts and world-class thought leaders. HMG Strategys global media model generates more than 1 million impressions per week, providing vast opportunities for business technology leaders and sponsor partners to promote themselves and their brands.

HMG Strategy was founded in 2008 by Hunter Muller, a leadership expert who has worked side-by-side with Fortune 2000 executives with strategic planning and career ascent for the past 30+ years. HMG Strategys regional and virtual CIO and CISO Executive Leadership Series, authored books and Digital Resource Center deliver unique, peer-driven guidance from CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, CDOs and technology executives on leadership, innovation, transformation and career ascent. HMG Strategy offers a range of peer-led research services such as its CIO & CISO Executive Leadership Alliance (CELA) program which bring together the worlds top CIOs, CISOs and technology executives to brainstorm on the top opportunities and challenges facing them in their roles.

HMG Strategys Research Stack is a unique set of research services that are designed to keep business technology executives up to speed on the latest and global geo-economic trends that are impacting businesses and industries.

HMG Ventures is a venture capital unit thats designed to connect CIOs, CTOs, CISOs and other technology executives with innovative early-stage technology companies from Silicon Valley to Tel Aviv. HMG Ventures provides technology executives with a window into hot emerging technology companies that can help move the needle for their businesses while also offering these executives unparalleled personal investment opportunities. One early-stage investment in an enterprise-level AI-powered service management provider has generated a 100X return.

HMG Strategy also produces the HMG Security Innovation Accelerator Panel, a new webinar series thats designed to connect enterprise technology and security leaders with the most innovative technology and cybersecurity companies from across the world.

To learn more about the 7 Pillars of Trust for HMG Strategy's unique business model, click here.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7b0458b-d02a-4666-95d5-fb3b2fb99242
Concrete Industry Veteran to Lead Commercialization Effort

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CarbonBuilt today announced that Conor Cooper, a veteran of the concrete products industry, has joined the company as Head of Business Development. He will be responsible for driving commercial adoption of CarbonBuilts technology, enabling concrete product manufacturers to improve margins through the production of low-carbon concrete.

Conors experience is a perfect fit as we move from demonstration to commercialization in the concrete masonry market, said Rahul Shendure, CEO of CarbonBuilt. His broad network and understanding of market dynamics will accelerate our path to scale.

CarbonBuilts Reversa platform includes innovations to concretes mixture design and its curing process. Reversa formulations replace most or all of the Portland cement used in concrete products with widely-available materials, reducing raw materials cost and embodied carbon simultaneously. During the curing process, CO 2 taken directly from industrial sources, biomass or emerging direct air capture solutions is permanently sequestered through its transformation into calcium carbonate. Together, these changes result in a 10 to 30 percent reduction in raw material costs and a 60 to 90 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, all while producing products that meet existing specifications.

Prior to joining CarbonBuilt, Cooper spent a decade at Oldcastle APG with responsibility for business operations spanning masonry, hardscape and packaged drymix product groups. Most recently he held the position of President for Oldcastle APG - Anchor, which includes 18 facilities and 500 employees across the Northeast US. For the past five years, Cooper has served continuously as a Board Director at the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and participated on its Executive Committee as Treasurer/Secretary. He is also a past contributor at the New England Concrete Manufacturers Association.

In addition to his career at Oldcastle, Cooper worked for Boston Sand and Gravel as General Manager of Outdoor World, a mulch manufacturing and landscape products distribution business. Cooper holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Colby College.

About CarbonBuilt

CarbonBuilts Reversa process, winner of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, directly embeds CO 2 from industrial and direct air capture sources into proprietary low-cost and low-carbon concrete formulations. This reduces overall CO 2 emissions by more than 60 percent while delivering products that meet existing industry specifications and yield significantly greater margins for concrete producers. More information is available at www.carbonbuilt.com.

Media Contact

John Williams for CarbonBuilt; jwilliams@scovillepr.com, 206-660-5503

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1feca9d4-0868-4ffe-a6c0-f6dbab196b9f
Seattle, WA, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman , head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), visited Seattle, Washington this week as part of a national tour highlighting small business recovery and resources available to assist entrepreneurs.

Administrator Guzman met with a diverse group of small business owners who have benefited from the American Rescue Plan , community organizations, and economic development advocates to hear their experiences directly and lay out the Biden-Harris Administration's path forward for the small business community. In line with the Biden-Harris Administrations focus on ensuring equity is at the center of government, Administrator Guzman has directed the SBA to devote resources and funding to the smallest of small businesses, many of which are critical to the success of our communities, like those she toured in Seattle. She also highlighted vaccinations as a critical in our efforts to help businesses fully re-open and help Americans safely get back to work.

"For years, Seattle has worked to establish an incredible ecosystem of innovative startups and eager entrepreneurs, work that has proven invaluable as those same businesses have worked to survive and adapt to this historic crisis, said Administrator Guzman. During my visit, I was inspired to see the creativity and resilience those businesses have shown firsthand, with the help and support of their neighbors, communities, and the American people. My heartfelt thanks to Mayor Durkan for her incredible, warm welcome, and to the small business owners and entrepreneurs who opened their doors to us and shared their stories. Our SBA team continues to leverage every resource we have to ensure every small business has what they need to weather this storm and lead the way as America continues to build back better.

Mayor Jenny Durkan joined Administrator Guzman to kick off her Seattle visit with a walking tour of small businesses along Rainier Avenue. They visited Rose Street Auto Repair, Beach Bakery, Balageru International Mart, and Life's Salon, all recipients of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Administrator Guzman also joined Mayor Durkan's announcement of the Small Business Stabilization Fund, a new local economic aid program to help Seattle businesses survive and thrive as they pivot to a new economy following the walking tour.

Later, Administrator Guzman visited Washington Machine Works, a local manufacturing business that has provided full-service machining services to the government and industries since 1985. Washington Machine Works also received COVID relief from the Paycheck Protection Program and the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). With that assistance, the business was able to keep staff employed and supplies flowing to the industries they support. After visiting Ventures, a Seattle-based nonprofit that provides resources for up-and-coming innovators and entrepreneurs, Administrator Guzman closed the day with a stop at the historic Pike Place Market.

The Administrator concluded her trip to Seattle with a fireside chat hosted by the Amazon Accelerate Conference to discuss digital opportunities, the role of e-commerce, and more relevant topics and opportunities facing small businesses in 2021.

This marks the Administrator's first visit to Washington State. Since June, Administrator Guzman has visited 16 states and U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico.

###

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Attachments
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After nearly two years of development funded by strategic investors including Bloq, Bittrex, and VeriBlock, the EM.ME team will reveal their novel liquidity solution at Money20/20 on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021 , at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas at 10:22 a.m. local time on the Utopia presentation stage.

"Money20/20 was founded to highlight disruptive innovation that improves financial services in a big way, and what EM.ME has built clearly does this. I am particularly struck by the deep understanding of business pain points coupled with clever applications of technology to address them," commented Sanjib Kalita, Money20/20 Editor-in-Chief. "We're glad that EM.ME has chosen Money20/20 to unveil its company and engage with the industry at our event this year."

Regulators such as the SEC and CFTC have investigated a number of professional market makers for abusive trading activities during the last two decades, and market makers in crypto generally operate in an opaque manner, employing algorithms and trading tactics that allow them to manipulate markets and take advantageous positions against orders generated on behalf of their clients. However, projects that refuse to engage market makers often experience exchange listing difficulties, delistings, selloffs, and suffer from limited retailer engagement as a result of illiquidity.

"With EM.ME, we hope to fix the problems with today's liquidity solutions by providing a better model through technical innovation, allowing an unprecedented level of transparency," explains Co-Founder and CTO Maxwell Sanchez. "We're excited to share the details on this novel technology at the world's premier Fintech conference."

Users who wish to sign up for early access can do so by visiting the website https://em.me.

About EM.ME

EM.ME (the "Ethical Market Matching Engine") was conceived in late 2019 to solve the shortcomings of existing liquidity solutions offered by market makers by introducing a more transparent and provably fair approach for traditional and crypto markets alike. EM.ME was co-founded by Justin Fischer and Max Sanchez in partnership with Bloq, a leading blockchain technology company.

About Money20/20

Founded in 2011, Money20/20 creates destination events where the most innovative people in payments, fintech and the broader financial services industry connect. Famed for their high-impact networking, the USA edition, held in Las Vegas (October 2021), and Europe edition, held in Amsterdam (June 2022), are widely considered unmissable by the industry they serve. Money20/20 is the space where the industry's smartest visionaries and innovators come together to create the future of money. Money20/20 is an Ascential event. www.money2020.com

Media Contact

Savannah Muir

savannah@newswire.com

Related Images











Image 1: EM.ME









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With technology provided by KoreConX, an all-in-one platform, our KorePartners started a transformation for Life Sciences companies that are seeking to raise their capital. With this partnership, companies and entrepreneurs from this sector will benefit from the expertise of KoreConX - which started a movement to empower companies through technology - jointly with a registered investment advisor, with a strong background in Life Sciences.

Oscar A. Jofre, Co-founder and CEO of KoreConX, reinforces the importance of an innovative and trustworthy resource for companies at this stage: "With our complete end-to-end RegA+ solution, companies raising capital can manage the full life cycle of this type of offering. Our platform provides control from the decision through the offering and also provides shareholder management, monetization of investments and other features like compliance requirements."

To complement all the solutions that KoreConX offers, the ecosystem includes KorePartners with expertise in fields related to RegA+ including securities lawyers, FINRA broker-dealers, auditors, escrow, SEC-registered transfer agents, and investor acquisition firms.

Medical Funding Professionals has built a value-added offering around Regulation A+ fundraising they call the Capital Planning Valuation StrategyTM (CPVS). The purpose of the CPVS approach, beyond a successful RegA+ raise, is to help companies develop a strategic plan for their long-term capital needs that protects the interests of the founders and other early investors, as these capital-intensive businesses go through R&D, clinical trials, FDA approval, and go-to-market execution.

This process uses company-provided information to develop a custom, proposed pro forma presentation for all the Reg A+ offerings. With this expertise, the presentation establishes a powerful, forward-looking foundation for implementing a company's capital funding strategies.

Life Science Intelligence and InvestAcq also joined KoreConX and Medical Funding Professionals to deliver the CPVS to life science verticalsmedtech, biotech, and pharma. This partnership will allow capital raising with full support from experts.

Stephen Brock, CEO of Medical Funding Professionals, is a registered investment advisor with over 22 years of experience in the financial sector, including private placements, public capital markets, and regulatory compliance. Stephen highlights the importance of a partnership with KoreConX and how it changes the sector: "One of the major trends in the financial world right now is impact investing. Life sciencemedtech, biotech, and pharmais the ultimate impact investment. These companies are saving lives and limbs and brainssaving quality of life, as well. That's why we do what we doto help get these technologies to patients."

In November 2020, SEC Commissioner, Jay Clayton announced an amendment to two regulations that permit investors' extended access to the funding of start-ups, emerging growth companies and other affinity-based projects online. This decision affects RegA+ companies by increasing the new limit to raise capital up to $75M USD. Amendments went live in March this year and all the issuers can use this exemption to raise larger sums of capital for their businesses.

About KoreConX

Founded in 2016, KoreConX is the first secure, All-In-One platform that manages private companies' capital market activity and stakeholder communications. With an innovative approach and to ensure compliance with securities regulations and corporate law, KoreConX offers a single environment to connect companies to the capital markets and now secondary markets. Additionally, investors, broker-dealers, law firms, accountants and investor acquisition firms, all leverage our eco-system solution. For investor relations and fundraising, the platform enables private companies to share and manage corporate records and investments.

Media Contacts:

KoreConX

Carolina Casimiro

carolina@koreconx.com

Related Images











Image 1: KoreConX









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
New York, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The new research study on the Vertical Farming Market Size and Forecast to 2028 By Growth Mechanism (Hydroponics, Aeroponics, and Aquaponics) and Component (Lighting, Sensor, Climate Control, Irrigation Component, Building Material, and Others) with Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic and Global Analysis available at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/covid-analysis-sample/TIPRE00007018



Vertical farming Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments

Agrilution Systems GmBh; Aerofarms, LLC; Eden Green Technology; Elevate; iFarm; OSRAM; Plenty Unlimited Inc.; Square Mile Farms Ltd.; Sky Greens; and Vertical Farm Systems are among the key players that are profiled during this market study. In addition, several other essential market players were studied and analyzed to get a holistic view of the global vertical farming market and its ecosystem.

In 2021, AeroFarms announced that it will be expanding its footprint in St. Louis, Missouri, US, with an indoor vertical farm spread over 150,000 sq. ft. The expansion would provide AeroFarms a rapid access to retail partners across the Midwest in the US.

Get Exclusive Sample Pages of Vertical Farming Market Size - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Insights at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00007018/



Over the years, the vertical farming market has picked up significant momentum. The rising awareness pertaining to the benefits offered by vertical farming has emerged as the key factor driving this growth. Since vertical farming does not depend on weather, it allows farmers to achieve a consistent annual crop production without having to worry about adverse weather conditions. It also enables them to yield more in a small area. Compared to conventional farming, vertical farming yields ~240-times greater outcome while requiring 99% less land and 98% less water. The rise of next-generation, AI-powered vertical farming technologies that have been a noticeable help in reducing the consumption of both land and water is boosting the growth of this market substantially.

North America led the vertical farming market in 2020. The regional market is projected to remain seated as the highest revenue generator in the global vertical farming market, with the US and Canada each holding sizable market shares. These countries have heavily invested in modern agricultural practices, resulting in increased uptake of vertical farming technique. Moreover, North America has been enormously responsive toward implementing the latest technological advancements, such as integration of advanced technologies including IoT and AI in vertical farming. With increasing awareness regarding the benefits of vertical farming, the market in this region is growing substantially. The surge in the use of vertical farming for cultivating medicinal herbs and plants is also aiding this regional market. In May 2019, a Canadian licensed recreational and medicinal marijuana producer selected LumiGrow Inc. as their LED lighting partner for their six-acre greenhouse cannabis expansion project.

Download Sample PDF Brochure of Vertical Farming Market Size and Growth Research Report at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00007018/



At present, precision agriculture technologies that include automatic steering, yield monitoring, remote sensing, in-field electronic sensors, section and row control on planters, and spatial data management are the most popular trends in the vertical farming market. With the augmenting demand for food, farmers and agriculturists are increasingly shifting toward precision farming in a bid to improve time management, reduce water and chemical usage, improve yield, and produce healthier crops. Precision farming allows them to maximize yields by tapping GPS, data analytics, and other applications. Maps created from the data guide the farmers about the use of seeds, water, fertilizers, and pesticides in every area as well as suitable time to harvest. The increasing awareness and knowledge about precision farming, especially in remote areas, is likely to have a positive impact on the vertical farming market during the forecast period.

Vertical Farming Market: Component Overview

Based on component, the vertical farming market is segmented into lighting, sensor, climate control, irrigation component, building material, and others. The lighting segment led the market with a share of 39.8% in 2020. Further, it is expected to garner 37.3% market share by 2028. Light-emitting diode (LED) lights, high-intensity discharge lights, and fluorescent lamps are among the lighting types used for vertical farming. Among this, LED lights are the most widely used lighting for vertical farming. The unique properties of LED lightssuch as energy-efficiency, low heat generation, compact size, and lifespan up to 50,000encourage the adoption of LEDs. These lights are cost effective and their light intensity can be controlled to suit different plants and crops, which are among the major advantages of LEDs. Moreover, these lights can separate dissipated heat from the illumination source, which becomes an important characteristics for high-intensity LEDs. This type of decoupling rules out the risk of plant overheating, thus allowing the placement of LEDs near plant canopies. However, the cost of LED light bulbs is higher than the other two types lighting technologiesfluorescent lamps and high-intensity discharge lights.

Order a Copy of Vertical Farming Market Size, Share, Strategic Insights and Forecasts 2021-2028 Research Report at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00007018/

Key Questions to Request for Vertical Farming Market:

What are reasons behind vertical farming market growth?

What are market opportunities for vertical farming market?

Which growth mechanism is expected to dominate the market in the forecast period?

Which region has dominated the vertical farming market?

Which are the major companies in the vertical farming market?

Which are the major components for Vertical Farming?

















Browse Related Reports:

Vertical Farming Crops Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Crop Type (Tomato, Leafy Greens, Herbs, and Others), End Use (Food Retail and Food Service), and Farming Technique (Hydroponics, Aeroponics, and Aquaponics)

Aquaponics Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Production Type (Fish, Vegetables & Fruits, Herbs, and Others); Components (Rearing Tanks, Settling Basins, Sump, Biofilter, Hydroponics); Equipment (Grow Lights, Water Heaters, Pumps And Valves, Aeration Systems, and Others); and End User(Commercial, Home Food Production, Education & Research, and Others)

Hydroponics Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Equipment (HVAC, LED Grow Light, Irrigation Systems, Material Handling, Control Systems, Other Equipments); Type (Aggregate Hydroponic System, Liquid Hydroponic System); Crop Type (Vegetables, Fruits, Others) and Geography

Aeroponics Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Component (Irrigation Component, Lighting, Sensor, Climate Control System, Others); Application (Indoor Farming, Outdoor Farming) and Geography

Precision Agriculture Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Component (Hardware, Software, Services); Application (Data Management, Precision Spraying, Precision Irrigation, Precision Planting, Field Monitoring, Precision Fertilization, Others) and Geography

Precision Viticulture Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Technology (Guidance Systems, Remote Sensing, Variable Rate Technology); Application (Yield Monitoring, Field Mapping, Crop Scouting, Weather Tracking and Forecasting, Irrigation Management, Inventory Management, Farm Labor Management, Financial Management); Product (Hardware, Software, Services) and Geography

Precision Farming Software Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Local/Web-Based, Cloud-Based); Application (Crop Management, Financial Management, Inventory Management, Irrigation Management, Weather Tracking and Forecasting, Others) and Geography

Smart Farming Machine Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Manned, Unmanned); Applocation (Soil and Crop Management, Storage and Irrigation Management, Indoor Farming, Other) and Geography

Irrigation Automation Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Automation Type (Time-Based Systems, Volume-Based Systems, Real-Time Feedback Systems, Computer-Based Irrigation Control Systems); Irrigation Type (Drip Irrigation, Sprinkler Irrigation, Surface Irrigation); Component (Controllers, Sensors, Valves, Sprinklers, Others); System (Automatic, Semiautomatic); End-user (Agricultural, Non-Agricultural), and Geography

















About Us:

The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

Contact Us:

If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us:

Contact Person: Sameer Joshi

E-mail: sales@theinsightpartners.com

Phone: +1-646-491-9876

Press Release - https://www.theinsightpartners.com/pr/vertical-farming-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


Paris, France, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Overdrive builds upon the play-to-earn model pioneered by blockchain gaming to deliver a post-to-earn future for cryptos content creators.







Overdrive leverages gamification to foster a true creator economy and align the interests of all parties: users, the Overdrive protocol, and the crypto projects using it to target their most valuable audiences.

Overdrives Beta launched on October 21, opening its doors to early adopters of the protocol.

In the competition to produce the most up-to-date and viral marketing in a saturated space, crypto communities have relied on their veteran usersthe true experts on their protocols development and mechanicsto spread the word. But the disconnect still remains when it comes to aligning the interests of these protocols content creators with the goals of the protocols themselves.



Overdrive bridges this chasm.

Here, we examine how Overdrive will help propel crypto communities to the next level of engagement, retention, and user acquisition.

What is Overdrive?

Overdrive is a new platform developed by Overdrive Labs that allows crypto brands to engage and provide incentives for their community to build with them towards the same goals.

Overdrives incentive design is geared toward gamifying user engagement and content creation while harnessing the user analytics that would have been missing if the brand tried to go at it alone: finding the highest-performing channels, the most valuable users, and fine-tuning their community-building approach to address what their users truly desire.

How does Overdrive Work for Users?

To get started, users will need a Twitter account and a Metamask wallet. Users can then create & engage with tweets or complete challenges such as create a meme to start earning rewards and leveling up.

Overdrive revolves around three primary mechanics to gamify the community experience: the level system, NFTs, and token rewards.

Level System

The level or ranking system incorporates all of Overdrives in-game elements. Users earn Reputation (REP) for creating and engaging with content, which allows them to level-up.

Users also build Influence, a dynamic parameter based on the performance of their tweets.

The higher the Influence score, the larger the REP bonuses. The more consistently users engage, the faster they increase or maintain a high Influence score.



NFT

With Overdrive NFTs, users accumulate rare collectibles, showcase achievements, and leverage them for in-game utility.

NFTs represent the users ranking, and staking NFTs unlocks bonuses. At the beginning, these bonuses will come in the form of REP and DRT multipliers. Later, they will give users the ability to select specific challenges that are only available to high-ranking NFT holders.

Token Rewards

Overdrive has two native tokens, DRIVE and DRT.

DRT is the utility token for the Overdrive in-app economy, whereas DRIVE is the governance token that gives users voting rights in the DAO.

Twitter performance determines the amount of DRT tokens users receive, and this is awarded by Overdrives reward algorithm, which measures user contributions in a transparent way for users to understand whats working, whats not, and how to continue optimizing their reach.

Participants then burn DRT to collect unique NFTs, allowing them to level-up and unlock REP & DRT bonuses.

DRIVE steers the Overdrive protocol, and is therefore harder to come by: the more you engage and create content, the more DRT you farm. The more NFTs you collect (with DRT), the higher your level. The higher your level, the larger your DRIVE rewards.

Through this system, Overdrive empowers the most active and committed creators with the voting power that will help inform the protocols future development and roadmap.



Overdrive for Brands

Overdrive is a powerful digital marketing tool for brands.

Overdrive allows brands to get concentrated attention and community-sourced content creation, enabling them to organize, commission, and incentivize community-based marketing efforts.

By subscribing to Overdrive, brands get:

Focused attention. All the Twitter content related to their brand is aggregated in one place making it easy for people to find, interact, and engage with it. Crowdsourced content creation through challenges.

With challenges, brands can:

Delegate content creation to fans and brand experts

content creation to fans and brand experts Incentivize their loyal users and build a stronger community

their loyal users and build a stronger community Access a larger user base beyond their fans, thus expanding their reach and amplifying their message.

The Overdrive dashboard provides brands with a granular view of their performance metrics. Brands can measure the impact of their campaigns and gain audience insights to optimize their marketing activities on Overdrive and beyond.

Users get rewarded for supporting their favorite brands, and brands benefit from a growing and engaged community.

About Overdrive

Overdrive brings the play-to-earn model pioneered by blockchain gaming to social media. With Overdrive, you can monetize your content and contributions to the crypto community.

Twitter | Discord | Website



Media Contacts

Nassim Alexandre

pr@odlabs.com

https://overdrive.is


Davenport, Fla., Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), in collaboration with AdventHealth Heart of Florida and Central Florida Cancer Institute, has received a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

The breast cancer program received this designation for meeting national standards of excellence for providing comprehensive, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care and demonstrating high-quality clinical outcomes for patients with breast disease.

FCS medical oncologist Swati Pathak, MD said, We value our partnership with our colleagues to ensure that patients throughout our community have access to a comprehensive range of exceptional care and treatment for breast cancer and other diseases of the breast.

This accreditation confirms that our patients consistently receive the highest quality of care, which results in outstanding clinical outcomes, added Wasif Riaz, MD, FCS medical oncologist. We are extremely proud.

We are glad to be able to offer the residents of Polk County the highest quality breast cancer care through our nationally accredited program, said Paul Williams, MD, breast surgical oncologist at AdventHealth Heart of Florida. Our breast care team is dedicated to providing outstanding care to breast cancer patients and is grateful for this recognition from the NAPBC.

NAPBC-accredited centers demonstrate excellence in program leadership, clinical services, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement. Patients receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center have access to information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling, and patient-centered services, including care navigation.

Our team focuses on treating the whole patient through advanced medical and surgical therapies as well as personalized education about cancer treatment and follow-up care. We can also help patients access needed resources ranging from psychosocial support to nutritional counseling and financial assistance, said Dr. Williams.

Receiving care at an NAPBC-accredited center like FCS ensures that patients have access to:

 Comprehensive care, including a full range of state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services

 A multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best treatment options, and

 Information about clinical trials and new treatment options

Participating NAPBC-accredited breast program providers include:

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute:

Swati Pathak, MD

Wasif Riaz, MD

AdventHealth Heart of Florida:

Edgar Morales, MD

Hassan Shahid, MD

Paul Williams, MD

Central Florida Cancer Institute:

Randy Heysek, M.D., F.A.C.R.O.

Sandra Sha, MD

For more information or patient referral, call (863) 421-7109.

About the NAPBC

The NAPBC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast. This mission is pursued through standard-setting, scientific validation, and patient and professional education. Its board membership includes professionals from 20 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care. For information on the NAPBC please go to www.facs.org.napbc.

###

About Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, LLC: (FLCancer.com)

Recognized by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) with a national Clinical Trials Participation Award, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) offers patients access to more clinical trials than any private oncology practice in Florida. In the past four years, the majority of new cancer drugs approved for use in the U.S. were studied in clinical trials with Florida Cancer Specialists participation.* Trained in prestigious medical schools and research institutes, our physicians are consistently ranked nationally as Top Doctors by U.S. News & World Report.

Founded in 1984, Florida Cancer Specialists has built a national reputation for excellence that is reflected in exceptional and compassionate patient care, driven by innovative clinical research, cutting-edge technologies and advanced treatments, including targeted therapies, genomic-based treatment, and immunotherapy. Our highest values are embodied by our outstanding team of highly trained and dedicated physicians, clinicians and staff.

*Prior to approval

About AdventHealth Heart of Florida

AdventHealth Heart of Florida is a 202-bed acute care hospital in Davenport, Florida. Formerly known as Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center, since the 1960s it has been providing health care services and a wide range of medical specialties from womens health to bariatric surgery and weight loss, cardiology, emergency services, joint replacement, maternity care, orthopedics, stroke care and more. The hospital is part of the AdventHealth Care Network, based in Altamonte Springs. With more than 80,000 team members, AdventHealth is one of the nations largest faith-based health care systems with nearly 50 hospitals and hundreds of care sites in nearly a dozen states. With the mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth provides whole person care to heal the body, mind and spirit. For more information, visit AdventHealthHeartofFlorida.com.

About Central Florida Cancer Institute

Central Florida Cancer Institute is a cancer treatment facility established in 1999 by Dr. Randy Heysek in Davenport, Florida. The treatment center specializes in state-of-the-art radiation therapy treatment, and its mission is to bring advanced cancer treatment technology closer to home for patient convenience and ease of access for cancer patients and their families. Although the initial facility began in 1999 with 5,000 square feet of medical space, Central Florida Cancer Institute grew quickly to expand into the Lake Wales community building, an additional 7,500 square feet treatment facility, before moving into its current established state-of-the-art 17,000 square feet cancer treatment facility in January of 2010. The institute offers the most unique and advanced technology for cancer patients including AccuBoost, a unique breast cancer imaging guided treatment, as well as radiosurgery, intensity modulated radiation therapy, fluoroscopic and cone beam CT image guidance, 3-D treatment, and high dose rate brachytherapy cancer treatment.
Brings 25+ years of experience in highly regulated spirits/wine industry



Expert in global analytics strategy to create sustainable growth

Experience leading NYSE-listed firm benefits RWB on its trajectory for uplisting, subject to safe banking for the cannabis industry



TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red White & Bloom Brands Inc. (CSE: RWB and OTC: RWBYF) ("RWB" or the "Company"), a multi-state cannabis operator and house of premium brands, has appointed Christopher Ecken as its Chief Financial Officer, effective October 2021.

We welcome Chris Ecken as a key addition to the breadth and depth of our management team, stated Brad Rogers, CEO of Red White & Bloom Brands. Chris extensive experience as a financial executive at a major NYSE-listed player in the alcohol beverage industry  a highly regulated industry similar to cannabis -- will be a tremendous asset. His rise through the ranks and track record of accomplishments at each level is testament to his financial acumen, visionary leadership and strategic mindset. We anticipate his specialized skills will help shape sustainable long-term growth, the shift to cannabis industry safe banking, and an upward trajectory toward a listed exchange for Red White & Bloom.

Ecken noted, "I'm looking forward to leveraging my extensive experience within the spirits industry as I lead Red White & Bloom's finance organization during this exciting time of growth for the company and the cannabis industry overall."

Ecken brings decades of finance experience, including the last 25 in executive finance at Brown-Forman, a producer of some of the worlds most recognizable alcohol brands; including Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve and Herradura. Mr. Ecken has served in leadership roles overseeing and administering a full spectrum of finance functions, including strategy and forecasting, operational management, and execution, risk management and controls, revenue management, and M&A due diligence. Most recently he held the title of Senior Vice President, Director Global Analytics, after successful execution of the roles of SVP Director Global Financial Planning & Analytics/Commercial Finance; VP Director Global Business and Strategic Analytics; and VP Finance Director  North America; VP Finance Director Latin America; as well as other positions. Some of his most notable achievements include:

Leading a cultural and mindset shift away from standard budgeting and reporting, toward continuous planning, data-driven analytics and actionable business insights;

Leading the global revenue management initiative focused on creating sustainable growth;

Fully implementing global and regional restructuring; and

Creating and leading a new data science organization focused on delivering insights and strong visualization.

Prior to that, Mr. Ecken worked at KPMG in tax and audit. He holds an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University Graduate School of Business and a B.S. in Accounting from St. Louis University.

Rogers concluded, We thank Theo van der Linde for his work as RWBs CFO in the transition following the reverse merger, and look forward to his continued contribution as a member of the RWB Board. Our industry is experiencing a lightning fast pace of change, and we are well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities before us, thanks to our highly skilled management team and board of directors.

About Red White & Bloom Brands Inc.

The company is positioning itself to be one of the top three multi-state cannabis operators active in the US legal cannabis and hemp sector. RWB is predominantly focusing its investments on the major US markets, including Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Arizona, and California with respect to cannabis, and the US and internationally for hemp-based CBD products.

For more information about Red White & Bloom Brands Inc., please contact:

Tyler Troup, Managing Director

Circadian Group IR

IR@RedWhiteBloom.com

Visit us on the web: www.RedWhiteBloom.com

Follow us on social media:

Twitter: @rwbbrands

Facebook: @redwhitebloombrands

Instagram: @redwhitebloombrands

Neither the 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.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

This press release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Companys current expectations. When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. There is no assurance that these transactions will yield results in line with management expectations. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company with respect to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: risks associated with the implementation of the Companys business plan and matters relating thereto, risks associated with the cannabis industry, competition, regulatory change, the need for additional financing, reliance on key personnel, market size, and the volatility of the Companys common share price and volume. Forward-looking statements are made based on managements beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

There are a number of important factors that could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others, risks related to the Companys proposed business, such as failure of the business strategy and government regulation; risks related to the Companys operations, such as additional financing requirements and access to capital, reliance on key and qualified personnel, insurance, competition, intellectual property and reliable supply chains; risks related to the Company and its business generally; risks related to regulatory approvals. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on the Companys forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company has assumed a certain progression, which may not be realized. It has also assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9294ffd5-c8d1-4ddb-96bd-cfd06ecf5953
Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osborne Mint believes that art belongs on a coin and for the first time in the mints 186-year history, they are giving anyone with an idea, a design or a creative concept the chance to have their art christened in silver. This is the opportunity for individuals to show the world their ability and creativity with their design minted onto a one troy ounce .999 pure silver collectible round, measuring 39 mm (1.54) in diameter and 0.12 thick. This metallic art competition is OPEN NOW, and the final day to enter is Friday, November 5, 2021 before 5:00 pm. Team members at Osborne Mint will select the winners and make a formal announcement before Thanksgiving 2021, via the Osborne Mint website and across their social media platforms  Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

We are excited to host this competition! Never before have we offered the opportunity to be this much a part of our creative process, there are no limits to the creativity, so lets have some FUN! stated Gibson Olpp, Marketing Manager at Osborne Mint. I encourage everyone to enter early and often.

This is the chance to dazzle Osborne Mint with your creativity. Participants can enter the competition by completing the entry form on the Osborne Mint website and then loading their artwork with a simple click (acceptable formats include eps, pdf, jpeg and tiffs). Design work can include sketches, drawings, paintings, digital designs, photography; the competition is open to most anything  however you choose to share your creativity. Multiple designs can be loaded from the portal with a maximum of three pieces per entry. The three uploads per entry can represent a matching series, individual designs or completed unrelated art. Each entry will receive a confirmation email upon completion of the entry form and upload. There are no limits to the number of designs one can enter so start your entries now!

From all entries, Osborne Mints team of designers and engravers will select one or more winning designs to become a forever piece of art, based on which design(s) our team believes to be the most captivating, intriguing and appealing. Osborne Mint holds the ability to adapt the art as needed to best fit with the dimensions of the round. Furthermore, the final minted art could include colorization, antiquing or high polish finish based on views of the selection team. Osborne Mint will strike the winning design(s) onto the obverse side of a .999 fine silver, one troy ounce round. In celebration of their selection, the winning designer will receive the first minted piece, carrying the sequential series number 0001 with an estimated spot price value of $40 - $65. The winner will also have the opportunity to purchase additional rounds within the series numbered 0002-0200 at current market rate, and will have the opportunity to share the award with a link to their bio or portfolio site. Osborne Mint will feature the winning artist(s) on www.OsborneMint.com, on their sister corporate websites and across all their social media channels. Osborne Mint will also share the award announcement with the media, as well as industry partners and publications.

Anyone, aside from Osborne Mint employees and partners, is eligible to participate and entitled to enter as many designs as they desire. Please only submit art created by you and with which you hold all rights. To avoid disqualification, do not submit copyrighted or trademarked materials of any kind. Designs including logos, known persons (living or dead), profanity or vulgarity are not accepted. All submitted artwork and designs become the property of Osborne Mint. For more details on the competitions terms and conditions, please visit the bottom of the contest website page: www.OsborneMint.com/your-art-on-a-coin-contest

Osborne Mint will offer this unique award-winning collectible for sale through our certified distribution partners.

Osborne Mint products are proudly made in the USA and every purchase of an Osborne Mint product supports American jobs.

###

About Osborne Mint: www.OsborneMint.com / #OsborneMint

Established in 1835, Osborne Mint is Americas oldest continuously operating private mint. Osborne Mint is part of the Osborne Coinage family, which includes Osborne Coinage, TokensDirect and Van Brook of Lexington. The mint, a 60,000 square foot facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, houses the development, engraving and manufacturing of numismatic quality collectible rounds, bars and coins. Products made by Osborne are manufactured to strict standards for metal purity, weight and dimensions. Osborne Mint strikes thousands of collectible rounds annually and circulates them to the public through certified distributors. Featured collections include: our Aliens Series, The Galaxies and Nebulae, The Fight for Freedoms Sake, and The American Legacy Collection. Gold plate, fine silver, copper and brass collections from Osborne Mint are truly pieces of art and are 100% Made in America.

Stay in the know, follow our hashtag: #OsborneMint

For more information on Osborne Mint visit our website: www.OsborneMint.com

Attachments
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mokuyobi has opened their first brick-and-mortar store in Little Tokyo's Japanese Village Plaza in downtown Los Angeles, offering bags, apparel, and accessories, made in Los Angeles. Their products are uniquely fun and fresh while also feeling nostalgic. Mokuyobi's flagship store brings customers a unique retail experience with a colorful design and clever details that build on the brand's emphasis on creating something different and new using bold colors, magic, and awesome sauce.

Since 2006, Mokuyobi's Founder and Creative Director, Julie Pinzur, has made it her mission to design and create high-quality products with a fun and whimsical personality. "Mokuyobi embodies good vibes and all things positive with bright color blocking and exciting allover prints, which we create on a wide variety of styles," said Julie. "My designs are quirky, original, playful, silly, imaginative, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Mokuyobi products are made with high-quality construction and materials and are produced ethically in Los Angeles, where our workers are paid a fair living wage. All Mokuyobi bags have a lifetime warranty covering manufacturers' defects, so you can stay rad and keep your bag in use and out of landfills."

Little Tokyo is a vibrant district filled with shops and restaurants, frequented by locals and tourists alike. Mokuyobi's second-floor space had sat vacant for most of the past 15 years. "I am delighted to be locating our first flagship store in this space and to be welcomed into the Little Tokyo business community, a diverse group that shares my immense love for the area," said Julie.

Mokuyobi's Little Tokyo storefront features a neon sign with their logo, a mountain, affixed to the overhead awning. The mountain in their logo represents "a personal challenge, something you want to achieve or overcome," said Julie. "The lights that come out from behind the mountain signify the mystery that awaits you, glowing in the distance. We welcome visitors to our store; come explore the radness that awaits!"

Mokuyobi's first flagship store is located at 101 Japanese Village Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90012. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Shop online anytime at Mokuyobi.com.

Media Contact:

Julie Pinzur; Founder and Creative Director

Julie@Mokuyobi.com

1-847-989-7664

Mokuyobi.com

Related Images











Image 1: Mokuyobi Little Tokyo Flagship Store





An inside look at Mokuyobi's shop, now open.









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
SCARSDALE, N.Y., Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Pfizer CEO Albert Bourlas birthday, medical students and activists held a mock celebration by placing a faux Pfizer graveyard outside Bourlas home to denounce his role in blocking access to life-saving COVID-19 vaccines for billions of people in low- and middle-income countries. While COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in wealthy countries, only nine African countries met a target of vaccinating 10 percent of their populations by the end of September. Just four percent of Africas population is fully vaccinated due to ongoing supply shortages.



The activists staged a mock funeral outside Bourlas home, constructing a Pfizer graveyard, and holding signs reading, Bourlas birthday: no time to celebrate, and 5+ million dead couldnt make it. Revelations about Pfizers deadly profiteering were published earlier this week.

It might be Albert Bourlas birthday today, but its no time to celebrate when millions of people around the world are dying due to Pfizers obstruction of global access to life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, said Emily Sanderson, Senior Coordinator, Grassroots Advocacy for Health GAP . There is blood on Albert Bourlas hands. How many more have to die in service to Pfizers profiteering?

Pfizer, the worlds largest and most profitable drug corporation, has an inordinate amount of power when it comes to international trade rules for global pharmaceutical manufacture and distribution, which they continually assert to block widespread generic production of COVID-19 vaccines to protect their pandemic profiteering. In the meantime, tens of thousands of people in the Global South unnecessarily die every day waiting for vaccines, said Mark Hannay, a member of Rise and Resist . As the companys CEO Albert Bourla marks his 60th birthday, President Biden and world leaders must stand up to Bourla and other Big Pharma CEOs and temporarily waive international intellectual property rules so that vaccines can be immediately mass produced to end the COVID-19 pandemic as fast as possible.

Activists argued that Pfizer is complicit in blocking access to life-saving vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, even as five people die of COVID-19 every minute worldwide. The company has fought against the TRIPS waiver, a year-old proposal at the World Trade Organization that would break down intellectual property rights barriers to expanding vaccine manufacturing around the world. Pfizer has also enabled rich-country hoarding of vaccine doses, choosing to do business with wealthy nations willing to pay top-dollar instead of selling to countries where vaccine access has been extremely limited.

Activists demanded that Bourla drop Pfizers opposition to the TRIPS waiver and instead engage in deep technology transfer to expand vaccine manufacturing in the Global South. They also demanded Pfizer use its power to reorder the queue for COVID-19 vaccines to fulfill orders from low-income countries ahead of those for wealthy countries, which have had access to enough doses to vaccinate their populations many times over.

The protest comes on the heels of a damning new report released by Public Citizen detailing the ways Pfizer has accumulated power and wielded it to silence world governments in vaccine negotiations. The report notes that Pfizer has even secured an intellectual property waiver for itself, despite its opposition to similar waivers that would expand global vaccine supply.

Ben Levenson, Deputy Director Justice is Global , a special project of Peoples Action, said: Albert Bourlas decision to strong-arm low- and middle-income countries and prioritize enriching himself and his company at the expense of preventing tremendous suffering in the Global South is the single biggest thing standing in the way of us ending the pandemic everywhere. Were here to demonstrate to our leaders that he is no innovator and no hero, but a war profiteer who is responsible for countless deaths. We demand that Albert Bourla stop restricting access to life-saving treatments and that our leaders enact a real plan to vaccinate the world.

This is the third time activists have demanded global access to COVID-19 vaccines at the doorsteps of key duty-bearers. Last month, activists delivered twelve-foot tall piles of artificial human bones representing millions of global COVID deaths and rallied outside the homes of Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel and White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain demanding they use their power to dramatically scale up global supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

Vinay Krishnan, National Field Organizer, CPD Action , said: Today is Albert Bourlas birthday, so we decided to pay him a house visit. As he celebrates this day and the billions hes raked in due to pharma greed, were thinking of the millions of people across the globe who wont be celebrating any more birthdays. Of all the lives lost because Pfizer, Moderna, and yes, President Biden, refuse to take action to end vaccine apartheid. We need to put people over profits and take global action to end this global crisis.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba5cd16e-2cc7-4760-9cb6-663a6019c512
Palm City - Margaret Jan Crandall passed away at home on November 14. Her daughter Martha and her husband Robert were at her side. Jan Crandall, nee Schmults, was born on June 2, 1935, in Barrington, Rhode Island. During WWII, the family lived in Newport where her father, Ernest, worked at t
Amos R. Miller, 74, of Goshen, died Thursday, Nov. 18, at Goshen Hospital, after a brief illness. He was born Sept. 15, 1947, in Goshen, to Robert and Lizzie (Hershberger) Miller. On Oct. 19, 1967, in Middlebury, he married Polly Ann Bontrager. She survives. Survivors in addition to his wife
Governor Northam Announces IT Consulting Firm to Expand Headquarters in Fairfax County

Intact Technology to create more than 40 new jobs, invest at least $700,000

RICHMONDGovernor Northam today announced that Intact Technology, a software consulting and managed services firm, will invest at least $700,000 to expand its headquarters in Fairfax County. Virginia successfully competed with Maryland for the project, which will create more than 40 new jobs.

Virginia has the infrastructure and robust talent pipeline that IT firms like Intact Technology need to succeed, said Governor Northam. The Commonwealth has the highest concentration of tech workers in the nation. We are pushing new boundaries as an industry leader, thanks in large part to our innovative partners, including Intact Technology.

Intact Technology empowers IT leaders to deliver meaningful business outcomes through adoption-focused IT software consulting and managed services. By reducing risk for its customers and dramatically increasing the speed at which new capabilities can be delivered, Intact has helped some of the worlds largest companies and federal agencies accelerate their digital transformations.

The company relocated its headquarters from Greenbelt, Maryland to Reston in 2020. That same year, Intact was named to the Northern Virginia Technology Councils Tech 100 list. The list recognizes groundbreaking companies, leaders, and innovators within the Greater Washington regions technology community. Intact was voted as a Top Workplace by the Washington Post in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, and was a Moxie Award finalist in 2021.

Intact is also active in its Northern Virginia community, supporting organizations like Feeding America, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and St. Jude. The company regularly sponsors charitable events to raise money for tuition scholarships, youth programs, and other nonprofit organizations.

Intact Technology is creating jobs of the future in a field that continues to gain momentum in Northern Virginia and across the Commonwealth, and this expansion will further the companys in-demand IT capabilities, said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. We are proud that Intact, an award-winning employer that is also active in the community, will continue to call Virginia home. We congratulate the company on its impressive growth.

Intact is breaking the IT consulting model with our focus on speed, simplicity, value, and risk reduction through our IT operations software implementation and managed service offering, said Intact Technology President Jason Hampel. The demand for Intacts game-changing approach from Federal agencies and Fortune 1000 companies is driving tremendous growth. By residing in Virginia and Fairfax County, we are in the center of a progressive community full of other thought leaders to grow with and learn from.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to secure the project for Virginia and will support Intact Technologys job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs in order to support employee recruitment and training activities. As a business incentive supporting economic development, the Virginia Jobs Investment Program reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. The program is state-funded, demonstrating Virginias commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens.

We are delighted to see Intact Technology expanding so quickly after moving to Northern Virginia because its IT consulting focus is a great match for the tech-talent pipeline that we are attracting and growing here, said Fairfax County Economic Development Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Victor Hoskins. We are proud of the second vote of confidence the company has made in our business climate.

Congratulations to Intact Technology on its announcement to expand its headquarters in Reston, said Senator Janet Howell. I appreciate Intact Technology's innovative and customer-focused approach and look forward to continuing to watch the company grow and succeed.

# # #
On Wednesday, in the morning, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC CVO hosted a Private Investiture Ceremony for Captain Joseph William Cleary CSM, and the Governor officiated the ceremony.

In the afternoon, at Government House, His Excellency and Mrs Kaye de Jersey hosted an afternoon tea for the 2021 Country Life Showgirl Awards Finalists and His Excellency addressed guests and presented the finalists with their sashes and badges.

Following, at Government House, His Excellency received the Clerk of the Parliament, Mr Neil Laurie for the presentation of two Bills, to which the Governor granted Assent.

Following, at Government House, His Excellency received President, Australian American Association Brisbane, Mr Mike Harris and Treasurer and Assistant Secretary, Australia American Association Brisbane, Ms Teresa Pokoj.

Following, at Government House, His Excellency received President, Scouts Queensland, Mr Gavin Brady, Acting Chief Commissioner of Scouts Queensland, Ms Jean Clifford OAM, Venturer Scout, Ms Morgan Mayor, Venturer Scout, Mr Alexander Schofield and Venturer Scout, Mr Joseph Hayes.

Following, at Government House, His Excellency received President, the Boy's Brigade Queensland, Mr Gordon Wallace OAM, Deputy President, Mr Aaron Palmer, Deputy President and Executive Chairman, Mr Jason Knight and Member of 1st Logan Company, Mr Levi Yeates.

Following, at Government House, His Excellency and Mrs de Jersey hosted an afternoon reception in support of Vice-Regal Service, Business and Sport Patronages, and His Excellency addressed guests.
StoreDot, the developer of extreme fast charging (XFC) technology for electric vehicles (earlier post), is opening an R&D innovation hub in California. The new US-based innovation hub is being established to help StoreDot in its mission to provide automotive battery technologies that will significantly enhance the electrified vehicle ownership experience, eradicating range anxiety.

The new hub will work alongside StoreDots Israel-based R&D headquarters, enabling its XFC automotive battery technologies to be mass produced by 2024. It will also immediately commence research into next-generation extreme energy density (XED) solid-state capabilities and materials, with the aim of scaling-up these advanced technologies for mass production by 2028.

This new US R&D innovation hub signals that our business is rapidly expanding, as we are scaling up our extreme fast charging technologies. Establishing a facility in California will allow us to harness the world-class talent pool thats available there, with many people and organizations at the forefront of next-generation advancements. This will bolster the development of our world leading XFC technologies and onto XED solid-state batteries. We are also actively considering establishing a manufacturing partnership in the US, as its essential that major automotive manufacturing centers have captive capacity, redressing the current imbalance in favor of Asian manufacturers and making batteries where electric vehicles are made. Dr Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot CEO

StoreDot is now in advanced discussions with many of the worlds leading automotive manufacturers and is already shipping samples for real world testing.
Volkswagen is taking a further step in the direction of fully networked factories. A local 5G campus network is now available at its main plant in Wolfsburg that initially covers the main production development center and the pilot hall. The pilot project will test whether the 5G technology meets the demanding requirements of vehicle production with a view to developing this for industrial series production in the future. A dedicated 5G radio frequency will be used to safeguard secure, delay-free transmission of data.





The Transparent Factory in Dresden has also put a 5G island into operation. Volkswagen is undertaking the setup and operation of the 5G infrastructure itself in a move designed to build up competitive expertise in using this important technology of the future and ensure data security.

In implementing our ACCELERATE strategy we are working at full speed to transform our Volkswagen sites into smart factories. Our goal is to continuously optimize our production and make it even more efficient and flexible. We believe that 5G technology has great potential for innovation, from the use of intelligent robots and driverless transportation systems to networked control of plant and machinery in real time up to wireless software flashing of manufactured vehicles. Christian Vollmer, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Brand responsible for Production and Logistics

There are already around 5,000 robots at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, as well as many other machines and systems. Secure, delay-free transmission of data will be required in the future to control and monitor these. Latency is significantly reduced with 5G networks versus other wireless communication technologies such as WLAN. 5G technology provides extremely short latency times of up to one millisecond, data transmission rates in the gigabit range and considerable reliability even with high utilization. This real-time wireless communication will make many smart factory applications possible for the first time.

One scenario to be tested in the pilot phase under real-life laboratory conditions in Wolfsburg is the wireless upload of data to manufactured vehicles. With ever higher levels of digitization and fully connected vehicles, the production process requires large amounts of data to be transmitted to the cars. 5G makes it possible to perform this much more quickly and at any time during production.

Setup and operation of the 5G network by Volkswagen itself. Volkswagen is setting up and operating the local 5G infrastructure itself. For the campus network in Wolfsburg, the company applied for and was allocated a private radio frequency at 3.7 to 3.8 GHz with 100 MHz bandwidth by the Federal Network Agency. Exclusive spectrum is a key enabler for 5G campus operations at the manufacturing site. Interference-free, high-availability wireless transmission requires a dedicated frequency that will be used exclusively by Volkswagen for production purposes. The network equipment for the 5G pilot network is supplied by the Finnish telecommunications group Nokia.

Efficient wireless communication in real time will be crucial for flexible production in the future. 5G has the potential to be one such driver of the Industrial Internet of Things. Our aim is therefore to build up extensive experience in the operation and industrial use of 5G technology. Beate Hofer, CIO of the Volkswagen Group

In the long term, the campus network at the Wolfsburg site is expected to cover large parts of the 6.5 square-kilometer plant site.

Transparent Factory in Dresden tests system control using 5G. The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand is part of a 5G competence network in the Volkswagen Group. At the Transparent Factory in Dresden, a pilot factory for the Volkswagen brand that is testing innovative technologies in normal operation for the pilot-scale ID.3 series, a 5G island has been put into operation as well.

Networked control for a driverless transportation system is being developed further in collaboration with Porsche, Audi and the Dresden University of Technology. The sensors in the driverless transportation system transmit the environment data to the cloud computer using 5G. This calculates the route to an ID.3 body and sends back the information in real time.

The project in Dresden is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Gary Franks served three terms as U.S. representative for Connecticuts 5th District. Copyright 2021 Gary Franks. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Support local journalism

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free.

Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.


RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)  A Palestinian held without charge by Israeli authorities is in extremely dangerous condition more than three months into a hunger strike to protest his detention, a group representing detainees said Thursday.

Miqdad al-Qawasmi, 24, is the least healthy of six incarcerated Palestinian hunger strikers who are demanding their release from so-called administrative detention, according to Anani Sarahneh, a spokeswoman for the Palestinian Prisoners Club. The policy allows Israel to hold Palestinians for months or years without charge.

Human rights groups say administrative detention denies Palestinians due process, while Israel says it is needed to detain suspected militants without revealing sensitive intelligence that could compromise sources.

An Israeli medical official said al-Qawasmi has been in Israels Kaplan Hospital for about a month and was transferred to intensive care Tuesday, where he continues to refuse food but is drinking water. The official described his condition as difficult but stable and said the hospital was unable to provide further details because of privacy laws. The official was not authorized to make a medical diagnosis and spoke on condition of anonymity.

At least four of the other six hunger strikers are receiving medical treatment in Israeli hospitals, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club. The group says Israeli authorities have given no indication they will concede to the prisoners demands.

Hunger striking is a common form of protest among Palestinian prisoners and has helped secure concessions from Israeli authorities over the years.

In July, a Palestinian man was released from Israeli custody and transferred to a hospital in the occupied West Bank after more than two months on hunger strike. Last week, 250 prisoners from the militant Islamic Jihad group began a hunger strike in protest against their redistribution across wings occupied by prisoners from other factions.

Israel is imprisoning some 4,650 Palestinians, ranging from known militants convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis to teenagers detained for hurling stones at Israeli troops. Tensions in the prisons have remained high since a dramatic breakout last month in which six inmates tunneled out of a high-security facility. All six have been recaptured.
Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media

GREENWICH  A Riverside resident was arraigned in court in New York on Thursday who allegedly took photographs underneath the skirt of an unsuspecting fellow passenger on a Metro-North Railroad train, the district attorney announced.

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said in a statement that Majid Hedayati , 66, was charged on Tuesday with second-degree unlawful surveillance, a felony.
Illustration: Lalalimola

On the second day of business at their New Mexican spot, Santa Fe BK in Williamsburg, Melissa Klein and John Watterberg take a seat in the dining room to discuss one of the guiding principles of their new restaurant. The married couple describe a recurring experience from their 20-some years in the citys hospitality industry. At the end of a typically chaotic night of dinner service somewhere, Klein, who has worked as a server and hostess, and Watterberg, a bartender, would each prepare to head out, count their stacks of tips with glee, then wave good-bye to the cooks and dishwashers with a slightly guilty Thank you!

While theyre mopping, going, Uh-huh. Yeah, great. Let me mop for my $15   or their $12 or $8   an hour,  says Klein. Its rough. Theres definitely a divide there, and what were going for is to try to erase that divide.

At Santa Fe, which began serving green-chile breakfast burritos and cheeseburgers in early October, they hope they have come up with a solution. Front-of-house staff will make $12 plus tips; cashiers for the daytime takeout program, who are also tipped, will make $15; and back-of-house workers will earn $18 plus what they call a surge bonus, a percentage of the restaurants sales during their shift (theyre planning on 8 percent and seeing how it goes). That way, the busier you are, the more money you make, as Klein puts it, whether youre interacting directly with customers or not.

That last detail is important because, according to New York law, tips may be pooled only among restaurant employees who provide personal service to customers, leaving out those who dont find themselves beside a table or behind a bar reciting specials or refilling drinks. In an effort to level the playing field, certain outfits  like the vegetable restaurant Dirt Candy and Crown Heightss Hunky Dory  eliminated tips and raised salaries. But the movement to forgo tipping has mostly fizzled out in New York, at least for now, stymied by skeptical customers and, sometimes, unhappy servers who earn less money with set wages.

More recently, some restaurants in the city, like the much-talked-about seafood place Dame, have instituted staffing innovations such as training cooks as servers, entitling them to a share of the tip pool when they wait tables. And when Union Square Hospitality Groups Danny Meyer announced the end of his restaurants no-tipping scheme last year, he alluded to plans for a revenue-sharing model akin to the one at Santa Fe and a scattering of other restaurants around the country.

For Klein and Watterberg, Santa Fes profit-sharing strategy was an unexpected outgrowth of the pandemic. In late January 2020, Watterberg, 43, left his job at Botanica Bar after 12 years to take care of their two kids; Klein, 41, after stints at DuMont and the Red Cat and as a stay-at-home parent, started working full time at Motel Morris. Weeks later, restaurants were shut down by COVID. We had a long time to talk, says Klein. We spent a year planning how to open a restaurant equitably, and we didnt even know if restaurants were going to open back up. It was kind of a speculative exercise.

That hypothetical conversation extended to wage transparency and what they call horizontal hiring, meaning they are committed to training anyone on any station. Because the payroll structure should ensure that everyone earns about the same, roughly $200 per shift on a regular night, they hope people will gravitate toward their ideal position. Everybody wants to be a bartender, says Klein. Everybody knows thats where you make the most money  but thats not necessarily true here. And some days, I would rather bus tables than bartend. One thing they decided early on was that the money they add to back-of-house paychecks wont translate to higher menu prices. It means we gotta cut our pay, says Watterberg. At every point where we were like How are we going to pay people this much money? Melissa looked at me and said, We take another pay cut. And thats acceptable as long as we can pay our bills, as long as our children have a childhood.

The rent for the restaurant is not outrageously cheap, but theyre paying less than the previous tenants; the landlord seems happy to have the space filled, Watterberg says. And they kept their food costs low, they say, with the understanding that their payroll would be high. The one true extravagance is the Hatch green chiles, which are shipped in from New Mexico, where Watterberg spent much of his childhood. The chile is key, present in the breakfast burritos constructed from housemade flour tortillas and in the cheeseburgers (both $9 apiece, or $50 for a bag of six) and, when dinner service begins, in dishes like enchiladas and macaroni and cheese. At the moment, they have 3,400 pounds stockpiled, some of it just arrived from New Mexico. They estimate they will use three or four tons of the stuff a year.

That symbol of the Southwest, seldom seen out of its home state, lured a number of New Mexicans to the restaurant on its first day  one of whom even came back the next morning. As for the couples salary plan, the response has been almost as enthusiastic. As Klein and Watterberg put it, they never expected they would need to be selective, but theyve had no trouble staffing up. With the persistent hiring deserts and labor shortages, the constant question is, is it lazy, entitled workers, or is it abusive management practices? Watterberg asks. And weve got plenty of people on hand and more in the wings.
Nearly a month after its announcement in China, Huaweis nova 9 has made its way to the global stage as it was part of the companys in-person event held in Vienna. Sadly, its not joined by the larger nova 9 Pro which remains exclusive to China.



Huawei nova 9 (image: Huawei)

Nova 9 packs Qualcomms Snapdragon 778G 4G chipset with 8GB RAM and 128/256GB storage alongside a curved 6.57-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 4,300 mAh battery with 66W charging. The main cam on the back features a 50MP RYYB sensor next to an 8MP ultrawide snapper and two 2MP auxiliary modules for macro shots and depth data. The software front is covered by EMUI 12 on top of Android 11 and lacks Google Mobile Services.



Huawei nova 9 in Starry Blue and Black (image: Huawei)

Huawei nova 9 comes in Black and Starry Blue colors and retails for 499. Huawei is offering a broken screen replacement free of charge in the first year. Pre-sales start later today and come with a free pair of FreeBuds 4 earphones while regular sales later this month.
The iPhone SE (2020) was warmly welcomed by Apple fans last year, and reports from China revealed they might skip the four-year waiting period for the third iteration of SE.

The new iPhone SE 3 will reportedly be the last phone with LCD and will arrive next spring, Chinese media representatives said. Although people expect a small form factor, the new device is likely going to be based on the iPhone XR design.

Switching to a notched iPhone means no front-facing home key - Touch ID will move to the side, borrowing the feature from the iPad division. However, this latest info contradicts what we reported earlier this month, so obviously, someone is wrong with their rumors.

The new phone will have the new chipset - the 5nm A15 Bionic, adding support for 5G networks. Price-wise, expectations are the phone to cost the same as the iPhone SE (2020) in China and around the world - CNY3,299/$399/499/419.

Source (in Chinese)
Last month, Samsung released the October 2021 Android security patch for the Galaxy Z Flip3 in South Korea, which was rolled out for the unlocked units in the US earlier this month, and is now finally seeding to the Galaxy Z Flip3 globally.

The October 2021 patch for the international Galaxy Z Flip3 comes with firmware having version F711BXXU2AUJ7. The patch fixes more than 60 security and privacy-related issues and the changelog also talks about improved stability of the device.

Additionally, the new build brings Portrait mode support for pets, allowing you take portrait photos of cats and dogs with the Galaxy Z Flip3's front and rear cameras.

The update should reach all the global units in a few weeks, but you can also try downloading it manually by heading to your Galaxy Z Flip3's Settings > Software update menu.
Esther Ahn, Dear Tree Learning Center & Art Studio art director and co-founder, takes you on a brief tour of the creativity center recently opened in Tamuning.
The Guam Association of Realtors will be hosting a town hall session on buying and selling real estate on the groups Facebook page Saturday
Elementary and middle school students who need extra academic support can participate in the Guam Department of Education's After-School Program for Instructional Remediation & Enrichment, or ASPIRE, beginning Monday.

Also beginning Monday, high school students who lack credits can participate in Eskuelan Puengi, or night school, according to the department.

The ASPIRE program is designed for student grades pre-kindergarten through eight. It offers additional classroom instruction, support and time on skills taught during the regular instructional hours. It also provides students opportunities to join activities they normally would not be able to participate in during the regular school day.

ASPIRE will take place after school Monday through Thursday and will only be offered for in-person instruction.

Participating students will attend on their designated cohort days. Interested parents should contact their childrens schools to register.

For high school students, Eskuelan Puengi is designed as a credit recovery program for students in grades nine through 12 who lack 0.5 or more credits. This program supports motivated students to earn credits in order to remain on track for graduation. Courses for advancement will be offered, but course selection is limited.

Eskuelan Puengi will combine synchronous and asynchronous instruction for online and in-person instruction. Synchronous instruction, either in-person or online, will occur for at least one hour on the students designated cohort days. Asynchronous instruction and assistance will be scheduled. Students and parents may address matters of accommodations with teachers.

The fall session of Eskuelan Puengi will be divided into two five-week sessions, Oct. 25 to Nov. 26 and Nov. 29 to Jan. 12, 2022.

Contact numbers are:
Senators at 10 a.m. this Friday will be debating bills to support health care education for students, renovate the historic former Francisco Q. Sanchez Elementary School, and legalize firearm suppressors on island.

Dubbed the Birada Act, or Return Act, Bill 158 is aimed at funding health care education for students. It is meant to encourage them to come back and practice on Guam after graduation.

Local students would gain access to the Professional Student Exchange Program, which provides tuition assistance for health care programs at 60 universities across the country. Savings for the 10 programs, from dentistry to medicine, range from $32,000 to $160,000.

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education hosts the program.

The bill also would allow students to be sponsored by the government of Guam or private healthcare facilities, provided they agree to return and practice on the island for no less than five years after graduation.

The bill was introduced be Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes.

The old F.Q. Sanchez Elementary School in Humatak would get a facelift, if Sen. Joe San Agustins Bill 172 were to pass.

While the school has been closed since 2011, the Guam Preservation Trust wants to renovate the building and possibly allow a charter school to operate in the facility, according to Guam Preservation Trust Director Joe Quinata. Humatak Mayor Johnny Quinata said the community also wants to use it as a senior citizen center and village museum. The measure would provide $3.5 million for renovations.

Bill 73, meanwhile, would remove a ban on the possession and distribution of any device meant to deaden the sound of a gun firing. Called the Hearing Protection Act of 2021, its sponsor Sen. James Moylan intends to allow registered gun owners to use suppressors, commonly known as silencers, while hunting or training with a gun, in order to prevent damage to their ears. The devices currently are legal in 42 states. All but two of the states where they are legal allow suppressor use while hunting.

Other bills on the legislative agenda include:
Joyner Scott Sked and Rudy Fegurgur Quinata are scheduled to begin separate trials in December over accusations of their involvement in the death of former Humatak Mayor Daniel Sanchez.

Sked and Quinata appeared before Judge Vernon Perez, who presided over their cases for the first time, to discuss a couple of outstanding motions and trial dates with their respective counsels.

The motions were discussed in very little detail as Perez decided to schedule a separate hearing for those matters. It was decided, however, that trial will begin in early to mid December after confirming there will be no scheduling conflicts with attorneys.

It was also revealed an off-island medical examiner will testify at the trials.

Sked and Quinata were charged with murder and aggravated assault in connection with Sanchezs death in April, 2021.

When authorities questioned Quinata he told them twice, Joyner did it, in reference to the death investigation.

A witness told authorities they had given Sked a ride shortly after the alleged murder and said Sked made elaborate statements about stabbing, shooting and killing a person, documents state.

Sked invoked her right to remain silent after being located by authorities, documents state.

The pair will be prosecuted separately after the case was severed in July.

Sanchez served as the Humatak mayor from 2005 to 2009, according to the Mayors Council of Guam.

Sked and Quinata to be prosecuted separately for murder charges Joyner Sked and Rudy Quinata will be prosecuted separately for their charges in connection t
Affordable housing plans for Guams manamko were discussed during the first Senior Citizens Housing Task Force meeting Thursday.

This is an important step toward providing affordable housing and assisted living options for our islands elderly population, said Sen. Amanda Shelton.

The task force  composed of government officials, housing experts and community stakeholders  will meet regularly. Findings and recommendations will be submitted to the Legislature and the governor.

With the rising cost of housing for the growing population of seniors on fixed incomes in Guam, this task force recognizes the need to plan to meet the changing needs of our elderly population, Shelton said.

Ray Topasna, Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority executive director, said there are multiple options to consider for housing for the elderly moving forward with the $33 million allocated to the agency each year.

There is nothing to prevent us next year from saying that we want strictly senior housing and have proposals come in for our evaluation and approval, said Topasna.

He said it could be for independent living or assisted living, whatever the need is.

GHURA has structures available that could be used for senior housing, as long as they comply with Department of Housing and Development regulations that it become permanent housing.

A project-based voucher system is another possibility, Topasna said, using $1 million from a continuum of care grant.

On wait list

Currently, 2,876 families are on a GHURA housing wait list for public housing, Section 8 and Guma Tankilidat said Topansna. Of those, 408 are at the age of 55 or older.

Those are just the ones that have applied for one of our housing programs. We believe that number is a lot higher, but it could just be an elderly resident living with family, so that number is not factored into the 408, said Topasna.

In the Section 8 program there are 805 elderly residents, with another 49 in Guma Trankilidat.

Margaret Hattori-Uchima, dean of the University of Guam School of Health, said the task force needs to consider that if long-term care facilities are created, factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic could disrupt them.

As we are moving forward, we need to remember that, environmentally, we need to take into consideration not just the current pandemic but any type of environmental mitigation, Hattori-Uchima said.

Diana Calvo, director of Catholic Social Service, said there are economic factors that need to be considered.

Most of her organizations clients, she said, are part of a healthy workforce but their only retirement income is Social Security benefits, and at less than 50% of what their total earnings were, that isnt enough considering the cost of living on Guam.
Uriah Kuper entered into a deferred plea of guilty for charges stemming from a drug raid at a Mongmong residence in 2020.

Kupers deferred guilty plea is in relation to the charge of possession of a schedule II controlled substance as a third-degree felony. The deferred plea will have him be on conditional release for five years. If he does not follow the conditions in that time period he could be sentenced to up to a maximum of three years.

Co-defendants

Kupers co-defendants, Pierson Cruz and Brandon Chandler were scheduled to appear alongside Kuper but their hearings were rescheduled to a later date.

Defendant Michael Rosal Jr., who is being prosecuted separately from Kuper, Cruz and Chandler, also was scheduled to appear Thursday afternoon at the Superior Court of Guam, but failed to show up.

Rosals attorney, Randall Cunliffe, explained to Judge Alberto Tolentino that he has not been able to contact Rosal due to the number given being out of service.

Tolentino then issued a bench warrant for Rosals arrest. Rosal has another active bench warrant from a separate case.

Arrests

In July 2020, Kuper, Cruz, Chandler and Rosal were arrested after a raid into Chandlers residence in Mongmong. The four were found to be in possession of methamphetamine, alprazolam and a firearm without identification, according to court documents.

All were charged with counts of possession of a schedule II controlled substance as a third-degree felony. In addition, Chandler was charged with possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, possession of a firearm without a firearms identification and violation of a court order.

Kuper also was charged with possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, which was dismissed following the deferred plea agreement.
George R. Tweeds 1945 book Robinson Crusoe USN wasnt really written by Tweed. It was ghostwritten by journalist Blake Clark, based off of 
What may seem to some to be an inconvenience could help save lives, on Guam and across the nation.




Haiti - Politic : Ultimatum to the PM, and threatens to overthrow the Government





During a press conference yesterday Wednesday, October 20, 2021, members of the Democratic and Popular Sector (SDP), gave to teh acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry an ultimatum to form the consensus government at the risk of turning into the opposition.



According to former senator Nenel Cassy, the SDP gives the PM a.i. until Monday, November 1st, 2021, to form the consensus government.



The group is also threatening to overthrow Ariel Henry's government if it does not.



Let's remind that in the Political Agreement for Peaceful and Effective Governance of the Interim Period https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Accord-Politique-pour-une-Gouvernance-Apaisee-et-Efficace-de-la-Periode-Interimaire.pdf , published in Le Moniteur on September 17, 2021 provide for the constitution of a Government within a week, in Article 3 it is stated : "In the week following the signing of the Agreement, a government will be constituted by the Prime Minister in consultation with political and social forces, signatories hereof. "



In its Article 4 : "The personalities, who must integrate the Government, are chosen on the basis of their notoriety, their competence, their experience and their adhesion to the contents of the Agreement."



For his part, the spokesperson for the SDP, Me Andre Michel, added within this period, the dismissal of Leon Charles, Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH). "The head of the PNH and the ministers are unable to resolve the security crisis," supports Me Andre Michel.



HL/ HaitiLibre


























Haiti - FLASH DR : 90-day ultimatum for Haitian workers





Enrique Garcia the Director General of Migration (DGM) declared during an interview broadcast on Telesistema Canal 11 on October 10, "the presence of undocumented Haitians [in an irregular migratory situation] in the Dominican Republic must be regularized and prevent their illegal entry, because we cannot lose our country."



Enrique Garcia ordered agricultural entrepreneurs or all sectors that use the labor of irregular migrants to regularize their situation, because once the 90-day deadline granted by the National Migration Council has expired, they will be repatriated to Haiti.



To illustrate the worrying degree of the situation, he explained that today 10% of crimes committed on Dominican territory are perpetrated by Haitian immigrants.



He ensures that at the rate things are going with Haitians who participate in criminal activities, the country will not only be invaded peacefully, but there will be a sharp rise in crime.



"What you have left when you have a neighbor you can no longer bear is to protect your house, your belongings and your family, and that is what President Luis Abinader has planned to do with the border project," explaining that this project is not a simple fence, or a wall, it is a border protection project.



He said the Haitian problem must be tackled at different points, including guarding the border, saying nothing is being done with Migration which repatriates Haitians in a regular situation and who re-enter. "To eradicate the problem 100% we are not going to reach that percentage, but if we eliminate it to 60 or 70%, we are already winning."



He also raised the case of those who employ illegals, rent them a house or transport them in vehicles, and who claim to be in the law which is false.



Enrique Garcia acknowledged that at present the number of Haitians in the Dominican Republic is unknown, recalling that 6 or 7 years ago a census was carried out which indicated the number of 500,000, "but it is below reality".



He acknowledged that "there are places like Hoyo de Friusa in Bavaro, which are totally Haitian communities informing that a massive repatriation operation is in preparation with the army and the police because migration cannot enter alone, or with five or six policemen or guards.



Enrique Garcia reiterated his desire to strengthen controls and increase the expulsions of all foreigners who are not regularized in Dominican territory.



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





The USA does not negotiate

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki about gang in Haiti demanding $17M for kidnapped missionaries declared : It remains our policy that the U.S. doesn't negotiate with terrorists. The FBI is part of a coordinated U.S. effort to get U.S. citizens to safety and the U.S. embassy in Haiti is helping.



The BRH does not pay ransoms

The Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) informs the public that it is not involved in any operation or financial mechanism aimed at paying ransom for hostages.



Dominicans reportedly deliver weapons to Haitians

According to what Gardy Maisonneuve, executive director of sant Karl Leveque, Dominicans provide firearms to Haitians, affirming that a practice settles in Fonds-Verrettes where Dominicans deliver firearms to fellow Haitians in exchange of food.



Arrest of 6 individuals

Bon-Repos police accompanied by a backup from the UDMO arrested 6 individuals in the neighborhood of Rosembert 2 for their alleged involvement in cases of kidnapping and criminal associations. Djeffny Laguerre (20); Fredelin Jean Baptiste (24) ; Clarens Moreau (18) ; Jean Yves Destine (28) ; Bellevue Jean Renel (36) and Peter Cange (22), are publicly denounced for being members of a gang, operating in the area, led by the so-called Patrick.



Canada : Promotion of cultural activities

Did you know that.... ? You can promote your community activities on the website of the Embassy of Haiti in Canada by emailing : communication@ambassade-haiti.ca



Catherine Flon

"The proposal to include in the calendar of anniversary celebrations, with which UNESCO is associated in 2022-2023, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Catherine Flon was officially adopted on October 15, 2021" informed the Permanent Delegation of Haiti to UNESCO.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2021/10/20 | Source

Source: 'Actor A pretense of marriage + forced abortion', exposer, "There's lot of evidence to disclose"(Sports Kyunghyang)

Advertisement

Translation by Daily Naver

Netizen has come forward with claims that a famous actor 'K' forced abortion.

On the 17th, A wrote a lengthy article on online community Pann titled, "I'm exposing famous actor K who's two faced and shameless" and revealed, "I'm his ex-girlfriend. If his personality wasn't so trash I wouldn't waste time exposing him like this. I can't live knowing the image he shows on TV is different from reality. I made the decision to write this post for other women at the risk of exposing my identity"

I'm not only suffering from the after effects of the breakup but also his sub human actions of forcing I abort my precious baby, demanding a unilateral sacrifice because he's a celebrity, under false pretense of marriage, mental and physical trauma.

I thought a lot after watching actor Kim Yong-gun's and other idol group premarital pregnancies. Even though Kim Yong-gun forced an abortion, him and the idol group members still took responsibility and announced marriage.

If you convince someone to get an abortion as bait for a promise you won't keep, that's an illegal act that violates someone's rights. I found out that this actor is even more trash than I had imagined.

It's been 4 months since we broke up and I thought he'd ask for forgiveness from the bottom of his heart but it seems that he really loves acting. Because of his difficult childhood, his obsession with money is enormous and he took for granted the sacrifices of those around him due to his obsession with other people's opinions and his own success. I thought it would be different with me, but again, after breaking up, he made even more money and filmed CFs and became popular. He was in a rush to film even more CFs and never one apologized or showed any reflection.

We have been dating since early 2020. There's a lot of katalks of us from the time we first me until now. He asked me to delete those katalks a lot using ridiculous excuses but it was so strange so I saved the conversations.

Usually, when I read other people's articles, I often wondered why they didn't use birth control. I used birth control when we dated but I was getting sick because of it so I stopped using it after a month or two and asked him to use condoms. Then one day he said he wanted to do it inside and I allowed it because it wasn't a dangerous date and because it was only that one time.

That's when I ended up pregnant with actor K's baby in July of last year. Actually, I was very scared. We were secretly dating and couldn't even hold hands and walk together outside. I wondered how it'd be like with our baby and even thought of raising it on my own.

Since I was a kid, I've been told it would be difficult for me to have a baby because I have a weak uterus (it was my first pregnancy or abortion). The doctor told me that I wouldn't be able to conceive another baby again if I didn't have this one. I thought to myself, even if it's shameful to have a premarital baby, it's with someone that I love so that gave me courage and I wanted to have it.

So I contacted actor K on the spot while at the hospital and told him that if I aborted the child it would be difficult to have another one. Is there a woman that doesn't want to have a child with the person they love? Like other men, I wanted to hear that he would take responsibility after the pregnancy even if they were confused.

His trash reply to that still remains in my katalks. He acted like he would take responsibility in the katalks but it was completely different when we met. He was filming at the time and came to my house after filming and placated me with false promises to get me to agree to an abortion. I was 6-7 weeks pregnant at the time so my stomach was very stiff and sore. The minute he showed up he said, "it's ok now for me to do it inside right?" and asked for sex. He said, "Now I feel like you're really mine. You and I are family now.

Then he said, "It doesn't make sense that you won't be able to conceive anymore just because you have one abortion. If you have the baby now I'll have to pay a 900 million won fine. I don't have that kind of money right now".

He said he talked to his parents and told me, "What if I can no longer be an actor because of this baby? My parents said they throw me out on the streets". I found out later that he didn't have to pay a 900 million won penalty if he had a baby. He persuaded me to have an abortion with lies".

He threatened me saying, "I'll resent you and this baby if he's born right now. You can do whatever you want but our love will be over. I will never love this baby". With tears in his eyes, he put on an act with false promise of marriage and parental introductions and said, "I'm not ready to have a baby now but I've thought about settling down in 4 years. I will marry you in exactly 2 years and introduce you to my parents. Let's move in together next year".

I hesitated at that moment. I still regret that I didn't have the courage to insist on raising my child on my own so that he would have a chance to see the light of the world. I thought what if we broke up later and I fell in love and got married and wasn't able to have kids later, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. At that time, I had no choice but to tell my parents but I thought whenever I went through a breakup, my parents excuse was age.

As if driven by his words, I made up my mind to let my baby go. I told my only friend and younger brother, actor XX who was mentioned several times on a program. He didn't accompany me himself to the hospital, he was in a car and sent his acquaintance who pretended to be the baby's father.

Looking back, he was meticulous to the end. Meanwhile, I had thought I was being thoughtful for the person I loved but I was such an idiot. So with tears in my eyes, I sent away a baby that will never again come back to me in my life.

After the abortion, actor K's attitude changed. he only sent me 2 million won for surgery and hospital expenses and wanted nothing else. Because of that, I didn't threaten, complain or resent him. I was afraid my relationship with him, that was already fragile, would break.

Still, I thought I should tell him about the hospital visit and how the money was spent so I sent him the receipts and proof that I got the abortion. He got so pissed off about the situation. It was me that suffered mental and physical damage and trauma but he was the one irritable with emotions up and own caused by stress that I'm not sure where it was coming from. He'd say, "are you trying to campaign to piss me off because you had to abort the baby because of me?"

The person that had promised to marry and live with me when I was still pregnant was now treating me this way after I got an abortion using work as an excuse. Because I really loved him, I thought all actors are like this. My body was in a state of change due to the after effects of the abortion so the physical and mental aftereffects were a lot. It was very difficult, but I honestly thought he would keep me by his side and live together and get married.

He became very sensitive after that whenever he went to work and everyone around him had to be careful. I sacrificed a lot when he was filming but he'd get annoyed about every little thing. When we dated, he was filming for about 8 months and throughout that time I was just a helper because he was always sensitive. I had to always adjust my mood, attitude, everything like a stylist or manager would. After he finished filming, he became so brazen after filming a CF and said he didn't know things would turn out like that that. As time went on, he got more and more annoyed and would scold me over katalks I would send him and I had to react to his changing moods. But I endured it because I thought we would be family soon".

After meeting him, I will never again date someone who puts on a mask. He's the type to always threaten a breakup if we fight to get what he wants. Contrary to his TV image, he's pretty good at cursing. I never swore or cursed him but he often cursed me and threatened me with shoes etc.

As he gained popularity, he suddenly started to change. I saw a different side to him and I started to feel like we had grown apart. Still, because I loved him, I tried to understand and waited for him. He told the media that he doesn't have a girlfriend and said that it was just "image making" that all celebrities do. He would apologize to me for lying but then go on TV and continue to lie to female celebrities close to him who contacted him in real life. Still, we kept secretly dating.

I suffered a lot. I had to stay his secret girlfriend because stock up went up when he met other female celebrities, did CFs and got more popular. I think I can understand now why I'm so sensitive because I din't want to believe it. After the abortion at that time, I was mentally too weak and my self-esteem was too low. There are photos I took on my cell phone too and those conversations. But I won't attach them because it'll cause an issue.

Contrary to his TV image, he's a really cold and ungrateful person. Everyday, he would swear at the people he worked with but would never understand why he had so few friends. The senior actors he admired on TV all thought he was trash. I've heard more cursing than praise from him regarding the directors and actors he worked with. He said a disgusting comment about a director "for giving him the character of his life".

After he appeared in a drama, he started doing things he hadn't done before. Using strange excuse, he erased all my photos from his phone and changed my name to that of a man and told me to delete all our katalks. He even selected and deleted all our photos from my computer with his own hands.

At the end of the year, when the stock price was really high, he told me Dispatch had filmed details of our relationship. He said the agency is giving him a hard time because of our relationship and couldn't stand it because our secret relationship was leaking out. He told me delete all the pictures we took together and katalks in case reporters found them.

I was too naive so I did it because I thought my relationship with the person I love would go wrong. But in hindsight, he was cleverly deleting all the evidence. After erasing those traces, of course as you would expect, he number of times he contact me slowed down.

He hardly ever said good things about any of his co-stars from his drama. He would say "the supporting lead is so ugly" "supporting actor X can't act" and so on. Like all celebrities, he showed an image of someone that cares about his fans but in reality, he's not thankful for the iPhone his fan gave him because he's afraid it may have been tapped. He threw away fan letters without ever reading them.

Not long after we broke up, what made me even more terrified of him was on that same day and next day, he signed autographs for fans at department store that were later posted by fans on DC Gallery. How is someone like that a human being? You would think he would mourn a breakup with a woman he had thought of marrying and whose child he forced an abortion under guise of marriage? A woman that will never again be able to bear children? Wouldn't that be the polite thing to do?

Because of our love, sacrifices and sensitivity to reporters, I decided to move for him without anyone knowing. I even paid a penalty fee to break my officetel lease early, changed license plates and adjusted everything because of him. The person that knew I moved because of him and said would visit as soon as I moved. But in the end, I hope he'll regret for irresponsibly throwing me away like a dog because "he was afraid of paying a penalty for a CF".

I didn't think I could live properly for rest of my life under that shadow of pain if I didn't expose this.

Thank you for reading. "





[+3,074, -292] The point of this article is not the abortion or birth control, but the fact that he gaslighted her into aborting the baby because he would have to pay a penalty and it'll be a burden to his family. Why are you ba$tards unable to grasp the key point of the post and stop criticizing her for not using birth control? [+2,783, -306] What's up with the upvoted comments? Shouldn't the focus be on the victim's mental health? Anyone seeing this can tell its the man who's trash. This is dating assault. He gaslighted her throughout the entire relationship and even forced her into aborting his own child. If this is true, it's really shocking.. [+2,260, -316] No, are the comments here for real? Isn't this too cruel? Is the agency some type of part-timer business that can't track down an IP? The truth is, a man met a woman and got her pregnant and forced her to abort the baby. Because she's older and has a weak uterus, pregnancy will be difficult in the future. Anyway, she got pregnant and told him it would be difficult to conceive again but he gaslighted her with false claims of a penalty and pretense of marriage. Because of that she aborted the baby and he broke up with her after more gaslighting. If this is true, he's seriously a different type of ba$tard. The reason why she can't post proofs and evidence is because of legal issues???? And if its true?? What then? I'm just going to stay neutral because if it's true, the man is seriously the worst trash! [+1,257, -1,311] How was it that she met such a trash? I get self sacrificing for your love but how can you sacrifice to this extent? You got thrown away? Wow, this is too much. No matter how trash the man is, unless he kidnapped, imprisoned, assaulted, or r*ped, you continued the relationship on your own free will. Now its "he forced you into an abortion..? Yes, his personality is trash but...I don't know who the actor is but is the OP a choding of 13 or 8? No...I know you're upset because you got betrayed by love but it's a bit disgusting to portray yourself as a victim. [+1,225, -118] If you are going to post something like this, at least post proofs from the gynecologist, evidence of your relationship...anything (at least katalks.. photos). [+1,055, -44] If this is true, the actor is going to get buried. Don't let innocent actors get harmed with vague claims of an actor 'K'. I would rather not start guessing so I recommend you upload proofs like katalks of your conversations with him.. [+976, -64] Ah, the double standard with men is seriously disgusting...if this was a female celebrity that got pregnant and aborted, she would be witch hunted, sexually harassed with hate comments and canceled. But because it's a male celebrity who got a woman pregnant before marriage  forced abortion, it's just a "love story of the past". Is this a comedy  [+647, -543] No, is OP really an adult woman with any mentals? She foolishly believed in his ploys "to do it inside" and believed his promises of marriage because he was a handsome actor she was in love with. Now she's hiding in anonymity and playing role of the victim 100%? And if that's not enough she's trash talking him?

Editor's Note: The actor referred to in this allegation was subsequently confirmed to be Kim Seon-ho.
Published on 2021/10/21 | Source

Korean movies opening today 2021/10/21 in Korea: "In Front of Your Face", "A Leave", "Dongbaek", "Peach of Time - Movie", "Sasang: The Town on Sand", "The Birth of Resonance", "Stranger's Country" and "Yang Bang Ean and the National Orchestra of Korea-Into the Light"

Advertisement

"In Front of Your Face" (2021)

Directed by Hong Sang-soo

With Lee Hye-young-I, Jo Yoon-hee-I, Kwon Hae-hyo, Kim Sae-byuk, Shin Suk-ho, Ha Seong-guk,...

Synopsis

Never before had she been in a high-rise apartment. She's wondering how her younger sister is doing, living in a such a high place. From a few days ago, she's been living in her place, experiencing how it is to live in Korea again. Though there seems to be a secret that needs to be kept, she's still taking care of her mind and focus on living day by day. She got a call from a film director who wanted her to appear in a film and after meeting, they had a few drinks at a small old bar in downtown Seoul, and it rains and thunders.

"A Leave" (2020)

Directed by Lee Ran-hee

With Lee Bong-ha, Kim Ah-seok, Shin Woon-seob, Kim Jung-yeon, Lee Seung-joo-I, Seo Gwang-taek,...

Synopsis

A 49-year old fired worker Jae-bok has been holding a sit-in for 5 years with his colleagues. After the union lost the final lawsuit asking for the invalidation of his recent layoffs, they decided to take 10 days off. Jae-bok goes back to home and gets a part-time job at a furniture factory during a leave to earn money to pay for his daughter's college tuition deposits and long padding. At a time when he is satisfied with his re-starting labor and his small daily life with his daughters, Jae-bok is offered a full-time job...

"Dongbaek" (2021)

Directed by Shin Jun-young

With Park Geun-hyung, Jung Sun-il, Seo Jun-young, Shin Bok-sook, Kim Bo-mi, Joo Ah-reum,...

Synopsis

A movie about a family which suffered from the tragic Yeosu-Suncheon incident and their process of healing from the pain.

"Peach of Time - Movie" (2021)

Directed by Jang Eui-soon

With Choi Jae-hyun-I, Karn Kritsanaphan, Sittichok Pueakpoolpol, Jung Ae-yun,...

Synopsis

Peach arrived in Korea after receiving a call from her friend Yoon-oh. Apparently, Yoon-oh who welcomed Peach so warmly is a ghost? Peach met Mario, a wandering Thai ghost who has been unable to leave Korea for 25 years, finds out that Yoon-oh has become a banished spirit without even knowing that he has died. In order to be reborn safely without becoming an evil spirits, the resentments in this world should be resolved within 49 days from the day of death!

What on earth did Yoon-oh want so much?

As they discover his bucket list together, their feelings for each other grow and their time to part approaches fast...

"Sasang: The Town on Sand" (2021)

Directed by Park Bae-il

Synopsis

This is a film about workers, a film about the poor who were dragged out of homes and about his father. Director Park films his father who has lived as a laborer all his life, his weakened body, and nine years of time flowing over it. Park brings an impartial view of his father's life. His father does not try to impart a particular value in front of the camera. What remains is to wonder where this cruel reality comes from. KANG Sowon

"The Birth of Resonance" (2020)

Directed by Lee Jeongjun

Synopsis

Lim Seonbin is the Gyeonggi Intangible Cultural Asset No. 30 Akgijang. At his mentor's factory, he made drums all his life to produce drum sounds that resemble his mother's embrace. One day, Seonbin has a problem with his ear and realizes that he's running out of time. Then along with his kid, Dongguk, his successor, he takes out the timber he has kept for 20 years and starts making a big drum.

12th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival

"Stranger's Country" (2020)

Directed by Kim Jung-min-XIV

With Yoo Hyun-I, Jang Ji-hun, Roh Sang-hyun, Jang Young-jae, Yang Hee-woo, Nam Jin-bok,...

Synopsis

Ahn Yong-seon, a Korean-Chinese woman was smuggled to Korea. She came to recover the left leg of her younger brother Ahn Yong-sik, who was illegally traded for a long time. However, contrary to expectations, the younger brother's legs depend on a poor high school student. The high school student did not know that the leg belonged to the younger brother.

[New Documentary] "Yang Bang Ean and the National Orchestra of Korea-Into the Light"

Korean documentary "Yang Bang Ean and the National Orchestra of Korea-Into the Light" added to HanCinema database

"Yang Bang Ean and the National Orchestra of Korea-Into the Light" (2019)

Directed by Yang Bang-ean

Synopsis

Yang Bang-ean opens a new horizon for Korean traditional music orchestra in partnership with the National Orchestra of Korean

Yang Bang-ean, the master of crossover who impressed the world by taking on the role of music director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, along with the National Orchestra of Korea opens a new horizon in traditional orchestral music. His signature songs such as 'Frontier' and 'Prince of Jeju' have been arranged and performed frequently as Korean traditional music, but this is the first time Yang Bang-ean composes a Korean traditional orchestra piece.

In the first part, the symphony 'Arirang Road-Diaspora', which is commissioned by the National Orchestra of Korea, will be premiered. 'Diaspora' is a word that refers to scattered people, and it means the pain of having to leave one's hometown inevitably. The composer tells the story of the Goryeo people who lived in Russia and were forced to emigrate to Central Asia and so on, and unravel their journey in a symphony with six movements. It is planned to capture the hearts of the audience by unfolding like a painting in front of the eyes of many people who miss their homeland, the despondency and sadness of crossing vast Siberia. In addition, about 70 performers are expected to raise the sound of Korean traditional music to a world-class level by performing rich and colorful performances that have not been heard before.

In the second part, a collaboration with world music musicians will be presented. Together with Jia Peng Fang, who is called the master of erhu, and Oki Jin, a flamenco guitarist who is active in Spain and Asia, he plays the representative repertoire of both languages in a new arrangement. From the solo stage of the collaborators to the chamber music and the orchestra, the audience will experience a new light of our music.
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
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA) has approved Indiana Center for Recovery in Bloomington, IN, to provide continuing education credits for licensed addictions and mental health professionals in Indiana. The center will launch the "Indiana Center for Recovery Education Institute" (ICFREI) in winter 2021.

The education institute will focus primarily on substance use disorders and mental health topics and offer Indiana professionals unique training opportunities. Session content will address professional development gaps in the field of behavioral healthcare in Indiana. Subject matter experts from across the country will provide seminars, workshops, training, and an annual symposium. Sessions will take place in Bloomington.

"We are very excited about the opportunity to improve practitioner confidence in Indiana by sharing expertise in the areas of trauma, addiction, and mental health," states Jackie Daniels, Vice President of Community Relations at Indiana Center for Recovery. "The mission of our institute is to facilitate and encourage the application of innovative, quality care in the communities in which professionals serve."

About Indiana Center for Recovery:

Indiana Center for Recovery is a patient-centered substance use disorder and mental health treatment facility. They have been offering treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders in Bloomington since 2016. Visit www.treatmentindiana.com for more information.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/indiana-center-for-recovery-launches-education-institute-301405023.html

SOURCE Indiana Center for Recovery
Letters to the Editor can be submitted to the Hastings Star Gazette here. The Star Gazette reserves the right to edit and choose which letters get published.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Submit
From U.S. Small Business Administration

HELENA  The U.S. Small Business Administration announced that the State of Montana has received a State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) Grant of $754,532.

The grant funds will be administered to Montana small businesses ready to accelerate the growth of international sales. Since 2011, the state has received $4.19 million through STEP.

Montana small businesses are producing products that are beneficial for people and businesses around the world, said Brent Donnelly, SBA district director for Montana. These STEP funds will accentuate business abilities to strengthen our local economies while broadening the footprint of their goods and services around the globe. The Montana Department of Commerce has been an outstanding partner of the SBA as we continue pursuing every avenue to cultivate entrepreneurship and business ownership in our state.

Montanas entrepreneurs produce and sell some of the finest products in the world, said Scott Osterman, Montana Department of Commerce director. With this STEP grant, the Department of Commerce stands ready to assist small business as they gain access to foreign markets and expand their exports. We thank the SBA for their confidence in Montana and our export programs, and we look forward to continued success for Montana businesses looking to market their products to the world.

The STEP grant, administered by the Montana Department of Commerce, will be used to bolster processes of businesses that export and increase the value of Montana Small business products. The funds will offer support for foreign trade missions, a subscription to U.S. Department of Commerce services, payment of website fees, design of marketing media, costs surrounding trade show exhibition, and export training workshops. The funds are expected to contribute approximately $10.75 million in total export sales.
On October 18, the sixth round of the Constitutional Committee's meetings was launched, and it failed to reach results that serve the Syrian people in the five previous rounds.

The Syria's UN envoy preceded the sixth round by talking about an agreement on "drafting a constitutional reform", without talking about drafting a new constitution.

The Constitutional Committee was formed in September 2019 under the pretext of conducting the political process in Syria and drafting a new Syrian constitution.

The co-chair of the General Council of the AANES, Farid Atti, explained that the so-called constitutional committee was formed between the Damascus government and the so-called the Syrian opposition, and said: "This committee cannot achieve any tangible results on the ground, because it does not represent all the Syrian people."

Atti stressed that the success of any constitutional process requires the wide participation of the Syrians, and explained: "We as the AANES are part of Syria, but we are excluded." He pointed out that the constitution in its general meaning is a social contract, that requires broad participation from all parties.

The sixth meeting will fail

He predicted the failure of the Constitutional Committee, and said: "Because the two groups do not represent all Syrian society. The democratic forces represented by the Autonomous Administration, whose sons liberated large parts of Syria from terrorism, have been marginalized."

Atti indicated that holding any meeting or conference without the Autonomous Administration is doomed to failure, and noted: "Many meetings were held in Geneva and Sochi, but they failed for excluding the Autonomous Administration."

Atti stressed the presence of large democratic forces in the areas of the Autonomous Administration, and these forces were formed by the will of all components of society, which formed its own administration and through it achieved security and stability that is not available now in the rest of the Syrian regions.

Atti noted that more than 5 million people in NES, have been managing themselves for seven years under the roof of the Autonomous Administration, and said: "We hope that the international community will assume its responsibilities towards the Syrian people. All Syrians from Kurds, Arabs and Syriacs must participate in drafting the Syrian constitution.

Those gathered represent certain sects, not Syrian society

He explained that the participants in the meeting of the Constitutional Committee now represent certain sects, and said: "The regime represents a certain sect, and the opposition represents a radical fundamentalist current."

Farid Atti indicated that the main reason for excluding the sons of northern and eastern Syria from the meeting of the Constitutional Committee is the result of Turkish pressure, and noted: "Turkey does not want security and stability in Syria."

Atti continued: "If we do not participate in those meetings, we will not be concerned with its outputs and results. Whoever seeks to find a solution to the Syrian crisis must involve all components and segments of Syrian society in the discussions and meetings held in this regard. The regime and the opposition are well aware of this."

Atti explained: Everyone must realize that the main decision regarding Syria should be formulated by the hands of Syria, not by external forces, and whoever seeks to solve the Syrian crisis, the path is clear, which is that Syria is for all Syrians, including Kurds, Arabs, Armenians, and Syriac-Circassians. It is not possible to manage Syria or draft a constitution based on one-sided policy.

A

ANHA




We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here
Sheriff calls in SBI to investigate shooting involving kin of employee

Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin called on the SBI to investigate a shooting in the Valley Hill community after it was determined that someone involved was a relative of a sheriffs office employee.

Sheriff's deputies, emergency medical personnel and Valley Hill Fire & Rescue responded to a 911 call at 9:45 Wednesday night reporting that someone had been shot on Conservative Lane. The sheriff's office employee was not involved in the incident and was not on scene of the incident or on duty when the shooting occurred, the sheriff's office said in a news release.

Because of the close relationship of the employee and one of the parties involved in the shooting, Griffin "immediately requested that the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation respond to the scene and conduct the investigation into this shooting," the news releasew said.
Lightning's Voter Guide is on the street

The Hendersonville Lightning's 2021 Voter Guide is on the street and on the way to subscribers' mail boxes.

The only pullout Voter Guide in the region, the 12-page publication contains Q&As with candidates in all contested races and sample ballots for the city elections in Hendersonville, Flat Rock, Fletcher, Laurel Park, Mills River and Saluda.
A MAN who sent a racist Christmas card has been given a restraining order.

Bryan Olliver, 48, of Bensgrove Close, Woodcote, sent the card with a picture of a smiling monkey to the home of Michael Read and Heidi Price, who is half Jamaican, on Christmas Eve 2019.

He was convicted of malicious communication after a trial at Oxford Magistrates Court last month.

He was also found guilty of assault by beating for spitting on Mr Read and of assault for spitting at his mother, Angela.

On Wednesday, Olliver was given an 18-month community order and the restraining order, to expire on April 20, 2023.

Speaking after the case, Mrs Price said: We got what we wanted when he was found guilty as we were proved honest and truthful. I didnt know what I wanted today, so the courts decision on his punishment is fine. He has a child and, as a mother, I wouldnt have wanted him to go to prison. Were not full of hate like he is.

Since the verdict Ive had people in the community contacting me to thank me for standing up to racism. Were very proud of that.

The couple were subject to a string of racist abuse beginning in 2019. Banana skins were thrown on the couples driveway and in October 2019 they received a racist letter made from newspaper clippings.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Read said the incidents made the couple feel sick, shocked, defeated and emotionally exhausted.

Speaking of Christmas 2019, he said: We had already decided to spend Christmas away from home because it felt violated from the previous incidents.

I wanted the family to escape because I was fearful something would happen to one of us.

I was unnerved, stressed and constantly looking over my shoulder. The impact on the children was devastating.

I havent been able to cope and have been prescribed anti-depressants. I felt unable to protect my family.

Olliver was ordered to attend 32 rehabilitation activity days and complete 120 hours of unpaid work in the community as well as pay costs of 775. The restraining order means Olliver must not contact any of the victims and must avoid Croft Way in Woodcote, where the couple live.

He was told that if he sees Mr Read or Mrs Price in Woodcote, he must cross the street and avoid any direct or indirect contact.

India Ferris, for Olliver, said he had shown a level of remorse, that he was of good character and the sole carer of his vulnerable 17-year-old son, so should not be jailed.

She said he was experienced in training apprentice bricklayers, and that he was keen to do this as his community service.

In a character reference, his employer Brian Procter, who runs building company Butler and Procter in Goring Heath, said Olliver had been a close friend for 29 years.

He said he was larger than life with a heart of gold and will always go the extra mile to help in any situation.
Free access for current print subscribers

As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition.

All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name.

Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address.

Activate your account now.
Anderson, IN (46016)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 30F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 30F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
During this year, The Heritage will run a half page insertion in every issue featuring an organization that has partnered with the Jewish Capital Alliance of Central Florida to attain its chartered goals. Over the coming year, The Heritage will pen four articles highlighting this relatively unrecognized organization. The first article appeared in July and described how JCA came into being. Today's article will discuss JCA's goals and directives.

At the initial community introductory meeting on Oct. 4, 2011, the Jewish Capital Alliance described to the community the basis for its creation:

"... that this windfall should be used for the long term, multi-generational support of our Orlando Jewish Community. ... (that) we could "assist" our Jewish institutions in providing for their own capital and programming expansion, in a responsible, business-like basis. ... (that) a group of experienced businesspeople, who understood the needs of our Jewish community ... could objectively assist our not-for-profits from both an advisory and a financial standpoint. The ultimate goal would be the use of our resources to provide below market-rate loans, crafted to be both responsive and affordable to our Jewish Institutions."

The Jewish Capital Alliance's most poignant directive is to provide for Jewish community longevity. The JCA leadership understood that Jewish community functions and thrives thru strong, stable institutional development. Identity within is created thru programming, involvement with other Jews and Jewish institutions, and by cultivating a recognition of Jewish identity. None of this can occur unless Jewish institutions are able to function, expand to meet the needs of their membership, and provide programming under their chartered auspices. It is the purview of Jewish Capital Alliance to provide support and guidance to each of the subject institutions in order to enhance their opportunities for growth, stability and longevity.

JCA attains these goals by staying true to its "directives." First, JCA does not involve itself with the internal programming of any Jewish institution. JCA makes no demand on any of its constituents to enact, represent, or otherwise involve JCA in whatever the chartered direction of these organizations may be. The only requirement for JCA's assistance or involvement is the affirmation that the not-for-profit entity is, in fact, established as a "Jewish" institution. "Jewish" may be defined as a social or social services entity such as a Jewish Community Center or a Hillel facility. It may be as a chartered agency of the Jewish Federation, such as Jewish Family Services or the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center. It may be an educational facility such as the Orlando Torah Academy or the Jewish Academy of Orlando. Or, it may be a synagogue or related facility such at Congregation Beth Am, Chabad, Orlando Torah Center, or any of the legacy synagogues within greater Orlando. Effectively Jewish Capital Alliance has no limitation in its support, other than the definition of the assistive entity as "Jewish."

The "directives" embedded in the Jewish Capital Alliance originate from within its formulative documents. The July 15, 2011 adopted Investment Policy Statement outlines the guidance for investment and protection of the JCA asset base. Originally chartered with its $1.739MM share from the sale of the "Oakmonte" property, that asset base has now climbed to over $3MM by virtue of conservative, consistent and professional guidance, and philosophical discipline. The Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest, Whistleblower Policies, Grantmaking guidelines, Openness and Disclosure, all adopted shortly after JCA's Incorporation in May 2010, affirm the commitment of its Board of Directors to the sanctity of its Mission and loyalty to its constituency, pursuant to its Bylaws: that Jewish Capital Alliance will be "... operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and educations purpose ..." for the benefit of the Greater Orlando Jewish Community.

The original Board of the Jewish Capital Alliance consisted of seven community members, all with deep ties and involvement to the local Jewish community. Equally important to the organizers, all had a broad basis of general business and banking overview. Four of those members had served either within the commercial banking industry, or as directors of local banks. Three other members were involved with significant commercial business activities. In total, the founding Board provided over 150 years of active business experience combined with a depth of operational understanding of the Orlando Jewish community.

Today's Board of four deeply experienced and active Jewish community banking and business members has magnified JCA's original operational directive of providing immediate low-cost capital to Orlando Jewish entities. If requested or required, Board members will provide "soft" guidance regarding financial management, debt levels, and cash flow requirement of its constituents. The Board's ability to assess its constituents' financials, budgets, and cash flows frequently assist in determining the most affordable and least impactful means to provide productive capital assistance.

Effectively, Jewish Capital Alliance strives to make its resources available to its constituents as easily, productively, and creatively as possible. JCA is a lending operation, but is not like any typical banking relationship in the commercial marketplace. JCA's direct involvement, direction, assistance, and positive desire to enhance our Jewish Community makes it the perfect partner to achieve its goals "... to provide below market-rate loans, crafted to be both responsive and affordable to our Jewish Institutions."

As of this date, Jewish Capital Alliance has issued 29 loans totaling over $3.5MM, as well as almost $.5MM in community-based grants. In its low-key way, JCA continues to provide advice, direction and assistance to agencies and entities serving the Greater Orlando Jewish community.
(JTA)  In April, the language-learning app Duolingo added its 40th language to its program arsenal: Yiddish. A couple of decades ago, it would have been unthinkable for a mainstream non-Jewish language program to offer an expansive, comprehensive course in Yiddish. But Duolingos Yiddish addition only serves to reflect the increased global interest in learning a language that once had as many as 12 million speakers.

Ladino, a Romance language of Sephardic Jews still spoken by hundreds of thousands worldwide, has also garnered much interest in recent years. Ladino classes, both online and in-person, are widely available to prospective learners.

But while those two Jewish languages are enjoying a cultural renaissance, many others  ones spoken in Crimea, Baghdad, Baku and beyond, which have both miraculously survived and succumbed to tumultuous periods in world history  have remained largely inaccessible to interested learners.

This month, thats changing.

The Oxford School of Rare Jewish Languages in the UK has launched its inaugural semester of courses in 12 Jewish languages, belonging to the Aramaic, Arabic and Turkic language families. They range in number of speakers, from millions to none.

The courses, which began this week, run for an hour a week online and are free for all students.

There are currently many brilliant research projects and online platforms concerning Jewish languages, said Professor Judith Olszowy-Schlanger, president of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies and the creator of the new program. What is missing is the possibility for the growing number of interested students to learn these languages, even less in an academic setting.

This is why she sees the OSRJLs format  online and free  as significant: it ensures that classes are accessible to an international pool of students.

Yiddish is one of the 12 Jewish languages offered by the OSRJL  and with roughly 1.5 million speakers worldwide, it is the only language offered by the program that is not endangered or extinct. In fact, Yiddish is growing in its number of speakers.

People outside of the Yiddish-speaking world have this distorted notion that Yiddish is disappearing, explained Kalman Weiser, a Silber Family Professor of Modern Jewish Studies at York University, in Toronto. Its not. Its only growing. Judeo-Greek, on the other hand, is a language that is going to disappear.

Weisers mother speaks Judeo-Greek, but unfortunately, this tongue, which originated in the Macedonian Empire, is expected to die out with this generation without serious intervention. Most of the languages offered by the OSRJL face a similar fate. Several  including Judeo-French, Classical Judeo-Arabic and Classical Judeo-Persian  are already considered extinct.

The latter is a language that Daniel Amir, a doctoral researcher of Iranian Jewish history at the University of Oxford, aims to study at the OSRJL. He also plans to take courses in Judeo-Neo-Aramaic, a language with an estimated 60 speakers left.

Knowing a language is one thing, but getting to learn and improve together with other people is exciting and motivating. All of these languages are ones with which I have a strong personal connection, he said.

Amirs family speaks a dialect of Judeo-Neo-Aramaic that is in serious decline, and he wishes to do his part to halt the downward trend. Most of my experience with the dialect is through talking with and listening to my family, so getting a chance to formally study it is a great privilege, he said.

Studying any Jewish language, whether it is of heritage or not, opens up a window into the diverse history of world Jewry, Weiser noted. He mentioned a theory proposed by sociolinguist Max Weinreich in The History of the Yiddish Language, which suggests that there is an unbroken chain of Jewish languages stemming from ancient Hebrew to today, where Yiddish is the latest link.

Once you take this approach, any Jewish language becomes a vital part of Jewishness, Weiser said. You start off at one place but then you begin to see the bigger picture.

Though the chances that Karaim (a Turkic language with roughly 80 speakers) or Judeo-Italian (a Romance language with 250 speakers) are ones heritage language are low today, studying them can be a potent exercise in understanding the broader Jewish experience. Olszowy-Schlanger told JTA that the OSRJL intends to bolster the connection students feel to their cultures, both through the language courses and by offering a variety of other online content, including blog publications on exceptional books and a 16-lecture series on Yiddish music.

The ripple effects of a program like this are not secluded to the Jewish realm  Weiser mentioned that many past Jewish language initiatives were in tandem, influenced by, or would go on to influence other Indigenous language programs.

The faculties that raised Hebrew from the proverbial dead have also influenced the revitalization of Indigenous languages such as Lushootseed and Sami, and helped inspire the moves to preserve Irish and Cornish.

These communities merit and deserve our research, curiosity, and admiration  both in their pasts and presents, Amir said. And language is a perfect point of departure.
(JTA)  The bestselling author Sally Rooney said she decided not to publish her latest novel with an Israeli publishing house because she supports a boycott of Israel, but added that a non-Israeli press could still publish the book in Hebrew.

Rooneys statement, made on Tuesday, confirms a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last month that Rooney declined to sell Hebrew publishing rights for her new book, Beautiful World, Where Are You, to Modan Publishing House, an Israeli press that published her first two novels in Hebrew.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and others this week characterized Rooneys decision not to work with Modan as a decision not to allow her critically acclaimed book to be translated into Hebrew at all. Rooney said that is not true.

It would be an honour for me to have my latest novel translated into Hebrew and available to Hebrew-language readers, the statement said. But for the moment, I have chosen not to sell these translation rights to an Israeli-based publishing house.

Whether thats possible is unclear: The Hebrew-language publishing industry is centered in Israel, the only country where Hebrew is an official language.

Rooney, 30, the Irish author of the acclaimed 2018 novel Normal People, has been called one of the worlds premier millennial authors. Her books have topped bestseller charts, gotten television deals and been praised for their depiction of urbane millennial life and romance.

She had expressed her support for the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel, known as BDS, in July, when she was one of thousands of artists to sign a letter urging an end to international aid to Israel as well as trade, economic and cultural relations. That came shortly after Israels May conflict with Hamas in Gaza prompted renewed international criticism of Israel, including a wave of boycott calls.

Citing recent reports by Human Rights Watch and the Israeli human rights group Btselem, Rooney said in her statement that Israels system of racial domination and segregation against Palestinians meets the definition of apartheid under international law. (Human Rights Watch said that Israeli authorities systematically discriminate against Palestinians in a way that amounts to the systematic oppression required for apartheid. Btselem said that Israel maintains an apartheid regime that uses laws, practices and organized violence to cement the supremacy of one group over another.)

Anticipating questions about whether she is permitting translations in China or other countries with records of human rights abuses, Rooney acknowledged that many countries are guilty of grievous human rights abuses, but compared Israel to Apartheid-era South Africa and said that shes chosen to boycott in response to a call from Palestinian civil society.

I understand that not everyone will agree with my decision, but I simply do not feel it would be right for me under the present circumstances to accept a new contract with an Israeli company that does not publicly distance itself from apartheid and support the UN-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people, she said.

Irish left-wing activists have long connected their historical struggle against the British to support for Palestinian independence. Both of Rooneys first two books contained references to Israel: In Normal People, the main characters attend a protest of Israels actions in the 2014 Gaza War, and her first book, Conversations with Friends, contains a sardonic reference to Israel being seen as nicer than Palestine.

Israeli officials and advocates for Israel have decried the boycott movement as unjust, with some going so far as accusing boycott supporters of antisemitism. Israels Diaspora affairs minister, Nachman Shai, made that connection around Rooneys decision.

Why read her at all? Shai tweeted Tuesday, shortly before Rooney released her statement. The cultural boycott of Israel is antisemitism in new wrapping, [and] its a badge of shame for her and others who act like her.

Rooney is the latest in a string of prominent artists to support a boycott of Israel, and her decision not to publish with an Israeli press is the most significant of its kind since the author Alice Walker announced in 2012 that she would not publish The Color Purple with an Israeli house. (Several years later, Walker drew fierce criticism after she endorsed a book that placed Jews at the center of a global conspiracy to control the world.)

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency has asked Rooneys agent if she has made any inquiries into publishing the novel in Hebrew outside of Israel. In her statement, she suggested that she would be open to doing so.

The Hebrew-language translation rights to my new novel are still available, and if I can find a way to sell these rights that is compliant with the BDS movements institutional boycott guidelines, I will be very pleased and proud to do so, Rooney said.
How thrilled I am ...

Sure, sure, at my age anything would thrill me, right? WRONG! It has to be something very special ... and it was!

The other evening on the KELLY CLARKSON television show, her first guest was BARRY ALAN PINCUS! WHAT? You don't know who that is? How about if I say BARRY MANILOW? AHA! Now you know.

Is there any better entertainer? Not if you ask me. "Mandy," "I write the songs," "Can't smile without you," "Copacabana," to name but a few of his fabulous hits. What a thrill to see him!

Also born in Brooklyn like me, Barry was brought up Jewish like his mom. His maternal grandparents were Russian Jews. He also attended Julliard School of Music.

This was truly a surprise ...

I never knew that GOLDIE HAWN was Jewish, born and raised. Her mom was Jewish, the daughter of emigrants from Hungary.

(Wow! We're not only a talented people, but a beautiful people too!)

Poland unfair to Jewish property owners ...

I read this in the World Jewish Congress and pass it along to you:

"Jewish property owners and their descendants have been fighting unsuccessfully for restitution or compensation from Poland since the fall of Communism in 1989.

Reacting to this latest development, WJC President Ambassador RONALD S. LAUDER declared: "This law is a slap in the face to what remains of Polish Jewry and survivors of Nazi brutality everywhere. It also sets a terrible precedent throughout Europe as survivors and descendants continue to seek justice. I have been an unwavering advocate of Poland in Washington and elsewhere ever since the country rejected the Communist system in favor of Democracy. I was inspired by Poland's fight for freedom and its national rebirth even when I disagreed with some of Warsaw's policies. But this flagrant and entirely gratuitous act by the Polish Parliament leaves me questioning my own commitment and the future of U.S. Polish relations. It pains me to say this, but I think that the time has come for the international Jewish community to reevaluate our relationship with a government that is behaving with unimaginable callousness and is emulating the worst traditions in Polish history rather than the best and most uplifting ones.

"Since moral persuasion clearly has not been effective, perhaps the time has come to treat Poland with the same consideration it accords to Polish Jews and their descendants seeking justice."

Prior to 1939, Poland was home to more than 3 million Jews, one of the largest Jewish communities in the world, most of them murdered in the ghettos, death camps, and concentration camps of German-occupied Poland.

Jewish property owners and their descendants have been fighting unsuccessfully for restitution or compensation from Poland since the fall of Communism in 1989.

Ambassador Lauder has a long history of constructive engagement in Poland and has done much to ensure the rehabilitation of the Jewish community, including building schools, synagogues, and community centers and restoring the memorial museum at the German death and concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

A note from AIPAC ...

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee just a few years ago, targeted Palestinian payments to terrorists.

AIPAC worked with Congress to pass the Taylor Force Act, bipartisan legislation that targets the abhorrent Palestinian practice of paying terrorists and their families, which incentivizes terrorism and sets back the pursuit of peace. (I didn't know that.)

The Jewish Pavilion ...
(Cleveland Jewish News via JTA) - Jim Fleischer, a Canton, Ohio native who served as CEO of the historic Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi since June 2018, died from cancer on Saturday. He was 52.

In a statement posted on its website, AEPi said, "Jim fought a courageous battle against cancer for the last three years, but the fight was too much and he passed away yesterday evening surrounded by his family and fraternity brothers."

Fleischer graduated from Kent State University in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in sociology, and worked as an AEPi chapter consultant upon graduation before working as a fundraiser for UJA Federation of New York. He owned his own printing business on Long Island for nearly 18 years, during which time he was a volunteer chapter adviser and regional governor for AEPi. He was elected to the fraternity's supreme board of governors in 2006.

In 2013, Fleischer rejoined the fraternity's executive staff as its assistant executive director and COO. In 2019, AEPi's supreme council awarded him the Order of the Lion, the fraternity's highest honor, for exemplary dedication and service to the fraternity.

"Until he took his last breath yesterday, Jim demonstrated his love for two things above all else: his family and AEPi," the fraternity said in the statement.

"Jim's love for AEPi was unmatched. Those of us who knew him well, knew that there was nothing that energized him more than having the opportunity to meet with undergraduate AEPi brothers, to help them better themselves and their chapters. His commitment to AEPi's mission, our Jewish communities and Israel are why he devoted his life to our fraternity. We hope that we all use Jim's life as further inspiration to better our fraternity and our communities."

Founded in 1913, AEPi is active at around 180 campuses internationally, including in Israel, according to its website. Somewhere between 9,000 to 10,000 undergraduates are active in the fraternity every year, most but not all of them Jewish. The fraternity has more than 100,000 alumni.

Fleischer was described by colleagues as a successful leader who had a passion for Jewish causes and the state of Israel.

He was "very infectious with enthusiasm and energy, and Jewish community in his gut  that kind of person," Ronald Klein, an AEPi foundation board of directors member, told the Cleveland Jewish News. "You could see even by the pictures, a very warm person, and I think that led to his being a successful leader, whether it was in different roles he took at AEPi or in other things he did in his life."

"I just felt he knew the Jewish community and the value of AEPi in his gut," Klein said. "AEPi has been sort of a predominant Jewish fraternity for a number of years now... There was a lot of responsibility that went with the fraternity moving toward that direction, as opposed to some of these other fraternities that became more assimilated, and he was one of the people along with others who felt the Jewish nature of AEPi was so important from developing the next level of community leaders from our Jewish community  young men who at a younger age felt the passion of Israel, felt the passion of Jewish values, and he just obviously took it upon himself to lead in that direction."

Fleischer is survived by his wife of 26 years, Alison Braun Fleischer; his sons, Ethan and Spencer, his daughter, Madison "Madi"; his father, Frank Fleischer of Canton; his brother, Richard "Rick" of South Euclid; and his in-laws, nieces and nephews.

A service was held Tuesday at Congregation Beth El Zedeck in Indianapolis.

A version of this article was originally published in the Cleveland Jewish News and is reprinted with permission.
(Israel InSight via JNS) - The Northeast Alabama Cherokee held a ceremony on Sept. 25 in Guntersville, Ala., to establish a relationship with Israel. There, the tribe presented a resolution, unanimously passed by the Tribal Council, recognizing the "sovereign Jewish nation" of Israel, with Jerusalem as its "eternal undivided capital."

"We vow our full support in the pursuit of the peace of Jerusalem and the Nation of Israel by whichever means may be necessary," it said.

The event, centered around a potluck lunch, included expressions of solidarity with the Jewish community and comparisons to the experiences of native tribes in North America.

Chief Larry Smith began his remarks by noting that "if there is a people that can understand how the Jews feel, it's the Cherokee," which received an "Amen" from the audience.

"We have chosen to identify with a people as a people," he added.

Seth Penn, the deputy representative of the Red Wind Tribal District, said "the nation of Israel has a lot in common with the Cherokee people - they have been removed from their homeland, came back and have to fight for their homeland."

"Some historians even argue we can find our DNA roots in Israel," he said. "I'm not saying that's true."

Smith echoed that, saying "are we the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel? Debatable."

But "there are so many of our ceremonies, so many of our celebrations that coincide with Jewish traditions and the Jewish holidays," he added.

The first white settler in what is now Montgomery was Jewish, Abraham Mordecai. He traded with the local tribes and was so convinced of their Jewish origin that he kept addressing them in Hebrew, hoping to receive a similar response.

Smith said Penn brought the idea of the resolution to him about four months ago. While he was receptive to the idea, the fact that Penn "was getting a great response from the Israeli side" made him more determined to do it.

'It has been a struggle; it is still a struggle'

Laura King, the co-founder of the Alabama-Israel Task Force and former national chair of the Jewish Federations of North America's Network of small Jewish communities, made a presentation on behalf of the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.

King expressed "deep apologies" from Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon for not being able to attend. "She really wanted to be here today, it was really important to her," but the event being on Shabbat in the middle of Sukkot made it impossible.

In a letter to the tribe, Sultan-Dadon wrote: "Your friendship and support, beautifully expressed through this proclamation from the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama, are invaluable and greatly appreciated."

She added that "like the Cherokee Tribe, the Jewish people have an undeniable and unbreakable bond to our native land. During centuries of dispersion, the Jewish people never severed nor forgot its bond with our historic homeland."

Smith said it is a tremendous honor to have recognition from Israel, "when we can't even get other Cherokees to recognize us." He added that only the State of Alabama, which declared nine tribes in a 1984 legislative act, recognizes them.

He added that most people don't realize that the tribes benefited greatly from Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights battles, because the Civil Rights Act included provisions for native tribes.

Before then, "you weren't allowed to go further than eighth grade," and in Louisiana, for example, the first Native American to graduate high school did so in 1967. "It has been a struggle, and it is still a struggle."

In comments that the Jewish community can identify with, Smith said he often gets requests from people who want to be identified as Cherokee and asks them, "Do you really know what you are asking?" One may have an identity card in their pocket, but "your name is on a roll ... it hasn't always been popular to identify with a certain people, with your name on their roll."

He noted that at one point, the United States didn't want the Cherokee to be around, and "the ones they couldn't kill, they were going to assimilate."

But "we're still here. We're growing and we're stronger."

Smith said while the Jews had Hitler, "we had Andrew Jackson. Hitler admitted he read Andrew Jackson's book on how to get rid" of the native tribes. He added, "I firmly believe [Jackson] planned to kill them all, and the political atmosphere didn't let him."

Penn said the message of "declaring our sovereignty as a tribal nation in support of another sovereign nation" is "very significant, even more so than we may realize."

'A God-given responsibility to steward sacred lands'

John Buhler, AITF co-founder, called it "a deeply meaningful gesture ... we live in a time when so many voices remain silent, but the Cherokee tribe has risen to acknowledge the truth" about Jerusalem and Israel.

He said Israel and the Cherokee are both "indigenous people who have a very deep sense of a God-given responsibility to steward sacred lands."

Two years ago, Buhler was part of a 50-person trip to Israel from Alabama; the group visited the Jordan River at the spot where Joshua brought the nation into the land. He presented Smith with a small jar of dirt from that site.

As "honored guests" representing the Jewish community, King and this reporter were presented with native blankets and necklaces.

Citing Genesis 12:3, which was quoted on the inside of the resolution's presentation folder, Smith said the Jews "are still God's people. If you are an evangelical Christian or a Chassidic Jew, you have to understand God entered a covenant with Abraham, and when God enters a covenant, it can't be broken."

There's no denying that God "has his hand on the country of Israel," as "any other country that size would have ceased to exist 60 years ago."

Pastor Patrick Penn of the Dwelling Place in Huntsville and the father of Seth Penn, noted that as a Zoom call was taking place among tribal leaders to discuss the resolution, Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker was in Oxford at a gathering of First Nations. As chief justice, the pastor said Parker "stood up and repented to the First Nation people for the decisions that were made" in the past.

He said, "I don't believe there are such things as coincidences; I think things are guided by Providence." Parker's declaration, he added, was related to the discussion of support for Israel the Cherokee was having at the exact same time.

Adding to the web of ties with Israel, Parker's wedding was held in Israel, and his wife, Dottie, sang "Hatikvah" at the inauguration of Alabama Gov. Fob James in 1995.

Seth Penn said he hopes this type of recognition spreads to other tribes, as he found almost nothing to compare with when researching online. Some Palestinian activist groups have tried to target native tribes for support with a narrative about being displaced from their lands.

In 2008, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana signed a friendship agreement with Israel. They participated in a trade mission to Israel in 2011, signing an agreement to become the exclusive U.S. distributor for Israeli startup Aya Natural's products. Recently, they have become a sponsor of Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans events.

The Coushatta, who were forced out of what became Georgia and Alabama, operate a casino resort in Kinder, La.

Smith said the resolution is not the end of a process, but the beginning, and he hopes to deepen the relationship. "We are going to keep this going," he said. "We laid the groundwork to a great friendship between these two countries."

He added, "I hope this will grow into something where we can work with members of the Jewish community who would like to be with us, celebrate with us and have a good time."
(JTA)  After months of controversy and tens of thousands of public comments, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed off on legislation that eventually will require students to pass at least one course in ethnic studies in order to graduate from California high schools.

Under the law, schools will have to offer at least one class in ethnic studies by 2025, and the graduation requirement will go into effect in 2029.

Newsoms signature on Friday caps an extended debate over the legislation, which was accompanied by a recommended curriculum that faced criticism in its earlier drafts and which Newsom vetoed in an earlier form last year.

After the first draft of the curriculum, meant to teach students about the historic and current challenges faced by minority groups in the United States, was released in 2019, several Jewish groups suggested changes to the draft, as did representatives of other minority groups that believed they were unfairly excluded from the curriculum. The draft did not include a section dedicated to American Jews but did include material that some deemed antisemitic, particularly in the way it discussed Israel.

Citing the controversy surrounding the first draft, Newsom vetoed a bill in 2020 that was much like the one he signed into law Friday. Some 57,000 comments were submitted to the states department of education between the release of the first draft and the third draft, which was released last December.

By the time the third draft was published, including two lessons focused on American Jews and without the sections deemed antisemitic, several of the groups that had campaigned for changes to the first draft celebrated the curriculum. Several Jewish groups from the Bay Area issued a joint statement Friday praising the ethnic studies requirement.

Today Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 101 into law, which makes ethnic studies a graduation requirement in California, ensuring that historically marginalized communities will see their own stories reflected in California high school education. We thank Governor Newsom for caring about the Jewish communitys concerns, the groups, led by the Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, said.

Others continued to oppose the law, arguing that the fight against the inclusion of antisemitic material in the ethnic studies classes would now move to the district level. Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, director of AMCHA Initiative, a group focused on antisemitism on college campuses, claimed that most school districts would use the first draft, rather than the updated third draft, in their classes. This bill could and should have been stopped at the legislative level and must not be forced on the Jewish community to fight in each of Californias 1300 school districts, she said.
In Mel Pearlmans Everywhere column titled Live streaming during the holidays in the Oct. 8 issue of Heritage, the word pragmatic in the last paragraph should have been problematic. The correct paragraph is:

Although, I understand and respect that live-stream religious services may be problematic from a Halacha law perspective for the Orthodox community, its benefits to connect with unaffiliated Jews potentially make it an effective tool to discourage assimilation and increase support for Israel.

Heritage received an email from Joseph Paul who informed us that a quote attributed to Dennis Miller (Scene Around column, Nov. 8, 2019) was actually by a Zionist Jew named David Miller. Gloria Yousha apologizes for the error.
(JNS)  Hundreds of Google and Amazon employees have signed a public letter demanding that the tech giants cancel Project Nimbus, a billion-dollar contract to provide public cloud computing services to Israel.

In the letter, published by The Guardian on Tuesday, the authors state that they were morally obliged to speak out against the project, calling on Amazon and Google to cancel the contract and sever all ties with the Israeli military.

We cannot look the other way, as the products we build are used to deny Palestinians their basic rights, force Palestinians out of their homes and attack Palestinians in the Gaza Strip  actions that have prompted war crime investigations by the international criminal court, the letter states.

According to the letter, 90 employees at Google and 300 at Amazon had signed the missive, but wished to remain anonymous because we fear retaliation.

The letter goes on to state that the tech giants aggressive pursuit of military and law-enforcement contracts, including Nimbus, was part of a disturbing pattern of militarization, lack of transparency and avoidance of oversight.

Moreover, the letter states, Nimbus involved the sale of dangerous technology to the Israeli military and government, and had been signed the same week that the Israeli military attacked Palestinians in the Gaza Strip  killing nearly 250 people, including more than 60 children.

The letter was referring to the 11-day conflict in May between Israel and terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip, which was sparked by the launch of a rocket barrage at Jerusalem on May 10. For more than the following week and a half, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched nearly 4,400 rockets at Israel (some 700 of which came down inside Gaza), according to the Israeli military. In response to the indiscriminate rocket fire, Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls, striking more than 1,500 terror targets in the Strip.

The technology our companies have contracted to build will make the systematic discrimination and displacement carried out by the Israeli military and government even crueler and deadlier for Palestinians, the letter states.

This technology allows for further surveillance of and unlawful data collection on Palestinians, and facilitates the expansion of Israels illegal settlements on Palestinian land, it continues.

The authors conclude by stating, We condemn Amazon and Googles decision to sign the Project Nimbus contract with the Israeli military and government, and ask them to reject this contract and future contracts that will harm our users. We call on global technology workers and the international community to join with us in building a world where technology promotes safety and dignity for all.

Google and Amazon won the $1.2 billion contract following a public tender process, beating out Microsoft, Oracle and IBM. According to Mike Daniels, vice president of Google Clouds Global Public Sector, the agreement will deliver cloud services to all Israeli government entities, from ministries to state-owned companies. The project will run for an initial period of seven years, with Israel having the option to extend it for up to 23 years in total, Daniels said in a statement in May.
(JNS) - On the first of a three-day visit to Washington, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid made his rounds in Congress on Tuesday, highlighting the Israeli government's push for bipartisan support for Israel in the United States.

Lapid met with a bipartisan group of U.S. House of Representative members in the early afternoon and held a brief press conference in a Capitol hallway with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Pelosi began by saying that the U.S.-Israeli relationship has always been and remains bipartisan, stemming from mutual values between the two nations and national interests.

She said she was looking forward to meeting Lapid again because her father, who also served in Congress, pushed for the establishment of the Jewish state.

Pelosi said she vividly recalled meeting Lapid two or three years ago when she served as House Minority Leader, and Lapid visited Congress as a member of the Knesset.

Lapid followed Pelosi's remarks, calling her a great friend of Israel. "... There is a special relationship between our countries, and you are one of the biggest supporters of the concept that says being pro-Israel is being bipartisan," he said.

He also expressed appreciation to Pelosi for shepherding additional funds for the Iron Dome air-defense system through the House.

"We all need to and can unite around the idea that we want to expand and deepen the circle of peace, and we all need and can unite around the basic principle that Israel has the right to defend itself and the Palestinians deserve a better life," said Lapid. "And we all can unite around the idea that we will never let Iran become a nuclear threshold country."

Earlier in the day, the foreign minister met with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan; according to Lapid's Twitter, much of the conversation focused on Iran.

"We discussed a number of security issues - namely, the Iranian threat," Lapid tweeted. "I shared with him Israel's concern about Iran's race towards nuclear capability, and that Iran is becoming a nuclear threshold state."

Lapid said he also discussed with Sullivan the need for an alternative to the plan by the United States to re-enter the 2015 nuclear deal and talked about plans for economic recovery in the Gaza Strip, which he called "Economy for Security," as well as strengthening the U.S.-Israeli relationship.

According to a readout from the White House, Sullivan also reaffirmed the Biden administration's commitment that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.

"The officials agreed that the United States and Israel will continue to consult closely on Iran and other critical matters impacting the security and stability of the region," it read.

The two also discussed "deepening Israel's relationships with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. They agreed that the United States and Israel would continue to work closely together to strengthen and expand peaceful relations between Israel and countries in the Arab and Muslim world."

Concluding his day, Lapid met with Vice President Kamala Harris, where he once again focused on Iran and strengthening bipartisan support for Israel.

"I'm happy to be here with one of the best friends Israel has in Washington - a leader that's been next to us in all the important struggles, and we can always count on - we could always count on you in the difficult moments," Lapid told the vice president.

"It's true that the center of my visit is the Iranian nuclear program, but it deals with one more thing, which is strengthening the bipartisan relation with the next generation of young Americans," he said, noting that the younger generation "is not only preoccupied with wars and conflict, but also with the climate crisis, the global immigration crisis, and questions of identity."

"And in order to build a strategy for the next hundred years, we need to explore together those issues and to shape together a new world, new global architecture."

Harris said that they would focus on "the issue of peace, security, and prosperity for Palestinians as well as Israelis, and, of course, the regional challenges that we face and our shared concern as it relates to Iran and as it relates to our support for the Abraham Accords."

On Wednesday, Lapid is expected to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken as well as United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. They are expected to hold bilateral and a trilateral meeting to discuss the Abraham Accords last year as well as regional security and stability, according to the State Department.
(JTA)  In an interview that aired on HBO, both of the founders of the Ben & Jerrys ice cream brand reiterated that they stand behind the companys decision to stop selling their products in Judea and Samaria.

But for Jerry Greenfield, being accused of antisemitism is painful. For Ben Cohen, its absurd.

I think Ben & Jerrys and Unilever are being characterized as boycotting Israel, which is not the case at all. Its not boycotting Israel in any way, Greenfield said in an interview with Axios that aired on its HBO show Sunday night.

The Jewish duo, who founded the company in 1978, are no longer its owners, but they remain the most recognizable public faces of the company. They had previously defended the West Bank decision in a New York Times op-ed shortly after the move took place in July, but the Axios interview gave them a chance to expound on the human side of the aftermath.

I understand people being upset, its a very emotional issue for a lot of people and I totally understand it and its a very painful issue for a lot of people, Greenfield said.

They were also asked how it felt to be wrapped up in accusations of antisemitism.

Totally fine, Cohen said, laughing. Its absurd. What, Im anti-Jewish? Im a Jew! All my family is Jewish, my friends are Jewish.

Ben & Jerrys had long been engaged in social issues when it decided to pull its product from the West Bank, after months of pressure from pro-Palestinian activists in the wake of Israels latest armed conflict with Gaza. The decision prompted calls to boycott Ben & Jerrys and its parent company Unilever, along with accusations of antisemitism from some pro-Israel activists. The state of Arizona divested nearly $200 million from Unilever in September, and several other states have since reviewed their investments in the conglomerate.

Unilever has also said in public statements that it does not believe Ben & Jerrys is boycotting the state of Israel, and that it plans to keep selling within the borders Israel established after the Six-Day War in 1967. However, Israeli law outlaws business that boycotts the West Bank, so it remains to be seen whether the company will be allowed to follow through with its plan.

When asked why Ben & Jerrys continues to sell its ice cream in states with policies that are not in line with Cohen and Greenfields values  such as Texas, where access to abortion is now limited, and Georgia, where voting rights have been curtailed  Cohen did not have an answer.

I dont know. I mean its an interesting question, I dont know what that would accomplish, were working on those issues of voting rights andI dont know. I think you ask a really good question, and I think Id have to sit down and think about it for a bit, Cohen said.

Greenfield suggested that the answer had to do with international law.

One thing thats different is that what Israel is doing is considered illegal by international law, so I think thats a consideration, Greenfield said.
Israeli activists, philanthropists and aid workers have helped rescued 125 Afghans at risk from Taliban retribution in a complex and hush hush operation that happened earlier this month.

The Afghans, which include judges, human rights activities, journalists, TV presenters, scientist, artists, diplomats, artists and even cyclists, arrived in Albania on October 2nd, after being evacuated from Afghanistan to a neighboring country.

The operation took weeks to arrange and was a collaborative effort by the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Albania, activists and donors including businessman and philanthropist Sylvan Adams.

The effort was facilitated by non-profit Israeli humanitarian aid organization IsraAID, which offers disaster response in the wake of natural and man-made crises all over the world, and which has been helping refugees from all over the world for many years.

This was the second evacuation of vulnerable people from Afghanistan that the group has coordinated since the Taliban overran Kabul on August 15 and seized control of the troubled country.

On September 6, 42 women, girls and family members were spirited out of the country to the United Arab Emirates.

IsraAID's CEO, Yotam Polizer, who took part in the mission said the last few weeks of negotiations were intense and difficult, and the situation was constantly changing, with new plans being made on an almost daily basis.

"We are delighted to be able to say that our main focus now is on ensuring the evacuees have everything they need while they begin the process of building new lives for themselves," he said. "We are committed to supporting both of these groups for the long-term."

"What we did in this operation to extract and resettle these Afghan women was simply practicing the ancient Jewish cultural imperative of 'Tikkun Olam', which means improving our world," said Israeli-Canadian Adams.

The people evacuated are considered particularly vulnerable under Taliban's harsh and violent rule, and many of the women and girls were symbols of female empowerment and leadership in Afghanistan in the pre-Taliban days.

After escaping the country, they were granted safe passage through a neighboring country to the UAE and Albania, before long-term resettlement in countries including Canada, France, and Switzerland.

IsraAID has also launched an initial needs assessment mission to Albania, where the group of 125 evacuees join more than 1,000 Afghan refugees currently in the country. IsraAID's team will assess access to crucial services and plan to provide ongoing assistance to Afghan refugees while they stay in Albania.

The mission to save Afghan nationals was the initiative of Israeli journalist Danna Harman, who gathered a group of friends to try to rescue the Afghans.

"If there is a bright spot in the story of Afghanistan's latest crisis, it would be how many regular people, Afghans and those who care about Afghanistan alike, came together to respond to calls for help," said Harman.

"None of us know what life in Afghanistan will look like now, and it is not for us to judge who is in graver or lesser danger. But, I believe, it behooves us all to listen to and respect anyone's cry for help, and, moreover, if we can, reach out our hands to assist."

Others involved in the rescue mission included international NGO Team Humanity, an anonymous family foundation, Chairman of the Euro Asian Jewish Congress Aaron G. Frenkel, Honorary President of the Euro Asian Jewish Congress Alexander Mashkevich, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Union Cycliste Internationale President David Lappartient, and Len Blavatnik.

"We would like to thank the governments of Albania and UAE for their hospitality and willingness to provide safe passage to these vulnerable people out of Afghanistan, and to the governments worldwide who have prioritized them for resettlement," said Polizer.

This article first appeared in United with Israel.
WASHINGTON (JTA)  Yair Lapid got what he wanted out of his Washington visit: the word every, instead of other.

During Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts first meeting with President Biden in August, the American president, despite his desire to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, said that if Iran does not engage in good faith diplomacy with the nations involved in the deal, the U.S. would consider other options in getting Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions.

It was a sign that Israel and U.S. Democrats, long far apart in their opinions on how to best contain Iran, were coming closer together.

Lapid, on his official trip as foreign minister in Washington, pushed things along even further.

He looked on Wednesday as Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, said every option was on the table if Iran does not engage in a good faith effort to negotiate the U.S. reentry into the nuclear deal.

It was one of those blink-and-you-miss-it moments in diplomacy, but it had significant weight. According to insiders involved in the issue, other options can be seen as referring to enhanced sanctions, or other non-military forms of pressure. Every option means military action may be on the table as well.

We will look at every option to deal with the challenge posed by Iran, Blinken said at a press conference called to announce initiatives that would advance the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and four Arab nations. We continue to believe that diplomacy is the most effective way to do that, but it takes two to engage in diplomacy, and we have not  we have not seen from Iran a willingness to do that at this point.

Blinken made the statement on the State Departments eighth floor, flanked by Lapid and the United Arab Emirates foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The foreign ministers were together to announce new Abraham Accords initiatives, but the symbolism of Blinkens stronger language in the company of two of the Middle East nations who feel Irans threat most sharply was unmistakable.

A senior Israeli official told reporters after the meetings that the Israeli and U.S. delegations discussed Iran extensively behind closed doors. While there may not have been agreement, there was the discussion of options that have not been on the table previously, said the official, who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the information.

Along with Bennett, Lapid has spearheaded the effort to repair Israels ties with the Democratic Party, which were corroded during the 12 years Benjamin Netanyahu was prime minister. Netanyahu was antagonistic toward that half of the American polity, toward which the clear majority of American Jews are oriented.

Netanyahu has accused Bennett and Lapid of showing weakness by not more robustly opposing the Biden administrations efforts to reenter the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump left in 2018 at Netanyahus behest.

Bennett and Lapids strategy appeared to pay dividends during Lapids 48 hours in the U.S. capital this week. The Biden administration, frustrated with the new hard-line Iranian government elected this summer, is edging closer to Israels posture, a development that came about without tensions.

Blinkens language on Iran was tougher than it has been since President Joe Biden made good on his pledge to seek to reenter the 2015 sanctions relief for nuclear rollback deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Biden sees it as the best option to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Despite the fact that weve made abundantly clear over the last nine months that we are prepared to return to full compliance with the JCPOA if Iran does the same, what we are seeing  or maybe more accurately not seeing from Tehran now  suggests that theyre not, Blinken said. Im not going to put a specific date on it, but with every passing day and Irans refusal to engage in good faith, the runway gets short.

Lapid culled other dividends from his visit. The Biden administration showed itself fully committed to cultivating the Abraham Accords, one of the few areas of agreement it has with the Trump administration, which brokered the accords. Blinken at the press conference announced the launch of two working groups comprising Israeli, U.S. and Emirati officials, one tackling religious intolerance and the other fostering cooperation on water and energy.

Lapid also met with World Bank officials to discuss plans to seek investors for infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip as a means of lifting the standard of living in the poverty-stricken enclave, while limiting the influence of Hamas, the terrorist group controlling the strip with which Israel periodically wars. The United Arab Emirates would likely also play a role in the investments.

Lapid, who is set to take over as Israels prime minister in 2023, met Tuesday with Vice President Kamala Harris, and with Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. In a brief appearance for reporters, Pelosi emphasized bipartisan support for Israel, a pointed rejection of the calls by progressives within her party to cut funding to the country.

On the U.S. side, Blinken said the Biden administration remains dedicated to reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Biden, he said at the press conference, has been clear that a two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israels future as a Jewish and democratic state, living in peace alongside a viable, sovereign, and democratic Palestinian state. Bennett has said that a Palestinian state will not arise on his watch, while Lapid has been less clear on the issue.

Blinken did not refrain from mentioning points of contention, including American plans to reopen a dedicated consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem, replacing the one shuttered by the Trump administration.

Well be moving forward with the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening those ties with the Palestinians, Blinken said, although the Israeli government is on the record as opposing it.

State Department statements on the meetings also pointedly said that China was a topic of discussion with Lapid. The Biden administration, like the Trump administration before it, objects to the extent of Israels commercial ties with the most formidable rival to the United States in the international arena.

Lapid is set to meet with Jewish organizational leaders in Washington on Thursday before he returns to Israel. He is expected to make the case to them that he wants to repair relations neglected by Netanyahu, who gravitated toward evangelical Christians as a more natural pro-Israel base.
(JNS)  Michael Oren says he has been integrally linked to the Jewish Agency for years. The former Israeli ambassador to the United States and former Knesset member is one of eight candidates to head the organization. He has a long history with the Jewish Agency for Israel, which he hopes will continue with him at its helm.

According to Oren, 66, the Jewish Agency used to be viewed as a sinecure for politicians.

That practice seriously impaired [its] image and effectiveness, he said. It would be tragic if now, at this most critical time for the Jewish people, the position were again to be given to politicians who have limited familiarity with the Jewish world.

He acknowledged that former Jewish Agency heads Natan Sharansky and Isaac Herzog did manage to elevate the organization.

Oren had kind words for his competition, telling JNS that he has high regard for the people running against him and that this is a race between very qualified people, which says a lot about what happened to the agency over the last decade.

On Tuesday, Intelligence Minister Elazar Stern withdrew his candidacy for the chairmanship of the Jewish Agency. This now leaves a smaller field of just eight candidates and raises the chances of those who might have lost to Stern.

Aside from Oren, other candidates include former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations and World Likud head Danny Danon, former member of Knesset Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Diaspora Affairs Minister Omer Yankelevich, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahum, Bar-Ilan University law professor Yaffa Zilbershats, former head of IDF Central Command Uzi Dayan and Irina Nevzlin, the wife of former Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein.

Oren made aliyah through the Jewish Agency, resided in an absorption center and served as a lone soldier. He also went to the Soviet Union with the Jewish Agency, and years later, he worked with the agency as an ambassador and then a member of Knesset.

He is a well-known figure in the Jewish world, a self-described political centrist and a traditional Jew with strong ties to both liberal and Orthodox Judaism, who views himself as uniquely acceptable to all streams.

Oren addressed the growing chasm between American and Israeli Jews, saying we are at a crisis point. There is no other organization or institution that brings us back from that brink other than the Jewish Agency. The question is how.

Young Israelis meeting young American Jews

Oren went on to list a number of ways the Jewish Agency could lead the next generation of Jews. The first thing we need to do is to recalibrate the way we reach out to young American Jews, he said. They arent in the synagogues or in Jewish organizations. We need to reach them where they are on social media with a Zionist message that they can understand because they are being bombarded by messages that say Israel is an apartheid state, that it is committing genocide. We need to address that.

The chairman must lead the agency in reaching out to young Jews online with a message of inclusiveness, of both unity and respect for diversity, and a re-energized Israel education designed to preserve and strengthen Jewish identity, and Israel-Diaspora relations, he added.

Another avenue to reach young Jews, according to Oren, is to increase the number of shlichimthe number of young Israelis who are meeting young American Jews.

Oren believes that the impact of Birthright is as great if not greater on the Israelis who accompany the tourists as it is on the Americans who go on the tour.

For many Israelis, he said, this is the first encounter with Jewish peoplehood. They know Israeli national identity, but they dont know what they have in common with their cousin Josh in Long Island. Its transformative. We need to increase that number.

Oren said he was the first Israeli ambassador to meet quietly with the haredi leadership of North America and noted that some want to be closer to Israel. We have to reach out to them as well, he said.

Oren said his dream is to inaugurate a Haredi Birthright.

They have a growing population, and a large part of it seeks a different relationship with Israel, he said, emphasizing, of course, that it will be different than the current Birthright. Were not going to take them to nightclubs in Tel Aviv. But we can show them Israel in a different way. Think about the music scene and how many great haredi musicians there are in this country.

We are not going to change their way of life in any way, he said. It would be geared specifically towards them. It is not just an opportunity; it is an obligation.

While the idea of a haredi birthright or even Zionism wont resonate with a significant portion of haredim, there are also non-haredi American Jews who are close to, if not already, beyond the pale.

The Jewish world is in crisis, said Oren. At a time of swiftly rising anti-Semitism, vast numbers of Jews, especially young people in the United States, have become alienated from Jewish identity, Jewish peoplehood and the Jewish state. The Jewish Agency has the unique ability and historic responsibility to defend the Jewish people and bring us back from the brink.

There are processes underway in the United States that have nothing to do with us, said Oren. We didnt invent critical race theory or woke-ism and yet Israel is on the receiving end. Its been shocking to me.

He said he tried as much as possible to meet with 16- and 17-year-olds, graduates of Jewish schools during his time in the United States. They are steeped in this, on the apartheid state. It is shocking. They are surrounded by it, marinating in it.

Oren emphasized it is not too late for the agency to reach these youth and show them the true face of Israel.

That is the goal of the Jewish Agency, he said. The government cannot do it. The Jewish Agency needs to be as inclusive as possible; not divisive. That is not easy to do today with so much polarization.

With regard to the BDS movement on American campuses, Oren said he does not believe it is a lost cause, but we are losing it.

He called on Israeland the Jewish Agency, in particularto reach out to Jews and pro-Israel activists on campuses.

We have a responsibility to the pro-Israel activists on these campuses, he said. We cant abandon them. We have to be there for them. It is a monumentally challenging period and will be for a long time to come. I dont see any change on the horizon.

Sit around and talk

Asked about the divide between the Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and Chassidic communities in America, Oren said he wants to expand the dialogue between these groups through a program he used to run as ambassador called The Tishes. (A tish is a gathering, usually of Chassidic Jews, around the leading rabbi during which they engage in spiritual discourse).

As ambassador, Oren said he had instructed all nine consulates across North America to set up tishes around which would sit representative leaders of all the different streams of Judaism.

The idea was to sit around and talk, he said. By and large, they were overwhelmingly successful. Many of these rabbis had never met one another.

Now, said Oren, he wants to expand this project manifold.

It was only under the auspices of Israel that they would come around the table because Israel was neutral, he said. I want to do it all over the world.

Oren said he is interested in expanding his tish idea and is particularly committed to his idea of a haredi birthright.

He said the Jewish Agency has played a significant role in a great part of his life. I know the Jewish Agency very well, he said. Frankly, I am indebted to it.
By

(JTA)  Teachers in a Texas school district were told last week that a new state law requiring them to present multiple perspectives about widely debated and currently controversial issues meant they needed to make opposing views on the Holocaust available to students.

NBC News obtained an audio recording of the official, the Carroll Independent School Districts executive director of curriculum and instruction, speaking to the teachers about how to work under the constraints of the new law, known as House Bill 3979. The law was passed amid a wave of efforts in Republican-led statehouses to prevent critical race theory, divisive topics and concepts related to race and bias from being taught to children.

Just try to remember the concepts of 3979, Peddy said in the recording. Make sure that if, if you have a book on the Holocaust that you have one that has an opposing  that has other perspectives.

Gasps and sounds of nervous laughter can be heard on the recording, as one teacher asks aloud, How do you oppose the Holocaust?

Peddy responds: Believe me. Thats come up.

A Texas lawmaker who drafted a new version of the bill told NBC News that matters of good and evil are not subject to the education legislation.

But the possibility that the wave of conservative education legislation could get in the way of Holocaust education crossed the minds of education observers in at least some places over the last year.

Under this law, it would be impossible to teach that Nazi Germany was inherently anti-Semitic, or that the Third Reich oppressed Jews simply because they were Jews, because that would identify Nazis as inherently biased and Jews as inherently and systemically oppressed, Russel Neiss, a Jewish educator in St Louis, wrote in the St. Louis Jewish Light in May about legislation that had been proposed in Missouri. Lawmakers there are continuing to push for anti-critical race theory rules for schools.

The episode comes a year after a Florida school district fired a principal  twice  who told a parent that he could not say the Holocaust was an actual, factual event because not all parents shared the same belief. Floridas school board has since enacted a ban on Holocaust denial in schools  as part of a ban on teaching critical race theory.

In Texas, the recording suggests that Peddy does not necessarily support the new law but does anticipate conflicts over its enforcement. Four days before the training, the Carroll school board had overturned a district ruling and formally reprimanded a teacher who drew a parent complaint for keeping an anti-racism book in her classroom.

At one point in the recording, a teacher says she is terrified. At another point, an educator asks whether Number the Stars, the classic Holocaust novel, would require another book to balance out. Peddy does not address that question on the recording.

You are professionals. We hired you as professionals. We trust you with our children, Peddy tells the teachers prior to offering the Holocaust book example. So if you think the book is OK, then lets go with it. And whatever happens, we will fight it together.
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando is hosting a Zoom meeting on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. about DNA and the surprises discovered through DNA testing.

Put DNA testing surprises into your search engine, and you get almost 7 million results. A Pew Research Center survey in 2019 found that about 15 percent of U.S. adults have used a mail-in DNA testing service. Of those, about a quarter said they learned about close relatives they didnt know they had  in other words, a DNA surprise.

This program is about one of those surprises when a donors family member sends in a DNA sample to a service to get a better understanding of their genealogy. Initially, the DNA test returned with no shocking results but with a deeper appreciation for their ancestry. Then, however, in the summer of 2021, a notification alert appeared with a message from a stranger. This message will be the spark that unites two families on an unexpected journey through their past and forms a new branch of their future.

Ted Chesner and Danielle Casamento will share their parallel stories, what it was like to meet for the first time, and the challenges posed within their respective families. Secrets will be revealed, hearts will be melt, and for Ted and Danielle, a DNA surprise that resulted in them both saying, Im glad I found you.

Registration is required for this meeting. Go to eventbrite.com to register.

A link to access the Zoom meeting will be sent a few days before the meeting.
The six finalists for the 2022 Genesis Prize have just been released. The Foundation is asking the global Jewish community to vote for their favorite. Last year, they engaged over 3 million people via social media and 200K from six continents voted. The Prize Committee then selected Steven Spielberg as our 2021 Laureate.

The finalists for the 2022 Genesis Prize are:

 Albert Bourla (Greece/US), Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, under whose leadership the company delivered a COVID vaccine in record time

 Sacha Baron Cohen (UK), Award-winning actor, producer, director, philanthropist and social activist

 Diane von Furstenberg (US), Iconic fashion designer and philanthropist

 Yuval Noah Harari (Israel), Best-selling author, philosopher

 Scarlett Johansson (US), Award-winning actress, social activist

 Serge Klarsfeld (France), Legendary Nazi hunter and human rights activist

Link to the voting page: https://bit.ly/GPVote21JewishRel

Link to brief videos on each candidate: https://bit.ly/GPVote21VideoAnchor
Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvanias Jewish AG, declares candidacy for governor

(JTA)  Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania attorney general who made national headlines last year pushing back against attempts to reverse Joe Bidens win in the state, is running for governor of the state.

Shapiro, a Democrat who has deep roots in the Jewish community, made the long-expected announcement on Monday, The Associated Press reported. The incumbent governor, Tom Wolf, who cannot run for a third term, said as long ago as 2019 that he favored Shapiro to succeed him.

Shapiro, 48, last year rose to prominence resisting efforts by former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in the state to stop the vote count or reverse it; Trump, who won Pennsylvania in 2016, lost it in 2020, but mounted a court battle over the vote count.

Shapiro also joined at least 40 lawsuits by Democratic attorneys general against Trump administration policy, more often than not winning. He led a 2018 investigation into child abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in his state that led to major reforms.

Shapiro is not likely to face any Democratic challengers, and no major Republicans have yet to settle on a front-runner for their ticket. The only Republican to announce their candidacy to date is retired heart surgeon Dr. Nche Zama.

Shapiro fought close races in 2016 and 2020 for attorney general, and will likely face a tough gubernatorial race. Republicans have said they will target him for rising crime rates in Philadelphia, among other issues.

Shapiro attended a Jewish day school. There, I was raised with the values of tikkun olam that continue into my career today, he told a reporter for Fresh Ink for Teens last year. He sends his children to a Jewish day school.

Jewish teacher accused of forcibly removing a students hijab at NJ school

By Shira Hanau

(JTA)  A Jewish teacher at a New Jersey public school was accused of pulling a hijab off of a 7-year-old girl.

The teacher, who was named in social media posts as Tamar Herman, allegedly told the girl, who is Muslim, to take off her hijab in front of her class at the Seth Boyden Elementary school in Maplewood. When the girl refused, the teacher allegedly removed the hijab herself, according to an account provided to local media by a lawyer for the girls family.

Herman has also taught at Congregation Oheb Shalom, a Conservative synagogue in South Orange, New Jersey.

A lawyer representing Herman disputed the account provided by the girls lawyer, saying Herman asked the student, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, to take off her hood because it was blocking her eyes. When Herman realized the student was wearing the hood as a hijab, the lawyer said, she told the student she did not need to remove it.

The South Orange-Maplewood school district said it is investigating the matter in a statement issued Thursday. The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the teachers actions and called for her removal.

Forcefully stripping off the religious headscarf of a Muslim girl is not only exceptionally disrespectful behavior, but also a humiliating and traumatic experience, they wrote in a series of tweets.

The South Orange-Maplewood school district has seen instances of antisemitism and racism in recent years, with racist graffiti found in bathrooms and reports of students chanting Hitlers name, all within a few weeks in 2017.

First Jewish wedding held in Bahrain in 52 years

By Shira Hanau

(JTA)  For the first time in more than half a century, a Jewish couple was married in Bahrain on Sunday.

The wedding, which was held at the Ritz Carlton in Manama and certified kosher with help from the Orthodox Union, was a milestone for the Jewish community in the Gulf nation, which opened diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 and has recently made an effort to build a relationship with the American Jewish community.

Houda Nonoo, Bahrains former ambassador to the United States and the first Jewish Bahraini to hold the position of ambassador, shared the news of her sons wedding on Twitter.

While I know that every mother thinks their childs wedding is monumental, this one truly was! she wrote in a tweet.

Bahrain has been home to a Jewish community for more than 140 years, but many of its younger members have chosen to leave the country to study, often remaining abroad permanently. Leaders of the community hailed the wedding as a sign of the communitys resurgence and expressed hope that more young people would raise families there.

This wedding was an important moment for our family, the community here in Bahrain, and more broadly, for the Jewish community in the region, Ebrahim Dawood Nonoo, a cousin of Nonoo and president of the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities, said in a statement. The atmosphere was euphoric as we sat around the Chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy) which symbolizes the new home being built by the couple, it was also symbolic of the opportunity to further grow Jewish life in the region.

Israeli-American Joshua Angrist shares Nobel Prize in economics

By Shira Hanau

(JTA)  Professor Joshua Angrist, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with dual Israeli-American citizenship, was named one of three winners of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on how public policy developments impact society.

Angrist and Stanford Universitys Guido W. Imbens shared half of the roughly $1 million in prize money for their joint work on these so-called natural experiments, and University of California, Berkeley professor David Card received the other half. Natural experiments, which track societal cause and effect, are far more difficult to conceptualize than scientific ones, which compare physical outcomes in highly controlled settings.

For example, Angrist and Imbens have recently studied the sociological effects of mask mandates and other COVID-19 public health measures, according to NPR.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Angrist earned his masters degree and doctorate from Princeton before living in Israel for a few years in the 1980s. Angrist then taught at Hebrew University from 1991 to 1996 before becoming a professor in the economics department at MIT.

He has written several papers about labor conditions in Gaza and the West Bank and served as a member of Israels Finance Ministry Working Group on Israeli-Palestinian Labor Market Relations in 1994.

Israeli AI chipmaker Hailo raises $136 million in funding

(JNS)  Israeli artificial-intelligence chipmaker Hailo announced on Tuesday that it raised $136 million in private funding led by Poalim Equity and Gil Agmon.

A source said the financing was done based on a valuation of $1 billion, reported Reuters.

The company said its investors already include Israeli businessman and Hailo chairman Zohar Zisapel, Swiss-based ABB Technology Ventures, Londons Latitude Ventures, Israels OurCrowd, in addition to others.

According to the report, former senior vice president at Intel Corp, Mooly Eden, will join its board of directors.

Hailo said the money would be used to develop new products and expand its markets.

Netflix defends Dave Chappelles comedy special featuring Space Jews joke

(JNS)  Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the streaming service will not remove Dave Chappelles new comedy special The Closer, which has faced a backlash for featuring controversial comments, including an anti-Semitic joke.

After The Closer premiered last week, Chappelle was criticized by the LGBTQ+ community for poking fun at trans people and gender identity. The comedian was also denounced for making an anti-Semitic joke about Space Jews seeking world domination, which plays into a common anti-Semitic trope.

In a memo sent on Friday, Sarandos told senior staff members that some talent may join third parties in asking us to remove the show in the coming days, which we are not going to do.

Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long-standing deal with him, he wrote. As with our other talent, we work hard to support their creative freedom, even though this means there will always be content on Netflix some people believe is harmful.

Sarandos noted as an example the reality series My Unorthodox Life, about a fashion executive who left the ultra-Orthodox Jewish faith. He then explained that the streaming giant does not allow titles designed to incite hate or violence, and we dont believe The Closer crosses that line.

He added, I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy, which exists to push boundaries. Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean-spirited but our members enjoy it, and its an important part of our content offering.

Former Mossad chief: Iran not even close to acquiring nuclear weapon

(JNS)  Former Mossad director Yossi Cohen said last Tuesday that Irans position is weaker than it has been in the past.

I think that Iran, to this day, is not even close to acquiring a nuclear weapon.  This is due to longstanding efforts by some forces in the world, he said at The Jerusalem Post Conference.

Speaking to the news publication, he noted that there is more opposition to Irans nuclear program now than in the past, as there is less foreign support for its activities.

If Iran were to develop nuclear weapons, Cohen asserted that Israel must stop it on its own.

They should not sleep quietly in Iran, he said, according to the report.

Regarding the 2015 nuclear deal  the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the United States left in May 2018 and which Biden administration have been involved in indirect talks to re-enter an agreementCohen said it is not comprehensive; it has to be comprehensive.

He added that the deal needs to be redone to be effective.

The former Mossad chief now serves as head of SoftBanks investment operations in Israel.

Poll: 86 percent of Likud voters support Netanyahu over Edelstein as party leader

(Israel Hayom and JNS staff via JNS)  Some 86 percent of Likud voters prefer to see former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the partys leader over former Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, who announced on Monday that he plans to challenge Netanyahu for the role, a Channel 12 news survey revealed on Tuesday.

Edelsteins bid for the Likud chairmanship is theoretical at this point, however, as MK Haim Katz, who  as head of the Likud Central Committee  has the power to call for primaries, said that he has no intention of doing so in the foreseeable future.

Theres no reason to hold primaries at this time. We had them before the [March] elections and people voted for Netanyahu, Katz told Army Radio.

He was referring to Netanyahus landslide victory over challenger Gidon Saar in the Likud primaries that were held in Dec. 2019. Saar eventually left to form his own party, New Hope, which is part of the current coalition. Saar now serves as justice minister.

According to the [Likud] bylaws, primaries will be called six months before the next Knesset elections, said Katz. We are a democratic movement; we have bylaws in place; so theres no point in wasting time on this. I dont understand what Edelstein is doing.

Prominent Italian politician calls for embassy move to Jerusalem

By Ariel Kahana

(Israel Hayom via JNS)  One of the most prominent politicians in Italy has called for the relocation of the Italian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Addressing a Breakfast for Jerusalem event on Wednesday at the Italian Senateattended by coalition and opposition leaders, senators and Israelis Ambassador to Italy Dror EydarSenator Matteo Salvini declared: The Jewish people and Jerusalem are one and the same, and therefore the relocation of the Italian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be the moral, cultural and politically obvious thing to do.

After eliciting loud applause and even the support of a few other senators for his remarks, Salvini, who formerly served as Italys deputy prime minister, said he was speaking from the heart, and added, The new, cowardly shape of anti-Semitism is no longer just the hatred of Jews, but towards Israel, and they are the same, as far as I am concerned.

Eydar said, Italys historic mission, which began at the San Remo conference, on the right of the Jewish people to their land, has not been completed. The Italian embassy in Israel is not located in its capital, in its natural place. I have a dream, and is it shared by many: to see the Italian flag waving in the eternal city.

The relocation of the Italian embassy to Jerusalem would be a closing of two circles, both in terms of modern Italy and in terms of this place, Rome, from which the Roman Empires troops set out to sack Jerusalem. After 1,900 years, recognition of Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel will come from here, added Eydar.

Syria reports one dead, three wounded in Israeli strike near Palmyra

(JNS)  A Syrian soldier was killed and three other people were wounded on Wednesday night in an Israeli airstrike in the area of Palmyra in Homs Governorate, according to official Syrian media.

A Syrian military source told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the strike had occurred just before midnight, and had been launched from the direction of Al-Tanf on the Syria-Iraq border.

The strike had targeted a communications tower and some adjacent positions, causing material damage in addition to the casualties, according to SANA.

According to the report, the strike was the second by Israel in as many weeks, following a missile aggression on Oct. 8 that targeted the Tiyas Military Airbase, also known as the T-4 Airbase. The T-4 base, the largest airbase in Syria, is also located in Homs Governorate, to the west of Palmyra.

U.K.-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has informants on the ground in Syria, reported on Thursday that four Syrian nationals were killed and seven wounded in the strike. The four who were killed had been working for Lebanons Hezbollah and Iran-affiliated militias, and the communications tower and other facilities targeted in the strike had belonged to the militias and were totally destroyed, according to the report.

The monitor group further reported that a member of the Syrian military had died of injuries sustained in the Oct. 8 strike, bringing the casualty figure for that incident to three, the other two having been militiamen. That strike, according to SOHR, had targeted a drone training facility.

Israeli Border Police officer wounded in suspected terror attack near Qalandiya

(JNS)  A Israeli Border Police officer was seriously wounded on Wednesday night in what police are calling a terrorist attack at the Qalandia checkpoint near Jerusalem.

During a Border Police night operation at Qalandiya, a suspicious individual approached the officers in a vehicle, accelerated toward them and hit one of the officers, police said in a statement.

Other members of the unit opened fire at the vehicle as the suspect attempted to escape, causing it to crash against a barrier. The driver, a 22-year-old resident of Qalqilya, was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in fair condition to be treated for a head injury, according to Ynet. He was then handed over to the Israel Security Agency for questioning, police said.

This attack is another reminder of the threats that exist in every operational activity and in every space in which we operate, Jerusalem District Police Commander Doron Turgeman said, according to Ynet.

The quick response and operational deployment of the officers in the field prevented additional injury to additional officers and led to a speedy end to the incident and the neutralization of the terrorist, he added.

The wounded officer was treated on the scene by members of his unit, before being stabilized and evacuated to hospital by Magen David Adom paramedics.
(JNS)  We live in a formative time, with fewer and fewer survivors who can tell us what happened, which calls for intensified efforts to commemorate the Holocaust. Deniers should never be allowed to falsify the history of the worst crime against humanity.

On Oct. 13, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven will be hosting the Malmo International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, Remember ReAct, with Israeli President Isaac Herzog as one of the main speakers. The forum aims to jointly take concrete steps on Holocaust remembrance and the fight against antisemitism ....
(JNS)  Comedian Dave Chappelles latest Netflix special, The Closer, is making the rounds but not for its hilarity. No, its high ratings can be attributed to the venom that it has elicited from the mainstream press and social media.

Nothing piques curiosity more than public outrage, after all. Theres no doubt, then, that a huge portion of viewers tuned in just to see what all the fuss was about.

As a longtime fan of the irreverent performer, I would have watched the show anyway. But many of my peers hadnt paid the slightest attention to Chappelle until the scandal erupted....
(JNS)  A fundamental constitutional right in the United States, embodied in its first amendment, is the freedom of religion. Freedom of prayer is clearly part of freedom of religion. Part of freedom of prayer is the freedom to pray in public spaces. Anyone opposing the right of Jewish prayer, therefore, would be deemed antisemitic in America.

This brings us to Israel. Before the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, I helped organize the first Jewish afternoon prayer service there, with no concern that it would spark any kind of controversy. In a way, I was right; I found out la...
Very, we have an emergency plan and complete emergency supply kit.

Somewhat, we have a complete emergency supply kit.

Little, we have incomplete plan and/or supply kit.

Not at all.

Vote

View Results
Thank you! You've reported this item as a violation of our terms of use.

This content was contributed by a user of the site. If you believe this content may be in violation of the terms of use, you may report it.
Appointment

21 October 2021

The Kempinski Supervisory Board has resolved on an early extension of Isidoro Geretto's mandate as Member of the Management Board Kempinski AG and confirmed his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Kempinski Group. A highly experienced finance executive with deep industry expertise in the luxury hospitality industry, he has a proven track record in, and accountability for structuring and leading financial operations on corporate, operational and property levels.

Isidoro Geretto's career in hospitality and finance spans over more than four decades and speaks for itself. He started in accounting at the Carlton Hotel St. Moritz in Switzerland before joining Swissotel in 1987 and taking up the Assistant Financial Controller position at the Hotel International Zurich. In 1990, he became the Financial Controller of the Hotel Bellevue Palace in Berne and since then consistently worked his way up the ranks, gaining vast experience in regional and corporate roles. In 2001, he was appointed Vice President Finance of Swissotel Hotels & Resorts and in 2006 took up the role of Vice President Finance, EMEA and Asia of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International . In 2013, Isidoro became the Vice President Finance and Business Support, Europe with FRHI Hotels & Resorts (Fairmont, Raffles, Swissotel Hotels). Isidoro joined Kempinski in 2019 as Vice President Finance Middle East & Africa before serving as Acting Chief Financial Officer since 2020.
Appointment

21 October 2021

Pacifica Hotels is pleased to announce that Manny Nieves has joined the team as Corporate Beverage Manager. With more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Nieves brings a new and creative flavor to Pacifica Hotels' growing number of restaurants and bars.

Starting his path early, Nieves was intentional with his career choices and wanted access to a culture rich in flavor and hospitality at a young age. He began his career in the restaurant industry at 17-years-old, landing positions at several coveted programs in Southern California. Nieves advanced through bar programs at Waterfront Enterprises, Avenue of Arts Hotel, and Pie Cocktail Society. Prior to Pacifica Hotels, Nieves worked for the famous 213 Group of Downtown Los Angeles at Seven Grand as Assistant General Manager. Nieves joined Pacifica Hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic at The Wayfarer DTLA and has been an integral part in the reopening of many of the portfolio's restaurants and bars since then.
Supplier News

21 October 2021

As COVID-19 restrictions eased and vaccination rates increased in many places across the world, people were eager to make up for lost time by booking trips to see family, cross off bucket-list destinations, and satisfy their wanderlust. Of course, the Delta variant and ever-changing travel restrictions have since given pause to many travelers and impacted the industrys recovery efforts. However, things are looking up again  at least in the U.S. In this post, we share insights from our first-party data plus research from the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), which reveals that travelers are getting comfortable making travel plans once again.

New research from Expedia Group and the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) revealed a positive outlook for the U.S. airline industry, with travelers leaning towards domestic travel in the short-term while considering trips abroad for further out on the horizon.

The data, which pulled unique statistics from both Expedia Groups air travel search data and ARCs global airline sales data, revealed key insights into travelers plans for the holidays and beyond, top search destinations, search volume, search timeframes, and ticket price trends.

Prices Still Down as Business Picks Up

While airlines incurred net industry losses in 2020, the latest data reveals improving financial performance. A recent study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) found that total passenger numbers are expected to reach 2.3 billion in 2021 and grow to 3.4 billion in 2022, which is similar to 2014 levels.

As the industry continues its steady recovery, the data shows a great opportunity for travelers to get a deal, and in many cases, on better seats. U.S. ticket prices for economy and premium airline ticket prices are still lower now than they were prior to the pandemic. According to Summer/Fall 2021 ARC travel trends data:

The average cost to fly roundtrip within the U.S. in 2021 is $371  lower than the pre-pandemic averages of $459 (2018) and $467 (2019).

The gap between premium and economy tickets has reduced: overall in 2021, premium tickets were 288% more expensive than economy tickets, whereas in 2020 and 2019, premium tickets were 365% and 430% more expensive than economy tickets, respectively. Travelers who have more disposable income than normal from saving during the pandemic can hunt down good bargains.

The U.S. airline industry was not immune to the devastating impacts of the pandemic on travel, said Julie Kyse, VP, Global Air Partnerships with Expedia Group. But due to the markets resiliency, airlines investment into safety protocols and the widespread availability of vaccines, it looks like the turnaround will be swift, based on recent data. This bodes well for our airline partners and others operating in the wider ecosystem, particularly as the holiday travel season approaches.

Travelers are Staying Local for Now, But Ready to See the World Later

Expedia Groups search data shows that travelers are planning domestic trips for the near future but are feeling more ready to travel abroad in 2022.

This readiness to travel and for new adventures aligns with Expedia Groups recent Traveler Value Index Report, which found that more than half of travelers felt new experiences were a top benefit of travel and more than three-quarters of travelers were more likely to select a new destination for their next trip.

Expedia Group flight search data from June-September 2021 shows:

Las Vegas (15%) was the most sought-after destination in the summer of 2021, followed by New York and Orlando.

Searches during summer 2021 (June, July, August) were primarily for domestic destinations with a booking window of between 1-60 days. Cancun is the first international destination to appear in the search ranking for the same period, but only for trips that are over 60 days out.

Looking into 2022 (searches with a window of 180 days or more from September this year), we see that London, Rome, and Paris are in the top 10 most-searched destinations by US travelers, suggesting Americans are gearing up for long-haul trips again next year.

Its no secret that people are ready to travel again after more than a year of limitations, restrictions and isolation, said Kyse. As the airline industry continues its recovery, Expedia Group is committed to connecting our airline partners to primary areas of consumer demand so they are best positioned to provide the memorable experiences that travelers want.

To glean further insights into traveler behaviors, read Expedia Groups recently launched Traveler Value Index report here and the specific air-related findings here.

To learn more about travel trends in the U.S., or to find out about the travel outlook at the global scale, download the Q2 2021 Travel Recovery Trend Report. This in-depth report is based on over 300 petabytes of first-party Expedia Group data plus recent custom research. And dont miss out on the results from Q3coming soonby following our blog.

Download the Report
Press Release

21 October 2021

BETHESDA, Md - Announced today, Curator Hotel & Resort Collection (Curator) added four new properties to its inspiring collection of unique, independent hotels and resorts. The new additions mark the Collections first properties in the popular travel destinations of coastal New Jersey and the Red Rock Country of Arizona.

Advertisements

Launched in November 2020 by a group of visionary hotel owners and operators, Curator Hotel & Resort Collection unites independent, lifestyle hotels to improve operating performance and profitability without compromising what makes them unique. Hotels that are typically considered competitors are coming together under Curator, creating more choice and variety for discerning guests.

When we debuted Curator less than a year ago, our goal was to bring independent hotels together to create scale and a competitive advantagesomething that has never been done before in the hotel industry, said Jennifer Barnwell, President of Curator. We are thrilled to continue our growth and momentum with the addition of these four unique hotels.

The newest members of the Curator Hotel & Resort Collection include:

The Asbury Hotel (Asbury Park, New Jersey): Named to the coveted Travel + Leisure It List and ranked as USA Todays Best New Hotel in America in its opening year, the 110-room Asbury Hotel was built within a historic Salvation Army building and feels like Asbury Park itselfspontaneous, original, and surprising, with rock n roll energy. Asbury Ocean Club Hotel (Asbury Park, New Jersey): The Asbury Ocean Club Hotel feels like a luxe fantasy beach house with magical ocean views, hand-picked, one-of-a-kind furnishings, lush greenery, and a well-stocked bar with sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling glassall set to a soundtrack of lapping surf. Pelican Grand Beach Resort (Fort Lauderdale, Florida): Sitting directly on the Atlantic Ocean, Pelican Grand Beach Resort boasts breathtaking views and instantly surrounds guests with a sense of old Florida grandeur. From elegant beachfront dining at OCEAN2000 or a ride in the Lazy River, this 500-foot private beach resort is the perfect setting for families, groups, or a romantic getaway. The Wilde Resort and Spa (Sedona, Arizona): Located in the heart of Sedona, The Wilde allows guests the opportunity to embrace the natural beauty that surrounds them in one of the worlds most beautiful destinations. Surrounded by the majestic red rock formations of Sedona and ideally situated at the base of the iconic Thunder Mountain, The Wilde offers 105 contemporary guest rooms and suites that feature dramatic colors, rich fabrics and eye-catching motifs that complement the destinations stunning landscape.

About Curator Hotel & Resort Collection

Curator Hotel & Resort Collection is a distinct collection of hand-selected small brands and independent lifestyle hotels and resorts worldwide, founded by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust and a group of industry-leading hotel operators. Curator provides lifestyle hotels the power to compete together while allowing its members the freedom to retain what makes their hotels unique. It offers independent lifestyle hotels the benefits of associating with other unique lifestyle hotels and brands while participating in best-in-class operating agreements, services, and technology. In addition to Pebblebrook, the founding members of Curator include Davidson Hospitality Group, Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Provenance, Sage Hospitality Group, Springboard Hospitality, and Viceroy Hotels & Resorts. For more information, visit www.curatorhotelsandresorts.com.

About iStar

iStar (NYSE:STAR) has been one of the largest investors in luxury condominium, multifamily and master-planned residential developments throughout the United States, having financed and invested in $10 billion of residential projects since 1993. Through inspired design and a careful attention to detail, iStar develops communities that create sustainable value for residents and community members and provide unique lifestyle experiences.

About Noble House Hotels & Resorts

Built on a philosophy that emphasizes location, distinction, and soul, Noble House Hotels & Resorts dedicates itself to creating and managing exceptional properties that celebrate their local communities. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington and continuously growing, the Noble House portfolio features a luxury and upper upscale portfolio of 20 distinct and visually captivating hotel properties, over 50 restaurants, bars, and lounges, the Napa Valley Wine Train, and a collection of spas, marinas, and private residences throughout the U.S. and Canada. A range of beachfront resorts spanning California and Florida, luxury retreats in Jackson Hole, WY, British Columbia, and Colorado, and award-winning urban hotels in Seattle and San Francisco punctuate the diverse collection. Centered within destinations worthy of every bucket list and layered with unique amenities that inspire adventure, the curated collection of one-of-a-kind hotels, resorts, and adventures, are known for creating unforgettable travel experiences.

For more information, visit http://www.noblehousehotels.com or call Noble House Hotels & Resorts at 877.NOBLE.TRIP.

About Sage Hospitality Group

Founded in 1984, Sage Hospitality Group is a Denver-based hospitality management, investment and development company comprised of four distinct companies: Sage Hotel Management, Sage Restaurant Concepts, Sage Investments and Sage Studio.

Sage Hotel Management is a passionate group of accomplished industry veterans who have led the way in defining experiential hospitality while maintaining a reputation as best-in-class operators and consistently delivering results. With a diverse portfolio of more than 50 hotels across the US, Sage Hotel Management is deeply invested in managing independent, soft-branded, luxury, lifestyle and upscale hotels from coast to coast.

Sage Restaurant Concepts, founded in 2005, boasts more than 30 restaurant, bar and coffeeshop locations in 11 states across the country in top cities such as Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and Portland. Comprised of seasoned restaurateurs and innovators, SRC is committed to consistently crafting exceptional experiences that forge a bond with guests and believes in the power of impacting lives through hospitality.

Sage Investments brings a deep understanding of markets and risk to the company, allowing Sage to have a reputation as not only a great operator but also a great and determined investment partner. Whether investing for the short term or long term, Sage Investments strives to achieve outsized returns for its partners by finding and adding value in unique and proprietary ways.

Sage Studio gives structure to what Sage has long been known for: creating places people want to go to, not through. Sage Studio is dedicated to creating spaces that fuse creativity and ingenuity to light the way for a new standard in hospitality. From restaurants, to branded hotels, to soft brands and independent properties, Sage Studio creates brands rooted in concise and exciting messaging that allows those businesses to tell their unique story.

To learn more about Sage Hospitality Group and its companies, visit sagehospitalitygroup.com or follow us at @SageHospGroup.

About Springboard Hospitality

For more than 30 years, Springboard Hospitality has transformed people, properties, and communities as a leader in the hospitality industry managing and developing innovative boutique and branded properties throughout the U.S. With dual offices in Honolulu and Los Angeles, Springboard operates more than 30 properties across 10 states. Led by technology entrepreneur Ben Rafter, Springboard specializes in using analytics and technology with its Hospitality Intelligence (H.I.) to ensure properties are optimizing return on investment. The company offers a full spectrum of hotel services with expertise in accounting, creative management, food and beverage, human resources development, marketing, sales and more. The Springboard Hospitality team is committed to going above and beyond with high-touch, personalized service in every aspect of its operations, from its interactions with guests to its relationships with owners. For more information, visit www.springboardhospitality.com.

About Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE:PEB) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) and the largest owner of urban and resort lifestyle hotels in the United States. The Company owns 52 hotels, totaling approximately 13,000 guest rooms across 15 urban and resort markets. For more information, visit http://www.pebblebrookhotels.com and follow us at @PebblebrookPEB.
Press Release

21 October 2021

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA  Today, Preferred Hotel Group kicked off its annual celebration of Independent Hotel Day by declaring the winners of its 2021 I Prefer Members Choice Awards. The ultra-luxurious Atelier Playa Mujeres in Cancun, Mexico, was named the overall global winner, as well as the winner of the North American category, and other top regional accolades went to The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Turtle Inn in Belize, and Belmont Champs Elysees in Paris, France. To extend the celebrations and to thank I Prefer members worldwide for continuing to Believe in Travel, Preferred has launched a limited-time 5,000 bonus points offer valid for bookings made at any of the 40 winning properties.

Advertisements

As the world continues to reopen to international travel and with hoteliers excitedly re-welcoming many more guests back through their doors, it is the ideal time to recognize the incredible resilience and independent spirit of our member hotels and their dedicated teams, said Alison McDermott, Vice President of Global Merchandising and Marketing for Preferred Hotels & Resorts. While Preferred believes that every day is Independent Hotel Day, today, we celebrate it with our loyal I Prefer Members in honor of these best-in-class hotels that have not only weathered the storm but come through the other side thriving!

Only hotels from Preferred Hotel Groups family of brands that participate in I Prefer Hotel Rewards  the worlds biggest loyalty program for independent and unique hotel experiences  can be nominated in the I Prefer Members Choice Awards, with winners decided exclusively by I Prefer Members in recognition of consistently high quality standards and exceptional, personalized experiences. For 2021, hotels spanning 26 countries were selected as winners across four regional categories  and this year marks the first time that properties from Preferred Hotel Groups recently launched sustainable brand Beyond Green were included, resulting in wins for Turtle Inn in Belize and The Brando in French Polynesia.

The full list of 2021 I Prefer Members Choice Awards winners includes:

Top Hotels in North America

Atelier Playa Mujeres  Cancun, Mexico

Estudio Playa Mujeres  Cancun, Mexico

Biltmore Hotel  Coral Gables, Florida, United States

Boston Harbor Hotel - Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Baccarat Hotel New York, New York, United States

Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach  Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

The Broadmoor  Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

Chatham Bars Inn  Chatham, Massachusetts, United States

Hotel Monteleone  New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Windsor Court  New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Top Hotel in Europe

Belmont Champs Elysees  Paris, France

Grand Hotel Excelsior  Valletta, Malta

Grand Hotel Tremezzo  Lake Como, Tremezzo, Italy

The Stafford London  London, United Kingdom

Pulitzer Amsterdam  Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dromoland Castle Hotel  County Clare, Ireland

Alcyhymist Grand Hotel & Spa  Prague, Czechia

Excelsior Palace Hotel  Rapallo, Italy

Hotel Villa Cipriani - Asolo, Italy

Dylan Dublin  Dublin, Ireland

Top Hotels in Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore  Singapore

The Fullerton Bay Hotel  Singapore

Royal Plaza on Scotts  Singapore

The Brando  Tetiaroa, French Polynesia

Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu, Maldives  Dhuni Kohlhu Island, Maldives

Andara Resort & Villas  Phuket, Thailand

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney  Sydney, Australia

Coco Bodu Hithi, Maldives  North Male Atoll, Maldives

Akasaka Excel Hotel Tokyu  Tokyo, Japan

Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay  Fnideq, Morocco

Top Hotels in the Caribbean, Central, and South America

Turtle Inn  Placencia, Belize

Half Moon  Montego Bay, Jamaica

Pink Sands Resort  Harbour Island, Bahamas

Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa  Sandys, Bermuda

Cap Maison Resort & Spa  Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

Condado Vanderbilt Hotel  San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States

West Bay Club  Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

100 Luxury Suites  Bogota, Colombia

Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana  Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Hotel Club Frances Buenos Aires - Buenos Aires, Argentina

Now in its third year, Independent Hotel Day was introduced by Preferred Hotel Group to raise traveler awareness of authentic and unique hotel experiences, and to serve as a rallying cry for independent hotels around the world. To celebrate all 40 winners on this important day, Preferred has launched a limited-time bonus points promotion. This value-add incentive rewards the four million I Prefer Members globally with 5,000 bonus points when they book a stay at any of the winning hotels by November 10, 2021, for travel through June 30, 2022. Bookings must contain a valid I Prefer member number and be made through IPrefer.com, PreferredHotels.com, StayBeyondGreen.com, the I Prefer App, Preferreds Global Reservations team, or a travel agent.

For more information on the 2021 I Prefer Members Choice Awards, visit www.IPrefer.com/MembersChoice, and to enroll in the program and take advantage of this promotion, visit www.IPrefer.com/enroll.

AboutI Prefer Hotel Rewards

Launched in August 2013, the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program from Preferred Hotel Group extends points for multiple redemption options and other complimentary benefits to members upon eligible stays at more than 650 participating hotels and resorts worldwide. In addition to earning points for eligible room nights, members receive additional benefits based on their tier status. I Prefer also offers a free mobile app, available on Apple and Android devices, which allows members to search and book hotel stays, easily redeem Reward Certificates, and connect directly with their host hotel during a stay. Currently, more than four million travelers have signed up for membership.
Press Release

21 October 2021

The Excellence Collection formalizes its first and largest financial stride to set in motion a plan that adheres to a more responsible and sustainable concept of hospitality. The funds, referred to as Green Credits, will be financed by BBVA Mexico - a leading institution that encourages and enables bio-friendly solutions in tourism - and will be focused on the improvement of the environmental, social and governance performance (ESG) at the adults-only, Excellence Playa Mujeres; the all-ages, Finest Playa Mujeres; and the couples-only, Beloved Playa Mujeres.

Advertisements

The industry is constantly changing and while we expand our brand across the Caribbean, we make it a priority to proceed with the environment always in mind. Our commitment to Infinite Excellence transcends our services to also become a source of motivation for competitors to pursue sustainable hospitality. Stated Domingo Aznar, VP of Sales & Marketing for The Excellence Collection.

The resorts will undergo a thorough annual evaluation to measure the evolution of all performance indicators established in the agreement. Among the key factors to be assessed will be their compliance with the highest international standards pertaining to greenhouse gases and certification protocols. There will be short, medium and long term goals in place that will also help stimulate the development and growth of local communities where the aforementioned properties operate.

We support one of the most important clients in the tourism sector so that they can continue to develop their capabilities in favor of the environment through these credits.  Commented Alejandro Cardenas Bortoni, Director of Corporate, Government, Mortgage and Automotive Banking at BBVA Mexico.

In 2020 The Excellence Collection announced the elimination of single-use plastic products at all its properties as an ecological solution, considerably reducing the impact to the environment.

About The Excellence Collection:

The Excellence Collection is a family-owned and operated resort group specializing in hotel management and worldwide real estate development, with a primary presence in the Caribbean. The brand is a joint investment between Medieval Times, Zafiro Hotels and Viva Hotels that owns and manages five-star, award-winning resort properties in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica under three brands that encompass the concept of ultimate all-inclusive luxury: Adults-Only Excellence Resorts in Cancun, Riviera Maya, Playa Mujeres, Punta Cana, and Montego Bay; Couples-Only All-Inclusive at Beloved Hotels in Cancun; and Modern All-Inclusive Luxury for all ages at Finest Resorts in Cancun and Punta Cana.

The Excellence Collection has received the AAA Diamond Award, Conde Nast Travel Readers Choice Award, and Travel & Leisures Best Award. The brands properties have placed on several of TripAdvisors Travelers' Choice Awards, including The #1 Best of the Best All-Inclusive Resort in Mexico, and #3 in the World for 2021, three of its locations were listed among the Top All-Inclusive Resorts in the World and the Top Hotels in Mexico.

For additional information, please visit theexcellencecollection.com
Opinion Article

21 October 2021

Todays employment environment is like nothing we have experienced before. The last pandemic happened in 1918, with a very different labour and economic atmosphere. There are no easy answers to a vast number of questions and nuanced circumstances. The travel industry has been particularly hard hit, as so many people were furloughed last year without any real answer about when they would return. As an academy industry, a large portion of these furloughed people were in line-level and entry-level management positions  the most vulnerable faction of the American economy.

Advertisements

Our experience in the hospitality job market has given us a perspective from clients of all sizes, locations and financial wherewithal. As fast as the pandemic hit, closing the U.S. economy, the reopening has been nothing short of chaotic. It seems that everyone wants to travel to express their pent-up frustration with the pandemic and their personal independence. According to a study by Travel Leaders Group, nearly 70% of Americans planned to travel in 2021. On the job front, the AHLA recently quoted that 96% of their membership hotels have openings at their property.

You would think everyone would be doing a victory lap; unfortunately, employment supply and demand are wildly out of sync. We believe it is going to take some time (two-plus years) for the employment marketplace to normalize. Here are some of the reasons why:

Mismatch

There is a mismatch regarding what employers and individuals are looking for in a role. Many of the people that were working in the hospitality industry prior to the pandemic simply dont want to go back. Low pay, hard work, perceived health risk and a multitude of other opportunities exist. Our clients are having a particularly difficult time filling housekeeping and food service roles. We have seen trends such as housekeepers going to work for private residences and other less risky environments. Chefs have also migrated to working for private families, ghost kitchens and other forms of food service.

Idea: The industry needs to make positions more interesting, multi-faceted and focused on career growth. Thinking that a housekeeper is going to want to clean or is capable of cleaning rooms for 25 years just isnt practical. Professional waiters and cooks are a thing of the past. Make more roles a hybrid so that people get exposed to more and varied responsibilities. Incorporate more technology into hotels and restaurants to make it easier on employees to serve and interact with the guest.

Displacement

Many people moved from high density areas such as New York and Los Angeles, and as such arent willing to move back right now. Most hospitality jobs are in person jobs and cant be done remotely. This has made hiring much more difficult in major metropolitan areas and other areas that have high levels of new COVID cases. Interestingly, the migration of talent has also put stress on the areas that have experienced a significant influx. Generally, Americans moved West and South, as well as outward to the suburbs and less populated areas in the same state.

Idea: We must entice people to come back to work by making it more lucrative and safe. Offer more remote roles. Salespeople, human resources, finance, creatives and such can be remote. Rethink line level roles to minimize staffing and maximize pay. In-person workers should make a premium to those that are working remotely.

Reassessment

Many people are reassessing their careers and the types of work that they find fulfilling. Many have chosen remote forms of work, with more flexible hours and pay. As much as the hospitality industry is a labour of love, serving unruly and rude customers has become all too prevalent. Many people who have used food service as a secondary source of income have opted for other forms of work.

Idea: Retraining and career management should be offered by every employer in our industry. We must show people how important and vibrant our industry can be. Companies should draft a code of conduct for themselves and their customers. Ritz-Carlton was so good at that with their Ladies and Gentleman slogan, but it has to be a two-way street. Working in a hotel needs to be fun, not a drudgery.

Immigration policy

The hospitality industry is dominated by first generation immigrants. Historically, our industry has been a haven for many people immigrating to the U.S. The previous administrations immigration policy put a considerable damper on the influx of people suited to hospitality type work. The Biden administration has done little to reverse this trend.

Idea: We must be a force on Capitol Hill. Our industry employees a significant number of people and our voices need to be heard. Support the AHLA and its efforts to swing immigration policy back to a more normal rate. Closing the borders so that Americans can turn down entry-level work is not a politically sound strategy. Most of us and our families were immigrants at one point. We need to bring back the American Dream.

Child, elder care

Child and elder care have been significant impediments for some parents going back to work. The entire schooling and childcare systems have been deeply affected by the pandemic. Until we can safely and economically put those systems back in place, many people will stay on the sidelines.

Idea: Local hotels and restaurants need to work with officials on child and elder care policy. Businesses need to band together to offer these services as part of employment and benefits.

Public policy

One of the big discussions going through the business and political communities is the unemployment bonuses and other public policy that has influenced employment. With the pay in hospitality being traditionally low, staying out of work has been financially better than returning to work. States such as Hawaii, New York, California, Nevada, and Connecticut have unemployment rates that are at least four percentage points higher than their pre-pandemic rates. Some of that is due to state and local policy that has demotivated people from going back to work.

Idea: Over taxation and waste are going to hamper big cities from recovering quickly. Incentives to business owners and other significant employers need to be offered immediately. Small business has been the backbone of this country and will continue to be if municipalities get creative. Bonuses for returning to work and staying are better incentives than paying people to stay out of work.

Teen employment

Summer and freelance employment that favour teens and students have been upended by the pandemic and dramatically impacted hospitality companies hiring practices over the past two summers. We suspect this will bounce back next year as employers and prospects will have more time to match with each other.

Idea: Start thinking about next summer season and where students and part-timers will be. Get on campuses and local high schools early and promote our industry as a viable option.

Forecasting

The pandemic has made it difficult to near impossible to forecast demand. Decision-making in travel appears to be very last minute. As we previously stated, 70% of Americans planned on traveling this year, but the where and when have been just in time decisions. This trend has made staffing incredibly hard on business owners. It appears that many hotels and restaurants are running with skeleton crews and on-call staff are used to augment rushes in business.

Idea: Over the next two years, business owners need to have highly skilled full-time staff coupled with part-time/on-call staff. Always be networking and interviewing. Offer introduction bonuses to staff for bringing people into the organization. Training needs to be a full-time role, and the use of remote and online learning should be employed immediately. Simplify service standards, menus, amenities and protocols at every turn. Redefining quality is a must for our industry.
Planning a Halloween party? If you havent lined up your decorations, you might be in for a scare.

With two weeks to go before Halloween, shelves that once held pumpkins, ghosts and spider webs are already picked clean, driving serious enthusiasts of the holiday to the secondary market  aka eBay and Facebook Marketplace  to hunt for skulls and skeletons at premium, if not frightening prices.

Mariana Pope said she spent a week searching for a 12-foot skeleton for her yard in West U before forking over $600 for one secondhand  double what it sold for in stores before they vanished over the summer. And that might have been a bargain: the skeletons were listed for as much as $1,000 on Facebook Marketplace.

Weve always really liked to decorate for Halloween. My husband goes all out, she said, noting the 12-foot skeletons first caught their eye last year and they vowed to get one. I had no idea they were so popular.

Halloween decorations have become another victim of supply chain bottlenecks that are creating shortages and boosting price, and could foreshadow a Christmas season in which must-have gifts just cant be had. The bottlenecks  the result of surging post-pandemic demand, labor shortages and COVID outbreaks disrupting production  have prevented goods from computer chips to bottles of Topo Chico getting where theyre wanted or needed.

On HoustonChronicle.com: COVID kinks holiday supply chain

At the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California, where about 40 percent of shipping containers enter the United States, ships are waiting days and weeks to get unloaded and consumer goods are sitting on docks, waiting to be transported to their destinations.

Augie Bering, owner of Houston-based Berings Hardware, said he ordered Halloween-themed items months ago. Hes still waiting for most of it to arrive  hopefully before Halloween.

Stuff is trickling in, but its trickling in later than we had hoped, Bering said. Theres just a huge demand right now for products.

Home Depot, the retailer selling the coveted 12-foot skeleton, said it first stocked the item in July, in what it thought would be a sneak peek. But the skeleton, priced at $300, sold out almost immediately and has been difficult to restock.

Halloween shelves at a local Target were nearly bare on a recent evening. Party City said supply chain challenges have made it difficult to keep Halloween items on the shelves, but it plans to replenish ahead of the holiday.

Even Spirit Halloweens decorations section seems limited. The pop-up retailer, based in New Jersey, said it has experienced product delays and the significant increase in shipping costs but has not passed on the higher costs to consumer.

Pandemic release

Most Americans (75 percent) will spend money on Halloween this year, according to a recent survey of more than 2,000 people by LendingTree, an online marketplace for lenders. Candy and pumpkin carving supplies topped shopping lists, followed by outdoor decorations, which beat out costumes for the third spot on respondents shopping lists, according to the survey.

The survey found 47 percent of parents plan to spend more than they can afford in hopes of making their children happy. Matt Schulz, an analyst with the firm, said in a statement the Halloween splurge follows a pandemic-era spending trend.

Throughout the pandemic, Schulz said, weve heard of people going above and beyond when it comes to holidays and other events to make up for how crummy the last couple of years have been.

Nothing like a $600 skeleton to lift spirits.

amanda.drane@chron.com

Twitter.com/amandadrane
Whether its special occasion dining, date night rendezvous, or a place to pop the question, theres always a need for romantic restaurants. Sure, a great menu can spark amorous feelings, but there are other considerations that are just as important: lighting, atmosphere, a sense of intimacy, and a finale of chocolate and maybe some actual flames. Plenty of Houston spots fit the bill.

The charming set of dining rooms and patio spaces at Rainbow Lodge has been creating memories for four decades, with its unique merger of outdoorsman rustic and good life luxe. The kitchen in the elegant log cabin specializes in game dishes and American bistro classics: crabcakes, smoked duck gumbo, rainbow trout with lump crab, lobster risotto, duck leg confit with Creole okra and gold rice, and elk chop with green chile enchiladas. An excellent wine list and proper cocktails only add to the allure. 2011 Ella, 713-861-8666; rainbow-lodge.com

Nick de la Torre / For the Chronicle

BCN Taste & Tradition

This fine dining Spanish restaurants flashy sister MAD is pushing the design and culinary boundaries at River Oaks District, but many fans of chef Luis Roger prefer his original Montrose bungalow for their dip into Catalonia, specifically the flavors of Barcelona. The hushed monochromatic space with original artwork by Picasso and Miro exudes a mature confidence, making it a decidedly adult place to dine (and the antithesis of the neon and high-design flash of MAD). From pickled anchovies, Iberian ham with pan con tomate, and patatas bravas starters to mains including bacalao with saffron mousse, lobster with creamy rice, and squab two ways, the BCN menu offers exquisite Spanish refinement. The bar also taught Houstonians how to enjoy a truly over-the-top gin and tonic. 4210 Roseland, 832-834-3411; bcnhouston.com

Nick de la Torre / For the Chronicle

Etoile Cuisine et Bar

The Uptown French restaurant looks and feels like a place in-the-know adults appreciate: comfortable, restrained decor; chandelier glow bouncing off wine glasses and decanters; white tablecloths and fresh flowers. But oh, that menu, plump with sensual delights: bubbly escargots Bourgogne; lemon sole glossed with almond brown butter; coq au vin with potato puree; mussels treading lightly in a creamy white wine bath; and classic steak au poivre wearing a robe of black peppercorn cognac sauce. And perfect profiteroles for dessert. Even before the second glass of champagne, hearts are aflutter. 1101-11 Uptown Park, 832-668-5808; etoilecuisine.com

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle

Maison Pucha Bistro

The Pucha brothers from Ecuador are terrifically skilled in the art of French-leaning fine dining. And it shows in the exacting detail they apply to all facets of this inviting Heights bistro. The plating is exquisite and the flavors refined. Gallic charms aplenty on the menu: foie gras with house-made brioche, Houstons most addictive gourgeres, bistro-perfect steak tartare, whole trout almondine, coq au vin, duck a lorange, steak frites and desserts (almost) too pretty to eat. 1001 Studewood, 713-637-4976; maisonpucha.com

Kirsten Gilliam / Kirsten Gilliam

Turners

Tucked underneath the beloved Annie Cafe & Bar, restaurateur Benjamin Berg has created a special (and expensive) intimate dining room, a clubby, flower-choked, martini-fueled, grand pianod lair where city swells go to be pampered. James Beard Award-winning chef Robert Del Grande has turned the luxury dial to 10 with a menu of lobster bisque, lobster cocktail, Prime beef tartare, wagyu rib-eye steak and caviar service. Where else in Houston can you have a hot dog served tableside from a gleaming cart? 1800 Post Oak, 713-804-1212; turnershouston.com

Brennan's of Houston / Brennan's of Houston

Brennans of Houston

For generations, Houstonians have turned to this grande dame restaurant to mark special occasions, including marriage proposals. For good reason: the restaurants historic bones, sumptuous decor and Texas/Creole menu speaks to special occasion indulgence. The menu is deliberately impressive: seafood tower, snapping turtle soup, blue crab ravigote, shrimp- and oyster-festooned Gulf shrimp Pontchartrain, crawfish boudin-stuffed quail, seared scallops and crawfish tails bathed in Nantua sauce. Cross the entrance threshold and youre stepping into familiar, irresistible refinement. 3300 Smith, 713-522-9711; brennanshouston.com

Mutiny Wine Room / Mutiny Wine Room

Mutiny Wine Room

This sophisticated Heights newcomer is equal parts restaurant, wine tasting room and retail wine shop. With the look and atmosphere of a Napa Valley winery, owners Mark Ellenberger and Emily Trout have given oenophiles a high-beamed, farmhouse space to sip the finest grapes and enjoy dishes such as hush puppies topped with creme fraiche and caviar, ham and cheddar croquettes with Spanish pimento aioli, Gulf snapper ceviche, grilled Spanish octopus, smoked quail ravioli and a gorgeous meat and cheese board. 1124 Usener, 832-618-1233; mutinywineroom.com

Mark Mulligan, Staff / Houston Chronicle

State of Grace

This beautifully designed dining room and gleaming oyster bar feel special. Opened in 2015 as chef Ford Frys return to Houston, State of Grace has been embraced by River Oaks as its own neighborhood canteen. The restaurant knows the Houston palate well: oysters on the half shell, hush puppies with blue crab and cane syrup butter, pasta with Gulf shrimp and smoked trout roe, redfish on the half shell and Prime steaks roasted over Texas pecan and oak flames. 3258 Westheimer, 832-942-5080; stateofgracetx.com

Backstreet Cafe / Backstreet Cafe

Backstreet Cafe

The intimate, 1930s-era house in River Oaks is restaurateur Tracy Vaughts longest-running hit and still her most special. Cozy rooms, low lighting, live music and a magical, New Orleans-style patio spell romance. Known for its indulgent wine list and cocktail know-how, Backstreet also has the considerable power of chef Hugo Ortegas menu to brag about: tuna crudo, bucatini with spicy crab, jalapeno fettuccine with chicken and black beans, pan-seared scallops with creamy cauliflower, and Gulf shrimp with cheese grits. For so many reasons, Backstreet is a classic. 1103 S. Shepherd, 713-521-2239; backstreetcafe.net
WASHINGTON (AP)  Can new variants of the coronavirus keep emerging?

Yes, as long as the virus that caused the pandemic keeps infecting people. But that doesnt mean new variants will keep emerging as regularly, or that theyll be more dangerous.

With more than half the world still not vaccinated, the virus will likely keep finding people to infect and replicating inside them for several months or years to come. And each time a virus makes a copy of itself, a small mutation could occur. Those changes could help the virus survive, becoming new variants.

But that doesnt mean the virus will keep evolving in the same way since it emerged in late 2019.

When a virus infects a new species, it needs to adapt to the new host to spread more widely, says Andrew Read, a virus expert at Pennsylvania State University.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the delta variant is twice as contagious as earlier versions of the virus. And while it could still mutate to become more infectious, it probably wont double its transmission rate again, says Dr. Adam Lauring, a virus and infectious disease expert at the University of Michigan.

Weve seen a stage of rapid evolution for the virus. Its been harvesting the low-hanging fruit, but theres not an infinite number of things it can do, Lauring says.

Its possible that the virus could become more deadly, but there isnt an evolutionary reason for that to happen. Extremely sick people are also less likely to socialize and spread the virus to others.

Experts are watching to see whether emerging variants could be better at evading the protection people develop from vaccination and infections. As more people get the shots, the virus would have to be able to spread through people who have some immunity for it to survive, says Dr. Joshua Schiffer, a virus expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The virus could take on a mutation that makes the immune response less effective, he says.

If that happens, scientists may recommend that vaccine formulas be updated periodically, just as annual flu shots are.

___

The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. Read more here:

Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids?

Do the COVID-19 vaccines affect my chances of pregnancy?

Am I fully vaccinated without a COVID-19 vaccine booster?
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, led the floor debate along with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the panel. Still, the vote was 229-202 with all but nine GOP lawmakers who voted saying no."

The House vote sends the matter to the U.S. attorneys office in Washington, where it will now be up to prosecutors in that office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges. It's still uncertain whether they will pursue the case  Attorney General Merrick Garland would only say at a House hearing on Thursday that they plan to make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution.

The partisan split over Bannon's subpoena  and over the committee's investigation in general  is emblematic of the raw tensions that still grip Congress nine months after the Capitol attack.

Now Playing: The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. (Oct. 21) Video: Associated Press

Democrats have vowed to comprehensively probe the assault in which hundreds of Trump's supporters battered their way past police, injured dozens of officers and interrupted the electoral count certifying President Joe Biden's November victory. Lawmakers on the panel say they will move swiftly and forcefully to punish anyone who wont cooperate with the probe.

We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because our work is too important, Thompson said ahead of the vote.

Republicans call it a witch hunt, say it is a waste of time and argue that Congress should be focusing on more important matters.

Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, leading the GOP opposition on the floor, called the probe an illicit criminal investigation into American citizens and said Bannon is a Democrat party boogeyman.

Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger are the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel, and both have openly criticized Trump and his role in fomenting the insurrection while the majority of House Republicans have remained silent in the face of Trump's falsehoods about massive fraud in the election. Trump's claims were rejected by election officials, courts across the country and by his own attorney general.

The Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend the contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel last week, citing a letter from Trumps lawyer that directed him not to answer questions. The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack, and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that all hell is going to break loose."

Now Playing: Attorney General Merrick Garland gave no hints during a House Judiciary Committee Thursday on what the Justice Department will do if the House votes to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress. (Oct. 21) Video: Associated Press

Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them.

Mr. Bannons own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of -- and may well have been involved in -- the planning of everything that played out on that day, Cheney said ahead of the vote. The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did.

Joining Cheney and Kinzinger in voting to hold Bannon in contempt were Republican Reps. Peter Meijer and Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington.

Mace, who represents a political swing district, told reporters after the vote that she wants to maintain the power of subpoenas for future Republican majorities.

I want the power to subpoena, when we start investigating some of the crises that are facing the Biden administration right now, she said, mentioning immigration and the withdrawal from from Afghanistan.

Biden himself invoked the insurrection and linked it to the nations turbulent history as he marked the 10th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall.

Were confronting the stains of what remains a deep stain in the soul of the nation: hate and white supremacy, Biden said, describing what he said is a line in American history from slavery to the present day.

In a violent, deadly insurrection on the Capitol nine months ago  it was about white supremacy in my view, he said.

Biden, who had previously said the Justice Department should prosecute those who ignore congressional subpoenas, apologized Thursday for appearing to interfere with the agency's decisions in comments last week.

I should have chosen my words more wisely," Biden said during a CNN town hall. "I did not, have not and will not pick up the phone and call the attorney general and tell him what he should or should not do.

Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will pursue the charges, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress power to call witnesses and demand information.

While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries.

Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is on the line.

The stakes are enormous, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said. "What were talking about is this massive, violent assault on American democracy.

If the Justice Department doesn't prosecute, the House has other options, including a civil lawsuit. That could also take years but would force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court.

The lingering acrimony over the insurrection, and the Bannon subpoena, flared Wednesday at a House Rules Committee hearing held to set the parameters of Thursdays debate. Under intense questioning from Raskin, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who defended Trump and opposed the Bannon contempt effort, said he accepted that Biden is the president but would not say that Biden won the election.

Raskin said, I know that might work on Steve Bannons podcast, but thats not going to work in the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Gaetz. Im sorry."

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Alan G and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)  Missouri Republican state Rep. Tom Hannegan died Wednesday of a stroke at age 51, his campaign treasurer said.

The community has suffered a great loss, said Hannegans campaign treasurer, Scott Mell.

Voters elected Hannegan, of St. Charles, to the state House in 2016. He was one of few openly gay Missouri lawmakers.

Hannegan advocated for criminal justice reform and human rights, and he proposed a ban on discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Hannegan was also an associate real estate broker and and publisher and editor in chief of a local magazine called StreetScape Magazine.

Republican House leaders in a joint statement described him as a strong person of conviction in these chambers, a truly wonderful person and a dedicated public servant who will be greatly missed.

Tom will forever be remembered for his determination to serve those in need, as well as his great love for all people, House leaders said.

Democratic House Minority Leader Crystal Quade in a statement called Hannegan a kind and thoughtful person who cared about others and always put people before politics.

His sudden passing is a great loss, but he leaves a legacy as a champion for equality under the law for all Missourians, she said.
MOCKSVILLE, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina man has been charged after deputies found a woman dead inside a home, a sheriff's office said.

The Davie County Sheriffs Office said deputies responded to a location on Tuesday after being told someone had been shot, WGHP reported. Inside the home, the deputies found the body of Tiffany Dawn Robertson, 29, of Mocksville, the sheriff's office said.

According to the sheriffs office, the caller, Jonathan Edward Myers, 30, of Mocksville, was arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter. Myers is in the county jail on a $225,000, and its not known if he has an attorney.

The sheriff's office said the investigation is continuing.
MAHBAS REGION, Western Sahara (AP)  As a glowing sun sank behind the sandy barrier that cuts across the disputed territory of Western Sahara, Sidati Ahmed's battalion launched two missiles that sizzled through the air and then followed with an artillery attack.

Within minutes, a barrage of mortar shells flew in the opposite direction, from Moroccan positions, landing with a thick column of smoke in the barren desert of what is known as Africa's last colony.

"Low-intensity hostilities, as a recent United Nations report describes them, have raged for the past year along the 2,700-kilometer (1,700-mile) berm  a barrier second in length only to the Great Wall of China that separates the part of Western Sahara that Morocco rules from the sliver held by the Polisario Front, which wants the territory to be independent. Both sides claim the area in its entirety.

For nearly 30 years this swath of North African desert about the size of Colorado  that sits on vast phosphate deposits, faces rich fishing grounds and is believed to have off-shore oil reserves  has existed in limbo, awaiting a referendum that was supposed to let the local Sahrawi people decide their future. Instead, as negotiations over who would be allowed to vote dragged on, Morocco tightened its control of the territory, which was a Spanish colony until 1975.

Last year, the Polisario Front announced that it would no longer abide by the 1991 cease-fire that ended its 16-year guerilla war with Morocco.

The decision was fueled by frustration among younger Sahrawi  many of whom were born in refugee camps in Algeria, have never lived in their ancestral homeland, and are tired of waiting for the U.N.-promised referendum.

Everybody is ready for war, said Ahmed, who spent more than half of his 32 years in Cuba before returning to enlist for battle when the truce ended last year.

We are fed up. The only thing that is going to bring our homeland back to us is this," Ahmed said pointing at his AK-47 weapon, as he stood on the front line in Mahbas. The region, at the crossroads of Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria, is where most of the exchanges of fire take place.

Ahmed is typical of a generation of Sahrawi youth, most of whom traveled abroad to study  from Spain to Libya  but returned to the camps to form families. And theyve told their elders that they dont want to die in exile, with no future to offer to their own children.

Life abroad can be tempting," said Omar Deidih, a baby-faced soldier and cybersecurity student who on a recent visit to the front line organized by the Polisario spoke to foreign reporters in fluent English. "But the most important thing is that we have fresh blood in this new phase of the struggle.

The possibility, however remote, that clashes could escalate into a full-out regional war may be the Polisario's only hope of drawing attention to a conflict with few known casualties in a vast but forgotten corner of the desert. Many in the camps feel that efforts to finally settle the status of Western Sahara have languished since Morocco proposed greater autonomy for the territory in 2004.

The front's hopes for independence suffered a major blow last year when the U.S. in the waning days of the Trump administration backed Morocco's claim to the territory, as part of efforts to get Morocco to recognize Israel. Other countries, including the Polisario's main ally Algeria, recognize Western Sahara as independent, while still more support U.N. efforts for a negotiated solution.

The rising tensions have gotten the attention of the U.N., whose Minurso force oversaw the cease-fire and whose secretary-general recently appointed Staffan de Mistura, a seasoned Italian diplomat and former U.N. envoy for Syria, to take charge of the negotiations.

The Polisario's leader, Brahim Ghali, last week warned that de Mistura must be given a clear mandate from the Security Council to carry out a referendum. Western Sahara will be before the Council on Oct. 28, when members vote on whether to extend the Minurso mission.

Achieving progress is also a matter of legitimacy for the Polisario. After years of internal division, the new hostilities have rallied pro-independence supporters around its leadership, but many fear that the lack of results could lead to more radicalization.

In the camps, the live fire from the front line reverberates strongly among refugees, who were forced to confront the precariousness of their existence when the humanitarian aid they rely on slowed to a trickle during the pandemic.

Medical missions were halted, medicine was in short supply and prices of camel, goat and chicken meat all went up, said 29-year old Dahaba Chej Baha, a refugee in the Boujdour camp. On a recent morning, the mother of a 3-year-old was sheltering in the shade while in her third hour of waiting for an Algerian truck to deliver gas canisters.

Everything is so difficult here, Chej Baha said, adding that those who would typically find ways to work overseas and send money back have become trapped because of pandemic-related travel restrictions. I don't like war, but I feel that nothing is going to change without it."

Meima Ali, another mother, with three kids, said she was against the war, but that her voice was not listened to in a community dominated by men.

My husband has to decide between finding work or looking like a traitor for not going to the front," she said. How am I going to survive without him? Here, we live as if we were dead.

Morocco denies that there is an armed conflict raging in what it calls its southern provinces," where about 90,000 Sahrawi people are estimated to live alongside 350,000 Moroccans. Morocco has told the U.N. mission that its troops only return fire in cases of direct threat and always in proportion to actions of the Polisario.

In a response to questions from The Associated Press, the Moroccan government said that there have been unilateral attacks by the Polisario but no casualties on the Moroccan side.

It called any effort to portray the conflict as something bigger propaganda elements intended for the media and desperate gesticulations to attract attention.

Intissar Fakir, an expert on the region for the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said that a full-fledged conflict  which could pit Morocco and Algeria against each other  wasn't in anyone's interest. But she said that negotiating a lasting solution wouldn't be easy either.

Maybe in terms of international law, the Polisario have their standing, but I think Morocco here is the strongest it has ever been with the U.S. recognition and de facto control over most of the territory, she said. But the Polisario, she added, is more entrenched in their own position because they really have kind of nothing to lose at this point.

Although many interviewed by the AP at the camps or on the front line expressed frustration with the years of negotiations that the Polisario defended until last year, open criticism is hard to come by in such a tight community.

Baali Hamudi Nayim, a veteran of the 1970s and 1980s war against Mauritania and Morocco, said he had been against the 1991 cease-fire.

If it was up to me, the time for a political solution without any guarantees, through the U.N. or others, is over, said Hamudi, who is back in his guerrilla attire to oversee battalions in the restive Mahbas. For me, the solution is a military one.

___

Associated Press journalists Bernat Armangue in Sahrawi refugee camps and Tarik El Barakah and Mosaab Elshamy in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report.
A man who was discharged from a hospital took off in an ambulance parked outside Memorial Hermann Wednesday night, leading officials on a chase that at times reached 100 mph before he was taken into custody, according to Houston Police.

The incident was initially called in around 11:43 p.m. Paramedics left an ambulance running outside the hospital, in the Texas Medical Center, while they went inside, according to Lt. R. Willkens of Houston Police.
Houston police arrested two men and are seeking a third in three unrelated homicide cases ranging in dates from Oct. 8 to Oct. 15.

Tyrick Nelson, 20, was arrested and charged with capital murder in an Oct. 15 shooting and Fidel Macedo, 40, was arrested and charged with murder in an Oct. 9 stabbing. Police also are still looking for Guy Cornell Jones, 29, who is wanted in connection to a fatal shooting that happened on Oct. 8.

Authorities said that they are still searching for Guy Cornell Jones who shot and killed 26-year-old Jason Smith-Jones inside a south Houston residence before witnesses saw him leaving on foot.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Guy Cornell Jones or in this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

Cold Case Murder: Houston man connected to cold case homicide confesses to second killing, HPD says.

Police also said that Nelson allegedly shot and killed Carlos Iraheta, 55, on the morning of Oct. 15 while he worked at a southeast Houston convenience store. Iraheta died two days later. Officials did not state a motive but said that, after walking up to the cash register looking like if he was trying to buy something. Iraheta was shot multiple times before leaving in a black car.

After police located Nelson in the car, he led them on a short pursuit before being detained and arrested.

Person deceased with gunshot wound found in rubble: HFD found a person dead with gunshot wound while responding to a fire in north Houston Tuesday night

In another case, Fidel Macedo was arrested and charged with the stabbing death of his 60-year-old father, Fidelmar Macedo, who authorities say was found deceased on the sidewalk outside his west Houston residence.

At the time of his arrest last Friday, Macedo was also wanted for his involvement in additional unrelated murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon incidents.

Joel.Umanzor@chron.com
Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Texas Southern University got a major boost as the final stretch of the Texas Legislature's third special session wrapped up.

The Houston historically Black university received $95.2 million from a heavily-negotiated statewide funding bill that would issue a total of $3.35 billion in tuition revenue bonds for capital improvement projects at Texas public universities.
Two days per week, 18-year-old Emily Mexquitic works the graveyard shift as a patient care assistant in the hospital where she was born.

Overnight work at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital is tiring but fulfilling, she says. She grew up in the nearby neighborhood of Alief and shares a local connection with many of her patients. The job also helps her pay tuition as a full-time student at the University of Houston and build experience toward becoming a pediatrician.

When I get older, I might want to open my own private practice, she said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston region COVID hospitalizations dip below 1,000 for the first time since late July

Mexquitic was hired as part of an effort from the Memorial Hermann Health System to boost healthcare resources in historically underserved neighborhoods around Southwest Houston and the Greater Heights. The hospital system recently joined the Healthcare Anchor Network, a nationwide collaboration that looks to address factors that contribute to poor health outcomes, including housing instability, food insecurity, transportation, access to healthcare, income and employment.

In Houston, the program focuses on Acres Home and Alief, where a high percentage of residents live without adequate insurance, employment or access to affordable and nutritious foods. Memorial Hermann is making an initial investment of $10 million to address these issues.

We know based on data and analysis that, over the course of time, if we just focus on healthcare delivery and we dont get outside the walls of our hospitals and clinics, were not really going to make the positive impact on health statistics we need to make, said Dr. David Callender, president and CEO of Memorial Hermann.

Texans who live in low-income neighborhoods with high poverty rates, low-education levels and large minority populations live significantly shorter than those in largely white, affluent neighborhoods with high education levels, according to a 2019 analysis from the Episcopal Health Foundation.

The analysis found that large portions of both Alief and Acres Homes have a life expectancy below the statewide median of 77.8 years, dipping as low as 66.4 years old in one Acres Homes census tract.

Memorial Hermann said it already invests about $525 million annually for school-based health centers, park revitalization projects, mental health crisis clinics and other social needs. The additional investment has helped boost hiring by 15 percent in the targeted neighborhoods, offering steady employment for young people like Mexquitic.

At Mexquitics entry-level job, she helps patients with basic tasks such as bathing and eating. She often starts her day by checking her assigned patients vital signs. The position, which typically pays about $14 per hour, helps her cover day-to-day expenses as well as tuition. She also expects to enroll in the hospitals insurance plan when she turns 19.

Helping people from her own neighborhood is another perk.

COVID HELP DESK: What should I change about my grocery store habits?

They like to talk to us a lot, she said. Because (the hospital) really doesnt allow much visitors, especially right now. A lot of them are from here, and I know what they're talking about.

Memorial Hermann also wants to improve living conditions by investing in affordable housing complexes. The system is currently vetting project proposals in these areas, said Carol Paret, senior vice president and Chief Community Health Officer for Memorial Hermann.

Purchasing more products from local businesses and establishing food insecurity programs are part of the plan, she said.

Impacts will build on each other over time, and we hope other large businesses and nonprofit institutions will consider joining us in the effort, she said.

julian.gill@chron.com
A group of around 40 immigrant advocates gathered outside Harris County Democratic Party headquarters on Wednesday to demand action on immigration reform, which continues to be stalled in Congress.

Activists cries for a path to citizenship for immigrants like Dreamers, farm workers and beneficiaries of Temporary Protected States, were met by locked doors at headquarters. The party cited safety issues as to why it did not open the door to protesters.

Cesar Espinosa, executive director of the immigrant advocacy group FIEL, knocked on the door and taped a letter to it asking for Democrats to deliver on their promises of immigration reform to undocumented youth, essential workers and other immigrants, many who have lived in the United States for decades.

If you turn your back on us, we will turn our back on you and we will remember come election time, said Espinosa.

The letter urged Harris County Democrats to write Vice President Kamala Harris and ask her to ignore the Senate parliamentarians decision that immigration reform could not be included in a sweeping spending bill that Democrats are seeking to pass through budget reconciliation, which would allow them to bypass a GOP filibuster.

Reached by phone, Harris County Democratic Party Chair Odus Evbagharu said that as an immigrant himself, he agrees there is an urgent need to create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and other immigrants.

He blamed Republicans for using the filibuster to block action on immigration reform. Senate rules require the votes of 60 senators to end debate so that a measure can be voted on. The Senate is now split 50-50, with Harris holding the tie-breaking vote.

We've got to get rid of the Jim Crow relic, that is the filibuster. Once again, it's obstructing making progress, said Evbagharu.

Calling for reform: Construction CEO tells future builders how immigration policy impacts their livelihoods

At the protest, Hector Portillo, a Salvadoran with temporary protected status, lamented the decades hes spent in the U.S. without immigration reform.

Democrats should follow through with what they promised us, said Portillo, in Spanish.

He explained his three children voted for Democrats, but he feels let down by the partys actions.

Theyre deceiving us, Portillo said.

A 2020 poll by Pew found that 74 percent of adults in the U.S. support granting permanent legal status to immigrants who came to the country illegally when they were kids.

Immigrant advocacy groups FIEL, CRECEN, Workers Defense Project, United We Dream and Woori Juntos signed the letter to Harris County Democrats and attended the small protest.

elizabeth.trovall@chron.com
THE WOODLANDS  Early voters pulling in and out of a community center parking lot on Wednesday were met by a plethora of signs for and against what may be the most heated and consequential item on the Nov. 2 ballot here: Incorporation.

Residents in this master-planned community nestled in pine trees will soon decide if their township, the only one in Texas, will be incorporated into a city.

While advocates say the change would bring more local control over ordinances, law enforcement and infrastructure, critics believe forming a city would be risky, costly and unnecessary right now. They like The Woodlands just the way it is.

EXPLAINER: Here's how The Woodlands would change if it votes to become a city in November

Nothings broke  we dont need to fix it, said Ronda Trow. We were just ranked the No. 1 place to live in America.

Trow, who lives in Spring but works for The Howard Hughes Corp., owner of the Woodlands Development Co., stood in the sun outside of the South County Community Center passing out anti-incorporation materials to voters.

Across the pavement, Steve Lawrence and Jack Ritter handed out flyers urging a yes vote while sporting yellow shirts that said YOU in control. Both said they wanted more local control, especially concerning roads and future development. City status would also mean smaller government, said Lawrence, a precinct chair for the Montgomery County Republican Party of Texas.

Instead of being controlled by so many different groups, were controlled by the people we vote for as a city, he said. And its a smaller group.

A vote for incorporation could bring the most momentous change to The Woodlands, located roughly 30 miles north of downtown Houston, since it was founded in 1974 by Texas billionaure and oilman George Mitchell. The population of the master-planned community has swelled to more than 118,000 people attracted by the residential villages, green parks and swanky Market Street shopping district.

The community is now governed by The Woodlands Township, which began as a community improvement district in 1993 and expanded to an elected board of directors in 2010. The Hughes Corp. in 2011 acquired The Woodlands Development Co. The portfolio included the communitys 2,400 undeveloped acres, according to a blog the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.

Under its current form of governance, The Woodlands contracts for law enforcement, infrastructure maintenance and other core services from Montgomery and Harris counties. It has its own fire department.

On HoustonChronicle.com: The Woodlands residents weigh pros, cons of incorporation

If voters approve a ballot measure establishing the City of The Woodlands, it would create its own police department over a transition period of five years. The city would have control over traffic, roads, community ordinances and drainage. School districts would remain unchanged. Taxes would remain at 22.31 cents per $100 of value under a companion ballot measure.

The issue of incorporation has become fraught with misinformation about taxes and public safety, according to township leaders. In response, the township board has hosted at least three public meetings and posted messages on its website and on social media saying that a report commissioned by the Hughes Corp. contains inaccuracies based on outdated financial data.

During a recent meeting, the townships finance manager gave a presentation to clear up the costs associated with becoming a city, pointing out that the townships data must be accurate for credit rating agencies, bond holders, banking institutions and auditors, not to mention for accounting and government best practices.

The townships board voted on Aug. 13 to put incorporation on the ballot for the Nov. 2 election. The decision came after a consulting firm hired in 2018 completed a study showing that incorporation would not require a tax rate increase.

Soon after the initiative was placed on the ballot, however, the Hughes Corp. released its own report saying that the township grossly underestimated the costs of incorporation  meaning the proposed city would have to raise taxes or cut services, thus jeopardizing public safety.

Montgomery County Sheriff Rand Henderson, Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable and The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce came out against incorporation, citing information from the Hughes Corp.s reports.

The company has contributed more than $150,000 to Preserve The Woodlands, a political action committee opposed to incorporation, according to Transparency USA, a nonprofit website. It said the PAC has collected more than $300,000 in total contributions.

The Hughes Corp. also distributed information in at least one of its apartment complexes in The Woodlands urging residents to vote against incorporation and saying that forming a city would drive up trash-collection costs and rent, according to emails. Township leaders disputed that claim.

Still, many opponents of incorporation said they were voting against it because of the timing and risk of additional costs.

I think its just not the time to incorporate The Woodlands. We have too many good amenities, too many things going for us to disrupt that, said Ted Stanley, chairman of the steering committee for Township Future, another PAC. In some form or another, more moneys coming out of our pocket  maybe not on that tax line, but more moneys coming out of our pockets to cover the expense of what theyre projecting.

The township began to consider its future after the city of Houston annexed Kingwood in 1996, prompting concern among some residents that The Woodlands could meet a similar fate. In 2007, however, the township entered into agreements with the cities of Houston and Conroe ensuring that it could not be annexed for the next five decades.

More Information Voters in The Woodlands are voting on ballot measures to incorporate as a city and set a maximum tax rate of 22.31 cents per $100 of valuation. Among the arguments pro and con: Pro-incorporation: Local control over development, infrastructure, law enforcement Greater access to state and federal funding Taxes projected to stay the same Anti-incorporation: Risk of losing The Woodlands' beloved amenities, quality of life, public safety No pressing reason to do make this irreversible decision now Additional costs of running a city government See More Collapse

More pressing than annexation, however, are infrastructure and development projects that would create more traffic and require tree removal, according to Gordy Bunch. Residents would have more say over such matters if the township became a city, said Bunch, chairman of the township board, adding that his comments represented his personal opinion.

The Chronicle reported in 2014 that some residents were unhappy that developers had been cutting down too many trees, a change from when Mitchell, who died in 2013, was in charge.

Additionally, the township missed out on millions of American Rescue Plan Act funds because it is unincorporated, Bunch said. That money would be back on the table if the township were to incorporate, he said.

The question we should be asking is, Why not now? said Bunch, adding that he thinks its concerning that developers and non-residents are spreading misinformation.

A Montgomery County tea party group, Texas Patriots PAC, has also backed incorporation. It said on its website that the move would strengthen and ensure local control. The group also argued that the township structure has resulted in governance largely affected by the interests of Montgomery and Harris counties and profit-motivated developers.

Ann Snyder was one of two board members who voted against putting incorporation on this years ballot. Snyder, a former Conroe ISD trustee, was concerned about voting for such a consequential issue during an odd-numbered year when fewer people head to the polls  especially with residents preoccupied by the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also expressed concern that the costs of running a city would be higher than projected by the township.

I think incorporation, very simply, is trying to solve a problem that we do not have, she said. Why would we risk the quality of life we have and the public safety we enjoy and the low tax rates with all the amenaties  why would we want to change?

anna.bauman@chron.com
Food and oxygen are scarce on deep space flights. Time is plentiful.

Science fiction has a suggested remedy for this daunting problem: hibernation.

Books and movies have long conveyed the image of people slumbering in transparent pods as they hurtle through space. That future is far away, but a Houston research institute is providing $4 million in grants to bring that vision a little closer.

FUTURISTIC SCIENCE: Rice University is working on an implantable device to help shake off jet lag

Four teams of researchers will investigate clues to hibernation. One group will look to squirrels; another to prehistoric humans for clues about hibernation. A third team will put volunteers into 20-hour-per-day cold sleeps, and the final group will submerge liver tissues to test the notion of submerging astronauts in a below-freezing liquid to halt all bodily functions.

The research could have immediate practical implications on Earth as well as for future space travel.

Ken Ellis

Were advancing the science of potentially suspended animation for space travel, really wacky, said Dorit Donoviel, executive director of the Houston-based Translational Research Institute for Space Health, a NASA-funded organization at the Baylor College of Medicine. But at the very least, we know that organ transplant patients will benefit from this.

In suspended animation, the human body could be cooled down to reduce its metabolism and conserve energy. The persons heart rate would slow, they wouldnt breathe as much and they wouldnt eat as much.

All of this would be useful when traveling hundreds of millions of miles to Mars, or farther, in a spacecraft. Astronauts wouldnt need to pack as much food. They would create less carbon dioxide to scrub from the air. And, for their mental sanity, theyd have less time to go stir crazy in cramped quarters.

The TRISH-funded research could lead to more NASA-funded work or possibly to commercial spinoffs.

Who knows where this is going to lead, Donoviel said. A lot of science you just have to kind of place your bets on it and let the science carry you where it will.

Who are good hibernators?

If humans were to hibernate, they should strive to be like the golden-mantled ground squirrel.

These squirrels are excellent hibernators. They can drop their body temperature to near freezing  the colder the body, the slower the metabolism  and then warm back up without any issues, said Allyson Hindle, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Bears are also good hibernators, though they only lower their body temperature a few degrees.

Then there are animals that hibernate in between those extremes, like the tenrec. This mammal in Madagascar is not a good hibernator.

LEARNING FROM ANIMALS: Humans aren't the only ones to practice social distancing

Most bears survive hibernation. Most ground squirrels survive hibernation. Definitely sometimes tenrec dont survive, Hindle said.

Her hypothesis is that these middle-temperature hibernators arent cold enough to slow down all of their bodily processes (like the squirrels) and arent warm enough to maintain these functions at a near-normal state (like the bears).

Hindle will study how well squirrels hibernate at various temperatures; the goal is to determine what temperature would be best for humans to hibernate. Can they be cooled to room temperature  perhaps the temperature of a spacecraft  or does that become the dangerous tenrec territory?

Like Jurassic Park

Other lessons might be found in the 430,000-year-old remains of an early human species that hibernated.

Researchers from Greece and Spain have examined bones from extinct hominins, potentially Homo heidelbergensis, that later evolved into Neanderthals and modern humans. Evidence indicated reoccurring periods where the hominins didnt eat followed by wakefulness where they did eat and drink, suggesting hibernation.

With the TRISH funding, married researchers Chris Porada and Dr. Graca Almeida-Porada, professors at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, will work with these researchers to extract proteins and DNA from the fossils.

They hope to find specific proteins or genes that were in the hibernating hominins but not in the other hominins. They could then put these proteins or genes into organoids  a collection of humans cells that, for testing purposes, can be arranged to function like a mini organ  to test if they would help the organoid remain functional during hibernation.

Its kind of similar to Jurassic Park, Chris Porada said, but were not trying to revive hominins. Were trying to use information from them in order to enhance abilities of modern humans.

Sleeping for 20 hours

There is also the problem of shivering. And of staying asleep without being in too deep a sleep.

Doctors routinely lower the body temperature of ICU patients whove suffered a severe brain injury or cardiac arrest. They use anesthesia to keep the patient asleep and muscle relaxants to keep the patient from shivering, which warms the body up and would hinder the doctors cooling efforts.

Astronauts, however, cant be completely knocked out as this would prevent them from being roused by spacecraft alarms. And the cooling process in ICUs can be intrusive, using catheters or intravenous lines that could put astronauts at risk of infection.

Dr. Clifton Callaway, professor and vice-chair of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, has been studying ways to cool stroke patients with cooling pads (this could alleviate damage to their brains) while using muscle relaxants that would prevent shivering but keep the patient alert.

VOLUNTEER: UTMB is seeking volunteers with diabetes, cardiac arrhythmia to participate in spaceflight research

His team was testing this on healthy volunteers when Callaway realized it could also be beneficial for astronauts. He would just need to find the right drug and dose for their purposes.

It could also be put in emergency kits for submarines and underground mines.

Callaway envisions using a pill or nasal spray that would relax a persons muscles (so they dont shiver) and put them to sleep. A cooling pad would reduce their body temperature.

Part of the TRISH funding will be used to conduct tests where volunteers will sleep 20 hours a day for several days in a row. In space, the astronauts would sleep 20 hours and then wake up to use the bathroom, eat and exercise.

Benefits for transplants

There could be another, more aggressive approach to lowering body temperature: submerge an astronaut in below-freezing liquid to halt all bodily functions.

Our hypothesis is that in the supercooled state your body is not going to metabolize, said Dr. Tammy T. Chang, associate professor of surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. So its not going to need food. Its not going to make waste. All sort of cellular interaction is just going to stop.

Using a process called isochoric supercooling, the liquid (and astronaut) would be placed in a sturdy container that keeps the volume constant, which stabilizes the preservation solution in a liquid state below freezing so that there wont be ice crystals that can damage the organs.

Changs research team will test this theory with the liver, the only vital organ that does not have a human-made machine to replace its function.

She will start by submerging liver organoids  the collection of cells that function like a mini organ  in preservation solution and then bring the temperature down below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Chang will look for evidence on whether the organoids are still using energy in the supercooled state and whether they can return to good function when they are returned to body temperature.

GETTING TO MARS: Pearland nonprofit's pitch  $100 equals one mile to Mars

Chang will also do this with full-sized donated livers that werent suitable for transplant.

If she is able to supercool the liver without damaging the organ, Changs research could expand the timeframe in which an organ can be removed from one person, shipped across the country and transplanted into another person. It might even allow livers to be stored until a recipient needs one.

The TRISH folks wanted something very bold and aspirational, she said. A whole human person in some kind of preservation liquid in a really sturdy container hurtling through space is a pretty bold and, you know, out there vision.

andrea.leinfelder@chron.com

twitter.com/a_leinfelder
It may take years to know whether children growing up in Houstons Fifth Ward will have lead coursing through their bloodstreams at levels high enough to affect them for the rest of their lives. Too few children across Texas are being tested for lead, despite laws requiring it, according to a federal inspector generals report this week.

Thats disturbing news given that preliminary data from Texas A&M researchers found that Fifth Ward residents might be especially at risk of exposure to lead, which even at low levels can permanently damage the developing brains of very young children, dropping their math and reading test scores in early years and stunt their potential throughout life. The Chronicles Ben Wermund reported that drinking water samples collected from roughly 200 homes in the mostly Black and Latino neighborhood showed at least 30 percent contaminated by lead.

This early finding reinforces what many have long suspected: Houston has a lead problem. Every year, about 800 Houston children under age 6 are confirmed to have elevated levels. Roughly 58 percent of Houstons housing units with children under 6 were built before 1950, long before lead paint was banned in 1978, according to a 2018 Houston Health Department report. Nationwide the biggest cause of lead-poisoning remains the presence of lead-based paint in older homes.

Lead is an insidious neurotoxin. It slowly attacks a childs brain and central nervous system, dropping IQs and altering behavior irreversibly. Studies have shown that lead exposure in childhood may lead to less mature and less healthy personalities in adulthood.

The A&M researchers say their study should sound alarms, underscore the need for parents to get their children tested, and spur the city to find out just how prevalent lead is in Houston, especially in aging neighborhoods.

The studys small sample size means that we simply dont yet know how serious the problem is  but given the disastrous effects of lead poisoning, the city should act urgently to find out.

No one wants Houston to turn into another Flint, Mich. Beginning in 2014, lead seeped into that citys water after it switched its supply and pipes began to corrode. Eighteen months later, a Flint pediatrician released alarming findings: nearly 9,000 children had been drinking lead-contaminated water. Incidences of lead in the blood of children citywide had nearly doubled or tripled in certain neighborhoods.

Thankfully, Houston has for years been trying to reduce the chances of such a public health crisis happening here. The citys Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program offers lead hazard reduction to qualified pre-1978 housing units where children under 6 with high blood-lead levels live. In 2019, the city received a $9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to abate lead in 200 homes in 16 areas across Houston.

More Information Houston and Harris County have HUD funds available to help residents whose water supply is contaminated with lead. The first step, however, is to complete a two-minute survey online by 5 p.m., Oct. 29. To do so, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/leadcopper. See More Collapse

In addition, the city and Harris County have HUD funds available to help residents whose water supply is contaminated with lead. To receive the assistance, residents must complete a two-minute survey online by 5 p.m., Oct. 29. To do so, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/leadcopper.

But Houston must do much more. Water utilities in cities such as Austin are proactively taking a full inventory of all service lines to understand where to prioritize pipe replacements. Other cities such as Fort Worth have gone further by replacing lead service lines  1,396 so far  through normal maintenance activity and water line rehabilitation projects for decades.

To its credit, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently re-evaluating a Trump-era change to the Lead and Copper Rule, which prohibits lead in drinking water, to consider returning to a tougher standard and sped-up deadline for cities to replace lead pipes. Congress has earmarked a combined $45 billion in the Senate-passed infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better budget proposal to address the problem.

In the meantime, all parents with children under 6 in Houston should have their little ones tested for lead poisoning. In a statement, Christine Mann, a spokeswoman for the Texas Health & Human Services Commission, stressed that Texas Medicaid officials recommend children be tested for lead at every medical checkup from 6 months to 6 years.

The recent research shows that children living in older housing stock, and in neighborhoods such as the Fifth Ward where industrial toxins are also present in the soil, are at higher risk. But health officials also note that lead has been detected in children in other neighborhoods, too, including more affluent areas such as the Heights and Rice Military.

Developing a record of blood-lead levels will give parents peace of mind, or a timely warning as the case may be, and will help the city and county target assistance to neighborhoods where lead is an urgent public health issue.

The water crisis in Flint showed us how widespread the damage from lead can be. We cant afford to wait until thousands of Houston kids are poisoned before taking action.
Regarding Rep. Al Green on GOP redistricting: This injustice can be easily corrected, (Oct. 18): What is unquestionably true is that politicians have taken a relatively simple set of requirements enumerated in the Constitution  count all the people in the country, determine the number of representatives from each state and then divide so that each congressional district has about the same number of people  and have made a total mess of it, as have the courts. We cant even do what should be a straightforward exercise without corrupting it, with no end in sight.

We have local politicians acting as though these congressional districts are somehow theirs and the media is complicit in characterizing them as such. Congressional districts are ours, not some politicians. To suggest that districts should remain in the hands of any given politician ignores the fact that we have elections to determine who does and who does not serve us.

Even though we all understand how we have gotten to this point through centuries of injustices, shouldnt we strive to one day count and redistrict without regard to any political party or external personal characteristic?

Kenneth Booth, Seabrook

Chicken fight

Regarding Backyard chickens sparked a lengthy saga in La Marque. Are they a nuisance or a necessity?, (Oct. 18): The debate over backyard chickens has been created because of insufficient understanding of chickens reproductive system. Just like humans, hens produce eggs whether or not they will be fertilized. Roosters are not necessary at all. They are the source of crowing and noise. Without them, the problem is solved.

Debra Flurry, Houston

Taxation

Regarding Bidens plans raising questions about what U.S. can afford to do, (Oct. 18): Americans are an incredibly diverse group of people with different races, religions and levels of income and education. For over 200 years we have remained a nation only because of what we do together in good faith through government, including providing necessities that people cannot adequately obtain from the private sector. These are paid for with taxes but open up investment opportunities in infrastructure, health, education and childcare.

Unfortunately, Ronald Reagan sought political advantage by making an enemy of government. He nearly tripled the national debt while doing less than nothing economically, thus becoming the worst president on fiscal policy in history. Since the 1980s, buying votes with tax cuts has been the default policy of many politicians.

Taxation is a trivial sacrifice compared to serving in the military. In the 20 years after WWII the country prospered with 90 percent taxation on high earners. For wealthy Americans, paying more taxes is a patriotic act.

Michael Douglas Gilbert, Houston

It is obvious from the title of the article that we need the tax increases specified in Bidens plans but not the increased spending. If we then have surpluses in the budget, we can decide where to spend the money. But right now we are the worlds biggest debtor nation which, if continued, will one day be our ruin.

Chris Alba, Spring

Sound pollution

Regarding Houstons weather is about to be glorious. Heres when and what to expect, (Oct. 14): A quick comment about Memorial Park. For those who frequent the park, you already know about its beauty, peace and the solitude you can find there  right in the heart of our large city. My concern is with those who feel the need to inject bright lights and loud noises into that serenity. Last night I was about to complete my three-mile jog when I passed a parking area adjacent to the running trail along the main entrance into the park from Memorial Drive. The parking area had a number of tents that had been set up for a corporate 5K run. Okay, I can live with that. The problem was the bright lights and extremely loud music. For those of us who use the jogging trail and love the solitude and peace, it was like stepping into a 1985 disco club. I hope this was a one time aberration.

Philip Boyko, Houston

Hokey pokey politics

Regarding Editorial: Abbotts ban on vaccine mandates is still a mandate, (Oct. 17): When it comes to Gov. Abbott and his mandates, its hard to keep up. At one point, he was all in on mandates: requiring masks and social distancing at restaurants and businesses. It was almost like he wanted to protect us from COVID-19. Then, he became a Trump wannabe and started mandating against mandates. It reminds me of the Hokey Pokey, an old childrens song: He puts his right foot in, he takes his right foot out, he does the hokey pokey and he turns himself around. Yep, thats what hes all about.

Carl Lloyd, San Antonio
Even with the tough impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Houston is poised to continue its exponential growth. We rank as the seventh largest metro economy in the country, and if our great city was a state, it would rank 14th on the list, right behind Michigan. The Houston housing market continues to post impressive numbers. In July of 2021, Houston-area realtors sold 10,159 single-family homes, according to the Greater Houston Partnership. Compare that to July of 2011, when new home sales totaled 5,962.

However, even with so much growth and promise, our community faces challenges when it comes to housing affordability.

According to the Kinder Institute at Rice University, rents and home prices continue to rise in the greater Houston area, making the city less affordable for many residents. As the Kinder Institute points out, in 2018, 47 percent of the total renter households in Harris County paid more than 30 percent of their income toward housing, classifying them as cost-burdened. Even worse, of those renters, about 23 percent pay more than 50 percent of their income in rent. These are costs that no American should have to face. These rising rents are also making it harder for people to save for a down payment, putting home ownership further and further out of reach for too many in our community.

But of all the stats Kinder highlights, one of the most concerning is the reduction in Black home ownership. The figures paint a startling picture: Black homeownership fell from 41 percent in 2010 to 37 percent in 2018 across Harris County, and from 36 percent to 31 percent in the city of Houston.

As a community we cannot allow this to continue. We must ensure every Houstonian is able to participate in our citys success. And that means helping provide access  for all  to the financial resources and education necessary to make homeownership a reality.

Programs like Wells Fargos Neighborhood LIFT will be instrumental in ensuring minority communities also experience the benefits of Houstons growth. Through this program, Wells Fargo is providing $15,000 down payments to 304 households, with no requirement that the home loan is funded through their bank. Even better, residents who remain in their homes are eligible to have a fifth of their loan forgiven every year  with full loan forgiveness after five years.

The City of Houston and Harris Countys down payment assistance programs as well as the Houston Community Land Trust, which launched in 2018, are other resources available to limited-income households looking to become homeowners in the region. The City of Houston currently offers down payment assistance to first time homeowners whose income is at or below 80 percent of the area median income. On the other hand, the Community Land Trust uses a model based on the principles of shared ownership and permanent affordability to help limited-income households to purchase a home.

However, in a city like Houston which faces many natural disasters, repairing and preserving homes for families is just as critical. Several non-profit partners lead these efforts in Houston.

The Local Initiatives Support Corporation is proud to contribute to these and other critical efforts in Houston to support the development and preservations of affordable homes. Since 1989, LISCs investments have resulted in the development of over 10,000 affordable single- and multi-family homes

Our city has been through a lot in recent years. From Hurricane Harvey to the first global health pandemic in 100 years, our community has made it through and is emerging stronger than ever. But there are those who are still struggling from these events. They are our neighbors, struggling to afford their first home  a critical opportunity for asset-building  because they are paying too much in rent, month after month.

I have seen firsthand the generosity of Houstonians  whether it was our residents getting in their boats to save their neighbors during Harvey, or our health care workers leading the effort to combat the pandemic. The work of our communitys banks is an important step, and Houstonians should take advantage of all the programs providing resources. But we still need to do more when it comes to addressing access to quality housing for all.

Laura Jaramillo is the executive director of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Houston. With thirty-two years of experience working with residents and partners in Houston to create resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity, LISC provides capital and resources to drive equitable and inclusive growth including affordable housing opportunities
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday appointed John Scott, a Fort Worth attorney and longtime ally, as Texas next secretary of state  the top official who oversees Texas voting processes and election law.

Scott, who worked for Abbott while he was attorney general, also briefly represented former President Donald Trump in his bid to overturn the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania, where voters narrowly elected Democrat Joe Biden after doing the same for Trump four years earlier.

He served as counsel only for a few days in November before withdrawing his name from the lawsuit  though his background is the latest marker of Trumps sustained influence over Texas election decisions.

'THE LIMITATION OF DONALD TRUMP': Election audit bill fails to pass in Texas Legislature

The former president has also lobbied the state in recent weeks to pass an election audit bill  a call that Abbott heeded and added to the agenda for the most recent special legislative session. The measure didnt have enough votes to pass, though, even with firm GOP majorities in both chambers.

Eric Gay /Associated Press

The secretary of state mostly handles the logistics behind elections, but the position has become increasingly politicized over the past year as Trump has falsely claimed that widespread election fraud cost him a second term as president. After Trump publicly pressured Abbott to prioritize the auditing measure in September, the secretary of states office announced that it had started a full forensic audit of 2020 election results in Texas four most populous counties.

Scott will now supervise that endeavor, which Trump has pushed in other GOP-led states after election litigation failed. In Pennsylvania, where Scott signed onto a lawsuit last year, the former presidents campaign argued that more than 680,000 ballots should be discarded because election watchers were not able to adequately observe their processing.

The suit was dismissed in late November, with a federal judge accusing the Trump campaign of relying on strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations to throw out legally cast ballots. Scott had withdrawn as counsel about a week prior, as had Texas state Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Mineola Republican.

The secretary of states post has been vacant since May, when former interim Secretary of State Ruth Hughs stepped down after the Senate failed to confirm her appointment during the regular legislative session. While GOP lawmakers had not publicly expressed a lack of faith in Hughs, Democrats blamed their inaction on her offices assertion that Texas had a smooth and secure election in 2020.

'DEMOCRAT-LED' CITIES: Ted Cruz files bill to send migrants to Martha's Vineyard, other coastal cities

John understands the importance of protecting the integrity of our elections and building the Texas brand on an international stage, Abbott said in a news release. I am confident that John's experience and expertise will enhance his oversight and leadership over the biggest and most thorough election audit in the country.

Democrats immediately criticized Abbotts pick as the latest GOP attempt to bolster Trumps false voter fraud claims. State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie and head of the House Democratic Caucus, also blasted the governor for waiting until the end of three special sessions to choose Scott, whose appointment could have been considered by the Senate during that time.

Now, the confirmation process will likely take place in 2023, when the Legislature is scheduled to meet for another regular session  a delay that denies Texans the fair and transparent process they deserve, Turner said. Scott will serve in an interim role until then.

Texans need a secretary of state who will fight for and protect the right to vote and not undermine it for political gain, Turner said.

Scott will all but certainly encounter political tension during his tenure. His job will include oversight of Texas new voting law, a controversial overhaul of the states election processes that twice prompted House Democrats to flee the state Capitol this summer in an eventually failed bid to stop Republicans from passing it.

The final version of the bill, which Abbott signed last month, prohibits overnight and drive-thru voting and removes some restrictions on partisan poll watchers, among other provisions.

As secretary of state, Scott will also serve as a senior adviser and liaison to the governor on matters concerning the Texas-Mexico border and relations with the states southern neighbor.

Scott could not be reached for comment Thursday. He has more than three decades of experience as an attorney and served as deputy attorney general for civil litigation while Abbott was attorney general.

Scott then continued to serve in various positions across state government, becoming the chief operating officer of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and later the board chairman for the Department of Information Resources.

He returned to the private sector in 2015 and has law offices in Austin and Fort Worth.

Cayla.Harris@express-news.net
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday sued the Biden administration for halting construction of the southern border wall, arguing that Department of Homeland Security officials must spend funds approved by Congress for the barrier under the Trump administration.

In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Paxton joined with Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt  a fellow Republican  to contend that President Joe Biden ran afoul of the law when he issued an executive order pausing all wall construction on his first day in office.

The argument mirrors one from Senate Republicans who earlier this year requested that a nonpartisan watchdog agency review whether Bidens order had infringed upon Congress constitutional power of the purse. The Government Accountability Office found that Biden was authorized to delay the wall funding, though Paxtons lawsuit notes the agency also recommended that the White House submit a timeline for spending the funds.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Biden administration axes border wall contracts for Laredo area

The President and his agencies may not unilaterally override duly enacted appropriations bills to fulfill a campaign promise, the lawsuit reads.

Paxton and Schmitt argue that Biden is violating the constitutional doctrine known as the separation of powers, which generally divides the federal government into three separate branches. They also contend that Biden violated a 1974 law that established restraints on when the president and other officials could withhold funds approved by Congress.

Biden, who vowed throughout his presidential campaign to stop building the wall, said upon signing his executive order that a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution. In June, he diverted $2.2 billion in wall funding to the Department of Defense for military construction projects.

Texas Republicans, including Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott, have been some of the loudest critics of Bidens border policies, blaming the White House for a surge in migrant encounters along the southern border.

Last month, the Legislature approved roughly $1 billion for Abbotts plan to continue building the wall, part of a $1.8 billion spending package that also funds a surge in state troopers to the border.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas lawmakers approve $1.8B for border security requested by Abbott

The federal government built about 450 miles of new barriers during the Trump administration, mostly in Arizona.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush, a Republican who is trying to unseat Paxton in the 2022 primary, filed a similar lawsuit in July  one that was also based on the argument that Congress had already approved wall funding.

On Thursday, Bush senior adviser J.R. Hernandez responded to Paxton on Twitter, criticizing the attorney general for filing the exact (same) lawsuit as Bush.

They say immitation (sic) is the most sincere form of flattery but maybe if you werent so plagued with scandal youd be more focused on the #bidenbordercrisis, Hernandez wrote.

jasper.scherer@chron.com
WASHINGTON  U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has filed a bill to establish ports of entry in Marthas Vineyard, Palo Alto, Calif., and other coastal cities, a bit of legislative trolling that the Texas Republican says is an effort to alleviate the massive overload at the southern border by establishing new ports of entry in Democrat-led communities.

The bill  a messaging effort unlikely to go far in the Democratic-led Congress  would direct the Homeland Security Department to transfer migrants from Texas border towns to 13 new ports of entry, including Cambridge, Mass., home of Harvard University, and Rehoboth Beach, Del., a regular vacation spot for President Joe Biden.
Graduating senior Amber Johnson reacts with joy as she is handed her diploma by Kenwood Academy Principal Karen Calloway during graduation ceremonies at Soldier Field on Monday, June 14. Three hundred and eighty seniors graduated this year.
About This Property Beautiful storybook 1840 historic home with a peaceful private setting, get away from it all! This artfully restored home offers a high level of comfort and many exciting fit and finishes not found in many homes. From the kitchen with original NYC subway tiles to the massive fireplace constructed with Boston curbstones, this home is truly unique. Hike in your woods or enjoy swimming or fishing in your one-acre pond while marveling at the imaginative landscaping that truly sets this home apart. A pure blend of rustic and refinement located conveniently between Northampton and the Berkshires in beautiful Hampshire county. *High Speed Internet*



Land Details Community Details Acres Apx: 62.00

Parking Type: Off Street

Lot Description: Add'L Land Avail,Irregular Shape,Wooded

Region: Outside Berkshire Other MA

Elem School: Other

Middle School: Other

High School: Other

Exterior Details Interior Details Color: Beige

Style: Cape

Construction: Wood Frame

Exterior: Clapboard

Water: Well

Sewer: Private

Underground Oil Tank: No

Views: Scenic,Water

Waterfront: Pond,Pond Access,Private Beach,Seasonal Brook

Garage: None

Total Rooms: 8

Total Full Baths: 3

Fuel: Oil,Wood

Hot Water: Electric

Electric: 200 Amp

Floor: Wood

Lead Paint: Unk

Heat/Cool: Forced Air,Furnace

Appliances Incl: Cooktop,Dishwasher,Dryer,Refrigerator,Wall Oven,Washer

Accessibility: 1st Flr Bdrm w/Bath



Search More Properties With these Features Barn/Stable Deciduous Shade Trees Dock Landscaped Mature Landscaping Outbuilding Porch Alarm System Fireplace (s) Interior Balcony Vaulted Ceilings
BCC Receives Grant from Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation for Disability Resource Center

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The Berkshire Community College (BCC) Foundation has been awarded a $3,950 grant from Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation to support the college's Disability Resource Center (DRC).

The funds will be used to purchase assistive technology equipment, including digital "smart pens" and recorders, for students with documented disabilities.

Nearly 200 students with disabilities enroll at BCC each year, representing about 15 percent of the total student population. The DRC assists BCC in meeting the needs of these students and in complying with federal and state mandates designed to help them succeed. Specifically, the DRC coordinates specialized academic advising, arranges for alternative test-taking, refers students to local service agencies, assesses learning strengths and weaknesses, and identifies alternative access routes for students with physical disabilities.

"The BCC Foundation is grateful to be a recipient of a Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation grant," said Shela Levante, BCC Director of Development. "The pandemic has disrupted the learning of all students, and it's a top priority of the college to ensure that all students have the resources they need to thrive. By partnering with Berkshire Life, we are able to provide the educational support services our students need to maximize their potential for academic success."

Assistive technology can be an asset students with disabilities, who often struggle with attention, focus and information-processing. Smart pens, for example, promote independence in note-taking. As the student writes partial notes, the smart pen records audio and uses an infrared camera to sync what the student writes with the audio. After a lecture, students simply tap on a word and the pen will sync to the place in the lecture in which the professor was discussing that topic.

In addition to the DRC, BCC offers a range of support services in support of its mission to foster success in the classroom. These services include transition to college programs, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs, tutorial services, a writing center, a TRIO Student Support Services program and personal counseling.
CHESHIRE, Mass.  The Board of Selectmen is leery of a program being used by the Hoosac Valley Regional School District to assess students and the school community.

The board asked school officials to attend Tuesday's meeting specifically to discuss Panorama Education, a platform the district uses that provides reports that give educators individualized data they can use to inform their support for students' academic, social, and emotional learning.

"I think there are some issues that we need to work through as a community, and I think we can work together on navigating security issues that I can see being a part of the whole system and others related to software," Chairwoman Michelle Francesconi said Tuesday during the joint meeting.

Superintendent Aaron Dean gave a quick overview of the program and explained how the district uses it. He said he worked with the company when they were a startup when he was an educator in Pittsfield. He said HVRSD implemented the program in 2020 after discussing it at a public meeting.

"This is a decision that is made by the School Cpmmittee so it is not typical that we would come here and present this," Dean said. "But I want to make sure that we put the information out in a factual way."

Dean said the district uses the platform to release surveys to help gather student, family, and staff "voice." He said it is really a way to amplify and measure the entire community and use this information to better instruction and policy.

"It gives us a big snapshot of the district," he said. "Panorama is the gold standard."

He said the district uses the software like many other districts in the state and the country. The survey function of the platform allows the release research-based surveys to give the district a better idea of school climate, student engagement, supportive relationships, school safety, and student-teacher relations.

Dean said the program helps the district get a better sense of social-emotional learning, something that the state mandates that they monitor

"If we don't maintain that then we are on the hook," he said. "So it is important that we have that information and collect it."

He said all families were sent an explainer on the program and given the opportunity to opt out.

"This is not about trapping anybody," he said. "This is about getting as much information as we can to support kids and to support families."

He said in reality, the district uses the platform twice a year to get a reading on the community.

"This is something we use for 20 minutes twice a year," Dean said. "It is not the crux of everything we do. It is just a tool we use to be better informed."

Francesconi was more suspicious of the company in general and had a fear that the data was logged and possibly exploited. She noted known security risks with Facebook and said Mark Zuckerberg's foundation has financially supported Panorama.

"I think this is bigger than most people understand, and I want to get to the bottom of what this is and what the district is using this data for and what they are taking," she said.

Dean said data is only viewed at the aggregate level and is in the school district's possession via a cloud service, not Panorama's. He said the information is secure and individual student information is not available for viewing.

"There is no connection to any personal data," he said. "... So if someone has a password they cannot get into our student information system and view a person's individual information. They are secure, and we are very confident in our tech department."

He said the security features work similarly to other education tools the district uses.

Francesconi asked about student records with a concern that this survey data followed a student throughout their lives. She likened the situation to the dystopian young adult novel "The Giver"

"From the ages of 3 to 12 in 'The Giver' students are assessed for social and strengths and weaknesses. There are a lot of parallels," she said. "Then they get steered into a path. When you have all of these pieces of information ... teachers, without even knowing, will shift a student into a certain career path. I know it sounds dystopian but what I am talking about is happening. It is an uncomfortable situation and we are all being held down."

Dean said realistically any information gathered would not impact students or follow them.

"How a student answered a question in second grade has no bearing on where they are in 12th grade," Dean said. "It is not going to follow them anywhere. When you send a transcript to college you aren't including a second-grade Panorama survey."

He added that student records are destroyed seven years after graduation.

School Committee member Bethany DeMarco asked where the questions were coming from. She said she wasn't sure if they were the board's questions, parents' or Francesconi's. She also did not think the conversation should be held at a selectmen's meeting.

"I just feel like this should be at a School Committee meeting. This is town time," she said. "Are their parents that asked you to come forward? ... This seems like it is coming from you, and it is out of the town's purview."

School Committee member Michael Mucci agreed and said the conversation really should not be taking place at a board of selectmen's meeting but should run through the proper channels at the district level. He added that per the district's legal counsel, the town has no jurisdiction over what software the district chooses to use.

Francesconi said she brought the issue to the board and the questions were her own based on her own research. She added that others have aired similar concerns to her.

"I really don't think that people have grasp on what information is out there," she said. "... I feel like, with a lot of things in the world right now, we are at a juncture where things are different."

She felt it was under the town's purview because the town funds a portion of the school district's budget and she was wary of potential future dealings with the FBI.

"I think there are a lot of things going on that just don't come up to the forefront of the conversation. I read a lot from a wide variety of sources and non-mainstream media and these are concerns that are being approached nationally and other places," she said. "I don't think I am overreaching because it is only a matter of time before we are making decisions whether we want the FBI to come here. I am trying to ward that off."

Francesconi was referring to a letter sent to President Biden by the National School Boards Association in late September that asked for federal assistance to investigate and stop threats made over education policies. Confrontations in some parts of the country have included threats, assaults, violent protests and disruptions at schools and meetings over masks, vaccines and curriculums.

In response to this, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland released a memorandum that would ask the FBI to work with authorities in each district to develop strategies against the threats.

Francesconi highlighted that the letter referred to some of the actions from parents as a form of domestic terrorism. She concerns that parent involvement eventually would be eliminated from the School Committee.

"I think we have crossed into territory that none of us have seen before," she said.

Mucci said that this was not the case and the district does not plan to change its policies in response to whatever is happening at the national level.

"Michelle, that is a reach," he said. "I understand what you are reading and saying, but we follow the rules and laws of the state of Massachusetts."

Dean said the district wants more parent involvement at its meetings. He said that is why they use Panorama to get a better sense of that voice that is not always present at their meetings.

"I feel like there is an accusation here that we are doing something wrong, that we hiding something. We are just trying to do our job better," Dean said. "... We do everything we can to be transparent."

Francesconi stepped back and noted that her anger is really not directed at the HVRSD but national concerns and her suspicion toward some of the big tech companies getting a stronger foothold in education during the pandemic.

"My security concerns are not really on the district level. They are with the Panorama," she said. "If you sense anger and hostility from me I am angry at the position that districts nationally, globally have been put in. I think that a lot of these software companies offer products that really benefit them."

Selectman Jason Levesque agreed and cited an ACLU case in West Springfield where an education software platform a school district was using was logging keystrokes, and accessing student webcams and student computers.

He said his main concern was students' privacy, and that he wanted to make sure student data was safe.

Dean agreed education looks different now and has shifted more toward technology, especially in the past few years. He was confident in the district's policies and methods and reaffirmed that their main goal is to help students and to be transparent about how they are doing it.

He welcomed the conversation and asked Francesconi to send along other questions she may have about the services the district uses.

School Committee member Regina Hill agreed with Dean and said both bodies are capable and want what's best for the students in the two communities. She said with this partnership she is confident they can navigate many of these larger concerns as well as the smaller ones.

"I think you have two well-working boards ... we are all elected ... we hire talented people and we come from all different walks of life," she said. "I think we have to learn to trust each other and that we have the best interest of the students in mind and you have the best interest of the community. Together I think we can work together."
Artist Dorothy Sabean Opens Show at BCC

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s Koussevitzky Arts Center welcomes artist Dorothy Sabean's show, "From Street to Elite and the Curiosities in Between."

The exhibit is on view through Nov. 16. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

Sabean's, a visual artist who works with mixed media, art was first publicly displayed in the early 2000s at the Sarasota Chalk Festival in Florida, one of many such large street painting festivals held throughout the southern and western parts of the United States.

Trained in the public eye among talented madonnari (street painters) and muralists from all over the globe, Sabean street-painted and taught young chalk artists for many years.

In 2011, growing weary of seeing her artworks wash down the street in a heavy rain, she pursued canvas art training in St. Petersburg, Fla. She went on to have solo gallery showings and international sales.

In 2014, her book, "Seventh of Eleven: An Illustrated Memoir" was published. In this collection of drawings and essays, she chronicles her '70s era childhood as the seventh child in a family of eleven children. In recent years, the artist relocated from Florida to the Berkshires.

Sabean continues to create art both indoors and out, large and small.
Tribes in Okanogan County celebrating after being given 9,200 acres of land that was taken from them in 1892
Pakistan's foreign minister says his country will keep its border with Afghanistan open around the clock to support bilateral trade and the new Taliban government
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Myanmars military junta has freed 13 journalists and media workers, after its announcement on October 18 that over 5,000 prisoners and wanted persons are to be exonerated in an amnesty on humanitarian grounds. While the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is relieved to hear of the media workers release, we are gravely concerned by reports of rearrest. The junta must do more to adhere to international rights conventions and immediately free the scores of media workers who remain unduly imprisoned in Myanmar.

On October 18, the nations military announced a mass release slated to free over 1,316 detainees and drop charges against 4,320 dissidents, some of which were fugitives. The junta did not release a schedule structuring this release, with relatives flocking to prison gates across the country. Among the first groups of prisoners freed were 13 media workers. Recent reports place the number of journalists who remain imprisoned at 38.

According to a social media post from the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), three of its journalists, Min Nyo, Thet Nain Win and Aung Kyaw were released on October 18. Mizzima administrator Ko James, cofounder Daw Thin Thin Aung and reporter Ko Zaw Zaw were also released. On October 19, Htet Myat Thu, photojournalist for the Voice of Thanbyuzayat was freed along with journalist and author, Tu Tu Tha, whose family confirmed her release from Yangons Insein prison.

Five Kachin-based journalists were released from Myitkyina prison on October 20, including Myo Myat Myat Pan, Ko A Jal and Christopher from Myitkyina News Journal, Ma Chan Bu from the 74 Media, and Ko Larol from Kachin Wave Media.

Reportedly, only those convicted or charged for incitement relating to anti-junta protests will be considered for release by authorities, meaning that those detained for terrorism relating to anti-junta activities will remain imprisoned.

The mass release follows the junta chiefs exclusion at an upcoming summit by the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc, with many seeing the amnesty as an attempt to repair Myanmars international reputation. Subsequent reports suggest that approximately forty prisoners were released only to be reimprisoned shortly thereafter.

In a statement on Twitter, United Nations Special Rapporteur, Tom Andrews, said that the juntas decision to release the prisoners is not a change of heart but evidence that the administration is not immune to international pressure. While todays announcement by the Myanmar junta of the release of over 5,000 political prisoners is welcome, it is important to remember that junta forces detained these individuals illegally for exercising their fundamental human rights, Andrews said. It is outrageous that any were arbitrarily detained in the first place.

According to Myanmar advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), over 7,000 people have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the coup on February 1, 2021. In a statement, the AAPP expressed concerns that the mass release was intended as a distraction for foreign governments. The junta will continue to refuse being transparent about the individual persons released, and who remains detained, the statement said.

The IFJ said: While the IFJ welcomes the release of the 13 media workers from arbitrary detainment, the Myanmar juntas continues to imprison dozens of journalists and activists and it is evident that this act of so-called amnesty was precipitated by a blatant contravention of international human rights. The IFJ urges Myanmars military authorities to immediately release all journalists and media workers who remain unlawfully detained.
As the country shifts to rainy and cold weather, most Filipino households are now preparing how to keep their homes perfectly fit the indoor mood. While the cold and gloomy weather is still far from over, might as well consider rain-proofing your homes with extra comfort, security, and readiness. XTREME Appliances, the countrys leading one-stop shop appliance brand, just introduced new products that will make the monsoon season bearable and sustainable.

Stay warm and cozy with these useful and practical appliances that are truly must-haves these monsoon days.

Insect Killer

Everyone wants pest-free homes, stress-free nights, and less itchy days this rainy season. This XTREME Home Insect Killer (XH-IK50) doesnt use any chemicals to do its job, making it safer to use inside your households. One of the best things about this product is its minimal power consumption  a practical option if you want to use it overnight to ensure the familys safety from pests and insects. For only Php1,095, you can now have worry-free nights and safer households.

Coffee Maker

Rainy days call for a hot cup of coffee while watching your favorite Netflix show. If youre looking for a perfect cup of hot caffeine, the 1.5L XTREME Home Coffee Machine (XH-ESCM), priced at Php3,735, is perfect for you! It has a Touch Panel Control and a combination of black and stainless steel finish that make it sleek and modern-looking. Moreover, you dont have to worry about overheating  thanks to its Overheating and Overpressure Protection device.

Deep Fryer

While we stay at home in this cold weather, our fried food cravings will never cease. To satisfy your good old-fashioned fried food cravings, this 2.5L XTREME Home Deep Fryer (XH-DFPL25) has an anti-slip base which makes it safer and hassle-free to use. Not to mention, it has a stainless steel housing and enamel coating oil tank which is easy to clean and maintain.

Electric Kettles

Electric Kettle has always been one of the best ways to heat water for your favorite hot drinks. The newest XTREME Home Electric Kettles provide a quick and easy way to warm up the water but with minimal power consumption. For only Php1,995, the 1.9L XTREME Home Electric Kettle (XH-KTDW172S) boasts a stainless steel housing and has 6 Preset Heat Settings that let you set a precise temperature depending on your needs.

On the other hand, the 2L XTREME Home Electric Kettle (XH-KTDW172S), priced at Php895, has a concealed heating element  thanks to its matte plastic housing.

In case you forgot to put water, both electric kettles have Boil-Dry Protection with Auto Safety Shut Off feature. Moreover, these new units are equipped with a removable scale filter that maintains the cleanliness of the water while boiling.

Food Steamer

Are you looking for an appliance that you can use to quickly and efficiently cook food? For only Php1,695, this XTREME Home Food Steamer (XH-FS105) might be the perfect answer for you! It has a large capacity of a 10.5L steam basket that lets you place an impressive amount of food to be cooked. This quick boiling food steamer has a 60-minute timer and automatic shut-off feature for hassle-free cooking.

Induction Cooker

During rainy days, cooking your favorite soup dish would be a great way to warm up our bodies. The new 3100W XTREME Home Induction Cooker (XH-IC21002) allows you to cook two dishes at the same time. For only Php3,995, this is good for people who are living independently in a condo or apartment. One of the most important advantages of having an induction cooker at home is the safetiness. This induction cooker recognizes when a pan is in place through its Automatic Shut-Off feature  minimizing the risk of burns and accidents.

To keep updated on the latest news and happenings of XTREME Appliances, like and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok accounts and join their official online community on Facebook, XTREME Fam. For the full list of products and exclusive discounts, please visit XTREME on Website, Lazada, and Shopee e-commerce.
realme, the Philippines no. 1 brand for smartphones, watches, and True Wireless Stereo (TWS) for Q2 of 2021, just launched a stellar lineup of new TechLife products aimed at empowering the modern digital lifestyles of Filipinos.

Unveiled via a livestream event on the realme Philippines Facebook page and YouTube channel last October 21, the new devices are part of realmes full-circle digital ecosystem with smart AIoT products designed to complement each other smoothly to help Filipinos live more efficiently and conveniently. Included in the launch were the realme Pad, the realme Band 2, the realme TechLife Robot Vacuum, and the realme TechLife Handheld Vacuum, among many others.

Complete your realme TechLife with the brands latest tech innovations, all at exciting early-bird deals starting October 22!

An all-around tablet under Php10,000

The livestream event was headlined by the launch of the new realme Pad, the brands first-ever contender in the tablet category. Designed to entertain, it provides a no-frills all-around tablet experience that lends well to our day-to-day lives, be it for work or for play.

The realme Pad boasts a crisp and vivid 10.4-inch WUXGA+ immersive display with up to 2000x1200 resolution, Dolby Atmos Quad Speakers on each corner, and a Helio G80 Gaming Processor that can handle and perform various tasks with ease. Other features include a 7100mAh massive battery, 8MP front and rear camera, and Dual Mic Noise Cancellation, perfect for all your tech-driven needs.

The realme Pad comes in two colors: Real Grey and Real Gold, and in three variants: 3GB+32GB available for Php10,990, 4GB+64GB for Php14,990, and 6GB+128GB for Php16,990.

Starting October 22, customers can avail the realme Pad 3GB+32GB for an exclusive early-bird deal on Shopee of only Php8,990, a Php2,000 discount from SRP.

The realme Pad is also available in nearly 500 realme stores and over 4,000 partner dealers nationwide. From October 22 to 31, the realme 3GB+32GB variant will also be available at a discounted price of Php9,990, Php1,000 off from SRP.

The 24/7 health and fitness companion

Aside from the realme Pad, the brand also unveiled the realme Band 2, which is designed to be your 24/7 health and fitness companion anywhere you go.

The fitness watch has a 1.4-inch 320x167 touchscreen, and is equipped with notable health features such as 24/7 heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep tracking, step counting, and hydration and activity reminders, among many others.

Coming in a sleek black colorway, the realme Band 2 is available with an early-bird price of Php1,740 (Php750 OFF SRP) via the realme Official Store on both Shopee and Lazada.

Make cleaning smarter and more efficient

The brand also unveiled two important new additions to their TechLife lineup of smart home devices, which help housework be even easier and more effortless. These are the realme TechLife Robot Vacuum and the realme TechLife Handheld Vacuum.

The realme TechLife Robot Vacuum is a two-in-one robot vacuum and mop that works with a LiDAR Smart Mapping and Navigation System, which allows it to intelligently sense its surroundings and clean more efficiently. It also allows for a customized cleaning plan for different areas of the house.

Meanwhile, the realme TechLife Handheld Vacuum is a lightweight wireless vacuum cleaner with 9.5KPa super suction and multiple brushes to help you clean your home more efficiently. To prevent secondary pollution, it also adopts a high-efficiency HEPA filter to capture microscopic dust and allergens.

The realme TechLife Robot Vacuum retails for Php16,990, while the realme TechLife Handheld Vacuum goes for Php8,990; both have flash sale offers on Lazada and Shopee for Php13,990 (Php3,000 OFF SRP) and Php6,490 (Php2,500 OFF SRP) respectively.

Aside from these devices, realme has also released a wide range of other products designed to complete your TechLife. This includes the realme Beard Trimmer and Beard Trimmer Plus available respectively for Php1,090 and Php1,990 (flash sale price: Php710 and Php1,390), as well as the realme Hair Dryer available for Php1,690 (flash sale price: Php1,290).

Start living your realme TechLife today! Get the realme TechLife products you need on the official realme store on Lazada and Shopee, and in nearly 500 realme stores and over 4,000 partner dealers nationwide.
Where you locate matters tremendously to your startup's future. In my book, Startup Cities, I found that each city has a different attitude towards startups. Those cultural differences between regions can make a huge difference in whether your startup can raise capital and hire the talent you need to turn your idea into a fast-growing public company.

Consider the case of file storage service, Dropbox. Its CEO, Drew Houston is a Massachusetts native who graduated from MIT and first pitched his idea -- a service that would let people store spreadsheets, photos, and other files on their desktop and the cloud -- to Boston-area investors, according to the Boston Globe.

The local investors thought it was a nice idea that Microsoft or Google could easily copy -- so they passed on it. When Houston gave a demo in Silicon Valley, an angel investor chatted with his cofounder after their pitch and introduced them to Sequoia Capital -- a leading venture capital firm -- that invested within days.

Boston investors must be kicking themselves now. Dropbox went public and now has a stock market capitalization of $11 billion while Houston -- who recently gave MIT $10 million to endow a professorship to MIT -- has a net worth $2.2 billion, noted the Globe.

Surely it mattered for Dropbox before the pandemic -- but now that so many people are working from home and millions are quitting their jobs -- does location still matter? And when people can theoretically work from anywhere, why should a company spend money on office space in a specific location?

Here are four takeaways for business leaders that I glean from Houston's decision to reduce Dropbox's office space by 80 percent.

1. Figure out what work can continue to be done remotely.

The pandemic sent many workers home. If their work was doable through a combination of typing into a laptop and participating in videoconferencing, there may be little reason to change that approach.

However, you should analyze objectively how well that work has been getting done. Are your people producing high quality work and meeting deadlines? More generally, are your productivity, customer retention, customer satisfaction, and market share rising?

If so, you should keep that work remote. You should also explore whether there are other kinds of work that have been done in the office that could be shifted to remote work while improving performance.

If your company's productivity and market share trends are deteriorating, you should find out why. This investigation should help you determine whether you should move some of your work back to in-person or take other actions to solve the problem.

2. Know the purpose of your in-person interactions.

Houston saw the pandemic as a 100-year-flood-like event that forced him to rethink how people work. While he was happy that people can work from home -- and realizes that it saves them commuting time, he also concluded that in-person interactions have an enduring purpose: to build relationships with coworkers, the Globe reported.

The most significant takeaway for business leaders is to rethink whether office space is something your company still needs and if so, what the purpose of the space should be.

3. Choose office space to suit that purpose.

In a world transformed by Covid-19, different kinds of companies have different space requirements. It's likely that manufacturing companies will still need factories and warehouses and store-based retailers will still need stores so consumers can see and touch their products before buying.

Companies that provide a service enhanced by computers need far less office space than they did before. For Dropbox, the answer was to eliminate individual desks and turn the office into a "convening, collaborative space," Houston said. Dropbox has achieved this purpose while eliminating costs by reducing its real estate footprint by 80 percent.

Business leaders may not be able to reduce their office space as much as Dropbox has -- but they should make sure to fit their space requirements to a clear purpose in a world where much office work can be done at home.

4. Let your people choose when to come to the office.

Finally, I agree with Dropbox's policy that individual work should be done at home and people should not be required to come into the office a specific number of days each week. The reason is that all the team members working on a project might not be in the office on the same day.

I would let team members agree on a day when they will all meet together in the office to strengthen their relationships.
Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community!

Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region.
In a press conference with Gov. Dan McKee Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Nicole Alexander Scott of the Rhode Island Department of Health announced that the state of Rhode Island has expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to all adults over the age of 18. Citing rising case numbers in the state, Alexander Scott and state officials are hoping to encourage residents of the state to get the booster shots ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and winter months. Are you planning on getting a COVID-19 booster shot? Why or why not? Let us know below.

You voted:
"Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors." | "KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary." | "No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account."

www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.


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.
Clarkson University's highest community service honor, the Bertrand H. Snell Award, was bestowed upon the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department, including its recent former Director Dana McGuire, Ph.D., and Interim Director Jolene Munger, MPH, at a reception in their honor co-hosted by Clarkson President Tony Collins and University Trustees on October 15, 2021.

The St. Lawrence County Public Health Department, McGuire and Munger were recognized, in part, for leading the county's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the direction of then-director McGuire and current interim director Munger, the Department of Public Health helped to guide residents of the county through unprecedented times while fulfilling the department's commitment to its 17 other programs, including rabies and flu clinics, early intervention referrals and other communicable disease investigations. The department had a hand in nearly every phase of the fight against the pandemic, including coordinating efforts at hospitals, rescue services, schools and colleges.

"The measured and comprehensive manner with which the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department responded to the pandemic cannot be understated. The swift action of the department reflected the invaluable leadership shown by Dana McGuire and Jolene Munger," said Tony Collins, President of Clarkson University. "The knowledge, work ethic and capability to strive for excellence during this health crisis served residents of the county well and saved countless lives."

Raised in Minnesota, McGuire first moved to the North Country in 1998, working as a physical therapist for United Helpers. She studied and taught at Clarkson, earning her master's degree in business administration in 2002 and she served on the task force for the St. Lawrence Health Initiative. She later earned her doctorate in epidemiology at the University of Rochester in 2015.

After working as an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, McGuire returned to the North Country to serve as the county's public health director. In her role with the St. Lawrence County, McGuire directed local health department programs, activities and grants, and led countywide opioid response efforts. She regularly briefed community stakeholders and the county Board of Legislators on the COVID-19 pandemic. She also led the department's testing-contact tracing and initial community vaccination efforts. McGuire returned to Clarkson this summer as clinical associate professor of physical therapy.

Munger, a native of Croghan, NY, in Lewis County, was appointed interim public health director when McGuire resigned to take on her new role at Clarkson. She has taken on responsibilities once held by McGuire, which have expanded to include vaccination efforts and screening and testing at local schools.

She is an experienced project manager with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital and health care industry. Prior to joining the public health department in 2020 as deputy director of public health, Munger served for three years as practice transformation program manager at the Adirondack Health Institute in Glens Falls, NY. She also served as DSRIP/population health coordinator for Carthage Area Hospital in Carthage, NY.

A strong business development professional, Munger earned a master's degree in biological anthropology from the University of Kansas and a second master's degree in public health from the University of Kansas Medical Center. She received her bachelor's degree in history and archeology from State University of New York College in Potsdam. She returned to the North Country in 2015.

McGuire, Munger and the department, along with were Garry F. Douglas, long-time President and CEO of the North Country Chamber of Commerce; Kate Fish, retired executive director of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA); Betty Little, former New York State Senator; Ellen Rocco, longtime station manager for North Country Public Radio (NCPR) were honored at a ceremony during dinner with the Board of Trustees on October 15 in the Caporali Atrium in Snell Hall on Clarkson University's Hill Campus. The Bertrand H. Snell award honors Congressman Snell's service to the community, Clarkson and the nation. It was created by the University's Board of Trustees in 1981 to assure the remembrance of Clarkson's patron while recognizing a new generation of leaders who share his commitment to the University's greater community. Recipients of the award are chosen for their professional, business or educational accomplishments, combined with demonstrated integrity and concern for the community.
by Kaniehtonkie

In a Utah desert charred seeds were found possibly representing the earliest-known human use of tobacco. In early October according to new research, some of the first people to arrive in the Americas used the tobacco plant. The researchers said this discovery reveals that humans used tobacco nearly 10,000 years earlier than previously thought.

The scientists of this study said of all the intoxicant plants that humans use and abuse, tobacco has arguably had the most critical social and economic impact. Tobacco has often played sacred, ceremonial or medical roles among the ancient Maya and Indigenous North American groups.

In the new study, Far Western Anthropological Research Group (FWARC) archaeologists in Henderson, Nevada excavated the remains of a hunter-gatherer camp on mud flats in the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah. Wind helped expose the site over time, said study lead author Daron Duke, an archaeologist with FWARC.

In addition to smoking, chewing and snuffing, people have used tobacco in a variety of different ways over the centuries. In ancient Mayan rituals, they may have at times used intoxicating enemas of tobacco-laced fluids. In the 18th-century, English doctors gave drowning victims enemas of tobacco smoke in attempts to save their lives. Tobacco helped drive the early American colonial economy and thus Western expansion across the New World.

According to Live Science and research published in 2018 in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports - the earliest known evidence of human tobacco use was nicotine found in smoking pipes in Alabama that dated back about 3,300 years. Now with the FWARC find, scientists unearthed signs that people used tobacco about 9,000 years earlier than previously thought.

As per Live Science, The scientists identified an intact ancient fireplace surrounded by stone artifacts, such as spear tips commonly used to hunt large game. The hearth also contained more than 2,000 bones and bone fragments, mostly belonging to ducks, which cut marks and other evidence suggested the people there cooked and ate.

The fireplace held pieces of charred willow wood that was probably the best firewood option in the region, as it commonly is now in modern nearby areas. The researchers then analyzed the wood with carbon dating, which involves measuring the amount of a radioactive form of carbon with a known rate of decay; the results suggested this wood was about 12,300 years old.

Within the fireplace, the scientists found the remains of four charred tobacco seeds.

The tobacco seeds were an unanticipated surprise, Duke told Live Science.

Although the researchers cannot say for sure how people at this site used tobacco, they said the seeds hinted at the presence of nicotine-loaded tobacco leaves and flowering stems. Perhaps the people there chewed or smoked tobacco by the fireside, the team said.

However, the scientists noted that others might argue the tobacco was not used for its nicotine, that the tobacco came from the stomachs of the ducks that had eaten it, or it was used as fuel for burning. The researchers noted that birds do not eat tobacco, and that tobacco lacks woody material and so burns too quickly to generate a fire of enough strength or duration for most cooking.

These findings suggest that people used tobacco for thousands of years before the unknown point in time at which humans first domesticated this plant, Duke said.

People in the past were the ultimate botanists and identified the intoxicant values of tobacco, Duke said.

Further research on this and other ancient sites with tobacco-use evidence could help shed light on the driving cultural forces behind the cultivation, use and subsequent domestication of tobacco, the researchers said.

Duke told Live Science, We have been working to get Indigenous input about the meaning and importance of the find. This will not only help us understand the find for the common scientific reasons, but also help us learn more about its values to the people whose forebears camped at the site and lived throughout the region. This is really important for the broader purpose of doing this science at all, so we can understand implications from a diverse set of interests.

The scientists detailed their findings online Monday, Oct. 11 in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
(Update: Latest reports claim that Anti-Drugs Agency was at SRK's home for paperwork related to Aryan's Case. Officials said the Narcotics Control Bureau team visited Shah Rukh Khan's mansion "to complete the paperwork" and not for any searches.)

Multiple Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) teams reached Shah Rukh Khan's Bandra residence 'Mannat' to conduct a raid.

A team has also started investigation at Ananya Panday and Chunkey Panday's residence. Ananya has been called in for questioning at the Mumbai office of the anti-drugs agency.

India Today

According to a TOI report, NCB carried out raids in the Andheri area of Mumbai after receiving a fresh lead from one of the accused in the Mumbai cruise drugs bust case.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan is among those who have been arrested in the Mumbai cruise drugs bust case.

Twitter

The Bombay High Court on Thursday said the bail plea of Aryan Khan  who has been in custody now since October 3 in a drugs case filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau  will be heard next Tuesday.

Aryan will have to stay in Arthur Road jail until then.

Twitter

On Wednesday, a Mumbai special court rejected Aryan Khan's bail application. Aryan Khan and seven others were detained on October 3 and later arrested after NCB raided the Cordelia cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.


On October 21, the anniversary of the formation of Azad Hind Government is celebrated annually across the country. The day is celebrated to commemorate Indias first independent provisional government named Azad Hind Government.



This government was the brainchild of Mohan Singh. Later Rash Behari Bose, an Indian revolutionary, developed on the idea and formed Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army (INA) in 1942 which was revived by Subhas Chandra Bose on 21 October, 1943.



The timing of the formation of INA was crucial since it came around World War II to secure complete Indian independence from British rule. The government was recognised by many countries including Japan, Croatia, Indonesia, Germany, Italy, and Burma along with a few others.



Bose's army clashed with the British forces around Imphal and Kohima in 1944. This conflict has been adjudged as the 'greatest ever battle involving British forces' in a contest run by the National Army Museum in London.



TOI

However, apart from actively spearheading the INA and giving a clarion call of independence with his famous Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom! Subhash Chandra Bose had so many other things to his credit.



The life of Subhash Chandra Bose

He was born on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack, then a part of Bengal Provinces Orissa Division. After finishing his school education, he briefly studied at the Presidency College. He was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna after reading their works at the age of 16.



Later, he was sent by his parents to the University of Cambridge in England to prepare for the Indian Civil Services examination. Although he cleared the exam in 1920 but just a year later he heard the news of nationalist turmoil in India, he resigned his candidacy and hurried back to India.



Coming back to India, he joined the Independence movement and in 1938 was elected as president of the Indian National Congress and formed a national planning committee, which formulated a policy of broad industrialisation.



However, belonging to a radical group of ideological factions of the Congress party, he always had major differences with leading figures like Mahatma Gandhi, his methods of non-violence, and Jawahar Lal Nehru.



Courtesy of HarperCollins

Hence, his policy of industrialization did not harmonize with Gandhian economic thought, which clung to the notion of cottage industries and benefiting from the use of the countrys own resources. Boses vindication came in 1939 when he defeated a Gandhian rival for re-election. Nonetheless, the rebel president felt bound to resign because of the lack of Gandhis support.



But it was also during the Non- Cooperation movement when he was advised by Mahatma Gandhi to work with Chittaranjan Das who became his political guru who helped him become a youth educator and commandant of the Bengal Congress volunteers.



Bose also felt the journalistic responsibility to aware and organise the people. For this, he started the newspaper 'Swaraj' which stood for freedom.



The formation of Forward Bloc

After quitting the Indian National Congress, Bose formed an All India Forward Bloc, a left-wing nationalist political party in India which emerged as a faction within the India Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. He was well known for his leftist views in Congress.



DNA india

The Forward Bloc was aimed at bringing together all radical elements of the Congress party in order to spread the meaning and cause of complete independence of India with adherence to the application of principles of equality and social justice.


Prior to the 1980s, the United States Armed Forces allowed beards and turbans while in uniform. However, due to a change in regulations, the U.S. Armed Forces rescinded permission for beards in uniform, except for those who commenced their service in the military before 1986.

The current regulation has created a regulatory barrier that has kept observant Sikh men from serving in the United States Armed Forces in large numbers.

According to the advocacy group Sikh American Veterans Alliance, there are roughly 100 Sikhs serving in Americas armed forces, many of whom still must serve  without wearing beards or the dastar (turban), both of which are articles of their faith.

For more than 10 years, we have led the legal and advocacy fights to end employment discrimination by our countrys largest employer: the U.S. Department of Defense. pic.twitter.com/oLzV2cFQcF  Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) September 26, 2021





The fight is still on

In April this year, First Lieutenant Sukhbir Singh Toor became the latest in the long-running conflict. Toor is the first Sikh in the Marine Corps  a 246-year-old branch of the military  to request religious accommodation.



The U.S. military  comprising the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard  is one of the worlds largest. It also faces problems of wide racial and ethnic disparities. The Sikhs participation in American society, including the military, goes back to over 100 years.

VICE

The son of Indian immigrants, Singh sought help from the Sikh Coalition, an American civil rights group that was formed on the night of 9/11. The organisation has been spearheading campaigns for inclusivity in various fields, including the U.S. military since 2009. The organisation had also represented Simratpal Singh, among at least 20 other observant Sikh officers.



The Marines initially allowed Toor to wear articles of his faith, just not in deployment, or during combat missions or ceremonial duties. Toor, who is a combat arms officer and is always deployed, appealed. The Corps relented, allowing him to wear articles of faith on ordinary duty, but refused to let him wear a turban during ceremonial duties.

Jovelle Tamayo / The Sikh Coalition

But, why

In an interview with The New York Times, the Corps spokeswoman Colonel Kelly Frushour said that uniformity is important to create team bonds, which helps squads in combat environments. Marines represent the entirety of the Marine Corps, she said. Therefore, we strive to present a neutral image to the public.

For Toor, it wasnt enough.

Now, I am simply asking for a religious accommodation that will permanently allow my turban and beard, so that I can once again be true to my faith while continuing my career of service, said Toor in the statement to VICE. In an interview with NY Times, Toor expressed his desire to commit to two things he cherishes the most: his faith and his country.

TIMOTHY A CLARY / AFP

Toor has now appealed the Corps decision. I think were at the tail end of the campaign, he said. We may not need to go to court to see this change happen. But we will if we have to. As of now, the Marines are on the wrong side of history," Toor's advocate told VICE.



Arguments for and against it

The Sikh Coalition has time and again argued that not allowing the servicemembers to continue to maintain their appearance according to their religion violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Act is a United States federal law that "ensures that interests in religious freedom are protected.

However, the Army has argued that continued wear of the turban and beard violated current regulation, that would hinder the servicemembers from meeting health, safety, and mission requirements including the use of gas masks.

Policy change over the years

In 1981, a policy change by the Pentagon banned observant Sikhs in the U.S. military from wearing articles of faith such as beard, long hair and turban  which are otherwise customary in Sikhism.

Adding to the woes of the Sikh community, in post-9/11 U.S., American fundamentalists began routinely targetting minority Sikhs. At the time, an analysis showed that most Americans viewed Sikhs in connection to terrorism, 9/11 and Islam, or framed within tragic events. Surveys have revealed that Americans often perceive a terrorist to be a person with brown skin, wearing clothing seen as foreign.

Darpan Magazine

The U.S. Army issued new guidelines in 2017 allowing for religious accommodations that recognized the needs of Sikhs and other soldiers who have a religious obligation to wear a beard.

The Air Force followed suit with similar regulations in 2020 for airmen. However, the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force have yet to make religious accommodations for Sikh servicemen. Most state forces follow the guidelines set by the national service branch.

Those who won the battle

2019

In June of 2019, The United States Air Force had given a religious accommodation to a Sikh airman, making him the first active-duty airman allowed to maintain a turban and beard during his service. Airman Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa was granted an accommodation allowing him to wear his articles of faith  including a turban, beard, and unshorn hair  during active duty.



AFP

2016



In 2016, Capt. Simratpal Singh, a decorated Sikh-American officer and combat veteran, received a long-term religious accommodation from the U.S. Army to serve with long hair, a beard, and turban. The Army updated its regulations the following year directing commanders to allow accommodations for observant Sikhs.



Victory! US Army makes exception to discriminatory ban for Sikh Officer. #LetSikhsServehttps://t.co/Olcjsh8KnK pic.twitter.com/E59wOAUmHw  Simran Jeet Singh (@simran) April 1, 2016

2009



Back in 2009, Kamal Kalsi became the first Sikh American soldier to receive a uniform accommodation for the U.S. Army, which allowed him to continue to serve while wearing a dastar and keeping his beard. It is a religious imperative for Sikhs to not cut their hair.

During the First World War, a ban on beards was put into effect over concerns beards could interfere with the seal of a gas mask. Coincidentally, the conflict was also the first in which an observant Sikh American participated.


File photo of California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaking at a news conference on Oct. 8, 2021 in Oakland, California. The governor signed a bill that makes California among the first in the nation to list ethnic studies as a graduation requirement for all public high school students. The model curriculum focuses on four historically marginalized groups that are central to college-level ethnic studies: African Americans, Chicanos and other Latinos, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. It also includes lesson plans on Jews, Arab Americans, Sikh Americans and Armenian Americans who are not traditionally part of an ethnic studies curriculum. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
An Indian health worker (left) registers a man for a dose of the Covaxin vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus at a health center in New Delhi on Oct. 21, 2021, the day India administered its billionth Covid-19 vaccine dose. (Prakash Singh/AFP via Getty Images)
The proposed flyover would carry northbound traffic from the right lanes of Route 123 to the right lanes of westbound Old Bridge Road. This would eliminate the need for left turns from 123 to Old Bridge, which currently require three lanes.
The Prince William County School Board voted Wednesday night to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the divisions non-discrimination policy, protecting any students from being denied participation in school activities or otherwise discriminated against based on those identities.

Explained largely as a formality based on a series of federal court rulings, the change in the policy also follows a more detailed division regulation put in place over the summer laying out how county schools and staff must make reasonable accommodations for and recognize requests regarding students gender identity.

The Gloucester County School Board v Grimm decision has made it clear that any public school that denies a transgender student the right to access its school programs and faciliites consistent with the students gender identity is engaging in discrimination on the basis of sex in violation of Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. That is the law in Virginia, a release sent out by the division reads.

School division staff said Wednesday night that the new language in the anti-discrimination policy would bring the division in line with current state law. Gainesville District Boardmember Jennifer Wall was the only vote against the measure, arguing that the divisions existing non-discrimination policy was broad enough already.

Adopted in June, PWCS Regulation 738-5 directs school staff to accept students and guardians assertion of gender-nonconforming status, mandating that -- among other things -- staff call students by the name and pronouns corresponding to their gender identity, as long as the student has the support of their guardian in making such assertions of their identity. The regulation also gives students access to all gendered facilities based on their asserted gender identity.

That regulation was prompted by the Virginia Human Rights Act, which was passed earlier this year, and division staff says its in the process of being further updated this school year as feedback from the broader school community is received.

All Prince William County students have a fundamental right to access educational programs and facilities that are safe and supportive of their physical, emotional, social and academic needs, Superintendent LaTanya McDade said at the last school board meeting Oct. 6. It is our mission to ensure every school community is inclusive, appreciates diversity, students have a sense of belonging and are affirmed in their identity.

The updated policy will specifically bar discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, religion, childbirth, age, marital or parental status, military status disability or genetic information.

What we do here in Prince William County Schools is ensure the safety of all of our students and that means all of them, Woodbridge Boardmember Loree Williams said.
Superintendent LaTanya McDade announced Wednesday that Prince William County Schools will begin paying teachers and other school staff for extra time in buildings at the end of school days waiting for buses to take children home.

The change comes in response to pleas from teachers around the division asking to be compensated for additional time spent in school buildings. A number of teachers have come to speak before the school board about the issue in recent weeks, describing hours spent waiting for buses to complete pick-ups. The division, like many others around Virginia and the U.S., is dealing with a significant shortage in bus drivers, forcing many buses to double routes, delaying pick-ups and drop-offs.

McDade said the additional pay would come from the divisions American Rescue Plan Act funds, which were passed by Congress back in March. Further details on the policy or how much it is expected to cost the division were not immediately available Wednesday night, but Communications Director Diana Gulotta said more details would be shared with school staff this week.

Those staff are going above and beyond to adapt to the needs of this moment, and their dedication is a testament to the caliber of people we have in our district, McDade said. To that end, we will be paying staff  remaining beyond contract hours to supervise children that are waiting for buses.
Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below.
Acrisure, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based global insurance broker, announced it has signed an agreement to acquire ItsSeg, the largest independent benefit management and insurance broking firm in Brazil.

The partnership with ItsSeg marks Acrisures entry into the Brazilian market and represents substantial expansion of its Latin American operations.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

ItsSeg was founded in 2014 by Thomaz Menezes (former CEO of Marsh and SulAmerica Seguros) and the private equity firm Actis. It has over R$2.5 billion ($446 million) of premiums and counts over 1,000 corporate clients within its portfolio.

Following the transaction, Menezes will remain as CEO of ItsSeg. Several senior executives from the company will also remain shareholders.

The transaction with Acrisure involves all companies within the ItsSeg group, including:

Barela: ItsSegs consultancy and brokerage arm that specializes in insurance broking for small companies and associations

Gebram: The leading insurance distributor in inner-state Sao Paulo

Voce Clube: Benefits management

B2P: Sick-leave management

Oktuz: HR software

ItsSeg joins a global network of Acrisure Partners, which together offer an array of tech-driven financial services solutions in areas including insurance, reinsurance, asset management, real estate and cyber services.

Acrisures international expansion comes amidst a year that has already seen it announce new Asset Management and Real Estate Services divisions and surpass $3 billion in annual revenue. Acrisure has grown revenue from $38 million to more than $3 billion in just over eight years and has locations in eight countries.

Brazil offers immense opportunities and is a market weve been focused on for a long time, said Greg Williams, co-founder, CEO and president of Acrisure. With Thomaz and the ItsSeg team, weve partnered with exceptional people who have built an exemplary business in a short period of time. Were philosophically and fundamentally aligned as both Acrisure and ItsSeg value strong partnerships, innovative solutions and client centricity.

Partnering with Acrisure opens a range of possibilities to accelerate our growth in Brazil and Latin America, said Menezes. Through Acrisures innovative tech-driven approach, we will be able to diversify and expand the range of products we offer our clients.

The transaction is expected to close within the next three months, subject to regulatory approval.

ItsSeg has become the largest consolidator in the Brazilian market of insurance brokers, acquiring 11 companies in seven years: Torres Beneficios, Raduan, Voce Clube, Barela Seguros, PMR Seguros, MBS, LP Corretora, Bergus, Gebram, Victory and B2P.

Source: Acrisure

Topics Agencies New Markets
By 2025, 29 of the worlds biggest pension funds and investment firms, including Allianz SE and the California Public Employees Retirement System, intend to have cut the emissions of their portfolio holdings by at least 25%.

The targets, which cover publicly-traded equities, corporate bonds and real estate portfolios, were announced in a statement Wednesday by the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance, which was convened by the United Nations. Other firms that are part of the group and have also made such a commitment include Aviva Plc and Swiss Re AG.

Eliminating emissions generated from their holdings has become a growing focus for investors and the window for taking action is narrowing. Scientists have said global greenhouse-gas emissions need to drop by about 50% by 2030 and reach net zero by the middle of the century to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.

The Alliance was formed because we believe asset owners have a unique role in the global economy and financial systems, Gunther Thallinger, the groups chair who also serves on Allianzs management board, said in the statement. We want to show that we are prepared to lead the way by first changing ourselves and then to reach out to others to join us.

The emissions reduction targets only cover direct emissions and those produced from energy sources that the company buys, so-called Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. The Alliances members should track Scope 3 emissions, which result from customers using portfolio companies products, but they arent required to set targets until the data become more reliable.

The Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance now has 56 members that collectively manage $9.3 trillion of assets, according to the statement. Only asset owners that commit to achieving net-zero portfolios by 2050, and that establish intermediate targets every five years in line with the Paris Agreements goal of limiting warming to 1.5C can be members.

Alliance members also are required to report on the amount of financing they have provided to climate solutions, with a report published Wednesday showing asset owners have an average 4% of their assets in such investments.

Photograph: Emissions rise from the Kentucky Utilities Co. Ghent generating station in Ghent, Kentucky, on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Coals slow downfall is gaining momentum across the U.S. as clean energy becomes cheaper and wins widespread support, but lawmakers in mining states from Wyoming to West Virginia are determined to fight back with a series of roadblocks to President Joe Bidens plan to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Photo credit: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Trends Allianz
BMS, the UK independent specialist insurance and reinsurance broker, announced the acquisition of Seoul-based insurance broker, Value-add Insurance Broker (VIB).

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

As part of the acquisition, VIB will become BMS Korea, a newly-licensed entity, operating within the wider BMS Asia team. It will provide specialist M&A insurance solutions to the Korean market. The move is part of BMS strategy to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, with Korea joining its global private equity and mergers & acquisitions (M&A) insurance operations in Singapore, Hong Kong, London and Toronto.

VIB, a specialist in M&A and financial lines insurance, was established in early 2021 by Yongtak Lee and has grown rapidly since. Lee will become CEO and managing director of BMS Korea.

With more than 20 years experience as both a broker and underwriter in Korea, he is widely recognized as an industry leader who has been instrumental in the growth and development of M&A insurance in Korean transactions, said BMS in a statement.

He was most recently the senior director and head of financial lines at Aons Korean operations, where he developed and led the M&A insurance solutions practice for more than 10 years. Prior to this, he was an underwriter in several leading Korean and international insurance companies.

I am delighted to welcome Yongtak and his team to BMS. Having a local presence in Seoul aligns perfectly with our international strategy of providing clients with value-added services in the worlds leading financial services hubs, commented Nick Cook, CEO of BMS.

Sandra Lee, CEO of BMS Asia, said: With Koreas M&A landscape recording new highs in both transaction volume and values, there is a significant opportunity for specialist brokers to demonstrate their expertise and value to dealmakers in this robust and burgeoning market.

About BMS Group

A leading independent specialist re/insurance broker. London-based BMS for 40 years has provided customized solutions in wholesale, reinsurance and direct insurance, and capital advisory.

Source: BMS

Topics Mergers Agencies Aon
Howden, the London-based insurance broker, announced the acquisition of Foram Brokerage Ltd., an independent re/insurance broker based in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Howden to Acquire UK Broker Aston Lark From Goldman Sachs MGAs Can Build Broker Relationships  Even in a Hard Market: Aston Larks CEO

Foram is an independent re/insurance broker that provides speciality brokerage services in casualty, energy, professional lines, construction, product recall, property and healthcare lines predominantly to Fortune 1000 U.S. clients requiring access to the Bermudian market. Foram complements Howdens existing expertise, distribution and product range, and offers clients a team of industry veterans with deep experience in the Bermudian market.

Foram joining us reaffirms our strategy of giving clients access to all key markets via our global insurance market hubs, commented Paul Redgate, deputy chair, Howden Specialty. By providing clients with a significant on-the-ground presence in Bermuda, this acquisition also underscores Howdens commitment to the Bermudian market by investing in on-island expertise to enhance our client offering and to build a leading position in the worlds leading re/insurance markets.

Howden said this acquisition provides clients with access to an expert team made up entirely of Bermudian nationals.

As part of Howden, our clients will benefit from the talent, product expertise and data and analytics capability of Howdens global specialty offering, enabling our company to deliver ever more advanced risk solutions to our clients, said Robert Stubbs, president of Foram.

Established in 1994, Howden now employs more than 6,500 people worldwide. Together with network partners, Howden operates in more than 90 territories.

Source: Foram

Topics Mergers Agencies Bermuda
A Gary man is suing northwest Indiana police more than a year after he alleged that officers sprayed him with pepper spray and knelt on him when they encountered him near a protest over George Floyds death.

Randall Smiths lawsuit, filed Sept. 21 in U.S. District Court in Hammond, names Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez and county police officer Jay Cruz as defendants and seeks damages for deprivation of his civil rights.

The federal lawsuit comes more than a year after Smith filed a tort claim notice in July 2020 seeking $700,000 in damages from the Lake County Sheriffs Department and the countys commissioners.

That claim, a precursor to a possible lawsuit, said Smith was watching a protest on May 31, 2020, near Southlake Mall in Merrillville that was spurred by George Floyds death in Minneapolis police custody when some officers forced demonstrators from a parking lot.

Smiths attorney, James Hortsman, said Smith did not participate in the protest.

An officer then aggressively approached Smith and got in his face telling him to leave, the tort claim states. But as Smith turned to leave, the same officer pushed him from behind, and several officers took him to the ground, leaving him with a chipped tooth and other injuries, it alleges.

Officers were kneeling on Smith and Maced him, despite the fact that (Smith) was not resisting, the tort claim states.

Smiths lawsuit states that Cruz came into contact with Smith and physically assaulted him, but does not name any of the other officers involved.

Hortsman said there is video evidence that Smith was following police directives before he was sprayed with pepper spray.

We have video showing he complied, Hortsman told the Post-Tribune of Merrillville.

Smith alleges he was told he was being detained for disorderly conduct, but he ultimately was not arrested.

Martinezs spokeswoman, Pam Jones, said in an email that the department is aware of the lawsuit but that it does not comment on pending litigation.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Law Enforcement Indiana
Pay-per-mile digital auto insurer Metromile is pursuing what it is calling a significant expansion of its use of independent agents to sell its insurance, and it has hired a Travelers Insurance executive to lead the effort.

San Francisco-based Metromile, which began an independent agent pilot program in the second quarter, says the platform already hosts more than 880 independent agents with more expected to be added in the coming weeks.

Independent agents account for more than 30 percent of all auto insurance sales, and we believe there is significant opportunity to work with them to reach more low-mileage drivers now and in years to come as we expand nationwide, Troy Dye, Metromiles senior vice president, said.

Metromile is available in the eight states of Arizona, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. The company had planned to enter additional states this year but now says that wont happen until 2022, beginning with Indiana, Colorado, Missouri, Iowa and Texas.

The companys expanded use of agents works, in part, through an integration with comparative raters such as the EZLynx Rating Engine.

With the operational testing phase successful, we are beginning to scale sales production in the second half of 2021 by integrating with comparative raters and fine-tuning our incentive structures with our agency partners, the company said in its second quarter letter to shareholders. We expect to add to our agent base significantly over the coming quarters, and we will support agents by building the needed integrations and infrastructure.

Metromile to Begin New Life as Public Company as Reverse Merger Closes

Scot Rankin, a 30-year insurance veteran, has joined Metromile as its first-ever Independent Agency Relationship Manager. Rankin, who has been tasked with expanding the agent program, was most recently a sales executive at Travelers and has also held previous leadership roles at QBE North America and MAPFRE, according to his LinkedIn page.

Ive specialized in working with independent agents for more than 30 years, so I can attest to their position as a trusted resource for many consumers shopping for insurance. Independent Agents will play a valuable role in educating drivers on the benefits of data-driven insurance, the value of pay-per-mile, and the savings and experience unique to Metromile, Rankin said.

Metromile is embracing a traditional part of property/casualty insurance sales and distribution that it and some other digital startups initially rejected as old-fashioned and out-of-date.

Root is another digital insurer that has done a U-turn in its approach to independent agents. The company disclosed in its 2021 second quarter shareholder letter that it was scaling its internal sales agent program and piloting a program to provide its digital auto and other coverage through independent licensed agents.

Root sees an opportunity to further its mission by building its presence in a channel in which one-third of all consumers purchase insurance, Root spokesperson Tom Kuhn told Carrier Management in August.

Digital Auto Insurer Root Will Add Independent Agents to Its Distribution

Rankin said Root is building additional integrations and infrastructure to support independent agents and significantly scale the channel. Currently, the program offers agents a quote in under two minutes, a dedicated in-house support team, what is billed as an easy-to-use agent portal, and fast and easy claims filing for agents clients.

Insurance agency and technology consultant Jason Walker told Insurance Journal last week he believes that agencies have been overlooked by insurtechs but he now feels that the market is evolving from a doom-and-gloom view of agencies to positively appreciating agencies and the fact that they control so many customers.

Agents are being called by these insurtechs all day long, he said.

Metromile is facing the reality, in its own words, that it is operating in a market where the pre-to-post-COVID-19 journey remains mid-flight.

For the second quarter, Metromile reported an accident loss ratio of 74.2, up from 65.1 in the first quarter. It ended the quarter with policies in force of 95,314 down slightly from 95,958 the first quarter.

Its second quarter results also showed:

Direct earned premium in the second quarter of 2021 was $27.8 million, a 22.9% increase from the prior-year period.

Average annual premium per policy was $1,181 as of June 30, 2021.

Premium run-rate, defined as ending policies in force multiplied by average annual premium per policy, was $113.0 million as of June 30, 2021.

The company said its business is being affected in the short-term by cancellations related to government-mandated COVID-19 payment extensions; lifestyle changes, including out-of-state moves, vehicle sales and high-mileage driving; product messaging that became less effective during the pandemic; and regulatory delays that impacted timely approvals of pricing changes.

The company said that while it expects the second quarter trends to create downward pressure on near-term channel performance and net policies in force growth, these concerns do not meaningfully impact its view of the long-term opportunity ahead for its business.

Despite the increase in miles driven, the majority of drivers in the U.S. remain low-mileage drivers by industry standards. As many U.S. workers settle into new routines  and benefit from their employers rollout of remote, flexible and hybrid work models  we believe that pay-per-mile continues to be a natural fit for their auto insurance needs, the firm said.

It said tests of its new post-COVID-19 messaging geared to low mileage drivers and savings have been successful and it expects channel performance to rebound in the third quarter of 2021.

The market is shifting, but we believe we have the proper fundamentals in place. We are investing in the right growth levers to meet this evolving opportunity, the company told shareholders.

Metromile became a public company in February in a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). Some of Metromiles insurance products are underwritten by insurers in the National General Insurance Group while others are underwritten by Metromile Insurance Co. Metromile also offers a home and auto bundled product in a partnership with digital home insurer Hippo in some states.

Editors Note: This is an expanded version of a story originally reported by Carrier Management.

Topics Carriers Agencies
A Florida Supreme Court decision banning an app-based service from connecting ticketed drivers with lawyers may be a win for the law profession, but it is another impediment to average citizens gaining access to the court system, critics said.

This doesnt help consumers, said Tom Gordon, executive director of Responsive Law, an advocacy group that filed an amicus curiae brief in the case. The court itself said there was no evidence of harm in what the app was offering, and that at least some drivers had benefitted from legal aid that kept speeding tickets off their records and away from their insurance premiums.

The high court last week overruled a Florida Bar referees finding that the service known as TIKD had not engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. The service allowed users to pay a fee and upload a photo of the ticket. TIKD would then assign the case to a participating lawyer. If the case was not resolved in the drivers favor and points were assessed against the drivers license, the fee would be refunded. Attorneys were paid a flat fee.

But the Supreme Court leaned on a 1962 court ruling that held that giving advice that affects peoples rights under the law, and when that advice requires knowledge of the law, it constitutes the practice of law.

The Florida justices worried that TIKD was too profit-motivated and could miss important court deadlines, leaving users with black marks on their driving records through no fault of their own. Mostly, though, the court seemed to fear that unlike with licensed lawyers, the Bar and the Supreme Court would have no way to discipline the apps principals in case of irregularities.

Because TIKD is not a law firm, there are no protections in place to safeguard the money of these legal clients and thereby assure that the money is actually available to satisfy the future legal obligations associated with the legal matter, Justice Alan Lawson wrote for the majority.

Lawson went on to write that legal-profession regulations are designed to enforce high standards of conduct that would naturally flow, without regulation, from a professional culture in which attorneys are routinely inculcated with classic virtues such as courage, truthfulness, diligence, humility, and an internalized ethic that places fidelity to just action, client loyalty, and support for the institutions that make freedom under the rule of law possible above raw financial gain.

The opinion concluded: We will certainly not jettison these ideals by sanctioning the unregulated commoditization of legal servicesa paradigm shift that would put corporations governed solely by the profit motive between lawyers and their clients.

The attorney representing a law firm that already provides similar services said the ruling is a win for lawyers and for Florida drivers.

When you allow companies not owned by lawyers to sell legal services, you put consumers at risk, said attorney Jim McGuire, whose firm represents The Ticket Clinic, a law firm with a similar app. And it puts that company at a competitive advantage over lawyers.

And theres the rub, Gordon said. The Ticket Clinic is part of a well-established law firm. Its principals were among the first to complain to the Florida Bar about TIKDs app, attorneys said. The Florida Bar has become known as one of the most aggressive in the country for fending off non-lawyers who appear to offer legal services or even referrals to lawyers, Gordon said.

The high court made it clear that if TIKD and its owner, Christopher Riley, were part of a Florida law firm, they likely would not have run afoul of the Bar and legal regulations. But Gordon said that it takes a lot of capital to launch a law firm. And most lawyers go to law school to practice law, not to start a business, he added.

A few states, including Utah and Arizona, have relaxed restrictions on some services offering legal referrals, at least on an experimental basis. Gordon said. A Florida legal innovation program also has been proposed to the state Supreme Court.

The court decision may have little practical effect on TIKD. After the Bar began proceedings against the service in 2018, TIKD appeared to close down and its owner has not been heard from.

But despite the ruling, similar app-based services may not be far behind. One is Off The Record, which appears to operate in several states, including Florida. The website and app shows that Off The Record allows drivers to upload a photo of their tickets, answer a few questions, then get matched to an experienced lawyer.

The website includes a disclaimer: While Off The Record is not a law firm, all legal representations are performed by a licensed, participating attorney. Any information you submit through this site may be provided to participating attorneys for the purpose of determining your need for legal services and may not be protected by attorney-client privilege.

Representatives of Off The Record could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Those types of app-based services threaten to upend the traditional methods that potential clients have used to find lawyers, the court and lawyers said. Gordon said that may be a good thing. Lawyers disagreed.

Its like Uber, in a way, McGuire said. They cut out the licensed taxi drivers and took over.

The Supreme Court was not unanimous in its view on the TIKD app.

Justice John Couriel dissented from the courts majority: TIKD offered not legal services, but a business proposition: hire a lawyer we introduce, at a fee we set, and you will not bear the risk that the lawyers services, or indeed your ticket, will cost you more than our fee, he wrote. Offering that bargain does not constitute the practice of law, and thus cannot have constituted the unauthorized practice of law.

Topics Florida
Lockton named Julie Marcello chief operating officer of its Mountain West operations.

Marcello will be responsible for operations and business development for Locktons regional hub, including Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

Marcello has 23 years of domestic and international experience. She most recently spent four years as a market leader for Marsh overseeing the Chicago office and leading five additional Midwest offices. Prior to joining Marsh, Marcello spent 18 years with Chubb Insurance in leadership positions around the globe, including Europe, Australia and Latin America.

Kansas City, Mo.-based Lockton is a privately held insurance brokerage firm, providing insurance, risk management, employee benefits and retirement services.

Alliant Insurance Services named John Hill a senior vice president in San Diego, Calif.

Hill will design and deploy a range of property/casualty insurance solutions for a diverse base of clients throughout the region.

Hill has 30 years of experience designing tailored insurance solutions for clients across a range of industries and sizes. Prior to joining Alliant, Hill was a commercial insurance broker at McGriff Insurance Services.

Alliant is a distributor of diversified insurance products and services.

Topics California Lockton
Access to affordable healthcare for all, ensuring greater diversity in the insurance industry, and finding more creative solutions to deal with climate change risk were the priorities laid out by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday.

Lara was discussing issues in California insurance at the 2nd Regional California & Hawaii Annual All Industry Day hosted by CPCU Chapters of California El Camino, Los Angeles, Orange Empire, San Diego, Sacramento, Golden Gate, and Hawaii. The virtual conference was held via zoom.

Lara addressed a variety of issues, but spent the majority of his time on three big topics.

Access to affordable healthcare for all is really a fight of our generation, Lara said.

Lara, who pointed out that hes gay and the son of immigrants, said the states insurance community must adapt to a changing demographic, with Latinos expected to make up a signification portion of the states populous in the next 20 years.

I bring my own life experience as to how I approach my role as insurance commissioner, Lara said.

He believes that its essential to tackle the problem of how to diversify the insurance industry to fully represent of the people of California.

We have a really unique opportunity to push bold initiatives that really pave the way for our community, Lara said.

Lara also called for creative solutions to solve climate risk.

The risks of climate-related disasters are rising as we all known, he said. We need to engage in the insurance industry in this fight like never before.

Wildfires driven by drought and extreme heat, which Lara notes are functions of climate change, are making the insurance market tougher for homeowners in high-risk areas.

Non-renewals in parts of the state are making it really increasingly difficult for some to find coverage on the open market, Lara said.

Solutions he believes that should be considered include climate insurance to strengthen community preparation, maintaining healthy forests, wetlands to combat sea level rise, and building urban green space to reduce heat.

The industry and regulators need to all work together, he said, adding that our planet cant wait.

Were all after the same things  a strong and competitive insurance marketplace where consumers can find what they need at a fair price, Lara said.

Other speakers at the conference included Sharon Koches, president and chair of the CPCU Society Leadership Council, talking about the present and future of the CPCU Society. Koches covered the Strategic Plan for 2022-2024, which lays out a number of goals that include increasing visibility and promotion of active membership, collaborating and partnering with other organizations and connecting members to leadership opportunities.

Vida Thomas, a partner at Oppenheimer Investigations Group, discussed diversity and inclusion.

A cyber liability roundtable discussion included moderator Emy Donavan, venture partner at Fin Venture Capital, Amanda Stantzos, vice president of cyber liability underwriting Corvus Insurance, and Jenny Soubra, U.S. head of cyber and tech E&O practice for Canopius Group.

Stantzos discussed what a submission process looks like.

We have been looking for the most comprehensive submission every single time, Stantzos said.

She said they look at both the operation as a whole, and from an IT infrastructure standpoint.

Multi-factor authentication is practically a ticket for entry that is required almost universally before a cyber policy is written, according to Stantzos.

Thats the first thing a broker or insurer may get pushback on, she said.

Soubra also said hes seeing cyber submissions getting more scrutiny nowadays.

Were looking a lot closer at submissions these days, Soubra added.

According to Soubra, when looking at pricing they consider data points like revenue, as well as the record count and the types of records a company has, which she said is something that many carriers are starting to pay closer attention to.

The different types of data holds different values when they are sold from one criminal to another, Soubra said.

Stantzos discussed claims trends, one of which is the curious timing of hacks.

These ransomware attacks love to happen over the holiday weekend, Stantzos he said. The bad actors like to lurk in when youre not watching.

Topics California
A month on from the untimely death of 18-year-old Eden Heaslip, his family are calling for laws against bullying to be introduced.

The Cavan boy died by suicide on September 20 following months of relentless bullying by his peers.

"Any form of bullying that could be done to Eden was done," his father Raymond said.

"He got it mentally, he got it physically, he got it by social media and phones. Even when he left school, they were still after him. They wouldn't leave him alone. That is what ended Eden's life."

The family are pleading for laws to be introduced to tackle bullying and harassment saying "Eden cannot die in vain".

"You can go to jail for not paying your tv licence but there is nothing that can be done for bullying, for making people's lives an absolute misery," his sister Chloe said.

Speaking of the torment Eden suffered at the hands of his bullies, Father Jason Murphy told mourners at his funeral it was "a suffering that no man with shoulders broader than his could ever endure".

The music-loving teen had opened up to the parish priest previously about what was going on in his life.

"I sat and I cried in front of this boy as he told me of his every day pain," Fr Murphy told the congregation.

A pain of the heart, a pain of the mind, that had left scars deep, deep where no one could see."

Late last year, the family began to notice that Eden who was usually cheeky, witty and fun boy was spending more and more time on his own.

Then one November evening, Raymond went to check on his son before heading to bed as Eden had gone to his room earlier while the family were watching a film together.

Shocked to discover Eden wasn't in his room, it became apparent that he had left the house through a window.

In a panic, a search was begun while they tried to contact Eden on the phone. Eventually, he answered the phone to his brother, Finn.

Once he was home, Raymond asked him what was wrong and Eden replied that he had just needed to clear his mind. The next day, when asked if he was being bullied, Eden admitted that it was true.

As there had been two suicides in the local area at the time, Eden's parents were extremely concerned and arranged for him to speak with a counsellor the following week.

Knowing that Fr Jason "had a great way of talking to the young lads", Raymond asked the priest to come to the house to see if he could help Eden to open up about what was happening to him.

The priest did not go into detail about what the struggling teen had told him but said: "It's bad. It's really, really bad. It's so bad the gardai should be involved."

Chloe, a trainee teacher, said she was happy when her brother spoke to Fr Jason. "That was the first time, I think, he had truly let anyone in on his pain."

"I think he accepted it because it was happening so regularly, every day of his life. He was getting it and he couldn't escape it," she said.

It was on his phone as well and no matter what, if he blocked them they would make new accounts or anything. He couldn't put anything up on any social media without something being said to him."

The counsellor told his parents that someone had told Eden to take his own life calling him a "useless good for nothing but not in as nice words".

On a road trip with his father, Eden was coaxed to share some more detail of what he was being subjected to. The stories left Raymond in complete shock.

"They would just kick him all the time. Never just one. He said 'Da, it's always three to four. I could handle one-to-one but it's always three or four'.

"Just kicking him all the time, every week. They'd kick him and he'd fall to the ground and they'd kick him on the ground.

"One of the things he couldn't understand was as they were kicking him they would say 'Go home to your own country, you black Protestant b*****d'."

Raymond is Protestant while his wife, Maggie, is Roman Catholic. He said the children had been raised Christian and taught to respect other religions so Eden was left both hurt and confused by the taunts.

Eden revealed another regular occurrence in school that his father found difficult to take in.

"Eden said the group of lads 'would get me and stick my head down the toilet. Never a clean one. They would pick the dirtiest, sh*ttiest toilet to do it and they would stand and laugh'.

That was hard to take. To think that your wee man who is so special and you love so much..."

Eden had just turned 18 less than two weeks before his death. He had recently gotten an apprenticeship to become a mechanic.

A lad who was very fond of his cars, he and his brother had bought a Lexus and had planned to fix it up together.

At his funeral, Chloe asked people who knew him to send their memories of her brother to her and says she has since been inundated with people writing letters telling her that Eden had made them feel safe and how he always stood up for others.

"If there was ever anyone being mean to somebody else, he would stand up. He took it to heart as well. He was really caring," Chloe told the Joe Finnegan Show on Shannonside Northern Sound.

"If I was hurt or I wasn't having a good day, he would come in and ask. He always looked out for everyone else."

Chloe is urging families to discuss the issue of bullying openly and not to hide away from it.

"I want conversations to be had in houses not asking 'are you being bullied?' but instead asking 'are you bullying someone?' Ask them and they might say 'actually, yeah and I'm doing wrong'.

Have the conversation, not hiding away saying 'oh my child would never do that' or 'my brother would never do that'."

The sentiment was echoed by Eden's mother Maggie who through her grief is hoping that no other mother has to feel the same pain.

"Every parent has to talk to their child. I thought I could protect Eden, I'm his mother, I thought I could keep him alive forever.

"He's my baby. I can't imagine another mother sitting here feeling the pain I am in today."

The family are also urging those who are being bullied or harassed to reach out and seek help. They have also called for a confidential hotline to be established so people - adults and children - have a place to go for support.

- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.
The CEO of a Dublin hospital has paid a touching tribute to a nurse who passed away.

Daphne Compay, a clinical nurse manager at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook, was hailed for her skills and care.

Ms Compay lived in Kimmage and was born in Cebu City in the Philippines.

Conor Leonard took to social media to praise his former staff member.

'She stayed'

In the noughties, when the hospital was on its knees for nursing staff, she brought from the Philippines her skills, her smile and her laughter and she stayed, Mr Leonard wrote.

In the years of the tiger she might have emigrated as colleagues did, but she stayed. When the cancer first came and so cruelly attacked, she stayed. When she couldnt lift and turn and physically care in the same way, she found new roles to thrive in and she stayed.

When the crash came and pay was cut, she stayed. When the Beast from the East came and we slept on the hospital floors, to make sure there would be care for patients in the morning, she stayed. When the cancer came back and started to spread, for as long as she could, she stayed.

When Covid came and once again we were on our knees for staff, again she rolled up her sleeves for support duties, remotely, and she stayed. For as long as she could, she stayed.

And when her body gave up and she couldnt stay, in our thoughts and our prayers, she stayed. Today, when the time has come for her to finally leave The Royal and we say goodbye, she will stay.

In the noughties, when the hospital was on its knees for nursing staff, she brought from the Philippines her skills, her smile and her laughter and she stayed. In the years of the tiger she might have emigrated as colleagues did, but she stayed. When the cancer first came and so pic.twitter.com/IpTnKs2zRq  Conor Leonard (@5x4x3x) October 21, 2021

Be assured, in our hearts, she will stay. Farewell, and thank you Daphne. RIP CNM Daphne Compay (nee Iratogotia) 1974-2021. Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam.

Ms Compay is survived by her parents, her brother and a niece and nephew.
Eleven vehicles have been seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) at a motor dealership in Tipperary.

Some 24 CAB officers carried out a search at the dealership where 11,000 in cash was also seized.
Burma Myanmar Regime Orders Ground Forces to Wipe Out Armed Civilian Fighters

A local PDF group in Kayah State / Loikaw PDF

Myanmars military regime has ordered its troops to wipe out armed civilian resistance groups, at whose hands the juntas forces have sustained considerable casualties, sources familiar with security affairs in Naypyitaw said.

The Irrawaddy has learned that the juntas second most influential figure, Vice Senior General Soe Win, on Oct. 13 instructed commanders and all forces to annihilate the insurgent Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs)guerrilla-style resistance groups that have been active locally across the country with the common aim of toppling the regime.

Along with the annihilation order, Vice Snr-Gen Soe Win issued an order prohibiting villagers from having any contact with the PDFs, and for his troops to inflict severe punishment to them if they dont obey.

The general, who is commander-in-chief of infantry forces and deputy to coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, told his subordinates to find out and take action against the insurgents and PDF immediately and arrest all the people from their hideouts in villages.

The junta has suffered an increasing number of attacks from the PDFs across Myanmar, especially since the countrys parallel National Unity Government (NUG) declared war on the regime early last month.

In recent months, Myanmars military has suffered considerable casualties when facing amateur PDF forces who are largely equipped with improvised weapons in Sagaing and Magwe regions, and Chin and Kayah states. The NUGs Defense Ministry said there were 65 shootouts between the PDFs and regime forces in September. The ministry claimed 768 regime soldiers were killed while 164 civilians, including PDF members, lost their lives. The Irrawaddy has not been able to independently verify the numbers.

The military commanders are now applying the infamous four cuts strategy they used in ethnic states in the past. The strategy is to restrict access to food, funds, intelligence and recruits.

Analysts said the regime is facing a new kind of armed conflict that the military is not prepared to counter, and that the junta is incapable of containing the growing insurgency and resistance.

Since September, the military has deployed at least four battalions of reinforcementsaround 3,000 soldiersto Sagaing, the countrys most restive region, to conduct clearance operations against civilian resistance forces, according to local civilian armed groups.

In March and April, when the country saw protests in Yangon, Mandalay and Bago, security forces on the ground were instructed to wipe out anti-regime protesters wherever they encountered them, according to internal memos issued by the top military command in the countrys capital Naypyitaw and whose contents were divulged to The Irrawaddy.

You must annihilate them when you face them, reads an instruction dated April 11, because rioters [the militarys euphemism for anti-regime protesters] have gone from peaceful demonstration to the level of armed conflict.

That order was also issued by Vice Snr-Gen Soe Win, who is becoming an increasingly key figure in managing security forces in coordination with Bureau of Special Operations (BSO) chiefs across the country.



You may also like these stories:

Pagodas Damaged in Myanmars Temple City

Ethnic Minority Student Killed in Myanmar Junta Custody

Senior NLD Official, Prominent Myanmar Comedian Freed Alongside Activists, Journalists
Burma Myanmar Resistance Gives Telecoms Firms Three Days to Restore Internet

A Mytel mast being destroyed in Sagaing Region in early September. / Phyu Regional News

After a month-long internet blackout, the Peoples Defense Force in Gangaw, Magwe Region, has threatened to destroy telecom masts belonging to Myanmars three main operators, MPT, Telenor and Ooredoo, in the township if mobile services are not restored within three days.

Since mid-September, Myanmars junta has cut off internet access in several townships in Sagaing Region, Chin State and three Magwe townships  Gangaw, Tilin and Myaing  following regime attacks in the areas.

On Wednesday, Gangaws PDF said in a statement that the internet has been down since Sept. 23 and now mobile services have also been cut.

It gave the three operators three days to restore internet and mobile services or face the destruction of their masts.

Most of the masts in the township jointly owned by Myanmars military and Vietnams defense ministry have already been destroyed by the civilian resistance, according to residents.

[The three operators] have cut off internet and mobile services on orders from the junta. Residents face regular problems because of the blackout, a PDF member told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. The telecom masts offer us no benefits because they are not in use.

He declined to comment on possible attacks on telecom masts.

A PDF leader in Kani Township, Sagaing Region, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the resistance has directly urged telecom operators to restore internet services.

Meanwhile, civilian resistance groups across the country continue to destroy masts belonging to junta-run Mytel.

By mid-September, more than 80 Mytel masts had been destroyed across the country.

On Wednesday morning, a Mytel mast was blown up in Padaung Township, Bago Region.

On Tuesday night, two combined civilian resistance groups destroyed a Mytel mast in Pauktaw village, Yesagyo Township in Magwe Region.

Meanwhile, military products and businesses are being targeted by resistance groups.

On Tuesday, the Kantbalu Underground Warriors, a civilian resistance group, claimed to have destroyed a power line supplying a sugar mill run by the military-owned Myanmar Economic Corporation in Kantbalu Township, Sagaing Region.

The group said the military confiscated more than 400 hectares of farmland owned by civilians to build the sugar mill.

The PDF in Kawlin destroyed beer produced by a military-owned brewery in Kawlin Township, Sagaing Region, on Sept. 17 after seizing three trucks loaded with beverages on the Shwebo-Myitkyina highway.

You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Military-Backed USDP Accused of Exploiting Smaller Political Parties

Myanmars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Sick; Court Hearings Postponed

Ahead of UN Meeting, Local and Intl Groups Call to Keep Myanmars Ambassador in Place
Burma UK Says Myanmar Junta Not Invited to G7-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting

Myanmar regime leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. / Cincds

The Myanmar regime will not be invited to attend the upcoming G7-ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in person, the UK said on Tuesday. The UK is serving as the G7s host nation this year.

Its the second time the countrys military rulers have been shunned by the international community.

Last week the regimes leader Min Aung Hlaing was excluded from the invitation list for a forthcoming summit organized by ASEAN, the Southeast Asian regional bloc of which Myanmar is a member, over the regimes failure to implement steps agreed with the group in an effort to resolve the political crisis sparked by the militarys takeover in February.

In the British Parliament this week, Amanda Milling MP, the Foreign Offices minister of state for Asia, replied to another lawmakers question as to whether the foreign minister of Myanmar will be attending the G7 ASEAN Foreign Ministers 2021 meeting.

Milling said the UK has invited ASEAN to the G7 Foreign and Development Ministerial Meeting in Liverpool in December as a demonstration of our commitment to ASEAN and the Indo Pacific region.

The UK has been clear that the military regime in Myanmar is not welcome to attend in person. We note ASEANs decision not to invite Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to attend the ASEAN Leaders Summit, she said.

The MP said the UK government condemned the military coup in Myanmar, the regimes violence against its people and the detention of members of the civilian government and civil society, including State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint.

The UK will continue to work closely with ASEAN on our shared ambition of ending the crisis in Myanmar, she added.

ASEAN has tried to mediate Myanmars bloody post-coup political crisis by appointing a special envoy for the country. But the regime has refused to collaborate with him, rejecting his request to meet with all of the key stakeholders in the country, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Burma Campaign UK welcomed the British governments statement on not inviting the junta to the meeting but expressed concern that this still leaves open the possibility that the military could attend via video call.

The British government has acted positively in its response to the coup by identifying and sanctioning sources of revenue to the military, and encouraging more countries to introduce arms embargos. The UK has brought in more rounds of targeted sanctions than any other country.

Anna Roberts, executive director of Burma Campaign UK, said not being invited to the G7 ASEAN summit in the UK was another blow to the efforts of the Myanmar military to gain international legitimacy following the coup.

We urge them not to allow the military to take part via video link either. The military have no legitimacy as the representative of Burma [Myanmar] and should have no place at international diplomatic meetings, she said.



You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Resistance Gives Telecoms Firms Three Days to Restore Internet

Myanmar Military-Backed USDP Accused of Exploiting Smaller Political Parties

Myanmars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Sick; Court Hearings Postponed
Guest Column What Future Does Nation Building Have After Such a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year?

Army troops are deployed in formation in Yangon in February, when anti-regime mass protests took place in the city. / The Irrawaddy

2021 was a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad year for nation builders from the UN, US, NATO, World Bank, and other promoters of peace building and democracy. First, on Feb. 1, 2021, Myanmars military seized control of the government, and arrested recently elected leaders. This followed a decades worth of assistance for security, drug eradication, elections, ceasefires and development, all in the name of a nation building project designed to bring Myanmar in line with the worlds political and economic norms. The work of billions of dollars in nation building assistance disappeared in a flash as the Tatmadaw, Myanmars military, arrested elected NLD leaders and parliamentarians on the first day of Parliament, to the beat of an aerobic exercise video.

Then in August 2021, an even more dramatic retreat for the nation builders happened, when the US, UN and NATO precipitously withdrew from Afghanistan, and not just billions this time, but trillions of US dollars in nation building were abandoned. Coming under the umbrella in Afghanistan wereas in Myanmarspending on security, drug eradication, elections, ceasefires, human rights and development. This pot of gold too seemingly vanished over a weekend, as the Taliban reclaimed control of Kabul. Thus in 2021, two very different sets of autocrats, the Myanmar Tatmadaw and the Afghan Taliban, thumbed their noses at the Wests nation building agenda.

Why is security first the only idea?

Both Myanmar and Afghanistans foreign nation builders had common policies emphasizing security first, then nation building. Many such ideas were developed in North American and European universities and think tanks steeped in post-World War II experiences. The general assumption is that the legitimacy of the government rests first on the power of its security forces, then everything else naturally follows. The reasoning is that democracy, health, agriculture, human rights and schools only come after the police and military secure peace. The question about what happens when the military itself is the source of anti-democratic authoritarianism, often goes unasked. The problem is that military rule and democratic rule are generally incompatible with each other. Just ask the imprisoned leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Myanmar who tried to run a joint government with the Myanmar military from 2016 to 2021.

The origins of security first nation building

The passion for nation building emerged as an American-designed project after World War II. After winning the war, the Americans first occupied their enemies militarily, and only later invested heavily in rebuilding Japan and West Germany. The nature of the wars conclusion meant American military first.

The impulse to nation-build on the back of the occupation was perhaps an afterthought, but it has had powerful long-term consequences. The Marshall Plan and other generous investments in the German and Japanese economies were initiated with a new financial architecture via the 1944 Bretton Woods agreements. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund were established. The United Nations in New York City also created a new political forum for the American-dominated world order, which quickly came to include newly independent countries created in the wake of European and Japanese colonial projects. Nation building in many new countries quickly assumed American-style economic capitalism, free markets, democratic politics, strong civil society, and anti-Communism. The nation builders belief was that this American combination was a recipe for good societies everywhere.

Indeed, both Japan and West Germany created sociopolitical miracles within two decades, re-emerging from autocratic military occupation as strong social democracies and American allies against communism. Military occupation followed by nation building also hindered the re-emergence of fascism, permitted large industrial conglomerates to expand customer bases, and established new democratic constitutions which protected human rights and property rights. Military first seemed to work thereso shouldnt it work in Myanmar, Afghanistan and elsewhere? In fact, the Japanese and German cases were to be outliersmost of the Wests postwar nation building efforts would not turn out so well.

The nation building regime

Every time a recent American president has confronted a security problem with military forcewhether in 2001 in Afghanistan, 2003 in Iraq, 2011 in Libya, 2014 in Syria, or multiple times in Haitiit seems they quickly follow up with a no nation building pledge. This pledge is of course immediately violated, because simply leaving an invaded country is not a good option, either.

But because the military arrives first, the pattern is the same as after 1945 in Germany and Japan: Let security establish norms for the nation building. Those men in dark glasses and sidearms become prominent, and helicopters are the preferred method of transport. Hardened embassies become secure compounds with US Marines, and senior local politicians are summoned by the ambassador. Western accounting standards are insisted upon for recipients of development aid with elaborate Request for Proposals (RFPs), which can be effectively completed only by companies well-schooled in American accountability law.

At the same time crony contracts go out the side door in the name of security, or in more common terms used in Yangon, anti-terrorism funding, drug eradication, ceasefire negotiations, etc. Such money directly and indirectly ends up in the coffers of the local police and military who, after all, have a monopoly on security issues. And for those confronting enemies of the West, there is the lure of potential US$1,000 (and more) per day consulting contracts, Land Cruisers, and admission to embassies with their duty free goods and fast-food restaurants. For less important local allies, there are lower-level meetings at preferred public eateries like the Fuji Coffee House and Restaurant next to the US Embassy on University Avenue in Yangon, which is within the perimeter US Marines are allowed to secure.

What can the nation builders do in Myanmar now?

The foreign nation builders are undoubtedly feeling a new low in Myanmar today. They wonder how they can continue democratic nation building in a country where the army has shut down the elected Parliament, the rule of law and respect for human rights, and in which snipers shoot demonstrators, activists are imprisoned and there is an incipient civil war. And then by tradition and habit, it seems that the UN and donors are still looking to Afghanistan for inspiration; donors and diplomats are becoming even more isolated as they restrict their numbers and travel. The emphasis on security for embassy compounds increases. Military attaches are considered even more important, and the West is afraid because the two countries which produce most of the worlds heroin and methamphetaminesAfghanistan and Myanmarare now ruled by powers hostile to Western interests.

Thus, soon enough, the only way to prevent the poisoning of American youth with drugs is reinforcement of the Taliban and Tatmadaws drug suppression efforts, and bags of cash are quietly shifted around. The solution seems to be simply double down on old nation building policies that did not work well in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, etc. After all, the same people who organized previous aid polices remain in charge in New York, Geneva and Washington, searching for ways to re-exert foreign influence in Myanmar by paying astronomical rents to generals who control Yangons luxury housing, and rewarding military cronies with ever more development contracts.

It is likely that someday Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and the military will again move to the side, whether in one, five, 10 or more years. There will then be new calls for peace building and nation building, just as there were under the reformer General Thein Sein after 2010. Will the response come from the nation builders whose policies created the Afghanistan and Myanmar interventions that collapsed both nations in 2021? Will donors again look to the same old North American and EU think tanks and consultancy firms? Or will they finally consider something new?

Where does legitimacy really come from?

The core problem, however, is the assumption that legitimacy only comes from the barrel of a gun, because presumably thats what happened after the American invasions of Japan, Germany, Vietnam, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan. But thats not the whole story. Legitimacy really comes first from the competency of local people who govern, along perhaps with sometimes a dose of charismatic leadership. Successful governments generate legitimacy first, and then create a security force that protects that legitimacy. Autocratic governments, on the other hand, start with military who assume that fear leads to legitimacy. This is the nation building dogma that emerged in places like Afghanistan and Myanmar. Authoritarian regimes like that of Myanmars Tatmadaw and Afghanistans Taliban throve in security first environments created by the now retreating donors who, in the case of Afghanistan, became occupiers.

But how else can outsiders be involved, what can be done without security first? A suggestion: Why not try some of the same under-the-table financing for schools, clinics, scholarships, and other forms of assistance that the CIA sent out the side doors to various military groups pledging support for counterterrorism, security and drug eradication initiatives in Afghanistan? There are thousands of under-financed schools for Myanmars peoples in Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh and elsewhere serving Myanmars peoples in exile. They are often shoestring operations operated by parents, small NGOs, ethnic organizations, churches, mosques, refugees, migrants, etc., which do not have the capacity to apply for conventional donor funding with their elaborate RFPs. Meanwhile, Myanmar newspapers struggle to maintain freedom of information. Clinics struggle to serve populations inside Myanmar and in exile. All might benefit from some no RFP required, just like the funding already sent out through side doors in US embassies to militia groups throughout the world. The side doors are already there, why not use them for something besides guns?

Again, the end of todays military government will come, and even the Taliban will one day be moderated or overthrown. When that time comes, will donors be ready to assist the government with effective programs that will contribute to the liberal democracy with free markets and guarantees of human rights that they claim to support? Or will the situation revert to military first? Donors have much to learn about how to engage places like Myanmar. 2021 was indeed the nation builders Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad annus horribilis. The question is whether the military and security forces will still set the stage for the new legitimacy first Marshall Plans that follow.

Tony Waters is Professor of Sociology at Payap University, and Director of the Institute of Religion, Culture and Peace, Chiangmai. He works with Burmese, Karen and other students in the universitys PhD program in Peacebuilding. He is the author of academic books and articles about refugee relief and development such as Bureaucratizing the Good Samaritan, and an occasional contributor to The Irrawaddy. He can be reached at [email protected].



You may also like these stories:

How to Read a WEIRD Evidence-Based Yangon Consultancy Report

George Orwell and the Modern Yangon INGO Worker

The Fortunate Failure of Voluntary Repatriation For Rohingya Refugees
What was making news on the island in October of 2003

Virginia Key

More than 15 years ago (1985), the City of Miami, under the leadership of urban planner Jack Luft, developed an ambitious master plan for Virginia Key.

One problem with the document was that it didnt make allowances for the fact that Virginia Key is a rag-tag split of land, some of which belongs to Miami Dade County, some to City of Miami, still more is under federal jurisdiction. Because the county was not involved in the planning process, the master plan did not create a complete picture of the future. Nor did the master plan take into consideration what was happening on Key Biscayne and in the county and state parks and how that might relate to Virginia Key.

Fortunately for Key Biscayne, none of the ambitious development plans for Virginia Key ever became a reality.

Now, out of the shadows of a negative  the contentious relationship between the Village of Key Biscayne and Miami Seaquarium  is coming a positive master plan for Virginia Key that will involve all entities.

While taking part in a discussion with what to do about Seaquariums lease and its desire for more parking, Miami-Dade County Assistant Manager Pete Hernandez grew weary of what he saw as the piecemeal approach to governing Virginia Key.

He then discovered that the City of Miami was already preparing a request for proposal from consultants interested in developing a Virginia Key meter plan. The good timing left all parties  MAST Academy, The Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the University of Miami, Miami Seaquarium and the Village of Key Biscayne  even more anxious to start a study.

Although Key Biscayne does not own land on Virginia Key, as the front door to the residential island, what happens on Virginia Key affects Key Biscayne.

Segway Concession

Sonesta Beach Resort celebrated the grand opening of its Relay Store and Segway Excursion Center on Thursday. General Manager Matthias Kemmerer offered demonstration rides across the pool-side veranda on the self-balancing, electric powered transportation devices,

24 hour pour

Crews plan to start work in the wee hours of the morning next Saturday to lay the foundation for the Community Center. Paul Abbott, community center consultant, said the 24 hour pour should start around 2 a.m. He said the pour must continue uninterrupted until it is completed because concrete surfaces that arent poured all at once are subject to buckling, cracking and other structural weaknesses.

Village Council members had to amend the communitys noise ordinance  which bans loud or excessive noise before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Saturdays  to allow for the continuous pour. They did so unanimously with Mayor Bob Oldakowski stressing that suspension of the ordinance was a one-time thing.

Thats the Way We Like it

John and Selene Devaney hosted a party for 1,000 guests at the Key Biscayne Yacht Club, featuring K.C. and the SunshineBand. Many in the crowd wore disco-era clothing and their best boogie shoes.

Porches and Podiums

Joe Downs started up the engine of his Porsche GT3 Cup car in the driveway of his Harbor Drive home. Racing number 91 was displayed in red letters on the white hood. The sound of a 390-horsepower racing car rumbling loudly on a quiet, sunny morning rattled windows.

Downss car doesnt cruise the roads of Miami, but the racetracks of the Southeast U.S. The Key Biscayne lawyer competes in two amateur racing series. Recently he posted his best result in a Porsche Club America series, earning a third-place podium finish in a 90-minute endurance race.

The PCA is challenging, said Downs. At Sebring, youll be racing with 30 cars running door to door for 90 minutes with everybodys lap time separated by only one or two seconds.

Downs will be racing this weekend at the Homestead MotorSports Complex.

Rise, Ye Sea Slugs!

The first light of morning pours through the windows of a nondescript duplex on Fernwood Road, prompting Robin Gill to rise to meet his daily routine. For the next three hours, he proceeds to comb through tomes of haiku to seek inspiration in the form of the tiny inhabitants of the sea whose disposition mirrors his own. The fruit of this voluminous research is a 480-page book analyzing 1,000 poems about the sea cucumber.

Gill speaks at length about the rich history of sea cucumber in haiku in Japan, where he spent 20 years, writing and working as an acquisitions editor and translator for a small publishing house. His personal credo is Stay still, waste not (except for words, as they cost little energy) and be completely open about everything.

Gill is scheduled to appear at the Miami Book Fair International which runs through Sunday.
October 21, 2021



In honor of National American Indian Heritage Month the Idaho Museum of Natural History on the Idaho State University Pocatello campus will offer free museum admission to tribal members during the month of November.

In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month. Free museum admission will be given to tribal members who present a valid tribal identification card.

Visitors will enjoy This is Idaho exhibit, which celebrates the incredible natural world of the Gem State with the Museums collection of plants, animals and artifacts. The exhibit reveals the diverse landscapes across Idaho, and how life has adapted to these wild places over thousands of years. Exhibit highlights include original hand-made basketry, sagebrush clothing, unique fossils, and a colorful array of Idaho birds.

Also on display, Skulls: Everyones Got One will surprise you on how your skull measures up to our menagerie of ancient and modern animals. The skull is a real Swiss army knife, allowing animals to show off, hide, do battle, and consume prey in wildly different ways. Pose in front of the wall of spikes, a showcase of horns, antlers, bumps, knobs, and frills animals use to live their life. From giant saltwater crocodiles to dinosaurs, whales, and bison, you'll never look in the mirror the same way again!

The Idaho State Museum of Natural History has been serving Idaho since 1934. To learn more, visit imnh.isu.edu.


Like the Ithaca Times?

Please help support local journalism by whitelisting this site in your ad blocker. Thank you!
Nokia and GSMA Intelligence announced new research showing that communication service providers (CSPs) around the world believe that deploying artificial intelligence (AI) software is essential to reducing fast-rising network energy demand and emissions, spurred by internet traffic growth.

With the United Nations COP26 climate change conference proceeding in Scotland where world leaders are working to reach a global emissions deal, most CSPs surveyed in the research said that energy efficiency is either very important or extremely important in their network transformation strategy to counter rising energy consumption and emissions, the organisations said.

Along with the use of renewables, AI energy management software is central to many CSP strategies to shrink their environmental footprint, due to those solutions ability to be used quickly and effectively across an entire network with little to no human intervention, the organisations believe.

GSMA Intelligence, an industry authority on global mobile operator data, insights, reports and forecasts, found that 83% of CSPs surveyed see energy efficiency as a major network transformation driver that will grow in importance as 5G is operationalised by industry; while 67% expect their energy costs to rise over the next three years based on current trends.

{loadposition chris08}

Global internet traffic has risen exponentially in recent years due to a convergence of factors like increased television and movie streaming, video conferencing from remote working, and online gaming as 4G and now 5G become a larger share of the mobile customer base. Such activities require more energy consuming telco equipment and bandwidth capacity, as well as large amounts of data stored in an ever growing number of energy consuming data centres. As businesses and enterprises tap advanced 5G services, like network slicing, further demands will be made on telco networks, data centres, and energy consumption, the organisations say.

Many CSP respondents acknowledged they are still in the early planning and testing stages of getting their AI efforts off the ground with respect to energy efficiency. Still, nearly 50% of CSP respondents said they expect to achieve energy savings of 10% to 20% over the next two years as AI energy solutions are rolled out and optimised, the research showed.

Using zero-touch automation, AI programs can improve energy savings by closely aligning equipment usage patterns with real-time network demands; and identifying performance anomalies in underperforming network equipment that saps energy resources and requires replacement, they contend.

The separate white paper by Nokia and GSMA Intelligence projects that the implementation of mobile and digital technologies, like 5G, 4G, private networks, and IoT sensors, could catalyse large carbon emission savings in manufacturing, power and energy, transportation, and buildings; all of which account for around 80% of global carbon emissions, they say.

Nokia head of marketing for managed services cloud & network services Volker Held said, Reducing its carbon footprint is an important challenge for the telecommunications industry, given rising internet traffic trends and its implications for energy consumption.

"This research from Nokia and GSMA underscores the shared concerns of our industry and the variety of solutions and services that Nokia is working on with communication service providers to address this shared responsibility.

"AI solutions hold the promise of realising quick and substantial energy efficiency gains and ensure we fully live up to our environmental and social responsibilities, Held concluded.

GSMA Intelligence head of research and consulting Tim Hatt said, AI has clear and tangible benefits to improving the energy efficiency of telecom networks and is a big part of the solution in driving sustainable 5G networks.

"Its important to deploy AI early in order to train the algorithms and continually optimise network ops and costs over the long run.

The role of AI research document can be downloaded here. The white paper on industry pathways to net zero can be downloaded here.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 3 November 2021.
The Digital Transformation Agency, now vested with the responsibility for certifying cloud companies that can host government data, appears to be unwilling to state clearly whether any of the four firms given a tick on 7 October had outstanding compliance issues.

Of the four companies  Amazon Web Services, Sliced Tech, Vault Cloud and AUCloud  only Vault came clean on issues around compliance, and that directly to iTWire. The DTA said nothing at the time. AWS, AUCloud and Sliced Tech were all asked by iTWire whether they had any compliance issues, but all kept silent.

Given that, iTWire sent the following query to the DTA on Wednesday:

"On 7 October, four companies were certified for hosting government data: AWS, Sliced Tech, Vault Cloud and AUCloud.

"However, apart from Vault  which released details of its non-compliance issues to iTWire  none of the others have said anything about non-compliance. ITWire contacted both Sliced Tech and AUCloud but did not hear back.

"AWS was asked by email but did not respond.

"Which begs the question: did none of these three have any outstanding issues?

"Further, as I have pointed out, the fact that AWS uses a data centre owned by a Chinese entity does not seem to have raised any alarm at DTA - despite the government warnings about China.

"As you are no doubt aware, the government has cancelled a Belt and Road Initiative deal signed between China and Victoria. Canberra is also looking at the lease of the Port of Darwin by a Chinese firm and there is talk that it may be scrapped.

"Given this background, did not the fact that the Global Switch data centre used by AWS was Chinese-controlled raise any red flags?"

The DTA responded on Thursday: "Certification under the Hosting Certification Framework provides assurance that hosting providers meet defined security and risk management standards.

"This includes having mitigation measures in place that support the outcomes set out in the Whole of Government Hosting Strategy, and requirements outlined in the Hosting Certification Framework.

"Providers who have been assessed as being eligible and suitable for certification are required to enter into enforceable contractual undertakings with the Australian Government that give effect to the Certification Framework."

Exactly what that this means is difficult to parse. One can only infer one thing: like the government, the DTA prefers to obfuscate and avoid giving straight answers.

There has been a lot of blather from various interested parties about the alleged threat from China. Yet the American company AWS, which has links to a data centre that is owned by Chinese interests, has got the green flag to host government data.

Last year, when AWS was given the contract to host the government's COVIDSafe app, a similar question  that of using a data centre fully owned by a Chinese company  was raised, with Labor MP Ed Husic bringing up the issue on ABC News' afternoon briefing. The centre in question is Global Switch whose parent company is Aldersgate Investments which is now controlled by a Chinese entity.

Aldersgate owns two data centres in Ultimo where it stores classified Australian Government material, including sensitive Defence and intelligence files. Both these data centres have secure gateways certified by the ASD and can be used for secure access by government offices.

But the ASD is no longer in the picture when it comes to certification, having bowed out in March 2020. The DTA and the Australian Cyber Security Agency are now the two bodies involved in certification.

The issues with Global Switch go back to 2016 when Aldersgate sold a 49% stake to the Chinese firm, Elegant Jubilee.

Investors in Aldersgate are said to have been brought together by Li Qiang who owns Daily Tech, a leading data centre company in China. The main investor was the Jiangsu Sha Steel Group, China's largest private steel enterprise. Elegant Jubilee gained full ownership of Global Switch in August 2019.

But who cares? Certaonly not well-paid government bureaucrats who will talk about "communist China" till they are blue in the face. [The irony that China has been a communist nation from the time it came into being escapes these worthies. Do we talk about the "capitalist USA" or "socialist <insert_name_of_country_here>"?].

The DTA will be energised to do something only when the issue becomes one that costs the government votes. Until then, talk is fine, action is a dangerous course.
ADTRAN a provider of next-generation multi-gigabit fibre access and fibre extension solutions, announced its 60GHz mmWave mesh wireless access and backhaul solution.

ADTRAN says it delivers twice the capacity and up to four times the reach of competing mmWave products, the ADTRAN MetNet 60GHz solution complements fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services and enables service providers to speed Gigabit coverage in both dense urban and rural locations.

The ADTRAN MetNet 60GHz solution which includes the new Gen 2 mesh node, Gigabit-ready CPE and cloud-managementsupports a wide range of revenue-generating services. From residential access, SMB Gigabit and multi-gigabit neutral host/open access applications for public Wi-Fi and 5G small cell densification, the solutions capabilities enable service providers to monetise network investments faster while reducing their carbon footprint, ADTRAN proclaims.

The majority of mmWave attention has centred on licensed spectrum bands, some of which can provide Gigabit data rates but at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars for broad national coverage. Now, 60GHz mmWave mesh technology can provide Gigabit access capacities while meeting reach and reliability requirements over a wireless connection without the licensing cost burden, said Heavy Reading senior principal analyst Sterling Perrin.

This Gigabit solution will appeal to a range of service providers including rural providers, altnets, municipalities and wireless internet service providers, Perrin concluded.

ADTRAN says its new ADTRAN MetNet 60GHz Gen 2 Mesh Node delivers industry-leading performance, greater deployment flexibility and compelling economics. The company says the solution offers:

The industrys only dynamic bandwidth allocation capability preserving precious spectrum resources, delivering deployment flexibility and doubling the capacity available for users.

Support for all six channels in the 60GHz spectrum (57GHz-71GHz), cutting atmospheric attenuation by 90% and offering 50% greater channel selection and coverage.

Unique channel selection per sector and support for channels 5 and 6, delivering up to four times the reach of other new to market 60GHz mmWave products.

Four times more client connections per mesh node (up to 120 CPE or remote nodes) enabling faster network scale with fewer costly fibre drops.

Our greenest, high-performance mmWave mesh network that consumes 80% lower power per Gigabit connection, requiring fewer mesh nodes compared to competing 60GHz products.

Cloud-management for remote mesh topology setup, management, service configuration and upgrades, resulting in a network that is simple to deploy and manage.

The ADTRAN MetNet 60GHz solution is the only solution that economically extends Gigabit service wirelessly to deliver both residential and business services where terrain, population density and regulations limit the deployment of fibre, said ADTRAN senior vice president technology and strategy Robert Conger.

Now more than ever, service providers are looking for innovative and reliable solutions that simplify the deployment and maintenance of Gigabit service architectures that create new revenue streams while lowering the total cost of service, Conger said.

ADTRAN states its MetNet 60GHz solution is built on the industrys first self-organising, self-optimising and self-healing (SON) technology that extends Gigabit coverage up to 600 meters, is deployable in under 30 minutes and delivers high-capacity (15+ Gbps capacity per node) for wireless access and backhaul.

ADTRAN says this allows providers to cost-effectively deliver Gigabit tier services to RDOF census block groups (CBGs), as well as support applications such as Gigabit to MDUs, smart city applications, 5G small cell backhaul or offer low-cost Gigabit point-to-point campus LAN extension. The ADTRAN MetNet 60GHz solution is also a green solution requiring 80% lower power per Gigabit connection, requiring fewer mesh nodes compared to competing mesh 60GHz products.

My understanding is that the 60 GHZ band in Australia is class licensed so the deployment of these solutions is possible in this market.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 14 October 2021.
Australian Telco, More, today unveiled a consumer facing re-brand to align with its increased focus beyond the companys traditional B2B customer base into the B2C market.

Previously known as More Telecom, the re-brand to More includes a new website launched today offering premium NBN and mobile services to Australian households, while continuing to provide NBN, hosted PBX phone systems and enterprise data solutions to businesses Australia-wide.

The re-brand follows Mores partnership with Commonwealth Bank announced in July that will gradually introduce discounted NBN offers to CommBank customers via the CommBank app.

Mores premium offer is available to all Australian households and is designed to aggressively compete with larger telco brands.

Features include extended technical support hours, a carbon-neutral workforce, on-bill charity donations and best-in-market MESH Wifi networks.

Like its sister business, the award-winning Tangerine Telecom, More will also offer no lock-in contracts for new sign ups and a 14 day NBN trial.

Managing director Andrew Branson said, as the Australian NBN market matures, households will demand more from their internet providers.

We see a significant gap in the market for a provider to offer true premium services to Australian families who rely on their internet connection more than ever, said Branson.

Our research shows a genuine need for better service, superior products and a telco that can quickly respond to the needs of Australian customers, he said.

Branding consultancy, Brandkits, was commissioned to undertake the design and Director Paul Wells, said the branding was premium by design and more tech than telco.

More offers a sophisticated, digital experience, so we created the new branding to reflect that, said Wells.

"Motion graphics and fluid patterns elegantly communicate the networks they deliver, from NBN to Mesh Wi-Fi, from 4G to fibre.

"Telco is complex, and More offers simplicity. So the branding is clean and simple, with the site designed to be easy and efficient, he said.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 15 October 2021.
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.
SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards speaks during a news conference as SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas Nestel III stands behind her on an El platform at the 69th Street Transportation Center, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, in Philadelphia, following a brutal rape on the El, as other riders watched, over the weekend. They discussed the emergency call boxes on SEPTA trains and how to properly contact police from the trains.
Eighty-two days after Cole Begley was first hospitalized with COVID-19, he left Niswonger Childrens Hospital on Wednesday.

His journey was through the same hallway his twin brother Connor was wheeled through a month earlier, with many of the same health care workers who cheered for his brothers discharge lining the hallways to cheer for his.

This is nothing short of a miracle that he is being able to leave this hospital and go to a rehab hospital, said Niswonger Childrens Hospital CEO Lisa Carter. The staff are so excited because its been a very, very emotional journey for the doctors, for the nurses and certainly for this family.

Begley, 17, has been hospitalized since July 30. His twin brother was discharged on Sept. 13; both brothers left for the same rehabilitation facility.

Before being lifted into the back on an ambulance, Begley had a chance to meet a new member of his family for the first time as a new uncle  a touching moment for all who were gathered to send him off.

FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE JOHNSON CITY PRESS APP
FILE - This Aug. 12, 2021 file photo from video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Brian Laundrie talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was traveling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park. Laundrie, the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, whose body was found at a national park in Wyoming after a cross-country trip with him, has been charged with unauthorized use of a debit card as searchers continue looking for him in Florida swampland, federal authorities announced Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021.
Betty Jean Pulley, 95, passed away November 4, 2021, at Windridge Nursing Home, Miami, Oklahoma. Betty was born September 7, 1926, at home in Riverton, Kansas, to Albert Petty Cutright and Alta Elizabeth (Newkirk). She graduated from Riverton High School Class of 1944, and attended Joplin Ju
Ghostly passengers turn up at the Halloween Extravaganza at the Roundhouse. Activities are planned for all ages, with paranormal experts on hand all weekend, as well as a childrens party and a costume ball.
Representatives of Garrett, Allegany, and Washington counties in Maryland would like to see those counties join West Virginia in the near future.
Consumer Issues and Advice Columnist

Harlan was a full-time reporter and columnist for the JI from August 1997 to September 2017, after which he has continued to write weekly Consumer Diary and Leave it to Levy advice columns. Harlan graduated from Princeton University and NYU School of Law.
Karim Khan, the new International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, had been in office for just over three months when he dropped a bombshell in the international justice arena, saying that his office will now focus on crimes committed by the Taliban and by the Islamic State Khorasan Province, the Islamic State groups affiliate in Afghanistan. He wrapped up this news in an announcement that he has requested pre-trial judges now authorise his work, put on hold by his predecessor, because Afghan authorities had asked for a delay on the basis they were pursuing cases nationally.

Afghanistan joined the court in 2003. The preliminary examination into crimes committed on its territory had been going on for more than a decade before former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda asked judges to authorize a full investigation. Judges first balked, saying that it would not be in the interests of justice, but that decision was overturned on appeal. Then in March 2020 Kabul requested the prosecutor suspend her offices work in favour of an Afghanistan-led process. Meanwhile, the prosecutor and a senior colleague were subjected to a US presidential executive order sanctioning them and their work.

Details in the preliminary examination, annually reported, showed that the prosecutor was documenting crimes allegedly committed by U.S. forces, including extrajudicial killings, drone strikes that killed an untold number of civilians, and allegations of torture.

A litmus test for justice?

For Afghan human rights defender Horia Mosadiq, Khans decision to limit the scope of the investigation is harmful. In the eyes of so many Afghans, including myself, you would just see it as a biased investigation other than being impartial, she said, adding that mistrust of the court has always been there, knowing the pressure that the court was under.

It was a necessary statement says Sergey Vasiliev of University of Amsterdam, to reassure some parties that as Khan resumed the investigation they would not be under active investigation: a Trojan Horse, as he terms it, because many observers would welcome the additional news that the prosecutors probe will restart.

Liz Evenson of Human Rights Watch is among them. She had been sceptical that the Afghan authorities were going to conduct real investigations. But she says the new British prosecutors approach is, to her, both inconsistent with victims access to justice, inconsistent with promoting the idea that the rule of law applies to all.

The prosecutor does have discretionary power to prioritize or de-prioritize any aspect of the investigation, acknowledges Vasiliev, but the optics here are rather troubling, he says. Khans statement focused on recent serious atrocities and couched his decision in a reference to the UN Security Councils condemnation of attacks on the US military by ISIS-K. Was this a convenient opportunity to shelf the US part of the probe, he muses, while emphasising that that is the appearance, rather than necessarily the full reality. Evenson notes though that it feels unusual to make this kind of public determination before the investigation has even begun.

In response to the prosecutor, lawyers trying to have victims represented at the court have also shown their concern. [The] Decision to deprioritise and seemingly hold in abeyance the investigation in relation to, among others, crimes committed as part of the CIA detention program deprives the victims of any prospect for a genuine and effective investigation, and eventually the right to truth and reparations for the extreme injustices they faced as part of this program, write the lawyers. Judges have meanwhile reminded them that victims have no role to play in this stage of the process.

Instead their focus is on who actually represents Afghanistan as the formal interlocutor to the court, which  until decided  may delay the investigation again.

The ICC has long faced questions about its ability to take on the worlds most powerful countries. The last prosecutor opened inquiries into potential Russian crimes in Georgia which has delivered nothing and into Ukraine which is unfunded, and into alleged Israeli crimes in Palestine with no more tangible result. All to considerable praise. She also backed off a preliminary examination into acts committed by British troops in Iraq.

The Afghanistan situation and the investigation into the alleged crimes of US servicemen are widely regarded (along with the Palestine situation) as a true litmus test for the ICC, says Vasiliev. Will it proceed on the course of collision with powerful states/their allies, or rather do their bidding while focusing its attention on safer actors?. Part of the bigger picture says Evenson is that the prosecutors choice not to go ahead with looking at US forces creates this sort of recipe if you obstruct, if you make cooperation difficult, then you, your conduct or the conduct of your nationals could be shielded from scrutiny. And thats clearly not a message that we think that the prosecutor should be sending, she adds.

The very definition of double-standards

The ICC is, at the very least [giving] the appearance of applying double standards, reacts Matt Cannock, from the human rights organisation Amnesty International.

In September 2019, he notes the prosecutor provided that, in its request for authorisation to investigate in Afghanistan, it had identified 78 incidents which were attributed to US forces and CIA [while 50 were attributed to the Afghan government forces and 75 to the Taliban]. In the prosecutors own words, he recalls, these incidents were selected from the most prevalent and well-documented allegations in order to reflect the gravest incidents [emphasis added]. In this light, the decision to deprioritize and therefore not actively investigate a single incident from those which seemingly formed the largest proportion of its authorization request is exceptionally hard to comprehend.

Deprioritizing investigations into war crimes allegedly committed by US nationals  of a globally-northern major-power  while prioritizing investigations of war crimes allegedly committed by actors from the global south  is the very definition of double-standards, Cannock continues.

Such alarm is understandable says Vasiliev, when taking the history and geopolitical context into account. The de-prioritization of those aspects of the Afghanistan investigation is something a number of States Parties may have badly wanted, and many of them are likely relieved to hear about this course correction. Whether or not this is a definitive triumph of double standards rather than a delayed/phased approach, or a long game, remains to be seen.

We are under no illusion, says Cannock, that Karim Khan will come, as his predecessor did, under immense pressure from powerful states as his office looks set to investigate situations where their nationals and interests are affected. It is tragic therefore that his first major decision seems to align with the objectives of those powerful states who had sought to infringe his Offices independence.

Proper resources and credible cases

In his statement, Khan explains his unpopular decision. The gravity, scale and continuing nature of alleged crimes by the Taliban and the Islamic State, which include allegations of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, targeted extrajudicial executions, persecution of women and girls, crimes against children and other crimes affecting the civilian population at large, demand focus and proper resources from my office, if we are to construct credible cases capable of being proved beyond reasonable doubt in the courtroom.

The key words here are proper resources and credible cases, while the court is for a long time locked in a two-step with states parties, where repeated requests for more budget from them are denied until the court can show that its actually able to deliver successful prosecutions.

Douglas Guilfoyle of University of New South Wales, Canberra, commends his strong signal in the Afghanistan situation. We have a prosecutor now who wants to focus resources and focus on what can be done successfully within the envelope of resources that the court has, which seems to me a fundamentally realistic approach. And the point I keep making is already the best funded International Criminal Tribunal that has ever existed.

Guilfoyle says he is surprised by the tone of reaction to Khans statement in the NGO community. In particular, the critique of Khans decision as being double standards dressed up as pragmatism, is an accusation of bad faith or unprofessional conduct, which I find quite extraordinary, he says, pointing out that international criminal justice is always and can only be selective and suggesting it is ludicrous to assume the ICC is going to investigate every possible situation within its jurisdiction, then every possible crime and every possible party that falls within a situation under investigation.

Evenson agrees the court has a a real dilemma and acknowledges that missteps by court officials have probably limited the courts effectiveness as well, even within the resources it has But she says this dilemma cant be solved by pursuing selective justice in a given situation. Once the ICC is active in a situation, it really needs to take an open-ended approach, she argues.

These continued arguments about what kind of a court the ICC is, and whether it can deliver justice have been brought into focus again with the new prosecutors decision. Unless we take a more pragmatic view of the court, says Guilfoyle, its ability to deliver anything particularly significant is always going to be limited.
Lafayette,LA - Military medical teams arrived in August to Ochsner Lafayette General as covid hospitalizations soared. Today -- the teams are leaving because in the drop in patient numbers.

"We just greatly appreciate the phenomenal work each and every one of you have done," said Major General Damien Waddell.

Because of the surge of coronavirus cases starting back in August, Ochsner Lafayette gGeneral Medical Center CEO Al Patin says for the first time in the hospital's history -- they needed outside help. The military answered their call. "We had over a hundred covid positive patients in our hospital at the main campus. Almost a hundred and seventy across our region and we also had a lot of our staff impacted by covid."

With the help of the soldiers who came to Lafayette aid, there are only 17 positive covid cases in the hospital and 21 across the region.

Patin says we are still in the pandemic. This is the time to continue wearing your mask and get vaccinated, "Those opportunities are clearly out in the community. The more people that get vaccinated in our community. The more chance we have for them not being hospitalized with future infection in the community."

Throughout the presentation, soldiers were awarded for their work while at the hospital. Major General Damien Waddell praised the soldiers for their sacrifices to come and help lafayette in a time of need. "Whether it was in ICU, critical care, dealing with covid, the docs and the nurses that are here. You all did that at a time of great need. You made a difference every single day."

"For us it was a moment of life and death."

Lietinueant Commander Diana Tran-Yu says the patients brought smiles to soldiers' faces with each release from the hospital. "Many have said, you know thank yall so much for being here. Thank yall so much because we would not been able to be wheeled out or walked out the hospital without yall."

Lt. Commander Tran-Yu thanks everyone involved in the medical assistance team that helped lLafayette to battle the covid-19 surges, especially to the soldiers families who haven't seen them in over sixty days. They'll be seeing you soon. The residents of Lafayette are also extremely grateful for their hard work and commitment to protecting and serving the people of Louisiana.
The Overland Park Police Department offense report just came to light, but was filed by Principal David Ewers on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m., a couple of hours after hundreds of students walked out while holding signs saying things like, "Protect the victims, not the assailants," "It's not a joke," and
Aside from Kim Soo Hyun and Cha Seung Won's drama "One Ordinary Day," Coupang Play announced that "Anna" starring "Nation's First Love" Suzy will be their second Kdrama to be produced.

'Anna' Marks Suzy's Drama Comeback After Hiatus

Suzy will finally have her small-screen return with "Anna" and is expected to work with a list of talented actors such as Jung Eun Chae, Park Ye Young, and Kim Jun Han.

According to Star News, Coupang Play confirmed on October 20 that the filming production for the forthcoming K-Drama "Anna" also known as "The Second Anna" already started last October 15.

Originally, "Anna" was said to be produced as a movie but is now made into a drama and will have eight episodes in total. Director Lee Joo Young will be in charge of the project. The drama tells the story of a woman who starts living someone else's life due to a small lie she committed.

Idol-actress Suzy takes the role of Yoo Mi, a woman who unexpectedly lives a completely different life just because of the small lie she did. The "Start-Up" star is expected to show another challenging character through this new mini-series.

Joining her is "The King: Eternal Monarch" actress Jung Eun Chae. She will be giving life to the character of Hyun Joo, a person who lives her life with superiority. She neither treats anyone with malice nor kindness.

Meanwhile, "Hospital Playlist" actor Kim Jun Han will play the role of Ji Hoon, Yoo Mi's husband. He is ambitious and goal-oriented.

Following the success of tvN's "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha," Park Ye Young, who played the role of a writer in the drama, is already booked to join the cast of "Anna." She will be portraying the character of Ji Won, a friend and a close colleague of Yoo Mi.

Cast Share Their Thoughts about the New Drama 'Anna'

According to Bae Suzy, the moment she read the script for "Anna," the actress felt nervous but in a good way. The 27-year-old female star also added that she is excited to work and can't wait to meet all the cast and crew.

Meanwhile, same with Suzy, Jung Eun Chae shared that the script also captured her attention. She looks forward to playing a new character and is also happy to be working with great actors and a team.

Kim Jun Han and Park Ye Young were honored to be part of the cast and can already sense the depth in the story of "Anna."

Lastly, director Lee Joo Young who also penned the script, explained in detail the story of his new drama. He was also praised for his masterpiece, and everyone who was part of the team was impressed by his script.

In addition, Coupang Play's director Kim Sung Han is looking forward to the drama and expects that it will be a trending topic in 2022.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Bae Suzy Instagram Update: 'Start-Up' Star Exudes Dazzling Visuals in Lancome Korea's New Campaign

Are you excited about Suzy's new drama "Anna"? Share your thoughts 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.
Broadcast giant KBS2's newest drama special, "Hee Soo," wins Best Picture in the 2021 Korea UHD Awards.

The drama marks Jeon So Min and Park Sung Hoon's drama comeback and the second time working on a project together.

Jeon So Min and Park Sung Hoon's New Melodrama 'Hee Soo' Wins Best Picture

Jeon So Min and Park Sung Hoon's newest contemporary melodrama, "Hee Soo," a KBS drama special, wins Best Picture in the Drama Category in the 2021 Korea UHD Awards held on October 20, proving the competitiveness of the well-made one-act drama.

The Korea UDH Awards is an annual awards ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, supervised by the Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA).

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Jeon So Min and Park Sung Hoon Mourn Over Loss of Daughter in KBS Drama Special 'Hee Soo' + Drama Teaser Unveiled

"Hee Soo" is the first work of KBS Drama Special 2021 TV Cinema. Main actor Jeon So Min's passionate acting performance, who immersed herself in the feelings of Hwang Joo Eun, her role perfectly, doubled the anticipation

Not only that, but Park Sung Hoon, who diversified his acting spectrum in his work throughout the years, added strength to the drama.

The combination of Jeon So Min and Park Sung Hoon is irrevocably great, even bagging an award before the drama's big premiere.

In addition to that, "Hee Soo" is expected to convey a great message and inspiration to anyone who watches it. The drama also aims to give comfort to those who have experienced the incinerating pain of losing a loved one.

'Hee Soo' Drama Summary and Further Details

The Choi Sang Yeol-directed drama "Hee Soo" follows the story of a set of parents who just lost their six-year-old daughter in a car accident and living each day without being able to escape the feeling of grief and pain.

However, thanks to technology, the two parents get to reunite with their daughter through a virtual reality program designed by programmers.

It also shows the everyday changes in the family due to the death of their beloved daughter, foretelling the message and the feel of the drama.

It is the first work of KBS Drama Special 2021, followed by Kim Sae Ron's "Woman of the Palace."

KBS Drama Special "Hee Soo" was first released on online streaming platform wavve on October 8. However, the one-act drama is set to air for the first time on KBS2 at 11:25 p.m. on October 22. It will be available in four television cinemas and the pre-release film will be on Wave.

Watch the heart-shattering teaser of "Hee Soo" here:

What are your thoughts on this drama? Share it with us in the comments below!

Follow KDramaStars for more KMovie, KDrama, and celebrity updates!



KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
MEDFORD, Ore.  Medford City Council is set to consider two new ordinances Thursday night that would adjust where the houseless are allowed to camp overnight, in part tweaking previous ordinances in response to recent state law.

The first ordinance would loosen regulations on overnight camping in vehicles outside of willing institutions, which previously applied only to faith-based organizations such as churches. The second would do several things  creating a 20-foot "buffer" between sleeping spots and private residential property, and adding a ban on camping or sleeping in cemeteries.

In a City analysis, officials acknowledged that the sleeping or camping in cemeteries has not actually been a problem to come up thus far, but it was mentioned in recently adopted state law and not covered in previous Medford prohibited camping ordinances.

"Although staff never intended cemeteries to be a lawful area for camping, lying, or sleeping, the time-place-manner regulations adopted in April 2021 are silent on that specific issue," the analysis reads. "Staff wishes to make this restriction explicit before it becomes an actual dispute that affects funeral attendees or other individuals visiting the IOOF Cemetery for its intended purpose."

Part of the same proposed ordinance would institute a 20-foot buffer zone between allowed sleeping spots on public property and residential property. The City said that this arose from the concerns of residents along the Bear Creek Greenway.

"Based upon concerns raised by residential properties directly adjacent to the Bear Creek Greenway about livability issues created by individuals camping, lying, or sleeping directly adjacent to those residential properties, Council directed staff to bring forward an amendment creating a buffer zone between residential properties and individuals lawfully sleeping on public property," the analysis reads.

According to the City, Medford's municipal code contains an existing buffer requirement for hospital property and patients' family members sleeping in trailers or RVs on nearby residential properties so as to avoid adverse impacts on adjacent properties from those temporary sleeping arrangements. The ordinance would essentially expand that reasoning to include camping near all residential property.

The second ordinance would amend a 2019 ordinance that allowed churches to host people sleeping in cars on their property. At the time, this applied only to faith-based institutions and with a maximum of three vehicles.

According to the City's analysis, the Oregon legislature passed a bill this year that added flexibility to statutes on overnight sleeping, removing the religious component and vehicle number restrictions.

Medford's proposal would lift the three-vehicle limit, but would require that any number higher than three be approved by the City Manager's office. It would also allow secular non-profits and private businesses to host people sleeping in their vehicles in the same way that churches have been authorized.

"Although there is no longer a prohibition on for-profit entities operating vehicle camping operations, it must be emphasized that charging rent would not be lawful for operations permitted under this ordinance," the City analysis reads. "This would not affect the continued viability of Asantes RV camping operation operated off of Barnett Road, since that operation is authorized under City Manager executive order (related to the Almeda Fire emergency declaration) and not this ordinance."

The City Council is set to meet via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Thursday to consider these two ordinances, among other matters. NewsWatch 12 will provide updates on whether the ordinances pass.
By Eric Levenson, Taylor Romine, Leyla Santiago and Randi Kaye, CNN

(CNN) -- What appears to be human remains and items belonging to Brian Laundrie, including a backpack, have been found in a nature reserve in North Port, Florida, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson.

FBI gives update in search for Brian Laundrie: "Earlier today, investigators found what appears to be human remains, along with personal items, such as a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Laundrie." https://t.co/5q0k5WyOYt pic.twitter.com/lpEHLSoh2t  ABC News (@ABC) October 20, 2021

The remains were found in an area that has been underwater until recently, he said.

The FBI Tampa's Evidence Response Team is on the scene using "all available forensic resources" to process the area. According to McPherson, it's likely the team will be on the scene for several days.

"I know you have a lot of questions, but we don't have all the answers yet," he said reading a statement for the media.

The discovery comes 37 days after Laundrie, the fiance of Gabby Petito, was reportedly last seen by his parents.

Earlier, the Sarasota County Medical Examiner and a cadaver dog were called to the park and aerial footage showed activity in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park near the Carlton Reserve.

Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, informed the FBI and the North Port Police Department Tuesday night that they intended to come to the park on Wednesday morning to search for him, family attorney Steven Bertolino said. Law enforcement met them there Wednesday morning, he said.

After a "brief search" off a trail Laundrie frequented, the family and law enforcement found "some articles" belonging to him, Bertolino said. He would not give any further information on what or how many items were found.

Bertolino said that law enforcement is now conducting a more thorough investigation of that area.

The Sarasota County Medical Examiner has been called to the scene, and Pasco County Sheriff's office said a cadaver dog and two spotters were also on site. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Emergency Response Team and the Lee County Sheriff's Office are also now on scene along with a mobile unit and a tent.

The discovery comes amid an exhaustive search for Laundrie that has now stretched over a month and as authorities try to piece together what happened to Petito.

The Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park is on 160 acres of heavily wooded land in North Port, Florida, with trails and a camping area. The park connects to the Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre nature reserve that has been the primary search location for investigators.

Searchers had previously used swamp buggies, divers and airboats to scour the swampy terrain, but the area has dried out recently due to clearer weather.

How we got here

Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23, traveled around the western US in a white van this summer, all while regularly posting photos and stories to their social media pages. Those posts abruptly stopped in late August, though, and Laundrie then returned by himself to their home in North Point, Florida, where they lived with his parents, on September 1.

Petito's family, unable to get in contact with her, reported her missing 10 days later, launching a national search. Laundrie declined to cooperate with the investigation into her whereabouts, and soon after, he also went missing. His family told investigators they believed he had gone to a sprawling nature reserve nearby.

Petito's remains were found in a national forest in Wyoming on September 19 near where the couple had last been seen together. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled her death a homicide and said that she died by strangulation.

"We believe this was strangling by a human being," Blue told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Laundrie has not been explicitly connected to Petito's homicide, but he is the subject of a federal arrest warrant for unauthorized use of another person's debit card in the days after Petito last spoke with her family.

Though their social media posts appear idyllic, their relationship was full of tension and conflict in recent months. Petito called her mom regularly, and those conversations appeared to reveal there was "more and more tension" in Petito's relationship, according to a police affidavit for a search warrant of an external hard drive found in the couple's van.

In addition, the couple was involved in a domestic dispute and were stopped by police in August in Moab, Utah, after a 911 caller told dispatchers he saw a man hitting a woman, according to audio provided by the Grand County Sheriff's Office.

In a report from Moab police, another witness told police he saw the couple arguing over a phone. The witness said that when Laundrie got into the van, Petito appeared to hit him in the arm and then climbed through the driver's side door as if he had locked her out, the report states.

After interviewing Petito, Laundrie and the witness, the officers describe the incident as an argument that turned into a physical fight involving pushing and scratching.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.  Oregon State Police arrested two California men just outside of Klamath Falls earlier this week after discovering that they were smuggling methamphetamine north through Oregon, according to the agency.

On Tuesday afternoon shortly before 2:30 p.m., an OSP trooper pulled over the driver of a blue Honda civic northbound on Highway 97 between the Klamath River and Highway 140 for an undisclosed traffic violation.

OSP said that the trooper saw "signs of criminal activity" during the stop and developed probable cause for a search. During the search, the trooper found an ice chest with a false bottom, concealing four pounds of suspected methamphetamine. The agency said that at OSP drug detection K-9 helped at the scene.

Troopers arrested two men, driver 37-year-old Antonio Nicolas Navarro-Medica of Gilroy, California, and passenger 49-year-old Trinidad Rodriguez of San Jose, California. Both were charged with possession and delivery of methamphetamine.
Kenosha Police said the shooting that left three people dead and two seriously injured late Tuesday night in a normally quiet north-side neighborhood appears to be a murder-suicide, domestic-related incident.

Police believe 24-year-old Jostin Gutierrez-Pagan shot and wounded Luz Pizarro-Perez, the 35-year-old woman with whom he shared the home at 610 40th Place. Gutierrez-Pagan is also believed to have shot and killed both Pizzaro-Perezs 18-year-old daughter, Marian Pizarro, who was pregnant, and Pizarros 17-year-old boyfriend, Sebastian Perez-Alvarez. Also wounded was Pizarro-Perezs 14-year-old son, whom police were not naming as of Wednesday afternoon.

Gutierrez-Pagan was found dead in the house of what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Kenosha Police Sgt. Leo Viola said Gutierrez-Pagan was in a domestic relationship with Pizarro-Perez and that they shared the home with her children.

With the shooting, Kenosha County marked its 15th homicide of the year  a remarkable spike of fatal violence in a county that typically sees approximately five homicides a year. It was also the second triple homicide of the year in the county. Twelve of the killings have been in the City of Kenosha, and seven of those murders were incidents of domestic violence. All but one of the incidents involved firearms.

Tuesdays shooting occurred at 10:41 p.m. inside a neat white-frame home at 610 40th Place. According to a statement from police, dispatchers received a 911 call from a cell phone.

All that could be heard on the initial call was a lot of unintelligible screaming, police stated.

Police said early Wednesday that three people were found dead inside the home. Of the two survivors, one was taken by a Flight for Life medical helicopter to Froedtert Hospital, the regional advanced trauma center in Wauwatosa. Kenosha Police Lt. Joe Nosalik said another victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries. Both victims were reported to be in critical condition as of early Wednesday.

Previous call to home

Kenosha Police had been called to the home once before in December 2020 when Gutierrez-Pagan broke out the window of their car because he was angry about his license being taken away when he was pulled over for a traffic violation earlier in the day. During the call, according to a police report, Gutierrez-Pagan described Pizarro-Perez as his live-in girlfriend. She told police she was not in fear for her safety and the incident did not turn physical and Gutierrez-Pagan was not arrested.

But police did express concern about the guns in the house. In the police report, an officer describes seeing Gutierrez-Pagan sitting on the steps with a handgun next to him along with a .380 magazine and one loose round. Jostin reached for the handgun. I felt fear for my safety and was uncertain what Jostins intentions were. I raised my sidearm from a tactical low ready position and pointed at Jostin, the report states. The report stated that Gutierrez-Pagan complied with police and was ordered out of the house. It also states that Pizarro-Perez, who spoke limited English, pulled a 9mm handgun out of her purse while speaking to police. I immediately grabbed Luzs hand and removed the handgun from her hand, the report states. Luz was cooperative and appeared confused due to the language barrier.

The report states that Gutierrez-Pagan was a legal concealed carry holder and that the couple were trying to provide the firearms to officers in good faith and the guns were returned to Gutierrez-Pagan.

Domestic violence concerns

As a community, we are shocked and saddened by this senseless loss of life, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said in a formal statement about Tuesdays incident. This year we have had 12 homicides, and two-thirds of the cases have been result of domestic violence. The current hardships people are facing  including the pandemic  seem to have escalated conflict in some households.

Antaramian urged people to consider sharing information on community resources if they know people who are in crisis.

On Wednesday morning, 40th Place was closed off between 6th and 7th Avenues as police gathered evidence at the scene. Officers could be seen taking photographs inside the house, while outside police collected sealed evidence bags. In their statement, police said they would likely remain on the scene throughout the day.

This tears my heart out, said Ald. Dominic Ruffalo, who was at the scene speaking to police outside the taped-off area.

Ruffalo noted that the total number of murders this year is the highest annual number in his recollection.

This violence affects not just the families (involved), but everyone in the community, Ruffalo said.

While homicides have increased in the city  and across the nation  the number of shootings and shots-fired calls in Kenosha have actually declined since last year.

The neighborhood where the shooting occurred is typically a quiet one. Beyond the police tape, neighbors on Wednesday stepped out on porches or walked by with dogs to watch the activity.

I didnt hear any gunfire or anything, said a man, who identified himself only as Nick.

He said his backyard overlooks the home where the shooting occurred. He said he heard some loud noises and later heard sirens.

Elizabeth Webb, an Uptown resident who runs the social service organization My Sisters House and has been working on anti-violence programs, stopped at the scene Wednesday morning.

This is just upsetting to see, because things are not getting better, Webb said. Its just so senseless.

Sobering statistics

Tuesdays incident is the 42nd mass shooting in the nation in October, according to the Gun Violence Archive, and the second this week in southeastern Wisconsin. On Sunday, six people were shot and wounded in an incident in Racine.

Its also the second mass shooting in the county in six months, with each of those incidents resulting in three fatalities. On April 18, a gunman opened fire, leaving three men dead and three injured at the Somers House Tavern just north of Kenosha in the Village of Somers.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

For those struggling with mental illness or other stress-related conditions, the Crisis Hotline can be reached at 262-657-7188. Women and Childrens Horizons offers help for those dealing with domestic violence and can be reached at 262-652-9900.

Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.

Deneen Smith Reporter Follow Deneen Smith Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
News

Valero gas station murder suspect enters plea deal

David King

One of the two suspects accused in the April shooting death that occurred at the Valero gas station on East Ninth Street entered a guilty plea in Christian Circuit Judge John Atkins courtroom Monday morning for his alleged involvement in the murder.

David Rashawn King, 27, appeared in Atkins court Wednesday morning via Zoom while at the Christian County Jail while his defense attorney Stewart Wheeler, who is out of Russellville, appeared on Zoom by phone.

King officially entered his guilty plea deal before Atkins, which included the dismissal of two of his charges contingent upon King agreeing to testify against his codefendant in the case, Dalton Hall, 21, should his case go to a jury trial.

After King entered the plea, Christian County Commonwealths Attorney Rick Boling read the plea deal aloud to the court.

King was originally charged with complicity to murder, convicted felon in possession of a handgun, tampering with physical evidence and first-degree hindering prosecution or apprehension.

However, Boling explained that as part of his deal, the complicity to murder charge as well as tampering charge is dismissed.

Boling continued to share that the commonwealth recommends King be sentenced to five years on his felony handgun possession charge and one year on his hindering prosecution charge. The commonwealth is opposed to King receiving probation in the case, Boling added.

Boling advised that King had agreed in the deal to testify at trial regarding a statement he gave to the commonwealth regarding the crime.

The defendant agrees to testify truthfully consistent with his prior statement to the commonwealth and the Hopkinsville Police Department, Boling said. That is when we met with Mr. King and counsel and he gave a statement.

During the hearing, King also inquired about the possibility of him being released prior to his sentencing to allow him to work.

Wheeler advised the court that he and Boling had reached an agreement to lower Kings bond to 10% of $25,000, in other words, $2,500 in cash. He added that if his family were to post that bond, he would be released and would be able to work, but the family had been hesitant to post bond in order for King to get additional credit for time he has served while in custody.

They have not posted (bond), not because of an inability, but they just want to make sure he gets credit for time served in the event the court doesnt probate or shock probate him, which he has been explained, Wheeler said. Obviously, they know and he knows he could post bond in that amount.

Following the entering of his plea, Atkins set Kings final sentencing hearing on Nov. 24.

Hall and King had both been accused of the shooting death of Delmour Moncrief, 31, that occurred in front of the Valero gas station.

Hall is charged with murder, convicted felon in possession of a handgun and tampering with physical evidence.

According to New Era archives, the shooting death of Moncrief occurred in front of the Valero gas station just before 9 a.m. on April 10.

King and Hall had been in an altercation with Moncrief just before Hall allegedly shot Moncrief in the stomach.

Moncrief was taken to Jennie Stuart Health for treatment, but died from his injuries a short time later.

King and Hall were both seen fleeing the gas station in a red Toyota Solara 2d convertible with a tan colored top.

King was reported to have been driving the vehicle while Hall had been in the passenger seat.

Hall was arrested in Alabama on April 13 and was later transported to the Christian County Jail, where he is currently being held on a $500,000 cash bond.

King was arrested by Elkton Police the night of July 16 and was served a Christian County warrant for his connection in the murder of Moncrief.

In other court news, Atkins sentenced Shakkory Willis, 28, who is accused in the January, 2019 Short Bethel Street murder, on all of his charges excluding his murder charge Wednesday morning.

Willis was found guilty by jury trial in August of first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and second-degree unlawful transaction with a minor. However, his murder charge had been declared a mistrial.

After finding him guilty on all other charges, the jury recommended Willis be sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison; 15 years on his robbery charge, 15 years on burglary and 3 years for his unlawful transaction with a minor charge.

All charges were recommended to be served consecutively, meaning one after the other, for a total of 33 years in prison. The jury also recommended that he not be allowed to be granted probation.

Willis is required to serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible to meet the parole board.

Ultimately, Atkins chose to follow the jurys recommendation Wednesday morning and sentenced him to the total 33 years.

After Atkins advised the court of Willis sentence, Willis defense attorney Eric Bearden requested that the judge reconsider and allow his charges to be served concurrently, meaning at the same time, for a total of 15 years.

Atkins denied the request stating that he chose to follow the jurys recommendation.

I have a great deal of respect for the verdicts that jurys render and I will continue that steadfast respect for the jury process and sentence him according to their recommendations to 33 years, Atkins said.

Following that decision, Atkins rescheduled a second trial for Willis solely on his murder charge to begin on May 23.

According to New Era archives, the jury that convicted Willis on all charges excluding murder, were split 11 to 1 on the murder charge, resulting in a mistrial.

Willis, along with Lane Carter, 23, James Yates, 24, Tia Ochs, 19, Madison Wilson, 20, and Korey Zivotin, were accused of planning to rob Coryvan Thomas, 20, of either $30,000 in cash or $30,000 worth of marijuana, that they were told was inside the home. The robbery later led to the shooting death of Thomas and his roommate Dylan Stewart, being shot in the leg.

Ochs, Wilson and Zivotin were all juveniles at the time of the alleged crime.

Also according to archives and police reports, officers found Stewart shot in the leg and Thomas unresponsive with a gunshot wound on Jan. 24, 2019. Stewart was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Thomas later died from injuries he sustained.

Willis along with Zivotin, Yates, Carter, Ochs and Wilson, all took part in a robbery in which Stewart and Thomas were shot.

The reports state Carter drove the vehicle that took the suspects to the Bethel Street home while Yates, Willis and Zivotin entered the home during the robbery.

Carter and Yates also entered guilty pleas Feb. 17, 2020. Yates pleaded guilty to the charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and second-degree unlawful transaction with a minor, carrying a total recommended sentence of 10 years in prison.

The deal requires Yates to serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

The deal also required Yates to testify in court in Willis trial.

Carter pleaded guilty to amended charges of facilitation to first-degree burglary and facilitation to first-degree robbery, carrying a recommended sentence of 10 years.

Carter was originally charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery, however, those charges were amended down. Carter also originally had an additional charge of second-degree unlawful transaction with a minor but was dismissed as part of his plea deal.

Carter will only have to serve two years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. Carter also had to testify as part of his plea.

Willis was alleged to have shot and killed Thomas and was the only suspect charged with murder.

The other two juveniles involved in the case, Ochs and Wilson pleaded guilty in 2019 to facilitation to robbery for their involvement in the case. They were both sentenced to five years.
Ketchikan, AK (99901)

Today

Cloudy with occasional light rain throughout the day. High 44F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with late-night snow showers. Low 34F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%.
A report on Wednesday suggested that West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin told associates that he "is considering leaving the Democratic Party if President Joe Biden and Democrats on Capitol Hill do not agree to his demand to cut the size of the social infrastructure bill from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion."

Manchin quickly shot the idea down.

"It's bulls--t," he told CNN's Manu Raju. "I have no control of rumors."

Manchin told CNN's Ali Zaslav on Thursday that he never considered switching parties, but he acknowledged that that he had given some thought to becoming an independent who caucuses with Democrats a la Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine.

"If I'm an embarrassment to my Democratic colleagues, my caucus, the President."

Added Manchin: "No one accepted that."

Which is the right take for Manchin! Because it makes zero sense for Manchin to switch from the Democratic to Republican Party!

Start here: Manchin has, repeatedly, proven that he can get elected as a Democrat in West Virginia despite the state's clear Republican lean. In 2018, a very bad year for Democrats nationally, Manchin still managed to hold his seat in the state -- albeit with 50% -- against a much-touted Republican candidate. Six years earlier, Manchin won with 61% even while Obama was losing the state to Mitt Romney by 26 points.

There's no reason to believe then that Manchin MUST switch parties if he wants to have a chance for a third full term in 2024.

Now consider Manchin's current position within the Democratic Party. Sure, some liberals -- like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez -- bang on him for his opposition to, say, the broad effort to reform voting rights in the country or a $3.5 trillion social safety net proposal.

But, in the main, he is in a position of complete power. He has a direct line to Biden. Biden's trial balloon of a spending package in the $1.75 trillion to $1.9 trillion range is much, much closer to the $1.5 trillion proposed by Manchin than the $3.5 trillion (or higher) price tag pushed by the likes of Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The climate provisions being pushed by the Biden administration may well wind up on the cutting-room floor to placate Manchin's fossil-fuel sensibilities.

He would be in the party out of power in the White House through at least 2024. That fact would drastically reduce his ability to influence legislation coming out of the White House -- especially if Democrats wound up winning back the Senate in the 2022 elections. (If Manchin switched parties, Republicans would hold a single seat majority.)

Manchin would also join the small ranks of (relatively) moderate senators that includes Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah. And, he would undoubtedly become -- as those senators have become -- a major target for former President Donald Trump in his unending quest to root out all RINOs (Republican In Name Only) from the Republican Party.

Circling back to the politics of a Manchin party switch, earning the ire of Trump for not being, well, Trump-y enough could endanger Manchin when 2024 comes around. Presuming Trump runs again for president that year -- and every sign suggests he will -- there will be a major surge of Trump voters in Republican primaries across the country. If Trump decided to turn on Manchin and endorse a primary challenger to the incumbent, there's the very real possibility that Manchin could be in trouble.

In short: Switching parties is WAY more trouble than it's worth for Joe Manchin. If he has ever considered it, he should stop. Immediately.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
Big cities across America are forcing employees to get vaccinated as part of their jobs, and many police unions are pushing back, driven by a mix of anti-vaccine ideology and principled disagreement over changing work rules on the fly.

Unions are availing themselves of their collecting bargaining rights to resist the mandates, citing laws and contract provisions that require employers to negotiate with unions when they want to change workplace rules.

Complicating negotiations is the lingering animosity that exists between elected officials and police unions in big cities. That tension existed before George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer, and has been exacerbated by elected officials who want to rein in police spending and aggressive officers, and unions who feel they're being unfairly scapegoated for the actions of a few bad officers.

It's not clear how many unions across the country are pushing back against vaccine mandates but police unions from Seattle to Chicago to Baltimore have all resisted mandatory vaccines. There are more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies, many of them with unionized work forces. Some unionized firefighters have also resisted vaccines or the reporting of vaccine status.

"We have to protect jobs. Whether it's one or a couple hundred. That's our mission here, to protect jobs. It's not vaccinated versus unvaccinated," said Mike Solan, president of the officers' union in Seattle. "It's about the mandate in and of itself is a problem and they need to bargain this. Jobs are on the line. That's our purpose as a union."

Coronavirus is leading cause of death for officers

Because vaccine mandates are instituted on a city-by-city basis, combined with disputes over reporting vaccine statuses, it's not possible to definitively know what percentage of the country's law enforcement officers have been vaccinated. However, in cities that are requiring officers to report their vaccination status, city leaders are finding that these vaccination rates are often lower than those of the public the officers serve.

About 70% of the Los Angeles Police Department's members have been vaccinated ahead of the city's deadline, but almost 80% of Los Angeles County's eligible population has received at least one dose. In New York City, 70% of police officers are vaccinated, compared to 72% of the city's overall population and 85% of all adults who have been vaccinated.

In Chicago, more than one third of the Chicago Police Department officers didn't disclose their vaccine status by the reporting deadline and the city is beginning to discipline those officers (more than 80 percent of those who reported their status were vaccinated).

The coronavirus has become the leading cause of death for officers despite law enforcement being among the first groups eligible to receive the vaccine at the end last year. The total stands at 483 Covid-19 related deaths since the beginning of 2020 through this October, compared to 101 from gunfire in the same period, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

On Wednesday, the mayor of New York City announced that city workers would be required to get vaccinated. Police and firefighters were already required, but were given an option to get regularly tested instead, and Wednesday's announcement removed the testing option. The city's two largest police unions  the Police Benevolent Association and Detectives' Endowment Association  both released statements saying they'd resist the mandate.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a non-profit policy and research organization, noted that dozens of New York City police officers have died of Covid and another 10,000 were infected since the start of the pandemic.

"More cops will die of Covid than will get shot, stabbed, or die in car accidents," Wexler said. "This should be the one issue that labor and management sit down and say, what are we going to do to save cops lives, period. That's not happening."

Labor law generally favors employers

Withholding labor is a nuclear option that looms over nearly every labor dispute -- except those with public safety unions. Cops and firefighters are typically forbidden from going on strike, either by law or by language in their contracts.

"We work now, grieve later," said Solan, the Seattle union president. Officers in Seattle are in a dispute with city leadership over its vaccine mandate, though Solan said the officers aren't opposed to vaccines. The Seattle Police Department is in the "separation process" with six employees who didn't comply with the mandate to either get vaccinated or seek an exemption. About 100 submitted requests for exemptions.

Labor law generally favors the employers, though cities and unions generally have to bargain over changes to workplace rules, said Michael LeRoy, a professor at the University of Illinois School of Labor & Employment. Vaccine mandates would be considered a topic where bargaining is mandatory, Leroy said. But if the two sides bargain to a point where there is no more progress, cities can implement their policy and the union is forced to address it through courts or labor relations boards. But labor disputes, over the decades, have typically been for economic reasons, LeRoy said.

"I am very pro vaccine and pro public health," LeRoy said. "The labor law question is, you have to go through the process."

Laws for bargaining are different for public employees, and can vary by state, said Bob Fetter, a labor lawyer in Detroit who represents employees and unions in disputes with employers. Laws can also differ by municipality, Fetter said. The union representing Detroit police officers could have different bargaining rights than a suburban police department or the Michigan State Police.

Tamara Lee, a labor professor at Rutgers University, said the law favors the employer when it comes to vaccines, and though it will likely be litigated, precedent is on the cities' side. She said cities could impose mandates but would still have to negotiate with unions over things related to the mandates (like acceptable proof of vaccination or time off to get the shots).

"In this political environment, we would expect this to be litigated to the highest level of the Supreme Court," Lee said. "With that said, it is unlikely that the union will prevail against the mandate with a defense limited to 'we are morally opposed to it' or 'it should be an individual worker right.' The law is full of decisions which favor the state or local mandate in those instances."

Police and firefighters in Chicago, where the dispute over vaccines is tied up in court and with the state's labor relations board, weren't always unionized. It took a work stoppage in the 1980s for firefighters to get their first contract, and their union president went to jail during that work stoppage. And since Floyd's death last summer, police unions and their bargaining rights have been under scrutiny from lawmakers and activists who hope to limit their power to protect officers.

The idea of solidarity isn't one unique to public safety unions. The group holding together, typically to earn some economic benefit for everyone, is a bedrock principle of organized labor. A statement from the Chicago police officers' union after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot filed a complaint against the union appealed to the notion of solidarity, asking officers to "hold the line."

"I can't say I'm surprised. Union brothers and sisters, it's part of their lore, their folkway," LeRoy said. "They communicate it to incoming people, and it really speaks to the tight-knit social culture that unions use, especially around striking. I don't view it as a good thing or a bad thing. But it is a thing."

'It should be a bargaining process'

In Chicago, the police are represented by John Catanzara, who as a police officer had a long history of disciplinary issues, including working a side job while on medical leave. The city is represented by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, whose my-way-or-the-highway approach to governing has led to high senior staff turnover and difficult relationships with alderman and other city leaders.

Lightfoot and Catanzara traded personal insults over text messages last summer after officers were pelted with rocks and frozen water bottles while stopping protesters from tearing down a statue. And as the city's Oct. 15 deadline neared, Catanzara instructed members to not comply with a city order to fill out vaccine status information on a city website. Lightfoot said he was trying to "induce an insurrection" by telling members to disobey an order.

"Reasonable people can have differences when it comes to contractual issues," Wexler said. "...this is people talking past each other."

LeRoy said that things in Chicago have come down to this "ultimatum, and kind of 'eff you.' That's not collective bargaining," he said. "It shouldn't come to that. It should be a bargaining process."

Solan said officers in Seattle aren't by and large opposed to vaccines. As of Tuesday, 92% of the Seattle Police Department was vaccinated, according to the Seattle mayor's office. But a series of events over the last 18 months, starting with the Floyd murder in Minneapolis, have soured relations between city and police leaders.

Three weeks before Floyd was killed, the city of Seattle and the Department of Justice filed a motion in federal court to give notice that the police department had met all its reform benchmarks, and had been in compliance with those for two years.

After Floyd was killed, Seattle city officials passed a mid-year budget cut, and the city's police chief retired. The city council voted 8-1 to cut the department's budget, with the lone no vote because the cuts didn't go far enough.

Solan said more than 300 officers have left the police department because of "pandering" and "virtue signaling to the activist culture" in Seattle.

"You can imagine what that does to the human being, the police officer who just wants to serve. I have no interest in fighting the mayor, it doesn't do me any good. My interest is in fighting for jobs. But I will call out hypocrisy from elected officials using us as political punching bags ... you can't treat employees like this."

Chain-of-command and obedience are strong parts of hiring, training, and culture so departments can trust an officer will follow a dangerous order. Insubordination isn't just frowned upon -- it's often a fireable offense. Lightfoot's administration has called in non-compliant officers, had a supervisor give a direct order, and then placed those who disobey into no-pay status pending further discipline.

Wexler said the issue "begs for leadership," and it's not happening.

"People are exploiting this issue and cops are dying. Labor and management gotta step up," he said. "This issue is bigger than any of us. We would not be arguing if we were mandating cops wear seatbelts and body armor. This would not become political. It has become unnecessarily political while cops are dying."

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
EUGENE, Ore. -- Forget the pandemic for just a moment. On Thursday, emergency managers in Oregon are concerned about another disaster: earthquakes.

At exactly 10:21 a.m., Oregonians were encouraged to participate in The Great Oregon ShakeOut earthquake drill in preparation for a potentially devastating quake.

Students at O'Hara Catholic School participate in a Great Oregon ShakeOut drill. Students at O'Hara Catholic School participate in a Great Oregon ShakeOut drill.

The drill asks all Oregon residents to do three things:

Drop onto hands and knees.

Cover head and neck and crawl to a sturdy desk or table if one is nearby.

Hold on until the shaking stops.

Over 540,000 Oregonians registered to say they were going to participate in the drill. That includes businesses, schools, families and others.

Althea Rizzo is the geologic hazards program coordinator for the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

Rizzo said during a webinar last week that following those three, simple steps is the best option, and warns against trying to get run outside during the event of an earthquake.

Sometimes what happens is you'll see the shedding of the bricks into the sidewalk. And that's why we recommend people not try to run out of buildings, because stuff is falling down. That's why dropping, covering, holding under something very, very sturdy, can help save your lives even if your home collapses down, Rizzo said.

After the initial earthquake ends, theres other concerns like a tsunami along the coast. Rizzo said if you are on the coast, and you feel a strong earthquake, get to high ground as soon as possible. Don't wait for anyone to tell you that a tsunami is coming.

If you feel an earthquake on the coast, just assume one is coming because that will save your life, Rizzo said.

The last big Cascadia subduction zone earthquake happened in 1700. Those types of big earthquakes usually happen about every 500 years.
Do you know a person or family who is in need of a new ride? Submit them here and they could win a pre-owned 2018 Chevrolet Trax LT AWD.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.

To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here.
For more than 150 years boys from the Callan area have been attending school with the Christian Brothers and a new book is set to recall many of their great memories.

But as the special publication is being put together the community at Colaiste Eamann Ris are appealing for your help with the project. They are fundraising to cover the expenses involved in publishing the book.

From the end of this school year, Colaiste Eamonn Ris will no longer exist as an independent school as the CBS is amalgamating with St Brigid's College and will be known as Colaiste Abhainn Ri. This is the reason Colaiste Eamann Ris is publishing a book, to document the school through the years. The books collection of photographs and memories will be a way to commemorate the history of Edmund Rice education in Callan.

Any contribution to the fundraiser, no matter how small, is gratefully received to bring these plans to fruition.

The school is also organising a school closure event in May to which the entire community of Callan and its environs are welcome.

To donate to the fundraiser click here https://bit.ly/2YxwoBV or search for Colaiste Eamann Ris history book on the Go Fund Me website.
PINE ISLAND, Minn.  Authorities say a woman was assaulted and then taken to a home which was then set on fire Thursday morning fire in Pine Island.

Firefighters were called to the 1000 block of 7th Avenue SW around 5:15 am and arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the first and second-story windows of the structure. Because of the intensity of the flames, crews could not immediately enter the home. A request for assistance was made to the Zumbrota Fire Department and they responded with an engine crew.

KIMT photo: Fire officials work Thursday morning after a residence was destroyed in Pine Island. KIMT photo: Fire officials work Thursday morning after a residence was destroyed in Pine Island.

The Pine Island Fire Department says emergency crews remained on the scene until 9 am to make sure the blaze was completely extinguished.

"It's a great example that when you have alot of these new townhomes being built, that they have fire breaks built into a structure to keep fire from spreading," says David Friese, Pine Island Fire Department's assistant fire chief. "This was an example of how that construction works. That we were able to contain the fire to the one unit. It was considered a total loss. We did request the Minnesota fire marshals to respond and help investigate and determine the cause of the fire."

The Rochester Polie Department says it is working with the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office on this incident and confirms a female victim was attacked and forcefully taken from a home in northwest Rochester. Police say the victim was then driven to the home in Pine Island where the fire then happened.

The Minnesota State Fire Marshals Office has also been called in on this investigation. The cause is currently suspected to be arson and a suspect has been taken into custody.
MASON CITY, Iowa - On November 2, Mason City residents will head to the polls to decide who should not only sit on the city council, but also on the public school board.

During Wednesday night's public forum, five candidates made their case for three Mason City School Board seats. Among the hopefuls are familiar faces seeking re-election, and fresh faces eager to make an impact.

Cindy Garza is a first-time candidate; her children graduated from Mason City schools. The Iowa DNR environmental engineer appears energized by the challenge of this campaign.

"You have to be on your toes and know what you're talking about. It takes a lot of homework and know what the job is."

Originally from the Twin Cities, Garza says successful public schools there serve as a boost to the entire community. She hopes that Mason City schools can give the River City a similar spark.

"A great school district attracts people, so to be known as this great school distrct is something I would strive for for Mason City."

Peterson Jean-Pierre was appointed to the school board last year after a member resigned. This, though, is the juvenile court officer's first campaign.

"It's important to have a voice within that to represent them to give them the opportunity to be seen and be heard with compassion, understanding and some empathy."

Jean-Pierre would like to see more community involvement in the public schools.

"You elect us to essentially provide a service, allow us to provide that service. Make us work for that vote."

Incumbents Alan Steckman and Jake Schweitzer are also running to retain their seats. Other candidates include Carol Dettmer and Connie Dianda. Cristy Tass is on the ballot as well, though she announced she would drop out of the race about a month ago.
MASON CITY, Iowa - A Mason City woman is facing two felony drug charges for distributing methamphetamine.

Savannah Esser, 36, was booked into the Cerro Gordo County Jail on Wednesday for allegedly selling meth to a confidential informant earlier this year.

Esser was picked up Wednesday on her warrant and is being held on $20,000 bond.
The Rochester Civic Theatre Company held a special preview of its Haunted Theatre tour on Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Attendees paid $15 for a guided tour of the Mayo Civic Center theatre, with surprise scares from local actors along the way.

RCT Staff Amanda Ruggeri and Office Manager and Volunteer Coordinator Stefanee Stafford said proceeds from the haunted attraction will go towards the Company's funding.

"It will go directly to the Rochester Civic Theatre so that we can keep on funding our shows for the next season, as we are all based on volunteers and a great team but we do need the money to keep all of the facilities and programming going," Stafford said.

Rochester's Haunted Trolly Tour is also available to attendees after the Haunted Theatre Tour for $30 on Thursdays and Fridays.

The Haunted Theatre Tour will be open from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m, Thursday through Sunday, until October 31.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 32F. S winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 32F. S winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
Homicide detectives were called to a north St. Louis neighborhood Wednesday afternoon after two men were found dead.
ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- On Sunday, St. Louis University High School announced they were no longer requiring masks in school, just recommending them. On Monday, some parents, teachers and students reached out to News 4 wanting to voice concerns over the change.

St. Louis University High parents, students and teachers upset after school relaxes mask mandate Speechless, scared and frustrated. That's how some St. Louis University High School (SLUH) students tell News 4 they're feeling after the school announced a new masking policy. It's a change some students, parents and teachers are calling "unacceptable."

News 4 talked with parents and students Monday who said they were in favor of the change, but did not want to go on the record. After News 4's story aired Monday night, we got many calls, emails and social media comments. Tuesday, News 4 heard from parents and students who are in favor of the new policy.

"Taking away the mask mandate is kind of the progress we were hoping for, and it's actually a step forward to returning to how things were," one St. Louis University High student said.

News 4 talked to five students Tuesday who wanted to remain anonymous. They said they're thrilled with the new mask policy.

"I'm proud of SLUH for making this decision because we've made a lot of progress in getting our students and faculty vaccinated, and we've made a lot of progress seeing our COVID-19 cases drop," another student added.

School data shows more than 86% of students and 92% of faculty are fully vaccinated. A letter to families stated the school is continuing to take precautions like temperature screenings and distancing.

"Throughout this entire process, I think they've been very diligent. I think they've made their decisions based on data," Ann Saladin said.

Saladin has a student at the school, and is one of the many in support of the policy change. She told News 4 if people are in disagreement with the change or feel uncomfortable, there are other options.

"It is a choice to send your kid to SLUH, this is not your district. Everybody who goes to SLUH or a similar school resides in a district where they can have another option," Saladin said.

In the last 24 hours, News 4's had many calls, emails and social media posts from those in favor of the school's change. News 4 offered dozens of those in support the chance to speak on camera, even anonymously, but they declined. Saladin came forward saying she sees both sides of this issue, but believes the school is making the right decision. She also said she believes we've reached a new point in the pandemic.

"COVID-19 and vaccines and masks and all these things have proven to be very divisive and very strong opinions that conflict, usually completely with each other, so I'm grateful to share both perspectives on this. I would really like to express my support for SLUH," Saladin continued.

Another student told News 4 students still have the option to wear a mask in school if they don't feel comfortable.

"At this point, everyone's had the chance to get a vaccine and everyone also has the opportunity to wear a mask," the student said.

News 4 reached out to the St. Louis City Health Department Tuesday as well, to clarify that private schools fall under the current city mandate. Here is the department's response:

"The City of St. Louis Department of Health expressed its concern regarding St. Louis U High's announcement and reminded the school of the City's active mask mandate. In compliance with guidance issued by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the department encourages all individuals aged five and older to continue to follow the current COVID-19 mitigation order of wearing a facial covering when in an indoor and public space as we move forward through the pandemic."

News 4 also reached out again to St. Louis University High School administrators for an interview. We were sent the following statement:
Humane Society of Missouri rescues 97 dogs from breeder near Lake of the Ozarks
COLUMBIA  The University of Missouri is conducting two separate investigations on Phi Gamma Delta and is taking a third action to temporarily halt all MU fraternity activity.

The investigations and action comes after an MU freshman ended up in the hospital with concerns of alcohol poisoning after a social event at the fraternity in the early hours Wednesday.

The university says it has opened two investigations on Phi Gamma Delta, commonly known as 'Fiji.'

According to the university's Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life records, Wednesday's violation was not the first time Phi Gamma Delta has been in trouble with the university.

The most recent incident happened near the end of August, with a violation of university policies and alcohol distribution. The consequences for that violation were alcohol education programs and alcohol event probation for the chapter.

Before the August violation, the fraternity also had a hazing violation on April 1, 2021. The sanctions for that violation involved monthly meetings with Fraternity and Sorority Life, status report meetings and disciplinary probation as an organization.

MU spokesperson Christian Basi did not specify whether Wednesday's violation was an incident of hazing from the fraternity. Basi explained the past violations are separate from recent events at the Fiji house.

"Every situation has different consequences and scenarios," Basi said. "When they [the fraternity] are breaking university policy violation, they are faced with consequences, but it's not always a situation where a student's health is threatened."

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

Phi Gamma Delta's first investigation is with campus police, MUPD, for criminal charges. The second comes from the university and the Office of Student Accountability for conduct code violations from members of Phi Gamma Delta. Basi explained an additional review of all MU fraternity policies is also taking place.

"When we heard about this [incident] and gathered more information with recent reports of concerning behavior, the university is working with IFC [Interfraternity Council] to review the practices and policies in place for all fraternity activity," Basi said.

MU's IFC is a group of student leadership who serve as the executive board for all MU fraternities. IFC worked with university officials to put a temporary pause on all fraternity activities, including social and philanthropic events.

"Everything that a fraternity might do as an organization, they are no longer allowed to do currently," Basi said.

MU's spokesperson also said the university has been in contact with the student's family who was taken to the hospital on Wednesday. No update on the student's condition was given.

Phi Gamma Delta's national office is also in contact with MU officials and the Columbia chapter.

MU's Phi Gamma Delta Wednesday violation comes after a deadly violation from the University of Kentucky's FarmHouse chapter. University of Kentucky police found an 18-year-old unresponsive at the fraternity. He was pronounced dead early Tuesday morning.

The review of Greek Life policies is aimed specifically towards fraternity life, and not sorority life at MU.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Correction This story has been corrected to say the University of Kentucky student was found unresponsive at the FarmHouse fraternity.
For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, KMBC-TV.
By Donald Kirk





WASHINGTON  South Korea's pursuit of a declaration that the Korean War is over is an exercise largely unknown to virtually all Americans, aside from those with a stake in the debate. Ask just about any U.S. citizen if anyone's waging war in Korea, and the response will be one of bewilderment. "What war?," What are you talking about?" and "Is there a war going on over there?" are typical answers.







Of course, there is no war, but some people seem hell-bent on convincing everyone that the Americans and South Koreans are fighting the North Koreans and maybe the Chinese. Unless you've been following the discussion, which virtually no one here has been doing, aside from diplomats and think-tankers and activists, you wouldn't know or care. Often, talking to ordinary folk out of "the loop," you have to explain, "Yes, we were waging war in Korea seven decades ago," and, "No, we don't want to have to fight another war there."







That should end the conversation, other than maybe for a few questions from people who've seen the headlines about this crazy man in North Korea who persists in making big statements and showing off his toys, which happen to be nukes and missiles. Among most people, there's no real concern that he's going to fire anything or nuke anyone. Other issues make the headlines, led by President Joe Biden's battle to get a divided Congress to legislate his multi-trillion-dollar "Build Back Better" infrastructure and the struggle to convince anti-vaxxers of the need to get the jab.







The death of Colin Powell, a Vietnam War veteran, former chairman of the joint chiefs of the U.S. armed forces, former defense secretary and former secretary of state, was a reminder of his level-headed view of Korea. South Korea had had only "limited success" in reaching out to North Korea, he said in a visit to Seoul in 2008. "You have to be firm with the North Koreans."







That advice, if repeated today at either the Pentagon or State Department, would undoubtedly not be welcomed by South Korean leaders, as they beseech the Americans to look for the magic password for drawing the North into dialogue and above all, to agree to a statement saying the war is over. "What war?" and "Why repeat the obvious?" would be the response from the vast majority to whom the discussion is massively irrelevant.





Powell himself came close to asking the same question last year at a conference in Seoul, marking seven decades since the opening months of the Korean War. On a link from the U.S., he said that China would not stand for North Korea waging another Korean War, and he wasn't concerned about North Korean missile tests. Mercilessly, he berated Donald Trump, hot on the campaign trail for reelection as president, for demanding South Korea to pay far more than seemed reasonable for having 28,500 U.S. troops on major bases in-country, and he praised the South for "what it's done for its own people."







Against his background as a military leader and diplomat, Powell was all in favor of dialog, but not at the expense of concessions. His service as a battalion commander in Korea in the 1970s is almost overlooked, in between his early days as an officer in Vietnam and his final posts at the Pentagon and State Department.







If Powell's record is any guide, he would have encouraged dialogue while sticking to demands for North Korea to show definite signs of giving up its nukes and missiles. To him, "listening to the other guy," did not mean bowing to intimidation.







Powell came to regret his speech at the U.N. in 2003, setting forth the phony rationale for invading Iraq for having weapons of mass destruction. Iraq under Saddam Hussein may not have had WMD as Richard Cheney, then defense secretary, claimed, but North Korea is a different story. Kim Jong-un boasts of his nuke capabilities and missiles, including during this week in an exhibition in Pyongyang.







Ignoring American entreaties for dialogue, the North Koreans are betting that the South Koreans will urge the U.S. to compromise on its principles. Powell, as a soldier/diplomat, would have stood up against pressures from the South as well as the North.If South Korea's President Moon Jae-in wants to sign a declaration declaring the Korean War is over, fine, but the Americans don't have to be a signatory to such a meaningless document.







has been covering the Korean standoff for decades.





Donald Kirk ( www.donaldkirk.com




Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday threatened to expel the ambassadors of the United States, Germany and eight other Western countries after they condemned the detention of a civil society leader.







Parisian-born philanthropist and activist Osman Kavala, 64, has been in jail without a conviction since 2017, becoming a symbol of Erdogan's growing intolerance of dissent.







The 10 ambassadors issued a rare joint statement on Monday saying Kavala's continued detention "cast a shadow" over Turkey.







"I told our foreign minister that we cannot have the luxury of hosting them in our country," Erdogan told reporters in comments published by Turkish media.







Kavala has faced a string of alternating charges linked to 2013 anti-government protests and a failed military coup in 2016.







In their statement, the U.S., Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden called for a "just and speedy resolution to (Kavala)'s case".







The 10 envoys were summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry on Tuesday.







Erdogan sounded furious in a conversation with Turkish reporters on board his return flight from a tour of Africa.







"Is it within your boundary to teach such a lesson to Turkey? Who are you?" he demanded in comments carried by the private NTV broadcaster.







Kavala's next court hearing is set for Nov. 26. (AFP)


By Jackie Calmes



American politics has changed dramatically since my post-Watergate generation of journalists began covering the story. Political journalism hasn't kept up.



For years it was easy to cover "both sides"  Republicans and Democrats  as equally worthy, and blameworthy, partners in democracy. While we reporters had come of age as witnesses to the unprecedented resignation of a Republican president who'd tried to corrupt the institutions of government to affect an election  imagine!  what remained was a Republican Party still capable of a creditable role in a healthy two-party system.



After all, Richard M. Nixon was forced to resign when congressional leaders of his party began abandoning him. Again, imagine that, Kevin McCarthy.



Now, when reporters or pundits use the words "both sides" in regard to some political problem, I stop reading or listening.



I started to chafe at false equivalence a quarter-century ago, as a congressional reporter amid Newt Gingrich's Republican revolution. One party  his  was demonstrably more responsible for the nasty divisiveness, government gridlock and norm-busting, yet journalistic pressure to produce seemingly "balanced" stories  pressure both ingrained and imposed by editors  prevented reporters from sufficiently reflecting the new truth.



By 2012, as President Obama dealt with the willful obstructionists, conspiracists and racists of an increasingly radicalized Republican Party, political scientists and long-respected Washington watchers Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein put the onus for the dysfunction squarely on the GOP in their provocative book "It's Even Worse Than It Looks." Significantly, they implicated journalists: "A balanced treatment of an unbalanced phenomenon is a distortion of reality and a disservice to your consumers."



The ascension of Donald Trump four years later should not have been such a surprise. With his continued hold on the Republican Party in the Biden era, Mann and Ornstein's admonition is truer than ever.



Yes, it's critical for political journalists to remain fair and balanced, in contrast with the right-wing network that cynically co-opted those adjectives. And, yes, variations on the word "lie" justifiably made it into the mainstream  something I never thought I'd see, let alone write  to describe what comes out of Trump's mouth whenever his lips move. Sadly, that was progress.



Yet, now that Trump is no longer president and his words no longer can fire senior officials, move troops or launch bombs, his unhinged utterances go largely uncovered, for better and worse. Better, for everyone's mental health. Worse, because he is the favorite to be Republicans' 2024 nominee and perhaps president again, and still commands his party  enabled by his sycophants in Congress, state capitals and thousands of local public offices. Attention must be paid.



To the extent, then, that journalists and pundits focus critically on President Biden and Democrats and give short shrift to Republicans' obstructions  as if the cancer of Trumpism was in remission, if not cured  that indeed distorts reality and disserves readers, listeners and viewers.



Democracy is literally at stake: As Republicans block federal voting rights legislation, those in red states continue to challenge the 2020 votes for Biden (but not their own), pass laws to suppress future votes in ways disadvantageous to Democrats, gerrymander legislative districts and replace nonpartisan election overseers with partisan ones.



In Congress, the Democrats' disarray, to use a favorite alliterative phrase of journalists, is real and merits dissection. But it must be said that it owes much to the fact that Democrats, with their minimal House and Senate majorities, can't count on a single Republican vote for most legislation, while one Republican senator can routinely block action with a filibuster.



Meanwhile, the scrapping between liberals such as Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and moderate Democratic holdouts Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona over potentially transformative domestic spending proposals reflects the normal debate process.



Numerous news reports suggest that Biden is politically liable for the persistence of COVID-19. Yet many are silent on Republicans' opposition to his efforts promoting vaccines and masks, and the not coincidental fact that the rates of hospitalizations and deaths are highest in red states. Trumpists on social media seem to gloat over high case numbers. "COVID is raging out of control," Trump himself said in an anti-Biden statement recenlty. "Do you miss me yet?"



This is a Republican Party that is not serious about governing or addressing the nation's actual problems, as opposed to faux ones like critical race theory.



Health care costs, child care, climate change, income inequality, you name it  Republicans don't even acknowledge the problems, let alone propose solutions. Statewide candidates from Nevada to Virginia echo Trump in claiming that addressing (nonexistent) election fraud is, as he put it in another statement, "the single most important thing for Republicans to do."



Republicans in Congress scandalously opposed a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection, which threatened them as well as our democracy. They won't support a must-pass increase in the nation's debt limit, despite the trillions of debt that they and Trump piled up.



Yet it was Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York, the Democratic majority leader, who came in for pundits' rebuke last week when he lambasted Republicans for flirting with a default, just after they'd allowed a temporary debt-limit measure to pass. What was he supposed to do? Celebrate the Republicans' "bipartisanship" in defusing, only until December, the dynamite they'd lit under the economy?



Last Saturday, the Senate's most senior Republican, Sen. Charles E. Grassley, gleefully accepted Trump's endorsement for re-election at a rally in Iowa where Trump repeatedly lied that he'd beaten Biden. The next day on "Fox News Sunday," the second-ranking Republican in the House, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, repeatedly refused to say that the election was not stolen from Trump.



Democrats can't be expected to deal with these guys like they're on the level. Nor should journalists cover them as if they are.





Jackie Calmes is an opinion columnist for the Los Angeles Times in Washington, D.C. This commentary was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.


PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - Grim statistics from Portland police shows a drastic spike of gun violence in the metro area. This year alone, police say they've responded to more than 1,000 shootings. Now, local organizations are banding together in hopes of restoring peace in the city.

The Better Portland campaign and the World Deliverance Church hosted a conference Thursday to address the gun violence in Portland.

Reverend Dr. Mark Knutson, Chair of Lift Every Voice Oregon, spoke about two state measures that aim to prohibit the sale of large firearms and promote common sense gun laws.

"Mass shootings happened everyday in our cities. We have students in preschool to PHD's who have never lived without the fear of shootings or gun violence," said Knutson.

Faith leaders collect nearly 2K signatures in push for new gun legislation in Oregon PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) - A push to reduce gun violence in Oregon is gaining momentum as a coalition of faith-based leaders get ready to bring tho

The first state measure - Initiative Petition 17 - bans the sale of large capacity magazines and requires a permit to purchase. The second - Initiative Petition 18 - bans the sale of assault-style weapons.

Both measures have cleared the secretary of state's office and have been given ballot titles and language by the attorney general. Now, the measures sit in front of the Oregon Supreme Court for approval. Once approved, the effort to get those measures on the Nov. 2022 ballot will begin.

"We'll need 112,000 signatures for each, and we're going to do that with all volunteers, especially young people across the state," Knutson said.

Despite Portland now passing the 1,000 marker for shootings in 2021, Knutson says he still believes there can be change.

Portland passes 1,000 shootings in 2021 PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV)  The Portland Police Bureau announced the city has hit a grim milestone: 1,000 shootings so far this year.

"We believe in prayer, we believe in action born in compassion," he said. "Action born of compassion, of peace, of hope - profound hope that things can change."

Community leaders say they will be hosting events throughout the year to incentivize people to help end gun violence. The next event held will be the Better Portland Stop the Violence, Community and Youth Rally. The rally will be start at 1 p.m. on Oct. 31 at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
The minor child has been located and is with law enforcement in Elko Co Nevada. An arrest warrant has been served on the party believed to have kidnapped the minor child. Read more
(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold its annual winter operations drill on Thursday, October 21st.

Drivers may notice an increased number of MoDot vehicles on state routes during the drill. Crews will deploy after 8:00 a.m. in rural areas. In urban areas, the drill will not begin until after 9:00 a.m. MoDot says the exercise should be finished by 3:00 p.m.

During the drill, MoDot employees will react to a simulated snow forecast for the entire state. The department's emergency operations center will activate and maintenance employees will be deployed. Emergency communications systems will also be tested.
(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) A group of five Rotarians from southern Africa are learning more about life in northwest Missouri.

The five, representing Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi are participating in a group study exchange program through Rotary and are spending three days in St. Joseph as part of their month-long tour through the region.

On Thursday, the group toured Lifeline Foods, learning more about the region's reliance on agriculture and how the corn manufacturing plant produces ingredients that are used to make a number of different foods that are staples in the American diet.

"Coming here has been quite an eye-opener for us," said Obert Sibanda, the leader of the group, who is from Zimbabwe.

The visit to Lifeline Foods was just one of many different activities the group is involved in while in St. Joseph. They have also learned the history of the city through tours of downtown, the Pony Express Museum, the St. Jospeh Museums and meeting with mayor Bill McMurray.

"We're learning a lot about the rich history that our colleagues here have and how that history has been preserved," said group member Chilayi Mayondi, who is a native of Zambia.

In addition to learning more about the culture, the team is also learning more about the people. As part of the group study exchange, members are staying in the homes of Rotarians. They have also attended a Rotary meeting.

"It's been really nice, an extreme privilege," said Dorothy Pasipanodya, a team member from

The group leaves St. Joseph on Saturday and will visit other parts of northern Missouri, including Kansas City.

At the same time the group from southern Africa is in the United States a group of Rotarians from northwest Missouri are traveling through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Should man accused of killing trooper and woman have right to medical privacy? Judge says no
Darek Hayes, 53, is serving a life prison term as a habitual offender was freed from prison Thursday. (Photo from family via The Advocate)
GREAT FALLS, Mont. - With kids engaging in apps like Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, the Montana Missing Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Task Force is asking that parents monitor these social media platforms to help keep their children safe.

Although apps come with their own safety risks, officials say Snapchat has recently been one for parents to look out for.

Thats why the North Central Human Trafficking and MMIP task force is hosting a presentation to help teach parents about online safety and individuals who may be targeted.

"Our vulnerable population, our runaway youth, our homeless populations, really any other at-risk population that we have," Justin Giese, president for North Central MT Human Trafficking/MMIP Task Force, said.

Although many kids are introduced to social media at an early age, Elijah Gopher, a youth navigator with Alliance for Youth, says it took him a while before he got that privilege.

"Fourteen.. age 14... my mom never really let me have any devices other than an X-box, but around age 14 is when I got my first phone," Gopher said.

But Gopher says there was a reason for that.

"She just didn't want me talking to strangers and just talking to people I don't know, and she thought the internet was dangerous and not as safe as it should be," said Gopher.

Gopher learned about social media safety when he was first introduced and now, he takes the time to spread those safety tips to others.

"Don't follow people you don't know; follow people you know. Dont just give out your social media to anybody because you don't know who that person is or what they can do or anything so... that's just what I always did. I always just kept close to close friends or just family members mainly," he said.

The public presentation will be held at Alliance for Youth and begins October 21st at 6:30 p.m.
HELENA, Mont. - A complaint has been filed against a man from Libby who made almost 5,000 unlawful and malicious spoofed robocalls.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) says in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, the government alleged that 52-year-old Scott Rhodes made 4,958 illegal robocalls with falsified caller ID information, with the intent to cause harm.

Individuals across the United States were the targets of the robocall campaigns, and many complained to law enforcement regarding unwanted and harassing calls.

An investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) found Rhodes unlawful spoofed robocalls included highly inflammatory messages indicative of his intent to cause harm, the DOJ reported.

In one example, hundreds of Rhodes spoofed robocalls targeted residents of Brooklyn, Iowa, following a local womans murder.

The calls reportedly included a message that the woman had been murdered by a biological hybrid of white and savage Aztec ancestors and that if she could be brought back to life for just one moment, she would ask the listener to kill them all.

Residents of Charlottesville, Virginia, were the target of over 2,000 of the calls during the investigation and prosecution of James Alex Fields Jr., who was responsible for killing one woman and injuring dozens during the Unite the Right" rally in August 2017.

The spoofed robocalls included a message that Charlottesvilles Jew Mayor and his pet Negro Police Chief were responsible for the death of the unhealthy, morbidly obese victim. The message also stated, Were no longer going to tolerate a Jewish lying press, and Jew corruption of an American legal system., the DOJ said in a release.

The complaint looks to recover a $9.9 million penalty imposed by the FCC for the nearly 5,000 unlawful and malicious spoofed robocalls, and to obtain an injunction that would prevent Rhodes from committing any further violations of the Truth in Caller ID Act.
UPDATE: OCT. 21

The FBI's Denver Division announced Thursday that the human remains found at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve Wednesday belong to Brian Laundrie.

Specialists were able to confirm this by comparing dental records with the remains.

UPDATE: OCT. 20 AT 10:55 A.M.

A senior law enforcement officer told NBC that human remains have been found in an area of the Carlton Reserve that was previously underwater.

The partial remains were found near a backpack with what are believed to be Laundrie's items. However, there's no evidence the remains are in fact Laundrie's.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

The Sarasota County Medical Examiner and a cadaver dog were called to a Florida park Wednesday after Brian Laundrie's belongings were found on a trail he frequented.

Laundrie's parents working with local law enforcement made up the search team. Little information has been given about what items or how many items were found, according to CNN.

The Laundrie's family lawyer said law enforcement is now conducting a more thorough search of the area.

The search for Laundrie continues following a month-long effort to locate the man. He is wanted on federal charges of unauthorized use of another's credit card.

Laundrie became a person of national interest when Gabby Petito, 22, disappeared while on a road trip with Laundrie.

Petito's remains were found in Wyoming on Sept. 19. The Teton County Medical Examiner determined her death a homicide and that she was killed by strangulation.
VILNIUS, Lithuania, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a report with the latest analysis carried out by DebunkEU.org, Minsk, Belarus has launched a disinformation campaign aiming to discredit actions taken by Lithuania, Poland and the rest of the EU to grapple with a surge of illegal migration at the border with Belarus.

Senior analyst at DebunkEU.org Laima Venclauskiene, after having analysed 1,638 content pieces from migrant-linked Facebook groups and pages, news portals from the countries of origin of migrants, and Kremlin-affiliated hostile media, said it was clear that the latter spreads the biggest share of false/misleading content.

"The biggest share of disinformation was spread through pro-Kremlin media outlets - in the last two weeks of September, the share of false and misleading content spread through such outlets was higher than 70%," says Ms. Venclauskiene.

The report reviews accusations from top Belarusian officials that blame the Western countries for starting the crisis at the border. The televised statements were then repeated by media sources in Arabic - mostly a branch of the Kremlin propaganda network RT Arabic.

The DebunkEU.org report connects how the disinformation spreads and reaches the largest potential audiences through media outlets and social media. According to DebunkEU.org data, RT Arabic reached the largest potential contact audience when it comes to media outlets from countries of origin of the migrants. No outlets stood out in terms of disseminated content because the same news stories were simply repeated in a wide network of Arabic news websites - similarly to social media.

On Facebook, the largest potential audience has been reached by groups targeting Arabic-speaking audiences. Because of specific settings, most of the content is only available to users from the Middle East. If someone would join this group from Europe or the U.S., they would not see posts related to migration, but instead see content about TV series or animals.

Please find the full article here: https://www.debunkeu.org/post/by-spreading-disinformation-minsk-shifts-the-blame-for-increased-migrant-flow-towards-the-west

For more information please contact:

Head of DebunkEU.org Viktoras Dauksas, viktoras@debunkeu.org, +370 (615) 57007

Communications Manager Karina Urbanaviciute, karina@debunkeu.org, +370 (627) 55538

Related Images

Image 1: Construction of disinformation

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 21, 2021--

DevOps for Devices leader Esper and Lenovo are teaming up to place Esper software on key models of Lenovo Android tablets and other intelligent business devices. This collaboration allows enterprises that manage large fleets of devices to focus on their critical line-of-business applications, leaving the device infrastructure and management tasks to Lenovo and Espers joint solution.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005372/en/

Lenovo K10 Tablet (Photo: Business Wire)

As the fastest-growing tablet maker (YoY) last quarter 1, Lenovos expertise in smarter device design, engineering and user experiences combines with Espers modern, DevOps-powered device infrastructure software that lets organizations of every size and segment (e.g. healthcare, retail, hospitality), easily set up, manage, better secure, and maintain large fleets of devices on their journey to digital transformation.

With proprietary features like real-time telemetry and seamless provisioning, organizations across industries can rely on Esper to provide cutting-edge solutions that are flexible enough to grow with scaling enterprise fleets, said Tony Chen, vice president of Lenovos Android Tablet Business, Intelligent Devices Group. Lenovo is committed to nurturing an open ecosystem that encourages third-party developers to create software for its devices at scale  together, Esper and Lenovo are providing the infrastructure plus ongoing support needed to innovate in the Android edge space.

Esper and Lenovo already have joint wins in food delivery, hospitality and healthcare verticals. Their joint solution has provided global customers a more reliable infrastructure to accelerate their device deployment leading to significant revenue growth.

The new Lenovo-Esper partnership will target market segments like healthcare in which devices used by consumers and practitioners alike have very high requirements for reliability, ease of use, and up-to-date security and privacy software. Legacy mobile device management (MDM) solutions do not yet support healthcare providers need to deploy and maintain advanced software enterprises. By combining Espers infrastructure with Lenovos state-of-the-art tablets, healthcare providers can now have the tools they need for a seamless customer experience for their patients.

Esper is proud to be recognized as a longtime collaborator by Lenovo. We share a vision of being valued solutions providers to customers around the globe. Espers infrastructure platform fits perfectly into Lenovos Android device ecosystem. Together, were simplifying the management and platform so customers can focus on their core strengths  their application. We applaud Lenovos commitment to industry collaboration as the fuel for their vision to enable smarter technology for all, commented Shiv Sundar, Esper co-founder and COO.

Esper is the leader in DevOps software in the intelligent edge device space. The company recently announced that it has raised over $100 million dollars in top-tier venture funding. This financial strength allows them to aggressively innovate their device infrastructure platform in partnership with innovation leaders like Lenovo.

About Esper

Esper offers a DevOps SaaS platform for intelligent edge devices. As the industrys leading solution for Android DevOps, Esper is on a mission to let software teams ship without worrying about the hardware. Espers device infrastructure enables developers, mid-market organizations, and enterprise fleets of 100,000+ devices to deliver their software as a service. Esper has rapidly-growing global customer adoption among some of the worlds most innovative major brands in retail, hospitality, logistics, healthcare, education and more. For more information visit: https://esper.io.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$60 billion revenue Fortune Global 500 company serving customers in 180 markets around the world. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, we are developing world-changing technologies that power (through devices and infrastructure) and empower (through solutions, services and software) millions of customers every day and together create a more inclusive, trustworthy and sustainable digital society for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

1Based on IDCs 2021 (2Q21) data for year-over-year growth

LENOVO is a trademark of Lenovo. Android is a trademark of Google, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2021, Lenovo Group Limited.

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005372/en/

CONTACT: Emily Carrion

206-660-3304

KEYWORD: WASHINGTON UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MOBILE/WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY MEDICAL DEVICES HOSPITALS SECURITY SOFTWARE NETWORKS HARDWARE HEALTH DATA MANAGEMENT

SOURCE: Esper

Copyright Business Wire 2021.

PUB: 10/21/2021 09:05 AM/DISC: 10/21/2021 09:05 AM

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005372/en
HOUSTON, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nicholas (Nick) Carnrite, Partner and Managing Director of The Carnrite Group, was chosen as one of Hart Energys Oil and Gas Investor Forty Under 40. The first honorees were recognized in 2016, and since then, Oil and Gas Investor annually recognizes role models in the industry that demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit, creative problem solving, leadership and community involvement. Qualification for the prestigious designation is based on proven and/or potential leadership, overall contributions, and positive impact.

Nick was nominated by his peers and colleagues in addition to past and present clients. The most common accolades he received are related to his tireless pursuit of improvement for his clients, the Carnrite team, and himself. John Hageman, CLO and Partner at The Carnrite Group had this to say about Nick: As a colleague, Nick is constantly encouraging the team to think outside the box and approach each task with humility and confidence. Nick places a tremendous amount of value on delivering implementable solutions because Carnrite only wins when our clients win.

Since joining the company in 2011, Nick has led and supported consulting projects across all segments of the energy value chain. In recent years, Nick spearheaded The Carnrite Groups international expansion and creation of new service offerings for clients. While the firm has worked globally for years, Nick relocated to London to establish a full-time international presence anchored by offices in the UK and UAE. Nick also led the internal strategy engagement that resulted in developing Energy Transition and Digital Transformation practices. To augment these offerings, Nick helped build Carnrites partnership ecosystem, harnessing his personal relationships and carefully vetting potential partners. This expanded toolbox of solutions and trusted partners brings additional value to Carnrites clients around the world.

Al Carnrite, CEO, said, Im incredibly proud of Nick both as my son and my colleague. He deserves to be recognized for his efforts. He will continue to grow both personally and professionally, and I have complete confidence in his ability to take The Carnrite Group through its next 30 years and beyond.

About The Carnrite Group

The Carnrite Group (Carnrite) is a management consultancy focused primarily in the energy, industrial and private equity sectors. From offices in Houston, London, and the UAE, Carnrite deploys its unique combination of consulting and industry expertise to projects globally. Seen as a dedicated, practical business partner with the ability to implement complex change, areas of expertise include strategy and transaction support, business transformation, human capital, the Energy Transition and Digital Transformation. To further augment its offerings Carnrite has assembled an innovative ecosystem of strategic partners that spans leading technologies and adjacent consulting services. Carnrite recognizes that its clients face difficult business decisions  its mission is to make it easier for them.

Media Contact: Lindsey Whitlock media@carnritegroup.com
UPDATE: OCT. 21

The Department of Homeland Security's spokesperson released the following statement in response to reports that an Afghan refugee was arrested in Missoula for sexual intercourse without consent:

Afghan parolees are expected to abide by the laws of the United States, both while in military installations and as resettled members of local communities. Criminal behavior is not tolerated and those who violate the law are subject to prosecution and may be put into removal proceedings.

While at military installations, Afghan parolees are briefed about the conditions of their parole and that violating the law violates their parole.

Before individuals are permitted to enter the United States, they are subject to rigorous, multi-layered screening and vetting processes that involve biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and additional Intelligence Community partners.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

MISSOULA, Mont.  Governor Greg Gianforte and Senator Steve Daines are asking that the federal government put a stop to resettlements in Montana after an Afghan refugee was arrested in Missoula.

Zabihullah Mohmand, 19, was arrested in Missoula early Sunday morning for sexual intercourse without consent. The victim told police Mohmand told her he was visiting from Afghanistan. He is being held in the Missoula County Detention Facility on a $50,000 bond.

Montana Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials confirmed Mohmand is one of 20 individuals in the state as part of the Afghan Placement and Assistance Program.

DPHHS Public Information Officer Jon Ebelt, said his office provided information about Mohmand to Governor Greg Gianfortes office. Ebelt said DPHHS manages the Montana State Refugee Program, which is working with people arriving in Montana from Afghanistan. Ebelt said federal agencies are responsible for vetting the refugees prior to their arrival.

Republican leaders in the state have been critical of that vetting process. Thursday, Governor Greg Gianforte, Senator Steve Daines and Representative Matt Rosendale issued statements regarding Mohmands arrest.

Gov Gianforte called on President Joe Biden to stop resettlements in the state.

"While I welcome our fully-vetted Afghan allies to Montana, this situation and others across the country raise serious concerns about whether the Biden administration is meeting its obligations to fully vet Afghans prior to resettlement, the governor said. I'm calling on President Biden to immediately halt resettlements to Montana until federal agencies provide me with adequate assurance that Afghans coming to Montana are fully vetted in accordance with federal law."

Sen. Daines said he stands by the governors request.

The fallout and consequences from President Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan continue, Sen. Daines said. While I support assisting our fully-vetted Afghan allies who served alongside our armed forces, President Biden has failed to provide answers as to who has come into the country or if they have been fully vetted according to whats required by law. I've spoken to Governor Gianforte about this situation, and I stand with him in calling on President Biden to stop all Afghan resettlements to Montana until we get answers.

Sen. Daines office said they received confirmation of Mohmands refugee status from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), after seeing in media reports of his arrest that he was from Afghanistan.

A representative from Rosendales office said they received the information from Sen. Daines office and responded on Twitter.

We reached out to Democratic Senator Jon Tester's office for a statement. His office sent the following:

This report is deeply disturbing, and Senator Tester is closely monitoring the situation to get answers for Montanans. As he has said from the beginning, Senator Tester believes all Afghan evacuees must be fully vetted before being allowed to enter the United States.

Montana Right Now reached out, and a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson gave the following statement:

Afghan parolees are expected to abide by the laws of the United States, both while in military installations and as resettled members of local communities. Criminal behavior is not tolerated and those who violate the law are subject to prosecution and may be put into removal proceedings. While at military installations, Afghan parolees are briefed about the conditions of their parole and that violating the law violates their parole. Before individuals are permitted to enter the United States, they are subject to rigorous, multi-layered screening and vetting processes that involve biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and additional Intelligence Community partners. We refer you to the Missoula Police Department for further information.

We reached out to the IRC branch in Missoula and was told they could not answer questions. The national office for the IRC has yet to respond.

We are working to get more information about the vetting process for refugees. This story will be updated as additional information is available.
Nikolas Cruz (center) pleaded guilty on October 20 to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for the February 2018 fatal shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Hundreds of Netflix employees and supporters are expected to take part in a demonstration on October 20 to protest the handling of the controversy surrounding Dave Chappelle's comedy special, 'The Closer.'
Have you seen the proposed redistricting maps for New Hampshire? What do you think of the plans?
Kenosha Police said the shooting that left three people dead and two seriously injured late Tuesday night in a normally quiet north-side neighborhood appears to be a murder-suicide, domestic-related incident.

Police believe 24-year-old Jostin Gutierrez-Pagan shot and wounded Luz Pizarro-Perez, the 35-year-old woman with whom he shared the home at 610 40th Place. Gutierrez-Pagan is also believed to have shot and killed both Pizzaro-Perezs 18-year-old daughter, Marian Pizarro, who was pregnant, and Pizarros 17-year-old boyfriend, Sebastian Perez-Alvarez. Also wounded was Pizarro-Perezs 14-year-old son, whom police were not naming as of Wednesday afternoon.

Gutierrez-Pagan was found dead in the house of what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Kenosha Police Sgt. Leo Viola said Gutierrez-Pagan was in a domestic relationship with Pizarro-Perez and that they shared the home with her children.

With the shooting, Kenosha County marked its 15th homicide of the year  a remarkable spike of fatal violence in a county that typically sees approximately five homicides a year. It was also the second triple homicide of the year in the county. Twelve of the killings have been in the City of Kenosha, and seven of those murders were incidents of domestic violence. All but one of the incidents involved firearms.

Tuesdays shooting occurred at 10:41 p.m. inside a neat white-frame home at 610 40th Place. According to a statement from police, dispatchers received a 911 call from a cell phone.

All that could be heard on the initial call was a lot of unintelligible screaming, police stated.

Police said early Wednesday that three people were found dead inside the home. Of the two survivors, one was taken by a Flight for Life medical helicopter to Froedtert Hospital, the regional advanced trauma center in Wauwatosa. Kenosha Police Lt. Joe Nosalik said another victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries. Both victims were reported to be in critical condition as of early Wednesday.

Previous call to home

Kenosha Police had been called to the home once before in December 2020 when Gutierrez-Pagan broke out the window of their car because he was angry about his license being taken away when he was pulled over for a traffic violation earlier in the day. During the call, according to a police report, Gutierrez-Pagan described Pizarro-Perez as his live-in girlfriend. She told police she was not in fear for her safety and the incident did not turn physical and Gutierrez-Pagan was not arrested.

But police did express concern about the guns in the house. In the police report, an officer describes seeing Gutierrez-Pagan sitting on the steps with a handgun next to him along with a .380 magazine and one loose round. Jostin reached for the handgun. I felt fear for my safety and was uncertain what Jostins intentions were. I raised my sidearm from a tactical low ready position and pointed at Jostin, the report states. The report stated that Gutierrez-Pagan complied with police and was ordered out of the house. It also states that Pizarro-Perez, who spoke limited English, pulled a 9mm handgun out of her purse while speaking to police. I immediately grabbed Luzs hand and removed the handgun from her hand, the report states. Luz was cooperative and appeared confused due to the language barrier.

The report states that Gutierrez-Pagan was a legal concealed carry holder and that the couple were trying to provide the firearms to officers in good faith and the guns were returned to Gutierrez-Pagan.

Domestic violence concerns

As a community, we are shocked and saddened by this senseless loss of life, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said in a formal statement about Tuesdays incident. This year we have had 12 homicides, and two-thirds of the cases have been result of domestic violence. The current hardships people are facing  including the pandemic  seem to have escalated conflict in some households.

Antaramian urged people to consider sharing information on community resources if they know people who are in crisis.

On Wednesday morning, 40th Place was closed off between 6th and 7th Avenues as police gathered evidence at the scene. Officers could be seen taking photographs inside the house, while outside police collected sealed evidence bags. In their statement, police said they would likely remain on the scene throughout the day.

This tears my heart out, said Ald. Dominic Ruffalo, who was at the scene speaking to police outside the taped-off area.

Ruffalo noted that the total number of murders this year is the highest annual number in his recollection.

This violence affects not just the families (involved), but everyone in the community, Ruffalo said.

While homicides have increased in the city  and across the nation  the number of shootings and shots-fired calls in Kenosha have actually declined since last year.

The neighborhood where the shooting occurred is typically a quiet one. Beyond the police tape, neighbors on Wednesday stepped out on porches or walked by with dogs to watch the activity.

I didnt hear any gunfire or anything, said a man, who identified himself only as Nick.

He said his backyard overlooks the home where the shooting occurred. He said he heard some loud noises and later heard sirens.

Elizabeth Webb, an Uptown resident who runs the social service organization My Sisters House and has been working on anti-violence programs, stopped at the scene Wednesday morning.

This is just upsetting to see, because things are not getting better, Webb said. Its just so senseless.

Sobering statistics

Tuesdays incident is the 42nd mass shooting in the nation in October, according to the Gun Violence Archive, and the second this week in southeastern Wisconsin. On Sunday, six people were shot and wounded in an incident in Racine.

Its also the second mass shooting in the county in six months, with each of those incidents resulting in three fatalities. On April 18, a gunman opened fire, leaving three men dead and three injured at the Somers House Tavern just north of Kenosha in the Village of Somers.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

For those struggling with mental illness or other stress-related conditions, the Crisis Hotline can be reached at 262-657-7188. Women and Childrens Horizons offers help for those dealing with domestic violence and can be reached at 262-652-9900.
GENEVA LAKE  Authorities have released the name of the victim killed in the boating accident on Geneva Lake on Saturday, Oct. 16.

He has been identified as Gregg J. Stockey, 66, of Ingleside, Illinois, according to the Walworth County medical examiners office.

He had worked for nearly 30 years at the Bridge Youth and Family Services in Palatine, Illinois, a nonprofit that provides mental health and crisis services for youth and families throughout the Palatine area. After 13 years as the executive director at the organization, he had just retired about three months ago.

Im excited for the opportunity to transition to the next stage of life after 42 years in counseling/human services management, he posted on his LinkedIn announcing his retirement.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is continuing to investigate the crash.

Both boats have been seized by the DNR and they are doing a full reconstruction of the events.

The crash was reported in the middle area of the lake, east of Cedar Point, according to an alert from the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency. A 16-foot Sylvan boat with three people on board out of Williams Bay was headed south at about 10-15 mph when it was reported to have been T-boned by a 25-foot Skeeter boat with two people on board going westbound at 30-35 mph.

Alcohol isnt believed to have been a factor in the crash.

Stockey was sitting on the deck of the Sylvan when the crash happened, according to police. Lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.

The two other males in the Sylvan were hospitalized at Mercy Walworth because of their injuries, but neither of the men in the Skeeter were reported to have been injured.

Responding to the tragedy were Geneva Lake Police, Town of Linn Police, Linn Fire and Rescue, and Lake Geneva Fire and Rescue.

Lazarczyk Family Funeral Homes helped the family hold a private service.
BURLINGTON  People tend to describe Jack Berrys contributions to Burlington by calling him Mister.

Mister Burlington. Mister Rotary. Mister Community.

It is an indication that Berry did not merely join organizations or take up residence somewhere. He poured his heart into everything, and, more often than not, took on a leadership role.

Take advantage of this limited-time offer Stay connected with local news, sports and politics. Unlock six months of unlimited access for only $1.

I called him Mr. Burlington, Mayor Jeannie Hefty said. He was so involved in the Burlington community.

After a life spent serving Burlington through business, government and nonprofit work, Berry died Oct. 11 at the age of 94.

Born in Salem

Born in the Kenosha County community of Salem (now Salem Lakes) in 1927, Norris Edward Jack Berry graduated from Wilmot High School in 1945, then served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany.

He married the former Ruth M. Jackley in 1951. The couple had four children, and celebrated 70 years together before his death.

As vice president of the Bank of Burlington, Berry became acquainted with businesses throughout the city. He also became a student of local history, and was always willing to share what he learned.

Ron Kolman, a longtime friend and colleague, said Berry was like a beacon in a storm because of his ability to shed light on matters of local significance.

He worked with every business in the community, Kolman said. And he had a good sense of what the business was about.

Birth of ChocolateFest

In the 1980s, Berry joined officials from the local Nestle plant and other civic leaders to create ChocolateFest, a yearly summer festival that continued for more than 30 years and became the biggest event in town.

Berry also joined the Rotary Club of Burlington and involved himself in other nonprofit activities. He not only became club president, but rose to the regional level as district governor.

Bill Stone, a fellow Rotary member who worked as a hospital medical director, later joined in putting together ChocolateFest each summer. Stone described Berry as an energetic problem-solver who was dedicated to public service.

He was Mr. Community, Stone said.

Berry also was active with the Burlington Rescue Squad, Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Area School District, and local historical society.

He was elected to the Burlington City Council in 1987 and remained on the council until 1993, serving as council president from 1988-90.

Hefty said Berry became a mentor to her when she decided to run for mayor in the 1990s. About a month ago, Hefty visited Berry and his wife, still talking about local community news.

Jack helped me so much, she said. Jack was a genuine individual.

He never delegated

As a military veteran, Berry enjoyed an Honor Flight experience in 2012. He also received a Rotary Humanitarian Award in 2015. And he was inducted into the Wilmot High School Hall of Fame in 2018.

Kolman, a fellow Rotary Club member and former club president, called Berry Mr. Rotary. Berry never stopped looking for ways to help others and improve the community, Kolman said.

He never delegated, Kolman said. He led the way.

Dennis Lynch, another fellow Rotarian, remembered when Berry attended Rotary Club meetings. The club opened each meeting with a song, and Berry never missed a chance to get the singing started.

He was always upbeat, Lynch said. He was always Mr. Positive.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Lake Geneva aldermen have seemed to switch course regarding proposed Riviera Beach pass rates for 2022.

Members of the city councils piers, harbors & lakefront committee unanimously approved, Oct. 12, to increase the beach pass rate to $10 for people 13 years and older and decrease the rate to $5 for people between the ages of 6 and 12 for next year.

City aldermen went in a different direction during the finance, licensing & regulation committee meeting, Oct. 19.

The committee members unanimously approved to keep the beach passes at their current rate, which is $8 for both children and adults, but to allow people to only pay for their passes with a credit card or by downloading an app.

The 2022 beach pass rate still has to be approved by the full city council.

Alderwoman Mary Jo Fesenmaier said she feels it would be less confusing for beachgoers if the rate remains at $8.

Its too confusing to switch it back at this point, Fesenmaier said. They paid it last summer.

Harbormaster Steve Russell had initially proposed to increase the rate to $10 for both children and adults to make it easier for beach attendants to handle change.

Russell had told aldermen during the piers meeting that if they did not agree with the $10 rate, then he would prefer that the rate remain at $8 and to go to a cashless payment system.

Alderman Ken Howell said he initially voted in favor of changing the rate to $10 for adults and $5 for children but changed his mind after Russell indicated that he would be in favor of the beach passes remaining at the $8 rate.

I rethought my position on this from the piers meeting, because I originally was working on the idea that we were going to $10 to avoid having to handle change, then you said no that you would rater see it as $8 and $8, as it is now, Howell told Russell during the finance committee meeting.

Howell said he still would like to give people the option to pay for their beach passes with cash. He said eliminating the cash option could make it difficult for children to purchase a beach pass.

I find it hard to give up the cash availability, Howell said. I understand its a big problem to handle all that cash. I worry about blocking people out who can only pay with cash.

Russell said most residents have seasonal beach passes, and visitors also can purchase seasonal beach passes. He said most children have a cellphone, which parents can use to download an app to purchase a daily beach pass.

Say you have a child and youre going on vacation and youre going to be up here for two weeks, you can buy a season pass for $80, which is equal to 10 visits, Russell said. I dont think Ive seen a kid over the age of 12 on the beach without a cellphone in their hand.

Comptroller Karen Hall said even though about 13% of people paid for their beach passes with cash last year, she said going to a cashless payment system would make it easier for city employees to handle beach pass payments.

It would just make things way more efficient, Hall said. I would support going cashless.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
The Wisconsin Senate on Wednesday approved a package of Republican-authored bills designed to discourage abortion in the state.

Republicans control the Senate and passed all four bills without any votes from a single Democrat.

The measures now go to the Assembly, but they appear doomed. Republicans passed the proposals last legislative session only to see Democratic Gov. Tony Evers veto them. Evers is almost certain to veto any abortion restrictions that reach his desk this session and the GOP doesnt have enough votes to override him.

Senate Democrats warned Republicans during debate that none of the bills would become law. They decried the proposals as nothing more than a cynical attempt to energize the conservative base heading into the 2022 elections.

Were just interested in making abortion as difficult, as dangerous, as onerous as possible, said Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, a former executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, a group that advocates for access to abortions. Thank you for giving (Evers) the opportunity to once again show hes on the side of the people.

One proposal would defund abortion providers by prohibiting them from participating in Medicaid except in cases of sexual assault or incest or if the womans life is in danger.

Another bill would require doctors to tell any woman seeking an abortion through a regimen of drugs that she could still change her mind after ingesting the first dose and could still continue the pregnancy.

A third bill would require doctors to ensure parents of unborn children who test positive for a congenital condition receive information about the condition. A fourth bill would prohibit abortions based on an unborn childs sex, race or national origin.

The bills come as abortion rights supporters are concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that essentially legalized abortion before a fetus can survive outside the womb. The Biden administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to block a Texas law that bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant. The law is the strictest curb on abortion in the nation.

Senate President Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, the chief sponsor of the drug dose bill, defended that measure as a way to give women more information. He was the only Republican who spoke about any of the bills on the floor.

Teen work hours

Teenagers would be allowed to work longer hours over the busy summer tourism months in Wisconsin under a bill the state Senate approved Wednesday.

The measure is backed by Republicans and the states hotel, restaurant and grocery industries, but opposed by Democrats and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.

Current law does not allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work later than 7 p.m. from after Labor Day until May 31 and no later than 9 p.m. over the summer.

The bill would allow employees under age 16 to work until 9:30 p.m. before a school day and up until 11 p.m. when they dont have school the next day. The changes would not affect businesses covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which includes those with annual sales over $500,000.

Supporters say the changes would help smaller businesses struggling with the states worker shortage and be a particular benefit over the summer and weekends when the need is highest for more workers.

The AFL-CIO opposes the measure, saying it rolls back child labor protection laws and supporters have not shown why the change is needed.

The Senate passed the bill on a voice vote, sending it to the Assembly. Approval in that chamber would send the measure on to Evers, who could sign it into law or veto it. An Evers spokesperson didnt return a message seeking comment on the proposal.
American actor, director and scriptwriter Chris Ayres, known for being the voice behind 'Dragon Ball Z' villain Frieza, has died at the age of 56, after battling COPD and emphysema. According to USA Today, Ayres' girlfriend Krystal LaPorte confirmed the voice actor's death on Twitter with several photos of her and the actor, writing that at the time of his death her "world went dark." Ned Beatty Dies At 83; Hollywood Actor Was Known For His Roles In Superman, Nashville, Toy Story 3 Among Others.

She wrote, "Chris loved you all. How much he loved other people filled the vast majority of our conversations. To those of you who truly loved him back, thank you."LaPorte, who also voiced for several 'Dragon Ball Z' series, added: "I know a lot of people will ask 'is there anything I can do?' Please be more like Chris. Please if you learned anything from him, put it in this world." Christopher Plummer, Oscar-Winning Hollywood Legend, Dies at 91.

As per USA Today, the voice actor began his career in 1973 for the Japanese animated series 'Gatchaman'. Ayres' first time working with the 'Dragon Ball Z' franchise started in 2009 as he voiced for both video games and the English version of the 'Dragon Ball Z Kai' series. He also voiced for the role of Freiza for the 'Dragon Ball Z Super' series from 2015- 2018.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday demanded that a commission be formed to impartially probe COVID-19 deaths in the country and the government's mismanagement in handling of the pandemic, besides recommending corrective measures.

Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi by when will the country's adult population be fully vaccinated as only about 21 per cent of them have, till now, taken both the doses.

Also Read | Uttarakhand Rains: 64 Dead in Rain-Related Incidents, 3,500 People Rescued So Far; Over 16,000 Evacuated to Safer Places.

On a day the country crossed the 100-crore doses administered mark, the Congress leader said 32 crore of the total 103 crore adult population has not received a single jab so far.

The prime minister should tell the country by when will his promise of vaccinating all adults be fulfilled. He had set December 31 as the deadline, but it requires over 1.5 crore vaccinations every day till the end of this year to achieve this, Surjewala said.

Also Read | Delhi Shocker: Man Stages Robbery to Steal Rs 5 Lakh From Employer to Start Business, Arrested.

"We demand that the BJP government set up an independent Corona Probe Commission' to fix accountability of those who lost their lives during coronavirus (pandemic) and conduct a fresh survey of those who died due to coronavirus and provide their families with adequate compensation," he told reporters.

Surjewala said that the commission should comprise of experts, judges and 'corona warriors'.

It should look into the deaths due to COVID-19 and give recommendations to prevent fatalities, he said.

"The Modi government should understand that celebrations won't heal wounds. The time has come to seek accountability of the Modi government for endangering the lives of people through its incompetence, criminal negligence and repeated change of vaccine policy," the Congress leader said.

Surjewala said the government should be held criminally liable for the over 4.53 lakh lives lost due to its incompetence and lack of commitment to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said lakhs of people lost their lives due to lack medicines, oxygen and medical aid in the absence of infrastructure and government's inept handling of the pandemic.

Of the top 20 countries which have fully vaccinated its population, India is 19th with only 21 per cent of its eligible population having taken both doses of the vaccine, Surjewala said.

"By which date will 74 crore adult Indians get 106 crore doses of coronavirus vaccine, as only 29 crore people have been fully vaccinated yet and 42 crore have taken the first jab," he said.

Surjewala said going by the current rate, 39 lakh vaccines were administered daily between October 16 and 21, and for providing 106 crore jabs in the next 70 days, an average 151 lakh daily inoculations are required.

The Congress leader also asked why the government is not criminally culpable for depriving children below 18 years of age from vaccine and why Indian-made Covaxin has not yet been approved by the World Health Organisation.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dallas, Oct 21 (AP) Fire investigators believe a man shot into a Dallas apartment and hit a gas line, causing an explosion that injured seven people, including four firefighters, authorities said.

Police said Tuesday that Phillip Dankins, 28, faces seven felony counts of deadly conduct, according to the Dallas Morning News. They said in a statement that Dankins was associated with the Sept. 29 explosion but declined to provide details.

Also Read | Gender Equality and Educational Opportunities Need To Be Addressed if Africa Is To Join the Global Physics Agenda To Tackle Issues Such As Climate Change.

Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said investigators believe Dankins shot into an apartment and damaged a gas line connected to a stove.

Firefighters were investigating a report of a natural gas leak at the two-story complex the next morning, and reported smelling gas just before the blast partially collapsed the building, Dallas Fire-Rescue said in a statement.

Also Read | Taliban Beheaded Mahjabin Hakimi, A Member of Afghan Junior Womens National Volleyball Team: Report.

One of the firefighters was released from the hospital last week. Two remain hospitalized.

It's unclear what led to the shooting, but the mother of Dankins' child lived at the complex, according to KTVT-TV.

Dankins has been in Dallas County Jail since early October on other charges. As of Tuesday, he was being held on $100,000 bail. But that does not include the charges of deadly conduct.

His lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment by the Dallas Morning News. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Paris, Oct 21 (AP) Facebook said Thursday that it has struck a deal with a group of French publishers to pay for links to their news stories that are shared by people on the social network.

The company says it inked the licensing agreement with the Alliance de la Presse d'Information Generale, which represents 300 French publishers, to improve the quality of online information for Internet users and publishers on Facebook.

Also Read | China Fights New COVID-19 Outbreak; Hundreds of Flights Cancelled, Schools and Tourist Sites Shut, Testing Ramped Up.

The financial terms weren't disclosed.

Facebook also said it would launch in January a French version of its Facebook News product, where the group's publishers could allow their stories to appear.

Also Read | Drug Bust in Spain: Spanish Police Busts Dutch-Turkish Gang Smuggling 3 Tons of Cocaine.

The licensing deal is the result of a wider push by authorities in Europe and elsewhere to force Facebook and other social media companies to compensate publishers for content.

Governments have been responding to news outlets' complaints that internet companies are getting rich at their expense, selling advertising linked to their reports without sharing revenue.

France was the first of the European Union's 27 nations to adopt the bloc's 2019 copyright directive, which outlines a way for publishers and news companies to strike licensing deals with online platforms.

Google signed a similar framework deal with the alliance this year, but talks over licensing payments bogged down, leading French regulators to slap Google with a hefty fine for not negotiating in good faith with publishers. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chief of Defence Staff of UK General Sir Nicholas Carter called on his Indian counterpart General Bipin Rawat (Photo:Twitter/Indian Army)

New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): Chief of Defence Staff of United Kingdom General Sir Nicholas Carter called on his Indian counterpart General Bipin Rawat and discussed the way forward to enhance the defence cooperation between the two countries.

Taking to Twitter, the India Army informed, "General Sir Nicholas Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, #UK called on General Bipin Rawat #CDS and discussed steps to take forward the defence cooperation between #India and #UK."

Also Read | China Fights New COVID-19 Outbreak; Hundreds of Flights Cancelled, Schools and Tourist Sites Shut, Testing Ramped Up.

The army further informed that General Carter is on a three-day visit to India and he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and received a Guard of Honour at the South Block earlier today.

Earlier in the day, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane spoke to his Malaysian counterpart General Tan Sri Datuk Zamrose Bin Mohd Zain over the phone and exchanged views on enhancing bilateral defence cooperation between the two nations.

Also Read | Drug Bust in Spain: Spanish Police Busts Dutch-Turkish Gang Smuggling 3 Tons of Cocaine.

Taking to Twitter, the Indian Army informed, "General MM Naravane Chief of Army Staff had telephonic interaction with General Tan Sri Datuk Zamrose Bin Mohd Zain, Chief of Malaysian Army and exchanged views on enhancing bilateral defence cooperation between both Nations."(ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
United Nations, Oct 21 (AP) The UN Security Council urged leaders in central Africa's Great Lakes region Wednesday to seize the momentum of recent positive political developments to make progress toward ending conflicts and the illegal exploitation of gold and other natural resources in eastern Congo.

A presidential statement adopted by the UN's most powerful body cited diplomatic efforts reinvigorated by the presidents of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi that have resulted in improved bilateral cooperation. The council also commended efforts by the African Union and regional groups to support the political process and help solve conflicts in the region.

Also Read | South Korea to Test 1st Domestically Made Space Rocket Nuri.

The Great Lakes region has been a hotbed of political instability and fighting since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda saw more than 500,000 people, most of them from the country's Tutsi minority, slaughtered by a regime of extremists from its Hutu majority. After Tutsi rebels led by Paul Kagame, Rwanda's current president, ended the genocide, extremist Hutus fled into neighbouring eastern Congo.

Rwanda, together with neighbour Uganda, twice invaded Congo  in 1994 and 1998. The second invasion sparked a five-year, six-nation war in Congo that killed some 3 million people. Rwanda and Congo normalized relations in 2007, and 11 countries signed a UN-drafted peace agreement in 2013 to stabilise Congo and not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries in the region.

Also Read | Nepal: Landslide, Flood Claim 48 Lives, PM Narendra Modi Directs Relief and Rescue Works.

Raychelle Omamo, Kenya's Cabinet secretary for foreign affairs who chaired the council meeting, said in the Great Lakes region there is now greater regional and bilateral cooperation, the thawing of tensions, and a movement towards looking at holistic solutions to deal with the challenge of conflict, of poverty and underdevelopment."

The linkages between natural resources and conflict remains a key challenge for many of the Great Lakes countries, she said.

Huang Xia, the UN special envoy for the Great Lakes region, told the council that ministerial consultations and numerous state visits during the past six months have provided a momentum to bilateral relations in the region and a revitalization of cooperation in areas such as security, trade, infrastructure, transport, natural resources and energy.

The bilateral and regional initiatives show that there is an emergence of a community of joint destiny, aware of the value added of dialogue and cooperation as the tools for being good neighbours, he said.

But Huang said despite these accomplishments, continued activity by armed groups remains the main threat to peace and security in the region.

He singled out renewed attacks in eastern Congo by the ADF rebel group, which originated in Uganda, and by the Red Tabara rebel group against the airport in Burundi's capital in September.

Continuing violence has very serious consequences on the fragile humanitarian situation, economic stability and the illegal exploitation of natural resources that fund their weapons and their recruitment, he said.

Joao Samuel Caholo, executive secretary of the 12-nation International Conference on the Great Lakes region, said the region has made progress with regards to peace, stability and development despite the challenges related to heinous criminal activities including illegal exploitation and trade of natural resources" and increased sexual violence by armed groups against women and children, especially in eastern Congo and Central African Republic.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee told the council the UN is encouraged by the improvement in bilateral relations between neighbouring countries. But she said national and foreign armed group still operate in eastern Congo and continue to perpetrate deadly attacks against civilians, further deteriorating the already dire humanitarian situation".

Since the beginning of this year, at least 1,043 civilians have been killed, including 233 women and 52 children, she said.

Pobee cited a host of underlying causes for conflicts in the region ranging from the presence of foreign armed group and the exploitation of natural resources to land and border disputes, intercommunal tensions, limited state presence in remote areas, persistent inequalities, youth unemployment and poverty.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the exploitation of minerals, wildlife and timber by armed groups, corrupt state officials and criminal networks clearly fuel conflict in eastern Congo and help terrorist groups.

She urged regional governments to manage their natural resources responsibly and demand that the private sector comply with international regulations, and she called for greater cooperation across borders to ensure gold and other minerals are sold legally.

The Great Lakes region has wealth in natural resources and it has talented personnel to fund these efforts on its own, if state actors work together to ensure legal, productive trade that benefits all of the people of the region, Thomas-Greenfield said.

The difference would be extraordinary, she said. It is entirely possible to put an end to this smuggling and bring greater peace and prosperity in the region." (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hyderabad, October 21: The TS CPGET 2021 result also known as the Telangana State Common Postgraduate Entrance Tests result, has been announced today, October 21. The entrance exam was conducted by Osmania University. Candidates can check the TS CPGET 2021 scores online by visiting the official website tscpget.com. The TS CPGET 2021 exam was held to help students seeking admission to postgraduate programmes at participating universities of Telangana.

Candidates must note that to download TS CPGET rank cards, candidates will have to visit the exam website and log in using their hall ticket number, registration number and date of birth.

How To Download TS CPGET 2021 Result

Candidates have to visit the official website tscpget.com to check and download the TS CPGET 2021. On the homepage, click on the link that shows to download the rank card Now enter the roll number and other required information and then click on Submit Your TS CPGET 2021 scorecard will be displayed on the screen Download the rank card for future reference.

As per the official notification, the TS CPGET is conducted for admission to programmes like MA, MSc, MCom, PG diploma among other courses that are offered by Osmania, Kakatiya, Telangana, Mahatma Gandhi, Palamuru, Satavahana and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological Universities and affiliated colleges.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 21, 2021 05:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
London, October 21: The Covid-19 pandemic will drag on until 2022, longer than it needs to, because several poor countries have not received vaccines against the deadly infectious disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. In Africa, less than 5 per cent have been vaccinated, compared to 40 per cent on most other continents. According to Bruce Aylward, senior leader at the WHO, this means the Covid crisis could "easily drag on deep into 2022", the BBC reported.

Aylward appealed to wealthy countries to give up their places in the queue for vaccines in order that pharmaceutical companies can prioritise the lowest-income countries instead. COVID-19 Pandemic Will Drag On Until 2022 Due To Vaccine Inequity, Says WHO.

He said that wealthy countries needed to "stocktake" where they were with their donation commitments made at summits such as the G7 meeting in St. Ives earlier this year. "I can tell you we're not on track. We really need to speed it up or you know what? This pandemic is going to go on for a year longer than it needs to," he said.

Just one in seven of the doses promised by pharmaceutical companies and wealthy countries are actually reaching their destinations in poorer countries, suggest new figures from The People's Vaccine -- an alliance of charities, the report said.

The vast majority of Covid vaccines have been given in high-income or upper middle-income countries. Africa accounts for just 2.6 per cent of doses administered globally.

The group of charities, which includes Oxfam and UNAIDS, also criticised Canada and the UK for procuring vaccines for their own populations via COVAX, the UN-backed global programme to distribute vaccines fairly, the report said.

COVAX was initiated so that all countries would be able to acquire vaccines from its pool, including wealthy ones, but most G7 countries decided to hold back once they started making their own one-to-one deals with pharmaceutical companies.

Canada and the UK were technically entitled to get vaccines via this route having paid into the Covax mechanism, but it was still "morally indefensible" given that they had both obtained millions of doses through their own bilateral agreements, Oxfam's Global Health Adviser, Rohit Malpani, was quoted as saying.

"They should not have been acquiring these doses from Covax," he said. "It's nothing better than double-dipping and means that poorer countries which are already at the back of the queue, will end up waiting longer." Covax originally aimed to deliver two billion doses of vaccines by the end of this year, but so far it has shipped 371m doses.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 21, 2021 04:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
#Russia today announced that its military base in #Tajikistan will be fully re-equipped with modern communications equipment by the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/IZTl1CEpS3 IANS Tweets (@ians_india) October 21, 2021

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Google, the American tech giant, launched the Pixel 6 Series globally on Tuesday. The Pixel 6 Series comprises Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones. Both handsets are now available for pre-order in the US and will go on sale soon. Now, as per a report from Gadgets 360, the Pixel 6 Series will not be launched in the Indian market. This is not the first time that Google will not launch its flagship smartphones. The company had only launched the Pixel 4a device and not any of its new models such as Pixel 5, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4 and Pixel 4a 5G in India. Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro With 50MP Camera & Android 12 Launched From $599; Check Prices, Features & Availability Here.

The reason Google did not launch the Pixel 6 Series is due to a variety of factors, including demand and supply issues. As such, the company is not able to make its products available in the Indian market.

Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro Smartphones (Photo Credits: Google)

Powered by Google Tensor, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro is the smartest and most secure Pixel phone yet. The all-new Pixel Camera captures a moment just how you experienced it while the Titan M2 chip helps protect your privacy. Learn more: https://t.co/duavzNbtFZ pic.twitter.com/W1TDZsM4BP  Made By Google (@madebygoogle) October 20, 2021

Google is looking to bring more Pixel phones to more countries in future. As per market experts, the tech giant does not consider India as a priority market when the Pixel devices are concerned.

Google Pixel 6 (Photo Credits: Made By Google)

As per Navkendar Singh, the Indian market is very different from any other market, with over 90 percent of the smartphone market being below Rs 20,000. Most Indian users consider specifications while purchasing a smartphone and the Pixel line-up is under-specced. The Google Pixel 6 is priced from $599, whereas the Pixel 6 Pro costs $899, which makes it a premium device, especially in India.

Google Pixel 6 Pro (Photo Credits: Made By Google)

Both Pixel 6 devices come powered by Google's Tensor processor and run on Android 12 OS. Both handsets carry a 50MP main camera, up to a 120Hz refresh rate. During the Pixel Fall event, Google announced that will be available in select markets like the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, Germany and Taiwan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 21, 2021 12:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
They lived simple lives of austerity and abstinence and suffered horrifying deaths, cut down by marauding armies and burned at the stake as heretics  or so the legend goes.

For their considerable pains, the Cathars were memorialized and celebrated as martyred religious rebels by a region of southern France that, eight centuries later, still promotes itself under their name: Pays Cathare.

But in recent weeks, a debate has erupted across this region in newspapers, tourism offices, and in research conferences following an academic exhibition that explored a more modern-day heresy: The Cathars never existed.

People imagine that these people died as heroes, in defense of their faith and against corrupt powers, said Alessia Trivellone, a history professor at Paul-Valery University in Montpellier who organized the exhibit. They feel that the very idea of going back to investigate this painful story is unbearable.

Advertisement

Trivellone is one of a growing number of early modern Europe scholars who have cast doubt on the Cathars existence, and her role as organizer of the exhibit has made her the target of critics who call her a negationist. Along with other maverick historians, she is dismissed as an upstart just trying to generate buzz and further her career.

Yet the intensity of the backlash reveals something deeper: the lingering regional resentments over Paris domination of the countrys culture and economy.

The 13th century slaughter of the Cathars is associated with the regions loss of autonomy to the kingdom of France, which proceeded to systematically wipe out the language and culture of the south in favor of northern values.

A display in Cordes-sur-Ciel in France. (Chris OBrien / For The Times)

Such wounds remain fresh in a highly rural region that struggles economically, where people believe the norths elite view them as unrefined hillbillies with odd accents. The anger bubbled to the surface in recent weeks with the yellow vest protests against President Emmanuel Macron.

To people here, the crusade against the Cathars looks rather like a colonial war, said Monique Boulze, who is in charge of promotion at the tourist office in Beziers, which was burned to the ground in one of the crusades most infamous episodes. Its something still present and alive in local history.

Any tourist visiting this region would find it hard to miss the ever-present signs and historical markers recounting the tragic tale of the Cathars.

The city of Albi is dominated by the massive Cathedral Basilica of St. Cecilia, a 200-year construction project launched by the Catholic Church after the Cathar crusade, supposedly to remind locals who was boss. Farther south, the town of Mazamet is home to the Cathar Museum. And in Beziers each August, the town shows a sound and light spectacular called: The Cathars, the Treasure of Beziers.

What our region has retained from the tragedy of the Cathars, says the narrator, is the taste of rebellion. And the taste of liberty.

At first blush, the Cathars make for unlikely modern-day heroes. They are said to have been fundamentalists who believed there were two gods: A good one who presided over the spiritual world, and an evil one who ruled the physical world. Cathars viewed even sex within marriage and reproduction as evil, and so lived strict lives of abstention.

More appealing today, however, is the idea that the Cathars mounted the first major rebellion against the Catholic Church. They saw Rome as corrupt, rejected the churchs hierarchy, and did not build cathedrals but rather worshiped outdoors. This lack of structure gave women more prominence and freedom, and because they were pacifists who repudiated all killing, they were vegetarians.

Much about the history of 12th and 13th century France may today be fuzzy. But there is no dispute that in 1209, at the urging of Pope Innocent III, a band of northern French nobles rallied an army that swept into the south, where they unleashed a crusade so bloody it would make Game of Thrones look tame by comparison.

This included the sacking of Beziers in July 1209 by an army under papal authority. Just before the attack, which would kill as many as 20,000 men, women and children, the popes man on the scene, Arnaud Amalric, is reported to have uttered one of historys most famous orders: Kill them all. God will know his own.

To wrap things up after the majority of fighting was done, church leaders began a grand inquisition in Toulouse. Suspects were rounded up, forced to confess, and then sometimes burned at the stake. This became the blueprint for the much larger inquisitions carried out in the centuries to come.

In mid-October, as part of an annual nationwide science festival, Trivellone organized an exhibition called, Les Cathares, une idee recue? That translates literally as The Cathars, an idea received but implies something that is widely accepted as fact but probably not true.

The exhibition is modest, consisting of a handful of posters, a video, a comic book, and a few items that summarize the conclusions of some medieval scholars: There are no significant records from the time that support the idea that a single religious movement called the Cathars ever existed across southern France.

The subject, along with the exhibits somewhat provocative title, proved to be catnip to regional journalists, and soon local newspapers were publishing dueling interviews with scholars who were hashing out the details of ancient texts.

Myths are the very foundation of a social group or of a civilization, a sometimes indispensable cement of societies, Trivellone said. The myth of the Cathars is even stronger because it allows people to identify with the vanquished of history.

This latest wave of attention has been vexing to local Cathar scholars who have spent decades battling to have their work taken seriously. University of Toulouse history professor Pilar Jimenez-Sanchez, for instance, has been among those medieval scholars in the south who have been scouring what limited archives exist from that time to stitch together a picture of the Cathars.

Its been a struggle, she said, because there was a feeling the broader French academy didnt take the work seriously.

Cathar scholars say doubters are too hung up on the name. They acknowledge that at the time, such heretical groups sometimes used a variety of different names and that some rituals varied. But references to Cathars in letters by the pope as well as some other contemporaries, along with intensity of the crusade and the inquisition, offer ample support to prove the group as a whole existed.

Rather than being a marketing ploy, the reemergence of interest in the Cathars over the last half a century has been the fruit of that scholarship and digging, Jimenez-Sanchez said. In the wake of the Montpellier exhibition and the media attention, she organized a late October presentation in Carcassonne to rebut the idea that the Cathars were a latter-day invention.

The Cathar defenders pose a question to the skeptics: If the crusade was not about quashing this religious movement, then what motivated so many Christians to take up arms and kills thousands of other Christians?

How do we resolve this question? Pilar-Jimenez said. How could people at this time have reacted in this manner?

The Cathar debate doesnt seem to be hurting the region  the revival of interest in its cultural history shows no sign of slowing. Two years ago, in an effort to shift some power away from Paris, the French government fused together regional governments to create far larger administrative zones.

An emblem of the Occitanie regional government in France. (Chris OBrien / For The Times)

In the south, the regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrenees were merged into Frances largest regional government by land size. In a vote to name the new region, the first choice of residents was clear: Occitanie  an homage to the language, Occitan (langue doc), a cousin of Catalan that was widely spoken in Cathar territory before the crusade.

And so, more than 800 years after the brutal crusade, Occitanie is the name of a geographic territory that is roughly the size of Austria.

The medieval history of Occitanie is rich and fascinating, Trivellone said. It does not need the ghost of the Cathars to arouse interest.

OBrien is a special correspondent.
Social media mogul Facebook is reportedly having plans on changing its company name in the coming week as part of its efforts to focus on the company's development of the "metaverse" virtual world.

Facebook Name Change

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is seen to discuss the name change during the company's annual Connect conference on October 28, according to a Breitbart News report.

However, the announcement of the name change could come sooner.

The Facebook app will still exist but will be under the parent company as a product, such as a case for Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus.

The social media giant reportedly has more than 10,000 employees developing consumer hardware such as augmented reality glasses.

Zuckerberg believes it will soon become as important commonly used as the modern smartphone.

READ NEXT: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Gets Pushback on Release of 'Instagram for Kids' Due to Mental Health Concerns

Metaverse Company

In July, Zuckerberg said that the company will effectively transition from being seen as a social media company to being a metaverse company, according to The Verge report.

A Facebook spokesperson has yet to comment on the news of the company's rebrand.

The metaverse is a digital world wherein the real and virtual merge. It allows people to move between devices and communicate in a virtual environment.

Facebook said in a blog post that the metaverse had the potential to unlock access to new creative, social, and economic opportunities, according to a Euro News report.

Facebook added that Europeans will be part of the effort right from the start as they plan to create 10,000 new high-skilled jobs within the European Union over the next five years.

Facebook has heavily invested in virtual reality and augmented reality. It has acquired hardware such as the Oculus VR headset and developed AR glasses and wristband technologies

The company announced a month that Andrew Bosworth, the head of AR and VR, will be promoted as a chief technology officer, according to a Tech Crunch report.

Meanwhile, Facebook has faced a number of issues with its internal company documents being made public through a series of reports from the Wall Street Journal.

Facebook Whistleblower

Frances Haugen had come forwards as the Facebook whistleblower responsible for a series of leaks. She used to work as a product manager on the civic integrity team at Facebook.

Haugen said that the documents she leaked had revealed how the social media company prioritized "growth over safety," according to a BBC News report.

Haugen revealed in an interview earlier this month that Haugen said she had left Facebook earlier this year after becoming exasperated with the company.

She added that he had made copies of internal memos and documents before leaving, which she had shared with the Wall Street Journal.

It revealed that Facebook had treated differently celebrities, politicians, and other high profile Facebook users.

The documents had also revealed that Facebook was facing a lawsuit from its shareholders. The group suing the social media company alleges that Facebook's $5 billion payment to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission was so high as it was aimed to protect Zuckerberg from personal liability.

Instagram has also been an issue, particularly to U.S. politicians due to reports that Facebook found out Instagram was affecting the mental health of teenagers but did not share its findings.

READ MORE: WhatsApp Users Can Hide Their Chats Without Archive: Here's How

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Facebook reportedly planning to change corporate name - from CNBC Television






Nikolas Cruz, the gunman of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, pleaded guilty Wednesday of killing 17 individuals, avoiding a possible death sentence.

Florida High School Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty

According to NPR, the 23-year-old, Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty of shooting 14 students and three staff of a High School in Parkland, Florida, avoiding a trial but setting up a fight over his punishment for the 2018 shooting incident. The defense team of Cruz hoped that their recent move would place the Florida gunman away from a possible death sentence that prosecutors were seeking.

The gunman, Cruz, faced 17 charges of first-degree murder and an additional 17 charges of attempted murder. The suspect had initially pleaded not guilty to all of the crimes, but his attorneys recently said they would not contest his guilt, dodging a possible death sentence.

Instead of the prosecutor's target outcome, the group of public defenders who represented Cruz has asked the court to sentence the Florida shooting gunman to 17 life sentences.

In court Wednesday, Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer read each name of the murder victim aloud in court before she asked Cruz how he wished to plead. Cruz replied "Guilty" 17 times to each victim's name.

READ MORE: Florida Deputy Heroically Saves 3-Year-Old Boy Hiding Under Blanket From a Burning House

Nikolas Cruz Asks Forgiveness From the Victims' Families

After his plea was accepted, Cruz apologized for his actions and said directly to the families of the victims that he now wanted to help other individuals.

Cruz stated that he was very sorry for what he did and he had to live with it every day. The gunman also admitted that he experienced nightmares most of the time. He shared that he was doing the change for the victim's families, and he said that he loves them despite knowing that he is hated by them.

The statement of Cruz came after prosecutors entered a chilling account of the shootings into the record. Lead prosecutor Michael Satz described the actions of Cruz on Valentine's Day in 2018. Satz said that Cruz brought an AR-15 style rifle to the school he formerly attended and began firing at students in hallways and classrooms.

Furthermore, the lead prosecutor also laid out the tragic and horrifying details of how each individual died or was injured during the shooting incident. Satz also mentioned the victims' ages and where they were in the school building when they were shot, emphasizing that many of them were repeatedly shot by Cruz.

On a Zoom video conference from the courthouse, relatives of the victims could be seen weeping after hearing the details of how their loved ones died.

On the other hand, the long-running case is headed to the sentencing phase of the trial, which would be presented before a jury. In that part of the proceedings, jurors would be hearing testimonies from witnesses and would review evidence.

The jury selection for the sentencing phase would start on January 4, 2022.

READ NEXT: California Police Investigate Officer Caught on Video Punching Young Suspect in the Face During Arrest

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: 'I Can't Live With Myself': Nikolas Cruz Pleads Guilty To Parkland Shooting -NBC News


White House press secretary Jen Psaki had denied claims that illegal immigrants are being flown from the southern border to suburban New York in the middle of the night.

Psaki said that it was 2:30 a.m., 4:29 a.m. and that it was early flights, earlier than one might like to take a flight, according to a Fox News report.

Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Psaki why the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is flying thousands of migrants from the border to Florida and New York in the middle of the night.

Psaki said that it is their legal responsibility to safely care for unaccompanied children until they can be turned over to a parent or vetted sponsor.

The press secretary said that the unaccompanied children have passed through the Westchester airport going to be reunited with their parents or vetted sponsor.

She added that it's not just New York that the unaccompanied children can be seen traveling. However, she did not provide any details on how long the program has been running or how many kids have been transported, according to the New York Post report.

As many as 2,000 children and teens may have been carried on at least 21 charter flights that landed in Westchester since August 8.

New York Post reporters had reportedly watched two planes land at the airport, where most of the passengers seemed to be children and teens, with a small number of men to be in their 20s, according to the National Review report.

Someone familiar with the matter said that underage migrants reportedly arrive carrying backpacks and are allegedly abused to locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and upstate Newburgh.

Connecticut was also cited as a location where migrant children are being reportedly abused.

READ NEXT: Mexican Drug Cartel Los Tlacos Leaks Disturbing Video of Mass Execution of Rival Gang Members

Unaccompanied Migrant Children

Newsday reported that MercyFirst in Long Island shelters children detained after crossing the Southern border with Mexico. The facility has a contract with the Office of Refugee Resettlement to house unaccompanied minors who enter the U.S. from other countries, usually from Central and South America. The youth housed in the facility usually stay for less than 50 days before they are relocated again, which are often with family sponsors.

Rep. Tom Suozzi said that the 100-bed facility houses about 50 unaccompanied minors ages 12 to 18.

In August, Border Patrol facilities have seen a steady rise in the number of migrant children. There were more than 2,200 unaccompanied children in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, according to a Reuters report.

A CBP spokesperson said that the number includes Mexican children who were quickly returned to their home country. Central American children are transferred to U.S. federal shelters.

In mid-March, CBP had held more than 5,700 unaccompanied children at border stations. Migrant advocates said that the facilities are not appropriate for young children.

A top U.S. Department of Homeland Security official, David Shahoulian, said that record numbers of unaccompanied children were more than 19,000 in July.

READ MORE: El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel Continues to Thrive Despite the Drug Lord's Absence: Report

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Migrant Children Flown To NY - But What Happens Afterward? - from NBC New York






Former President Donald Trump was "excited" on Wednesday in announcing the launch of his upcoming social media network called "Truth Social," after major platforms banned him from using their app.

Trump announced that he plans to launch the social media network in Spring next year, The Daily Wire reported.

"I'm excited to soon begin sharing my thoughts on TRUTH social to fight back against Big Tech," Trump said, adding that people asked him why anyone has not stood up against the giant tech companies. "Well, we will be soon," the former president added.

READ NEXT: Donald Trump Suggests He Might Sue After Pres. Joe Biden Rejects His Appeal to Withhold Capitol Riot Records

Donald Trump's Social Media Network 'Truth Social' to Have Beta Launch in November

Aside from announcing the target date for the launching of his social media network, a beta launch of their site is also expected to take place in November.

The social media network to be launched is a product of two companies that merged, which is Trump Media and Technology Group, and Digital World Acquisition group. The said company will be supervised by the former president himself, ABC News reported.

According to reports, Digital World Acquisition Corporation is a black check company that was founded in December. The said company has no specific plan and was started to merge with other enterprises.

The outlet furthered that merging of the two companies became possible through a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC). However, it was still unclear who is behind the SPAC that will launch Trump's new social media network.

In a statement from the Trump Media and Technology Group, their merge with the Digital World Acquisition Corporation will make their enterprise a public listed company.

The Trump Media and Technology Group also underscored in their statement that their mission is to create a "rival to the liberal media consortium and fight back against the Big Tech companies of Silicon Valley" which, according to them, utilized their power to silence the opposing voices in America.

Aside from social media, the Trump Media and Technology Group also announced their plans on launching a subscription-based video service that will feature "non-woke programs."

Also called TMTG+, the company noted that contents under their streamer will feature programs produced by Scott St. John, who worked on shows such as "America's Got Talent" and "Deal or No Deal."

Donald Trump Banned on Major Social Media Platform

Trump's announcement of Donald Trump's social media network came after he sought the help of a Florida judge in retrieving his Twitter account.

It can be recalled that the former president argued in the court filings submitted by his lawyers that not granting him the injunction would cause "irreparable harm" to his 88 million followers, as they fail to get his message or comment on them.

Aside from Twitter, the former president is also banned from Facebook and YouTube, which claim that Trump might "incite violence" in the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot.

Donald Trump will be banned from Facebook until January 2023, while YouTube's ban on the ex-president is indefinite.

READ NEXT: Donald Trump Laments the Removal of Robert E. Lee Confederate Statue in Virginia

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Republicans Want Trump to run for President Again: Poll - From Eyewitness News ABC7NY
The multiple operations of the United States Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, also known as the OFO assigned at the Pharr International Bridge Cargo Facility, resulted in the seizure of $768,500 in alleged cocaine and methamphetamine.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's website, Port Director at Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Ports of Entry Carlos Rodriguez said that the commercial environment continued to be an area where they experienced a pressing drug smuggling threat, and their latest seizures supported his statement.

Rodriguez emphasized that the frontline officers showed that they could rise to the challenge of intercepting the illegal drugs. The port director commended the effective implementation of things needed during the inspection by his officers. He said that the successful interception was a result of inspection skill, technology, and experience.

CBP's First Interception

CBP officers assigned to the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility on Monday, October 11, encountered a commercial tractor-trailer that arrived from Mexico.

One of the CBP officers manning the port of entry referred the conveyance for further inspection, which included screening by a (canine team) and the utilization of non-intrusive imaging (NII) equipment.

After physically inspecting the tractor-trailer, CBP officers discovered 20 packages of alleged cocaine weighing a total of 49.95 pounds or 22.66 kilos.

CBP's Second Operation

A week after their first interception, on October 18, CBP officers assigned to the cargo facility in Pharr encountered another tractor-trailer arriving from Mexico.

A CBP officer assigned to the cargo facility referred the vehicle for further inspection, which involved utilizing non-intrusive imaging equipment and screening done by a canine team.

After physically checking the tractor-trailer, border patrol officers discovered a package of alleged methamphetamine. After weighing the suspected bundle, the officers recorded 16.88 pounds or 7.66 kilos of concealed alleged meth within the tractor.

READ MORE: Pablo Escobar's 'Cocaine Hippos' 'Sterilized' After Bringing Threat to Humans; Colombian Government Makes Cocaine Hippos Infertile Due to Alarming Population

Another Interception on the Same Day

Moments after their second interception, CBP officers encountered another tractor-trailer arriving from the neighboring country. After suspecting the vehicle, an officer referred the conveyance for further inspection, wherein they utilized non-intrusive imaging equipment and screening by a canine team.

The physical inspection on the conveyance prompted officers to discover eight packages of alleged cocaine weighing 19.04 pounds or 8.64 kilos concealed within the tractor-trailer.

The seized narcotics and vehicles by the Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations remain under investigation by the agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, also known as the ICE-HSI.

On the other hand, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that the state also faced problems about the amount of fentanyl apprehended by the Texas Department of Public Safety this year at Pharr.

Abbott stated that the amount of the drugs was more than enough to kill every man, woman, and child not only in Texas, but also California and New York as well, Fox News reported.

READ NEXT: Portuguese Authorities Recover 5 Tons of Cocaine From 79-Foot Yacht; Record Haul Estimated Worth $232 Million

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: CBP Seizes Over $700K Worth of Cocaine at Pharr Intl. Bridge -KRGV


Paris Hilton was seen in Senate hallways at Capitol Hill on Wednesday. The celebrity met with lawmakers to advocate for protections for "troubled teens" in congregate care facilities.

During a press conference outside Capitol Hill, Hilton said she came not as Paris but as a survivor, Deadline reported. Hilton appeared at the press conference with lawmakers, including Rep. Ro Khanna and Sen. Jeff Merkley, who are pushing for legislation to reform congregate care facilities.

Congregate care facilities include foster care, group homes, residential treatment facilities, emergency shelters, and maternity homes.

Khanna and Merkley are among the lawmakers planning to introduce the Accountability for Congregate Care Act that would create a bill of rights with protections for children in such facilities.

READ NEXT: 'Friends' Reunion Special: First Full 2-Minute Trailer Released by HBO Max

Paris Hilton Recounting Abusive Experiences

Paris Hilton spoke about the verbal, emotional, and physical abuse she endured during her stay at Provo Canyon School, a Utah boarding school for troubled teens.

According to USA Today, the socialite has published a deeply personal essay on Washington Post and is currently urging federal-level reform.

Hilton said that her parents fell for the misleading "marketing of the troubled teen industry." She said she remembered that she was awakened one night by two men with handcuffs, asking her if she wanted to go the "easy way or the hard way" before carrying her out from her home as she screamed for help.

Hilton noted that she had no idea where or why she was being taken against her will. She said she soon learned that she was being sent to "hell" or a residential care facility, which she called "the troubled teen industry."

The socialite was sent to Provo at 17 years old and stayed for 11 months. She said that she endured psychological and physical abuse from staff members during her stay at the facility, including being slapped, choked, and sleep-deprived.

Hilton wrote that she was called vulgar names and forced to take medication without a diagnosis, adding that she was locked in solitary confinement in a room where the walls were covered in scratch marks and bloodstains.

However, her parents were unaware of what was happening as they were prohibited from communicating with the outside world. In September 2020, the "This is Paris" documentary premiered on her YouTube channel, wherein she said she had never publicly discussed the matter with anyone.

Paris Hilton Urges Joe Biden, Lawmakers to Take Action Against the 'Troubled Teen Industry'

Paris Hilton called on President Joe Biden and lawmakers to enact a bill of rights for young people in such facilities, Rolling Stone reported. She added that the government should also provide federal funding so that states can hold those facilities accountable.

Hilton said it is a basic human rights issue that needs to have immediate action, adding that those in power have the responsibility to protect the powerless.

After the "This is Paris" documentary was released, other well-known figures have also come forward about their experiences at the school or others like the facility. The figures include Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson and tattoo artist Kat Von D.

The Provo institution is now under new ownership, and the new administration said it couldn't comment on anything that came before the change.

READ MORE: 'Friends' Reunion Unveils First Teaser Trailer and Premiere Date at HBO Max

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Weber

WATCH: Paris Hilton Urges Passage Of 'Rights And Protections' For Youth In Congregate Care - From NBC News






Duane Chapman, also known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, is reportedly back in Colorado and wishes he's in Florida for the discovery of what appears to be Brian Laundries' remains.

However, Chapman's rep told TMZ that the 68-year-old reality star has no access to the area where the human remains were found as it was blocked off.

The rep further noted that if the remains turn out not to be Laundrie's remains, Dog the Bounty Hunter will head back to Florida to continue looking for Gabby Petito's fiance.

Chapman's rep said the whole experience has given the reality star "a new purpose in life." The rep added that Chapman wanted to help more families find their lost loved ones or crack open cold cases.

Sources close to Chapman also told TMZ that the reality star went back to Colorado to finally meet with his doctor over his recent ankle injury.

Dog the Bounty Hunter got injured while searching for Gabby Petito's fiance in remote areas of southern Florida. Chapman's daughter tweeted on October 10 that his father was going back to Colorado to meet with his doctor after he injured his ankle.

However, the reality star postponed it and was even seen dropping by at the residence of Laundrie's sister in Florida on October 13. At the time, Chapman said he was recovering from the ankle injury, and he felt "a lot better."

On Wednesday, authorities found Laundrie's backpack and notebook in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, along with partial human remains.

Brian Laundrie's attorney, Steve Bertolino, told CNN there is a "strong probability" that the remains belong to the Florida fugitive.

"The probability is strong that it is Brian's remains, but we are going to wait for the forensic results to come in and verify that," Bertolino noted.

According to the medical examiner, identifying the remains could be complete in a couple of days but may also take longer.

READ NEXT: Dog the Bounty Hunter Tells Brian Laundrie 'Let Me Have You' as He Furiously Calls for Gabby Petito's Fiance to End the Chase

Dog The Bounty Hunter's Search for Gabby Petito's Fiance

Dog the Bounty Hunter has been searching for Gabby Petito's fiance since late last month. His team has reportedly received at least 4,000 possible leads since they joined the search for Brian Laundrie.

Duane Chapman was reportedly sifting for one that might be legit, and it's a daunting task. Earlier, the reality star said that many calls came from fans saying "hello" to him, but the rest were "pretty good."

Sources close to Chapman also told TMZ that the search for Laundrie also took a toll on the reality star as he waded through marshy swamps in a Florida park that resulted in injuries like cuts he has not made public.

Dog the Bounty Hunter has also offered reward money for information leading to Laundrie's arrest. He added $10,000 to the $170,000 standing reward money before his contribution.

Authorities are still trying to locate Gabby Petito's fiance after he was reported missing on September 17. Laundrie's parents said they last saw him on September 13, leaving home to go to the Carlton Reserve area for a hike.

Laundrie was named a person of interest by North Port police after returning home on September 1 or 10 days before Petito was reported missing by her family.

Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when the YouTuber stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August.

Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19.

A Teton County, Wyoming coroner said Petito was strangled to death by a "human being," and the manner of death was homicide.

Dog the Bounty Hunter Will Hit Texas Stage on 2022

Dog the Bounty Hunter is reportedly coming to Texas in 2022. Chron reported that the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio will host a show for Duane Chapman on January 29, 2022.

The reality star will hit the stage at 8 p.m. and tell stories about his journey from being an ex-convict to an icon.

"Dog will recount the colorful and adventurous life that has led to becoming the most successful bounty hunters and recognizable television stars in American history," the venue said in its Facebook post.

Tickets for the said event will range from $29.50 to $39.50. Fans will also be able to greet Dog The Bounty Hunter himself for $100.

READ MORE: Dog the Bounty Hunter Shows up at Brian Laundrie Sister's Home as Search Continues for Gabby Petito's Fiance

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Here's How Duane Chapman Turned Into Dog the Bounty Hunter - From Entertainment Tonight
"La Negra," the daughter of the Jalisco cartel's boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes or "El Mencho," has been mysteriously released just three months into her 30-month prison sentence in the United States.

Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, known by her alias "La Negra," was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in Washington D.C. on June 11 for her role in laundering money for her father and his notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Daily Mail reported.

La Negra pleaded guilty in March of violating the Kingpin Act for her connection in six businesses blacklisted by the United States.

Under the Kingpin Act, the U.S. Treasury Department designates firms as aiding narcotics traffickers, usually by laundering money, and prohibits Americans from engaging business with them.

La Negra was listed as the owner or executive of the six companies, which the Treasury Department booked on September 17, 2015 for money laundering for the organization Los Cuinis, the financial arm of the Jalisco cartel.

Reports said the businesses also include a pair of sushi restaurants and a tequila company that El Mencho allegedly used to funnel drug proceeds.

Jessica Oseguera holds dual American and Mexican citizenship. She was reportedly no longer under the Federal Bureau of Prisons custody based on the agency's inmate locator page on its website.

The Federal Bureau of Prison's site no longer showed where El Mencho's daughter was serving her sentence. However, her prison term still appeared, and it was set to end on April 13, 2022.

The bureau's spokesperson has declined to tell the Daily Mail why La Negra is not in any of its federal facilities.

U.S. Marshals spokeswoman Lynzey Donahue told Univision Noticias that El Mencho's daughter is not in the custody of the U.S. Marshals and is not in any of its facilities either. No agency has reportedly clarified where Jessica Oseguera is serving her sentence.

READ NEXT: Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho's Daughter, La Negra, Asks U.S. Judge to Free Her

Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho's Daughter Asks U.S. Judge to Free Her

In her sentencing hearing last June, La Negra told district court judge Beryl Howell that her time in prison for more than a year has allowed her to reflect on her decisions and mistakes and their impact on her family and children.

"Your Honor, I regret my actions and I beg your mercy... I ask for a second chance to see my children grow day by day... I have learned my lesson and I will never do it again," she said.

The judge then ordered El Mencho's daughter to serve two years and six months in prison, which she will serve simultaneously. The judge has also ordered the mother-of-two to remain on supervised release for two years after she finishes her prison sentence.

Prosecutors had been pushing for a prison sentence of four years and three months. But the court chose the two and a half years sentence, noting La Negra's lack of prior conviction and had shown remorse for her actions.

Her attorneys earlier asked the court that the 35 years old California native served her prison sentence in a jail in California, where several of her relatives live.

Before she confessed to her crime, the daughter of the Jalisco cartel's boss was initially looking at 30 years in prison.

La Negra's Arrest

Jessica Oseguera walked into the Washington D.C. courthouse in February 2020 to attend her brother's hearing. However, she was quickly arrested.

La Negra's brother is Ruben Oseguera Gonzales, who is known to inherit the Jalisco cartel throne from his father in Mexico. He was known as "El Menchito."

El Menchito was accused of distributing cocaine and methamphetamine in the U.S. from 2007 to February 2017.

Their father, El Mencho, continues to evade capture, and the U.S. government offers a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

El Mencho is the head of the Jalisco cartel, which is considered one of Mexico's most powerful and violent criminal organizations.

The Jalisco cartel had approximately 5,000 members and was allegedly involved in mass graves, kidnappings, acid baths, and video recording beheadings.

READ MORE: La Negra, Daughter of Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho, Gets 2 1/2 Years in Prison for Violation of Kingpin Act

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Daughter of Chicago's Public Enemy #1 Plans to Plead Guilty in Federal Case - From ABC 7 Chicago






For the first time, surgeons in the U.S. transplanted a pig's kidney into a human without triggering immediate rejection by the patient's immune system.

According to Reuters, the medical advancement could pave the way to help thousands of people in need of human organs for transplant each year.

Pig Kidney Transplant in a Human Patient

The two-hour procedure, called xenotransplantation, was done at NYU Langone Health in New York City on September 25. It reportedly involved the use of a pig whose genes had been altered.

Researchers had removed a molecule in pig's tissues that was known to trigger almost immediate rejection. The recipient of the pig's kidney was a brain-dead patient with signs of kidney dysfunction.

The researchers told Reuters that the patient's family consented to the experiment before she was due to be taken off of life support.

Based on the report, the pig's kidney was attached to the patient's blood vessels and maintained outside her body, allowing the researchers to access the animal's organ for three days.

READ NEXT: U.S. FDA to Allow Americans With Different Brand of Booster Vaccine Shot

Surgeons Successfully Test Pig Kidney Transplant in Human

Transplant surgeon Dr. Robert Montgomery, who led the study, said the transplanted kidney's function test results looked "normal."

Montgomery noted that the body was producing levels of urine that you would expect from a transplanted human kidney, and there were no signs of the body rejecting the organ.

Montgomery added that the patient's abnormal creatinine level, which was a sign of poor kidney function, returned to normal after the transplant.

In a statement, Chad Ezzell, a chief clinical officer of LiveOnNY, said the research is "an incredible scientific achievement." LiveOnNY is a non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in New York City, CBS News reported.

Ezzell noted that this latest report "will give new hope to those on our waitlist as this important research moves forward."

In the U.S., almost 107,000 individuals are currently waiting for organ transplants. Around 90,000 of them were waiting for a kidney organ. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, the average waiting time for a kidney is three to five years.

Researchers have been working for decades on the possibility of using animal organs for transplants, but the immediate rejection by the human body impedes it.

Montgomery's team believed that knocking out the pig gene for a carbohydrate that triggers rejection, a sugar molecule, or glycan called alpha-gal, would prevent the problem.

The genetically altered pig, dubbed GalSafe, was developed by United Therapeutics Corp's Revivicor unit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it in December 2020 for use as food for people with a meat allergy and as a potential source of human therapeutics.

Medical products developed from the pigs would still require specific FDA approval before their usage to humans. Other researchers were considering if GalSafe pigs could be sources of everything from heart valves to skin grafts for human patients.

Montgomery said researchers could possibly conduct their transplant in a living person "in the next year or two." He also believes "it will eventually be perfected to the point" it will be an alternative to a human organ.

READ MORE: Colin Powell Dies at 84; Top U.S. General and Diplomat in Iraq Suffers COVID-19 Complications

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Surgeon Transplants a Pig's Kidney Into a Brain-Dead Human in Groundbreaking Surgery - From USA TODAY
Need help logging in?

We have transitioned to a new user-friendly interactive website. You will need an account and a subscription to see the site in its entirety.

HOME DELIVERY subscribers get online access for free with their subscription. If you are a home delivery subscriber, create a new account and follow the directions to validate your home delivery subscription.

If you were a previous ONLINE ONLY subscriber, you should have received an email with directions on how to log in. If you are still experiencing issues contact us at bulletincirc@gmail.com.
Elk Point, SD (57025)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. Low 29F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Low 29F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
They say that everyone has a story to tell but it has taken one Portlaoise woman 33 years to document her mental health torment and how she overcame her suffering.

This is my story is the self-penned account of 51-year-old Patricia Dempsey, who has been hospitalised with mental health episodes 51 times since she was 18.

It recounts harrowing depths of depression and stellar heights of near ecstasy as she battled from a young age with acne, bulimia and sleeplessness, not to mention multiple sessions with psychiatrists, being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and receiving electric shock treatment.

"The highs were great, but experientially I paid an enormous price when I came down and the lows hit," says Patricia looking back.

"This continuous cycle was constant and culminated to a state that at the age of 19 I was in such a desperate way that I tried to kill myself with an overdose of prescribed medication at home.

All I know is that during this horrific time I was administered the last rites not once, but twice, she said. However, Patricia has never let these difficulties get in her way.

She said trained as a City and Guilds hairdresser for a year, an assistant in a handicapped childrens care centre (Kolbe) for three and-a-half years, then as a carer for the elderly in Moore Abbey.

During all this time I still experienced radical episodes. I still persevered and went on to work as a sales assistant in Abrakebabra, then in a high-street clothing shop. Following that, I took on a full-time, four-year course at NTDI. In the final year, the guidance lecturer delegated us to three days of work experience and two days a week studying an ECDL course. My work experience was in Toppers in the shopping centre in Portlaoise.

After three-and a-half years I had a severe episode and was admitted to hospital yet again.

However, Patricia pressed on.

At a time when I was experiencing a prolonged stable condition, I was invited by a doctor in St Pats to do a speech on bi-polar disorder with seven other speakers in Dublin. The theme was to tell our personal stories and experiences at a venue in front of approximately 1,000 people. I remember being excited and a little elated. It was, generally speaking, a question-and-answer session.

A month later, the height of us were invited to an audience with President Mary McAleese and the most senior psychologist in Ireland, where we were formally introduced and presented with a medal for bravery, which I still treasure to this day.

While Patricia speaks openly of her issues in This is my Story, she gladly acknowledges the support and guidance given to her by the medical profession and her family and friends, particularly her father.

She said: My Dad (Michael), Lord have mercy on him, brought me everywhere to seek help for my condition/ illness  to see if there was any possibility of a cure. The poor man always blamed himself until it came to a point when he understood, and accepted, that he himself was not to blame, that it was not his fault.

She also documents how her sister intervened at one time to cut back her nails because I was very mentally tortured, to the degree I kept scraping my face to a point that it was pouring blood. Patricia also tells of her intense longing to have children. She said: I really yearned to have a child, but was warned against it, as it would possibly be severely handicapped. Nevertheless, after pleading with the doctor, he reduced my medication. To my great regret and personal disappointment, it only resulted in me getting sick again, so I had to resume my treatment.

While the content of This is my Story is harrowing at times, there are also glorious triumphs.

Patricia said that during her last period of hospitalisation she met a guy there, another patient, with whom I found a great rapport. I have never asked anyone out in my whole life, but with his captivating blue eyes and his charm, I could not resist but to ask him to be my date. We are still going out with each other after five years. I have not been sick/had an episode since I met him and I know my father is keeping me safe, too.

I have missed so much of my life due to this illness. I wish I could go back in time but, on reflection, I dont think it would have made any difference to the outcome.

Asked why she had written her story, Patricia said: I wanted to let people know that there is hope and that there are many supports out there. If it gives just one person hope, then I know it was worth it.

You can read Patricias full account in This is my Story, which will be available in shops around Portlaoise in the coming weeks.

The book is priced at 7, with 4 from every sale going to Beaumont Hospital. The official launch of This is my Story took place on Thursday 21 October at 11am in Portlaoise Parish Centre.
Livestock farmers should consider trying out new ways of managing their pastures, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine Pippa Hackett who has highlighted the power of clover.

The Laois Offaly Green Party senator was speaking in the Seanad, where she highlighted an upcoming Department reseeding scheme which it's claimed provide multi species sward seed at no extra cost.

"I have said before that I believe chemical nitrogen free pasture management can be the future. In the past few weeks I have seen exciting examples of successful intensive farming with no recourse to artificial fertiliser and I hope our upcoming scheme will encourage many more farmers to try it out, even in a small way," she said.

Minister Hackett, who farms in Geashill on the Laois Offaly border, referred to what was described as the dangers of overuse of synthetic fertilisers

"We are a long way off this situation in Ireland, but it is the case, that in the end, synthetic fertiliser, if we apply enough of it, for long enough, will not just continue polluting our rivers with its losses, it will turn our soil into a barren desert in which nothing will grow. But while chemical nitrogen helps grass grow, so, thankfully, does naturally fixed nitrogen. And clover is a really efficient natural nitrogen fixing machine," she said.

Minister Hackett added that Teagasc was engaged with various clover and multi-species sward trials that were showing very encouraging results.

"Managing a multi species sward is different from simply applying nitrogen. In some ways its more difficult, in other ways its easier. But I certainly believe its worth it. Not just for the potential saving on fertiliser costs. But also for the satisfaction we can all derive, from healthy soils, from feeding our animals and our land in a way which works for them and for us, AND for the climate challenges ahead. This is the future," she concluded.
Grant Thornton is creating 1,000 new jobs across the country over the next three years.

The professional services firm announced plans to hire 1,000 new recruits across its seven offices over the coming three years.

The new roles will comprise of a mix of experienced and graduate roles, reflecting the firm's commitment to growing its headcount in line with client needs.

The roles will be spread across every department in the company, and new graduates and experienced workers are welcome to apply.

The firm is increasing staff numbers at all seven of its offices in Longford, Kildare, Galway, Dublin, Cork and Belfast.

Positions will be available across all Grant Thornton Irelands business units including actuarial, audit, corporate finance, and advisory as well as in specialist areas such as insurance, sustainability, financial services and digital transformation.

Along with graduate opportunities, candidates can apply for roles across all levels from associate to director, and beyond.

Recruitment for the roles has already started with Grant Thornton Ireland last month announcing plans to double the size of its tax team from 170 to 340 by 2024, while at the same time launching its brand new Changemaker campaign, offering new third-level graduates the opportunity to earn hands-on experience in one of several busy business units within the firm.

With offices in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Longford, Kildare and Belfast, along with its state-of-the-art City Quay headquarters in Dublin, Grant Thornton Ireland is committed to supporting the changing needs of its Irish and international clients, while offering flexibility and career growth to employees across its operation.

Grant Thornton Ireland Managing Partner Michael McAteer said: "Todays announcement marks yet another milestone in the Grant Thornton Ireland story. We pride ourselves in going beyond to ensure the highest quality of service to our clients and we know this is because of the exceptional and wide-ranging level of experience our people bring to the table.

"We also know the importance of flexibility, opportunity and promotion, and work-life balance, and we have installed an extensive Future of Work framework across the firm with these pillars at the core," he said.

The positions will give the opportunity to work with clients from all industries and all sizes from Irish indigenous to multinationals.

In addition, Grant Thornton Irelands broad portfolio of international clients and its position within the wider Grant Thornton global network will provide opportunities for international travel to employees in line with business needs.

In supporting further growth and continued recruitment across the firm, Grant Thornton Ireland will also be advertising opportunities to fill operational roles including in Human Resources, Marketing, Risk and Compliance and Transformation and Change.
According to a new report 'Speak Up: A Call for Change', there is a culture of harmful workplace behaviours across all sectors of the arts in Ireland

The report which was commissioned by the Irish Theatre Institute surveyed 1,300 people - working in the arts sector - found the majority (70%) had experienced harmful behaviour while 53% had witnessed it, with the majority of incidents taking place in the workplace.

The report highlighted those who experienced the behaviours were more likely to be women than men with women accounting for 42% of the reported incidents.

Freelance arts workers were also more likely to face harmful workplace experiences than those who are not freelance.

The majority of perpetrators, who were more likely to be men (67%), were reported to hold positions of authority, and respondents reported that often, supports were not available to them and that where they were available, they were insufficient.

Disturbing behaviours such as abuse & bullying have been uncovered by @IrishTheatreIns



Change is needed. I'm announcing a robust suite of actions & 200k to provide safe working conditions for arts workers.



This damaging behaviour will not be toleratedhttps://t.co/ye2tTf1bA1 pic.twitter.com/83KxsBXssg  Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) October 21, 2021

Co-director of the Irish Theatre Institute Jane Daly said the survey shows the majority of employees in the arts sector have experienced and witnessed harmful behaviour in the workplace.

She said after incidents of abuse of power in the theatre sector in 2017, the Department of Arts was keen to have something done to address harmful behaviour in the workplace.

Speaking on RTE's News at One, Ms. Daly said bullying and harassment at that time "was not and could no longer be considered an occupational hazard" and had to comply with dignity in the workplace regulations like any other sector.

"In 2017 we adopted a code of behaviour for the theatre sector. This type of change takes a long time and we knew it would.

"We decided what we should do is survey the arts community, arts workers and people working within organisations and rather than it being anecdotal evidence, we should establish finally what the situation is for people in the arts."

Ms. Daly added: "This is a situation that has been hiding in plain sight in the arts sector for many, many years and the intention is with this report where we have evidence we can start to change that culture."

She said some will be actions taken immediately and some will be incremental cultural change.

"We want people to have resources that they can turn to should they wish to report some incident."

Minister for Arts Catherine Martin said she was distressed to learn of the full extent of the damaging behaviours in the arts sector and wanted to assure all of the respondents that their voices were heard.

She said she would work with and fund the Irish Theatre Institute and other agencies to implement the changes needed to provide safe working conditions for artists and arts workers.

The Irish Theatre Institute described the report as an important starting point on the necessary journey to overhauling workplace conduct across Ireland's art sector.

Minister Martin has announced additional funding of 200,000 in response to the report.

Actions to be taken include the allocation of public funding; the development of a Dignity in the Workplace website where relevant resources and information can be found and the development of training resources and awareness campaigns.

Further surveys in coming years will be undertaken to monitor success of measures undertaken.
An oven ready plan for a Portlaoise bus services is being held up by a Dublin-based transport authority according to Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley.

The Laois Offaly TD raised the issue in the the Dail this week with An Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

Dep Stanley said the improvement of local bus services is included in the programme for Government. He said the council is ready to progress its plan but can't get the green light from the National Transport Authority (NTA).

"The plan has been put together, the research has been done by the local authority, the route has been designed and the location of bus stops has been decided. The Government needs to now hand this over to the local authorities.

This is with the NTA, and it is a pain trying to get anywhere with the NTA. We should not be contacting the NTA in Dublin about issues like this. The Government should trust the local authorities, their staff and members.

They are grown-ups and the Government should devolve that power to them. Portlaoise is a growing town over 7km across. It has a population of 25,000, far bigger than the city of Kilkenny. The centre of the town is choked up with cars regularly. It is a low-carbon town. We need a local bus service to action that low-carbon town plan.

"There are households on the outskirts of Portlaoise that are 4km or 5km from the centre. Pensioners have to find their way into town to draw pensions every Friday.

I ask the Government to raise this with the NTA, to take a hands-on approach.

In reply, the Taoiseach said it is crucial that there is interaction between the local authority and the NTA.

"A proper relationship should exist to facilitate the issues the Deputy has raised. In some situations, it works well and in others maybe not so well, he said.

A bus service for the town was first mooted in Portlaoise Public Realm strategy which runs to 2040. The town is served by local bus services but none run exclusively within the town boundaries.
A Senator with the Kildare branch of the Green Party has introduced the bill aimed protecting Ireland's native honey bees in the Seanad.

Speaking in advance of introducing this proposed legislation, titled the Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill 2021, Senator Vincent P. Martin said: "Ireland is fortunate to have a pure population of its own native Irish honey bees which is perfectly adapted to this island, this climate and this flora."

"This Bill provides for the prohibition of the importation of non-native honey bees as the native Irish honey bees are threatened with extinction by hybridisation (especially the cross-breeding of the Apis mellifera mellifera) due to continued, increasing and unnecessary imports of non-native honey bees."

He continued: "The Irish honey bee produces good dependable honey crops as they fly in low temperatures/light rain, they are placid, have low swarming tendencies and are frugal with winter stores; they are the best bee for Ireland and many wild populations still live in trees and buildings.

"All the beekeeping organisations on the island expressly support a ban on imports of non-native honey bees."

Senator Martin added that he acknowledged the campaigning efforts over many years by the Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS) as well as the input of the Climate Bar Association.

In addition, he said that he also acknowledged the "support his Bill enjoys with a political cross-section of signatories appearing on the Bill from each Seanad grouping."

Speaking in the Seanad yesterday, Senator Martin requested for an amendment to the Order of Business that his order (No. 19) be taken before Order No. 1.

He added: "At the appropriate time I will formally move that request."

Senator Martin called Ireland "one of the last strongholds of this pure native bee," but stressed that this status was under threat due to a documented 327 per cent increase in the importation of non-native honey bee queens into Ireland.

"After more than ten years of campaigning, the Native Irish Honey Bee Society will be pleased; this is a step in the right direction. The society is not, however, getting carried away. Complacency will not set in; it is not going away.

"It is going to stick at this under it gets a permanent satisfying result."

He also thanked Ms Aoife Nic Giolla Coda, secretary Loretta Neary and the Climate Bar Association, an independent expert body which has reached the conclusion that to amend the law in this way is not repugnant to EU law.

"If leave to introduced is granted, Members will see on the Bill when it is published shortly thereafter the names of colleagues, who come from each and every political grouping in this Chamber and that is the way forward."

"With that in mind I anticipate my proposal will be seconded by Senator Erin McGeehan, who is representative of the cross-party approach that we are taking to this," he concluded.

In response to Martin's speech, which was indeed seconded by Senator McGeehan, the amendment was agreed upon by Seanad Leader Regina Doherty.

According to pollinators.ie, the official website of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, there are 99 bee species in Ireland: the honeybee, 21 species of bumblebee, and 77 species of solitary bee.

Bees are the most important pollinator of crops and native plant species in Ireland, with a study from the Department of the Environment finding that bees add around 53 million a year to the economy.

In Ireland, many crops and fruits crops rely on bees for pollination, and it is estimated that almost three quarters of our wild plants rely on insect pollinators, of which bees are most important.
The death has occurred of Phil (Philomena) Dempsey (nee Robinson)

Townspark, Athy, Kildare



Phil (Philomena) Dempsey (nee Robinson), Townspark, Athy passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family. She will be sadly missed by her husband Michael, daughter Rosemary, grandchildren Wayne, Nathalie, Michelle, Mary and Sarah, great-grandchildren Courtney, Callum, Saoirse, Lee, Rian, Archie and Sam, by her sisters Mary and Ann, brothers Mick and Dan, nieces and nephews, extended family and friends.

Phil will repose at Thompsons Funeral Home, Chapel Hill, Mount Hawkins, Athy, R14 NX80 from 5pm concluding with Rosary at 7pm on Thursday 21st. Please be mindful of social distancing and wear face coverings. Removal on Friday afternoon from Thompsons Funeral Home at 1.45pm to arrive at St. Michaels Parish Church, Athy, for Requiem Mass at 2pm, followed by interment in Fontstown Cemetery, Athy, Co.Kildare. The Mass will be livestreamed, and can be viewed by clicking on the following link www.parishofathy.ie

Those who would have liked to attend Phils funeral, but to due to restrictions cannot, may leave a personal message for the family on the condolence page below. The family thank you for your cooperation, understanding and support during this sensitive time.

The death has occurred of Marie Horrigan (nee Byrne)

Abbeypark, Clane, Kildare / Whitehall, Dublin / Cork



Horrigan (nee Byrne), Marie, Abbeypark, Clane, Co. Kildare and late of Whitehall, Dublin, October 19th 2021, peacefully, with her family by her side, in the loving care of the staff of Mountpleasant Lodge Nursing Home, Kilcock, beloved wife of the late William (Liam), and sister of the late Carmel, Oliver, Noel, Stephen, Terry and Daniel, much loved mother of Maureen and Finbarr and mother-in-law to Sean and Kate, sadly missed by her loving family, grandchildren Sarah, Kate, Lisa, Martyn, Nikki, Tia and Billy, great-grandchildren, Harry, Evie, Tristan, Sonny, Nell and Kennedy, sister Peggy, sisters-in-law Pat and Kitty, brother-in-law Paddy, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Rest In Peace

Due to current government guidelines regarding religious ceremonies, Marie's Funeral Mass will take place on Friday at 10am in St. Patrick and St. Brigid's Church, Clane, followed by burial in Mainham Cemetery. Family and friends are welcome to attend the funeral, but are reminded to be mindful of hand and cough etiquette and social distancing. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to the current restrictions cannot, please leave a personal message for the family in the condolences section below.

People are welcome to view Marie's Funeral Mass on Friday at 10am by clicking on the following link : https://www.claneparish.com/webcam/

Oliver Reilly Funeral Directors accept no responsibility for any live webcam interruptions or issues

Reposing at Marie's residence on Thursday from 4-8pm, People are reminded to social distance, wear a mask and sanitise their hands.

The Funeral Cortege will be leaving Marie's residence in Clane at 9.30am to arrive at Clane Church for 10am funeral Mass, followed by burial in Mainham Cemetery, if people would like to line the route in a socially distanced manner.

For all enquiries, please contact Oliver Reilly Ltd. Funeral Directors on (045) 868230

Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to St. Vincent de Paul by clicking on the following link : https://www.svp.ie/get-involved/donate.aspx

The death has occurred of Baby Annie Poppy O'Connell

Hillview Heights, Clane, Kildare



Baby Annie Poppy OConnell (Hillview Heights, Clane, Co. Kildare) born sleeping on October 14th 2021 at the Rotunda Hospital. Beloved daughter of her loving parents Aisling and Noel, adored little sister of Ada. Sadly missed by all her family.

Funeral Service and House private, please.

Donations if desired to Feileacain. Donations can be made by clicking on the following link : https://feileacain.ie/donate

Messages of condolence can be left for the family in the condolences section below.

The death has occurred of Declan POWER

Celbridge, Kildare / Palmerstown, Dublin



Power (Celbridge and formerly of Palmerstown)  Oct 19, 2021, (peacefully), surrounded by his loving family, at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Declan, beloved husband of Agnes and dear father of Emma and Thomas; Sadly missed by his loving wife, son, daughter, father Tommy, mother Pat, brothers Philip and Mark, Thomass partner Milla, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

Reposing on Thursday from 4pm to 7pm at the Ramon Massey & Son Funeral Home, Thornhill, Maynooth Road, Celbridge, (beside The Henry Grattan Pub). Removal on Friday to St. Patricks Church, Celbridge arriving for 11am Mass. Funeral immediately afterwards to Donacomper Cemetery.

Due to current Government Guidelines the capacity of the Church is limited to 50%. Those who would like to join the private funeral service remotely by webcam can do so by clicking on https://churchmedia.tv/camera/st-patricks-church-celbridge or those who would have liked to attend the Funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the Condolence Book below. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to The Irish Cancer Society. Enquiries to Ramon Massey & Son Funeral Directors, Celbridge Ph: 01 455 5121.

May He Rest In Peace

The death has occurred of Catherine Ryan

Lourdesville Nursing Home, Kildare Town, Kildare / Dolphins Barn, Dublin



Formerly of South Circular Road, Dolphins Barn, Dublin. Wife of the late Edward. Peacefully at Lourdesville Nursing Home in her 103rd year. Sadly missed by her loving nephew John, niece Deirdre, sister-in-law Nuala, nephews John, Paul and Gerard, niece Mary, extended family, neighbours and friends.

May Catherine Rest In Peace

Reposing at McWeys Funeral Home, Abbeyview, Kildare Town from 10am on Friday with removal at 10.45am to arrive at St. Brigid's Parish Church, Kildare Town, for Requiem Mass at 11am. Mass will be live streamed on mcnmedia.tv. Burial afterwards in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.

Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the condolence page below. Please respect HSE and Government guidelines at all times.
The Kildare branch of the Green Party (GP) has pointed to Greta Thunberg as a positive example of youth activism.

A Councillor for the party, Maynooth politician Peter Hamilton, made the comment after the party viewed a report from last week found that 84 per cent of children in the county expressed concerns over climate change.

Cllr Hamilton, who is the branch's Chairperson, said: "For some time, children and young people have been ahead of adults on this issue.".

"One of the most effective climate activists in the world today is Greta Thunberg, who since she was just 15 years old, has been breaking world leaders out of their slumber on climate action."

"Young people like Greta, and those speaking through this survey, are key to our ability to solve the climate crisis," he added.

In a recent public statement, the party said: "Kildare Greens acknowledge, but are not surprised by, the wisdom and intuition of young people shown in a recent survey, which reveals that 84 per cent of children in Kildare are worried about climate change."

Another GP Cllr for Celbridge, Vanessa Liston, also commented on the findings, saying that the GP want to assure all young people that even though the climate is changing, it also provides a huge opportunity for really getting things right.

She explained: "Never before have children, adults, societies and governments around the world joined together around a common cause - to respect our planet and each other, to restore our natural world and to change the way we live our lives for the better... When we work together on something hard, we can really change the world in many new and different ways. "

"And there is good news - already this year in Ireland we have passed a really important Climate Law."

Cllr Liston continued: "This law sets a path to reduce carbon and ensure that Ireland will be a safer, cleaner, greener place for you to grow up and be happy in.

"The changes that are happening now are changing Ireland and will change your future for the better."

Cllr Colm Kenny from Naas added that that the party encourages children to keep talking to every adult in their life about how strongly they feel about climate change: "In the past we have been proud to support local activity such as School Strike for Climate and the No Planet B Club.

"We urge children to continue building connections with nature and the world around them, through programmes such as An Taisces Green Schools.

"Learning about wildlife and their local environment can help both with the concerns they might be feeling, but also remind them, and those around them, of this beautiful earth and country we are working to protect," he concluded.

In related GP news, Senator Vincent P. Martin recently introduced a Bill to the Seanad calling for the protection of the native Irish honey bee.
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.

If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter .

Support our mission and join our community now.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is today urging the public, especially parents and guardians to be extremely vigilant to the dangers of inadvertent consumption, particularly by children, of cannabis edibles, products such as jelly sweets containing the psychoactive cannabis component known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

There is growing availability in Ireland of food products, in particular jelly sweets that contain significant amounts of the illicit narcotic drug THC. The FSAI issues this warning in advance of the Halloween festivities next week where small children, teenagers and adults will be celebrating and where there is an increased risk of people, particularly children, unwittingly consuming these types of products that are intentionally packaged to resemble popular brands of jellies in order to avoid detection. This year to date, it has been reported that six children under the age of ten have been hospitalised having accidentally consumed THC-containing products which looked like normal jelly sweets.

Cannabis edibles are illegal food products containing THC and come in many forms, but primarily jelly sweets. THC is a controlled substance in Ireland with a zero tolerance under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977. Furthermore, in food, THC is considered a contaminant, with no permitted threshold in EU or Irish food law.

The FSAI states that the high concentrations (up to 50mg/jelly) of THC in these illicit edible sweets can pose serious health risks, particularly to teenagers and children of all ages whose neurological, physical and physiological development could be impacted negatively. Depending on the THC concentration, eating one of these jellies can mean ingesting a level of THC that is 5-10 times higher than that inhaled when smoking cannabis. The real concern is that children are not aware of the dangers and if they manage to gain access to a bag of these jellies, they will rarely eat just one and therefore, overdosing is a very likely outcome. Unlike the almost immediate effects from smoking cannabis, there is at least a thirty-minute time delay from consumption of cannabis edibles until the initial effects are felt. This poses a serious risk to those who have eaten these jellies who might mistakenly believe that they need to consume several jellies to feel an effect and then find they have overdosed when it is too late. Cannabis toxicity can cause cognitive and motor impairment and in the case of children this can be extreme, lasting up to 24 to 36 hours after consumption.

This call by the FSAI follows reports* of the first cases of paediatric cannabis poisoning in Ireland with six children, all under the age of ten, hospitalised after accidentally consuming these illegal jelly sweets. In addition, there have also been reports of teenagers falling seriously ill, and in some cases requiring hospitalisation after having seizures and becoming unconscious from overdosing on these cannabis edibles.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI says the accidental consumption of edible cannabis products by children is extremely worrying.

We know adults and/or teenagers are ordering these illegal products from online or other illegal sources for their own personal use. However, they often have no understanding of the real health dangers of these products and are careless or reckless in putting young childrens health at risk by allowing them access to these products. The prevalence of these edible products containing THC in communities and schools around the country is a growing cause for concern and parents and guardians should be extra vigilant during festivities such as Halloween where parties will be underway, and the risk of accidental consumption of these products is considerably higher.

We are working closely with other Government agencies including the Health Service Executives Environmental Health Service and the Public Analysts Laboratory, Dublin; An Garda Siochana; Revenues Customs Service; Forensic Science Ireland; the State Laboratory and; the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland to detect and stop the import of these illegal food products into Ireland. We welcome any information from the public in the national effort to curb the availability of these illegal products and to protect our children and young people. We can be contacted through our online complaint form at www.fsai.ie/makeitbetter, she added.
BALLYHAHILL sisters Maura and Siobhan Kearney who founded the Kearney's Home Baking company almost 30 years, have now joined an illustrious band: that of Bread Heroes.

They were runners up in Ireland in the recent Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food, just pipped for the top award by Joe Fitzmaurice of Cloughjordan.

The Kearney bread that won the runner-up accolade was their traditional bread and the judges praised the Kearney women for their continued championing of traditional Irish home-baking.

Among the Kearney specialities are soda bread, scones, tarts and tea bracks, all developed from recipes handed down the generations.

Hundreds of nominations were entered for the awards from the UK and Ireland, celebrating the work and enterprise of the people behind the loaves: from farmers and millers, to bakers and educators. A number of specialist awards were also included in this years competition.

One of the judges put it: It has been another strange year and it is so lovely to read the stories of the bread heroes who have carried on, diversified, given back and risen to the challenge (pun intended!). They are all an absolute credit to their communities.
GARDAI in County Clare have issued a public appeal for information on the whereabouts of a suspect whose most recent address is in Limerick.

Darren Harty is being sought by gardai in Ennis as part of an ongoing investigation.

Making an appeal on RTE's Crime Call, Garda Louise Harris said the 33-year-old, who is also known as Thomas Mullins, is known to travel back and forth between Ireland and the UK

"When in Ireland, he spends his time between Limerick and Nenagh and his last known address is Clondrinagh on the Ennis in Limerick," she stated.

Mr Harty, whose photograph was broadcast on Monday's programme, is described as being 5'10'' in height, of stocky build with brown hair.

Gardai have not disclosed publicly why he is being sought.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact their local garda station.
A POPULAR local band is appealing for the public's help in getting back a guitar with huge sentimental value.

Daragh Naughton, of the group Free Beer, said the musical instrument was taken from a car parked in the Summerville Avenue, South Circular Road area of Limerick city on Friday evening, October 15.

Daragh, one of the main organisers of a fundraiser for the late Padraic Kearney, said he and a bandmate had been playing at a funeral Mass that day. Padraic, who was in Free Beer, tragically passed away as he left Croke Park after Limerick's All-Ireland final win.

"Free Beers acoustic guitar was stolen from one of our band members' car that evening from outside his house. The sentimental value was huge, especially with everything that happened with Padraic. Whoever stole it will have no value on it but it meant the world to us," said Daragh.

The stolen guitar is a Furch with an LR Baggs pickup. It was in a black Hiscox case. If anybody knows anything about this guitar, Daragh asks them to contact Henry Street garda station on (061) 212400 or the Garda confidential line 1800 666111.

Sergeant Ber Leetch, crime prevention officer, said it was one of a number thefts of vehicles in the South Circular Road and Summerville Avenue areas.

"Gardai believe that a thief went from car to car trying the doors in the hope of finding some unlocked and he did. Two laptops and an iPhone were taken from three separate cars, which were left unlocked. In particular, a guitar was taken from one car that is of great sentimental value to the owner who is in a band.

"It is an acoustic guitar, faded maple colour in a black hard case with the owners name and phone number on the case. If anybody knows anything about this guitar could they contact any garda station," she said.
A NEW anti-litter comedy campaign has been launched in Limerick to deliver a serious message in a light-hearted way.

Launched by I Love Limerick and Richard Lynch, the six-part film series, 'Shannon Banks', stars Richard as titular character Shannon, a 57-year-old Limerick Tidy Towns volunteer with a sharp tongue and a great love for Limerick.

In each episode, Shannon Banks takes her audience to famous Limerick landmarks in an effort to keep them neat and tidy, including King John's Castle, the Treaty Stone and various Limerick monuments such as the Terry Wogan and Richard Harris statues.

Richard Lynch told I Love Limerick that the idea for the character Shannon Banks came from his own desire to keep the streets of Limerick clean.

"I just don't understand why people destroy their own city, where we live, eat, play, and work," said Richard. "I wanted to create an anti-litter campaign that delivers an important message, while also showcasing the best of Limerick and having a bit of fun."

Each sketch focuses on a different element of litter such as plastic, cigarettes, chewing gum or dog poop. Tidy Towns warrior Shannon shows no mercy when she comes across a litterer at one of her beloved city landmarks, lecturing and lamenting them on their bad habits.

"I hope people find the message of love at the heart of each episode. Even though Shannon Banks is a bossy person, she also has a heart of gold and really loves Limerick," tells Richard.

Directed by the talented Myles Breen and written by Richard Lynch and Tracey Aspel, the team aimed to create something smart but funny. The film crew included acclaimed young filmmaker Luke Culhane and makeup artist Jammy Makeup. Kris Luszczki shot beautiful drone footage of the city, showcasing Limerick's beauty and glory in each episode.

Co-writer Tracy Aspel plays Shannon's nemesis, Kerry Owen. Director and esteemed actor Myles Breen also stars, alongside upcoming actress Sarah Corbett Lynch. Mohamed Ferhat, a real-life Limerick Tidy Towns hero, portrays one of Shannon Banks' Tidy Towns allies.

"Writing the series took a couple of months by the time we figured out what we wanted the message to be and how we were going to deliver it," Richard reflects.

"From there, a lot of people were involved in the filming process. The series was complicated to shoot as it was all outdoors, with people regularly passing the set. It was a challenging shoot, but so worthwhile as we feel we really achieved our goal."

Richard was thrilled when Denis Allen, who co-wrote the Limerick anthem, 'Limerick You're a Lady', allowed the track to feature as the 'Shannon Banks' theme song in each episode's opening titles.

"This song will always hold a special place in my heart and without a doubt is one of Limerick's most famous and beloved songs," Richard acknowledges.

While it is a comedy series, 'Shannon Banks' also has an important message that should ultimately be remembered - 'Love Limerick, Don't Litter'.

"We want those who watch the series to feel pride in their hometown. Shannon's tagline at the end of each episode is 'Let's Keep Limerick a Lady', and that message is at the heart of what we hope to achieve. We want people to see that littering is not cool, it's trashy. Let's not trash Limerick's future," declares Richard.

Richard, the 'Shannon Banks' crew and I Love Limerick would like to dedicate the comedy series to Helen O'Donnell, Limerick Tidy Towns Chairperson, Limerick litter hero Mohamed Ferhat and all volunteers who work tirelessly to make Limerick a brighter, cleaner and more beautiful place to live for all.

Episodes of 'Shannon Banks' will be released on I Love Limerick's YouTube, Facebook and Instagram TV weekly from Monday, October 25 for six weeks.

For more info visit ILoveLimerick.com.
A young mother of four, who is facing homelessness by the end of this week, has gone public with her plea for a house.

Toni Powell and her partner, along with their 4 young children will be homeless on Friday with no knowledge of where they will sleep that night.

The young family has applied to over 70 properties to rent after being given notice to leave their current rental property due to the landlord selling the house.

Speaking with Liveline yesterday, Toni said: "I really don't know where else we need to turn to try and find somewhere for us to have a home."

Toni and her partner have applied for properties to rent in Wexford, Waterford, and Kilkenny, and nothing has been available for the young family.

Wexford County Council will supply emergency accommodation for Toni and her children, but she has not been told where.

Toni said: "When we leave the property on Friday, we must ring a number and they will find us accommodation. We have no idea where."

As a result of the situation, her seven-year-old daughter has gotten bad anxiety. For her eighth birthday, she wants a house. She wrote a Christmas List asking Santa to get her a forever home for Christmas.

"My kids as of Friday will be living out of backpacks. They have their favourite teddies packed, but there is a lot of stuff they cannot bring as we do not know where we will end up." she added.

Most of the properties she viewed were taken before she had a chance to make an offer.

"I'm not sure if this is legal or not but for a few of them, once we mention we have 4 kids under 7, we are told it is not suitable." added Toni.

The family are looking for properties located in Wexford, Waterford, and Kilkenny, and are hoping to secure a rental property.

Toni's story is similar to many families across Ireland who are facing homelessness in the current housing crisis.

Assistant Professor of Social Policy in Maynooth, Rory Aherne said: "This is a powerful indication of how desperate and devastating the Housing Crisis is, it is out of control."
THE University of Limerick is being urged to engage with elected members of Limerick City and County regarding its plans to deal with the student accommodation crisis and to reduce the use of private cars within its staff and student population.

At their monthly meeting, members of the Metropolitan District passed a number of different motions requesting that UL be asked to send representatives to upcoming meetings of three different Strategic Policy Committees - the Travel and Transportation SPC; the Economic Development, Enterprise and Planning SPC and the Home and Social Development SPC.

Cllr Sean Hartigan, who is seeking a report into UL's plans to reduce car use has also asked for details of actions currently being taken by UL to "provide parking for existing staff and student cars to prevent overflow to the surrounding neighbourhood", including private homes and businesses.

A motion, proposed by Cllr Elena Secas, calls for UL to report on its plans to "alleviate the current student accommodation crisis given the plans to further increase numbers year-on-year".

All three motions were passed without a vote and formal invitations will now be sent.

Following the meeting, a spokesperson for UL, told the Limerick Leader it is "happy to engage" with various stakeholders to address any issues of concern.

"Demand for student accommodation is at its highest in recent memory, which has been exacerbated by a national housing shortage, a pattern of private landlords leaving the student rental market and a drop in digs and homestay type accommodation as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic," said the spokesperson who added that UL provides the largest percentage of on campus accommodation per student population in Ireland.

UL says it continues to work together with government and its partners in Limerick and the wider sector nationally to develop more long-term plans for student accommodation in Limerick.

Regarding the use of private cars by staff and students, the spokesperson said: "The University of Limerick is a smarter travel campus: with the support of Limerick Smarter Travel, the University is committed to the promotion of sustainable modes of travel."

It's unclear if UL will send representatives to all three SPC meetings or if a special meeting will be arranged.
GOSHH is a charity which provides a safe, confidential, welcoming environment for everyone we work with.

Our office is based in Limerick City and we work throughout the Counties of Limerick, Clare, and North Tipperary.

We focus on the promotion of equality and wellbeing of all with a positive and respectful approach to sexual orientation and gender diversity.

Formed in 1989, Limerick AIDS Alliance operated until 1994 when the name changed to Red Ribbon Project reflecting the breadth of sexual health services provided throughout the Mid-West of Ireland.

Gay Switchboard Limerick was founded in 1986 and became Rainbow Support Services in 2001 reflecting the wide variety of identities supported throughout the Mid-West of Ireland. Both projects joined together in 2013 and became GOSHH in 2014.

Within the areas of Gender, Orientation, Sexual Health, HIV, we actively challenge inequality and stigma on a daily basis. We believe everybody has the right to be safe and free from discrimination and violence. GOSHH is committed to health promotion and community development.

Services on offer include: one to one support, counselling, free condoms, training and education programmes, support groups, free rapid HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis C testing and a confidential telephone helpline.

To find out more about our services visit our website  www.goshh.ie, email info@goshh.ie or call 061 314354

*Sponsored Content
Asserting that peace and tranquillity in the border areas is a "sine qua non" for India and China to work together, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday said New Delhi hopes that Beijing will work with it to bring a satisfactory resolution to the current issues, keeping in view each other's sensitivities and interests.

In his remarks at a seminar on "Leveraging China's Economy", Shringla also said the developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh have "seriously disturbed" the peace and tranquillity in border areas, and this has obviously had an impact on the broader relationship too.

The foreign secretary also referred to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's remarks that the ability of India and China to work together will determine the Asian century.

"For this to materialise, peace and tranquillity in the border areas is a sine qua non. He (Jaishankar) has also clearly articulated that development of our ties can only be based on mutuality -- mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests should guide this process," Shringla said.

"We hope that the Chinese side will work with us to bring a satisfactory resolution to the current issues so as to make progress on our bilateral relations keeping in view each other's sensitivities, aspirations and interests," the foreign secretary said.

The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area in August and in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February.

Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector, according to sources.

In his remarks, Shringla also talked about the issues of concerns in the Sino-India trade relationship such as the widening trade deficit and increase in trade barriers.

"China is our largest neighbour. With its GDP reaching USD 14.7 trillion in 2020, China's economy is the second-largest in the world. Under the shadow of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, China is the only major economy to have registered positive growth in 2020," he said.

Being the largest contributor to world trade and our largest trading partner, it is imperative for us to have a better understanding of Chinas economy, Shringla said.

He noted that India's relations generally followed a positive trajectory since 1988 when the two country's re-established contacts at the highest level.

"We were engaged in developing a broad-based bilateral relationship. The advancement of ties in this period was clearly predicated on ensuring that peace and tranquillity were not disturbed. The areas of cooperation were not limited to bilateral but also had regional and global dimensions," he said.

It was also recognised that relations between India and China were in the interest of not only our two countries but also in the interest of peace, stability and security in the region and world at large, Shringla said at the seminar organised by the Centre for Contemporary China Studies.

Noting that last year, the total trade volume between the two countries was around USD 88 billion, Shringla said in the first nine months of this year, the bilateral trade touched USD 90 billion, an increase of 49 per cent over last year.

"At this rate, we are likely to attain the highest ever bilateral trade between two countries," he said.

The trade, however, remains unbalanced with a large trade balance in favour of China, Shringla said.

"Our trade deficit concerns are two-fold  the first is the actual size of the deficit. The trade deficit for the nine months period stood at USD 47 billion. This is the largest trade deficit we have with any country. Second, is the fact that the imbalance has continuously been widening," the foreign secretary said.

There are a number of market access impediments including a whole host of non-tariff barriers, for most of our agricultural products and the sectors we are competitive in, such as pharmaceutical, IT/ITES, etc., he said.

"We have highlighted that widening deficit and increase in trade barriers are issues of concern. These have been regularly flagged at the highest level, most recently at the 2nd Informal Summit between our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and the Chinese President in Chennai in 2019," Shringla said.

He also said the government remains firm in its commitment to place this trade relationship on a more sustainable footing and raising these issues at all appropriate occasions with the Chinese side.

Developments since then, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have not been helpful in our efforts to address these concerns, Shringla said.

"Furthermore, the developments along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh have seriously disturbed the peace and tranquillity in border areas. This has obviously had an impact on the broader relationship too," he said.

"Even as we continue to pursue these issues with China, we also need to do work at home. That is why, Atmanirbhar Bharat -- an India with greater capabilities not just helping itself but being a force for good in the international arena, becomes important," Shringla said.

He asserted that the digital economy is now an integral part of Indias development story

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Bombay High Court on Thursday asked Zee Entertainment Enterprises to call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of shareholders as asked by top investor Invesco for removing the company's Chief Executive and Managing Director Punit Goenka as well as two other directors of ZEEL.

EGM resolution to be kept in abeyance till court decides on the legality and validity of EGM requisition," the court added, headed by a single judge bench of Justice GS.

EGM resolution to be subject to Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) approval, it said.

Any resolution passed at the extraordinary general meeting will be put on hold until the Bombay High Court decides on the legality of Invesco's request for such a meeting.

Invesco, which owns nearly 18% of Zee via two funds, is pushing for a management and board revamp at the TV network.

WHAT ARE INVESCO'S DEMANDS?

Invesco's legal filings reviewed by Reuters - which are not public - show it wants changes at Zee in light of corporate governance and financial irregularities that have plagued the company, and have even been flagged by India's market regulator.

Invesco's Developing Markets Fund and its OFI Global China Fund LLC own a near 18% stake in Zee. They have suggested six new independent board members to be appointed and remove Zee's current CEO, Punit Goenka.

Invesco asked Zee on Sept. 11 to call an "extraordinary general meeting" of shareholders to consider its demands.

Recently, Invesco released an open letter reinstating the urgent need for strengthened independence on the board given "governance and leadership failures."

In the letter, Invesco clearly stated, We are disappointed that the leadership of Zee has resorted to a reckless public relations campaign in response to the overwhelming demand from shareholders for leadership changes at Zee."

However, Zee in its fiery response to Invesco's open letter, said the shareholder's actions of the past few weeks including open letters against the company and their general lack of transparency, is more than reasoned enough to believe it is motivated by concerns entirely extraneous to any corporate governance issue.

Responding to Invesco's demand on the need to evaluate deal with Sony, Zee said that all shareholders, including Invesco will get the opportunity to evaluate and consider the deal with Sony.

HOW DOES ZEE VIEW INVESCO'S DEMANDS?

Zee on Oct. 1 rejected Invesco's request to revamp the board, saying that the move had legal infirmities.

Invesco then took the battle to India's companies tribunal, where it is trying to force Zee to call the meeting, saying Zee's behaviour is "oppressive". Zee has two weeks to respond, as per a tribunal order on Friday.

The Indian TV giant says that it has implemented corrective plans to address concerns raised by the market regulator and that it follows "highest standards of governance".

It remains unclear which way the shareholders will vote if a meeting is called, but Zee's founder Subhash Chandra, father of CEO Goenka, has accused Invesco of plotting a hostile takeover.

"They want to take over the company against Indian laws," Chandra has said. Invesco hasn't commented on the allegation.

IS THE ZEE-SONY DEAL AT RISK?

While Invesco was pushing for a Zee shareholder meeting, the Indian giant announced its merger talks with Sony. The deal terms say Goenka plans to continue to be the CEO of the merged entity, which will be majority owned by Sony.

Invesco has in Indian tribunal hearings said it's not against the Zee-Sony plan, but its filing does criticize how the two entered into talks.

The Sony deal would allow Chandra's family to raise their shareholding to up to 20%, from 4% now, Invesco said, adding that it was "plainly an attempt to distract the general public" and stall the convening of a shareholder meet.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
A third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE was found in a large study to be highly protective against symptomatic Covid-19, the companies said Thursday.

Researchers found 109 cases of symptomatic Covid-19 among study subjects who received a placebo shot, compared with five cases in people who took the vaccine, resulting in 95.6% efficacy, the companies said.

The additional dose was safe and tolerable, and consistent with what was known about the vaccine, the companies said.

The study was carried out while the highly contagious Delta variant was prevalent, the companies said, suggesting the booster helps protect against the contagious strain.

These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease," said Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chief Executive Officer.

The results were the first from a study testing whether an additional dose of a Covid-19 vaccine provides protection in people. Up until now, companies have reported a booster increased antibody levels but not tied the immune response specifically to whether that meant increased protection.

Based on the antibody data, U.S. health authorities in September authorized a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for adults 65 years and older and others at high risk.

The data could help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as it weighs whether to broaden Pfizers booster use beyond the seniors and high-risk people permitted under current authorization.

The companies said they planned to submit the data to health authorities in the U.S. and other countries.

The companies reported the findings in a press release and provided few medical details. The results havent been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Based on these findings we believe that, in addition to broad global access to vaccines for everyone, booster vaccinations could play an important role in sustaining pandemic containment and a return to normalcy," said BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin.

In the study, the companies enrolled more than 10,000 people who were 16 years and older and had received the two-dose shot. Pfizer and BioNTech enrolled subjects in the U.S., Brazil and South Africa who had been part of the late-stage study that led to the vaccines original authorization. Half of the subjects got a booster dose, and the rest took a placebo.

On average, the people received a booster dose 11 months after their second dose.

The protection from the vaccine was consistent across age, sex, race, ethnicity and comorbidities, the companies said, although they didnt provide any details.

About half of the subjects were between 16 and 55 years, while nearly one-quarter of the subjects were 65 years and older.

The companies had announced that a third dose generated a stronger immune system against the original Covid-19 strain compared with the original two-dose course.

As part of its application for booster authorization in September, Pfizer and BioNTech had provided health regulators antibody data of the vaccine against the Delta variant in a small number of subjects.

Booster doses for vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Inc. were cleared by the FDA this week, as well as mixing and matching vaccines and the extra doses.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Click here to read the full article.

Dave Chappelle is planning a 10-city U.S. tour of his controversial Netflix special The Closer in the unlikely event that the streamer pulls the show, according to fans who attended a sold-out London gig on Wednesday evening.

According to multiple attendees, Chappelle indicated that he would visit 10 cities across the U.S. to screen the show. Chappelles rep did not immediately respond to Varietys request for comment.

Controversy around The Closer has snowballed since its release on Oct. 5, with Netflix employees and artists accusing Chappelle of transphobia and homophobia regarding comments and jokes made during the special.

However, at the exact same moment that a group of Netflix employees staged a protest in Los Angeles on Wednesday over the streamers decision to stand by Chappelles special, across the pond, thousands of fans and supporters streamed into Londons Eventim Apollo theater to see the man himself.

On the sixth and penultimate night of his weeklong U.K. tour, the 3,500-capacity venue was completely sold out, with most attendees paying $100 to $300 per ticket.

As the audience streamed out after show, most refused to talk to Variety, either out of a sense of loyalty to the beleaguered comedian or perhaps distrust of the media, particularly as entry to the show had required all cell phones, cameras and recording devices to be locked away in magnetic pouches, preventing any content from being shared online.

Despite the pouring rain, however, many were prepared to stop for selfies in front of the marquee, which was lit up with Chappelles name. Some, who initially seemed willing to speak to Variety, developed a sudden case of amnesia when asked whether Chappelle had discussed the Netflix protest during the 60-minute set. I cant remember, Im pissed as a fart, claimed one.

The few who did speak to Variety said Chappelle did mention the Netflix controversy during his set, indicating the protest in L.A. wasnt favorable. He just wants us all to get along, said one attendee. Another said Chappelle appeared baffled by the accusations.

Unsurprisingly, those attending were almost unanimously supportive of Chappelle, defending his right to express himself, particularly as both a comedian and a Black man.

I think everyones entitled to their own opinion on certain subjects. I feel like as a comedian, its your job to make people laugh and I dont think hes doing it from a malicious place, said Michael, a 29-year-old who described himself as mixed race. Hes probably experienced a lot of racism and a lot of trials and tribulations himself.

[The Closer] is up to date with current affairs, he speaks his mind, for me hes one of the best comedians ever, said 32-year-old Mel. I agree with him. I mean, speak your opinion. When it comes to comedy, its free speech. Its comedy, but you get to voice your opinion. Hes obviously got one of the biggest platforms out there so hes entitled to it. If you dont like it, you dont have to listen to it.

Not everyone in the crowd was enthusiastic about Chappelles comments, however. Anthony, a 26-year-old healthcare worker, paid $150 for his tickets three months ago; he wasnt impressed with The Closer. I actually thought for Dave Chappelle it was quite bad, said Anthony. I think it was controversial, but it wasnt that good. Hes very funny, but he needs to move on from these jokes, its not that funny anymore.

He knows its going to be controversial, Anthony added. He knows hes going to get a reaction. And its publicity for him. Any press is good press. But I dont really think he should be going for that. Hes too clever for that. He can do more than that.

Members of the LGBT community were also present at the show on Wednesday evening. Well, were gay, were lesbians, said one Black woman, gesturing to her partner (both women declined to be named). Were a couple and we think its fine. We dont think hes being rude or hurting anyone or being disrespectful. I dont think that hes homophobic or anything like that.

I think he was just asking for a dialogue, to be open, and thats what I got from it, said another attendee, who said his name was Nemi. And thats why I was a little bit confused about the outrage because he didnt say, Death to trans people, or Trans people dont exist. It was more, These are my experiences and Id like to talk more about it, so thats what I thought.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu of Canada was named early Thursday as the winner of the 40,000-euro ($45,000) first prize in the 18th Frederic Chopin international piano competition, a prestigious event that launches pianists world careers.

The announcement from the jury came just hours after Liu played as the last entrant among the 12 finalists, performing Chopin's concerto in E minor, opus 11 with the orchestra at the packed National Philharmonic in Warsaw. His inspired performance was met with huge applause.

Oh my god. I dont know what to say, honestly, Liu said after being name winner.

We have been dreaming with all these people here for this prestigious stage, the 24-year-old born in Paris said in English.

Being able to play Chopin in Warsaw is one of the best things you can imagine, of course, so Im truly honored for this award, of course, and for this jurys trust and for all the warmth I have received in recent days, Liu said.

The second prize and 30,000 euros ($35,000) went jointly to Alexander Gadjiev, representing Italy and Slovenia, and Kyohei Sorita of Japan. Gadjiev also won Krystian Zimerman's prize of 10,000 euros ($11,800) for the best sonata performance.

The third prize of 20,000 euros ($23,000) was awarded to Martin Garcia Garcia of Spain, who also won the 5,000 euros ($5,800) prize for best concerto performance.

The fourth prize and 15,000 euros ($17,000) was shared by Aimi Kobayashi of Japan and Poland's Jakub Kuszlik, who also won best mazurka performance prize and 5,000 euros. Italy's Leonora Armellini was awarded the fifth prize of 10,000 euros ($11,600), while the sixth prize and 7,000 euros ($8,000) went to Canadas J.J. Jun Li Bui.

The first prize was funded by the office of Poland's president, and other prizes were funded by the government, state culture institutions and by private individuals.

High ranking in the renowned competition opens the worlds top concert halls to the pianists and paves the way to recordings with best known record companies.

Jury head Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron said after the announcement that the level of the pianists was very high and made the award decisions very hard for the 17 jurors. She called the participants wonderful young people.

During the competition, she had said that apart from being excellent pianists, the participants should also show sensitivity and bring freshness to the music.

I try to look for a rapport between the performer and Chopin, Popowa-Zydron said in an interview. Music is a message from a person, and (the musicians) should know what kind of person Chopin was.

Bowing to their artistry, the jury allowed two more finalists this year than usual. The competition, held every five years, was postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic.

Among previous winners are Maurizio Pollini of Italy, Argentinas Martha Argerich, Garrick Ohlsson from the United States, Polands Krystian Zimerman and Artur Blechacz, and Seong-Jin Cho of South Korea.

Chopin, Polands best known and beloved classical music composer and pianist, was born in 1810 in Zelazowa Wola near Warsaw to a Polish mother and a French father. He left Poland at 19 to broaden his musical education in Vienna and then in Paris, where he settled, composing, giving concerts and teaching the piano. He died on Oct. 17, 1849, in Paris and is buried at the Pere Lachaise cemetery. His heart is at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw.
Click here to read the full article.

A Dead Man Cannot Live begins with Tano, played by the lanky, weathered, deep-voiced Antonio Dechent, one of the finest actors of his around-60 Spanish generation, sitting at a bar rail, and thinking back on better times.

Even the Costa de Sol narco business is going to ruin. Tanos boss, Manuel, is senile, his son and heir, the inappropriately named Angel, totally out of control. When younger mobsters steal Tanos latest drug shipment from Morocco, Tano is given a week to retrieve it by the Russians mafia or die.

In the 2000s, Spains dominated Europes horror genre. Shoot-em-ups, like A Dead Man, form part of a building wave of crafted Spanish action thrillers. Few are as bloody and violent as A Dead Man which becomes a critique of the tragic consequences of the very brutality it portrays.

Sold by Filmax, the feature debut of Ezekiel Montes played Spains Malaga Fest competition this August and now the Spanish Screenings-Malaga de Cine. Variety chatted to Montes during the Spanish cinema showcase.

A Dead Man Cannot Live has scenes of great violence but these build into a film which presents, ultimately, a case for the tragedy of violence. Could you comment?

It was necessary to approach that universe with respect, I have always wanted to approach the reality of the world of drug trafficking and among all that darkness, find a little light, some codes, some values, which today are disappearing in our society. Violence was necessary to show that the actions of these characters have consequences, it was necessary to be able to understand the universe where the protagonist is living is very dangerous and to verify that despite that, our protagonist remains faithful to his codes, his friends and his word.

The film is also about the passing of an age, a kind of autumnal shoot em up. Again, could you comment?

Loyalty is dead, the characters in the film are the last generation that lives with that code of honor and little by little, they are dying with their values. After the construction crisis in Spain, I wanted to show how those entrepreneurs live who in the past made a lot of money and are now old and all they want is to retire in peace. Despite the life theyve had, we can sense the human side to these characters. Its very interesting to approach them at that moment in their lives, when they are fading away and that prompts conflicts with a younger generation, who do not respect anything, have no type of [ethical] codes.

The film has a superb cast, led by Dechent, so often a standout supporting actor, so rarely a lead. Was he always your idea for Tano?

The film was always written for Dechent and the Andalusian actress Elena Martinez, they were the first two actors to be in the project. Antonio Dechent has made a masterful film, with great emotional and physical work. He led the entire cast and has been an incredible partner throughout the process, for me its a dream come true to make this film with him.The work of Elena Martinez, Paco Tous, Jesus Castro, Ruben Ochandiano and all the non-pro actors has been spectacular. I feel fortunate.

A Dead Man Cannot Live also features real life figures in Malaga, such as the imposing Jesus Rodriguez, who plays, bar the violence, a version of himself as head of La Casa de la Buena Vida. Though an action-thriller theres a large social grounding to the film.

I was born in these neighborhoods, with these people. When I started the casting of the film, I knew that we had to work with people from the neighborhood, to give truth to the story and show another point of view of their lives, tell the good part, that part of light, that society often prejudges. On set, we created a family, all of us working together to move the film forward and we all knew we were creating something special.

What were your main guidelines when directing .A Dead Man Cannot Live?

Tell the truth, as it is, without hiding myself and being faithful to the viewer, being faithful to those characters, being faithful to what happened at that time.

The film is the characters, if I was faithful to the script and what the characters felt, I knew I was on the right track, I did that throughout the shoot, although sometimes the story led us to very dark places. But I put everything into my focus on getting to tell what we had in the script. I feel very fortunate to have been able to make this film and that all the actors trusted me to tell this story. Thanks to them, we have kept the tone of the film.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.

Roku wants its customers to know: The streaming platform company is still battling Google over what it alleges are the internet giants anticompetitive demands for carrying YouTube.

According to Google, with the stalemate in deal talks, the distribution of YouTube on all new Roku devices is set to end on Dec. 9.

Back in April, Rokus deal to distribute YouTube TV expired and Roku removed the app from its channel store. That came after the two sides failed to reach a renewal, over what Roku said was Googles insistence on specific YouTube search and data-sharing requirements  which Google does not ask of Rokus rivals. (Roku continues to provide access to YouTube TV for subscribers who already had installed the channel.) YouTube responded by launching a feature that will let users access to YouTube TV from within the YouTube app, starting on Roku devices.

Six months later, according to Roku, Google is still refusing to budge and is still engaged in illegal monopolistic conduct.

In a blog post Thursday, Roku said it continues to pursue a deal with Google to continue to offer YouTube TV but that the threat remains that Google may remove YouTube TV from the Roku platform.

Importantly, our concerns with Google are not about money, Roku said in the post. We have not asked for a single change in the financial terms of our existing agreement. In fact, Roku does not earn a single dollar from YouTubes ad supported video sharing service today, whereas Google makes hundreds of millions of dollars from the YouTube app on Roku.

According to Roku, there are two main issues that remain sticking points under its 2019 agreement with Google for YouTube distribution. First, Google continues to interfere with Rokus independent search results, requiring that we preference YouTube over other content providers. Second, Google discriminates against Roku by demanding search, voice and data features that they do not insist on from other streaming platforms. Under their current deal, for example, Google mandates that YouTube have a dedicated search-results row and blocks Roku from surfacing non-YouTube content in YouTube search results.

In a statement to Variety, a Google rep said, Since our negotiations with Roku earlier this year, weve continued to work with them to find a resolution that benefits our mutual users. Roku has once again chosen to make unproductive and baseless claims rather than try to work constructively with us. Since we havent been able to continue our conversations in good faith, our partnership for all new Roku devices will unfortunately end on December 9. We are, however, giving Roku the ability to continue distributing both YouTube and YouTube TV apps to all existing users to make sure they are not impacted.

Rokus blog post was addressed to our customers but it also appears aimed at lawmakers and regulators who are looking to rein in the power of Google and other large tech companies. The difficulty that Roku faces in trying to negotiate with a company as massive as Google is the same as numerous other independent companies, according to Roku. In addition, Roku noted that Google is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and more than 30 state attorneys general for potential violations of competition laws; in fact, Google has been the target of several antitrust lawsuits brought by the DOJ and state AGs.

In the blog post, Roku outlined what it said are its principles for mutually beneficial content partnerships:

An unrivaled streaming experience for customers

Access to an enormous selection of free or affordable choices

Transparency about the collection and use of consumer data

Mutually beneficial financial terms that enable continued growth and innovation

We continue to believe that streamers stand to benefit from Google and Roku reaching a fair agreement and we remain committed to trying to achieve that goal, Roku said in the post. For Roku, this is about maintaining our independence, protecting our customers, and ensuring healthy competition in the streaming industry that benefits millions of consumers.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
BEIJING (AP)  Chinas leading financial magazine has been dropped from an official list of outlets websites can republish, reducing the exposure of a rare independent voice as the authorities tightens control over the media.

Caixin Media is privately funded, unlike most state-run news organizations. The Cyberspace Administration of China dropped it from a list of more than 1,300 news outlets and government agencies whose content can be republished.

Internet platforms are barred from publishing content from non-approved sources. Caixin was on the previous list, published in 2016.

Another independent Chinese newspaper, The Economic Observer, was also dropped from this year's list.

The Cyberspace Administration said in a notice that outlets omitted from the list published this week no longer meet requirements, have poor daily performance and lack influence. The aim was to maintain the seriousness and credibility of the list, it said.

Caixin's exclusion means readers in China will have to visit its website or app directly to read its news stories, instead of reading them on popular news aggregator websites.

The company did not comment when contacted by phone and email.

Earlier this month, draft regulations issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, Chinas top planning body, said that private investments into news gathering and distributing operations would be banned.

The draft rules come as Chinas Communist Party tightens its grip around private businesses and deals a further blow to freedom of expression.

Caixin is known for being bolder than most media, pushing limits imposed to ensure that news agencies and social media platforms censor politically sensitive or inappropriate topics. The outlet is known for its investigative reporting on corruption and other issues.

Founded by prominent editor Hu Shuli, the company has a think tank, a data company, investable indices, and research firms.

The Economic Observer also has been critical of the government at times. In 2011, it ignored a government censorship directive and published an in-depth feature about a high-speed train collision that killed dozens.

The Chinese news landscape is tightly controlled by the government, which blocks online access to many Western news organizations such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the BBC. State media, such as the China Daily, Peoples Daily and Global Times, tend to publish stories in line with government messaging.

It's not the first time Caixin has run afoul of authorities.

In 2016, China's cyber watchdog suspended Caixin's credentials for two months, prohibiting online sites from syndicating its content and accusing Caixin of putting out problematic news reports.

That followed Caixin's coverage of opposition by a group of lawyers to new regulations set out by China's Ministry of Justice.
NEW YORK (AP)  On a summer day in the Hamptons last year, Katie Couric and her husband, John Molner, went out for a walk and saw a familiar white jeep drive by with Matt Lauer at the wheel.

No waves, no hellos. Couric writes in her new memoir, Going There, that she realized then that the television partners would never speak again.

Once the king and queen of morning television, Matt and Katie were regular guests in the homes of millions of Americans, delivering the news with friendly banter. Yet as the drive-by suggests, much can change in 20 years. Couric today is less visible after a series of jobs that didn't quite work out, while Lauer was fired from the Today show in 2017 after stories about sexual misconduct emerged.

Couric's book, which is out Oct. 26, recounts in raw terms her difficulty processing what she learned about the man she worked beside on most weekday mornings from 1997 to 2006.

I know Matt thinks I betrayed him, and that makes me sad, Couric writes. But he betrayed me, too, by how he behaved behind closed doors at the show we both cared about so much.

Even to Couric, the news came as a shock. They didn't socialize much outside the studio. One exception was a dinner two weeks before he was fired, where they kicked around ideas for a future project. She writes that I felt closer to Matt that night than I had in all my years sitting next to him at the anchor desk.

In the book, Couric prints text messages that chronicle the disintegration of their relationship, from when she reached out following his firing to his unsuccessful effort to connect at 4 a.m. one day that week. A turning point came when she heard about his alleged treatment of a young woman that she had brought to NBC. "It nauseated me, she writes.

So many of us were blindsided, never imagining that a dashing, witty, beloved TV star had such a dark side, she writes. I've come to realize that Matt could be an excellent professional partner, a good friend, and a predator.

Lauer has said that he never assaulted anyone or forced anyone to have sex.

As an author, Couric goes there with plenty of sharp stories about those she's encountered along the way. There's the CNN executive who commented on her breasts, awkward encounters as a young reporter with Larry King and Neil Simon and CBS News executives she feels wronged her.

One of her closest professional partners, former Today executive producer and current CNN chief Jeff Zucker, doesn't escape unscathed. They worked together again on Couric's short-lived daytime talk show from 2012 to 2014, where she suspected he was biding his time for something better. She writes that Zucker asked her for a recommendation for the CNN position, saying there would be a job for her there if he got it.

After CNN hired him, I never did hear from him about that job, she says.

Couric's biggest professional move was leaving Today for CBS News in 2006, to take over as anchor of the CBS Evening News and report for 60 Minutes. It proved disastrous.

When someone said the stains on the carpet at NBC were coffee while the stains at CBS were blood, instead of chuckling, maybe I should have listened ... I was so hell-bent on taking a stand for women, I didn't consider the woman who would be at the center of the storm  me, she writes.

While Couric has harsh words for others, she's also unsparing in writing about her own mistakes, from an interview she'd like to have back with Elizabeth Edwards, the late wife of former Sen. John Edwards, to an unnecessary remodel of her CBS News office that earned her enemies. She's received pre-publication publicity for writing about her regrets in withholding a potentially damaging quote given to her by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and her reluctance, in a competitive business, to help other women.

Mentorship sometimes felt like self-sabotage, she writes.

Couric also tells of an embarrassing night downing shots at a disco where she got so sick she ended up in the hospital. She almost kept it a secret, until a contestant on Jeopardy! told Alex Trebek that I once did a flaming Statue of Liberty at a bar with Katie Couric!

The heart of her book, including some of the most painful self-evaluations, comes in detailing the death of her husband, lawyer Jay Monahan, of colon cancer at age 42 in 1998.

She clearly has regrets, and writes frankly about wishing they had gone to couple's therapy for help navigating through changes in their relationship brought on by her sudden fame at Today.

In taking control of his fight against cancer, Couric said she kept from him some of the grimmest news about his prospects.

Why was I so afraid to talk to Jay about the inevitable? she writes. Why weren't we straight with each other and admit that this was not solvable, not fixable, and that our storybook life together would end after just a few chapters? I remember thinking I did not want to destroy the time Jay had left by admitting defeat, leaving him with little choice but to wait for death to take him. I think I was a coward.

His fight led her into cancer activism, including a colon cancer screening she did on Today. She says she hopes the first line of her obituary identifies her as a tireless advocate for cancer awareness and research.

Couric raised their daughters, who watched their mom cycle through a series of ill-fated relationships in the public eye. She recalled being contacted for reaction from the New York Post when one beau moved out of her apartment.

Now 64, she's settled down with Molner, with whom she runs a media company.

It took me 16 long years and so many false starts, she writes, a reference to their 2014 wedding. After all this time and all my searching, it felt like I had made my way home.
Laredo Independent School District will be hosting Specialty Schools Open House for eighth grade students and their parents on Saturday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is aimed at recruiting students who may be interested in attending any of LISDs early college academies/high schools, magnet campus, and specialty schools for the 2022-2023 school year.

The five early college high schools and magnet schools include the Business, Industry, and Public Services Early College Academy at Nixon High School, Sabas Perez STEM Early College Academy at Cigarroa High School, Dr. Dennis D. Cantu Health Science Early College High School at Martin High School, Hector J. Garcia Early College High School located at Texas A&M International University, Pathways to Technology Early College High School at Dr. Leo G. Cigarroa High School, and the Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts Magnet School.

Parent and students will have a chance to visit the six specialty schools. Students, counselors, and administrators from the specialty schools will be on hand to share their experiences and to answer any questions concerning the admissions and application process with prospective incoming freshman.

Also, all LISD eighth grade students will participate in Google Class Virtual Presentations from Monday, Oct. 18, to Wednesday, Oct. 27, in their homeroom and CTE classes. The five specialty schools will showcase their pathways and programs. The virtual presentations consist of a 10-minute video and a 30-minute virtual booth where the students can log on and ask questions to the specialty school representatives.

LISD wants to provide students every opportunity to gain the skills needed for todays workforce and to pursue a higher education in the field of their choice, said Cindy Dominguez, LISD College, Career and Military Readiness Coordinator. The recruitment events will give our middle school students and their parents the opportunity to consider their academic futures.

The Business, Industry, and Public Services Early College Academy located at Nixon High School offers students the opportunity to earn up to 60 college hours and/or an associates degree with a concentration in Law Enforcement, Education, Cosmetology, Welding, Accounting, Distribution and Logistics, and Auto Collision Repair from Laredo College.

Students looking for a career in Science and Math field can attend the Sabas Perez STEM Early College Academy at Dr. Leo G. Cigarroa High School. The STEM Academy allows students to prepare for careers in the field of engineering design, robotics, mobile application design, animation, game design, cybersecurity and computer science. Students gain practical experience in engineering practices and design using 3-D printers to create working models of their designs. Students will earn their high school diplomas while earning up to 60 college hours and/or an associates degree from Laredo College.

For those students wanting a career in the medical field, the Dr. Dennis D. Cantu Health Science Early College High School at Martin High School provides an opportunity to explore careers and gain hands-on experience in nursing, the emergency medical technician field, and nursing assistance. Students graduate with up to 60 hours of college credit and an associates degree from Laredo College and certification programs allowing them to work either full-time or part-time while they are pursuing advanced degrees and certifications in the medical field.

The Hector J. Garcia Early College High School allows students to finish high school and their first two years of college simultaneously while accumulating college hours at Texas A&M International University. Many GECHS graduates finish high school with more than 60 hours of university credit. Students choose a college major and begin taking required coursework toward completing their degree while fulfilling high school graduation requirements with tuition and books provided by LISD. The GECHS was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2017. U.S. News and World Report also rank it among the nations top high schools.

The Dr. Leo G. Cigarroa Pathway-to-Technology Early College High School prepares students for the workforce with a hands-on approach in Heating/Ventilation/Air-Conditioning (HVAC), Plumbing, Welding, Electrical, and Architecture with an emphasis on Auto Cad. Students have an opportunity to acquire an associates degree with up to 60 college hours or technical industry certificate from Laredo College, which will prepare them for the construction industry of the 21st century.

Students interested in the Arts can apply to the Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts. VMT provides students an opportunity for comprehensive course study in communications and fine arts with an emphasis on creative development and artistic performance in communications, dance, music, theater arts, and visual arts. The school also provides a rigorous academic instructional program that complements and supports all visual and performing arts. Students can earn up to 21 college hours from Laredo College. The Texas Cultural Trust named the Trevino Magnet School as the recipient of the Texas Medal of Arts in 2018.

LISD provides transportation for students to all Specialty Schools. Applications open on Oct. 18, and must be completed online and returned before Wednesday, December 1, 2021.

For more information, please contact Cindy Dominquez, LISD College, Career and Military Readiness Coordinator at 956-273-1864 or the respective specialty school.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  A powerful autumn storm blasted across parts of Europe on Thursday, killing four people in Poland and causing damage and disruption across a large swath of the continent.

According to reports in Polish media, the hardest-hit area was around the western city of Wroclaw, where powerful gusts topped a delivery truck, killing its driver. Elsewhere, the storm knocked down a wall of a building being renovated, crushing a worker to death, and a tree was blown onto a car carrying two people, killing them both.

TVN24 reported that a concrete wall collapsed in the capital, Warsaw, injuring a woman who was hospitalized.

The storm swept ashore in the Brittany region of France's Atlantic coast on Wednesday, where it toppled trees, damaged buildings and knocked out power to a quarter of a million homes by Thursday morning.

Train services were disrupted by uprooted trees littering tracks in France, Germany and the Netherlands and many buildings roofs were damaged, including at part of the stadium used by the professional soccer club in the Belgian port city of Antwerp.

A tornado early Thursday caused damage in Schwentinental, a town near the German Baltic Sea port city of Kiel. Fire service official Kai Laessig told German news agency dpa that it destroyed greenhouses and brought down trees, which hit cars, but no one was injured. Several houses were damaged.

Local media reported that four people were injured in the Dutch town of Barendrecht, on the southern edge of Rotterdam, as strong gusts ripped tiles off roofs and uprooted trees in a residential neighborhood in the early hours of the morning.

The storm also hit parts of southern England with heavy rainfall and strong winds prompting flood warnings. The U.K.'s Environment Agency said the Thames Barrier was closed to protect London from flooding. It said the move will protect the capital from a high tide as a result of low pressure and northerly winds coinciding with spring tides."

Wind speeds reached 175 kilometers per hour (109 mph) in the town of Fecamp in northern France's Normandy region, according to the weather service.

Blown-down trees toppled power lines, and the Enedis utility said 250,000 homes were without electricity as of Thursday morning.

Train travel was disrupted in Normandy and the Champagne-Ardennes region, as well as on some commuter routes in the Paris region, according to the SNCF national rail authority.

The Dutch rail network also was disrupted Thursday morning by trees that had blown onto railroad tracks.

Germanys national railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, temporarily suspended all long-distance trains in North Rhine-Westphalia state  the countrys most populous, which borders the Netherlands and Belgium. The company said there were cancelations and delays in other parts of Germany as well.

The storm hit northern Belgium hard around Antwerp, snapping many trees, spilling scaffolding onto the streets and blowing some trucks off roads. It also tore off part of the roof of Antwerp FCs stadium.

Germany's national weather service warned of gusts ranging up to 105 kph (65 mph) in the north and northeast of the country on Thursday, and up to 120 kph in mountainous areas. But there were no immediate reports of significant damage.

During the night, a freight train collided with a fallen branch in Bad Godesberg, a suburb of Bonn.

Berlins two zoos closed as a precaution for the day because of the forecast high winds and the animals were brought into indoor enclosures. In Erfurt, in central Germany, cemeteries were closed as a precaution.
The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks!

Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics.

The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc.

The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics.

The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates.

Access to college recruiters and advisors  its harder to line up higher education.

Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family.

Vote

View Results
A court has heard how a homeless mother of 12 was found lying asleep in front of a bus, preventing it from leaving Longford Train Station two weeks ago.

Fifty-four-year-old Margaret Doran, of no fixed abode, was handed a two month suspended prison sentence by Judge John Brennan at last weeks sitting of Longford District Court.

That came after Ms Doran pleaded guilty to two public order charges stemming from an incident at Longford Train Station on October 5, 2021.

Sgt Brian Boland, for the prosecution, said gardai had been called to the scene just before midnight where they found Ms Doran asleep on the ground.

He said Ms Dorans presence had effectively blocked a bus from departing the station.

Sgt Boland said when gardai roused Ms Doran, the accused appeared very intoxicated and was slurring her words in conversation with officers.

It was during that exchange, Sgt Boland added, Ms Doran became abusive and which ultimately led to her arrest for her own safety.

The court was told Ms Doran had 41 previous convictions to her name.

In defence, solicitor Brid Mimnagh said her client was someone who had encountered what she termed as a chaotic lifestyle which had been tinged with personal tragedy.

In revealing how Ms Doran had managed to steer clear of alcohol for a period of time, events changed recently following the tragic death of her 24-year-old daughter last year.

It was coming up to her (daughters) anniversary and she had a few drinks, said Ms Mimnagh, as he attempted to provide some context as to her clients state of mind on the night in question.

She shouldnt have done it and while she has been in custody since last Wednesday, she is very apologetic.

Ms Mimnagh said Ms Doran was anxious to draw a line under the Longford episode and spend more time with her family in Dublin.

Judge Brennan said in spite of the mitigation and onerous challenges Ms Doran has faced with her own predilection for alcohol, the court was still nonetheless obliged to hand down a conviction.

It was an awkward enough incident to say the least in that a bus couldnt leave the station because Ms Doran was lying in front of it and got very aggressive as well, he said.

Judge Brennan issued Ms Doran with a two month prison sentence for the Section 6 public order charge of engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour.

He suspended that term for a period of 18 months while an accompanying Section 4 public order charge of being intoxicated in a public place was taken into consideration.
Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan is coming under mounting calls to speed up the rollout of broadband across County Longford.

Cllr Paul Ross re-ignited a debate which has been a regular bone of contention at a meeting of Longford County Council last week.

This is a huge issue, he told councillors, implying it could be another five years before the vast majority of Longford homes are connected to the high-speed network.

The reality is when a house goes up for sale, one of the first questions asked is if broadband is there.

It's not rocket science.

Cllr Gerry Hagan concurred, stating high speed internet access had become so essential in today's remote working climate it could be viewed as a utility for households.

Cllr PJ Reilly likened the growing need for the universal rollout of broadband to that of the State's rural electrification scheme during the 1950s and 60s.

The concerns aired at October's monthly council meeting come after the Dail heard last week of how Ireland's broadband plan is currently eight months behind schedule.

Independent TD Denis Naughten said 75,000 fewer homes will have access to the high-speed broadband network at the end of next year than was planned when the contract was signed in November 2019.

Local authority bosses are now expected to write to Mr Ryan to obtain an up to date position concerning the county's current broadband connectivity status.
The Irish public are generally in agreement that we all have an obligation to reduce carbon emissions to protect the planet and our way of life.

The Irish Government have given binding commitments in this regard and this has resulted in the publication of climate action plans and policies to meet their targets.

One major policy area that is being pursued is the development of renewable energy projects.

Tormeys Solicitors have significant first-hand knowledge of the implications for landowners whose property may be impacted by these projects, more specifically wind and solar energy.

We have acted for many landowners who have been approached by energy companies and we have worked tirelessly to ensure that we secure the best possible deal for our clients and fully protect their interests.

There is a degree of complexity involved in the documentation furnished at the outset of a proposed renewable energy project.

Ultimately, the energy company wants to use a landowners property to facilitate the construction and maintenance of equipment and the ongoing use of the lands to produce energy.

At the outset, the energy company will look to secure an option to enter into a long term lease with the landowner, which will give the energy company the time and space to secure planning permission and a grid connection to the electricity network.

This period would also give the energy company the opportunity to negotiate with other landowners, outside the immediate project area, for the right to place cables, ducts, and wires to gain a physical connection between the project and the nearest sub-station.

It is our job to make sure that our clients are fully aware of the contractual obligations prior to them committing to signing the option.

The option and lease agreements will cover a multitude of issues relating to the rights and covenants affecting both the energy company and the landowner. Each project will have different conditions and criteria and it is our duty to outline to our clients, in the clearest possible terms, the legal and practical implications, not only during the option period, but the proposed lease period.

The main issues of importance include the following:

1. Option fee payment.

2. Rent

3. Bonus payments

4. Rights of way

5. Security fencing.

6. Restrictions on agricultural activity.

7. Insurance and indemnities.

8. Maintenance of hedgerows, ditches and drains.

9. Impact on farm payment or forestry grants.

10. Tax implications.

11. Restrictions on the development.

12. Consents from third parties (eg Bank)

13. Restoration funds

14. Location of substations and battery storage facilities

We have found that representing all of the landowners involved in a specific project, leads to significant efficiencies in progressing the transactions.

We can communicate with the legal representatives of the energy company in a manner that allows the landowners to act in a unified and co-ordinated manner.

At the outset of a project, there are often title issues which the landowners have to rectify, and we can look after this in a quick and speedy manner to avoid any chance of the landowner losing out on the prospect of agreeing a deal with the energy company.

The energy companies cover the landowners legal costs relating to the option agreement and lease.

On occasion, we have negotiated with these companies to secure their agreement to make a contribution in relation to any title upgrades that are required to the landowners property. Initially, the details of the scheme can be a little daunting for landowners and we take great pride in our ability to clarify, in a concise and easy to understand manner, all of the legal implications of the proposed arrangement.

If you have been approached by an energy company, please do not hesitate to contact us for guidance. We would welcome the opportunity to give you the benefit of our knowledge and experience in this area. We cannot overstate the importance of getting the right advice.

*The above article consists of general recommendations and should not be interpreted as legal advice. You should contact a Solicitor to secure advice specific to your individual requirements. In contentious business, a Solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement. Tormeys Solicitors have been serving the people of the midlands for almost a century, specialising in *Personal Injury, *Medical Negligence, *Conveyancing, *Probate, *Commercial Law, *Employment Law and *Family Law.
Their project, Restoring the Balance, focused on a collection of living stories: local plant heritage and lore shared through a series of videos.

The winners were announced at a virtual ceremony presented by RTE broadcaster, Anne Cassin and attended by Minister of State for the Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD.

The National Heritage Week Awards highlight Irelands heritage heroes, and showcase the most engaging and innovative projects from National Heritage Week 2021.

To take account of restrictions on gatherings due to COVID-19, this year National Heritage Week comprised a mix of online, in-person and community projects.

In total, more than 1,050 projects and events took place around the country, as communities and individuals answered the Heritage Councils call to open the door to heritage and celebrate local heritage for the first time. Each heritage activity shared on the National Heritage Week website was considered for a National Heritage Week Award.

The National Heritage Awards were expanded this year to include a Wild Child Award, sponsored by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. This is awarded to the project that most successfully encouraged children and families to explore the heritage in their locality.

Projects were assessed on the basis of their local reach and community engagement, approach to awareness-raising, use of resources to inform their work, and the level to which they involved different age groups.

I am delighted to be able to attend the annual National Heritage Awards and celebrate the efforts of the awardees in ensuring the realisation of the promotion, preservation and conservation of our heritage," said Mr Noonan.

"I am particularly encouraged by many of the awarded projects use of modern technologies to communicate and record our heritage at a local level. This makes their work, and our shared heritage, more accessible to new audiences.
A Flood Insurance Bill tackling "blatant unfairness" in flood-affected areas has passed its first stage in the Dail.

The Bill aims to help people in areas where remedial work has been carried out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to prevent flooding, but who still face discriminatory practices by insurance companies.

Deputy John Brady TD introduced the Bill and said, "The failure of the insurance industry to provide insurance cover to homeowners in flood-affected areas that have been remedied is simply outrageous and totally unacceptable. This legislation will end this unfair practice by the insurance industry."

According to the deputy, the legislation will entitle property owners to bring complaints to the Financial Services Ombudsman if they believe companies are attempting to overcharge for premiums, or if they have "unreasonably" been denied insurance.

Deputy Brady spoke of the closure of a local business in Wicklow whose insurance premium jumped from 26,000 to 88,000 per year. He said, "Without insurance businesses cannot survive. Without business and commerce, our communities will not survive."

The Bill moved unopposed to the second stage.
A consumer watchdog has issued a warning to people to be wary of suspicious online traders and stick to reputable retailers this Christmas.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said people may be concerned that Covid, Brexit-related shipping delays and stock shortages will impact their shopping plans and urged them them to watch out for rogue traders.

It advised customers to buy from reputable retailers when shopping online as it can be hard to know who you are buying from, so its important to do some quick research.

Check reviews, social media pages and where the business is based. If you cant find this information easily, approach with caution. If the business is based outside of the EU, you may consider finding an alternative EU store to ensure you have stronger rights should an issue arise.

It also said to be careful of small, unknown traders offering a high-demand product online or on social media that is out of stock everywhere else.

Do some research, look at online consumer forums and on social media for additional consumer reviews or feedback about the business before you buy. Also, remember that while the price is important, dont let it be the only deciding factor when buying online.

A cheaper price doesnt always mean a better deal and if it looks too good to be true, more often than not, it probably is.

When reading consumer reviews on business websites, be wary if all of the reviews are positive.

Its important to keep in mind that products and services with authentic consumer reviews are more likely to have a mix of consumer feedback across the rating scale. So, watch out for products or services with only positive reviews or exclusively five-star ratings!

Watch out for poor English, such as spelling and grammar mistakes, or language that doesnt sound right. Just because a website has a .ie address does not mean it is an Irish registered business.

You should also check that the website lists contact information, including a contact email address, phone number and geographical address. You can also look for VAT numbers or company registration numbers, as this information can be verified through government and EU websites.

Reputable and legitimate companies will always list ways to get in touch with them, so if the website doesnt have a Contact us page, it could well be fraudulent. Additionally, if the site has a Contact us page but only offers a form to fill out, be wary.

Consider using online payment services, such as PayPal or a pre-pay credit card, to avoid potential scammers getting a hold of your bank account details.

Pre-paid debit cards or credit cards provide an extra layer of protection as there is no direct withdrawal from your bank account. Be alert to traders who offer a bank transfer facility, or request that you pay by card over the telephone, or to come into the store (sometimes a pop-up) to pay by cash.

Concerned about #COVID19 & #Brexit related #delays & stock shortages impacting your #Christmas shopping? High demand for certain products can provide an opportunity for rogue traders to take advantage Follow our simple steps before you #buyonline https://t.co/dfSETdvg66  CCPC (@CCPCIreland) October 21, 2021

When you are paying, look out for a s after http at the beginning of the url and a padlock symbol in your browsers task bar, which shows that the website is secure. If it isnt there, be very wary of proceeding any further. Keep all records, as it is important to have all of the details of your interactions with the trader in case an issue arises.

If you buy online, dont just hide the boxes away until Christmas. Open the packages and check the items for any irregularities or issues as soon as they arrive.

If you are buying childrens toys online, be sure to look for the CE mark on the product, in the instruction manual or on the packaging. The CE mark is essentially the manufacturers declaration that the product complies with EU safety regulations and standards.

If there is no visible CE mark, it may be an indication that the toys do not meet the required safety standards and should not be used.

Grainne Griffin, Director of Communications with the CCPC said,

We expect that high levels of online shopping will continue in the build up to Christmas 2021. Generally at this time of year we begin to see growing demand for certain products, which can lead to pressures on parents and families. This year we know that consumers have additional concerns regarding shipping and possible stock shortages.

"Its important for everyone to be aware that these are ideal circumstances for ill-intentioned or rogue traders, both online and in-store (including pop-up shops), to take advantage of consumers who are having trouble sourcing a particular product or toy.

"Therefore, we are asking consumers to follow a number of steps before they buy so that they have no unexpected surprises. Our website www.ccpc.ie also provides a range of information to help consumers whether they are shopping online or in-store, and our helpline at 01 407 5555 is there to assist any consumers looking for help.
An interim report of the Export Advisory Group on Rapid Testing (RTEAG) has been published today by Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly.

The group was convened in July to consider the use of rapid tests in areas deemed important to the safe reopening of society.

According to the minister, rapid testing is already in widespread use across Irish society in areas like long term residential care facilities, meat-processing factories, early childhood settings and in the higher and further education sectors.

He has asked the group to further investigation other areas where it "makes sense" to deploy rapid testing.

He said, "The suite of materials published with the report today are a useful tool to anyone wishing to use rapid testing, either for personal use or in a wider programme of testing."

Chair of the advisory group, Professor Mary Horgan, said, "The use of [rapid tests] is an area in which the scientific evidence is rapidly evolving. As such, the RTEAG has commissioned an evidence synthesis which has informed the interim report and will continue to contribute to our knowledge of RADT use in the coming months. This work will continue to inform the work of the group and any future recommendations we may make.
Local News, Health & Wellness

By Chris Boyle Published: October 21 2021

Rat infestations in our communities, often originate from County owned sumps or storm water basins.

Just last week, a Legionnaire's disease outbreak panicked residents in Wantagh and Levittown.

In an effort to thwart potential diseases spread by rodents in Nassau County including hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), Tularemia and Salmonella, members of the Nassau Legislature Health Committee will unveil their amendment to the County Executive's budget, reestablishing the health department's role in exterminating rodents in the county.

Rat infestations in our communities, often originate from County owned sumps or storm water basins. The amendment introduced will add money that already exists in the budget to the budget of the Health Department to fund the implementation of a countywide rodent extermination program.
Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business!

Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge.

(Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!)
IQE PLC - Cardiff, Wales-based semiconductor company - Commences collaboration with GlobalFoundries for the development of vital gallium nitride on silicon technology for mobile and wireless infrastructure applications.

GlobalFoundries will put forwards in Fab 9 facility in Burlington, Vermont, using wafers supplied by IQE.

"IQE's collaboration with GlobalFoundries marks a step change for us. It recognises the quality of our market-leading GaN products and demonstrates how IQE's ever-closer customer relationships can bring more innovative products to market, at scale. This is a unique opportunity to leverage the performance of GaN with the cost structure of high-volume silicon manufacturing. We look forward to working closely with GlobalFoundries over the coming years," notes Wayne Johnson, executive vice president for Wireless & Emerging Products.

Current stock price: 47.70 pence,up 8.4% on Thursday

Year-to-date change: down 35%

By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Cloudbreak Discovery PLC - Vancouver, Canada-based natural resource project generator - Notes Power Group Projects Corp has signed a letter of intent with 1315843 BC Ltd, Cloudbreak's exploration partner on the Atlin West project in British Colombia, to acquire all of the outstanding shares in 1315843 BC.

Power Group can acquire 75% of the Atlin West project over a three year period by issuing 3 million shares to Cloudbreak, pay CAD325,000 in cash and spend CAD700,000 on exploration costs.

Chief Executive Officer Kyler Hardy says: "We are pleased to see the management of 1315843 BC. entering into this agreement with Power Group Projects Corp. Having the resulting issuer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange will greatly aid in securing additional capital for the advancement of the projects and we believe the management of PGP will be exceptional partners to have on this asset."

Current stock price: 1.85 pence

Year-to-date change: down 59%

By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Umuthi Healthcare Solutions PLC - South Africa-based technology-led healthcare - The company's shares were suspended on June 10 as a result of UK Financial Conduct Authority concerns regarding some Umuthi shareholders who were involved in a share exchange agreement prior to the company's admission to trading, not being able to trade all of their shares. This was due, in some instances, to share trading accounts not having been fully activated, Umuthi says.

On Thursday, additional shareholders raise concerns regarding external share exchange agreements entered into before the company's listing. Umuthi's board has gained legal advice and will look to address these concerns with shareholders and the UK Financial Conduct Authority.

In addition, company director Gert Viljoen was arrested in South Africa and has been released on bail. Charges relate to over-the-counter sales of Umuthi shares.

Company says that neither it or Viljoen had any control or involvement in the transactions.

Also, Umuthi announced the departure of Chief Financial Officer Philip van Huyssteen, to give the company an opportunity to find a more suitable candidate based in the UK.

By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
W Resources PLC- tungsten, tin and gold mining and exploring in Spain and Portugal - Says third quarter saw best performance to date at La Parrilla mine in Spain, with tungsten production up 58% quarter-on-quarter to 168.3 tonnes, but says production was hit by "number of challenges" which resulted in an estimated production loss of around 40 tonnes of tungsten concentrate.

"A number of power outages were caused by technical problems with the LNG generators. This has been resolved by the supplier after isolating the cause of the stoppages," it says.

Chair Michael Masterman adds: "Q3 2021 was our best performing quarter to date, and we expect to see this growth continue as we head towards the end of the year. Notwithstanding a number of challenges towards the end of the quarter, the result is testament to the management team at the La Parrilla mine which reacted quickly to minimise any disruption.

"Work continues apace and the La Parrilla team has a clear focus on increasing production and efficiencies as the reality of continuous production becomes the norm."

Current stock price: 7.08 pence, down 9.3% on Thursday

Year-to-date change: down 42%

By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Lancashire Holdings Ltd said Thursday it has exposure to "a number" of recent natural catastrophe events, including Hurricane Ida and the European storms Bernd, Volker and Xero.

Shares in the Bermuda-based insurance company were down 5.2% in London on Thursday morning at 525.40 pence each - making it one of the worst performers in the FTSE 250 index of mid-caps.

Lancashire said the catastrophes will result in a net loss of between USD165 million and USD185 million.

On top of the natural catastrophes, the insurer noted it has exposure to large loss events within its political violence portfolio, related to the unrest in South Africa during July 2021.

The estimated net loss from the unrest in South Africa is about USD40 million, Lancashire said.

Chief Executive Alex Maloney said: "Our thoughts are with those who have suffered as a result of the recent catastrophe and political violence events. For Lancashire, these loss estimates are within our expectations for these types of events and demonstrate the value of our products to our (re)insureds and other stakeholders.

"Looking ahead, the company remains strongly capitalised to be able to take advantage of the improving market, both in the rest of this year and in order to achieve our ambitious underwriting plans for 2022. The rating environment continues to improve, premiums continue to grow, and we are well-positioned to achieve our strategic goals."

By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News:







Condor Gold PLC - mine developer in Nicaragua - Completes 8,004 metres of infill drilling at the La Mestiza open pit mine in La India Project, Nicaragua. Drilling includes 96 diamond core drill holes. Says the La India project has an open pit mineral resource of 92,000 tonnes at 12.1 grams per tonne of gold. "The Mestiza vein set remains open down dip and along strike in both directions, has parallel veins identified by rock chip sampling and trenching and has the potential for further significant discovery," Condor adds.







Gulf Marine Services PLC - Abu Dhabi-based provider of support vessels for offshore oil, gas and renewables industries - Wins new 12-month contract for E-class vessel with engineering, procurement, and construction client in the Middle East and North Africa. Says the contract begins at the end of December, following completion of the vessel's existing contract. Another client exercises a two-year option, committing an S Class Vessel for all of 2022 and 2023.







Seneca Growth Capital VCT PLC - St. Helens, England-based investment firm - Net asset value per B share reaches 102.3 pence at October 15, up 11% from 91.8p at the end of 2020. An increase in the value of the B share pool's AIM-quoted investments causes this rise in NAV. Says this increase was offset by the impact of the ordinary running costs of the company.







Altona Rare Earths PLC - mining exploration company - Agrees to acquire 51% stake in Chambe Rare Earths Project in Southern Malawi via a joint venture with Akatswiri Mineral Resources Ltd. Says the project is held under an exploration licence granted on September 9 and valid until September 6, 2024. The licence will be transferred to Akatswiri, who will run the project and receive 1 million Altona shares. Expects total cash expenditure of GBP200,000 for the purchase of Chambe.







AEW UK REIT PLC - UK commercial property investor - Net assets total GBP174.3 million at September 30, up 2.7% from GBP169.7 million at June 30. NAV per share reaches 110.0p per share at September 30, compared to 107.11p at June 30. Reports receiving 89% of rent for the quarter beginning September 29. Sells Langthwaite Industrial Estate, South Kirkby for GBP10.8 million and Wella Warehouse, Basingstoke for GBP5.9 million. Declares interim dividend of 2.00 pence per share for the three months ended September 30. Says this is in line with the company's target annual dividend of 8.00p per share.







Custodian REIT PLC - Leicester, England-based real estate investment trust - Buys industrial unit on the Clifton Moor Industrial estate in York for GBP2.96 million. Funds purchase with existing debt facilities. The unit covers 28,601 square feet, occupied by Menzies Distribution Ltd for annual passing rent of GBP186,000. This rent offers a net initial yield of 5.9%, the company says.







Zambeef Products PLC - Zambia-focused cold chain foods and retail business - For the year ended September 30, expects adjusted pretax profit to be between 65% and 75% ahead of current market expectations, while revenue is set to be 10% to 12%, driven by sustained consumer demand for products despite rising costs, prices and a difficult operating environment.







By Scarlett Butler; scarlettbutler@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Mai FM is stoked to present Stan Walker - the ALL IN Tour with brand new dates locked in for 2022!

With no need for introductions, Stan Walker embarks on his rescheduled nationwide ALL IN tour performing 7 spectacular shows across Aotearoa, singing all of his hit songs and some brand new music!

With the just announced roll back of government restrictions around mass gatherings the All In tour will now begin in Napier on March 24, 2022 at Pettigrew Arena continuing through New Zealand before finishing in his

home town, Mount Maunganui.

Joining Stan Walker on his headline tour are renowned Kiwi artists Kings, Louis Baker, Hamo Dell and rising star Crete, guaranteeing a show like no other that brings the WOW factor - a concert sure to impress fans of all

ages!

I cant wait to perform my new live show for my fans with my incredible band The Levites. I love being on stage and performing, being with the people in the moment is the best feeling. This is going to be the biggest

and best tour of my career to date -Stan Walker

Join Stan Walker, Kings, Louis Baker, Hamo Dell and Crete to experience a night of unforgettable live music!
Support Local Journalism

The Malibu community needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please help keep us in print by making a contribution.
John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute. He was vice chair of the Senate Education Committee and has been Kirby town moderator for 55 years. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.
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.
ONEKAMA  There are times in life for when all the pieces of a puzzle seem to fall into place to turn a dream into a reality.

Thirty-six years ago, the Miller family began visiting the Onekama area from their then home in northern Indiana. They would often pass The Canfield House on Portage Point Drive and discussion centered around a dream to own this historic parcel of property.

Kyle Miller said he and his parents Nancy and Stefan would often strike up a conversation about it every time they passed it when vacationing in the area. What they also discussed was the dream of some day buying the house and running a bed and breakfast.

Several months ago when the opportunity arose to purchase it, they jumped at it and since early August The Canfield House has been open for guests.

"I had never been inside it before the first time when we were looking at buying it," said Kyle. "The house we rented when came to Onekama every summer was down Portage Point Drive so we drove by it every day when we were here and fell in love with it."

It was easy to see why the home caught their attention; it was constructed with the very best materials in 1900 as a summer residence by Charles Canfield who was the son of noted Manistee lumberman, John Canfield.

Charles Canfield was the mayor of Manistee when he built the house and filled it with a decor that still catches people's attention to this day.

Miller said that is a part of what caught his eye about the house.

"I was always interested in architecture and it was just such a cool looking old house," he said. "It is such a unique house, and we just fell in love with it. The first time I saw the inside with the realtor and I loved that as well."

Miller, who moved to Traverse City eight years ago for his construction business, said recently several things fell into place that allowed them the opportunity to purchase The Canfield House.

"Somebody made me an offer on my house in Traverse City sort of out of the blue as I wasn't looking to sell it, but everything sort of fell into place," he said.

He said he owned a place with his parents in Traverse City and they were looking to move into a retirement community back in their hometown when The Canfield House came up for sale. It was being run as a bed and breakfast by Paul and Jane Mueller.

"I decided this would be a good thing to do as I always wanted to do a bed and breakfast as we had done it on a smaller scale in Indiana for a while," Miller said "I talked to my parents and said I would like to do this, but I need some help running it for a year or two until I can sort of wind down by building business."

His parents agreed to assist with the cooking and cleaning duties until he could get into it full time. They took up residence in the owners apartment in The Canfield House that the previous owners used in the home.

"I looked at it probably in mid-May and took about two weeks to think it through and we closed on it in the first part of July and it all came together, he said.

Miller said the home still carries the historic aspects in many areas. A lot of detail went into maintaining that historic decor during a renovation several years ago.

The main floor is pretty much original as all the floors, the walls, the woodwork and windows are all original, he said. (In) the upstairs, the floors and windows are original and what isnt got put back in pretty much the same fashion it was when it was built, other than we added bathrooms to every room.

He said what adds to the atmosphere is visitors have 200 feet of frontage facing Portage Lake. Along with that is the fact the house faces south which means there are views of the sun rising and setting.

It really is a cool location and there is a lot of history to this house, Miller said.

The house has been open to customers August and September, and it has surpassed the owners' projections in terms of people coming in.

October bookings are also going well, so we are on the right track, Miller said. The guests have been wonderful and it has been great to meet everyone and get to know them. We had a couple of gentlemen stay from South Africa, a couple from Maryland and someone from Seattle, so we have had them from many places.

Plans are for The Canfield House to remain open the rest of the year with the exception of being closed for two or three weeks in November for some renovation work to some of the bathrooms.

Our plans are to remain open all year with the exception of two or three weeks each year, he said.

He said in terms of activities, the summer takes care of itself, but in the off seasons they plan to do activities like color tour specials, wine tasting and murder mystery events in the upcoming months. Plans also call to bring the public in on some of those events to spread the word about their business.

We want to incorporate some limited community involvement for like the murder mystery, he said. We look forward to being part of the community in the future."

Find more information at canfieldhousebnb.com.

RELATED:

The early years of Charles J. Canfield

Belle Nye, the former Mrs. Canfield

100 YEARS AGO: Well known summer resort site, Portage Point for sale. The price is $130,000

Onekama's Portage Point Inn has rich history

Farr Friends to present Jane, Paul Mueller
40 YEARS AGO

Tabled

Dubbed a perennial item of interest by Mayor Vickers Hansen, the Manistee City Council again was asked to consider an 180-day extension on supplying water to the Hamady Store shopping complex by developer Norbert Murray. After some discussion, the council voted to table the request until its next session, at which time the council requested that an official from Filer Township be present.

60 YEARS AGO

Budget adopted

The board of supervisors closed its October session this week by approving a budget of $381,946.32 for 1962  $35,737.82 higher than 1961 and $99,742.40 over 1960s. Almost all appropriations were higher, deputy clerks salaries were raised, and these, with an added $30,000 in the budget of the social welfare department and a $16,000 deficit at the end of 1960, added up to the increase.

80 YEARS AGO

Whooping cough increase

Whooping cough is a third above normal in the state, says the Michigan Department of Health. "The winter will be a hard one for many parents unless they have their babies and young children protected against whooping cough, says Dr. H. Allen Moyer, State Health Commissioner. Vaccine will prevent or modify whooping cough so that attacks are light and short, but time is necessary.

Warning

Chief of Police Roy Hebner today issued another warning against parking near fire hydrants. He stated that this law will be strictly enforced in the future. Parking near hydrants is a dangerous practice because in case of fire the fire department would be seriously hampered by a car parked near a hydrant and the delay caused might result in great damage to property and possible of life.

Compiled by Mark Fedder at the Manistee County Historical Museum
Mankato, MN (56001)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
After successive defeats to Bayern Munich and Benfica to start their Champions League campaign, Barcelona kept their hopes of avoiding an early elimination alive with a 1-0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv at the Camp Nou.

Defeat wasn't an option for Ronald Koeman's charges, especially with it known that one of Bayern Munich or Benfica will drop points as they face each other later on Wednesday night.

Luuk de Jong was given a start up front alongside Memphis Depay, and the on-loan Sevilla striker had the first chance of the match with a glancing header which went past the right-hand post. Ultimately, he should have done better.

Barcelona weren't helped by the smaller crowd at the Camp Nou, with it hardly having the feel of a must-win Champions League encounter.

Georgiy Bushchan made a smart save tipping a long-distance strike from Luuk de Jong over the crossbar, but Barcelona's attacking play could best be described as safe, much to the chagrin of the crowd that had assembled.

Pique's goal

The goal eventually came before half-time with Gerard Pique finding himself unmarked at the back post, following a whipped Jordi Alba cross into the penalty area.

The veteran defender slid to make connection with the ball and his half-volley flew past Bushchan and into the back of the net.

Unfortunately for the home crowd, this was as good as it got for the hosts as they became more concerned with not surrendering their lead than putting a far inferior Dynamo Kyiv side to the sword.

Barcelona retained possession confidently in the second half with the introduction of Philippe Coutinho aiding that endeavour, but there wasn't particularly any real thrust about the hosts.

Whether this was by design to save fitness ahead of Sunday's Clasico, it can't be proven, but there certainly was a reticence to look for the second goal.

Dynamo Kyiv offered even less, relying on set-pieces to have a chance at Marc-Andre ter Stegen's goal, and in the 86th minute they were given a free-kick on the edge of the Blaugrana penalty box courtesy of a poor Pique challenge, but the Ukrainian side couldn't muster a headed chance with Sergio Busquets clearing the ball.

The victory puts Barcelona on three points, just one behind Benfica, albeit having played a match more than the Portuguese club, and with a second clash with Dynamo Kyiv to come, the scheduling might well hand Barcelona an advantage moving forward, but the reality is that the fight for second place will come down to the meeting in the Camp Nou against the Lisbon giants.
Julia A. Johnston, 68, of Wilburton, OK passed away at her home in Wilburton on Sunday, November 14, 2021. Services will be on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 2 p.m. at the Waldrop Funeral Home Chapel in Wilburton, OK with the burial to follow in the Peachland Cemetery in Bengal, Oklahoma. O
Richard "Rick" Charles Bean, 70, passed away unexpectedly on November 13, 2021. He was born March 5, 1951 in Meadville, PA to the late Charles and Bernice (Haven) Bean. Rick worked hard his entire life. He enjoyed watching his children grow up and is very proud of them both for what they hav
Advertisement

Earlier on Wednesday, the Union Health Minister said in a tweet that 99 crore vaccine doses were administered across the country as of Wednesday.He said: "We are at 99 crore. Go for it India... continue to rapidly march towards our milestone of 100 crore Covid-19 vaccinations."In another tweet, Mandaviya appealed to those not vaccinated yet to get the vaccine and be the part of historical moment.He said: "To be a part of this golden opportunity, I appeal to the countrymen that those who are yet to be vaccinated should contribute to this historic golden vaccination journey of India by getting vaccinated immediately."India has administered over 99.70 crore vaccine doses so far under the country's vaccination drive.India needs another 25 lakh vaccine jabs to achieve the 100 crore vaccination mark.Source: IANS
Advertisement

"They tend not to trust science and are against government intervention so they're more focused on individual freedoms than public health protections. It's hypothesized that those are the reasons that Christian nationalists are less likely to receive the vaccine and are more likely to not trust it."Corcoran and her co-authors, Christopher Scheitle, also an associate professor of sociology, and graduate research assistant Bernard DiGregorio, used a national sample of 2,000 U.S. adults who completed a survey last spring on religious identities and behaviors as well as attitudes toward COVID-19.To measure Christian nationalism, respondents were asked, "To what extent do you agree or disagree that the federal government should declare the United States a Christian nation?"Scheitle noted that it's important to not assume that all Christians or evangelicals fit the bill as Christian nationalists, which account for roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population."Traditionally, when the media talks about religion, they focus on evangelical Protestants," Scheitle said. "That's the main storyline. What Christian nationalism research has shown is that it's not just about people who identify as evangelicals. It's not an evangelical issue, it's whether or not they adopt this particular nationalist ideology."In another study, Scheitle and Corcoran looked at COVID-19 skepticism in relation to other forms of science skepticism. They discovered that some of the predictors of COVID-19 skepticism mirror those of skepticism toward other scientific issues such as evolution, climate change, vaccines in general and genetically modified organisms, especially among political conservatives.Those findings were published in Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World."There's a narrative around COVID-19 that you have anti-science people and pro-science people," Scheitle said."This research was to try to see to what extent does COVID-19 map onto other forms of science skepticism. What we found is that political conservatism is a fairly consistent predictor of science skepticism, regardless of what issue you're talking about."But there's something specific about COVID that is making political conservatives especially more skeptical about that issue above and beyond climate change, evolution and everything else. I think it can be tied to the explicit politicization of COVID-19 policies."Age also played a factor in COVID-19 attitudes. Researchers found that younger individuals viewed COVID-19from the vaccine to the virus' very existencewith more skepticism than older people.Meanwhile, the topic of evolution showed strong connections to religion and was the only science topic with a regional pattern, Scheitle said, as individuals residing in the South were more likely to view evolution with skepticism.The study also found that people with higher levels of education were less skeptical of every science issue.Researchers utilized the same dataset of 2,000 people from the previously mentioned study.Source: Eurekalert
Arrangements are currently incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home for Mr. William "Sonny" McGruder, 71, of Enterprise, who passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, at his residence.
In summer 2020, The New York Times coordinated a nationwide project to document the lives of Americans out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved collaborating with 11 other local newsrooms around the U.S. The Messenger-Inquirer was the only newspaper from Kentucky in the collaboration. The resulting collection of stories was published Oct. 23, 2020, in the New York Times print edition and at nytimes.com/outofwork. The following list is the Messenger-Inquirer's local unemployment coverage from that time period; read more by clicking the "New York Times Project" header. Click on "Out Of Work In America" to go to the full
'Its always a perfect day to say thank you': County holds three Veterans Day celebrations
Thank you for subscribing!

By signing up to this free newsletter you agree to receive occasional emails from us informing you about our products and services. You can opt out of these emails at any time.
AG Nessel Joins Bipartisan Coalition in Supporting Local Journalism

AG Nessel Joins Bipartisan Coalition in Supporting Local Journalism

Attorney General

Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746

Public inquiries: 517-335-7622

October 21, 2021

LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a bipartisan coalition of 15 attorneys general calling on Congress to pass legislation supporting local journalism.

"As stated in our letter, local journalism is absolutely critical to our communities and our democracy," Nessel said. "This industry has struggled for many years and this pandemic has only exacerbated these challenges. I am urging Congress to support local journalism and pass this legislation."

The letter calls on key leaders to support and pass the Local Journalism Sustainability Act of 2021 (H.R. 3940 and S. 2434). The act would provide:

Up to $250 in tax credits to local newspaper subscribers to offset subscription fees;

Up to $5,000 in tax credits to some local businesses for buying ads in local newspapers; and

Up to $25,000 for local newspapers to hire local journalists.

The letter reads: "Local newspapers are responsible for half of our country's original reporting, although they only account for one-quarter of media outlets. In many rural communities, local news organizations provide the only information and updates about issues impacting the community."

"Regional journalism is critical, as is journalism by and for Black, Indigenous, and people of color, including ethnic media organizations," the letter continues. "These organizations are best positioned to identify, investigate, and report on issues of concern to their respective communities, and Congress should take action to support and strengthen them."

Joining Attorney General Nessel in sending this letter are the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.

###
AG Nessel, LARA Warn Licensees of Imposter Scams

AG Nessel, LARA Warn Licensees of Imposter Scams

Attorney General

Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746

Public inquiries: 517-335-7622

October 21, 2021

LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Director Orlene Hawks today alerted professionals licensed by the State of Michigan to beware of scam artists impersonating state officials in an effort to obtain personal information, or even money, from a licensee.

Nessel is also reissuing her Imposter Scams Consumer Alert, warning the public about bad actors who use legitimate government references and the threat of government action to trick individuals into taking action that facilitates theft.

The warning comes after officials became aware of licensees being targeted recently and told their license was at risk if they did not comply with demands, including a payment to maintain their license with the state.

"Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the lengths bad actors will go to scam an unsuspecting person - in this case a licensed professional - to obtain personal information or money," Nessel said. "It's my hope licensees will heed this warning and remain on high alert any time correspondence is received claiming to be from a LARA representative."

Earlier this year the departments urged licensees to beware of an elaborate, sophisticated scam that ultimately cost one physical therapist and her family their entire savings.

"No one from our office in LARA will ever reach out to you and threaten to suspend your license," Hawks said. "Our investigators have teamed up with Michigan State Police to put a stop to as many scams as possible - but we need our licensees to be alert to the possibility that the next text, email, or phone call they get about their license may be someone trying to scam them."

Last fall, several State of Michigan licensees encountered spam emails or spam websites impersonating LARA. Hawks emphasized the following while urging licensees to take caution:

Licensees should be cautious of unsolicited requests for any of their personal information. LARA will not contact you directly asking for personal information.

Be suspicious of any unexpected emails or links to websites. If your personal information is compromised, it may be used in other fraud schemes.

Do not respond to - or open hyperlinks in - emails or text messages about validating your personal data.

If there are any hyperlinks, check the URL before clicking. LARA websites will have "michigan.gov" in the URL.

If you suspect fraud, report it immediately to LARA by calling 517-241-0199 or by emailing.

Remember: Do not reply to any suspicious emails and never provide personal information. If personal information is compromised, it may be used to commit identity theft or used in other fraud schemes.

More details on how Michiganders can protect their personal information are available on the Consumer Protection Team's webpage.

A library of consumer alerts created by the Department of Attorney General's Consumer Protection Team is available online and organized by a number of categories.
Timber Harvester Pleads Guilty to Felony

Timber Harvester Pleads Guilty to Felony

Attorney General

Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746

Public inquiries: 517-335-7622

October 21, 2021

LANSING - A Stephenson man charged in connection to stealing more than $100,000 of timber from the State has pleaded guilty, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced today.

Raymond Vetort - owner of R&J Logging, an independent logging company - was bound over for trial in July on the following charges:

one count of trespassing or damages to state land - $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony and/or $15,000 fine;

one count of larceny, a 10-year felony and/or 15,000 fine; and

one count of malicious destruction - trees, shrubs, crops, grass, turf, soil - $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony and or $15,000 fine.

Although Vetort's business had a contract to enter and log on state land, he allegedly marked and took timber that was not allowed by the contract.

Thursday before Judge Christopher Ninomiya in Menominee County Circuit Court, Vetort pleaded guilty to trespassing or damages to state land - $20,000 or more. He will pay $50,000 of the restitution to the State by his sentencing date and not be able to bid on DNR logging contracts as part of the plea agreement.

"Limited logging contracts strike an important balance between resource preservation and economic development," Nessel said. "The deliberate use of these contracts to obtain access to steal State timber is a serious criminal offense and will not be tolerated."

Sentencing will be Dec. 10 at 9:30 a.m. CST.

###
LARA Hosts Child Care Provider Access Fairs to Help Open New Sites

LARA Hosts Child Care Provider Access Fairs to Help Open New Sites

October 21, 2021 - The Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Child Care Licensing Bureau (CCLB), announced today that they will be hosting Access Fairs in Detroit on October 23, 2021 and November 6, 2021. These fairs can help speed up the licensing process in order to meet Michigan's need for child care. Fairs will also have free childcare onsite and the Wayne Health Mobile Unit will be available to provide COVID-19 vaccinations.

During the pandemic, it has become more evident that Michiganders need access to safe, quality and affordable child care. Many families have had to leave the workforce because they were unable to find care for their kids which has added pressure to Michigan's economic recovery.

"Child care providers play such an important role in supporting children, families, and our community. These fairs will make it easier than ever for new providers to start their business. We'll be on site with answers to all of your questions and a few freebies to get you started," said CCLB Director, Emily Laidlaw. "Having access to affordable, quality child care is important for working families in our state. Parents need to have access to child care so they may go to their work and be comfortable knowing their child is being cared for in a safe, enriching and quality environment."

Staff at the fair will help attendees walk through the steps to becoming a licensed child care provider such as:

Submitting a complete application packet that includes: An application

Verification that the applicant has completed required health and safety training

Passing a facility inspection that includes radon and environmental health inspections

Obtaining medical clearance, including a current TB test

Registering fingerprints and establishing eligibility to work with children Attending a LARA Rules Orientation Session Passing a final facility inspection prior to opening

CCLB plans on holding additional Child Care Access Fairs during the remainder of 2021 and throughout 2022. The goal of these fairs is to provide more information to anyone thinking about becoming a child care provider and to provide business startup supports that move them more quickly through the process of becoming licensed.

Free business startup support is available to interested persons and include:

Up to $750 reimbursed for compliance startup costs for new businesses

FREE AT&T Hot Spots- with an AT&T service contract required for activation

FREE Radon test kits- 1000 kits available courtesy of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE)

FREE background checks

FREE professional development

Child Care Provider Access Fair Details:

Westside Detroit - Northwest Activities Center:

18100 Meyers Rd., Detroit, MI

October 23, 2021, 11am-1pm

Eastside Detroit - Farwell Recreation Center:

2711 Outer Dr. E., Detroit, MI

November 6, 2021, 12:30pm-2:30pm

To learn more about child care licensing and regulations, or how to file a complaint, please visit www.michigan.gov/cclb.
Michigan unemployment rate decreases in September

Michigan unemployment rate decreases in September

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 20, 2021

Caleb Buhs, buhsc@michigan.gov or 517-282-6018

LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan's seasonally adjusted jobless rate declined slightly by a tenth of a percentage point in September to 4.6 percent, according to data released today by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget. The statewide employment total advanced by 16,000, while the number of unemployed inched down by 4,000. Michigan's labor force increased by 12,000 over the month.

The unemployment rate in the U.S. recorded a large reduction of four-tenths of a percentage point in September to 4.8 percent. Over the past year, both the U.S. jobless rate and the Michigan rate fell significantly.

"Michigan's labor market was stable in September," said Wayne Rourke, associate director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. "The unemployment rate and payroll job counts both showed minimal change over the month."

Monthly and annual labor force trends and highlights

Michigan's total employment level inched up by 0.4 percent over the month, similar to the national rate of growth (+0.3 percent).

Total unemployment declined significantly in Michigan and the U.S. since September 2020, as persons returned to jobs from pandemic-related layoffs.

The statewide jobless rate in the third quarter of 2021 was well below that of the third quarter 2020.

Michigan's September 2021 unemployment rate remains above pre-pandemic level

Michigan's September 2021 employment level remained 226,000, or 4.8 percent, below the February 2020 pre-pandemic total.

Total unemployment in the state was 36,000 or 19.4 percent, higher than the February 2020 level.

The September 2021 jobless rate of 4.6 percent was above the pre-pandemic rate of 3.7 percent.

Detroit region unemployment rate declines in September

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn Metropolitan Statistical Area's (MSA) seasonally adjusted September jobless rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point to 3.9 percent. The Detroit region employment level increased by 12,000, while unemployment receded by 4,000, resulting in a workforce gain of 8,000 since August.

Joblessness in the Detroit metro area has declined significantly since September 2020.

Nonfarm jobs increase in September

The monthly survey of employers indicated that total payroll employment rose slightly by 8,000 in September (+0.2 percent), resulting in a September job level of 4,181,000.

Minor employment changes occurred in multiple industries during September. The state's leisure and hospitality sector had the largest monthly job gain (on a seasonally adjusted basis). Jobs (unadjusted) in this industry always decline seasonally in September, but the job drop in September 2021 was smaller than usual.

Industry employment trends and highlights

September was the fifth month in a row to exhibit an over-the-month payroll employment increase, although job gains in the last two months have been modest.

The statewide education and health services sector exhibited the largest over-the-month job decline, down by 6,000, or 0.9 percent.

Manufacturing jobs edged up slightly for the second consecutive month during September.

Statewide payroll employment moved up by 99,000, or 2.4 percent, over the year. Michigan nonfarm jobs were 272,000, or 6.1 percent, below the February 2020 pre-pandemic level.

The state's professional and business services sector exhibited the largest over-the-year numeric job advance, adding 30,000 positions since September 2020.

For more detailed information, including data tables, view the full release.

###
10-digit dialing requirement for every local call starts Sunday for telephone users in 616, 810, 906 and 989 area codes

10-digit dialing requirement for every local call starts Sunday for telephone users in 616, 810, 906 and 989 area codes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 21, 2021

Media Contact: Matt Helms 517-284-8300

Customer Assistance: 800-292-9555

Michigan.gov/MPSC

Twitter

The switch to 10-digit dialing is just three days away. Starting this Sunday, Oct. 24, telephone customers in Michigan's 616, 810, 906 and 989 area codes will have to include an area code with every local call - known as 10-digit dialing.

Phone customers, including landline and mobile phones, with numbers in the affected Michigan area codes above must dial 10 digits for all local calls. Calls that don't include an area code will not be completed. Instead, a recording may inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed. If you receive this recording, you must hang up and dial again using the area code with the 7-digit telephone number. That day also marks the end of the permissive dialing period that began in April, during which calls dialed with either 7 digits or 10 digits would still be completed.

In many area codes across the country, including in Michigan, 988 is already used as the prefix, or first three digits after the area code of a customer's telephone number. In order for 988 to dial directly to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, any area code that includes the 988 prefix must transition from 7-digit dialing (dialing without the area code) to 10-digit dialing (area code with the telephone number). In Michigan, that means every customer in the 616, 810, 906, and 989 area codes must make the transition. Customers in other Michigan area codes aren't affected by these changes.

Important safety and security equipment, such as medical alert devices and alarm and security systems must be programmed to use 10-digit dialing by Oct. 24. Many systems operate on 10-digit dialing by default, but some older equipment may still use 7 digits. Contact your medical alert or security provider if you are not sure whether your equipment needs to be reprogrammed to accommodate the upcoming change to 10-digit local dialing.

Other examples of services that may need to be re-programmed are:

life safety systems or medical monitoring devices

PBX business telephone systems

fax machines

internet dial-up numbers

fire or burglar alarm and security systems or gates

speed dialers

mobile or other wireless phone contact lists

call forwarding settings, and

voicemail services and other similar functions.

Be sure to check your website, personal and business stationery, advertising materials, personal and business checks, contact information, personal or pet ID tags and other such items to ensure the area code is included.

The requirement to include an area code is in preparation for the rollout of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in 2022. The Federal Communications Commission in July 2020 designated 988 as the abbreviated dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources, and best practices for professionals. The FCC's order requires all telecommunications carriers, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and one-way VoIP providers (covered providers) to make any network changes necessary to ensure that users can dial 988 to reach the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022. Until then, customers should continue to dial 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) to contact the Lifeline.

What will not change?

Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change.

The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change.

A local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.

You will continue to dial 1 plus the area code and the telephone number for all long-distance calls.

You will continue to dial a prefix such as 9 when dialing from a multi-line telephone system (in a hotel or office building, for example) as required.

You can still dial just three digits to reach 711 for relay services and 911 for emergency services.

If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 or 811 are currently available in your community, you may still dial these codes with just three digits.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can still be reached by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) even after the 988 code is in effect.

You may visit the website of the North American Numbering Plan Administrator or email NANPA at 988@nanpa.com with questions about the dialing procedure change. Or you may visit the FCC's website. You may also contact your local provider with questions.

For more information, read the MPSC's Consumer Tip on 988 and 10-digit dialing.

For information about the MPSC, visit www.michigan.gov/mpsc, sign up for its monthly newsletter or other listservs, or follow the Commission on Twitter or LinkedIn.

# # #
Department of State suspends South Lyon driver education provider

Department of State suspends South Lyon driver education provider

OCTOBER 21, 2021

The Michigan Department of State suspended the operations of Around Town Driving School in South Lyon after an investigation and charges by Oakland County law enforcement resulted in a court order temporarily barring the business owner from having, or causing any third party to have, direct or indirect contact with minors under the age of 18 years old.

Steven Kimler, owner and operator of Around Town, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for conduct that allegedly occurred while operating the business. The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office charged Kimler after a customer complained to local law enforcement and the Oakland County Sherriff's Office investigated.

Kimler may request an administrative hearing to contest the MDOS summary suspension order. Additional administrative actions are also possible.

Consumers who have a non-criminal complaint against Around Town Driving School or any driver education provider are encouraged to file it using this form. Allegations of criminal activity should be directed to local law enforcement.

# # #

For media questions, contact

Aneta Kiersnowski at KiersnowskiA@Michigan.gov

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 Whitmer Celebrates Michigan Winning Economic Development Award

Governor Whitmer Celebrates Michigan Winning Economic Development Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 21, 2021

Contact: Press@Michigan.gov

Governor Whitmer Celebrates Michigan Winning Economic Development Award

$1 million federal grant will build on state's economic momentum, helping to create more good-paying jobs and uplift small businesses and communities

LANSING, Mich. - Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer celebrated the State of Michigan winning a $1 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA). The funds will flow into the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF), where they can be deployed to tackle a wide range of economic challenges faced by communities, from infrastructure, job training, small business support, and more.

"Today's grant will build on the bipartisan budget I signed and the MI New Economy plan I proposed to put Michiganders first and uplift families, communities, and small businesses," said Governor Whitmer. "I am laser-focused on tackling the big, structural economic challenges we face and will work with anyone to drive down costs for families, put more people on a path to prosperity, and invest in critical infrastructure. Together, we can usher in a new era of prosperity for our state while continuing to deliver on the kitchen-table fundamental issues."

Budget

Last month, the governor signed the Fiscal Year 2022 budget bill that delivers more resources to state police to help them hire more troopers and expand and improve training. The latest budget also invests in 911 system upgrades and delivers on the kitchen-table fundamental issues that make our communities stronger: putting 167,000 Michiganders on a tuition-free path to higher-education or skills training, expanding low or no-cost childcare to 105,000 kids, repairing or replacing 100 bridges while creating 2,500 jobs, and more.

Earlier this year, Governor Whitmer and legislature worked together to put Michigan students first and passed the largest significant education investment in state history, closing the funding gap between schools in Michigan and including a historic amount of resources for schools to hire more nurses, counselors, and social workers. Early investments in mental and social health help reduce crime in the long run.

MI New Economy

At the Mackinac Policy Conference, the governor laid out her $2.1 billion MI New Economy plan to grow Michigan's middle class, support small businesses and invest in communities.

The plan recognizes a strong economy isn't only about creating jobs but requires a focus on our state's people and communities as well. That's why MI New Economy has three pillars, each of which has specific and ambitious goals that will help state officials track progress on efforts to build a stronger and more resilient Michigan.

Pillar 1: Grow the Middle Class - No economic vision for the state can be complete if it doesn't focus on eliminating poverty and lifting families into the middle class. MI New Economy would expand Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners to put more people on a tuition-free path to a good-paying, grow the Going Pro credential program to address the skills gap, and strengthen the college to industry pipeline. The goal is to lift 100,000 families out of working poverty and meet Michigan's Sixty by 30 goal to have 60% of adults earn a postsecondary credential by 2030.

Pillar 2: Support Small Business - To supplement the great economic development work our state already does, Michigan needs a focus on creating and growing more Main Street businesses. MI New Economy would enact the Michigan Mainstreet Initiative to give grants to our smallest businesses and entrepreneurs, invest in start-ups and electric vehicles, and help employers in emerging industries attract and retain talent. The goal is to become a top 10 state for small business job growth, household income growth, and venture capital funding over the next five years.

Pillar 3: Build Strong Communities - Michigan's residents deserve to live in vibrant communities with the kinds of services and amenities associated with a high standard of living. MI New Economy would build affordable housing units, rehabilitate vacant buildings, redevelop brownfield sites, and dedicate resources to create more energy-efficient homes. The goal is to build 75,000 new or rehabilitated housing units and have 100% access to high-speed internet in the next five years.

###
I dont typically celebrate a surprise work assignment, especially when it occurs on my weekend off.

However, the other day I received a request from a colleague. It seemed there was an event that was happening in the Upper Thumb and although the company was asked to be present, none of my colleagues were able to attend.

The assignment was right up my alley and I spent all of last week looking forward to it. I talked about it, bragged and boasted about it. I was really geeked up, even if it meant I was giving up my Sunday.

As the day approached, I decided it would be proper for me to look slightly more presentable than a Sasquatch, so I even went and paid someone to cut my hair. Typically I sport one of two hairstyles  overgrown and curling around my ears  or a fresh self-buzz cut. I havent paid for a haircut in more than two years, and have probably only paid for a half dozen in my adult life.

This was my dream assignment and no expense would be spared in being ready for it.

I strolled into town a half hour early, which is basically right on schedule for me. About 10 minutes before I had to be there, I went strolling up to Thumb Brewery and introduced myself.

Are you one of the judges? the hostess asked.

I nodded, but internally I said you bet your bottom dollar, I am.

I was recruited to represent MI Brew Trail  a Michigan craft beer magazine published by Hearst  as a judge in Thumb Brewerys Home Brew competition. As a beer enthusiast, this was my dream job.

Because this was my first time being an official beer judge, instead of just a judgmental consumer, I decided I had best beef up on some of my knowledge. So in the days leading up to the event I watched dozens of hours of programming on YouTube and did an abundance of reading online.

I spent the next four hours with five other judges examining, smelling and tasting dozens of beers crafted by people far more skilled than myself.

The first beer was delicious. I could see myself sitting outside, with my feet kicked up, enjoying a cold crisp pint.

However, then came beer number two, three, four, and etc.

I had no idea how confusing and exhausting judging a beer competition would be. My job was to judge the beer, but I couldnt help but think about the person that spent hours crafting it, even if it tasted horrible to me. Obviously it was a labor of love for them.

Then I also had moments where I doubted my taste buds, or questioned if my nose was lying to me. How could something smell like chocolate and bananas, but taste like something completely different?

Going into the event I had legitimate concerns about my ability to drive after I left. However, after the event I was left realizing I only swallowed about a 1/4 cup of beer over the course of four hours. That made me realize in the event I was pulled over, I would have to explain my I smelled like beer but was sober enough to drive.

I promise officer, I am OK to drive. I just spent the last four hours tasting beer, but not drinking it.

Saying something like that would get me locked away in the loony bin.

At the end of the day, I was extremely honored to be selected as a judge. It was a fun experience, but probably not one I will be rushing to replicate anytime soon. I would rather stick to judging people under my breath.

Scott Nunn is the assistant editor of the Huron Daily Tribune. Nunn's qualifications for being a food critic are extensive. Nunn can be reached at scott.nunn@hearstnp.com.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The White House and Democrats are hurriedly reworking key aspects of President Joe Bidens $2 trillion domestic policy plan, trimming the social services and climate change programs and rethinking new taxes on corporations and the wealthy to pay for a scaled-back package.

The changes come as Biden more forcefully appeals to the American public, including in a televised town hall Thursday, for what he says are the middle-class values at the heart of his proposal.

Biden mentioned during the evening event the challenge he faces in wrangling the sharply divergent factions in the Democratic party to agree to the final contours of the bill. With an evenly divided Senate, he can't afford to lose a single vote, and he is navigating the competing demands of progressives, who want major investments in social services, and centrists, who want to see the price tag on the package come down.

When youre president of the United States, you have 50 Democrats  every one is a president. Every single one. So you gotta work things out, he said during a CNN town hall.

Still, he expressed optimism about the process, saying I think so when asked if Democrats were close to a deal.

It's all about compromise. Compromise has become a dirty word, but bipartisanship and compromise still has to be possible, he said.

Biden later said the discussions are down to four or five issues."

On one issue  the taxes to pay for the package  the White House idea seemed to be making headway with a new strategy of abandoning plans for reversing Trump-era tax cuts in favor of an approach that would involve taxing the investment incomes of billionaires to help finance the deal.

Biden has faced resistance from key holdouts, in particular Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who has not been on board with her partys plan to undo President Donald Trumps tax breaks for big corporations or individuals earning more than $400,000 a year.

The president was unusually forthcoming Thursday night about the sticking points in the negotiations with Sinema and another key Democrat, conservative Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

While the president said Sinema will not raise a single penny in taxes on the wealthy or corporations, a White House official later clarified that the president was referring to raising the top tax rates, not the range of tax proposals which Senator Sinema supports.

Biden said Manchin doesnt want to rush the transition to clean energy so quickly it will result in major job losses in his coal-producing state.

Even as he seemed encouraged by progress, Biden acknowledged major reductions to his original vision. He signaled the final plan would no longer provide free community college, but said he hoped to increase Pell Grants to compensate for the loss of the policy.

Its not going to get us the whole thing, but it is a start, he said.

He also said that what had been envisioned as a federally paid, months-long family leave program would be just four weeks.

As long-sought programs are adjusted or eliminated, Democratic leaders are working to swiftly wrap up talks, possibly in the days ahead.

Talks between the White House and Democratic lawmakers are focused on reducing what had been a $3.5 trillion package to about $2 trillion, in what would be an unprecedented federal effort to expand social services for millions and address the rising threat of climate change.

We have a goal. We have a timetable. We have milestones, and weve met them all, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who predicted Thursday, It will pass soon.

An abrupt change of course came late Wednesday when the White House floated new ways to pay for parts of the proposal.

Biden himself signaled flexibility on the tax provisions of the bill, as long as it's paid for and it doesn't increase taxes on those earning $400,000 or less.

Im willing to make sure that we pay for everything," he said when pressed on what tax proposal he'd support.

The newly proposed tax provisions, though, are likely to sour progressives and even some moderate Democrats who have long campaigned on scrapping the Republican-backed 2017 tax cuts that many believe unduly reward the wealthy and cost the government untold sums in lost revenue at a time of gaping income inequality. Many are furious that perhaps a lone senator could stymie that goal.

The chairman of the tax-writing Ways & Means Committee, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., said he spoke for more than 30 minutes with the centrist Arizona senator, whose closely held views are a mystery to her colleagues.

I said, Kyrsten, you and I both know this has got to pass. She said: I couldnt agree more, Neal told reporters at the Capitol.

Sinema's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Under existing law passed in 2017, the corporate tax rate is 21%. Democrats had proposed raising it to 26.5% for companies earning more than $5 million a year. The top individual income tax rate would go from 37% to 39.6% for those earning more than $400,000, or $450,000 for married couples.

Under the changes being floated the corporate rate would not change. But the revisions would not be all positive for big companies and the wealthy.

The White House is reviving the idea of a minimum corporate tax rate, similar to the 15% rate Biden had proposed this year. That's even for companies that say they had no taxable income  a frequent target of Biden, who complains they pay zero in taxes.

The new tax on the wealthiest individuals would be modeled on legislation from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He has proposed taxing stock gains of people with more than $1 billion in assets  fewer than 1,000 Americans.

Other tax options are also being considered, and Democrats are almost certain to include a provision to beef up the Internal Revenue Service to go after tax dodgers.

Biden and his party are trying to shore up middle-class households, tackle climate change and stem the trend toward rising income inequality.

In the mix are at least $500 billion to battle climate change, $350 billion for child care subsidies and free prekindergarten, a one-year extension of the $300 monthly child tax credit put in place during the COVID-19 crisis, and money for health care provided through the Affordable Care Act and Medicare.

The president especially wants to advance the legislation by the time he departs next week for a global climate summit in Scotland.

Manchin has made clear he opposes the president's initial energy plan, which was to have the government impose penalties on electric utilities that fail to meet clean energy benchmarks and provide financial rewards to those that do.

Instead, Biden is focused on providing at least $500 billion in tax credits, grants and loans for energy producers that reach emission-reduction goals.

Democrats also want to add funding to provide dental, vision and hearing aid benefits to people on Medicare proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

___

Associated Press writers Alex Jaffe, Kevin Freking and Josh Boak contributed to this report.
PRAGUE (AP)  The Czech Republic on Wednesday approved several new measures to tame a steep rise in coronavirus infections, which have reached levels unseen since late April.

Face coverings will be mandatory at workplaces, starting on Monday. And as of Nov 1, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and other indoor places will need to check whether the patrons have the required COVID-19 certificate confirming they have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from the virus.

The government also decided to limit the time for which negative tests are valid. The national health insurance also will not cover the costs of coronavirus tests now for non-medical purposes such as traveling or visiting restaurants, in an effort to prod more people to get vaccinated.

The Czech Republic's day-to-day increase in new COVID-19 cases reached 3,246 on Tuesday, more than double the cases a week ago. It was the highest number since April 20, the Health Ministry said Wednesday. The new infections surpassed 100 per 100,000 people in seven days with 117 positive cases.

The spike in COVID-19 infections has been accompanied by increasing numbers of people who need hospitalization and rising COVID-19 deaths. A total of 620 COVID-19 patients were in Czech hospitals on Tuesday, with about 100 of them in serious condition. That is more than twice as many as two weeks ago.

In last seven days, 51 people have died of COVID-19.

The Czech Republic has been one of the hardest hit of the European Union's 27 countries in the pandemic, with 1.7 million confirmed COVID-19 infections and 30,574 deaths.

Only just over 6 million have been fully vaccinated in the nation of 10.7 million, which is below the EU average.

___

Follow all AP stories on the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
New photography studio opening in Pigeon Amanda Scott is moving her studio operations to a place she considers to be straight out of...

Tom Lounsbury: In search of the ultimate hunting revolver ... The person who most influenced the writer's deep affection for handgun hunting was the late Larry...
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, led the floor debate along with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the panel. Still, the vote was 229-202 with all but nine GOP lawmakers who voted saying no."

The House vote sends the matter to the U.S. attorneys office in Washington, where it will now be up to prosecutors in that office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges. It's still uncertain whether they will pursue the case  Attorney General Merrick Garland would only say at a House hearing on Thursday that they plan to make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution.

The partisan split over Bannon's subpoena  and over the committee's investigation in general  is emblematic of the raw tensions that still grip Congress nine months after the Capitol attack.

Democrats have vowed to comprehensively probe the assault in which hundreds of Trump's supporters battered their way past police, injured dozens of officers and interrupted the electoral count certifying President Joe Biden's November victory. Lawmakers on the panel say they will move swiftly and forcefully to punish anyone who wont cooperate with the probe.

We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because our work is too important, Thompson said ahead of the vote.

Republicans call it a witch hunt, say it is a waste of time and argue that Congress should be focusing on more important matters.

Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, leading the GOP opposition on the floor, called the probe an illicit criminal investigation into American citizens and said Bannon is a Democrat party boogeyman.

Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger are the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel, and both have openly criticized Trump and his role in fomenting the insurrection while the majority of House Republicans have remained silent in the face of Trump's falsehoods about massive fraud in the election. Trump's claims were rejected by election officials, courts across the country and by his own attorney general.

The Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend the contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel last week, citing a letter from Trumps lawyer that directed him not to answer questions. The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack, and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that all hell is going to break loose."

Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them.

Mr. Bannons own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of -- and may well have been involved in -- the planning of everything that played out on that day, Cheney said ahead of the vote. The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did.

Joining Cheney and Kinzinger in voting to hold Bannon in contempt were Republican Reps. Peter Meijer and Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington.

Mace, who represents a political swing district, told reporters after the vote that she wants to maintain the power of subpoenas for future Republican majorities.

I want the power to subpoena, when we start investigating some of the crises that are facing the Biden administration right now, she said, mentioning immigration and the withdrawal from from Afghanistan.

Biden himself invoked the insurrection and linked it to the nations turbulent history as he marked the 10th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall.

Were confronting the stains of what remains a deep stain in the soul of the nation: hate and white supremacy, Biden said, describing what he said is a line in American history from slavery to the present day.

In a violent, deadly insurrection on the Capitol nine months ago  it was about white supremacy in my view, he said.

Biden, who had previously said the Justice Department should prosecute those who ignore congressional subpoenas, apologized Thursday for appearing to interfere with the agency's decisions in comments last week.

I should have chosen my words more wisely," Biden said during a CNN town hall. "I did not, have not and will not pick up the phone and call the attorney general and tell him what he should or should not do.

Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will pursue the charges, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress power to call witnesses and demand information.

While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries.

Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is on the line.

The stakes are enormous, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said. "What were talking about is this massive, violent assault on American democracy.

If the Justice Department doesn't prosecute, the House has other options, including a civil lawsuit. That could also take years but would force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court.

The lingering acrimony over the insurrection, and the Bannon subpoena, flared Wednesday at a House Rules Committee hearing held to set the parameters of Thursdays debate. Under intense questioning from Raskin, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who defended Trump and opposed the Bannon contempt effort, said he accepted that Biden is the president but would not say that Biden won the election.

Raskin said, I know that might work on Steve Bannons podcast, but thats not going to work in the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Gaetz. Im sorry."

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Alan G and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.
With construction half complete on the Huntington Bank branch in Sanford, officials are expecting it to open by late January.

Huntington Bank Great Lakes Bay Regional President Seth Perigo said the bank employees know what the area has suffered, and they want to work with the community on its unique needs.

When the new bank is erected at 256 W. Saginaw, it will replace the former Chemical Bank that was demolished last summer due to flooding. Within a short span of time, Chemical Bank was retired and bought by TCF, which later merged with Huntington Bank, based in Columbus, Ohio.

Sanford Village President Dolores Porte said the community hopes that the new bank will offer the same type of small-community footprint that residents previously enjoyed.

We look forward to them reopening and having a local branch, Porte said.

Perigo, who remembers the day the dams broke, said the financial institution wants to be a part of the community. He said the resurgence of Sanford is an amazing story.

Were really excited and want to do our part in the community, Perigo said. We all want to help the Sanford community.

Huntington Bank, which leads the way four years in a row in small business loans by volume, works with many customers to secure loans, including women, minorities, and veterans. Perigo said they offer loans for as little as $1,000 and as much as $150,000 in some loan programs.

Perigo said his employees understand what the community needs from a bank.

Were ready to stand up and be that bank, Perigo said.

In addition, customers will be working with many, if not all, of the samebank staff they worked with before at Chemical Bank. The employees have been working at other branches while the Sanford branch is being built.

Perigo said its important to have a face in the community. He said the banks local headquarters is in downtown Midland. He said that bank staff are leaders in the community.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  A police superintendent in Jamaica told The Associated Press on Thursday that authorities have arrested a Colombian man they believe is a suspect in the July 7 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.

Officials were still making calls to different embassies and ministers of foreign affairs to confirm details, Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay said.

She said police would release more information soon.

More than 40 suspects have been arrested so far in the presidential slaying, including 18 former Colombian soldiers and several Haitian police officers. Colombian authorities have said the majority of soldiers did not know the true nature of the operation.

Haitian authorities have said the mastermind behind the killing and the person or persons who financed it are still at large. Police say they also are looking for other people accused of involvement in the killing, including a former Haitian senator and Joseph Badio, who once worked for Haitis Ministry of Justice and at the governments anti-corruption unit until he was fired in May amid accusations of violating unspecified ethical rules.

Moise was fatally shot at his private home in a pre-dawn attack in which his wife, Martine Moise, was wounded.

The investigation into the killing has faced multiple obstacles and led to the dismissal of a justice minister and the chief prosecutor for the capital of Port-au-Prince. The first judge assigned to oversee the investigation stepped down in August citing personal reasons. He left after one of his assistants died in unclear circumstances.

Court clerks who were helping investigate the killing also have gone into hiding after receiving death threats if they didnt change certain names and statements in their reports.

The presidential killing shocked the nation of more than 11 million people and has deepened the country's political instability, with protesters on Thursday calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry as they decried a spike in crime and demanded better living conditions.

Henry recently told AP that he expects to hold presidential and legislative elections next year.
For most members of law enforcement and fire departments, there is no ordinary day. But five in Midland County showed what they were made of during some very out-of-the-ordinary times.

Five such men were honored Tuesday during the 55th annual Carl & Esther Gerstacker 2021 Law Enforcement/Firefighter of the Year Awards Banquet hosted by the Midland Exchange Club at the Midland Country Club.

The event honored Charles Brown and Tyler Hollingsworth of the Midland Police Department, Lt. Marty Doolan of the Midland County Sheriffs Office, Midland firefighter Justin Fox, and Midland County Firefighter and Jerome Township Fire Chief Jerry Cole.

There was a moment of silence and honorary mention of Tim Longlet, a Midland firefighter who was laid to rest earlier Tuesday. He was remembered as a great firefighter, mentor, and friend.

Midland Exchange Club President Danielle Blackhurst said this is her favorite event of the year.

Midland Police Chief Nicole Ford recalled last Christmas Eve night, when officers Charles Brown and Tyler Hollingsworth responded to a domestic dispute. The encounter included the suspect going to a garage and pouring gas on himself, thus setting all three men on fire. Brown and Hollingsworth extinguished the flames on themselves and then on the suspect.

They were both heroic, Ford said of the officers.

Brown returned to work after healing from his injuries and Hollingsworth has undergone multiple surgeries on his left hand.

Ford said this was not the only time the officers went above and beyond.

Brown said, My goal each day is that everyone I work with will go home to their loved ones.

Hollingsworth, with his hand bandaged, joked there must have been some slim pickings for the award because he was gone from the department for six months of the year.

He talked about the safety of Midland, adding that tragedy and critical incidents are prevented by swift actions. Many times, people dont know what could have occurred because it was prevented. Yet, he notes sometimes there is no avoiding tragedy.

Ive learned the strength of the human spirit, Hollingsworth said.

Midland County Sheriff Myron Greene presented Lt. Marty Doolan with his award.

We are not successful if not for our staff, Greene said.

He said Doolan has served as a corrections officer, undercover drug detective, accident investigator, taser instructor and more.

He has been a role model for those under his command, Greene said.

Doolan said he was humbled to be chosen.

In introducing Midland firefighter Justin Fox, Midland Fire Chief Chris Coughlin noted that earlier Tuesday they laid to rest Longlet, who was one of Foxs mentors. Coughlin said Fox joined the department in 2008 and is a rock solid firefighter.

He serves the community tirelessly, Coughlin said, also deeming Fox compassionate and well respected.

I cant say enough about his performance, the chief added.

Fox asked the audience to take a moment of silence for Longlet.

Fox later said he chose to be a firefighter because he wanted a job with action where he could help people.

Lisa Hall, 911 Director, talked about how Midland County Firefighter of the Year, Jerome Township Fire Chief Jerry Cole, was still fresh on his job when the dams broke. She said he was still wrapping his head around the new job when chaos broke loose.

If he was stressed on the inside, he never showed it on the outside, Hall said, noting that Cole showed grit, positivity, commitment, and creativity.

Post the dam failures, she said shes thankful the chief didnt turn in his badge. Instead, he was in the forefront working on recovery and rebuilding his hometown.

I dont know who that guy is, but Id like to meet him, Cole joked.

Cole said the award was special to him, saying that his dad received the same award in 1997 when he was fire chief.

Midland County Board of Commissioners Chair Mark Bone thanked all the public servants.

You are on the frontline, you keep us safe, he said. Im proud of you. What you guys do is amazing.

Cole said he was overwhelmed and proud to share the evening with the other recipients. He also noted how important family is in this job.

No one can do this job without their family support, he said, standing next to his wife of 47 years, Bethany.

Cole and the other award winners all thanked their wives and significant others for supporting them. Those women were recognized by Midland Area Community Foundations Sharon Mortensen, who presented them with checks for supporting their partners in doing the important works.
NIAMEY, Niger (AP)  Six members of Niger's national guard have been killed and several others were injured and are missing after an armed attack on a convoy in the country's western Tillaberi region, the government said Thursday.

Rebels armed with rifles and rocket launchers and riding motorcycles intercepted the convoy about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the town of Bankilare, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
MIDDLETOWN New Horizons Domestic Violence Services and the Community Health Center have teamed up to host the seventh annual Walk to End the Silence in an effort to raise awareness about intimate partner violence.

In past years, the event has consisted of a group walk near the end of October, with all participants walking the same route together. This year, the event is being held in an alternative, hybrid format, according to Alyssa Martin, program director of New Horizons Domestic Violence Services.

Participants can walk a designated path in Middletown or a route of their choosing, all on their own time.

Martin was joined by other members of CHC Staff on Wednesday morning to walk the trail in Middletown.

It went well, Martin said. Its a very pretty area.

The designated walking path in Middletown begins and ends at 169 Cross St. near the Middletown Fire Department Station 2. It includes Long Lane and Wadsworth and Pine streets, and is clearly marked with signs.

Martin said the event began as a response to the 2015 incident where a father dropped his infant son off of the Arrigoni Bridge, adding that Aaden Moreno is one of many victims of abuse that this event is meant to honor.

We walk to honor his memory and the memory of others, Martin said.

Tony Moreno was convicted and sentenced to 70 years in prison in 2017.

The event is held every year to celebrate survivors of of intimate partner violence in Middlesex county and beyond, Martin said.

New Horizons defines intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, as a pattern of abusive and coercive behaviors that abusers use to control their intimate partners, according to its website. Anyone can be a victim or perpetrator of domestic violence, it said.

According to statistics provided by New Horizons, more than 200,000 phone calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines every year, and in Connecticut, one out of every three criminal court cases involves domestic violence.

Its something that we need to continue to raise awareness about, Martin said.

A registration fee of $20 will be used to fund services offered by New Horizons, including an emergency shelter, food and basic necessities, court advocacy and support, individual or group therapy, and counseling, community education initiatives and more.

So far, just under $1,300 has been raised, according to the CHCs fundraising page.

Anyone interested has until the end of October to participate. To register, go to the to New Horizons website. Organizers ask that all walkers wear purple, and share photos or posts to social media while on their walk using #WTES2021 and by tagging @NewHorizonsDV.

For information on domestic violence, visit newhorizonsdv.com.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden on Thursday tied his legislative priorities on voting rights, police reform and climate change to Martin Luther King Jr.s push for racial justice as he marked the 10th anniversary of the opening of the civil rights leaders memorial on the National Mall.

Biden, introduced by Vice President Kamala Harris, sought to reassure his supporters that he wouldn't let up the fight as he works to muscle his massive social spending bill through a divided Congress. Invoking King, Biden said the country was still working to live up to its ideals as a nation and had reached an inflection point on issues including fighting voting restrictions.

I know that progress does not come fast enough, Biden said. It never has.

But he reiterated that protecting the right to vote was central to his administration. I know the stakes. You know the stakes. This is far from over," he said.

Biden spoke at the memorial a day after Senate Republicans blocked debate on Democrats elections legislation that they tout as a powerful counterweight to new voting restrictions passing in conservative-controlled states. Biden has promised to push for the legislation, but supporters are growing impatient that he has not embraced changing Senate rules to end the filibuster to break through the logjam.

Speaking during a CNN town hall Thursday night, Biden said those calling for a change to the filibuster make a very good point and predicted potentially eliminating the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation and maybe more.

Were gonna have to move to the point where we fundamentally alter the filibuster, he said.

He also said during the town hall that his greatest regret was that his work on the COVID-19 relief bill and his infrastructure and social safety net spending packages has prevented me from getting deep up to my ears in dealing with police reform and voting rights, which he said he would focus on when he's done with his spending bills.

Highlighting his agenda of social spending, which remains the subject of heated intraparty negotiations, Biden said during his remarks at the memorial that the bill would cut prescription drug costs, reduce poverty and fight housing discrimination.

We can afford to do this, Biden said. We cant afford not to do this.

Biden is hoping to rally Democrats around an agreement on that legislation before he departs for an international climate summit next week.

The memorial was dedicated in the fall of 2011 and is the first honor for an African American on the National Mall. Located on Independence Avenue along the Tidal Basin, the memorial features a huge likeness of King carved out of stone and a separate wall etched with some of his most notable quotes.

Recalling the struggles of King's time, Biden said in his speech that white nationalism still poses a threat to the nation and that, in his view, it inspired the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Biden said people of his generation always thought that hate would go away.

But it doesnt," he said. "It only hides until some seemingly legitimate person breathes some oxygen under the rocks where theyre hiding and gives it some breath.

In a reference to former President Donald Trump, Biden said, We had a president who appealed to the prejudice. He added, We cannot and must not give hate any safe harbor.

Harris, for her part, praised King as a prophet and said the monument is dedicated to a man who lived among us.

This monument, whatever your age, is dedicated to a man whose voice we still hear, whose words still echo not only across this city, but throughout our country and our world, she added.

___

Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
5 1 of 5 Cassandra Day / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Cassandra Day / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Hearst Connecticut Media file photo Show More Show Less 5 of 5









PORTLAND  A fire at the former Elmcrest Hospital site that broke out early Wednesday morning caused extensive damage to the property located just over the Arrigoni Bridge, officials said.

Portland fire crews were called to a blaze at 69 Marlborough St., also known as Routes 66 and 17, around 4:20 a.m. Upon arrival, they found a structure at the rear of the property on fire, according to Portland Fire Chief Robert Shea.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Virginia's Supreme Court won't reconsider its decision to allow the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was cut into pieces and hauled away from Richmonds Monument Avenue weeks ago.

The court on Thursday denied a motion for rehearing and a motion for clarification and all relief requested. Property owners who failed to block the removal filed the motion last month, alleging the justices made several fundamental errors in their Sept. 2 decision.
NEW HAVEN  The number of employees in danger of losing their jobs in the Yale New Haven Health System continues to drop, with 86 staffers now either having been terminated or in the process, officials said Wednesday.

Dr. Ohm Deshpande, associate chief clinical officer, said during an online news briefing that of 94 employees who had not been vaccinated as of Monday, eight of them actually got vaccinated at the last minute or submitted vaccination cards.

He said as of Wednesday morning, 49 employees had been let go and 37 were in the process, though some of them may be getting vaccinated as well. He said 0.2 percent of the health systems more than 28,000 employees have not gotten vaccinated, which is really, I think, a wonderful place to be. Obviously, were not happy when anyone leaves the organization when theyre valuable employees, but this is actually a pretty good story.

Deshpande said anyone who has been terminated may return if they get vaccinated and were happy to have them back.

He said while there are just 51 COVID-19 patients in the systems five hospitals, our hospitals are more than full. Our clinical staffs are stressed beyond belief. CEO Marna Borgstrom said 24 of the 51 patients were in intensive care and 18 of those were on ventilators.

She said 29 patients were in Yale New Haven Hospital, six in Bridgeport Hospital, two in Greenwich Hospital and seven each in Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London and Westerly Hospital in Rhode Island.

Deshpande said the health system is only giving boosters for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but we expect that by the end of today there will be boosters approved for both Moderna and J&J, referring to Johnson & Johnson, and it seems from the current reports that it is likely that there will be some version of permission given to mix and match vaccines, specifically giving mRNA vaccine to someone who got a J&J.

Pfizer and Moderna are mRNA vaccines while Johnson & Johnson triggers the body to create antibodies by delivering part of the coronavirus DNA that creates the spike protein.

Deshpande said about 20 percent of employees eligible to receive the Pfizer booster have gotten it. Thats not because of supply. Thats simply because of demand, he said. And I think were seeing that across the board that while there are folks that are very excited to get boosters, the response is not nearly the same as what we saw in the beginning of the year when we were all getting our initial vaccines.

Deshpande said its possible that giving an mRNA booster to someone who received a J&J vaccine might give more protection. But thats been conjecture, he said. So weve really been waiting for some specific data, and over the last month or so some data has come to light. One in particular showed that the level of antibody response when someone who got the J&J vaccine initially got an mRNA vaccine was considerably higher than if they got another dose of the J&J vaccine.

He said there are many caveats but it does look like mixing mRNA vaccines with J&J is likely to be more effective, although the proof is in the pudding.

Borgstrom said health system officials are concerned about staff shortages but not because of COVID mandates. What were seeing is a supply problem. Just as in other fields, everybody has many open positions and many fewer people seeking interviews and jobs. So were concerned just like every other employer, but we do not believe that the mandate for vaccination has made that problem any more acute for us.

Deshpande said the health system has experienced supply shortages in some areas, but from a PPE standpoint we are in good shape by being creative where we get them, stockpiling.

Deshpande said Halloween trick-or-treating should be safe if children stay outside. Dont go inside. Avoid throngs of people crushed elbow to elbow. Its a fairly low-risk activity. He said plastic costume masks do not protect against the virus and its best to wear the proper surgical-type masks.

He said it is not clear how colder weather will affect the number of infections. Initially we thought that it was just a slam dunk that when we are spending more time inside the infection rates will go up, and I think theres some component to it, he said.

But the other weird thing that weve seen over the past 20 months is that  every two months theres a peak and a valley, so I think its hard to say, he said. A lot of it depends on how prevalent is the virus in our community at that time.  I dont think its a foregone conclusion that its going to be a particularly bad winter and it certainly will not be anything like we experienced in December and January of last year.

Meanwhile, a study by the Yale School of Public Health has found that if everyone were either vaccinated or previously had a case of COVID, unvaccinated people could expect to be reinfected every 16 to 17 months.

Jeffrey Townsend, a professor of biostatistics and evolutionary biology, said it is too early in the pandemic to be able to know for sure how easily people can become reinfected, but said, if nothing more were done to vaccinate the population, we would see reinfections on a year and a half sort of time scale, but ranging from three months to five years.

In other words, someone could catch COVID a second time in three months and a third time in five years, he said. The time would vary just like it does for other viral illnesses.

Data from several common cold viruses, SARS and MERS were used to estimate the reinfection time. Were looking at the most closely related ones. Theyre sisters basically, Townsend said. He said the researchers compared what we know about the waning antibodies with SARS-CoV-2 with what we know about reinfection with common cold coronaviruses and others.

He said COVIDs reinfection rate appears to be a little shorter than the others. It applies to people who have not been vaccinated, Townsend said. However, those who have been vaccinated may become infected as time passes, as well.

Time after time when weve made vaccines ... weve typically not been able to make a vaccine that has a different durability of immunity than natural infection, Townsend said. If our history of vaccine making has a lesson for us, we can expect infection following vaccination on similar time scales.

He added that while evolutionary biology primarily looks at how things evolved, this is a really nice example of an occasion where we were able to use evolutionary biology in an important way.

The study was published in The Lancet Microbe on Oct. 1.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382
NEW YORK (AP)  A neurologist already facing charges that he raped patients in New York and New Jersey was arrested on new federal charges Wednesday alleging that he was a serial, sexual abuser of women who went to him for help with debilitating chronic pain.

An indictment said Dr. Ricardo Cruciani, who specialized in rare pain syndromes, abused multiple patients over 15 years at his offices in New York City, Philadelphia and Hopewell, New Jersey.

It described the doctor, now 63, grooming patients who were dependent on him for care and prescriptions to addictive opioids, turning back rubs and hugs into gradually more invasive physical attacks and sexual demands.

If certain victims refused to engage in sex acts, he retaliated by referring them to another medical provider that would not prescribe the same combinations or quantities of narcotics, the indictment said.

The alleged pattern of abuse in this case is outrageous, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a news release. Doctors like the defendant take an oath to do no harm. It is difficult to imagine conduct more anathema to that oath than exploiting patients vulnerability in order to sexually abuse them.

A lawyer for Cruciani didn't immediately reply to a message seeking comment. Cruciani, who lives in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, was arrested Wednesday morning in Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania, and made an initial appearance Wednesday before a magistrate judge. He was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.

He was under a number of conditions, including being on house detention with location monitoring, surrendering travel documents, and faced a bail amount of $2 million.

The federal charges follow years of public complaints by Cruciani's accusers that authorities in some places weren't taking his crimes seriously, particularly in Philadelphia, where he pleaded guilty to relatively minor misdemeanor groping counts involving seven patients.

Attorney Jeff Fritz, who represents accusers in lawsuits against Cruciani, released statements from two accusers: Hillary Tullin and Tanisha Johnson.

Tullin, who saw Cruciani for years and said she was sexually assaulted repeatedly, said she was deeply grateful to federal prosecutors, who she said had heard the victims and refuse to look the other way as so many others in this case have."

I have longed for the day he would be held accountable for these heinous crimes, said Tullin. It has been nearly four years since state charges were brought against him, yet there is no trial date in sight. It has been a living hell.

Johnson called the federal charges a relief but said that the hospitals which employed Cruciani are equally if not more responsible than him.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, as Tullin and Johnson have done.

Cruciani was charged with five counts of enticing and inducing individuals to travel interstate to engage in illegal sexual activity. Each count carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

The Ivy League-trained neurologist has been free on $1 million bail set in pending state criminal cases in New York and New Jersey.

Manhattan prosecutors charged him in May 2018 with 35 felony counts, including rape and aggravated sexual abuse. The cases have faced a series of continuances and delays. His next court appearance in Manhattan was scheduled for Dec. 9.

According to the federal indictment, Cruciani met with victims alone in an examination room, sometimes behind a locked door, in hospital rooms, a hotel or an apartment.

At times, he conducted purported breast examinations and vaginal exams of certain victims even though he was not a practicing obstetrician or gynecologist, the indictment said.

___

Associated Press Writers Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report. Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea hit back at U.S. criticism over its test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile this week, saying it was rightfully exercising its rights for self-defense and that the weapon doesnt specifically target the United States.

The comments by an unidentified spokesperson of the Norths Foreign Ministry on Thursday came as the U.N. Security Council was set to hold an emergency closed-door meeting over the launch at the request of the United States and the United Kingdom.

Tuesday's launch of a new ballistic missile from a submarine was the North's first test of such weaponry in two years and the most significant demonstration of its military might since President Joe Biden took office.

Washington condemned the launch, which underscored how the North continues to expand its military capabilities amid a freeze in nuclear diplomacy, and called for Pyongyang to engage in sustained and substantive dialogue.

In comments published by Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency, the North Korean spokesperson said its recent test posed no immediate threat to neighboring countries and that there was no need for Washington to agonize over a weapon that doesnt specifically target the United States.

The spokesperson said Pyongyang is truly concerned over what it sees as an abnormal reaction by the United States over a rightful exercise of its rights to defense and described Washingtons efforts to set up the U.N. Security Council meeting as a provocative move.

When doing the recent test-firing, we did not have the U.S. in mind nor aimed at it, but it is the work which had already been planned purely for the defense of the country, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson noted that the United States already possesses submarine-launched ballistic missile systems and said it was exposing its double standards by criticizing the North for pursuing the same weaponry. That only raises the Norths suspicions about the sincerity of the Biden administrations statements that it harbors no hostility toward the North, the spokesperson said.

Ending a months-long lull in September, North Korea has been ramping up its weapons tests while making conditional peace offers to Seoul, reviving a pattern of pressuring South Korea to try to get what it wants from the United States.

Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled for more than two years over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea and the Norths denuclearization steps.

Since his fallout with the Trump administration, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen his nuclear deterrent in face of what he described as U.S. pressure and threats.

His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations open-ended offer to resume talks, saying that Washington must abandon its hostile policy, a term North Korea mainly refers to sanctions and U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises.

North Korea has been pushing hard for years to acquire the ability to fire nuclear-armed missiles from submarines. The submarine missiles are the next key piece in an arsenal that includes a variety of weapons, including ones with the potential range to reach American soil.

Still, experts say it would take years, large amounts of resources and major technological improvements for the heavily sanctioned nation to build at least several submarines that could travel quietly in seas and reliably execute strikes.

Bidens special envoy for North Korea, Sung Kim, is scheduled to meet with U.S. allies in Seoul over the weekend to discuss prospects of reviving talks with North Korea.
HARTFORD  A 52-year-old pedestrian was fatally struck by a vehicle Tuesday morning, according to the Hartford Police Department.

Around 6:46 a.m. Tuesday, Hartford police responded to the 1900 block of Main Street for a crash involving a pedestrian and a car. There, they found a 52-year-old man in the roadway suffering from life-threatening injuries, the police department said.

The man was transported to Hartford Hospital by ambulance and died at 7:26 p.m. Tuesday, according to police.

Police have not released the name of the victim as they are waiting to inform his next of kin.

The driver of the car was at the scene and cooperated in the investigation, police said.

Anyone with information related to this crash should call the Hartford Police Departments Tip Line at 860-722-TIPS (8477).

liz.hardaway@hearst.com
3 1 of 3 Ryan Curley / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 James K. Tripp / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





PORTLAND  After the Republican candidates withdrew from the Social Justice Task Force candidate forum Sept. 9, Democratic first selectman candidate Jim Tripp challenged Republican candidate Ryan Curley to a debate.

Tripp and Curly are in talks to participate in two events, the town clerk said, a virtual one on Zoom Oct. 26 at 7 p.m., and another in person with voters Oct. 30. We should hopefully have an agreement soon. I look forward to directly engaging with voters, Curley said.
PORTLAND  Members of the Portland Democratic Town Committee mailed absentee ballot applications to residents last week, prompting members of the GOP to make a formal complaint to the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

On Tuesday, Portland Republican Town Committee Chairman Tim Lavoy announced plans to file a formal complaint to the SEEC, saying the DTC failed to follow state procedure when it mailed absentee ballot applications to a targeted group of voters without notifying Town Clerk Ryan Curley of the plans.

To those like us, who take seriously both voting and instilling the confidence of voters in the voting process, this is not a small matter, Lavoy said.

He added that DTC actions have caused unnecessary confusion among voters, and will inundate the town clerks office.

Curley said he reached out to both parties, telling them that if they planned to send out more than five absentee ballot applications, they would need to work with him to make sure all the applications are logged properly. The DTC responded, Curley said, telling him they planned to send out more than five.

Curley then sent them serial numbers to use for those applications, but that was the full extent of their interaction.

He said he was not aware that these applications would be mailed out. As town clerk, he added, he is supposed to maintain a log with an exact number of applications sent out, as well as the serial numbers associated with each application. He said Democrats have until Election Day to comply with these rules.

As of right now, I have still yet to receive a full list, Curley said Thursday.

DTC Chairman Brian OConnor released a statement on Facebook saying the party was well within the rules when it sent those ballot applications.

The mailing of absentee ballot applications has been done in many towns across Connecticut by both the Democratic and Republican parties to help people gain access to voting during this period of COVID-19, OConnor said. In strict compliance with guidelines put out by the Secretary of the State, the Portland DTC mailed absentee ballot applications to a targeted group of voters who voted absentee in the past.

He said they maintained a list of who received applications and plan to submit that list to the town clerk, adding that Republicans are aware the actions were lawful, claiming it was an act of voter suppression.

He went on to say that Curley, who is running for first selectman this year, should immediately recuse himself from anything related to the November 2nd election and the handling of absentee ballots moving forward.

Lavoy said that the DTC had the right to send absentee ballot applications, but that it failed to follow proper procedure. He specifically pointed to the states 2020 absentee ballot rules that the town clerk must maintain a complete log of where applications are sent, and that organizations must work with the town clerk when sending out large amounts of applications.

Lavoy said the DTC did not do that, and it resulted in applications being sent to duplicate and incorrect addresses. Had they followed this they could have gotten an updated voter list, Lavoy said. Thus making the office aware to expect a large influx of ballots.

On Thursday, OConnor said he still disputes any claims that the DTC violated rules, calling the accusations baseless lies.

He said that Curley sent him the procedure for sending out absentee ballot applications, and has the DTC followed those guidelines.

To me its pretty clear, OConnor said. We conformed with state law.

OConnor questioned why Curley, as town clerk, did not notify him that the DTC failed to follow procedure. He said that instead he found out about the alleged violation through Lavoys announcement.

Curley said he has no plans to recuse himself from the position, saying people who hold the position of town clerk take their oaths seriously. This is me doing my job. Its not political. I have rules that I have to follow, he said.

Curley has spoken with other town clerks around the state, as well as representatives from the SEEC, and they assured him he had done nothing wrong, he said.

Lavoy said he is not sure whether anything will come of his complaint to the SEEC, but that the intent was to bring the issue to the publics attention.

Gabe Rosenberg, general counsel for the secretary of the state, said when the SEEC receives the complaint, it will be up to the agency whether it takes action.

Only the SEEC can determine if a rule was violated, Rosenberg said.

He said this type of situation happens fairly often, especially in the many towns where the town clerk is an elected position. He said the unusual rules for absentee ballots this year have contributed to this issue.

It does create that awkwardness every time, Rosenberg said. Especially this year, where everyone can vote by absentee.
NEW HAVEN  Dont mess with Gabriela Campos  she might just run against you.

Campos, a persistent, well-spoken divorced mother of three, doesnt think residents are being listened to closely enough by Mayor Justin Elicker and his administration. So she is running a write-in candidacy for mayor to make a statement and continue some conversations she thinks need to take place.

She doesnt expect to win  but shes angry enough to run.

Write-in campaigns are sort of impossible, Campos said. Its not really about getting on the ballot. Its about getting in certain conversations.

Campos, 43, is a onetime union political organizer and current real estate agent who lives in the Morris Cove section  and happens to be the ex-wife of Elickers chief of staff, Sean Matteson, although she said thats not part of her motivation.

She didnt like the way she said the city and the Authority pushed through the Board of Alders recent approval of a new 43-year authority lease that opens the door for airport expansion.

Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

And she especially didnt like it when Elicker, meeting with 80 people  many of them Tweed neighbors against expansion  at Nathan Hale School on Aug 26 told them that for anyone who just wants to see Tweed gone, tough luck.

Those things combined to activate Campos.

A lot of what I used to do is get-out-the-vote campaigns for the unions, she said. When I was a political organizer, I noticed how frustrated people were with the lack of attention they got from people in power.

When Elicker told us tough luck in a neighborhood where really a lot of folks ... work in City Hall ... he didnt care about what those people thought or might be going through, she said.

His attitude has been dismissive toward everyone and everything, Campos said.

The Tweed situation started her thinking, but her decision to run is a protest vote, she said.

I was furious after the Tweed vote, Campos said. The day after the Board of Alders voted to approve this 43-year monstrosity, (Elicker) just stood there at an unrelated event and agreed with everything these Yale kids were saying about how green we were.

Adding more airplanes at Tweed is not green, she said.

But its not him, she said. Hes just a pawn in a system that puts a people like him in those places. ... Its really just the last cries of capitalism.

Elicker responded that if anyone wants to run for mayor, they should run for mayor. Thats important, he said.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Im following my heart and my conscience, Elicker said I find it hard to believe that anyone in this city would doubt my openness and accessibility. Who in this city doesnt have my cellphone number?

He said he has listened to people and made decisions with our team based on that input.

But not every single decision is going to make every single person happy, he said. My job is not to make every single person happy.

Campos said the political process needs to be more fair and inclusive.

Governance needs to be collaborative, she said. We share this land. We share this space. We really need to get along and ... share the space and share food resources.

Born in Lima, Peru, Campos came to the United States as a child and has been here for 32 years, becoming a U.S. citizen a few years ago. Years prior to that, Campos paid cash for her first year at Central Connecticut State University when her residency didnt come through quick enough because I didnt want to miss another year of school, she said.

Ive always been someone who didnt care about the personal consequences if it was the right thing to do, she said this week.

Campos brings the total number of mayoral candidates to four, facing  Elicker, Republican John Carlson and independent candidate Mayce Torres.

She said her decision to oppose Tweed, and now her decision to run a write-in campaign for mayor, have nothing to do with her ex-husband, as some Tweed backers have suggested.

3 1 of 3 Gabriela Campos / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Actually, Ive been quiet for a really long time because my ex-husband has worked for the mayor  actually, the last three mayors, said Campos, who met Matteson when she was doing an internship at AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Together, they are the parents of Liam, 15, Seamus, 14, and Anakin, 9.

I know how to have these conversations  Ive been having these all of my life, Campos said of the conversations she believes are necessary for change to occur. Im just living out on how I was raised to live.

She said she doesnt intend to raise money for her campaign  and doesnt think candidates should have to  although I have someone whos agreed to be my treasurer, in case I need to.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
MIDDLETOWN  Vinal Technical High School, at 60 Daniels St., will hold a virtual open house Nov. 4 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Students and parents may contact their middle school to sign up, or, for information, visit vinal.cttech.org/openhouse.

Offerings include automotive, carpentry, criminal justice, diesel and heavy equipment repair, hairdressing and cosmetology, HVAC, veterinary science and electrical programs. Vinal also has work-based learning, CIAC Boys & Girls sports, clubs and activities, art, music and Spanish classes, and much more. Students can earn college credits through Middlesex Community College.

Better Breathers Club to meet

MIDDLETOWN  The Middletown Better Breathers Club Support Group meeting will be held at the Middletown Senior Center, 61 Durant Terrace, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m.

The support group, sponsored by Waters Edge Center for Health & Rehabilitation, is open to anyone with chronic lung disease, such as COPD, asthma, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis. Caregivers are welcome to attend.

To RSVP, call Laura Falt at 860-335-7526 or email lfalt@nathealthcare.com. All COVID-19 safety precautions will be followed.

Night of scary stories for adults

CLINTON  Spooky Mic Night, an evening of scary storytelling for adults, will take place on Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at Henry Carter Hull Library at 10 Killingworth Turnpike.

Participants are invited to read their original writing, recite a classic short story or just listen. Readers are limited to five minutes. Fiction and nonfiction are welcome.

If the weather is favorable, the event may be held outside. All COVID rules apply. To register, visit hchlibrary.org or call 860-669-2342.

Celebrate Jesus gala and expo

MIDDLETOWN  WIHS 104.9-FM of Middletown will hold its 2021 Celebrate Jesus Gala & Expo at the Aqua Turf Club, 556 Mulberry Street in Southington Oct. 29.

The event will open at 4:30 p.m, with the family-style dinner starting at 6:30. Tickets are available at $50 per person by calling the station at 860-346-1049 or going online at WIHSradio.org.

The theme is Gods amazing, supernatural power to deliver souls from the destructive grip of addiction, which is so painfully present in our families and communities today, a press release said.

Gospel doo-wop music will be presented, and the keynote message will be given by the Rev. Walter Santos, pastor of Lacy Christian Assembly in Forked River, N.J. Santos serves as a chaplain for the U.S. Secret Service.

Emceeing the event will be morning on-air host Gerry Williams. WIHS is operated by Connecticut Radio Fellowship, a nonprofit ministry based at 1933 South Main St.

Library offers story time

DEEP RIVER  Deep River Public Library at 150 Main St. offers different ways to access story time.

Terrific Thursday, an indoor story time for families with young children, features books and music and movement. The next session is on Oct. 28, at 10:30 a.m. The next Fun Friday, an in-person class with stories and music geared toward preschoolers, will be on Oct. 29 at 10:30 a,m.

Masks and social distancing are required for participants over 2. Registration is required. To register, go to deepriverlibrary.accountsupport.com or call 860-526-6039.

The library posts a recording of stories to its Linktree once weekly at linktr.ee/deepriverpubliclibrary. Those interested may request to be on the email list to receive story time links by emailing drplchildrensdept@gmail.com.

Creating cards for veterans

CLINTON  Henry Carter Hull Library at 10 Killingworth Turnpike is offering a drop-in craft program for all ages in which participants can create greeting cards for veterans on Oct. 27 from 1 to 6 p.m..

The cards will be distributed to the Clinton American Legion/VFW and local VA hospitals. Materials will be provided. No registration is necessary. Masks are required. Cards can be made at home and dropped off during library hours before Nov. 1.

Pumpkin carving class for tweens

CLINTON  A pumpkin carving program for tweens will take place in the Henry Carter Hull Librarys community room on Oct. 25 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. This in-person program is for fifth- through eighth-graders. The pumpkins will be provided and masks are required.

To sign up, visit hchlibrary.org, call 860-669-2342, or email coralie@hchlibrary.org for assistance.

Help paying utility bills

DURHAM  Social Services Coordinator Morgan Perry is alerting the public about an emergency broadband program for those in need of assistance in paying their electric or gas bill.

The benefit program offers up to a $50 per month discount on eligible applicants internet bill and a discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer.

Those eligible must meet at least one of the following requirements: a student in the household receives free or reduced-price lunch; household income is at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty guidelines or participates in certain government assistance programs; a federal Pell Grant received in the current award year; experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since Feb. 29, 2020; meets eligibility criteria for a participating providers existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

To enroll, go to getemergencybroadband.org to submit an application or print out a mail-in application, and then contact ones provider to select an eligible plan and have the discount applied to bills.

Eversource customers can learn about available payment programs at Eversource.com/BillHelp. Electric customers should call 800-286-2828 while natural gas customers should call 800-438-2278. Information on energy efficiency programs is available at energizect.com.

Ballot drop box in place

DURHAM  A ballot drop box for the Nov. 2 municipal election is set up outside the Town Hall. For information, visit the elections page at townofdurhamct.org.

Pumpkin Smash

MIDDLETOWN  The Middletown Recreation Department Pumpkin Smash will be held Nov. 6 from noon to 3 p.m. at Veterans Park on Walnut Grove Road. Afterward, pumpkins will be composted through Blue Earth Compost. Similar events run in Illinois and Virginia and this is the first year for the city of Middletown, according to Middletown Recreation Aquatics Director Nick Dionne. For information, visit bit.ly/3vsCgsL.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

MILFORD  Metropolitan Transportation Authority police officers continue to investigate after a person was fatally hit by a train near the Milford station Wednesday night, officials said on Thursday.

Shortly after 7:30 p.m., an eastbound Metro-North Railroad train hit what officials called an unauthorized male on the tracks, just west of the Milford train station, MTA officials said.
DETROIT (AP)  A driver was behind the wheel when a Tesla electric car crashed and burned last April near Houston, killing two men, neither of whom was found in the driver's seat.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board announced the findings in an investigative report update released Thursday on the April 17 crash on a residential road in Spring, Texas.

Although first responders found one man in the back seat and the other in the front passenger seat, the NTSB said both the driver and a passenger were in the front seats with belts buckled at the time of the crash.

The agency said the car was traveling up to 67 mph in the five seconds leading up to the crash, and the driver was accelerating. Data from the car's fire-damaged event data recorder revealed that at times, the accelerator pedal was pressed as high as 98.8%, the NTSB report said.

The investigation is continuing, and the agency made no determination as to whether Tesla's Autopilot partially automated driver-assist system was running at the time of the crash. The NTSB said it is still looking into Autopilot, whether the men could have had trouble getting out of the car, driver toxicology tests and other items. The agency will make those determinations in a final report.

The update report left unclear how or why the driver unbuckled the seat belt and changed seating positions, although it said the crash damaged the Tesla Model S's high-voltage lithium-ion battery case, where the fire started.

The fatal trip began at the owner's home near the end of a cul-de-sac, and home security video showed the owner getting into the driver's seat and the passenger entering the front passenger seat, the report said. The car traveled about 550 feet before leaving the road on a curve, going over a curb, hitting a drainage culvert, a raised manhole and a tree.

The crash occurred around 9:07 p.m. on Hammock Dunes Place, a two-lane residential road. Both the 59-year-old owner and the 69-year-old passenger were killed.

In a preliminary report from May, the NTSB said it tested a different Tesla vehicle on the same road, and the Autopilot driver-assist system could not be fully used. Investigators could not get the systems automated steering system to work, but were able to use Traffic Aware Cruise Control.

Autopilot needs both the cruise control and the automatic steering to function. Traffic Aware Cruise Control can keep the car a safe distance from vehicles in front of it, while autosteer keeps it in its own lane. The report said the road also did not have lane lines. That could have have been why the automatic steering wouldnt work.

The agency says it intends to issue safety recommendations to prevent similar crashes.

Local authorities said one man was found in the front passenger seat, while another was in the back.

Harris County Precinct Four Constable Mark Herman said at the time the car was traveling at a high speed. He would not say if there was evidence anyone tampered with Teslas system to monitor the driver, which detects force from hands on the steering wheel. The system will issue warnings and eventually shut the car down if it doesnt detect hands. But critics say Teslas system is easy to fool and can take as long as a minute to shut down.

Consumer Reports said in April that it was able to easily trick a Tesla into driving in Autopilot mode with no one at the wheel.

The NTSB, which has no regulatory authority and can only make recommendations, said its working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the probe. NHTSA has the power to make vehicle safety regulations. The federal probe is running at the same time as a parallel investigation by local authorities, the NTSB said.

The Texas crash raised questions of whether Autopilot was working at the time, and whether Tesla does enough to make sure drivers are engaged. The company says in owners manuals and on its website that Autopilot is a driver-assist system and drivers must be ready to take action at any time.

Lars Moravy, Teslas vice president of vehicle engineering, said on the companys April 26 earnings conference call that an inspection of the badly burned car found that the steering wheel was deformed, so it was leading to a likelihood that someone was in the drivers seat at the time of the crash. He said all seat belts were found unbuckled.

On Twitter in April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote that data logs recovered so far in the crashed show Autopilot wasnt turned on, and Full Self-Driving was not purchased for the vehicle in the Texas crash. He didnt answer reporters questions posed on Twitter.

NHTSA has stepped up its investigations into Tesla Autopilot. In August, it opened a formal investigation into the system after a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles.

The investigation covers 765,000 vehicles, almost everything that Tesla has sold in the U.S. since the start of the 2014 model year. Of the crashes identified as part of the probe, 17 people were injured and one was killed.

NHTSA says it has identified 12 crashes since 2018 in which Teslas on Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control have hit vehicles at scenes where first responders have used flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board or cones warning of hazards.
The Army National Guard's top general said Wednesday that he would not lobby to expand the size of the increasingly busy force, but if top Army officials proposed adding new troops he "would accept that mission immediately."

"I don't advocate for growing the Army Guard because I'm part of the Army team, and I understand the budget constraints that we have inside the Army right now," Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. "But, if [Army] Secretary [Christine Wormuth] and Chief [of Staff Gen. James McConville] felt they needed some more capability in the Reserve component, yes, I'd accept that."

The Army National Guard makes up about two-thirds of the total National Guard force, with more than 337,000 soldiers as of Sept. 30, according to the Army. The rest of the National Guard's about 108,000 troops serve in the Air Force National Guard. Jensen said Wednesday that he could envision growing the Army Guard to about 350,000 troops in several years. He said the added soldiers could help considering the incredible demand placed on Guard troops during the last two years.

Since March 2020, National Guard troops have set records for the number of missions that they have been called to support -- including coronavirus-related missions, riot control during the summer 2020 demonstrations against racism, border operations along the southwest U.S., and relief efforts for natural disasters including hurricanes and wildfires. Guard members logged a record 8.4 million duty days in 2020, and they set a record that June with more than 120,000 on duty across the world, including supporting operations in combat zones, officials said.

Given the unprecedented demand for the National Guard, dozens of lawmakers have called for boosting the size of the Guard in their home states and the overall force size. Among those advocating for a larger force were lawmakers from the nation's three most populous states. In advocating earlier this year to grow the Guard, the lawmakers in a bipartisan letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pointed to the increase in hurricanes in Florida, flooding in Texas and wildfires in California, in addition to other operations in recent years to which Guard forces have responded.

Army officials, including Jensen, have acknowledged the pace of operations for the National Guard since March 2020 has been hard on troops and their families and difficult for some employers who have hired Guard members for civilian jobs.

"It's obviously a very stressful period of time for our whole country, not just our Guardsmen," Jensen said. "And then, for the National Guard, it's been a stressful time -- dealing with a pandemic, lots of other things, and economic uncertainty in many cases. But, the National Guard -- our soldiers and airmen, you know, they have responded remarkably."

Jensen has led the Army National Guard since August 2020 after previously serving as the Minnesota National Guard's adjutant general. His predecessor as the Army Guard's top general, Gen. Daniel Hokanson, is now the general in charge of the entire National Guard and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Earlier this year, he said he backed boosting the size of the Guard, given the increasing demands on the force.

But, the size of the force is a decision for Congress, which sets the end strength for each service and their components each year in the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act, which sets Pentagon spending and policy priorities. Congress has yet to pass an NDAA for fiscal 2022, which started Oct. 1. The Pentagon is operating under a continuing resolution, which funds operations at fiscal 2021 amounts.

Jensen said he expected Guard forces would remain in demand for the foreseeable future. Despite the domestic operations Army Guard forces have been supporting, he said they must still prepare for war.

By preparing for major combat operations, the general said, Guard members learn the skills that they need no matter what mission they are asked to accomplish, even in the United States.

"Our role domestically is a very important mission task which we take very, very seriously," Jensen said. "Do we think that that those requirements are going to increase over the course of time? We're not really sure yet, but we're committed to being prepared and being ready for those missions.

"We believe that the best way to be ready and prepared for those missions is by preparing for the most complex mission -- our go-to-war mission. And, that allows us to be incredibly adaptable here domestically."
Editor's Note: This story was originally published under the headline "Navy Brass Doesn't Plan Major Changes After Bonhomme Richard Fire, But Expects Captains to Ask for Help." After publication spokespeople for the Navy contacted Military.com to object to the characterization that no major changes were implemented after the blaze. In the interest of providing clear details to readers, the story and headline have been amended to note the elevation of the Naval Safety Center to a two-star command, move mention of the creation of the Learning to Action Board earlier in the story, and remove specific characterization of the scope of the changes.

Top Navy leaders expect ship captains to speak up when they find issues, service officials said Wednesday after the release of two major reports following the catastrophic Bonhomme Richard fire.

Despite the fact that the reports reveal Navy-wide issues, some of which go back almost a decade, the responsibility for preventing future calamities will continue to rest largely with ship commanders, the officials said.

Adm. Bill Lescher, the vice chief of naval operations and the Navy's No. 2 uniformed leader, said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters that the service is "not going to fix this by writing another instruction."

Instead, Lescher hopes to "highlight the imperative for unit leaders to speak with a strong and courageous voice about what they see."

"[Commanding officers] first have to have a strong understanding of the risk they're accepting," he explained. "It's a core skill that we are going to, again, assess, understand, teach and scale to be assertive up-echelon in saying, 'This is what I see, and this is the risk I am accepting and or need up-echelon help to resolve.'"

Read Next: Pentagon Abandons Its Support for Merging the Commissary and Exchange Systems

In the wake of the dayslong fire aboard the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard, the service launched two investigations -- the usual command investigation that follows any serious mishap, as well as a historic "major fires review" that looked at the last 15 major fires aboard Navy ships going back 12 years.

The major fire review found that the lessons from past fires had "not [been] effectively collected and ... lost over time." It also found a Damage Control Board of Directors that was "ineffective," and an "overwhelming majority of piers and berths at Navy installations used for maintenance" that failed to meet the requirements put in place after the 2012 shipyard fire aboard the USS Miami.

Both new reports noted that the Miami fire, a case of arson at the hands of a shipyard worker, led to new standards commonly referred to as the "8010 manual" and the creation of the Damage Control Board of Directors. However, the command investigation, written by Vice Adm. Scott Conn, notes that the issues and compliance failures with that manual that were found aboard the Bonhomme Richard were also present on prior fires aboard three other ships: the Gunston Hall, the Oscar Austin and the Iwo Jima.

"The considerable similarities between the fire on USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) and the USS Miami (SSN-755) fire of eight years prior are not the result of the wrong lessons being identified in 2012, it is the result of failing to rigorously implement the policy changes designed to preclude recurrence," Conn wrote.

The report went on to urge leaders in groups that oversee fire safety for ships undergoing maintenance to "uphold" the changes that came in the wake of the Miami instead of letting "cost and schedule" take precedence.

Meanwhile, Rear Adm. Paul Spedero, the author of the major fire report, told reporters that while the Navy's "sailors are very well trained and knowledgeable in shipboard firefighting," that training "is largely focused on the underway environment when they have a full complement on board, all expertise, all critical leadership, as well as all equipment available."

This was not the situation of the Bonhomme Richard, which was in port, minimally manned, and missing key leaders and gear.

Given the discovery of Navy-wide deficiencies and training shortfalls, service officials also announced administrative changes they hope will help ship commanders in preventing future fires.

Lescher announced that the Navy is planning on elevating the existing Naval Safety Center into the Naval Safety Command that will be led by a two-star admiral instead of a one-star and it will now report directly to the chief of naval operations and advise the Navy Secretary - the services two top leaders.

The Navy also has set up a Learning to Action Board to both implement recommendations from the two reports and to assess their ongoing execution overtime. Lescher noted that "the first 25 of the 139 command investigation recommendations have been completed."

The Navy leaders rebuffed assertions that the fire is indicative of larger problems in the service. "The supporting data does not support or agree with the assertion that it's broadly systemic," Lescher said.

Specifically, he noted that since the blaze, the newly-charged safety command "has done 172 spot checks across both fleets (Atlantic and Pacific), unannounced, off-hours, weekends, specifically looking at the issues that were illuminated in this report.

Of those, only "two required reinvestigation and education," he said.

The command investigation recommended that 36 people across 10 commands be held accountable for the blaze. Yet half of the names, 18 in all, were from the Bonhomme Richard and included all three of the ship's top leaders, as well as several enlisted personnel who were part of the team aboard the ship the day the fire started. Only one person outside the ship - the commanding officer of the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center and a Captain - was found to have directly led to the loss of the ship.

Vice Adm. Richard Brown, commander of Naval Surface Force Pacific Fleet, was the most senior officer among those listed whose failure in his duties contributed to the loss.

Only one person, a junior 20-year-old sailor assigned to the ship, has been criminally charged for the blaze. Lescher said no one from the ship's chain of command is currently under investigation for criminal negligence.

"We had evidence across all the communities -- no indication that this was a Navy-wide cultural problem," Spedero said Wednesday.

Lescher explained that "there's variability in [commanding officer] assertiveness" and that the Navy needs to emphasize transparency so that leaders will communicate concerns openly and loudly.

There has been no word about what will happen to any of the 36 people named as accountable in the command investigation into the blaze. The report has been accepted by Adm. Sam Paparo, head of Pacific Command, and he now will determine further punishments for those named.

Dismantling of the Bonhomme Richard began April 15 after it was determined it would take at least $2.5 billion and five years to fix the ship.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: SEAL Dropout Who Shipmates Said 'Hates' the Navy Is Suspected in Bonhomme Richard Fire
NATO will adopt its first strategy on artificial intelligence and launch an innovation fund this week with the aim of investing $1 billion to futureproof the 30-nation security pact, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday.

We see authoritarian regimes racing to develop new technologies, from artificial intelligence to autonomous systems, Stoltenberg said at a news conference at the alliances Brussels headquarters.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join his NATO member counterparts Thursday in Brussels to formally approve the plans during two days of talks.

Stoltenberg said he expects the new NATO fund to invest in emerging and disruptive technologies. New headquarters and test centers will be set up in both Europe and North America to support the effort, he said.

We must keep our technological edge, Stoltenberg said. Future conflicts will be fought not just with bullets and bombs but also with bytes and big data.

The alliances artificial intelligence strategy will integrate areas such as data analysis, imagery and cyberdefense, he said.

During the past couple of years, NATO has expanded beyond its traditional focus of land, sea and air operations to adapt to a more complicated security environment.

Last year, it established a new center at Ramstein Air Bases Allied Air Command to coordinate efforts in space, which was declared a new domain of military operation for the alliance. And in 2017, allies also added cyber as a military domain.

In Brussels, ministers also will discuss military efforts to deter potential Russian aggression as well as the overall state of relations with Moscow, which Stoltenberg said are at their lowest point since the Cold War.

Earlier this week, Russia announced it was closing its diplomatic mission to NATO in retaliation for the expulsion of eight members of that entourage who NATO accused of being intelligence operatives.

Still, Stoltenberg said, NATO remains open to the possibility of dialogue with Moscow.

Calling Russia NATOs biggest neighbor, Stoltenberg said there is no way you cannot talk to them.
BRUSSELS  NATO defense ministers are weighing Thursday what lessons to draw from the almost two-decade-long military mission in Afghanistan, including whether the worlds biggest security organization should even undertake major operations outside Europe and North America.

Ahead of the meeting at the U.S.-led military alliances headquarters in Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the way the organizations biggest-ever operation ended shows that the challenges of such endeavors should not be underestimated.

It highlights the challenges and the risks to engage in big missions and operations outside NATO territory, Stoltenberg told reporters. At the same time, he said, the lesson cannot be that we will never engage.

We should not draw the wrong conclusion on Afghanistan and think that NATO allies and NATO should never again engage in military operations to fight extremism, or terrorism, he said.

NATO took the lead on international security efforts in Afghanistan in 2003 but ended combat operations in 2014 to focus on training local security forces. It helped build up an Afghan army of some 300,000 troops, but that force withered in just days in August in the face of a Taliban offensive.

More than 100,000 people were evacuated from the Afghan capital Kabul during the frenzied final days of a U.S. airlift after President Joe Biden said American troops would leave. Thousands of Afghans remained, desperate to escape the uncertainty of Taliban rule.

Stoltenberg suggested that part of the problem for NATO might have been that its role became more demanding as the major international effort to rebuild Afghanistan developed, shifting the organization away from its original task of destroying the al-Qaida network.

We started with a very limited, narrow, military mission, fighting terrorism, degrading al-Qaida, Stoltenberg said. But NATO then became only one of many players or actors, including the EU and United Nations, in a broader nation building effort, he said.

German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said it was important to learn that purely military aims alone are not sufficient when the ultimate goal is to foster democracy and stabilize a country wracked by decades of conflict.

If you are pursuing longer-term political aims with this, possibly you need even more patience than 20 years, and above all  you have to describe the aims in very concrete and realistic terms, because otherwise you get what we saw in Afghanistan -- that we achieved our military aims over 20 years but nation-building ultimately failed in the long term, she told reporters.

The actual job of identifying lessons is being handled by NATOs 30 deputy national envoys, under the lead of Assistant Secretary General for Operations John Manza. Manza was to submit his initial findings in a report to the ministers. A final report is due to be debated by NATO foreign ministers in early December.

Explaining the process to lawmakers earlier this month, Manza said that its important to have a wide-eyed discussion about hot-spot countries before NATO deploys troops there, and to establish whether those countries constitute a vital interest for the alliance, or just a peripheral one.

From what I can see there was no such discussion at NATO headquarters about the level of interest in Afghanistan. I would argue that Afghanistan isnt and never was in the vital interest of the United States or any of our allies, he said.

Manza noted that the mission was initially small and focused on anti-terror work in Kabul, but that as it began to expand to a country-wide counter-insurgency operation  climbing up to around 140,000 NATO troops  our level of investment began to exceed our interests.

We didnt see how difficult that was going to make it to get out because the sum costs became the strategy; the strategic driver if youre not careful, he said.

Other problems were that important military reports meant for civilian decision-makers were delayed and watered down by committees, while international Provincial Reconstruction Teams meant to foster economic growth in Afghanistans regions became a kind of local government.

The enforcement of a U.N. women in security initiative aimed at ensuring that 8% of Afghan security personnel were female may have actually put them at risk because there was no infrastructure within the armed forces to protect them.

___

Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough vowed Wednesday to get all homeless veterans living in the area known as veterans row in Los Angeles into housing by Nov. 1.

About 40 people live along veterans row, a homeless encampment just outside the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. McDonough visited the facility two weeks ago and spoke to veterans living there.

I think this is a question of rolling up our sleeves and getting to work and getting it done, he said. Thats what I pledged to the veterans I spoke with on veterans row that day and what the country expects us to do.

The VA assigned a social worker and an employee who specializes in homelessness resources to speak with the veterans and help get them into housing, McDonough said. The goal is to find them temporary housing by November  less than two weeks away.

When McDonough was asked why the resources werent previously expended toward veterans row, he said: I cant comment as to why it didnt happen before.

Veterans experience homelessness at a disproportionately high rate compared to the rest of the U.S. population, and there are more homeless veterans in Los Angeles County than anywhere else in the country.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 37,252 veterans were experiencing homelessness in January 2020. Of those veterans, 3,681, or about 10%, lived in Los Angeles.

Veteran homelessness increased slightly from 2019, stoking concerns among advocates that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic could add to an already regressive trend. Veteran homelessness increased in 19 states and Washington, D.C., between 2019 and 2020, with the biggest increases in California, Nevada and Delaware. California accounted for 31% of all homeless veterans in the country.

In addition to the goal of eliminating the veterans row encampment by November, McDonough announced Wednesday that the VA would house another 500 homeless veterans in Los Angeles by the end of 2021.

Our efforts are continuing all across the country, but there are more homeless veterans in Los Angeles than anywhere in America, he said. As we solve the problem there, it will give momentum to our efforts across the country.

Several democratic lawmakers from California applauded McDonoughs goals Wednesday.

What the secretary is announcing today is ambitious, but the exact kind of leadership needed to get folks in homes, said Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif. Addressing this crisis cannot wait.

Earlier this year, McDonough promised he would renew the departments focus on a major project to house homeless veterans in Los Angeles. For about five years, the VA has been working on a plan to build 1,200 subsidized apartments for homeless veterans on the campus of the West Los Angeles VA hospital. As of June, only 54 units had been finished.

McDonough vowed during the summer to give his approval on a master plan for the project by the end of the year. A new draft plan was posted to the Federal Register on Monday. Members of the public have until Dec. 17 to provide feedback on the plan, which is more than 200 pages.

The plan states 800 units are expected to be under development at the campus by 2023. The full plan can be viewed at westladraftmasterplan.org.
As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill.
[October 21, 2021] Moves Introduces The Moves Collective; Pioneering Service Turns Gig Workers into Gig Economy Shareholders Moves, a Canadian financial services company designed to meet the business needs of today's gig workers, today announced the launch of The Moves Collective, a radically new and mold-busting service that enables gig workers in the U.S. to earn shares in the enterprises that they power, such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Grubhub. As shareholders, these workers - who have played such a critical role in the success of these companies - will wield greater power to influence management decisions and help shape the future of the gig economy. Uber, DoorDash and the rest of these ride-sharing and delivery firms have seen colossal success, yet too little of their profits have trickled down to workers, the people driving and delivering. Gig companies typically pay very little, provide no health benefits or vacation pay and often aren't transparent about tip distribution. These conditions have led to multiple and ongoing attempts in states such as California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York to reclassify gig workers as employees and provide them with basic rights. ??"Many of these large gig companies have talked about issuing shares to their workers, but done very little to make it happen," said Matt Spoke, CEO of Moves. "The Moves Collective is the logical next step for gig workers because ultimately they'll need a unified voice to ensure that they're economically valued by these companies. After all, it's their time, passion and energy that drives the gig economy. Up to now, nobody has recognized those contributions in any meaningful way. The Moves Collective changes that." For now, The Moves Collective is an invite-only program, available exclusively in the U.S., that already owns a significant and growing stake in Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Grubhub. The service enables workers to accumulate free shares in thesecompanies, via a partnership with Bumped Financial, as they earn and manage their money within Moves. Gig workers can access Moves via iOS and Android (News - Alert) mobile apps in all 50 states. The Moves Collective enables millions of gig workers to become shareholders, and in parallel, Moves will propose proxy material submissions at the annual general meeting of the major platforms. There, Moves will ensure that the interests of gig workers are heard, and ultimately voted on. In this way, workers can strive to move the gig economy in their favor. About Moves Moves is an all-in-one financial app for gig workers to track and manage their money. Built exclusively for gig workers, Moves provides them with income insights across 15+ gig platforms, a no monthly fee spending account and instant business cash advances up to $1,000. Learn more about the Moves Vision. Moves is headquartered in Toronto with a world-class team of 35, who aspire each day to improve the gig economy for its workers. The team is led by CEO Matthew Spoke. Moves Financial is a financial technology company and is not a bank. Banking services are provided by Blue Ridge Bank N.A; Member FDIC. The Moves Financial Visa Debit Card is issued by Blue Ridge Bank N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. Cash advances are provided by Moves Financial, not Blue Ridge Bank N.A. Brokerage services and products are provided through Bumped Financial LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. More about Bumped Financial LLC is available on FINRA's BrokerCheck. Mention of any specific stock or holding is for illustrative purposes only and not an investment recommendation. This is not an offer to buy or sell securities, or to open an account where Bumped Financial LLC isn't registered. The Bumped app and website are operated by Bumped, Inc. Bumped Financial is a wholly owned Subsidiary of Bumped, Inc. Moves is not an affiliate or subsidiaries of Bumped Inc or Bumped Financial. Investing in securities involves risk, including possible loss of principal: Not FDIC Insured  No Bank Guarantee  May Lose Value. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Neither Moves nor Bumped financial offers investment advice. Accounts are self directed. Individual investors should consider the risks and benefits associated with any investment or strategy and weigh potential benefits of investing against the risks associated with any investment. Risks include loss of the total value of the investment. Accumulation of collective voting shares is not a consideration when determining the appropriateness of owning a particular stock. Investors should prioritize their individual investment objectives and personal investment considerations when deciding whether to buy, hold, or sell any security. Individual investors should consider the merits of a particular investment as it relates to their individual investment goals, overall financial situation, and appetite for risk. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005288/en/

[ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ]
Regulated coal supplies to non-power sectors and allowing participation of captive miners amid an increase in production by the critical supplierCoal Indiamay help corporate India avoid what appeared to be a major power crisis in the making until recently. However, the threat still looms when power demand picks up from here, says a research report.

In its report, ratings agency CRISIL says, Coal stocks are unlikely to improve to the previous level of 15-18 days inventory anytime soon. Also, availability of rakes and a pick-up in power demand in March-May will be the key monitorable from here.

In recent months, a surge in power demand amid rapidly dwindling coal inventories, higher prices of imported coal, delayed payments to power producers, prolonged dry spells impacting hydropower generation, and maintenance shutdowns at nuclear plants, have had a domino effect on the sector. Storms in some coal mining belts have affected supply further, worsening the situation.

In the five years through September, growth in Indias monthly power demand averaged 4%, though it did exceed 12% in a few months of fiscal 2020. Base demand has clocked 13% growth year-to-date. Volatility in base demand has also risen sharply over the past two years. Peak demand growth has been higher at nearly 15%, while volatility has spiked here, too.

A state-level monthly demand assessment indicates that, on average, monthly power demand growth was close to 20% for highly industrialised states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat which, together, account for close to 30% of overall power demand.

This can be attributed to a sharp rebound in economic activity that has led to a revival among larger power consumers such as industries and commercial complexes compared with last year, the ratings agency says.

Growth from moderately industrialised states has been close to 15% year-to-date, while states with more residential or agricultural consumers saw less than 10% growth. Further, pent-up post-pandemic demand has caused power demand to be 3% higher than even pre-pandemic fiscal 2020.

In addition to demand, supply sources also play a role in power generation. The supply of coal, in particular, plays a decisive role.

At a pan-India level, over 70% of the power produced is via the coal route. The dependence on coal-based generation, however, varies widely between states.

Our assessment shows that Bihar, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra and to a certain extent Gujarat are structurally at higher risk of being impacted by disruptions in coal purchases, either due to higher dependence on the fuel type or higher short-term purchases impacting overall pick-up, CRISIL says.

According to the rating agency, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra have a higher dependence on coal than other states. Bihar, on its part, is vulnerable because while it meets 54% of its need directly via coal-based generation, a further 18% comes via short-term power purchases from other states, which would also be coal-based primarily.

The rating agency expects higher dependence on coal-based power seen in the first half of this fiscal to continue into the second half. However, it points out that the massive increase in power demand in April-September was not distributed equally among the different power sources.

A ramp-up in coal generation pushed up its share in the overall power pie to about 71%, compared with a 67% last year and an average of 70% over fiscal 2019-2021. This meant an additional 7.5-8 billion units being generated via coal over this period. The consumption rate has also intensified as usage of domestic coal of lower calorific value increased, given a decline in imports with higher calorific value over the period, CRISIL says.

Amid the surge in demand, stocks at power plants reached critical levels of less than 17MT (million tonnes) as of August, 8MT as of September, and 7.5MT by 15 October 2021.

Specifically, of 135 plants with a capacity of 165GW, nearly 70% of plants and 73% of the capacity were at a critical stage with less than 10 days of coal stocks.

As the situation started turning acute, a core management team was set up in August to ensure coal supply to plants with stocks at critical levels. Further, in early October, the coal ministry declared that coal supply to nonpower sectors would be regulated.

Overall stock, meanwhile, fell to four days as of 15th October from six days as of 15 September 2021. Our interactions indicate that supply should ease by end-October when the supply regulations are expected to be moderated, CRISIL says.

Industrial demand constitutes 30% of total power consumption, excluding captives, specifically from grid-based power. Industries follow a combination of captive power plants (CPPs) or grid power.

The assessment by CRISIL of 10 sectors in the manufacturing space indicates that, excluding captive consumption, these sectors may account for nearly 55% of total grid industrial power consumption.

It says, Our interactions with sources across key clusters in these 10 sectors indicate no major impact on production just before the festive season. Nevertheless, for instance, south-based cement players and, to a certain extent, nonpower users like aluminium players are bearing a part of the brunt. While segments like cotton yarn face power cuts, these cuts are limited, dispersed and not meaningful enough to impact revenue. However, smaller ceramic units that import coal have been facing issues in terms of price and availability.

The ratings agency says different categories of stakeholders in the power value chain will be impacted differently in the evolving milieu.

It says, Thermal power producers will wait for the supply of coal to normalise. They will continue to rely on domestic coal unless discoms compensate them for higher imported coal prices via variable cost pass-throughs.

Distribution companies (discoms) will behave differently, depending mainly on their financial positions, CRISIL says, adding, Weaker discoms will go for power cuts rather than continue to buy from the short-term markets at higher prices. Better-placed ones will either enter short-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with players compensating for higher variable costs or continue purchasing from short-term markets. Punjab and Gujarat, for instance, have done this.

According to the report, industrial consumers' purchasing power from short-term markets will increase their costs, though such purchases are limited. Industrial consumers with captive power plants will bear the brunt of lower supplies of coal.

While players in cement sector are going for more pet-coke usage, smaller cement players are bearing the brunt of both shortage and higher prices. Also, smaller players in sectors such as sponge iron and ceramics, who are dependent on spot allocations or imports, may bear the brunt of higher coal prices as well as low availability, it added.

For residential consumers, most discoms have come out with their tariff orders for the current fiscal. Hence, CRISIL feels any sudden short-term increase in power prices may not result in an immediate increase in cost to the final consumers.

With the harvesting season on, improvement in the availability of rakes and trajectory of power demand in March-May will be the key monitorables as coal stocks at thermal power plants will take time to top the 10-15 days mark, the ratings agency concludes.
The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated that farmer groups have the right to protest, but they cannot keep roads blocked indefinitely. The top court has sought response from Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, and other farmer unions on a petition filed by a woman resident of Noida seeking direction to ensure that the road between Noida to Delhi is kept clear for smooth traffic movement.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the farmers' group, submitted before a bench headed by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul that road blockade would end, if permission is granted to continue the protest either at Ramlila Maidan or Jantar Mantar.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on his part, cited Republic Day violence and emphasized this happened despite farmer unions, had given an undertaking that there will be no violence during tractor rally scheduled on January 26. Dave claimed that January 26 violence was engineered, and added that the road management can be done better by the police.

The bench also comprising justice M.M. Sundresh told the farmers group counsel that they may have a right to agitate in any manner but roads should not be blocked like this. "People have right to go on roads, it cannot be blocked", noted the bench.

The bench asked SKM and other farmer unions to file their response in four weeks in the matter, and scheduled the matter for further hearing on December 7.

The top court was hearing a plea by a Noida-resident Monicca Agarwal complaining of delays in daily commute caused due to the road blockade by farmer groups.

Another bench headed by justice A.M. Khanwilkar, had questioned the rationale behind farmer groups continuing their protest, wherein national highways have been blocked, in the backdrop of stay on three contentious farm laws. The bench headed by justice Khanwilkar had said it will examine whether those protesting against farm laws have a right to do so even after challenging the contentious legislations in the top court.

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.
In this 16th year of the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005, the one thing that continues to cripple the Acts efficacy is the pathetic performance of information commissioners (ICs), reflected in the backlog of second appeals and complaints piled up across the country. As of now, a whopping 2.56 lakh appeals and complaints are pending in the 26 information commissions. This is a serious matter as information commissions set up at the Central and state level are the final appellate authority and are mandated to safeguard and facilitate peoples fundamental right to information.

This distressing revelation of information has been compiled in the Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India, 2021. The research has been conducted by Satark Nagrik Sanghatan, a citizens group working for transparency. The report primarily analyses information accessed under the RTI Act from 29 information commissions across India. To procure this information, a total of 156 RTI applications were filed with state and Central information commissions. In addition, information has also been sourced from the websites and annual reports of information commissions.

The report examines the performance of all 29 commissions in India in terms of the number of appeals and complaints registered and disposed by them, the number of pending cases, estimated waiting time for the disposal of an appeal or complaint filed in each commission, frequency of violations penalised by commissions and transparency in their working. The pendency in the information commissions varies in nature.

For example, Jharkhand, Tripura and Meghalayas state information commissions are defunct as no new commissioners have been appointed upon the incumbent demitting office. Three other states, Nagaland, Manipur and Telangana, function without a state chief information commissioner (SCIC).

The report analysed the time it would take for an appeal or complaint to be disposed using the average monthly disposal rate and the pendency in commissions. As per the assessment, the Odisha SIC would take six years and eight months to dispose a matter.

The report elaborates the uselessness of the second appeal when it states that: a matter filed on 1 July 2021 would be disposed in the year 2028 at the current monthly rate of disposal! Goa SIC would take five years and 11 months, in Kerala four years and 10 months and West Bengal four years and seven months. The estimated time required for disposal of an appeal or complaint in the Central Information Commission (CIC) is one year and 11 months, and for the Maharashtra IC, it was three years and six months. The assessment shows that 13 commissions would take one year or more to dispose of a matter.

The SIC of Maharashtra registered the highest number of appeals and complaints (41,978) followed by Uttar Pradesh (19,781) and CIC (18,298).

The UP SIC disposed the highest number of cases (19,706), closely followed by Maharashtra (19,307) and the CIC at 17,649. The SIC of Nagaland did not dispose a single case during the period under review, despite pending appeals or complaints.

As per this report card, the information commissions have imposed penalties in a tiny fraction of the cases in which penalty was imposable. In fact, commissions appear to be reluctant even to ask the public information officers (PIOs) to give their justification for not complying with the law, states the report.

From 1 August 2020 to 30 June 2021, a total of 11,742 show-cause notices were issued to PIOs under the penalty clause of the Act, by the 16 commissions, which provided relevant information.

In terms of penalty imposition, of the 21 commissions which provided relevant information, a penalty was imposed in a total of 1,988 cases which amounted to Rs2.48 crore. In terms of the quantum of penalty imposed, Haryana was the leader at Rs95.86 lakh, followed by Madhya Pradesh (Rs57.16 lakh) and Odisha (Rs25.98 lakh). Interestingly, while the SIC of Gujarat issued the maximum number of show-cause notices (6,929), the penalty was imposed in only 80 cases.

As for the statutory obligation of the CICs and SICs of publishing annual reports, 21 out of 29 information commissions (72%) have not published their annual report for 2019-20. Only the CIC and SICs of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland and Uttar Pradesh have published their annual report for 2020 and made it available on their websites.

RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj, who was a part of this research, says, The need to scrutinise the functioning of information commissions now is perhaps greater than ever before, given the unprecedented crisis gripping the nation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An assessment of the functioning of the transparency watchdogs revealed that 21 out of 29 commissions in the country did not hold a single hearing during the first three stages of the national lockdown imposed in 2020. While the central information commission and some state commissions used audio and video conferencing to hear and dispose of cases, most commissions did not make provision for hearing even urgent matters.

By the way, in its 2019 assessment, as of 31 March 2019, a total of 218,000 appeals or complaints were pending in the 26 information commissions from which data was obtained. This shows that the number of second appeals or complaints at the information commission only keeps rising!
Weather Alert

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM MST SATURDAY... * WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of up to two inches. A light glaze of freezing drizzle will be possible early Saturday morning. * WHERE...Butte, Georgetown Lake, Highway 12 Garrison to Elliston, Homestake Pass, and MacDonald Pass. * WHEN...Until 5 AM MST Saturday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be affected. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. &&
More FM are proud to support Stan Walker - the ALL IN Tour with brand new dates locked in for 2022!

With no need for introductions, Stan Walker embarks on his rescheduled nationwide ALL IN tour performing 7 spectacular shows across Aotearoa, singing all of his hit songs and some brand new music!

With the just announced roll back of government restrictions around mass gatherings the All In tour will now begin in Napier on March 24, 2022 at Pettigrew Arena continuing through New Zealand before finishing in his

home town, Mount Maunganui.

Joining Stan Walker on his headline tour are renowned Kiwi artists Kings, Louis Baker, Hamo Dell and rising star Crete, guaranteeing a show like no other that brings the WOW factor - a concert sure to impress fans of all

ages!

I cant wait to perform my new live show for my fans with my incredible band The Levites. I love being on stage and performing, being with the people in the moment is the best feeling. This is going to be the biggest

and best tour of my career to date -Stan Walker

Join Stan Walker, Kings, Louis Baker, Hamo Dell and Crete to experience a night of unforgettable live music!
DETROIT (AP)  Record electric vehicle sales last summer amid a shortage of computer chips and other materials propelled Tesla Inc. to the biggest quarterly net earnings in its history.

The company said Wednesday that it made $1.62 billion in the third quarter, beating the old record of $1.14 billion set in the second quarter of this year. The profit was nearly five times larger than the $331 million Tesla made in the same quarter a year ago.

Revenue of $13.76 billion from July through September also set a record, but it fell short of Wall Street expectations of just over $14 billion, according to FactSet.

Excluding special items such as stock-based compensation, Palo Alto, California-based Tesla made $1.86 per share, beating analyst estimates of $1.62. CEO Elon Musk has said he's moving the headquarters to Austin, Texas, the dateline of Wednesday's earnings release.

Some of the quarterly profit, though, came from selling regulatory credits to other automakers. Tesla made $279 million on credits during the quarter.

"A variety of challenges, including semiconductor shortages, congestion at ports and rolling blackouts, have been impacting our ability to keep factories running at full speed," the company said in a statement to shareholders.

Earlier this month Tesla said it delivered a record 241,300 electric vehicles in the third quarter even as it wrestled with the shortages that have hit the entire auto industry. Most automakers reported sales declines in the U.S. last quarter due to chip and other shortages, including General Motors and Ford.

Previously, Musk has said Tesla kept its manufacturing lines running largely by finding chips from alternate suppliers and then scrambling to rewrite some of the software in its cars to ensure all the technology remained compatible.

Third-quarter sales rose 72% over the 140,000 deliveries Tesla made for the same period a year ago.

So far this year, Tesla has sold around 627,300 vehicles. That puts it on pace to soundly beat last years total of 499,550.

While sales grew in the third quarter, the average sales price fell 6% because Tesla is selling more less-expensive Models 3 and Y and fewer pricier Models S and X.

Tesla also took an impairment charge of $51 million due to a decline in value of its Bitcoin holdings.

Musk didn't appear on this quarter's conference call with with analysts and investors. He said previously that he would show up only when he had something important to say.

That left Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn and Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy to answer questions.

Kirkhorn said the company was able to hit an operating margin  how much it makes pretax after variable production costs  of just under 15%.

But Kirkhorn said Tesla may face some difficulties in the future that could threaten that margin, including rising commodity prices and labor shortages. Tesla's biggest cost exposure is for nickel, which goes into battery cells, and aluminum, which the company uses for other nonbattery components, he said. Tesla also will face inefficiencies as it starts production at new factories in Texas and Germany next year, he said.

The company already is seeing commodity cost increases, which have resulted in price hikes, Kirkhorn said. Next year it's possible that Tesla will see more. "It's difficult to say precisely, but the volatility and the increases are just so substantial," he said.

Tesla executives also made their first public comment on multiple investigations of the company by U.S. safety regulators. Moravy said Tesla is cooperating as much as possible.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into why Tesla's Autopilot driver-assist system keeps running into parked emergency vehicles. Of the dozen crashes that are part of the probe, 17 people were injured and one was killed.

The safety agency also is questioning why Tesla didn't recall vehicles with Autopilot when it did an over-the internet software update so they better recognize firetrucks and police cars in low light. NHTSA said the update addressed a safety defect.

Kirkhorn said safety is important to Tesla as the auto industry transitions from traditional cars to being more software-oriented. Regulatory bodies, and understandably so, are interested in understanding how to regulate in this environment, and NHTSA is no exception, he said. Were excited to partner and we'll work collaboratively with all the different regulatory bodies.

Tesla hasnt always cooperated with the safety agency, though. In January, Tesla resisted a request from NHTSA to recall about 135,000 vehicles because their touch screens could go dark. The agency said the screens were a safety defect because backup cameras and windshield defroster controls could be disabled.

A month later, after NHTSA started the process toward holding a public hearing and taking Tesla to court, the company agreed to the recall.

In its shareholder statement, Tesla also said that construction of its new factory near Austin is progressing as planned and its preparing equipment and fabricating our first pre-production vehicles.

The factory, which is centrally located versus Teslas other assembly plant in Fremont, California, will send Model Y small SUVs and new Cybertruck pickups to East Coast population centers.

Tesla said it expects to expand its factory capacity quickly, and over a multi-year horizon it expects sales to grow an average of 50% annually.

Shares of Tesla Inc. fell 1.6% to $851.80 in after-hours trading Wednesday.

____

This story has been corrected to show that Tesla made a $331 million net profit in the third quarter of 2021, not $300 million.
3 1 of 3 Jacy Lewis/Reporter-Telegram Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Jacy Lewis/191 News Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Two churches in the Permian Basin started praying as news images of Afghans fleeing for their safety concerned the respective congregations.

The concern led to action, according to a press release. Connection Christian Church in Odessa and First Christian Church in Midland are sister churches, and officials with both called the International Rescue Committee office in Abilene and learned that the city is receiving 115 refugees to resettle in West Texas this month.
BRUSSELS (AP)  European Union leaders pressured a defiant Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki Thursday to fall back into line on recognizing that EU law trumps national decision-making, hoping that dialogue will stave off a crisis in the bloc.

Morawiecki instead painted a picture of an overbearing union that treats its 27 member nations as mere provinces, usurping ever more powers and imposing its values against the wishes of sovereign peoples.

Facing the threat of losing out on tens of billions of EU funds because of his stance, he countered that Poland will not act under the pressure of blackmail.

Almost all other countries replied that respecting common rules and values is essential in a bloc if it is not to unravel and lose political and economic clout in the world.

If you want to be part of a club and have the advantages of a club, you must play by the rules, said his Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo. A red line has been breached and we cannot accept that.

According to a senior official with direct knowledge of the talks, the debate on rule of law took place in a serene" atmosphere as EU leaders stopped short of adopting confronting stances once gathered in the same room. The official spoke anonymously according to EU practice.

Most member states supported dialogue with Morawiecki, while agreeing that the bloc should act to try and make Warsaw comply with EU law, the official said.

Beyond holding up Polands access to billions of euros in help revive its economy in the wake of the pandemic, the EUs executive arm can start infringement procedures, or activate a mechanism allowing the suspension of other EU payments to a member country breaching the principles of the rule of law.

The dispute stems from a recent ruling from Poland's constitutional court challenging the supremacy of EU laws.

EU lawmakers assembled in Strasbourg adopted a resolution Thursday stating that the Polish court lacks legal validity and independence, and is unqualified to interpret the countrys constitution."

They insisted the EU should protect Polish citizens and reiterated calls for the bloc to use all its tools to restore the rule of law in the country, including by putting the Polish coronavirus recovery plan on hold.

If the sniping and accusations continue unchecked, it could turn into the biggest institutional crisis for the EU since the United Kingdom decided to leave five years ago.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as a longtime champion of compromise, warned against a protracted political and legal fight that could hurt all, especially at a time when the bloc is trying to emerge from the biggest economic crisis in its history.

We must find ways and possibilities to come together again on this, because a cascade of legal disputes before the European Court of Justice is not a solution, she said.

France threw itself behind Merkel. Ahead of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron had a brief meeting with Morawiecki. He told the Polish prime minister he is concerned about the situation and also asked him to engage in a dialogue to find a solution compatible with our common principles and rules.

Morawiecki also appeared to shy back from some of the harsh language used in the European Parliament on Tuesday. We are ready for dialogue, he said. We will of course talk about how to resolve the current disputes in agreement and in dialogue.

He said the key quarrel was about EU claims for legal primacy in areas where he argued that the bloc does not have competence.

EU nations have warned for years against what they see as a backsliding of democratic principles in Poland when it comes to an independent judiciary and free media.

They said Morawiecki's conservative PIS government stacked the constitutional court with handpicked judges and then had the same court challenge the supremacy of EU law, arguing it should be subordinate to key national values in cases where they diverge.

It is reminiscent of the power play between nationhood and the EU which also set Britain on course for Brexit. The extent of the legal move of Poland's constitutional court to question the supremacy of EU law is unprecedented however, officials said.

Morawiecki defended his countrys stance that the highest law in Poland is its own constitution. And he has a vocal ally in Hungary.

Poland? the best country in Europe. Oh, theres no need to have any sanctions. Its ridiculous, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said. Hungary has also been accused of democratic backsliding over the years under Orban and is often shunned.

The EU aims to present a united front that makes its 27 nations a formidable power in the world, while as individual countries they would be bystanders. But even if member states are happy to see that power used in international relations, some abhor it when it affects them.

____

Geir Moulson in Berlin, Mike Corder in The Hague and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw contributed.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pushed Wednesday for a fourth special session on two elections-related issues that did not get passed in the third special session that ended earlier this week.

In a tweet, Patrick said he supported Gov. Greg Abbott calling lawmakers back to Austin to increase the penalty for illegal voting and approve a "forensic audit bill." Abbott added the penalty increase to the call for the third special session, but it quickly ran into opposition from House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont. Abbott did not include the election audit proposal on his agenda despite pressure from former President Donald Trump.

"TX Senate just finished a strong conservative session," Patrick said in his tweet. "But more needs to be done."

Abbott has not directly commented on the possibility of forcing lawmakers to return again, but his spokesperson told a CBS Austin reporter on Tuesday that there was no plan four a fourth special session "at this time." His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Patrick's tweet.

Abbott placed the illegal-voting penalty increase on the third special session call in what Patrick, the Senate's presiding officer, characterized as a remedy for a last-minute, under-the-radar change that the House made to the GOP's priority elections bill that passed during the second special session. The bill, which Abbott signed into law last month and goes into effect in December, decreased the crime of illegal voting from a second-degree felony to a Class A misdemeanor.

But Phelan swiftly shot down any chance of the penalty increase making it to Abbott's desk during the third special session. He said he did not want to revisit the contentious elections bill, which had prompted a weekslong Democratic quorum break.

One House conservative, Rep. Matt Schaefer of Tyler, was quick to dispute Patrick's telling of how the penalty decrease made it into the elections legislation.

"The simple truth is that the Senate was fully aware of the penalty reduction, and agreed to the change in conference," Schaefer tweeted, referring to the final negotiations between the chambers over the elections bill. "I do agree that we should revisit this issue and wish the House had done so in 3rd special. But lets keep the record accurate."

As for the election audit bill, Abbott resisted adding it to the agenda for the third special session even as Trump badgered him over it  and attacked Phelan for standing in the way of Senate-passed legislation on the topic. In his Wednesday tweet, Patrick similarly put the pressure on the House, saying the lower chamber "needs to pass an election forensic audit bill."

Instead of seeking election audit legislation, Abbott has put his faith in an audit of the 2020 election results in four of the state's biggest counties that he says is already underway by the secretary of state's office. He defended that review during a political appearance Monday in the Houston suburbs.

"If you look at the audit bills that were passed out of the Senate  and did not pass out of the House  what the Texas secretary of state is charged with doing is far more aggressive," Abbott said.

While Patrick is well known for demanding special sessions on unfinished conservative businesses, he initially appeared at peace with the third special session. As the Senate prepared to gavel out early Tuesday morning, he wished members a happy holiday season, and his office did not say Tuesday whether he wanted an additional special session.

Disclosure: The Texas secretary of state has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
79, formerly of Muskogee left us November 15, 2021 in Nebraska. Her Service of Memory will be on Tuesday, 12pm at Worship Community Center 820 E. Okmulgee. Keith D. Biglow Funeral Directors, Inc- Muskogee
Muriel Fahrion, the creator of not only Strawberry Shortcake and her pals, but also the Care Bears and the Get Along Gang. She will meet fans at the con and have items for sale at her booth.
A 49-year-old man died from injuries he sustained in a fire, which broke out after sheriff's deputies attempted to serve an eviction notice in the Longs area Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Andrew Brent Lewis died of injuries from a residential fire incident on Water Tower Road, said Horry County Deputy Coroner Michelle McSpadden.

Lewis lived in the home, McSpadden said.

The Horry County Sheriff's Office said a man, who barricaded himself after deputies attempted to serve an eviction notice, and a dog were later found dead in a residence off Water Tower Road between Long Bay Road and S.C. 90.

After the man barricaded himself, the incident then turned into an arson investigation after a structure fire, causing heavy smoke, broke out at the scene, said Horry County Chief Deputy Tom Fox.

Deputies arrived on scene about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday when the suspect barricaded himself in the home.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is the primary investigating agency.
During the second day of the murder trial of Derrick Rivera, the state brought in co-defendant Bradford Britton to point the finger at his younger accomplice, and presented Riveras DNA found on evidence from the scene of crime.

Rivera, from Georgetown, is charged with two counts of murder and one count of armed robbery. He is accused of shooting Steve Johnson Sr. and Steve Sparky Johnson Jr. at the Waccamaw Bingo Parlor the night of July 26, 2019.

Riveras attorney, William McGuire, attempted to cast doubt on the handling of the investigation that led to Riveras indictment, and spent close to an hour during cross-examination reminding the jury that Britton was a proven liar who led police on fruitless leads before he picked out Rivera.

McGuire argued that Rivera never left Georgetown, that Britton and another accomplice used Riveras clothes and that Britton named Rivera in order to get out of jail faster.

Britton, also from Georgetown, has pled guilty to armed robbery and accessory after the fact to murder. He faces up to 35 years in prison, the prosecution told the jury, but he has not yet been sentenced.

He testified Wednesday on behalf of the prosecution.

The state maintains Britton was known to give people rides for money around the neighborhood, and that he was asked by a man nicknamed Mug to give him a ride to Myrtle Beach. Britton testified he didnt know Riveras name when he was first asked about the ride, and but he still took him to the bingo hall. He later identified the man as Rivera.

Bradford Britton told law enforcement officers that the person he drove to the incident location of the Waccamaw Bingo went by the nickname of G, Bro or Mug, said 15th Circuit Chief Deputy Solicitor Scott Hixson. Further investigation revealed that Mug is a nickname of Derrick Rivera. Horry County law enforcement officers showed Bradford Britton a Department of South Carolina Motor Vehicles photo of Derrick Rivera and Bradford Britton stated that the person in the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles photo is the same person he knew as Mug.
PIASA  The mother of a Southwestern High School student who reported being beaten because he was wearing a rainbow-colored flag, commonly a sign of gay pride, is speaking out about the incident  she says not to point fingers but to promote equality and raise awareness about bullying.

A friend had a gay pride flag and she was being made fun of so [her son] took it and wrapped it around his neck, mother Tammy Weber said. As he was walking, someone shouted take that [expletive] flag off. She said she was told someone offered $20 to any student who would physically remove the flag.

Her son, who is on the Autism Spectrum and has Tourette syndrome, turned and walked away, according to her account. She said he also has anxiety and depression issues.

That was when, according to Weber, someone came up behind her son and the flag around his neck was pulled back. She said surveillance video shows her son being punched in the head repeatedly as he fell to the ground.

One student, a juvenile, is facing an aggravated battery charge, according to States Attorney Jordan Garrison. He has been released to relatives pending a trial Nov. 23.

Weber, who attended Southwestern High School, moved back to the area from Florida because she said he son was having difficulties at school there.

She said she has made it her mission to turn a negative incident into something positive. Although her son didnt want to go back to the school after the incident, Weber said he has a great group of friends and has found others with whom he can associate. Weber said she doesnt want to lose the forward direction her son is taking, telling him he is a hero right now to other kids, you have to learn how to manage and overcome.

Weber has found support through the organization PFLAG Edwardsville  a support group for family and friends of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

She wants to funnel that into raising awareness.

I want to help other kids who have been bullied, Weber said.

Amy Sedor, president of PFLAG Edwardsville, attended one of the school board meetings to present and offer ways to build in education and knowledge to bring more equality among students.

What happened was not acceptable, she said.

Sedor said she was pleased a board member spoke up and was interested in taking the time to review the school districts anti-bullying policy and to look at what Sedor and her organization can offer.

We did see progress, she said.

Moving forward, Weber said the last thing she wants is for a juvenile to receive a felony and would rather students become more aware of the impact bullying can have on any person, not just her son.

Tammy is very dedicated now, Sedor said.
About 47 Jacksonville School District 117 students were excluded from classes in the wake of last weeks deadline after failing to get or show proof of standard immunizations and physicals.

Mike McGiles, operations director for the district, said this years compliance levels are about where they have been in the past; about 55 students were excluded lat year at the Oct. 15 deadline.

Its not too bad, McGiles said. It doesnt seem worse than any other year.

The Illinois State Board of Education changed its rules last year to allow students who had not completed the requirements to continue school remotely. That was not an option this year.

The state is really pushing in-person learning unless its a dire situation, McGiles said. Last year there were some discussions about allowing remote learning for those not in compliance, but we havent heard any talk about that this year.

As of Tuesday, 27 of the 47 students already have returned to the classroom after either turning in the required paperwork or showing proof of a scheduled appointment to receive their check-up or required vaccines, McGiles said.

We do allow them to come back if they have proof of an appointment, he said.

Triopia Superintendent Adam Dean said all students in his district already are in compliance or have proof of a scheduled appointment.

Our two building secretaries do a great job of calling and reminding parents for weeks prior to the deadline, Dean said. With 400 total kids, we have a much smaller population to get into compliance.

Most parents and students not in compliance are struggling with getting the appointments or having appointments delayed or rescheduled, McGiles said.

With flu season gearing up, increased requests for doctor visits and decreases in staff mean many clinics are having scheduling issues, he said.

Everyone is very busy right now, McGiles said. I dont think theres been any new reasons for people to be excluded, just the same as in past years. Its been pretty typical.
RACINE, Wis. (AP)  Fourteen people from southeastern Wisconsin have been arrested and charged with selling cocaine and crack cocaine in high volumes.

According to a federal indictment, those charged range in age from 23 to 64 and are from Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee and the Caledonia area. Law enforcement officials say multiple firearms and controlled substances were recovered as warrants were executed.
Mamta Popat/AP

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)  The man who died in an gunfight in Tucson with law enforcement officers this month after fatally shooting a federal agent inside an Amtrak train faced multiple criminal charges in California, two Arizona newspapers reported.

Darrion Taylor, 26, had been released on bond from a jail in California's Alameda County, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Raymond Kelly told the Arizona Daily Star and the Arizona Republic.
NEW YORK (AP)  A judge on Thursday rejected British socialite Ghislaine Maxwells bid to block the public and news media from jury selection in her New York City trial on charges she recruited teenage girls for financier Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse.

U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan said the press and public will be allowed to view the selection proceedings next month via video feeds to an overflow courtroom and a courthouse press room. She said two pool reporters will be let into the courtroom as she questions prospective jurors.

In deciding on the issue, Nathan said she strove to balance the publics right to access court proceedings with health measures, such as adding extra space between parties, that have been put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a journalist consortium, and more than a dozen news organizations had written to the judge Wednesday opposing the defenses request to select jurors in secret.

Were all aware that theres been intense media and public interest in this case. ... These procedures will ensure the First Amendment rights to public access as is necessary and required by law, Nathan said on a pretrial conference call.

Nathan also denied a defense request to prevent the public from seeing the blank questionnaire that will be given to about 600 people who will be summoned as prospective jurors in the high-profile case.

The selection of 12 primary jurors and six alternates is scheduled to begin Nov. 4, with opening statements set for Nov. 29. In selecting primary jurors, the defense will have 10 peremptory challenges and the prosecution will have six, Nathan said. For alternates, each side will get three challenges.

Maxwells lawyers argued for questioning prospective jurors behind closed doors because they may be asked to divulge sensitive information, such as if they have been sexually abused. Nathan said she would make adjustments on a case-by-case basis to ensure juror candor and project juror privacy.

Maxwell lawyer Bobbi Sternheim said letting the public see the blank version of the questionnaire, which is used to screen the jury pool for biases, hardships, personal connections and awareness of the case, will lead to people lying their way into the jury process. She equated it to a take-home exam in which jurors could fill in answers they think will best position them to be selected.

Nathan, who will conduct one-on-one follow-up questioning Nov. 16-19 with prospective jurors who survive the questionnaire phase, responded: If a juror is going to lie and be dishonest, we will smoke that out. And the fact of this questionnaire being publicly documented is not going to increase or decrease any such likelihood.

Maxwell, whose father was a British newspaper baron, has pleaded not guilty to charges that she recruited teenage girls from 1994 to 2004 for Epstein to sexually abuse during encounters that sometimes were described as sexualized massages. A revised indictment filed in March included allegations she groomed a 14-year-old girl to recruit other young females in return for cash.

Epstein killed himself at a Manhattan federal lockup in August 2019, a month after his arrest on sex trafficking charges.

Maxwell, 59, joined the conference call Thursday from an empty room at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she has been held since her July 2020 arrest. She didnt say much, except to complain about the calls wonky connection and to assure the judge she was still on the line when another communications mishap occurred.

___

Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak and see more coverage of Maxwell's case at https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell
Today

Walking for Wellness: 7 a.m.-1 p.m., Jacksonville High School Bowl, 215 S. Church St. Free | Indoor walking program open each day Jacksonville schools are in session.

Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 9 a.m.-noon, Jacksonville Food Center, 316 E. State St. Free | For Morgan County residents.

HCE International Day: 10 a.m., Morgan County Extension Office, 104 N. Westgate Ave. Free | Canadian trivia, food, and more. Masks required. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. For more information, call 217-245-6974.

JACIL KIP Cafe: 11:30 a.m., Jacksonville Area Center for Independent Living, 15 Permac Road. | Guest speaker Sarah Wilson, deaf advocate, will discuss the ASL Cares/American Sign Language Hospice Assistance Program. Take-home lunch provided. Masks required.

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.

FAFSA Completion Event: 3-7 p.m., Lincoln Land Community College, 32 N. Central Park Plaza. | Open to high school seniors and parents/guardians and current LLCC students. Online registration form and more information, including a list of required documents, available at llcc.edu/jacksonville. Register by phone at 217-243-6699.

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.

Safe Halloween for Kids: 4-6 p.m., Prairie Land Heritage Museum, 1005 W. Michigan Ave. | Drive-through trick-or-treating full of candy and coupons.

County Line Dance Club Class: 6:30 p.m., VFW Post 1379, 903 E. Morton Ave., $3.

#Imomsohard: The Getaway Tour: 7 p.m., UIS Performing Arts Center, 1 University Plaza, Springfield. Ticket prices vary. | Real-life best friends, comedians and moms Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley. Tickets and more information available at uispac.com.



Friday

Walking for Wellness: 7 a.m.-1 p.m., Jacksonville High School Bowl, 215 S. Church St. Free | Indoor walking program open each day Jacksonville schools are in session.

Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 9 a.m.-noon, Jacksonville Food Center, 316 E. State St. Free | For Morgan County residents.

FAFSA Completion Event: 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m., Lincoln Land Community College, 5250 Shepherd Road, Springfield. | Menard Hall Room 1173. For students and parents/guardians to get help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form.

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.

Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 12:30-1 p.m., Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. Free.

Fine Arts Series: Engelbach-Hart Music Festival: 7:30 p.m., Illinois College, 1101 W. College Ave. Free | Performances by Illinois College music faculty. For more information, contact Jennifer Phebus at 217-245-3192 or jennifer.phebus@ic.edu.

Stop Kiss  UIS Theatre: 7:30 p.m., UIS Performing Arts Center, 1 University Plaza, Springfield. | Play by Diana Son.



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.
The nation continues to track progress in finding out exactly how things went so badly in Afghanistan and what is still happening.

President Joe Bidens discredited statement that the mission in Afghanistan was an extraordinary success summed up what has taken shape as the administrations final position.

He was speaking only of the evacuation, but his administration has seemingly taken that statement as guidance as to how to address the inconvenient Afghanistan issue in the future.

We have learned a few things of late. We heard the unequivocal answer to the central question surrounding the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Did the senior military leaders agree with the president on leaving no forces on the ground from a date certain?

We heard the answer repeatedly in Senate and House hearings that included Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Army Gen. Mark Milley, and Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie on September 28 and 29, respectively.

Its clear Biden was not truthful on any level with respect to leaving Afghanistan during his interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC August 18. All recommended leaving a residual force of about 2,500. The transcript reads as follows:

Stephanopoulos: 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: No. No one said that to me that I can recall.

His answer could have been that he heard the advice given yet decided to go another way. He chose instead to create a fiction that all involved senior military advisors were on board with his vision.

They were not. None of them were.

We also learned Bidens claim that al-Qaida is no longer in Afghanistan is just not true.

According to CNN, which is clearly sympathetic to the administration, Bidens claim that al-Qaida is gone from Afghanistan is false.

Equally clear is that the president is ready to move on.

Administration officials seem actively dedicated to that cause and appear in resist mode against attempts by lawmakers of both political parties to get answers to basic questions.

CNN reported days just before the Austin, Milley, McKenzie hearings [m]ultiple lawmakers angrily stormed out of a classified briefing with members of the Biden administration, due to unacceptable answers to their questions.

The Afghanistan story is not all in the past for the U.S. or its allies.

At the Senate hearing both Austin and McKenzie were asked, curiously briefly, and without elaboration, about the plight of women and girls, something highlighted by the four administrations that oversaw the war. There were numerous occasions for extolling U.S./Allied forces helping women emerge from Taliban mistreatment and achieving strides in education during the 20-year conflict.

Their responses were Washington-speak non-answers. Both muttered nonsensical responses, saying only that we must now use economic levers, to help ensure gains made.

It is obvious that whatever advancements were made are lost.

Now protests to allow girls into school are being harshly put down in some places. We can expect that measures to squash future protests will be met with stronger and stronger responses.

Women are, for the moment, not allowed to attend Kabul University but may return when a real Islamic environment exists. Whatever that means. When (or if) they return only women can teach women (with possible exceptions that in some instances men will teach women) and hijabs are mandatory for all women attending university classes to include teachers and students.

Women have been prohibited  from returning to work.

Its doubtful many take any comfort from the U.S. pledge that it will continue to support Afghan women and girls.

Turning to Afghan evacuees, they are spread throughout U.S. communities, U.S. military bases, and overseas U.S. bases.

As of Sept. 30, [m]ore than 2,600 Afghan evacuees have resettled in the United States while about 53,000 await processing at military bases in the United States  [and] an additional 14,000 evacuees at overseas staging bases are still awaiting flights to the U.S.  

The most contentious issue remains how many U.S. citizens are still stranded in Afghanistan. The vague number of about 100 continues as evacuations continue. It is not obvious that U.S. officials really know.

The Afghanistan story is not over, no matter how much Biden wants it to be.

James Hutton is a former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is a retired Army colonel. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
Watertown, SD (57201)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 29F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 29F. Winds light and variable.
hite cove trail View Photos

Mariposa, CA  Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese reported his office has determined the cause of death of a family found on a hiking trail in Mariposa. The family all suffered hyperthermia and probable dehydration due to environmental exposure. John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, and their one-year-old daughter Miju in a backpack with Aussie, the family dog, went on a hike on Sunday, August 15th on a day that started out at 74 to 76 degrees but heated up to 92 to 99 degrees by 10:30am and was 107 to 109 by 12:50pm. The extreme heat was made worse due to the area having little shade along the approximately 8-mile hiking trail at is in the footprint of the 2018 Ferguson Burn Scar (96,901 acres). The family was found in the Devils Gulch area in the Southfork of the Merced River drainage. Sheriff Briese stated that heat-related deaths happen in other areas of California but none like this have happened in Mariposa County as far as he knew.

Relatives of the family expressed their thanks to the Mariposa County Sheriff team for their thorough investigation in a letter that was read at the press conference. The investigation identified a specific app that was used to locate the trail on Saturday, August 14th. Other than some snacks and a bottle of baby formula the only water the family brought with them on Sunday was a single 85-ounce CamelBak. The specific app they used did not indicate the significant change in elevation of the trail. The 8-mile loop begins on a hill at 3,800 feet where the familys car was located and descends to 1,800 feet into a river drainage.

Tests on residue in the 85-ounce water bladder determined it was tap water and not river water. Toxicology tests were negative for drugs. The Merced river was tested in the area and on September 3rd and the Burea of Land Management closed a stretch of the Merced River in Mariposa, between Briceburg and Bagby, after toxic algal blooms were found.

The family was reported missing on the Monday night of August 16th at 11 pm. Their bodies were discovered by search and rescue Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. The specific cause of death of the 8-year-old dog named Aussie is unknown but believed to also be due to heat-related issues. A local mine was searched but no evidence was found to indicate that the family had visited the site.

Sheriff Briese thanked over 30 agencies including the FBI cyber division which has Gerrish and Chungs cell phones and are still being looked at for information. The area does not have any cell service. Other agencies assisting in the investigation were the Mariposa County GIS, California Public Health, NOAA agencies, Central Vally Toxiclogy, the Department of the Interior, CA Crime Scene, USFS Recreation and others.
MOSCOW (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia could quickly boost natural gas supplies to the European Union once German regulators allow a new pipeline under the Baltic Sea to start operation.

Speaking on a wide range of international and domestic policy issues during a conference of foreign policy experts, Putin argued that Russia already has increased gas supplies to Europe this year and could send more once the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is functioning.

He said one of the two links of the new pipeline already has been filled with gas as part of preparations for its launch, adding that supplies could start immediately after regulators give their approval.

If the German regulator gives approval tomorrow, supplies of 17.5 billion cubic meters of gas will start the day after tomorrow, Putin said.

Putin said the pipeline's second link will be filled with gas by the end of the year, to a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters.

Earlier Thursday, European Union leaders met to discuss ways to ease the pain of soaring energy bills for consumers. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that with the 27-nation bloc importing 90% of its gas  much of it from strategic rival Russia  this makes us vulnerable.

Putin blamed soaring European gas prices on past decision by EU officials who focused on the spot gas market and opposed long-term supply contracts preferred by Russia.

Turning to other issues, Putin staunchly defended the law on foreign agents that has been used to designate some media, describing it as a tool to ward off foreign meddling in the country's affairs.

Opponents say it has been used to muzzle critical media outlets since the foreign agent stigma has strong pejorative connotations.

Responding to a question from Dmitry Muratov, who won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month for his work as editor of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Putin congratulated him for the first time  but dismissed his criticism of the law.

Putin argued that the law is intended to inform the public about media outlets that receive foreign funds, while allowing them to continue their activities.

While defending the law, Putin promised, however, to look more closely into proposed amendments as Muratov asked.

Asked about his view of relations with Washington following his June summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva, Putin said Moscow and Washington have conducted consultations on arms control and cybersecurity in line with their agreement.

He said that "while we agreed just on a few issues, we are on the right track, but added that there also have been some rollbacks on certain issues he didn't specify.

He noted that Russia would cooperate with Washington on fighting terrorism and provide the necessary information to U.S. colleagues.

Asked to comment on the situation of Afghanistan, Putin commended Biden for showing the courage to order American troops' pullback despite inevitable domestic criticism, and contested the view that the move had undermined the U.S. global power.

He charged that even though some U.S. allies may have been unnerved by the quick pullout from Afghanistan, in the long run the country's attractiveness is determined by its economy and military might.

The U.S. president made the right decision to withdraw troops, Putin said.

The Russian leader added that the international community is getting close to officially recognizing the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, saying the decision must be made by the United Nations, and noting the need for the Taliban to recognize the interests of all Afghan ethnic groups and respect human rights.

Asked if Russia's increasingly close ties with China could evolve into a military alliance, Putin said Moscow and Beijing have no intention of doing so.

We are friends with China based on our shared interests, not against someone, he said. And unlike NATO we don't want to create a closed military bloc.

Turning to Ukraine, Putin said that its growing military ties with the U.S. and its NATO allies is a real threat to Russia.

Russia and Ukraine have remained in a tug-of-war after Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula and support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow has staunchly opposed Ukraine's bid for membership in NATO, saying it would represent a major security threat.

Putin noted that even if Ukraine doesn't formally become an alliance member, plans to set up training centers there by some NATO members could be a cover for troops and weapons.

They may put anything there under the guise of training centers." Putin said. The formal membership in NATO may never come, but the military development of the territory is already under way. And that creates a real threat to the Russian Federation."

Asked about the presence of Russian private military contractors in Mali, which drew complaints from France, Putin charged that they pursue purely business interests and don't represent the Russian state.
A 24-year-old San Antonio man was sentenced to 17 1/2 years in prison Wednesday for the February 2000 murder of a San Antonio medical student in Big Bend National Park.

John Michael Baker pleaded guilty in August to using a rope to choke Shannon Stewart Roberts, 43, to death and burying his body in the national park.

Roberts' decomposed body, which had been partially unearthed by animals, was discovered in March 2000 by a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

At the time of his death, Roberts was in his fourth year of medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. University officials had reported him missing to San Antonio police earlier in March 2000 after noticing that Roberts wasn't attending classes he had paid for and fellow students had not seen him. He signed in at the park's ranger station in mid-January 2000.

Baker was given the maximum sentence for second-degree murder by a federal judge in Midland who considered Baker's escape from federal custody days before his guilty plea, federal prosecutors said. Baker was arrested in Fort Worth the day after he escaped.
NEW YORK (AP)  Jerry Pinkney, a prize-winning children's book illustrator known for his richly textured images of Black life, fables and fairy tales in works ranging from The Lion and the Mouse to The Sunday Outing, has died.

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers announced that Pinkney died Wednesday at age 81 after a brief, non-COVID related illness. Further details were not immediately available.

Jerry was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather whose impact influenced the creative endeavors of so many in our family, his wife, the author Gloria Jean Pinkney, said in a statement.

Pinkney was a Philadelphia native who struggled with dyslexia but showed such talent for fine arts that he received a full scholarship from the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts). He dropped out after 2 1/2 years to marry and start a family. He was soon hired by a greeting card company in Dedham, Massachusetts, and went on to illustrate books for more than 50 years, beginning in 1964 with The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales.

He worked mostly with watercolors, while also using pencils, colored pencils and ink.

His other credits include The Little Mermaid, John Henry, Black Cowboy and A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation. Valerie Flournoy, Virginia Hamilton and Julius Lester were among the writers he collaborated with.

In 2010, his wordless adaptation of the Aesop fable The Lion and the Mouse led to his receiving the Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding illustration. He was a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for best work by a Black artist, served on the U.S. Stamp Advisory Committee and designed the first Black Heritage stamps, including those honoring the King, Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson.

In 2016, he received two lifetime achievement awards: the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (since renamed the Childrens Literature Legacy Award) and the Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award. His work has been displayed at the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library and the Norman Rockwell Museum among other locations.

Picture books would become my way to make my artistic gifts useful, he said in his acceptance speech for the Hamilton award. "I thought of the book as a vessel that could hold my interests, passions, desires, and hopes for my children and their children. Between its covers, it would hold histories as well as futures, truths and flights of fancy, my mothers smile and my fathers pride.

Books also enlarged and enhanced my interest in Black culture, allowing me a way to express my artistic impulses while sharing the adventures of John Henry and the courage of Harriet Tubman.

According to Little, Brown, Pinkney and his wife had been working on a memoir at the time of his death. Jerry Pinkney had teamed with Gloria Jean Pinkney, whom he had known since high school, on The Sunday Outing" and Back Home," both based on Gloria's childhood.

He is survived by his wife, daughter Troy, sons Brian, Scott, and Myles Pinkney, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
After serving the city of Live Oak for 35 years, Scott Wayman has decided to call it a career.

Live Oak City Council voted unanimously Oct. 12 to begin the process of finding a replacement for Wayman, city manager for the past seven years.

Wayman, who turns 57 Nov. 1, began as a patrol officer with the Live Oak Police Department in 1987. The Goltry, Okla., native crossed over into city administrative work in 2002, when he was named assistant city manager.

He hadnt let go completely of his law enforcement ways, however, as he continued to run the area SWAT team for another three years. He ascended to his current post in September 2014.

His final day will be Jan. 14, 2022. Assistant City Manager Michael Hornes will fill in as interim city manager while the city conducts its search for a new manager. The council gave Mayor Mary Dennis and Wayman the nod to find a search firm that will align candidates.

September started my 35th year, and I just thought that would be a good time for me, Wayman said. I dont really have anything planned and I dont have anywhere Im going to go. I want to do a few months of nothing, to get a feel of what retirement is going to look like.

He said he wouldnt be surprised if he ends up looking for some another small city to manage or go do something. I just dont know what thats going to be yet, he added.

Live Oak progress during Waymans term in city hall included development of The Forum at Olympia Parkway and The Live Oak Town Center, both located along the Interstate 35 corridor near the Loop 1604 interchange. But those arent the developments that Wayman thinks influenced the city the most during his reign.

Probably the biggest change in Live Oak, is there wasnt really anything to do after 5 oclock, after 9 oclock at night, he said.

We had two little bars that werent much, we had really no restaurants other than the Dennys on I-35, he said. But its really changed to where now, theres a nightlife. Now theres restaurants to go to at night. There are things to do on a weekend. So I think its changed into a pretty cool little city.

As his job comes to an end, Wayman said he would likely be moving from the city, possibly headed toward the downtown San Antonio area. He said would live comfortably off income from the state retirement system, negating the need to step into another position right away.

The Texas Retirement System is tremendous. When you work for a city, youll always have a pension to fall back on, he said. Live Oaks 2-to-1 match of up to 7 percent of salary, which the retirement system rows and invests, provides a cushion for those fully invested.

Im going to retire making a real healthy living off just my retirement alone, but Ill certainly find something to do to keep myself busy, he added.

jflinn@express-news.net
Yves here. It is never a good thing when someone who has neither run for office nor is/was a celebrity (that include athletes) has their likeness used to sell stuff. The once-mistakenly-sainted Robert Mueller is the classic example. The extent of Fauci merchandise says his fall is inevitable. And then we have the curious case of Ruth Bider Ginzburg, too familiarly RBG.

Ive never been a huge fan. If RBG really cared about keeping a left-of-center or at least not right wing majority on the Supreme Court, she should have taken up Obamas suggestion that she retire while the Democrats could assure the approval of a replacement, on the condition that she would approve of a very short list of candidates before she announced her retirement.

By Jared Holst, the author at Brands Mean a Lot, a weekly commentary on the ways branding impacts our lives. Each week, he explores contradictions within the way politics, products, and pop-culture are branded for us, offering insight on whats really being said. You can follow Jared on Twitter @jarholst. Originally published at Brands Mean a Lot

Katie Couric released a memoir this month. Although I personally cant imagine reading it, much less buying it, there is at least one juicy tidbit. Remember when Colin Kaepernick kneeled? Of course you do. Heres what deceased Supreme Court judge of nearly 30 years and unintentional mug/t-shirt/pillow persona Ruth Bader Ginsburg had to say about it:

I think its dumb and disrespectful. I would have the same answer if you asked me about flag burning. I think its a terrible thing to do, but I wouldnt lock a person up for doing it. I would point out how ridiculous it seems to me to do such an act.

The person conducting that interview? Katie Couric. In her memoir, Curic reveals that Ginsburg, a progressive icon, had more to say. First, Ginsburg opined the kneeling athletes were displaying

contempt for a government that has made it possible for their parents and grandparents to live a decent life.

The players parents and grandparents, like Ginsburg, lived through Jim Crow, amongst other things. The then-83-years-old justice continued:

Which they probably could not have lived in the places they came fromas they became older, they realize that this was youthful folly. And thats why education is important.

Couric ended up not using the full interview because she was a big RBG fan and the words were unworthy of a crusader for equality.

Both sides of this are equally bananas. That a journalist would suppress newsworthy information from one of the most powerful people in the country in service of fandom is half of the bananas. Ginsburg already had a spokesperson, Courics services werent necessary. The other half of bananas is that a sitting Supreme Court justice whos supposed to be a leading proponent for equality managed to somehow hold even more regressive and racist opinions.

The cherry on the bananas is RBGs belief that education would remedy the situation, allowing the players to see the folly and ingratitude of their protests. I guess it depends which sort of education shes referring to? Given her retrograde POV, perhaps shes referring to her own? Save for the historical events that occurred in the years between her and I attending school, our historical educations probably werent all that different (Im 36). Given the current debates about critical race theory, and our education systems general reluctance to acknowledge the enduring effects of slavery on America, its unclear to me how educationwithout some very intentional omissionswould be the salve she thought it would.

With the above in mind, it felt like a good week to re-share my piece on Ginsburg from a while back. Its below, uncut.

Finally, if youre jonesing for even more of me, I wrote a long form piece on the economics of Hampster Dance for Tedium. Its a very different topic. Still good though!

Im Often Lazy

These days, I eat a lot of meals where I work. Thus, a daily allotment of silverware, plates, and glasses get used at my desk. Often, a coffee mug will linger on the desk long past its cupboard buddies. Ill get up from my desk, pick up the used plates and silverware, look at the mug, acknowledge it needs to go to the sink then decline to do so, despite having a free hand. This can go on for days: I look at the task that needs to get done and put it off to chase the sliver of pleasure that comes from not doing a chore. Eventually, my twin desires for tidiness and the ability to go about my day knowing everythings in order outweigh the fleeting feel-good of chore abstinence.

Whats Mug Got to do with it? (Tina Turner voice)

A few reports last week revealed that in 2013, fearing the senate would flip Republican in the 2014 election (it did) and block the appointment of a liberal judge, then President Barack Obama had a private lunch with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to gingerly convince her to step down. Ideally, shed do so in time for the senate to confirm a liberal replacement.

At the point of this conversation, Ginsburg was near 81.1 years of age, the average life expectancy of an American woman. She was also well past 66, the average age Americans expect to retire. When asked about how Obama might regard her potential retirement, she said:

I think he would agree with me that its a question for my own good judgment.

In a certain way, Ruth Bader Ginsburgs Supreme Court seat resembles my mug. The issue of her passing away in the midst of a conservative-majority senate was obvious, and her stepping down midway through Obamas second term was a simple solution to that problem that went ignored for too long. Ignored because it felt good to avoid doing anything about it. It felt good because she was an iconoclast, and the longer she sat in her seat, the more we could congratulate ourselves for having someone like her around in such a powerful position.

Unlike the mug, Ginsburg had agency, and chose to remain in her seat. As her career showed, she refused to be placed anywhere simply because someone wanted it that way.

Put an RBG on It

Theres a ton of merch out there with RBGs face on it: mugs, coasters, t-shirts, earrings, figurines, Christmas ornaments, and throw pillows, to name a few.

In addition to her face, many of these same items have her wearing a tilted crown, with the slogan Notorious RBG, an appropriation of the infamous picture of rapper Notorious B.I.G. Given her age, and her love of taking in opera (often with Antonin Scalia, close friend and person responsible for writing that constitutionally granted same-sex marriage was a threat to American democracy,) I find it unlikely Ginsburg was familiar with B.I.G.s music. Moreover, of Colin Kaepernicks anthem kneeling protest, Ginsburg had to say:

I think its dumb and disrespectful. I would have the same answer if you asked me about flag burning. I think its a terrible thing to do, but I wouldnt lock a person up for doing it. I would point out how ridiculous it seems to me to do such an act.

With that in mind, its hard to imagine her co-signing the appropriation of the image of an artist whose music often referenced actual legal transgressions, not just kneeling or cloth burning.

Our Notorious Stupid.It.Y.

This isnt to say Ginsburg was bad, she wasnt. She was just a person: she made mistakes, had rotten friends that were difficult to part with, and occasionally said some stupid stuff.

The brand built around Ginsburg gave us those same slivers of serotonin that caused us to overlook more important issues. If wed completed a simple task to put things in order, wed not find ourselves facing down our current predicament: the nomination and likely lifetime confirmation of a 48-year-old judge who is anti-abortion, thinks Obamacare is unconstitutional, and is anti-gay marriage.

Owning merch with Ginsburg on it was a way to momentarily forget the fact that the odds of her drawing breath versus her heart stopping were far worse than they should have been for anyone in her position. Unintentionally, it was also a visual reminder of our outdated Supreme Court system, and gave us unwarranted optimism about that same system of which she was a part.

Whether you bought the items or not, they reinforced a halo around her that discouraged people from asking that during her lifetime of opening doors, she leave us with good odds they would stay that way.
Contrast the WHOs Water is wet prognostication above with GMs cheery update:

So someone finally measured the neutralization reduction and other properties of C.1.2 (the highly divergent non-Delta South African variant)

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.19.463727v1.abstract

Not surprisingly, it is even more resistant than Mu/B.1.621, by a factor of 1.5-1.8 or so.

The scale of the assays is different, but in this one it is 7.8x for C.1.2 vs. 4.7x of B.1.621, while in the previous study that measured B.1.621, it was 12x for B.1.621. The 12x is probably the more accurate number because the other variants they tested there were close to their typical numbers, while here they are lower (e.g. this study finds 4.4x reduction for Beta/B.1.351 rather than the usually measured 8x)

Anyway, you get the picture, this is likely blitzing past existing antibodies with ease.

The good news is that ACE2 affinity seems to have decreased and that it is not as fusogenic as Mu/B.1.621. Which would imply lower transmissivity.

But, with one major caveat  there are actually quite a few variations of C.1.2 out there and they did not test the one that has many of the Mu/B.1.621 mutations, but the less mutated version. My bet is that C.1.2 + the R436 and T478 mutations is more dangerous.

In practice, it also seems to have not gone away in South Africa but even increased a bit in September:

https://outbreak.info/situation-reports?pango=C.1.2&selected=ZAF&loc=ZAF

So we will see what happens.

But in any case, this shows how easy it was to evolve really serious escape.
Yves here. Even though many people look forward to getting on Medicare as an improvement over having no insurance or high-cost, high deductible Obamacare plans, dont talk yourself into thinking it is good. It is an unduly complex, partly privatized system that still costs too much compared to government health care programs in pretty much any other advanced economy. Even Thailand has high quality medical care that is free to patients (citizens can pay more for private hospitals, which are more plush but the MD training and care standards are the same as for regular care; Thailand makes a point about uniformity of education and treatment).

And Medicare Advantage is worse. It lures customers in with one-stop shopping and apparent lower costs, which it delivers only via having higher deductibles and co-pays plus narrow networks. My mother, who is basically very healthy (on only one prescription at 93) has had over $30,000 of not covered expenses in her Medicare Advantage plan this year.

Put it another way: if you watch old peoples TV, youll see almost as many Medicare Advantage plan commercials as you do for prescription drugs. That should give you an idea of the profit margin.

One reader has been in an uproar about New York Citys plan to force retired workers into Medicare Advantage plans. It turns out he is far from alone. Not only are many retired union members opting out, even mayoral nominee Eric Adams has said hes opposed and seeking to extend the deadline. Two suits are also challenging the scheme, one by union members. The sponsors arent helping themselves with help lines that are regularly dispensing vague, contradictory, and flat out wrong information.

Frankly, the partial list of Medicare Advantage services that require prior authorizations is enough to ring alarm bells. Hospital admissions? Really? You are hit by a bus or have appendicitis but you are supposed to get wait to get approval before going to the ER, since that might (probably!) will lead to an admission? MRIs? Who has MRIs for fun? Physical therapy? This level of insurer gatekeeping is likely to ensure that this network stays small (doctors get standard Medicare reimbursements but face more admin costs dealing with this pre-approval nonsense) and is likely to get smaller (doctors who signed up will drop out).

And kudos to THE CITY, which played a big role in breaking and covering this story.

By Sam Mellins. Originally published at THE CITY on October 20, 2021

Droves of city government retirees are preparing to pay thousands annually to keep their existing health insurance rather than taking a chance on a new cost-cutting plan.

All of the citys quarter-million retirees and their dependents will be automatically enrolled in the new health insurance program, known as the Retiree Health Alliance, unless they opt out by the end of October, under a deal struck by Mayor Bill de Blasio and municipal labor unions to save on spiraling health care costs.

Two lawsuits to be heard in court Wednesday  one filed by frustrated city government retirees  seek to block the move.

The switch to the Alliance, a partnership created by EmblemHealth and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, is set to take effect Jan. 1. It moves retirees from traditional government-administered Medicare into a privately run system known as Medicare Advantage.

For the first time, retired city workers will have to obtain prior authorization from their insurer for a host of procedures and equipment, instead of getting coverage automatically.

Since New York Focus and THE CITY broke the news of the planned shift in April, retirees have voiced concerns that the new plan will saddle them with barriers to care, smaller networks and higher out-of-pocket costs.

They say they havent received assurances that all aspects of their care will be covered under the new plan  even after repeated calls to a hotline set up by the Alliance. Those with health problems that require expensive treatments are especially worried.

In an online survey conducted by the Organization of Public Service Retirees, a group formed in opposition to the Medicare Advantage proposal, 226 of 880 respondents said that they had called the hotline and been given incomplete or inaccurate information. Some 148 said they had called multiple times and been given contradictory information. Only 30 respondents said that they had been given clear and accurate information.

Ive called at least five to ten times and nobody knew what to tell me, said Lainie Kitt, who worked for the New York City Housing Authority for 30 years, and is currently being treated for mycosis fungoides, a form of lymphoma.

I get a different answer every time.

Bait and Switch

Municipal retirees are currently insured by Medicare, the federal governments program for people who are over 65 or disabled. The city also provides a premium-free Medigap plan that pays for additional costs that would otherwise be billed to patients.

The planned switch is the result of a 2014 agreement between de Blasio and the Municipal Labor Committee, a group of unions that represent city employees and retirees. The unions committed to $1.3 billion in annual health care savings in exchange for pay raises for members.

City officials contend moving retirees health care to Medicare Advantage plans managed by private insurers will save over $600 million annually, while preserving equally good care. While the cost of retirees current care is split between the city and the federal government, the new plan will be paid for by the federal government alone.

On Friday, Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams  a former NYPD officer who will see his own current health insurance impacted by the shift  called the move a bait and switch, and wants to extend the deadline for retirees to opt out, the Daily News reported.

Were going to take a close examination of this because its going to traumatize our retirees, Adams promised.

Asked about Adams comments at a news conference on Monday, de Blasio responded that the plan is very good and smart and fair.

The goal of this plan was very simple: provide as good or even better benefits, and protect the long term health of the health plan so our retirees would know it is there for them reliably for decades to come, de Blasio said.

Opting Out

Retirees have two alternatives if they do not want to join the Alliance Medicare Advantage plan: They can pay to keep an existing supplemental Medigap program known as Senior Care, or they can drop out of the citys program entirely.

Senior Care, provided by EmblemHealth, has been free until now but will cost $191 a month for individuals, and twice that for couples, starting Jan. 1.

Its going to drain my husbands pension, said Tina Shapiro, whose spouse, a retired public school teacher, taught special needs physical education for 19 years. Its not going to be so easy for me to visit my children and my family, she added.

Still, some retirees believe Senior Care could be cheaper than the free Medicare Advantage, if the new Advantage plan leaves them paying for treatment out of pocket.

Arnie Dansky, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3100, which represents New York law enforcement retirees living in Florida, told New York Focus that hundreds of his members and other municipal retirees in Florida are opting out.

Even though there is going to be a monthly cost, in the end its going to be cheaper, Dansky said.

Kitt, the retired NYCHA worker, agreed. I could be bankrupt from the other plan if they dont take everything, she said. I cant go with a plan that Im not sure about.

Some retirees fault union leaders for agreeing to the plan.

The president of my local was on the Municipal Labor Committee board, and he okayed this, Kitt said. How could you do that to your retirees?

Several major unions, including the United Federation of Teachers, DC37, Teamsters Local 237, Local 831, and the Police Benevolent Association, could not be reached or did not respond to requests for comment.

Very Generous Benefits

Ana Champeny, director of city studies at the fiscally conservative budget watchdog Citizens Budget Commission, said that the city is presenting retirees with a set of reasonable options where they can make the choices for themselves.

These are very generous benefits, even compared to other municipalities. Champeny said. These costs need to be reined in.

Meanwhile, the Medicare Advantage move is the subject of two lawsuits seeking to prevent its implementation, both of which are being heard Wednesday in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

One, filed by insurance giant Aetna, which submitted a bid for the contract that was awarded to the Alliance, claims that the Office of Labor Relations violated city procurement law in awarding the contract, and that EmblemHealth and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield misrepresented their qualifications during the bidding process.

In a brief filed in response to the lawsuit, the Alliance denied each and every allegation, statement, and matter in Aetnas suit.

A spokesperson for the Alliance declined to comment on the pending litigation, and did not address New York Focus questions on retirees concerns with the plan.

The second lawsuit, filed by the Organization of Public Service Retirees, argues that the plan violates retirees collective bargaining agreements with the city.

Doctor Uncertainty

Beyond cost, retirees cite a smaller network of doctors and potential barriers to care as more reasons theyre wary of the new plan.

The size of the network covered under the Alliances plan is significantly smaller than retirees current offerings: the Alliance said it includes 640,000 providers nationwide, compared to the 850,000 who participate in traditional Medicare.

Several retirees told New York Focus that their providers have indicated they will avoid dealing with the new Medicare Advantage program. Alan Odze, a retired NYPD officer and 9/11 first responder, who submitted an affidavit in support of the retirees lawsuit, said the office of the doctor who treats his melanoma told him they will not accept the Alliance plan.

The city has disputed this claim, and said in its response to the retiree organizations lawsuit that the doctor, Paul Finger, has contracted to be in-network under the Alliances plan.

Asked by phone last week whether Fingers practice would accept the Alliance plan, a representative of the practice responded: We dont know enough about it right now to answer that question.

The one thing I can tell you is that people are nervous about it, the representative said. We are getting lots of calls regarding it.

Of the 880 retirees who responded to the Organization of Public Service Retirees survey, 46.2% said that at least some of their doctors told them either that they will not accept the Alliances plan or that they had not heard of it. Just 2.5% said that their providers would accept the plan.

City officials say more providers will join the network after implementation, once they see that the Alliance reimburses providers at the same rate as Medicare. Once out-of network doctors understand the new program, they will accept direct payment and many will join the network, Claire Levitt, deputy commissioner of the Citys Office of Labor Relations, said in an affidavit responding to one of the lawsuits.

Brown University School of Public Health professor David Meyers said thats not a given, since each new health plan brings new headaches for doctors offices. Paperwork can be an enormous burden for providers, and the more plans a provider is in-network for, the greater that administrative burden would be, he said.

The Alliance also claims that retirees would be able to access care at no additional cost even if their preferred providers are not in-network. Thats because, the Alliance says, it will reimburse any doctor who is a Medicare provider at the same rates as Medicare.

But in an affidavit, Kimberly Parker, an administrator of the citys health plans, acknowledged that its theoretically possible that a provider would decline to accept payment from the Alliance. In that case, retirees would have to pay their providers out-of-pocket and submit claims for reimbursements to the Alliance.

Dianne Archer, president of informational health site Just Care, said that this process could impede retirees from getting needed care. Health care bills can be astronomical. Members might not have the means to pay up front for their care, she said.

For The Rest of Your Life

Retirees are also concerned that the Alliances plan requires that doctors get case-by-case approval for the Alliance to cover various categories of treatment, a process known as prior authorization.

A partial list of services that will require prior authorization, published by the Alliance, includes knee and hip replacements, occupational therapy, pain management, physical therapy, tonsillectomies, CT scans, echocardiograms, MRI, day hospital admissions, inpatient admissions, and intensive outpatient therapy.

A document published by the Alliance says that in-network providers are required to request prior authorization in order to receive payment for some types of care, and that if they do not do so, they are not permitted to bill patients for the cost of their care.

However, out-of-network providers are not required to request prior authorization before administering treatment. If requests submitted after treatment are denied, out-of-network providers are allowed to charge patients the full cost of their treatments.

Theres no telling how many peoplewill not understand that their out-of-network providers should request prior authorization and will be responsible for the full cost of their care, Archer said.

Between the potentially smaller networks, higher costs and barriers to service, some retirees feel that their trust in the city during their careers was misplaced.

They told me: You will have your benefits for the rest of your life, Kitt said. So now, Im not happy.

This story was originally published by THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.
(Natural News) The Biden regime has quietly inserted special language into its federal Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine mandate that openly acknowledges the jabs can cause serious adverse effects.

Though said mandate has not yet been officially decreed by China Joe, his regime is readying to authorize the payout of damages to those who take the shots under duress and develop deadly blood clots, for instance.

According to reports, this compensation clause is buried deep within documents that were published as part of a Division of Federal Employees Compensation bulletin that was issued in early October.

On September 9, 2021, President [sic] Biden issued an executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccination for most Federal employees, the document reads.

The order directed each agency to implement a program to require COVID-19 vaccination for all of its employees, with exceptions only as required by law.

The Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA), the document goes on to explain, covers injuries that occurred in the performance of duty.

And while the FECA does not normally authorize the provision of preventive measures such as vaccines and inoculations, this is the responsibility of the employing agency under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 7901, it goes on to explain.

However, care can be authorized by OWCP for complications of preventive measures which are provided or sponsored by the agency, such as adverse reaction to prophylactic immunization, it further adds.

Biden regime prepares for deluge of covid vaccine injuries caused by mandate

Whenever medical services that are furnished by an employing establishment cause deleterious effects, affected employees are covered by the provisions of FECA.

With Fauci Flu shots soon to be mandated by Beijing Biden, the language has been updated to emphasize that medical services required by an employing establishment will also be covered in the event that they harm an employee.

 this executive order now makes COVID-19 vaccination a requirement of most Federal employment, the FECA bulletin states, again referring to Chinese Virus injections as preventive when there is no evidence out there to prove this.

As such, employees impacted by this mandate who receive required COVID-19 vaccinations on or after the date of the executive order may be afforded coverage under the FECA for any adverse reactions to the vaccine itself, and for any injuries sustained while obtaining the vaccination.

Keep in mind that these provisions only apply to people who are injured after being forced or coerced into taking an Operation Warp Speed shot. Those who become injured or die after voluntarily getting jabbed will not be covered.

There is an entire claims process within the FECA literature that injured employees who took the jabs under duress must follow if they hope to be reimbursed, as well as receive continuation of pay if they are no longer able to work.

When a claim is received for injury due to receipt of the COVID-19 vaccination, the claims examiner should determine if the vaccine was received prior to September 9, 2021, the document states.

If the vaccination was received prior to this date, coverage is afforded only if the vaccine was administered or sponsored by the employing agency.

Back in December, CNBC made it clear that the general public cannot sue Pfizer or Moderna if they develop severe covid vaccine side effects. That same fake news network added that the government likely wont compensate you for damages either.

The Biden administrations recognition that serious side effects could lead to damages that need to be compensated because of the federal vaccine mandate but denial of civil litigation as a recourse for civilians illustrates just another two-tier system of justice in Bidens America, Becker News concluded.

The latest news about Chinese Virus injection tyranny can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

BeckerNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A Chinese Communist Party-linked foreign influence group sponsored a climate change conference seeking to mobilize youth advocates in America, the National Pulse can reveal.

(Article by Natalie Winters republished from TheNationalPulse.com)

The entity sponsoring the recent conference, the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), is part of Beijings United Front effort, which the U.S. government identifies as seeking to to co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party and influence foreign governments to take actions or adopt positions supportive of Beijing.

CUSEFs website notes that it sponsored the Sino-American Youth Dialogue on Climate Change, carried out in collaboration with two schools: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tsinghua University.

Co-hosted by Tsinghua University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Sino-American Youth Dialogue on Climate Change (SAYD) will be held in October 8, a month prior to COP26. The aim of the event is to offer a platform for young people from China and the U.S. to put forward ideas and suggestions for the COP26 to address climate change and sustainable development, CUSEF explains before posing the following questions to attendees:

What should governments do to confront climate emergency?

How should businesses develop sustainability strategies to achieve net zero emissions?

What are the actions that we, as individuals, could do to reduce wastage and gas emissions?

The conference explicitly seeks to mobilize youth activists, as its theme is making carbon neutral, youth in action.

Through discussions and sharing among youth delegates and field experts, the forum hopes to reach consensus on the issue and form valuable policy recommendations, the conferences website adds.

Among the events speakers were CUSEF founder Tung Chee-hwa, Chinese Communist Party officials, and presidents from both MIT and Tsinghua University. Tsinghua Universitys involvement in the conference also follows the school reportedly launching cyberattacks against the U.S. government and having a clear connection to the Chinese government on issues of technology and national security according to the U.S. State Department.

The school is the alma mater of regime leader Xi Jinping and hosts a Marxist journalism school, training the next generation of Chinese state-run media propagandists with the assistance of the New York Times, CNN, and others.

We should be committed to a firm and correct political orientation. Our School has been actively exploring the theory and practices of Marxist Journalism, namely, to applying the Marxist theory in observing the world, selecting and handling news production, the deans introduction letter reads.

Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com
(Natural News) Author and unidentified flying object (UFO) expert David Wilcock shared cosmic wisdom as he joined the Health Ranger Mike Adams on the Oct. 15 edition of the Health Ranger Report on Brighteon.TV. Wilcock emphasizes that his ideas are needed now more than ever, with government leaders and members of the mainstream media keeping people in a state of fear and confusion.

Wilcock relates how hes able to pick up cosmic information from extraterrestrial beings. He says that since he was young, he has had dreams of aliens and UFOs. Wilcock adds that these dreams have oftentimes played out in real life.

I had very vivid dreams all my life. When I got out of college, I started writing them down every morning for four years, which in and of itself is quite a feat. Most people dont remember their dreams, Wilcock says.

What I discovered after reading a few books on it and really getting into the practice was that information is conveyed in a dream that is beyond space and time. I started to become aware [that] in these dreams, there was a focal point of intelligence that wanted to communicate with me about UFOs.

Wilcock then shares two of his dreams that feature UFOs conveying some sort of knowledge. I had a dream where a UFO flew overhead. Something shoots out of the bottom  and then when it hit the ground, it was a telephone. It starts ringing and Im supposed to pick it up in another dream. So obviously, a telephone from the UFO implies that whoever was in it wanted to talk to me, he says.

Another dream involves Wilcock looking at an extraterrestrial being. All of the books on UFOs he has read suddenly fly out from behind the alien. Each of the books was something that I had read in the last four or five years. I had the full knowledge of all the content of each book as they flew by. It was this massive surge of incredible data and information that was showing me an overview of all the stuff that Id been reading, the author elaborates.

Cosmic signs also push people to question the current reality

Adams asks Wilcock: Did these dreams have a quality of hyper-realism, or what I would call enhanced resolution beyond what the physical eye could possibly achieve?

Wilcock replies in the affirmative, adding that peoples consciousness in these dreams is much faster than the speed of thinking. This allows them to take in more information, he continues.

The Health Ranger adds: When you train yourself to question reality in your dream, it does something to awaken your mental state. You begin to question that reality, which is the right thing to do  especially today with all the artificial news, the artificial world and the control grid. You can  and you should question that.

Wilcock also brings up the concept of attunement, first introduced by medium Carla Ruckert in the book The Law of One. The term commonly means to bring into harmony with  in Wilcocks case, harmonizing with higher sources.

The UFO expert then gives his definition of attunement. Attunement is where you expose yourself to sacred teachings, which include any sacred texts like the Bible. When were engaged in a spiritual seeking process, the answers can come in strange ways. (Related: David Wilcock slams GAIA for promoting Luciferian worship with Ancient Civilizations broadcasts.)

So much of what the media does is really about keeping you hyper-focused in this crisis of the now, instead of allowing you to let go of this fake crisis and get information from other places that are rooted in truth, Adams adds. (Related: CNN admits to terrorizing America with fear-mongering and crisis programming.)

Watch the full Oct. 15 episode of the Health Ranger Report below. Tune in to Health Ranger Report with Mike Adams from Monday to Friday at 3-3:30 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

Awakening.news has more articles about cosmic wisdom that opens peoples eyes to the truth.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

WWWJanisHutchison.blogspot.com
(Natural News) Heavy flooding has caused significant damage in Chinas Shaanxi province, submerging homes and affecting many villages and residents. Persistent downpour led to the Luo River overflowing, which has also affected agriculture in the area. Local farmers in the province lament that the flooding has compromised both harvests and livestock.

According to the Epoch Times, continuous rains for more than ten days are responsible for the flooding. This has caused the Luo Rivers lower reaches to spill their banks, releasing large volumes of flood water. The report adds that floodwaters have also destroyed two dams in one Shaanxi county.

Dali County in Shaanxi is one of many areas damaged by the Luo Rivers overflow, with 108 villages in the county being affected. Xin Ming, a resident of Xinsi village in the countys Zhaodu town, describes the disaster: The village was completely submerged, about two meters deep, and the houses and furniture were all immersed in the water.

The flood has also damaged the countys harvest of jujubes for the autumn. Xin, who also owns a jujube plantation, adds that the waters have inundated five acres of jujube trees. The winter jujube in the field is almost completely submerged, and the greenhouses are also completely submerged, he laments.

Livestock farmer and Zhaodu resident Xue Fei also attests to the damage caused by the flood. Cows and pigs were killed by the flood, and the farmers have suffered particularly great losses, he says. About 29,000 acres of farmland in Zhaodu were submerged in floodwaters, the Epoch Times reports.

Villagers received an immediate evacuation notice from Zhaodu officials during the morning of Oct. 9, with 25,126 people urgently evacuated. The water was rising rapidly, and the time for people to evacuate was very short, Xue points out.

Dali residents claim flooding was intentional to protect other areas

Local media reports mention that Dali County has experienced heavy rains during the fall season. These rains have also caused water levels in the Wei and Luo Rivers  which run across Shaanxi Province  to rise beyond their warning levels, leading to serious floods. (Related: China faces worst flood in decades as Yangtze water levels reach record highs.)

However, some locals suspect that floodwaters have been intentionally released to protect other areas. Xin believes that authorities released a large volume of water into Dali to protect the Gansu and Henan provinces. The jujube farmer is not the only one espousing this sentiment.

In order to protect Gansu in the upper stream and Henan in the lower stream, authorities in Shaanxi province opened their own gates for two flood releases. The flood passed through Dali, and the dam broke, the affected villagers claim.

However, a staff member of the Dali County Flood Control Command tells the Epoch Times that they did not release floodwaters.

Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post reports that Shanxi province  Shaanxis western neighbor  also suffered floods and landslides caused by days of heavy rains. The province says at least five people have died due to landslides and 120,000 people have been displaced.

A total of 1.75 million people have been affected by the floods and landslides in the province, according to the Shanxi emergency management department. It adds that more than 17,000 buildings have collapsed in the province due to the downpour. The heavy rains have also destroyed foundations for a railway crossing over the Changyuan River  with footage on social media showing rail track dangling along the river.

The continued deluge has prompted the suspension of construction work at more than 1,000 building projects in Shanxi. The province, a major coal producer, has also shut down 60 coal mines  exacerbating fuel supply issues in China. (Related: Price of coal futures in China surges as heavy rains force mines to close, worsening countrys energy crisis.)

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

SCMP.com
(Natural News) Joanna Ruth Martin, an influential writer and blogger who uses the pseudonym Publius Huldah, accuses the global elites of trying to get rid of the Constitution.

The globalists wrote an Article V convention so that they can get rid of our Constitution and impose the new one they want. But they are marketing the convention to conservatives as a way to limit the power of the federal government, Martin tells Jon Schrock in Lets Talk America on Brighteon.TV.

Schrock hosted the program in lieu of regular host Dr. Alan Keyes.

Delegates to an Article V convention cant be controlled by state laws

Martin says the United States Declaration of Independence sets forth the long-forgotten founding principles that all men are created equal; rights come from God; people create governments to secure God-given rights; and when a government seeks to take these rights away, people have the right to alter, abolish or throw off that form of government.

According to Martin, these principles have justified the United States revolution against an unjust king and could now permit Americans to throw off its form of government by discarding the current Constitution and replacing it with another one.

This is why the language in Article V of the current Constitution, which authorizes Congress to call a convention for proposing amendments, does not simply restrict delegates to propose amendments. Delegates are invested in the inherent pre-existing sovereign right that is recognized in the Declaration to abolish the existing form of government and propose a new Constitution.

If there is a convention today, there is nothing to stop delegates from proposing a new Constitution with a new method of ratification, Martin says. That is why an Article V convention is dangerous.

Martin says there are three constitutions that have already been prepared and are waiting for a convention: the Constitution for the New States of America produced by the Ford & Rockefeller Foundations; the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America created by the Revolutionary Communist Party; and the Constitution 2020 movement funded by George Soros and Marxist groups all over the country.

Rights come from God and they are unalienable

Martin notes that the Declaration of Independence recognizes the self-evident truth that rights come from God and that they are unalienable. This means that there are certain areas in life that are off-limits to government regulations. (Related: Texas Governor Greg Abbott calls for nine new amendments to the U.S. Constitution to curb federal tyranny and restore liberty in America.)

However, the federal and state governments have refused to recognize peoples rights, so it falls upon Americans to step up and insist that their rights be respected. There is no lawful, moral or religious duty to submit to a government if it violates the Constitution and seeks to take the rights that were given by God, Martin says.

Specifically, she adds, governments dont have the constitutional authority to force people to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Privileges and immunities and due process clauses of the Constitution prohibit the federal, state and local governments from requiring their constituents to be vaccinated or assert that they are at high risk of getting infected, Martin says.

She notes that many people dont actually know what the Constitution says, and therefore have not adhered to its genuine meaning.

In an article, Martin says that the fight over whether to have an Article V convention isnt between Republicans and Democrats. She says it is a spiritual warfare between those who want to keep the Constitution biblically-based and those who want godless revolutionaries to set up a New World Order.

According to Martin, the transformation of the country into the New World Order has been going on for well over 100 years. Now that all the institutions have been captured, and Americans have been ideologically subverted, the war is becoming hot and the states enemies are now seeking to finish the job of destroying the country and its people.

Watch the Oct. 8 episode of Lets Talk America: You can catch new episodes of the program from Monday to Friday at 1-3 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

Read more about the nuances of the Constitution at BigGovernment.news.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Leg.State.NV.us

RenewAmerica.com
(Natural News) Can Pete Buttigieg have it all?

(Article by Andrew Stiles republished from FreeBeacon.com)

So reads the subject line of Thursdays edition of Politicos West Wing Playbook newsletter, which includes a bombshell revelation about the wunderkind secretary of transportation:

While U.S. ports faced anchor-to-anchor traffic and Congress nearly melted down over the presidents infrastructure bill in recent weeks, the usually omnipresent Transportation secretary was lying low.

One of the White Houses go-to communicators didnt appear on TV. He was absent on Capitol Hill during the negotiations over the bill he had been previously helping sell to different members of Congress. Conservative critics tried (unsuccessfully) to get #WheresPete to trend and Fox News ran a story on October 4 with the headline: Buttigieg quiet on growing port congestion as shipping concerns build ahead of holidays.

They didnt previously announce it, but Buttigiegs office told West Wing Playbook that the secretary has actually been on paid leave since mid-August to spend time with his husband, Chasten, and their two newborn babies.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation told Politico that Buttigieg has been mostly offline as the bipartisan infrastructure package was derailed by Democratic bickering and the supply chain crisis escalated to the point at which Christmas could be ruined for millions of Americans.

Buttigiegs secret absence has coincided with a precipitous decline in President Joe Bidens approval rating, which stood at 50 percent in mid-August. It has since fallen below 44 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Although he has not shown up to his actual job, the secretary hasnt taken a break from self-promotion. Mayor Pete, a documentary film about Buttigiegs failed run for president in 2020, premiered Thursday at the Chicago International Film Festival.

UPDATE: Guess who was in Chicago this week?

Read more at: FreeBeacon.com
(Natural News) Hundreds of employees with Southwest Airlines are pushing back against the federal governments unlawful vaccine mandate, and the company is beginning to accommodate their employees, instead of firing them. Southwest Airlines is considered a federal contractor. The Biden administration believes all federal contractors are now property of the federal government. In this delusion of power, the Biden administration requires all federal contractors to give up their medical privacy and body autonomy and submit to selective vaccine mandates.

Dozens of pilots, flight attendants and other employees came together to protest the human rights abuses carried out by their employer, which have been enforced by the federal government and the threat of extortion. Employees were set to be terminated by December 8. However, over two hundred employees gathered outside the companys Dallas headquarters on October 18 to publicly oppose the unlawful vaccine mandate.

The discrimination and human rights violations must come to an end

Southwests senior vice president of operations and hospitality, Steve Goldberg, sent out a memo to staff, alerting them of a significant change in the companys vaccine mandate policy. It turns out the company will not terminate employees on December 8 while the company reviews employee exemption forms. The memo states that employees may continue to work as long as they follow masking and distancing guidelines. This is a change from what was previously communicated. Initially, we communicated that these Employees would be put on unpaid leave and that is no longer the case, the memo states.

Southwest Airlines currently discriminates against new-hire employees by demanding proof of covid-19 vaccination as a precondition to employment. Current Southwest employees are profiled and segregated based on their private medical decisions. Over the past several months, the medical privacy of each employee has been violated, as the workforce is segregated into vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, with the unvaccinated employees were scheduled to be put on unpaid leave after December 8th. Labor unions sided with the employees. Hundreds gathered outside company headquarters, rallying for medical freedom.

A federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas blocked a similar discriminatory plan put in place by United Airlines back in August. According to the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, American Airlines indicated that, unlike the approach taken by United, they were exploring accommodations that would allow employees to continue to work.

Employees must INVOKE their religious exemption to all coercive bodily requirements

Now Southwest is giving these employees an opportunity to apply for a medical or religious exemption to the vaccine mandate. The company is giving employees a November 24th deadline to get vaccinated or file for an exemption. The companys upper management is set to review these exemption forms in the coming weeks, as they determine what a valid accommodation is. Southwest will make a final determination as to whether each employee can stay with the company. In this way, Southwest still exerts dominion over its employees private medical decisions and can willfully discriminate against them. Other intrusive and fraudulent bodily requirements (like weekly swabs) are being used as a means of discrimination and coercion against individuals who choose not to take the vaccines.

This is why its important for individuals to INVOKE their religious exemption to vaccination and all other coercive bodily requirements. Instead of asking for permission to receive an exemption, individuals should assert their full legal rights and body autonomy. Vaccine, mask and covid-19 testing mandates violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

The individual does not have to belong to a particular religious group or be affiliated with an organized religion to invoke a religious exemption to an intrusive bodily requirement. The individual has sovereign rights over their own body. Their personal conscientious beliefs are the sole authority over these private medical decisions. These personal beliefs must be respected and accommodated. The widespread discrimination against peoples personal beliefs and the ensuing violation of their body autonomy must never become a common practice in the United States of America.

Watch: Southwest Airlines pilot exposes companys draconian vaccination policies on Brighteon.TV

Sources include:

CNBC.com

NBCDFW.com

EEOC.gov

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Finding items from Canada and Mexico and other parts of the globe is set to become more problematic and more expensive. No matter what people know or understand about trade and the supply chain, the key takeaway is that products will cost more.

There is already a massive shortage of truck drivers, who are getting more than 13 loads for every truck at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Most of the nations goods are transported by truck, and drivers are already in demand, with salaries 25 percent more than the standard in 2019. (Related: Experts explain the link between labor shortages and current supply chain issues.)

Pent-up, pandemic-driven demand is already causing shortages. Fluctuations in demand combined with unforeseen events strike a crippling blow in the worldwide supply chain. A freeze in Texas and an earthquake in Japan have affected the plastics and semiconductors delivered in Europe.

The freeze has caused widespread blackouts in Texas and petrochemical plants have shut down, causing a shortage of plastics that led to subsequent price increases. The grounding of a container ship shut down the Suez Canal, one of the busiest waterways in the world. The six-day blockage stranded 350 ships and stressed the worldwide supply chain.

Biden taps private sectors to improve supply chain process

President Joe Biden is addressing the supply chain problem that is weighing on the economy and threatening the holiday season by asking businesses and union leaders to do more to ease the shipping backlogs.

Biden has set out to keep the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach open 24/7 to improve the handover process. He taps large carriers of goods like Walmart, FedEx and UPS to work round-the-clock to speed up the shipment and delivery across the country. Other companies such as Samsung, Home Depot and Target are also increasing their work during off-peak hours.

By taking these steps, the administration is saying to the supply chain that it needs to step up and move.

The White House officials are now scrambling to relieve global supply bottlenecks that are hindering U.S. ports, highways and railways. The Biden administration warns that Americans may face even higher prices and empty shelves over the holiday season.

The supply crisis is driven in part by the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which causes worker shortages and transport hub slowdowns. The White House has been trying to tackle supply bottleneck problems for everything, from meat to semiconductors.

With thousands of shipping containers on cargo ships offshore waiting to be offloaded at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, manufacturers are also facing similar backlogs at ports in New York and Savannah, Georgia. The shortages in warehouse workers and truck drivers have exacerbated the problem.

The delays have persisted for months and have left retailers scrambling to address the bottlenecks, including chartering their own private cargo vessels to get around the congestion before the holiday shopping rush.

Top administration officials have said that consumers could continue seeing higher prices and product shortages through the rest of the year as the market works through its issues and problems.

Read more about how labor shortages and disruption of supply chains have affected the global economy in the past year at Collapse.news.

Sources include:

SGTReport.com

USA.Inquirer.net

NBCNews.com
(Natural News) Walmart has launched a critical race theory training program that denounces the United States as a white supremacy system and teaches white hourly-wage workers that they are guilty of white supremacy thinking and internalized racial superiority,' Christopher Rufo reports.

(Article by Chris Menahan republished from InformationLiberation.com)

From City Journal, Walmart vs. Whiteness:

According to a cache of internal documents I have obtained from a whistleblower, Walmart launched the program in 2018 in partnership with the Racial Equity Institute, a Greensboro, North Carolina, consulting firm that has worked extensively with universities, government agencies, and private corporations. The program is based on the core principles of critical race theory, including intersectionality, internalized racial oppression, internalized racial inferiority, and white anti-racist development. Since the programs launch, Walmart has trained more than 1,000 employees and made the program mandatory for executives and recommended for hourly wage workers in Walmart stores. When reached for comment, Walmart confirmed that the company has engaged REI for a number of training sessions since 2018 and has found these sessions to be thought provoking and constructive. The program begins with the claim that the United States is a white supremacy system, designed by white Europeans for the purpose of assigning and maintaining white skin access to power and privilege. American history is presented as a long sequence of oppressions, from the construction of a white race' by colonists in 1680 to President Obamas stimulus legislation in 2009, another race neutral act that has disproportionately benefited white people. Consequently, the Walmart program argues, white Americans have been subjected to racist conditioning that indoctrinates them into white supremacy, or the view that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to People of Color and their ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

Following the principle that diagnosis determines treatment, the Walmart program seeks to create a psychological profile of whiteness that can then be treated through white anti-racist development. Whites, according to the trainers, are inherently guilty of white privilege and internalized racial superiority, the belief that ones comfort, wealth, privilege and success has been earned by merits and hard work rather than through the benefits of systemic racism. Walmarts program argues that this oppressive white supremacy culture can be summarized in a list of qualities including individualism, objectivity, paternalism, defensiveness, power hoarding, right to comfort, and worship of the written word  which all promote white supremacy thinking and are damaging to both people of color and to white people.

The training program recommends that discussions about racist conditioning should be conducted in racially segregated affinity groups, because people of color and white people have their own work to do in understanding and addressing racism. Walmart employees who are racial minorities, in the framework of the training program, suffer from constructed racist oppression and internalized racial inferiority. Their internal psychology is considered shattered and broken, dominated by internal messages such as we believe there is something wrong with being a person of color, we have lowered self-esteem, we have lowered expectations, we have very limited choices, and we have a sense of limited possibility. Minorities thus begin to believe the myths promoted by the racist system, develop feelings of self-hate, anger, rage, and ethnocentrism, and are forced to forget, lie, and stop feeling in order to secure basic survival.

The solution, according to Walmarts program, is to encourage whites to participate in white anti-racist developmenta psychological conditioning program that reorients white consciousness toward anti-racism. The training program teaches white employees that ideas such as Im normal, were all the same, and I am not the problem are racist constructs, driven by internalized racial superiority. The program encourages whites to accept their guilt and shame, adopt the idea that white is not right, acknowledge their complicity in racism, and, finally, move toward collective action whereby white can do right. The goal is for whites to climb the ladder of empowerment for white people and recreate themselves with a new anti-racist identity.

Walmart is the largest company by revenue in the entire world. This is the ideology they and the rest of the companies that comprise the Fortune 500 are pushing.

Coca-Cola is training their white employees to be less white and Walmart is training them that white is not right.

If America is a white supremacist system, why are our top companies training their white employees to hate themselves and have white guilt?

Why are our schools training white students to hate themselves and have white guilt and why is our Attorney General siccing the FBI on parents for speaking out against this anti-white critical race theory propaganda at local school board meetings?

Read more at: InformationLiberation.com
(Natural News) In case you have not noticed, the United States is no longer a free country. In fact, it is fast becoming a highly oppressive police state that demands total compliance to the governments medical edicts in order to work, eat and live.

The Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) has ushered in a new normal that is perhaps best described as medical communism. Each persons health, we are told, is dependent upon every other persons health. If one person gets vaccinated, for example, then every other person must also do the same.

There is no more right to choose when it comes to living with natural immunity, and the powers that be have hitched this new normal onto the back of the economy. If people refuse to comply with jab mandates, then the government will shut down the supply chains and make life as miserable as possible for the country.

The natural result of all this is increased social unrest, which is already being seen in Portland. Hundreds of people converged on downtown recently to smash storefront windows, light dumpsters on fire, and wreak as much havoc as they could get away with.

Reports indicate that more than $500,000 in damage was accrued, and no attempts were made by police to stop any of it. Part of this is due to police officers quitting due to the jab mandates, and the other part is due to legislation passed last year in Oregon that restricts law enforcements ability to stop crime.

It is almost as if the powers that be have been laying the groundwork for mass social unrest and an engineered collapse of the economy and society. It started with lockdowns, which decimated small businesses. Then George Floyd happened and even more damage was done to the business sector.

A year and a half later, it has become vaccine mandates and mass employee walkouts. There are also the floating shipping container barges out in the ocean that Joe Biden refuses to let come to port.

Be sure to watch the following video from Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, who offers his own perspectives on the situation:

Even if you have to swim upstream alone, keeping saying no to medical fascism

If ever in our lifetimes we have been able to witness chaos theory in action, it is now. We really seem to be witnessing the early stages of a second civil war brewing, which has been predicated upon the idea that some phantom virus is responsible for everything that has taken place up to this point.

In truth, the Chinese Virus was just another false flag event planned and staged by the elite. We now know that the so-called virus has never even been isolated, suggesting that something else is making people sick.

Meanwhile, the system is taking out societys essential workers, meaning police officers, firefighters, medical workers, and others who at least in some capacity still serve the public good.

Perhaps this is the perfect storm that Donald Trump infamously referred to while speaking cryptically to the media alongside military brass. Trump did, after all, play a critical role in all of this by launching Operation Warp Speed and delivering the injections at record speed, which he is still bragging about while touring the media circuit.

The supply chain is the blackmail for the jab, wrote one Brighteon commenter.

There ARE NO MANDATES, suggested another. Thats a gaslighting narrative parroted so the sheeple get sucked in and go get the genocide jab.

More of the latest news about the impending social and economic collapse can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

AllNewsPipeline.com

NaturalNews.com

Brighteon.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A source at Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has come forward with information claiming that the Biden regime set loose into the United States more than 16,000 illegal migrants who tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

As you might expect, none of these illegals had to get vaccinated like Americans are being told they need to do in order to keep their jobs and shop. China Joe just set them free, allowing them to be freer than actual Americans to do whatever they want without medical coercion.

The source, whose identity must remain private due to internal policies, told Breitbart News that the 16,000 figure only accounts for migrants who were tested directly by ICE. There could be, and likely are, thousands more, in other words, who are carrying the virus but who never got tested.

We know that these on-the-loose migrants with covid range in age from infants to the elderly. Breitbart Texas also reviewed a report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that confirms the oldest released migrant to be over 85. Nearly 1,300 migrants under the age of 10 were also released.

Nearly 12,000 of the migrants who tested positive for COVID-19 and were released into the U.S. were between 18 and 40 years of age, more than 11,800 were male, nearly 1,300 were under the age of ten, and more than 6,000 were between 20 and 29 years old, Breitbart added.

According to the source, the releases occurred in multiple cities across the United States between January 2021 and early October.

Illegal migrants are not getting vaccinated, but Americans are being forced to

Again, these figures only account for migrants who were tested by ICE. Untold thousands of others who were not tested were released by Border Patrol during that same time period, their infection statuses unknown.

The Border Patrol testing of migrants has been limited to unaccompanied migrant children later turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Breitbart added.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were brought in by Border Patrol to test the now-released 16,000-plus migrants into the wild, also known as the streets of America. Some of these same migrants were later told to self-quarantine at hotels within border cities.

While having a positive test supposedly did not factor into the decision to release, according to the source, this person basically admitted that no efforts were made to try to keep these infected migrants from potentially spreading disease to others.

With the pace of referrals from the Border Patrol, we tested, made the migrants aware, and released them to avoid increasing the detained population, the source said.

None of the migrants received the COVID-19 vaccine, either voluntary or forced.

In other words, you are much better off being an illegal alien in the United States  and perhaps we should all become just that. By being an illegal, you can avoid being pressured to take an Operation Warp Speed injection, and can simply go about your life as you please.

If you are a legal citizen, on the other hand, then Beijing Biden or one of his many comrades in state and local government will take away your job and your right to feed your family if you refuse to get injected on demand.

But you lowly cops, firemen, nurses, and teachers had damn well better get the jab or youre gonna be fired! wrote one Breitbart News commenter, illustrating that point.

My son-in-law who is a fire fighter is not going to get the jab along with most of the rest of his team. He could lose his house, wrote another. This actually is making me cry the inequity and injustice.

More Chinese Virus-related news can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The situation along the U.S.-Mexico border along portions of Texas are deteriorating into a firing war as brazen drug cartel militants have started shooting across the border into the United States into areas where National Guard forces and law enforcement personnel are stationed, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

The troops and law enforcement personnel were ordered into position by Abbott to staunch the flow of illegal immigrants into the state because the Biden regime refuses to do so, but they have been increasingly targeted by cartel militants who have been emboldened by the lack of response from the administration.

In a recent interview on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Abbott said Americans in Texas, a red state, have been abandoned by the regime in D.C.

I have to tell you theres something thats happening thats getting even worse and thats the cartels are getting even more aggressive and the cartels on the Mexican side of the border, theyre beginning to open fire on the National Guard that Texas has down on the border to secure the border, Abbott said.

This is escalating into a firing war on each side of the border where Texas and our National Guard are having to defend themselves and defend the state of Texas, he added.

Most of the attention in Texas recently has been focused on the Del Rio area because a large group of Haitian migrants crossed illegally and set up a tent city underneath a bridge near the city. But about 60 miles south of that location, cartels are waging an undeclared war on the United States, in essence.

Right now the hottest point is in Roma, Texas, Abbott said. Thats the area where the cartels on the Mexican side of the border are shooting at the National Guard on the Texas side of the border.

And so what Texas is having to do, were having to step up and guard multiple points across the entire border, he added.

The New American reported on the absurdity of what is taking place along the border of the worlds sole superpower:

On October 8, Fox News released video footage of suspected cartel members firing multiple rounds across the border into the United States. National Guard troops have reported several incidents of cartel members standing across the Rio Grande River and taunting them.

Meanwhile, President Joe Bidens border czar, Vice President Kamala Harris, is producing cringe-worthy videos for NASA, visiting Lake Mead in Nevada to discuss climate change, and stumping for her Democrat colleague Terry McAuliffe in the Virginia governor race.

Many South Texas residents have traditionally voted for Democrats, but last year, a substantial number of them cast a ballot instead for then-President Donald Trump because he exercised his authority as president and commander-in-chief and enforced all border laws, while making arrangements with Mexico and Central America to substantially reduce illegal immigrant traffic.

The Biden administration has completely abandoned all the people who live on the border, and theyve abandoned people in the state of Texas, Abbott said. These are counties and these are people who traditionally have voted Democrat that the Biden administration is ignoring, and hes putting them in danger.

In late September Laredo, Texas, Mayor Pete Saenz, who is a Democrat, lauded Trump and said the Biden regime had to step up and do its job of securing America.

We need to truly secure the border, Saenz told the Washington Free Beacon. It was working under Trump, call it whatever you want to call it, but it was working.

Abbott said he agreed with that assessment.

Listen, a year ago, of course, was still during the Trump administration and the Trump administration had put in place all the policies that led it to the greatest reduction in cross-border crossings, Abbott told Bartiromo.

Now were seeing the highest number of cross-border crossings and its all because of the catastrophic open border policies by the Biden administration and were seeing more and more people come in, he added.

Sources include:

TheNewAmerican.com

InvasionUSA.news
(Natural News) As bad as murder and violence is in parts of Chicago at present, things are about to get a lot worse across the entire city if Mayor Lori Lightfoot doesnt stop playing the role of Democrat tyrant with her nonsensical COVID-19 vaccine mandate, especially when it comes to the Chicago Police Department.

Thats because thousands of CPD officers are in the process of either calling her bluff or forcing her to fire them after they have refused to get the jab. And firing them will mean she will instantly lose one-third of her force.

According to CBS Chicago:

The back and forth between the mayor and the Chicago police union continues, with the city sending out a flurry of emails and memos as its vaccine mandate enters its first full week in effect.

CBS 2s Mugo Odigwe obtained the latest threatening memo sent out to officers.

According to the outlet, at least two memos have been issued since Fridays deadline for all city employees to advise officials of their vaccine status. However, Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said that thus far, thousands of cops had not done so.

The unofficial number we have is about over 3,200; so about one third of the department, Catanzara told the local outlet. He added that he believes the mandate is illegal because when Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued it, she and other city officials never negotiated terms with the police union.

He said that any CPD officer still refusing to report their status will be called in to discuss it with supervisors on Monday and asked once more to comply with the mandate.

If they refuse, it sounds like theyre going to go into a no-pay status, effective immediately, Catanzara said, adding that now, the tiff with the mayor isnt about the vaccine or personal beliefs but one of collective bargaining rights with union officials.

All of those things are a change in your employment policies. You have to negotiate with us what that looks like. The city has refused to do that, Catanzara said.

The Chicago Tribune reported on Wednesday that the stand-off with Lightfoot was still in effect, with a union official now describing the situation as akin to The Hunger Games.

A top Chicago police union official on Wednesday referred to the organizations vaccine standoff with Mayor Lori Lightfoot as The Hunger Games and warned younger officers that if they gave in on this, What issue is next?' the paper reported, adding:

The message from local Fraternal Order of Police First Vice President Michael Mette, in a video posted on social media, came as the Police Department slowly works through the process of dealing with the thousands of employees who did not report their vaccine status by Fridays deadline. The city has been giving those employees counseling and a final chance to comply before placing those who refuse on no-pay status.

Welcome to day three of The Hunger Games, where we find out who the city is going to offer up as tribute, Mette said, adding that members should stand strong because the city must negotiate with the union what a mandate will look like and consist of.

If we fail to make them bargain with us on this issue, what issue is next? he asked. For all you young coppers out there, you got a long way to go and dont think it cant get worse.

Earlier, Cook County Judge Cecilia Horan issued a restraining order against Catanzara instructing him not to tell his union members to forego the vaccine. On Wednesday, city attorney Michael Warner said the Lightfoot administration will seek to expand that order beyond its Monday deadline.

But if cops hold out and force Lightfoot to fire them, the city of Chicago will explode.

Sources include:

Chicago.CBSLocal.com

ChicagoTribune.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Just a few months before the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic was officially declared, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and several other federal bureaucracies held a National Exercise Program (NEP) that simulated the countrys preparedness response to a disease threat. Well, it has been speculated ever since that the Chinese Virus is simply this exercise gone live.

Could it be that the Fauci Flu, along with Donald father of the vaccine Trumps Operation Warp Speed injections, were all rolled out as part of a staged plandemic that was hatched and falsified long before it appeared on the world stage? The evidence increasingly points to yes as the answer to this question.

LifeSiteNews has been keeping up with the latest developments on this front, having previously reported about how this operational exercise amounts to a hoax. This is based on actual U.S. federal law, policy, strategies and other documents that use such language to describe these types of false flag events.

Most of the law is in regard to a specific national exercise to test preparedness for terrorism, writes Robert L. Kinney III.

But within the law is an odd update to the overall U.S. national program which tests or exercises preparedness for national security threats. This program is named the National Exercise Program and is developed, led, and conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and other federal bureaus and departments.

Trump signed into law National Exercise Program reform bill that allows for falsified government responses to emerging threats, not just credible ones

What we know about the NEP is that it functions as a national-level mechanism for validating national preparedness. On its surface, it functions as a training tool for empowering communities to be more resilient to any threats or hazards that might come their way.

The National Preparedness System provides the overarching framework supporting nationwide efforts to build, sustain, and deliver the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation, one article explains about it.

Within the National Preparedness System, exercises provide the ability to examine and assess plans, validate capabilities, improve coordination, and identify strengths and areas for improvement.

It has also been reported that many of these exercises are covert and secretive, meaning the general public does not even know they are occurring. Instead, the masses are led to believe that the exercise is real, which creates for a better simulation process.

It just might be the case that the Wuhan Flu is just that, as an NEP reform bill was signed by Trump back in 2019 inserting the word emerging into the phrase credible and emerging threats. What this accomplished is that the federal government was given the green light to stage a falsified plandemic response drill, of sorts.

The law originally only used the words credible threats but was updated soon before COVID-19 to read credible and emerging threats,' writes Kinney.

It may not seem like it at first, but this may be very significant. The original law had not been amended since 2007 but was amended in 2019, only a few months before the reported outbreak of an emerging infectious disease threat known as COVID-19.

It would appear, in other words, that Congress and Trump knew in advance that an amendment needed to be enacted to prepare for an infectious disease exercise that coincidentally (or not) would appear just months after the changes were made. Was this really just a manufactured plandemic and everyone was in on it at the highest levels of government?

The latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic deception can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A new study has found that the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) is now only three percent effective, falling from an alleged 88 percent effectiveness rate back in March.

Fake news outlet CNN reported that this steep decline in vaccine effectiveness occurred around August, especially for people who received the J&J vaccine. The implication, here, is that the other jabs for the Chinese Virus also saw declines.

The researchers found that among more than 600,000 veterans, J&Js vaccines protection fell from 88% in March to 3% in August, CNN added.

This is odd, considering that Donald Trump, who continues to call himself the father of the vaccine, just appeared with Bill OReilly the other day to say that his Operation Warp Speed injections work really well.

Anyway, the paper found that the jabs do not actually work, at least not in the sense that they are providing protection against any disease. To the contrary, the shots are massively increasing the spread of symptomatic infection.

In Israel, one of the most compliant nations in the world, vaccinated residents were found to be 27 times more likely to develop a symptomatic Fauci Flu infection than their unvaccinated counterparts with natural immunity.

Some American politicians, by the way, claim that natural immunity is fake, and that the only way people can stay protected against disease is to get injected with Big Pharma chemicals.

FDA now relying on gut feeling rather than science to approve covid boosters

As for the other shot brands, the same study that looked at J&Js injections found that Pfizers similarly declined in effectiveness from around 91 percent, supposedly, earlier in the year, to 50 percent in August.

Modernas shot also fell from 92 percent effectiveness to 64 percent effectiveness during the same timeframe.

That suggests natural immunity is now more than a hundred times more effective than J&Js vaccine, yet the federal government and most companies do not even recognize natural immunity as a justification not to get vaxxed, reported Information Liberation.

They insist you take some experimental jab  any jab at all now that the FDA has endorsed mixing and matching vaccines for boosters  or get fired from your job  Meanwhile, the FDA is approving the rollout of boosters despite little to no data showing their effectiveness based off gut feeling rather than data.

This gut feeling comment refers to statements recently made by Patrick Moore, a member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) vaccine advisory committee who says that the recent unanimous vote to approve a Moderna booster shot was based on wishful thinking, not science.

The data itself is not strong, but it is certainly going in the direction that is supportive of this vote, he added, using strange language to explain why a third round of the mystery drug was approved.

What this all goes to show is that we are witnessing a clown show circus of pseudoscience being paraded around as if it was sound science. The plandemic clearly continues to hoodwink only the dumbest among us as those in charge openly admit, pretty much, that the whole thing is a scam.

The behavior of people in power shows they have no fear of being voted out, noted one commenter at Information Liberation. Probably true due to election cheating.

It doesnt matter whether the so-called vaccine is effective or ineffective, human beings have the human right to decline being injected with anything whatsoever, including lab-made genetically engineered chemical concoctions whose ingredients and function in the body are abominable, wrote another.

The latest news stories about Chinese Virus injection injuries and deaths can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

InformationLiberation.com

Archive.is

NYPost.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Former intelligence officer and Prather Point host Jeffrey Prather says the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines are a component of fifth-generation warfare. He made this comparison during the Oct. 15 episode of his program on Brighteon.TV. Prather adds that vaccine mandates in different branches of the U.S. military seek to undermine its projection of power abroad.

Prather cites an administrative memo from the U.S. Navy mandating both active and reserve personnel to get the injection. It says that in order to maximize readiness, it is the Navys policy goal to achieve a fully vaccinated force against the persistent and lethal threat of COVID-19.

The October 2021 unclassified document reiterates that members of the Navy refusing the COVID-19 vaccine shall be processed for administrative separation.

To date, over 98 percent of active duty Navy service members have met their readiness responsibility by completing or initiating a COVID-19 vaccination series. Tragically, there have been 164 deaths within the Navy family due to COVID-19, the memo adds. However, Prather points out that the service member with pending or approved exceptions to the vaccine are not subject to sanctions. Actually, you can demand a religious exemption  its the law, he emphasizes.

The memo also sets deadlines for both active-duty and reserve Navy members. Those in active duty must complete their vaccination schedule not later than Nov. 28, 2021. Meanwhile, those in reserve duty are mandated to complete theirs no later than Dec. 28, 2021. New accessions must be vaccinated as soon as practicable following service entry, it continues.

Furthermore, the memo outlines disciplinary procedures for senior Navy leaders who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. An unvaccinated senior leader calls into question the Navys trust and confidence regarding their ability to ensure unit readiness or to maintain good order and discipline, it notes.

Commanding officers are to notify leaders who decline the COVID-19 vaccine to perform corrective action within five days, with non-compliant leaders to be relieved and discharged.

Prather notes that commanders and commanding officers are responsible for initiating administrative separation for erring service members. The vice chief of naval operations retains authority for matters related to non-judicial punishment and courts martial, he adds. (Related: U.S. Navy commander sounds the alarm on mandatory COVID vaccine for all military: It will create a national security crisis.)

Vaccinations seek to give Chinese forces an undue advantage

The Prather Point host says a COVID-19 vaccine is far more dangerous than the disease it supposedly prevents. It has been debunked  COVID-19 is like the flu. Its the vaccine that is deadly because that has the graphene oxide, he says. According to Prather, the graphene oxide serves as an organizing computing system, signaling and directing people to become the product for future injections.

He also criticizes the vaccination deadline as written in the memo. Well, what is the rush? This corresponds with the Great Reset when we become the digital currency through the graphene oxide in the jab. Also, this corresponds most likely with the Chinese activity against Taiwan, Prather says.

The former intelligence officer explains how the COVID-19 vaccines undermine how the U.S projects its power overseas. Prather says: Its important to understand where our military force is at, and especially our Navy force, because our Navy is how we project overseas. When you send an air carrier group overseas, you have all the elements of the military there  the Navy, the naval air force and the Marines, which are the amphibious infantry.

He continues: Thats how you project power especially right now at the South China Sea where China, who claimed they won a war against us in 2020  are now threatening Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Prather ultimately remarks that SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 vaccines are being utilized for a nefarious goal  to allow China to take control of the United States. He adds that these would be used together with new direct energy weapons to deter the U.S. from projecting its naval power overseas. (Related: As Chinas navy gains in combat power, Americas Navy gains in wokeness  new regs put political correctness over competence.)

Watch the full Oct. 15 episode of Prather Point below. Prather Point with Jeffrey Prather airs every Friday at 10-11 a.m. on Brighteon.TV.

MedicalExtremism.com has more articles about COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the different branches of the military.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

MyNavyHR.Navy.mil [TXT]
(Natural News) The first settlers of America from Europe did not discover new territory, it was already occupied by Natives. Interestingly enough, if you combine all indigenous peoples of America before the Europeans came over in 1492, there were over 60 million, while there were only about 80 million spread across Europe at the time.

Using secretive acts of genocide by spreading disease and violence, that number of indigenous Americans was reduced to 18 million within 60 years, or three generations later. By the 1850s, there were only about 6,000 Native Americans left alive. Its no conspiracy theory, but fact supported by public record, that the early settlers spread small pox to the Native Americans, on purpose, knowing it could easily wipe them off the face of Earth.

Today, we see it all happening again, as the US government spreads Covid-19 on purpose, using illegal immigrants, and the end goal is exactly the same  wipe out two-thirds of the indigenous population, which happens to be US citizens. Surprised? Its a genocide by virus repeat performance, but this time the vaccines are the pandemic and biological weapons of mass destruction, more so than the virus itself.

The Native Americans were purposely infected with deadly smallpox, now Americans are being purposely infected with billions of toxic spike prions

Several letters authored by officers of the British military in 1763 speak in detail about their plans to infect the Indians with a plague in order to eradicate them like vermin. The Europeans wanted to take over America, and they did it in the most insidious way. Today, the Marxists in Washington DC are teamed up with the Chinese Communist Party, wanting to wipe out at least 2/3rds of the legal populace of America, making way for mass immigration and a New World Order (communist style).

If you think Covid-19 is the new small pox, though, think again. Covid is only killing off the weak Americans, who are/were already battling cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and chronic inflammation from processed food and lab-made pharmaceuticals. So now, the biological weapon of mass destruction is hidden in the blankets as over a hundred million Americans have become infected with blood clotting prions and toxic nanoparticles, thinking they received a friendly gift from the government, again. These clot shots weaken the immune system, setting up the vaccinated for future deadly infections.

Proof the military colonels planned/used small pox infected blankets to kill Native Americans

Take a look at the excerpts from the British military officers where they planned to kill the natives using a deadly virus:

I will try to inoculate the Indians by means of blankets that may fall in their hands, taking care however not to get the disease myself. As it is a pity to appose good men against them, I wish we could make use of the Spaniards method, and hunt them with English dogs, supported by Rangers and some light horse, who would, I think, effectively extirpate or remove that vermin.  Col. Henry Bouquet, 13 July, 1763

You will do well to try to inoculate the Indians by means of Blankets, as well as to try every other method that can serve to Extirpate this Exorable Race. I should be very glad your scheme for hunting them down by Dogs could take effect, but England is at too great a distance to think of that at present.  Gen. Jeffery Amherst, 16 July 1763

Tune your truth news dial to Pandemic.news to stay informed of the engineered pitfalls of the Covid scamdemic. It doesnt take a scientist or doctor to see that Covid vaccines, Remdesivir and ventilators are compounding the problems of the pandemic, creating a pandemic of their own.

Sources for this article include:

Pandemic.news

TruthWiki.org

NaturalNews.com

Medium.com
(Natural News) Members of outlaw motorcycle gangs in Western Australia (WA) can no longer gather in public, wear club colors and display face tattoos as the state rolls out harsh laws banning people from showing off prohibited patches and insignias. They have been advised to hide their face tattoos under makeup and plasters.

Were coming for the bikies. These people are not [members of] a social club. They are criminals, says Police Minister Paul Papalia. Bikies in Australia refer to the members of motorcycle gangs.

The government has introduced into parliament the Criminal Law (Unlawful Consorting and Prohibited Insignia) Bill 2021. A press release says that the legislation pledges to disrupt and restrict the capacity of those involved in serious and organized crime to plan, support or encourage the carrying out of criminal activity.

It will ban bikers from associating with one another in public and from showing off their club patches  whether in the form of patched vests, flags or tattoos. The anti-insignia laws also apply to social media pages.

These new laws combined with other measures will give our police the powers they need to not only disrupt the illegal activities of these gangs, but work to eliminate bikie networks in WA altogether, says Papalia. Its time to get out of the gang or get out of Western Australia.

He also notes that the state governments resourcing of the WA Police Force has led to the seizure of record amounts of cash, drugs and illegal weapons in Western Australia.

These laws represent the toughest and most comprehensive reforms to fight organized crime of all Australian states and territories. Forty-six organizations, including outlaw motorcycle gangs from right across Australia have been captured and explicitly named in the legislation as part of the new prohibited insignia offense, says WA Attorney General John Quigley.

These organizations and their patches are designed to show affiliation with criminality and intimidate others, including law-abiding citizens in our community. This will cease once these laws are in place.

The legislation could be in place by Christmas.

With this suite of reforms, were unapologetically turning Western Australia into the most unappealing jurisdictions for offenders and criminal organizations to operate or expand their criminal activities, Quigley adds.

Watch the news about the Criminal Law Bill 2021 below.

Police commissioner tells bikies to use band-aid or makeup to conceal face tattoos

Those caught in violation of the new prohibited insignia offense will face a 12-month jail term and fines of up to AU$12,000 ($8,897). Acting Police Commissioner Col Blanch explains that even markings as conspicuous as face tattoos would need to be concealed in order for offenders to avoid criminal charges. (Related: These videos prove Australia is a Tyrannical police state.)

That will be illegal, Blanch tells WA radio station 6PR, in reference to a well-known and heavily tattooed member of the Australian Hells Angels who has club-affiliated initials and insignias inked on his nose and face.

He must cover up anything that references the club. Whether its on his face, or whether its on his publicly displayed arms, or whether its on anything: his motorcycle or flag or vest.

Blanch suggests using band-aids or makeup to conceal face tattoos, or have them removed. Or alternatively, people can have the option not to live in Western Australia if this law passes, he says. We dont want people in our community having fights in public, shooting guns in public. Its not the place, its not the state, its time to leave.

Forcing bikies to leave, experts say, is part of the plan.

Mark Lauchs, an associate professor at Queensland University of Technology and an expert in outlaw motorcycle gangs, says that the new legislation is designed to get the worst bikies to move elsewhere.

Lauchs is also skeptical as to how effective the new laws would be at disrupting and restricting serious and organized crime.

It is very difficult to prove that preventing consorting reduces crime, he says. Even though texting counts as consorting, there are many apps that allow discussion without surveillance. While it is a tool in their [polices] belt its more of a threat than an effective weapon.

Western Australias new laws worse that Queenslands VLAD laws

The new anti-consorting and prohibited insignia laws have been compared to the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment (VLAD) Act that was introduced in Queensland in 2013.

The VLAD laws stipulate that members or associates of criminal organizations who were convicted of a serious crime would have to serve an extra 15 to 25 years on top of any prison sentence, unless they gave information to law enforcement.

That bill was broadly criticized upon rollout, with Amnesty International suggesting that it breached international fair trial standards. The mandatory sentences were scrapped three years later for being excessively harsh.

Watchdog needed

According to Lauchs, the newly announced laws are even more worrying from a human rights perspective.

The VLAD laws in Queensland were tough but explicitly applied to bikies. These laws, under the guise of applying to all organized crime, can apply to everyone in the state, he says.

They would apply to any organization that has members convicted of serious offenses. It would apply to any person and their associates. There are serious human rights aspects to this legislation that Im amazed it didnt gather the same protests as were organized against VLAD. I would argue these laws are far worse and need an effective watchdog to ensure they arent abused.

Follow Tyranny.news for more news related to tyrannical laws implemented by governments around the world.

Sources include:

YouTube.com

MediaStatements.wa.gov.au

VICE.com
(Natural News) Dr. Malik Peiris, a former member of the Lancet task force looking into the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, has received Chinas Nobel Prize for research that affirms the narrative that the disease developed naturally.

Peiris is a Sri Lankan virologist working in Hong Kong and one of 12 scientists who led the Lancet probe into the origins of the disease. The task force is no longer listed on the medical journals website as it was forced to disband due to extensive conflicts of interest with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, although archived web pages reveal the participation of Peiris.

Following his work with the task force, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) awarded Peiris with a prize in life science during the 2021 Future Science Prize  also known as Chinas own version of the Nobel Prize. The award comes with a hefty sum of $1 million funded by several CCP-linked companies, such as Baidu, Hillhouse Capital and Sequoia Capital China.

A state-run media outlet claimed that the award, which he shared with co-author Kwok-Yung Yuen, was for his major discoveries of SARS-CoV-1 as the causative agent of the global SARS outbreak in 2003 with impact on combating COVID-19 and emerging infectious diseases. (Related: Chinese authorities hid the fact that medical staff in coronavirus-hit city were infected.)

Peiris research played integral role in tracing COVID-19 origins

During the SARS outbreak in 2003, Peiris, Yuen and their team treated the first patients in Hong Kong and isolated the SARS-CoV-1 from their clinical specimens, which became critical to the design of diagnostic tests and disease characterization. In addition, Yuens continued studies on SARS-like viruses in wild bats increased the knowledge of zoonotic reservoirs, barriers to cross-species transmission, pathogenesis and clinical diagnosis of the diseases.

Peiris research was praised by reviewers for playing an integral role in tracing the origins of COVID-19, saying that Chinese scientists were able to identify the cause of the pandemic quickly because of his contributions. The research particularly bolstered the CCPs narrative that COVID-19 developed naturally as opposed to having been leaked or escaped from a lab.

As the media outlet explained, Peiris research helped support the narrative that SARS-CoV-2 originated from bats.

When asked how their discoveries affected peoples understanding of the cause of COVID-19, Yuen explained that since he and his team discovered in 2005 the horseshoe bat being a natural animal reservoir for the ancestral SARS-CoV-1, they believe that the SARS-CoV-2 also went from bats to another mammal before jumping into humans.

Moreover, their studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 replicates very well in both bat and human intestinal organs, which further supports the theory of the SARS-CoV-2 beginnings.

However, there are also major differences between the two diseases, especially in terms of severity, asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic rates and the ability to suppress interferon and inflammatory responses.

As scientists call for the second phase of its origins, Chinese experts have suggested conducting investigations in countries where horseshoe bats and pangolins reside.

Jin Dongyan, a professor at the School of Biomedical Sciences at Hong Kong University, said that Peiris, Yuen and their research team were very valuable to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

From SARS to COVID-19, the team has been engaged in coronavirus-related basic studies while combing through clinical studies. That working mode contributes the outstanding work of the university to the study of infectious diseases, he said.

There had been 20 winners of the Future Science Prize in the last five years, all of whom have been widely recognized in the scientific circle and society. The late Yuan Longping, also known as the father of hybrid rice, was awarded the prize in 2018 for pioneering the use of hybrid vigor to achieve higher yield and increased stress resistance in rice.

Get more news and updates on the development of COVID-19 at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

Finance.Yahoo.com

GlobalTimes.cn
(Natural News) A recent study from Israel about the efficacy of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine suggests that these injections are doing more harm than good.

The study, which was published last month in the medical journal Eurosurveillance, detailed a nosocomial outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 at Meir Medical Center in Israel. Nosocomial means originating in a hospital.

It started when a fully vaccinated dialysis patient confined in the hospital tested positive with the virus. An outbreak occurred as the patient infected 42 out of 248 total people exposed. Of the 42 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, all but three were fully vaccinated. (Related: VAX FAIL: Latest covid outbreak in Israel occurred mostly in fully vaccinated.)

Twenty-three of the infected were patients while 19 were hospital staff members. The fully vaccinated patients suffered the most, with five dying and nine experiencing severe illnesses. It is worth noting that two of the three unvaccinated patients only experienced mild symptoms.

The authors of the study expressed concern over their findings, saying that it challenges the assumption that high universal vaccination rates will lead to herd immunity and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks.

They add: In the outbreak described here, 96.2 percent of the exposed population was vaccinated. Infection advanced rapidly (many cases became symptomatic within two days of exposure) and viral load was high.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) actually corroborated the Israel study, saying that the COVID vaccines and boosters cant fully prevent someone from getting infected with the virus. People with natural immunity to the virus  those who have recovered from COVID-19  appear more protected than fully-vaccinated individuals.

Vaccine does nothing to reduce COVID-19 transmission

Neurologist Dr. Michael Segal explained why people vaccinated against COVID-19 are still contracting and spreading the disease at a high rate.

Segal wrote in an article published by the Wall Street Journal that the vaccines only stimulate internal immunity but do nothing to address. Internal immunity protects the inside of the body while mucosal immunity provides the first line of defense by protecting the nose and mouth, and by doing so also reduces spread to others.

He said that all COVID-19 vaccines are largely ineffective at stimulating the secretion of a particular form of antibodies called Immunoglobulin A (IgA) into our noses that occurs after actual infection with a virus.

Meanwhile, those who have contracted and recovered from the disease have both mucosal and internal immunity. Thats the reason why some experts are now recommending that the virus be allowed to circulate throughout the population, with precautions taken for vulnerable individuals.

We really cannot do anything else but allow the virus to take its course in order for the population to achieve herd immunity, said Porolfur Gudnason, chief epidemiologist of Icelands Directorate of Health. We need to try to vaccinate and better protect those who are vulnerable but let us tolerate the infection. It is not a priority now to vaccinate everyone with the third dose.

Some are asking whether catching COVID-19 now is better than more vaccines. (Related: COVID-19 natural immunity vs vaccine-induced immunity guide.)

If you had a real humdinger of an infection, you may have better immunity to any new variants that pop up as you have immunity to more than just spike [protein], said Eleanor Riley, an immunologist from the University of Edinburgh. We could be digging ourselves into a hole, for a very long time, where we think we can only keep COVID away by boosting every year.

Recovered COVID-19 patients retain broad and durable immunity

Multiple studies have found that most people who have recovered from COVID-19 retain a broad and durable immunity to the disease.

After people recover from infection with a virus, the immune system retains a memory of it. Immune cells and proteins that circulate in the body can recognize and kill the pathogen if its encountered again, protecting against disease and reducing illness severity.

An Emory University study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine found that most of the patients who recovered mounted a strong and wide-ranging immune response to the virus for at least the 250-day duration of the study.

The study involved 254 COVID-19 patients between 18 to 82 years old, who provided blood samples at various points for a period of over eight months beginning April last year. About 71 percent of the patients had mild disease, 24 percent experienced moderate illness and five percent had severe disease.

Another study, which was published on Jan. 6 in Science, analyzed immune cells and antibodies from almost 200 people who had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and recovered.

Antibodies against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 were found in 98 percent of participants one month after symptom onset. The number of antibodies ranged widely between individuals, but their levels remained fairly stable over time, declining only modestly at six to eight months after infection.

Follow Immunization.news for more news and information related to the coronavirus vaccines.

Sources include:

NaturalHealth365.com

WSJ.com

NIH.gov
(Natural News) Service members from all five branches of the U.S. military, federal employees, and federal civilian contractors have joined in a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Defense over its COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

(Article by Mimi Nguyen Ly republished from TheEpochTimes.com)

The 24 plaintiffs face a deadline under the Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate to receive a COVID-19 vaccine that violates their sincerely held religious beliefs, and have been refused any religious exemption or accommodation, according to Liberty Counsel, the Christian legal firm that filed the lawsuit.

The lawsuit (pdf), filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, lists President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as defendants.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to issue a temporary restraining order (pdf) to prevent the COVID-19 vaccine mandates from taking effect, and ultimately issue an injunction to prevent the Pentagon from enforcing the Biden administrations COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Biden on Sept. 9 issued an executive order requiring almost all federal employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment. Regular testing isnt an option. Civilian federal employees and contractors have until Nov. 22 to be fully vaccinated.

Austin issued a memorandum on Aug. 24 saying that all military service members must receive a COVID-19 vaccine, after which all the branches of the military announced various deadlines for its troops to be fully vaccinated, regardless of whether they had previously survived a bout of COVID-19, and threatening suspensions or other disciplinary actions if service members dont have a pending exemption request or fail to comply.

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have set a Nov. 28 deadline for their active-duty service members; reservists have until Dec. 28. For the Army and the Air Force, the deadlines for active-duty service members are Dec. 15 and Nov. 2, respectively, and deadlines for National Guard and Reserve members are June 30, 2022, and Dec. 2, 2021, respectively. U.S. Coast Guard members have until Nov. 22 to be fully vaccinated.

Plaintiffs have demonstrated their commitments to the United States Constitution and the Nations future comfort, security, and prosperity. This Court should demand that the Nation return the favor. Telling Plaintiffs they must accept or receive a shot they oppose according to their sincerely held religious beliefs, or face court martial, dishonorable discharge, and other life altering disciplinary measures, disgraces the sacrifices these heroes have made, attorneys wrote in the filing, adding that relief is needed now to prevent the immediate and irreparable injury imposed by the vaccine mandates.

A Pentagon spokesperson said in an emailed statement, We do not comment on ongoing litigation.

The Biden administration has no authority to require the COVID shots for the military or for federal employees or civilian contractors. Nor can the Biden administration pretend that the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment do not apply to its unlawful mandates, Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said in a statement. The Commander-in-Chief must end this shameful treatment and abuse of our brave military heroes. Forcing the COVID shots without consent or consideration for their sincere religious beliefs is illegal.

White House officials didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

Religious Exemption Requests Denied, Suit Claims

The lawsuit notes that many of its 24 plaintiffs have had their requests for religious exemption denied, while other plaintiffs have been threatened with dishonorable discharge, court martial, termination, or other life-altering disciplinary measures for seeking such exemptions.

Some of these Plaintiffs have been informed by their superiors that no religious exemption or accommodation will be given, so there is no point in even making a request, attorneys said in the filing.

The suit said that Vice Admiral William Galinis, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, on Oct. 14 issued a warning to his entire command of more than 85,000 civilian and military personnel, saying, The Executive Order mandating vaccinations for all federal employees has provided clear direction. We are moving quickly toward a workforce where vaccinations are a condition of employment. Frankly, if you are not vaccinated, you will not work for the U.S. Navy.

A Navy spokeswoman declined to comment last week when asked whether any religious or medical exemptions had been approved.

The three currently available COVID-19 vaccines are the one-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, and the two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.

Plaintiffs sincerely held religious beliefs preclude them from accepting any one of the three currently available COVID-19 vaccines derived from, produced or manufactured by, tested on, developed with, or otherwise connected to aborted fetal cell lines, the suit argued, subsequently providing evidence that aborted fetal cell lines were involved in certain stages of development of all three vaccines.

Plaintiffs religious beliefs compel them to not condone, support, justify, or benefit (directly or indirectly) from the taking of innocent human life via abortion, and that to do so is sinning against God, attorneys wrote.

Attorneys are asking the court to declare that the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate on the plaintiffs is unlawful because it violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act by imposing a substantial burden on Plaintiffs sincerely held religious beliefs.

EUA Products Cannot Be Mandated: Attorneys

Attorneys argued in the suit that no COVID-19 vaccine is available in the United States that has received full licensing and approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and as such, cannot be mandated.

Austin, in his memo on Aug. 24 (pdf), stated that the mandatory vaccinations will only use COVID-19 vaccines that receive full licensure from the [FDA] in accordance with FDA-approved labeling and guidance, attorneys noted, arguing that additional military documents reveal that the Department of Defense is not following its own directive and is using vaccines under emergency use authorization [EUA] because there is no FDA approved vaccine available.

Austins memo came a day after the FDA issued full approval for future PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, which will bear the Comirnaty label. The latter vaccine wasnt available in the United States as of Oct. 12, The Epoch Times reported previously.

The attorneys argued that explicit statutory conditions for an EUA require that people are given the option to accept or refuse administration of a given unapproved product that has been authorized for emergency use.

According to the lawsuit, Because all COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are subject to the EUA Statute restrictions and limitations, all individualsincluding military service members, federal employees, and federal civilian contractorshave the explicit right under the EUA Statute to accept or refuse administration of the products.

Attorneys asked the court to declare the vaccine mandate as unlawful because it violates the EUA provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by imposing a mandatory COVID-19 shot upon Plaintiffs without giving the option to accept or refuse the EUA product.

Read more at: TheEpochTimes.com
(Natural News) Childrens Health Defense (CHD) President and General Counsel Mary Holland slams the Biden administration for forcing the American population to get vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

I dont want to minimize how difficult the situation is, especially for people who are being forced to choose between their jobs of many years and taking a jab that they dont want. People are being put in an odious, coercive [and] wrongful situation, says Holland during The Robert Scott Bell Show on Brighteon.TV.

Host Robert Scott Bell shows a video of Hollands speech during CHDs NYC-Broadway Rally for Freedom last Oct. 16 at Times Square in New York City.

We are gaining, so lets keep in the forefront of our minds where we are going. We are going to a world with no medical mandates. Individuals and families make their own medical decisions with their own trusted advisors. Were going to a world with no segregation [and] no vaccine passports. Were going to a world where school districts listen to parents concerns about their childrens education and their childrens health, Holland says.

An Oct. 18 Epoch Times report said CHD founder Robert F. Kennedy was also present at the event and spoke before thousands of attendees. There is no pandemic exception to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, he says.

Holland thinks the people are beginning to realize that they need to make a stand if they want to have full control of their lives moving forward.

When you look at the level of resistance thats happening in the U.S., all of those things are really, really good news, the CHD president says. We have to understand that the momentum is on our side and thats why they keep applying more and more coercion, but it wont last. (Related: MASS PROTESTS erupt across America; even Biden voters now rejecting tyrannical vaccine mandates  Lets go Brandon protest rap goes viral.)

Holland cites in particular the efforts of Southwest Airlines employees to pressure the companys CEO to reverse his stance on vaccine mandates.

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly says he opposes mandatory COVID-19 injections for employees. Ive never been in favor of corporations imposing that kind of a mandate, he says, pointing his finger at the federal government.

Bell and Holland slam authoritarianism amid the pandemic

Holland said during the Oct. 16 NYC event: [Were] going to a world where the legislatures  not misguided mayors or governors  make the decisions. The peoples representatives [should] make decisions about things that affect us all.

The CHD president points out that officials under the executive branch are behind vaccine mandates instead of legislators who represent the people.

One of the thing thats weve seen during this pandemic worldwide is that none of these restrictions are coming from the legislatures. Theyre not coming from city council, state legislatures and the [federal] legislature, she says. (Related: Dr. David Martin: Bidens vaccine mandates mean nothing.)

According to Holland, these incredibly anti-democratic mandates come from officials under the executive branch. Theyre coming from presidential edicts, governors edicts and mayors edicts. [They are also] coming from public health officers, the county executive or the mayor. They are not coming from the legislatures, she says.

Holland mentions an article by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), which was republished in CHDs newsletter the Defender. No state legislatures passed bills with COVID-19 mandates. The only COVID-19 vaccine mandates enacted so far were created by private employers, state governors and state or local officials, it notes.

In fact, the NVIC article states that majority of lawmakers in state legislatures across the U.S. were against vaccine mandates. It elaborates: Out of the 30 passed bills [by state legislatures] that contained COVID-19 related measures, 29 were bills that had positive elements that protected vaccine informed consent rights. Twenty states have passed some form of protective language from COVID-19 vaccine mandates or vaccine passports in some capacity.

The article further points out: Enlightened legislators are not only listening to concerned constituents in greater numbers, but many more are continuing or beginning to resist aggressive lobbying efforts by the vaccine industry.

People do have a lot more common sense than individual executives who often really love power. Were dealing with power-grabbing authoritarians, Holland says. Bell agrees with her, adding that were dealing with pure authoritarianism.

Watch the full Oct. 18 episode of The Robert Scott Bell Show below. The Robert Scott Bell Show airs every Monday at 4-5 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

HealthFreedom.news has more articles about Americans pushing back against tyrannical vaccine mandates.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TheEpochTimes.com

TheHill.com

ChildrensHealthDefense.org
(Natural News) There is a reason why Donald Trump earned for himself the title of father of the vaccine. Not only does he boastfully call himself this, but Trump continues to tour the media circuit bragging about how he would successfully convince more people to take the shots if he were still president instead of Joe Biden.

During a recent appearance with Bill OReilly, formerly of Fox News, Trump said, I would sell it to them, referring to his perceived ability to manipulate more unvaccinated people than Biden every could into taking the Operation Warp Speed injections.

In less than nine months, Trump went on to boast, his administration was able to fast-track three different vaccines for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) that are now being administered all around the world.

Look, Im very proud of what we did with the vaccines, Trump told OReilly, who now hosts a political news show on The First TV.

It was supposed to take five years, Trump added about the production timeline for the shots, and they said it wasnt going to work. I did three vaccines in less than nine months and they do work, they work really well.

According to Trump, there was no talk about a vaccine mandate while he was still president, and not because his administration did not plan to get everyone injected. No, in Trumps mind, there did not need to be a mandate because everybody wanted the vaccine under his rule.

Now a lot of people dont want it, Trump went on to lament.

Trump has never once mentioned covid vaccine adverse events

Trump has yet to so much as mention the litany of adverse events that are being reported in conjunction with his shots. Instead, he is focused on trying to take credit for them over Biden.

Since the first vaccine trial data to be released came out about a week after he lost the 2020 election, Trumps biggest concern right now is that Biden will take credit for their production and release instead of him.

Trump wants the world to know that it was he who funneled billions of American taxpayer dollars into Big Pharmas coffers to produce these shots, making a few select pharmaceutical CEOs very wealthy.

Biden, meanwhile, has resorted to threatening unvaccinated Americans with punishment if they continue to reject Trumps vaccines, which are not Bidens vaccines, apparently.

Our patience is wearing thin, Biden mumbled during an appearance. And your refusal (to get injected) has cost all of us.

Trump and many other Republican politicians are singing much the same tune about these shots, mainly that they are safe and effective and everyone should get them. The only difference between Republicans and Democrats, at least as far as what they are saying vocally about the jabs, is that Republicans would appear to be against vaccine mandates.

What good are these empty words, though, when the mandates are going to be imposed by the private sector or by the federal government regardless? And let us not forget that there would be nothing to mandate had Trump not warp-speeded these things through the process, as there would not have been any covid vaccines available for at least another four years.

Trump was put into place to stoke the prospects of civil war, wrote one commenter at Zero Hedge. To further the division and hatred. All according to the plan to destroy America from within.

Trump was a false hope Trojan Horse, added another, agreeing with the sentiment.

More related news about Trumps obsession with covid vaccines and wanting to take credit for them can be found at Trump.news.

Sources for this article include:

Yahoo.com

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Scores of U.S. corporations, most of which used to be run by patriots who believed in their country and believed that our diverse population was complimentary and unique, are now led by woke semi-capitalists who have adopted a Marxist view of America and are fomenting hate and division within their employee ranks.

The latest to join the list of corporations subjecting their employees to horrific race propaganda is Walmart, which used to tout Buy American because it supported American jobs and families, as this 1980s-era commercial notes:

Today, however, Walmart is busy telling its white employees they are racists and that the country that built the Walmart empire is systemically racist as well.

City Journals Mark Rufo has the details, citing materials leaked to the publication:

Walmart Inc. has launched a critical race theory training program that denounces the United States as a white supremacy system and teaches white, hourly wage employees that they are guilty of white supremacy thinking and internalized racial superiority.

Walmart launched the program in 2018 in partnership with the Racial Equity Institute, a Greensboro, North Carolina, consulting firm that has worked extensively with universities, government agencies, and private corporations. The program is based on the core principles of critical race theory, including intersectionality, internalized racial oppression, internalized racial inferiority, and white anti-racist development.

According to the materials, Rufo says that Walmart has trained some 1,000 employees since the programs launch and has made it mandatory for its corporate executives, while its only being recommended for hourly wage earners in the companys many stores (that will change, however).

When Rufo reached out to the company, a spokesperson confirmed the divisive materials and said that Walmart engaged REI for a number of training sessions since 2018 and has found these sessions to be thought-provoking and constructive.

Rufo, who has been blowing the whistle on American corporations forcing their workers to become subjected to this society-destroying material, added that in Walmarts case, the program begins with the claim that the United States is a white supremacy system' that was established by white Europeans strictly for the purpose of assigning and maintaining white skin access to power and privilege.

That itself makes no sense when you consider the language of the Declaration of Independence and the fact that the Constitution does not contain the phrase for white people only.

The program goes on to claim that white Americans are regularly subjected to racist conditioning which serves to indoctrinate them into a white supremacy mindset, or the view that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to People of Color and their ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

Rufo continues:

Following the principle that diagnosis determines treatment, the Walmart program seeks to create a psychological profile of whiteness that can then be treated through white anti-racist development. Whites, according to the trainers, are inherently guilty of white privilege and internalized racial superiority, the belief that ones comfort, wealth, privilege and success has been earned by merits and hard work rather than through the benefits of systemic racism.

Walmarts program argues that this oppressive white supremacy culture can be summarized in a list of qualities including individualism, objectivity, paternalism, defensiveness, power hoarding, right to comfort, and worship of the written wordwhich all promote white supremacy thinking and are damaging to both people of color and to white people.

The materials tend to follow the same kind of critical race theory garbage that is increasingly being introduced in American public schools by the same left-wing mindset that is responsible for the destruction of democracies and free societies throughout the history of the planet.

And now they are coming for America, and are being assisted with like-minded haters who run corporations that used to tout and even celebrate America.

But this isnt just a run-of-the-mill case of hypocrisy. Its part of a concerted effort to destroy the one true bastion of freedom and liberty the world has ever known.

In the meantime, shop somewhere else if you can.

Sources include:

CityJournal.org

NaturalNews.com
Sign up to get breaking news, weather forecasts, and more in your email inbox.

Sign Up Now
ATMORE, Ala. (AP)  An Alabama man who avoided execution in February was put to death Thursday for the 1991 killing of a woman who was abducted during a robbery and then shot in a cemetery.

Willie B. Smith III, 52, received a lethal injection at a prison in southwest Alabama. He was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m. local time.

The execution went forward after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request for a stay by his lawyers, who had argued the execution should be blocked on grounds that Smith had an intellectual disability meriting further scrutiny by the courts.

Smith was convicted of kidnapping and murdering 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson in Birmingham.

Prosecutors said Smith had a shotgun when he abducted Johnson in October 1991 from an ATM location in the Birmingham area. He withdrew money using her bank card and then took her to a cemetery and shot her in the back of the head, they said. Johnson was the sister of a Birmingham police officer.

After waiting for 30 years, justice has been served, Johnson's family said in a statement read by Alabama Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn.

The execution began shortly after 9:30 p.m. Smith declined to give any final words. The state allowed a personal pastor with the inmate for the first time during the execution. Pastor Robert Wiley appeared to pray with Smith and put his hand on his leg as the lethal injection procedure began. One of his attorneys held his fist up to the witness room glass in an apparent sign of support.

The court had halted an earlier execution date for Smith in February when he was already in a holding cell near the death chamber and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with his appeal that he could not be put to death without his pastor present.

Smith appeared to quickly jerk twice upward on the gurney as the first drugs hit his system. That's the midazolam, one of his attorneys said in reference to the sedative, used at the start of executions, that has been the subject of litigation. His breathing was initially labored, but then slowed and stopped.

Members of Johnson's family watched the execution in a separate room from Smith's attorneys and the media.

Dunn said the execution went according to our protocol.

Sharma Ruth Johnson was abducted at gunpoint, threatened while in the trunk of the car, terrorized, assaulted, and ultimately, Willie B. Smith, III brutally killed her, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement issued after the execution.

The evidence in this case was overwhelming, and justice has been rightfully served, she added.

Recently, Smith's lawyers had argued unsuccessfully that the inmate had an intellectual disability that prevented him from understanding the prison paperwork related to the selection of an execution method.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that executing intellectually disabled people is unconstitutional, but courts have ruled that Smith was eligible for the death penalty.

Experts had estimated Smiths IQ from 64 on the low end and 75 on the high end, but courts have ruled he was eligible for the death penalty. An expert in a post-trial appeal said while Smiths IQ was measured at 64, his language, reading, and mathematics skills, and that these particular results were inconsistent with a diagnosis of intellectual disability.

Last-minute court filings had centered on whether Smith should have been given assistance under the Americans With Disabilities Act to understand the form distributed to death row inmates in 2018 regarding selection of an execution method. After adopting nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, state law gave inmates a 30-day window to request that as their preferred execution method.

If Smith had requested nitrogen hypoxia, his death sentence could not have been carried out to date because the state has not yet developed a system for using nitrogen to execute inmates.

Smith's attorneys had unsuccessfully asked the Supreme Court to stay the execution until a trial could be held in his ongoing lawsuit arguing that the Americans with Disabilities Act required him to have assistance in understanding the form.

The state of Alabama argued that Smith had received access to his lawyers for help.

While the Supreme Court let the execution go forward, Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized Alabama's haphazard approach but noted that she was respecting the denial of the stay.

Alabama does not dispute that Willie Smith has significantly below-average intellectual functioning. Although the State debates his precise reading level and IQ, those disputes do not resolve the fundamental inequity: the States compressed timeline for notifying eligible inmates and haphazard approach to doing so, Sotomayor wrote.

Alabama's Department of Corrections changed some procedures in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prison system limited media witnesses to the execution to one journalist, a representative from The Associated Press, instead of the five previously allowed.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden's pick for ambassador to Beijing told lawmakers considering his nomination on Wednesday that Americans should "have confidence in our strength when dealing with the rise of China, a nation he said the U.S. and its allies could manage.

Nicholas Burns, a former senior State Department official and diplomat with decades of experience in Washington and overseas, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a time when the Biden administration is trying to swing U.S. focus overseas to managing competition with China. The post of China ambassador stands to be one of the most important for U.S. foreign policy.

China's assertiveness militarily, diplomatically and economically in the region and beyond under its ambitious president, Xi Jinping, increasingly has given rise to warnings of a new Cold War. This includes hawkish talk of an arms race with warnings of China threatening to overtake the U.S. in high tech, trade, military technology and other arenas while challenging the U.S. for world influence.

In his testimony Wednesday, Burns had a calmer take, framing the U.S. relationship with China as manageable.

China is not an Olympian power, Burns said. While a country of extraordinary strength, it also has substantial weaknesses and challenges politically, economically and demographically.

We should have confidence in our strength, American strengths, confidence in our business community, in our innovation community, in our universities, in our ability to attract the best students from around the world, confidence in our unmatched military. In our first rate Foreign Service and civil service, confidence in our values that stand in brilliant opposition to Chinas authoritarian regime.

"We will succeed if we build this American strength around our diplomacy, he said.

He emphasized building alliances in the Indo-Pacific as essential to countering China. That included praising the defense alliance Biden announced last month with Australia and the United Kingdom as potentially transformational." Domestically, the defense pact is best known for triggering French pique, when Australia broke off a deal for French-made submarines in favor of subs with U.S. nuclear power.

Burns also gave what would be a rare bit of credit from the Biden administration to its predecessor, praising President Donald Trump and his last secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, for reinvigorating a bloc with Australia, India and Japan.

He echoed the Biden administration's stand on cooperating with China where possible but condemning many of its actions, calling China's treatment of its largely Muslim Uyghur minority genocide" and its trade practices unacceptable. He aligned with U.S. support for Taiwan and Hong Kong in the face of China's military and political actions there.

As the No. 3 State Department official in the George W. Bush administration, Burns led negotiations to control Iran's nuclear program and to close a nuclear deal with India, which some have criticized as weakening longstanding policy on nuclear nonproliferation. His work since leaving the foreign service includes teaching diplomacy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Burns' status as a senior statesman under Republican and Democratic administrations is likely to win his nomination broad support in a Senate vote. However, two Republican senators, Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, are pledging to block Biden's nominees over unrelated disputes, creating what the Biden administration says is a critical shortfall in U.S. diplomatic representation abroad.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Army has begun hiring more agents and support staff for its criminal investigations, as the new civilian director works to correct widespread failures that surfaced last year after a string of murders and other crimes at Fort Hood, Texas.

Gregory Ford, who took over as head of the Army Criminal Investigation Command, or CID, about a month ago, told reporters Wednesday that he visited Fort Hood last week. He said the hiring process for more than 90 positions has begun, and the Army is already getting a good response from individuals interested in joining CID.

A review late last year found CID was understaffed and badly organized, with too few experienced investigators. The findings came amid heightened scrutiny after the death of Vanessa Guillen, a soldier whose remains were found about two months after she was killed.

More than two dozen Fort Hood soldiers died in 2020, including homicides and suicides. Guillens death and the other cases prompted an independent review, which found that CID investigators lacked the acumen to identify key leads and connect the dots in investigations. It said they were victims of a system that failed to train them and often had them doing administrative tasks.

The Army earlier this year decided to put a civilian in charge of CID, which to date had been led by a general officer. The decision was in line with the review recommendations in an effort to revamp the command.

Ford said he is moving ahead with Army plans to increase the number of civilian agents so they would make up about 60% of the investigators, while military agents make up the remainder.

In addition, he said, Ive been taking a very hard look at our policy and the administrative burden we place on our workforce and have directed a further review to eliminate the duplication of effort and some of the unnecessary policy requirements that may exist.

Fort Hood, Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Carson in Colorado are part of a pilot project that will see some of the early changes and staffing improvements. Ford said the Army has already given agents the opportunity to move to the three bases.

He said a key goal is to ensure timely and aggressive investigations that are approached with a sense of urgency in the critical early hours after crimes are reported.

The level of interest in the job openings, he said, has surpassed everybody's expectations. The posts are a strong draw for individuals who may have been in the military and left to go into law enforcement and are looking for a way to return to service, said Ford.

He did not give details on the cost of the changes, but said the Army has been providing what is necessary to begin the transformation. Officials have said funding will be provided over the next five years.

The decision to replace a military leader of CID with a civilian mirrors a similar shift by the Navy in 1992, in the aftermath of the Tailhook scandal, when Navy and Marine officers sexually assaulted dozens of women at a hotel in Las Vegas. As a result of sweeping condemnation of the Navys investigation into the matter, leaders transformed the military-led Naval Investigative Service into the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and appointed a civilian director.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The FBI found a trash bag of shredded documents, thousands of dollars in cash, latex gloves and a go-bag when they searched the home of a Maryland couple accused of trying to sell information about nuclear-powered warships to a foreign country, an agent testified Wednesday.

Jonathan Toebbe, a Navy nuclear engineer, and his wife, Diana, were arrested in West Virginia this month. Prosecutors allege that Jonathan Toebbe tried to pass secrets about sophisticated and expensive Virginia-class submarines to someone he thought was a representative of a foreign government but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. The government accuses Diana Toebbe of serving as a lookout for her husband at several dead drop locations at which sensitive information was left behind.

The couple pleaded not guilty in federal court in Martinsburg, West Virginia to espionage-related charges that carry life in prison. The Toebbes have been jailed since their arrests.

The country to which Toebbe was looking to sell the information has not been identified in court documents and was not disclosed in court during a detention hearing Wednesday. A judge heard arguments but did not immediately rule on whether Diana Toebbe should continue to be locked up. Jonathan Toebbe waived his right to a detention hearing, meaning he continues to be held.

Peter Olinits, a Pittsburgh-based agent specializing in counterintelligence investigations, testified in support of the government's argument that Diana Toebbe was a potential flight risk and should remain jailed as the case moved forward.

He described how agents on the day of the couple's arrest found in their home, among other objects, $11,300 in cash, children's valid passports and a go-bag containing a USB flash drive and latex gloves.

Olinits also cited messages from 2019 and 2020 in which the Toebbes discussed leaving the country, including one in which Diana Toebbe said, I cannot believe that the two of us wouldn't be welcomed and rewarded by a foreign government." Months later, in another message, she said, I think we need to be actively making plans to leave the country," according to Olinits.

But Diana Toebbe's lawyer, Edward MacMahon, raised the possibility that his 45-year-old client, who worked as a teacher at a progressive private school in Annapolis, Maryland, was simply referring to her distress over the prospect of President Donald Trump's reelection.

She's not the only liberal that's wanted to leave the country over politics, MacMahon pointed out. That's correct, isn't it, sir?

The investigation began in late 2020 after an FBI legal attache office in an unspecified country obtained a package that prosecutors say Jonathan Toebbe had sent that nation. In a letter, he offered to sell confidential U.S. Navy information, according to prosecutors.

The letter, sent on April 1, 2020, and bearing a return address in Pittsburgh, says: If you do not contact me by December 31, 2020 I will conclude you are uninterested, and will approach other possible buyers," according to Olinits' testimony.

After receiving the letter, the FBI began using an undercover agent to communicate with Jonathan Toebbe, arranging for the information to be deposited at dead drop locations around the region.

Olinits testified that Diana Toebbe accompanied her husband on three of the four missions. To avoid suspicion, Olinits said, the Toebbes would dress as if tourists or hikers and meander around the drop site. Authorities say Jonathan Toebbe left at the locations memory cards containing government secrets, concealing them in objects including a chewing gum wrapper, a Band-Aid wrapper and a peanut butter sandwich.

Olinits said the FBI has not been able to locate the roughly $100,000 in cryptocurrency payments that the bureau sent the Toebbes in exchange for the stolen government secrets, and that agents have also not yet recovered all the classified documents.

MacMahon, the lawyer for Diana Toebbe, argued that because the FBI did not record any of the couple's conversations, agents actually had no proof that his client had any knowledge of her husband's activities or what precisely he was doing.

He said the couple, who has children, had been planning a family trip, which could explain the bag that agents found and why their passports were being renewed. And he suggested that Diana Toebbe, who has a doctoral degree in anthropology, has no knowledge of nuclear submarines.

Did it occur to you as part of your investigation that maybe Mr. Toebbe was telling her he was up to something other than espionage against the United States? MacMahon asked.

I think that'd be a difficult thing to sell, but maybe, Olinits said.

____

Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  The FBI on Thursday identified human remains found in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip.

The remains, a backpack and notebook believed to belong to Laundrie were discovered Wednesday in a Florida wilderness park, according to the FBI. The area where they were found had been under water during earlier searches.

The FBI's Denver office said in a news release a comparison of dental records confirmed that the remains were Laundrie. A lawyer for his parents, Steve Bertolino, also confirmed in a statement they were told the remains were those of their son.

We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundries privacy at this time, the statement said.

The FBI statement did not list a cause of death. It wasn't clear how long the remains may have been submerged in water.

The discovery of the remains concluded a massive search involving federal, state and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, two weeks after the 23-year-old returned alone to his parents home in North Port, Florida.

The investigation into Petito's slaying, however, is not yet concluded. But only Laundrie has ever been identified by law enforcement officials as a person of interest in the case.

Petitos family reported her missing Sept. 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and, in Laundrie's case, focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundrie home. It is a densely wooded, swampy area that's home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes and numerous other creatures.

The couple first met as teenagers on Long Island, New York, and more recently moved to Florida's Gulf Coast to live with his parents.

They first gained an online following while on their trip in a converted Ford Transit van in videos filled with happy scenes that may have concealed deeper problems. After Petito disappeared, the case became a true-crime obsession on social media.

The intense focus on Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color. Petito, 22, was white.

Her body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks.

The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed.

Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip, which was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve.

Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out.

The remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota, Florida.

Laundrie was charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made.

Had Laundrie lived, that indictment would have permitted authorities to arrest him.
WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. regulators on Wednesday signed off on extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially.

The Food and Drug Administrations decisions mark a big step toward expanding the U.S. booster campaign, which began with extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine last month. But before more people roll up their sleeves, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will consult an expert panel Thursday before finalizing official recommendations for who should get boosters and when.

The latest moves would expand by tens of millions the number of Americans eligible for boosters and formally allow mixing and matching of shots  making it simpler to get another dose, especially for people who had a side effect from one brand but still want the proven protection of vaccination.

Specifically, the FDA authorized a third Moderna shot for seniors and others at high risk from COVID-19 because of their health problems, jobs or living conditions  six months after their last shot. One big change: Modernas booster will be half the dose thats used for the first two shots, based on company data showing that was plenty to rev up immunity again.

For J&Js single-shot vaccine, the FDA said all U.S. recipients, no matter their age, could get a second dose at least two months following their initial vaccination.

The FDA rulings differ because the vaccines are made differently, with different dosing schedules  and the J&J vaccine has consistently shown a lower level of effectiveness than either of the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

As for mixing and matching, the FDA said it's OK to use any brand for the booster regardless of which vaccination people got first. The interchangeability of the shots is expected to speed the booster campaign, particularly in nursing homes and other institutional settings where residents have received different shots over time.

FDA officials said they wanted to make the booster guidance as flexible as possible, given that many people don't remember which brand of vaccine they received.

Being able to interchange these vaccines is a good thing  its like what we do with flu vaccines," FDA's Dr. Peter Marks told reporters Wednesday evening. Most people dont know what brand of flu vaccine they received.

Still, he added that many people will decide to get a booster from the same company as their initial vaccination.

The agency's mix-and-match decision was based on preliminary results from a government study of different booster combinations that showed an extra dose of any type revs up levels of virus-fighting antibodies. That study also showed recipients of the single-dose J&J vaccination had a far bigger response if they got a full-strength Moderna booster or a Pfizer booster rather than a second J&J shot. The study didn't test the half-dose Moderna booster.

Health authorities stress that the priority still is getting first shots to about 65 million eligible Americans who remain unvaccinated. But the booster campaign is meant to shore up protection against the virus amid signs that vaccine effectiveness is waning against mild infections, even though all three brands continue to protect against hospitalization and death.

Today the currently available data suggest waning immunity in some populations of fully vaccinated people, said FDA's acting commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock. The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease.

The Moderna booster decision essentially matches FDAs ruling that high-risk groups are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, which is made with the same technology.

FDA recommended that everyone whod gotten the single-shot J&J vaccine get a booster since it has consistently shown lower protection than its two-shot rivals. And several independent FDA advisers who backed the booster decision suggested J&Js vaccine should have originally been designed to require two doses.

Experts continue to debate the rationale of the booster campaign. Some warn that the U.S. government hasnt clearly articulated the goals of boosters given that the shots continue to head off the worst effects of COVID-19, and wonder if the aim is to tamp down on virus spread by curbing, at least temporarily, milder infections.

FDA regulators said they would move quickly to expand boosters to lower age groups, such as people in their 40s and 50s, if warranted.

"We are watching this very closely and will take action as appropriate to make sure that the maximum protection is provided to the population, said Marks, the FDA's top vaccine official.

In August, the Biden administration announced plans for an across-the-board booster campaign aimed at all U.S. adults, but outside experts have repeatedly argued against such a sweeping effort.

On Thursday an influential panel convened by the CDC is expected to offer more specifics on who should get boosters and when. Their recommendations are subject to approval by the CDC director.

The vast majority of the nearly 190 million Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have received the Pfizer or Moderna options, while about 15 million have received the J&J vaccine.

___

Associated Press writer Mike Stobbe contributed to this story from New York.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  Potential human remains were found Wednesday in a Florida wilderness area along with items believed to belong to Brian Laundrie, whose girlfriend, Gabby Petito, was found slain after he returned home alone from their cross-country road trip, according to the FBI.

Michael McPherson, chief of the Tampa FBI office, said at a news conference that it will take time to identify the remains, which forensic teams were examining. McPherson said they were found near a backpack and a notebook linked to Laundrie.

We are working diligently to get those answers for you, McPherson said, adding that the items and remains were found in a swampy area  home to alligators, snakes, coyotes and other wildlife  that had previously been underwater. It's likely the team will be on site for several days.

Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, took part in the search Wednesday with the FBI and police from North Port, Florida, more than a month after Laundrie was reported missing after heading to the vast Carlton Reserve park.

After a brief search off a trail that Brian frequented some articles belonging to Brian were found, Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino said in a text to The Associated Press. As of now law enforcement is conducting a more thorough investigation of that area.

The Sarasota County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed it had been summoned to the reserve but would not comment further.

Laundrie, 23, is a person of interest in the killing of Petito, who was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents while the couple was on a cross-country trip out West.

The case generated enormous public interest but also raised uncomfortable questions over the unequal attention given to the hundreds of cases of Native American and other minority women missing or murdered across the United States. Petito is white.

Petitos body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks.

The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no charges were filed.

Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the Ford van the couple took on their trip. He was reported missing after telling his parents on Sept. 14 that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve, a nature preserve in Sarasota County that has for weeks been a key area in the search.

The activity Wednesday was focused on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where television news reports showed numerous law enforcement vehicles arriving and a tent set up inside the woods. The location is where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found.

Laundrie is charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which would allow authorities to arrest him if he is found alive.

It alleges Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made.

_____

Associated Press writer Mike Balsamo in Washington contributed to this story.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  Next months abbreviated session of the North Dakota Legislature is intended to finish the job of legislative redistricting and determine how federal coronavirus relief aid will be spent, though some lawmakers want to broaden the agenda.

More than two dozen bills have been submitted ahead of the session planned for Nov. 8, said John Bjornson, who heads the nonpartisan Legislative Council, the Legislatures research arm.

The deadline for submitting the bills was last week. Details of the legislation, and sponsors, wont be revealed until the bills are approved for introduction, which would happen shortly ahead of the special or reconvened session, Bjornson said.

Several lawmakers told The Associated Press that much of the legislation has come from a loosely organized group of ultraconservative legislators known as the Bastiat Caucus, which supports limited government and gun rights.

Bismarck Republican Rep. Rick Becker, who heads the caucus, said he was aware of a few bills from his group, and that most of the proposals, including one of his own, are aimed at preventing vaccine mandates in the state.

Any bills that are introduced will have to first win the endorsement of the House or Senates delayed-bills committee. The bipartisan panels both have five members and are controlled by the Legislatures GOP leadership, which will limit the introductions of bills.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner and GOP House Majority Leader Chet Pollert said they want to limit the sessions agenda to a handful of subjects. Chief among them is legislative redistricting, a mandatory political task that defines the areas state lawmakers will represent for the next decade.

Also topping the list will be debate on how to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in federal coronavirus aid the state received this year. House and Senate appropriations committees are expected to finish prioritizing uses for the money next week, and forward the recommendations to the full Legislature for consideration.

The North Dakota Constitution limits the Legislature to 80 days of meetings every two years, and this years regular session used 76 days. That means if the Legislature calls itself back into session, lawmakers will have to shoehorn the redistricting job and federal coronavirus aid spending into just four days.

Each of those subjects would take a minimum of three legislative days to be approved by both chambers of the Legislature.

Lawmakers have the option of reconvening or asking the governor to call a special session. Republican Gov. Doug Burgum and GOP legislative leaders have been meeting in recent weeks to discuss the possibility of a special session.

Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatzki said the discussions are ongoing.

A reconvened session of the Legislature would count against the constitutions limit of 80 days of meetings every two years, while a special session would not.

Any legislation endorsed in a reconvened session would not take effect for 90 days after the Legislature approves it, unless the proposal draws support from two-thirds of the House and Senate.

Its unclear if the redistricting bill  one of the most politically sensitive questions to be decided  would achieve that threshold.

A special session called by the governor would have no time limits, and any legislation could take effect immediately upon being approved by a majority vote.

Former Gov. Jack Dalrymple called a special session to deal with redistricting in 2011, and John Hoeven did so in 2001.

Legislators make $189 daily while in session. Each day they are in a special or reconvened session costs taxpayers about $64,000.
PHOENIX (AP)  Maricopa County officials approved a settlement Wednesday with a restaurant owner in metro Phoenix who claimed in a lawsuit that then-Sheriff Joe Arpaios office had defamed him and violated his rights about seven years ago when investigating whether employees at his restaurants used fraudulent IDs to get jobs.

The $5 million settlement with Uncle Sams owner Bret Frimmel came weeks after officials signed off on a separate $400,000 settlement to resolve similar claims brought by Uncle Sams manager Lisa Norton. County officials approved $3.1 million of Frimmels settlement. The remaining $1.9 million in his settlement is being covered by an insurer.

Frimmel and Norton were arrested by Arpaios office in January 2014 on employment-related identity theft charges that were dismissed after a judge ruled one of Arpaios detective recklessly disregarded the truth in affidavits used to get search warrants and ultimately found that there was no probable cause to back up the warrants. Frimmel and Norton maintained they did nothing wrong.

Their lawsuit was among the last civil cases pending against Arpaio, who was voted out of office in late 2016 after 24 years in office and lost a 2020 bid to win back his old job.

Arpaio raided Frimmels restaurants and about 80 other businesses from 2008 through 2014 in investigations that led to the arrests of hundreds of immigrant workers under a law that made it a felony to use fake or stolen IDs to get jobs.

Nine employees were arrested in the investigation of Uncle Sam's.

Even though a judge in the criminal case said there was no probable cause for the warrants, another judge handling the civil case found in March 2019 that the detective leading the investigation had probable cause to arrest Frimmel and Norton on the ID theft charge and ruled against the lawsuits claims of malicious arrest and abuse of process.

What remained of the lawsuit were the claims of illegal search and search, defamation and negligent restraint related to the handcuffing of Frimmel during the arrest.

Frimmel and his manager said they were arrested after the restaurant owner was asked by the U.S. Justice Department for help in a now-settled civil rights lawsuit that accused the sheriffs office of racial profiling, retaliating against Arpaios critics and other civil rights violations.

One of Frimmels attorneys said the Justice Department contacted his client during the federal investigation, but Frimmel never returned the call.

The retaliation claim wasnt mentioned in the extensive March 2019 pretrial order that examined the legal claims and evidence.

Leon Silver, one of the lawyers representing Frimmel and Norton, said the 2019 decision wasnt a final judgment and that the judge might have still allowed the malicious arrest claim to be heard at trial. Silver said investigators never proved his client knew that job applicants were using fake IDs to seek jobs.

My clients feel vindicated by the settlement, Silver said. They are relieved to have this behind them. They have lived with this way too long. They just want to get on with their lives.

Arpaio, who is now running for mayor of his adopted hometown of Fountain Hills, said it was the countys decision to settle the case.

I was ready to go to court and go before a jury of my peers to testify, Arpaio said. I didnt have that chance. I still feel like we would have won that trial if it went before a jury.

____ This story has been corrected to say the overall amount of Bret Frimmel's settlement was $5 milllion, not $3.1 million.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. House is expected to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress. It's up to the Justice Department, and the courts, to determine what happens next.

As lawmakers ready a Thursday vote to send a contempt referral to the U.S. attorneys office in Washington, theres considerable uncertainty about whether the Justice Department will prosecute Bannon for refusing to cooperate with the investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection, despite Democratic demands for action.

The outcome could determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation, but the strength of Congress power to call witnesses and demand information  factors that will certainly be weighing on Justice officials as they determine whether to move forward. While the department has historically been reticent to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries.

If Congress cant perform its oversight job, the message sent to the general public is these subpoenas are a joke, said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor and former Justice Department official. He said if Attorney General Merrick Garland, a former federal judge whom Saltzburg regards as one of the most nonpartisan people I know, doesn't authorize a prosecution, hes going to be letting the Constitution, it seems to me, be placed in jeopardy. And its way too important for him to let that happen.

Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is at stake.

The stakes are enormous, said Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of the panel. The Congress of the United States under Article One has the power to investigate in order to inform our deliberations about how to legislate going forward. Thats what this is about.

Still, prosecution is not a given. Assuming his post after a turbulent Trump era, Garland has prioritized restoring what he has called the norms of the department. On his first day, he told rank-and-file prosecutors that they should be focused on equal justice and not feel pressure to protect the presidents allies or to attack his enemies. He has repeatedly said political considerations shouldn't play a role in any decisions.

And his deputies pushed back  hard  when President Joe Biden suggested to reporters last week that Bannon should be prosecuted for contempt.

The Department of Justice will make its own independent decisions in all prosecutions based solely on the facts and the law. Period. Full stop, Garlands spokesman, Anthony Coley, said on Friday, in response to the presidents comments.

The Jan. 6 panel voted Tuesday evening to recommend the contempt charges against Bannon, citing reports that he spoke with Trump before the insurrection, promoted the protests that day and predicted there would be unrest. Members said Bannon was alone in completely defying his subpoena, while more than a dozen other witnesses were at least speaking to the panel.

If the full House votes to hold Bannon in contempt on Thursday, as expected, the matter will be referred to the U.S. attorneys office in Washington. It would then be up to prosecutors in that office whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges. The office is run by Channing Phillips, an acting U.S. attorney who had previously served in the position in the Obama administration. Another attorney, Matt Graves, has been nominated for the post, but his nomination is pending in the Senate.

If the House of Representatives certifies a criminal contempt citation, the Department of Justice, as with all criminal referrals, will evaluate the matter based on the facts and the law, consistent with the Principles of Federal Prosecution, said Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Washington.

The Justice Department has in the past been wary of prosecuting congressional contempt cases, especially when the White House and the House of Representatives are controlled by opposing political parties.

The department in the Obama administration declined to prosecute then-Attorney General Eric Holder and former IRS official Lois Lerner following contempt referrals from the Republican-led House, while George W. Bushs Justice Department declined to charge Harriet Miers after the former White House counsel defied a subpoena in a Democratic investigation into the mass firings of United States attorneys.

In addition, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel has said in multiple opinions  including one from the 1980s involving Anne Gorsuch, the mother of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who refused to turn over documents in her capacity as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency  that the Justice Department has discretion on when to prosecute for contempt, even when receiving a referral from the House.

Still, the Bannon case is different, as Democrats hold both Congress and the White House  and because the committee is investigating a violent insurrection of Trumps supporters who beat law enforcement officers, broke into the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Bidens victory.

What were talking about is this massive, violent assault on American democracy," Raskin said.

Thomas Spulak, a former Democratic counsel to the House, said there are arguments that could be made for and against a Justice Department prosecution. On one hand, he said, Some have suggested that perhaps this Justice Department doesnt want to get caught up in a continuation in the saga that went on in the last administration over subpoenas with the House.

But, given the severity and historic nature of Jan. 6, This is a significant matter for the House and the House is going to press this very hard  and it might be difficult for the administration to not act on it.

Even if the department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

And if they dont prosecute, then the House will likely find another route. A House-authorized civil lawsuit could also take years, but force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court.

Another option available to Congress would be to try to imprison witnesses who defy them  an unlikely, if not outlandish, scenario. Called inherent contempt, the process was used in the countrys early years but hasnt been employed in almost a century.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, another member of the panel, says if Justice prosecutes the case it will have a vigorous effect in terms of other potential witnesses' willingness to cooperate or face consequences.

I think the criminal justice system, when it has a mind to, can move very quickly, Schiff said. And we hope that it will.
Clays for Nathan fundraiser set Clays for Nathan, a sporting clays fundraiser in support of Nathan Pelletier and his famil

Fueled by his desire to help others, Jeremy Pelletier joined the Army National Guard.

Now, 12 years later, Sgt. Pelletiers fellow Guard members are offering their support to him as his 7-year-old son, Nathan, battles a rare form of cancer.

Clays for Nathan, a fundraiser organized by Staff Sgt. Zach Cowher, is planned for Saturday at the Lawrence County Sportsmens Association in Wampum. In addition to the sporting clays event, the day will include prizes, raffles and a luncheon.

While the doctors are doing everything they can to care for Nathan, we are doing what we can to support the family, explained Cowher, a New Castle resident, who, like Jeremy Pelletier, serves with the Guard unit based in Grove City.

When one of my men need help, we find a way, said Cowher, whos also a shop teacher at Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, Ohio.

Former residents of New Castles North Hill, Jeremy, his wife Jamie and their four children moved to Ohio to be closer to the Cleveland Clinic where Nathan began monthly chemotherapy treatments last December. Jeremy, a mechanic with Estes Express Lines, travels regularly between Ohio and Grove City for his Guard duties.

While the move also allows the Pelletier family, which also includes 8-year-old Baylee, 3-year-old Amaya and 18-month-old Zane, to be closer to some of Jamies relatives who help with childcare, it was in New Castle that their battle with cancer began.

Jamie explained that Nathan, who was homeschooled, suddenly began drinking copious amounts of water.

Honestly, at first we thought it might be a good thing because he never did drink much, Jamie recalled of the experience in August 2020. But it got worse and worse, to the point where he was drinking 90 ounces a day. Thats when we called the doctor.

After a series of consultations with physicians and trips to the ER, an endocrinologist-ordered MRI revealed the cause, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, or LCH, a rare form of cancer.

According to stjude.org, LCH causes the body to make too many dendritic cells, which are a form of white blood cells that play a role in the bodys immune system. The dendritic cells then build up, forming lesions and tumors that disrupt the normal function of tissues and organs.

Each year, about one in 200,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with LCH, which can affect any organ, from skin and bones to lymph nodes and bone marrow. In Nathans case, LCH caused a lesion in his brain, which was deemed inoperable because of its location between the organs two hemispheres.

The Pelletiers also learned that LCH caused swelling in Nathans cerebellum, affecting motor skills and balance, and had caused the stalk of Nathans pituitary gland to thicken, affecting that organs function.

Story continues below video

With that comes diabetes insipidus, which explained the thirst, Jamie said, adding that shes unfortunately learned a lot about medical terminology, hospitals and insurance in the past year.

Shortly after his diagnosis, Nathan began chemotherapy, undergoing one week of daily six-hour treatments a month. He begins his ninth round in the 12-month treatment plan next week.

Jamie explained that as of Nathans last MRI, taken in August, the lesion had lessened in size and the thickening of the pituitary gland had subsided. However, the cerebral swelling had worsened.

This month, doctors will add a new experimental medication to Nathans mix in an effort to reduce the swelling in his brain. He also does physical therapy regularly to work on his gross motor skills.

Overall, hes doing good. Weve gotten into a routine, but hes getting tired of it. He told me he didnt want to do chemo next week. But, really, who would? I just keep telling him were more than halfway through and, right now, its looking that he wont have to do more, Jamie said.

Its hard because hes tired and he wants to see his friends and do normal kid things, Jeremy added.

In the week following his chemo treatments, Nathan is closely monitored due to his weakened immune system. For those two weeks, he attends school virtually. However, for the remainder of the month, he goes to his regular second-grade classroom at a small church-related private school.

We have to be super careful, because if he gets a temperature of 100.4, hes automatically back in the hospital, Jamie said. His immune system isnt what it should be.

We dont like to talk about whats next, its more of whats going on now, she continued, explaining that the hope is for remission after the year of chemo concludes. However, some patients require another six months of treatment to achieve remission and LCH, which also affects adults, can reoccur. Its caused by good cells that mutated, and they can do it again in the future.

For now, the family relies on their faith, family and friends to get them through.

I honestly dont know how people can handle things like this without God, and family and friends, Jamie said.

Noting that they are extremely thankful for those whove reached out to them with freshly prepared meals and other assistance, Jeremy added that they were shocked and overwhelmed when Cowher approached them about the fundraiser.

People have been incredibly supportive; people we dont even know, Jamie said through tears. Im not one to ask for help, so Im just overwhelmed, amazed and thankful.
A bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Craig Staats of Bucks County, above, would revise part of the Disease Prevention and Control Law and make the data fall under the umbrella of the states Right to Know Law.
A Kenyan captures the cost of climate change A Kenyan captures the cost of climate change

To mark COP26, St Peter Mancroft Church in Norwich will host a screening of 'Thank you for the Rain' in partnership with Christian Aid.

'Thank You for the Rain' tells the story of Kisulu Musaya from south-east Kenya who realises that what he and his local farming community are experiencing are the effects of climate change. The audience is invited to follow Kisilus journey from smallholder activist to advocate at the UN climate talks.



Kisilu has used his camera to capture the life of his family, and the human costs of climate change.



Chris Hull, volunteer campaigns organiser for Christian Aid, said: Watching this film made me realise just how important it is for marginalised groups to be represented directly at any negotiations on climate.



Entrance to the film is free and attendees are welcome to purchase and bring pizza to the screening. There will be a short question and answer session after the film, led by Chris Hull. This event is part of the Gaia festival, featuring Luke Jerram's Gaia Earth work, a 6-metre diameter replica of the earth.



The screening will take place at 7pm on Friday October 29 at St Peter Mancroft Church, Hay Hill, Norwich NR2 1QQ (opposite The Forum).









Eldred Willey, 21/10/2021
Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities.
This Monday, Amazon announced that it will hire 150 thousand temporary workers in the United States to cover the increase in demand they expect for year-end purchases. One of his strategies to attract staff is to offer bonuses of up to $ 3,000 just for signing with Jeff Bezos' company.

The ecommerce giant is getting ready for the Christmas season , amid a great crisis of labor shortages in the country. Therefore, it is tempting candidates with a hefty bonus of up to $ 3,000 , depending on the city where the workers are based.

It may interest you: Amazon managers will decide how often employees will go to the office

This hiring bonus is independent of the salary they will receive: 18 dollars per hour (about 360 Mexican pesos), which can increase to 21 dollars (about 420 MXN) for those who cover night shifts and / or work on weekends.

The new employees will fill vacancies in the merchandise packaging areas , one of the busiest in the last months of the year. These are in addition to those announced by Amazon in September: It will hire 40,000 new corporate and technology employees, as well as 125,000 full and part-time employees for fulfillment and transportation jobs.

Using data from its sellers, #Amazon launched Project Solimo: copying popular products from its platform to sell them cheaper and boosting its own brands in India. https://t.co/nejqt7Jbrk - Entrepreneur in Spanish (@SoyEntrepreneur) October 14, 2021

"We are proud to offer a wide range of full-time, part-time and now seasonal jobs with excellent salaries and benefits ," said Alicia Boler Davis , Amazon 's senior vice president of global customer compliance, in a statement .

Our seasonal hiring helps us deliver on our promises to clients while providing flexibility for our full-time employees during peak periods. Joining Amazon in one of our seasonal positions offers a well-paying part-time job or a path to a full-time position,  added the executive.

Also read: These leadership mistakes by Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are a warning to all entrepreneurs

Amazon competes with Walmart and Target for employees

Amazon's tempting job offer comes amid competition from US retailers for temporary or permanent employees. In a recent Korn Ferry survey cited by American Retail , 100% of retailers surveyed reported having trouble hiring employees.

In September, Walmart said it plans to hire 20,000 employees at more than 250 Walmart and Sam's Club distribution centers, logistics centers and transportation offices. In early October, Target announced that it will add 30,000 new supply chain positions for the holiday season and beyond.

Amazon was one of the companies most favored by the pandemic, as its online sales soared like never before. For this reason, in mid-2020 it added 500 thousand employees to its already extensive workforce of 1.3 million workers worldwide. This year, Jeff Bezos' company opened 250 logistics facilities in the United States and is known to open 100 more facilities.

Recently, Amazon was named by LinkedIn as the number one company in which Americans want to work and develop their careers.

Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
NEW MILFORD  A section of Route 7 was temporarily shut down Wednesday after a box truck driver lost control and caused a multi-vehicle collision in the area of 295 Danbury Road.

Police said the crash happened around 10:50 a.m. when the driver of a box truck traveled onto the northbound shoulder of Route 7 where he lost control and turned sharply across both lanes of travel before striking a northbound utility van.
UpNest used data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments State of the Cities Data Systems to rank the states and Washington, D.C., according to how many new housing permits were issued between August 2020 and August 2021. Click for more.
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).
He was reaching for a gun and I shot him, Calvin Williams told his mother in a phone call after his arrest for the murder of Gerryontae Brown in November 2020.
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.
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

John 15:3
A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* uses the popular social media platform Twitter to examine public attitudes towards the vaccines developed to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States of America. The researchers found that the nature of the discussion of the COVID-19 vaccines differed with the stage of development of the vaccine and the phase of the pandemic, which, in turn, varied with the geographic location and demographic characteristics of the Twitter user.

Study: Public Perception of COVID-19 Vaccines on Twitter in the United States. Image Credit: rafapress / Shutterstock.com

Background

COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused the deaths of over 4.9 million around the world, over 700,000 of which resided in the United States. The worst affected by COVID-19 mortality included the frail, elderly, Blacks, and Hispanics. In order to arrest viral transmission, vaccine development was accelerated, with high priority being accorded to this project.

The vaccine development process culminated in the emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines at the end of 2020, within a year when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Scientists have estimated that at least 70% of the population needs to be vaccinated to reach population immunity; however, the degree of acceptance of the vaccines must be high for this goal to be reached.

Unfortunately, the chances that a given person would take the vaccine decreased from April to December 2020, from about 75% to about 55%. The advantages and limitations of the vaccine development process, potential dangers of the vaccine, as well as alleged hoaxes behind the propagation of vaccine information led to extensive and detailed discussions on the vaccine.

The current study discusses the public debate about the COVID-19 vaccine in an attempt to capture popular opinion on this matter. Social media provides a wealth of information that accurately conveys public opinions on a variety of topics.

The researchers used DeepFace, a computer vision technique, to look at the demographic factors of Twitter users who tweeted about COVID-19 vaccines. First, the total number of tweets from March 5, 2020, to January 31, 2021, was calculated.

The levels of these tweets remained stable, except for two peaks on November 9, 2020, when Pfizer announced that its vaccine was expected to be up to 90% effective, and on December 8, 2020, when the U.S. counted more than 15 million total COVID-19 cases.

The researchers found that the Twitter users who actively discussed the COVID-19 vaccines were from the states at the country's east, west, and south areas. This includes California, with over 390 users who mentioned the vaccines per 100,000 people, followed by Washington, at 370 and Texas, at 362 users per 100,000. However, the average number of tweets related to the vaccine per Twitter user did not vary by state.

Of approximately 4.5 million tweets that mentioned COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S., over a third were positive about the vaccines, a third were negative, and the rest neutral. When examined over time, the researchers found that the sentiment score, positive or negative, showed significant differences from week to week at the beginning of the pandemic, but then became stable.

The period from March 8, 2020, to March 14, 2020, showed the highest mean score for sentiments about the vaccine, with over 54,000 tweets and a score of 0.155. Conversely, from May 31, 2020, to June 6, 2020, the average score dropped to -0.351, with almost 59,000 tweets.

Further analysis of these trends showed that the topics during the first (positive) peak included COVID-19 vaccine development, which was mentioned in over half the tweets, and vaccine availability for all at 31%, as well as vaccine fight COVID-19 in almost a fifth. Half the tweets dealt with Black Lives Matter and the vaccine during the second period, with approximately a quarter each mentioning Bad COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccine availability.

The average sentiment scores of tweets mentioning the vaccines varied from state to state. In general, these scores were higher in states on the east coast, such as Maine and New York, at 0.025 and 0.026, respectively, but low in Oregon or Colorado on the west coast, at -0.014 and -0.017, respectively.

Average sentiment score of tweets related to COVID-19 vaccines from different US states. Avg. Sent score stands for average sentiment score.

Of the over 1.1 million Twitter users who tweeted about COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S., the authors obtained approximately 59,000 valid images from the user profiles and classified them using the DeepFace algorithm. The male users outnumbered females by 2:1.

Over 66% of these users were between the ages of 30-49 years, with just under 35% being in the 2529-year age group. Almost two-thirds of these users were White, with just about one in seven being either Black or Asian, and another 17% being of Other races.

Demographic characteristics of Twitter users who discussed COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S.

Overall, about 44% of users had a favorable perception of the vaccine; however, a third saw it negatively and over one in five were neutral towards the vaccine. Racial or age-based characteristics did not affect the type of perception, nor did the sex of the person.

Implications

The researchers found that COVID-19 vaccines became a highly debated topic on Twitter within the U.S., with the trend increasing longitudinally. The largest stimuli to the discussion of this topic were the course of the pandemic in this country and the development of the new vaccines. The latter factor was of greater interest to Twitter users in coastal states, with those from east coast states tending to accept the vaccine most favorably.

COVID-19 vaccines were more often the subject of tweets among males aged 30-49 years. While the proportion of Whites among the Twitter users who discussed the vaccine reflects the actual proportion in the general Twitter user population, Blacks and Asians were less strongly represented in this area as compared to their general proportions at approximately 6% and 9% versus 14% and 18%, respectively.

The timing of the two highest sentiment scores, both positive and negative, coincided with the development of the vaccine and the number of COVID-19 cases surpassing 15 million.

While these figures corroborate those from most earlier studies, one study showed that the weekly trend of tweets related to the vaccine remained positive but increased over time. This difference may be due to the use of different keywords and different geographical boundaries.

The positive peak in March 2020 could be due to the positive news being released about the vaccine, while the negative peak in early June 2020 may have been due to low vaccine availability and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The finding that Whites and males in one age group talk about this topic more often provides a focus for targeted information campaigns to boost vaccine confidence. The use of Twitter also provides a broad picture of discussions about the vaccine in the U.S.

*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 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused over 4.9 million deaths worldwide, as well as a significant impact on societal health throughout the world. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, both monoclonal antibodies and convalescence plasma were used to treat patients.

Study: Opsonization by non-neutralizing antibodies can confer protection to SARS-CoV-2 despite Spike-dependent modulation of phagocytosis. Image Credit: StudioMoleKuul / Shutterstock.com

Background

Two monoclonal antibody cocktails, of which included both casirivimab and imdevim, as well as bamlanivimab and etesevim, were found to target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. As a result of their success during Phase III clinical trials, these two antibody treatments quickly received emergency use authorization (EUA) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Further, the trials indicated that the use of these antibody cocktails led to a reduction in symptoms, hospitalization, and mortality that was associated with early-stage COVID-19. However, the antibiotic cocktails did not show any benefit in case of severe COVID-19 infections.

The aforementioned therapeutic antibodies have been categorized as neutralizing antibodies. Neutralizing antibodies comprise only a fraction of the total antibodies that are generated by B-cells against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Comparatively, non-neutralizing antibodies comprise a majority of the humoral response against a pathogen. These antibodies are also known to have other immunological functions such as complement-dependent immune activation and viral phagocytosis. By carrying out either virus or cellular phagocytosis, phagocytic cells help to reduce the viral load.

In the case of certain viral infections such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), SARS-CoV-2, and Dengue, the level of neutralizing antibodies is found to be insufficient. This allows non-neutralizing antibodies to mediate entry of the virions into the host immune cells resulting in an Antibody-Dependent-Enhancement (ADE). This further results in increased infection, along with worsened patient outcomes. To date, no study has shown evidence of ADE in the case of COVID-19 infections.

A new study published in the preprint server bioRxiv* showed evidence that convalescent patient plasma and monoclonal anti-spike antibodies were able to induce phagocytosis at high antibody concentrations. This study also demonstrated that neutralization potential did not have any effect on the activation and inhibition of phagocytosis. This study also utilized an experimental animal infection model to determine the role of non-neutralizing antibodies in providing protection against SARS-CoV-2.

About the study

The current study began with in vitro transfection of HEK293 cells with plasmids for expression of the spike protein, as well as antibodies. SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike antibodies were selected with the help of phage display technology.

Convalescent patient plasma reduces Spike-monocyte interaction. a Biotinylated Spike protein was conjugated to fluorescent (APC) streptavidin microspheres and was opsonized with three convalescent patient plasma concentrations (1%, 0.1%, and 0.01%). The beads were then mixed with THP-1 cells at a ratio of 2:1, and the association was measured using flow cytometry. Cells that had signal in the APC channel were considered positive. The gating strategy is shown in the top right. b The same samples of THP-1 cells and beads from (a) were fixed with methanol and stained with a fluorescent (FITC) Fab anti-human Fab secondary antibody. The samples were analyzed for human antibody (opsonin) binding to the Spike-beads using flow cytometry. The gating strategy is shown in the top right. The data presented are from three independent experiments. Error bars represent the SD. Statistical significance was assessed using two-way ANOVA with Dunnetts multiple comparison correction. * denotes p 0.05, ** for p 0.01, *** for p 0.001 and **** for p 0.0001).

Blood samples were also collected from 20 patients with mild, moderate, or severe COVID-19. These blood samples were used for the isolation of B-cells. Spike proteins were incubated with the B-cells followed by bulk cell sorting, genome sequencing, and antibody reactivity screening.

Generation of Spike-reactive human monoclonal antibodies. a Human monoclonal antibodies were generated from convalescent donor B cells through single-cell sequencing technology. 96 antibodies derived from Spike-reactive human B cells were produced in HEK293F cells. b Cell culture supernatants containing the antibodies were assayed by ELISA for reactivity against immobilized Spike protein. Serum from a COVID19 patient was used as a positive control. The data represent three replicate ELISAs where reproducibly reactive antibodies are indicated with their names above the heatmap. c Antibodies which were Spike-reactive in (b) were assayed for reactivity to Spike immobilized on beads. Fluorescent (APC) Streptavidin beads coated with biotinylated Spike protein were incubated with HEK293F-produced antibodies at a concentration of 1 g/ml. The beads were then stained with a fluorescent (FITC) secondary anti-Fab antibody. The beads were analyzed by flow cytometry. Antibodies that shifted the beads into the FITC-positive gate were deemed reactive.

Following this, three different assays were carried out including spike-THP-1 association assays, Pseudotyped virus neutralization assays, and Bead-based neutralization assay. Immunoglobulin G (IgG)-antigen interaction was determined followed by determination of epitope location by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Surface plasmon resonance studies were carried out for the assessment of IgG specificity. Finally, antibodies were cross-linked to the spike proteins followed by peptide analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

The in vivo experiments involved the use of transgenic mice that carried the humane angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene and were inoculated with SARS-CoV-2. The mice were divided into six groups, with seven mice in each group.

Both neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies were administered intraperitoneally in one single dose. The infection was allowed to proceed for seven days, following which the mice were euthanized.

Study findings

The results indicated that at a high plasma concentration, there was a reduction in the binding of TPH1 monocytes and the spike protein. This reduction was found to be independent of the age, gender, and disease severity of the patient. Experiments with monoclonal antibodies detected ten spike-reactive antibodies, out of which nine were found to bind to spike beads as detected by flow cytometry.

The results of the epitope analysis indicated that antibodies could bind the spike protein but they did not compete with the binding site of human ACE2. These antibodies included Ab11, 57, 59, 66, 77, 81, 94.

Ab94 could bind to both the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and N-terminal domain (NTD). Ab59 was a neutralizing antibody, while the others were non-neutralizing antibodies. Overall, Ab59 was found to be most effective in SARS-CoV-2 neutralization.

The results also indicated that the spike-specific monoclonal antibodies that were obtained from COVID-19 patients had a dose-dependent effect on the spike-THP-1 cell interactions. This effect was independent of the spike-ACE2 neutralization capability of the monoclonal antibodies.

Although the results indicated that the monoclonal antibodies were effective in the mediation of phagocytosis, a threshold that led to a reduction in interaction efficiency was identified.

Determination of the antibodies function in a physiological context took place with the help of mice models. The results from the in vivo study indicated that too high doses of neutralizing antibodies were not beneficial for treatment. Additionally, non-neutralizing antibodies were also found to provide protection against SARS-CoV-2.

Therefore, the current study represents a concentration-dependent modulation of phagocytosis that was brought about by anti-spike antibodies. It may also help to indicate the unclear clinical benefit of COVID-19 treatment with monoclonal antibodies.

*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.
A study exploring cross-cultural differences in knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 reveals that people in Europe had the least knowledge of COVID-19 and lowest tendency to care about the coronavirus, while people in the United States had the lowest tendency to comply with public health restrictions. As the pandemic began to unfold, people in the Middle East and Asia were the most aware of COVID-19. People in the Middle East were also the most afraid of the coronavirus.

The study, published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction was led by an international team of researchers including Zakir Uddin, a former Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Professor Timothy Wideman's lab at McGill University.

Q&A with Zakir Uddin

What questions did you set out to answer?

As the pandemic unfolded, we aimed to explore cross-cultural differences in fear, knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19. To do this, we conducted a survey of 1,296 participants in 8 different countries over 5 continents around the world in April 2020. We wanted to measure whether age, gender, education, and occupational status had an impact on knowledge of the coronavirus.

What did you find?

At the beginning of the pandemic, we found that:

People in Europe had the lowest knowledge of COVID-19 and the lowest tendency to care about the disease, while Americans had the lowest tendency to comply with public health restrictions for COVID-19.

On the other hand, people in the Middle East and Asia were quite aware of COVID-19.

Those in the Middle East were the most fearful of the coronavirus, compared to those in other continents like Europe, Africa, and North America.

Region-specific cultural issues and exposure to news coverage of the pandemic could be a reason for this fear. However, we did not find a link between knowledge and fear, meaning that fear was not dependent on the individual's knowledge of COVID-19. Interestingly, knowledge of COVID-19 was higher among females overall, particularly in regions like Oceania Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia. However, in North America, knowledge of COVID-19 was higher among males compared to females. Predictably, knowledge regarding COVID-19 was higher in the graduate and postgraduate participants, especially in the South Asian and Oceania region. These findings were consistent with other studies that found poor knowledge about the infectious disease among non-graduate populations.

Why are the results important or interesting?

The COVID-19 death toll was highest in the United States and in Europe compared to other regions. Perhaps if they had been more aware of COVID-19 in advance, the damage could have been reduced. Effective pandemic management requires support from the general population to combat the spread of the disease. Previous studies of contagious disease outbreaks, like the H1N1 flu, have shown that improved knowledge increases the uptake of preventive measures and influences the protective behavior at the individual and community level. Despite severe COVID-19 situation in Europe, we found only 35.5% of people there wore a mask. This rate was significantly lower compared to the overall mask wearing rate of 78.1%. Mask wearing was also considerably lower among people living in North American.

What advice would you give?

To help guide better public health education strategies, campaigns must consider cultural and regional factors. Health education aimed at improving knowledge and reducing fear of COVID-19 could encourage more optimistic attitudes and safe practices during the pandemic, and hopefully help reduce the infection rate.
The University of Ottawa is launching Canada's first academic research center dedicated to studying the health of Black communities, creating an interdisciplinary center examining biological, social, economic, and cultural determinants.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Black Health (ICBH) aims to be a leading research and training center for promoting health equity for Black communities across the country by collaborating with a handful of university faculties and research institutes, public agencies, and local, national, and international collaborators.

The ICBH is the brainchild of Dr. Jude Mary Cenat, Associate Professor of Psychology in the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) and founder of uOttawa's Vulnerability, Trauma, Resilience and Culture Research Laboratory (V-TRaC Lab). Cenat  whose research sheds insight into the mental health state of Black communities in Canada  expects the ICBH to take a leadership role in identifying priorities in research on the physical and mental health of Canada's Black communities among children, adolescents, men and women.

Our 2019 Mental Health Survey clearly demonstrated racial discrimination plays an extremely important role in depression among people in the black community. Those who experience a high level of racial discrimination are 36 times more at risk of experiencing severe depressive symptoms compared to those who experience less racial discrimination." Dr. Jude Mary Cenat, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Ottawa

The ICBH hopes to become a leading interdisciplinary research and training space to guide federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal agencies to understand, reduce and eliminate racial health disparities. Its mission is to promote health equity for Black communities through rigorous, interdisciplinary, innovative research and community and social engagement.

Professor Cenat hopes the ICBH will address the urgent needs of Black Canadian communities, including issues related to health disparities; developing tools to inform healthcare training; and proposing evidence-based standards, strategies, and policies.

"There are inseparable links between physical health and mental health," says Dr. Cenat. "A person who experiences racial discrimination and develops depression is also likely to experience severe stress and may develop diabetes, high blood pressure and, potentially, kidney problems."

"I'm so proud to support the launch of the Centre, a pioneer with an interdisciplinary vision that will assure its success. I don't expect we will have to wait long to see our community reap the benefits of this initiative," says FSS Dean Vicky Barham.

The creation of the center is marked by broad collaboration with uOttawa's Faculties of: Law (Civil Law and Common Law Sections); Medicine; Health Sciences; and Social Sciences. The research institutes of the uOttawa affiliated hospitals include CHEO, Ottawa Hospital, The Royal Hospital, Heart Institute, Montfort Hospital. The center is directed by a leadership committee composed of Dr. Jude Mary Cenat (Faculty of Social Sciences), Dr. Sharon Whiting (Faculty of Medicine), Dr. Chibuike Udenigwe (Faculty of Health Sciences), and Dr. Emmanuelle Bernheim (Faculty of Law).

ICBH launch details

What: The virtual inauguration of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Black Health (ICBH)

Who:

The Honorable Dr. Marie-Francoise Megie, Senator, former professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montreal

Dr. Josephine Etowa, Full Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences

When: Thursday, October 21, 2021, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Click here to sign up for the virtual Zoom event
The rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To contain this pandemic, scientists have developed several vaccines, and many of those have received emergency use authorization (EUA) from global regulatory bodies. Subsequently, vaccination programs have commenced in many countries.

Study: A cohort of 222 anti-CD20 treated patients with multiple sclerosis followed through the COVID-19 pandemic: Attenuated humoral but robust cellular immune responses after vaccination and infection. Image Credit: ADragan/ Shutterstock

Multiple sclerosis patients and COVID-19 vaccination

The effect of newly developed COVID-19 vaccines on patients with varied underlying illnesses is not known. It is imperative to understand the effect of vaccines on immunosuppressed patients and individuals undergoing immunotherapies. For multiple sclerosis patients (pwMS), management of immunotherapies and COVID-19 vaccination plays an important role in protecting them from the lethal disease. Management of immune therapies is important because B-cell depleting anti-CD20 therapies have been linked with an increased possibility of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and decreased humoral immune responses to vaccinations.

Previous studies have reported a reduced level of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (IgG) after natural infection of vaccination in pwMS receiving anti-CD20 treatment. Additionally, protection from SARS-CoV-2 also depends on the neutralizing capacity and avidity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and the production of SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells. Researchers have pointed out that very limited studies on the neutralization capacity of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in anti-CD20 treated pwMS.

A new study

A new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server has focused on the immune response in pwMS undergoing anti-CD20 treatment. To evaluate SARS-CoV-2 specific humoral immune responses in anti-CD20 treated pwMS, researchers obtained sera samples from the MS referral center, Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Germany, between March 2020 and August 2021.

In this study, researchers reported the results from the analyses of humoral and cellular immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or immune responses induced after natural COVID-19 infections in a single-center cohort. The cohort comprised 222 pwMS, out of which 128 were female. The median age was 39 years, and 181 patients were on anti-CD20 therapy at inclusion. The remaining began therapy during the study. The patients were followed through the first seventeen months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital employees served as control, and there were 19 of them.

Main findings

Scientists performed a comprehensive analysis of SARS-CoV-2 specific humoral and cellular immune responses and observed that the antibody responses (levels and functionality) were reduced in anti-CD20 treated pwMS. It was also observed that the patients with MS undergoing anti-CD20 therapy developed robust T cell responses post-SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations/infections.

Further, the rate of detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections in anti-CD20-treated pwMS was not significantly different from that of the general population. Researchers presented the last result with the caveat that it was not possible to be certain that the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections in anti-CD20 treated pwMS was underestimated. This was since infections were mainly detected based on antibodies, which may be undetectable under anti-CD20 therapy.

It was observed that the SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels, avidity, and neutralizing capacity were augmented as more time passed between the anti-CD20 therapy and the administration of the second SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose. This suggests that vaccines should be administered as late as possible to enhance humoral immune responses within the six-month infusion cycles of intravenous anti-CD20 therapy. Also, since antibody responses in anti-CD20 treated pwMS are reduced over time, additional booster vaccination doses should be considered for this group of individuals.

Limitations of the study

One major limitation of this study involved the lack of data on total lymphocyte and B cell counts during SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations/infections. Therefore, these parameters, as potential risk factors for low vaccine immunogenicity, could not be analyzed. Secondly, the follow-up time was quite short, and more work is needed to evaluate the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and T cell responses in anti-CD20 treated patients over longer time horizons. This is particularly important, given that immune responses wane over time. Finally, the majority of pwMS were vaccinated with the BNT162b2 vaccine. This prevented the comparison of immunogenicity across different vaccines.

Conclusion

Scientists conducted an observational study to show that the levels and functionality of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are diminished in vaccinated or infected anti-CD20 treated pwMS. However, the T cell responses are preserved, hinting that these patients develop at least some degree of protection from COVID-19. One way of enhancing the level and functionality of SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses could be to allow a longer interval between anti-CD20 infusions and vaccination. It was also observed that the rate of SARS-CoV2 infections in pwMS was not significantly different from the general population. These findings could guide treatment and management decisions of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in pwMS.

*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.
National pride in the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine does not outweigh desire for global greater good, suggests study with trial participants.

Participants in the clinical trial that led to the success of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 are proud of the UK's achievement and believe the vaccine should be a shared global good. In a study published today in BMJ Global Health researchers reveal that the volunteers who put their bodies on the line to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine wanted to end the pandemic globally. They spoke about helping the most vulnerable and where need was the greatest during interviews conducted between September and November 2020.

Before COVID-19 most people would not have heard of 'vaccine nationalism'. Now it is a key topic of media attention and academic commentary that global access to vaccines has been limited by the monopolisation of doses by high-income countries." Dr Samantha Vanderslott, Social Sciences Researcher, Oxford Vaccine Group and Oxford Martin Program on Collective Responsibility for Infectious Disease, University of Oxford

"Much of the focus has been on the vaccine supply 'winners' and 'losers', but the voices of public opinion have been more limited. To understand this more we surveyed and interviewed participants in the Oxford-AstraZeneca clinical trial about their views, motivations, and experiences of taking part in the trial." said Dr Kate Emary, Research Fellow at the Oxford Vaccine Group.

Results shows that participants did feel conflicted about how the resulting successful vaccine would be used. They hoped that the UK would receive the vaccine first, often due to the use of taxpayer money and local facilities and talent - some admitted that they just wanted their lives to go back to normal. However, this did not mean the lives of others elsewhere in the world felt less important to them. Participants spoke very strongly about their hopes that that they were doing their part for the most vulnerable across the world, not just the UK.

"I think it should just go to globally whoever's going to benefit from it the most I think it should be key workers around the world, the people that need it the most around the world," said one participant.

Another agreed, "the idealist bit of me would just want a global approach to [the vaccine rollout] really, because that's the only way we're going to solve [the pandemic] properly."

"We found that trial participants were immensely proud of the UK origins of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and the scientific achievement it represents," said Dr Vanderslott. "The nationalistic rhetoric that surrounded vaccine development fed into the conception of the resultant vaccine belonging to the UK and gave it a national character. This complicates cooperative and internationalist thinking and made it more difficult for the vaccine to be seen as a global public good. Despite this, trial participants maintained a global outlook on the pandemic and were highly supportive of prioritisation by need. Public support is key to ensuring that global equitable vaccine access is achieved. This study shows that the support is there if governments and the pharmaceutical industry are willing to listen."

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trials and director of the Oxford Vaccine Group said, "Initiatives like COVAX and the G7's pledge of 1bn vaccine doses for poorer countries reflect the ambitions we have seen from vaccine trial participants in this study, and from the public statements of those involved in vaccine development. We need to internationalise COVID-19 vaccines and get them to the places and people than need them most. However, the reality is that the outcomes in practice are still falling far short of the vision. More than 95% of people in low-income countries are yet to receive their first dose, meanwhile some high-income nations are offering 'booster shots' to the fully vaccinated."

'Vaccine nationalism and internationalism: perspectives of COVID-19 vaccine trial participants in the United Kingdom' is published in BMJ Global Health. It explores the concepts of vaccine nationalism and internationalism from the perspective of vaccine trial participants, using an empirical perspectives study that involved interviews with phase I/II COVID-19 vaccine trial participants in Oxford, UK.
Muscle is known to regenerate through a complex process that involves several steps and relies on stem cells. Now, a new study led by researchers at UPF, Centro Nacional de Investigationes Cardiovasculares (CNIC), CIBERNED and Instituto de Medicina Molecular Joao Lobo Antunes (iMM, Portugal), published on 15 October in the journal Science, describes a new mechanism for muscle repair after physiological damage relying on the rearrangement of muscle fiber nuclei, and independently of muscle stem cells. This protective mechanism paves the way to a broader understanding of muscle repair in physiology and disease.

Skeletal muscle tissue, the organ responsible for locomotion, is formed by cells (fibers) that have more than one nucleus, an almost unique feature in our body. Despite the plasticity of these fibers, their contraction can be associated with muscle damage.

Even in physiological conditions, regeneration is vital for muscle to endure the mechanical stress of contraction, which often leads to cellular damage". William Roman, Study First Author and Researcher, Pompeu Fabra University

Although muscle regeneration has been investigated in depth in recent decades, most studies centred on mechanisms involving several cells, including muscle stem cells, which are required when extensive muscle damage occurs."

This muscle fiber self-repair process occurs rapidly both in mice and in humans after exercise-induced muscle injury, and thus represents a time- and energy-efficient protective mechanism for the repair of minor lesions.

"In this study we found an alternative mechanism of muscle tissue repair that is muscle-fiber autonomous", says Pura Munoz-Canoves, ICREA professor and principal investigator at UPF and the CNIC, and study leader. Researchers (including Antonio Serrano (UPF) and Mari Carmen Gomez-Cabrera (University of Valencia and INCLIVA) used different in vitro models of injury and models of exercise in mice and humans to observe that upon injury, nuclei are attracted to the damage site, accelerating the repair of the contractile units. Next, the team dissected the molecular mechanism of this observation. "Our experiments with muscle cells in the laboratory showed that the movement of nuclei to injury sites resulted in the local delivery of mRNA molecules. These mRNA molecules are translated into proteins at the site of injury to act as building blocks for muscle repair", explains William Roman. "This muscle fiber self-repair process occurs rapidly both in mice and in humans after exercise-induced muscle injury, and thus represents a time- and energy-efficient protective mechanism for the repair of minor lesions", adds Pura Munoz-Canoves.

This finding constitutes an important advance in the understanding of muscle biology, in physiology (including exercise physiology) and muscle dysfunction.

In addition to its implications for muscle research, this study also introduces more general concepts for cell biology, such as the movement of nuclei to injury sites. "One of the most fascinating things about these cells is the movement during the development of their nuclei, the biggest organelles inside the cell, but the reasons why nuclei move are largely unknown. Now, we have shown a functional relevance for this phenomenon in adulthood during cell repair and regeneration", says Edgar R. Gomes, group leader at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular and a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lisbon, who co-led the study.

On the importance of these discoveries, Pura Munoz-Canoves, Antonio Serrano and Mari Carmen Gomez-Cabrera agree that: "This finding constitutes an important advance in the understanding of muscle biology, in physiology (including exercise physiology) and muscle dysfunction".
In parts of the country where covid-19 continues to fill hospitals, a rotating cast of traveling nurses helps keep intensive care units fully staffed. Hospitals have to pay handsomely to get that temporary help, and those higher wages are tempting some staff nurses to hit the road, too.

Nearly two years into the pandemic, theres some truth in a joke circulating among frustrated ICU nurses: They ask their hospitals for appropriate compensation for the hazards theyve endured. And the nurses are rewarded with a pizza party instead.

Theresa Adams said that's what happened at the Ohio hospital where she worked. The facility across town was offering bonuses to keep its nurses from leaving. But not hers. They got a pizza party.

I heard a lot of noise about Well, this is what you signed up for. No, I did not sign up for this, she said of the unparalleled stress brought on by the pandemic.

Adams is an ICU nurse who helped build and staff covid units in one of Ohios largest hospitals. She recently left for a lucrative stint as a travel nurse in California.

Travel nurses take on temporary assignments in hospitals or other health care facilities that have staffing shortages. The contracts typically last a few months and usually pay more than staff positions.

Adams hopes to return to her home hospital eventually, though shes irritated at management at the moment.

I did not sign up for the facility taking advantage of the fact that I have a calling, she said. There is a difference between knowing my calling and knowing my worth.

A reckoning may be on its way as hospitals try to stabilize a worn-out workforce.

The use of traveling nurses took off in the 1980s in response to nursing shortages. Although theyve always been paid more for their flexibility, some traveling ICU nurses can now pull in as much as $10,000 a week, which can be several times more than staff nurses earn.

While some hospitals have offered retention bonuses or increased pay for permanent staff members, nurses say it doesnt compare to the financial bonanza of traveling. Hospital managers now find themselves trapped in a pricey hiring cycle  competing for, in particular, the most highly trained critical care nurses who can monitor covid patients on the advanced life-support devices known as ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machines.

Our turnover for ECMO nurses is incredible, because theyre the most seasoned nurses. And this is what all my colleagues are facing, too, said Jonathan Emling, a nurse and the ECMO director at Ascension St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville.

The shortage of ECMO nurses has prevented the hospital from admitting additional covid patients who need their blood oxygenated outside their body, he said. No more staff nurses have enough experience to start the training.

We will train these people and then six months later they will be gone and traveling, Emling said. So its hard to invest so much in them trainingwise and timewise to see them leave.

And when they leave, hospitals are often forced to fill the spot with a traveler.

Its like a Band-Aid, said Dr. Iman Abuzeid, co-founder of a San Francisco nurse recruiting company called Incredible Health. We need it now, but it is temporary.

Incredible Health helps to quickly place full-time staff nurses in some of the countrys largest health systems. The number of listings for full-time, permanent nurses on the companys platform has shot up 200% in the past year.

To help hospitals, some states are chipping in to hire travel nurses. But for many hospitals, the higher costs are straining their budgets, which is especially difficult for those that have suspended elective surgeries  often a hospital's biggest moneymaker  to accommodate covid patients.

Every executive we interact with is under pressure to reduce the number of traveler nurses on their teams, not just from a cost standpoint but also from a quality-of-care standpoint, Abuzeid said.

Its hard on morale as well: Camaraderie suffers when newcomers need help finding syringes or other supplies but may be paid two or three times as much as the staff nurses showing them the ropes.

Some hospitals are trying to stop the turnover by offering big signing bonuses to permanent nurses, as well as loan forgiveness or tuition assistance to pursue addit i onal education. Hospitals have also hiked pay for nurses as they earn certifications, especially in critical care.

Other medical centers are looking outside the U.S.

Henry Ford Health System in Michigan announced plans to bring in hundreds of nurses from the Philippines. Smaller community hospitals are looking abroad, too. City-owned Cookeville Regional Medical Center, in a Tennessee town of 35,000, is now recruiting its first foreign nurses.

The cost for what we pay for a local recruiter to bring us one full-time staff member is more expensive than what we are going to be spending to bring one foreign nurse, said Scott Lethi, chief nursing officer at Cookeville Regional.

Lethi hopes the staffers from overseas will decide to stay more than a year or two. He said even new nurses sometimes leave or burn out: Cookeville hired a few recent graduates of U.S. nursing programs who quit after just a few months.

Among ICU nurses of all ages, two-thirds have considered leaving the profession because of the pandemic, according to a survey published in September by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

When a nurse leaves  whether to retire, become a travel nurse or work in another field  the remaining nurses can be stretched dangerously thin, caring for more patients at once. Covid patients are particularly demanding, especially those on ventilators or ECMO machines who may require one-on-one care round-the-clock. Covid patients may be hospitalized for weeks or months.

My ability to care for people has suffered. I know that I have missed things otherwise I would not have missed had I had the time to spend, said Kevin Cho Tipton, an advanced practice nurse in the South Florida public health system. Many of us feel like were becoming worse at our jobs.

The worry about providing substandard care weighs heavily on nurses. But in the end, Tipton said, its the patients who suffer.

This story is part of a partnership that includes WPLN, NPR and KHN.
Since 2003, Inciner8 has been manufacturing incinerators. A wide range of Inciner8s incinerators are currently being utilized across Asia by aid agencies, charities and healthcare professionals to supply bio-secure waste disposal techniques within the medical industry and beyond.

Image Credit: Inciner8 Limited

From large hospitals requiring a permanent waste management solution to pop-up medical clinics needing mobile incinerators, Inciner8 has established itself as the go-to partner for safe and efficient incinerator products to combat a range of medical requirements.

Asias challenges

Asia is a vastly populated area of the globe where almost 60 % of the entire worlds population resides. This means what they use, consume and, crucially dispose of is obviously more than anywhere else in the world.

This is one of the main reasons why all countries within this region should treat biosecurity as an area of importance.

Image Credit: Inciner8 Limited

As we have seen, diseases and viruses such as SARS and Covid-19 can spread out of control quickly. Asia generates large amounts of waste, which is completely natural for the size of its population, but some of this waste will be classified as biohazardous and infectious.

This type of waste can put people at risk if it is not stored, treated and destroyed properly. By destroying all waste types that are potentially harmful to human and livestock health, incineration provides a safe and efficient solution to this problem.

SARS outbreak

Severe acute respiratory syndrome, otherwise known as SARS, was caused by a coronavirus. The outbreak, mainly located within mainland China, happened between 2002-2004. It is thought to have come from small mammals and found its way to infect humans. SARS grew out of control quickly, spreading from China to other Asian countries.

There were also a small number of cases in a number of other countries, including a significant outbreak in Toronto, Canada and four cases in the UK.

In July 2003, the SARS pandemic was eventually brought under control, but this demonstrates how vital biosecurity is on a global level. The past 18 months give an insight into what the future could potentially hold without substantial precautions in place.

Covid-19

Since the first cases were recorded in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, Covid-19 has changed the world. The virus has spread around the globe since then and is still an ongoing pandemic.

Image Credit: Inciner8 Limited

As recorded, Covid-19 cost the lives of 3.3 million people and infected just under 160 million. However, the true numbers could be shockingly higher as many infectious people did not have the opportunity to be tested. Covid-19 has demonstrated to the world how a virus can truly get out of hand and cause the world to shut down.

Biosecurity and incineration should, from now on, be at the forefront of all waste management and controlled within all industries. Inciner8 has been instrumental in the provision of medical incinerators designed to handle high volumes of infected PPE and other related medical wastes.

Future global viruses

Unfortunately, since its discovery at the end of 2019, Covid-19 has had numerous variants. Although vaccines are now in place to prevent the spread, it has demonstrated how other viruses could act in the future.

Incineration alone will not stop another outbreak, but with the correct precautions and disposal of waste, we are able to limit the chance for the viruses to spread. It also increases the likelihood that the human population will not experience another disaster like this again.

No one knows when or where the next outbreak might happen but having the right infrastructure in place to react safely and quickly ensures that we are on the front foot when combating any upcoming outbreaks.

Inciner8s experience in Asia

Inciner8 is a global leading incinerator manufacturer that produces a wide range of medical incineration solutions specially designed to cater to the economic requirements of both small clinics and the more demanding and specialized requirements of big hospitals and their waste management processes.

Inciner8 unit in the South Pacific. Image Credit: Inciner8 Limited

Their machines can be made fully automated, maximizing efficiency and decreasing staff exposure to waste. They are able to install incinerators on-site in almost any country in the world as they possess a wealth of logistical expertise. Inciner8 engineers can also go to the installation location if required, so users can be up and running as quickly as possible.

Over the past few years, Inciner8 has been fortunate enough to work with incredible agencies like Pakistan Health Department and IAEA in the Seychelles to provide the ideal solutions to their waste issues and supply them with the optimum incinerators.

By installing animal-grade incineration units close to areas that could potentially be at most risk, Inciner8 has helped to combat and minimize biosecurity issues in the Seychelles.

To combat ongoing soil management and help the local community, the IAEA has constantly worked with farmers in this region and utilized Inciner8 to make the next step into combating these issues once and for all.

The incinerators supplied to the IAEA were the i8-75A Animal Incinerators with a burn rate of up to 65 kg per hour. Inciner8 engineers gave a range of training to the local community once the products were delivered to show how to use the machines both safely and correctly.

Environmental security is now better than ever in the Seychelles following the IAEAs rigorous training and guidance. The incinerators have provided safety and future prosperity to the farmers and the Island community.

Inciner8 can provide solutions for the following:

Communities affected by a disease outbreak

Hospitals  Hospital incinerators for medical waste destruction

Small to medium medical clinics  Clinical waste incinerators

The waste streams below can effectively be destroyed by utilizing Inciner8s medical-grade incinerators:

General waste

Controlled drugs and pharmaceutical substances  Drug and contraband incinerators

Sanitary products

Mining/exploration camps

Community waste

Animal waste

Poultry, pig, sheep and cattle waste  Animal incinerators

Carcasses, feces and other hazardous animal products  Fallen stock incinerators

Fallen livestock

Animal by-product  Animal by-products incinerators

Inciner8 has all areas of incineration solutions covered, together with great support and premium manufacturing.

About Inciner8 Limited

Inciner8 are a globally respected manufacturing organisation offering a range of Incinerators for all applications in the waste management industry, our products are specifically designed with clean air incineration at the forefront of our product development for Medical, Animal by product and General Municipal waste streams.

After many years in the industry with a track record second to none we have become the company that existing and new clients from around the world come to for their incineration solutions

On top of supplying a range of standard models we have developed a bespoke service for specialist markets and requirements thus ensuring we cater for the needs of this growing industry.

Environmental awareness is always a factor in waste management, inciner8 realise the importance of this and continue to demonstrate full commitment in striving to understand and deliver solutions based on individual country regulations and standards, this has been recently enhanced by our range of products specifically launched to provide an extensive range of pollution control systems and heat recovery options.

Inciner8 - Corporate Intro Play

We are very proud of our company and Brand, our continued focus is to ensure we enhance that position on a global basis with new product development, listening to our clients as part of that process and communicating consistently in every aspect of our daily activity to keep our valued clients abreast of market changes and future developments from Inciner8.

Being a global leader comes with great responsibility, we value feedback as we continue daily to educate our people to ensure they give the most authoritive and educational information to our clients, which is why we employ highly skilled technicians and thermal treatment experts to support all of our client requirements in the decision making process in sourcing environmentally friendly quality products from Inciner8.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.
Jeffersonville, IN (47130)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 30F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 30F. Winds light and variable.
What's Included

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com.
(Newser)  Search and rescue authorities in Canada are praising some quick-thinking Sikh men who rescued two men stranded on a rock next to a fast-moving river above a waterfall. The five men tied their turbans and other items of clothing together to make a 33-foot rope and pull the men to safety, NBC reports. The stranded men had slipped down the rock and were unable to make their way out unaided. Kuljinder Kinda says he was hiking with four friends in Golden Ears Provincial Park near Vancouver, BC, last week when another group told them about the men's plight.

story continues below

Kinda says the other group asked him to call 911, but there was no cellphone service in the area. The three members of his group who were wearing turbans unraveled them to form the makeshift rope. "In my Sikh culture, the turban is for that, to help save the life of people who need the help," Kuljinder Singh tells CTV. Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue manager Rick Laing praised the group for their "ingenious" solution. He says the two rescued men, who did not require medical treatment, said they hadn't seen warning signs about the hazards of approaching the waterfalls, which are behind a fenced area.

"Ive never heard of anything like this before and it was quite impressive, Laing says. He says that if the men had fallen into the water and been swept away, they would have had little chance of survival. "Several people are injured each year as a result of slips or falls, he tells NBC. "It seems about once every one to two years, someone will be swept over the falls and die as a result of their injuries." (Read more Canada stories.)
(Newser)  A New York City commuter says two NYPD officers kicked him out of a subway station Tuesday morning after he asked them to obey the rules and put their face masks on. Andrew Gilbert tells CBS New York that after he saw officers on a platform and asked them to put their masks on, "the male officer there basically was playing dumb and pretending he couldnt hear what I said. You know, he was saying, 'Oh, I cant hear you with your mask on.'" He says the officer then grabbed him by the jacket, pushed him around 80 feet backward, and shoved him out of an emergency exit door at the Eighth Street station in Manhattan. Gilbert says he didn't touch the officers or do anything else to justify being pushed.

story continues below

Video of the confrontation was shared widely on social media. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority requires masks to be worn in subway stations and the NYPD requires officers to wear face coverings in public transit settings, though many commuters have complained about officers flouting the rules, the New York Times reports. "It's an endless stream of incidents like this and every single time its sort of the same thing," Gilbert tells the Times. "Politicians talk about how terrible it is and then nothing happens, theres no follow-up." He says officers' refusal to follow the same rules as everybody else "sort of breeds disrespect for the law."

But this time, there will be consequences, the New York Daily News reports. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Wednesday that the two officers will receive command disciplines, which could cost them up to 10 vacation days. Earlier Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said what he saw in the video was troubling. He said he hadn't seen the lead-up to the confrontation, "but I saw the officers not wearing their masks in the subway, thats evident. Thats unacceptable." He added: "Weve given this instruction a thousand times: If youre going to be in law enforcement, you actually have to participate in following the law." (Read more New York City stories.)
(Newser)  Hey, professor, hold the mayo! Short of help, Michigan State University is making an urgent plea to staff to volunteer in campus dining halls, including faculty. MSU's residential services department has already asked 132 full-time employees to work eight hours a week, the Lansing State Journal reports, but it's apparently not enough. "Faculty and staff from around campus are invited to sign up to assist in the dining halls! We have specific needs during evenings and weekends," Vennie Gore, a senior vice president, said in an email to deans. Gore provided a link to a criminal background check and tips on how to prepare for the first shift, the AP reports.

story continues below

Devin Silvia, director of undergraduate studies in MSUs computational math department, said the request was "astounding." "I am all about supporting the MSU student community and making sure they have a positive experience, Silvia said. "But at the end of the day, Im doing that in my own career and questioning whether Im being sufficiently compensated." About 4,000 students typically work in dining halls, but only 1,200 were employed at the end of September, the State Journal reports. Starting pay was recently raised from $12 to $15 an hour. Gore said MSU is competing with local businesses for workers.

(Read more Michigan State University stories.)
(Newser)  Update: An advisory panel unanimously recommended to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday that coronavirus vaccine booster shots be approved. Tens of millions of people would be eligible for the doses, which the FDA backed the day before, the Washington Post reports. (There's an explainer on eligibility here.) The panel also backed mixing and matching brands of vaccine. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky then endorsed the decision Thursday night, CNBC reports. Americans who are newly eligible for boosters due to this decision are expected to start receiving the shots Friday, CBS News reports. Our original story from Wednesday follows:

story continues below

More big news on COVID vaccines: The Food and Drug Administration has authorized booster shots of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, along with the "mixing and matching" of booster doses. The Wednesday decision clears the way for a major expansion of the booster shot campaign as winter approaches, Politico reports. The FDA said seniors and anybody else at high risk from COVID-19 can receive a half-shot Moderna booster six months after their second Moderna shot, while anybody who received the single-shot J&J vaccine can get a booster two months after the shot, reports the AP. A CDC panel is expected to provide more details Thursday on who should get boosters.

The FDA said company data shows a half-shot of the Moderna vaccine is all that is needed to boost immunity. Studies have shown, however, that the J&J vaccine received by around 15 million Americans is less effective than the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, and the latest FDA guidance might "dampen interest" in the J&J shot, the New York Times reports. Those who received it will be allowed to get Moderna or Pfizer boosters, which appear to be more effective than receiving a second dose of the J&J vaccine, according to a government study of different booster combinations. The FDA approved Pfizer boosters last month and it said Wednesday that eligible people can get any brand for the booster, whichever shot they received first.

"The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated, FDA acting commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement, per the AP. "The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease." Authorities stress, however, that the top priority is giving first shots to around 65 million unvaccinated Americans. (Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that the J&J vaccine probably should have been two shots all along.)
(Newser)  The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii is demanding $500,000 in damages after a 10-year-old Black girl was arrested at school over a drawing. A parent of a student at Honowai Elementary School outside Honolulu demanded staff call police in response to the girl's drawing, which allegedly depicted another student, CNN reports. (Details about the drawing were not specified.) When officers arrived, they "interrogated" the girl identified as "NB," then "handcuffed her with excessive force" and took her to the police station, according to a letter the ACLU sent to the Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii's Department of Education, and the state attorney general's office on Monday.

story continues below

Her alleged crime: participating "in drawing an offensive sketch of a student in response to that student bullying her," according to the ACLU. The girl later told her mother that she drew the picture but that other students added to it before one "snatched it from her hands and delivered it." The ACLU describes this as a "run of the mill" dispute, yet the response from school staff and police was "extreme" and "disproportionate." The girl's mother, Tamara Taylorwho claims she was called to the school, then falsely imprisoned apart from her daughter as officers interrogated her, per the AP and WISsays both she and her daughter are "traumatized." Both have since left Hawaii.

The mother and daughter "were singled out because of their race, both perceived and treated as 'more dangerous,' less rational, and less worthy of respect for their rights than the non-Black students and parents involved," says the ACLU, which is requesting that the agencies pay damages, expunge records of the arrest, and institute changesincluding barring staff from calling the police on a student unless there is "an imminent threat of significant harm." This follows an AP investigation of police use of force against children over the past 11 years, which found "Black children made up more than 50% of those who were handled forcibly, though they are only 15% of the US child population." (New York cops recently pepper-sprayed a 9-year-old girl.)
(Newser)  Frances Haugen's fight against Facebook is receiving funding from a billionaire: tech critic and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. Omidyar's global philanthropic organization Luminate gave $150,000 last year to nonprofit Whistleblower Aid, which is handling Haugen's legal representation, Politico reports. However, Whistleblower Aid is also seeking donations as part of a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised more than $57,000 of a $100,000 goal. "We need your support to make sure she's got the backup she needs as she stands up to speak the truth," the page reads. In a video from Whistleblower Aid, Haugen notes Facebook "has the resources and potentially the motivation to ruin my life."

story continues below

But Haugen has "an edge that many corporate whistleblowers lack," per Politico, which reports Luminate is handling her press and government relations in Europe. In the US, Haugen's top PR representative is Bill Burton, who served as deputy White House press secretary under President Obama and now handles public affairs for the nonprofit Center for Humane Technology, which also receives funding from Omidyar. A source tells Politico that the billionaire and his organizations, which have for years backed efforts to limit the power of big tech companies, offered Haugen "financial investments  on a forward-going basis" after the whistleblower went public earlier this month.

In a Wednesday blog post, Omidyar's advocacy and investment group Omidyar Network claims "a handful of tech giants wield tremendous, unchecked power," per the Hill. "We have had a nagging feeling that the harms they cause are known to themand are far worse than the public could imagine. That has been validated as truth by a series of courageous whistleblowers" and "because of them, policymakers are taking notice and taking action." That group last year shared a policy paper laying out "a clear theory of how Facebook may have violated the antitrust laws in the US." (Omidyar's First Look Media previously backed Gawker's press freedom fight against Hulk Hogan.)
(Newser)  One escaped zebra is dead, two remain on the run, and their owner has now been charged. That's the update out of Prince George's County in Maryland, where Jerry Lee Holly now faces three criminal charges of animal cruelty, reports NBC Washington. "The failure to provide for the 3 at-large zebras, combined with the description of the death of the at-large zebra ... is sufficient circumstantial evidence of neglect to warrant criminal charge," note documents from the county's Department of Natural Resources in regard to Tuesday's charges.

story continues below

The New York Times reports the dead zebra was found "completely decomposed" and had likely died of dehydration after being caught in a trap for several days, per the charging document. "The animal should have been seen or heard while it was dying ... if the caretaker had attended to the zebras," the document adds. It's not yet clear who set the snare trap.

In addition to the zebra that died in the trap, another that hadn't escaped from Holly's farm was found dead Monday inside its enclosure. That zebra "had been deceased long enough that it had entered the rigor-mortis stage," the charging doc states. Hollywho keeps various other wild animals on his farm, per USDA recordshas been charged with failing to provide a zebra with food and proper shelter, inflicting unnecessary pain, and depriving a zebra of necessary sustenance. If convicted, he could face up to 90 days behind bars and a $1,000 fine for each of the three charges.

Holly apparently had a "Class A breeder" license under the Animal Welfare Act, though that license expired earlier this month. The 76-year-old private-farm owner had been cited around four dozen times for breaching that act between 2010 and 2013, per USDA records. Meanwhile, efforts have shifted to capture the two remaining zebras on the loose, reports WTOP. Holly, with the thumbs-up from officials from the USDA and the county's Department of the Environment, has placed food and two of his zebras from the farm in an enclosure in a corral in the hopes the escaped zebras will be lured there, says a DOE spokesperson. (Read more zebras stories.)
(Newser)  Two alleged spies arrested earlier this month are still in jailand prosecutors say it would be too risky to release Jonathan and Diana Toebbe on bail while the nuclear submarine secrets they are accused of trying to sell to a foreign government are still unaccounted for. At a hearing Wednesday, an FBI agent testified that the vast majority of the documents Jonathan Toebb, a nuclear engineer from the Navy, stole from his workplace at Washington Navy Yard have not been recovered, NPR reports. Prosecutors arguing against granting bail to Diana Toebbe said authorities have also been unable to recover around $100,000 in cryptocurrency the couple was paid as part of the FBI sting operation.

story continues below

The Toebbes pleaded not guilty to espionage charges at separate hearings in a West Virginia federal court. Jonathan Toebbe waived his right to a detention hearing, but attorney Edward MacMahon argued that Diana Toebbe should be released on bail, arguing there was "no evidence" she knew what her husband was up to, USA Today reports. Prosecutors say Diana Toebbe, a teacher, took part in data drops and other parts of the scheme. FBI Special Agent Peter Olints testified the couple, believing they were communicating with a foreign government, said they might need help fleeing the country if the plan went wrong. He said evidence from their home in Annapolis, Md., suggesting an escape plan included a "go bag" for travel, $11,300 in cash, and passports for their two children, ages 11 and 15.

Olints read out what he said were excerpts from encrypted messages from the couple before they reached out to a foreign country with an offer to sell the classified information about Virginia-class submarine nuclear reactors for up to $5 million, the New York Times reports. He said Jonathan Toebbe wrote in 2019: "It's not morally defensible either. We convince ourselves it is fine, but really isnt either. He said Diana Toebbe replied: "I have no problem with any of it. I feel no loyalty to abstractions." Prosecutors said Wednesday that after the Toebbes reached out to an undisclosed foreign country with an offer to sell the information, that country contacted the FBI. The judge did not make an immediate ruling on Diana Toebbe's detention. (Read more espionage stories.)
(Newser)  All Wyatt Travnichek had to do to remotely shut down a rural Kansas water system was know the shared pass code to get into the software that controls the plant. The Post Rock Rural Water District uses a shared GoToMyPC account to give employees remote access after hours, a prosecutor told a federal court in Topeka on Wednesday, and the defendant used to work at the plant. Travnichek pleaded guilty to tampering with a public water system, as well as causing reckless damage to a public computer during unauthorized access, the Wichita Eagle reports, under a plea agreement that includes a year in prison.

story continues below

An operator monitoring the plant remotely in March 2019, about two months after Travnichek had quit, saw the water plant had gone down. The operator, whose remote access was cut, then drove to the plant and found controls changed and a filter turned off. The Ellsworth site serves about 1,500 customers. Investigators traced the actions to Travnichek, 22, through his IP address. The prosecutor told the court that "the defendant said he was so intoxicated he didnt remember anything."

Travnichek would not say why he shut the plant off. A Kansas agent in the Environmental Environmental Protection Agency said earlier that Travnichek "threatened the safety and health of an entire community." Online security presents extra challenges in rural areas, said an official with the Kansas Rural Water Association, per the Eagle. Small utilities often can't afford to hire employees dedicated to security, so the duties must be shared by other employees. "For many of these communities to find someone who is versed in IT issues they have to go 80 to 100 miles. The resources just aren't there," Elmer Ronnenbaum said. (Read more cyberattack stories.)
(Newser)  Russia is in the midst of its worst surge yet in COVID cases and deaths, and the mayor of Moscow has resorted to what has been considered a last resort: The city is going into what amounts to an 11-day lockdown starting next week, reports the Washington Post. From Oct. 28 to Nov. 7, eat-in restaurants, schools, gyms, cinemas, etc., will close their doors, per the AP. Some exceptions: Food stores and pharmacies can stay open, while museums and theaters can operate at half-capacity. Lets take a little rest and help save the lives and health of many people, says Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. "And then the city can return to normal life."

story continues below

The move comes a day after Russia reported 36,339 new infections and 1,036 deaths Wednesday in a 24-hour span. Russia's death toll, now above 227,000, is easily the highest in Europe. This also comes a day after Vladimir Putin told most Russian workers to stay home from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 while expressing frustration over the nation's low vaccination rate of about 30%. I cant understand whats going on, Putin said in regard to the low acceptance of the nation's Sputnik vaccine. We have a reliable and efficient vaccine. The vaccine really reduces the risks of illness, grave complications and death. (Read more Moscow stories.)
(Newser)  The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang that police say is holding 17 members of a missionary group is seen in a video released Thursday saying he will kill them if he doesn't get what hes demanding. The video posted on social media shows Wilson Joseph dressed in a blue suit, carrying a blue hat and wearing a large cross around his neck, the AP reports. "I swear by thunder that if I don't get what Im asking for, I will put a bullet in the heads of these Americans," he said in the video.

story continues below

He also threatened Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the chief of Haitis National Police, Leon Charles, as he spoke in front of the open coffins that apparently held several members of his gang who were recently killed. "You guys make me cry. I cry water. But I'm going to make you guys cry blood," he said. Earlier this week, authorities said the gang was demanding $1 million per person, though it wasn't immediately clear whether that included the five children in the group, among them an 8-month-old. Sixteen Americans and one Canadian were abducted, along with their Haitian driver. The missionaries are with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, which held a news conference before the video was posted.

Weston Showalter, a spokesman, said the families of those who'd been kidnapped are from Amish, Mennonite and other Anabaptist communities in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Ontario, Canada. He read a letter from the families, which weren't named, in which they said, "God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lord's command to love your enemies." The group invited people to join them in prayer for the kidnappers as well as those kidnapped and expressed gratitude for help from "people that are knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with" such situations. "Pray for these families," Showalter said. "They are in a difficult spot."

(Read more Haiti stories.)
Many people do not have any clue as to how good car accident lawyers help accident victims recover financially and physically from an accident. These personal lawyers help accident victims from car crashes to create claims of personal injuries. They will also help these victims seek proper damages from the negligent driver. This means that if you have been in a vehicle accident and the other driver's negligence caused it, a car accident attorney will provide legal aid and help you quickly file a compensation case.

Minor injuries from a car accident: Should I still get a lawyer

In a situation where you have been in a car accident in Houston, it is important to get a car accident lawyer even if you have minor injuries. Auto accident lawyers in Houston will protect your interests against legal claims being filed by the other party.

Many negligent drivers involved in minor car accidents will usually blame the accident victim to avoid being held responsible for the car crash. Auto accident lawyers in Houston also evaluate your claims to ensure that you are filing a case for everything that you deserve. In addition, Houston auto accident lawyers know the right expert that they can hire. They also know what evidence to capture to help accident victims create the most viable case possible.

How a Houston car accident lawyer can help you

Call the right medical experts: Houston car accident lawyers help their clients get the right medical professionals after an accident. This is used to ensure that the victim(s) are treated from all wounds and injuries until they recover fully.

Evaluate the full impact of your injury and damages: Houston car accident lawyers will also assess the complete impact of all damage and injuries sustained from the auto accident. All damages and injuries are fully evaluated to determine the full impact they have on the general lifestyle of the victim. This evaluation helps the Houston auto car accident lawyers to determine the right compensation for a car accident victim.

Completely investigate the case: Sometimes, Houston car accident lawyers will go to extra lengths to ensure that they get to the bottom of the case. They will also hire experts like retired cops, private investigators, and witnesses to elicit essential information about the car accident.

Negotiate a fair compensation: A Houston auto accident lawyer will gather the right evidence from the scene of the accident, plus other evidence and proof to finally arrive at the right compensation for the accident victim(s). They will usually approach the driver's insurer for the settlement. If negotiation fails, they can then file an official case in court.

Provides professional legal advice: Houston auto accident lawyers are the only source of real and professional advice for victims of car accidents. Most people who have been in an accident usually look for legal advice from the wrong people (first responders, friends, families, employers, colleagues, and so on).

Help you know your rights: Houston car accident lawyers are legal experts that are very familiar with the laws of the state especially for accident victims. When you approach one, they will help you understand your right in the situation. They will also provide legal guidance on how to help out with the case.
Please purchase a subscription read this premium content. If you have a subscription, please sign up for a digital website account or log in.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has embraced the digital economy as a key driver for growth and development, and made innovation in key technologies a top national priority.

To support this objective, the Kingdom has set up a national strategy to make it stronger and better.

As part of that strategy to expand the vast digital economy, it has doubled down on funding for strategically important industries, sped up the building of new infrastructure, stepped up education and training capabilities, and used the internet to transform and develop the traditional economy.

The Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technologys 19th meeting, held virtually, was chaired yesterday by Deputy Prime Minister His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and attended by members.

The committee reviewed the progress of the work on the national strategy for the digital economy in light of the decisions of the Executive Committee to approve the required budget and the formation of the follow-up working group headed by the Ministry of Finance and National Economy.

ministry submitted a report on the identification of the strategic objectives of setting a medium-term plan to make Bahrain a leading destination regionally in the digital economy through building capacities, developing infrastructure, legislation, education and training.

strategic objectives include encouraging innovation to achieve progress in modern technology and its uses in supporting economic growth in financial, health and industrial services, transportation, logistics, oil and gas, and training.

The committee approved the work plan and the proposal to appoint an international consultant to prepare the strategy.

It also approved the proposed training programme for strategic planning for information technology in the public sector, prepared by the Information and e-Government Authority (iGA).

The training programme aims to build the capabilities of information technology officials in public sector institutions to enable them to develop and implement information technology strategies according to the needs of their institutions and in line with the government strategy and the national programme for digital transformation.

The programme includes training participants to follow methodologies and use tools to design and develop strategies to increase their aptitudes to keep pace with change and achieve qualitative addition to government information technology projects.

It consists of about 100 training hours and a programme to prepare trainers in the same field.

The committee also approved the digital transformation plan for the services of the ministries and authorities of Bahrain in light of its follow-up to its decision regarding government agencies speeding up in preparing their plans for e-transformation.

committee reviewed the status of e-transformation of government services and the services that have been completed, including 578 out of 1,581 government services while 66 different government e-services were completed in 202 and financial transactions grew by 80% to reach about 2.7 million financial transactions totaling about BD353 million until last September.

They were the result of providing alternative channels for payment and of launching electronic invoices.

HH Shaikh Mohammed directed the iGA to complete the study of the remaining government services within the e-transformation programme.

The authority should also propose the implementation of future plans for them according to their importance and priority within a specific timetable in coordination with the Services
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Two men were sentenced to six months in prison, while a third man was fined BD500 for smuggling a drone into the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Public Prosecution announced.

The three are said to have smuggled the drone into Bahrain, which is classified as illegal to possess, and their wrongdoing was reported to police by customs officials.

Consequently, the defendants were captured and questioned.

They confessed to smuggling the drone and they failed to provide any document confirming that they had a licence to possess it, the Public Prosecution added.

They were charged with possessing illegal goods and they were tried before the Lower Criminal Court
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The well-established relations between Bahrain and the UAE represent a unique model in the level of agreements between the two countries and peoples under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and UAE President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

This was emphasised by Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal who received UAE Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC) Saqr Ghobash yesterday.

They discussed ways to develop joint parliamentary work and cooperation between the two legislative branches in the two countries by devising new methods and developing new measures that ensure the development of parliamentary and legislative work.

Zainal stressed the keenness of the legislative branch in Bahrain to boost cooperation with legislative assemblies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which will contribute in upgrading legislative capabilities, develop joint systems, and support development in the region.

Ghobash praised Bahrains steady development progress under the leadership of His Majesty the King and affirmed the Bahraini-Emirati relations are a model of continuous cooperation.

He expressed UAEs keenness to enhance legislative cooperation in various fields and support Bahrain in all matters.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Chairman Sameer Nass has voiced the keenness of the Bahraini private sector to step up business with its Omani counterpart, vowing to exert all efforts to connect business owners and investors, as well as foster bilateral trade and investments between both sides.

Nass alongside board members and Acting Chief Executive Dr Abdulla Al Sada held a meeting with the Omani business delegation spearheaded by Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) Chairman Eng. Redha bin Jumah Al Saleh.

The meeting was held in Royal Saray Hotel-Bahrain in the presence of Bahrains Ambassador to Oman, Dr. Juma bin Ahmed Al Kaabi, a representative from Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), and a number of prominent business owners from both sides.

The meeting hailed the deep fraternal relation between Bahrain and Oman, and stressed on reinforcing trade and partnerships in food security projects, manufacturing, logistics, mining, among other areas. Eng. Al Saleh exhibited business opportunities in Oman.

He touched upon Oman economic vision 2040 and highlighted key development projects. Eng.

Al Saleh underlined the importance of joining forces between the BCCI and OCCI to connect business owners and investors and establish joint projects that will augment cooperation and achieve economic gains for both sides.

The meeting also included presentations that centered on the investment climate and incentives to investors in Bahrain and Oman.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Criminal Court rejected the appeal of an Asian man convicted of trafficking two women and raping one of them.

He was sentenced to life in prison.

The defendant is said to have locked up the two women in an apartment and forced them to have sex with strangers.

He is believed to have been living on the money he was generating from the crime.

Moreover, he didnt just force them into prostitution but also raped one of the women after refusing to sleep with men.

He forced her to have sex with 20 men in one week.

His wrongdoing was exposed after one of the two women managed to establish contact with her embassy, whose officials alerted police officers. The apartment was raided by police.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini visual artist has been shortlisted for The Richard Mille Art Prize.

Louvre Abu Dhabi and Swiss watchmaking brand Richard Mille said that Nasser Al Zayani and six other artists, Cristiana de Marchi, Latifa Saeed, Mays Albaik, Mohammed Kazem, Tarek Al Ghoussein and Taus Makhacheva would have their artworks showcased in the inaugural edition of Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 exhibition, running from 18 November 2021 to 27 March 2022.

Al Zayani, born in 1991 in Manama and working in Abu Dhabi, holds an MFA in Glass from the Rhode Island School of Design and a bachelors in architecture from the American University of Sharjah.

He has been showcased in several group exhibitions, including Kissing Through A Curtain, MASS MoCA, North Adams, 2020; The Youth Takeover, Jameel Art Centre, Dubai, 2020; Glass Triennial, Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, 2019; _____scapes, Gelman Gallery, Providence, 2019; Bayn, Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi, 2017; and Watering the Distant, Deserting the Near, Al Riwaq, Bahrain, 2016.

He was a recipient of the Fundacion Casa Wabi x ArtReview Residency in 2017, the Villa Lena Foundation Residency in 2018, and the Cultural Foundation Art Residency in Abu Dhabi in 2021.

The winner of the 2021 Richard Mille Art Prize, who will receive a $50,000 cash prize will be selected from among these seven artists and will be announced during an award ceremony to be held in the months following the opening.

The shortlisted artists were selected by a four-member jury that includes HH Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of UAE Unlimited and an art collector and patron of the Centre Pompidou, the British Museum and Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE news agency WAM reported.

Christine Macel, Chief Curator at the Musee national dart moderne, Centre Pompidou and an art critic, Hala Warde, founding architect of HW Architecture and Dr Souraya Noujaim, Louvre Abu Dhabis Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management Director were also members of the jury.

The new annual Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here exhibition and The Richard Mille Art Prize aim to highlight contemporary art and artists in the UAE, the region, and beyond.

The first edition is concurrent with the UAEs 50th National Day Golden Jubilee and sought proposals from artists based in the UAE. The exhibition and prize also represent a further extension of the museums universal approach by including contemporary artists in its collection and narrative.

"We were thrilled to have received a large number of proposals from artists across the UAE for this first edition of Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 exhibition and The Richard Mille Art Prize," Noujaim said.

"The calibre and creativity of these submissions are reflective of the UAEs thriving art scene. We are also excited to be supporting our community of talented artists, who are deeply engaged with the time and place in which they are working."


Thank you for trusting us for your local news coverage. You have reached the maximum number of free articles per month. Subscribe today for unlimited access to News-Press NOW. It's a fast and easy way to support local journalism.
NEWTOWN - High-profile New Haven attorney Norm Pattis and another lawyer defending extremist Alex Jones against defamation lawsuits from Sandy Hook families want the Connecticut judge removed from the case for the appearance of judicial impropriety.

The evolution of the case, including a threat made against Judge Bellis by an unknown third-party that the plaintiffs somehow attribute to defendants, and the series of subsequent comments and rulings, would lead a reasonable person knowing all the circumstances to question Judge Bellis impartiality, writes Jones attorney Jay Wolman in a 28-page motion to state Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis on Tuesday. Judge Bellis rulings demonstrate a high degree of antagonism towards defendants.

Pattis agrees in his own 28-page affidavit, submitted Wednesday to Bellis.

Inconsistent rulings, raising an inference that Judge Bellis is prejudice against the Jones defendants, would lead a reasonable person knowing all the circumstances to question Judge Bellis impartiality, Pattis writes.

The move by Jones to disqualify Bellis and have his Connecticut defamation case moved to another judge follows a two-hour hearing on Wednesday, when Bellis promised to sanction Jones again in November, and consider other sanctions, including entering a default judgment against him.

Bellis responded to Jones motion to recuse her by scheduling dates on the court calendar to hear arguments from both sides.

On Thursday, attorneys for the seven families and an FBI agent suing Jones for calling the 2012 massacre of 26 first-graders and educators staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors declined to comment on the effort to remove Bellis.

Jones motion to remove Bellis is the latest example of how five defamation cases against him by Sandy Hook families in Connecticut and Texas have been more about fighting court procedure than arguing Jones defense under the First Amendment.

Meanwhile a hearing is planned on Monday in Texas, where the parents of two slain Sandy Hook children won three defamation cases against Jones in late September, when the judge defaulted him for flagrant bad faith and callous disregard for the responsibilities of discovery under the rules.

In Connecticut, Pattis and Jones other attorney are trying to remove Bellis for three reasons:

Her handling of a threat against her made in the comments section of a news story on Jones Infowars website

Her handling of sanctions she imposed on Jones after his blood on the streets broadcast, which deprived him the chance to pursue a special motion to dismiss that he considers important to his defense

Her handling of defense arguments after the state Supreme Court upheld her sanctions against Jones

Although the decisions of Judge Bellis were affirmed on appeal, her actions to that point nonetheless created the appearance of bias, Wolman writes in his motion to dismiss the judge.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
DANBURY  The citys Fraternal Order of Police have thrown support behind Republican Dean Esposito in the mayoral race.

In its first endorsement in a Hat City mayoral race, membership of the Danbury Fraternal Order of Police overwhelmingly backed Esposito on Tuesday evening, the mayorals campaign said on Thursday.

John Krupinsky, a Danbury sergeant and president of the organization, strongly encourages all Danbury residents to vote for Esposito in the Nov. 2 race against Democrat Roberto Alves to continue to keep Danbury safe, the campaign said.

Danbury has been ranked among the safest cities in Connecticut based on crime data.

I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Danbury Fraternal Order of Police, Esposito said in a statement. As your next Mayor, I will support our men and women in law enforcement by providing adequate funding and support so they can continue to keep our community safe.

Esposito and Alves are competing for the first open mayoral seat in 20 years. Republican Mayor Mark Boughton was in his 10th term when he resigned in December to become the states tax commissioner. Republican Major Joe Cavo took over, but decided to run for a City Council at-large seat. He previously represented the Third Ward.

Alves is a City Council member, while Esposito is the mayors chief of staff.

The Fraternal Order of Police is known as the the voice of our nation's law enforcement officers and includes lodges across the state and country, according to the Connecticut State Fraternal Order of Polices website.

The Danbury group is part of the state and national organization and includes members from Danbury, Ridgefield, New Milford, Connecticut State Police, and many other departments, according to its Facebook page.

Esposito claimed in last weeks debate that Alves wants to defund the police, an allegation that Alves disputed, saying he wants to add officers and funding to train cops.

As Mayor, Dean Esposito will ensure that the brave members of the Danbury Police Department are equipped with the training and technology they require to serve and protect the Danbury community, his campaign said. Esposito is a long-time supporter of the Danbury Police Departments community policing activities that convey the DPD's dedication to Danbury and help keep residents, especially the children, safe.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa's privatized Medicaid system has illegally denied services or care to program recipients, and both private insurance companies managing the system have violated terms of their contracts with the state, according to a state audit released Wednesday.

Auditor Rob Sand released a report from his investigation that examined cases from 2013 through 2019. He said his investigators found a massive increase in illegal denials of care by managed care organizations, or MCOs, under privatized Medicaid.

What this means is that privatized Medicaid is less likely to treat Iowans in accordance with the law. It means that the Medicaid MCO's that we have contracted with are not upholding their end of the bargain, Sand said.

The head of Iowa's Medicaid program responded within minutes of the audit's release, rejecting its conclusions and arguing Sand was making an apples to oranges comparison" that mischaracterized the current program.

Former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad in 2016 abruptly shifted Iowa's Medicaid program from management by the Iowa Department of Human Services to private insurers. His successor, current GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, has continued to support privatization amid complaints that service has suffered, payments to service providers are sometimes delayed, and promised savings never materialized.

Privatization became a popular idea among GOP politicians, who argued private companies would more efficiently manage Medicaid than a state government agency. Private Medicaid managers provide health care for more than 781,000 poor and disabled Iowans.

Sand said after privatization, there was an 891% increase in the number of cases in which a judge restored services to a Medicaid participant, concluding services were unlawfully denied by the private insurers managing the program.

He promised after his election in 2018 that he would conduct a compliance report on Medicaid after service providers and recipients complained about the new system failing to provide comparable care and payment.

This has been a long time coming. It has taken a lot of work. We've reviewed tens of thousands of documents and at the end of the day what this is, is a statement of facts," Sand said. It's telling Iowans what's going on in the state. We're doing our job. It's about the people.

Sand also reported that the two companies managing the Medicaid program, Amerigroup and Centene Corp., operating as Iowa Total Care, violated provisions of the contract established with the DHS.

He said Amerigroup failed to comply with one provision of the contract, and ITC failed to comply with numerous provisions. For example, in multiple documented instances, both companies failed to comply with the contract clause requiring Home and Community Based Services providers to continue providing services to a member switching from one provider to another.

This has resulted in members going without services, such as bathing and wound care, thus violating the contract, and state and federal law, while the company still receives payment for their care, Sand said in the report.

In her statement responding to the report, Medicaid Director Elizabeth Matney called the audit incorrect and flawed."

Matney said the report inaccurately compares the previous fee-for-service" system with a managed care approach in which appeals can be resolved without going before an administrative law judge, who can then focus on more complex cases.

We worked with the Auditor of States team to explain why this was an apples to oranges comparison," Matney said. The process is not the same, so making a comparison without factoring in the improvements we built into the MCO appeals process prior to ever seeing an administrative law judge is just wrong.

She said much more information would be needed to substantiate the claims in the auditor report.

She said the department is reviewing the allegations of contract violations and offered to meet with Sand to discuss in further detail agreeing that contract compliance is something that requires diligent oversight.

A spokesman for Amerigroup said in an email response that the company agrees with Matney's statement questioning Sand's methodology and that the company will continue to work closely with them as we are committed to accountability and transparency with Iowas Medicaid system.
BARRINGTON, R.I. (AP)  Another Rhode Island school district is requiring teachers and staff to get coronavirus vaccinations or face unpaid leave and possible termination.

Employees of Barrington's schools have until Nov. 1 to get vaccinated, Superintendent Michael Messore told The Providence Journal.

Barrington joins West Warwick and Newport with a mandatory vaccination policy for faculty and staff, according to the state Department of Education. The Achievement First charter schools and the Rhode Island School for the Deaf also have mandates. Blackstone Valley Prep charter schools are requiring vaccination of new employees.

Five or six teachers have indicated a reluctance to be vaccinated, but they can apply for a medical exemption, Messore said. Nearly 90% of the district's more than 400 full-time employees have been vaccinated so far.

School Committee Chair Gina Bae said the move was made to protect children under 12 who remain ineligible for a vaccine.

If an exemption request is denied, the worker has the right to appeal. If the appeal is turned down, they will be placed on leave. If they refuse to be vaccinated, they will be fired after Dec. 31.

A spokesperson for the National Education Association Rhode Island teachers' union said it is ready to advise members seeking an exemption.
GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP)  The latest batch of police recruits in an Alabama beach town faced an interview board that included law enforcement experts and a civilian who was recognizable by his voice if not by his face: Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman.

Freeman, a Mississippi native who owns property in Gulf Shores and spends time in the town of 12,000, was part of a seven-member panel that interviewed nine potential officers for the Gulf Shores Police Department last week, Deputy Chief Dan Netemeyer said Wednesday.

The department sometimes asks residents to participate in such screening committees, Netemeyer said. Freeman knows some people who have helped and volunteered to serve.

It was kind of a last minute thing, but he was an active participant," Netemeyer said.

Known for roles in movies including The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, Unforgiven, and Million Dollar Baby, Freeman sat at a table asking questions with other interviewers including Netemeyer, the police chief, a criminal justice professor and others.

He had a hat on, and he was kind of sitting back. When he introduced himself it was almost like an old Candid Camera scene, Netemeyer said.

Even if someone did not recognize Freeman's face, he said, there was no mistake once he spoke. It was that voice, the same one you hear in the movies, he said.

The hiring process is not complete, Netemeyer said, but at least some of the recruits likely will be offered jobs.

Freeman and Linda Keena, a University of Mississippi professor who also lives in Gulf Shores and helped with the interviews, recently donated $1 million to establish the Center of Evidence-Based Policing and Reform at the university.
WASHINGTON (AP)  After months of talks, Democrats are edging closer to an agreement on what programs and policies to include in President Joe Biden's massive plan to expand health and safety net programs and combat global warming.

The plan seems likely to include an expansion of Medicare benefits for seniors, universal preschool, paid family leave and the continuation of a child tax credit that was increased earlier this year and applied to more families. Democrats are scaling back some investments or shortening the timeframe for when those programs would be up and running to fit within an approximately $2 trillion budget over 10 years, rather than the $3.5 trillion budget plan approved earlier by the House.

Still, Democrats are hoping the programs will prove so popular that future Congresses will continue to fund them in the years ahead. It seems unlikely that any Republican will support the measure.

Negotiations over the package are fluid. But here's where the bill stands so far, according to lawmakers and aides:

 A child tax credit increase would continue for another year. As part of a COVID relief bill, Democrats increased the tax credit to $3,000 per child age 6-17 and $3,600 per child age 5 and under. Limiting the program to one year would disappoint many of its backers, but they are hoping the programs popularity will move Congress to extend it in the years ahead. Budget hawks worry that a one-year extension is a budgetary tool that will lower the cost of the program on paper, but mask its true costs since lawmakers tend to continue programs rather than let them expire.

 Medicare would be expanded to include dental, vision and hearing aids. Its unclear when or how long each would be included as part of the benefit package Medicare covers. But each is expected to survive. Lawmakers are discussing the possibility of providing vouchers to seniors for dental care until the full benefit is enacted. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., put it this way after meeting with Biden: What will emerge is a program on dental, vision and hearing that Senator (Bernie) Sanders is comfortable with.

 Expanding Medicaid in about a dozen states and providing subsidies that reduce premiums for Obamacare" plans are also still part of the plan. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the health insurance components in the bill would reduce the number of uninsured by about 3.9 million people over the next decade. Big boosts in Medicaid and Affordable Care Act plans would be partly offset by a 2.8 million decrease in employment-based coverage.

 The U.S. would join a long list of nations with a paid family leave program allowing workers to take time off for childbirth, to care for a new child or to deal with a serious health issue of a family member. But its looking like the 12 weeks of paid time off that Biden had proposed will be pared back to as few as four.

 Universal prekindergarten for all 3- and 4-year-olds and child-care subsidies for poorer and middle-income Americans are still in. Bidens plan calls for parents earning up to 150% of the states median income (about $115,000 nationally) to pay no more than 7% of their income on child care, with the poorest families getting free child care. He has proposed a tax credit for as much as half of a familys spending on child care, up to $4,000 for one child or $8,000 for two or more children.

 Free community college is probably out.

 It's also looking like a program considered a cornerstone of Biden's plan to fight climate change is out, largely due to opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. That program would have offered grants to power companies that increase clean energy generation by 4% each year and fines for those that do not. Still, hundreds of billions of dollars are expected to be included for programs designed to help the U.S. meet Biden's goal of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas pollution in 2030 from 2005 levels.
DANBURY  A former city resident was sentenced this week to more than five years in federal prison for fraud and identity theft offenses stemming from a scheme to use stolen identities to buy vehicles and motorcycles, federal prosecutors said.

Domingo St. Hilaire Rosario, 57, formerly of Danbury, was sentenced Tuesday by Judge Vaness L. Bryant in Hartford to 65 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on May 10, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

Rosario, Jamie Pinto and another individual conspired to use stolen identities to get vehicles and motorcycles at dealerships in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey, prosecutors said.

As part of the scheme, which started in late 2017, Rosario arranged for a car or bike to be purchased or leased from a dealership in the name of a identity theft victim, while Pinto or another co-conspirator impersonated the victim to finish the paperwork, prosecutors said. Rosario planned to sell or export the vehicles, they added.

On Feb. 28, 2019, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Rosario. He was extradited from the Dominican Republic in May 2020. He has been detained since his extradition. Authorities said Rosario fled to the Dominican Republic after being stopped by New Jersey State Police in July 2018 while driving a Chevrolet Silverado that he got through the scheme from a dealership in Connecticut.

Rosario and his co-conspirators acquired at least 13 vehicles and tried to get at least two others, prosecutors said. Some of the vehicles have been recovered by law enforcement and returned to the dealers.

The judge ordered Rosario to pay $203,873 in restitution.

On May 20, 2019, 44-year-old Pinto, with a last known address in Manchester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and identity theft offenses. He is detained pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 27, according to federal prosecutors.
Corporal Lionel (Leo) Clarke, VC, and a small section of infantry were assigned to clear a German trench line near Pozieres, France, during the Battle of the Somme. After every man but Clarke was killed or severely wounded in the operation, Clarke single-handedly held off a German counterattack, despite a bayonet wound to his leg.

Company Sergeant Major Frederick William Hall, VC, attempted to rescue a wounded soldier less than 15 metres outside a trench during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. Heavy machine-gun fire deterred his first attempt, but he tried again, reaching his comrade. As Hall started to carry him back to safety, both were killed.

Lieutenant Robert Shankland, VC, DCM, won a strategic foothold on a ridge after his platoon and supporting soldiers were reduced to a remnant during the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele. Shankland led the surviving force against a fierce counterattack, then made his way through thick mud and shelling to the battalion headquarters to report on the enemy position.

The soldiers of Valour Road symbolize all those who served in the First World War  a horrific conflict that claimed roughly 61,000 Canadian lives  and the selflessness of all Canadian veterans and service members.

The stamp and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada. Learn more about these soldiers through the following resources:

SOURCE Canada Post

For further information: Media Relations, 613-734-8888, [email protected]

Related Links

www.canadapost.ca


Calgary's Mayor-elect Dr. Jyoti Gondek of Calgary says she plans to declare a climate emergency, but Friends of Science Society points out the climate emergency is over  those fears were based on the use of the implausible RCP8.5 scenario and outdated science. Friends of Science also denounce the World Economic Forum for giving a stage to Greta Thunberg's 'panic' speech without vetting her sources; Greta now states there was no science behind her 'metaphors'.

CALGARY, AB, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - As reported by the BOE on Oct. 20, 2021, in statements to the press, Mayor-elect Jyoti Gondek says she plans to declare a climate emergency as her first order of business. The climate emergency is over as it has been shown by Roger Pielke, Jr. and Justin Ritchie that such fears were based on scientists referring to an implausible simulated scenario known as Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5). Pielke, Jr. writes of the recent IPCC AR6 report: "Great News! The Extreme Scenario that IPCC Saw as Most Likely in 2013 is Now Judged Low Likelihood." Readers should note that the IPCC scientific report of 4,000 pages differs from the ~42-page Summary for Policy-Makers which is highly politicized and the source of the claimed "code red".

As reported in peer-reviewed research by Pielke, Jr. and Ritchie, thousands of peer-reviewed papers in climate science are predicated on this implausible scenario. Scientists have misused these scenarios by comparing them, 'as if' optional 'pathways' to reduce emissions.

Friends of Science says to better appreciate what is meant, this video about Dr. Katharine Hayhoe's report "Alberta's Climate Future" includes an excerpt of her misusing these scenarios in a presentation at the University of Calgary. Hayhoe's information about China's emissions in the video is also incorrect. China's emissions have grown astronomically as have those of India, as reported in Robert Lyman's 2019 "Promises vs Performance" report. As Lyman reports in "Futile Folly: Canada's Climate Policy Goals in the Global Context", 'China emits in one month what Canada emits in a year and a half'; Canada's emissions account for only 1.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Alberta's long-term climate records do not support the claims made by Hayhoe, as shown in this evidence-based Friends of Science report, entitled "Facts vs Fortune-telling".

In testimony to US Congress this spring, Greta testified that there was no science behind her comments, she was just speaking in metaphors in her 'I want you to panic' speech at the World Economic Forum, a speech which terrified millions of children and adults around the world.

As Friends of Science Society's scientific advisor, Dr. Madhav Khandekar has stated, there are many more uncertainties today in the GHG induced theory of climate change than there were when he wrote his original report (as an independent scientist) for the Alberta government in 2000.

Further to Gondek's comments to the media that Calgary doesn't need to be focussed on oil and gas, the US Energy Information Administration's most recent report, summarized by Robert Lyman in "Net Zero? Not What the Experts Predict" shows the world demand for oil and gas will grow dynamically as global economies recover from COVID lockdowns. The world presently uses ~84% oil, natural gas, and coal; the balance from nuclear and hydro with only 6% of US energy from renewables and only 3.5% in Canada. There is just no transition.

Lyman's most recent post "Will We Squander Canada's Energy Resource Heritage?" shows that Canada's energy reserves, with the principal reserves in Alberta, would be worth on the order of $21 trillion in gross revenues at today's prices and about $13 trillion in net revenues. With that kind of revenue, Canada's debt could be paid down 13 times; or every Canadian could be given $342,000.

Friends of Science new report "What You Really Need to Know about Renewable Energy (That the Pembina Institute Won't Tell You)" offers Calgary's mayor and council insights to appreciate the expensive and dangerously misinformed recommendations that Pembina Institute has made to various levels of government on renewables. The energy crisis is debilitating Europe, India, and China; it is imperative that Calgary's new administration be aware of the Dire Consequences of poor energy policies.

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).

SOURCE Friends of Science Society

For further information: 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: [email protected](dot)org, Web: climatechange101.ca

Related Links

www.friendsofscience.org


BURLINGTON, ON, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - EcoSynthetix Inc. (TSX: ECO) ("EcoSynthetix" or the "Company"), today announced that it will release its 2021 third quarter results on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, after 5:00 pm ET. The Company will subsequently hold a conference call on, Thursday, November 4, at 8:30 AM ET hosted by Mr. Jeff MacDonald, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Rob Haire, Chief Financial Officer. A question and answer session will follow the corporate update.

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

DATE: Thursday, November 4, 2021 TIME: 8:30 AM Eastern Time DIAL IN NUMBER: (416) 764-8659 or (888) 664-6392 REFERENCE NUMBER: 18016865 TAPED REPLAY: (416) 764-8677 or (888) 390-0541 REPLAY CODE: 016865#

A link to the live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations Events page on the Company's website at www.ecosynthetix.com as well as at www.cision.ca. The presentation will be accompanied by slides, which will be available on the webcast and via the Company's website. Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to hear the webcast.

About EcoSynthetix Inc. (www.ecosynthetix.com)

EcoSynthetix offers a range of sustainable engineered biopolymers that allow customers to reduce their use of harmful materials, such as formaldehyde and styrene-based chemicals. The Company's flagship products, DuraBind and EcoSphere, are used to manufacture wood composites, paper and packaging, and enable performance improvements, economic benefits and sustainability. The Company is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (T:ECO).

SOURCE EcoSynthetix Inc.

For further information: please contact: Investor Relations, Ross Marshall, Phone: (416) 526-1563, E-mail: [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.ecosynthetix.com/


India has deployed its latest M-777 Ultra-Light Howitzers along with the battle-proven Bofors artillery guns at the Tawang sector near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to tackle any threat from the Chinese side in the Eastern sector.

Indian Army soldiers on Thursday demonstrated battle drills to destroy enemy tanks in the Tawang sector near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to tackle any threat from the Chinese side. To boost its battle preparedness, the Indian army is undergoing P190 program which makes the soldier undergo tough physical and mental training along with drills on a daily basis. Indian Army soldiers underwent aggressive training, vigorous exercise, and meditation for the troops in rough climate conditions and terrains of the Eastern Sector in Arunachal Pradesh.

India has deployed its latest M-777 Ultra-Light Howitzers along with the battle-proven Bofors artillery guns at the Tawang sector near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to tackle any threat from the Chinese side in the Eastern sector. The force has also deployed the upgraded version of the L-70 anti-aircraft guns at high-altitude locations along the LAC. The upgraded vintage L-70 air defence guns have enhanced target acquisition and automatic target tracking capabilities under all weather conditions with high-resolution electro-optical sensors.

Interacting with reporters, Captain Sariya Abbasi said, The guns can bring down all unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned combat aerial vehicles, attack helicopters and modern aircraft. The gun has enhanced target acquisition and automatic target tracking capability under all weather conditions with high-resolution electro-optical sensors comprising a daylight television camera, a thermal imaging camera, and a laser range finder.

Notably, the Indian Army has also increased the deployment of air assets, including unmanned aircraft, in the Arunachal Pradesh sector along the border with China. The Army recently deployed its aviation brigade in the Arunachal Pradesh sector after acquiring unmanned aircraft Heron I, chopper ALH Dhruv and weaponised attack helicopter Rudra.
Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday reached Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail to meet his son Aryan Khan who is lodged there in connection with the Mumbai cruise raid case.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday reached Mumbais Arthur Road Jail to meet his son Aryan Khan who is lodged there in connection with the Mumbai cruise raid case.



Earlier on Wednesday, the bail applications of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were rejected by Mumbais Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) in connection with their alleged involvement in the cruise drugs party case. Following this, Aryan Khan moved a bail application in the Bombay High Court against the NDPS court order on his bail rejection. Arbaaz Merchants lawyer also said that they will move to Bombay High Court today after NDPS rejected their applications.



An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2. A total of 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals, have been arrested so far in the case.
As per an official statement, acting on a specific input generated by Kulgam Police regarding movements of terrorists on the Devsar-Sopat axis, Police along with Army and CRPF established a special checkpoint.

Kulgam police on Wednesday neutralised two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists that were part of a group involved in the recent civilian killings of two non-locals at Wanpoh area of Kulgam. As per an official statement, acting on a specific input generated by Kulgam Police regarding movements of terrorists on the Devsar-Sopat axis, Police along with Army and CRPF established a special checkpoint. During the checking of vehicles, a suspicious vehicle was signalled to stop, however, the occupants of the vehicle resorted to indiscriminate firing on the joint party. The alert joint party retaliated the fire effectively leading to an encounter, read the release.

In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists of proscribed outfit LeT were neutralised. They have been identified as Gulzar Ahmad Reshi (District Commander LeT) resident of Gufbal Qaimoh and Imran Wani resident of Redwani Qaimoh Kulgam. As per police records, both the killed terrorists were part of a group involved in several terror crime cases and civilian atrocities. They were also involved in the recent civilian killings of two poor labourers Raja Reshi Dev and Joginder Reshi Dev of Araria, Bihar on October 17 at Wanpoh area of Kulgam, stated the release.



It further stated that incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition including 01 AK series rifle and a pistol were also recovered from their possession. All the recovered materials have been taken case records for further investigation.

The police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and further investigation is in progress, said the police. (ANI)
The espresso martini is having a moment in 2021.

The caffeinated cocktail, usually a blend of fresh espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur and a sweetener like simple syrup, was purportedly invented in the early 1980s in London and had a heyday in the 1990s. The New York Times, noting the drink is "everywhere" this year, referenced general '90s nostalgia as one explanation for the resurgence. Eater also published an article titled, "Everybodys Eating Like Its the 90s Again."

And the trend has been somewhat controversial with headlines like popping up like: "'No More Espresso Martinis!' Why bartenders hate the hottest drink on the planet," on Grubstreet and "How the espresso martini became the worlds most notorious cocktail," on The Guardian.

So has the trend reached the Nutmeg State? Some Connecticut bar professionals say so. Albert Greenwood, co-owner of Oak Haven Table & Bar in New Haven, said he's seen the drink explode in popularity in the past few months at his State Street restaurant known for craft cocktails.

"I have to prep for them," he said, noting he's selling them every day, at all hours. "It really never was like that. You'd have maybe one or two after-dinner drinks, and a few at brunch, but never like this."

Greenwood isn't sure what sparked the sudden run on these martinis, but theorized that people may have been making their own cocktails at home during COVID-related lockdowns, and might have rediscovered the drink then.

"I think it's a combination of people making them at home and now wanting them out at a bar, and that whole caffeine jolt as well," he said. "They're combining a couple of things  their after-dinner coffee, and a drink ... I think it checks a lot of boxes for a lot of people."

Oak Haven's espresso martini features cold brew coffee made in house, coffee liqueur, a Madagascar vanilla liqueur and Blank-brand vodka infused with cold brew coffee grounds, Greenwood said. Though it's a classic drink, he said he still likes to go above and beyond with the recipe.

Justin Morales, managing partner of Marlborough Tavern in Marlborough said he remembers learning to make espresso martinis in the early 2000s. At that time, they "weren't any more special than a razztini, or a French martini," he said.

Morales thinks the visual nature of social media has helped elevate the cocktail recently. When shaken and poured carefully, the martini showcases an appealing layer of froth, or crema, on top, making it an ideal candidate for photos or videos. (The hashtag #espressomartini currently has 19.5 million views on TikTok.)

"It's all about how it's presented," Morales said. "When done right, that crema holds, and it's beautiful. Then you're excited about it, and you drink it. It's got sweet, it's got bitter, the texture is there with the soft crema, and then it's got caffeine in it, so it makes you feel good. I feel like it's all those things wrapped into one that make it what it is."

Scott Studwell, the beverage director at Norwalk's Washington Prime, said the espresso martini has always been popular at the SoNo restaurant  a fairly steady seller in the seven years he's worked there. He said the restaurant sells 30 to 70 of them in a typical weekend, and the cocktail always sparks interest once it passes customers in the bar or dining room.

"It's like wildfire," he said. "Once one is made, I'm prepping myself to make 10 more."

"The number one thing I hear is, 'This is my liquid dessert,'" he said. "It's a pretty versatile cocktail. You can jump start your night with one, have it as a 'pick me up' or an interim drink while you decide, or a dessert cocktail to finish your evening with."

Courtesy of Justin Morales

In June, Morales launched a spirit called Up n' Down; it's a descendant of a rock and rye, which is a blend of citrus and rye whiskey sweetened with rock candy. Morales version uses bourbon, sweetened with honey and a touch of sugar, and flavored with elements like fig, orange zest and birch and cherrywood barks. He has partnered with bartenders around the state and they've found it to be an intriguing pairing as a spirit for espresso martinis. Morales calls them "Night Rider" cocktails.

"What I noticed with the Up n' Down [is] because there's birch and fig in it, it blends really nice with the espresso. On top of it, because there's honey in the back end, it actually adds a little bit of sweetness," he said. "So it's like it was  not intentionally  but almost built for for the espresso martini." Up n' Down released a pumpkin version of the spirit this fall, and the brand advertises a "Ghost Rider" as the cocktail of the month, featuring the pumpkin with espresso, coffee liqueur, sweetener and a nutmeg garnish.

In the aforementioned GrubStreet story, "No More Espresso Martinis!," several New York bartenders said the drinks can be messy, inconvenient and time-consuming. Studwell said he's worked in restaurants where the espresso machine is located some distance from the bar, so it was frustrating to leave his post and make fresh espresso for each cocktail  especially as more guests would see the drink and want to order their own. Now, his strategy is to brew espresso ahead of time in preparation.

But Morales doesn't think of espresso martinis as a burden on bartenders. "I think [good] bartenders are really proud of their cocktails," he said. "It's not that difficult, honestly. It's four ingredients, and you shake it and it's got a nice crema, and you're off to the races."

For anyone who is looking for an easy espresso martini, though, Aaron Stepka of Drink Mechanics is working on a way to package the cocktail for quick service. His small-batch craft cocktail business is producing both canned and draft versions of an espresso martini for The Place 2 Be, which has two restaurants in Hartford, another in West Hartford and a fourth location planned for New Haven.

The Place 2 Be's version is made with Blank vodka and cold brew concentrate from Perkatory Coffee Roasters, Stepka said, and Drink Mechanics uses a custom gas blend to simulate the aeration that comes from shaking the drink.

The batched martini will be served on tap at the restaurant's downtown Hartford location, and Stepka thinks it's an ideal setup for the high-volume bar.

"You can get an espresso martini in front of somebody in a matter of seconds," he said. "Even the fastest bartender in the world can't make it that fast. And no matter who's working, it tastes the same every time."

Stepka envisions guests possibly buying the canned cocktails to take home, now that restaurants are allowed to sell to-go alcoholic beverages.

"Maybe at the end of their meal, they'd like to go home and have a nightcap," he said. "The espresso martini is the perfect little thing for them."
LYONS, Ill. (AP)  An officer accidentally fired his handgun during a struggle while police were making arrests in suburban Chicago, wounding two other officers, authorities said.

Chicago officers spotted a car Wednesday night that was tied to a homicide and a police helicopter tracked it to a gas station in Lyons, police said. When people from the car came out of the gas station officers surrounded them and a struggle ensued, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said.
WEST HAVEN  The City Council authorized Mayor Nancy R. Rossi or her two designees to have the authority to allocate federal money for authorized COVID expenses.

Now, after state Rep. Michael DiMassa  one of those to whom it was designated  was arrested Wednesday for allegedly rerouting federal pandemic relief funds intended for West Haven to a personal business banking account, many residents are asking: How could this happen?

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

City Hall officials are declining to answer that question, at least for now. The second of the mayors designees, Finance Director Frank Cieplinski, has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

The mayor  a certified public accountant by trade  said she discovered discrepancies in spending of a federal COVID grant going back months while reviewing expenditures. A resolution passed by the City Council in December tasked her with the management of that grant, both in maintaining and submitting the documentation for reimbursement to the state and for emergency management operation expenditures.

Right now the forensic audit is underway, said Rossi, in a text message response to questions Thursday. Once it is complete, we will be able to discuss what was found and any changes in internal control.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

DiMassa, D-West Haven, had been a city employee for 12 years, where he provided administrative support to the City Council and several other offices.

He resigned Thursday, a day after he was arrested and charged with one count of wire fraud.

According to court documents, he allegedly invoiced the city for more than $636,000 of federal pandemic response money for services allegedly rendered by Compass Investment Group LLC, a business he formed in January. He then allegedly made several withdrawals from the business bank account and spent tens of thousands of dollars on chips at Mohegan Sun, according to a federal warrant. The warrant also says Compass allegedly did not perform the work for which it billed the city Health Department.

DiMassa, who is free on bond, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday, nor did a second City Hall employee who is listed as a principal with Compass Investment Group.

In an August interview with the Register to defend the citys use of federal COVID money to pay out accrued compensatory time to City Hall employees - an issue unrelated to the allegations in the federal criminal case  DiMassa explained some of his roles during the pandemic.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

I was responsible for doing all the tracking of paperwork and expenditures, he said.

DiMassa at the time claimed he also worked with Health Director Maureen Lillis by responding to calls for service, acting as a point person for the city on its hotel housing program for the regions population experiencing homelessness, and checking with local businesses that they were maintaining compliance with indoor masking requirements. He also said he worked with Corporation Counsel Lee Tiernan to interpret executive orders.

DiMassa said the hours he worked in responding to the pandemic outside of his regular hours were tracked through journal notations.

Controls

Now, Rossi said some of the changes to the citys internal controls for its purchasing and invoicing system may be confidential.

We wont know until the forensic audit is complete and public, she said.

This week, the states Office of Policy and Management authorized a forensic audit of the citys finances. The city is one of three municipalities in the state that is under the authority of the Municipal Accountability Review Board, which reviews the citys financial reports and has approval authority over financial decisions made by city officials.

Following a request for comment from OPM, a spokesman forwarded three letters from OPM officials addressed to the city, including an Oct. 14 letter from Secretary Melissa McCaw informing the city the department had hired CohnReznick, LLP to conduct an audit to review the Citys activities surrounding the alleged misuse of Coronavirus Relief Funds.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

The City is a recipient of approximately $1.15 million of CRF, which was distributed as pass-through funding by the State of Connecticut through its sub grantor, OPM. The objective of the audit is to investigate the allegations of misuse of CRF by the City, McCaw wrote. The audit will assess the Citys compliance with the U.S. Treasurys guidance on the use of CRF and evaluate the Citys policies and procedures, and internal controls.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Some of the mayors critics have pointed to the late-December resolution passed by the City Council authorizing her, or either DiMassa and Cieplinski as her designees, to manage expenditures of a federal COVID grant as problematic.

If she didnt know, she was not engaged. That in itself is concerning, said Barry Lee Cohen, a Republican councilman who is running against Rossi for mayor in the Nov. 2 election. I dont even know if we have a standard operating procedure for vendors.

Earlier this month, Rossi said she was not involved in the day-to-day management of federal grants, which is handled by the Finance Department.

Im not sure who did what over there, I have my own duties as mayor, she said at the time. I look at the monthly reports and things like that to keep the budget balanced.

Rossi said she is very active in the preparation of the annual budget and the balancing of the budget.

Rossi did not address a question about how the city processes invoices and purchases, citing the forensic audit.

According to the affidavit charging DiMassa, Compass Investment Group LLC fraudulently billed the City of West Haven and its COVID-19 Grant Department for consulting services purportedly provided to the West Haven Health Department that were not performed.

Councilwoman Bridgette Hoskie, D-1, said she could not help but feel partially responsible for the alleged theft.

I will carry the guilt that I should have done better, she said.

Hoskie, as chairwoman of the councils Finance Committee, presented the December motion authorizing DiMassa as one of the mayors two designees to handle COVID expenditures. She said that, at the time, she believed he was a good choice because of his track record of bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city through grants and as an elected official.

It is obvious the proper amount of oversight wasnt taken. Hindsight is 20/20, she said. My thought process, as Im sure was everybody elses, was he was a good candidate to help disburse this money.

In July, Hoskie requested an accounting of how federal pandemic money had been spent thus far. She said, prior to that, she had been waiting to see invoices. She said that Wednesdays arrest underlines a need for the city to overhaul its financial process.

You sometimes dont know something is broke until this happens, she said.

She said that under Rossi, the city has more financial oversight than ever before, with the MARB reviewing its budget and an OPM employee working out of City Hall as part of the citys participation in the MARB. Hoskie said it was made abundantly clear that federal grant money would be audited, which she and others believed would be a considerable disincentive to misappropriating funds.

David Sacco, an economics lecturer at the University of New Haven, said that, although DiMassa allegedly was able to reroute hundreds of thousands of dollars for several months, the FBIs intervention is evidence that there are systemic checks in place for fraud.

This stuff happens in the private sector too: people ... can take advantage. Companies get defrauded all the time, he said. ... When they get caught, it tells me the system is working.

Council Chairman Ron Quagliani, D-At Large, said he is asking the same questions as the rest of the community.

It sickens me that monies intended to help our community recover from COVID-19 was allegedly diverted for personal use, he said.

The federal money was intended for necessary expenditures due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to the state.

The invoice DiMassa allegedly submittedlisted charges that included 305 hours of Consulting Service-Legislative Review Executive Orders - COVID-19, 483 hours of Consulting Service-Support Staff Services, 305 hours of Monitors/Security Site (April 2021-May 2021), and 102 hours of Consulting Service Lobbying Service-COVID-19 Federal. The amount billed to the City of West Haven was $85,595.00, the warrant affidavit says.

An invoice also listed items that included 150 hours of Consulting Service-Legislative Review Opening Guidelines, 100 hours of Consulting Service Support Staff Services, 242 hours of Consulting Service Lobbying Service-COVID-19 Federal, and Economic Consulting-Economic Site Plan Assessment/Review. That amount billed to West Haven was $84,650.00, the warrant affidavit says.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Quagliani said that, because of multiple ongoing investigations into the citys spending, he was disinclined to discuss information in a public meeting that has not been vetted by these investigations as that could jeopardize the investigation and open up the city to liability.

However, he said he believes changes will be made at the conclusion of those investigations.

I would expect there to be recommendations on additional fiscal controls to ensure something like this cant happen again, he said.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
NEW HAVEN  Avelo Airlines hasnt begun flying out of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport yet but it just added a sixth Florida destination  Sarasota  the second destination added since Avelo announced the initial four on Aug. 19.

With less than two weeks to go until Avelos initial flight out of Tweed, it announced Thursday that three-day-a-week service from Tweed, Avelos first East Coast base, to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport will begin Jan. 13, 2022.

Introductory one-way fares between Tweed, which goes by the booking symbol HVN, and Sarasota Bradenton, which goes by the booking symbol SRQ, will begin at $49 and are available at AveloAir.com, the company said.

The introductory fare, available on a limited number of flights and seats, must be booked by Nov. 4.

Avelos latest announcement follows earlier announcements that Avelo will fly from New Haven to Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and Palm Beach. It comes as good news for Tweed, which saw American Airlines cease its longtime American Eagle service between Tweed and Philadelphia at the end of September.

Before a single flight has left here, theyve added two additional routes, which I think speaks to the interest theyre seeing in the market and the level of interest that weve always said existed here if we gave them a product they use, said Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Sean Scanlon.

There is a lot of buzz in southern Connecticut about the start of Avelo service from New Haven in two weeks, and the fact that they are adding a sixth destination is indicative of our growing partnership and how well things are going, Scanlon said, at that thats something we couldnt be more excited about.

Tweed will have no commercial service until Avelo, a startup airline that began flying in April with flights out of Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles, begins flying to Florida.

Avelo will begin serving Tweed with a flight to Orlando on Nov. 3  and passengers will be well-fed as they wait for their flights: the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority unanimously approved a food and beverage concession agreement Thursday with G Cafe.

G Cafe, which bakes fresh, old world breads and runs coffee shop/cafes in both downtown New Haven and Branford, will give Tweed its first non-vending machine concession in years and its first full-blown restaurant in decades.

According to the agreement, the cafe will serve fresh-brewed coffee, espresso, bottled juices, sodas and water, along with freshly-baked bread and bagels, pastries, hot and cold sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads and desserts. It also will feature a Grab-N-Go section that will be open from the earlier of either 6 a.m. or at least 90 minutes before the first scheduled commercial departure until 30 minutes past the last scheduled departure of the day.

Im super-excited about this and they will be ready to go, Scanlon told the authority. Nothing that they serve over there will be made more than two hours before it is served.

Avelo Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said the company is looking forward to serving Tweed and its market  including with the just-announced flights to Sarasota.

Sarasotas turquoise water and white-sand beaches are now easier to get to than ever, Levy said in a release. With our very low fares and HVNs unmatched convenience, we hope to inspire our Connecticut customers to visit all six Florida destinations Avelo serves. We cant wait to take off for The Sunshine State in two weeks.

Rick Piccolo, Sarasota Bradenton International Airports president and CEO, said, We are thrilled that Avelo Airlines has chosen Sarasota Bradenton International Airport to be part of their air service network. With low fares and convenient nonstop service, passengers will have an affordable connection between two high-demand destinations.

We look forward to welcoming Avelo Airlines to SRQ and were confident their service will be a great success and expand in the future, Piccolo said.

The flight, Flight 305, will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. On Tuesdays, it will depart Tweed at 2 p.m. and arrive in Sarasota at 5:10 p.m. On Thursday and Sundays, it will depart Tweed at 3:55 p.m. and arrive in Sarasota at 7:05 p.m.

Return flights also will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. On Tuesdays, Flight 306 will depart Sarasota at 5:50 p.m., arriving at Tweed at 8:40 p.m. On Thursdays and Sundays, Flight 306 will depart Sarasota at 7:45 p.m. and arrive at Tweed at 10:35 p.m.

Avelo is investing $1.2 million to help upgrade and modernize facilities and operations as part of an overall $100 million expansion project at Tweed, which will include a new terminal and extended runway. The expansion, which was enabled by a 43-year lease extension that the Board of Alders granted the authority in September, will be financed by airport operator Avports.

Avelo and Tweed are hiring more than 100 new employees  who will be based at the airport  by the end of the year .

Avelos arrival to Tweed marks the largest expansion of service at the airport in more than 30 years, the airline said in a release.

Avelos everyday low fares have no change or cancellation fees and there is no charge for customers who choose to make reservations by phone, the airline said in a release. Avelo also offers several options that give customers the flexibility to pay for what they value, including priority boarding, checked bags, carry-on overhead bags and to bring a pet in the cabin, the release said.

Service is on single-class, 147-seat 737-700 mainline jets, which Avelo said offer a more spacious and comfortable experience than the regional jets that historically served this airport.

Avelo began flying from its initial base in Hollywood Burbank Airport on April 28, 2021, making it Americas first new scheduled airline in nearly 15 years, the airline said. It currently serves 11 destinations across the Western U.S.

For more information, visit AveloAir.com.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Patricia Maloney, Texas Tech University; Duke W. Austin, California State University, East Bay, and SaunJuhi Verma, Texas Tech University

(THE CONVERSATION) When Bilal, a recent immigrant from South Asia, started his sophomore year at a high school in a large southern U.S. city in 2014, it wasnt a welcoming experience.

Upon entering the school, Bilal had to go through a metal detector. Then a school police officer patted him down. Bilal did not understand why a school would need such high security measures. Still, he tried to adjust.

While he did his best, teachers and administrators peppered him with questions that made him feel as if he were under extra scrutiny. They asked why his attire  a kurta, or long shirt, that he wore over his jeans  was the same as that worn by the terrorists they had seen on YouTube videos. They asked about his familys loyalty: If given the choice, would he and his family choose America or their homeland?

All of the questions made it challenging for Bilal to focus. He felt as if the teachers were targeting him.

A common experience

As experts in education, immigration and race, we know that Bilals experience as a recent immigrant of color is by no means isolated.

We interviewed hundreds of immigrant students and their teachers across seven American cities. During our observations from 2013 through 2018, we learned that many immigrant high school students fear something we refer to in peer-reviewed research as the school-to-deportation pipeline.

This is a situation in which students worry that minor infractions at school could lead to penal consequences ranging from being arrested to being subjected to deportation. Many of the students we interviewed claimed to know someone who had been deported for those reasons. Disturbingly, we found that some of the teachers and administrators not only believed there to be school-to-deportation pipeline but actually used it to strategically exclude students. The reason, as we explain in a different peer-reviewed article, is they didnt want the immigrant students to lower their standardized school test scores and jeopardize funding.

Teacher worries

Some teachers and administrators expressed concerns that immigrant students would score poorly on standardized exams, which can have negative consequences for teachers and administrators. Low test scores can trigger increased oversight, a change in a schools administration or even a school shutdown. Even a few scores  particularly very low ones  can make a large difference to schools that are teetering between making adequate progress and those rated as failing.

Zoya, a recent immigrant from East Africa, experienced such teacher worries. While she generally understood the academic content well when asked verbally, standardized tests confused her. Additionally, Zoyas teachers did not understand her obligations of caring for siblings and helping with the family business, which occasionally made her inattentive or late or made her miss class entirely. One time she fell asleep during a standardized test and didnt have time to complete all the questions.

Zoyas story was not uncommon. Many immigrant students we spoke with expressed a strong desire for academic achievement yet found themselves seen by teachers as having a poor work ethic or low content comprehension.

A teacher at another school, Heather, shared with us: So, this one kid  he never comes to school. But, were going to be held responsible for his [standardized test] scores because hes registered, but hes definitely not an American.

Acting upon their perceptions, some teachers attempted to dissuade immigrant students of color from attending test days by alluding to additional police presence and consequent potential for initiating deportation proceedings.

Lisa, another teacher who worked closely with her schools administrators, outlined the process with the case of a student named Juan. One day, my principal took him aside and warned him that the police were looking for him.  He stopped coming. Often, the result of threatening immigration enforcement on school premises had the impact of students never returning at all. While this was certainly not present in every school we studied, we did find that teacher behavior clustered strongly in schools. That is, schools tended either to be places where this sort of behavior was commonplace or completely unheard of. Of the nearly 40 schools we sampled, threatening immigrant students with deportation via police was widely accepted at six schools and lesser known but still present at another three.

We dont know of any cases in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were contacted. However, we did often see or hear of local police being called. We dont have any data on how often actual deportations arise from minor infractions at school. Yet the mere threat of potential deportation or being sent to a detention center was intimidation enough to keep students from entering the school premises. ICEs official policy is to avoid enforcement in sensitive locations, such as schools and places of worship, unless there are exigent circumstances.

Law enforcement presence

The presence of police in schools is nothing new. However, now that some police officers have essentially been deputized to act as immigration officers, immigrant students worry that getting into trouble at school can lead to deportation.

Research shows students of color are disproportionately disciplined and arrested for offenses for which their white classmates receive lighter punishment. Our study found immigrant students face similar consequences. As disproportionately people of color, immigrants can often be subjected to police encounters on school premises. A criminal record can be a serious detriment in an immigration hearing.

What police can do

ICE was established as an agency under the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 to enforce customs and immigration laws. In 2006 ICE began using a section of an existing federal law, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, to start forming partnerships with local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law. These partnerships were named 287(g) agreements after the subsection of the law granting that power.

As such, local police needed only suspicion of undocumented status as cause to arrest, detain and issue a notice to appear, which initiates the deportation process. Thus, interactions with local and school police can be risky for immigrant students.

One student shared this: I worry about immigration things and  the police could kick me out of school and I was scared. As the ACLU noted in a 2019 lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice that cited our research, individual officer discretion can strongly affect the fate of immigrant students of color and their families.

Some schools protect students

Not all teachers and school administrators isolate problematic students. Some actively protect students by forgetting to file disciplinary paperwork or using their professional relationships with police to protect students.

One school administrator told us about his interactions with a trusted student who was forced to transport drugs. Instead of calling 911, the administrator called a police officer with whom he had struck up a professional friendship. The officer flushed the drugs and then gave the student a police report to show the dealer as cover for the lost contraband, but never officially filed the report. In the administrators view, this saved the student.

He wouldve been arrested for possession, the administrator said. He wouldnt have been deported immediately, but hes going through immigration proceedings, and when it came time for him to get his paperwork, he would be denied because he had a criminal record, and hed be deported then.

Just as the school-to-prison pipeline has gotten well-deserved attention, we believe that similar attention should be given to concerns about the school-to-deportation pipeline and the way that some immigrant students are threatened with deportation at school.

Public schools have a mandate to educate all students, including immigrants of color. If teachers and administrators in schools use the threat of deportation to intimidate students, schools become spaces for policing rather than learning.

[The Conversations Politics + Society editors pick need-to-know stories. Sign up for Politics Weekly._]

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/deportation-threats-for-some-students-come-from-within-schools-165232.
NORTH HAVEN  Its been 12 years since he took on the job of first selectman, and Michael Freda isnt done yet.

Freda took up the post in 2009 after leaving his job as president and CEO of a Waltham, Mass., sales and marketing agency company. He also has served on the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance.

/ Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

Despite past high-powered positions, Freda says running the town is the hardest job he has ever had.

But it also affords him frequent opportunities to help citizens  and thats what drives him.

There are many times you can make an impact on peoples lives in a positive fashion, Freda said.

There have been many times over the years that I encountered people who had despair, and through  conversations I was able to turn the despair to hope that maybe there could be a solution, he said.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

In those cases, Freda works behind the scenes to find a way forward, he said, recalling one January day roughly six years ago when an elderly couple ran out of oil as evening temperatures were expected to drop below zero.

The husband, who was in his late 70s or early 80s, had neuropathy, according to Freda, who noted cold weather can exacerbate the medical condition.

The town executive recalled getting a call asking whether he could help.

Within I would say four hours, I had an oil truck there filling the tank and the furnace reset so they had heat that night, he said. They were so appreciative, the husband and wife.

Thats the personal side of government Freda finds so rewarding.

The longtime Republican town leader is seeking his seventh term in office. He will face Democratic challenger Carl Kordek on Nov. 2.

Ive actually had other job offers but I declined them because Im so focused on serving the citizens, he said. When you can help someone solve a problem, and many times its a personal problem, theres a great deal of satisfaction in that.

Clare Dignan / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo /

How does Freda get the job done?

He knows a lot of people, he said. With a vast network of contacts, he can pick up the phone and get an oil truck to a residents home.

The first selectmans boundless energy also helps.

Regular intensive workouts like weightlifting, heavy aerobics and yoga enable those high energy levels, Freda said.

They also help him keep up with the job, which can get hectic, he said.

As chairman of the South-Central Regional Council of Governments executive committee, a member of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns board of directors and a member of the Greater New Haven Transit District board of directors, Freda juggles a long list of regional leadership positions.

Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

The first selectman prides himself on being hands on, especially when it comes to economic development. He acts as the towns economic development director, he said, working to bring businesses of all types into North Haven.

When Freda was sworn in as a selectman in 2007 by Probate Judge Michael Brandt, the judge said that Freda brought business sense and people skills to the post, the Register reported at the time.

When Freda won the top seat in 2009, he said after polls closed: I have truly enjoyed this experience all the way. I have incredible passion for North Haven and its residents. I am looking to unify, looking to galvanize North Haven.

His efforts have won praise over the years.

North Haven gets a lot of interest. I think thats kind of whats interesting about it, that the phone is busy here and Universal Drive is busy, Ray Andrewsen, executive director of the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce said in July.

Under Fredas watch, the town successfully wooed Amazon, which in 2019 opened a fulfillment center on Washington Avenue.

Ferraros Market, the popular Italian grocery store once based near New Havens Wooster Square, relocated earlier this year to a spot on Universal Drive in North Haven.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

Those are two high-profile businesses among others that have come to town.

But Freda doesnt like resting on his laurels. The fiercely competitive town executive says he always is looking toward the next goal.

Part of the reason Freda spends so much time on economic development, he said, is because maintaining stable taxes amid increasing costs ranks as one of the towns top challenges.

Under his watch, Freda noted, North Havens bond rating was upgraded to AAA.

The New Haven Register asked Freda to identify the three biggest problems facing North Haven. In addition to promoting economic stability, he named reckless driving and car break-ins.

Asked what he is doing to address those issues, he said four new officers are being added to the police force.

Were hopeful that we can enhance our patrols, he said.

North Haven also has invested in speed signs that track peak traffic hours and average speed, Freda said, indicating the strategy enables the department to decide how to deploy radar.

He hopes his experience and past record convince voters he is the man to step up to the plate and face such challenges.

Being in office for 12 years has helped me develop an encyclopedic knowledge of the town, he said

Freda encouraged residents to get out to vote.

I really hope that people get excited about local elections, including this one in North Haven, and stay engaged with their communities, he said.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said Thursday that she will step down from her second role as a cabinet secretary to focus more attention on the state's economic development efforts.

Since taking office alongside Gov. Andy Beshear in late 2019, Coleman juggled dual roles as lieutenant governor and secretary of the state's Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

Now, the cabinet's deputy secretary, Mary Pat Regan, will assume the role of acting secretary as Coleman shifts exclusively to her duties as the state's No. 2 elected official.

My focus as lieutenant governor and my commitment to the Beshear-Coleman administration remains the same," Coleman said in a video message during the governor's news conference. "It will just look a little different as we respond to the demands of a booming economy.

Beshear's administration is looking to build on the momentum of landing Kentucky's single largest-ever economic development project. Ford announced last month that it will build twin battery plants at Glendale in central Kentucky in a $5.8 billion venture with its battery partner, SK Innovation of South Korea, to help power the automakers next generation of electric vehicles. The plants will create 5,000 jobs, along with the potential for many more from suppliers.

The Democratic governor has said he will keep Coleman as his running mate when they seek reelection in 2023.

Beshear said Thursday that Kentucky has so many opportunities among business prospects that we need more than one of me to make sure that we realize every future game changer.

She can help in this day-to-day process of making sure that every one of these economic development opportunities, every one of these potentially commonwealth-changing opportunities we're seeing, that we grasp, Beshear said.

Coleman pointed to several initiatives during her tenure as cabinet secretary, including waiving the $125 GED testing fee, prioritizing broadband access in reducing the digital divide and bolstering the state's career training network.

The state Republican Party on Thursday pointed to problems with Kentucky's pandemic-stressed unemployment insurance system in trying to pin the blame on Beshear and Coleman.

The unemployment office had been housed in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, but Beshear shifted it to the Labor Cabinet early in the pandemic. The governor said at the time that the unemployment office was better aligned with the Labor Cabinet.

Like other states, Kentucky was overwhelmed by record waves of claims for jobless assistance caused by the coronavirus. Tens of thousands of Kentuckians found themselves in limbo for months as they waited for their jobless claims to be processed.

State GOP spokesman Mike Lonergan said Thursday that Coleman was a focal point as Beshear's administration failed time and time again to fix the problems.

Neither Beshear nor Coleman mentioned the unemployment system Thursday. The governor has repeatedly pointed to budget and staffing cuts that hobbled the system well before he took office.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Michigan will not order employers to adhere to a COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirement that is stricter than one planned by the Biden administration.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration released its stance this week following questions from the business community.

Michigan is among states to operate and enforce workplace safety rules instead of the U.S. government. They must be at least as effective as the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's program.

The pending mandate will require employers with at least 100 employees to require that they be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. Once it is finalized, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration will have 30 days to comply with the minimum standard.

The state has no plans to go further than the federal requirements, said Sean Egan, chief deputy director for labor at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. "We continue to encourage all working Michiganders to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their colleagues while at work.

Michigan's federally authorized regulations cover both private and government workplaces.

The White House sees the regulation as a potent tool to winnow down the ranks of roughly 65 million Americans who have thus far refused to get a shot. A coalition of chambers of commerce and other business groups in Michigan is urging President Joe Biden to reconsider.

Nearly 62% of state residents ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated. Michigan has the country's eighth-highest rate of new COVID-19 infections over the past week.

Democrats in the Legislature cited the case count Thursday to push for the disbursement of $330 million in unspent federal coronavirus relief aid enacted by then-President Donald Trump and Congress last December. Minority Leader Donna Lasinski said hospitals could use the money to hire staff for vaccinations, testing and contact tracing.

This would allow current staff to focus on treating patients, including the need for administering monoclonal antibodies  a time- and staff-intensive process that helps folks not move further into the dire consequences of a COVID-19 infection, she said.

Hospital leaders have cited staffing shortages as a factor amid not just higher coronavirus caseloads but also high numbers of non-COVID-19 patients seeking care they delayed earlier in the pandemic. It also is the beginning of the flu season.

Lasinski said the funding is gathering dust because of majority Republicans. The House GOP said much, if not all, of the funds were OK'd by the chamber in May. It appears the proposed spending was pared down during negotiations with the Republican-led Senate and the Democratic governor.

It was not clear if Whitmer also wants to now allocate the $330 million in federal aid or wait. State spokesman Kurt Weiss said new budget director Christopher Harkins started his job this week and is "excited and ready to get to the table with his legislative counterparts to negotiate the federal dollars available to us.

A recent bipartisan state budget deal and two laws over the summer did allot $774 million in discretionary pandemic rescue funds passed by Congress and President Joe Biden in March. The governor has been publicly unveiling proposals to use nearly $5.8 billion unspent from that rescue package.

___

Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00
Arnold Gold- / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

WEST HAVEN  A lockdown drill at the Engineering and Science University Magnet School triggered a full response from the West Haven Police Department and the University of New Haven police Thursday, a spokesman for the New Haven district said.

District spokesman Justin Harmon said a teacher who didnt know it was a drill called 911 when they heard what they thought were gunshots. The law enforcement agencies did not know about the drill, according to Harmon.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  An Ohio woman who has spent nearly two decades in prison on charges of killing a baby in her care could be released as soon as Thursday after new evidence in the shaken baby syndrome case led to charges being dropped.

The evidence now shows that the injury that killed the 9-month-old girl in the care of Kim Hoover-Moore happened days before Hoover-Moore noticed problems with the baby in her home day care in 2002, according to a court filing requesting a new trial.

Hoover-Moore, 57, was convicted at trial the following year based on a coroners assessment that the child, Samaisha Benson, had shaken baby syndrome.

Then, earlier this year, a former deputy Franklin County coroner signed an affidavit indicating that a new analysis showed evidence of an older, undetected injury that could have led to the bleeding that killed the child.

Based on the new review, I cannot conclude at the present time that pathologically the injuries suffered by Samaisha definitely occurred within the time window that Ms. Hoover-Moore was in charge of her care, Dr. Patrick Fardal wrote in a Feb. 18 affidavit. The acute changes all occurred within a 4-5 day window before her death.

Fardal declined to comment Thursday.

Franklin County Judge Carl Aveni granted the new trial request, vacated Hoover-Moore's conviction and ordered her immediate release.

Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack previously represented Hoover-Moore and recused himself. A different prosecutor dismissed all charges in the interest of justice. The prosecutor and defense attorneys agreed in a court motion that the evidence at the time was sufficient to prosecute Hoover-Moore.

An attorney for Hoover-Moore said Thursday that justice had been done after 19 years.

The medical evidence proves what Ms. Hoover-Moore has always said: She is innocent," Joanna Sanchez, director of the Ohio Public Defender's Wrongful Conviction Project, said Thursday.

Hoover-Moore's attorneys believe the case might be the first exoneration in Ohio involving a shaken baby conviction, according to data compiled by the University of Michigan's National Registry of Exonerations.

Nationally, shaken baby convictions have come under scrutiny as new evidence challenges the diagnosis, with multiple exonerations. In April, a California man was freed after 15 years in prison after prosecutors and a judge agreed that the scientific research underlying shaken baby syndrome has changed significantly in recent years.

The infants father dropped the girl off at Hoover-Moores Columbus home on Nov. 29, 2002, according to Hoover-Moores June motion for a new trial by attorney Kort Gatterdam.

After seeing the baby couldnt hold her head up and wasnt breathing properly, Hoover-Moore called 911. The baby was taken to the Columbus Childrens Hospital where she was treated and diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome based on a CAT scan showing a skull fracture and internal brain bleeding. The girl died Dec. 1, 2002.

Following a 2018 request for a new trial, Hoover-Moores attorneys were able to access the victims medical records, radiology images and autopsy reports, and a new analysis found evidence of an injury weeks or even months old.

Hoover-Moores motion for a new trial also included police reports referring to domestic violence involving the infants parents, among them a case in which the father struck the mother while she was holding another child, and in which the father shook that child to quiet her.

The new testimony indicates that, rather than the medical evidence pinpointing Ms. Hoover-Moore as the only possible perpetrator, any number of people who had access to Samaisha in the weeks or months before her death could have been responsible for her fatal injuries, according to the filing.

A message was left with a phone listing for Samaisha Bensons mother.
MERIDEN  A local high school was put on alert Wednesday after an armed bank robbery nearby, police said.

Officers responded to the Liberty Bank at 852 E. Main St. for a report of an alarm. Officers arrived to find it was a bank robbery.

Police said preliminary investigation indicated that a male suspect walked in to the bank, armed, and demanded money from workers before fleeing the area on foot.

Its unclear how much money the person took.

No one was hurt during the incident, police said. The nearby Maloney High School was put on alert for safety purposes.

Anyone with information is asked to call 203-630-6297 or email bpellegrini@meridenct.gov. Anonymous tips can also be sent to the Major Crimes Unit by calling 203-630-6253 or emailing MPOtips@meridenct.gov.
BERLIN (AP)  Elaborate tax evasion schemes have cost some of the world's major treasuries a total of at least 150 billion euros ($175 billion) in lost revenue over the past two decades, according to a report Thursday.

The report coordinated by German outlet Correctiv followed up on a 2018 story that had estimated the damage at around 55 billion euros ($64 billion).

It centers on schemes such as so-called cum-ex transactions, in which participants swapped shares to collect reimbursement for taxes they hadnt paid, and cum-cum deals  transactions in which at least two traders in at least two different countries sold each other shares to avoid losing money on dividend tax.

Correctiv said it had worked with media partners in several countries and a team at the University of Mannheim, Germany, to produce what it called a conservative estimate that such schemes cost treasuries in 12 countries at least 150 billion euros between 2000 and 2020.

It said that cum-cum deals accounted for the lion's share of those losses, at least 141 billion euros, and cum-ex transactions for most of the rest. The report said Germany missed out on 36 billion euros and France on 33.4 billion euros, and put the damage to the U.S. at 4.9 billion euros.

The transactions have spawned a scandal involving hundreds of suspects.

In a landmark ruling in July, a German federal court dismissed an appeal by two British bankers over their conviction, confirming that the cum-ex transactions they used were illegal.

The two were convicted last year of multiple counts of tax evasion between 2007 and 2011. They were given suspended sentences after agreeing to provide detailed information about the fraud scheme, in which participants swapped shares to collect reimbursement for taxes they hadnt paid.

The defendants had claimed during their trial that they had simply used a loophole in the law. But federal judges concluded that the scheme was illegal and there was no doubt the actions had been premeditated.
CAIRO (AP)  Thousands of people rallied in the streets of Sudans capital city Thursday, demanding a fully civilian government as the relationship between military generals and pro-democracy groups deteriorated over the countrys future.

As crowds swelled in separate marches in Khartoum, protest organizers said that security forces had attacked a group of demonstrators near the parliamentary headquarters. A police statement, however, said that some demonstrators had departed from the otherwise peaceful march and attacked the security forces, leaving policemen with injuries, including two with gunshot wounds.

Dr. Mohamed al-Haj, who works at a nearby hospital in the area of Omdurman, said he knew of a dozen protesters who were being treated there, two of them with gunshot wounds.

Sudan has been ruled by an interim civilian-military government since 2019. The military ousted longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April that year, following four months of mass protests against his rule. With al-Bashir toppled, the ruling generals agreed to share power with civilians representing the protest movement.

The aftermath has been volatile. Thursday's rallies come after a rival group rallied in support of the military leaders.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which had called for the large rallies nationwide, said in a statement Thursday evening that security forces had attacked protesters near the country's parliamentary headquarters. They did not elaborate on the nature of the attack. The statement told protesters to remain peaceful, but not to retreat from the streets until there was a handover of power.

Let's mark with our protests a new wave of popular uprising that will pave the way for a fully civilian and democratic rule, read an earlier statement by the group, which spearheaded the uprising that kicked off in December 2018 and culminated in al-Bashirs ouster.

Thousands of men and women marched in the capital Thursday, waving the Sudanese flag and chanting: "We are free! We are revolutionaries! We will carry on with our journey!

Tensions between the civilians and generals in the transitional government have increased since Sudans interim authorities said they foiled a coup attempt within the military last month. Officials blamed al-Bashir loyalists for the move. The announcement also aroused fears among civilians that the military may eventually hijack the country's transition to a civilian democratic rule.

Military leaders have also signaled a change in direction. Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the ruling Sovereign Council, said that dissolving the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok could resolve the ongoing political crisis. Hamdok responded last week by addressing the public in a televised speech where he laid out a series of measures that he said would help speed the handover to a completely elected and civilian government. They included repeated exhortations for groups of differing opinions to work together, and for the countrys transitional constitution and judicial bodies to be respected.

In a video released by his office late Thursday, Hamdok praised the demonstrators' peaceful movement and thanked the police who had secured the marches.

Thursdays rallies come days after a rival protest in support of the ruling generals.

On Saturday, thousands of Sudanese took to the streets of Khartoum to demand the dismantling of Hamdok's government and the establishment of military rule. Since then, hundreds of them have been camping outside the Republican Palace, the seat of the Sovereign Council.

In a tweet on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the Sudanese to exercise their right to assembly peacefully and without violence.

Thursday's rallies also coincide with the 57th anniversary with the Sudanese uprising that ended the military rule of Gen. Ibrahim Abboud in 1964 and paved the way for a constitutional government.
Danbury was the latest municipality in Connecticut to lift its indoor mask mandate, joining the likes of Brookfield, Bethel, New Fairfield, Redding, Ridgefield and other towns and cities.

Amid a rise in cases in August, municipalities were given latitude to institute mask mandates, but now as infections drop, many of those orders are being lifted. But infectious disease specialists say its too soon.

I think it is too soon to lift an indoor mask mandate in our state, said Dr. Scott Roberts, associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Hospital.

COVID-19 metrics  hospitalizations, cases and deaths  have improved with widespread vaccinations, but the virus has not been fully suppressed in Connecticut, and some experts believe theyll get worse.

I do believe starting at the end of this month our numbers are going to rise, said Dr. Ulysses Wu, head of infectious disease at Hartford HealthCare. I hope Im wrong.

Colder weather is an aspect of that prediction, according to Roberts. Part of that, Roberts said, is because people will be spending more time indoors  with no masks on.

I am concerned going into this winter that it will be worse than the summer months, but better than last winter, he said.

Seasonal changes are only one aspect of viral spread, according to Wu. Social distancing and masking play a role as well.

Though he said the numbers are dropping, Wu said he would prefer if Connecticut residents continued to wear masks, at least until the spring.

I would have kept it going with indoor masking through at least the winter, he said.

The state announced Thursday an additional 410 COVID cases, and two fewer people in Connecticut hospitals fighting the disease in the previous 24 hours for a total of 224. There were 24,611 COVID tests reported over the previous 24 hours, 1.67 percent of which came back positive.

There were an additional 14 COVID-related deaths reported in the past week.

Vaccinations are on the rise in Connecticut, with nearly 2.4 million state residents fully vaccinated as of Thursday.

While Roberts said vaccinations remain the best way to prevent hospitalizations and death from COVID, the Yale doctor said masking, particularly indoors, remains critical.

Vaccinated individuals can still harbor the virus and transmit the virus, he said.

The state also reported Thursday a total of 1,671 new COVID-19 cases among fully vaccinated residents. There have been a total of 150 COVID-related deaths among vaccinated people, 12.3 percent of all COVID-19 deaths since February. Though breakthrough cases are about evenly spread across all age groups, 71.3 percent of all breakthrough deaths have been among residents 75 years old and older.

While COVID numbers have improved, Roberts said they have not made me confident that we can successfully peel back an indoor mask mandate.

As of Thursday, Roberts said there were 17 COVID cases for every 100,000 residents. He compared that to June 23, when there were 1.1 cases for every 100,000.

Our numbers remain at a moderate, smoldering level, Roberts said. I have not seen any substantial changes in community prevalence in the last two, three months.
Maximilian Stock Ltd./Getty Images

NEW YORK (AP)  A salmonella outbreak tied to onions has sickened more than 650 people in 37 states, U.S. health officials said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at least 129 people have been hospitalized. No one has died. Nearly all of the illnesses were reported in August and September, and the largest numbers of cases were in Texas and Oklahoma.
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 31F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 31F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
The leadership and succession crises at the Synagogue Church of All Nations may not be over as a member of the Board of Trustees, Joseph Dav...

The leadership and succession crises at the Synagogue Church of All Nations may not be over as a member of the Board of Trustees, Joseph David, has raised the alarm over alleged threats to his life and those of other leaders of the ministry.

David, who has gone into hiding with other disciples of the late founder of the church, Prophet Temitope Joshua, aka TB Joshua, claimed that the family of the founder was using law enforcement agents to hunt them.

He said this was because of their perceived closeness to the late cleric and supposed knowledge of important details of the church not known to the family.

The Delta State indigene, who spoke to our correspondent from his hideout, alleged that the wife of the founder, Evelyn Joshua, was making spirited attempts to consolidate power around her, adding that influential followers of TB Joshua had been chased away, including foreigners.

He said, The ministry had disciples, who handled the operation, administration and spiritual affairs of the church. Among them were five prophets, who were always with Prophet TB Joshua.

The prophets wife was never active in the administration of the church. She only functioned ceremoniously, maybe to receive awards for him.

Before the prophet passed on, he was interviewed by a newspaper, where he answered the question of succession. He said the church is not a family thing, and that was why his wife was not always seen with him.

Around the period he granted the interview, he had removed her from being a trustee of the church. But she did not know she had been removed until he died.

David said after TB Joshuas death, the church had two trustees left  the clerics daughter, Promise Joshua, and himself.

He noted that trouble started during a meeting to fill the space left by the late cleric, who was the third trustee of the church.

The Yaba College of Technology graduate said two family members  the prophets first daughter and his wife  were suggested by a group, adding that he kicked against it to avoid being easily overrun and removed by the family members.

The 52-year-old said he suggested that if the duo would join, then more non-family members should be added to make for balance of power, an idea that was rejected by the family, as the meeting ended without a resolution.

The evangelist said from that point, there was mutual suspicion between the family and the group of disciples led by him.

He said the suspicion was fuelled by the fear of the family that they were in possession of things that the family did not know about.

Actually, immediately the man of God passed on, the wife started investigating us and our accounts. We dont take salaries, and we are not exposed to any issue of money.

But due to suspicion, she took over the administration of the ministry. All the workers started reporting to her.

For the 27 years that I was in that ministry, she never handled any matter of administration. But she started making people turn their backs on the disciples, saying we are thieves and robbers. As a result, church workers started refusing instructions.

Our movement was restricted; our personal freedom was infringed on. We could not shout because we thought this was a family issue and we could bear it, he added.

David said a man was later asked to mediate between the disciples and the family, adding that the intervention did not work out.

He said his group later decided to concede to the family and allow TB Joshuas wife take over the running of the church.

The cleric said the disciples were, however, shocked when he reached out to the mediator and they were told that the situation had reached a gunpowder status.

He said for us to avoid the disaster that was coming, all of us as disciples must come together and sign an undertaking to declare Mrs Evelyn Joshua as the new GO of the church and we must sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour. And we should forward all that to him and maybe he would unwalk the situation to avoid the trouble that was coming. We saw this as a threat, and we did not know how to respond to his message, he added.

David noted that the matter reached a climax on September 9 when the family allegedly invited some church members and declared Evelyn as the chairman of the board of trustees and general overseer after obtaining a court order.

Simultaneously, he said security agents went to the Prayer Mountain and dragged out some of the disciples after taking their phones, adding that some workers in the church were also taken to the gallery.

He said, That evening, all the Nigerian evangelists of TB Joshua, some of whom had stayed with the prophet for 28 to 29 years, the least is 20 years, were sent out.

But before then, their second daughter, Promise, came with letters from the EFCC and distributed to them before they left.

Most of the prophets, both Nigerian and foreign, she accused them of theft, fraud and money laundering. After she removed the Nigerians, she threatened the foreign ones that they should go back to their countries. Madam said she did not want any discipleship again.

The evangelist recalled that before the events of that day, Promise had written to the Nigeria Immigration Service to demand that the residency status of the foreigners be reviewed because their services were no longer needed.

He said when he was informed about the call, he went to Abuja to stop the process because the foreigners were still useful.

According to him, the EFCC had since launched a search for him and others, saying their lives were under threat.

He said, As we are talking now, we are hiding in a hotel. The EFCC came and we were warned that they were looking for us and we should stay in our rooms. Unfortunately, one of our sisters walked into them and they took her away, despite the fact that we had a restraining order.

The question is, Why is this woman using the arms of the law to intimidate innocent people? The charges at the EFCC against us are completely baseless because we are not in the position to launder money or steal; cash does not go through us. Those who work in the accounts have explained the procedure to her, but she is not listening.

Now, she has gained control over everything and she is still chasing us. We have tried to sympathise with the family, but we also want the world to hear our side of the story.

It was learnt that aside from the alleged stealing and money laundering charges, the EFCC was also looking into allegations of misappropriation of the burial funds of TB Joshua, in which the disciples were implicated.

TB Joshuas daughter, Promise, said the allegations against the family were unfounded, adding that David and others were only trying to give the church a bad name because their atrocities were exposed.

The 24-year-old explained that the family saw CCTV footage of some persons moving money from the church, claiming that some of the drivers involved in the act had made confessional statements indicting the disciples.

Promise also denied that the family was chasing away those who worked with her father. She said they were only asked to leave pending when the church would resume.

She said, Everything that happened here was recorded and at the right time, depending on how everything goes, it will be put out for the public to see.

The constitution of the church was followed to the latter and that was how my mum became a trustee. The day it happened, concerned members of the church appealed to the Corporate Affairs Commission and everything was done legally.

From the beginning of the ministry, there have always been three trustees. The second time my dad made a change, the board consisted of my dad, mum and my dads nephew, Hassan.

Last year, my dad wanted to put me on the board. His nephew, who used to go to court for him (over the church building collapse), left the church. That was how Joseph (David) was brought in. He did not even know he was a trustee until my dad passed on.

The only reason my dad made him a trustee was for him to attend the court sessions. My dad would not want my mum to be going to court for him. Joseph was the one that was following Hassan, who left last year.

On the case with the EFCC, Promise said after her fathers death, a committee was created.

She explained that during the period, the family got reports of heavy movements of cash.

Even the drivers they were using to move the money were the ones reporting these things. There is also a video where they were caught moving the money. The church lawyers then advised that we should report to the authorities and that was how they were invited.

The foreigners, who were called to carry the money without knowing what it was, went to the EFCC and were released after they were cleared to go back to their countries with the intention of coming back in about a month. They were not deported; they are coming back.

These people talking are those I believe are guilty; all the other ones went to the EFCC and returned after they were interviewed. All they had to do was to explain what happened because there is video evidence. I dont know why they are running; if you are not guilty, go and explain yourself.

Asked why the foreigners were reported to the authorities, Promise said since the funeral of the late prophet, there had not been any activity in the church.

And we dont really feel we should have workers that we dont need. That was the idea behind that. It was not deportation; we were paying non-essential workers and the church was not operating. So, we said, we dont need anyone here. You can go back to your country. The person you claim to train under is no more here. These disciples, what did they come to do here? They came to train under TB Joshua, and TB Joshua is not here physically. You came to train under TB Joshua as a disciple. So, the intention of coming to Nigeria was not to take over the church, but to train under him, she stated.

Promise said the church workers confessed the alleged atrocities of the disciples, adding that the departure of the leaders was a relief to many who had suffered under their yoke.

She slammed David for saying her mother was not trusted enough by the father to carry on with the ministry.

My dad had always put his family as trustees of the church. I am not surprised; this is expected. The church will soon resume; these ones are the bad eggs, she added.

A spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwajaren, confirmed that the case was being handled by the Lagos office of the agency.

Asked about the restraining order, he promised to find out and get back to our correspondent.

He had yet to do so as of press time.

Culled: PUNCH
he Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Dr David Oyedepo, has said he will build a world-class university to compete favora...

he Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Dr David Oyedepo, has said he will build a world-class university to compete favorably with such other universities.

Oyedepo said this on Thursday in Ota, Ogun State, at the 19th Founders Day celebration of Covenant University.

He said that the institution would provide the enabling environment for quality education to thrive so that new generation of leaders could be raised to proffer solutions to nations challenges.

The cleric attributed the successful execution of developmental projects that could aid teaching in the university to the grace of God.

He said the institution began operations on Oct. 21, 2002, with nothing, stressing that: but with the grace of God, which we did not take for granted, the institution is already on ground and flourishing.

Ingratitude leads to destruction because gratitude is a requirement for change of position, he said.





Oyedepo said that without God, the university would not have been able to achieve its remarkable development.

The more glory we give to God, the more grace He is releasing because by strength shall no man prevail, he said.

Bishop Oyedepo, who described God as awesome, noted that the institution never experienced setback in its operations.

In his remarks, the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Abiodun Adebayo, said the university was training expert thinkers and technocrats that would restore the dignity of the Black race.

Adebayo said the entry of Covenant University into Nigerias educational landscape marked the battles of revolution in Africas educational system.

Prof. Adebayo added that Covenant University had turned out graduates who are expert thinkers and solution providers that are making remarkable contributions to national development.
Dillian Whyte has said he is devastated after his fight against Otto Wallin was cancelled. The bout which was scheduled for October 30 if ...





Dillian Whyte has said he is devastated after his fight against Otto Wallin was cancelled.

The bout which was scheduled for October 30 if off, after the British heavyweight contender suffered a shoulder injury.

Whyte has now been forced to withdraw from his WBC interim title defence against Wallin.

The 33-year-old is currently the front runner to challenge WBC champion Tyson Fury, who was ordered to make a mandatory defence against the WBC interim champion earlier this month.

I am devastated as I had a great camp, was in great shape, and had great sparring.

I was looking forward to knocking Wallin out and would have done so in the first half of the fight.

I am devastated about not being able to fight on October 30 but I want to thank everyone for all of their support, Whyte told Sky Sports.
There is heavy security presence at the federal high court in Abuja for the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafr...

There is heavy security presence at the federal high court in Abuja for the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army and officers of the Nigerian Police Force were seen guarding every entrance to the court and the streets leading to the court building.

Journalists whose names were not on a prepared list were not allowed near the court premises.

Staff of the court who arrived in buses were made to stand in a queue and were searched before gaining entrance into the premises.

In June, Kanu was arrested and brought to Nigeria to face trial after he jumped bail in 2017  he has been in DSS custody ever since.

The federal government recently amended the charges against him.

The IPOB leader will now be re-arraigned on a seven-count charge as against the five counts he was previously answering to, bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism.
The Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has asked the Federal Government to declare bandits in the North-West geo-political zone ...

The Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has asked the Federal Government to declare bandits in the North-West geo-political zone of the country as insurgents or terrorists.

The declaration, the governor said, would able the Nigerian military to attack and kill these bandits without any major consequences in the international law.

The governor who spoke shortly after receiving the third quarter security report from the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna on Wednesday, also said the recruitment of 1,000 youths each across the 774 local government areas of the country would deal a deadly blow to bandits and other criminal elements in the land.

Backing the National Assemblys resolution to declare bandits as terrorists, the governor said the state government had since 2017 written to the federal government on that, pointing out that bandits dont deserve mercy and they should not be allowed to live.

We in the Kaduna State government had always urged for the declaration of bandits as insurgents and terrorists. We have written letters to the federal government since 2017 asking for this declaration because it is this declaration that will allow the Nigerian military to attack and kill these bandits without any major consequences in the international law.





So, we support the resolution by the National Assembly and we are going to follow up with a letter of support for the federal government to declare these bandits and insurgents as terrorists, so that, there will be fair game for our military, the governor added.

The Commissioner had earlier in his report, said bandits killed no fewer than 343 and abducted 830 persons as well as injured 210 persons among them women and minors within the third quarter of the year in the state.

He said, the operations against the bandits that began in this last quarter are degrading bandits, but are not yet simultaneous across all the affected states in the North-West region. That explains the limitations that our personnel and other resource deficits have imposed on federal security agencies.

There are simply no enough boots on the ground to have credible deployment to most places, deter crime, and restore order. That is the reality that we face.

Many state governments in the North-West and North-Central have adopted a non-conventional approach to help the security agencies to better protect our communities. In our own case, we have about 900 trained and vetted vigilantes personnel working with the security agencies.

However, we still observed that there is no alternative to launching simultaneous operations in all states.
End SARS protesters, who were arrested on Wednesday at the Lekki toll gate, have been released. Legal Practitioner, Modupe (Moe) Adele, who ...





End SARS protesters, who were arrested on Wednesday at the Lekki toll gate, have been released.

Legal Practitioner, Modupe (Moe) Adele, who is one of the promoters of the End SARS movement, made this known on her Twitter page.

Recall that scores of people were arrested by the Nigeria police on Wednesday during a peaceful protest for the EndSARS memorial.

Moe said about thirty-three protesters were found at the state CID.

Her tweet read: We went looking for four people at the State CID and found 33 people. Every single time lawyers go to a police station, they find so many others. This happened during #EndSars and it happened again today.

Nigeria police are so efficient, they arrested people, drafted charge sheets, set up Mobile Court, arraigned people at 9pm. Eh hen. So, they have this level of efficiency? Or it only comes out when people are being harassed for speaking up against injustice

We will leave our emergency numbers open until tomorrow midday when we will shut them down. Everyone reported to us today as arrested has been released. If theres anyone who went out for #EndSARSMemorial and is not back home by day break, please call/text the numbers in the tweet below.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned Nigerians not to link their National Identification Numbers (NINs) to another pers...

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned Nigerians not to link their National Identification Numbers (NINs) to another persons Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.

Ikechukwu Adinde, NCCs spokesperson, in a statement said the commission gave the warning during its third run Telecom Consumer Town Hall on Radio (TCTHR) programme, broadcast live on Human Rights Radio, 101.1 FM in Abuja recently.

Speaking during the radio programme focused on the Benefits of NIN-SIM Integration, Efosa Idehen, NCCs director, consumer affairs bureau, said telecom consumers should not allow another use their NINs to register on another persons SIM.

Idehen said compliance would protect the owner of the NIN from any liabilities or negative consequences arising from the use of another persons SIM.

If the person, whose SIM is linked to your line use his own SIM to commit crimes or any form of atrocities, it is easy to be traced to you, and then, you will be dealt with because the SIM is linked to your NIN, he said.

The statement added that during the phone-in segment of the radio programme, consumers within Nigeria and in the diaspora, especially from the United Kingdom (UK), Russia and neighbouring countries like Ghana, among others, called and received clarifications on the ongoing NIN-SIM integration in Nigeria.

Discussions largely focused on educating consumers on NIN and its purpose, process of obtaining NIN, why consumers are being asked to submit their NIN to their Mobile Network Service Providers, the benefits of NIN-SIM linkage, the relationship between NIN and Bank Verification Number (BVN) registration, the step-by-step approach to linking NIN to SIM, and the role and uses of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) *346# in the NIN-SIM integration activities, the statement reads.

The statement added that Efosa was joined in the studio by NCCs director, public affairs, Ikechukwu Adinde, represented by Omoniyi Ibietan, assistant Director in the department and Nnenna Ukoha, deputy director, projects department of NCC.

Others include Mistura Aruna, NCCs head, consumer information and education, Kayode Adegoke, head, corporate communication, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as well as representatives of mobile operators, including MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9Mobile.

The NCC said the deadline for NIN-SIM integration is still October 31, 2021.
The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called for calm after Nnamdi Kanus arraignment in court o...





The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called for calm after Nnamdi Kanus arraignment in court on Thursday.

This is as the group condemned the treatment meted out on some Igbo leaders, journalists and lawyers who were in the court to observe the proceedings during Kanus trial.

It was reported that Kanu was finally docked before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja. He pleaded not guilty to the amended 7-count charge.

During the trial, a former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, a host of other Igbo leaders, journalists and lawyers were denied access to the court sitting.

Prior to his arraignment, his group the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, had threatened a one-month total lockdown should the Federal Government fail to produce him in court.

In a statement made available to journalists, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike urged Igbo youths to remain calm as underground efforts continue in order to secure Kanus freedom.

He said the total compliance to the sit-at-home across the South-East was enough solidarity with Kanu and urged the youths to immediately de-escalate tension.

We thank first of all our people for the peace and calmness that pervaded every corner of the South-East throughout today. It shows that our people are still totally united despite the picture our enemies would want to paint.

At this juncture, I appeal to our youths to cease any form of hostility, including the Monday sit-at-home. We all saw Mazi Nnamdi Kanu today hale and hearty and in high spirit.

It is, therefore, necessary that we all calm down and allow ongoing efforts to secure his freedom. We are totally aware of genuine efforts to ensure that he is released as quickly as possible. We should give those behind this move the chance and the needed air of freedom to see this through.

Okwu, however, expressed anger over the way Ezeife and others were treated during the trial.

We condemn such treatment in totality; there is no justification for that; Nnamdi Kanu is an Igbo son and Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife was there with the mandate of Ndigbo to observe the trial of their son.

We dont know why the Federal Government has continued to treat Ndigbo as second class citizens. This has got to stop.

This case has been adjourned to November 10 and we expect that before then, the authorities concerned should have talked to themselves and avoid a repeat of that show of shame.

Journalists should also be allowed to carry out their constitutional duties, just as we warned earlier against secret a trial of the IPOB leader, he said.
The three major towns in Imo State  Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe  were deserted on Thursday as the trial over the treason and terrorism charge...





The three major towns in Imo State  Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe  were deserted on Thursday as the trial over the treason and terrorism charges against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government, began at the Federal High court in Abuja.





In Owerri, the state capital, banks, schools, markets, malls, fuel stations, and business outlets were shut down.





All the roads and streets were shadows of themselves, as residents stayed indoors in compliance with the sit-at-home order issued by IPOB in respect to Kanus trial.





Thursdays sit-at-home order in the state appeared to be more successful, as it was difficult to even see a single car ply any of the roads nor see people trekking through.





Unlike the other days the sit-at-home order was observed, security operatives ply the Roads.





Ikenegbu, Government House Roundabout, Mbari, Douglas, Orji, Amakaohia, Imo state University junction, Akwakuma, Control Post junction, Onitsha Road, Aba Road, Fire service junction and Tetlow Road known for huge commercial activities were shadows of themselves.





A resident, who gave his name simply as Chima, said, We are proud to be Igbo. We sitting at home in solidarity with our brother, Nnamdi Kanu, who is being intimidated by the Federal Government. This is not about Nnamdi Kanu, this is about the Igbo race. We are solidary behind Nnamdi Kanu.





If they fail to produce him in court today, we shall shut all economic activities in Igboland for the next one month. Enough of this intimidation.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has cancelled its service on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line after an attack on the train. The train wa...





The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has cancelled its service on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line after an attack on the train.

The train was reportedly attacked with explosives by gunmen on two different occasions  Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

In a message to passengers on its booking website, the NRC said it is suspending the service for the safety of travellers.

The corporation said it is working to restore the service, and will inform the public when the train starts running again.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, train services have been immediately suspended for the safety of our dear passengers, information on the website read.

Efforts are in place to restore service. Further information would follow immediately, the service is restored.

Damaged windshield





The windshield of the train was shattered and a portion of the track was blown away in the attack.

VIDEO: Bandits on Wednesday attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train by planting an explosive along the rail track. Explosive shattered the windshield of the train engine. pic.twitter.com/P6oPkKG8W9  Eons Intelligence (@eonsintelligenc) October 21, 2021





Speaking of the attack on Thursday, Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna central, in a tweet said it took a miracle for him and other passengers on the train to escape.

Yesterday, terrorists attacked the Kaduna Abuja railway with an explosive & opened fire on the train, targeting the Engine Driver and the Tank, he tweeted.

This morning, I was on board when our train ran over another explosive [and it] damaged [the] rail. It took a miracle for us to escape.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 26F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 26F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
A 28-year-old man was shot to death Wednesday night on Interstate 10 in New Orleans East, police said.

Authorities learned of the shooting at 6:17 p.m. when responding to a three-vehicle wreck in the westbound lanes of the interstate near Morrison Road.

A man in one of the vehicles had been shot multiple times and was taken to a hospital, where police said he later died. His name has not been released.

Police said they believe the shooting happened at I-10 East and Crowder Boulevard prior to the wreck. They did not give any details about a possible shooter, including if they were in another vehicle.

Two other people involved in the wreck were injured and taken to a hospital to be treated, police said. Their conditions were not immediately available.

No other details were immediately available. Anyone with information is asked to call NOPD Det. Matthew Riffle at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information from authorities, including a new location for the shooting.

Staff writer Carlie Kollath Wells contributed to this story.
The New Orleans Public Library is celebrating National Pro Bono Week Oct. 25-30 by hosting Lawyers in Libraries as a way to connect the public with legal resources. Programs will include free, one-on-one, 15- to 20-minute consultation sessions with lawyers who can answer your legal questions, excluding those on criminal matters.

One-on-one sessions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No registration is necessary.

Algiers Regional

3014 Holiday Drive

Oct. 30, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Mid-City Library

4140 Canal St.

Oct. 30, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Main Library

219 Loyola Ave.

Oct. 27, 3 p.m.-5 p.m.

Rosa F. Keller

4300 S. Broad St.

Oct. 28, 10 a.m.-11 a.m.

Oct. 29, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Sign up at nolalibrary.org/events.

The library will also host a series of Zoom workshops on legal issues. Register at nolalibrary.org/events/

What to Do if Sued by Road Home Program, Oct. 27, 3-5 p.m.

Estate Planning & Elder Law, Oct. 27, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Nonprofit Law, Oct. 30 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

TEEN ADVISERS: Teens can make their voices heard by joining the New Orleans Public Librarys Teen Advisory Board. The library is seeking students in grades six through 12 to share their thoughts about how the library can better serve them through programming, products, materials and more. Interested students can apply at teens.nolalibrary.org and then tune in for a Zoom meeting Oct. 27 at 4 p.m.

The Teen Advisory Board is sponsored by the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library and organized by the librarys Teen Programming Team. For more information, contact Caitlin Young at cmyoung@nolalibrary.org or (504) 596-3101.

MANGA CLUB: Graphic-novel lovers are invited to come together for the New Orleans Public Librarys Manga Book Club Oct. 28 at 4:30 p.m. The group will meet via Zoom on the fourth Thursday of the month to celebrate the manga series available at the library. Book Club attendees are encouraged to come in cosplay or bring fan art, and those who do will receive a prize.

Octobers series is Hiakyu!! and Novembers will be A Silent Voice.

The librarys Manga Book Club is sponsored by the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library and is designed for ages 11-17.

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS: For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the library is hosting "Healthy Relationships 101: A Guide to Developing Healthy Relationships" on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. on Zoom.

Presented in partnership with the New Orleans Health Departments Blueprint for Safety, this workshop will discuss the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, communicating and setting boundaries, as well as local resources for those experiencing abuse.

Visit nolalibrary.org/events to register.

STORY TIMES: The New Orleans Public Library is providing free, on-demand virtual story times designed for children from birth to 5 years old and their caregivers. New videos premiere every Monday at 10 a.m. at nolalibrary.org/early-litearcy.

CODING FOR GIRLS: Build coding and creativity skills with Girls Who Code, a weekly club for sixth to 12th grade students to learn about computer science. Girls Who Codes meets every Monday at 4 p.m. through Dec. 6 on Zoom.

A limited number of library computers across the city will also be available for use during this program and can be reserved by calling (504) 596-2638 or emailing Amy Denisco at adenisco@nolalibrary.org.

Visit nolalibrary.org/events for details and registration.

Dr. Gabriel Morley is director of the New Orleans Public Library.
Men may have ruled ancient Greece, making all the important decisions about money, religion and war. But when those toga-swathed boys needed crucial advice, they turned to a woman. Three thousand years ago, Greek leaders made pilgrimages to the Oracle of Delphi, a priestess who was revered as the spokesperson of the gods. History forgets that at one of the centers of Western civilization, it was a woman pulling the strings.

Thats the main idea behind artist Anastasia Peliass enigmatic sculpture located in a small park at the intersection of Esplanade Avenue and Crete Street in New Orleans.

The 8-foot-tall, three-legged, fiberglass shape is Pelias interpretation of the tripod chair upon which the oracle sat as she delivered her poetic pronouncements. Peliass tribute to the paranormal priestess looks a little like the Greek pi sign, one of the fundaments of geometry. It looks a little like a horse and a little like an arrangement of bones, too.

+3 Prospect.5, a feast of cutting-edge art, arrives in New Orleans in October Be on the lookout: Mind-bending art will materialize around New Orleans this month, as the Oct. 23 opening of the Prospect.5 art festival approaches.

What it does not look like are the ostensibly heroic, abundantly masculine bronze and marble artworks that one often encounters in public parks. Peliass sculpture is meant to be an antidote to conventional monuments, like New Orleans recently removed Confederate statues, that keep alive history many wish to forget. To make the distinction clear, Pelias refers to her public sculpture as an anti-monument.

Pelias said that because the Oracle of Delphi was said to have been seated at the center of the universe, she placed her anti-monument in the middle of a circular, concrete pathway. The disc of earth around the sculpture will be stained a lush magenta tone, to lend an otherworldly effect, and strewn with laurel leaves, a symbol of Apollo, the god of prophesy associated with the oracle. Because the priestess was inspired by sacred vapors arising from the earth, Pelias plans to scent the site of the sculpture with custom-composed perfume. And custom-composed music will issue from hidden speakers.

The Oracle of Delphi wasnt a lone priestess. Generations of women filled the role over the centuries. Speaking of the role of women, the title of Peliass sculpture, It was my pleasure, is meant to be a bit wry. According to ancient lore, the Oracle of Delphi was sometimes brought to the point of mental and physical exhaustion by her channeling of the gods views for the benefit of male supplicants. But, Pelias said, chances are the oracle remained poised and ingratiating, as has always been expected of women.

Pelias said she likes that the sculpture is located in the mini-parks pastoral landscape, but shes also happy with the signs of the city that surround it, even the passing garbage trucks and school buses.

I love the SpeeDee as much as the oak trees, she said, referring to an oil change shop visible from the site.

Pelias said the artwork, inspired by ancient Greek beliefs, is situated in what was a 19th- and early 20th-century Greek neighborhood. New Orleans first Greek Orthodox church was located just a few blocks away, on North Dorgenois Street.

I went to Greek school, Sunday school, church and my whole childhood there, Pelias said.

Gazing around the picturesque neighborhood, Pelias said she hopes her new sculpture does not feel too incongruous. I want it to look like it grew here, she said. I dont want to inflict this on the neighborhood.

Based on the reaction of passersby so far, Pelias said, the current neighbors seem to be welcoming the new addition to the streetscape. The bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers have all smiled, she said.

Peliass sculptural installation is part of Prospect.5, New Orleans international art festival that has taken place periodically since 2008. The array of 50 free exhibits, performances and outdoor displays opens to the public over the next three weekends and continues until Jan. 23 at scattered locations. For more information visit the Prospect website.
Internet and cellphone service providers are gearing up to install the high-speed data network of the future, but Jefferson Parish officials want to make sure the infrastructure work doesnt happen the same unsightly way it has in the past.

Tilting telephone poles, squat metal utility boxes and redundant signs have proliferated along Jefferson streets, and the visual clutter has come to define the aesthetic of many of the parishs public spaces.

Officials have been fighting back in recent years, looking at new regulations and conducting a study to figure out how much of whats out there is really necessary and what could come down.

Last week, the Parish Council hired the Metairie-based consulting engineering firm M.S. Benbow to help develop a framework to evaluate franchise applications from companies that want to upgrade their networks to provide 5G service, which telecommunications firms say will make make web browsing at least eight times faster for consumers.

"We want the tech, but you have to be mindful of what we want as a community," Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said. "Let's really do this in a smart and aesthetic way."

"We already have too many poles. We don't want any more," she said.

Lee Sheng, a former councilwoman who has been at the forefront of efforts to improve the appearance of the parish's public spaces, said Jefferson wants service providers to use existing poles or lease space on buildings, an arrangement known as co-locating.

"We do have a preference for co-locating," she said. Some providers, such as Cox, have already begun doing that, she said.

Jefferson isn't the only community dealing with the infrastructure challenges of 5G, which relies on "small cell" networks that have a shorter range than traditional cell towers and must be placed closer together and nearer to the ground.

For instance, residents in New Orleans and Baton Rouge have voiced concerns ranging from aesthetics to the threat of possible radiation-linked illnesses as they've seen devices pop up around their neighborhoods.

In New Orleans, each device is reviewed by 10 city departments to ensure that its design matches the neighborhood in which it is placed.

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

In Baton Rouge, the City Council put the breaks on the process this summer to allow a group of neighborhood associations to draft a proposal in which telecom firms have to provide advance notice of proposed structures to nearby property owners through mailers and signs.

Jefferson Parish, meanwhile, has taken the approach of hiring a consulting firm to draft a regulatory process.

"It's important to us to make sure whatever comes in is not intruding on neighborhoods," Councilman Scott Walker said. "We just want it to blend in as much as possible."

The effort recalls something that occurred two years ago, when council members began getting calls from constituents angry at finding waist-high fiberglass markers with bright orange tips had sprung up on the rights-of-way in front of their homes.

Those stubby interlopers  known somewhat derisively as Q-tips  were being liberally installed by AT&T, adding to others that had been installed over the years by other companies.

Their only purpose was to indicate wiring under the ground to prevent people from digging there, and residents wondered why they needed to be almost as tall as a mailbox and just as visible.

It turned out that unlike traditional utilities like sewer, water and electricity, the parish had no regulations governing how newer infrastructure elements should be installed. The prior administration talked about beefing up its regulations, but it's not clear if that ever happened.

The parish hired Benbow for $85,000 per year for two years, based on its knowledge and experience with broadband and small-cell networks, antennae placement and existing commercial utilities.

Benbow representatives could not be reached for comment Monday.
Priscilla Occhivinti doesnt remember exactly when hers first showed up. Its been at least a year, maybe two. One day it wasnt there; the next it was.

It doesnt really do anything. It just stands there, conspicuously, on the corner in front of her Acadian-French Quarter cottage off West Esplanade Avenue in Metairie.

Its a white fiberglass post, about 4 feet tall with a bright orange top.

Its widely known as a Q-tip, and to many residents its about as welcome as having something stuck in your ear.

It has no purpose whatsoever, other than (for) marking, Occhivinti said Friday, standing in front of her home. It could be cut down to here and still do the same thing. It absolutely doesnt need to be this tall.

Occhivinti knows its not really a big deal, but she said the posts silent, persistent presence has a way of grating on you.

Were spending a lot of money to try to maintain the (property's) look, and, um, then theres this thing, she said. Everybody that rides by gets to see it.

Occhivinti isnt alone. Q-tips have been cropping up in batches along rights of way  between the sidewalk and the street  throughout Jefferson Parish, as telecommunications contractors and others install lines under the ground and mark them so that anyone inclined to dig there doesnt cut off service to customers.

The latest batch come courtesy of AT&T, which has installed fiber-optic cables for internet and phone service, and Parish Council members have been hearing about them.

Im getting calls from my district about these objects theyre putting in the right of way in front of peoples houses, and everyone is very upset about it, Councilman Paul Johnston said at the council meeting Wednesday.

I hate seeing those things, Councilwoman Cynthia Lee-Sheng agreed. Theyre all over the parish. I still cant figure out how we allowed that to happen.

Council members Jennifer Van Vrancken and Ricky Templet said they also are getting calls.

Although homeowners dont own the right of way in front of their property, they usually maintain it, and the space is as much a part of a houses exterior as the yard is.

Whether they spend $50,000 on a home or $350,000 on their home, they dont want to come home in the evening and see (something) pop up between the sidewalk and the street, Templet said.

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

The issue, Parish Attorney Mike Powers said, is that the parish has historically considered only existing infrastructure  water, sewer and drainage lines  when allowing a contractor to install something in the right of way.

Chief Operating Officer Keith Conley said the parish administration has been in contact with AT&T and is working with Powers' office to add extra steps to the permitting process.

Lee-Sheng created a committee last year to work on reducing the number of unnecessary signs that clutter the visual landscape in Jefferson Parish, and she said cutting down on Q-tips is part of that battle.

I think youre going to see more vigilance from this council, she said, adding that the problem has built up because the parish doesnt assert its aesthetic priorities as companies go about their work with an eye only on efficiency and their bottom line. When you drive to other communities, you dont see their rights of way as clogged up and cluttered as ours are.

Asked for comment, AT&T issued a statement saying it would work with policymakers on the problem.

As we work to bring faster internet speeds to customers in the area, we use markers to designate where fiber has been placed, the company said. We will continue to coordinate with the Parish Council and residents.

Occhivinti said the need to mark underground lines is 100 percent understandable, but her Q-tip could be a third as tall as it is and still accomplish its goal. Then she could put some plants or flowers around it to cover it up.

She said another post popped up down the street at the same time hers did, but one night it mysteriously disappeared. It was suggested someone must have knocked it down.

Every now and then I get so aggravated with it and I think, Maybe I could run over it like they did down there,  she said, laughing.  Oops! 

Of course, she has never followed through on that impulse.

Now Easter is coming again. The azaleas will be out, everything will be in bloom, and Occhivinti will decorate the house for the holiday.

And, of course, the Q-tip will be there, an unwelcome guest at the party.

We'll make sure we dont get it in any of our Easter pictures, she said.
Louisiana's Black residents have gotten COVID vaccinations at higher rates than the state's White residents, closing what was a significant gap when shots were first made available and offering a sign of hope to public health officials that outreach efforts are working.

But Louisiana still lags most other U.S. states in its overall vaccination rate, and is the only state where the White population's rate lags behind every other racial group, indicating that much more work is needed in order to reach holdouts and push the state towards herd immunity.

An October analysis of 43 states by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, shows that 49% of White people in Louisiana are vaccinated in the state compared to 51% of the Black population, 56% of the Hispanic population and 84% of the Asian population.

While Asian residents have typically had higher uptake rates in most states, Black and Hispanic groups are now starting to outpace their White counterparts in a small but growing number of states.

24 friends took a Mississippi River cruise out of New Orleans. 11 got COVID. Last month, a group of 24 neighbors boarded the American Queen in New Orleans. The six-deck Mississippi River steamboat would carry the group,

What we've seen since late summer is that the vaccination rates for Black and Hispanic people have been increasing at slightly higher rates compared to White people, so that has helped to close that gap," said Samantha Artiga, the director of the racial equity and health policy program at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

At the same time, the vaccination gap between rural and urban residents is increasing, said Artiga.

In the early stages of Louisianas rollout, which restricted access to medical workers and people over 75, vaccines were disproportionately going to the White population. Black people made up about 23% of the vaccinations given in March and 28% by May, even though they represent 32.2% of the state's population.

Now, the Black population is getting vaccinated at rates higher than the share of the population in 34 of 64 parishes. The same is true for the White population in only 7 parishes -- Orleans, Sabine, East Carroll, Lincoln, Grant, East Baton Rouge, Claiborne and Caddo. The state does not publicly track other races or ethnicities by parish.

According to health experts, the lack of a gap between White and Black residents in Louisiana is in part because of an effort targeted at the Black population, which makes up 32.2% percent of the population statewide but as much as 60% in places such as Orleans parish. But its also because the White population in Louisiana has been much more resistant to vaccination.

Whats happening is that the White population in Louisiana is underperforming, said Thomas LaVeist, dean of the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

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

Politics has played a big role in the suppression of vaccine uptake among White Louisianans, said LaVeist.

In 14 parishes where over 75% of residents voted for former President Donald Trump in 2016, all but two had vaccination rates among White people that lagged behind the total share of the population.

In Allen Parish, for example, where White people make up 74% of the population, only 59% have received at least one shot. By comparison, 24% of vaccines in that parish went to Black people, even though they make up 19% of the population. Of the 12 parishes, the gap between the share of people vaccinated compared to the share of the population was an average of 8.25%.

+4 Black patients are wary of a coronavirus vaccine. Can Louisiana research fix decades of distrust? In August, Xavier University President Reynold Verret rolled up his sleeve and got a shot as part of a clinical trial for coronavirus vaccines.

Kim Hood, assistant secretary of public health at the Louisiana Department of Health, said she isnt surprised by the lack of interest in vaccination among rural, White, conservative Louisianans. There hasnt been the same success in finding leaders or the right messages in that community to encourage vaccination the way there has been in the Black community.

She points to Rep. Julia Letlow, whose husband Luke Letlow died of COVID at age 41, as a good example of a trusted messenger.

Letlow has shared details about her husbands hospital stay, death and support for the vaccine on national television. But the swath of Louisiana that Congresswoman Letlow represents, which stretches from the northeast part of the state, through central Louisiana and into the Florida parishes, still has some of the worst vaccination rates in the state.

It would be great if there was one piece of evidence or one person who could speak and help change people's minds and groups, but, unfortunately, that's not how it works, said Hood.

As a result, closing the gap and lessening disparities hasnt been as difficult for Louisiana as for some states, said Marissa Reitsma, a health policy Ph.D. student at Stanford University and the author of a paper published Wednesday in JAMA analyzing racial disparities in vaccinations.

Though Louisiana moved up the ranks in recent months due to an increased interest during the delta variant wave, it remains No. 43 in the country for vaccination rate, with 53% having received one shot compared to the national rate of 66%.

The bar was low, said Reitsma. But at the same time, the fact that there wasnt a huge gap does signal there were positive outreach efforts and successful interventions and investments into vaccinating the Black population to ensure Louisiana didnt fall further behind.
The Louisiana Supreme Court this week dismissed a legal attack on the last will and testament that auto dealership mogul Ray Brandt signed weeks before his death in 2019, stalling his widow, Jessica Brandt, in her fight for control of his massive estate.

The court cast aside a January ruling by 24th Judicial District Judge Lee Faulkner, who invalidated Ray Brandt's 2019 will and a previous one that he wrote in 2015, citing a technical flaw in how both documents were notarized. Faulkner settled on a 2010 will.

Tuesday's decision marked a setback for Jessica Brandt, now CEO of Ray Brandt Auto Group. For a year, she has pressed to nullify her husband's probated 2019 will while steering clear of a no contest clause that could cut her out of it.

Ray Brandt, who was childless, left his estate to her grandchildren, Alexis and Zachary Hartline, while directing that Jessica Brandt receive the income from it until her death.

But in his dying days, Brandt removed his wife as the trustee over an estate valued at more than $300 million, replacing her with Marc Milano, the principal of Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie.

At stake is control over an empire of auto dealerships and collision centers that employs hundreds across Louisiana and Mississippi. Other assets in the balance include Pascals Manale, the beloved Creole-Italian restaurant that Ray Brandt bought days before he died of pancreatic cancer.

Milano claims that Jessica Brandt has stymied the transfer of the estates assets into a trust that Ray Brandt set up for the Hartlines, to be overseen by Milano. He also accuses Jessica Brandt of financial malfeasance and of stalling his requests for an accounting. Attorneys for Jessica Brandt reject those allegations, the specifics of which remain under seal.

Rather than challenge her husband's 2019 will directly, Jessica Brandt claimed impartiality, asking Faulkner to decide which of three wills was the valid one. The judge obliged, but an appeals court panel said he couldn't rule without a "direct" challenge. The appeals court did not opine on the validity of the will itself.

The Supreme Court upheld the appeals court ruling in a 6-1 voted.

Randy Smith, an attorney for the Hartline siblings, said they have always believed the courts should honor Ray Brandts last will," adding that it was notarized and signed in front of two witnesses. "This is a big step toward his last wishes being respected.

But David Sherman, an attorney for Jessica Brandt, insisted that "this decision doesn't change anything. There are still other appeals pending."

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

Indeed, another legal challenge was heard last week by a state Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal panel. Todd Dempster, the chief operating officer of Ray Brandt Auto Group, claims a right to challenge the will of his former boss, though he is not a beneficiary, relative or descendant of Ray Brandt.

Faulkner ruled last year that Dempster didn't have standing for a challenge.

Should he lose, Jessica Brandt would face a nettlesome decision: whether to lodge a direct challenge herself to her husband's 2019 will, given the risks. Sherman declined to comment on that scenario.

Jessica Brandt has expressed concern over Milanos plan to run the dealerships and the potential that automakers will abandon the Brandt brand. Milano has insisted that Ray Brandt was clear about his wishes for his wife to cede control to the high school principal.

Milano plans to "retain the best qualified individuals to oversee the management and operations of these dealerships and businesses," said his attorney, Tim Madden.

This week's ruling prompted Madden to urge Jessica Brandt to "acquiesce" to placing the estates assets into the trust to fulfill the desires and wishes of her deceased husband.

Ray Brandt said what he wanted, Madden said, referring to the 2019 will.

Acquiescence, however, appears unlikely, given the rift between Jessica Brandt and Milano, once fast friends.

In August, Milano filed a motion to remove her as independent executrix overseeing the succession, claiming she has repeatedly breached her fiduciary duties and mismanaged succession assets.

In turn, Jessica Brandts attorneys have asked Faulkner to level sanctions against Milano and Madden. They say the bid to remove her amounts to continued harassment and abusive litigation.

Jessica Brandt has previously sued Milano for defamation. Faulkner has scheduled a Nov. 5 hearing date that may address the allegations of financial impropriety.

The dispute has torn apart a family that once lived together in an Old Metairie compound. Jessica Brandt attempted this year to evict her grandchildren.

In May, Faulkner granted the Hartlines an allowance from the estate to support them until Jessica Brandt dies and the trust dissolves. She objected, and last month, the appeals court agreed, overturning Faulkner again. It found the Hartlines weren't entitled.
The Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office issued its first public remarks Wednesday about a video that showed one of its deputies grab a Black woman by the hair and slam her head into the pavement, calling the video selectively edited and saying the woman had failed to comply with police orders.

The video was the subject of a story by ProPublica and WWNO-WRKF radio and was published in The Times-Picayune on Saturday.

+4 JPSO deputy under investigation after video shows him slamming Black woman's head on pavement A JPSO deputy was caught on video slamming a woman's head so hard into the pavement on Sept. 20 that a witness said it ripped several of her braids from her scalp.

The Sheriff's Office statement, sent by Capt. Jason Rivarde, said the 14-second video that was widely circulated on social media had been selectively edited. It said the agency is trying to obtain the entire video and not just a portion of the video lasting only a few seconds.

A key reason the agency does not have its own video recording of the encounter is that the Jefferson Sheriff's Office is one of the few large Louisiana law enforcement agencies that does not equip officers with body cameras. Sheriff Joe Lopinto III announced last week, however, that he signed a contract in June for body cameras and plans to begin deploying them in December.

The agency's new statement was not sent to The Times-Picayune but to WWL-TV and other local television stations.

In addition to raising questions about the completeness of the video, the statement highlighted several alleged misdeeds by Shantel Arnold, the 34-year-old woman who was manhandled by the deputy in the video. It says Arnold was intoxicated, that she admitted having fought with several people in a crowd on Richard Avenue in River Ridge and that she resisted arrest.

While the statement appeared to cast some blame on Arnold, it also suggested that the deputy - who has yet to be named publicly - could face disciplinary action. The statement said Arnold did not file a complaint with the Sheriff's Office but that the agency on its own accord opened an internal investigation into the matter, an inquiry that has included interviews with Arnold and her relatives.

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

The initial story by ProPublica and WWNO/WRKF said the Sheriff's Office had opened an investigation without receiving a formal complaint. Arnold and her relatives showed the news organizations transcripts of their interviews with detectives.

The Sheriff's Office often does not conduct internal investigations when people complain of being mistreated by deputies. A story by WWNO/WRKF and ProPublica published last month in The Times-Picayune showed systemic problems with transparency and accountability in the agency, as well as significant racial disparities in shootings by deputies.

The investigation found that more than 70% of people at whom deputies shot during the past eight years were Black, more than double the parishs Black population. The investigation also found that the Sheriffs Office could not account for how often its deputies use force or how many complaints civilians lodged against Sheriff's Office employees.

While raising questions about the completeness of the video, Wednesday's statement from the Sheriff's Office also acknowledges that it captured some troubling behavior. After Arnold resisted arrest, the statement says, the video is clear, it shows him [the deputy] flipping her by her hair into a prone position onto her chest.

The statement also said the investigation into the deputys use of force is still under investigation, and that if the investigation reveals the deputy violated the law or policy, he will be disciplined accordingly.

It asks that anyone who witnessed the encounter or has more video of it call the Internal Affairs Division at (504) 832-2362.
Before 60-year-old Brandon Jackson allegedly stabbed Carrie Chirlow, 57, to death, authorities say the two had developed a casual sexual relationship, a friends-with-benefits understanding.

"They would have sex and drink when they'd get together," Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Detective Anthony Buttoni said of their meet-ups at Jackson's Marrero apartment.

But building frustrations exploded early one morning when Jackson repeatedly asked Chirlow to leave and she refused. Armed with a pocket knife, he stabbed her to death in his bedroom, according to authorities.

"He said he felt disrespected by her," Buttoni said.

Jackson pleaded not guilty Wednesday after he was indicted with second-degree murder in Chirlow's death, according to Jefferson Parish court records.

Buttoni testified about the investigation into the June 30 homicide during a recent probable cause hearing held in Jefferson Parish Magistrate Court.

It's not clear how long Chirlow, of Harvey, and Jackson had known each other.

Sometimes Jackson would invite her over to his apartment in the 1300 block of Ames Boulevard. Other times, Chirlow would just drop in, Buttoni said.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

+2 Murder of college student at Marrero playground called an ambush robbery They lured him to killing site with promise to sell him a gun

Jackson, who admitted stabbing Chirlow, described a growing irritation with her and her behavior, according to the detective. He didn't seem to like how she would just come and go from his apartment, drinking his beer.

Jackson complained that Chirlow would also use his money to buy beer but never buy him one, Buttoni testified.

"He just expressed that he felt disrespected," Buttoni said.

The two began arguing just before 5 a.m. on June 30.

Jackson is accused of stabbing Chirlow six or seven times in her thighs. She had no defensive wounds.

Jackson then called 911 to report that someone had been injured at his home, telling authorities he had been attacked, Buttoni said.

When deputies arrived, they found Jackson standing outside with visible blood on him. Chirlow was lying dead on the bedroom floor, according to authorities.

Though he told call takers that he'd been attacked, Jackson was later questioned by detectives and said he did not feel threatened by Chirlow during the argument, according to Buttoni.

After the indictment, the court raised Jackson's bond to $750,000. He was being held Thursday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.
Two days after New Orleans City Council member Jared Brossett's third drunken driving arrest, his competitors for an at-large council seat passed Wednesday on the chance to condemn him.

Instead, former Louisiana state Sen. JP Morrell, District C council member Kristin Gisleson Palmer and Xavier University administrator Bart Everson spoke genially of their opponent when asked at a candidates forum whether he should suspend his campaign. They praised Brossett's work ethic and pointed out the dangers of addiction.

The forum was sponsored by Gambit, The Times-Picayune and WWL television. Brossett, originally a confirmed participant in the forum, pulled out earlier Wednesday but has not dropped out of the at-large race.

"I stand by council member Brossett as a man. I think he's going through a very difficult time right now," said Palmer, who last week endorsed the District D council member for the at-large post, in a rare political maneuver meant to sour voters on Morrell.

Palmer said she wouldn't comment further until Brossett has updated voters on the status of his candidacy.

Morrell, who's known Brossett for years, said "Jared should do what's best for himself." But others on the council should decide if Brossett gets to keep his current council duties, Morrell said.

Everson said the whole ordeal is proof of New Orleans' need for a more robust public transit system, one of the key planks of his platform.

The three contenders stuck with the approach largely adopted by New Orleans' political class since Brossett's arrest: express sympathy for his condition but refrain from calling for his resignation.

It's the second time in 16 months that fellow politicians have pondered Brossett's private battles. He also was arrested in June 2020 on a charge of crashing a city-owned vehicle while drunk. A 2006 DWI arrest in Miami brings his total drunk-driving incidents to three. In the first two cases, Brossett agreed to take rehabilitation classes in exchange for having charges dismissed or reduced.

It's unlikely that Brossett will be allowed to take a similar route this time. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said via a spokesman that "there's no scenario" in which Brossett would again be allowed to complete a diversion program in exchange for dismissed charges.

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

After his 2020 arrest, Brossett pledged to refrain from excessive alcohol use and apologized to voters for his actions. Yet police found him asleep at the wheel of his Lexus on Monday at the Brother's Food Mart on Elysian Fields Avenue in Gentilly. When an officer woke Brossett, he smelled alcohol on the council member's breath. Later, Brossett failed a field sobriety test. He was booked into the Orleans Justice Center at 5:15 a.m.

It was the latest twist in what is perhaps the most intriguing municipal race this fall, given Palmer and Brossett's endorsements of each other, their repeated attacks on Morrell and Morrell's strong criticism of the entire council.

Though Morrell and Palmer refrained Wednesday from slamming Brossett, they wasted no time throwing barbs at each other, as has been their norm when on the campaign trail.

Asked whether New Orleans' short-term rental law, which Palmer sponsored, should be altered, Morrell called it "a complete joke" and accused Palmer and other council members of handpicking select neighborhoods within which to ban the rentals. That in turn led to the gentrification of adjacent neighborhoods, he said.

Treme, "once well populated by locals, is now so proliferated with short-term rentals that I have families moving out because their kids have no friends," Morrell said.

Palmer hit back, saying the problem was not the law itself but a lack of enforcement by Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration. That law has been replicated by other cities, she said.

"A lot of this is not based in fact, what hes saying," Palmer said, adding that the short-term rental law is based on zoning laws, not on a neighborhood's level of gentrification. "Until we sit here and decide whether this is working, let's have a city that actually enforces the current law."

The primary is Nov. 13. A runoff, if needed, will be Dec. 11.
After days of silence following his third drunk driving arrest, New Orleans City Council member Jared Brossett said he was suspending his campaign for an at-large City Council seat and entering an inpatient addiction treatment program.

Brossett said he will continue to hold his current seat on the council, though he was ousted by colleagues as chairman of the Budget Committee Thursday and could be unavailable to fulfill his duties during treatment. His term ends in January.

"Today, I am suspending campaign activities," Brossett said in the prepared statement. "I have a disease. I want to get better. I know that I need help, and I will engage the professional help that I need to be my best self."

Brossett, 39, didn't say which treatment program he will enter or how long he will be there. He said that his staff "will ensure continuity in constituent services" and that he will be back to "shepherd a smooth transition" to the next District D council member.

While Brossett stopped short of pulling out of the citywide race for the Division 2 City Council seat, the statement effectively ended his longshot bid three weeks before New Orleans voters head to the polls for the Nov. 13 primary.

It also shook up what has become the highest-profile race in this fall's municipal elections, leaving the two remaining political heavyweights  former state Sen. J.P. Morrell and District C Council member Kristin Gisleson Palmer  in a slugfest for the most votes. A third candidate, university administrator Bart Everson, is also in the running.

+4 Two New Orleans council members seeking at-large seat endorse each other, slam JP Morrell New Orleans City Council members Jared Brossett and Kristin Gisleson Palmer, opponents in the race for an at-large council seat, have a new pi

Last week, Palmer and Brossett teamed up in the race, cross-endorsing each other and releasing a joint statement encouraging voters to pull the lever for one or the other of them instead of Morrell.

At a debate Wednesday, Palmer said she continued to "stand by Councilman Brossett as a man." On Thursday, a Palmer aide said the endorsement of Brossett still stood despite the arrest, and Palmer released a prepared statement saying she remained "proud to have Jared's endorsement because I believe that we are all better than our worst moments."

Morrell and Everson both expressed sympathy for Brossett at the debate.

Brossett was booked on suspicion of DWI early Monday morning after New Orleans Police found him asleep behind the wheel of a 2021 Lexus at a gas station on Elysian Fields Avenue.

He failed a field sobriety test at the NOPD's DWI testing center, police said, and he currently faces a charge of driving while intoxicated. WWL-TV reported his arraignment is set for Jan. 12.

Brossetts arrest in the 3100 block of Elysian Fields Avenue (map) was just a few blocks from his drunk-driving arrest on the same thoroughfare in June 2020. In that incident, Brossett allegedly plowed his city-owned Chevrolet Tahoe across the neutral ground and into oncoming traffic. His car smashed into a Nissan Rogue, injuring a person in that vehicle.

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

He was also arrested for drunk driving in Florida in 2006.

The city's political establishment has been largely silent on the implications of Brossett's arrest when it comes to serving constituents, or whether a person who potentially put other New Orleans drivers in danger twice is fit for public office. Many have issued statements of support for him as a colleague and friend, however, noting their own personal struggles with addiction or those of family and friends.

At the debate, Palmer also said she felt Brossett was sincere in his attempts to rebound from his 2020 arrest. Brossett has since completed a diversion program and is paying the city restitution on the vehicle.

Earlier this week, District Attorney Jason Williams, a former colleague of Brossett's on the City Council, said diversion would not be an option this time around.

It's not clear whether the repeated drunk driving arrests will mark the end of Brossett's political career.

Political scientist and University of New Orleans professor Ed Chervenak said Brossett's move to stop campaigning was likely the right one, but he noted that other New Orleans politicians have returned to public life after falling from grace.

He pointed to former City Council member Oliver Thomas, who went to prison for taking bribes but is now running for the District E seat and has attracted a lot of support.

"This is the land of second chances," Chervenak said.

When it comes to the at-large race, Chervenak said that before Brossett's arrest, many analysts expected that his candidacy could pull enough votes from Morrell to force a runoff between Morrell and Palmer. That scenario is more doubtful now, he said.

The deadline to withdraw from the race was July 23, meaning any decision on Brossett's part to end his campaign would not affect his ability to collect votes in the primary and have them tabulated for the runoff, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State's office.

The runoff will pit the top two primary finishers against each other unless one candidate wins outright with more than 50% of the vote.

Brossett hasn't appeared in any official capacity since his arrest. He missed two council meetings this week, and the council voted 6-0 to replace him as Budget Committee chair. That responsibility will now fall to City Council President Helena Moreno.

Staff writer Jessica Williams contributed to this story.
Stay up to date on local news

Get Breaking News

Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.
Washington, D.C. -- The Drug Enforcement Administration's popular Prescription Drug Take Back Day returns this Saturday, Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the country. During this time, free and anonymous disposal of unwanted medications will be available at over 4,000 drop-off locations across the nation.

According to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report, most people who have misused prescription drugs obtained them from a family member or friend. Because of this, a common Drug Take Back Day slogan is "Don't be the dealer."

This Saturday's event will be the 21st Drug Take Back Day. To date, the regularly scheduled events have removed over 7,000 tons of medication from circulation.

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemicdrug overdoses are up thirty percent over the last year alone and taking more than 250 lives every day, stated DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

The majority of opioid addictions in America start with prescription pills found in medicine cabinets at home. Whats worse, criminal drug networks are exploiting the opioid crisis by making and falsely marketing deadly, fake pills as legitimate prescriptions, which are now flooding U.S. communities."

"One thing is clear: prevention starts at home. I urge Americans to do their part to prevent prescription pill misuse: simply take your unneeded medications to a local collection site. Its simple, free, anonymous, and it can save a life.

According to the DEA, disposing of unwanted drugs is more important than ever after last year saw over 93,000 overdose deaths  the largest amount of drug-related deaths in a single year  and 75 percent were opioid-related. In addition, there has been a surge of fake prescription pills from drug traffickers who sell substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine that are pressed into pills and sold under the guise of prescription drugs that look almost identical to real medicines.

During the Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, the DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids including intravenous solutions, syringes and other sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted. Vape devices and cartridges will be accepted as long as they do not contain lithium batteries.

To find your nearest collection site, visit DEATakeBack.com. Local law enforcement agencies, pharmacies, and hospitals can help with the disposal of drugs outside of the DEA's scheduled Take Back Days.




Lewisburg, Pa.  A man broke into Weis Markets in Kelly Township last weekend by using a rock to break a glass window, according to state police.

The suspect, Cody Stern, 33, of Lock Haven, was caught several hours later the morning of Oct. 17 after a resident on Verna Road in East Buffalo Township called 911 to report a male was banging on their door.

According to Pennsylvania State Police at Milton, Stern broke into the store at 6901 Westbranch Highway shortly before 2:30 a.m. He then removed multiple items and fled the scene. There were employees present at the store at the time.

Among items Stern stole were a green lightweight Lewisburg Dragons jacket and a green fleece L cap, according to the police report.

Police units from Buffalo Valley Regional, Milton, Mifflinburg, Point Township, Watsontown, and the Union County Sheriffs Office assisted state police with investigating and looking for the suspect.

While police were reviewing surveillance footage, they received a call at approximately 4:30 a.m. regarding the report of the male banging on the door of the Verna Road resident. Police then were able to locate Stern and determined he was the suspect who had burglarized the store, according to the police report.

Stern was taken into custody and brought to the PSP Milton barracks where he was arraigned by District Judge Jeffrey Mensch on felony burglary, criminal trespass and related charges. He was remanded to Union County Jail in lieu of $50,000 monetary bail.

Docket Sheet
Williamsport, Pa. - The United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on October 18, 2021, Darryl Corradini, age 63, and Vicki Hackenberg, age 57, both of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to conspiring to commit money laundering.

The laundering activities involved hundreds of thousands of fraudulently obtained funds, including nearly $300,000 in COVID-19 relief guaranteed by the Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP is designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related reading: Bloomsburg couple charged with COVID-19 relief fraud

Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, PPP funds are offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Corradini and Hackenberg admitted to assisting their coconspirators by creating a shell corporation, CGM Realty LLC, and opening bank accounts and a Bitcoin trading account in the corporations name, by using false and forged documents.

Corradini and Hackenberg also assisted their conspirators in obtaining more than $135,000 in fraudulently obtained funds, and more than $296,000 from a PPP loan that was obtained with false and forged documentation. That documentation included false information and certifications about CGM Realty LLCs employee payroll obligations, and intention to use the funds for approved purposes, when in fact CGM Realty LLC had no employees or legitimate business operations.

Forged IRS documentation also was included with the PPP application, containing false information about CGM Realty LLCs nonexistent payroll obligations. Over $350,000 was then used to purchase Bitcoins, a type of cryptocurrency, with Corradini and Hackenberg obtaining several thousand dollars for their efforts.

As part of their guilty pleas, Corradini and Hackenberg agreed to forfeit several checks to investigators, and to pay over $430,000 in restitution.

COVID-19 relief fraud is a high priority for the Department of Justice and our office will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute these offenses, stated Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler. These funds were intended to help people and businesses harmed by the pandemic, not to line the pockets of fraudsters. We will do everything in our power to make sure that individuals involved in this type of criminal behavior are prosecuted to the fullest extent the law allows.

The case was investigated by the IRS, Criminal Investigations Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international

criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.

For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justices National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Local

wire

White House plans for COVID shots at school in rollout to kids

Spencer Platt/Getty Images/TNS Camora Taylor, 12, receives a COVID vaccine on Aug. 4, 2021, in Ferguson, Missouri.

The White House outlined its COVID-19 plan to vaccinate younger children, which would focus on smaller doses administered with smaller needles if the shots are authorized by regulators.

We will be ready to get shots in arms, President Joe Bidens COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Wednesday during a White House briefing on the plan, which includes supporting vaccination by primary care doctors and in pharmacies and schools.

The U.S. has ordered enough supply to vaccinate all kids 5 to 11, the White House said in a statement Wednesday.

The vaccination campaign for kids would differ from the one targeting adults and children 12 and older in that it will enlist pediatricians to work with parents, rather than utilizing mass inoculation sites. The vials and needles used to administer doses also will be smaller, the White House said.

The shots will be available at more than 25,000 doctors offices and primary care sites, as well as childrens hospitals and pharmacies.

The administration will work with states and local partners to make vaccination sites available at schools and other trusted community-based sites across the country, according to the White House statement.

The doses, which are one-third the strength of the regular dose given to those 12 and up, will be shipped in smaller configurations more easily stored at a typical pediatricians office, the White House said. It will be possible to store them for up to 10 weeks at standard refrigeration temperatures and 6 months at ultra-cold temperatures.

The Department of Health and Human Services will also launch an education campaign about the kids vaccine.

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE have submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration ahead of an advisory panel meeting set for Tuesday that could help pave the way for kids ages 5 to 11 to get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as the first week in November.

Vaccinating kids could provide a boost both to Bidens political fortunes and public-health goals. Reaching children younger than age 12 would be a crucial step toward ending the pandemic, insulating them from the worst risks of COVID and further shrinking the pool of Americans vulnerable to spreading the virus.

Public approval of Bidens handling of the pandemic, and other issues including Afghanistan and his economic agenda, has been falling. Many parents, including the suburban voters Democrats need to keep control of Congress in the 2022 midterm elections, are eagerly anticipating a vaccine for children. It could also help working parents return to their offices and boost the travel sector with more families finally able to be fully inoculated.
Napoleon, OH (43545)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
According to reports, Sony's next smartphone will be the Xperia Alpha. Reputedly launching with Android 12, Sony is already hinting that the device will be a camera tour-de-force.

4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker

While Apple and Google have captured attention this week with their hardware announcements, Sony has something up its sleeve before the end of the month. As we reported last week, Sony confirmed that it would be announcing a new Xperia product on October 26, or October 25 if you live in the US.

Initially, the company provided no additional hints about what it would be unveiling next week. However, it has now published a teaser video, embedded below. The video below centres on the camera capabilities of the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III, rather than their performance or battery life. Hence, we can infer that Sony's next Xperia product will be another flagship, and one that it will market on the strength of its cameras.

Based on previous rumours, it seems that an Xperia PRO successor is the most likely candidate for next week's candidate. Believed to be called the Xperia 1 III Pro, the device is expected to blend the Xperia 1 III and the Xperia PRO, an Xperia 1 II with a micro HDMI port and a more industrial design.
Dr. Dilio E. Mariotti, of Strasburg, retired after 30 years as a US Army chaplain and civilian pastor. He holds several advanced degrees from American and Canadian universities. In retirement, he and his wife, Sue, have traveled extensively in the United States and Canada cruising the major waterways by boat as well as RV camping. Their children and grandchildren live in Virginia, Delaware, Utah and Washington State.
Lakefront property is notoriously pricey.

Who wouldn't want to live steps from the beach, able to lounge out in the sun or dip their toes in Lake Michigan at their whim?

A new study found it's pretty costly to do so along the South Shore in the Indiana dunes.

Buying a house in Dune Acres near the Indiana Dunes National Park is about 328.52% more expensive than buying an average property anywhere else in Indiana, a new study found. That's the second-highest premium for buying a property near a National Park anywhere in the country.

Outforia, an outdoors publication that encourages people to get outside and recreate, did research comparing the average property prices in a state with the price of living in specific communities near a national park in that state.

Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming has the highest property price premium in the country, the Outforia study found. It costs an average of $276,278 to buy a house in Wyoming as compared to $1,353,588 to buy a home in the Moose, Wyoming community near the Grand Teton National Park. That's a 389.94% premium.

The average home price in Indiana is $188,505. The average home price in Dune Acres is about $807,779, or more than four times as much, according to the Outforia study.
Photographers will give a talk Friday about a new exhibit at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts that shines a spotlight on one of the eeriest and most notorious abandoned places in the world.

The Decay Devils, a Gary-based collective of artists, preservationists and urban explorers, extensively photographed the evacuated city by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster during a trip in 2019. They are displaying their work at "The Chernobyl Experience" group exhibition at the public art gallery at 540 S. Lake St. in Gary's lakefront Miller neighborhood this month.

Photographers Tyrell Anderson, Lori Gonzalez, Miki Lansdown and Andrea Ledbetter will talk about their trip to Pripyat, Ukraine at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.

"Join us to learn about the trip to Ukraine and their experience visiting the site of the Chernobyl disaster and the buildings it left behind," the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District said in a press release. "Expect an eye opening first-hand explanation of the conditions and how this compares to conditions in Gary, Indiana."
"Coco: The Deluxe Junior Novelization" author Angela Cervantes will appear at Purdue University Northwest in Hammond as part of its Dia de los Muertos celebration.

Cervantes, who wrote the novelization of the hit Pixar movie, will appear at Purdue Northwest's Hammond and Westville campuses on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. She also will visit K-12 students in Hammond, LaPorte, Michigan City and Valparaiso schools.

She will discuss a wide variety of subjects, including her college experience, her Mexican heritage and how she became a children's book author. She also will dispense career advice.

"Cervantes is a celebrated childrens book author, having penned six books, including the derivative work accompanying the hit Pixar production 'Coco,'" Purdue Northwest said in a press release. "The story follows Miguel, a young Mexican boy interested in music, who is transported to the Land of the Dead during the Dia de los Muertos holiday. There he tries to unravel the mystery of his familys forbiddance of music in their home."

Purdue Northwest also plans to host a Dia de los Muertos celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Alumni Hall at the Student Union and Library at the Hammond campus.
Police found Nelson's body dumped near Old Hobart Road and Atchison Drive in Gary's Miller section. The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Nelson was driving was later found burned on Gary's West Side.

Simms and Darnell-Lenburg have not yet entered plea in either of the murder cases.

Simms was in custody in Porter County on Thursday in connection with allegations he fled from Portage police, who were investigating a robbery, and fired a gunshot Oct 11.

Simms was arrested without incident after a brief standoff near a wooded area and motel in the 6100 block of U.S. 20, court records show.

Simms pleaded not guilty Oct. 14 to felony charges of resisting law enforcement and criminal recklessness, Porter County Superior Court records show.

Simms is also facing a petition to revoke his probation in a 2015 robbery case in Lake County.

In that case, a Lake Criminal Court judge pro tempore gave Simms a six-year sentence in December 2018. Simms was to serve four years in prison and two on probation.
Eason is actively reaching out to the Hispanic community because we typically dont hear from them, she said, and the African American community as well. Whites over age 50 are most likely to complete the survey, but Eason is seeking greater diversity.

Both Spanish and English versions of the survey are available at https://tinyurl.com/mcparkssurvey.

Respondents are asked to list the parks and facilities they use most often as well as facilities and programs they would like to see added. Theyre also asked to evaluate parks on a variety of criteria and to identify barriers to participation.

All of this input will help the park department see how well its serving the communitys needs and how it can improve.

The master plan involves other research as well.

We go through and do a thorough inventory of our programs and properties, Eason said. The department attempts to avoid duplicating services. Any surplus properties are identified, too.
The Sarasota County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed it had been summoned to the reserve but would not comment further.

Laundrie, 23, is a person of interest in the killing of Petito, who was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents while the couple was on a cross-country trip out West.

The case generated enormous public interest but also raised uncomfortable questions over the unequal attention given to the hundreds of cases of Native American and other minority women missing or murdered across the United States. Petito is white.

Petitos body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks.

The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no charges were filed.
We think that we have tools that can help stem the worst from happening in the near term. But as I said, I think we are at an inflection point in the process," Chollet said. There are political and economic levers that can be pulled by the U.S. and other governments to pressure the regime to try to give them the kinds of incentives to change their behavior.

Part of what we are trying to do as the United States is to come in and not dictate the terms, but to offer our best perspectives and also hear from different partners here in the region, he said. In talks with the three key ASEAN members, the U.S. delegation was able to to get "a sense of their ideas of the best way forward.

The U.S., along with the United Kingdom and the European Union, has already placed sanctions on high-ranking Myanmar military members and state-owned enterprises  including those dealing in lucrative timber and gems  that are considered revenue streams for the military.

But activists have been quick to point out that the sanctions have not included American and French oil and gas companies working in Myanmar, allowing the military to maintain its single-largest source of foreign currency revenue. It allows them to make purchases such as refined petroleum, weapons, packaged medicines and other imported goods.
HONG KONG  Holding banners and shouting slogans, hundreds of people assembled outside a court in Hong Kong on Monday in a rare act of defiance after 47 of the citys most prominent pro-democracy politicians and activists were arrested.

The brief gathering of supporters, who held bright yellow signs reading Release all political prisoners, was an echo of the huge pro-democracy demonstrations that regularly filled the streets of Hong Kong in 2019. They lined up around the West Kowloon court complex, where the 47 opposition figures were being arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit subversion.

Such demonstrations have become an unusual sight in Hong Kong in the past year or so, after the city enacted restrictions to fight the pandemic and Beijing imposed a harsh national security law in June.

The police warned the crowd they could be in violation of the security law or illegal-assembly rules. In the afternoon, the police set up security lines around the court, forcing demonstrators to disperse.
Maybe, maybe not. You and your co-workers have lots more evidence about what kind of person she is, and you might have reason to think shes basically honest, with this one exception. Honesty has many different dimensions; a body of research in social psychology suggests that we go wrong when we imagine it to be a global character trait. The scrupulous accountant might be lying to his wife about his philandering; the student who cheats on exams may be utterly upfront with his friends; and so on.

And Ill give your boss one thing. The very fact that youre thinking about telling her to change her ways says something positive about the workplace that she has created. It may not be ruled by absolute honesty, but  in ways not to be taken for granted  it plainly isnt ruled by fear either.

More than a year ago, I moved 300 miles from home to care for my elderly, bedbound father until his death. (My mother predeceased him.) I have handled my parents finances, legal and medical needs and managed their homes since my father started having health problems three years ago. The past year was an incredibly difficult time. I did not see my husband or my two college-age children for much of the last year because Covid made visits too risky. One of my sisters has not even visited my parents for 15 years. My other sister shared some of the responsibility and also came to live with him last summer while her salon was closed, but, during his six final months, she canceled visits many times and came to see him for one five-day stay. The other sister made many excuses and then stopped speaking to me. I am so angry at them for failing to visit him, in his confusion and sadness, and for leaving me alone for six months to watch him die.

Heres my dilemma: When his lawyer asked me to check accounts for beneficiaries, I discovered that all the accounts are divided equally among the three of us  except for one, which lists only me as the primary beneficiary. This account probably amounts to one third of the estate, excluding the real estate. Its possible he set this account up a long time ago, and because Im the oldest, it may have just been an oversight that he didnt change it to all three of us. If my sisters had helped out, I wouldnt hesitate to split this account with them. But my anger screams, Karma! None of us are struggling financially. Am I being unethical if I dont share the account with them? Name Withheld

What really matters here isnt what you want or what your sisters want. Its what your father would have wanted. If youre sure that he would have wanted an equal division, you should aim for that. If youre sure that he would have been happy to see you take your full allotment, I see no problem in accepting it. But if you dont know what he would have wanted? Then youre also entitled to keep this sum, given that you took on the onus of care. Bear in mind, however, that the red mist of anger has a peculiar way of magnifying the past while blotting out the future. You might take time to consider how what you do today will affect your sororal relationships five or 10 years from now. Finally, because this isnt money you need, you might take the opportunity to do some philanthropy in your fathers memory. Though you might want to keep some of the money for lawyers fees in case your siblings sue.

Kwame Anthony Appiah teaches philosophy at N.Y.U. His books include Cosmopolitanism, The Honor Code and The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity. To submit a query: Send an email to ethicist@nytimes.com; or send mail to The Ethicist, The New York Times Magazine, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018. (Include a daytime phone number.)
For help, they began talking with Liz MacPhail, an interior designer whom they had met at their sons preschool, which Ms. MacPhails children also attended. The project began when the Ainslies won a design consultation with Ms. MacPhail at a school fund-raiser auction, and continued when that initial meeting evolved into a yearslong relationship.

I have to say, I was a little skeptical, said Mr. Ainslie, who wondered if they really needed a designers help. But the minute she came in and started showing us her ideas, she won me over. I thought, wow, shes got such a great aesthetic and great eye.

Before long, Ms. MacPhail had devised a plan to keep as many original details as possible, while moving a few walls and doorways to make the ground floor feel less awkward.

My passion is really old homes and saving them so that they can work really hard for the next hundred years, Ms. MacPhail said. We think about how we can get these homes to support the ways we live now, while touching them minimally. Its finding that balance between change and preservation.

When they decided, for example, to cut a new doorway from the living room to a hallway and to cover up one of two doorways that led directly into the childrens bedroom, they disguised the changes by retaining and reusing the homes shiplap paneling, which already had a cobbled-together look. And they expanded the kitchen by pushing into a space that was previously a screened porch.
The ensemble try to build up enough of their own momentum to come out on top, he said, adding: The orchestra fights back with large forces, with crescendos going back and forth. My feeling is theyre all trying to work it out. Then the climax is a moment of reconciliation, consolidation and redemption.

Gubaidulina and Meshchaninov made their way west in the early 1990s, in the wake of the chaos following the Soviet Unions dissolution. Her only child, Nadia Gubaidulina, a biochemist from her first marriage, stayed in Russia.

The 90s were for her a period of major commissions from leading soloists and ensembles, and an expanding use of unusual instrumentation and unconventional sounds. In her 1996 Viola Concerto, written for Yuri Bashmet and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she introduced the rumbling power of Wagner tubas. The piece develops the very high register for the viola, said Antoine Tamestit, who has been playing it since 2006, and then opposes it with the tubas.

In 1997 she composed The Canticle of the Sun for Rostropovich; written for cello, a small choir and percussion, the piece calls for the soloist to retune a string between phrases, to use a stick instead of a bow, and to eventually replace the cello with a flexatone, which can sound like a musical saw. Based on a song by St. Francis of Assisi that thanks God for the splendors of creation, it has become one of her most performed works.

Dialogue: I and You, the violin concerto, concludes with the soloists long, slowly depleting, sky-high A, which Duffek said might suggest the soul having risen to heaven after a long earthly fight. Some Gubaidulina watchers sense a new darkness entering her recent work. Nelsons described The Wrath of God as really scary.

Speaking over tea, she used the word tragic to describe the effects of pieces of music or individual instruments, but it might also be applied to her own life. In 2004 her daughter died of cancer at 44, and Meshchaninov died in 2006 after suffering an aortic aneurysm.
Britain resists new coronavirus restrictions

Amid rising numbers of cases, the British government has rejected calls to reimpose coronavirus restrictions, while warning that such measures might be needed if the rollout of vaccine booster shots fails to contain the worsening situation. Britain, which administered vaccines early, is now reporting one of the highest rates of new cases in the world as the vaccines effectiveness wanes.

We will do what it takes to make sure that this pressure does not become unsustainable, and we wont allow the N.H.S. to become overwhelmed, said Sajid Javid, the health secretary, referring to Britains National Health Service, which is already under pressure. He warned that new cases could surge to 100,000 a day.

The British governments contingency plan would reimpose some restrictions that were scrapped in England in July, including mask-wearing rules and urging people to work from home. Those visiting nightclubs and other venues could be required to show proof of their vaccination status or of a recent negative test.

Analysis: Experts believe cases in Britain are rising because large numbers of children are unvaccinated and schools do not require face coverings. Mask wearing is less prevalent than in some other parts of Europe, where masks are often required indoors and where cases per capita are much lower.

Data: Britain has reported over 40,000 new cases for seven consecutive days, and 869 patients were admitted to hospitals on Saturday. The daily death toll rose to 223 on Tuesday, the highest number since March, before falling to 179 on Wednesday.
It has been nearly four years since state charges were brought against him, yet there is no trial date in sight, she said. It has been a living hell.

The federal investigation in the case is still in progress, and officials urged anyone who might have been a victim of Mr. Crucianis to contact the U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York.

The 16-page federal indictment describes in detail how the former physician, who provided treatments for intractable pain conditions, developed personal relationships with patients. It says he sought to engender their trust and prescribed addictive pain medication that caused patients to become dependent on him, even as he became increasingly abusive.

Over the course of a 15-year period, from 2002 to 2017, Mr. Cruciani worked at several hospitals, including Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, Capital Health Hospitals in New Jersey and Drexel University in Philadelphia.

He met with patients alone in hotel rooms or apartments as well as in hospital offices, where he often locked the door, the indictment said. He asked the patients about their personal lives and shared details about his own life in an effort to get them to trust him, and he prescribed significant quantities of opioids, the indictment said.

In order to refill prescriptions of the highly addictive drugs, the patients had to return to see Mr. Cruciani in person, the indictment says.

Cruciani and the victims knew that the victims suffered from severe and excruciating if not debilitating pain and that most pain doctors would not prescribe the same amounts of medication, the indictment says. Mr. Cruciani, at his discretion, could refuse to refill prescriptions, it added.
[Follow our live coverage of N.Y.C. elections.]

For the better part of an hour on Wednesday, Eric Adams was accused of spending too much time with elites, losing touch with working-class New Yorkers and being a carbon copy of Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose popularity has steadily waned during his tenure.

Yet when he was given openings to respond during the first general election debate of the New York City mayoral contest, Mr. Adams  the typically voluble Democratic nominee for mayor  often flashed a placid smile instead.

Mr. Adams, the overwhelming favorite in the race, seemed to approach the matchup against his Republican foe, Curtis Sliwa, as if it were an infomercial for a mayoralty he had already secured.

Im speaking to New Yorkers, Mr. Adams said. Not speaking to buffoonery.

Mr. Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels and an animated orator, worked to knock the front-runner off balance and strained to sow the kind of doubts about his opponent that could alter the trajectory of the race. There was little evidence he succeeded.
Mr. Adams also insisted, again, that his primary residence is in Brooklyn.

Mr. Adams owns a multi-unit townhouse in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn in which he says he keeps an apartment. In one of the more bizarre moments of the mayoral primary, he gave a media tour of that apartment, with reporters observing non-vegan food items apparently belonging to Mr. Adamss son. (Mr. Adams has been a vegan for years.)

But Mr. Adams also co-owns a co-op in Fort Lee, N.J., with his partner, and he has said that he moved into Brooklyn Borough Hall for a time after the pandemic arrived. During the primary, Politico New York reported that Mr. Adams used conflicting addresses in public records and that he was still spending nights at Borough Hall.

He has had to refile his tax returns in part because of irregularities concerning his residency, the news outlet The City reported. The outlet also reported that the city is seeking to inspect his Brooklyn residence following an allegation of an illegal apartment conversion on the property. His campaign has said he intended to rectify those issues, though the complaint remains active.

Mr. Sliwa recently led a journey from Manhattan to Fort Lee to find out where Eric Adams really lives.
Do you agree with the new mandate, and as mayor, will you uphold the benching of police officers and firefighters who refuse? You have one minute. Im vaccinated, and I was on the ground during Covid, and I know what happened. I saw family members dropping off their loved ones to hospitals, never to see them again. I saw how it traumatized our businesses, how it destroyed our economy. I believe the mayors action today was correct. I would have handled it differently. I would have sat down with my union members, and I would have sat down with those who are involved, and we have worked out a way we could come to an agreement. I stated this over and over during Covid. Credible messengers  the heads of unions, they are the credible messengers for their members, and I believe that we can come to the appropriate place where we can vaccinate everyday New Yorkers, protect us. We can never go back to where we were when Covid hit the city. Mr. Adams, just to be clear, will you uphold the benching of police officers and firefighters? Yes, I would. I disagree with Eric. I feel that we dont have enough police officers as it is. So now, after establishing the rules which were, get vaccinated, which I am, or get tested once a week, same with firefighters  now what did we do to the teachers? What did we do to the health care workers who were crawling into the belly of the beast during the lockdown in the pandemic? I know, because I and the Guardian Angels with taking care of the emotionally disturbed and the homeless in the subways and in Penn Station. We cheered them at night at 7:00. Then all of a sudden we decided  de Blasio, who has supported Eric Adams here, a better team, that all of a sudden they would lose their jobs  that is a horror  if they werent going to be vaccinated. We should never fire  [Moderator] Thank you, Mr. Sliwa.  for that reason.
You can find a calendar of all our upcoming Times events here.

You probably know the worst parts best: The trolling, the misinformation, the spats that quickly become political and escalate out of control. But conversations that happen on the internet can also be civil and informative.

Theres the Facebook group Vaccine Talk, which uses a mix of rules and active moderation to create a culture of fact-based information sharing. There are forums on Reddit that take on heated topics while steering clear of insults. And Twitter recently launched a new product to support healthy conversations called Communities.

What can we learn from the spaces where fruitful conversations happen? What are these groups doing that is working so well? Is true belonging and connection possible on the internet?

In this Times virtual event, Shira Ovide, who writes the subscriber-only newsletter On Tech, explored the forces behind the internets healthiest communities and looked for lessons on what makes them work. She spoke to Steve Huffman, the co-founder and C.E.O. of Reddit; Kate Bilowitz, the co-founder of Vaccine Talk; and Claudia Lo, a community moderator and design researcher. She spoke to Latrice Royale, a former contestant on RuPauls Drag Race, about how drag performers manage conversations in their often unruly communities.
More than 650 people in 37 states have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to imported onions, federal health officials said on Wednesday.

The Food and Drug Administration said that an investigation had identified ProSource Inc., of Hailey, Idaho, as a source of potentially contaminated whole, fresh onions imported from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico.

At least 129 people have been hospitalized in the outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No deaths have been reported, the agency said.

ProSource indicated that the onions were last imported on Aug. 27, according to the C.D.C. But the onions can last up to three months in storage and may still be in homes and businesses, the C.D.C. said.
But Moderna only sought permission for a half-dose as a booster shot, submitting data in support of that. In the end, the F.D.A. decided to authorize the half-dose Moderna booster for recipients of all three vaccines, at least in part, Dr. Marks suggested, in order to limit confusion among providers.

The move on Wednesday to make a much larger swath of Americans eligible for boosters followed unanimous votes last week from the F.D.A.s advisory committee to recommend the authorizations. A separate committee advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to vote on Thursday on its own recommendations for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters.

The panel will also consider whether people need more guidance about when and whether to switch vaccines for a booster shot. C.D.C. officials are expected to argue for flexibility.

Given the existing data, we have to be noncommittal about what is the best, Dr. Marks said. We have to simply say that any one of these combinations is reasonable.

The C.D.C.s director typically endorses that panels recommendations as a final step before vaccines are put into use. If the agency agrees with the F.D.A., those booster shots could be available to the public as soon as this weekend.

The eligibility requirements for a booster differ depending on vaccine. Pfizer and Moderna recipients will be able to get an extra shot six months after their second injection if they are at least 65 years old or at high risk of severe Covid-19 complications because of medical conditions or where they work. Johnson & Johnson recipients  all of whom are 18 and older  will be eligible for a second shot at least two months after the first.

The decision to allow recipients to switch to a different vaccine as a booster adds yet another layer of complexity. Although it is not simple, Dr. Marks said, its not utterly hopelessly complex.
The Peoples Republic of China is not an Olympian power, he said. Its a country of extraordinary strength, but it also has substantial weaknesses and challenges, demographically, economically, politically.

Chinas rise has particularly unnerved Japan, a nation with limited armed forces that also relies on the United States  which has some 50,000 troops based there  for protection against a bellicose North Korea. Japan has been wary of a shift in American political sentiment, fueled by Mr. Trumps talk of freeloading allies and charging for U.S. military protection.

As ambassador, Mr. Emanuel would arrive in Japan at a time of political upheaval, including the surprise departure last year of Shinzo Abe, Japans longest-serving prime minister, because of ill health.

Mr. Abes successor is already about to be replaced with another unfamiliar face, leaving the Biden administration in need of fresh and reliable intelligence on the countrys leadership. The United States has not had a Senate-approved ambassador in Tokyo for more than two years.

From Tokyos perspective, Mr. Emanuels selection was a generally welcome one. In September, the English-language Japan Times noted that Mr. Emanuel is known for his sharp tongue, but wrote that he is close to Mr. Biden, providing Tokyo with what could amount to a direct line to the White House.

Mr. Emanuel is known for his abrasive personality, fierce partisanship and free-range profanity. He appeared to keep himself in check on Wednesday, but his infamous impatience poked through from time to time. He fidgeted in his chair as he listened to the senators opine, and thwacked his microphone to ensure it was working just before he starting reading his opening statement.
Mr. MacMahon argued that the evidence in the case would show Mr. Toebbe stole the information and wrote the notes to the undercover officers while Ms. Toebbe played only a minor role in the scheme.

But Jessica Lieber Smolar, a federal prosecutor, disputed that characterization. Prosecutors argued that she helped devise the plan, and meticulously went through evidence that they said showed she had acted as a lookout for her husband, belying the idea that she thought they were just out for a leisurely weekend stroll.

Ms. Smolar argued that Ms. Toebbe posed a flight risk if allowed free before trial and that simply monitoring her location and ordering her not to use the internet could not prevent her from finding ways to share national secrets.

On Oct. 5, 2020, Ms. Toebbe wrote to her husband on the encrypted app, I think we need to be actively making plans to leave the country.

But Mr. MacMahon argued that various documents collected in the case showed that his client wanted to leave the country if former President Donald J. Trump had been re-elected.

Shes not the only liberal that is wanting to leave the country over politics, Mr. MacMahon said.

Prosecutors and the F.B.I. portrayed the Toebbes as beginning to make plans to sell American secrets as early as 2018. Prosecutors also said in court proceedings that the foreign country that had received the offer to sell the information voluntarily turned it over to the F.B.I., setting off the investigation into the Toebbes.

An F.B.I. agent who surveilled the couple, Peter Olinits, told the court that a letter sent by the Toebbes to the foreign government offering the classified material set a December deadline for hearing back, saying that otherwise they would offer the information to other countries. As a result, he said, federal agents, impersonating officials from the foreign government, began communicating with the Toebbes that month.
WASHINGTON  Senate Democrats crashed once again on Wednesday into the seemingly impenetrable Republican wall blocking new voting rights legislation, leaving them with a simple question: Now what?

If it wasnt obvious before, it is now abundantly clear that no voting legislation will advance without changes in Senate rules to overcome blanket opposition from Republicans who have filibustered it three times.

Republicans who see new voting restrictions being imposed around the country as playing to their electoral benefit are in no mood to bend on a Democratic proposal that might erase some of that advantage. Not a single Republican joined Democrats in trying to bring up a measure to bolster voting rights. The 50-50 tie left Democrats at least 10 votes short of breaking the filibuster and cast deep doubt on the future of the measure.

But Democrats, confronted with a level of Republican intractability they say puts at risk the very future of democracy  not to mention their own political parity  remained determined to find a way forward and enact some version of their bill. Under mounting pressure from progressive activists who are growing agitated with the inability of President Biden and Democratic leaders to deliver on their highest priorities, they see throwing in the towel as unacceptable.
QUITO, Ecuador  When Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Wednesday described democracies where leaders have threatened opponents, attacked the media or undermined legal systems, he could have been talking about any number of nations in the Western Hemisphere: Brazil, Nicaragua, Venezuela, even the United States.

As it happened, Mr. Blinken was speaking about past administrations in Ecuador, citing the countrys shift from authoritarian rule as proof that open governments can provide enduring stability and economic opportunity. His pitch, delivered at a top Ecuadorean university that is at the center of dueling American and Chinese influence campaigns, comes at a time of eroding trust in democracy and rising incidence of oppression in Latin America.

It was also delivered just two days after Ecuadors relatively new leader, President Guillermo Lasso, imposed a state of emergency that limits movements and restricts gatherings; it was done, the government said, to counter a surge in violent crime and drug trafficking.

We find ourselves in a moment of democratic reckoning, Mr. Blinken said at the San Francisco University of Quito. The school hosts the Confucius Institute, which has been accused of promoting Chinese government propaganda, and is in its second year of receiving American funding to investigate and counter disinformation efforts.
India on Thursday celebrated having administered a billion doses of Covid vaccine, drawing on local manufacturing after devastating early stumbles in its pandemic response.

Still, the country has some way to go in fully vaccinating its population: Just 30 percent of the 900 million people eligible for vaccination in India have received two doses.

The billion-dose milestone represented a turnaround in a vaccination drive that got off to a slow start, as Indias governing party prioritized elections and took up a lax attitude in tackling the virus, continuing to hold crowded political rallies and allowing religious festivals to take place even as cases surged.

Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. More than 70 percent of adults have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to government figures. India is administering second doses 12 to 16 weeks after the first.
The Fakhravac vaccine had received emergency use authorization in Iran but was still undergoing clinical trials to obtain full approval, and the defense ministry, which developed it, was having trouble finding enough participants for those trials.

Iran has been among the countries hardest hit by the pandemic. The official death toll so far is about 125,000, but health officials and independent experts say the true figure is several times higher. Chaotic planning, lack of transparency and official refusal to lock down cities and impose quarantines early in the pandemic led to major surges in infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

When vaccines became available, Iranian officials said they would give priority to domestically made shots, and health officials boasted that they would have the whole population inoculated by the end of the summer and be able to export surplus doses.

The countrys supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, banned American- and British-made coronavirus vaccines, claiming that they had been designed to harm Iranians  a decision that many critics say caused Iran to fall behind on vaccination and led to more illness and death from the virus. Iran has sped up imports in recent months, and the health minister said that about 120 million doses had been obtained from abroad.

About 59 percent of Irans 85 million people have received at least one dose of vaccine, and about 30 percent are fully vaccinated, according to official statistics; Iran is not yet giving booster shots on a wide scale.
Alan Lapidus, a New York architect with a playful and pragmatic style who designed large hotels and casinos, died on Oct. 15 at his home in Naples, Maine. He was 85.

The cause was prostate cancer, his son, Adam Lapidus, said.

Mr. Lapiduss legacy included the towering Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan, which was designed to evoke a bedazzled Wurlitzer jukebox; the now-demolished Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City; the Caesars Palace hotel and casino complex in Las Vegas; and the Hilton Hotel at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

Before opening his own studio in 1976, Mr. Lapidus (pronounced LAP-ih-dus) worked for 13 years for his father, Morris, a formidable designer of flamboyant postmodern hotels in Miami Beach  the Fontainebleau, the Eden Roc and Americana among them  which won commercial success, along with a kind of infamy among disdainful critics at the time. (The buildings later came to be viewed as architectural classics.)

But Alan Lapidus, if not his father, received some positive acknowledgment in 1972 in connection with the only project by the Morris Lapidus firm ever to draw praise, if gingerly, from Ada Louis Huxtable, then the architecture critic for The New York Times. It had to do with a public pool and recreation complex in the poverty-stricken Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn.
Like many museums around the country, the Art Institute of Chicago has been trying to forge closer ties with the racially and economically diverse city it serves. Museum officials decided that one area in need of an overhaul was its 60-year-old program of volunteer educators, known as docents, who greet school groups and lead tours.

So last month the board overseeing the program sent a letter to the museums 82 active docents  most of whom were white older women  informing the volunteers that their program was being ended. The letter said that the museum would phase in a new model relying on paid educators and volunteers in a way that allows community members of all income levels to participate, responds to issues of class and income equity, and does not require financial flexibility to participate.

The move has erupted into the latest cultural flash point as museums around the country wrestle with making their staffs, boards and programming more diverse.

The docents  longtime, dedicated volunteers who know the Institute and its collections intimately  lamented the decision. The Chicago Tribune denounced the move in an editorial headlined Shame on the Art Institute for summarily canning its volunteer docents. Conservative media decried the plan as discrimination against white people and an example of what the Federalist called the cult of wokeness. Infowars, the site founded by the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, ran an article about it.
Interview first published May 26, 1991

It took the purchase of a pickup truck to convince Sandra Cisneross father that she was really a writer. He thought I would eventually get married to someone who would take care of me, said the author in a telephone interview from her home in San Antonio. But Ms. Cisneros took her father along when she went in search of her automotive dream  a menstruation-red Nissan pickup truck, she said with laughter. As she bought the vehicle with money from her work, he realized telling stories was serious business.

Ms. Cisneros began her writing career in poetry  I think you have to learn how to build a room before you build a house  and studied at the Iowa Writers Workshop, which helped her clarify what I didnt want to be, how I didnt want to write. When she graduated, she returned to the family home in Chicago and spent time in the Pilsen barrio; I became fascinated by the rhythms of speech, this incredible deluge of voices.

It is this deluge of voices that Ms. Cisneros so faithfully taps in her work. But she can also trace her love of language to her mother, a self-educated woman who got library cards for the seven Cisneros children long before they could actually read themselves.

Yet neither of her parents has read the stories contained in Woman Hollering Creek. Her father reads only Spanish; though her mother read Ms. Cisneross first book, The House on Mango Street, this new collection is a different matter. My mother is terrified of reading things with the least bit of sexuality in them; she assumes its autobiographical.
He is the only individual that the writer has encountered outside of a madhouse who has let flow from his pen random and purposeful thoughts just as they are produced. He does not seek to give them orderliness, sequence or interdependence. His literary output would seem to substantiate some of Freuds contentions. The majority of writers, practically all, transfer their conscious, deliberate thought to paper. Mr. Joyce transfers the product of his unconscious mind to paper without submitting it to the conscious mind, or, if he submits it, it is to receive approval and encouragement, perhaps even praise. He holds with Freud that the unconscious mind represents the real man, the man of nature, and the conscious mind the artificed man, the man of convention, of expediency, the slave of Mrs. Grundy, the sycophant of the Church, the plastic puppet of society and State. When a master technician of words and phrases sets himself the task of revealing the product of the unconscious mind of a moral monster, a pervert and an invert, an apostate to his race and his religion, the simulacrum of a man who has neither cultural background nor personal self-respect, who can neither be taught by experience nor lessoned by example, as Mr. Joyce has done in drawing the picture of Leopold Bloom, and giving a faithful reproduction of his thoughts, purposeful, vagrant and obsessive, he undoubtedly knew full well what he was undertaking, and how unacceptable the vile contents of that unconscious mind would be to ninety-nine men out of a hundred, and how incensed they would be at having the disgusting product thrown in their faces. But that has nothing to do with that with which I am here concerned, viz., has the job been done well and is it a work of art, to which there can be only an affirmative answer.

I venture a prophecy: Not ten men or women out of a hundred can read Ulysses through.

Mr. Joyce has no reverence for organized religion, for conventional morality, for literary style or form. He has no conception of the word obedience, and he bends the knee neither to God nor man. It is very interesting, and most important to have the revelations of such a personality, to have them firsthand and not dressed up. Heretofore our only avenues of information of such personalities led through the asylums for the insane, for it was there that such revelations as those of Mr. Joyce were made without reserve. Lest anyone should construe this statement to be a subterfuge on my part to impugn the sanity of Mr. Joyce, let me say at once that he is one of the sanest geniuses that I have ever known.

Finally, I venture a prophecy: Not ten men or women out of a hundred can read Ulysses through, and of the 10 who succeed in doing so, five of them will do it as a tour de force. I am probably the only person, aside from the author, that has ever read it twice from beginning to end. I have learned more psychology and psychiatry from it than I did in 10 years at the Neurological Institute. There are other angles at which Ulysses can be viewed profitably, but they are not many.  Dr. Joseph Collins
Jerry Pinkney, whose evocative illustrations won acclaim in bringing more than 100 childrens books to life, many with Black characters or images of Black history and culture, died on Wednesday in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. He was 81.

His daughter-in-law Andrea Davis Pinkney said his death, at Phelps Hospital, was caused by a heart attack. He lived nearby in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.

Mr. Pinkney was one of the most revered illustrators in the genre. His accolades include the Randolph Caldecott Medal, awarded for the years most distinguished American picture book for children; he received his in 2010 for The Lion & the Mouse, a treatment of the Aesop fable. That book was representative of his commitment to reflecting Black themes and culture in his work whenever possible: He made sure that his richly detailed illustrations set that classic story in the Serengeti, with the title characters surrounded by other African wildlife.
Did the conduct of the war as approved at the highest levels create an atmosphere in which the lives of the Vietnamese were so cheapened that they became subhumans in the eyes of the soldier?

The fact that these persons are being held by the South Vietnamese authorities apparently does not absolve the United States of responsibility under the laws of war. Legally they remain our refugees. As the Army Field Manual explains:

The restrictions placed upon the authority of a belligerent government cannot be avoided by a system of using a puppet government, central or local, to carry out acts which would be unlawful if performed directly by the occupant. Acts induced or compelled by the occupant are nonetheless its acts. The Saigon regime is not a puppet government, but it is a client regime whose existence is dependent upon the United States. A good argument could be made that because of this client relationship, the United States induces these acts. Telford Taylor, of Columbia, the former chief American prosecutor of Nuremberg, quantifies the neglect of the civilian war wounded and refugees. In Nuremberg and Vietnam: An American Tragedy, he notes that the United States spent, at the most, a quarter-billion dollars to ease the civilian plight over the three years from 1965 through 1967. You will think this is a lot of money, until he tells you the amount was less than 4 percent of the cost of air operations over the same period.

What about a relationship between the use of air power and artillery in South Vietnam and the garden variety war crimes that many of the books in this bibliography allege  the individual acts of torture and murder of prisoners and civilians by American soldiers, the burning of peasant huts in Zippo raids, the looting and the rape? Did the conduct of the war as approved at the highest levels create an atmosphere in which the lives of the Vietnamese were so cheapened that they became subhumans in the eyes of the soldier? If so, did this atmosphere help to incite these individual war crimes, given the traditional racism of Americans towards Asians  the dinks, the gooks, the slopeheads  and the psychological stress upon the soldier of fighting in a country where much of the population is hostile, where women and children do set mines and booby traps and shoot at you?

The two accounts of the Mylai massacre mentioned in this bibliography, Richard Hammers One Morning in the War and Seymour Hershs My Lai 4, as well as the testimony that has emerged at the court-martial of Lieutenant Calley, of practices like driving civilians ahead of the troops to detonate mines with their bodies suggest that the general conduct of the war did contribute to these individual atrocities.

The word Lieutenant Calley used to describe the act of slaughtering the 102 men, women and children for whose deaths he is being held responsible evokes this atmosphere in uncanny fashion. He told the prosecutor that he was ordered to waste the Vietnamese  waste, waste them, sir. Were this just Lieutenant Calley speaking the word would not carry much meaning, but the word is from the argot of the American soldier in Vietnam. Human beings are wasted there, they are blown away. Soldiers have a unique ability to find words to describe the reality of their wars.

Given such an atmosphere, the massacre at Mylai would be a departure from the norm only in that it consisted of the direct murder by rifle and machine gun fire of several hundred Vietnamese civilians at one time. The soldiers in Lieutenant Calleys platoon, whose moral sense led them to disregard his orders and not participate in the killings, do not appear to have been shocked by the lesser, individual atrocities that occurred prior to Mylai. Looked at coldly, Lieutenant Calley and the soldiers who did join him in the massacre were doing with their rifles what was done every day for reasons of strategy with bombs and artillery shells. There are Calleys in every army. What makes them dangerous is a set of circumstances in which their homicidal aberrations can run amok. The laws of war say that it is the responsibility of the highest leadership to do all in its power to prevent such circumstances from occurring.

Both the Army Field Manual and the Nuremberg Principles address this central issue in delineating when a claim of superior orders can constitute a defense against a charge of war crimes. The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible for him [italics added], the Nuremberg Principles say. The Army Field Manual is a bit more elaborate. In considering the question whether a superior order constitutes a valid defense, the court shall take into consideration the fact that obedience to lawful military orders is the duty of every member of the Armed Forces; that the latter cannot be expected, in condition of war discipline, to weigh scrupulously the legal merits of the orders received; that certain rules of warfare may be controversial; or that an act otherwise amounting to a war crime may be done in obedience to orders conceived as a measure of reprisal, the manual says.
COLOR by Countee Cullen | Review first published Nov. 8, 1925

In Color, Countee Cullen exhibits an unmistakable lyric gift that is out of the ordinary. It would be easy to overpraise him, for it is not often that men of his blood reveal so deep and so modern a sensitivity to the poetic urge, and so his excellence stands out all the more vividly. He still has some distance to go before he reaches any particularly high eminence as a poet, but what he has accomplished in Color leads to the suspicion that if he is not spoiled by overadulation during these early years he will produce distinguished and lasting work.

For Mr. Cullen is young. He was born in 1903, and every poem in his book was written before he was 22 years old. His father is a Methodist minister in Harlem. He has won a number of poetry prizes. He was in high school when he first won recognition, a prize offered by the Federation of Womens Clubs. At New York University he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and while in his sophomore year there he took second place in the Witter Bynner intercollegiate poetry contest. He took this again in his junior year, and in his last year he succeeded in carrying off first prize. Recently he was awarded the Amy Singarn prize for poetry in the contest conducted by The Crisis.

All this, of course, really means but little as far as poetry is concerned, for prize poems are, for the most part, bad poems. It is to the work in Color that one must turn to find whether or not Mr. Cullen is a really inspired poet. One reading of The Shroud of Color should be enough to convince the most cavilling reader. This sensitive and impressive piece of work is too long to quote, but another aspect of Mr. Cullens work may be given, and that is his keen, almost epigrammatic gift that borders on satire. And then there are the many epitaphs, two of which may be quoted:

FOR A LADY I KNOW She even thinks that up in Heaven Her class lies late and snores, While poor black cherubs rise at seven To do celestial chores. FOR A PESSIMIST He wore his coffin for a hat, Calamity his cape, While on his face a deaths-head sat And waved a bit of crape.

Mr. Cullen is race-conscious and many of his poems are imbued with a somewhat bitter note, but they are all lifted by that indefinable thing which we call poetry. There is much that is arresting here, love poems that are sensitive and compelling and faint satire that is unmistakably piercing. Here is a poet to be watched.  Herbert S. Gorman
At its best, the book provides an occasion for Gilbert to unleash her fresh, oddball sensibility on an international stage. She describes Messina, Italy, as a scary and suspicious Sicilian port town that seems to howl from behind barricaded doors, Its not my fault that Im ugly! Ive been earthquaked and carpet-bombed and raped by the Mafia, too! Later, she sees a Balinese mother balancing on her head a three-tiered basket filled with fruit and flowers and a roasted duck  a headgear so magnificent and impressive that Carmen Miranda would have bowed down in humility before it.

Gilbert also takes pleasure in poking fun at herself. At an Indian ashram, she winningly narrates the play of her thoughts while she tries to meditate: I was wondering where I should live once this year of traveling has ended.  If I lived somewhere cheaper than New York, maybe I could afford an extra bedroom and then I could have a special meditation room! Thatd be nice. I could paint it gold. Or maybe a rich blue. No, gold. No, blue.  Finally noticing this train of thought, I was aghast. I thought:  How about this, you spastic fool  how about you try to meditate right here, right now, right where you actually are?

Eat, Pray, Love is built on the notion of a woman trying to heal herself from a severe emotional and spiritual crisis; Gilbert suggests more than once that she was at risk for suicide. But she short shrifts her own emotional state for the sake of keeping the reader entertained. She writes of feeling depressed and lonely in Italy, Loneliness starts interrogating me.  He asks why I cant get my act together, and why Im not at home living in a nice house and raising nice children like any respectable woman my age should be.

But wait a second  Gilbert is a New York journalist who has spent the prior several years traveling the world on assignment. In her chosen milieu, it would be unusual if she were married and raising kids in a house at age 34  by her own account, she left her husband precisely to avoid those things. Im willing to believe that Gilbert despaired over having failed at a more conventional life even as she sought out its opposite  complications like these are what make us human. But she doesnt tell that story here, or even acknowledge the paradox. As a result, her crisis remains a shadowy thing.
Cromwell is also, as Mantel sees him, a closet Protestant, monitoring Luthers battles with Rome and exchanging secret letters with Tyndale, the English translator of the Bible, about the brutal truth of the Scriptures. Why does the pope have to be in Rome? Cromwell wonders. Where is it written? Historians have long suspected that Cromwell harbored Protestant sympathies, even before Anne Boleyns resistant, quick-breathing and virginal bosom caught the kings eye. Mantel, with the novelists license, draws the circle more tightly. As a child, Cromwell is present when an old woman is burned at the stake for heresy: Even after there was nothing left to scream, the fire was stoked. Years later, he watches in disgust as Thomas More rounds up more heretics to feed to the fire. For Mantel, who acknowledges her debt to revisionist scholars, Henrys divorce is the impetus for Cromwells Tudor Revolution, as the historian Geoffrey Elton called it, by which the British state won independence from foreign and ecclesiastic rule.

In Wolf Hall it is More, the great imaginer of utopia, who is the ruthless tormentor of English Protestants, using the rack and the ax to set the quaking world aright. Utopia, Cromwell learns early on, is not a place one can live. Mores refusal to recognize Henrys marriage was the basis for his canonization in 1935, as well as his portrayal as a hero of conscience in Robert Bolts play A Man for All Seasons and its 1966 screen version. To Mantels Cromwell, More is in love with his own martyrdom, his own theatrical self-importance, while Cromwell, more in keeping with the spirit of Bolts title, seeks a way out for his old rival.

Wolf Hall has epic scale but lyric texture. Its 500-plus pages turn quickly, winged and falconlike.

Theres a tense moment when More, locked in the Tower of London awaiting trial for treason, claims to have harmed no one. Cromwell explodes. What about Bainham, a mild man whose only sin was that he was a Protestant? You forfeited his goods, committed his poor wife to prison, saw him racked with your own eyes, you locked him in Bishop Stokesleys cellar, you had him back at your own house two days chained upright to a post, you sent him again to Stokesley, saw him beaten and abused for a week, and still your spite was not exhausted: you sent him back to the Tower and had him racked again. Tortured, Bainham names names, who happen to be friends of Cromwells. Thats how the year goes out, in a puff of smoke, a pall of human ash.

In her long novel of the French Revolution, A Place of Greater Safety, Mantel also wrote about the damage done by utopian fixers. And surely the current uproar over state-sponsored torture had its effect on both the writing and the imagining of Wolf Hall. Yet, although Mantel adopts none of the archaic fustian of so many historical novels  the capital letters, the antique turns of phrase  her book feels firmly fixed in the 16th century. Toward the end of the novel, Cromwell, long widowed and as usual overworked, the man in charge of everything, falls in love with Jane Seymour, lady-in-waiting to Boleyn, and considers spending a few days at the gothic-sounding Seymour estate called Wolf Hall. What could go wrong with such an innocent plan? Perhaps in a sequel Mantel will tell us.
SONG OF SOLOMON by Toni Morrison | Review first published Sept. 11, 1977

Toni Morrisons first two books  The Bluest Eye with the purity of its terrors and Sula with its dense poetry and the depth of its probing into a small circle of lives  were strong novels. Yet, firm as they both were in achievement and promise, they didnt fully forecast her new book, Song of Solomon. Here the depths of the younger work are still evident, but now they thrust outward, into wider fields, for longer intervals, encompassing many more lives. The result is a long prose tale that surveys nearly a century of American history as it impinges upon a single family. In short, this is a full novel  rich, slow enough to impress itself upon us like a love affair or a sickness  not the two-hour penny dreadful which is again in vogue nor one of the airless cats cradles custom-woven for the delight and job-assistance of graduate students of all ages.

Song of Solomon isnt, however, cast in the basically realistic mode of most family novels. In fact, its negotiations with fantasy, fable, song and allegory are so organic, continuous and unpredictable as to make any summary of its plot sound absurd; but absurdity is neither Morrisons strategy nor purpose. The purpose seems to be communication of painfully discovered and powerfully held convictions about the possibility of transcendence within human life, on the time-scale of a single life. The strategies are multiple and depend upon the actions of a large cast of black Americans, most of them related by blood. But after the loving, comical and demanding polyphony of the early chapters (set in Michigan in the early 1930s), the theme begins to settle on one character and to develop around and out of him.

His name is Macon Dead, called Milkman because his mother nursed him well past infancy. He is the son of an upper middle-class Northern black mother and a father with obscure working-class Southern origins. These origins, which Milkmans father is intent on concealing, fuel him in a merciless drive toward money and safety  over and past the happiness of wife and daughters and son. So the son grows up into chaos and genuine danger  the homicidal intentions of a woman he spurned after years of love, and an accidental involvement with a secret ring of lifelong acquaintances who are sworn to avenge white violence, eye for eye.
THE ALICE B. TOKLAS COOK BOOK by Alice B. Toklas | Review first published Nov. 21, 1954

About a group of recipes in this book of hers, Alice B. Toklas, the lifelong companion of Gertrude Stein, says, . Nor have they the distinction of being distinctive. That phrase and others fully as distinctive certainly give the book distinction, but they are not its only charms.

In a chapter headed Servants in France we meet a dozen or so of the scores of femmes de menages whom Miss Toklas enjoyed or suffered in the 45 years of her residence in that country, from the Helene, who thought all Americans were dentists, to the Jeanne, who had to take days off, three at a time, to go shopping but never bought anything. Elsewhere we meet Picasso and Picabia. To Picasso, Miss Toklas served an original fish  bass poached in white wine and decorated with red mayonnaise, egg yolk and truffles. Picasso was enchanted by its beauty but thought it should have been in honor of Matisse. Later we learn how Virgil Thomson makes shad-roe mousse and how Cecil Beaton makes apple pudding; and we are told flatly, This is the best way to cook frogs legs.

Throughout the book are mentions of Gertrude Stein  Stein anecdotes, her pronouncements on food and cooking, her reactions to people and things. There are interesting wartime notes on the stratagems both ladies employed to keep their larder stocked during the Occupation in France, theres a certainty of Allied victory  and, when that victory was a reality, some account of the delicacies they serve the American troops, including a truly mouthwatering recipe for Liberation fruit cake. There are also echoes of Steinism in Miss Toklass own book. In a chapter headed Little-Known French Dishes Suitable for American and British Kitchens a recipe for an omelet calls for four tablespoons of diced truffles and one for roast young turkey demands four cups of whole truffles. Suitable for American kitchens? Elsewhere, a recipe for turtle soup begins: Soak  lb. of sun-dried turtle meat in cold water for four days, changing the water each day.
SISTER CARRIE by Theodore Dreiser | Review first published May 25, 1907

Theodore Dreisers frankly realistic story called Sister Carrie, originally published seven years ago, is now republished by Messrs. B.W. Dodge & Co., and deserves to be received as a new book, for it did not get a chance for recognition when it first appeared. Except for his provincial avoidance of simple and perfectly understandable phrases, Mr. Dreiser writes very well. He tells what happens to a farmers daughter from Wisconsin who went to Chicago almost as a child, and there to seek her level in the world. She had beauty of a mild sort, a natural sensibility, a rudimentary intellect, a liking for fine clothes and silk and soft places, the good nature which goes with the lack of passion, and no particular burden of education or conscience.

To an extraordinary degree the book is a photograph of conditions in the crude larger cities of America and of the people who make these conditions and are made by them. There is no attempt to complicate the facts as they are with notions of things as they should be morally, or as they might be sentimentally or aesthetically. Peoples feelings are not considered. The author is quite impersonal. Withal, the story is interesting in spite of the commonplace character of the personages and the low plane of the gallery in which they move. Carrie, without a shining quality, with little to say, with almost no initiative, only her second-rate good looks, her first-rate instinct for soft places, her genius for fitting into such places when she finds them  in brief, her rudimentary femininity  gets a tremendous grip on the imagination of the reader. She is as perfectly simple and human a creature as one sees trapped very rarely between the dry covers of a printed book. It may be added that the story even upon its first publication seven years ago attracted much attention and won favorable recognition in England. We do not, however, recommend the book to the fastidious reader, or the one who clings to old-fashioned ideas. It is a book one can very well get along without reading.
The global shortage of computer chips has wreaked havoc on auto production, but it is also helping to pump up the bottom lines of auto retailers.

In the latest example, AutoNation, a chain of more than 350 new-vehicle franchises, reported on Thursday that its profit doubled to $362 million in the third quarter. The result, the companys sixth-consecutive record quarter on a per-share basis, stemmed mainly from higher prices and rising sales of used cars.

Because of the chip shortage, automakers have had to idle plants for weeks at a time, leaving consumers with fewer new cars to choose from. The lack of inventory has pushed up prices and allowed both manufacturers and dealers to cut back on profit-eating discounts and incentives they once had to offer to move cars off the lot.

This is a result of the pandemic and then the chip shortage, Mike Jackson, AutoNations chief executive, said. Theres not enough supply to meet demand. Vehicles come in and they go out right away.
Second times the charm?

After two years, a failed I.P.O., a plunging valuation and a pandemic that reset many workers relationships with the office, the co-working company WeWork will begin a new life today as a publicly traded company.

WeWork argues its a better company now. It has renegotiated or exited some 500 leases this year, saving over $400 million, according to its C.E.O., Sandeep Mathrani. And its deal to go public via a merger with a SPAC, BowX, will provide $1.3 billion in new capital.

It has significantly dialed back the ambitions of Adam Neumann, a founder and former C.E.O., who pitched WeWork as the future of  well, a lot of things. He spooked many inside and outside the company with what they viewed as reckless management before his ouster.

But WeWorks future remains murky. It is still burning cash as customers drop their membership fees in an era of remote working. SoftBank, the companys biggest backer, faces an uphill climb just to break even on its multibillion-dollar investment. Once valued at $47 billion, WeWork is expected to trade at a market cap of around $8 billion. I made a wrong decision, Masa Son, SoftBanks chief, said last year.
WASHINGTON  The United States reached an agreement on Thursday with Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Britain that will terminate the threat of American tariffs on certain goods from those countries in exchange for the eventual removal of digital services taxes that they had imposed on companies like Facebook, Amazon and Google.

The agreement comes as more than 130 countries agreed this month to an overhaul of the international tax system that will prompt nations to adopt a global minimum tax of 15 percent and change taxing rights so that large multinational corporations are taxed based on where their goods and services are sold, rather than where they operate.

The part of the agreement that applies to the large firms was a response to a global tax dispute between the United States and European countries, which in recent years imposed the digital services taxes targeted at American technology giants.

Through the deal reached on Thursday, Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Britain will remove their digital services taxes once that part of the global agreement, known as Pillar 1, is enacted. That is expected to occur sometime in 2023. Taxes that are collected from companies between now and then will be eligible for a credit.
SoftBank may be eager to recoup the $16 billion it has sunk into WeWork, a sum that combines nearly $11 billion of equity investments, $5 billion of debt financing and payments to Mr. Neumann.

I made a wrong decision, Masayoshi Son, SoftBanks chief executive, said last year. I didnt look at WeWork right. SoftBank has agreed to cap its voting power in the company below 50 percent. SoftBank and other investors have to wait several months before they can sell their shares.

The pandemic, which emptied office towers around the world, also crushed WeWorks business.

Traditional landlords survived because tenants were legally obliged to keep paying their yearslong leases, most of which remain in effect. But WeWorks customers were able to cancel their much shorter-term agreements as they expired. WeWorks revenue in the second quarter of this year was $593 million, well below the $988 million in revenue it reported for the first quarter of 2020, its peak quarter.

And this partly explains why the company is using up cash rather than generating it. In the first half of this year, WeWork consumed $1.31 billion of cash running its operations and purchasing property and equipment, more than the $1.15 billion in the same period of 2020.

Still, WeWork has made strides in cutting its operating expenses  and hopes it will become profitable if its revenue grows. Some of the biggest savings have come from renegotiating leases with landlords or getting out of them.

Sandeep Mathrani, WeWorks chief executive, said this month that the company had exited more than 150 full leases and done 350 lease amendments so far this year. What we did through the pandemic was correct the cost structure, right size the company, he said in an interview with CNBC on Thursday.

Perhaps the biggest question hanging over WeWork is whether it will suffer in the downturn that is pounding some of the biggest office space markets or find an opening in a work world reshaped by the pandemic.
It also gave him a deep knowledge of pop culture references, tracing the careers of stars through various gigs and appearances. Knowing what Diana Ross was wearing when she was on The Ed Sullivan Show and how that was effective for her career helps me in my career now, he said.

The Style Network and, more specifically, its coverage of Alexander McQueens fashion shows in the late 1990s are what spurred Mr. Wertss interest in fashion. I was like: What is going on here? How is this happening? he recalled. It was so different from anything I had ever seen in my entire life that I thought I was going to be in fashion show production, or work at an agency, but it was certainly going to be dealing with models.

First, he had to leave Detroit. Mr. Wertss mother died from an aneurysm in 2002, he said. I was like: Thats it. Im out of here. Ive got to start running. In early 2003, he ran to New York with $75 and crashed with a friend in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. On his first night in town, he went dancing at the club Plaid. He did the same thing the next night and was introduced to a sales associate at Patricia Field.

By day, Mr. Werts was a retail queen, he said. By night, he was duke of the clubs, hanging out with Sophia Lamar, Amanda Lepore, Drew Elliott, the Misshapes during a very specific time in New York nightlife lore.

I knew all of the kids turning that scene, Mr. Werts said. He loved holding court, so much so that he would have his taxi drop him off at the end of the line outside Mr. Black just so he could walk by everyone waiting along the velvet rope and give pleasantries. Like, Hi, hi, hi, oh my God, oh I cant wait to see you inside, he said. Then we would walk up to Connie Girl, who was this legendary model and door person, a muse of Mugler and a tough cookie at the door, and be let in.
And yet its in widespread use. In fact, there are hundreds of medications potentially being taken by pregnant women about which little is known, says Xiaobin Wang, a pediatrician and director of the Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There are so many questions about these drugs and pregnancy, she says, and so little data to provide definite answers.

In part this is because pregnant women have long been excluded from clinical trials for drugs that might be beneficial. A 2014 review published in Frontiers in Pediatrics found that from the late 1960s through August 2013, just 1.3 percent of clinical trials focusing on how drugs move through the body included pregnant participants. The consequences of this lack of research have been that those who are pregnant must take such medications anyway, but without any data to say what dose is safest and most likely to work  a significant deficit, given that pregnancy causes the body to metabolize drugs differently. If you dont do studies in pregnant and lactating women, rather than protecting pregnant women, youre going to provide care without any evidence to guide it, says Catherine Y. Spong, chief of the division of maternal fetal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. That may include relying on older medications with longer track records for which potential risks appear small  like acetaminophen  when newer ones could be safer and more effective.

Its not that we cannot do it, Spong adds. There are, after all, clear protocols for including pregnant participants in medical research. For example, they can be enrolled in clinical trials of new treatments if researchers do preliminary reproductive toxicology studies in animals. But for medications already in use, it has been harder to find the funding needed to study them (though there is legislation that provides financing and incentives for research to be done on childrens medicines). Simply put, those who are pregnant have been left without the same evidence-based treatment options available to other adults.

In the absence of better guidance or options, Kristensen and his colleagues say that women who need acetaminophen should keep taking it in consultation with a physician. (In fact, asking a doctor before taking any medication is already standard advice for pregnant women.) Their goal in publicizing their findings is to reach pregnant people, who, they say, surveys have shown may be taking the drug without being aware of its potential risk, or who are using it in an ongoing effort to manage conditions  like back pain or migraine  for which it is not very effective. In those cases, popping a few Tylenol and toughing it out over an extended period might come with more risk than previously realized while not necessarily resolving the users pain. The statements authors also hope to spur more research, and to persuade regulatory agencies, including the F.D.A., to review the existing literature.

But the question remains how best to respond to risks during pregnancy that  frustratingly and frighteningly  are complex and hard to quantify. It may be we never really have an answer, says Sarah Richardson, a professor of the history of science at Harvard. If we can never know, should we act on it? In this case, she argues no: If this is the bar for issuing precautionary action, we might find ourselves in a scenario where everything and anything is dangerous for pregnant women. Kristensen disagrees: I would rather be informed of potential risk than live in lack of knowledge. But, he adds, This is not a black-and-white discussion.

Kim Tingley is a contributing writer for the magazine.
Diane Weyermann, who oversaw the making of potent documentaries like An Inconvenient Truth, Citizenfour and Food Inc., and in so doing helped change the documentary world from an earnest and underfunded backwater of the movie industry into a vibrant must-see category, died on Oct. 14 at a hospice facility in Manhattan. She was 66.

Her sister Andrea Weyermann said the cause was lung cancer.

Diane was one of the most remarkable human beings I have ever known, said Al Gore, the former vice president and presidential candidate whose seemingly quixotic mission to educate the world about climate change through a decades-long traveling slide show became an unlikely hit film with an odd title, An Inconvenient Truth. She was enormously skilled at her craft and filled with empathy, he added, in a phone interview. It is not an exaggeration to say she really did change the world.

So did his movie. An Inconvenient Truth earned an Oscar in 2007, and Mr. Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize that same year, sharing it with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The film, which became one of the highest-earning documentaries ever made, was the second documentary made by the activist film company Participant, where Ms. Weyermann was a longtime executive, and hardly anyone in Hollywood thought it was a good idea. It was a movie about a slide show, after all.

When the filmmakers screened it for a major studio in hopes of getting distribution, some of the executives fell asleep. There was audible snoring, recalled Davis Guggenheim, the director, and when it was over, one of them said, No one is going to pay a babysitter so they can go to a theater and see this movie, but well help you make 10,000 CDs for free that you can give to science teachers.
1. The BBC The joy and the beauty of the BBC is that it provides this incredible service for so many different people. It has something for everyone. Its such an incredible institution, and its always under attack as well, which makes me even more kind of virulent in my defense of it. And its got the best news output of any platform in the world. Especially when I come to America, I realize how much I cherish the ability to have this impartial news.

2. Glastonbury Festival Its one of my favorite places on the planet. I think its the seminal festival experience, and I love that it doesnt feel that commercial or cynical. Theres a great charitable element running through it. I will always endeavor, no matter where I am in the world, to get back for Glastonbury. Even when I was filming Clifford, I managed to somehow wangle my way into getting onto a flight and going back for three days of Glastonbury, and I was just floating. I was ecstatic before, during and after.

3. Bob Newharts The Driving Instructor This was a recording that my dad played for me when I was younger. Its so funny, and it also has an added resonance for me because I cant drive and have had several driving instructors who I think have been pushed into a similar predicament as Bob Newharts character in that comedy sketch.

4. Looking up in London That was a piece of advice I think in an interview Id seen with Donald Sinden, the actor. He said that when walking through London, people never look up. London has this incredible architecture but people are always looking down, looking at each other, looking at shop fronts. The thing about London is that you can have a launderette and then look above it and its got this beautiful Regency architecture. But youve never really noticed it because we all live our lives at eye level.

5. A Thom Sweeney tailored suit I love Savile Row. I love wearing a well-cut suit, and I love the kind of fine tailoring that they do exquisitely well. I love going in to one of their stores and getting a drink plenty strong in a short glass. Then theres the sort of theater of it all  and having the suit fitted, and going back in a couple of times and discussing it, taking out the fabrics. I just love the whole ritual of it.
The subtle coming-of-age drama Minyan creates a version of 1980s New York where whole neighborhoods have built up around the grief thats carried by those who live there. The film observes as older Jewish men in Brooklyn recall rebuilding their lives after the Holocaust. In very different places of congregation, young gay men navigate death and persecution as a result of the AIDS epidemic. The hero of this film, David (Samuel H. Levine), is a novice in both worlds.

When the movie begins, David is a disaffected youth who starts fights at the Brighton Beach yeshiva his mother forces him to attend. Discomfort has made him a quiet, if beautiful young man with haunted, watchful eyes. When he lets his gaze wander, other men look back, and they invite.
Since starting at Fordham last year, Ms. Akter has taken on leadership roles in groups like the Commuting Students Association and the Deans Council, and she decided to change her major to economics. She hopes the degree will position her well for job opportunities and also help her better understand a world that she sees as revolving around money.

Ive always been interested in learning about how money works and how governments can help the impoverished, said Ms. Akter, who has witnessed wealth disparity firsthand. Its also personal because I feel like anytime I want to do something, the one obstacle is money.

Though she was able to secure funding for her education, and later an off-campus apartment, Ms. Akter is food insecure.

I dont have reliable, consistent meals every day, said Ms. Akter, who rarely eats more than twice a day.
But a trove of messages presented at the trial show just how easily Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman ingratiated themselves into Mr. Trumps orbit using campaign contributions and the promise of more to follow. Almost immediately, the messages suggest, they used their newfound proximity to power  and pictures with some of the biggest names in Trump world  as currency to advance their own business interests.

There is little doubt that Mr. Parnas genuinely wanted to help Republican candidates win elections. But the messages suggest he saw the campaign donations largely as a pathway to influence and political connections, and that he and Mr. Fruman used those connections to persuade Mr. Kukushkin and Andrey Muraviev, a Russian tycoon, to give them more money for more donations.

An indictment in the case charges Mr. Parnas and Mr. Kukushkin with conspiring to make political donations to two state candidates in Nevada using money from Mr. Muraviev. And Mr. Parnas lied about the source of a $325,000 donation to a pro-Trump super PAC, prosecutors have said.

But prosecutors have not said that any candidates knowingly accepted questionable donations from Mr. Parnas or Mr. Fruman. Adam Laxalt, who was running for governor of Nevada, testified that he became suspicious of a $10,000 donation in Mr. Frumans name and decided to send a check in that amount to the United States Treasury.

The messages, along with statements in court by witnesses, help explain how Mr. Parnas and his associates rose from relative obscurity to become sought-after political donors with ties to some of Mr. Trumps most prominent loyalists.
Melissa Elstein, the secretary of Stop the Chop, an organization seeking to limit helicopter flights, said that she had initially assumed the helicopters passing above Central Park and the Hudson and East rivers were police or military aircraft. She was outraged to learn that most are carrying sightseers.

Its insanity that this is happening over New York City, she said.

Ms. Elstein said that the sound also conjures traumatic memories for New Yorkers who remember the days after the Sept. 11 attacks. It puts us on high alert, she said.

Studies have also found that helicopter noise can be particularly irritating to the general public, and in a survey this year, the F.A.A. cited research showing that noise from aircraft provoked higher levels of annoyance than the same sound levels from sources on the ground.

Such noise is at the heart of disputes across the country over helicopter traffic, including the protracted fight to close the East Hampton Airport in Long Island, which also handles private jets. Neighbors say the problem has worsened in recent years after a boost in Uber-like services like Blade, which provides direct helicopter travel from Manhattan to East Hampton for about $800 a seat.

City residents who live near the Manhattan heliports have also complained about the noise from Blades flights. The companys chief executive, Rob Wiesenthal, said the company plans to switch to quieter electric aircraft but that it opposed closing the East Hampton Airport.

In Manhattan, Ms. Shub said that she no longer bothers calling 311 because the complaints had been fruitless.

And Mr. Thomas has become so aware of the sound of a passing helicopter that he cannot sleep through it.

Im more aware of the injustice, he said. And that wakes you up a little more fully than a passing ambulance.
She remains one of the bravest people of the 20th century, said Alexis Dudden, a history professor at the University of Connecticut who specializes in Korea-Japan relations. Kim Hak-soons initial statement propelled researchers to unearth documentary evidence to support her claims, which began the still-ongoing process of holding the Japanese government accountable for what the United Nations defines as a war crime and crime against humanity.

Kim Hak-soon was born on Oct. 20, 1924, in Jilin, in northeastern China, where her parents had migrated during Japans colonial rule of Korea. Her father died shortly after her birth. She and her mother returned to Korea, where her mother remarried.

When Kim was 15, she was adopted by another family, which enrolled her in a school for kisaeng, female entertainers who learned to sing, dance, play musical instruments and write poems to entertain upper-class men. After her graduation in 1941, her adoptive father took her and another adopted daughter to China to find them jobs. But shortly after they arrived in Beijing, Japanese soldiers detained them.

The two girls were taken by truck to a military unit with a red brick house attached to it. Kim was raped by a Japanese officer on the first night in that house, she said in The Korean Comfort Women Who Were Coercively Dragged Away for the Military, Vol. 1 (1993), a book of testimonies by former comfort women.

There were five Korean girls there, at least three of whom were teenagers. The soldiers guarded the house, supplied food and used the girls for sex, even when they had their periods. Once a week, a military doctor came to check them for venereal diseases. When Kim tried to run away or resist the soldiers, she was kicked and flogged.
To gain the needed leverage, we need to give China the prospect of a beneficial outcome  which for Beijing could start with developing what they would consider a more respectful partnership. U.S. officials often talk about increasing pressure on China, but sanctions and tariffs have not generally produced Chinese policy movement. What has produced movement is the prospect of a more stable and constructive relationship with the United States  a likely driver behind Mr. Trumps interim trade deal. Currently, the Chinese do not see this on the table.

Instead, the Biden administration has targeted everything from Chinese infrastructure projects in other countries to Chinese scientists in the United States  as though everything China does or makes is a potential Trojan horse sneaked inside of fortress America.

This approach doesnt just miss the mark on the Biden administrations signature claim to assess foreign policy priorities based on the benefits they bring to the American people. It also allows Beijing to dismiss our concerns as politicized. That risks our coming up empty on issues where negotiating leverage matters most. If the list of transgressions is limitless or there is no prospect of improvement, Beijing has no incentive to engage or alter its behavior.

Confronting China on a whole host of issues likewise makes it more difficult for others to align with our approach. Mr. Biden says he wants to work with our allies to shape Chinese behavior. But in pushing for a vague counter China effort, the administration failed to take into account that U.S. allies have their own priorities. Some wont raise human rights, others wont shun Chinese technology or join an anti-China security bloc. Some dont want to cut trade ties or contest the origin of the new coronavirus.

To gain the advantage of joint leverage, Mr. Biden has to recognize and give due weight to the concerns of allies and get true  not half-baked  agreement on the agenda with them first. This takes time, hard work and compromise.

With targeted joint pressure and the promise of a constructive U.S. approach, China will move. But it has also recently made clear that it sees no point in engaging if the United States insists on a zero-sum relationship. And the messaging from the White House does not leave much room for optimism.

The Biden administration has said that the era of engagement with China is over  that it seeks to prevail in strategic competition. The administration is building coalitions to deter and contain China militarily and issues frequent public critiques of Chinese actions. So unless something changes and more compelling incentives appear, I do not expect China to alter its behavior.
As of late September, 19 states had enacted 33 laws that will make it harder for their citizens to vote. The Republican National Committees election integrity director says the party will file lawsuits earlier and more aggressively than it did in 2020. Trump wannabe candidates like Glenn Youngkin, running for Virginia governor, are currying favor with the Republican base by promoting conspiracy theories suggesting that Virginias election may be rigged.

More alarmingly, Republicans in swing states are purging election officials, allowing pro-Trump partisans to sabotage vote counts. In January, an Arizona lawmaker introduced a bill that would permit Republican legislators to overrule the certification of elections that dont go their way. In Georgia, the legislature has given partisan election boards the power to slow down or block election certifications. Why bother with elections?

Democrats now face an opposition that is not a normal political party, but rather a party that is willing to sacrifice democratic institutions and norms to take power.

The legislation Democrats introduced in Congress to protect our democracy against such assaults would have taken an important step toward meeting these challenges. But on Wednesday, Republicans blocked the latest version of the legislation, and given the lack of unanimity among Democrats on the filibuster, Republicans may well have succeeded in killing the last hope for any federal voting rights legislation during this session of Congress.

Having underestimated Mr. Trump in the first place, Democrats shouldnt underestimate what it will take to counter his malign influence now. They need a bigger, bolder campaign blueprint to save democracy, one that doesnt hinge on the whims of Congress.

We should hear more directly from the White House bully pulpit about these dire threats. The Jan. 6 investigators should mount a full-court press to get the truth out. Funding voting rights litigation should be a top priority.

Where possible, Democrats should sponsor plebiscites to overturn anti-democratic laws passed by Republicans in states. They should underwrite super PACs to protect incumbent election officials being challenged by Trump loyalists, even if it means supporting reasonable Republicans. Donations should flow into key governor and secretary of state races, positions critical to election certification.
Whether the court should have ruled for these inmates on the merits of the issues they raised is a separate matter. My point here is simply that the court allowed the executions to go ahead without really bothering to consider the merits. Conservative justices often object when the court is asked at the last minute to stop an execution. Last-minute stays should be the extreme exception, not the norm, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a 2019 majority opinion rejecting a Missouri inmates claim that an underlying medical condition would make lethal injection so painful as to be unconstitutional. Mr. Ramirez, convicted in 2004 of committing murder in the course of a robbery, was scheduled to be executed on Sept. 8. His lawyers filed the application for a stay on Sept. 7, and the court granted it the next day.

He is not at this point contesting either his guilt or his death sentence. Rather, his case concerns what will happen in the execution chamber in the moments before his death by lethal injection. Texas permits the presence of a spiritual adviser of an inmates choice in the execution chamber. Mr. Ramirez wants more than his pastors simple presence. He claims both a statutory and constitutional right to his pastors touch and to audible song and prayer as the lethal drug is administered. In other words, whats different about this case, what made it stand out and what commended it to the Supreme Courts attention, is that its about religion.

As to why this is problematic, consider the context. On Sept. 1, a week before the court granted the stay in Ramirez v. Collier, the justices refused a request by Texas abortion providers for a temporary stay of the states vigilante abortion law. That refusal allowed the law to remain in effect, all but eliminating the availability of legal abortion in the countrys second-most-populous state.

Whats the point of linking these two seemingly unrelated actions? It is this: While abortion has been a constitutional right for nearly half a century, no court apparently has ever deemed a pastors touch and voice in the execution chamber to be required by any statute or constitutional provision. The same court that evinced no concern for whether the women of Texas could exercise a well-established constitutional right suddenly demonstrated exquisite concern for a purported right.

True, there is always a first time for everything, and in fact, some states, as well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons, do permit prayer and the laying on of hands as a matter of policy. The federal government informed the court in its brief that during the recent string of executions, at least six religious advisers spoke or prayed audibly with inmates, and there was some brief physical contact. Texas itself, which has carried out more than 500 executions by lethal injection, permitted both touch and prayer during the many years when it employed prison chaplains.
In the realm of real estate dreams, 2020 and 2021 have been years like no others. Hungry for escape from the pandemic, who among us hasnt fantasized about vacation homes, retirement or investment properties tucked among tropical flora or looking out on pristine ski slopes?

According to a recent study, prospective home buyers in the United States are looking hard at locations in North, South and Central America. By examining real estate-related words and phrases used in internet searches in the 50 U.S. states, Point2, a Canadian company that studies property trends, was able to rank the popularity of destinations in the Americas. Three reports, completed in 2015, 2018 and 2021, each examined a year of searches (the latest covering the year ending Sept. 10, 2021), and revealed some changes over time, but mostly steady interest in particular areas.

Mexico was the most searched destination in 2021 and 2018, rising from fourth place in 2015. It makes sense, given its proximity, low cost of living and warm climate. Its important to note, though, that mortgages are difficult to obtain in Mexico, and nearly all sales are handled in cash. Foreign buyers also face some restrictions when buying in proximity of a coast or border, with transactions in those areas completed through a Mexican bank trust or a Mexican corporation with the help of a lawyer.

Canada ranked second this year and in 2018, rising from seventh place in 2015, the greatest movement among all destinations in the top 20 since 2015. Foreign buyers currently face a few restrictions in Canada, and more may be on the way: Recently re-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to ban foreign buyers for two years in an effort to cool rising prices set off by the pandemic.
The National Institutes of Health said on Wednesday that a nonprofit group under fire from some congressional Republicans for its research collaborations in China had failed to promptly report findings from studies on how well bat coronaviruses grow in mice.

In a letter to Representative James Comer, Republican of Kentucky, the N.I.H. said that the group, EcoHealth Alliance, had five days to submit all unpublished data from work conducted under a multiyear grant it was given in 2014 for the research. The organizations grant was canceled in 2020 under President Donald J. Trumps administration during his feud with China over the origins of the coronavirus.

In recent months, N.I.H. officials have rejected claims  sometimes in heated exchanges with congressional Republicans  that coronaviruses studied with federal funding might have produced the pandemic. Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the N.I.H., released a statement Wednesday night reiterating that rebuttal.

Naturally occurring bat coronaviruses studied under the N.I.H. grant are genetically far distant from SARS-CoV-2 and could not possibly have caused the Covid-19 pandemic, he said in the statement. Any claims to the contrary are demonstrably false.
For more than 50 years, the giant fossilized footprints have been one of the most tantalizing finds in Australian paleontology.

At the time of their discovery, scientists believed the three birdlike tracks had been made 200 million to 250 million years ago by a two-legged predator. The tracks were the first evidence that dinosaurs roamed Australia in the Triassic, when the creatures first appeared on the planet.

By 2003, some paleontologists even suspected that the footprints represented the worlds earliest evidence of a giant carnivorous dinosaur, one that may have stood up to 6- feet high at the hip.

But new analysis has brought down this Australian idol. The tracks belonged to a smaller, meeker herbivore no taller than a person, not a ferocious giant carnivore, scientists said in a paper published Thursday in the journal Historical Biology.
The team sequenced the genomes of 11 tuskless females and seven with tusks, looking for differences between the groups. They also searched for places in the genome showing the signature of recent natural selection without the random DNA reshuffling that happens over time. They found two genes that seemed to be at play.

Both genes help to build teeth. The one that best explains the patterns scientists saw in nature is called AMELX, and is on the X chromosome, as the team expected. That gene is also involved in a rare human syndrome that can cause tiny or malformed teeth. AMELX is adjacent to other crucial genes whose absence from the X chromosome can kill males. In the elephant genome, We dont know what the exact changes are causing this loss of tusks, in either one of those genes, Dr. Campbell-Staton says. Thats one of the things the researchers hope to figure out next.

They also want to learn what life is like for a tuskless elephant. Elephants normally use their tusks to strip tree bark for food, dig holes for water and defend themselves. If you dont have this key tool, how do you have to adjust your behavior in order to compensate? Dr. Campbell-Staton said.

And the rise of tusklessness may affect not just individual elephants, but the population as a whole, Dr. Campbell-Staton said, since fewer males are being born.

I think its a very elegant study, said Fanie Pelletier, a population biologist at the Universite de Sherbrooke in Quebec who was not involved in the research but wrote an accompanying article in Science. Its a very complete story as well. All the pieces are there, she said.

In her own research, Dr. Pelletier has studied bighorn sheep in Canada. As trophy hunters targeted the males with the biggest horns, the sheep evolved to have smaller horns.

The change in sheep is subtle, she said, unlike the elephants total loss of tusks. And the elephants genetic change has actually compounded their problems, Dr. Pelletier said. Even if poaching stopped tomorrow, tusklessness would keep indirectly killing males, and it could take a long time for the frequency of this trait to drop to normal levels.
OnlyFans has a surprising new member: the Vienna Tourist Board.

No, its account will not feature after-hours photos of employees. Instead, the board will use the adults-only site to show images of paintings and sculptures displayed in the Austrian capital that have been blocked by social media sites for nudity or sexual content.

The offending artworks include the Venus of Willendorf, a 25,000-year-old limestone figurine of a woman. Facebook removed a photo of it from the Vienna Museum of Natural Historys page several years ago for being pornographic.

Theres also Liebespaar, Koloman Mosers early 20th-century painting, which the Leopold Museum included in a video post celebrating its anniversary in September. The video, which was blocked by the algorithms of Instagram and Facebook, is a combination of details of the work and written feelings that are evoked by the painting, said Christine Kociu, the museums social media manager. It shows a nude couple embracing. Its actually sweet.

Though nudity is generally not allowed on Instagram and Facebook, the platforms make some exceptions.
The fashion photographer Mert Alas, one half of the duo Mert and Marcus, has had a love-hate relationship with gin. Ive been a gin drinker for many years, he says, and I love a martini. But I would always complain about the ingredients. So he decided to make his own, employing exotic botanicals like wild ivy from Albania, damask rose from Turkey and the Queen of the Night orchid cactus, which blooms for only a few hours once a year. Whereas most gin producers mash the botanicals together and only then mix them with a neutral spirit, Alas, inspired by the techniques of perfume makers, distilled each element individually before blending them. The result of such exacting craft is the eau de nuit Seventy One  a reference to the number of days the gin needs to mature in oak casks before being bottled  a delicate amber-colored mix of floral, peat and citrus flavors. $190, seventyonegin.com.

shop This

Raising Their Game
Tucked in four plastic tubs in a tent by a Staten Island bus stop are stacks of cards with valuable autographs: the signatures of more than 1,700 hourly Amazon workers.

I, the undersigned, authorize the Amazon Labor Union to represent me for the purpose of collective bargaining, the cards read.

The commitments are the results of six months of organizing at Amazons only fulfillment center in New York City. The organizers expect to have several hundred more by Monday, when they plan to file for a union election.

If the National Labor Relations Board validates their request, it could bring the second unionization vote at an Amazon warehouse in less than a year. In April, Amazon defeated a union election at its warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., in what was the gravest union threat the company had faced in its history. The workers effort attracted national attention, including visits from Senator Bernie Sanders and a tacit nod of support from President Biden.
BROADNAX The connections between each of the characters have changed. We discovered, for instance, how Love and Lust connected with each other. You now have all of these aha moments to see how they are all interconnected.

Do you think the piece would look or feel different if you had opened on Broadway directly from Baltimore, which was the plan before the shutdown?

SCOTT As Steve says all the time, everything happens in divine order. I think the show would have been just as great. But it would have been different.

BRIAN MORELAND After Baltimore, Keenan went through a private workshop with himself, writing.

SCOTT We moved to Baltimore so quick after Syracuse. I was taking notes, and there were certain things that just couldnt be implemented quick enough. So thats when I went into that private workshop. And then Covid happened, and we had all the time in the world.

When I saw it in Syracuse, there were also two women in the cast. What happened to them?

BROADNAX We discovered that this was a story, and a space, for these Black men. The women are still very much a part of their worlds. They are there in media; they are there in spirit; they are there in language. But we thought this was a space for the men.

MORELAND You go out of town so you can have a safe space to experiment. In addition to the female dancers, there was also a D.J. who was originally part of the production. All of these elements kept evolving and changing.

McCLENDON Music and movement and media are all super important in terms of this play, but the star of this play is the text. And anything that in any way upstaged the text  including the actors  had to take its rightful place on the periphery. For me, in both Syracuse and Baltimore, the discovery about the women came from women in the audience. They felt it was a story really about men.
The poet Ashley M. Jones wants far more than financial reparations to compensate for centuries of slavery and its legacies  though she would take a check. To her, true reparations require an enormous cultural evolution.

You think money can ever repay what you stole? she asks in her third poetry collection, Reparations Now!, which was published in September. Give me land, give me all the blood you ripped out of our backs, our veins.

Give me the songs you said were yours but you know came out of our lips first, she writes shortly after. Give me back Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X and Medgar Evers. Give me back the beauty of my hair. The swell of my hips. The big of my lips. Give me back the whole Atlantic Ocean. Give me a never-ending blue. And a mule.

Ms. Jones, a native of Birmingham, was recently named Alabamas poet laureate, a position she will hold from 2022 to 2026. She is the first Black person and, at 31, the youngest person to have the title in the 91 years Alabama has named a poet laureate, a notable moment in the history of a state that is still grappling with its history of white supremacy and recently banned the teaching of critical race theory, which argues that historical patterns of racism are ingrained in American law and other modern institutions.
Two Chicago police officers were shot and injured  apparently by one bullet  on Wednesday night after a third officer accidentally discharged his handgun during a struggle with a man while investigating a homicide, officials said.

The officer fired his weapon once, and one officer was struck in the arm and another in the shoulder, David Brown, superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, said during a news conference.

It was likely a through and through for one officer into another officer, Superintendent Brown said. The officer who fired his weapon was not injured, the superintendent said, adding, Obviously its very traumatic to have accidentally have this happen.

The three officers were not immediately identified. The injured ones were taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Ill., a small city just outside Chicago, and they seem to be in decent, good condition, the superintendent said.
What do you think are the most important trends in Covid in the coming year?

I think the most important thing  and consequently the thing that Im going to write about the most  is going to be access. Access to treatment and vaccines are the issues that are fundamentally going to shape how this looks in Zimbabwe, but also for the rest of us.

It was a brutal but obvious fact, when I was covering Africas AIDS crisis, that millions of people might die and it wouldnt have a huge impact on readers in North America. But what we already know about the coronavirus is that there is a very real possibility that you could have totally vaccine-resistant variants emerge, if most people on earth are not vaccinated or given access to treatment when they are first infected.

What are you most worried about when it comes to the pandemic?

I think the antivirals and the excess of vaccine supply in developed countries will make things start to look and feel very different there soon. And I think that those of us in the global north are going to be justifiably very eager to stop talking and thinking about it.

But the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, has vaccinated fewer than 1 percent of its people. And I fear that the rest of us are not going to want to hear about that, and we are not going do to the things that we might need to do to make it different.

What do you want to cover when the pandemic wanes?

All the really important public health questions that we havent paid attention to because of the pandemic. There may be some positive outcomes. It would be really exciting if the mRNA vaccine technology could make a big difference for malaria or tuberculosis. And Im really interested to see what the impact of the pandemic is on H.I.V.

But there will also be a lot of grim stuff. The pandemic is going to leave a lot of fissures in society that will affect peoples lives and consequently their health and their communities. And I think its going to be years before we really figure it out.
From the beginning, the Gerrish and Chung families have been our top priority, the sheriff said. Our office received an overwhelming number of tips, suggestions and investigative requests that were all reviewed and taken into consideration. Were confident of our findings.

The family had completed most of an eight-mile trail loop, but was overcome by the heat, steep terrain and a lack of shade, according to the sheriff, who said that temperatures had ranged from 107 to 109 degrees on the afternoon that they had been hiking. There was no cellphone service for the family, who had been carrying snacks and baby formula, to call for help, the sheriff said.

In a statement issued on Thursday through the sheriffs office, the family of Ms. Chung and Mr. Gerrish thanked investigators and said that losing so many loved ones was indescribable.

When that pain is then further impacted by the lack of knowledge and certainty as to the reasons for their deaths, then the questions of why, of where, of when and of how, fill your mind all of the days and all of the nights, the family said. Some questions have been answered and we will use the information as a way of helping us come to terms with the situation, however the question why can never be answered and will remain with us.

The circumstances that preceded the family members deaths had mystified investigators, who had said that there were no signs of trauma or foul play. Initial autopsy results were inconclusive. On Thursday, Sheriff Briese said that toxicology results came back negative for drugs.
All Times Local

8:30 a.m.

In the Appalachian foothills of Aroda, Va., the staff of Mountain View Nursing Home gathers to pray.

The nursing home is a 40-bed residence run largely by volunteers and sponsored by Oak Grove Mennonite Church, a congregation in the Beachy Amish tradition, which among Amish communities tends to be more accepting of modern conveniences such as electricity and vehicles. There are about 13,000 Beachy Amish in 200 churches in the United States and Canada, according to a research website about the group.

Ryan Hoover, 38, the administrator of the home, remembered the shooting at West Nickel Mines, an Amish school in Pennsylvania, 15 years ago, when five girls were killed execution style.

The entire world sat up and took notice of this group of Amish and their ability to forgive injustice, he said. God has the ability to redeem this situation in ways we cannot fathom.

9:30 a.m.

In the Uncompahgre Valley on the western slope of Colorado, the congregation of Sunnyview Mennonite Fellowship steps in.

Arlin Geigley, a pastor at the church, spent several weeks in Haiti in 2019; he still knows people there, and the kidnapping feels personal. On Sunday, the morning after the kidnapping, when men and women typically separate for Sunday school sessions involving teaching and discussion, both groups broke format to spend almost the entire session in prayer for the kidnapped. The men sat in a circle in the church sanctuary, bowing their heads.

Our lives here can be taken, but we want it to have the effect of bringing people to Christ, Mr. Geigley said.
Mohamed Noor, a former Minneapolis police officer who in 2017 killed a woman who had called for help, was resentenced on Thursday to four years and nine months in prison for manslaughter, a reduction of more than seven years from his earlier sentence after the states highest court vacated his murder conviction.

When jurors convicted Mr. Noor of third-degree murder in Justine Ruszczyks death, it was held up as a rare example of an American police officer facing significant consequences for an unjustified shooting. A judge sentenced him to more than 12 years in prison.

But when the Minnesota Supreme Court threw out that murder conviction last month, while leaving in place a second-degree manslaughter conviction, the case underscored the challenges in prosecuting officers.

In announcing the new prison term for Mr. Noor  which was below the 10-year maximum but at the high end of state sentencing guidelines  Judge Kathryn L. Quaintance alluded to the 2020 murder of George Floyd and the continuing distrust between many residents and officers.
The report made a series of broad recommendations; however; it avoided the type of policy prescriptions that environmental groups and progressive Democrats have been demanding from the Biden administration. For instance, it did not recommend that banks be subjected to tougher rules such as assessing their ability to withstand climate-related losses, new capital requirements or curbs on extending financing to fossil fuel companies.

Nor did it include specific timelines or other milestones that it wants financial regulatory agencies to meet.

The report did recommend the formation of a financial risk committee, more rigorous analysis of the effects of climate change on the insurance industry and greater coordination with climate experts to better understand the economic and financial impact of the emerging threat.

The council did say it supports work that the Securities and Exchange Commission is doing to develop rules that could require companies to disclose how climate change risks could affect their operations or earnings. It added that regulators should review whether to require banks to report more information about their climate-related risks. The council includes the leaders of the S.E.C., the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators.

The Biden administration has previously said climate change is an existential crisis, but large portions of its climate agenda remain stalled in Congress. Environmental groups have argued that the Biden administration is not acting quickly or ambitiously enough after four years during which the Trump administration dismissed the threat of climate change and rolled back environmental safeguards.

Some environmental groups have suggested that the recommendations were scaled back because Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen, the councils chair, was seeking a consensus document that would be acceptable to all members. Two members  Jerome H. Powell from the Fed and Jelena McWilliams from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation  were appointed to lead their agencies by former President Donald J. Trump. Ms. McWilliams was the lone member of the council who abstained from voting to endorse the report on Thursday.
Two regional Fed presidents ultimately resigned after disclosures of trades of stock and real estate securities from last year spurred criticisms of the central banks ethics rules and practices. Questions have also been raised about index fund trades made by Richard H. Clarida, the Feds vice chair, in February, before the email was sent, and by Mr. Powell in October, long after the Feds market interventions had been unveiled and implemented.

Mr. Powell has ordered a revamp of the Feds ethics rules and has asked for an investigation by an independent watchdog. Ethics and Fed scholars have suggested his and Mr. Claridas trades were less questionable than the ones happening at regional central bank branches. Even so, the fallout has become a potentially potent political weapon for some progressives who would prefer that the White House does not reappoint Mr. Powell when his term expires early next year.

Ms. Warren previously had stated her opposition to keeping Mr. Powell in his role based on his track record with financial regulation, at one point calling him a dangerous man to have at the Fed.

The Fed has not released this email or any other ethics advice given to Fed officials during the time period when it was heavily involved in financial markets in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms. Warren wrote in the letter Thursday.
Democrats and Republicans largely ignored his overview and focused instead on issues that could resonate in next years midterm elections, including investigations into actions of former President Donald J. Trump and the role of race and other contentious topics in school curriculums.

Mr. Garland was confronted by Republicans about his position that the Justice Department would respond to violence and threats of violence directed at school board members who have come under fire amid the national debate over school curriculum.

Republicans roundly attacked him over a memo that he issued this month that said the department would respond to the disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers and staff in public schools by prosecuting those crimes when appropriate.

Some Republican lawmakers noted that Mr. Garland issued the memo soon after public school leaders asked Mr. Biden to address safety issues that had arisen amid the fight over how to teach students about racial inequality and injustice, suggesting that the timing of the memo seemed to have been directed by the White House.

Mr. Garland said he had not issued the memo at the behest of Mr. Biden.

Other Republicans said the memo had the effect of intimidating parents who expressed concerns about schools and asked whether Mr. Garland intended to deploy the F.B.I. to school board meetings.
Kristin Davison, a senior strategist for the Youngkin campaign, rejected the notion that Youngkin was sending supporters mixed messages about early voting through his emphasis on election security.

Glenn has been consistent the entire way through that the best way to ensure a safe and fair election is to go and be a voter, Davison said.

As of Wednesday, 515,000 Virginians had voted early, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, drawing on state Elections Department data.

Virginia voters dont register by party, but the Democratic data firm TargetSmart, using demographic information, has modeled the early voters. It estimates that 55.4 percent of early ballots have been cast by Democrats, 30.1 percent by Republicans and 14.4 percent by independents.

The overall early voting total is 31 percent of early votes cast in the same period in 2020. Even though off-year turnout is bound to drop off from a presidential year, the Youngkin campaign maintained that it was an ominous sign for Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic nominee, showing low enthusiasm from his supporters.

Republicans typically dont win the early vote, Davison said. If Terry were in place to win, turnout would be at least 10 points higher.

McAuliffes campaign dismissed that analysis. It argued that there were important differences between early voting this year and last year, when the pandemic drove up the use of mail ballots. Last year was the first time Virginia offered no-excuse absentee voting; in 2021, the McAuliffe campaign said, Virginia voters are returning to what they are used to, namely Election Day voting.
WASHINGTON  A prominent Washington lobbyist close to Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, is warning Republican political consultants that they must choose between working for Representative Liz Cheney or Mr. McCarthy, an ultimatum that marks the full rupture between the two House Republicans.

Jeff Miller, the lobbyist and a confidant of Mr. McCarthys dating to their youthful days in California politics, has conveyed this us-or-her message to Republican strategists in recent weeks, prompting one fund-raising firm to disassociate itself from Ms. Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming.

In response, The Morning Group, a fund-raising firm she hired to help prepare for a primary next year against a challenger endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump, informed her last month they could no longer work on her campaign, according to Republicans familiar with the matter.

Mr. Millers warnings illustrate the disintegration of the relationship between the two lawmakers, who began this year serving together in the House Republican leadership. They also underline Mr. McCarthys willingness to wield his leadership position to undercut Ms. Cheneys re-election and head off an impediment to his claiming the speakership, should Republicans win a House majority next year. Were Ms. Cheney to return to Congress, she would loom as a potential instigator of any effort to block Mr. McCarthy from leading their party in the House.
One of the Washington prosecutors is Todd Gee, a deputy chief of the Public Integrity Section, which is part of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. The section, which oversees public corruption cases, is involved in nearly all major criminal investigations into alleged misconduct by federal, state and local officials.

Mr. Gee served as one of the lead prosecutors in the successful conviction in 2020 of a former Navy commander at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who covered up a fight with a commissary worker who was found dead in the bay.

He also worked as the chief counsel to Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee during the George W. Bush administration.

During a congressional hearing on Thursday, Mr. Gaetz asked Attorney General Merrick B. Garland whether the department imposed any special vetting processes before it hired former lobbyists or former congressional staffers to work as federal prosecutors, specifically in the Public Integrity Section.

Is there any prohibition against people whove been lobbyists, partisan committee staff or political consultants actually going in and serving in the Public Integrity Section, or is that allowed? Mr. Gaetz asked. He later added, If someone has been a political operative, to then put them in charge of election crimes, its kind of like having the fox guard the henhouse.

Mr. Garland noted that it was against Justice Department policy to consider a persons political affiliations or views during the hiring process for career civil servants.

There is a requirement that, once somebody becomes a prosecutor, just like when somebody becomes a judge, that they get rid of whatever preconceptions they had before, Mr. Garland said.
Democrats were out desperately trying to help her win the seat, and now we feel like, what was it for? Sylvia Gonzalez Andersh, one of the veterans who signed the letter, said in an interview. Nobody knows what she is thinking because she doesnt tell anybody anything. Its very sad to think that someone who you worked for that hard to get elected is not even willing to listen.

Ms. Andersh is featured in the advertisement reading aloud the resignation letter, with its harsh assessments of Ms. Sinema. Common Defense, which in recent weeks placed a seven-figure ad buy to pressure Ms. Sinema to support the reconciliation bill, said it would invest another seven figures to aid the new spot.

Ms. Sinema said in a statement that she would always remain grateful for these individuals service to our nation, and had valued their input to her work.

While it is unfortunate that apparent disagreement on separate policy issues has led to this decision, she said, I thank them for their service and will continue working every day to deliver for Arizonas veterans who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe and secure.

A spokeswoman for Ms. Sinema said the senator and her team had engaged in many policy discussions with members of the advisory council on a number of issues, including those related to veterans.

Ms. Sinema has come under mounting pressure in recent weeks. She has been mobbed at airports and followed into a restroom by progressive activists who say she is blocking once-in-a-generation change and refusing to meet with them to explain why.

Ms. Sinema condemned the bathroom encounter as wholly inappropriate and suggested that it was, at least in part, a result of the heated debate that has surrounded Mr. Bidens agenda. But she has not found a chorus of defenders from her own party. Top Senate Democrats failed to reach agreement on a statement of outrage on her behalf.
WASHINGTON  Texas attorney general urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to leave the states restrictive abortion law in place, saying that the federal government was not entitled to challenge it.

If the justices are nonetheless inclined to hear the Justice Departments request that they block the law while legal challenges proceed, wrote Ken Paxton, the states attorney general, they should use the case to overrule Roe v. Wade and to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion.

The state law, which has been in effect since Sept. 1, bans most abortions after six weeks and makes no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Abortion clinics in Texas have largely stopped performing the procedure, requiring women seeking abortions to travel out of state.

The law, known as Senate Bill 8, was intended to evade review in federal court. It barred state officials from enforcing the law and deputized private individuals to sue anyone who performed an abortion or assisted with it in any way, including by providing counseling, financial assistance or a ride to the clinic.
Im appalled by those who did nothing to help this woman, Timothy Bernhardt, the superintendent of the Upper Darby Township Police Department, said on Sunday. Anybody that was on that train has to look in the mirror and ask why they didnt intervene or why they didnt do something.

But on Thursday, with Mr. Bernhardt standing at his side, Mr. Stollsteimer described that narrative as misinformation that was scaring off potential witnesses. He emphasized that there was no law in Pennsylvania that would allow the prosecution of witnesses for failure to intervene, and further argued that it was a mischaracterization of what had happened.

People in this region are not in my experience, so inhuman  callous human beings that theyre going to sit there and just watch this happen, said Mr. Stollsteimer, whose father worked for SEPTA, as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is called, and was once the supervisor of the terminal where Mr. Ngoy was arrested.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Mr. Ngoy boarded the train at 9:16 p.m. and sat down next to the victim, who had just boarded as well. Within minutes, the affidavit said, he began trying to grope her as she continuously pushed him away. The affidavit is vague about what took place over the next half-hour, but says that at 9:52 p.m., Mr. Ngoy removed the victims pants and his own and began raping her. A transit officer came into the car about six minutes later and pulled Mr. Ngoy off the victim, who was taken to a hospital.

Officials have said there were about 10 people in the car when the rape occurred. It was unclear whether the victim made signals of distress that could be seen or heard by others; among the charges Mr. Ngoy is facing are counts of raping an unconscious person. The district attorney declined to characterize the circumstances of the crime but did say it was not necessarily true that any one person whos getting on the train is going to know exactly whats going on. This was why, he went on, the authorities were seeking more witnesses.
In at least two cases, the organization highlighted the involvement of members of Mr. Moises government.

None have resulted in arrests or robust investigations by the police, according to Rosy Auguste Ducena, the networks program director. Nor have any police officers been penalized over allegations of their involvement.

Thats why we say the violence that is established in Haiti today is a violence of the state, she said.

A senior official in the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was tapped by Mr. Moise and took over the nation in July, said Mr. Henry had no link to the abuses the previous administration is accused of facilitating. To the contrary, the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said Mr. Henry, a doctor, was brought in to clean up the mess in Haiti, and has pledged to bring justice for past massacres and make every effort to eliminate the gangs.

At the center of the allegations are Mr. Cherizier and the alliance of nine gangs he leads, known as the G9 in Family and Allies coalition. But the intellectual architect of the massacre in 2018 was Joseph Pierre Richard Duplan, an elected member of the presidents party who provided weapons to gang members, the Treasury Department said last December.

Witnesses described seeing Mr. Duplan admonishing gang members during the attack, a United Nations report stated, saying, You killed too many people. That wasnt your assignment.
The leader of the Haitian gang that is holding 17 people associated with an American missionary group has threatened to kill the hostages if its ransom demands are not met, according to two people present when the threat was made and captured in a video recording.

I prefer that thunder burns me, if I dont get what I need. You see those Americans, I will prefer to kill them and I will unload a big weapon to each of their heads, the leader of the gang known as 400 Mawozo, Wilson Joseph, said in the video. I mean what I said, thats it.

Mr. Joseph was speaking to a crowd of hundreds of gang members in the open, on the streets of Croix-des-Bouquet, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haitis capital, according to two people present when the remarks were made. The brazenness of the remarks, made in public at a large gathering as American officials were working with their Haitian counterparts to free the hostages, underscores the growing clout and confidence of Haitis gangs, which control much of the capital.

The threat was contained in a video circulating on Thursday in Haiti, where 16 Americans and one Canadian working with the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries were abducted on Saturday. It emerged as the F.B.I. and the State Department worked to secure the release of the hostages, five of whom are children.
More than 200 female judges remain in Afghanistan, many of them under threat and in hiding, according to the International Association of Women Judges. Taliban officials have recovered their personal information from court records, several former judges said, and some have had their bank accounts frozen.

They are women who had the effrontery to sit in judgment on men, said Susan Glazebrook, president of the judges association and a justice of the Supreme Court in New Zealand.

The women judges of Afghanistan are under threat for applying the law, she added. They are under threat because they have made rulings in favor of women according to law in family violence, custody and divorce cases.

The plight of female judges and lawyers is one more example of the Talibans systematic unraveling of gains made by women over the past two decades. Female judges and lawyers have left the courts under Taliban pressure, abruptly erasing one of the signal achievements of the United States and allied nations since 2001.

The women have not only lost their jobs, but also live in a state of perpetual fear that they or their loved ones could be tracked down and killed.
Nor does it include Australias expansion of natural gas. The government plans to open at least five new gas fields, including the giant Beetaloo Basin project in the Northern Territory, which has been granted subsidies of around $170 million. The tax breaks given to the fossil fuel industry last year alone were worth more than what Australia spends on its army  and the federal resources minister, Keith Pitt, said this month that the government should spend even more to protect coal and gas.

Critics argue that its all the product of a warped political and media culture that has spent decades doing the industrys bidding while deceiving the public, exaggerating coal employment and understating the need to reverse course. Federal elections are often won or lost in the coal areas of Queensland, and with another contest due next year, the coalition governments junior partner, the National Party, which represents regional areas, is playing a familiar hand.

For at least 10 years, theyve been telling people that climate change is rubbish, that it doesnt exist, that we can continue digging up and burning coal forever and a day, said Zali Steggall, an independent member of Parliament who unseated a former prime minister, Tony Abbott, in 2019 with a campaign focused on climate. They have a difficult job now in turning around to those communities and saying we were wrong or misleading you and we need to do this.

Richie Merzian, the climate and energy director at the Australia Institute, a progressive research organization, said the task was made more difficult by the very strong connection between the fossil fuel lobby and Australias government.
Bulgaria began requiring residents to show proof of vaccination to eat at restaurants, attend movie theaters and enter shopping malls starting Thursday, as its government struggles with a wave of cases and vaccine hesitancy.

The country has the lowest vaccination rate of any European Union member, with about a quarter of adults fully vaccinated. On Tuesday, it reported a record number of new daily cases and 200 deaths linked to the coronavirus.

The situation is critical, the interim health minister, Dr. Stoycho Katsarov, said in a television interview on Wednesday. The nation is facing tremendous hardship and most people cannot even reckon the scale of the calamity.

He announced the tightened restrictions on Tuesday, after weeks of calls by public health officials for tighter measures.
LONDON  Queen Elizabeth II entered the hospital on Wednesday afternoon for tests and was discharged on Thursday, a day after Buckingham Palace announced she would cancel a visit to Northern Ireland on the advice of her doctors.

The palace, which provided no further details on her condition or the nature of the tests, confirmed the hospital visit on Thursday evening, after a report about it appeared in The Sun, a British tabloid. On Wednesday, the palace said she reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days.

In the latest statement, a spokesman for Buckingham Palace said, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits.

People with ties to the palace said the decision to cancel the Northern Ireland trip was prompted by concerns that the queen, 95, was exhausted after a hectic series of public events, including a reception for business people, including Bill Gates, at Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening.
Mr. Amess, a Conservative Party lawmaker who represented part of Southend, a town in the county of Essex, was meeting with constituents at a church in the Leigh-on-Sea neighborhood at the time of the attack. Members of the local community have been shocked by the brazen public killing in their seaside town.

I want to send my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Sir David Amess, who died so tragically last Friday, Matt Jukes, the Metropolitan Polices assistant commissioner for specialist operations, said in the statement. Sir Davids dedication to his family, his constituents and his community, and his positive impact on the lives of so many has shone through.

The police said they were still building their case and urged members of the public who had further information on the attack to come forward. They said there were no other suspects at this time.

Mr. Ali, a British citizen of Somali heritage, is the son of a former adviser to a previous Somali prime minister, Harbi Ali Kullane. In an interview with The Times of London earlier this week Mr. Kullane expressed shock at his sons arrest.

Its not something that I expected or even dreamt of, he said.

The killing shook not just the community where Mr. Amess had been a lawmaker for decades but the country as a whole. On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and lawmakers from across the political spectrum paid tribute to Mr. Amess in speeches in Parliament. Mr. Johnson called him a patriot who believed passionately in this country, in its people, in its future.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  The Syrian government has executed 24 people and sentenced 11 others to life in prison with hard labor for lighting wildfires that burned across the countrys northwest last year, the Syrian justice ministry announced in a statement on Facebook on Thursday.

The people convicted were accused not of arson but of terrorism, the government said, because their actions caused death, as well as extensive damage to infrastructure, private and public property, farmland and forests.

The harshness of the sentences, which were imposed on Wednesday, shocked even human rights campaigners who have tracked the brutality of the countrys 10-year civil war. During that time, the government of President Bashar al-Assad has bombed Syrias own cities, imposed suffocating sieges on rebellious communities and disappeared an unknown number of people into its prisons.

The idea that 24 people were executed in relation to wildfires just smacks of the farce that Bashar al-Assad has made of the justice system over the last decade, said Sara Kayyali, a Syria researcher with Human Rights Watch.
As a child growing up in Rego Park, Queens, Allison Small would gaze toward Manhattan and dream of owning a home there. Later, during college at Binghamton University and law school at Hofstra, the dream persisted.

Every time I would drive over the Whitestone Bridge, she said, Id turn toward the city skyline and say, One day.

A few years ago, Ms. Small, now 34, moved into a Yorkville rental, paying $2,400 for a one-bedroom in a walk-up building. The subway commute to her office in the financial district  she works in human resources for a bank  was 45 minutes, an improvement over the 90-minute commute via two subways from her previous Queens apartment.

Last year, she got serious about buying a place and started looking at areas not too far north on the East Side. But with a budget of up to $550,000 for a co-op, she found she could afford no more than a tiny studio.

I didnt want to put down that kind of money if I wasnt in love with the place, she said.

[We are casting for a new real estate docuseries following the journey of Gen-Z and Millennial home buyers in New York. If you are actively looking at homes or apartments for sale now through the end of 2021 in the New York metro area, contact us at: thehunttv@nytimes.com.]

Then, to her surprise, Ms. Smalls grandmother left her an inheritance, and she was able to raise her budget to $625,000. I was her only grandchild, she said. She knew I wanted to buy a place.

With her new limit set, she contacted Joshua S. Garay, at Garay Real Estate, for help. For a nice alcove studio, Allison was in the right price point, Mr. Garay said.

He suggested apartments near Beekman Place, in the East 50s, but Ms. Small found the surroundings too commercial. An available one-bedroom there  a full 800 square feet for $500,000, with monthly maintenance of around $1,500  was on a low floor, dim and dungeon-like even with the lights on. They headed south.

We could walk into an apartment and Josh could tell me how much I would pay to renovate it, said Ms. Small, who wanted a place in move-in condition. In a couple of locations, I got turned off by the fact the sellers broker would talk only to him and not to me. In a few cases, they thought we were a couple.

Among her options:
Huge, IPG's global experience agency, takes on digital agency of record duties for Planet Fitness. Huge will work with the company to accelerate its digital strategy as well as support the evolution of its mobile app, website and in-club digital experience. "The team at Huge is known for ground-breaking, innovative work that drives positive impact for brands, defines industries and shapes the culture and world around us. This makes them the ideal partner to further our mission of democratizing fitness," said Planet Fitness chief digital officer Sherrill Kaplan

Hemsworth Communications wins public and media relations work for Visit Macon. The agency will be responsible for driving awareness for Macon, GA through creative public relations and media relations campaigns, focusing on the destination's local events, along with its dining options, outdoor activities and music history. Located in Central Georgia, an hour and a half from Atlanta, Macon is known for its rich and diverse history with a music scene that has inspired such artists as Little Richard, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers Band and Jason Aldean. The account will be serviced out of Hemsworth's Atlanta office, with support from its Charleston and Fort Lauderdale teams.

OutsidePR is named agency of record for performance denim and apparel brand DUER. The agency will support DUER's public relations and communications strategy in the United States, targeting consumer lifestyle, outdoor, and fashion media. Founded in 2013, DUER sells its products through wholesale partners across 27 countries, within Canada with dedicated storefronts and a growing eCommerce channel, and most recently in the US market with new storefronts in Denver and Los Angeles. "Given their breadth of experience representing brands in the lifestyle and adventure apparel space, we're confident OutsidePR will support the growth we expect to see this year," said DUER co-founder Gary Lenett.
FOR a pharmacy which has given so much for so long to the town of Tullamore and the wider area, it was appropriate that the honour of officially opening its newly revamped store was bestowed on the most senior customer of Haven Pharmacy Fahey's, Margaret Sullivan.

Now 100 years of age, the popular Durrow woman formally cut the ribbon on the Patrick Street premises on Friday, thereby ushering in the latest exciting chapter in the story of a chemist shop which began back in the 1950s when Margaret first walked through its doors.

Now, many decades later, four generations of the Sullivan family are linked with a pharmacy renowned for the quality of its customer service.

Margaret was joined for the opening day of celebration by her daughter-in-law Majella, who is the wife of her son Martin, along with Rachel Sullivan, daughter of Majella, and Rachel's little daughter Lucy McHugh.

Majella is an employee of the pharmacy, and has been for 41 years, a track record of service which attests to the attachment many of the staff feel for a business which is part and parcel of Tullamore's day-to-day commercial and social life.

Speaking after being presented with a bouquet of flowers by the staff, Margaret Sullivan tried to recall her first time in the store.

I remember coming into this shop when Pat Fahey and his wife owned it, she said. She thinks it was shortly after Offaly had been defeated in an All-Ireland final by Tipperary (Offaly were beaten in the junior final in 1953).

I remember coming in here and (Pat) was all chat. He just wanted to talk about the hurling.

Can she remember what she was buying herself? I don't know what I wanted. I know I didn't want a lot.

She said she was a regular customer at Fahey's and before it opened she attended the local Sacred Heart School with the founder Paddy Fahey's wife, Mary Crowley.

When the chemist shop opened in the 1950s she remembers it being much smaller but it was always a reasonable size.

I'd say it was only half what it is now. Time marched on.

As for her own longevity, she remarked: I think it comes from my grandfather's people on my mother's side. Some of them did live to 100. But it has to be in the genes, I'd say.

Thanks to a fit-out which took place during the Covid pandemic, the pharmacy is now a premium destination for all customer needs, from medicines and prescriptions, to beauty products and giftware.

The store founded by the late Paddy Fahey in the 1950s was bought three years ago from his son Paul by Liam Butler, a pharmacist in Birr, and Frank Holly.

It was about 60 years old when we bought it and that's why it was attractive to us because it was a well established business and it had a super reputation. And it had a super medical reputation because of Paul's other brothers Frank and John (a GP and dentist respectively), said Liam.

A third generation pharmacist himself, where the family tradition stretches back 80 years, Liam knows the industry better than most.

There's super competition in Tullamore with lots of pharmacies. All of our medicines are the same, a lot of our products are the same, he said.

Quality staff delivering a quality offering is key, he stated. Where we see ourselves differentiating is the level of customer service. We have a very experienced staff here with super product knowledge and the level of customer care is super. That's where we would stand out and that's where we are strong.

Maria Dunne, who has been working in the pharmacy for over 20 years explained what she believed has been the secret to the shop's success: Customer loyalty has been built up because of the service and the care that people get here. People remain very loyal to us because we give a very personal expert service.

Maria is just one of a number of staff who bring vast experience to the pharmacy. Jackie Tyrrell and Majella Sullivan have been there over 40 years, Olga O'Brien over 25 and Theresa Hickey more than 20.

The 12-strong staff are overseen by supervising pharmacist Eilis Ryan and pharmacist Rachael Henry, a Tullamore native. Sandra Mullen, shopfront manager, played a key role in ensuring the revamp went smoothly in very challenging conditions and was responsible for enhancing the pharmacy's excellent offering of products.

Making this a destination shop was the aim and I think we've achieved that, she added.

A destination store is effectively a one-stop shop which will serve all needs, drawing customers from far and wide and one has only to step over the threshold on Patrick Street to see why this Haven Pharmacy fits the bill.

Among the leading names stocked are NUXE, a French skincare brand, and the La Roche and Vichy Dermacenter along with CeraVe skincare. Makeup brands include award winning Sculpted by Aimee Connolly, Bia Belle Beauty and Catrice. Haven Pharmacy Fahey's is the first in Tullamore to host the newest Dermacenter from Vichy and La Roche Posay which hosts the premium products.

There is also a very definite emphasis on Irish brands and Sandra is delighted to stock wellness brand Ogam, which is a range of essential oils, massage carrier oils, hand sanitiser and diffusers from their Apothecary in Carlingford, Co Louth.

Shoppers will also see the attractive Handmade Soap Company range, the designer inspired Costume Shira Jewellery collection, Irish Botanicals candles and diffusers and Herb Dublin candles and wellness range. Sandra said the pharmacy was always known for its fantastic dispensary.

We wanted to replicate that with the retail offering so we've been bringing in some gorgeous new brands into the shop. We wanted to bring in some new giftware, seasonal gifts and professional haircare products too.
THE prosecution of two men who appeared in court following inspections by immigration officers at businesses in Tullamore and Clara was adjourned.

Hammad Mahboob, 38, Flat 4 Laurel Plaza, Tullamore, is accused of failing to provide the required identification on October 7 last at the Indian Palace, Patrick Street, Tullamore.

He is further accused of being in the employment of Rasir Seerkissoon on the same date without a permit.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan sought an adjournment of the matter for six weeks while directions from the DPP are awaited.

Patrick Martin, solicitor, appeared for Mr Mahboob and made an application for legal aid, saying his client was not currently working because he was not entitled to work.

Judge Catherine Staines granted legal aid and adjourned the prosecution to November 24.

Mr Martin also appeared for Surjeet Singh, 53, with an address at a flat above Super Kebab, River Street, Clara.

Detective Garda Joseph Gavin from the Garda National Immigration Bureau gave evidence of arresting Mr Singh at Super Kebab at 4.30pm on October 7.

He was brought to Tullamore Garda Station where he was charged with failing to produce the required identification and with being in the employment of Lal Singh Panag at Super Kebab without a permit.

Detective Garda Gavin said the accused made no reply after caution. He lodged 300 cash bail.

The detective garda added that Mr Singh was an Indian man who spoke a little English.

Mr Singh told the court himself he spoke Punjabi and Judge Staines ordered an interpreter of that language to be present at his next court appearance.

Judge Staines also granted the man legal aid, assigned Mr Martin as his solicitor, and adjourned the prosecution to November 3 next, when either a plea will be entered or a date will be fixed for a hearing.

Detective Garda Gavin also gave evidence of arresting, charging and cautioning Li Hui, 37, Hophill Road, Tullamore on October 7 last at Oriental New Star, Kilbride Street, Tullamore.

He is similarly accused of the identification offence and being in the employment of Kiao Yan Zhao without a permit.

Judge Staines issued a bench warrant for Mr Hui's arrest when he did not appear in court.

A fourth man, Abdul Hafeez, 47, Church Hill, Tullamore was accused of failing to produce the required identification at Cafe India, Patrick Street, Tullamore on October 7 but the charge was struck out by Judge Staines on the application of the prosecution.
A CAR was driven to a graveyard after being stopped by gardai near Kilbeggan during the Level 5 lockdown, Tullamore District Court heard.

Joseph Lawrence, 32, Mac Eoin Park, Longford, was driving a car on the N52 at Hallsfarm, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath on March 20 last, Garda James Cullinan told the court.

There was no appearance for Mr Lawrence in court when his case was called. There was also no appearance for a co-accused, David McDonagh, 54, Farnagh, Longford, a passenger in the car.

Both were summonsed for breaching the Covid-19 travel regulations in force at the time.

The prosecutions had been adjourned on two previous occasions and Garda Cullinan said registered letters had been sent to both men.

Garda Cullinan said that on March 20, a Saturday, Tullamore had the highest Covid rate in the country, in addition to there being a Level 5 lockdown in place.

He spoke to those in the vehicle, including a third individual, who was not before the court.

Garda Cullinan said he explained that a journey could only be made for an essential purpose and Mr Lawrence told him that Mr McDonagh's aunt was very, very sick and he had been asked to bring him from Longford to Tullamore.

They did not know the address of the aunt and she wasn't in hospital. Garda Cullinan said he was then told by the third individual that they were going to visit a grave.

The car then proceeded into Tullamore and they drove around the town not knowing really where they were going and they eventually went to a graveyard which they found in the dark.

Judge Catherine Staines fined Mr Lawrence and Mr McDonagh 200 each.
What's Included

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com.
Yes. I would be the first in line.

No. I don't trust that a vaccine will be safe.

I plan to, but I want to wait to see effects of first doses.

Not sure.

Vote

View Results
Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

European infrastructure-focused manager Asterion Industrial Partners closed its latest European infrastructure fund, Asterion Industrial Infra Fund II, at 1.5 billion ($1.7 billion), exceeding its 1.35 billion target.

Asterion Industrial Infra Fund II FCR was registered within Spain's National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) in February 2021, only eight months before, said a press release from the investment management firm.

The Fund's 1.5bn in commitments span across 39 investors globally. Among the fund's 39 investors is the $10.4 billion Wyoming Retirement System, Cheyenne, which committed $20 million.

The fund, which has finalized its active fundraising activities but reserves a right to accept a selected, additional number of investors before the end of the year, focuses on middle-market infrastructure investments in western Europe.

The strategy targets the telecommunications, energy, utilities, and mobility sectors in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the U.K.

As of today, Asterion Fund II has already completed two investments and has a robust pipeline. The first two investments are in Barter Energy, the solar collective self-consumption company based in Spain, a build-up as part of the Energy Transition Solutions (ETS) platform, and Retelit, the Italian independent fiber operator for which the tender offer was successfully completed earlier this month and is in the process of being delisted.

Winnie Wutte, F......................

To view our full article Click here
New York, NY: Bar None Games announced today that it will be hosting fully-themed virtual holiday events for companies looking for exciting ways to celebrate the holiday season. For remote, hybrid, or in-person teams, Bar None Trivia and Bar None Triathlon virtual holiday parties are designed to bring companies together for the holiday party of the year. Since our inception, the core of Bar None's DNA has been centered around bringing 
Swiss29 has transformed the process of investing in cryptocurrencies. Their simplified approach to cryptocurrency trading targets both experienced and amateur investors. The Swiss29 platform removes the complexity of digital currency transactions thus allowing traders to focus on their investments. The introduction of leverage trading on its platform makes it possible for investors to trade multiple cryptocurrencies at once. This creates increased investment opportunities available to users who are looking for 
Family Business, the first thriller written by aspiring author J. J. Fauser is already recognized as the most innovative thriller 2021. At the Book Fair 2021 in Frankfurt everybody is talking about an artificial intelligence called AIDA, who is involved in a series of international incidents connected to espionage. In the meantime, it became clear that AIDA is a character in the new thriller Family Business by James Jack Fauser. His 
Mehdi Hasan Maruf is a Bangladeshi musical artist, music composer, and songwriter. He was introduced to the music industry to launch his first soundtrack "Sotter Poth" on SoundCloud first. After some days he released his music on different music platforms like Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, JioSaavan and many other international platforms like Deezer, Tidal, and Napster. You can get his music on Instagram and Facebook library 
Paul Dean Hicks, 84, passed away on November 6, 2021, in Las Vegas, NV. Dean was born on August 10, 1937, in Rutledge, MO, first son of Clarence Hicks and Madeline (Ewing) Hicks. Dean graduated from Memphis High School, Memphis, MO in 1956. He married Carol Joan Blackwell (deceased February 
Authorities say remains found in a Florida wilderness park are those of Brian Laundrie, who was a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito
Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, faculty, staff and alumni on campus and around the world for more than 100 years?

Then consider helping fund our endeavors. Around the world, communities are grappling with what journalism is worth and how to fund the civic good that robust news organizations can generate. We believe The OU Daily and Crimson Quarterly magazine provide real value to this community both now by covering OU, and tomorrow by helping launch the careers of media professionals.

If youre able, please SUPPORT US TODAY FOR AS LITTLE AS $1. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring pledge.
Getty Images

On Thursday, QuoteWizard, an online insurance marketplace, released its annual report on the best and worst driving states. Michigan was named the ninth-best driving state after analysis of two million car insurance quotes from drivers across the country.

States were evaluated on four factors to determine overall driver quality and there was a composite ranking of overall incidents, which included accidents, speeding tickets, driving under the influence charges and citations  which included running a red light, using a cellphone while driving and other violations.
Update as of 11:15 a.m. - The suspect, Judy Boyer of Clare County, was arrested in Wexford County where investigators assumed she would be headed. Boyer is being held at the Clare County Jail, according to authorities.

Police are looking for a Clare County woman in connection with four murders.

Judy Boyer, 54, remains on the run this morning. Police need help locating her and say she wears a short, buzzed and pink haircut. She was last seen wearing Mickey Mouse pajama pants and a gray shirt.

Boyer is considered armed and dangerous. She allegedly left the scene of the murders in a maroon or red colored 1998 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with Michigan license plate E9507.

Investigators believe she may be headed to the Cadillac area.

The murders happened around 4 p.m. Wednesday when police say Boyer shot two people at a residence on South Harrison Avenue south of Surrey Road near Clare. Both victims were pronounced dead of their injuries overnight.

Investigators later found two additional bodies on the property.

The victims were identified as a 39-year-old man, 36-year-old man, 85-year-old man and 61-year-old woman, according to Clare County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office did not say whether any of the victims are related or disclose any possible motive for their deaths.

Investigators are asking that anyone who sees Boyer call 911 or the Clare County Sheriff's Office at 989-539-7166 as soon as possible.
Update as of 11:15 a.m. - The suspect, Judy Boyer of Clare County, was arrested and is being held at the Clare County Jail.

Police are looking for a Clare County woman in connection with four murders.

Judy Boyer, 54, remains on the run this morning. Police need help locating her and say she wears a short, buzzed and pink haircut. She was last seen wearing Mickey Mouse pajama pants and a gray shirt.

Boyer is considered armed and dangerous. She allegedly left the scene of the murders in a maroon or red colored 1998 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with Michigan license plate E9507.

Investigators believe she may be headed to the Cadillac area.

The murders happened around 4 p.m. Wednesday when police say Boyer shot two people at a residence on South Harrision Avenue south of Surrey Road near Clare. Both victims were pronounced dead of their injuries overnight.

Investigators later found two additional bodies on the property.

The victims were identified as a 39-year-old man, 36-year-old man, 85-year-old man and 61-year-old woman, according to Clare County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office did not say whether any of the victims are related or disclose any possible motive for their deaths.

Investigators are asking that anyone who sees Boyer call 911 or the Clare County Sheriff's Office at 989-539-7166 as soon as possible.
As places to buy marijuana continue to pop up across Michigan, the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency Licensing data base released the cities with the highest number of active cannabis stores.

Ann Arbor, with its longstanding tolerance for pot, reigned supreme as the city with the most active recreational cannabis retail businesses.

The Ann Arbor Hash Bash, an annual event that includes a collection of speeches, live music, street vending and occasional civil disobedience, is one of the oldest political rallies of any kind in the nation. The event originally took place on the University of Michigan's Diag on April 1, 1972 to celebrate the release of activist and culture figure, John Sinclair, from prison on cannabis related charges, according to the University of Michigan events page.

So, it's no surprise that Ann Arbor is the city with the most stores, at 24.

Keeping up with Ann Arbor, though much smaller in population, is Bay City.

While Ann Arbor spreads its 24 dispensaries among a population of more than 120,000, Bay City, along I-75 north of Saginaw, has 22 dispensaries for a city with 33,000 people. That's about one store for every 1,500 people, according to reporting by WFGR News.

The other top 21 Michigan cities with the most active recreational cannabis retail business licenses are as follows:

Battle Creek: 20

Lansing: 16

Kalamazoo: 14

Big Rapids: 12

Muskegon: 12

Grand Rapids: 12

Adrian: 8

Burton: 8

Flint: 8

Jackson: 8

River Rouge: 7

Marquette: 7

Lapeer: 6

Ypsilanti: 6

Kalkaska: 6

Coldwater: 6

Hazel Park: 6

Manistee: 5

Buchanan: 5

Morenci: 5

Portage: 5

Looking at strictly per capita cannabis stores, the winner is Kalkaska, having one pot store for every 346 people. That's six stores for a population of 2,076 in the village.

One reason why Michigan's cannabis retailers are randomly located is because once a city decides to buy in, what happens next is influenced by its track record  or lack thereof  on accepting the much-older medical marijuana industry, as well as its population mix and its proximity to state borders, according to reporting by Crain's Detroit Business.

For more marijuana related news, visit Michigan Green State at https://www.migreenstate.com/.
Director of Content and Operations

Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half.
Cora Heart Crether, 64 of Palestine, died on November 10th in Tyler. Funeral service will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rising Star Baptist Church in Grapeland. Burial will follow in Golden Gate Cemetery in Grapeland. The viewing will be Friday from 10 to 6 at Emanuel Funeral Home Palestine.
Photo: (Photo : Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

A Florida woman filed a $40-lawsuit against the father of Brian Laundrie, who has been named a person of interest in the murder of Gabby Petito.

Andra Griffin, a resident of Bradenton, sued Christopher Laundrie for the cost of a sign that he allegedly "stole" from protestors. The Florida woman said she made the sign to join a peaceful demonstration in front of the Laundrie family's home in North Port to "break the silence" surrounding Petito's death.

According to the lawsuit, Christopher came out of his house on the morning of October 16 to take out Griffin's sign on his front lawn. Griffin included photos of Christopher in the act but his lawyer, Steven Bertolino, said that the sign was on the family's property and was technically "litter."

Bertolino also noted that the family had been harassed with lawsuits from protestors since the confirmation of Petito's murder. Griffin admitted that the lawsuits are indeed part of the strategy to force Brian's parents to speak of what they know about their son's involvement in Petito's death.

Read Also: Parents of Brian Laundrie Can't Be Arrested for Not Cooperating With Police, Lawyer Says

Intention to "Drive the Laundries" Nuts

Griffin also said that she is suing Christopher for just $40 to "drive the Laundries a little nuts." She and her fellow activists made sure that the signs they placed were not, in fact, on Laundrie property.

The group said they are going after Brian's parents because they know that Christopher and Roberta are "wholly involved" in their son's evasion of law enforcement. However, Bertolino has insisted that his clients do not know where their son fled after the investigation into Petito's case was started.

Brian last told his parents that he was going to the Carlton Reserve days after Petito's family reported her missing. Despite a search, the police found no traces of the boyfriend, but they have issued a warrant for his arrest due to bank card fraud.

Allegedly, Brian used Petito's credit cards days after she was supposed to be missing. A few days later, the police discovered her body at the Grand Teton National Forest. The coroner confirmed that Petito died of strangulation.

Human Remains Discovered in Brian's Last Location

Brian's parents have been dodging protesters and reporters parked outside their house for nearly a month, who also follow them around as they do their errands. The press could only speak to their lawyer, but Bertolino also won't comment on the parents' speculations and other issues raised by the media.

On October 20, Christopher and Roberta were on the scene at the Carton Reserve after the authorities discovered human remains and some items, which they believe were Brian's. As of press time, the FBI Tampa's Evidence Response Team said they do not have any definitive answers about this latest discovery, and the team will be working on the site for several days.

"Chris and Roberta will wait for the forensic identification of the human remains before making any additional comments," Bertolino said.

Related Article: Gabby Petito: Timeline Leading to Death as FBI Issues Arrest Warrant for Brian Laundrie
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions
Apple today announced Apple Bagdat Caddesi will officially open on Friday, October 22. Located in the heart of Istanbul, Apple Bagdat Caddesi will serve as Apples third retail location in Turkey. This two-level destination blends local materials with the latest store design to create an open and fluid space for customers to explore Apples products and services, or participate in free Today at Apple sessions.

Deirdre OBrien, Apples senior vice president of Retail + People: "With the opening of Apple Bagdat Caddesi, were thrilled to build upon the deep and long-standing relationships we have with our customers in Turkey. We cant wait to welcome the local community to our newest store in Istanbul and bring them the best of Apple."

Click on image to Greatly Enlarge)

To celebrate the opening, Apple will debut Perspektif Istanbul, a six-week Today at Apple program that pays homage to the city and its creatives. Hosted by 20 local artists, the series brings creativity, culture, and technology together into an experience that examines topics and values important to the local community in Istanbul. Attendees will get a chance to join in-person and virtual sessions that include learning about traditional miniature drawing with illustrator Murat Palta, photographing the unseen with Magnum Photos photographer Sabiha Cimen, or creating a moving portrait with visual artist Sinan Tuncay.

(Click on image to Greatly Enlarge)

Once inside, visitors will find the video wall and Forum, home to Today at Apple sessions. The upper level is flanked by avenues, where customers can explore Apples latest products and services. The entire space overlooks the exterior of the store through a 32-foot glass curtain, blurring the boundaries between inside and outside. The interior is bathed in natural light through two large skylights that open to allow ventilation.

The new Apple store will be the first standalone street front store in Istanbul with the other two stores being found in large malls. Located at the intersection of two streets in a central location, the store is expected to be lively and lively both inside and out. You could get an idea of how popular this city street is in a video from our previous report on this store.

(Click on image to Greatly Enlarge)

For 30 years, Apple has been a part of the Turkish community, and Apple Bagdat Caddesis team members look forward to deepening Apples relationship with local customers throughout Turkey.

The diverse, 130-person team at Apple Bagdat Caddesi collectively speaks 14 languages and will welcome its first visitors on Friday, October 22, at 10 a.m. local time.

(Click on image to Greatly Enlarge)

Lastly, because the health and well-being of customers and team members is Apples top priority, the store will implement comprehensive health measures. Visits to Apple Bagdat Caddesi on opening day will be by appointment only. Customers can choose from available times. Capacity will be limited, so guests may experience wait times before entering the store.
At a glance Experts Rating Pros Dual-screen experience is exemplary

Surprisingly good daytime shots

Very good battery life

Great performance Cons Incredibly expensive

Thick when folded back, surprisingly heavy when opened

Dual-screen design makes it awkward to shoot photos

Camera suffers in low light, portrait shots

Still buggy Our Verdict Microsoft still believes in its dual-screen phone/tablet hybrid. Its vision is coming closer, but isnt quite there. Hold out for the Surface Duo 3.

Price When Reviewed

$1,499.99 base price (128GB) | $1,599.99 (256GB) | $1,799 (512GB)

Best Prices Today

Retailer Price Delivery $1499.99 Free View $1499.99 View

Microsofts new Surface Duo 2 smartphone poses a problem.

When we choose to review a product, we try to do so objectively. We test the device, compare it to others in its class, and then advise readers whether we think they should buy it or not. Thats still the goal. But the negative response to the Surface Duo as well as the mediocre offerings that accompanied the waning days of Windows Phone era certainly tarnished Microsofts reputation in the smartphone space.

I think its important to acknowledge that skepticism, and apply it with a fresh eye towards some key questions: Does the Surface Duo 2 succeed as part of the Windows ecosystem? How does it compare to other Android phones? Does it solve the issues that plagued the first Surface Duo? And can it work as both a traditional phone, as well as some new breed of productivity device? Customers certainly never saw the original Surface Duo as anything special, and it tanked. Microsoft saw dual screens and the way it integrated into the app ecosystem as the selling points. Customers expected a quality camera, NFC, 5G, and wireless recharging.

The Surface Duo 2 represents Microsofts attempt to reach a middle ground. Yes, it checks some of the boxes people asked for, but little more. The camera is just okay, there are still bugs, and the price tag is outrageous. But under certain conditions, it shines.

Camera bumps arent that unusual with modern smartphones, and Microsofts Surface Duo 2 joins the club. Mark Hachman / IDG

Surface Duo 2 configurations and pricing

The Surface Duo 2 costs an astounding $1,499.99, minimum, for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Two other versions are available: a 256GB SSD model ($1,599.99) and the top-of-the-line Surface Duo 2 with 512GB of storage, for $1,799.99. If you buy into the Microsoft ecosystem, youll be saving most storage-chewing photos and videos to the OneDrive cloud anyway, which means that anything above the base model is superfluous.

Microsoft also sells a Surface Do 2 bumper ($39.99), which we didnt test, which surrounds the Duo 2s edge and provides some basic protection. It appears that most third-party cases are going the same route, with the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Riveter case ($89.95) from Otterbox adopting the same approach. If youd like to ink on the Surface Duo 2, you can buy the Surface Slim Pen 2 ($129.99) and the Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover (price not disclosed yet) which will grip and charge the Slim Pen 2. The real thumb in your eye is the $40 Surface Duo 2 charger. No, Microsoft does not ship a charger alongside the Surface Duo 2 (thanks, Apple) and youll pay extra for the plug. There is no wireless charging. A USB-C cable is thankfully included, though, and for free.

The Surface Duo 2 is a dual-SIM phone, but with one eSIM and one physical SIM slot.

Surface Duo 2 basic features

Display: 5.8-inch AMOLED (13441892, 401 PPI, HDR, 90Hz, 800 nits max) (single screen); 8.3-inch AMOLED equivalent (26881892) (dual-screen equivalent); Corning Gorilla Glass Victus

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G

Memory: 8GB LPDDR5 DRAM

Storage: 128/256/512GB (256GB as tested)

Camera, rear-facing: Wide: 12MPixel, f/1.7 aperture, 27 mm, 1.4m, dual pixel phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) and optical image stabilization (OIS); Telephoto: 12MP, f/2.4 aperture, 51 mm, 1.0m, PDAF, OIS, 2X optical zoom/10X digital zoom; Ultra-Wide: 16MP, f/2.2 aperture, 13 mm, 1.0m, 110 o diagonal field of view with distortion correction

12MPixel, f/1.7 aperture, 27 mm, 1.4m, dual pixel phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) and optical image stabilization (OIS); 12MP, f/2.4 aperture, 51 mm, 1.0m, PDAF, OIS, 2X optical zoom/10X digital zoom; 16MP, f/2.2 aperture, 13 mm, 1.0m, 110 diagonal field of view with distortion correction Camera, user-facing: 12MP, f/2.0, 24 mm,1.0m

Network: WiFi 6 (802.ax), Bluetooth 5.1

Wireless: 5G (mmWave, sub-6); LTE Bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71

Battery: 4449mAh (rated)

Dimensions: 5.72 x 7.26 x 0.21in. (5.5mm) (open); 5.72 x 3.63 x 0.43 in. (11.0mm) (closed)

Weight: 284g / 0.63lb

Operating system: Android 11

Optional accessories: Surface Duo 2 Bumper ($39.99); Surface Duo 23W USB-C Charger ($39.99); Surface Slim Pen 2 ($129.99); Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover

The Surface Duo 2s book-like pair of screens is the phones selling point, and its the obvious place to begin. Unlike, say, Samsungs Galaxy Fold devices, theres a distinct gap between the two displays  these are two separate screens, which can fold closed like a book or else fold back along itself. With the original Duo, this was the only way to take a photo, as there was just a single camera. With the Surface Duo 2, Microsoft invested in a rear-facing three camera array. Unfortunately, that creates a fairly thick camera bump that prevents the Duo 2 from flattening out when folded back on itself. It doesnt seem to have any negative effect on either the camera or phone, however.

Microsoft loves to tout the engineering behind its Surface hinges, and yes, the Surface Duo 2 lives up to its reputation. The Duo 2 can sit, cocked at a 90 degree angle, so that one screen can display an email app (Outlook appends a Sent on Surface Duo signature by default) and the other can project Microsofts SwiftKey keyboard. (SwiftKey seems to be the only keyboard option instead of Gboard.) This is a fantastic orientation for content consumption, as I found while streaming the MLB playoffs while cooking dinner. The 5.8-inch AMOLED screen is also excellent for playing streamed cloud games from Microsofts Xbox Game Pass.

This landscape orientation is quite useful for streaming video and games, but a persistent gyroscope glitch means that the screens often get stuck in a portrait orientation in multiple scenarios. It also can be a bit top-heavy, too, with the camera bump. Mark Hachman / IDG

Quite a bit of the Surface Duo 2s utility boils down to one contradiction: The Surface Duo 2 is most effective when used with two screens. Ergonomically, however, its most comfortable when only using one. It simply isnt that comfortable to hold the Duo 2 in the book orientation for a prolonged period, while navigating and interacting with content. Part of that is due to the edge. While the Surface Duo 2 isnt that thin, theres a sort of palmability aspect to it where the Duo 2 leans into your hands like the Surface Pro 8s kickstand digs into your thighs. (The bumper may solve this.) Youll notice the size and weight almost immediately. The camera bump tends to overbalance it in some scenarios, too. This is a relatively massive phone.

Physically, I suspect most people prefer to use a phone either one-handed (nearly impossible across both screens) or two-handed, with one hand holding the phone and the other swiping and touching. You can certainly fold the phone back along itself, though youll only be able to use the right-hand screen, as the left shuts off.

Of course, that also means that the only way to take a photo is with the Surface Duo 2 unfolded, making you look like one of those weirdos who take photos with their iPad. Yes, you can kind of cheat by holding the phone in landscape mode, so that it looks (well, sort of) that youre taking a photo with an ordinary phone. Theres really no cool way to take a portrait photo with the Surface Duo 2.

While its awkward to shoot photos with the Surface Duo 2, the ability to review your recent shots is undoubtedly useful. Mark Hachman / IDG

The 90Hz displays on the Surface Duo 2 feel like a nice compromise between battery-sucking high-refresh-rate displays and slower, laggier screens. Scrolling was generally smooth and lag-free.

Is the Surface Duo 2 a successful productivity phone? Largely, yes

Those are the negatives. If the Surface Duo 2 does one thing right, its that working on dual screens  with certain apps, under certain conditions  is revelatory. The Duo 2 allows you to drag one app over another, grouping them. When the group is launched  say, an email app alongside your calendar  the arrangement makes perfect sense. Chatting with a friend on one screen while a playoff game streams on another? Fantasticuntil you get carried away and rotate the phone into landscape mode. Then the Surface Duo 2 will put your chat app on the top screen and the keyboard on the other, hiding your stream until you compete your message.

Microsoft probably expects reviewers to gush a bit here about how well it all works. Lets put it this way: If you can grok why a second monitor adds to your productivity, you intrinsically understand the Surface Duo 2s core appeal. The Duo 2 is less effective when an app spans both screens: held like a book, the small gap between the displays is still a bit distracting. One app that Microsoft specifically included as a dual-screen demo  Asphalt 9: Legends  was supposed to span both screens, Nintendo DS-style, with controls on the lower screen and the main action taking place on the top screen while in landscape mode. Try as I might, I couldnt get the app to span both screens. Otherwise, there was nothing that forced me to use spanned apps, so I didnt.

The keyboard seems a little awkwardly crammed near the top for my tastes, and I prefer to still use my thumbs to type. Still, this is a PC-like phone. Mark Hachman / IDG

Im torn on the new Glance Bar, an edge-mounted notification bar vaguely like the 2014 Galaxy Note Edge. When closed, a sliver of the curved glass peeks out. Tap the power button (or just wait for a call) and a little icon will light up, showing you have a missed call. Theres really no discreet way to see who called or left a message, though, so youll still be forced to open your Duo 2 regardless.

The Surface Duo 2 glance bar offers minimal information. Mark Hachman / IDG

Inking is surprisingly good. While the only ink-centric preloaded app on the Surface Duo 2 is OneNote, pairing with a Surface Slim Pen 2 was simple, palm rejection just worked without the need for any setup, and the ink jitter was minimal.

Theres also one other thing I really like about the Surface Duo 2: its surprisingly amazing fingerprint reader. The reader is built right into the tiny sliver that is the power button, and it consistently recognized me right away. Opening the Duo 2, brushing my finger across the power button and unlocking the phone/hiding notifications felt unexpectedly powerful for someone used to the will it or wont it fingerprint reader on a Galaxy S20+.

Deadlines meant that I didnt have too much time to play games on the Surface Duo 2, but the big screens certainly appeal to game players to that regard. Unfortunately, Microsoft claimed that games like Asphalt 9: Legends could be spanned across both screens; I simply couldnt get that function to work, and Microsoft couldnt offer any help. Mark Hachman / IDG

Theres just one thing Id like to see, and thats for something to happen when I plugged the Surface Duo 2 into a Thunderbolt dock. For a company that tried and failed with Windows Phones Continuum five years ago, thats a little disappointing. It leaves Samsungs Dex as arguably the king of your phone as your PC implementations.

Is the Surface Duo 2 the next Windows phone?

No, not really. Besides the multitude of preloaded Microsoft-authored Android apps  from Bing to OneNote to Outlook to To-Do to Start news, all of which can be downloaded on other Android phones  theres little that explicitly screams Windows. Some apps (like the Surface app and Surface Audio, which connects to the Surface Headphones) are specific to the Surface Duo 2, however.

Theres one exception. Microsofts Your Phone Companion allows you to connect to a Samsung phone or Surface Duo from your Windows 10 PC, allowing you to see messages and notifications, view and transfer photos, and place calls. Your Phone also lets you to remotely launch Android apps on your phone and run them on your PC, which is a rather marvelous feature we talked about in our Windows 11 review. Unfortunately, even with the appropriate permissions turned on and on the same wireless network, the remote screen access just showed a big green blob. Worse still, the phones performance dramatically slowed while that feature was active. (Editors Note: After an update on Oct. 22, I was able to get Your Phones Phone Screen feature to work as expected. However, closing the phone turns off Phone Screen, which sort of defeats the purpose.)

Supposedly Your Phone Companion works with the Surface Duo 2, but apparently not. What it should be showing here is the Duo 2s screen, allowing remote access from a PC. Mark Hachman / IDG

Honestly, youd expect more from Microsoft in this regard.

Does the Surface Duo 2 solve the problems of the first Surface Duo?

One of the problems reviewers and customers had with the first-generation Surface Duo was with the numerous bugs that cropped up. And yes, theyre still here. I experienced more than a few instances where the phone refused to switch from portrait to landscape mode. A camera app shot an image upside down because it refused to reorient itself. The SwiftKey keyboard lagged, and didnt fill the screen in landscape mode. (The latter was probably a design choice.) The Surface Duo 2 kept popping up a message that I could switch an app from one screen to another by double-tapping, and then didnt switch when I double-tapped. In the ESPN app, the apps navigation buttons (Scores, Watch,, etc.) overlapped with the Duo 2s navigation buttons, preventing me from interacting with the apps navigation. (Locking and unlocking the Duo 2 solved that issue.) We mentioned the Your Phone Companion bug above.

To be fair, some of the phones problems can be fixed by simply understanding it better. The Surface Duo 2 runs Android 11, and I found gesture navigation  swiping up in various places to access either the app drawer or the running apps  to be astonishingly difficult. Switching the phone to use Androids soft buttons at the bottom of the screen made a world of difference. You know how Android 11s button navigation includes a switch apps button? Each screen has its own list of apps to switch between, which feels a bit odd.

A surprisingly useful tip is that swiping toward the center of the screen from the left or right edge is the equivalent of the back button, and allows you to navigate without readjusting your hands. Its also fair to say that the dual screen can be also be understood as a modality, or simply another way to interact with data. Its perfectly okay to use the Surface Duo 2 folded backwards on itself, then open it when necessary.

Yes, the Surface Duo now includes NFC, which worked with the Google GPay app. Weirdly, the Surface Duo seems to lean toward the right-hand screen, which houses the camera and tends to open apps by default. When using NFC, though, you tap the left-hand screen to the reader.

How does the Surface Pro Duo 2 compare?

The lack of a decent camera probably sounded the death knell for the original Surface Duo. Without a decent camera, consumers simply wont bother buying a new phone. With the first Surface Duo, there was just one camera, and the device had to be oriented appropriately to take selfies as well as normal photos. With the Duo 2, theres finally a proper rear-facing camera.

Is it up to snuff? Yes and no. In daylight, the Surface Duo 2 surprised me with the quality of its pictures. Color balance tended towards cool (or blue), but the main camera and the wide-angle lens delivered results that satisfied me. Selfies looked fine, too. Portrait mode seemed really iffy, though, with the camera struggling to lock on to the subject with the camera oriented vertically. A 2X optical-zoom telephoto also doesnt quite measure up to the 3X optical zoom on an iPhone 13 Pro (which also costs $500 less than the Surface Duo 2, by the way).

At night, though, the Surface Duo 2 falls way behind the competition  by years, probably. Microsoft told us that they had largely designed the image sensor itself, tapping its Finnish engineering corps that had helped design the Lumia line. It doesnt really measure up.

In the photos below, youll see that the Surface Duo 2 takes perfectly fine photos outside, in broad daylight, as nearly all cameras do. Its when you start asking more of it  in portrait mode and in low-light situations  where it simply falls short. In most cases, we shot the same scene as closely as we could with a Samsung Galaxy S20+, Samsungs 2020 flagship (either $1,200 or $1,350, depending on the storage options) for the people who couldnt afford a $1,400 S20 Ultra.

A daylight photo from the Samsung Galaxy S20+ (left) and the Surface Duo 2 (right) with no zoom. The Duo 2 tends to run a little cooler (bluer) in terms of its images.

The Samsung Galaxy S20+ (left) compared to the Surface Duo 2 (right), cropped in at 259 percent zoom. The Duo 2 looks a little grainier, but otherwise both images look quite good. Mark Hachman / IDG

The Samsung Galaxy S20+ (left) compared to the Surface Duo 2 (right). Image edited to obscure the cars license plate.

Using the image above as a reference, this is the Samsung Galaxy S20+ and its 30X space (digital) zoom (left) compared to the Surface Duo 2 (right) and its own 10X digital zoom. The Surface Duo 2s zoom is a mishmash at extremes, losing a ton of detail.

Closeup (not macro) photo from the Samsung Galaxy S20+ (left) and the Surface Duo 2 (right). The Surface Duo 2s photo is dimmer, but its sharper.

Portrait mode on the Samsung Galaxy S20+ (left) and on the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 (right). Infuriatingly, the Surface Duo 2 decides to invoke portrait mode about a third partway up the image. There are some weird, jaggy artifacts near the top of the pelicans beak, too. Interestingly, these problems largely went away if portrait mode was used with the phone held horizontally in its landscape orientation.

Night mode on the Samsung Galaxy S20+ (left) and on the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 (right). The Galaxy clearly lets in more light, while the Surface Duo 2 blows out its light sources to try and compensate.

Night mode with flash on the Samsung Galaxy S20+ (left) and on the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 (right). What you dont see here is that the Surface Duo 2 requires several seconds to take the photo, too.

Performance is superb

With a phone thats probably being used for productivity, web surfing, and streaming video first and foremost, its hard to argue that performance benchmarks will matter. Inside the Surface Duo 2 is a Snapdragon 888 5G, a processor thats used in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, among others. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S20+, my daily driver with a Snapdragon 865 processor inside, the Duo 2 still felt a bit laggier when navigating through the interface.

In general, the Surface Duo 2 is substantially faster than the Samsung Galaxy S20+, Samsungs 2020 flagship (either $1,200 or $1,350, depending on the storage options) for the people who couldnt afford a $1,400 S20 Ultra. We compared the two using the Geekbench 5 benchmark for Android; the Surface Duo 2 reported a score of 1,107 in single-core performance and 3,478 in multicore performance  thats 20 percent and 64 percent faster than Samsungs results, respectively. PCMark also has a mobile version of its Work test, which measures office-like spreadsheet work, as well as image and photo manipulation. Here, the Surface Duo 2 reported a 31 percent increase over the S20+, reaching a 13,434 score. Performance, we believe, will more than suffice.

Battery life seems more than sufficient as well. I charged the Surface Duo 2 up the night before, let it idle all night, then used it for a day of photos and working out and about and in the office. It had about 20 percent left at the end of the day. Using the PCMark battery rundown test that constantly asks a phone to perform various tasks with the screen on, it lasted 9 hours 59 minutes before giving up the ghost. Thats very good. Quick charging, is only officially supported via the Surface Charger, sold separately.

Conclusion: Cynicism is still justified

The old chestnut is that Microsoft is governed by the rule of threes. Like Windows 3.0, the third times the charm. Wed say the second time certainly isnt, at least in the case of the Surface Duo 2.

Lets face it: Some really, really big companies (Apple, Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi) have spent very large amounts of money designing top-of-the-line cameras for their smartphones. Microsoft might hope that the Surface Duo 2s camera is good enough, but it falls short in my book. In other areas  NFC and 5G  theyve checked the boxes customers demanded.

Some of Microsofts old Lumia Windows Phones were good, and even great, but those were phones that few bought as Android and iOS took hold. The Surface Duo 2 accomplishes what Microsoft set out to achieve: Develop a productive dual-screen phablet-y device that absolutely works unlike anything else under certain scenarios. But its somewhat awkward, nerdy, and hugely expensive. And the bugs, still! I just cant see Microsoft convincing smartphone buyers the way it can convince someone buying, say, a Surface Laptop Studio. On balance, the Surface Duo 2 still falls short.

Updated at 9:51 AM to clarify some details on how the Surface Duo 2 spans apps. Updated on Oct. 22 to note additional details about Your Phone and the Phone Screen feature.
If you want to upgrade your gaming life without splurging on a new graphics card during the ongoing chip shortage, weve spotted some nice high refresh rate gaming monitors that wont break the bank. Best Buy is selling a curved 27-inch Samsung Odyssey for $250, while Amazon has the 24-inch Samsung curved 1080p monitor for $170, $150 off the MSRP and nearly the all-time low .

Lets take a look at the Odyssey first. This 1080p display and it offers an astounding 240Hz refresh rate. That should make gaming (and even desktop browsing) feel buttery-smooth, buoyed by the inclusion of Nvidias G-Sync Compatible technology, which offers an adaptive sync feature that matches your monitor output to your GPUs output to avoid stuttering and screen-tearing. This display has a 1500R curvature, a 178-degree viewing angle, two HDMI inputs, and one Display Port.

If a 24-incher is more your style, then the Samsung CRG5 is a good choice. At $170 its near the all-time low of $166.84.

Its also a 1080p monitor, with a slower-but-still-blazing-fast 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync instead of G-Sync Compatibilitythough G-Sync Compatible is built on the back of FreeSync-like technology anyway, and isnt the same thing as a true G-Sync monitor with dedicated hardware inside. The curve on the Samsung CRG5 is a little less intense at 1800R, and it also has a game mode that is supposed to adjust black gamma levels, contrast, and sharpness based on game genre. Theres also a low input lag mode, which esports enthusiasts will likely appreciate.

If you need a new gaming monitor, and dont mind 1080p resolution, these are two good choices at excellent prices.

[Todays deal: Samsung gaming monitors at Amazon and Best Buy.]
Madam Constance Swaniker, the Chief Executive Officer of Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has called on Artisans to develop core values that will help them propel their businesses.



She said they needed to be disciplined, have integrity and standards coupled with Precision Quality (PQ) to compete favorably with the implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).



Madam Swaniker made this call at the PQ Market Conference organized by DTI in partnership with the Greater Accra Market Association.



The Conference brought together stakeholders from different Trade Associations and Policy Institutions to discuss industry specific technical issues and address strategies on job creation and attainable industry standards through Precision Quality.



It formed part of DTI's strategy to improve the work skills and practices of 5,000 master craft persons and 1,000 Small Medium Enterprises through the PQ curriculum training programme.



She said quality and altitude has been missing in most of the business operations of the informal sector, hence the need to build their capacities.







Madam Swaniker said there were so many opportunities in the country but unless "we have a precision mindset, those opportunities could not be harnessed.



She said the Institutes PQ curriculum training programme would contribute to transforming TVET livelihoods for sustainable jobs to provide 40,000 direct and indirect work opportunities for young people in the country.



"The PQ curriculum was developed by industry players and certified by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training," she added.



The CEO said the conference was in line with DTI's strategy to collaborate with stakeholders on the "Transforming Youth TVET livelihood for sustainable jobs" project.



The project is part of the partnership arrangement with the Mastercard Foundation's "Young Africa Works" strategy to enable 3 million young people in Ghana, particularly young women, to access dignified and fulfilling work opportunities by 2030.



Professor Alexander Dodoo, the Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority said if buyers could trust what they were purchasing, business normally goes fast, adding that consistent quality stops frustration.



He said the Authority intended to regulate the Artisan industry to make sure those operating in that area were doing the right things.



The Director-General commended the organisers of the programme for their consistency to promote PQ among businesses.

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
Former Minister for Central Region, Kwamena Duncan, has appealed to the Ghana Bar Association to speak up for the over 400 students who have been denied admission into the Ghana School of Law.



Some 499 students have been refused enrolment into the school, although they passed their entrance exams.



The explanation given is that the students who acquired higher scores in the exams however didn't mark the pass mark because of a new rule by the governing body - Ghana Legal Council - which mandates that before a student qualifies for admission, he/she should obtain half the marks in both sections (A and B) of the subjects in the exams.



The passed mark for admission into the Ghana School of Law is 50% but should one attain the 50 percent mark or more and is not able to make half of the scores in the two sections, their passed mark becomes null and void.



This rule has generated lots of controversies with Kwamena Duncan describing it as an injustice to the students.



"I cannot see how I can go to the face of the law and seeking for justice and this is something which is lingering, and nobody is seeking to give justice in this matter. I cannot see; I cannot find justice anywhere. That somebody goes to write an examination, you don't tell him the rules. He knows the rule is that I must get my 50. The person goes to write the exams, he scores 61; then you spring something on him that, look, you must have half of that, half of that'', he exclaimed.



He is calling on the Ghana Bar Association as well as the Chief Justice to ensure the 499 students are admitted into the Ghana School of Law.



''Ghana Bar Association should step into this. They must speak up...Anybody who has the power to act must act quickly to enable the 499 also to have access'', he stressed.



He made these submissions on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Wednesday morning.











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
Former NDC Central Regional Chairman, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to construct an airport in the Region.



The President is currently touring the Central Region as part of his annual visits to the sixteen (16) Regions and has been assuring the residents of his government's plans for the Region.



He stated that his government will revive the Komenda Sugar Factory in Cape Coast which is aimed at cutting the making Ghana a manufacturer and exporter of sugar as well as creating more jobs.



Speaking on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' programme, Allotey Jacobs stressed that the Central Region needs an airport because it is the ''hub of tourism'' and will facilitate the movement of tourists to the Region.



" . . If you want to promote the tourism in Central Region, you need airstrip or an airport," he added.

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 Mastercard Foundation has announced the appointment of Rosy Fynn as the new Country Head for Ghana. In her role, she will lead the delivery of the Foundations Young Africa Works strategy to unlock work opportunities for three million young Ghanaian women and men in the agricultural value chain.



Prior to joining the Foundation, Rosy was the Chief Executive Officer of BusyInternet, a leading 4G internet provider in Ghana, where she spearheaded the turnaround of the business with a focus on digital transformation. Her impact at the company earned her the coveted Outstanding Telecommunication CEO of the Year honors at the 2021 Entrepreneurs and Corporate Executive Awards.



Rosy is a mentor for Emerging Public Leaders, an organization focused on creating a new generation of public servants committed to social impact. She is also an advocate for women in STEM and her active participation in STEM initiatives has resulted in her being named one of 30 Top women in STEM in 2020, by The Stem Woman Project.



Rosy is also a member of the prestigious Archbishop Tutu Fellowship, a program focused on identifying, nurturing, and equipping Africas future leaders with the tools they need to address the continents challenges.



She assumes Nathalie Akon Gabalas role, who recently transitioned to Regional Director, West, Central, and Northern Africa for the Mastercard Foundation, to focus on the expansion of the Foundations regional work, which started in August 2021. According to Nathalie, Rosy has extensive senior leadership experience across the private sector and her deep passion for empowering young people will be instrumental to our work in the country.



She joins at a time when the Foundation is gearing up to implement our reimagined Young Africa Works in Ghana strategy, which will deepen our agricultural sector efforts, unlock work opportunities, and make the sector more rewarding for young Ghanaian women and men.



Rosy joins the Foundation with over 17 years of extensive experience across multiple industries, including telecommunications, financial services, consulting, and insurance. She also has over a decade of executive experience in transforming organizations across Africa, the United States, and the Caribbean.



I am delighted to join the Mastercard Foundation, an organization that I admire for their longstanding commitment to Africa  supporting education and promoting financial inclusion for some of the most vulnerable and excluded populations on the continent  and for the Foundations deep focus on young people, a passion I mutually share, said Rosy Fynn.

Rosy holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BA (honours) in Computer Science and Mathematics from Smith College, Massachusetts, USA.



Young Africa Works in Ghana



The Foundations vision for Young Africa Works in Ghana is that by 2030, the country will be a continental demonstration of young people, especially women, harnessing opportunities to shape the future of work and to create an inclusive economy with enhanced resilience for the most vulnerable.



To achieve this vision, the Foundation is focusing its efforts in the agricultural sector, using a value chain and market systems development approach, and addressing barriers by leveraging digital solutions to enhance productivity, and providing access to financial services to value chain operators.



The Foundations work will also support policy implementation to unlock the full potential of the agricultural sector to create work opportunities for young Ghanaian women and men.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has thrown a subtle jibe at the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area regarding an abandoned E-block Community Day Senior High School in his area.



The Chief, Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V issued a four-month ultimatum to the government to complete the abandoned school which was built under the regime of Ex-President John Mahama.



Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V made this demand among others during a tour of the Volta Region by Minority members on Parliament's Education Committee.



Reacting to the Chief's request, President Nana Akufo-Addo assured his government will continue the projects started by the former President.



However, the President didn't take it lightly that the Chief would issue an ultimatum to the government, so humorously replied that the Chief should ''complete the project himself'' if he is feels frustrated.



''Is he the one going to give the Minister of Education ultimatum?'', he questioned.



He added; ''For some of the projects, definitely, we will ready ourselves and complete them.''





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
Several towns in Ghana are currently under curfew and they have been under curfew for numerous years without the nations attention being drawn to it. The following are the curfewed towns;



Alavanyo

Chereponi

Kpatinga

Japekrom

Mpuasu

Katakyiekrom

Nkonya

Doba

Bimbila

Bibianiha

Basekrom

Saboba

Kandiga

Drobo

Kwaibourkrom

Kojokesekrom



Even though the imposition of curfew is regulated by law, it has diverse implications on the human rights of the people guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.



This decision has led to the alteration of the socio-economic lives of some of the people in those communities especially those who operate the night economy such as those who sell food and operate shops in the evening. Others who also use the night to socialize and familiarize themselves with friends and family have been restrained.



Furthermore, an activity like hunting which is done at night can no longer be carried out as well as farming at dawn.



Nightlife, which appears to be a very productive time for many in these towns has thus been truncated for all these years.



How do we expect the towns to function effectively amid these restrictions?



Curfew has certainly affected every aspect of peoples lives. It has also affected their religious practices such as night celebrations of festivals.



Surprisingly, the Minister for Interior keeps on passing new Executive Instruments(E.I.) to renew the curfews without any assurance of an end in sight.



For the past 15 years, the renewal of curfews have formed the majority of Executive Instruments(E.I.) published by the Assembly Press.



A further check at the Website of the Ministry of Interior will confirm the above assertion that the majority of announcements of the Ministry happen to be related to the renewal of curfews of these towns.



You can check on these E.I.s on the Dennislaw database here.



It does appear from the tracing of the history of the rationale behind the passing of the E.I. to impose a curfew that most of the cases are linked to chieftaincy disputes, tribal and land disputes among others.



Ironically, these same matters also exist in urban towns. However, when issues happened, the curfews that were imposed on these urban towns were immediately lifted after the same had been dealt with by the security agencies. Towns like Kasoa, Nungua, Teshie, Tafo in Kumasi, Koforidua, and Akropong in the Eastern Region among others have also faced chieftaincy, tribal, and land issues at one point or the other.



It is time for Ghanaians to know about these dark towns and for the Members of Parliament to ask the Executive serious questions as to why they keep making these towns dark in this modern era.



Notwithstanding, you may want to watch out for these towns when driving around to share their plights.



It is worth noting that cumulatively, the total number of years that these towns have remained under curfew, is 15 years when put together.



As we highlight these towns, it will be appropriate for one also to know the basis for the imposition of curfews on them highlighted below;



Alavanyo and Nkonya



The curfew at Alavanyo and Nkonya can be traced to an ethnic clash that dates as far back as the 18th century. Despite the various curfews imposed and appeals made at redressing the subject matter, there has persisted a series of conflicts between them till today, and remain under curfew thus nothing has changed.



Chereponi and Saboba



Further to the above, the 30-year-old recurring feud in Saboba was renewed in May this year, which resulted in the burning of several properties. This, therefore, led to the renewal of their curfew hours thus remaining under curfew. Available records indicate that an outbreak of violence in 2019 arising from clashes between Konkombas and Chokosis led to the further imposition of curfew on Chereponi and Saboba.



Doba and Kandiga



Also, a 12-hour curfew was imposed on the Doba and Kandiga communities in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region after six persons were killed and 12 houses torched over a renewed land dispute between the people of Doba and Kandiga in the Kassena-Nankana Municipal and Kassana-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.



Kpatinga



Moreover, violence broke out between two feuding factions in a chieftaincy dispute at Kpatinga last year, which led to the arrest of five accused persons in connection with the violence and placed before a Tamale District Magistrate Court. According to Police prosecutors, the accused persons were wielding firearms at the time of their arrest. This, therefore, led to an imposition of curfew by the Ministry of Interior.



Bimbila



Additionally, there were clashes between two chieftaincy gates at Bimbila in 2017. Sporadic shooting in the area claimed two lives, returning the township to one of its many dark days of chieftaincy conflicts. Apart from the two deceased persons, several others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The conflict in Bimbila came despite an existent 12-hour curfew imposed on the area.



Drobo, Japekrom, Bibianiha, Kwaibourkrom, Mpuasu, Basekrom, Kojokesekrom, and Katakyiekrom in the Jaman South Municipality in the Bono Region visibly remain glare on the list. In October 2018, the Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery, by an Executive Instrument imposed a curfew on Drobo, Japekrom, and six other communities in the Jaman South Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region, following a shooting incident that took two lives and injured several others.

Source: dennislawgh.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
With the increasing threat of fake news on social media, some staff of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has received training to identify fake news and alert the public on the risk.



The capacity building and sensitisation programme on the New Cyber Security Act, 2020 (Act 1038) and identification of fake news for staff of NCCE was jointly organised by the Commission and the Cyber Security Authority (CSA). The training was aimed at increasing the knowledge of staff to create public awareness on the dangers of fake news.



Commenting on the essence of the training, the Chairman of the NCCE, Ms. Josephine Nkrumah, noted that with the unfolding events in the world and how quickly information goes viral in the Cyberspace as well as how people react to them, it was important for Civic Educators to have knowledge on fake news.



She observed that since ineffective management of cyber security destabilises governments and democracies, NCCE with a core mandate to defend Ghanas democracy has a duty to be ahead of the propagators of fake news in cyberspace, by utilising it to further enhance our democracy.



Fake news is powerful Ms. Nkrumah stated, adding that the challenge with COVID-19 vaccine hesitance could be attributed to the propagation of fake news in cyberspace, where people tend to believe anybody who records anything or articulate their conviction on some events and share.



The NCCEs Chairman expressed optimism that participants would arm themselves with the right knowledge to identify fake news and spread the awareness among the citizenry to be on guard.



Likewise, Dr. Albert Antwi Boasiako, Acting Director-General, Cyber Security Authority (CSA), commended the leadership of NCCE for being proactive in taking initiative to train their staff on fake news despites its constraints.



He said the Cyber Security Act, 2020, mandates the CSA to conduct awareness creation, sensitisation, capacity building programmes and risk arising from the use of cyber space among Ghanaians. He noted that by exploring CSAs common grounds with the NCCE, which promotes civic education, the citizenry would be adequately informed to identify the risk they are exposed to in using the cyberspace.



Dr. Antwi-Boasiako stated that cyber security poses a threat to Government, State Institutions, individuals using mobile money digital platforms and children who are more vulnerable and expressed grave concern about the fake news gaining legitimacy in the media.



He, therefore, reaffirmed the commitment of CSA to not just share knowledge with NCCE but to collaborate with the Commission to implement the cyber security strategy, as well as access the possibility of organising joint quarterly programmes in 2022.



Mr Alexander Oppong, Capacity Building and Awareness Creation, CSA, took participants through fake news, how to identify them, as well as the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act, 1038).



He said fake news is also known as hoax news is false information or propaganda either written or published to look like authentic news and according to section 76, of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775) sharing of fake news is illegal.



Some effects of fake news are that they have financial and even health impacts on the victims, they produce fear and threaten national security, and it also undermines the democratic process and democratic impacts, it is therefore important that civic educators get the required knowledge to combat against these crimes.



Mr. Oppong further touched on the types and effects of fake news and urged participates to verify fake news from the source; to spot fake news, one must: verify where the story is from, who is producing the story, if it looks professional if it has bad spelling or grammar. He said that if it does not have the above-mentioned then the news is not authentic.



The NCCE Commission Secretary, Mr Kojo Tito Voegborlo, entreated participants to make good use of what they have learned and help create the needed awareness among their peers and among the public.

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
A one-day capacity building and sensitisation programme on the new Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (ACT 1038) has been held in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Capital to educate Members of the Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) on the new Act as part of events marking the National Cyber Security Awareness Month.



Giving the overview of the new Act, the Ag. Director-General, Cyber Security Authority, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako said Act 1038 which established the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) from the then National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) would provide a comprehensive legal framework for the protection of critical information infrastructure of the country, regulate cybersecurity activities including licensing of cybersecurity services, provide for the protection of children on the internet and develop Ghanas Cybersecurity ecosystem.



He indicated that Act 1038 was also targeted at positioning Ghana to prevent, manage and respond to cybersecurity incidents in view of the countrys digital transformation agenda which was very critical to the economic development, bearing in mind that economic growth was hinged on a secured, safe and resilient digital environment.



Highlighting the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) cybersecurity Index Ranking, Dr Antwi-Boasiako said Ghana has scored Ghana 86.69% placing the country at the 3rd position in Africa behind Mauritius and Tanzania. Ghanas current score of 86.69% is major progress from the previous ratings in 2017 and 2018 of 32.6% and 43.7% respectively.



He further commended the Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Seth Kwame Acheampong, for his instrumental role in the passage of the Cybersecurity Act as chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee of the 7th Parliament.



Addressing the media, the Eastern Regional Minister, Hon Seth Kwame Acheampong lauded government and the CSAfor instituting October every year as a cybersecurity month to create awareness on cyber frauds and other cybersecurity issues.



Hon. Seth Acheampong said he had a vision of establishing the Eastern Region as the Silicon Valley of Ghana where Research and Development on Information Technology in the country would be championed.



He cited the Space Systems Technology Laboratory of the All Nations University's feat of launching the first-ever Satellite in the country to space and the consecutive victories of the Methodist Girls High School, Mamfe Akuapem in the world ROBOFEST competition, all in the Eastern Region as proof of the Region's potential and preparedness for this development.



Hon. Acheampong said the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council as part of ensuring the success of this vision, would soon launch a training program dubbed Training of Information Technology (IT) Personnel and IT Savvy citizens to equip the citizenry with the necessary knowledge and skills that will ensure the country thrives in the digitalization age.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Chief Executive Officer for the Middle Belt Development Authority Hon Joe Danquah has announced a focused initiative aimed at advancing the goals of the Human Capital Development, an effort to accelerate more and better investments in people for greater equity and economic growth.



He said, the initiative is a way to invest and develop the human capital through education, health, agricultural among others to empower Ghanaians in order to eradicate poverty.



Hon Joe Danquah disclosed this when together with the deputy C.E.O Mr Alexander Ferka and other officials of the Authority inspected and commissioned eight(8) projects in the Banda District in the Bono region.



Hon Joe Danquah speaking to the media after the commissioning said, the Authority have achieved a lot when it comes to the distribution of infrastructural projects across its catchment areas and therefore the need to shift attention towards building the capacity of the people to be self-sufficient.



He mentioned activities such as greenhouse farming, building of dams, training of the youth in artisans and making arrangements to export Ghanaian nurses to Germany as part of the activities tabled to empower the youth.



Hon Joe Danquah elaborated that, the objective is to have a society where individuals and communities have overcome poverty through skills development, education and capacity building, bottleneck to individual and promote social development of the youth and communities.



He averred that, the Middle Belt Development Authority was established in 2017 by Act 962 of the Parliament to be the main vehicle for spearheading the development of five regions, namely Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, and Eastern which the Authority have achieved a lot in the regard.



He opined that, the Authority is making such move because a highly skilled labor force in a thriving digital ecosystem will increase the ability of the country to compete on a global scale, by attracting investments, promoting innovation in service delivery and value-addition to natural resources, as well as generating knowledge-intensive activities.

Source: Kwabena Manu/Peace FM/ Bono East correspondent.









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
Oct 20 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc (FB.O), under fire from regulators and lawmakers over its business practices, is planning to rebrand itself with a new name that focuses on the metaverse, the Verge reported on Tuesday.



The name change will be announced next week, The Verge reported, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter.



The move would likely position the flagship app as one of many products under a parent company overseeing brands such as Instagram and WhatsApp, according to the report. Google (GOOGL.O) adopted such a structure when it reorganized into a holding company called Alphabet in 2015.



Read Full Story .... reuters.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
Ghanas ambassador extraordinaire and plenipotentiary to Italy with concurrent accreditation to Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Eudora Hilda Quartey-Koranteng, has died.



Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Asaase Radio that she died on Tuesday (19 October) in Rome.



She is said to have suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest.



She recently hosted President Akufo-Addo in Serbia when the president attended the 60th-anniversary celebrations of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in her concurrent capacity as Ghanas envoy to Serbia, and was said to be in good health.

She assumed office on 11 June 2019 after presenting her letters of credence to President Sergio Mattarella, in the Italian capital, Rome. She was noted for having improved the efficiency of the mission by introducing an effective online and passport printing system.

In one year she had installed and operationalised the embassys biometric passport printing system.



The Ghanaian community notably embraced the new regime, recording over 3,000 online passport applications in the first month alone.



Ambassador Quartey-Koranteng succeeded Paulina Patience Abayage, after she was recalled by President Akufo-Addo to serve as the Upper East Regional Minister.









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 Member of Parliament for Odododiodio, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has thrown his weight behind the anti-LGBTQ+ bill. He said men will not be allowed to marry their fellow men nor women be permitted to marry their compatriots in Ghana.



We will not allow a man to marry a man and a woman to marry a woman. The Chiefs are seriously against it. They have said if the bill is not passed, I should not come back to the constituency.



Mr. Vandepuye said this on Accra-based radio station, Citi FM Tuesday Evening.



I support it 100%. A lot of my constituents support it although that behaviour is pervasive in my area. I have been chosen as the leader of my people so anything that is an affront to the norms and traditions of my people, I will talk about it.



He said his opposition against the bill is legitimate, given that Ghanas norms and traditions do not condone LGBTQ+ activities.



My interest is not just because I want people arrested. My interest is to stop this negative and antiquated behaviour. I do not know which Ghanaian culture is LGBTQ. It is an attitude people pick up. I do not know where they pick it up from because it is not part of our culture. I am saying you can do that in your bedroom, but we will not allow that into our society the legislator said.



He further said he had lodged a complaint to the Police about a song that suggested the promotion of LGBTQ activities in the country



Just yesterday [Monday], I reported a profane song to the Police. The song which is called oy3 s3k3, [meaning you are insane in Ga], makes people go naked when it is played. Guys and girls go naked and dance.



The bill currently before Parliament seeks to criminalise and impose jail terms on lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and queers (LGBTQ+) and people who promote such activities in the country.



But a group made up of academics, lawyers, researchers, civil society organisations (CSOs) and human rights activists have kicked against the bill .



The have decribed the bill as a flagrant violation of the 1992 Constitution, as it seeks to curtail freedom of expression and the media, the right to assemble and the right to join any association of ones choice.



According to the group, the bill  Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill  when passed into law, would erode fundamental human rights, as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, and send Ghana to the dark ages of lawlessness and intolerance.



The group, made up of 18 members, has already submitted a 30-page memorandum to Parliament, detailing what it described as the unconstitutionality of the bill.



Meanwhile, religious bodies in the country and traditional leaders are in support of the bill which they said will preserve the culture of the country.









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
Deputy Communications Director of the ruling NPP, Mame Yaa Aboagye has described former President Mahamas Thank You tour as a political gimmick.



According to her, Mr. Mahama can cry blood, his tricks for a political comeback to deceive many will not work.



She said the former President's ongoing tour is full of lies and deceit coupled with bitter comments.



Mr. John Mahama is accusing everybody in his Thank You tour including the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Madam Jean Mensa, portraying to be better than every government that has ruled this country over the years.



Mame Yaa Aboagye urged the former President to highlight his vision for the nation instead of trying to make the government unpopular in the eyes of the people.



Ghanaians expect the former President to concentrate on what an NDC government would do to build a better society for all.



Ghanaians deserve better; enough of the lies and deceit. You had your time and chances and you blew it away because of your incompetence.



We admit there have been a few challenges here and there but President Nana Akufo-Addo's government has performed creditably well and achieved a lot through the implementation of realistic social intervention programmes. Venting and wailing during his tour wont change anything. Ghanaians won't hand you the power to mess things up again, she added.

Source: peacefmonline.co









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
Deputy National Organizer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Hamilton Biney, has fired the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) for deceiving the people of Cape Coast.



According to him, "dishonest President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his deceptive vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia have been exposed big time by the God of central region".



He said Vice President Bawumia must be likened to alleged Nigerian popular fraudster Hushpuppi who is facing trial.



He explained that there is no difference between Hushpuppi and Dr. Bawumia because he has also lied and deceived the people of Cape Coast into believing that they will get a harbour.



"What is the difference between Bawumia and Hushpuppi . . . he is the political Hushpuppi," he said during a panel discussion on Adom FM's 'Badwam' programme.



President Akufo-Addo has said that a Habour project was never a part of the list of commitments tabled before him for his second term.



The commitment was never to a harbour; it was to a landing site, he said on Cape Coast-based Eagle FM on Monday.



Bawumia's manifesto launch address



During his address at the launch of the partys manifesto in August 2020, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia also disclosed that, for the people of Cape Coast, I have good news for you. We are building a new harbour in Cape Coast and a new airport in Cape Coast.



Cape Coast airport



Meanwhile, on the idea of an airport in the region, President Akufo-Addo explained that consensus about the location among other studies is complete.



The commitment to build the airport in Cape Coast, that one is 100% committed, work is ongoing it, and I think very soon, just as we have seen with Wa, Ho, Sunyani  its almost complete, Cape Coast will get its own airport, he added.



To Chief Biney, politics is about truthfulness and consistency and not dishonesty.



Hushpuppi



Nigerian influencer Ramon Abbas - also known as Hushpuppi - has pleaded guilty to money laundering in a US court.



Hushpuppi, 37, is known for posting photos of his lavish lifestyle on Instagram, where he has 2.5m followers.



Court documents filed in California said Hushpuppi's crimes cost victims almost $24m (17m) in total.



They add that he could face up to 20 years in prison, and will need to "pay full restitution to the victim(s)".



Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai, where he lived, in June 2020.

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
Paramount Chief of Twifo Hemang Traditional Area, Otumfuo Amoah Sasraku III is of the view that President Akufo-Addo is the countrys redeemer just as Moses in the Holy Bible was for the people of Israel.



We will remain ever grateful to you, our President; and to God for the rare gift of visionary leadership in governance and in the administration that he has given you to serve this nation. It is without a doubt that God has indeed ordained you to lead Ghana onto a path of self-reliance and economic freedom. Clearly, you are the Moses of our time.



These were the words of Otumfuo Amoah Sasraku III, Paramount Chief of Twifo Hemang Traditional Area, when President Akufo-Addo, paid a courtesy call on him on Tuesday, October 19, as part of his two-day working visit to the Central region.



Otumfuo Amoah Sasraku III applauded the President for his decision to embark on a tour of the country, adding that irrespective of the remote nature of our communities and its nearly impassable roads, you are still able to touch base with us and offer solutions to our concerns.



According to the Chief, the many projects undertaken by the current Akufo-Addo-led administration cannot be undervalued.



Even in the absence of the luxury of time to state the life-changing interventions the President has instituted to the benefit of Ghanaians, I cannot be silent about the huge school projects that are dotted all around our communities; many of which are completed, whilst others are at varying stages of completion.



He continued, This exemplifies the Presidents renown as an avowed proponent of universal education for our young ones. A lot has already been said about the Free SHS policy and Free School Feeding Programme.



It is now a thing of the past to hear people ask for handouts to pay the school fees of their wards. This is a personal testimony and we are. The kids and their parents are therefore grateful.



Concluding, Otumfuo Amoah Sasraku III also mentioned the construction of Community Small Water Systems across the traditional area, to take care of the water and sanitation needs of the people, as yet another example of the achievements undertaken by President Akufo-Addo in the area.









Source: The Ghanaian Times









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 Member of Parliament (MP) of the Hohoe constituency of the Volta Region, John-Peter Amewu has refuted claims by the former flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the seat through arm twisting tactics.



According to him, the claim of Mr. Mahama and the NDC is evident of the fact that they have lost touch with reality and hence have no idea whatsoever of the level of hard work, unity and sacrifice that went into winning the Hohoe seat from the NDC.



Mr. Amewu who has been described by many as a history maker for his exploits in the Volta Region and Hohoe in particular stressed that Hohoe was not won on a silver platter, but with a unity in purpose and commitment.



The Railway Development Minister made the assertion in Ho during the Volta Regional Annual Delegates Conference last Tuesday, October 19, 2021; a day after the former NDC flag bearer made his claim in Ho.



Since 1992, the NDC has been holding the Hohoe seat until the last election when John Peter Amewu who was then the Energy Minister, won the seat for the NPP for the first time in history.



The historic feat was reached with 26,952 votes in his favour as against 21,821 votes for his major competitor from NDC, Prof. Margaret Kweku. The victory left many in disbelief considering the fact that in 2016, the NDCs Bernice Adiku Heloo secured 35,437 as against the NPPs Marlon Praises Anipas 6,462.



Despite the over 5000 vote difference and proof of the broken grip of the NDC in Hohoe, Mr. Mahama and the NDC still believes the historic NPP victory was chalked through arm twisting.



There are 18 constituencies in the region (Volta), you gave us 17 and I know that even Hohoe we would have won but for the arm twisting that took place, he said on Global FM in Ho last Monday during his Thank You tour.



Responding to the claims of the NDC flag bearer, Mr. Amewu stressed that unity was the secret behind winning the Hohoe seat. That is how we won Hohoe; we won Hohoe because we were united, he reiterated.



He added that what was achieved in Hohoe could be achieved in other constituencies in the Volta region because, The Volta Region presents the growth of the NPP in Ghana.



Mr. Amewu announced that Hohoe is not better than Anlo, Ketu South or Ketu North. Former Chairman, Kenwuud is from Ketu North. If Hohoe can do it, then Ketu North Can also do it.



He added that Hohoe was won because he looked beyond his personal interest and focused on the greater good.



He commended the regional executives, particularly the Chairman, Makafui Woanya for the hard work to increase the partys votes in the 2020 elections, but called for a ten-year strategic plan to annex Volta region from the hands of the NDC.



This he said can be made possible with adequate and consistent support for the Volta region by the National Executives and other well-meaning members and financiers of the NPP.

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
Convener for Fixing The Country Movement, Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, has said that without any scintilla of doubt the greatest calamity that has ever befallen Ghana is Ex-President John Mahama occupying the highest office of President.



According to him no former President worth the office he once occupied will chart the course John Mahama is charting.



"As a matter of fact, Mr Mahama is showing gross incompetence even in opposition. His utterances and baseless rants highlight the weaknesses in our democracy and bring into contempt the office he once occupied," he stated at press conference on Thursday, October 21 in Accra.



"The founder of the NDC, former President Rawlings saw through Mahama's antics and blew the lid off the 2024 agenda. It has always being about Mahama and his 2024 comeback. Mr Mahama is just clutching on straw and hoping to create a religion of conspiracy to undermine our democracy & ideas that challenge his politics. He needs to be told in plain language that touting these unfounded claims of election fraud without willingness to follow the constitutional procedures is as horrible as Adolf Hitlers propaganda stunts," he added.



Mahama says soldiers were used to declare 2020 elections



The NDC 2020 Presidential candidate, John Mahama believes soldiers were used to declare the 2020 elections in favour of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in some collation centres.



He explained that the deployment of the Military forced some officers of the Electoral Commission to declare wrong results to favour his opponent, President Akufo-Addo.



He said; We won the majority in Parliament, but you saw what happened on the day. In many of the collation centres they injected soldiers and forced the electoral officers to pronounce results that were not real.



But for a lot of scheming that took place, the NDC would have won the election. I do believe that we did win, but a lot of things went untoward and so even though power did not come into our hands, it does not mean we do not have the prospects of winning.



Mr. Mahama made these claims during an interview on Global FM as he commenced his one-day Thank You tour of the Volta Region.



Read full statement:



Statement by Fixing The Country Movement At a Press Conference Held On Thursday 21/10/2021 In Accra On John Mahama's Recent Public Outbursts



Ladies and Gentlemen of the print and electronic media, we are honoured for your promptness to this press conference. We are seizing this opportunity to salute you all.



Once again for the umpteenth time, the twice-defeated candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama is back in the news for all the wrong reasons.



Mr Mahamas post election antics are getting pronounced, and hes proving beyond all doubt that he is  and always has been a national and international embarassment.



The recent outbursts from Mr Mahama would have pass without notice but judging from his previous eccentricity, this issue has been elevated to the front pages of public discourse.



Speaking on Global FM in Ho during his Thank You tour to the Volta Region, the former president said the 2020 elections were manipulated in NPPs favour.



Mr Mahama claims the deployment of military personnel to collation centres forced some electoral officers to declare results in favour of the governing New Patriotic Party.



Indeed, in Mr Mahama's warped mind, the 2020 election was not transparent, as touted by the Electoral Commission.



Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, the other day, it was Mr Mahama's claim that the EC thumb-printed 1million ballot papers for the ruling NPP. And before then, Mr Mahama had gone to town on the media, the Judiciary and the National House of chiefs.



According to Mr Mahama, the entire nation is against him because all of us here, including you the media are a sell out.



Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, isn't it interesting to note that the entire country is against Mr Mahama as he claims?



This is the same man who admonished political parties in 2016 to leave the EC alone to do its work. Again in 2012, Mr Mahama had no difficulty siding, and speaking for the Electoral Commission.



Indeed, the memory of Mr Mahama's strong faith in the integrity and credibility of the EC ahead of the 2016 elections still lives on.



Mr. Mahama on November 18, 2016 as reported by the Daily Graphic, emphatically pointed out that the Electoral Commission cannot rig elections.



Reacting to purported claims by his opponents at the time that the EC was preparing to possibly rig the election in his favor, Mr. Mahama said Some of them have gone to the extent of saying the Electoral Commission is preparing to rig the elections for John Mahama. What absurd nonsense?



He noted that Ghanas Electoral system is one of the best in the world. Note my words, not in Africa , in the world because it has inherent instruments for guaranteeing its integrity.



What has changed, Mahama?Apparently, everything with the EC was perfect under Mr Mahama's reign, but not under the Akufo-Addo regime?



At this point, even the most fanatical supporters of Mr Mahama are getting bewildered. The sheer illogicality of these commentaries by Mr Mahama is really nauseating.



Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, were we not in this country when Mr Mahama went to the Supreme Court for redress over his claims of Electoral malfeasance against the EC? What was the outcome of the Supreme court case?



Is it not interesting to note that during the election petition hearing, Mr Mahama and his witnesses were asked several times by the judges to produce their own collated results and they were found wanting?



Mr Mahama couldn't produce a distinct figure from the pink sheets in order to challenge what was declared by the Electoral Commission and yet he has continue spouting electoral fraud.



One would have thought that the embarrassment Asiedu-Nketia suffered in the hands of the EC lawyers with regards to the strict prove he was subjected to will change anything. But Mr Mahama is still yelling, alleging and touting voter fraud. Strangely, he couldnt allege to the courts, but continue to be all talk and NO PROOF and yet we are told to swallow his unfounded conspiracy theory.



Again, If Mr Mahama claims the presence of the military made the EC to declare false results, why didn't he tender this in his evidence when he went to court?



To the extent that the Supreme Court described Mr Mahama's witnesses as Fanciful Witnesses speak volumes.



Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, while some would speak angrily of this movement as being overly critical of Mr Mahama, Ghanaians do not deserve this man as our former President.



We can state without any scintilla of doubt that the greatest calamity that has ever befallen Ghana is Mr Mahama occupying the highest office of president. No former President worth the office he once occupied will chart the course Mr Mahama is charting.



As a matter of fact, Mr Mahama is showing gross incompetence even in opposition. His utterances and baseless rants highlight the weaknesses in our democracy and bring into contempt the office he once occupied.



We're fully aware that this whole act has always been about Mahama himself while pretending to be about others.



The founder of the NDC, former President Rawlings saw through Mahama's antics and blew the lid off the 2024 agenda. It has always being about Mahama and his 2024 comeback. Mr Mahama is just clutching on straw and hoping to create a religion of conspiracy to undermine our democracy & ideas that challenge his politics. He needs to be told in plain language that touting these unfounded claims of election fraud without willingness to follow the constitutional procedures is as horrible as Adolf Hitlers propaganda stunts.



Ladies and Gentlemen, it is said that the leopard cannot change its spots, nor can the tiger change its stripes, but it is time for Mr Mahama to pack it in and get ready for the internal politics that awaits him.



Signed;

Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah

Convener- Fixing The Country Movement

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
Popular Ghanaian rapper, Samuel Adu Frimpong, know in the showbiz as Medikal has reportedly been arrested by the Ghana Police service for flaunting a gun in a video on social media.



He was arrested by the Police on Thursday, 21st October, 2021 and led to the Accra Regional Police Command Charge Office.



His arrest comes few hours after Shatta Wale and three others were remanded into police custody for a week over the musician's fake gunshot story.



In the early hours of today, Medikal was seen at the court to show support to his friend Shatta Wale who is in the grips of the police for raising false information of being shot by some unknown assailants.



After questioning and interactions by the police, it is reported that Medikal has been denied bail and will be put before court on Friday, 22nd October, 2021







Source: Atiemo Emmanuel/Peacefmonline/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
Business groups are warning that the looming end of pandemic-relief programs in Canada could send shockwaves through the economy. Space available signs are shown on storefronts on Queen Street in Toronto on Thursday, April 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune.

You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.10 per week for 10 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month.
William Bosi blasts boulders in Switzerland

21.10.2021 by by Planetmountain

Scottish climber Will Bosi has made a short but successful climbing trip to Switzerland, during which he repeated a flurry of hard boulder problems including the 8C Foundations Edge.

After Spain at the start of the year which culminated in the first ascent of King Capella 9b+ in Siurana, Will Bosi has just returned from another successful climbing trip to the continent, this time bouldering in Switzerland. Will joined up Americans Dave Graham and Shawn Raboutou and despite poor conditions managed to amass an impressive ticklist in the short time he was out there.

In Fionnay, near Verbier, Bosi made quick ascents of Dave Grahams king line Foundations Edge (8C) as well as Scarred for Life (8b+) before moving to the Gotthard Pass to climb Hazel Grace (8B+). Over in the Susten Pass, Bosi made quick ascents of Highlander (8B+), Gepresster Hase (8B+) and a flash of Red Snapper (8A+). Finally Bosi made a flash of one of the best looking lines in the area, Dulcifer Sit (8A+) in Schollenen Gorge.

Will commented on the trip: "These boulders are absolutely incredible, so just being able to try them was great fun. It was hugely rewarding to get them sent fast as well. Definitely shows my training has been paying off and that I am in a good shape. It gives me more confidence in the FAs I did at the beginning of the year in Spain but it is back to training now for future projects next year!"



THE BOULDERS

Foundations Edge (8C). First Ascent: Dave Graham. Repeated within a 2 hour session with Dave supporting with beta

Scarred for Life (8B+). First Ascent: Dave Graham. Repeated over 2 days. The flash go went far to the top section but then repeatedly fell (8-10 attempts), 2nd go and the next day (after the warm up go).

Hazel Grace stand start (8B+). First Ascent: Giuliano Cameroni. Repeated in about an hour in good conditions and was done as conditions deteriorated when clouds rolled in. No time to try the sitstart.

Highlander (8B+). First Ascent: Martin Keller. Repeated in about an hour and a half session alongside Gepresster.

Gepresster Hase (8B+). First Ascent Martin Keller. Done in same session at Highlander and was fighting to send quickly due to poor skin.

Red Snapper (8A+). First Ascent: Ueli Gygax. Flashed.

Dulcifer Sit (8A+). First Ascent: Fred Nicole. Flashed with beta from Shawn.
Welcome to the Day 3 finale of Event #38: $50,000 High Roller No-limit Holdem 8-Handed at the 2021 World Series of Poker. Cards go in the air at 4 p.m. and the action will be streamed live on PokerGO.com at 5 p.m.

Michael Addamo has a commanding lead on this path to a third WSOP gold bracelet, and the two-time champion from Australia will look to close the deal after spending Day 2 crushing the field. Addamo has a big lead but he will have to deal with experienced WSOP champions Justin Bonomo, Erik Seidel, and Gal Yifrach. Chris Hunichen comes in on the short stack looking to spin it into his first bracelet after 56 career cashes at the WSOP.

Final Table Chip Counts

RANK PLAYER COUNTRY CHIP COUNT/PLACE 1 Michael Addamo Australia 11,475,000 2 Justin Bonomo United States 4,975,000 3 Erik Seidel United States 4,335,000 4 Gal Yifrach United States 3,160,000 5 Chris Hunichen United States 405,000

The final five players fought through a field of 81 that built a $3,877,875 prize pool of which $1,132,968 is waiting up top for todays winner.

Blinds will continue in Level 18 at 60,000/120,000 with a big blind ante of 120,000. Levels are 60 minutes long and play will continue today until there is a winner.

Be sure to keep it here all day long for updates and reports on the action from the PokerNews live reporting team.
Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier?

Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop.

Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News

Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time.

Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up!

Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page.
WASHINGTON  The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, led the floor debate along with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the panel. Still, the vote was 229-202 with most GOP lawmakers voting "no," despite the potential consequences for Congress if witnesses are allowed to ignore its demands.

The House vote sends the matter to the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, where it will now be up to prosecutors in that office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges.

The partisan split over Bannon's subpoena  and over the committee's investigation in general  is emblematic of the raw tensions that still grip Congress nine months after the Capitol attack. Democrats have vowed to comprehensively probe the attack in which hundreds of Trump's supporters battered their way past police, injured dozens of officers and interrupted the electoral count certifying President Joe Biden's victory.

Lawmakers on the investigating committee say they will move swiftly and forcefully to punish anyone who won't cooperate with the probe.

"We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because our work is too important," Thompson said ahead of the vote.

Republicans call it a "witch hunt," say it is a waste of time and argue that Congress should be focusing on more important matters.

Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, leading the GOP opposition on the floor, called the probe an "illicit criminal investigation into American citizens" and said Bannon is a "Democrat party boogeyman."

Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger are the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel. Both have openly criticized Trump and his role in fomenting the riot, even as other Republicans have mostly remained silent in the face of Trump's falsehoods about massive fraud in the election. Trump's claims were rejected by election officials, courts across the country and by his own attorney general.

The Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend the contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel last week, citing a letter from Trump's lawyer that directed him not to answer questions. The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack, and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that "all hell is going to break loose."

Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them.

"Mr. Bannon's own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of  and may well have been involved in  the planning of everything that played out on that day," Cheney said ahead of the vote. "The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did."

Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will prosecute, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress' power to call witnesses and demand information.

While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries.

Attorney General Merrick Garland gave no hints during a House hearing on Thursday.

"If the House of Representatives votes for a referral of a contempt charge, the Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances. It will apply the facts and the law and make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution," he said.

Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is on the line.

"The stakes are enormous," Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said in an interview with The Associated Press.

If the Justice Department doesn't prosecute, the House has other options, including a civil lawsuit. That could also take years but would force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court.

Another option would be for Congress to try to imprison defiant witnesses  an unlikely, if not outlandish, scenario. Called "inherent contempt," the process was used in the country's early years but hasn't been employed in almost a century.

The lingering acrimony over the riot, and the Bannon subpoena, flared Wednesday at a House Rules Committee hearing held to set the parameters of Thursday's debate. Under intense questioning from Raskin, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who defended Trump and opposed the Bannon contempt effort, said he accepted that Biden is the president but would not say that Biden won the election.

Raskin said, "I know that might work on Steve Bannon's podcast, but that's not going to work in the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Gaetz. I'm sorry."

___

Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.
A Charleston startup that sells a line of pregnancy and fertility products online and in retail stores across the country has been sold to Texas company looking to expand its health care offerings.

Natalist, which was launched in 2019 by technology entrepreneur Halle Tecco, announced Oct. 21 that it has been acquired in an all-cash deal by Everly Health.

The sale price was not disclosed.

The buyer is a woman-owned business based in Austin that offers consumers an array of at-home medical test kits and other diagnostic products.

Natalist workers and executives are joining Everly, which owns three subsidiaries: Everlywell, Everly Health Solutions and EverlyD.

Tecco, whose title is chief women's health officer, said in an email that Natalists operations will remain in Charleston and that employees will have the option to work remotely.

"The missions of our two companies have been aligned since day one. We're working to make sure all people  especially women  have access to care that's simple, convenient, and designed for the way they live," she said in a written statement.

Natalist CEO Vernita Brown said Everlys full capabilities across testing, telehealth and virtual care delivery will supercharge our ability to help people in ways we're only beginning to explore."

The Charleston startup raised $5 million in early-stage funding shortly after its website went live more than two years ago. Investors included Everly Health founder and CEO Julia Cheek.

Natalists products are now carried at nearly 6,000 brick-and-mortar stores, up from 300 a year ago. They include Target, Rite Aid and several supermarket chains.

"Creating innovative solutions for women's health was my initial motivation for founding Everly ... and remains a top area of focus," Cheek said in the statement. "A survey of our customers revealed that nearly 70 percent don't trust many of the women's health products available on the market today. Natalist's thoughtfully designed fertility and pregnancy essentials are the solution that so many women are seeking."
The S.C. Court of Appeals has reversed a 2017 ruling that determined that one of downtown Charleston's most luxurious hotels could operate a rooftop bar.

The latest decision, issued Oct. 20, sided with the city of Charleston, which tried to block the venue atop The Dewberry near Marion Square. The court found that the city's zoning board had the authority to dictate whether the hotel could operate the bar.

In a statement, Kristie Rasheed, general manager of The Dewberry, said the hotel has been "operating responsibly" since its opening in 2016.

"We believe both Citrus Club and Rivers Room to be a great assets to the City of Charleston," Rasheed said.

The hotel is "saddened and exhausted by these abhorrent legal machinations," she said in the statement.

In her comments, Rasheed did not say whether or not The Dewberry will appeal the Oct. 20 decision to the S.C. Supreme Court.

City spokesman Jack O'Toole said in a statement that the city appreciated "the court's carefully considered ruling in this case."

"Preserving the character of our residential neighborhoods is a critical component of our citizens' quality of life, and this decision clearly reaffirms the BZA's role in that process," he said, referring to the city's Board of Zoning Appeals.

An order that has allowed The Dewberry to operate the bar, called the Citrus Club, and its Rivers Room event venue during the legal battle is still in effect.

The dispute started in 2016, when the upscale hotel began promoting a swanky new cocktail spot on its top floor as it prepared to open in a former mid-century government office building on Meeting Street, just north of Calhoun Street.

But the city said the owners didnt have permission to open the Citrus Club. It wasnt included in the plans that zoning officials approved in 2011 that showed a pool and a glass-enclosed area for a spa and fitness center under a so-called special exception use.

When the hotel was completed, the eighth level was instead outfitted for an event space and a bar with an outdoor terrace.

The hotel asked the Board of Zoning Appeals in April 2017 for permission to modify its plans to allow the bar use. The panel rejected the request, in part citing concerns shared by residents in the nearby Mazyck-Wraggborough neighborhood.

The Dewberry then went to court to challenge the denial and prevailed.

In a December 2017 ruling, Circuit Court Judge J.C. Nicholson wrote that the zoning board committed an error of law in denying the request ... based on speculative noise and harm from the outside terrace that is already the subject of three noise-containment conditions" that were included in the original special exception that was approved in 2011.

The city, in turn, filed its own appeal.

All the while, the bar remained closed, but in mid-2018 the hotel asked the judge to allow the venue to open. The Dewberry estimated at the time that it had lost as much as $5 million in revenue because of Charlestons refusal to let the Citrus Club operate.

A few months later, Nicholson allowed the hotel to open the bar. The Citrus Club made its debut that fall, serving hotel guests and the public. The judge's order still stands, as the dispute winds it way through the state legal system.

According to Wednesday's decision, the lower court was wrong in determining the hotel didn't need approval for the bar.

Charleston zoning ordinances clearly authorized the Board of Zoning Appeals to consider all plans for the hotel, including accessory uses  in this case, a bar with an open-air terrace  and they also give the zoning board the power to place conditions on those uses, the Appeals Court said.

Under the circuit court's interpretation of the ordinances, a hotel, such as (The) Dewberry, could submit plans for a special exception that did not include any objectionable accessory uses and then, after receiving BZA approval, include in the construction a use the BZA would not have approved, the ruling stated.

The Appeals Court also said it disagreed with the circuit courts assertion that the city's 2011 approval could be taken as tacit permission for the hotel to add different accessory uses to that top floor.

It further disagreed with the lower courts determination that the citys refusal to allow the bar to open was arbitrary and capricious.

We find the neighborhood residents expressed valid concerns, the ruling said.

The Appeals Court also found The Dewberry knew or should have known" it was required to formally amend its 2011 approval when it decided to swap out the pool and spa for the Citrus Club.

In her statement, general manager Rasheed said the "overriding concern" expressed by the community at the BZA hearing in 2017 was the potential noise that could come from the bar.

"In the more than three years of operating Citrus Club and the Rivers Room, there has not been a single noise complaint made to the hotel or the city that was reported to us, demonstrating the hotel has run the Citrus Club and Rivers Room without blemish," Rasheed said. "In fact, Mazyck-Wraggborough residents are some of our most ardent guests."

The Citrus Club is open Wednesday through Sunday. Customers younger than 21 arent allowed, and men are asked to wear collared shirts. Citrus-inspired cocktails and fresh lite bites, like oysters, citrus salad and veggie tacos are offered, according to the bar's menu.

The bar was a co-winner in the 2020 James Beard Awards for "Outstanding Design of Alternative Eating & Drinking Places."

The Dewberrys website describes the eighth floor terrace where Citrus Club patrons can drink and dine as the highest rooftop in Charleston.
WEST COLUMBIA  An artisan CBD store wants take over the former location of Comedy Closet in West Columbia.

Veteran Botanical Group, a veteran-owned business, is planning to manufacture and sell its own CBD oil, vape pens and cartridges, plus CBD-infused products, such as chocolate and lollipops. The business needs to clear a hurdle with the city's zoning appeals board before it can move forward.

The building, located at 735 Meeting Street near WECO Bottle and Biergarten, sits on a parcel that isn't zoned for light manufacturing. Co-owner John Thorne, who hails from Columbia, said the business plans to have an on-site kitchen, production and packaging area.

The zoning appeals board will consider an exception for Veteran Botanical Group at its Oct. 26 meeting.

Veteran Botanical Group is focused on promoting CBD products for health and wellness benefits, such as providing a natural alternative to medications for inflammation, Thorne said. His co-owners, also based in South Carolina, include fellow veterans who served with him on deployments in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cuba and Iraq.

"We have people who have been doing good things for the community for a long time, and we want to be able to do that through this business as well," Thorne said.

Manufacturing and selling CBD oil and other hemp-based products is legal in South Carolina. State and federal law only allows CBD oil and products with a concentration of THC  the psychoactive component of cannabis  below 0.3%.

Businesses focused on hemp-deprived CBD have quickly spread across across South Carolina after the state legalized CBD in 2017. West Columbia already has several CBD shops, including some on Meeting Street.
COLUMBIA  South Carolina's most powerful, and oldest, legislator is in hospice care after being hospitalized, according to sources with knowledge of his medical condition.

Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, is back home after surgery.

His office would say only that the 90-year-old senator is "going through a difficult time medically" but is "at home resting with his family."

His family appreciates all the well-wishes he's receiving, his office said in a statement on Oct. 21, declining to be more specific.

Leatherman has led the Senate's budget-writing committee since the chamber flipped to Republican control 20 years ago. He was first elected in 1980.

Known for wielding his enormous clout while barely speaking above a whisper, Leatherman holds the most control over the state's purse strings. He's not only Senate Finance chairman but also sits on various state fiscal oversight boards.

Between 2014 and 2019, he also held the title of Senate president pro tem, the chamber's official leader, which gave him additional appointment powers. That title no longer exists in the chamber. After the 2018 election, when the governor and lieutenant governor ran on the same ticket for the first time, the lieutenant governor no longer presided over the Senate, doing away with the need for a "pro tem" role.

Leatherman chose to keep his job as Senate Finance chairman, and the influence that holds, rather than run for the new Senate president position. Former Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, was elected Senate president.

An example of his influence is as the namesake for the State Ports Authority's new Leatherman Terminal in North Charleston.

News that Leatherman's medical condition had taken a turn for the worse swirled around Statehouse circles on Oct. 21.
Local government employees in the Charleston area who dont want to get vaccinated against COVID-19 will soon face being fired or tested weekly.

Federal District Judge David C. Norton on Oct. 21 denied requests to pause four governments' vaccine mandates.

The judge heard arguments Oct. 14 from plaintiffs' attorneys representing employees of the cities of Charleston and North Charleston, Charleston County and the St. John's Fire Department.

North Charleston employees are required to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 19. The deadline is Nov. 7 for Charleston County employees, Nov. 22 for city of Charleston employees, and Nov. 20 for St. Johns Fire personnel.

All of the mandates make exemptions for medical and religious reasons. If employees are granted an exemption, they may be subjected to weekly COVID-19 testing. Without an exemption, employees risk being fired.

Plaintiffs in each case, which were filed separately but heard together Oct. 21, did not want to comply with a series of COVID-19 vaccine mandates put in place by the area government agencies for all employees. The plaintiffs attorneys say 125 government employees were being represented in total.

They alleged the mandates violate state and common law as well as freedom of speech protections under the U.S. Constitution.

Since March 2020, local government leaders have tried other preventive measures to keep employees safe, said Caroline Wrenn Cleveland, attorney for the governments. They have sent employees home with pay, implemented social-distancing requirements and encouraged people to get vaccinated  all before vaccine mandates began rolling out in September, Cleveland said in the hearing.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey issued a statement Oct. 21 granting a 14-day extension on the city's mandate to Nov. 19.

"The City is hopeful that some Plaintiffs, having read Judge Norton's order, may now comply with the vaccination order to retain employment," the statement read.

Tom Fernandez, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, issued a statement via Facebook Oct. 21.

The decision for healthcare is a choice that must be left between an individual, their doctor, and their Heavenly Father. It should never be left up to government coercion under threat of fine, citation, or even loss of employment.

Charleston city spokesman Jack OToole said the citys vaccine mandate will continue moving forward. The deadline for employees to be fully vaccinated is Nov. 22. Employees were also given the option to request a religious or medical exemption. As of Oct. 21, about 10 percent of employees requested an exemption for medical reasons and 81 percent were fully vaccinated. When the mandate was first adopted in September, 60 percent of employees were fully vaccinated.

"We thank the court for its swift decision in this case, and will continue with our efforts to protect both our workforce and community," O'Toole said.

Charleston County Chairman Teddie Pryor issued a statement in support of the judges decision.

Charleston County Government is a wonderful place to work, and we hope employees come to understand the importance of this necessary safety measure, he wrote in a statement.

The Charleston-area vaccine mandates involved in the lawsuits are not the only mandates in place in the state. The city of Columbia is requiring all of its employees to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1.

The Medical University of South Carolina was the first large employer in South Carolina to make vaccines mandatory for staff earlier this year. When the deadline for MUSCs vaccine mandate passed this summer, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed MUSC had granted between 2,000 and 3,000 medical and religious exemptions for its workers. Some of the employees who received medical exemptions were able to prove theyd developed COVID-19 antibodies through a blood test because they had been previously infected.

More than 17,000 people work for MUSC. Only five people were eventually terminated for noncompliance with the mandate.
For decades, birders in the Lowcountry have trekked in and out of forests and wetlands searching for one of North Americas rarest songbirds. For most of them, it was to no avail.

The Bachmans warbler holds great significance in South Carolina. Charleston clergyman and naturalist John Bachman first discovered the rare bird in the 1830s. His friend, renowned ornithologist James Audubon, was the first to describe it.

But few have ever seen it.

In fact, one of the last people believed to have seen the warbler was a Charleston doctor who died last year. In September, the federal government officially declared the bird extinct.

Mount Pleasant attorney Jim Buxton remembers searching for the Bachman's warbler when he was 12 in the mid-1980s. His grade-school science teacher Margaret Harrison had rekindled his love for birds. And her husband, Julian Harrison, would allow Buxton to join him and other legendary local birders, including Perry Nugent, in search of the warbler.

I was a little kid and I just remember them talking about, you know, trying to get lucky to find this or hear this Bachmans warbler, Buxton said.

They looked for the bird and listened for its song in areas like Ion Swamp in Awendaw. Nugent would even play a recording of the bird's song from a tape recorder attached to his belt while they were searching.

Buxton never saw the warbler. And he never heard it.

But Dr. Thomas Rivers did. In addition to leading a 40-year career in progressive obstetrics in Charleston, Rivers was also an amateur ornithologist who helped rediscover the Bachmans warbler in South Carolina. He died in November at age 86.

Cacky Rivers said her late father did a lot of work for conservation issues and brought about greater awareness of birds. Rivers' wife Mary still has a book titled South Carolina Bird Life that was published in 1949 by the University of South Carolina. The book documents one of her husband's sightings of the Bachmans warbler.

According to the book, Rivers and Thomas M. Uzzell Jr. saw a bird they believed to be a male Bachmans warbler in May 1948 at Fairlawn Plantation. The bird was later confirmed to be a Bachmans warbler by officials who went out to see it.

The book described the warbler as one of the most elusive and unpredictable birds in the country.

Though it sings close at hand, its small size, the density of the undergrowth which it frequents and, its constant activity make it virtually impossible to see, the book said. Its song is difficult to describe but is said to be buzzy and similar to that of Parula warblers.

Audubon wrote about the first discovery of the Bachmans warbler in Birds of America, his famed collection of illustrations and descriptions of several bird species.

In the collection, he credits his friend Bachman as discovering the pretty little species of Warbler that was named after him. The first one Audubon obtained was a female believed to have been found in July 1833, just a few miles from Charleston.

According to my amiable friend, it was a lively active bird, gliding among the branches of thick bushes, occasionally mounting on the wing and seizing insects in the air in the manner of a Flycatcher, Audubon wrote.

These birds were among the smallest warblers, averaging about 10 to 11 centimeters long. They were typically yellow and olive-green in color and were known for their slender bills that had a slightly downward curve, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Historically, the species was known for dramatic changes in the size of its population.

Its one of those ones (species) that we dont know a ton about because the data that exist are from quite a while ago, said Matt Johnson, director of the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest in Harleyville.

Older ornithological records show that the bird nested in swamps or wetlands. Areas like the Francis Beidler Forest, The Francis Marion National Forest and the Congaree National Park are places in South Carolina where Bachmans warblers would have existed, Johnson said.

The loss of mature forest habitat and widespread collection are the primary reasons for the bird's extinction, the Fish and Wildlife Service said. The service said the bird has not been seen in the United States since 1962. It was last documented in Cuba in 1981.

The warblers would have likely nested in the United States in the summer and spent winters in Cuba or the Caribbean.

Johnson said the birds existed in a landscape that, at the time, was being heavily logged, converted to other habitat types or used for agriculture.

I just think South Carolina had a lot of the habitat for this bird. A lot of the records indicate how there were quite a few of them documented from South Carolina, Johnson said. You see that from other states, too, but it seems like this was a species that was really well-represented in the state, which is cool but also kind of sad.

The Fish and Wildlife Service said protections were provided too late for the Bachmans warbler and 22 other species that were recently determined to be extinct. But the Endangered Species Act of 1973 has been successful at preventing the extinction of more than 99 percent of the species listed. Fifty-four species have been delisted from the act due to recovery. And several others have been downlisted.
SUMMERVILLE  The Police Department is conducting an inventory of its evidence room after money and guns were stolen late last year and a former crime-scene technician was charged in the case.

Summerville police Lt. Chris Hirsch said the department is conducting the audit with assistance from the State Law Enforcement Division after former officer Wade Rollings was arrested in December on allegations he stole almost $7,500 in cash from the department.

The audit began in December and is ongoing, Hirsch said.

In August, the audit revealed four firearms also were missing from the evidence room, Hirsch said.

SLED investigated the disappearance and discovered Rollings had sold the guns to a pawnshop on Dec. 14, two days after he was arrested on allegations he stole $7,439 from the evidence room.

Evidence theft or tampering can threaten pending criminal cases. Under a process known as chain of custody, police officers carefully document the movement and control of evidence from when it is collected until it is disposed. Prosecutors rely on this process to prove the integrity of the evidence at trial.

First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe said last week that, as far as he is aware, the firearms stolen would not have an impact on the prosecution of any cases. The circuit includes Summerville and Dorchester County.

Hirsch confirmed none of the firearms stolen were tied to ongoing cases.

The lieutenant declined to say whether all the firearms sold to the pawnshop were recovered by authorities.

"It would be inappropriate for our agency to comment on an investigation being conducted by another agency," Hirsch said.

SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby said it would be inappropriate to comment on the pending case.

Rollings, 46, was charged Oct. 13 in the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office with grand larceny and misconduct in office in connection with the firearm thefts. That case is being handled in the 14th Circuit, in the southern part of the state, to avoid any possible conflicts.

The investigation into the theft of money began Dec. 7 after Rollings himself reported funds were missing, according to an incident report.

Rollings told Hirsch he had received a voicemail from a Dorchester County prosecutor asking about approximately $7,439 tied to a case that was nearing resolution. He said when he looked in the safe, the bag containing the money was missing.

An internal database indicated the funds were released to the owner by another crime scene custodian, but further investigation revealed the database had been modified by Rollings. Surveillance footage showed Rollings alone in the evidence room Nov. 13. At one point he shuts a door so no one can see his actions inside the room, the report states.

Rollings allegedly admitted to stealing the money when confronted with the evidence. He pulled a large amount of money from his pocket and claimed he was going to put it back into evidence, the report states.

He told investigators he took the money for "family reasons," according to the report.

Rollings was arrested Dec. 12 on the charge of misconduct in office and released from custody on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond, the report states. The case remains pending.

Hirsch said the department has taken steps to ensure future thefts do not occur. The department installed additional surveillance cameras and an electronic identification card reader to enter the evidence room. Two employees, including a sergeant, were added to the evidence unit, Hirsch said, and policy now requires two employees to release currency from evidence.
A woman charged in a child sex trafficking case involving a 17-year-old girl and a Mount Pleasant businessman declined to appear in court Oct. 21 for a hearing to determine whether she should be released on bail.

Jessica Michelle Mills, who is in federal custody at the Charleston County jail, refused to appear in District Court for a detention hearing on charges of trafficking a minor for sex and conspiracy to traffic a minor for sex.

Mills' defense attorney, Thad Doughty, waived his client's right to a detention hearing within five days of her Oct. 19 arrest. Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker told Doughty at a brief court hearing Oct. 21 to speak with his client to determine whether she wishes to still proceed with a detention hearing.

Mills, 29, is the third defendant charged as part of a federal investigation into the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl.

The other two defendants are Cederick Riley, who authorities say served as the girl's "handler," and Earl Dawson Caldwell IV, the former president and CEO of AP Recovery, a global auditing firm based in Mount Pleasant.

The girl first came to the attention of authorities in April after she visited a Georgia hospital for appendicitis. While under the effects of anesthesia, the girl revealed she was forced to have sex with 10 to 15 men a day.

The girl was rescued from a hotel in Yemassee a few days later.

In newly unsealed court records, Mills is accused of introducing the girl to commercial sex work.

The girl told authorities after her rescue that Mills, a sex worker, introduced her to Caldwell shortly after her 17th birthday, according to a criminal complaint.

The 52-year-old businessman was Mills' "sugar daddy," but they had a falling out, so Caldwell began seeing the girl, the complaint states.

Resources To get help in South Carolina, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888, or text HELP or INFO to 233733. Additional information about human trafficking can be found by visiting polarisproject.org or humantrafficking.scag.gov.

In testimony last week, a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations said Caldwell showered the girl with drugs, clothing and money in exchange for sex at locations throughout South Carolina, including Caldwell's $1.2 million residence in Beaufort County, which he called "The Plantation."

Caldwell is also accused of videotaping the girl engaging in sex acts on three occasions  once with himself and twice with other men.

Riley, 34, is charged with using drugs and threats to coerce the girl into engaging in commercial sex with grown men, including Caldwell, according to testimony.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.
First lady Jill Biden will make her second trip to South Carolina in about a week when she visits the Medical University of South Carolina and Joint Base Charleston on Monday.

The president's wife will return to the state to visit MUSC's Hollings Cancer Center for Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Oct. 25, her office announced Oct. 21.

Later in the day, Biden will visit Joint Base Charleston and host what is being called a "Joining Forces" event with military families.

President Joe Biden is not listed as traveling with her.

"We are thankful for her time in helping us raise awareness not only about breast cancer, but also cancer prevention and screening in general," said Dr. Raymond N. DuBois, director of the Hollings Cancer Center, as part of a media statement about the visit. "Her goals of addressing health equity issues and the needs of underserved populations align well with our mission, vision and values.

Jill Biden was also in the state last weekend, spending Oct. 17 in a West Columbia Baptist church where she spoke of beginning to repair her relationship with God following her sons death from brain cancer six years ago.

Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email

Sign Up!

Her visit was considered a surprise appearance at the 50th anniversary celebration for Pastor Charles B. Jackson Sr. of Brookland Baptist Church.

She used the event to give an extensive explanation of how her faith wavered after Beau Bidens death and how she found her way back to God with help from her prayer partner  Robin Jackson, the pastors wife.

Biden's announced weekend schedule has her arriving at the Charleston base late Sunday night after being in Detroit earlier in the day and staying overnight ahead of her two afternoon appearances in Charleston.

Both the MUSC stop and the Charleston Air Force Base event are closed to the general public.
Across South Carolina, 10 local newspapers stopped printing last year  a record loss, at least in recent memory.

So, what does a community lose when it loses its newspaper?

This week, reporters Jennifer Berry Hawes and Stephen Hobbs explain what they found in trying to answer that question.

Graham Williams, editor of the Union County News shares what it takes to publish a weekly paper with a two-person team.

And Jonathan Vickery explains why he wanted to work at the paper he grew up and reading  and how he came to buy it earlier this year.

What other stories do you want to hear on Understand SC? Email us at understandsc@postandcourier.com with your ideas.

Understand SC is a weekly podcast from The Post and Courier that draws from the reporting resources and knowledge of our newsroom to help you better understand South Carolina. This episode was hosted and edited by Emily Williams.

Related reading:
I will vote for keeping most of them in elected office

I will vote to replace most of them

I will vote to replace some of them

I will vote for just a few, if any

I will not vote

Vote

View Results
Having covered the 2019 trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Mohamed Noor for the murder of Justine Ruskcyk Damond, I attended Noors resentencing this morning by Hennepin County District Judge Kathryn Quaintance. When I say covered, I mean every day from inside the courtroom at a seat behind Justines family that I snagged when the New York Times proved a no-show.

Resentencing was necessitated by the Minnesota Supreme Court decision that set aside Noors conviction of third-degree murder. Noor was resentenced on the lesser second-degree manslaughter offense of which he was also convicted.

Justines parents, Justines brother and sister-in-law, and Justines fiance, Don Damond, each provided extremely eloquent and moving victim impact statements. All the statements were read by Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy and her colleague Patrick Lofton with the excepetion of Damonds. Damond appeared via Zoom.

Sweasy made a powerful argument for a sentence at the upper end of the applicable sentencing guidelines  57 months. Defense counsel Jerome Plunkett made a brief statement on Noors behalf asking for a sentence at the lower end of the sentencing range of 41-57 months. Noor himself made the briefest of statements, thanking Damond for extending his forgiveness to him in his remarks.

Judge Quaintance had it within her discretion to impose a sentence anywhere between 41-57 months. Fifty-seven months was the maximum sentence that Judge Quaintance had it within her discretion to impose and that is the sentence she imposed after a brief statement reiterating her comments supporting the 12-and-a-half year sentence she had originally imposed. It was over in less than an hour.

I am writing at the coffee shop immediately across the skyway from the courthouse. The courthouse was open at 6:00 a.m. this morning without the martial protection and restricted access  i.e., closure to the public  that obtained during the Chauvin trial. Reporters hung around in the lobby hoping to catch the attorneys when the hearing was adjourned, but the attorneys dodged them. I snapped the photo of the reporters milling around after the hearing as I left the courthouse a few minutes ago.

My law school classmate Peter Wold also represented Noor and attended the hearing this morning. I just ran into Peter in the coffee shop. After explaining how he escaped the reporters, he told me: If you cant say anything good, dont say anything at all. I dont think that was an instruction to me, but rather an explanation of his reluctance to talk to the press.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune published an op-ed by Bret Stephens that criticized Rashida Tlaib and other far-left Democratic House members for their futile opposition to funding of the Iron Dome program. The Stephens op-ed originally appeared in the New York Times; the Star Tribune version included the headline Omar, squad, launch another anti-Israel strike. This, along with other alleged sins by the Star Tribune, was too much for Omar and some fellow progressives, who published an open letter to the newspaper.

Stephens op-ed is very good, and it helps to start by reading it. Ilhan Omar was one of the progressives who voted against funding Iron Dome, so Stephens column was directed in part at her, but this is the only explicit reference to Omar:

The bad news: You will almost certainly not see Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., or their fellow travelers in the House progressive caucus paying any serious reputational cost for this supremely foul piece of political grandstanding. Democrats tried to impose such a price in 2019, with an effort to rebuke Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for a string of anti-Semitic remarks. But the effort fizzled, and Omars star in the party has only risen since.

The open letter doesnt list an author, but Omar has endorsed it and presumably is behind it:

We can no longer be silent. The @StribOpinion regularly uses Islamophobic and racist language in their coverage of communities of color. Proud of the Minnesotans who led and signed this letter calling for systematic changes to their personnel and policies. https://t.co/1COC844N1r  Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 15, 2021



The letter plunges directly into full-on race-baiting:

[The Star Tribune editorial board] felt it necessary to explicitly equate Rep. Omars vote on $1 billion in funding for Israels military hardware to actual terror attacks. The purpose of the language is clear as day. It is not enough for them to simply criticize Rep. Omars vote.  Instead, the editorial team decided what was necessary was to draw a direct comparison between Ilhan Omar  Minnesotas first, and only, Black, Muslim, immigrant Congressperson  and Middle East terrorism. Lets be clear: equating Muslims with terrorism is something our Muslim brothers and sisters face on an almost daily basis and is the textbook example of Islamophobia. The Congresswoman is subject to routine death threats, many explicitly making this comparison.

The letter refers to the phrase anti-Israel strike in the headline, along with the photograph of a Hamas rocket launch. Substantively, of course, Stephens op-ed criticized the Squads opposition to funding of the purely defensive Iron Dome system, which opposition has no apparent rationale other than hostility toward Israels ability to defend itself against terrorist attacks. The open letter entirely fails to address the point.

More:

We do not feel it is necessary to explain why this represents a clear example of deeply seated racism and islamophobia among the decision makers at the paper. We do feel it is necessary to make clear that headlines like this increase threats of violence to Rep. Omar, her Muslim colleagues in Congress, and to the other women of color in elected office who are so often the targets of far-right racism, hatred, and violence.

This is a little ironic, since the Star Tribune has treated Omar with kid gloves ever since she began her political career. The paper has avoided covering the various scandals that have attached to Omar, beyond the barest minimum. In the 2020 election, the papers editorial board did not endorse a candidate in Omars race against Republican Lacy Johnson. This is another instance where liberals are sadly misguided if they think their sympathetic treatment of left-wing radicals buys them any sort of credit.

The open letter goes on to criticize the Stribs coverage of the controversy over the proposed Minneapolis charter amendment that would eliminate the citys police department. (Or it might do so, anyway. No one knows what the amendment actually means.) What is the ultimate point of the open letter? Surely you could have predicted it:

The signatories of this letter therefore call on the Star Tribune management to take the following actions:  Increase the diversity of the editorial boardincluding Black, Muslim, and female voices.

 Rehire an ombudsman or public editor to hold the paper accountable for its own coverage  particularly of marginalized communities.

 End the practice of electoral endorsements, which invariably serve the interests of the powerful at the expense of vulnerable communities

 End the use loaded, racist or Islamophobic language in headlines in coverage, and

Specifically apologize and update the racist headline against Rep. Ilhan Omar and accompanying image

Sadly, the Star Tribune will take those demands seriously, and may even comply with some of them. Liberalism seems unable to mount a principled defense against the craziness of the far left.
The trial of Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Imiyinka, commonly known by the stage name, Baba Ijesha, continued at the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, on Monday.

Mr Imiyinka was arraigned in June by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

When the case came up for hearing, the trial judge, Oluwatoyin Taiwo, turned down a request by N.A. Egebyemi for the case to be adjourned due to the absence of the plaintiffs lead counsel, Dada Awosika and Babatunde Ogala.

The judge then asked the counsel from the Directorate of Public Prosecution, Olayinka Adeyemi, to proceed with the presentation of a forensic video that the prosecution submitted as evidence during the last sitting.

The video is an interview between the victim and Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child forensic expert from Cece Yara Foundation, a child-centred non-profit organisation, which works to prevent sexual abuse and provides support and access to care for children who have been sexually abused.

Forensic interview video

In the footage, which was recorded on May 15, at Cece Yara Foundation, Mrs Ajayi-Kayode was seen interviewing the 14-year-old, who introduced herself as the foster child of the actress known as Princess, whom she described as her mum.

She said seven years ago, her mums friend, Baba Ijesha, who used to visit them regularly, came to their house when no one was at home and told her to sit on his laps.

She said he switched off the light in the room but kept the television on. She said he then told her to remove her pants while he brought out his penis and told her to move her body around. She said she obliged until she felt something wet on her body.

She said Mr Imiyinka then used a handkerchief he took from the pocket of his trousers to clean his penis and told her to wash the handkerchief in the bathroom. She said she was confused and afraid and couldnt tell anyone.

The girl said Mr Imiyinka returned the next day and allegedly violated her with his car key.

He came back the next day, he used his car key. Well, he said he bought fruit and he parked his car away. He told my mum to permit me to follow him to his car to collect the fruit. He parked near a gutter near the wall. While I was trying to collect the fruit for the other end of the car he told me to bend so my hand would reach where the fruit was. While I did that, he put his car key into my private part.

She added that while she was trying to collect the fruit from the car, Baba Ijesha kissed her face and her cheek.

In the footage, the child expert gave the alleged victim some toys to describe how she sat on Mr Imiyinkas lap and how she was when he inserted the car keys into her private part.

At this point, Princess placed her hands on her head and shouted.

The 14-year-old said she told her foster mother about her alleged ordeal in April, which led to her inviting Mr Imiyinka over after she had planted CCTV cameras in their apartment so as to verify her claim.

She said she did not see Baba Ijesha in seven years prior to the visit in April, when he visited again and started to compliment her on how she has grown big.

He did as if he was making a call, he was moving around the house, checking the rooms to know who was at home and he asked about my phone, I told him it was in the dinning, he was like oh let me give him my number, he asked me if I had a boyfriend and I said I dont have, he said since I dont have he would want to be my boyfriend.

He said that he used to teach me some things when I was small that hes now my boyfriend since I do not have a boyfriend.

He said dont you remember I used to teach you some things when you were small, we had this contract. He said I should come and sit down on my laps, and I refused. He was like you when you were small you were not afraid to sit on my laps.

The judge then told the clerk to stop the video, so as to proceed with cross-examinations.

Cross-examination

During cross-examination, Mr Awosika questioned the academic qualification of the childcare expert.

He argued that Mrs Ajayi-kayode,, who is the executive director of Cece Yara Foundation, had no qualification in psychology or forensic investigation from any recognised institution of learning.

He also argued that the expert did not ascertain the childs retentive capacity seven years ago before engaging her in an interview. He asked how the expert knew if the stories the child told were fabricated or mere hearsay.

However, Mrs Ajayi-Kayode insisted that in child development and psychology, at seven years the brain cells are well developed and at seven years the child has enough speech.

She also established that she had obliged the child in the video during the introduction to tell her all the truth that she can remember had transpired between herself and Baba Ijesha.

The introductory part of the video was then played and it proved that the childcare expert had told the 14-year-old to speak the truth and be free with her.

Mrs Ajayi-Kayode, who also has a masters degree in law, presented to the court certifications that proved that she is a trained childcare expert, emphasising that child forensic interview expert is not an academic course of study, but has its foundational courses on law, psychology, social works amongst others.

Although Ms Awosika argued that the methodology used in the interview does not have any legislative foundation in Nigeria, Mrs Ajayi-Kayode clarified that the methodology originated in America and has been in practice for child forensic reports since the 1990s.

She also said other experts like social workers and psychologists were involved in her reports.

The judge adjourned the case for the counsel to present more evidence.
The Ondo State government says it would begin barring its employees from gaining access to their work places beginning November 1, if they fail to obtain vaccinations against COVID-19.

The order was made known on Wednesday in Akure by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Segun Odusanya.

Ondo joins other states like Edo and Kaduna, including the federal government who have taken similar measures.

The Ondo official said the decision became necessary in view of the ravaging effects of COVID-19 and its attendant morbidity.

Mr Odusanya warned that presentation of the COVID-19 vaccination card and compliance to its protocols would be the gate pass to the work place from November 1.

He said said those without the card would not be allowed into the ministries and other areas of the secretariat.

He said the order would be enforced as a means of protecting members of staff.

He urged civil servants to prioritise their health by doing routine checks of their blood pressure, blood sugar and other necessary checks as certain deaths could be prevented if one is careful and sensitive.

Be conscious of your health, do routine checks. Be up and doing on your jobs, stay in your offices, face the reality of the economic situation in the country, dont spend recklessly and make good use of the little that is available to you and all will be well.

Edo State had some weeks earlier, made the vaccination mandatory for civil servants although workers had resisted the policy.

They were also barred from office areas if not armed with the vaccination card.

This was even as an order of a federal high court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, barred the state from the implementation of the policy.
Journalists and lawyers are having a hell of a time gaining entry into the Federal High Court in Abuja where the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is to take place today, Thursday.

Mr Kanu is being tried on charges of treasonable felony regarding his separatist activities. The trial is scheduled to resume before Binta Nyako, the trial judge, on Thursday.

The separatist, who was granted bail in April 2017, fled the country after the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September that year, a situation one of Mr Kanus lawyers, Alloy Ejimakor, described as the rule of self-preservation.

Mr Kanu is expected to take a fresh plea today on a seven-count amended charge.

At the street linking the court with the Federal Ministry of Justice at Maitama, there are three layers of security checks heavily manned by hooded SSS operatives, complemented by armed police personnel.

Businesses, especially hotels around the courts precincts are locked up as workers are being turned away by security agents.

Our reporter observed angry lawyers engage the spy agents in a shouting match.

Some of the lawyers were frisked before they were granted access into the court premises, while a majority of them, whose cases were scheduled for Thursday, before other judges of the court, were turned away.

My case is to come up before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, but I have been refused access, a distraught lawyer, who did not want his name mentioned, told this reporter.

Workers of the Federal High Court, Abuja, were not spared the trouble of accessing their offices as they were subjected to trekking about 50 metres to the court.

There are over over 200 armed security operatives with water cannons and operational vehicles.

Human and vehicular traffic was diverted from the adjoining streets of the court.

At 8:22 a.m., a convoy of SSS operatives, in a commando-style drove into the court through the judges entrance.

The convoy was suspected to be conveying the IPOB leader.

Shortly after, a tinted SUV with a diplomatic vehicle number plate, drove into the court.

This might be members of the diplomatic corps whom Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Mr Kanus lead lawyer referred to at a pre-trial press conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Ejiofor had said members of the international community would witness Thursdays proceedings in Abuja.

Mr Ejiofor had equally appealed to the SSS to allow journalists and lawyers to attend Mr Kanus trial on Thursday, but that entreaty appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

The show of shame openly demonstrated by the overzealous security agents on July 26, 2021, should never repeat itself, Mr Ejiofor had said on Wednesday.

At the last proceedings when journalists and lawyers were manhandled, Mr Kanu who is being held by State Security Service (SSS), was not brought to court, a development that was blamed on logistical issues by the prosecuting lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar.

There wont be fair trail  Ohaneze Ndigbo

The Ohaneze Ndigbo has said there will not be fair trial of Mr Kanu.

Ralph Uwazurike, a lawyer, who was detailed to watch brief on behalf of Ohaneze, said the attitude of the Nigerian security operatives at the court premises on Thursday, showed that the IPOB leader would not get a fair hearing.

It is now clear that Nnamdi Kanu will not get fair trial, Mr Uwazurike told journalists on Thursday at the court premises.

The atmosphere at the court is tense.

At 9:10 a.m., Chukwuemeka Ezeife, a representative of Ohaneze Ndigbo, a socio-cultural group from South-east Nigeria, arrived the court premises.

Mr Ezeife, who was governor of Anambra State, was not allowed access to the courtroom.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, fixed November 10 to hear an application filed by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, challenging the competence of the treasonable felony charges filed against him by the federal government.

He is, via his fresh application, asking the court to dismiss the newly amended charges of seven counts.

The judge, Binta Nyako, fixed the date after the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) filed the amended charges.

Mrs Nyako also made an order that three people of Mr Kanus choice should be allowed to visit him every Thursday.

However, Mr Kanus request that he be transferred to Kuje Correctional Centre was rejected by the court.

Earlier, the State Security Service (SSS) brought Mr Kanu to the courtroom on the fifth floor of the Federal High Court edifice in Abuja around 9:45 a.m. surrounded by heavily armed security agents.

PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier that many journalists and lawyers were denied entry into the court premises.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had, on Monday, filed fresh amended charges of seven counts against Mr Kanu.

Among the charges are treasonable felony and acts of terrorism which he is accused of perpetrating through his separatist activities.

NAN also reports that there was pandemonium earlier at the main entrance of the building as lawyers clashed with the SSS personnel over refusal to allow them access into the court premises.

The separatist, who was granted bail in April 2017, fled the country after the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September that year, a situation one of Mr Kanus lawyers, Alloy Ejimakor described as the rule of self-preservation.

Mrs Nyako subsequently revoked his bail for ditching his trial, and ordered his trial to be separated from the rest of the co-defendants.

While the trial of the rest of the defendants has made some progress, Mr Kanus has been stalled since 2017.

On June 29, 2021, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced that Mr Kanu had been rearrested and brought back to Nigeria to continue facing his trial.

He said the IPOB leader was intercepted days earlier but did not give details.

Although there has been no official disclosure about where and how Mr Kanu was arrested, relatives and lawyers to the IPOB leader, have described how he was kidnapped in Kenya under controversial circumstances.
In 2019 when Samuel Kwasari introduced agroforestry practice to smallholder farmers in Dama-kusa village, the farmers said it was a waste of time and energy, believing that crops planted would die off in a couple of days.

Two years later, local farmers in the village and surrounding communities were amazed by the profound level of transformation and vegetation restoration that had occurred in the bare land area they had known, which now harboured over a hundred different species of essential staple crops and exotic plant species.

The farmers thought this (agroforestry) will not be possible in this area because they are only used to mono-cropping systems of farming which has destroyed the existing vegetation in this area, Mr Kwasari, the founder of Be the Help Foundation (BHF), told PREMIUM TIMES.

Without applying any form of inorganic fertiliser, herbicides or pesticides, Mr Kwasari said the agroforestry models have created an all-year round atmosphere for healthy food production and green vegetation that exhibits rich biodiversity.

This system has helped reduce the negative impacts of climate change, boost healthy food production and has improved the soil microorganisms availability on the farm and surrounding environment, he added.

Damakusa village is a small farming settlement in Yangoji, an agrarian community in Kwali area council tucked along the Abuja-Lokoja road of the Federal Capital Territory.

Subsistence farming is the major occupation of the Dama-Kusa people. The crops grown majorly by farmers of this settlement are maize, groundnut and sorghum, on a small scale. However, the agroforestry model being practiced within the community still remains strange to many, while some are already developing interest, Mr Kwasari said.

Uniqueness of agroforestry

Agroforestry is one of several climate smart models of farming being practised by some Nigerian farmers in Abuja in order to mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change on food production and biodiversity.

According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), agroforestry is a dynamic, ecologically based and natural resource management system that, through the integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental benefits for land users at all levels.

The food organisation said that agroforestry systems are multifunctional systems that are crucial to smallholder farmers and other rural people because they can enhance a wide range of economic, sociocultural and environmental benefits.

It is a sustainable system of farming whereby farmers intentionally grow several crops among trees in such a way that each crop does not inhibit the growth of the other, thus promoting healthy food production and sustainable ecosystems that supports efficient and effective carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

Some farmers under the BHF initiative explained that the switch from the common traditional system of farming to agroforestry systems has significantly improved not only their livelihood,but also the species richness of the environment.

Mr Kwasari said they had adopted two major agroforestry systems so far the Brazilian system which they referred to as Modern Brazilian System(MBS) and the Indian system which they also referred to as the Vetri system (named after the partner from India that helped set it up).

The farm manager said both models entail a land use management system in which trees, shrubs and herbs are grown among crops and pastureland.

He noted that the concept is to practise agriculture with trees as the basis, and that the Brazilians are the ones famously known for agroforestry but that they practise the alley farming.

In the Brazilian system, the target is to get the rural or smallholder farmers to practise the system of agroforestry without disrupting their traditional ways of farming, he said.

He said smallholder farmers can easily grow their crops in the alley, while tree lines are situated 4.8 meters apart. He said trees are grown in a straight line and that trees need minimal care once they are planted and have been established.

We have about 23 varieties here; guava, bitter kola, mahogany, cashew, eucalyptus, shea butter tree, Mr Kwasari said, We had about 10 thousand seedlings in this farm, we have planted over 4000, currently raising some more. Last year we raised about 50,000 trees. We made use of about one third of it on the farm then we sold some out. Now we are getting rid of all the old seedlings to raise another 60,000, he added.

On each hectare of land, he said they have a minimum of 2,500 trees planted and that currently, they have nursed and planted 75,000 100,000 trees so far on nine hectares of land.

In the MBS model, he said crops that do not require much water are usually planted alongside trees with similar characteristics in a definite pattern, while the Indian system is irrigated and it bears crops that are mostly vegetables, spices and herbs all year round.

Mr Kwasari said fast growing food cropsbananas, pawpaw, chili peppers, turmeric, castor plants, rice, beans, hibiscus and trees (Eucalyptus, moringa etc), among many others  were deliberately planted because they wanted a situation whereby once a farmer sets up a farm, after 60 days the farmer would be harvesting food crops for the rest of their lives.

In this system, for 12 months for sure, you will have one or two crops that are produced every month. It is not like the traditional system of farming where you grow crops for five months, after harvesting, the farmers will now sit at home for another six months, while they keep selling what they have harvested instead of having multiple streams of income, he added.

The farmer said: Now, we are telling them(farmers) that , look, there is a better way of doing this thing, and that when you plant once, all through 12 months in a year you are still harvesting and making more money.

Joyce Brown, an Abuja-based environmentalist with Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said agroforestry is an important agroecological practice that should be supported and encouraged in the Nigerian farming system.

She said it plays a key role in climate change resilience and that agroforestry reduces atmospheric carbon, improves soil structure, reduces soil erosion as well as pest and diseases

Agroforestry helps to boost nutritional diversity and also diversify income for the farmers, she added.

Forest model

The forest is one one of the several subdivisions of the MBS system being practiced by the farmers. It encourages the planting of trees alongside staple crops like maize, pepper, sunflowers among others.

Abang Pius, one of the farmers who embraced the agroforestry model of farming two years ago, said the system of farming has significantly improved his standards of living these past years.

Before I was a boy, but now I can satisfactorily call myself a man. To be candid, it has really impacted my livelihood in a positive way because I was not doing well before,but now I am better, he added.

Mr Pius, who heads the unit in the agroforestry system called the Forests, said the main reason for the model is to reduce desert encroachment.

He said he decided to plant trees artificially (man-made forest) that he specifically planted six different types of treesGmelina, Mahogany, Teak,Eucalyptus, Neem and Gliricidia on a hectare of over nine hectares of land currently being cultivated by the farmers.

After a year, the graduate of agriculture said the forest trees had developed to form shape (canopy), after which he decided to plant crops in between the furrows

The yield was perfectly good and we have harvested some crops this year, then we still have our pepper and sunflower perfectly alright, he said.

Asked about the difference between the forest model and the traditional system of farming, he said in the latter , farmers make use of chemical inputs while the former is strictly organic farming.

We dont use chemicals here, he reiterated.

He said one of the main challenges they faced in the course of setting up the model was erosion and shade from trees grown which prevented other sun loving crops from sprouting well.

I had a challenge in water, that is erosion and where the tree canopies are much, crops around the area may not do well, the farmer said.

More farmers speak

Mustapha Yusuf, who heads the nursery at the farm, said the agroforestry system of farming has clearly shown that with a farmers little capital he or she can effectively and efficiently grow as many crops as they deem fit.

As I am now, with my little capital, I can raise a nursery, organise my farm and plan my future, he said.

He said two years ago, he started with 40,000 seedlings, but that this year he has raised 60,000 seedlings of 25 different species of plants.

Peter Ikwu, another agroforestry farmer at Damakusa village, said he is currently practising an agroforestry model called MBS II that enables him to grow tree crops and assorted vegetables simultaneously, and that it has turned his life around significantly.

This is an organic farm and in this farm we do not use inorganic chemicals. We weed off grasses, then make use of the weeds and banana leaves to cover the soil(mulching) which on decay adds more nutrients to soil, he said.

Iwan Barnabas, who heads the Vetri system unit, said the model has clearly shown that farmers can grow significant numbers of plants on a hectare of land.

He said the system has helped improve his thinking on plant combinations, because he now knows plants that can be grown beside each other that will not suppress the growth of the other.

With this model a farmer can improve the soil texture and nutrients by planting other leguminous crops, thereby saving cost of manure, he added.

Blooming pastureland

While the devastating impacts of climate change has been linked to be one of the root causes of the perennial farmer-herder clashes in Nigeria due to the imminent scarcity of pastureland, Nathan Abel, another agroforestry farmer, decided to use agroforestry models to grow varieties of nutritious grasses for livestock.

He said he is using the MBS III model to grow over 16 varieties of pasture grasses and trees mainly for feeding animals.

He said the pastures are situated on a hectare of land, and that on the hectare, in between every 4.8 meters marked out for planting of grasses, 1.2 meters are used for planting fruit trees and timbers in a row simultaneously.

On one hectare, we have sixteen 4.8 meters  portions where different grasses are grown and 17 tree lines (1.2 meters) where we planted 16 different grasses, he added.

He said they have successfully planted nutritious livestock grasses like Napier grass, Ruzi grass, Gamba grasses among others, and that the main challenge is how farmers will get the source of the grasses before propagating them.

Even me, I got to know these grasses when I started working here,  he said.

He said by growing these grasses, it has helped him improve his livelihood and sources of income, and that an interesting part of the grasses is that they are all drought tolerant, thus they remain evergreen during the dry season.

Key challenges

Mr Kwasari said the main challenge they are facing is the lack of unity and awareness amongst farmers, and that most farmers do not know how to propagate or store seeds for subsequent farming seasons which they are already trying to resolve.

We have set up a demo plot solely for this community in order to show them how Agroforestry works, and they are beginning to see that with a small plot of land, a farmer can grow enough crops that will sustain him or her for life, he said.

Mr Yusuf said another challenge they are faced with is the difficulty in acquiring some tree seedlings due to insecurity in the country.

He said it will take a farmer over two months to get some seedlings because they usually travel into the forest to acquire some seedlings then try to propagate these seedlings effectively.

Now everyone is afraid of going into the Forests because of kidnappers, especially in Kaduna and Niger states. It is difficult for us to enter the forests there to find seedlings, except we use the local hunters there, he added.

Roland Frutig, a Swiss agroforestry consultant at the farm said the farmers under their supervision as well as other community members can all see that they are having much more yields than the existing traditional system of farming in the community.

Smallholder farmers can secure their future with this system of farming, because it helps them to benefit from the different crops planted all year round non-stop, the Sexagenarian told PREMIUM TIMES during a visit to the farm.

Mr Frutig explained that agroforestry systems are multifunctional systems that can provide a huge range of economic and sociocultural benefits to not only the livelihood of smallholder farmers but also to the environment.

Nigeria can feed other West African countries with this because they have the potential, he said.

The agroforestry expert explained that trees like Gliricidia commonly referred to as quick stick or mother of Cocoa are very easy to multiply once it grows up, and that it helps to enrich the soil with all the necessary Nitrogen required for plant growth.

Studies have shown that Gliricidia sepium is a legume that is able to fix Nitrogen, and that it produces a lot of litter and the half-life of gliricidia leaves is about 20 days.

Hence, the plant is thus considered as a good soil improver. Because of its deep roots and quick growth, it is used as a windbreak, and because it thrives on steep slopes, it may be used to reclaim denuded land as practiced by these farmers at Dama-kusa village.

This story was produced under the 2021 Solution Journalism Africa fellowship of the Solution Journalism Network.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed that suspected bandits on Wednesday destroyed a portion of the Abuja-Kaduna rail track with explosives, forcing a disruption of train services on the route.

According to a report by the Nigerian Tribune newspaper, the Managing Director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, said the explosives damaged the rail track at a spot between Dutse and Rijana, an area that had recorded numerous bandits attacks along the Kaduna Abuja highway.

Mr Okhiria said the Corporation was making efforts to restore train services on the route.

Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure that the train services along the Kaduna-Abuja route are fully restored, the official said.

Earlier, a former senator representing the Kaduna Central district, Shehu Sani, had reported on his Facebook page that suspected bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train. He said the bandits planted an explosive that damaged the rail track and shattered the windshield of the trains engine, Wednesday evening.

Mr Sani said the gunmen also opened fire at the train on Thursday morning, targeting the driver and the tank of the train. It happened between Dutse and Rijana stations. The Driver struggled to move towards Kaduna Rigasa station.

READ ALSO:

This early morning, I was on board when our train ran over another explosive damaged railings. The train nearly skid off its track, then we miraculously escaped. All Kaduna Abuja train operations need to be suspended for today until this issue is addressed, Mr Sani wrote.

A staffer of the NRC quoted by Daily Nigerian newspaper said the attack was deadly.

The bandits first attacked the last Abuja-Kaduna train bearing number AK9 between Rijana and Dutse. The train came under heavy gunfire, but it struggled to stutter for about seven kilometres and stopped as the gunshots damaged the fuel tank, the newspaper quoted the unnamed staff.

At the point of the attack, the train was unable to make contact with Abuja. Hours later, contact was made and a relief locomotive arrived past midnight.

And then the morning train from Kaduna to Abuja, bearing number KA2, also ran over fractured rail tracks, but successfully completed the journey. Suspected explosives devices were planted on the track, but God in his infinite mercy saved the travellers and train.

The NRC had earlier on Monday announced the reduction of regular transportation of passengers on the route from 10 trips to four daily, citing maintenance work. .

According to the statement, full services will resume on Friday.
Students of the Federal Government College, Yauri in Kebbi State abducted four months ago by bandits have been released.

Yahaya Sarki, the spokesperson to Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, confirmed the release of the students in a statement on Thursday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how bandits abducted an undisclosed number of staff and students of the public secondary school in June.

Mr Sarki said 30 of the students have regained freedom but an undisclosed number remains with the kidnappers.

Today Thursday, the 21st of October, 2021 thirty (30) students of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri have arrived Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital following their release, while efforts are still continuing to secure the release of the remaining.

They shall undergo medical screening and support while being re-united with their families.

We thank all those who have helped in securing the release, while congratulating Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari for the success, the governors spokesperson said

Details will be provided later.
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Boboye Oyeyemi, on Thursday, unveiled body cameras, operation monitoring and control platform, to improve the Corps field operations across the country.

At the official inauguration in Abuja, Mr Oyeyemi said that the platform would improve transparency and accountability in the activities of the Corps nationwide.

He added that it was designed with the needs for the public uppermost in mind, as the Corps goes about the task of making FRSC more responsive in operations.

Mr Oyeyemi also said that it was evidence of a fostered innovation to tackle challenges in patrol operations and its strong commitment to surmount all obstacles in delivering on its mandate.

According to him, the platform was significant, due to its multiplier values to the corps and by extension, national security.

This platform will embrace the ethical imperatives of eliminating misconducts both on the part of the operatives and motorists.

It will considerably reduce the incentive to infringe on traffic laws and regulations due to perceived weak enforcement and likelihood of escaping arrest.

Similarly, he said, it will assist to improve on road safety management generally with better personnel disposition, among others, he said.

The FRSC boss said that the Corps recorded the highest cases of assaults on its personnel in 2019, but did not record a single assault since the test-running of the platform began in some parts of the country.

Mr Oyeyemi added that its implementation would be in phases, as the corps had targeted three years for all the patrol teams to be using the body cameras nationwide.

This is Phase one which is in FCT, Abuja. Cameras will be deployed to Lagos and Asaba for end of the year patrol operations as well. This will also help to control the behaviour of officers and conduct of the public, he said.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Nnamdi Mbaeri, commended the corps for the laudable achievement.

He added that the development would help in strengthening better road safety management in the country urging the corps to ensure it was extended to all parts of the country.

Mr Mstapha reiterated President Muhammadu Buharis commitment to the provision of transportation infrastructure a key to determinant of performance in the sector.

He encouraged other agencies of the Federal Government to develop similar innovative ways to improve their work process in the most cost-effective manner possible.

It is therefore, my hope that todays inauguration of Operations Monitoring and Control Platform and deployment of the body cameras will improve the quality of road safety management approach in Nigeria,  he said.

The FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello said that the deployment of technology for traffic law enforcement had become inevitable.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, FCT, Olusade Adesola, the minister said that the application of body cameras had been used to great advantage by law enforcement agencies in other climes.

I commend the FRSC for this innovation that will add great value to road safety management practice in Nigeria and the FCT in particular.

The FCTA will continue to sustain these collaborative activities with the FRSC as we strive to build a world class transportation infrastructure befitting the capital city of our country, he said.

Other sister agencies present, such as the Police, DSS, NSA, among others, pledged their continuous support and synergy with the FRSC.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the platform hosts 15 surveillance and monitoring features with real time video recording, still pictures, voice recording, infra-red, SOS, Push-2 talk.

The accompanying body camera uses 4G technology via Globacom and a supported backend by Galaxy backbone via an Internet Protocol (IP) address for network setup.

(NAN)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed to the National Assembly to grant it power to determine the kind of technology to be deployed during elections.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the appeal at a retreat organised by National Assembly Conference Committee on the Electoral Act 2021, chaired by Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi.

As you finalise on the Electoral Amendment Bill, I urge you to continue to endow the commission with power to determine what technology to deploy in our elections at the appropriate time.

One of the ways of doing so is to make broad provisions of the law that will empower INEC to continue to innovate without restricting us to a specific technology such as the Smart Card Reader.

The smart card reader could in due course, become obsolete, inapplicable or irrelevant as is already the case following the recent introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) by the commission.

The commission looks forward to the conclusion of the process without which we cannot make the regulations and guidelines to give effect to the provisions of the law, he said.

Mr Yakubu added: Without the regulations and guidelines, we cannot finalise on the manuals for the training of officials that will conduct elections.

There are extensive provisions in the current bill that require clear guidance by the commission.

With only 484 days to the 2023 general election, time is of the essence.

The INEC boss further said in addition to the 6 November Anambra Governorship Poll, the commission had already scheduled three major elections for 2022.

First is the FCT Area Council Election on Feb. 12, 2022; followed by the Ekiti governorship election on June 18 and the Osun governorship election on July 16, 2022, he said.

Also speaking, Mr Abdullahi said work on the bill, which was about to be harmonised, was started by the 7th Assembly through to the 8th National Assembly.

It is ready for passage and presidential assent under the 9th National Assembly.

I am happy to state that most of what we call citizens top priorities on Electoral Act Amendment have been addressed by the Electoral Act 2021.

These issues include imposition of stiffer sanctions for electoral offences, provision of legal backing for electoral technology and strengthening the financial independence of INEC.

In a goodwill message, Head of European Union (EU) Cooperation, Cecile Tassin-Pelzer, commended the Senates removal of the contentious clause on electronic transmission of results.

She said the action was a positive development that would ensure transparency and credibility of the countrys election process.

The Senate had on September 22, set up a Conference Committee to harmonise its position with that of House of Representatives on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The committee was to work with that of the House, also set up the following week, on the proposed electronic transmission of results by INEC.

(NAN)
Justice Abiodun Adesodun of Ado Ekiti High Court has sentenced three men to death by hanging for armed robbery and murder.

The convicts are Oluwole Edward 49, Kolawole Ojo, 39 and Kolawole Tope 20.

Mr Adesodun, in his judgment, pronounced each of the defendants guilty as charged.

On Count one, the judge sentenced each of the defendants to five years imprisonment without an option of fine and on counts two, four, five and six, he sentenced them to death by hanging.

The three convicts were charged with conspiracy, armed robbery and murder.

According to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Julius Ajibare, the convicts committed the offences between April 12, 2017 and Dec. 5, 2017.

He said while armed with gun they robbed their victims, Wasiu Ayinde of N1,850,000 on Erinmope-Ayedun Ekiti Road.

He told the court that they also robbed Adamo Ayinde of N1,450,000 on Orin-Ido Ekiti Road; Liadhi Mukadam of N1,530,000 on Otun Ekiti-Ilofa Road and Alhaji Fatai Arowolo of N2,200,000 on Ayedun-Omuo Ekiti Road.

Testifying before the court, one of the victims said his phone was collected by the convicts.

He said he reported the incident to the police and the phone was later tracked and this subsequently led to the arrest of the convicts.

The prosecutor told the court that the convicts ran foul of Sections 516, 402 (2) and 319(1) of the Criminal Code, CAP C16, Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria.

He called five witnesses, tendered exhibits, which included statements of the victims and the convicts, as well as petition written to the Commissioner of Police, among other things.

The convicts spoke through their counsel and called no witness.

(NAN)
The funeral programme for a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Obadiah Mailafia, has begun.

According to a statement sent from the burial committee to PREMIUM TIMES, the service of songs/tributes shall hold 4 November and the funeral service shall take place on 5 November at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

Mr Mailafia died on 19 September at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada (UATH).

The statement signed by Gideon Para-Mallam, a clergyman, said the burial steering committee is chaired by a former Minister of Information, Jerry Gana.

Following the demise of Dr Obadiah Mailafia, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which sad event occurred on September 19, 2021 at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, the former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, has been appointed to head the Burial Steering Committee.

After a meeting of the Committee held on Wednesday October 20, 2021 in Abuja, a funeral program was approved for Thursday November 4, 2021 for service of songs/tributes at 5pm, while the funeral service shall take place the following day Friday November 5, 2021 at 11am. Both events shall take place at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, it said.

The statement said since the CBN boss died, religious, political and community leaders had paid visits to the Abuja home of the Mailafias.

The Committee wishes to thank all those who have visited and sent condolence messages to the Family.

We thank everyone for identifying with the bereaved family and look forward to the scheduled funeral activities in bidding farewell cum paying last respects to Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, it said.

Mr Mailafia died of an undisclosed illness at the age of 64.

There were allegations that he died due to poor management of his health by the staffers of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.

However, the management of the hospital denied the claim, describing it as false.

It said the ex-banker died of coronavirus disease due to comorbidities.

Bissallah Ekele, a professor and hospitals chief medical director, said Mr Mailafia had been managed at two hospitals where his COVID-19 status was confirmed positive before he was referred to the UATHs isolation centre when his case had fast degenerated.
The way to transform society is largely dependent on the actions and decisions of those who occupy public offices. This is why young people in Nigeria must get involved in politics, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Mr Osinbajo said this Wednesday at a virtual forum where he interacted with Nigerian Fellows of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The interaction included a Q & A session where questions were posed to the Vice President ranging from education, health, and youth engagement issues.

According to the VP, you need to go the extra length if you are not already involved, get involved in politicswhile a lot can be achieved in civil society, government still holds the ace in terms of capacity and resources to bring social goods to the largest numbers.

Besides, being deciders instead of pressure groups at the table in policy formulation are hugely different positions. The consummation of our great ideas to transform our societies ultimately will depend on those politicians as we sometimes derisively describe them.

Continuing, the VP noted that African nations and especially our country, cannot afford to have its best minds and most committed social activists remain only in the civil space. No, we simply cant afford it, you have to get involved in politics. You have to be in the position to make the difference on the scale that is required.

Of course, there are many who will not be involved in politics but those that are inclined should, and there will be many challenges even in the winning or getting heard in politics. But I want to say to you that it should be an objective that you should set for yourselves, to get involved at whatever level of politics so that you can make the difference on the scale that is required, Mr Osinbajo added.

Speaking further about the potentials of young Nigerians to effect the desired change in their communities, the Vice President described the efforts of young African innovators as Africas most exciting story  the story of a present and future that could be steered by our continents incredibly talented and optimistic young men and women.

Commending the innovation and creativity of the fellows, Mr Osinbajo said within any generation, only a few wholeheartedly take on that challenge  the challenge of building a society. Most believe that the task is for someone else and that such endeavors cannot pay the bills.

Recalling his days in civil society engagements and later in politics as Lagos State Attorney-General, the Vice President noted that it took public office for me to be able to get the scale of change that is required to make a difference.

His words, without public office I would have remained a pressure group activist, I would have done some nice things, but I wouldnt have been able to make the changes that my country required.

I was once where you were. I was part of several civil society groups at the time. I joined the first civil society group when I was 24, I was teaching at the time. I also co-founded the anti-corruption group, Integrity, and then Convention on Business Integrity (which is still existing today and they function out of Abuja and Lagos).

I was chair of the Legal Research and Development Centre, where we worked on civil rights issues and legal defense for the poor. We did a couple of legal defence initiatives, we got funding from donors and tried to do the best we could.

He added: If I count the numbers that we did all the years it will be around maybe a hundred or so. We achieved some good, but compared to the scale of the problem, it was really a little.

But in 1999 came politics, and I was appointed Attorney General of Lagos. With that platform, we took on corruption in the Lagos judiciary and set a model. We reviewed the issues of corruption in the Lagos Judiciary and how to address it. From remuneration to discipline and we were able to put in place an anti-corruption framework that has lasted several years.

The reason why I make this point is that other states, after what we did in Lagos, copied that very example. So, many states improved remuneration and a wide variety of things.

Mr Osinbajo stated further that the second thing we did in Lagos at the time is that we established the Citizens Rights Department. For the first time in the history of our country, a department was established in the Ministry of Justice for the rights of citizens.

That was important because the Ministry of Justice is not just a ministry of law and order, it is a Ministry of Justice for the people. And that department had what was called the Office of the Public Defender, and that was a concept we borrowed from some U.S. States and we were able to do legal defence, government provided the funding, for thousands of Lagosians.

But the more interesting part of that story is that almost every state in Nigeria adopted the Citizens Rights Department, adopted the Office of the Public Defender. Now, go back to when I was an activist working in the Legal Research and Development Centre, where we tried to do some work on legal defence. We did a few but certainly couldnt achieve the scale that we achieved when we were in public service.

Responding to concerns about the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, the VP said relevant government ministries and agencies would work on making things easier for Nigerians.

He said, as an English-speaking country, we should be beneficiaries of some concession as opposed to being forced every two years to take the same test especially if you have passed it once before.

The Fellowship is the flagship programme of the U.S. Governments Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Since 2014, nearly 5,100 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the Fellowship.

Besides the Fellows of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, other participants at the meeting were the United States of Americas Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, and the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Maryam Uwais, among others.

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan, has alleged that persons involved in the July 15 failed coup attempt in Turkey are very active in Nigeria.

Mr Erdogan said this when President Muhammadu Buhari hosted him on a two-day official visit to Nigeria.

The perpetrators of the heinous failed coup of July the 15th FETO are still very active in Nigeria, the Turkish leader said.

And we are continuously sharing our intelligence with Nigerian interlocutors and authorities, he added, according to a statement by Mr Buharis office.

He said the Turkish government hopes and pray that the relations between the two nations would be further developed on the basis of a win-win situation and on the basis of mutual respect.

Pledge collaboration in security

As Turkey, we have been closely monitoring the development in Nigeria in our brotherly and friendly nation, Mr Erdogan told Mr Buhari at the seat of power. The terrorist organisations, the armed gangs and the marine vendors are continuously active in Nigeria and the Nigerian authorities are continuously fighting them.

In order to cooperate further in the field of military operations, defence and security, we are doing everything that will be available, he added.

We are ready to share our capabilities, every extending capacity as Turkey with Nigeria especially in the field of defence, industry and security which are being praised by the globe.

The sensitivity we show in fighting terrorism, I hope will be reciprocated by our Nigeran brothers and sister and our counterparts.

Failed Coup

On July 15, 2016, Turkey saw a deadly coup attempt against Mr Erdogan and his elected government. A mutinous faction of soldiers staged a short-lived insurrection that birthed mass protests in Istanbul and elsewhere.

More than 250 people were killed, including many civilians, and thousands injured. A brutal crackdown followed, spreading beyond those allegedly linked to Gulen before order was restored.

The Turkish government pinned the attempted coup on Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric who founded a global network of influential schools and charities.

Some followers of Gulen have admitted that they took part in the bloody events of July 15 but Mr Gulen has denied any involvement in the attempted coup and suggested that his former ally turned arch-rival, Mr Erdogan, might actually be behind the coup himself, given the sheer wave of arrests after the coup.

Following the coup and subsequent declaration of the Gulen Movement as a terrorist group, Turkey requested the U.S. to extradite Mr Gulen, who has been living in the country since 1999 but the U.S. demurred, saying it needed clear evidence of Mr Gulens involvement in the coup.

After the coup, the Turkish government decided to close down all schools linked to the movement in Turkey and implore other countries to do the same because the schools are run by those Mr Erdogan described as terrorists.

But many African countries, including Nigeria, turned down Mr Erdogans requests to either take control or close schools, hospitals and other facilities linked to followers of Mr Gulen.

Soon after the attempted coup, the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, called on the Nigerian government to close 17 Turkish schools.

He said the schools are run by an organisation that uses education as a facade to hide their real intent.
The governors elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have expressed optimism that the party would come out of its 30 October national convention more united.

The Chairman of PDP Governors Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, said this while briefing journalists after their meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Tambuwal said that the party was ready to provide the desired platform upon which many Nigerians could realise their aspirations.

We have just finished our meeting where we received briefings from the Convention Planning/Organising Committee Chairman, the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, that we are on course,

And by the grace of God, they have almost concluded every arrangement and plan for a very successful, free and fair convention for the PDP coming up on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 of this month.

We are very grateful to the convention planning committee and other sub-committees for the work they are doing.

We are optimistic that PDP is going to come out more united from this convention and much more ready to provide the desired platform upon which many Nigerians can realise their aspirations.

We shall continue to deepen our democracy and work together as democrats for greater Nigeria, Tambuwal said.

He added that the work for the convention was in progress for PDP to have a successful, hitch-free and peaceful convention.

Fielding questions on the presence of the north consensus candidate for PDP National Chairman, Iyorcha Ayu, and the National Secretary aspirant, Samuel Anyanwu, at the venue of the meeting, Mr Tambuwal said they came for private discussions and not for endorsement.

They came for a private discussion with one or two governors. They had their private discussions and left, Mr Tambuwal explained.

Among the governors present at the meeting held at the Akwa-lbom Governors Lodge in Asokoro Abuja were those of Edo, Bayelsa, Abia, Bauchi, Enugu, Adamawa, Oyo and Rivers, while Taraba and Benue governors were represented by their deputies.

(NAN)
The families of the victims of the Eid-el-Fitri day shooting by men of the Nigerian Customs Service in Iseyin, Oyo State, have demanded N4.5 billion as compensation.

The demand was contained in a petition presented to the House of Representatives Committee on Customs by Olugbenga Akinlabi on Wednesday at the hearing into the series of killings involving personnel of NCS.

In the petition, Mr Akinlabi is demanding N1 billion each for the families of those who lost their lives, and N500 million for the victim who survived the attack.

The families are also asking for an apology from the NCS as well as the unmasking of the officers who allegedly perpetrated the act.

The committee, chaired by Leke Abejide (ADC, Kogi), is investigating killings in Jibia, Katsina State and Igangan and Iseyin in Oyo State.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported the killings in Iseyin and the subsequent motion moved by Shina Peller (APC, Oyo) into the matter.

The House, sequel to the motion, resolved that the committee on customs should investigate the circumstances surrounding the killings.

In August, 13 bystanders were reportedly killed in Jibia, a border town along the Nigeria-Niger corridor, after a Hilux van of the NCS rammed into people by the roadside.

According to reports, the officers were chasing smugglers.

Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) had moved a motion on the floor of the House calling for an investigation into the Jibia killings while Muraina Ajibola (PDP, Oyo) moved a motion into Igangan killings in Oyo State.

The hearing

At the commencement of the hearing, there was a mild controversy over the taking of oath.

The Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Elton Edorhe, refused to take an oath, stating that by virtue of his job, he had already taken oath.

I cannot take oath twice, I am in uniform, there is no way I will take oath twice, he said.

While making a presentation on behalf of the NCS, Umar Lawal, its counsel, denied the killings, stating that the petitioners have failed to provide death certificates.

The totality of the allegations by the petitioner is bereft of evidence in the following sense. The petitioners allege that five persons were killed. Sir, the entirety of the petition and the attachment presented before you, there is nowhere a death certificate is attached.

Secondly, there is no post mortem report. I can vividly remember when an honourable put this question at the last meeting that there was there a post mortem report on the death of the alleged five victims? There was none before you sir.

The committee chairman, however, ruled him out of order and accused him of misleading the committee.

We have the report from the hospital. We have one of the victims here. So, dont tell lies, the chairman said.

Kehinde Ejibunu, the comptroller of Federal Operation Unit (FOU), Zone A, said the matter was not without cause.

He claimed that the people in the community attacked the men of the NCS in the course of taking over contraband items, adding that there was an attempt to disarm officers.

Mr Ejibunu said the NCS had to call for reinforcement from the Nigerian Army base close by.

He said the community should present the smugglers as a condition for NCS to provide the officers involved in the shooting.

He subsequently denied that the officers of the NSC killed the victims

While under cross-examination by Rolland Igbakpa (PDP, Delta), Mr Ejibunu denied that the officers of the NSC killed anyone.

I am not aware of anybody that died, Mr Ejibunu said.

On the Jibia killings, he maintained that they were just an accident as a result of reckless driving by the officer of the Nigerian Customs Service. Mr Edorhe said the officer involved is in detention on the charges of manslaughter.

Mr Edorhe appealed to the committee to stop the hearing into the Jibia killings because the matter is in court.

In response, Mr Abejide said the committee would present its report to the House for a decision on the matter.
There is tight security at the Federal High Court, Abuja, ahead of the trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, scheduled to resume Thursday.

Many security personnel were deployed to the court premises and its surroundings to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

Entrances leading to the court premises were barricaded by a combination of gun-wielding operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) operatives, the Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence and the Nigerian Police.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at about 8:02 a.m., a heavily fortified security convoy arrived the court premises, which appeared to be carrying Mr Kanu.

As of the time of filing this report, journalists, lawyers and litigants were standing outside the court premises as they were denied entrance.

NAN reports that Mr Kanu is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony.

His team of lawyers earlier on Wednesday warned that the Nigerian government must not fail to produce him for his trial on Thursday.

The State Security Service (SSS), in whose custody he has since been remanded, failed to produce him for scheduled proceedings in July.

Mr Kanu is being tried on charges of treasonable felony regarding his separatist activities.

The separatist, who was granted bail in April 2017, fled the country after the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September that year, a situation one of Mr Kanus lawyers, Alloy Ejimakor described as the rule of self-preservation.

Mr Nyako, subsequently revoked his bail for ditching his trial, and ordered his trial to be separated from the rest of the co-defendants.

While the trial of the rest of the defendants has made some progress, Mr Kanus has been stalled since 2017.

On June 29, 2021, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced that Mr Kanu had been rearrested and brought back to Nigeria to continue facing his trial.

He said the IPOB leader was intercepted days earlier but did not give details.

Although there has been no official disclosure about where and how Mr Kanu was arrested, relatives and lawyers to the IPOB leader, have described how he was kidnapped in Kenya under controversial circumstances.

His legal team disclosed days ago that the charges against him had been amended to make the counts seven in number.

(NAN)
Bandits have attacked the hometown of a former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, Talata Mafara, and abducted his brother-in-law and a neighbour.

The incident on Monday night was the first time the headquarters of Talata Mafara local government was attacked.

There had been previous attacks in the local government area, like the abduction of over 300 students at the Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, but they all happened in villages.

One of Mr Yaris political associates, Bello Ruwan Bado, confirmed the abduction of Auwal Hussain, known as King.

Mr Hussain, whose sister is Mr Yaris first wife, lives in the former governors private residence before he got married and is considered to be one of the former governors closest persons.

The wife of Mr Hussains neighbour, Surajo, was also kidnapped in the incident.

Another neighbour, Mustapha Lawal, said he heard gunshots and the voices of the bandits.

We heard when the bandits came in the night. They came on motorcycles and shot in the air to scare people. It was in the night around 11:30 p.m.

The fact that bandits could come into this area considered to be the safest in Talata Mafara, which is also the second-largest town in the state, is scary. They operated for over an hour without security personnel coming to challenge them, he said.

A friend of Mr Hussain, who craved anonymity, said they believed informants were involved.

King has just returned from Dubai, and when the bandits came, they even asked him if he had brought anything for them from Dubai. They also didnt kidnap anyone apart from the wife of Kings neighbour.

The police spokesperson in the state, Mohammed Shehu, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the abduction.
In October last year, Nigerian youth trooped to the streets in different parts of the country to vent their anger against the cruel treatment of citizens by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the police.

The protesters also used street demonstrations, tagged #EndSARS, to demand good governance and broad police reforms.

It started as a peaceful protest but turned violent midway after hoodlums hijacked it.

As the protest escalated into violence, private and government properties were looted and damaged; police stations and correctional centres were burnt down in different states across the country. In Lagos, the epicentre of the protests, police officers were killed, BRT buses in large numbers and media houses were torched.

Amnesty International had documented 82 cases of maltreatment, extortion, extra-judicial killings, among other acts, capable of forcing the beast out of the young people, perpetrated by operatives of SARS between January 2017 and May 2020.

In its statement commemorating the first year anniversary of the protest, the organisation insists 12 persons were killed by soldiers and police officers on October 20, 2020 at Lekki Tollgate, Lagos.

How it started

A viral video showing a SARS official attacking a man in Delta State sparked a wave of anger expressed through a hashtag, #EndSARS, which quickly gained popularity on social media platforms.

The hashtag, at the time, topped the list of trending topics on Twitter and other social media platforms as A-class hip-hop celebrities such as Davido and Wizkid, began to key into the campaign.

Anxious to get results, the campaigners took the agitation to the streets with protests spreading like wildfire to different towns and cities.

Buhari bows to pressure

As the situation was getting scary, President Muhammadu Buhari administration bowed to pressure, announcing the immediate disbandment of SARS in the same October.

The move, the government said, was the first step in a broad police reform to be embarked upon to reposition policing in the country. A new unit named Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) was announced to replace SARS, with promises that it would be professional in its dealings.

The concession was a product of the struggle of the protesters, many of whom were either arrested, detained, brutalised or even killed during the protest.

Another gain of the struggle was the setting up of the #EndSARS panels in various states to probe cases of police brutality, recommend the prosecution of erring officers and compensation for deserving victims.

#EndSARS panels

In November, the National Executive Council, NEC, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with all the 36 state governors and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor as members, resolved to set up judicial panels of enquiry to probe cases of police brutality as demanded by the #EndSARS protesters.

At its latest meeting held on October 15, the NEC promised to implement the report of the panels, which were set up in 28 states and in Abuja.

In its resolution reported by PREMIUM TIMES, the council assured that indicted police officers would be prosecuted and victims of police brutality compensated as recommended by the panels, popularly referred to as #EndSARS panels.

But apart from in Lagos State, where the #EndSARS panels recommendations have led to compensation for victims, in other states, they have remained on paper.

This development has caused many, particularly the victims, to doubt the sincerity of the whole exercise.

Unfulfilled compensation

In Ogun State, a victim, Muraino Akintunde, narrated how officers of the disbanded SARS broke his leg and caused him to contract tuberculosis in a police cell at Magbon in Abeokuta. He accused the government of trying to deprive him of the promised compensation.

His concerns, our reporter confirmed, are representative of the frustrations of many of the victims who have been waiting in vain to be paid the compensations awarded to them months ago by the panels in various states.

Mr Akintunde said the government was trying to make him die of pains inflicted upon them by the terror disbanded SARS members.

But he appealed to the government to implement the recommendations of the report of the panel, as only through that will the victims get succour.

I was so happy when EndSARS came up, and, immediately, I used the opportunity to file my petition to the Ogun State judicial panel of enquiry. The panels sitting lasted six months, and the panel took another two to three months to submit its report to Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun. It was pathetic and funny as the Magbon men of SARS could not produce any evidence to the panel against me throughout the sittings.

Mr Akintunde noted that the governor promised to implement the panels recommendations, but expressed disappointment that it is getting late now.

I need to take care of myself as my left leg still needs to be cast for permanent healing and some other injuries in my body, he said.

He described how some who lost their relatives and others with various degrees of injuries were looking forward to the implementation of the panels report on time.

Mr Akintunde said he had been living in pain, with a final surgery needed to be done on his leg put in abeyance because of lack of funds.

My broken leg is giving me problems and the tuberculosis I contracted in the cell has not been cured after about eight months of medication. The governor promised to implement the panels recommendation, but since then, we have not heard anything about it.

Our government is not as friendly as it is supposed to be. The same government which set up the panel of enquiry in the state on police brutality now refuses to implement the same panels recommendation after months. Isnt that a sign that our governments are our enemies?

A civil society organisation, The Crusaders of Freedom Initiative, through its lawyer, threatened to sue the Ogun State governor if he continued to hide the report of the panel from the public.

The organisations lawyer, Kayode Aderemi, sent a letter, asking the governor to release the report of the panel to allay the concerns of the victims.

We, hereby, humbly request for the release/publication of the details of the panels recommendations.

We made this request pursuant to Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, which guarantees any person to access or request information in custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution.

Mr Aderemi told PREMIUM TIMES he represented no fewer than four petitioners at the panel, all of whom he said were looking forward to the implementation of the report.

The EndSARS panel was a public hearing, not a private hearing. So, it is common sense that the recommendations of a public hearing should be made public. There is no alternative to that. That is just the normal thing, he said.

Another lawyer, Taiwo Olawanle, of the law firm of Femi Falana, who also represented petitioners at the panel, expressed his disappointment in the government of Ogun State.

It has been disturbing and the clients too have been disturbing us. After the panel closed its investigations, nothing has come up, no information, nothing!

Mr Olawanle said the corpse of the brother of his client was still at the morgue, saying the remains could not be buried owing to the failure of the governor to approve the recommendation of the panel for the release of the corpse.

Very unfortunate that no one to give order on how to pick the corpse and bury it. I am worried and disappointed.

Everybody is disappointed and frustrated, there is nobody to be contacted. Even the panel had no secretariat, we are tired.

Ogun govt reacts

When contacted, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun State, Akingbolahan Adeniran, confirmed the receipt of the panels report, but said it had been submitted to the Vice Presidents office for a review.

We have submitted along with other governors to the Office of the Vice President. The idea of the panel came after discussions with the Vice President, who encouraged states to set up panels to look into it. The panel will do its report and there will be a white paper.

He added, Regarding how the compensation is to be paid, I think they are trying to resolve which fraction is to be paid by the federal government and which fraction is to be paid by state government, after which the report will be made public. It is difficult to make predictions about when that will be done. We are pushing internally to make it happen.

Police, EndSARS protesters clash

The non-implementation of the reports of the majority of the #EndSARS panel contributed to the resolve of organisers to stage the anniversary protest on October 20, the day soldiers shot at protesters at Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, last year.

An activist, Omoyele Sowore, through his verified Twitter account had tweeted ahead of the memorial protest, @PoliceNG in Lagos & across Nigeria, there will be #EndSARS memorial protests and direct actions on October 20, 2021.

But, the police, through its spokesperson, Adekunle Ajisebutu, opposed the planned protest saying, it would use all legitimate means within its constitutional powers to suppress any #EndSARS memorial protest.

Mr Sowore, however, responded to the police threat through the same Twitter handle, saying, @PoliceNG in Lagos & across Nigeria, there will be #EndSARS memorial protests and direct actions on October 20, 2021.

Nobody can suppress the will of Nigerians to repudiate the mass atrocities of the @mbuhari regime on that day and beyond.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it will win the forthcoming governorship elections in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti States as well as the 2023 general elections convincingly because of its huge membership across the country.

Interim National Secretary of the ruling party, John Akpanudoedehe, stated this while inaugurating its state congresses appeal committee on Thursday in Abuja.

The state congresses of the party were held nationwide last Saturday. In some states there were parallel congresses while in others the exercise was characterised by violence.

The governorship election in Anambra State will hold on 6 November while those of Ekiti and Osun will be conducted in July and September next year.

While Anambra is currently ruled by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the APC governs Osun and Ekiti.

Mr Akpanudoedehe said the process of recalibrating the party into a winning functional machine towards retaining power at the centre was on course.

He said with membership of 40 million, the ruling party would not only achieve that but also win in the three states.

With the huge membership strength we have recorded during the last registration and revalidation exercise, there is no doubt that Nigerians still trust us and that we will win all the upcoming elections convincingly, starting from the Governorship elections in Anambra, to Osun, Ekiti and to the 2023 general elections, he said

Mr Akpanudoedehe said Nigerians had now realised that the APC-led federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari meant well for them and would do everything possible to deliver infrastructure to them despite the global economic downturn.

He urged party members to stay united so that they could defeat the agents of destruction who had vowed to set the country backwards.

He said: Nigerians by now have realised that the APC led-government of President Buhari means well for Nigerians and is doing everything possible to deliver infrastructure to Nigerians amidst difficult economic times, globally.

We must stay united so we can defeat the agents of destruction who have vowed to set Nigeria backwards. Just this morning, an Abuja-Kaduna passenger train was attacked by criminals, depriving Nigerians the services it provides. This is so despicable, but together we shall overcome them.

Therefore, there is a greater need to sustain the trust of our party men and women and indeed all Nigerians. 

The interim secretary said in a bid to provide development to Nigerians, the ruling party had afforded many of its faithful the platform to attain various positions, either elected or appointed, adding that it would do so for many others in the future.

Mr Akoanudoedehe urged APC members to see dissensions within the party as family disputes and should not seek to destroy the platform which helped them in times past.

As a party, we shall ensure that channels of communication are kept open, as in the instant case and as dictated by the constitution of our party.,

He explained that the appeal committee was part of the internal mechanisms any member of the party could approach to ventilate their grievances.

The Appeal is part of the internal mechanisms, so that those who may feel dissatisfied with the States Congresses can approach the Committee and ventilate their grievances through this avenue.

It is elementary law that he who alleges must prove, so instead of taking issues to the media space, let them put forward their case before this Appeals Committee, he said.

Mr Akpanudoedehe urged all the members of the committee to ensure that fair hearing and justice guide their assignment.

He reminded them that they were all selected based on their proven track record of integrity and capacity to bring to bear on the assignment.
Governorship candidates of the 18 political parties participating in the governorship election in Anambra State are to sign a peace accord on 4 November.

This was disclosed by the spokesperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Okoye issued the statement after a meeting of the Commission in Abuja to review the preparations for the polls.

There has been an upsurge in violence in Anambra State leading to killings by unknown gunmen. The series of violence have created tension in the state.

Some of the major candidates in the 6 November governorship election are a former CBN governor, Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), a former senator, Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a serving senator, Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

Mr Okoye said the Commission was in touch with the National Peace Committee chaired by a former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, which will facilitate the signing of the peace pact.

The Commission is in touch with the National Peace Committee under the Chairmanship of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) GCFR. Preparations are underway for the signing of the Peace Accord in Awka on Thursday 4th November 2021, he said.

He said the Commission was satisfied with the current level of preparations for the poll.

The Commission is satisfied with the current level of preparations. Virtually all non-sensitive materials have been delivered in readiness for the election. The training of ad-hoc staff is also going on as scheduled, he said

Mr Okoye said so far, the Commission had successfully implemented 12 out of 14 activities in the timetable and schedule of activities and had published the Notice of Poll at its state and all the local government offices in Anambra State.

According to him, by Section 46 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the Commission shall, not later than 14 days before the day of the election, cause to be published, a notice specifying the date and hours fixed for the poll; the persons entitled to vote; and the location of the polling units.

He said 20 October was the last day for the submission of names of polling agents by political parties, adding that by section 45 of the Electoral Act, each political party may by notice in writing addressed to the Electoral Officer of the Local Government, appoint a polling agent for each polling unit and collation centre.

The notice, he said, shall set out the name and address of the polling agent, accompanied by two passport photographs of each polling agent, and sample signature of the agent at least 14 days before the date fixed for the election.

Mr Okoye advised political parties to adhere strictly to the law and the guidelines for the deployment of polling agents, warning that only duly accredited polling agents would be allowed to operate at the polling units and collation centres.

He said INEC had also noted with appreciation, the role of religious, traditional and community leaders in Anambra State as well as civil society, socio-cultural associations and the media in appealing for peace during campaign and Election Day activities.

With just a little over two weeks to the election, the Commission once again appeals for support from all and sundry in Anambra to ensure that the election will not only be peaceful but also free, fair and credible, Mr Okoye said.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says it is proposing the introduction of Road Infrastructure Tax in Nigeria, to make the informal sector contribute to building a modern society.

The Executive Chairman of the FIRS, Muhammad Nami, disclosed this on Thursday while receiving a delegation of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by its National President, Chris Isiguzo, in his office, in Abuja.

The Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the FIRS Chairman, Johannes Wojuola, shared the details of the discussions at the meeting with PREMIUM TIMES via a statement Thursday.

Mr Nami reportedly said the proposed Road Infrastructure Tax, to be administered by FIRS, will provide government with adequate funding for road construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance, as well as providing the needed security for roads in the country.

According to the FIRS Executive Chairman, The only way to make the informal sector contribute to building a modern society is by making them pay when they use the roads. He stated.

That is why we are proposing that government should consider introducing Road Infrastructure Tax in Nigeria.

He noted that in many jurisdictions, road users pay for the use of road infrastructure as such it shouldnt be seen as an additional burden on our citizens because it has the potential of making life better for all of us.

Speaking further, Mr Nami stated that Nigerias economy presently relies heavily on non-oil revenues to discharge its statutory responsibility of paying salaries and providing social amenities to the citizenry.

Without the tax that you pay governments at all levels would not be able to fulfil their mandate to the electorates. Tax money also helps to ensure the roads you travel are safe and always in good condition, he said.

Mr Nami also stated that despite sharp practices by some companies who were in the habit of evading taxes, by shifting their capital and profits to tax havens, as well as low revenue from Petroleum Profit Tax, due to the shortfall in crude oil production among other factors, the FIRS has been putting forward critical reforms that have been yielding positive impact on the Services operations.

Adopting technology in tax administration is crucial in improving domestic revenue mobilization in view of dwindling oil prices in order to avoid falling into debt crisis. It is against this backdrop that the TaxPro-Max became the channel for filing Naira-denominated tax returns effectively from 7th June, 2021.

The TaxPro-Max enables seamless registration, filing of returns, payment of taxes and automatic credit of withholding tax as well as other credits to the Taxpayers accounts among other features. The technology also provides a single-view to Taxpayers for all transactions with the Service, Mr Nami explained.

The tax agency official also noted that the management of the Service had established two critical units, the Intelligence, Strategic Data Mining & Analysis Department (ISDMA) and the Tax Incentive Management Department (TIMD) as part of institutional reforms to generate more revenue and forestall revenue leakages.

While the TaxProMax will serve as the flagship tool for mining data, it will be complemented by other tools that the Intelligence, Strategic Data Mining and Analysis Department department may deploy, with the data engineers in the Department carrying out necessary distillations.

Management also established the Tax Incentive Management Department to manage, implement and report on tax incentives as provided by relevant extant laws and regulations. The TIMD is specifically in charge of the tax affairs of companies/enterprises enjoying tax exemptions and holidays. Companies enjoying Pioneer incentives, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Cooperative Societies, companies in Export Processing Zones (EPZ), Free Trade Zones (FTZ), Oil and Gas Export Processing Zones (OGEFZ), those engaged in Downstream Gas Utilization and all others enjoying tax holidays are being managed by the TIMD to forestall revenue leakages, such that these companies/enterprises do not use their status as a cover to earn taxable income and refuse to pay tax on such income, the FIRS chief said.

He added that the service created 10 Value Added Tax (VAT) Regional Coordination Offices across the country to drive the collection of VAT.

The FIRS Chairman said the reforms put were already yielding result, including the collection of the sum of N4.2 Trillion between January and September, 2021, the successful facilitation of ISO 27001:2013 Certification of the FIRS Exchange of Information Centre, and the achievement of 114.66 percent of the VAT collection target in the first half of the year.

It will interest you to know that the Service collected a total of N4.2Trillion between January to September, 2021. This feat was achieved as a result of the efficiency and effectiveness of the TaxProMax Solution and intelligence/data we gathered, mined and analysed in the period under review.

The Service successfully facilitated both the mock and external audits for the ISO 27001:2013 certification of the Exchange of Information (EOI) centre, to meet international information security management standards, he said.

While congratulating Mr Isiguzo for his recent reelection as the National President of NUJ, he urged NUJ Members to be constructive in their criticisms of the operations of the Service saying they should always confirm or verify sources and accuracy of information.

Earlier, the NUJ National President, Mr Isiguzo, said the visit of the union was part of his resolve to engage critical institutions as a key stakeholder in charting a way forward for the countrys collective good.

The NUJ president described the FIRS as a vital institution in the country, which requires all the support it needs especially at a time when the country is security-challenged, adversely affected by Covid-19 and faced with FOREX crisis as well as political intrigues from different parts of the nation.

He said the NUJ has noted closely the FIRS strident efforts to shore up the countrys revenue by deploying technology and the requisite personnel in this regard. Of interest to the Union is your digital technology solution, TaxPro-Max.

The numbers show that it has assisted in boosting efficiency in tax administration and collection rates across the country.

However, with your recent admission that only about 44 million out of a possible 100 million plus that pay tax makes it urgent for a robust integrated media campaign to get more Nigerians into the tax net. This the NUJ is willing to spearhead.

Mr Isiguzo assured the FIRS Chairman and his management team that the NUJ would commend the agency where it has done noble.

He however noted that the union will not shy away from criticising the agency constructively as well as hold it accountable to the Nigerian people, in line with Chapter 22 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Faruk on Thursday flagged off the training of 300 youths as mobile money agents for the South-south region in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

Under this scheme, at least 1,850 Nigerian youths would be trained as mobile money agents across the country.

The ministry would train at least 300 youths from each of the six geopolitical zones of the federation as mobile money agents to tackle poverty and unemployment.

The five-day training was conducted at the Venetian Arena, Murtala Muhammad Way, in Calabar.

The Life Skills and Entrepreneurship Development Training anchored by the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) of the ministry, was facilitated by Rotex Consulting Limited, and Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF).

The minister said since the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, the president has initiated policies and programmes targeted towards poverty alleviation, youths empowerment and wealth creation.

Represented by Emma Deekor, deputy director finance and account of N-SIP, the minister urged the participants to leverage on the training opportunity by using the skills to improve their economic

well being.

She said the training is in line with President Buharis avowed commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

Mr Buhari, in his independence anniversary national broadcast, said he remains confident that our goal of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years is achievable.

He said considering the positive impact of our Social Investment Programme, he had approved an increase in the number of N-Power programme beneficiaries from 500,000 to one million.

The participants were selected from the six states of Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Bayelsa, Edo and Akwa Ibom, making up the South-south geopolitical zone.
The senator representing Anambra South, Ifeanyi Uba, has decried how he was denied access to the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja where the trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, came up on Thursday.

The State Security Services (SSS) blocked routes leading to the court on Thursday, preventing journalists, litigants and lawyers from having access, as Mr Kanus trial went underway.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that some lawyers were prevented from entering the court premises to pursue their cases before other judges of the court engaged in a shouting match with the security agents.

Speaking with journalists on Thursday, Mr Uba, the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Congress (YPP) in the forthcoming November 6 election in Anambra State, said he had come to court to attend proceedings in a separate matter he filed in court only to be denied access.

Mr Uba had reportedly filed a suit seeking an order of court granting him access to Mr Kanu in custody.

As a serving senator of the federal republic, today, I have a case in court and I was to present myself in court regarding my motion.

This morning, I approached the court site through different routes, but they were blocked.

As a senator of the federal republic, I think I have the right to enter the court premise even if I have no business in the court.

I want to plead with the authorities that this should not happen again. Everybody that is accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty, Mr Uba said.

The lawmaker appealed to security agents, particularly the SSS to evolve better ways to ensure the smooth trial of leader of the proscribed IPOB, Kanu.

I am pleading that there should be sanity in the way and manner we go about this case, he added.

Mr Uba had approached the court seeking an order to be allowed to visit Kanu in SSS custody.

The motion was brought pursuant to Section 36 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court as preserved in Section 6 (6b) of the Constitution.

In the motion on notice dated October 15, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2021, Mr Uba prayed for an order of court granting him leave to visit Kanu in DSS custody, as part of his oversight legislative function.

In the affidavit personally deposed to by the senator, he stated that: as a senator from the South-east geopolitical zone of Nigeria, I took it upon myself in carrying out my oversight legislative functions to visit the defendant at the DSS detention facility.

This is to ascertain from him if he is involved in any way in what is happening in the South-east and to seek way of amicable settlement of the separatist agitation in the Southeast in the overall interest of Nigeria.

That at the SSS detention facility, I was denied access to the defendant and directed to approach this court to obtain permission before I could be allowed access to the defendant.

I state that my interest in seeking to see the defendant is in the interest of national peace and security.

Background

The separatist, who was granted bail in April 2017, fled the country after the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September that year, a situation one of Mr Kanus lawyers, Alloy Ejimakor, described as the rule of self-preservation.

A judge subsequently revoked his bail for ditching his trial, and ordered his trial to be separated from the rest of the co-defendants.

While the trial of the rest of the defendants has made some progress, Mr Kanus has been stalled since 2017.

On June 29, 2021, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced that Mr Kanu had been rearrested and brought back to Nigeria to continue facing his trial.

He said the IPOB leader was intercepted days earlier but did not give details.

Although there has been no official disclosure about where and how Mr Kanu was arrested, relatives and lawyers to the IPOB leader, have described how he was kidnapped in Kenya under controversial circumstances.

(NAN)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Thursday, arraigned a former chairperson of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ngozi Olejeme, for alleged 1.4 billion fraud.

EFCCs spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the defendant was arraigned before Maryam Aliyu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi, Abuja.

She faces nine counts including abuse of office and using position to obtain over N1.4 billion and $48,485,127.

The EFCC said her offences contravened the provisions of sections 8, 9 (1) (b) (1), punishable under the Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offence Act 2000 and sections 17, (1) (2), 39 of EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under the same section.

Court hearing

The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to her.

EFCCs prosecuting counsel, Steve Odiase, then asked for a trial date.

The defence counsel, Paul Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, informed the court of a pending bail application filed on behalf of his client on October 18.

He urged the court to grant his client bail on self-recognition or in the alternative, in the most liberal terms.

He informed the court that his client was not a flight risk as she voluntarily returned to Nigeria when she heard that the EFCC wanted to question her.

Mr Erokoro further said the bail application was predicated on medical grounds as the defendant had been diabetic and hypertensive for 30 years.

He added that she had had four major surgeries in the U.S. and South Africa.

Mr Erokoro also said the defendants recent medical report from Federal Medical Centre Jabi, Abuja, advised that she required close medical monitoring as her medical status could lead to a medical emergency.

The prosecuting counsel did not oppose the bail application, but urged the court to refuse the grant of bail on self-recognition as suggested by the defence counsel.

The judge adjourned till Friday, October 21, for ruling on the bail application and remanded the defendant in the custody of the EFCC.

Charges

In one of the charges, Mrs Olejeme was accused of dishonestly receiving the sum of N350million paid into Able Jes Nigeria Limited, a company she was said to have interest in, and used her position to confer unfair advantage upon the said company by receiving various payments from BDCs.

She allegedly committed the offence while being the chairperson of the NSITF sometimes between 2012 and 2015 in Abuja.

She was also accused of receiving benefit to grant favour in the discharge of her official duties to (NSITF) by receiving N505 million sourced from the monies paid by NSTTF to Fountain Media Consults Ltd and Fountain Legal Services accounts as kickback.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Screening Committee has disqualified three aspirants from participating in the national convention slated for October 30 and 31.

The Chairman of the Convention Committee, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, disclosed this during the unveiling of the partys national convention logo and promotional materials on Thursday in Abuja.

The committee was headed by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke.

Mr Fintiri said the committee set up to screen the aspirants had completed its work and submitted its report to the organising committee on Thursday afternoon.

He noted that 31 candidates indicated interests for various national positions in the party, out of which 27 were cleared, one withdrawn and three disqualified.

He listed the disqualified aspirants as Wale Oladipo, Okey Muo-Aroh and Eddy Olafeso.

Mr Oladipo was vying for the position of deputy national chairman (south), while Messrs Muo-Aroh and Olafeso were eyeing the positions of national secretary and national publicity secretary, respectively.

All these aspirants have been disqualified because they took the party to court. Their intention also was to stop the national convention.

So, if you have taken the party to court without exhausting the internal mechanism of settling whatever grievances you have and you try to stop the convention.

The committee felt you cannot also enjoy the convention.

More so, the provision of Section 51 sub 1L in our party constitution clearly spells out that you must exhaust all the internal mechanisms in the party.

The same constitution of our great party has also made a provision that if you have not exhausted Section 58 (1L), you can be punished under Section 59 (1e). So, you can see that the screening committee has done what is needful of them.

You must be disciplined in the party for us to survive. I think we have to move away from the past as we are trying to open a new chapter for the party, Mr Fintiri said.

He said that if any of the disqualified aspirants had reason not to agree with their disqualification, they had the opportunity to appear before the appeal committee on Friday.

Mr Fintiri said such a person might be considered depending on the reason they may put forward.

He said the committee had done a great job as it paved the way for PDP to move forward.

I assure you that on October 30 and 31, we will have one of the best open, transparent, and democratic conventions in the recent history of this country, he said.

On the number of delegates, Mr Fintiri said that about 4,000 delegates were being expected. He said even though there were litigations surrounding the list, efforts were on to clear it.

He stressed the need for the party to bring out its best at the convention to steer the affairs of PDP with their skills, experience and integrity.

We need to bring people of high integrity to manage the affairs of the party and to pilot us to winning the 2023 general elections, particularly the president, he said.

Mr Fintiri appealed to members of the committee to make the necessary sacrifice that would ensure success of the convention.

In his remarks, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the 2021 national convention committee led by Mr Fintiri was prepared to hold a convention that would lead PDP to victory in the 2023 general elections.

Mr Ologbondiyan, who is also the Secretary of the National Convention Publicity Sub-Committee, said the national convention of PDP presents an opportunity to Nigerians to come together and support the party in 2023.

(NAN)
As we seek alternatives to the present failure, we must reopen the issue of progressive taxation, introduce property taxes and the benefits to be obtained in a dispassionate manner, as part of a strategic imperative for the future. Anthropologists are in agreement about the communal organisation of social structure in Yoruba land. Yoruba thought and culture are not averse to contributions for the good of the community.

Right after the treaty ending the Kiriji War was signed, a renaissance of Yoruba culture, norms and economic development was induced. The logical end result to cement the advances was the 1948 formation of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, which eventually transformed into the Action Group, a political party.

The Action Group ascended into power under the MacPherson Constitution, riding on a manifesto centered around making life more abundant, which had been largely inspired by the British Labour partys inspirational and game changing 1945 platform, Let us face the future. To fulfill the promises made to the electorate, the Action Group needed resources outside the commodities export trade, largely centered on Cocoa. Taxation to finance commitments to the provision of social services, health and free education became the decisive territory of political thought and action in the Western Region from 1952. Throughout the 1950s, the anti-colonial struggle across the globe adopted the battlecry of the American revolution: No taxation without representation. In their struggle for independence, several nations agreed implicitly that taxation is a vital part of the social contract and a central pillar of democracy and representative government.

In the Western Region, revenue from commodities, with its inbuilt price instability, was never going to be adequate. Individual tax contributions had to be levied and enforced. For a political party in a nascent democracy, it was difficult. For one, there were bound to be issues of fairness in weighing the progressive distribution of the tax burden, not just between social strata but, crucially, between the urban and rural areas. A further dilemma was the distribution of the benefits of tax contributions vis-a-vis the equitable catering to the needs of the urban and rural areas. At the time, the key problem was the failure of the Regions premier, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to negotiate a democratic agreement and consensus to take the tax issue out of politics.

The opposition National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) stoutly refused to have a bipartisan consensus, much to Awolowos deep regret, as he was to point out in speeches and in books. In a principled forgoing of electoral consequences, tax was levied and enforced. Enforcement was sometimes a pitched battle. The level of taxation was high, reaching 63 per cent to the GDP ratio, which was certainly higher than just about everywhere else, including the United States of America. It nevertheless brought in the funds needed for an audacious trajectory of social engineering, sustainable development and elevation of living standards unmatched elsewhere. It crowned the Yoruba renaissance and the efforts of so many precursors, such as Ladipo Solanke and the his fellow intellectual activists in the London founded and based Western African Students Union (WASU).

The transformative effects have been well documented and have continued to be a benchmark often cited as the gold standard for sustainable development. It, however, came with a price tag. The Action Group suffered tremendous electoral defeats in the 1954 central elections (federal elections) to the Federal House of Representatives and local government elections conducted by its own electoral board in 1956 and 1958. The local government elections were actually a rout. The elections became a debacle for the ruling party in the region. Awolowos chances of cobbling together a majority in the 1959 pre-independence federal election was also gravely affected. Notably, taxation based development funding edified Awolowos presence of mind and principled commitment. He refused to make a U-turn and seek the convenient crowd pleasing way out. Mercifully, the verdict of history has been very fair and positive to his endeavour. A clear problem was the urban-rural dichotomy. The opposition swept the rural areas because of the perception that these areas (shades of resource control) disproportionately contributed the lion share of the benefits going to the urban areas. Flashpoints resonated on this issue of and on, most notably in the Agbekoya peasant revolt in 1968-1969.

The gains of the eventual acceptance of taxation must be lauded. By doggedly sticking to course and demonstrating the efficacious benefits of tax contributions, the Yoruba people accepted the need for taxation to the extent that in 1961, an attempt, for purely opportunistic reasons, to cut taxes on the eve of the local government elections was resisted. In actual fact, there was a riot, leading to scores of people bounded over to keep the peace.

It is sad that the political sophistication exhibited by the acceptance of the need for taxation was destroyed by the military takeover. In discrediting the politicians as punitive, the baby and bathwater were thrown overboard. After a succession of uncaring and self-centered military and civilian governments, the case for taxation as a very crucial necessity is going to be difficult to make, but it has to be made.

It is sad that the political sophistication exhibited by the acceptance of the need for taxation was destroyed by the military takeover. In discrediting the politicians as punitive, the baby and bathwater were thrown overboard. After a succession of uncaring and self-centered military and civilian governments, the case for taxation as a very crucial necessity is going to be difficult to make, but it has to be made. For right now the illusion of the sustainability of the rentier state, based on rent seeking, consumption and racketeering has been laid bare.

As we seek alternatives to the present failure, we must reopen the issue of progressive taxation, introduce property taxes and the benefits to be obtained in a dispassionate manner, as part of a strategic imperative for the future. Anthropologists are in agreement about the communal organisation of social structure in Yoruba land. Yoruba thought and culture are not averse to contributions for the good of the community. The present aversion is the result of the pushback against state capture and a retrogressive political class, which is anti-people. A case in point is Lagos. It is legitimate to ask questions about the use of taxes in Lagos State. There is absolutely nothing equitable about the distribution of the benefits of taxation from land use charges, signage etc. Nevertheless we must remember our culture and history and the great gains we once made and must reignite.

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 21st century editor is at a crossroads John Pauly, a communication scholar at Marquette University, wrote: Traditionally, journalists viewed themselves as disinterested witnesses or observers to conflict, present only to report on facts. More recently, the public journalism model has advocated that journalists take a more active role in educating and helping the public craft solutions to the problems of the day.

This topic reminds me of two recent personal incidents. I was in the office on the morning of Tuesday, July 13 when a colleague rushed in with his phone.

He seemed quite animated, but there was also an edge of anxiety about him as he thrust his phone forward, stopping mid-speech, and asking me to speak with the caller. I didnt know who it was. So, I motioned to my colleague to end the call first and sit down.

He did, collected himself, and spoke. A federal minister, one of the very influential ones in this government, had just called him to complain about LEADERSHIPs lead story for that day, entitled, Nigeria moves to tackle terrorists with robots.

He said the minister was livid that our story was an expose for Boko Haram and a great disservice to Nigerias war on terror. Even if the editor did not know, how come Azu, the Editor-In-Chief, also failed spectacularly to see that that story was leaking a vital state secret to the enemy?

I called the minister back on my colleagues line. In vain did I try to explain that the story was actually a report from the Senates plenary. It was open and live. We were obliged, like other newspapers, to cover and report it.

In any case, why should a story about the planned use of drones be deemed a national security breach, when the military routinely calls press conferences to announce its order of, payment for and arrival dates of U.S.-manufactured Tucano jets, one of its prized assets in the war on Boko Haram?

But the minister is not alone, as I found from this second incident days ago. A statement on behalf of the government by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari and former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Monday, suggests very clearly that the government seriously thinks that the media has insecurity on its speed dial, stored with the shorthand: if it bleeds, it leads.

For example, the government said, if only the press would replace the ubiquitous phrase rising insecurity with declining insecurity, we might indeed begin to witness not only a decline in insecurity, but also a totally different perception of the decade-and-a-half-long war on terror. And doubtless too, we might also begin to see, without the malicious veil of bias, the great strides that Buhari has made in degrading, if not exterminating, Boko Haram.

But wait a minute. Is the media as powerful as it is often acclaimed and its forces as potent and even malevolent as the Morning Journal at the hands of William Randolph Hearst in the 20th century was? Are media managers, especially editors, supposed to descend the conflict arena as mediators, partisans, neutrals or agents of peace? Or as a combination of these?

Or was the U.S. late-night show legend, Jon Stewart, right when he told the New York Times recently that when journalists pose as change agents, its either theyre taking themselves too seriously or perhaps those who believe them are taking them too seriously?

Im not sure I have the answers. But I would be silly to think that you are here for the gospel of Peace Journalism, after which you would return to a world where the journalistic lamb and the societal lion would lie side by side. It would be naive to believe  or even think  so when journalism itself, if not politics, is facing a conflict of obsolescence.

Buzz words, key words

It may be useful, at this stage, to explain the context in which I would be using three key words: conflict, mediator, and editor.

First, conflict. When interests clash and disagreement occurs, and such disagreements escalate, we have conflict. Although the basis for conflict, whether at individual or societal level, might vary, most conflicts are as a result of differences in opinion and scarcity of resources.

Here, I am dealing with conflicts involving groups defined by political affiliation, ethnicity, nationality, religion and other social identities. Over the past three decades, we can say that these conflicts have reached staggering proportions.

There is hardly any region of the world where there is no violent conflict. And there is hardly any sub-region within Africa where there is no violence from conflicts.

But which editor  which Nigerian editor  so desirous to cultivate peace and build consensus, can try any of the top non-journalist, media influencers for size? Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, and Funke Akindele have among them 42.3 million followers on Instagram alone  and that was before the Tiwa sex tape!

If we look closely at groups that may operate to trigger or constrain violent struggles, politicians and faith leaders are high on the list. And we have seen how easily any or a combination of these groups can devolve into or stoke fanaticism, extremism and demagoguery.

Unfortunately, conflicts around the world have cost too many lives, brought too much suffering to too many ordinary people and have displaced even more, depriving them of their homes and livelihoods.

In 2003, Roy and Judy Eidelsons Dangerous Ideas identified five individual-level core beliefs and group-level worldviews which, according to their research, propel groups towards conflict. The five core beliefs are superiority, injustice, vulnerability, distrust and helplessness.

Time will not permit me to do an extensive review of this interesting theory or to deploy it as an analytic tool to deconstruct the Nigerian situation. Briefly, however, this theory explains why beliefs and worldviews, such as injustice and ethnocentrism  and not the media  are drivers of conflicts in Nigeria since independence till the present time.

Mediation, the second key word, is a voluntary process in which an impartial intermediary (the mediator) facilitates communication and promotes reconciliation between parties, which will allow them to reach mutually acceptable agreements.

Mediation is often the next step if negotiation proves unsuccessful. In mediation, the parties in a conflict or their representatives have an opportunity to explain their views of the dispute. Mediation helps each side better understand the others point of view.

And the third, editor? One of the most pragmatic definitions I have known is the one by my teacher, Professor Olatunji Dare. He described the editor as the one who decides what gets published. If you find a better description, please send it my way.

How do these three factors interact and interrelate? What roles do their interactions play in the emergence of conflicts, and where exactly does the press stand in the mix?

Watchdog and warfare

The press is said to be the watchdog of society; it is supposed to sound the alarm when all is not well, to bark when the bad guys are roaming the block.

While it may be sensible to assume that the editor, guided by the basic professional requirements of accuracy, balance, fairness, objectivity and facts, should exercise reasonable judgment, there is the temptation to over-estimate the role of the media in building consensus or mediating peace.

But which editor  which Nigerian editor  so desirous to cultivate peace and build consensus, can try any of the top non-journalist, media influencers for size? Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, and Funke Akindele have among them 42.3 million followers on Instagram alone  and that was before the Tiwa sex tape!

The top 10 Nigerian editors dont come close, even if you throw in their media houses to make the number and add their entire social media footprint to the bargain! If current warfare is for hearts and minds and the cyberspace is the theatre, how can editors influence outcomes with such limited reach?

Outside textbooks or what officialdom may mislead you to believe, the job of holding the line, to use the phrase by journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Maria Ressa, is messier and far more complicated in real life than it is in a lecture.

That said, the media is like a double-edged sword, and in some ways, too, like fire  it can help to cook a meal; it can also set the house alight. The media can act as both a catalyst in conflict prevention, while it could also potentially inflame it.

In the context of our discussion, conflict, mediation and the media may be seen as connected dots on different points of a long, wobbly line.

From available analyses, international media err more on the side of actors who socialise conflict than those who privatise it. Conversely, local media more often pitches its camp with the dominant actors than it does with the weak actors. It is therefore dangerous for a third party in a conflict to base its response on the substance and timing of the information received from one or a few sources of information.

When conflicts break out, between state and non-state actors for example, as the case is between Boko Haram and the Federal Government, battles are not limited to the warfront. Each party engages in a struggle for mindshare, with the editor and the press caught in the middle.

The parties in a conflict are often concerned with making sure that the majority of people are on their side. And at the centre of that battle is who controls the narrative in the media and public spaces. As a result, there is a lot of potential for misrepresenting facts in the struggle for control and distribution of information.

Conflicting parties understand that information is power and insight can impact public discourse. They know that perception can be influenced by access to the media, as the Taliban have amply demonstrated in their second coming in Afghanistan. Key actors in a conflict thus seek to manipulate public perception; depending on their relative position of power and/or control of resources, they seek to either minimise or exaggerate a conflict.

As Steven Livingston, professor of Media and Public and International Affairs at the George Washington University puts it, weak actors in a conflict tend to use the media to socialise a conflict, while actors in a dominant position tend to use the media to privatise it.

By using the media to socialise the conflict, weak actors in a conflict solicit and enlist supporters in their cause against a greater power by highlighting the perception of being the victim and painting a picture of suffering. On the other hand, by using the media to privatise the conflict, dominant actors in a conflict limit attention to or awareness of the conflict.

The former uses the media coverage to draw attention, while the latter uses the same media coverage to downplay the conflict.

From available analyses, international media err more on the side of actors who socialise conflict than those who privatise it. Conversely, local media more often pitches its camp with the dominant actors than it does with the weak actors. It is therefore dangerous for a third party in a conflict to base its response on the substance and timing of the information received from one or a few sources of information.

After all, it was Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, who once said, You can never get all the facts from just one newspaper, and unless you have all the facts, you cannot make proper judgments about what is going on.

Role of the media in conflict

The editor does not exist in a vacuum. To understand the role of the editor in a conflict  or in peace time  it might be useful to first examine his or her role in the workplace, since editors are, by and large, catalysts in the media space.

In a paper by Joseph Olusegun Adebayo and Blessing Makwambeni entitled, The limits of peace journalism, the authors examined the role of the press in three elections in Kenya  in 2008, 2013 and 2017.

They concluded that while reportage in the Kenyan press was implicated in the violence that pushed the country to the brink of war in 2008, by brazenly taking sides and pitching ethnic groups against each other, the press played a significantly positive role five years later in the next election.

In a twist of irony, however, the same press, which was hailed for professionalism and restraint in 2013, was condemned yet again in 2017 for sacrificing democracy on the altar of peace. It was accused of downplaying massive rigging and election fraud for fear that such reportage might stoke violence. It appears that heads or tails, the press loses!

One eyed-town, one-eyed king

Why, in spite of its shortcomings and limitations, is so much faith invested in the ability of the press to hold the line and perhaps also act as a catalyst for conflict resolution and consensus building?

Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution requires the press to hold the government accountable. Its also important to keep in mind that the press played an important historical role not only in helping the country attain political independence, but also as a champion of the common cause during decades of military rule, when freedom of speech was severely abridged. So, there is both a statutory and a historical imperative for the press to shine the light.

The draw towards the press could also be as a result of a growing loss of confidence in other mechanisms for conflict management and resolution. The police are overworked and underpaid, the courts are not better off, while other mechanisms for mediation and arbitration are either comatose or out-of-reach.

To paraphrase Pauly, journalists and editors need to take a more active role in educating and helping the public find solutions to the problems of the day. In other words, the continued relevance of journalism, whether in peace time or in time of crisis, lies just as much on its inventiveness as in how it reinforces the agency of the citizen.

If the Nigerian fish is rotting from the head, it would be gratuitous to claim that the press is in good health. The misery of some editors who may even strive for professionalism, is compounded by largely compromised ownership structures, redundancies, poor remuneration, and a weak ethical fibre, further undermined by poor regulation; not to mention the onslaught of fake news, which appears to have significantly tarred civic spaces and tainted journalism in the eyes of outsiders.

The media is, by and large, plagued by the same social malaise threatening other segments of society, except that perhaps there remains a flicker of hope that in the plurality and diversity of the press and drawing from its rich historical legacy, there might yet be redemption.

Out of the ashes, the Editor

The question is how? How might the press regain lost grounds, rebuild confidence and win back public trust, which is an essential tool in its role as:

Information provider and interpreter Watchdog and gatekeeper Policy influencer and agenda setter Promoter of peace and bridge builder

There are some institutional changes that might help not just the newsroom, but also the editor, become more efficient and effective.

The most urgent, for me, is a professional framework. The Nigerian Media Council Bill is trash. It should be left in the garbage heap to suffer the slow, painful death that it deserves. But theres a vacuum. Once the local Ombudsman announced by the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) is up and running, the association should move quickly to establish a co-regulatory framework for the industry, with South Africa as a useful model. The watchdog cannot  and should not  be above transparency, if it hopes to win public confidence.

Also, as the recent collaborative work on the Pandora Papers has shown, editors can work with colleagues across boundaries to share resources for the common good. The redundancy level in a number of Nigerian media houses  idle presses, huge office spaces, large inventory of unsold print copies, and the trove of unused daily news content  is extraordinary. Yet, empty pride keeps them not only from introspection, but also from the economies of scale that could come from sharing resources.

The 21st century editor is at a crossroads. In the journal, International media and conflict resolution: Making the connection, John Pauly, a communication scholar at Marquette University, wrote: Traditionally, journalists viewed themselves as disinterested witnesses or observers to conflict, present only to report on facts. More recently, the public journalism model has advocated that journalists take a more active role in educating and helping the public craft solutions to the problems of the day.

As the editor iterates, integrates and manages interfaces, developing electronic copies of newspapers and streaming content to ensure presence on virtual platforms in order to escape the conflict of obsolescence, he or she also needs to navigate with caution, checking, cross-checking and fact-checking.

He or she is an easier prey for politicians, demagogues, extremists and Yahoo Boys on virtual space than s/he is vulnerable to the recalcitrant vendor or distributor in the street corner.

Moreover, the citizen journalist, more often than not, does not know or play by the rules of institutional journalism. These are challenges that confront editors and will test their capacity beyond the theories of mass communications.

How successfully journalists manage the innovations and issues technology throw at them would determine whether or not and ohw far they succeed as mediators.

To paraphrase Pauly, journalists and editors need to take a more active role in educating and helping the public find solutions to the problems of the day. In other words, the continued relevance of journalism, whether in peace time or in time of crisis, lies just as much on its inventiveness as in how it reinforces the agency of the citizen.

That is where journalism should its stand. Not with extremists, fanatics and demagogues. And certainly not with politicians who love to fake outrage in the daytime, but at sunset find time for photo ops with bandits strapped to the teeth with deadly weapons.

We can and should find our own way.

Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP.

(This is a slightly modified paper he presented at the 17 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Abuja on October 21, 2012)
What Does the Theme Elicit From Us?

In the past decade, humanitarian agencies are telling us that in the Nigerian northeast, in the campaign against Boko Haram alone, no fewer than 10,000 of our compatriots have been killed while about 1.8 million are in internal displacement. A week after our just concluded Independence anniversary, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State was visiting Dan Daji Makau and Garin Kaka, all in Maradi region of Niger Republic, where according to news accounts, no fewer than 50,000 Nigerians are seeking safety as refugees from Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina states. In the inner bowel of the country, Benue, Plateau, Taraba and the Southeastern states, we have daily reports of social convulsion such that the Chairman of the committee of the army in the National Assembly, Mr. AbdulRazaq Namdas, was recently forced to bemoan that Nigerian military personnel are on active deployment in about 34 states of the federation, tackling internal security threats that ordinarily should have been left to the police and paramilitary agencies to contain.

The implications of this for national security, the welfare of citizens, political integrity, economic development, and the sovereign status of the country are incalculable, and whatever claims the government may be making, the truth remains that the country is going through a major social crisis; some have characterised it as existential, for which all institutions in the country cannot pretend to be dispassionate. For the press, the profoundly logical question that follows is, what role have we played from both the problem and solutions ends of the matter?

It is a fair question. When we gather at settings like this, we owe it a responsibility to ourselves and our community to always clarify what it means to be a journalist. It is the basis of a lot of confusion and when people try to hold us to standards that are unrelated to our calling, it is partly our fault that this point has not been keenly discussed as it should. The first confusion is of course that of taxonomy. We are media actors in a broad sense but narrowly and specifically only journalists in an ontological sense. All journalists are media actors, but the reverse is not the case. Not all media actors are journalists. When politicians therefore see every person with a smartphone and a grudge, they call them media people. Interestingly they are right but since by media people they also assume they are journalists, that is why they are wrong.

Journalism is strictly an enterprise in verification, its DNA is accuracy, and its normative goal is truth. Any other thing from this is impossible in an ontological sense of being journalistic. Journalism can exist on diverse platforms  broadcast, podcast, filmic, print, online, newsletters, blogs, songs etc. It is the broad, iterative, content of those mutative forms that we call media. Whereas, therefore, journalism can exist as contents on diverse platforms stretching from documentary, graphic, broadcast, through print to online, it is not the platforms that make them journalistic.

This is not a pedantic exploration. As with every area of knowledge, we always need to understand the endogenous boundaries that separate the variables that give meaning and materiality to the subject under discussion. In other words, we need to understand the limits of the pure and applied expression of our subject so that we can draw up distinct geometries of identity and applications. So that we can confidently pronounce on what journalism can mean in itself as against what it can mean in relation to other things. Conventionally, we use the terms media and journalism interchangeably, and if we understand the boundaries philosophically, that should not be a problem. Indeed, my assumption is that this is the sense in which the NGE has asked us to interrogate the intersections of journalism and conflict this morning.

Journalism In a Humanitarian Context

Journalism, as both information and communication practice, presents unique challenges that compels a conversation on the philosophical foundation of representation, narratives, emotions of empathy, compassion and values of inclusion that are articulated within the broad framework of security, community, human rights, and patterns of freedom.

As Sharon Anyango Odhiambo of the Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Scholars asserted in a 2017 study of the role of the media, Kenya witnessed post-election violence in both 1992 and 1997, but in the 2007 elections [it] saw unprecedented violence that left 1,100 people dead for which the Kenyan media was faulted for helping fuel the violence by offering a platform for tribal extremists to broadcast their agenda. She also remarked that some journalists were polarized along ethnic lines, while others increased tensions by failing to report accurately, professionally, and neutrally. Accepting the same thesis that media represents a powerful mechanism in the context of conflict, Valentina Bau, a UN field office communication officer, explained the tragic consequences of the eleven-year Sierra Leonean war between 1991 to 2002 in the 70,000 people were killed and 2.6 million displaced. However, nowhere has the narrative interface between conflict and the media acquired an elaborative response than in the 100-day Rwandan genocide [April to July 1994] where around 800,000 Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa people were slaughtered by armed militias orchestrated by what has been characterised as hate radio.

We gain nothing to deny the clear evidence and insight that contemporary behavioural sciences are offering us that news significantly impacts us, channels how we think, how we feel and how we view the world. In essence, news does affect our choices and actions. For that reason alone, it is appropriate to give attention to the complaints of conflict experts that reporting of conflict can and do make matters worse. That, if nothing, news people should eschew tunnel vision and binary mindsets in the mental frames they bring to reporting. In that regard, decision making in reporting and writing about conflict should incorporate the consequences of conflict by understanding the dynamics, adaptability, impact, and transformative conditions in conflict.

What this means therefore is that for journalism to be helpful and enable positive outcomes from realities of conflict, news people must acquire the skills to keenly discern the realms of conflict triggers and their effects in a conflict situation. Triggers are the root causes of conflicts, and if we focus on them as against the effects, we can do a better job at it. Unfortunately, addressing core triggers of conflict are not what policy makers and politicians are trained to do, or are patient to embrace as pathways to solutions in moments of crisis. Indeed, any granular analysis of the main conflicts in Nigeria today will invariably locate the triggers in issues of poverty, politics, land, the economic shocks, climate change, religion, and social Justice issues. The question then is why these are not the goals and preferences of policy makers when it comes to solutions. The news media is partly culpable for this but allow me to come back to why this is the case shortly.

The Conflict -Journalism Interface

Accepting to resolve conflicts must first admit, however, that conflicts are enduring components of every human community where the fault lines of interest[s] and the need to build institutional hedges around those interests invariably leads to tension. This tension manifests in either muted or explosive outbursts. Scholarship is growing around the belief that strategies to prevent, manage or resolve violent conflicts are ingrained in the best reporting and writing we do in journalism, and that they are anchored on capturing a clear analysis of the causes and potential trajectory of such conflicts. A lot of this is what the expanding specializations of conflict reporting in journalism have been dedicated to. While psychology and literature help us to understand the possibility of conflicts within the self, within a persona, by their very nature, conflicts primarily assume the availability of independent and externalized actors. Persons against persons, communities against communities, class against class, gendered differences, disability schisms, religious and political parties, ethnic groups, or intergenerational divides. The list is endless. Why journalism and news media are called into the debate is on account of their form and their content, a duality which presents in one capsule, the tools and transmission valves for the potential articulation and determination of the claims, and ratios of contention, in a conflict terrain.

Professor Robert Manoff of Boston Universitys journalism programme in the United States is one of the most attentive advocates for such a robust role for the news media in conflict areas, resting his more than four decades of work in this area on six grounds, that, inherently, journalism can potentially counter misconceptions and rumours; help build consensus; facilitate communication between conflicting parties; analyse the conflict and educate on the process of resolution; and propose options and solutions to the conflict.

Manoffs model privileges enabling communication in contrast to simply providing information as the role of the news media in conflict situations. Information does not necessarily lead to improved knowledge and can be just stark erroneous. This reliance on the promises of the news media to promote genuine communication introduces the exogenous factors, implicit within the structure of journalism, that news media brings to the table in resolving conflict and enabling consensus.

This education quotient that the news media introduces, through communicative processes, to challenge the dynamics in conflict situations is a framework that recommends a centralising normative role which places ethics at the heart of all editorial engagement. In this way, the professional ethical demand for initiating reporting roles around the community and limiting harm as underlying editorial considerations incentivizes the acquisition of knowledge and the use of such knowledge wisely. In addition, this demand returns us to the primary ethical paradigms of truthful and accurate reporting that can serve as an early warning mechanism, help table the contents of dispute and invariably help ease a path to reconciliation.

This knowledge of the triggers of conflict, of their dynamics, and indeed of their transformative potentials, is what facilitates the news media to play purposive roles in resolving conflict and helping to achieve consensus around agreeable issues. This is, in a narrow sense, how to understand the claims of media and communication theorists who advance the agenda-setting role of news media  that they can play constructive social and political roles without becoming vulgar mouthpieces of ideological and cliquish causes.

Why Is the Nigerian News Media Handicapped To Play This Role?

There is a noticeable frustration when policy makers and news media actors dialogue about the power of the media and the apparent unwillingness to put that power to the purpose of helping resolve the multiple points of conflict in the country or in helping to convene platforms of consensus around agreements that advance a peaceful and harmonious community. Anyone in doubt about this can book a meeting with our affable minister of information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, or any good number of the government spokesmen and women to hear how they rate the news media community.

I have myself exchanged endless debates with many state officials on what they consider to be the unhelpful attitude of the countrys news media in the important task of building or rebuilding the country to strength and purpose. Why is this such an impossible dialogue to execute? In part it is because policy makers have not come to understand the legal basis, the statutory demands on the media, the challenges the industry faces, and the shifting context of ecology.

One can argue that, like the country, the Nigerian news media industry is going through its worst experience in the 16 decades since its founding in 1859. This year, Nigeria transitioned into its second decade of democratic consolidation after over three decades of a ruinous military dictatorship. Still, the country wavers between a more hopeful democratic future and a devastating decline into wholesale violence. The impending fault lines of conflict  ethnic, religious, regional  profits from the countrys recurrent history of abysmal governance, corruption, and the now billowing influence of theocratic forces hindering a national identity formation process.

If it contemplates into history, the Nigerian news media has earned a chest full of badges on account of its vigorous case for independence and democracy, its redoubtable stance against three decades of ruinous military dictatorship, its consensus for national unity after the civil war, its historical anti-corruption posture particularly through the fourth Republic, its strong public health campaigns through the Ebola, HIV, to the current COVID pandemic are all report cards of excellence for the media. So, what then is the problem?

Journalism On the Cusp of an Historical Shift

I believe that if we are seeking a profound insight and enduring resolution to the current crisis of our industry, such crisis that makes it seem that we are unable to respond effectively to the structure of conflict engulfing the country, we must pay attention to three critical factors: the devastating legacy of military dictatorship; the upending revolution of a digital economy; and the dated state of journalism education in the country.

I will not delve much on the legacy of the military. We are all living through that experience today, through its totalitarian but hollow logic in management of the polity. Besides, literature is rich on this topic, and suffice it to say that the history of military-news media interlock in Nigeria introduced the most crippling conditions of practice, the most obnoxious legislations, an entrenched culture of fear in the industry, massive exile of talents to less hazardous professions, as well as the destruction of the best market brands of the industry  look no further than the old Daily Times, to mention just one example.

The transition to a digital economy introduced, by far, the most systemic change in the geometry of our business since the mid-nineties. Whereas this development affected the way products and services would henceforth be produced, that awareness did not catch on quickly in the local media industry, leading to a sudden but total disruption of the received business model of news business. This total overturning of the economics of news media introduced seismic outcomes in the way we eventually produced journalism, the way we distribute our products and above all, the way we would finance the enterprise of journalism. This was an absolute revolutionary development, a development that turned news consumers of yester years into producers. Where the level of decentralisation of access created a major democratization of content and of platforms that offered the new practitioners no obligation of ethical demands but allowed everyone to be now called a journalist. The impact of this development which many are still grappling with, and which has sent even many more to total oblivion, is the most devastating change in communication practice in the post-industrial society.

Just as the industry was slow to perceive and adjust to this shift, the educational segment of the profession was even slower to transition to the new digital ecology. It is not to speak ill of our media educational institutions, but the truth is that a major restructuring of curriculum to place the digital precepts at the heart of all the learning outcomes of journalism training today. It is this absence that has made it difficult to respond adequately to the critical challenges that are currently bedeviling the industry.

This is where the NGE can play a major and transformative role in renewing the industry, and reposition it for value, to play its democratic roles, and become a welcoming destination for talents who are currently snatched off by rival institutions that can offer decent wages and conditions of service that the economic conditions of our industry do not prepare us to offer today.

Conflict, Democracy and an Information Disorder Ecosystem

I spoke earlier of the digital revolution and how it has devastated the economic fortunes of the news industry  the pay cuts, the job losses, the absence of adequate operational bottom line, the abysmal collapse of editorial standards and, painfully, of ethical integrity. Yet this collapse of the medias business model, and the surfacing of what is now generally dubbed as a challenge of sustainability in the industry, is just one arm of the crisis. The digital revolution also triggered an information crisis of a massive proportion leading to what is represented as misinformation and disinformation today. To be sure, misinformation has always existed prior to the digital revolution, but no time in the history of the world have we encountered the phenomenon on the scale, the speed and the virality that we are dealing with today.

The information crisis also heightened the professional anxiety in the industry. Since everyone who had the time, the means, and the indulgence to set up a blog, a newsletter, or a website was now a journalist, the already rough image of the journalist simply got further thrashing. Besides distorting the identity of the journalist, misinformation created a promotional industry of falsehood and distortion around the nature of political engagement, public health predicament and the climate crisis. It is in this context that conflicts secured fuel and propellant that simply got out of hand. The news media needs to move quickly to join the ongoing effort to stem the tide of misinformation through newsroom investment in fact-checking and dutiful media/visual literacy. Thankfully, the technical knowledge to implement this process is available and growing day by day. I am also happy to announce that Dubawa.org a Premium Times platform for this purpose, is ready and willing to partner with the NGE in such an important endeavour. It is helpful to stress the point at this stage that the problem of disinformation and misinformation is not a problem of the news media much as public officials erroneously believe so. Misinformation is a public crisis fueled by technological companies. It follows that while public education and media literacy can help, ultimately it is how we bring technological platforms to regulation that matters.

Regulating the media

Regulating the Nigerian media became a new currency in the environment the June Twitter ban. What was interesting this time around however was the full-throated push back from the Nigerian Press organisation, with many NPAN members flooding the reading canvas with an impressive campaign against the move. Two things deserve comment about the whole debate which could also serve as a lesson for the NGE as it envisions its institutional response to threats against freedom of expression in the future.

If we conduct a snap poll today among our policy leaders on their perception on the role of the press in the governance process, it is a good guess that many will put down our profession in the red zone. Sticking strictly to the corridors of the current administration, look no further for evidence than the number of intending laws and the administrative directives churned out from 2019, the benchmark year when the political behaviour of the current APC government came to definition.

In his National Day address that year, President Muhammadu Buhari hinted citizens of this country that: Our attention is increasingly being focused on cyber-crimes and the abuse of technology through hate speech and other divisive materials being propagated on social media. Whilst we uphold the constitutional rights of our people to freedom of expression and association, where the purported exercise of these rights infringes on the rights of other citizens or threatens to undermine our National Security, we will take firm and decisive action.

Not surprising therefore, the country became hosts to the re-emergence of a censoring Nigeria Press Council Amendment Act of 2019, and the National Assembly became the epicentre of the administrations constraining vision towards the press. Three additional bills [the social media Bill; and two Hate Speech Bills] joined more than a dozen obnoxious laws already in existence all targeted at stemming an effective freedom of expression regime in the country.

That was just 2019. For those that then found the whole fuse around a 2021 Twitter ban and the subsequent regulatory overreach at the NBC puzzling, this simple geometry of elongating lines of sight should provide better insight. What became clear was that the four 2019 bills aligned perfectly in the construction of a democratic ecology that annuls the autonomy of the professional journalism in the context of already existing laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Cyber Crimes Act; the National Broadcasting Commission [NBC] Act; and remnants of criminal defamation clauses in the Criminal Code Act and the Penal Code Act; the Official Secrets Act; as well as the Obscene Publications Act.

Here then is a point of opportunity to discuss the problematic regulation issues in the media which are not new. They have ranged from outright bans to curtailing freedom through draconian legislations and statutes. Then states have set up agencies like the Nigerian Press Council to which the independent media organisations have robustly pushed back, saying peer regulation is a better option. Government and its agents have suggested that the absence of enforcement mechanisms makes peer regulation sound like a do-nothing option.

However, as many countries today are seeing, media organisations can draft their own regulatory instrument and seek the backing of parliament to make them statutory. Such statutory regulation can help remove the scare on both sides. So that brings us to the essential argument why we need regulation today?

Invariably it boils down to how we plan to bail the media out of its current economic crisis so that it can serve its important constitutional role. For if the media is currently underperforming, what is necessary is to understand the reasons for this and try to address them.

Australian government to the rescue

The Australian government has taken a sensible step with the initiative on News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code and my wise counsel to Mr. Lai Mohammed is to borrow a leaf here.

This official initiative announced its case this way: The News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code will address concerns identified by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in its July 2019 report on digital platforms. This report found that a substantial loss of advertising revenue over the past 15 years has left many Australian news businesses struggling to survive. Spending on print advertising fell from $7.9 billion in 2005 to just under $1.9 billion in 2018 according to the ACCC. At the same time, digital platforms are thriving. Expenditure on online advertising in Australia rose from around $1 billion in 2005 to $8.8 billion in 2018 according to the ACCC. 

President Mustapha Isah, PTCIJ will be happy and willing to work with you on this initiative and related mechanism on how we address the sustainability challenge of the media in the country.

Should the government fund the media?

Journalism has expanded beyond the received notions of the pre-digital age. We have bloggers and citizens practicing journalism today. Some do far better work than established institutions because they stay faithful to the ethical imperatives of journalism. They are defined by principles of truth and accuracy in their reporting, and they subject all claims in their reporting to the most withering verification. They understand the public good goals of the media and assert the independence of their platforms. What else do we demand of them?

If the footprints of journalism have spread so wide, responding to the reality of the new times, to be sure, the ethical contexts demand an expanded meaning and implication. The central principle in ethics theory has always been a concern to make whole again, that which has been blemished. The next port of call therefore is a simple, easy walk to freedom! We ask the question: why is the media behaving poorly? And ask again how we can fix the problem so that we can mitigate the possible harm.

The problem can be anticipated, and a strategy of containment put in place to address it before things get worse. The point to constantly have in mind is that good journalism makes the whole ramification of society and unquestionably democracy do well. The French and the Scandinavians have a system of obligatory subsidy to the media annually and that does not make their media a groveling institution. Last year France handed over 1 billion in direct and indirect financial assistance from the State to national and local newspapers and publications.

State subsidy for media

According to the government figures, some 326 newspapers and publications were given direct financial support in 2015 totaling 77 million. Does anyone think this has muted the French Press? But it comes as a model that deserves attention and scrutiny.

The Australian model is yet another and it certainly appears well reasoned. Yet other models contend. Economics professor Julia Cage writes in her book Saving the Media: Capitalism, Crowdfunding, and Democracy, argues that There have never been as many information producers as there are today. Paradoxically, the media have never been in worse shape, she then proposes a new business model for news organizations, inspired by a central idea: that news, like education, is a public good. Her model is inspired in part by major universities that combine commercial and nonprofit activities.

Professor Cages proposal is yet different from the nonprofit newsroom model because it is rooted in an advocacy for a change in tax rules and the stable provision of capital through long-term investments to give news organizations more flexibility while also decentralizing control.

Fixing a broken business model

The simple argument I have made here is that media is central to democracy and that for the fructification of the values of democracy that can enhance good governance, promote freedom and democracy, we need to focus more attention on what is broken in our journalism that makes it inoperable to deliver the best values for democratic development. My contention is that it is a business model that has gone atrophy. I also argue that it can be fixed, and that the government insofar as it believes in democracy and development, has a major role to play as indeed the Australian government has shown by blazing a trail.

Seen from this perspective therefore, the rash of laws poured into the National Assembly in 2019 to regulate the poor behaviour of the press will be needless if there is an honest purpose that what is wrong in our journalism is what they intend to fix. We know better that this is not the case but if you engage public officials particularly those who are genuine about the matter, you see a genuine ignorance and probably a true desire to help with things.

To be sure, no one will see the exponential information crisis of our age and not feel a sense of bother with the mindlessly raging incidents of misinformation as indeed disinformation. The preference for policy unnourished by knowledge is one key blemish of the current governments view that draconian legislation is the best cure for misinformation. Regulation is not necessarily a call to punitive legislation. A keen study using the resources of our best communication minds in the universities can lead to solid outcomes in ideas and policy directions that can help rebuild our media and make them serve the purpose of national progress, national security, and national development.

Dapo Olorunyomi is the Publisher of Premium Times.

This is the text of the Keynote Remarks delivered at the 17th Annual Nigerian Guild of Editors Conference, Abuja, on October 21.
Nigerias Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has declared interest in the Pandora Papers revelations regarding Nigerian past and present public officers reported to have owned undeclared assets offshore.

The agency has expressed a commitment to open investigations into the allegations.

The CCB is the Nigerian public agency dealing with issues of corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of office by public servants.

In an October 12 letter to PREMIUM TIMES, the bureau acknowledged the Pandora Papers project and what it portends as well as how the landmark global investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has created ripples across the globe.

The bureau then sought cooperation to facilitate its investigations and where possible prosecution of Nigerians involved.

PREMIUM TIMES, which is among 151 media outlets partnering in the ICIJ-led Pandora Papers project, has exposed some Nigerian former and current governors, lawmakers, and other senior officials, including a judge, as having secret, usually suspicious, financial dealings tucked away in secrecy and tax havens.

Sadly, it is no longer news that some current and former public officials in Nigeria featured prominently in the acquisition of secret properties, which they failed to declare to the Code of Conduct Bureau as enshrined in the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the Code of Conduct Bureau said in its letter.

Consequent upon this and also noting your passion for the pursuit of integrity, accountability, and transparent society, the Bureau seeks to partner with you in the area of information sharing to enable it to investigate and where possible prosecute those found guilty at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

In a reply, PREMIUM TIMES Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed, welcomed the CCBs request.

The primary motivation for our work is to help the public obtain the information they need to ask questions and make informed decisions and for law enforcement agencies to have the leads they require for necessary actions, Mr Mojeed said in a letter dated October 18.

Past and current officials exposed by PREMIUM TIMES in the ongoing Pandora Papers series include former Anambra State Governor and former Vice Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Obi; acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko; and former Minister of Aviation and serving senator, Stella Oduah.

Others are Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State as well as his associates including former Lagos Bola Tinubu, and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.

We also reported the offshore links of the children of former NSA Sambo Dasuki and billionaire Leno Adesanya and a retired senior judge Stella Ogene, who secretly owned an undeclared company which she hid behind to purchase a London property as a serving jurist.

In what is the the first known action by any Nigerian law enforcement agency following the Pandora Papers revelations, the anti-corruption agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has summoned Mr Obi for questioning and sources at the agency told PREMIUM TIMES investigations would be extended to others in an ongoing, gradual process.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that President Muhammadu Buhari has requested relevant law enforcement agencies, including the EFCC, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate all Nigerians whose secret dealings were exposed in the Pandora Papers series.
The Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) on Thursday flagged off a public debate competition for students of Junior Secondary Schools in the state.

The debate began with three selected schools in Ilorin East local government area of tge state.

Arafat Mukaila led the representatives of Sango-Okesuna Junior Secondary School, Pake Ilorin; Fatimo Badiru led the team of Government Day Junior Secondary School, Karumo; while Favour Isaiah led that of Junior Secondary School, Olokuta.

The topic of the debate was: Parents and Not Governments are Responsible for Poor Academic Performance of Students, and the session was aired live on the state radio, Midland 99.1 FM.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Chairperson of SUBEB, Sheu Adaramaja, said the programme was put together to groom students of Junior Secondary classes across the 16 local government areas ahead of the December 2021 Presidential Debate to which Kwara has been invited to participate.

Recently, we received an invitation from Abuja about the proposed 2021 Presidential Debate which will come up between 6th and 9th December this year.

Kwara is one of the states selected. So, we need to prepare our students for that big occasion. And part of the strategy is that we dont want to just pick any local government. We want to give all local governments equal opportunity to prove themselves. That is why we are having this pre-debate competition, Mr Adaramaja said.

Our investment in education is very huge. Schools have been constructed and renovated. We provided instructional materials. We want the students enrolment to be boosted with all these things.

Parents can now see that basic education in Kwara state is on track and we commend the efforts of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in this regard.

The debate continues on Thursday involving students from Ilorin West Local Government Area and others in the coming weeks.
The Irigwe and Fulani communities in Bassa Local Government of Plateau State on Thursday agreed to live in peace with each another after series of attacks that bedeviled the area recently.

They made the resolution at a consultative meeting of key religious and ethnic/community leaders in the state, organised by Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace (DREP) Centre, Jos.

Daniel Geh, representative of Irigwe Paramount Ruler, Ronku Aka and Muhammad Nuru of Plateau State Chapter of Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) hugged one another as a sign of the resolution.

Mr Geh in his remarks, said they desired to live in peace with anyone in their community as well as their neighbours, stating that crisis was not of benefit to anyone.

We have been living peacefully with the Fulanis from the time immemorial.

We must endeavour to return to those days that we peacefully coexisted and we must guard against anything that would cause disintegration, he said.

Mr Nuru on his part, said the settlement of their differences at the meeting was laudable and that they would pass the message to their wards.

He stated that both parties who had been at loggerheads before not had decided to embrace themselves in love and end the violence.

He added that his people would be happy to return to their places of abode.

They urged government to do all it could to stop reoccurrence of the crisis which had put Plateau in the news for the wrong reasons for 20 over years.

(NAN)
The schools of nursing and midwifery in Ogun State have received full accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), Tomi Coker, the Commissioner for Health, has said.

Addressing a press conference in Abeokuta on Wednesday, Mrs Coker said the accreditation also came with an upgrade of the schools of Nursing and Midwifery to Collegiate.

She said the government conceived the vision of making health attractive to all, adding that that commitment informed the release of over N125 million for comprehensive renovation and provision of modern training facilities in the schools to fulfill the requirements of NMCN.

There are at least nine schools of nursing and midwifery in Ogun State.

Mrs Coker further said the upgrade of the schools to Collegiate had resulted in the change of its name to Ogun State Schools of Nursing Sciences thereby increasing the quota admission of students by 60%.

According to her, there are ongoing efforts with the Ministry of Education to conclude the approval of the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) which will enable the college to award Ordinary National Diploma and Higher National Diploma (OND/HND) academic certificates to students.

She said The last accreditation team was in Ogun State in 2017 wherein we got provisional accreditation, which had been the trend in the history of our Schools of Nursing and Midwifery.

The two-year expiration for all the schools was in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, made it impossible for the NMCN accreditation exercise in 2020. Hence, the exercise took place in July 2021.

 I am therefore delighted to inform you that the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has given full accreditation to all Schools of Nursing and Midwifery for the first time in the 45 years history of Ogun State.

These diplomas will also come with professional certificates of Registered Nursing(RN), Registered Midwifery (RM) or Registered Public Health Nursing (RPHN).

It is interesting to let you know that the NMCN also increased the quota of student admission by 60% from 220 to 350.

Under the watch of the present administration, the pass rate in the final qualifying examinations in March 2020, May 2020, September 2020, November 2020 and May 2021 was 100%. This is as a result of recent changes in our admission process where we have ensured that admission into the schools is strictly on merit without compromise on excellence.

Schools already accredited  Ex-commissioner

A former commissioner in the state, Babatunde Ipaye, has, however, dismissed Mrs Cokers claims about the accreditation, saying the schools had already been accredited.

Mr Ipaye, who was the commissioner for health during the administration of Ibikunle Amosun, Governor Dapo Abioduns predecessor, said the five schools of nursing and midwifery in the state got accreditation on July 10, 2017, after a delegation of the Nursing Council of Nigeria visited the five schools.

Prior to this, the three schools of nursing had been shut down and were under lock and therefore had not trained nurses for years, Mr Ipaye said in a statement he titled Ogun State School of Nursing Accreditation  The lies of Dapo Abioduns administration on 45 years and full accreditation.

After the visitation, the accreditation team described the school of Midwifery Abeokuta as the best and most equipped in Nigeria.

Mr Ipaye also added that the bill to convert the schools to Colleges of Nursing was passed by the seventh Assembly of Ogun State under Mr Amosun, and was signed into law in 2017 prior to the accreditation visit by the Nursing Council.

The Honourable Commissioner that declared arrogantly that the schools had existed for 45 years without full accreditation should make public the bill that converts these schools to degree-awarding institutions.

She should also tell the public how she got access to Mr Ndagi of the Nursing Council who only allowed her leverage on the strength of the relationship already built with the Ibikunle Amosun administration.

The schools of Nursing Idi Aba and Ijebu Ode were two of the best in South West Nigeria from the second Republic of the Chief Bisi Onanbanjo through to the administration of Chief Segun Osoba, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Senator Ibikunle Amosun. To utter such unverified statement is to abridge the labour of our leaders past.

I am told the old students association has a response to this shocking statement.

Fact-check

PREMIUM TIMES checks showed that in October 2017, Mr Ipaye, while receiving Ogun Assembly members who were on oversight visit to his ministry, told the lawmakers that the nursing council had given full accreditation to the five schools of nursing in the state.

According to the website of the School of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, two of the nine nursing and midwifery schools in Ogun State  Department of Nursing Science, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, and School of Psychiatric Nursing, Aro, Abeokuta  got full accreditation in November 2017 and January 2018 respectively.

The rest have only received provisional accreditation: School of Nursing, Abeokuta (provisional, November 2017), School of Nursing, Ijebu-Ode (provisional, October 2017), School of Nursing, Ilaro (provisional, November 2017), School of Nursing, Lantoro (provisional, January 2020), School of Post Basic Midwifery, Abeokuta (provisional, November 2017), School of Post Basic Midwifery, IjebuOde (provisional, November 2017), and Jala Jalaaluka For Ahad (JAFAD) School of Nursing, Oru-Ijebu (provisional, October 2019).
A group of civic groups under the aegis of the Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS) in Nigeria has expressed worry over the decline in the constitutionally-protected rights enjoyed by Nigerians, with persistent clampdown by the government on people expressing the rights.

The groups expressed this at a press conference in Lagos, in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the #EndSARS protests.

The AGFCS said it has observed an increase in the gagging of civic space and clampdown on civic actors after the #EndSARS protests.

If there was anything beyond the nauseating horror of police violence that the flood of protests exposed last year, it is indeed the frightening reality that constitutionally protected rights and civil liberties once enjoyed by Nigerians have deteriorated to the lowest points.

As of today, the digital www.closingspaces.org  records an alarming number of 435 incidents of crackdowns on civic actors and Nigerias civic space with vicious attacks directed at freedom of expression, association, and assembly, and most significantly in recent times, media and digital rights, the groups said.

Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, the executive director of Spaces for Change (S4C), said incident tracking of closing spaces has showed increasing number of crackdowns on civic space and actors.

We compared the crackdowns we saw before #EndSARS and after #EndSARS. We saw that the governmental energy and power which was used to clamp down on activities on organised descent has quadrupled. That is to say of we were seeing an average of three per month, we are now seeing 15, that is very high.

EndSARS instilled fear on the government, it made them release that people understand the capacity and depth of their power and they are willing to use it. All the trends we are seeing are attempts by the government to push back and limit the ability of the people to use their power, she said.

AGFCS, in its findings, revealed that Nigeria has progressed into a dangerous era of digital unfreedom unmatched by any period in the history in her democratic journey.

This much we have seen with consistent censorship of internet and media freedoms in the country, the unconstitutional ban of Twitter, and many draconian policies aimed at gagging the press.

Perhaps, a more troubling knowledge is the fact that Nigeria has now become a surveillance state judging from its misuse of digital laws, technologies, and importation of sophisticated hacking tools to arbitrarily intercept communications of targeted civic actors, illegally monitor opposition voices in government, silence dissent and generally restrict peoples right of the expression and access to information, especially on cyberspaces, the groups said.

AGFCS urged the Nigerian government to distance itself from undemocratic attempts to oppress individuals, activists, dissenting voices and civil societies when they speak up.

Attacks on protesters

The civic groups also condemned the brutal attacks on peaceful protesters who were clamouring for a change in the policing system, especially on the night of October 20 last year at Lekki Tollgate.

What is most worrying is that one year later, despite overwhelming evidence gathered from earlier on ground investigations, video footage, eyewitness testimonies, hospital reports, and most recently forensic reports that Nigerian security forces opened fire on protestors, no one has been held accountable.

We hereby demand the immediate arrest and speedy prosecution of every person responsible for perpetrating the horrid crime of police brutality in Nigeria and most importantly, the murderous attacks of October 20, 2020, the groups said.

Lucas Koyejo, the south-west coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said the anniversary of the #EndSARS protest provides an opportunity to reflect on what the movement means to the public, police and to the Nigerian government.

The protest has a lot of positive impacts, it was a wake-up call to the governed, the government, and the police, especially the five points demand of the protesters were accepted by the police, he said.

Mr Koyejo added that the judicial panels set up in different states have heard lots of cases of police brutality and brought succour to some of the victims.

Okechukwu Nwanguma, the executive director of Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), said the pattern of abuse that sparked #EndSARS still continues.

It will seem like the police began to operate with animosity. Fundamentally, nothing has changed in terms of the way the police are behaving.

Security operatives have continued to criminalise and brutalise protestors, engage in extra-judicial killings and offensive shoot-on-sight rhetoric despite the passionate marches against police brutality last year, he said.

The AGFCS urged the Nigerian government to recommit to its sacred trust of duty by upholding the rights, dignity, freedoms, and well-being of every Nigerian above all parochial interests.

The group added that it will continue to stand in firm solidarity with victims and survivors of police brutality and other heinous crimes against humanity in Nigeria.
The absence of a defence witness on Tuesday stalled the trial of Segun Razak , son of Lanre Razak, the late Balogun of Epe who passed away on August 15, 2020.

Mr Razak is charged before an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court alongside Don-Chima George, a hoteliers son.

They face a two-count charge of conspiracy and rape.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on August 5, the jugde, Abiola Soladoye, had in a ruling said the defendants have a prima facie case to answer and ordered them to open their defence.

However, during Thursdays proceedings, the defence counsel, Adebambo Adesanya, SAN, informed the court that the first defence witness was unavailable due to ill health.

Our witness is in Delta undergoing treatment, Mr Adesanya said.

Following Mr Adesanyas submission, the judge adjourned the case until November 16 for defence.

NAN reports that the prosecution led by Shola Soneye alleged that the defendants drugged and gang-raped the complainant (name withheld) on February 3, 2019.

They allegedly committed the offence from 5.00 a.m. to 7.00 a.m. at De-Lankaster Hotels, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, a hotel owned by Mr Georges father.

On May 15, 2019, the then 24-year-old complainant had testified that she had gone with the defendants to Kabaal nightclub located in Ikoyi, Lagos, to celebrate the birthday of Mr George who was her friend.

READ ALSO: Court remands bricklayer for alleged rape

While at the nightclub, the defendants allegedly mixed her drink with a substance that rendered her unconscious.

She alleged that when they returned to Mr Georges fathers hotel, the defendants took turns to rape her and recorded their actions on a mobile phone.

The complainant has so far been the sole witness presented by the prosecution in the case.

The alleged offences contravene Sections 258 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

(NAN)
White Bear Lake, MN (55110)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 30F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 30F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
Plattsburgh, NY (12901)

Today

Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Mostly clear. Low around 25F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Mostly clear. Low around 25F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
ElevenEs, an industrial spin-off of the multinational Al Pack Group, which specialises in aluminium processing and has been operating on the packaging market for 25 years, has developed its own technology to produce lithium-iron-phosphate batteries that are more sustainable and efficient . The company, which has been conducting R&D into LFP lithium-ion batteries since October 2019 has just recently opened an advanced research and development centre in Subotica, Serbia, where it employs an international team of engineers and scientists.

"LFP cells last more than twice as long as competing chemistries, they can be recharged up to 6,000 times, charge faster, can be repeatedly charged to 100% state-of-charge and cause practically no fires in EVs. On top of that, they cost significantly less. It is the most popular choice in China today, which is still the global leader in battery technology," says Nemanja Mikac, founder and CEO of ElevenEs.

Strategic partnership for the gigafactory

ElevenEs has just signed agreements with EIT InnoEnergy, which Pitchbook ranks as the most active sustainable energy investor globally, known for being the first investor in other successful battery gigafactory ventures, such as Swedish Northvolt (recently closed $2,75 bn financing round) and French Verkor (closed a $100 m strategic partnership with Renault in July 2021). The entities announced a strategic partnership to build the first LFP lithium-ion battery gigafactory in Europe.

By 2023, The ElevenEs plant will be able to produce LFP cells with a total estimated annual capacity of 300 MWh. The construction of the 100% renewable energy powered 8 GWh plant in Subotica (Serbia) will start in 2024. It will later be expanded to a capacity of 16 GWh  enough to equip more than 300,000 electric vehicles (BEVs) with batteries each year. The company has stated that it intends to employ up to 2,000 employees. Another key advantage is the fact that the facility is also very close to Jadar Valley, the largest deposit of lithium in Europe.

"LFP batteries are the next big thing on the battery landscape. Although nickel-based batteries outperform LFP on energy density and are likely to remain the best option for performance cars, LFP is far better in terms of cost, safety and lifetime, making it a perfect choice for industrial, ESS and city EV (shorter range) applications," says Jakub Miler, CEO at EIT InnoEnergy Central Europe.

"We have been working with ElevenEs for the past year and a half, and what came as the biggest surprise to us is that as much as 70% of the aluminium packaging process and know-how coming from their mother company, Al Pack Group, can be easily transferred to cell production. Having now developed their own LPF technology, that industrial experience of the Al Pack Group should allow them to progress much faster than any of their peers. And we are very excited to be taking that journey together."

About ElevenEs

ElevenEs is an industrial spin-off of the multinational Al Pack Group, which produces more than 40 million m of processed aluminium foils every year and has been operating on the packaging market for 25 years. The Al Pack Group uses processes similar to electrode manufacturing, which is a key process in battery production. ElevenEs has an advanced research and development centre that has been operating since June 2021 in Subotica, Serbia, on the premises of its parent company. It employs an international team of engineers and scientists.

www.elevenes.com

About EIT InnoEnergy

EIT InnoEnergy is the leading engine for innovation and entrepreneurship in sustainable energy across Europe and beyond.

EIT InnoEnergy has provided investments and added value services to some 380 sustainable energy related start-ups, of which 30+ are in storage, including flagship players like Northvolt  a vertically integrated sustainable battery manufacturer, Skeleton Technologies  a global leader in ultracapacitors who is playing a key role within leading OEMs, and Verkor  a France-based company building a gigafactory for the production of its battery cells.

EIT InnoEnergy was established in 2010, has invested 560 million in sustainable energy innovations and is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

www.innoenergy.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1664727/1098984_IMAGE.jpg

SOURCE EIT InnoEnergy
The green industry gathers in Rimini (Italy)

"Africa Green Growth", a networking platform between African institutions and EU green companies, will be inaugurated by IEG's CEO, Corrado Peraboni; an international perspective of energy cogeneration and sector development in 150 events from 26th to 29th October.

RIMINI, Italy, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- From 26th to 29th October 2021, in Rimini (Italy), 220 operators from countries in Africa, the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan shores, the Balkan Peninsula, Eastern Europe, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, etc., together with associations, institutions, experts, researchers and representatives from the European Commission, will be taking part in the 24th Ecomondo and 14th Key Energy, two leading European trade shows, organized by IEG - Italian Exhibition Group, dedicated to international green economy and renewable energy business development with over 1,000 brands filling the Rimini Expo Centre almost to completion.

The digital extension of the two exhibitions is already available (active until 5th November) to assist operators from more distant markets.

The programme includes a packed series of international events organised by the Ecomondo and Key Energy Technical-Scientific Committees, led by professors Fabio Fava and Gianni Silvestrini.

One example is Africa Green Growth, available in English and French, which will be inaugurated on 27th October by IEG's CEO, Corrado Peraboni. The forum, organised by the RES4MED Foundation, Key Energy's Technical Scientific Committee, and IRENA International Renewable Energy Agency, will be attended by H.E. Pr. Benattou Ziane, the Algerian Minister of Energy Transition and Renewables, Charlotte Urukundo, Minister of the Environment in Rwanda, H.E. Youssef Balla, Ambassador of the Republic of Morocco in Italy, H.E. Jackline Yonga, Ambassador of Kenya in Italy, and Said Mouline, Managing Director of AMEE, the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency. The event will be opened by Roberto Vigotti, Secretary General of the RES4MED Foundation, and Stefan Gsanger, Secretary General of the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA).

An extraordinary networking opportunity between African institutions and EU green companies and a chance for investment and business.

At Key Energy, the international conference on "Cogeneration in the energy transition", organised by Cogen Europe and Italcogen, will be attended by Marco Pezzaglia, President of Cogen Europe, Hans Kortweg, Managing Director of Cogen Europe, Alexandra Tudoroiu-Lakavice, head of policy at Cogen Europe, Jesse Scharf, Vice President of ERGAR (European Renewable Gas Registry), and Carlo Pieroni, Regatrace Project - Consorzio Italiano Biogas.

Programmes of the events:

https://en.ecomondo.com/events/program/events-schedule?date=2021-10-26

https://en.keyenergy.it/events/program/conferences-and-workshops?date=2021-10-26

Italian Exhibition Group Press Contacts

Press Office Manager: Marco Forcellini, [email protected]

International Press Office Coordinator: Silvia Giorgi, [email protected], P. +39-0541-744814



Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/723307/Italian_Exhibition_Group_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Italian Exhibition Group
MUMBAI, India, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global workplace expert Unispace has announced the appointment of Paul Baxter as its new Chief Executive Officer for Asia to further strengthen its senior leadership team in the region. The appointment comes on the back of Unispace's robust business momentum in Asia, especially as businesses across the region are navigating new workplace expectations amid the post-pandemic recovery.

In his new role, Baxter will be instrumental in delivering Unispace's future ambitions across Asia, following the company's acquisition by leading private investment firm PAG earlier in the year. Unispace's growth in Asia, which has been on an accelerated trajectory, is a key strategic pillar for the global business. In India, Unispace has recently opened two studios in Mumbai and Bangalore. Earlier this year, the company appointed Abi Roni Mattom as the Country Director for India, and Jitendra Makwana as its Director of Client Partnerships for India.

Based in Singapore, Baxter brings significant experience in commercial and corporate real estate, and will build on Unispace's reputation for quality construction, exceptional interior design, and intelligence-led workplace strategy.

Baxter is joining Unispace with an extensive background in portfolio management, workplace solutions, asset management, tenant advisory, along with a deep understanding of the Asia Pacific region built throughout his career across Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. Baxter was most recently the Chief Operating Officer for Asia Pacific at Colliers. Prior to that, he had been the Executive Director of Global Corporate Services at CBRE in Japan.

With regional hub cities in Asia increasingly driving global corporate real estate decisions, Baxter's entry into Unispace will help the workplace expert tap into a wider network of global clients and bring to life their future workplace strategy. In his career, Baxter has worked with many of the world's leading investment and occupier organisations, including Nissan Motor Company, Toshiba, Google, Mitsubishi Estate Corp., AMP, GE Capital, Deutsche Bank and ICAP.

"I am excited to join Unispace at such a momentous time for the company, especially in an era where businesses across Asia are actively rethinking the future of work and the workplace," said Baxter. "As a global business with a stellar track record of delivery excellence around the world and a unique methodology supported by transformational technology, Unispace is well positioned to seize the massive opportunities in Asia. I look forward to leading the team in helping more global businesses realise the future of work and reap greater success across the region."

Asia represents a significant growth engine for the Unispace business, with improving office demand and favourable economic growth in most major markets. Over the past 18 months, COVID-19 and the rise of hybrid working arrangements have spurred organisations to rethink the use of their office spaces.

Toby Rakison, who has been Unispace's Managing Director in Asia, will partner with Baxter in a new role as Managing Director, Client Solutions and Strategy, Asia. He will continue to be focused on driving revenue growth and key strategic partnerships across Asia. Baxter and Rakison will together helm the Asia business.

"Asia continues to hold immense opportunities for Unispace, and we are proud of the solid foundation we have built in the region thus far," said Rakison. "As we navigate the golden age of workspace design, the team continues to focus on making strategic investments, building scale to service clients' needs, establishing a rich culture and brand, as well as attracting the best talent. I am excited to welcome Paul to the team, and look forward to working closely with him to take Unispace to the next level in Asia."

Founded in 2010, Unispace partners with global brands to revolutionise the creation of their workplaces through an agile end-to-end design and delivery experience. The firm has delivered more than 5,500 workplace projects across over 200 cities globally, amounting to over 5 million sqm of space.

About Unispace

In 2010, Unispace revolutionised the workplace delivery model with an industry-leading, joined-up approach to strategy, design and delivery. Today, the business continues to meet the pace of change with an agile, end-to-end approach fit for ever-evolving global brands. Unispace creates workplaces powered by collaborative client partnerships, delivered seamlessly across borders, and enabled by industry-leading intelligence and technology.

SOURCE Unispace
In this new role, Krusoe will lead merger and acquisition efforts as the company aggressively pursues a growth and acquisition strategy for post-acute care facilities across multiple states. Under A4L subsidiary Trillium Healthcare Group, rehabilitation, skilled nursing care, assisted living, and independent living programs are currently provided across 26 facilities in Iowa, Nebraska, Florida, and Georgia. Prescribed pediatric extended care (PPEC) provider and subsidiary Banyan Pediatric Care Centers has constructed two new facilities in Florida in 2021 and looks to expand into other states moving forward.

Krusoe joins the Assisted 4 Living, Inc. team with over 30 years of experience in corporate finance and capital markets, having structured and led transactions across a broad spectrum of industries. Most recently, Krusoe was Chief Executive Officer for a large, private equity-owned specialized finance company where, over the course of two years, he was responsible for raising over $1 billion in support of the company's aggressive growth strategy.

Prior to that, he served as COO/EVP Corporate Finance and Strategy for Mutual of Omaha Bank, leading growth strategies and overall execution of the commercial bank's strategic plan objectives to ensure maximum profitability and efficiency. Over the course of his career, Krusoe has held senior leadership roles, driving growth and implementing efficiencies at a number of firms, including BBVA, Royal Bank of Canada, U.S., and Wachovia Bank.

"The opportunity to play a key role in the growth of this exciting new healthcare company is one of the biggest honors of my professional career," Krusoe said. "The direction, tone, and cultural shift being set by Louis Collier (CEO), coupled with the support and expertise of our Board of Directors, gives me great confidence in our ability to execute on the Company's aggressive expansion plans. Everything we do is rooted in the principles of improving the post-acute care experience for our guests. With that as our primary focus, growth and enhanced shareholder value become natural byproducts. It's truly an exciting time for the entire A4L team."

About Assisted 4 Living, Inc.

Assisted 4 Living, Inc. (OTC: ASSF) is a diversified healthcare company providing post-acute care for pediatrics and seniors through three separate and distinct operating divisions. Wholly owned subsidiary Trillium Healthcare-OPS, LLC provides medically necessary services of licensed nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and speech pathologists within the skilled nursing arena. Wholly owned subsidiary Banyan Pediatric Centers-OPS, LLC is a PPEC (Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care), providing nurse-staffed pediatric day care centers for young people from birth to 21 years old with medical conditions that require ongoing specialized care. Real Living Property Holdings, LLC is the real estate holding company into which all real estate will be housed. Assisted 4 Living's growth plan is primarily through an acquisition strategy for the adult/geriatric division and organic growth for the pediatric division.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements about our business, or financial condition and prospects that reflect our assumptions and beliefs based on information currently available. Words such as "expects," "intends," "plans," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although there may be certain forward-looking statements not accompanied by such expressions. 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. We can give no assurance that the expectations indicated by such forward-looking statements will be realized. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this news release, and except as otherwise required by law, we have no obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Contact:

Kyle Parks

727-895-5030 ext. 101 (o)

813-352-1325 (c)

[email protected]

SOURCE Assisted 4 Living
HERNDON, Va., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- B3 Group is proud to announce that in partnership with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), it has achieved the anticipated Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for the VA's Safety and Workers' Compensation Information Management System (S/WIMS) Go-Live on-time and within budget, and has moved into a live pilot phase. This new system of record for occupational safety, health and workers' compensation data is an enterprise SaaS solution built on the eCase product from our trusted partner, AINS. The B3 team has completed the IOC phase by providing project management and Agile software development support to include design, configuration, testing, training, communications, change management, deployment, and service desk capabilities. As of September 16, the pilot phase is now supporting up to 180 users across the VA currently with an anticipated user base of 45,000 across various U.S. geographic locations.

"The IOC and pilot for safety and health is just the first step of the S/WIMS project," said Kevin D. Rice, COO. "We have begun gathering requirements for the worker's compensation functionality, with Final Operating Capability (FOC) planned for March 2022. The integrated system will support the well-being of all VA employees who are providing services to Veterans."

B3 Group was awarded the $16M VA S/WIMS contract one year ago with the goal of transforming the way VA manages human resources. The replacement of the legacy system is part of the VA's goal to transform the technology, business processes, and data needed to change the way they handle human resources in support of the VA Strategic Plan. The S/WIMS product also satisfies the Occupational Safety and Healthy (OSH) Act of 1970 requiring Federal agencies to keep adequate records of all occupational accidents and illnesses for proper evaluation and necessary corrective action, and to provide access to those records and reports to the Secretary of Labor. In addition, this initiative follows the Veteran-focused Integration Process for all business requirements gathering and configuration activities.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, the nation's largest health care system, employs more than 360,000 full time health care professionals and support staff at the over 1,200 health care facilities across the country.

About B3

B3 Group is an IT transformation firm specializing in digital services and technology solutions that impact the lives of veterans. B3 manages large-scale digital transformation platforms and provides services facilitated through its technology partnerships. Founded in 2008 on the principles of servant leadership, B3 has been recognized annually by Inc. 5000 for its strategic growth and was recently named a 2021 Washington Post Top Workplace. B3 brings its foundational values of innovation, collaboration, and integrity to every interaction with its stakeholders: employees, government, and partners.

CONTACT

Stephanie Chase

[email protected]

SOURCE B3 Group

Related Links

https://www.b3groupinc.com/


MEXICO CITY and NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ben & Frank (the "Company"), a leading direct-to-consumer ("DTC"), omnichannel eyewear brand, today announced that it has received a strategic investment from the Latin America fund of L Catterton, the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm. L Catterton will partner with Ben & Frank to accelerate its growth and expansion in Mexico and throughout Latin America. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Existing investor DILA Capital also participated in the round.

Founded in 2015, Ben & Frank is successfully disrupting the traditional optical industry in Latin America with fashionable, accessible, and affordable eyewear without the typical industry mark-up created by manufacturers, intermediaries, and wholesalers. With a successful omnichannel and customer-centric model that offers both a great in-store shopping experience and a best-in-class e-commerce platform, Ben & Frank has delivered rapid, profitable growth in Mexico and following a successful online launch in Chile, recently opened its first store in Santiago. Ben & Frank has established a strong brand identity with innovative marketing programs to drive awareness including strategic collaborations and exclusive designs by local artists and designers. Today, with nearly 50 stores, Ben & Frank is looking to significantly expand its footprint in Mexico and Latin America during the next few years.

"This investment is a reflection of Ben & Frank's strong momentum and the innovative approach of our entire team," said Mariana Castillo, Co-CEO of Ben & Frank. "We are poised to capture significant market share as we continue to open new stores and enter new markets, and we are very excited to partner with L Catterton in this next chapter of expansion."

"Consumers increasingly value brands that deliver engaging and seamless digital experiences. We intend to leverage L Catterton's operational and branding expertise as we continue providing consumers a best-in-class omnichannel shopping experience, from our site to our stores," added Eduardo Paulsen, Co-CEO of Ben & Frank.

"Ben & Frank represents a compelling opportunity to invest in a high-growth, leading, omnichannel eyewear brand with tremendous potential ahead," said Julio Babecki, Managing Partner, L Catterton Latin America. "With its seamless direct-to-consumer strategy, Ben & Frank has eliminated intermediaries, enabling the Company to elevate customer experiences and offer attractive glasses at accessible price points."

"Together with Mariana and Eduardo, we are excited to build on the Company's significant momentum, accelerate growth, and strengthen its brand leadership across Latin America," said Farah Khan, Partner at L Catterton.

L Catterton has significant experience investing globally in consumer retail brands. Current and past investments include FYidoctors, Owndays, Gentle Monster, and 98point6. Other L Catterton Latin America investments include NotCo, Petlove, Despegar.com, OdontoCompany, FEMME, Cholula, Espacolaser, Grupo MYT, St. Marche, Luigi Bosca, Susana Balbo Wines, Rapsodia, and Bodytech.

About Ben & Frank

Founded in 2015 in Mexico City, Ben & Frank is the leading DTC eyewear brand in Mexico and an emerging leader in Latin America. Ben & Frank's goal is to disrupt the traditional eyewear buying experience through a customer-centric approach and eliminating intermediaries to offer attractive pricing. With brick-and-mortar retail locations in Mexico and Chile, as well as a seamless digital platform, Ben & Frank is rapidly expanding throughout Latin America. For more information about Ben & Frank, please visit www.benandfrank.com .

About L Catterton

With approximately $30 billion of equity capital across its fund strategies and 17 offices around the world, L Catterton is the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm. L Catterton's team of nearly 200 investment and operating professionals, partners with management teams around the world to implement strategic plans to foster growth, leveraging deep category insight, operational excellence, and a broad partnership network. Since 1989, the firm has made over 250 investments in leading consumer brands. For more information about L Catterton, please visit www.lcatterton.com.

Media Contact:

Ben & Frank

[email protected]

L Catterton

Andi Rose / Tanner Kaufman

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

+1 212-355-4449

SOURCE L Catterton

Related Links

http://www.lcatterton.com


BOSTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB) today reported that third quarter 2021 earnings per share increased year-over-year by 212% to $1.31 compared to $0.42 in 2020, and compared to $0.43 in the prior quarter. Results in the most recent quarter included $0.78 per share in net non-operating income, consisting primarily of net gains on the sales of the assets and operations of the Company's insurance subsidiary and Berkshire Bank's Mid-Atlantic branches. Excluding these amounts, Berkshire's non-GAAP measure of third quarter adjusted net income totaled $0.53 per share, which was unchanged from the prior year and up 20% from $0.44 in the prior quarter. Results in the most recent quarter included a $4 million benefit ($0.06 per share after-tax) to the provision for credit losses. Per share earnings also benefited in the most recent quarter from the completion of the 2.5 million share repurchase program that was approved by the Board in April 2021.

THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (Comparisons are to the prior year unless otherwise stated; non-GAAP measures are reconciled on pages F-9 and F-10).

$52 million net gain on the sale of insurance and Mid-Atlantic branch operations

net gain on the sale of insurance and Mid-Atlantic branch operations 4% increase in total non-interest income excluding gains/(losses)

66% decrease in net loan charge-offs to $2 million

$4 million benefit to credit loss provision expense due to a release of credit loss allowance

benefit to credit loss provision expense due to a release of credit loss allowance 72% reduction in wholesale funding to 4% of assets, including prepayment of most Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings (period-end balance)

Deposit costs down year-over-year to 0.22% from 0.61%

Stock repurchases of 1,755,058 shares (3.5% of outstanding stock)

Returned $54 million of capital to shareholders through buybacks and dividends amounting to 211% of adjusted net income

CEO Nitin Mhatre stated, "These solid results reflect the growing momentum associated with the second-quarter rollout of Berkshire's Exciting Strategic Transformation (BEST). This comprehensive transformation plan, designed to enhance value for all our stakeholders, has already led to improved focus on our long-term efficiency, our customers, and our communities."

"Exiting our Mid-Atlantic and insurance operations was a step in optimizing our operations and produced $52 million in net sale gains which bolstered third-quarter income. We completed our 2.5 million share repurchase program far ahead of the authorized time, returning a total of nearly $75 million in excess capital to shareholders through the repurchase of approximately 5% of our shares. We're well positioned to support other BEST initiatives in development including our recently announced consumer lending partnership with the fin-tech Upstart. We also announced our BEST Community Comeback initiative that will lend and invest to strengthen the economic health of our communities, an industry-leading commitment given the relative size of the program and our organization. We continued to record strong deposit growth during the quarter and our expanded banking teams are focused on building loan origination volumes."

Mr. Mhatre concluded: "Key measures of asset quality improved as our markets continue to recover from pandemic conditions and we are prepared to profitably serve that recovery. We announced further refreshment of our board of directors, welcoming David Brunelle into the position of Board Chair and Jeffrey Kip as a new director. And we're experiencing continued strong interest from customers and added several experienced, market-facing professionals to our team, demonstrating the value of our focus on social responsibility and strategy as other institutions focus on mergers."

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Earnings: Third quarter GAAP earnings per share (EPS) increased in 2021 to $1.31 from $0.42 in 2020, and from $0.43 in the second quarter of 2021. The increase in EPS was primarily due to the gains recorded on the sale in the most recent quarter of insurance operations and the Mid-Atlantic branches. Adjusted EPS, a non-GAAP measure which excludes these gains, totaled $0.53 in the third quarter of 2021, which was stable year-over-year and a 20% increase quarter-over-quarter from $0.44. This included a $4 million benefit ($0.06 per share after-tax) to the provision for credit losses on loans in the most recent quarter. For the most recent quarter, GAAP return on equity measured 22.2% and the GAAP return on assets was 2.14%. The non-GAAP measure of adjusted return on equity measured 8.9% and the adjusted return on assets measured 0.86%.

Revenue: Third quarter net interest income decreased year-over-year by $6 million, or 7%, and by $4 million, or 5%, compared to the linked quarter. The year-over-year change reflected lower loan balances. The quarter-over-quarter change was primarily due to a $3 million decrease in deferred fee income recognized on Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans due to the completion of most loan forgiveness under the SBA guarantee program. It also reflected the 4% quarter-over-quarter decrease in average earning assets, including the impact of the branch sale.

The net interest margin decreased to 2.56% from 2.61% in the third quarter of 2020 and from 2.62% in the linked quarter. The Company further reduced deposits costs, which declined to 0.22% from 0.61% and 0.25% for the above respective periods. For these periods, the cost of funds decreased to 0.31% from 0.73% and 0.36%.

Total third quarter non-interest income excluding gains/(losses) on sales of securities and business operations increased year-over-year by $936 thousand, or 4%, and decreased quarter-over-quarter by $579 thousand, or 3%. In the most recent quarter, Berkshire's SBA lending revenue of $5 million exceeded the record result in the prior quarter due to continued strong volume and margins, and increased from $3 million in the third quarter of 2020. Wealth management fees increased by 15% year-over-year, and 5% quarter-over-quarter. The Company has recently announced the recruitment of seasoned bankers to support ongoing growth in both of these business lines. Insurance revenue decreased by $711 thousand quarter-over-quarter following the sale of insurance operations.

Other non-interest revenue declined due to $1.6 million in higher amortization expense related to new tax credit investment projects initiated during the most recent quarter. This was more than offset by the $2.2 million increase in investment tax credit benefits included as a component of income tax expense.

Credit Loss Provision: Berkshire recorded a $4 million benefit to the third quarter provision, compared to a charge of $1 million in the third quarter of 2020 and no provision in the linked quarter. This resulted from a $4 million release of the credit loss allowance due to stronger expected economic conditions and a reduction in loans and net charge-offs.

Expense: Third quarter non-interest expense decreased by $3.4 million, or 5%, year-over-year and increased quarter-over-quarter by $588 thousand, or 1%, to $69.5 million. These changes were primarily due to changes in merger, restructuring and other non-operating expenses which totaled $1.4 million in the most recent quarter. These charges are excluded from the Company's non-GAAP measure of adjusted non-interest expense. In the third quarter, these charges included $0.9 million related to the prepayment of Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings and $0.5 million of restructuring charges including reclassifying certain real estate premises to held for sale as part of the Company's consolidation of its operations. These initiatives are components of Berkshire's BEST strategic plan for optimizing profitability.

The non-GAAP measure of adjusted non-interest expense increased by 1% year-over-year and decreased by 1% quarter-over-quarter, measuring $68 million in the most recent quarter. These changes were primarily due to changes in professional services during these periods. Total branches have been reduced to 107 offices from 130 at the start of the year. Full time equivalent staff totaled 1,333 positions at period-end, compared to 1,507 positions at the start of the year. The effective income tax rate decreased quarter-over-quarter to 20% from 24% due to the increase in tax credit investments during the quarter. Tax credit investments provided $0.01 in EPS benefit in the most recent quarter, net of the related amortization recorded to non-interest income.

BALANCE SHEET (references are to period-end balances unless otherwise stated)

Assets: Total assets decreased during the third quarter by $0.4 billion, or 3%, to $11.8 billion due primarily to the sale of the Mid-Atlantic branch operations. The balances for these operations which were reported as held for sale at midyear 2021 included $253 million in loan balances and $633 million in deposit balances. At the third quarter-end, higher period-end payroll deposit balances were invested in short-term investments. Proceeds from third quarter loan runoff helped fund payoffs of borrowings, including prepayments of Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings. The ratio of loans/deposits decreased to 66% from 73% at the start of the quarter. Reflecting the sale gains recorded in the quarter, the ratio of equity/assets increased to 9.9% from 9.6% at the start of the quarter. Common stock repurchases distributed excess capital released by the reduction in assets. Per share measures of book value and the non-GAAP measure of tangible book value both increased by 4% compared to the start of the quarter.

Loans: Total period-end loans decreased in the third quarter by $396 million, or 5%, to $6.84 billion. The $246 million decrease in commercial loans was primarily due to a $127 million reduction in PPP loans and an $88 million reduction in loans outstanding to COVID sensitive commercial borrowers. The PPP loan balance decreased to $46 million from $173 million at the start of the quarter due to payoffs through forgiveness under the SBA guarantee program. Berkshire announced the recruitment of experienced bankers during the quarter as it positions to gain share based on its strong positioning to attract customers as current markets are impacted by merger activities of competitors. Consumer loans decreased by $35 million due primarily to ongoing targeted runoff of indirect auto loans. Residential mortgages decreased by $116 million. The Company is expanding its mortgage lending team and developing correspondent bank sources.

Asset Quality: Asset quality metrics continued to improve toward pre-pandemic levels during the third quarter. Total delinquent and non-accruing loans decreased year-over-year by 33% to $59 million, measuring 0.87% of total loans. Non-accruing loans decreased year-over-year by 22% to $37 million, measuring 0.54% of total loans, due primarily to $10 million in resolutions in the most recent quarter. Total COVID-19 related loan modifications decreased by 34% during the quarter to $65 million, measuring under 1% of period-end loans. The allowance for credit losses on loans decreased by $6 million during the quarter to $113 million, measuring 1.65% of total loans, which was unchanged from midyear.

Deposits and Borrowings: Total deposits increased in the third quarter by $452 million, or 5%, to $10.4 billion due primarily to a $369 million increase in period-end payroll deposit balances. Non-interest bearing demand deposit account balances increased by 7%, while higher cost time deposit balances decreased by 6%. Higher cost senior borrowings decreased by $204 million to $13 million, as most Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings were prepaid near the end of the quarter. Total higher cost wholesale funds decreased year-over-year to 4% of total assets from 12%. Quarter-over-quarter, the cost of deposits decreased to 0.22% from 0.25%, and the cost of funds decreased to 0.31% from 0.36%.

Equity: During the third quarter, Berkshire repurchased 1.755 million shares, completing the 2.5 million repurchase authorization approved by the Board in April, which totaled approximately 5% of outstanding shares for the full authorization. The third quarter repurchases were made at an average price of $27.33, totaling $48 million. The common equity tier 1 capital ratio increased to an estimated 15.3% from 14.3% in the prior quarter. During the most recent quarter, book value per share increased by 4% to $24.21 and the non-GAAP measure of tangible book value per share increased by 4% to $23.58.

ESG & CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY UPDATE

Berkshire Bank is committed to purpose-driven, community-centered banking that enhances value for all stakeholders as it pursues its vision of being the leading socially responsible community bank. Learn more about the steps Berkshire is taking at berkshirebank.com/csr and in its most recent Corporate Responsibility Report.

Key developments in the quarter include:

Launch of the BEST Community Comeback: Berkshire announced its "BEST Community Comeback" a $5 billion multi-year ESG and community commitment to fuel resilience and strengthen local communities. The multi-year plan focuses on four key areas: fueling small businesses, community financing and philanthropy, financial access and empowerment, and funding environmental sustainability. Additional information can be found at berkshirebank.com/comeback.

Xtraordinary Day: As a kickoff to the Bank's "BEST Community Comeback," Berkshire Bank hosted its 5th annual "Xtraordinary Day of Service." Berkshire Bank employees were deployed in a virtual setting, volunteering for causes that support the small business ecosystem, equity and inclusion and basic community needs. More than 75% of Berkshire's workforce participated in the day.

Current ESG Performance: The Company continued to improve its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings, generally outperforming peers. As of September 30, 2021 the Company received ratings of: MSCI ESG- BBB; ISS ESG Quality Score - Environment: 2, Social: 1, Governance: 2; and Bloomberg ESG Disclosure- 47.81. The Company is also rated by Sustainalytics.

INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALL AND INVESTOR PRESENTATION

Berkshire will post an investor presentation at its website at ir.berkshirebank.com with additional financial information and other information about the quarter.

Berkshire will conduct a conference call/webcast at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, October 21, 2021 to discuss results for the quarter and provide guidance about expected future results. Participants are encouraged to pre-register for the conference call using the following link:

https://www.incommglobalevents.com/registration/q4inc/8879/berkshire-hills-bancorp-q3-earnings-release-conference-call/

Callers who pre-register will be given dial-in instructions and a unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call. Participants may pre-register at any time prior to the call and will immediately receive simple instructions via email. Additionally, participants may reach the registration link and access the webcast by logging in through the investor relations section of Berkshire's website at ir.berkshirebank.com.

Those parties who do not have Internet access or are otherwise unable to pre-register for this event, may still participate at the above time by dialing 844-200-6205 and using participant access code: 066744. Participants are requested to dial-in a few minutes before the scheduled start of the call. A telephone replay of the call will be available for one week by dialing 866-813-9403 and using access code: 331614. The webcast will be available on Berkshire's website for an extended period of time.

ABOUT BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP

Berkshire Hills Bancorp is the parent of Berkshire Bank, which is transforming what it means to bank its neighbors socially, humanly, and digitally to empower the financial potential of people, families, and businesses in its communities as it pursues its vision of being the leading socially responsible omni-channel community bank in the markets it serves. Berkshire Bank provides business and consumer banking, mortgage, wealth management, and investment services. Headquartered in Boston, Berkshire has approximately $11.8 billion in assets and operates 107 branch offices in New England and New York, and is a member of the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. To learn more, call 800-773-5601 or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document 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. You can identify these statements from the use of the words "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "plan," "potential," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "expect," "target" and similar expressions. There are many factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from expectations described in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of such factors, please see Berkshire's most recent reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov .

You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect our expectations only as of the date of this document. Berkshire does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This document contains certain non-GAAP financial measures in addition to results presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). These non-GAAP measures provide supplemental perspectives on operating results, performance trends, and financial condition. They are not a substitute for GAAP measures; they should be read and used in conjunction with the Company's GAAP financial information. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP measures is included on pages F-9 and F-10 in the accompanying financial tables. In all cases, it should be understood that non-GAAP per share measures do not depict amounts that accrue directly to the benefit of shareholders.

The Company utilizes the non-GAAP measure of adjusted earnings in evaluating operating trends, including components for adjusted revenue and expense. These measures exclude items which the Company does not view as related to its normalized operations. These items primarily include securities gains/losses, other gains/losses, merger costs, restructuring costs, goodwill impairment, and discontinued operations. In 2020, the Company recorded a full impairment of its goodwill and exited its discontinued national mortgage banking operations. Other adjusted expense in 2020 was primarily related to costs of the separation with the former CEO, as well as consulting for the CEO succession process. A 2020 adjusted gain was recognized on the sale of a specialty commercial insurance business line. In 2021, the Company recorded a net gain of $52 million on the sale of the insurance subsidiary and the Mid-Atlantic branch operations. Expense adjustments in the first quarter were primarily related to branch consolidations. Adjustments of $1.4 million in the third quarter Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings prepayment costs. They also included other restructuring charges for efficiency initiatives in operations areas including writedowns on real estate moved to held for sale and severance related to staff reductions.

The Company utilizes Adjusted Pre-Provision Net Revenue ("Adjusted PPNR") which measures adjusted income before credit loss provision and tax expense. PPNR is used by the investment community due to the volatility and variability across banks related to credit loss provision expense under the Current Expected Credit Loss accounting standard. The Company also calculates Adjusted PPNR/assets in order to utilize the PPNR measure in assessing its comparative operating profitability.

Non-GAAP adjustments are presented net of an adjustment for income tax expense. This adjustment is determined as the difference between the GAAP tax rate and the effective tax rate applicable to adjusted income. The efficiency ratio is adjusted for adjusted revenue and expense items and for tax preference items. The Company also calculates measures related to tangible equity, which adjust equity (and assets where applicable) to exclude intangible assets due to the importance of these measures to the investment community.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations Contacts

Kevin Conn, SVP, Investor Relations & Corporate Development

Email: [email protected]

Tel: (617) 641-9206

David Gonci, Capital Markets Director

Email: [email protected]

Tel: (413) 281-1973

Media Contact:

Gary Levante, SVP, Corporate Responsibility & Culture

Email: [email protected]

Tel: (413) 447-1737

TABLE INDEX CONSOLIDATED UNAUDITED FINANCIAL SCHEDULES F-1 Selected Financial Highlights F-2 Balance Sheets F-3 Loan and Deposit Analysis F-4 Statements of Operations F-5 Statements of Operations (Five Quarter Trend) F-6 Average Balances and Average Yields and Costs F-7 Asset Quality Analysis F-8 Asset Quality Analysis (continued) F-9 Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

and Supplementary Data (Five Quarter Trend) F-10 Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

and Supplementary Data (Year-to-Date)

BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC. SELECTED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS - UNAUDITED - (F-1)

















Sept. 30,

Dec. 31,

March 31,

June 30,

Sept. 30,









2020

2020

2021

2021

2021































NOMINAL AND PER SHARE DATA























Net earnings per common share, diluted $ 0.42

$ 0.30

$ 0.26

$ 0.43

$ 1.31





Adjusted earnings per common share, diluted (2) 0.53

0.28

0.32

0.44

0.53





Net income, (thousands) 21,225

15,009

13,031

21,636

63,749





Adjusted net income,(thousands)(2) 26,424

14,062

16,015

22,104

25,695





Total common shares outstanding, period-end (thousands) 50,306

50,833

50,988

50,453

48,657





Average diluted shares, (thousands) 50,329

50,355

50,565

50,608

48,744





Total book value per common share, (end of period) 23.03

23.37

23.05

23.30

24.21





Tangible book value per common share, (end of period) (2) 22.22

22.68

22.39

22.66

23.58





Dividends per common share 0.12

0.12

0.12

0.12

0.12





Full-time equivalent staff, continuing operations 1,507

1,505

1,467

1,417

1,333































PERFORMANCE RATIOS (3)























Return on equity 7.50 % 5.22 % 4.50 % 7.37 % 22.18 %



Adjusted return on equity (2) 9.33

4.89

5.53

7.53

8.94





Return on tangible common equity (2) 8.32

5.85

4.98

7.92

23.14





Adjusted return on tangible common equity (2) 10.27

5.50

6.04

8.08

9.53





Return on assets 0.67

0.48

0.42

0.70

2.14





Adjusted return on assets (2) 0.84

0.45

0.51

0.71

0.86





Net interest margin, fully taxable equivalent (FTE) (4)(5) 2.61

2.61

2.62

2.62

2.56





Efficiency ratio (2) 65.39

71.03

71.32

67.82

68.76































FINANCIAL DATA (in millions, end of period)























Total assets $ 12,614

$ 12,838

$ 12,757

$ 12,273

$ 11,846





Total earning assets 11,832

12,090

12,071

11,571

11,145





Total loans

8,982

8,082

7,659

7,233

6,836





Total deposits 10,467

10,216

10,244

9,914

10,365





Loans/deposits (%) 86 % 79 % 75 % 73 % 66 %



Total shareholders' equity $ 1,179

$ 1,188

$ 1,175

$ 1,175

$ 1,178































ASSET QUALITY























Allowance for credit losses, (millions) $ 134

$ 127

$ 124

$ 119

$ 113





Net charge-offs, (millions) (6)

(17)

(10)

(5)

(2)





Net charge-offs (QTD annualized)/average loans 0.27 % 0.80 % 0.51 % 0.26 % 0.12 %



Provision expense/(income), (millions) $ 1

$ 10

$ 7

$ -

$ (4)





Non-performing assets, (millions) 49

67

58

49

39





Non-performing loans/total loans 0.53 % 0.80 % 0.73 % 0.66 % 0.54 %



Allowance for credit losses/non-performing loans 284

196

222

250

304





Allowance for credit losses/total loans 1.50

1.58

1.62

1.65

1.65































CAPITAL RATIOS























Common equity tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets(6) 13.2 % 13.8 % 14.2 % 14.3 % 15.3 %



Tier 1 capital leverage ratio(6) 9.2

9.4

9.5

9.5

9.9





Tangible common shareholders' equity/tangible assets(2) 8.9

9.0

9.0

9.3

9.7



























































(1) Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures, including all references to adjusted and tangible amounts, appear on pages F-9 and F-10.

(2) Non-GAAP financial measure. adjusted measurements are non-GAAP financial measures that are adjusted to exclude net non-adjusted charges primarily related to acquisitions and restructuring activities. See pages F-9 and F-10 for reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures.



(3) All performance ratios are annualized and are based on average balance sheet amounts, where applicable.

(4) Fully taxable equivalent considers the impact of tax advantaged investment securities and loans.

(5) The effect of purchase accounting accretion for loans, time deposits, and borrowings on the quarterly net interest margin was an increase in all quarters, which is shown sequentially as follows beginning with the earliest quarter and ending with the most recent quarter: 0.08%, 0.07%, 0.05%, 0.08%, 0.06%.



(6) Presented as projected for September 30, 2021 and actual for the remaining periods.

BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - UNAUDITED - (F-2)

September 30, December 31, June 30, September 30, (in thousands) 2020 2020 2021 2021 Assets







Cash and due from banks $ 90,537 $ 91,219 $ 98,262 $ 153,185 Short-term investments 844,755 1,466,656 1,728,419 1,971,345 Total cash and short-term investments 935,292 1,557,875 1,826,681 2,124,530









Trading security 9,525 9,708 8,853 8,574 Marketable equity securities, at fair value 31,993 18,513 15,709 15,601 Securities available for sale, at fair value 1,575,289 1,695,232 1,640,512 1,643,965 Securities held to maturity, at amortized cost 330,197 465,091 665,786 651,863 Federal Home Loan Bank stock and other restricted securities 40,520 34,873 19,638 12,041 Total securities 1,987,524 2,223,417 2,350,498 2,332,044 Less: Allowance for credit losses on investment securities (96) (104) (130) (125) Net securities 1,987,428 2,223,313 2,350,368 2,331,919









Loans held for sale 15,854 17,748 6,494 5,176









Total loans 8,982,336 8,081,519 7,232,591 6,836,235 Less: Allowance for credit losses on loans (134,414) (127,302) (119,044) (112,916) Net loans 8,847,922 7,954,217 7,113,547 6,723,319









Premises and equipment, net 117,116 112,663 104,680 99,233 Other real estate owned 40 149 85 - Goodwill and other intangible assets 40,947 34,819 32,203 30,907 Other assets 656,892 619,925 562,691 527,049 Assets held for sale (1) - 317,304 276,576 3,743 Assets from discontinued operations 12,966 - - - Total assets $ 12,614,457 $ 12,838,013 $ 12,273,325 $ 11,845,876









Liabilities and shareholders' equity







Demand deposits $ 2,585,173 $ 2,484,249 $ 2,819,012 $ 3,022,821 NOW and other deposits 1,522,289 1,003,005 1,696,762 1,982,089 Money market deposits 2,516,168 3,371,353 2,398,256 2,438,832 Savings deposits 952,836 972,116 1,065,428 1,095,959 Time deposits 2,890,093 2,385,085 1,934,442 1,825,714 Total deposits 10,466,559 10,215,808 9,913,900 10,365,415









Senior borrowings 605,483 474,357 217,847 13,369 Subordinated borrowings 97,223 97,280 97,396 97,454 Total borrowings 702,706 571,637 315,243 110,823









Other liabilities 251,220 232,730 222,105 191,563 Liabilities held for sale (1) - 630,065 646,688 - Liabilities from discontinued operations 14,947 - - - Total liabilities 11,435,432 11,650,240 11,097,936 10,667,801









Preferred shareholders' equity 20,325 - - - Common shareholders' equity 1,158,700 1,187,773 1,175,389 1,178,075 Total shareholders' equity 1,179,025 1,187,773 1,175,389 1,178,075 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 12,614,457 $ 12,838,013 $ 12,273,325 $ 11,845,876









(1) For June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, balance includes loans and deposits from branch sales in the Mid-Atlantic region.

BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC. CONSOLIDATED LOAN & DEPOSIT ANALYSIS - UNAUDITED - (F-3) LOAN ANALYSIS































































Growth % (in millions)

December 31, 2020

Balance

June 30, 2021

Balance

September 30, 2021

Balance

Quarter ended

September 30, 2021

Year to Date

























Total commercial real estate

$ 3,647

$ 3,652

$ 3,565

(2) % (2) % Commercial and industrial loans 1,326

1,286

1,254

(2)

(5)

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans 633

173

46

(73)

(93)

Total commercial loans

5,606

5,111

4,865

(5)

(13)

























Total residential mortgages

1,813

1,559

1,443

(7)

(20)

























Home equity

295

270

264

(2)

(11)

Auto and other

368

293

264

(10)

(28)

Total consumer loans

663

563

528

(6)

(20)

Total loans

$ 8,082

$ 7,233

$ 6,836

(5) % (15) %















































































































































DEPOSIT ANALYSIS







































Growth % (in millions)

December 31, 2020

Balance

June 30, 2021

Balance

September 30, 2021

Balance

Quarter ended

September 30, 2021

Year to Date

Non-interest bearing

$ 2,484

$ 2,819

$ 3,023

7 % 22 % NOW and other

1,003

1,697

1,982

17

98

Money market

3,372

2,398

2,439

2

(28)

Savings

972

1,065

1,096

3

13

Time deposits

2,385

1,935

1,825

(6)

(23)

Total deposits (1)

$ 10,216

$ 9,914

$ 10,365

5 % 1 % (1) Included in total deposits are brokered deposits of $317.1 million, $358.4 million and $610.6 million at September 30, 2021, June 30, 2021, and December 31, 2020, respectively.





BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - UNAUDITED - (F-4)

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30, (in thousands, except per share data) 2021

2020

2021

2020 Interest income 79,688

97,768

253,205

317,651 Interest expense 8,320

20,713

31,351

76,578 Net interest income from continuing operations, not FTE 71,368

77,055

221,854

241,073 Non-interest income from continuing operations













Deposit related fees 7,657

7,062

22,291

20,382 Loan fees and revenue 8,285

4,988

25,962

12,007 Insurance commissions and fees 1,581

2,660

7,003

8,451 Wealth management fees 2,653

2,299

7,944

6,926 Mortgage banking originations 461

2,044

1,797

4,647 Other 1,279

1,927

5,638

492 Total non-interest income excluding gains/(losses) 21,916

20,980

70,635

52,905 Securities (losses)/gains, net (166)

(1,017)

(681)

(9,925) Gain on sale of business operations and assets, net 51,885

-

51,885

- Total non-interest income 73,635

19,963

121,839

42,980 Total net revenue from continuing operations 145,003

97,018

343,693

284,053 Total net revenue from continuing operations excluding (losses)/gains 93,284

98,035

292,489

293,978















Provision for credit losses (4,000)

1,200

2,500

65,878 Non-interest expense from continuing operations













Compensation and benefits 37,068

34,809

112,773

111,121 Occupancy and equipment 10,421

11,084

32,044

32,411 Technology and communications 8,397

8,540

25,204

24,376 Professional services 3,180

2,567

13,495

7,852 Other expenses 8,969

10,527

28,053

33,605 Merger, restructuring and other non-operating expenses 1,425

5,316

4,917

559,078 Total non-interest expense 69,460

72,843

216,486

768,443 Total non-interest expense excluding merger, restructuring and other 68,035

67,527

211,569

209,365















Income/(loss) from continuing operations before income taxes $ 79,543

$ 22,975

$ 124,707

$ (550,268) Income tax expense/(benefit) 15,794

(68)

26,291

(18,194) Net income/(loss) from continuing operations $ 63,749

$ 23,043

$ 98,416

$ (532,074)















(Loss) from discontinued operations before income taxes $ -

$ (2,477)

$ -

$ (21,741) Income tax (benefit) -

(659)

-

(5,789) Net (loss) from discontinued operations $ -

$ (1,818)

$ -

$ (15,952)















Net income/(loss) $ 63,749

$ 21,225

$ 98,416

$ (548,026) Preferred stock dividend -

58

-

313 Income/(loss) available to common shareholders $ 63,749

$ 21,167

$ 98,416

$ (548,339)















Basic earnings/(loss) per common share:













Continuing Operations $ 1.32

$ 0.46

$ 1.98

$ (10.58) Discontinued Operations -

(0.04)

-

(0.32) Total $ 1.32

$ 0.42

$ 1.98

$ (10.90)















Diluted earnings/(loss) per common share:













Continuing Operations $ 1.31

$ 0.46

$ 1.97

$ (10.58) Discontinued Operations -

(0.04)

-

(0.32) Total $ 1.31

$ 0.42

$ 1.97

$ (10.90)















Weighted average shares outstanding:













Basic 48,395

50,329

49,672

50,256 Diluted 48,744

50,329

49,963

50,256

































BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (5 Quarter Trend) - UNAUDITED - (F-5)





























Sept. 30,

Dec. 31,

March 31,

June 30,

Sept. 30,

(in thousands, except per share data)



2020

2020

2021

2021

2021

Interest income



97,768

92,131

88,153

85,364

79,688

Interest expense



20,713

16,422

13,060

9,971

8,320

Net interest income from continuing operations, not FTE 77,055

75,709

75,093

75,393

71,368

Non-interest income from continuing operations























Deposit related fees



7,062

7,523

7,126

7,508

7,657

Loan fees and revenue



4,988

4,833

10,246

7,431

8,285

Insurance commissions and fees



2,660

2,319

3,130

2,292

1,581

Wealth management fees



2,299

2,359

2,772

2,519

2,653

Mortgage banking originations



2,044

543

802

534

461

Other



1,927

2,105

2,148

2,211

1,279

Total non-interest income excluding (losses)/gains



20,980

19,682

26,224

22,495

21,916

Securities (losses)/gains, net



(1,017)

2,405

(31)

(484)

(166)

Gain on sale of business operations and assets, net



-

1,240

-

-

51,885

Total non-interest income



19,963

23,327

26,193

22,011

73,635

Total net revenue from continuing operations



97,018

99,036

101,286

97,404

145,003

Total net revenue from continuing operations excluding (losses)/gains 98,035

95,391

101,317

97,888

93,284



























Provision for credit losses



1,200

10,000

6,500

-

(4,000)

Non-interest expense from continuing operations























Compensation and benefits



34,809

36,719

38,735

36,970

37,068

Occupancy and equipment



11,084

10,948

11,024

10,599

10,421

Technology and communications



8,540

7,988

8,593

8,214

8,397

Professional services



2,567

4,055

6,614

3,701

3,180

Other expenses



10,527

11,563

9,702

9,382

8,969

Merger, restructuring and other non-operating expenses



5,316

523

3,486

6

1,425

Total non-interest expense



72,843

71,796

78,154

68,872

69,460

Total non-interest expense excluding merger, restructuring and other 67,527

71,273

74,668

68,866

68,035





















































Income from continuing operations before income taxes



$ 22,975

$ 17,240

$ 16,632

$ 28,532

$ 79,543

Income tax expense/(benefit)



(68)

(1,659)

3,601

6,896

15,794

Net income from continuing operations



$ 23,043

$ 18,899

$ 13,031

$ 21,636

$ 63,749



























(Loss) from discontinued operations before income taxes



$ (2,477)

$ (5,114)

$ -

$ -

$ -

Income tax (benefit)



(659)

(1,224)

-

-

-

Net (loss) from discontinued operations



$ (1,818)

$ (3,890)

$ -

$ -

$ -



























Net income



$ 21,225

$ 15,009

$ 13,031

$ 21,636

$ 63,749

Preferred stock dividend



58

-

-

-

-

Income available to common shareholders



$ 21,167

$ 15,009

$ 13,031

$ 21,636

$ 63,749





















































Diluted earnings/(loss) per common share:























Continuing Operations



$ 0.46

$ 0.38

$ 0.26

$ 0.43

$ 1.31

Discontinued Operations



(0.04)

(0.08)

-

-

-

Total



$ 0.42

$ 0.30

$ 0.26

$ 0.43

$ 1.31



























Weighted average shares outstanding:























Basic



50,329

50,308

50,330

50,321

48,395

Diluted



50,329

50,355

50,565

50,608

48,744



BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC.

AVERAGE BALANCES AND AVERAGE YIELDS AND COSTS - UNAUDITED - (F-6)















Dec. 31, 2020

March 31, 2021

June 30, 2021

Sept. 30, 2021





Sept. 30, 2020









(in millions)

Average Balance Average Yield/Rate



Average Balance Average Yield/Rate



Average Balance Average Yield/Rate



Average Balance Average Yield/Rate



Average Balance Average Yield/Rate



Assets









































Commercial real estate

3,986 3.52 % 3,843 3.34 % 3,630 3.27 % 3,625 3.46 % 3,577 3.40 % Commercial and industrial loans

2,192 3.88



2,056 4.05



1,865 4.62



1,605 4.74



1,370 4.78



Residential mortgages

2,224 3.78



1,971 3.78



1,740 3.71



1,604 3.79



1,499 3.65



Consumer loans

801 3.59



726 3.41



634 3.79



582 3.80



545 3.95



Total loans (1)

9,203 3.68



8,596 3.62



7,869 3.73



7,416 3.84



6,991 3.77



Securities (2)

1,874 2.78



1,968 2.69



2,195 2.36



2,259 2.17



2,312 2.09



Short-term investments and loans held for sale 766 0.21



977 0.14



1,351 0.13



1,750 0.10



1,762 0.17



Mid-Atlantic region loans held for sale - -



101 4.27



295 4.09



269 3.96



155 3.82



Total earning assets (3)

11,843 3.31



11,642 3.17



11,710 3.07



11,694 2.96



11,220 2.86



Goodwill and other intangible assets

41





40





34





33





31





Other assets

760





752





724





690





674





Assets from discontinued operations

16





12





-





-





-





Total assets

12,660





12,446





12,468





12,417





11,925

















































Liabilities and shareholders' equity







































NOW and other

1,244 0.24 % 1,279 0.17 % 1,325 0.15 % 1,389 0.07 % 1,316 0.05 % Money market

2,674 0.38



2,756 0.32



2,802 0.27



2,751 0.18



2,716 0.16



Savings

940 0.10



967 0.08



1,003 0.08



1,054 0.05



1,112 0.04



Time

3,056 1.63



2,629 1.35



2,266 1.12



2,013 0.94



1,893 0.86



Total interest-bearing deposits

7,914 0.81



7,631 0.62



7,396 0.48



7,207 0.35



7,037 0.31



Borrowings

777 2.36



658 2.50



500 2.78



381 3.12



253 3.89



Mid-Atlantic region interest-bearing deposits - -



180 0.80



518 0.60



517 0.51



306 0.51



Total interest-bearing liabilities

8,691 0.95



8,469 0.77



8,414 0.63



8,105 0.49



7,596 0.43



Non-interest-bearing demand deposits

2,559





2,542





2,537





2,787





2,901





Other liabilities (4)

254





279





358





351





279





Liabilities from discontinued operations 23





6





-





-





-





Total liabilities

11,527





11,296





11,309





11,243





10,776

















































Preferred shareholders' equity

20





7





-





-





-





Common shareholders' equity

1,113





1,143





1,159





1,174





1,149





Total shareholders' equity

1,133





1,150





1,159





1,174





1,149





Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 12,660





12,446





12,468





12,417





11,925

















































Net interest spread



2.36 %

2.40 %

2.44 %

2.47 %

2.43 % Net interest margin, FTE (5)



2.61





2.61





2.62





2.62





2.56



Cost of funds



0.73





0.60





0.48





0.36





0.31



Cost of deposits



0.61





0.47





0.36





0.25





0.22















































Supplementary data









































Net Interest Income, not FTE

77





76





75





75





71





Fully taxable equivalent income adjustment 2





1





1





2





2





Net Interest Income, FTE

79





77





77





77





73

















































Average PPP loans

707





685





546





321





90





Average loans excluding PPP loans

8,496





7,911





7,323





7,095





6,901





Total PPP loans, end of period

708





633





444





173





46





Total loans excluding PPP loans, end of period 8,274





7,448





7,215





7,059





6,790





PPP interest income

4





6





7





5





2

















































Total average non-maturity deposits

7,417





7,544





7,666





7,981





8,045





Total average deposits

10,473





10,173





9,932





9,994





9,938

















































Purchased loan accretion

3





2





1





2





2





Total average tangible equity (6)

1,091





1,110





1,125





1,141





1,118

















































(1) Total loans include non-accruing loans. (2) Average balances for securities available-for-sale are based on amortized cost.





(3) Excludes discontinued operations for presentation purposes. Performance ratios are calculated including the impact of discontinued operations. (4) Includes the Mid-Atlantic region non-interesting bearing deposits. As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Mid-Atlantic region average non-interest bearing deposits were $78 million and $37 million, respectively. (5) The effect of PPP loans on the quarterly net interest margin is shown sequentially as follows beginning with the earliest quarter and ending with the most recent quarter: (0.01%), 0.05%, 0.11%, 0.11%, 0.05%. This calculation excludes gross interest income on PPP loans and average PPP loan balances. (6) See page F-9 for details on the calculation of total average tangible equity.

BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC.

ASSET QUALITY ANALYSIS - UNAUDITED - (F-7)







Sept. 30,

Dec. 31,

March 31,

June 30,

Sept. 30,

(in thousands)

2020

2020

2021

2021

2021

NON-PERFORMING ASSETS





















Non-accruing loans:





















Commercial real estate

$ 14,777

$ 35,581

$ 28,325

$ 22,799

$ 14,845

Commercial and industrial loans

15,035

12,921

9,371

9,427

7,140

Residential mortgages

7,928

8,347

10,674

9,238

9,763

Consumer loans

9,650

8,099

7,447

6,141

5,399

Total non-accruing loans

47,390

64,948

55,817

47,605

37,147

Other real estate owned

401

149

149

85

-

Repossessed assets

1,646

1,932

1,701

1,666

1,664

Total non-performing assets

$ 49,437

$ 67,029

$ 57,667

$ 49,356

$ 38,811

























Total non-accruing loans/total loans

0.53%

0.80%

0.73%

0.66%

0.54%

Total non-accruing loans/total loans excluding PPP loans 0.57%

0.87%

0.77%

0.67%

0.55%

Total non-performing assets/total assets

0.39%

0.52%

0.45%

0.40%

0.33%

























PROVISION AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES ON LOANS









Balance at beginning of period

$ 139,394

$ 134,414

$ 127,302

$ 123,800

$ 119,044

Charged-off loans

(7,776)

(18,314)

(11,460)

(7,248)

(4,334)

Recoveries on charged-off loans

1,580

1,209

1,465

2,492

2,206

Net loans charged-off

(6,196)

(17,105)

(9,995)

(4,756)

(2,128)

Provision for loan credit losses

1,216

9,993

6,493

-

(4,000)

Balance at end of period

$ 134,414

$ 127,302

$ 123,800

$ 119,044

$ 112,916

























Allowance for credit losses/total loans

1.50%

1.58%

1.62%

1.65%

1.65%

Allowance for credit losses/total loans excluding PPP loans 1.62%

1.71%

1.72%

1.69%

1.66%

Allowance for credit losses/non-accruing loans 284%

196%

222%

250%

304%

























NET LOAN CHARGE-OFFS





















Commercial real estate

$ (635)

$ (11,862)

$ (6,959)

$ (2,325)

$ (1,391)

Commercial and industrial loans

(5,551)

(5,089)

(2,662)

(2,331)

110

Residential mortgages

517

250

80

176

(677)

Home equity

(57)

141

(42)

(136)

106

Auto and other consumer

(470)

(545)

(412)

(140)

(276)

Total, net

$ (6,196)

$ (17,105)

$ (9,995)

$ (4,756)

$ (2,128)

























Net charge-offs (QTD annualized)/average loans 0.27%

0.80%

0.51%

0.26%

0.12%

Net charge-offs (YTD annualized)/average loans 0.29%

0.41%

0.51%

0.39%

0.30%



























BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC. ASSET QUALITY ANALYSIS - UNAUDITED (F-8)







September 30, 2020

December 31, 2020

March 31, 2021

June 30, 2021

September 30, 2021

(in thousands)

Balance

Percent of Total Loans

Balance

Percent of Total Loans

Balance

Percent of Total Loans

Balance

Percent of Total Loans

Balance

Percent of Total Loans

30-89 Days delinquent

$ 27,626

0.31%

$ 16,310

0.20%

$ 28,565

0.37%

$ 15,483

0.22%

$ 18,365

0.27%

90+ Days delinquent and still accruing

12,876

0.14%

11,450

0.14%

6,124

0.08%

3,129

0.04%

3,803

0.06%

Total accruing delinquent loans

40,502

0.45%

27,760

0.34%

34,689

0.45%

18,612

0.26%

22,168

0.33%

Non-accruing loans

47,390

0.53%

64,948

0.80%

55,817

0.73%

47,605

0.66%

37,147

0.54%

Total delinquent and non-accruing loans

$ 87,892

0.98%

$ 92,708

1.14%

$ 90,506

1.18%

$ 66,217

0.92%

$ 59,315

0.87%



BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC. RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA- UNAUDITED - (F-9)











Sept. 30,

Dec. 31,

March 31,

June 30,

Sept. 30,

(in thousands)



2020

2020

2021

2021

2021

Total revenue from continuing operations (A)

$ 97,018

$ 99,036

$ 101,286

$ 97,404

$ 145,003

Adj: Net securities losses/(gains) (1)



1,017

(2,405)

31

484

166

Adj: Net (gains) on sale of business operations and assets

-

(1,240)

-

-

(51,885)

Total adjusted revenue (2) (B)

$ 98,035

$ 95,391

$ 101,317

$ 97,888

$ 93,284



























Total non-interest expense from continuing operations (C)

$ 72,843

$ 71,796

$ 78,154

$ 68,872

$ 69,460

Less: Merger, restructuring and other expense



(5,316)

(523)

(3,486)

(6)

(1,425)

Adjusted non-interest expense (2) (D)

$ 67,527

$ 71,273

$ 74,668

$ 68,866

$ 68,035



























Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) from continuing operations (A-C)

$ 24,175

$ 27,240

$ 23,132

$ 28,532

$ 75,543

Adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) (B-D)

30,508

24,118

26,649

29,022

25,249



























Net income



$ 21,225

$ 15,009

$ 13,031

$ 21,636

$ 63,749

Adj: Net securities losses/(gains) (1)



1,017

(2,405)

31

484

166

Adj: Net (gains) on sale of business operations and assets

-

(1,240)

-

-

(51,885)

Adj: Restructuring expense and other expense



5,316

523

3,486

6

1,425

Adj: Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes

2,477

5,114

-

-

-

Adj: Income taxes benefit/(expense)



(3,611)

(2,939)

(533)

(22)

12,240

Total adjusted income (2) (E)

$ 26,424

$ 14,062

$ 16,015

$ 22,104

$ 25,695



























(in millions, except per share data)























Total average assets (F)

$ 12,660

$ 12,446

$ 12,468

$ 12,417

$ 11,925

Total average shareholders' equity (G)

1,133

1,150

1,159

1,174

1,149

Total average tangible shareholders' equity (2)(3) (H)

1,091

1,110

1,125

1,141

1,118

Total average tangible common shareholders' equity (2)(3) (I)

1,071

1,103

1,125

1,141

1,118

Total tangible shareholders' equity, period-end (2)(3) (J)

1,138

1,153

1,142

1,143

1,147

Total tangible common shareholders' equity, period-end (2)(3) (K)

1,118

1,153

1,142

1,143

1,147

Total tangible assets, period-end (2)(3) (L)

12,574

12,803

12,724

12,241

11,815



























Total common shares outstanding, period-end (thousands) (M)

50,306

50,833

50,988

50,453

48,657

Average diluted shares outstanding (thousands) (N)

50,329

50,355

50,565

50,608

48,744



























GAAP earnings per common share, diluted(2)



$ 0.42

$ 0.30

$ 0.26

$ 0.43

$ 1.31

Adjusted earnings per common share, diluted (2) (E/N)

0.53

0.28

0.32

0.44

0.53

Tangible book value per common share, period-end (2) (K/M)

22.22

22.68

22.39

22.66

23.58

Total tangible shareholders' equity/total tangible assets (2) (J/L)

9.05

9.01

8.98

9.34

9.71



























Performance ratios (4)























GAAP return on equity



7.50 % 5.22 % 4.50 % 7.37

22.18 % Adjusted return on equity (2) (E/G)

9.33

4.89

5.53

7.53

8.94

Return on tangible common equity (2)(5)



8.32

5.85

4.98

7.92

23.14

Adjusted return on tangible common equity (2)(5) (E+Q)/(I)

10.27

5.50

6.04

8.08

9.53

GAAP return on assets



0.67

0.48

0.42

0.70

2.14

Adjusted return on assets(2)



0.84

0.45

0.51

0.71

0.86

PPNR from continuing operations/assets (2)



0.76

0.88

0.74

0.92

2.53

Adjusted PPNR/assets (2)



0.97

0.78

0.85

0.93

0.85

Efficiency ratio (2)(6) (D-Q)/(B+O+R)

65.39

71.03

71.32

67.82

68.76

Net interest margin, FTE



2.61

2.61

2.62

2.62

2.56



























Supplementary data (in thousands)























Tax benefit on tax-credit investments (7) (O)

$ 1,377

$ 1,334

$ 41

$ 79

$ 2,195

Non-interest income charge on tax-credit investments (8) (P)

(1,090)

(971)

(33)

(175)

(1,789)

Net income on tax-credit investments (O+P)

287

363

9

(96)

406



























Intangible amortization (Q)

$ 1,530

$ 1,513

$ 1,319

$ 1,297

$ 1,296

Fully taxable equivalent income adjustment (R)

1,512

1,485

1,494

1,660

1,586















































































(1) Net securities losses/(gains) include the change in fair value of the Company's equity securities in compliance with the Company's adoption of ASU 2016-01. (2) Non-GAAP financial measure. (3) Total tangible shareholders' equity is computed by taking total shareholders' equity less the intangible assets at period-end. Total tangible assets is computed by taking intangible assets at period-end. (4) Ratios are annualized and based on average balance sheet amounts, where applicable. Quarterly data may not sum to year-to-date data due to rounding. (5) Adjusted return on tangible equity is computed by dividing the total adjusted income/(loss) adjusted for the tax-effected amortization of intangible assets, assuming a 27% marginal rate, by tangible equity. (6) Efficiency ratio is computed by dividing total adjusted tangible non-interest expense by the sum of total net interest income on a fully taxable equivalent basis and total adjusted non-interest income adjusted to include tax credit benefit of tax shelter investments. The Company uses this non-GAAP measure to provide important information regarding its operational efficiency. (7) The tax benefit is the direct reduction to the income tax provision due to tax credits and deductions generated from investments in historic rehabilitation and low-income housing. (8) The non-interest income charge is the reduction to the tax-advantaged investments, which are incurred as the tax credits are generated.

BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC. RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA- UNAUDITED - (F-10)



At or for the Nine Months Ended





Sept. 30,

Sept. 30,

(in thousands)



2020

2021

Total revenue from continuing operations (A)

$ 284,053

$ 343,693

Adj: Net securities losses (1)



9,925

681

Adj: Net (gains) on sale of business operations and assets

-

(51,885)

Total adjusted revenue (2) (B)

$ 293,978

$ 292,489















Total non-interest expense from continuing operations (C)

$ 768,443

$ 216,486

Less: Merger, restructuring and other expense



(5,316)

(4,917)

Less: Goodwill impairment



(553,762)

-

Adjusted non-interest expense (2) (D)

$ 209,365

$ 211,569















Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) from continuing operations (A-C)

$ (484,390)

$ 127,207

Adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) (B-D)

84,613

80,920















Net income/(loss)



$ (548,026)

$ 98,416

Adj: Net securities losses (1)



9,925

681

Adj: Goodwill impairment



553,762

-

Adj: Net (gains) on sale of business operations and assets

-

(51,885)

Adj: Restructuring expense and other expense



5,316

4,917

Adj: Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes

21,741

-

Adj: Income taxes benefit/(expense)



(26,403)

11,685

Total adjusted income/(loss) (2) (E)

$ 16,315

$ 63,814















(in millions, except per share data)











Total average assets (F)

$ 13,001

$ 12,268

Total average shareholders' equity (G)

1,513

1,161

Total average tangible shareholders' equity (2)(3) (H)

1,104

1,128

Total average tangible common shareholders' equity (2)(3) (I)

1,083

1,128

Total tangible shareholders' equity, period-end (2)(3) (J)

1,138

1,147

Total tangible common shareholders' equity, period-end (2)(3) (K)

1,118

1,147

Total tangible assets, period-end (2)(3) (L)

12,574

11,815















Total common shares outstanding, period-end (thousands) (M)

50,306

48,657

Average diluted shares outstanding (thousands) (N)

50,290

49,963















GAAP earnings/(loss) per common share, diluted(2)



$ (10.90)

$ 1.97

Adjusted earnings per common share, diluted (2) (E/N)

0.32

1.28

Tangible book value per common share, period-end (2) (K/M)

22.22

23.58

Total tangible shareholders' equity/total tangible assets (2) (J/L)

9.05

9.71















Performance ratios (4)











GAAP return on equity



(48.26) % 11.30 % Adjusted return on equity (2) (E/G)

1.44

7.33

Return on tangible common equity (2)(5)



(67.09)

11.97

Adjusted return on tangible common equity (2)(5) (E+Q)/(I)

2.39

7.88

GAAP return on assets



(5.63)

1.07

Adjusted return on assets(2)



0.17

0.69

PPNR from continuing operations/assets (2)



(4.97)

1.38

Adjusted PPNR/assets (2)



0.87

0.88

Efficiency ratio (2)(6) (D-Q)/(B+O+R)

67.72

69.32

Net interest margin, FTE



2.75

2.60















Supplementary data (in thousands)











Tax benefit on tax-credit investments (7) (O)

$ 3,364

$ 2,315

Non-interest income charge on tax-credit investments (8) (P)

(2,673)

(1,996)

Net income on tax-credit investments (O+P)

691

319















Intangible amortization (Q)

$ 4,668

$ 3,912

Fully taxable equivalent income adjustment (R)

4,917

4,739











































(1) Net securities (gains)/losses include the change in fair value of the Company's equity securities in compliance with the Company's adoption of ASU 2016-01. (2) Non-GAAP financial measure. (3) Total tangible shareholders' equity is computed by taking total shareholders' equity less the intangible assets at period-end. Total tangible assets is computed by taking intangible assets at period-end. (4) Ratios are annualized and based on average balance sheet amounts, where applicable. Quarterly data may not sum to year-to-date data due to rounding. (5) Adjusted return on tangible equity is computed by dividing the total adjusted income/(loss) adjusted for the tax-effected amortization of intangible assets, assuming a 27% marginal rate, by tangible equity. (6) Efficiency ratio is computed by dividing total adjusted tangible non-interest expense by the sum of total net interest income on a fully taxable equivalent basis and total adjusted non-interest income adjusted to include tax credit benefit of tax shelter investments. The Company uses this non-GAAP measure to provide important information regarding its operational efficiency. (7) The tax benefit is the direct reduction to the income tax provision due to tax credits and deductions generated from investments in historic rehabilitation and low-income housing. (8) The non-interest income charge is the reduction to the tax-advantaged investments, which are incurred as the tax credits are generated.

SOURCE Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.berkshirebank.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BizVibe has added key challenges and trends for wood product manufacturing industry profiles on their platform. All 7,000+ wood company profiles will now contain 50+ company data points, including a list of potential challenges which are expected to impact market participants over the next few years.

Snapshot of key challenge impacting BizVibe's wood product manufacturing industry group.

One challenge which is being highlighted is the global timber shortage. A number of different factors that include deforestation, wildfires, sawmill closures, and supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic have come together to create a supply shortage of lumber. On top of this, the global demand for lumber has skyrocketed since countries started going into lockdown, compounding the problem even further. By identifying such challenges, BizVibe is helping users analyze which suppliers are right for their business, while allowing them to efficiently monitor the risk of doing business.

Get Free Access to all Industry Challenges

Key Insights Provided for Wood Product Manufacturing 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

Wood Product 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 wood product manufacturing industry group features 7,000+ company profiles categorized into 20+ product and service categories, enabling clients to identify and connect with potential new business partners across diverse market segments.

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

Related Links

https://www.bizvibe.com/?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=prn&utm_campaign=t6_bsh_week42_2021&utm_content=3219


SEATTLE, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blendily has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help support the build-out of their second botanic kitchen in Seattle, Washington.

The company opened its flagship location in Portland, Oregon in November 2018. Despite the immense challenges presented by COVID-19, the Portland store has been able to weather the storm. Multiple locations for Blendily was always part of Founder Ivy Chuang's vision. Several factors contributed to her decision to take on the additional risk of expansion to Seattle.

Blendily launches Mainvest crowdfunding campaign to fund the build-out of their second botanic kitchen located in Seattle, Washington. Blendily is a women-owned, values-led small business raising funds on Mainvest to open their second retail location.

"I'm a staunch believer that people need beautiful places to go to, communities need destinations for gathering & inspiration, and the soul of neighborhoods is in the spirit of the businesses they host." says Blendily Founder Ivy Chuang.

First, platforms such as Mainvest are relatively new, and they enable crowdfunding for cash flow in a way that was previously impossible for mom-and-pop shops. Mainvest allows a business to issue a revenue-share note to investors with a set repayment timeline. The amount of investment is as low as $100.

Secondly, Ivy had been on several scouting trips to Seattle over the preceding 2-year period and noted that commercial vacancies multiplied as businesses lost footing due to COVID-19. She believed she had a good chance to secure a high-traffic location with good lease terms while many businesses remained hesitant to put investment into brick-and-mortar operations.

Blendily has secured a lease in the historic Ballard building located at 2206 NW Market Ave. Seattle, WA 98107 and will be operating a Holiday pop-up store through the end of the year. The Mainvest campaign will be open to investors through Dec 10, 2021.

The Blendily Mainvest campaign is accessible here: https://mainvest.com/b/blendily-seattle

Blendily plans to pay investors with a 1.3X multiple, sharing a percentage or revenue until $130 is paid on every $100 invested before the payback time limit. Meanwhile, the average savings account rate in the United States is currently 0.06%. Over a 5-year period, $100 left in a savings account would return just 30 cents. It is clear that there is an economic advantage to investing on Mainvest, however since it is an unsecured investment, there is inherent risk.

About Blendily: Blendily operates botanic kitchens where bioregional medicinal plants are blended with exotic botanicals to create a spectrum of cosmetic grooming products for selfcare head-to-toe. Blendily's botanic kitchens operate just like 'farm-to-table' restaurants, taking inspiration from the surrounding landscapes and seasonal offerings. Blendily offers a full range of skincare, bath & bodycare, hair care, mama & baby care, and herbal remedies.

About Mainvest: Mainvest is a platform for building communities and the American Dream. At Mainvest, people can directly invest in businesses they want to see in their own neighborhoods, generating both potential ROI (return on investment) and ROC (return on community).

PR Contact:

Ivy Chuang

[email protected]

(206)488-6481

SOURCE Blendily
For the first time in 30 years, real automotive key replacement is coming back to retailers. Car Keys Express is disrupting the industry, developing tools and keys that are finally letting retailers enter the high-margin, modern car key replacement business. Car Keys Express will introduce the following technologies at NHS:

Simple Key

Consumer-friendly kits include a universal key and a do-it-yourself EZ Installer to easily "pair" new keys. Retailers can replace 600 OEM keys with two dozen Simple Key products.

Universal EZ InstallerTM

Customers easily pair keys on their own using an app on their phone. The "do-it-yourself" installer is compatible with thousands of vehicle makes and models and allows retailers to offer high-value automotive keys without the need for expensive dealership service department programming equipment.

Retail Optical Key ScannerTM (ROKS)

ROKS is a retail DIY ordering device that simplifies automotive key replacement. Retailers scan their customers' key and a new copy of the key is shipped to the store for pickup, or shipped directly to the customer. ROKS is a virtual car key store in a boxreplace almost any key and create a new revenue stream with little-to-no investment in tools, inventory, or training.

Keys NOW!TM Automated Key Machines

For decades, retailers have struggled to offer modern car keys because of difficult-to-use manual key cutting machines. Car Keys Express has changed all that with Keys NOW!, the world's first and only fully-automated house and car key duplication machines. Keys NOW! is as easy to use as a microwave oven. Open the door, insert the key, then stand back. A precisely duplicated key is produced instantly. Keys NOW! comes in three varieties, each designed for the desired level of customer engagement.

"We're disrupting the industry, developing tools and keys that simplify key replacement," said Mike Bliss, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Car Keys Express. "If a retailer wants 'do-it-yourself' or 'do-it-for-me', we have unique solutions for all levels of customer engagement. From Universal Car Keys that reduce product count, to EZ Installers that let consumers 'pair' keys to vehicles without special dealership computers, to the Keys NOW! car key vending machine, to the Retail Optical Key Scanner that lets drivers replace keys from a photo, modern key replacement is now easier than ever."

Whether you want inventory onsite or none at all, DIY ("do-it-yourself") or DIFM ("do-it-for-me"), Car Keys Express can customize a program that's perfect for your business model.

"When I was a kid, I remember seeing car keys on the counter at every hardware store," said Mark Lanwehr, Founder and CEO of Car Keys Express. "Over the past 30 years, that business has shifted to car dealers. There have been two main barriers to entry keeping retailers out of the car key businesscomplexity and computers. The breakthrough technologies we're introducing bring down both barriers. Years ago, witnessing hardware stores lose that business served as a motivator to start our retail division and earlier, a motivator for me to found Car Keys Express. Almost 20 years later, we're now putting keys back on the shelves of hardware stores and home improvement stores, allowing us to realize our company motto: replacing car keys is simple and affordable, again."

If you're attending the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, come see us at booth #W1400. Visit CarKeysExpress.com/NationalHardwareShow for details and special show pricing.

About Car Keys Express

Car Keys Express is a global leader in discount, automotive key replacement for businesses and consumers. The company invented the world's first Universal Car Remote and Universal Car Keys and is the only company that manufactures a full line of aftermarket versions of modern car keys, like remote keys and smart keys. Car Keys Express offers a complete line of retail-friendly solutions to allow retailers to build a key replacement program or enhance an existing program. Car Care Express, a division of Car Keys Express, offers mobile vehicle reconditioning service for businesses and consumers. Founded in 2002, Car Keys Express is continually recognized for excellence in the industry, winning Inc. Magazine's, "Inc. 5000" in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, AAPEX "Best New Product" Award in 2015 and 2019, Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017, and EnterpriseCorp's FAST Innovation Award Winner in 2017, among others. To learn more, visit www.CarKeysExpress.com.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

About the National Hardware Show

The National Hardware Show celebrates a rich history spanning 76 years of serving the home improvement marketplace. From its early beginnings in New York during the post-World War 2 housing boom and eventual move to Chicago in the 1970s, to today's current location in Las Vegas, NHS is the most comprehensive event, education and networking platform serving the hardware and home improvement industry. As the industry spearhead, it keeps a focused eye on the cultural, environmental, and technological developments shaping the future of modern living. NHS unites and guides the industry at its live events and on its interactive channels by delivering unparalleled opportunities for fostering connections, deepening insights, and building innovative and profitable strategies for growth. For more information on the National Hardware Show, visit www.nationalhardwareshow.com.

SOURCE Car Keys Express
LONDON, Oct. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarivate Plc (NYSE: CLVT; CLVT PRA), a global leader in providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the pace of innovation, today announced the appointment of Tiffani Shaw as Chief of Staff reporting to Jerre Stead, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Clarivate. In this newly created role, Shaw will plan and direct administrative activities for the office of the CEO and be a member of the Executive Leadership Team. She will join Clarivate on November 1.

Shaw joins Clarivate from The University of Iowa Center for Advancement (UICA) where she was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer overseeing all organization operations and leading the strategic vision to advance the University of Iowa through engagement and philanthropy. She provided oversight of UICA's $2 billion in total assets, investments exceeding $1.3 billion and a $35 million annual operating budget. She also managed the University of Iowa Facilities Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary established to acquire and lease real estate and issue bonds for capital projects. Shaw partnered with the UICA board of directors to ensure strong governance and effective relationships with campus leaders to leverage UICA and university resources for overall mission success. Previously, she was the organization's Chief Financial Officer for 10 years and Controller for two years. She also served as a Certified Public Accountant for McGladrey.

"Tiffani is an innovative and accomplished executive and strategic consultant who has proven abilities in driving growth, financial performance and maximizing efficiency while staying true to values," Stead said. "These business skills and personal attributes will translate well as she steps into her leadership role with Clarivate."

Shaw is a graduate of the University of Iowa Tippie School of Business with a degree in accounting and attended the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Executive Education Program. She is a Regional Advisory Board member for US Bank, board member of the Oaknoll Retirement Community and a National Senior Consultant for the Association of Governing Boards. She is a frequent conference speaker and author on topics including data analytics, open records, endowment management and leadership.

About Clarivate

Clarivate is a global leader in providing solutions to accelerate the lifecycle of innovation. Our bold mission is to help customers solve some of the world's most complex problems by providing actionable information and insights that reduce the time from new ideas to life-changing inventions in the areas of science and intellectual property. We help customers discover, protect and commercialize their inventions using our trusted subscription and technology-based solutions coupled with deep domain expertise. For more information, please visit clarivate.com.

SOURCE Clarivate Plc

Related Links

https://clarivate.com


New initiatives to meet the changing needs of businesses in uncertain economic times and a tight labor market. Tweet this

"At this pivotal time, Combined is investing in our ability to provide a comprehensive suite of resources, support, and product options that give our clients and partners a competitive edge," said Combined Insurance President Rich Williams, who joined the company earlier this year. "With a strong sales leadership team and the backing of Chubb, Combined is poised for a period of accelerated growth by leveraging our strengths and delivering solutions of value for employers and brokers."

The company offers Combined Insurance policies for smaller businesses and supports Chubb Workplace Benefits solutions for mid-to-large size businesses and the brokers who serve them. Recognizing the varying needs across these market segments, Combined and Chubb Workplace Benefit offerings are tailored to support unique broker and client requirements, including systems, processes, and support that often define voluntary benefits enrollment based on employer size and capabilities.

"Reinforce Your Workforce" Initiative

Integral to Combined's sharpened focus are new resources to help business owners and leaders learn more about the voluntary benefits space. Housed online at combinedinsurance.com/reinforce, the company's "Reinforce Your Workforce" initiative includes a free eBook, insights, videos, case studies, an infographic with helpful facts and figures, and registration access for a complimentary webinar  Winning the Battle for Talent  scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 27.

"Our goal is to help guide and support businesses so they can increase productivity and growth, and get a leg up on their competition," said Mat Matarrese, Combined's Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager. "To deliver on this strategy, we're doubling down on our commitment to serve as a trusted advisor and resource, with products and solutions to suit companies' specific needs and the needs of their employees."

Dedicated Broker Relationship Team

To further its reach and engagement in worksite opportunities, Combined is investing in a new team dedicated to developing and strengthening broker relationships. The team will work alongside Chubb Workplace Benefits - which supports broker relations in the mid-to-large segments - providing complementary support for brokers who serve the small business segment.

"Our team brings a high-energy approach to serving the broker community," said Sharon McCray, who recently joined Combined as Assistant Vice President, Broker and Worksite Sales Distribution Leader. "We are laser-focused on providing value and solutions to help brokers and their clients. While Combined has a storied tradition in supplemental insurance, we continue to be proactive in successfully anticipating an ever-changing employer market."

Building on a Tradition of Customer Service

While strengthening its resources in support of small business, Combined remains proudly committed to its deep roots as a leader in the individual market as well. The company continues to offer supplemental health, accident, disability, and life insurance policies to help people be better prepared for the unexpected. Combined Insurance currently serves more than four million policyholders.

"Whether it's online or on the phone, we're here to make supplemental insurance easier, faster, convenient, and more personalized for our customers," said Eileen Castolene, Combined's Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. "Combined has a unique opportunity to help individuals, employers, and brokers at critical moments, and we continue to innovate and strive to provide a differentiated level of service for our policyholders and partners."

About Combined Insurance

Combined Insurance Company of America is a Chubb company and a leading provider of supplemental accident, health, disability, and life insurance products in the U.S.* and Canada. Headquartered in Chicago with a tradition of nearly 100 years of success, we are committed to making the world of supplemental insurance easy to understand. The company has an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau and an A + (Superior) financial strength rating by A.M. Best. We are ranked by VIQTORY as the number one Military Friendly Employer in 2021 (over $1 billion revenue category), marking Combined's tenth consecutive year on the Top 10 list. For more information, please visit www.combinedinsurance.com.

* In New York, products are underwritten by Combined Life Insurance Company of New York (Latham, NY).

SOURCE Combined Insurance, a Chubb company
PHOENIX, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial real estate firms Hamick Asset Management, BluSky Equity Partners, and Vista Laguna Asset Management announce the joint acquisition of Cornell Apartments in Phoenix, Arizona.

The teams are led by Tim Hamick at Hamick Asset Management, Greg Butcher at BluSky Equity Partners, and Mark Lenning at Vista Laguna Asset Management.

Cornell Apartments

The investment leads commented: "We're very pleased to add Cornell to our Arizona portfolio and are encouraged and excited by the strong economic growth in the Phoenix MSA, led by population growth, employment growth, and the peerless quality of life residents enjoy there."

"With limited new supply in this part of the city," they continued, "we have the opportunity to make this a highly desirable retro-boutique asset that's perfect for young professionals with families commuting to nearby job centers."

Cornell is a mid-century 51-unit apartment complex, originally built in 1968 and renovated in 2006-08 and 2019-21. It is located in North-Central Phoenix only two blocks from the Phoenix Light Rail on 19th Avenue. This makes it a short drive or ride on the light rail to major job centers in Midtown and Downtown Phoenix and the Camelback Corridor, which collectively host nearly 200,000 jobs. The original 48 units were expanded by the construction of three additional units during the property's renovations, increasing the property to 51 units.

Residents at Cornell enjoy access to a modern, attractive swimming pool; grassy, shaded courtyards; and covered parking; as well as the security of the property's fencing, keycode-access gates, lighting, and camera system. Select units also enjoy private patios or balconies. Interior amenities include granite countertops, under-mounted sinks, stainless steel appliances, and in-unit washer/dryers. The unit mix of primarily two and three-bedroom units is attractive to families, and three-bedroom units are rare in the submarket. The average unit size of 1,064 square feet is also significantly larger than average for the area.

This is the 28th asset across multiple markets to be added to the collective portfolio for Hamick Asset Management, BluSky Equity Partners, and Vista Laguna Asset Management. Combined, this team owns and operates over 1,000 multifamily units worth over $93M across Arizona, Texas, and Michigan, and is uniquely positioned to lead the optimization and growth of this property.

The new ownership group intends to further improve Cornell's pool and courtyard areas, additional beautification and rebranding, building additional private patios, select interior improvements, and constructing two more units, expanding the property to 53 units. They are contracting with CAM Properties for professional property management services.

About Hamick Asset Management

Hamick Asset Management LLC, founded in 2016 by Tim Hamick, is a real estate investment company that specializes in the purchase of and investment in multi-family and multi-tenant real estate assets. Geographic areas of focus for potential asset purchases include Dallas Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and other markets throughout Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Florida and Michigan. Learn more at www.hamick.co.

About BluSky Equity Partners

BluSky Equity Partners was founded by husband-and-wife team Tina and Greg Butcher. Their company's goal is to make commercial real estate investments accessible to ordinary people, with an emphasis on military and veterans, to help them grow their wealth with confidence and live their lives on their own terms. To date, BluSky Equity Partners has acquired over $85 million in multifamily real estate in Arizona and Texas in partnership with other general partners. Learn more at https://BluSky-equity.com

About Vista Laguna Asset Management

Vista Laguna Asset Management, founded by Mark Lenning, locates, acquires and manages underperforming for-lease multifamily assets in high-performing markets across the U.S., driving value in their investments and superior returns for their investors. They are currently focused on several Texas markets, Denver, and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

Contact:

Greg Butcher

BluSky Equity Partners, LLC

[email protected]

760-672-9539

SOURCE BluSky Equity Partners, LLC

Related Links

https://BluSky-equity.com


STOCKHOLM, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DigiPlex, the Nordic leader for scalable, sustainable and secure data centers, has appointed Tommy Wahledow as the new operations manager for its Stockholm data center on the back of significant client growth and opportunity at the site. With over 30 years' experience in a range of outsourcing, data centers and IT, Wahledow brings a wealth of knowledge, understanding and expertise to the role.

Operations Managers at DigiPlex sites play a crucial role in ensuring that all customers are onboarded and supported with the highest levels of services 24/7. DigiPlex Operations Managers are critical to maintaining this market leading customer service. The DigiPlex data center in Stockholm is not only home to some of the company's premier clients but also houses some of the most innovative use cases. From delivering High Performance Computing (HPC) services to clients in the region, to assisting customers that require ultra-low latency and superb connectivity across the region and globally, as well as helping major cloud service providers. Stockholm also boasts our ultra-secure cage infrastructure for those that demand the highest levels of physical protection.

Tommy Wahledow, Operations Manager DigiPlex, commented "I am excited to join DigiPlex and to work with the amazing people here. Today's fast paced, demanding marketplace requires teamwork to constantly meet customers' evolving needs. The skills and expertise across DigiPlex customer teams are unmatched in the industry and I'm proud to add my own experience to them. Together I know we'll continue to lead the market in delighting our customers."

Wahledow joins from TietoEVRY where he was Head of Data Center Services - Global. In that role he managed both the firm's own data centers and relationships with co-location providers. He therefore has rare insight from both vendor and supplier perspectives which will be valuable to DigiPlex customers. Prior to this, Wahledow worked in a variety of roles, including technical operations and service design and delivery for IT service providers CGI, ncm (nordic computer management) and Cap Gemini.

Halvor Bjerke, COO DigiPlex, commenting on Wahledow's appointment, said "We are very pleased to welcome Tommy to the DigiPlex family. This is a vital role as we continue to build on current growth and look to our next phase of development. Our Stockholm site is growing fast and is a key element of our offer to both hyperscaler and enterprise customers. Attracting someone of Tommy's caliber to lead operations here is both testament to the power and reputation of DigiPlex in the industry, and indicative of our ambition. I very much look forward to working with Tommy."

CONTACT:

Elisabeth Lennhede

Head of Communications

+46703322705

[email protected]



This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/digiplex/r/digiplex-hires-industry-veteran-to-manage-next-phase-of-growth-at-stockholm-data-center,c3436768

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/7526/3436768/1483644.pdf 211021_DigiPlex Hires Industry Veteran to Manage Next Phase of Growth at Stockholm Data Center_FINAL https://news.cision.com/digiplex/i/tommy-wahledow-operations-mgr-digiplex,c2970142 Tommy Wahledow Operations Mgr DigiPlex https://news.cision.com/digiplex/i/halvor-bjerke-chief-operating-officer-at-digiplex,c2970145 Halvor Bjerke Chief Operating Officer at DigiPlex

SOURCE DigiPlex
The country will still have entry requirements in place to ensure the utmost safety of both visitors and locals. These include being a fully vaccinated traveler, providing a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure from home country, taking a rapid test 48 hours after arriving to your resort, and fulfilling any obligation to take an additional test prior to returning home, based on individual home country requirements. Unvaccinated children under the age of 18 will be able to travel to Fiji accompanied by a vaccinated adult. Travel insurance, as always, is highly recommended. For more information on travel requirements, please visit www.fiji.travel .

"We are ecstatic that Fiji will open its borders to international visitors before the end of the year," says Tourism Fiji's CEO Brent Hill. "This is the moment we have been planning for nearly two years now and I can assure the world that Fiji is safe and ready to welcome you back. The islands are just as beautiful  if not more beautiful  than ever and the locals just as warm and friendly. Fiji is the vacation the world needs and deserves right now, and we can finally offer that again starting December."

The health and safety of its people and visitors remains Fiji's number one priority, and the country is able to open back up thanks to a successful vaccination program which has reached over 80% vaccination of its eligible population with both doses. Travelers can book and travel in confidence with the Care Fiji Commitment , where they can stay in certified resorts, use certified transportation and experiences, and be assured that all tourism businesses they come in to contact with have a 100% vaccinated staff. Travelers can fly direct from the U.S. to Fiji safely with Fiji Airways, who have been awarded the Apex Diamond certification for safety and the Skytrax 5-star COVID19 Airline safety rating.

Visitors to Fiji can expect to be welcomed into the country with open arms by the friendly locals who are as warm and hospitable as ever. Fiji remains an ideal destination where travelers can spread out amongst 333 islands, stay in boutique resorts, have an entire beach to themselves, and escape any crowds. Whether looking for an adventure, a romantic getaway, or a leisurely vacation, Fiji provides the perfect level of remoteness to detach from the worries of back home.

"It's been almost two years since we welcomed international visitors," says Fiji Minister for Tourism, Hon. Faiyaz Koya. "And in these two years, we've struggled, we've adapted, and we've prepared. Today, our national airline is ready, our hotels and tour providers are ready, and Fijians are ready to safely welcome the world back. We are ready to let happiness find you again."

Incredible December packages starting at $1,299 include six nights' accommodation, international airfare, all meals, transfers and more are now available to book on www.fijiairways.com. Additional packages for 2022 will be available soon. Sign up for Tourism Fiji's e-newsletter to receive the latest news and travel deals. Looking for some additional guidance or inspiration for your perfect Fiji vacation? Visit www.fiji.travel/findyourbula and take our quiz to 'Find Your Bula.'

Link to images. Photo credit: Tourism Fiji.

About Fiji

Fiji is located in the heart of the South Pacific, just ten hours from Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO), and only seven hours from Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL). The country of Fiji is comprised of 333 islands boasting luxurious private islands, all-inclusive resorts, world-renowned spas, outdoor explorations, scuba diving and a wide array of culinary adventures. Fiji is most widely celebrated for its culture, which uniquely welcomes its visitors "home to Fiji." Fiji - where happiness finds you - www.fiji.travel.

About Tourism Fiji

Tourism Fiji is the destination marketing organizational arm of the Fijian government agency responsible for marketing Fiji as the ideal destination for leisure travel globally. Tourism Fiji has established a presence in eight key markets around the globe, and its activities include advertising, public relations, media initiatives, trade shows, and programs for the tourism industry and consumer promotions to better showcase Fiji.

PRESS CONTACT:

Hannah Townsend

PR & Marketing Manager, North America

E: [email protected]

P: (310) 418-0421

SOURCE Tourism Fiji
BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- West Realm Shires Services Inc. ("FTX US" or "the Company"), a leading US-regulated cryptocurrency exchange, today announced the launch of the "You In, Miami?" campaign ("the Campaign"). As part of the campaign, FTX US announced Udonis Haslem, 3-time World Champion Miami HEAT legend and staple of the Miami community, has joined as the newest official ambassador for the Company.

The "You In, Miami?" campaign demonstrates the Company's commitment to supporting the people of greater Miami and the city's movement to become the crypto hub of the United States. FTX US has partnered with Udonis for the Campaign because he is the embodiment of the Miami HEAT, the city of Miami and a strong voice in the community.

Brett Harrison, President of FTX US, commented on today's news, "Miami is a growing home of the cryptocurrency industry in the United States. We are looking to integrate ourselves into the fabric of this community in order to not only best support the local crypto movement, but all of the diverse cultural and economic enterprises that make Miami unique. Given his commitment to the Miami HEAT and the city as a whole, partnering with Udonis Haslem was an obvious choice. We are looking forward to working alongside him to serve the community and further our efforts to make crypto more accessible to any audience in the US."

FTX US will be the "Game Night Sponsor" for opening night on Thursday, October 21st at FTX Arena and will be offering all fans in attendance a one-of-a-kind experience. Each fan will receive a "YOU IN, MIAMI?" t-shirt with a scannable QR code on the back. This QR code gives fans in the arena access to a limited-edition Opening Night FTX Arena NFT that can be redeemed through the FTX US NFT Marketplace. Additional details on further game night promotions around the Campaign to follow.

The "You in, Miami?" campaign can be seen here: https://f.io/SID6ENsE .

The launch video will air during the HEAT's opening game and will initiate the Campaign, which will be rolled out throughout the entire city of Miami. FTX US will work closely with Mr. Haslem to promote crypto and FTX US within the greater Miami area.

"After meeting with the FTX team in June, it became apparent to me that our charitable goals and commitment to the people of Miami were perfectly aligned," added Mr. Haslem. "I'm excited to share my community with FTX and work alongside them to increase awareness of cryptocurrency, while also supporting those who I consider to be part of my family, the citizens of Miami. The only thing left to do is ask, you in, Miami?"

Since acquiring the naming rights to the Miami HEAT's arena, FTX has been working to put down deep roots in the local community. The Miami area is the home to the FTX Foundation Hackathon , where local school children can enter to win up to $1 million for a charity they partner with or develop to improve mental or physical health.

About FTX US

FTX US is a US-regulated cryptocurrency exchange, built from the ground up. Its mission is for FTX US to grow the digital currency ecosystem, offer US and international traders a platform that inspires their loyalty, and to become the market leading US-regulated cryptocurrency exchange by volume within the next two years.

To learn more about FTX US, please visit: https://ftx.us/

Media Contact

Jay Morakis

M Group Strategic Communications (for FTX US)

+1 646-859-5951

[email protected]

SOURCE FTX US

Related Links

https://ftx.us


NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Genpact (NYSE: G), a global professional services firm focused on delivering digital transformation, announced today that it has been named to Fortune's "Change the World" list, which honors companies that are helping to address society's unmet needs. Genpact was specifically cited for its role in founding the US Rapid Action Consortium, which brings together leading scientists, academics and organizations to help companies navigate the complexities of implementing and operating COVID-19 testing programs at scale to help businesses across the country  large and small  create safer workplaces and communities.

In determining this year's winners, Fortune looked at companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy. This includes measurable social impact, business results, and how innovative a company's efforts are relative to others in its industry. Fortune highlighted the work of the Consortium in its award citation, recognizing the challenges that exist in restarting US businesses.

"Fortune's annual Change the World list celebrates companies that make measurable progress addressing pressing social problems, something that has never been more critical or more needed in today's incredibly complex global environment," said Alan Murray, CEO, Fortune. "The list reflects the growing corporate commitment to stakeholder capitalism, with Genpact and all of these named companies leading the way in combining purpose and profitthe best way to assure such programs are sustainable."

Genpact founded the US Rapid Action Consortium with the Creative Destruction Lab Rapid Screening Consortium (CDL RSC) in Canada, and the COVID Collaborative. Together, these partners leverage thousands of hours of research, vast quantities of data, and insights to make available, as a public good, essential screening protocols that are scalable and can be leveraged by most types of organizations. Staying true to its purpose, "the relentless pursuit of a world that works better for people," Genpact is using its digital and process expertise in solving complex business challenges for global organizations to help US companies safely return their employees to on-site work environments.

The US Rapid Action Consortium is an expansion of successful work done in Canada by the CDL RSC, of which Genpact also is a founding member. Between the US Rapid Action Consortium and the CDL RSC, Consortium member companies have administered more than 630,000 tests across more than 900 locations. Across locations, the rapid testing program has detected more than 500 asymptomatic individuals, preventing over 22,000 secondary infections from occurring.

"The Consortium was founded on the belief that the private sector is and must be a powerful force for progress in combatting the pandemic," said Stacy Simpson, global leader of corporate responsibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion, Genpact, and founder and co-chair, US Rapid Action Consortium. "We're extremely proud that Fortune has recognized the mission and progress of the Rapid Action Consortium. In addition to being a global health crisis, COVID-19 is also an information problem of the size and scale the world has never seen before. As with any complex information problem, the solution requires intelligent use of data and technology, and the right parties to come together to collectively learn, innovate, and rapidly iterate to create impact."

Companies interested in learning more about joining the US Rapid Action Consortium may visit its website here. Fortune's "Change the World" list can be found here.

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.

About the COVID Collaborative

COVID Collaborative, a project of UNITE, is a national assembly of experts, leaders and institutions in health, education and the economy and associations representing the diversity of the country to turn the tide on the pandemic by supporting federal, state and local COVID-19 response efforts.



The COVID Collaborative is co-chaired by former Governor and U.S. Senator Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID) and former Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA) and led by CEO John Bridgeland. COVID Collaborative includes expertise from across Republican and Democratic administrations at the federal, state and local levels, including former FDA commissioners, CDC directors, and U.S. surgeon generals; former U.S. secretaries of Education, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services; leading public health experts and institutions that span the country; the Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers and U.S. Chamber of Commerce; the NAACP, UnidosUS and the National Congress of American Indians; the Skoll Foundation, The Allstate Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation; and associations representing those on the front lines, from the American Public Health Association and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Council of the Great City Schools. Tim Shriver is Chairman of UNITE.



To learn more, visit www.CovidCollaborative.us, and follow the COVID Collaborative on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the CDL Rapid Screening Consortium

The CDL Rapid Screening Consortium (CDL RSC) is a private-led, not-for-profit initiative formed in August 2020 with the goal of establishing a robust rapid screening system and operational implementation strategy to be delivered as a public good to Canada and then the world. The Consortium is led by Creative Destruction Lab. This is an unprecedented collaboration among businesses, researchers, and government working together on a singular public-interest objective. Learn more about CDL RSC at https://www.cdlrapidscreeningconsortium.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Michael Schneider

Genpact Media Relations  Global

+1 (217) 260-5041

[email protected]

Danielle D'Angelo

Genpact Media Relations  Americas

+1 914-336-7951

[email protected]

Siya Belliappa

Genpact Media Relations  India

+91 9823133365

[email protected]

Anthony Mcdade

Genpact Media Relations  Australia

+61 412 091 010

[email protected]

Judith Schunke

Genpact Media Relations  Europe

+447887661155

[email protected]

Satoko Hashiba

Genpact Media Relations  Japan

+81 80 4944 3907

[email protected]

SOURCE Genpact

Related Links

http://www.genpact.com


GrubMarket acquires Funtech Software, a Canadian software-as-a-service provider of eCommerce and online grocery software solutions for online grocery companies and brick-and-mortar grocery stores throughout Canada and the U.S., enabling them to grow and manage their consumer-facing online businesses.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GrubMarket today announced it has completed the acquisition of Vancouver-based Funtech Software, a provider of comprehensive eCommerce systems and online grocery software solutions to both online grocery companies and brick-and-mortar grocery stores, enabling them to manage their business online and reach more consumers. This marks GrubMarket's first acquisition in Canada, and the formation of GrubMarket's first overseas software technology R&D center, leveraging the rich software engineering resources in the Vancouver area.

Founded in 2017 by Sam Qi, Funtech designs, develops and supports eCommerce storefronts across platforms, including desktop and mobile websites, as well as mobile applications. It also builds robust backend software systems to manage inventory, orders, pricing, logistics and packing for online orders. Funtech's customer base includes physical grocery stores and supermarkets in Vancouver and Eastern Canada, as well as online grocery companies in Canada and United States. After the acquisition, the business will continue to be managed by its current leadership team.

"We are excited to join the GrubMarket team and welcome the opportunities brought forth by GrubMarket's strong network and technology team. We are constantly striving to build the best eCommerce system solutions for our customers. We are thrilled to learn that GrubMarket shares these same goals. We sincerely look forward to joining the GrubMarket team and working together to bring Funtech Software to the next level of success." said Sam Qi, founder and CEO of Funtech Software.

According to Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket: "Funtech Software is a pioneer in building business-to-consumer (B2C) eCommerce software for physical and online grocery stores. With its profitable, cloud-based software platform, it has developed a reliable, fast-growing customer base in both Canada and the U.S. This acquisition marks the start of our expansion into Canada. It also enables GrubMarket to build an elite software engineering R&D center in Vancouver, leveraging the deep software engineering talent pool available there. Moreover, this acquisition supplements our current software offering to power both B2B and B2C activities in the food supply chain industry. We are excited to welcome the Funtech Software team to the GrubMarket family. Together, we will build a greater customer base and stronger eCommerce network in the food ecosystem across the North American continent."

Funtech's B2C eCommerce and online grocery software will now be available as part of GrubMarket's software product line, which already includes the innovative proprietary WholesaleWare software suite, the company's software-as-a-service platform, which provides food industry wholesalers, distributors, brokers, and suppliers with seamless financial management, easy-to-use sales and online ordering features, precise inventory management, lot traceability and tracking, and automated routing and logistics tools.

About GrubMarket

Founded in 2014, GrubMarket is a San Francisco-based food technology company operating in the space of food supply chain ecommerce for both business customers and end consumers, as well as providing related software-as-a-service solutions to digitally transform the American food supply chain. Currently, GrubMarket operates in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Missouri, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and British Columbia (Canada), with plans to expand to other parts of the U.S., Canada and other parts of the world.

For Media Inquiries:

GrubMarket Media Team

[email protected]

(510) 556-4786

GrubMarket

1925 Jerrold Ave.

San Francisco, CA. 94124

SOURCE GrubMarket

Related Links

http://www.grubmarket.com


GWANGJU, South Korea, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cerebral blood flow (CBF), which supplies oxygen and nutrients to our brain, is a crucial indicator of brain health. Information from CBF can, therefore, help us diagnose brain disorders. While this information is usually obtained from speckle imaging, the technique cannot provide information on both flow speed and direction. Now, scientists from GIST take things to the next level with a new technique that quantitatively estimates CBF in real time at high speeds.

Scientists Shine Light to Measure Blood Flow

The brain is arguably the most crucial aspect of our existence. Our brain health governs how well we function. In turn, our brain health is determined by the blood supply to our brain via "cerebral blood flow" (CBF), which regulates the supply of oxygen and nutrients and removes metabolic by-products. An imbalance in CBF can lead to brain disorders such as headache, seizures, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and stroke.

Observing local CBF during neural activity could, therefore, help unravel the origins of brain disorders. Speckle imaging, a technique based on the analysis of large number of short exposures, is particularly popular in this regard because it is non-invasive, label-free, simple, and provides high time resolution. However, it cannot provide information on both blood flow direction and speed, making it difficult to analyze and monitor changes in blood flow.

In a recent study, researchers led by Prof. Euiheon Chung from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in Korea came up with an innovative solution to this problem. The team developed a technique called "optical speckle image velocimetry" (OSIV) that creates an absolute flow map in real time with information on both speed and direction and a superior time resolution. Prof. Chung explains, "We intended to create a new technique that, unlike its predecessors, allows for a quantitative analysis of CBF and does not require complex mathematical modeling for flow measurements." This paper was made available online on 13 August 2021 and was published in Volume 8, Issue 8 of the journal Optica.

OSIV utilizes particle image velocimetry and speckle cross-correlations to detect blood flow velocities up to 7 mm/s and can measure flow maps at up to 190 Hz. To put OSIV to the test, the team used it to image blood flow during a stroke in a mouse brain in vivo, obtaining quantitative flow measurements without needing a tracer or a high-speed camera.

The technique can be successfully deployed to diagnose healthy and diseased brains. "Our study can be used to understand the vascular mechanisms and test new drugs for treating vascular-related diseases such as stroke, AD, and diabetes," speculates Prof. Chung, excitedly.

We certainly hope this is soon realized!

Reference

Title of original paper: Quantitative blood flow estimation in vivo by optical speckle image velocimetry

Journal: Optica

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.422871

About the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)

Website: http://www.gist.ac.kr/

Media Contact

Seulhye Kim

[email protected]

+82 62 715 6253

SOURCE Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

Related Links

http://www.gist.ac.kr/


The American Humane Hero Veterinarian and Hero Veterinary Nurse Awards were born out of the idea that behind almost every hero pet (and millions more animals) is a hero veterinarian or veterinary nurse. These often-little-known benefactors save and improve the lives of our two- and four-legged best friends in many ways, and it is time to honor their achievements. Hundreds of worthy nominees were considered by a special blue-ribbon panel of celebrities and renowned veterinary and animal care professionals. After narrowing down the field to the top five in each category, the American public made the final determination through online voting. Here are their stories, as told by those who nominated them:

2021 American Hero Veterinarian: Dr. Mary Kate Lawler (Houston, Texas)

Dr. Mary Kate Lawler has graced the Spay-Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) with her proficient leadershipas chief surgeon in San Antonio since 2006, and as Executive Director since 2015. Her tireless work and dedication allow her to perform as many as 8,500 spay/neuter surgeries per year. When the last surgery is finished each day and the patients are recovering, she deftly shifts to her role as executive director. Her exemplary veterinary skill, business acumen, and compassion keep the SNAP team focused on our mission. Dr. Lawler is a 1995 graduate of NYSCVM at Cornell University. Throughout her veterinary career, spay/neuter surgery has been her focus. She has traveled extensively and has participated in spay/neuter clinics in India, Mexico, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, American Samoa, Hawaii, and on the reservations in the American Southwest. She has led the SNAP team to perform over 20,000 spay/neuter surgeries and 8,500 veterinary wellness visits annually. Her unwavering dedication to the well-being of the people and pets of our community has pushed her to persevere through hurricanes, fires, and pandemicskeeping SNAP thriving in spite of the challenges. She is a hero in the eyes of those she leads and the vast number of companion animals whose lives she has improved.

2021 American Humane Hero Veterinary Nurse Award Recipient: Jill Elston (Milan, Pennsylvania)

Jill is the embodiment of an "American Hero Veterinary Nurse." Since college, shelter medicine has been her passion, and a couple years after graduation she found her true purpose working at Animal Care Sanctuary, serving and caring for those who had no home. protecting the wounded and abused and giving a chance to souls everyone else gave up on. She courageously leads a team of veterinary professionals who provide veterinary care in an underserved rural area, and Jill herself has become the St. Jude of ACS, "Mama Jill's Home for Lost Souls." She is always first in line to take home the sad, broken, sick, abused, or neglected creature. She regularly rehabilitates fearful dogs and helps sick animals to recover. Her special project, though, is being a hospice for older dogs and cats who aren't candidates for adoption, but who still deserve the dignity of a home and a family at the end of their lives. For all cats and dogs, she offers up her home, giving them a chance to flourish under comfortable (dare I say lavish) conditions, receiving the best of food and healthcare, a lively lifestyle, and a warm, soft spot next to Jill in the recliner or on the bed. These included Miss P. Kevin, Honey, Hershey, Yoda, Simza, Ava, Kado, Bacon, Barnaby, Poki, Grumio, Empress of Shadows, Squiggy, Mimi and her pups, Smokey, Teddy, Amos, Morgan, Edgar, The Bacon Bits, Cosby, Clancy, Murdock, Titan, Lou, Breeland, Yukon, Herc, and so many other patients I can't recall. And Hickory, who started it all.

"We are so pleased to help shine a light on two outstanding veterinary professionals who go above and beyond to provide essential veterinary care to animals in need," said Tara Bidgood, DVM, PhD, DACVCP, Executive Director, Veterinary Professional Services and Medical Affairs, Zoetis Petcare. "Dr. Mary Kate Lawler has helped prevent suffering through overpopulation and neglect on a massive scale and veterinary nurse Jill Elston exemplifies caring and compassion professionally and in her personal life. They are both truly heroes."

"Veterinarians and veterinary nurses are heroes to the animals they serve and these awards are an effort to recognize the best of the best," said Dr. Robin Ganzert, American Humane president and CEO. "Dr. Lawler and Ms. Elston are remarkable animal welfare advocates, and we are proud to honor their work in aiding the animals living in their communities. We also want to give special thanks to our friends at Zoetis Petcare for sponsoring this national campaign to recognize the achievements of the veterinary community."

More information about this year's American Humane Hero Veterinarian and Hero Veterinary Nurse Awards is available at www.herovetawards.org .

About American Humane

American Humane is the country's first national humane organization, founded in 1877. For more information, please visit www.americanhumane.org and please follow them on Facebook and Twitter .

About Zoetis

As the world's leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After nearly 70 years innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide - from livestock farmers to veterinarians and pet owners. The company's leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. In 2020, Zoetis generated revenue of $6.7 billion with ~11,300 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com.

SOURCE American Humane

Related Links

http://www.americanhumane.org


"We set out to make our marketing more inclusive and representative, and the result is working with Culture Brands to launch the OKAY Hyundai campaign to promote the 2022 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid and the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid in a culturally relevant way," said Angela Zepeda, CMO, Hyundai Motor America. "What makes this campaign unique is its relatability which we feel broadens Hyundai's voice in the marketplace."

Insights into the vehicle target were honed through research and real time polls leveraged through Because of Them We Can. OKAY Hyundai contains cultural references and nuances embedded into the creative messaging which is part of the Culture Brands recipe.

OKAY Hyundai came from the art form of how the African American community acknowledges someone. This form focuses on an approach of less is more, and efficiency is supreme. Oftentimes with just one word, those on the receiving end are seen, praised, and validated. See someone with a nice outfit on? OKAY outfit! See someone driving a vehicle that elevates the entire market? OKAY Hyundai!

"OKAY is defined as a word that is used to express assent, agreement, or acceptance," said Eunique Jones Gibson, CEO & Chief Creative Officer of Culture Brands. "In the African American community, placing OKAY before something is the quintessential way things worth noticing are acknowledged. Together, it's the perfect nod to Hyundai and to our prospective buyers."

"As important as the cultural insights were to the creative, they were also used as a tool for the media placement," added Erik Thomas, senior group manager, experiential & multicultural marketing, Hyundai Motor America. "We are reintroducing Hyundai to the community as a viable option for new vehicle prospects, while showcasing the PHEV quality, benefits and capabilities of these vehicles."

Diverse representation was important to the making of the campaign. Culture Brands, along with Brim & Brew, a Black-owned production company, ensured people of color were in front of and behind the camera. The result was a delightful interaction between cast and crew that is captured in behind-the-scenes footage that will also be used as part of the campaign's social strategy.

Hyundai Homecoming

No Stops Necessary

Culture Brands

Culture Brands is an independent, minority and female-owned agency that exists to authentically celebrate, reflect and represent African Americans in media. Founded in 2017, by 15-year advertising veteran Eunique Jones Gibson, we create culturally relevant and affirming campaigns and content that inspire African American audiences by ensuring they feel seen, heard and valued. At Culture Brands, we are constantly engaged in a two-way conversation with the African American community through our owned and operated media platforms and consumer brands such as the award-winning Because of Them We Can, Because of Them We Can Box (Just For Kids), #CultureTags and Dream Village. Culture Brands is headquartered right outside of the nation's capital in Hyattsville, MD.

www.culturebrands.co

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America focuses on 'Progress for Humanity' and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs and electrified vehicles. Our 820 dealers sold more than 620,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2020, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.HyundaiNews.com.

Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

SOURCE Hyundai Motor America

Related Links

www.hyundainews.com


The Research in Action Vendor Selection Matrix  is primarily a survey-based methodology for vendor evaluation, in which 63 percent of the evaluation is based on a survey of enterprise IT or business decision makers. The remaining 37 percent is based on the analyst's judgement, which is informed by a combination of intensive interviews with software or services vendors and their clients, plus their informed, independent point of view as an analyst. This approach is one of the key differentiators of Research In Action in market research. For this report, RIA interviewed 1,500 marketing and business managers with budget responsibility in enterprises globally. RIA selected those vendors who achieved the best evaluations scores from the buyers but disregarded those with fewer than 15 evaluations or that did not fit the market profile.

"What's clear in this year's report is that the pandemic has both accelerated digital transformation and created a new dimension of partners requiring a much more sensitive and dynamic digital platform," said Peter O'Neill, author of the report and Research Director, Research In Action GmbH. "The PMA vendor landscape will leave pure-play PRM or TCMA behind. Impartner is the overall global leader for Partner Management Automation tools and automates the total partner journey  for every type of partner."

It's humbling and exciting to come out on top as the solution our market knows and trusts to manage their entire partner journey," said Impartner VP Product Gary Sabin. "And certainly, to be recognized for customer satisfaction, our price/value ratio, and as the company that can best meet contemporary partner management demands through a single streamlined platform is incredibly rewarding. Those things are at the core of what the Impartner team is focused on delivering to our customers everyday worldwide."

Join Sabin and O'Neill on November 11th, 2021, at 8 a.m. MST/4 p.m. CEST for a webinar, where they will discuss this research and partner management automation trends for 2022 and beyond. Register here.

This news comes on the heels of the company's recent announcement of a $50 million round of funding, led by Brighton Park Capital with participation from existing investors Savant Growth, Emergence and Golub Capital. Recent groundbreaking product releases from Impartner include Impartner PX Partner Experience, a lightning-fast, modern, consumerized interface designed from the ground up to delight partners and accelerate indirect sales; Journey Builder, which helps companies choreograph the perfect partner journey; and Program Compliance Manager, which helps solve the No. 2 problem facing channel chiefs, managing program compliance.

About Research in Action

Research In Action GmbH is a leading independent information and communications technology research and consulting company. The company provides both forward-looking as well as practical advice to enterprise as well as vendor clients.

About Impartner

Impartner is the fastest-growing, most award-winning provider of channel management technologies, including its flagship Partner Relationship Management (PRM) and Through Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA) solutions, which help companies worldwide manage their partner relationships, drive demand through partners and accelerate revenue and profitability through indirect sales channels. For more information on Impartner, which is based in Utah's tech hotbed, the Silicon Slopes, visit impartner.com.

Impartner Contact:

Kerry Desberg

Impartner

[email protected]

SOURCE Impartner

Related Links

http://www.impartner.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- J.P. Morgan Asset Management today released new defined contribution research that reveals 42 percent of participants are leaving balances in their defined contribution (DC) account in the three years following retirement, up significantly from 28 percent in 2018 and double the percentage in 2009 (20 percent).

At the same time, retirees are spending at higher than expected levels in the early years of retirement, and should plan on needing to replace more than 90 percent of their working income at retirement, a significant increase from the widely accepted 70-80 percent standard. This number gradually decreases once in retirement to 70 percent at age 85.

The first Retirement by the Numbers report combines the firm's popular Ready! Fire! Aim? research with insights into household spending patterns to provide a uniquely comprehensive view of how individuals are using their DC plans as a savings vehicle and how they are also spending as they move through retirement.

Findings from the report also indicate that most people are still not contributing enough to reach safe funding levels, with average starting contribution rates beginning at 5 percent and never reaching 10 percent before retirement.

"We can see from the first Retirement by the Numbers report that retirees need much more in savings to accommodate higher than expected spending needs in retirement," said Katherine Roy, Chief Retirement Strategist, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "In light of these findings, it's critical that plan sponsors consider incorporating features such as automatic contribution and escalation to increase lagging contribution rates. As more participants keep assets in plans post-retirement, tools to help participants spend down in retirement will prove increasingly valuable to achieving strong retirement outcomes."

Based on an understanding of the saving and spending patterns of plan participants, J.P. Morgan Asset Management plans to evolve the glide path across its SmartRetirement suite of target date funds, increasing equity allocations while maintaining broad diversification and de-risking in the critical years leading up to retirement.

"In light of our insights into the spending and savings patterns of plan participants, we have adjusted the SmartRetirement glide path to meet a higher accumulation target and enable more participants to reach a minimum level of adequate replacement income," said Dan Oldroyd, Head of Target Date Strategies, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "Additionally, with data telling us that more participants are staying in their plan after retiring, we have introduced a dynamic retirement income strategy into the glide path to help set an optimized annual spend down amount that changes each year, starting at the point of retirement."

The Retirement by the Numbers research draws upon actual saving and withdrawal patterns from approximately 4,500 DC plans with more than 1.4 million participants1. Retiree spending data comes from more than five million de-identified JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (Chase) households.

Findings from the Retirement by the Numbers report have several implications for DC plan and target date fund glide path design:

Getting more participants to save more: Plans can help participants help themselves through the broader use of automatic contribution and escalation programs at much higher starting levels and increase rates than typically used today. Our biennial participant survey published earlier this year revealed that participants largely think they should be saving more than they are, and almost all of those automatically enrolled with their contributions automatically increased, and reported being satisfied with the actions. Updates to the SmartRetirement glide path: To help address the significantly higher accumulation target for the average participant and our low long-term market expectations, we will increase equity allocations across the glide path2, while maintaining our emphasis on increasing risk/reward efficiency through broad diversification and a relatively rapid reduction in equity exposure in the critical years leading up to retirement. Including an efficient retirement income option: Our glide path enhancements include a proprietary methodology that can help enhance the potential efficiency for spending down assets through retirement, based on actual spending behaviors, while minimizing longevity risk. The firm's recent research, drawing on data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), showed that participants are heavily reliant on required minimum distributions (RMDs) for withdrawal guidance. J.P. Morgan Asset Management has developed an interactive experience to help participants decide how much to withdraw each year based on sample withdrawal amounts estimated as a percentage of participants' account balances that may be safely withdrawn each year, while allowing for redemption in future years.

"We remain committed to diving deeper into the numbers surrounding retirement funding and spending behavior to both help support our clients in their retirement decision making and to inform the design of our retirement solutions," said Kelly Hahn, Defined Contribution Strategist, J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

About J.P. Morgan Asset Management

J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with assets under management of USD 2.7 trillion (as of 30 September 2021), is a global leader in investment management. J.P. Morgan Asset Management's clients include institutions, retail investors and high net worth individuals in every major market throughout the world. J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers global investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity and liquidity. For more information: www.jpmorganassetmanagement.com.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America ("U.S."), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $3.8 trillion in assets and $290.0 billion in stockholders' equity as of September 30, 2021. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management is the marketing name for the asset management businesses of JPMorgan Chase & Co., and its affiliates worldwide.

DATA PRIVACY: We have a number of security protocols in place which are designed to ensure all customer data are kept confidential and secure. We use reasonable physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that are designed to comply with federal standards to protect and limit access to personal information. There are several key controls and policies in place which are designed to ensure customer data are safe, secure and anonymous: (1) Before J.P. Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM) receives the data, all unique identifiable information, including names, account numbers, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers, is removed. (2) JPMAM has put privacy protocols for its researchers in place. Researchers are obligated to use the data solely for approved research and are obligated not to re-identify any individual represented in the data. (3) JPMAM does not allow the publication of any information about an individual or entity. Any data point included in any publication based on customer data may only reflect aggregate information. (4) The data are stored on a secure server and can be accessed only under strict security procedures. Researchers are not permitted to export the data outside of J.P. Morgan Chase's (JPMC) systems. The system complies with all JPMC Information Technology Risk Management requirements for the monitoring and security of data. (5) JPMAM provides valuable insights to policymakers, businesses and financial advisors, but these insights cannot come at the expense of consumer privacy. We take every precaution to ensure the confidence and security of our account holders' private information.

 2021 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved.

1 Source: Participant data from MassMutual Financial Group

2 The effective date of the new glide path allocation is on or about March 18th, 2022.

SOURCE J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Related Links

https://www.jpmorganchase.com/


An important arbiter of environmental, social and governmental (ESG) performance, GRESB is a mission-driven and industry-led organization that provides actionable ESG data to financial markets.

"Earning these exceptional marks from GRESB for seven straight years demonstrates Macerich's longstanding record for industry leadership in sustainability," said Olivia Bartel Leigh, Executive Vice President, Portfolio Operations and People, Macerich. "Our committed focus on environmental stewardship, social good and sound, transparent governance makes a difference not only for investors, but also for our own employees, industry partners and the communities where we do business."

Macerich's most recent Corporate Responsibility Report, issued in June 2021, conveys details of the Company's comprehensive ESG focus, including plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030  decades ahead of the Paris climate agreement. The full report with data for the period ending December 31, 2020, can be accessed at www.macerich.com/sustainability.

About Macerich

Macerich is a fully integrated, self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT), which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States.

Macerich currently owns 49 million square feet of real estate consisting primarily of interests in 45 regional shopping centers. Macerich specializes in successful retail properties in many of the country's most attractive, densely populated markets with significant presence on the West Coast and in Arizona, Chicago and the Metro New York to Washington, DC corridor. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's website at www.macerich.com .

SOURCE Macerich Company

Related Links

https://www.macerich.com/


HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is partnering with The Catalyst Business Entrepreneurship Center, the Alabama A&M University National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (AAMU NSF EPSCoR), and the Department of Defense to host a two-day event.

Marshall will host the seventh annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities / Minority Serving Institutions Partnerships Meeting Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST, virtually via Zoom. On Oct. 27, Alabama A&M will host the AAMU NSF EPSCoR Summit, virtually via Zoom from 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. CST. Members of the news media are invited to attend both events, which are free and open to the public.

The events will highlight the critical role historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions play in the success of NASA's missions, as well as serve as a partnering opportunity to pair academic institutions with NASA large contractors.

Participants should register individually and are asked not to share their unique meeting link. To register, visit here.

Marshall and NASA small business leaders and managers will provide updates on key NASA initiatives. Among them: NASA's Mentor-Protege Program , which allows for HBCUs/MSIs to pair up with NASA large contractors; the Minority University Research Education Program , which engages minority-serving institutions via grants and other partner initiatives; and the NASA Small Business Technology Transfer Program , which unites cutting-edge academic work with NASA's proven legacy of flight projects and programs.

NASA speakers will include:

Glenn Delgado , associate administrator of NASA's Office of Small Business Programs

, associate administrator of NASA's Office of Small Business Programs Larry Leopard , Marshall associate director, technical

, associate director, technical Jason Detko , director of Marshall's Office of Procurement

, director of Office of Procurement David Brock , small business specialist at Marshall

, small business specialist at Gwenevere Jasper , Marshall Small Business Technology Transfer technology transition lead

, Marshall Small Business Technology Transfer technology transition lead Dan O'Neil , Marshall dual-use manager

, dual-use manager Steven Holz , assistant project manager, Langley Research Center

, assistant project manager, Langley Research Center Rod Chappell , lead, Partnerships and Sustainability Minority University Research & Education Project, Langley Research Center

Media interested in covering the event should contact Janet Sudnik in Marshall's Office of Communications at [email protected] no later than 4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 25.

The meeting is sponsored by Marshall's Office of Procurement and Small Business Office. To learn more about doing business with Marshall, please visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/about/business.html

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


TYSONS, Va., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MicroTech announces today their partnership with Visium Technologies.

Visium Technologies, Inc. is a Florida corporation based in Fairfax, Virginia, focused on global cybersecurity clarity, machine learning, advancing technology and automating services to support enterprises in protecting their most valuable assets - their data, business applications, and IoT on their networks and in the cloud.

Tony Jimenez, MicroTech Founder, President and CEO, noted, "Cybersecurity threats are persistent and it is very easy for malware to cripple networks. It is critical that companies are able to monitor their security in real-time and machine data can facilitate this effort. Visium enables companies to better secure their networks and MicroTech is excited to partner with them."

Visium provides the following benefits:

Makes it easier for users to visualize machine data and find new insights - Users can now leverage Visium to visualize machine data from Splunk Enterprise, enabling new business insights from a rapidly growing class of data.

New source of valuable data now available to more people - People can now access a new source, via our CyGraph module, of valuable machine data within the Splunk Enterprise Application ecosystem. These capabilities deliver TruContext and are complementary to the real-time and historical visualizations and analytics across large data sets in Splunk Enterprise.

Correlate machine data with other structured data- The integration enables users to correlate, analyze and visualize machine data with other structured data for advanced business analytics.

Accelerate Machine Learning (ML)- Visium's platform adds velocity to the unsupervised ML process by delivering already connected data-sets to ML models.

For more information, please visit www.visiumtechnologies.com

About MicroTech: MicroTech, a U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Verified and Certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), has had noteworthy success since its inception in 2004. Under MicroTech's outstanding leadership, the privately-owned company has experienced exponential growth over the years and is repeatedly recognized as a small business success story. Regularly described as the "hottest Hispanic business in the nation," MicroTech was ranked as the #1 Fastest-Growing Hispanic Company in the Nation for three consecutive years by Hispanic Business. Magazine. MicroTech was also named one of the Top 10 Fastest Growing Hispanic-Owned Companies in the Nation for five consecutive years.

MicroTech is a Managed Service Provider (MSP), providing Infrastructure Services & Solutions, Cyber Security Solutions, Cloud Computing, Information Technology, Professional Services, Network Systems Integration, Research & Development, Leasing/Financial Services, and Unified Communications Services, Solutions, and Support to Federal, State, and Local Government Agencies, public sector, as well as commercial enterprises. MicroTech is ISO 9001, ISO 20000, ISO 27001, ISO 20243 certified, and is CMMI Maturity Level 3 rated in both CMMI Services (CMI-SVC) & CMMI Development (CMMI-DEV). Follow MicroTech on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

For more information on Visium Technologies, please visit www.visiumtechnologies.com

Contact:

Jennifer Berman,

703-531-9976,

[email protected]

SOURCE MicroTech

Related Links

http://www.microtech.net


VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Mobilum Technologies Inc. ("Mobilum'' or the "Company'') (CSE: MBLM) (OTC: MBLMF) (FRA: C0B), a technology-driven company making traditional finance accessible through digital payment infrastructure and digital asset management technologies, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Vogel as Chief Executive Officer of Mobilum and Wojciech Kaszycki as President.

Michael Vogel

Mr. Vogel is currently a director of the Company. He is a well-known leader and pioneer in the Bitcoin world. He founded Netcoins in 2014, rapidly scaled the company as CEO & CTO to thousands of customers and millions in revenue, before leading the company to public listing in 2018 - notably the first crypto company of its type to be publicly listed. Netcoins, which was acquired by BIGG Digital Assets Inc. (CSE:BIGG) (OTC:BBKCF) in 2018, is now one of the largest and longest operating Bitcoin exchanges in Canada.

Michael is the CEO of Coinstream, a Bitcoin company aimed at the US market, offering an ultra-simple way for Americans to buy cryptocurrencies. He is also the founder and CEO of Encore Ventures, which is involved in the development and incubation/advisory of new startups and technologies in both crypto and tech spaces.

Michael's specialty is fast-growing startups in disruptive sectors: taking new ideas and products from concept to market to scale, something he has done multiple times in building several multi-million dollar startups. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge across the board, public markets, executive, and engineering levels. Michael is regularly interviewed in both Canadian and international media as a thought leader in the crypto industry.

"I'm excited to be stepping into the role of CEO at Mobilum Technologies, a company that has continued to bolster its position in the crypto and fin-tech spaces," said Michael Vogel. "I look forward to using my strong crypto background to help Mobilum become a dominant player in this booming industry."

Wojciech Kaszycki

Mr. Kaszycki is currently a director of the Company and CEO of Mobilum OU, a wholly-owned subsidiary. Mr. Kaszycki is a pioneer in the area of Ecommerce and Mcommerce solutions and has over 24 years of experience creating and managing innovative technologies. From the beginning of his professional career, he has engaged in the implementation of innovations that change everyday life. Between 1996 and 2001, Kaszycki managed the first Ecommerce agency in Poland, AGS NewMedia, created the first Ecommerce portal in Poland Empik.com (Polish Amazon).

"I am very excited to be stepping into the role of President at Mobilum Technologies. As I have said from the beginning, it's people that do business, not companies and I'm excited to work alongside the visionaries at Mobilum to build something significant and change the world," said Wojciech Kaszycki. "In the last few months, Mobilum Technologies has hit several significant records and completed numerous strategic acquisitions that put the company miles ahead of the competition. It's clear that this company has a bright future ahead and I look forward to being an integral part of it."

Peter Green, former Chief Executive Officer, shall remain Chairman of the Board.

About Mobilum Technologies Inc.

Mobilum Technologies Inc. (CSE:MBLM) (OTC:MBLMF) (FRA:C0B), a technology-driven Payment Service Provider (PSP) with a mission to make traditional finance accessible through digital payment infrastructure and digital asset management technologies. Our goal is to allow consumers around the world to convert fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat with Mobilum's on-ramp and off-ramp solutions. Mobilum has offices in Canada, Hong Kong, Poland, and Estonia. For further information go to Mobilum.com.

Related Links

https://mobilum.com

https://buybitfast.com

https://xportdigital.com

SOURCE Mobilum Technologies Inc.

Related Links

https://mobilum.com/


PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NEXT Insurance , the leading digital insurtech company transforming small business insurance, today announced the availability of NEXT Connect , a trusted embedded insurance solution for some of the leading small business software ecosystems in the U.S. NEXT Connect enables small businesses to purchase fast and affordable coverage in a way that is convenient for them, either completely online or with the assistance of a licensed insurance agent. In addition, it provides an unmatched opportunity for trusted small business partners. Small business ecosystems in industries including payroll, POS, accounting, e-commerce, banking and others can now easily embed NEXT's insurance offerings into their existing platforms. By leveraging multiple insurance carriers, including NEXT, partners can address the full coverage needs of virtually any type of small business anywhere in the U.S.

NEXT Connect is a result of NEXT's earlier acquisition of AP Intego in March of this year. It combines AP Intego's partner-based, multi-carrier model with NEXT's unmatched strengths in customer experience, customer care and technology. NEXT Connect strengthens NEXT as a business and furthers the company mission to better serve even more small businesses and potential partners.

"NEXT Connect creates an unmatched opportunity for our small business ecosystem partners to embed insurance offerings directly into their platforms," said Steve Hauck, VP, Partnerships at NEXT. "We are entering an age where our customers want and deserve the opportunity to purchase the best insurance policies for their business, from a trusted source, and with this new NEXT Connect offering, we're able to provide that solution."

NEXT Insurance transforms small business insurance by leveraging new technology, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to deliver a simple and affordable purchasing experience. NEXT Connect continues NEXT's core mission to help small businesses thrive by simplifying access to insurance and meeting customers where they are.

NEXT will be at Money 20/20 in Las Vegas from Sunday, October 24-Wednesday, October 27, 2021. Learn more about NEXT Connect by visiting our booth #5126.

About NEXT Insurance:

NEXT Insurance is transforming small business insurance with simple, digital and affordable coverage tailored to the self-employed. Trusted by 300k business owners, NEXT offers policies that are easy to buy in 10 minutes or less and provides 24/7 access to Live Certificates of Insurance , Additional Insured, and more, with no extra fees. Revolutionizing a historically complicated insurance industry, NEXT utilizes AI and machine learning to simplify the purchasing process and drive down costs by up to 30% compared to traditional policies. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, has received a total of $881 million in venture capital funding, is rated "A- Excellent" by AM Best and has been recognized by Forbes Fintech 50 , JMP Securities InsurTech 50 and Forbes Best StartUp Employers . For more information visit NextInsurance.com . Stay up to date on the latest with NEXT on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook and our blog .

SOURCE NEXT Insurance

Related Links

http://www.NextInsurance.com


DALLAS, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Physicians and faith leaders from North Texas teamed up for frank and honest conversations that dispel misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. Nine local faith leaders from churches with largely African American congregations sat down with physicians from those communities to record video conversations addressing the most common myths about the vaccines.

"I receive numerous questions about the COVID-19 vaccines from people in my congregation," said Pastor Patrick Winfield, Campus Pastor of The Potter's House of Fort Worth, one of the participating faith leaders. "I feel compelled to do everything I can to dispel the myths and build trust with physicians within in our community so that people will feel more comfortable being vaccinated. This kind of information helped me feel comfortable enough to be vaccinated," continued Winfield," continued Winfield.

The nine video-recorded conversations cover an array of topics, including: fertility and childbearing, the inclusion of African Americans in vaccine clinical trials, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, and building trust between African American and medical communities.

"We have a long history of African Americans distrusting medical institutions because of unfortunate past events," shared Pastor Richie Butler, Senior Pastor of St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church in East Dallas. "The conversations we put together in these videos should give our congregations and people in the community a high level of trust in the vaccines and doctors that are serving our families and neighbors. Ultimately, we want to dispel all of the terrible misinformation that is out there," continued Butler.

The video outreach project was created by the North Texas Medical Society Coalition, representing approximately 12,000 physicians in the Collin-Fannin, Dallas, Denton, Grayson, and Tarrant County medical societies. In April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Texas, physicians in these county medical societies came together to provide education, outreach, and science-based information to residents about all aspects of COVID-19. Most recently, the Coalition has looked for ways to increase vaccine uptake in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

"Physicians have been on the front lines of this pandemic and have seen the horrendous toll it has taken on individuals, families, and entire communities," says John Flores, MD, an internal medicine specialist from Kittle Elm and Chair of the Coalition. "After the vaccines were approved, we began looking to do everything we could to promote vaccination. It is our best way out of this pandemic," continued Dr. Flores.

"Across North Texas, we know that many residents live in one county but may work, engage in social activities, or attend church in a different county," added Beth Kassanoff-Piper, MD, an internal medicine specialist from Dallas and Vice-chair of the Coalition. "We did not want people to get mixed messages across the region, so the Coalition came together to share the same science-based information so that residents received consistent messages from the medical community," added Dr. Kassanoff-Piper.

The faith leaders participating in the project include:

Caesar Rentie, Vice President of Pastoral Services, Methodist Health System, Dallas

Marcus D. King, Senior Pastor, Disciple Central Community Church, DeSoto

Lamont Ross, Senior Minister, Marsalis Avenue Church of Christ, Oak Cliff

Richie Butler, Senior Pastor, St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church, East Dallas

Deborah Morgan, Senior Minister, East Dallas Christian Church, Dallas

Kwesi R. Kamau, Lead Pastor, IMPACT Church, North Dallas

Julian Hobdy, First Methodist Church, Mansfield

Irie L. Session, Co-pastor, The Gathering, A Womanist Church, Dallas

Patrick Winfield, Campus Pastor, The Potter's House of Fort Worth

The Coalition hopes to record additional faith leader and physician conversations throughout North Texas in the coming months in order to further support COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

All nine video conversations can be viewed online at bit.ly/PhysiciansAndFaith

Contact Information:

Dallas County Medical Society

Pamela Lowery

[email protected]

ph. 214-948-3622

SOURCE Dallas County Medical Society

Related Links

www.dallas-cms.org


WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report released by the Policy & Economic Research Council (PERC) found that proposed data suppression/deletion measures to address the economic fallout of COVID-19 will dramatically reduce access to credit should they be implemented. The report, titled "Impacts from System-Wide Suppression of Derogatory Data in Credit Reporting," simulated the impacts of largescale suppression and deletion of negative credit information.

For the past 18 months, policymakers in the US and globally struggled with the complex issue of market shutdowns from the necessary healthcare measures. Domestically, the relatively narrow and targeted credit reporting response from the CARES Act seems to have been largely successful. However, there were calls by some members of Congress for an outright system-wide ban on credit reporting of adverse information, covering all consumers during (and for some period after) the COVID-19 crisisa policy referred to as "suppression and deletion."

While the pandemic is heading in the right direction in the US, the country is by no means out of the woods. With 22% of the US population unvaccinated, and much lower vaccination rates globally, there is abundant opportunity for the healthcare crisis to go sideways. If this happens, lawmakers could be tempted to enact suppression/deletion measures to protect consumers. Moreover, narrower applications of this approach have recently been introduced in Congress as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). While well-intended, as with the broader measure, narrower applications would more likely be harmful to borrowers than helpfulin this case active-duty military personnel.

The PERC report found that with a broader suppression/deletion policy in place, average credit scores rise  but not enough to match the concurrent rise in the cut-off score used by lenders to decide which borrowers to reject and which to accept. For example, after just six months of suppression/deletion, the cut-off score rises to 699 while the average credit score increases to just 693. The gap between the two widens over time, meaning the longer a policy of suppression is in place, the more people who will be denied access to affordable mainstream credit.

The evidence from the new study also shows that younger borrowers, lower-income borrowers, and borrowers from minority communities will experience the greatest negative impacts. In one example, while credit acceptance for the entire population decreased 18%, it dropped 46% for the youngest borrowers. Another scenario, including the moral hazard impact from a policy of suppression/deletion, found credit access for 18- to 24-year-olds reduced by an astounding 90%. Such a widespread impact on one age group would likely have an enduring effect on their ability to generate wealth and build assetsnotable as Millennials have struggled on this front relative to Gen-Xers and Boomers at the same age. By income, it dropped 19% for the lowest income group but 15% for the highesta 27% difference. For members of households in white, non-Hispanic majority areas, it dropped 17%, but in black-majority areas, it dropped 23%, and in Hispanic-majority areas, it dropped 25%.

PERC's almost two decades of research has focused on the responsible use of data to expand financial inclusion. This study was a continuation of a previous white paper titled "Addition is Better than Subtraction: The Risks from Data Suppression and Benefits of Adding More Positive Data in Credit Reporting." It reviewed previous research on data deletion and presented consistent findings that data deletions are harmful to borrowers. In contrast to suppression/deletion, PERC research has found that adding non-financial payment data to consumer credit reports increases access to credit dramatically for credit invisibles (primarily lower income persons, younger and elderly Americans, minority communities and immigrants).

The report recommended adding positive (on-time) payment data of telecoms, cable and satellite TV, and broadband companies into the credit reporting system, rather than deleting negative (late) payment data. The inclusion of predictive data through consumer-permissioned channels may also help offset the degradation of traditional credit file data resulting from the pandemic.

PERC President and CEO Dr. Michael Turner stated, "US policymakers have achieved a delicate balance with CARES Act provisionswhich have worked. Moving forward, however, our study shows they must tread carefully." Dr. Turner pointed to the likelihood that people excluded as a consequence of suppression/deletion would turn to high-cost lenders (pawn shops, payday lenders, title lenders) to meet their real credit needs. "We think it is the time for Congress to act to promote the inclusion of alternative data in consumer credit reports," Turner added.

The Society for Financial Education & Professional Development (SFE&PD) Founder and President Ted Daniels added, "PERC's report on credit reporting contains extremely useful information because it details how proposed COVID-19 data suppression/deletion measures actually reduce access to credit for consumers, especially minority populations. Moreover, the PERC report shows the need for fair and accurate disclosure of all credit data  such as positive payment data of telecoms, cable and satellite TV, and broadband  into credit reports."

Join us today at 1PM EST on Zoom for a panel discussion of the report findings featuring Dr. Turner and Patrick Walker of PERC, Ted Daniels from SFE&PD, Bill Cheeks from ABBA Associates Inc., and Dara Duguay from Credit Builders Alliance.

For more information, please contact:

Patrick Walker

Email: [email protected]

Tel. +1 (919) 338-2798 x803

For more information, please contact:

Ginie Lynch

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 443-614-2772

About PERC: The Policy and Economic Research Council (PERC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization devoted to research, public education and outreach on public policy matters. PERC's goal is to educate and engage policy makers, consumers, the financial/economic community and the larger public, in the firm belief that a better-informed public makes better decisions. Areas of expertise include information policy, economic development, credit access and the global information economy. The Council is funded by both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations that support the Institute's general mission and agenda.

About SFE&PD: Since 1998, the Society for Financial Education and Professional Development (SFE&PD) has served as one of the nation's leading financial literacy and professional development nonprofits. SFE&PD teaches financial skills to people of all ages and backgrounds and is committed to enhancing the financial wellbeing of underserved, low-income communities. SFE&PD, based in Alexandria, VA, is led by President and Founder Ted Daniels, a global financial literacy movement leader. Learn more at www.sfepd.org.

SOURCE Policy & Economic Research Council (PERC)
HAMPTON, N.H., Oct 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: PLNT), one of the largest and fastest-growing global franchisors and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, today announced it has selected Huge, a global experience agency, as its new digital agency of record following a strategic competitive review.

Planet Fitness will partner with Huge to accelerate the Company's digital strategy and support the continuous evolution of its mobile app, website and in-club digital experience, with a focus on strategy, customer satisfaction and creative design within these digital channels. The partnership will support member retention and help Planet Fitness continue to drive its "bricks with clicks" growth strategy and hybrid approach to fitness; strengthening its digital Judgement Free Zone through consumer engagement, loyalty and a differentiated omni-channel experience that supports and encourages people throughout their fitness journey.

"The team at Huge is known for ground-breaking, innovative work that drives positive impact for brands, defines industries and shapes the culture and world around us. This makes them the ideal partner to further our mission of democratizing fitness," said Sherrill Kaplan, chief digital officer at Planet Fitness. "As we work to break down barriers for the 80 percent of the population that does not belong to a gym, we are excited to partner with Huge to build upon our strong foundation and take our digital experience to the next level, serving members wherever they are, whenever they want to engage with our brand."

"From the start, we fell in love with their human-first approach to fitness and desire to create a next generation experience for members that's accessible and affordable for everyone. We can't wait to get started together on this ambitious journey," said Matt Weiss, President of Huge Brooklyn. "Planet Fitness' goal of creating a true omni-channel experience that allows the brand and its members to interact, engage and support each other to reach their individual fitness and health needs is a huge move for the category and one that unlocks massive opportunities in-market."

About Planet Fitness

Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of June 30, 2021, Planet Fitness had more than 14.8 million members and 2,170 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico and Australia. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone. More than 95% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.

About Huge

Huge, part of Interpublic (IPG), is a global experience agency made up of creatives, designers, technologists, strategists, and data scientists. We help companies become a deeper part of people's lives by creating unified brand experiences that people love. We work with clients such as Google, McDonald's, FCA, Brooks Running, P&G, and others, who are as committed to shaping culture and defining the future as we are. Headquartered in Brooklyn, we currently have more than 1,200 employees working across 13 offices in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. For more info, visit us at hugeinc.com .

About Interpublic

Interpublic (NYSE: IPG) (www.interpublic.com) is a values-based, data-fueled, and creatively-driven provider of marketing solutions. Home to some of the world's best-known and most innovative communications specialists, IPG global brands include: Acxiom, Craft, FCB, FutureBrand, Golin, Huge, Initiative, Jack Morton, Kinesso, MAGNA, Matterkind, McCann, Mediahub, Momentum, MRM, MullenLowe Group, Octagon, R/GA, UM, Weber Shandwick and more. IPG is an S&P 500 company with net revenue of $8.06 billion in 2020.

SOURCE Planet Fitness, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.planetfitness.com


In a shocking pink overdose of luxury, Prada Candy reveals a unique facet of Prada femininity. Overblown but always sophisticated, the scent is an addictive indulgence that is at once sensuous and refined.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8970651-prada-candy-introduce-virtual-muse-candy/.

RETHINK REALITY: A New Muse

In a world first, Prada introduces Candy, a virtual muse as the face of a fragrance. Born from a glitch, Candy is ethereal, driven by a continuous quest to question, connect and evolve. Inspired by the native world of TikTok, a series of shorts directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and captured by photographer Valentin Herfray see a physical fragrance, Prada Candy, encounter a virtual muse, Candy. As her own reality glitches, she begins to perceive another, expanding her existence through the power of technology. Free of constraints, her curiosity grows, new creative perspectives are opened and with them, an invitation to Rethink Reality.

RETHINK REALITY: PRADA CANDY FILM CAMPAIGN

The Prada Candy campaign series is realized by award-winning film director, screenwriter and producer, Nicolas Winding Refn. The lauded Danish auteur behind Drive, The Neon Demon and the Pusher trilogy lends his bold, intensely imaginative vision to Prada Candy's alternate, re-imagined reality, creating a space where the known interacts with the new.

RETHINK REALITY: PRADA CANDY PRINT CAMPAIGN

With an ability to challenge what we know through the art of perspective, French photographer Valentin Herfray pushes the limits of modern digital photography to extend our visual experience, defying the traditional medium of capturing imagery. Working between art, fashion and technology, Herfray's ability to play with perceptions of reality sees him deftly capture Prada Candy's digital muse between dimensions.

PRADA CANDY BOTTLE

The Prada Candy bottle designed by Fabien Baron is a trigger of creativity, just as joyful and free-spirited as the scent contained within, as it embraces an unexpected mix of colors and finishes. A dynamic take on Prada's signature Saffiano leather hugs the top of the bottle in a band of shocking pink while the flacon bears the refined Prada logo in sleek, gold lettering. The pump, perched on its golden neck like a futuristic black half-moon, is the striking finale.

PRADA CANDY FRAGRANCE

Prada Candy rethinks fragrance addiction and offers a free-spirited take on gourmand scents. Its unconventional olfactory balance combines a joyful and addictive caramel accord with noble and warm benzoin resin, which brings unprecedented sophistication and elegance, to creatively fuse with a silky and enveloping cloud of white musks.

First launched in 2011, blended by master perfumer Daniela Andrier under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada, Prada Candy remains an iconic fragrance with a novel olfactory balance, an Amber gourmand combining exceptionally high-quality ingredients to rethink addiction.

PRADA CANDY RANGE

The Prada Candy fragrance collection comprises of four feminine fragrances which each embody free-spirited perspectives and indulgent pleasures.

Prada Candy Eau de Parfum

Rethink Addiction with a joyful and warm fragrance.

Olfactive Family: Amber Gourmand

Notes: Silky White Musks, Warm Benzoin Resin, Addictive Caramel Accord

Prada Candy Night Eau de Parfum

Rethink Sensuality with a mysterious and creamy fragrance.

Olfactive Family: Amber Woody

Notes: Vibrant Bitter Orange, Sensual Patchouli Accord, Creamy Cocoa Accord

Prada Candy Florale Eau de Toilette

Rethink Tenderness with a bright and fresh fragrance.

Olfactive Family: Floral

Notes: Bright Limoncello Notes, Fresh Peony Accord, Tender Caramel Accord

Prada Candy Kiss Eau de Parfum

Rethink Passion with a luscious and powdery fragrance.

Olfactive Family: Floral Musk

Notes: Sparkling Bergamot, Luscious Orange Blossom Accord, Powdery Vanilla Accord

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0skEoR3e68

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667139/PRADA_CANDY.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667187/Prada_Candy_2.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1584120/Prada_Logo.jpg

Contact:

Mickael ROUX

[email protected]

SOURCE Prada
NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chocolate Cortes, a 92 year old Puerto Rican and Dominican, family-owned chocolate manufacturing company that's known for its rich hot chocolate and La Borinquena, the first female Afro-Puerto Rican comic book superhero created by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, have launched Activate Your Powers With the Arts (Activa tus poderes con las artes), a program created to raise funds for youth art programs in Puerto Rico. Four special edition hot chocolate bars containing a new four-part comic strip series featuring La Borinquena are now available online and in select US markets. Proceeds from sales of the bars and special merchandise will support the Fundacion Cortes whose mission is to educate and inspire with its passion for the arts of the Caribbean. The program also celebrates and honors Latinx culture on the heels of National Hispanic Heritage month and in anticipation of November's National Puerto Rico Heritage Month.

Chocolate Cortes limited edition hot chocolate bars featuring new La Borinquena comic strips benefit Fundacion Cortes via the new Activate Your Powers With the Arts program. Chocolate Cortes joins forces with La Borinquena creator, Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez seen signing box with limited edition hot chocolate bars featuring new La Borinquena comic strips benefitting Fundacion Cortes via the new Activate Your Powers With the Arts program

"We're proud to launch this partnership with La Borinquena to further enrich the Latinx communities in the Diaspora," said Carlos Cortes, fourth generation Cortes family member and Creative Director at Chocolate Cortes. "Both Chocolate Cortes and La Borinquena are committed to strengthening these core values in our communities - culture, identity, self-sufficiency, social justice and dignity. The Activate your Powers with the Arts initiative will be used to raise awareness of the Fundacion Cortes' cultural and educational programs in Puerto Rico. The campaign will feature several executions that will be in the works throughout this year, including the first ever La Borinquena exhibit, "La Borinquena en San Juan," which opened to the public at Fundacion Cortes in Old San Juan in June 2021."

The four-part comic strip series shares the Chocolate Cortes story - from "farm to bar" through the adventures of high school students, La Borinquena and newly launched superhero La La Liu. To support this initiative, the Fundacion Cortes' newest visiting artist exhibit features the work of Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez and La Borinquena, the character's history, her path and impact on society.

"My comic book series was created with the intention of uniting Los Boricuas in the diaspora with those on the island, conveying a central message of love," said Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez. "This alliance with Chocolate Cortes provides a unique opportunity for La Borinquena to reach both of those groups simultaneously and on a large scale. My hope is that it will be an important step in sharing with the world the story of our people."

Reviving a Tradition  Hot Chocolate and Literacy

Education and promoting the arts has always been an important core value in the 92-year history of Chocolate Cortes, best known for its hot chocolate bars, a staple in many Puerto Rican and Dominican homes. From its start in the Dominican Republic where the cocoa beans are grown, Chocolate Cortes holds a warm place in the hearts of many Puerto Rican and Dominican families who can recall memories of the hot chocolate making ceremony their grandparents shared with them as children. As rich as the company's chocolate history is, its commitment to supporting education and the humanities is just as rich.

Create your Chocolate Cortes hot chocolate drink (recipe link) and click here for information on Activate Your Powers with the Arts and securing the collectible bars.

Image Link

Contact: Elisa Fershtadt, [email protected] 917 887 6554

SOURCE Chocolate Cortes
People suffering from substance use disorders (SUD) are twice as likely to suffer from mood and anxiety disorders. Recent research also indicates that nearly half of those who experience a mental health disorder also experience SUD and vice versa.

Johns Hopkins HealthCare Solutions, in conjunction with BehaVR, developed the program to address stress reduction through mindfulness practice. As an immersive, interactive therapeutic tool, it is used to teach patients how to decrease an anxious response and promote healthy ways they can ease their anxiety, such as meditation, breath work, and other evidence-based strategies.

Patients who are admitted for drug and alcohol treatment and also experience anxiety at RCA at Bracebridge Hall, located in the northern part of the state, and RCA Capital Region, located near Washington D.C., will be recommended for the program.

"We're excited to work with Johns Hopkins HealthCare Solutions and offer an innovative, proven technology to assist our patients and provide them with the best, personalized care," said Kerry King, Psy.D., MBA, Vice President of Clinical Services, RCA. "Introducing this program during a patient's inpatient care, while also utilizing immersive mindfulness techniques, can help diminish the overwhelming  and sometimes debilitating  stress or anxiety many experience when beginning treatment. It also supports relapse prevention for lasting recovery."

Over the course of six virtual reality mindfulness sessions, the patient's individual specialists will identify the form and level of their anxiety through a series of questions. Responses establish an initial level of experienced anxiety. The VR software will then create a simulated visual and auditory environment where patients can select a setting that is most comforting to them. They are then guided through a meditative/mindfulness activity while immersed in the virtual setting. This increases the experience and benefits of mindfulness and stress reduction.

For participants, program benefits may include:

Joint treatment of addiction and anxiety, which may prevent one from triggering or worsening the other

Potential boost to early treatment results by easing symptoms of irritability, agitation and response to pain

Increased awareness of, and sense of control over, triggers, stressors and anxiety

Enhanced ability to effectively manage emotions

"The goal is not for our patients to disassociate when experiencing virtual reality but to reduce anxiety and increase mindfulness," said Corey Richey, interim CEO, RCA at Bracebridge Hall. "Our team is dedicated to providing effective tools that build the necessary skills patients can use to decrease stress, experience calm and cope with day-to-day living outside of our facility, which can ultimately be lifesaving."



While RCA is using VR sessions to target SUD and anxiety, patients can receive therapy with any of the specialized inpatient programs available at either location, including programs for young adults , older adults , relapse , trauma , and members of the LGBTQIA+ populations .

RCA at Bracebridge Hall and RCA Capital Region are accredited by the Joint Commission and the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. Both RCA at Bracebridge Hall and RCA Capital Region have been named a "Best U.S. Addiction Treatment Facility in Maryland" by Newsweek. In addition to providing evidence-based inpatient treatment for substance use disorder, outpatient treatment is also available at RCA Capital Region and most other RCA locations as well as an extensive alumni support network and programming after graduation from treatment.

RCA has also pioneered a new digital health platform called Shoutout to make treatment even more accessible and provide constant support and education to everyone no matter where they are in their recovery journey.



To learn more about the VR enhancement treatment program at RCA at Bracebridge Hall and RCA Capital Region, click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A media demo of the VR treatment will be available during the RCA at Bracebridge Hall open house on Tuesday, October 26 at 2 p.m. Journalists can also arrange a visit to RCA at Bracebridge Hall to demo the VR if they're unable to attend the open house.



ABOUT RECOVERY CENTERS OF AMERICA

Recovery Centers of America is dedicated to helping patients achieve a life of recovery through evidence-based alcohol and drug addiction treatment. RCA has ten inpatient facilities in the United States in Earleville and Waldorf, Maryland, Danvers and Westminster, Massachusetts; Devon (near Philadelphia), and Monroeville (near Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania; South Amboy and Mays Landing, NJ; St. Charles, Illinois (outside of Chicago), and Indianapolis, Indiana. A full spectrum of outpatient treatment is also provided at many of these facilities and in Voorhees, NJ. RCA also provides Medication-Assisted-Treatment (MAT) at its treatment centers and at standalone facilities in Trenton, Woodbridge, and Somerdale, NJ and in Lansdowne, PA. Patients can obtain immediate substance use disorder care by calling 1-800-Recovery with complimentary transportation provided in most cases.



PRESS CONTACTS:

Lisa Trapani

RoseComm for Recovery Centers of America

410-245-0094

[email protected]

Terri Malenfant

Recovery Centers of America

[email protected]

SOURCE Recovery Centers of America

Related Links

recoverycentersofamerica.com


PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 5,000 risk practitioners from the U.S. and Canada are slated to attend the Risk Management Association's (RMA) trio of conferences the week of October 25. RMA's Annual Risk Management and Internal Audit conferences, plus the first Women in Risk Summit, will feature keynote speakers from the top of the financial services industry and risk management world, dozens of panels on crucial risk topics, and a robust product showcase.

At the RMA Annual Risk Management Virtual Conference, attendees will advance their approaches to emerging and enduring risks through sessions that focus on digitalization, ransomware, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a strategic imperative, and change management. Insights from economists, chief risk officers, and regulators will combine a big-picture view with best practices. The Annual Risk Management Conference kicks off with bestselling author Michael Lewis, who will discuss the importance of courage in risk management in the context of his latest book, The Premonition. Other highlights include sessions with:

The Head of the National Risk Management Center in the Department of Homeland Security, Bob Kolasky , on securing critical infrastructure;

, on securing critical infrastructure; Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf on transformative leadership; and

on transformative leadership; and Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael J. Hsu on OCC priorities, climate risk, and other critical concerns.

The RMA Annual Internal Audit Virtual Conference will help attendees capitalize on rapid digitalization to advance their practices, while highlighting Internal Audit imperatives post COVID-19, including the challenges of adapting to a hybrid office/virtual workforce. Sessions will address the growing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the interaction of the audit and credit review functions, and auditing consumer and commercial credit risk in uncertain and disruptive times.

The inaugural RMA Women in Risk Summit will provide connection, motivation, networking, and skill building for risk practitioners. The event features inspirational keynote speakers and sessions on mentoring, developing an executive presence, work-life integration, building a brand, and breaking through barriers.

"We are at a pivotal and transformational time in the financial services industry," RMA President and CEO Nancy Foster said. "The challenges posed by COVID-19, digitalization that has been accelerated by the pandemic, and the important drive toward true diversity, equity, and inclusion demand the attention and energy of financial institutions everywhere. RMA's trio of conferences provides thought leadership and best practices that address these issues, as well as the universe of imminent and emerging risks."

Registration to the 2021 RMA Annual Risk Management Virtual Conference includes access to the Annual Internal Audit Conference and the Women in Risk Summit. Most sessions will be available for on-demand viewing through the virtual event site from November 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. For more information and to register, click here.

ABOUT THE RISK MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (RMA)

Founded in 1914, the Risk Management Association is a not-for-profit, member-driven professional association whose sole purpose is to advance the use of sound risk management principles in the financial services industry. RMA promotes an enterprise approach to risk management that focuses on credit risk, market risk, and operational risk. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, RMA has 1,700 institutional members that include banks of all sizes as well as nonbank financial institutions. They are represented in the Association by 18,500 individuals located throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia/Pacific.

SOURCE The Risk Management Association

Related Links

http://www.rmahq.org


EBENE, Mauritius, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 5th Plenary of the Financial Action Task Force ("FATF") under the German Presidency of Dr. Marcus Pleyer took place between 19-21 October 2021. We are pleased to announce that the FATF has congratulated Mauritius for the significant progress made in addressing the strategic AML/CFT deficiencies identified earlier by the FATF. The action plan was robust and resulted in Mauritius no longer being subject to the FATF's increased monitoring process. This comes after Mauritius received an on-site visit, despite the COVID-19 crisis. Mauritius will continue to work with ESAAMLG of which it is a member, to continue to strengthen its AML/CFT regime.

Mauritius was initially included on the FATF grey list in February 2020 as a result of strategic deficiencies identified by the FATF in its AML/CFT regime. Since then, the Mauritian Government had made a high-level political commitment to actively work with the FATF to address the identified deficiencies following which the national AML Committee, Government officials, Regulators and other stakeholders have supported the implementation of key reforms in relation to the FATF action plan.

The FATF announced in the June 2021 plenary session that Mauritius had substantially completed its action plan and commended Mauritius' efforts for the progress achieved despite the pandemic. This announcement already pre-empted the exit of Mauritius from the grey list subject to an on-site assessment by FATF delegates in September 2021. This visit has been conclusive in determining that Mauritius has implemented adequate sustainable AML/CFT reforms that such efforts have been maintained during that period, and the necessary political commitment remains in place to ensure that the reforms are sustained going forward.

Mauritius continues to emerge as a resilient economy

"This is a proud moment for our country considering the economic impact suffered by Mauritius whilst on the grey list. Over the last 18 months, MIFC has demonstrated its commitment, resilience, agility and ability to work in concerted efforts, coordinating key reforms to cure strategic AML/CFT deficiencies. It is time to congratulate all stakeholders including the business community in Mauritius involved in the process.

We now seek to further pursue in promoting our IFC with a compelling value proposition and an innovative and diverse toolbox of financial products and services towards long-term sustainable growth. Our focus remains on maintaining our competitive edge against a robust legal and compliance framework providing investors with added comfort and confidence in using Mauritius as a leading hub for their investments." Rubina Toorawa, Head of Sanne, Mauritius

As per the latest ESAAMLG plenaries, Mauritius has been re-rated upward on three recommendations of the FATF, which results in Mauritius being compliant with 39 out of 40 recommendations. With regards to Recommendation 15 (New Technologies) where Mauritius is still rated as Partially Compliant, the authorities in Mauritius have circulated a draft Virtual Assets Business Bill for consultation in view of seeking the views/comments from the financial services industry stakeholders. Mauritius will be the only country in the world to achieve full compliance to all the FATF recommendations if (and when) the Recommendation 15 is re-rated positively.

The exit of Mauritius from the FATF grey list reinforces its position as a jurisdiction of substance, offering a conducive environment for business, with robust legislations and an innovative product offering for the global financial community.

Contact: Sanne Group plc, Matthew Morel, Director Marketing & Corporate Communications, +44 1534 722 787

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1475992/Sanne_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Sanne
HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys working with The Amistad Project presented arguments before the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania today contending that Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam drastically exceeded her authority by issuing a statewide mask mandate for all schools without promulgating a regulation empowering her to do so.

"This is another example of government abuse of police powers, which has been rampant throughout the pandemic," said Phill Kline, director of The Amistad Project. "Local school districts, in consultation with parents, should be the ones making these sorts of decisions, not an appointed bureaucrat acting at the behest of a governor whose own emergency powers were summarily stripped by voters in response to exactly this sort of overreach."

"The law is very clear that the secretary must rely on existing rules and regulations for authority to implement control measures in response to communicable diseases," said Tom King, lead attorney for Dillon, McCandless, King, Coulter, & Graham LLP. "The government has had more than enough time to implement such regulations since the start of the pandemic, but it has elected not to do so. Instead of going through the process of accepting public input, Acting Secretary Beam unilaterally claimed virtually unlimited authority to make up any rules she pleases."

Judges repeatedly pressed the government's counsel about this argument, at one point asserting that the department's mandate "meets all the criteria of what is a regulation."

The mandate was issued shortly after the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year after most Pennsylvania school districts elected not to impose universal masking policies. The order was issued by the Department of Health because a voter-approved constitutional amendment passed in the spring restraining the governor's ability to issue emergency orders without legislative input.

"There is no rule or regulation authorizing the mandating of face covers, in schools or otherwise," said Amistad Project attorney Tom Breth. "School districts made their choices, and Acting Secretary Beam didn't like their choices, so she took it upon herself to overrule them."

For more information about The Amistad Project, please visit www.theamistadproject.org.

SOURCE Amistad Project

Related Links

http://www.theamistadproject.org


VIENNA, Va., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from across the U.S. will put their creativity and engineering skills to the test this academic year in the inaugural SourceAmerica IDEATE Competition.

IDEATE, previously known as Design Challenge, is an acronym that stands for: Imagine, Design & Evaluate Assistive Technologies for Employment. This competition invites motivated high school and college students to design solutions that improve workplace inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities.

"Over 50 teams registered already, and we still have another week to go," said Charissa Garcia, productivity engineer at SourceAmerica and the IDEATE program manager. "We are providing these students with a chance to foster their growth in the engineering field and this competition puts assistive technology at the forefront."

Throughout the school year, the students will design assistive technologies that solve workplace challenges and increase the earning potential of people with disabilities, through scalable and repeatable inventions. In April 2022, three college and five high school finalist teams will be invited to a virtual finals event to share the technology they developed with a panel of judges, their families, and supporters. The teams' submissions will be judged on demonstrable results in the workplace.

After the winners are selected, the IDEATE paid internship program will provide five college students from the finalist teams with additional mentorship, work experience, and opportunities to see their ideas put into practice. These interns will have access to SourceAmerica's resources and the benefit of working directly with people with disabilities.

"Interns get valuable, paid work experience to help kick start their futures and SourceAmerica gets the pleasure of mentoring the next generation of engineers to discover solutions that improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities," said Garcia. "It is really a unique, reciprocal relationship where we all win because we are ultimately working for the same cause  accessibility in the workplace."

Details about IDEATE 2022 are available at sourceamerica.org/IDEATE.

About SourceAmerica

SourceAmerica connects government and corporate customers to a national network of approximately 700 nonprofit agencies that hire a talented segment of the workforce  people with disabilities. Established in 1974, SourceAmerica is committed to increasing economic and social inclusion and advocating for a more accessible future of work for people with differing abilities. As a leading job creator within the disability community and distinguished as an AbilityOne authorized enterprise, SourceAmerica harnesses the momentum and boosts the capability of its network and customers. To learn more, visit SourceAmerica.org and @SourceAmerica on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE SourceAmerica

Related Links

http://www.sourceamerica.org


SEATTLE, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Surgical robots are kinds of surgical practices which are carried out using specialized robotic surgical systems. Robotic surgery was first developed in order to overcome the shortcomings of manual-assisted surgery and to improve the capabilities of surgeons doing open surgery without any assistance. It is used to perform the more difficult cases such as those involving spinal cord injuries, brain surgeries, etc. One type of this surgical robot is a vascular robot. These are vascular robots that allow the surgeon to create artificial arteries with the use of a robotic arm. In addition, it also allows the surgeon to seal off the artificial artery with the use of another robotic arm. These instruments have a very high rate of success in eliminating various kinds of tissue disorders and most especially nerve disorders. Because of this, more hospitals are now using these robots to carry out different kinds of surgeries. Another type of surgical robot used today is the one that constructs the incision while a surgeon is holding the actual tools. This type of robot can be programmed to make specific kinds of incisions and also to limit bleeding during surgery.

The global surgical robots market is estimated to account for 16,875.6 Mn in terms of value by the end of 2028.

Request for Sample PDF @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/496

Market Drivers:

Growing demand for minimally invasive surgical procedures is a prime factor driving growth of the surgical robots market. They are highly preferred in minimally invasive surgeries. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 13.3 million Cosmetic minimally invasive procedures were performed in 2020: top 5 were - Botulinum toxin type A (4.4 million procedures), Laser skin resurfacing (997,245 procedures), Chemical peel (931,473 procedures), soft tissue fillers (3.4 million procedures), and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment (827,409 procedures)

Advancement in surgical products and technologies is projected to drive demand for surgical robots. This in turn fostering growth of the market. Moreover, increasing regulatory approval for the introduction of surgical robots is again anticipated to accelerate growth of the market. For instance, in March 2021, the U.S. FDA has approved the marketing of the Hominis Surgical System, a new robotically-assisted surgical device (RASD) that can help facilitate transvaginal hysterectomy in certain patients. It is intended for benign hysterectomy (removal of the uterus for non-cancerous conditions) with salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of one or both fallopian tubes and ovaries).

Market Opportunities:

A growing number of gynecology surgeries is expected to provide enormous growth opportunities to the market of surgical robots. For instance, in July 2021, Medtronic plc, the global marketer in medical technology announced the first gynecological (GYN) procedures with the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system.

The rising prevalence of chronic disease and increasing healthcare spending are expected to bring bright market opportunities. According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service, U.S. health care spending grew 4.6 percent in 2019, reaching $3.8 trillion or $11,582 per person. As a share of the nation's Gross Domestic Product, health spending accounted for 17.7 percent.

Market Trends:

Growing number of partnerships and collaboration among key players to raise the adoption of surgical robots is one of the major trend in the market. For instance, in January 2021, Freehand, a UK-based MedTech company, has announced a partnership with Imperial Medical Solutions (IMS), a clinician-led healthcare consultancy, to support the adoption of its surgical robots by hospitals in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and the Caribbean

Key players are focusing on upgrading robotic instruments and accessories with advanced features. This is another major trend in the market. For instance, in January 2019, SS Innovations launched its SSI multi-arm novel telerobotic assistance surgical system.

Competitive Landscape:

Think Surgical TransEnterix Zimmer Biomet Stryker Corporation Smith & Nephew plc Medrobotics Corporation Intuitive Surgical

Buy This Premium Report Now @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/496

Market segmentation:

Global Surgical Robots Market, By Product Type:

Instrument & Accessories

Robotic Systems

Da Vinci Surgical



ROSA



MAKO RIO



ROBODOC



Others

Global Surgical Robots Market, By Surgery:

Gynecology Surgery

General Surgery

Urology Surgery

Cardiovascular Surgery

Neurosurgery

Orthopedic Surgery

Other Surgery

By Geography:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East

Africa

Request for Customization @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/496

Didn't find what you were looking for? Here are some similar topics:

Abdominal Surgical Robots Market, By Product Type (Remote Control and Voice Control), By Type (General Surgery, Urologic Surgery, Gynecological Surgery, and Others), by End Users (Hospitals, Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Others), and By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Africa) - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2019  2027

Medical Robots Market  Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2018-2026

About Us:

Coherent Market Insights is a global market intelligence and consulting organization focused on assisting our plethora of clients achieve transformational growth by helping them make critical business decisions. We are headquartered in India, having sales office at global financial capital in the U.S. and sales consultants in United Kingdom and Japan. Our client base includes players from across various business verticals in over 57 countries worldwide.

Contact Us:

Mr. Shah

Senior Client Partner  Business Development

Coherent Market Insights

Phone:

US: +1-206-701-6702

UK: +44-020-8133-4027

Japan: +81-050-5539-1737

India: +91-848-285-0837

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter

SOURCE Coherent Market Insights
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Terrafuse AI, a climate and weather risk forecasting tool developer, launched Wildfire AI today. Wildfire AI is the first to leverage daily climate intelligence and predictive modeling for the public, delivering greater accuracy to assess and mitigate the rising property risk from wildfires in California.

Nearly 4.5 million U.S. homes were identified at high or extreme risk of wildfire, with more than 2 million in California alone . Chaucer, a speciality (re) insurance group recently released data showing the average number of major U.S. wildfires (over 40,000 acres) per year has risen 30% over the last 15 years, contributing to wildfire-associated costs growing from $1 billion per year in the 1990s, to $17.1 billion in 2020 .

"I experienced firsthand the devastating impacts of wildfires when, a few years ago, my entire neighborhood in California was evacuated and much of it burned down," said Hunter Connell, co-founder and CEO of Terrafuse AI. "We also know that without more accurate insights about property risk, homeowners, businesses, and governments are facing impossible odds to plan for, mitigate, and escape these catastrophes in time."

Terrafuse AI taps into the vast wealth of earth observation data to produce climate risk models that are 1,000 times faster than traditional climate models, by deploying machine learning on Microsoft Azure.

"Innovation in climate risk assessment is needed now more than ever to keep up with the volatile nature of climate change," said Bonnie Lei, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships for Microsoft AI for Earth. "Terrafuse AI is able to bring incredible speed and accuracy to climate risk analytics and chose to use Azure to accelerate the scaling of their solution."

Terrafuse AI's approach leverages machine learning models trained by more than 50 environmental conditions, including hyperlocal wind speed, vegetation characteristics, humidity and observed wildfire events. These complex models produce an accurate measure, expressed as a risk score or annual exceedance probability, that quantifies the likelihood of a catastrophic wildfire event happening down to a hyperlocal scale of 100 feet. Terrafuse AI's models have been validated against $1 billion of proprietary insurance claims data. In addition to venture backing, Terrafuse AI partners include the U.S. Air Force, Microsoft AI for Earth , National Science Foundation, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

"Unfortunately, 2021 has brought us yet another devastating fire season in California with elevated fire risk that results in fires exploding at numerous locations across the state at nearly the same time," said Dr. Daniel Feldman, Atmospheric Scientist and Advisor to Terrafuse AI. "Fire risk extends far beyond the areas burned and is highly-localized and ever changing."

"In the Caldor Fire, the Wildfire AI model's prediction rapidly changed from low to a very high risk score in the span of just a few days during the rapid growth of that fire," continued Feldman. "The spatial patterns of the risk score reflected the spatial patterns of the increased likelihood of fire due to the surface winds, fuels, and humidity conditions."

The estimated value of the global climate analytics market is $40 billion . Wildfire AI is free to the public to facilitate greater access to scientific machine learning that accurately predicts hyperlocal wildfire risk daily. Enterprise solutions , including a year-ahead climate risk forecast, are also available.

Terrafuse AI develops climate and weather risk forecasting products powered by climate science and machine learning. The company's tools provide hyperlocal climate risk intelligence to empower better decision-making and climate risk mitigation for individuals and companies.

SOURCE Terrafuse AI

Related Links

http://Terrafuse AI


Nicor Gas has contributed $5 million to The Salvation Army to serve those hardest hit by the pandemic. The Salvation Army will distribute the financial assistance through its corps community centers and service extension units in 37 counties in Nicor Gas' Illinois service territory. The funding will assist residential customers who are past due on their natural gas utility bill and report a financial hardship, such as a job loss, illness, military deployment or disability.

"Shield of Caring is an expansion of our longstanding partnership with The Salvation Army and another way we can support our customers in their time of need," said John O. Hudson III, president and CEO of Nicor Gas. "No one should have to make the tough choices about which bills to pay. As we head into cooler weather and thermostats are going up, Nicor Gas will be there to safely and reliably warm homes and hopefully warm some hearts too."

The multiyear partnership is estimated to help more than 25,000 families. Nicor Gas residential customers with an income below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level will be eligible to receive a grant of up to $250 once every two years to apply to their past due account balances. A portion of the funds will also support The Salvation Army's basic needs programs, such as emergency housing and rental assistance, food assistance and case management to help families identify barriers to self-sufficiency.

"Many continue to experience a heightened risk of falling below the poverty line due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic," said Lt. Col. Lonneal Richardson, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division. "We believe the most important action we can take to assist vulnerable individuals is to help keep them in their homes, especially as one in three households in Illinois is at risk of eviction. That's why we are grateful to partner with Nicor Gas to provide much-needed emergency assistance for help paying utilities and other basic needs."

Nicor Gas residential customers can apply online for a Shield of Caring grant at shieldofcaring.com or by calling their local Salvation Army corps community center. Since the start of the pandemic, The Salvation Army has distributed nearly $1.6 million in emergency financial grants for rent, mortgage and utilities assistance in greater Chicagoland.

The Shield of Caring Program builds onto Nicor Gas' existing Sharing Program, which is funded by Nicor Gas and donations from its customers to offer bill payment assistance to eligible residential customers in need. The Sharing Program will continue to operate as it has since 1983, with one-time annual grants up to $400 for income eligible residential customers.

To learn more about the Shield of Caring Program visit shieldofcaring.com.

SOURCE Nicor Gas
MIAMI, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spanish companies traveled to Italy last month to showcase their latest collections at Cersaie, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings. The annual event brings together architects, interior designers, and tile producers to explore the latest innovations and trends in the ceramic tile sector.

Keraben Grupo, Verse Wow Design, Grace

As Europe's number one producer and second exporter of ceramics, Spain is a regular participant at the show. This year, 81 Spanish companies presented their latest ceramic offerings during the weeklong fair. The contingent of Spanish ceramic manufacturers represented the second largest group of exhibitors, behind Italy. New trends, formats and technologies from Spain were abound at the long-awaited show.

Polarized Marble:

While white marbles still reign supreme, more compelling crystallines like Macchia Vecchia and others join the likes of Calacatta and Statuary. The beloved zealous and fierce stone look of the past will take a back seat to the refined spectrum of the marbleized-look. This new approach retains the organic variation of a veined stone with an overall aesthetic that is more homogenic with a symphony of texture, finish and effects.

Tantalizing Terrazzo:

Keeping pace with polarized marble is terrazzo, but with a broader range of chipped materials embedded in a largely monochrome matrix. With multi-colored inlays in varying degrees of chromatic variation, these aggregate collections work with marbles, woods and traditional ceramics alike. Drawing on the myriad of tones in the inset chips as color and material references, this decorated motif invites designers to add layers to their compositions while keeping a cohesive feel.

Golden Arches:

Art deco influences are here in the form of arches and rounded corners. A nod to organic shapes while retaining the straight grid-lines of a tile matrix, these curves bring a sense of whimsy and approachability to even the most austere and luxurious aesthetics.

Natures Element:

The rise of earth tones is expanding to include all ranges of warm-inspired hues; from deep neutral browns to warm greys and off-whites. These warmer tones lean into accompanying the raw and minimal timber looks that have grown in strength over the past few years, adding layers of texture for an inviting feel. Earth-tones tip the scale to the warm side while accent colors continue to favor cooler greens and blues.

Modular Format:

Interchangeable, multi-format programs lean into the need to create flex spaces at times and define our boundaries at others, a task that can otherwise be difficult with a minimalist modern grid. The modular format creates blurred lines that allows for reconfiguring a space as needed for multiple use-cases.

Crisp & Clean:

During this new era of ceramic design, a more delicate approach will run parallel with artisanal textures and organic materials. Smooth compositions, hushed textures and minimalistic patterns will lend a sense of balance. The seeming dissonance in style serves to highlight and praise differences by showcasing unlikely pairings throughout designs and the harmony that can be found.

Celebrating Ceramics:

With digital technology progressing to a point that multiple finishes, structure and volumes can be digitally applied, the industry is circling back to some intriguing classics from centuries past. Ceramics that aren't trying to mimic anything, instead honoring the rich and artisanal history of this material and industry such as weathered edges, classic glaze techniques and traditional patterns. This celebration of ceramic roots plays beautifully with all the preceding trends and is the perfect harmonic accompaniment to it all.

For press information and high-resolution images visit the Tile of Spain Press Kit.

Contact: Kelly Doyle / Catherine Hoy

Frank Advertising

Phone: 609.490.0999 ext 15 / ext 25

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Tile of Spain
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuya Inc. ("Tuya Smart" or the "Company") (NYSE: TUYA), a leading global IoT development platform, today released its white paper on smartization, the commercial adoption of smart technologies. The publication also features research from Gartner, the world renowned research and advisory company. The white paper analyzes how companies across major industries have implemented smartization to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and names the 60 smartest companies thriving post-pandemic through smart technology adoption.

Titled "2021: The 60 Smartest Companies Thriving Post-Pandemic," the white paper explores adoption of smart technology across different industries and the application of new technologies like big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to transform production chains and bring about an intelligent industrial revolution.

Three key trends have emerged across all nine examined industries. First, that technology upgrades and labor shortages have made active smart hardware increasingly important. Second, because ambient intelligence (AMI) has proved to be extremely helpful in fighting the pandemic, it is expected to be widely applied across many industries in the future. Finally, with the rise of digitalization, virtual reality (VR) has become a priority.

The white paper includes case studies of 60 companies that exemplify best practices of smartization by using new technologies to upgrade business models, improve operational efficiency, and contribute to society and pandemic efforts. Such technologies include but are not limited to the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, 5G, blockchain and quantum mechanics. The 60 companies profiled include well-known names such as Philips, Schneider Electric, Segway-Ninebot, SF Express, Goodyear, Aurora Lighting, Qvis Global, KE Holdings, and more.

"As the onset of the pandemic has caused profound shifts in consumer needs and preferences, it is critical that companies truly understand and incorporate these changes into their business strategy," said Eva Na, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Cooperation, and CMO of Tuya Smart, "Our jointly-published white paper delves into these trends and details best practices for how smartization and IoT can help companies not only overcome challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic but ultimately thrive and deliver more convenient smart solutions for consumers and society."

To access the full white paper, please visit https://www.gartner.com/technology/media-products/newsletters/Tuya/1-27E4H8LZ/index.html

SOURCE Tuya Smart
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vance Street Capital LLC ("Vance Street"), a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, today announced the acquisition of McFarlane Aviation, Inc. ("McFarlane"), the leading designer and manufacturer of aftermarket PMA parts for the general aviation industry. This proprietary transaction represents the fourth platform investment out of Vance Street Capital III L.P. and leverages the firm's expertise in aerospace and highly engineered components. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.



Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Baldwin City, Kansas, McFarlane is a family-owned business that designs, manufactures, and distributes more than 30,000 consumable parts in the United States and internationally for the general aviation market, specifically light single engine and turboprop aircraft. McFarlane's proprietary portfolio of PMA parts consists of approximately 3,000 parts used across Cessna, Piper, Grumman, Beechcraft and Ag-Cat airplanes. The parts are sold to over 40,000 unique customers through McFarlane's website and its widely distributed catalog.



McFarlane was founded by Dave McFarlane, who was subsequently joined by his children, Dan and Cheryl. Together, they built McFarlane into the market leader it is today. As part of the transaction, the McFarlane family will retain a meaningful ownership position alongside Vance Street. "Finding a partner that could come in and provide not only growth-based resources, but also one that valued the culture and employee base our family has built over the past several decades was an important decision factor in finding our next partner," said Dave McFarlane. "Vance Street truly understood and respected those aspects of our business."

"Vance Street is honored to have the opportunity to partner with an iconic business like McFarlane," added Nicholas Janneck, Principal at Vance Street. "Over the last 50 years, Dave and his team have built a truly great company well known as a leader in its market. With Vance Street's additional support and capital, McFarlane is expected to accelerate its already impressive growth trajectory."

"This transaction is a perfect example of our strategy to partner with family-owned businesses that are industry leaders in a niche market," said John LeRosen, Partner at Vance Street.

Paul Hastings LLP acted as legal advisor to Vance Street. Debt financing was provided by BMO Sponsor Finance. Dentons served as legal advisor to McFarlane and the McFarlane family.



About Vance Street Capital LLC

Vance Street Capital is a middle-market private equity firm focused on investing in highly engineered solutions businesses across the medical, life science, aerospace, defense, and industrial sectors. For over three decades, Vance Street's partners have worked with management teams and family owners to accelerate revenue growth, improve operations and acquire strategic assets for the companies in their investment portfolio. For more information please visit: www.vancestreetcapital.com.

SOURCE Vance Street Capital

Related Links

www.vancestreetcapital.com


DUBLIN, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global WealthTech Solution Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Component (Solution and Services), End User (Banks, Wealth Management Firms, and Others), Organization Size, and Deployment Mode" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global wealthtech solution market is expected to grow from US$ 54.62 million in 2021 to US$ 137.44 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 14.1% during 2021-2028.

WealthTech solutions assist clients in achieving their financial objectives. The solutions offer various benefits such as improved portfolio management, asset liquidity, cost transparency, and increased customer service. These benefits are driving the demand for WealthTech solutions. In addition, the solutions are utilized for wealth planning management, digitizing process/outsourcing automation, retirement savings, digital customer relationship management, and comprehensive financial data analysis. Strategic planning for integrated employer stock modelling, cash flows, sophisticated tax planning, strategic estate planning, and legacy planning can be done by using WealthTech products. All these advantages drive the growth of the wealthtech solution market.

The increasing adoption of automation solutions across industries is fueling the growth of the wealthtech solution market. By using Wealthtech solutions, small consulting companies and major banks can understand new generation client demands, such as tech-enabled financial solutions, automatic rebalancing, and portfolio building. Wealthtech's key players are focused on changing the sector by finding inefficiencies throughout the financial services value chain. However, the market growth is hampered by the high cost of wealthtech solutions and the lack of financial investing expertise, processes, resources, methodologies, and money.



Based on component, the wealthtech solution market is bifurcated into solution and services. In 2020, the solution segment led the market, accounting for a larger share in the market. By end user, the wealthtech solution market is segmented into banks, wealth management firms, and others. In 2020, the wealth management firms segment accounted for the largest market share. Based on organization size, the wealthtech solution market is bifurcated into large enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2020, the large enterprises segment accounted for a larger market share. By deployment mode, the market is bifurcated into cloud-based and on-premises. In 2020, the cloud-based segment accounted for a larger market share. Geographically, the market is broadly segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM). In 2020, North America accounted for a significant share in the global market.



A few key companies operating in the wealthtech solution market are FinMason, Inc.; aixigo AG; InvestCloud, Inc.; WealthTechs Inc.; Valuefy Solutions Private Limited; 3rd-eyes analytics AG; BlackRock, Inc.; Synechron; Wealthfront Inc.; and InvestSuite.



Reasons to buy

Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global wealthtech solution market.

Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies

The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the global wealthtech solution market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long-term strategies

Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets

Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it

Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology

4. WealthTech Solution Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 PEST Analysis

4.2.1 North America - PEST Analysis

4.2.2 Europe - PEST Analysis

4.2.3 Asia-Pacific - PEST Analysis

4.2.4 Middle East and Africa - PEST Analysis

4.2.5 South America - PEST Analysis

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

4.4 Expert Opinion



5. WealthTech Solutions Market - Key Market Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Surge in Demand for Financial Analytics Services

5.1.2 Growing Use of Artificial Intelligence in Different Verticals

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Security Concerns Associated with WealthTech Solutions

5.3 Market Opportunities

5.3.1 Increasing Number of Banks

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Rising Demand for Cloud-Based Financial Analytics

5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints



6. WealthTech Solution Market - Global Analysis

6.1 WealthTech Solution Market Global Overview

6.2 WealthTech Solution Market - Global Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)

6.3 Market Positioning - Five Key Players



7. WealthTech Solutions Market Analysis - By Component

7.1 Overview

7.2 WealthTech Solutions Market Breakdown, by Component, 2020 and 2028

7.3 Solution

7.3.1 Overview

7.3.2 Solution: WealthTech Solutions Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)

7.4 Services

7.4.1 Overview

7.4.2 Services: WealthTech Solutions Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)



8. WealthTech Solutions Market Analysis - By End User

8.1 Overview

8.2 WealthTech Solutions Market Breakdown, by End User, 2020 and 2028

8.3 Banks

8.3.1 Overview

8.3.2 Banks: WealthTech Solutions Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)

8.4 Wealth Management Firms

8.4.1 Overview

8.4.2 Wealth Management Firms: WealthTech Solutions Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)

8.5 Others

8.5.1 Overview

8.5.2 Others: WealthTech Solutions Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)



9. WealthTech Solutions Market Analysis - By Organization Size

9.1 Overview

9.2 WealthTech Solutions Market Breakdown, by Organization Size, 2020 and 2028

9.3 Large Enterprises

9.3.1 Overview

9.3.2 Large Enterprises: WealthTech Solutions Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)

9.4 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

9.4.1 Overview

9.4.2 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: WealthTech Solutions Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)



10. WealthTech Solutions Market Analysis - By Deployment Mode

10.1 Overview

10.2 WealthTech Solutions Market Breakdown, by Deployment Mode, 2020 and 2028

10.3 Cloud-Based

10.3.1 Overview

10.3.2 Cloud-Based: WealthTech Solutions Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)

10.4 On-Premises

10.4.1 Overview

10.4.2 On-Premises: WealthTech Solutions Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Billion)



11. WealthTech Solution Market - Geographic Analysis



12. WealthTech Solution Market- COVID-19 Impact Analysis

12.1 Overview

12.2 North America

12.3 Europe

12.4 Asia Pacific

12.5 Middle East and Africa

12.6 South America



13. Industry Landscape

13.1 Overview

13.2 Market Initiative

13.3 Merger and Acquisition

13.4 New Development



14. Company Profiles

14.1 FinMason, Inc.

14.1.1 Key Facts

14.1.2 Business Description

14.1.3 Products and Services

14.1.4 Financial Overview

14.1.5 SWOT Analysis

14.1.6 Key Developments

14.2 aixigo AG

14.2.1 Key Facts

14.2.2 Business Description

14.2.3 Products and Services

14.2.4 Financial Overview

14.2.5 SWOT Analysis

14.2.6 Key Developments

14.3 InvestCloud

14.3.1 Key Facts

14.3.2 Business Description

14.3.3 Products and Services

14.3.4 Financial Overview

14.3.5 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 Key Developments

14.4 WealthTechs Inc.

14.4.1 Key Facts

14.4.2 Business Description

14.4.3 Products and Services

14.4.4 Financial Overview

14.4.5 SWOT Analysis

14.4.6 Key Developments

14.5 Valuefy

14.5.1 Key Facts

14.5.2 Business Description

14.5.3 Products and Services

14.5.4 Financial Overview

14.5.5 SWOT Analysis

14.5.6 Key Developments

14.6 BlackRock, Inc.

14.6.1 Key Facts

14.6.2 Business Description

14.6.3 Products and Services

14.6.4 Financial Overview

14.6.5 SWOT Analysis

14.6.6 Key Developments

14.7 Synechron

14.7.1 Key Facts

14.7.2 Business Description

14.7.3 Products and Services

14.7.4 Financial Overview

14.7.5 SWOT Analysis

14.7.6 Key Developments

14.8 Wealthfront Inc.

14.8.1 Key Facts

14.8.2 Business Description

14.8.3 Products and Services

14.8.4 Financial Overview

14.8.5 SWOT Analysis

14.8.6 Key Developments

14.9 InvestSuite

14.9.1 Key Facts

14.9.2 Business Description

14.9.3 Products and Services

14.9.4 Financial Overview

14.9.5 SWOT Analysis

14.9.6 Key Developments

14.10 3rd Eyes Analytics

14.10.1 Key Facts

14.10.2 Business Description

14.10.3 Products and Services

14.10.4 Financial Overview

14.10.5 SWOT Analysis

14.10.6 Key Developments



15. Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yhuow3

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Xebra Brands Ltd. ("Xebra"), a cannabis company, is pleased to announce that it has completed construction and equipment outfitting of its indoor cannabis growing facility, located approximately 100 km east of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.

Progress on commissioning the facility has been swift, with high hygiene standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs) already implemented.

Rodrigo Gallardo, President of Xebra, commented "We are encouraged to have completed our facility ahead of schedule. Cannabis varieties with the specific THC and CBD ratios will arrive at the facility imminently".

The 2,000 ft2 (185 m2) facility is purpose built for medicinal cannabis cultivation trials, and provides for exceptional and efficient scalability, up to 100,000 ft2 (9,300 m2).

The facility features four smart automated cells; three for production, and one for propagation, with new state of the art equipment, including computer-controlled HVAC for heating, cooling, humidification and dehumidification. In addition, irrigation in each cell is also computer controlled.

On July 2, 2021, Xebra received a preliminary cannabis license from the Dutch Ministry of Health, which provides for the possession, cultivation, processing, and transportation of cannabis.

As 1 of only 5 companies to be selected by the Dutch government to participate in trial medicinal cannabis cultivation, Xebra is endeavoring to be awarded 1 of 2 licenses, with a contract for up to 6 years, providing for revenues of up to 70.5 million, to co-supply all pharma-grade cannabis to be sold in the Netherlands; and additional crops can be grown for export to other European countries. Not including export crops, the contract would provide for annual volumes of 5,000 kg of cannabis flower, to be sold to the Dutch government, at a fixed price of 2,350/kg under an initial four-year term, with an optional two-year extension, for each of the two successful companies, and would be guaranteed by the Dutch government. The final two license holders will be selected based on the strength of their business plans, and on the product quality and consistency of three trial crops.

Xebra has assembled an experienced team in Holland, led by Harry von Duijne, formerly of Bedrocan, where he was responsible for managing every aspect of operations of a state-of-the-art cannabis facility, from construction through cultivation and processing, quality management, and GMP certification; Bedrocan presently is, and has been the only licensed producer in the Netherlands for more than a decade.

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, these include, without limitation, statements regarding Xebra Brands Ltd.'s expectations in respect of its ability to successfully execute its business plan or business model; its ability to provide economic, environmental, social, or any benefits of any type, in the communities it operates in or may operate it in the future; its ability to be a first mover in a country, or to obtain or retain government licenses, permits or authorizations in general, or specifically in Mexico, Colombia, Canada, the Netherlands, or elsewhere; its ability to successfully apply for and obtain trademarks and other intellectual property in any jurisdiction; its ability to be cost competitive; its ability to cultivate, grow, or process hemp or cannabis in Mexico, Colombia, Canada, the Netherlands, or elsewhere and related plans; financial, operational, or any other term relating to the Company's participation in the Dutch trial medicinal cannabis cultivation; its ability to manufacture cannabis beverages, wellness products, or other products; its ability to commercialize or sell cannabis beverages, wellness products, or other products, in Mexico, Colombia, Canada, the Netherlands, or elsewhere; its ability to commercialize or to sell Vicious Citrus Lemonade in 2022 or at any time, in any jurisdiction; its ability to commercialize or to sell Elements wellness products in any jurisdiction at any time; its ability to create wellness products that have a therapeutic effect or benefit; plans for future growth and the direction of the business; financial projections including expected revenues, gross profits, and EBITDA (which is a non-GAAP financial measure); plans to increase product volumes, the capacity of existing facilities, supplies from third party growers and contractors; expected growth of the cannabis industry generally; management's expectations, beliefs and assumptions; events or developments that XEBRA expects to take place in the future; general economic conditions; and other risk factors described in the prospectus of the Company dated September 30, 2021. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking information and statements. The words "aim", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "target", "intends", "continue", "plans", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", and similar expressions identify forward-looking information and statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by XEBRA as of the dates of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the inability of XEBRA to generate sufficient revenues or to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plan; changes in government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in various countries; risks associated with agriculture and cultivation activities generally, including inclement weather, access to supply of seeds, poor crop yields, and spoilage; compliance with import and export laws of various countries; significant fluctuations in cannabis prices and transportation costs; the risk of obtaining necessary licenses and permits; inability to identify, negotiate and complete a potential acquisition for any reason; the ability to retain key employees; dependence on third parties for services and supplies; non-performance by contractual counter-parties; general economic conditions; and the continued growth in global demand for cannabis products and the continued increase in jurisdictions legalizing cannabis; and the timely receipt of regulatory approval for license applications. The foregoing list is not exhaustive and XEBRA undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of the foregoing except as required by law. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies could affect XEBRA's actual performance and cause its actual performance to differ materially from what has been expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, XEBRA. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those set out in such statements.

SOURCE Xebra Brands Ltd.
EIGHTY FOUR, Pa., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 84 Lumber, the nation's largest privately held building materials supplier, is launching a recruitment effort to fill immediate openings in Tavares, FL. The company will host a Hiring Event on October 27th from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 84 Lumber Tavares location (3751 County Road 561, Tavares, FL 32778).

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 door manufacturers, non-CDL truck drivers, and truck driver helpers. 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. Candidates who attend the event and then get hired as a result of it are eligible for a one-time $840 sign-on bonus.

"84 Lumber is seeking to fill nearly 15 open positions in Tavares to add to our team of more than 70 employees in the area," said Rob Woodrow, divisional vice president at 84 Lumber. "We're growing along with the growth in the construction industry  here in Tavares and across the nation. We're looking for people seeking a fresh start."

Woodrow went on to detail the openings in the region:

Door manufacturers need no prior experience and are involved in the manufacturing of doors. These associates can expect a starting pay of $15 to $18 per hour depending on experience.



need no prior experience and are involved in the manufacturing of doors. These associates can expect a starting pay of to per hour depending on experience. Non-CDL truck drivers and driver helpers load trucks and deliver materials to customer job sites. These associates are also responsible for building loads for deliveries; maintaining a safe, clean, and well-organized lumber yard; and loading and unloading lumber and building supplies. Hourly pay for drivers and driver helpers is $15 to $20 per hour depending on position.

Woodrow 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 Woodrow. "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/tavares-florida-hiring-event

SOURCE 84 Lumber

Related Links

https://www.84lumber.com


FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 8; Released: April 2021 Executive Pool: 19382 Companies: 38 - Players covered include Appian Corporation; Dell EMC; Fujitsu Ltd.; Hyland Software, Inc.; IBM Corporation; OpenText Corporation; Oracle Corporation; Pegasystems, Inc.; Software AG; TIBCO Software, Inc. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Deployment (Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Hybrid Cloud); Solution (Automation, Process Modeling & Design, Integration, Content & Document Management, Monitoring & Optimization, Other Solutions); Vertical (BFSI, Telecom & IT, Consumer Goods & Retail, Government & Defense, Transportation & Logistics, Other Verticals) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific; Rest of World.

Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry



ABSTRACT-



Global Mobile BPM Market to Reach $6.9 Billion by 2026

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Mobile BPM estimated at US$2.3 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$6.9 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 19.6% over the analysis period. Automation, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 22.7% CAGR and reach US$4 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Process Modeling & Design segment is readjusted to a revised 16.1% CAGR for the next 7-year period.



The U.S. Market is Estimated at $857.8 Million in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $1.2 Billion by 2026

The Mobile BPM market in the U.S. is estimated at US$857.8 Million in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$1.2 Billion by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 19% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 17.7% and 16.2% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 13.3% CAGR.



Integration Segment to Reach US$375.6 Million by the year 2026

In the global Integration segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 13.8% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$135.4 Million in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$334.7 Million by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. More



MarketGlass Platform

Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide.



Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android



About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years.



CONTACTS:

Zak Ali

Director, Corporate Communications

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Phone: 1-408-528-9966

www.StrategyR.com

Email: [email protected]



LINKS

Join Our Expert Panel

https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp



Connect With Us on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./



Follow Us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/marketbytes



Journalists & Media

[email protected]

SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.strategyr.com


For effective gene therapy, it is absolutely essential that the genetic payload be delivered to the desired location inside a patient's body. The best method for accomplishing this is to use the Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) as a vector. AAV is a non-enveloped single-stranded DNA virus that penetrates cells that either divide or do not divide. AAV replicates only when a helper virus is present and thus it is non-pathogenic to humans. Because of these traits, AAV is an effective and practical method to deliver genes into various types of cells and is used as a vector in gene therapy. However, with the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, the size of the scissor gene is large and it is difficult to transport the gene inside the human body using the virus (AAV) carrier. For this reason, the clinical use of CRISPR/Cas9 as a gene therapy is very limited.

Because the size of the gene in the 'CRISPR/Cas12f-GE' system developed by GenKOre is one-third that of Cas9, it is an ideal payload for AAV delivery. GenKOre demonstrated its potential utility as the best gene therapy by improving the editing efficiency. In addition to high editing efficiency, it has proven to be effective and safe as gene scissor technology with respect to the off-target issue, a chronic weakness of CRISPR gene scissors.

The hypercompact CRISPR system Cas12f-GE has revealed its value as a therapeutic agent that can be widely used for developing medical treatments for patients who chronically suffer from life-long illnesses or diseases due to the lack of fundamental remedies.

GenKOre, which successfully developed this new technology, is a spin-off company of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB), a research institute funded by the South Korean government.

Dr. Yong-Sam Kim, CEO of GenKOre remarked, "I hope that our achievements based on our research will bring about a revolution in gene therapies utilizing this genome-editing tool. Our technology can be seen as a breakthrough by resolving the major obstacle linked to the original CRISPR technology, and I am optimistic that in tandem with existing gene scissors, our technology will contribute to the human health and welfare."

With the successful development of CRISPR/Cas12f-GE, GenKOre plans to step up its development of gene therapy and new products through its unique gene scissor technology and collaborate with other companies in becoming a market leader in the realm of gene therapy and new plant biotechnology

For more content on GenKOre's paper published online by Nature Biotechnology, refer to https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-021-01009-z.

The website of GenKOre is www.genkore.com

SOURCE GenKOre
Amprius' supplies advanced lithium-ion batteries to the Airbus Defence and Space Zephyr Program. Tweet this

Amprius' unmatched high energy density and silicon nanowire battery technology enables the international aerospace company to expand its capabilities and achieve new breakthroughs. The company's proven technology was used in the Airbus's Zephyr program, the world's leading solar-electric stratospheric Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), which will be available to commercial, institutional, and military customers.

"It's an honor to receive the Innovative Supplier Award from Airbus this year for our groundbreaking achievement in battery development and our role in the Airbus Zephyr program," said Kang Sun, Amprius CEO. "We strive for sustainable solutions to improve and enhance the world of aviation. Our company's focus on innovation is key to our success and we look further to continuing our work with Airbus on its future initiatives."

To learn more about Amprius, visit Amprius.com

About Airbus Defence

Headquartered in Arlington, VA and operating under an SSA, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc offers advanced solutions to meet the most complex U.S. defense, security, space, and intelligence requirements. A long time U.S. partner, Airbus U.S. leverages world-class satellite, laser communication, rotor, and fixed wing solutions to help our National Security focused customers meet their missions.

About Amprius Technologies

Amprius Technologies is a leading manufacturer of high-energy and high-capacity lithium-ion batteries producing the industry's highest energy density cells. The company's corporate headquarters is in Fremont, California where it maintains an R&D lab and a pilot manufacturing facility for the fabrication of silicon nanowire anodes and cells. Please go to Amprius.com for more information.

SOURCE Amprius Technologies

Related Links

http://Amprius.com


RICE LAKE, Wis., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Repeating Arms, one of the country's leading firearms manufacturers, is donating a series of 65 custom rifles to raise funds for the family of 11-year-old Sami Bernadzikowski of Elkridge, Maryland, who is battling multiple congenital heart defects (CHD). All proceeds from the fundraising campaign, which are expected to surpass $45,000, will be presented to the Bernadzikowski family.

Sami Bernadzikowski of Elkridge, Maryland is battling several congenital heart defects and is the latest beneficiary of Henry Repeating Arms Guns For Great Causes. Henry Repeating Arms is donating 65 limited-edition Golden Boy Silver rifles, the proceeds of which will be presented to Samis family to assist with medical expenses.

Since she was born, Sami has undergone five open-heart surgeries with at least one more to come later and over thirty cardiac catheterization procedures. On top of a rare condition called heterotaxy syndrome, where organs are formed abnormally, in the wrong place, or missing altogether, Sami is diagnosed with several CHDs, including single ventricle, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary vein stenosis, transposition of the great vessels, and atrial septal defect. In addition, the 6th grader's treatments require a visit to Boston several times throughout the year, adding to the overall cost of her medical expenses.

"She has been poked, prodded, and cut by doctors her whole life," says James McVay, a family friend that brought Sami's case to the attention of Henry Repeating Arms. "Her normal life is what anyone else would call torture, and she takes it in stride with the rarest complaint."

"I have yet to see a photo of Sami where she didn't have a huge smile on her face, which is incredible once you learn what she's going through," says Anthony Imperato, CEO, and Founder of Henry Repeating Arms. He continues, "I would like to give a big hug to Sami and her family, and I look forward to seeing how fast these rifles sell out thanks to the generosity of the Henry family."

Over the last two years, Henry's Guns For Great Causes campaigns have raised over $200,000 for five families, and all of the rifles sold out within a matter of hours after the initial announcements.

The "Support 4 Sami" edition rifles feature an engraved and hand-painted design that incorporates Sami's whimsical, curious, and adventurous spirit within each letter of her name. Built on Henry's Golden Boy Silver platform, the rifles are chambered in .22 S/L/LR and feature a nickel-plated receiver cover, genuine American walnut stocks, and a deeply blued steel octagon barrel. Each rifle in the series bears a unique serial number ranging from "01OF65SAMI" through "65OF65SAMI." Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Connecticut, donated the artwork and embellishments on the buttstocks.

To learn more about this latest Guns For Great Causes campaign or make a purchase, visit henryusa.com/support4sami. The auction for serial number "01OF65SAMI" is available on gunbroker.com, item #913742436. The last rifle in the series, "65OF65SAMI," is also up for auction, item #913742797. Both auctions close on Nov. 4.

All firearms purchased through Henry Repeating Arms must be shipped to a licensed firearms dealer. For more information about Henry Repeating Arms and its products, visit henryusa.com or call 866-200-2354.

About Henry Repeating Arms:

Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading rifle and shotgun manufacturers in the United States and a world leader in the lever action category. The company motto is "Made in America, or not made at all," and its firearms come with a lifetime guarantee backed by award-winning customer service. The company is also known for its Guns For Great Causes charitable program, which focuses on assisting the families of sick children, children's hospitals, military veteran organizations, Second Amendment advocacy groups, and wildlife conservation organizations. The company currently employs over 550 people and has over 330,000sf of manufacturing space in its Wisconsin and New Jersey facilities. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry, who invented and patented the Henry lever action rifle in 1860  the first practical repeating rifle. The lever action rifle is America's unique contribution to international firearms design and is one of the most legendary, respected, and sought-after rifles in the history of firearms. Visit Henry Repeating Arms online at henryusa.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/HenryRepeating, and @henry_rifles on Instagram.

SOURCE Henry Repeating Arms

Related Links

https://www.henryusa.com/


SAN DIEGO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainable Banking service Ando today announces a seed funding round of $6 million, led by TTV Capital and including investments from HOF Capital , Kinetic Ventures and NNS Group. Ando is a fast-growing, consumer- and planet-friendly alternative to traditional banking. So far this year, more than 30,000 Ando customers have helped fund sustainable loans across three-quarters of the United States. Big banks use customers' deposits to fund fossil fuels and other carbon-intensive industries: Over the last 5 years, the world's 60 largest banks have invested more than $3.8 trillion of their customers' money into the fossil fuel industry. Ando, on the other hand, is revolutionizing personal finance by investing customer deposits in carbon-reducing projects that fight climate change, and by providing complete transparency into where it invests customers' money.

"We believe there's a compelling need for innovation and advancement in the financial industry," said Gardiner Garrard, co-founder and managing partner at TTV Capital. "Ando's Sustainable Banking solution provides customers with modern banking features including, for the first time ever, the ability to direct 100 percent of their bank balance to fund sustainable investments. No other banking institution offers this, and we're excited about partnering with Ando to bring Sustainable Banking to millions of customers."

Additional investors cited differentiators including Ando's polished, user-friendly platform; mission-driven leadership and potential for massive, world-changing impact. Investors also considered the fact that consumers are increasingly interested in making socially conscious decisions (according to a recent BBMG/GlobeScan study , for example, 74 percent of respondents under age 30 globally say they've personally been greatly or moderately affected by climate change or global warming).

Ando launched in January 2021 as the only banking service that uses customer deposits to fund solar initiatives and other carbon-reducing projects. This active role in helping combat climate change comes at no cost to Ando users, who enjoy a full suite of the most desirable banking features, including best-in-class security, FDIC protection, bonuses for referring friends, free overdraft protection and the opportunity to get paid up to two days early. Quite simply, banking with Ando is the best in personal banking and the easiest way to have a constant and profound impact on reversing the devastating effects of climate change. Ando is a Certified B Corp and has partnered with legendary rock climber Alex Honnold to boost awareness of the banking industry's "dirty secret."

Ando routes customers' deposits to sustainable initiatives by partnering with local banks and credit unions; together, Ando and partner banks are funding thousands of sustainable loans to homeowners and businesses across the country. Current partner banks include WebBank and Virginia Community Capital, with loan recipients including home owners, community gathering places, fire departments, veterinary clinics and other local businesses.

These local bank partnerships help Ando quickly and efficiently route customer deposits to projects that will make an immediate and positive environmental impact. At the same time, the local banks can leverage Ando's national platform to more quickly meet their own sustainability goals.

"There are more than 9,000 community banks and credit unions across the United States," explained Ando founder and CEO JP McNeill. "Our partnership model helps these regional and smaller bankswhich hold tremendous deposit power when unitedfund and grow their green assets at no cost to their account holders. If Ando can help community banks grow their green loans by just 1 percent, it'd equate to $33 billion worth of green loans."

About Ando:

Ando is the leader in Sustainable Banking, disrupting the traditional banking industry by investing customer money exclusively in green initiatives like renewable energy and responsible agriculture, potentially giving users 27 times the impact of other environmental actions. Additionally, Ando is 100 percent transparent as to where those investments are made. These are just two of the many reasons Ando has been named a Certified B Corp, a recognition of their commitment to building a sustainable, inclusive economy that works for everyone. Ando users pay no monthly fees while enjoying the possibility of early paydays and easy transfers from old accounts. To learn more visit www.andomoney.com .

SOURCE Ando

Related Links

http://www.andomoney.com


NEW YORK and LONDON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ATP, a leader in life sciences venture capital, announced today the appointment of Raj Chopra, FRCP, FRCPath, FRSB, Ph.D., as Head of Oncology. In this role, Dr. Chopra is responsible for identifying and evaluating investment opportunities in oncology, horizon scanning for emerging scientific and business trends, facilitating synergies across ATP's oncology portfolio, and building and maintaining relationships across global cancer research and clinical communities on behalf of ATP and its portfolio companies. Dr. Chopra also continues as a venture partner at ATP based in the firm's London office.

"Within our current fund, to date ATP has created 15 new companies, of which nine are either exclusively focused on new scientific ideas in oncology or are platform companies that include potentially groundbreaking oncology programs," said Seth Harrison, M.D., founder and Managing Partner of ATP. "We created the Head of Oncology role both to acknowledge the critical work Raj has been doing at ATP and to sharpen and amplify our oncology strategy.

"ATP has assembled a team with unmatched expertise in the areas that will produce the next generation of oncology therapeuticsnovel immuno-oncology approaches, RNA metabolism and processing, and protein dynamics (formation, degradation, and interactions)as well as engineering and manufacturing complex modalities, designing and running clinical trials, and bringing to market new classes of cancer medicines," Dr. Harrison continued. "Given Raj's experience, capabilities, and network, the vision is for him to direct and orchestrate our efforts to create synergies within the portfolio."

"ATP's oncology strategy is to create flagship oncology companies in two ways," Dr. Chopra said. "The first is making connections within the ATP portfolio between sciences and technologies that at first glance may look unexpected but in the end could enable major leaps forward in delivering better treatments for people with cancer. The second is attracting researchers who may have a brilliant scientific idea but lack the right platform or translational know-how to make it work. We want those scientists and entrepreneurs to think of ATP as their preferred partner."

Dr. Chopra joined ATP in 2019 as a venture partner from The Institute of Cancer Research in London, where as director of the Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, he led one of the largest academic drug discovery groups in the world and focused on targeted protein degradation and complex 3D cell culture models. Prior to that, he worked at Celgene from 2009 to 2016 as corporate vice president of Translational and Early Drug Development, leading an international team of more than 100 scientists. Before joining Celgene, he held leadership positions in AstraZeneca's Oncology Therapeutics group in the UK and US. Dr. Chopra started his academic career as the director of Hematological Oncology at Christie Hospital and was group leader at the Paterson Institute of Cancer Research, both located in Manchester, UK. He was a non-executive director of Artios Pharma, established to develop a next-generation DNA Damage Response target pipeline of cancer therapeutics, and co-founder of Monte Rosa Therapeutics, a biotech focused on targeted protein degradation.

Dr. Chopra earned his Ph.D. in medicine, cell and molecular biology at University College London. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Royal College of Pathologists, and the Royal Society of Biology.

About ATP

Founded in 1999, ATP is a leader in life sciences venture capital, with $2.65 billion in committed capital and offices in New York, London, San Francisco, and Cambridge, MA. ATP creates companies starting at various stages, from pre-IP ideas to asset spinouts, investing in them from seed stage through IPO and beyond. The core of ATP's strategy is providing flexible capital and access to a world-class team of venture partners and EIRs, to build sustainable, research-driven enterprises that deliver therapeutics to improve human lives. For more information, visit www.appletreepartners.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sally Jacob / 212-468-5800 / [email protected]

SOURCE ATP
DUBLIN, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), a global leader in healthcare technology, today announced Austin L. Chiang, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, chief medical social media officer of Jefferson Health and director of the Endoscopic Bariatric Program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, has joined Medtronic as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Gastrointestinal (GI) business at Medtronic.

In this role, Dr. Chiang will provide medical expertise and strategic guidance on evidence development, clinical communications and publications, and training and support needs. Additionally, he will provide oversight to ensure patient safety throughout product lifecycle, including the product development processes, risk management, clinical trials, and safety surveillance. Dr. Chiang is one of the few triple board-certified advanced endoscopy-trained physicians in the world. His certifications include Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine, and in Obesity Medicine by the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

"As healthcare continues to evolve at such a rapid pace, we are excited to add a clinician of Dr. Chiang's caliber to our leadership team," said Giovanni Di Napoli, president of the Gastrointestinal business, which is part of the Medical Surgical Portfolio at Medtronic. "Dr. Chiang's approach to medicine and educating healthcare providers and patients is on the leading edge of healthcare innovation. His forward thinking and desire to personalize medicine for patients and providers will help Medtronic to continue evolving and serving the ever-changing healthcare community."

"I am thrilled to be joining Medtronic at such an innovative time in healthcare and especially in the gastrointestinal space, helping to deliver on what is a promising future for those in need of innovative GI care around the world," said Dr. Chiang. "I look forward to joining a world-renowned team of brilliant engineers and leading clinical experts that produce life-saving devices. I anticipate collaborating with our Medtronic team across the globe to produce solutions that best serve patients and increase quality of care for all."

In addition to serving as Chief Medical Officer for the Medtronic GI business, Dr. Chiang will continue to practice clinically at Jefferson Health. "This is a great step in Dr. Chiang's career as a Jefferson faculty member, and as one of the nation's leading science advocates," said Stephen K. Klasko, M.D., MBA, president of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health. "This new role allows him to marry clinical care and device innovation, and to use technology as the foundation for the revolution in putting people first in health care delivery."

A nationally recognized gastroenterologist and advanced endoscopist, Dr. Chiang is passionate about empowering patients with accurate medical information online. He serves on the board of the Association for Bariatric Endoscopy (ABE) and is a committee member for the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). He is also founding president of the Association for Healthcare Social Media (AHSM). Dr. Chiang was named Healio Gastroenterology's Disruptive Innovator of the Year in 2018 and was a Philadelphia Inquirer Influencer of Healthcare Rookie of the Year in 2019. This year, Dr. Chiang was a nominee for the GLAAD Media TikTok Advocate of the Year award.

Dr. Chiang completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at Duke University, and he earned his Medical Doctorate from Columbia University before completing his internal medicine residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia University). He completed his gastroenterology and bariatric endoscopy fellowships at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School and advanced endoscopy fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He is also a graduate of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health where he earned his master's degree in Public Health.

About Medtronic

Bold thinking. Bolder actions. We are Medtronic. Medtronic plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is the leading global healthcare technology company that boldly attacks the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission  to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life  unites a global team of 90,000+ passionate people across 150 countries. Our technologies and therapies treat 70 health conditions and include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools, patient monitoring systems, and more. Powered by our diverse knowledge, insatiable curiosity, and desire to help all those who need it, we deliver innovative technologies that transform the lives of two people every second, every hour, every day. Expect more from us as we empower insight-driven care, experiences that put people first, and better outcomes for all. In everything we do, we are engineering the extraordinary. For more information on Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), visit www.Medtronic.com and follow @Medtronic on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

Contacts:





Sabrina Zimring Ryan Weispfenning Public Relations Investor Relations +1-720-774-3454 +1-763-505-4626

SOURCE Medtronic plc

Related Links

http://www.medtronic.com


PRAGUE, Czech Republic and LISBON, Portugal, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avast (LSE:AVST), a global leader in digital security and privacy, today announced that Ondrej Vlcek , Chief Executive Officer at Avast, and Garry Kasparov, Chess Grandmaster, Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation in New York and Avast Security Ambassador, will discuss how to unlock the potential of the digital world at the annual Web Summit Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The talk titled "Taking back control of the internet" will take place on November 3rd at 2:00 p.m. Western European Time, and will also cover Avast's mission to establish digital freedom as a fundamental human right.

Since its foundation three decades ago, the free and unlimited space of the world wide web has evolved into a tool that is providing us with advances, yet simultaneously endangering our rights and privacy. It is time to speak up. Digital inequality exists, but few among us have the fortitude to discuss it. Ondrej Vlcek and Garry Kasparov will address these issues and discuss how the internet must be changed to fit our society.

On November 4th at 3:20 p.m. WET Garry Kasparov will also participate in a fireside chat to discuss his role as a consultant on the hit Netflix series The Queen's Gambit. He will be joined by an industry expert who will contribute to the discussion about bringing stories to life on screen. Later that afternoon, at 4:30 p.m. Garry Kasparov will also play a simultaneous chess exhibition with 20 selected participants of the conference.

About Garry Kasparov, Avast Security Ambassador

Garry Kasparov became the youngest world chess champion in history in 1985 and was the world's top-rated player for 20 years. He first discovered the potential of AI during his famous matches against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue. Ever since, he's spoken about future tech, most recently as Avast's security ambassador. His matches against arch-rival Anatoly Karpov and Deep Blue popularized chess and machine intelligence in unprecedented ways.

About Ondrej Vlcek, Avast CEO

Ondrej Vlcek serves as Chief Executive Officer for Avast. Together with his senior management team, he executes on Avast's vision to deliver people-centric security and spearheads the Company's product innovation program for emerging consumer technology categories, including AI and identity protection. Previously, he held the combined position of Executive Vice-President & General Manager, Consumer, and Chief Technology Officer. In this role, he led Avast's transformation from a traditional PC antivirus vendor to the leading provider of a full portfolio of protection, privacy, and performance products for consumers.

About Avast:

Avast (LSE:AVST), a FTSE 100 company, is a global leader in digital security and privacy, headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. With over 435 million users online, Avast offers products under the Avast and AVG brands that protect people from threats on the internet and the evolving IoT threat landscape. The company's threat detection network is among the most advanced in the world, using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to detect and stop threats in real time. Avast digital security products for Mobile, PC or Mac are top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Avast is a member of Coalition Against Stalkerware, No More Ransom, and the Internet Watch Foundation. Visit: www.avast.com .

Keep in touch with Avast:

For security and privacy insights, visit the Avast blog: https://blog.avast.com/

For handy guides, advice and tips, visit Avast Academy: https://www.avast.com/c-academy

For more information about Avast visit: https://www.avast.com/en-gb/about and https://www.avast.com/company-faqs

and Follow us on Twitter: @Avast

Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avast/

Visit our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/avast

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Avast Software, Inc.

Related Links

www.avast.com


DENVER, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - BellRock Brands Inc. ("BellRock" or the "Company") (CSE: BRCK.U), an industry-leading cannabis multi-state house of brands ("MSHB"), today announced that the Company has entered into a licensing agreement with Curio Wellness to manufacture and distribute its iconic Mary's Medicinals ("Mary's") line to cannabis retailers in Maryland. Curio Wellness, Maryland's market-leading health and wellness company, already manufactures and distributes BellRock's Dixie line of cannabis-infused products. BellRock anticipates that Mary's products, including its Transdermal Patches, Transdermal Gel Pen, Transdermal Compounds and Muscle Freeze, will become available through Curio Wellness during the first quarter of 2022.

Founded in 2013 with the goal of transforming how people view and utilize cannabis, Mary's Medicinals is known for its innovative delivery methods and robust library of intellectual property including a U.S. patent for its acclaimed transdermal technology. In August 2021, BDSA named Mary's Medicinals as the Best-Selling Cannabis Brand in the Topicals Category for 1H 2021.

"We are very pleased to announce an exclusive partnership with Curio Wellness in Maryland," said BellRock President Brian Jansen. "Curio Wellness' history perfectly aligns with the mission and values of Mary's Medicinals. Both companies share an unrelenting commitment to quality, science, and innovation. By unifying Mary's and Dixie under one roof in Maryland, we will benefit from resulting Company synergies and expand distribution in the state."

Curio Wellness will manufacture the Mary's Medicinals line in its new, 34,000 square feet state-of-the-art processing facility in Timonium, MD. Among the largest in the country, Curio Wellness' facilities are the only in the state whose products meet cGMP standards, the same quality standard set for the world's leading pharmaceutical companies to ensure that consumer products meet the most stringent quality and efficacy guidelines.

"Mary's Medicinals has always been on our radar, lauded for its solid reputation and patient-first mentality. The brand has stood the test of time and has continued to innovate to reimagine wellness for patients," said Michael Bronfein, CEO of Curio Wellness. "We look forward to adding Mary's to the Curio Wellness family and further enhancing and diversifying our offerings to better meet patients' needs."

ABOUT CURIO WELLNESS

Founded in 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland, Curio Wellness is a cGMP certified, vertically integrated medical cannabis company and trusted healthcare partner. Recognized as the leading wellness brand in cannabis by BDS Analytics, Curio is committed to serving patients with targeted, effective, and reliable cannabis- based medicine. In 2018, Curio's flower and topical balm were named Best Flower and Topical in Maryland by Leafly. For more information visit curiowellness.com.

ABOUT BELLROCK BRANDS:

BellRock Brands is a cannabis multi-state house of brands and intellectual property focused CPG operator that possesses one of the industry's broadest branded product portfolios. BellRock consists of two iconic cannabis brands, Mary's Medicinals (a pioneer in the Health & Wellness segment since 2013) and Dixie (a market-leading cannabis-infused edibles brand since 2010). BellRock also includes two growing California-based brands, Rebel Coast and Defonce. BellRock's CBD portfolio includes the brands Mary's Nutritionals and Mary's Tails. With 7 brands and over 200 SKUs, BellRock reaches nearly every key consumer group and addresses the needs of a diverse cannabis consumer base. The BellRock manufacturing and distribution footprint continues to expand and currently spans nine states, and the Company owns or manages production facilities in its largest markets. For more information, visit www.bellrockbrands.com.

SOURCE BellRock Brands Inc.

Related Links

http://dixieelixirs.com


BEAVERTON, Ore., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bigleaf Networks is flipping the switch on its newest point of presence, part of an aggressive expansion project that is doubling the capacity of its owned-and-operated backbone platform. The new PoP, Bigleaf's 12th worldwide, is located in Ashburn, Va.

Ashburn is often referred to as Data Center Alley. It is the most densely populated data center peering point in the United States. More than 70 percent of the world's internet traffic passes through its colocation and interconnection infrastructure.

"We've had a significant volume of requests from customers for a northern Virginia PoP," said Jonathan Petkevich, vice president of product and development at Bigleaf Networks. "A big part of what's driving these requests is the ongoing shift to the cloud and a resulting need to have an even closer peering presence with Microsoft Azure and AWS US East 1A and 2."

The new PoP supports Bigleaf's customers, including the growing number of MSPs who have played a large role in Bigleaf's success. Establishing the new PoP will bring applications and data closer to users and create a more resilient distributed network, while helping MSPs bring Bigleaf's cloud-enabled solutions to more companies looking to SD-WAN to provide higher throughput and less latency.

Located inside Equinix's DC10 campus, the new PoP will allow Bigleaf Networks to expand its peering with the world's two biggest public cloud providers, as well as networks such as Adobe, Alibaba, Apple, Cloudflare, Google, Netflix, Salesforce, and WebEx.

To deliver the predictable performance and connectivity today's cloud-first businesses need, Bigleaf had to take a whole new approach to connectivity that traditional SD-WANs weren't built to address. The best way to do that was to build a networking platform from the ground up.

Unlike others in the industry who are solely reliant on an ISP for peering, Bigleaf Networks architected a new kind of networking platform to deliver end-to-end connectivity to and from anywhere a customer's traffic needs to go. The company operates its own network, which is optimized for quality and performance, providing an additional layer of control to ensure an optimal internet experience. When a customer installs Bigleaf, all of its traffic is sent directly to Bigleaf and its peering locations. This unique architecture and patented technology allows Bigleaf to control traffic flow and ensures that quality of service is maintained from the customer's location, through their ISP, and through the backbone of the Internet before going to the application provider.

About Bigleaf Networks

Bigleaf is a new kind of networking foundation for IT leaders who need to deliver truly reliable internet connectivity for every application, every technology, every user, everywhereover any ISP. By combining proven SD-WAN technology with groundbreaking AI software, Bigleaf classifies and prioritizes application traffic, and steers it around internet issues so it can reliably get to and from anywhere it needs to go, all without the need for policies or manual configurations. With Bigleaf, IT leaders can finally ensure the same reliable user experience for cloud and internet-technologies over the public Internet as they have for technologies hosted in their private LAN and WAN.

Contact: Aaron Kaffen

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Bigleaf Networks

Related Links

http://bigleaf.net


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global biomarkers market size is expected to reach USD 147.59 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is projected to register a CAGR of 14.2% from 2021 to 2028, which is driven by increasing collaborations & funds for R&D activities, rising consumer awareness, COVID-19 pandemic, and technological advancements in disease diagnosis. Research aids in the development of effective therapies for the treatment of various diseases, such as cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), immunological diseases, and neurological diseases.

Key Insights & Findings:

The safety biomarkers segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020 due to the growing awareness about routine health checkups and rising use in the preclinical stage

The validation biomarkers segment is estimated to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period owing to a wide application scope in pharmaceutical companies

The drug discovery & development segment dominated the global market in 2020 owing to the ability to accelerate drug development in certain diseases as they can predict drug efficacy more easily than conventional clinical endpoints

The diagnostic segment will register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period due to the increased use of biomarkers in early-stage disease diagnosis

The cancer disease segment held the maximum revenue share in 2020 due to an increased prevalence of cancer and the use of biomarkers for the detection of cancer

CVD is estimated to be the fastest-growing disease segment over the forecast period

North America accounted for the maximum revenue share in 2020 due to the presence of major key players in the region and increased per capita healthcare expenditure

Europe , on other hand, is estimated to be the fastest-growing regional market over the forecast period

Read 145 page market research report, "Biomarkers Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Safety, Efficacy), By Application (Diagnostic, Drug Discovery & Development), By Disease (CVD, Cancer), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028'', by Grand View Research

It has been observed that there has been an increase in public and private investments in the market. For instance, in January 2020, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. received a grant from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) worth USD 250,000 to propel the research on food allergy biomarkers. This grant is anticipated to help in the potential discovery and validation of allergy biomarkers for developing therapies. This can potentially improve the quality of life for 32 million people in the U.S. who are suffering from food allergies.

The government has also increased the funding for cancer research. For instance, in February 2020, President Trump, recently, signed a bill to fund the federal government in the U.S. along with the National Cancer Institute that received USD 6.44 billion. This funding is more than nearly USD 300 million that was allocated in 2019. These funds are expected to fuel the research associated with cancer, which is likely to have a positive impact on the market in the long run. Proactive government initiatives are driving the betterment of the reimbursement scenario in this market.

For instance, several researchers in the Asia Pacific region are involved in collaborations with regulatory authorities to validate and discover surrogate markers for use in drug development. The Japanese regulatory authorities and the government have employed a framework to promote collaborations and partnerships. Commercial insurers, generally, decide the need for biomarker testing for a patient before insuring their targeted therapy expenditures. While some insurers mandate medical evidence or prescription for biomarker testing, others may require patients to acknowledge that they are not undertaking certain therapies.

Grand View Research has segmented the global biomarkers market based on type, application, disease, and region:

Biomarkers Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Safety



Efficacy



Validation

Biomarkers Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Diagnostics



Drug Discovery & Development



Personalized Medicine



Others

Biomarkers Disease Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Cancer



Safety





Efficacy





Validation



Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs)



Safety





Efficacy





Validation



Neurological Diseases



Safety





Efficacy





Validation



Immunological Diseases



Safety





Efficacy





Validation



Others



Safety





Efficacy





Validation

Biomarkers Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



U.K.





Germany





Spain





France





Italy



Asia Pacific



Japan





China





India





South Korea





Australia



Latin America



Brazil





Mexico





Argentina



Middle East & Africa

&

South Africa





Saudi Arabia





UAE

List of Key Players of Biomarkers Market

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Abbott Laboratories

Epigenetics AG

General Electric

Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Siemens Healthineers AG

Qiagen

Check out more studies on types of biomarkers, conducted by Grand View Research:

Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis Biomarkers Market  The global Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis biomarkers market size was valued at USD 200.04 million in 2016 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 30.1% during the forecast period. The growing prevalence of chronic liver conditions is expected to upsurge demand

The global Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis biomarkers market size was valued at in 2016 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 30.1% during the forecast period. The growing prevalence of chronic liver conditions is expected to upsurge demand Cardiac Biomarkers Market  The cardiac biomarkers market was estimated to reach USD 4.7 billion in 2015. Cardiac biomarkers refer to the substances released in the bloodstream due to heart-related damage or stress, mainly caused by insufficient blood flow.

The cardiac biomarkers market was estimated to reach in 2015. Cardiac biomarkers refer to the substances released in the bloodstream due to heart-related damage or stress, mainly caused by insufficient blood flow. Neurological Biomarkers Market  The global neurological biomarkers market size was valued at USD 6.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9% from 2020 to 2028.

The global neurological biomarkers market size was valued at in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9% from 2020 to 2028. Cancer Biomarker Market  The global cancer biomarker market size was valued at USD 10.3 billion in the year 2016 and is estimated to reach a value of USD 33.7 billion by 2025, growing with CAGR of 14.3 %. Growing prevalence for malignancies coupled with increasing focus on development of targeted therapies is a major factor affirming the positive growth of this market.

Browse through Grand View Research's coverage of the Global Clinical Diagnostics 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: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
Located approximately 20 miles northwest of Phoenix, the new 2800-square-foot Black Rock store is located at 13725 N. Prasada Parkway off Waddel Road. Scheduled to open on October 29, 2021, Black Rock Coffee Bar will celebrate its grand opening by offering Surprise Phoenix residents 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 Surprise, Arizona opening brings to 96 the total number of company coffee bars in seven states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

"We are thrilled to be expanding our Arizona footprint by bringing our first Black Rock Coffee Bar store to Surprise," said Jeff Hernandez, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Black Rock Coffee Bar. "Surprise is known for its friendly neighbors and community and we look forward to serving them and providing an authentic Black Rock experience that is caring, friendly and welcoming."

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. Founded as a family owned and operated business in Oregon in 2008, Black Rock Coffee Bar has grown to 95 retail locations in seven states. The Black Rock culture emphasizes personal and professional growth for each Black Rock employee and 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

Related Links

https://br.coffee/


CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 55places.com a leading real estate platform for adults 55 and olderrecently surveyed 1,274 snowbirds based in the U.S. about their travel plans for the 2021-2022 season. Snowbirds, a term often referring to retirees and 55+ active adults, are known to migrate south to a warmer climate during the winter season. Based on the 70% of participants who are moving forward with their annual migration, the ongoing pandemic is causing little impact.

For 70% of snowbirds, relocation plans are in motion.

Business As Usual for Most Snowbirds, Despite Ongoing Pandemic

When asked about travel destinations, Florida was the most popular response, with 63% of snowbirds planning to migrate to the Sunshine State in the coming months. Other popular destinations include Arizona (13%), South Carolina (5%), Texas (5%), and North Carolina (3%).

was the most popular response, with 63% of snowbirds planning to migrate to the Sunshine State in the coming months. Other popular destinations include (13%), (5%), (5%), and (3%). Traveling by car is the selected form of transportation for 65% of snowbirds, while 30% will fly, 3% specified an RV, 1% will ride by train, and 1% will use another vehicle to get to their destination.

When asked when they plan to arrive, there were mixed responses. 5% of snowbirds plan to arrive at their destination before October of 2021, while 23% plan to arrive between October and November, and 24% plan to arrive at their destination between November and December. The remaining half will arrive between December and January (19%), between January and February of 2022 (22%), or between February and March (7%).

Close to one third of snowbirds plan to stay in their destination for 2-3 months (32%), while 31% plan to stay for one month, and 27% plan to stay 3-6 months. Only 10% plan to stay at their destination for 6+ months.

"Although COVID-19 has caused disruption in the day-to-day, many things have progressed since last year, driving an improved sense of security for travelers in this age demographic," said Danny Goodman, COO of 55places.com. "It should come to no surprise then that Florida remains a popular destination for snowbirds, likely due to its warm, sunny weather, abundance of 55+ communities, and low cost of living."

On the other hand, the pandemic is the primary reason for halting 7% of snowbirds.

As to why some snowbirds are staying put this year, there are various reasons; however, half (50%) selected that they do not want to risk getting COVID-19 as the primary reason for why they're not traveling. Other reasons include not feeling ready to travel (27%), wanting to stay closer to family and friends (7%), worried about having adequate access to health care (3%), and being scared to fly and not wanting to drive (1%). 12% cited other reasons, like not wanting to get the vaccine and not being able to afford the trip.

Uncertainty remains for 27% of snowbirds who have not yet made a decision.

As to why nearly one quarter of snowbirds are still undecided about traveling this year, there are various reasons; however, over half (59%) selected that they are waiting to see how the new COVID-19 variants will impact their plans. Other reasons include increasing COVID-19 cases within their selected destination making them reconsider their intended location (19%), not being sure of where to travel to (10%), not feeling safe traveling (8%), not wanting to leave friends and family (2%), worries about adequate health care access (1%), and finance concerns (1%).

To learn more about snowbird tips and trends in 2021, visit 55places.com/snowbird .

About 55places.com

55places.com is changing the way people 55 and older are searching for their perfect next place. With a national network of hand-selected real estate experts, plus comprehensive information, unbiased content, and on-the-go insight about thousands of communities across the country, 55places is a trusted resource paving the way from here to home. Showcasing low-maintenance single-level living, active lifestyle and age-qualified communities, intimate enclaves, and everything in between, 55places.com empowers visitors to make their next move the best one yet.

Methodology

To understand snowbird travel intentions during the 2021-2022 season, 55places.com surveyed 6,261 adults aged 55 and older in the U.S. between Sept. 14-20, 2021. Out of those 6,261 individuals, 1,274 (20%) identified as a snowbird, whose answers are included above. Responses were collected through SurveyMonkey via their Partner Panel as well as 55places.com email subscribers. For more information regarding the methodology, contact 55places.com.

Media Contact:

Marissa Wright

773-278-5500

[email protected]

SOURCE 55places.com
The 2021 Bytes & Bites conference will feature noted cybersecurity and managed IT strategist Bart McDonough, founder and CEO of Agio, as the event's keynote speaker along with panel discussions, food, refreshments and entertainment. McDonough's presentation will help firms protect data no matter where it lives against cybersecurity threats.

With more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, business development and IT management, McDonough is the author of Cyber Smart: Five Habits to Protect Your Family, Money and Identity from Cyber Criminals. His cybersecurity strategies have been featured in national and online financial and technology news publications and outlets.

McDonough will share ways to improve poor vendor management, strengthen weak passwords and defend against massive drive-by attacks that exploit software holes during his "Surviving the Public Cloud: Developing a Strong Cyber Culture" 1:15 p.m. keynote speech at the Finley Center event venue, 5508 Stadium Trace Parkway in Hoover, Alabama.

"With recent high-profile cyberattacks on oil pipelines, healthcare and social media firms, business leaders need to proactively protect sensitive company and consumer data and software programs from a variety of cyberattacks and these panels will give them valuable tips on how to learn more about how to manage these threats," said Ashley Phillips, general manager of C Spire Fiber and Business markets.

Hundreds of IT professionals and technology leaders are expected to attend the annual networking event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that will cover a range of topics that impact various industry sectors, including higher education and healthcare. Cisco Security Architect Joey Muniz will lead a 12:30 p.m. CT cybersecurity breakout.

A separate higher education panel at 10:30 a.m. led by University of Alabama-Birmingham CIO Curt Carver, Auburn University CIO Jim O'Connor and Jacksonville State University IT Vice President and CIO Vinson Houston will focus on IT challenges and opportunities at the state's universities and colleges.

And a healthcare panel at 11:30 a.m. led by Encompass Health CIO Rusty Yeager, University of Alabama-Birmingham Health System CIO Joan Hicks and Charles DeCroes, Vice President of Technology Support for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, will discuss the emerging role of information technology in the efficient delivery of healthcare services to consumers.

The event is hosted by C Spire Business, a division of C Spire, and includes sponsorships from technology partners Cisco, Dell Technologies, Citrix, Fortinet, Veeam, Zerto and many others.

About C Spire Business

C Spire Business is a division of C Spire, a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class, customer-inspired Gigabit consumer Internet access as well as a full suite of dedicated Internet, IP Voice, data, cloud and managed services for businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire Business, visit www.cspire.com/business or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspirebusiness or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspirebusiness.

SOURCE C Spire

Related Links

http://www.cspire.com


On Wednesday, President Xi inspected the estuary of the Yellow River in the city of Dongying, east China's Shandong Province. He visited a dock at the estuary, an ecological monitoring center and a national-level nature reserve of the Yellow River Delta.

National strategy

"The protection of the Yellow River is critical to the great rejuvenation and sustainable development of the Chinese nation," President Xi said. This explains why China has set the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin as a major national strategy.

Starting from Qinghai Province, the Yellow River runs through nine provinces and autonomous regions before emptying itself into the Bohai Sea in Shandong.

As an "ecological corridor," the Yellow River, linking the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Loess Plateau and plains in northern China with severe water scarcity, plays an important role in improving the ecological environment, combating desertification and providing water supply.

The 5,464-kilometer-long waterway feeds about 12 percent of China's population, irrigates some 15 percent of the arable land, supports 14 percent of the national GDP, and supplies water to more than 60 cities.

Since the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress, the Chinese president has visited all of the basin's provinces and autonomous regions, sharing his concerns about China's "Mother River." In less than a year from August 2019 to June 2020 alone, he inspected the Yellow River basin four times.

What are the challenges?

President Xi pointed out difficulties and problems in protecting the Yellow River during his inspection tours, such as the fragile ecological environment, the severe condition of water resources preservation and the need to improve development quality.

According to Xi, the peace of the Yellow River is significant to the stability of China. Although the river has not seen major dangers for many years, Xi has repeatedly told the nation not to relax its vigilance.

The river's natural and geological conditions have led to frequent flooding since ancient times. Over the past 2,500 years, the Yellow River has broken its dikes more than 1,500 times and made 26 major changes in its course on the lower reaches.

Still, busy industrial activities along the Yellow River once put it on the map as one of the world's most polluted rivers about 10 years ago, which also resulted in ecological degradation.

Turning a blueprint into practice

To deal with major challenges facing the Yellow River basin, the central government and the local governments along the river have taken a series of measures, exemplifying how a national strategy is transforming from a blueprint into concrete practice while showing China's determination to purse high-quality development.

Over the past 70 years, China has carried out four large-scale embankment projects, built water conservancy projects, implemented two phases of flood control projects on the lower reaches of the waterway and completed the standard levee construction. By 2019, the accumulated amount of silt and sand into the Yellow River has been reduced by nearly 30 billion tonnes and the sediment of the downstream river has been reduced by 11.2 billion tonnes.

High-quality development of the Yellow River basin started with adjustment and transformation of old industrial cities on the upper stream, developing modern agriculture in major grain-producing regions as well as exploring ways to help the impoverished residents along the riversides.

The country has also built more than 400 wetland nature reserves and national parks in the basin. The Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, the one President Xi visited on Wednesday, is one of the examples.

The Reserve spanning about 153,000 hectares, with wetlands making up over 70 percent of its total area, is an important wintering and stopover site for migratory birds, including oriental storks, an endangered bird species.

Earlier in October, China released an outline for the Yellow River Basin's protection and development through 2030, serving as a guide for policymaking and engineering project planning in the basin to address challenges. The country is also speeding up its legislation to advance ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-10-21/Xi-Jinping-inspects-Yellow-River-estuary-14xxlj4xQre/index.html

SOURCE CGTN

Related Links

www.cgtn.com


DOVER, Del., Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) will host a conference call on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. ET to discuss the Company's financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021. The earnings press release will be issued on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, after market close.

To participate in this call, dial 877.224.1468 and reference Chesapeake Utilities Corporation's 2021 Third Quarter Financial Results Conference Call.

To access the replay recording of this call, please visit the Events & Presentations section of the Investors page on www.chpk.com.

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation is a diversified energy delivery company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which is engaged in natural gas transmission and distribution; electricity generation and distribution; propane gas distribution; mobile compressed natural gas (CNG) utility services and solutions; and other businesses. Information about Chesapeake Utilities Corporation's businesses is available at www.chpk.com.

Please note that Chesapeake Utilities Corporation has no affiliation with Chesapeake Energy, an oil and natural gas exploration company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

For more information, contact:

Alex Whitelam

Head of Investor Relations

[email protected]

215.872.2507

SOURCE Chesapeake Utilities Corporation

Related Links

http://www.chpk.com


BUFFALO, N.Y., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Circuit Clinical has hired esteemed executive, Jordyne Blaise, as Vice President of Equity and Community Engagement. Jordyne brings years of experience as an attorney, consultant, writer, and strategist specializing in equity, diversity, inclusion, and civil rights compliance to this new role.

Jordyne has worked primarily in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space as a thought leader, advocate, and expert. She has led successful initiatives and programs that implement and support broad global diversity strategies, including multi-year roadmaps, culturally competent leadership development, and strategic partnerships. Jordyne's expertise in civil rights enforcement and diversity change management comes from her work with various companies and organizations including bluebird bio, Harvard Law School, NC State University, and the Federal Government. Nationally, she has published works regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, civil rights, and social justice.

"We have an amazing opportunity before us to meaningfully engage historically marginalized communities and expand long-needed access to clinical research," says Jordyne. "I feel incredibly fortunate to work with the amazing professionals at Circuit Clinical and the brilliant leaders in our communities to co-create solutions to challenge and dismantle health disparities."

With Jordyne joining the team, Circuit Clinical enters a new phase of their company and culture. Within her new role as Vice President of Equity and Community Engagement, she will ensure that Circuit Clinical is fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion by expanding access to careers in clinical research and to clinical trialsparticularly within Federally Qualified Health Centers and Community Health Systems. The clinical research industry is ripe with opportunities to improve DEI, and Circuit Clinical is primed to deliver solutions that drive the necessary changes to provide clinical trials as an option for all.

"Jordyne brings an authentic expertise from her legal and DEI work in community advocacy and drug development," comments Dr. Irfan Khan, Founder and CEO of Circuit Clinical. "As our VP Equity and Community Engagement, Jordyne now leads from the front to ensure we live our values as we expand our network of health systems with a specific focus on the Federally Qualified Health Centers and build a scalable solution to enhance diversity in clinical trials."

Learn more about Circuit Clinical's mission and story by visiting

www.circuitclinical.com/our-story .

About Circuit Clinical :

Circuit Clinical, one of the largest integrated research organizations in the USA, is dedicated to empowering patients to choose clinical research as a care option. Circuit Clinical is committed to transforming the way physicians and their patients find, conduct, and participate in clinical research. They deliver clinical research services and an award-winning patient engagement platform, trialjourney.com .

Follow Circuit Clinical on Facebook , LinkedIn , Instagram , and Twitter .

Media Contact: Jenna Crisp, [email protected]

SOURCE Circuit Clinical

Related Links

www.circuitclinical.com


TOLEDO, Ohio, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Baby boomers who are aging in to Medicare or want to explore their options can attend a virtual seminar from the comfort of their own home. The Toledo Clinic and Wood Health Company are offering a Virtual Medicare Shop & Compare Expo, 11 a.m EST, Thursday, Oct. 28. The webinar is a great opportunity for seniors to learn more about the differences in Medicare and Medicare Advantage and the various choices available to them. To register: IndependenceHealthSeniorCareAdvantage.com

The webinar will include several sessions, including a physician panel entitled: "The Benefits of Value-Based Healthcare", Medicare 101 sessions, insurance company and broker presentations, and inspirational comments from Toledo 60 Strong Ambassadors, who have overcome health obstacles and other challenges and will offer encouraging words about living life to its fullest.

Don't worry if you miss the webinar. From Oct. 29 until December 7, you can still log on by going to IndependenceHealthSeniorCareAdvantage.com to watch the online Medicare information program.

The Toledo Clinic and Wood Health Company are hosting the event and will have representatives available to answer questions about Independence Health Senior Care Advantage, a new program that expands the cooperation and coordination between physicians and the health insurance plans providing coverage for senior patients. Independence Health Senior Care Advantage is not a new Medicare Advantage plan -- rather it is a new approach to care delivery. Under this program, patients have more flexibility, but still have access to the quality care provided by their physicians.

SOURCE Independence Health Senior Care Advantage

Related Links

http://IndependenceHealthSeniorCareAdvantage.com


SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new nationwide study commissioned by SICPA North America, a leading provider of regulatory compliance solutions, and conducted online by The Harris Poll among over 2,000 U.S. adults shows broad support for securely labeling cannabis products to verify their legitimacy and safety in the marketplace.

Ensuring the safety of cannabis products is top of mind for Americans. A majority of Americans (83%) think states where cannabis is legal should require licensed cannabis producers to use secure labels that can't be counterfeited on cannabis products to ensure potency and consumer safety, and half of Americans (50%) say they strongly agree with this. Four in five Americans (80%) voiced their support for a program that would make it easier to detect legal vs. illegal cannabis products.

"The SICPA/Harris Poll shows that Americans feel strongly about ensuring that, where cannabis is legal, there is a way to verify whether products are safe and legitimate," said Alex Spelman, Vice President at SICPA US. "The transition from cannabis being illegal to legal in many U.S. states brings with it the opportunity for illicit operators to capitalize on the demand without following regulatory guidelines designed to ensure public health and safety. Secure labels ensure confidence at the point of consumption where the health and safety risks of unregulated, illicit product are highest."

In fact, many Americans would be willing to pay more for products they know they can trust. Two-thirds of Americans (67%) say if they were to purchase cannabis, they would pay more for cannabis products if they had a secure label that designated them as being from a licensed provider that adheres to safety and legal standards.

Unsecured products leave consumers at risk of using unsafe, tainted or recalled cannabis products and create opportunities for counterfeiting of legitimate brands and illicit sales of unregulated products.

"State regulators need to be better armed with efficient and effective ways to manage the rapidly growing industry and ensure patients and consumers access legitimately sourced and appropriately tested products," said Mr. Spelman. "The SICPA/Harris Poll shows there is a broad appetite among Americans for a more tightly regulated cannabis market and they are willing to pay extra for that assurance."

Medical cannabis programs have been adopted by nearly 40 states and increasing numbers of states are also enabling recreational or adult use programs. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that in 2019, 18% of the US population, 48 million people, consumed cannabis at least once. With a broad array of products and consumption options  flower, concentrates, edibles, tinctures, topicals  consumers and state enforcement resources are confronted with a dizzying array of product options and potencies.

The SICPA/Harris Poll suggests that Americans support secure labeling on cannabis products for assurance they have been legitimately sourced and appropriately tested.

SICPA is a trusted provider of product security, revenue realization, and track and trace solutions for regulated products like pharmaceuticals, tobacco, alcohol and soft drinks to government and industry worldwide. Its SICPATRACE technology also provides states and countries with a secure, comprehensive mechanism for capturing and analyzing data, and information on the activities of licensed cannabis operators to ensure compliance with local laws and regulatory provisions. SICPA also provides operators and regulators with the tools to enable their products to be protected, differentiated and verified as legitimate. These tools are all essential to developing a viable, secure and safe cannabis market that will lead to sustained participation in the industry and will be key to long-term economic vitality and consumer protection.

Survey Method

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of SICPA between September 9-13, 2021 among 2,054 adults ages 18+. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Diana Daley at [email protected].

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963 that is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible. To learn more, please visit www.theharrispoll.com.

About SICPA

SICPA is a trusted global provider of authentication, traceability and verification solutions, protecting the majority of the world's banknotes and identity credentials and billions of regulated products from counterfeiting and fraud. SICPA currently provides secure labels with authentication and traceability solutions to 44 U.S. States and more than 20 countries for regulated products including cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, and pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1927, SICPA operates worldwide with its global headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland and U.S. headquarters in Springfield, VA. https://www.sicpa.com and https://us.sicpa.com/cannabiscontrol.

SOURCE SICPA

Related Links

www.sicpa.com


VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (TSX: CMMC) (ASX: C6C) (the "Company" or "Copper Mountain") is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Redmond as Senior Vice President, Exploration, effective November 1, 2021.

"We are delighted to be able to appoint a Senior Vice President of Exploration with Patrick's extensive experience and expertise," commented Gil Clausen, Copper Mountain's President and CEO. "Patrick has an impressive exploration track record of success. He brings a wealth of knowledge to apply as we invest in the outstanding exploration potential that exists both in B.C. at the Copper Mountain mine and in our projects in Queensland, Australia."

Mr. Clausen added, "On behalf of the Company and the Board of Directors, I would like to extend our gratitude to Peter Holbek for his dedication and service as he retires from his role as VP Exploration at Copper Mountain. We are pleased that Peter is committed to ensuring a smooth transition providing for continuity of geological knowledge and insight."

About Patrick Redmond

Patrick has over 25 years of experience in international mineral exploration and the mining industry. He has a track record of value creation through exploration and discovery in multiple jurisdictions and across a range of commodities. He has in-depth technical expertise in ore-forming hydrothermal systems across a range of ore deposit styles and has particular expertise in porphyry copper deposits.

Patrick was previously Vice President of Exploration at KoBold Metals, where he led an integrated team of geoscientists and data scientists in developing innovative data-science supported tools and machine learning to assist in the discovery of materials critical for the electric vehicle and renewable energy revolution. Previously, he worked for Teck Resources for over 12 years in various senior exploration roles, including General Manager Exploration, The Americas and Technical Director of Geoscience Services. Prior to joining Teck he was Chief Geologist for QGX Ltd.

Patrick received his Ph.D. in Geological and Environmental Sciences from Stanford University, his M.Sc. in Geology, and B.A. (Hons) in Earth Sciences from Dublin University, Trinity College. Patrick is a member of AusIMM and a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists.

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Copper Mountain's flagship asset is the 75% owned Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. The Copper Mountain Mine currently produces approximately 100 million pounds of copper equivalent per year, with average annual production expected to increase to approximately 140 million pounds of copper equivalent. Copper Mountain also has the development-stage Eva Copper Project in Queensland, Australia and an extensive 2,100 km2 highly prospective land package in the Mount Isa area. Copper Mountain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CMMC" and Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol "C6C".

Additional information is available on the Company's web page at www.CuMtn.com.

On behalf of the Board of

COPPER MOUNTAIN MINING CORPORATION

"Gil Clausen"

Gil Clausen, P.Eng.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Website: www.CuMtn.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements concerning, among other things, the Company's intentions regarding its objectives, goals or future plans; and all other timing, exploration, development, operational, financial, budgetary, economic, legal, social, environmental, regulatory, and political matters that may influence or be influenced by future events or conditions. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance and opportunities to differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the successful exploration of the Company's properties in Canada and Australia, the reliability of the historical data referenced in this press release and risks set out in Copper Mountain's public documents, including in each management discussion and analysis, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although Copper Mountain believes that the information and assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply 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. Except where required by applicable law, Copper Mountain disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Related Links

http://cumtn.com/


TAIPEI, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- D-Link Corporation has announced that their DCS-8635LH 2K QHD Pan & Zoom Outdoor Wi-Fi Camera, DMS-106XT Multi Gigabit Unmanaged Switch, and DCH-S1621KT Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi Water Sensor Kit have received the Good Design Award 2021. The DCS-8635LH is an outdoor surveillance camera with 2K QHD resolution, 360-degree coverage with its motorized pan feature, and AI-based features such as person detection, vehicle detection, and auto-person tracking to protect the home. The camera is also a 2021 Red Dot Award and 2021 iF Design winner. The DMS-106XT is D-Link's unmanaged switch with five 2.5G Ethernet ports for uninterrupted streaming and gaming, as well as one 10G Ethernet port for storing data to NAS. Multi gigabit technology enables the 2021 Red Dot Award winner to accelerate network efficiency and make feasible simultaneous, high-performance online activities. The DCH-S1621KT is D-Link's easy-to-use water sensor kit that pairs long range, low power sensors with a wall plug sensor/hub to provide reliable water leak detection and efficient user alerts. Also a 2021 CES Innovation Award winner, the water sensor kit is a smart home solution that provides safety for the home and loved ones.

"We are grateful to be recognized by Good Design, as it emphasizes D-Link's commitment toward enhancing quality of life for everyone," explained D-Link Chairman Victor Kuo. "D-Link will continue to deliver products that are more user-friendly and function-integrated to support Good Design's efforts in promoting designs that contribute to society."



About The Good Design Award

The Good Design Award is a design evaluation system from Japan that has been globally recognized for commending products with good design since 1957. Under the sponsorship of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the Good Design Award focuses on five ideals: humanity, honesty, innovation, esthetics, and ethics.

D-Link  Building Networks for People

For over 35 years, D-Link has been committed to building high-quality, user-friendly, and environmentally sustainable networking solutions to connect products and people around the globe.

About D-Link

D-Link is a global leader in connecting people, businesses, and cities with our computer networking solutions and technology. Our innovative products and services meet the needs of digital home consumers, small to medium sized businesses, enterprise environments, and service providers. D-Link implements and supports unified network solutions that integrate capabilities in switching, wireless, broadband, IP surveillance, and cloud-based network management. An award-winning designer, developer, and manufacturer for over 35 years, D-Link has grown from a group of friends in Taiwan into a global brand with over 2,000 employees in 60 countries.

For more information, visit https://www.dlink.com/.

SOURCE D-Link Corporation
"Expanding into embedded credit is truly a game-changer for the industry. Bond's potential...is incredible." Tweet this

Data is critical to credit and decisioning. Bond invested heavily in a robust data platform from day one. The ability to combine conventional and alternative data sets to better understand a borrower's creditworthiness is key to democratizing access to capital.

Cledara, a UK-based SaaS purchasing and management platform, is Bond's first embedded credit customer. Cledara selected Bond for their entry to the US market over other Banking-as-a-Service platforms specifically because of Bond's unique credit and data capabilities. Launching their SaaS Management platform enabled by a credit product was key for Cledara in providing greater value to US customers in the form of access to capital and enhanced rewards incentives.

"I'm a big believer in embedding financial services into customer experiences," explained Cristina Vila Vives, CEO and Co-founder of Cledara. "Bond's embedded solution allows us to begin helping US companies get a hold of their spiraling software investments, with the confidence of their robust underlying technology and amazing operational support. We cannot wait to begin this journey together".

Cledara is the first of many companies that have signed with Bond to build embedded credit solutions. Other companies include a Y Combinator startup aiming to take on the competitive affluent segment with a charge card for high net-worth individuals who want access to unique, ultra-high-end experiences and concierge services; a Techstars company looking to offer a credit-building card for international students who are new to credit in the US; a San Francisco-based startup helping SMBs manage their finances by building a fully integrated business credit card. In addition, Bond currently has many companies on a waitlist looking to build and launch embedded credit solutions for their users.

"Expanding into embedded credit is truly a game-changer for the industry," said Steve Freiberg, member of Bond's advisory board, who also serves on the boards of Mastercard and SoFi. "Bond's potential to transform the embedded finance industry is incredible. They have the people, the technology, and the infrastructure to do for financial services what AWS did for computing."

Bond's suite of credit APIs and services  including KYC, KYB, card issuance, underwriting, risk management, funding, and debt servicing  removes friction for Bond's customers and their developers, which allows greater speed-to-market, personalization, and oversight. The Bond team brings a wealth of knowledge to build the future of finance by leveraging their experience from institutions such as Square, Goldman Sachs, American Express, PayPal, Affirm, and SoFi.

Contact Bond to learn more.

About Bond:

Bond is a financial technology company that enables organizations from any industry to create personalized financial experiences for their customers and communities. Using Bond's software and API platform, developers can embed next-generation financial products into amazing customer experiences. Bond's modern, enterprise-grade developer platform orchestrates the critical infrastructure companies need to build, launch, and scale these personalized financial products. Bond was founded in 2019 by industry veterans from Twilio, SoFi, SAP, Goldman Sachs, and Blackrock, with deep roots in enterprise software, technology, and financial services. The company has raised $42M in funding to date from institutional investors including Canaan, Coatue, Goldman Sachs, and Mastercard, and maintains key offices in San Francisco (HQ), New York City, and Salt Lake City. Visit http://www.bond.tech .

Media Contacts:

Brian Chevalier-Jordan, Bond: [email protected]

Jill Reed, Sift Communications: [email protected]

SOURCE Bond Financial Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

bond.tech


DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region and Tel Aviv-based not-for-profit organization Start-Up Nation Central announced today the signing of an agreement aimed at establishing new bridges between the UAE and Israel for innovation.

Start-Up Nation Central and DIFC Executives at the signing event in Dubai (Courtesy of Start-Up Nation Central) (PRNewsfoto/Start-Up Nation Central (SNC))

During a ceremony held at DIFC, Start-Up Nation Central VP of Strategic Partnerships Eliran Elimelech and DIFC Chief Business Development Officer Salmaan Jaffery signed the agreement and pledged to work together on promoting commercial agreements to benefit both nations, particularly in the fields of FinTech and digital security.

As part of the DIFC Innovation Hub, the Centre offers the region's most comprehensive FinTech and venture capital environments, including innovative accelerator programs at FinTech Hive, providing start-ups a bridge to UAE, regional and global markets. Over 60 per cent of all FinTech and innovation firms in the GCC are based in DIFC. Israel is a globally recognized leader in innovative FinTech solutions home to more than 530 start-ups that apply advanced technologies such as data science, biometrics, blockchain, and cyber to disrupt the traditional banking, finance and insurance sectors. As part of the agreement, the parties committed to facilitating introductions and mutual referrals of companies that are interested in scaling their operations in each other's jurisdictions. This includes programmes such as regulatory sandboxes and accelerators to help innovative solutions' providers with market access.

Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, said: "Today, we have an opportunity to strengthen commercial relations between the UAE and Israel, especially in the FinTech sector. As the region's hub for financial services, FinTech and innovation, DIFC is well regarded for promoting and nurturing innovative and disruptive enterprises that have the potential to be the next unicorns from the region. Our partnership with Start-Up Nation Central will enable us to foster a culture of collaboration among entrepreneurs and innovators in both nations and further build a vibrant ecosystem to advance the FinTech sector."

Avi Hasson, CEO of Start-Up Nation Central, said: "DIFC is a strategic partner when it comes to innovative technologies in general and FinTech in particular. We see great importance in fostering the relationship with DIFC as a central ally in the UAE and a strategic avenue aiding the development of the two ecosystems. Following the anniversary of the Abraham Accords, we see this agreement as a manifestation of the innovation diplomacy efforts taking place in the region. We believe it will be an excellent platform for future collaborations, transforming the lofty ideas set out by the states' leaders into on-the-ground results."

Representatives of Start-Up Nation Central are currently in Dubai taking part in the annual GITEX technological conference and tradeshow. They are attending the event with a delegation of 30 Israeli entrepreneurs and investors that are part of the UAE-IL Tech Zone, a community of innovators from both countries that Start-Up Nation Central supports.

About Dubai International Financial Centre

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is one of the world's most advanced financial centres, and the leading financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), which comprises 72 countries with an approximate population of 3 billion and an estimated GDP of USD 7.7 trillion.

With a 17-year track record of facilitating trade and investment flows across the MEASA region, the Centre connects these fast-growing markets with the economies of Asia, Europe and the Americas through Dubai.

DIFC is home to an internationally recognised, independent regulator and a proven judicial system with an English common law framework, as well as the region's largest financial ecosystem of almost 28,000 professionals working across over 3,200 active registered companies  making up the largest and most diverse pool of industry talent in the region.

The Centre's vision is to drive the future of finance through cutting edge technology, innovation, and partnerships. Today, it is the global future of finance and innovation hub offering one of the region's most comprehensive FinTech and venture capital environments, including cost-effective licensing solutions, fit-for-purpose regulation, innovative accelerator programmes, and funding for growth-stage start-ups.

Comprising a variety of world-renowned retail and dining venues, a dynamic art and culture scene, residential apartments, hotels and public spaces, DIFC continues to be one of Dubai's most sought-after business and lifestyle destinations.

For further information, please visit our website: difc.ae, or follow us on Twitter @DIFC.

About Start-Up Nation Central

Start-Up Nation Central is the address for corporations, governments, and investors to connect with the Israeli tech ecosystem. Start-Up Nation Central catalyzes growth opportunities by bringing Israeli tech innovation to global business and societal challenges. Established in 2013 and headquartered in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Start-Up Nation Central is a not-for-profit organization funded by philanthropy.

Start-Up Nation Finder is a free online platform for identifying and engaging Israeli tech organizations based on customers' specific interests. This innovation business platform is a comprehensive knowledge hub on Israeli start-ups, investors, acceleration hubs, multinational corporations, and technology-based innovation associated with academic research. The open-source platform provides up-to-date information and insights on thousands of active Israeli tech companies.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1666782/Start_Up_Nation_Central_and_DIFC_Executives.jpg

SOURCE Start-Up Nation Central (SNC)
PORT ORANGE, Fla., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Jason Schottel, PhD, ARNP-C, DC, MBA, ABAAHP, AAOPM,

FAAMM, FISCG, FAAAMS, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Trusted General Practitioner, CEO, and President in the Medical field and in recognition of his work at Anti-Aging and Regenerative Associates.



Dr. Schottel is welcoming new patients at his practice, Anti-Aging and Regenerative Associates. He and his talented team of healthcare professionals are providing exceptional anti-aging and regenerative medical care at 851 Dunlawton Ave. Suite 104 in Port Orange, FL.

Dr. Jason Schottel

Dr. Schottel first attended Florida State College at Jacksonville, earning his Bachelor's degree in Business. Dr. Schottel received medical training at Saba University School of Medicine. He was awarded his Ph.D. from Wilmington University and his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic. He then earned a BSN and MSN (ARNP) degree from South University, and received his MBA from Davenport University. He is board-certified by the AANP, NBCE, ABAAHP, and AAOPM. Dr. Schottel is a Fellow of the ABAAHP, ISCG, and AAAMS.

Before starting Anti-Aging & Regenerative Associates, Dr. Schottel worked for eight years as a Registered Nurse. While working at Baptist Health, he earned certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Trauma Nurse Core Curriculum, and became a National Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Moving into an executive role, Dr. Schottel took on a position in 2005 as the President and CEO of Superior Health Management, a health management company in Jacksonville, FL. The company's platform was centered on "Preventing Disease and Saving Lives."

Holding board certifications in Adult Primary Care, Aesthetic Medicine, Anti-Aging Medicine, Weight Management, Metabolic Cardiology, Chiropractic Medicine, and Physiotherapy, Dr. Schottel treats patients who are in need of hormone replacement, cardiac management, men's/women's sexual health, aesthetic medicine, and primary and urgent care.

At Anti-Aging & Regenerative Associates, Dr. Schottel and his team take a multidisciplinary approach to regenerative medicine, and offer cutting-edge and minimally invasive options for treatment, such as IV Infusion Therapy, Physiotherapy, Stem Cell Injections, and Platelet Rich Plasma treatments. Dr. Schottel's favorite aspect of the work is providing exceptional health services to the local community, through patient outreach, education, and open communication.

Dr. Schottel is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the American Academy of Procedural Medicine, the International Society of Cosmetogynecology, the American Association of Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, and the American Society of Liposuction Surgery.

He has recently released his book An Essential Guide to Wellness: A Simple Approach to Optimizing Your Health, on Amazon. The book teaches how to transform one's health using the fundamentals of food, exercise, and anti-aging science.

On a personal note, Dr. Schottel loves to spend time with his family and workout. He would like to dedicate this honorable recognition to his wife Rebecca, thanking her for her love and support.

For more information, visit https://anti-agingdocs.com/ or follow the practice @anti_agingdocs on Instagram, and Anti-Aging & Regenerative Associates on Facebook. Read his book at https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Guide-Wellness-Approach-Optimizing/dp/B09CGFXPNM/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=jason+schottel&qid=1632237390&s=books&sr=1-1.



Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]



SOURCE Continental Who's Who

Related Links

http://www.continentalwhoswho.com


DALLAS, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Upon the release of D Magazine's rankings of the Best Doctors and Pediatric Specialists in Dallas, Dr. Sameer Jejurikar has been honored as a top plastic surgeon for the second year in a row.

Dallas-based D Magazine is a go-to source for locals and visitors to receive the latest area news and vet service providers and businesses via their extensive directories. The Best Doctors and Pediatric Specialists list features top physicians in their unique fields, as chosen by nearly 10,000 of their Texas peers.

Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Jejurikar has been practicing medicine since 1997 and is a member of the renowned Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute . Over the past 20+ years, Jejurikar has become a sought-after practitioner in the area, focusing on both aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery needs.

On the cosmetic side of his practice, Jejurikar is best known for breast and body contouring surgery, including " mommy makeovers " and buttock enhancement procedures. He offers state-of-the-art technologies such as 3D preview imaging so that patients can accurately visualize changes on their face or body before committing to surgery. As for medically necessary interventions, he specializes in repairing and replacing bone, skin, and other tissues, hand surgery, and microsurgery.

"I recognize that each patient is different, so I take a caring, meticulous approach to plastic surgery. This allows me to craft both surgical and non-invasive solutions for my patients' individual needs. My training has also opened up opportunities to give back. I've participated in several medical missions, including an annual trip with Smile Bangladesh to treat impoverished children," says Jejurikar.

In addition to decades of operating room experience, Dr. Jejurikar is also highly trained and educated. After his plastic surgery specialization from the University of Michigan Medical School, he pursued formal post-graduate training in aesthetic surgery, which goes beyond the standard training required for plastic surgeons. He also recently earned his Executive MBA. This combination of education and direct patient care has supported the launch of his own skincare product line, which addresses common issues such as lost elasticity, fine lines, and dark circles.

To find out more or to book a consultation with Dr. Jejurikar at Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute, visit dallasplasticsurgery.pro .

About Dr. Sameer Jejurikar, MD, MBA

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sameer Jejurikar is a practitioner at Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute, serving patients in Dallas, Plano, and beyond. Named a top Dallas physician by D Magazine in 2020 and 2021, he has been published in medical journals and featured in publications such as Science World Report, Health Tech Zone, and Healthcare Business Today. Dr. Jejurikar serves as an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Dallas Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Medical Association, and as a diplomat of the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

About D Magazine

This Dallas-focused magazine publisher launched in 1974 and has expanded to cover more than 15 Texas cities. The magazine explores, tests, and reports on the best resources in the area so that readers have an even better place to live, work, and play. D Magazine's Directories have become a trusted source for residents and visitors to find the top-quality businesses they seek.

SOURCE Dr. Sameer Jejurikar
SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Embraer (NYSE: ERJ; B3: EMBR3) delivered a total of 30 jets in the third quarter of 2021, of which nine were commercial aircraft and 21 were executive jets (14 light and seven large). As of September 30, the firm order backlog totaled USD 16,8 billion.

Deliveries by Segment 3Q21 2021





Commercial Aviation 9 32 E175 6 15 E190-E2 - 2 E195-E2 3 15





Executive Aviation 21 54 Phenom 100 - 2 Phenom 300 14 34 Light Jets 14 36 Praetor 500 2 6 Praetor 600 5 12 Large Jets 7 18





TOTAL 30 86

During 3Q21, in the executive aviation segment, Embraer delivered its 1,500th business jet. The milestone aircraft was a Phenom 300E, the best-selling light jet for nine years in a row, which was delivered to Haute Aviation, a Swiss company focused on charter, brokerage, and aircraft management.

In the commercial aviation segment, Embraer announced the sale of 16 new E175 jets to SkyWest, Inc. for operation in the Delta Air Lines network, adding to the 71 E175 jets SkyWest already operates for Delta. The E175 aircraft will fly for Delta under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA). The value of the contract, which is included in Embraer's third quarter backlog, is USD 798.4 million, based on list price.

In the Services & Support segment, Embraer signed several contracts during the quarter. Porter Airlines signed a major aftermarket support package with Embraer for Porter's E2 fleet of commercial aircraft, for up to 20 years. Embraer also signed a Pool Program agreement with CommutAir, a United Express carrier, to support the airline's ERJ 145 jet fleet, and an extension for Pool Program with Cobham, in Australia, to support its three E190s. Also, in Australia, Embraer signed a services agreement with Alliance Airlines, which will provide materials support for the carrier's fleet of E190s.

Backlog - Commercial Aviation (September 30, 2021) Aircraft Type Firm Orders Deliveries Firm Order Backlog E170 191 191 - E175 832 681 151 E190 568 565 3 E195 172 172 - E190-E2 22 17 5 E195-E2 183 29 154 Total 1,968 1,655 313 Note: Deliveries and firm order backlog include orders for the Defense segment placed by State-run airlines (Satena and TAME).





Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer

PRESS OFFICES:

Headquarters (Brazil)

Corporate Communications

[email protected]

Cell: +55 11 98890 7777

Tel.: +55 11 4873 7984

North America

Alyssa Ten Eyck

[email protected]

Cell: +1 954 383 0460

Tel.: +1 954 359 3847

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Guy Douglas

[email protected]

Cell: +31 (0)657120121

Tell: +31 (0)202158109

China

Mirage Zhong

[email protected]

Cell: +86 185 1378 5180

Tel.: +86 10 6598 9988

Asia Pacific

Nilma Missir-Boissac

[email protected]

Cell: +65 9012 8428

Tel.: +65 6305 9955

SOURCE Embraer S.A.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Exacis Biotherapeutics, Inc., a development-stage immuno-oncology company working to harness the immune system to cure cancer, today announced initiation of a strategic partnership with Toronto-based Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) for specialty manufacturing services related to the development of Exacis' innovative, iPSC-derived mRNA-engineered NK cell products to treat cancer. The partnership also includes a cash investment into Exacis by CCRM Enterprises Holdings Ltd., the for-profit venture investment arm of CCRM, which will be used to fund operations.

Exacis CEO Gregory Fiore, MD, commented, "We welcome CCRM as a key partner to allow us to rapidly advance our virus-free manufacturing processes to make novel NK cell products that are engineered for performance and to avoid rejection. CCRM is a recognized leader in iPSC-derived cell therapy development and manufacturing and we are thrilled to have them as a partner. Their confidence in Exacis is evidenced by the accompanying investment, by CCRM Enterprises Holdings Ltd., underscoring the unique value proposition offered by Exacis' differentiated platform and approach to cell therapies. We look forward to partnering with CCRM's CDMO experts to apply our mRNA based technologies to develop best-in-class products to treat challenging hematologic and solid tumors."

Cynthia Lavoie, PhD, President and CIO of CCRM Enterprises Inc. added, "We are pleased to support Exacis by way of an investment, and with our sector expertise and specialized infrastructure. This is a successful model that we have employed in the past to support promising technologies and together we will develop leading cell therapy products that utilize the substantial potential of the Exacis platform as it advances its iPSC-derived cell programs.

About Exacis Biotherapeutics

Exacis is a development stage immuno-oncology company focused on harnessing the human immune system to cure cancer by engineering next generation off-the-shelf NK and T cell therapies aimed at hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Exacis was founded in 2020 with an exclusive global license to a broad suite of patents covering the use of mRNA based cell reprogramming and gene editing technologies for use in generating engineered NK and T cells for oncology applications. These patents were developed and are owned by Factor Bioscience.

Exacis' differentiated cell therapy platform avoids the use of DNA and viruses and uses instead a proprietary mRNA based technology. Exacis uses the technology to generate iPSCs and to edit their genomes to create stealthed, potent allogeneic cell products, termed ExaNK, ExaCAR-T or ExaCAR-NK cells.

About CCRM

CCRM is a global, public-private partnership headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It receives funding from the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and leading academic and industry partners. CCRM supports the development of regenerative medicines and associated enabling technologies, with a specific focus on cell and gene therapy. A network of researchers, leading companies, strategic investors and entrepreneurs, CCRM accelerates the translation of scientific discovery into new companies and marketable products for patients, with specialized teams, funding and infrastructure. CCRM is the commercialization partner of the University of Toronto's Medicine by Design. CCRM is hosted by the University of Toronto. Visit us at ccrm.ca.

About CCRM Enterprises Inc.

CCRM Enterprises Inc. is the for-profit venture investment arm of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM). CCRM Enterprises invests in early stage ventures and projects developing therapeutics and enabling technologies. Through an extensive network of investors, it can bring together risk capital to support these early-stage ventures as they scale up along the development pathway. By tapping into CCRM's manufacturing infrastructure and expertise, CCRM Enterprises provides capital-efficient support to accelerate and de-risk these high potential, early-stage ventures, further enabling the development of an advanced therapies ecosystem.

CCRM Enterprises Holdings Ltd. is the associated entity that holds shares in CCRM portfolio companies. Learn more about our investing strategy here.

About T and Natural Killer (NK) Cell Therapies

T and NK cells are types of human immune cells that are able to recognize and destroy cancer cells and can be modified through genetic engineering to target specific tumors.

SOURCE Exacis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bad actors are using Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram to peddle illegal COVID-19 vaccination cards, a joint investigation by the Digital Citizens Alliance (Digital Citizens) and Coalition for a Safer Web (CSW) has found. The organizations uncovered hundreds of posts from sellers offering illicit cards, many of which contained lot and store numbers that sellers claim have a better chance to deceive authorities.

Most troubling is that the illicit vaccination cards have remained on Facebook, Facebook-owned Instagram, and Telegram a week after the companies were alerted to their existence.

"Too often, platforms rely on the public to alert them when illegal or dangerous activities appear on their sites. But now, even when they've been alerted, they haven't taken steps to remove them," said Tom Galvin, the executive director of the Digital Citizens Alliance. "Selling these cards is a crime. Buying these cards is a crime. If these platforms want our trust, it will take more than a name change. It requires responsible behavior."

The Internet safety organizations posted images from two Facebook accounts, four Instagram accounts, and six Telegram accounts in the report exposing the sales. As of October 20, all those pages and dozens of other posts not shared in the research remain accessible.

"The American people endure a pandemic made worse by U.S. and foreign criminals who prey upon the public via social media platforms to sell counterfeit vaccination cards and hack pharmacy websites to register these forged cards," said CSW President Mark Ginsberg. "Our report reveals the criminality of the enterprise and the failure of Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms to protect the safety of Americans."

"This is the fourth report our organizations have done since March of 2020, on the platforms during the COVID crisis  and we showed fake vaccines for sale as well as ads for facemasks of questionable quality for sale. When does it stop?" asked CSW's Eric Feinberg, the lead investigator on this research. "The misinformation is horrible and needs to stop, but someone should ask the platforms how much money they've made from illegal and/or illicit COVID-19 related commerce? If they've made one dollar, it's one dollar too much."

Digital Citizens and CSW will share links to the posts found online upon request. Additionally, Digital Citizens is sending letters to federal regulators and pharmacies and stores that were apparently victims when bad actors shared lot and store numbers in online posts.

About Digital Citizens Alliance

The Digital Citizens Alliance is a nonprofit, 501(c)(6) organization that is a consumer-oriented coalition focused on educating the public and policymakers on the threats that consumers face on the Internet. Digital Citizens wants to create a dialogue on the importance for Internet stakeholdersindividuals, government, and industryto make the Web a safer place. Based in Washington, DC, the Digital Citizens Alliance counts among its supporters: private citizens, the health, pharmaceutical and creative industries as well as online safety experts and other communities focused on Internet safety. Visit us at digitalcitizensalliance.org

About The Coalition for a Safer Web

The Coalition for a Safer Web, a cyber counter terrorism and anti-extremism non-profit organization whose mission is to prevent social media platforms from serving as pathways for extremists and terrorists to plot, incite, and execute domestic and foreign acts of violence. CSW currently advises Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Council on social media-based extremist incitement and operational planning, as well as private industry and civil society organizations. Visit us at coalitionsw.org.

For more information, contact Adam Benson at [email protected] or 202.999.9104.

SOURCE Digital Citizens Alliance
Fetzer Vineyards demonstrated especially remarkable growth in its B Corp Environment score during its B Corp recertification, building on performance last assessed in 2017. Thanks to the likes of organic and regenerative farming practices, climate-smart operations, resource conservation and more, Fetzer Vineyards' tally of 75.4 Environment points puts it in the top five percent of Environment performance for a company of its size among global B Corps.

Fetzer Vineyards has long been a purpose-driven business, catalyzing change for good since its founding in 1968. It was the first recipient of the California Green Medal Leader award (2015), which recognized the winery's legacy of pacesetting commitments to sustainable practices and leadership in the California wine industry. In 2017, Fetzer Vineyards was commended at COP23 by the United Nations Climate Change secretariat, which recognized the winery's work toward a climate positive future with a Lighthouse "Momentum for Change" Climate Solutions Award, the only winery in the world to receive this honor.

Other leading achievements in 100% green energy use, zero waste certification and more have followed, along with early adoption among wineries of B Corp certification and best practices. Today, B Corps are widely recognized across industries for transparency and accountability.

"For more than 50 years we have continuously worked to improve both our environmental and social impact," said Giancarlo Bianchetti, CEO of Fetzer Vineyards. "On the heels of declaring a Climate Emergency last year, it is imperative to demonstrate progress toward our goal of accelerating our efforts to do better for people, communities and planet. Our latest B Corp score reflects these efforts, and we will continue to advance our actions to build on this momentum."

To qualify for B Corp certification, a company must complete the rigorous B Impact Assessment (BIA) and obtain a minimum of 80 points on its 200-point scale. Anyone may take the BIA, and the average company scores approximately 50 points, well below the threshold for certification. During the BIA, businesses are rigorously assessed and measured in five areas: workers, community, governance, environment and customers.

Fetzer Vineyards first became a Certified B Corp in 2015, achieving an initial score of 80.2. The winery increased its impact efforts and overall score to 95.1 on its second assessment, in 2017. In the years since, Fetzer Vineyards has continued to advance its efforts across an array of focus areas, with noteworthy progress in worker benefits; policy advocacy for social and environmental standards; ethical marketing; and climate-friendly business practices.

Today, there are more than 4,000 Certified B Corporations across 77 countries and 153 industries, unified by one common goal: transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet.

"We are excited to be a part of this incredible community, and to build on progress as we develop and execute ambitious, forward-thinking initiatives that will help us achieve our goal of climate positive operations by 2030," said Jess Baum, Director of Regenerative Development & Sustainability for Fetzer Vineyards. "The BIA gives us a great framework to ensure we're looking at improvement across impact areas, and we are committed to diving deeper and doing better across our business as we move into our next chapter."

Debut of Fetzer Vineyards' new score follows a recent announcement from Vina Concha y Toro, Fetzer Vineyards' Chilean-based holding company, which celebrated its own B Corp certificationalong with certification for each of its winery holdings not previously certified. These include Fetzer Vineyards imports to the U.S. Concha y Toro, Vina Cono Sur and Bodega Trivento. Where consumers are concerned, it also crucially means that every single bottle of wine Fetzer Vineyards makes or markets now hails from a B Corp, rendering the company's entire U.S. portfolio of wines from California, Chile and Argentina certifiably grounded in good.

To learn more about Fetzer Vineyards' B Corp certification and impact work, visit fetzervineyards.com/impact and follow @FetzerVineyards on LinkedIn for relevant updates.

ABOUT FETZER VINEYARDS

Fetzer Vineyards is an award-winning purveyor of multi-origin wines and spirits, selling in over 50 countries worldwide. Founded by Barney Fetzer in Mendocino County, CA, in 1968, and part of global powerhouse Vina Concha y Toro, Fetzer Vineyards today remains driven by excellence, innovation and longstanding commitments to the environment and responsible business practices. With a focus on crafting wines made from sustainable, organic and Biodynamic grapes, Fetzer Vineyards is a Top-12 U.S. marketer of wines, the nation's primary importer of South American wines, and the United States' largest Certified B Corporation winerya testament to the company's dedication to the transformational goals of regenerative business.

In addition to its flagship Fetzer label, the Fetzer Vineyards portfolio features Bonterra Organic Vineyards, the 2016 Wine Enthusiast American Winery of the Year; 1000 Stories, California's original Bourbon barrel-aged wine; Casillero del Diablo, the #1 Chilean wine brand (750ml) in the U.S.; and Trivento Reserve, the #3 selling Malbec in the U.S. The Origins Collectionan esteemed portfolio of super-premium to super-luxury offerings centered on terroir-driven wines from Chile, Argentina and the U.S.showcases South American icons Don Melchor and Trivento Eolo Malbec, alongside Bonterra's single-vineyard, biodynamically farmed wines and the award-winning craft whiskies of Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. Learn more at: www.fetzervineyards.com

2021 Fetzer Vineyards, Mendocino County, California USA.

SOURCE Fetzer Vineyards

Related Links

https://www.fetzervineyards.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jushi has secured a $100 million credit facility from a portfolio company of SunStream Bancorp Inc. to support part of its recently finalized purchase of Nature's Remedy of Massachusetts, Inc. and certain of its affiliates. SunStream Bancorp Inc. is a joint venture sponsored by Sundial Growers Inc

The vertically integrated cannabis company confirmed it has entered into definitive documentation in respect of a $100 million senior secured credit facility, with plans to initially draw $40.0 million to fund the Nature's Remedy acquisition.

The Boca Raton, Florida-based multi-state operator will consider borrowing future amounts under the credit facility to support potential strategic expansion opportunities. Additionally, the company will consider borrowing future amounts under the Acquisition Facility for potential strategic expansion opportunities in both its core and developing markets.

Samantha Gleit and Jason Cohen of Feuerstein Kulick LLP advised Jushi on the transaction. Feuerstein Kulick LLP is a boutique law firm that represents clients in all aspects of the legal cannabis space.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Feuerstein Kulick LLP

Related Links

dfmklaw.com


AALBORG, Denmark, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Asetek, the creator of the all-in-one liquid (AIO) cooler and the global leader in liquid cooling solutions for gaming PCs and DIY enthusiasts, announced today that Razer has introduced its first AIO CPU coolers, leveraging the superior thermal and acoustic performance and reliability associated with Asetek's advanced liquid cooling technology. The Razer Hanbo AIO liquid coolers provide advanced CPU overclocking capability, RGB lighting, and virtually silent operation to gamers, tech enthusiasts and eSports pros.

When defining its initial component solutions, Razer looked to Asetek to provide targeted liquid cooling of CPUs, in a simple to install closed-loop solution. The companies worked together to create the Razer Hanbo RGB AIO Series, with 240mm and 360mm radiator sizes. The Razer Hanbo AIO coolers are designed for maximum thermal performance, optimized intake design, silent operation and improved reliability.

The Razer Hanbo AIO Coolers will also support Razer's Chroma software for simple and easy-to-use personalization plus seamless integration with existing RGB gear. Now, for the first time, the gaming community can benefit from the performance, quality and reliability of Asetek advanced liquid cooling technology combined with the ultimate customization experience delivered by Chroma software.

"When deciding to offer a high performance AIO liquid cooling solution, we knew a premium liquid cooler partner would be critical to the performance we were demanding of our product offering. Razer customers expect only the best high-performance solutions, so we made the decision to partner with Asetek," said Richard Hashim, Vice President Systems Growth at Razer. "With our Razer Hanbo AIO liquid coolers, our customers get maximum overclocking capability, extremely quiet operation, improved reliability, and Razer RGB ID and Chroma software. And this is just the beginning. Stay tuned for additional products as we work closely with Asetek on future innovative offerings."

"We are absolutely thrilled to engage with Razer, the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers. Just as Razer has dominated in the PC peripheral space, we expect them to do it again in the high-performance PC components space," said John Hamill, Chief Operating Officer at Asetek. "We at Asetek look forward to partnering with Razer to deliver more high-performance products to the global gaming community in the future."

For more information on the Razer Hanbo AIO liquid coolers, visit www.razer.com/pc. To learn more about Asetek liquid cooling, please visit www.asetek.com.

About Razer

Razer is the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers.

The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world's largest gamer-focused ecosystems of hardware, software and services.

Razer's award-winning hardware includes high-performance peripherals and Blade Gaming laptops.

Razer's software platform, with over 150 million users, includes Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma RGB (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system supporting thousands of devices and hundreds of games/apps), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher).

Razer also offers payment services for gamers, youth, millennials and GenZ. Razer Gold is one of the world's largest game payment services, and Razer Fintech provides fintech services in emerging markets.

Founded in 2005, Razer is headquartered in Irvine (California) with regional headquarters in Hamburg, Shanghai and Singapore. Razer has 18 offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the USA, Europe and China. Razer is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange (Stock Code: 1337).

www.razer.com

About Asetek

Asetek (ASTK.OL), a global leader in mechatronic innovation, is a Danish garage-to-stock-exchange success story. Founded in 2000, Asetek established its innovative position as the leading OEM developer and producer of the all-in-one liquid cooler for all major PC & Enthusiast gaming brands. In 2013, Asetek went public while expanding into energy efficient and environmentally friendly cooling solutions for data centers. In 2021, Asetek is introducing its line of products for next-level immersive SimSports gaming experiences. Asetek is headquartered in Denmark and has operations in China, Taiwan and the United States.

www.asetek.com

Media Contact

Margo Westfall

Asetek Sr. Marketing Manager

[email protected]

+1 (408) 644-5616

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/asetek/r/first-all-in-one-liquid-cooling-solutions-from-razer-incorporate-asetek-s-advanced-liquid-cooling-te,c3437077

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/6758/3437077/1484512.pdf Asetek Razer Hanbo Press Release_FINAL https://news.cision.com/asetek/i/razer-hanbo-rgb-aio-series-image-headline,c2970359 Razer-Hanbo-RGB-AIO-Series-image-Headline

SOURCE Asetek
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- First Horizon Foundation, the private charitable foundation of First Horizon Corporation, has announced a lead gift to catalyze conservation and restoration efforts in the floodplains of the Mississippi River on the Memphis/Arkansas state line.

Big River Park Conservancy, a Big River Strategic Initiative 501(c)3, which seeks to ensure a sustainable future for the Mississippi River wetlands and serve the ever-growing recreational and outdoor needs of the region, is collaborating with Ducks Unlimited and TennGreen Land Conservancy to acquire and restore 1,500 acres of land along the Mississippi River, primarily between the Hernando de Soto bridge and Big River Crossing on the Harahan bridge.

This critical portion of the Mississippi River waterfront is currently subdivided into multiple ownerships. Currently, Big River Park Conservancy and TennGreen Land Conservancy own close to 500 acres of land in West Memphis and Crittenden County, AR with another 1,025 acres under a purchase option agreement.

First Horizon's lead gift kickstarts the Conservancy's shared vision, which will restore, protect, and enhance the land's natural features as well as add trail and park amenities to cultivate recreation and bolster existing tourism efforts spurred by Big River Crossing and the Big River Trail.

"With the Mississippi River as one of our company's environmental focus areas, we are proud to play a vital role in this initiative," said Bryan Jordan, President and CEO of First Horizon Corporation. "This initiative and partnership will safeguard and conserve the land along the river as well as provide our community with opportunities to enjoy the beautified space."

Big River Crossing opened five years ago on October 22, 2016, as the country's longest active bike-pedestrian rail bridge. First Horizon Foundation was an early partner in the bridge's establishment, which has since welcomed over one million visitors across the Mississippi River.

"Big River Crossing created this opportunity to have a completely unique recreational and natural area within walking distance of Downtown Memphis, and we are grateful for First Horizon's support of the continuity of this great project," said Dow McVean on behalf of Big River Strategic Initiative.

Big River Park Conservancy's wetlands conservation will provide environmental benefits that include clean air and water, coastal storm protection, flood water storage, habitat restoration and conservation, creating an improved quality of life for nearby communities.

First Horizon Corporation is focused on improving the health, vitality and sustainability of its communities through the organization's Corporate Social Responsibility strategy and grants funded by the First Horizon Foundation. Earlier this year, First Horizon released its 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, which highlighted significant commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance efforts. To learn more visit www.firsthorizon.com/csr.

"The Mighty Mississippi is central to Memphis' identity," said Adam Putman, CEO of Ducks Unlimited, the world's largest and most effective private, nonprofit, waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization. "DU is proud of our Memphis corporate headquarters and we are especially honored to showcase conservation work in our own backyard. Partnering to conserve 1,500 acres along this essential alluvial valley only makes sense for DU, and we are grateful for First Horizon's environmental, social and governance efforts to directly support this region and our work."

Learn more about the project at br-si.org/big-river-park.

About First Horizon Foundation

First Horizon Foundation is the private charitable foundation of First Horizon Corporation. Founded in 1993, our Foundation has donated more than $110 million to meet community needs. Grants from the Foundation support the following impact areas: Arts & Culture, Education & Leadership, Environment, Financial Literacy, and Health & Human Services. More information is available at www.firsthorizonfoundation.com.

About Big River Strategic Initiative

The Big River Strategic Initiative (BRSI) is a collection of projects activating and celebrating the Mississippi River and its surrounding landscape. BRSI has now grown to include Big River Crossing, an active biking and pedestrian bridge over the Mississippi River connecting Tennessee and Arkansas, and Big River Trail System, a mixed-use trail network spanning over 110 miles with 7 miles of established trails in Big River Park.

About Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 15 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information, visit www.ducks.org.

About TennGreen Land Conservancy

TennGreen Land Conservancy (formerly the Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit and the oldest accredited statewide land conservancy in Tennessee. Through sound science and partnerships, TennGreen identifies and conserves land for wildlife corridors, critical habitat, and public benefit. TennGreen protects, cares for, and connects people with the natural world by providing meaningful outdoor experiences, establishing conservation easements, supporting restoration efforts, and acquiring (or assisting in the acquisition of) privately-held land. To learn more, visit tenngreen.org.

SOURCE First Horizon Corporation

Related Links

http://www.firsthorizon.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Firstup , the digital employee experience leader, today introduced Firstup Email, which helps internal communications teams deliver an enhanced digital employee experience. To help enterprises overcome the challenge of attention overload in the workforce, Firstup Email automatically optimizes email delivery by sending information at the right time to the right people.

Workforce engagement revitalized - say hello to Firstup Email.

In a bid to maximize email personalization, effectiveness and greater employee engagement, Firstup Email is an employee communications game changer. It automates the delivery of relevant and eye-catching content tailored to individual employees. Firstup Email lets users focus on employee messaging and strategy instead of wasting time on email mechanics.

Even as organizations have become increasingly more complex in the tools they use to reach employees, 95% of office employees still claim email as their main channel of communication. Email is indeed an undeniable force in the enterprise, but what is also clear is that we receive too many emails, at inopportune times, and often with irrelevant content. In fact, workers claim to receive up to 121 emails per day .

"It used to take our teams 10 hours just to create one email newsletter. Now we're down to 45 minutes or less," said Melissa Tizon, vice president of National Communication at Providence.

Workforce Engagement Revitalized

Firstup isn't stopping at optimizing newsletters. Introducing advancements in automation and intelligence, email delivery is revolutionized. With Firstup Email, businesses can use this power to truly engage their workforce:

Orchestrated email delivery to reach employees at the optimal time with personalized delivery based on their behavior preferences and messaging priority.

to reach employees at the optimal time with personalized delivery based on their behavior preferences and messaging priority. Automated campaign templates with designs and branding complemented by ready-to-go employee groups and campaign settings.

with designs and branding complemented by ready-to-go employee groups and campaign settings. High-impact, drag-and-drop designs that empower businesses to create rich, consumer-style content without a graphic designer.

that empower businesses to create rich, consumer-style content without a graphic designer. Targeted messaging to the right people every time with easy to create audiences that are always up to date without IT support.

with easy to create audiences that are always up to date without IT support. Analytics and granular tracking metrics that filter audiences, insights, and business initiatives enabling users to understand what works and what doesn't.

"Despite the longevity of the medium, the approach to creating and sending emails hasn't evolved," said Jed Brown, chief product officer of Firstup. "Email continues to be difficult and frustrating to design, personalizing content is tricky, and measuring success with embedded analytics remains limited. Firstup Email changes all of that by delivering an email experience that allows communicators to focus on content that cuts through the noise and gives employees the most important information first."

About Firstup

Firstup is redefining the digital employee experience to put people first and lift companies up. We make communication solutions that build authentic engagement and create two-way conversation between employees and companies. Our powerful orchestration engine connects every worker, everywhere, on any device with personalized information that helps them do their best work. That's why 40% of Fortune 100 companies like Amazon, ABInBev, Ford and Pfizer have chosen us to power their frontline, simplify their digital workplace and unlock the potential of their workforce.

Learn more at firstup.io .

https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstup-io

https://twitter.com/Firstup_io

https://www.facebook.com/firstup.io/

SOURCE Firstup

Related Links

http://firstup.io


HOUSTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodrich Petroleum Corporation (NYSE American: GDP) (the "Company") today announced that it will hold a conference call on Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 10:00 am central time to discuss third quarter 2021 financial results.

To access the conference call, domestic participants should dial as follows:

PARTICIPANT DIAL IN (TOLL FREE): 1-888-317-6003



PARTICIPANT INTERNATIONAL DIAL IN: 1-412-317-6061



Canada Toll Free 1-866-284-3684

Participant Elite Entry Number: 0616919 Participants will need this Elite Entry number in order to join the conference. The Company encourages participants to dial in 10-15 minutes early to join the conference. The Company will also post a slide deck on its third quarter financial and operational results on its website at www.goodrichpetroleum.com. Participants may also access the live audio webcast of the conference call through the following web link: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/937/43340 or by accessing the webcast through the investor relations section of the Company's website.

A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available approximately one hour after the end of the conference call. Domestic participants accessing the telephonic replay should dial (877) 344-7529 and international participants should dial (412) 317-0088. The replay access code will be 10161395.

SOURCE Goodrich Petroleum Corporation

Related Links

http://www.goodrichpetroleum.com


BEIJING, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited ("Concord Medical" or the "Company") (NYSE: CCM), a healthcare provider specializing in cancer care, research and prevention by operating a network of medically advanced comprehensive cancer hospitals and standalone radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centers in China, today announced that its Guangzhou Concord Cancer Center ("GCCC"), has obtained the qualifications of Social Healthcare Insurance designated medical institution, allowing more patients to gain access to high quality medical services with a lower self-paying proportion.

Supported by National Healthcare Security Administration, the Social Healthcare Insurance system is the most important player in the healthcare industry which covers over 95% of China's population (approximately 13.5 billion). In Guangzhou, the Social Healthcare Insurance system can pay for up to 90% of the costs of medical services. In addition to the Social Healthcare Insurance, GCCC has also signed partnerships with renowned insurance companies, with certain insurance products covering the majority of the medical expenses at GCCC for their clients. By October, GCCC has achieved cooperation with multiple international and domestic commercial insurance companies.

GCCC is operated by Meizhong Jiahe Medical Science & Technology Development Group Co., Ltd. ("Meizhong Jiahe"), a subsidiary of Concord Medical, and is established in cooperation with top international and domestic medical institutions. Constructed since 2010, GCCC is now able to provide patients with comprehensive medical services from cancer prevention to recovery.

About Concord Medical

Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited is a healthcare provider specialized in cancer treatment, research, education and prevention. The Company operates a network of medically advanced comprehensive cancer hospitals and standalone radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centres in China. The Company focuses on providing multidisciplinary cancer care approach in all areas of oncology services in its cancer hospitals. The Company also equips its hospitals with technologically advanced equipment such as the state-of-the-art proton therapy system in its premium cancer hospitals in top-tier cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. In addition, the Company saw the opportunity of the expanding market of medical equipment in China and developed its product life-cycle management services form its existing medical equipment and consumable sales services. As of December 31, 2020, the Company operated a network of 27 radiotherapy centers and diagnostic imaging centers, which are based in 20 hospitals, established under long-term lease and management services arrangements with the Company and spanning over 20 cities across 13 provinces and administrative regions in China. To ensure the commitment to the highest standard of medical services for patients, the Company offers ongoing education and training for doctors and other medical professionals in its network hospitals and centres in both domestic and overseas medical institutions.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to uncertainties and contingencies beyond the Company's control and based upon premises with respect to future business decisions, which are subject to change. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited

Related Links

www.concordmedical.com/cn


Partners in Ashland County will be able to use Healthy Northeast Ohio to:

Access more than 275 health and quality-of-life data indicators.

View over 250 demographics variables available at the state, county and zip code levels.

Map and visualize data, plus generate custom data reports.

Examine zip code and census tract level maps of socioeconomic needs.

Browse a database of over 2,000 evidence-based practices and programs.

Visit county-specific pages with local data, priorities, health improvement strategies and resources.

Track progress towards county goals.

Utilize a community health needs assessment creation tool.

"Ashland County Health Department is pleased to partner with Healthy Northeast Ohio on this exciting adventure," said Vickie Taylor, health commissioner of the Ashland County Health Department. "We are gearing up for our next community health needs assessment and the data provided from Healthy NEO will give us a great starting point."

The geographic footprint of Healthy Northeast Ohio includes Ashland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties. Healthy Northeast Ohio's repository of population health data allows hospitals, public health departments, community-based organizations and philanthropic agencies to work collaboratively to improve community health outcomes. Launched in 2019, Healthy Northeast Ohio is a joint effort between The Center for Health Affairs and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and is funded through a grant from the HealthComp Foundation .

"Healthy Northeast Ohio is excited to welcome Ashland County to the platform," said Christine Dodd, JD, executive director of member programming for The Center for Health Affairs. "In a year filled with impactful community partnerships for Healthy Northeast Ohio, we are continually and consistently appreciative of the community health efforts made by all partners in our eight-county service area."

Healthy Northeast Ohio will offer a county-specific training webinar to familiarize partners with the new content and features to optimize site utilization in the coming weeks. The Ashland County webinar will be held on Nov. 9, 2021. This event is free and open to all, but registration is required.

County-level data for all of Health Northeast Ohio's county partners can be viewed at www.healthyneo.org , along with other resources and community health information.

About The Center for Health Affairs

The Center for Health Affairs, the nation's first regional hospital association, has served as the collective voice of Northeast Ohio hospitals for more than 100 years. Together with its business affiliates, CHAMPS Group Purchasing and The Essentials Group, The Center continues the legacy of its founders, working collaboratively to increase the efficiency of healthcare delivery, providing insightful healthcare information to the public and undertaking initiatives aimed at improving the health of the community. For more information, visit www.neohospitals.org.

Press Contact:

Tracy Wise

2162553695

http://www.neohospitals.org

SOURCE The Center for Health Affairs

Related Links

http://www.neohospitals.org


In his new role, Cliff will develop and implement strategies to maintain HGC's position as a leading partner of over-the-top (OTT) service providers, internet and content companies, digital media providers, and cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies worldwide. He will also manage both the Network Operations and Business Analysis & Operations teams, ensuring that the International Business unit can continue to provide customers with seamless access to the extensive network coverage and one-stop OTT edge solutions with minimal latency and increased agility.

Specific focus areas for Cliff include the ongoing development of a game-changing OTT partner ecosystem across emerging niche markets in Asia, as well as the further expansion of edge infrastructure in Southeast Asia with the rollout of HGC's flagship Eyeball-as-a-Service platform and the growth of Singapore as a major regional hub. Cliff will also continue his mission to fortify Hong Kong as a major Internet Exchange hub as the use of data grows in Asia Pacific.

Cliff is a HGC veteran, holding several senior positions in the International Business team over the past 16 years. Before becoming Senior Vice President of Global Data Strategy & Operations, International Business, he was instrumental in developing markets and data services to establish HGC as a premiere partner for OTT, cloud and Internet Exchange providers and content and media companies as the digital economy booms. He also has extensive experience managing global HGC teams with responsibility for digitalisation, wholesale carrier solutions, partnership engagement, market and product development, sales and more.

Ravindran Mahalingam, Senior Vice President of International Business at HGC, said, "With 5G and edge computing bringing the promise of premium services and more personalised user experiences, HGC is committed to expanding our global presence and fully-fledged services so that our partners can better engage with their customers and exceed expectations. We are delighted to have a leader of Cliff's caliber to help us define and pursue inspiring digital strategies that leverage our innovation, infrastructure and ecosystem as the digital era continues to unfold."

Cliff Tam, Senior Vice President of Global Data Strategy & Operations, International Business of HGC said, "At HGC, we are an empowered team dedicated to supporting business globalisation. We deliver customer value and quality assurance with a fast-to-market approach that rides on our fully-meshed digital infrastructure and best-in-class one-stop connectivity, cloud, data centre solutions and services. I am proud to have the opportunity to reinforce HGC's reputation as a preferred partner and intelligent innovator as we continue to shape the experience-driven economy and internet world."

About HGC Global Communications Limited

HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) is a leading Hong Kong and international telecom operator and ICT solution provider. The company owns an extensive network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and provides various kinds of services. HGC has 23 overseas offices, with business over 5 continents. It provides telecom infrastructure service to other operators and serves as a service provider to corporate and households. The company provides full-fledged telecom, data centre services, ICT solutions and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate and mass markets. HGC owns and operates an extensive fibre-optic network, five cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China and connects with hundreds of world-class international telecom operators. HGC is one of Hong Kong's largest Wi-Fi service providers, running over 29,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Hong Kong. The company is committed to further investing and enriching its current infrastructure and, in parallel, adding on top the latest technologies and developing its infrastructure services and solutions. HGC is a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investment manager focusing on energy, utilities and transport in North America, Europe and selected fast-growing economies.

To learn more, please visit HGC's website at: www.hgc.com.hk

SOURCE HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC)

Related Links

http://www.hgc.com.hk


RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hilb Group announced today that it has acquired Massachusetts-based Forrest Insurance Agency, increasing its Property and Casualty (P&C) offerings and presence throughout New England. The transaction became effective October 1, 2021. Agency principals Larry Forrest and Michael Forrest and their team of insurance professionals will be joining Hilb Group's New England regional operations.

Based in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Forrest Insurance is a P&C agency specializing in home, auto and business insurance.

"This marks an important step for us and our clients," Larry Forrest said. "We look forward to expanding what we can provide our customers going forward as a result of the broad resources within the Hilb Group."

"We are excited to be a part of the Hilb Group," Michael Forrest added. "Their commitment to personal service and offering the latest in solutions and protection represents a perfect match for helping our clients meet their daily and long-term needs."

"Forrest Insurance brings experience, expert service and a commitment to the communities and clients who depend on us," said Hilb Group CEO Ricky Spiro. "We are pleased to welcome them to the Hilb Group and continue our strategic growth in New England and throughout the markets we serve."

About Hilb Group: The Hilb Group is a leading property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and advisory firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Hilb Group is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. Hilb Group seeks to grow through strategic acquisitions and by leveraging its resources and expertise to drive organic growth in its acquired agencies. The company has completed more than 120 acquisitions and now has over 100 offices in 21 states. Hilb Group is rated as one of the Fastest Growing Brokers by Business Insurance, a Top P/C Agency by Insurance Journal, and one of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Inc. 5000. For more information on Hilb Group's growth as well as career opportunities, please visit our website at http://hilbgroup.com.

Media Contact:

Peter Lobred

804.548.4629

[email protected]

M&A Contact:

Ryan Havermann

804.414.6508

[email protected]

SOURCE The Hilb Group, LLC

Related Links

http://www.hilbgroup.com


SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- USAA is using Natural Language Processing (NLP) to improve the member experience and facilitate faster decision-making. NLP is a subfield of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that uses computers to process and analyze large amounts of text and spoken words. These analyses are then studied and used to improve processes, experiences and regulatory compliance.

"USAA's member satisfaction rankings have always been best in class, and we are applying our exceptional data science talent to expand our use of NLP and AI to further strengthen that satisfaction," said Dave Gordon, USAA Bank Chief Technology and Data Officer.

Below are several examples of areas where USAA is utilizing NLP:

Banking Experience

USAA Bank is leveraging NLP to gain a better understanding of why members are calling. Traditional approaches involved a team of humans to listen to calls and/or read thousands of call transcripts. To reduce this manual work, the Bank has developed an NLP capability that automatically identifies the reason why members are calling USAA. This NLP capability enables the Bank to take proactive actions that enhance operational efficiencies, improve the members' experience and strengthen compliance.

Auto Claims

USAA is piloting the use of NLP in the auto claims experience to understand when intervention is needed for increased member satisfaction. NLP identifies key words in claims phone calls that indicate whether a member needs additional help.

NLP is also used in the auto claims process to ensure proper subrogation (the process of insurers paying other insurers) and for liability decision making.

"Natural language processing is another tool in our toolbelt to ensure we are providing the best possible service to our members," said Sean Burgess, USAA Chief Claims Officer. "Our member service representatives have set the stage for world-class service and we constantly seek out the best technology to supplement that service."

Life Insurance

In the life insurance underwriting process, reviewing medical records is time consuming for an underwriter. To reduce some of this manual work, USAA is now utilizing NLP to digitize paper medical records and build summaries for applicable life insurance underwriting, resulting in a significant reduction in time. Manual summaries can take up to five days to complete; NLP can reduce that time down to a single day.

USAA

Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking and investment and retirement solutions to more than 13 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served and their families. Headquartered in San Antonio, USAA has offices in seven U.S. cities and three overseas locations and employs approximately 36,000 people worldwide. Each year, the company contributes to national and local nonprofits in support of military families and communities where employees live and work. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.

Contact: USAA Media Relations

[email protected]

210-498-0940

USAA on Twitter: @usaa

SOURCE USAA

Related Links

https://www.usaa.com


Mr. Griffin recently held the position of chief executive officer at Crane Carrier Company ("CCC"), a leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of vocational trucks and specialty vehicles. During Griffin's tenure, he successfully positioned the company for growth, supporting the sale by Turnspire Capital Partners to electric vehicle technology developer Battle Motors, another pioneer in zero-emissions trucking.

Before joining CCC, Griffin held the position of President of Light Duty Truck & EV Solutions at Fontaine Modification, a Berkshire Hathaway company and leading provider of post-production truck modification services. Fontaine Modification and Hyzon have partnered to provide the vehicle assembly services for Hyzon's US fuel cell electric vehicle production.

Griffin additionally held positions with Berkshire Hathaway companies as president of Marmon-Herrington, an OE drivetrain provider to the vocational heavy truck market, and vice president of sales with Fontaine Modification. Griffin also held executive position with Wabash National Corporation, the largest North American producer of semi-trailers and liquid transportation systems.

"Joining Hyzon, a company at the forefront of the clean energy transition, allows me to apply years of functional experience in the heavy-duty vehicle industry to a truly transformative mission," said Griffin. "I look forward to shaping the strategy and commercialization of this much-needed technology."

"Pat's knowledge of the market, the product, and the suppliers, combined with his track record of driving growth and profitability, make him the ideal choice for this position," said Craig Knight, Hyzon Motors' CEO. "We believe that the breadth and depth of his experience in vocational as well as electric vehicles will help Hyzon achieve its full potential."

In addition to his career accomplishments, Griffin holds a Bachelor of Science in Welding Engineering from The Ohio State University, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from Tusculum University. He is a Six Sigma Black Belt, and award holder of multiple patents in the transportation industry.

About Hyzon

Headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., with U.S. operations in the Chicago and Detroit areas, and international operations in the Netherlands, Singapore, Australia, Germany, and China, Hyzon is a leader in fuel cell electric mobility with an exclusive focus on the commercial vehicle market, and a near-term focus on back to base (captive fleet) operations. Utilizing its proven and proprietary hydrogen fuel cell technology, Hyzon aims to supply zero-emission heavy duty trucks and buses to customers in North America, Europe and around the world to mitigate emissions from diesel transportation, which is one of the single largest sources of carbon emissions globally. The Company is contributing to the escalating adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles through its demonstrated technology advantage, leading fuel cell performance and history of rapid innovation. Visit www.hyzonmotors.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "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. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "could," "should," "will," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Hyzon disclaims any duty to update any forward -looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. Hyzon cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Hyzon, including risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Hyzon's definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on June 21, 2021, our Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on July 30, 2021, and other documents filed by Hyzon 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, such as risks related to the ability to convert non-binding memoranda of understanding into binding orders or sales (including because of the current or prospective financial resources of the counterparties to Hyzon's non-binding memoranda of understanding and letters of intent), or the ability to identify additional potential customers and convert them to paying customers. Hyzon gives no assurance that Hyzon will achieve its expectations.

SOURCE Hyzon Motors

Related Links

https://hyzonmotors.com/


LONDON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ICIS, a global source of independent commodity intelligence, today announced that it has made its global Live Disruptions Tracker available to users of WIND, China's leading financial data and analysis provider.

The partnership allows WIND Financial Terminal users to seamlessly access ICIS' global live disruption intelligence for six key chemical futures markets including PP, PE, MEG, PTA, Styrene and Methanol. The ICIS Live Disruption Tracker, which aggregates more than 125 million data points, provides both planned and unplanned global production shutdowns anticipating new plant expansion and contractions. WIND Financial Terminal users will be able to access both historical ICIS data, back to October 2017, as well as the global outlook for the next 12 months.

According to ICIS' Supply and Demand Database, China imported a total of 6.55 million tonnes of Polypropylene (PP) and 19.15 million tons of Polyethylene (PE) during 2020, accounting for 27% of the total PP and PE global trade volumes, making China a key importer of these crucial commodities. In an increasingly inter-connected global market unexpected disruptions to plant production have a significant impact, highlighting the vital need for immediate access to the latest, reliable data on global plant disruptions.

Dave Johnson, Head of Strategic Partnerships at ICIS said, "This partnership is a powerful and complementary one for both ICIS and WIND as we look to support and bring transparency to the chemical markets. Bringing both domestic and international data and information together will help increase efficiency and independence to opaque markets and marks the significance of the Chinese market within the global commodities market."

Changkun Cai, Vice President of WIND, said, "Providing comprehensive data on our platform is an important aspect of improving WIND's overall user experience. We are pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with ICIS in such a mutually beneficial partnership. The partnership with ICIS is an enhancement for WIND in the chemical futures market, as well as the start of our footprint into the global petrochemical market."

About ICIS

ICIS is a trusted source of intelligence for the global energy, chemical and sustainability markets. We are a division of RELX, a FTSE 15 company with a market cap of 42.8 billion and an employee base of over 33,000 experts across 40 countries.

At ICIS, we help businesses make strategic decisions, mitigate risk, improve productivity and capitalise on new opportunities. We make some of the world's most important markets more trusted and predictable by providing data services, thought leadership and decision tools. As a result of our unmatched global presence, we can deliver targeted connected intelligence to influence thousands of decisions across supply chains every single day. We shape the world by connecting markets to optimise the world's valuable resources. With a global team of more than 700 experts, ICIS has employees based in London, New York, Houston, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Dubai, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo and Perth.

About WIND

Wind Information Technology Co., Ltd. ("Wind") is a leading financial data, information and software service company in mainland China, headquartered in Shanghai Lujiazui Financial Center. In the domestic market, Wind's clients include most of China's financial enterprises such as securities companies, fund management companies, insurance companies, banks and investment companies. Internationally, many of the qualified foreign institutional investors (QFII) that have been approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission are clients of Wind. At the same time, most well-known financial academic research institutions and authoritative regulatory institutions in China are also our clients. A large number of Chinese and English media, research reports and academic papers often quote the data provided by Wind.

SOURCE ICIS
Kafarakis, a highly accomplished senior executive with broad experience leading major food industry companies and associations, joins IFMA with a proven track record of bottom-line results. Beginning his career in the industry on the manufacturing side of the business, Kafarakis successfully led and managed businesses at Kraft, Jones Dairy Farm, Cargill, and McCormick & Co., where he also served on IFMA's Board of Directors. Most recently, he served as President of the Specialty Food Association (SFA), representing more than 4,000 small and emerging food entrepreneurs in the $160 Billion U.S. Specialty Food Industry. Prior to his SFA appointment, Kafarakis served as the Chief Innovation and Member Advancement Officer at the National Restaurant Association.

"I am honored and thrilled to have been selected to lead IFMA into the future, continuing to build on the outstanding work that has made IFMA the most respected authority in the foodservice industry," said Kafarakis.

"The IFMA Board couldn't be more pleased with the search committee's choice," said Hugh Roth, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer and Business Development Officer at PepsiCo Foodservice and the 2021 IFMA Board Chair. "We are confident that Phil will bring the leadership, energy and enthusiasm to continue to provide member value and move IFMA forward."

Kafarakis will take over for Larry Oberkfell, IFMA's current President and CEO, who earlier this year announced his return to the industry after a successful, transformative 12-year career at the helm of IFMA. Oberkfell led the growth of IFMA through multiple recessions and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic, consistently growing revenue and value for its membership.

About International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) is an established trade association serving foodservice manufacturers for over 65 years to improve industry practices and relationships while equipping every foodservice manufacturer with the tools to navigate their future with confidence. By providing insights, developing best practices and fostering connectivity through events, we enlighten members and motivate change that leads to betterment for the individual member organization and the industry at large. For more information, visit IFMAworld.com.

SOURCE International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)

Related Links

http://IFMAworld.com


LOS GATOS, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- iMerit , a leading AI data solutions company, today announced its inaugural conference, the iMerit ML DataOps Summit, which is a live virtual event taking place on December 2, 2021 at 9 a.m. PDT. Hosted in partnership with TechCrunch, the iMerit ML DataOps Summit will bring together innovators at the forefront of data operations, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Register here .

Attendees will gain insights on the importance of leveraging human intelligence to advance AI, how to solve edge cases with high quality data, scaling data pipelines for rapid deployment and more. Through engaging keynotes, panels, and fireside chats, participants will hear the challenges and opportunities of machine learning data operations trending across a variety of industries, including autonomous mobility, medical AI, geospatial, technology, and more.

Some of this year's featured speakers include:

Radha Basu , iMerit, Founder and CEO

, iMerit, Founder and CEO Ragavan Srinivasan , Facebook AI, Head of Product

, Facebook AI, Head of Product DJ Patil, Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist Officer

Hussein Mehanna , Cruise, Vice President of AI/ML

, Cruise, Vice President of AI/ML Jack Xiaojiang Guo , Nuro, Head of Autonomy Platform

, Nuro, Head of Autonomy Platform Eldar Khaliullin , Magic Leap, Principal Engineer, Data Tools

, Magic Leap, Principal Engineer, Data Tools Jinhua Zhao , Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ), Edward and Joyce Linde Associate Professor of City and Transportation Planning

, ( ), Edward and Joyce Linde Associate Professor of City and Transportation Planning Jeff Mills , iMerit, Chief Revenue Officer

, iMerit, Chief Revenue Officer Eran Shlomo , Dataloop, Co-Founder and CEO

, Dataloop, Co-Founder and CEO Ivan Lee , Datasaur, Founder and CEO

, Datasaur, Founder and CEO Chris Barker , CBC Transportation Consulting, CEO

, CBC Transportation Consulting, CEO Prabhdeep Singh , SambaNova Systems, Vice President of Software Products

, SambaNova Systems, Vice President of Software Products Kriti Gupta, The Floor, Data Engineer

"A staggering number of companies have accelerated their AI adoption initiatives, with many incorporating AI as a mainstream technology within their business," said Radha Basu, CEO and Founder of iMerit. "As a leader in end-to-end AI data solutions, iMerit looks forward to gathering the top minds in artificial intelligence to discuss strategies around machine learning data operations and unveiling why leveraging human intelligence is the critical path to advancing AI."

Accelerated by COVID-19, digital innovation has put AI and analytics at the forefront of many business operations. The iMerit ML DataOps Summit will provide insights on how businesses can find efficient methods, tools, processes and principles to prepare the data needed to conquer AI at the edge.

"We're excited to host this conference in partnership with iMerit," said Joey Hinson, Senior Director of Operations at TechCrunch. "This dynamic speaker panel will deliver the compelling discussions around AI and machine learning that our audience expects."

Additionally, the iMerit ML DataOps Summit will host a virtual expo showcasing data annotation and automation tool providers that are building the future of ML DataOps.

For more information or to register for the free virtual event, click here .

About iMerit

iMerit is a leading AI data solutions company providing high quality data across computer vision, natural language processing and content services that powers machine learning and artificial intelligence applications for large enterprises. iMerit provides end-to-end data labeling services to Fortune 500 companies in a wide array of industries including agricultural AI, autonomous vehicles, commerce, geospatial, government, financial services, medical AI and technology. iMerit employs more than 5,000 full-time data annotation experts in Bhutan, Europe, India and the United States. Raising $23.5 million in funding to date, iMerit investors are CDC Group, Khosla Impact, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and Omidyar Network. For more information, visit imerit.net .

SOURCE iMerit Technology

Related Links

https://imerit.net/?utm_medium=pr&utm_source=prnewswire&utm_campaign=mldataops-summit-2021&utm_content=press-release-1&latest_sfdc_campaign=7015d000001wA2I


CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakthrough technology to help eliminate dangerous electric-vehicle battery-cell leaks will be on display at the Assembly Show next week at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in suburban Chicago.

Faulty battery cells can cause fires, shorten battery life, increase warranty costs and damage product reputations. INFICON's new ELT3000 leak-detection systems allow original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers to reliably test critically important battery cells for the first time.

Based on mass-spectrometer technology, INFICON's recently introduced leak detectors can identify dangerous battery-cell leaks 1,000 times smaller than currently possible. An estimated five percent of the billions of lithium-ion battery cells currently produced annually may have undetected leaks.

"ELT3000 is the single most important leak-detection development in the past decade," says Dr. Daniel Wetzig, INFICON's leak-detection research and development director based in Cologne, Germany.

Wetzig points out that ELT3000 technology can pave the way for the auto industry's first reliable quality-control standards for electric-vehicle battery cells and also can be used to test battery cells for use in smart phones, computers and other consumer-electronics products.

INFICON executives will be at the Assembly Show to speak on battery-cell leak detection and robotic leak testing. ELT3000 technology also will be on display at the company's booth (#1114).

Thomas Parker, INFICON's North American automotive sales manager, will discuss the importance of EV leak detection at a 10 a.m. workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 26 hosted by Assembly magazine senior editor Austin Weber on "Electric Vehicle Assembly: Challenges and Opportunities."

Dan Hoffman, INFICON's national leak-detection sales and service manager, will speak on the growing importance of robotic leak testing in the Assembly Show's Learning Center at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27.

"Leak tests have been one of the most critical quality-control checks performed by automakers and their suppliers for years," Parker notes. "Today, it's critically important to test EV battery cells because the highly flammable electrolytes they contain can spark dangerous fires."

Sponsored by Assembly magazine, The Assembly Show takes place Oct. 26-28 in Rosemont, Illinois. Hundreds of exhibitors are on hand to showcase the latest assembly equipment and technology. There also are dozens of webinars, workshops, presentations, guided tours and networking events.

The show's keynote speaker, Sudhanshu Gaur, will discuss "Smart Manufacturing: Today and Tomorrow" at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Gaur is vice president of Hitachi America and chief architect  Smart Manufacturing for Hitachi Astemo.

ABOUT INFICON

INFICON is one of the world's leading developers, producers and suppliers of instruments and devices for leak detection in air conditioning, refrigeration and automotive manufacturing. The company has manufacturing facilities in Europe, China and the United States, as well as sales and service offices throughout the world. More information about INFICON automotive technology is available online at www.inficonautomotive.com.

SOURCE INFICON

Related Links

http://www.inficonautomotive.com


LONDON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Ratings said today that it has assigned IPB Insurance an ESG Evaluation of 73. The company's ESG Evaluation is the result of an ESG profile of 70 combined with an adequate (+3) preparedness. Higher numbers indicate stronger sustainability in our evaluations. IPB Insurance's ESG Evaluation is the first public ESG Evaluation for the insurance sector in both Ireland and EMEA.

ESG Evaluation: IPB Insurance

Our ESG evaluation of 73 reflects IPB's strong social profile, primarily from advanced customer and community practices, supported by the company's mutual structure. Environmental practices in IPB's investment portfolio are slightly more advanced than the wider insurance industry but not formalized. Furthermore, environmental underwriting exposure is less than that of peers due to collaboration between IPB and members to reduce risks. Although governance practices are in line with Irish standards and those for mutual companies, sustainability reporting is nascent. Finally, the company uses third-party ESG scores and internal desktop reviews to inform its investment decision-making, going beyond what many insurance peers do.

IPB has a well-established company culture resulting in part from its mutual structure, which maintains a strong member focus and a sense of purpose to serve the local communities. Furthermore, the company's close relationship with its members allows it to remain close to their needs, enabling it to develop new products and reduce exposure to disruptive trends. Despite this, sustainability is not yet embedded across IPB's entire strategy and product offering.

IPB Insurance CLG is a mutual property and casualty insurance company headquartered in Ireland. It provides insurance products primarily to its 51 corporate members, who are also their customers and include local authorities, education training boards, regional assemblies, and the health service executive. In 2020, the company underwrote services totalling a gross written premium (GWP) of 144.1 million, which consisted of public liability (60%), employers' liability (11%), property (13%), and motor insurance (6%). IPB incorporates members' interests in its pricing strategy and product development through an internal modified community rating pricing system that ensures that there is an equitable approach to pricing across the member base. The company also commits to returning retained earnings and dividends where possible and in line with regulatory capitalization targets.

What Is An ESG Evaluation?

S&P Global Ratings' ESG evaluation is a cross-sector, relative analysis of an entity's capacity to continue to operate successfully. It is grounded in how ESG factors could affect stakeholders, potentially leading to a material direct or indirect financial impact on the entity.

Our definition of stakeholders for a particular entity goes beyond shareholders to include employees, the local community, government, regulators, customers, lenders, borrowers, policyholders, voters, members, and suppliers. A high ESG evaluation indicates an entity is relatively less prone to experiencing material ESG-related events, and is relatively better positioned to capitalize on ESG-related growth opportunities than entities with lower ESG evaluations.

First, we establish an ESG profile for a given entity, which assesses the exposure of the entity's operations to observable ESG risks and opportunities, and how the entity is mitigating these risks and capitalizing on these opportunities.

Second, we assess the entity's long-term preparedness, namely its capacity to anticipate and adapt to a variety of long-term plausible disruptions.

S&P Global Ratings currently evaluates more than 85 entities across the globe; they have an average score of 68. Since the first ESG evaluation, published in June 2019, we have finalized ESG Evaluations across 21 sectors globally. By region, the highest average score is 73, for companies headquartered in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Visit spglobal.com/ratings for our latest sustainable finance research and all of our publicly available ESG Evaluations.

Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC or its affiliates (collectively, S&P) receives compensation for the provision of the S&P Global Ratings ESG Evaluation product, including the report (Product). S&P may also receive compensation for rating the entity covered by the Product or for rating transactions involving and/or securities issued by the entity covered by the Product.

The Product is not a credit rating, and is not indicative of, nor related to, any credit rating or future credit rating of an entity. The Product provides a cross-sector, relative analysis of an entity's capacity to operate successfully in the future and is grounded in how ESG factors could affect stakeholders and potentially lead to a material direct or indirect financial impact on the entity. ESG factors typically assess the impact of the entity on the natural and social environment and the quality of its governance. The Product is not a research report and is not intended as such.

S&P's credit ratings, opinions, analyses, rating acknowledgment decisions, any views reflected in the Product and the output of the Product are not investment advice, recommendations regarding credit decisions, recommendations to purchase, hold, or sell any securities or to make any investment decisions, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security, endorsements of the suitability of any security, endorsements of the accuracy of any data or conclusions provided in the Product, or independent verification of any information relied upon in the credit rating process. The Product and any associated presentations do not take into account any user's financial objectives, financial situation, needs or means, and should not be relied upon by users for making any investment decisions. The output of the Product is not a substitute for a user's independent judgment and expertise. The output of the Product is not professional financial, tax or legal advice, and users should obtain independent, professional advice as it is determined necessary by users.

While S&P has obtained information from sources it believes to be reliable, S&P does not perform an audit and undertakes no duty of due diligence or independent verification of any information it receives.

S&P and any third-party providers, as well as their directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents (collectively S&P Parties) do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or availability of the Product. S&P Parties are not responsible for any errors or omissions (negligent or otherwise), regardless of the cause, for reliance of use of information in the Product, or for the security or maintenance of any information transmitted via the Internet, or for the accuracy of the information in the Product. The Product is provided on an "AS IS" basis. S&P PARTIES MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDED BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE ACCURACY, RESULTS, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT, OR FOR THE SECURITY OF THE WEBSITE FROM WHICH THE PRODUCT IS ACCESSED. S&P Parties have no responsibility to maintain or update the Product or to supply any corrections, updates or releases in connection therewith. S&P Parties have no liability for the accuracy, timeliness, reliability, performance, continued availability, completeness or delays, omissions, or interruptions in the delivery of the Product.

To the extent permitted by law, in no event shall the S&P Parties be liable to any party for any direct, indirect, incidental, exemplary, compensatory, punitive, special or consequential damages, costs, expenses, legal fees, or losses (including, without limitation, lost income or lost profits and opportunity costs or losses caused by negligence, loss of data, cost of substitute materials, cost of capital, or claims of any third party) in connection with any use of the Product even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

S&P maintains a separation between commercial and analytic activities. S&P keeps certain activities of its business units separate from each other in order to preserve the independence and objectivity of their respective activities. As a result, certain business units of S&P may have information that is not available to other S&P business units. S&P has established policies and procedures to maintain the confidentiality of certain nonpublic information received in connection with each analytical process.

Copyright 2021 by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC. All rights reserved.

This report does not constitute a rating action.

S&P Global Ratings is the world's leading provider of independent credit ratings. Our ratings are essential to driving growth, providing transparency and helping educate market participants so they can make decisions with confidence. We have more than 1 million credit ratings outstanding on government, corporate, financial sector and structured finance entities and securities. We offer an independent view of the market built on a unique combination of broad perspective and local insight. We provide our opinions and research about relative credit risk; market participants gain independent information to help support the growth of transparent, liquid debt markets worldwide.

S&P Global Ratings is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/ratings.

Update Profile:

If you would like to update your information (telephone number, email address, company, etc.) or change the sectors you receive press releases on, please click here.

Visit SPRatings.com, a free, interactive, and informative portal to access highlights from our credit research offerings. Consider this your portal to perspective: www.spratings.com.

SOURCE S&P Global Ratings
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Khanna Vision Institute is jumping into the 22nd century. Introducing the newest eye technology, patients will be able to be seen by the doctor no matter where he might be. Traveling to see a top, busy, refractive surgeon can be challenging for many because of scheduling conflicts or the drive is too far away. Khanna Vision Institute has implemented new technology to make it more convenient for people to seek the opinion of the Superdoctor Rajesh Khanna, MD . He has been selected as a superdoctor by the Los Angeles Times, for the third year in a row. So there is a need for people to consult him.

This feat will be achieved by using the latest cutting edge technology of ophthalmic instruments like video slit lamps, digital phoropters, Fundus camera and Ocular Coherence tomographies. The machines are operated by highly skilled technicians. The data, pictures and the results are loaded in real time in a cloud based HIPPA certified Electronic Health Record system. Dr. Khanna reviews them in real time and interacts with the patient using video chat of EHR or Google work space. The doctor discusses his findings with the patients as well as be able to hear the patients concerns.

Dr. Rajesh Khanna stated, "I founded Khanna Vision Institute to set a standard in the industry for patient convenience and thoroughness and using remote technology to make it easier for the people was the next logical step." These telehealth robotic exams are non contact, painless exams. These are not online exams being performed by software, like the ones used by optical chains.

"Our exams preserve the human interaction between doctor and patient," said Dr. Khanna. As a big concern for patients is making sure they are seen by a real doctor, Khanna Vision Institute wants to make sure it is clear that these are real exams, just done at a distance. At each location, there will still be another doctor on the premises.

Another key feature in being able to do these exams remotely is helping the patient cut back on their travel time. For example, if the doctor is in Beverly Hills that day, but the patient is at the Moorpark office he can still look at the patients data, and speak with them even though they are 40 miles away from each other. Debbie surmised it well " I went in for an annual exam for glasses. When I enquired about Lasik eye surgery , I was expecting to be just given some pamphlets. Instead I was examined for candidacy and had a teleexam with Dr. Khanna right away, Wow it took all hesitancy away and I am already looking forward to my painless lasik eye surgery."

To learn more about Khanna Vision Institutes step into the future, or what services they can provide, please visit www.khannainstitute.com or call (310)482-1240.

KHANNA VISION INSTITUTE

Beverly Hills

CONTACT: Mary Chantel Schiele

[email protected]

SOURCE Khanna Vision Institute

Related Links

https://khannainstitute.com


MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinecta Federal Credit Union, the leading financial partner in the South Bay, is pleased to announce its participation as presenting sponsor for this year's Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk to be held Sunday, October 24, 2021. Families and friends will gather to walk from Manhattan Beach Pier to Hermosa Beach Pier and back with a record-breaking $2.5 million goal to help children with special needs and students succeed.

"At Kinecta, we are committed to giving back to our community by participating at local community-based programs and events," said Keith Sultemeier, Chief Executive Officer of Kinecta Federal Credit Union. "It's an honor to partner with Skechers for the third consecutive year and help raise support and awareness for our children. We invite you to register to walk!"

"We all know Kinecta for its charitable giving and involvement in our community, and I would like to thank them for being our loyal supporter since 2019," said Michael Greenberg, Skechers president and co-founder of the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. "Skechers and Kinecta encourage our community to be part of this year's fun-filled celebration at the beach as we walk together to help children thrive."

The annual Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk is the largest charity walk of its kind in California. Since 2009, it has grown to gather more than 17,000 annual registrants and has raised more than $17 million for public schools, scholarships and the Friendship Foundation, an organization that supports children with special needs and their families.

Walkers can register in person at the event, sign up online at skechersfriendshipwalk.com and live stream the 13th annual Walk at the site on Sunday, October 24th at 9am PST. Participants can also follow the event on Facebook (facebook.com/SKECHERSFriendshipWalk), Instagram (instagram.com/skechersp2pwalk) and Twitter (twitter.com/SkechersP2PWalk).

For more information about Kinecta, visit www.kinecta.org.

About Kinecta Federal Credit Union

Kinecta Federal Credit Union is the country's 35th largest credit union, with assets of $6.5 billion and over 270,000 member-owners. Our 800+ employees serve members from 32 branches, a variety of specialty offices, and highly responsive call centers on both coasts. Banking the Southern California area for more than 80 years, with recent expansion to Northern California, New York, and New Jersey, Kinecta offers its members a full range of financial products through the Credit Union and its subsidiaries, Kinecta Wealth Management and Kinecta Insurance Services. Daily Breeze readers have named Kinecta a top South Bay credit union for the past 10 years, and Kinecta was voted Easy Reader's 2020 "Best of the Beach" Credit Union.

About Skechers Foundation

The Skechers Foundation was established to provide families around the world with the necessities and skills to succeed in life. In addition to organizing the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, the Skechers Foundation funds tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that provide education and job training, shoes, clothing, fitness and nutrition guidance to communities in need.

About Skechers USA, Inc.

Skechers (NYSE:SKX), The Comfort Technology Company based in Southern California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company's collections are available in the United States and over 170 countries and territories via department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through 4,057 Company- and third-party-owned retail stores and e-commerce websites. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, Israel and Mexico, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, India, Europe and Latin America. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions 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 may include, without limitation, Skechers' future domestic and international growth, financial results and operations including expected net sales and earnings, its development of new products, future demand for its products, its planned domestic and international expansion, opening of new stores and additional expenditures, and advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "project," "will be," "will continue," "will result," "could," "may," "might," or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include the disruption of business and operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic; international economic, political and market conditions including the challenging consumer retail markets in the United States; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers; decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers, especially in the highly competitive performance footwear market; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in Skechers' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2021. More specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic has had and is currently having a significant impact on Skechers' business, financial conditions, cash flow and results of operations. Forward-looking statements with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic include, without limitation, Skechers' plans in response to this pandemic. At this time, there is significant uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic, including without limitation, (i) the duration and extent of the impact of the pandemic, (ii) governmental responses to the pandemic, including how such responses could impact Skechers' business and operations, as well as the operations of its factories and other business partners, (iii) the effectiveness of Skechers' actions taken in response to these risks, and (iv) Skechers' ability to effectively and timely adjust its plans in response to the rapidly changing retail and economic environment. Taking these and other risk factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic into consideration, the dynamic nature of these circumstances means that what is stated in this press release could change at any time, and as a result, actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Skechers operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and we cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.

Media Relations Contact:

Ondar Tarlow

Chief Marketing Officer

[email protected]

SOURCE Kinecta Federal Credit Union

Related Links

www.kinecta.org


PITTSBURGH, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KOP), an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds, today announced that it plans to release its financial results for the third quarter of 2021 before the market opens on Thursday, November 4, 2021, and discuss its outlook on a conference call later that day at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Presentation materials will be available at least 15 minutes before the call on www.koppers.com in the Investor Relations section of the company's website.

Interested parties may access the live audio broadcast toll free by dialing 1-833-366-1128 in the United States and Canada, or 1-412-902-6774 for international, Conference ID number 10161343. Participants are requested to access the call at least five minutes before the scheduled start time to complete a brief registration. The conference call will be broadcast live on www.koppers.com and can also be accessed here.

An audio replay will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the call at 1-877-344-7529 for U.S. toll free, 855-669-9658 for Canada toll free, or 1-412-317-0088 for international, Conference ID number 10161343. The recording will be available for replay through February 3, 2022.

About Koppers

Koppers, with corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds. Our products and services are used in a variety of niche applications in a diverse range of end-markets, including the railroad, specialty chemical, utility, residential lumber, agriculture, aluminum, steel, rubber, and construction industries. We serve our customers through a comprehensive global manufacturing and distribution network, with facilities located in North America, South America, Australasia, and Europe. The stock of Koppers Holdings Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KOP."

For more information, visit: www.koppers.com. Inquiries from the media should be directed to Ms. Jessica Franklin at 412-227-2025. Inquiries from the investment community should be directed to Mr. Michael Zugay at 412-227-2231 or Ms. Quynh McGuire at 412-227-2049.

For Information: Michael J. Zugay, Chief Financial Officer

412 227 2231

[email protected]

SOURCE Koppers

Related Links

http://www.koppers.com


The results of the study summarized this time showed that red ginseng increased the effectiveness of the vaccine, so that when red ginseng was taken together, the antiviral effect was enhanced and prevented lung damage caused by various viruses compared to when the vaccine was administered alone. The study results that ingestion of red ginseng at the same time as the vaccination at the time the inoculation of the corona virus vaccine started can increase the vaccine effect is significant in that it suggests the possibility of speeding up the overcoming of the corona virus.

In the paper 'Protective Effect of Korean Red Ginseng Extract on the Infections by H1N1 and H3N2 Influenza Viruses in Mice' published in 2021 in the 'Journal of Medicinal Food', an international academic journal, compared to mice vaccinated only with vaccines, red ginseng concentrate was consumed and vaccine It was confirmed that the survival rate of mice vaccinated with After administering the red ginseng concentrate to mice for 14 days, the vaccine was inoculated, and after the last administration of the red ginseng concentrate, the influenza virus (H1N1, H3N2) was observed. virus titer) and the production of inflammatory substances were found to be reduced.

In the paper 'Korean Red Ginseng enhances pneumococcal  pep27 vaccine efficacy by inhibiting reactive oxygen species production' published in the 'Journal of Ginseng Research' in 2019, the vaccine ( pep27) was administered while administering red ginseng concentrate to mice and infection with pneumococcus As a result of observation, red ginseng concentrate increased the antibody formation and survival rate of pneumococcal-infected mice, and reduced the time required for immunization by enhancing the efficacy of the vaccine.

Korean Ginseng Research Institute informed that these research results proved the vaccine adjuvant effect and respiratory damage prevention effect of red ginseng, and plans to continue researching the effect of red ginseng on various viruses through clinical trials.

In Korea, red ginseng has been officially recognized as a health functional food by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, a national agency that manages the safety of medicines and food. It is the best-selling health functional food in Korea, recognized for its immunity enhancement, fatigue recovery, blood circulation improvement, memory improvement, and antioxidant action. In particular, as interest in immunity increases due to COVID-19, Korean consumers looking for red ginseng are increasing significantly.

Korea's representative red ginseng company is KGC, famous for its 'CheongKwanJang' brand, which accounts for about 70% of the total red ginseng market. CheongKwanJang red ginseng is inspected from the soil in which ginseng is planted to produce the highest quality red ginseng, and through 100% contract cultivation, the purity of 6-year-old domestic red ginseng is guaranteed. In addition, the company produces products that consumers can consume with confidence by conducting safety inspections on 430 items for a total of 8 years from the stage of planting site selection, soil management, 2 years of cultivation, and 6 years of cultivation, until the product is shipped.

Last year, KGC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to cooperate in the development of immune boosters to develop ingredients necessary for corona vaccine research using red ginseng.

Immune enhancer is a substance that enhances the immune response caused by an antigen. If it is contained in a vaccine, it can show the same effect even with a small amount of antigen, so it is very important for vaccine development. With this MOU, KGC is expected to supply 12 types of ginsenosides contained in CheongKwanJang red ginseng to help the International Vaccine Institute develop vaccines.

CEO Kim, Jaesoo from KGC said, "After the spread of the coronavirus, the number of people looking for red ginseng in Korea to improve immunity and manage health has increased significantly."

https://youtu.be/9EGNhRVTwFg

[1]. Scientific references/links about COVID-19 vaccine adjuvant effect of Ginseng: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1226845320301883

SOURCE Korean Ginseng Research Institute; KGC (Korea Ginseng Corp.)

Related Links

https://www.kgc.co.kr/en/intro/global-kgc/global-introduction.do


The discussion was moderated by McCrary Institute Director Frank Cilluffo, who described the participants as "the Mount Rushmore" of cyber security experts.

The cyber experts representing the public and private sectors were:

National Cyber Director Chris Inglis of the Executive Office of the President is the first person to hold the role. Inglis is also a former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency.

of the Executive Office of the President is the first person to hold the role. Inglis is also a former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency. Department of Homeland Security CISA Director Jen Easterly , a two-time Bronze Star recipient and retired U.S. Army veteran, leads CISA's efforts to promote and defend civilian government networks, manage systemic risk to national critical functions, and collaborate with state and local partners to ensure the security and resilience of the nation's cyber and physical infrastructure.

, a two-time Bronze Star recipient and retired U.S. Army veteran, leads CISA's efforts to promote and defend civilian government networks, manage systemic risk to national critical functions, and collaborate with state and local partners to ensure the security and resilience of the nation's cyber and physical infrastructure. FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate oversees all FBI domestic and international intelligence activities. His FBI service capacities previously included roles as a counterterrorism supervisory special agent in Iraq and domestic locations.

oversees all FBI domestic and international intelligence activities. His FBI service capacities previously included roles as a counterterrorism supervisory special agent in and domestic locations. NSA Director of Cybersecurity Rob Joyce is instrumental in strengthening the cybersecurity of federal networks and critical infrastructure and revamping the nation's vulnerabilities equities process.

is instrumental in strengthening the cybersecurity of federal networks and critical infrastructure and revamping the nation's vulnerabilities equities process. Berkshire Hathaway Energy CEO William J. Fehrman has been a senior executive within the Berkshire Hathaway Energy family of companies since 2006. During this time, he held executive roles for PacifiCorp Energy, MidAmerican Energy and BHE Renewables, managed Berkshire Hathaway Energy's cross-business cyber and physical security strategies, and served as the lead executive of Berkshire Hathaway Energy's supply chain and procurement initiatives.

"In the past, we focused on collecting various pieces of evidence to try to connect the dots and identify a potential threat," said Chris Inglis, the White House National Cyber Director. "But today the challenge is how to collaborate to discover a threat that none of us could have discovered alone.

"The private sector is now on the frontlines, as it builds, maintains and defends critical parts of our infrastructure. The government needs to shift to a more supportive role, bringing its resources to help secure the private sector. We need a structure where a transgressor in cyber space would need to beat all of us to beat any of us.

While the federal government is tasked with leading the fight, more than 85 percent of the nation's critical infrastructure, including cyber networks, remain in private hands, enhancing the national security threat. Federal initiatives will have little impact if they are not built into private sector security operations, the participants noted.

"What we're undertaking now on the cyber side is a form of terrorism that holds companies unable to function. This requires an elevated level of collaboration like we've never seen before in the private sector," said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.

"Companies handle proprietary and sensitive information all the time," NSA Director of Cyber Security Rob Joyce said. "What I've seen in NSA in the last several months is we've been able to take that sensitive information, get it down to that unclassified level where it's operational and work with companies in the defense industrial base. For years, we've had things go up, over, around and down. Frankly, that's too slow and often misinterpreted. Those are the kinds of things we've got to get to right."

To best protect private cyber infrastructure, panelists suggested becoming a more difficult cyber target through collaboration, trust, resilient cyber networks and building a strong, cyber-educated workforce beginning at an early age.

"Cyber security is a team sport," Department of Homeland Security CISA Director Jen Easterly said. "It really matters to have those trusted relationships. This is all about the future of partnerships, which is operational collaboration. The federal government is really just a co-equal partner with the private sector and state and local colleagues. It truly is about a collective defense, in particular given that we live in a highly digitized, highly connected and highly complex threatened environment which is evolving every day."

"If a company can't afford to protect itself, it probably can't afford to be in business," said Berkshire Hathaway Energy CEO William J. Fehrman. "I know some companies share a significant concern about data being provided to the government. Will it be used for the purposes of national defense and critical infrastructure protection? Or will it be used for regulatory and legal reasons that could come back and hurt the companies? Moving this forward, there must be a confidence built across companies that when the collaboration is occurring, it's occurring for the purposes of national defense and defensive critical infrastructure."

McCrary Institute Director Frank Cilluffo noted, "Sometimes we have a 'plandemic' of plans. Plans have no value unless we are ready to work together and act on them. I have grappled with the challenge of collaboration for decades, but I believe we finally have the team in place to get this done."

About the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security

The McCrary Institute seeks practical solutions to real-world problems, underpinned by research and scholarship. Founded in 2015 through a generous donation to Auburn University by the Alabama Power Foundation in honor of its retiring CEO and Auburn alumnus Charles D. McCrary, the Institute fuses theory with practice, and policy with technology, to protect and advance U.S. interests in the areas of cyber and critical infrastructure security.

SOURCE Auburn University-College of Engineering

Related Links

www.eng.auburn.edu


The city of Las Vegas, Nevada and surrounding Clark County will host the first INZONE, encompassing the Las Vegas Strip and nearby industrial areas. The Las Vegas INZONE will host applications and services designed to benefit manufacturers, retailers, hospitals, hotels, convention centers, casinos, telecom service providers and other nearby businesses, as well as to local governmental entities and schools.

INZONE leverages Vapor IO's Kinetic Grid architecture, which locates neutral-host infrastructure near high-density industrial and retail zones. Enterprises within an INZONE can leverage Open Grid technologies to implement Industry 4.0 solutionsincluding private 5G, IoT, video analytics, smart retail, and cloud robotics, among others. Vapor IO currently has plans to implement INZONEs in 36 US markets.

"It all comes down to delivering infrastructure within microseconds of the target facilities, then enabling that infrastructure with last mile networks combined with the intelligence of software APIs and real-time telemetry," said Cole Crawford, founder and CEO of Vapor IO. "We call this unique combinations of technologies INZONE because it enables Industry 4.0 application within a physical geography without requiring on-premises data centers."

INZONE enables developers to successfully build and release latency-sensitive applications that are housed off-premises but behave as if they are on-premises. This is made possible by Vapor IO's carefully chosen colocation sites and fiber routes that provide low-latency access to nearby industries.

It Takes a Village

INZONE is more than a collection of technologies; it's an economic accelerator, delivered collaboratively by multiple vendors. By virtue of the neutral host, shared-infrastructure model of Vapor IO's Kinetic Grid platform, customers and partners of Vapor IO can quickly deploy their technologies and services without having to build and operate the critical infrastructure. This makes it easier and faster to bring Industry 4.0 products to market while also amortizing infrastructure costs across the multitude of its users.

The following companies are providing technologies and participating in the first INZONE in Las Vegas:

Amazon Web Services (AWS) will provide AWS Outposts (a service that offers the same AWS infrastructure, AWS services, APIs, and tools to virtually any datacenter, co-location space, or on-premises facility for a truly consistent hybrid experience) as part of the INZONE testbed environment in Las Vegas , making it possible to run AWS workloads as if they were on-premises.

will provide AWS Outposts (a service that offers the same AWS infrastructure, AWS services, APIs, and tools to virtually any datacenter, co-location space, or on-premises facility for a truly consistent hybrid experience) as part of the INZONE testbed environment in , making it possible to run AWS workloads as if they were on-premises. Guavus (a Thales company) will provide its SQLstream real-time analytics technology to drive 5G telco, Industry 4.0 and other vertical industry use cases  enabling distributed data collection, AI-based analytics deployed at the network edge , and low-code/no-code dashboards for customer ease of use.

will provide its SQLstream real-time analytics technology to drive 5G telco, Industry 4.0 and other vertical industry use cases  enabling distributed data collection, AI-based analytics deployed at the network edge , and low-code/no-code dashboards for customer ease of use. Hivelocity will provide bare metal provisioning and private cloud services atop ITRenew servers, making it easy for enterprise customers to provision and manage servers on a pay-as-you-go basis.

will provide bare metal provisioning and private cloud services atop ITRenew servers, making it easy for enterprise customers to provision and manage servers on a pay-as-you-go basis. ITRenew will provide hyperscale-grade, bare metal rack solutions in INZONE environments, delivering breakthrough TCO and sustainability, while enabling enterprises in a near-prem environment to leverage the same best-in-class hardware used by the world's largest cloud companies.

will provide hyperscale-grade, bare metal rack solutions in INZONE environments, delivering breakthrough TCO and sustainability, while enabling enterprises in a near-prem environment to leverage the same best-in-class hardware used by the world's largest cloud companies. Lenovo will provide edge servers designed specifically for edge environments and use cases. These edge servers offer VMware's vSphere, vSAN and Tanzu Kubernetes platform in a small, secure and ruggedized form factor.

will provide edge servers designed specifically for edge environments and use cases. These edge servers offer VMware's vSphere, vSAN and Tanzu Kubernetes platform in a small, secure and ruggedized form factor. Terbine will provide edge-based handling of IoT data moving between vehicles, devices and various end systems. Terbine's IoT Data Exchange Platform will run on servers close to where data is acquired and consumed, supporting advanced applications in augmented reality, autonomous vehicle guidance, city-scale digital twins, localized traffic management, public safety and security.

will provide edge-based handling of IoT data moving between vehicles, devices and various end systems. Terbine's IoT Data Exchange Platform will run on servers close to where data is acquired and consumed, supporting advanced applications in augmented reality, autonomous vehicle guidance, city-scale digital twins, localized traffic management, public safety and security. Terranet Communications will provide last mile wireless for digital divide initiatives such as remote learning as well as for a variety of smart city applications.

will provide last mile wireless for digital divide initiatives such as remote learning as well as for a variety of smart city applications. VMware will provide its Telco Cloud Platform in support of 5G connectivity and its Multi-Cloud Services Grid for hypercomposition of edge-native applications spanning the user to core edge continuum.

Economic Impact

The first INZONE being deployed in Las Vegas, Nevada will be served initially from two sites, spanning both the city of Las Vegas as well as areas in surrounding Clark County, including the Las Vegas strip. As detailed in Tolaga Research's Total Economic Impact of INZONE to Las Vegasand Surrounding Clark County, the INZONE program is expected to contribute $115.8 Billion in total economic impact over the next 10 years.

"Vapor IO's INZONE program will bring infrastructure and solutions to the city of Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County that will diversify the tax base and increase the region's competitiveness on the world stage," said Phil Marshall, Chief Researcher, Tolaga Research. "By supporting the deployment of INZONE and its partner ecosystem, Las Vegas businesses will have a fast path to Industry 4.0 automation and competitiveness. Industries from tourism to healthcare to manufacturing will now have the ability to use cloud economics and shared infrastructure to reduce the cost and complexity of deploying next-generation applications."

Bridging the Digital Divide

A key aspect of the INZONE program includes building partnerships with city and county agencies as well as local NGOs to develop public-private partnerships to implement programs to help bridge the digital divide in Las Vegas. The city of Las Vegas already has an active program to deliver 5G private networking capabilities to the underserved and the INZONE program can provide a cost-effective means for expanding this program and helping the city and county attract federal infrastructure spending.

The First Commercial Implementation of an Open Grid Architecture

The Las Vegas INZONE is based upon principles advanced by the Open Grid Alliance (OGA). The OGA was launched in May 2021 to accelerate the creation of Open Grid infrastructure by providing a neutral platform in which member companies can co-create commercially viable technology integrations that extend today's Internet to enable next-generation applications that include cloud robotics, autonomous drones, real-time video inferencing, and augmented and virtual reality applications.

Supporting Resources

About Vapor IO

Vapor IO is developing the largest nationwide edge-to-edge networking, colocation and interconnection platform capable of supporting the most demanding low-latency workloads at the edge of the wireless and wireline access networks. The company's Kinetic Grid platform combines multi-tenant colocation with software-defined interconnection and high-speed networking. The company's technologies deliver the most flexible, highly-distributed edge infrastructure at the edge of the wireless network. Vapor IO has deployed its Kinetic Edge services in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Pittsburgh, and is actively deploying in 36 additional markets. Follow @VaporIO on Twitter.

Vapor, Kinetic Edge, Kinetic Grid and INZONE are registered trademarks or trademarks of Vapor IO, Inc. VMware, Telco Cloud Platform and Multi-Cloud Services Grid are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.



What People are Saying about INZONE Las Vegas

Alphabetically, by company name

"Our Guavus SQLstream technology is powering the 4G/5G edge  providing sophisticated AI/ML-based real-time streaming and predictive analytics for IIoT and leading companies across telecommunications, smart cities, aviation, transportation, and other key vertical industries. Were excited to be working with this world-class group of partners to help the City of Las Vegas, and innovators like them, to use AI and analytics to deliver a great digital experience to their community and customers.

 Alex Shevchenko, CEO at Guavus (a Thales company).

The ability to provision bare metal servers from Vapor IOs INZONE could be game-changing for Industry 4.0 workloads. Now enterprises can scale their need for on-premises compute, but take advantage of Hivelocity's ability to offer the pay-as-you-go cloud economics. Were excited to collaborate with Vapor IO, and our other key partner ITRenew, to deliver a bare metal service option to INZONE customers.

 Richard B. Nicholas, SVP Corporate Development, Hivelocity

We see massive opportunities for innovation at the edge. Vegas is just the beginning and the INZONE program is a critical accelerator. The explosion of infrastructure needed to unlock trillions of dollars of economic growth potential demands new easy-to-deploy business models and industry collaboration. Vapor IO, VMware, ITRenew and the members of the Open Grid Alliance are enabling the scale, cost-effectiveness, breakthrough performance and sustainability that is the new global, collective imperative.

 Ali Fenn, President of ITRenew

"Lenovo provides solutions that span the entire core-to-edge continuum, from data center cloud deployments all the way to edge sites. We look forward to being part of the INZONE solution in Las Vegas, as it provides an innovative platform for Industry 4.0 applications. Were confident that Lenovo hardware combined with Vapor IOs INZONE will drive accelerated time to value for customers implementing Industry 4.0 solutions.

 Charles Ferland, Vice President & General Manager Edge Computing & Communication Service Providers

Infrastructure programs like Vapor IOs INZONE are crucial to lowering the cost and complexity of collecting and analyzing IoT data at a city or county scale. By leveraging INZONE to distribute our IoT Data Exchange Platform throughout the Las Vegas region, well be able to place servers close the points of data acquisition and consumption. This new capability will allow us to support advanced applications such as augmented reality, autonomous vehicle guidance, city-scale digital twins, localized traffic management, public safety and security.

 David Knight, CEO, Terbine

Terranet recently deployed a 5G-ready network as foundation for Las Vegas four-part plan to transform into a smart city with democratized access to broad connectivity. Were proud to be helping to close the digital divide for Las Vegas citizens and we see Vapor IOs INZONE as a way to reach more of the city, more quickly, as well as open up new Industry 4.0 services and capabilities for the city and its growing base of innovative enterprises.

 Bart van Aardenne, CEO and co-founder of Terranet Communications

Vapor IOs INZONE program will bring infrastructure and solutions to the city of Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County that will diversify the tax base and increase the regions competitiveness on the world stage. By supporting the deployment of INZONE and its partner ecosystem, Las Vegas businesses will have a fast path to Industry 4.0 automation and competitiveness. Industries from tourism to healthcare to manufacturing will now have the ability to use cloud economics and shared infrastructure to reduce the cost and complexity of deploying next-generation applications.

 Phil Marshall, Chief Researcher, Tolaga Research.

It all comes down to delivering infrastructure within microseconds of the target facilities, then enabling that infrastructure with last mile networks combined with the intelligence of software APIs and real-time telemetry. We call this unique combination of technologies INZONE because it enables Industry 4.0 application within a physical geography without requiring on-premises data centers.

 Cole Crawford, founder and CEO of Vapor IO

A new workload  edge-native apps  is emerging. Designed to run at the edge, these next-generation apps will transform both consumer experiences and industrial practices. To unlock the potential of these apps, we must establish an infrastructure that can deliver critical networking, security and compute services to the edge. The INZONE program is turning the theoretical to tangible as we build out this infrastructure in Las Vegas and beyond.



 Kaniz Mahdi, vice president of distributed edge at VMware.

Media Contact

Jessica Rees

Phone: +1.415.889.7444

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Vapor IO
WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning Undefeated , AstraZeneca , and The WRK Group (The Warehouse, REACH Riverside, and Kingswood Community Center) are kicking off a multi-year partnership to bring hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to Wilmington area students.

The multifaceted education partnership engages local students with STEM concepts through hands-on education and introduces them to in-demand STEM careers located right in their own backyard. The program combines school visits from Learning Undefeated's Drop Anywhere Lab, a traveling science laboratory housed in a shipping container, with weekly afterschool STEM programming at The Warehouse, a teen-led community center in the Riverside neighborhood created for teens, by teens.

"Groundbreaking science is created in Delaware, making it a hot spot for STEM jobs. We want to energize students and get them excited about all of the STEM career opportunities that are right here in their local community," said Brian Gaines, CEO of Learning Undefeated. "Through this collaboration between AstraZeneca and the WRK Group, we will benefit thousands of students across the region by building their confidence in STEM subjects and empowering them to know that STEM careers are out there for them."

This new collaboration supports the development of a Delaware STEM ecosystem, creating educational opportunities for teachers and students based on the leading-edge research and development within the local community.

The mobile lab will visit its first Delaware school, A.I. Dupont Middle School, the week of October 25. In addition to providing STEM skill-building workshops for local teens, the Drop Anywhere Lab will visit two schools that operate out of the Warehouse, Eastside Charter School and Kingswood Academy, in December.

"The Warehouse and The WRK Group share a collective mission to empower the community to reach its full potential by eliminating the barriers of structural racism and revolutionizing teen engagement," said Melody Phillips, The Warehouse's Director of Operations. "Our partnership with Learning Undefeated illustrates our ongoing commitment to bring the right tools, resources, and people to Wilmington's youth. This STEM program helps build the knowledge and skills teens need to thrive in our 21st-century economy. Putting professional-grade science equipment in teens' hands and connecting scientific investigations to local careers opens our youth's eyes to a whole new world of possibilities."

The Drop Anywhere Lab student experience, designed for grades 6-8, uses game-based learning, touchscreen walls, and special effects to explore chemistry concepts. The learning continues in the classroom with extension activities that allow students to continue exploring through hands-on laboratory investigations.

Wilmington-area middle schools can sign up to receive a free visit from the mobile lab at the Learning Undefeated website.

About Learning Undefeated

Learning Undefeated provides life-changing STEM experiences for under-resourced communities by providing equitable access to education and inspiring students to imagine their own success. Through innovative and experiential education programs for grades K-12, we are sparking interest in STEM careers and building the workforce that will drive the innovation economy. Learning Undefeated's flagship education program features mobile STEM labs that have provided hands-on learning opportunities to over one million K-12 students in all 50 states since 2003.

Learning Undefeated also operates several other celebrated STEM education programs, including the Young Science Explorers Program, a summer camp for middle school students, Advancing Tomorrow's Leaders in STEM (ATLAS) College and Career Exploration Program, STEM Leadership Experience, student competitions, after-school programs, curriculum development and disaster recovery education.

Visit learningundefeated.org or follow us on social media @LearningUNDFTD.

About WRK Group

The WRK Group is comprised of three organizations and over 130 employees who share a collective mission to empower the community to reach its full potential by eliminating the barriers of structural racism and revolutionizing teen engagement. REACH Riverside, overseeing a $250M holistic revitalization, also serves as the managing partner for Kingswood Community Center, a pillar of the Northeast Wilmington neighborhood for 75 years, and The Warehouse, an educational and recreational oasis for teens.

SOURCE Learning Undefeated
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lemonada Media , the podcast network that presents humanity unfiltered, and Spiegel & Grau, an independent multi-platform publishing house that publishes stories that matter, announce their original podcast, "Believe Her." The show is Lemonada's first true crime series. In this six-part series, journalist and author Justine van der Leun investigates the case of Nikki Addimando, a case that shines a light on the devastating effects of domestic and sexual violence, trauma, and the American criminal justice system. This is a true crime story flipped upside down  a story about survival, punishment, and a push for change.

In September 2017, Nikki Addimando, a young mom, shot and killed her partner, Chris Grover. Nikki was convicted of murder and sentenced to nineteen years to life in prison. Through rare access to police audio, official documents, conversations with Nikki, and three years of original reporting, host Justine van der Leun lays out the killing, the evidence, and the aftermath.

"Nearly half of all female murder victims in the US are killed by intimate partners," says van der Leun. "But what's just as shocking is what can happen when a woman doesn't die  when she fights back."

"As a network, we never thought we'd delve into true crime, but when Spiegel & Grau and Justine approached us about this project, it fit so well with our mission to amplify unheard voices and tell the human story buried beneath the headline," says Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Lemonada's co-founder and CCO.

"We believe that Nikki Addimando's story allows us to grapple with important, difficult issues, upending our assumptions and making us question our beliefs. We are honored to partner with Lemonada to shine a light on the important issue of domestic and sexual violence," says Cindy Spiegel.

The first two episodes of "Believe Her" from Lemonada Media and Spiegel & Grau will be available on all major podcast platforms on Thursday, October 21st. Subscribe to listen HERE.

ABOUT LEMONADA MEDIA

Lemonada is a podcast network founded in 2019 by Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs. The company's podcasts share an unfiltered version of the human experience, in an effort to make life suck less. Lemonada provides a robust advertising platform with host-read ads. For sponsorship opportunities, contact: [email protected] . For press inquiries, contact: [email protected] .

ABOUT SPIEGEL & GRAU

Spiegel & Grau is an independent publishing company founded by Cindy Spiegel and Julie Grau in 2021. Their goal is to amplify writers' and creators' voices across a range of platforms that best suit a story's message, enlarging the very definition and scope of publishing. Visit spiegelandgrau.com and follow them @SpiegelandGrau .

SOURCE Lemonada Media

Related Links

https://lemonadamedia.com


Spark offers consulting, research and support services for projects with advanced technological and digital resources. The sphere also provides pre-incubation and incubation services for young companies with innovative ideas.

The Spark ecosystem now brings together a significant network of experts both locally and internationally. More than 35 partner companies are already working together in the Swiss hub on large-scale projects, such as the collaboration with Nevomo on the definition and development of customer experience applied to hyperloop and MidRail transportation.

The world of the Spark Hospitality Digital Center is composed of four completely redesigned spaces. Two of them are designed to facilitate collaborative work and creativity: the Development Centre and the Incubation Center. The other two serve as experimental laboratories: the Media Center for communication, and the Test Center for virtual reality projects.

Finally, Spark is also integrated into the entire academic program, placing innovation and entrepreneurship at the heart of the Les Roches school lifestyle; and inviting students, alumni and industry partners to work together to develop and test new hospitality solutions in live labs on campus. Students have the opportunity to work on real business consulting and academic challenges confronting authentic business or industrial cases provided by the industrial partners.

Christine Demen-Meier, Les Roches Managing Director Worldwide, who initiated the project, says: "The innovation center is an educational tool that we have placed at the core of our programs. It is a driver of inspiration and emulation in terms of creativity, involving real academic challenges. Les Roches aims to encourage an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit in our students. This is a crucial teaching objective to achieve in order to train those who will be the future leaders of tomorrow's hospitality industry."

Spark, Innovation Sphere by Les Roches is unique in the hospitality sector internationally. This specificity complements an academic sector where Switzerland is recognized for the excellence of its hotel schools.

Pablo Garcia, Director of Spark Crans-Montana, concludes: "Spark and Les Roches, with its partners, teachers and students, are already creating the future of the hotel industry, providing concrete and operational solutions to a sector undergoing a complete digital transformation."

About Les Roches

Les Roches is a Swiss institution focused on creating the innovative and entrepreneurial minds of tomorrow. Founded in 1954, Les Roches offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management following the Swiss model of education. With three campuses across Switzerland, Spain, and China; a student body of more than 100 different nationalities, the institution provides students with a unique culturally diverse experience. As of 2021, Les Roches also has an academic alliance with the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a partner campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR).

Les Roches ranks world's four for higher education institutions in Hospitality Management, and three for Employer Reputation (QS World University Rankings, 2021). Part of Sommet Education, worldwide leader in hospitality education, Les Roches is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

For more information, visit Les Roches.

A few examples of projects in progress

Nevomo - Spark collaborates with Nevomo to define & develop the future hospitality customer services & experiences for hyperloop and Midrail transportation.

VIMA - Spark collaborates with Vima to create a solution, supported by Artificial Intelligence, to better understand how hospitality employees are perceived by others, and how to ensure their well-being.

Simprosoft - Spark collaborates with Simprosoft to create a VR training solution for customer services.

Smyze - Spark collaborates with Smyze to create the hyper-personalization of their barista robot.

PRE:MIND - Spark collaborates with PRE:MIND to create an IoT solution to hyper-personalize customer services at hotels, restaurants, transportation, cruises etc.

FANUC & Supsi - Spark collaborates with FANUC and Supsi to create the first housekeeping collaborate robot.

One Visage - Spark collaborates with One Visage to create the first GDPR compliance Facial Recognition Check-in kiosk.

DJI - Spark collaborates with DJI to research how DJI technology could be used at hotels to enhance this industry revenue and improve marketing.

Qiibee - Spark collaborates with Qiibee to create the first block chain loyalty program to enhance sustainability at hospitality properties.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667026/Les_Roches_Digital_Center.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1474135/LesRoches_Logo.jpg

Contact:

Anouck Weiss

VP Communication

[email protected]

SOURCE Les Roches
LONDON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leucid Bio ("Leucid" or the "Company"), a biotech company pioneering next-generation cell therapies for hard-to-treat cancers, today announces that it has successfully raised 11.5 million in a Series A financing round. The investment was led by Epidarex and new investor Vulpes Investment Management, with participation from new investors 2Invest and Future Fund of the British Business Bank, and existing investor Sofinnova Partners. Proceeds from the financing will be used to initiate a Phase 1 trial of its lead candidate, LEU-011, for the treatment of platinum resistant ovarian cancer.

CAR T-cell therapy is a revolutionary technology in which the patient's own immune cells are reprogrammed so they can recognise and destroy cancer cells. This has proven to be a powerful therapy for refractory blood cancers but has not yet been very effective for the treatment of solid cancers.

Leucid was founded to translate 20 years of pioneering CAR-T research led by Dr John Maher at King's College London who joined the Company from inception as its Chief Scientific Officer. Leucid has developed a proprietary engine that builds upon Dr Maher's novel CAR-T model which develops CAR-T molecules designed to be in a more natural biological configuration of cells. The early development work was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Guy's and St Thomas' Biomedical Research Centre. The Company's technology gives properties to the CAR-Ts that enable them to consistently outperform previous generations of CAR-T therapies in pre-clinical studies; enhancing T-cell potency and generating a persistent long-term response with reduced toxicity.

Leucid's LEU-011 programme is a NKG2D CAR T-cell therapy in pre-clinical development for the treatment of solid tumours and haematological malignancies. The NKG2D receptor is an activating immune receptor that triggers cell death upon recognition of human NKG2D ligands expressed on transformed, infected or damaged cells. LEU-011 has potential for the treatment of multiple cancer types as NKG2D ligands are expressed on more than 80% of human tumour cells.

In conjunction with the Series A financing, Ian Miscampbell, Managing Partner of Sixth Element Capital LLP, has been appointed Chair of the Board, while Martin Diggle, Portfolio Manager of Vulpes Life Science Fund will join the Board of Directors as Non-Executive Director, and Heikki Lanckriet as Board Observer for 2Invest. Epidarex's Peter Finan currently sits on the Board as Investment Director, and Graziano Seghezzi, Managing Partner of Sofinnova, and Michael Garrison, Director at King's College London remain as Observers to the Board.

Artin Moussavi, Chief Executive Officer of Leucid Bio, said: "We are excited to welcome new investors to Leucid Bio. With support from this high calibre syndicate, the financing will enable us to progress our lead programme, LEU-011, into clinical development. At Leucid we are developing improved CAR-T technologies aimed to overcome key challenges in CAR T-cell therapy for solid tumours, to improve treatment outcomes and save the lives of cancer patients, where current treatments are not currently proving to be as clinically meaningful as required."

Ian Miscampbell, Chair of Leucid Bio's Board of Directors, commented: "I am delighted to be joining as Chair of this trail-blazing Company as it moves into the clinical development phase, developing novel CAR-T therapies for patients who do not currently have a treatment option. I have been impressed by the excellent work achieved by the Leucid team and am excited to establish Leucid as a leading next generation CAR-T company."

Peter Finan, Partner at Epidarex Capital, said: "The new financing will allow us to explore Leucid's ground-breaking technology in a clinical setting. We remain optimistic that with the right therapeutic approach, the challenges for CAR-T therapy in a solid tumour setting can be overcome. We look forward to working closely with the Leucid team and our co-investors to realise the potential of Leucid's technology."

Martin Diggle, Principal at Vulpes Life Sciences, stated: "After performing extensive scientific due diligence, Vulpes is delighted to cornerstone this important fundraise to enable Leucid to advance its exciting cancer therapies. We believe Professor John Maher's team has one of the most promising approaches to treating solid tumours in the world today and we are excited by the possibilities of its CAR-T research to date."

About Leucid Bio

Leucid Bio is a pioneering biotech company developing cell therapies for refractory cancers, especially solid tumours. Leucid was founded to translate 20 years of King's College London (King's) research in the CAR-T field and is led by a highly experienced management team with both scientific and commercial expertise. As part of Leucid's ongoing relationship with King's, it benefits from exclusive access to and resources from the deep scientific, clinical and manufacturing expertise of Dr Maher and his academic team of immuno-oncology experts.

Leucid is headquartered in London, UK, with operations based at Guy's Hospital with its own GMP manufacturing and clinical lab facilities, enabling it to maintain its patient-centric focus on developing better cell therapies for the benefit of individuals with hard-to-treat solid tumours.

About Epidarex Capital

Epidarex Capital is a transatlantic venture capital firm with a track record of building exceptional life science companies in emerging hubs in the US and UK. Epidarex's experienced team of early stage investors partner with entrepreneurs and leading research institutions to transform world-class science into highly innovative products addressing major unmet needs in the global healthcare market." For more information, visit www.epidarex.com.

About Vulpes Investment Management

Vulpes Investment Management Pte Ltd is a Singapore fund management company backed by a single family office, seeking alternative investment opportunities with a focus on long term value creation and alignment of interests with our Entrepreneurs and Investors. The Vulpes Life Science Fund is a co-investment fund that invests in companies that possess superior cutting-edge technology. The fund gives exposure to "best in class" technologies in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visit www.vulpesinvest.com

About 2Invest

2Invest AG (2Invest) is an investment company listed on the Frankfurt market formed in 2020 from the restructuring of businesses of 4basebio AG. Our investment objective is primarily but not exclusively to identify and support emerging companies with both strong management teams and ground-breaking technologies in the biotechnology, life sciences and IT sectors. Our ambition is to enable those companies to reach new and meaningful value inflexion points. www.2invest-AG.com

About Sofinnova Partners

Sofinnova Partners is a leading European venture capital firm in life sciences, specialising in healthcare and sustainability. Based in Paris, London and Milan, the firm brings together a team of professionals from all over the world with strong scientific, medical and business expertise. Sofinnova Partners is a hands-on company builder across the entire value chain of life sciences investments, from seed to later-stage. The firm actively partners with ambitious entrepreneurs as a lead or cornerstone investor to develop transformative innovations that have the potential to positively impact our collective future.

Founded in 1972, Sofinnova Partners is a deeply-established venture capital firm in Europe, with 50 years of experience backing over 500 companies and creating market leaders around the globe. Today, Sofinnova Partners has over 2 billion under management. For more information, please visit: www.sofinnovapartners.com

About The Future Fund

The Future Fund was established to support the UK's innovative businesses affected by Covid-19. These businesses were unable to access other government business support programmes, such as CBILS, because they are either pre-revenue or pre-profit and typically rely on equity investment. The Future Fund, now closed to new applications, provided UK-based companies with convertible loans, on the condition that third-party investors at least match the Government's commitment. The convertible loans are designed to convert into equity at the next equity funding round. The Future Fund was developed by government and delivered by the British Business Bank.

About King's College London

King's College London is one of the top 35 UK universities in the world and one of the top 10 in Europe (QS World University Rankings, 2020/21) and among the oldest in England. King's has more than 31,000 students (including more than 12,800 postgraduates) from some 150 countries worldwide, and some 8,500 staff.

King's has an outstanding reputation for world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), eighty-four per cent of research at King's was deemed 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' (3* and 4*).

Since our foundation, King's students and staff have dedicated themselves in the service of society. King's will continue to focus on world-leading education, research and service, and will have an increasingly proactive role to play in a more interconnected, complex world. Visit our website to find out more about Vision 2029, King's strategic vision to take the university to the 200th anniversary of its founding.

World-changing ideas. Life-changing impact: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/

About NIHR Guy's and St Thomas' Biomedical Research Centre

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BCR) is a partnership between Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London. It is a part of the King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. For more information, please visit: https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/

SOURCE Leucid Bio
"Jessi has a unique ability to create artwork that inspires us all to see and experience the beauty of color in the world around us. We are truly honored to bring Jessi's beautiful and inspirational artwork to our community," said Tonia Misvaer, Erin Condren CEO. "The collection combines stunning EttaVee creations with the functionality of our products to assist others in leading more joyful, meaningful lives through organization."

"I'm thrilled to collaborate with Erin Condren. As a lover of all things paper goods, their products are beautifully designed both inside and out," said Jessi Raulet, EttaVee CEO, Creative Director, and Artist. "Their attention to detail, like delicate soft deckled paper edges and shiny metallic finishes, further elevates their products. Absolutely swoon-worthy."

Brighten up your surroundings and make any space your happy place. Shop the full EttaVee collection at erincondren.com/ettavee.

About Erin Condren:

Founded in 2005, Erin Condren is a lifestyle brand known for creating fun and functional organization essentials for the home, office, and everything in between. The brand's best-selling planners, notebooks and accessories are available via erincondren.com, Erin Condren retail stores, and select retailers nationwide, including QVC, Amazon, Target, and more.

About EttaVee:

EttaVee launched in 2014, after American-born artist, designer, and social media influencer, Jessi Raulet, moved to France for love and turned her artwork into an international brand. Since then, the international lifestyle brand has become well-known for its vibrantly optimistic color palettes and bold, hand-painted designs. With an engaged and rapidly growing social media following of 117K fans, EttaVee has garnered the attention of various media outlets, including features on Good Morning America, Dancing with the Stars and PopSugar.

SOURCE Erin Condren

Related Links

www.erincondren.com


DUBAI, UAE and MADRID, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lleida.net (BME: LLN) (EPA: ALLLN) (OTC-QX: LLEIF) and the international organization Smart Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in the digitization of all types of public processes through the use of the SaaS services belonging to the Spanish company.

Smart Africa is the African Union agency in charge of promoting the digitization of the continent. Its partners include Google, Huawei, Microsoft, Facebook, Intel, Softbank, the World Bank, and the United Nations.

The agreement will empower state organizations in African countries to undertake digitization projects in public administration, private services, and e-commerce without having to invest heavily in infrastructure.

The understanding was signed last Monday, October 18, within the Dubai Expo, specifically in the Rwanda Pavilion. Smart Africa is headquartered in the Rwandan city of Kigali.

"As a corporation with a presence in Africa, we are gratified to contribute to African countries, through our technology, to address digitization projects of high immediate impact," emphasized Sisco Sapena, CEO and founder of the company.

As a result of the agreement, Lleida.net and eGate Egypt, the company's partner in Egypt, will help Smart Africa to identify projects in which its SaaS services can be used for the public good.

This agreement follows the one signed last summer between Lleida.net and the Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU), the body that coordinates the postal services of the 55 countries of the continent.

The framework agreement signed in July allows operators in all African countries to channel digital postal services through the infrastructure of the Spanish company.

As a result, the postal services of several states have already begun to distribute registered digital communications that can be used as valid evidence before courts of law and public administrations.

Postal operators in Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Senegal, and Sierra Leone have joined the agreement, and several more countries are negotiating their entry.

Before the signing, Lleida.net was already providing digital postal services in South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Colombia.

Africa has approximately 650 million cell phones and 525 million Internet users. There are also 500 million mobile bank accounts on the continent, about half of those worldwide.

Lleida.net is listed in New York, Paris and Madrid.

Its technology has received more than 200 patents from 63 countries on five continents, and its intellectual property portfolio is one of the most important in the industry worldwide.

In the first nine months of 2021, it channeled more SaaS units (contracts, notifications, emails, and registered SMS) on behalf of its clients than in all of 2020.

SOURCE Lleida.net
"Getting the first PDH award in India is very exciting, considering the anticipated growth of the petrochemicals market here. This award displays the innovative strength of the partnership between Lummus and Clariant," said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. "Lummus is grateful to GAIL for getting selected and is committed to providing best-in-class PDH technology that offers a reliable, optimized and low-carbon route to propylene."

"We are extremely proud of the ever-increasing global demand for CATOFIN  and we couldn't have achieved this without our long-time partner, Lummus Technology," said Stefan Heuser, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Clariant Catalysts. "Thanks to our collaboration, we are able to offer GAIL (India) excellent performance and profitability by combining the best of PDH expertise with catalyst innovation."

Since 2017, CATOFIN Technology has been selected for a majority of new PDH awards globally, representing 32 new PDH plants, or more than 22 million metric tons of propylene annually.



CATOFIN technology is a highly reliable and productive method for light paraffin dehydrogenation. The process operates at thermodynamically advantaged reactor pressure and temperature to maximize conversion of propane to propylene, while reducing investment and operating costs. Selectivity and yield are further enhanced with Clariant's Heat Generating Material (HGM), its metal-oxide innovation that produces heat and drives the dehydrogenation reaction. Thanks to its extraordinarily high reliability and productivity, CATOFIN delivers excellent annual production output compared to alternative technologies.

These performance advantages were key to GAIL India's decision to select CATOFIN technology and catalysts after an international competitive bidding process.

GAIL India is the country's largest natural gas company, and one of seven Maharatna Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under the Government of India. Founded in 1984, the Delhi-based company operates in India and abroad in various segments such as transmission services, natural gas marketing, petrochemicals, liquefied petroleum gas and other hydrocarbons of liquid.

About Lummus Technology

Lummus Technology is the global leader in developing process technologies that make modern life possible and focus on a more sustainable, low carbon future. Lummus is a master licensor of clean energy, petrochemical, refining, gas processing and renewable technologies, and a supplier of catalysts, proprietary equipment, digitalization and related lifecycle services to customers worldwide. To learn more about Lummus, visit www.LummusTechnology.com.

About Clariant

Clariant is a focused and innovative specialty chemical company based in Muttenz, near Basel/Switzerland. On 31 December 2019, the company employed a total workforce of 17 223. In the financial year 2019, Clariant recorded sales of CHF 4.399 billion for its continuing businesses. The company reports in three business areas: Care Chemicals, Catalysis and Natural Resources. Clariant's corporate strategy is based on five pillars: focus on innovation and R&D, add value with sustainability, reposition portfolio, intensify growth, and increase profitability.

Clariant's Catalysts business unit is a leading global developer and producer of catalysts for industrial processes. It has been part of the Catalysis business area of the Clariant Group since the acquisition of Sud-Chemie in 2011. Clariant Catalysts is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and has a total of 16 production sites (incl Joint Ventures), 7 sales offices, and 11 R&D and technical centers around the world. Approximately 2,061 employees serve customers across all regional markets. Aimed at delivering sustainable value to customers, Clariant's catalysts and adsorbents are designed to increase production throughput, lower energy consumption, and reduce hazardous emissions from industrial processes. The broad portfolio also includes products that enable the use of alternative feedstock for chemical and fuel production. Visit www.clariant.com/catalysts to learn more about Clariant's Catalysts business unit.

SOURCE Lummus Technology, LLC

Related Links

www.LummusTechnology.com


SHANGHAI, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shandong Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd. (''Shandong Luoxin''), a subsidiary of Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd. ("Luoxin Pharmaceutical" or "the company") , signed a licensing agreement with Austria-based Marinomed Biotech AG ("Marinomed"), whereby Shandong Luoxin will gain the exclusive rights for the development, manufacture, and commercialization of Budesolv (Budesonide Nasal spray) in China (including Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao SAR, Taiwan region). The signing of the license agreement will further expand Luoxin Pharmaceutical's product line and enhance Luoxin's competitive edge in the area of respiratory diseases.

Budesolv, a new formulation of the glucocorticoid budesonide, which is a steroid nasal spray and is not yet available for domestic and overseas market. Budesolv is the first medication originating from Marinomed's proprietary Marinosolv platform. Budesolv has successfully completed a pivotal Phase III clinical study, necessary for marketing authorization in Europe. The recently completed pivotal clinical trial successfully demonstrated non-inferiority of the Budesonide nasal spray when compared to Rhinocort Aqua 64. Furthermore, the trial demonstrated that Budesolv was equally effective with a 85 % reduction in dosage and showed significantly faster onset of action within 3 hours.

Budesolv is indicated for allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is a chronic disease with high rate of incidence, long duration and easy recurrence. Statistics reveal that over the past six years, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in China has increased from 11.1% to 17.6% (data from the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology). Statistics from IQVIA and MENET show that the global market size of steroid nasal spray in 2020 is US$2.15 billion (ex-factory price), and the total Chinese market size (domestic hospitals with more than 100 beds and retail pharmacies) is 1.305 billion yuan.

Under the terms of the agreement, Shandong Luoxin shall pay to Marinomed an upfront payment in the amount of USD 2,000,000, and will pay to Mainomed development and sales milestone payments not to exceed $ 20 Million. Once budesonide nasal spray suspension has been launched, Shandong Luoxin will pay to Marinomed tiered royalties based on net sales.

Dr. Andreas Grassauer, CEO of Marinomed, said, "We are honored to reach an agreement with a quality partner in the Chinese market like Luoxin Pharmaceutical and are proud of the partnership based on the Marinosolv technology platform. Luoxin Pharmaceutical has rich experience in product innovation and commercialization, while Budesolv is the first drug developed on the Marinosolv platform, with a dosage reduction of 85% and faster efficacy. We hope to provide better treatment options for patients with allergic rhinitis through this close cooperation."

Ryan Liu, Chairman and CEO of Luoxin Pharmaceutical said, "We are looking forward to the cooperation with Marinomed. Respiratory disease is one of our key focus areas. Thanks to the combination of Marinomed's unique innovative product research and development platform and Luoxin's integrated whole industrial chain advantages in research, production and marketing, we believe that the joint exploration with Marinomed's outstanding scientific team will pay off and help enhance the treatment of allergic rhinitis patients in China."

About Marinomed

Marinomed Biotech AG (Korneuburg, Austria) (VSE:MARI) is an Austrian biotech company targeting globally marketed therapeutics. The company is listed on the Main Board of the Vienna Stock Exchange. Marinosolv focuses on the development of innovative products based on two patent-protected technology platforms. The Marinosolv technology increases the solubility and bio-availability of compounds that are hardly soluble in aqueous formulations. The Carragelose platform comprises innovative patent-protected products targeting viral infections of the respiratory tract and may also reduce the risk of an infection with SARS-CoV-2. Carragelose is used as a virus blocker in nasal sprays, throat sprays, and lozenges, which are sold via international partners in over 40 countries.

About Luoxin Pharmaceutical

Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd. ("Luoxin Pharmaceutical", stock code: 002793.SZ ) is a healthcare conglomerate that is engaged in pharmaceutical research and development, manufacture, sales, and healthcare services. Founded in 1988, Luoxin Pharmaceutical has established R&D centers and manufacturing sites in Shandong, Shanghai and Chengdu, with a total of nearly 6,000 staff members. Luoxin Pharmaceutical is committed to bringing good health to more people and is focused on meeting the unmet medical needs in GI, respiratory and oncology, improving the accessibility of medicines and healthcare services.

Luoxin Pharmaceutical has a rich and competitive portfolio of products and the star products take the lead in GI and respiratory. Many products were listed in major science and technology projects, such as National Major New Product Plan, National Torch Plan as well as Major New Drug R&D. In addition, having been ranking among Top 100 Chinese Pharmaceutical Enterprises since 2006, and among Best Enterprises in Chinese Pharmaceutical R&D Pipelines since 2011, Luoxin Pharmaceutical was recognized as State Key High-tech Enterprise, State Technology Innovation Model Enterprise, National Industrial Quality Model Enterprise, and awarded with the 2nd prize in the State Sci. & Tech Progress many times. For more information, please visit www.luoxin.cn

SOURCE Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.luoxin.cn


"GoContractor is excited to partner with McCarthy to roll out our digitized worker onboarding solution across their workforce," said John Naughton, GoContractor CEO. "Right from our early proof of concept program with the organization, we saw firsthand that McCarthy is an industry leader in safety and construction innovation. McCarthy and GoContractor share an absolute commitment to making construction safer for all workers."

"By utilizing GoContractor's digital Safety Orientation Program we have been able to improve efficiencies in our onboarding process, benefiting both individual workers and our project management teams," said Rob Graham, McCarthy Vice President, National Safety. "Workers now have immediate access to our orientation information, helping to streamline this process while still maintaining our safety culture that is critical to our overall Safety Program."

Advancement in site operations and access to worker level data

Every day on construction worksites worldwide, workers are contracted to work on construction and infrastructure projects. These individuals arrive at the site and receive an orientation, which serves as a way for construction companies to record who is on their site, provide necessary safety training, and collect required worker credentials.

"Because onboarding is a traditional, everyday activity done on a worksite, it can be easy to overlook some of the risks associated with the process," said John Naughton, GoContractor CEO. "Safety orientation isn't just a box that gets checked; it's a way to foster a Safety Culture, prevent incidents on the worksite, and collect worker information. When not managed properly, the onboarding process can lead to project delays, efficiency losses, and increased financial risk. More importantly, inconsistent or insufficient worker site orientation and onboarding is a safety risk to every worker on a jobsite."

GoContractor takes this in-person process online, allowing workers to complete their orientation and register all information on a laptop or mobile device, even before they step foot on the job site. Workers have the option to take their site onboarding in their own language and at their own pace, allowing workers from diverse backgrounds and with different learning styles to fully comprehend and retain critical safety information.

McCarthy, who recently piloted GoContractor's digital solution as a part of the NEXT Coalition , will transition their orientation operation to a digital format hosted on GoContractor, with the goal of being 100% digital by 2022. This enterprise agreement with GoContractor comes as part of McCarthy's commitment to digital transformation by identifying and implementing emerging technologies within the built world.

"COVID-19 introduced a host of new challenges for our company and our projects," explained Dave Burns, McCarthy Vice President Emerging Tech and Project Delivery. "The NEXT Coalition, and the GoContractor partnership that came out of that, presents a great success story for knowledge-sharing and innovation. GoContractor has tackled problems relating specifically to COVID-19, and we fully expect it to deliver value for our workforce well beyond that."

About GoContractor

GoContractor enables construction companies to take their worker and subcontractor onboarding and orientations online. Workers can register, upload regulatory documents, and complete safety training from any smart device, before they ever set foot on the jobsite. This helps improve and standardize the onboarding process while assuring compliance for all workers, no matter their primary language or learning style. Used by both small and large general contractors throughout the US and Europe, GoContractor is committed to ensuring health and safety on construction jobsites. Learn more at GoContractor.com.

About McCarthy

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the oldest privately held national construction company in the country  with more than 150 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges on behalf of its clients. With an unrelenting focus on safety and a comprehensive quality program that span all phases of every project, McCarthy utilizes industry-leading design phase and construction techniques combined with value-add technology to maximize outcomes. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer, McCarthy is ranked the 13th largest domestic builder (Engineering News-Record, May 2021). With approximately 5,000 salaried employees and craft professionals, the firm has offices in St. Louis; Atlanta; Collinsville, Ill.; Kansas City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Denver; Dallas, Houston; and San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, Calif. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

SOURCE GoContractor

Related Links

https://gocontractor.com


DALLAS, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Miles of Freedom is honored to announce the generous grant support from Aventiv Technologies Community Impact Fund. Aventiv's grant of $40,000 will help MOF Bridge the Gap of services for individuals, families and communities impacted by incarceration. Miles of Freedom stives to be a beacon of hope for many individuals and families by providing direct case management to men and women rebuilding their lives after incarceration.

Bridging the Gap from Prison to Promise for those impacted by incarceration is at the heart of Miles of Freedom work and commitment. Since 2012, we assisted over 1500 men and women directly impacted by incarceration, traveled thousands of miles keeping families connected to their loved ones incarcerated and consistently distributed tangible resources to communities in need.

It is with great enthusiasm that Miles of Freedom acknowledges the generous grant support from the Aventiv Technologies Community Impact Fund. With a mission to connect people to the things that matter the most through their products, Aventiv has made great strides in social justice and prison reform. We look forward to increasing the support and resources for individuals, families and communities impacted by incarceration with the help of Aventiv assistance.

"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Aventiv Technologies Community Impact Fund for the generous grant support. The work Miles of Freedom has accomplished is only possible with the support of our donors, volunteers and corporate engagement partners. On behalf of every client and family that will be served in the years ahead, we extend a huge Thank you," said Tricia Bridges, Board Chair for Miles of Freedom.

"Our organization serves the incarcerated by providing communication technologies and free reentry and educational resources that help prepare individuals for rejoining society, and we are proud to extend that support after release by selecting Miles of Freedom as a grant recipient," said Dave Abel, President and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies. "Our industry needs to work together to support justice-impacted individuals and their families throughout the incarceration period as well as rebuilding lives once released. Miles of Freedom shares those values and has done a tremendous job assisting those when they need it the most."

Collective impact

In January of 2020, Aventiv pushed the needle for a massive transformation of services to expand their organizational commitment to better serve correctional clients and to make contacting more accessible and affordable for the incarcerated community, please visit https://www.aventiv.com

Miles of Freedom serves as a nonprofit committed to providing support and assistance for the families and communities impacted by incarceration. The organization is proud of its affiliation with many notable corporate partners, now to include Aventiv. These relationships not only further the MOF's vision and unite us around a shared goal to make our community a better place for all, but they also extend the impact of these efforts  allowing for a synergy accomplished only through collaboration. To support these efforts and MOF, please visit http://milesoffreedom.org/

About Miles of Freedom

Richard Miles spent 15 years in a Texas prison as result of a wrongful conviction. He was released from prison in 2009 due to the work of Centurion Ministries in Princeton NJ. Even after his release he spend over years on bond as he fought his conviction and consequently was labeled as an ex-felon. This label prevented him from getting a job, securing housing, and making all the necessary adjustments to living and thriving after incarceration. Finally, in 2012 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed his conviction and declared him "truly" innocent. It was then the Miles of Freedom the non for profit was born. Miles of freedom stands as an organization dedicated to supporting individual and families as they work navigate re-entry into society and work from prison to promise. MOF understands that reducing recidivism and creating safer communities mean "holistic" reentry services. Holistic services focus on the individuals needs of those impacted by incarceration and support the families and communities in which they will return and live.

About Aventiv Technologies

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Aventiv Technologies serves more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,100,000 incarcerated individuals across North America, Aventiv is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, inmate self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. For more information, please visit www.Aventiv.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world.

SOURCE Miles of Freedom

Related Links

http://www.Aventiv.com

http://milesoffreedom.org/


HOUSTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, NAACP Empowerment Programs announced their newly acquired ownership stake in Hello Alice , the largest digital platform helping small businesses launch and grow through access to capital. The announcement is a first for the NAACP Empowerment Programs and will provide substantial resources towards advancing the organization's goals for economic equality for Black communities.

"To champion true racial equity, we need to address the long-standing economic inequality that has left Black communities underfunded and undervalued for centuries," said NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson. "That's why we've taken the unprecedented step to join as a part-owner of Hello Alice. Our Black-owned businesses, who already faced long-ingrained institutional barriers to success, continue to recover from the devastation thrust upon them by the pandemic. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, today there are an estimated 2.6 million Black-owned businesses, and this first-of-its kind partnership is a pivotal step towards putting Black business at the forefront of our economy and as a result, building generational wealth and economic power for Black communities."

In an effort to support Black-owned businesses on a long-term basis, the NAACP Empowerment Programs first began partnering with Hello Alice to create the Black-owned Business Resource Center that includes capital and networking opportunities for Black small business owners throughout the country. Forty-four percent of small business owners on the Hello Alice platform identify as Black business owners. As part-owner, NAACP Empowerment Programs now hosts voting rights and fully vested equity in Hello Alice. As Hello Alice grows its valuation and revenue, NAACP Empowerment Programs will receive the same financial earnings as other investors on the cap table, to benefit both the organization and the communities it serves.

"It's time for the word equity to hold its full meaning in business," said Elizabeth Gore, Co-founder and President of Hello Alice. "Black business owners are the most entrepreneurial of any ethnicity in our country, and a critical customer set of our business. As a platform focused on the new majority, the NAACP Empowerment Programs share our values to ensure all small business owners have access to the capital they need to scale. This is the best economic bet we can make."

The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated inequalities that Black-owned businesses were already facing. The Black-Owned Economy Report surveyed 79,303 owners on the challenges they're facing and found the biggest one to be raising capital. In addition to distributing four million dollars in grants, the NAACP Empowerment Programs and Hello Alice launched several initiatives to help these businesses stay afloat and support their communities. Some of these programs included: the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation to launch the Power Forward Small Business Grant, the Backing the B.A.R initiative in collaboration with Bacardi, Beyonce's BeyGOOD Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund, and finally Daymond John's Black Entrepreneurs Day.

The NAACP has long believed that economic equity is crucial to racial equity, and an inclusive economy means everyone can contribute and earn with fair access to resources and opportunity. Closing the revenue gap between Black and white businesses would generate an additional $290 billion for the U.S. economy.

NAACP Empowerment Programs joins other Hello Alice investors that include QED Investors, SVB Financial Group, How Woman Invest, Green Book Ventures, Backstage Capital, Harbert Growth Partners, Serena Ventures, Phyllis Newhouse, and Jean Case.

ABOUT HELLO ALICE

Hello Alice is a free, multichannel platform that helps businesses launch and grow. With a community of nearly 500,000 business owners in all 50 states and across the globe, Hello Alice is building the largest network of owners in the country while tracking data and trends to increase the success rate for entrepreneurs. Our partners include enterprise business services, government agencies, and institutions looking to serve small- and medium-business owners to ensure increased revenues and promote scale. A Latina owned company, founded by Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore, we believe in business for all by providing access to all owners including women, people of color, veterans, and everyone with an entrepreneurial spirit. To learn more, visit www.helloalice.com, as well as Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

ABOUT THE NAACP

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund  also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation's first civil and human rights law organization and shares our commitment to equal rights.

NAACP | Marc Banks, National Press Secretary

[email protected]



Hello Alice | Sabine Lavache

[email protected]

SOURCE Hello Alice
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Neptune Flood, the first AI-driven flood insurance company to provide faster, easier, and better flood insurance, has partnered with National Automotive Programs, LLC, a Texas based specialty insurance broker. This partnership extends Neptune's platform to the NAPA family of over 22,000 locations nationally, providing access to an instant flood solution with greater and broader coverages than the traditional National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) under FEMA.

"Neptune makes it easy for small and medium-sized businesses to properly protect their companies from flooding," said Trevor Burgess, CEO of Neptune. "With climate change and increasing flood risks nationwide, every business owner should consider flood insurance. Neptune is the alternative to the NFIP, helping save business owners money while providing superior coverage."

Neptune offers coverage limits four times the level of the NFIP and optional business interruption cover to help businesses recover from a flood event.

"We are thrilled to join forces with Neptune Flood to provide the NAPA family Neptune's instant flood solution," said Dan Pierro, President of National Automotive Programs, LLC. "The ability to quote and bind in under two minutes will help us protect more customers in less time."

ABOUT NEPTUNE FLOOD:

Neptune Flood is the largest entirely digital flood insurance company in the United States and is the alternative to the NFIP. We were founded to change the way consumers and businesses think about and buy flood, and now, parametric earthquake insurance. Neptune uses AI-driven technology to make it fast and easy for consumers to buy, and agents to sell, insurance.

ABOUT NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAMS, LLC D.B.A. NAPA INSURANCE CENTER:

The NAPA Insurance Center was created over 30 years ago to create, manage, and offer exclusive programs for the NAPA family of over 22,000 locations nationally. They provide the "Insurance Know How" for NAPA owners. For more information visit www.napainsurancecenter.com or email [email protected]

SOURCE Neptune Flood

Related Links

neptuneflood.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IndexIQ, a New York Life Investments company, today announced the expansion of its Dual Impact family of thematic investment strategies with the launch of three new funds: IQ Engender Equality ETF (NYSE Ticker: EQUL), IQ Clean Oceans ETF (NYSE Ticker: OCEN), and IQ Cleaner Transport ETF (NYSE Ticker: CLNR).

Each fund has been launched in alignment with the mission of a nonprofit leader, and reflects initiatives, research and programs of that organization. Additionally, New York Life Investments has committed to making a contribution to each nonprofit equal to ten percent of the respective fund's management fee so they can continue to have a direct impact around a key cause.

Dual Impact ETFs: EQUL, CLNR, OCEN

The IQ Engender Equality ETF (EQUL) . Developed using analysis from Equileap, the leading provider of gender equality data, EQUL is designed to offer investors exposure to companies that have demonstrated a commitment to gender equality. Contributions will be made to Girls Who Code, a leading nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology, on an ongoing basis.

. Developed using analysis from Equileap, the leading provider of gender equality data, EQUL is designed to offer investors exposure to companies that have demonstrated a commitment to gender equality. Contributions will be made to Girls Who Code, a leading nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology, on an ongoing basis. The IQ Cleaner Transport ETF (CLNR) . Developed in alignment with the National Wildlife Federation ("NWF"), the largest conservation organization in the U.S., CLNR provides exposure to select global companies that support the transition to more environmentally efficient transportation technologies, such as electric vehicles, bicycles, motor vehicle parts manufacturers, and multi-passenger transportation.

. Developed in alignment with the National Wildlife Federation ("NWF"), the largest conservation organization in the U.S., CLNR provides exposure to select global companies that support the transition to more environmentally efficient transportation technologies, such as electric vehicles, bicycles, motor vehicle parts manufacturers, and multi-passenger transportation. The IQ Clean Oceans ETF (OCEN). Developed in alignment with Oceana, the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation, OCEN offers exposure to global companies that help to protect and/or achieve a cleaner ocean through reduced pollution and increased resource efficiency.

OCEN and CLNR's underlying indexes were both developed in collaboration with Candriam, a New York Life Investments company and pioneer in ESG investing and indexing. EQUL was developed in collaboration with Equileap and Solactive, a leading index provider.

These funds join the IQ Healthy Hearts ETF (HART), which launched earlier this year in alignment with the American Heart Association (AHA) and was the first fund in the family of Dual Impact solutions.

Spokesperson Quotes:

Yie-Hsin Hung, CEO, New York Life Investment Management:

"Today investors are demanding more when it comes to ESG investment approaches, and they're demanding more from the companies in which they're investing. Meeting these demands takes nothing short of a revolution in ESG investing, and that is exactly what we have sought to do with our Dual Impact suite. This is not simply a group of funds based on screens or factors, but rather it is one built on the belief that the same funds that have the potential to positively impact a portfolio can also have a direct and positive impact on our communities. We are thrilled to be working so closely with powerful aligned partners like Equileap, Girls Who Code, Oceana and the National Wildlife Federation. No one can effect change alone but by working together the approach exemplified by these funds can potentially have a meaningful impact for investors as well as our environment, our society, and beyond."

Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code:

"We're thrilled with the opportunity to partner with New York Life Investments as we work to close the gender gap in tech by 2030. At Girls Who Code, we understand that the best way to build a pipeline of women in the tech industry is to foster a passion for computer science for our youngest students. The generosity from New York Life Investments will allow us to better support our Clubs programs: free after-school programs for 3rd-12th grade students that can be hosted either in-person or virtually. Together, we'll bring sisterhood and community to girls around the world and provide them with the tools and confidence they need to make a difference."

Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of National Wildlife Federation:

"Addressing climate change and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 require that we leverage every tool in the toolbox. By providing people with the opportunity to invest in companies that support our country's transition to cleaner transportation technologies, New York Life Investments' IQ Cleaner Transport ETF will support the transition to a new energy economy. This initiative will help the National Wildlife Federation recover imperiled wildlife, strengthen community resilience, and confront the climate crisis so that people and wildlife alike can thrive for generations to come."

Andrew Sharpless, CEO of Oceana:

"New York Life Investments' support will help Oceana's campaign teams continue to win policies that make our oceans more abundant and biodiverse. We've already won over 225 policy victories and protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean habitat. Without the sort of changes Oceana campaigns for, more than half of the world's marine species will be threatened with extinction by 2100. Rebuilt, healthy oceans preserve biodiversity beneath the sea and on land. They help safeguard future generations from the climate change crisis and can help sustainably feed a hungry planet. Together, we can save the oceans and feed the world."

Company Boilerplates:

About New York Life Investments

With over $600 billion in Assets Under Management* as of June 30, 2021, New York Life Investments (www.newyorklifeinvestments.com) is comprised of the affiliated global asset management businesses of its parent company, New York Life Insurance Company (New York Life), and offers clients access to specialized, independent investment teams through its family of affiliated boutiques. New York Life Investments remains committed to clients through a combination of the diverse perspectives of its boutiques and a long-lasting focus on sustainable relationships.

New York Life Insurance Company (www.newyorklife.com), a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States** and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life's family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life has the highest financial strength ratings currently awarded to any U.S. life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies***.

*AUM includes assets of Investment Advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company as of March 31, 2021. AUM for Candriam and Ausbil is reported at the spot rate.

** Based on revenue as reported by "Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual)," Fortune magazine, 6/2/2021. For methodology, please see http://fortune.com/fortune500/.

***Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 10/15/2020: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody's Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor's (AA+) The financial strength of New York Life Insurance Company applies only to its insurance products and not to investment products which are subject to market risk and fluctuation in value.

"New York Life Investments" is both a service mark, and the common trade name, of certain investment advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company.

About IndexIQ

IndexIQ, a New York Life Investments company, is a provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with a decade of offering highly differentiated and innovative solutions to retail and institutional investors. With $4.82 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021, IndexIQ leverages the asset management capabilities of New York Life Investments' multi-boutique platform into its suite of offerings which include: fixed income, equities, alternatives, ESG components and specialty asset classes. For additional information on IndexIQ, visit newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

About CANDRIAM

CANDRIAM stands for "Conviction AND Responsibility In Asset Management" and is a European multi-specialist asset manager. A pioneer and leader in sustainable investments since 1996, CANDRIAM manages around EUR 150 billion of assets under management[1] with a team of more than 600 professionals. It operates management offices in Luxembourg, Brussels, Paris, and London, and has client representatives in more than 20 countries throughout continental Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Middle East. CANDRIAM offers investment solutions in several key areas: bonds, equities, absolute performance strategies, and asset allocation, with a broad and innovative range of ESG strategies covering all its asset classes.

About Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology, and leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st century opportunities.

Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 500 million people through its work and 300,000 girls through its in-person programming. College-aged alumni of Girls Who Code are declaring majors in computer science and related fields at 15 times the U.S. average. In 2019, the organization was named the #1 Most Innovative Non-Profit on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list. Follow the organization on social media @GirlsWhoCode.

About National Wildlife Federation

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has grown into America's largest conservation organization with 52 state/territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters nationwide. The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Oceana

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-third of the world's wild fish catch. With more than 225 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles and sharks, Oceana's campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal, every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit www.oceana.org to learn more.

Media Contacts:

Disclaimers:

ESG Investing Style Risk Impact investing and/or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) managers may take into consideration factors beyond traditional financial information to select securities, which could result in relative investment performance deviating from other strategies or broad market benchmarks, depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market. Further, ESG strategies may rely on certain values based criteria to eliminate exposures found in similar strategies or broad market benchmarks, which could also result in relative investment performance deviating. There is no assurance that employing ESG strategies will result in more favorable investment performance.

Consider the Funds' investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus and the statement of additional information include this and other relevant information about the Funds and are available by visiting IQetfs.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

IndexIQ is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC and serves as the advisor to the IndexIQ ETFs. ALPS Distributors, Inc. (ALPS) is the principal underwriter of the ETFs. NYLIFE Distributors LLC is a distributor of the ETFs. NYLIFE Distributors LLC is located at 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. ALPS Distributors, Inc. is not affiliated with NYLIFE Distributors LLC. NYLIFE Distributors LLC is a Member FINRA/SIPC.

Girls Who Code:

IQ Engender Equality ETF (the "Fund") is offered by IndexIQ, the Fund's sponsor, in alignment with Girls Who Code Inc. ("GWC"). The Fund is designed to promote investment objectives that are deemed to be consistent with GWC's mission. Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by GWC, and GWC is not an investment adviser or service provider to the Fund. GWC makes no representations or warranties regarding the performance of the Fund and will have no obligation or liability in connection with the Fund. The Fund's sponsor, IndexIQ, and its affiliates are supporters of and donors to GWC and are making a substantial contribution to GWC in connection with GWC's agreement to license use of its name and trademarks to IndexIQ and its affiliates. NYLIM and IndexIQ's contribution to GWC is calculated on an annualized basis to be the lower of: (i) 0.045% of the Fund's average daily net managed assets (the average daily value of the total assets of the Fund, less all accrued liabilities of the Fund and less any management fees waived by the Fund's adviser or sub-adviser); or (ii) ten percent of the Fund's net annual management fee taking into account all applicable fee waivers and expense reimbursements. NYLIM and IndexIQ will make annual minimum contributions to GWC of $25,000 in each of the years 2021 to 2025 so long as their commercial co-venture is in effect.

National Wildlife Federation:

IQ Cleaner Transport ETF (the "Fund") is offered by IndexIQ, the Fund's sponsor, in alignment with the National Wildlife Federation ("NWF"). The Fund is designed to promote investment objectives consistent with NWF's mission. Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NWF, and NWF is not an investment adviser or service provider to the Fund. NWF makes no representations or warranties regarding the performance of the Fund and will have no obligation or liability in connection with the Fund. The Fund's sponsor, IndexIQ, and its affiliates are supporters of and donors to NWF and are making a substantial contribution to NWF in connection with NWF's agreement to license use of its name and trademarks to IndexIQ and its affiliates. NYLIM and IndexIQ's contribution to NWF is calculated on an annualized basis to be the lower of: (i) 0.045% of the Fund's average daily net managed assets (the average daily value of the total assets of the Fund, less all accrued liabilities of the Fund and less any management fees waived by the Fund's adviser or sub-adviser); or (ii) ten percent of the Fund's net annual management fee taking into account all applicable fee waivers and expense reimbursements. NYLIM and IndexIQ will make annual minimum contributions to NWF of $30,000 in each of the years 2021 to 2025 so long as their commercial co-venture is in effect.

Oceana:

Oceana, Inc. ("Oceana") licenses to the Advisor, the sponsor of the Fund, certain trademarks for use in connection with the Fund. Shares of the Fund are not issued, sponsored, endorsed or promoted by Oceana. The Advisor, and its affiliates are donors to and supporters of Oceana and are making a substantial contribution to Oceana. Oceana makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to prospective or actual investors in the Fund or to any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in any financial product, including one seeking to track the index representing securities which are consistent with Oceana's stated objectives and mission (the "Underlying Index"), the ability of the Fund to track the performance of the index constructed by the Fund's index provider, the ability of the Underlying Index to meet or exceed stock market performance, the suitability of the Underlying Index for use by the Fund, the suitability of the Fund or the ability of the Underlying Index or Fund to achieve its investment goals. Oceana has no obligation or liability to the Fund, any Fund investor, or any other person in connection with the operation, administration, marketing of or trading in the Fund or shares of the Fund or otherwise. Oceana is not an investment adviser or a fund distributor or service provider and is not involved in the ongoing operation of the Fund. Oceana is not responsible for the completeness or accuracy of the Fund's registration statement. Inclusion of a security within the Underlying Index is not a recommendation by Oceana to buy, sell or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice or a guarantee that the investment goals of the Underlying Index will be achieved. Oceana is not involved with the construction, calculation or ongoing operation of the Underlying Index and does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Underlying Index or any data included therein.

NYLIM and the Advisor are donors to and supporters of Oceana. Oceana has authorized NYLIM and the Advisor to reference its name and certain marks owned by Oceana in connection with a commercial co-venture entered into between NYLIM the Advisor and Oceana. None of the payments made by NYLIM and the Advisor to Oceana is in exchange for services provided by Oceana. NYLIM and the Advisor's contribution to Oceana is calculated on an annualized basis to be the lower of: (i) 0.045% of the Fund's average daily net managed assets (the average daily value of the total assets of the Fund, less all accrued liabilities of the Fund and less any management fees waived by the Fund's adviser or sub-adviser); or (ii) ten percent of the Fund's net annual management fee taking into account all applicable fee waivers and expense reimbursements. NYLIM and the Advisor will make annual minimum contributions of $50,000 per year through the fifth anniversary of the listing of the ETF on a national securities exchange.

1 As of 30 June 2021

SOURCE New York Life Investments

Related Links

http://www.newyorklifeinvestments.com/


CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A partnership between North Park University (North Park) and College of Lake County (CLC), invites transfer students to complete their bachelor's degree at North Park. The partnership includes guaranteed admission, as well as the opportunity to qualify for scholarships and financial aid. CLC students receive personalized counseling and academic planning to ensure a seamless transition into North Park.

"This is an agreement that will further formalize and expand upon the long standing and excellent relationship in education and success for our students," said North Park President Mary K. Surridge.

In the last five years, 300 CLC students have come to North Park and completed their undergraduate degrees. "This guaranteed admissions agreement and generous financial aid will help us extend this educational benefit to even more of our students, whether they come to us as traditional undergraduates or through the School of Professional Studies," said Surridge.

The agreement enables North Park to connect CLC students right from the start  students will have clear academic goals starting as freshman at CLC to graduation at North Park.

"We've created a great seamless pathway for meaningful, relevant degrees that students can transition into and it's always a benefit to have guaranteed transfer opportunities for students with partners like North Park who are as deeply committed about doing the right thing for students as we are," said CLC President Dr. Lori Suddick.

North Park and CLC share a philosophy of meeting students where they are and supporting their pursuit of education. "It's really about how students come to us, their access point, and how they exit from us either to their rewarding career, or to a transfer university of their choice, while creating good access to universities and ensuring their success when they get there," said Dr. Suddick.

North Park and CLC are both designated Hispanic Serving Institution(s), dedicated to serving diverse student populations and preparing future leaders to contribute in the workforce bringing fresh perspectives, creativity, and innovation.

To verify eligibility and apply, students first meet with the Advising Center at the CLC, submit the Transfer Agreement Form and apply to North Park.

ABOUT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY

North Park University is city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for Christian higher education in 21st Century America.

SOURCE North Park University

Related Links

www.northpark.edu


BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ONA Therapeutics ("ONA"), which is focused on the discovery and development of therapeutic biologics targeting lipid metabolism in order to treat advanced cancer, announces today the appointment of Dr Haijun Sun as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and several appointments to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

Dr Haijun Sun brings over 20 years of industry experience spanning broad aspects of drug discovery & development, particularly targeting therapies against tumors and the tumor microenvironment. He joins ONA from GSK where, as Head of Antibody Pharmacology, he led a team of assay biologists and immunologists advancing over twenty antibody discovery programs in oncology, inflammatory, neurological, and infectious diseases. He previously held senior leadership positions at various biotech companies in Europe and the US including Vice President of Biological Products at F-star Biotechnology, building a multi-asset portfolio of novel bispecific antibodies with a focus on immuno-oncology. His other leadership roles include Director of Portfolio Management at ImClone Systems and Vice President of Antibody Development at Tizona Therapeutics.

Dr Haijun Sun, Chief Scientific Officer of ONA Therapeutics, said: "I am very pleased to join ONA Therapeutics, a company with an innovative approach primarily targeting advanced cancer. I am excited to contribute to the development of potentially significant treatments for advanced oncologic diseases. Over the past year ONA has made immense progress and I look forward to working with the team to maximize the full potential of the pipeline."

Valerie Vanhooren, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of ONA Therapeutics, said: "We are delighted and honored to welcome world-class talent with vast experience to our senior scientific leadership team as we accelerate the development of novel therapies against advanced cancer. By strengthening the team with Haijun's extensive translational knowledge in oncology combined with an international and diverse Scientific Advisory Board, we are in a strong position as we advance to the next stage of growth."

ONA's Scientific Advisory Board includes world-leading scientific and pharmaceutical industry experts from the US and Europe:

Pamela Klein is the Founder and Principal at PMK BioResearch which offers strategic advice to the biotech industry. Dr Klein is Chief Medical Officer at Olema Oncology, and a member of the Board of Directors of argenx, Patrys, I-Mab Biopharma and Jiya Acquisition Corporation as well as a member of several Scientific Advisory Boards. She was Vice President of Development at Genentech where she led the development of a therapeutics portfolio including trastuzumab, rituximab, pertuzumab and erlotinib. Prior to that, she was Co-Founder and Research Director at the National Cancer Institute-Navy Breast Care Center.

Cedric Blanpain is a Professor Investigator and Director of the Stem Cells and Cancer Lab at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles. His research group uses lineage-tracing approaches to study the role of stem cells during development, homeostasis and cancer. He founded Chromacure, a company that develops first-in-class small molecule therapeutics for cancer, and is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine and the Academia Europaea.

Sean J. Morrison is the Director of the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, where his research group is focused in understanding stems cells in cancer. Dr Morrison completed his PhD in immunology at Stanford University and a postdoctoral fellowship in neurobiology at Caltech. Dr Morrison is a member of the US National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Medicine, and is a former President of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

Josep Tabernero is Head of the Medical Oncology Department at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Director of the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology and Professor of Medicine at UVic - Universitat Central de Catalunya. He has been Principal Investigator of several Phase I pharmacodynamic studies and translational projects of tumor- and immune-directed therapies. His research aims to develop more effective personalized cancer medicines for patients displaying genetic lesions or pathway dysregulation. Dr Tabernero serves on the Editorial Boards of various top tier journals including Annals of Oncology, European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), Open, Cancer Discovery, Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment Reviews, and Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology. He was President of ESMO and currently serves on its Public Policy and Cancer Medicines Committees.

Mark Throsby is CSO of Gadeta and serves as a non-executive member of ONA's Supervisory Board. He obtained his PhD in Immunology from Monash University Melbourne, followed by a research fellowship at CNRS. He started his industry career at Crucell where he worked in various roles, notably as Director of Antibody Discovery. In 2008 he joined Merus and served as CSO until 2020 leading all its research activities. Dr Throsby is an expert in antibody engineering and immunology, an inventor of six drugs that have reached clinical testing, with more than a dozen granted patents and over 40 peer-reviewed publications.

Salvador Aznar Benitah, ONA's scientific co-founder, is a Group Leader at IRB Barcelona. He obtained his PhD in Molecular Oncology at the Biomedical Research Institute in Madrid and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Cancer Research UK, following which he established his own lab at the Center for Genomic Regulation as a Junior ICREA researcher. He is the recipient of several prizes including Banc Sabadell Award in Biomedicine, Doctor Diz Pintado Award in Biomedicine, Beug Foundation Metastasis Award, City of Barcelona Award in Life Sciences, National Award for Life Sciences, the Foundation Serra Award in Life Sciences, the Severo Ochoa Award, and the Lilliane Bettencourt Award. In 2018, he was appointed as a member of EMBO and received an Advanced European Research Council grant. His current research aims to identify and characterize metastatic-initiating cells, especially the role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in malignancy. He has several peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals such as Nature and Cell.

About ONA Therapeutics



ONA Therapeutics, with headquarters in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), Barcelona, Spain, is a biotech company that specializes in the discovery and development of therapeutic biologics targeting lipid metabolism in order to treat advanced cancer. The company was founded in 2019 by Salvador Aznar-Benitah and Valerie Vanhooren, as a spin-off from ICREA and Advanced Studies, and the IRB Institute for Research in Biomedicine. In 2020 ONA Therapeutics raised a EUR 30 million Series A investment round from an international syndicate of life sciences specialist investors. For more information please visit: www.ona-therapeutics.com

SOURCE Ona Therapeutics
SEATTLE, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Patient monitoring devices, also called medical monitors, are medical instruments that allow health care professionals to remotely monitor the vital signs of a patient, including pulse rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and respiration, using small, wireless transmitter-receivers that are carried or worn by the patient. These transmitter-receivers are typically attached to a belt or other personal item that enables the caregiver to readily check a patient's vital signs. This enables the caregiver to quickly identify any irregularities in the patient's bodily functions, such as a falling temperature or persistent sweating. Some monitoring systems come with extra sensors that can detect when a patient moves, making it possible to instantly inform the medical professional that something isn't working according to normal.

The global patient monitoring devices market is estimated to account for 37,476.7 Mn in terms of value by the end of 2028.

Request for Sample PDF @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/3991

Market Drivers

1. Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases is expected to drive growth of the global patient monitoring devices market during the forecast period.

Chronic diseases such as cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and diabetes are on the rise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2018, around 9.6 million died due to cancer with over 300,000 new cases of cancer being diagnosed each year among children aged 0-19 years across the globe. According to the same source, around 17.9 million people die each year from cardiovascular disease worldwide. Patient monitoring devices such as wearable heart monitors, glucose monitors, skin patches, and Bluetooth-enabled scales aid clinicians keep track of patients' health constantly.

2. Technological advancements in patient monitoring devices are expected to propel the global patient monitoring devices market growth over the forecast period

Patient monitoring systems have improved significantly over the years with the availability of IoT-enabled devices, shoes, belts, non-invasive devices, and wearable to monitor different organs of the human body. These devices are easy to wear and can provide real-time data and analysis of the human body, enabling clinicians to provide prompt healthcare service.

Market Opportunity

1. Increasing demand for non-invasive or minimally invasive devices can present lucrative growth opportunities

Patients are more inclined towards non-invasive or minimally invasive devices as these devices provide painless recording of different parameters such as blood pressure, pulse oximeter, electrocardiogram, oxygen analyzer, and more. For instance, in July 2020, Mitocon Biomed launched a new pulse oximeter Oxysat with 18 months replacement warranty.

2. Rising demand for patient monitoring devices in non-hospital settings can provide prominent business opportunities

There are various patient monitoring devices that can be used in non-hospital settings such as glucose monitor, pulse oximeter, and infrared temperature gun. As a result of this, the adoption of these devices has increased in home, commercial, and industrial settings as well.

Request for Customization @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/3991

Market Trends

1. Cardiac monitoring systems are witnessing high demand

According to the WHO, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of death across the globe. As a result of this, the demand for cardiac monitoring systems has increased across hospitals and clinics. With rising cases of CVD combined with the launch of new products and proactive government initiatives, cardiac monitoring systems are expected to witness high demand over the forecast period. For instance, in January 2020, Medtronic received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for Micra AV, the smallest pacemaker with atrioventricular synchrony.

2. North America region is witnessing robust growth

Among regions, North America is expected to witness significant growth in the global patient monitoring devices market. This is owing to increasing incidence of chronic diseases such as cancer and CVD coupled with the presence of robust healthcare facilities in the region.

Competitive Section

Major companies involved in the global patient monitoring devices market are Abbott Laboratories, Baxter International Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic plc.

Major companies are focused on product launches, in order to gain a competitive edge in the market. For instance, in February 2021, RhythMedix launched RhythmStar, a wearable cardiac monitor with 4G cellular connectivity.

Buy This Premium Report Now @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/3991

Didn't find what you were looking for? Here are some similar topics:

Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Market, by Product Type (Cardiac Monitors, Respiratory Monitors, Hematological Monitors, and Others), by Application (Cardiac Arrhythmia, Diabetes, Ischemic Disease, Hypertension, Sleep Apnea, Chronic Respiratory Diseases, and Hyperlipidemia), by End User (Hospitals, Home Care Settings, Long-term Care Centers, and Others), and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2019  2027

Central Patient Monitoring Systems Market, By Number of Patients (16 Patients, 32 Patients, 64 Patients, 66 Patients, and >250 Patients), By End Users (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Trauma Centers, and Others), and By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2019  2027

Multi-Parameter Patient Monitoring Equipment Market, by Equipment Type (High-acuity Monitors, Mid-acuity Monitors, and Low-acuity Monitors), by Application (Cardiology, Neurology, Respiratory, Fetal & Neonatal, and Others), by End User (Hospital, Clinics, Ambulatory Care Centers, and Home Healthcare), and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2018  2026

Contact Us:

Mr. Shah

Senior Client Partner  Business Development

Coherent Market Insights

Phone:

US: +1-206-701-6702

UK: +44-020-8133-4027

Japan: +81-050-5539-1737

India: +91-848-285-0837

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter

SOURCE Coherent Market Insights
HOUSTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PermitUsNow, a construction industry award winning permit expediting firm serving commercial and residential clients across Texas and with a national presence, celebrates its President, Helen Callier, being honored with the Women Who Mean Business Award by the Houston Business Journal. The HBJ Women Who Mean Business Award is a coveted award given annually to businesswomen in Houston and the surrounding areas. This year's award luncheon is being held at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Houston, Texas by the Discovery Green Park.

Helen Callier, President of PermitUsNow and Bradlink LLC recognized as HBJ Women Who Mean Business for her business successes, leadership and contributions to the Houston area and in Texas. Helen Callier, President and Moruf Jimoh, Technical Manager of PermitUsNow featured in an H-E-B Grocery supplier video for obtaining construction permits in a timely manner and making positive impacts to H-E-B's bottom-line and creating the ideal shopping experience for customers.

Callier is thrilled to receive the prestigious HBJ WWMB Award this year as it reflects the essence of her leadership, love for entrepreneurship, and contributions to the city and state. While many small businesses struggled during the pandemic, Helen Callier remained sturdy and served as a stable support providing ideas, information on resources and tools to use. Here's what H-E-B, a long-time client says about Helen's leadership.

"Perhaps the best way to sum up my regard for Helen is that she is one of those suppliers that you love to work with. I'm happy to see her coming and look forward to our professional interactions. She's a woman executive in an industry where you don't see a lot of women, and her consistent excellence and professionalism makes her an exemplary ambassador for the engineering profession." James Harris, H-E-B Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Supplier Diversity

In addition, to leading PermitUsNow and Bradlink LLC, Callier serves as a State of Texas Commissioner with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. In this role, Callier impacts thousands of licensed professionals such as Electricians, Registered Accessibility Specialists, Barbers and Cosmetologists and many other programs. Callier also serves on the Tri-County Regional Black Chamber Advisory Board.

"She is truly a woman of her word who always delivers on anything she commits to. It is this kind of leadership and commitment, year in and year out, that led our chamber to recognize Helen with a Beacon Award in 2018. Similarly, we honored Helen with two Tri-County Black Chamber of Commerce Business Choice Awards in 2015, the 2015 Exemplary Leadership Award and the 2015 Business Achievement Award. To give you a sense of Helen's stature in the business community, she was selected for a 20-woman committee to participate in an SBA Congressional Roundtable for Women of Color Business Owners." Leondria Thompson, Founder, Chairwoman and President of Tri-County Regional Black Chamber of Commerce

About Permit Us Now

Founded in September 2016, PermitUsNow is the go-to one-stop building permitting firm that helps Architects, Contractors and Project Owners to save time and money plus start construction in a timely manner. PermitUsNow covers over 500 jurisdictions in Texas and has a national presence. PermitUsNow has offices in Houston, Dallas, and Austin, Texas and Jacksonville, FL. PermitUsNow manages permitting from design phase to close out for commercial, institutional, and residential projects with a team of recognized experts. PermitUsNow was recognized by the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association with the LUNA Award in 2020; by SubContractors USA in 2021 as Top Contractor of the Year and President  Helen Callier was recognized as HBJ's 2021 Women Who Mean Business.

PermitUsNow is a certified minority and woman-owned business. Clients of PermitUsNow include H-E-B, JOERIS, Burns and McDonnell, United Airlines, and Brake Check.

Learn more on PermitUsNow, LLC, visit http://www.permitusnow.com or follow @permitusnow, on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Contact:

Len Cal

2813129981

[email protected]

SOURCE PermitUsNow

Related Links

http://www.permitusnow.com


"After successfully administering the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan closings and forgiveness during the pandemic, we know that there is an opportunity to assist small businesses in the communities we serve. We are fortunate that Scott Smith saw the positive impact he could make at Piedmont Advantage to help area small businesses to grow and thrive," said Williams.

A resident of Kernersville, Smith has more than 30 years of experience in commercial lending, risk management, financial planning and analysis and commercial credit underwriting, along with new account development and regulatory compliance. He earned his MBA from University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., and bachelor's degrees cum laude in business administration and history from Alma College in Alma, Mich.

About Piedmont Advantage Credit Union

Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., and founded in 1949 within the airline industry, Piedmont Advantage Credit Union now serves member owners, who reside, work, worship or attend school in one of the 13 counties it serves in North Carolina or who are employed by one of its many employer companies. These 13 North Carolina counties are Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Davie, Duplin, Forsyth, Guilford, Iredell, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Pender and Rockingham. A not-for-profit cooperative financial institution, Piedmont Advantage has 10 branches throughout its service regions and employs a workforce of more than 120.

SOURCE Piedmont Advantage Credit Union

Related Links

https://www.pacu.com/


ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Porte Brown LLC, www.PorteBrown.com, a Chicagoland accounting firm, is pleased to announce the firm's McHenry office has been recognized as a Northwest Herald's Readers' Choice as One of the Best Accountants in McHenry County. The Northwest Herald Readers' Choice Awards are based on votes by the public and cover a wide range of industries within the McHenry County. Thousands of Northwest Herald readers "nominated their favorite businesses from a variety of categories, including personal services, dining, arts and more."

Porte Brown McHenry Voted A Readers Choice Best Of The Fox

The rankings of the 2021 Readers' Choice Awards for McHenry County were previously unveiled on the Northwest Herald's website and its traditional print edition. A full list of the winners can be found at www.shawlocal.com.

About Porte Brown

Porte Brown LLC is a full-service accounting and consulting firm headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village, Illinois. For more than 75 years, Porte Brown has focused on providing the highest level of service to individuals, businesses and organizations throughout the region. In addition to the traditional accounting services such as tax planning and preparation, audit, business valuations, and retirement plan administration. Porte Brown also provides strategic consulting and leading-edge technology implementation for clients in cloud and non-cloud environments. Wealth management services provided by Porte Brown Wealth Management LLC.*

Porte Brown serves accounting and consulting clients from offices in Illinois, Indiana, and Texas. For more information, visit www.portebrown.com or call 847-956-1040.

*Wealth Management Services provided by Porte Brown Wealth Management LLC. Securities offered through Avantax Investment ServicesSM, Member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Avantax Advisory ServicesSM. Insurance services offered through an Avantax affiliated insurance agency.

Contact:

Pam Metzger

[email protected]

847-956-1040

www.portebrown.com

SOURCE Porte Brown, LLC

Related Links

http://www.PorteBrown.com


RAIPUR, India, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Post-Installed Anchors Market by Product Type (Mechanical Anchor and Chemical Anchor), by Substrate Type (Concrete, Masonry, Natural Stone, and Others), by End-User Type (Infrastructure, Commercial, Residential, and Industrial), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2021-2026.

This strategic assessment report, from Stratview Research, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today's post-installed anchors 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 as well as investors in the identification of low-hanging fruits available in the market as well as formulate the growth strategies.

Post-Installed Anchors Market: Highlights from the Report

Post-installed anchors can be categorized into mechanical anchors and chemical anchors. Mechanical anchors are first placed into a pre-drilled hole and then they expand. Chemical anchors are anchor bolts that are placed in a pre-drilled hole, which contains an adhesive that dries and bonds to the anchor rod thread as well as the substrate. The basic purpose of an anchor is to provide a means of attachment between two or more separate elements.

The sudden outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has had a significant impact on the construction industry. Disruption in the supply chain, halt in infrastructure and commercial projects, and lockdown across the world were some of the major consequences of COVID-19 witnessed across the globe. The post-installed anchors market was no exception to it and witnessed a decline of -7.3% in 2020 amid the pandemic, quite aligned with the decline in the construction industry. However, the recovery from the disruption brought by the COVID pandemic is expected to start from 2021 onwards. It is anticipated that the market will cross its 2019-sales figure in 2021 only, marking a consistent growth during the forecast period. Overall, the post-installed anchors market is likely to rebound at a promising CAGR of 5.8% in the long run to reach US$ 4.3 billion in 2026.

Click Here and Run Through the TOC of the Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/1998/post-installed-anchors-market.html

Based on the product type, mechanical anchor is expected to remain the larger segment during the forecast period, owing to ease in installation. Increasing demand for mechanical anchors from various applications coupled with an expected recovery in the construction industry further aggravates the demand for mechanical anchors in the years to come. In addition to that, mechanical anchors are usually cheaper than chemical anchors, provide stable performance, and are best for time-critical projects as one can apply loads to mechanical fasteners immediately after installation.

Based on the substrate type, concrete is expected to remain the dominant substrate type in the market during the forecast period. Concrete is the most used construction material as it poses high compressive strength, high-temperature resistance, and excellent water resistance characteristics. In addition to that, growing urbanization coupled with increasing disposable income of the consumer is expected to drive the market.

Based on the end-user type, infrastructure is expected to hold the major share in the market during the forecast period due to rapid urbanization in the developing economies and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Register Here for a Free Sample of the Detailed Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/1998/post-installed-anchors-market.html#form

In terms of regions, Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing market for post-installed anchors during the forecast period. The demand for post-installed anchors is growing in the region owing to an increase in building and construction activities, rapid urbanization, and industrialization in key economies such as China and India. In addition to that, improving economic conditions are also expected to drive the market during the forecast period. North America and Europe are also likely to create sizeable opportunities in the coming five years, driven by an expected rebound in the construction industry.

Following are the key players in the post-installed anchors market:

Hilti Corporation

Wurth Group

Henkel AG & Company, KGaA

Fischer Group

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Simpson strong Tie Co. Inc.

Sika AG

Halfen Gmbh

EJOT Holding GmbH & Co. KG

DEWALT

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 post-installed anchors 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:

Post-Installed Anchors Market, by Product Type

Mechanical Anchor (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Chemical Anchor (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Post-Installed Anchors Market, by Substrate Type

Concrete (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Masonry (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Natural Stone (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Post-Installed Anchors Market, by End-User Type

Infrastructure (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Commercial (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Residential (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Industrial (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Post-Installed Anchors Market, by Region

North America (Country Analysis: USA and Canada )

Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , the UK, Spain , Russia , and Rest of Europe )

Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: Japan , China , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil , Saudi Arabia , and Others)

Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the construction materials industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

https://www.stratviewresearch.com/market-reports/Construction-Equipment.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.

For enquiries, please contact:

Stratview Research

E-mail: [email protected]

Direct: +1-313-307-4176

SOURCE Stratview Research
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- QIMA/WQS, a leading provider of food certification, audit and training services in North and Latin America, announced today that the company has been named Certification Body of the Year by Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS) at the recent Food Safety Americas annual conference in Orlando, Florida.

BRCGS is a brand and consumer protection organization used by over 29,000 certified suppliers across 130 countries. The goal of the organization is to harmonize food safety standards across the supply chain. BRCGS issues its certifications through a global network of accredited bodies performing onsite audits and verifications, such as QIMA/WQS.

QIMA/WQS offers solutions to the food industry from farm to fork, through GFSI-recognized certifications (BRCGS, PrimusGFS, GLOBALG.A.P., SQF, IFS), food safety and ethical audits, sustainable protocols, quality seals, inspections, and training.

The BRCGS Food Safety Americas Awards are an opportunity to recognize individuals and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the development of the BRCGS Standards and the food safety industry in the Americas.

QIMA/WQS has been accredited by BRCGS since 2012. The award recognizes its nine years in growth of audited sites and auditor numbers, as well as its contribution in the growth of the BRCGS Standard.

"All of us on the QIMA/WQS team are grateful and proud to not only have been shortlisted but to receive this award," said Mario Berard, CEO, QIMA/WQS. "BRCGS is one of the strongest food safety certifiers in the world, and its recognition is a true testament to our teams' professionalism and expertise."

About QIMA/WQS

WQS was founded in 1993 and in 2019, the company was acquired by QIMA. With headquarters in the U.S. (Charlotte, NC) and Brazil (Botucatu) and operations in Mexico and China, the company offers solutions for food safety from farm to fork. The company has performed more than 18,000 audits for more than 9,000 clients.

More information about QIMA/WQS's BRCGS services can be found here.

Contact: Courtney Terrey

[email protected]

SOURCE QIMA
HOUSTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Registered Agent Solutions, Inc. "RASi", a Lexitas company, announced its acquisition of MyCompanyWorks, Inc. Since 2001, MyCompanyWorks, which is led by industry expert Matt Knee, has been one of the premier businesses assisting entrepreneurs all over the world for thousands of companies. In addition to forming and registering legal entities, MyCompanyWorks also provides nationwide registered agent services, assists with the filing of DBA's, annual reports, and a variety of business licenses in all jurisdictions.

"MyCompanyWorks has been a leader in providing entrepreneurs a convenient platform to form and manage their businesses. Together, our services will benefit businesses of all sizes through the various stages of their life cycles with an array of support and technology offerings" said Sean Prewitt, President of RASi. "With its mission, reputation, and success, MyCompanyWorks was an obvious and natural choice for the establishment of our new Entrepreneurial Services Department."

Matt Knee, President of My Company Works said, "I couldn't be more excited to join the RASi family. Together, we will continue to concentrate on innovative technology and superior service which will allow us to expand into other markets and provide enhanced opportunities and additional capabilities to our clients."

RASi is a professional registered agent service company, which provides the best value for corporate and registered agent services through innovative technologies, competitive pricing and quality service. With offices in all 50 States, DC and international jurisdictions, RASi represents thousands of companies across the nation. RASi was acquired by Lexitas in 2020. For more information visit https://www.rasi.com/ and https://www.mycompanyworks.com.

Founded in 1987, Lexitas is a leading national provider of legal support services to law firms, corporations, and insurance companies and is a portfolio company of funds advised by Apax. Services include record retrieval, court reporting, process service, registered agent, legal staffing, document review and commercial contracts outsourcing. For more information visit https://lexitaslegal.com.





SOURCE Lexitas

Related Links

www.lexitaslegal.com


RENO, Nev., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The inaugural Reno Tahoe International Art (RTIA) Show will take place September 8-11, 2022 at the Reno Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada. The exhibition will feature "Heart of Reno" presenting 100 curated local artists showcasing works of fine visual arts, bespoke furniture, and lighting. The space will include wine bars and local musicians.

"As a proud supporter of the vibrant arts and art community in Reno, I am so excited to see the introduction of the Reno Tahoe International Art Show," said City of Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. "Now the incredible quality of our artists, and our city, can be experienced for the first time by the many interior designers, architects and art collectors attending the exhibition from around the region and the nation. I know they will love what they see! "

A core attraction, Heart of Reno includes over 1,000 new, unique, finely executed works in a variety of mediums ideal for placement in luxury residential, hospitality or commercial spaces.

Sierra Arts Foundation Executive Director Tracey Oliver added, "Sierra Arts Foundation is excited to see an event of this scope and stature kicking off right here in a community that is ready and eager to show the world it's artistic excellence and ensure the work these artists create is respected and honored."

The accompanying ballrooms will feature 60 national and international fine art galleries seeking access to the thousands of newly arriving affluent Reno Tahoe art buyers. The galleries will exhibit alongside features from Europe, a major University of Nevada exhibition presenting pieces from the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum, art from students, staff and alumni.

"Our graduates are some of the most talented artists in the country, and we are delighted to see their artworks featured to a regional and national audience," said University of Nevada Reno's Director of the School of the Arts Tamara Scronce. "This exciting art show promises to be a game-changer in terms of bringing widespread attention to the quality and diversity of artistic creation in this area and at our University."

A major focus is the Indigenous Peoples, First Nations Art feature celebrating past and contemporary Native American fine artists from throughout the West and Southwestern United States.

The RTIA Show audience is interior designers, architects, art collectors, art consultants and art and design enthusiasts from the region and the nation. The event is promoted nationally to the readers of Interior Design Magazine, Architectural Digest Magazine, Art News Magazine, Luxe Interiors + Design Magazine and Mountain Living Magazine.

"Supporting the arts and cultural community here in Reno, Sparks and Tahoe is core to our economic development strategy," said President and CEO of The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada Mike Kazmierski. "We are thrilled to support this important event."

The center of a citywide celebration of art and design, the RTIA Show is joined by a major artists awards program and reception, a local music festival along with events held at the Nevada Museum of Art, the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum, and special features throughout the city at hotels, bars, restaurants, and better retailers.

President and CEO of Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority Charles Harris commented added, "A great addition to Northern Nevada's stunning lineup of activities, events, and arts and culture celebrations, the RTIA embodies the passion and personality of Reno Tahoe's past, present, and future, and I'm excited about the potential represented by this unique foray into the international art scene."

RTIA is produced concurrent with the 41st Great Reno Balloon Race that attracts tens of thousands from around the region. The world's largest hot air ballooning event runs in the early morning followed by the show.

SOURCE Reno Tahoe International Art Show

Related Links

www.rtiashow.com


PAOLI, Pa., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Restore Hyper Wellness (Restore), the leading provider of proactive wellness services, will be opening its 100th U.S. location in Paoli at 82 E. Lancaster Avenue and will host a grand opening on October 28  31.

With a mission to make Hyper Wellness accessible and affordable for people committed to feeling their best, Restore is the destination to get answers for better health and wellness, for restoration and relaxation and to help reset the biological clock. Restore provides a range of services to help clients with their health journey, such as biomarker assessments, IV drips, intramuscular (IM) shots, mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, whole body cryotherapy, infrared sauna, red light therapy, assisted stretching, Cryoskin and HydraFacial.

To celebrate the 100th location, Restore Hyper Wellness will hold a grand opening from October 28  31. A ribbon cutting is planned for Oct. 29 at 9:30 a.m. and Founding Membership rates will be available for the last time all weekend. Additional promotions include 30% off Lifestyle & Service Packages, $125 Cryoskin Facials, $100 off Premium HydraFacials, 50% off Single Services and 10% off NAD+ 4-Packs.

The 100th location is owned and operated by two local Pennsylvania couples, Andy and Michele Ayers and Mike and Angela Palumbo. Having worked together in medical device sales, Andy and Mike were introduced to Restore Hyper Wellness founder, Jim Donnelly. After becoming the second franchisee in the system, Andy looked to his home state to begin the Restore expansion with Mike. The Ayers and Palumbos plan on opening 20 additional locations in Pennsylvania by 2026.

"Restore Hyper Wellness will provide the Philadelphia community more options to keep people living the lives they want to live," said Andy. "Being with Restore since the beginning of their franchising, it's been inspiring to see the positive results our clients have experienced throughout the years and we look forward to making our Hyper Wellness services more accessible to our neighbors in Philadelphia."

In December 2020, Restore delivered its 1 millionth wellness service in its then five and a half year history. In September 2021, in addition to opening its 100th location, Restore delivered its 1 millionth wellness service of the year, achieving in nine months what had previously taken the brand five and a half years. This is a reflection of Restore's rapid scaling, progress towards making Hyper Wellness accessible and the growing impact on its clients' health and lives.

In the first three quarters of 2021, Restore opened 30 new locations across the U.S. and sold 203 additional franchise territories. Restore expects that it will open over 20 new locations in Q4. By 2025, Restore plans to be within a five-mile radius of 80% of the U.S. population, making Hyper Wellness accessible to most of the country.

"Thus far, 2021 has been another tremendous year for Restore. Opening our 100th location with the Ayers and Palumbos is a rewarding milestone, as they were early believers and adopters of our franchise concept," said Jim Donnelly, Restore's CEO and Co-Founder. "We are happy to partner in their success and support them in scaling to over 20 locations in the Pennsylvania area, as we advance Restore's growth nationwide. Restore continues to improve its operations, same-store sales and system-wide sales, demonstrating that Restore is one of the fittest retail businesses in the country today. We look forward to finishing the year strong."

Founded in 2015, Restore Hyper Wellness has carved its niche in the wellness industry by providing a fun, educational, social and transparent heath experience that helps clients make progress towards their health goals, feel better and do more of what they love. Restore offers packages of services and monthly membership options based on their clients' needs to help them feel their best.

For more information on Restore Hyper Wellness in Paoli, please go to www.restore.com or call 610-590-7279.

About Restore Hyper Wellness

Launched in Austin, Texas in 2015, Restore Hyper Wellness (Restore) is The Hyper Wellness Company and the leading retail provider of proactive wellness services in the United States. As a comprehensive health and wellness center, Restore provides biomarker assessments, IV drip therapy, intramuscular (IM) shots, mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, whole body and localized cryotherapy, assisted stretching, infrared sauna, red and near infrared light therapy, compression, HydraFacial and Cryoskin facials, slimming and toning. Restore's mission is to make Hyper Wellness accessible and affordable for people committed to feeling their best, so they can do more of what they love.

Media Contact: Marcus Durbin, Fishman PR, [email protected] or 815-272-5091

SOURCE Restore Hyper Wellness

Related Links

http://www.restore.com


MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI) today reported revenues and earnings for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021.

For the quarter ended September 30, 2021, net income was $171 million, or $1.53 per share, on revenues of $1.713 billion. Net income for the prior year's third quarter was $76 million, or $.67 per share, on revenues of $1.190 billion.

"We once again achieved a record level of both revenues and earnings in the third quarter, exceeding the high end of our guidance, as a result of continued broad-based acceleration in the demand for our staffing and business consulting services," said M. Keith Waddell, president and CEO of Robert Half. "Our permanent placement and Protiviti operations continued to show very strong results, growing year-over-year revenues by 79% and 56%, respectively. Our temporary and consultant staffing operations also accelerated in the quarter with year-over-year revenue growth of 35%. Overall, our total revenues were 10% higher than the pre-pandemic third quarter of 2019. Return on invested capital for the Company was 53% in the third quarter.

"We are proud that our commitment to success has earned us several recent accolades, including the Forbes' World's Best Employers and Newsweek's America's Most Responsible Companies lists for 2021," Waddell concluded.

Robert Half management will conduct a conference call today at 5 p.m. EDT. The prepared remarks for this call are available now in the Investor Center of the Robert Half website (www.roberthalf.com/investor-center). Simply click on the Quarterly Conference Calls link. The dial-in number to listen to today's conference call is 877-814-0475 (+1-706-643-9224 outside the United States). The password is "Robert Half."

A taped recording of this call will be available for replay beginning at approximately 8 p.m. EDT today and ending at 10:59 p.m. EST on November 20. The dial-in number for the replay is 855-859-2056 (+1-404-537-3406 outside the United States). To access the replay, enter conference ID# 5657603. The conference call also will be archived in audio format on the Company's website, at www.roberthalf.com/investor-center.

Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized talent solutions and business consulting firm that connects opportunities at great companies with highly skilled job seekers. The Company offers contract and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support roles. Named to FORTUNE's Most Admired Companies and 100 Best Companies to Work For lists and a Forbes Best Employer for Diversity, Robert Half is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm that provides internal audit, risk, business and technology consulting solutions.

Robert Half has operations in more than 400 locations worldwide.

Certain information contained in this press release and its attachments may be deemed forward-looking statements regarding events and financial trends that may affect the Company's future operating results or financial positions. These statements may be identified by words such as "estimate", "forecast", "project", "plan", "intend", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", or variations or negatives thereof, or by similar or comparable words or phrases. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements.

These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: changes to or new interpretations of U.S. or international tax regulations; the global financial and economic situation; the duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate its spread; changes in levels of unemployment and other economic conditions in the United States or foreign countries where the Company does business, or in particular regions or industries; reduction in the supply of candidates for contract employment or the Company's ability to attract candidates; the entry of new competitors into the marketplace or expansion by existing competitors; the ability of the Company to maintain existing client relationships and attract new clients in the context of changing economic or competitive conditions; the impact of competitive pressures, including any change in the demand for the Company's services; the Company's ability to maintain its margins; the possibility of the Company incurring liability for its activities, including the activities of its contract employees, or for events impacting its contract employees on clients' premises; the possibility that adverse publicity could impact the Company's ability to attract and retain clients and candidates; the success of the Company in attracting, training, and retaining qualified management personnel and other staff employees; the Company's ability to comply with governmental regulations affecting personnel services businesses in particular or employer/employee relationships in general; whether there will be ongoing demand for Sarbanes-Oxley or other regulatory compliance services; the Company's reliance on short-term contracts for a significant percentage of its business; litigation relating to prior or current transactions or activities, including litigation that may be disclosed from time to time in the Company's SEC filings; the ability of the Company to manage its international operations and comply with foreign laws and regulations; the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the possibility that the additional costs the Company will incur as a result of healthcare reform legislation may adversely affect the Company's profit margins or the demand for the Company's services; the possibility that the Company's computer and communications hardware and software systems could be damaged or their service interrupted; and the possibility that the Company may fail to maintain adequate financial and management controls and as a result suffer errors in its financial reporting.

Additionally, with respect to Protiviti, other risks and uncertainties include the fact that future success will depend on its ability to retain employees and attract clients; there can be no assurance that there will be ongoing demand for broad-based consulting, regulatory compliance, technology services, public sector or other high-demand advisory services; failure to produce projected revenues could adversely affect financial results; and there is the possibility of involvement in litigation relating to prior or current transactions or activities.

Because long-term contracts are not a significant part of the Company's business, future results cannot be reliably predicted by considering past trends or extrapolating past results. The Company undertakes no obligation to update information contained in this release.

A copy of this release is available at www.roberthalf.com/investor-center .

ATTACHED :

Summary of Operations Supplemental Financial Information Non-GAAP Financial Measures



ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share amounts)



Quarter Ended

September 30,

Nine Months

Ended September 30,

2021

2020

2021

2020

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)















Service revenues $ 1,712,566



$ 1,189,897



$ 4,691,527



$ 3,804,914

Costs of services 987,239



722,551



2,739,618



2,306,630

















Gross margin 725,327



467,346



1,951,909



1,498,284

















Selling, general and administrative expenses (1) 495,576



390,799



1,406,731



1,240,879

(Income) loss from investments held in employee deferred compensation

trusts (which is completely offset by related costs and expenses) (1) 1,759



(26,095)



(38,039)



(34,630)

Amortization of intangible assets 572



334



1,724



1,002

Interest income, net (238)



(202)



(145)



(1,264)

















Income before income taxes 227,658



102,510



581,638



292,297

Provision for income taxes 56,787



26,761



150,956



80,437

















Net income $ 170,871



$ 75,749



$ 430,682



$ 211,860

















Diluted net income per share $ 1.53



$ .67



$ 3.85



$ 1.87

















Shares:













Basic 110,176



112,809



110,816



112,953

Diluted 111,490



113,355



111,954



113,444





(1) Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses exclude gains and losses on investments held to fund the Company's obligations under employee deferred compensation plans. Under these plans, employees direct the investment of their account balances, and the Company makes cash deposits into an investment trust consistent with these directions. Changes in the Company's deferred compensation obligations noted above are included in SG&A or, in the case of Protiviti, costs of services, while investment (income) loss is presented separately.

ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION (in thousands)





Nine Months Ended

September 30,



2021

2020



(Unaudited) SELECTED CASH FLOW INFORMATION:







Depreciation

$ 40,536



$ 47,097

Capitalized cloud computing implementation costs

$ 23,735



$ 26,121

Capital expenditures

$ 24,797



$ 28,878

Open market repurchases of common stock (shares)

2,254



1,432







September 30,



2021

2020



(Unaudited) SELECTED BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION:







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 633,719



$ 587,000

Accounts receivable, net

$ 1,005,633



$ 690,259

Total assets

$ 2,931,718



$ 2,563,092

Total current liabilities

$ 1,341,602



$ 1,052,785

Total stockholders' equity

$ 1,316,043



$ 1,194,029



ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC.

SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)

(in thousands)

Beginning in Q3 2020, the Company modified its presentation of service revenues for Accountemps, OfficeTeam, Robert Half Technology and Robert Half Management Resources to include inter-segment revenues from services provided to Protiviti in connection with the Company's managed business solutions. This is how the Company measures and manages these divisions internally. The combined amount of divisional intersegment revenues with Protiviti are aggregated and then eliminated as a single line item. The Company has prepared the below schedule to provide readers with historical comparative information to better evaluate the related trends.



2019

2020

2021

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3 SERVICE REVENUES:









































Accountemps $ 490,084



$ 494,582



$ 501,905



$ 498,650



$ 489,884



$ 331,542



$ 351,598



$ 385,000



$ 417,116



$ 453,342



$ 492,558

OfficeTeam 252,633



261,952



267,023



259,147



239,979



136,299



173,685



214,985



220,467



263,192



279,370

Robert Half Technology 182,426



189,461



195,630



198,314



196,652



162,028



161,007



175,730



172,239



194,233



215,500

Robert Half Management Resources 196,003



195,236



200,421



201,097



211,878



165,031



154,917



167,116



183,271



210,550



239,807

Elimination of intersegment revenues (36,519)



(38,519)



(46,518)



(50,883)



(46,273)



(41,514)



(59,816)



(92,393)



(103,818)



(143,036)



(172,534)

Temporary and consultant staffing 1,084,627



1,102,712



1,118,461



1,106,325



1,092,120



753,386



781,391



850,438



889,275



978,281



1,054,701

Permanent placement staffing 131,562



140,894



134,582



126,394



120,489



71,030



87,203



91,387



111,703



143,640



156,444

Protiviti 252,341



272,779



299,089



304,666



294,082



283,910



321,303



362,261



397,402



458,660



501,421

Total $ 1,468,530



$ 1,516,385



$ 1,552,132



$ 1,537,385



$ 1,506,691



$ 1,108,326



$ 1,189,897



$ 1,304,086



$ 1,398,380



$ 1,580,581



$ 1,712,566















































ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

The financial results of Robert Half International Inc. (the "Company") are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). To help readers understand the Company's financial performance, the Company supplements its GAAP financial results with the following non-GAAP measures: adjusted gross margin; adjusted selling, general and administrative expense; segment income; combined segment income; and as adjusted revenue growth rates.

The following measures: adjusted gross margin; adjusted selling, general and administrative expense; and segment income include gains and losses on investments held to fund the Company's obligations under employee deferred compensation plans. The Company provides these measures because they are used by management to review its operational results.

Combined segment income is income before income taxes, adjusted for interest income, net and amortization of intangible assets. The Company provides combined segment income because it is how the Company evaluates segment performance.

Variations in the Company's financial results include the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and billing days. The Company provides "as adjusted" revenue growth calculations to remove the impact of these items. These calculations show the year-over-year revenue growth rates for the Company's lines of business on both a reported basis and also on an as adjusted basis for global, U.S. and international operations. This information is presented for each of the six most recent quarters. The Company has provided this data because it focuses on the Company's revenue growth rates attributable to operating activities and aids in evaluating revenue trends over time. The Company expresses year-over-year revenue changes as calculated percentages using the same number of billing days, and constant currency exchange rates.

The non-GAAP financial measures provided herein may not provide information that is directly comparable to that provided by other companies in the Company's industry, as other companies may calculate such financial results differently. The Company's non-GAAP financial measures are not measurements of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to amounts presented in accordance with GAAP. The Company does not consider these non-GAAP financial measures to be a substitute for, or superior to, the information provided by GAAP financial results. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is provided on the following pages.

ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES ADJUSTED SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS RECONCILIATION (UNAUDITED) (in thousands)



Quarter Ended September 30,

Relationships

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

Reported

Adjustments

Adjusted (1)

Reported

Adjustments

Adjusted (1)

Reported

Adjusted SERVICE REVENUES:





































Accountemps $ 492,558



$ 



$ 492,558



$ 351,598



$ 



$ 351,598



28.8 %

29.5 %

28.8 %

29.6 % OfficeTeam 279,370







279,370



173,685







173,685



16.3 %

14.6 %

16.3 %

14.6 % Robert Half Technology 215,500







215,500



161,007







161,007



12.6 %

13.5 %

12.6 %

13.5 % Robert Half Management Resources 239,807







239,807



154,917







154,917



14.0 %

13.0 %

14.0 %

13.0 % Elimination of intersegment revenues (172,534)







(172,534)



(59,816)







(59,816)



(10.1) %

(5.0) %

(10.1) %

(5.0) % Temporary and consultant staffing 1,054,701







1,054,701



781,391







781,391



61.6 %

65.7 %

61.6 %

65.7 % Permanent placement staffing 156,444







156,444



87,203







87,203



9.1 %

7.3 %

9.1 %

7.3 % Protiviti 501,421







501,421



321,303







321,303



29.3 %

27.0 %

29.3 %

27.0 % Total $ 1,712,566



$ 



$ 1,712,566



$ 1,189,897



$ 



$ 1,189,897



100.0 %

100.0 %

100.0 %

100.0 %







































GROSS MARGIN:





































Temporary and consultant staffing $ 421,419



$ 



$ 421,419



$ 293,318



$ 



$ 293,318



40.0 %

37.5 %

40.0 %

37.5 % Permanent placement staffing 156,170







156,170



87,043







87,043



99.8 %

99.8 %

99.8 %

99.8 % Protiviti 147,738



(277)



147,461



86,985



3,392



90,377



29.5 %

27.1 %

29.4 %

28.1 % Total $ 725,327



$ (277)



$ 725,050



$ 467,346



$ 3,392



$ 470,738



42.4 %

39.3 %

42.3 %

39.6 %







































SELLING GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE:





































Temporary and consultant staffing $ 310,112



$ 1,297



$ 311,409



$ 269,963



$ (20,424)



$ 249,539



29.4 %

34.5 %

29.5 %

31.9 % Permanent placement staffing 124,955



185



125,140



79,194



(2,279)



76,915



79.9 %

90.8 %

80.0 %

88.2 % Protiviti 60,509







60,509



41,642







41,642



12.1 %

13.0 %

12.1 %

13.0 % Total $ 495,576



$ 1,482



$ 497,058



$ 390,799



$ (22,703)



$ 368,096



28.9 %

32.8 %

29.0 %

30.9 %







































OPERATING/SEGMENT INCOME:





































Temporary and consultant staffing $ 111,307



$ (1,297)



$ 110,010



$ 23,355



$ 20,424



$ 43,779



10.6 %

3.0 %

10.4 %

5.6 % Permanent placement staffing 31,215



(185)



31,030



7,849



2,279



10,128



20.0 %

9.0 %

19.8 %

11.6 % Protiviti 87,229



(277)



86,952



45,343



3,392



48,735



17.4 %

14.1 %

17.3 %

15.2 % Total $ 229,751



$ (1,759)



$ 227,992



$ 76,547



$ 26,095



$ 102,642



13.4 %

6.4 %

13.3 %

8.6 % (Income) loss from investments held in employee deferred compensation trusts 1,759



(1,759)







(26,095)



26,095







(0.1) %

2.2 %

0.0 %

0.0 % Amortization of intangible assets 572







572



334







334.0



0.0 %

0.0 %

0.0 %

0.0 % Interest income, net (238)







(238)



(202)







(202)



0.0 %

0.0 %

0.0 %

0.0 % Income before income taxes $ 227,658



$ 



$ 227,658



$ 102,510



$ 



$ 102,510



13.3 %

8.6 %

13.3 %

8.6 %



(1) Changes in the Company's deferred compensation obligations are included in selling, general and administrative expense or, in the case of Protiviti, costs of services, while the related investment (income) loss is presented separately. The non-GAAP financial measures shown in the table above are adjusted to reclassify investment (income) loss from investments held in employee deferred compensation trusts to the same line item which includes the corresponding change in obligation. These adjustments have no impact to income before income taxes.

ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES ADJUSTED SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS RECONCILIATION (UNAUDITED) (in thousands)



Nine Months Ended September 30,

Relationships

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

Reported

Adjustments

Adjusted (1)

Reported

Adjustments

Adjusted (1)

Reported

Adjusted SERVICE REVENUES:





































Accountemps $ 1,363,007



$ 



$ 1,363,007



$ 1,173,024



$ 



$ 1,173,024



29.0 %

30.8 %

29.0 %

30.8 % OfficeTeam 763,035







763,035



549,963







549,963



16.3 %

14.5 %

16.3 %

14.5 % Robert Half Technology 581,905







581,905



519,687







519,687



12.4 %

13.7 %

12.4 %

13.7 % Robert Half Management Resources 633,685







633,685



531,826







531,826



13.5 %

14.0 %

13.5 %

14.0 % Elimination of intersegment revenues (419,375)







(419,375)



(147,603)







(147,603)



(8.9) %

(3.9) %

(8.9) %

(3.9) % Temporary and consultant staffing 2,922,257







2,922,257



2,626,897







2,626,897



62.3 %

69.0 %

62.3 %

69.0 % Permanent placement staffing 411,788







411,788



278,722







278,722



8.8 %

7.3 %

8.8 %

7.3 % Protiviti 1,357,482







1,357,482



899,295







899,295



28.9 %

23.6 %

28.9 %

23.6 % Total $ 4,691,527



$ 



$ 4,691,527



$ 3,804,914



$ 



$ 3,804,914



100.0 %

100.0 %

100.0 %

100.0 %







































GROSS MARGIN:





































Temporary and consultant staffing $ 1,154,420



$ 



$ 1,154,420



$ 985,616



$ 



$ 985,616



39.5 %

37.5 %

39.5 %

37.5 % Permanent placement staffing 411,122







411,122



278,229







278,229



99.8 %

99.8 %

99.8 %

99.8 % Protiviti 386,367



5,565



391,932



234,439



6,248



240,687



28.5 %

26.1 %

28.9 %

26.8 % Total $ 1,951,909



$ 5,565



$ 1,957,474



$ 1,498,284



$ 6,248



$ 1,504,532



41.6 %

39.4 %

41.7 %

39.5 %







































SELLING GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE:





































Temporary and consultant staffing $ 903,739



$ (29,016)



$ 874,723



$ 845,342



$ (25,659)



$ 819,683



30.9 %

32.2 %

29.9 %

31.2 % Permanent placement staffing 335,316



(3,458)



331,858



260,161



(2,723)



257,438



81.4 %

93.3 %

80.6 %

92.4 % Protiviti 167,676







167,676



135,376







135,376



12.4 %

15.1 %

12.4 %

15.1 % Total $ 1,406,731



$ (32,474)



$ 1,374,257



$ 1,240,879



$ (28,382)



$ 1,212,497



30.0 %

32.6 %

29.3 %

31.9 %







































OPERATING/SEGMENT INCOME:





































Temporary and consultant staffing $ 250,681



$ 29,016



$ 279,697



$ 140,274



$ 25,659



$ 165,933



8.6 %

5.3 %

9.6 %

6.3 % Permanent placement staffing 75,806



3,458



79,264



18,068



2,723



20,791



18.4 %

6.5 %

19.2 %

7.5 % Protiviti 218,691



5,565



224,256



99,063



6,248



105,311



16.1 %

11.0 %

16.5 %

11.7 % Total $ 545,178



$ 38,039



$ 583,217



$ 257,405



$ 34,630



$ 292,035



11.6 %

6.8 %

12.4 %

7.7 % (Income) loss from investments held in employee deferred compensation trusts (38,039)



38,039







(34,630)



34,630







0.8 %

0.9 %

0.0 %

0.0 % Amortization of intangible assets 1,724







1,724



1,002







1,002



0.0 %

0.0 %

0.0 %

0.0 % Interest income, net (145)







(145)



(1,264)







(1,264)



0.0 %

0.0 %

0.0 %

0.0 % Income before income taxes $ 581,638



$ 



$ 581,638



$ 292,297



$ 



$ 292,297



12.4 %

7.7 %

12.4 %

7.7 %



(1) Changes in the Company's deferred compensation obligations are included in selling, general and administrative expense or, in the case of Protiviti, costs of services, while the related investment (income) loss is presented separately. The non-GAAP financial measures shown in the table above are adjusted to reclassify investment (income) loss from investments held in employee deferred compensation trusts to the same line item which includes the corresponding change in obligation. These adjustments have no impact to income before income taxes.

ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES COMBINED SEGMENT INCOME RECONCILIATION (UNAUDITED):





Quarter Ended

September 30,

Nine Months Ended

September 30,



2021

2020

2021

2020

















Income before income taxes

$ 227,658



$ 102,510



$ 581,638



$ 292,297

Interest income, net

(238)



(202)



(145)



(1,264)

Amortization of intangible assets

572



334



1,724



1,002

Combined segment income

$ 227,992



$ 102,642



$ 583,217



$ 292,035



ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES REVENUE GROWTH RATES (%) (UNAUDITED):





Year-Over-Year Growth Rates (As Reported)

Non-GAAP Year-Over-Year Growth Rates (As Adjusted)



2020

2021

2020

2021



Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3 Global















































Accountemps

-33.0

-29.9

-22.8

-14.9

36.7

40.1

-32.3

-30.2

-23.1

-14.6

34.4

39.1 OfficeTeam

-48.0

-35.0

-17.0

-8.1

93.1

60.8

-47.8

-35.8

-18.2

-8.7

89.5

60.0 RH Technology

-14.5

-17.7

-11.4

-12.4

19.9

33.8

-14.2

-18.2

-11.9

-12.4

17.9

33.1 RH Management Resources

-15.5

-22.7

-16.9

-13.5

27.6

54.8

-14.8

-23.5

-18.1

-14.3

24.0

53.6 Elimination of intersegment revenues (1)

7.8

28.6

81.6

124.4

244.5

188.4

7.7

28.2

81.5

127.3

240.9

187.5 Temporary and consultant staffing

-31.7

-30.1

-23.1

-18.6

29.9

35.0

-31.2

-30.7

-23.8

-18.9

27.2

34.0 Permanent placement staffing

-49.6

-35.2

-27.7

-7.3

102.2

79.4

-49.1

-35.7

-28.5

-8.1

96.9

77.7 Total staffing

-33.7

-30.7

-23.6

-17.5

36.1

39.4

-33.2

-31.2

-24.3

-17.8

33.2

38.4 Protiviti

4.1

7.4

18.9

35.1

61.6

56.1

4.5

6.4

17.9

34.7

58.8

55.1 Total

-26.9

-23.3

-15.2

-7.2

42.6

43.9

-26.4

-23.9

-15.9

-7.6

39.7

42.9

















































United States















































Temporary and consultant staffing

-31.7

-31.0

-24.1

-20.3

27.5

35.5

-31.7

-31.3

-23.9

-19.4

27.7

35.5 Permanent placement staffing

-51.6

-37.1

-31.3

-12.4

109.3

85.1

-51.6

-37.3

-31.0

-11.4

109.6

85.1 Total staffing

-33.7

-31.6

-24.8

-19.6

33.6

40.0

-33.7

-31.9

-24.6

-18.6

33.8

40.0 Protiviti

6.4

10.8

22.9

35.5

62.6

53.7

6.3

10.3

23.3

37.1

62.8

53.7 Total

-26.5

-23.3

-15.3

-8.7

41.1

43.8

-26.5

-23.7

-15.0

-7.6

41.3

43.8

















































International















































Temporary and consultant staffing

-31.8

-27.0

-19.3

-12.3

38.6

33.0

-28.9

-28.4

-23.5

-17.0

25.1

29.1 Permanent placement staffing

-45.0

-30.9

-19.3

5.2

87.8

67.3

-43.2

-31.7

-23.0

0.3

70.5

62.1 Total staffing

-33.8

-27.6

-19.3

-10.1

44.8

37.7

-31.1

-28.9

-23.4

-14.8

30.9

33.7 Protiviti

-3.9

-5.0

4.3

33.8

57.6

65.9

-1.5

-8.0

-1.7

26.1

43.5

61.4 Total

-28.4

-23.4

-14.7

-2.0

48.0

44.3

-25.7

-25.0

-19.2

-7.2

33.9

40.1



(1) Service revenues for Accountemps, OfficeTeam, Robert Half Technology and Robert Half Management Resources include intersegment revenues, which represent revenues from services provided to Protiviti in connection with the Company's blended business solutions. Intersegment revenues for each line of business are aggregated and then eliminated as a single line item.

The non-GAAP financial measures included in the table above adjust for the following items:

Foreign Currency Translation. The "As Reported" revenue growth rates are based upon reported revenues, which include the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. In order to calculate "Constant Currency" revenue growth rates, as reported amounts are retranslated using foreign exchange rates from the prior year's comparable period.



Billing Days. The "As Reported" revenue growth rates are based upon reported revenues. Management calculates a global, weighted-average number of billing days for each reporting period based upon inputs from all countries and all lines of business. In order to remove the fluctuations caused by comparable periods having different billing days, the Company calculates "same billing day" revenue growth rates by dividing each comparative period's reported revenues by the calculated number of billing days for that period to arrive at a "per billing day" amount. The "same billing day" growth rates are then calculated based upon the "per billing day" amounts.

The term "As Adjusted" means that the impact of different billing days, constant currency fluctuations, and certain intercompany adjustments are removed from the revenue growth rate calculation. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP year-over-year revenue growth rates to the "As Reported" year-over-year revenue growth rates is included herein, on Pages 11-13.

ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES REVENUE GROWTH RATE (%) RECONCILIATION (UNAUDITED):

Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth  GLOBAL



Q2 2020

Q3 2020

Q4 2020

Q1 2021

Q2 2021

Q3 2021 Accountemps























As Reported

-33.0



-29.9



-22.8



-14.9



36.7



40.1

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.3



-0.1



1.1



0.0



-0.2

Currency Impact

0.8



0.0



-0.2



-0.8



-2.3



-0.8

As Adjusted

-32.3



-30.2



-23.1



-14.6



34.4



39.1

OfficeTeam























As Reported

-48.0



-35.0



-17.0



-8.1



93.1



60.8

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.2



-0.1



1.1



0.0



-0.2

Currency Impact

0.3



-0.6



-1.1



-1.7



-3.6



-0.6

As Adjusted

-47.8



-35.8



-18.2



-8.7



89.5



60.0

Robert Half Technology























As Reported

-14.5



-17.7



-11.4



-12.4



19.9



33.8

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.2



0.0



1.1



0.0



-0.1

Currency Impact

0.4



-0.3



-0.5



-1.1



-2.0



-0.6

As Adjusted

-14.2



-18.2



-11.9



-12.4



17.9



33.1

Robert Half Management Resources























As Reported

-15.5



-22.7



-16.9



-13.5



27.6



54.8

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.2



0.0



1.1



0.0



-0.2

Currency Impact

0.8



-0.6



-1.2



-1.9



-3.6



-1.0

As Adjusted

-14.8



-23.5



-18.1



-14.3



24.0



53.6

Elimination of intersegment revenues























As Reported

7.8



28.6



81.6



124.4



244.5



188.4

Billing Days Impact

-0.2



-0.4



-0.1



2.7



0.0



-0.4

Currency Impact

0.1



0.0



0.0



0.2



-3.6



-0.5

As Adjusted

7.7



28.2



81.5



127.3



240.9



187.5

Temporary and consultant staffing























As Reported

-31.7



-30.1



-23.1



-18.6



29.9



35.0

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.3



0.0



1.0



0.0



-0.2

Currency Impact

0.6



-0.3



-0.7



-1.3



-2.7



-0.8

As Adjusted

-31.2



-30.7



-23.8



-18.9



27.2



34.0

Permanent placement staffing























As Reported

-49.6



-35.2



-27.7



-7.3



102.2



79.4

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.2



0.0



1.1



0.0



-0.2

Currency Impact

0.6



-0.3



-0.8



-1.9



-5.3



-1.5

As Adjusted

-49.1



-35.7



-28.5



-8.1



96.9



77.7

Total staffing























As Reported

-33.7



-30.7



-23.6



-17.5



36.1



39.4

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.2



0.0



1.1



0.0



-0.2

Currency Impact

0.6



-0.3



-0.7



-1.4



-2.9



-0.8

As Adjusted

-33.2



-31.2



-24.3



-17.8



33.2



38.4

Protiviti























As Reported

4.1



7.4



18.9



35.1



61.6



56.1

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.3



0.0



1.6



0.0



-0.3

Currency Impact

0.5



-0.7



-1.0



-2.0



-2.8



-0.7

As Adjusted

4.5



6.4



17.9



34.7



58.8



55.1

Total























As Reported

-26.9



-23.3



-15.2



-7.2



42.6



43.9

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.2



0.0



1.1



0.0



-0.2

Currency Impact

0.6



-0.4



-0.7



-1.5



-2.9



-0.8

As Adjusted

-26.4



-23.9



-15.9



-7.6



39.7



42.9



ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES REVENUE GROWTH RATE (%) RECONCILIATION (UNAUDITED):

Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth  UNITED STATES



Q2 2020

Q3 2020

Q4 2020

Q1 2021

Q2 2021

Q3 2021 Temporary and consultant staffing







As Reported

-31.7



-31.0



-24.1



-20.3



27.5



35.5

Billing Days Impact

0.0



-0.3



0.2



0.9



0.2



0.0

Currency Impact























As Adjusted

-31.7



-31.3



-23.9



-19.4



27.7



35.5



























Permanent placement staffing























As Reported

-51.6



-37.1



-31.3



-12.4



109.3



85.1

Billing Days Impact

0.0



-0.2



0.3



1.0



0.3



0.0

Currency Impact























As Adjusted

-51.6



-37.3



-31.0



-11.4



109.6



85.1



























Total staffing























As Reported

-33.7



-31.6



-24.8



-19.6



33.6



40.0

Billing Days Impact

0.0



-0.3



0.2



1.0



0.2



0.0

Currency Impact























As Adjusted

-33.7



-31.9



-24.6



-18.6



33.8



40.0



























Protiviti























As Reported

6.4



10.8



22.9



35.5



62.6



53.7

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



-0.5



0.4



1.6



0.2



0.0

Currency Impact























As Adjusted

6.3



10.3



23.3



37.1



62.8



53.7



























Total























As Reported

-26.5



-23.3



-15.3



-8.7



41.1



43.8

Billing Days Impact

0.0



-0.4



0.3



1.1



0.2



0.0

Currency Impact

























As Adjusted

-26.5



-23.7



-15.0



-7.6



41.3



43.8



ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES REVENUE GROWTH RATE (%) RECONCILIATION (UNAUDITED):

Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth  INTERNATIONAL



Q2 2020

Q3 2020

Q4 2020

Q1 2021

Q2 2021

Q3 2021 Temporary and consultant staffing







As Reported

-31.8



-27.0



-19.3



-12.3



38.6



33.0

Billing Days Impact

0.0



0.0



-1.0



1.4



-0.8



-0.5

Currency Impact

2.9



-1.4



-3.2



-6.1



-12.7



-3.4

As Adjusted

-28.9



-28.4



-23.5



-17.0



25.1



29.1



























Permanent placement staffing























As Reported

-45.0



-30.9



-19.3



5.2



87.8



67.3

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



0.0



-1.0



1.7



-1.1



-0.6

Currency Impact

1.9



-0.8



-2.7



-6.6



-16.2



-4.6

As Adjusted

-43.2



-31.7



-23.0



0.3



70.5



62.1



























Total staffing























As Reported

-33.8



-27.6



-19.3



-10.1



44.8



37.7

Billing Days Impact

-0.1



0.0



-1.0



1.5



-0.8



-0.5

Currency Impact

2.8



-1.3



-3.1



-6.2



-13.1



-3.5

As Adjusted

-31.1



-28.9



-23.4



-14.8



30.9



33.7



























Protiviti























As Reported

-3.9



-5.0



4.3



33.8



57.6



65.9

Billing Days Impact

0.0



0.1



-1.4



2.1



-0.8



-0.7

Currency Impact

2.4



-3.1



-4.6



-9.8



-13.3



-3.8

As Adjusted

-1.5



-8.0



-1.7



26.1



43.5



61.4



























Total























As Reported

-28.4



-23.4



-14.7



-2.0



48.0



44.3

Billing Days Impact

0.0



0.1



-1.1



1.6



-0.9



-0.6

Currency Impact

2.7



-1.7



-3.4



-6.8



-13.2



-3.6

As Adjusted

-25.7



-25.0



-19.2



-7.2



33.9



40.1



SOURCE Robert Half

Related Links

http://www.roberthalf.com


BOSTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, announced today that Forestry Certification Manager Rebecca Barnard received the Society of American Foresters' (SAF) Young Forester Leadership Award.

The Young Forester Leadership Award recognizes outstanding leadership by a young forestry professional in the development and promotion of an individual program or project, or for a sustained leadership role benefiting the practice of forestry and SAF. Recipients must be 40 years of age or younger, and evaluation is based on outstanding leadership in the profession, outstanding leadership in SAF and sustained leadership roles benefitting the practice of forestry.

"Receiving SAF's Young Forester Leadership Award is a personal and professional honor," said Barnard. "Reflecting on the accomplishments and achievements during my career, these successes were made possible only by the passion and collective efforts of many equally dedicated leaders within our industry and the support I've received from my employers, including Sappi. I look forward to continued service to the forestry profession and SAF."

Rebecca Barnard was named Sappi's manager of forest certification in 2018 and holds over 15 years of forestry experience. Prior to her role at Sappi, she served as the National Forestry Programs Manager for the National Wild Turkey Federation from 2013-2018 and as the Forest Certification Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources from 2008-2013. Rebecca currently chairs SAF's National Committee on Forest Policy after serving a three-year Committee membership term. Rebecca has been a SAF member since college and held various leadership positions with the Minnesota SAF State Society.

"We are thrilled for Rebecca's achievement," said Anne Ayer, Vice President, Pulp Business and Supply Chain. "Rebecca is a tremendous asset to Sappi with her wealth of industry knowledge and expertise. This award is a testament to her commitment to responsible forestry and forwarding Sappi's mission of sustainable innovation. It could not be more well deserved."

The Young Forester Leadership Award has been granted to one member of SAF each year since 1985. More information can be found on SAF's National Awards page.

To learn more about Sappi North America's forestry programs, visit https://www.sappi.com/forestry-in-north-america.

About Sappi North America, Inc.

Sappi North America, Inc., headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. The success of our three diversified businesses  high-quality graphic papers, pulp, and packaging and specialty papers  is driven by strong customer relationships, best-in-class people and advantaged assets, products and services. Our high-quality graphic papers, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset, and Flo, are the key platform for premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of dissolving pulp with our Verve brand, a sustainable fiber, which is used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods. We deliver sustainable packaging and specialty papers for luxury packaging and folding carton applications with our single-ply packaging brands, Spectro and Proto, and for the food and label industries with our specialty papers, LusterPrint and LusterCote. We are also one of the world's leading suppliers of casting and release papers with our Ultracast, PolyEx and Classics lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries. Customers rely on Sappi for high technical, operational and market expertise; products and services delivered with consistently high quality and reliability; and, state-of-the-art and cost-competitive assets and innovative spirit.

Sappi North America, Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 150 countries.

About The Society of American Foresters

The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is the national scientific and educational organization representing the forestry profession in the United States. Founded in 1900 by Gifford Pinchot, it is the largest professional society for foresters in the world. The mission of the Society of American Foresters is to advance the science, education, technology, and practice of forestry. A 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, SAF members include natural resource professionals in public and private settings, researchers, CEOs, administrators, educators, and students.

SOURCE Sappi North America, Inc.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SBG Technology Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of DSS Inc. and an industry leader in health information technology (IT), cybersecurity, and program management, is pleased to welcome Mike Farahbakhshian as Vice President of Health Solutions. Mr. Farahbakhshian will lead SBG's continued growth in Federal Health IT markets, serving a diverse array of Government clients, including the Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA), the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In particular, Mike will guide the continued development of quality IT and programmatic solutions in support of America's Veteran community by leveraging SBG's prime contractor position on VA's Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology-Next Generation (T4NG) contract vehicle.

Mr. Farahbakhshian brings with him over twenty years of wide-ranging experience in Health IT, including program management, business development, and leading corporate strategic initiatives for companies such as SAIC, Planned Systems International, Booz Allen Hamilton, and By Light Professional IT Services. Mike has overseen capture, bid, and delivery of hundreds of millions of dollars of Health IT work across VA, DHA and HHS. He is an ACT-IAC [American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council] Fellow (Voyagers '14) and an active participant in industry-government partnerships such as HIMSS NCA [National Capital Area Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society], AFCEA Bethesda [Bethesda Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association], and more. He is a regular contributor to FedHealthIT Magazine; inexplicably, his column "Meaningless Use: The Lighter Side of Health IT," is read and enjoyed by much of the Federal Health IT community.

Thomas Felten, SBG's President & CEO, is pleased to note that "We are very excited to welcome Mike aboard. His proven leadership and in-depth knowledge of the landscape will take SBG and its parent company, DSS, to the next level in support of better health outcomes for American war fighters, Veterans, and ordinary citizens."

About SBG Technology Solutions: SBG Technology Solutions, Inc. is a nationwide provider of professional engineering, IT modernization, IT governance, cyber security, and artificial intelligence services to federal and commercial clients. A representative sample of our clients includes: VA, HHS, DHA, U.S. Navy, Army National Guard, Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, and the Transportation Security Administration. Additional information about SBG Technology Solutions can be found at our newly updated website http://sbgts.com.

SOURCE SBG Technology Solutions

Related Links

http://www.sbgts.com


TRENTON, S.C., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Generac Power Systems (NYSE: GNRC), a leading global designer and manufacturer of energy technology solutions and other power products, today celebrated the grand opening of its newest manufacturing, assembly, and distribution operation in Trenton, with a ceremony attended by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, along with other state and local officials. The new Generac facility supports the increased national demand for home standby generators and associated energy technologies and serves as a strategically important distribution center for the Company in the southeastern part of the United States.

The grand opening included a ribbon-cutting ceremony with remarks from Governor McMaster and Edgefield County Council Chairman Scott Cooper, and was also attended by State Senator Shane Massey, State Representative Bill Hixon, State Representative Bill Clyburn and Generac executives. During the ceremony, the Edgefield County Legislative Delegation recognized Generac and the Company's significant contribution to the region.

"It has not been a full calendar year since Generac announced operations in South Carolina, and they have already made a lasting impact in Edgefield County," said Gov. Henry McMaster. "Generac has already created hundreds of jobs in Trenton and will end up employing a total of 750 people in the Palmetto State by the end of the year. For that, we could not be more grateful. We are proud to have Generac as a member of our state's business community, and we look forward to this partnership for years to come."

"We're thrilled to be building even more of our innovative products in this new facility," said Tom Pettit, chief operations officer of Generac. "The addition of this new plant helps us to meet the growing demand for our technologies and efficiently distribute our products to customers throughout the southeastern United States."

"Generac hit the ground running in Edgefield County. Upfitting their facility, hiring their workforce, beginning production and community involvement all within six months," said Edgefield County Council Chairman Scott Cooper. "We are glad they chose our county and can't wait for them to have even more success."

In February 2021, Generac purchased the 421,000-square-foot manufacturing, distribution, and office facility located at 30 Generac Way, formerly Industrial Park Blvd., in Trenton. The Company then started operations at the facility in early July. Individuals seeking career opportunities at the Trenton plant can learn more and apply on the Generac careers webpage.

For more information about the Trenton plant or other Generac news, visit www.generac.com.

About Generac

Generac Power Systems, Inc. (NYSE: GNRC) is a leading energy technology company that provides advanced power grid software solutions, backup and prime power systems for home and industrial applications, solar + battery storage solutions, virtual power plant platforms and engine- and battery-powered tools and equipment. Founded in 1959, Generac introduced the first affordable backup generator and later created the category of automatic home standby generator - a market in which nearly eight of ten generators sold is a Generac. The company is committed to sustainable, cleaner energy products poised to revolutionize the 21st century electrical grid.

Contact: Tami Kou

[email protected]

262-544-4811 Ext. 3950

SOURCE Generac Power Systems, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.generac.com


ST. LOUIS, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spartech, a leading manufacturer of engineered thermoplastics and custom packaging solutions, announced today that Kevin Wilson has joined the Spartech team as Account Manager  Healthcare & Specialty Packaging.

In this role, Wilson will be responsible for managing client accounts to ensure the development and delivery of custom, plastics-based packaging solutions for Spartech business segments, including healthcare, specialty packaging, food and beverage, household and consumer goods.

Prior to joining Spartech, Wilson accrued over 15 years of technical experience in polymer films with expertise in healthcare and electronic packaging and has also earned Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. He has a proven background in: PVC films for the card and print markets; barrier films used in pharmaceutical and medical device packaging; and clean room contamination control products for pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

Wilson is a candidate for a Master of Science in Management from the Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and earned a Bachelor of Arts, General Studies from Eastern Illinois University.

About Spartech

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri with a unique innovation center and 16 manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States, Spartech is a leading plastics manufacturer of engineered thermoplastic materials and specialty packaging products. Meeting exact standards for everything from food packaging to aerospace and automotive applications, Spartech continues to make a world of difference with sustainable, diverse, reliable and innovative products including UltraTuf, Royalite, Korad, PreservaPak, and Polycast. https://spartech.com

Media Contact:

For Spartech

Sheldon Ripson

[email protected]

636-751-5733

SOURCE Spartech

Related Links

https://spartech.com


CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spencer Stuart, a leading global executive search and leadership advisory firm, is pleased to announce that Lucy Lopez is joining the firm as General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer. Lopez will succeed Dave Rasmussen, who is retiring as Spencer Stuart's General Counsel after 24 years at the firm.

Lopez, who is based in New York, joins Spencer Stuart after more than two decades with McKinsey & Company, most recently serving as Deputy General Counsel and Head of Legal, Americas. In this role, she helped partners and clients in the region drive strategic priorities while managing legal and reputational risks and advised the Global Managing Partner and board of directors on governance-related issues. Lopez has recruited, led and mentored large teams of legal professionals, including lawyers who handle the public, digital and analytics and healthcare sectors. She is committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, having served as chair of the legal department's DE&I committee and as a member of firm's global DE&I leadership team, driving talent recruitment, development, retention and other internal and external initiatives. Prior to joining McKinsey, Lucy was a corporate lawyer at Debevoise & Plimpton, where she advised clients on cross-border transactions, including acquisitions, joint ventures and project financing across Latin America.

"Over his long career with Spencer Stuart, Dave Rasmussen has built an incredibly strong legal and tax team that has been critical to our success as a Firm. We wish him the very best in his well-earned retirement," said Ben Williams, chief executive officer of Spencer Stuart. "We are delighted to welcome Lucy Lopez to Spencer Stuart. Her extensive legal background within professional services, deep experience in serving clients effectively and helping evolving businesses grow, as well as her demonstrated commitment to supporting and developing others, makes her an ideal choice for this role."

"I am thrilled to start a new chapter as General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer of Spencer Stuart. The firm is focused on discovering and developing outstanding leaders, which is more important than ever, and I am looking forward to joining Spencer Stuart to help deliver meaningful impact to teams and organizations," said Lopez.

About Lucy Lopez

Lucy Lopez has nearly 30 years of business and legal experience, including more than 20 years at McKinsey & Company, most recently as Deputy General Counsel and Head of Legal, Americas. She joined McKinsey as an Associate General Counsel, subsequently taking on increasing levels of leadership at the firm. Prior to McKinsey, Lopez spent six years as a corporate lawyer in the international and Latin America practice groups at Debevoise & Plimpton. In 2018, Lopez was recognized as a LatinoJustice Trailblazer, an award honoring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and given to Latina lawyers whose work inspires the pursuit of professional, political and social achievements. She has also been honored with the City of New York Mayoral Service Recognition Award for outstanding efforts to improve New York City's communities in need, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dominican Bar Association and a citation from the borough of Brooklyn for being an exemplary leader with significant local and global impact. Lopez serves on the Board of Trustees of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York, the nation's oldest youth mentoring nonprofit, and was its Board President until early 2021. She received her bachelor's degree from Fordham University and her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

About Spencer Stuart

At Spencer Stuart, we know how much leadership matters. We are trusted by organizations around the world to help them make the senior-level leadership decisions that have a lasting impact on their enterprises. Through our executive search, board and leadership advisory services, we help build and enhance high-performing teams for select clients ranging from major multinationals to emerging companies to non-profit institutions.

Privately held since 1956, we focus on delivering knowledge, insight and results through the collaborative efforts of a team of experts  now spanning over 70 offices, 30 countries and more than 50 practice specialties. Boards and leaders consistently turn to Spencer Stuart to help address their evolving leadership needs in areas such as senior-level executive search, board recruitment, board effectiveness, succession planning, in-depth senior management assessment and many other facets of organizational effectiveness. For more information on Spencer Stuart, please visit www.spencerstuart.com.

Media Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Spencer Stuart
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Glen E. Tellock, a veteran business leader with experience in both public and private companies, has been elected to the board of directors of WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC). His appointment is effective January 1, 2022.

Tellock retired in June as president and chief executive of Lakeside Foods Inc., a privately held food processing company based in Wisconsin. Before joining Lakeside Foods, he spent 24 years at the Manitowoc Co., serving in a variety of leadership roles, including chief financial officer, president and chief executive and, ultimately, chairman, president and chief executive.

Tellock graduated from the University of Wisconsin  Madison and is a certified public accountant. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Astec Industries, Ault Global Holdings and Badger Meter.

"We're delighted to appoint Glen to the WEC Energy Group board and to the Audit and Oversight Committee," said Gale Klappa, executive chairman. "His deep understanding of audit oversight, financial reporting, risk management, business operations and strategic planning will bring additional strength to an engaged and effective board of directors."



WEC Energy Group (NYSE: WEC), based in Milwaukee, is one of the nation's premier energy companies, serving 4.6 million customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.

The company's principal utilities are We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, Michigan Gas Utilities, Minnesota Energy Resources and Upper Michigan Energy Resources. Another major subsidiary, We Power, designs, builds and owns electric generating plants. In addition, WEC Infrastructure LLC owns a growing fleet of renewable generation facilities in the Midwest.

WEC Energy Group (wecenergygroup.com) is a Fortune 500 company and a component of the S&P 500. The company has approximately 41,000 stockholders of record, 7,200 employees and more than $37 billion of assets.

SOURCE WEC Energy Group

Related Links

http://www.wecenergygroup.com


OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA: JAM1), a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) issued a positive opinion on the Company's application for Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for its investigational medicine QIXLEEF as a potential treatment for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a chronic neuropathic pain condition.

Dr. Guy Chamberland, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Regulatory Officer of Tetra Bio-Pharma said "the positive opinion issued by the COMP is excellent news as Tetra continues to execute its regulatory strategy in Europe. An ODD brings several unique advantages, from a cost reduction in drug development, to an accelerated review process and market exclusivity for 10 years. Such strategy is cost and time effective and allows the Company to easily gain market shares in a competitive free environment. If granted, this would represent QIXLEEF's second ODD as a potential treatment for CRPS, in addition to the ODD granted by the U.S. FDA in March 2018. We firmly believe that QIXLEEF will be a safe and effective medicine for pain management and an alternative to opioids."

The positive opinion issued by the COMP will be sent to the European Commission, which is expected to grant the orphan designation within 30 days. The Committee based its opinion on Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 of 16 December 1999. The COMP based on majority of 30 out of 31 votes concluded that QIXLEEF satisfies the criteria for such designation and recommends the granting of orphan medicinal product designation.

The COMP determined that QIXLEEF qualifies as an orphan drug for CRPS indication as 1) the medicinal product is intended to treat a chronic debilitating condition, 2) the estimated prevalence of this rare condition is 4.4 in 10,000 persons in the European Union, and 3) available data from published literature shows improvement in peripheral neuropathic pain in patients treated with cannabinoid-based medicinal products.

The EMA grants orphan drug designation to encourage the development of drugs intended to treat rare and life-threatening diseases and therefore provides incentives to sponsors, such as protocol assistance, a specific type of Scientific Advice that allows the Agency to address sponsors' questions pertaining to clinical trials. Moreover, since QIXLEEF will be intended to treat an orphan condition, clinical studies will be preformed with a significantly smaller number of patients and could be entitled to conditional approval through a decentralized procedure resulting in a single decision from the European Commission, valid in all EU Member States, which would shorten the time to market approval. Furthermore, once approved the drug will be eligible to 10 years of market exclusivity. Tetra Bio-Pharma would also benefit from reduced regulatory fees and administrative and procedural assistance.

About QIXLEEF

QIXLEEF is a botanical inhaled drug product with a fixed ratio of THC and CBD that meets USA cGMP regulatory requirements. The product will be first indicated in patients with cancer suffering from uncontrolled breakthrough pain (REBORN trials) then in patients with advanced cancer with inadequately controlled pain (PLENITUDE trials). QIXLEEF, with its innovative and proprietary dosing data, provides fast acting relief from pain, offering patients a viable, safer, and non-opioid option for pain management.

About Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is an uncommon condition that is affecting approximately 4.4 in 10,000 persons in the European Union and where patients experience persistent severe and debilitating pain, muscle spasticity, swelling, tremors, and weakness. The cause of CRPS is not completely understood, but the condition is thought to be caused by an injury to or an abnormality of the peripheral and central nervous systems. Cannabinoid-mediated therapy can provide analgesic effect, improve sleep, reduce anxiety and depression as well as relieve pain, which makes QIXLEEF well-suited as a potential therapy for CRPS.

About Tetra Bio-Pharma

Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA:JAM1) is a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development with a FDA and a Health Canada cleared clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. Our evidence-based scientific approach has enabled us to develop a pipeline of cannabinoid-based drug products for a range of medical conditions, including pain, inflammation, and oncology. With patients at the core of what we do, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing biopharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance companies.

For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com

Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research and development strategies, including the success of this product or any other product, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.
FORT MYERS, Fla., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Charity Pros, a Fort Myers, Florida non-profit, has announced an open invitation to the families of our fallen heroes across the country to attend the "Charity Pros for Heroes" fundraiser event at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, Nov. 23. Immediate family members of first responders and healthcare workers that passed from complications from Covid-19 will be special guests of the organization. All first responders and healthcare workers that would like to attend the public fundraiser events will have an opportunity to purchase tickets at a discount through Oct. 25 with promo code- HERO. Proceeds from the event will help provide educational scholarships and a "Megan's Wish" to the children of our fallen heroes.

"Charity Pro for Heroes" Join us to salute our first responders & healthcare workers and honor our Fallen Heroes. Proceeds to help provide educational scholarships and a "Megan's Wish" to the children of our Fallen Heroes.

"Every day, we learn of the incredible stories of the children and families of our Heroes nationwide who are dealing with the effects of losing a parent or loved one," explains Megan Maloney, Founder of The Charity Pros. "Our Heroes have worked tirelessly day in and day out, keeping us safe during the pandemic; sadly, some have paid the ultimate price while fighting for every one of us. Bringing these families together to honor their loved ones, their Heroes and ours, is the very least we can do."

Hall of Fame legend John Fogerty will headline the "Charity Pros for Heroes" tour, kicking off at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, FL Nov. 20 with country artist Lauren Alaina. The powerhouse classic rock band Foreigner will join John Fogerty at Hertz Arena in Estero, FL, on Nov. 21, and the tour will move on to the Amway Center in Orlando, Nov. 23 for the finale with HOF band Cheap Trick kicking off the show. American Idol finalist Casey Bishop, a Florida native, will make a special appearance at all three shows.

The Charity Pros was founded in 2019 by Megan, her father Brad, and family friends like Keith Hudson, father of pop star Katy Perry, just before the pandemic. Their mission was to advocate for children's social causes and help provide opportunities for a better life; however, once the pandemic hit, programming changed. In May of 2020, Brad's childhood friend, Naples, FL firefighter Tony Christensen, died from contracting covid on the job; his death became the inspiration for the Charity Pros for Heroes.

"It hit my dad and the community hard," says Megan, "so we started looking into how many of our first responders were dying." The Maloney's learned that covid was quickly becoming the most significant cause of death among our police and, shockingly, just how many children of our fallen heroes were left behind. "Sadly, these kids have been forgotten; in all the fundraising, nobody has done anything for these grieving children; the stories are heartbreaking. These kids need our help, continues Megan; we need the support of donors, sponsors, and media to please get involved and support our fundraiser events." Go to www.thecharitypros.org to help!

It certainly takes a village, and the communities are coming together to salute their Heroes. "We have an amazing event planned," explains the show's executive producer, Brad Maloney; it's a privilege to have the Honor Guard, Sheriff Department, and Fire Departments come together in all of the tour cities to participate in the event to honor their fallen. What I can tell you is don't be a minute late for the show, it's going to be an incredible celebration."

Event Information: Families of Fallen Heroes that would like to attend the Orlando event should contact [email protected] to reserve seating. For a limited time, first responders and healthcare workers can use promo code- HERO for a 20% discount on tickets to any of the events. On-Sale dates for discounts are October 21-25th. On-Sale dates for discounts are October 21-25th. Tampa-Yuengling Center, Estero- Hertz Arena, Orlando- Amway Center

For Discount Hotel Pricing for the events go to www.charityprotravel.com

Contact:

Brad Maloney

239-314-8726

[email protected]

SOURCE The Charity Pros
ATLANTA, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Home Depot Foundation recently renewed its long-standing partnership with Habitat for Humanity with a $2.5 million donation to support the nonprofit housing organization's efforts. Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has contributed more than $28 million to help veterans and their families improve or build an affordable place to call home.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of Habitat's Repair Corps, a national program funded by The Home Depot Foundation to conduct critical repairs of military veterans' homes. The program has served more than 1,400 veterans across the U.S. since it launched in 2011. In addition to Repair Corps, The Home Depot's associate volunteer force, known as Team Depot, partners with local Habitat organizations across the country to build alongside veteran homeowners.

"We are grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for their continued support and for their commitment to ensuring that U.S. military veterans and their families have a safe place to call home," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "With their investment, we can work alongside more families to improve their housing conditions and create opportunities for stability and independence."

The Home Depot Foundation was the premier sponsor of the 2021 Habitat on the Hill legislative conference, an annual opportunity for Habitat homeowners, staff and advocates to meet with Congressional representatives in Washington and address the policies and systems that hinder access to safe and affordable housing. The Foundation has also provided grants to local Habitat organizations across the country for disaster recovery.



"We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Habitat to ensure our veterans have access to safe and affordable housing. The Home Depot Foundation is deeply committed to supporting the housing needs of our military veterans and their families," said Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. "In the year ahead, we look forward to continuing to work alongside Habitat to complete critical home repairs for veterans in communities across the nation."

About Habitat for Humanity

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity found its earliest inspirations as a grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in south Georgia. Since its founding in 1976, the Christian housing organization has grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

About The Home Depot Foundation

The Home Depot Foundation works to improve the homes and lives of U.S. veterans, train skilled tradespeople to fill the labor gap and support communities impacted by natural disasters. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $375 million in veteran causes and improved more than 50,000 veteran homes and facilities. The Foundation has pledged to invest half of a billion dollars in veteran causes by 2025 and $50 million in training the next generation of skilled tradespeople through the Path to Pro program. To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation visit HomeDepotFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @HomeDepotFound and on Facebook and Instagram @HomeDepotFoundation.

SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International
DALLAS, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The ENT & Allergy Centers of Texas, Texas ENT & Allergy, and Texoma ENT & Allergy have joined together to form ENT Specialty Partners (ESP), creating one of the largest independent ear, nose, and throat practices in the country. The focus of ESP is to create a cutting-edge practice with access to best-in-class physician support, advanced information technology infrastructure, collaborative opportunities, and professional expertise. This collaboration will allow ESP's physician partners to build toward the future together.

"We formed ESP to allow our physician partners to provide the highest quality care in this challenging and evolving healthcare environment," said CEO and co-founder, Ron Kuppersmith, MD. "We are building a management team led by physicians and with unparalleled experience in the delivery of ENT services."

Kuppersmith is co-founder of Texas ENT & Allergy in College Station, Texas, and is joined by Texoma ENT & Allergy, Wichita Falls' premier ENT practice.

"Our commitment to quality, compassionate patient care hasn't changed with this partnership," said Jed Grisel, MD, physician partner at Texoma ENT & Allergy. "Our teams will now have access to a wide range of support and resources to strengthen our ability to care for our patients."

Also joining the ESP community is The ENT & Allergy Centers of Texas, the largest ENT group in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex with 10 physicians across four locations.

"The history of our practice has been one of consistent growth, so joining ESP was an easy decision given the quality of the physicians in the other groups," said Richard Thrasher, MD, co-founder of The ENT & Allergy Centers of Texas. "We are excited to partner with additional like-minded physicians who will help us meet our goal to provide unrivaled care in our communities."

ESP now includes 20 ENT physicians, 12 audiologists, and a number of advanced practice providers and support staff providing a wide range of services in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, audiology, and allergy treatments. ESP partner practices are located across 11 Texas locations: Allen, Bellville, Brenham, Bryan-College Station, Celina, Giddings, Huntsville, La Grange, McKinney, Plano, and Wichita Falls. Learn more about ESP at ENTSP.com.

SOURCE ENT Specialty Partners

Related Links

ENTSP.com


Tisdalle joins on November 22 from State Street Global Advisors, where he was Chief Marketing Officer of the $4 trillion global asset manager. At TIAA he will be responsible for brand and advertising strategy and execution, creative services, paid and social media and all marketing for TIAA's institutional, wealth advisor and consumer channels. Tisdalle will report to Chief Marketing Officer Marty Willis.

"Stephen is a creative visionary who will ensure that TIAA captivates people working in higher education and other purpose-driven professions so we can educate them about the opportunity they have to secure the peace of mind that comes from creating lifetime income," said TIAA President and CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett. "Our company's mission has never been more important, and we are very fortunate to have Stephen's talents and passions driving our engagement with retirement clients and savers."

At State Street Global Advisors, Tisdalle led a global marketing organization responsible for brand and advertising, client and product campaigns, digital strategy, websites, social media and internal and external communications across all channels. He and his team created the multi-award-winning Fearless Girl campaign that spotlighted the benefits of women in corporate leadership roles and was vividly embodied by the bronze sculpture near the New York Stock Exchange. He was also a member of the firm's Executive Management Group.

Prior to joining State Street, Tisdalle was Head of Marketing for OppenheimerFunds and a Managing Director at Ogilvy, directing marketing strategy for some of the agency's largest client relationships, including BlackRock, British Airways and IBM. He also served as Head of Saffron Brand Consultants, where he implemented brand strategies for Goldman Sachs, Bain & Co, KPMG and Swiss Re.

"For more than 100 years, TIAA has served people we all depend on to educate us, care for our health, undertake life-saving research, administer our government agencies and nurture our cultural institutions, and I could not be prouder to join this iconic company," said Tisdalle. "I'm committed to helping TIAA expand its reach and impact at a time when so many people are worried they will not have enough money to retire."

Tisdalle earned a master's in History from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor's, with honors, from the University of British Columbia. A naturalized American, he was born in Canada and spent his early childhood in Zambia.

About TIAA

TIAA is a leading provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions. It is the #1 not-for-profit retirement market provider1, paid more than $3.6 billion to retired clients in 2020 and has $1.3 trillion in assets under management (as of 9/30/2021)2.

1 Based on data from 56 providers in PLANSPONSOR magazine's 2019 DC Recordkeeping Survey, combined 457, 403(b) and money purchase plan data as of December 31, 2018.

2 Based on approximately $1.3 trillion of assets under management across Nuveen affiliates and TIAA investment management teams as of 9/30/2021.

Investment, insurance and annuity products are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed, are not deposits, are not insured by any federal government agency, are not a condition to any banking service or activity, and may lose value.

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Member FINRA, distributes securities products. Annuity contracts and certificates are issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), New York, NY. Each is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.

2021 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Connect on LinkedIn

SOURCE TIAA
TRUFF was founded through @sauce , an Instagram account dedicated to food and lifestyle content. In 2017, the brand announced its Signature Black Truffle Hot Sauce on the platform and gained notoriety for its ultra-unique flavor combination and striking packaging. Gopuff was founded in 2013 and is the leader in the Instant Needs category. Combining TRUFF's signature flavors with Gopuff's instant delivery and delicious, fresh-made pizza from Gopuff Kitchen unlocks a new world of flavor possibilities for consumers. For the first time ever, they can order fresh pizza drizzled with TRUFF's Signature Black Truffle Hot Sauce and enjoy it in minutes.

"TRUFF's goal has always been to elevate everyday dining experiences and with Gopuff we can expand that pursuit to the on-demand food delivery category," said Nick Ajluni, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of TRUFF. "Our debut pizza line immediately heightens the senses with the vibrant experience of real black truffles. With this partnership, we are excited to elevate the conventions of delivery while offering consumers a new way to enjoy TRUFF."

Topped with TRUFF's Signature Hot Sauce, each of the three Gopuff Kitchen pizzas feature something for everyone. The Ricotta and Mushroom is an aromatic white pizza and an excellent choice for vegetarians. The Bacon, Mac and Cheese pizza is topped with crisp bacon and cheesy macaroni. The Gluten-Free Sausage features vine-ripened tomato sauce, mozzarella, sausage, and parmesan cheese served on a gluten-free crust.

"We're excited to collaborate with TRUFF to bring three brand new pizzas to life through Gopuff Kitchen," said Max Crowley, Vice President of Business Expansion at Gopuff. "TRUFF's sauces are delicious, unique and high-quality. By bringing together Gopuff's unmatched delivery experience and TRUFF's award winning flavors, we're delivering something truly exciting to people across the U.S. Nowhere else can you get such unique flavors at your doorstep in minutes."

Gopuff Kitchen launched earlier this year and offers made-to-order hot and fresh food and drinks to thousands of customers in cities across the U.S., including in New York City, Austin, Columbus, Houston, Miami, Nashville, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, and more. The Gopuff Kitchen menu features a variety of dishes made from both its own recipes and ingredients from local partners, offering a mix of healthy and indulgent items, including freshly prepared pizza, salads, freshly brewed coffee and matcha, milkshakes and more.

With multiple awards, celebrity chef co-signs, and the title for best-selling hot sauce on Amazon and Whole Foods Market, TRUFF has recently made its entrance into the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) space. The brand's first collaboration was with Taco Bell, which introduced truffle-infused adaptations of the chain's nacho fries and burrito. The collaboration sparked significant buzz on social media, where TRUFF boasts the largest following of any hot sauce brand on both TikTok and Instagram.

The pizzas are available to order via Gopuff today through November 18th, 2021 in dozens of Gopuff Kitchen delivery zones. The pizzas are priced at $13.99, and as with all Gopuff orders, can be delivered for a flat $1.95 delivery fee.

ABOUT TRUFF

Made with an ultra-unique blend of real black truffles and red chili peppers, TRUFF's line of luxury pantry staples are designed to elevate the dining experience. Originally founded through a popular food and lifestyle Instagram blog called @sauce, TRUFF immediately propelled into social media virality with the release of its hot sauce in 2017. The brand quickly became the fastest-growing company in the hot sauce space due to its distinctive flavor profile, pristine bottle, Truffle Inspired cap, and of course the coveted Instagram account @sauce that makes tagging a no-brainer. Taking inspiration from the flagship black truffle experience, TRUFF recently expanded its family of products to include other popular favorites like TRUFF Pasta Sauce, TRUFF Mayonnaise and TRUFF Black Truffle Oil.

TRUFF has been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Food Network, The Rachael Ray Show, Food & Wine, and on Oprah's "Favorite Things" list two years in a row. TRUFF is also the #1 best-selling hot sauce on Amazon and at Whole Foods Market. You can find TRUFF's variety of sauces in stores nationwide and around the world in the UK, Australia, Kuwait and South Korea.

TRUFF is made in Southern California and is Gluten-Free and non-GMO. Visit www.TRUFF.com for more information and recipes.

ABOUT GOPUFF

Gopuff is the go-to solution for immediate everyday needs, fulfilling customer orders of cleaning and home products, over-the-counter medications, baby and pet products, food and drinks, and in some markets, alcohol and fresh prepared food - in just minutes. With micro-fulfillment centers in every market it serves, the company delivers thousands of products quickly for a flat $1.95 delivery charge. Gopuff is open 24/7 in many areas and late-night everywhere else to bring customers what they need, when they need it most.

Founded in 2013 by co-founders and co-CEOs Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola, Gopuff currently operates more than 500 micro-fulfillment centers, BevMo! and Liquor Barn stores across North America and Europe. To learn more, visit www.gopuff.com or follow Gopuff on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Download the Gopuff app on iOS and Android.

TRUFF PR Contact: Michelle Gabe

[email protected]

Gopuff PR Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE TRUFF

Related Links

http://www.TRUFF.com


BALTIMORE, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA announced today that Peter B. Crino, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of UMSOM's Department of Neurology, has received the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award (R37), which provides $2.7 million in total funding.

Dr. Crino was selected from a competing pool of applicants for the highly selective award upon the recommendation of the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Council, an Institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The award is given initially for a period of four years, after which, based on an administrative review, an additional project period of three years may be awarded. Awardees must have demonstrated exceptional scientific excellence and productivity in one of the areas of neurological research supported by the NINDS, have proposals of the highest scientific merit, and be judged highly likely to be able to continue to do research on the cutting edge of their science for the next seven years.

Mandated by the U.S. Congress, the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award was established in 1983 to honor the late Senator Jacob Javits (R-NY), who for several years was a victim of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative neurological disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Senator Javits was a strong advocate for support of research in a wide variety of disorders of the brain and nervous system.

"I am very humbled, honored, and grateful to be chosen for the Javits Award. I want to share the credit for the award with my laboratory staff, who have helped to drive our research program for the past two decades," said Dr. Crino. "There is still so much work to be done to understand the causes of epilepsy and autism and to hopefully achieve new therapeutic strategies for individuals facing these challenges every day. The Javits Award will greatly augment our lab progress and productivity in these critical areas of research," he said.

Dr. Crino is an internationally recognized physician-scientist specializing in developmental brain disorders. Over the last 20 years, his laboratory has had continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, through which he has four grants totaling $4.1 million. His lab studies mechanisms of altered brain development associated with autism, intellectual disability, and epilepsy, defining developmental disorders associated with intractable epilepsy, including malformations of cerebral cortical development and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). He has collaborated on identifying several new genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, pioneered single cell mRNA and DNA sequencing analysis in resected human tissues, and has used mouse models to plumb the effects of mTOR regulatory genes on neuronal and cerebral cortical development. Dr. Crino also has coauthored over 170 peer-reviewed manuscripts, chapters, and reviews, and has been invited to lecture all over the world.

"I congratulate Dr. Crino for his spectacular achievement as the recipient of the Javits Award. This singular acknowledgment of his accomplished career is one in which we all can share a collective sense of pride, as another of our 'best and brightest' receives national recognition," said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM).

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 46 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs, and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has nearly $600 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 students, trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System ("University of Maryland Medicine") has an annual budget of over $6 billion and an economic impact of nearly $20 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity (according to the Association of American Medical Colleges profile) is an innovator in translational medicine, with 606 active patents and 52 start-up companies. In the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of the Best Medical Schools, published in 2021, the UM School of Medicine is ranked #9 among the 92 public medical schools in the U.S., and in the top 15 percent (#27) of all 192 public and private U.S. medical schools. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com.

SOURCE University of Maryland School of Medicine
NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Khaled Salem, a candidate for U.S. Senate in New York running against incumbent Chuck Schumer in 2022, today announced his intention to overhaul current Middle East relationships. Salem is Egyptian-American and the CEO of American Human Rights Organization.

Khaled Salem, a candidate for U.S. Senate in New York CEO of American Human Rights Organization.

Salem will lead the U.S. Senate to "forge and expand full Abraham Accords between Israel and all Arab states across the Middle East." At present, Bahrain and UAE have signed on for peace with Israel. These historic accords were named after Abraham, emphasizing the mutual belief of the origin of Judaism and Islam and that "we all come from the same ancestors."

Explained Salem, "If the Israeli West Bank is 'given' to Palestinians, Hamas and Hezbollah, sponsored by Iran, that will isolate the safe, strategic military corridor that Israel now provides to its Arab neighbors. Any hostile emergency declared means that Iran will instantly attempt to crush Israel and its neighbors, hampering U.S. and NATO protections. Iran is waiting to take over as much of the world as it can, as we see their growing capabilities to annihilate its neighbors."

"This may sound like a paradox, but here is the truth: Israel provides safe harbor to the U.S. military upon which the Arab world now depends. Without Israel, the Middle East will not have protections," said Salem, who will explain to Arab countries why they should be at peace with Israel and why it is best for the U.S. to promote the Abraham Accords. "I have believed many things in my life, but no conviction I've ever held has been stronger than my belief that the United States must ensure the survival of Israel."

"I do not believe in false solutions," added Salem. "I believe in real, organic peace, not in slogans that create worse problems. Arab countries see that Gaza brought war and death, not peace. I am uniquely positioned to forge the Abraham Accords throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds. I can act as a bridge. My pledge is to call on the U.S. legislature to sponsor expansion of the Abraham Accords to 20 countries. Real peace is real access, not area denial."

In addition, Salem is a proponent of national recognition of bar exams across all 50 states and territories. He also believes in national access and equality for licensed professionals who relocate to another state.

Salem plans to fight for the rights of New Yorkers and all U.S. citizens to have a decent quality of life, education and opportunities for growth. The next general election is scheduled for November 8, 2022. Thirty-four of the Senate's 100 seats are being contested.

For more information, visit khaled2022forcongress.com.

Follow Salem at facebook.com/Khaledforcongress and twitter.com/KhaledYork or visit https://www.americanhumanrights.org/

Contact:

U.S. Senate Candidate Khaled Salem

CEO of American Human Rights Organization

1518 348 6868

[email protected]

SOURCE American Human Rights Organization
DENVER, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vendavo, the global market leader in price management and commercial excellence solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of the Vendavo Sales Optimizer.

Vendavo Sales Optimizer is an AI-enabled SaaS solution that leverages a company's existing transaction history to recommend products that each customer is most likely to buy. The Sales Optimizer is a standalone sales intelligence solution that delivers its intelligent recommendations directly to any CRM, CPQ, or ecommerce solution, creating a more personalized customer experience while helping sales to grow top-line revenue through low-risk conversations with their customers.

"Our customers' sales teams sell an increasingly large number of product categories across a large customer portfolio. Even the best salesperson can't possibly know which products that every other similar customer buys across the country, region, or globe," said Bruno Slosse, CEO, Vendavo. "With our new Vendavo Sales Optimizer, we are making it simple for B2B companies to provide their sales teams with high-probability recommendations to accelerate sales growth."

The Vendavo Sales Optimizer solution was developed in collaboration with Vendavo enterprise customers as part of Vendavo's Lighthouse Customer Program. Early analyses indicate customers can see a 5% to 15% lift in sales by equipping sales teams with the right products customers are most likely to buy.

Vendavo Sales Optimizer was designed for B2B use cases and their nuanced differences. The SaaS solution is completely configurable through its user interface in a clicks-not-code manner, making it simple to set up. By utilizing their transactional data, organizations can leverage sophisticated AI without the need for data scientists or custom solutions. A typical business analyst can create, train, validate, and benchmark multiple models before selecting the most suitable model.

It can be combined with Vendavo's Intelligent CPQ solution, or used as a stand-alone solution to identify the right products at the right time for each and every customer.

About Vendavo:

Vendavo's AI-embedded Pricing and Sales solutions power the shift to digital commerce for the world's most demanding B2B companies, unlocking value, growing margin, and accelerating revenue. With the Vendavo SaaS Commercial Excellence platform and our best-in-class CPQ and price optimization solutions, they develop dynamic customer insights and optimal pricing strategies that maximize margin, boost sales effectiveness and improve customer experience.

Learn more at www.Vendavo.com.

SOURCE Vendavo

Related Links

www.vendavo.com/


"We are thrilled and honored to be recognized on the global stage by industry experts and esteemed media with the GOOD DESIGN AWARD and Wallpaper* Smart Space Award," said Oscar Lin, General Manager of Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic. "It is a testament to ViewSonic's unwavering passion to craft highly innovative products that marry design and function seamlessly. We will strive to push the envelope of design and develop even better ColorPro professional monitors for creators."

Sponsored by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, the GOOD DESIGN AWARD celebrates and recognizes excellence and quality in design around the world. ViewSonic's ColorPro VP2776 and VP2786-4K were presented with the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2021 globally for their sophisticated design and ability to bring creatives precision in color calibration. They commended that the monitors' purpose-centric design appeals not only to professionals but also to individuals with passion projects.

Wallpaper* magazine's inaugural Smart Space Awards aims to highlight technology that lasts and product design that inspires and improves the spaces people inhabit. The panel has awarded the ViewSonic ColorPro VP2776 and VP2786-4K with 'Smartest Design + Tech Collaboration' for their 'attention to detail, purity of form, and emphasis on tonal perfection'. The slim frame and intuitive design free up more desk space for creators to work comfortably and effectively.

The monitors also won the renowned iF Design Award 2021 for their minimalistic design and enhanced user experience. Their unique features include the exclusive ColorPro Wheel, a color sensor that achieves the most precise color calibration and grants complete control of OSD (On-Screen Display) settings with a turn of the dial; the elegant shading hood that minimizes glare from the surrounding ambient light; and the built-in backstage light which throws the optimal amount of light for darkroom environments.

Cut with sleek lines in a sublime achromatic black finish, the beautifully minimal ColorPro VP2776 and VP2786-4K monitors are the ideal hybrids of form and function. Calibrated for top-tier color accuracy and astounding picture quality, the Pantone-validated displays boast a 98% DCI-P3 wide color gamut*, ultra-fast 165Hz refresh rate*, and advanced Nano IPS technology.

About ViewSonic

Founded in California, ViewSonic is a leading global provider of visual solutions and conducts business in over 100 countries worldwide. As an innovator and visionary, ViewSonic is committed to providing comprehensive hardware and software solutions that include monitors, projectors, digital signage, ViewBoard interactive displays, and myViewBoard software ecosystem. With over 30 years of expertise in visual displays, ViewSonic has established a strong position for delivering innovative and reliable solutions for education, enterprise, consumer, and professional markets and helping customers "See the Difference." To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit www.viewsonic.com.

* Specification varies depending on model and region

SOURCE ViewSonic
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- VORAGO Technologies today introduced two new radiation-hardened microcontrollers, the Arm Cortex-M4 VA41628 and VA41629, built to provide flexibility in a world where space missions are increasingly a key part of government and commercial economic, national security, and science interests. The new product additions to VORAGO's M4 family allow customers the flexibility to upgrade from previous generations of rad-hard Arm microcontrollers with functional compatibility and a more powerful entry level M4 core, in addition to having the ability to scale up to more highly integrated M4 core options with code compatibility.

"As we see space missions becoming more of a key priority across public and private sectors, VORAGO customers are looking for the ability to improve and streamline their development efforts. The VA41628 and VA41629 complete our full stack of products, making it easy for customers to migrate from top to bottom of the stack with minimal software changes required. VORAGO aims to make space mission development more accessible by providing scalable, cost effective solutions. This product launch continues to set us a part from our competitors." - Bernd Lienhard, CEO



The introduction of the VA41628 and VA41629 offers an unprecedented level of flexibility for aerospace and defense design engineers. With this entry-level offering, VORAGO Technologies allows cost-sensitive programs to design-in the lower-cost part with the option of upgrading to a different Arm Cortex-M4 family member at a later date, with little to no changes in software configuration.



The announcement of this transformational product approach also marks the ability for current high-level Arm Cortex-M4 designers to scale down with the same flexibility across multiple applications, saving hundreds of hours in software redesign.



VA41628 and VA41629 include the following features and benefits:

Industry standard Arm  Cortex-M4 with Floating Point Unit up to 50MHz

Cortex-M4 with Floating Point Unit up to 50MHz Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller

64kB on-chip data and 256kB on-chip program memory SRAM

Integrated multichannel Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC)

I 2 C, UART interfaces

C, UART interfaces 24 configurable 32-bit counters/timers; Input Capture, Output Compares; PWMs, Pulse Counters, Watchdog timer

Utilizes patented HARDSIL  radiation-hardening technology, with total ionizing dose (TID) > 300 krad(Si) and full latch-up immunity.

radiation-hardening technology, with total ionizing dose (TID) > 300 krad(Si) and full latch-up immunity. Easy-to-design development kit, with exceptional support and service offerings available from VORAGO.

128 PQFP (VA41628); 176 PQFP (VA41629); 196 BGA (VA41628/VA41629)

VORAGO Technologies' is now accepting orders on the Arm Cortex-M4 VA41628 and VA41629. To learn more or to download a datasheet, visit VORAGO's product page.

About VORAGO Technologies

VORAGO Technologies is a privately held, high technology company based in Austin, Texas with over 15 years of experience in providing radiation-hardened and extreme-temperature solutions for the Hi-rel marketplace. VORAGO's patented HARDSIL technology uses cost-effective high-volume manufacturing to harden any commercially designed semiconductor component for extreme environment operation, and has created a number of solutions throughout Aerospace, Defense and Industrial applications. VORAGO has been named as one of Inc.'s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in the US, and honored in Austin's Fast 50 List for 2020. VORAGO Technologies opens up a new world of possibilities for your designs, no matter how hostile the environment. www.voragotech.com



Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12890506



Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE VORAGO Technologies

Related Links

https://www.voragotech.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today CodePath.org, the national nonprofit transforming college computer science education, announced that Walmart will be investing $1.6 million through the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity to expand CodePath's curriculum into more HBCUs in partnership with the 1890 Universities Foundation, prepare students for technical internships, and scale the Summer Internship for Tech Excellence (SITE) Program, a paid work and learning program for rising juniors.

"Walmart's investment through the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity aims to strengthen the post-secondary education system for Black and African Americans," said Patti Constantakis, director, Center for Racial Equity at Walmart. "CodePath's partnership with the 1890 Universities Foundation is critical to ensuring more historically black colleges and universities serve as on-ramps to careers in technology."

CodePath has proven to increase diversity in tech as they help students learn in-demand technical skills, secure their first internships, gain access to social capital and ultimately, become successful engineering leaders and entrepreneurs.

"The 1890 Foundation is pleased to be in partnership with CodePath and Walmart to expand this transformative resource to more of our 1890 universities," said Dr. Mortimer Neufville, president and CEO of 1890 Universities Foundation. "The cutting-edge, real-world computer science curriculum taught by CodePath's programmers and engineers is creating a path for our 1890 students to succeed in today's evolving tech industry."

This marks Walmart's second investment due to CodePath's ability to offer college computer science students a complete path to success in the tech industry. Since CodePath's launch in 2017 with less than 200 students, the nonprofit has enrolled over 10,000 students to date, 70% of which come from Black, Latinx, or low-income backgrounds, and tripled their presence on college campuses across the country.

"CodePath is closing the opportunity gap for students of color in tech, as we create more access to resources and support networks for them," said Michael Ellison, CEO and co-founder of CodePath.org. "We are thrilled to continue to work with Walmart and the 1890 Foundation to expand our curriculum to more college communities, and create career opportunities for underrepresented students to pursue and flourish in tech post graduation."

About CodePath.org

CodePath transforms computer science education for underrepresented minorities and students from low income backgrounds at over 300 colleges and universities. We offer free, supplemental courses in cybersecurity, mobile app development and technical interview preparation, as well as career services to create successful pathways for students to achieve technical excellence. To date, CodePath has served over 10,000 students, of which 70% represent underserved communities. By working closely with partners like Andreessen Horowitz, Cognizant, Comcast, Facebook, Walmart, and Workday, CodePath is systematically changing CS programs to increase diversity in tech. CodePath is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. To learn more, visit www.codepath.org

About 1890 Foundation

The 1890 Universities Foundation mobilizes and manages resources to facilitate broad based programs, initiatives, and approaches across the 1890 universities system. They provide a mechanism for the universities to respond to new and emerging issues and challenges in the 21st century. As they foster critical collaborative projects across the 1890 universities, their objective is to discover practical and meaningful solutions to the compelling economic, social and environmental challenges faced by Black communities today. To learn more, visit www.1890foundation.org

About the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity

The Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity was founded by Walmart and the Walmart Foundation through a $100 million commitment over five years to address the drivers of systemic racism in society and accelerate change. The center's initiatives will fund research, advocacy, innovation of practices and tools, stakeholder convening and non-profit capacity building with a focus on four systems: finance, health, education and criminal justice. The mission of the center is to complement and extend the societal impact of Walmart business initiatives to advance racial equity within these four systems, and our work extends the overarching philanthropic work of Walmart.org. To learn more, visit Center for Racial Equity.

SOURCE CodePath.org

Related Links

http://www.codepath.org


REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington State Veterinary Medical Association (WSVMA) held the Pacific Northwest Veterinary Conference Oct. 1  Oct 3 in a virtual, online platform. Veterinarians and veterinary staff were honored at WSVMA's award ceremonies on Friday, Oct. 1.

Sonnya Wilkins, DVM, owner of Grays Harbor Veterinary Services and co-owner and co-founder of Twin Harbors Wildlife Center, in Montesano, Wash., received the 2021 Veterinarian of the Year Award. The award is presented in recognition of an outstanding career in veterinary medicine and contributions made to their practice, stakeholders, and other service directly benefitting their community. Dr. Wilkins is well-known throughout the community for her many contributions, including fundraising to provide an emotional support dog for the children's court advocacy center, educating the community on animal caretaking, creating the "Vet for a Day" program for local students, and providing veterinary care to local K-9 units. She also rescues and rehabilitates local wildlife, including helping injured raptors found on the land of the Quinnault Indian Nation. Dr. Wilkins embodies passion for her profession, compassion for her patients, clients, staff, and the community for the betterment of animals.

Cathy King, DVM, MS, PhD, CEO and Founder of World Vets, an international veterinary aid organization based in Gig Harbor, Wash., was presented the 2021 WSVMA Humane Animal Welfare Award in recognition of her extensive efforts to bring veterinary services to underserved areas around the globe and in Washington State through her work in disaster and emergency response, education and training, and long-term capacity-building. In 2020, with international travel curtailed by the pandemic, Dr. King brought her veterinary team to Omak, Wash. to assist in the Cold Springs Fire relief efforts, providing clinical assessments for and treatment of animals affected by the fires as well as providing general recovery assistance to the community.

Sarah Mantovani, DVM, MS, veterinarian at Seattle Animal Shelter in Seattle, Wash. received the 2021 Distinguished Achievement award. The award was presented to recognize her work in the field of veterinary forensics and the pursuit of cases of animal abuse and neglect. Her work in veterinary forensics, including performing necropsies and drafting comprehensive reports, resulted in a record number of cases entering the legal system this past year and having successful outcomes.

Janean Fidel, DVM, DACVIM, DACVR and Rance Sellon, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM, Associate Professors and Clinical Instructors at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, were presented the 2021 WSU Faculty Member of the Year Award. As the oncology team at WSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Drs. Fidel and Sellon went above and beyond for their canine and feline patients referred by Washington veterinarians despite the major obstacles posed by the pandemic, including staffing shortages, and guaranteed the continuance of care of despite the hardships.

Teresa Casson, LVT, Seattle, Wash., licensed veterinary technician, recently retired after serving 24 years at Animal Surgical & Orthopedic Center in Shoreline, Wash., received the 2021 Distinguished Veterinary Staff Award for her unwavering dedication to the patients, their owners, the practice and the community. Her uplifting attitude combined with her excellent skills and compassion towards all exemplify her deservedness for this award.

Jessica Reed, DVM, Chief of Veterinary Medicine at Seattle Humane in Bellevue, Wash., received the 2021 Outstanding Veterinary Service Award for her leadership of the shelter during the pandemic while simultaneously increasing access to veterinary care for low-income clients at a time of unparalleled need. Her hard work and dedication were instrumental in launching several new initiatives geared toward helping the community with vital services and resources for many pets and families in need of support.

The WSVMA is a statewide, not-for-profit, professional organization for the benefit of veterinary medicine. The WSVMA has over 1,900 members, representing veterinarians, veterinary students and a broad spectrum of veterinary practice. The Association's mission is to "advance the cause of veterinary medicine to better the lives of those touched by it." Visit the WSVMA Web site, www.wsvma.org, to learn more about the association, veterinary medicine, and animal care.

SOURCE Washington State Veterinary Medical Association

Related Links

http://www.wsvma.org


BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool brand has been honored in Fast Company's tenth edition of the Innovation by Design Awards, which recognizes companies making strides in the intersection of business, innovation and design. The company's industry-first Whirlpool Top Load Washer with 2 in 1 Removable Agitator helps consumers provide the best care for their loved ones by caring for their clothing.

"To receive recognition from such a highly esteemed outlet like Fast Company is a huge honor," said Nelly Martinez, senior brand manager, Whirlpool Brand. "The team puts a lot of heart and effort into our innovations, ensuring the appliances are designed to help consumers easily manage daily care such as cooking, cleaning and washing. To be recognized for our efforts and be selected as a top home innovation brand reinforces why we all show up to work each day."

The Whirlpool Top Load Washer with 2 in 1 Removable Agitator is the industry's first washer to offer consumers the flexibility to customize their load to meet their washing needs. It features a removable agitator post that can be easily swapped in or out of the machine depending on the type of items being washed. The washing machine also features the Whirlpool Load & Go Dispenser, enabling consumers to skip the step of adding detergent to every load for up to 20 loads.* The Whirlpool Top Load Washer with 2 in 1 Removable Agitator is a smart washing machine that can be connected to the Whirlpool App to streamline laundry routines**, such as assigning laundry tasks to your family members, saving your favorite cycles, easily connecting to your appliance with Quick Connect and personalized quick tips to help your laundry day go more smoothly.

Now in its tenth year, Fast Company's 2021 Innovation by Design Awards recognizes the 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.

To learn more about Whirlpool brand's award-winning innovations like the Whirlpool Top Load Washer with 2 in 1 Removable Agitator, visit www.whirlpool.com .

*Based on an 8-lb. load.

**WTW8127LC washer only. Appliance must be set to remote enable. WiFi & App Required. Features subject to change. Details and privacy info at whirlpool.com/connect.

About Whirlpool Brand

For more than one hundred years, Whirlpool brand has been inspired by how people care for their families. Whirlpool brand is designing home appliances that are focused on improving how families give and get the care they need with the latest technologies and innovations  whether that means most flexible refrigerator storage for all types of family needs, induction technology for efficient cooking and easier cleaning, or laundry pairs that sense and adapt to clothes with the latest in connected technologies. Whirlpool brand created and continues outpacing goals of its Care Counts Laundry Program, through which the brand is committed to helping create educational equality by installing washers and dryers in schools to help remove one small but important barrier to attendance  access to clean clothes. Whirlpool brand is part of Whirlpool Corporation, one of the leading manufacturers and marketers of major home appliances. For more information on Whirlpool, please visit whirlpool.com/everydaycare or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/whirlpoolusa or Twitter at @WhirlpoolUSA . Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com .

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.

SOURCE Whirlpool Brand

Related Links

http://www.whirlpool.com


LIVONIA, Mich., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, first global provider of integrated employee experience and workforce management solutions, WorkForce Software announces its tenth VISION workforce management conference. This year's event is taking place November 3rd and 4th with live sessions for global audiences in English, and November 9th and 10th with live sessions in Spanish and Portuguese, in an online conference format. Last year's first ever online version of VISION 2020 welcomed over 1,000 attendees from around the world and this year's event is on track for an even larger audience.

Over the years, VISION has attracted professionals and executives from a diverse range of industries, with workforces spread around the world in both desked and deskless roles. Sessions will discuss trends in workforce management and the use of the latest technologies to create a comprehensive workforce management capability including the use of advanced analytics to optimize labor use, and keep workforces engaged, while managing the growing complexities in employee scheduling, attendance, communications, compliance and more.

This year's VISION 2021 conference comes at a pivotal time for Chief Human Resource Officers and their teams  after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the urgent need to improve employee communications, flexibility, and to develop more effective employee engagement and retention strategies. Leaders are coming together to challenge current constructs and to reimagine the way their workforces interact and contribute to the success of the business.

"Effectively managing their global workforce remains a key priority for multinational companies across all industries. Reactions to the pandemic have accelerated the need to digitally transform businesses and engage with employees in ways that meet the evolving needs of the business and their team members," said Sandra Moran, Chief Marketing Officer of WorkForce Software. "We've been coming together at VISION for a decade, but this year's event comes at the most critical time for C-Suite executives. 2021 is a pivotal period, representing our new normal, where employees are demanding more from their employers  better technology, increased enablement, and more flexibility with their schedules. WorkForce software is helping these companies quickly level-up their employee communications and technology offering to better adapt to change."

There are multiple sessions at VISION 2021, and companies who attend will be exposed to the latest trends in modern workforce management and its role in driving a successful digital transformation. Attendees will hear how technology is bolstering communication with and amongst employees and creating valuable workplace bonds. New solutions that leverage data to automate decisions and support managers to make smarter decisions faster will be shared, and attendees will see demonstrations of the WorkForce Suite's assistant technology and configurable operational dashboards and learn how their peers are harnessing these insights to make more strategic, data-informed decisions to positively impact their workplace.

Mike Robbins, author and an expert in teamwork, leadership, and emotional intelligence will deliver this year's VISION 2021 keynote session. Robbins will motivate attendees about how essential team culture is to success, especially given the challenges and uncertainty companies have experienced in the last 18 months. This keynote will touch on two key elements of Robbin's work, authenticity and appreciation, which allow teams to come together, overcome adversity, and perform at their bestespecially in stressful times. The keynote session with Mike Robbins is Wednesday, November 3rd at 9:00 am Eastern Daylight Time and will also run at 9:00 am in Australian Eastern Daylight Time, and 9:00 am UTC for attendees in EMEA.

VISION 2021 is a global all-virtual conference with two days of collaboration, innovation, and networking. The event is November 3rd and 4th online, click here to see the full agenda. WorkForce Software is also offering VISION 2021 to its Latin America audience with sessions in Spanish and Portuguese on November 9th and 10th. Registration for VISION 2021 is complimentary, and sessions will be recorded for viewing based on the attendee's personal schedule. To register and get access to all global VISION 2021 sessions visit: https://www.workforcesoftware.com/event/vision-2021-workforce-management-virtual-event

About WorkForce Software

WorkForce Software is the first global provider of workforce management solutions with integrated employee experience capabilities. The company's WorkForce Suite adapts to each organization's needsno matter how unique their pay rules, labor regulations, and scheduleswhile delivering a breakthrough employee experience at the time and place work happens. Enterprise-grade and future-ready, WorkForce Software is helping some of the world's most innovative organizations optimize their workforce, protect against compliance risks, and increase employee engagement to unlock new potential for resiliency and optimal performance. Whether your employees are deskless or office workers, unionized, full-time, part-time, or seasonal, WorkForce Software makes managing your global workforce easy, less costly, and more rewarding for everyone. For more information, please visit www.workforcesoftware.com.

SOURCE WorkForce Software

Related Links

http://www.workforcesoftware.com


Agra, Oct 21 : Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the family of the man who died in police custody and promised them all help in their fight for justice.

Priyanka reached Arun Valmiki's home just before midnight on Wednesday and assured all help for Valmiki's family.

"Arun Valmiki's relatives told me that the entire family was tortured. They claimed that Valmiki was given electric shocks and his hands were crushed under chair by the police. Besides, around 40 members of the Valmiki community were also arrested and tortured," she told reporters.

Priyanka was allowed to proceed along with four others after being detained by the cops earlier in Lucknow - for a second time this month.

Earlier, her car was stopped at the first toll plaza on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway and she was taken into detention.

"If I am at home, ok. If I go to my office, ok. But the moment I go elsewhere, then they start this tamasha. Why? Eventually I will meet the family. This is becoming ridiculous... people are being affected. Look at the traffic (behind her stopped convoy)," she said.

Priyanka also underlined her constitutional right to free movement in the country.

Meanwhile, AAP MP Sanjay Singh also reached Agra late on Wednesday and met the family of deceased Arun Valmiki.

He slammed the state government for the anarchy being created by the police and said that the BJP had failed to control the law-and-order situation.

"First it was the police that murdered Manish Gupta, a businessman, on Gorakhpur and now an innocent man has been tortured to death in custody," he told reporters.

Arun Valmiki, a sanitation worker, was accused of stealing the money from a building that served as the police station's evidence warehouse, and where he worked as a cleaner.

He died in police custody.

A post-mortem was carried out on his body, which has now been handed over to the family.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Oct 21 : As many as 963 construction and demolition (C&D) sites in NCR and adjoining areas were found to be non-compliant with various waste management rules and dust mitigation measures stipulated by the Environment Ministry and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

These were out of 6,596 sites inspected by teams deployed by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM).

"Between October 1 and Octorber 15, total 112 teams including 37 teams in Delhi, 30 in Haryana, 20 in Rajasthan and 25 in 8 NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh were constituted and deployed to conduct on-field surprise inspections of C&D sites," CAQM said in a statement.

During the period, 1,268 sites were inspected; 1,017 C&D sites in Delhi, 98 in Haryana, 89 in NCR Districts of Rajasthan and 64 sites in the NCR area of Uttar Pradesh.

"In Delhi, out of the 1,017 sites inspected, 712 sites were found complying with dust control measures while 305 sites were not complying. All 98 C&D sites inspected in Haryana were found complying. In respect of 89 C&D sites inspected in Rajasthan, 86 sites were found complying." "Similarly, in 8 NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh, only five sites were not complying with the stipulated dust abatement measures while the rest 59 sites were following the prescribed norms," the statement read.

To further 'reduce' dust from C&D sites, statutory directions were issued by the Commission to the authorities of the NCR states and Delhi to take action including imposing and collecting Environmental Compensation (EC) from the violators at sites as well as vehicles found violating the prescribed dust abatement norms during transportation of materials relating to C&D waste.

"Total 60 vehicles were found violating prescribed dust mitigation norms during the field inspections and a total of Rs 81,20,000 was imposed and collected as EC during the fortnight from C&D sites and vehicles not adhering to norms," the statement further said.
Beijing, Oct 21 : One person was killed and 33 others were injured in an explosion on Thursday at a restaurant in Shenyang, capital of China's Liaoning province, according to authorities.

The blast took place at around 8.20 a.m. at the restaurant in Taiyuannan Street in Heping District, Xinhua news agency reported.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.
Farrukhabad : , Oct 21 (IANS) Tension prevailed in Sansika village in Farrukhabad district after two persons were injured in a scuffle between two groups during the Dhamma Yatra, police said.

The incident happened on Wednesday and the police had to use mild force to disperse the mob.

During the yatra on the second day of the Buddha Festival on Sharad Purnima, followers of Lord Buddha put up a flag on the stupa at Sankisa, a pilgrimage site in the district.

Irked over this, the other group belonging to the Sanatan sect started shouting slogans in protest.

Both the groups resorted to stone pelting.

The police rushed to the spot and had to use mild force to disperse the mob.

In the ensuing melee, two persons, Ajay Kumar and Lakhan Srivastava, suffered injuries.

Angry over this, people blocked the main road and demanded action in the matter.

After being persuaded by the officials, the villagers lifted the road blockade.

Later, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashok Kumar Meena also reached the spot and pacified the agitators.

Meanwhile, in view of the tension, additional police force was called in from the neighbouring Mainpuri district and deployed in the village.

According to sources, the Buddhist followers claim it to be a Buddhist stupa at the religious site located in Sankisa, while the followers of Sanatan Dharma claim it to be an ancient temple of Goddess Bisari Devi.

An idol of Lord Hanuman is also installed at this religious site.

For about 40 years, a case between the Buddhists and Sanatan followers has been pending in the court regarding the claim on this religious place.

The police have started zeroing in on the trouble-makers. The SP said, "Situation is under control as of now and we are keeping a close watch on the situation."
Lucknow, Oct 21 : A Gujarat-based businessman has come under Uttar Pradesh ATS scanner in connection with the funding of the illegal religious conversion racket, allegedly run by Islamic Dawah Centre chief Umar Gautam.

According to ATS, Abdullah Fefdewallah from Bharuch in Gujarat, is a member of Al-Fala Trust, which was the main source of funds to run the racket.

Inspector General of Police, ATS, G.K. Goswami, said, "We have identified transactions worth Rs 57 crore made by Al-Fala Trust through hawala and other means. All the transactions as well as the people associated with the UK-based trust were being scrutinised." Abdullah came in touch with Umar Gautam through Salahuddin Jainuddin, an associate of Gautam, in 2002. Later, the three started working together.

Umar Gautam and Jainuddin are currently under seven-day remand of the Vadodara police in connection with a case of religious conversion.

"We are working in coordination with Gujarat police to trace the whereabouts of Abdullah," he said.

ATS sources said Abdullah had the citizenship of the UK. His associates, Mustafa Sheikh from Dubai and Imran from Mumbai (Maharashtra), allegedly made contributions to the Al-Fala trust.

The ATS officials said when the arrested accused were asked about the source of Rs 57 crore funds, they failed to give a satisfactory reply.

The illegal conversion racket was active in 24 states and 16 people have been arrested so far, officials said.
Mumbai, Oct 21 : Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday morning went to meet his son Aryan, currently lodged in a barrack with other criminals at the Arthur Road Central Jail (ARCJ) , after his detention and arrest by the NCB in a drugs case.

The pony-tailed senior Khan sporting dark shades and a black facemask over a grey half-sleeved T-shirt was virtually mobbed by the paparazzi and the hordes of policemen as he entered the menacing barred gates of the ARCJ in the congested south Mumbai.

Accompanied by a couple of their lawyers, the father-son duo met ahead of Aryan Khan's bail plea, which is likely to come up before the Bombay High Court later in the day.

However, despite a volley of media queries, Khan moved around with folded hands but without response, as he emerged after a 10-minute tete-a-tete with Aryan.

Image Source: IANS News

This is the second meeting between the King Khan and the cub, who has spent 20 nights away from the family den, the posh 'Mannat' in Bandra, after he was detained by NCB on October 2, arrested on October 3, and has remained in continuous custody till date, shocking Bollywood circles and their fans.

Earlier, a couple of days after his arrest, Khan had taken permission of the NCB to meet him briefly in the agency's lockup, when Aryan was in tears over his predicament.

At one point, mother Gauri Khan had landed up at the NCB lockup carrying packets of pizzas for her son, but was not permitted and returned with the parcel.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Beirut, Oct 21 : Lebanon has multiple challenges to meet before unlocking aid by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), experts have said.

The first challenge is that the cabinet needs to present a comprehensive strategy about Lebanon's planned reform to the IMF in a timely manner, Ghassan Ayache, former Vice Governor of the country's central bank, told Xinhua news agency.

He noted that the timing is critical, especially since the IMF is not in favour of striking deals with a temporary cabinet.

"The IMF prefers to wait until the parliamentary elections in 2022, which will give birth to a new cabinet capable of making at least medium-term reform promises," Ayache said.

The second challenge, according to Ayache, is to form a committee capable of holding talks with the IMF by adopting a well-coordinated vision about Lebanon's crisis, causes and necessary solutions.

Lebanon has formed a committee for the IMF talks. However, members are at odds with each other, raising public concerns about their ability to overcome the differences to reach a successful deal with the Fund, said Ayache.

Lebanon is facing the worst financial crisis in its history with the public debt hovering around $98 billion and its currency has lost more than 90 per cent of its value.

Earlier this year, Lebanon defaulted on a $1.2 billion Eurobond, the first sovereign default in the country's history.

Moreover, banks have imposed strict capital controls as they lack the hard currency to repay depositors.

Another challenge facing Lebanon is to determine losses and distribute them among the state, the central bank, commercial banks, depositors and creditors, said Mounir Younes, economist and former chief editor of Al Qabas Kuwaiti newspaper.

Financial advisory firm Lazard estimated that losses of Lebanon's financial system stand at over $80 billion, a figure that was disputed by MPS, the central bank and commercial lenders but fell in line with the IMF's estimation.

Restructuring the banking sector is another challenge for Lebanon, said Younes, since banks in the country have been on the verge of bankruptcy.

"If IMF talks succeed, Lebanon will be able to restructure its debt and borrow again from international financial markets to revive the economy, achieve growth and create job opportunities," he noted.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced on Tuesday that Lebanon had started drafting its reform plan, in hope of reaching a deal with the IMF by the end of 2021.
Bucharest, Oct 21 : Romania's Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos has failed to secure majority support in Parliament for his new cabinet proposal.

As expected, his cabinet line-up was supported by only 88 deputies and senators, most of them from the centre-right Save Romania Union (USR) led by Ciolos, reports Xinhua news agency.

A minimum of 234 votes in the bicameral Parliament with over 460 seats were needed for Ciolos's proposal to pass.

"Through the irresponsible vote against the USR cabinet, lawmakers rejected the only solution for Romania to have a functional government today and decided that it is more important to prolong the political crisis than to solve the health crisis," with the USR, which holds 80 seats in Parliament, said on social media.

Last week, President Klaus Iohannis proposed 52-year-old Ciolos as a candidate to form a new government after the centre-right coalition led by Florin Citu was toppled in a no-confidence vote.

The USR's withdrawal from the three-party coalition, amid rows with the prime minister, caused the eventual collapse of Citu's cabinet.

On Monday, Ciolos, former Prime Minister between November 2015 and January 2017, presented his pick for the new cabinet made up entirely of USR members, as he lacks the support of the two largest parties, the National Liberal Party (PNL) led by Citu and the Social Democratic Party (PSD), as well as most of the other smaller groups in Parliament.

The ball is now back in Iohannis's court, who will have to nominate another candidate to replace Citu.

Local analysts believe that the President will Now pick a PNL candidate.

"The solution for Romania is the restoration of the USR-PNL-UDMR (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania) coalition," the USR said after the vote in Parliament.

Meanwhile, the party insisted on its position of supporting any PNL Prime Minister other than the incumbent.

The current situation is bound to extend the period of political uncertainty in the country, affecting its efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and respond to the economic challenges, local analysts said.
Addis Ababa, Oct 21 : The Ethiopian federal government has confirmed targeted air strikes in the country's conflict-hit Tigray region.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which used to rule the region, had accused the government forces over allegedly targeting civilian areas, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Contrary to the misrepresentation, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) air strikes have specifically targeted TPLF arms manufacturing and armament repair sites," the government's fact check portal confirmed on Wednesday.

"The ENDF's surgical operations are aimed at destroying illegal caches of heavy weaponry and armaments at selected sites," it added.

The air strikes came amid the expanding conflict in the region.

On Monday, the government had disclosed that at least 30 civilians were killed due to an attack by rebel forces as the conflict expands to neighbouring regions.

The government said forces loyal to the TPLF had recently launched fresh attacks on Amhara and Afar regions, neighbouring Tigray, "plundering property and starving children, mothers, and the elderly to death".

Since the early hours of November 4, 2020, the Ethiopian government has been undertaking military operations against the TPLF.

The Ethiopian House of People's Representatives, the lower house of Parliament, had previously designated the TPLF as a terrorist organisation.
Warsaw, Oct 21 : Poland has seen an "explosion" of the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two days, and the government will have to take "drastic measures" if the trend continues, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said at a press conference here.

The week-on-week increases in the number of new infections on Tuesday and Wednesday reached 85 per cent and 100 per cent, respectively, he said.

"If this continues, the situation will distort all our forecasts," Xinhua news agency quoted Niedzielski as saying.

"The realization of a scenario that goes beyond the forecast path is certainly an important alert and a red light for us." More than one third of the new daily infections were reported in just two of Poland's 16 provinces - Lubelskie and Podlaskie in the east, where the vaccination rate is also the lowest, the Minister said.

He also said that the coronavirus restrictions currently in force, which include the mandatory use of face masks on public transport, will be subject to tougher enforcement.

Poland recorded 5,559 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 75 deaths in past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.

The new figures have increased the overall infection tally and death toll 2,950,616 and 76,254, respectively.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Mumbai, Oct 21 : The Bombay High Court on Thursday posted to October 26 the hearing of the bail application of Aryan Khan, arrested in a drugs case by the Narcotics Control Bureau, and declined bail by a Special NDPS Court.

The matter came up before Justice N.W. Sambre with Khan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde seeking urgent hearing on Friday or Monday.

However, Justice Sambre decided to take up the matter on Tuesday next, and Khan may have to spend five more days in custody.

The son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Aryan Khan has challenged a ruling of the Special NDPS Court on Wednesday (October 20), rejecting his bail plea, along with co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha.

Simultaneously, Khan's judicial custody expires in the day (Thursday) and the NCB is likely to file an application seeking extension of the same before the Special NDPS Court Judge V.V. Patil.

Following a swoop on a cruise ship by the NCB on October 2, Khan, along with Merchant and Dhamecha, plus five others was detained and arrested on October 3, and has since remained in custody for the past 20 days.

Initially, he was given a day's NCB remand by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R.M. Nerlikar till October 4, later till October 7, and then sent to two weeks' judicial custody which is ends Thursday (October 21).

Besides the trio of Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha, the others arrested on October 3 include Nupur Satija, Ishmeet Singh Chadha, Mohak Jaswal, Gomit Chopra and Vikrant Chhoker, and later the NCB arrested 12 more persons in connection with the same case.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 21 : Estranged former top Congress leader Cherian Phillip, who has openly criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan- his biggest supporter since he left the Congress and became a fellow traveller of the CPI-M in 2001- on Thursday got the first green signal that he is welcome to return to the grand-old party.

Incidentally, the first call to the 67-year-old Phillip, a bachelor, came from Lok Sabha member K.Muraleedharan- son of K. Karunakaran, who defeated Phillip at the 2011 Assembly elections.

"He is definitely welcome to return to the Congress, but for that, it's him who has to take a call. I know him for long and even though we contested against each other in the 2011 polls, we know that he is a real Congressman. So let him make the first move and if he is willing, he will be definitely welcomed, said Muraleedharan.

Now all eyes are on a function where Phillip is to be presented with an award for his social commitment to be presented by two-time former Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on October 25.

Incidentally, way back in 2001, on being denied a ticket by Chandy who ran the affairs of the Antony faction, Phillip revolted and quit the Congress, only to be fielded by the CPI-M against the former in the 2001 Assembly polls.

It was an easy win for Chandy at his home turf in Puthupally in Kottayam district.

The relation between Vijayan and Phillip turned sour in April this year amid speculations that he will be nominated for the Rajya Sabha.

But, for the first time the Chief Minister failed to support him and instead, backed his closest aides John Brittas- who headed the Kairali TV and V. Sivadasan who was handling the party's social media operations- and both were elected to the upper house.

Since then, Phillip started distancing himself from Vijayan and he refused the post of the vice-chairman of the Kerala Khadi Board, offered to him. Recently, he took potshots at Vijayan for failing to rise to the occasion after the recent floods hit the state.

Asked about Phillip drifting away from the CPI-M, the senior Left leader was, however, guarded in his response.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Phillip shared a post in Facebook that he will be launching his own You Tube channel from January and airing his frank opinion on issues.

So, the ball is now in his court and one will have to wait and watch which way he is going to kick it.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Climate change adaptation and loss and damage, associated with the adverse effects of climate change, are among the priority thematic areas of work that the host UK planned in partnership with India when world leaders gather this month in Scotland's largest city Glasgow for upcoming COP26 -- the 2021 edition of the UN Annual Climate Change Conference.

Many believe the upcoming summit is to be the world's best last chance to get runaway climate change under control.

However, India is expected to announce its enhanced nationally determined contributions (NDCs) with a commitment to reduce the emissions intensity of the economy. As per the Paris Agreement, India aims to reduce the emission intensity by 33-35 per cent by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels.

"We have a day on adaptation and loss and damage, with events held in partnership with the governments of India, Jamaica and Bangladesh," COP26 President Alok Sharma announced while sets out a series of events that will take place in the UK Presidency Pavilion over the vital two weeks of COP26.

"And we have a whole day dedicated to finance, with numerous events focussing on both the public and private sectors, covering everything from overcoming barriers to investment in developing countries to building the foundations of a net zero financial system.

"Civil society, private finance, and business, including our fantastic COP26 partners, are a strong feature throughout the programme, and we have a dedicated cities and regions day packed with exciting events," he said.

At an event planned on World leaders' Summit on November 1, the UK and India will co-chair the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), a group of 26 countries, and seven international organizations, aimed at promoting resilient infrastructure through cutting-edge research and innovations.

At this event, Ministers from the UK, India and key CDRI members (Japan, the US, Australia, UN organisations, Small Island Developing States), and representatives from the private sector, will reiterate their commitment to making infrastructure more resilient to climate related disasters.

The CDRI will present the case for renewed investment in resilient infrastructure, and the scope of its upcoming flagship report (due for publication in 2022).

The world must adapt to the damaging effects of climate change and build more resilience to disasters. Two-thirds of economic losses from disasters are associated with infrastructure damage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the CDRI at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in New York and it now includes 26 countries, the European Union and four international partners and two private sector organisations.

Elaborating the programme sets out the exciting series of events that will take place in the UK Presidency Pavilion, curated to support the longstanding goals of the UK's COP26 presidency, Sharma said the first of these goals is to drive down global emissions to keep alive the crucial Paris Agreement aim of limiting global temperature rises to well below 2 degrees C, and as close as possible to 1.5C.

This includes driving action on power, transport, deforestation and methane.

"Secondly, we aim to protect people and nature from the impacts of climate change through adaptation. Third, we aim to get finance flowing to climate action. And fourth, we must work together to achieve our aims, bringing all of society on board behind COP26," Sharma said in a forward.

To accelerate the deployment of offshore wind in emerging markets, the UK is hosting an event on November 4 at the pavilion.

The UK has installed more offshore wind capacity than any other country and is supporting the joint ESMAP-IFC Offshore Wind Development Programme to help emerging markets address these barriers.

This event will showcase how the ESMAP-IFC programme is currently working with over 10 emerging market governments, including Colombia, India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Vietnam, to accelerate the uptake of offshore wind by including it into the energy policies and strategies of these countries, and providing the preparatory work, through roadmaps and technical assistance, to build a pipeline of bankable projects.

On November 4, the UK government is launching the flagship report, The New Economics of Innovation and Transition, including case study examples of transformative energy policy initiatives from Brazil, China, India and the EU.

Glasgow will be the culmination of work by the UK Presidency and globally over the course of 2020 and 2021.

The UK has days dedicated to gender and youth, and inclusion features throughout the programme.

"We have, for example, events on gender responsive financing, and an event on deforestation held with Indigenous peoples and local communities during the World Leaders' Summit," said Sharma.

"Altogether, this two-week programme supports the global action we need over the next decade, which is so critical for our climate," he added.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Chennai, Oct 21 : The Chennai Police are continuing to crack down on vehicles, including high-end cars that are bearing fake stickers of press, lawyers, and human rights bodies. In certain cases, the stickers of doctors were also falsely used.

A senior police officer on condition of anonymity told IANS, "In most of the cases middle-level politicians and businessmen are using these fake stickers. Most of them when interrogated said that they were using these stickers to get preferences at parking slots as well as to get away from police checks." The Chennai city police had received several complaints of contraband objects being smuggled in cars that have fake stickers of press and that of lawyers. Police while arresting a few people, who were smuggling liquor, were found to be using fake press stickers on the vehicles.

Police have also apprehended some vehicles which were having stickers of various human rights organisations and when verified found that the person did not have any contact with the organisations. When questioned, the people in the car, according to the Chennai city police, revealed that they wanted to just 'show-off' in the society and to flout their 'power'.

Press bodies, including newspaper and TV organisations and several press clubs and press forums across Tamil Nadu had complained to the police that press stickers were being faked and used in cars of people with tainted backgrounds.

Bar associations and even the Bar council also complained to the police that several people were using fake stickers of advocates to get away from the police.

The Central intelligence agencies have also reported that several people were using fake stickers and terror outfits might misuse the stickers of press and advocates as camouflage.

On Wednesday, the Chennai Police had fined 1,892 vehicles for the misuse of stickers, and also impounded two cars that had stickers of human rights organisations.

A statement from the police said that a car bearing the registration number AP 03 CL 0365 was having a sticker of Social Justice for World Human Rights Council, district chairman, Chittoor district. When the police apprehended the vehicle and questioned its owner, Suresh, he said that he had no connection with such an organisation. The vehicle was seized and a case registered, police said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Sanaa, Oct 21 : Forces of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched military operations against sites held by the Houthi militia in the oil-rich southern province of Shabwa, a military source said.

"The government's military operations launched against the Houthi-held sites in the oil-rich district of Usaylan in Shabwa, sparking intense fighting between the two warring rivals in the area," the source told Xinhua news agency.

The anti-Houthi military operations were launched simultaneously from different directions and succeeded in recapturing a series of mountainous heights and other key sites from the rebels in Usaylan, he added.

The Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition stepped up military operations in an attempt to achieve a breakthrough by securing the country's energy-rich provinces and blocking the rebels' on-ground progress, according to the official.

During the past 24 hours, the Saudi-led coalition declared carrying out 26 aerial attacks against the Houthi-held sites in the neighbouring province of Marib.

According to the coalition's press release, the air raids resulted in killing more than 82 Houthi fighters and damaging 11 military vehicles.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia launched in February a major offensive toward Marib in an attempt to seize control of the province, the last northern stronghold of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 21 : The Crime Branch police probing the case of the fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal has taken the statement from Anitha Pullayil, the high profile Kerala lady settled in Italy.

According to sources, the probe team contacted her and took her statement by video conferencing.

Eyebrows were raised ever since the name of Anitha started taking the rounds after 54-year-old Kochi resident Monson Mavunkal was arrested by the Crime Branch police from his home-cum-museum, last month after victims approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with their complaints that they were swindled of Rs 10 crore by this 'master fraud', who managed to even take the top most Kerala Police officials for a ride.

Anitha, whose number of pictures with Mavunkal hogging the attention have surfaced, is also seen in the company of none other than Vijayan and former DGP Loknath Behra, among others.

Anitha is based in Italy but hails from Trissur and took the route of the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) and became close to not just Behra, but also to Mavunkal and numerous other bigwigs.

LKS is a global meet of Keralite diaspora settled outside Kerala and it was first launched by the Vijayan government in 2018 and the second edition was held in January 2020.

When her name was dragged in, she came live on TV news channels and said that she is more of a social person engaged in charity works and helping people and she will cooperate with the police and that's what she did in the video conference, where she has disclosed all what she knew about Mavunkal.

Incidentally, there are reports that while the two were good friends and she is understood to have told the police that it was after knowing that Mavunkal was a fraud, she ended her friendship with him.

Mavunkal took all his high profile guests into his fold by showcasing antiques in his collection which he claimed included the "staff of Moses" and "two of the 30 silver coins that were taken by Judas to cheat Jesus Christ".

Police said that he had showcased these "rare" items -- a throne said to be used by Tipu Sultan, as well as a huge collection of old Qurans, Bibles (Old Testament and New Testament), and old handwritten copies of Bhagavad Gita.

Mavunkal used to bring several VIPs to his palatial residence, a part of which was converted into museum to house his 'precious' antiques.

Mavunkal is presently under judicial custody and on October 19, the local police registered a case against him under POCSO charges after a 17-year-old girl complained of violating her.
Miami, Oct 21 : The gunman who killed 17 people at a high school in the US state of Florida in 2018 has pleaded guilty to all the 34 charges against him, handing his fate to a jury that could sentence him to either life in prison or death.

On Wednesday, Nikolas Cruz, the 23-year-old former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, pleaded guilty one-by-one to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in a courtroom where Judge Elizabeth Scherer read him a lengthy list of questions as well as each of the victims' names, reports Xinhua news agency.

The carnage on February 14, 2018, was was one of the deadliest school shootings in the country's history, killing 14 students and three faculty members, while injuring 17 others.

The case now goes into the penalty phase, scheduled to begin in January 2022.

A jury will be selected, which will recommend a sentence to the judge after hearing testimony.

Cruz will face the minimum of life in prison and the maximum of capital punishment.

The prosecution has said they plan to seek the death penalty.

"I am very sorry for what I did, and I have to live with it every day. If I were to get a second chance, I would do everything in my power to try to help others," Cruz said to the victims' families while reading a prepared statement after his guilty pleas.

"I love you, and I know you don't believe me," he said.
Amaravati, Oct 21 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday began 36-hour long sit-in at party's central office at Mangalagiri to protest Tuesday's attacks on party offices and demanded the Centre's intervention to save the people of Andhra Pradesh from what he called the drug mafia and the undemocratic and fascist regime.

The leader of opposition reiterated his demand for invoking Article 356, saying Andhra Pradesh in its present situation was a fit case for imposition of President's rule.

He claimed that the TDP never made such a demand in the past and it was not in the habit of making such demands considering the need to overlook stray mistakes by some individuals. "But, the lapses of the Jaganmohan Reddy Government crossed all limits. The future of the whole State and the country is at stake now," he said.

The former chief minister began the sit-in to protest Tuesday's attacks on party offices and leaders by supporters of ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).

The protest with the title 'fight against state terrorism' began 8 a.m. and will continue till 8 p.m. on Friday.

He alleged that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy was growing impatient over the increasing public resentment against his Government's atrocities, all round corruption and attacks on all constitutional institutions. Tuesday's attack on TDP main office was not a sporadic, isolated incident but a culmination of two and half years of lawless, anarchic and oppressive regime, he said.

Addressing the party leaders and cadres, the TDP chief reminded the Centre that the dark activities of the Andhra Pradesh ganja mafia was not limited to the State but spread to Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other States.

Stating that the menace of drugs poses a big threat to the nation, he alleged that cases were being booked against TDP leaders for demanding action against those supplying drugs.

Naidu deplored that the 'state-sponsored terrorism' was reaching new heights in the state. "A Member of Parliament became a victim of custodial torture. YSRCP's own MP Raghu Rama Raju was taken into unlawful custody and beaten up. The Jagan regime made countless attacks on the autonomy of the courts, the Election Commission, opposition parties and general public. Dalit doctor Dr Sudhakar was put to psychological and financial torture till his death for demanding masks." Naidu said there was a complete breakdown of law and order in the state. He termed the attacks on TDP offices an attack on democracy. He claimed that the attacks were pre-planned and aimed at eliminating the party. He reiterated that he personally called the Director General of Police but he did not respond.

He said the TDP party leader Pattabhi Ram's house was attacked and ransacked. There were attacks at several places including party offices at Visakhapatnam, Hindupur and Kadapa. He said TDP offices and leaders were targeted.

"They are saying that the language used by Pattabhi Ram was abusive. Are you ready for a debate on the kind of language used by Jagan and his ministers," he asked the government.

He said though TDP offices and leaders were attacked, police booked cases against them. An intruder into TDP office was caught and handed over to police but a case was booked against TDP leaders.

Stating that TDP pays tributes to policemen on every police commemoration day, Naidu said the police department was getting a bad name because of few officers.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here to express gratitude to doctors, nurses and others who helped India cross the 100 crore Covid-19 vaccination-mark.

Modi visited the vaccination centre at the hospital and interacted with the health workers. He also gave a thumbs up to the health workers at the hospital.

India on Thursday achieved the major milestone of one billion vaccination under the mass vaccination drive.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians.

"Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. #VaccineCentury" Congratulating the nation on this historic moment, the Union Health Minister Mansukh said in a tweet, "Congratulation India! Under the visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has been achieved".

As India has achieved this historical landmark, the health ministry has planned several events to mark the occasion. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will release a song and an audio visual film to celebrate the landmark milestone of administering 100 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Cape Town, Oct 21 : Eight foreign nationals, who are also wanted by the US, made their first appearance at a South African court in connection with a cross-border, multi-million dollar online scam.

They appeared at the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

The suspects, who were wanted arrested on Tuesday in the legislative capital of South Africa in a large-scale joint operation, allegedly defrauded American citizens and others around the world of $6.8 million.

They were charged in the US with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, National Prosecuting Authority's regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila told Xinhua news agency outside the court after their appearance.

They intend to apply for bail but the prosecutor will oppose the bail application as the accused are a flight risk, and are likely to tamper with evidence electronically, and some of them stay in the country illegally with expired passports, said Ntabazalila.

According to the police, the American government issued warrants for their arrests, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Secret Service (USSS) were involved in the joint operation together with Interpol, with the assistance from the South African police.

The suspects, who used social media websites and online dating websites, allegedly preyed on victims, many of whom were vulnerable widows or divorcees who were led to believe that they were in a genuine romantic relationship, but were scammed out of their hard earned money.

They also used business email compromise, where accounts are diverted in order to change banking details.
Bengaluru, Oct 21 : Edtech company BYJU'S on Thursday introduced an enhanced and tailor-made health insurance policy for its employees that covers and further scales up focus on their physical and psychological well-being.

The new policy aims to aid employees during medical emergencies and relieve them of financial stress.

The new policy, an extended cover of Rs 4 lakhs (employees have the option to top up the cover as well), provides employees the option to choose covers for family members, that is, parents, siblings, in-laws, and same-gender partners in the same plan, the company said in a statement.

The employees can avail the policy for mental and psychiatric treatments, Covid home care treatment, emergency hospitalisation (without active line of treatment), and enhanced maternity coverage.

The policy also includes other features such as unlimited doctor consultations, hospital cover, fitness sessions, mindfulness sessions, mental well-being treatments cover, no waiting period and coverage of pre-existing diseases.

"At BYJU'S, the health and wellness of our employees is paramount. Our efforts have always been focused on fostering an environment in which BYJUites feel heard and supported," said Pravin Prakash, Chief People Officer, BYJU'S, in the statement.

"This updated policy is another proactive effort to create a more holistic and comfortable employee experience and expresses gratitude to every employee who has been working tirelessly during the pandemic," he added.
Mumbai, Oct 21 : In a major development, teams of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) are paying a 'visit' to the residences of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan in Bandra West, actress Ananya Pande in Khar west, and raided a location in Andheri on Thursday as part of the ongoing probe into the October 2 luxury cruiser rave party.

The reasons for the raids at Khan's sea-facing bungalow, 'Mannat' were not immediately available, but took place shortly after the Bombay High Court this morning decided to take up his son Aryan Khan's bail plea on next Tuesday, October 26.

NCB teams were reportedly keeping a watch on the Khans since the past few days and Nationalist Congress Party National Spokesperson and Minister Nawab Malik had said that among various Bollywood bigwigs targeted, the superstar was on the radar of the central probe agency.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Damascus, Oct 21 : A drone attack targeted a US base in the al-Tanf area in Syria, state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.

Multiple explosions rocked the US base late Wednesday night as a result of the attack, Xinhua news agency quoted SANA as sayonh without giving any other details.

Meanwhile, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the explosions, saying it was not yet clear whether the attack was carried out by pro-Iran militia or not.

It's worth noting that Israel has carried out its recent attacks from over the al-Tanf area, targeting positions of pro-Iran fighters.

In 2016, the US established the base in al-Tanf, located in a triangle of border regions between Syria, Iraq and Jordan.

The Syrian government has repeated calls for the US to withdraw from Syria, deeming its presence "illegal".
Madrid, Oct 21 : FC Barcelona have reached an agreement to extend the contract of 18-year-old striker Ansu Fati until June 2027. The official Barcelona website confirmed late on Wednesday night that the youngster, who has just returned after almost a year out with a knee injury, will put pen to paper on Thursday.

The agreement comes just days after Barca also assured the future of 18-year-old midfielder Pedri, who signed a contract until June 2026, and just like Pedri, Fati will have a 1 billion euro release clause in his new deal.

Fati made his Barca debut in 2019 at just 16, and made 33 appearances in his first season, scoring eight goals and earning a call up to the Spain national team, before his injury limited him last season, reports Xinhua.

So far he has played 48 times for the club, netting 15 goals, and this season he inherited the No 10 shirt left vacant by Lionel Messi.

The club announced the news shortly after Gerard Pique's first-half goal gave them a 1-0 win at home to Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League, in which the teenager came on as a second-half substitute.
New Delhi, Oct 21: Sheikh Hasina, the secular and progressive Prime Minister of Bangladesh is under severe international pressure. From the United Nations to Amnesty International, the world has been stunned by the frenzied attacks against Bangladeshi Hindus during Durga Puja. In India, emotions are running high, and threaten to damage the umbilical ties nurtured over centuries among the people of the two neighbouring countries. Unless the Bangladeshi Prime Minister does, and is seen to be taking decisive action against the culprits, who have spawned a deep conspiracy, it is possible that the powerful emotional connect among the people, built over centuries, may be severely hemorrhaged.

With the horrific attacks fully internationalized, and already a blot on the global human rights map, not only should the Hasina administration, quickly nab the ring leaders of the cascading bloodletting, but also eliminate the root causes of the searing violence that tore through the city of Cumilla-the epicenter of the carnage. That may include the institutional cleanup of several state organs, including the police and the intelligence services, which the radicals, unfortunately, seem to have infiltrated.

The sheer horror of the anti-Hindu pogrom during Durga Puja has prodded the United Nations to take serious notice of the tragedy. The UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo joined the growing chorus against communal violence on Monday, calling upon the government to ensure the security for the country's minority community.

In a tweet, she wrote: "Recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh fueled by hate speech on social media are against the values of the Constitution and need to stop. We call upon the government to ensure protection of minorities and an impartial probe. We call upon all to join hands to strengthen inclusive tolerant Bangladesh." Amnesty International, the global human rights watchdog, has also served notice on the Bangladeshi government to urgently seal the open communal wound. It warned that the anti-minority sentiment has been growing in the country. Amnesty International's South Asia Campaigner, Saad Hammadi, said: "Reports of a spate of attacks by angry mobs against members of the Hindu community, their homes, temples and puja pandals during the country's biggest Hindu festival are symptomatic of the growing anti-minority sentiment in the country. Such repeated attacks against individuals, communal violence, and destruction of the homes and places of worship of minorities in Bangladesh over the years show that the state has failed in its duty to protect minorities. " Hammadi stressed that targeting religious sensitivities to stoke communal tension is a "serious human rights violation and requires immediate and decisive action from the government to address the situation of minorities in the country".

The fallout out of the anti-Hindu riots has triggered a straight fight between Hasina's secular and progressive imagination, which has already turned Bangladesh into the next Asian tiger, and medievalist radicalization, fathered by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, which in any case has been mourning the loss of former East Pakistan for the last 50 years. The ISI, a rogue intelligence agency, is in turn, a key driver of an expanding terror international, with nodes in Afghanistan, South Asia and Central Asia. With Turkey now as Pakistan's firm ally, the terror international's wings spread far beyond the region's borders-in fact, into the heart of West Asia, Africa and Caucasia.

The Bangladeshi Prime Minister's fight it therefore exceptionally arduous. The forces that have turned the country into a communal furnace not only have local but regional if not international roots as well. Sheikh Hasina's response therefore has to be multilayered, where local administrative action is informed by active collaboration with friendly countries, especially India, as well as UN organs engaged in the combatting global terrorism.

What else can Sheikh Hasina do? First and foremost, the combative Bangladeshi Prime Minister has to take notice that the radical hotheads with international support are hell-bent to destroy the secular, democratic, inclusive and progressive legacy of Bangladesh's liberation in partnership with India.

It is therefore unsurprising that the Durga Puja festivities have been brutally targeted so that bitterness of the riots overtakes in public memory, the progressive narrative of India-Bangladesh special ties scripted during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka to jointly celebrate 50 years of Bangladesh's independence, through a series of events. To reinforce their counter narrative of radicalism, exclusivity and violence, the bigots are persisting, and are likely to do so, with the rioting. On October 16, the south eastern town of Feni saw renewed attacks in several places of Durga worship. Even Kali temples, Hindu shops and property were not spared. Other districts in Bangladesh are not ruling out more assaults on their property anytime and anywhere.

It is apparent that the ultimate goal of the Jihadis, emboldened by the recent victory of the Taliban in Afghanistan, is to destabilise the Sheikh Hasina government. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat- e -Islami are lurking in the shadows to take over state power riding on a sense of Islamic ascendancy, if not dominance, in the country.

Second, the government must steel and support the anti-extremist forces in the country. For instance, teachers and staff from Dhaka University blocked a major intersection in the city in protest at the ongoing violence. There has also been a flurry of protests from Dinajpur to Gazipur to Cumilla to Dhaka, all in demonstration against the arson attack on Rangpur Hindu community houses Sunday night.

Finally, Bangladesh can do well to clearly understand the geopolitical and ideological gradients of the region. It is clear that China and Pakistan are working ceaselessly to exercise nodes of influence in the Indo-Pacific region, including Bangladesh, which, as a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia is a pivotal democracy. Instead of balancing between India and China, the time has arrived that Bangladesh unambiguously bonds with the Indo-Pacific democracies, chiefly India, Japan, Australia and the United States to effectively counter the radical headwinds blowing from Pakistan, backed by a nefarious Sino-Pak nexus.

(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
New Delhi, Oct 21 : The Char Dham Yatra, which was temporarily suspended due to incessant rains in Uttarakhand, resumed in Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri after the rains stopped on Thursday. However, roadways in Badrinath are still blocked and will be reopened after the weather clears. At least 54 people have died in rain related incidents in the state.

Devotees are leaving for the Char Dham pilgrimage from Haridwar and Rishikesh in public and private vehicles.

According to the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board, the helicopter service in Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri has become smooth and will resume in Joshimath and Pipalkoti soon.

Joshimath District Magistrate, Himanshu Khurana and Sub-Collector Kumkum Joshi, who inspected the road blockade in Badrinath on Wednesday, said that debris from villages like Tangri, Benakuli and Lambagad will be cleared before reopening the National Highway.

A large part of Almora Highway has also been completely damaged due to incessant rains. Many roads from Haldwani to Almora and from Almora to Ranikhet and Bageshwar have been damaged which has affected the movement of traffic.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reached Uttarakhand to conduct an aerial survey of disaster affected areas in the state.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also inspected various disaster-hit areas of Garhwal and Kumaon on Thursday. He along with Amit Shah will conduct an aerial inspection of the disaster hit areas soon.

Meanwhile, member of Devasthanam Management Board, Dr Harish Gaur, said that worship is going on in all the temples of Uttarakhand Char Dham on a daily basis. So far, about two lakh pilgrims have reached Char Dham since the opening of the gates of the temples.

Tourists are reportedly stranded in many other places of Uttarakhand. The district authorities have been instructed to evacuate them soon as soon as possible.

So far, 54 people have died and 19 people have been injured in the state due to the disaster caused by heavy rains.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Oct 21: Russia today announced that its military base in Tajikistan will be fully re-equipped with modern communications equipment by the end of the year.

The announcement came as member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and hosts Tajikistan - completed the third day of their massive military exercise on Afghanistan's borders.

Echelon-2021, Search-2021 and Interaction-2021 special military exercises are being held at the Harb-Maidon and Momirak training grounds in the Khatlon region - just 20 kilometers from the Tajik-Afghan border.

Moscow has sent a large contingent from its 201st military base stationed in two Tajik cities - capital Dushanbe and Bokhtar - for the military exercises which are being conducted by the Central Asian countries to "jointly counter" the security threats emanating from the territory of Afghanistan after the return of Taliban.

The 201st military base is the largest military facility of Russia, located beyond its borders. According to an agreement signed in October 2012, the formation will be in Tajikistan until 2042.

As over 4000 armed forces personnel continue to train together on the southern borders, "thwarting the plans of the militants" and destroying the "illegal armed formations" that have "invaded the territory of a CSTO member state", Russia declared Wednesday that it will equip its military base in the country with the state-of-the-art military communications equipment.

"By the end of this year, we will complete equipping the communications units of the Russian military base in Tajikistan with modern samples of special equipment," said Major General Gennady Tuchin, head of the communications department of Russia's Central Military District command.

Tuchin chose October 20 to announce the development as it is celebrated as 'Day of the Military Signal Officer' by the Signal troops of Russia, The base in Dushanbe is expected to get the latest versions of special military equipment, including the R-149MA command and control vehicles, the R-419LM1 radio relay stations, the P-243 complex communications equipment and the R-441LM satellite communications station.

A feature of the use of new machines will be the ability to issue instructions and control the execution in real time through the 'video eye' system associated with reconnaissance and fire contours by means of the 'Strelets' complex.

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the unified command and staff vehicle R-149MA1 is designed to provide control and communication to brigade-level officials in the parking lot and on the move.

"The UKShM R-149MA1 can also be used in the operational echelon when it is used by officials at the forward command posts of large formations to ensure command and control of formations and units in accordance with the adopted tactics of using troops," it says.

As reported by IndiaNarrative.com on Tuesday, Moscow had transported six Tiger-M armoured vehicles - which are equipped with the latest Arbalet-DM remote-controlled weapon station - to Dushanbe from its special-purpose brigade stationed in the Samara region for the ongoing military exercise.

Meanwhile, on Day 3 of their Echelon-2021 special exercise at Harb-Maidon close to the border with Afghanistan, the CSTO military contingents carried out a massive refueling of armoured vehicles on Wednesday.

The servicemen made a multi-kilometer march to the training ground to deliver fuel and lubricants to units performing combat training missions to destroy a simulated enemy.

Support divisions deployed about 30 dispensing hoses for automobile refueling and transportation vehicles. For the first time in the exercise, the newest ATZ-12-10-63501 refueling tanker based on the Mustang KamAZ vehicle was used, which allows you to simultaneously refuel 10 units of various equipment.

"During the exercise, the CSTO collective forces worked out the tasks of joint refueling of equipment; in total, more than 30 tons of fuel were pumped from mobile tanks into T-72 tanks, BTR-82A armoured personnel carriers, 2S1 self-propelled howitzers, and lightly armored MT-LB multipurpose tractors," the press service of the Central Military District command reported.

This method, it said, made it possible to reduce the time spent by the unit in the area of mass dispensing of fuel by more than two times.

(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
New Delhi, Oct 21: As Nepals Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba completes 100 days in office after taking over the countrys top job amid unusual circumstances and multiple challenges, credit goes to him for resetting Kathmandu's foreign policy amid rapid geopolitical shifts.

Despite leading a coalition government, he has managed to open channels of communication with India as well as China.

Deuba and his party -- the Nepali Congress - have maintained that Kathmandu's foreign policy will be driven by its national interest.

An analyst told India Narrative that Deuba has delicately balanced relations with both India and China.

In an interview to Rising Nepal, Deuba said, "We have an open border with India and there is people-to-people exchange at the greater level so maintaining good relations with the southern neighbour is in our interest. Nepalis go to India for work and pilgrimage." "We have more intensive public, cultural and commercial relations with it," he told the news organisation.

While around 6 lakh Indians are living in Nepal about 8 lakh Nepalese have made India their home.

The Prime Minister said that maintaining good relations with its neighbours will be given top priority.

Earlier this month, a high level delegation of the ruling Nepali Congress led by former Foreign Minister and head of party's international department Prakash Sharan Mahat visited India.

Speaking to India Narrative Udaya Shumsher Rana, former minister of state for finance and a member of Nepali Congress, who was also part of the delegation, said that the visit was to foster friendly ties between the two neighbours.

Rana said that India and Nepal have many commonalities in terms of geography, culture and religion besides heightened social interaction owing to open borders. "These factors and the interdependence on each other have helped bind the two countries despite several hiccups," he told India Narrative earlier.

India and Nepal share an open border. While around 6 lakh Indians are living in Nepal about 8 lakh Nepalese have made India their home.

Meanwhile, apart from government to government dealings, India and Nepal are set to strengthen bilateral ties through party to party contact as well.

Rana, during his visit to India, said that such party to party meetings will become a more common and regular feature.

Bhaskar Koirala, Director of the Nepal Institute of International and Strategic Studies added that Nepal and India must engage even at the state levels.

"Nepal and India have a unique opportunity to strengthen their bilateral ties at this key juncture of global history when so many systemic (political, technological, social etc) changes are buttressing regional and global trends. The most important aspect of this relationship must centre on people to people relations and the galvanising effect this has on state to state relations," he said in an emailed interview.

(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
Seoul, Oct 21 : The Seoul city government said on Thursday that it will file complaints with police against all participants in a labour rally called by a militant umbrella union a day earlier on charges of violating the infectious disease prevention act.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) staged a massive rally in central Seoul for about two hours as part of a one-day general strike to bring labour issues to the fore in the run-up to the 2022 presidential election, reports Yonhap News Agency.

About 27,000 union members joined the rally, according to the KCTU.

"As we warned in advance, we will report the organizer and all participants of KCTU's rally to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at 4 p.m.," Kim Hyuk, a Seoul city official, said during a briefing.

"The Wednesday rally was held in clear violation of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act." The city government previously requested the KCTU to cancel the rally, warning of a stern response.

Under the current Level 4 social distancing rules imposed in Seoul and the greater capital area, all social rallies, except for essential corporate and official purposes, are prohibited due to infection concerns.
Vijayawada, Oct 21 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday slammed opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for tarnishing the image of the State by linking it with drugs out of anger for not coming to power.

He said despite the police and even central agencies clarifying that the State has no links with the recent drug haul, the opposition was carrying on Goebbels' propaganda and branding the state as 'Drugs Andhra Pradesh'.

He was apparently referring to 3,000 kg heroin seized at Mundra Port in Gujarat last month.

Addressing the Police Commemoration Day event at Vijayawada, the chief minister lashed out at the opposition for what he called playing with the future of the State and its people out of anger over not winning the elections and coming to power.

Reddy alleged that the opposition had conspired to create law and order problems by creating a wedge between castes and communities.

"We are seeing a new trend in crime. Anti-social elements have turned political leaders. Due to their anger over not getting power, they are destroying idols and setting ablaze temple rathams in the darkness," he said.

He said the opposition leaders were using abusive words against the chief minister so that the chief minister's admirers would get upset and react, leading to law and order problems.

Reddy's comments came in the wake of attacks on TDP offices on Tuesday after a TDP spokesperson allegedly used abusive language against him.

The chief minister reiterated that the opposition will not hesitate to instigate communal violence to derive political mileage.

"Since they did not get the power and we are winning every election, they are spreading lies and carrying out Goebbels' propaganda. They are trying to derail welfare schemes launched by the government. They are creating hurdles by filing court cases. They want to stop the construction of houses for the poor. They don't want children of the poor to get education through English medium," he said.
Wellington, Oct 21 : New Zealand on Thursday reported 102 new cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant in the community, which increased the overall infection tally to 5,315.

Ninety-four of the new infections were recorded in the largest city of Auckland and eight in nearby Waikato, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told a press conference.

Forty-six community cases are being treated in hospitals, including seven in intensive care units or high dependency units (HDUs), Xinhua news agency quoted Bloomfield as saying.

There are 2,028 cases that have been epidemiologically linked to another case or a sub-cluster, and a further 199 cases for which links are yet to be fully established, he said.

New Zealand also reported two new cases identified at the border in recent returnees.

The cases have remained in quarantine in Auckland.

Meanwhile, the country's death toll currently stands at 28.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that Auckland and parts of Waikato will remain under the current Level 3 restrictions for another two weeks, and the rest of New Zealand will remain under Level 2.
Bhopal, Oct 21 : A Mirage 2000 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district on Thursday.

The incident occurred at Mankabagh village near Barauli area of Bhind, which is around 500 km from state capital Bhopal.

The aircraft was being flown by lieutenant Abhilash. A video taken by a local shows pilot gliding down smoothly with the help of a parachute. However, he received minor injuries.

Soon after the crash, the plane caught fire, however, the pilot was ejected safely with minor injuries, said a police official in Bhind district.

"Villagers spotted the aircraft and informed local police. A team rushed to the spot and started rescue operation," said a senior police official.

The aircraft had taken off from Maharajpura airbase in Gwalior in the morning, a senior airport official told IANS.

"An IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft experienced a technical malfunction during a training sortie in the central sector this morning. The pilot ejected safely," IAF said adding that an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Damascus, Oct 21 : In the wake of a bombing in Damascus that killed 14 people, the Syrian Foreign Ministry has urged the international community and the US to take "deterrent measures" against terrorism.

"Syria calls on the international community and the UN to condemn this explosion that targeted unarmed civilians, and it calls on the Security Council to take deterrent measures against the states supporting and financing terrorism," the Ministry said.

On Wednesday, three explosive devices were affixed to the bottom of the military bus, two of which were detonated at the President Bridge in the heart of Damascus while the third one fell off without exploding and was later dismantled by a bomb squad.

The President Bridge is a very busy area in Damascus where the main transportation station is located.

Since dislodging the rebels from its outskirts in 2018, the Syrian capital has remained largely secure with some explosions taking place every now and then.

Wednesday's explosion is the second but the largest that took place in the capital this year.

In August, a military passenger bus was targeted in Damascus, causing fewer number of casualties.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Oct 21 : The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated that farmer groups have the right to protest, but they cannot keep roads blocked indefinitely. The top court has sought response from Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, and other farmer unions on a petition filed by a woman resident of Noida seeking direction to ensure that the road between Noida to Delhi is kept clear for smooth traffic movement.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the farmers' group, submitted before a bench headed by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul that road blockade would end, if permission is granted to continue the protest either at Ramlila Maidan or Jantar Mantar.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on his part, cited Republic Day violence and emphasized this happened despite farmer unions, had given an undertaking that there will be no violence during tractor rally scheduled on January 26. Dave claimed that January 26 violence was engineered, and added that the road management can be done better by the police.

The bench also comprising justice M.M. Sundresh told the farmers group counsel that they may have a right to agitate in any manner but roads should not be blocked like this. "People have right to go on roads, it cannot be blocked", noted the bench.

The bench asked SKM and other farmer unions to file their response in four weeks in the matter, and scheduled the matter for further hearing on December 7.

The top court was hearing a plea by a Noida-resident Monicca Agarwal complaining of delays in daily commute caused due to the road blockade by farmer groups.

Another bench headed by justice A.M. Khanwilkar, had questioned the rationale behind farmer groups continuing their protest, wherein national highways have been blocked, in the backdrop of stay on three contentious farm laws. The bench headed by justice Khanwilkar had said it will examine whether those protesting against farm laws have a right to do so even after challenging the contentious legislations in the top court.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Gurugram, Oct 21 : A team of doctors at Fortis Memorial Research Institute successfully removed the world's largest chest tumour weighing 13.85 kgs from the chest of a 25-year-old male patient.

As per the available medical literature and published papers, the largest chest tumour removed till date, prior to this case, was in Gujarat in 2015 weighing 9.5 kgs, the hospital said in a statement on Thursday.

Patient Devesh Sharma came to Fortis with breathlessness and extreme uneasiness in the chest. He wasn't able to sleep straight on the bed due to breathing trouble since the last 2-3 months.

An earlier CT scan at another hospital in the city indicated the presence of a massive tumour in the chest. It occupied more than 90 per cent of the chest area, engulfing the heart and displacing both lungs which led to only 10 per cent of the lungs functioning.

In addition, the patient had a very rare blood group, AB negative.

Due to the vast size of the tumour, it could not be removed through minimal invasive surgery. Thus, the Fortis doctors, in a 4-hour long surgery, opened both the sides of the chest and cut the chest bone (sternum) in between.

"In technical terms, we call it clam shell incision. Throughout the procedure, maintaining adequate blood flow was critical. This was a high risk surgery owing to the bulk of the tumour, which had occupied the entire chest making it difficult to operate on multiple vessels as the neck of the tumour couldn't be controlled and the capsule of the tumour cannot be breached," said Dr Udgeath Dhir, Director and Head, CTVS, at Fortis, in the statement.

Post the surgery, the patient was shifted to the ICU, and was initially kept on ventilation and later weaned off.

However, the carbon dioxide in his blood started rising owing to which his lungs which had initially contracted started expanding leading to Re-expansion Pulmonary Edema (RPE).

"We tried to manage this conservatively without invasive ventilator support, but after 48 hours had to put him back on ventilator. Considering his condition, we decided to do a tracheostomy, where we created a mini hole in the neck so that we could take out his secretions since he had also developed dense adhesions in his heart," Dhir said.

"The patient stayed in the ICU for 39 days, post which he was shifted to a room and his tracheostomy was removed. The patient is doing well, and on bare minimal oxygen support. We are happy that he is gradually recovering," Dhir added.
Hyderabad, Oct 21 : Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech on Thursday said it was proud to contribute to India reaching the one billion-mark of Covid vaccinations.

The Hyderabad-based vaccine maker said that reaching the one billion-mark in just nine-months is a remarkable achievement for India.

"Bharat Biotech is proud to have contributed to this historic landmark. This is a unified effort of the Government, vaccine manufacturers, healthcare workers and all the vaccinated citizens of India, making it a true success story of Atmanirbhar Bharat," Asaid Dr. Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech.

"We thank the PMO, MOH, NRA, ICMR, academic collaborators, industry partners, stakeholders, suppliers & employees for enabling us to maximize our efforts & deliver COVAXIN successfully to India's vaccination," said Suchitra Ella, Joint Managing Director, Bharat Biotech.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Jaipur, Oct 21 : Rajasthan Police have arrested a school teacher Manoj Kumar, who lynched Ganesh, a Class 7 student of a private school in Kolasar village of Churu district, said officials on Thursday.

Manoj lynched this 13-year-old student Ganesh to death on Wednesday for not doing his homework. The accused teacher slammed Ganesh on the ground, which led to his death, they added.

Meanwhile, the incident has left the entire education department perturbed and a team has been sent to Kolasar for further investigation.

Salasar SHO Sandeep Vishnoi said that a case of murder has been registered against accused Manoj on the basis of complaint by student's father Omprakash.

The statements of the family members of the deceased and some of other children studying with Ganesh have been recorded. Manoj Kumar, the arrested teacher who killed the student, is working as the head of the institution.

His mother has not been informed about the incident. She has been told that her son is in the hospital. Also, Ganesh will be cremated on Thursday after his post mortem was conducted on Wednesday.
Jaipur, Oct 21 : After being summoned by Delhi Police in a phone tapping case, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Lokesh Sharma will appear before the Crime Branch for questioning on Friday.

He will appear before the Delhi Police's Crime Branch for the first time after a case was registered against him seven months ago.

Speaking to IANS, Sharma said that he was leaving for Delhi on Thursday.

"I am ready to cooperate with the police if they want to inquire about anything," he said.

Sharma was issued a notice through an email, asking him to appear in the infamous phone tapping case on October 22 at 11 a.m. in the national capital.

Earlier, Sharma was called for questioning on July 24, but he did not appear at that time.

Sharma had challenged the FIR registered against him in the High Court. Giving relief to the OSD in the case, the High Court stayed his arrest till January 13.

Mahesh Joshi, the chief whip of the Gehlot government, was also called for questioning in June, but did not appear.

The case of phone tapping was registered by Jodhpur MP and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on March 25 this year. While filing the case, Shekhawat had said that an attempt had been made to malign his image via phone tapping. Sharma had challenged this FIR in the Delhi High Court. So far, this matter has been heard thrice in the High Court.
Canberra, Oct 21 : A new report revealed on Thursday that 867,900 people in Australia had multiple jobs, the highest number since the country's Bureau of Statistics started keeping records in 1994.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) report also found that 209,100 of them were holding down three or more jobs, a 10.8 per cent increase from June 2020, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The record number of Australians working three or more jobs is a deeply concerning trend," said Sally McManus, who heads the ACTU, which is the nation's largest union organisation.

McManus blamed the government for having overseen the "erosion of the financial security that secure employment has provided for generations of Australian workers".

"How do working people with multiple, insecure jobs plan for a life outside of work?" she asked.

The report revealed that workers who do multiple jobs still ended up earning about 17.5 per cent less than the national average - who are usually people working just one job.

Women working multiple jobs are notably worse off than men, earning almost A$10,000 ($7,543) less per year than their male counterparts.

"More than half of those with two or more jobs are women and as usual they are left worse off," McManus said.

Workers aged under 35 also figured disproportionately high in the report, with 55 percent of them shouldering at least two jobs.

McManus believes the surge in people working multiple jobs is driven by employers offering insecure work, often to deal with the pandemic.

Multiple job holding has risen markedly in administrative and support services where cleaners, security guards and call center workers have been hired.

Healthcare and social assistance also saw some of the largest increases in multiple job holding. Workers in these sectors are already overworked and underpaid, McManus said, while being on the pandemic frontline.

The ACTU said working across multiple locations was a huge Covid-19 health risk for healthcare workers and patients yet was a growing solution for employers who "exploit weak workplace laws".

"The government urgently needs to address the insecure jobs crisis plaguing this country," McManus said. "Australian workers have been doing it extremely tough for almost two years."
October 21 : Looks like NCB team isnt backing down, despite facing wide-spread criticism in Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khans drug case, which is currently the most debated topic everywhere, the team has launched a full-scale raid on newbie Ananya Panday house in Bandra.

Actor Ananya Panday's Mumbai home was raided by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and she has been called for questioning. She has been called in for questioning at the Mumbai office of the anti-drugs agency.

This is the first time veteran actor Chunky Pandey and Bhavna Pandeys daughter is under the scanner of NCB. The findings or reasons of raid are still unclear as no official statement has been made from either side.

But a team was spotted leaving the premises with bags and documents, upon inquiring about the findings, the official refused to comment or reply.

This is not the first time, B-town has come under the scanner of NCB, and earlier entire lot of celebrity were questioned and called by different agencies during SSRs fiasco.

Aryan Khan is currently lodged in Arthur Road Jail, for his alleged involvement in using, procuring and distributing banned mood-altering substance. NCB arrested a slew of people on 3rd October during a raid on cruise ship rave party.
Agartala, Oct 21 : Protests against the recent communal violence in Bangladesh continued in Tripura and other northeastern states with the CPI-M and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday urging the government in Dhaka to protect the lives and properties of the minorities and their religious institutions.

A VHP delegation on Thursday met the Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner (AHC) in Agartala, Mohammad Jobayed Hosen and urged him to request the Dhaka government to ensure action against those who carried out the violence.

The VHP sent a letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through the AHC demanding to protect the lives and properties of the Hindus and punish the perpetrators.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) Tripura Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury said that fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh as part of their pre-planned conspiracies attacked the minorities in the violence which ended last week.

"We believe that the Bangladesh government would take strict action against those who attacked and vandalized the houses and properties of minorities," said Chaudhury, who is also the central committee member of the Left party.

In a separate event, 13 mass and social organisations also on Thursday jointly met the Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner demanding full protection of the minorities.

In view of the violence, a three-day film festival of the Bangladesh government in Agartala, which was scheduled to commence on Thursday, has been postponed "due to unavoidable circumstances".

"In the proposed film festival, 34 films, mostly on 'Mukti Yuddha' (1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh), were planned to be screened from October 21 to 23 in the Rabindra Satabarshiki Auditorium," an official told IANS.

As per media reports, the mob violence erupted in Comilla on October 13, after unconfirmed posts went viral on social media about the alleged desecration of the Quran at a Durga Puja venue, following which Hindu temples were vandalised.

Reports quoting Rana Dasgupta, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha Christian Oikya Parishad, the death toll in the communal violence in Bangladesh has increased to six, while at least 70 Hindu temples and scores of houses and huge properties were damaged across the country.
Panaji, Oct 21 : A day after Goa police lathi-charged Youth Congress workers protesting peacefully against an ongoing poker tournament here, a party delegation on Thursday offered bouquets, cards and chocolates to police officials who were present at the protest site.

"The minds of the police are corrupted either by casino virus or BJP virus which they need to get rid of. So we have gifted them 'get well soon cards', flowers and chocolates. They should follow the rule of law and not just lathicharge peaceful protesters," state Congress president Girish Chodankar told reporters after meeting sub-divisional police officer Sandesh Chodankar.

"We will fight them using Mahatma Gandhi's ideology," he said.

Several Congress workers, including women, were injured during the lathi charge which took place opposite the shore offices of casino companies. The protest was staged against an ongoing poker festival in a casino.

According to police, the Congress workers did not have permission for the protest march.
Tokyo, Oct 21 : The number of foreign visitors to Japan dropped over 99 per cent in September compared with the same month in 2019, local media reported on Thursday.

Japan has banned most foreign travellers from entering the country since January, except for those who have special reasons, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of estimated foreign travellers last month was around 17,700, falling 99.2 per cent from September 2019, when 2.27 million visitors arrived in the country.

Among the estimated numbers, 4,000 people arrived from China, 2,200 from South Korea, 1,700 from the US and 1,000 from Vietnam.

Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Japanese government is also monitoring the increasing oil prices, which could possibly raise the cost of public transportation and deal another blow on the tourism industry.

"Tourism demand suddenly evaporated because of the pandemic. Now, as we head into winter, higher kerosene prices are going to be a big problem. In addition, rising fuel costs could have an impact on public transportation," said Tourism Agency Commissioner of Japan Koichi Wada.

Wada said under the current situation, the Tourism Agency would be prepared to help with various financial support.
Panaji, Oct 21 : The Crime Branch of Goa Police on Thursday arrested a Nigerian national and seized party drugs worth Rs 7.4 lakh, an official said.

The accused identified as Amaechi Ekene was arrested along the north Goa coastal belt and booked under relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances act.

"Upon conducting the raid, one Nigerian national Amaechi Ekene was arrested carrying multiple types of drugs namely LSD blots, ecstasy tablets both in commercial quantities and MDMA. Total market value of seized drugs is over Rs 7.4 lakh," a Goa Police spokesperson said.
Mumbai, Oct 21 : In a major development, teams of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) paid a formal 'visit' to the residences of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan in Bandra west, and actress Ananya Panday in Khar west, and raided a location in Andheri on Thursday as part of the ongoing probe into the October 2 luxury cruiser rave party.

"The NCB Mumbai Zonal Unit officials visited 'Mannat', the residence of Aryan Khan in connection with the (Cr.94/21 case) for seeking certain material related to the investigation of the case from Shah Rukh Khan, by following due procedure of notice, etc.," said NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede in a statement later.

He also dismissed reports in sections of the media dubbing the NCB trip to the superstar's sea-facing bungalow as a 'raid'.

The development, which grabbed national attention, came shortly after the Bombay High Court this morning decided to take up his son Aryan Khan's bail plea on next Tuesday, October 26.

Simultaneously, Ananya Panday -- daughter of Bollywood actor Chunky Panday and granddaughter of the renowned heart surgeon, the late Dr. Sharad Panday -- has been summoned to the NCB offices this day for the probe and the actress.

The NCB has claimed that her name apparently figures in some WhatsApp chats of Aryan Khan recovered by the agency, along with others.

As part of its probe into the cruise ship party raids, the NCB has arrested a total of 20 persons so far, and more arrests are not ruled out.

It may be recalled that Nationalist Congress Party National Spokesperson and Minister Nawab Malik had last week claimed that among various Bollywood bigwigs targeted, Shah Rukh Khan was also on the radar of the central probe agency with sleuths keeping a watch on 'Mannat' in recent weeks.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
New Delhi, Oct 21 : After India achieved 100 crore vaccination against Covid, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said it is Diwali for Atmanirbhar Bharat. He said, the country was able to achieve this landmark because of the firm determination of PM Modi.

The Health Minister released a theme song and a film to mark the occasion of achieving 100 cr vaccination milestone from the historic Red Fort. Releasing the song, 'Mere Bharat Ka Vishwas hai, sabka sath sabka sabka prayas hai, Bharat ka Tikakaran likh rha nya itihas hai', the minister said that 100 crore vaccination is the result of collective efforts of all countrymen and the firm determination of Prime Minister Modi.

Earlier, after India achieved the 100 crore vaccination milestone on Thursday morning, the minister said, "India has created history by crossing 100 cr marks of vaccination milestone. It is a feeling of confidence of the countrymen".

A 225-foot-long monumental national flag made by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), which was unveiled earlier in Leh, has been displayed at the Red Fort to celebrate 100 crore Covid-19 vaccination. The KVIC made 150 feet tricolour weighing 1,400 kg, was conceptualised to celebrate 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava'.

In a tweet, Mandaviya said in Hindi, "Congratulations India! This is the result of the able leadership of visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi. #VaccineCentury".

In an other tweet, the minister said, "Without the efforts of healthcare workers, crossing the milestone of 100 cr vaccination was impossible. Today PM Modi ji visited RML hospital and thanked healthcare workers there. I thank PM Modi ji for this encouragement".

The theme song has been voiced by renowned Padma Shri Awardee Kailash Kher. The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharti Praveen Pawar was also present on the occasion.

Latest updates on Diwali Festival 2021

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Syndicated from IANS
Panaji, Oct 21 : A forensic university whose foundation stone was laid by Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week, has come under the spotlight, after an opposition MLA on Thursday alleged that the state government has allocated double the size of the land parcel to a Gujarat-based university, than what was assured by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on the floor of the house on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar also questioned the decision of the state government to conduct a foundation stone laying ceremony chaired by the Union Home Minister, even when the government land allocation procedure was yet to be completed.

"The Chief Minister told the House on Tuesday, that two lakh sq mt land originally belonging to the Sanjivani sugar factory was being allotted to set up the Gujarat-headquartered National Forensic Science University. How can two lakh sq mt become four lakh sq mt in a matter of a day?" said Gaonkar.

Gaonkar was quoting a letter dated October 20 from the Deputy Collector of Sanguem sub district to the Director of Agriculture seeking handover of four lakh sq mt land for setting up of the University.

The disputed land is the site of a now non-functional Sanjivani sugar factory, a state government-owned unit, but belongs to the agriculture department. The factory is spread over an area of 14 lakh sq mt, out of which Sawant had told the state assembly on Tuesday, two lakh were being handed over to the university for setting up of its campus.

"The CM says 2 lakh, but a letter to the Director of Agriculture by the Deputy Collector says 4 lakh sq mt is required. This government is lying," the MLA, who recently offered support to the Trinamool Congress said.

Gaonkar also said that local villagers were not taken into confidence while taking the decision to hive-off the land parcel from the Agriculture department to the University.

"It is important to take farmers and associations into confidence and to take cabinet approval before such a decision is taken. The foundation stone for the university project has been laid even without proper paperwork," Gaonkar said.

"We welcome good projects to Goa, but the manner of the land handover is suspect. There are processes which should be in place. How can the government allocate this land without informing farmers?" he questioned.

This is not the first time that the state government's land allotment procedures for educational institutions have come under fire.

In January this year, the Goa government was forced to scrap the IIT-Goa campus project at Melaulim village in North Goa, after protests by local villagers turned violent. Villagers of Melaulim and adjoining villages claimed that land acquisition processes were conducted in haste while identifying the IIT-campus site in Melaulim, which they said would lead several local residents homeless and deprived of their ancestral land.
San Francisco, Oct 21 : Billionaire tech critic Pierre Omidyar who founded e-commerce platform eBay is financially supporting Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen to take on the social media giant.

According to a report in Politico, Omidyar's global philanthropic organisation Luminate is handling Haugen's press and government relations in Europe.

"His foundation last year gave $150,000 to Whistleblower Aid, the non-profit organisation that is providing Haugen's legal representation and advice," said the report that came out late on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, Haugen, a former product manager in Facebook's civic integrity group, testified before the US Congress about a trove of internal documents she gave to The Wall Street Journal.

One of her main arguments was that Facebook's business of selling ads based on engagement leads it to keep users on the service at all costs, even when it knows that the content they are engaging with is harmful.

She also accused Facebook of not taking action on fear-mongering and hate content related to India because of "the lack of Hindi and Bengali classifiers," a charge that the social network has denied.

Haugen's top PR representative in the US, former Barack Obama spokesperson Bill Burton, runs public affairs for the nonprofit Center for Humane Technology, an advocacy organisation that receives funding from Omidyar, according to a Politico report.

Despite Omidyar's backing, said the report, Haugen's lawyers have said they are struggling financially to keep up with the costs.

Advocacy and investment group Omidyar Network responded to requests for comment by pointing to a blog post that read: "We are grateful to the brave people who have called out Big Tech for its bad behaviour. They are an important part of creating systemic checks and balances for Big Tech. Because of them, policymakers are taking notice and taking action to rein in their excessive power and restore trust and balance in digital markets." Facebook declined to comment on the report.

Omidyar has spent years using much of his wealth into fighting Big Tech companies, "which he criticises as overly powerful and destructive to democracy".
New Delhi, Oct 21 : US politicians have pushed another anti-China act to sanction entities and individuals who safeguard China's sovereignty in the South China Sea and East China Sea, Global Times reported.

The Chinese mouthpiece said this is the latest attempt by US conservative lawmakers to interrupt the potential recovery of China-US ties and interfere in peaceful solutions between China and other countries on territorial disputes.

According to his personal website, US Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he and Democratic Senator Ben Cardin applauded the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations' passage of their bipartisan South China Sea and East China Sea Sanctions Act.

The legislation would impose sanctions against Chinese individuals and entities that "participate in Beijing's attempts to aggressively assert its expansive maritime and territorial claims over the South and East China Seas," according to the VOA on Wednesday.

Chinese analysts said on Wednesday that some extreme anti-China politicians of the US are trying to find new tricks to create troubles for China-US relationship and this is their latest attempt as the Biden administration is trying to ease the tensions in bilateral ties with China, Global Times reported.

According to the website of the US Congress, the bill requires the president to "impose property-blocking and visa-denial sanctions on Chinese persons and entities that contribute to development projects" in parts of the South China Sea or East China Sea areas where China has disputes with regional countries. The bill prohibits US entities from investing in or insuring projects involving sanctioned entities in either sea.

"The President must also impose prohibitions and restrictions on correspondent and payable-through accounts related to sanctioned entities. The Department of State must periodically report to Congress identifying countries that recognize China's claims to the contested territories. Certain types of foreign aid may not be provided to such countries," the bill said.
Vijayawada, Oct 21 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday exhorted police to maintain law and order without any compromise.

At the Police Commemoration Day programme at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium here, he recalled the sacrifices made by police and paid tributes to the martyrs.

The Chief Minister presented financial assistance to the families of police martyrs besides releasing a book on sacrifices made by them.

As many as 377 police personnel across the country have laid down their lives in the line of duty in the last one year, out of which 11 were from the state, he said.

Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed that Andhra Pradesh is the only state to introduce a weekly day-off system for police. However, it could not be implemented effectively due to the pandemic but will now be restored as the Covid cases are declining.

The state government, he said, has cleared the previous government's pending arrears, increased honorarium to home guards, and recruited 16,000 women police. Massive recruitment will be undertaken to fill vacancies in the department, he added.

The police has sanctioned Rs 5 lakh each to families of police personnel who succumbed to Covid, and the government has sanctioned a matching grant of Rs 5 lakh and immediately handed the Rs 10 lakh cheque to the next of the kin.

Reddy said that he has directed the officials to immediately provide jobs to family members of the deceased police personnel on compassionate grounds by November 30.

Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharitha, Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas, Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Venkateswara Rao, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, DGP Gautam Sawang and others were present on the occasion.
Srinagar/New Delhi, Oct 21 : In January this year, the Jammu and Kashmir government opened up the water resources of the erstwhile Himalayan state and signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to make J&K power surplus and to attract the investment of Rs 35,000 crore into the newly carved out Union Territory.

The MoUs were signed for implementation of much awaited mega hydro power projects, including 850 MW Ratle HEP and 930 MW Kirthai-II HEP besides execution of long pending Sawalkot HEP (1856 MW), Uri-I (Stage-II) (240 MW) and Dulhasti (Stage-II) (258 MW).

Besides signing the MOUs nineteen important projects of Jammu and Kashmir Power Department aimed at greater generation, efficient transmission and better distribution of power supply in J&K were also inaugurated. Since then there has been no looking back and efforts are on to make J&K self reliant vis-a-vis power generation.

The Jammu and Kashmir has numerous hydro resources and is capable of generating 14,867 MW power but during the past 70-years the erstwhile State was only able to generate 3,504 MW electricity. But after the MOUs were signed, the administration claimed that the power generation in the Union Territory would double up in the next three to four years.

Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh who visited Jammu and Kashmir recently assured the people that the Government of India is committed to provide all possible support to J&K across generation, transmission and distribution sectors in order to make J&K power surplus, remove all supply constraints and provide 24x7 quality power to all citizens of J&K.

During his visit to the UT, Singh along with J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, inaugurated six transmission and distribution projects worth Rs 118 crore.

The projects that were dedicated to people included 100 MVA,132/33 KV GSS Nowbugh Chadura with 18 Kms D/C 132 kV Transmission Line; Distribution Strengthening works in Circle Bijbehara, Sumbal, Kupwara and Shopian towns; 33/11kV 10MVA Sub Stations at Industrial Estate Khonmoh, Super Speciality SMHS Srinagar completed under the various UT and Central schemes.

According to the officials in the recent past Jammu and Kashmir has attained remarkable progress in the power sector. It has enhanced its transformation capacity by 150 per cent and revenue generation has gone up by over 23 per cent.

Power politics Prior to August 5, 2019 -- when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J&K's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories -- politicians in the erstwhile state left no opportunity to play politics over hydel power resources of the Himalayan region.

In August 2014, the then Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, in a meeting with the Union Power Ministry had demanded that NHPC should return the power projects to the state.

He had claimed that the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan was "a cause of enormous losses to Jammu and Kashmir".

"While both India and Pakistan benefited from the treaty, J&K was put to a disadvantageous position," Omar Abdullah had stated.

He had termed the treaty as "a hurdle for the launch of a huge water supply project for Greater Jammu to utilise Chenab water to meet the requirements of the people for next 25 years.

Three power projects that the Jammu and Kashmir government wanted the NHPC to return were 690-MW Salal, 480-MW Uri and 390-MW Dulhasti.

Interestingly, Omar had raised the issue just a few months before the assembly elections were to be held in Jammu and Kashmir. He had upped the ante as his bete-noire Peoples Democratic Party at that point of time had promised people that if it wins the polls it would get all the power projects under NHPC in J&K back.

After the National Conference and PDP turned the return of power projects from NHPC into an election plank, the business chambers of both Jammu and Kashmir and civil society members too joined the chorus and sought return of all power projects run by NHPC in J&K.

They claimed that there was no justification in its reluctance to handover them to the J&K Government.

In March 2015, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) ruled out the return of power projects to J&K. The then Director, Finance NHPC, ABL Srivastava said the Central Government and Union Power Ministry have made it clear in unambiguous words that there is no question of returning these projects to the J&K Government.

J&K's power sector revamped After Jammu and Kashmir's complete merger with the Union of India on August 5, 2019, politics that was played over the hydel resources of Jammu and Kashmir has taken a back seat. No one wants these power projects back now as the Union Territory has witnessed a complete change in the power scenario during the past two years. The urban areas are getting electricity 24x7 and the situation in the rural areas has also improved.

Recently, the Administrative Council headed by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha authorised the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) and Kashmir Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) to implement smart metering project in J&K.

These corporations aim to install 6 lakh smart/prepaid meters across J&K through a wholly owned subsidiary of Rural Electrification Corporation under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

Currently, 2 lakh smart meters are being installed in Jammu and Srinagar under the Prime Minister's Development Programme(PMDP).

The new distribution system will improve the quality and reliability of power supply to consumers. The Smart meters will bring about transparency in metering, billing and collection which will eventually reduce power losses and ensure quality and reliable power supply to consumers.

The power distribution sector of J&K has a total consumer base of nearly 21 lakhs, out of which metered consumers are only about 50 per cent.

A strong power sector in J&K means ease of living, industrialisation and employment generation. The government is putting in all the efforts to strengthen J&K's power infrastructure which has remained dilapidated for the last several decades.

Past practices of delays have become a history and power projects are being executed at an accelerated pace. During the past two years, upgradation of power infrastructure, and languishing projects have been completed in record times.

The J&K Lieutenant Governor recently stated: "We have presented an investment plan of Rs 12,000 crore by 2025 in transmission and distribution sectors in order to strengthen infrastructure as well prepare a future-ready power infrastructure. It would not just provide power on demand to all citizens but would also cater to the industrial demand in line with the proposed investment of Rs 28,400 crore under J&K's new Industrial Policy." The revamping of the power sector in Jammu and Kashmir has brought the Union Territory at par with the other states across the country. The bold steps taken by the Central and UT Governments have driven home a point that there is a huge difference between offering lip service and transforming words into action.

In January this year, Kashmir witnessed a heavy snowfall but the Power Department ensured that people do not face cuts and kept the Valley illuminated in the dark winter nights. The change surprised the people as in the past snowfall meant no electricity for many days.

People of J&K have realized that the ground situation is changing and it is changing for the good.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : A Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved an additional instalment of three percent dearness allowance for the central government employees and dearness relief to the pensioners with effect from July 1, 2021.

Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that this three percent increase will be on the existing rate of 28 percent of the basic pay or pension.

This will benefit about 47.14 lakh central government employees and 68.62 lakh pensioners, Thakur added.

He said that this will cost Rs 9,488.70 cr to the exchequer on account of both dearness allowance and dearness relief.

He informed that today (Thursday) India achieved a remarkable feat by administering 100 crore Covid 19 vaccines and appreciated the efforts of all the frontline workers, healthcare workers and states and union territories for making this possible.

Referring to the 100 crore vaccinations under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, he said the whole country is congratulating him on achieving this feat.

"During the pandemic period, the Prime Minister stood behind the poor and distributed free rations to over 80 crore poor of the country," he said.

Replying to a question regarding the relaxation in Covid protocols after 100 crore vaccinations, Thakur said that due to strict adherence to the Covid protocols, the impact of the pandemic is now substantially less but it is not over yet.

"The government has been relaxing the protocol from time to time. The experts have been advising people regularly but the pandemic has not gone yet and all are advised to follow the health protocol and use of face mask", he added.

The Minister said that the PM Gati Shakti - National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity to economic zones was also approved by the Cabinet and the Cabinet Secretary will monitor the development of this master plan periodically.
Bengaluru, Oct 21 : The Akshaya Patra Foundation on Thursday resumed the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme in Karnataka for children after the Covid-19 pandemic kept them away from school for the last 18 months. The MDM programme benefits lakhs of students in government and government aided schools.

"We are humbled to serve over 75,000 children studying in 789 schools in and around Bangalore (Bengaluru) through our three kitchens in Rajajinagar, Vasanthpura and Jigani centralized kitchens from today," the statement released by Akshaya Patra Foundation read.

"The foundation recognizes the need to resume the school meal programme in a safe manner. We have taken all essential steps for safe and nutritious meal delivery. Our employees are fully vaccinated and trained to carefully adhere to the Covid safety protocols from preparing, packaging, and delivering food to the mapped schools," the statement said.

Talking about selecting a special menu for children, it said: "With the resumption of schools after 18 months, we have curated a special menu for the beneficiaries, i.e., a veg biryani loaded with beans, carrot, capsicum, potato, and cabbage, and a sweet in the form of moong dal payasam." The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that strives to address hunger and malnutrition among school kids in India. By implementing the MDM Scheme, it not only aims to fight hunger but also bring children back to school.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Farmers protesting on the Ghazipur border at Delhi for the last 11 months against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre last year, have started to open the service lane to ease the traffic. They said it is the police who have closed the road and not them. Farmers belonging to the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Thursday started removing the tents built on the service road to start the traffic movement.

Farmers have claimed that wrong information is being spread about them in the Supreme Court. "We had never closed the road, we wanted to go to Delhi. The police did not allow us to go across the border," the farmers said.

The farmers have removed the media centre on the Ghazipur border, while they have parked their vehicles near the police barricade.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is going on at the Singhu border, in which a decision can be taken to open the roads.

The Delhi Meerut Expressway from the Ghaziabad side to Delhi is completely closed due to the farmers' agitation for the last 11 months, due to which lakhs of people are facing problems in commuting every day.

Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court reiterated that farmer groups have the right to protest, but they cannot keep roads blocked indefinitely. The top court sought a response from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions, and other farmer unions on a petition filed by a Noida woman.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the 100 crore vaccination milestone belongs to India and its citizens.

"Today is a historic day as India has crossed the 100 crore vaccine dose mark. To counter the largest pandemic in 100 years, the country now has a strong protective shield of 100 crore vaccine doses. This achievement belongs to India and its citizens," the Prime Minister said.

India achieved the 100 crore vaccination milestone on Thursday morning.

Modi also inaugurated the Infosys Foundation Vishram Sadan at the National Cancer Institute in the Jhajjar (Haryana) campus of AIIMS New Delhi through a video conference on Thursday.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude on this occasion to all the vaccine manufacturing companies of the country, workers engaged in vaccine transportation and the health sector professionals engaged in vaccine development.

This Vishram Sadan, built in the National Cancer Institute, will reduce the worries of patients and their relatives, he said.

The Prime Minister praised Infosys Foundation for constructing the building of Vishram Sadan and AIIMS Jhajjar for providing the land, electricity and water. He expressed his gratitude to the AIIMS management and Sudha Murthy's team for this service.

He said when the patient gets free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, an act of service is accomplished. It is this service motive that has made the government take steps to reduce the prices of about 400 cancer medicines, the Prime Minister said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Lakhimpur Kheri, Oct 21 : Tourists visiting Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh will be able to again enjoy the elephant safari from November 1.

The safari was suspended last year to contain the spread of Covid-19. It was feared that the tourists could pass on the virus to the animals.

The elephant safari is one of the prime attractions in Dudhwa. A ride atop an elephant is the best way to spot rhinos.

Forest department officials expect tourist footfalls to go up as compared to the previous years.

"All the roads inside the reserve have been repaired and we are expecting a better tourist turnout this season as the previous one came to an abrupt end because of the coronavirus," said Sanjay Pathak, field director, DTR.

Dudhwa normally remains open from November to June. Last year, almost 38,000 tourists visited the reserve forest, before it was shut, generating a revenue of over Rs 75 lakh.

Giving details about the safari, Pathak said, "Two dedicated elephants will be deployed for giving tourists a tour of the area where rhinos live. Each elephant will carry four tourists on its back along with the mahout." "The price per tourist has been revised to Rs 500 this season. It is more convenient to sight rhinos from an elephant's back as compared to vehicles because the pachyderms can negotiate through the swampy land amid the tall grass," he added.

The duration of a safari would be over one hour till the group spots rhinos in the protected area. The timings of the elephant safari will be from early morning to 10 a.m. Thereafter, the elephants are given time to rest before the evening session.

A dedicated meditation hall has also come up following the feedback received from tourists.

Talking about the Tharu community, Pathak said: "People of the Tharu community have expressed their wish to serve their cuisine to the tourists this season as well."
Chandigarh, Oct 21 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a programme on Thursday organised on the occasion of the inauguration of the newly constructed Infosys Foundation Vishram Sadan at the National Cancer Institute located in Jhajjar district praised Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Addressing the participants, he said: "I have had the opportunity to work for a long time in Haryana and I have observed the work of many governments closely, but Haryana has got an extremely honest government under the leadership of Manohar Lal Khattar in the past many decades." While inaugurating the Vishram Sadan through video conferencing, the Prime Minister praised the efficient working style of the Chief Minister and said the present state government only "thinks for the betterment of the state".

"If we evaluate the development of Haryana, we can see that the state has got the best and most constructive government of the last five decades," said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister said he has known Khattar for a long time, but after becoming the Chief Minister, he has outshone himself.

"The way the Haryana government is doing innovative work under his leadership, that style of work is also adopted by the Central government and today Haryana has become a source of inspiration for other states," added Modi.

Thanking the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister said the state will live up to the trust and expectations shown by the Central government and the Prime Minister and whatever responsibility would be given to Haryana will be fulfilled.
Washington, Oct 21 : Former US President Donald Trump has announced plans to launch a new social media network, called TRUTH Social, media reports said.

According to the BBC, Trump said the platform would "stand up to the tyranny of big tech", accusing them of silencing opposing voices in the US.

Social media played a pivotal role in Trump's bid for the White House and was his favourite means of communication as president. But he was banned from Twitter and suspended from Facebook after his supporters stormed the US Capitol.

Social media firms were under pressure throughout Trump's presidency to ban him, with his posts criticised as insulting, inflammatory or peddling outright falsehoods, the report said.

Last year Twitter and Facebook began deleting some of his posts or labelling them as misleading, such as one in which he said Covid-19 was "less lethal" than the flu.

They took the decision to ban or suspend Trump after the January riots, which followed a speech in which he made baseless claims of electoral fraud.

Responding to the riots, Trump called those at the Capitol "patriots" and showed no sign of accepting the result of the election, prompting Twitter and Facebook to rule that it was too risky to allow him to continue to use their sites.

Since then he and his advisers have hinted that they were planning to create a rival social media site.

Earlier this year, he launched From the Desk of Donald J Trump, which was often referred to as a blog.

The website was permanently shut down less than a month after it launched after attracting only a fraction of the audience he would have expected through established sites.

His senior aide Jason Miller said it was "just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on".

An early version of his latest venture, TRUTH Social, will be open to invited guests next month, and will have a "nationwide rollout" within the first three months of 2022, according to a statement by Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG).
Mumbai, Oct 21 : Spelling no respite for Aryan Khan, a special NDPS court on Thursday extended his judicial custody till October 30, even as his bail plea is expected to come up before Bombay High Court on October 26.

Along with Aryan Khan - the son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, the other seven accused - arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau on October 3 after the October 2 raid on a rave party aboard a cruise ship - were also sent to judicial custody till October 30 by the court.

They are: Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, Nupur Satija, Ishmeet Singh Chadna, Mohak Jaswal, Gomit Chopra and Vikrant Chhoker. Twelve others were arrested by the NCB during the subsequent investigations.

Aryan Khan's judicial custody was set to expire on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, Justice N. W. Sambre of the Bombay High Court posted to October 26 the hearing of the bail application of Aryan Khan, who was declined bail by the Special NDPS Court on Wednesday.

The matter came up before Justice Sambre with Khan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde seeking an urgent hearing on Friday or Monday.

However, Justice Sambre decided to take up the matter on Tuesday next only.

Following a swoop on a cruise ship by the NCB, Aryan Khan, along with Merchant and Dhamecha and the five others, was detained and arrested on October 3, and has since remained in custody for the past 20 days.

He was sent on a day's NCB remand by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R.M. Nerlikar till October 4, and this was extended till October 7. He was then sent to two weeks' judicial custody, till October 21.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : India last year tightened control on investments coming from China into the local firms/start-ups in the wake of border tensions. The tide, perhaps, is turning after more than a year-and-a-half, as some homegrown firms have now raised (or in the process of raising) funds from Chinese conglomerate Tencent.

The latest startup to join the list is Bengaluru-based hyperlocal social media platform Lokal that has raised $12 million from Tencent, TechCrunch reported on Thursday.

"Existing investors 3one4 Capital, Y Combinator, and India Quotient have also participated in the startup's Series A (funding)," the report quoted the source as saying.

Tencent and Lokal did not respond to the report.

Founded by Jani Pasha and Vipul Chaudhary in June 2018, Lokal serves news to vernacular audiences based on their location, with separate language offerings across states in the country.

The Lokal app is "trusted by over 8 million Indians, with local updates, local jobs, local classifieds and local businesses in your own language," reads a description on Play Store.

Two year ago, Lokal raised $3 million funding from a group of investors.

According to the report, "India's Pocket FM was in advanced talks to raise a round from Tencent and others".

Tencent has reportedly infused over $2 billion in Indian startups since 2016, including a reported figure of over $200 million in homegrown social media platform ShareChat earlier this year, which ShareChat never disclosed.

The Indian tech startups started to shun Chinese investment in 2020 as desi corporates and wealthy individuals, along with investors from other countries, came onboard to fund the homegrown firms.

In the first half of 2021, investors pumped in at least $11 billion into the Indian tech start-ups in over 600 deals, which is growing at an exponential rate.

The US-based investment firm Tiger Global is currently leading when it comes to investing top dollars, overtaking another US-based venture capital firm Sequoia Capital as the top investor in the burgeoning Indian start-up/unicorn ecosystem.

In 2019, Chinese investors poured $3.9 billion into India, up from $2 billion in 2018. This investment scenario took a turnaround from May last year amid face-offs and skirmishes between Indian and Chinese troops at locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

As a result, investment from China in Indian companies fell to $263 million across 15 deals in the first half of 2020. Sensing the atmosphere, homegrown tech start-ups started to look elsewhere for investments, and their calls have been answered.

Media reports then claimed that nearly 150 investment proposals from China worth more than $2 billion were stuck in the pipeline.
Patna, Oct 21 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said he feels proud and exalted whenever anyone calls him 'Bihari'.

"Rajendra Prasad -- the first president of the country, belonged to Bihar. I am taking forward his inheritance. It is my honour and privilege to take forward his legacy," he said here.

The President is on a three-day visit to Bihar. He reached Patna on Wednesday morning and attended the centenary event of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha as the chief guest.

"The soil of Bihar has produced many great personalities in the rank of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Sacchidanand Sinha, Shri Krishna Singh and others. The social structure of the state is equal which always creates social equality and egalitarian society," Kovind said.

He also appreciated the work done in the state by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"I was the governor of the state for two years and I got full cooperation from him. Now when I am the President of India, I am getting complete cooperation from him," Kovind said.

Kovind also said that Bihar has a rich culture and the Chhath festival is a prime example of it.

"This festival is celebrated from Nawada to New Jersey and Begusarai to Boston. It also reflects the talent this soil has produced over the years," the President said.

Earlier on Thursday, Nitish Kumar during his speech said that the current president of India had served as governor of Bihar for two years and he was elected as president of the country from here.

"He is a president of the entire country but we believe that he is Bihari and he has special attachment with this state. That is the reason why he is always eager to come to Bihar," Kumar said.
Hyderabad, Oct 21 : Tamannah Bhatia is one of the most famous actresses of the South. With her alluring personality and mesmerising presence, Tamannah has gained a vast section of fandom. Her social media profiles indicate the kind of followers the actress has gained over the years.

In a recent survey by Forbes India, Tamannah stands in the tenth position in the list of the most influential social media stars (South India). Forbes India has released the results of their recent survey, by calculating the Instagram influence using various metrics. They released the list of Top 30 Most Influential South Actors on Social Media.

Tamannah, who topped as the tenth most influential social media star, expressed her happiness over achieving the feat. The actress also shares the credit with her fans and followers, who she thinks is the main reason behind her success.

Forbes India considered the Instagram activity of celebrities from Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries over the most recent 25 posts. The influence is represented through Qoruz Score, using a digital tool which calculates the score based on the likes, number of followers, video views, and other social media activity.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : At least 64 people have died in rain related incidents in Uttarakhand while 3,500 people have been rescued and more than 16,000 people have been evacuated to safer places, the government said on Thursday.

Seventeen teams of NDRF, 7 teams of SDRF, 15 companies of PAC and 5,000 police personnel have been deployed in rescue and relief operations in the hill state. The Centre has provided Rs 250 crore to Uttarakhand from the Disaster Relief Fund.

The government has decided to send medical teams to water-logged areas to prevent the spread of vector borne diseases.

So far 64 people have died in Uttarakhand due to heavy rain and in rain-related incidents in the past three days. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the water level of the rivers is being continuously monitored.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday took stock of the situation by conducting an aerial survey of the disaster-affected areas of the state. He was accompanied by Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General (Retd) Gurmeet Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Amit Shah also chaired a meeting with the authorities to review the situation. He promised all possible help to the state from the Centre.

The state government says that the Char Dham pilgrimage was suspended at the right time to avoid any casualty, all the agencies were activated on time. The yatra has resumed now.

According to the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board, the helicopter service in Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri has become smooth and will resume in Joshimath and Pipalkoti soon.

Joshimath District Magistrate, Himanshu Khurana and Sub-Collector Kumkum Joshi, who inspected the blocked road in Badrinath on Wednesday, said that debris from villages like Tangri, Benakuli and Lambagad will be cleared before reopening the National Highway.

A large part of Almora Highway has also been completely damaged due to incessant rain. Many roads from Haldwani to Almora and from Almora to Ranikhet and Bageshwar have been damaged which has affected the movement of traffic.

Meanwhile, member of Devasthanam Management Board, Dr Harish Gaur, said that worship is going on in all the temples of Uttarakhand Char Dham on a daily basis. So far, about two lakh pilgrims have reached Char Dham since the opening of the gates of the temples.
Chandigarh, Oct 21 : Two days after announcing to launch his own political outfit to serve the interests of the people, two-time Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday slammed AICC general secretary Harish Rawat, saying the party has damaged its own interests by not trusting him and giving the party into the hands of an 'unstable person' like Navjot Sidhu.

"Your apprehension is that I'll damage @INCIndia interests in Punjab.... Fact is @harishrawatcmuk ji, the party has damaged its own interests by not trusting me and giving @INCPunjab into the hands of an unstable person like @sherryontopp who's only loyal to himself: capt_amarinder," media advisor Raveen Thukral quoting Amarinder Singh as saying in a tweet.

In a series of tweets, Amarinder Singh asked Rawat, who is Punjab affairs in-charge, "Today you're accusing me of helping my rival @Akali_Dal for 4 and a half years @harishrawatcmuk ji. Is that why you think I've been fighting court cases against them for the last 10 years? And why I've won @INCIndia all elections in Punjab since 2017?" Asking Rawat to stop talking about secularism, the former Chief Minister said, "Don't forget @INCIndia took in @sherryontopp after he was with @BJP4India for 14 years. And where did Nana Patole and Revnath Reddy come from if not RSS? And Pargat Singh was with @Akali_Dal for 4 years!" Amarinder Singh further asked Rawat, "And what are you doing with @ShivsenaComms in Maharashtra? Or are you saying @harishrawatcmuk Ji that it's ok to join forces with so-called communal parties as long as it suits @INCIndia purpose.

"What's this if not sheer political opportunism?" he asked.

The former Chief Minister's reaction came a day after Rawat said Amarinder's announcement of floating a new party will not hurt the Congress in Punjab.

It will actually divide the votes of Congress' rivals in the state, Rawat said, adding, "Our votes will depend on the performance of the Charanjit Singh Channi government. The way Channi has started, it has created a good impression before Punjab and the entire nation." Meanwhile, state party President Navjot Singh Sidhu blamed Amarinder Singh the architect of three black farm laws.

"The Architect of 3 Black Laws... Who brought Ambani to Punjab's Kisani... Who destroyed Punjab's Farmers, Small traders and Labour for benefiting 1-2 Big Corporates!!" Sidhu said in a tweet with photos of the former Chief Minister meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and others.
Gandhinagar, Oct 21 : The Ahmedabad police's Crime Branch, looking into an application filed by three stock investors claiming misleading news reports on Adani Group led to a huge loss on their investment and alleging a conspiracy behind it, has summoned four journalists from two media houses, including an editor.

Certain investors from Ahmedabad filed an application before the Crime Branch alleging a nationwide conspiracy to cheat investors of the country by publishing misleading and untrue and unverified story about suspicious shareholding of FPIs in the Adani Group.

"Under the provisions of Section 160 of the CRPC, the investigation officer can issue summons and in that context, we summoned the anchor of the a leading news channel as well as three journalists of a leading financial newspaper, including an editor, regarding the application filed by three Ahmedabad investors who claimed to have been inflicted with a huge loss due to the misleading news stories regarding Adani Group," Investigation Officer, Police Inspector Nikhil Brahmbhatt of Ahmedabad Crime Branch told IANS.

"The Crime Branch has recorded the statements of all the four journalists as well as stock exchange official regarding the application. We are looking into the application and investigating whether a conspiracy was hatched by the TV media outlets with clear intentions and other concerns related to it. If the ACB finds any merit to the claims made in the application, then we'll be filing a formal complaint against the media outlets," he added.

The application was filed based on news item broadcast on the above subject by the channel as well as the newspaper, said police. According to the application, there seemed to be a conspiracy being hatched against the investors of the country by broadcasting "misleading and unverified news" on that day.

The application said that the shares of Adani Group of companies fell drastically, thereby causing loss to the investors. Certain investors from Ahmedabad suffered huge monetary loss due to such "misleading campaign" carried out by the news channel, the plea said.
Islamabad, Oct 21 : The century-old Nandana Fort, discovered by Pakistans archeological department three months back which is set for restoration, still showcases its unique and magnificent might, even as it stands in a derelict condition.

The discovery of the landmark by the archeological department is a vital first step that would pave the way towards its restoration for it to become a major tourist attraction in Pakistan.

The Nandana Fort was constructed by the Hindu king Inder Pal at an altitude of at least 15,000 feet at Baghanwala village in Pind Dadan Khan district in Punjab province. The site located about 300 km along the salt range highlights architectural similarities to the Katas Raj temple and a shrine built by Hindu Shahi king Jayapal.

As per details, the Shahi kings ruled the Nandana Fort until the 11th century when Mehmud of Ghazni expelled them from the area.

Historical memories reveal that the building also served as a study centre and was the only fort that remained when Mahmud of Ghazni took over.

The fort was also a laboratory of Muslim Persian scientist Abu Rayhan Al Biruni, where he used to measure the circumference of the earth. This is one reason why the building is also known as the Al Beruni Centre.

History also reveals that the building remained as a safe haven for Mughal emperors Akbar and Jahangir as they used to often visit the fort for hunting deer and birds.

The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government has decided to restore the Nandana fort. According to Punjab Chief Minister's advisor on tourism, Khan has visited the area and a rehabilitation project has already been prepared in this regard.

"The restoration project would be completed by June 30, 2022. As per the plan, an Al Beruni laboratory is being set up, where young scientists and students would be able to conduct experiments," said Asif Mahmood, Punjab CM's advisor on tourism.

"The recent excavations by the archeological department would be helpful in determining the accurate age of the building, while valuable pottery and antiquities have also been recovered from the premises," he added.

It was also revealed that the Baghanwala village will also be given the status of a model village, which would help in facilitating it with water, telephone line, electricity, gas and internet services.

"There will be three steps in the overall process. First is the model village where tourists would be able to stay in good facilities. Second would be at the midpoint, where stalls would be set up, along with washrooms and temporary accommodation. And the third and final point would be at Nandana Fort, where extensive parking, hotels, and rest houses would be constructed," Mahmood said.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo is camping in New Delhi to meet the party leadership to raise the issue of a rotational chief minister in the state. Sources close to him say that he wants an early resolution of the issue and it cannot linger on for so long.

His close aides say that the matter was not settled as the final decision from the party high command has not yet come while his supporters are pressing for a change in the state.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had told IANS that: "State in-charge P.L. Punia has spoken about the issue of the rotational Chief Minister in my state. He clearly said that there is no such formula and with that the matter has ended." There is no change happening as the state in-charge has himself said that there was no such formula. The Congress is united in the state, there are no differences and the issue is settled now, he added.

Meanwhile Baghel has been appointed senior observer for Uttar Pradesh and is working in close coordination with Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. His team is already at work in UP and is being credited with a successful rally in Varanasi.

On the issue of a rotational Chief Minister, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had held two meetings last month involving both the leaders. Both Singh Deo and Bhupesh Baghel were present at the first meeting, while the second meeting took place between Rahul Gandhi and Baghel but saw no decision being taken on a leadership change. But sources say that the issue is not yet resolved and the top leadership is likely to talk to Singh Deo before arriving at any decision.

For the time being Baghel has got a reprieve from Delhi, but is it permanent or temporary, there is no clarity on that and no official statement has been issued.

Singh Deo, who is pushing for rotational chief ministership, is maintaining that everything is in the purview of the party leadership and whatever decision will be taken by them will be acceptable.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that one of the accused in the 2017 murder of activist Gauri Lankesh will face charges under the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA).

A bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, and C.T. Ravikumar held that the stringent provisions can be invoked against a member of the crime syndicate involved in organised crimes without two previous charge sheets against him.

The top court allowed the appeals filed by Kavitha Lankesh, sister of the slain activist, and the state government against the Karnataka High Court judgment of April 22, which quashed the charges against accused Mohan Nayak N., who was arrested on July 18, 2018.

The top court said the high court examined the matter by applying erroneous scale and the observations in the judgment clearly reveal that it has glossed over the core and tangible facts.

In its 29-page judgment, it said: "Offences punishable under Section 3(2), 3(3), 3(4) or 3(5) (of the KCOCA), can proceed against any person sans such previous offence registered against him, if there is material to indicate that he happens to be a member of the organised crime syndicate who had committed the offences in question and it can be established that there is material about his nexus with the accused who is a member of the organised crime syndicate".

Against the backdrop of investigation carried out by the SIT, the bench noted that Nayak had "intimate nexus with the brain behind the entire event being none other than Amol Kale and master arms trainer Rajesh D. Bangera who are part and parcel of a crime syndicate and committed organised crimes as such".

The bench noted that if the role of the offender is merely that of a facilitator or of an abettor in various sections under the KCOCA, then the requirement of the named person being involved in more than two charge sheets registered against him in the past is not relevant.

"Regardless of that, he can be proceeded under the 2000 Act, if the material collected by the investigating agency reveals that he had nexus with the accused who is a member of the organised crime syndicate or such nexus is related to the offence in the nature of organised crime. Thus, he need not be a person who had a direct role in the commission of an organised crime as such." Against the backdrop of this top court order, the possibility of Nayak getting bail would become difficult during the trial.

The petitioner had argued that Nayak was part of the syndicate led by Amol Kale, which committed multiple organised crimes besides Gauri Lankesh murder.
Mumbai, Oct 21 : Danny Sura is being loved by the audiences in his new show titled 'Vidrohi'. One can safely say that the actor is surely in a good place because along with the positive reactions from the audience towards 'Vidrohi', his feature film 'Rani Rani Rani' has also clinched the title for Best Feature Film at the 7th Annual DFW South Asian Film Festival.

The British-Indian actor is extremely elated with the news, as he told IANS," I am super thrilled that 'Rani Rani Rani' won the Best Feature Film award at this year's 7th Annual DFW South Asian Film Festival!" He feels that the film bagging the award has made his efforts come to fruition. "It makes all the hard work worthwhile when audiences appreciate your film. It just goes to show that there is a space for independent cinema and having this award under our belt will make the film stand out from the crowd and only lead to better things," he added.

In the past, he has been a part of some interesting projects like 'Girl in the City', 'Bose: Dead/Alive' and '21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897' and with 'Rani Rani Rani' getting international acclaim, it's only going to benefit him as an actor.

Talking about his experience of working in the film, Danny said, "Sharing the screen with Tannishtha Chatterjee and the rest of the cast was a pleasure. We all come from different backgrounds and hail from different countries and having this big melting pot of different cultures made the film unique in its look and narrative." 'Rani Rani Rani' is a story of a female called Rani the caretaker at an abandoned factory, in a ghost village. What starts off as an ordinary day for Rani soon assumes a thrilling form. The character is trapped in the struggle for survival between a reckless husband on the one hand, and his brother and her ruthless sister-in-law on the other. But then she happens to chance upon a bunch of opportunists who are hellbent on proving the efficacy of their mysteriously acquired device to a potential buyer. It's at this exact moment when the fortunes of the character seem set to change.

'Rani Rani Rani', written and directed by Rajaram Rajendran, is produced by Eleven Elements Studio. The film stars Tannishtha Chatterjee, Asif Basra, Danny Sura, Alexx O'Nell, Smokey The Ghost, and Abid Anwar. The film is set to have its second screening at the South Asian Film Festival in New York City on October 23.
Patna, Oct 21 : A man in Bihar's Saharsa district threw acid on his wife and three children in a fit of rage following a verbal spat, the police said on Thursday.

The accused, who fled from the house after the incident, has been identified as Ravi Poddar, the police said, adding an FIR has been registered and efforts were underway to arrest him.

"The accused was involved in a verbal duel with his wife Mamta Devi, 30. In a fit of rage, Poddar picked up an acid bottle and threw it on her and three children Nishant Kumar, 12, Richa Kumari, 10, and Anshu Kumari, 4," ASI Dhan Bihari Mishra, investigating officer of the case said while providing details about the incident.

"After committing the crime, Poddar fled the house before neighbours assembled there after the victims shouted for help," Mishra said.

The neighbours took all the four victims to the Sadar hospital in Saharsa district. Mamta is said to have received 55 per cent burn injuries.

"We have registered an FIR against Ravi Poddar on the statement given by his wife Mamta Devi. He is booked under relevant IPC section of attempt to murder in Sadar police station. We have been conducting raids to nab him," Mishra said.
Kolkata, Oct 21 : In the midst of heavy rains and floods in several districts of North Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to make a four-day trip to Siliguri to hold an administrative meeting and take stock of the on-ground situation in the flood-hit districts.

Though there has been no official communication about her visit to North Bengal yet, sources in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that Banerjee is likely to go to Siliguri on October 24 and return to Kolkata on October 28.

The Chief Minister had decided to go to North Bengal in the first week of September, but she had to cancel her tour because of the by-election in Bhawanipur where she was a candidate.

As per sources in the CMO, on October 24 Banerjee would hold a meeting with the Darjeeling district administration officials where apart from the flood situation, issues related to development will also be discussed. She will also hold administrative meetings with the officials of the other districts of the area at the North Bengal state secretariat, 'Uttar Kanya', on October 25 and 26.

Sources also confirmed that Banerjee is likely to go to Goa just after her return from North Bengal. In Goa, Trinamool Congress is trying to expand its organisation before the Assembly polls scheduled in 2022. Several top-level leaders of the party are present in the coastal state.

The Chief Minister is likely to address rallies in Goa and speak with the state party leadership there.
Mumbai/Pune, Oct 21 : NCP leader and Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik on Thursday demanded to know what was the NCB's Mumbai region chief Sameer Wankhede doing in Dubai and the Maldives with his family during the pandemic lockdown and threatened him with jail for "concocting drug cases against Bollywood personalities".

In a dual attack, he shared photos of Wankhede's family holidaying in Maldives when the entire Bollywood was also there.

"Its very clear all this 'vasuli' (extortion) took place in Maldives and Dubai. I am releasing those photos. What was he doing in Maldives-Dubai, he must answer," Malik said at a public rally in Pune amid a thunderous applause.

Daring Wankhede to come clean on his Dubai-Maldives sojourns with family, Malik, who is the national Spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said attempts were made to implicate certain film folks in fake cases and parade them before the NCB.

"Along with some Bharatiya Janata Party people, Wankhede is threatening the film industry people... I am repeating - He keeps filing false cases and arresting people based on WhatsApp chats and without any evidence. I am going to reveal more on this," he warned.

The NCP leader declared that soon, he will "expose Wankhede with full proof on all the fake cases with which he's trying to instil fear in Bollywood," for which he would pay a heavy price.

"Within six months he will lose his job and within a year, he will be jailed. I am collecting evidence against him," he said.

He released some photos of Sameer Wankhede's sister Jasmeen Wankhede, ostensibly shot in Maldives with captions and tagging her friends, including Fletcher Patel who had called her the 'Lady Don'.

Malik's statements got angry reaction from the opposition Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)'s film wing chief Ameya Khopkar who cautioned the NCP leader "to keep off and stop dragging" his party colleague (Jasmeen Wankhede) into his politics.

Jasmeen Wankhede also hit back, asking whether "Malik is a judge", and said she was accountable to her family or friends and the NCP leader had no business to make public her private trip.

Sameer Wankhede, who had arrested Malik's son-in-law Sameer Khan in January 2021 in an alleged drugs case, said in an anguished tone: "I fail to understand why the attacks on me, my sister, my retired father, my deceased mother, when I am merely doing my duty. The cases are sub-judice. I will give a fitting reply later." Malik added that after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput (June 2020), Wankhede was brought to the NCB but the mystery continues whether Sushant committed suicide or it was a murder.

"But, thereafter, the NCB has started playing its games with the film industry. Dozens of stars were summoned on WhatsApp conversations. Rhea Chakraborty was arrested for some Rs 4,000 payment." He reiterated his demand to probe the WhatsApp records of Sameer Wankhede which would reveal the "bogus" nature of the NCB's cases.

Bharatiya Janata Party state President Chandrakant Patil said that Malik is rattled by the arrest of his son-in-law and has been slamming the NCB since the past two weeks.

The war between the NCB-NCP erupted after the probe agency raided a rave party aboard a cruise ship and arrested 8 persons, including Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan - all now in judicial custody till October 30.

Later, the NCB nabbed 12 others, and on Thursday, actress Ananya Panday was summoned for probe, which will continue further on Friday.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
Chennai, Oct 21 : The police in Tamil Nadu's Salem on Thursday took up a case pertaining to the death of C. Kanagaraj, the driver of the late former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

Kanagaraj was the prime accused in the murder of a security guard, Om Bahadur at the Kodanad estate in April 2017.

Kanagaraj was killed in a road accident at Attur in April 2017 while he was riding a two-wheeler on the Salem-Ulundurpet highway.

The prosecution has said that while Kanagaraj was taking a right turn to move to the service lane, a speeding car moving towards Perambalur hit his two-wheeler and he was tossed to the road.

He was rushed to the Attur government hospital but doctors declared him brought dead.

Kanagaraj's family members including his brother Dhanapal has been demanding a detailed investigation into his death stating that he was murdered.

Kodanad estate is an 906-acre area situated in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu and owned by the late J. Jayalalithaa and her aide V.K. Sasikala.

On April 24, 2017, four months after Jayalalithaa's death -- and two months after Sasikala's arrest, burglars broke open the estate, and the security guard manning the Gate number 10, Om Bahadur, was murdered.

Kanagaraj was the prime accused in the case and after he died in the accident five days after the murder at Kodanad, the other accused Sayan also met with an accident at Palakkad in Kerala in which his wife and daughter were killed.

Sayan, however, escaped with injuries.

The computer operator of the estate, Dhinesh Kumar was found dead at his residence on July 3.

The former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and AIADMK leader, K. Palaniswami is in the lens after the second accused Sayan has alleged that the heist was done at the behest of the AIADMK leader.

The DMK had made the Kodanad estate burglary and murder a major election issue during the 2021 assembly polls and had promised a re-investigation into the case.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : "The worst is not over yet. We have created a safety net of 100 cr vaccinations but those who have not been vaccinated yet should come forward to get the vaccine to complete this safety net", said V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, in an exclusive interview with IANS. He said that talks with WHO for Covaxin EUL approval are in the final stage.

Excerpts from the interview: Q: India has achieved 100 crore vaccinations. Can we say the worst is over now? A: This achievement is a momentous landmark for the country. But the worst is not over yet. We have created a safety net of 100 cr vaccines around us, but those who have not been vaccinated yet should come ahead to get vaccinated and complete this safety net.

Not many in the world would have thought India could administer vaccines to a billion people in 9 months. And, that too with two vaccines made on the soil of India. It is a grand example of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Apart from providing protection against the deadly disease, this success has given us confidence that we can handle a crisis of this magnitude on our own. Going forward, I am optimistic, that not only can we change the course of the pandemic globally, but also revolutionise the research and development to address other diseases effectively.

Q: How has been India's journey to achieve this milestone? A: To reach here, the country overcame people's apprehensions about safety and usefulness of the vaccines. Vaccine hesitancy due to ignorance, bias, misleading propaganda has been largely overcome. Challenges of vaccine supply, transportation, cold chain dynamics and vaccine centre logistics were met building on the invaluable experience of the universal immunization program. Communication efforts were directed to educate, assure, motivate and prepare the public through transparent, science-driven, consistent and multi-pronged messaging. CoWin IT platform emerged as the master enabler for beneficiary interface, session planning, certification and data management.

Our scientists, doctors, entrepreneurs, industry leaders have all contributed to this effort. They have been fighting social and geographical odds at various levels to bring people to the vaccination centres. The 100 crore mark demonstrates the reach and resilience of our public health system.

Q: What did the government do to facilitate, support and encourage research and development of the vaccines? A: For a nation that is admired as the 'pharmacy of the world' and that delivers two-thirds of all the world's vaccines for children, to pick up the challenge to develop/manufacture COVID-19 vaccines was a given. Prime Minister guided and mentored this journey from the very start.

The government established a task force as early as in April 2020 to oversee, support, encourage and monitor R&D initiatives amongst the research organizations and in the industry. Potential candidate vaccines were tracked and supported with research and development grants. Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) opened their laboratories for complex assays by research groups and industry. ICMR provided the vaccine virus strain to the industry to develop Covaxin. DBT readied eighteen vaccine trial field sites that were used by industry for trials. Government launched a 900 Cr Mission COVID Suraksha to fund multi-level R&D efforts.

At least eight entities have received large grants. Government also made outright advance purchase commitment for a vaccine still under development. National Expert Group on Vaccine Implementation (NEGVAC) provided guidelines on the vaccine program. Government teams have been in touch with manufacturers on a continuous basis, Regulatory steps were streamlined and all facilitation was ensured.

Today, made-in-India Covishield (serum) and Covaxin (Bharat) have been the bedrock of our program so far. But our industry has lined up four other vaccines for potential use in the coming months: a DNA vaccine (Zydus, already licenced), a mRNA vaccine (Gennova), a protein sub-unit vaccine (BioE) and an intranasal vector vaccine (Bharat).

Q: What are India's concerns at this stage? A: The country is at a critical juncture right now. We have to accomplish a high vaccine coverage with the full 2-dose course. We need to remain vigilant and keep looking for new virus variants. Occurrence of the variants of concern is unpredictable. A dangerous new variant in any part of the world is a threat to all; and that is the real worry. It is the biggest unknown over which we have little control except to reduce transmission by all means. Our surveillance teams have to keep track of new variants, and our vaccine scientists and industry have to be ready to tweak the vaccines if required. In addition, the search for an effective drug that averts progression of early infection into serious disease is an urgent need. This virus can only be defeated by scientific tools and products.

Q: What is causing delay in granting WHO emergency use approval to Covaxin? A: Talks with the World Health Organization are in the final stage now to grant EUL to Covaxin. We respect the WHO procedure which is totally science and evidence based in granting the approval to vaccines. The final meetings are scheduled and we hope to get good news soon from WHO.

(Avinash Prabhakar can be reached at avinash.p@ians.in)
New Delhi, Oct 21 : The Election Commission on Thursday barred political activity in the adjoining areas of the various constituencies, where bypolls will be held on October 30, and asked the district election officers to ensure compliance.

"It has been brought to the notice of the Commission that certain political parties/candidates are organising electioneering activities in the areas adjoining the district/constituency where the bye-election is being conducted. In this regard, all political parties/candidates are advised not to organise any political activities directly related to the bye-elections even in the areas adjoining the district/ constituency where the bye-election are being held," it said.

Election officials have been asked to ensure that the Model Code of Conduct and Covid guidelines relating to the norms of social distancing are followed in the districts adjoining the poll-going district/constituency.

"The Commission's existing instructions regarding enforcement of Model Code of Conduct during bye-elections to Parliamentary/Assembly Constituency provides that the applicability of Model Code of Conduct would be to the concerned district(s) comprising the AC/PC going to such bye-election." It said that the only relaxation in these instructions have been given vide its letter dated June 29, 2017 and reiterated vide letter dated January 18, 2018 that in case the constituency is comprised in state capital/metropolitan cities/Municipal Corporations, with the "objective that the operation of MCC does not hamper normal developmental and administrative functioning in the state and districts".
Islamabad, Oct 21 : Since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Islamic State (IS) has been carrying out targeted attacks in different parts of the country against the Shia Muslims, with suicide bombs aimed at Shia mosques.

In the midst of serious life and security threats to the Shia Muslims of Afghanistan, Iran will be hosting a meeting on Afghanistan, inviting regional neighbours to discuss the ongoing security, economic, and humanitarian situation in the country.

As per details, the meeting will be held on October 27 in Tehran, where at least six Foreign Ministers - from China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan will be attending.

"The meeting will continue discussions that the countries had during virtual meeting in September," said Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh.

"The six countries will be focused on how they can help form an inclusive government in Afghanistan with the presence of all ethnic groups, and how they can help shape a future of peace and security in Afghanistan," he added.

Iran has taken a strong position against the Taliban on their armed assault against resistance fighters in Panjshir Valley, along with targeted attacks by Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), which have claimed lives of many and have rocked Shia mosques in the recent weeks.

"What is clear is that Taliban had a direct responsibility in maintaining peace and stability, and to preserve the health of all Afghan groups including the Hazaras and Shias," Khatibzadeh said.

While Tehran is part of regional meetings, discussions and conferences on Afghanistan, it has clearly refused to be part of any talks, hosted or participated by the US, as it maintains that the US is the prime culprit behind the instability, insecurity, and violence in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's situation since August, when Taliban took over and regained power, has been reeling with worsening humanitarian and economic crisis. Foreign aid, projects and reserves, which catered to at least 80 per cent of the country's economy, have been blocked.

Talban have been calling on the global powers to come and help Afghanistan out of the current crisis and work towards a better, stable and peaceful future of the country, a hope that has been far fetched for decades.
Islamabad, Oct 21 : In the global ranking of women peace and security, Afghanistan sits at the last place as the country's women fear of complete and outright discrimination, since the Taliban have taken control of the Asian country.

According to a report published by Georgetown University's Institute for Women, Peace and Security, Afghanistan sits at the bottom among at least 170 countries.

"Afghanistan has fallen to last place out of 170 countries. The country's absolute score is almost 30 per cent lower that in 2017, driven by worsening rates of violence and worsening community safety," said Jeni Klugman, Managing Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.

The Taliban takeover in August has only added more fuel to the existing dire situation of women, peace and security in the country, which global powers fear, may remain the same or get even worse in the times to come under the Taliban rule.

The report also highlights that "future data to show that the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August has only exacerbated these conditions".

"What makes the findings of these index more worrisome that ever before is that with the return of the television, many expect for these indicators mentioned in the index further deteriorate," said Mariam Safi, Founding Director of Organization for Policy and Research Studies (DROPS).

The report sheds light on a wide range of ground realities in Afghanistan and highlights factors that are pivotal to the evaluation on how women are faring in 170 countries around the world.

Norway, Finland and Iceland are the top three countries in the index, while the last 12 countries, at least 11 are highly fragile states, while Pakistan stands at 167.

"While the Nordic countries feature at the top of the index, we are not perfect. In every society, there are those who experience unequal treatment and exclusion. It is imperative that we recognize this, it helps us to look forward to addressing gaps, especially structural ones to achieve achieving gender equality," said Mona Juul, Norway's ambassador to the United Nations.

In Afghanistan, the world is still waiting for the Taliban to fulfill their promise of giving rights to education and freedom to women. However, no signs of revival of women education schools or rights of women in the country, have come in practice.

Afghan women are left with no other option but to hope that global pressure on the Taliban may result in a some respite from the existing discrimination, they are subjected to suffer, a heavy price being paid for living in their home country.
Bengaluru, Oct 21 : Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Karnataka, Anantkumar Hegde has shot off a letter to tyre major Ceat objecting to its recent advertisement on bursting crackers. He hoped that in future Ceat will respect the feelings of Hindus and will not hurt them as such advertisements are creating unrest among Hindus.

In a letter written to the Managing Director and CEO of the company Anant Vardhan Goenka on October 14, Anantkumar objected to the advertisement where Bollywood star Aamir Khan advises people not to burst crackers on the streets. "The company should also address the problem of blocking of roads in the name of Namaz and sound pollution caused from mosques during Azaan," he said.

Hegde said, "As you are keen and sensitive towards problems faced by general public and you also belong to Hindu Community, I am sure you can feel discrimination done to Hindus since centuries. A group of anti-Hindu actors always hurt the Hindu sentiments whereas, they never try to expose the wrongdoings of their community." He requested the management to take note of the recent advertisement by the company creating unrest among Hindus. "Your company's recent advertisement in which Aamir Khan advises people not to burst firecrackers on the streets is giving a good message. Your concern for public issues needs applause. In this regard I request you to address one more problem faced by people on roads i.e. blocking roads in the name of Namaz on Fridays and other important festive days by Muslims," Hegde said.

"It is a very common scene in many Indian cities where Muslims block busy roads and perform Namaz, and at that time, vehicles, ambulances and firefighters are stuck in traffic causing grave losses. Every day, loud noise is emitted from mikes arranged on top of mosques in our country while giving Azaan. That sound is beyond permissible levels. On Fridays, the prayers in mosques are prolonged. It is a great inconvenience to people who have health issues, who are resting and teaching," he explained.

"I kindly request you to take cognizance of this particular incident where your company's advertisement has created unrest among the Hindus," he maintained.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Poland and India may enter into a twin cities agreement on solid waste management and tourism. A plan in this regard was proposed by Ambassador of Poland to India Adam Burakowski, who met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday.

"We will be very happy to get Poland's expertise in solid waste management in Delhi. We are very pleased with the offer we have received from Poland in this matter. The Urban Development Minister of Delhi Government is looking into the issue. In this regard, a discussion can be held in detail between the Minister of Urban Development and the top companies of Poland who specialise in this. They can give their presentations to the ministry," Kejriwal said after the meeting on Thursday afternoon.

"Had a very fruitful meeting with the Polish ambassador to India, HE Prof. Adam Burakowski. Discussed a wide range of issues including possibilities of Delhi's collaborations with Poland on solid waste management as well as in tourism," Kejriwal tweeted.

"Poland can help strengthen the solid waste management system in Delhi. Earlier, solid waste used to be a challenge in Poland too, but we worked efficiently towards solid waste management. Today we have beaches on the banks of the river and cleanliness is everywhere in the country. We would be happy to share our solutions to help Delhi in solid waste management," said Burakowski, adding, "I understand that a large part of the pollution that plagues Delhi comes from other states, but implementing concrete solutions can solve this problem to a great extent." The Ambassador may also discuss the matter with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Delhi Police to give it a timeline for finishing the investigation as the latter said that it would require four months to complete the probe in the matter of former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh, who is accused of misappropriating Rs 2,397 crore of Religare Finvest Ltd funds.

"How much time should it take to complete the investigation? It cannot be an unending story," a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana asked Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EoW).

The bench also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli sought a timeline from the police to complete the investigation in the case.

Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing Singh, submitted his client has been in jail for the past two years, and added that his custody is not required, as two charge sheets have already been filed.

Perusing a Delhi Police submitted a report citing a timeline, the bench noted that the police would require four more months to complete the investigation, if nothing unexpected happens, which becomes a hurdle in the probe.

After hearing the parties in the matter, the top court listed it for further hearing on Monday.

The top court, last month, had told the police: "How much time does it take to complete the probe in a criminal case? The accused cannot be kept in jail without trial." It had issued notice to the Delhi Police.

Complainant's counsel had argued that Singh is accused of siphoning of over Rs 2,000 crore, which was contested by his counsel who said that the accused in the 2G scam case were granted bail by the top court. The Delhi High Court had cancelled Singh's bail, noting that his detention was necessary to unearth the "conspiracy hatched by him" and trace the alleged siphoned off money.

Singh had moved the top court against the Delhi High Court order, which came on RFL's plea challenging the trial court order passed on March 3, granting bail to him in the case registered against him by the Delhi Police's EoW for cheating, criminal conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust.

In March 2019, the EOW had registered an FIR after it received a complaint from RFL's Manpreet Suri against Shivinder Mohan Singh, former CMD of Religare Enterprises Ltd Sunil Godhwani and former CEO Kavi Arora and others. It was alleged that loans were taken by them while managing the firm, but the money was invested in other companies.
Vijayawada, Oct 21 : A city court on Thursday sent Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesman K. Pattabhi Ram to judicial custody for 14 days for allegedly using abusive words against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Ram -- arrested on Wednesday night, was produced in Third Additional Metropolitan Court, which remanded him to judicial custody for two weeks.

The opposition party leader was subsequently shifted to Machilipatnam Jail.

After the arrest from his house amid high drama, Ram was taken to Thotlavalluru Police Station.

The TDP leader's lawyer moved the bail petition but the government's counsel opposed the same citing several cases booked against him in the past. After hearing the arguments of both sides, the magistrate rejected the bail plea and sent him to judicial custody.

Meanwhile, Ram said he was not beaten up by police during the custody. He, however, denied that he used any abusive word against the chief minister or any other leader and said he was only highlighting the government's failures.

Ram was arrested from his house by the police on Wednesday night, a day after his remarks triggered a huge backlash from alleged supporters of ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) who attacked the TDP's central office at Mangalagiri in Amaravati and party offices in other parts of the state.

Pattabhi Ram's house was also attacked by unidentified people on Tuesday.

Ram's wife Chandra said he was arrested by policemen after breaking open the door. She said if anything happened to him, the government will be responsible.

According to police, the TDP leader was arrested in connection with a case booked against him at Governorpet Police Station. He was booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 505 (2) (Statements conducing to public mischief), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) read with 120B (criminal conspiracy).
Mumbai, Oct 21 : An irked Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede on Thursday said that he was "a very small officer merely doing my duty" as he dismissed charges levelled by Nationalist Congress Party's Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik.

He roundly flayed the personal attacks by Malik on himself, his sister (Jasmeen, a MNS leader), his retired 77-year-old father and deceased mother in the past fortnight by the NCP leader.

"I strongly condemn all this. I don't know why the minister is doing all this. The cases are sub-judice. I will give a suitable reply at the appropriate time," Wankhede said, speaking briefly with media persons late this evening.

He warned that since he is a serving government officer, he would seek the advice of his seniors and then proceed against Malik legally.

On Malik's charges of :lodging fake cases" against Bollywood personalities for 'vasuli' (extortion) purposes, Wankhede said he was not indulging in some child's play to indulge in such acts, but attempting to cleanse Maharashtra and Goa of the drugs menace.

He also denied the NCP leader's allegation that he was in Dubai-Maldives and claimed he has never visited those countries and this could be verified from records like his passport.

Wankhede said that he was an ordinary Central government servant trying to do his duties, and far from being demoralised by Malik's attacks, he would continue to perform with renewed vigour against the drug mafias.

The NCB chief has been under fire from the NCP leader who had continuously held that in connivance with some Bharatiya Janata Party activists, the agency is only gunning for Bollywood personalities who are "soft targets" by registering fraudulent cases based on WhatsApp cases.

Malik virtually accused the NCB of indulging in 'vasuli' (extortion) and said that after his exposes with evidence, in 6 months, Wankhede would be sacked and within a year he would be jailed, finally eliciting a response from the agency's regional head.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Supreme Court judges on Thursday said they are happy to see lawyers appearing before the court for physical hearing.

Justice DY Chandrachud told lawyers in the courtroom: "We are happy to see you all." He said that it was not a pleasant experience to look into the screen every day in the backdrop of an empty courtroom.

The top court had gone virtual since the beginning of the lockdown, to control the spread of Covid-19, in March 2020.

Similarly, many other judges expressed their happiness on resumption of physical hearing in a limited manner.

Scores of lawyers thronged to the top court to argue in their respective matter, and formed long queues to enter the court premises.

During court proceedings, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said the court may ramp up physical hearings after the Diwali break.

The chief justice made this remark in response to senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and Ranjit Kumar, thanking him for resuming physical hearing of cases.

Justice Ramana said: "After Diwali, we may start it on a larger scale." The top court has resumed physical hearing of cases twice a week -- Wednesday and Thursday -- during non-miscellaneous days. It will continue to take matters virtually on Monday and Friday, and on Tuesday, advocates can choose either physical hearing or virtual hearing.

Senior lawyers on Wednesday had expressed a difference of opinion on the top court's decision to resume physical hearing two days a week. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was supported by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said lawyers should not be forced to appear physically, which was vehemently opposed by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Vikas Singh.

Sibal told chief justice NV Ramana that physical presence of advocates must be made optional in the backdrop of the ongoing Covid pandemic.

Justice Ramana replied that the court was forced to resume physical hearing due to several requests from SCBA and other lawyers' associations.
Sela, : , Oct 21 (IANS) The completion of the all weather Sela tunnel, an engineering marvel, is all set to give a big boost to the Indian Army's capabilities at the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Sela tunnel, located in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, will play a crucial role in bolstering national security with the movement of troops and heavy guns taking place throughout the year -- which generally faces major issues during winters when roads are covered with snow.

A total of 50 engineers and 500 labourers are working to complete the project.

Situated at an altitude of 13,800 feet, the Sela tunnel on the 317 km long Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) route is the only tunnel in India that is being constructed at such an altitude.

Till now, the people have been using the Sela Pass road that connects West Kameng, East Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh to the rest of the country.

Once the tunnel is completed, people will not have to use Sela Pass -- which eventually can be developed as a tourist destination.

"It will reduces travel time by one hour and provides all weather connectivity to Tawang," Colonel Parikshit Mehra, Project Director, told IANS.

After construction of the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, which is the world's longest highway tunnel at 10,000 feet and Umlingla Pass, the highest motorable pass in the world at 19,300 feet in Eastern Ladakh, the BRO is all set to complete Sela tunnel in record time.

Col Mehra said the Sela tunnel project is being executed by the Border Roads Organisation and consists of an approach road and two tunnels. Between tunnel one and tunnel two there is a 1200 meter approach road.

The first tunnel has two tubes -- the main tube and an escape tube -- of 1555 meters length. "The escape tube was broken through in July last year and the main tube on October 14 this year," Colonel Mehra said.

Tunnel two is 980 meters long and is a single tube tunnel."It was started on January 15 this year. Out of the 980 meters we have completed 780 meters and only 200 meters are left. We are trying our best that we do it before Army Day next year so that within one year we would have completed the excavation of this tunnel," he said.

After tunnel one there is another approach road of about 7.1 kms where work is going on simultaneously. "We have got initial connectivity and there are some patches that we are still working on," the officer said.

"This project is slated to be finished by next year and we are hopeful of completing it by June next year," he said.

The existing BCT road climbs up the Sela pass and then goes towards Tawang. The road is on the snowline so when there is snowfall from December to February, it gets closed.

"It need massive effort to keep it open and even when it is open there is the huge effort of snow clearance. It becomes very problematic for those who are living in Tawang and for convoys to cross in those three months," Col Mehra said.

Once the tunnel is complete it will give all weather connectivity with Tawang.

This state-of-the-art tunnel will prove to be a lifeline for not just Tawang but the entire state. Once the project is completed, around 4000 vehicles, including army convoys, will pass through daily.

(Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in)
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Pakistan has enhanced its activities in different locations through its proxies and contacts with the aim of targeting Indian interests. This is a typical syndrome which the country faces when it is in dire straits.

Today, the state of affairs in Pakistan is indeed worrisome with internal differences between the Army and the Prime Minister dominating the narrative while Pakistan strives hard to get a firm foothold in Afghanistan.

With groups like the TTP not being on the same page as the Taliban and aggressively pursuing their destructive agenda and with differences continuing to prevail among the Taliban leadership, the future does not appear as bright and promising for Pakistan.

In such a scenario there is bound to be increasing efforts by the ISI to pursue its traditional anti India activities with the aim of creating instability in India and also to divert attention and keep India tied down.

One has thus witnessed hectic activities by the ISI teams located in different countries, especially in the neighbourhood who have been mischievously indulging in planning and implementing projects against Indian interests.

The ISI has built contacts among long-term local residents of Pakistani origin in different countries who have been extensively used to identify influential local contacts and create an effective network of prominent individuals who could push the Pakistani agenda on various topics while taking up issues critical of India.

In this connection, at the behest of the Pakistani establishment, a group of Sri Lankan nationals, led by Mohamed Shiraz, Mohamed Yunus, held a webinar on "Indian Expansionist Designs -- A challenge for the regional countries in general and Sri Lanka in particular" on September 15 in Geneva.

The anti-India protest was held in the vicinity of UNHCR under the theme "Indian attitude terrifying to South Asia" and "India's bond toxic to Sri Lanka".

Mohamed Yunus is the national coordinator -- Muslim Affairs, to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and is known to have close links with the ISI.

He interacts quite regularly with Pakistan High Commission in Colombo and is known to coordinate his activities in sync with the Pakistani Mission in Colombo.

A number of other Sri Lankan nationals associated with the aforesaid anti-India webinar include Abdul Latif Farooq, a veteran Muslim author and journalist and Yousuf Marikkar, former guest lecturer at University of Colombo.

Mohamed Yunus is also known to be in touch with the Chinese Embassy in Colombo on a regular basis.

The coordination and association between Pakistani and Chinese security officials posted at their missions abroad has also been an interesting feature worth noting. There are increasing signs of close cooperation between the ISI and their Chinese counterparts at various locations to push through the common agenda of targeting India.

This is a phenomena which has been noticed in locations in most South Asian countries as well as in India.

Such sharing of information and close coordination between intelligence operatives and those representing the security establishment of both the countries is of significance, especially from the Indian point of view. Security experts claim that Indian security establishments need to keep a strict and more closer check on such activities and thwart any coordinated action by representatives of various agencies operating in India and other locations with the objective of targeting Indian interests.
Kolkata, Oct 21 : Within 72 hours after the murder of a man named Subir Chaki (61) and his driver Bimal Mondal in the Gariahat area in the heart of the city, the Kolkata Police have arrested one person and claimed that the case has been cracked.

Speaking to the media, Kolkata Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra said, "Our Detective Department has solved the case. One person has been arrested and some more arrests will be made. We will formally let you know everything after the arrests are made." According to sources, the cops were able to crack the case after they arrested one Mithu Halder from Diamond Harbour, some 45 km from Kolkata, on Wednesday. Halder, who has been sent to 14-day police custody after being produced in the court on Thursday, used to work as a maid at Chaki's house in Gariahat.

According to the police, Halder confessed during interrogation that her eldest son Vicky and some other people were involved in the murder.

"It is a case of 'murder for gain'. Chaki, a resident of New Town, was trying to sell his Gariahat house for a long time. Vicky, posing as a potential buyer, had called him and asked him to come to his Gariahat house to settle the deal," a senior officer of the Detective Department said.

"When Chaki and his driver came to Gariahat on Sunday evening, Vicky along with some other persons forced him to pay Rs 1.5 crore. When Chaki refused to pay the amount, they killed him. Mondal was killed because he had identified the criminals. They then went to the Ballygunge station, which is a 10-minute walk from Chaki's house, and took a train," the officer said.

The cops first got a clue in the case when the owner of Halder's rented home in Diamond Harbour informed the police that he had seen her washing blood-stained clothes. The owner also informed the cops that when he asked her about it, she said that her son had a fight during Durga Puja immersion and so there was blood-stain on his clothes.

The police, however, came to know that there was no quarrel or fighting in Diamond Harbour on that day. The cops then arrested her and during interrogation, she broke down and told everything to the police.

"We are looking for Vicky and his accomplices and we hope to find them soon. Once we take them into custody, we will be able to get more details about the murder," the officer added.

The murder came to light when officers from the Gariahat police station, responding to calls from Chaki's relatives, went to his house and found Chaki and his driver lying dead inside the house.

"According to one of his relatives, Chaki was trying to sell his house and so he went to Gariahat to show the house to one of the buyers. When he didn't return till late night, his family members tried to contact him over phone but both the phones of Chaki and Mondal were switched off. The desperate family members then informed the police," a senior officer said.
Bhopal, Oct 21 : Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Thursday directed the Sheopur district police to take action against Congress MLA Babulal Jandel for his remark insulting the constitution of India.

The minister's statement came a day after Jandel, who is a MLA from Sheopur assembly constituency, said that he would 'burn the constitution on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's chest and would throw it in his eyes'.

Mishra said the remark shows how Congress leaders are frustrated with their defeat. It also shows the real nature of the Congress, to what level they can stoop.

"I have directed DG to take action against Babulal Jandel," Mishra said on Thursday.

Mishra, condemning the Congress MLA's remark, said that he (Jandel) may not have respect for the constitution but he has no right to insult it.

On Wednesday, Jandel also said that he would burn the constitution in the assembly.

Jandel had made the remarks during a press conference at the collectorate where he along with his supports had gone to submit a memorandum demanding survey and compensation for the rain damaged crops.

Since then, BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh have been demanding strict action against Jandel.
Hyderabad, Oct 21 : Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday lauded the efforts of the scientists, doctors, healthcare workers and all the frontline warriors for their efforts in enabling the country achieve the milestone of administering 100 crore vaccine doses.

"This is a historic day and we have achieved a great landmark in our vaccination drive by administering a record one billion vaccine doses in our fight against the Covid-19 pandemic," she said The Governor thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership in guiding the country on its massive vaccination drive.

On the occasion of India crossing the 100 crore vaccine doses mark, the Governor has visited the ESIC Medical College and interacted with the doctors, medical students and staff.

She stated that India has disproved the cynicism about the country's capability to vaccinate its large population and emerged victorious by administering 100 crore vaccine doses in less than a year.

"We are proud that we have taken the vaccines produced indigenously and we have also supplied our vaccines to many other countries. Indian scientists have made us proud," she said.

The Governor appealed to those who are yet to get vaccinated to take the vaccine at the earliest and shun the vaccine hesitancy so as to protect themselves, their family members and others at large.

She stated that the vaccines proved safe and effective in protecting the people from the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

She witnessed the ongoing vaccination at the ESIC hospital and congratulated a beneficiary on getting vaccinated, while appreciating the doctors and the staff.

Secretary to Governor K. Surendra Mohan, Governor's husband and eminent Nephrologist Dr. P. Soundararajan, ESIC Medical College Dean Dr. Srinivas and others were present.
Mumbai/Pune, Oct 21 : NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Thursday demanded to know what was the NCB's Mumbai zone chief Sameer Wankhede doing in Dubai and the Maldives with his family during the pandemic lockdown, and threatened him with jail for "concocting drugs cases against Bollywood personalities".

While Wankhede dismissed Malik's allegations, the Narcotics Control Bureau said that the former has never been to Dubai while with the agency, but had visited the Maldives after taking permission.

In a dual attack, Malik shared photos of Wankhede's family holidaying in Maldives when the entire Bollywood was also there.

"It's very clear that all this 'vasuli' (extortion) took place in Maldives and Dubai. I am releasing the photos. What was he doing in Maldives-Dubai, he must answer," Malik said at a public rally in Pune amid a thunderous applause.

Daring Wankhede to come clean on his foreign sojourns with his family, Malik, who is the national spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said that attempts were being made to implicate certain film personalities in fake cases and parade them before the NCB.

"Along with some BJP people, Wankhede is threatening the film industry people... I am repeating - He keeps filing false cases and arresting people based on WhatsApp chats and without any evidence. I am going to reveal more on this," he warned.

The NCP leader declared that soon he will "expose Wankhede with full proof on all the fake cases with which he's trying to instil fear in Bollywood", for which he would pay a heavy price.

"Within six months, he will lose his job and within a year, he will be jailed. I am collecting evidence against him," he said.

He also released some photos of Sameer Wankhede's sister Jasmeen Wankhede, ostensibly shot in Maldives with captions and tagging her friends, including Fletcher Patel who had called her the 'Lady Don'.

Malik's statements evoked angry reaction from the opposition Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) film wing chief Ameya Khopkar, who cautioned the NCP leader "to keep off and stop dragging" his party colleague (Jasmeen Wankhede) into his politics.

Jasmeen Wankhede also hit back, asking whether "Malik is a judge", and said she was accountable to her family or friends and the NCP leader had no business to make public her private trip.

BJP state President Chandrakant Patil said that Malik is rattled by the arrest of his son-in-law and has been slamming the NCB since the past two weeks.

The war between NCB and NCP erupted after the probe agency raided a rave party aboard a cruise ship and arrested 8 persons, including Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan, all of whom are now in judicial custody till October 30.

Later, the NCB nabbed 12 others, and on Thursday, actress Ananya Panday was summoned for probe, which will continue further on Friday.

An irked Wankhede roundly flayed the personal attacks by Malik on him, his sister, his retired 77-year-old father and deceased mother in the past fortnight.

"I strongly condemn all this. I don't know why the minister is doing all this. The cases are sub-judice. I will give a suitable reply at the appropriate time," Wankhede said, speaking briefly with mediapersons late on Thursday evening.

He warned that since he is a serving government officer, he would seek the advice of his seniors and then proceed against Malik legally.

The NCB also came to Wankhede's aid by issuing a statement which said that he did not apply for going to Dubai after he joined the agency on deputation for six months on August 31, 2020.

However, as per the NCB's approval granted on July 27, 2021, Wankhede had gone to the Maldives with his family, NCB's Deputy Director-General of South West Region, Mutha Ashok Jain, said in a statement.

On Malik's charges of "lodging fake cases" against Bollywood personalities for 'vasuli', Wankhede said he was not indulging in some child's play, but attempting to cleanse Maharashtra and Goa of the drugs menace.

Wankhede said that he is an ordinary government servant trying to do his duties, and far from being demoralised by Malik's attacks, he would continue to perform with renewed vigour against the drug mafias.
New Delhi:Union Minister For Health & Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya during launch a song and an audio-visual film at Red Fort to celebrate 100 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine, passing a milestone in new Delhi on Thursday October 21, 2021.(Photo: Q Image Source: IANS News

A nurse shows a vial of the Sinopharm vaccine at the Panadura Health Office in Kalutara District, on the outskirts of Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, on May 8, 2021. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 21 : The United Nations (UN) in India has congratulated the country on achieving the "remarkable milestone" of 100 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines on Thursday and expressed gratitude to the nation's 'Corona Warriors'.

"This vaccination landmark reflects India's commitment to 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'," UN India said in a statement here.

"I commend India on this momentous success. The United Nations in India is a proud partner of the Government of India in its fight against Covid-19, steadfast in our commitment to the largest vaccine drive in the world. I would also like to express my gratitude to India's Corona Warriors who have made this milestone a possibility. Healthcare workers, sanitation staff, paramedical, auxiliary workers, police personnel and many more have worked tirelessly to keep Indians safe during the pandemic," said United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Deirdre Boyd.

UN agencies have supported India in its difficult yet resilient fight against the pandemic.

"Collectively, we delivered over 10,000 oxygen generators, over 70 oxygen plants, over 10 million pieces of PPE kits, 170 metric tonnes of medical resources and supported the preparation for the mass scale rollout of Covid vaccines using innovative digital platforms," a statement said.

"The United Nations in India commends the Government of India in its leveraging of digital technology to reach this mark and continues to extend our support in ensuring that vaccines reach everyone, everywhere. We stand resolutely with India and its people in their endeavour to combat the impact of the pandemic and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, making sure that no one is left behind," it added.
Hyderabad, Oct 21 : The Telangana Police have so far installed 8.25 lakh CCTV cameras across the state out of its target of 15 lakh cameras, Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy said.

He said the state police were in the forefront in using the latest technological tools for effective policing to maintain law and order.

The police chief was addressing the Police Commemoration Day event at Goshamahal Stadium in Hyderabad to pay tribute to the police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali said Telangana Police became a model for other states by using technology for effective policing. He pointed out that the police had taken several innovative measures like installation of a large number of CCTV cameras, creating special cell for women safety, and setting up of a command control room.

The minister paid rich tributes to police martyrs at the Police Flag Day Parade, also called Commemoration Parade, at Goshamahal Stadium.

He noted that during the last one year, 377 police personnel in the country laid down their lives while performing their duties.

He pointed out that since the formation of Telangana state in 2014, only one policeman died on duty and this year, no policeman lost his life.

The minister said under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana has good law and order and this became possible due effective policing. He claimed that compared to other states, Telangana has a low crime rate.

He said 62 police personnel in Telangana lost their lives to Covid-19 pandemic. While expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, he assured that the government will extend them all possible assistance.

Mahender Reddy said that the police martyrs are telling the society that police personnel will not hesitate to lay down their lives for peace in the society and for people's protection.

He said the Covid-19 pandemic period posed a challenge to the Police Department, but was frontline warriors, police personnel faced the pandemic like they tackled terrorism and Maoism.

Later, Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan also visited the Police Martyrs' Memorial and laid a wreath.
Hyderabad, Oct 21 : Two more Telangana legislators on Thursday announced donation of one kilogram of gold each for Yadadri temple in the state.

Responding to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's call, Member of Legislative Council T. Chinnapa Reddy donated one kilo of gold on behalf of his family and Srini Pharma Group of companies for gold plating of the Vimana Gopuram of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Yadadri.

"We thank Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who has inspired us to be partners in the great renovation programme of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Yadadri," he said.

Danam Nagender, a Member of Legislative Assembly, has also announced a donation of one kilogram of gold on behalf of his family.

Nagender, who represents Khairatabad constituency in the state capital, said that it is a marvel that Rao has rebuilt a temple with great glory.

During the last three days, legislators, other public representatives, corporate houses and businessmen have announced gold donations for the temple, which is scheduled to reopen after renovation on March 28, 2022.

After a visit to the temple on Tuesday, the Chief Minister announced the first donation of 1 kg 16 tolas gold to the temple on behalf of his family.

The temple requires 125 kg gold for gold plating works of Vimana Gopuram.

Since then, donors have announced donations of about 30 kg of gold.
Islamabad, Oct 21 : The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) continues to carry out deadly attacks targeting security personnel and claim lives in what is being seen as a serious and concerning surge of assault, posing a major challenge to Pakistans security forces.

In a recent bomb explosion, at least six security personnel were killed in northwestern Pakistan along the Pak-Afghan border. As per details, the explosion occurred when at least three paramilitary soldiers and at least two police officers were conducting a cordon and search operation in Bajaur district. It was reported that an improvised explosive device (IED) hit the vehicle and exploded.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. But the finger of suspicion is being pointed at the TTP, which has claimed the recent attacks after launching an offensive against the Pakistani security forces in 2021, especially since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in mid-August.

The year 2021 has seen re-emergence of the TTP, which has been carrying out targeted attacks, especially in and around the Bajaur district, a sensitive area where Pakistan Army has been fighting and dismantling TTP cells and its affiliated groups since 2007.

In 2021, the area has seen a major surge in attacks against security forces as well as civilians through IED, targeted attacks and raids by the perpetrators.

Parallel to the Bajaur district incident, a 26-year-old soldier was killed in a targeted attack on a security check-post in the Thal area in Hangu district, another troubled area located south of Bajaur district.

Separately, in Kech district of Balochistan, a soldier lost his life when unknown attackers carried out a fire raid on a security check-post.

The TTP has used Bajaur, Hangu, Balochistan and other bordering areas with Afghanistan as its strongholds and used them as free access in and out of Afghanistan.

TTP is a globally-designated terrorist organisations, whic has claimed to have killed thousands of Pakistanis since 2007.

Even though Pakistan claims that its all-out military offensive against the TTP and its affiliate groups operating inside Pakistan has not only dismantled them, but also cleansed their footprints in the country, the ongoing resurgence of attacks claimed by the TTP has certainly rang alarm bells.

Experts say that the real concern is the timing of the TTP re-emergence, as terror attacks against Pakistani security forces have intensified since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August this year.

Pakistani security forces claim that many such terror attacks have been foiled, while intelligence-based operations are being carried out to ensure the group is rooted out completely.
Patna, Oct 21 : Two persons were arrested in Patna district on Thursday for allegedly making fake voter cards and a couple of dummy Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) seized from them, police said.

ASP, Danapur, Sayyad Imran Masood said that the two were arrested from the Bihta area in a raid.

"We have received information about EVMs being procured in one of the houses which was adjoining a polling booth in the Bihta area. Accordingly, we formed a dedicated team which raided that house. During the search, we found 350 fake voter identity cards and two dummy EVMs," he said.

"During interrogation, the accused revealed that they had made fake voter identity cards of those persons who are not residing in the panchayat but whose names are still present in the voter list. Those fake voter identity cards were prepared to be used for voting in the panchayat elections," Masood said.

"The investigation is currently underway to arrest other persons involved in this fraudulent activity. An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC in Bihta police station and a copy has been also sent to the State Election Commission office in Patna," he added.
Agartala, Oct 21 : The Trinamool Congress on Thursday launched a 12-day statewide programme -- 'Tripurar Jonno Trinamool (Trinamool for Tripura) -- to highlight the vision, schemes and messages of party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Announcing the party's first mega event in Tripura, Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev and the state's steering committee convener Subal Bhowmik told the media that through the 'Tripurar Jonno Trinamool' programme, party leaders would reach out and interact with the people at the grassroots level across the state.

Dev said that covering eight districts, 58 blocks and 20 urban local bodies of Tripura, the party leaders would interact with the people and listen to their issues arising out of the 'miss-governance' of the BJP.

She said that during the outreach programme, three groups of leaders would inform the people what Trinamool would do for them if it comes to power in Tripura.

"Due to the imposition of Section 144 of CrPC in the state till November 4, the Trinamool cannot hold any rally. However, we would conduct the 12-day programme without breaking any law," Dev said.

Dev, who's father and former Union minister late Santosh Mohan Dev was instrumental in installing a Congress-led government in Tripura in 1988, has been given the charge of Tripura.

Dev, who quit the Congress and joined the Trinamool on August 16, has been touring the entire state to strengthen the party.

After the BJP government twice denied permission to Trinamool to hold a mega rally led by the party's national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Agartala, the West Tripura District Magistrate on September 20 promulgated Section 144 CrPc in two police station areas under the Sadar Police Sub-Division till November 4.

Dev alleged that the BJP goons have been attacking Trinamool workers all across Tripura, and in some places, they have even vandalised their shops, properties and houses.

She said that Abhishek Banerjee has said that the party would contest in the upcoming local bodies' elections in Tripura.

Meanwhile, Subal Bhowmick claimed that there is no peace in BJP-ruled Tripura.

"The state government has not done anything for the youth, neither did it do anything related to the pension policies for senior citizens. We are fighting for democracy in Tripura and we would restore the rights of the citizens. The Trinamool is not afraid, because we are working with full honesty and seriousness. The BJP is creating unrest in the name of caste and religion everywhere in the country," Bhowmick told reporters.

Eyeing the Assembly polls in Tripura scheduled in 2023, senior Trinamool leaders are frequently visiting the state since July 25 to build the organisation and garner support in BJP-ruled Tripura.

A series of violent incidents involving Trinamool leaders from West Bengal and Tripura occurred in the state. Many leaders were also arrested by the Tripura police.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday assured the people of rain-battered Uttarakhand that the Central government stands fully with them in this hour of crisis.

Briefing the media in Dehradun after conducting an aerial survey of the affected areas, Shah said that the Centre recently issued Rs 250 crore as Uttarakhand is prone to natural calamities.

He also said that the Centre has already released an assistance of Rs 749.60 crore as the Central share under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

Shah said that timely warnings by the Central government helped in minimising the loss of lives as it had issued a warning 24 hours in advance on October 16.

"Advance alerts were sent so that unnecessary movement could be avoided. The pilgrims of Char Dham were also stopped where they were before the rains started, and due to this there is no news of any casualty of any of the pilgrims of Char Dham. The yatra has now resumed," he said, adding that NDRF, Army, ITBP, SDRF, state response teams and the fire brigade were put on alert before the rains started. Helicopters were also made available before the rains, he added.

Shah said that except three roads, traffic movement has resumed on most of the roads and relief materials have also started arriving wherever needed, while Nainital, Haldwani and Almora roads have been opened. Also, repair works on the damaged railway tracks have begun, he said.

More than 60 per cent electricity supply has been restored, people have started receiving pure drinking water while the health facilities have not been disrupted, he added.

"More than 3,500 people have been rescued and over 16,000 have been evacuated to safer places as precaution. There are no reports of loss of life of any tourist so far. Seventeen teams of NDRF, 60 teams of SDRF, 15 companies of PAC and more than 5,000 police and fire brigade personnel are still engaged in the entire operation," Shah told reporters.

The Home Minister also said that the state government carried out the rescue operation in a very successful way and soon after the situation becomes normal in a couple of days, survey teams of the Ministry of Home Affairs will make a visit here to take stock of the damage and accordingly help will also be provided.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami thanked the Central government for the support provided by it at short notice.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : The Centre has told the Supreme Court that there is no fundamental right to receive unbridled foreign contributions without any regulation, as it defended the 2020 amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).

It emphasised that the FCRA's aim was to ensure foreign contribution does not adversely impinge upon the functioning of parliamentary institutions, political associations and academic and other voluntary organisations as well as individuals in India.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in a 355-page affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, said the Parliament has enacted the FCRA, to lay down a clear legislative policy of strict controls over foreign contributions for certain activities in the country.

It said the "legislation has also prohibited acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality for any activities detrimental to the national interest and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto".

On the aspect of violation of fundamental rights, the MHA said: "It is unequivocally submitted that there exists no fundamental right to receive unbridled foreign contributions without any regulation. It is submitted that in fact, there exists no fundamental right under which any right, legal or otherwise, can be said to include the purported right to receive foreign contributions." It added that "no part of any purported right to receive foreign contributions can be said to be a part of the fundamental rights granted to citizens".

It emphasised that foreign contributions, considering their nature and vast expanse of abuse, are tightly regulated and the government is well within its rights to make the changes in order to effectively implement the objects of the Parliament.

The MHA's response came on three petitions -- two challenging the validity of the amendments and the other seeking stricter enforcement of the amendments.

"In the absence of any violation of a fundamental right, the present set of petitions, claiming a moonshine fundamental right of 'received unbridled foreign contributions' are not maintainable under Article 32 and therefore, on this ground alone, the petitions deserve to be dismissed," it said.

The MHA said that the FCRA was enacted with a clear objective to insulate the democratic polity and public institutions and individuals working in the national democratic space from the undue influence of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality received from any foreign source.

"Therefore, sovereignty and integrity of India including public order and public interest is an essential dimension of the Act since its inception," it said.

The Centre said during the implementation of the FCRA, 2010, it was increasingly noted that certain NGOs were involved primarily only in routing of foreign contributions.

"In other words, rather than 'receiving' and 'utilising' it - as is the intent of the Act - the NGOs were only receiving the foreign contribution and transferring it to other NGOs. Thus, establishing a principal-client relationship," it added.

The petitioners are Noel Harper and Nigel Mills of Share and Care Foundation in Andhra Pradesh and Joseph Lizy and Annamma Joachim of National Workers Welfare Trust in Telangana.

The affidavit was settled by Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, who was assisted by advocate Kanu Agrawal.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Despite all its devious manoeuvrings, Pakistan remains on the FATF grey list. "Pakistan government has two concurrent action plans, with a total of 34 action plan items. It has now largely addressed 30 of the items," said FATF president. This way Pakistan will remain in the increased monitoring 'Grey List' of global terror financing watchdog FATF, said its president Marcus Pleyer on Thursday.

Pakistan has been battling this stigma by being on the Paris-based FATF's grey list for deficiencies in its counter-terror financing and anti-money laundering regimes since June 2018. Pleyer noted that "Pakistan has made significant progress and it has largely addressed 26 out of 27 items on the action plan it first committed to in June 2018." He, however, had added that the item on financial terrorism still needed to be addressed which concerned the "investigation and prosecution of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups".

Moreover, three other countries are onto the FATF list: Jordan, Mali and Turkey. They have all agreed on an action plan with the FATF. In June this year, Pakistan viewed as a failed state by many was given three months to fulfil the remaining conditions by October.

Pakistan was retained on the FATF 'grey list' for failing to effectively implement the global FATF standards and over its lack of progress on investigation and prosecution of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups.
Bhopal, Oct 21 : The nation is indebted to the martyred police personnel who laid down their lives in the service of the nation, said Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai C. Patel while addressing the Police Commemoration Day Parade-2021 at Lal Parade Ground on Thursday.

The Governor commended the efforts being made by police to maintain law and order in the state. "Expeditious investigation and increase in conviction has become possible due to the activeness of the state police," he said.

Before the address of the Governor, the Police Commemoration Day programme began with the 'Rashtra dhun' presented by the Police band. Thereafter, the Governor paid tributes to the martyred jawans by saluting the Parade Memorial.

Meanwhile, the Governor also appreciated the Dial-100 service of the state police and also online character verification and e-FIR.

Patel lauded the police for its success in effectively curbing the bandit and Naxalite activities in the state. He also expressed happiness over the establishment of women police stations in all the districts and 700 Mahila Urja desks.

On the occasion, the Governor also met the families of the police officers and staffers who were martyred last year and expressed his condolences.

Later, Director General of Police Vivek Johri said that this year, 15 police personnel of Madhya Pradesh were martyred while on duty.

"The MP Police stand with the families of martyrs and are committed to provide them all facilities and assistance as per rules," the DGP said.

Madhya Pradesh Home minister Narottam Mishra, chief secretary Iqbal Singh Bains and several other officials were also present at the occasion.
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Ahead of the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh scheduled next year, the Congress is in talks with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which is a prominent party in western Uttar Pradesh.

As per sources, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda has reportedly met senior RLD leader Jayant Chowdhury a couple of times.

When asked, Hooda said that "for strengthening the prospects of Congress, there have been talks with many like-minded parties", though he did not specifically comment on a possible tie-up with the RLD.

Hooda, who is the son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, shares good rapport with the Jat leaders in Uttar Pradesh and has been roped in by the Congress to work on the Jat-dominated areas.

Though everyone is tight-lipped over the issue, sources said that the RLD is reportedly in talks with the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Tie-up with the RLD can help the Congress strengthen its presence in the Jat-dominated areas, which are also the epicentre of the farmers' agitation in the state.

While Jayant Chowdhury could not be contacted, RLD General Secretary Trilok Tyagi said that the party is open to alliance which it will finalise soon, and alliance talks are on only with the Samajwadi party right now.

RLD is going to release its manifesto on October 31 in Lucknow, he said.

The Congress in Uttar Pradesh is trying to stitch an alliance with the smaller parties like the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) ahead of next year's Assembly polls.

PSP founder Shivpal Yadav, the estranged uncle of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, has some influence in Etawah, Mainpuri and Sambhal areas, where Yadavs form a sizeable ppopulation.

Senior Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam was seen accompanying Shivpal Yadav, who embarked on his 'Samajik Parivartan Yatra' on Tuesday from Mathura.

Congress leader and MLC Deepak Singh said that after Priyanka Gandhi's efforts, the Congress has become a serious player in the state, and alliances with smaller parties are not a bad idea. However, Singh said that he did not know officially if talks for alliance were happening.

In the last Assembly elections in 2022, the Congress had tied up with the Samajwadi Party. However, the results failed to justify the tie-up as the Congress could not even cross the double-digit mark, while the BJP swept the polls.
Guwahati, Oct 21 : A court in Assam on Thursday sent three minors to a juvenile home for reportedly killing a 6-year-old girl for refusing to watch porn content with them in Nagaon district, the police said.

The father of one of the accused, who was also nabbed in connection with the case, has been sent to police custody.

A senior police officer said that on Wednesday, the police in Nagaon arrested three minors aged between 8 and 11 years, along with the father of one of the accused, in connection with the gruesome murder of a minor girl who had turned down the tro's offer to watch pornographic clips on a mobile phone with them.

The victim's body was found in a toilet at a stone quarry in the Kaliabor area on Tuesday.

The police said that on Tuesday, the three 'porn-addict' juveniles, who lived near the minor girl's home, lured the victim to a nearby stone quarry where they told her to watch porn clips. After she turned down their offer, the boys reportedly bashed her to death with stones.

The police have also seized the mobile phone of the accused, which was filled with pornographic clips.

Nagaon Superintendent of Police Anand Mishra said in a tweet: "Family/social intervention and institutional guidance to the kids could have saved these four young lives. One lost life, 3 lost for life. It can happen with anyone of us or anyone around us. If our upcoming generations fail on socio-moral standards, responsibility lies greatly upon us." One of the minor boys, who studies at an English medium school, is from an affluent family.

The boy, who was using his father's smartphone for his online classes, gradually got addicted to watching porn.
Chennai, Oct 22 : The National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO) in Tamil Nadu has demanded a CB-CID inquiry into the gunning down of Murtaza Sheikh from Jharkhand by the Kancheepuram police at Sriperumbadur on October 11.

Murtaza and his accomplice Naeem were accused of snatching a chain from a woman in Pennalur village on October 10. The police later found that the two were hiding in Sriperumbadur, and on October 11, when the Kancheepuram police team zeroed on the duo, they found a gun in the possession of Murtaza who tried to attack the police. The police opened fire and killed Murtaza on the spot. Naeem was caught and has been remanded to judicial custody.

The fact-finding team of NCHRO led by rights activist A. Marx has now given a report to the police and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

The team has reported that there was a strong police team comprising around 300 men and that Murtaza could have been easily overpowered. They also contended the theory of the police that the accused had a gun.

However, senior police officers from the Kancheepuram police station have stuck to their position that Murtaza was in possession of the gun which had three live cartridges in it.

Marx told IANS, "We have visited the village where Murtaza stayed and the place where the chain snatching had taken place as also the place where he was gunned down. We have spoken to senior police officers on the issue. Our fact-finding team comprised nine people, including human rights activists." Senior police officers, however, said that Murtaza was involved in several other criminal activities and the police had to fire at him as he was in possession of a gun, which they later found to be loaded with live bullets. The police claimed that Murtaza and Naeem had even opened fired on the people who had chased them after the chain-snatching incident.

The police also suspect the duo to be behind the murder of a Tasmac liquor shop employee in Kancheepuram, besides grievously injuring another staff.
New Delhi, Oct 22 : In what that can seen as a disciplinary action, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday suspended Yogendra Yadav for a month after his visit to the house of the BJP worker killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Sources said that Yadav had reached the house of the deceased BJP worker to express condolences without informing other farmer leaders about his visit. Later on Twitter, he shared the picture of his meeting with the family.

The decision to suspend Yadav was taken in a meeting of SKM leaders held on Thursday.

According to farmer leaders, Yadav has accepted his mistake. Now he can be a part of the movement during the month, but will not attend any official meeting or activities.
New Delhi, Oct 22 : BJP MP Varun Gandhi has once again hit out at the Yogi government, saying that if the public has to do everything on their own, then what's the government is for.

The Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit, who earlier raised questions on the state government's attitude towards the sugarcane farmers and over Lakhimpur Kheri violence, this time has targeted the Yogi government over the plight of the flood victims in the state.

Varun said that there is flood in the entire Terai region of the state, "people need help, but even at such a time, help is not being provided by the government".

"What is the need of the government, if people have to help themselves even at such times," he asked.

Sharing pictures of the floods affected areas and distribution of dry ration to the victims, Varun tweeted, "Much of the Terai is badly flooded. Donating dry rations by hand so that no family is hungry till this calamity ends. It's painful that when the common man needs the system the most, he's left to fend for himself. If every response is individual-led then what does 'governance' mean."(sic) Earlier Varun had publicly written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding to increase the support price of sugarcane.

Similarly he had also raised questions on the action being taken by the government in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
Tsabong Airport, Tsabong, Botswana [ TBY / FBTS ]

If you are planning to travel to Tsabong or any other city in Botswana, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Tsabong Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Tsabong Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Botswana. Tsabong Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Tsabong Airport Info:

Tsabong Airport IATA Code: TBY Tsabong Airport ICAO Code: FBTS Latitude : -26.0333 Longitude : 22.4 City : Tsabong Country : Botswana World Area Code : 510 Airport Type : Small Timezone : Africa/Gaborone Tsabong Airport Timezone : GMT +02:00 hours Current time and date at Tsabong Airport is 02:08:40 AM (CAT) on Saturday, Nov 20, 2021

Looking for information on Tsabong Airport, Tsabong, Botswana? Know about Tsabong Airport in detail. Find out the location of Tsabong Airport on Botswana map and also find out airports near to Tsabong. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Tsabong Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Tsabong Airport, airlines operating to Tsabong Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Botswana. Scroll down to know more about Tsabong Airport or Tsabong Airport, Botswana.

Tsabong Airport Map - Location of Tsabong Airport Load Map Botswana - General Information Country Formal Name Republic of Botswana Country Code BW Capital Gaborone Currency Pula (BWP)

 1 BWP = 0.086 USD

 1 USD = 11.656 BWP

 1 BWP = 0.076 EUR

 1 EUR = 13.159 BWP

 More BWP convertion rates Tel Code +267 Top Level Domain .bw

Nearest Airports to Tsabong Airport Closest airports to Tsabong, Botswana are listed below. These are major airports close to the city of Tsabong and other airports closest to Tsabong Airport. Nearest airport to Tsabong Airport and Tsabong is Hukuntsi Airport - (236.28 Km / 146.82 Miles) Following are the nearest airports to Tsabong and Tsabong Airport. Distance between the two airports is given in bracket. Jwaneng Airport - (280.11 Km / 174.05 Miles)

List of 16 airports in Botswana along with Botswana airport codes 

This page provides all the information you need to know about Tsabong Airport, Botswana. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Botswana or traveling to Tsabong Airport. Details about Tsabong Airport given here include Tsabong Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

Coordinates of Tsabong Airport - Latitude and Longitude (Lat and Long) of Tsabong Airport

Location of Tsabong Airport - City Name, Country, Country Codes etc...

Tsabong Airport Time Zone and Current time at Tsabong Airport

Address and contact details of Tsabong Airport along with website address of the airport

Clickable Location Map of Tsabong Airport on Google Map.

General information about Botswana where Tsabong Airport is located in the city of Tsabong. General information include capital of Botswana, currency and conversion rate of Botswana currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc...

TBY - Tsabong Airport IATA Code and FBTS - Tsabong Airport ICAO code
Doucette and Ngo will discuss how the Philadelphia Inquirer is leveraging BlueConics CDP to successfully navigate its data-led business transformation and create new revenue streams for the business.

BlueConic, the worlds leading pure-play customer data platform (CDP), today announced it will host a discussion with The Philadelphia Inquirer called, Philadelphia Inquirers Roadmap to a Sustainable First-Party Data Strategy, at the upcoming Adweek Elevate: Publishing Conference. Doucette will discuss how to reengineer the publishing business for the cookieless future and share real-world examples from the Philadelphia Inquirers own digital transformation journey.

Who: Peter Doucette, Chief Revenue Officer, at Philadelphia Inquirer will be joined by Sam Ngo, Director, Product Marketing at BlueConic.

What: Doucette and Ngo will discuss how the Philadelphia Inquirer is leveraging BlueConics CDP to successfully navigate its data-led business transformation and create new revenue streams for the business.

When: October 28, 2021 from 12:35  12:55 pm ET.

Why Attend: What may have started as a slow and steady digital transformation journey for the publishing industry has accelerated due to third-party cookie deprecation and privacy regulations. In this session, Doucette will share his thoughts on how publishers can leverage first-party data to future proof their businesses. Attendees will learn:



Best practices for building a digital transformation roadmap

How to scale a first-party data strategy quickly with the right technology

Examples of how to drive growth from B2B and B2C revenue streams

Where: Participants can learn more about Adweek Elevate and register for free here.

Tweet this: Join @BlueConic and @PhillyInquirer at Adweek Elevate on Oct 28 to learn how first-party data powers business transformation. Register for free: https://bit.ly/3E0gWha

About BlueConic

BlueConic, the leading pure-play customer data platform, liberates companies first-party data from disparate systems and makes it accessible wherever and whenever it is required to transform customer relationships and drive business growth. Over 300 companies worldwide, including Hearst Newspapers, Heineken, ING, T-Mobile, UEFA, and VF Corp, use BlueConic to unify data into persistent, individual-level profiles, and then activate it across customer touchpoints and systems in support of a wide range of growth-focused initiatives, including customer lifecycle orchestration, modeling and analytics, digital products and experiences, audience-based monetization, and more. BlueConic is a global company with offices in the US and Europe. Learn more at http://www.blueconic.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn @BlueConic.

Contacts:

Karolina Throssell

Iden

karolina@iden.global

http://www.iden.global
The Aspect Awards showcases innovative and dynamic communications strategies that have engaged those stakeholders in new ways

Aging Media Network will host its annual Aspect Awards program, now in its second year, with nominations opening November 2, 2021 and winners announced in Spring 2022. The Aspect Awards showcases the best advertising, marketing and public relations programs focused on products and services across the health care continuum.

The 2022 Aspect Awards will bring forward one of the most competitive classes yet, highlighting individual and organizational expertise that continues to drive success through integrated campaigns and specific segments.

Any company, organization or agency on behalf of its client can submit a campaign for skilled nursing, home-based care, hospice and palliative care, senior housing and senior living, or behavioral health.

Important Dates

November 2, 2021 | Call for nominations open

December 31, 2021 | Early Bird Entries End

January 31, 2022 | Deadline for Submissions

February 1, 2022 | Judging Begins

March 15, 2022 | Winners announced

The disruption of in-person interaction has changed the way health care organizations communicate with their stakeholders, said Aging Media Co-Founder George Yedinak. The Aspect Awards showcases innovative and dynamic communications strategies that have engaged those stakeholders in new ways.

Early bird entries cost $495 USD through December 31, 2021, and entries submitted from January 1 to January 31, 2021 will cost $595 USD.

Each judge will evaluate entries based on the written, visual, and audio/visual content, and the aggregate score will determine the top 3 entries for each category.

To submit an entry, please visit aspectawards.agingmedia.com. If you have further questions, please email us at awards@agingmedia.com.

About Aging Media Network

Aging Media Network is an innovative publishing company based in Chicago, Illinois, and is the publisher of Senior Housing News, Home Health Care News, Skilled Nursing News, Hospice News, and Behavioral Health Business.


Humboldt Forum Berlin

With new daily nonstop flights on United Airlines from Washington DC and Newark to Berlin, the new Humboldt Forum, a focus on Modernism and the citys legendary local vibe, Berlin is ready to again welcome North Americans. Certain COVID-19 protocols apply.

Here are five reasons why Berlin should be on your travel list for 2022:

1. Ease of Travel

Starting on March 4, 2022, United will again be flying daily from Newark to Berlin on their Boeing 767-300 aircraft, followed by a new daily connection from Washington DC to Berlin, launching on May 6, 2022, using Boeing 767-400 equipment. The IAD-BER flight is the only U.S. service connecting the two capitals.

In Berlin, passengers are landing at Berlins new BER airport Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt, a large, modern airport which started operation in October 2020. It is conveniently connected to the city by public transportation and to the German rail system, from underneath the main terminal.

2. New Landmark Building: The Humboldt Forum

Europes most significant cultural project is now open to the public. Located adjacent to Museum Island in Berlins historic center, the Franco Stella-designed full-size reproduction of a former 16th century Hohenzollern palace, replicates three of the original baroque facades, with a minimalist fourth facade, a massive, covered courtyard and a state-of-the-art interior. The Humboldt Forum is Berlins new top highlight and is designed as a unique venue for the dialogue between world cultures.

The Humboldt Forum features almost 323,000 square feet of exhibition space, including the Ethnological Museum, the Museum for Asian Art and the Berlin Global exhibition. Workshop spaces for cultural education, and the Lustgarten outdoor space are complemented by eventually seven restaurants ranging from bistro-style to gourmet dining. Some 1000 events per year will take place at the Humboldt Forum in the future, underscoring the institutions purpose of being a space for discourse and culture.

3. For Architecture Buffs: Spotlight on Modernism

From Schinkel to Foster, from romantic palaces and classical buildings to industrial heritage sites and the stunning contemporary structures of post-Wall Berlin, the citys architectural styles are diverse and noteworthy.

In 2022, Berlin will put a special focus on Modernism. Highlights include the Mies van der Rohe-designed New National Gallery, an iconic steel and glass landmark of modern architecture, which completed a six-year renovation in 2021, and features 20th-century masterpieces by various artists from Europe and North America.

Kicking off on September 30, 2022**, the Triennial of Modernism 2022 is a cooperation of the cities Berlin, Weimar and Dessau and will focus on the Bauhaus movement and modernist architecture. Starting with Berlins UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Modernist Housing Estates, an extensive program of architectural tours, exhibitions, public events is planned throughout the city, designed to take an in-depth look at the architectural and social heritage of modernism.

4. Berlin for Foodies

In recent years, Berlin has become the place to be for young, creative chefs from around the world  and for those who want to sample a creative and diverse menu. Berlins cuisine is influenced by culinary traditions from around the world, but also sees contemporary, lighter interpretations of traditional German cooking. The 23 Michelin star-rated restaurants  including the 3-star Rutz, CODA, a 2-star-rated dessert only restaurant and Cookies Cream, a vegetarian star-rated restaurant  offer refined culinary choices. Berlin is also the vegan/vegetarian capital of Europe, featuring the highest density of vegan/vegetarian options, as well as sustainable restaurants. Street food like the Turkish Doner and the traditional currywurst offer great mid-day or late nigh snacks, and food halls are a gathering place for Berliners and mainly feature local delicacies.

Seems overwhelming? There are several food tours which take visitors on culinary journeys and are well worth the (reasonable) cost.

More information here.

5. Active and Independent: Exploration made Easy

Off on your own? The new subway line U5 now connects major cultural highlights. In operation since December 2021 with three stunning new metro stations, the extended U5 subway stops at Berlins top sights, including Brandenburg Gate, City Hall, Unter den Linden, Alexanderplatz, and Museum Island.

The new U5 extension not only makes sightseeing even easier, but also leads visitors off the beaten path and discover the hidden gems along the way.

Exploration by bicycle had long been a popular way to see the city. Berlin is mainly flat and offers about 390 miles of bike paths, many of which are separated from the main traffic flow. Bike rentals are about Euro 12/day. For those preferring guided tours, there are many options, ranging from history, to tours along the trail of the Berlin Wall or food rides.

Information on travel to Berlin at http://www.visitberlin.com

+++

** Dates to be confirmed

Further information upon request.

Images for the Humboldt Forum can be downloaded here.

General images here.

Contact:

Kirsten Schmidt

kschmidt@kmscommunications.com

323-440-2608

KMS Communications, Inc.

Los Angeles
Brand Wings When we introduced our Brand Wings portal to our channel partners, they were in awe. The word we heard from them in describing his solutions value was revolutionary. Thats a powerful word, said Steve Miller, ISWs marketing director.

Brand Wings today announced the successful ramp-up of its Through-Channel Marketing Automation platform with Imaging Supplies Warehouse (ISW), a strategic national account. ISW implemented the Brand Wings platform in order to improve its dealers and direct sales teams efficiency and productivity.

Imaging Supplies Warehouse is a master distributor of printing solutions for the personalization garment and digital decoration market. Thousands of North American businesses that print custom designs on garments order their supplies from 65+ regional independent dealers who source from ISW.

Fast, efficient fulfillment of dealer orders is critical to ISWs success and its one of the wholesalers competitive advantages. Its marketing team had limited internal resources to manage, distribute, and update brand assets for its 65+ resellers. Outdated communications processes were being used, like cloud folders, email, and phone calls to share asset updates. These processes were inefficient for tracking and control of its brand assets through its reseller network and direct sales force.

ISW was looking for a digital repository  a centralized portal where its sales teams could quickly access the product information, marketing collateral, and sales content they need. In discovering Brand Wings marketing automation, ISW was impressed with the solutions robust marketing tools, brand asset management, and performance analytics. Its dealers and partners were delighted with the platform's ease of access, intuitive navigation, and reliable processes.

Brand Wings was an amazing fit for us, at just the right time, said Steve Miller, ISWs marketing director. When we introduced our Brand Wings portal to our channel partners, they were in awe. The word we heard from them in describing his solutions value was revolutionary. Thats a powerful word, Steve said.

With the brand asset management tools, ISW is now able to ensure brand consistency through its various sales teams. Brand Wings marketing tools are boosting ISWs sales teams efficiency and its performance analytics are providing insights into ISWs sales team activity.

Brand Wings analytics build our teams confidence, helping us to know what information is most useful to reps and whats not, Miller said. With this knowledge, we can respond more quickly to customer needs, providing more relevant educational material that also benefits our end users. Its a great way for us to re-engage our customers with useful content.

ISW also estimated that over the course of a month, each of its own sales reps and its dealers sales were previously spending a minimum of two hours per month searching for and sharing marketing assets. Brand Wings has made our jobs easier, Steve said. Now everyone enjoys greater confidence in knowing they have the right info and that it is current and accurate. Brand Wings absolutely 100 percent gives ISW a competitive advantage.

__________________________

About Brand Wings: West Chicago, Illinois-based Brand Wings is a SaaS-based marketing automation platform provider with a goal to simplify brand marketing and enable sales teams. Its vision is to enable brands and their channel partners to achieve limitless success through greater communication, information, and knowledge. By deploying Brand Wings through their channel partners, brands can grow their channel efficiency, knowledge, and mindshare, while improving their brand consistency. For more information about Brand Wings or to schedule a demo, visit http://www.brandwings.com.
CallRail, a marketing analytics and business communications platform, today announced three new additions to its leadership team: Kimberly Lipscomb as Vice President of Revenue Operations, Kristin Marsicano as Director of Engineering, and Richard McDade as Creative Director. With these three strategic new hires, CallRail is primed for continued growth in 2022 and beyond.

Kimberly Lipscomb, Vice President of Revenue Operations: As Vice President of Revenue Operations, Lipscomb will be responsible for enabling CallRails rapid growth trajectory, driving operational excellence through revenue forecasting, and cultivating increased transparency across marketing and sales. She boasts more than two decades of experience helping organizations drive efficiencies, increase revenue, and implement solutions to create lasting value for customers. Lipscomb is a proud champion of small business growth, most recently at Cox Media and Cardlytics.

We want tens of thousands of businesses to grow and thrive with CallRail, said Mary Pat Donnellon, Chief Revenue Officer at CallRail. Kimberlys wealth of expertise in revenue operations will directly and significantly advance CallRails rapid growth trajectory. Were excited to welcome Kimberly onboard.

Kristin Marsicano, Director of Engineering: As Director of Engineering, Marsicano will scale CallRails engineering function, with a keen focus on CallRails market-leading call tracking and analytics products. Marsicano has deep, hands-on technical experience, in addition to a breadth of management expertise. In her previous role as Director of Technology at Big Nerd Ranch, she doubled her teams size in just one year. Marsicano also taught computer science at Georgia Tech for five years.

Scaling is critical to us at CallRail, both technically and organizationally, and that means continually growing technical leaders, said Sean McCrohan, VP of Engineering. Kristin not only provides that leadership for our major existing line of business, but her background also makes her an ideal person to continue cultivating and recruiting new leaders into the future. Were incredibly fortunate to have her.

Richard McDade, Creative Director: As Creative Director, McDade will be responsible for elevating and differentiating the CallRail brand, while simultaneously managing creative design across all business functions to maximize impact. McDade has decades of expertise in creating user-centric digital experiences for rapidly-growing startups, digital marketing agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. He has worked for Microsoft, Google, Samsung, T-Mobile, and Starbucks.

Richard is a crucial hire for CallRail. His talent, charisma, and storytelling abilities will elevate and differentiate the CallRail brand among small businesses and the marketing agencies that serve them, said Rob Wade, Head of Brand Activation at CallRail. I look forward to watching Richard lead CallRails expanding design team with expertise and finesse.

This announcement comes on the heels of significant momentum for CallRail, which recently announced it achieved a major security and privacy milestone with its SOC 2 Type II report, as well as significant product enhancements to its Lead Center solution at the start of the year.

About CallRail

Founded in 2011, CallRail is a business analytics and communications platform that helps businesses improve customer experience and marketing performance. Serving more than 180,000 businesses, CallRails platform fits into existing workflows, integrates with several major marketing and sales solutions including HubSpot, Facebook, Salesforce, and Google Ads and Analytics, and scales with each customers needs as they grow.

The Atlanta-based company is powered by a community of over 300 passionate and hardworking employees. CallRail has been featured on the Inc. 5000 fastest growing companies and Deloitte Tech Fast 500 lists for multiple consecutive years. The company also earned a spot on The Atlanta Journal-Constitutions Top Workplaces list from 2017-2021, and the Forbes Best Startup Employers list in 2020. For more information or to view a demo of the platform, visit http://www.callrail.com.
The USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service says the Phase one Trade Agreement, which began in 2020, put into action requires structural reforms and other changes to Chinas economic and trade regime in the areas of intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial services, and currency and foreign exchange. Under the Phase One Trade Agreement, China agreed to import at least $80 billion in U.S. agriculture over a two-year period (2020 and 2021), which was quite ambitious given that US agricultural exports to China were only $21 billion before the trade war.

In the new article Can China meet its purchase obligations under the Phase One Trade Agreement?, Andrew Muhammad and Aaron Smith from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville as well as Jason Grant from Virginia Tech, look into the likelihood of meeting Chinas purchase obligations under the Phase One Trade Agreement.

Muhammad says, In 2020, US agricultural exports to China ($27.2 billion) were 85% higher than in 2019, but 18% short of the first-year Phase One goal ($33.4 billion). Evidence shows that many sectors experienced no change, particularly when compared to exports before the trade war.

Grant adds, In particular, even though some US commodity exports to China increased, these gains did not always translate into increased market share in China.

If you are interested in setting up an interview, please contact Allison Ware in the AAEA Business Office.

ABOUT AAEA: Established in 1910, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is the leading professional association for agricultural and applied economists, with 2,500 members in more than 60 countries. Members of the AAEA work in academic or government institutions as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a variety of research, teaching, and outreach activities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, food, health, and international development. The AAEA publishes two journals, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, as well as the online magazine Choices and the online open access publication series Applied Economics Teaching Resources. To learn more, visit http://www.aaea.org.
City of Fredericksburg joins the Texas Purchasing Group Registered vendors can access bids, related documents, addendum and award information.

Today, the City of Fredericksburg has officially joined the Texas Purchasing Group to help simplify their bid and RFP distribution process. The Texas Purchasing Group is one of bidnet directs regional purchasing groups which offers participating local government agencies an e-procurement solution. The City of Fredericksburg invites all vendors to register online with the Texas Purchasing Group to access its upcoming solicitations by visiting http://www.bidnetdirect.com/texas/fbgtx.

With the Texas Purchasing Group, vendors register to access one centralized location with opportunities from over 50 participating agencies throughout Texas. By posting upcoming solicitations to the regional purchasing group, rather than their website, the City of Fredericksburg hopes to make it easier for more vendors to access their documents. They also hope to expand the reach of their solicitations to a more diverse vendor pool. Unlike the prior process of only publishing bids to a webpage, the Texas Purchasing Group provides a method to track all bid activity, including the details of vendors who have received or downloaded a bid.

The City of Fredericksburg invites all local vendors to visit http://www.bidnetdirect.com/texas/fbgtx and register to receive access to its upcoming solicitations as well as the upcoming bids and RFPs from 50 other public agencies participating on the Texas Purchasing Group. Registered vendors also gain access to a team of experienced customer service support representatives and can upgrade their service to receive customized bid alerts, advanced notice of term contract expiration, and notification of a recently posted addendum.

About the City of Fredericksburg:

Fredericksburg is a city of beauty and charm. Its founding includes a rich history of people making a good life in a new place with the help of friends and neighbors. Working together, they created a city where all could live up to their potential, participate in activities, and benefit from services to enhance the quality of their lives. The spirit of working together to create a beautiful, livable place is still alive today in Fredericksburg and that spirit is responsible for the ambiance of the city today.

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 Texas 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
Our vision is to create a single platform for your staff to service your customers through every stage in their journey with you. We want to create a platform that your staff want to use and one that makes their jobs easier -- VP of Product Management CEM Sean Kennelly

Doxim, the leading customer communications management (CCM) and engagement technology provider serving financial and regulated markets, today announced the general availability of its October release of the Doxim Customer Engagement Management Platform (CEM).

Designed specifically for banks and credit unions, Doxim CEM delivers a suite of integrated solutions that span the customer lifecycle to create an engaging, modern customer experience. Integrated into the financial institutions core systems, Doxim CEM is a modular software platform that enables organizations to start with a single solution and plug in others over time to create a comprehensive integrated suite that will support multiple business needs.

Its all about creating efficiency this time around. Our vision is to create a single platform for your staff to service your customers through every stage in their journey with you. We want to create a platform that your staff want to use and one that makes their jobs easier, said VP of Product Management CEM Sean Kennelly.

So, in this release, we focused on expanding functionality to serve additional use cases during the customer journey as well as enhancing key workflows and integrations to create further efficiencies and time savings for your staff so they can focus on doing what they do best  creating a superior experience.

New and enhanced features and functions in the fall release include:



Equifax Soft Credit Pulls to mitigate the costs of low dollar loans by enabling lenders to perform soft credit checks.

Credit Card Product Origination, which creates an improved customer experience as staff members can now offer credit cards during any key origination event.

Multi-Document Drag and Drop Upload, for quick, easy, and secure upload of documents through Doxim CEM into Doxim ECM.

Application Enhancements which empower staff members to upload products from a single application on different dates, eliminating delays for multi-product applicants.

Personalized Email Signatures  Enhanced email capabilities allow staff members to view solicitation preferences and personalize outbound communications with personal email signatures.

Additional capabilities with CUMIS  The release includes new use cases, better user flows and document versioning for an improved user experience when working with products and services from the Credit Union Members Insurance Society (CUMIS).

New Business Origination APIs  As part of a broader API strategy, Doxim CEM now offers new Business Origination APIs so clients can innovate faster and create better customer experiences.

Improved Mandatory Field Validation  reduces time-to-lend by ensuring mandatory fields are checked immediately upon product status change.

Financial institutions seeking ways to make every routine customer interaction more personal and more engaging are invited to reach out to Doxim for a personal demo of Doxim CEM.

About Doxim:

Doxim is the customer communications management and engagement technology leader serving financial and regulated markets, providing omnichannel document and payment solutions that transform experiences to strengthen engagement throughout the entire lifecycle. The Doxim Platform helps clients communicate reliably and effectively, improve cross-sell and upsell opportunities, and drive increased loyalty and wallet share through personalized communications and easy-to-use payment processes. The platform addresses key digitization, operational efficiency, and customer experience challenges through our suite of plug-and-play, integrated, SaaS software and technology solutions. Learn more at http://www.doxim.com
Working from home not only offered more flexibility during the pandemic, but also lowered stress levels and improved overall employee happiness. The Nitro report found that in 2020, the number of workers feeling moderately stressed dropped by 12 percent, and job satisfaction increased by 6 percent.

Employees Never Want to Give Up Remote Work, According to New Nitro Productivity Report

75% of knowledge workers say WFH support is extremely or very important when considering future employment opportunities

Nitro Software (ASX: NTO), a global document productivity software company accelerating digital transformation in organizations around the world, today released its 2022 Productivity Report, which explores how the pandemic has transformed productivity, workflows and digital initiatives, as well as the trends and technologies shaping work in 2022 and beyond.

The report builds on findings from the 2020 Nitro Productivity Report, which was published in late 2019, and explores how pre-pandemic working habits have evolved over the past year and a half. Nitro partnered with Qualtrics in April 2021 to survey 600 full- and part-time knowledge workers and 140 business leaders across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia on the top challenges faced during the pandemic, changing workflows and digital needs.

The research shows that while there is some desire to return to the office, most employees want to continue working from home (WFH) in some capacity and expect employers to offer remote work options post-pandemic. According to the report, 46 percent of knowledge workers plan to work remotely more frequently even after the pandemic ends, and 71 percent feel extremely or very prepared to work from home long-term.

Working remotely over an extended period has given employees more control over their workdays and more flexibility generally over their lives than ever before, said Gina OReilly, COO of Nitro. Without commutes and the need to be in an office 9-to-5/Monday-Friday, employees can now largely dictate their own schedules  adapting to the needs of their families, taking time out for self-care, managing lifes day-to-day task list, etc.  all while getting their work done. At Nitro, we announced a Flexible Forever policy last year that we think offers the best of both worlds  virtual-first with in-person time where and when its most valuable and we believe this kind of approach is what employees will most appreciate in a post-pandemic world.

Working from home not only offered more flexibility during the pandemic, but also lowered stress levels and improved overall employee happiness. The Nitro report found that in 2020, the number of workers feeling moderately stressed dropped by 12 percent, and job satisfaction increased by 6 percent. Additionally, those who reported no stress at all rose by 66 percent. This was despite the amount of work that now takes place outside the traditional 6:00 am  6:00 pm window doubling to 20 percent.

Additional highlights from the report include several findings around the evolution of how we work and the importance of having access to the most appropriate tools and solutions to be as productive and efficient as possible:

Remote work paved the way for paperless. In early 2020, global printing declined by 52 percent and that trend continued into 2021. Fifty percent of respondents say theyre using physical documents and paper-based processes less since the start of the pandemic.

Document processes are still inefficient in 2021. 44 percent of respondents say they are collaborating on documents more since the start of COVID-19. However, 83 percent say the way their company handled documents had not improved significantly during the pandemic.

Digital transformation plans have accelerated. 86 percent of business leaders say COVID-19 accelerated the need for digital transformation. Plans for digital initiatives are now expected to take place within the next two years.

IT budgets are increasing. Eight out of 10 business leaders say IT budgets increased between 10 percent and 14 percent from 2020, and two in 10 say it increased more than 25 percent.

Digital document workflows are more important than ever. More workers today are using an eSignature solution than they were pre-pandemic in 2019, which at the time was only 12 percent. And nearly half of workers say they would be somewhat or much more productive with either an eSignature or PDF solution.

If the pandemic taught us anything, its that people can do their jobs and be productive from anywhere and the companies that evaluate and value productivity and outcomes over hours worked will ultimately be the ones that attract and retain the worlds best talent, said OReilly. Employees will also need the right remote work environments and optimized digital tools and support to be successful and productive over the long-term, but we believe this is an exciting opportunity for companies to tackle this head-on and transform the way they work for good.

To read the full 2022 Nitro Productivity Report, please visit: https://www.gonitro.com/library/productivity-report-2022

About Nitro

Nitro is a global document productivity software company accelerating digital transformation in a world that demands the ability to work from anywhere, anytime, on any device. Nitro enables organizations to drive better business outcomes through 100 percent digital document processes and fast, efficient workflows. The Nitro Productivity Platform offers comprehensive business solutions, including powerful PDF productivity, unlimited eSigning and industry-leading analytics, all supported by a superior customer success team. Nitro has over 2.8 million licensed users and 13,000+ Business Customers in 155 countries, including over 68 percent of the Fortune 500 and three of the Fortune 10. Nitro is headquartered in San Francisco with international hubs in Toronto, Dublin, London and Melbourne.

For more information on Nitro, please visit: https://www.gonitro.com/
Finding Joy: A Journey Through Depression in Poems: a potent collection of poetic writings that provides insight into the authors journey of healing. Finding Joy: A Journey Through Depression in Poems is the creation of published author Erin Troup, a loving wife and mother who uses creative expression to cope with past trauma.

Troup shares, Finding Joy is a book of poems from a first-time author. A journey of finding ones way out of the darkness and into the light. Written as a journal in poems, this simple book reflects the grace of a loving God who grants us second chances. The author hopes to inspire the message that there is a place for all of us. These poems are the quiet story of one womans redemption. A reminder there is healing in writing words and hope in speaking aloud what once trapped her in silence. May you find hope, follow the light, and find your joy in the morning just as she has. This is her prayer. Be inspired, dear friend. Be brave enough to write your truth as the Spirit of our loving God holds your hand. Be healed and be loved, for you always were.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Erin Troups new book provides a compelling example of the power of creative writing to aid one in their healing work.

Troup shares in hopes of encouraging others who have experienced a dark time in their life to keep seeking the light.

Consumers can purchase Finding Joy: A Journey Through Depression in Poems at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Finding Joy: A Journey Through Depression in Poems, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Our customers are very excited to be working with a HUBZone company that not only brings a great depth of IT expertise, but also a company that is laser focused on customer satisfaction.

Global Indirect Markets (GIM), a specialty value-added technology reseller, has been named a Certified HUBZone company by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The HUBZone program was created in 1998 to empower small businesses that operate and employ people in Historically Under-utilized Business Zones (HUBZones).

Becoming HUBZone Certified is good news for both our company and our community, said Eric Corbin, Vice President, Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, Global Indirect Markets. Corbin also commented on the feedback GIM, has received from its existing customer base, Our customers are very excited to be working with a HUBZone company that not only brings a great depth of IT expertise, but also a company that is laser focused on customer satisfaction.

All branches of the federal government and large government contractors are required to spend at least 3% of their contract budgets with HUBZone businesses. Many government agencies and prime contractors have had challenges meeting the 3% budgetary target, so they are looking for HUBZone companies that can help them fill this gap while delivering high quality goods and services, Corbin added. As these government contracts flow into under-utilized communities, they create opportunities for jobs and economic growth.

To qualify as HUBZone Certified, a company must meet the following criteria:



It must be a small business based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

It must be at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, or a Community Development Corporation, or an agricultural cooperative, or a Native American tribe

Its principal office must be located in a designated HUBZone

At least 35% of the firms employees must reside in a HUBZone

About Global Indirect Markets

Global Indirect Markets partners with best-of-breed technology companies to give its customers tailored solutions for their most challenging hardware, software, and services requirements. With decades of client-focused executive leadership, GIM has the supply chain management expertise to align supplier capabilities with customer demandkeeping projects on time and on budget. For more information, please visit https://globalindirectmarkets.com/
Greenberg Traurig Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Dynamic, Award-Winning Mexico City Office The Mexico City office has played a pivotal role in delivering value for local and international clients, further advancing the rms long-held commitment to Latin America. said Jose Raz Guzman

Marking a decade of dynamic, best-in-class client service, the Mexico City ofce of global law rm Greenberg Traurig, LLP is celebrating 10 years of continued growth.

Since its opening in 2011, Greenberg Traurigs Mexico City ofce has grown to approximately 100 lawyers and staff. All of the approximately 60 lawyers are bilingual, including many who are dually licensed to practice in Mexico and the United States. The office is a key element of the rms global platform and its robust Latin America practice, with attorneys overseeing high-profile transactions and matters in the areas of corporate, financial, regulatory and compliance, energy and infrastructure, real estate, and litigation.

The Mexico City office has played a pivotal role in delivering value for local and international clients, further advancing the rms long-held commitment to Latin America. Ten years is just the beginning for us here, although we have been advising clients in the region for six decades, said Jose Raz Guzman, managing shareholder of the Mexico City office and co-chair of the firm's Latin America Practice. The next decade we expect will bring continued strengthening of key practice areas, which are critical for serving the needs of businesses into the future. We are an opportunistic law firm, and we grow strategically as we find the right people who are able to best meet the evolving needs of our clients.

Attorneys in the Mexico City office remain a key part of the firms award-winning Latin America Practice, which has consistently received global recognition from various legal guides including Chambers & Partners.

Greenberg Traurig is one unified firm across our 40 global offices, unlike most of our competitors in the Mexican and U.S. markets. We are one culture with unified finances and consistently high excellence everywhere. We are committed to empowering, trusting, and respecting our people here on the ground while providing state-of-the-art legal work, best-in-class technology, an unparalleled footprint, and a unique commitment to prompt and positive client service across the globe, said Greenberg Traurig Executive Chairman Richard A. Rosenbaum.

Our Latin America brand will always be core to the firm, and our Latin America team is one of the largest and strongest in the world, said Greenberg Traurig CEO Brian L. Duffy. This is an area we intend to continue growing to meet the needs of our clients. We are proud that we can help clients identify and capitalize on business opportunities, both within Mexico and in almost every market across Latin America and a broad range of industries.

The Mexico City office also plays a critical role in the firms diversity and pro bono programs, having been recognized by governmental and professional organizations and publications numerous times over the last decade, including Best Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year and Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+.

The firm will commemorate its 10th anniversary in Mexico with a series of informational webinars and a client celebration. The seminars to be presented Oct. 25 - 28, will focus on topics important to clients involved in todays global business and legal arena.

The Mexico City office chose to include client-focused seminars as part of its celebration to honor the firms leadership position in the region and say thank you to those who have made a difference in our past and will continue to influence our future -- our clients, said Juan Manuel Gonzalez Bernal, who is administrative shareholder of the firms Mexico City office and co-chair of the firms global Infrastructure Practice.

For full details and to register for any of the webinars, click here: Mexico 10th Anniversary Webinar Program.

Topics include:



Economic Competition Challenges Eight Years After the Creation of COFECE

The Challenges of the Legal Profession in the Digital Age

The ABCs of ESG

Reforms in the Energy Sector and The Reconfiguration of the Electrical Legal Framework

Amparo Trial and Investment Arbitration: Protections Against the Reconfiguration of the Energy Legal Framework

Infrastructure projects: Mexico continues to be an attractive destination for local and foreign investment

Successful SPACs in Mexico and Latin America

Unconscious or Implicit Bias in the Workplace

The Social Impact of Pro Bono Work

About Greenberg Traurig Mexico: Greenberg Traurigs Mexico City office offers clients innovative, strategic advice and legal services that span both traditional fields and contemporary regulatory sectors. The office has more than 60 bilingual attorneys who have been contributors to major national projects in Mexico and leverages the resources and reach of the firms global platform to provide clients with tailored legal services reflective of the specific industry and market conditions in which they operate. The Mexico City office is an integral part of the firms award-winning Latin America Practice, and has been recognized with leading banking, corporate, M&A, infrastructure, real estate, privacy, energy, administrative litigation, and competition practices in Mexico.

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 25 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com
Actual SEO Media, Inc.'s main office team has grown by more than 50% in the previous three months. Actual SEO Media...responded to that increased demand [in online searches] by growing their operations.

With job numbers slowly but steadily returning to pre-pandemic levels, one Houston SEO company, Actual SEO Media, bucked the national trend and grew by 55% in one quarter. The primary driver for this growth is the ever-increasing demand for high-quality content on the internet. Google searches grew by 22% between April 2019 and June 2020, due in part to the Coronavirus epidemic.

Actual SEO Media, which was founded on May 6th, 2013, responded to that increased demand by growing their operations. The company recently opened its sixth office in The Woodlands, TX in July. Opening that location enabled Actual SEO Media to grow its employee numbers, and therefore its customer capacity, by 55%. The main office alone added 11 content writers, web designers, and digital marketing specialists in the last three months. The company seeks to add another 200 employees in the near future. With this level of expansion, the company will be able to better serve the needs of its clients in the Greater Houston area.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving a websites visibility to search engines like Google. Experts on search engine optimization, like the ones at Actual SEO Media, work hard to ensure that a website has accurate keywords to attract customer attention. Nathaniel Davis, a content writer for the company explains, The better a companys keywords, the faster they get in front of their customers eyes. Companies need good visibility from search engines to produce quality organic growth. With demand growing for quality online content, it is a must to add SEO experts to any successful marketing strategy.

But doing SEO work ethically requires labor, and Actual SEO Media, Inc.s unique approach requires many manhours to complete properly. Other companies may pump out identical articles that flood search results pages with questionable content; nearly 30% of the pages Googles search engine has crawled are spam. When the search engine results pages algorithm is changed, these companies are punished. This is not so for Actual SEO Media. This companys approach involves active research for every topic for clients as well as individually written articles. Actual SEO Medias professional team works with only hand-selected writers who produce high-quality articles about and for clients and the topics their customers are interested in. Adding this many content writers and other administrative staff allows Actual SEO Media, Inc. to produce more content faster for its clients.

Actual SEO Media Inc. can be reached via phone at (832) 834-0661, or by email at: info@actualseomedia.com.
We at BARE share a major mission component with HP in recognizing that business and consumer needs vary, thus solutions need to be tailored to each individual, says Jason Bare, Global Vice President at BARE International.

BARE International today announced a new client partnership with HP as their Customer Experience Research provider for valuable brand data. BARE International is thrilled to be selected to partner with HP in providing insights that will allow them to make actionable decisions and ultimately provide an excellent experience for their customers. Their program includes working with over 70 countries, supporting 12 languages, across five BARE International offices worldwide.

"Working alongside BAREs partners at HP has been an exceptional experience, states program account manager Nicholas Hoard. They are detail-oriented and able to skillfully manage the numerous complexities of their program.

HPs precision combined with BAREs talent for innovation and problem solving has enabled us to launch a program across several dozen countries around the globe."

About BARE International: BARE International sets the industry standard as the largest independent provider of customer experience research, data, and analytics for companies worldwide. Founded in 1987, BARE International is a family-owned business with global capabilities providing unmatched service and supporting businesses in over twenty industries.

BARE is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Fairfax, Virginia with ten offices around the world. On any given day, BARE International is doing business for clients in more than 150 countries, completing more than 50,000 evaluations/audits each month. To learn more about BARE Internationals customer experience research services and their dedicated field force of evaluators, visit http://www.bareinternational.com

About HP: The history of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise is intertwined with the history of Silicon Valleya fertile stretch of land north of San Jose, California. Today the area is known worldwide as a center for innovation, where companies have changed the world through technological advances. But when Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard met in the 1930s at Stanford University, the valley was largely agricultural, with orchards and farms dotting the hills. Bill and Daves success transformed the landscape and the culture of the area, so much so that the small garage on Addison Avenue in Palo Alto where the two first cemented their partnership has been designated a historical landmark, the Birthplace of Silicon Valley.

Today, HPE is a global, edge-to-cloud Platform-as-a-Service company built to transform business by helping connect, protect, analyze, and act on data and applications wherever they live. Their purpose is to advance the way people live and work. To learn more about Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and their mission to earn customer respect and loyalty by consistently providing the highest quality and value, visit http://www.hpe.com
Obtaining this level of support in an inaugural year is not only an extraordinary achievement but also a mark of the Centers expertise in and commitment to inclusive excellence." - Emma K. T. Benn, DrPH, MPH

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has been awarded a five-year, $16 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to foster inclusive excellence in the biomedical sciences using evidence-based approaches.

The NIH Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) initiative award fuels a multi-institution effort to identify and implement new strategies to recruit faculty members from groups underrepresented in medicine by supporting faculty development, mentoring, sponsorship, and promotion.

Icahn Mount Sinai aims to recruit and hire 12 faculty members from underrepresented groups across four research areas and institutes: The Friedman Brain Institute, the Institute for Health Equity Research, The Tisch Cancer Institute, and the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute.

Icahn Mount Sinai will work closely with six leading institutionsCornell University, Drexel University, Florida State University, San Diego State University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Morehouse School of Medicinethat will also receive FIRST grant funding. Morehouse, an established partner of Icahn Mount Sinai, will serve as the Coordination and Evaluation Center for the FIRST grant.

The Center for Scientific Diversity at Icahn Mount Sinai, a major driving force behind Icahn Mount Sinais FIRST grant, was established to foster, develop, and assess empirically supported practices that promote and enhance scientific innovation, diversity, and equitable advancement within the biomedical investigator workforce. The Center was founded in 2020 by Emma K. T. Benn, DrPH, MPH, who is one of four Principal Investigators (PIs) for the NIH FIRST grant, Associate Professor of Population Health Science and Policy, and Associate Dean for Faculty Well-being and Development at Icahn Mount Sinai. It has served as an incubator lab to identify strategies that will increase the research success and advancement of underrepresented faculty and strengthen the pipeline of underrepresented trainees in the biomedical research workforce.

Obtaining this level of support in an inaugural year is not only an extraordinary achievement but also a mark of the Centers expertise in and commitment to inclusive excellence, said Dr. Benn. This grant builds upon the Centers foundation to promote and sustain academic cultures that equitably recruit, retain, and advance underrepresented faculty while also developing, implementing, and evaluating innovative strategies, like the proposed cluster cohort hiring strategy in the NIH FIRST Award. This award also speaks to the longstanding work at Icahn Mount Sinai to support underrepresented faculty.

The newly created Center for Scientific Diversity represents one of many milestones of Icahn Mount Sinais institutional commitment to diversifying its biomedical workforce. The Center for Scientific Diversity brings together voices and talents across multiple academic departments at Mount Sinai with the shared goal of developing and implementing best practices for diversifying the biomedical research workforce while promoting a transformative culture of inclusive excellence. In that sense, our goals are perfectly aligned with the mission of this innovative funding mechanism. We will be well positioned to share our lived experience with colleagues at academic medical centers nationwide, says Kirk Campbell, MD, a PI of the grant, Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion, and Director of the Nephrology Fellowship Program, Icahn Mount Sinai.

Another important milestone at Icahn Mount Sinai that has laid the bedrock of the institutions commitment to antiracism was the 2020 establishment of the Institute for Health Equity Research (IHER), whose Co-Director, Lynne D. Richardson, MD, is also a PI on the grant. Dr. Richardson is Professor of Emergency Medicine, and Population Health Science and Policy, and Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine for the Mount Sinai Health System. IHER was founded to study how systems have led to groups of individuals being disproportionately and unjustly impacted by inequitable policies and practices that lead to excess illness, suffering, and death.

We are deeply honored to receive this generous gift from the NIH. We join an impressive cohort of partner institutions who will collaborate in this urgent and important endeavor. We are mission-driven in our pursuit of diversity and inclusion in academic medicine and research, and together, we will develop evidence-based strategies that create long-lasting systemic change, says Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System.

We are absolutely thrilled by this news and looking forward to working with the NIH FIRST cohort of schools in our shared vision of greater diversity among our faculty in the biomedical sciences, says Eric Nestler, MD, PhD, the grants fourth PI, Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience, Director of The Friedman Brain Institute, and Dean for Academic and Scientific Affairs. Icahn Mount Sinais involvement in the NIH FIRST initiative will build upon the institutions earlier groundwork to address faculty diversity, most notably its recently launched Biomedical Laureates Program; Dr. Nestler was an early champion of this effort, which announced its first faculty appointments in June.

With the generous support of the NIH, we now feel that we are truly equipped to bring forward meaningful change. What we know from studying the careers of underrepresented groups in academic medicine is that our strategies on an individual level can be successful, but to drive a level of change that is institutional and systemic, we need an approach that is integrated, says Dr. Nestler.

Click here to watch a video to learn more about these efforts and the work of the Center for Scientific Diversity at Icahn Mount Sinai.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. We advance medicine and health through unrivaled education and translational research and discovery to deliver care that is the safest, highest-quality, most accessible and equitable, and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 7,300 primary and specialty care physicians; 13 free-standing joint-venture centers; more than 410 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island; and more than 30 affiliated community health centers. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked in U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of the top 20 U.S. hospitals and among the top in the nation by specialty: No. 1 in Geriatrics and top 20 in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology/Lung Surgery, Urology, and Rehabilitation. Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital is ranked in U.S. News & World Reports Best Childrens Hospitals among the countrys best in four out of 10 pediatric specialties. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked among the Top 20 nationally for ophthalmology. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report's "Best Medical Schools," aligned with a U.S. News & World Report "Honor Roll" Hospital, and No. 14 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding. Newsweeks The Worlds Best Smart Hospitals ranks The Mount Sinai Hospital as No. 1 in New York and top five globally, and Mount Sinai Morningside as top 20 globally, and The Worlds Best Specialized Hospitals ranks Mount Sinai Heart as No. 1 in New York and No. 4 globally and the Division of Gastroenterology as No. 3 globally. For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Integrity Data is excited to announce their 2021 Community Giving program which will provide $10,000 in funding to community progress initiatives that help build their employees local communities. This can be for organizations involved in helping those in need, as well as projects focused on improving the quality of life through education, arts, technology, beautification and more.

Integrity Data is honored to be able to give back to the communities where their team members live to help those communities grow and prosper. The ability to give back is important to their team and is considered a measurement of the companys overall success. For example, last week, after a North American user conference in Houston, TX, all booth furniture was donated to Houston Welcomes Refugees to help Afghan refugees start a new life. Their Community Giving Program was established in 2008 with the goal of having a meaningful impact on the Lincoln, IL community where the company is headquartered. Last year, they expanded their reach to include not-for-profit organizations in other communities where they have remote employees. The program provides grants for local organizations involved in helping those in need, as well as other community progress initiatives focused on improving the quality of life through education, arts, technology, beautification, and more. Many have received funding from the program since its inception. A list of past recipients can be viewed on the companys website.

The 2021 Community Giving program will provide $10,000 in funding. This amount may be granted to a single initiative or divided among multiple initiatives. Applicants may apply for any amount up to $10,000. The intent of the program is to fund specific projects or to provide special use funding. Applicants should not apply for grants to be used for general administrative funds.

Eligibility requirements and application instructions can be found on the companys website.

Integrity Data will accept applications from now through 5 p.m. on Monday, November 15, 2021.

Please email grants@integrity-data with any additional questions concerning Integrity Datas Community Giving program and its procedures.

About Integrity Data

With offices in Bellevue, WA, St. Petersburg, FL, Fargo, ND, and Lincoln, IL; employees in 10 states and celebrating over 25 years in business, Integrity Data serves thousands of employers, staffing millions of employees worldwide. From small businesses to some of the largest and fastest-growing organizations, your people are our priority. Integrity Data HRP gives you all the powerful tools you need to effectively and accurately manage and pay your people with Microsoft Dynamics.
Fiesta Mexicana, Topekas biggest summertime celebration, is known for its authentic Mexican food offerings and performances. Photo courtesy of GO Topeka. Its incredible to watch the city grow as a cultural hub, and with the constant development of initiatives to support Hispanic entrepreneurs, students, families, children and even tourists, Im excited to see whats to come, says Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla.

GO Topeka, the economic development group for Kansas capital city, announced today that its Hispanic population grew by 24% in the last decade, according to 2020 census data. Shawnee County, home to Topeka, reached a historic high population of 178,909, driven in part by an increase of 23.6% in residents who identify as non-white Hispanic. The growth is attributed to the communitys business opportunities, affordability and Mexican heritage, which drives annual celebrations like Fiesta Mexicana, one of the Midwests largest Mexican festivals.

Census data also revealed that the citys overall poverty rate has decreased by 44% in 10 years. This significantly impacted Topekas Hispanic population, where poverty dropped by nearly half, bringing its members well under the national average. In addition, Topeka added 1,641 international immigrants, with nearly 10% of the citys population identifying as newly immigrated people, most of whom come from Central and South American countries.

Ive seen our Hispanic and immigrant populations drive innovation and strengthen our community, says Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla, who speaks both English and Spanish. Its incredible to watch the city grow as a cultural hub, and with the constant development of initiatives to support Hispanic entrepreneurs, students, families, children and even tourists, Im excited to see whats to come.

The people of Topeka pride themselves on being an inclusive and welcoming community, said Glenda Washington, chief equity and opportunity officer for the Greater Topeka Partnership and senior vice president of GO Topekas division of Women and Minority Business Development. Our non-white Hispanic growth, as well as growth of those who identify as two or more races, reflect trends we see nationally. What sets Topeka and Shawnee County apart from many communities is that we see this diversification as a strength. Our future may look different than our past, but that future will bring so many more voices to the table.

Topeka has implemented many initiatives to support its growing Hispanic community. Business owners along the East 6th Hispanic Corridor are supported by the Greater Topeka Partnership team, which coordinates visits with Spanish-speaking staff to offer resources and support. Students have access to career training, English as a Second Language services and educational resources through Washburn Tech East, a new $6 million extension campus of Washburn University and Washburn Tech. Built with funds from GO Topeka, the extension was designed with input from community leaders and is strategically located in East Topeka, a location home to predominantly African American and Hispanic communities.

Im not surprised that our Hispanic population is increasing, said Pedro Concepcion, owner of Topeka-based business consulting company K.I.T Solutions. I was born in Mexico and moved to Topeka from Chicago. Not only did I meet other young Hispanic professionals, but the city also propels my culture and heritage forward, giving me the opportunity to grow while embracing my potential as a leader.

From art murals to the Mexican rodeo, Hispanic heritage is prevalent throughout the city. La Comunidad, a new exhibit on display through November 21, features visual and performing arts from Topekas Hispanic artists. Fiesta Mexicana, Topekas biggest summertime celebration, is known for its authentic Mexican food offerings and performances. Visit Topeka recently became one of the first Midwestern cities to make its visitors guide available in Spanish. Many Hispanic immigrants have also found success in Topeka, with Hispanic owned businesses from a variety of industries, including hospitality and marketing, calling the Kansas capital their home.

Its wonderful to watch our Hispanic population grow, though the news isnt a total surprise given our history and leadership, said Michelle Cuevas-Stubblefield, senior vice president of strategy for the Greater Topeka Partnership. Topeka has long been home to Hispanic immigrants, some of which were part of the citys founding along with freed slaves and abolitionists.

The model Topeka represents reveals a city that is embracing its diverse, increasingly bilingual population, Cuevas-Stubblefield added.

According to the 2020 census, Topekas diversity also increased among other races: Its Asian population grew by 21.1% and its Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population grew by 36.1%. The population of mixed-race individuals doubled, with two or more races increasing by 157% and three or more races following closely behind at nearly 89%.

Its exciting to see a Midwestern city become a melting pot of individuals from an array of backgrounds, said Freddy Mawyin, senior economic advisor of the Greater Topeka Partnership, whose family emigrated from South America. With the resources the city offers, we expect to watch these numbers grow year after year.

Nearly half of Topekas City Council is made up of Hispanic representatives, including current Mayor Michelle De La Isla. The 2021 mayoral candidates Mike Padilla and Leo Cangiani are also Hispanic individuals.

For more information regarding Topekas 2020 census data, visit https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/topekacitykansas.

About Greater Topeka

The Greater Topeka area in Shawnee County represents a community of 178,909 people, located in the Greater Kansas City region. As the state capital of Kansas, Topeka is home to a dynamic employer base with headquartered companies including Hills Pet Nutrition, Advisors Excel, Security Benefit, Capitol Federal and Evergy. Topeka is proud to be a part of the #KCHeartland.

About GO Topeka

GO Topeka creates opportunities for economic growth that provide a thriving business climate and fulfilling lifestyle for Topeka and Shawnee County. GO Topeka operates under the Greater Topeka Partnership, the leading economic development agency in the region. https://www.gotopeka.com/
KPIT and ZF will cooperate to develop an industry leading middleware solution for the automotive industry. Pictured: Dr. Dirk Walliser, Head of Corporate R&D at ZF Group and Kishor Patil, CEO at KPIT This development cooperation for middleware solutions will add immense value to our global automotive and mobility customers and significantly shorten time for the development cycles  Kishor Patil, CEO, KPIT Technologies

KPIT Technologies, a leading independent software development and integration partner to the automotive and mobility industry and ZF Group, a global technology company supplying systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, announced that they will cooperate for joint development for an industry leading middleware solution for the mobility ecosystem.

The continual increase in software complexity coupled with high-performance computing infrastructure needs a robust and dependable middleware solution. The lack of such a solution can potentially delay vehicle development and escalate technology spends.

Built with the software expertise of KPIT paired with ZFs strong understanding of vehicle systems, a mature, modular middleware solution which can be deployed across OEMs represents a transformative opportunity for the mobility ecosystem. This cooperation will also bring onboard solutions from other technology companies, including semiconductor specialists, software companies, cloud services and start-ups.

The middleware development will draw upon KPITs experience in several production programs, expertise in architecture consulting & software integration and its strengths in cloud based connected services. It will use KPITs existing assets, tools and accelerators and other core infrastructure.

Kishor Patil, CEO, KPIT Technologies, said  We are very excited to cooperate with ZF for developing an industry leading middleware solution. OEMs want to explore open and scalable middleware solutions that can set foundation for the future generation of vehicles and bring significant quality and productivity improvements. An appropriate middleware solution will help OEMs and our mobility customers to transition well to a solid central computer architecture. Together, we bring software expertise, systems understanding, and knowledge of OEMs and mobility customer needs. This development cooperation for middleware solutions will add immense value to our global automotive and mobility customers and significantly shorten time for the development cycles

The next generation of vehicles that come into the market will feature electric drives, a high degree of automated functions as well as connectivity, and they will be software-defined, explains Dr. Dirk Walliser, SVP Corporate R&D at ZF Group. Using what we jointly develop with KPIT, we can offer our automotive customers even more comprehensive software solutions that fit seamlessly together with our system portfolio for the software-defined vehicle: high-performance computing, software, intelligent sensors and smart actuators.

In January 2021, ZF established a Global Software Center with responsibility for developing software systems for future architectures on a group-wide level. One core product is an automotive middleware that serves as a mediator between a vehicle computers operating system and its software applications. Its development is closely connected to the development of application software for mobility domains like automated driving, integrated safety, vehicle motion control and electric mobility.

About KPIT

KPIT is a leading independent software development and integration partner helping mobility leapfrog towards a clean, smart, and safe future. With 7000 automobelievers across the globe specializing in embedded software, AI, and digital solutions, KPIT accelerates clients implementation of next-generation technologies for the future mobility roadmap. With engineering centers in Europe, the USA, Japan, China, Thailand, and India, KPIT works with leaders in automotive and mobility and is present where the ecosystem is transforming. For more details, visit http://www.kpit.com

KPIT Newsroom and Media resources center: https://www.kpit.com/newsroom/

MEDIA CONTACTS

Mohit Kochar | Global Head, Marketing, KPIT Technologies

Phone: +91 98811 36726 | e-mail: mohit.kochar@kpit.com

Mirko Gutemann | Spokesperson Automotive Software at ZF Group,

Phone: +49 7541 77-960136 | e-mail: mirko.gutemann@zf.com

About ZF

ZF is a global technology company supplying systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, enabling the next generation of mobility. ZF allows vehicles to see, think and act. In the four technology domains of Vehicle Motion Control, Integrated Safety, Automated Driving, and Electric Mobility, ZF offers comprehensive product and software solutions for established vehicle manufacturers and newly emerging transport and mobility service providers. ZF electrifies a wide range of vehicle types. With its products, the company contributes to reducing emissions, protecting the climate and enhancing safe mobility.

In fiscal year 2020 ZF reported sales of 32.6 billion. The company employs more than 150,000 associates at approximately 270 locations in 42 countries.

For further press information and photos, please visit: http://www.zf.com
Latinx in Social Work: Stories that heal, inspire and connect communities amplifies and highlights the voices of incredible Latinx social workers. The book is a No. 1 Amazon Best Seller. The book is an eye-opener to highlight Latinx contributors to the quality of life for New Yorkers, gives a blueprint for younger generations of social workers, and presents inspiration for all in a quest for social justice and equality."

New York-based Licensed Clinical Social Worker Erica Priscilla Sandoval found a very interesting statistic when it comes to Hispanics in the social work field. According to social workers.org, Latinxs are the largest ethnic minority in the US yet only 14% of social workers are Latinx.

When I saw that statistic, I needed to know why that was such a low number, said Sandoval, founder of Sandoval CoLab, a psychotherapy and consulting group. As I talked with my colleagues, I uncovered stories of racism, bias and discrimination but also how they healed communities with the hard, difficult and rewarding work that they put in each day. Thats when I realized that we in the Latinx community needed to share these stories and educate the next generation.

Sandoval gathered 21 peers to share their personal stories of challenges and successes in her new anthology book called Latinx in Social Work: Stories that heal, inspire and connect communities published by Fig Factor Media. The book is a No.1 Best Seller on Amazon.

The book is an eye-opener to highlight Latinx contributors to the quality of life for New Yorkers, gives a blueprint for younger generations of social workers, and presents inspiration for all in a quest for social justice and equality, she said. This is a tribute to all the healers regardless of their field of practice. We are more than a monolithic representation. It highlights the journey and the beauty of a culture that is colorful and expansive. I am in awe of the brilliant authors serving our Latinx community.

The 21 authors who contributed their stories are the following:



Rosa MBramble Caballero, LCSW-R

Rosa M. Gil, DSW

Maria Elena Girone, MSW

Linda Lausell Bryant, MSW, Ph.D.

Maria Lizardo, LMSW

Laura Quiros, Ph.D., LMSW

Cindy Bautista-Thomas, Ph.D., LCSW, RYT

Laudy Burgos, LCSW-R

Edith Chaparro, Ph.D., LCSW-R

Karen Ciego, LCSW

Jasmin Collazo, DSW, LCSW

Andres Gomez, MSW

Jessica Hardial, LCSW, MA

Yurilka A. Hernandez, LCSW

Luisa Lopez, MSW

Madeline Maldonado, LCSW-R

Ingrid McFarlane, LCSW-R

Paula McMillan-Perez, LCSW

Amelia Ortega, LCSW

Maria E. Ortiz, M.A., LMSW

Tania Vargas, LCSW

To encourage the Latinx community to enter social work, Sandoval explained that partial proceeds from the book will support social work students through scholarships and licensing exam fees for social workers applying for the licensure. She credits the generous support of The New York Women's Foundation and the Fund For The City of New York for making these financial avenues possible.

We are in dire need of more Latinx social workers, she said. "Our community needs us.

Lopez, a featured author and president of the Latino Social Work Coalition and Scholarship Fund, is cognizant of the positive impact this book will have for readers.

I am honored that the Latino Social Work Coalition and Scholarship Fund was selected to be the recipient of book proceeds, which will go a long way in ensuring that there is a vibrant and robust pipeline of Latinx social work students ready and able to serve in our most vulnerable communities.

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer congratulated Sandoval, the Latino Social Work Coalition and Scholarship Fund, and all the contributing authors on the book launch.

"Social work professionals must be equipped to work with a population that increasingly speaks Spanish, lives in mixed immigration status households, and navigates government and social systems that further marginalize them, Brewer said. Latinx in Social Work and the advocacy of the Latino Social Work Coalition is sounding the alarm on the value of Latinx social workers and how vital it is that more Latinx people can afford to pursue a career in social work."

For more information about Latinx in Social Work, visit this website.

About Latinx in Social Work Inc.

Latinx in Social Work: Stories that heal, inspire and connect communities is dedicated to amplifying the voices and business of incredible Latinx social workers. This is done through publishing a collection of personal narratives that amplifies and highlights the voices of Latinx social workers healing, leading, and inspiring while sharing their challenges and success and navigating their career in partnership with Fig Factor Media publishing.

About Fig Factor Media:

Fig Factor Media Publishing is an international publishing company with a "beeping" heart. Fig Factor Media has helped many authors achieve and support their dream of impacting their communities in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Fig Factor Media is the official publisher of Today's Inspired Latina. For information, visit http://figfactormedia.com/. ###
2022 Kia Niro EV available at Lehighton Kia

The 2022 Kia Niro EV has a spacious interior and good performance features. It is now available at Lehighton Kia Dealership in Lehighton, PA. The 2022 Kia Niro EV comes in EX and EX Premium trim levels. The interior of the 2022 Kia Niro EV is stylish and can accommodate five passengers. It comes with a 64-kWh battery and a 201-horsepower electric motor. The vehicle's overall length is 172.2 inches, width is 71.1 inches, and height is 61.8 inches. The passenger volume is 99.6 cubic feet. The 2022 Kia Niro EV has a cargo volume of 53.0 cubic feet with rear seats folded down. The curb weight of the vehicle is 3,854 lbs. A 10.25-inch touchscreen is standard in the vehicle with Harmon Kardon speakers, Navigation, and UVO Link.

Blindspot Collision Warning, Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Lane Following Assist, High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Parking Distance Warning, and Lane Keeping Assist are some of the safety features of the 2022 Kia Niro.

The official website of Lehighton Kia offers detailed model research and comparison pages to give more information to customers about the latest Kia models. The dealership also has expert technicians for maintenance and repair services.

To learn more about the 2022 Kia Niro EV, individuals can contact the dealership at (484) 464-0945. Interested shoppers can visit the dealership's website for more information. The dealership is located at 4225 Birney Ave., Moosic, Pennsylvania.
We are eager to explore the synergies with our new neighbor, Curry College, which will allow us to both learn through their outstanding early education program and welcome new teachers to Little Sprouts Milton, where we can nurture their careers, says Post, CEO of Little Sprouts, LLC.

Little Sprouts, a network of child care centers and preschools serving families throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire, is set to open a new school in Milton, MA, in early 2022 that will boast many new features and services.

With a stellar curriculum and an array of extracurriculars, including yoga, foreign language, music, and multiple state-of-the-art playgrounds and open-air classrooms, Little Sprouts Milton is set to be a unique school developed specifically with Miltons longstanding and well-respected commitment to high-quality education in mind. David Post, CEO of Little Sprouts, is especially proud of the continued growth that the new school represents:

Little Sprouts Milton is set to open in early 2022  a new year and a fresh start after two considerably challenging years, says Post. While the pandemic has impacted all of us over the last 19 months, we remained committed to expanding our portfolio - and establishing a child care solution in Milton to meet the unique needs and high standards of this community was key to that strategy."

Leading the new school will be experienced and established Little Sprouts Executive Director Jo-Anne Petrie. Petrie received her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education at Wheelock, her Master of Education at Western New England College, and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Bryant University. While her deep educational background has allowed her to cultivate passionate education-focused communities in the schools where she has worked, she holds an established, trusted relationship with early education leaders across the Bay State and New England.

An exceptional school requires an exceptional leader, and for that, we couldnt be more grateful to have Jo-Anne at the helm, says Post. We are eager to explore the synergies with our new neighbor, Curry College, which will allow us to both learn through their outstanding early education program and welcome new teachers to Little Sprouts Milton, where we can nurture their careers.

Little Sprouts Milton is now enrolling for early 2022. Interested families are invited to inquire via the Little Sprouts website at littlesprouts.com/milton.

About Little Sprouts

Little Sprouts is an award-winning network of experienced, engaged, and compassionate early educators dedicated to making lasting, positive differences for children and families. Our expert teachers and directors deliver high-quality care and essential early education to thousands of children in our Little Sprouts schools in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, our Building Blocks Early Learning Centers in Connecticut, and our Heartworks Schools and Loveworks Child Care Centers in Vermont. In addition, our play-based curriculum and commitment to practicing NAEYCs Anti-Bias Early Education support healthy childhood development and model the power of responsive relationships across all of our schools and communities.


Jeep RED "Mission" spot produced by LiveTribe LiveTribe feels fortunate to work with Stellantis on such a high profile, humanitarian campaign, the first involving RED and a major automaker, says Producer/Director Kaia Lavender. Its great to collaborate with some of the best brands in the world for a good cause.

Commercial production company LiveTribe recently traveled to Detroit to produce and direct a spot titled, Mission, highlighting the 2022 RED special edition Jeep Compass. The new campaign, which also involves Stellantis brands RAM and Fiat, aims to raise more than $4 million in promised funding to support RED charity, which began years ago to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This new campaign will help raise aid for the coronavirus pandemic. The Jeep spot can be seen here.

LiveTribe feels fortunate to work with Stellantis on such a high profile, humanitarian campaign, the first involving RED and a major automaker, says Producer/Director Kaia Lavender. Its great to collaborate with some of the best brands in the world for a good cause.

According to the director of the spot, Alberto Accettulli, the key was to make the most of the limited window of access to the RED Jeep. We wanted to build a distinct sense of movement for this special edition, so we utilized a SPV racing drone, he says. Jeep has never used this kind of extreme footage, to fly really fast toward the vehicle at high speed. It gave the film a unique energy. In the spot, we start on the Red planet, before bold graphics inform viewers that the real RED mission is back on planet Earth. We are then introduced to the inspired, limited edition Jeep Compass, which will help fund REDs new mission expanded to include COVID vaccinations worldwide. Drive RED, Save Lives, the spot concludes.

Bono, co-founder of (RED), called the partnership with the automaker a power shot in the arm for the organizations fight against pandemics and the complacency that fuels them.

Im here to sell an idea that unless this pandemic is defeated everywhere, no one is safe anywhere, says Bono. Im not sure its clear that people realize that its not an act of charity to get vaccines out to people who live on the other side of the world, its enlightened self-interest.

About LiveTribe:

LiveTribe is a forward-thinking, women-owned commercial production company, which is at its core, a storytelling force with a penchant for crafted realism. Our creative collective helps brands to tell their unique stories while offering a compelling proposition: agile creation of high quality content that maximizes screen appeal and production values while honoring budget boundaries.

Credits:

Client: Jeep

Agency: MIGRANTE CONTENT

Creative/producer and leadership team :

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR : Leonardo Ricagni

CREATIVE DIRECTOR : Sol Ricagni

EDITOR : Franco Ricagni & Hernan Hernandez

PRODUCERS : Keithian Sammons & Pablo Figueroa

Production Company:

LiveTribe, Los Angeles

Director: Alberto Accettuli

DP: Tommy Daguanno

EP/Partner: Kaia Lavender

Head of Production: Theresa Marth

Producer: Ritchie Piert
DwellWell fixes the traditional home buying process DwellWell is here to make the home buying process work for everybody, especially for the person who is actually parting with their hard earned money.

DwellWell, the company that delivers education, a suite of decision tools, and access to top real estate experts, officially launches today to give homebuyers more control throughout the home buying process. The new home buying experience is available now at dwellwell.com.

64% of millennial homebuyers experience regret after purchasing a home, which is not a big surprise. Buying a home has traditionally gone hand-in-hand with feeling confused, signing countless documents, and continuously doling out cash along the way. DwellWell solves this by providing a guided experience that empowers homebuyers through each step of the home buying process, turning a frustrating experience into a fun one. DwellWell is currently available in California with plans to rapidly expand throughout the country. Homebuyers outside of California can join a buyer waitlist.

DwellWell is backed by a 1.5 million dollar seed round led by the Female Innovators Lab by Barclays and Anthemis and angel investors from organizations including Twitter, Reddit, Credit Karma, Kickstarter, HubSpot, and Tribe Capital, DwellWell is the latest company shifting power to consumers by removing the information asymmetry of the traditional process. Were taking a complicated and secretive process and making it much easier for the average homebuyer to understand and navigate. Basically TurboTax for home buyingwe take a painful, complicated process and break it down into easy steps, said Samantha Carow, CTO of DwellWell, formerly an Engineering Manager at Reddit. Kester Keating, Head of US Principal Investments at Barclays added, We were really impressed by the founding team and we cant wait to see what DwellWell do next.

DwellWell believes part of improving the home buying process means empowering real estate agents as well as buyers. Real estate agents often spend a lot of time getting first-time buyers up to speed and prepared to buy their first home. DwellWell handles all of this prep work before matching carefully vetted agents (they call them Super Agents) and fully prepared buyers at the perfect moment for both of them.

There has been an exciting shift in who is buying homes. Buyers are more diverse, more mobile, and more informed than ever. And just like other industries, we are seeing a shift where buyers do a lot of research, use data to help them make decisions, and expect a consultative rather than high-pressure sales experience, said Matt Canzoneri, Cofounder and CEO of DwellWell. DwellWell is here to make the home buying process work for everybody, especially for the person who is actually parting with their hard earned money.

DwellWell plans to expand into additional states in 2022 with aims toward a nationwide offering. From day one weve been impressed with co-founders Sam Carow and Matt Canzoneri and their ability to rapidly execute as well as their leadership in creating such a strong company culture from the onset. This has been evidenced not only by their traction but the recruitment of top-tier talent perfectly suited to demystify home buying, said Katie Palencsar, Managing Director at Anthemis Group. We continue to be excited about the massive market opportunity surrounding this problem and DwellWells impact as they continue to scale.

We are very excited that DwellWell has joined the Female Innovators Lab by Barclays and Anthemis,'' said Mariquit Corcoran, Managing Director and Chief Innovation Officer at Barclays. We cant wait to see the team continue to grow with the support of the Lab and innovate the first-time home buying process.

Check out a happier home buying experience at dwellwell.com

About DwellWell

DwellWell is an online platform for home buyers that gives them the most transparent, enjoyable experience through a guided process that includes education, access to resources, and connections to the best real estate experts. DwellWell Super Agents gain high-intent home buyer leads that are looking to make a purchase in their region quickly. DwellWell creates delighted home buyers and successful real estate agents automatically.
Check out the financing offer on the new 2021 Toyota Highlander

Manhattan Beach Toyota, located in Manhattan Beach, CA, is offering a time-limited financing offer on the new 2021 Toyota Highlander to well-qualified buyers. Toyota enthusiasts are urged to contact the dealership at the earliest as the money-saving offer expires on November 1, 2021.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander is a best-selling family crossover. In terms of performance, comfort, and safety, the SUV is a cut above others in the segment. With XSE sport-tuned suspension, the SUV offers responsive handling and elevates the driving experience. The SUV comes with plenty of standard and available safety features. Available Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and available Front and Rear Parking Assist with Automatic Braking allow the driver to drive around confidently.

The finance offer is 1.9% APR for 72 months. It is available in California regardless of the residency of the qualified buyer. The dealerships website shares plenty of information about the financing offer on the 2021 Toyota Highlander and other new Toyota models.

For additional information on this offer, interested buyers can visit Manhattan Beach Toyotas website. In case of any queries or concerns, customers can contact the dealership by dialing (855) 995-7001 or visit the dealership at 1500 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.
In addition to improving accessibility, Read Aloud offers several significant productivity benefits, from increasing efficiency to boosting accuracy and comprehension.

Messaging Architects, an eMazzanti Technologies Company and Microsoft expert, explains how to use the Microsoft Read Aloud feature in a new article. The informative article first reviews the benefits of Read Aloud, such as improving fluency, catching written errors, and multi-tasking.

The author then relates how to access the Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Word and Outlook. He then explains quick access and keyboard shortcuts that make using the feature easier. He concludes by reviewing recent improvements to Microsoft text-to-speech technology.

In addition to improving accessibility, Read Aloud offers several significant productivity benefits, from increasing efficiency to boosting accuracy and comprehension, stated Greg Smith, Vice President of Services Delivery at Messaging Architects.

Below are a few excerpts from the article, Microsoft Read Aloud Feature Improves both Accessibility and Productivity.

Tapping into the Benefits of the Read Aloud Feature

The Read Aloud feature began as an accessibility tool. For instance, it helps improve fluency for readers with dyslexia and offers visually impaired users options for interacting with content. But the benefits extend beyond accessibility.

Because the system reads the text exactly as written, Read Aloud helps editors catch errors such as missing words or typos. For example, when reading the phrase he left her siting by the river, the readers mind will typically fill in the missing t. Read Aloud, however will pronouncing siting with a long i, immediately alerting the editor to the problem.

Accessing the Read Aloud Feature in Word and Outlook

As text-to-speech has grown more powerful, it has also become easier to access. In Word, for example, users can access the feature by selecting Read Aloud from the Review tab. The system will either read the entire document from the cursor location, or it will read the highlighted text.

In Outlook, users select Read Aloud from the Message tab, if reading an open email, or from the Home tab, if reading from the preview pane in the Inbox.

Discover Additional Microsoft Productivity Features

Microsoft has built thousands of useful features into its products. The Microsoft experts at eMazzanti Technologies and Messaging Architects can point out productivity features most likely to help the organization. They can also assist business leaders in configuring systems for optimal use.

Have you read?

Track Changes Tips to Speed Collaboration in Microsoft Word

Microsoft 365 Groups Tips to Boost Collaboration with Shared Services

About Messaging Architects

Messaging Architects specializes in effectively managing and securing an organizations most precious asset, its information. With over 20 years of information management and technology consulting experience, the Messaging Architects team has provided corporations, educational intuitions, health care facilities and nonprofits with methodologies, procedures, and technology to keep their data organized, compliant and secure.

About eMazzanti Technologies

eMazzantis team of trained, certified IT experts rapidly deliver increased revenue growth, data security and productivity for clients ranging from law firms to high-end global retailers, expertly providing advanced retail and payment technology, digital marketing services, cloud and mobile solutions, multi-site implementations, 247 outsourced network management, remote monitoring, and support.

eMazzanti has made the Inc. 5000 list 9X, is a 4X Microsoft Partner of the Year, the #1 ranked NYC area MSP, NJ Business of the Year and 5X WatchGuard Partner of the Year! Contact: 1-866-362-9926, info@emazzanti.net or http://www.emazzanti.net Twitter: @emazzanti Facebook: Facebook.com/emazzantitechnologies.


nablet, a leading provider of codecs and other media technologies, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. nablet was founded in 2011 in Aachen, Germany, by industry veterans who developed some of todays most prominent codecs.

From the start, nablet had two primary goals:



Create even better codecs and related technologies by reacting to new challenges like new CPU architectures and the increasing popularity of cloud solutions.

Respond to industry needs and create a variety of technology modules that would work together as part of an ecosystem built around the nablet mediaEngine transcoder.

Today, nablet technologies are used widely in broadcasting, OTT, content creation, post-production and related industries. Clients include Vizrt, IBM, Telestream, Foundry, Syncbak, and many more. In addition, nablet is the official developer of Sony format plugins for Avid Media Composer. The company has also been instrumental in creating and developing the new MXF Live standard with other industry partners.

We are proud to reach this important milestone, said Muzaffer Beygirci, CEO of nablet. We appreciate the support and trust of our clients and partners, especially those who had faith in us at the beginning. Today we continue to develop codecs, but also provide transcoder engines, smart rendering technology, media processing tools and MXF tools. We use groundbreaking AI in our products, and we have many more ideas that will help you get your ideas and products to market faster.

nablet develops all of our codecs and related technologies in-house, giving us a significant advantage. By controlling all components in a complex product and not relying on third-party components, we give our clients much faster time to market. And our upcoming white label products and services will offer even more versatility.

Ongoing changes open many opportunities for all of us. Thank you for your trust.

Having worked with Muzaffer and other nablet team members since 20 years ago, I know their commitment to quality and support, said Mark Bailey, VP, Sales and Marketing for nablet, In its next 10 years, I know that nablet will continue to lead.

About nablet

nablet is a leading IT company developing codecs, transcoders, and AI-based media processing technologies. It was founded in 2011 by industry veterans who developed some of todays most prominent codecs. nablet products are used widely in content creation, post-production, broadcasting and related industries. Customers include some of the industries most prominent companies. nablet is also the official developer of the widely used Sony format plugins for Avid Media Composer. nablet is headquartered in Aachen, Germany, with USA presence in Charlotte, North Carolina, and other locations in Turkey and Russia.
NHHC Director Samuel J. Cox, U.S. Navy rear admiral (retired), Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, and (NMDF) Board President, retired Vice Adm. Al Konetzni. The new, state-of-the-art flagship museum will ensure that the Navys story can be shared with the audience it deserves, said NMDF Board President, retired Vice Adm. Al Konetzni. The intended location provides an incomparable stage for telling the Navys story, creating a memorable and compelling

Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro announced Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2012 that the U.S. Navy has acknowledged the kind offer from the Navy Museum Development Foundation (NMDF) to lead a national campaign to raise funds for the future National Museum of the U.S. Navy (NMUSN).

The announcement came during an event at the current museum marking the U.S. Navy's 246th birthday.

For 246 years, the Sailors of the United States Navy have protected our Nation and our world through their dedicated service on the sea, in the air, and beneath the waves, said Del Toro. The new National Museum of the United States Navy will bring their story to the American people, honoring all whove served in the past, and all who maintain the watch today.

The current NMUSN, which falls under Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC), is located inside the Washington Navy Yard and attracts 100,000 visitors per year. The new NMUSN will be a campus-style museum outside the Navy's security perimeter, potentially increasing attendance to upwards of 1-2 million visitors annually.

The new, state-of-the-art flagship museum will ensure that the Navys story can be shared with the audience it deserves. Moving the museum to a more accessible site within the heart of the nations capital presents a unique opportunity to reach the 40 million visitors who come to Washington DC every year, said NMDF Board President, retired Vice Adm. Al Konetzni. This includes millions of students eager to be engaged, educated, and encouraged. The Navy will be the only service with a museum capable of reaching that audience. The location provides an incomparable stage for telling the Navys story, creating a memorable and compelling experience for visitors, and using the Navys legacy to inspire future generations.

The new NMUSN campus concept will connect the U.S. Navys legacy of service, courage, honor and loyalty with the absolute imperatives confronting it today, including forward presence, advanced technologies, energy balance and humanitarian assistance.

"One of our goals with the new museum is to build public understanding of the Navy's rich history and proud heritage with the public," said NHHC Director, retired Rear Adm. Samuel Cox. "Among other things, we hope the museum shares the human experience of serving in the Navy and creates a memorial to the service and sacrifice of the American Sailor."

With plans to open the new museum in October 2025, the Navy estimates funds required to construct the state-of-the-art facility is $204 million for phase one of the project with opportunities for spiral development of additional phases totaling $450 million.

An objective business case analysis was completed making a clear recommendation for a museum relocation vice expenditures to existing facility renovations. The move helps the Navy avoid an estimated $24 million in deferred maintenance to the current museum building. The new museum's location also helps reduce force protection requirements by approximately $300 million and mitigates security risks to both the Washington Navy Yard and key Navy commands.

The new, state-of-the-art flagship museum will ensure that the Navys story can be shared with the audience it deserves, said NMDF Board President, retired Vice Adm. Al Konetzni. The intended location provides an incomparable stage for telling the Navys story, creating a memorable and compelling experience for visitors, and using the Navys legacy to inspire future generations.

Naval History and Heritage Command, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy's unique and enduring contributions through our nation's history, and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC is composed of many activities including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, ten museums, USS Constitution repair facility and the historic ship Nautilus.

As part of an extended Navy campus, it will provide a home for naval ceremonies and functions to celebrate historic anniversaries and individual achievements. As a center for inspired storytelling, it will become an internationally recognized forum for innovative thought leadership, education, and training.

It is vital that the American people understand the importance of a strong and viable naval force. As a maritime nation, our future depends on it, said former Secretary of the Navy, Kenneth J. Braithwaite. Secretary Braithwaite is joined by Secretaries England, Dalton and Maybus as Honorary Campaign Co-Chairs.

The new museum will also become the cornerstone of a Navy Campus based on a sustainable business model designed for long-term durability of the project. In addition to freeing up critically needed space at Washington Navy Yard, the mixed-use Campus will create opportunities for vitally needed revenue streams through expansive retail operations to support museum programs. The site will include the U.S. Navys primary conference center capable of hosting a wide range of lectures, courses, seminars, and meetings. It will also include special event facilities for ceremonies and celebrations.

Old and new generations of the sea service, as well as the general public, will find their experience at the Campus to be educational, relevant, inspirational, and compelling. The Navys storied past, present and future is a story for everyone, and one that should be told.

About NMDF

The mission of the Navy Museum Development Foundation is to perpetuate the heritage of the United States Navy by supporting and raising funds for the establishment of a National Museum of the United States Navy in Washington, D.C. Learn more at NMDF.org.
Ntiva, Inc., a leading provider of managed IT services, strategic consulting, cybersecurity services, cloud services and telecom solutions, today announced the acquisition of NetLogicDC located in Bethesda, Maryland.

NetLogicDC, founded in 2005, has a longstanding relationship with Ntiva. The two companies often assisted each other over the last decade, further supporting the cultural alignment of this and all Ntiva acquisitions. The strategic acquisition of NetLogicDC continues to expand Ntiva's presence in the Mid-Atlantic.

We are excited to welcome the NetLogicDC team to the Ntiva family, said Steven Freidkin, CEO of Ntiva. Their leadership team along with the entire employee base are an excellent fit with the existing Ntiva culture, aligning with our CORE values (Care, Ownership, Response and Excellence) and further strengthening our deep bench of technical talent."

Under the leadership of CEO Patrick Gulbrandson, NetLogicDC has grown to include an elite crew of technology experts that specialize in the hospitality sector, amongst other generalized businesses.

NetLogicDC has always taken a people-centric approach to our IT services and support. While technology can transform a company, it's only as successful as the humans behind the devices. Every organization is unique, so we've always taken care to offer bespoke solutions for every client," said Patrick Gulbrandson, CEO of NetLogicDC. "Our partnership with Ntiva has offered us the opportunity to help accelerate the growth of our team members, thus offering additional expertise to our clients.

This acquisition further expands Ntivas footprint into the Washington DC metro area and increases the client base to over 1,500 organizations located across the U.S., including Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, New York, Rocky Mountains and Southern California.

About Ntiva, Inc.

Ntiva is a leading IT services company that provides businesses across the U.S. with advanced technology expertise and support, including managed IT services, strategic consulting, cybersecurity services, cloud services, and telecom solutions. Their team of world-class talent genuinely cares about the relationships they build and understands that response and precision are fundamental keys to a successful partnership. Ntivas ultimate objective is to help clients leverage their technology investments to improve business performance.

Media Contact:

Holly Dowden holly.dowden@ntiva.com

VP of Marketing, Ntiva, Inc. 703 891 0131
Pebblebee Found LTE - GPS Dog Tracker We are thrilled to deliver peace of mind to dog owners everywhere with our Found LTE product.

Pebblebee, a Seattle based trackables company, releases next-generation GPS dog tracker, using LTE-M for power efficient and precise tracking. Pebblebee's rechargeable Found LTE uniquely enables long-lasting battery life, low cost, and high precision for keeping track of your pets.

We are thrilled to deliver peace of mind to dog owners everywhere with our Found LTE product. With years of experience building trackers, weve developed the best-in-class GPS location tracker by combining the latest technology available in a form factor that works for any collar, Daniel Daoura, Pebblebee co-founder and CEO said. Now that weve shipped thousands of Found LTE devices, we are very very excited to make the product available to millions of Amazon shoppers.

The Found LTE is a small, lightweight form factor and proven durable in a variety of environments with IPX7 water resistance. Based on the priorities of our early adopters, the Found LTE incorporates a variety of custom tracking modes ranging from high periodicity location updates to increased battery life. When a user is nearby, the Found LTEs integrated loud buzzer can be used as a guide to physically locate it.

About Pebblebee:

Pebblebee provides an umbrella of patented tracking solutions that aim at providing peace of mind. The Pebblebee idea first emerged in 2012 as a necessary solution to staying connected with a curious toddlers endless ability to hide things like keys and remote controls. After failed attempts at other homemade solutions, both founders, Daniel and Nick, collaborated to find a way to take back control. That meeting resulted in a vision: give people peace of mind that theyre always connected to their valuables and loved ones. Pebblebee offers a multitude of tracking solutions including cloud and mobile Apps and a suite of Bluetooth, cellular and reactive tracking hardware with plans for satellite. Find out more at http://www.pebblebee.com. Or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter to get the latest updates.

Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HZJB6K8

https://pebblebee.com/found-launch
In this webinar, medical ethicists will discuss what investigators, Ethics Committees, IRBs and  ideally  sponsors can do to reverse this trend and create documents which achieve their intended purpose of allowing a child to understand the trial in which they are being asked to participate.

For some 75 years, we have held the position that those who participate in medical research may do so only after giving their assent. This is problematic in pediatric research as the subjects lack the legal capacity to do so, and we must rely upon permission from parents to include their children in research, supported by the childs agreement or assent.

However, the information provided to children often defeats the purpose of providing it. Assents are frequently excessively long, unnecessarily repetitive, written in a technical manner, presented as formal documents almost resembling contracts and include provisions relating to data privacy crafted by lawyers which may be near impenetrable for most children. As a result, a childs agreement to participate based on the information provided may be fictional, and instead be the result of some inherent trust in the investigator or research nurse.

In this webinar, medical ethicists will discuss what investigators, Ethics Committees, IRBs and  ideally  sponsors can do to reverse this trend and create documents which achieve their intended purpose of allowing a child to understand the trial in which they are being asked to participate.

Join expert speakers, Dr. Harris Dalrymple, PhD (Med), PhD (Law), Executive Director, Center for Pediatric Clinical Development, ICON; Gianna Gigi McMillan, DBe, Acting Graduate Director for the Bioethics Institute, Loyola Marymount University; and Dr. Joe Brierley, MBChB, MA, Pediatric Intensivist, Director of Bioethics, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, in a live webinar on Monday, November 8, 2021 at 10am EST (3pm GMT/UK).

For more information, or to register for this event, visit Reflections on Pediatric Assent: Have We Outgrown This Concept?.

ABOUT XTALKS

Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.

To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com

For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/


"I am excited to share our new website. It is a great resource for both potential and current Vantage Plastic Surgery patients, says Dr. Shteynberg

Aleksandr Shteynberg M.D., FACS, is pleased to announce the launch of his brand-new ADA-friendly website http://www.vantageplasticsurgery.com for his state-of-the-art practice. The user-friendly website displays Dr. Shteynbergs elite qualifications and services offered at Vantage Plastic Surgery in Manhattan located at 791 Park Avenue, Suite 1BNew York, NY. The innovative website for this practice provides high-resolution photos and informative content that reflects Dr. Shteynbergs expertise and artistic talent. It is easy to navigate, featuring an appealing website design that keeps patients fully educated on the surgical and non-surgical treatment options available to help them look at feel their best at Vantage Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Aleksandr Shteynberg offers a full menu of services at his cutting-edge practice to improve ones appearance from head to toe, with gold standard facelifts, advanced breast augmentations, body lift procedures and non-surgical treatments. He is board-certified and a top professional in his field, well-known as one of the best breast and body plastic surgery specialists in NYC. He has gained a reputation for his knowledge and ability to create incredible, natural-looking results in both cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, including revision cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, body and nose. Whether its a small change or a full-body makeover, patients can expect exceptional results with patient-centric care when they choose the skilled hands of Dr. Shteynberg.

I am excited to share our new website. It is a great resource for both potential and current Vantage Plastic Surgery patients, says Dr. Shteynberg

More about Dr. Aleksandr Shteynberg:

Dr. Aleksandr Shteynberg is a double board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. As an undergraduate, he attended New York University with a pre-med track and graduated cum laude. He completed his medical and surgical education at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and trained at Long Island Plastic Surgery Group in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Shteynberg has affiliations with Lenox Hill Hospital, NYU, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and several others As a director of plastic surgery service at Kings County Hospital where he performs a wide variety of surgeries, with a concentration on breast restoration for breast cancer patients and as a clinical assistant professor at SUNY Downstate, and Clinical Instructor at NYU, Dr. Shteynberg is deeply involved in teaching and writing about plastic surgery.

To schedule a consultation or for more information about Vantage Plastic Surgery, please call 212-951-1877, or visit the new website at http://www.vantageplasticsurgery.com.


As the need to decarbonize industry and the built environment becomes increasingly urgent, RMI is appointing two Managing Directors to drive its mission to halve global emissions by 2030.

The organization today announced the hire of veteran energy executive Bryan Fisher to lead the organizations Climate-Aligned Industries program as Managing Director. Fisher will lead RMIs efforts to decarbonize the key industrial sectors, including, but not limited to, concrete, steel, aluminum, chemicals, aviation, shipping and trucking. These sectors collectively emit 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Fisher will also direct RMIs collaboration with the Mission Possible Partnership.

I am excited to join a highly talented team at RMI to decarbonize these sectors, working in close collaboration with industry leaders, technology innovators, policymakers and financial institutions within and across the value chains of these sectors. We need to rapidly deploy these solutions to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, said Fisher.

Fisher brings over 25 years of experience in the traditional energy and energy transition sectors, including leadership roles as CEO of Fortify Energy, CEO of Jumar Energy Capital and EVP of Equipower Resources. Fisher also led investments in the power and renewables sector as a Managing Director at Bluescape Energy Partners, a private equity firm with $2 billion in assets under management.

Prior to those roles, he was a Principal at McKinsey & Company, where he held several leadership positions within the Global Energy and Materials Practice, Corporate Finance Practice and Risk Management Practice over his 16-year tenure. Fisher led multinational companies to improve their performance and reduce their carbon footprint.

RMI also announced the promotion of Stephanie Greene to Managing Director of the Carbon-Free Buildings Program. In this role, Greene will continue to lead the program on its mission to advance the decarbonization of the global buildings sector. Using policy, analysis, technology and market transformation, RMIs Carbon-Free Buildings team seeks to end reliance on fossil fuels to power and construct our built environment, ensuring an equitable pathway to decarbonization.

Buildings contribute 40 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, and we have to decarbonize half of the sector in 8 years. Im thrilled to the take the helm of a talented team working on tackling every aspect of this critical transitionfrom the materials used to construct our buildings to the appliances used to heat and cool them, said Stephanie Greene.

Greene brings nearly two decades of experience working on clean energy and sustainability in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Prior to joining RMI, Greene held a number of leadership roles at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), one of the largest utilities in the United States. Most recently, she served as the companys Director of Clean Transportation, leading PG&Es EV strategy and policy initiatives, and previously was Chief of Staff to PG&Es CEO and President.

We are very pleased to strengthen our leadership team with these two outstanding Managing Directors, said Jules Kortenhorst, CEO of RMI. Our work on clean energy solutions across all sectors of the economy, including buildings and heavy industry, is critically important during this decisive decade for the climate crisis. We continue to grow our team and bring as much talent as possible to focus on this enormous challenge.

Media Inquiries please contact:

Nick Steel, Director of Public Relations E:

About RMI

RMI is an independent nonprofit founded in 1982 that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. We work in the worlds most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.

More information on RMI can be found at rmi.org or follow us on Twitter @RockyMtnInst.


ShipStation, the worlds leading web-based e-commerce shipping solution, announced a new integration with Walmart Canada Marketplace. Approved ShipStation customers will now be able to sell products on Walmart Canada Marketplace and the marketplaces existing merchants can now leverage ShipStations platform to process their orders.

ShipStation is committed to bringing the top solutions to our customers all over the world. That means looking for partners that share our commitment to supporting our customers whenever and however they sell, said Krish Iyer, Head of Industry Relations and Partnerships at ShipStation. Partnering with Walmart Canada Marketplace helps us fulfill that promise and provides our merchants with more opportunities to connect with Canadian shoppers.

Walmart.ca is visited by more than 900,000 customers daily. Marketplace shoppers can choose from 28 million items from over 4,000 sellers. Third-party sellers maintain control over their businesses, including inventory, retail pricing, fulfillment, and customer care. By integrating ShipStation, sellers will be able to retrieve orders and product data from the marketplace and return tracking and shipping information to the order.

We are excited to be teaming up with ShipStation and to be able to offer our third-party sellers top selling solutions, said Laurent Duray, Senior Vice President of E-commerce, Walmart Canada. We are always looking at innovative ways to make selling on Walmart Canada Marketplace easier and more convenient for third-party sellers.

ShipStation customers that choose to sell with Walmart Canada Marketplace will be able to add the marketplace directly to their ShipStation platform where they can efficiently manage orders, shipping, and tracking for all their online stores in one place.

The integration is available to ShipStation and Walmart Canada Marketplace sellers now.

About ShipStation

Every day, tens of thousands of e-commerce retailers rely on ShipStation to solve the day-to-day challenges of importing orders and processing shipments. The trusted leader in shipping software since its founding in 2011, ShipStation helps online sellers scale their businesses and deliver exceptional customer experiences, with an intuitive online solution that allows them to efficiently ship orders -- wherever they sell and however they ship. The multi-channel and multi-carrier platform offers the most integrations of any e-commerce solution, with more than 300 partnerships with leading shopping carts, marketplaces, carriers, and fulfillment services, including FedEx, USPS, UPS, Amazon, Shopify, and BigCommerce. ShipStation is headquartered in Austin, TX, with offices in Sydney and London. For more information, visit https://www.shipstation.com.

About Walmart Canada

Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 900,000 customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada was recently recognized as a LinkedIn Top Company of 2021 and was also named one of Canadas most popular brands (based on Google searches). Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $500 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada, and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.
SCRI Logo Are we divided? Yes. Do we share core values? Absolutely. Are we proud to be Americans? For the most part. Do we think our great experiment will weather this storm? Were somewhat hopeful, but concerned. Dr. Don Levy, Director, Siena College Research Institute

The Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) will release a new national study on Monday, October 25 of 6,077 Americans position on core values including equality, liberty and progress. The study looks simultaneously at partisanship and whether or not Americans share a set of underlying principles.

Data is presented nationally as well as for nine regions of the country. The American Values Study (AVS) includes unique quantitative data on values by region, party and 2020 vote choice, extensive comments from Americans on where do we go from here, and insight from two former U.S. Congressmen.

Embargoed copies can be requested from SCRIs Director, Dr. Don Levy, dlevy@siena.edu.

Levy will be available for interviews beginning Monday, October 25 at 8:30 am EST at 518-783-2901 or via email, dlevy@siena.edu.
The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at SIUE. The equipment that will be purchased using these award funds will be placed in NCERCs Fermentation Laboratory and Fermentation Suite, two areas of NCERCs facility that receive the most attention from startups and companies doing cutting-edge research in the biorenewables sector.

The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC), located in University Park of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has been awarded $1.9 million though the Rebuild Illinois Wet Lab Capital program by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). NCERC joins seven other laboratories from across the state who received a total investment of $15.4 million.

Last year, my administration launched a Wet Lab Capital program to meet the technical needs of startups, incubators and universities across the state, said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Today, after receiving so many brilliant applications from project developers across Illinois, I am excited to announce $15.4 million in grants that is funding $90 million worth of wet lab expansions throughout Illinoisin Chicago but also at both of Southern Illinois Universitys campuses, at Rosalind Franklin University in the heart of Illinois biopharma ecosystem in northern Illinois, and at life science hubs up and down the state.

As a renowned research and development (R&D) center that leads the nation in commercializing biotechnologies, NCERCs facility houses fermentation and processing vessels ranging from bench- to pilot-scale that allow companies hoping to introduce their biotechnology to the marketplace to perform all their research at the same facility using NCERCs leading staff of researchers, scientists and engineers. NCERC plans to utilize award funding to dramatically expand its intermediate-scale R&D capabilities.

The equipment that will be purchased using these award funds will be placed in NCERCs Fermentation Laboratory and Fermentation Suite, two areas of NCERCs facility that receive the most attention from startups and companies doing cutting-edge research in the biorenewables sector, said John Caupert, NCERCs executive director. Were extremely excited by the expansion of our research capabilities and look forward to leveraging these assets to attract new clients. We also want to thank our partners on this project, especially the Illinois Corn Growers Association who has generously contributed to the matching funds on the project.

Mark Wilson, chairman of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) and farmer from Toulon, Ill., said, ICMB is pleased to provide matching funds to expand the wet lab capabilities at NCERC. We look forward to the new consumer industrial and healthcare products from corn empowered by this investment.

Randy DeSutter, president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association and farmer from Woodhull, Ill., added, We commend DCEO and the governor for providing this opportunity to grow the biotech industry in Illinois.

Since opening its doors in 2003, NCERC has been a leader in corn-to-ethanol research. As technology evolves, NCERCs fermentation capabilities have expanded to reach new markets, including corn-to-bioproducts research.

A portion of the award received by SIUE will be dedicated to expanding the analytical capabilities at the Biotechnology Laboratory Incubator, which currently houses the Shimadzu Innovation Laboratory at SIUE (SILS). SILS is a partnership between SIUE and Shimadzu, a leading-edge science and analytical technology company, that supports student and industry research at the University through the Shimadzus Partnership for Academic Research and Quality of Life program.

The NCERC at SIUE is a nationally recognized research center dedicated to the development and commercialization of biofuels, specialty chemicals and other renewable compounds. The Centers fully functional dry grind pilot plant and laboratories are equipped with advanced biofuels capabilities including corn fractionation, pretreatment, and a fermentation suite with 5, 30, 150 and 1500L scale-up. Facilities are staffed by industry veterans with more than 100 years of collective experience in fermentation and biofuels production. This knowledgeable team has the flexibility and expertise to design and carry out projects in any region of the advanced biofuels or specialty chemicals space. For more information contact Jackie Hayes at jhayes@ethanolresearch.com, or visit ethanolresearch.com.
Inside of a Vizio TV Model V435-J01 Software Freedom Conservancy is standing up for customers who are alienated and exploited by the technology on which they increasingly rely," says Karen M. Sandler, the organizations executive director.

Software Freedom Conservancy announced today it has filed a lawsuit against Vizio Inc. for alleged repeated failures to fulfill even the basic requirements of the General Public License (GPL).

The lawsuit alleges that Vizios TV products, built on its SmartCast system, contain software that Vizio unfairly appropriated from a community of developers who intended consumers to have very specific rights to modify, improve, share, and reinstall modified versions of the software.

The GPL is a copyleft license that ensures end users the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the software. Copyleft is a kind of software licensing that leverages the restrictions of copyright, but with the intent to promote sharing (using copyright licensing to freely use and repair software).

Software Freedom Conservancy, a nonprofit organization focused on ethical technology, is filing the lawsuit as the purchaser of a product which has copylefted code. This approach makes it the first legal case that focuses on the rights of individual consumers as third-party beneficiaries of the GPL.

Thats what makes this litigation unique and historic in terms of defending consumer rights, says Karen M. Sandler, the organizations executive director.

According to the lawsuit, a consumer of a product such as this has the right to access the source code so that it can be modified, studied, and redistributed (under the appropriate license conditions).

We are asking the court to require Vizio to make good on its obligations under copyleft compliance requirements, says Sandler.

The lawsuit suit seeks no monetary damages, but instead seeks access to the technical information that the copyleft licenses require Vizio to provide to all customers who purchase its TVs (specifically, the plaintiff is asking for the technical information via "specific performance" rather than "damages").

Software Freedom Conservancy is standing up for customers who are alienated and exploited by the technology on which they increasingly rely, says Sandler, adding that through this lawsuit they also aim to help educate consumers about their right to repair their devices as well highlight that there are mechanisms for corporate accountability already in place that can be leveraged through purchasing power and collective action.

Copyleft licensing was designed as an ideological alternative to the classic corporate software model because it: allows people who receive the software to fix their devices, improve them and control them; entitles people to curtail surveillance and ads; and helps people continue to use their devices for a much longer time (instead of being forced to purchase new ones).

The global supply chain shortages that have affected everything from cars to consumer electronics underscore one of the reasons why it is important to be able to repair products we already own, says Sandler. Even without supply chain challenges, the forced obsolescence of devices like TVs isnt in the best interest of the consumer or even the planet. This is another aspect of what we mean by ethical technology. Throwing away a TV because its software is no longer supported by its manufacturer is not only wasteful, it has dire environmental consequences.

The complaint alleges that the organization first raised the issue of non-compliance with the GPL with Vizio in August 2018 and that the Vizio stopped responding altogether as of January 2020. It alleges, Software Freedom Conservancy followed up with Vizio six times during the following five months... Software Freedom Conservancy never received a response to any of its communication.

The complaint was filed in Superior Court of the State of California County of Orange, with case number 30-2021-01226723-CU-BC-CJC. For more information about this litigation, including the full complaint and any updates, go to sfconservancy.org/vizio.

ABOUT SOFTWARE FREEDOM CONSERVANCY

Software Freedom Conservancy is a nonprofit organization centered around ethical technology. Our mission is to ensure the right to repair, improve, and reinstall software. We promote and defend these rights through fostering free and open source software (FOSS) projects, driving initiatives that actively make technology more inclusive, and advancing policy strategies that defend FOSS (such as copyleft). The organization is incorporated in New York. For more information, go to sfconservancy.org.
Being able to partner with an organization focused on attracting and advancing women in cyber; providing opportunities to develop our employees through their programs; and recruiting from their growing pipeline of talent has helped us continue to have a strong cyber workforce.

A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses and companies looking to support the recruitment, retention and advancements of women in the cybersecurity field through the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) conference, March 17-19, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio.

For nine years, the WiCyS nonprofit membership organization has brought together students and professionals from academia, research and industry to share knowledge and experience, network, learn and mentor. These objectives are achieved not only through the conference but also through a virtual job fair, professional affiliates, speakers bureau, mentoring program, college student chapters, Job Board++, Veterans Assistance Program and more.

Supporting WiCyS continues to be a great investment for Raytheon Technologies for multiple reasons. Being able to partner with an organization focused on attracting and advancing women in cyber; providing opportunities to develop our employees through their programs; and recruiting from their growing pipeline of talent has helped us continue to have a strong cyber workforce, said Timothy Sheard, senior director of Enterprise Factory Cybersecurity Program at Raytheon Technologies.

Over 1,500 participants attend the annual conference, half of whom are students who earned scholarships. Sponsorships help talented cybersecurity students, but also assist businesses and organizations in gaining recognition as leaders in workforce diversity while building meaningful relationships with students, mentors, academia, government and industry. Future employees will view these sponsors as inclusive employers for cybersecurity opportunities.

Sponsors above a certain level receive a booth, branding, recognition and access to the vast resume database of attendees. Organizations will be recognized on the conference website, the mobile app and onsite at the conference. A sponsorship also grants advance notice of open registration and allows participation in the in-person career fair, where interviews can occur on-the-spot. Sponsors also can engage at the career village for one-on-one time in mock interviews as well as LinkedIn profile and resume reviews. Sponsors who send teams to the conference will be able to partake in the professional development. Higher-level sponsors receive more visibility at the conference.

"Our sponsors make the conference possible. It's wonderful to see the sponsor attendees interact with our students and other attendees during the conference. Everyone benefits from bringing together organizations dedicated to diversity with attendees involved in cybersecurity and especially when over 90% of those attendees are female said Janell Straach, WiCyS conference chair.

Any new sponsors who apply before Nov. 15 will receive a 10% discount while WiCyS 2021 sponsors will receive a 15% discount. For more information on becoming a sponsor, visit http://www.wicys.org/support/wicys-2022-sponsorship/.

About WiCyS:

Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) is the premier nonprofit organization with international reach dedicated to bringing together women in cybersecurity. Founded by Dr. Ambareen Siraj from Tennessee Tech University through a National Science Foundation grant in 2013, WiCyS offers opportunities and resources for its members and collaboration benefits for its sponsors and partners. The organizations founding partners are Cisco, Facebook and Palo Alto Networks. Strategic partners include Tier 1: Amazon Web Services, Bloomberg, Carnegie Mellon University  Software Engineering Institute, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Optum. Tier 2: Abbvie, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Linkedin, Navy Federal Credit Union, Nike, SentinelOne, Wayfair, Workday. Tier 3: Fortinet, Haystack Solutions, HERE Technologies, Home Depot, IBM, MITRE, Palo Alto Networks, SANS Institute, Smoothstack, Starbucks, Target. To partner, visit https://www.wicys.org/support/strategic-partnerships/.


Matt Pru, Co-Founder of Stackmatix, the worlds premier growth agency for startups, has been accepted into Forbes Agency Council, an invitation-only community for owners of and executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative, and advertising agencies.

Matt Pru was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.

We are honored to welcome Matt Pru into the community, said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Agency Council. Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world.

As an accepted member of the Council, Matt Pru has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum. Matt will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.

Finally, Matt Pru will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team.

I couldnt be more excited to be admitted to the Forbes Agency Council and to contribute thought leadership pieces on growing businesses, said Matt.

ABOUT STACKMATIX

Stackmatix is organization comprised of some of the most experienced startup growth consultants, experienced across sales, marketing, and engineering. For more information about Stackmatix, visit stackmatix.com.

ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS

Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive.

For more information about Forbes Agency Council, visit forbesagencycouncil.com. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com.
During the Fortnight of Action, individuals and groups are encouraged to activate their voting network and share posts, photos, and videos on social media about their voting activity, using the hashtag #StrollToThePolls.

On October 19, 2021, Stroll to the Polls  a non-partisan and nonprofit organization  announced its Fortnight of Action, a national initiative to amplify voter engagement and boost voter turnout in 2021.

During its Fortnight of Action, individuals and groups are encouraged to activate their voting network and share posts, photos, and videos on social media about their voting activity, using the hashtag #StrollToThePolls.

In addition, Stroll to the Polls announced its GOTV playlist via Facebook so that all voters can be on one accord and jam to the same chord when they participate in democracy at the mailbox, ballot drop box or voting booth.

In making the announcement, the charity noted that the organization selected DJ mixes to keep voters engaged even after ballots have been cast! Check out the tunes that you likely already love  or find some new favorites!

The charity further noted that voters should visit its website for additional voting information; to get involved in the Stroll to the Polls movement; to purchase goods; and to donate to the nonprofit.

Stroll to the Polls also kicked off efforts to celebrate Vote Early Day  a holiday founded by nonprofits, businesses, election administrators, and influencers who are working to ensure that Americans understand and take advantage of their options to vote early this election cycle and beyond.

On Vote Early Day (October 23), Stroll to the Polls encourages individuals and groups to intensify their civic engagement activities to ensure that every voter in the United States knows when, where, and how to cast their ballot early. People interested in celebrating with Stroll to the Polls can sign up on the Stroll to the Polls Facebook page.

In addition to our signature hashtag #StrollToThePolls, on Vote Early Day, participants should add the following hashtags to all posts, photos and videos - #VoteEarly #VoteReady #VoteEarlyDay.

A premier partner, Stroll to the Polls is proud to be part of a rapidly growing number of nonpartisan nonprofits who have joined Vote Early Day to further their commitment to civic participation.

###

About Stroll to the Polls

Concerned that over 46% of eligible voters failed to cast a ballot in the 2016 general election, Ramona Prioleau decided to start an organization that encourages civic participation  which is central to democracy. That decision led Prioleau to launch Stroll to the Polls in 2018 to make the performance of democracy FUNctional.

To that end, Stroll to the Polls urges individuals and groups to not only fellowship at the polls; but also, to purchase FUNctional performance apparel and accessories.

Prioleaus inspiration for Stroll to the Polls is traced to Saturday morning church services in 2017. At that time, Saturday morning church services at her church were popular gatherings for parishioners to receive the gospel and engage in praise and worship. At church, Prioleau laid many of her concerns on the altar with an unwavering belief that "the Lord will make a way somehow." One of her concerns was finding a solution to voter apathy. After much prayer and deliberation, Prioleau was inspired to create Stroll to the Polls.

Prioleaus 2017 concept led to the 2018 launch of the nonpartisan organization Stroll to the Polls that, among other things, encourages voter registration and voter participation in every election as well as sells goods that support the operations of the nonprofit.

Stroll to the Polls is incorporated in New York State as a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Learn more at https://strolltothepolls.org/.

About Vote Early Day

Vote Early Day is a movement of nonprofits, businesses, election administrators, and creatives working to ensure all Americans know their options to vote early. Vote Early Day was founded by MTV as a new civic holiday focused on helping every voter know how, where, and when they can vote early. Learn more at http://www.VoteEarlyDay.org.
The Cary Company, a supplier of containers and packaging, industrial filtration, spill control and facility products, announced today the acquisition of Containers Unlimited, a California-based industrial container distributor and reconditioner specializing in drums, pails, cans, bottles and Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs).

We are extremely excited to welcome the Containers Unlimited team, said T.J. Tyrrell, vice president of The Cary Company. Their focus on customer service while offering value through competitive pricing, inventory management, sourcing and sustainability made it an amazing opportunity to support our similar vision while expanding our partnerships on the West Coast.

Based in Hayward, Calif., Containers Unlimited operates in three locations across California, including reconditioning facilities in both Oakland and Jurupa Valley, Calif. This addition allows The Cary Company to better serve its existing customers in California as well as strengthen its capabilities as a reconditioning center in the West Coast region.

I am pleased The Cary Company has acquired Containers Unlimited. It will open up the opportunity to service customers with more product lines on the West Coast and now across the country. I am looking forward to seeing the growth and continued success of Containers Unlimited that is now a division of The Cary Company, said Mike McGuire, owner of Containers Unlimited. McGuire will stay on as regional vice president of California operations.

The acquisition follows the recent integration of Quality Container, LLC in March 2021. Containers Unlimited will operate as Containers Unlimited Division of The Cary Company. The Cary Company management team traveled to California this week to welcome new employees and directly answer questions from the Containers Unlimited staff.

About The Cary Company

The Cary Company, founded in 1895, provides containers and packaging, industrial filtration, spill control and a variety of facility and shipping products to customers in the United States and overseas. This privately-owned company has emerged in the past few years as a strong contender in the distribution space with its reliable inventory and distinguished customer service experience. To learn more about The Cary Company, visit https://www.thecarycompany.com.

About Containers Unlimited

Containers Unlimited is a family owned and operated business since 1983. This California-based industrial container distributor and reconditioner specializes in drums, pails, cans, bottles and Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) and has locations in Hayward, Jurupa Valley and Oakland, Calif. The Hayward, Calif., location is more than 140,000 square feet and Oakland, Calif., location has more than more than 70,000 square feet of warehouse space.
River Park of Dublin is a 204 Unit Class A Apartment Development in Central Ohio "This new development will be a first-class community that the neighborhood will be proud of for years to come, said Brian Hoar, Champions Chief Investment Officer. Dublin, Ohio continues to be a very strong market and were excited to expand our footprint there.

The Champion Companies, a multi-family investment, development and management firm in Central Ohio, today announced the development of a 204 unit Class A apartment community at 3111 Hayden Rd, Columbus, Ohio 43235. Champion plans for construction to begin in Spring of 2022.

Champion manages several communities in the Dublin area and is excited to welcome this new development to its portfolio. The companys brand new community, River Park of Dublin, will reside in the Northwest Corridor, just minutes from Bridge Park and Downtown. As the general contractor, Champion is dedicated to making this development a clean, seamless and exciting experience for the neighborhood.

"This new development will be a first-class community that the neighborhood will be proud of for years to come, said Brian Hoar, Champions Chief Investment Officer. Dublin, Ohio continues to be a very strong market and were excited to expand our footprint there.

In addition to a prestigious location, future renters will enjoy modern amenities, such as a community pool, fitness center, interior courtyard and added benefits like covered garage spaces and a limestone retaining wall to protect from noise and traffic.

Weve listened to what the modern renter wants out of their apartments, and this new development will offer just that, Michelle Yeager-Thorton, COO and co-founder of The Champion Companies, said. When living with Champion, residents can expect the best customer service, high-end amenities and a sense of community.

-more-

About The Champion Companies:

In 2010, siblings Brian and Michelle Yeager founded The Champion Companies, a multi-family investment, development and management firm in Central Ohio. Over the last decade, The Champion Companies built a real estate profile worth over $750 million with 5,000 Class A multi family units. The Champion Companies mission is to deliver the best investment, career and living experience ever.

In addition to providing quality customer service and awesome experiences for its residents, Champion is committed to serving the greater Columbus community. In 2014, Champion established its philanthropic foundation, Champion Cares, and has since partnered with a multitude of charities, including YWCA, Big

Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio, Childrens Hunger Alliance, Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio and The Reeb Avenue Center.

To learn more about The Champion Companies, please visit thechampioncompanies.com.
Our employees are truly the heart and soul of our company, which is why we feel its important to celebrate their successes at our annual Amplify Leadership Conference.

Title Alliance recognized outstanding employees at its annual Amplify Leadership Conference earlier this month. Awards were given for employees who exemplify the companys Core Values and for other professional achievements during unprecedented times for the real estate title industry. The innovative Amplify conference is an annual gathering of Title Alliance leaders to focus on team building, long-term planning for the companys future and recognize successes made by its national family of title insurance and escrow agencies.

The dedication and expertise the Title Alliance family exhibit each and every day to provide our customers the best possible real estate title and closing services is inspirational to me, said Lindsay Smith, Chief Strategy Officer of Title Alliance. Our employees are truly the heart and soul of our company, which is why we feel its important to celebrate their successes at our annual Amplify Leadership Conference. This year we developed a new set of Core Values to intertwine into all of our operations. We didnt want them to be words on paper - but action steps. It was an honor to recognize employees who live out those values every day and who have achieved significant success, whether it's through our Title Alliance Gives Back program or their dedication to strengthening our national family of companies.

Award winners include:

Title Alliance Gives Back Award - Denise Escher  Title Alliance Corporate, Pennsylvania

This award is given to the individual who most embodies Title Alliances commitment to its communities through support of and leadership within the Title Alliance Gives Back Program. They are an active champion of the cause and work to increase engagement at a local or national level and provide time and thoughts surrounding ways to continue to impact more people within communities.

Rookie of the Year Award - Zoe Barghout  CPU, Pennsylvania

This award is given to an individual who joined our organization the previous calendar year who made significant impacts in their role that have profound effects throughout their region or our entire organization.

Core Values Awards

Embrace Positivity:

 Cynthia Bello  Title Alliance of Collier County - Florida

 Lori Reilly - Devon/First Land/Chesco - Pennsylvania

 Sherrea Stephenson  Title Alliance Puget Sound -- Washington

 Zoe Barghout  CPU -- Pennsylvania

 Andrea Robinson  Media Corporate -- Pennsylvania

Get it Done:

 Lisa Douglas  Florida Corporate  Florida

 Lori Reilly - Devon/First Land/Chesco -- Pennsylvania

 Yvonne Mosakowski  Title Alliance Platinum -- Arizona

 Alyssa Abbonizio  Media Corporate -- Pennsylvania

Do the Right Thing:

 Daniel Lopez  Title Alliance Gilbert -- Arizona

 Kristina Earhart  Title Alliance of Indy Metro  Indiana

Attitude of Gratitude:

 Jody Snyder - Title Alliance Professionals -- Arizona

 Sarah Henderson  CPU -- Pennsylvania

 David Smith  CPU -- Pennsylvania

Make People Happy:

 Jenna Petrie  Title Alliance of Northeast Ohio -- Ohio

 Kimberly Satterlee  Title Alliance of Arizona -- Arizona

 Lorie Lehman - Keystone Premier Settlement Services  Pennsylvania

These awards are given to employees who embrace Title Alliances Core Values. Title Alliance developed action-based pillars for its employees to embrace for them and the company to succeed.

Inner Circle of Champions  This award is given to Title Alliance partners for their commitment to the organization through teaching, training, recruiting and referring additional partnerships to the company.

Bill Ryan, Infinity & Associates, Arizona

Erica Hill, Keller Williams Boise, Idaho

Dennis Ranch, Keller Williams Puget Sound, Washington

A representative from each of Title Alliances joint ventures attended the Amplify event, Oct. 2-6 in Phoenix, to learn skills that would help them develop personally and professionally. The event featured dynamic business and leadership development speakers from inside and outside of the real estate title industry as well as an awards program.

This year marks the sixth time Title Alliance gathered for Amplify.

About Title Alliance:

Title Alliance, Ltd., has been forming successful single and multi-state joint ventures with lenders, Realtors and builders since 1983. We work with our partners to establish in-house title and settlement operations, dramatically enhancing their customer service and increasing their profit. Started and headquartered in Media, Pa., Title Alliances family of companies are currently in 11 states and across 60 offices. More information at http://www.titlealliance.com.
It is tough to imagine a better expert to join Red Sift in our fight against cybercrime, said Rahul Powar, CEO of Red Sift. Ciaran brings decades of experience that will help us focus on the development of cybersecurity tools to propel our efforts worldwide.

One of the worlds top cybersecurity experts is joining forces with Red Sift, a leading provider of vital cybersecurity products, to raise awareness of cyberspace dangers.

Ciaran Martin, who helped lead the UK governments work on cybersecurity joined Red Sift as a special adviser. Martin will help the Red Sift leadership team identify cybersecurity areas where they should focus and the development of strategic tools.

I am excited about working with Red Sift to combat cybersecurity issues, Martin said. We need to take clear action to clean up the digital environment and Red Sift is leading efforts to do just that.

It is tough to imagine a better expert to join Red Sift in our fight against cybercrime, said Rahul Powar, CEO of Red Sift. Ciaran brings decades of experience that will help us focus on the development of cybersecurity tools to propel our efforts worldwide.

Martin, a professor of practice at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, is an adviser to Paladin Capital in the U.S. and Garrison Technology Ltd in the UK. Previously, he led the UK governments work on cybersecurity, where he helped to establish the National Cyber Security Centre in 2016.

The UK NCSC is now recognized as one of the leading public authorities in the world for cybersecurity. The NCSCs approach to intervening to make technology safer, easier to use safely, and to manage national level incidents proactively has been lauded around the world.

Martin has been honored within the UK, Europe, the U.S., and beyond for his ground-breaking efforts to combat cyber threats. Prior to running the NCSC, Martin held a series of senior roles in the UK Cabinet Office.

Red Sift offers a purpose-built suite of cybersecurity solutions that works to block outbound phishing attacks, analyze the security of inbound communication for company-wide email threats, and monitor and safeguard valuable customer data.

The companys growth reflects the extremely high market demand for these products, and demonstrates recognition of Red Sifts ability to build and deliver a world-class cybersecurity solution suite.

About Red Sift

The Red Sift Open Cloud is a data analysis platform that is purpose-built for the challenges of cybersecurity. By harnessing the power of AI we can securely collate, compute and visualize data from thousands of individual signals to help organizations to optimize their cybersecurity. Founded in 2015, Red Sift is a global organization with international offices in North America, UK, Spain and Australia. It boasts a client base of all sizes and across all industries, including Wise, Telefonica, Pipedrive, ITV, and top global law firms. Find out more at http://www.redsift.com.

Media Contact

Kevin Martin

Bospar for Red Sift

kevin@bospar.com
Lam Dong Center Along with the opening of the Lam Dong Center, transcosmos Vietnam plans to hire 500 new employees by 2022.

transcosmos inc. is pleased to announce that the company has opened Lam Dong Center, its new operations base in Duc Trong District, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. The new center is the company's first nearshore center, and the fifth operations base in Vietnam following the Hanoi Center, Ho Chi Minh Center No.1, Ho Chi Minh Center No.2, and Ho Chi Minh Center No.3.

Lam Dong is a province located in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam. Its economy is based largely on agriculture and tourism. Duc Trong district has airports and it takes about 45 minutes to fly and 6.5 hours to drive from Ho Chi Minh. Considering the facts that the region offers affordable personnel expenses, many universities, colleges and high schools, and that its common language is widely used across Vietnam, transcosmos has chosen Duc Trong district, Lam Dong province for its new center. In August 2021, the new center began providing contact center services to a Vietnamese company.



Lam Dong Center Overview

Address: 705 Highway 20, Lien Nghia Town, Duc Trong District, Lam Dong Province

Floor area: 2,400 square meters

Number of workstations: 500

Supported languages: Vietnamese and English

Services: Contact center services, BPO services and digital marketing services for the Vietnam local market

transcosmos established transcosmos Vietnam co., ltd. (Headquarters: Hanoi, Vietnam; Representative: Yohei Komura; transcosmos Vietnam) in March 2014, and opened Ho Chi Minh Center No.1 in October 2015 followed by Ho Chi Minh Center No.2 in March 2017, and Ho Chi Minh Center No.3 in June 2019. Along with the opening of the Lam Dong Center, transcosmos Vietnam plans to hire 500 new employees by 2022.

transcosmos continues to deliver extensive services to both Vietnamese local companies and global companies that plan to expand into Vietnam with the aim of assisting them grow sales whilst optimizing costs.

*transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. in Japan and other countries.

*Other company names and product or service names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies.

About transcosmos inc.

transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have combined superior "people" with up-to-date "technology" to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients' business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 171 bases across 30 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides a comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce Services to deliver our clients' excellent products and services to consumers in 48 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the "Global Digital Transformation Partner" of our clients, supporting the clients' transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment. Visit us here https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/
For the first time, we now have a controlled experiment showing that its possible to preserve the highest quality and purity of cannabinoid and terpenoid concentrations, in a way that could encourage standardization and regulatory approval. - Dr. Ethan Russo

True Terpenes is pleased to share new research on a practical, solventless method for cannabis extraction, as part of its continuing effort to introduce advanced, innovative techniques to the terpene industry.

Published in the September issue of Molecules, the study presents a simple dry-ice technique for cannabis extraction called Kryo-Kief, that has the potential to produce little to no waste. Experiments showed that Kryo-Kief preserves the cannabinoids and terpenoids of fresh cannabis flower at comparably high concentrations, but without the biochemical fingerprints of other commonly used solvent methods.

Co-authored by True Terpenes Science Advisory Board (SAB) member Dr. Ethan Russo, this research reflects the purpose of the SAB, which is to provide external scientific and medical insights on terpenes and the entourage effect, including feedback on product and intellectual property development. Dr. Russo said that the dry-ice method has the ability to maximize the preservation of terpenoids that might otherwise be lost through traditional extraction methods.

The True Terpenes Science Advisory Board is constantly seeking to learn more about terpenes and their therapeutic potential, while exploring methods in which we can reduce waste and impact on our environment, said Dr. Russo. For the first time, we now have a controlled experiment showing that its possible to preserve the highest quality and purity of cannabinoid and terpenoid concentrations, in a way that could encourage standardization and regulatory approval.

True Terpenes leads the industry in safety and compliance, and methods like Kryo-Kief demonstrate the companys forward-thinking approach to aromatic extraction. Recently, True Terpenes launched a new line of Live Resin Hemp-Derived Terpenes (HDT). The HDTs in this product family are immediately extracted from hemp flower while it is still fresh, delivering the most powerful depth and range of aromatic markers from terpenes and other minor compounds available today. The company has been extracting hemp at scale since 2018 and seeks to continue innovating new techniques that stay ahead of market demands.

This technology provides a high fidelity way to capture the true aroma of cannabis, as well as a pathway to understanding how to create better products for us, said Drew Hull, Head of Product Innovation at True Terpenes. Its a new approach to what is basically the best old method of producing hash, by rediscovering a classic and putting a spin on it that addresses the needs of the market and the environment.

True Terpenes will be taking Dr. Russos research into consideration and formulating its next steps with the new process, which includes scaling the method while managing a diverse regulatory landscape. The company would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Russo and Nishi Whitely from CReDO Science, co-author Jeremy Plumb, and Pruf Cultivar for supplying research materials.

Reference

Russo, E.B., Plumb, J. and Whiteley, V.L. (2021). Novel Solventless Extraction Technique to Preserve Cannabinoid and Terpenoid Profiles of Fresh Cannabis Inflorescence. Molecules, [online] 26(18), p.5496. Available at: Accessed 19 Oct. 2021.

About True Terpenes

True Terpenes, a fully owned subsidiary of True Companies, is the industry-leading producer of effects-based, GMP/ISO/FSSC-certified terpenes and terpenoids blends. Using ultra-refined botanical terpenes and other aromatic compounds, the custom terpene blends are used for beverage, cannabis, cosmetic, food, industrial and pharmaceutical products. The company uses advanced scientific analysis to identify terpenes and other compounds in the cannabis plant for recreation by utilizing other botanicals and hemp-derived ingredients. This allows companies in various industries looking to leverage cannabis flavors and effects with a scalable, standardized, and worldwide legal solution.

Disclaimer

Any forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although management of the Corporation believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.
SpecGrade LEDs Verta-8F in Racking We build durable products, but even those occasionally experience failures. The modular design of the Verta-8F meets our accessibility goal which means less waste in local landfills. Thats something very few grow light manufacturers can say.

The Verta-8F replaces the Verta-8 in the Verta Series and has improved upon its predecessors performance. The addition of a remote driver makes the Verta-8F completely modular for quick and easy field maintenance as well as mounting adaptable to any cultivation style. The 640 Watt Verta-8F has a PPF of 1700 mol/s and an efficacy of 2.7 mol/J.

"We took a significant step forward with the new Verta-8F design, says Rick Nathans, CEO of SpecGrade LED. "We improved the performance while increasing the modularity with the introduction of the remote driver and easily replaceable grow light bars. It is important to us that growers not only be comfortable with swapping components of our lights but to be able to do so with minimal downtime. We build durable products, but even those occasionally experience failures. The modular design of the Verta-8F meets our accessibility goal which means less waste in local landfills. Thats something very few grow light manufacturers can say.

Carefully designed and tested, the new Verta-8F is expected to improve yields for cultivators while providing greater flexibility. The Verta-8F features quick-connect couplings linking the individual bars to the driver providing a smooth transition from a frame-mounted driver to a remote driver. The overall modular design allows cultivators to comfortably swap out LED boards for new technology to stay at the leading edge of LED horticulture lighting technology.

SpecGrade LED horticulture lights boast the following benefits, among others:



A proven, high performance and carefully-balanced Entire Life Cycle Spectrum for maximum PAR

Industry-leading PPFD and uniformity for greater harvest yields

Unmatched thermal management for lower operating temperatures and a longer lifespan of the fixtures drivers and LEDs

Modular design for easy maintenance and changing out custom circuit boards

The Verta-8F is now available for commercial orders. Contact us at info@specgradeled.com for more information.

About SpecGrade LED

SpecGrade LED is a US manufacturer of commercial LED horticulture lighting located in Columbus, OH. Our photo-biological performance & innovative engineering excellence makes our grow lights the cultivators new first choice. Utilizing the most current LED technology and drivers, coupled with premium thermal management and modular construction, we have raised the bar. Every SpecGrade grow light seamlessly integrates the spectral, thermal, and electrical components into one sustainable investment. Our fixtures rugged construction tackles demanding cultivation environments head-on ensuring peace of mind.

SpecGrade LED works with cultivators across North America providing cost-effective, energy-saving horticulture lighting solutions for cultivators. Our unwavering focus on innovation, reliability and sustainability provides the professional grower with the highest yields and quickest ROI.

Learn more at http://www.specgradeled.com/grow.
APS Past President Sandra Wood Scarr, a pioneer in the study of intellectual development and a 1993 recipient of the APS James McKeen Cattell Award, died on October 8, 2021.

Scarr, a professor emerita at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and the first female full professor of psychology at Yale University, studied human development. Scarr investigated the genetic and environmental influences on childrens developmentnamely, their intelligence. Beyond her academic work, Scarr contributed to the application of psychological research. In 1990, Scarr joined the board of KinderCare Learning Centers, the nations largest child care company, and instituted an accreditation for the centers. Following her retirement about 25 years ago, Scarr moved to Kona, Hawaii, where she had an active life growing coffee as a business, breeding Labrador retrievers, and engaging in local politics.

Some highlights of Scarrs research career were large twin and adoption studies examining the heritability of intelligence and the impact of family environment on IQ. These studies included the Minnesota Transracial Adoption Study and the Minnesota Adolescent Adoption Study, both co-led with Richard Weinberg. One of Scarrs theoretical contributions is the Scarr-Rowe hypothesis, which proposes that the heritability of intelligence may vary as a function of socioeconomic status. This hypothesis is one of the first examples of a geneenvironment interaction and was supported by a 1971 twin study conducted by Scarr and later replicated, in 1999, by David C. Rowe. Scarr pushed for the application of psychological science to real-life settings, as demonstrated in a 1990 article about the effects of child care on childrens development that she coauthored with developmental researchers Deborah A. Phillips and Kathleen McCartney and published in the inaugural issue of Psychological Science.

APS named Scarr a recipient of the James McKeen Cattell Award in recognition of her contributions to applied research. She also received the 2004 Behavior Genetics Associations Dobzhansky Lifetime Achievement Award. She was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1989 and was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Scarr was also a member of other scientific societies and served as president of both the Society for Research in Child Development and the Behavior Genetics Association. During the APS 19th Annual Convention in 2007, Scarrs colleagues Richard Weinberg and Kathleen McCartney organized a Festschrift in her honor to celebrate her lifetime contributions to the understanding of fundamental problems relating to child development and family life.

A founding member of APS and APS President from 1996 to 1997, Scarr cofounded the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science with Charles R. Gallistel in 1991. In an editorial for the first issue, coauthored with Gallistel, Scarr said the journal would aim to help readers track major research developments while keeping in view the broad scope of scientific psychology and its increasingly important role in shaping our conceptions of ourselves, our social organizations, and the impact of behavior on our personal lives, communities, and public policy.

Scarr served on various boards, including the Prevention Research Steering Committee and the Committee on Longitudinal Mental Health Research at the National Institutes of Mental Health, an Environmental Protection Agency expert committee on the neurobehavioral effects of lead exposure on children, a subcommittee on twins within the National Research Councils Committee on Epidemiology, and the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Fundamental Research Relevant to Education.
Comedian, actor, producer, and bestselling author Tiffany Haddish is making her first foray into the childrens book scene with her debut picture book, Layla, the Last Black Unicorn, due out from HarperCollins Childrens Books on May 10, 2022. In addition, two middle grade novels, co-written with Paula Chase, are slated to follow in winter 2023 and winter 2024.

Haddish made her breakout performance in Girls Trip. Her film and TV credits also include The Last O.G., Night School, The Carmichael Show, and Keanu. Her debut stand-up special, Tiffany Haddish: She Ready! From the Hood to Hollywood!, premiered on Showtime in August 2017, and later that year, she became the first Black female stand-up comedian to host Saturday Night Live.

Co-written by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by Jessica Gibson, Layla, the Last Black Unicorn tells the story of a unicorn who doesnt quite fit in with the rest of her kind and struggles to recognize how special she is.

Haddish said in a statement, Its no secret that when I was growing up, I had a lot of difficulties learning to read. Like many kids, more than anything, I wanted to see myself in the books I read. Layla, the Last Black Unicorn is a story about self-acceptance, and a story that I hope inspires kids to be ready to step up and stand out. Layla is incredibly close to my heart, and I cant wait to share this book, along with my two middle grade novels, with the world, and I hope they encourage more kids to read.

Byrd Leavell and Albert Lee at UTA sold world rights for Layla and Haddishs two middle grade novels to David Linker, executive editor at HarperCollins Childrens Books.

Linker said, I couldnt be more thrilled to help bring Tiffanys irreverent sense of humor and inimitable storytelling sensibilities to the world of childrens books. Tiffanys as hilarious as she is inspiring, and I think kids are going to come to these books for the laughs but walk away having learned a lot about what it means to be ready.
Fall has arrived, and with it some new sequels to cozy up to on brisk October nights. Follow a journey to the underworld as a newly crowned queen embarks on a quest for revenge, an intrepid cat that discovers a surprise, the continuation to an acclaimed love story, and more.

Picture Books and Graphic Novels



Besties: Work It Out by Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino, illus. by Kristina Luu (Clarion/Etch, Oct. 19 $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-358-56191-0)

In this graphic novel spinoff from the Click series, best friends Beth and Chanda are presented with an unexpected business opportunity: dogsitting for Ms. Langford. But when one of Ms. Langfords prized possessions is in pieces, the two friends must take on as many odd jobs as they can in order to afford a replacement.

Grandudes Green Submarine by Paul McCartney, illus. by Kathryn Durst (Random House, Oct. 5 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-37243-2)

In this follow-up to Hey Grandude! by music legend McCartney, Grandudes inventions are the stuff of legend, and his new green submarine doesnt disappoint. Grandude whisks the grandkids off on another adventure, but he and the Chillers are soon in a pickle. Suddenly, its Nandude to the rescue!

Green Is for Christmas by Drew Daywalt, illus. by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel, Oct. 18 $9.99; ISBN 978-0-593-35338-7)

In this Christmas story starring the heroes from the Crayon series, Green crayon claims that green is the only color for Christmas. The others let him know that there would be no Christmas without them either, and the crayons agree that they all need to come together to make Christmas special.

Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel (Chronicle, Oct. 12 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-452-17319-1)

In this companion to They All Saw a Cat, Inside Cat is an indoor feline. But while the cats life is bound by the walls of an unusual house, its far from dull. Just when Inside Cat is sure it knows everything, a surprise awaits.

Pugs from Planet X by John Gallagher (Random House, Oct. 12 $12.99; ISBN 978-0-593-12111-5)

Book three in the Meow Max series picks up as space pugs have landed in Kittyopolis. Theyre after the space meatball that gave Max his powers. It will take a whole universe of good guys working together to stop these space dogs.

Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Holiday House/Porter, Oct. 5 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-4712-1)

In this follow-up to Green and Blue, award-winning author-artist Laura Vaccaro Seeger once again turns her attention to the ways in which color evokes emotion. Separated from its family, a lone fox experiences, anger, fear, and ultimately love as it journeys home. See our q&a with Seeger.

Return of the Underwear Dragon by Scott Rothman, illus. by Pete Oswald (Random House Studio, Oct. 26 $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-11992-1)

In the sequel to Attack of the Underwear Dragon, Sir Cole has saved the kingdom from the Underwear Dragon. But he has the startling realization that the Underwear Dragon wasnt attacking because he was disobeying the signs that said not to. The Underwear Dragon just couldnt read the signs.

The Visitor by K.A. Applegate and Michael Grant, illus. by Chris Grine (Graphix, Oct. 5 $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-338-53837-3)

The second installment to the Animorphs Graphix series finds Rachel still reeling from the news that Earth is secretly under attack by parasitic aliens, the Yeerks. Now she and her friends are the planets only defense.

Novels

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz (Simon & Schuster, Oct. 12 $19.99; ISBN 978-1-534-49619-4).

In the highly anticipated sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, the two boys who fell in love in a border town must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that challenges their existence. See our q&a with the author.

Cold-Blooded Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Algonquin, Oct. 5 $17.95; ISBN 978-1-61620-920-9)

Myrtle Hardcastle is back in the third addition to the Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series. When the proprietor of Leightons Mercantile is found dead on the morning that his annual Christmas shop display is to be unveiled, its clear a killer had revenge in mind. When the killer strikes again, Myrtle finds herself racing to uncover the long-buried facts of a cold caseand the motivations of a modern murderer.

The Dragons Blood by Trudi Trueit (Under the Stars, Oct. 5 $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4263-7167-7)

In the sixth installment in the Explorer Academy series, Cruz Coronado grapples with an important secret as the gang heads to China in search of the second-to-last piece of the cipher. Just as things seem to be going smoothly, a familiar face shocks Cruz back into reality, and the final piece in this life-and-death scavenger hunt veers toward a dead end.

Giant by T.A. Barron (Philomel, Oct. 26 $16.99; ISBN 978-0-593-20349-1)

In this prequel to the Merlin Saga, Shim has only ever known a world of peace. When a terrible attack forces Shim and his mother to flee, and a wager goes horribly wrong causing Shim to shrink, he must find giant-sized courage and embark on a perilous quest to discover what happened.

Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline (Amulet, Oct. 19 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-5347-3)

Years ago, when plagues and natural disasters killed millions of people, much of the world stopped dreaming. In this Marrow Thieves novel, the government finds that the Indigenous people of North America have retained their dreams, an ability rumored to be housed in the very marrow of their bones. Soon, residential schools pop up across the land to bring in the dreamers and harvest their dreams.

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco (Little, Brown/Patterson, Oct. 5 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-42847-7)

In the second addition to the Kingdom of the Wicked series, after selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where shes introduced to a seductive world of vice. The first rule in the court of the Wicked: trust no one.

Punching Bag

Rex Ogle. Norton, $17.95 (224p) ISBN 978-1-324-01623-6

In this companion to Free Lunch, the author describes his struggle to survive; reflects on his complex relationship with his passionate, fierce mother; and charts the trajectory of his stepfathers anger. Hovering over Rexs story is the presence of his unborn baby sister.

Pretty Rude for a Girl

Rebecca Elliott. Peachtree, $17.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-68263-148-5

In the sequel to Pretty Funny for a Girl, Haylah Swintons been busy proving shes an all-star comedian through her new YouTube channel. Yet life online is its own can of trolls. Her new boyfriend Dylan hasnt tried kissing her yet, and when her deadbeat dad decides to turn up, life as shes known it becomes one big mess.

Return of the Dragon Slayers by Brandon Mull (Shadow Mountain, Oct. 26 $21.99; ISBN 978-1-62972-930-5).

In the fifth installment to the Dragonwatch series, the magical world teeters on the brink of collapse. The Dragon King has united the dragons into a vengeful army, and only a final artifact stands in the way of them unleashing their fury against humankind. With established allegiances shifting under the strain, Seth and Kendra find themselves in desperate need of new allies.

The Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos, trans. by Hildegarde Serle (Europa, Oct. 5 $20; ISBN 978-1-60945-697-9)

In the conclusion to the Mirror Visitor Quartet, the distrust has been overcome and now Ophelia and Thorn love each other passionately. However, they must keep their love hidden in order to continue their journeys toward an understanding of the indecipherable code of God and the truth behind the mysterious figure of the Other.

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia (Disney/Rick Riordan Presents, Oct. 5 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-368-05487-4)

Tristan Strong returns in the third and final book of the Tristian Strong trilogy, as Tristan travels up the Mississippi in pursuit of his archenemy, King Cotton. Along the way they encounter new haints who are dead set on preventing their progress north. It's going to take many Alkean friends, including the gods themselves, the black flames of the afokena gloves, and all of Tristans inner strength to deliver justice once and for all.
When Japanese animated film director Hayao Miyazaki announced in 2017 that he was coming out of retirement to make a film about the classic Japanese coming-of-age novel How Do You Live?, interest in the book surged. Miyazaki, who turned 80 this year, said that the film would not be an adaptation of Yoshino Genzaburos 1937 book; instead, the film would portray it as a source of inspiration for the main character. Nevertheless, sales of How Do You Live? skyrocketed. A manga edition of the novel, created by Haga Shoichi, sold a staggering two million copies.

Yoshinos estate and its publisher, Iwanami Shoten, saw opportunity in Miyazakis announcement. With the directors global fan base in mind, they offered translation rights to How Do You Live? to U.S., U.K., and European publishers.

Elise Howard, the founding editor of Algonquin Young Readers, thought it was a project worth taking on. The market for YA translation is small, but there are people in this country who want to read this bookpeople who have lived in Japan, readers who like fiction thats a little quieter, and fans of Miyazaki who want to understand what the master loves and is inspired by.

Before proceeding, Howard needed someone to read and assess the novel in the original Japanese. We always want someone whos a specialist in YA to read a prospective work. The reader was a student of Japanese and translation, and not too far from the target readership. He compared the story to the movie Stand by Me, and that really resonated with me.

How Do You Live? is a schoolyard drama about 15-year-old Copper and his three classmates, boys with markedly different personalities and backgrounds. As in Stand by Me, theyre menaced by bulliesin this case, snide upperclassmen from the judo club. The storys central drama leads Copper to confront some hard truths about himself before he can summon the courage to do the right thing.

But in between the action sequences, long, thoughtful conversations and essay-like meditations call to mind a work more like The Little Prince. Coppers father has recently died, and Coppers young uncle, who has just graduated from university, takes a lively interest in him. (The uncle isnt named; in the original hes referred to as ojisan, the Japanese word for uncle.) Its the uncle who gives Copper his nickname; its a reference to Copernicus, whose genius allowed him to defy conventional wisdom and theorize that the Earth revolves around the sun. It took centuries for Copernicuss view to gain acceptance, the uncle tells Copper: Human beings have a natural tendency to look at and think of things as if they were always at the center. He hopes that Copper will hold onto the truth no matter what others say.

The two take long walks through the streets of Tokyo, exploring ideas as they talk, and the uncle writes his own reflections on their conversations in a notebook that he leaves for Copper to read. In this way, the book pivots back and forth between action and contemplation. The uncles notes take on all kinds of complex subjects: what it means to be a hero, the nature of scientific discovery, the global economy, and more. All these thoughts course through Coppers mind and heart as he considers how he will live.

Translation as a "Balancing Act"

Howard noted that the novels pre-war Tokyo setting, the cultural differences between Japanese and American school systems, and other disparities required a balancing act from the translator. We needed a translation that would appeal to modern readers, she said, but we didnt want Miyazakis fans to be disappointed. She felt that Bruno Navasky, a writer who had lived in Japan and had studied and translated Japanese poetry, would bring the right sensibility to the work. We looked at some other translators and pretty quickly it became clear that Bruno understood the book, and that we could have a close collaboration, she said.

Navasky responded warmly to Howards trust. I was captured by what Elise said. She had the vision. And she has a keen marketers sensibility. Part of the work we did together was to define the book that was going to find its audience. She had a light touch, but everything she said was right on point.

He tried to stay true to the vision he and Howard had shared as he worked, asking himself, How do you carry over into English those elements of culture that are impossible to translate but are also necessary to convey, because theyre the reason that people read the book?

It was crucial to get the characters voices right. The uncle has to be an uncle, Navasky explained. He cant be a textbook. The loving concern for his nephew has to come through. The voice of Katsuko, the sophisticated older sister of one of Coppers friends, took time, too. Shes a modern girl who embodies the attitude of following your heart and not letting anyone stand in your way. I worked hard to make sure that she came through as a powerful character, but at the same time to be sure that people wouldnt cringe when they met her.

Navasky had a precious and unexpected source to consult when it came to questions about the novels physical setting. My father-in-law grew up in Tokyo at just this time. He was invaluable as a resource for the translation. He had stood in the temples mentioned in the book and had lived on one of the streets it describes.

Yoshino wrote How Do You Live? under a repressive militarist regime that tightened the screws on dissidents. He had already spent 18 months in prison after being court-martialed for organizing political meetings; no one would give him a job. He was saved when a fellow writer named Yamamoto Yuzo hired him to help create a series of nonfiction books for children. How Do You Live? was its final volume.

Written for a younger audience and bearing the patriotic title A Library for Young Japanese Citizens, the series evaded the eye of the censor. How Do You Live? was steadfast in its resistance to far-right politics, from its sympathetic portrait of Coppers working-class schoolmate Uragawa to its assessment of Napoleon as a heroic figure at a time when Hitler and Mussolini were being championed by right-wing propagandists. The schoolyard bullies echo the countrys military leadership as they accuse Copper and his friends of insufficient school spirit: Students with no love of school, one sneers, will surely become citizens with no love of country.

As it turns out, this is very much a book for our time, Navasky said. In addition to his strong personal connection to the book, Miyazaki senses that relevance. Again, now, a wave of countries are under the sway of autocratspeople whose rule hinges on bullying, contempt, and repression. People are really hungering for an answer to the question, How do you live? 

Yet the novel is never strident. One of its pleasures is its sense of innocence and idealism. Yoshino has a gentle humor that I labored to carry across into English, Navasky said. Theres real poetry in the descriptions of nature and human creation, the beauty that exists in the byways of the city, the trees and the light and the air. He comes as close in prose to poetry as its possible to get in some of those passages. I felt a strong sense of responsibility to get it right.

As a final fillip to the project, Neil Gaiman agreed to provide the books foreword. The British fantasy writer had worked on the English-language version of Miyazakis Princess Mononoke and had spent time with the filmmaker at Studio Ghibli. He calls Navaskys translation gentle and winning, and describes Miyazakis work in progress: Its a film he has said that he is making for his grandson, as a gift to the future.

While the wait for the animated films release continuesits now scheduled for 2023English-speaking readers dont have to wonder. They can experience for themselves the story that inspired Miyazaki to make one more film.

How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino. Algonquin Young Readers, $17.99 Oct. 26 ISBN 978-1-61620-977-3




Renowned childrens book illustrator Jerry Pinkney, winner of the Caldecott Medal and five Caldecott Honor citations, widely acclaimed for his picture books honoring his Black heritage as well as for his richly detailed works reimagining well-loved fairy and folktales, died on October 20 following a brief non-Covid-related illness. He was 81.

Jerry Pinkney was born December 22, 1939 in Philadelphia to James H. and Williemae Pinkney, the fourth of six children. In an autobiographical essay for Something About the Author, he recalled growing up on an all-black block in the Germantown section of the city on a street bustling with activity and many other children.

Pinkney took an interest in drawing very early on, imitating his two older brothers who would draw images from comic books and photographic magazines like Life. He first believed that drawing and art might one day play a big role in his life when he received encouragement from his teachers and classmates whenever he created drawings for his elementary school projects.

When his junior high didnt offer art classes, Pinkney took private lessons on Saturdays or after school. He even practiced his art while at his newsstand job, where he would sketch passersby or storefronts. When John Liney, creator of the Little Henry comic strip noticed Pinkney drawing one day, he invited him to his nearby studio where he showed Pinkney around and offered him some art supplies.

A few years later, Pinkney met the entrance requirements for the commercial art program at Dobbins Vocational High School where he thrived in the structured curriculum under the supportive guidance of teachers that included a Black artist. Upon graduation in 1957, Pinkney earned a four-year scholarship to the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, becoming the first in his family to go to college.

In the early part of his third year at PCA in 1960, Pinkney married his longtime girlfriend Gloria. Shortly after their first child was born, Pinkney left art school and worked as a freelancer and a floral arrangement designer at a local flower shop. Fortuitously, one of Pinkneys PCA professors contacted him with news about an open position for a card designer at Rustcraft Greeting Card Company in Dedham, Mass. Pinkney landed the job with his portfolio and moved to Boston where Gloria and their infant daughter soon joined him. During their time in Boston, the Pinkney family quickly grew to include four children.

At Rustrcraft, Pinkney met a network of talented artists, designers, and craftspeople and learned about printing, which was done onsite. He further explored visual media by taking courses in lithography and painting in oils. Pinkney eventually left Rustcraft for a better paying job at Barker-Black Studio, where he did illustration and design work. It was at this juncture that Pinkney came to illustrate his first childrens book, The Adventures of Spider: West African Tales by Joyce Cooper Arkhurst (Little, Brown, 1964). He additionally took on textbook illustration projects. But after two years at Barker-Black, Pinkney and two fellow artists there left the company to start their own firm, Kaleidoscope Studios, where they had more autonomy over their work.

Pinkney volunteered for some voter registration programs through the Boston Action Group and attended meetings where people shared their stories of what it had been like to work in the civil rights movement in the South. Pinkney noted in SATA that these experiences helped affect and shape my attitudes.

By 1968, Pinkney was ready for another challenge and he left Kaleidoscope to form Jerry Pinkney Studios. Two years later, he settled his studio and his family in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., so he could pursue more illustration work in the larger New York market. Though he would spend much of his time on more lucrative advertising work to support his family, Pinkney was publishing one or two books a year because I loved it, he wrote in his autobiography. The marriage of typography and illustration was always very important to me and the picture-book area provided me with the opportunity to illustrate and design. I controlled everything, and I especially enjoyed doing that. It was for the lovetotally for the loveof seeing the book printed.

A growing awareness of Black writers in the late 1960s and early 1970s had publishers seeking out Black illustrators for their work, and Pinkney soon found himself with an opportunity to take on more projects that related directly to that time and directly to my culture, he said in SATA. One of the early shifts in that direction was the book jacket for Mildred D. Taylors Newbery-winning novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Dial, 1976).

Thanks to Pinkneys growing reputation as an illustrator, he garnered a number of commissioned projects in the 1970s. Among his favorites were a series of African American historical calendars for Seagrams, album covers for RCA Records, and a line of limited-edition books for Franklin Library that included Swifts Gullivers Travels. Pinkney also received a commission to create the initial eight postage stamps for the U.S. Postal Services Black Heritage series, a portrait of Jesse Jackson for the U.S. Information Agency, and several posters and brochures for other U.S. government agencies. He served on the U.S. Stamp Advisory Committee as well.

In the early 1980s, Pinkney received a picture-book manuscript that proved a pivotal project: The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy (Dial, 1985). He valued the the chance to do something contemporary that dealt directly with the black family at a time when the black family was in crisis, he wrote in his autobiography. This was an incredible opportunity to address the fact that there are many successful African American families. It was also the first time that he used live models who could get involved with the story instead of relying on posed photos of his own family. The book won Pinkney the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, a prize he received five more times in addition to receiving four Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor designations.

In 1987 Pinkney collaborated with author Julius Lester for The Tales of Uncle Remus (Dial). For that project Pinkney took another new approach to the art by dressing up in baggy clothes to model and pose as the animals. Lester and Pinkney became friends and collaborated on a number of titles, including John Henry (Dial, 1994), a 1995 Caldecott Honor Book.

Pinkney pointed to Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia McKissack (Knopf, 1988), a 1989 Caldecott Honor Book, as the project that ultimately convinced him to fully focus on a picture-book career.

As his body of work blossomed, Pinkney continued to depict positive images of Black life and was also drawn to classic tales. After illustrating numerous tales retold by others, Pinkney began reinterpreting tales himself in 1997 with Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling (Morrow). In this vein he adapted a near-wordless version of The Lion & the Mouse by Aesop (Little, Brown, 2009) for which he won the 2010 Caldecott Medal. In an interview with PW at the time of the books release, Pinkney spoke of his inspiration. What Im trying to do with my work now is balance that part of my growing uphearing and reading the classic storieswith my years of beginning to celebrate African American culture and traditions. My books of late speak to those two worlds.

Pinkney went on to illustrate more than 100 books, including collaborations with his wife Gloria Jean Pinkney, and children Brian Pinkney and Myles Pinkney, and Troy Pinkney-Ragsdale, as well as daughter-in-law Andrea Davis Pinkney. The picture book The Welcome Chair by Rosemary Wells is due out next month from S&Ss Paula Wiseman Books. At the time of his death, he was working on at least two projects, A Walk in the Woods, a picture book written by Nikki Grimes, for Holiday Houses Neal Porter Books, and a memoir, written with Gloria, detailing his childhood struggles with a learning disability, and his path to becoming an artist against the odds; it will be published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Among Pinkneys many accolades are the 2016 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for lifetime achievement (now known as the Childrens Literature Legacy Award) and the 2016 Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award for lifetime achievement. In 2003 Pinkney was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a member of the National Council on the Arts. He was the first childrens book illustrator elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, and was the most exhibited illustrator in American museums.

Jerry was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather whose impact influenced the creative endeavors of so many in our family, Gloria Jean Pinkney said in a statement.

Megan Tingley, executive v-p and publisher at LBYR, said, Jerrys indefatigable attention to, and love of his craft was unmatched, and he never stopped asking for his work to be pushed and challenged. Everyone he worked with was touched by his infectious delight in the act of creation, which never waned, and his generous spirit of kindness and collaboration.

Andrea Spooner, v-p and editorial director at LBYR, shared this remembrance, Jerry Pinkney was a true artistic legend of the childrens book industry for more than half a century, and its fair to say the industry today might look very different without his groundbreaking work. As someone who worked with Jerry for more than 25 years, I can say that every interaction with him was a meaningful one. He brought great joy, excellence, genuine personal connection, and dignity into every aspect of his work and being, and we will all miss him dearly.

Neal Porter, v-p and publisher of Neal Porter Books at Holiday House, paid tribute to his author and friend. Jerry Pinkney was a man of limitless talent and unfailing kindness and generosity; it was a privilege to have him in my life. The book we were working on at the time of his death was, in part, about the legacy that an artist leaves behind, and in Jerrys case that legacy knows no bounds.
The Frankfurt Book Fairs re:connect conference program featured Penguin Random House's Markus Dohle on Wednesday. It was the latest stop of a succession of events over the past several months that has seen the PRH worldwide CEO express optimism about the future of the industry and extoll the virtues of publishing, as he, and the publishing world, await government approval for the companys $2.2 billion acquisition of Simon & Schuster.

This is "the best time for books since Gutenberg, said Dohle, noting that publishers' revenue pool was growing; the industry had developed "robust business models;" print and digital enjoyed "healthy co-existence;" literacy rates were improving worldwide; children's and YA publishing were, "since Harry Potter," the fastest-growing categories; audiobooks were providing "partially incremental" growth.

Why was this optimism not more widely acknowledged? Perhaps because so many books that are published sell few copies and appear to be, essentially, commercial failures. "Only a few of the 15,000 titles that we publish every year round the world are going to be modern classics. So that means that failure is part of our business model - it's a portfolio business. And because of that failure... people think that something is wrong with the industry. It's not. It's part of our business model." He wants to see a clearer communication of the true state of the industry. "The facts tell a very clear story about success."

As the head of the world's largest trade publisher, Dohle dismissed any criticism that consolidation is detrimental to the industry. "I'm not worried about consolidation," Dohle said, reiterating that S&S editors would be able to bid on books against their colleagues at PRH. "It is the smallness of publishing that matters. It's one book at a time. There is no scale." He once again reiterated his prior assertion that over the past decade PRH underperformed against some of its competitors. "If you look at the dynamics, you will see that smaller publishers have actually in the last 10 years outperformed the large publishers, Dohle said. That's tough for me to say, because I'm one of the people who got a little outperformed by smaller publishers."

During a separate panel discussion on Thursday focusing on independent publishing, two publishers agreed with Dohle on a few points. Jean Mattern, editor-in-chief of Hachette subsidiary Editions Grasset & Fasquell, pointed out that French corporate publishing houses have maintained a system where each imprint is run as individual businesses, backing up Dohles assertion the PRH can maintain a system that allows PRH and S&S editors to bid against each other. Each imprint is run as an independent house, we are all not in the same buildings, and we have total autonomy, Mattern said.

Sandro Ferri, co-owner and editorial director of Europa Editions and Edizioni E/O of Italy, agreed with Dohle that indies have not been put at a disadvantage by the growth of corporate publishing, at least in Italy. It has been said that independent publishers cannot grow. In Italy, among the top 10 bestsellers of the year four were by independent publishers. [My publishing house] is a powerful dwarf, but we can have bestsellers. He added that corporate and indie publishers need to find the best ways to work together.

The big publishers need the creativity and the pluralism of the independents, said Ferri.
From Nicaragua to Purdue, the roots that became wings

Purdue Alumnus Joseph Pabst was raised in Managua, Nicaragua in a home that valued education, self-improvement and sacrifice.

My family didnt have a lot, but my parents believed firmly that education was the way out of poverty and so they often went without to make sure my siblings and I could take advantage of any academic opportunity available to us, he said.

With help from his grandmother and his parents, Pabst was able to attend the American Nicaraguan School where he found that he was drawn to aviation. He says, During those years, I developed a passion for all things aviation and thought, at that time, that I wanted to be a pilot or an engineer or technician within the aviation industry.

His academic success and self-motivation landed him a spot as a Purdue freshman, studying Aviation Technology in 1996. He initially considered transferring into the Purdue school of Aeronautics and Astronautics but enjoyed his aviation technology classes so much, he decided to stay the course. And hes glad he did.

Those courses not only gave me exposure to the broader aviation industry, they also gave me the chance to participate in my initial internship with Continental Airlines, which defined my early career path, he said.

While an undergraduate at Purdue, Pabst worked part-time jobs at the Wiley Hall cafeteria and other dining locations to support himself. He also reached out to other international students who were far from home, just as he was.

I was on campus before the Latino Cultural Center was established but found that everyone was so welcoming. I embraced the lessons I could learn from other people and their cultures.

After several summer internships with increasing responsibilities, Continental Airlines hired Pabst when he graduated in 2000 as an analyst in their loyalty marketing department. Over the next several years, it became clear to him that his interest and acumen for the business side of aviation was growing. So, he returned to Purdue in 2004 to enroll in the Krannert Executive MBA program.

That was another milestone in my career, said Pabst. I was fortunate to learn from the senior faculty in the program and also from others in my class who had much more business experience than I did. As a result, I was able to apply the things I learned right away.

Pabst spent the next several years in the airline industry and parlayed that knowledge into his first position with American Express as a senior manager for the Airline Center of Excellence, where they monitor airline credit profiles and assign credit ratings to airlines. After 13 years with the company, Pabst has become the vice president of U.S commercial charge risk strategy and has managed teams of 150 international colleagues.

Pabst says that while it hasnt always been easy, he is grateful for his journey and for his family who instilled the value of education and the importance of giving back at an early age.

Pabst gives back by supporting Purdue University and the Fabretto Foundation, an organization that helps to fund educational opportunities for underserved children in Nicaragua. He also is active on the American Express Inclusion and Diversity Action Committee and leads the Commercial Risk colleague engagement team.

He last visited the Purdue campus in 2019 with his wife and daughter and is amazed at how much it has grown.

Todays students are very fortunate to have a Latino Cultural Center as a home-away-from-home, he says. I hope they will continue to network with each other and with students of all backgrounds. I encourage them to embrace change and learn about the differences that make us each unique.

Pabst visits his family in Nicaragua once or twice each year and never forgets what his grandmother and mother told him years ago  that his inheritance was their investment in his academic education. Im trying my best to be a good return on their investment, he said.
If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.

Submit
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa has overcome long odds before. Now hes less than two weeks away from a contest with Democrat Eric Adams to serve as the citys 110th mayor.
Promising to deliver faster speeds to connected devices throughout the home.Virgin Media O2 has launched its new Hub 5, powered by Wi-Fi 6 technology,

This latest future-proof Wi-Fi standard, which will work with Virgin Media O2s existing DOCSIS 3.1 technology, is designed to power the next generation of connected devices  including modern smartphones, laptops, tablets and next-gen games consoles.

With this latest technology, the Hub 5 will be able to support more devices, connecting at the same time, while expanding coverage and stability, which improves Wi-Fi performance.

It means the new Hub 5 boasts increased Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency and can help reduce interference from neighbouring hubs and devices.

The Hub 5 has been designed to support multi-gigabit speeds and comes with a 2.5Gbps ethernet port alongside three additional 1Gbps ports.

By the end of this year Virgin Media O2 will deliver gigabit broadband speeds across its entire network of 15.5 million homes.

It recently delivered next-generation 2,200Mbps broadband speeds to homes in Edinburgh and Birmingham in real-world trials.

Virgin Media O2 is committed to reducing its environmental impact with a goal of achieving net-zero carbon operations by the end of 2025. The Hub 5 is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and Wi-Fi 6 technology helps boost network efficiency and connected devices battery life.

Since 2014, Virgin Media has taken back 13 million pieces of equipment with eight million refurbished and reused with the remainder being recycled. Launched in 2009, to date O2 Recycle has paid out more than 250 million and recycled more than 3.3 million devices  hundreds of tonnes of e-waste  with zero going to landfill.

Jeff Dodds, chief operating officer at Virgin Media O2, said: At Virgin Media O2 we dont stand still and are constantly working to give our customers the latest and most innovative technology to suit their digital needs now and in the future.

We are excited to give our existing customers first access to the Hub 5, powered by Wi-Fi 6 technology, which will provide even faster Wi-Fi speeds and help unleash the full potential of new devices from next-gen games consoles to the newest smartphones in their homes.

As part of a phased roll-out, Virgin Media will offer the Hub 5 to existing customers first at no extra cost. Eligible customers will be contacted and given the option of upgrading ahead of a wider launch in 2022.
The service provided in the new location, the firms 16th global of presence, includes the integrated encryption technology Intel SGX for creation of highly protected enclaves and the cloud offer also includes an AI platform which supports full-cycle machine learning of any complexity. The German servers are protected from DDoS attacks at the network protocol level and located in Tier III data centres. The cloud services work on Intel Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake) Gen 3 processors while quality of service quality is said to be ensured by SLA 99.95% with financial guarantees. G-Core Labs Extra assured that the protection of data in cloud is further ensured by Intel SGX encryption technology which creates highly protected enclaves within the virtual machines.The AI platform, which is part of the G-Core Labs cloud, allows for an even quicker and cheaper machine learning process. The service is claimed to be able to provide all the required infrastructure, from software to frameworks, supporting full-cycle learning of any complexity, in order to give users uninterrupted delivery of models. It also provides a catalogue of readily available templates and models.Commenting on the new PoP, G-Core Labs general manager Germany Elena Simon (pictured) said: Our cloud is deeply integrated with our other products and services, including our international content delivery network , which encompasses all continents. The G-Core Labs team has expertise in expansion of online businesses to complicated regions: Latin America, known for its strong DDoS attacks, as well as the countries that require specified legal expertise: China and Russia. Well be happy to share this knowledge with clients planning to expand their business.In addition to Frankfurt, G-Core Labs public clouds are available in 16 other locations, including Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Moscow, Tokyo, Singapore, Manassas and Santa Clara (USA). The company is increasing its capacities and planning to launch over 20 extra points of presence worldwide.
Across the political spectrum, Americans are recognizing the importance not just of school choice but of what students actually learn in schools. Elected representatives have finally taken notice as well. In Michigan, the state legislature has proposed two bills that seek to address how American history and civics are taught.

Unfortunately, some want teachers to tell students that they should understand American history primarily by looking for racism, injustice, and oppression. The phrase critical race theory (CRT) has been used mainly in academia to describe this filter on history and civic instruction.

This pedagogical method, however, is inaccurate and myopic. Such a view can lead to acts of outright racism and vengeance in order to correct the real or perceived injustices of the past. In this view, two wrongs do make a right.

Objecting to critical race theory in education marks a significant moment. Policymakers who stand in the face of what amounts to disingenuous and racist teaching are showing spiritedness and courage. As millions of American parents have expressed, these policymakers are worthy of commendation.

But merely opposing something is not enough, not for the educations of millions of students and especially not for political support. One must offer an alternative  one that is appealing because it is true and good.

So what should K-12 American students learn about their country?

First, the answer should not be to swing to the other extreme, teaching a hagiographic account of American history that hides all the nations blemishes. Thankfully, this is an error the bills in the Michigan legislature thus far prudently avoid.

Of course, if time and resources were endless, students would learn every detailed truth about their country. But having just thirteen years of schooling means that difficult decisions have to be made about what to include and what to exclude in curriculum.

Currently, many schools feature only Americas failures while erasing her successes. This distorts the truth about American history. Fair-minded people can see that a politicized lens is not appropriate, because it imposes falsehoods on students hearts and minds.

Instead, let us ask, What ideas in American history and civics have most shaped the world of the student?

The list of answers is impressive and balanced  balanced because they tell the truth about historical events.

Students should learn that America was established as the first country in history founded upon an idea: the idea that every person is equal in their dignity, humanity, and possession of natural rights; that government exists solely to protect these rights; and that people ought to govern themselves while respecting the rights of others.

They should learn that, measured by almost any standard, the degrees of freedom, peace, and prosperity found in America are unprecedented in the annals of world history. Recognizing this, they should carefully study the documents that account for these achievements. And they need to learn about the famous figures and the millions of ordinary Americans who made great sacrifices to defend the ideas and institutions that have allowed for such achievements.

Although students should learn that human beings are capable of good, they must also understand that human nature is still limited, flawed, and prone to doing what is wrong. Indeed, students must also learn about the practice of slavery, the Founders views on slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, segregation, the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the Civil Rights Movement, and the efforts and accomplishments of Americans of all races and sexes as they aimed for the truth of Americas founding principles.

This is not an either-or matter. All the tragedies and triumphs, the bad and good, the warts and beauty about American history  all these have significantly shaped our world and all deserve to be taught. Teachers should ask questions from every angle of a historical controversy and present each sides best argument, using the historical figures own words where possible. Instead of painting in broad brush strokes, students should focus on the specific words and actions of particular individuals.

State legislative bodies have a responsibility to ensure American students are taught history that is free from distorting political lenses and cherry-picked facts. Prohibiting texts and lessons that promote critical race theory is one important part of fulfilling this obligation. But it doesnt mean pushing the curriculum to the other extreme and ignoring Americas failures. Only by heeding the truth can we heal and unite America.

Jordan Adams is the Civic Education Specialist for Hillsdale College K-12 Education. He advises on civic education reform, provides teachers with history and civics instruction across the nation, and leads the development of The Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum.
A dozen or so years ago, I took temporary leave from Georgetown University and moved to Iraq for two years to preside over The American University of Iraq-Sulaimani. Some of the young men and women enrolled in our fledgling university carried the double burden of having survived both the American invasion and the Kurdish Civil War that had occurred twenty years earlier. To give a sense of the difficulties the university had to contend with, we found it necessary to develop a scholarship category  Anfal students  for those whose parents had been gassed to death by Saddam Husseins cousin, nicknamed Chemical Ali, during the Kurdish genocide in Halabja and elsewhere. More than 175,000 Kurds died in that offensive, whose name, Anfal, means the spoils of war. Those who died in Halabja convulsed, fell to the ground, and choked in their own green vomit before succumbing. In America, we talk of hardship students. Few have experienced trauma of the kind our students in Iraq endured.

Teachers at the American University of Iraq were of two sorts. There were those who sympathetically said to their students: We dimly understand what you have been through, but the only way we can help you is by upholding high standards, so that you can develop the competence you will need to live well.

Teachers at the American University of Iraq were of two sorts. There were those who sympathetically said to their students: We dimly understand what you have been through, but the only way we can help you is by upholding high standards, so that you can develop the competence you will need to live well. And there were others whose guilt about the American invasion and its consequences was all-consuming. For these teachers, the development of student competence was of secondary importance. What mattered was that they be merciful and empathetic toward their students, who were, after all, innocent victims. These teachers did not require that their students hand in their work on time, or at all. They ignored cheating. An inordinate amount of their time was spent making tearful pleas, in the hope that administrators would be lenient when student grades fell below the level required to retain scholarships.

Iraq had its divisions, and the American University of Iraq had them, too. One faction consisted of tough-love teachers and their hungry students; the other consisted of teachers and students who were co-dependent on one another. The teachers in this latter group declared that their students could not succeed without softened standards, and their students depended on these softened standards, not hard work, to get the passing grades they needed. Imagine how these teachers would have responded if their co-dependent students came to class one morning and said: Your tears on our behalf do us no good. We can and must succeed without your help. Regardless of what has befallen us, we are not innocent victims. Our dignity is not measured by what we have suffered, but by how we will respond to it. Suffering is not an argument against standards. Treating us as innocent victims may bring meaning to your life, and it pays you well. But you may not purchase meaning in your life at the expense of our lives becoming whole, and decent, and good, which can only happen if we rise above our afflictions.

When competence is your goal, neither guilt nor victimhood should have a place. Standards and goals must be respected and maintained. When the co-dependency of guilt and victimhood metastasize in your university, you ask of your students something anathema to education  that each day they deepen their awareness of their own victimhood, and that they pay ever more tuition to the army of mental health administrators and woke professors who fatten off of their misery. Seek to produce competent students, and you honor your commitment to higher education; seek to produce innocent victims, and you transform your university into an institution of higher infantilization  an exercise in therapeutic redemption, not education. We, the Board Directors of this once-hallowed university, certify that you were admitted, not because of your grades or SAT scores, which are racist, but because you saw yourself as an innocent victim or knew what sort of social-justice-genuflecting would be necessary if you were not; and we certify that you graduated not more competent but more righteous than when you arrived. Now go forth and subdue the earth, enchained by your student debt and your frailty.

Seek to produce competent students, and you honor your commitment to higher education; seek to produce innocent victims, and you transform your university into an institution of higher infantilization  an exercise in therapeutic redemption, not education.

Today, not only our universities, but indeed in the whole of America, we are engaged in a fateful struggle that revolves around the answer to one question: Does our nation go forward committed to what, in American Awakening (Encounter Books, 2020), I have called the politics of competence, or to the identity politics of innocence, whose false promise of justice has captivated fully half of the America population? Through the identity politics of innocence, we will amplify misery, division, and strife. Through the politics of competence, we will build a world together that we can scarcely imagine. These are our two alternatives. They sit like a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, bidding us to choose. The choice cannot be evaded.

Set aside for a moment the identity politics of innocence. What does citizen competence look like, and how does it develop? Let us imagine two distinct futures, each of which have equality as their watchword. One is based on equality in freedom; the other is based on equality in servitude. These were the alternatives Alexis de Tocqueville laid out with depth and eloquence in Democracy in America (1835). Because his prophetic anticipation of the future is unrivaled, it is worth revisiting his thinking today. Equality in freedom rests on the firm foundation of competence. The carpenter or stone mason with weathered hands who assures the nervous homeowner that a challenging project can be done well, and on time; the hardware employee who knows the content and use of everything in every aisle of his store; the professor who, without notes, speaks simply and beautifully about difficult ideas he has wrestled with for decades; the nurse whose gentle yet firm bedside manner has been earned through years of trial, and which can never be rendered in a how-to manual; the mother whose saint-like patience and strength radiate outward for all to see; the pastor, priest, or rabbi whose elegant and comforting words reveal a depth of spirit that cannot be taught but only witnessed  these examples of competence and millions more that are each day acted out in America are what make equality in freedom possible. Equality, because citizens are equally respectful of all men and women with useful and noble competences; and freedom, because the tasks of government can only remain modest, and the arena for freedom expansive, when competent citizens care for themselves, for their neighbors, and for the world they share.

Contrast this healthy, life-giving, confidence-inspiring arrangement with what Tocqueville called an equality in servitude. Here, citizens are indeed equal  not because of the plurality of their competencies, but because they are all equally incompetent and co-dependent on the state and its agents for help. How does this infantilized, co-dependent form of equality arise? Tocquevilles account in 1835 stands firm nearly two centuries later: to destroy citizen-competence, the mediating institutions through which it is formed  families, churches and synagogues, civil associations, along with our commercial and educational institutions  must be relentlessly undermined. As they are hobbled and citizen competence wanes, the state confidently steps up and declares that it must intervene. This has been the central argument of Progressivism for over a century. Expert competence and guidance, not citizen competence, would fulfill The Promise of American Life, to cite the title of Herbert Crolys 1909 classic statement of the idea. Implementing it has inaugurated a vicious cycle of cause and effect, which has yielded not an efficient national government but ever-more expansive and expensive government programs that diminish citizen competence and infantilize every group they touch.

Systematic racism does not afflict our nation; the systematic undermining of the mediating institutions of our most vulnerable citizens by the state does.

Dont the examples of our indigenous American Indians and a shamefully large swath of black America since the onset of the so-called Great Society Program in 1963 show that the best way to produce permanent co-dependency is for the state to overrun the mediating institutions through which citizen competence is developed? Systematic racism does not afflict our nation; the systematic undermining of the mediating institutions of our most vulnerable citizens by the state does. Such heavy-handed paternalism is the bigotry of soft expectations, as the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan called it.

What about the identity politics of innocence? How does it undermine the politics of competence? Confusion abounds about the Lefts contemporary political project. The identity politics of innocence is not Progressive; nor is it Marxist. It is not Progressive, because it seeks to overthrow the criteria of competence itself; it is not Marxist, because instead of providing a secular version of Christianity, in which the sufferings of history are brought to a triumphant end through revolution, identity politics appropriates from Christianity the claim that sin must be paid for by a sacrifice, by a scapegoat. For Christians, Christ is the divine scapegoat who, through His death, takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). For the identity politics Left today, the scapegoat is the white heterosexual male. Scapegoat him, purge him from the body social, and the world will heal. Not surprisingly, every major action item of the Democratic Party today (and the Left more broadly) is traceable to the supposed toxicity that the white heterosexual male has wrought. The Lefts pushback against national borders; its insistence that fundamental political and economic transformations are necessary to address climate change; its disgust with dirty fossil fuels; its demand for wealth redistribution; and its resolve that every mediating institution in which citizens gather must be altered so as to become inclusive  all of these have at their root the supposition that the nation-state, market commerce, the petrochemicals that fuel it, the conventional generative family, our civic institutions, and our religious institutions are unclean or obsolete because of the hand that white, heterosexual man has had in building and maintaining them. This Manicheanism, this perverse art of demonization, is hardly inclusive.

The dangerous delusion of the Left today, which will eventually culminate in violence  as every revolutionary attempt to purify and heal the world always does  is that sin is someone elses problem, not ones own, as Christianity claims. This utter lack of self-reflection, of narcissistic indulgence that takes the form of projecting the darkness that resides in every human heart onto just one group of people, is a pathology that we can only hope will be analyzed in depth after the violence it will justify abates. Shortly after World War II, researchers went looking for the authoritarian personality, in the hope that by discovering its roots, bloodshed of the sort that the war brought could be averted in the future. I suspect that in the next several decades, researchers will look for the roots of the identity politics personality with similar hope.

Identity politics is a claim about the relative purity of one kind in relationship to another kind. If you are a white, heterosexual man, for example, you receive zero innocence points on your Intersectional score-card.

Identity politics in its many guises  wokeness, cancel culture, the frenzied quest for social justice, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), critical race theory, and so on  share in common the view that identity is about more than the kind you are. Identity politics is a claim about the relative purity of one kind in relationship to another kind. If you are a white, heterosexual man, for example, you receive zero innocence points on your Intersectional score-card. You are the prime transgressor, in principle beyond redemption. All others stand in a peculiar relationship to you and receives innocence points in proportion as they can establish their distance from you, the common object of their revulsion.

If you are a woman, you receive one innocence point. Wasnt it the lesson of Bret Kavanaughs September 2018 Senate confirmation hearing that, facts aside, every man really is a rapist, deny it though he may? If you are black, you receive two innocence points. It does not matter that the claim that America is systemically racist is unprovable, or that white-on-black violence is annually dwarfed by black-on-black violence. George Floyds death is not the exception to the rule; the exception is the rule. If you are gay or lesbian, you receive innocence points as well, though it is not always clear how many. That black comedians who in the past have told gay jokes get cancelled, as Kevin Hart was for the February 2018 Academy Awards, suggests the pecking order.

Today, a fourth distinct group of innocent victims has emerged: the transgendered. Consequently, the term of derogation, heterosexual, once leveled at white men to cast light on the innocence of gays and lesbians, will no longer do. To indicate an even greater depravity that white men possess, and to highlight transgender innocence, the toxicity of the white man is being recast before our eyes: his toxicity now consists in being heteronormative, an abstraction with no clear meaning. His irredeemable transgression? He believes (as many gays and lesbians also do) that man and woman are natural categories, not to be trifled with. Adherents of identity politics believe otherwise. The idea of an enduring human nature is the enemy to be rooted out and discredited.

Because there is nothing left for us to build together, developing competence has become an anachronistic aspiration. What alone matters now is your innocence or guilt, defined by surreal ideological categories.

How this barbaric accounting system of identity politics  which, like slavery, evaluates human beings as if they were cuts of meat to be prized or discarded  ends, no one can say. In the interim, many Americans are spending a growing portion of their day anxiously determining what cut of meat they are, and how they might be prized if on the (white) face of things they do not make the cut. Their competence increasingly counts for nothing, and they know it. This is not a recent development, of course; our elites began outsourcing the making of things to other countries decades ago. (Today, we cant even repair many of the things we import. When broken, our things are ground up or shipped whole back to China on diesel-fired freighters to be melted down in massive coal-fired smelters for yet more products we cannot fix.) Identity politics completes the destruction of competence that outsourcing began. We have reached the End of Days. Because there is nothing left for us to build together, developing competence has become an anachronistic aspiration. What alone matters now is your innocence or guilt, defined by surreal ideological categories.

This grim picture is not yet complete. That every day, across this extraordinary country, we privilege innocent victimhood over hard-won competence is a national catastrophe, for which we will pay dearly. Beyond these daily delusional choices being made to wreck our country lays the deepest of questions: Is America  indeed, is the West as a whole  suffering a crisis of guilt for which the only solution is the nihilistic destruction of its civilization? Not long ago, Christianity gave Western man a way to address his guilt  through repentance, forgiveness, and atonement. He could live for the future in hope because his guilt about his past behavior could be lifted. Today we feel the ever-increasing burden of guilt that identity politics piles on but see no way to lift its weight from our shoulders.

The officiants of identity politics do, however, offer absolution. For the burden of our guilt to be lifted, they merely require that we sacrifice our nation and every mediating institution through which we develop competence and live in freedom. Your nation is tarnished by its past; so, too, is your heteronormative family and your homophobic church. Your civic institutions are systemically racist, as are your educational institutions, and your corporations. For your burden of guilt to be lifted, you must fully renounce them, as Christians once fully renounced Satan in order to be baptized into the communion of saints. This a bleak world without hope or redemption, a world where self-loathing is the reigning principle.

In America today, millions have made this compact already with identity politics. They need absolution, and identity politics, unlike Progressivism and Marxism, promises to give it. They will do anything to free themselves of guilt  even destroy the institutions and ideas of their civilization. They will do anything, that is, except return to the transcendent God, who alone can lift their burden.

Joshua Mitchell is a professor of political theory at Georgetown University, and a Washington Fellow at the Claremont Institute Center for the American Way of Life. His most recent book is American Awakening: Identity Politics and Other Afflictions of Our Time (Encounter Books, 2020). He lives on Marylands Eastern Shore.

This essay may be republished for free with attribution. (These terms do not apply to outside articles linked on the site.) Images and photos that appear with this essay are not available for republishing.
Elliot Page, Lilly Wachowski and Joey Soloway were among the celebrities supporting Netflix employees and creators in a walkout on Wednesday. Trans employees organized the walkout over Dave Chappelle's latest comedy special, The Closer.

ADVERTISEMENT

Page stars on Netflix's series The Umbrella Academy. She tweeted, "I stand with the trans, nonbinary, and BIPOC employees at Netflix fighting for more and better trans stories and a more inclusive workplace #NetflixWalkout"

Wachowski also tweeted her support of the walkout. "If you're not standing up for trans lives, you need to take a good look at who you ARE standing with," Wachowski wrote.

Soloway, who produced Transparent on Amazon Prime, joined RuPaul's Drag Race star Eureka O'Hara, filmmaker Ashlee Marie Preston and Netflix employees at the company's Vine St. offices in Los Angeles, Calif., according to Deadline.

"I want trans representation on the Netflix board," Soloway said according to The Hollywood Reporter. "A trans person on the f-ing Netflix board this [expletive] week."

Organizers of the walkout presented a list of asks to Netflix, according to Deadline. They requested all references and imagery of Chappelle be removed from the workplace including murals, posters, room names and swag.

Multiple asks revolved around investment in trans or non-binary content, specifying the investment be equal to that of works produced by Chappelle. Chappelle reportedly made $60 million for his series of Netflix comedy specials, according to Business Insider.

Previous Chappelle specials garnered criticism for anti-trans statements. In The Closer, Chappelle announced himself as "Team TERF," TERF referring to Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist.

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!

On Tuesday, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos spoke with Variety about the impending walkout. Last week, Sarandos had sent a memo to staff standing by Chappelle, arguing that "content on screen doesn't directly translate to real world harm."

Acknowledging that The Closer causes harm is also on the list of asks. Sarandos told Variety he "screwed up" by not acknowledging the "pain and hurt" his employees were feeling.

"Of course storytelling has real impact in the real world," Sarandos told Variety. "That impact can be hugely positive, and it can be quite negative."

Netflix issued a statement Wednesday morning.

"We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content," the statement read.

Netflix fired a walkout organizer, B. Pagels-Minor, who led the Netflix Trans. The Verge previously reported Pagels-Minor, who spoke to Hollywood Reporter at the walkout, was fired Friday for sharing confidential company data. Pagels-Minor denies leaking sensitive information.

"When I thought about why I was participating in, it's that my son does not grow up with content that hates me," Pagels-Minor said according to THR. "I want my child to grow up in a world where they see that their parent, a Black trans person -- because I exist, contrary to what the special says, contrary to what many people say -- that I am valued and I am an important person as well."
Issa Rae discussed ending her HBO series Insecure with its fifth and final season while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

ADVERTISEMENT

Colbert, on Wednesday, asked Rae about any pressure she feels about ending the show in a satisfying way for fans. The fifth and final season of Insecure premieres Sunday on HBO.

"All the pressure. This was terrifying because you're ending a show and people are going to have their opinions," Rae said before she joked with Colbert about how HBO's Game of Thrones finale wasn't received well by viewers.

"People come up to me like, 'Girl, I can't wait for the final season. Just don't Game of Thrones it, okay,'" she continued.

Rae then mentioned how a writer on the show recommended that they write the fifth and final season as if a sixth season was going to still happen.

"She was like, 'We keep on telling ourselves to land the plane and these characters aren't going anywhere after this show. They're going to live on so it's not that the plane is landing. They're taking off and we're just jumping out and what would happen if we wrote a season six.' And that really like freed us," Rae said.

Rae, 36, married Louis Diame at a destination wedding in the South of France in July.
Tom Holland brings video game character Nathan Drake to life in the new trailer for Sony's upcoming film adaptation of Uncharted.

ADVERTISEMENT

Holland portrays a younger Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter, who meets the more experienced Sully ( Mark Wahlberg ) in the clip released on Thursday.

Sully takes Nathan under his wing as the duo chase after the greatest treasure never found. Nathan also believes that the treasure will help him find his long-lost brother.

The young explorer also crosses paths with a ruthless businessman played by Antonio Banderas who is also searching for the treasure.

Nathan travels around the world, finds an abandoned pirate ship and falls out of a cargo plane. Nathan uses the plane's cargo to jump his way back into the plane during the action scene, which is based on a sequence from 2011 video game Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

Uncharted, from director Ruben Fleischer, is coming to theaters on Feb. 18. Co-stars include Sophia Ali and Tati Gabrielle.

The movie is based off the Uncharted video game series from developer Naughty Dog (The Last of Us) and PlayStation. The video games follow Drake and his friends as they explore lost ruins and obtain ancient relics.
Hall of Famer Edge and his bitter rival Seth Rollins went to battle inside the Hell in a Cell structure Thursday at WWE Crown Jewel.

ADVERTISEMENT

The event is taking place live from the Mohammed Abdu Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. WWE kicked things off by lighting multiple fireworks around the arena. Camels were also placed by the entranceway to the ring.

Edge vs. Rollins was the first match of the event. Both competitors were locked inside the red Hell in a Cell structure, which is a giant steel cage with a roof.

The two rivals immediately started to trade punches before a chair was brought into the ring. Edge broke off the chair leg to use as a weapon. Rollins then gained the advantage and started punishing Edge with the chair.

Rollins used the chair leg to strike Edge right in the eye. The Visionary set up a table outside the ring and went to the top rope. Edge was able to recover and pushed Rollins off the top rope, sending him head first into the cage before Rollins crashed landed through a table.

Edge and Rollins also used the steel steps and introduced a ladder into the battle. Rollins was able to perform a Sunset Flip from the ladder and sent Edge through a table. Rollins then started to torture Edge and delivered multiple Superkicks.

Rollins wrapped a chain around his foot and delivered his fourth Superkick. Rollins placed Edge's head on a steel chair and attempted the Curb Stomp before Edge escaped it by hitting Rollins below the belt with the chair.

The Rated R Superstar applied the Crossface submission hold using a wrench, but stopped to place his enemy's head on a chair. Edge then performed the Curb Stomp and pinned Rollins to win the violent match.

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!

Other matches set for Crown Jewel include Universal Champion Roman Reigns defending his title against Brock Lesnar , WWE Champion Big E defending his title against Drew McIntyre, SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch defending her title against Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair and Hall of Famer Goldberg facing Bobby Lashley in a No Holds Barred match.
64, of Traverse City, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, at Munson Medical Center, in Traverse City, with her daughter, Tina, by her side. She is survived by: her daughters, Tina Tuller-Buist, Meagan Eby, and Rachael Eby. Cremation has taken place and there are no services planned at thi
Olivia is a junior journalism major at the University of Georgia. Her love for writing and sharing stories from the community led her to The Red & Black. She loves being able to highlight the people who make up the Athens community.

Follow OLIVIA WAKIM Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
Students at the University of Georgia were asked their thoughts on the Texas abortion law, as well as how they would feel if similar legislation passed in Georgia.
As the COVID-19 delta variant continues to spread across the nation, questions about booster shots, hospitalizations and vaccine hesitancy leave many frustrated. As part of The Red & Blacks health news coverage, we are publishing weekly reports on news relating to COVID-19 and its recent statistics.

Major updates

COVID-19 cases increased by six at the University of Georgia from last week, according to the universitys reporting system. UGA reported 34 new cases over the week of Oct. 11-17, an increase from the 28 cases during the week of Oct. 4-10. The surveillance testing positivity rate was about 1.27% for this week, an increase from the 0.43% last week.

Four of the positive tests  about 11.76%  were conducted at the University Health Center. There were eight positive tests through surveillance testing, five positive tests in Athens and 17 tests reported from other testing sites.

Students that test positive for COVID-19 off-campus are required to report it to DawgCheck, UGAs monitoring tool. Because students may have tested positive off-campus and not reported it, the actual number of COVID-19 cases may be higher than 34.

Following unanimous votes by a committee of independent advisors last week, the FDA approved booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines produced by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

In a similar decision, the FDA approved mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday. As an example, a person who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccination may obtain a booster the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

On Sept. 22, the Food and Drug Administration approved booster shots for people who received the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least six months ago and fall into certain categories. The FDA approved booster shots for people who are either at least 65 years old or adults who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 or who work or live in high-risk settings.

The UHC has received Pfizer booster shot doses to administer.

Expecting regulators to make the vaccines available to children between 5-11 in the coming weeks, Biden administration officials laid out plans on Wednesday to ensure that 25,000 pediatric or primary care offices, thousands of pharmacies, and hundreds of school and rural health clinics are ready to administer shots if the vaccine is approved, according to The New York Times.

Georgias hospitals have about 15% of their intensive care unit beds left for sick patients. From Oct. 10-16, about 99.4% of COVID-19 cases in the Southeastern U.S. were delta variant cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The majority of people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

Georgias case data by age shows children aged 0-17 are the second-highest in contracting the virus out of all age groups. The highest rate is in those aged 30-59.

Data breakdown: University of Georgia

The university conducted 630 surveillance tests during the week of Oct. 11-15, a decrease compared to the 695 tests last week. With fewer tests occurring, fewer cases are able to be detected.

Of the total positive cases this week, 12 of them belonged to employees and 22 belonged to students.

For the week of Oct. 11-17, the UHC administered 422 vaccines, a decrease from the 471 administered last week. Cumulatively, the UHC has administered 27,860 vaccines.

Students and faculty may book a vaccine appointment at the UHC Vaccine Portal or get vaccinated at any University System of Georgia school. Students may also get tested for COVID-19 at the UHC with walk-in appointments.

Data breakdown: Athens-Clarke County

According to the DPH, from Oct. 15-20, the county reported 86 new confirmed cases, compared to 82 from Oct. 9-14, according to the Georgia DPH. The countys seven-day average positivity rate was 9.9%. The World Health Organization recommends communities maintain a positivity rate below 5%.

This week, ACC reported one confirmed COVID-19 death.

According to the Georgia Geospatial Information Office, the number of current hospitalizations in Region E  which includes ACC and several surrounding counties  decreased last week. On Oct. 20, there were 81 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, compared to 104 on Oct. 13.

According to the Georgia DPH, about 45% of the county is fully vaccinated.

Data breakdown: Georgia

Statewide, the weekly rate of new confirmed COVID-19 cases has decreased.

According to the DPH, Georgia reported 9,010 confirmed COVID-19 cases between Oct. 15-20. This is a decrease of about 2,400 from the 11,447 cases between Oct. 9-14. The states seven-day average positivity rate decreased to 7.8% on Oct. 20, according to current data.

The number of confirmed deaths in the state increased drastically  Georgia recorded 483 confirmed COVID-19 deaths between Oct. 15-20 compared to the 337 between Oct. 9-14.

According to the DPH, about 5.1 million Georgians have been fully vaccinated, or about 49% of the state. In comparison, the U.S. has a current full vaccination rate of 56%. Approximately 5.8 million Georgians, or 55% of the state, have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

According to the CDC, even fully vaccinated people should wear a mask indoors if in an area of substantial or high transmission. Currently, the CDC says Clarke Countys level of community transmission is high, along with most other counties in Georgia. The CDC has also released guidelines advising vaccinated individuals to still wear masks over their nose and mouth when in public, indoor settings.
Despite their small numbers and the challenges they face, Native American students at UGA are banding together to examine the troubled past of the university and look toward a future that is hopefully more accepting of Indigenous people.
British police have charged a 25-year-old man with the murder of a Conservative lawmaker, alleging that the killing was an act of terrorism by a supporter of the Islamic State group
1st, 2nd and 3rd grade students from Windham Elementary School get a surprise visit from the plow truck they named as part of the Vermont Agency of Transportation's Name a Plow program on Wednesday, 11/17/21.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Becoming clear later. Low 24F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Becoming clear later. Low 24F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
Complaints about a Nazi flag outside this Townshend home landed the matter before the Select Board recently, and it has since issued a statement against symbols of hate.
The Rockingham Select Board voted to save the steeple on the old Methodist Meeting House in Bellows Falls, which is scheduled for demolition.
The federal governments Paycheck Protection Program provided small-business owners with just under $800 billion in COVID-19 relief, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The PPP concluded on May 31, but as businesses forge ahead in the recovery process, they may find a continued need for affordable financing. Here are some of the government funding options that are still available  and how to get them.

COVID-19 ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOANS

If your business lost money as a result of the pandemic, you may be eligible for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan. The SBA can issue these loans through Dec. 31 of this year, or until funds run out, whichever is sooner.

New changes to the program have increased the maximum available loan amount from $500,000 to $2 million, extended the payment deferment period to 24 months for all loans and expanded the use of funds to include payment of nonfederal and federal debt.

COVID-19 EIDLs are funded by the SBA directly  but unlike PPP loans, they cannot be forgiven.

However, businesses in low-income communities may be eligible for a COVID-19 EIDL advance of up to $15,000 that does not need to be repaid. Business owners can get an advance without getting a loan.

You can apply for a COVID-19 EIDL for free using the SBAs online portal  and if your business is eligible for an advance, the SBA will reach out to you directly to submit an application.

SBA 7(A) LOANS

Although not unique to pandemic relief, SBA 7(a) loans can offer long-term affordable financing to qualified businesses.

Recent updates to the 7(a) loan program have waived the upfront guarantee fee for loans under $350,000, effective through September 2022. The maximum funding amount for the SBA Express loan  which offers a faster turnaround time than standard 7(a) loans  has also been permanently set at $500,000, up from its pre-pandemic amount of $350,000.

With any type of SBA 7(a) loan, however, youll likely need good credit, strong revenue and a few years in business to qualify.

The challenge that some businesses are having is an inability to show historical cash flow due to pandemic effects, said Jodi Rathbun-Briggs, senior vice president and chief lending officer at Greylock Federal Credit Union in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, via email.

Borrowers should have well-thought-out recovery plans and thorough discussions with their banker regarding those plans, she said.

The SBA offers a Lender Match tool on its website to connect potential borrowers with lenders within two business days. You might also contact a local bank in your community or one with which you have an existing relationship to see if it offers SBA 7(a) loans.

LOCAL LOAN AND GRANT PROGRAMS

States and cities continue to implement their own COVID-19 relief programs, as well as roll out new ones. The city of Chicago, for example, recently announced the launch of the Chicago Creative Worker Assistance Program, which has allotted $2.3 million in grant relief to artists and creative workers that suffered lost income due to the pandemic.

Similarly, the California Rebuilding Fund has provided loans to more than 700 small businesses  and in September, announced the addition of $56.5 million of available capital. The program offers low-interest loans to eligible businesses across the state, distributing them through a network of community lenders.

In general, community lenders like community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, can be a great option for affordable financing, particularly for traditionally underserved businesses, such as those operating in low-income areas, minority-owned businesses or women-owned businesses.

Its worthwhile to look at CDFIs from both a geographic and sector angle, says Randell Leach, CEO of Beneficial State Bank, a CDFI with locations in California, Oregon and Washington. If youre a natural food store, for example, theres a good chance youll find a CDFI thats focused on that, he says.

Business owners can search state or city government websites and reach out to local representatives or industry groups to find grant and loan programs in their area that they might qualify for. To find CDFIs in your region, or those that might be relevant to your business sector, you can browse the official list of certified CDFIs on the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Community Development Financial Institutions Fund website.

Organizations like SCORE and local Small Business Development Centers also offer access to free recovery resources and can help business owners identify potential funding opportunities.

DONT FORGET ABOUT PPP FORGIVENESS

Over 11 million PPP loans were approved, and as of Oct. 3, approximately 7.5 million applications for PPP loan forgiveness have been submitted, according to the SBA.

Loan forgiveness wont offer your business additional funding. But it will ensure you can put money you already have toward expenses rather than PPP loan payments. If you received a PPP loan, you have until the loans maturity date to apply for forgiveness.

______________________________

This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Randa Kriss is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: rkriss@nerdwallet.com.

RELATED LINKS:

NerdWallet: PPP Loan Forgiveness Guide

COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application

SBA Lender Match

List of Certified CDFIs
WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP)  A Southern California woman who refused to wear a mask or leave a grocery store last year was convicted of trespassing and obstructing a business or customers.

The jury found Marianne Campbell Smith guilty on Wednesday and Orange County Superior Court Judge John Zitny sentenced her to 40 hours of community service, a year of informal probation and a $200 fine, the Orange County Register reported.

Smith, 57, was arrested on Aug. 15, 2020 at Mothers Market in the city of Costa Mesa, where an anti-mask protest against California's mask mandate to prevent the spread of the coronavirus was happening nearby.

In a statement in court before sentencing, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the case centered on property rights.

The defendant wanted to make this about masks and freedom, Spitzer said. This trial was about a private business and workers just trying to comply with health orders. Instead she bullied her way around the store and yelled at masked elderly shoppers that they were part of a government conspiracy.

Smith said she cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition and her lawyer said she went into the store to get food, not to protest.

Justice was not served, but I accept it, Smith, 57, said outside the courthouse. Because it was important to talk about these issues today.

The Register newspaper said the case marked one of few times in which arrests or criminal charges involving mask requirements have been pursued in Orange County, where police and prosecutors have focused on education and outreach regarding coronavirus restrictions.

Another woman arrested with Smith previously accepted a plea deal requiring a donation to a coronavirus relief fund and admitted to an infraction for refusing to leave the store when a police officer ordered her to leave the premises at the owners request. A third woman who entered with them apparently left before police responded.

Defense attorney Frederick Fascenelli questioned why Smith wasnt charged with violating mask requirements that had been added to Costa Mesa's municipal code.

This thing is all political, Fascenelli said. They are trying to shoehorn in these trespassing charges because they dont want to touch the third rail of politics that is a mask mandate.
MAPLE GROVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP)  Authorities found human remains in a mid-Michigan soybean field Wednesday.

Barry County deputies said they found the remains in Maple Grove Township near a missing womans car.

Deputies aided by a Michigan State Police helicopter found the car, and police dogs subsequently found the remains.

The remains had not been identified by Wednesday afternoon, police said.

The Barry County Sheriffs Office has been searching for Rachel Lynn Hazen, 41, since she was last seen July 21. A friend reported her missing five days later.

Maple Grove Township is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Flint.
DECATUR, Ala. (AP)  A one-time Alabama jailer accused of sickening inmates by lacing their cigarettes with self-defense spray has pleaded guilty to assault charges.

Former Morgan County corrections officer Jaylend Edward Handley, 27, pleaded guilty Wednesday to four counts of third-degree assault, news outlets reported.
WATERBURY  Four Crosby High School students were arrested Wednesday  three for a fight, and one for a trash can fire  according to the Waterbury Police Department.

The fight took place during school dismissal and involved four students, the police department said.

Police said a staff member attempted to intervene and was hit, resulting in bruising on their arm, police said. Waterbury Public Schools said another staff member was also injured after attempting to stop the fight.

A student involved in the fight also had minor injuries, which were treated by the school nurse, police said.

Three male students  two of whom were 17 years old and one who was 16 years old  were arrested as a result of the fight. The three were charged with second-degree breach of peace and third-degree assault, police said.

Waterbury Public Schools said it has taken the appropriate measures consistent with the student code of conduct.

Safety is our top priority amongst our students and staff and we do not condone violent behavior, school officials added.

A fourth student, a 17-year-old, was arrested for an earlier incident Wednesday. At 11:35 a.m., school officials were told that a garbage can in the girls bathroom was on fire, police said.

As a result, officials evacuated the school. The student was later arrested and charged with reckless burning and third-degree criminal mischief, police said.

liz.hardaway@hearst.com
CAIRO (AP)  Libya is hosting an international conference aimed at resolving the country's thorniest issues ahead of general elections planned for December. Western, regional and United Nations representatives are meeting Thursday in the capital, Tripoli.

According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, several contentious issues are on the table, including maintaining the country's ceasefire, uniting the country's many armed groups under a single security body, and the withdrawal of foreign fighters.

Libya has been engulfed in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. He was captured and killed by an armed group two months later. The oil-rich country was for years split between rival governments, one based in the capital, Tripoli, and the other in the eastern part of the country. Each side is backed by different foreign powers and militias.

After months of U.N.-backed negotiations, an interim government was elected in February to lead the country to presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24. As the countdown to the poll begins, differences are re-emerging between Libyan rivals - putting the entire reconciliation process at risk.

Libyans choose peace & stability today, tweeted Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah ahead of the conference, a day after the 10-year anniversary of Gadhafi's death. "Tripoli has healed and regained its symbol as a unified capital. The stability of Libya is the only way to complete building our civilian, security, and military institutions. We are going to elections on time."

Foreign ministers of Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Kuwait have arrived in Tripoli to participate in the talks. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lempert are also attending, as is Niels Annen of Germany's Foreign Office.

The attendees will discuss an initiative launched by the Libyan interim government entitled Libya Stabilization. A document detailing the initiative, obtained by The Associated Press, suggests the creation of an international group that will assist Libya's transitional government in resolving key issues.

Regional and international help is needed to consolidate a U.N.-backed ceasefire, ensure withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign figures and unify Libya's many armed groups under a single command, according to the document.

The conference aims to forge an agreement with all parties on some permanent mechanism to coordinate efforts in order to solve pending issues," said Dbeibah in his opening remarks.

Rosemary A. DiCarlo, the U.N.'s under-secretary-general for political affairs, also addressed the attendees reiterating her organization's call for the withdrawal of foreign fighters from Libya.

The dispute over mercenaries and foreign fighters has long been an obstacle, particularly ahead of Libyas landmark general elections. Earlier this month, the U.N. mission in Libya mediating between the rivals said a 10-member joint military commission, with five representatives from each side, had agreed to start a gradual and balanced withdrawal of foreign fighters.

Libyas civil war escalated in 2019, when self-styled military commander Khalifa Hifter, allied with the eastern-based administration, launched an offensive to take Tripoli from armed militias loosely allied with the U.N.-supported but weak government in the countrys capital.

Hifter was backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and France. However, his 14-month campaign and march on Tripoli ultimately failed in June 2020, after Turkey sent troops to help the U.N.-supported administration.

After the fighting largely stalemated, subsequent U.N.-sponsored peace talks brought about a cease-fire last October and installed an interim government that is expected to lead the country into the December elections. The ceasefire deal also included the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries within three months  something that was never implemented.

The U.N. has estimated that there have been at least 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya over the past few years, including Russians, Syrians, Sudanese, and Chadians.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  A Providence man has agreed to stop sending mail-order sweepstakes solicitations over accusations that he scammed $10 million from vulnerable people.

Michael Shine, a resident of Warwick, made a deal with prosecutors prohibiting him from participating in mailing solicitations and advertisements, The Providence Journal reported.
LONDON (AP)  Britain's Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in a hospital for checks this week after canceling an official trip to Northern Ireland on medical advice, Buckingham Palace said Thursday.

The palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Wednesday for preliminary investigations. It said she returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday, "and remains in good spirits.

On Wednesday, the queen canceled a scheduled trip to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, and the palace said she had reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. It did not elaborate, but the decision was understood not to be related to COVID-19. The queen has been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The palace confirmed the queen's hospital stay after The Sun newspaper reported the news.

The queen is now back at Windsor Castle, west of London, where she has spent much of her time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

The decision came just days after Elizabeth was seen using a walking stick at a major public event when attending a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion, an armed forces charity.

She had previously been photographed using a cane in 2003, but that was after she underwent knee surgery.

Britains longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch, Elizabeth is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee  70 years on the throne  next year.

Elizabeth has ruled since 1952 and was widowed this year when Prince Philip died at age 99 in April. She has cut back on her workload in recent years but still keeps a busy schedule of royal duties. On Tuesday, she held audiences with diplomats and hosted a reception at Windsor Castle for global business leaders, and on Saturday the equine aficionado attended horse racing at Ascot Racecourse.

In less than two weeks she is due to host world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

She has generally enjoyed good health throughout her long life. She was last hospitalized in 2013, when she was 86, after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis.

She recently declined the honor of being named Oldie of the Year by The Oldie magazine. Her office said that Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept.
Westbound traffic on Kansas Highway 68 passes by the New Lancaster Road intersection near Louisburg on Wednesday, Oct. 20. A group has started a petition asking for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) to make safety improvements to the high traffic area part of its four-lane expressway plan.
Colombo, Oct 21 (PTI) Primary schools across Sri Lanka reopened on Thursday after a gap of over six months, even as the government was negotiating with protesting teachers over their demand for an increment in salary.

Schools reopened to dull scenes as the usual cacophony of school activity was amiss. Most faculty and school principals stayed from the classes as the teachers' unions have voiced dissatisfaction over the talks on wages.

Even most of the students were absent from classes on the first day of reopening. At least two schools in capital Colombo alone reported just one student attending classes.

The teachers' bodies have vowed to continue their industrial action which was launched in July this year.

"We will return to work on October 25 and carry on our struggle to win our rights," said Mahinda Jayasinghe, a teaching federation representative.

Earlier in the month, the government promised to hike the wages in tranches.

The government had also announced that primary school education (classes I to V) would begin from October 21 with a maximum of 200 students. The schools for all grades are to be opened by November.

The teachers' unions decried the government offer, which according to their calculation would defer the increment disbursement till 2023.

The protesting teachers were also critical of the reopening plan. "Only around 3,000 schools have fewer than 200 students. And for that they need around 10,000 teachers," a striking unionist said.

"We will go for our union action. We have planned a campaign, including strikes, protests and parent-meetings, while continuing the education of children, he said.

On Thursday, teachers loyal to the ruling party returned to schools, though the overall attendance was poor, observers said.

All in-class teaching was suspended in Sri Lanka this year in April, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes were shifted to the online mode.

The teachers' bodies started their protest citing lack of facilities to conduct virtual classes. They have also demanded an increase in wages which is in line with demands first expressed in 2018, they said.

As the government lifted most COVID-19 restrictions on October 1, it was decided that the schools too should be reopened.

The coronavirus has claimed 13,543 lives in the island nation, along with 533,305 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. PTI CORR IND AKJ IND IND

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede spoke to Republic and rubbished allegations of extortion levelled by NCP Leader and Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik. Nawab Malik had levelled charges of extortion on Sameer Wankhede and alleged that he visited Dubai and Maldives in connection with the extortion.

To this, Sameer Wankhede said he has never visited Dubai while he affirmed that visited the Maldives with his own salary after taking due permissions from the competent authority.

After Sameer Wankhede's interview with Republic, Nawab Malik posted pictures of Sameer Wankhede on Twitter, alleging it to be of Sameer Wankhede in Dubai.

Sameer Wankhede responded to Nawab Malik with a press conference, saying that his photos posted on Twitter are of a Mumbai hotel and not from Dubai. Sameer Wankhede further said that it can be verified from airport authorities that he has not visited Dubai.
Mutha Ashok Jain, Deputy Director-General of the Narcotics Control Bureau defended NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, the chief investigating officer of the Mumbai Drug bust case, who is under the scanner after NCP leader Nawab Malik made dubious claims about his alleged connections with the BJP and people from the Bollywood industry, and his international trips to Dubai & Maldives.

NCB clears the air on Wankhedes Dubai & Maldives visit, as claimed by Nawab Malik

Clearing the air on Sameer Wankhedes claimed visit to Dubai and Maldives last year, the National Drug Control Bureau released a press note on Thursday and informed the press about his appointment and his visit to the Maldives.

The NCB DDG, Mutha Ashok Jain, said that the press note clearly informs about the date of appointment of Wankhede and his leave application to visit the Maldives last year, which was approved by the NCB officials. However, NCB officials didnt recognise Wankhedes visit to Dubai and denied claims of him visiting the country after being appointed as an NCB official.





The press note released by the NCB states that 'misinformation' was spread on social media regarding Sameer Wankhede, IRS, Zonal Director, Mumbai Zonal Unit of NCB. NCBs statement specified two points-

The first point made was that Sameer Wankhede joined NCB on July 31, 2020 and that he has since not submitted a leave application to visit Dubai. The statement read, "Sameer Wankhede, IRS joined NCB on loan basis on 31.08.2020 and after this, he has not submitted any application for Ex-India leave to Dubai."

Another point made by NCB was that the bureau had approved Wankhedes leave application to visit the Maldives with his family. "As per the approval of Competent Authority, the officer has availed Ex-lndia leave along with his family to the Maldives," the press statement read.

Nawab Malik questions Sameer Wankhede & his international visits

Earlier, Nawab Malik had accused the NCP Zonal Director of extortion and targeted his family members. In a video message, the NCP leader alleged deeper links between Wankhede and Bollywood. He alleged that during the COVID Pandemic, when most of the celebrities were in the Maldives, Wankhere's family was present there as well. He also questioned if the NCB officer was in Dubai.

"Attempts were made to implicate certain people in false cases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire film industry was in the Maldives. What were the officer and his family doing in Maldives and Dubai? This has to be clarified by Sameer Wankhede," the NCP spokesperson & Maharashtra minister said. "We demand that he clarify whether he was in Dubai," Malik added.



"Was his family there in the Maldives when the entire film industry was in the Maldives? What was the reason behind them going there?" Nawab Malik asked.

To this, Sameer Wankhede told Republic Media Network that he had visited the Maldives with his own money.

Image: ANI
Hours after NCP senior leader & spokesperson Nawab Malik, who is a Minister in the Maharashtra government, shared 'proof' of NCB's Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede allegedly visiting Dubai, the official has hit back revealing that the pictures were actually clicked in Mumbai. On Thursday, Nawab Malik took to Twitter to share screenshots of photos allegedly posted by Sameer Wankhede's sister Yasmeen Wankhede of her 'trip to Dubai' in December 2020. Referring to the photos, Nawab Malik claimed that Sameer Wankhade was at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai with his sister on December 10, 2020.

Speaking to reporters, Wankhede said, "The Dubai thing they are talking about is completely fake. I totally disagree with the Dubai thing, extortion and all big words. I went to the Maldives, but I went there with my family with the permission of the government. I am just a government worker, he is a big minister, so now if they want to imprison me for serving the nation then he may. That photo was of Mumbai and I was in Mumbai then. Truth cannot be hidden, you can check the data, passport and all."

Sameer Wankhede claims he never went to Dubai post joining the service.

This photo has revealed the truth and exposed his lie.

Sameer Wankhede was at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai on 10th December 2020. pic.twitter.com/vxKSiMj8YU  Nawab Malik     (@nawabmalikncp) October 21, 2021

The NCB officer also condemned personal attacks against his family saying that he will seek permission from the Centre to take legal action against Nawab Malik. "The personal attacks on us, my deceased mother, my sister and my daddy is being attacked. I strongly condemn this. I am a central government employee, I have to take legal persimmons after that I will take legal action."

He added, "I don't think anyone would do a heinous crime like extortion on kids. For the last 15 days, you are attacking a mother, who is dead, you are raising allegations against a sister and an old man who served the nation... just for serving the nation. It is highly condemnable.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday will inaugurate the 806-bedded Vishram Sadan at National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Jhajjar Campus of AIIMS New Delhi. The Vishram Sadan has been established by the Infosys Foundation. The PM will attend the event via video conferencing at 10:30 am and will address the inauguration.

According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), PM Modi will address the occasion along with Union Health & Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Chairperson of Infosys Foundation Sudha Murthy. The 806-bedded Vishram Sadan, which has been built as part of Infosys Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, will be inaugurated at the event. The area will provide air-conditioned accommodation facilities to the accompanying attendants of the cancer patients at the hospital, as per the release.

"It has been constructed by the Foundation at a cost of about Rs 93 crore. It is located in close proximity to the hospital & OPD Blocks of NCI," the PMO release stated. The NCI in Jhajjar is dedicated towards cancer care and is an integral part of AIIMS. The institute hosts 710 patient care beds for the prevention, treatment, research and education of cancer.

PM Modi inaugurates Kushinagar International Airport

On Wednesday, PM Modi inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh near Lord Buddha's Parinirvana. The airport is intended to enhance tourism on the Buddhist circuit. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, UP Governor Anandiben Patel, notable monks from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia, and ambassadors from several nations attended the inauguration ceremony and took part in an event commemorating 'Abhidhamma Day' at Mahaparinirvana Temple. The tourist department also announced that it will be hosting a tourism promoting event in Kushinagar as part of Abhidhamma Day celebration.

PM Modi began his tour to Uttar Pradesh by inaugurating the Kushinagar International Airport, followed by a programme at the Buddhist site of Mahaparinirvana stupa and temple. He also visited the exhibition of Ajanta fresco paintings, Buddhist Sutra calligraphy, and Buddhist artefacts. Later, he laid the foundation for Rajkiya Medical College, followed by the foundation for 12 other development projects worth Rs 180 crore.

(Image: Twitter)
Geneva/Jerusalem, Oct 21 (PTI) Wishes poured in for India from the World Health Organisation and the leadership of Israel, the US and Sri Lanka, after it scripted history on Thursday with the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country surpassing the 100-crore milestone.

Taking to Twitter, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scientists, health workers and people of India on their "efforts to protect the vulnerable populations from COVID-19 and achieve vaccine equity targets".

"Congratulations to @narendramodi on leading India's successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign that has now administered more than 1 billion vaccines to the Indian people, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted on Thursday.

"These life-saving vaccines are helping us all defeat the global pandemic, he added.

India and Israel have agreed to mutually recognise each others vaccination certificates in order to ease travel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated India for the "extraordinary accomplishment" of administering one billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. "I applaud India's successes in fighting COVID-19 at home and for its efforts to help end the pandemic in the Indo-Pacific region and well beyond," he said.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman also congratulated India and applauded its commitment to ramp up vaccine production for export and use worldwide.

"Congratulations to India on administering their 1 billionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine! We applaud Indias commitment to ramp up vaccine production for export and use worldwide. With the #Quad, the US and India are working together to vaccinate the world and end the pandemic," she said.

Bhutan's Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering said the feat is a "huge accomplishment" not just for India, but the world. "On behalf of the people of Bhutan, I congratulate India!" he tweeted.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) thanked Tshering for his wishes and his appreciation for the Vaccine Maitri initiative.

Vaccine Maitri is a humanitarian initiative undertaken by the Indian government to provide COVID-19 vaccines to countries around the world. The government started providing vaccines from January 20.

India has so far delivered around 66.3 million doses of vaccines to 95 countries, including Canada, the UK, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Nepal, South Africa, Ukraine and Bahrain.

Bhutanese foreign minister Tandi Dorji also congratulated India for administering one billion COVID-19 vaccinations. "A historic milestone!" he tweeted.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa congratulated PM Modi, the medical community and frontliners of India "for achieving this mammoth task".

"The way forward & adjusting to the new normal while staying safe is highly dependent on a successful vaccination drive. Congratulations on reaching this milestone," he tweeted.

In its response, the MEA said the guidance and support of the Lankan prime minister have been instrumental in driving India-Lanka relations forward.

"We hope mass vaccination drives in the 2 countries will promote travel & interactions in both directions & enhance people 2 people ties that form the bedrock of India-Lanka relations," it tweeted.

Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih congratulated Prime Minister Modi and the government of India for administering 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

"Congratulations to PM @narendramodi and government of India for administering 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines, displaying the innovation and solidarity of the Indian people. Thank you also, India, for supporting Maldives Covid-19 recovery and vaccination efforts, he tweeted.

Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan and Malawi President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera also congratulated India on its achievement of administering 1 billion vaccination doses.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in Israel on a five-day visit to the country, applauded the selfless hard work and dedication of doctors and health workers. PTI SCY/ZH AKJ ZH ZH

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Minutes after NCB's Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede flatly denied allegations of extortion and his alleged visit to Dubai, Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik on Thursday produced 'proof' to support his claims.

The NCP senior leader & spokesperson took to Twitter to share screenshots of photos posted by Yasmeen Wankhede of her 'trip to Dubai' in December 2020. Referring to the photos, Nawab Malik claimed that Sameer Wankhade was at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai with his sister on December 10, 2020, despite denying the same.

In the photo, Yasmeen Wankhede was seen taking a low-angle shot at a hotel with a blurred image of her brother Sameer in the background.

"Sameer Wankhade has accepted the fact that he had visited the Maldives but he denies the visit to Dubai. Here is the proof of his visit to Dubai with his sister. Sameer Wankhade was at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai on 10th December 2020. His lie stands exposed," tweeted Malik.

Sameer Wankhade has accepted the fact that he had visited Maldives but he denies the visit to Dubai.

Here is the proof of his visit to Dubai with his sister.

Sameer Wankhade was at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai on 10th December 2020.

His lie stands exposed. pic.twitter.com/Na53spa49c  Nawab Malik     (@nawabmalikncp) October 21, 2021

'Never been to Dubai': Sameer Wankhede

This comes just minutes after Sameer Wankhede while speaking to Republic, denied claims of a visit to Dubai with his sister.

Wankhede, who is set to serve a legal notice to the NCP minister, said "Nawab Malik is an honorable Minister and I respect him. But that does not mean he can spread lies about me. His claim that I visited Dubai and Maldives is a blatant lie. I have never been to that place. Speaking of my trip to the Maldives, I had taken all the permissions from the government of India, my seniors and the competent authorities. So is it a crime to go to the Maldives with my family? I have paid for the trip from my own salary, is it a crime too?" he asked.

The NCB officer said Nawab Malik should provide evidence to support the extortion allegations against him. "Extortion is a dirty word to be used against a government official and he should have proof to address such a serious matter. But does going on a trip with my family mean extortion? It is shocking to hear this coming from a respected minister," said Wankhede.

Days after drawing connections between the NCB and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Nawab Malik claimed on Thursday that the duo is running "an extortion racket" in the city. Claiming that the anti-drug agency is filing "bogus" cases against people, the NCP Spokesperson demanded a judicial probe in all the matters investigated by it over the past year. He also demanded that the mobile phone and WhatsApp chats of NCB officer Sameer Wankhede be checked to reveal his connections with the saffron party.

Notably, Nawab Nawab malik's son-in-law Sameer Khan was granted bail by Special NDPS Court last week in connection was a drugs case. Sameer Khan was accused of selling, procuring, purchase and transporting 194.6kg of ganja and 6 CBD sprays and financing illicit trafficking.
Speaking exclusively to Republic Media Network, NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede's sister and advocate Yasmeen Wankhede rubbished allegations levelled by Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik against Wankhede and his sister. She said that the NCP leader is targeting her brother because his relative was arrested. "This is revenge about his ego," she said.

Sameer Khan, the son-in-law of Nawab Malik, was granted bail by NDPS Court last week in connection with a drugs case. He was accused of selling, procuring, purchasing and transporting 194.6kg of ganja and six CBD sprays, and funding illicit trafficking.

She alleged that her brother is being targeted for doing his duty. "This honest officer, who is my brother, is cleaning the state. Why does Nawab Malik have a problem? His own area, where drugs were freely there, is getting cleaned out. He should be happy and felicitating him," she said.

On the Nationalist Congress Party leader's 'Dubai & Maldives visit' claim, Yasmeen said that Malik should get his facts corrected. "The detail he is sharing is completely incorrect and baseless."

Nawab Malik had earlier alleged that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wankhede's family was in the Maldives when several Bollywood stars were also there. "What was the officer and his family doing in Maldives and Dubai? This has to be clarified by Sameer Wankhede. We demand that he clarify whether he was in Dubai," he said.

On Saturday, Nawab Malik had shared a picture of Mumbai president of Sainik Foundation Fletcher Patel and Yasmeen, and questioned the links between the two. To this, she replied: "Again it's a false allegation. He is the president of Sainik Foundation, Army foundation Maharashtra. Maybe in one or two cases, he (Fletcher) has been asked for help by NCB where he was a witness. Are you questioning soldiers fighting for the country?"

Before Yasmeen, Sameer Wankhede spoke to Republic Media Network, and refuted Nawab Malik's 'Bollywood being targeted claim'. "Out of 227 people, we've been arrested so far this year hardly 2-3 are known, rest are all hardcore peddlers; How can it be claimed that NCB is targeting people," he said.

"For the past 10-15 days my dead mother has been attacked, my father and sister have been abused. He is an honourable minister (Nawab Malik). I respect him a lot but that does not mean I will take a lie. I have never gone to Dubai after being in service. I have been to the Maldives with my family after taking all permission. I have paid from my own salary. have I done a crime?," Wankhede asked.

Image: ANI, PTI
Minutes after NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede told Republic Media Network that he will serve a legal notice to Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik for levelling fake allegations against him and his family, and stated that he was being targeted for doing his duty, Sameer Wankhede's sister Yasmeen Wankhede also spoke to Republic and hit out at the NCP leader.

Speaking to Republic Media Network's Shawan Sen, Advocate Yasmeen Wankhede said that Nawab Malik should be felicitating her brother Sameer for cleaning the state, including 'Nawab Malik's areas where drugs are rampant'.

'Nawab Malik should be felicitating Sameer Wankhede': Yasmeen Wankhede

"The real story begins where this honest officer, my brother is eradicating the drug menace in the whole society. We are cleaning up the system. Why is he having a problem when good work is going on? His whole place like Kurla and other places where drugs were really spreading is getting cleansed. He should be happy as a responsible citizen. Why is he creating a fuss? He should be felicitating Sameer. Why is he questioning him? What is his problem? Were his relatives involved and that is the reason? Is it about revenge or whether his son-in-law was arrested is the reason?" she said.

#EXCLUSIVE | NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede's sister & advocate Yasmeen Wankhede rubbishes allegations leveled by NCP's Nawab Malik against them; says the Maharashtra Minister should be felicitating Sameer Wankhede instead; Tune in #LIVE - https://t.co/NWgtMkjnrK pic.twitter.com/Bb75QqxVTR  Republic (@republic) October 21, 2021

Yasmeen Wankhede rejects allegations laid by Nawab Malik

"Please ask respected Mr Nawab Malik Ji to get his facts corrected. When did I go to visit the Maldives? First, ask his facts to be corrected. Was he there when I went to Dubai? Whatever his information is and wherever he is getting it from is completely incorrect. It is baseless. And if he is interested in doing all this, he should go to the right medium to get a little bit informative and educated," Yasmeen Wankhede said.

She further said that the law is there and Nawab Malik should ask the questions in court so that she can "produce good evidence for him". Calling Nawab Malik a person who is "irresponsive", Yasmeen rejected all the allegations and said, "I don't think there is any kind of truth in there."

#EXCLUSIVE: Yasmeen Wankhede, advocate & sister of NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, speaks to Republic dismissing NCP's allegations. Tune in to watch #LIVE here - https://t.co/NWgtMkjnrK pic.twitter.com/XeeJbjvMLd  Republic (@republic) October 21, 2021

NCP's Nawab Malik levels allegations against NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede

"Attempts were made to implicate certain people in false cases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire film industry was in the Maldives. What was the officer and his family doing in Maldives and Dubai? This has to be clarified by Sameer Wankhede," the NCP spokesperson & Maharashtra minister said.

"We demand that he clarify whether he was in Dubai," Malik added, which Yasmeen had rubbished and said that Sameer Wankhede cannot go anywhere without informing his agency

"Was his family there in the Maldives when the entire film industry was in the Maldives? What was the reason behind them going there? Nawab Malik had also asked, to which Sameer Wankhede told Republic that he had gone there with his own money, and asked if he wasn't allowed to do so.

"We are very clear. All this vasuli (extortion) took place in Maldives and Dubai and I will release those photos," Malik said, stating he's ready for the legal battle brought by Sameer Wankhede, who has alleged that he is being targeted because Nawab Malik's son-in-law was also arrested by NCB in a drugs matter, being released on bail last week.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday celebrated Navratri with his 'long time friend and colleague' senior Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy at his residence Temple Trees in Colombo. The former Rajya Sabha MP is in Sri Lanka on a two-day visit at the invitation of Rajapaksa.

"Spent a lovely evening celebrating the auspicious festival of #Navaratri with long time friend and colleague @Swamy39. I wish everyone a safe, prosperous and blessed #Navaratri2021. May the triumph of good over evil illuminate the path we travel with countless blessings," Sri Lanka Prime Minister tweeted.

Spent a lovely evening celebrating the auspicious festival of #Navaratri with long time friend and colleague @Swamy39. I wish everyone a safe, prosperous and blessed #Navaratri2021. May the triumph of good over evil illuminate the path we travel with countless blessings. pic.twitter.com/EODtfUFMXo  Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) October 13, 2021

Subramanian Sway also called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and advocated for strong relations between India and Sri Lanka. During his visit, Swamy is slated to meet Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda and scheduled to address a forum at INSS (Institute of National Security Studies) of the Defence Ministry.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy is an old friend of Rajapaksa and is popular among the majority Sinhala community in the island nation. On several occasions, he has also batted for strong India- Sri Lanka relations.

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane is also on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka to strengthen bilateral military ties and discuss regional security. The army chief will hold talks with the top military brass of Sri Lanka and will meet Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

"The Army chief will take forward the excellent defence cooperation between Sri Lanka and India through multiple meetings with senior officials of the security establishment and exchange views on various defence-related issues," it said in a statement.

Subramanian Swamy dropped from BJP's national executive

In an organisational rejig ahead of forthcoming Assembly polls, BJP added several new faces in the 80-member National Executive, including prime minister Narendra Modi. However, Subramanian Swamy, Maneka Gandhi and his son Varun Gandhi and others were left out of this body. The prominent new inductees include Jyotiraditya Scindia, Smriti Irani, Mansukh Mandaviya among others.

After this development, Swamy removed BJP National Exec. member from his Twitter bio. His current bio reads, "Rajya Sabha MP, Former Union Cabinet Minister, Harvard Ph.D in Economics; Professor, I give as good as I get".
Three days after two Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar further urging him to take necessary steps for getting the fishermen released. Stalin also requested EAM Jaishankar to carry out a trace and rescue operation to find the third fisherman who went missing on the same day.

In a letter directed to EAM Jaishankar, MK Stalin apprised him about the overall situation and further requested for taking major steps in the matter.

Have written to Hon. @DrSJaishankar, urging him to take all necesseary steps immediately to release the two Indian fishermen from the trawler capsized by Sri Lankan navy on 18th October and to trace & rescue the third fisherman aboard on the sunken vessel, who has been missing. pic.twitter.com/eG3rCWQ0VP  M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 20, 2021

The incident took place on October 18, when three fishermen ventured into the International Maritime Border Line (IMBL) after which the Sri Lanka Navy spotted them and detained them. However, the third fisherman fell into the sea and is missing since then. Later, a statement was issued by the Sri Lankan Navy informing that the two Indian fishermen have been rescued from a sinking vessel while they were fishing in Sri Lankan waters. The Navy also informed about the third fishermen going missing and they are looking for him.

23 fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy

Earlier on October 13, 2021, 23 more fishermen were spotted by the Sri Lankan Navy while they ventured into the sea for fishing near Parithithurai. Later, they were arrested by the Navy and were taken to the Karainagar Naval base.

Reacting to this, CM Stalin wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested his intervention in the matter. He also outlined the recent arrests and assaults of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lanka Navy in the past few days which has become a disturbing trend and needs a permanent solution.

This is not the first time when such an incident took place. There have been several instances of the Sri Lankan Navy detaining Indian fishermen further indicating a tense relationship between both countries. Earlier in August, some Indian fishermen accused the Sri Lankan Navy of attacking their boats with stones which later injured many fishermen. Meanwhile, the Indian group of fishermen has been blaming the COVID-19 situation for their huge losses due to which they are bound to go fishing wherever possible.

(With agency inputs, Image: PTI)
Paleontologists have recently identified a fossil of a crab preserved in amber to be nearly 100-million-years-old. After being discovered in Myanmar, the fossil is preserved at the Longyin Amber Museum in China's Yunnan and is the most complete crab fossil discovered to date. This fossil of a crab is being given extra importance as ambers are generally known to trap remains of organisms living on land and primarily on tree trunks.

Tiny crab preserved in 100-million-year-old amber lived among dinosaurshttps://t.co/Swp8VSpzcf pic.twitter.com/412hOKN6vr  Bill Lamb (@zachvat) October 20, 2021

Crab fossil dates back to the Dinosaur era

What is the most intriguing factor about the fossil is that the crab, dating millions of years old, shared the planet with dinosaurs. Published in the Journal Science Advances, this new study has named the found crab species Cretapsara athanata, which means the immortal Cretaceous spirit of clouds and water".

Talking about the discovery, lead author of the study and researcher at Harvard's Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Javier Luque said that this crab specimen is not missing a single hair and is the most complete crab fossil ever discovered in history. Since the amber is in possession now, experts hope that the crab will provide evidence about its behavior and the environment in which it once lived.

How did the crab end on land?

Upon performing Micro CT scans on the crab, the experts noted that this specimen has just 5-millimeter-long legs but weren't able to conclude if it is a baby, juvenile or adult crab. However, the scans revealed that the C. athanata species lack lung tissue and well-developed gills which explains its existence on land and how it got trapped in the amber. In addition to this, Luque explained that during the dinosaur era, the Cretaceous period to be specific, trees that could produce amber used to be evergreen and so the crab must have inhabited an evergreen forest, reported Gizmodo.

Luque suggested another possibility citing the Christmas Island red crabs, which are known to release their babies into the ocean, and then swim back to the land.

With the new evidence, the scientists are reportedly hoping to determine the origin of freshwater crabs, their behaviours and most importantly, the era when they first emerged. Till now, existing documents show that Brachyura crabs, also known as True Crabs emerged 200 million years ago while the marine and non-marine crabs split around 130 million years ago.

Image: Twitter/@Zachvat
Doubling down on the research over a collision between space entities, a new team of astronomers has discovered an Earth-like planet that got its atmosphere wiped away due to a massive collision. Astronomers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found the first evidence of a 'giant impact' that occurred in a planetary system dubbed HD 172555, suggested a report by Daily Mail.

Thrilled to finally announce our Nature discovery of CO gas from the aftermath of a giant planetary impact around HD172555, a nearby young star! This work was a great team effort led by @tajanasaurusrex, with @Sebastromarino @drgmk and others!https://t.co/TsaqRcwAVL

Thread1/8 pic.twitter.com/ed1rDkC8qJ  Luca Matra (@lucaroundthewo1) October 20, 2021

Collision 95 light-years away

The massive collision, which wiped part of the planet's atmosphere, occurred roughly 2,00,000 years ago in a planetary system that is located 95 light-years away from the Earth. Published in the journal Nature, the findings of the study further revealed that the planet endured the impact at more than 22,000 miles per hour which might have been the reason for the stripping off of its atmosphere.

The study suggests that astronomers obtained the evidence of the incident by monitoring the carbon monoxide and dust that surrounded the HD 172555 star. Their observations hinted towards a possible collision as the carbon monoxide was found circling close to HD 172555, which the experts suspected could have only resulted after a collision between two protoplanets similar to the size of the Earth. The team acquired the data using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile, reported Daily Mail.

Talking about their discovery, the study's lead author, Tajana Schneiderman said that the scientists have gathered such evidence for the first time which has given them additional insight into protoplanetary collisions, something which we don't have much evidence of. Moreover, Schneiderman also called the star system 'weird' as the HD 172555 possesses dust that contains minerals not found in a star along with carbon monoxide gas that pints towards a collision.

Further weighing in on the evidence, Schneiderman said his team analysed the carbon monoxide system because this particular star system was pretty interesting and also because the carbon monoxide is easiest to find while studying gases in debris disks. He reiterated that the heavy presence of gas so close to the star definitely should have resulted from an impact that occurred so long ago. It is the only scenario which the experts believe the most and have ruled out all other possibilities.

Image: Twitter/@lucaroundthewo1
As the Covid-19 instances are increasing each day in the United Kingdoms, Morocco has banned several arrivals and departure flights between the two nations. The Moroccan government has informed that several UK airlines flights would be halted starting from 11.59 PM BST on Wednesday until the further announcement.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's current data, the weekly frequency of confirmed coronavirus infections in the North African nation was only 10.4 in 100,000 persons on October 14. While, on the contrary, the present infection rate in the UK is 445.5 per 100,000 persons. The UK recorded 43,738 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total to over 40,000 for the first time in seven days. Meanwhile, the number of hospitalised patients increased by 10% in a week to 7,749 on Monday.

Morocco-UK flights

Furthermore, on Wednesday, EasyJet airlines had canceled two flights from Gatwick and Manchester, England to Marrakech, Morocco but had stated that they will resume service in the other direction to transport customers back to the UK before the ban takes effect. In a statement, the airlines said that they are currently waiting for clarification from Moroccan officials on whether they would get authorisation to fly return flights after midnight.

Additionally, the British Airways company has suspended flights between Heathrow and Marrakech, which were expected to restart on Thursday following the long back pandemic's hiatus.

Travel advisories in Morocco and the UK

For traveling to Morocco amid the COVID-19, the nation has been given a Level 3 Travel Health Notice by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Before going to Morocco, the visitors have to make sure that they are completely immunised. While the other advisories are unvaccinated visitors should avoid visiting Morocco unless it is absolutely necessary and only if travelers adhere to any advice or restrictions -- such as wearing a mask and keeping a distance of 6 feet from people.

Meanwhile, according to the UK government's travel advice to Morocco, Passengers from the United Kingdom are not prohibited from leaving the nation but should travel through a third country. As per BBC, the advice stated that the UK passengers must show confirmation of complete vaccination for at least two weeks or a negative PCR test performed not over 48 hours before departure.

Moreover, according to the most recent Worldometer data, the overall number of confirmed cases in the UK is 85,89,737 with 139,031 fatalities. While the overall number of confirmed cases in Morocco is 942,967 with 14,580.

Morocco suspended the flights from Germany and the Netherlands

Following this, the Moroccan government has even taken the decision to suspend flights with Germany and Netherlands until November 30. Royal Air Maroc, Morocco's official carrier, announced the suspension of flights in a tweet, due to "the pandemic scenario."

Upon decisions of national authorities and following the pandemic situation, flights from/to Germany, Netherlands and the UK are suspended from today, Wednesday 20th Oct at 23:59.  Royal Air Maroc (@RAM_Maroc) October 20, 2021

Over the last two weeks, the number of COVID cases in the Netherlands has increased dramatically, and the number of cases in Germany has also increased. According to data from the public health institution RIVM of the Netherlands, the total number of new cases in this week ending Tuesday was 25,751, which is the most since the end of July. The cases have been steadily increasing since September 25th, when prohibitions were relaxed. There were 48 fatalities, which was more than double the previous week's total.

While, for the first time since May, Germany has recorded over 17,000 coronavirus infections. In the last 24 hours, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Germany has verified 17,015 new coronavirus infections, rising from 6,771 on Tuesday. When compared to the previous week, the average number of new cases has grown by 22%. Authorities have verified 92 additional deaths and 711 new hospitalised cases.

Due to the upcoming flight suspension, Germany's foreign office advised citizens in Morocco to notify their travel operator as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Transavia, a Dutch airline, said it was looking into getting permission to fly past the midnight deadline to pick up stranded travelers from Morocco.

(Image: AP)
As a glowing sun sank behind the sandy barrier that cuts across the disputed territory of Western Sahara, Sidati Ahmed's battalion launched two missiles that sizzled through the air and then followed with an artillery attack.

Within minutes, a barrage of mortar shells flew in the opposite direction, from Moroccan positions, landing with a thick column of smoke in the barren desert of what is known as Africa's last colony.

"Low-intensity hostilities," as a recent United Nations report describes them, have raged for the past year along the 2,700-kilometer (1,700-mile) berm - a barrier second in length only to the Great Wall of China that separates the part of Western Sahara that Morocco rules from the sliver held by the Polisario Front, which wants the territory to be independent.

Both sides claim the area in its entirety.

For nearly 30 years this swath of North African desert about the size of Colorado  that sits on vast phosphate deposits, faces rich fishing grounds and is believed to have off-shore oil reserves  has existed in limbo, awaiting a referendum that was supposed to let the local Sahrawi people decide their future.

Instead, as negotiations over who would be allowed to vote dragged on, Morocco tightened its control of the territory, which was a Spanish colony until 1975.

Last year, the Polisario Front announced that it would no longer abide by the 1991 cease-fire that ended its 16-year guerilla war with Morocco.

The decision was fueled by frustration among younger Sahrawi - many of whom were born in refugee camps in Algeria, have never lived in their ancestral homeland, and are tired of waiting for the U.N.-promised referendum.

"Forty five years of political track has not led to any results," said Ahmed, who spent more than half of his 32 years in Cuba before returning to enlist for battle when the truce ended last year.

"We are fed up. The only thing that is going to bring our homeland back to us is this," Ahmed said pointing at his AK-47 weapon, as he stood on the front line in Mahbas.

The region, at the crossroads of Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria, is where most of the exchanges of fire take place.

Ahmed is typical of a generation of Sahrawi youth, most of whom traveled abroad to study  from Spain to Libya  but returned to the camps to form families.

And they've told their elders that they don't want to die in exile, with no future to offer to their own children.

The possibility, however remote, that clashes could escalate into a full-out regional war may be the Polisario's only hope of drawing attention to a conflict with few known casualties in a vast but forgotten corner of the desert.

Many in the camps feel that efforts to finally settle the status of Western Sahara have languished since Morocco proposed greater autonomy for the territory in 2004.

The front's hopes for independence suffered a major blow last year when the U.S. in the waning days of the Trump administration backed Morocco's claim to the territory, as part of efforts to get Morocco to recognize Israel.

Other countries, including the Polisario's main ally Algeria, recognize Western Sahara as independent, while still more support U.N. efforts for a negotiated solution.

The rising tensions have gotten the attention of the U.N., whose Minurso force oversaw the cease-fire and whose secretary-general recently appointed Staffan de Mistura, a seasoned Italian diplomat and former U.N. envoy for Syria, to take charge of the negotiations.

The Polisario's leader, Brahim Ghali, last week warned that de Mistura must be given a clear mandate from the Security Council to carry out a referendum.

Western Sahara will be before the Council on October 28, when members vote on whether to extend the Minurso mission.

Achieving progress is also a matter of legitimacy for the Polisario.

After years of internal division, the new hostilities have rallied pro-independence supporters around its leadership, but many fear that the lack of results could lead to more radicalization.

In the camps, the live fire from the front line reverberates strongly among refugees, who were forced to confront the precariousness of their existence when the humanitarian aid they rely on slowed to a trickle during the pandemic.

Medical missions were halted, medicine was in short supply and prices of camel, goat and chicken meat all went up, said 29-year old Dahaba Chej Baha, a refugee in the Boujdour camp.

On a recent morning, the mother of a 3-year-old was sheltering in the shade while in her third hour of waiting for an Algerian truck to deliver gas canisters.

Chej Baha said that those who would typically find ways to work overseas and send money back have become trapped because of pandemic-related travel restrictions.

"I want to give my daughter a different future," she said. She "She must study, she must work, she must live and see life. She must experience the world."

Morocco denies that there is an armed conflict raging in what it calls its "southern provinces," where about 90,000 Sahrawi people are estimated to live alongside 350,000 Moroccans.

Morocco has told the U.N. mission that its troops only return fire "in cases of direct threat" and "always in proportion to actions" of the Polisario.

In a response to questions from The Associated Press, the Moroccan government said that there have been "unilateral attacks" by the Polisario but no casualties on the Moroccan side.

It called any effort to portray the conflict as something bigger "propaganda elements intended for the media" and "desperate gesticulations to attract attention."

Intissar Fakir, an expert on the region for the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said that a full-fledged conflict  which could pit Morocco and Algeria against each other  wasn't in anyone's interest.

But she said that negotiating a lasting solution wouldn't be easy either.

"I think really the key is going to be finding a way to pressure both sides to come out of their entrenched positions," she said.

"That's proven very difficult to do over the past 10, 15 years. And I think it's going to continue to be very difficult, especially in view of the gains that Morocco has made."

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the European Union leaders will discuss sanctions against Belarus this week. She said that the other issue is migration which has become much relevant for Poland, Lithuania, and Germany because of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, reported news agency Sputnik. EU foreign ministers are contemplating potential sanctions against Belarus' national airline over allegations that it is carrying migrants from Iraq in order to push them through the country's border and into the bloc.

Several ministries want EU-registered enterprises to stop leasing planes to Belavia, the country's state airline, according to a report by Euronews. The report further stated that this would make it illegal for European corporations to do business with the national carrier. The goal is to thwart the Minsk regime's aim to penetrate EU land borders by flying migrants to Belarus and allowing them to travel into Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

In June, the EU had imposed against the Belarusian regime in response to the intensification of gross human rights breaches in the country and the brutal persecution of civil society. In addition, sanctions were also imposed in response to the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk on May 23, 2021, and the subsequent detention of journalists Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega stated a release by the EU. The economic sanctions included a ban on selling, supplying, transferring, or exporting equipment, technology, or software intended primarily for use in the monitoring or interception of internet and telephone communications to specific persons, entities, or bodies in Belarus. Furthermore, the Belarusian government, public bodies and agencies were given limited access to EU capital markets, and providing insurance and reinsurance to them was also prohibited, the release added.

Thousands of refugees travelled to Belarus in recent months

It should be mentioned here that earlier this month, the German government advocated for "humane" treatment of migrants at the European Union's external border with Belarus. According to a report by the Associated Press, thousands of refugees have travelled to Belarus in recent months in the hopes of crossing into Poland from Syria, Iraq, and other conflict-torn nations. Many also want to seek refuge in other EU nations, such as Germany. Meanwhile, human rights organisations have slammed Poland's handling of migrants, who are being driven back to Belarus despite deteriorating weather conditions, reported the news agency.

(With inputs from AP)

(Image: AP)
France would take hard steps against the UK by this week if the British government does not grant more licenses to French fishermen, said French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal on Wednesday. In its ongoing fishing dispute with the United Kingdom, France has threatened to cut down electricity supplies to Jersey, which is reliant on the former for a variety of needs. This came days after the French government strongly opposed the decision of the UK government and the Channel Islands of Jersey to deny dozens of French fishermen a license to work in their territorial waters.

Stating the UK government's move as "unacceptable," France considered the refusal as contrary to the post-Brexit agreement signed between the UK and France. Emphasising the retaliatory measures in its fishing dispute with the UK, Attal said, "We are obviously in a position to take sanctions if the agreement is not respected. There are several types of sanctions that are possible: energy prices, access to (French) ports, tariffs."

Post-Brexit Agreement

According to the post-Brexit agreement, which was signed between London and Brussels, it provides a grant to European fishermen to continue their fishing activities in the territorial water on the condition that they first obtain a license. The fishermen would get a license if they could prove that they had fished there before also. However, the agreement has now sparked an argument between the two neighbouring countries over the nature and extent of the evidence.

Fisheries dispute

The disputed water territory in Jersey is only 22 kilometres away from the French coast. Jersey is dependent on the UK government, but it has its own powers with regard to allowing fishing activities in its territorial waters. Attal stated that the government would announce sanctions and that they would take effect in November if a settlement is not done with the UK and Jersey. The Emmanuel Macron-led government has urged European Union nations to stand as one in the fishing dispute, asking the 27-nation bloc to denounce the UK government's decision and prepare retaliatory measures. Recently, France, along with 10 other European Union nations, issued a joint declaration rejecting the UK's decision over the fisheries dispute. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron will meet his counterparts at an EU summit held in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

(With Inputs from AP)

(Image: AP)
After a series of violent incidents and attacks on Hindu temples and minorities in Bangladesh, ISKCON has decided to go on a global protest against such atrocities on October 23, Saturday. Confirming the same, ISKCON in charge and spokesperson Radharamn Das said that the protest will be carried out in a peaceful manner across 150 countries on Saturday. Also, prayers will be held as a part of the protest.

Speaking on the same, he said that ISKCON has planned to carry out a worldwide day-long protest as harassment and killings of Hindus still continue in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the protest will be carried out across ISKCON's 850 temples across the globe at the same time.

Earlier, Das condemned the suspension of two Twitter handles of ISKCON. Taking to his official Twitter handle, he said that the "radical Islamists" have killed the voices of the people of Bangladesh further hitting out at the microblogging website for killing their voice.

They killed our devotees.@Twitter killed our voice pic.twitter.com/iBSoGpOA1r  Radharamn Das (@RadharamnDas) October 20, 2021

His remarks came after the official accounts of ISKCON Bangladesh and Bangladesh Hindu Unity Council were suspended from Twitter. Demanding an answer from Twitter, ISKCON has also sought clarification regarding the same.

Global bodies speak on Bangladesh violence

Meanwhile, several global bodies have also come forward to speak against the recent attacks on Hindu temples in Bangladesh. Recently, ISKCON reached out to the United Nations demanding a strong response from UN Chief Antonio Guterres. Responding to them, the organisation's Resident Coordinator Mia Seppo condemned the barbaric incidents and demanded the protection of minorities.

She also sought an impartial investigation in the matter. Taking to Twitter, Seppo called upon the Bangladesh government for stopping such activities.

Apart from that, ISKCON has also received continuous reactions and support from across the world as Hindus continue to protest in different countries. Statements from several US officials were also received further condemning the violence followed by a statement from the Hindu Council of Australia. The US State Department also issued a statement condemning the recent attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh in the last few days. It said,

"We condemn the recent violent attacks on Hindu temples and businesses in Bangladesh during the Durga Puja celebrations. Our thoughts are with the Hindu community as we urge authorities to investigate fully. Freedom of religion or belief is a human right."

Image: AP/PTI
As the COVID-19 cases lose their grip over Kuwaitis, the government has announced relaxation in the restrictions which were invoked when the country was witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases, news agency Sputnik reported on Wednesday. According to the reports, the government of Kuwait said that the cases of coronavirus have witnessed a decline in the past few weeks and, therefore they are announcing a return to normal life. While speaking to Kuwaiti state television, Prime Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah said, "Kuwait is entering the fifth phase of the gradual lifting of restrictions, we are returning to normal life with the observance of precautionary measures. The Prime Minister clarified that the "normal lie" would be applicable for only "fully vaccinated" people.

According to the latest announcement, the residents are now free to roam without wearing face masks, however, it added that precautions such as social distancing and face maks would be obligatory for indoor activities. "Now residents of the emirate have the opportunity not to wear masks outdoors, but wearing masks indoors and maintaining social distance in cafes, restaurants and other public places is still mandatory," Sputnik quoted Al-Sabah as saying to Kuwaiti state television. Notably, the country situated on the northern edge of Eastern Arabia reported 500 cases of COVID-19 infection in the last week.

Recently, Kuwait resumed direct flights to India

As of October 20, Wednesday, Kuwait has registered more than 412,000 cases of coronavirus since the deadly pandemic hit the country. According to the health ministry, nearly 2,500 people have died from COVID-19. Earlier in September, Kuwait resumed direct flights to India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal after the COVID cases showed a declining trend. Kuwait's civil aviation authority had halted flights to India during the devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and last month, announced its decision to resume flights. Following the advice of health experts, Kuwait had stopped commercial flights from a number of countries, including India, because of an increase in COVID-19 cases, in April.

It was decided that anyone travelling from India, whether directly or via another country, would be denied entry until they had spent at least 14 days outside the nation. From 1 July, Kuwait authorised direct flights to 12 countries, including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Kuwait government had, on 29 July, placed an overseas travel ban on people who had not been vaccinated. The rule had taken effect on 1 August.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: AP/UNSPLASH
Reham Khan took to Twitter to take another dig at her ex-husband and current Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, indirectly calling him a "soft man".

She said, "Empires crumble when there is weak leadership. Soft men who cant make hard decisions destroy sovereignty."

She seemed to refer to the rift between Imran Khan and Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Earlier this month, the Pakistani army announced Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum as the new Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Imran Khan reportedly told the Army Chief that he was not happy with the decision to replace former ISI Director-General Faiz Hameed.

Empires crumble when there is weak leadership. Soft men who cant make hard decisions destroy sovereignty.  Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) October 21, 2021

The Prime Minister has no say in the appointment of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) but he is known to be close with former ISI director General Faiz Hameed. It was well known through the Pakistani media that there were differences in the choice for the incoming ISI director, with the government preferring someone else over General Anjum.

The Pakistani Army later confirmed that General Bajwa also visited the ISI Headquarters to review the security situation in the country and to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. An official statement said, "The COAS was briefed on the Internal Security and ongoing situation in Afghanistan."

"Khan knew his government would not survive without Lt-Gen Hameed": PML-N leader

As the tensions grew between General Bajwa and Imran Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz accused Khan of interfering with the state institutions.

Maryam said that he favoured the prolongment of Lt-Gen Hameeds tenure because he knew that his government would not survive without his help. Talking to The Express Tribune, he said, "Imran Khan knew if the DG ISI was replaced, his government falls like a house of cards."

He added, "Imran Khan used to blame Nawaz Sharif for locking horns with the state institutions; but when his turn came, attacking the institution of the armed forces is one thing, he in fact carries out a suicide attack on them (just to save one person)."

Maryam Nawaz further added, "Imran Khan wants to a save the person, who was stealing elections and ballot boxes for him; who was oppressing his opponents; blackmailing judges to get favourable decisions; abducting journalists, and pulling the plug on (TV) channels."
Australia and Britain on Thursday, October 20, defended the strategic AUKUS security alliance amid concerns that the deal might start a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region. Britain's armed forces minister James Heappey told an online news conference there has been an "overhyping" about the AUKUS trilateral security pact between Australia, the United States and Britain, as he added that the three nations, UK and the US have been involved in sharing such technologies for decades. He also clarified that the subs that Australia purchases from Washington will not be nuclear-armed but will be nuclear reactor powered.

"There has been a lot of, sort of overhyping of AUKUS," Britain's armed forces minister James Heappey told reporters at a Kuala Lumpur event celebrating the 50th anniversary of a five-way defence pact between Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia. It doesn't in any way reflect a reduction in our friendships with colleagues and allies. It doesn't in any way represent a challenge in your part of the world, Heappey reportedly added during his address at the Five Powers Defence Arrangements conference.

Deal 'essential' to counter Chinese militarization

UKs Armed Forces minister also clarified that the deal was essential to counter Chinese militarization in the Indo pacific region, particularly in the strategically important South China Sea. The pact, however, has left the Southeast Asian countries divided with Indonesia and Malaysia warning that it will trigger an arms race among rival superpowers. The Philippines, a US ally, came out in support of the deal. Australian defence minister, Peter Dutton, said AUKUS would not change the Canberra security strategy, and that the country still will be a reliable partner for its allies.

"We're not somebody who interferes with the operations of other nations, we are a country which is forthright, and we love providing peace in our region, and that's at the centre of our friends here, Peter Dutton said at the conference.

Earlier last month, the UKs main opposition Labour party's delegates passed the emergency motion against AUKUS by 70.35% to 29.65%. "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. Meanwhile, the trilateral AUKUS deal also faced considerable backlash from China. A Chinese state-run newspaper quoted the PLA military officials as saying that the AUKUS will "potentially make Australia a target of a nuclear strike if a war breaks out" since the US is refraining the island continent from owning ballistic missiles.
The Director-General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Dinesh Patnaik has announced that Saudi Arabia has requested the establishment of a cultural centre in their nation. Patnaik said that the ICCR is concentrating on opening cultural centres in neighbouring countries and during that moment they have received the request from the middle east country.

In an interview with ANI, Patnaik stated, "Our focus is on countries, neighbouring countries to open cultural centres there. We had been thinking about opening a cultural centre in Saudi Arabia. But now, we have received a request from Saudi Arabia's side to set up a cultural centre there."

We've received a request from Saudi Arabia to set-up a culture centre. We're working on it. Yoga is very popular in Saudi Arabia. Our ties have strengthened in last 5-6 yrs. We're trying to take it forward through culture: Dinesh Patnaik, DG, Indian Council for Cultural Relations pic.twitter.com/RqErsaYNxB  ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021

Director-General ICCR talks about the establishment of cultural centres in other countries

Speaking on the topic of what can be done with the establishment of cultural centres in other countries, Patnaik stated that India can promote its culture and heritage through such centres. These cultural centres might also feature art, culture, and exhibitions from India. It will even provide an additional facility for teaching yoga and Indian music. These centres can even become a medium to teach the languages like Hindi and Sanskrit to other nations.

Patnaik also mentioned how yoga is gaining popularity in Saudi Arabia. He went on to say that they have given a Padma Shri award to a woman named Nouf Marwaai, who used to teach Yoga there. "India has developed a closer relationship with Saudi Arabia in the last 5-6 years after this government took over," he added.

Furthermore, the president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations Vinay Sahasrabuddhe informed the media on Tuesday about the numerous new projects of ICCR during the Foreign Correspondents' Club. He went on to say that ICCR will be welcoming aspiring politicians from 75 democratic nations as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' and help to develop a next-generation Democratic Network, which will be unveiled in the month of November.

Interacted with media yday at Foreign Correspondents Club to brief about many new initiatives of @iccr_hq !As part of #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav, we will be hosting budding politicians from 75 democratic countries and help evolve a #GenNextDemocraticNetwork to be launched in Nov! pic.twitter.com/L9Jp7D2EaL  Dr. VINAY Sahasrabuddhe (@Vinay1011) October 19, 2021

Indias first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad had created the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in the year 1950. The primary goal of ICCR is to play an active role in the development and implementation of policies and initiatives relating to India's external cultural relations.

Cultural relation between India and Saudi Arabia

The friendly and amicable relations between India and Saudi Arabia represent decades of economic and cultural connections. Several high-level meetings from both countries prompted the establishment of diplomatic ties in the year 1947. As a part of their cultural relation, from February 7 to 28 of the year 2018, India attended as a 'Guest of Honour' at the 32nd edition of the famous Saudi National Festival of Heritage and Culture, known as Janadriyah. Sushma Swaraj, who is the former External Affairs Minister, and His Majesty King Salman jointly opened the India Pavilion. Furthermore, since November 2017, yoga was designated as a "sports activity" in Saudi. The Embassy has been hosting International Yoga Day (IDY) festivities in an open space of Riyadh.

(Image: ANI/ iccr.gov.in)
The Carrier Strike Group (CSG) of the United Kingdom which is headed by the 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth, will enter Indian waters with one of the ships anchoring at Mumbai Port, further commencing robust engagements between India and the UK. HMS Queen Elizabeth is considered to be the most powerful surface ship of the UK Royal Navy. The propellers of the ship have the equivalent power generation capacity of 50 high-speed trains, and the length is compared with the height of Niagara Falls. It is touted to be UK's biggest-ever surface warship constructed.

This surface vessel heads six Royal Navy ships, a Royal Navy submarine, a US Navy destroyer, and a Dutch frigate. The fifth-generation F-35B lightning multi-role aeroplane is aboard the ship. Apart from that the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, as well as United States Marine Corps are all currently present on the vessel. The British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Chief of Defence Staff Gen Nick Carter will also be boarding the HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Further, when the vessel will dock in Mumbai, the UK foreign secretary will engage in a conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other business leaders. The first tri-service exercise between the two countries, Konkan Shakti, will be conducted while visiting HMS Queen Elizabeth. Another army drill, Ajeya Warrior, is now taking place in Uttarakhand, with about 120 British troops taking part.

HMS Queen Elizabeth sails into Bay of Bengal

Meanwhile, earlier on October 15, the British High Commission stated that the HMS Queen Elizabeth had sailed into the Bay of Bengal to ensure a fair, accessible, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. The deployment demonstrates the United Kingdom's pledge to strengthen diplomatic, financial, and security relations in the Indo-Pacific region.

This deployment follows the May 2021 agreement between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Boris Johnson on the UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Quoting the British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, ANI reported, India is an essential partner for the UK in the Indo-Pacific region. The Carrier Strike Group's visit demonstrates the deepening of the UK and India's defence and security partnership." He went on to say that PM Modi and Johnson have decided to work together to ensure both the countries' common security and prosperity. This visit will strengthen the military forces' collaboration and demonstrate the live bridge that connects the people.

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also planning a trip to India. Previously, due to the COVID-19 issue, two of his trips to India were already suspended. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will convene on the sidelines of COP 26 in Glasgow. India and the United Kingdom are also likely to start negotiations on a free trade deal. Furthermore, both countries support the right to free movement and navigation. HMS Queen Elizabeth had been in the South China Sea earlier in a non-provocation stance.

(Image: AP)
Hitting back at criticism from the United States, North Korea said that its latest submarine-launched ballistic missile test launch this week was carried out rightfully and the weapon did not specifically target America. In the comments published by Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the unnamed spokesperson of the countrys foreign ministry said that the latest test posed no immediate threat to the neighbouring nations. The North Korean official also said that there was no need for Washington to agonise over a weapon that doesnt target the US.

North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Pyongyang is truly concerned over what it termed an abnormal reaction by the US over a rightful exercise of its defence rights. The statement also referred to US and UKs request for an emergency closed-door meeting by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and called it a provocative move. The UNSC is set to meet on Thursday (local time) over the recent submarine-launches ballistic missile test by North Korea.

When doing the recent test-firing, we did not have the U.S. in mind nor aimed at it, but it is the work which had already been planned purely for the defence of the country, the spokesperson said, as per KCNA.

Further, the spokesperson noted that the US already possesses submarine-launched ballistic missile systems and added that Washingtons actions are exposing its double standards. The North Korean governments official also noted that criticising the nation for testing the same weaponry that the US owns only raises the Norths suspicion about the sincerity of US President Joe Biden administrations claims of harbouring no hostility toward Pyongyang.

Earlier, North Korea confirmed that it successfully tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SBLM) on Tuesday,19 October. North Koreas state news outlet KCNA said that the missile had advanced control guidance technologies which could make it challenging to track. Especially in recent weeks, North Korea has carried out an array of weapons tests, launching what could be hypersonic and long-range weapons. However, the United Nations (UN) prohibits the secretive nation from testing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.

Missile had controlling and homing technology

As per BBC report, ballistic missiles are considered more dangerous than cruise missiles because they can carry comparatively more powerful payloads and have a longer range than flies faster. The North Korean state media has said on Wednesday that its Tuesday missile had controlling and homing technology that allowed it to move laterally. Also releasing the pictures of the test, the outlet said that the ballistic missile was capable of gliding and jumping movement.

While KCNA said that the missile was launched from the same submarine that launched an older missile in a 2016 test, it remains unclear if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the test. Additionally, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff, as per BBC, said one missile was launched from the port of Sinpo in North Korea and it landed in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

(IMAGE: AP)
Isha Foundation founder and mystic Sadhguru on Wednesday lashed out at Twitter for its (missing) sense of evenhandedness and fairness after Twitter handles of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Hindu Unity Council were taken down.

In a tweet, Sadhguru said, "Protect the perpetrators, punish the victims. Is this @Twitter's sense of evenhandedness and fairness. Atrocious!"

Protect the perpetrators, punish the victims. Is this @Twitter's sense of evenhandedness and fairness. Atrocious! - Sg https://t.co/PLnoJQWSZk  Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) October 20, 2021

ISKCON seeks explanation from Twitter for shutting down two accounts

The ISKCON on Wednesday informed that two of their accounts were apparently unavailable on Twitter. Taking to the microblogging site, the religious body demanded the platform to issue a clarification on why these accounts were suspended. The demand was made by Yudhistir Govinda Das, ISKCON's Communications Director.

In a tweet from his personal account, Das asked if there is any pressure from the Bangladesh government. "Why are Hindu voices are being silenced in the midst of an emergency," he asked.

Twitter needs to explain why have they shut down @IskconBDH and @unitycouncilBD amidst the brutal attacks. Is this pressure from #Bangladesh government or @Twitter?



Why are Hindu voices are being silenced in the midst of an emergency. @Iyervval  Yudhistir Govinda Das (@yudhistirGD) October 19, 2021

Devotees at the ISKCON temple in the Noakhali area in Bangladesh were attacked by a huge mob on Dusshera, killing one person and injuring several others. The temple belongings were also damaged. Apart from this, during the Durga Puja celebrations, a series of attacks have taken place on minority Hindus in Bangladesh.

Speaking to Republic Media Network, ISKCON National Communication Director Vrajendra Nandan Das criticised Twitter's action and said that truth should not be silenced. "If we are sharing information through Twitter, people should know. They shouldn't have done this. We will reach out to our ISKCON counterparts in Bangladesh and Twitter and try finding out the truth," he said.

'Twitter has killed our voice'

Kolkata ISKCON Vice President Radharaman Das also expressed similar views on the Twitter ban and said that two blocked handles were connecting victims to the world. "Twitter has killed our voice. Even my Twitter handle is locked many times. I had to delete some of my tweets and after that, I was able to access my account," said Das.

He further alleged that Jack Dorsey's firm has become part of the group targeting Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. "People will continue to suffer. These two accounts were showing the horrific pictures and telling the stories, so that the world can see what is happening," Das added.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov slammed the European Parliament's decision to award the 2021 Sakharov Prize to jailed Opposition leader Alexei Navalny. While speaking to the press, Peskov stated that European Parliament has devalued the name of the prize by awarding it to such a person who is sentenced to jail. "We believe that the European Parliament has probably disrespected the award. We are familiar with the European Parliament and respect it but we also can't be compelled to respect such decisions," he said as reported by the news agency Sputnik. The Kremlin spokesperson went on to say that this decision was taken by persons who "do not possess credible knowledge."

In what could be termed as a direct blow to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, imprisoned leader Navalny, who nearly survived a poisoning he blames on the Kremlin, was awarded the European Union's top human rights prize on Wednesday, October 20. The European Parliament lauded Navalny's "immense personal fortitude" by awarding him the Sakharov Prize. Last year, the 45-year-old campaigner was poisoned with a nerve agent and rehabilitated in Germany, only to be detained and imprisoned upon his return to Moscow, according to a report by the Associated Press (AP). European Parliament's President David Sassoli stated that Navalny persistently battled Vladimir Putin's regime's corruption. He also helped expose injustices and mobilised the support of millions of people across Russia through his social media posts and political initiatives. In response, he was poisoned and imprisoned, AP quoted Sassoli as saying.

European Union calls for Navalny's immediate release

Sassoli also called for Navalny's immediate release from the jail. The European Union has been vocal in its demand for Navalny's unconditional release, claiming his detention as a politically motivated decision by Putin's government. Meanwhile, Navalny's top associate, Leonid Volkov said that the award demonstrated that hundreds of lawmakers from many nations and parties agree that fighting corruption is a European issue and Navalny is "political prisoner No. 1 in the world and Putins personal captive. It should be mentioned here that the EU's recognition of Navalny will further aggravate tensions between the bloc's 27 members and Russia. Although the ties have been deteriorating for years, particularly since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine. The handling of Navalny by Russia has only aggravated the situation, reported AP.

Image: AP
On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko warned that Ukraine's proposed NATO membership would be a "very dangerous step" which will have its consequences, reported Russian news agency Sputnik. Meanwhile, reacting to Ukraine's prospect of joining NATO, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Washington's support for Kyiv's ambitions while emphasising that third nations had no power to veto the membership. However, Rudenko pointed out that representatives from NATO member nations have made similar remarks on numerous occasions, and a similar approach is represented in statutory documents, reported the news agency.

"Since there are NATO-Ukraine talks, it is up to them to decide what is the best way forward," Rudenko said, adding that NATO is very well aware of Russia's views on Ukraine. In response to the alliance's expulsion of Russian diplomats, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had recently said that the government will stop the activities of the NATO military liaison mission in Moscow and its communications office. In addition, the Russian permanent mission to NATO will cease operations on November 1. Thereafter, the alliance will require to approach the Russian ambassador in Belgium for engagement with Moscow, reported the Russian news agency.

Russia expresses concern about NATO buildup along the country's borders

On Wednesday, October 20, Russia's defence chief expressed concern about NATO buildup along the country's borders and advocated for deeper security ties with Belarus. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu emphasised recent steps to strengthen military cooperation between the two partners, such as the renovation of military facilities for common use, reported the Associated Press (AP). Shoigu further said that he and his Belarusian counterpart extended agreements on two Russian military facilities in Belarus  an early warning radar in the Brest region near Poland and a naval communications facility in Vileyka near Minsk. Following Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, Russia's relations with the United States and NATO partners have plunged to post-Cold War lows, reported the news agency.

It should be mentioned here that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier called for the improvement of ties with Russia. As Russia protested the former Soviet republic's application for NATO membership, Zelenskyy appealed for assistance from NATO and the European Union (EU). Meanwhile, Russia has stated that engaging in discussions with Ukraine is "pointless" because Kyiv's administration is fully reliant on foreign supervision. Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian Security Council's Deputy Chairman, said in an article published in the Russian Kommersant newspaper that partners like Ukraine can not be trusted in the matter of international relations who often indulge in "constant nonsense," reported the news agency.

(With inputs from AP)

(Image: AP)
Russia's defense chief on Wednesday voiced concern about a buildup of NATO forces near the country's borders, and called for stronger defense ties with neighboring Belarus.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted recent efforts to boost military cooperation between the two allies, including modernization of military infrastructure for shared use.

After a meeting of the two countries' military top brass, Shoigu said he and his Belarusian counterpart extended agreements on two Russian military facilities in Belarus  an early warning radar in the Brest region near Poland and a naval communications center in Vileyka near the Belarusian capital of Minsk. He didn't specify for how long they were extended.

Russia and Belarus have a union agreement envisaging close political, economic and military ties. Moscow has staunchly backed Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko amid Western sanctions triggered by Belarusian authorities' crackdown on protests following his re-election to a sixth term in an August 2020. Belarus' opposition and the West rejected the election as a sham.

In a bid to secure more Kremlin support, Lukashenko has repeatedly described Belarus as a bulwark against the West and called for boosting defense ties with Russia.

Russia's relations with the U.S. and its NATO allies have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Earlier this month, NATO withdrew the accreditation of eight Russian officials to its Brussels headquarters, saying it believed they had been secretly working for Russian intelligence. Russia responded Monday by suspending its mission at NATO and ordering the closure of the alliances office in Moscow.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced concerns over the deployment of NATO forces near Russian borders, describing it as a threat to its security. Russia and the alliance also have blamed each other for conducting destabilizing military exercises near the borders.

Shoigu charged Wednesday that dozens of NATO drills near Russia's borders have been used to rehearse scenarios of military confrontation with Russia. He specifically voiced concern about a buildup of NATO troops in Poland and the Baltics, the deployment of U.S. missile defense facilities in Romania and Poland and the modernization of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe.

The Russian defense minister emphasized that NATO's activities make a coordinated defense policy, cooperation in the development of armed forces, an increase in coordination and combat training and a shared use of military infrastructure particularly acute for Russia and Belarus.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The Syrian Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday, urged the international community and the United Nations to condemn the explosion that rocked its capital Damascus earlier in the day. In a statement that was published by the SANA news agency, the Faisal Mekdad-led ministry called for deterrent action by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) against states funding terrorism. While the ministry stopped short of naming any country, President Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly accused US and Iran of aiding the rebel forces.

"Syria calls on the international community and the UN to condemn this explosion that targeted unarmed civilians, and it calls on the Security Council to take deterrent measures against the states supporting and financing terrorism," the ministry said.

It is pertinent to note that the explosions come at a time when the rebel forces are suffering from repeated advancement by the national military. While the war between Bashar al-Assad and rebel forces has contracted to the countrys northwest, Damascus has reportedly been targeted owing to its political significance.

Damascus attacks

At least 14 were dead, and 22 others were reported wounded in Syria after two IED explosions destroyed a military bus in the capital city of Damascus. A local television station, Sana TV that called the blast a "terrorist" attack, confirmed on Tuesday that two explosives went off in a war-torn countrys Army bus on the Hafez al Assad bridge. A third blast was averted by a Syrian army engineering unit. The explosives were detonated during the rush hour in the capital, and photos emerged on the local TV stations Telegram account.

A vehicle could be seen blown up with human body parts scattered all over the road under the Jisr al-Rais bridge. The blast, that occurred in the region dominated by rebel and jihadist groups that seek to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad's regime came at the time when fierce army shellfire also claimed at least 10 lives near the northwest, reports confirmed. Syrian civil defence teams arrived at the scene and transferred the injured to the hospital. In the images that they shared on Twitter, the fire crew was seen putting out the flames resulting from the explosion. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

(Image: AP)




On the sidelines of the Moscow format negotiations, representatives from India and the Taliban met on Wednesday, October 21. At Moscow meet, delegates from the Islamic Emirate met with J P Singh, the joint secretary of India's Ministry of External Affairs' Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division, according to a tweet posted by Zabihullah Mujahid, Deputy Minister for information and broadcasting of interim Afghan government. The Taliban delegation is led by Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi, while JP Singh, the joint secretary in charge of the external affairs ministry's Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division is leading the Indian envoy.

A delegation of the Islamic Emirate met with the Special Representative of India for Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan in Moscow today. A high-level delegation led by Hanafi met with Mr. JP Singh, Special Representative of India for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, and his  Zabihullah Mujahid (@Zabihullah_M3) October 20, 2021

In a subsequent tweet, the IEA spokesman added that both parties agreed that it was important to consider each other's issues and develop diplomatic and commercial ties. Finally, the Indian side stated its willingness to assist the Afghans with a wide spectrum of humanitarian aid.

GOI looks forward to help Afghans with humanitarian aid however anti-India actions backed by ISI on Afghan soil remains a concern

India is set to channel humanitarian help to Afghanistan via a United Nations organisation. India's desire to provide Afghans with food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid has previously been voiced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India had previously asked for unrestricted access for humanitarian aid providers in Afghanistan, as well as an equal allocation of resources among all ethnic groups.

The talks were attended by ten countries, including China, Pakistan, India, and Central Asian countries. In Doha, India has had limited communication with Taliban administration officials. India has refused to recognise the Taliban regime and has called for the formation of a more inclusive and representative government. The use of Afghan soil for anti-India actions backed by Pakistan's spy agency, ISI, has been a source of concern for the Indian government.

Image: AP
India Administers 100 Crore COVID-19 Vaccination Jabs

India on Thursday achieved a historic feat as it has administered more than 100 crores COVID-19 vaccination jabs since the country's inoculation drive began. In order to mark the celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will reach Delhi Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The country is set to witness celebrations and it is expected that announcements will be made on airplanes, ships, metros and at railway stations when India achieves its target of administering 100 crore doses.

#LIVE | India achieves historic feat with 100 crore vaccine doses administered, PM Modi leads celebrations; to interact with healthcare professionals.



Tune in to watch here - https://t.co/RZHKU3wOei pic.twitter.com/AHGyYZVUWq  Republic (@republic) October 21, 2021

Read more here

Mansukh Mandaviya To Launch Song To Celebrate Vaccine Milestone

As India is all set to achieve the milestone of 100 crore COVID-19 vaccination jabs, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday will launch a song and audio-visual film to mark the significance. According to Union Health Ministry data, the nation has currently administered 99.70 crore vaccine doses and is rapidly marching towards the goal. The cumulative total of 99.12 crore doses was recorded after Tuesday's total inoculation of 41 lakh doses. The Health Minister will launch the song and audio-visual film at 12.30 PM today from Red Fort.

Read more here

Stalin Writes To EAM Jaishankar Seeking Release Of 2 Fishermen

Three days after two Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar further urging him to take necessary steps for getting the fishermen released. Stalin also requested EAM Jaishankar to carry out a trace and rescue operation to find the third fisherman who went missing on the same day. In a letter directed to EAM Jaishankar, MK Stalin apprised him about the overall situation and further requested for taking major steps in the matter.

Have written to Hon. @DrSJaishankar, urging him to take all necesseary steps immediately to release the two Indian fishermen from the trawler capsized by Sri Lankan navy on 18th October and to trace & rescue the third fisherman aboard on the sunken vessel, who has been missing. pic.twitter.com/eG3rCWQ0VP  M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 20, 2021

Read more here

Shah Rukh Khan Meets Aryan In Jail

As Aryan Khan continues to remain in judicial custody, his father- Shah Rukh Khan visited him at Arthur Road jail on Thursday. The superstar was spotted entering the jail premises on Thursday morning, a day after Aryan's bail plea was rejected by a Mumbai sessions court. Khan's legal team has now filed an application in the Bombay High Court and is likely to be mentioned on Thursday before Justice Nitin Sambre. 23-year-old Aryan Khan - Shah Rukh Khan's son and seven others have been arrested in an NCB drug bust at Mumbai's international cruise port on October 2.

Read more here

Badal Avers 'Amarinder Always Toed BJP's Line'

Coming down heavily on Captain Amarinder Singh for seeking to tie up with BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal claimed that they were in cahoots with each other for the last 5 years. Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar on Wednesday, she asserted that Singh always followed BJP's line during his tenure as the CM. To buttress her point, Badal highlighted that PM Modi had not spoken against the former Punjab CM, unlike other opposition leaders. Moreover, he alleged that BJP had helped the Congress leader in the 2017 Assembly polls by transferring its votes to him.

Read more here

WHO's Assessment Of Sputnik V Vaccine In Final Stages

Just two days after South Africa denied approval to Sputnik V vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that it is assessing the Russia-designed vaccine for Emergency Use Listing (EUL). On Wednesday, developers of the Russian indigenous anti-coronavirus vaccine said that WHOs preliminary assessment of the vaccine was in the final stages and a team of health inspectors will visit Moscow soon. The vector-based vaccine is jointly developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

Read more here

Abdul Salam Hanafi Claims Women Have 'excellent Rights' Under Taliban

With the Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan, there is widespread anxiety that the exit of US and coalition soldiers could jeopardise even the modest advances made for Afghan women and girls. For more than two decades, Western countries encouraged Afghan women and girls to pursue higher education, work in the media, and hold public and government positions, but their abrupt pullout left many women vulnerable, according to The Frontier Post.

Read more here

Top US Diplomat Accuses China Of Not 'playing By Rules'

Amid soaring tensions with Beijing, top American diplomat Nicholas Burns, who has been nominated by United States President Joe Biden has stated that China has been an aggressor against India along the Himalayan border. Burns, who has been nominated by Biden as his next envoy to Beijing has asserted that the US should hold the Chinese government accountable for 'failing to play by the rules'.

Read more here

US Religious Freedom Body Urges Bangladesh Govt To Ensure Security Of Hindus

The United States' Religious Freedom body has launched a strong statement against attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. In its statement, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that it is 'gravely troubled' and 'especially disturbed' by the 'widespread attacks and desecration of Hindu places of worship [in #Bangladesh]'. The attack by an angry mob during Durga Puja celebrations claimed the lives of at least six people including two Hindu devotees while several others sustained critical injuries.

Read more here

Brian Laundrie's Suspected Human Remains & Items Found

Partial human remains were found on Wednesday in a Florida park where authorities were searching for Brian Laundrie, the fiance of Gabby Petito, the FBI said on 20 October. Petito disappeared on a road trip with Laundrie, who has also been missing for over a month after returning to Florida from a trip with his partner. Petitos body was later found in Wyoming, where the couple was documenting their travel journey.

Read more here
No US military injuries or deaths were recorded after the coordinated attack was targetted at a small remote American military base in Syria, reported ABC News citing two US officials. A United States military outpost at al-Tanf in northern Syria was hit on Wednesday, 20 October. The report stated that the US official said the coordinated attack at a minimum involved drones and indirect fire, which is a military term for mortar or rocket fire.

But, Iraqi security sources have said that the attack on the US military outpost included five booby-trapped drones and that it was carried out from inside Syria. However, there is no indication yet as to who might be responsible for the attack. The report added that similar drone attacks against US forces in Iraq have been often used by Iranian-backed militias, most significantly Kataib Hezbollah.

It is pertinent to note that drone attacks attributed to Iranian-backed militants have also resulted in American retaliatory airstrikes either in Iraq or Syria targeting the groups facilities. The Wednesday attack was carried out at the remote base at al-Tanf which is located along a crucial highway in southern Syria on the border with Jordan. Reportedly, it is surrounded by a 35-mile buffer zone to prevent potential conflicts with other government troops located close by including those of Russia and Syria.

US base at al-Tanf is only one northern Syria

Furthermore, the small US military base at al-Tanf is the only one American facility located in Syria and not located in Syrian Kurdish-held areas. Most of the 1,000 US troops in Syria are based in the eastern regions. The American troops continue to maintain their presence in the country as a part of the ongoing efforts to prevent the Islamic State from regaining territory inside the territory.

The Wednesday attack on the US base came after at least two IED explosions destroyed a military bus in the Syrian capital of Damascus killing 14 and leaving at least 22 wounded. Syrias Sana TV termed the blast as a terrorist attack and confirmed on Tuesday that two explosives went off in Syrias army bus on the Hafez al Assad bridge.

(IMAGE: AP)
Shortly before Colombia hosted a meeting on migration featuring the top diplomats from the United States and a number of Latin American countries, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Colombian President Ivan Duque stressed the need for more cooperation to tackle one of the hemisphere's most intractable problems.

"We both recognize that the unprecedented migration challenge that we're facing in our hemisphere requires Blinken seek regional cooperation on migrationand coordination and shared responsibility. That's what our meeting this afternoon is about," said Blinken during the press conference.

Blinken also congratulated Colombia for welcoming some two million Venezuelan migrants, who will be granted a 10-year temporary protection card to integrate them socio-economically.

For his part, Colombian President Ivan Duque thanked the United States "for contributing resources with much faster disbursements than other donor countries", funds intended for migration issues.

Wednesday's ministerial meeting on migration is expected to draw the attendance of the foreign ministers of Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras and Peru, in addition to leaders from the U.S. and Colombia.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled her trip to Northern Ireland and has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days, said Buckingham Palace. As per the BBC report, the 95-year-old monarch will remain at Windsor Castle but her participation is expected in the upcoming COP 26 climate change conference in Glasglow. The palace reportedly also said that the Queen is in good spirits but disappointed that the Northern Ireland trip is scrapped.

She was slated to start the two-day visit on Wednesday and had been attending an array of events including hosting the Global Investment Summit on Tuesday. Earlier on that same day, the British monarch also held two separate audiences through video links. The Queen spoke with Japanese ambassador Hajime Hayashi and the EU ambassador Joao de Almeida. Additionally, on Monday, she held a virtual conference with New Zealands new governor-general. Over the weekend, she even attended the races at Ascot.

The report quoted the Buckingham Palace spokesperson as saying, The Queen has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days. Her Majesty is in good spirits and is disappointed that she will no longer be able to visit Northern Ireland, where she had been due to undertake a series of engagements today and tomorrow. The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland and looks forward to visiting in the future.

Queen asked to cut down alcohol consumption

Vanity Fair reported citing two unnamed sources close to the 95-year-old that the doctors have advised the Queen to forgo alcohol except only for special occasions to ensure that she remains healthy for her busy schedule in autumn. The media outlet quoted a family friend as saying that the Queen has been told to give up her evening drink which is usually a martini adding Its not really a big deal for her, she is not a big drinker but it seems a trifle unfair that at this stage in her life shes having to give up one of very few pleasures.

(IMAGE: AP)


United Kingdom's Labour Party lawmaker Keir Starmer slammed messaging app Telegram for "harbouring extremists" and urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take tough measures against the online platform. Starmer suggested that online platforms be sanctioned for distributing content that promotes extremism, violence, and racial hatred, reported news agency Sputnik. The Opposition leader also chastised the ruling government for not penalizing platforms that "fail to crack down on extremism." Telegram has facilitated and promoted a terrorist-supporting subculture so a tough sanction against the platform is the need of the hour, stated Starmer.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the government intended to bring the law before Christmas and would consider stiffer consequences for anyone who breaks it. He also added that those guilty of permitting extremist information online would face tough sentences, reported the news agency. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Starmer stated that the government had promised a crackdown on online extremism and hate speech three years ago, but the plans are yet to begin their passage into legislation. He also claimed that the harm caused by toxic content online is worse than ever. Furthermore, he slammed Facebook's and Instagram's "destructive algorithms," and claimed to have seen cases of "violent Islamism and far-right propaganda" on TikTok, a popular teen social media platform, reported BBC News.

'UK government looking to revamp its approach for counter-terrorism programme'

Following the assassination of Conservative lawmaker Sir David Amess, the UK government is looking to revamp its approach for the government's counter-terrorism programme, "Prevent." According to the government officials, MI5, Britain's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency, might be given more control over the country's anti-terror programme. Meanwhile, another British MP, Mark Francois has proposed changing the current Online Harms Bill to 'David's Law,' in memory of the slain politician.

On Monday, politicians from all parties assembled at the House of Commons for a minute of silence in honour of Amess. Francois paid tribute to Sir David, calling the 69-year-old one of his closest friends and political mentors, and vowed to use his time in parliament to overhaul the social media regulations. While authorities are looking into whether there are any links to Islamist extremism and have not linked the assassination to MPs being targeted online, Amess' allies sought a crackdown claiming the slain leader had expressed increased concern about threats and toxicity in public discourse, reported The Guardian.

Image: AP/Pixabay
The threat level against lawmakers in the UK has been raised to substantial from moderate following a review, said Britains Home secretary Priti Patel. While addressing the House of Commons, Patel said that the police and intelligence services would properly reflect the change in their security arrangements for the MPs. The UK Home secretary made the announcement after Conservative MP David Amess was killed in his constituency on 15 October. Patel urged lawmakers to take the change in risk seriously.

Patel told Commons, While we do not see any information or intelligence which points to any credible or specific or imminent threat, I must update the House that the threat level facing members of parliament is now deemed to be substantial.

This is the same level as the current national threat to the United Kingdom as a whole, so I can assure the house that our world-class intelligence and security agencies and counter-terror police will now ensure that this change is properly reflected in the operational posture, she added in her address.

The Home Secretary @PritiPatel is giving an additional statement tonight 'Security Update' after the end of proceedings on the Environment Bill, at approx. 8.30pm.



You can watch here: https://t.co/F2FIe2osog  UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) October 20, 2021

Sir David Amess represented all that was good about this place.



My statement on our great friend. pic.twitter.com/hR8MaxKrHl  Priti Patel (@pritipatel) October 19, 2021

As per The Guardian report, the new threat level corresponds to national risk guidance on terrorist attacks implies that an attack is likely. Additionally, a spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs Council said based on Patels announcement, We will be working closely with government, forces and parliamentary authorities to review the security offering for MPs, ensuring a more consistent security response wherever MPs are in the country. The report further quoted the official saying, Any recommendations made to members will need to be bespoke to their individual circumstances.

UK PM Urged By MPs For 'David's Law'

In the wake of the shocking killing of British lawmaker David Amess, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing calls to enact Davids law to tackle social media abuse directed towards public figures in the country and end online anonymity. As per The Guardian report, dozens of UK MPs on Monday, 18 October paid tribute to the veteran Conservative by expressing anger and sharing other qualities of Amess.

On 15 October, a 25-year-old British man with Somali heritage, Ali Harbi Ali, who was arrested at the scene, stabbed Amess at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea in his own constituency surgery of Southend West in Essex. Ali was arrested under the Terrorism Act on suspicion of murder. Police have also said, as per AP, that the suspect might have had a motivation linked to Islamist extremism. Amess death sent shockwaves across the country.

(IMAGE: AP)


Partial human remains were found on Wednesday in a Florida park where authorities were searching for Brian Laundrie, the fiance of Gabby Petito, the FBI said on 20 October. Petito disappeared on a road trip with Laundrie, who has also been missing for over a month after returning to Florida from a trip with his partner. Petitos body was later found in Wyoming, where the couple was documenting their travel journey.

Laundrie is the person of interest in Petios death, and the FBI said on Wednesday that items belonging to him, including bagback and notebook were also recovered from the Florida wilderness.

Items belonging to Brian Laundrie found

As per The Guardian report, the FBI said that it found other items belonging to Laundrie after his parents also took part in the search. He was reported missing after heading to the vast Carlton Reserve park. In a statement, the FBI reportedly said, Investigators found what appeared to be human remains, along with personal items  belonging to Brian Laundrie. The remains have not yet been identified.

The items were found in Myakkahatchee Creek environmental park as the authorities continued to search for clues of Petitos death. Her body was found in a secluded part of Wyoming in late September. The agencys Tampa division has reportedly said that FBI investigators were working at Carlton Reserve, which is close to the park.

Brian Laundries disappearance after Gabby Petitos death

The 23-year-old Laundrie became the person of interest in Petitos death, a case that generated enormous public interest while raising other questions such as the difference of attention given to the white womans missing case in the face of hundreds of Native Americans, minority women. Laundrie had been missing since 14 September, two weeks after he returned alone from a trip with his fiance. His parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie said that their son left the house in North Port with a backpack leaving behind his wallet and cellphone.

His disappearance triggered several days of search by the FBI in the Carlton Reserve wilderness. Laundrie was charged in his absence with the unauthorised use of a debit card. Petitos body was found on 19 September with the coroner concluding that she died of strangulation. Notably, Laundrie and Petito were stopped by police on 12 August in Moab, Utah after they had a physical altercation. But, no charges were filed at the time. Laundrie returned home on 1 September but disappeared.

Is Brian Laundrie dead?

Gabby Petito's death gained massive traction on social media mainly because the couple involved was active on social media and was even documenting their nomadic "van life" trip. Several TikTokers have jumped in to carry their own investigations regarding Petito's death and the couple's life. There are videos on YouTube regarding the investigation, alleged sightings with one of them titled, 'Is Brian Laundrie dead or alive?' Social media's involvement in the case has not only paved the way for misinformation but also sparked conversations about how hundreds of Americans go missing, and none of them receive the attention close to Petito's death. So far FBI has refrained from commenting publicly on Laundrie's death as investigation is currently underway.

(Image: @GABSPetito/Instagram)
In major developments amid Russian exit from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), US Secretary of Defence Llyod J. Austin held talks with his Romanian counterpart Nicolae-lonel Ciuca on a "range of issues," the US Department of Defense said in a statement on Wednesday, as reported by Xinhua. Both the nations have built a relationship that's based on "mutual trust, respect and the political will to advance common defense objectives, General Austin asserted in a joint press conference that took place after the meeting. He also pledged to continue security exercises and work with partners in the Black Sea region.

Dubbing Russian military operations as a "malign" influence, the US Defence secretary also emphasised the importance of deepening cooperation among Black Sea allies to "deter and defend" activities in the region. "As I mentioned during my visit to Kyiv [Ukraine], the United States will continue to provide assistance to enhance the maritime capabilities of Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Georgia, in support of these efforts," he said at the presser. Additionally, the leaders also jointly agreed to continue maintaining 1,000 soldiers through rotation in Romania.

US sees Romania as key to secure Eastern border: US Defence Secretary

Romania is a frontline state facing Russia, and both leaders discussed ways to deter Russia from malign activities, the defence department said in a statement. "Biden administration is committed to strengthening the Euro-Atlantic bonds and sees Romania as a key to a secure Eastern border," Austin affirmed while speaking to Ciuca.

General Austin also praised Romania's progress in achieving NATO's goals through the past years. "Romania has surpassed NATO's goal of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense, and 20 percent of that money is being spent on modernization  another NATO goal," the statement said quoting the General. Romania has also bolstered cyber Defence capabilities and deepened intelligence cooperation since both the countries signed the strategic partnership document a decade ago, the statement noted.

Meanwhile, Romania has also assured 'defence and deterrence' posture in the European and Euro-Atlantic region. "The Black Sea is and will continue to be an extremely important strategical center of gravity," General Ciuca said during the presser, adding that "consolidating the defense and deterrence posture, including through the consolidation of the presence of American forces on our territory, but also through developing our own relevant and interoperable capabilities, represents the solution for countering Russia's assertiveness." The developments come amid Russia's exit from NATO and suspension of related operations in Moscow.

Russia suspends NATO mission

In a retaliatory move to counter the expulsion of eight members of Russian military alliance, Moscow on October 18 announced disengagement with the intergovernmental military alliance saying that the NATO Mission in Moscow would be stripped of their accreditation from November 1.

It is to be noted that NATO had suspended practical operations with Russian in 2014 after it annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. As per a report by The Guardian, although, NATO kept channels open for high-level military talks, both the parties had only met "sporadically."

Image: @USDepartmentofDefence
Before the end of Q2 of the fiscal year 2021, which concluded in September, US officials apprehended more than 1.7 million migrants along the Mexican border, with Border Patrol arrests reaching new highs since 1986, reported The Washington Post citing unpublished US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. Illegal crossings began to rise last year but peaked after Joe Biden took over as US President. Biden called the uptick in CBP arrests this spring as "consistent with previous seasonal patterns." However, the busiest months were July and August, when over 200,000 migrants were apprehended.

On Tuesday, October 19, Republican senators asked Tucson police chief Chris Magnus, who has been nominated to lead CBP, to call the surge a "crisis" during a confirmation hearing. "It's a huge challenge," Magnus said, echoing the Biden administration's preferred term and added that "the numbers are pretty high." The statistics for the fiscal year 2021 is scheduled to be released later this week by CBP, reported The Washington Post.

'Border enforcement: A big political liability for Biden administration'

The report further stated that President Biden's handling of immigration remains his worst-polling concern, and border enforcement has become a big political liability for him. In contrast to former President Donald Trump, whose zero-tolerance family separation policy sparked an international outcry in 2018, Biden promised on the campaign trail to make the United States more friendly to immigrants. During the transition, Biden stated that he intended to proceed with caution on immigration policy in order to avoid having "2 million people on the US border." Since taking over the charge of the White House, the Biden administration promptly suspended border wall construction, repealed the "Remain in Mexico" policy, reversed significant asylum limits, and imposed a 100-day moratorium on most deportations and enforcement by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reported the US daily.

'Biden administration's challenges extend far beyond Central America'

According to the CBP data, the administration's challenges extend far beyond Central America. During the fiscal year 2021, the Border Patrol arrested more than 608,000 Mexican nationals, making it the single largest source of illegal migration. As a result, the Biden administration finds itself in a delicate position, relying on Mexico to increase enforcement and halt caravan groups from moving north. Meanwhile, officials from Biden's administration are in talks with Mexican officials in order to comply with federal court orders to reinstate the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which compels asylum seekers to wait outside of US territory until their claims are reviewed, reported The Washington Times.

Apart from Mexico and Central America, the second-largest grouping was composed of migrants from countries likes, Haiti, Venezuela, Ecuador, Cuba, Brazil and dozens of other nations. The CBP data says they accounted for a total of 367,000 arrests. They were followed by migrants from Honduras (309,000), Guatemala (279,000) and El Salvador (96,000), reported The Washington Post citing CBC data.

Image: Unsplash/PTI/Representative
Im dismayed that my own government is harassing  and I consider it illegally harassing  individuals for no cause, said oceanographer Walker Orson Smith.

On May 31, an American academic who studies the tiny nutrients that sustain marine life was pulled aside by immigration officials at Detroit International Airport. He was interrogated for an hour and had his laptop, Amazon Kindle, mobile phones and external hard drives confiscated.

I had thought it was just one particular agent who, for whatever reason, thought that he was going to catch a spy or something and enhance his career, the academic, Walker Orson Smith, told RFA. But it now seems much larger than that.

A sealed court order seen by RFA reveals just how much larger. Dated Aug. 11, the order grants a request by the U.S. Attorneys Office for Eastern Michigan for a 90-day delay in notifying Smith that a search warrant had been granted in July for the FBI to forensically image and review the data on eight electronic devices seized from him at the Detroit airport.

According to the court order, Smith, along with several unnamed colleagues, is the subject of a federal investigation into alleged theft of trade secrets, false statements and wire fraud stemming from their involvement in Chinas now-mothballed Thousand Talents Program, which sought to attract foreign scientists to work in Chinese universities.

The Thousand Talent Program is widely associated with misconduct, property theft, and espionage. Moreover, it forms a core part of the Chinese Communist Partys efforts to build its own power by leveraging foreign technology and expertise, was the U.S. attorneys characterization of the program in its application for the court order.

The investigation into Smith appears to be part of the China Initiative, a law enforcement program launched in 2018 by then-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to counter Chinese economic espionage. The program has come up against criticism in recent months from academics at top American universities and members of Congress over allegations of racial profiling, over-criminalization and baseless prosecutions.

Aged 71 and one of the leading experts on marine life off the coast of Antarctica, Smith holds the posts of emeritus professor at William and Mary College in the U.S. state of Virginia, and distinguished professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The main focus of his work is the lifecycle of plankton in the Southern Ocean and its place in the food chain. His research has taken him around the world, with visiting professorships in Vietnam, Sweden and, most recently, China. Speaking with RFA, he described the allegations against him as ludicrous and said he believed the investigation to be a fishing expedition.

That the FBI should take an interest in him was bewildering to Smith. For starters, he said, his work does not have any commercial or military applications. He added that while some of his work does make use of a piece of restricted technology, he has always been careful to erect a firewall between those projects and his collaborations with Chinese scientists.

I use it only in U.S. programs. In fact, Im very paranoid about how to even discuss those data. But the instrument itself has been restricted for many years, Smith said.

And China is working very hard to catch up on that. But to be honest, Im not an engineer, I couldnt even help them with that anyways, he added. So, the theft of intellectual properties [allegation] is just kind of silly. I hate to say it, but it just doesnt make sense.

Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announcing the China Initiative to crack down on Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 1, 2018. Credit: AFP Electronic devices

The US Attorneys Office for Eastern Michigan redirected RFAs request for comment about Smiths case and why he was being investigated to the U.S. Attorneys Office for Eastern Virginia, whose director of public affairs, Karoline Foote, declined to comment.

The application for the secrecy order did not cite any specific allegations of trade secrets theft or wire fraud. Instead, in obtaining the secrecy order and the underlying search warrant, the U.S. attorney relied on three statements allegedly made by Smith while he was being interrogated at the airport in May.

During a secondary inspection at the airport, Smith claimed that the electronic devices seized did not belong to the [Shanghai Jiao Tong University] SJTU (despite the fact that some had SJTU identifiers on them), that he could not remember the passwords to the devices, and that the Thousand Talent Program has been cancelled, the U.S. attorney alleged in its application for the secrecy order.

There is probable cause to believe that these statements are false. As a result, this Court authorized a search warrant of the electronic devices to further investigate these false statements.

Smith told RFA he rejects the U.S. attorneys characterization of all three statements. He insisted that none of the electronic devices seized belonged to Shanghai Jiao Tong University nor, he claimed, did they bear any of the Chinese universitys markings.

Its not true, he said. In fact, the computer very clearly had a tag from William and Mary [College]. The phones were obviously my personal phones. The Kindle was mine, and the thumb drives. There was no identifier on those things, so that statement is just false.

Likewise, he says, the allegation that he falsely claimed not to remember the passwords for his devices is a distortion. During the interrogation, Smith says he was handed a piece of paper and asked to write down his passwords for everything from his email accounts to his online banking. To remember many of those, he says, he relies upon his computer, which had already been taken away from him.

I wasnt necessarily reacting negatively, he said. I dont want to give people my bank account information. I think that is an inappropriate use of their power. So, I was hesitant to give them all that, but I did give it to them.

And Smith is correct in stating that the Thousand Talents Program was cancelled. It was shut down in 2019, according to China Innovation Funding, an EU-funded database of Chinese financial support available to European researchers. The Thousand Talents Programs website has been offline for over a year.

Yet there are enduring concerns in Washington about Chinese espionage, which have only intensified as Beijing has grown more defiant and assertive on the world stage, and U.S.-China relations have deteriorated.

Anming Hu, a University of Tennessee associate professor, who was charged with economic espionage over involvement in the Thousand Talents Program, but cleared of all charges. Credit: University of Tennessee

Lawmakers raise alarm

Against that backdrop, U.S. lawmakers from both parties have raised the alarm over the potential exploitation by China of access to sensitive research at U.S. universities. This summer, the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would restrict scholars with ties to certain foreign talent programs from participating in U.S. government-sponsored research.

But the U.S. Justice Departments prosecution of academics over their ties to China has also drawn criticism. On Sept. 8, 177 faculty members at Stanford University wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on him to shut down the China Initiative.

We understand that concerns about Chinese government sanctioned activities including intellectual property theft and economic espionage are important to address, they wrote. We believe, however, that the China Initiative has deviated significantly from its claimed mission: it is harming the United States research and technology competitiveness and it is fueling biases that, in turn, raise concerns about racial profiling.

The Stanford academics stressed the need for the government to acknowledge the difference between the open fundamental research carried out at universities and the more applied and proprietary research being carried out by the military and private sectors.

In July, 91 members of Congress also wrote to the attorney general to request an investigation into the repeated, wrongful targeting of individuals of Asian descent for alleged espionage.

The letter noted the case of University of Tennessee associate professor Anming Hu, who like Smith came under investigation by the FBI due to his involvement in the Thousand Talents Program. The FBI had initially suspected him of economic espionage for China, but eventually only charged him with the far lesser offences of wire fraud and giving false statements in relation to grant funding applications.

In acquitting Hu of all charges in September, Judge Thomas Varlan noted that the investigating agent in the case ultimately acknowledged that he was not familiar with the ways in which universities engage with government agencies for purposes of sponsoring proposals.

Hu has since been invited by University of Tennessee to return to work as a tenured faculty member. The university has also offered Hu backpay for the duration of his suspension, assistance re-establishing his research program and payment for an immigration attorney.

So far, the Justice Department has continued to stand behind the China Initiative in spite of the mounting criticisms. The Washington Post reported last month that officials have defended the program on the basis that, There is no government comparable to China in scope and scale of policies designed to undercut the United States technological edge, including through economic espionage and trade secret theft.

Beyond traditional spying

Cases against scientists and researchers represent a small portion of the program, the Washington Post reported the officials as saying.

The initiative extends into academia because Chinas efforts go beyond traditional spying to recruit researchers whose work  even if unclassified and eventually published  can benefit the Communist-led government, the paper quoted officials as saying.

In Smiths case, the U.S. attorneys application for the secret search warrant stated that Shanghai Jiao Tong University where he worked has links to Chinas Peoples Liberation Army.

The university is categorized as high risk on a database compiled by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and funded by the U.S. State Department that catalogues the collaboration of educational institutes with the PLA and Chinese security agencies.

But Smith said that beyond the first-year military training that is mandatory for all Chinese undergraduates across the country, he is not aware of any links between the university and the PLA.

He contends that the U.S. government is failing to properly distinguish between the worlds of academia and national security.

It seems like they dont understand how either science or academics works. You know, the free flow of information, in terms of publication, is critical. I believe that and will continue to believe that, Smith said.

I can understand restricting commercial things and sensitive military information, Im all for that, he added. But restricting information thats for the benefit of mankind is counterproductive.

Ive been trained to provide knowledge, to provide mentoring, to improve the state of our understanding about the ocean. I think thats a good thing. So, to turn that into an accusation seems very blind.

While he acknowledged that there is a risk in speaking out publicly that he will provoke an outsize reaction from the Justice Department, he said he hoped that by doing so others might be spared a similar predicament.

Its not how I like to think my country should operate, he said. Im dismayed that my own government is harassing  and I consider it illegally harassing  individuals for no cause.

You know, Martin Luther King was right, the truth shall set you free, he added. I could predict that if a random group of Americans were to read your story, half of them would say Well, hes obviously a spy, throw him in jail. And the other half would say, Governments out of control again. Thats the way it is.




As the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans for a conference in December to "defend democratic values," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin hit out at the exclusion of authoritarian regimes, saying the U.S. shouldn't be allowed to claim ownership of the term.



"One should not try to turn democracy into Coca-Cola, which tastes the same across the world with the syrup produced by one country, and deprive countries of the right and freedom to explore their own democratic path, in total disregard of the diversity of history, culture, social system and development stage of countries," Wang told an Oct. 19 news conference in Beijing.



Wang also accused the U.S. of "inciting division and confrontation in the international arena and pushing the world back to the Cold War" in the name of democracy.



"It will only bring turbulence and chaos to the world and undermine the peace and development of mankind," he said.



Wang's diatribe comes after CCP general secretary Xi Jinping claimed democracy as "a key tenet" of his party's regime, and called for improvements to the nationwide system of People's Congresses, which run "elections" to choose representatives from a carefully controlled slate of CCP-backed candidates.



Analysts said Xi's used of the term to describe life under one-party rule by the CCP is deliberate.



"Xi Jinping and the CCP are attempting to essentially pirate the concepts of democracy and human rights in order to lessen their ideological power ... the threat that they pose ideologically to power of the CCP," Anders Corr, who publishes the Journal of Political Risk, told RFA. "China under the CCP is not a democracy. It does not have human rights. It does not have the rule of law."



"It attempts to portray itself as having all these things; it adopts the ideas and the concepts to try to promote itself and to try to conceal the ... genuine will of the Chinese people," Corr said.



Demonstrators holding yellow umbrellas and a placard with Chinese President Xi Jinping take part in a "Stand With Hong Kong" rally to mark the 2nd anniversary of democracy rallies in the Chinese-controlled city, in Pasadena, California, June 12, 2021. Credit: AFP 'Cold War thinking' Recent claims by Chinese leader Xi Jinping that China has its own brand of "democracy" are a bid to water down the concept, and minimize its ideological power against the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party (CCP), analysts told RFA.As the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans for a conference in December to "defend democratic values," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin hit out at the exclusion of authoritarian regimes, saying the U.S. shouldn't be allowed to claim ownership of the term."One should not try to turn democracy into Coca-Cola, which tastes the same across the world with the syrup produced by one country, and deprive countries of the right and freedom to explore their own democratic path, in total disregard of the diversity of history, culture, social system and development stage of countries," Wang told an Oct. 19 news conference in Beijing.Wang also accused the U.S. of "inciting division and confrontation in the international arena and pushing the world back to the Cold War" in the name of democracy."It will only bring turbulence and chaos to the world and undermine the peace and development of mankind," he said.Wang's diatribe comes after CCP general secretary Xi Jinping claimed democracy as "a key tenet" of his party's regime, and called for improvements to the nationwide system of People's Congresses, which run "elections" to choose representatives from a carefully controlled slate of CCP-backed candidates.Analysts said Xi's used of the term to describe life under one-party rule by the CCP is deliberate."Xi Jinping and the CCP are attempting to essentially pirate the concepts of democracy and human rights in order to lessen their ideological power ... the threat that they pose ideologically to power of the CCP," Anders Corr, who publishes the Journal of Political Risk, told RFA. "China under the CCP is not a democracy. It does not have human rights. It does not have the rule of law.""It attempts to portray itself as having all these things; it adopts the ideas and the concepts to try to promote itself and to try to conceal the ... genuine will of the Chinese people," Corr said.

He said Wang Wenbin's reference to "Cold War thinking" is an attempt to undermine attempts by democracies to defend themselves against the CCP's efforts to export its model of totalitarian rule and infiltrate the political and intellectual life of other countries.



"We could not have defeated the Nazis without confronting them," he said. "Confrontation is absolutely necessary when dealing with totalitarians like the CCP. This is what the CCP calls 'Cold War thinking'."



Xi claimed at the conference on People's Congresses that China practices "whole-process" democracy, because its 1.4 billion population takes part in such elections, as well as political consultations and other forms of decision-making.



"Democracy, a shared value of humanity, is a key tenet unswervingly upheld by the CPC and the Chinese people," Xi told an Oct. 13-14 conference on People's Congresses in Beijing.



Whether a country is democratic or not should be judged by its own people, not by a handful of people from outside it, he said.



In a 2013 essay analyzing one of Xi's early speeches as general secretary, former top CCP aide Bao Tong hit out at late supreme leader Mao Zedong for promising democratic governance when the CCP took power, then failing to deliver.



"It's a shame that that consummate showman Mao Zedong sang his siren song of democracy, but walked the road of fascist dictatorship instead," Bao wrote. "We, the Chinese people, should watch closely to see whether Xi takes the road to democracy indicated by Mao's brain, or the path to tyranny he followed with his feet."



Corr, who welcomed Biden's democracy summit as a necessity for democracies to defend themselves, said Xi's plan to "improve" democratic participation via the People's Congresses was essentially an attempt to confuse people.



"The National People's Congress (NPC) is a rubber stamp photo op," he said. "The concept of democracy is clearly very powerful and very popular around the world, so if Xi Jinping and the CCP go directly against [it], they will lose popularity both at home and abroad."



"If they claim that they are a different form of democracy, a better form of democracy, then they can essentially confuse people," Corr said. "The CCP is grasping at anything it can, ideologically, to justify its own existence."



Undermining actual democracies

The U.S. State Department warned in its statement on the summit that while democracies face the loss of public trust and the rise of populist governments internally, "authoritarian leaders are reaching across borders to undermine democracies  from targeting journalists and human rights defenders to meddling in elections all while claiming their model is better at delivering for people."



"Hostile actors exacerbate these trends by increasingly manipulating digital information and spreading disinformation to weaken democratic cohesion," it said.



Li Xiaobing, director of the West Pacific Studies Center at University of Oklahoma, said Biden's summit, slated for Dec. 9-10, represents a change in attitude to China, and to the threat posed by the CCP's global political and military ambitions.



"Now Biden is saying that ... the most important thing is to reaffirm democracy, which is a huge sore point for China, because it's tantamount to saying that it should engage in political reforms, put an end to one-party rule and set up a multi-party system," Li said.



"That is anathema to Beijing."



He said the CCP will never willingly let go of its position in a top-down political structure in which everyone does as they are told.



"Only people who toe the party line are allowed to stand in elections or win promotion; those who don't are denounced and punished," Li said.



Bill Bishop, who runs the online news site Sinocism, agreed.



"They have this process [to elect People's Congress representatives], but again, you're choosing people who've already been picked for you," he said.



"It's all about redefining and undermining the existing norms and the existing definitions," Bishop said. "It's all about taking control of ... the narrative power."



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The government is entitled to 60 percent of the harvest, but yields were lower this year.

North Koreans work on a rice field during the harvest outside the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in this file photo.

Authorities in North Korea have sentenced five farmers to disciplinary labor for hiding corn meant for redistribution to state supplies, sources in the country told RFA.

With an expected meager autumn harvest looming, farmers are nervous about the annual grain redistribution this year. The government takes 60 percent of the harvest from every farmer, leaving them with the remaining 40 percent.

In most years, their share is not enough to live on, but with yields about 20 percent smaller than expected in some areas, this year could be worse. For this reason, many farmers are looking to cheat the system, a resident of the northern province of Ryanggang told RFAs Korean Service.

A few days ago, five farmers were caught hiding corn during an unexpected inspection. Each of them was sentenced to five months in a disciplinary labor center, said the source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.

Since each farm receives distribution based on yield, the amount of distribution for farmers will inevitably be reduced, said the source.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization predicted in June that North Korea would be short about 860,000 tons of food this year, or about two months supply.

The smaller yield this year could mean that farmers will only get five- or six-months of food for next year, a source in the agricultural industry in the countrys northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA.

Since the beginning of October, farms nationwide have been estimating how much of the harvest the farmers are going to get. They expect their distribution will be smaller than usual, and they are worried about how they will live next year with very little food, said the second source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

The farmers livelihood is intimately tied to the redistribution, because they are working on the farm all year, said the second source.

In North Koreas nascent market economy, most people have secondary jobs because a government salary is not enough to live on. Farmers, however, do not have the time to work anywhere else, so they live or die by the harvest.

Plans by the government to take more of the crop this year could potentially leave the farmers with only two months worth of food, while soldiers and other grain recipients will get their full distribution.

Grain silos and outdoor warehouses are already empty so the situation is frustrating, its eating them inside, said the second source.

The coronavirus pandemic has had profound negative effects on the agriculture industry and the food situation in North Korea, according to the second source.

When Beijing and Pyongyang closed off the Sino-Korean border and suspended all trade at the beginning of the pandemic in January 2020, North Korea was left to its own devices to produce enough food, without Chinese imports to cover shortfalls and with no access to imported fertilizer or farming equipment.

The shortage of farming materials increased prices and farmers went into debt, agreeing to pay back their creditors with food from the fall harvest, the second source said.

This is going to reduce the redistribution to the farmers even more. They worked hard all year to produce as much grain as possible, but what they are going to get back this fall is going to be a trivial amount, so they are beyond frustrated.

The food situation in North Korea is dire.

UN Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights Tomas Ojea Quintana warned in a report in March that the closure of the border and restrictions on the movement of people could bring on a serious food crisis.

Deaths by starvation have been reported, as has an increase in the number of children and elderly people who have resorted to begging as families are unable to support them, said the report.

RFA reported in April that authorities were warning residents to prepare for economic difficulties as bad as the 1994-1998 famine which killed millions, as much as 10 percent of the population by some estimates.

Reported by Myung Chul Lee for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Claire Lee and Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Meanwhile, Malaysia says regional bloc needs to rethink principle of non-interference in members affairs.

Washington is talking with ASEAN member Singapore about limiting the Burmese military regimes access to money, as part of efforts to pile pressure on the junta chief who has been barred from an upcoming regional summit, a senior U.S. State Department official said Thursday.

The decision by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last week to disinvite junta chief Min Aung Hlaing from the ASEAN summit in late October, and his subsequent release of thousands of prisoners, shows how effective international pressure can be, State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said during a news conference by phone from Jakarta.

The foreign minister of Malaysia, an outspoken ASEAN state, similarly said on Thursday that the regional bloc needed to use its standing to put pressure on those who violate human rights  and should therefore rethink its cherished principle of non-interference in members affairs.

Deepening our partnership with ASEAN is the main objective of our inter-agency trip, for example  Singapore has significant financial leverage over the regime and we discussed how we can partner effectively to wield that, Chollet said about his trip to the city-state a day earlier.

Chollet was speaking to reporters on the final leg of a three-country visit to Southeast Asia by an inter-agency American delegation, which he is leading.

At each stop, we reiterated our support for the people of Burma and their aspirations for democracy, he told reporters. We have underscored that the international community has the responsibility to pressure the military regime to stop violence and respect peoples will. It is a critical juncture in the crisis.

While visiting the Lion City, Chollet tweeted, he had a productive meeting with Ho Hern Shin, deputy managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

We discussed ways to limit the Burmese military regimes access to overseas financial assets, he said.

Singapore overtook China to become the largest investor in Myanmar in 2019, The Myanmar Times reported back then. From October 2018 to February 2019, Singapore invested U.S. $20.6 billion there, according to a government agency called Enterprise Singapore.

Chollet also cited the example of jointly taking advantage of Thailands long border with Myanmar.

Thailand is a critical humanitarian assistance partner because of its long border with Burma and the leverage that gives is one of the things we discussed in Thailand, he said.

In addition, Washington, for several months now, has held talks with members of the shadow civilian National Unity Government in Myanmar, Chollet said.

We are deeply committed to engaging with them  encouraging them to unify [the pro-democracy] movement. And we will continue to engage with them, he said.

People wait outside Insein Prison in Yangon as the military authorities announced that more than 5,000 people jailed for protesting against a February coup, which ousted the civilian government, would be released, in Myanmar, Oct. 18, 2021. Credit: AFP ASEAN should do soul searching

Meanwhile, on the far side of the globe, a senior U.S. National Security Council (NSC) member said that apart from ASEANs decision to bar the Burmese junta chief from the summit on Oct. 26-28, more action needed to be taken to respond to post-coup challenges in Myanmar effectively.

Of course, we applaud ASEAN for the leadership it has shown, but obviously this is not enough, Edgard Cagan, senior director of East Asia and Oceania at the NSC, said at an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington late Wednesday.

Addressing the challenges of the coup and the difficulties people are facing because of the coup, those things require a broader and more effective effort.

Cagan did not specify what those efforts could be. But many analysts have said that ASEAN should suspend Myanmars membership, stop trade with it  and not take steps such as lobby to water down a United Nations resolution calling for an arms embargo on the country.

Indeed, there has been criticism of ASEAN, even from within its members, about the slow pace of its decision making and because it took the bloc more than 100 days to appoint a special envoy to Myanmar.

In recent weeks, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah has been forthright about what ASEAN needs to do and about its shortcomings.

On Thursday, he said that ASEANs almost sacrosanct principle of not interfering in member-states internal business has in many ways, been useful and practical in many situations.

But when we are faced with a situation like the one that is currently occurring in Myanmar, then perhaps ASEAN should actually do some soul searching, he said. Saifuddin was referring to the violence unleashed after the coup by security forces who have killed almost 1,180 people, most of them pro-democracy protestors.

Maybe now is the time for ASEAN to do serious soul searching on the application of the principle of non-interference and look at other experiences of other regions, he said.

Saifuddin cited the African Union, which suspended its member Mali after a military coup there in late May.

Saifuddin said that at last weeks meeting with his ASEAN counterparts, some member-states had shown reluctance on the issue of shutting out Min Aung Hlaing.

I stated the fact that we cannot use the principle of non-interference as a shield to avoid issues being addressed, the minister recalled.

The principle of non-interference cannot be applied separately from, or above, other ASEAN principles of strengthening democracy, promoting and protecting human rights, good governance and the rule of law.

In previous years, ASEAN members have talked about constructive engagement rather than non-interference, regional analysts said.

I think ASEAN is starting to move away from strict non-interference, but  the newer members may feel intimidated if ASEAN chooses to snub Myanmar or punish it, Tunku Mohar Mokhtar, an academic at the International Islamic University Malaysia, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

However, ASEAN should also make it clear to Myanmar that the association does not tolerate blatant abuse of human rights by any of its members.

Still, the biggest sticking point in ASEANs decision-making process remains the principle of consensus  all decisions taken by the bloc have to be approved by all members.

The problem is the mechanism itself, because as we know, to reform ASEAN you need consensus among all the countries, including countries that do not want to change. Therefore there can be no consensus.

Its an irony  to change the system you need people in the system who to want to change, so that is the difficulty.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Many loved ones in Myanmar are absent this year because they are detained, on the run, or were killed by the military.

Families across Myanmar marked the October Harvest Moon Festival on Wednesday with heavier hearts this year amid the brutal crackdowns, arrests and detentions that have followed the militarys February coup.

In accordance with Buddhist tradition, the Thadingyut Festival is a time when people usually visit with parents and elderly relatives to pay their respects and offer financial assistance. This year, more than last, celebrants ventured out to the nations major pagodas to observe associated religious ceremonies, despite the continued threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

But for the first festival under military rule, gatherings were noticeably muted, with many families suffering from a sense of loss because a loved one is on the run, in detention, or even dead because of the junta. Few were the colorful lights and lanterns typically on display in homes, as were bustling local fairs where families would stroll together, eating treats and buying toys.

Nearly nine months after the militarys Feb. 1 coup, security forces have killed 1,181 civilians and arrested at least 7,086, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisonersmostly during crackdowns on anti-junta protests.

The junta says it unseated the NLD government because, they claimed, 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.

On Monday, the junta released 5,636 political prisoners in what observers said was a bid to ease pressure from ASEAN and the international communityclaims it has denied. Hundreds remain behind bars and many of those who have been freed report enduring torture at the hands of their captors, often as part of a bid to extract false confessions during interrogation sessions.

On Wednesday, Htay Win from Kyonkhamon village, in Ayeyarwady regions Zalun township told RFAs Myanmar Service about his 33-year-old son, Raza Min, who was shot dead on March 3 by security forces during an anti-junta protest in Yangons North Okkalapa township.

Htay Win said that Raza Min returned home from Yangon every year for Thadingyut and that the festival would never be the same without him.

I miss him every day, he said, adding that he had been relying on his sons offerings this time of year for financial support in his old age.

Every night when I pray to God, I offer him an equal share of my merits. I think of him all the time.

Htay Wins sadness was echoed by Thin Thin, whose husband30-year-old laborer Tin Htut Heinwas killed by a soldiers bullet on Feb. 21 while guarding a security checkpoint in Yangons Shwepyithar township.

She told RFA about how difficult it was explaining to her five-year-old son why his father was absent on Thadingyut.

We usually visit our parents on both sides for Thadingyut, but its different this year because he is not here, Thin Thin said.

We have a thousand lanterns and a thousand flowers celebrations in our neighborhood, and we would always go there to enjoy snacks and buy toys. Families would walk around freely as there was no coronavirus then. But now that hes gone, we dont feel like going anywhere, she said.

My son often asks about him. He thinks his father is coming back.

Others told RFA their traditions had been upended because their family members had been detained or sent to prison for anti-junta activities.

San San Ayes four sons Shwe Ngar, Khaing Myeh, Soe Pyi Aung and Aung Myo Lin were arrested last April on charges of murder and sentenced to death in September before being transferred to prisons in Mandalay, Taungoo, Myingyan and Kyaikmaraw.

She told RFA that every Thadingyut her sons pay their respects to their grandmother, and this year they sent letters to her from prison, unaware that she had died three months ago.

Every year at Thadingyut, my sons would pay homage to their grandmother and parents with their savings, San San Aye said.

In their letters, they said they wouldnt be able to come in person to her this year and sent their respects from afar, but their grandmother already passed away, she said, adding that she hadnt informed them about her mothers death because she didnt want to upset them.

Of course, Id like to see all my children at Thadingyut. I had expected to see them, and now I am heartbroken.

RFA also spoke with poet Maung Moe Pwint, who has been in hiding after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of defamation.

He said that for Thadingyut he usually visits with his siblings but couldnt this year because he is on the run and was even unable to attend the funeral of his sister who died recently.

Every year, I would exchange gifts with my sister at Thadingyut and even if we couldnt see each other, we would send the gifts to one another, he said.

Now that she is gone, I have nothing but sadness. I cant even eat since I heard the news of her death.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, 1,989 people have been separated from their families after being issued arrest warrants for their involvement in anti-junta protests.

My thoughts are on the revolution

Some of the younger people RFA spoke with in cities including Yangon and Mandalay said that while they are sad to be separated from their families during Thadingyut, it is more important to show united opposition to the junta and work towards removing the military from power.

A high school student in Mandalay who has been in hiding told RFA on condition of anonymity that he hoped to be able to reunite with his family for the festival in 2022.

I paid respects to my parents over the phone this year because I cannot go to see them in person, he said.

If the dictatorship is over this year, I will be with my family next year and we will enjoy each others company again. But right now, my thoughts are on the revolution. Wherever I am and whatever Im doing, there is a revolution to be fought, even during Thadingyut.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Wang Junzheng, sanctioned in the West for Xinjiang atrocities, will run the vast western region.

A Tibetan Buddhist pilgrim (L) walks next to paramilitary police outside the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, the regional capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Sept. 10, 2016.

The newly appointed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) boss in Tibet, a hardline apparatchik under multiple international sanctions for severe human rights abuses in neighboring Xinjiang, is expected to apply to Tibets Buddhists the same harsh policies carried out against the Muslims in Xinjiang, Tibetans and experts said.

Wang Junzheng, deputy CCP boss and security chief in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), has overseen atrocities against the Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in the XUAR that have been labeled genocide in Western capitals.

Tibet advocates greeted the announcement Monday of the promotion of the 58-year-old Wang with concern that he will take the repression Tibetans have known for decades to a higher-level, and they called for the continuation of coordinated sanctions on him by Britain, Canada, the European Union and the U.S.

Wang Junzhengs appointment as head of the Tibet Autonomous Region Party Committee indicates that the Chinese authorities intend to continue using an iron fist to control the Tibetan people, said the International Campaign for Tibet, an advocacy group with offices in Washington, D.C. and Europe.

ICT expects Wang to bring his experience to Tibet as part of the partys Tibet-Xinjiang feedback loop. Chen Quanguo, his boss in Xinjiang, took his Tibet experience as the party secretary from 2011 to 2016 to Xinjiang, where he has led the Chinese governments ongoing, horrifying genocide of the Uyghurs, the group said in a statement.

Chen moved to the XUAR capital Urumqi in August 2016 after five years as party boss in Tibet, where he built up security measures and surveillance, suppressed support for the Dalai Lama, Tibets spiritual leader whom Beijing accuses of being a separatist, and criminalized many ordinary religious and cultural activities.

Wangs promotion, part of a slate of new CCP leaders appointed in seven provincial-level governments across China ahead of a party congress next year, comes five years after Chen took over as XUAR party boss and locked up some 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a network of internment camps in the name of fighting terrorism and extremism.

Wang Junzhengs reign promises to be for Tibetans as bad as Chen Quanguos, or worse, the online religious freedom website Bitter Winter said in an analysis.

Indeed, his appointment in Tibet is a slap in the face of the United States and democratic countries in general. The butcher of Xinjiang not only is not reined in by Beijing, he is promoted to higher office, the Italy-based website said.

Newly appointed Chinese Communist Party chief Wang Junzheng, in undated Chinese state media photo. 'Sinicization of the Tibetan Buddhism'

In a speech in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) capital Lhasa on Tuesday, Wang did little to dispel the fears of Tibetans.

I will consider myself a Tibetan from now onwards. My main role and responsibility is to create a harmonious society that is inevitable and will resolutely strike against separatist activities, he said, according to state media.

It is necessary to actively guide the Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to the socialist society and promote the Sinicization of the Tibetan Buddhism."

Wang was among XUAR officials hit with travel bans and asset freezes in March by Britain, Canada, the EU and the U.S., The quasi-military Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Public Security Bureau, where Wang served as political commissar, was also penalized.

I need to stress that I have no interest at all in travelling to the European Union, the United States, Britain or Canada, Wang told state media at the time.

I dont have a cent of savings in these places.

XUAR party boss Chen, architect of the detention camp system, was sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, a move that followed the enactment last year the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, which provides for sanctions on the Chinese officials who implement arbitrary incarceration, forced labor, and other abuses.

The United States stands with the many Tibetans oppressed and imprisoned by the PRC for the exercise of their human rights, a State Department spokesperson said in response to an RFA question about Wangs transfer.

Tibet remains a priority for this Administration. We will consider the use of all appropriate tools to promote accountability for PRC officials responsible for human rights abuses in Tibet, the spokesperson told RFAs Tibetan Service.

A facility believed to be an internment camp located north of Kashgar, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, June 2, 2019. Credit: AFP 'Genocide under his watch'

While the spokesperson did not address Wangs appointment, Rep. Jim McGovern, chairman of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, an advisory body in Washington, told RFA he is deeply worried about the promotion of Wang.

Wang Junzheng was security chief in Xinjiang when the U.S. government determined the Chinese government was committing genocide under his watch," he said.

Whether his promotion shows defiance of the U.S. sanctions placed upon him is less important than the worries we have about what he may impose upon Tibetans as party boss in the TAR, McGovern told RFA.

In Washington on Wednesday, President Joe Biden's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, did not mince words on China at his Senate confirmation hearing.

"The PRC's genocide in Xinjiang, its abuses in Tibet, its smothering of Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms, and its bullying of Taiwan are unjust and must stop," Burns said, listing points of conflict between Washington and Beijing.

Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force nearly 70 years ago, and the Dalai Lama and thousands of his followers fled into exile in India and other countries around the world following the failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.

Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on the region, restricting Tibetans political activities and peaceful expression of cultural and religious identity, and subjecting Tibetans to persecution, torture, imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings.

Reported by RFAs Tibetan and Uyghur Services. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi.
The Chinese government is pairing up ethnic majority Han Chinese youths with Uyghur children in the latest phase of a coercive surveillance and assimilation program that Uyghurs say shows Beijings genocidal intent toward the Muslim minority in the far-western Xinjiang region.

The Pomegranate Flower policy, unveiled by state media last month, comes on the heels of a widely resented program that sent 1.2 million Han civil servants to live with and monitor Uyghur families in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

Uyghurs condemned the three-year-old Becoming Family policy as destructive to family life, with some calling the billeting of Chinese cadres in homes organized rape and an act of genocide aimed at wiping out the 12 million Uyghurs and their ancient Central Asian culture.

Under the program targeting children, state-assigned Han relatives from across China will contact Uyghur youngsters by phone and visits to the XUAR, the report said.

The Pomegranate Flower program reflects the governments slogan that all ethnic groups in the country must hug each other tightly like pomegranate seeds to realize a Chinese nationality that transcends ethnicity.

Ethnic minorities  beginning with Uyghurs and Tibetans, but also including Mongolians and Koreans who have been ordered to reduce or end education in their languages  see it as forced assimilation.

According to a report published on Sept. 11 on Tengritagh (Tianshan), the official website of the XUAR government, toddlers and primary school pupils in one village in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture voted to realize the objective of becoming family with Han youths from all over China.

In just over a week, nearly 40 children in one village, including one-year-old Mahliya Mahmut, were matched up with 36 pairs of Pomegranate Flower relatives from some 30 cities across 13 provinces, regions, and municipalities in China, Tengritagh said.

Ayagh Chigetugh village in Kashgars Yengisar (Yingjisha) county was once one of the poorest villages in all of China, but has gained hope, Zhu Pingcheng, the village party secretary, said in support of the Pomegranate Flower program.

In particular, the children in the village hope that, as they grow up, they will receive much warmth and care; that, if possible, they will be able to go and see places all over the country; and that they will more deeply understand the great family of the Chinese nation.

Many Uyghurs had already spoken by phone with their assigned families in other Chinese provinces, who in turn were planning to go to Xinjiang to visit their children, the report said.

But the report did not explain why toddlers or preschool-age children needed to be matched with Han family members or where their own parents were.

They seem to have given no information about that, said Ilshat Hassan, a U.S.-based Uyghur analyst and former president of the Uyghur American Association. Why, if these were children whose parents were around, would they be in need of the care and love of other people?

In reality, their parents either have been detained in Chinas vast network of internment camps or been transported to other locations to perform forced labor, Ilshat said.

China has held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and others in internment camps since 2017, while dismissing widely documented evidence of many abuses in the camp system. China says the camps are vocational training facilities where Uyghurs and other Turkic people learn skills in an effort to prevent religious extremism and terrorism in the region, where about 12 million Uyghurs live.

The unity of ethnicities

The Chinese government has previously promoted policies such as the unity of ethnicities and the three inseparables since the end of 2016 to bring various ethnic groups more closely into the fold of national interest and security.

Canada-based Uyghur activist Memet Tohti, the executive director of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, said the forced pairing of Uyghur infants and toddlers with Hans in Chinese provinces is the latest of many real-world examples of Chinas genocidal policies.

He also pointed out that this move is further proof of the conditions of genocidal intent against a group, as defined in international law and conventions.

If the intent of the Chinese government was to care for these children, they would create a healthy environment in which the children could grow up with their own parents, Memet told RFA.

To separate children from their parents, or even to kill the parents using all manners of methods, and to send these children into a foreign environment, or off with Han children, in a Han environment  they can call it whatever they want  but to send children into such an environment is precisely a typical example of elimination by genocide, he said.

As part of the Becoming Family policy, the Chinese government holds family week activities in Xinjiang during which Han cadre relatives eat, live, work, and study alongside the Uyghurs they have been assigned to monitor.

Zumrat Dawut and Qelbinur Sidiq, two female former detainees in internment camps in the XUAR, have told the international media that Uyghurs have been forced to eat non-halal food and drink wine by their Chinese relatives, and that Uyghurs girls and women have been sexually assaulted in their homes.

Uyghur analyst Ilshat Hassan said that the Pomegranate Flower policy transcends assimilation and escalates genocide.

These children are still in their own homeland, but [the state is attempting to] assimilate them, to eliminate their language, their culture, he said. This is genocide.

Ilshat called on the international community to take urgent action to end the genocide against the Uyghurs.

Parliaments in Canada, The Netherlands, the U.K., and Lithuania, and the U.S. State Department have described Chinas actions in the region as genocide, while the New York-based group Human Rights Watch says they constitute crimes against humanity.

As of now there has been no response from the United Nations, he said. As of yet, no action has been taken toward stopping this. This might be politics for the rest of the world, but its a matter of life for us. We are crying out and protesting in the name of this genocide. It is a tragedy for all of humanity, not just for us.

Translated by the Uyghur Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Azerbaijan has released two Iranian truck drivers whose arrest last month on charges of illegally entering the country strained ties between the two neighbors.

The release of the Iranian citizens on October 21 comes a week after Azerbaijan and Iran's foreign ministers agreed to dial back heated rhetoric and engage in dialogue to defuse diplomatic crises.

Azerbaijan's customs department said it had handed over the drivers to the Iranian Embassy in Baku in a decision "guided by principles of humanitarianism, mutual respect, and good neighborliness."

The truck drivers were arrested on September 12 as Iran threatened unspecified action over what it alleged was the presence of archenemy Israel in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani regime, which buys weapons from Israel, denied the allegations.

Relations also deteriorated following joint military drills that Azerbaijani troops conducted alongside Turkish and Pakistani forces, prompting Iran to stage rare military drills along its 700-kilometer border with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Iran have long been at loggerheads over Tehran's backing of Armenia, an issue that gained greater importance during last year's war between Baku and Armenian forces over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The six-week war ended in November 2020 following a Russian-brokered cease-fire, which saw Azerbaijan regain control over a chunk of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

Some of the territory recaptured by Azerbaijan is along the border with Iran, including a road Iranian trucks had previously used to ship goods to Armenia.

Baku said the drivers entered Azerbaijan through that territory, bypassing border controls to avoid customs duties on cargo transiting to Armenia.

Iran stressed that it respected the territorial integrity of its neighbors but demanded the immediate release of the drivers.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Ministry of Roads and Transport this week ordered transport companies to avoid using the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin region, an area recaptured by Azerbaijan and monitored by Russian peacekeepers.

According to the directive, which reportedly came due to protests from Azerbaijan, Iranian transport companies were told that entry into Azerbaijan using any route but official border crossings was a violation of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The order also prohibits any trade agreement with Armenian forces in Karabakh and the issuance of shipping documents to the region still partially controlled by Armenian separatists.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Azerbaijan Service and Radio Farda
The United States and the European Union on October 20 expressed serious concerns about divisive rhetoric in Bosnia-Herzegovina and called on all parties to respect state institutions.



A joint statement from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also said that the United States and the EU are "united in their firm support for the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in their joint work to promote electoral and constitutional reform and maintain the functionality of its state institutions."



The statement was released after lawmakers in Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity that makes up part of Bosnia-Herzegovina, passed a new law that potentially undermines the countrys constitution.



The Law on Medical Equipment and Drugs -- adopted by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska on October 20 -- foresees the formation of the regions Agency for Medical Equipment and Drugs as an independent administrative organization with the status of a legal entity.



The new body would essentially take over the powers and responsibilities of the countrys Agency for Medical Equipment and Drugs, a federal agency created in 2009.



Bosnia-Herzegovina as a state consists of two entities formed after the 1992-95 war -- the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with mostly Muslims and Croats, and Republika Srpska, with mostly Bosnian Serbs.



The constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina, established in the Dayton peace accords that helped end the war, bars any of the countrys two entities from creating an agency that undermines federal bodies.



"There is no constitutional way for one entity to unilaterally withdraw from state institutions," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement to RFE/RL after the new law passed. All Bosnian leaders have a responsibility to reject destabilizing actions, the statement added.

The parliaments move comes as federal prosecutors launched a probe of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik for "undermining the constitutional order" after he announced that Republika Srpska will soon pull out of the countrys joint military, its top judiciary body, and tax administration.



Dodik has repeatedly called for the secession of Bosnian Serb lands from the rest of Bosnia, which he labeled an "experiment by the international community" and an "impossible, imposed country."



Blinken and Borrell, who met last week in Washington, also said the United States and the EU have agreed to further strengthen their joint engagement in the Western Balkans in support of the regions progress on its European path.



EU accession, a stated priority for the whole Western Balkans, helps consolidate democratic institutions, protect fundamental rights, and advance the rule of law, Blinken and Borrell said. Closer integration will enhance stability and contribute to prosperity for the people of the region.



Noting tension in the north of Kosovo with Serbia, the two diplomats encouraged both sides to engage in continued and sustained de-escalation and avoid actions that threaten stability.



They also stressed that accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia should start without delay and called on political leaders in Montenegro to work together to maintain a strategic orientation that leads to the reforms necessary to join the EU.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service
SARAJEVO -- The graffiti, stenciled in Latin and Cyrillic scripts to appeal to Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats, appeared on walls in the Bosnian capital this week: "I am for peace" and "Peace, peace, peace."

Hours later, on October 20, Bosnian Serb lawmakers in the entity composing half of Bosnia-Herzegovina passed a law seen as the most direct challenge in years to centralized authority in this Balkan country.

The Sarajevo scrawlings and the vote both reflect intensifying secessionist tactics and a six-month ultimatum from ethnic Serbs intent on carving out military and other powers currently vested in the joint federal state.

The new law, setting up a medicines regulator, is one of the first concrete steps in an accelerated push for independence in Republika Srpska, a push championed by the Serbian member of Bosnia's ethnically partitioned three-way presidency, veteran nationalist politician Milorad Dodik.

His separatism has reopened wounds in this country of 3 million people still deeply scarred by war.

"His policy seems to be leading Republika Srpska to war," Uros Trkulja, a pensioner in the city of Banja Luka, told RFE/RL's Balkan Service. "I fought a war and God forbid, brother, if war breaks out I'll flee into the woods. I wouldn't want to go at all."

Sarajevo resident Hidajet Memic took an even dimmer view of Dodik's efforts. "Anything could happen," he said, "He can start it, but I'm afraid of everything. I'mafraid of the whole situation."

'Within The Dayton Agreement'?

Bosnia is still governed and administered under the 25-year-old Dayton accords that ended the three-year Bosnian War, one of several conflicts that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia.

In addition to Republika Srpska, the other, nearly equally sized entity that makes up Bosnia is a Muslim and Croat federation, along with a small autonomous district called Brcko.

As recently as this month, Dodik had pledged to pursue an independent Republika Srpska "within the Dayton agreement." But his latest moves look like a departure from that path.

The Republika Srpska law, which creates its own Agency for Medical Equipment and Drugs, is almost certain to be challenged before the national Constitutional Court.

Meanwhile, prosecutors for Bosnia's federal government also said this week that they were investigating whether Dodik's actions constitute an "undermining of the constitutional order."

On October 8, Dodik announced that he and the rest of Republika Srpska's leadership would declare independence within six months by withdrawing from key institutions, if they were blocked from reclaiming some powers from the federal government.

Those institutions Dodik and his allies threaten to withdraw from include the federal armed forces, the top judiciary and prosecutorial body, and the federal tax authority.

Dodik also threatened to withdraw from the federal intelligence agency and establish a local equivalent, as well as to rescind support for a planned federal police force known as the State Investigation and Protection Agency.

'Let Everything Be Fine, Let There Be Peace'

In another blow to federalism, Zeljka Cvijanovic, who is the head of Republika Srpska and a Dodik ally, said this month she would ignore a recent national law by Bosnia's international overseer that criminalized denial of genocide and other serious war crimes from the 1990s.

Acknowledgment of the genocide at Srebrenica in 1995, when some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were massacred by Bosnian Serb forces, is seen by many as a litmus test for reconciliation in the region.

Soviet-style appeals for "peace" -- on billboards, in art and sculpture, or on television -- were a staple of life in the Eastern Bloc and among aligned countries like the former Yugoslavia.

But many Bosnians don't regard their current concerns as mere window-dressing.

An unofficial European Union note that circulated earlier this year proposed border changes in Bosnia and other parts of the Balkans to address long-standing grievances. The note was widely believed to be authored by Slovenia -- another former Yugoslav republic -- on the eve of its taking over the rotating six-month EU presidency.

The "peace" graffiti appears to have been one response to those broader tensions, in addition to the more urgent threats emanating from Republika Srpska.

Zarko Kapor, a resident of East Sarajevo, which is Republika Srpska's administrative capital, said that he didn't follow politics closely but agreed with Dodik's aims of giving more power to the local authorities in Bosnia's regions.

"Let everything be fine, let there be peace," Kapor told RFE/RL this week.

A woman who was selling socks and herbs nearby to supplement her pension told RFE/RL: "They only raise tensions while prices rise -- they entertain the people with politics. Nobody cares about the fact that people are socially endangered, so no one -- no one -- is interested in...what happens to people and their meager pensions and that young people are leaving the country."

The tensions have drawn the attention of EU and U.S. officials. After a meeting between EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, the two issued a statement on October 20 that appeared to push back against Dodik and his allies.

Washington and Brussels had "firm support for the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina," they said, and they backed ongoing electoral and constitutional reforms to help government agencies there. "We have serious concerns about increasingly divisive rhetoric in Bosnia-Herzegovina," they said. "We call on all parties to respect and protect state institutions, resume constructive dialogue, and take steps to advance progress on the EU integration path -- including on relevant reforms."

The latest official figures, from a 2013 census, indicate Bosnia is about half Bosniak, followed by 30 percent Serbian and about 15 percent Croatian.

Written by Andy Heil in Prague based on reporting in Sarajevo by Meliha Kesmer of RFE/RL's Balkan Service and in East Sarajevo and Banja Luka by RFE/RL's Balkan Service
Although the pipelines, roads, and grand infrastructure projects of Chinas controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have garnered the most attention as part of Beijings efforts to expand its economic and political influence around the world, a new book focuses on the growing digital side of that venture that could shape the economies of the future.



From a planned Chinese subsea cable connecting Pakistan and Djibouti to Safe City surveillance initiatives in Serbia and facial-recognition software used to crackdown on Uyghurs and other Muslims in western China now being used in Central Asia, author Jonathan Hillman gives a tour of this new battleground, charting its origins and showing where the competition is heading.

We have only seen the first phase of the U.S.-China technology competition and it has been mostly focused in developed countries, Hillman, author of The Digital Silk Road: Chinas Quest To Wire The World And Win The Future, told RFE/RL. But the real competition is set to play out across the developing world."



Hillman, an analyst and director of the Reconnecting Asia Project at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said: "Its invisible, but everywhere. Even the traditional infrastructure projects all have a digital component to them."



From 5G to AI-enabled surveillance systems and fiber-optic cables, Beijing and Washington are fighting for control over the networks of the future and, as Hillman writes in his book, "the Network Wars have begun."

"This is a complex moment and the competition under way is even more complex, he added.

'Invisible, But Everywhere'

In August, a multiyear legal fight between Chinese communication giant Huawei and a small U.S.-based contractor moved to an American federal court when the contractor alleged that Huawei had stolen its technology and pressured it to create a back door to gain access to a law enforcement project in Pakistan.



U.S. officials have long raised concerns about Huawei and how its equipment could be used by Chinese authorities to spy on the countries that install it, an allegation Huawei has repeatedly denied.



But Business Efficiency Solutions, the contractor, said in its lawsuit that Huawei forced it to set up a system that would give the Chinese company access to sensitive information about Pakistanis and government officials through the Chinese-backed Safe City surveillance project being installed in Lahore, Pakistans second-largest city.



The dispute is still tied up in court, but the episode -- though small in scale -- gets to the heart of the globe-spanning web of companies, contractors, new technologies, and national interests that forms the backbone of an intensifying rivalry between China and the United States.



Unraveling this complicated labyrinth of geopolitical ambition and next-generation technology is the focus of the book, which was released on October 19.

'The Network Wars'

As Chinas Digital Silk Road expands across the globe, from Latin America to South Asia, the stakes remain high.



Beijing's quest for digital dominance comes from the top. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for his country to lead advanced manufacturing by 2025, lead standard-setting for new technologies by 2035, and to become a superpower by 2050.



In order to achieve these goals, Xi has pushed Chinese companies to invest heavily in digital infrastructure inside China and spread more of their products abroad under the umbrella of the expanding BRI.



In this vein, it is the fight for the markets of tomorrow.



Chinas success would bring commercial and strategic benefits to the country and allow Beijing to hold the reins on global finance, communications, and the flow of data, which could all be reshaped to better fit its geopolitical interests. All of these advantages are currently enjoyed by the United States.



A central part of Hillmans book looks at how Washington helped enable Chinas rise as a technology powerhouse, believing that technology could play a role in keeping the flow of information open and fueling a Chinese transition towards democracy.

There was this overoptimism with technology and assuming that spreading connectivity and tech would help spread freedom, Hillman said. But technology is a tool and, as weve seen, it can also be used to repress and help authoritarians.



According to a 2019 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 71 percent of Huaweis Safe City agreements are with countries that have a dubious track record on human rights.

A Shifting Battlefield

Chinese companies have expanded rapidly in recent years, winning greater market share by offering their products and services at lower prices and being able to operate with less oversight than their Western competitors.



In Central Asia, Chinese tech companies play a prominent role.



In 2019, Huawei closed a $1 billion deal with Uzbekistan to build a large-scale traffic-monitoring system and Hikvision, which has developed facial-recognition software that can target ethnic Uyghurs, is a major supplier for cities across Kazakhstan.



A police command center that opened in 2019 in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, has also turned to Chinese firms for facial-recognition cameras.



Russia has also cautiously leaned on Huawei for its next generation 5G telecommunications networks, which the Kremlin acknowledges the country is unable to produce at a high quality on its own. The move not only strengthens the Chinese companys place in the Russian market, but also improves its position in the battle for other emerging markets.

As Hillman notes in his book, this tech competition is still in its early stages and could shift dramatically in the coming years as political events unfold and new technologies are developed.



Huawei, once seen as a juggernaut in Western policy circles, has been hobbled by a U.S.-led diplomatic and sanctions campaign, forcing the Chinese company to experiment with new business lines, cede overseas territory, and rebuild a supply chain independent of the United States.



In August, Huawei announced that its revenue had dropped by 29 percent in the first half of 2021, with its chairman saying the companys aim is to survive.



The United States, the European Union, India, and Japan have also moved to form alternatives to BRI and taken a strong focus on digital infrastructure, although those initiatives are still in their nascent stages.



For Hillman, this gets to one of the most difficult challenges for the United States as it looks to compete with China on the digital battlefield across the world.



So far, the majority of U.S. measures have been what Hillman calls defensive, such as sanctions and export controls. Moving forward, the United States will also need to press on with its own offensive moves, such as developing new technologies and broadening access to information.



There is a risk of only criticizing Chinas activities without offering credible alternatives, he said. We need to think of how to compete and not just criticize.
Iran unveiled its homegrown Fakhra coronavirus vaccine to much fanfare, with officials touting it as a "high-quality" inoculation.

The vaccine was named in honor of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was assassinated near Tehran in November and hailed as a "national hero."

But seven months after the launch of the first clinical trials of Fakhra, the production of the vaccine is being discontinued due to what an official this week said was a lack of demand.

The move is the latest setback to Iran's domestic vaccine program, which has been met with widespread mistrust and marred by delays and allegations of corruption.

Iranian officials had boasted that the country's ability to make coronavirus vaccines exemplified its self-sufficiency. In March, the health minister claimed that the Islamic republic would soon become a "world leader" in COVID-19 vaccine production.

Instead, Iran has ramped up its imports of foreign inoculations as its own vaccine production drive hits snags.

The mounting setbacks have provoked public anger. Many Iranians say the goal of vaccine self-sufficiency has delayed the immunization drive and led to thousands of preventable deaths.

Iran is the Middle East's worst-hit country for COVID-19. Nearly 125,000 people have died of the virus in Iran, according to official figures. Health authorities have admitted that the real number of deaths is likely twice as high.

Observers say that Iran's opaque vaccination campaign has been guided more by financial self-interest than public health. "It was clear from the beginning that [different] groups started competing on producing homegrown vaccines to access [state] resources," U.S.-based physician Mohammad Kazem Attari told RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

Attari says the producers of Iran's homegrown vaccines have offered scant details about the inoculations, fueling public mistrust.

'National Honor'

Only one of at least five homegrown vaccines have reached mass production. Around 4 million doses of Barekat, Iran's main coronavirus vaccine, have reportedly been administered.

The Barekat Institute, the producer of the vaccine, had pledged to deliver 50 million doses by September.

The vaccine was developed by Setad, a powerful organization controlled by the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which owns billions of dollars of property that was seized after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Khamenei, who has received the Barekat vaccine, said the homegrown serum was a "national honor" that needed to be cherished.

The supreme leader has banned the import of Western-made vaccines, calling them "untrustworthy." His chief of staff, Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, has falsely claimed that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has killed several people, with "some countries refusing to accept it."

But many Iranians have opted for foreign vaccines, including those imported from China, Russia, and India. "The center I was vaccinated in offered Barekat and Sinopharm," a Tehran resident told RFE/RL, referring to a Chinese-made vaccine. "The line for Barekat was empty."

The status of two other homegrown Iranian vaccines, Razi COV Pars and Noora, is unclear. Noora was reportedly developed by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). State media have reported that Razi Cov Pars has not received official approval while Noora is still undergoing clinical trials.

Meanwhile, the head of the Fakhra vaccine program told Iran's ILNA news agency on October 19 that the production of the vaccine would be stopped, although he did not specify when.

Ahmad Karimi said 1 million doses of Fakhra had been produced. But he suggested that there was no demand for the vaccine domestically. He said the Defense Ministry, which developed the Fakhra vaccine program, was unable to find enough volunteers for its trials.

Public Anger

The apparent failure of Iran's domestic vaccine-production drive has fueled public anger, with some Iranians questioning why the government devoted so many resources to homegrown inoculations when it could have imported foreign ones.

"The Barekat project has turned out to be [a flop] while Fakhra is due to be discontinued," Iranian journalist Amir Reza Nazari said on Twitter. "Don't we have the right to ask why the import of [foreign-made vaccines] was delayed amid reliance on domestic vaccines?"

"Did you seriously think you could produce a better [vaccine] than Pfizer?" Nazari added.

Sociologist Simin Kazemi has said the politicization of public health in Iran has led to distrust and despair. "Issues such as the production of multiple domestic vaccines with mostly vague efficacy...conveyed the message to society that public health is not of paramount importance and those in charge of public health are after their own interests," Kazemi told the Shargh daily earlier this month.

Reformist politician Mostafa Tajzadeh said in late August that there were calls for the judiciary to put on trial those officials who he said were complicit in the "deaths of tens of thousands of citizens."

Under former President Hassan Rohani, a relative moderate, the vaccination campaign was sluggish. Reports suggested that his hard-line opponents were trying to prevent his government from importing Western vaccines. Rohani was replaced by President Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-liner, after an election in June.

Bahram Eynollahi, the current health minister, was among 2,500 doctors who warned Rohani not to import vaccines made in the United States and Britain.

Iran's import of foreign vaccines, the bulk of them Chinese, has increased under Raisi. When Raisi took office in August, only around 3 percent of the population had been inoculated. That figure now stands at around 18 percent, according to figures released by state media.

The authorities have also approved the use of the U.S.-made Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, despite Khamenei's ban on Western immunizations.

In recent weeks, the number of daily deaths and infections has spiked, with officials warning of a sixth wave.

Mehrdad Ghasemfar of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report
NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has warned of repercussions for what he called "illegal public gatherings" ahead of protest rallies planned by exiled opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov.

Domestic and international human rights groups have criticized Kazakhstan's new law on mass gatherings adopted last year, saying it allows the government to maintain its tight control over peaceful assembly.

Speaking at a session of parliament on October 21, Toqaev downplayed those concerns while saying that "those who take part in illegal demonstrations will be prosecuted."

Subscribe To RFE/RL's Watchdog Report Watchdog is our curated digest of human rights, media freedom, and democracy developments from RFE/RL's vast broadcast region. In your in-box every Thursday. Subscribe here.

"The law on peaceful public gatherings we adopted is an important step for democratization, no matter what people say about it. Nobody is against peaceful gatherings, demonstrations. There is no need to obtain permission for that. Just informing authorities about that is enough. But some people do not follow even that requirement," he said.

"I want to warn the ones who commit such a violation of law that such activities will be legally assessed. The duty of the Prosecutor-General's Office is to explain the law to citizens, while law enforcement must provide safety and security in the society," Toqaev added.

Toqaev also took aim at women who have frequently rallied in front of the government buildings and banks to demand social allowances and other benefits for single mothers and lower-income families.

"We must honor mothers in our society. But mothers also must understand they have obligations. Some mothers with many children are disrupting the social order," Toqaev said.

Toqaev's statements come two days before rallies planned by Ablyazov, an exiled former head of BTA Bank and an outspoken critic of the Kazakh authorities who has fought multiple extradition battles over accusations that he embezzled billions.

Kazakh authorities designated Ablyazov's Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) and the group's associate, the unregistered Koshe (Street) party, as extremist organizations in March 2018.

Human Rights Watch earlier this year criticized the Kazakh government for using anti-extremism laws as a tool to persecute critics and civic activists. Several hundred people have been prosecuted for supporting or being members of the DVK or Koshe parties.

The Kazakh authorities have insisted there are no political prisoners in the Central Asian country.
Kyrgyzstan is in an international ownership dispute over a very lucrative gold mine and the government has shown it's ready to do whatever necessary to stake its claim, including bringing back a fugitive former president.

Askar Akaev, Kyrgyzstan's first president, returned to his homeland on August 2 for the first time since he was chased from power more than 16 years ago.

Akaev was needed by the government to testify about alleged corruption and other violations surrounding the Kumtor gold mine. There are still charges against him connected to Kumtor, and although he was questioned about those charges, it was a carefully managed visit that lasted only six days.

During his return, Akaev publicly repented for agreeing early during his 1990-2005 presidency to disadvantageous terms with a Canadian mining company that have cost his country hundreds of millions of dollars.

Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) arranged Akaev's brief homecoming so he could be questioned about agreements made with the Canadian-based Cameco Company about Kumtor, which is located in the mountains of northeastern Kyrgyzstan.

Akaev made that clear on the day he arrived, saying, "I came to cooperate, to help, and I will tell everything I know about Kumtor."

And although Akaev still faces corruption charges over the Kumtor agreements, it was also clear from the day he arrived that he would not be facing any charges -- but was rather a guest of President Sadyr Japarov who was staying at the presidential residence outside the capital, Bishkek.

"I am grateful to President Sadyr Japarov for giving me the possibility to come to Kyrgyzstan," Akaev said.

Making Bishkek's Case

Akaev's comments to the press indicate that there were indeed bad decisions and corrupt motives for the deals made with the Canadian company.

The UKMK has already detained or arrested several current and former members of parliament, prime ministers, deputy prime ministers, and other officials from previous administrations in an attempt to show that a series of agreements signed with Canadian companies over the years were flawed and should be considered illegitimate.

But Akaev was there from the start of the deal, so his testimony is vital to showing that the original agreements as well as subsequent deals signed over the course of the 15 years he was in power were, at best, not in Kyrgyzstan's interests and, at worst, simply illegal.

Akaev said that from the start, in 1992, Kyrgyzstan had made "numerous concessions, including violations in the interests of the Canadian side to the detriment of national interests."

Akaev mentioned the "illegal" decision in 1992 to free Cameco from paying taxes, "including for the use of natural resources," and the transfer of management of the project to the company as being among the foolish concessions his government made.

But he claimed his greatest mistake "was to give consent to the [Kyrgyz] government to restructure the deal in 2003." He said that at that time "the government convinced me that it was necessary."

The restructuring agreements of 2003-04 lowered Kyrgyzstan's stake in Kumtor by 25.7 percent. Kyrgyzstan currently owns a mere 26 percent of the mining project.

Japarov To Blame?

Japarov's government imposed external management on Kumtor in May amid the latest dispute with Canadian company Centerra, which bought Cameco's share in the project in 2009. That move temporarily put the mine under Kyrgyz control, but Centerra quickly filed a case in an international arbitration court, where it is likely there will be ruling in its favor.

Kyrgyz authorities seem determined to show the deals with Cameco and later Centerra were illegal from the start and the result of corrupt domestic politicians conniving with the Canadian side.

As for Akaev, he also got something from the visit.

He was allowed to visit his native Kemin region for the first time in 16 years -- and he received a very warm welcome there as he met with friends and relatives. Also on tap was a trip to the northwestern Talas region to celebrate the 103rd birthday of his mother-in-law.

Akaev also had the chance to attempt to partially vindicate his past. In a video he made just before he flew back to his home in Moscow on August 8, the ex-president said, "There were great hopes for Kumtor [but] unfortunately it did not turn out as we wanted."

In an August 4 interview, Akaev blamed current Economy and Finance Minister Akylbek Japarov (no relation to the president) for the restructuring agreements. "Akylbek Japarov played the key role then in [the restructuring agreements]," he said. "[He] was the chairman of the parliament committee on taxes and budget."

Akaev said Akylbek Japarov was in the commission that flew to Toronto for talks on the new deal. He said that upon returning he claimed that "[Cameco] was the best company in the world" and that the new agreement took into account the interests of the company and of Kyrgyzstan.

Revising History

Akaev also had a good opportunity during his return to tell the Kyrgyz media his side of the story about the events in 2005 that led to his ouster and subsequent flight from Kyrgyzstan.

"As the first president who was in power for the first 15 years of independence, I have one regret," Akaev said. "That if a [presidential] election had been conducted in 2005, I would have handed over power."

He blamed "political adventurists" that he said "knew they could not win in free elections" for "staging a coup six months before the end of my term and seizing power by force."

Akaev's version omits the rigged parliamentary elections of February and March 2005 that saw two of his children elected and several popular politicians barred from competing by questionable court decisions. Along with the fact that constitutional amendments were implemented that allowed him to run for a third term in office in 2000 and what many suspected would be a fourth term in elections later in 2005.

Japarov's government, meanwhile, seems confident Akaev's visit and his statements about the early Kumtor agreements strengthen Kyrgyzstan's legal case to take control of the gold mine. Just a few days after Akaev left, on August 11, the Kyrgyz government officially annulled the final agreement with Centerra.

An arbitration court is unlikely to approve of the Japarov government's unilateral move to take over Kumtor. In fact, that could work strongly in court against Kyrgyzstan's overall case.

But Akaev's testimony will likely demonstrate that there were serious problems with the Kumtor agreements and that Kyrgyzstan has not received its fair share of the wealth extracted at the gold mine.
Fresh from medical treatment in Germany, Kyrgyz national security head Kamchybek Tashiev urgently flew from Bishkek to the southern Batken region on February 18 to deal with people's growing anger over the failure by officials to resolve pressing border issues.

Tashiev, chief of Kyrgyzstans State Committee for National Security (UKMK), hoped to reduce tensions along Kyrgyzstans long southern borders with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Since the border guard service was put under UKMK control in November, the problems are Tashievs responsibility.

Grumbling by residents along the border resulted in people from Batken and districts in Jalal-Abad Province demonstrating earlier this month in the capital for a resolution to the long-standing problem of demarcation.

Villagers living along the borders claim neighboring states are encroaching on Kyrgyz territory and want it stopped.

New Kyrgyz Prime Minister Ulukbek Maripov spoke about the disputed Torkul reservoir and canal in the Kyrgyz-Tajik border area on February 8.

Unfortunately, it seems we (Kyrgyzstan) have ceded the upper reaches of the Tokgul reservoir channel, Maripov explained.

Maripov's comment is precisely what residents of Kyrgyzstans border areas do not want to hear from government officials.

In Bishkek on February 15, Gulzhigit Isakov, the leader of a group from Batken that calls itself Chek Ara (Border), criticized new populist President Sadyr Japarov.

"It is upsetting that while someone is taking over our border, Sadyr [Japarov] has not raised the issue once in any of his interviews," Isakov said.

The Kyrgyz-Tajik Border

Isakov was referring to the situation in the area around the Kyrgyz villages of Ak-Sai and Kok-Tash that over the last decade have seen many clashes between residents from both sides of the border.

And while once those clashes were limited to the two parties throwing sticks and stones at each other, they have increasingly involved gunfire and deaths.

On February 11, a group of Tajik villagers planted trees in a field by the Kyrgyz village of Chek-Dobo, which is near Kok-Tash.

The field was in an area that has not yet been demarcated.

The next day, all the trees had been dug up and were left lying on the ground. So the Tajik villagers returned to try and replant them.

But Kyrgyz border guards arrived and ordered them to stop, with harsh words exchanged. Then Tajik border guards arrived and the border guards of the two countries took up positions."

In Bishkek, Isakov claimed the Tajik side brought soldiers and equipment to the Ak-Sai areabecause our border guards removed their post [there].

Officials from both countries eventually arrived and negotiations cooled tempers -- for a while at least -- with each side pledging not to do any work of any kind on disputed land.

But the incident points out how sensitive the situation is and how high emotions there are, that a simple act such as planting trees nearly set off violent clashes.

The Kyrgyz-Uzbek Border

On February 14, workers from Uzbekistans electricity company started setting up electricity poles near the Kyrgyz villages of Suu-Bash and Boz-Adyr in Batken Province.

The village is near Uzbekistans Soh exclave, one of the most interesting places in the Ferghana Valley. It belongs to Uzbekistan, is surrounded by Kyrgyzstan, and is inhabited overwhelmingly by ethnic Tajiks.

Ethnic Kyrgyz residents alerted border guards to the action and, after a meeting with their Uzbek counterparts, the poles were removed.

But more problems are almost surely coming as Uzbekistan has already started building an airport at Soh -- scheduled to be completed in May -- to better connect the exclave with Uzbekistan proper.

No Kyrgyz territory is endangered by the airport, but symbolically it certainly reinforces Uzbekistans claim to the exclave and is a reminder to local Kyrgyz that its larger neighbor is paying attention to an area many in Kyrgyzstan believe is neglected by their government.

On the same day Tajik villagers attempted to plant trees near Chek-Dobo, Uzbek border guards accompanied by others in plainclothes began setting up border markers near the Kyrgyz village of Kosh-Bolot, in the Ala-Buka district of Jalal-Abad Province.

Kosh-Bolot residents say the Uzbeks were on Kyrgyz territory.

"The Uzbek military came close to the house of one of our residents and put their pillars there, thereby marking it as their territory. Our border guards arrived at the scene but did not say anything," one local resident said.

The Kyrgyz website Kaktus.media reported that sources in the government said that the area where the Uzbek border guards were setting up markers belongs to Uzbekistan under the terms of a September 2017 agreement, but local residents, not understanding the situation, expressed their dissatisfaction.

The Ala-Buka district has been the scene of high tension between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan before.

A reservoir is located there that is claimed by both countries: by Uzbekistan because they say they paid for its construction during the Soviet era, and by Kyrgyzstan because it is located well inside Kyrgyzstan.

Water from the reservoir has always been mainly used for fields in Uzbekistan.

Uzbek troops crossed into the area twice in 2016 and, in August of that year, occupied a nearby mountain called Ungar-Too, holding captive several Kyrgyz employees there who were operating a telecommunications relay station.

No Easy Solutions

The Kyrgyz-Tajik border is some 976 kilometers long, of which about 520 kilometers has been demarcated.

The Kyrgyz-Uzbek border is some 1,378 kilometers long, with about 1,100 kilometers of it demarcated.

Kyrgyz Special Representative for Border Issues Nazirbek Borubaev said at a February 15 press conference that "many of our citizens are making statements that our land is being given to the neighbors, based on unconfirmed information."

But some people in Kyrgyzstan doubts this.

Tashiev said border talks with Tajik officials would take place in the first half of March and with Uzbek officials in the second part of that month.

Tashiev also said the budget for border security would be increased, and he repeated to residents of border villages in Batken Province a promise he has made several times over the years, long before he was UKMK chief, that not one square centimeter of Kyrgyz territory would be given to the country's neighbors.

That undoubtedly suits people in Kyrgyzstan, but it is a hard bargaining point for neighbors who are also seeking concessions.

Borubaev said that if necessary, we can find something in the archives in Moscow. Generally, maps drawn after Russian colonization of Central Asia have been the basis for contemporary border demarcation work for the current Central Asian states that didn't exist at the time.

Meetings of officials poring over Russian-Soviet maps to determine the borders of their countries is possibly the only way to make progress in reaching final agreements on the remaining frontiers of the five Central Asian states.

But for the people living in these areas, the issue of where the borders should be depends on where arable fields and pasturelands are located and where the water sources are.

And as long as the border talks continue, there are tracts of land in disputed areas that could be used for orchards or grazing but are left unused.

Meanwhile, many Kyrgyz residents seem to be poorly informed about the deals that have been made by previous governments about what is and what is not Kyrgyz territory.
Moldovan authorities have announced new national lockdown restrictions as the country faces a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.



The new restrictions, to take effect September 10, will include a ban on non-vaccinated people visiting bars, restaurants, and cultural events.



The restriction will be in place until at least October 31.



Existing restrictions include the requirement for people to wear masks in public places and for bars and restaurants to close at 11 p.m.



The country currently has registered a cumulative total of 272,325 cases with 6,466 deaths as of Sept 8.



Vaccination efforts meanwhile have gone slowly; only about 25 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

With reporting by Reuters
Moldova has reached a provisional loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) worth about $564 million over 40 months.

Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said on October 21 that a first tranche of $81 million could be received from the Washington-based lender by the end of this year once IMF management and its board of directors meet in December.

Europes poorest country is recovering from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, with economic growth forecast at 4.5 percent in 2021, according to the IMF.

But new waves of COVID-19 infections threaten the outlook, as does the slow recovery in Moldovas key trading partners, rising energy prices, and potential political instability, the IMF said.

President Maia Sandu, a U.S. trained economist who worked at the World Bank, was elected last year on a pro-Western and reformist agenda, including tackling endemic corruption and poor governance.

Based on reporting by Reuters and Jurnal de Chisinau
Jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has called his Sakharov Prize -- the European Union's top human rights honor -- a "great responsibility" that sends a signal of support to anti-corruption crusaders around the globe.

"I feel that this is not only an honor, but also a great responsibility," Navalny, whose social-media accounts are run by his team, said on Twitter on October 21.

"I am just one of those many who fight corruption, because I consider it not only as the cause of poverty and degradation of states, but also as the main threat to human rights," he said. "I dedicate my prize to all kinds anti-corruption fighters around the world."

Navalny was chosen by European lawmakers as the recipient of the award on October 20.

"He has campaigned consistently against the corruption of Vladimir Putins regime, and through his social-media accounts and political campaigns, Navalny has helped expose abuses and mobilize the support of millions of people across Russia. For this, he was poisoned and thrown in jail, European Parliament President David Sassoli said in a statement announcing the award.

Many observers say the award sends a strong message to Putin that his fiercest foe is now a global figure and not just a local Russian phenomenon that the Kremlin has been portraying as a criminal who ran an extremist organization.

"We respect this body [the European Parliament], but no one can make us respect such decisions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on October 21.

Navalny was jailed in January after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was treated for a poisoning he said was ordered by the Kremlin, a charge Moscow denies.

The EU has imposed sanctions on Russian officials over Navalny's poisoning and imprisonment.

The 45-year-old lawyer was subsequently sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on a parole violation charge that he denounces as politically motivated.

Russian authorities have ratcheted up the pressure on Navalny in recent months, declaring his political organization and Anti-Corruption Foundation's (FBK) activities "extremist."

Since then, many of his allies have had their homes raided or their freedom of movement restricted, prompting some to flee the country, while others have been jailed on dubious charges.

Previous winners of the award, named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, include former South African President Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani campaigner for women's rights and education.

Navalny is the third recipient of the award to come from Russia since it was launched in 1988.

Anatoly Marchenko, a Siberian-born Soviet dissident, author, and human rights activist -- who spent more than one-third of his life in prison or internal exile -- won the award posthumously in 1988 along with Mandela.

Memorial, the Russian human rights group headed by Sakharov in the late 1980s, won the prize in 2009.

With reporting by TASS, Reuters and AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Ukraine's military development with Western support represents a genuine threat to Moscow.

"Formal membership [of Ukraine] in NATO may not take place, but military development of the territory is already under way," Putin said during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Relations between NATO and Russia have been tense recently and official contacts have been limited since Moscow occupied Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

The 30-member Western alliance is also concerned over Russia's nuclear missile development, aerial intrusions into NATO airspace, and the buzzing of allied ships by Russian fighter planes.

"This really poses a threat to Russia. We are aware of that," Putin said, adding that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's visit to Kyiv this week had effectively paved the way for Ukraine to join NATO.

Ukraine has expressed a desire to join NATO to protect itself against further Russian aggression. Moscow has warned that Ukraine's membership in NATO would represent a "red line."

Austin reiterated Washington's "unwavering" support for Ukraine's territorial integrity during his visit to Kyiv on October 19, and said Russia had no right to veto Kyiv's aspirations to join NATO.

Austin, who was on a three-country tour of the Black Sea region aimed at underlining Washington's support for allies and partner states, added that Russia continued to be an "obstacle" to the peaceful resolution of the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Austin's visit to Kyiv came amid continued fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Kremlin-backed separatists in a conflict that has claimed more than 13,200 lives since April 2014.



Austin also visited Georgia and fellow NATO-member Romania.



On October 21, NATO defense ministers agreed a new master plan to defend against any potential Russian attack on multiple fronts.

With reporting by Reuters and TASS
A court in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg has sent three suspects in a deadly mass alcohol poisoning case to pretrial detention as the death toll in the incident rose to 24.

The Chkalov district court ruled on October 21 that Armen Avetisian, Nadir Mamedov, and Anar Ayvazov must remain in custody until at least December 15.

During the hearing, it was revealed that 24 people died after they consumed the tainted alcohol. Previously, officials had only said there were "about" 18 deaths.

Avetisian, Mamedov, and Ayvazov were arrested last week. One more suspect was apprehended afterward, authorities have said.

The judge at the hearing said that more people might have been involved in the illegal activities that led to the mass poisoning and police in Yekaterinburg said on October 21 they had launched a preliminary investigation into a divisional police inspector whose suspected negligence may have helped lead to the tragedy.

Investigators have focused on the sale of alcohol that had been bottled at a city market and did not meet safety standards.

Investigators are looking into the sale of substandard goods and death by negligence, which could result in prison sentences of up to 10 years, the committee said in a statement.

Several individuals sold "an alcoholic liquid that was dangerous for their health" over the past two weeks in Yekaterinburg, the investigators said.

The incident followed the opening of an inquiry earlier this month into a suspected poisoning linked to illegal alcohol in the neighboring Orenburg region. More than 30 people died after drinking beverages containing methanol, a toxic type of industrial alcohol.

On October 19, authorities in another Urals region, Kurgan, said they had launched a probe into bootleg alcohol poisoning that left three people dead.

Poisonings involving homemade or bootleg alcohol occur regularly in Russia as people seek out cheaper options than store-bought vodka.

In December 2016, 78 people died in and around the Siberian city of Irkutsk after drinking a scented herbal bath lotion that contained methanol.

With reporting by TASS and Interfax
A court in Moscow has sentenced a man to three years and three months in prison for setting the wheel of a police car on fire during the January 31 rally in support of jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.

The Presnensky district court on October 20 found 26-year-old Sergei Vasilenko guilty of damaging police property, and sentenced him the same day.

Vasilenko was arrested and charged in February. It is unknown how he pled.

He is one of several people who have been given prison terms or suspended sentences in recent months for attacking police or police equipment during the nationwide demonstrations held on January 23 and January 31 to protest against Navalny's arrest.

The Kremlin critic was detained at a Moscow airport on January 17 upon his arrival from Germany, where he was recovering from a poison attack in Siberia in August 2020 with what several European laboratories concluded was a military-grade chemical nerve agent.

Navalny has claimed his poisoning was ordered directly by President Vladimir Putin, which the Kremlin denies.

In February, a Moscow court ruled that while in Germany, Navalny had violated the terms of parole from an old embezzlement case that is widely considered politically motivated. His 3 1/2-year suspended sentence from the case was converted to a jail term, though the court said he will serve 2 1/2 years in prison, given time he had been held in detention.

More than 10,000 Navalny supporters were detained across Russia during and after the January rallies. Many of the detained men and women were either fined or given several-day jail terms At least 90 were charged with criminal misdeeds and several have been fired by their employers.

On October 20, European lawmakers awarded Navalny the Sakharov Prize, the European Union's highest human rights honor.

With reporting by Novaya gazeta, TASS, Interfax, and Mediazona
Russian opposition politician Lyubov Sobol, a close associate of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, has been added to Russia's wanted list after she fled the country days after being found guilty of breaking coronavirus measures.

Sobol appeared in recent days in the database of wanted persons of the Interior Ministry, with a designation that she is "wanted under an article of the Criminal Code."

The 34-year-old lawyer fled Russia in August, days after she was sentenced to 18 months of parole-like limits on her freedom after a court in Moscow found her guilty of publicly calling for the violation of sanitary and epidemiological safety precautions.

The charge stemmed from Sobol's involvement in organizing unsanctioned rallies to protest Navalny's incarceration in January.

Several Navalny associates have been found guilty on similar charges, which justice officials have been using as a thinly veiled pretense for rounding up those around the Kremlin's most vocal critic.

Media reports have said that Sobol is currently in neighboring Estonia.

Separately, another court in the Russian capital in April handed Sobol a one-year suspended sentence of correctional labor after finding her guilty of trespassing in what she described as a ruling designed to silence her.

Navalny was arrested after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was treated for a near-fatal poisoning with a Novichok-type nerve agent that he says was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin has denied any role in the incident, which was the latest of numerous attacks on Navalny.

In February, Navalny was convicted of violating the terms of a suspended sentence related to an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated. The remainder of his suspended sentence, 2 1/2 years, was changed to real prison time.
Turkish authorities have arrested four Russian citizens, one Ukrainian citizen, and one Uzbek national on charges of "military and political espionage" linked to alleged plans to attack Chechen opposition activists residing in Turkey.

The Turkish Prosecutor-General's Office said on October 20 that the men arrested in the cities of Antalya and Istanbul on October 8 are Abdula Abdulayev, Ravshan Akhmedov, Beslan Rasayev, and Aslanbek Abdulmuslimov of Russia; Ihor Yefrim of Ukraine; and Amir Yusupov of Uzbekistan.

The men are also suspected of buying weapons to use against Turkish-based critics of the Kremlin-backed leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.

If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in prison.

Russian officials have yet to comment on the situation.

There have been several attacks outside Russia against Kadyrov's critics in recent years.

In January, a court in Sweden sentenced two Russian citizens from Chechnya to lengthy prison terms for their roles in the attempted killing last year of Tumso Abdurakhmanov, an exiled Chechen blogger and outspoken critic of Kadyrov.

A year before that, Imran Aliyev, another Chechen blogger known for his criticism of Kadyrov, was found stabbed to death in a hotel room in the northern French city of Lille.

Austria arrested two Chechen asylum seekers as part of an investigation into the killing in a Vienna suburb of another Kadyrov critic, Mamikhan Umarov, in July 2020.

Human rights groups have accused Kadyrov of widespread rights and other abuses in the region, allegations he denies.

Critics say Kadyrov is ultimately responsible for the violence and intimidation of his political opponents by Chechen authorities, including kidnappings, forced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.

Defenders claim Kadyrov has brought relative calm to the volatile region following two wars between Moscow and separatists after the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.

With reporting by Sabah, Hurriyet, Artigercek, and Beyazgazete
Written By

Joe Schulz served as the reporter of the Green Laker in 2019 and 2020, before being hired as a reporter for the Commonwealth in October 2020. He is from Oshkosh and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

|
Support local journalism

Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution.

Contribute
Rutland, VT (05701)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 24F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 24F. Winds light and variable.
Danvers, MA (01923)

Today

Becoming mostly clear later with any flurries or snow showers ending by midnight. Low 29F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%..

Tonight

Becoming mostly clear later with any flurries or snow showers ending by midnight. Low 29F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Salem - Joanne E. (Roulier) Bomarsi, 81, of Salem, passed away Tuesday morning, November 16, 2021 in Peabody. Born in Salem, MA, Joanne was the daughter of the late Lionel E. and Alice (Frasier) Roulier. A graduate of the former St. Chretienne Academy in Salem, Joanne worked for many years a
For the 37th straight year, the Arbor Day Foundation has named La Mesa Tree City USA.

Were very fortunate to have lots of trees, said City Councilwoman Kristine Alessio. We care about our trees and we treasure them.

And they count them.

La Mesa Assistant City Manager Greg Humora says the city keeps track of trees in its parks and rights-of-way, and it counts 10,014 in its inventory.

Advertisement

The city is one of 10 in San Diego County to get the title, joined by East County neighbors El Cajon and Santee, and the city of San Diego.

The designation is given to cities, towns and military bases around the country that are committed to urban forestry.

To be considered, four requirements must be met:

A community must have a tree board or department (La Mesa has an Environmental Sustainability Commission)

It must have established a community ordinance for tree care

It must have a community forestry program

And of course, an Arbor Day observance and proclamation

The Tree City USA program includes more than 3,400 towns, cities and military bases in the U.S.

Santee and El Cajon will each also be recognized as a Tree City USA later this year.

So what is La Mesas No. 1 species? The queen palm, with 1,243.

Every tree has an estimated value based on species, size and age, Humora said.

He estimated La Mesas trees are worth more than $21 million.

Humora said the palms are the most labor intensive and need to be maintained annually. Other trees are trimmed and thinned about every seven years.

The more trees you have, the better the air quality, said Councilwoman Alessio. And theres nothing like mature trees to give a neighborhood character.

Santee will have 15 years as a Tree City when it is honored this year. Santee has 9,000 trees inventoried and maintained in parks, rights-of-ways and landscape districts.

Bill Maertz, director of community services, said Santee also has 1,000 acres of riparian habitat, which averages between 100 and 150 trees per acre, along the San Diego River.

El Cajon will celebrate 20 years as a Tree City USA at its annual Arbor Day ceremony on March 25.

City spokeswoman Monica Zech said the city owns 6,510 trees, and it will plant 20 more trees that day at Kennedy Park in honor of the Tree City USA designation.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization whose mission is to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. The Tree City USA program is co-sponsored by the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.
After receiving an offer in 1977 to become the next president of Scottsdale Community College, the late Dr. Art DeCabooter told his wife, Mary: Well, well try it for a year or so. If we like it, well stay and buy a bigger home with a pool. If not, well go back to the Midwest.
LONDON (AP)  The World Health Organization said there was a 7% rise in new coronavirus cases across Europe last week, the only region in the world where cases increased, and said uneven vaccine uptake posed a threat to the continent.

In its weekly assessment of the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said there were about 2.7 million new COVID-19 cases and more than 46,000 deaths last week worldwide, similar to the numbers reported the previous week.

WHO said the two regions with the highest rates of COVID-19 incidence were Europe and the Americas. Globally, the U.S. reported the biggest number of new cases, more than 580,000, which still represented a 11% decline.

Britain, Russia and Turkey accounted for the most cases in Europe.

The biggest drop in COVID-19 cases were seen in Africa and the Western Pacific, where infections fell by about 18% and 16%, respectively. The number of deaths in Africa also declined by about a quarter, despite the dire shortage of vaccines on the continent.

But for the third consecutive week, coronavirus cases have jumped in Europe, with about 1.3 million new cases. More than half of countries in the region reported a rise in their COVID-19 numbers, WHO said. Britain and Russia each reported about a 15% increase in new cases.

In a statement Wednesday, WHO's Europe office said 1 billion coronavirus vaccines have now been administered across the continent and described uneven vaccine uptake as the region's biggest enemy in the fight against COVID-19.

In the past week, Russia has repeatedly broken new daily records for COVID-19 cases and the number of infections in the U.K. has surged to levels not seen since mid-July.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday backed a Cabinet proposal to keep Russian workers home for a week in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.

Russian officials have struggled to vaccinate the population but due to vaccine skepticism, only about 32% of people have been immunized despite the availability of its Sputnik V vaccine. It has by far the largest virus death toll in Europe, with more than 225,000 deaths.

Although the head of Britain's National Health Service has urged the government to introduce stricter COVID-19 protocols including mask-wearing and the faster vaccination of children, politicians have so far demurred.

___

Follow all AP stories on the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
NEW YORK (AP)  The two men running to become New York City's next mayor offered starkly different visions Wednesday about how to lead the nation's largest city out of the pandemic, improve public safety and gird the city of 8.8 million people for more powerful storms driven by climate change.

Democrat Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa also sparred over personal and character issues, with Adams lambasting Sliwa for having admitted in the past to making up crimes and for buffoonery.

Sliwa, the founder of the 1970s-era Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol, insisted he's the candidate more in-touch with regular New Yorkers. He said he feels they accept his apology for having falsely claimed he was kidnapped decades ago and boasting of faked exploits from his unarmed patrols.

Adams, the Brooklyn Borough president and a former New York City police captain, is widely expected to win the Nov. 2 election.

He's the Democratic candidate in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 7-to-1, having campaigned as a moderate choice in a crowded primary field. Adams would be the city's second Black mayor and as a candidate, he has spoken personally about policing through the lens of having been a cop, a critic of his own department and a young Black man who experienced police brutality.

Sliwa has been a longtime media fixture in New York, first from his days as the founder of the red-beret wearing Guardian Angels and later as a radio commenter with a penchant for attracting news cameras and staging stunts. As a mayoral candidate, he latched on to reports questioning whether Adams really lives at his Brooklyn brownstone and walked around New York with a milk carton featuring a picture of missing Adams.

Adams has repeatedly dismissed Sliwa during the campaign and continued to do so during the debate, refusing the opportunity to respond to an extended, rapid-fire critique from his opponent.

Im speaking to New Yorkers. Im not speaking to buffoonery," he said.

Sliwa sought to portray Adams as an out-of-touch elitist for having reportedly vacationed in Monaco and meeting with donors in elite enclaves like the Hamptons.

Just follow me in the streets and subways. I'm there. I'm the people's choice. Eric Adams is with the elites in the suites," Sliwa said. Come on, Eric. Come back. Come back to the streets and the subways. Be with the real peeps.

Adams said he agreed with outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio's decision announced Wednesday to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all city workers, including police officers. Sliwa said he opposed the mandate, saying the city doesn't have enough police officers as is and can't afford to lose more to a vaccine mandate.

To revive the citys empty commercial office space after the pandemic drove workers to stay home, Adams said hed seek to make the city more business-friendly and mold it into a destination for industries like cybersecurity, biotechnology and drone development.

Sliwa said many people will never come back to in-person work and the city should instead convert empty offices and commercial real estate into affordable housing.

Adams said he'd allow restaurants to keep their pop-up structures on the city's streets and sidewalks that have served as outdoor dining rooms during the pandemic. Sliwa said the structures are taking up space needed for bicyclists, pedestrians and cars and need to be scaled back.

Sliwa and Adams have both spoken on the campaign trail about combatting violent crime and clashed Wednesday over how to address it. Sliwa called for hiring 3,000 police officers and claimed Adams had shown no interest in using federal resources to put more cops on the streets. He also called for ending the city's status as a sanctuary city, where local law enforcement does not cooperate with stepped-up immigration enforcement from federal officials.

Adams said he would continue the city's so-called sanctuary status and knocked Sliwa for fabricating crimes and playing cop while Adams was in uniform on the police force.

Both candidates were asked how they'd prepare for bigger and more devastating storms fueled by climate change after Hurricane Ida dropped a deadly deluge of rain on the city in September, killing 13 New York City residents.

Adams called for a three-step forecast system warning residents and city agencies of the threat and a plan to more quickly warn those living in flood-prone basement apartments, particularly illegal cellar apartments without ample exits.

Sliwa called for building seawalls to prevent against coastal flooding as seen after Superstorm Sandy nearly a decade ago, along with better cleaning of drains and basins.

Tuesday's hourlong debate was the first of two face-to-face meetings before the Nov. 2 election. The second debate will be Oct. 26.
LONDON (AP)  Britain agreed to a trade deal with New Zealand on Wednesday, eliminating tariffs on a wide range of goods as the U.K. seeks to expand economic links around the world following its exit from the European Union.

The deal was cemented in a conference call between U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his New Zealand counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, after 16 months of talks by negotiators. Although trade with New Zealand accounts for only 0.2% of the U.K.'s trade, Britain hopes it will help open the door toward membership in the trans-Pacific trade partnership.

The partnership, which includes Japan, Canada, and Vietnam, had GDP of 8.4 trillion pounds ($11.6 trillion) in 2020.

This is a great trade deal for the United Kingdom, cementing our long friendship with New Zealand and furthering our ties with the Indo-Pacific, Johnson said. It will benefit businesses and consumers across the country, cutting costs for exporters and opening up access for our workers.''

In New Zealand, where it was Thursday when the announcement came, Ardern said the deal was among the best ever achieved by New Zealand and would boost the nation's economy by about 1 billion New Zealand dollars ($720 million) as it opens the way for more sales of the country's wine, butter, cheese and beef.

This is a historic but substantial deal and it's been achieved basically in a year, Ardern said. That has never been done before.

Trade officials in the U.K. trumpeted the benefits of the deal, declaring that sauvignon blanc wine, Manuka honey and kiwi fruit from New Zealand would be cheaper for British consumers. Clothing, buses and bulldozers will also no longer face tariffs.

British farmers expressed disquiet, however, saying the deal, together with another signed with Australia earlier this year, would mean significant extra volumes of imported food at a time when labor shortages and rising costs are already hurting many U.K. farmers.

This could damage the viability of many British farms in the years ahead, to the detriment of the public, who want more British food on their shelves, and to the detriment of our rural communities and cherished farmed landscapes,'' National Farmers Union President Minette Batters said.

Instead of repeating the refrain that these deals will be good for British agriculture, our government now needs to explain how these deals will tangibly benefit farming, the future of food production and the high standards that go along with it on these shores, Batters said.

Asked if the deal meant New Zealand would be less reliant on China for its exports, Ardern said diversification would improve options and resilience for its exporters.

There remain some hurt feelings in New Zealand after Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community back in 1973, leaving many New Zealand exporters feeling abandoned.

Ardern said the new deal meant that perhaps it was time to draw a line under that period of history.

Some of the details of the deal are still being finalized, and officials expect it to come into effect next year.

Johnsons Conservative government has been focused on negotiating free trade deals around the world in an effort to boost economic growth following Brexit. The biggest prize would be a trade deal with the United States, although a deal with America seems far off.

___

Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand.

___

Follow all AP stories on post-Brexit developments in Britain at https://apnews.com/hub/Brexit.
WATERTOWN, Minn. (AP)  The small-town family doctor angling to become Minnesotas next governor smiled, leaned into the camera and told his Facebook viewers that Sweden had just paused the Moderna vaccine for people under age 30 over significant concern about heart inflammation.

Dr. Scott Jensen, clad in a white lab coat, quickly pivoted: So what happens to military people who are threatened with a dishonorable discharge if they are unwilling to potentially put their heart health at risk?

The post swiftly racked up thousands of views and favorable comments  evidence of Jensens early success in tapping conservative anger at the Democratic strategy of trying to vaccinate, mask and social-distance America out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Messages like the video have been a key part of how Jensen, a former state senator with a reputation as a moderate before the pandemic hit, has emerged as the early frontrunner among Republicans seeking to unseat Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.

Jensens video drew a cautionary label from Facebook attesting to the safety of vaccines. Earlier this year, he had been temporarily banned from advertising on the site and was kicked off TikTok for allegedly spreading misinformation, though the social media platforms never said exactly why.

The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice has opened  and dropped  four investigations against Jensen, based on anonymous allegations that he spread misinformation and gave bad advice about COVID-19. Jensen has discussed the cases on social media but declined to release the letters he received from the board, whose investigations are not public unless they result in disciplinary action.

Jensen has not been vaccinated against the coronavirus, although he says he would absolutely get vaccinated against the coronavirus if he didnt already have antibodies from a mild case. (The Centers for Disease Control advises vaccinations even for people who have already had the virus.)

Sen. Matt Klein, a Democrat and fellow doctor who got to know Jensen in the Legislature, said hes astonished at what hes heard from Jensen during the pandemic.

Im seeing patients that are actively being harmed or dying from sort of misinformation that he is propagating, Klein said.

Jensen, 66, often deviated from Republican orthodoxy during a single term in the Minnesota Senate that ended last year.

He was willing to at least consider gun control legislation, such as universal background checks, and legalizing recreational marijuana. He brokered a compromise to end a bitter partisan stalemate over insulin prices. He took on industry by winning enactment of a law to regulate pharmacy benefit managers.

As the pandemic took hold, he began questioning the federal governments methodology for determining when the disease should be listed as cause of death. That launched him on a path of frequent appearances on Fox News and other conservative media. In May, he was briefly a plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking to block vaccines for 12- to 15-year-olds that was filed by Americas Frontline Doctors, led by Simone Gold, who was arrested during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. More recently, he called for civil disobedience and legislation to ban vaccine mandates by employers.

His busy schedule of campaign appearances across the state included a slot last month as a featured speaker at a Global Health Freedom Summit in western Minnesota. There, he joined a panel discussion with some of the bigger names in the anti-vax world, including some who have pushed the falsehood that coronavirus vaccines contain microchips that the government might use to track people.

Among the thousands who viewed his video on the Sweden vaccine news was Sheila Decker of Moorhead, Minnesota, who had met him earlier at the health freedom event.

Hes like a breath of fresh air to me, Decker said in an interview. Hes honest, hes trustworthy. She said she supports Jensen because she opposes vaccine and mask mandates and she doesnt like how Walz handled the pandemic, including his orders to close restaurants and businesses.

At Jensens clinic in Watertown, where the western Minneapolis suburbs give way to farm country, there are no signs requiring or even encouraging patients to wear masks. The exam rooms reflect his individuality. One is decorated like a North Woods cabin, with log furniture, a potbellied stove and a walleye on the wall. Another has mementos of the M*A*S*H TV series, complete with a fake IV bottle on the wall labeled vodka.

Klein, who has treated many seriously ill COVID-19 patients at Hennepin County Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic  and seen many die  said he was impressed with Jensens medical skills when they both rushed to Gov. Mark Dayton's aid when Dayton collapsed during a speech in 2017. He said he considered Jensen a competent and a fairly conscientious physician before the pandemic.

But Klein said the positions Jensen is advocating now are anti-science and radical." He said Jensen must know that masks work, that the vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated, and that immunity gained from being infected with the coronavirus isnt as strong as from a vaccination.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Jensen acknowledged being a contrarian but said hes not anti-vaccine or anti-science, a charge frequently leveled by Democrats.

I dont see myself as being hyper-conservative on COVID, he said. I see myself as being an outspoken skeptic.

Jensen's messaging sets him apart from his two best-known Republican rivals, former Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and Sen. Michelle Benson. Gazelka and Benson have also attacked Walz's handling of the pandemic and promoted personal choice on vaccines but haven't gone nearly as far as Jensen in challenging the conventional scientific wisdom.

State Democratic Party Chairman Ken Martin said Jensen draws support from followers of former President Donald Trump who enjoy raging against the machine  a recipe Martin said could win a primary weighted toward base voters but lose a general election that requires moderates to win.

Jensen says he'd like to move beyond a singular focus on COVID-19 and talk more about public safety, education and the economy.

I cant tell you how many times I would talk to my team and I say, We have got to move away from COVID. We have got to start talking more about what can we do to make peoples lives better. ... But it seems like COVID, or something COVID, always seems to raise its head and pull us back.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Shelley Inglis, University of Dayton

(THE CONVERSATION) Leer en espanol

Over two weeks in November, world leaders and national negotiators will meet in Scotland to discuss what to do about climate change. Its a complex process that can be hard to make sense of from the outside, but its how international law and institutions help solve problems that no single country can fix on its own.

I worked for the United Nations for several years as a law and policy adviser and have been involved in international negotiations. Heres whats happening behind closed doors and why people are concerned that COP26 might not meet its goals.

What is COP26?

In 1992, countries agreed to an international treaty called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which set ground rules and expectations for global cooperation on combating climate change. It was the first time the majority of nations formally recognized the need to control greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming that drives climate change.

That treaty has since been updated, including in 2015 when nations signed the Paris climate agreement. That agreement set the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F), and preferably to 1.5 C (2.7 F), to avoid catastrophic climate change.

COP26 stands for the 26th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC. The parties are the 196 countries that ratified the treaty plus the European Union. The United Kingdom, partnering with Italy, is hosting COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, from Oct. 31 through Nov. 12, 2021, after a one-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why are world leaders so focused on climate change?

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes latest report, released in August 2021, warns in its strongest terms yet that human activities have unequivocally warmed the planet, and that climate change is now widespread, rapid and intensifying.

The IPCCs scientists explain how climate change has been fueling extreme weather events and flooding, severe heat waves and droughts, loss and extinction of species, and the melting of ice sheets and rising of sea levels. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the report a code red for humanity.

Enough greenhouse gas emissions are already in the atmosphere, and they stay there long enough, that even under the most ambitious scenario of countries quickly reducing their emissions, the world will experience rising temperatures through at least mid-century.

However, there remains a narrow window of opportunity. If countries can cut global emissions to net zero by 2050, that could bring warming back to under 1.5 C in the second half of the 21st century. How to get closer to that course is what leaders and negotiators are discussing.

What happens at COP26?

During the first days of the conference, around 120 heads of state, like U.S. President Joe Biden, and their representatives will gather to demonstrate their political commitment to slowing climate change.

Once the heads of state depart, country delegations, often led by ministers of environment, engage in days of negotiations, events and exchanges to adopt their positions, make new pledges and join new initiatives. These interactions are based on months of prior discussions, policy papers and proposals prepared by groups of states, U.N. staff and other experts.

Nongovernmental organizations and business leaders also attend the conference, and COP26 has a public side with sessions focused on topics such as the impact of climate change on small island states, forests or agriculture, as well as exhibitions and other events.

The meeting ends with an outcome text that all countries agree to. Guterres publicly expressed disappointment with the COP25 outcome, and there are signs of trouble heading into COP26.

What is COP26 expected to accomplish?

Countries are required under the Paris Agreement to update their national climate action plans every five years, including at COP26. This year, theyre expected to have ambitious targets through 2030. These are known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs.

The Paris Agreement requires countries to report their NDCs, but it allows them leeway in determining how they reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The initial set of emission reduction targets in 2015 was far too weak to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

One key goal of COP26 is to ratchet up these targets to reach net zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century.

Another aim of COP26 is to increase climate finance to help poorer countries transition to clean energy and adapt to climate change. This is an important issue of justice for many developing countries whose people bear the largest burden from climate change but have contributed least to it. Wealthy countries promised in 2009 to contribute $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing nations, a goal that has not been reached. The U.S., U.K. and EU, among the largest historic greenhouse emitters, are increasing their financial commitments, and banks, businesses, insurers and private investors are being asked to do more.

Other objectives include phasing out coal use and generating solutions that preserve, restore or regenerate natural carbon sinks, such as forests.

Another challenge that has derailed past COPs is agreeing on implementing a carbon trading system outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Are countries on track to meet the international climate goals?

The U.N. warned in September 2021 that countries revised targets were too weak and would leave the world on pace to warm 2.7 C (4.9 F) by the end of the century. However, governments are also facing another challenge this fall that could affect how they respond: Energy supply shortages have left Europe and China with price spikes for natural gas, coal and oil.

China  the worlds largest emitter  submitted an updated NDC on Oct. 28 with little change from pledges it announced almost a year ago. Major fossil fuel producers such as Russia and Australia seem unwilling to strengthen their commitments. Saudi Arabia strengthened its targets but doesnt count exports of oil and gas, which it says it will continue producing. India  a critical player as the second-largest consumer, producer and importer of coal globally  has also not yet committed.

Other developing nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa and Mexico are important. So is Brazil, which, under Jair Bolsonaros watch, has increased deforestation of the Amazon  the worlds largest rainforest and crucial for biodiversity and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

What happens if COP26 doesnt meet its goals?

Many insiders believe that COP26 wont reach its goal of having strong enough commitments from countries to cut global greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030. That means the world wont be on a smooth course for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and the goal of keeping warming under 1.5 C.

But organizers maintain that keeping warming under 1.5 C is still possible. Former Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been leading the U.S. negotiations, remains hopeful that enough countries will create momentum for others to strengthen their reduction targets by 2025.

The cost of failure is astronomical. Studies have shown that the difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius can mean the submersion of small island states, the death of coral reefs, extreme heat waves, flooding and wildfires, and pervasive crop failure.

That translates into many premature deaths, more mass migration, major economic losses, large swaths of unlivable land and violent conflict over resources and food  what the U.N. secretary-general has called a hellish future.

[Get The Conversations most important politics headlines, in our Politics Weekly newsletter.]

This article was updated Oct. 29, 2021, with China and Saudi Arabia submitting their NDCs.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/what-is-cop26-heres-how-global-climate-negotiations-work-and-whats-expected-from-the-glasgow-summit-169434.
Matt Sayles/Associated Press

Being one of the biggest names in pop-rock and alternative rock, Coldplay is a monolith in music, and youve almost certainly heard one of their songs. Started in 1996 by Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland, Coldplay has gone on to become one of the top-selling bands of all time, with their first fling to fame being the song Yellow, which was then followed up by the album Parachutes.

Coldplay Tickets Stubhub stubhub.com $109.00 Shop Now

They also have two worldwide best-selling albums for their respective release years: X & Y (2005) and Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), the latter of which won three Grammy awards. In fact, I myself grew up listening to their first few albums, such as Parachutes and X & Y, and have so many great memories associated with them.
Thank you for reading!

You have reached your 30-day limit of free access to SentinelSource.com, The Keene Sentinels website. If you would like to read two more articles for free at this time, please register for an account by clicking the sign up button below.

We hope you find The Sentinels coverage of the Monadnock Region valuable. We rely on our subscribers to bring you strong local journalism and hope you will consider supporting our work by taking advantage of this special subscription offer here.
A Catholic archdiocese can be sued for a priests alleged molestation of a young student even if the priest had no record of sexual abuse, a state appeals court has ruled in a Los Angeles case that could also affect dozens of pending Bay Area lawsuits.

A man identified only as John Doe said he was a 10-year-old catechism student in August 1988 when the Rev. John Higson assaulted him in a restroom of a church in Paramount, southeast of Los Angeles. He said Higson groped his genitals, forced him to perform oral sex, and told him, Every boy does this in order to do their first Communion.

Doe did not report the incident at the time and did not sue the Los Angeles Archdiocese until 2017. His lawyer, Anthony DeMarco, said Higson, ordained as a priest in 1980, was eventually removed from the priesthood after other allegations against him surfaced, but was never prosecuted because legal deadlines had expired. The archdiocese said, however, that Higson was placed on leave in 1998 after reports of consensual relationships with adult women, and left the priesthood on his own in 2003.

In seeking dismissal of the suit, the archdiocese denied that it had been negligent in supervising Higson or failing to protect Doe from him and said it had no reason to know the priest posed a threat. A Superior Court judge agreed and dismissed the suit but was overruled Wednesday by the Second District Court of Appeal, which said the archdiocese had known for decades that youths at its schools needed protection from abusive clergy.

Between 1967 and 1988, the court said, the archdiocese received 49 reports of sexual abuse by clergy at parishes and parish schools. One priest pleaded guilty in 1987 to sexual assault on a minor. And a report to the National Council of Catholic Bishops in 1989 said abuse cases could cost the Los Angeles Archdiocese $1 billion over 10 years.

It was reasonably foreseeable that minors attending catechism classes in 1988 might be sexually molested by a priest, even though the Archdiocese did not have knowledge of prior sexual misconduct by Higson, Justice John Segal said in a 3-0 ruling reinstating the lawsuit.

He cited the state Supreme Courts 2018 ruling allowing a suit against UCLA by a laboratory student who was stabbed by another student who had mental problems. Although classroom violence is rare, the high court said, it is not unforeseeable, and the university has both a legal and a moral responsibility to take reasonable steps to protect its students.

We attribute some moral blame to the Archdiocese because it took only minimal action to prevent sexual abuse by priests, even after receiving dozens of reports of abuse, Segal said. Noting that families turn to the church for spiritual and moral guidance, he said, requiring church officials to take protective measures such as training, educating and warning students, parents and teachers ... is not too onerous a burden.

The court noted that the archdiocese had established such a program, called Safeguard the Children, in 2002.

In response to the ruling, the archdiocese said it was reviewing the case but had not received any reports that Higson had engaged in sexual abuse involving minors. The archdiocese said it was committed to the safety and well-being of the children in parish schools, and that anyone found to have harmed a child will be permanently removed from serving in any capacity in the organization.

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.

DeMarco, John Does lawyer, said the case is one of hundreds of similar lawsuits against the Catholic Church in legal proceedings across California. About 300 cases from Los Angeles and Orange counties are pending before a Los Angeles County judge, he said, and many dozens, perhaps 100, have been coordinated before a judge in Alameda County against the San Francisco Archdiocese and other dioceses in Northern and Central California.

Additional suits can be filed through the end of 2022, DeMarco said, and all will be governed by the legal standards in Wednesdays ruling unless it is overturned on appeal.

He said John Doe has had a difficult life since his childhood molestation but has been treated for alcohol abuse and is living with his family in Southern California.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
A labor lawyer nominated by President Biden to the U.S. appeals court in San Francisco ran into unanimous Republican opposition in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday for signing a letter in 2018 calling Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh a Donald Trump puppet who was morally and intellectually bankrupt.

However, the 10-10 committee vote, the first tie vote for a Biden judicial nominee, is unlikely to hinder Jennifer Sungs path to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., can send her nomination to the Senate floor, where Democrats have a one-vote majority.

Sung, a member of Oregons Employment Relations Board and a former labor attorney and union organizer, was nominated by Biden in July as his first pick for the nations largest federal appeals court. Biden announced three more nominees to the court in September, including U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh of San Jose, whose previous Ninth Circuit nomination by Barack Obama in 2016 was blocked by Senate Republicans. Trump named 10 judges to the court, moving it in a somewhat more conservative direction after decades as the nations most liberal appellate tribunal.

At a hearing last month and again before Thursdays vote, committee Republicans attacked Sung for joining hundreds of other Yale Law School alumni, along with faculty and students, in signing a July 2018 letter to the law school after its leaders hailed Trumps Supreme Court nomination of Kavanaugh, a 1990 Yale Law graduate.

The letter was written before Christine Blasey Ford, a Bay Area psychology professor, testified at a Judiciary Committee hearing that Kavanaugh had tried to rape her when both were teenagers, an accusation the nominee denied. The writers instead focused on Kavanaughs record as an appeals court judge and a Justice Department attorney.

Judge Kavanaugh has consistently protected the interests of powerful institutions and disregarded the rights of vulnerable individuals, the letter said. It cited his votes against abortion, contraceptive care, undocumented immigrants and disability rights, and his calls to exempt sitting presidents from civil suits and criminal prosecution  evidence, the writers said, that he would act as a rubber stamp for President Trumps fraud and abuse.

Kavanaugh, the letter concluded, is an intellectually and morally bankrupt ideologue intent on rolling back our rights.

That sentence was overheated rhetoric, Sung said when questioned by Judiciary Committee Republicans, adding that she would respect the authority of Kavanaugh and other Supreme Court justices if confirmed to the appeals court. But when asked repeatedly by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and John Kennedy, R-La., whether she considered Kavanaugh intellectually and morally bankrupt, she declined to answer.

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.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said the letter was either libelous or an effort at undermining the Supreme Courts legitimacy. Kennedy said he didnt believe her promise to respect Supreme Court judgments, and told Sung, Youre the only person in the Milky Way who believes youre impartial.

Democrats defended Sung and said she would add to the courts diversity.

After Thursdays vote, Rakim Brooks, president of the liberal Alliance for Justice, said Senate Republicans have once again made clear they are placing their own political interests above the best interests of the nation.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
When the Bay Area Figurative art movement radicalized painting in the 1950s, a quiet student named Manuel Neri sought to push it even further.

Instead of putting the human form on canvas, he sculpted it in plaster  life-size, head to toe and painted.

It was a technique that started a new approach to sculpture and elevated Neri, the son of Mexican immigrants who entered art school on the G.I. Bill, to a level nearing that of his instructors at the California School of Fine Arts, the eminent artists Richard Diebenkorn and Elmer Bischoff.

By his mid-30s. Neri was on the dream team, first-generation art faculty at UC Davis. This allowed him to purchase a Unitarian Universalist church in Benicia and turn it into a home studio, where he spent 50 years working beneath stained glass windows.

By the time he stopped making art seven years ago because of declining health, Neris sculpture was in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and all major Bay Area museums.

Neri, 91, died Monday in the home of his Sacramento caregiver. He died in his sleep, said his longtime co-trustee, Anne Kohs.

Neris love of the female form  almost always a lithe, slender one  and of his materials  primarily plaster, paint, and paper  was evident in everything he did, said Harry Cooper, chief curator of modern art at the National Gallery. His ability to convey convincing anatomy and luminous human presence with a few economical gestures was unmatched.

After spending years in plaster and bronze, Neri expanded into the more unforgiving medium of marble. To do so, he purchased a studio in Carrara, Italy, where Michelangelo had sourced his marble. For several months a year, Neri lived in a small apartment in Italy and walked to his studio.

Both stateside and abroad, Neri was a workhorse but never a braggart. Personal information had to be pulled out of him, including the fact that he was a veteran of the Korean War. He rarely talked about the fact that hed been director of Six Gallery in San Franciscos Cow Hollow district at the time of the famed reading of Howl by Allen Ginsberg on Oct. 7, 1955, a historic event attended by Jack Kerouac and the other central figures of the Beat scene.

Neri was married four times, including to the famed painter Joan Brown, and fathered seven children. For 40 years he worked with the same model, Mary Julia, though his wife also modeled for him.

Manuel Neri had a voracious appetite for life, experience and expression, said Rachel Teagle, founding director of the Manetti Shrem Museum at UC Davis. When he started out, nobody would even recognize plaster as an art-making material. But he was dirt poor and figured out how to make art with the most impoverished materials. He was fearless and would not be stopped.

Manuel John Neri was born April 12, 1930, in Sanger, a small farming town near Fresno. His parents, Manuel and Guadalupe Penilla Neri, migrated from the state of Jalisco in the turmoil after the Mexican Revolution. Having failed at operating a shoe store and as an auto mechanic, his father found steady work in agriculture, but died when Manuel was 14. His mother moved with her two daughters and son to Oakland, where Neri attended Roosevelt Middle School before graduating from Fremont High School in 1950.

While pursuing engineering as a student at City College of San Francisco, Neri took ceramics as a diversion. When he transferred to UC Berkeley as an engineering student, the diversion absorbed him, and he transferred to California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. But his education was put on hold when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952. Trained in the Signal Corps, he was posted to Seoul and then Inchon during the Korean War.

In 1955, Neri was discharged and enrolled at the California School of Fine Arts, later renamed the San Francisco Art Institute. He bounced in and out of apartments before landing in Benicia when he got the job at UC Davis in 1965.

Neri was hired at the same time as fellow painter-sculptor Roy De Forest. They joined a faculty that already included Wayne Thiebaud, Robert Arneson and William Wiley. Neri was promoted to tenured professor in 1976 and taught there full time until 1990, when he became professor emeritus.

Thirty years later, a series of his works was installed outside the campus museum in a semipermanent display. During the COVID-19 lockdown, a performing arts class spent a quarter studying the sculptures and each student choreographed a performance responding to the bronze women.

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 five sculptures, all women, are in motion almost like they are dancing, said Teagle, who posted a video of the performance to the Manetti Shrem website. They represent the core work of Neris career, and the dance students brought his sculpture into the 21st century.

In the last months of his life, Neris caregiver would drive him down from Sacramento to the UC Davis campus. They would park in a place where they could see the sculptures. Neri also visited his work at the Anderson Collection at Stanford University. One of his female plaster figures was part of the original gift from Hunk and Moo Anderson, and when the free public museum opened in 2014, the figure was standing at the top of the stairs as a greeter.

In 2017, the Neri trust gifted a series of works to the Anderson Collection, including plaster, marble and bronze pieces and works on paper. When all 20 went on display in Manuel Neri: Assertion of the Figure, Neri came to visit during off hours, as was his style.

I could see the joy in his eye in spending time with his work, and with his contemporaries, said Jason Linetzky, director of the Anderson Collection. Neris sculpture is inherently humanist. It reflects who he was  a warm and thoughtful person who absorbed and reflected all that he gained in relationship with others.

He is survived by his sister, Maria Clowser of Santa Cruz; sons, Raoul Garth Neri of Benicia, Noel Elmer Neri of Philadelphia, Maximilian Anthony Neri of Istanbul and Gustavo Manuel Rothrock Neri of Woodland Hills (Los Angeles County); daughters, Ruby Rose Victoria Neri and Julia Marjorie Leonard of Los Angeles, and La Ticia Elizabeth Souter of Marionville, Mo.; and seven grandchildren.

A memorial service is pending.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @samwhitingsf
MARIPOSA  Investigators said Thursday that a young family and their dog found on a remote hiking trail in August in a mysterious mass death perished as a result of hyperthermia and probable dehydration.

Mariposa Sheriff Jeremy Briese detailed the final hours of the former San Francisco clan that started a hike with a temperature of 74 degrees in the morning only to see the thermostat rocket up to 109 by the afternoon. They succumbed to the heat and lack of water on a steep stretch of switchbacks with no shade, he said.

It appeared the new residents of the community in the rugged foothills of the Sierra underestimated the difficulty of the remote trail, the heat and the unforgiving terrain, Briese told a crowd of reporters in the chamber of the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors.

Certain questions surrounding the puzzling case remained unanswered, such as exactly when the family members and their pet died and whether they passed away at close to the same time. They were found near each other more than two days after their hike began.

This is an unfortunate and tragic event due to the weather, Briese said.

Mariposa County authorities believe Ellen Chung, 31, Jonathan Gerrish, 45, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and dog Oski went on an Aug. 15 hike on the Hites Cove Trail loop. Hyperthermia occurs when body temperature rises to dangerous levels. The causes of death were determined through the autopsies, toxicology reports and investigation, Briese said.

Heat-related deaths are extremely difficult to investigate, and I want to thank you all for being patient with us as we investigated this case, Briese said. As Ive mentioned, the Gerrish-Chung family have been our top priority as we dealt with this horrible event.

Sheriffs spokesperson Kristie Mitchell read a statement from the familys surviving relatives who thanked searchers and investigators for their work on the case.

The loss of a close relative is a pain almost beyond words. When that loss is multiplied by four and one of that four is a baby of just 1 years old, then the pain is indescribable, the family said. When that pain is then further impacted by the lack of knowledge and certainty as to the reasons for their deaths, then the questions of why, of where, of when and of how, fill your mind all of the days and all of the nights.

Investigators believe the family traveled most of the 8-mile loop before succumbing on a steep switchback about

1  miles from where they parked their vehicle. Searchers found Gerrish in a seated position on the trail with his daughter and dog next to him. Chung was found slightly farther up the path. A cell phone was found in Gerrishs shirt pocket, but there was no reception in the area, and investigators are still hoping FBI agents can unlock the cell phone to unearth more clues.

Briese said Thursday that the family was hiking with an 85-ounce water bladder backpack, which had only a tiny amount of water remaining when the bodies were found. Samples from that water were tested for toxins from toxic water blooms along the trail, but came back negative. They were also carrying some snacks and a bottle that contained baby formula, Briese said.

The family members were wearing shorts and tank tops, with no hats. The baby was carried in a backpack. The couples truck keys were found near the bodies on the dirt path. The family was about 1.6 miles short of finishing the loop trail, Briese said.

The dogs cause of death remained undetermined, officials said, but it appeared the 8-year-old Australian shepherd-akita mix also suffered from the heat.

Their deaths mystified investigators, residents and curious people following the case from around the world who wondered: How could the entire family die together with no obvious signs of foul play or injury?

Law enforcement initially treated the scene as a hazardous materials site out of fears that the family had inhaled toxic fumes, possibly from an abandoned mine in the area. The closest mine was more than 2 miles away and investigators found no evidence the family got close to it. For a period of time, they closed the trail to the public. They also investigated toxic bacteria plumes along the south fork of the Merced River and Snyder Creek, which parallel the hike at the bottom of the valley, as well as other possible contamination. While they found Anatoxin-A in the river and creek, there was no indication the family drank any of that water, and there have been no known human deaths attributed to such toxins, Briese said.

I think the community is resilient; the community is safe, he said.

The family lived in San Francisco before moving to Mariposa County during the pandemic. They bought properties around the Sierra foothills community, a popular tourist stop for travelers driving to Yosemite National Park, and rented some out as vacation rentals. They bought one property near the trailhead on Hites Cove Road.

On the night of Aug. 14, Gerrish used an app on his phone to plot out the familys Hites Cove hike. He entered only way points, the sheriff said, which would not calculate trail mileage or elevation changes.

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.

This was not uncommon, Briese said. Jonathan used a few different trail-mapping apps and frequently took hikes.

At around 7:45 a.m. on Aug. 15, a witness in the area saw the family truck heading toward the Hites Cove Trailhead. Fifteen minutes later, the witness spotted their empty truck parked at the trailhead with no one around. It was between 74 and 76 degrees at the dirt fence at about 3,880 feet altitude.

The family walked 2.2 miles down the partially paved Hites Cove Road trail to U.S. Forest Service Trail 20E01.4, and by then the temperatures spiked to 92 to 99 degrees. That trail took them along the South Fork of the Merced River for about 1.9 miles until they met the Savage Lundy Trail, a precipitous incline Briese illustrated during his news conference by showing helicopter footage of a series of unforgiving switchbacks. The temperature surpassed triple digits.

The Savage Lundy incline is a south-southeast-facing slope exposing the trail to constant sunlight, Briese said. The 2018 Ferguson Fire exacerbated the exposure by burning off any brush canopy. Briese estimated the family to have trekked that stretch between 12:50 p.m. and 2:50 p.m., when temperatures reached 109 degrees as they climbed some 2,000 vertical feet over 2 miles.

The next day, the familys babysitter arrived for her work and found an empty house. Friends and family tried to reach the couple all day, and by 11 p.m. Aug. 16 they reported them missing to the sheriff.

A sheriffs deputy found their truck at the trailhead around 1:50 a.m. Aug. 17, and human and dog tracks were found a couple of hours later. Search crews found the family around 11 a.m.

There were few clues at the scene and no indications of foul play. Investigators sent samples of water from the river, creek and the couples bladder-lined backpack to a lab. During the probe, investigators eliminated illegal drugs, lightning strikes, mine fumes, weapons, suicide and other causes of death, as they waited for test results to come back.

In their statement, the Gerrish-Chung families lamented the fact that not all questions have been answered and that the question of Why? will remain with them.

Our hearts will never forget the beautiful lives of Jonathan, Ellen, Miju and, of course, Oski, the family said. They will remain with us wherever we go and whatever we do. In the future, when we sit beneath the trees listening to the wind soughing through the branches, we will hear them and we will remember.

Matthias Gafni and Andres Picon are a San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com, andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @mgafni, @andpicon
A grand jury indicted a San Francisco man on multiple felonies in connection with the February carjacking of a DoorDash delivery drivers minivan and abduction of his two young children in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, authorities said.

The mans minivan was stolen while his 1-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter were inside the silver Honda Odyssey. He had parked the car on the 2100 block of Jackson Street with the engine running while he made a food delivery for DoorDash on Feb. 6. The case prompted a region-wide hunt for the minivan and ignited conversations about gig workers and whether their wages were fair, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.

German Morazan, who was arrested nearly two weeks after the incident, was arraigned Wednesday on 12 charges, including felony kidnapping during a carjacking, felony kidnapping to commit a robbery, felony assault with a deadly weapon that is not a firearm, felony second-degree robbery, felony carjacking, felony unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, two counts of felony kidnapping, two counts of felony child endangerment, and misdemeanor endangering the health of a child, according to a statement by the San Francisco district attorneys office.

Morazans attorney, Pamela Herzig, told The Chronicle on Wednesday that she had no comment at this time.

On the night of the incident, tweets asking for the publics help from a journalist friend of the fathers went viral. A multi-county search was launched, with police looking for the children on motorcycles, dirt bikes and patrol vehicles. Residents and news organizations in San Francisco and across the Bay Area region flooded social media platforms with a multi-county Amber Alert bearing photos of the children and of the stolen 2014 Honda they were in at the time of the carjacking. The children were found safely inside the van several hours later, at around 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 7, in the citys Bayview neighborhood.

Jeffrey Fang, father of the two children who were kidnapped, told The Chronicle on Wednesday that he hopes that even when times are hard, that people try to do the right thing and dont resort to this kind of behavior.

Resorting to crime is not the right way to go, no matter how hard times are, Fang said. We should always try to look on the bright side and do our best to try to figure a way out.

In February, Fang told The Chronicle that his family did not make enough money to hire babysitters for his children, and that food delivery hours were not compatible with the standard 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. day care schedule. Fang said that gig economy workers are not obligated to work more than you want, but in order to make ends meet, there are only certain hours good enough for you to really be out there.

Assistant District Attorney Michele Brass presented this case to a grand jury last week, district attorneys 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.

Morazan, currently lodged in San Francisco County Jail, is scheduled for a court hearing at 9 a.m. on Nov. 9, jail records show.

Erlin Romero, 26, was also arrested in connection with this case in February and is in custody at San Francisco County Jail, according to jail records. He was arrested on suspicion of multiple charges including two counts of kidnapping, first-degree robbery and car theft.

Romero is scheduled for a court appearance at 9 a.m. Friday, jail records show.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez
Stanford University says it will continue its current policy of holistic admissions decisions that consider all aspects of an applicants record after Amherst College in Massachusetts said Tuesday it is ending a longstanding policy giving preference to applicants whose parents graduated from the school.

The two schools represent different approaches to handling pressure from alumni to favor their children in the admissions process. Stanford keeps track of such so-called legacy applicants but gives them no special advantage, whereas at Amherst the offspring of graduates previously had an inside track.

Amhersts change of policy, which was coupled with an announcement that the college will increase financial aid offerings, comes as debates over equity, fairness, and affirmative action have raised questions about admissions practices at some of higher educations most renowned institutions.

Legacy preference has been criticized by advocates of more equitable admissions policies for favoring students who have the privilege of connections and who may be more likely to be able to afford enrolling in college  effectively leaving fewer spots open to students who may not have those advantages, such as first-generation college students.

More for you California said it would make college admissions more fair after the Varsity Blues scandal. It didnt

In a Stanford blog post last year, Provost Persis Drell said the universitys admissions process is well rounded, not giving deference to any particular aspect of a students application other than academic excellence. Whether an applicants family members attended Stanford or donated to the university are irrelevant when it comes to admission, she said.

All students who are admitted to Stanford meet the universitys admission standards; there are no exceptions, Drell wrote. If an applicant to Stanford is not highly competitive academically, an existing family connection or historical giving to the university mean nothing in the process.

A Stanford spokesperson confirmed via email that the universitys approach toward legacy applications still stands.

In the universitys undergraduate Class of 2023, which matriculated in 2019, 16.2% of the 1,701 enrolling students had a parent who attended Stanford. A greater portion  18.5%  consisted of first-generation college students, according to the university.

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.

At Amherst, by comparison, Legacy students comprise about 11% of each class. Like Stanford, Amherst says its legacy students are highly qualified, academically and otherwise.

Ending the legacy preference, officials said, will foster greater opportunity for more applicants. The expectation is that the rule change will lead to greater diversity and excellence among prospective and enrolled students.

The University of California system does not allow legacy preference in its admission process.

Andy Picon is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @andpicon
Will workers get paid if they have to stay home because of COVID-19 next year?

That issue dominated public comments at Thursdays meeting of the Cal/OSHA Standards Board, the seven-member body appointed by the governor to adopt workplace standards. Its mission has taken on added urgency during the pandemic, as it promulgates rules on vaccines, masking, social distancing and other measures suggested by the states Division of Occupational Safety and Health to help control the virus spread.

Cal/OSHA currently has temporary regulations that provide for exclusion pay  maintaining pay and benefits while an employee is required to quarantine at home because of workplace exposure to COVID-19. New temporary regulations released in draft form Wednesday would keep exclusion pay in place until April 14, 2022.

But a different set of semi-permanent regulations that would start on April 15, and last at least two years, no longer includes pay for employees who must be excluded from the workplace because they tested positive for COVID-19 or showed symptoms after being exposed to it at work.

For low-wage workers with limited sick leave, thats a big issue, speakers said.

Neither the temporary regulations nor the semi-permanent regulations were voted on at Thursdays virtual meeting.

Our members work in a petri dish every day, said Mark Ramos, president of UFCW Local 1428, which represents workers at grocery stores, health care facilities and cannabis dispensaries in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Its the workers who are coughed on, spit on, assaulted. Someone having to be quarantined or excluded from work and having to miss being paid ... is just cruel.

He noted that his members are likely to encounter people with COVID-19 before those people go to the hospital, as they may go to the store to buy DayQuil or other medicine because they think they have the flu.

Several speakers said that eliminating exclusion pay could force employees to come to work when they are ill because they desperately need their paychecks.

Ordering people to stay home without pay is tantamount to requiring them not to report their symptoms and close contacts, said Stephen Knight, executive director of the worker safety nonprofit Worksafe.

This puts workers in the situation of realizing that if an employer finds out they tested positive, they will be sent home for a pretty long period of time with no pay, said Mitch Steiger of the California Labor Federation, the state AFL-CIO. What that means in reality (is) workers will be forced to hide their symptoms. This ignores the financial instability and frankly desperation most workers feel.

Cal/OSHA board members appeared sympathetic to those arguments in discussions, noting that the law requiring extra sick leave for COVID expired at the end of September.

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 new temporary standards would start Jan. 14 and last 90 days.

Cal/OSHA described the changes from the current temporary standards as minimal, primarily based on California Dept. of Public Health guidance on combating the delta variant.

They include requiring face coverings during employee screenings; requiring employers to test all close contacts, including ones who are vaccinated, of any workplace case; requiring exposed individuals who test negative and return to work before 14 days to wear face masks and maintain social distancing until 14 days from the exposure. In case of outbreaks, employers must test all workers, vaccinated or not, in exposed groups. Workers on employer-provided transit must wear face masks.

Rob Moutrie with the California Chamber of Commerce raised concerns about social distancing requirements, noting that those are hard to comply with within the limited confines of four walls. He also said members are having difficulty acquiring tests.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com
NEW DELHI (AP)  India celebrated giving its billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose on Thursday, a hopeful milestone for the South Asian country where the delta variant fueled a crushing surge earlier this year and missteps initially held back its inoculation campaign.

About half of India's nearly 1.4 billion people have received at least one dose while around 20% are fully immunized, according to Our World in Data. Many of those shots have come in just the past couple of months, after the rollout languished in the first half of the year amid vaccine shortages and problems with the system for rolling them out.

The success of the campaign has been credited with driving down coronavirus cases since the devastating months at the start of the year when India was recording hundreds of thousands infections a day, hospitals buckled under the pressure, and crematoriums and graveyards became overwhelmed. But experts warn that India must speed up the delivery of second shots in order to ensure the outbreak doesn't flare again.

The country widened the gap between shots from 12 to 16 weeks in order to administer more first doses at a time when supply was limited and infections were surging  a tactic countries like the United Kingdom have used in times of crisis. But it created a lag in getting people fully immunized.

India is using vaccines that require two doses. Ramping up the second dose is an important priority, V.K. Paul, the head of the countrys COVID-19 taskforce, said last week.

We would like to see this number go up. Complete coverage is absolutely critical, Paul said.

For now, the country appears to have enough vaccines to do that  but its supplies will be watched closely since it is a major supplier of the shots globally. When it halted exports in April as cases surged at home, it had a devastating impact on poorer countries that particularly rely on doses from India. Exports resumed earlier this month.

The government is now optimistic that the countrys rising vaccine supply will be enough to cover its international and domestic commitments. Both of the two main suppliers have ramped up production, with the Serum Institute of India now producing around 220 million doses a month and Bharat Biotech about 30 million, Paul said.

Still, experts say the vaccine situation will need constant review. There can be no written-in-stone rule  if infections rise drastically, they can again stop exports until theres enough doses, said K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India.

On Thursday, India confirmed more than 18,400 new cases and 160 deaths  dramatically below the worst days in May when daily fatalities exceeded 4,000. Overall, the country has recorded around 34 million infections and over 450,000 deaths, according to the Health Ministry, though those figures, as elsewhere, are likely undercounts.

Even states where infections were swelling a few weeks ago, such as Kerala along the tropical Malabar coast, have seen a sustained decline.

There is a sense of comfort that India has suffered the worst of the delta variant, but this must be accompanied with a feeling of caution, said Reddy. Even if cases go up, we are unlikely to see the scale of the surge earlier  if that does happen, it would be fairly unexpected.

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.

India earlier said it aimed to vaccinate all eligible adults by the end of the year, but experts say the current pace of immunizations will need to increase to meet this goal, even though it has already ramped up significantly. Though the campaign began in January, by mid-June, only about 3.5% of the population had been fully vaccinated.

India celebrated the achievement of 1 billion shots with fanfare Thursday  though it's not that surprising since it's the world's second-most populous country. The first country to reach that milestone, China, is the most populous.

Billboards announcing the feat with a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were posted across New Delhi. Outside a local politicians house in the capital city, residents gathered as sweets were distributed. A song and film to commemorate the moment have been released, and the Indian flag was unfurled at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi.

In recent months, life in India has swung back to normal. Markets buzz with activity, foreign tourists are allowed again after a 19-month hiatus and the country is gearing up to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

But there are fears this could be a lull before a storm. Even though India may have borne the brunt of the delta variant already, things could escalate quickly if a new variant emerges  either from within the country or outside.

If the virus becomes different or mutates, it changes the dynamics. This could change everything, Paul said.
First came the hunger strikes, then the lawsuits and protests, followed by damning government inspection reports, all decrying conditions inside facilities that detain immigrants in California. Now, two dozen members of the states congressional delegation are urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to terminate its contracts with three of the most scrutinized detention centers in California.

The campaign emerged in a letter that 24 members of the states congressional delegation sent Thursday to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Tae Johnson, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more commonly known as ICE.

For years, under multiple administrations, these facilities have been operating in a substandard manner, resulting in repeated violations of the ICE Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) and the excessive waste of federal funds, read the letter, authored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from San Jose.

In 2018, activists succeeded in pressuring Contra Costa County to end its contract allowing ICE to hold immigrant detainees at the West County Detention center in Richmond. A year later, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB32 into law, to phase out all private detention facilities by 2028. However, a federal judge ruled this month the law cannot be implemented because it conflicts with ... federal power. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who authored the bill as an Assembly member, issued a statement suggesting he would fight the ruling.

There are currently eight detention centers across California that house immigrants, seven of which are privately operated by for-profit companies that contract with the federal government. The eighth is the Yuba County Jail in Marysville, which has its own contract with ICE.

Thursdays letter is another sign of the deepening chasm between federal immigration authorities and officials in California, and pinpoints three facilities  the Yuba County Jail, the Adelanto Detention Facility in San Bernardino County and the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County.

Yuba Countys jail has housed immigrants for the federal government since 1994. The contract has long been a target of activists and non-citizen detainees, whose complaints include a lack of adequate medical care, unsanitary conditions and excessive use of solitary confinement. Many of the detainee complaints were substantiated in ICEs own inspection of the jail this year.

When the pandemic hit and conditions inside worsened, some Yuba County detainees were ordered released by a federal judge in April 2020. Two months later, another court order allowed detainees to make their case for release before a judge. But that process was slow.

This past February, activists began the Somos 15 Campaign to speed up the release of Yuba Countys final 15 detainees. There is now just one left, 46-year-old Ricardo Vasquez Cruz, who says he fled gangs in El Salvador and has been in detention for the past three years.

In an interview with The Chronicle, Cruz said hunger strikes have been the only way in which he and his fellow detainees were able to win basic concessions, like time out in the yard, laundered jumpsuits and even access to soap during the pandemic. Often, Cruz said, detainees were locked in their cells for 23 hours a day.

At the most we get one or two hours to bathe and have access to recreation areas where we can see the other inmates to chat with them, Cruz said.

The other two facilities named in the letter are private ones owned and operated by the GEO Group and CoreCivic. ICEs own inspection of the Adelanto facility found serious issues that pose significant health and safety risks. Lofgrens letter cites these ICE findings, which include observing nooses in detainee cells, the improper use of segregation, and inadequate medical care.

The letter also accuses the federal government of wasting $1.34 million a day on unused detention beds because of the nature of the contracts.

The Department of Homeland Security could not be reached for comment.

A trade group representing the companies that run the Adelanto and Otay Mesa facilities provided a statement Friday criticizing the delegations request to end its ICE contracts.

These Members of Congress aim to end the US immigration processing system entirely, no matter whether its local governments or longtime federal contractors operating the facilities, Alexandra Wilkes, spokesperson for the trade group Day 1 Alliance, said in the statement.

A coalition of immigrant rights groups across the state released a statement in support of the letter. The groups, including the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, Al Otro Lado and the Sacramento chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, propose alternatives to incarceration like connecting immigrants to local organizations and volunteers who can help them navigate the immigration court process.

Advocates point to studies showing that detained immigrants pose little risk to their communities and are highly likely to make their immigration court appearances when not detained.

Were not going to wait, said Edwin Carmona-Cruz, community engagement director at the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice. Were going to take matters into our own hands and push for people to be released while we are working on shutting down these facilities.

Deepa Fernandes is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: deepa.fernandes@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @deepafern
For once there is some promising news for western monarch butterflies: Around 2,600 of the migratory insects were counted at Pacific Grove on Thursday, after zero were observed at the famed Monterey County sanctuary last year. And overall, conservationists estimate the current population that has arrived in its annual wintertime migration to the California coast to be around 10,000 compared with 1,900 last year.

One possible reason for the rebound: this years drought, since warm and dry conditions in early spring can help with their migration.

This preliminary count is promising news, since the black and gold-winged butterfly has declined by 99.9% since the 1980s and is considered to be on the brink of extinction. With the help of volunteers, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation will conduct a more official count next month and again in January. But after the environmental group heard anecdotal accounts of many monarchs returning to their overwintering sites along the coast, it decided to do an early tally this week and was encouraged by the signs of a rebound.

We typically are the bearer of bad news these last couple of years. The count has been so incredibly low, said Emma Pelton, senior conservation biologist at Xerces Society. For me, the most exciting thing is you cant throw in the towel yet. There are still some significant numbers of migrating monarchs, and we still have some time to address the stressors affecting them.

Western monarch butterflies breed in inland California and then travel to eastern and northern states before migrating back to coastal areas from the Mexico border to Mendocino County each winter. After declining for decades, the monarch population reached a new low last year, with only 1,900 in total counted on the California coast. That compared with around 29,000 counted in 2019 and almost 200,000 in 2017.

But on Wednesday, volunteers counted 8,000 of the butterflies at two groves in Pismo Beach, compared with 300 last year. With other estimates at locations from Los Angeles to the Bay Area, the total population adds up to around 10,000 and will likely increase next month, Pelton said.

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Though the reason for the rebound isnt known, Pelton said scientists such as Arthur Shapiro at UC Davis have found correlations between drought years and a boost in butterfly populations, at least for butterflies at lower elevations like monarchs. Pelton said that many people worry about the effect of wildfires on monarchs, but she said there is no evidence they have a big impact on the species.

I think the jurys still out on what conditions in the West really lead the good numbers of monarchs, said Pelton. Its tricky because theyre migratory, she added, which makes it hard to track where they were most affected by climate events and when.

The main reasons for the butterflys overall decline in the West are habitat loss and pesticide exposure. The state has recently invested in conservation for western monarchs, such as spending $1 million on habitat restoration in an ongoing project that involves planting milkweed, which the butterflies need for reproduction, and flowering plants that monarchs need for fuel at eight locations in California.

Nic Coury/Special to The Chronicle 2020

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.

However, conservationists say more needs to be done and have pushed for federal funding, such as a proposal to provide funding to make roads and highways more pollinator friendly, which is currently held up in Congress in the infrastructure bill. The Xerces Society has also petitioned to protect the species under the federal Endangered Species Act, which U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not granted.

In addition to the migrating western monarchs, there is also another population called resident monarchs that tend to stick around urban areas where many people have planted milkweed and nectaring plants in backyards. While such efforts are helpful, scientists say the resident monarchs wont make up for the decline in the overall population.

Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan
UPDATE: Oakland residents and officials are seeking to make sense of what happened when a brazen robbery turned into a deadly shootout involving a former Oakland police captain. Go here for the latest updates.

A retired Oakland police captain was in critical condition Thursday after he fatally shot one of three hooded assailants who ambushed and robbed him as he fueled up at a downtown gas station and was then himself shot, in a shocking act of violence in a city struggling through a surge of homicides.

Ersie Joyner, a homegrown native who once headed the citys police homicide unit and its pivotal violence-intervention program, underwent surgery at Highland Hospital. The man he killed was not immediately identified.

The 1 p.m. attack at a Chevron station just off Interstate 980 near downtown Oakland was recorded on surveillance video and showed three assailants exit a black sedan stopped at a gas pump and confront Joyner as he stood at the adjoining pump putting gas in a white Porsche.

That one-minute video captured the violence that weve seen in the city this entire year, Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong told reporters who gathered outside Highland Hospital, where Joyner was fighting for his life hours after he was shot, Armstrong said.

What Armstrong described as a brazen daylight assault on a police veteran happened in a city that has struggled to curb its homicide rate as residents and politicians battle over how to reform policing amid calls to beef up social service programs to deter crime.

Provided to The Chronicle

Police found Joyner after responding to a ShotSpotter alert shortly after 1 p.m. at the Chevron gas station on 1700 Castro Street, the edge of the Uptown district.

Surveillance video obtained by The Chronicle showed the three assailants going through Joyners pockets and removing items from him before they stepped away from him and opened two doors of the Porsche. At that moment Joyner stepped toward the back of the Porsche, pulled out a handgun he was carrying and opened fire  appearing to shoot two of the assailants, who were only steps away. One ran toward the black sedan and the other crumpled to the ground.

Joyner, with his gun still drawn, then walked around the gas pump to approach the two other assailants as they began to speed off. Joyner immediately recoiled, apparently shot in the torso, and stumbled back toward his car, tripped over the body of the downed assailant and was tangled in the gas hose.

One of the assailants then stepped out of the sedan and tried to pull the person who had been shot by Joyner away but gave up the attempt and fled.

Two hours later, law enforcement officers were searching the ground around the gas pumps, which had been littered with bullet casings when they arrived, according to two sources.

A couple of officers rolled a gurney into the Alameda County coroners truck while others continued inspecting the area for evidence. They had closed off the surrounding blocks with caution tape and patrol vehicles as a police helicopter circled overhead. Officers had parked a tactical unit van near the gas pumps.

Addressing the scrum of reporters at Highland Hospital, Armstrong did not name Joyner, but confirmed that the victim was a retired police officer and that police are looking for a black sedan. Multiple law enforcement sources confirmed Joyners identity.

Police said the victim was in critical but stable condition Thursday night. No arrests had been made. The retired officer was lawfully permitted to carry a gun, Armstrong said.

Joyner, who was born and raised in East Oakland, joined the Oakland Police Department in 1991, according to his LinkedIn profile, after studying criminal justice at Cal State East Bay. Known as an aggressive and ambitious officer, he had been promoted to lieutenant by 2006,

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.

Over the course of his career Joyner was involved in several controversies, including a 2011 fatal shooting that ended with the city paying a $75,000 settlement five years later. By then, Joyner had become a high-profile leader in the police force, taking the helm of the Ceasefire anti-violence program in 2013 and overseeing its expansion.

During the six years that Joyner steered Ceasefire, homicides in Oakland declined significantly. Toward the end of that span, the number of annual shootings and homicides was about half what it was in 2012.

When he left the Police Department, Joyner started a new career in the cannabis industry. He now owns dispensaries in Oakland.

Armstrong said that at this point investigators have no reason to believe that Joyner was targeted specifically because of his past positions in law enforcement or his current ties to the cannabis industry. However, the chief said, at this point we will be looking into everything.

Under California law, a person can claim self-defense in a killing if they reasonably believed they or someone else were in imminent danger of being slain or badly injured, or that they were in danger of becoming the victim of forcible crimes such as robbery or rape. The person must have a reasonable belief that their use of deadly force is necessary. But they are not required to retreat, the law states, and can pursue an assailant until the danger has passed.

Police have investigated 115 homicides in Oakland so far this year.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommended COVID booster shots for millions more Americans, and said people can get a different type of booster than the vaccine they originally received.

The CDC had previously recommended boosters for high-risk recipients of the Pfizer vaccine. A panel of advisers expanded that recommendation Thursday afternoon to include high-risk Moderna recipients and all Johnson & Johnson recipients as well. The agencys head, Rochelle Walensky, signed off on the recommendation a few hours later.

These recommendations are another example of our fundamental commitment to protect as many people as possible from COVID-19, Walensky said in a statement.

High-risk people who got Pfizer and Moderna vaccines  those 65 or older and anyone 18 or older who lives in a long-term care setting, has underlying medical conditions, or works in a high-risk environment  should get a booster, the agency said. So should everyone who received the J&J vaccine.

People who originally got Pfizer or Moderna shots should get a booster at least six months after their second dose, and people who originally got the J&J shot should get a booster at least two months after their first dose.

On Wednesday, the FDA authorized the mixing and matching of vaccines, but did not recommend one combination over another. The CDC on Thursday similarly did not formally recommend a specific combination. It said people should try to stick with the same brand they got initially, but if they prefer another one  or if the one they got before is not available  they should be allowed to get any one they wish.

The agencys decision officially clears the way for millions of Americans to mix and match their initial vaccine with a booster shot of any of the three available alternatives.

That means people will have flexibility to choose the booster they want. Members of the CDC committee, which is independent from the agency and includes doctors and scientists, anticipate some people will make that choice after consulting with their doctor.

But the decision does little to clear up confusion among many of the 15 million Americans who got the J&J vaccine  a one-dose regimen that studies indicate is less protective than the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines  who have been waiting on direction for which vaccine to get as a follow-up.

Studies suggest J&J recipients may benefit more from an mRNA booster such as the Pfizer and Moderna solutions than from a J&J booster, leaving many J&J recipients frustrated at the lack of direction on which vaccine they should seek as a second shot.

We just keep waiting, said Scott Rubin of Daly City.

Rubin, 64, and his wife both got the J&J shot in April and have been awaiting federal guidance on which vaccine to get as a second dose. Rubin followed vaccine developments closely and wants Moderna or, if thats not available, Pfizer.

A preliminary NIH study released last week found that J&J recipients who got a Moderna booster saw the biggest rise in antibody levels compared to those who got a Pfizer or J&J booster. Those who got a Moderna booster saw a 76-fold rise in antibody levels, while those who got a Pfizer booster saw a 36-fold rise and those who got J&J saw levels quadruple after 15 days. Antibody levels are just one part of the immune response, but because they are easier to measure than the other key part  T-cells  studies so far have relied on this metric.

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.

Rubin, who has diabetes and is a heart transplant recipient, has been very cautious, even after getting vaccinated, because hes at high risk of getting a severe case of COVID if he contracts the virus. He doesnt go out much and has seen his son and daughter-in-law only twice since the pandemic began. Getting an additional shot, he said, would make him feel more comfortable seeing them. Both are high school teachers and spend a lot of time around other teachers and students.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

When I get my second vaccination, Id feel like I have a better chance at not getting sick if I spent time around them and they happen to have contact with someone with COVID, he said.

Some J&J recipients, eager to seek extra protection, have already obtained an mRNA dose ahead of the official guidance. Krista Itzhak of San Francisco originally received a J&J shot in April and, after consulting with her doctor, got a Pfizer shot three weeks ago. The booster gives her more confidence in flying to visit her sister in Seattle for Thanksgiving, said Itzhak, 46.

Necessary, no, but a little more comforting, Itzhak said of the booster.

All three vaccines provide strong protection against hospitalization and death, even without boosters, but effectiveness against infection appears to wane over time. And there is growing evidence that higher risk people, such as those over 65 or with underlying conditions, are more likely to be hospitalized than younger adults if they get a post-vaccination infection.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho
As COVID-19 vaccination numbers continue to inch up and the delta wave starts to subside, experts say growing evidence of the strength of hybrid immunity reinforces why people should get vaccinated even after infection.

But what exactly does that term mean?

People can develop varying degrees of resistance to COVID by being infected with the coronavirus or by being vaccinated. Hybrid immunity describes the response when a person has been infected and also vaccinated.

Of course, catching COVID to develop immunity is a bad idea. Infection with the coronavirus is risky and potentially deadly, and doctors continue to advise people to take all measures to avoid contracting it.

Studies increasingly show, however, that for those who have had the infection, a subsequent vaccination may provide stronger protection against reinfection than either natural or vaccine-induced immunity alone.

Studying this hybrid immunity  including how it occurs and why it appears to be more protective  may be key to improving vaccines or developing immunization efforts in future pandemics, scientists say.

We dont want people to become infected and vaccinated. But if you can elicit this kind of immunity by not getting infected, thats what were super interested in investigating, said Nadia Roan, a UCSF immunologist and investigator at Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco.

Although infection alone provides some protection against developing COVID again, doctors recommend that everyone who is infected with the coronavirus get at least one dose of vaccine to bolster their immunity. In the United States, people who were previously infected are considered fully protected after getting two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson  the same as those who have not been infected.

Vaccination after infection likely serves as a sort of booster dose for those who have been infected, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. It reminds the body how to fight the virus, he said.

Scientists like Roan are trying to understand exactly how that booster works and better define how hybrid immunity differs from vaccine-only immunity.

In a paper published last week, Roan and a team of Gladstone scientists compared immunity in people who had been infected with the coronavirus and later got the vaccine versus those who only got the vaccine. The scientists found that after two doses of vaccine, both groups had similar numbers of T cells  immune cells that target and destroy other cells infected by the virus.

But theres a wide variety of T cells, and the scientists found some T cells in the infected group that were not in the uninfected group. Those T cells may provide stronger, more durable protection.

One of the T cells they found in the infected group appears able to make more copies of itself over a longer time compared to similar T cells in the uninfected group. Another may be better able to move quickly to the respiratory tract, which is generally the source of exposure to the coronavirus. If T cells can get to that location faster, they may be better able to fend off the virus before it can lead to infection or reinfection.

These (post-infection) individuals who are vaccinated, they may have T cells that are superior, Roan 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.

She noted two recent studies out of the United Kingdom and Qatar that similarly found superior immunity among some people who had been infected and then vaccinated with at least one dose.

In the U.K. study, previously infected individuals had fewer breakthrough infections from the delta variant than those who had two doses of the vaccines used there, only one of which  made by Pfizer  is available in the U.S. Previous infection plus one dose of Pfizer was about 94% effective at preventing symptomatic illness; two doses drove that up to 99%. One dose without a previous infection was about 58% effective, and two doses without infection were about 93% effective.

It kind of makes sense, that it would be better protection, Roan said. Now we have real world data supporting it.

But this doesnt necessarily mean that a person has to get infected with the virus to get enhanced protection. The Qatar study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, found similar protection from two doses of Moderna vaccine with and without previous infection; for Pfizer, previous infection improved protection over vaccination alone.

A study out of the University of Montreal in Quebec, suggested that extending the interval between doses of the vaccine could generate an immune response closer to that seen in people with hybrid immunity.

Danielle Echeverria and Erin Allday are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com, eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev, @erinallday
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  The FBI on Thursday identified human remains found in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip.

The remains, a backpack and notebook believed to belong to Laundrie were discovered Wednesday in a Florida wilderness park, according to the FBI. The area where they were found had been under water during earlier searches.

The FBI's Denver office said in a news release a comparison of dental records confirmed that the remains were Laundrie. A lawyer for his parents, Steve Bertolino, also confirmed in a statement they were told the remains were those of their son.

We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundries privacy at this time, the statement said.

The FBI statement did not list a cause of death. It wasn't clear how long the remains may have been submerged in water.

The discovery of the remains concluded a massive search involving federal, state and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, two weeks after the 23-year-old returned alone to his parents home in North Port, Florida.

The investigation into Petito's slaying, however, is not yet concluded. But only Laundrie has ever been identified by law enforcement officials as a person of interest in the case.

Petitos family reported her missing Sept. 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and, in Laundrie's case, focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundrie home. It is a densely wooded, swampy area that's home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes and numerous other creatures.

The couple first met as teenagers on Long Island, New York, and more recently moved to Florida's Gulf Coast to live with his parents.

They first gained an online following while on their trip in a converted Ford Transit van in videos filled with happy scenes that may have concealed deeper problems. After Petito disappeared, the case became a true-crime obsession on social media.

The intense focus on Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color. Petito, 22, was white.

Her body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks.

The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed.

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.

Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip, which was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve.

Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out.

The remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota, Florida.

Laundrie was charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made.

Had Laundrie lived, that indictment would have permitted authorities to arrest him.
Each year, starting in 1989 until his death in 2019, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan introduced a bill, HR40, to establish a commission to study and develop a path toward providing reparations to African Americans for the legacy of slavery, segregation and discrimination perpetrated against them. And each year, for nearly three decades, that bill went nowhere. Only after his passing is that bill now finally being given serious consideration in Congress.

HR40, however, is far from the only attempt to address and remediate the lingering effect of centuries of state-sponsored bigotry. Local reparations programs for African Americans have moved forward in cities like Sacramento, Evanston, Ill., and Amherst, Mass. Perhaps most significantly, Californias Legislature created a first-in-the-nation state-level task force last year to study and help repair our states legacy of racial injustice. Repair, after all, is the root of the word reparations.

That Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans is hearing personal and expert testimony  and its findings should matter to every Californian who cares about social justice and equality.

Certainly, in recent generations, there has been impressive growth in Black political leadership, college graduation rates and marketplace success in California. Still, the achievements of some should not overshadow the disproportionate share of Black Californians who have been left behind. The experts who spoke before the task force last week illuminated the myriad ways government, private companies, banks, neighborhood associations and tax systems have hindered the ability of Black families to earn and accumulate capital, especially through home ownership.

Golden Gate University School of Law Professor Helen Kang, a scholar of environmental racism, testified that during World War II, San Francisco and the Navy created segregated public housing in Bayview-Hunters Point to accommodate as many as 17,000 Black shipyard workers migrating from the South. Kang also described the environmental degradation of Black neighborhoods such as Bayview-Hunters Point. She noted the radioactive contamination from the shipyard, the power plants located there (and nowhere else in the city), the lung-damaging particulates from concrete production in the neighborhood and the smelly sewage plant that handles 80% of the citys sewage.

Across the bay in Richmond, banks used redlining to deny mortgages to Black shipyard workers from the South who lived, as they had little choice but to do, in segregated neighborhoods, University of Texas historian Jacqueline Jones testified.

The result of redlining  and other methods of exclusion, including private restrictive covenants that kept Black people out of upscale white neighborhoods  was that African Americans were unable to accrue the equity that their white counterparts were amassing, generation by generation, through real estate, Portland State University Professor C.N.E. Corbin testified.

Two-thirds of white American families age 33 to 45 own their homes, while only a third of Black families do, according to UC Berkeley researcher Stephen Menendian, co-author of a report on segregation in the Bay Area.

Meanwhile, federal tax policy favoring homeowners with deductions for mortgage interest compounded the negative impacts of redlining, restrictive covenants and bias in the real estate industry.

The effects of these discriminatory policies have lingered, leading to a racial wealth gap in which white families in the U.S. in 2019 had eight times the wealth of Black families, according to University of Connecticut Professor Thomas Craemer.

Craemer advocated that reparations can and should be used to remediate this racial wealth gap. It wont be easy. But solutions  and precedents  exist.

According to Craemer, eliminating the gap in California alone could cost $778.6 billion. He recommended that California exert pressure on the federal government to carry the load. He also pointed to an important precedent: the post-World War II German government has made monthly payments to Holocaust victims, giving weight and credibility to words of apology for historical injustice.

Beyond individual payments, a trust fund, supported by government and private institutions, such as banks that benefited from redlining and predatory loans, could finance a broad range of societal remedies. Such a trust could help Black Californians put down payments on homes or pay for college education. The fund could also help support Californias one historically Black educational institution, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.

Reparation funding could be used to further the essential work of national memory and education about Americas original sin, slavery. Support could go to cultural institutions like San Franciscos Museum of the African Diaspora or for street art commemorating Black lives lost to lynchings or police violence in California. A trust fund could also support retraining for local police.

To move beyond a painful past, a society needs to first acknowledge it and then make amends for it. Last week, the task force made major contributions toward acknowledgment.

Soon it will need to guide us, through specific proposals, on how to proceed. The task forces challenge, and that for all Californians, is to eradicate structural barriers to equality and narrow the racial wealth gap. These are essential steps if we wish to live in a fair and broadly prosperous society.

Dennis Aftergut is a former federal prosecutor and chief assistant city attorney in San Francisco. Elizabeth Herbin-Triant is associate professor of Black studies and history at Amherst College.
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

San Francisco building inspectors deemed Chase Center up to code on Thursday, five days after one person died and two were injured in separate falls from the arenas upper levels during a concert by the jam band Phish on Sunday.

Two of our inspectors conducted a site inspection today and found the area under investigation to be fully code-compliant, and we consider the issue closed, Patrick Hannan, communications director of the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, told The Chronicle.
The San Francisco Republican Party is hosting Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the highly controversial Republican congresswoman who was stripped of committee assignments for her past support of conspiracy theories ranging from QAnon to 9/11 trutherism.

Tickets for the Nov. 6 event start at $175, but because Greene has declined to share her COVID-19 vaccination status with the SF GOP (or anyone, for that matter), the event cannot be hosted in San Francisco, which has a proof-of-vaccination requirement for large indoor events. Instead, the event will be held somewhere in northern San Mateo County, with the specific venue being announced 48 hours in advance of the event.

SF GOP chairman John Dennis told SFGATE that Greene  who once nonsensically suggested that California wildfires were ignited by Jerry Brown using space lasers  was not the party's first choice to speak at the event. According to Dennis, organizers originally considered former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder, the Hoover Institution's Victor Davis Hanson and the Washington Examiner's Byron York.

After the aforementioned three figure were unable to attend, Greene's team got in touch with party officials and they decided to move forward with bringing Greene to San Francisco  but not without "internal dissension" among committee members, Dennis said.

"Some members disagreed, and they made thoughts known," he said. "If she didnt apologize for some of her past comments, we wouldnt be having her. When someone is genuine in their regret, that's a point to move forward."

Dennis is referring to Greene's February apology on the House floor in which she repudiated QAnon and said that 9/11 and the Parkland school shooting were, in fact, real events. In 2019, Greene, then a civilian, was filmed confronting Parkland survivor David Hogg and baselessly accused him of being paid by billionaire George Soros, a frequent target of far-right conspiracy theories.

However, Greene has continued to make controversial remarks since that apology. Over the summer, she compared Capitol mask mandates to the Holocaust, and Dennis said the SF GOP has "no tolerance or time for overwrought or overcooked rhetoric," while noting that Greene herself apologized for what Dennis described as "dumb language."

Greene has also frequently attacked the COVID-19 vaccines. Dennis argued that it is important to draw a distinction between being anti-vaccine and anti-mandate, but the congresswoman has made statements that more closely fall under the former.

In August, Greene was briefly suspended from Twitter after tweeting, "The FDA should not approve the covid vaccines. There are too many reports of infection & spread of #COVID19 among vaccinated people. These vaccines are failing & do not reduce the spread of the virus & neither do masks.Vaccine mandates & passports violate individual freedoms."

It is untrue that the vaccines are "failing" and "do not reduce the spread of the virus," even if breakthrough infections were more common during the delta variant wave.

When SFGATE emailed a copy of Greene's tweet to Dennis, he replied, "I suspect the committee would agree with some statements in Congresswoman Taylor Greene's tweet and would disagree with other parts. We look forward to November 6 when we'll have the opportunity to challenge her where we disagree and voice our support for her where we find agreement."

Dennis said that the group was eager to host an event with a prominent figure before the holidays, and that not hosting an event altogether was briefly considered. Ultimately though, Dennis said that party members decided to "take a chance" on Greene, while acknowledging that she's a "controversial figure."
A conservative political commentator is being slammed for racist remarks targeting veteran Bay Area TV news reporter Betty Yu.

Steven Crowder, the host of the political podcast and YouTube channel "Louder with Crowder," made the comments during a segment on his show Wednesday focusing on the closure of San Francisco's only In-N-Out location for failure to check customers' vaccination status.

"San Francisco In-N-Out, they've been in a battle with the city over  let me just let them tell you the story, vaccine requirements," Crowder said. He then proceeds to play a video clip of a KPIX news segment, to which Crowder reacts to seeing Yu by saying, "Oh, that is an aggressively Asian face."

One of Crowder's co-hosts, comedian Dave Landau, then says, "Easy."

The rest of the "Louder with Crowder" segment went as follows:

Crowder: "It is a  I mean that just means if you were a skier it would be like a black diamond you'd have to drop in on a chopper."

Landau: "Where's Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz?"

Crowder: "The city confirmed that it closed a private business for not acting like the health  for not acting like the FDA."

Crowder: "By the way, the reason I say that is because usually with the reporters, they're, like, they're kind of like Americanized Asians. So I think it's a good thing."

Gerald Morgan (co-host): "Yeah, yeah, no. It's culture."

Crowder: "It's a good thing. It's full Asian."

Landau: "I wish she would have kept her fan."

Crowder: "Yeah, you know."

You can watch the segment:

Several of Yu's fellow Bay Area journalists came to her defense.

KPIX issued this statement condemning Crowder's attack:

Crowder had just returned to YouTube following a one week suspension for hate speech targeting the transgender community.

Yu has been at KPIX since 2013, and is a Bay Area native, graduating from UC Berkeley, as well as Columbia University.
A 47-year-old Los Gatos mom accused of hosting drunken, sex-fueled parties for her teenage son and his friends was denied bail Wednesday.

Shannon O'Connor, also known as Shannon Bruga, made her first court appearance yesterday. At the arraignment in a Santa Clara courtroom, a judge issued 15 protective orders for people authorities say were victims, including one of her two teenage sons, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Defense attorney Sam Polverino argued that the prosecutions successful request to deny bail for his client denied her rights and was inconsistent with due process, the Mercury News said. She was scheduled to enter a plea Dec. 17.

Bruga was extradited to California on Tuesday to face 39 felony and misdemeanor charges, including child abuse, sexual assault, sexual battery, child molestation and providing alcohol to minors, the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office said. She faces incarceration if she is convicted. She was also hit with three additional charges of grand theft tied to $120,000 in unauthorized charges on company credit cards from her former employer, including payments for clothing, limousine rides and alcohol delivery to her home.

O'Connor allegedly threw parties for high school students in the Silicon Valley community of Los Gatos, Calif., where she served copious amounts of alcohol, encouraged teenagers to have sex and sometimes watched the sexual acts, the prosecution said.

She "bought vodka and Fireball whiskey, provided condoms, and discouraged the teens from telling their parents about the parties or calling for help when one of them passed out in their own vomit," a statement of facts alleged.

At one party at her Los Gatos home in December, authorities said, OConnor handed a condom to a boy and pushed him into a room with an intoxicated girl. Both were minors. The girl was able to get away and locked herself in the bathroom, Santa Clara County District Attorney investigator Christina Hanks detailed in court filings.

The parties were held across an 11-month period spanning 2020 to 2021 and were mainly attended by 14- and 15-year-olds, the office said.

The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District released a statement in response to O'Connor's arrest stating that student safety is a top priority.

"It is important to note that we take the topic of underage drinking very seriously and work continuously to promote awareness and dialogue in our classrooms and our community," the statement said. "Additionally, parents and families also play a crucial role in setting clear expectations for the behavior of our young people and in monitoring their activities. Only together can we effectively address social issues such as substance abuse.

O'Connor most recently lived in a suburb of Boise, Idaho, and when officers arrested her at her home in Star, there were 10 underage boys and two girls at her home  most of whom spent the night there, the Ada County Sheriff's Office said in the news release. Investigators called the parents of those teens before releasing them.

Detectives with the sheriff's office said O'Connor may have also been holding parties for teenagers in Idaho.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
NEW YORK (AP)  Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday:

International Business Machines Corp., down $13.57 to $128.33.

The technology and consulting company's third-quarter revenue fell short of Wall Street forecasts.

CSX Corp., up 55 cents to $35.01.

The freight railroad's third-quarter financial results beat analysts' forecasts.

Las Vegas Sands Corp., down 75 cents to $38.77.

The casino operator's third-quarter loss was worse than Wall Street expected.

Tenet Healthcare Corp., up $4.80 to $70.45.

The hospital operator raised its profit forecast for the year after reporting strong third-quarter financial results.

AutoNation Inc., up $9.04 to $126.

The auto retailer handily beat Wall Street's third-quarter profit forecasts on a jump in demand.

Crocs Inc., up $12.67 to $148.60.

The footwear company reported encouraging third-quarter financial results.

Tractor Supply Co., up $8.12 to $210.42.

The retailer for farmers and ranchers raised its profit and revenue forecasts for the year.

Devon Energy Corp., down $1.21 to $39.70.

Crude oil prices fell and weighed down energy stocks.
DETROIT (AP)  Volvo is recalling another 195,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the front driver's air bags could explode and send shrapnel into the cabin.

It's the company's third U.S. recall for the issue with air bag inflators made by supplier ZF/TRW. It stems from the death of an unidentified U.S. driver. In all, the recalls cover nearly 768,000 older vehicles worldwide, according to Volvo.

The latest recall posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators covers XC70 and V70 wagons from the 2001 through 2007 model years that were built from Feb. 22, 2000 through May 4, 2007.

The problem is similar to widespread trouble with air bag inflators made by bankrupt Japanese air bag maker Takata. The company used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate the air bags. But the chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high heat and humidity and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister.

At least 19 people in the U.S. and 28 worldwide have been killed by exploding Takata inflators. More than 400 have been injured in the U.S.

The Volvo inflators do not use ammonium nitrate, but the propellant can still deteriorate when exposed to high heat and humidity, according to documents posted Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Volvo said in the documents that the fatality is the only inflator rupture case that it knows of.

ZF/TRW said the inflators were not sold to any other automakers in the U.S. The companys U.S. headquarters is in Livonia, Michigan, near Detroit.

Earlier this month Volvo recalled nearly 260,000 older cars in the U.S. for the same problem. That was in addition to a recall from November of 2020.

Volvo said Thursday that it will contact owners of all the recalled cars and tell them how to get the vehicles repaired.

Dealers will replace the driver's air bag with a modern state-of-the-art propellant/inflator, the Volvo documents say. Owners in the latest U.S. recall will be notified by letter starting Dec. 14.
Following the Food and Drug Administrations emergency use authorization of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters Wednesday, the demand for COVID-19 vaccine boosters will intensify in coming weeks.

But not all the vaccine boosters are equal, especially if you were initially given the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious diseases expert at UCSF, told SFGATE.

"It really doesn't matter what you get as your booster if you had an mRNA vaccine ... if you need a booster," Gandhi told SFGATE. That means that for those who received a Moderna or Pfizer shot, any booster  whether it be Moderna or Johnson & Johnson  is effective.

She added, "And if you had a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the best second dose to get is the mRNA vaccine."

The National Institutes of Health study released last Wednesday found that the immune response from getting a booster that doesnt correspond to the initial vaccine, or a "heterologous boost," was stronger than a homologous boost from matching vaccines to boosters.

But a separate clinical trial in Europe  which released its findings Tuesday  found a staggering breakthrough in regards to the AstraZeneca vaccine, which Gandhi refers to as a "cousin" of the Johnson & Johnson shot.

That expansive study, involving hundreds of thousands of participants in Sweden, found that an admixture of the one-shot AstraZeneca vaccine with a Moderna booster was 79% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection, while an AstraZeneca shot and AstraZeneca booster was only 50% effective.

"It was really compelling clinical data to me, beyond the antibody data," Gandhi said, "clinical data that's told us that there's something magical about the DNA adenovirus vector [a one-shot vaccine, such as the Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca shots] followed by an mRNA [booster]."

That, more than anything, is reason for Gandhi to support a "strong recommendation" for vaccine boosters, especially for those who are older than 65 or immunocompromised, or have received the Johnson & Johnson shot.

"This is strong guidance now and ... any Johnson & Johnson [recipient] 18 and older should go and get an mRNA [booster], in my opinion, not, the Johnson & Johnson," Gandhi said.
NEW YORK (AP)  Rosamund Pike, who stars in the Amazon Prime Video series based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time" books, also took on the epic task of narrating the audio edition of the late author's fantasy classic The Eye of the World.

The Eye of the World, published in 1990, is the first volume of Jordans The Wheel of Time epic.
* This is not a financial advice article. Please contact a financial advisor if you need financial assistance.

(Ad) If youre struggling with IRS tax debt, there are a variety of tax relief companies that can help significantly reduce or even eliminate your tax debt altogether.

The best tax relief services have experienced tax attorneys that understand tax law and how to negotiate with the IRS on your behalf for a reduced settlement.

However, not all tax relief companies are created equal. To help you choose a trustworthy company that meets your needs, we have reviewed the top five best tax relief companies of 2021.

We evaluated each tax relief company based on its reputation, reviews, prices, guarantee, and experience.

Here are our top picks for the best tax relief companies of 2021.

The Top 5 Best Tax Relief Companies of 2021

#1 Community Tax

Community Tax is our top choice for the best tax relief company of 2021. With an impressive A+ BBB rating, transparent pricing, and hundreds of 5-star reviews, Community Tax is one of the most reputable tax relief companies in the industry.

Community Tax is a full-service tax company that offers a variety of services geared toward individuals and businesses. Community tax specializes in the following services:

Tax relief

Tax planning

Tax preparation

Accounting/bookkeeping

Community Tax offers the following tax relief programs:

Conditional expense installment agreements

Currently not collectible status

Offers in compromise (OIC)

Partial pay installment agreements

Penalty abatements

Stairstep agreements

Streamline installment agreements

Traditional installment agreements

Community Tax works with tax lawyers who have been in the tax relief industry for years and so have the necessary expertise to serve you well. When you hire Community Tax for tax resolution, the company will follow a straightforward process to assist you:

Consultation: First, Community Tax will ask you about the details of your case and give you a free tax analysis. Your tax specialist will also discuss your options when it comes to relieving your tax debt.

Investigation: Next, Community Tax will dive deeper into your tax debt case by requesting a complete record of your account from the IRS.

Resolution: Finally, Community Tax will gather as much information about your case as possible and prepare a resolution proposal for the IRS.

Community Tax charges a fixed price for its tax resolution services, ensuring that no hidden fees catch you off guard down the line. Better yet, you can take advantage of a free consultation to help you get a better idea of how Community Tax can assist you before paying for its services.

Community Tax has resolved more than $800 million in tax debt in the past, and the company is prepared to take your case on next. We recommend Community Tax as one of the best tax relief companies in the industry.

More than 100,000 clients and more than $800 million in tax debt resolved

Free consultation to discuss the best tax solutions for your situation

A+ Better Business Bureau rating

Lowest fees among the list of best tax relief companies

$10,000 minimum tax debt required

Click Here to Learn More About Community Tax

#2 Anthem Tax Services

No two tax debt cases are the same. If you are struggling with tax debt, you need a personalized, tailored solution that will provide the best strategy for your specific tax problems.

Anthem Tax Services is a tax relief firm that offers personalized approaches to tax debt relief. The company employs tax professionals who each have over 30 years of experience with tax debt relief and tax law, offering a knowledgeable, expert approach to tax debts.

Anthem Tax Services offers:

Tax debt relief

Tax help

Small business help

Its tax relief services include assistance with the following programs:

Currently non-collectible statuses

Innocent spouse and injured spouse requests

Installment agreements

IRS Fresh Start forgiveness

Offers in compromise

Penalty abatements

Truck driver back taxes

Wage garnishments

If you want to hire Anthem Tax Services for tax debt relief, your first step will be to schedule a free consultation. During this consultation, a tax professional will examine your case and give you a brief overview of how Anthem Tax Services can help you.

You can schedule your consultation by filling out a form on the Anthem Tax Services website. One of the company's tax professionals will reach out to you soon after you submit the form to discuss your options.

Once you hire Anthem, the company will review your case in more detail and develop a tax debt relief plan that provides the most comprehensive tax relief for your specific situation. The company's extensive industry experience and tax law knowledge allow it to discern tax relief options that clients might never discover on their own.

Even if you decide not to hire Anthem Tax Services, you can still take advantage of the free resources on the companys website. The company regularly releases expert blog posts and articles that answer questions like What is a CP14 Notice from the IRS?.

Anthem Tax Services is licensed in all 50 states, allowing the company to help consumers nationwide receive the tax solutions they need to move forward following severe tax debt. We recommend this company to anyone looking for expert tax professionals and tailored relief services.

Click Here to Learn More About Anthem Tax Services

#3 Optima Tax Relief

Optima Tax Relief is a tax relief service that works with knowledgeable senior tax associates to help clients relieve tax debt. The company strives to reach a generous tax relief agreement with the IRS on behalf of its clients and uses its tax expertise to negotiate the best outcome.

As a Better Business Bureau accredited business, Optima Tax Relief provides reputable, trustworthy services to clients across the United States. Its tax professional team includes tax attorneys and enrolled agents who are experts in all things IRS tax debt.

This company offers the following tax services:

Tax consultation

Tax relief

Tax resolution

Tax settlement

Protection plans

Its tax resolution programs include:

Audit representation

Currently not collectibles

Innocent spouse relief

Installment plans

Offers in compromise

And more...

The company's wide selection of specialized federal and state tax relief services allows it to develop the most comprehensive plan for each client.

Optima Tax Relief will follow these steps during your tax relief service:

Free Consultation: A tax professional will review your case and discuss your tax relief options. This step is free and does not require the purchase of additional services.

Investigation: The professional will then evaluate your case options and establish communication with the IRS. This process takes between two and four weeks.

Resolution: Finally, the tax professional will spend between three and nine months establishing IRS compliance and achieving the best tax relief for your case.

Once the company closes your tax relief case, you can continue utilizing its services for future tax seasons to ensure that you do not fall into tax debt again. The company offers tax preparation and filing services that you can take advantage of continually.

Optima Tax Relief offers an extensive selection of tax resources on its website, allowing you to learn more about the tax resolution and tax preparation process.

You can also download the Optima Tax app for a convenient, easy way to receive tax relief help. Simply snap a photo of your IRS tax debt notice, upload the image to the Optima app, and let Optimas tax professionals do all of the work for you.

We recommend Optima Tax Relief to anyone looking for a tax-law-based, expert approach to tax debt relief.

Click Here to Learn More About Optima Tax Relief

#4 Tax Defense Network

Tax Defense Network has been helping clients through tax problems since 2007. During its 14 years in business, the company has helped thousands of clients find relief from burdensome tax debt.

Tax Defense Network believes that tax debts do not have to be stressful and overwhelming. The company is in the business of helping ease its clients' tax debt burdens so that they can begin living a stress-free financial life.

The company offers the following tax services:

Tax relief

Tax help

Tax audit assistance

Small business help

Specifically, its tax relief services include:

IRS tax relief

State tax relief

Tax debt settlement

Tax debt forgiveness

Tax negotiation

IRS Fresh Start program help

If you're interested in hiring Tax Defense Network, you can first take advantage of a free consultation with one of the company's tax professionals. During this consultation, a tax expert will review your case and discuss your options. The consultation can take place online or over the phone.

Once you hire Tax Defense Network, your tax professional will begin communicating with the IRS on your behalf and developing a strategic plan to minimize your tax debt and pay off any remaining debt you may have. Since 2007, the company has helped relieve more than $18 billion in tax debt.

Tax Defense Network knows that those struggling with tax debt may not have many additional funds to hire a tax relief service. The company makes its tax relief services as affordable as possible by offering plans starting at $99. You can also utilize financing options to afford its tax services better.

Throughout Tax Defense Networks years in business, its creators have realized that many of its tax debt clients also struggle with other financial issues, such as credit card debt and student loan debt. The company founded MoneySolver as an adjunct to Tax Defense Network to help clients with a broader range of money problems.

Another way that Tax Defense Network helps clients through financial hardship is via its helpful resources tab. This section of the companys website includes a tax glossary, links to tax forms, an FAQ section, a tax withholding calculator, and more. You can use these resources whether you are a paying customer or not.

Overall, Tax Defense Network makes the tax relief process as simple as possible, allowing clients to lift the weight of tax debt from their own shoulders and place it on those of a knowledgeable professional.

Click Here to Learn More About Tax Defense Network

#5 Precision Tax

With so many tax relief scams across the industry, identifying trustworthy tax relief companies can be challenging. One way to assess a company's reliability is through its awards and recognitions.

Precision Tax is a reputable tax relief service that has received numerous awards for its outstanding services and responsible practices. The business is Better Business Bureau accredited, with an A+ rating, and has received the Torch Award for Ethics.

Precision Tax offers the following tax services:

Tax relief

Annual tax preparation

Bookkeeping

Its tax relief services include assistance with the following:

Back tax returns

Offers in compromise

Payroll tax debt

Federal tax liens

IRS payment plans

And more

You can view a complete list of the company's specialized services on its website.

Like the other tax debt relief companies on our list, Precision Tax offers a free consultation with no obligation to continue its services. This consultation provides you with expert advice and a general tax relief plan that you can use to your advantage even if you decide not to pay for tax relief services. You can initiate this consultation any time by calling the Precision Tax hotline.

After your consultation, you can sign up for Precision Tax's services and receive a flat fee quote for the cost of your plan. The company never charges hidden fees or additional expenses beyond this flat fee quote. Even better, the firm provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to receive a full refund if you are not satisfied with your services within the first 30 days.

Precision Tax has numerous client success stories detailing the positive experiences clients have had with the service. One client had owed $244,452 in tax debt, but Precision Tax helped them settle for $300. Another client owed $110,731 and settled for $100. These client testimonials can help you feel confident in the significant tax help that Precision Tax can provide.

Overall, Precision Tax is a reputable tax relief company that has received widespread recognition for its fair, reliable business practices. You can trust this company to provide the expert tax relief help you need while charging honest, upfront costs.

Click Here to Learn More About Precision Tax

What Is a Tax Relief Company?

Tax relief companies help individuals who are struggling with state tax debt or IRS debt to utilize tax debt relief resources to their full advantage. Tax relief companies also negotiate with the IRS on their clients behalf to reduce or even eliminate their tax debts.

These companies employ tax attorneys, enrolled agents, and other tax professionals who are experts in tax law. This specialized expertise allows these companies to provide tailored, comprehensive services that help individuals receive the best possible outcomes from their tax debt.

The most reputable tax relief companies follow these steps to help customers manage their tax debt better:

Free Consultation: Most tax relief services start with a free consultation. During this consultation, enrolled agents review clients' tax situations and inform them of their tax relief options.

In-Depth Investigation: Once a client officially hires a company, the tax relief company closely reviews all of their tax records. It spends time reviewing all of the client's relevant tax information to determine the best course of action to relieve their debt.

Plan Development: Next, the tax relief company develops a plan to utilize IRS tax relief programs to minimize the client's unpaid tax debt. (We will discuss these programs further below).

Negotiation with the IRS: Finally, the company negotiates with the IRS to eliminate as much of the clients tax debt as possible. At this point, the company also presents its tax relief plan to the IRS and seeks approval on the clients behalf.

Once a tax relief service finalizes your plan, it will be your job to follow the terms of the program and pay back any remaining debt. In the best-case scenarios, tax relief companies have reduced clients' debt by hundreds of thousands of dollars through their research, planning, and negotiation.

Things to Consider Before Choosing a Tax Resolution Service

Choosing a reputable, trustworthy tax relief service is essential to receiving honest services that are worth your time and money. However, not all tax relief companies are reliable and safe. Some are more interested in scamming customers out of their money by charging an upfront fee and putting minimal effort into their tax relief services.

Before hiring a tax relief company, you should review its qualifications and business practices and assess whether it is trustworthy and safe. We recommend evaluating the following factors to determine a firm's reliability before giving it any money.

Accreditation

The first thing you should always look for in a tax relief company is its accreditation. Relief firms can receive accreditation from a variety of organizations, such as:

The Better Business Bureau

Consumer Affairs

The National Association of Tax Professionals

The National Association of Enrolled Agents

Any of these accreditations can indicate that a tax relief company is reliable and safe. If a company has not received accreditation from any major organizations, you may want to move on to another service.

Minimum Tax Debt Required

Many of the best tax relief companies work only with customers who meet a minimum tax debt requirement. These companies implement this minimum debt requirement to prevent clients from wasting money on a relief service that they do not need. If their tax debt does not reach this minimum, the cost of the tax relief services may exceed their debt, making tax relief a waste of their money.

Some companies state their minimum debt requirements on their websites, while others reveal this information during your free consultation. Whatever the case, be sure not to spend money on a company before understanding its minimum debt policy.

Types of Tax Relief Programs Offered

The best tax relief companies offer assistance with various tax relief programs. Having access to a broader range of programs gives clients a better chance of relieving the most tax debt or finding the absolute best solution to their debt.

If a company assists clients with only a few programs, such as wage garnishments and installment plans, it may be neglecting solutions that could help clients even more. We recommend looking for a company that offers at least five different tax relief solutions to maximize your relief opportunities.

Free Consultation

Legitimate tax relief companies offer a free consultation to all clients regardless of whether the client plans to proceed with the tax relief services or not. This free consultation allows clients to learn about the company's processes and ask any questions before paying any money.

Costs

Tax resolution services can utilize several different payment strategies. Some companies charge only a one-time upfront cost, while others charge monthly payments until they complete their services. We have found that the best tax relief companies are honest and transparent about their expenses to prevent clients paying any hidden fees or additional charges down the line.

Money-Back Guarantee

Reputable tax relief companies typically offer a money-back guarantee that ensures that you receive the relief services you are expecting. If youre not satisfied with a company, you can utilize the money-back guarantee to receive a refund of any costs you have paid within the specified time frame. Companies that do not offer these guarantees may be trying to scam you out of your upfront costs.

Types of Tax Debt Relief Programs

The IRS offers various tax relief programs to help those struggling with tax debt manage their debt better and pay back the money they owe. However, many consumers are unaware of these programs and believe that they must pay back the whole debt amount as soon as possible to avoid penalties.

One of the primary roles of a tax relief company is explaining and connecting clients with the best IRS debt relief programs available to them. Tax relief companies typically offer assistance with several IRS relief programs, ensuring that customers receive the most comprehensive help possible.

A few prominent tax debt relief programs that companies assist with include.

Offers in Compromise

An offer in compromise is an IRS tax debt solution that allows you to settle your debt for less than the original amount. If you cannot pay your federal tax debt in full or if doing so would lead to financial hardship, you may qualify for this type of assistance.

If you qualify for an offer in compromise, the IRS will evaluate your income, expenses, asset equity, and overall ability to pay, then come up with a number that it can reasonably expect you to pay within a given time frame. You will then owe that debt amount instead of your original amount.

Innocent Spouse Relief

If your spouse or former spouse is responsible for your tax debt, you may be able to qualify for innocent spouse relief through the IRS to remove your tax liability. The IRS would consider all of the circumstances surrounding the debt and determine if it would be unfair for you to be liable for any of the tax payments that are your spouse's responsibility.

Installment Agreement / Payment Plan

The IRS also offers installment agreements, which are plans that allow you to pay back taxes through regular payments within an extended time frame. While you may accumulate interest throughout your payment plan, this tax relief program takes some of the burden away from paying significant tax debt.

Penalty Abatement

Penalty abatement is an IRS program that relieves taxpayer debt under certain circumstances. The most common form that the IRS offers is first-time penalty abatement. This means that the organization reduces some or all of the tax debt for individuals who have never previously been in debt.

Currently Not Collectible

If you owe tax debt but currently do not have the extra finances necessary to pay any of it, you can apply for currently not collectible status. If the IRS grants your account this status, it will not try to collect any tax debts from you. However, the IRS will conduct an annual review of your income to determine when you should again begin paying back your debt.

What Is the IRS Fresh Start Program?

The IRS Fresh Start program was launched in 2011 to help taxpayers and small businesses pay back tax debt. This program provides relief to consumers through each of the tax solutions we discussed above.

Before the Fresh Start program launched, it was next to impossible for taxpayers to negotiate their tax debt with the IRS themselves. As a result, tax relief services were popular solutions to help taxpayers tackle their debt. However, this program has made it easier for those who are struggling with tax debt to receive the help they need for free without needing to hire a tax relief firm.

While hiring a tax relief company can be beneficial because it matches you with the right IRS tax solution(s) for your specific case, it is not always necessary. You may want to review your options yourself through the Fresh Start program website before spending money on tax lawyers or tax debt relief companies.

Types of Tax Relief Service

Most tax relief companies provide tax relief along with other tax-related services. The best tax debt relief services can also help you prepare your taxes for the upcoming year to avoid further debt, teach you about the various tax relief solutions, and appeal to the IRS on your behalf.

Here are the four primary types of tax relief service.

Tax Preparation

Tax preparation services help you prepare your tax information and file the correct tax forms with local, state, and federal tax agencies. If you are currently struggling with tax debt, we highly recommend hiring a tax preparation service the next time tax season rolls around.

Tax preparation services can give you peace of mind about your taxes and ensure that you do not fall into tax debt again.

Tax Consultation

A tax consultation is typically the first step of the tax relief process. Tax relief companies offer consultations to review your specific debt situation and discuss your options for removing tax levies, a federal tax lien, or any other tax issues you face.

You can also utilize a free consultation to ask any questions related to your taxes. Enrolled agents, tax layers, and other tax professionals can walk you through any assistance you need to gain a better grasp on your taxes in the future.

Tax Settlement

A tax relief company can also assist you with a tax debt settlement, in which it negotiates with the IRS on your behalf to lessen your overall tax debt. Your company may achieve this settlement by negotiating an installment agreement, applying for penalty abatement, or attempting to move your account status to currently not collectible.

IRS Appeals

If your tax relief company disagrees with the tax penalties the IRS has given you or your amount of taxes owed, it may file an IRS appeal on your behalf. Navigating tax appeals can be tricky, which is why it is best to work with a tax company if you are considering filing an appeal.

Unfiled Tax Returns

If you missed the filing date for local, state, or federal taxes, a tax relief company could help you file your past-due return. Many companies can also assist with reducing your penalty for unfiled tax returns, which can typically range from 5 percent to 25 percent of the taxes you owe.

How Much Do Tax Relief Services Cost?

Tax relief services can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than $10,000 depending on the severity of your debt, the specific circumstances surrounding your case, and the number of tax solutions the company will attempt on your behalf.

If you owe tens of thousands of dollars in federal or state tax debt or have significant business tax debt, it may be worth the money to hire a tax relief company. However, if your tax debt is less than a thousand dollars, it will probably be more cost-effective to tackle tax relief yourself rather than hiring tax attorneys or other tax professionals.

How to Avoid Tax Relief Scams

Scams are unfortunately common in the tax relief industry. Many tax relief firms charge clients a hefty upfront cost, do minimal work to relieve their tax debt, and leave them with useless tax debt solutions. These companies prey on people who are already struggling with debt, often leaving them worse off, with increased debt, despite having paid tax relief service fees.

As you search for the best tax relief company for your needs, be sure to keep an eye out for the following indicators that a company is trying to scam you.

Requesting Upfront Full Payment

Some scam tax relief companies require you to pay all of your fees upfront before even going through a consultation with one of their tax lawyers. If a company requests upfront payment before providing any services, it is probably trying to steal your money and run.

Not Offering a Money-Back Guarantee

The best tax relief companies offer a money-back guarantee to help you feel confident in their services. If a company does not provide a money-back guarantee or any sort of refund under any circumstances, you can assume it is a scam.

Claiming Unrealistic Services

If a company claims it will relieve all of your tax debt or remove you from all tax liability, it is probably a scam. Tax relief companies work hard to relieve some of your tax debt, but their services extend only so far. These companies do not have a magical solution to eliminate all debt instantly.

What Can the IRS Do When You Owe Back Taxes?

When you owe federal taxes or have accumulated federal tax debt, the IRS can attempt to collect the money you owe in several ways.

One of the most common IRS penalties is wage garnishment, in which the IRS requires your employer to withhold a portion of your earnings to pay back your debt. The IRS can also issue tax liens, in which it imposes a legal claim against your assets to repay the back taxes you owe.

Hiring a tax relief professional can help you avoid wage garnishment or a tax lien from the IRS and allow you to negotiate more generous repayment methods.

Can Tax Relief Companies Help With State Taxes?

Yes, most tax relief companies can assist with federal, state, and local tax debt. The best tax lawyers have the necessary expertise and knowledge of tax laws to help you with any tax debt you face and negotiate with the correct entities, be it the IRS or a state comptroller.

Final Thoughts  Are Tax Relief Services Right for You?

If you owe taxes to the IRS and are struggling to repay debt, hiring a tax relief company could be your best solution. These companies can review all of your repayment options, help you apply for IRS tax solutions and relief programs, and attempt to settle your debt for a lesser amount.

While these companies do charge a significant service fee, many taxpayers find them worth the money for the peace of mind and stress relief they provide. Schedule a free consultation with one of the tax relief companies on our list today to see for yourself the expert advice and assistance these companies offer.

*This article is provided by an advertiser and not necessarily written by a financial advisor. Investors should do their own research on products and services and contact a financial advisor before opening accounts or moving money. Individual results will vary. Foreign companies and investment opportunities may not provide the same safeguards as U.S. companies. Before engaging with a company, research the laws and the regulations around that service, and make certain the company is in compliance. For comprehensive guidance on U.S. investments and financial regulations, visit the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)s Investor.gov.
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Thirty Nigerian students abducted in the northwest by gunmen have been released, Kebbi state governors office announced Thursday, but dozens remain in captivity in the state.

The students of the Federal Government College arrived in the Kebbi state capital on Thursday and shall undergo medical screening and support while being reunited with their families, according to Yahaya Sarki, Kebbi state governors spokesperson.

A statement issued by Sarki did not give details of how the students were freed but added that efforts are ongoing to secure the release of those still in detention. Kidnap ransoms for the release of hundreds of abducted students in the West African country are common.

The Kebbi students were abducted on June 17 when the gunmen stormed their school in Birnin-Yauri, which is about 220 kilometers (136 miles) from the state capital. The assailants overpowered security officers guarding the school and killed a police officer before driving off with the students.

Authorities could not provide the exact number of those missing from the Kebbi school after the attack but residents had said they were more than 70.

In the weeks following the incident, six of the students were rescued while one was killed. Security forces continued to hunt for their abductors believed to be bandits operating out of abandoned forests in northwest and central parts of Nigeria.

The Kebbi school abduction is just one out of at least 10 cases of school abductions this year in the West African country, particularly in the troubled northern region. At least 1,400 children have been abducted from their schools over the last year and about 200 of them have yet to be released, UNICEF said in September.

Sixteen children have died in the attacks, UNICEF Nigeria Representative Peter Hawkins also told The Associated Press.

Many schools across northern Nigeria remain shut over the crisis as governors battle to find a solution. With school resumption fast approaching, UNICEF has said at least 1 million children are afraid to return to their classrooms because of insecurity. That worsens Nigerias education crisis with more than 10 million children already out of school.

Moreover, some of the freed captives have told the AP of how they continue to face trauma after their freedom with little or no support for their healthcare from the government. In Kaduna, more than 20 students released after nearly two months in the custody of gunmen are now seeking overseas education, The AP has reported.

The first mass school abduction in Nigeria was in 2014 when Boko Haram extremist rebels seized 276 girls from a school in Chibok, drawing international outrage. Local authorities believe that the Jihadi group may be aligning with the armed groups in carrying out some of the attacks in Nigerias north.

Nnamdi Obasi of the International Crisis Group said authorities must improve the security presence and resources in the region as a first step in addressing the challenge. Clearly the security operatives are outnumbered by the armed groups, he said.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  The Ethiopian military struck a target near the capital of the country's Tigray region on Thursday, a government spokesman said, the third day this week of airstrikes as fighting surges after nearly a year of war.

Thousands of people have been killed since November in the conflict that pits the Tigray forces that once dominated the national government against the current government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Despite international pleas for a cease-fire, and the threat of further sanctions, there is no end in sight.

The new airstrikes targeted a former military training center near Mekele city that's currently used as a base by Tigray forces, spokesman Legesse Tulu told The Associated Press. He would not say how many strikes were conducted.

There was no immediate word of casualties.

Three Mekele residents reported hearing heavy anti-aircraft fire as the plane approached the city.

We are investigating where the bomb was dropped, Nahusenay Belay, a Tigray spokesman, told the AP. He said the plane was still over the city an hour later.

Tigray forces spokesman Getachew Reda in a tweet asserted that our air defense forces have so far managed to protect our people despite three attempts by the air force to strike targets. In a separate statement carried by the Tigray-affiliated broadcaster Dimtsi Weyane, he said we will shorten this war and make such aerial attacks impossible.

An airstrike on Wednesday hit an industrial compound in Mekele, injuring at least 14 people. The government said it targeted Mesfin Industrial Engineering, which it asserted was used by Tigray forces to make and repair weapons.

The Tigray spokesman, Nahusenay, denied that the site had military significance and said it was used to produce civilian cars and tractors. He asserted that the airstrike also damaged two medical centers. Two other airstrikes hit the city on Monday, one of which killed three children, according to residents.

Tigray remains under a communications blackout, making it difficult to verify claims. The region is also under a government-imposed blockade, with almost no deliveries permitted of food, medicines or fuel as Ethiopia's government fears such support will benefit the Tigray forces.

The area had not seen airstrikes since June, when the Ethiopian military struck a busy market not far from Mekele and killed at least 64 people.

Days later, the Tigray forces took back much of the region in a dramatic turn in the war and Ethiopian forces withdrew. Since then, Tigray forces have entered the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions, and Ethiopia's government has urged all able citizens to war.
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (AP)  About 440 employees at Advocate Aurora Health have either left the health care company or have been fired for not complying with a vaccine mandate, the hospital group said Thursday.

The affected workers who represent 0.6% of Advocate Auroras workforce, were not in compliance and have parted ways with the organization, the group said in a statement.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  Officials at museums across Alaska have condemned repeated acts of antisemitic vandalism this year targeting the Alaska Jewish Museum in Anchorage.

During instances in May and September, someone has placed swastika stickers on the building or carved the symbol associated with the Nazis into the museum door, the Juneau Empire reported.

Alaskan museums are appalled by the attacks, and they are eager to show support for the Alaska Jewish Museum and the Alaska Jewish Campus as they seek to address these crimes and ensure the safety of their facilities and community, Dixie Clough, director of Museums Alaska, a statewide museum association, said in a statement.

The September acts of vandalism came as the Anchorage Assembly held public hearings about instituting a mask mandate for 60 days amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Many opponents of the mandate packed the assembly chamber to protest, including some wearing yellow Star of David stickers, similar to the patches Holocaust victims wore, to compare the mandate to what Jews faced under the Nazi regime in Germany.

Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, who opposes all COVID-19 mandates, initially defended the use of the stars. At the time he said: There was a formal message that came out within Jewish culture about that and the message was, never again. Thats an ethos. And thats what that star really means is, We will not forget, this will never happen again. And I think us borrowing that from them is actually a credit to them.

The next day, he apologized. I understand that we should not trivialize or compare what happened during the Holocaust to a mask mandate, and I want to apologize for any perception that my statements support or compare what happened to the Jewish people in Nazi Germany, Bronson said in a statement.

History reveals that malicious acts increase during uncertain times, and they flourish when encouraged or ignored by people in leadership positions, Clough said her statement. We will not ignore this spiteful act and we will work with the Alaska Jewish Museum to combat bigotry and prejudice in all its forms.
Currently Reading

Alert: California proposes ban on new oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet of schools and homes to protect public health
Currently Reading

Alert: UK police charge 25-year-old man with murder of lawmaker David Amess and preparation of terrorist acts
BENI, Congo (AP)  At least 16 people were killed and several others kidnapped by rebels in Congos east, as violence continues to rise in the area.

The attack, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the town of Beni, was carried out by Allied Democratic Forces rebels, according to army spokesman Capt. Anthony Mwalushayi.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Australia and Britain on Thursday defended their nuclear submarine deal with the U.S. amid concerns it could escalate tensions in the region and spark an arms race.

U.K. Minister for Armed Forces James Heappey said there has been a lot of overhyping of the pact known as AUKUS. He said the U.K. and the U.S. have been sharing such technologies for decades and that Australias decision to join was merely to develop its own submarine capability.

The pact will provide Australia with nuclear reactors to power its submarines but the subs will not be nuclear-armed. It drew mixed reactions in the region, with Malaysia and Indonesia expressing concern it could escalate tensions in hotspots such as the South China Sea. China, which claims most of the disputed sea, slammed the pact and warned it would threaten regional stability.

Others such as the Philippines, which claims part of the South China Sea, suggested AUKUS could help restore balance in the region, alluding to China's growing military might. Singapore was more guarded, but has voiced hope the pact will contribute constructively to regional peace.

It doesnt in any way reflect reduction in our friendships with colleagues and allies. It doesnt in anyway represent a challenge in your part of the world, Heappey said in an online news conference after meeting with his counterparts in the Five Powers Defense Arrangements.

The FPDA, which involves Commonwealth members Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K., is a non-binding treaty formed half a century ago. The countries are to consult each other in the event of armed threats or attacks on former British colonies Malaysia and Singapore.

Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton agreed that AUKUS is not a defense alliance or a security pact" and doesn't represent a shift in his country's defense strategy. He said the pact is aimed at improving Australia's defense capability and will complement its partnerships in the region, including FPDA.

Dutton said Australia has no intention of interfering in the operations of other nations, and will continue to maintain close ties to ensure the region remains secure and prosperous.

AUKUS will complement our collective efforts to meet the challenges and the changing circumstances in the Indo-Pacific so that it remains stable, secure, prosperous and free from coercion, he said.

Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and his Singapore counterpart Ng Eng Hen didn't comment on the AUKUS pact during the news conference.

Malaysian officials earlier said they were worried that AUKUS could provoke other powers to act more aggressively in the region, especially in the South China Sea. Malaysia has said it doesn't want to be dragged into the U.S.-China rivalry. Malaysia, along with China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan all claim part of the South China Sea.

Singapore's Ng noted earlier this month that it could take Australia more than a decade to deploy its first nuclear-powered submarine. He told Parliament that Singapore encourages any security groupings to contribute constructively to regional security through open dialogue and activities that are non-confrontational, do not escalate tensions and promote a rules-based order."

While Malaysia and Singapore don't face any particular threats, Hishammuddin said the FPDA remains relevant and will continue to focus on issues such as counterterrorism. transnational crime and regional maritime tensions. The five nations earlier this week wrapped up an annual defense exercise involving ships, aircraft and 2,600 personnel to mark their 50th anniversary.
PERTH, Australia (AP)  Australian police posted a 1 million Australian dollar ($750,000) reward on Thursday for information about a 4-year-old girl who officials suspect was snatched from a tent at a remote coastal location five days earlier.

Cleo Smith was reportedly last seen by her parents at 1:30 a.m. Saturday at the Blowholes Shacks campsite near the town of Carnarvon, about 900 kilometers (560 miles) north of the Western Australia state capital, Perth.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (AP)  Michigan's largest health care provider suspended 1 percent of its workers after they failed to get a COVID-19 vaccine, a spokesman said Thursday.

Beaumont Health had set an Oct. 18 deadline. The 370 employees now have until Nov. 16 to get a shot or they will be discharged, spokesman Mark Geary told Crain's Detroit Business.
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in his first official visit to South America, on Thursday sought to reaffirm the strategic ties between his country and Colombia while underscoring the importance of ensuring the democracies in the region meet the needs of their people.

His comments came ahead of a scheduled U.S.-Colombia dialogue in Bogota, Colombias capital. Blinken raised three joint challenges due to the difficulty that each government implies assuming them alone: the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and migration.

The core focus of this trip for me, my first trip to South America as Secretary of State, is how we can make democracies deliver for our people. That is our common challenge; its our common responsibility, he said. And thats true in our countries, and its true across the hemisphere. And we know that one way we can deliver is by working closely with our partners and allies on the biggest challenges we face. And thats exactly what the United States and Colombia are doing.

Blinkens trip to South America began Tuesday with a visit to Ecuador, where he met with President Guillermo Lasso and democracy activists. He arrived in neighboring Colombia a day later, when he promised the U.S. would provide resources to address the immigration challenges in the region. Colombia and Ecuador have received millions of Venezuelans fleeing their countrys crises.

On Thursday, Blinken emphasized the support of the Biden administration for the peace agreement signed five years ago between the Colombian government and the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. He highlighted the laying down of arms, the participation in politics of ex-combatants, the prosecution of those responsible for serious abuses and the creation of 16 seats in Congress for the victims.

However, he added that some challenges remain, including land titling issues, the scarce presence of authorities in rural areas and the lack of economic opportunities in those regions.

Blinken also addressed the importance of guaranteeing human rights and improving protections for journalists and human rights activists. So far this year, Colombias office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has verified 53 murders of social leaders and defenders while 26 other deaths are still in the process of being verified.

We are as committed as ever to working with Colombia on implementation of the peace accords, he said. But as we carry this work forward, the United States is bringing a new, more comprehensive approach to promoting security. The approach maintains a firm pillar of cooperation on strengthening law enforcement and our efforts to reduce violence, particularly in underserved rural communities, where the state, as weve heard, has limited albeit growing presence. The approach keeps human rights at its core.

Ahead of Blinkens trip, Jose Miguel Vivanco, director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, in a letter asked the secretary to pressure President Ivan Duque to improve Colombias human rights situation.

President Duques administration has pursued several misguided and dysfunctional policies, including on drug policy, and there has been an increase in abuses by armed groups, Vivanco wrote. Many rural communities are at risk of experiencing a return to pre-peace process levels of violence. At the same time, the governments response to massive urban demonstrations earlier this year involved a level of police brutality unprecedented in recent Colombian history, including dozens of killings and hundreds of arbitrary arrests.

Addressing the complaints related to the civil unrest, Blinken told reporters that the government has a responsibility to protect the right to peaceful protest but also uphold law and order and to protect the well-being and security and health of its citizens.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Public health departments across California are gearing up to administer coronavirus vaccines to children ages 5 to 11 in the coming weeks and officials say they are planning "family-friendly" events  including at schools  to persuade parents and guardians to get their kids vaccinated.

The White House on Wednesday detailed plans for the expected authorization of the Pfizer shot for elementary school youngsters in a matter of weeks. Federal regulators will meet over the next two weeks to weigh the safety and effectiveness of giving low-dose shots to the roughly 28 million children in that age group.

Within hours of formal approval, which is expected after the Food and Drug Administration signs off and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel meets on Nov. 2-3, millions of doses will begin going out to providers across the country, along with the smaller needles needed for injecting young children.

State officials are planning to use school clinics, in addition to other sites, to administer vaccines to youths, according to the California Department of Public Health.

The state also plans to continue masking requirements in K-12 schools. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced earlier this month that California would have the nations first coronavirus vaccine mandate for schoolchildren  about 6.7 million public and private school students in the nations most populous state  once the federal government has finished fully vetting the shots.

California has one of the highest vaccine rates in the country, but a vocal minority skeptical of both the vaccine and the governments assurances of its safety. Last month, more than a thousand people gathered at the state Capitol to protest vaccine mandates.

In Los Angeles County, the nations most populous with 10 million residents, there are about 900,000 children between 5 and 11 years old. While they make up about 9% of the county's population, theyve become 6% of the countys nearly 1.5 million coronavirus cases.

County officials expect to receive about 95,000 first doses of Pfizer by Nov. 1 if the current federal timeline stays the same, according to Barbara Ferrer, the countys public health director.

As part of the countys rollout, health officials will begin next week talking to parents and caregivers to get out in front of potential misinformation about the shots as federal approvals are pending, Ferrer told The Associated Press in an interview.

We like to be ready immediately because we know theres some pent-up demand here, Ferrer said. There are a lot of parents who have a lot of questions. There are also a lot of parents who are desperate to get their kids vaccinated. So were going to be ready here to do that.

The county is also working to prepare its existing network of Pfizer providers to be able to administer the shots for kids as soon as possible. In the last five months, the public health department has also worked to add more than 300 pediatricians and pediatric providers to its network in preparation for this vaccine's approval.

LA County is also working to expand its vaccine capabilities at schools, particularly in areas that have been devastated by the virus. There have already been 800 vaccine clinics at school sites and more than 360 additional ones  60% to 70% of them are in hard-hit communities  are scheduled.

Our efforts are always to prioritize pediatric clinics and services that are in the hardest-hit communities, Ferrer said.

In San Francisco, public health officials are planning to host family-friendly vaccination events and virtual town halls that cater to parents and caregivers who have questions about pediatric vaccines.

Four school-based vaccination sites will be able to administer as many as 250 doses a day, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

The agency anticipates it will be able to administer 25,000 vaccine doses per week across its nearly 100 sites citywide to eligible children, first-time adults and third-dose boosters. Priority will be given to those seeking their first and second doses, including youngsters.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP)  A school district in Southern California has placed a teacher on leave after a video posted on social media showed her wearing a fake Native American headdress and mimicking indigenous dances during a classroom lesson.

The Riverside Unified School District said in a statement Thursday the behavior was completely unacceptable and an offensive depiction of the vast and expansive Native American cultures and practices. The district said it values diversity, equity and inclusion and was investigating the incident, which drew widespread criticism after being posted a day earlier.
HAGATNA, Guam (AP)  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will send a team to Guam to investigate why so many COVID-19 patients arrive at the island's hospitals dead.

Last month, the U.S. territory's Department of Public Health and Social Services reported that dead on arrival cases made up about two-thirds of recent COVID-19 deaths on Guam.
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP)  Wayne Chapman, a child rapist from Massachusetts who said he sexually assaulted as many as 100 victims, has died at a Connecticut nursing home, according to lawyers in the cases. He was 73.

Chapman died of natural causes Wednesday evening, his Boston lawyer, Eric Tennen, said. He was living at a nursing home in Rocky Hill, just south of Hartford, according to Connecticut's sex offender registry.

Chapman was convicted in 1977 of luring young boys into the woods by pretending he was searching for his missing dog and sexually assaulting them, Massachusetts court records say. A court found Chapman had at least 50 victims, and Chapman had said he raped as many as 100 children, said Wendy Murphy, an attorney for some of the victims.

His prison sentence ended in 2004, but Massachusetts officials civilly committed him for another 15 years under a state law on people deemed sexually dangerous. He was released from state custody in 2019, after Massachusetts' highest court ruled he could no longer remain committed because mental health professionals determined he was not sexually dangerous.

His release outraged his victims, whose lawyers unsuccessfully tried to keep him committed.

Authorities said Chapman also was a person of interest in the 1976 disappearance of 10-year-old Andy Puglisi, of Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Melanie McLaughlin, a childhood friend of Puglisi, told the Boston Herald that she was sad and angry Thursday.

Hopefully theres more justice on the other side than there was here, McLaughlin said.

Tennen, Chapman's lawyer, said Chapman had been bedridden since his release and posed no danger to the public.

Ive never defended what he did, he said. He committed horrible acts and caused pain that has reverberated for decades.
ATLANTA (AP)  Georgia Democrats released their preferred version of a congressional map on Thursday  a plan likely going nowhere in the state's Republican-controlled General Assembly.

The proposal would likely split Georgia's congressional districts 7-7 among Democrats and Republicans, compared to the current 8-6 GOP majority. Republicans have already proposed one map that could create a 9-5 Republican split, and additional plans tilted toward the GOP are likely.

Georgia's redistricting showdown is drawing near, with Gov. Brian Kemp having set Nov. 3 as the first day of a special session to create new maps for Georgia's 14 U.S. House seats as well as the 56 state Senate seats and 180 state House seats.

Lawmakers must redraw electoral districts at least once every decade following the U.S. Census to equalize populations. The process is an important factor in which party will hold power for the following decade.

Once-secure Republican majorities have eroded in Georgia, especially in metropolitan Atlanta. A decade ago, Republicans controlled 10 of 14 congressional seats. President Joe Biden and U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff proved it's possible for Democrats to win statewide. But redistricting gives the GOP a chance to shore up its hold on power in the state and aid the party's effort to take control of the U.S. House.

Democrats argue that their new map is superior because it creates six districts with majority nonwhite populations, recognizing that's who's driving population growth in a state where whites may already be in the minority.

It should reflect our diverse population, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop of Georgia said in a telephone interview. "It should allow voters of color to elect the political candidates of their choice.

Bishop also said the map should reflect a state that the recent narrow Democratic wins show is divided 50-50.

Georgia's voters are pretty much divided equally," he said.

Bishop said the map shows it's possible to redraw districts in a way that objectively reflects the preferences of the people of Georgia. That's likely to be an argument Democrats make to voters, and possibly to judges in lawsuits challenging any Republican map.

The Democrats would take middle Georgia's 10th District, from which Republican Jody Hice is stepping down to run for secretary of state, and move it to Cobb, Douglas and southern Fulton counties. They would make Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene's 14th District stretch across the state's entire northern border, shifting Republican Andrew Clyde's 9th District south and east to center on Athens. Republican Barry Loudermilk's 11th District would exit Cobb County and instead add Forsyth County and part of Hall County. Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux would get a district that includes only parts of Gwinnett County.

Democrat Lucy McBath's 6th District, targeted for GOP-favoring changes in an initial Republican plan, would be almost untouched. The Democratic plan would leave most incumbents seeking reelection living in their districts, unlike the initial GOP plan, which would leave Loudermilk and Clyde outside their lines. U.S. House members aren't required to live in their districts, and Georgia Democrat David Scott has long lived outside the 13th District he represents.

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.

___

Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Police arrested a Des Moines man on murder charges Wednesday in the shooting death of an Omaha woman at a Des Moines bar.

Police charged Wichang Gach Chawech, 33, with first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with an Oct. 10 shooting at the High Dive Bar.
MATTHEWS, Ind. (AP)  An Indiana woman was killed by a pit bull that attacked her after she fell from a chair while holding her 3-year-old granddaughter, authorities said.

Kathleen Bertram, 69, was pronounced dead at the scene Monday after the dog attacked her in her son's home in the Grant County town of Matthews, about 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the ambassadors of 10 countries over their call for the release of a jailed philanthropist, calling their demand irresponsible, local media reported Thursday.

Erdogan reportedly suggested that the envoys, including those from the U.S., Germany and France, were not welcome in Turkey, according to the Haberturk website and other Turkish news outlets.

I told our foreign minister that we cannot afford to host them in our country, the Haberturk website reported Erdogan as saying. Is it your place to teach such a lesson to Turkey?

Ambassadors representing 10 countries were summoned to Turkey's foreign ministry on Tuesday after releasing a statement calling for a fair and timely resolution to the case of Osman Kavala, a businessman and philanthropist held in prison since 2017 despite not having been convicted of a crime.

The countries also included the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and New Zealand.

Kavala was acquitted last year of charges linked to nationwide anti-government protests in 2013 but the ruling was overturned and joined to charges relating to a 2016 coup attempt.

The European Court of Human Rights called for his release in 2019, saying his incarceration acted to silence him and was not supported by evidence of an offense. The Council of Europe says it will start infringement proceedings against Turkey at the end of November if Kavala is not released.

Erdogan, who had been on a trip to Nigeria, Togo and Angola, also defended the reputation of Turkeys justice system, which has been criticized for being too close to the government. He said the judiciary was the nicest examples of independence.

The next hearing in Kavalas case will be held on Nov. 26.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers told Republican lawmakers to start over on their redistricting plans, saying Thursday they will have to do better if they expect him to sign the proposals that would solidify the majorities already in place.

The GOP-proposed maps are largely based on the current lines drawn by Republicans a decade ago, districts that Democrats have assailed as unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

Republicans unveiled their legislative and congressional maps on Wednesday and scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 28 before voting on them in early November. Evers, a Democrat, would have to sign the bills to make the maps law, but he made clear that would not happen with the current proposals. He called for the public hearing to be delayed.

Its unconscionable and insulting to the people of this state, frankly, that Republicans think they can pass another set of gerrymandered maps modeled after the same gerrymandered ones weve had for a decade, Evers said in a statement. Wisconsinites wont stand for it, and I wont either  its just as simple as that.

Republican legislative leaders, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, have not returned messages seeking comment. When they released the maps, Vos and LeMahieu said they were fair and drawn after considering input from the public and a map-drawing commission created by Evers.

Republicans will have to do better than this if they expect me to sign either of these bills  they need to go back to the drawing board, Evers said. Weve seen time after time how Republicans have tried abusing their power to cheat and predetermine our elections, and theyre doing it again now.

Republicans hold a 61-38 majority in the Assembly and a 21-12 advantage in the Senate. Republicans also hold five of the states eight congressional districts. The proposed maps would largely keep those legislative districts in safe Republican control and make a western Wisconsin congressional district more favorable for the GOP.

Courts have long been expected to ultimately draw the maps, even though Evers and Republicans publicly said they could reach a deal. The last three times redistricting was done in Wisconsin under divided government, in 2002, 1992 and 1982, a federal court drew the maps.

There are lawsuits pending before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and in federal court. Republicans have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to dismiss the federal lawsuit. They want their case to proceed in the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Millions more Americans can get a COVID-19 booster and choose a different companys vaccine for that next shot, federal health officials said Thursday.

Certain people who received Pfizer vaccinations months ago already are eligible for a booster and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says specific Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients qualify, too. And in a bigger change, the agency is allowing the flexibility of mixing and matching" that extra dose regardless of which type people received first.

The Food and Drug Administration had already authorized such an expansion of the nation's booster campaign on Wednesday, and it was also endorsed Thursday by a CDC advisory panel. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky had the final word on who gets the extra doses.

These past 20 months have taught us many things, but mostly to have humility," she told the panel. "We are constantly learning about this virus, growing the evidence base and accumulating more data.

There still are restrictions on who qualifies and when for a booster. Starting six months past their last Pfizer or Moderna vaccination, people are urged to get a booster if they're 65 or older, nursing home residents, or at least 50 and at increased risk of severe disease because of health problems. Boosters also were allowed, but not urged, for adults of any age at increased risk of infection because of health problems or their jobs or living conditions. That includes health care workers, teachers and people in jails or homeless shelters.

Moderna's booster will come at half the dose of the original two shots.

As for recipients of the single-shot J&J vaccine, a COVID-19 booster is recommended for everyone at least two months after their vaccination. That's because the J&J vaccine hasn't proved as protective as the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer options.

The CDC panel didn't explicitly recommend anyone get a different brand than they started with but left open the option  saying only that a booster of some sort was recommended. And some of the advisers said they would prefer that J&J recipients receive a competitor's booster, citing preliminary data from an ongoing government study that suggested a bigger boost in virus-fighting antibodies from that combination.

Were at a different place in the pandemic than we were earlier when supply constraints meant people had to take whatever shot they were offered, noted CDC adviser Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University.

She called it priceless to be able to choose a different kind for the booster if, for example, someone might be at risk for a rare side effect from a specific vaccine.

About two-thirds of Americans eligible for COVID-19 shots are fully vaccinated, and the government says getting first shots to the unvaccinated remain the priority. While health authorities hope boosters will shore up waning immunity against milder coronavirus infections, all the vaccines still offer strong protection against hospitalizations and death, even as the extra-contagious delta variant burned through the country.

And CDC's advisers wrestled with whether people who didn't really need boosters might be getting them, especially young, otherwise healthy adults whose only qualification was their job.

Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University voiced concerns about opening those people to rare but serious side effects from another dose if they already were adequately protected.

I have my own concerns that we appear to be recommending vaccines for people who I dont think need it, added Dr. Beth Bell of the University of Washington.

But she stressed that the vaccines work and that moving forward with the recommendations makes sense for the sake of being clear and allowing flexibility when it comes to boosters.

Despite the concerns by some members, the panels' votes ended up being unanimous.

The vast majority of the nearly 190 million Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have received the Pfizer or Moderna options, while J&J recipients account for only about 15 million.

___

The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Richard Drew/AP

PARIS (AP)  Facebook said Thursday that it has struck a deal with a group of French publishers to pay for links to their news stories that are shared by people on the social network.

The company says it inked the licensing agreement with the Alliance de la Presse dInformation Generale, which represents 300 French publishers, to improve the quality of online information for Internet users and publishers on Facebook.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Federal Reserve is imposing a broad new set of restrictions on the investments its officials can own, a response to questionable recent trades that forced two top Fed officials to resign.

The Fed announced Thursday that its policymakers and senior staff would be barred from investing in individual stocks and bonds. They would also have to provide 45 days' advance notice of any trade and receive prior approval from ethics officials. And they would have to hold the investments for at least a year.

These senior officials will also have to sell any individual stocks or bonds they now own, as well as any category of securities, such as municipal bonds, that the Fed is buying as part of its economic support programs.

The new rules would also require Fed officials to publicly disclose all financial transactions within 30 days, and would bar trading during periods of heightened financial market stress. The central bank said it hasn't yet decided how to define such periods. In a statement, the Fed said it would incorporate the restrictions into its written policies in the coming months. Fed officials suggested that they might have to expand their legal staff to implement them.

These tough new rules raise the bar high in order to assure the public we serve that all of our senior officials maintain a single-minded focus on the public mission of the Federal Reserve, Chair Jerome Powell said in a statement.

Powell, who is under consideration by the Biden administration for a second four-year term as Fed chair, has come under fire after it was revealed that two regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents traded stocks and other investments last spring. Although the trades complied with Fed financial ethics rules, they occurred while the Fed was taking expansive steps to boost the economy and calm financial markets. As a result, they raised the possibility of conflicts of interest, because the two officials could have profited from the Fed's actions.

One of the officials, Robert Kaplan, who was president of the Dallas Fed, made trades of $1 million or more in 22 stocks last year, including Apple, Facebook and Chevron.

The other official, Eric Rosengren, who was head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, invested in funds that held mortgage-backed securities of the same type that the Fed was buying as part of its efforts to hold down longer-term interest rates.

Kaplan and Rosengren announced their resignations soon after the questionable trades came to light.

Ethics experts said the trades underscored how lax the Fed's rules were given its outsize influence over financial markets. The regional Fed bank presidents take part in private discussions about potential interest rate changes that stand to affect the financial markets. They can also move markets in their frequent public speeches, which typically reflect their inside knowledge of the Fed's policy discussions.

Under the rules announced Thursday, Fed officials  including the regional presidents  will be limited to owning diversified investments such as mutual funds.

Powell's term expires in February, but most observers expect the White House to announce a decision this fall. Many progressive groups, though, have urged the administration to nominate Lael Brainard, a member of the Fed's governing board, or some other candidate, rather than Powell. Some have argued that the Feds rules around investing were too lax.

Not all critics are likely to be satisfied by the stricter rules unveiled Thursday.

The changes announced today by the Federal Reserve are long overdue and a good start but dont go far enough," said Dennis Kelleher, president of Better Markets, an advocacy group.

The Fed should apply them more broadly, Kelleher said, to any Fed employees with access to nonpublic information  not just senior officials. Senior leaders, Kelleher said, should have to put their holdings in a blind trust.

The Fed considered blind trusts, officials said, but did not choose that route because officials would be unable to guarantee that they were not invested in individual stocks or bonds.

Some ethics experts applauded the Fed's move. Norman Eisen, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the new rules compare favorably to other government agencies.

The Fed has treated this as what we in the ethics profession refer to as a teachable moment to broadcast a message of integrity, Eisen said. They are to be congratulated.

Powell's own investments have also raised concerns. A former partner at the Carlyle Group, an investment firm, Powell owns municipal bonds, a type of security that the Fed bought last year for the first time as part of its efforts to ensure that financial markets could operate smoothly.

At a news conference Sept. 22, Powell said he thought that Fed officials generally shouldnt own financial assets of the kind that the Fed itself is purchasing. He said he had owned muni bonds for years. Powell will have to sell the muni bonds under the new rules, Fed officials confirmed.

At the same news conference, Powell acknowledged that the existing rules were inadequate and said the Fed would make changes.

And earlier this month, the Fed said an internal watchdog would investigate whether the trades by Kaplan and Rosengren violated any laws.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  The former HCA Healthcare CEO who is currently Belmont Universitys board chairman and his wife have donated $10 million to the Nashville institutions new medical school.

The private university says Milton Johnson and his wife, Denice, announced the gift Wednesday for the Thomas F. Frist Jr. College of Medicine.
PARIS (AP)  French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Thursday that millions of lower- and medium-income motorists would each be given 100 euros ($116) in one-off financial assistance to help them cope with rising gasoline prices.

Castex said on TF1 television it was an exceptional response to an exceptional situation.

The measure will concern about 36 million people who earn less than 2,000 euros ($2,325) a month, including employees, self-employed workers, job seekers and retired people, Castex said. The assistance will start being given in December.

The measure comes amid growing public discontent over a global energy crunch, coming just as many households are struggling to recover from the pandemic economic crisis.

The French government last month promised cash assistance of 100 euros for about 6 million low-income households, to help pay their energy bills.

Castex, who had previously announced the governments decision to freeze natural gas prices, said that measure would last until the end of next year.

The issue in France in especially sensitive after the anti-government yellow vest movement which started in 2018 against a hike in fuel taxes  and was named after the fluorescent jackets French motorists are required to have in their cars. It quickly turned into a general protest against economic injustice, leading to weekly, sometimes violent demonstrations.

The governments move also comes ahead of Frances presidential election scheduled in April, where President Emmanuel Macron is expected to run for reelection.
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Hundreds of Greek state hospital workers marched Thursday through central Athens as part of a 24-hour strike to protest staff shortages and compulsory coronavirus vaccinations.

About 500 protesters demonstrated in the center of the capital, heading past parliament toward the health ministry chanting slogans and holding up banners.

Unions representing the doctors, nurses and other medical staff are protesting government plans they say exacerbate staffing shortages and lead to long working hours while undermining workers rights. Medical workers are also seeking to be included in the list of professions receiving extra hazard pay for heavy and unhealthy work.

The unions have also objected to the suspension of unvaccinated health care workers, saying this only leads to further staff shortages. Faced with rising infections and reluctance by many to get vaccinated, the government has introduced a series of incentives and penalties to encourage Greeks to get their anti-COVID-19 shots.

Vaccinations have been made mandatory for health care workers and those working in care homes for the elderly, with those who refuse being suspended from work. Just over 60% of Greeces population of around 11 million people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The unions say that while they support vaccinations, individual staff members should have the right to choose.

Greece has seen a spike in coronavirus infections this summer, and new daily cases stand at around 3,000. On Wednesday, the country saw 3,279 new cases and 38 new deaths, bringing the total confirmed cases to over 704,000 and the total death toll to nearly 15,500 in the country of nearly 11 million.

___

Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP)  Greece has agreed to shelter a group of 35 Afghan human rights workers and their families following a short stay in neighboring North Macedonia.

North Macedonias government said the 35 had been transported Thursday to Greece, the latest European Union country to take in Afghan refugees from the Balkan republic. Ireland and France took in a total of 37 evacuees from North Macedonia over the last week.
The state's top public health official says preparations are underway to provide COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5 to 11 if the federal government authorizes a lower-dose Pfizer vaccine in early November.

Don Herrington, acting director of the state Department of Health Services, also says parents should have their children vaccinated for COVID-19.

Arizona has over 600,000 children in the 5 to 11 age group, Herington said in a blog post Wednesday. Arizona stands ready to vaccinate them, he said.

Herrington said pediatric vaccinations will be available in some areas at special vaccination clinics at locations arranged with schools and local health care providers. He also said retail pharmacies and more than 900 providers such as pediatricians and community health clinics will provide the vaccinations to children.

He said pediatric vaccine providers will be identified on the states vaccination website.

Herrington said children should get the vaccine because there have been cases when otherwise healthy kids get extremely ill from COVID-19

He also said children are effective spreaders of the disease and that vaccinating children would move Arizona closer to herd immunity.

Arizona has been told by federal officials to expect an initial allocation of 224,700 pediatric doses, and many more doses" are expected to begin arriving soon once the federal government expands vaccine eligibility, Herrington said.

In another development, Arizona on Thursday reported 2,495 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases and 49 more virus deaths, increasing the pandemic totals to 1,142,122 cases and 20,721 deaths.

Just under 1,700 COVID-19 patients occupied inpatient hospital beds as of Wednesday as that pandemic metric continued to hover around 1,700, according to the state's coronavirus dashboard.

According to Johns Hopkins University data, the seven-day rolling averages of daily new cases and daily deaths both dropped over the past two weeks.

The rolling average of daily new cases decreased from 2,570.1 on Oct. 5 to 1,846.7 on Tuesday while the rolling average of daily deaths dipped from 41.6 to 32.4 during the same period.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  A group representing Navajo communities is presenting its case to an international human rights body, saying U.S. regulators violated the rights of tribal members when they cleared the way for uranium mining in western New Mexico.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights based in Washington, D.C., decided earlier this year that the petition filed a decade ago by Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining was admissible. With additional testimony and exhibits being filed Thursday, the commission is expected to hold a hearing in the spring.

Lawyers for the Navajo group said the commissions decision to hear the case marks the first time that the panel has found admissible a petition filed on behalf of an Indigenous community. It's the second time for the panel to consider an environmental justice case against the United States. The first was a petition by Mossville Environmental Action Now regarding high cancer rates within impoverished communities in parts of Louisiana.

Our filing today is crucial for the protection of our Dine communities, our people, our homeland, and our culture, Jonathan Perry, director of the Navajo group, said in a statement. "We will stand for our human rights and not allow our value as Indigenous People to be diminished. The federal government must realize that we are not disposable and that water is life.

On the Navajo Nation, uranium mining has left a legacy of death, disease and environmental contamination. That includes the largest spill of radioactive material in the United States, when 94 million gallons of tailings and wastewater spewed onto tribal lands in the Church Rock area in western New Mexico in 1979. It happened just three months after the partial meltdown of a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, which got far more attention at the time.

Hundreds of abandoned uranium mines and radioactive waste still have to be cleaned up across the Navajo Nation. Tribal President Jonathan Nez recently said residents of the nations largest Indigenous reservation have been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation for years and have endured a wide range of illnesses as a result, with some dying prematurely.

The Navajo Nation recently signed a joint proclamation in support of the group's petition. Several individual Navajo chapters have passed their own resolutions, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota submitted a letter of support.

Since 2005, the Navajo Nation has had a ban on uranium mining on its land, which spans parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.

During a legislative session this week, Navajo lawmakers passed a measure that requests Congress host hearings regarding uranium mining, its long-term outcomes and reclamation efforts. The sponsor, Council Delegate Kee Allen Begay Jr., said it will be important for Congress to hear directly from the Navajo people.

The healing of families can only begin when past wrongs are made right, he said in a statement.

According to the human rights petition, the U.S. government failed to protect the human rights of Indigenous communities when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensed Hydro Resources Inc. to build and operate in situ leach mines  in which chemicals are used to dissolve minerals out of the formation  near Crownpoint and Church Rock.

Hydro Resources is now known as NuFuels, a subsidiary of the Canadian mining company Laramide Resources. The company did not immediately respond to questions about the claims or future plans for mining at the site.

The Navajo group is making several requests, including that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission rescind or not renew the company's mining license and that the federal government respect Navajo law and prioritize cultural views and practices. The group also is asking that a remediation plan be created and an environmental assessment be conducted of the effects of uranium mining and milling.

Eric Jantz, an attorney with the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, has worked on the case for two decades. He said the legal battle has been emotionally draining particularly for those who live near the site because the threats of uranium mining have been hanging over their heads every day for decades.

Community members Rita Capitan and Christine Smith said they have been speaking out about the dangers of contamination as a way to protect future generations and prevent further damage to natural resources that their communities depend on.

Water is sacred. Water is life. Water is alive and water has rights and we all as human beings have a right to have good water, Capitan said during a news conference. We've got to do it for our generations to come."
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israels new environmental protection minister has set some ambitious goals: She believes she can use her office to play an important role in the global battle against climate change while also promoting peace in the volatile Middle East.

Tamar Zandberg laid out her agenda in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the upcoming U.N. climate conference in Glasgow. She says Israel, despite its small size and own inability to reach the global goal of zero net emissions by 2050, has the potential to be a key player.

Zandberg said the country is eager to share its expertise in green technologies. Israel is widely considered a world leader in areas such as solar energy storage, sustainable protein alternatives, agriculture technology and desalination.

These are fields where Israel is already in the cutting edge frontier of global innovation, and we hope that this is something that small Israel can contribute to bigger countries than us to adjust better to the new climate reality, she said.

Major countries, including China and India, have become important markets for Israeli environmental technologies. Zandberg said she already has held a pair of meetings with her counterpart in the United Arab Emirates, which established diplomatic ties with Israel just over a year ago, and that the two countries have teams working together on issues like agriculture and water in the arid Middle East.

Israel and Jordan last week held a signing ceremony on a new water-sharing agreement, and Zandberg said the two countries are having extensive talks on various environmental issues.

Our neighbors share our region and share our climate, she said. So its only natural that we will face them together. That can contribute to climate change, but also to the regional stability and to our peace in the Middle East.

Zandberg took office in June as part of Israels new government  a diverse patchwork of small and midsize parties spanning the political spectrum. This includes deep ideological differences over how to handle the decades-long conflict with the Palestinians.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett heads a religious, ultranationalist party that opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, and Bennett, a former leader of the West Bank settlement movement, has ruled out peace talks with the Palestinians.

Zandbergs Meretz party is the most dovish member of the eight-party coalition and supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians. As part of the coalition deal, forged to prevent the country from plunging into a fifth election in a two-year span, all members were forced to compromise on their core beliefs.

Zandberg acknowledged some frustration with the limitations created by the political reality, but said environmental cooperation provides an opportunity to improve the atmosphere and lay the groundwork for future negotiations. She said she has met with her Palestinian counterpart, and that professional teams meet regularly to work on issues of mutual concern, such as protecting shared water resources.

We live here together and we share the land and we share the air and share the water, she said. The better we communicate, the better our peoples will live.

At home, Zandberg has a long to-do list.

Israel has acknowledged it will fall short of the goal of the international community to reach zero net emissions by 2050. It expects to reduce emissions by 85% by that time. Environmentalists have cited a lack of political will by previous governments and the country's reliance on newly discovered natural gas for energy for the lower target.

Zandberg said this figure was calculated based largely on a situation inherited from previous governments. She also said Israel's relatively high population growth is an obstacle. And while Israel lags on its own renewable energy goals, she said the government is determined to help the world reach the zero-emissions target through its technology exports and to do more on the domestic front.

Thats our goal to close that gap, she said. "We are working on new climate legislation for the first time in the Israeli parliament. We are working on the series of implementation plans, how to take the low carbon economy governmental declaration and make it a reality in sectors of energy, transportation, waste, agriculture. So we are serious.

There are other challenges. The Dead Sea, which is actually a salty lake situated at the lowest place on earth, is slowly shrinking. This is the result of years of water diversion from the Jordan River for drinking and agriculture and from damage caused by mineral-extraction companies. A secretive oil pipeline deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has raised fears that an oil spill might one day destroy the Red Sea coral reefs, prized by scientists for their unique resilience against warming seas. Water resources that traverse Israel and the occupied West Bank are threatened by sewage and pollution.

Zandberg said her team is involved in negotiations to ensure that Dead Sea factories, which are among Israels worst polluters, address environmental concerns as licenses are renewed in the coming years. The Israel-UAE pipeline is now under review by the government, and we will express our concerns in those discussions, she said. Zandberg has been pushing for a new tax on single-use plastics to go into effect next year.

Gidon Bromberg, the Israeli director of EcoPeace, an environmental advocacy group with offices in Israel, Jordan and the West Bank, said it is too early to judge Zandbergs performance. But he said her appointment has raised hopes that Israel can finally make some progress on long-festering issues.

Were in a very unique position where we have a minister of environment who is extremely committed to the issue and wants to succeed, Bromberg said. You have an environment minister whos an environmentalist.

Whether she succeeds, he said, will depend in part on her political skills, largely her relationship with Bennett. Despite their different backgrounds, Bromberg said that so far they appear to have a good rapport.

Its still very early days. The issues are enormous, he said.
TOKYO - In Japan, the newly minted prime minister has vowed to create a path into the "post-corona era." South Korea has launched a "living with covid-19" panel of experts.

Like many countries, both are navigating a way to safely coexist with the coronavirus in the face of increasing economic pressures and a potential new wave of infections in the winter.

But unlike many other countries, neither Japan nor South Korea imposed a full lockdown and have been trying to coexist with the virus all along.

They pursued a middle ground - consider it lockdown lite - that relied on the cooperation of citizens already accustomed to mask-wearing and social distancing in response to previous respiratory epidemics. Businesses, more or less, voluntarily closed early to help keep the virus at bay.

The approach hasn't been perfect, and both countries have faced waves of cases, especially with the delta variant.

With infections ebbing and a majority of the population fully vaccinated, both Japan and South Korea are now easing their limits on social gatherings and exploring vaccine passports and other initiatives to encourage economic activity.

Beginning this week, South Korea will slightly raise its cap on the number of people who can congregate in private from six to eight. Cafes, movie theaters, concert venues and restaurants will be allowed to stay open later than they had been in recent months as officials clamped down when cases began spiking in July.

These changes come as South Korean health officials prepare for a switch to their "living with covid-19" strategy in November. Officials said they view the final two weeks of October as a "steppingstone" to a "step-by-step recovery of daily life."

Last week, the South Korean government launched the Recovery of Daily Life Support Committee of 40 advisers from public and private industries to plan a gradual return to normalcy, including vaccine passports.

"We will turn covid-19 into a controlled infectious disease and no longer a fear of the unknown, and return a complete routine to the citizens," said South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, who co-chairs the panel.

The goal is to relax limits on those fully vaccinated, ask asymptomatic people and patients under 70 with mild symptoms to stay at home, and focus government tracking of cases to fatalities and severe infections, officials said. There are no plans yet to remove mask requirements.

By November, South Korea expects 70 percent of its 52 million residents to be fully vaccinated. As of Tuesday, about 66 percent of its population was fully vaccinated and 79 percent had received at least one dose.

South Korean health officials said despite not ordering a full lockdown, the country has managed itself through widespread testing, contact tracing and treatments. Its residents, for the most part, kept in line with social-distancing protocols, they said.

In Tokyo, life is returning to normal after nearly six months of a coronavirus "state of emergency" status. There was no widespread lockdown, and the designation was largely a suggestion. Still, some businesses shuttered early as a result. Residents strictly wore masks, kept distance, sanitized their hands and willingly got their temperature checked when asked.

Now, those bars and restaurants are staying open late into the night. The infamous five-way Shibuya crossing is once again filled with huge crowds of people.

After peaking in late July and early August, especially due to the delta variant, positive cases have plummeted. And now, the government is gradually expanding services to encourage people to travel and spend money.

In Tokyo alone, the number of daily positive cases has dropped dramatically, from its peak of more than 4,000 in August to just 36 on Tuesday.

Vaccinations have picked up rapidly in recent months, and more than 67 percent of the Japanese population is fully vaccinated. The elderly population is nearly all vaccinated.

The trend has experts hypothesizing about factors that may be at play in bringing down the cases, besides vaccination.

Kenji Shibuya, epidemiology expert and the research director at the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, said the decrease in cases showed him that the virus may be moving in a cyclical pattern of a roughly two-month period of peaking and ebbing.

"In terms of lockdown or state of emergency or draconian measures, it's quite different by cultures. Compared to the U.K. or European countries, East Asia, particularly, they are very strict about wearing masks and social distancing," Shibuya said. "Season factor, human factor and viral factor: I think that seems to be a very complicated interactional role."

There also may be an unknown characteristic about the virus that led to the decrease in Japan, he said, given that social interactions never quite stopped. He warned that another wave may be on its way, especially in the winter months.

"We need to look into the endemic phase of covid now," he said.

On Oct. 15, Japan's new prime minister, Fumio Kishida, announced measures to help corporations recover revenue streams, using vaccination certificates and negative tests to allow residents to enter restaurants and other establishments, and stimulate consumer spending through launching campaigns that encourage domestic travel.

"We must do all we can to fight the coronavirus and get the economy back on track. We also have to build a new social economic system for the post-corona era," Kishida said at a news conference.

- - -

The Washington Post's Julia Mio Inuma contributed to this report.
ATLANTA (AP)  Jurors have seen the videos many times at the trial of three former Georgia sheriff's deputies accused of murdering a man during a 2017 arrest when they shocked him with stun guns.

But now they must decide what the recordings of Eurie Martin's last moments mean, and whether they fit the law charging Henry Lee Copeland, Michael Howell and Rhett Scott with murder.

Lawyers made closing arguments Thursday in a Sandersville courtroom, and the judge said deliberations will begin Friday after he explains the law to jurors.

Prosecutors renewed their claims that Copeland, Howell and Scott, all white men, had no reason to detain Martin, a 58-year-old Black man, after a resident called 911 to report Martin as suspicious.

Martin, who had a history of schizophrenia, was walking through the central Georgia town of Deepstep on a scorching day in July 2017, taking a 30-mile (50-kilometer) journey to see his relatives.

Were here because Eurie Lee Martin had every right to keep walking," Assistant District Attorney Kelly Weathers told jurors. "The defendants had no right to stop him, no right to arrest him, no right to tase him, no right to kill him.

Defense attorneys, though, argued that Martin was illegally walking in the road, littering when he dropped the soft drink ca, and obstructing an officer when he didn't obey the commands of the deputies and taking an aggressive stance with them. They also argued that the stun gun didn't cause Martin's death, which means officers were not assaulting him with a deadly weapon, a key underlying element of one of the murder charges.

Defense lawyer Shawn Merzlak argued that the three former deputies are just plainly innocent of all charges, including involuntary manslaughter, false imprisonment and aggravated assault. The Washington County sheriff fired them before they were indicted.

If the officer sees someone walking in the road, the officer is seeing a crime," defense lawyer Mark Shaefer said. "And he has the authority to make an arrest and the person cannot legally walk away.

These men did not murder anyone," Shaefer later said, "They did not assault anyone. They carried out an arrest that was legal.

Shaefer said the defendants and Martin were strangers that collided on Deepstep Road. It is a tragic, tragic accident. But it is not a crime. Weathers, though, said a death is not an accident if your actions are in reckless disregard of what is foreseeable.

Howell and Scott, but not Copeland, testified in their own defense.

Weathers was dismissive of the defense's repeated focus on where exactly Martin was walking on a road with no sidewalks. She also noted that officers at the scene debated charging Martin with trespassing, not illegally walking in the road. She called that claim backfill to cover up misconduct.

Weathers asked at one point Seriously, is this a crime? as she pointed at some of the extensive dashcam and witness video admitted into evidence.

That was not a crime," she said. "That was a man in mental health crisis who needed to be checked out. He didnt need to be arrested. He didnt need to be tased again and again and again. ... He needed help. He didnt get it.

Another point of contention in the case is whether the stun guns actually killed Martin. The defense said the autopsy and expert testimony indicate that Martin did not die of electrocution.

Nowhere in this report will you see the states own medical expert say that the taser was the cause of the death," Merzlak said.

But Weathers said the stun guns precipitated his demise.

It hurts to be tased, she said. "Pain causes stress, and the physiological stress is what the medical examiner said triggered Eurie Martins death.

___

Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Kentuckians should guard against complacency in the fight against COVID-19 amid sustained declines in hospitalizations and other key virus-related statistics, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday.

The governor reported that most coronavirus-related trends in Kentucky have been on a downward trend, but he lamented that virus deaths remain far too high. He continued to plead with people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to wear masks when indoors in public.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  A federal grand jury has indicted a Kentucky man on a charge of carjacking resulting in death in connection with a wreck that killed a Louisville teenager, prosecutors said.

Michael J. Dewitt, 28, of Louisville, was indicted Wednesday in the case. Court documents say the wreck happened March 1 after Dewitt carjacked a vehicle in Simpsonville and got into a wreck with a 17-year-old in Louisville.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Leading South Carolina Republican lawmakers are dismissing allegations they are taking too long to draw new congressional and legislative districts, arguing that legal action should be held off until new lines are actually drawn.

The response came in a filing this week by attorneys for state House Speaker Jay Lucas and the chairmen of two House committees presiding over the process. It's part of a lawsuit filed recently by two civil rights groups against Gov. Henry McMaster, state election officials and leading lawmakers over the yet-to-be-redrawn district boundaries.

Candidates are required to file to run for the 2022 races by the end of March, but the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the American Civil Liberties Union allege time is running out for potential candidates to research the new districts and settle any lawsuits.

In their suit, the groups asked that a three-judge panel set a specific timeline for maps to be drawn and approved, and not allow any elections until the new districts get judicial approval. That specific proposal, attorneys for the Republican lawmakers wrote in papers filed Tuesday, represents an unwarranted invitation to burden and infringe on the important legislative task of redistricting," noting decades-old legal precedent denying such requests.

The overall case, legislators' attorneys wrote, is nothing more than a thinly veiled invitation ... for the federal judiciary to actively participate in a state legislative process reserved for the South Carolina General Assembly.

Ahead of the lawsuit, legislative attorneys noted, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Chris Murphy fielded lengthy, aggressive demands from the state NAACP pertaining to the redistricting process. He noted in his replies that the historical timing of redistricting activities has been delayed substantially by factors well beyond the control of anyone in the House  namely, the belated release of final population data by the U.S. Census Bureau.

This year, that data release was delayed until August, partly owing to complications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2010, lawmakers received that information about five months earlier in the cycle.

South Carolina candidates' two-week filing period for the 2022 races opens March 16, which is just nine weeks after the next time lawmakers are required to meet, at the opening of the 2022 General Assembly session. Party primaries are in June.

The maps drawn by South Carolina lawmakers have been challenged in court each decade since 1970 and faced a long and significant challenge in each cycle except 2010. In 1992, a judge required the state to delay filing until June and primaries until August after lawmakers failed to approve new maps from the 1990 Census.

This years suit was filed on behalf of Taiwan Scott, a Black man whose family has lived on Hilton Head Island for seven generations. In court papers, he said that he and other voters deserve time to publicly comment on the proposed maps and study them at length before deciding whether to run for office or encourage certain people to run.

Lawmakers are still taking public testimony. At a meeting Thursday, speakers said they were presenting maps to give senators examples of how they could fairly create new districts that abide by general redistricting principles, like keeping districts contiguous and keeping cities, counties and other communities of interest together.

Somil Trivedi, an ACLU attorney, said the map presented by his organization and the NAACPs Legal Defense Fund shows that lawmakers can account for the state's population shifts while ensuring Black voters are equally represented.

If you look at a map proposal, and then you dont find districts that appall and offend you, you havent looked far enough, because no one is ever happy with any map proposal, said John Ruoff, who drew a map for the League of Women Voters. These are suggestions. Were not telling you that somehow this is the perfect map.

The subcommittee set a Nov. 1 deadline for public submission of proposed congressional plans.

___

Michelle Liu contributed to this report.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
CALAIS, Maine (AP)  Maine will give out more than $5.6 million to dozens of charter transportation companies and businesses that were disrupted by the closure of the U.S. border with Canada.

The money is from the federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said. Mills said Wednesday that 37 of the businesses will receive the maximum award of $100,000.
ELLSWORTH, Kan. (AP)  A man has admitted that he shut down a rural central Kansas water system but said he was too intoxicated to remember what happened, prosecutors said.

Wyatt Travnichek, 22, of Ellsworth County, pleaded guilty Wednesday to tampering with a public water system and reckless damage to a public computer during unauthorized access.

Prosecutors said Travnichek used a shared pass code to shut down the Post Rock Rural Water District in Ellsworth, which supplies water to about 1,500 customers in central Kansas.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney said the water district used a shared pass code to allow remote access to software that controls the plant, The Kansas City Star reported.

Travnichek worked for the water district for a year before resigning in January 2019.

On March 27, 2019, an operator monitoring the plant found it had been shut down and his remote access was terminated, Kenney said. The operator drove to the plant and found a filter had been turned off and other controls changed.

Investigators identified Travnichek through records showing his phone had logged into the plant remotely.

The defendant said he was so intoxicated he didnt remember anything about what happened, Kenney said.

A plea agreement calls for Travnichek to be sentenced to a year in jail.
SABETHA, Kan. (AP)  A 38-year-old man was shot and critically injured by law enforcement officers after he fired nails at them from a nail gun, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said.

The shooting happened Wednesday night in the northeast Kansas town of Sabetha after Sabetha police and Nemaha County Sheriff's officers responded to a call about a possibly suicidal individual.
MIAMI (AP)  The mask mandate for students in some South Florida schools could be eased by the end of October as local rates of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations continue to fall, officials said.

The number of students needing to quarantine in Miami-Dade County public schools has dropped significantly since school started in August, school Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Wednesday.

He said the decision would be based on the latest COVID-19 data and the advice of a task force of local doctors advising the district.

The easing of the mask policy would give parents an opt-out provision for their children, he said.

A parental opt out was the original back-to-school plan in Miami. But the delta variant spread rapidly across Florida during the summer, causing a spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

The district, which is the state's largest, joined a handful of other districts  representing about half of Florida's public school students  in adopting mask requirements with an opt-out only for medical reasons.

That defied an order by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose administration directed schools to allow parents to decide whether children wore masks in school.

In Miami-Dade last week, less than 1,000 of the district's 330,000 students were required to quarantine, which was an all-time low, Carvalho said. He attributed the success to the districts COVID-19 protocols, including mask mandates and quarantine policies.

The school mask issue landed in court, and the state began imposing financial penalties on districts defying the state mandate. The penalties have included docking salaries of local school board members who voted to impose student mask mandates.

___

Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  A pair of campaigns to expand Medicaid in South Dakota are nearing enough voter petitions to be placed on the ballot next year, organizers said Thursday.

One campaign, sponsored by former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rick Weiland, has collected an estimated 36,000 signed petitions and is attempting to reach 45,000 by a Nov. 8 deadline. Meanwhile, a separate campaign, backed by the state's major health care systems and medical organizations, has surpassed the roughly 34,000 signature minimum and plans to turn in about 50,000 signatures, according to Zach Marcus, a spokesman for the campaign.

The secretary of state will assess whether the signatures come from South Dakota voters and usually dismisses some. If enough signatures are gathered, the measures would appear on the November 2022 ballot.

Both campaigns propose to voters an amendment to the state constitution to require Medicaid health insurance be made available to people who live below 133% of the federal poverty level, which is currently about $17,000 for an individual or $35,000 for a family of four. The rival initiatives propose different timelines for implementation. If both pass, the one with the higher vote count would be implemented.

The efforts have prompted a political tussle between the Legislature and groups looking to enact laws that have little chance in the Republican-dominated Statehouse.

The Legislature this year proposed a constitutional amendment that would add a 60% vote threshold to ballot measures that raise taxes or spend public funds. That constitutional amendment must be approved by voters. Lawmakers placed it on next year's primary election ballot so that it could apply to ballot initiatives that appear on the November ballot.

Republican lawmakers have argued the higher vote threshold would put safeguards on government spending and is similar to supermajority requirements legislators face to raise taxes or spend money.

But Weiland described the proposal and other recent actions aimed at ballot initiatives as an attack on a form of direct democracy.

Our state motto is, Under God the People Rule  the Legislature has turned that into a joke," he said.

Weiland's group, Dakotans for Health, has teamed up with two other ballot initiative campaigns to push back on the Legislature. The campaigns, which include groups pushing for recreational marijuana legalization and an independent redistricting commission, plan to gather Sunday afternoon in Sioux Falls.

Besides pressing for more signatures, the groups are kicking off an effort to oppose the Legislature's 60% vote threshold proposal.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A memorial service for Colin L. Powell, the retired Army general and former secretary of state who died on Monday, will be held Nov. 5 at Washington National Cathedral, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

There will be very limited seating and it will be by invitation only, Peggy Cifrino said in an emailed statement.

Powell died of complications from COVID-19 at age 84. He had been vaccinated, but his family said his immune system had been compromised by multiple myeloma, a blood cancer for which he had been undergoing treatment.

The retired Army general was widely praised as a pathbreaker, having been the first Black person to serve as U.S. secretary of state and as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He spent 35 years in uniform, and the story of his rise to prominence as a soldier and a diplomat was a historic example to minorities.

He joined President George W. Bushs administration in 2001 as secretary of state. Powells tenure was marred by his February 2003 U.N. address in which he cited faulty information to claim that Iraqs Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed weapons of mass destruction. Such weapons never materialized, and though the Iraqi leader was removed, the war devolved into years of military and humanitarian losses.

No child of privilege, Powell often framed his biography as an American success story.

Mine is the story of a black kid of no early promise from an immigrant family of limited means who was raised in the South Bronx, he wrote in his 1995 autobiography, My American Journey.

Its an experience he was fond of recalling later in his life. When he appeared at the United Nations, even during his Iraq speech, he often reminisced about his childhood in New York City, where he grew up the child of Jamaican immigrants and got one of his first jobs at the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant directly across the East River from the U.N. headquarters.

Powells path toward the military began at City College, where he discovered the ROTC. When he put on his first uniform, he wrote, I liked what I saw.

He joined the Army and in 1962 was one of more than 16,000 military advisers sent to South Vietnam by President John F. Kennedy. A series of promotions led to the Pentagon and assignment as a military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. He later became commander of the Armys 5th Corps in Germany and was national security assistant to President Ronald Reagan.

During his term as Joint Chiefs chairman, which started in 1989, his approach to war became known as the Powell Doctrine, which held that the United States should only commit forces in a conflict if it has clear and achievable objectives with public support, sufficient firepower and a strategy for ending the war.
CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP)  A body discovered at a Charles City home last week has been identified as that of a woman who was reported missing from Dunkerton earlier this month, authorities said.

The body of Jennifer Jo Swingen, 44, also known as Jennifer Smith, was found at the home of her ex-husband, Charles City police said.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  The Mississippi Supreme on Thursday set a Nov. 17 execution date for an inmate who withdrew his appeals and once filed court papers calling himself "worthy of death.

Mississippi has not had an execution since 2012, and it had six that year.

David Neal Cox pleaded guilty in 2012 to killing his wife, Kim, in May 2010 in the northern Mississippi town of Sherman. According to court papers, Cox shot his wife twice and then sexually assaulted his stepdaughter in front of a dying Kim Cox while police negotiators and relatives pleaded for her life. David Cox pleaded guilty to sexual battery, kidnapping and other crimes without making a bargain with prosecutors that precluded the death penalty. A jury sentenced him to death.

Union County Circuit Court Judge Kent Smith ruled in April that Cox, 50, was mentally competent to waive his appeals. The Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel appealed Smith's ruling. Justices on Thursday affirmed Smith's decision and denied the appeal by the Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel.

Court records show Cox sent a handwritten letter to the district attorney in July 2018 saying if I had my perfect way & will about it Id ever so gladly dig my dead sarkastic wife up whom I very happilly and premeditatedly slaughtered on 5-21-2010 & with eager pleasure kill her again.

Cox wrote to the chief justice of Mississippi Supreme Court in August 2018 saying he wanted to fire his lawyers, relinquish all appeals and have the state Supreme Court set his execution date.

In the ruling Thursday, justices wrote that in November 2018, Cox filed court papers saying I am worthy of death and asking to be executed.

Justices ordered the circuit judge to hold a competency hearing. Attorneys representing Cox argued he was mentally ill and not competent to waive his appeals. They also argued it would be unconstitutional for the state to execute him.

In 2006, the Mississippi Supreme Court allowed another death row inmate, Bobby Glen Wilcher, to end his appeals. He was executed in October of that year. Wilcher had been convicted in the 1982 stabbing deaths of two women.

Mississippi and several other states have had trouble finding drugs for lethal injections in recent years since pharmaceutical companies in the United States and Europe began blocking the use of their drugs for executions.

Attorneys for the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center sued the Mississippi prison system in April 2015 on behalf of two death row inmates, saying the states lethal injection protocol is inhumane. Papers filed in that lawsuit in July showed that the Mississippi Department of Corrections has been making efforts to acquire lethal injection drugs.

___

This story has been updated to correct the location of the killing. Cox pleaded guilty to killing his wife, Kim, in the northern Mississippi town of Sherman, not Shannon.

___

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A timeline of key moments in the July 15, 2017, fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who called 911 to report a possible crime, and the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor, who killed her:

July 15, 2017  Damond calls 911 to report hearing a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home. Officers Matthew Harrity and Mohamed Noor respond and, finding nothing, they prepare to leave when Harrity is startled by a loud noise. Noor, in the passenger seat, shoots past Harrity, striking Damond through the drivers side window.

July 16  Hundreds gather in Damonds neighborhood to mourn. Mayor Betsy Hodges says she is heartsick and deeply disturbed." State investigators say the officers hadn't turned on their body cameras and that squad car video didnt capture the shooting.

July 17  An autopsy shows that Damond, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia, died of a gunshot to the abdomen. The officer who shot her is identified as Mohamed Noor, a Somali American with less than two years of experience.

July 20  Police Chief Janee Harteau makes her first remarks about the shooting, saying it should not have happened but defending Noors training.

July 21  Harteau resigns after Hodges says she no longer has confidence in the chief. At a news conference to discuss the change, Hodges is shouted down by protesters who say she should resign, too.

Nov. 18  City Councilman Jacob Frey defeats Hodges in an election that was influenced by police-community relations.

March 20, 2018  Noor is charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and is fired. A count of second-degree intentional murder is added later.

July 23  Damond's family files a $50 million lawsuit against Noor and the city.

March 1, 2019  Noor pleads not guilty.

April 9  Opening statements are made at Noors trial. Defense attorney Peter Wold says Noor was reacting to a loud noise, feared an ambush and used reasonable force to protect himself and his partner. A prosecutor questioned a key part of one officers account.

April 25  Noor testifies, making his first public statements since Damonds death. He says he saw fear in his partners eyes, then saw a woman appear at his partners window and raise her right arm before he fired his gun to stop the threat.

April 29  Closing arguments are made. Defense attorney Thomas Plunkett argues that Noor was caught up in a perfect storm of events but acted as he was trained. Prosecutors say Noor was responsible for a tragic event of his own making and urge jurors to convict him.

April 30  The jury convicts Noor of third-degree murder and manslaughter and acquits him on the more serious charge of second-degree intentional murder.

May 3  City officials say Minneapolis will pay a $20 million settlement to Damonds family.

June 7  Noor is sentenced to 12 1/2 years for third-degree murder. He apologizes to Damond's family and says he knew what he did was wrong.

Feb. 1, 2021  Minnesota Appeals Court upholds Noor's murder conviction.

Sept. 15  The Minnesota Supreme Court throws out Noor's murder conviction, saying third-degree murder didnt fit the case because Noor directed his actions at a specific person. Noor remains convicted of manslaughter.

Oct. 21  Noor returns to court and is sentenced to nearly five years in prison for manslaughter, which was the longest term the judge could impose under the state's sentencing guidelines. With good behavior, he could be freed under supervised release by next summer.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP)  Nicaraguas national police arrested two leaders of the countrys top private business association Thursday, just one day after a regional body called for the immediate release of political prisoners.

A police statement said Michael Healy Lacayo and Alvaro Vargas, president and vice president, respectively, of the Private Business Superior Council, face charges including money laundering, acts that diminish the countrys independence and inciting foreign interference among others.

The charges are similar to those lodged against more than three dozen people, including political and student leaders and seven potential challengers to President Daniel Ortega in the Nov. 7 election. Those arrests began in May and all remain in detention.

The latest arrests came after a resounding vote Wednesday by the Organization of American States Permanent Council that called for the release of political prisoners in Nicaragua and expressed serious concern about the upcoming elections. Ortega appeared to double down on his strategy of leaving no other influential power standing.

For years, the Private Business Superior Council maintained a political alliance with Ortega, but it broke with his government following a unilateral overhaul to the social security system that set off public protests in April 2018. The government violently put down the protests and the council backed demands by the protests student leaders.

Healy participated in the short-lived national dialogue after those protests. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which tallied at least 328 deaths in the crackdown, ordered protective measures for Healy in August 2018.

Ortega has maintained that the events of 2018 were an attempted coup with foreign backing. His administration has systemically pursued opposition leaders, accusing them of involvement. He has even lashed out at the Roman Catholic Church in Nicaragua.

Healy and Vargas had been called to appear at the Attorney Generals Office on Thursday morning for unspecified reasons.

Healy went to his interview with a police escort, but emerged 10 minutes later to say he was told it had been rescheduled. A short while later, he and his driver were arrested. Members of a local television crew were briefly detained when they tried to film Healys arrest, but they were later released.

Vargas was arrested at his home, the police statement said.

The business group said in a statement that police searched Healys home.

Ortega, who turns 76 next month, has been ruling without interruption since 2007, after first coming to power following the ouster of dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979.

The United States and European Union have said in recent weeks that conditions do not exist for free and fair elections on Nov. 7.
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  A Nigerian separatist leader accused of instigating violence in country's southeast pleaded not guilty to terrorism and treason charges in court Thursday in the capital, Abuja.

Amid heavy security presence, Nnamdi Kanu, who also holds British citizenship, was brought into the court for his trial, which first began in 2015 but stalled after he jumped bail and escaped the country in 2017. He was arrested abroad and extradited back to Nigeria in June this year.

The Nigerian government did not say where Kanu was arrested but the British High Commission in Nigeria has asked the Nigerian government to explain the circumstances of his arrest. The U.K. would also expect any trial or legal proceedings to follow due process, Dean Hurlock, a British High Commission spokesman, said.

Kanu leads the Indigenous People of Biafra a group pressing for the southeast region to break away from Nigeria and become an independent nation.

The group takes its name from the short-lived efforts to establish an independent nation of Biafra in 1967 when the members of the Igbo ethnic group in the southeast tried to break away from Nigeria. It failed after a deadly civil war in which an estimated 1 million people died, many of starvation.

The new pro-Biafra group is calling for a referendum in which the Igbo people can vote on whether or not to become independent from Nigeria. The Igbos allege they have been marginalized by Nigeria's federal government.

Amid the calls for a referendum, Nigerian authorities have outlawed the Indigenous People of Biafra as a terrorist organization in 2017. They accuse Kanu of leading terrorism-related activities and instigating violence in the southeast, including a jailbreak in Imo state that led to the escape of nearly 2,000 inmates earlier this year.

The formation of the Eastern Security Network, a paramilitary arm of the group, in December 2020 coincided with a spike in criminal attacks in the region, according to data from the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations which collates incidents reported by Nigeria's media. In August, the Nigeria police announced a major breakthrough with the arrest of a woman they claimed was a spy girl for the Indigenous People of Biafra group.

But the group denies any wrongdoing in its quest for a Biafran nation. In an Oct. 18 statement, it described itself as a freedom-fighting movement which is not violent.

In the weeks leading to Kanus court appearance, the pro-Biafra group called on residents of the southeast to remain indoors on certain days in solidarity with the separatist leader. Violent attacks are reported on such days, with police statements saying that people who disobey the stay-at-home directive are attacked by supporters of the pro-Biafra group.

The groups demand  and that of other secessionist agitators in Nigeria's southwest  has been resisted by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari who has insisted that the unity of Africas most populous country is not negotiable.
PHOENIX (AP)  The National Transportation Safety Board issued its preliminary report Wednesday on a fatal midair collision involving a helicopter and a small plane outside a suburban Phoenix airport earlier this month.

The flight instructor and student pilot aboard the Robinson R22 helicopter both died in the Oct. 1 crash, while the flight instructor and student pilot in the single-engine Piper PA-28-181 airplane escaped injury.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and other Republican leaders expressed outrage Thursday after learning the State Department of Health issued a birth certificate this year with a nonbinary gender designation.

The agency issued the birth certificate in May to Oregon resident Kit Lorelied, who was born in Oklahoma, identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. People who are nonbinary do not identify with traditional male or female gender assignments.

Lorelied sued after the Oklahoma State Department of Health initially refused the request. The department, represented by the Office of the Attorney General, reached a settlement in May in which it agreed to add nonbinary as an option on birth certificates.

Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt condemned the settlement Thursday.

I believe that people are created by God to be male or female. Period," Stitt said in a statement. There is no such thing as non-binary sex and I wholeheartedly condemn the purported OSDH court settlement that was entered into by rogue activists who acted without receiving proper approval or oversight."

A spokeswoman for Stitt did not immediately respond to a message seeking to clarify who the governor alleged was a rogue activist. The agreement was reached by Lorelied's attorney, the Department of Health and the Office of the Attorney General.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia currently recognize nonbinary gender status and permit such designation on identifying documents, according to Lorelied's lawsuit.

Oklahoma's health commissioner, Dr. Lance Frye, said in a statement that the settlement was reached under the administration of former Attorney General Mike Hunter and that the agency was working with Stitt and new Attorney General John O'Connor on how to proceed.

Should a challenge to the previous agreement be made, we will proceed accordingly," Frye said.

Lorelied's attorney, Christopher Brecht, said his client was very happy with the settlement and that he was surprised at the outrage from GOP leaders.

I certainly don't understand the vehement objection to something like this," he said. I don't understand how this impacts binary individuals, so the swift opposition is surprising to me."

Brecht said his client simply wanted a birth certificate that reflected who they are.

From my perspective, having the very first thing that identifies you to the world, to have that not identify you accurately, I cant think of anything more degrading," he said.

Statements from House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat said the settlement amounted to unauthorized overreach by executive agencies.

State Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, a Republican from Adair, has filed a bill for the upcoming session that would require male and female to be the only options on birth certificates.
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP)  Floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential rains have killed at least 99 people in Nepal since Monday, officials said.

In neighboring India, heavy downpours this week have also wreaked havoc, killing at least 88 people, while flooding roads, destroying bridges and causing landslides that washed away several homes.

Police in Nepal said rescuers were looking for at least 40 people who have been reported as missing, sparking fears that the death toll could rise.

A majority of the deaths occurred in the countrys eastern and western regions, which saw heavy rains this week, said police spokesperson Basanta Bahadur Kunwar.

The search and rescue team have been relocating people to safer locations and taking the injured to the hospitals, he said.

At least 35 injured in the rains have been rescued and are in the hospital.

Crops and homes have been wiped out, which is a severe blow to families already grappling with the devastating fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Azmat Ulla of the International Federation of Red Crescent Societies in Nepal. Red Cross teams are aiding evacuation efforts in both countries.

The people of Nepal and India are sandwiched between the pandemic and worsening climate disasters, heavily impacting millions of lives and livelihoods, he added.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba visited the flood-affected areas in the western region and directed authorities to focus on the speedy rescue, relief and rehabilitation of those vulnerable.

Authorities are still trying to ascertain the number of displaced households and the full extent of damages caused by the disasters.

Forecasters in Nepal are anticipating moderate rainfall later on Thursday but expect the weather to improve by the end of the week.

India has seen worrisome rains across several regions this week. Flooding and landslides caused by downpours over the week have killed at least 46 people in the northern state of Uttarakhand and 42 people in the southern state of Kerala, which is on alert for more rains in the coming days.

Landslides and floods are common in Indias Himalayan north. Scientists say they are becoming more frequent as global warming contributes to the melting of glaciers there.

In February, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in Uttarakhand. In 2013, thousands of people were killed in floods there.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP)  Pakistan's foreign minister on Thursday said his country will keep its border with Afghanistan open around the clock to support bilateral trade and the new Taliban-led government.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the announcement after returning from a daylong visit to Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, where he met with Taliban leaders.

Qureshi said Pakistan will provide humanitarian aid worth 5 billion rupees (about $280 million) to Afghanistan. He said Pakistan will also try to resume flights with Kabul, which were suspended this month. He announced several other measures to facilitate the movement of Afghans at two key border crossings.

He spoke a few hours after Pakistani counter-terrorism forces killed three Afghan militants who belonged to the Islamic State group during a raid on a hideout near the country's border with Afghanistan.

The gun battle was the latest episode of violence in Pakistan involving extremist groups that appear to have been emboldened by the return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The dawn raid was carried out in Peshawar, capital of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Javed Khan, an officer with the provincial Counter-Terrorism Department. The branch is a special police unit that fights local and foreign militant groups.

Khan said the slain militants were Afghans, and that the raid foiled a possible terrorist attack. Two other fighters managed to flee, he said, giving no further details.

Pakistan has witnessed scores of terrorist attacks in recent years, most of which were claimed by the Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State group. Both organizations have been emboldened by Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan, where Pakistani militants are still believed to be hiding.
PETERSBURG, Va. (AP)  A boy took a knife to his elementary school and stabbed a 6-year-old classmate during recess, Petersburg police said.

Police said the attack happened Tuesday at Walnut Hill Elementary School and the school notified parents on Wednesday, WWBT-TV reported. The student used a pocketknife, injuring another 6-year-old boy from his earlobe to his face. The injured student is expected to be OK and police said it was an isolated incident between those two students. No one else was hurt.
Andrew Wegley/AP

SUPERIOR, Neb. (AP)  A man who had been fired from a grain elevator in Nebraska on Thursday returned with a gun and shot three people, killing two, before he was shot and killed by another employee, the Nebraska State Patrol said.

The patrol said the shooting occurred at the Agrex Elevator in Superior, a town in southeast Nebraska near the Kansas border.
RENSSELAER, New York (AP)  A retired Albany police lieutenant who allegedly shot a man in the leg, then drove him to the hospital, has been charged with attempted second-degree murder, police in Rensselaer said.

Michael Barone, 55, also faces charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon, The Times-Union reported. He's being held at the Rensselaer County jail without bail. The shooting took place at a home in Rensselaer on Tuesday, police said.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  Rhode Island residents penned dozens of letters welcoming Afghan families who will soon make a new home in the state, following the U.S. military withdrawal from the country in August.

The community letter-writing service Dear Rhode Island, in partnership with a nonprofit providing immigrant services, will place the letters in the apartments of Afghan families arriving in the coming weeks, The Boston Globe reported.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP)  Romanias president on Thursday nominated a former army general to be prime minister in the latest effort to end a political crisis amid a coronavirus surge that is stretching the countrys health care system to capacity.

After holding consultations with Romanias parliamentary parties, President Klaus Iohannis asked Nicolae Ciuca of the National Liberal Party to try to form a new government. Ciuca, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, currently serves as the caretaker defense minister.

Iohannis said a real solution is needed, a government that starts solving the problems that concern Romanians.

We have a pandemic crisis, a dramatic situation in hospitals, winter is knocking, energy prices are increasing, Iohannis said. Even if we now have solutions, we must urgently have a government with full powers to put these solutions into practice.

Ciuca will now have to draft a list of ministers and propose a governing program.

The nomination comes a day after the previous prime minister-designate, centrist Dacian Ciolos, failed to win support from lawmakers to form a government.

Radu Magdin, CEO of a Bucharest-based political risk analysis firm, Smartlink Communications, said that the next government will have to manage not one crisis but a cocktail of crises.

Romania, a European Union country of around 19 million, is currently facing a record-setting surge of both coronavirus cases and deaths. On Tuesday, a pandemic high of 574 deaths was confirmed. Iohannis on Tuesday called it national drama of terrible proportions.

Ciuca really does stand a chance to form a government due to the health crisis and the need for a pair of safe hands, Magdin said, adding that Ciuca has wider support among the parliamentary parties. He wont start like other politicians with an initial, popular honeymoon (period).

The protracted political crisis began when the former prime minister Florin Citu, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote on October 5, fired a USR justice minister in early September for not signing off on a regional infrastructure development program.

Former coalition partner USR, which had concerns over the transparency of the funds, reacted by quitting the government and later supported a censure motion launched by the opposition Social Democrat Party after its own censure motions failed.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  A Florida police officer shot and wounded a teenage boy Wednesday after the teen pulled a gun on the officer, officials said.

The shooting occurred shortly after a domestic disturbance call at Wildwood Park in St. Petersburg, Pinellas Sheriff County Bob Gualtieri said during a news conference.
GOWER, Mo. (AP)  Workers began digging holes this week to erect an 8-foot wall outside a northeast Missouri abbey after shots were fired into the abbey's walls at least four times in the last two years.

The Clinton County Sheriff's office said it is investigating the shootings at the abbey for the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles near Gower but has not identified any suspects.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Koreas first domestically produced space rocket reached its desired altitude but failed to deliver a dummy payload into orbit in its first test launch on Thursday.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who observed the launch on-site, still described the test as an excellent accomplishment that takes the country a step further in its pursuit of a satellite launch program.

Live footage showed the 47-meter (154 foot) rocket soaring into the air with bright yellow flames shooting out of its engines following blastoff at Naro Space Center, the countrys lone spaceport, on a small island off its southern coast.

Lim Hye-sook, the countrys science minister, said Nuris first and second stages separated properly and that the third stage ejected the payload  a 1.5-ton block of stainless steel and aluminum  at 700 kilometers (435 miles) above Earth.

But she said launch data suggested that the third stages engine burned out early after 475 seconds, about 50 seconds shorter than planned, failing to provide the payload with enough speed to stabilize in orbit.

Officials from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, the countrys space agency, said debris from the payload would have landed somewhere in waters south of Australia. The institute was planning to form an inspection committee soon to analyze what went wrong and map out adjustments before the rockets next test launch.

The launch, which took place at 5 p.m. (0800 GMT), had been delayed by an hour because engineers needed more time to examine the rockets valves. There had also been concerns that strong winds and other conditions would pose challenges for a successful launch.

Although (the launch) failed to achieve its objectives perfectly, it was an excellent accomplishment for a first launch, Moon said in a televised speech.

The separations of the rockets, fairings (covering the payload) and the dummy satellite worked smoothly. All this was done based on technology that is completely ours, he added.

After relying on other countries to launch its satellites since the early 1990s, South Korea is now trying to become the 10th nation to send a satellite into space with its own technology.

Officials say such an ability would be crucial for the countrys space ambitions, which include plans for sending more advanced communications satellites and acquiring its own military intelligence satellites. The country is also hoping to send a probe to the moon by 2030.

Nuri is the countrys first space launch vehicle built entirely with domestic technology. The three-stage rocket is powered by five 75-ton class rocket engines placed in its first and second stages. It is designed to deliver a 1.5-ton payload into orbit 600 to 800 kilometers (372 to 497 miles) above Earth.

The launch left some frustration, but it's meaningful that we confirmed we have obtained core technology for space launches, said Lim, the minister.

Scientists and engineers at KARI plan to test Nuri several more times, including conducting another launch with a dummy device in May 2022, before trying with a real satellite.

South Korea had previously launched a space launch vehicle from the Naro spaceport in 2013, which was a two-stage rocket built mainly with Russian technology. That launch came after years of delays and consecutive failures. The rocket, named Naro, reached the desired altitude during its first test in 2009 but failed to eject a satellite into orbit, and then exploded shortly after takeoff during its second test in 2010.

It wasnt clear how North Korea, which had been accused of using its space launch attempts in past years as a disguise for developing long-range missile technology, would react to Thursdays launch.

While pushing to expand its nuclear and missile program, the North had shown sensitivity about South Koreas increasing defense spending and efforts to build more powerful conventionally armed missiles.

In a speech to Pyongyangs rubber-stamp parliament last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused the U.S. and South Korea of destroying the stability and balance in the region with their allied military activities and a U.S.-led excessive arms buildup in the South.

While Nuri is powered by liquid propellants that need to be fueled shortly before launch, the South Koreans plan to develop a solid-fuel space launch rocket by 2024, which could be cheaper to build and prepared for launch more quickly. Such rockets would also be ideal for more sensitive space launches, including those involving military intelligence satellites.

South Koreas space ambitions received a boost in recent years as the Trump and Biden administrations took steps to ease decades-long U.S. restrictions that capped Seouls missile development before eventually allowing its ally to build conventional weapons with unlimited range and warhead weight. In easing the so-called missile guidelines, the U.S. also removed a limit on how powerful South Korea's solid-fuel rockets can be for space launch purposes.

South Korea currently has no military surveillance satellites of its own, which leaves it relying on U.S. spy satellites to monitor North Korea. Officials have expressed hopes of launching domestically developed, low-orbit military surveillance satellites using the countrys own solid-fuel rockets in the next several years.
JOHANNESBURG (AP)  Southern African nations have sent envoys to the tiny kingdom of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, to engage with King Mswati III about the political and civil unrest that has engulfed the country in recent weeks.

The 16-nation Southern African Development Community sent top officials from Eswatini's neighbor South Africa and the nearby countries of Botswana and Namibia.

Eswatini has been embroiled in pro-democracy protests by demonstrators demanding sweeping reforms including the removal of King Mswati, who has ruled the mountainous country since 1986 as an absolute monarch where all political parties are banned.

Mswati is accused by activists of ordering the countrys security forces to violently suppress the demonstrations. The pro-democracy activists accuse King Mswati of living a lavish lifestyle with more than a dozen wives while the majority of the countrys 1.1 million people are in poverty. Eswatini is one of the world's least developed countries.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who chairs the regional blocs committee on defense, politics and security, announced Thursday that a delegation consisting of representatives from the bloc's nations would go to Eswatini.

The delegation is led by South Africa's former justice minister Jeff Radebe. The regional body sent a delegation earlier this year and was criticized for not meeting with representatives of the pro-democracy movement.

Mduduzi Simelane, a dissident member of Eswatini's parliament who faces arrest for his involvement in pro-democracy activities, said the situation in the country is worsening.

We hope that as Ramaphosa sends these envoys to Swaziland, they will be looking to address the problems of the people of Swaziland, not only to listen to Mswati," said Simelane, using the country's previous name, which was abruptly changed by the king in 2018.

We are not sure whether this action was spurred by the violence that Mswati unleashed on people yesterday (Wednesday), or what the motivation is, said Simelane, who said he was speaking to The Associated Press from hiding as he feared for his life.

The king's government has tried to suppress the demonstrations by restricting internet access as videos of the unrest had spread on social media.

MTN Eswatini, the countrys biggest mobile operator, confirmed in a statement on Thursday that it had been instructed to close some services.

The business has implemented the directive and access to Facebook and Facebook Messenger has been suspended," said Eswatini MTN.

We will continue engaging with the relevant stakeholders to minimize the impact and duration of the service disruption, the group said in a statement.
AURORA, Colo. (AP)  A police sergeant in the Denver suburb of Aurora has been suspended and is under investigation after he was captured on body camera footage yelling and cursing at a teen driver who had been pulled over on suspicion of speeding.

Officers put the 17-year-old girl in handcuffs and seated her on a curb after her male passenger ran away, dropping a loaded, stolen gun on the ground, police said.

The footage of the June 29, 2021 event, made public Wednesday, shows her becoming distraught and upset that the male, described by an officer as the father of the teen's baby, ran away. She said she is worried about their son, who was not in the car, and repeatedly asks for police to call her mother.

As an officer talks to girl who was pulled over, the footage shows Sgt. Ed Acuti turn from examining the recovered gun nearby and yelling at her to act like an adult. The girl screams something unintelligible and Acuti says then shut your f mouth.

In a statement, Aurora police said that Sgt. Acuti yells at the female using profane and unprofessional language not consistent with the training or expectations of an Aurora Police officer.

The video then shows Acuti and the girl cursing at each other, the girl screaming repeatedly and saying: This is what y'all do. Y'all kill people. She apologizes a short time later and says she's scared. An officer soon calls her mother.

Another officer reported Acuti's behavior and, after viewing the footage, Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson ordered an internal affairs investigation, police said in the statement. Acuti was placed on paid administrative leave and will remain on leave pending the outcome of the investigation, the statement said?

In every interaction, we must strive to treat individuals with respect and remain professional, Wilson said in the department's statement. I commend the officers that are unwilling to compromise their integrity and continue to report misconduct that jeopardizes the work we, as an agency, are trying to accomplish with our community.

The president of the Aurora Police Association, Doug Wilkinson, said the union had no comment on the case at this time.

Aurora police have been under scrutiny since the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, after his arrest gained widespread attention during protests over police brutality and racial justice last year.

Three police officers and two paramedics were indicted in September on manslaughter and other charges in McClain's death. In July an officer was charged with assault and menacing after body camera footage showed him beating a Black man with his gun. He later resigned.

Last year, Aurora officers were investigated but cleared of criminal wrongdoing after detaining four Black girls at gunpoint on the ground, two of them in handcuffs, after pulling over a car wrongly believed to be stolen.

In the latest case, the teen driver is white and Acuti is white, police said.
BRISTOL, Wis. (AP)  Kenosha County sheriff's deputies have shot and wounded a man they say was driving a stolen vehicle connected to a Chicago homicide, officials said Thursday.

Deputies were dispatched to the Benson Corners gas station in Bristol about 11:30 a.m. Thursday in an attempt to locate the stolen vehicle.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  Syria has executed 24 people after convicting them on terrorism charges for igniting last years devastating wildfires, leaving three people dead and burning thousands of hectares (acres) of forests, the Justice Ministry said Thursday.

The publicized executions of a large group of people is rare in war-torn Syria, where a decade-old conflict has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced half the countrys population, including 5 million refugees outside the country.

Wildfires broke out in several Middle Eastern countries in October 2020 amid a heat wave that was unusual for that time of the year, leaving Syria particularly hard-hit. Three people were killed in the blazes, which also burned wide areas of forests, mostly in government-controlled regions of Latakia and the central province of Homs.

President Bashar Assads hometown of Qardaha in Latakia province was hard hit by the fires, which heavily damaged a building used as storage for the state-owned tobacco company, part of which collapsed. Assad made a rare visit to the region shortly after the fire was brought under control.

A statement issued by the Justice Ministry Thursday said those executed a day earlier were criminals who carried out terrorist attacks that led to deaths and damage to state infrastructure and public and private property through the use of flammable material. It said 11 others were sentenced to life in prison in the same case.

Nine others, including five juveniles, received prison sentences. The prison sentences for the juveniles ranged between 10 to 12 years, the Justice Ministry said.

The statement did not provide further details on the circumstances of the executions or how they took place. For civilians, the death penalty in Syria is usually carried out by hanging. Syrian laws allow for the death penalty for offenses including terrorism, espionage, treason, arson and army desertion.

Yesterdays executions of 24 people demonstrates the Syrian governments disregard for international law, especially right to life, said Diana Semaan, researcher on Syria for Amnesty International.

She added that death sentences are often passed through secret trials or during court proceedings which lack basic safeguards such as the right to a lawyer, and with confessions routinely extracted under torture or other ill treatment and duress.

In 2017, a report by Amnesty International said as many as 13,000 people were executed in secret mass hangings at the Saydnaya prison in Syria between September 2011 and December 2015, at the height of the Syrian civil war. It said the alleged executions were authorized at the highest levels of the Syrian government.

The report said that between 20 and 50 people were hanged each week, sometimes twice a week, at the Saydnaya prison in what the organization called a calculated campaign of extrajudicial execution. U.N. human rights experts have also reported the mass killing of detainees held by the government in official and makeshift detention centers that often take place out of sight.

Those executed Wednesday were among dozens of people detained in late 2020 who confessed that they began planning to ignite fires starting in August last year, the Justice Ministry statement said. They started fires in September that affected 280 towns and villages and damaged 370 homes, the ministry added.

It said a total of 24,000 hectares (59,300 acres) of forests and plantation were burnt in the fires.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)  A 15-year-old who was injured in a shooting this month at a Texas high school has been released from the hospital, police said.

Police were notified Saturday by Medical City Arlington that Zacchaeus Selby underwent several surgeries but was in good condition when he left the hospital, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Selby was one of four people hurt in the shooting on Oct. 6 at Timberview High School in Arlington. According to police, 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins opened fire in a classroom after a fight with Selby.

Simpkins was taken into custody without incident and booked on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, held on a $75,000 bail.

He was released from Tarrant County jail the next day after posting bond. Simpkins family said he had been bullied and robbed twice at school.

The decision he made, taking the gun, were not justifying that, said family spokeswoman Carol Harrison Lafayette. That was not right. But he was trying to protect himself.

Simpkins was placed on house arrest as a condition of his bond, according to court documents. He cant possess a gun and must stay 1,000 feet (300 meters) away from the school.

Lawyers Lesa Pamplin and MarQuetta Clayton, who are representing Simpkins, said they are looking into the bullying claims.

The Dallas Morning News said Selbys family could not be reached for comment.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Texas on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to leave in place its law banning most abortions and told the justices there's no reason to rush into the case.

The state filed its response Thursday to the Biden administration's call on the high court to block the law, the most restrictive abortion curb in the nation, and rule conclusively this term on the measure's constitutionality.

The court's intervention at this early stage, before a federal appeals court has ruled on the law, would be highly unusual but not unprecedented.

In its court filing, Texas defended an order by a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that allowed the abortion law to go back into effect after a lower-court judge put it on hold.

"In sum, far from being demonstrably wrong, the Fifth Circuits conclusion that Texas is likely to prevail was entirely right," the state wrote.

The Biden administration argues the law is clearly unconstitutional because it bans abortions at roughly six weeks, long before a fetus can survive outside the womb. The Supreme Court's major abortion rulings make clear that states can regulate but not prohibit abortions before the point of fetal viability.

But the Texas law was written to evade early federal court review and, apart from a 48-hour period in early October, the effort has succeeded. Clinics have said abortions are down by about 80% since the law took effect last month, and women in Texas have flocked to clinics in other states to obtain abortions.

Texas also is opposing the Biden administration's call for the court to take up the abortion law and rule on its constitutionality, even though the 5th Circuit has yet to do so.

But the state said that if the court agrees to the Biden administration's request, it also should consider whether to overrule high-court rulings that reach back nearly 50 years guaranteeing a right to an abortion.

The court already has the issue on its agenda in a case from Mississippi that will be argued on Dec. 1.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Newly surfaced texts between FirstEnergy Corp. executives detail a series of favors delivered to the company by Ohio's top utility regulator, a man under scrutiny in an ongoing federal corruption probe.

Akron-based FirstEnergy had a friend on the inside in early 2020: Sam Randazzo, chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Randazzo resigned last November after an FBI search of his home and revelations that top FirstEnergy executives had approved paying him $4.3 million, weeks before his appointment as Ohio's top utility regulator in 2019.

The March 2020 texts between the two executives  who have since been fired  represent a new peek into the specifics of what Randazzo did on the company's behalf.

CEO Chuck Jones and senior vice president Dennis Chack wrote that Randazzo's help included overruling utilities commission staff and commissioners on a revenue guarantee in a now-tainted 2019 energy bill.

Randazzo also helped with burning an updated audit report on FirstEnergy charging customers $456 million  charges later deemed improper by the state Supreme Court. The customer charges were intended for grid modernization, but instead, FirstEnergy used the money to create a lending pool that its subsidiary electric companies, including those outside Ohio, could draw from.

He (Randazzo) will get it done for us but cannot just jettison all process, Jones texted Chack, adding that Randazzos help had led to a lot of talk going on in the halls of PUCO about does he work there or for us?

About five months later, federal authorities accused FirstEnergy of secretly funding an elaborate $60 million bribery scheme to elect a new Ohio House speaker. The company hoped the new speaker would pass legislation bailing out two nuclear plants operated at the time by a wholly-owned FirstEnergy subsidiary, and then quash a ballot effort to repeal the law.

The text exchange was obtained the Ohio Consumers Counsel Bruce Weston in a subpoena issued to the utilities commission for investigative documents concerning FirstEnergy and the bribery scandal.

We are pursuing justice for FirstEnergy consumers at the PUCO, where there has not been enough of it, Weston said in a statement Thursday.

FirstEnergy signed a deferred prosecution agreement in July that called for the company to pay $230 million in penalties and abide by a long list of reform measures to avoid criminal charges. The company, in a statement attached to the agreement, described its role in the bribery scheme and how the company benefited from Randazzos help.

Randazzo has not been criminally charged and has denied wrongdoing. A message seeking comment from his attorney was not immediately returned.

Ties between passage of the nuclear bailout bill and FirstEnergys bribery efforts were first laid bare in July 2020, when federal authorities arrested then-House Speaker Larry Householder and four others on conspiracy charges. Householder has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.

FirstEnergy fired Jones, Chack and senior vice president Michael Dowling in October 2020 for violating the company's policies and code of conduct. None have been criminally charged. Jones has said he did nothing wrong. A spokesperson for Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

FirstEnergy spokesperson Jennifer Young declined comment on the text messages.

___

Gillispie reported from Cleveland.

___

This story has been corrected to show FirstEnergy's spokesperson is Jennifer Young, not Jennifer Thornton.
SEATTLE (AP)  Isaiah Obet was behaving erratically and in mental distress in 2017 when Auburn police officer Jeff Nelson ordered his police dog to attack and then shot Obet in the torso. Obet fell to the ground and Nelson fired again, fatally shooting Obet in the head. Police said the officers life was in danger because Obet was high on drugs and had a knife. The city later reached a settlement of $1.25 million with Obets family.

The next year, Joseph Allen was crossing in front of Nelsons patrol car when the officer swerved and pinned him against a fence, breaking both his ankles. His justification: Allen was a dangerous criminal.

In 2019, Nelson scuffled with Jesse Sarey after attempting to arrest him for disorderly conduct. He punched Sarey seven times and then shot him in the torso. After Sarey fell to the ground, Nelson killed him with a second shot to the forehead. He claimed Sarey was on his hands and knees ready to spring forward, which later was disproved by both video and witnesses.

Nelsons actions in all three cases were outlined in a criminal complaint, eyewitness accounts, and police dashcam video obtained by the Associated Press. In the past decade, Nelson has been investigated in more than 60 use-of-force cases that involved choking suspects until they passed out, severe dog bites, and physical force that required medical care. But he was not on the King County Prosecuting Attorneys list that flags officers whose credibility is in question due to misconduct  a designation that must be shared with defense attorneys.

Nelson was only added to its potential impeachment disclosure list, or Brady List, after he was charged with killing Sarey. A trial is set for February 2022. Mohammad Hamoudi, a federal public defender, said given Officer Nelsons history, all of his cases should be reviewed. And he hopes his story will encourage prosecutors to track excessive force cases involving other police officers.

It has to do with respect for the rules, the laws, and others, he said. If an officer lacks impulse control or the ability to exercise informed judgment, you can call into question how he investigates cases.

The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked a national conversation on police reform, ranging from defunding departments to enhancing training. But reform activists and civil rights advocates say prosecutors already have powerful tools at their disposal to curb bad behavior by police  They can use Brady Lists to shine a light on troubled officers and they can then refuse to put forward cases from those officers with tarnished histories.

The AP found that prosecutors sometimes dont even compile the lists and that wide disparities in what offenses land officers on them are prevalent across the country, with excessive force often failing to merit inclusion.

The AP also found that many prosecutors and police unions have gone to great lengths to keep Brady List information from becoming public.

Now, defense attorneys, public defenders, civil rights groups and even some prosecutors are calling for an increased use of Brady Lists and a broadening of the offenses that will land a police officer on them, while police unions are resisting those efforts.

Amy Parker of the King County Department of Public Defense called it imperative for officers violent histories to be exposed.

As a career public defender, I have listened to prosecutors routinely make the argument that defendants with prior unlawful uses of force/crimes of violence are more prone to violence and lack credibility, she said in an email. If prosecutors are going to apply that standard to defendants, then the same standard should apply to police officers when judging their conduct.

King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg argues excessive force doesnt make an officer less credible. An officer who was accused of using too much force in an unrelated arrest has nothing to do with the impeachment of their veracity, he said.

Brady Lists stem from a ruling in the 1963 Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland mandating prosecutors turn over exculpatory evidence to defense attorneys, including information that could be used to question the officers credibility. But the ruling did not define the steps prosecutors and police departments must take to ensure defendants are informed or whether lists of troubled officers must be kept at all.

The result, critics say, is a mishmash of policies that vary state to state -- and even jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Prosecutors in Atlanta, Chicago, Tulsa, and Pittsburgh told the AP that they dont track officers with disciplinary problems, and Milwaukee prosecutors only listed officers who have been convicted of crimes.

The Dallas County district attorneys list contained 192 names, with infractions ranging from making false statements to convictions for theft, assault, and driving under the influence. The Suffolk County, Massachusetts, prosecutors list included Boston officers who lied on their timesheets or embezzled funds. Louisianas Orleans Parish district attorney tracked officers who committed crimes, lied, or drove dangerously, but not violent arrests.

Dishonesty lands an officer on the list in Detroit, Denver, and Seattle, but using excessive force does not.

The Phoenix district attorney, along with prosecutors in Orange County, Florida, and Los Angeles, were among the few the AP found who include excessive use of force cases on their lists.

Its like theres a huge continuum and the result is you dont have the same procedures being followed not only across the country but within individual states, said Will Aitchison, an attorney with Portland, Oregon-based Labor Relations Information Systems, which represents officers after theyve appealed discipline orders.

Some states have attempted to pass legislation that would address the lack of consistency, including the Washington State Legislature, which approved a bill this year requiring county prosecutors to develop written protocols for collecting potential impeachment information by July 2022.

The California Legislature approved a bill last year that required prosecutors to maintain a list of officers who have had sustained findings for conduct of moral turpitude or group bias, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure due to the cost of such a significant state mandate.

___

Email APs Global Investigations Team at investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/. See other work at https://www.apnews.com/hub/ap-investigations.

___

Follow AP investigative reporter Martha Bellisle at https://twitter.com/marthabellisle
CHESTER, Vt. (AP)  Officials in a Vermont town apologized and agreed to pay $50,000 to a Black motorist who was stopped by a police officer because of his race.

The Chester selectboard posted the apology to Obadiah Jacobs on the town's website. The document was signed Oct. 1.

The Town of Chester sincerely apologizes to Mr. Jacobs recognizing that no arrest or other action was take as a result of the traffic stop and that no basis was found during the stop to believe that Mr. Jacobs was engaged in illegal activity," the statement said.

The apology and payment followed a finding earlier this year by the Vermont Human Rights Commission that there were reasonable grounds to believe the town discriminated against Jacobs on the basis of race and skin color.

The town and Jacobs went through a mediation process last month that wrapped up with the signing of the apology, Jacobs' attorney Thomas Bixby said Thursday.

We understand that officers have a job to do and its a very dangerous job and we respect that," said Bixby. However, you cant just pull somebody over based on the color of their skin. And so Obadiah stood up and he fought back.

The investigation by the Vermont Human Rights Commission found earlier this year that Jacobs was stopped by a white Chester police officer on May 10, 2019, after another department issued an advisory about someone matching Jacobs description who had displayed a gun during what was described as a road rage incident several days previously.

The investigation found that Chester Police Sgt. William Frank followed Jacobs after spotting him at a convenience store and thought he matched the description of the person involved in the road rage incident. Jacobs pulled over and stopped on his own.

In ordering Jacobs out of the car, Frank displayed his firearm, searched Jacobs and his vehicle. No weapon was found. Jacobs was later released.

Chester Town Manager Julie Hance said in an email Thursday that while she does not condone actions taken by town police officers, she does support them.

She said police are called upon to make decisions in seconds.

They know that any decision they make could potentially be called into question at any time, yet they make those decisions because they have to," she said. They do not have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight at that moment."

In addition to the apology and payment, the town agreed to review and update its police policies and procedures, including the possible establishment of a citizen's advisory committee to help guide the community and its police department in improving accessibility, communications, accountability, public awareness, transparency and best practices.
ISTANBUL (AP)  Six suspects, including four Russians, have been jailed pending trial over an alleged plot against Chechen dissidents in Turkey, state broadcaster TRT News reported Thursday.

The suspects have been held on charges of political and military espionage, the station said. They had been preparing armed action and spying against Chechen opposition figures, it added.
LONDON (AP)  Britain and New Zealand have agreed on a trade deal that eliminates tariffs on a wide range of goods as the U.K. expands economic links around the world following its exit from the European Union.

The deal was cemented late Wednesday in a conference call between U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his New Zealand counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, after 16 months of talks by negotiators. Although trade with New Zealand accounts for only 0.2% of the U.K.'s trade, Britain hopes it will help open the door toward membership in the trans-Pacific trade partnership.

The partnership, which includes Japan, Canada, and Vietnam, had GDP of 8.4 trillion pounds ($11.6 trillion) in 2020.

This is a great trade deal for the United Kingdom, cementing our long friendship with New Zealand and furthering our ties with the Indo-Pacific, Johnson said. It will benefit businesses and consumers across the country, cutting costs for exporters and opening up access for our workers.''

Ardern said the deal was among the best ever achieved by New Zealand and would boost the nation's economy by about 1 billion New Zealand dollars ($720 million) as it opens the way for more sales of the country's wine, butter, cheese and beef.

This is a historic but substantial deal and it's been achieved basically in a year, Ardern said. That has never been done before.

Trade officials in the U.K. trumpeted the benefits of the deal, declaring that sauvignon blanc wine, Manuka honey and kiwi fruit from New Zealand would be cheaper for British consumers. Clothing, buses and bulldozers will also no longer face tariffs.

British farmers expressed disquiet, however, saying the deal, and another signed with Australia earlier this year, may boost food imports at a time when labor shortages and rising costs are already hurting many U.K. farmers.

This could damage the viability of many British farms in the years ahead, to the detriment of the public, who want more British food on their shelves, and to the detriment of our rural communities and cherished farmed landscapes,'' National Farmers Union President Minette Batters said.

Instead of repeating the refrain that these deals will be good for British agriculture, our government now needs to explain how these deals will tangibly benefit farming, the future of food production and the high standards that go along with it on these shores, Batters said.

Asked if the deal meant New Zealand would be less reliant on China for its exports, Ardern said diversification would improve options and resilience for its exporters.

When Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community back in 1973 many New Zealand exporters felt abandoned.

Ardern said the new deal meant that perhaps it was time to draw a line under that period of history.

Some of the details of the deal are still being finalized, and officials expect it to take effect next year.

Johnsons Conservative government is negotiating free trade deals around the world to try to boost economic growth following Brexit. The biggest prize would be a trade deal with the United States, although a deal with America seems far off.

___

Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand.

___

Follow all AP stories on post-Brexit developments in Britain at https://apnews.com/hub/Brexit.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Coronavirus infections and deaths in Ukraine surged to all-time highs Thursday amid a laggard pace of vaccination, with overall inoculations among the lowest in Europe.

Ukrainian authorities reported 22,415 new confirmed infections and 546 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest numbers since the start of the pandemic.

Authorities have blamed a spike in infections on a slow pace of vaccination in the nation of 41 million. Ukrainians can choose between Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, but only about 15% of the population is fully vaccinated, Europes lowest level after Armenia.

Overall, the country has registered over 2.7 million infections and 62,389 deaths.

Ukraine has faced a steady rise in contagion in the past few weeks, which forced the government to introduce restrictions on access to public places and the use of public transport. Starting Thursday, proof of vaccination or a negative test is required to board planes, trains and long-distance buses.

The restrictive measures have made a black market for counterfeit vaccination certificates blossom, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chaired a meeting earlier this week on ways to combat the practice. Police said they suspect workers at 15 hospitals across the country of involvement in issuing false vaccination certificates.

Despite the rising contagion, the government has been reluctant to introduce another lockdown. It's keen to avoid further damage to an economy weakened by the conflict with neighboring Russia  which annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in the country's eastern industrial heartland.

There are just two ways  vaccination or lockdown, Zelenskyy said. I'm against the lockdown for the sake of (the) economy.

To encourage vaccination, the authorities have started offering shots in shopping malls. As infections soared, skeptical attitudes began to change and a record number of more than 251,000 people received vaccines over the past 24 hours.

I'm frightened by a spike in infections, my friend is at a hospital in grave condition, 38-year-old businessman Denys Onuchko said after receiving the first vaccine dose at a Kyiv shopping mall.

Onuchko noted that many Ukrainians have been disinformed by conspiracy theories about vaccines, but now take a more rational approach as the situation exacerbates. People have been scared by stories ... but the real threat must make them sober up, he said.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said city hospitals are facing an influx of patients, an increasing share of them in grave condition.

Yulia Furman, 47, who also received the first vaccine shot, said many people in her entourage believed in conspiracy theories about vaccines.

Many of my friends believed those stories about a global plot and now they are gravely ill, it's now time to protect oneself, she said.

___

Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. special envoy for Myanmar warned Thursday that the country already faces an internal armed conflict and if power isnt returned to the people in a democratic way we will go in the direction of a failed state.

Christine Schraner Burgener told a U.N. news conference that the conflict between the military which took power on Feb. 1 and civilians and ethnic minorities is intensifying in many parts of the country.

The repression of the military has led to more than 1,180 deaths, she said. The army uses a range of tactics against civilian populations, including burning villages, looting properties, mass arrests, torture and execution of prisoners, gender-based violence and random artillery fire into residential areas.

Schraner Burgener said the military is conducting clearing operations in Chin and several other states and there is continued fighting in Kachin and Shan states so all over the country we have a huge scale of violence.

She said the situation is reminiscent of the pattern of operations that the military, known as the Tatmadaw, used against Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state in 1997.

Schraner Burgener said the anti-military movement is now increasingly militarized, with the so-called National Unity Government formed by supporters of the ousted democratic government led by Aung San Suu Kyi seeking to mobilize a greater number of Peoples Defense Forces and calling for a peoples defense war.

Clearly, in the absence of international action, violence has been justified as the last resort, she said.

Myanmar for five decades had languished under strict military rule that led to international isolation and sanctions. As the generals loosened their grip, culminating in Suu Kyis rise to leadership in 2015 elections, the international community responded by lifting most sanctions and pouring investment into the country.

The Feb. 1 coup followed November elections, which Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party won overwhelmingly and the military contests as fraudulent.

Schraner Burgener said the overall situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate sharply and at the moment there is violence and no stability.

She said the conflict must be solved, and the power must be returned to the people in a democratic way, but the military did not respond to her proposal for a national dialogue and appears intent on continuing its operations..
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Increasingly vast military expenditures and the extreme marginalization and exclusion of women from peace negotiations are risking renewed conflicts instead of promoting peace and stability, the head of the U.N. agency promoting gender equality warned Thursday.

Sima Bahous told the U.N. Security Council that curbing military spending has been a strategic objective of the womens movement for peace for many decades. But even in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was raging and the global economy was shrinking, worldwide military expenditures increased by 2.6% to nearly $2 trillion, she said.

The evidence clearly shows that high levels of military spending in post-conflict setting increase the risk of renewed conflict," Bahous said. It also shows that investing in gender equality has a high return in peace dividends.

Yet, we continue to overspend in the former and under-invest in the latter," the executive director of UN Women said.

Bahous said the resolution adopted by the Security Council 21 years ago demanding equal participation of women in peace processes has only resulted in a glimmer of light.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also criticized the absence of women from rooms where decisions are made, saying, We can no longer exclude one half of humanity from international peace and security.

He reiterated his warning to world leaders last month that the world faces the greatest cascade of crises in generations, including a return of military coups, a new arms race, the risk of use of nuclear weapons at its highest level in almost four decades and the largest annual increase in military spending as a share of GDP last year since 2009.

There is a direct relationship between greater investment in weapons and greater insecurity and inequality for women, Guterres said.

The U.N. chief called the power imbalance between men and women the most stubborn and persistent of all inequalities, pointing to rising rates of violence and misogyny that women and girls face in every society and the extreme underrepresentation of women in decision-making positions.

He cited the exclusion of women from the political process by the warring parties in Yemen, the closing space for womens rights after two coups in nine months in Mali, the rapid reversal of womens rights in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover on Aug. 15, chilling reports of sexual violence being used as a weapon of war in Ethiopia, and a large number of womens organizations in Myanmar that have long been a force for peace moving underground after the Feb. 2 military takeover.

UN Womens Bahous noted that the rapid takeover by the Taliban was preceded by a wave of killings of female civil society activists and journalists, and the targeting of academics, vaccinators and women judges.

This is happening in other countries, too, she said, pointing to the U.N.s verification of 35 killings of women human rights defenders, journalists, and trade union members in just seven countries in 2020.

In Colombia, Bahous said, 10 of the 16 members of the forum monitoring gender provisions of the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the countrys main rebel group reported threats made directly against them, as did women who participated in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in 2020.

Colombian indigenous rights activist Celia Umenza Velasco told the Security Council that despite the peace agreement, the country remains one of the worlds most dangerous for human rights defenders, especially women, as well as Afro-descendant, indigenous and gay rights leaders.

On average, at least one indigenous defender is killed every week, she said in a virtual briefing. In my territory of Cauca, three indigenous women leaders whom I worked with were killed in 2020. Their brutal murders illustrate how women often pay a terrible price for their leadership.

Bahous urged the international community to promote participation of women in decision-making on defense expenditures, and to adopt quotas and other special measures to accelerate increased representation of women in peace negotiations and related activities.

Guterres called for increased representation and leadership of women across every aspect of the U.N.s peace activities.

He urged Security Council support to strengthen partnerships with local women leaders, help protect women human rights defenders and activists, and to work with the United Nations to promote womens equal participation in peace talks, peacebuilding, and political systems as countries transition to peace.

Colombias Velasco echoed calls for Security Council action.

I urge you not to allow this open debate to be yet another occasion where you listen to women civil society, but fail to act on our concerns, she implored council members. The plight of Afghan women illustrates all too clearly the cost of doing so. Women around the world show you daily that they have the courage and the conviction to fight for peace. Today we call on you to fight for us all.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  United Nations human rights experts urged Pakistan on Thursday to release a Christian man who was detained two years ago for insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad and is believed to be mentally ill.

Stephen Masih, who was arrested in March 2019, has yet to face trial, the experts said. He is a Pakistani jailed in Sialkot, a city in the eastern Punjab province where he lived. Masih's family has denied the blasphemy charge and said he was mentally ill.

The U.N. experts also said they were concerned about the lack of medical care he has received. They said medical reviews to assess Masih's mental health and fitness to stand trial have been repeatedly delayed, and that Masih was being kept with Muslim prisoners in a jail cell, putting him in danger.

In Thursday's statement, the U.N. experts said they were seriously concerned by the persecution and ongoing detention of Mr. Masih on blasphemy grounds, and by his treatment at the hands of the judicial and prison authorities who are aware of his psychosocial disability and health condition."

Pakistan has been under pressure over the countrys blasphemy laws. Rights groups say that blasphemy allegations have often been used to intimidate religious minorities and settle personal scores.

Thursday's demand comes as thousands of Islamists are rallying in the eastern city of Lahore in another case, demanding the release of Saad Rizvi, the leader of a radical Islamist political party who was arrested in April amid protest against France over depictions of Islams Prophet Muhammad. Police in Lahore were preparing for a crackdown Thursday night to disperse Rizvi's supporters, who had warned that they will march toward Islamabad on Friday if Rizvi is not freed under a recent court order.

Authorities say they already challenged the court order about Rizvi's release and Rizvi's supporters should wait for a final court order. Rizvi's party in recent years has held violent rallies in support of blasphemy laws.

In Masih's case, the U.N. experts urged Pakistan to drop charges against him and ensure protection for the man and his family. They said Masih was arrested following an argument with one of his neighbors in Sialkot where he was attacked by a group of Muslims who accused him of committing blasphemy.

Masih's family home was also set on fire.

A court rejected Masih's request for the bail in August. Another court will hear Masih's bail application on Friday.

The U.N. experts urged Pakistan to comply with its international human rights obligations, to repeal its anti-blasphemy laws and to "take measures to combat the advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination and violence.

A Punjab governor in Islamabad was shot and killed by his own guard in 2011, after he defended a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, who was accused of blasphemy. She was acquitted after spending eight years on death row and left Pakistan for Canada to join her family after receiving threats.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $1 million to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources for maternal and child health services in the state.

West Virginia's U.S. senators, Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Shelley Moore Capito, announced the award Wednesday.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  The indictment of U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry could have a big impact on his future in Nebraska politics and the 2022 election, opening the door to possible outcomes that would have seemed far-fetched just days ago.

The nine-term Republican congressman was charged Tuesday with scheming to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.

At issue is whether Fortenberry knowingly made false statements to FBI agents about whether he was aware that his campaign had received illegal contributions from a Nigerian billionaire at a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles.

In the indictment, prosecutors hinted that they have phone recordings between Fortenberry and the fundraiser's host, who they say warned Fortenberry in phone calls that he had received illegal donations from a foreign national. Fortenberry's attorney has said the congressman was misled and answered the FBI's questions to the best of his knowledge.

Here are a few things to know:

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

A judge set a Dec. 14 trial date for Fortenberry, but thats very likely to change as attorneys file and argue over pre-trial motions.

Court cases generally take months or even years to go to trial, and Fortenberrys attorney made clear Wednesday that he intends to file several motions to try to undercut the prosecutions case.

Prosecutors will have a chance to challenge the written motions with their own arguments before a judge rules, which will likely slow the process.

WHAT HAPPENS IF HE'S CONVICTED?

Fortenberry could remain in Congress if he's convicted of a felony, but his pension could be cut, creating a potential incentive to strike a deal with prosecutors.

Under federal law, members of Congress who are convicted of certain felonies can lose creditable service, which is used to calculate how much theyll receive in retirement benefits upon leaving office, according to the Congressional Research Service. The law applies to federal convictions tied to corruption, election crimes or misconduct in office.

Fortenberry could also lose his committee assignments if he's convicted, and he could be subject to internal legislative discipline, including a formal reprimand or censure. He has already temporarily stepped down from his committees, as required by GOP Conference rules for any member indicted for a felony.

WHAT HAPPENS IF HE RESIGNS?

If Fortenberry resigns from office this year or in the first seven months of 2022, state law would require the governor to schedule a special election within 90 days.

If he resigns between Aug. 1, 2022, and the Nov. 8, 2022, general election, the special election would coincide with that election.

In either case, the new GOP nominee would be chosen by members of the Nebraska Republican Partys State Central Committee. The Democratic nominee would be either the candidate who won the partys primary, if a primary was held, or someone who is chosen by that partys executive committee.

HOW DOES THIS CHANGE THE 2022 ELECTION?

Fortenberry's indictment could shake up the 2022 primary and general election in the 1st Congressional District.

No one from either major party has announced plans to run, but several names have been quietly floated among Republicans and Democrats as possible contenders.

Potential Republican primary challengers include Nebraska state Sens. Mike Flood, of Norfolk; Suzanne Geist, of Lincoln; Mike Hilgers, of Lincoln, and Julie Slama, of Sterling. Lt. Gov. Mike Foley and State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton are also seen as possible GOP candidates.

On the Democratic side, potential candidates for the general election include state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks and former state Sen. Kate Bolz, both of Lincoln. Bolz challenged Fortenberry unsuccessfully in 2020.

The district is still heavily Republican, but it became less so after last month's congressional redistricting and Democrats might see an opportunity caused by the scandal.

The newly drawn district includes Lincoln, with large pockets of Democratic strength, as well as the Democratic-leaning Omaha suburb of Bellevue. But it also covers large swaths of Republican-leaning rural areas and small towns in eastern Nebraska.

___

Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte
Jose Luis Magana/AP

WASHINGTON (AP)  A Maryland woman charged along with her husband in a plot to sell submarine secrets to a foreign country must remain behind bars after a judge on Thursday determined she was a flight risk and a danger to national security.

Lawyers for Diana Toebbe had argued for her release during a detention hearing Wednesday. She and her husband, Jonathan, a Navy nuclear engineer, were arrested earlier this month on charges that they violated the Atomic Energy Act.
CLARE, Mich. (AP)  Authorities on Thursday arrested a woman whom they had been seeking in the deaths of four people in central Michigan.

Clare County Sheriff John Wilson said Judy Boyer was taken into custody about 10:40 a.m. Thursday, the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun reported.

Authorities had been looking for Boyer, 54, since Wednesday night. She had not been charged in the deaths as of Thursday afternoon.

Two men, ages 39 and 36, were found wounded about 4 p.m. Wednesday in Clare after police responded to reports of a shooting. Those men later died, police said.

The bodies of an 85-year-old man and 61-year-old woman were found elsewhere on the same property, Wilson said Thursday. Authorities did not say how they died and did not disclose a possible motive for the killings.

Wilson said police were searching a house in nearby Wexford County when they found Boyer, WNEM-TV reported.

And they checked it and she was there this morning, Wilson said. Its a big weight off your shoulders when you get somebody that you believe is involved in something like this.

Criminal charges many not be filed until Monday, he added.

Clare is about 160 miles (257 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

According to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, only three mass shootings occurred at public places in 2020 the lowest total for that category in a decade  out of 19 total mass shootings.

The database tracks all mass killings including shootings, defined as four or more people dead not including the perpetrator.

According to that definition and assuming the victims in Clare were slain within 24 hours, there have been 27 mass killings, 25 of those shootings, already this year, said James Alan Fox, a criminologist and professor at Northeastern University.
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. (AP)  The board of a small college in West Virginia decided Wednesday to take unspecified discipline against its president on allegations that he plagiarized some speeches.

West Liberty Universitys Board of Governors unanimously approved the disciplinary approach after a vote to fire President W. Franklin Evans narrowly failed.
Chamath Palihapitiya, a billionaire Bay Area venture capitalist and Golden State Warriors part-owner, has long spoken about the world's climate crisis.

Helping to save the environment  and making lots of money along the way  is a pillar of Palihapitiya's public persona, his business plan, and his stated life goals. In January, he tweeted, There are only two priorities: Inequality + Climate Change.

But FEC filings reviewed by SFGATE show that Palihapitiya recently maxed out a donation to a political action committee with viewpoints and policy proposals opposing this stated goal, and he won't explain why.

According to the FEC, on June 29, Palihapitiya gave $5,000 (the maximum for a PAC) to Stand for America, the newly formed PAC of Republican Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump administration.

Stand for America has already raised millions of dollars, some of which have been given to a handful of conservative members of Congress. Other funds have been dispersed for Haley's travel schedule, as she ramps up for what many believe will be a 2024 presidential run.

Haley separates herself from some Republicans (and Trump) in that she says she believes climate change is "man-made." Beyond that, though, she's adopted the same policy stances of her party.

Stand for America's white papers are vehemently against the Paris Climate Accord and the proposed Green New Deal. Stand for America is also unabashedly pro-fracking, calling the practice "key to a better environmental and economic future." (Fracking is tied to disturbing increases in methane gases, according to scientists.) Haley herself has tweeted that the oil and gas industry, an enormous contributor to the climate crisis, is "essential to the American economy." She also criticized President Biden for temporarily halting the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

Separately, as US ambassador to the UN, Haley panned the intergovernmental organization for releasing what The Guardian called a "damning report" about Trump's "cruel" measures that pushed inequality in America to dangerous new levels. Haley, who's called Joe Bidens American Families Plan a welfare-for-all scheme  adding that Democrats are now all welfare, no work  said in 2018 that the UN was wasting its time "deflecting attention from the worlds worst human rights abusers and focusing instead on the wealthiest and freest country in the world.

Given that none of these views or policy positions line up with Palihapitiya's stated priorities, SFGATE reached out to him and his team at Social Capital, the venture capital firm where he serves as CEO. We asked if Palihapitiya could clarify why he donated to Haley's PAC, and to address the above discrepancies. A Social Capital spokesperson offered this response:

"Chamath gives to both Democrats and Republicans. He believes that the country is best served by pulling our politics back to the middle while also pushing politicians to take bold action to solve the biggest crises facing our country. Chamath values level headedness and healthy debate around our most pressing issues - including the climate crisis, inequality and our plan to emerge stronger economically post-covid. He does not have to agree with all of Nikki Haleys views in order to support dialogue and debate, which is what this country needs."



The spokesperson further noted that "other Dem donations just this year include $5.8k to Friends of Schumer (Chuck Schumer US Senate campaign) among others."

SFGATE followed up by asking for any specific examples of Haley's views that Palihapitiya does  or does not  agree with. The spokesperson responded, "Appreciate the question, no further comment."

It is true that in September, Palihapitiya maxed out donations to Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer. Historically, Palihapitiya has almost exclusively given to Democrats  he has nearly 50 earmarked or direct donations to Democratic candidates/causes, and just two (Haley in 2021 and Sen. Ted Cruz nearly a decade ago) to Republicans.

But that only makes the Haley PAC donation all the more peculiar. What is it about Haley that Palihapitiya does agree with? Is he hedging his bets and attempting to get in her good graces in case she wins the presidency? Is he less interested in addressing inequality and the climate crisis than he is lowering taxes, a staple of Republican administrations and something Palihapitiya floated when he briefly flirted with a 2021 California gubernatorial run?

Of course, it should be noted that giving to Democrats does not necessarily mean a billionaire is committed to fighting climate change and inequality. The Democrats have been unwilling to commit to drastic measures to address either issue, as recent legislative debates over President Biden's shrinking Build Back Better bill have shown. For a characterization as dire as "climate crisis," an opinion shared by 99.9% of scientists, the Democratic Party's proposed solutions have increasingly been deemed woefully inadequate  even among the party's reliably supportive, liberal pundits.

But in a vacuum, one can at least make an argument for why they'd donate to Democrats if they fear the environment is in perilous condition. A donation to Haley's PAC, however, doesn't track in the same way. As Palihapitiya's spokesperson relayed, it doesn't sound as though he's intent on fully explaining his rationale.
You are now listening to the sounds of the New Generation. A podcast created for those who desire a new way of gaining information rather than reading a traditional newspaper. In our show we will discuss everything from sports, pop culture, politics, and local news. To stay up to date on our latest episodes every week be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast service. And dont worry, we keep it short.
To the Editor:

I have had the pleasure and privilege of knowing Mayor Lauretti for almost 60 years. Doing chores at home, good school grades, sports and positive community programs were very much apart of our childhood. Our parents insisted on it. We given the responsibility for six days assisting younger and less experienced campers during a BSA Troop 25 week long 90-mile summer hike on the Appalachian Trail. His leadership skills were very evident then and have only improved significantly over the years. He has always been a compassionate and thoughtful person with true insight, a forward thinker, and most importantly he leads from the front.

His track record of managing Shelton for the past 30 years has no comparison in the state. Under his supervision Shelton has successfully grown and prospered while maintaining its wonderful country charm. His fiscal prowess have allowed for both the elderly and young families to maintain their Shelton homes. Shelton's tax base has grown from $1 billion in 1991 to $5 billion in 2021 under the Lauretti administration.

Which means that as homeowners we save between $3,000 to $6,000 per household each year in taxes. Over a 30-year span that adds up to real money. Support for his campaign for Mayor and the Lauretti team and voting for them on Nov. 2 will continue our city's steady controlled prosperity.

One Democratic alderman candidate recently bragged we could be like Newtown, what she did not say is that our taxes would have to be doubled. As we know elections can have very real and adverse consequences, the November 2020 election consequences have turned out to be a disaster for every taxpayer in our city, state and country. Gas is up $1.25 per gallon, our borders are not safe, riots everywhere, crime is escalating with no consequences to the criminals, shortage of supplies and more importantly the state and federal government are trampling on our rights and freedoms especially those promised in the First and Second Amendment ... it time to keep the Dems out of our Shelton City Hall. The simple solution is to come to the polls on Nov. 2 and Vote Line B to preserve Shelton's fiscal and financial integrity.

The Democrats and Envision candidates have no detailed plans, visions or program to offer. Let's remember in almost every Democratic controlled town in Connecticut overspending and over taxing of your hard earned money is there solution to everything. Our largest Democratic run cities like Bridgeport and New Haven are where complete chaos and financial and fiscal ineptitude and management incompetence rain true everyday of the year.

Remember what others have envisioned Mayor Lauretti and the Lauretti Team have accomplished. Your support is always welcome and needed to "Keep Shelton Moving in the Right Direction. Please take a stand for the integrity of our city and Vote Line B on Nov. 2.

Anthony F. Simonetti

Alderman, 1st Ward
 Convenient home delivery

 Unlimited website access 24/7

 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7

 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more!

Get the Ludington Daily News delivered straight to your door and receive unlimited access to our website and e-Edition when you purchase a Print + Digital Subscription.
Page Content

On Oct. 13, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson allowed a new law addressing mandated COVID-19 vaccines for employees to go into effect without his signature. SB 739's primary sponsor, Sen. Kim Hammer, made it clear that the bill was a response to President Joe Biden's COVID-19 action plan and the Biden administration's forthcoming emergency temporary standard requiring employers with more than 100 workers to mandate vaccinations or test workers for the virus weekly.

Hammer acknowledged in the Arkansas Senate debate that the bill might be found unconstitutional, but he thought it was important to pass the bill to let Arkansans know where they stand. Unlike the recent executive order of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the bill does not prohibit vaccine mandates but requires additional exemptions with testing alternatives if an employer has a vaccine mandate.

Featured Resource Center

COVID-19 Vaccination Resources



Both Hutchinson and large businesses in Arkansas with their own vaccine mandates had previously opposed the legislation. The bill creates obstacles for federal contractors. Current federal contractor mandates do not allow for exceptions to mandatory vaccination other than for sincerely held religious beliefs or for reasons related to medical necessity. An entity covered by a federal contractor vaccine mandate cannot grant other exemptions without running afoul of its federal charge. As a result, legal challenges to the Arkansas legislation based on federal preemption are expected. Whether the legislation runs afoul of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) vaccine mandate applicable to employers with 100 or more employees is not known, as the OSHA ETS has not yet been published. The OSHA ETS is expected to also contain a testing alternative to the vaccine mandate.

The Arkansas legislation specifically allows employees to opt out of COVID-19 vaccine requirements by means other than the medical or religious exemptions allowed by federal law, and it requires employers to provide a specific exemption process. Rather than being vaccinated, a covered employee has the option to either:

Produce a negative antigen test or molecular diagnostic test no more than one time per week.

Provide proof of immunity, including the presence of antibodies (from a past COVID-19 infection), twice per year.



The law provides that if multiple proven test processes are available to an employee, the employee may choose which test is taken. Accordingly, an employee who has had COVID-19 might opt for providing proof of antibodies twice per year rather than submit to weekly testing.

The new law also spells out who is to pay for testing, if testing is the employee's preferred option. The cost of testing shall be covered through "any state or federal funding made available," including federal relief funds disbursed from the American Rescue Plan Act, if the employee's health benefits plan does not provide coverage for the testing. Only in the event that neither of these sources cover the cost of testing will the cost of testing be covered by the employee.

Although the law states that an employee who complies with the requirement "shall not be terminated for mandates related to [COVID-19]," it is not intended to alter any other agreements or affect the employment-at-will doctrine.

Because the legislation did not attain emergency status, it will go into effect in early 2022.

Ashley Prickett Cuttino is an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Greenville, S.C. Katherine Dudley Helms is an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Columbia, S.C.  2021 Ogletree Deakins. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
While Suresh Kamatchi, the producer of Silambarasan TR's upcoming political action thriller Maanaadu had said that he has opted out of the Diwali release plan because all stakeholders should make money, T Rajendar, and Usha, the parents of the actor say that the Katta Panchayat is the main reason behind the film's postponement from Diwali.

They had also said that their son Silambarasan TR is facing death threats. "For every film, they get a huge sum of rupees to allow the shoot, and later, they also cause problems during release", said Rajendar and Usha.

T Rajendar also added that he has enough proof for the Katta Panchayat and warned that he would go on a hunger strike in front of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's house.

Usha Rajendar, mom of Silambarasan TR said that a distributor named Arulpathi is now trying to stop the release of his son's film.

Earlier, Usha Rajendar had posted a lengthy video saying that the TFPC and FEFSI are stopping his son's growth by favoring a few producers, especially Michael Rayappan, the producer of Silambarasan TR's forgettable film Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan.

For more stories click here: Kollywood l Malayalam l Bollywood l Telugu
As per details, the meeting will be held on October 27 in Tehran, where at least six Foreign Ministers - from China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan will be attending.

In the midst of serious life and security threats to the Shia Muslims of Afghanistan, Iran will be hosting a meeting on Afghanistan, inviting regional neighbours to discuss the ongoing security, economic, and humanitarian situation in the country.

"The meeting will continue discussions that the countries had during virtual meeting in September," said Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh.

"The six countries will be focused on how they can help form an inclusive government in Afghanistan with the presence of all ethnic groups, and how they can help shape a future of peace and security in Afghanistan," he added.

Iran has taken a strong position against the Taliban on their armed assault against resistance fighters in Panjshir Valley, along with targeted attacks by Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), which have claimed lives of many and have rocked Shia mosques in the recent weeks.

"What is clear is that Taliban had a direct responsibility in maintaining peace and stability, and to preserve the health of all Afghan groups including the Hazaras and Shias," Khatibzadeh said.

While Tehran is part of regional meetings, discussions and conferences on Afghanistan, it has clearly refused to be part of any talks, hosted or participated by the US, as it maintains that the US is the prime culprit behind the instability, insecurity, and violence in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's situation since August, when Taliban took over and regained power, has been reeling with worsening humanitarian and economic crisis. Foreign aid, projects and reserves, which catered to at least 80 per cent of the country's economy, have been blocked.

Talban have been calling on the global powers to come and help Afghanistan out of the current crisis and work towards a better, stable and peaceful future of the country, a hope that has been far fetched for decades.

--IANS

hamza/vd
Multiple explosions rocked the US base late Wednesday night as a result of the attack, Xinhua news agency quoted SANA as sayonh without giving any other details.

Damascus, Oct 21 (IANS) A drone attack targeted a US base in the al-Tanf area in Syria, state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the explosions, saying it was not yet clear whether the attack was carried out by pro-Iran militia or not.

It's worth noting that Israel has carried out its recent attacks from over the al-Tanf area, targeting positions of pro-Iran fighters.

In 2016, the US established the base in al-Tanf, located in a triangle of border regions between Syria, Iraq and Jordan.

The Syrian government has repeated calls for the US to withdraw from Syria, deeming its presence "illegal".

--IANS

ksk/
An analyst told India Narrative that Deuba has delicately balanced relations with both India and China.

Deuba and his party -- the Nepali Congress - have maintained that Kathmandu's foreign policy will be driven by its national interest.

Despite leading a coalition government, he has managed to open channels of communication with India as well as China.

In an interview to Rising Nepal, Deuba said, "We have an open border with India and there is people-to-people exchange at the greater level so maintaining good relations with the southern neighbour is in our interest. Nepalis go to India for work and pilgrimage."

"We have more intensive public, cultural and commercial relations with it," he told the news organisation.

While around 6 lakh Indians are living in Nepal about 8 lakh Nepalese have made India their home.

The Prime Minister said that maintaining good relations with its neighbours will be given top priority.

Earlier this month, a high level delegation of the ruling Nepali Congress led by former Foreign Minister and head of party's international department Prakash Sharan Mahat visited India.

Speaking to India Narrative Udaya Shumsher Rana, former minister of state for finance and a member of Nepali Congress, who was also part of the delegation, said that the visit was to foster friendly ties between the two neighbours.

Rana said that India and Nepal have many commonalities in terms of geography, culture and religion besides heightened social interaction owing to open borders. "These factors and the interdependence on each other have helped bind the two countries despite several hiccups," he told India Narrative earlier.

India and Nepal share an open border. While around 6 lakh Indians are living in Nepal about 8 lakh Nepalese have made India their home.

Meanwhile, apart from government to government dealings, India and Nepal are set to strengthen bilateral ties through party to party contact as well.

Rana, during his visit to India, said that such party to party meetings will become a more common and regular feature.

Bhaskar Koirala, Director of the Nepal Institute of International and Strategic Studies added that Nepal and India must engage even at the state levels.

"Nepal and India have a unique opportunity to strengthen their bilateral ties at this key juncture of global history when so many systemic (political, technological, social etc) changes are buttressing regional and global trends. The most important aspect of this relationship must centre on people to people relations and the galvanising effect this has on state to state relations," he said in an emailed interview.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

--indianarrative
Meanwhile, religious terrorist outfits, working in unison with Pakistani military establishment and its spy agency the ISI, have kept the riot alive, which Pakistan presents to the world community as evidence of an ongoing imaginary mass separatist movement in Kashmir.

Attempts, thenceforth, made by India to try to resolve the issue of Kashmir peacefully through the corridors of international diplomacy have each time ended in a stalemate at the floor of the United Nations forcing India to start attempts to seek a resolution, all over again.

Today, as battle hardened LeT and other jihadi terrorists returning from Afghanistan have once again managed to infiltrate our territory and an all-out Indian military operation in Poonch is under way, which, by the way, has already cost the lives of 10 of our jawans and 15 infiltrators, the occasion begs to seek a new approach towards solving the seventy odd year old conflict that seems to be going round in circles.

At the time of Partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 guidelines for the future of the 560 plus Princely States were stated in the 1935 Government of India Act according to which, The Indian (princely) state's...accession to a Federation (Pakistan or India) ... cannot take place otherwise than by the voluntary act of the Ruler of each State.

The government of Pakistan entered into a bilateral agreement (Stand-Still Agreement. August 15, 1947) with the State of Jammu Kashmir according to which Pakistan was obliged to accept the independent status of the State. However, on October 22 of the same year Pakistan army, along with tribal mercenaries that it had hired from northwestern parts of the newly established country, launched an attack on the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Due to its surprise nature, the attack caught Maharaja Hari Singh unprepared. Soon Pakistani troops were calling at the gates of Srinagar. It was then that the Maharaja made a wise decision and acceded to India. The Instrument of Accession was thus signed on October 26, 1947. Next morning Indian jawans began to land at the Srinagar airport. Soon the Pakistani intruders were forced to retreat and pushed across the River Poonch.

Had the Nehru government not made the mistake of seeking a ceasefire from the United Nation Security Council (UNSC), we, the people of Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan would have been free citizens of Bharat as well.

According to the UNSC resolution of August 13, 1948, the first step in the direction of restoring peace in the region demanded a total withdrawal of Pakistani troops and all (nonresident) tribal invaders. Did Pakistan comply? No, not to this day. Instead of following the conditions for restoration of peace laid down by the UNSC, Pakistan conducted Operation Grand Slam and Operation Gibraltar (1965), and the Kargil war (1999).

In 1990, Pakistan conducted one of the most outrageous terrorist campaigns in the Valley that we now know as the genocide of the aborigines of Kashmir; the Kashmiri Pandits. They were target killed, raped and persecuted which led to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley of Jammu Kashmir. Hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits remain internally displaced to this day.

India cannot sprint into becoming a global player unless the pebble of Kashmir issue is removed from under her sole. Time has come, or so it seems, that a totally new treatment to a chronic ailment is found for the following reasons.

Firstly, the UNSC has not been able to make Pakistan follow its resolution thus undermining the authority of the institution to enforce its decisions. Secondly, numerous efforts made by various Indian governments to negotiate a settlement for Kashmir issue by peaceful means has always ended up in emboldening Pakistan, which has taken our restraint in wake of terrorist attacks on our motherland (such as the current one), as our weakness. And, finally, the change of seat of power in Kabul has diminished our chances of a collaborated pincer act of smothering of Pakistan by Afghanistan and India.

So, under the prevailing actuality what choices are we left with. What we should realise is that old choices we had so far available to us have become obsolete.

I am of the opinion that the time to hit Pakistan hard has come. And to hit Pakistan hard on all fronts simultaneously would be key to our success. Therefore, as Pakistan struggles to come to grips with its economic downfall and at a time when the State is at war with itself, as Bajwa-Imran wrestle over the appointment of the new director general of the spy agency ISI, we must strengthen the forces that are struggling to liberate themselves from the clutches of Pakistani military establishment, i.e., the Baloch and the Sindhi nationalists.

We must also seriously consider to end the ceasefire and begin to pound on strategic targets inside Pakistan. And openly claim PoJK and PoGB to be a part of the Republic of India by allowing dissidents from the occupied territories into Rajya Sabha/Lok Sabha and in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Internationally, we must find means to appoint able foreign representatives who can actively confront the ISI narrative on Kashmir and inform the world community of the atrocities committed by Pakistan's deep state that began on and since October 22, 1947.

Only by taking bold and controlled steps and by confronting evil by looking it in the eyes can we win the battle of Kashmir; a battle that has been laid off for far too long.

(Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in POJK. He currently lives in-exile in the UK. The views expressed are personal)

--IANS

amjad/dpb
Mumbai/Pune, Oct 21 (IANS) NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Thursday demanded to know what was the NCB's Mumbai zone chief Sameer Wankhede doing in Dubai and the Maldives with his family during the pandemic lockdown, and threatened him with jail for "concocting drugs cases against Bollywood personalities".

While Wankhede dismissed Malik's allegations, the Narcotics Control Bureau said that the former has never been to Dubai while with the agency, but had visited the Maldives after taking permission.

In a dual attack, Malik shared photos of Wankhede's family holidaying in Maldives when the entire Bollywood was also there.

"It's very clear that all this 'vasuli' (extortion) took place in Maldives and Dubai. I am releasing the photos. What was he doing in Maldives-Dubai, he must answer," Malik said at a public rally in Pune amid a thunderous applause.

Daring Wankhede to come clean on his foreign sojourns with his family, Malik, who is the national spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said that attempts were being made to implicate certain film personalities in fake cases and parade them before the NCB.

"Along with some BJP people, Wankhede is threatening the film industry people... I am repeating - He keeps filing false cases and arresting people based on WhatsApp chats and without any evidence. I am going to reveal more on this," he warned.

The NCP leader declared that soon he will "expose Wankhede with full proof on all the fake cases with which he's trying to instil fear in Bollywood", for which he would pay a heavy price.

"Within six months, he will lose his job and within a year, he will be jailed. I am collecting evidence against him," he said.

He also released some photos of Sameer Wankhede's sister Jasmeen Wankhede, ostensibly shot in Maldives with captions and tagging her friends, including Fletcher Patel who had called her the 'Lady Don'.

Malik's statements evoked angry reaction from the opposition Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) film wing chief Ameya Khopkar, who cautioned the NCP leader "to keep off and stop dragging" his party colleague (Jasmeen Wankhede) into his politics.

Jasmeen Wankhede also hit back, asking whether "Malik is a judge", and said she was accountable to her family or friends and the NCP leader had no business to make public her private trip.

BJP state President Chandrakant Patil said that Malik is rattled by the arrest of his son-in-law and has been slamming the NCB since the past two weeks.

The war between NCB and NCP erupted after the probe agency raided a rave party aboard a cruise ship and arrested 8 persons, including Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan, all of whom are now in judicial custody till October 30.

Later, the NCB nabbed 12 others, and on Thursday, actress Ananya Panday was summoned for probe, which will continue further on Friday.

An irked Wankhede roundly flayed the personal attacks by Malik on him, his sister, his retired 77-year-old father and deceased mother in the past fortnight.

"I strongly condemn all this. I don't know why the minister is doing all this. The cases are sub-judice. I will give a suitable reply at the appropriate time," Wankhede said, speaking briefly with mediapersons late on Thursday evening.

He warned that since he is a serving government officer, he would seek the advice of his seniors and then proceed against Malik legally.

The NCB also came to Wankhede's aid by issuing a statement which said that he did not apply for going to Dubai after he joined the agency on deputation for six months on August 31, 2020.

However, as per the NCB's approval granted on July 27, 2021, Wankhede had gone to the Maldives with his family, NCB's Deputy Director-General of South West Region, Mutha Ashok Jain, said in a statement.

On Malik's charges of "lodging fake cases" against Bollywood personalities for 'vasuli', Wankhede said he was not indulging in some child's play, but attempting to cleanse Maharashtra and Goa of the drugs menace.

Wankhede said that he is an ordinary government servant trying to do his duties, and far from being demoralised by Malik's attacks, he would continue to perform with renewed vigour against the drug mafias.

--IANS

qn/vd/arm
Echelon-2021, Search-2021 and Interaction-2021 special military exercises are being held at the Harb-Maidon and Momirak training grounds in the Khatlon region - just 20 kilometers from the Tajik-Afghan border.

The announcement came as member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and hosts Tajikistan - completed the third day of their massive military exercise on Afghanistan's borders.

Moscow has sent a large contingent from its 201st military base stationed in two Tajik cities - capital Dushanbe and Bokhtar - for the military exercises which are being conducted by the Central Asian countries to "jointly counter" the security threats emanating from the territory of Afghanistan after the return of Taliban.

The 201st military base is the largest military facility of Russia, located beyond its borders. According to an agreement signed in October 2012, the formation will be in Tajikistan until 2042.

As over 4000 armed forces personnel continue to train together on the southern borders, "thwarting the plans of the militants" and destroying the "illegal armed formations" that have "invaded the territory of a CSTO member state", Russia declared Wednesday that it will equip its military base in the country with the state-of-the-art military communications equipment.

"By the end of this year, we will complete equipping the communications units of the Russian military base in Tajikistan with modern samples of special equipment," said Major General Gennady Tuchin, head of the communications department of Russia's Central Military District command.

Tuchin chose October 20 to announce the development as it is celebrated as 'Day of the Military Signal Officer' by the Signal troops of Russia,

The base in Dushanbe is expected to get the latest versions of special military equipment, including the R-149MA command and control vehicles, the R-419LM1 radio relay stations, the P-243 complex communications equipment and the R-441LM satellite communications station.

A feature of the use of new machines will be the ability to issue instructions and control the execution in real time through the 'video eye' system associated with reconnaissance and fire contours by means of the 'Strelets' complex.

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the unified command and staff vehicle R-149MA1 is designed to provide control and communication to brigade-level officials in the parking lot and on the move.

"The UKShM R-149MA1 can also be used in the operational echelon when it is used by officials at the forward command posts of large formations to ensure command and control of formations and units in accordance with the adopted tactics of using troops," it says.

As reported by IndiaNarrative.com on Tuesday, Moscow had transported six Tiger-M armoured vehicles - which are equipped with the latest Arbalet-DM remote-controlled weapon station - to Dushanbe from its special-purpose brigade stationed in the Samara region for the ongoing military exercise.

Meanwhile, on Day 3 of their Echelon-2021 special exercise at Harb-Maidon close to the border with Afghanistan, the CSTO military contingents carried out a massive refueling of armoured vehicles on Wednesday.

The servicemen made a multi-kilometer march to the training ground to deliver fuel and lubricants to units performing combat training missions to destroy a simulated enemy.

Support divisions deployed about 30 dispensing hoses for automobile refueling and transportation vehicles. For the first time in the exercise, the newest ATZ-12-10-63501 refueling tanker based on the Mustang KamAZ vehicle was used, which allows you to simultaneously refuel 10 units of various equipment.

"During the exercise, the CSTO collective forces worked out the tasks of joint refueling of equipment; in total, more than 30 tons of fuel were pumped from mobile tanks into T-72 tanks, BTR-82A armoured personnel carriers, 2S1 self-propelled howitzers, and lightly armored MT-LB multipurpose tractors," the press service of the Central Military District command reported.

This method, it said, made it possible to reduce the time spent by the unit in the area of mass dispensing of fuel by more than two times.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

--indianarrative


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!
The debut of the first exchange-traded bitcoin futures fund in the US on Tuesday ignited a wave of cryptomania as cryptocurrency true believers interpreted the listing as a validation of the controversial digital assets.

Bitcoin hit record levels of more than $US66,000 ($87,840), giving it a market capitalisation of about $US1.24 trillion and pushing the overall value of crypto assets to more than $US2.63 trillion as the ProShares Strategy ETF began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

More than 24 million of the funds securities changed hands, making it the second-most traded ETF on debut ever (behind a BlackRock carbon fund). The securities closed 3.2 per cent above their opening price.

The trading debut of the first crypto ETF on the New York Stock Exchange has been closely watched. Credit:Bloomberg

The ETF doesnt hold bitcoin itself but bitcoin futures, or contracts to buy or sell bitcoin at some future date. That means it wont track the spot price of bitcoin perfectly, but rather the expectations of future prices provided by trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
China Evergrande Group has supplied funds to pay interest on a dollar bond, a source told Reuters on Friday, days before a deadline that would have plunged the embattled developer into formal default.

The source corroborated a story in the state-backed Securities Times on Friday that the company had remitted $US83.5 million in coupon payments to a trustee account at Citibank on Thursday, allowing it to pay out to all bond holders before the grace period expires on October 23.

News of the payment will bring some relief to investors and regulators worried about the wider fallout from a messy default and contagion hitting global financial markets elsewhere, although the company will still need to make payments on a string of other debts due.

While Evergrande is by far the most prominent of the Chinese developers in trouble and that are unable to meet interest payments on their debts, the list of companies in similar straits is lengthening almost on a daily basis. Credit:Bloomberg

They seem to be avoiding short-term default and its a bit of a relief that they have managed to find liquidity, said a Hong Kong-based restructuring lawyer representing some bondholders.

But still, Evergrande does need to restructure its debt. This payment might be a way for them to get some sort of buy-in with stakeholders before the heavy work needed on the restructuring.

Evergrande did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. Citi declined to comment.

The wired payment comes a day after financial information provider REDD reported on Thursday that the company had secured more time to pay a defaulted bond issued by Jumbo Fortune Enterprises and guaranteed by Evergrande.

A string of Chinese officials in recent days have sought to reassure investors, saying that creditors interests would be protected. Market participants nevertheless expressed shock at news of the payment. This is a positive surprise, said James Wong, portfolio manager at GaoTeng Global Asset Management Ltd, adding many had expected a default.

The news would boost bondholders confidence, he said, as there are many coupon payments due ahead. If Evergrande pays this time, I dont see why it wont pay the next time.

Evergrande missed coupon payments totalling nearly $US280 million on its dollar bonds on Sept. 23, Sept. 29 and Oct. 11, starting the clock on 30-day grace periods for payment.

Non-payment of interest for 30 days would result in a formal default by the company, and trigger cross-default provisions for other Evergrande dollar bonds.

Evergrandes next payment deadline falls on Oct. 29 with the expiration of the 30-day grace period on its Sept. 29 coupon.

Relief

Evergrandes dollar bond prices surged on Friday morning, with its April 2022 and 2023 notes jumping more than 10 per cent, according to data provider Duration Finance, although they still traded at deeply distressed levels of around a quarter of their face value.

Evergrandes shares rose as much as 7.8 per cent, a day after the resumption of trade following a more than two-week suspension pending the announcement of a scrapped stake sale in its property management unit.

The Hang Seng mainland properties index surged more than 4 per cent, against a 0.25 per cent rise in the broader Hang Seng index.

In mainland markets, the CSI300 Real Estate index jumped as much as 6.5 per cent, and an index tracking the broader property sector was on track for its biggest gain in nearly two months.

Reuters
This new film is executive produced by Francine and her two children. Jean-Michel features very little. We are told his father preferred his younger son Philippe, who was committed to exploration. He died in a plane crash in 1979.

Cousteau was survived by Jean-Michel, the elder of two sons of his first marriage, and by his second wife Francine and their two children, Pierre Yves and Dianne. Francine had been his mistress for 14 years. They married six months after his first wife Simone died of cancer. Jean-Michel broke with his father after that. Jacques later sued his son when he tried to use the family name for a string of holiday resorts.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau died in 1997, aged 87. He was beloved of millions for his work in research and conservation of the oceans, but his family was at war. Theyve been fighting in the courts ever since.

The film doesnt say much about the family troubles, but its important to note this is an authorised documentary, from one side. It aims to rehabilitate the image of the patriarch, which has taken a battering in the past 25 years. A French biographer found evidence of racist and anti-Semitic letters in his past and suggested he may have gone along with the Nazis  like his brother, who became a Nazi propagandist. The biographer, Bernard Violet, also accused him of cruelty to some animals in his films.

Loading

This film concentrates instead on his evolution from French naval officer to explorer, inventor and passionate advocate of marine conservation. He started free-diving with friends in the Mediterranean in 1937, as a way of rehabilitating his body after a bad car accident. Philippe Tailliez, Frederic Dumas and others collaborated on the invention of the aqualung, which allowed them to go deeper and move more freely than the old diving suits.

Cousteau found his artistic niche underwater. He helped invent a housing that allowed cameras to go where they had never been. His 1956 film The Silent World, co-produced with Louis Malle, won both the Palme dOr at Cannes and the Oscar for best documentary.

He had started as a spear fisherman, but his research work on the Calypso, his converted mine-sweeper, turned him into a highly effective conservationist and communicator. The shows he made for American television made him a hero for many children around the world.
Most tourists ended up at the concreted, rebuilt sections of the wall. Visiting Chinas famous architectural feat had become a feat of endurance as they fought their way through the crowd. Noisy buses blowing out dirty exhaust would disgorge visitors from early in the morning. An hour later theyd clamber back on, laden with gaudy souvenirs that would end up gathering dust back home, or would be gifted to a young relative who wouldnt question the trinkets authenticity. ABC journalists Leigh Sales, left, and Lisa Millar have been best friends for over 20 years. The wild wall, we were told, was untouched and mostly out of reach for time-constrained tourists. This adventure of ours was going to be an all-day affair and Gustav the Swedish count had promised it was worth the effort. We would make our lunch booking for 1pm but deliberately arrive far too early. Wed then suggest to hotel staff that wed take a look at the wall while we waited for our table. We made the lunch booking for later that week and, on the day, our driver arrived as planned outside our friends apartment. He had no English and we had no Mandarin but hed been given a rough outline of the scheme and we joined the traffic jam getting out of Beijing. Every now and then hed turn and speak, gesticulating with rapid hand movements while keeping his knees attached to the wheel. We assumed he knew where we were going. We certainly didnt. An hour later we hurtled past the tourist buses at Badaling, a drop-off place for regular Great Wall visitors, and 20 minutes later slowed down in front of a private gate guarded by armed security officers. There was nothing to indicate what was beyond it. Our driver turned to us and shrugged his shoulders, his face questioning if this was our destination. We shrugged back.

Whatever he said to the guards encouraged them to open the gate and we entered a vast expanse of summer greenery, driving past secluded villas built in earthy colours, poking out from behind pockets of trees. He deposited us at the hotel reception and these two Aussie tourists, dressed in shorts and covered in sunscreen, walked into an almost-empty lobby. A lone staff member peered at us from the front desk. We have a reservation for lunch, we told her. She glanced at her watch with a look that told us we were far too early for the reservation. But before lunch wed like to climb the wall, Leigh added, her voice echoing off the cool tiles on the floor. In broken English, the woman responded with words that crushed us.

Oh, we are very busy today and the wall is not open. Our mouths dropped open and we turned our heads slowly to remind ourselves the lobby was completely empty. Not open? The walls not open? we asked, bewildered. Our carefully constructed ploy was already starting to fall apart. But we want to climb the wall, Leigh added firmly. Which wall? the receptionist asked, delivering the words in English slowly. Um, the Great one? we tentatively suggested, wondering if wed missed something. There was a small sign of acknowledgement on her face. Go straight and security will tell you. We were so relieved we almost skipped out of there, but as we wandered outside and looked for signs or the promised security officers, we found neither. We strolled along a track that wouldnt have been out of place on a hike through the bush in Australia. There was no sign of any wall, let alone a Great one, and we wondered if our excitement had been misplaced.

We finally spotted a small weathered wooden sign stuck into the ground. It was about 10 centimetres tall, with faded painted letters. To Great Wall, it read with an arrow. We followed the grassy path for another 20 minutes, veering up a steep climb past scattered rocks. We wondered out loud if we were already on the wild wall. Was the wild wall so overgrown that we were walking along the broken remains of it and didnt know? For years after, if either of us felt our spirits sagging, we would remind each other of the awesomeness of that day and the tantalising prospect that another magical moment could be waiting just around the curve of an overgrown path. LISA MILLAR, ABC JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR OF DARING TO FLY And then, as the trail curved, the bushes opened up and we lifted ourselves into a vista that took our breath away. For as far as we could see, the Great Wall of China stretched out in front of us, up and over mountains and beyond. And for the next hour it was ours. We scrambled up ramparts, the steps forcing us onto our hands and knees. We posed for photos in the rectangular openings at the top of watch towers, laughing as we mimicked the hotel receptionist asking us: Which wall? What if wed said to her, Um, the not-so-great-wall? The one built in 1956?  Our giggles could be heard by no one. We were entirely alone. In some places the wall was in such disrepair, with trees growing up through the crumbling rocks, that wed have to leap down into the long grass and find a way to climb back up onto it.

Ants stung our legs, and wed been warned about virus-carrying mosquitoes, but nothing could take away our exhilaration. Each turn and bend in the wall opened up another sweeping view. We walked until we reached a fence and, far beyond it, we saw the tiny dots of human tourists who were crowding into the restored and concreted part of the monument. If only they knew what was on the other side. If only they could see what wed seen. We reluctantly turned back. When we reached the spot where wed first glimpsed the wall, when wed wondered if we were even on the right track, we hesitated. Stepping off the bricks would signal the end of this adventure and neither of us felt able to do it. We may never, ever have an experience like this again, we said with a tinge of sadness. On our return we were ushered into the almost-empty restaurant as if wed been simply strolling around the grounds for the past two hours. We took a stab at the menu and ended up with tasteless chicken gristle but washed it down with a glass of wine each. The lunch had been a means to an end and we werent bothered. We felt wed been granted a remarkable wish, something so rare and magnificent, so uplifting, we glowed with pleasure. For years after, if either of us felt our spirits sagging, we would remind each other of the awesomeness of that day and the tantalising prospect that another magical moment could be waiting just around the curve of an overgrown path.
His affinity with the sea prompted him to change his name to Ocean, but the former David Robin Douglas is just a maritime menace, according to the judge who jailed him for four years on Tuesday.

In June 2006, he conned the Adelaide owner of the luxury yacht Minuet into allowing him to sail it from its berth to nearby Port Adelaide for repairs to the hull.

But instead the 43-year-old who now goes under the solitary name of Ocean, headed west, painted over the yacht's name, and disguised himself, never intending to return.

Last year he was convicted on a charge of theft by a jury in the South Australian District Court after admitting to being a fraudster.

Imposing sentence on Tuesday Judge Andrew Wilson described Ocean as "something of a maritime menace".
Western Australias police force is not ruling out that Cleo Smith may have been abducted and taken across the states border.

With an exhaustive land search set to end tomorrow, police now believe the four-year-old was abducted from her familys tent while on a camping trip on WAs remote northern coast on the weekend.

Superintendent Rod Wilde with Deputy WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch. Credit:Hamish Hastie

Asked whether the investigation was now stretching nationwide, lead investigator Superintendent Rod Wilde said: thats correct.

Superintendent Wilde said WA Police had contacted other forces around the country and made a nationwide plea to anyone who may have information about the girls disappearance to get in touch with their local police station or contact Crime Stoppers.
When he was ferreting through old police reports back in 2000 as Sydney partied during the Olympics, Detective Sergeant Steve Page had no idea he was about to launch the most intensive investigation into gay hate murders ever conducted in Australia.

While his investigation  code named Operation Taradale  centred on the mysterious deaths of weatherman and newsreader Ross Warren and barman John Russell on the Bondi clifftops in 1989, and the disappearance of French national Gilles Mattaini in the same location four years earlier, it revealed a much wider pattern of evil and senseless violence directed at gay men across Sydney at the time. Between 1987 and 1993 up to 20 gay men were murdered, too many dismissed at the time as suicides or deaths by misadventure.

Because of police indifference and inaction in the late 1980s, gangs of young men could roam the clifftops on the southern headland at Bondi, bashing and killing gay men with virtual impunity, with little fear of the long arm of the law catching up with them.

Only one killing on the headland at this time, of Thai national Kritchikorn Rattanjurathaporn, resulted in a murder conviction and years behind bars for the three young killers. When I asked Page, who quit the force back in 2005, to explain his principal motive in pursuing the ground-breaking Taradale investigation, which would consume nearly five years of his life, he replied: I wanted to look the parents of these men in the eye, knowing I had done all that was possible.
NSWs top judge has announced he will retire after almost 11 years in the job, saying the time was right for a new leader of the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Tom Bathurst will step down from the role on March 5 next year.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Bathurst in his office. Credit:Christopher Pearce

In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, he said it had been an honour and a privilege to have led the court.

Although my enthusiasm for the role is undiminished, I believe that after more than a decade in office its time for the court to be reinvigorated and a new leader to be appointed to take the court into the future, he said.
In recognition that all her childrens unwanted and discarded iPhones end up being dropped off to her place where they are lovingly cherished, Jenni Brown of Stanmore has renamed her home the iPhonage.

Suffering through a whole 14 days of quarantine? Amateurs. Greg Rutter of Musk (Vic) asks, Why are we calling it quarantine when we do it for 14 days rather than the original 40? I suppose quatorzetine is a bit clumsy.

Back in the 90s, Sue Casiglia of North Ryde reports that the hospital in Port Vila, Vanuatu, had an official document for its employees which had a long and detailed explanation about how daylight savings worked. Right at the end, it actually said that if you dont understand any of this, just keep to the old time (C8).

Ahem, the Wizard of Christchurch (C8) WAS from Oz, according to Ian Paton of Russell Lea. The first Christchurch Wizard was an import from OZ, Ian Channel. He was the resident wizard at UNSW and greater Sydney in the 70s before moving to Christchurch in the 80s to ply his craft there. However, Ian cannot confirm that the wizard flew himself there. John Miller of South Coogee also recalls that the wizard of Christchurch is actually an Australian, as apparently the locals felt that only a foreigner was eccentric enough to take the position.

Brian Robson of Roselands remembers that in 1969 and 1970 Melbourne University also had a resident wizard. He signed all of his proclamations G. Wiz. Confirming this is Sue Bradley of Eltham (Vic), who fondly remembers seeing the Wizard of Melbourne University around campus in the early 70s, robes and hair flying, an awe-inspiring and slightly terrifying figure. Same wizard? A whole wizarding world happening in Australian universities in the 1970s? Or something in the air, perhaps?
Queensland police officers who refuse to be vaccinated could be suspended without pay, the states top cop warns, with more than 100 staff not working at present.

Queenslands Police Commissioner said pay arrangements for suspended officers could change. Credit:Fairfax Media

Commissioner Katarina Carroll said as of Thursday 99.26 per cent of the Queensland Police Service workforce had been vaccinated or provided exemption as to why they could not.

But, she added, those who had not left her frustrated and disappointed.

Across the service, 72 police officers and 37 staff members have been suspended for not being vaccinated or providing an exemption.
At the age of one, Brisbane woman Jess Anderson was hospitalised because of abuse, taken away from her family and placed into foster care.

Now 24, Ms Anderson considers herself as one of the lucky ones compared with Brisbane teenagers who endure up to 30 placements.

The report states many youths who leave foster care at 18 experience homelessness, substance abuse and mental health issues. Credit: iStock

[The government] was trying to make it work for me to go home at the age of five, but it was decided that it wasnt a safe option, and they took out a long-term guardianship order until I was 18, she said.

Now a transition outreach worker and a kinship carer to her two nephews, Ms Anderson said foster care support needed to be extended to the age of 21.
Police believe the COVID-positive Uber driver who was infectious at the Gold Coast had not done the right thing with regard to his travel across the border, as the states top cop admitted officers helped find him and get him to hospital.

The man, aged in his 30s, is so sick health authorities have had difficulties speaking with him and identifying where he has been, and he is receiving oxygen.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said on Thursday it was believed the man, who lived by himself in a resort apartment complex in Broadbeach, was in Melbourne on October 10 before travelling to Queensland.

Dr Young said the man became increasingly unwell before going to the emergency department at Robina Hospital on Wednesday, where he tested positive twice to COVID-19 before being taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital on Wednesday night.
Queenslands corruption watchdog should be put on a leash, a parliamentary inquiry into the charging of seven Logan councillors and the citys mayor with fraud offences, has heard.

In the final public hearing before the committee delivers its findings, the Crime and Corruption Commission was accused of overstepping the mark and not always acting impartially and fairly.

Crime and Corruption Commission chairman Alan MacSporran. Credit:Felicity Caldwell

The Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee announced in May that it would investigate the CCCs 2018 investigation that led to Logan councillors being charged with fraud.

The fraud charges against the seven councillors and mayor Luke Smith were dropped in May due to insufficient evidence, but by then, the damage had been done.
Journalists, photographers, commentators, designers, producers and editors from The Age are finalists in a number of categories of the 66th Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism.

The Walkley Foundation said more than 1200 entries were received this year. Walkley Award winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Tamworth in February next year.

Justin McManus photo at an anti-lockdown rally at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Protesters rallied against Victorias stage four lockdown restrictions on September 5, 2020. Credit:Justin McManus

The Age editor Gay Alcorn said it was an outstanding result for the masthead.

The Age has published outstanding journalism in what has been a very tough year, with most of our staff working from home, she said.
Within weeks of Ms Crowleys allegations against Dr Kyriacou in 2018, dozens of former patients also made complaints to detectives from the Box Hill sexual offences and child abuse investigation team. In all, 48 women made statements against Dr Kyriacou, who was charged in December 2018 with 34 offences, including three counts of rape, 28 counts of indecent assault, and three counts of sexual penetration and indecent assault of a child aged 16 years. The alleged offending occurred between 1978 and 2004. The Office of Public Prosecutions decided last year that it would not include statements from more than 40 former patients, but would proceed to a two-week trial with just five of the alleged victims. Dr Kyriacou was due to face a special hearing in November in the County Court, which could make only a qualified finding of guilt that would not amount to a conviction. However, Ms Crowley was recently informed by the Office of Public Prosecutions that the hearing would be abandoned because of Dr Kyriacous declining health. The four other women who were to give evidence in November were also told the hearing was unlikely to proceed.

I am shocked and bitterly disappointed by the news from the Office of Public Prosecutions that the criminal case against Dr Kyriacou will no longer be heard as he has significantly deteriorated, both mentally and physically, and now requires 24-hour care, Ms Crowley said. But who will care for the 48 women left with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety because of their encounters with this man? She also took aim at the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, which launched a probe into Dr Kyriacou in 2016 but never finalised its investigation, and failed to refer the complaints to police. Dr Kyriacou, who was aware he was under investigation by the regulation agency, removed himself from the register of medical practitioners in August 2017, when he was found to have a serious cognitive injury. He had denied the misconduct allegations before the diagnosis of a frontal lobe impairment.

In 2019, an assessment of Dr Kyriacou found he was not capable of giving evidence or briefing his lawyer after independent neurological testing confirmed he suffered cognitive impairment. Loading Sandra Rokebrand first raised her concerns with police and the Medical Board of Australia in 2004 and 2008, before making an official complaint with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in August 2016. Along with Ms Crowley, Ms Rokebrand went public with her claims against Dr Kyriacou in 2018, after becoming frustrated by delays with the regulation agency investigation. She was also notified by the Office of Public Prosecutions of its plan to abandon the case.

The 55-year-old said she, and many other women, had been badly let down. It saddens me greatly that the effort Ive gone to has gone to waste. I want to speak up now and try to make changes within the Office of Public Prosecutions so that the victims of abuse that are out there contemplating coming forward are not deterred by going to so much effort, while enduring so much trauma and anguish, to only get their cases dropped, Ms Rokebrand said. Another former patient who attended Dr Kyriacous clinic on Barkers Road, Hawthorn  and who now lives in Sydneys Northern Beaches  said she was haunted by a consultation in 1992. Im crushed. I understand from a legal perspective. But as [an alleged] victim, you feel incredibly let down and disappointed. There is no redress for us, said the 56-year-old woman, who asked not to be identified. Mary, who asked for her surname not to be used, signed a police statement in December 2018 alleging she was assaulted as a 12-year-old in 1987.
Its been so long since Ive had a haircut  just go crazy. Im just excited to get my hair done. Paige, 29 Waiting for my mane: The winners wait to have their lockdown hair blues washed away. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui At Richmonds Swan Hotel, owner Jon De Fraga was keeping an eye on the queue, making sure people scanned in and provided proof of their vaccination status, and wondering how hell cope if and when capacity lifts above the 70 customers  20 inside and 50 outside  hes currently allowed. We thought wed open it up for bookings and see if there was any interest and it sold out within 20 minutes, he said. Were booked out for the next two or three weeks, in two-hour slots. Were booked out for the next two or three weeks, in two-hour slots. Swan Hotel owner Jon De Fraga

The mood at Chappellis was like New Years Eve, without the fireworks. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Before lockdown, he had 100 staff at this pub on the corner of Swan and Church streets and the nearby Public House, renovated at a cost of about $4 million just before lockdown number one. But now half of them are gone, either back overseas or out of the industry. Everyones battling for chefs, front-of-house people, everything, he said of the labour shortage that could prove much more of a brake on hospitalitys recovery than peoples desire to go out. Last time we had to train up 17-year-olds who didnt know the difference between a beer glass and a champagne glass, and were going to have to go through all that again. Loading In the CBD, one of the few upsides of lockdown became quickly apparent: no traffic, and no trouble parking. It wasnt a ghost town  the garbage trucks and construction crews made sure of that  but the joint wasnt exactly jumping either.

Italian chef Nicola Dusi had decided on a whim to open his restaurant The Hardware Club, purely for walk-ins; around 1.30am, he still had a scattering of diners sitting at the tables outside in the laneway, eating pasta and cannoli, and he was delighted to have been feeding real live customers after three months of deliveries only. We have lots of regulars, and its so nice to see some of them here again. Theres never a wrong hour for pasta, right? Diners at The Hardware Bar, around 1.30am. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui On Franklin Street, the Captain Melville  built in 1853 and a contender for the oldest continually operating licensed premises in Melbourne  had opened its upstairs bar, Lock and Key. Its a gorgeous room with a lovely balcony from which to bask in the sounds of round-the-clock construction across the road. Katie Rowe, a young theatre producer who lives in Carlton, is a regular here; her housemate Eamon works behind the bar, and was kicking back after a 10-hour shift preparing for this re-opening. Dude, Im over the moon ... you just miss the people. - Eamon

Dude, Im over the moon, he said. You just miss the people; most of them are regulars in the hospitality industry who come here after they finish work. Heres to you, and you, and you: Katie Rowe relishes connections with strangers. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui For Rowe its not the regulars shes craved so much as the new faces. Ive missed interacting with people I dont know, the exchanges you have with strangers in a line, all the little connections with people. I feel all the theatre that comes out of this is going to be poignant because were all craving that connection. Ive missed interacting with people I dont know, the exchanges you have with strangers in a line, all the little connections with people. Katie Rowe In the laneway outside the Melville, 20 or so people waited to get in, and the guy at the front of the queue told me hed been here an hour and a half already. Ive been waiting 12 weeks, so whats another couple of hours, he said cheerily.
The head of Victorias triple-zero call service has resigned after repeated reports of long and life-threatening waits for ambulances as the state experiences a surge in coronavirus cases.

Two weeks after the state government announced a performance review into the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA)  and with health officials bracing for an increase in COVID-19 infections as Melbournes lockdown ends  the organisations chief executive, Marty Smyth, announced his resignation on Thursday.

Marty Smyth with then emergency services minister Lisa Neville at an award ceremony in 2019. Credit:Twitter

Mr Smyth declined to comment when contacted by The Age, but the agency put out a statement saying he had indicated he now wishes to return to Queensland to pursue new opportunities.

His departure follows months of difficulty at the authority, which runs Victorias call-taking dispatch system but has struggled to cope with the surge in demand from patients during the states Delta outbreak.
Australia will become a dumping ground for old-model petrol and diesel cars unless it does more to encourage motorists to buy electric vehicles, car makers say, following Britains move to penalise manufacturers that dont sell enough clean vehicles.

Major markets including the UK, Japan, France and Germany will ban combustion engine sales between 2025 and 2030 and provide funding to encourage motorists to buy electric vehicles.

Car makers are warning that Australian motorists will be left with old-model petrol and diesel models as electric vehicles are sent to countries with policies to drive uptake of clean cars.

They, along with the United States, have set limits on carbon dioxide that can be emitted by a companys entire range of models sold into each market to limit sales of polluting models and US President Joe Biden has set a target of 50 per cent electric vehicle sales by 2030.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week announced 620 million ($A1.14 billion) for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and grants for motorists and imposed penalties to apply from 2024 on manufacturers that dont meet targets for a minimum proportion of electric vehicles sales across their fleets.
The Australian Medical Association says doctors will continue to treat unvaccinated people who fall ill with COVID-19 after its Victorian branch suggested people who dont believe the virus exists should opt out of public healthcare.

In comments reported by The Guardian, Dr Roderick McRae, president of the Victorian branch of the AMA, said those who denied the virus existed and refused to be vaccinated should opt out of receiving public healthcare if they became ill with the disease.

Victorian AMA president Roderick McRae. Credit:Joe Armao

A whole lot of these people are passionate disbelievers that the virus even exists. They should notify their nearest and dearest and ensure theres an advanced care directive that says: If I am diagnosed with this disease caused by a virus that I dont believe exists, I will not disturb the public hospital system, and Ill let nature run its course, Dr McRae said.

But following a backlash from the medical sector, Dr McRae clarified his comments on Friday morning. In a statement, he said was not his intention to suggest that COVID deniers and anti-vaxxers should be denied medical treatment.
Nationals MP George Christensen claims a letter from the federal police to Minister Peter Dutton about a probe into the MPs frequent travel to the Philippines contains information that falsely accuse me of a serious crime.

For almost two years, Nine News, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have been trying, under Freedom of Information laws, to access the document sent on June 25, 2018.

Nationals MP George Christensen has previously said he has been subject to a vile smear. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In the letter, the Australian Federal Police advised it was closing the case into Mr Christensen, but warned the Queensland MP remained an ongoing risk of being compromised, according to sources who have seen the letter.

The Queensland politician, who is retiring at the upcoming election, has made two secret submissions to the information watchdog in a bid to prevent the AFPs letter from being made public.
The document that sums up the Nationals concerns was drafted by a working group comprising Nationals deputy leader and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, Senate leader and Regionalisation Minister Bridget McKenzie, Resources Minister Keith Pitt and Assistant Minister Kevin Hogan, who represents the seat of Page on the north coast of NSW. Asked on Wednesday morning if there was a price on the partys demands for regional Australia, Mr Littleproud said: Money makes the world go around but did not endorse claims of a $20 billion figure. We are working through that to make sure there is not a huge price to this, he told the ABC. Using the smarts of technology and reform in protecting regional Australia, we arent thinking about 30 pieces of silver. We are thinking more about the policy settings to ensure we protect regional Australia and help grow it.

Nationals MPs, speaking on condition they were not named, said they expected the net zero target to be opposed by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, Queensland MP George Christensen and a handful of others who could make up about one-third of the party room. Some said there was still a level of apprehension among MPs outside the group of determined opponents, making it hard to tell if there was a majority. A net zero target would bring the government into line with industry groups such as the National Farmers Federation, the Cattle Council and the Business Council of Australia. Federal cabinet has considered the policy measures needed to reach the 2050 target but the details have been kept confidential while the Nationals discuss their position.

Labor attacked the government on Thursday for not revealing its plans and challenged Mr Pitt, one of those who questions the net zero goal, to explain what the government modelling showed for the industry he oversees. Loading There is a range of modelling all over the place about all sorts of things, Mr Pitt said, but he backed the government in finding an outcome with the Nationals on net zero. Labor leader Anthony Albanese sought to turn the climate debate into a test for Mr Morrison in question time about when the Prime Minister could make a decision rather than waiting for the Nationals to decide the outcome. The government has been in office for nearly a decade, the Prime Minister is leaving for Glasgow a week from now, but he still doesnt have any policy, Mr Albanese said.

Why does the Prime Minister always delay, always blame others [and] when he does act its always too little and too late? Government MPs rejected the claim they had no policy, given spending decisions and a technology roadmap issued last year, but there has been no update to these measures to explain how the net zero target would be reached. Mr Morrison responded to the Labor attack by confirming the governments target to cut emissions by 26 to 28 per cent by 2030, a goal criticised by environmental groups as being far too small when the United Nations has called on leaders to commit to 45 per cent. Labor is yet to decide whether it will stand by the 45 per cent target it took to the last election, leaving its policy in doubt while it attacks the government.

Now, there was another policy, it was put forward by the Labor Party, it was for a 45 per cent reduction in emissions and the Labor Party have walked away from that policy, Mr Morrison told Parliament. Loading They say thats no longer their policy. So theres an obvious question: What is the Labor Partys commitment on 2030? Nobody knows. Mr Morrison said on Thursday the government would do the right thing by rural and regional Australia with a net zero target that could protect industries and jobs. Weve reduced emissions 20 per cent on 2005 levels. The United States cant say that. New Zealand cant say that. Canada cant say that. We can, he said.
A quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and Singapore could be established within the next week after Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the two countries were in the final stages of concluding an agreement.

Australians may also be able to fly to Bangkok, Phuket, Johannesburg and Fiji before Christmas after Qantas and Jetstar announced they were restarting international flights out of Sydney ahead of schedule.

Qantas announced plans to restart more international flights out of Sydney by Christmas.

The Singapore arrangement will be similar to the travel bubble Australia established with the South Island of New Zealand this week. The talks are focused on allowing vaccinated students and business travellers to travel freely between Australia and Singapore as the first step, before opening up to tourists.

The travel bubble would be dependent on whether states relax their quarantine arrangements, but NSW and Victoria have already scrapped mandatory hotel quarantine for all vaccinated international arrivals from November 1.
A NSW bureaucrat has told a corruption inquiry that then-premier Gladys Berejiklian appeared to have a personal interest in securing a controversial grant for a gun club in Wagga Wagga in early 2017.

Chris Hanger, who was a director of funding and infrastructure in the Department of Industry at the time, said on Thursday he was led to believe the $5.5 million grant was a priority project for Ms Berejiklian.

At the time Ms Berejiklian had been newly anointed premier of NSW and was in a secret relationship with the now-disgraced former member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire.

Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday. Credit:Nick Moir

This wasnt just casual interest from an adviser in the premiers office, Mr Hanger said. I understood it was the interest of the premier herself.
Victoria will scrap quarantine requirements for double-vaccinated travellers arriving from overseas as early as next month, bringing the countrys two largest states in line.

Two state government sources confirmed Victoria will follow the lead of NSW and no longer expect travellers to isolate either at home or in hotels if they are fully vaccinated and test negative to COVID-19 on arrival.

Travellers will soon no longer be expected to isolate either at home or in hotels if they are fully vaccinated and test negative to COVID-19 on arrival. Credit:Getty Images

A senior federal government source confirmed the federal government had been informed of the plans, which are expected to be announced on Friday.

The change is expected to come into effect as soon as November 1, the same day as NSW takes the step.
Singapore: When Singapore reached the 80 per cent full vaccination mark in late August, it was supposed to signal the beginning of its final lap of the pandemic after being a global leader in its handling of the virus.

Nearly two months later, however, it is being overtaken in its bid to live with COVID-19 by those who trailed well behind.

An elderly resident waits to receive her COVID-19 vaccine in Singapore last month. Tens of thousands of people over the age of 60 have still not been vaccinated. Credit:Bloomberg

Far from removing the shackles of restrictions, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loongs government on Wednesday extended curbs that limit gatherings to two people for another month.

It is symptomatic of the cautious approach thats led even simple pleasures such as music inside restaurants and bars to be banned for many months.
London: British police have charged a 25-year-old Londoner of Somali heritage with stabbing a British MP to death in a church, a case that has raised fears about the safety of elected politicians.

Prosecutor James Cable told the court that Ali Harbi Ali, the son of an ex-media adviser to a former prime minister of Somalia, had described himself as affiliated to Islamic State and had planned for years to kill a member of parliament.

David Amess had been meeting constituents when he was stabbed to death last week. Credit:PA

The killing of 69-year-old David Amess  five years after another British member of parliament was murdered on the street  has prompted calls for better protection of politicians.

Amess, a member of Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative Party, was knifed repeatedly on Friday in the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, north-east of London, where he had been meeting constituents. Paramedics tried to save him on the floor of the church, but in vain.
Taliban insurgents attacked a western Afghan district, sparking a 14-hour battle which resulted in the death of 30 militants and two police, police said Sunday.

Around 200 fighters from the ultra-Islamic movement attacked a district of Badghis province Saturday afternoon. The fighting continued until Sunday morning, provincial police chief Mohammad Ayob Niazyar told AFP.

"Thirty Taliban were killed in the battle and their bodies are at the battle site now. Unfortunately two police were also martyred in the fighting," he said.

The attack was in Murghab district, about 15 kilometres (10 miles) from the border with Turkmenistan.

About 150 militants were killed in two days of fighting in the district in 2003 when rebels apparently tried to capture the area.
~Concerned at Lack of Mention of the Impacts of Climate Change During Address of King Willem Alexander at the Joint Session of the States-General of the Netherlands.~



Kralendijk:--- The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance expressed its concern at the lack of attention on matters related to the impact of Climate Change in the Dutch Caribbean in The Hague. Despite Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte mentioning the impacts of Climate Change in the Dutch Caribbean during his intervention at the UN General Assembly in September, very little concrete actions and support for what will be the most critical crises facing people of the Dutch Caribbean in the immediate future. The statements from the regional conservation network come on the eve of the opening of CoP26 held in Glasgow, Scotland from November 1st to November 12th.

While it was commendable that climate change has been mentioned by Dutch Politicians lately, we are still quite concerned that very little attention is being paid to the impact climate change will have on the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, this while it is clear that those living in the Caribbean, the biodiversity hotspot of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, are at the forefront of the climate crises, commented DCNA Director Tadzio Bervoets.

Bervoets continued to mention that during meetings held recently with various parliamentarians and directorates in the Netherlands, DCNA highlighted the existential crises posted by the changing climate; We had to remind the politicians, bureaucrats, and technocrats in The Hague that the various agreements and accords related to climate change are ratified by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and not by only the Netherlands, and as such there has to be increased focus in ensuring that the islands are better equipped to deal with what is expected to be an existential crises. We even had to explain issues such as increased hurricanes, coral bleaching, sargassum invasions, and droughts to what we assumed would be experts in climate change who had no idea about these impacts. This is both disappointing and alarming, continued Bervoets.

The most recent climate change predictions for the Caribbean region by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are alarming and suggest that the islands of the Dutch Caribbean will go through profound environmental changes within the next few decades. The IPCC has projected that for the Caribbean Region an increase in air temperature of 1.4C will result in a decrease in rainfall of 5 to 6%; an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events including a 66% increase in hurricane intensity; and a rise in sea level of 0.5 to 0.6m as a result of thermal expansion of water and glacial melt.

These climate change predictions are especially worrying in the context of an already visible warming trend. Average temperatures in the Dutch Caribbean have risen steeply over the past 40 years according to recent data. In Curacao, research carried out by the Meteorological Department found that over the past few decades the island has progressively experienced more hot days and fewer cooler nights. Because the islands of the Dutch Caribbean form two geographically distinct groups separated by more than 900 km of open water, it is expected that climate change will not impact these two island groups in the same way. Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are located in the Southern Caribbean, an area that is predicted to become warmer and drier, with longer seasonal dry periods. Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten, which are located in the Northeast Caribbean and therefore within the Caribbean hurricane belt, are predicted to experience more frequent and violent tropical hurricanes, as was evident during the disastrous 2017 Hurricane Season. All of the Dutch Caribbeans marine and terrestrial ecosystems and the species that inhabit them will be affected, to varying degrees. Coral reefs are predicted to be especially vulnerable as higher ocean temperatures and ocean acidification will undoubtedly result in mass coral bleaching events, among other things.

The economy of the Dutch Caribbean Islands is also largely dependent on tourism and it is expected that this single economic pillar will also be drastically impacted: increase in storms and hurricanes may result in tourists perception of destination as unsafe; beach erosion and coral bleaching may negatively impact perceptions of destination attractiveness; there will be an increased risk of damage to coastal resort properties by violent hurricanes and other storms and of damage to tourist attractions; on Bonaire, beach erosion due to loss of shallow reefs leaves historic plantation buildings like those of Washington Slagbaai Park vulnerable.

The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) released a special edition of their free digital newsletter BioNews highlighting the challenges facing the Dutch Caribbean in the fight against climate change. Using internationally accepted climate change predictions and (research) reports, impacts both above and below water have been defined for all six islands, stressing the need for immediate action to build resilience against the effects of climate change. Loss of nature has far-reaching negative consequences for the local population since nature serves as both one of the most important sources of income and offers protection against extreme weather conditions. However, it will take a concerted effort to ensure that nature, lives, and livelihoods are not lost due to inaction by decision-makers.
PHILIPSBURG:--- With an eye on the future and living up to its founding principles, the United St. Maarten (US) party is in the process of restructuring its board, party platform, and representation in preparations for the upcoming electoral cycle.

The board of the US said that it is vital for any political organization to re-examine and plan for the future, especially in changing times. Political parties are the major players in the democratic transitions. However, some have been unable to change their practices and/or adapt to ever-changing realities, and have sometimes disappeared. As a party of the people, in which the people of St. Maarten have shown confidence multiple times, it behooves us to restructure where necessary, the board said.

It added that changing times and international realities, along with the direct challenges presented in the aftermath of hurricane Irma and the ongoing pandemic, have not gone unnoticed by the USP. As such, the party said focused leadership, dedication to proper governance, and an emphasis on ensuring that the people of St. Maarten have a clear understanding of the challenges that the country is facing are of the utmost importance.

The party board said the clear lack of consultation with the people of St. Maarten on vital issues does not equate to proper governance. Throughout the Caribbean, the US said, examples can be found of governments consulting their people prior to major decisions, decisions that will affect the lives of your very population.

References to agreements signed by government on behalf of the people of St. Maarten in the form of country packages, COHO, liquidity support, and the consequences of such have yet to be clearly explained. No democracy the world over has ever been run successfully without the full involvement of its people, the US said.

The board of the party stressed that transparency is one of the core pillars of any democracy and the current governing coalition seems determined on using confidentiality as an excuse for its lack of transparency and misleading and mixed messaging as the order of the day.

The country has no clear direction and the leadership void has been exasperated and highlighted by performances of ministers and the members of parliament in this NA/UUP coalition on the floor of Parliament. There has yet to be a decision made by either body that is not clouded in controversy.

How can the people of this country foster a sense of tranquility and hope that better days are coming without a clear understanding of what decisions are being made, and how those decisions are going affect their lives and livelihoods in the near future, the board said.

It continued: If the only clear decisions made thus far in the form of salary benefits and cuts, which as stated by government had no direct positive impact on its coffers, is an example of whats to come, it would explain the smoke and mirrors governing style of this National Alliance led coalition.

The party said it is fairly simple and obvious what the people want and need. They want competent leadership and representation to tackle issues that improve their standard of living. Not pet projects that do not put food on their table.

It is with those sentiments in mind that the board of the United St. Maarten party will begin its journey towards restructuring while maintaining its core belief of educating and elevating the people of this nation to operate at their highest potential by providing food for thought.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Lions Club continued its celebration of Seniors Appreciation month last Friday, October 15, 2021, with 55 zealous and joyful senior citizens of the Home Away from Home Foundation.

The seniors were treated to a one-hour Health Awareness Talk by Mrs. Maria Chemont and an Exercise Session led by the Movement Specialist therapist, Adeo Admiraal of the White and Yellow Cross. At the end of the Sessions, after working up a good appetite for lunch, the seniors enjoyed a healthy, delicious meal and refreshments served by the members of the Lions Club.

Mrs. Maria Chemont is a retired Ambulance Assistant, former President of the WIEMS Foundation, and an excellent counselor and motivational speaker. The topic of discussion for the Health Talk was Caring for Our Seniors During the COVID 19 Pandemic. The speaker reiterated the importance of self-care to the seniors and gave practical tips together with multiple scenarios of how to stay safe, healthy, and protected from COVID 19.

The Movement Therapist Adeo Admiraal has been working at the White and Yellow Cross for the last 2 years. She holds a Masters degree in Kinetics Therapy from Utrecht, The Netherlands. The 45-minute movement Session with the seniors covered the basic moves needed to assist with general circulation. The movement patterns were easy to follow and seniors were able to complete each exercise whether they had the ability to sit on a chair or stand. The participants were all smiling and singing during the Kinetics Therapy Session as their exercises were accompanied by their favorite songs.

Several members of the Home Away from Home Foundation remarked that our seniors on the island sometimes feel isolated and commended this initiative to bridge the gap between isolated seniors and the community. Many others expressed their gratitude for the kind gesture and commented on the tasty meal servings. Others were thankful for the entertaining and informative Sessions and indicated their interest in doing this again in the near future.

President of the Sint Maarten Lions Club, Lion Linette Gibs stated: The Sint Maarten Lions Club joins with other Lions Clubs around the world this month in participating in a Hunger Awareness Service Challenge issued by our International President, Lion Douglas Alexander. What better way to show our appreciation to our seniors than to spend some quality time with them and just have fun together. We are honored to be serving our seniors today and see their happy, smiling faces.

Members of the Lions Club Organizing Committees of the Event added: This was a great and joyful event. Everyone had a fantastic time!.

The Sint Maarten Lions Club is committed to serving and meeting the needs of our community on the island. By uniting in Service, we uplift our community and our world.
~ 4 new members appointed to existing SBOD.~

PHILIPSBURG: --- Workers at GEBE powerplant in Cape Bay down their tools on Thursday to support one of their colleagues who was suspended on Wednesday. The colleague in question was caught on video on Tuesday evening when a fire began at the powerplant warning his colleagues to take safety measures as they try to put out the fire.

The suspended employee Lindell Brooks was suspended by Human Resources was on the scene on Thursday morning where several GEBE workers disclosed that they have been working for the government-owned company for a number of years.

Another employee was overheard on videos that are circulating on social media saying that a particular worker has been smoking weed on the property.

In the meantime, the workers of the powerplant have sent a strong message to the Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran. The message which is also circulated on social media reads: We the Employees at the plant cannot take anymore injustice, It look like the Vineyard Heights project with the open your legs list is more important than us. Or pandnah the votes gone to your head, You aint doing nothing for us at GEBE, we got no management but a criminal board put We at the plant work hard for the people of SXM and this is how we all being treated and abused, and victimized. So check here if you cant see or dont care about us well check this people of St. Maarten will suffer with us too. This plant will go in darkness because then you might wake up since you sleeping. Enuff us ennuff. You done start making Miklos look like he was da smartest Minister.

It should be noted that the Minister of VROMI has appointed four new members to the Supervisory Board of Directors. The new members are Dimar Labega, Anastasio Baker, Lela Simmons, and Emmanuel Brooks. The four new members were appointed on Tuesday while the two other members remained on the board.

SMN News learned that other persons are being screened who will be appointed at a later date. Two of the six members that were screened were not appointed; they are Dave York and Sabina Jno-Baptiste.
FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2019 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., addresses the audience gathered at the Fancy Farm Picnic in Fancy Farm, Ky. The Republican Party, the Trump campaign and other GOP organizations say they are suspending their spending on Twitter to protest the platform's treatment of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Twitter temporarily locked McConnell's campaign account after it shared a video in which some protesters spoke of violence outside his Kentucky home, where he is recovering from a shoulder fracture. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)
Foreign embassies are an essential part of establishing and maintaining peaceful cooperation, and collaboration between countries all over the world. They can also be the focus of tensions, peaceful and violent protests, terrorism, and many other risks, which mean that thorough and effective security solutions are essential to keep people, property and sensitive documents safe.

Foreign embassies

Usually located in capital cities, each foreign embassy is the workplace and often residence, of a Country Ambassador. They are used for important diplomatic meetings, holding events, hosting VIPs, and a range of other activities that focus on the political, cultural and social relationships with the host nation.

In some instances, foreign embassies even provide sanctuary to their nationals and individuals from other nations

In some instances, foreign embassies even provide sanctuary to their nationals and individuals from other nations, during times of trouble.

G4S security services in Jordan

Anywhere in Amman, where a foreign embassy has outsourced their security, you can be certain that G4S is the company they have come to, said Ashraf Abul-Hajj, the Managing Director of G4S in Jordan.

Ashraf Abul-Hajj adds, Weve been doing this for decades and have excellent, long-standing relationships providing security for many embassies in the capital city. We secure over 30 embassies at the moment, and weve been working with some of them for over 20 years.

In fact, it was a small Jordanian security company, called Safe and Sound (now under G4S), which started to provide embassy security in Amman, Jordan, all those years ago, before it became a part of G4S, in 2004.

Embassy security services

G4S now provides a wide range of services to the embassies that it secures in Jordan. These include manned guarding, installing and maintaining security systems, such as CCTV, access control and alarms, secure escorting for VIPs, during their visits, with G4S vehicles and highly-trained drivers, and coordinating security for events, which are being hosted at the embassy.

The main purpose of most of our security solutions is to ensure that nobody gains access to an embassy, who shouldnt be there, said Ashraf Abul-Hajj, adding There are a lot of different risks that embassies face - big and small. Terrorist incidents, while very rare, remain a threat, so our security teams are trained to be vigilant and notice any suspicious behaviour.

Securing embassies during protests

Protests at embassies are more common, when people disagree with the actions of a specific country"

Ashraf Abul-Hajj adds, Protests at embassies are more common, when people disagree with the actions of a specific country. Protests, even peaceful ones, are volatile and have the potential to turn violent, so our security officers and systems are there to monitor tensions, continuously assess the risk levels and prevent breaches.

Terrorism and protests are the more extreme examples of security threats, but day-to-day G4S security teams also deal with lower level threats that still need to be managed sensitively and professionally.

Preventing breaches

Ashraf Abul-Hajj stated, People try to access their foreign embassies for a variety of reasons, often at times of personal stress or hardship, and can become distressed, and even aggressive, if they are not permitted to enter.

He adds, Sometimes, we have to deal with very unusual scenarios. At one embassy, a man turned up saying that he had been informed by the embassy that he had won a competition and he was visiting the embassy to collect his cash prize. It was obvious to the team that he was the victim of a con, but his behaviour became very challenging, when he realised this and could not gain entry. Our security officers had to try to calm him down, while stopping him from entering the embassy, without consent.

Ashraf Abul-Hajj concludes, This shows how varied the challenges facing our teams at foreign embassies can be. An embassy can be peaceful for a long time, but it can only take one negative news story or a single social media post, to spark a significant protest. With our security systems, highly trained security officers and extensive experience, G4S is more than prepared to meet those risks. We are proud to deliver such an important service, keeping foreign embassies safe and secure in Jordan.
Type of site: Grade A multi-tenant office

Location: The Bailey, 16 Old Bailey, London, UK

Site size: 115,000 sq. ft over ten floors

Client needs:

Easy access for users

Touch-free and digital sign-in

Free flowing movement through reception, avoiding crowds and queues

Fast access to other floors via lifts

Visitor management system that can be used by multiple tenants and reception staff easily

Secure and clear intercom/entry phone and door automation for out-of-hours, deliveries and trades people access

Easy access and parking for disabled users

Reliable and resilient security, including CCTV monitoring of strategic locations

Integriti intelligent integrated access control system

Inner Ranges enterprise-level intelligent integrated access control system, Integriti, provides robust security, as well as seamless integration, to an array of other building management systems. Some of the key features of Integriti include:

Easy to use proximity card entry for users and tenants

Forge Bluepoint, powered by Yardi, visitor management system to create secure, but easy to use credentials for visitors, including via smartphone

High-level lift integration, by Mitsubishi that reads user credentials and directs users to the quickest lift, for their desired destination

Integrated CAME BPT video entry phone and access control to automate doors, for disabled access near dedicated parking bay, for disabled users, as well as for out-of-hours access, deliveries and trades people

Hard-wired IP closed circuit television system (CCTV) with Hikvision cameras, to monitor strategic locations

End-to-end encrypted messaging, through every interface and integration, by Inner Ranges Integriti for high-level security

Provision for future entry turnstiles/speed lanes

Richard Harvell, Engineering Director at Knight Harwood, who managed the refurbishment at The Bailey, said Our key requirement was to be able to move users, including visitors, swiftly through reception, to their correct floors, with minimal or no touch points. And, all of this, without compromising security.

High-level lift integration

Antron Securitys solution, centered on Inner Ranges intelligent access control system, Integriti"

Richard Harvell adds, Antron Securitys solution, centered on Inner Ranges intelligent access control system Integriti, more than delivers. The high-level lift integration automatically directs users to the fastest lift for their floor and only allows access beyond reception, for those with bona fide credentials. We have been impressed with Integritis sophistication and integration capabilities, as well as Antron Securitys expertise and diligence in designing and installing our bespoke access and security system.

The Client - The Bailey

UK property firm Endurance Land, which is a member of the Hong Kong-based property conglomerate, Nan Fung Group, owns The Bailey. The property, which is situated directly opposite the famous Old Bailey High Court in London, was originally built in the early 20th Century for the Chatham and Dover Railway Company.

Its Grade II listed Edwardian Baroque facade features classical reclining figures, while a larger western extension was built in 1999, to modern city office standards.

Knight Harwood commissioned for refurbishment

Knight Harwood was recently commissioned to refurbish the whole site, along with architect, Orms and building design consultancy, GDM Partnership.

The commercial site meets Grade A office specifications and offers exceptional internet reliability, and speed for tenants. It achieved a platinum connectivity rating, by WireScore, the Mayor of Londons digital connectivity rating scheme, in 2020.

Sophisticated access and security management system

A new and sophisticated access and security management system was part of the refurbishment brief. Knight Harwood stipulated an access and security management system that would ensure a free flow of users and tenants through reception, without crowding or queues.

This would need to include integrating intelligent lift controls, so as to ensure users were swiftly taken to their designated floor, as well as a good visitor management system that all tenants could use, without the need for a central security team to manage requests.

Touchless access and digital sign-in for users

Touchless access, as well as digital sign-in for users was also important for the client

Touchless access, as well as digital sign-in for users was also important for the client. An intercom or entry phone and access control operated doors were needed for disabled users, who would be accessing the building from the dedicated disabled parking bay, as well anyone arriving out of hours, or for trades people and deliveries.

High-levels of physical and cyber security were needed to keep all legitimate users and the site safe, without hindering access. CCTV monitoring would be needed in strategic locations. Future proofing, including laying under-floor cables ready for entry turnstiles/speed lanes, was desired.

Antron Security managed the project

Antron Security project managed the design, supply and installation of the access control and security system for The Bailey and acted as the go to contact for Knight Harwood.

Antron Security is a globally renowned installer of bespoke security solutions and has been providing security installations for the past 30 years. Taking care of the supply, design, installation and maintenance of security systems, Antron Security is NSI and Safe Contractor approved, meaning all staff and systems installed comply with the latest industry standards and are regularly inspected.

Bespoke security solutions

Inner Range provided the core access and security management system, Integriti, which enabled Antron Security to build the bespoke solutions needed for The Bailey. Inner Range has been a globally renowned company in the design and manufacture of intelligent security solutions, since it was established in 1988.

Inner Range systems have been installed in over 25 countries. Its flagship product, Integriti, offers enterprise-level intelligent security and integrated smart building controls, for single sites through to global estate portfolios.

Key integration

Inner Ranges powerful Integriti intelligent access control system integrates with Mitsubishis high-level lift controls

Inner Ranges powerful Integriti intelligent access control system, known for its breadth of integration options, integrates with Mitsubishis high-level lift controls and Bluepoints visitor management system, to ensure all users and visitors can access their floors, and designated areas with ease.

The Mitsubishi lifts are able to read credentials from proximity cards, or mobile phones, at a user check-in point, at the reception, or in the lift lobby itself.

High-level lift controls to reduce crowding and queues

The high-level lift integration with destination control means the lift software takes into account, where each of the buildings lifts are, where the users home floor is, as well as where other users are going/due to go, and instantly calculates the quickest lift for the new user.

The user is immediately directed to the most efficient lift via a display screen at reception, or in the lift lobby. If users are able to go to more than one floor, they can update their preference in the lift itself. This integration ensures users move through reception quickly and efficiently, with no unnecessary stops.

Fully integrated visitor management

Inner Ranges Integriti intelligent access control system also allowed Bluepoints visitor management system to integrate with the Mitsubishi lifts.

For visitors to access tenanted floors within the building, the following has to take place:

A tenant creates the meeting via Bluepoint

An email is generated and sent to the visitors inbox, where they can create a mobile QR code pass and save it to their smart phone wallet

When the visitor arrives, they use their mobile phone to scan the QR code in the Bluepoint invite, at the reception desk to check-in

The reception team can then direct them to the Mitsubishi lifts, which display the lift car that they need to get to their meeting

To leave, the visitor presents their QR code at the lift or door reader, which tells the system theyre leaving

The QR codes are only valid for one entry and one exit, and only on the appointment date and at the planned appointment time. Afterwards, the QR code becomes invalid and is deleted from the system

CAME BPT entry panels and video intercom system

The QR code gives the visitor the ability to access everything they will need, including the lifts and any locked doors en-route. The integration between Integriti and Bluepoints visitor management system was achieved using the Bluepoint API. Bluepoint is cloud-based, hosted on the Microsoft Azure platform.

CAME BPT entry panels were installed to allow disabled users to access the building, near the dedicated disabled parking bay, as well as for any visitors entering the facility out-of-hours, to contact the security team, or for deliveries and trades people to use, in order to access doors at the rear of the building. The entry panels allow for a reliable and intuitive video entry intercom system.

Hikvision CCTV cameras installed

CCTV cameras from Hikvision have been installed throughout the site, to create a hard-wired IP CCTV system

CCTV cameras from Hikvision have been installed throughout the site, to create a hard-wired IP closed circuit television (CCTV) system. They are integrated with the Integriti access control system, which allows for intelligent cause and effect monitoring.

System protocols automatically bring up specific camera feeds for security managers to view, in response to alerts and footage can be viewed together with additional information from Integriti, such as if a door has been left open.

Intelligent access control

Inner Ranges enterprise product, Integriti, provides seamless integration with a multitude of other smart building management systems, underpinned by robust security. This includes encrypting all communications through every device and interface, and providing intruder detection to European standard EN50131.

Integriti helps building managers create greener and more energy efficient sites, by tracking how tenants use the building, and amending heating and lighting settings, as a result. Integriti also provides trace reporting, that can identify a users movements, if they have become unwell and identify who else has been near them.

System benefits for users include:
HID Global hails the renewed promise of mobile access

Its been almost exactly a decade since HID Global launched the world's first university pilot of smartphones carrying secure mobile IDs. A lot has changed in the following 10 years. Todays technology has matured, advanced, and proliferated across a variety of high-value use cases. To catch up on the latest developments in mobile access, we contacted Luc Merredew, Product Marketing Director, Physical Access Control, at HID Global. Q: What has changed since the first pilot implementation of smartphones used for secure mobile identification? Merredew: One of the biggest milestones several years ago was when mobile access solutions achieved certification to the ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System (ISMS) standard. With increasing awareness of cloud-based security threats and resulting high expectations from a solution, todays system owners, operators, and users insist on companies being able to demonstrate that they have had their services vetted by independent laboratories and/or agencies. When adopting mobile access solutions that maximise convenience and efficiency, and deliver dramatically improved user experiences, it is neither necessary nor acceptable to compromise security in either the physical or digital domains. Q: Do universities continue to be the biggest users? Mobile IDs on devices eliminate person-to-person credentials when accessing secured areas Merredew: The use cases have grown dramatically, spread evenly across all types of organisations in locations ranging from high-rise buildings to multi-campus global enterprises. But yes, universities continue to be big adopters, and they were among those most eager to leverage the technology so they could bring people back to campus in person during the pandemic. In this environment, mobile IDs on smartphones and other devices eliminate person-to-person credential (e.g., badge or ID card) issuance or revocation, as well as the need to physically touch cards, readers, or keypads when accessing secured areas. Q: How were mobile IDs employed by your customers as they brought people back to physical locations after the pandemic shutdown? Merredew: One example is Vanderbilt University, where the challenges of COVID-19 brought renewed attention to the importance of a modern system for identity management and access control that was compatible with Near Field Communication (NFC) and Bluetooth technologies. Members of the campus community could more conveniently access buildings and services with their mobile devices, and the university could efficiently provision and de-provision credentials remotely without person-to-person contact. More recently, Vanderbilt leveraged HID Mobile Access to deploy campus IDs on iPhone and Apple Watch through Apple Wallet. Q: Is there another example outside the university vertical? Merredew: Another example is the iconic tower Arcos Bosques Torre 1 in Mexico City, where the owners and tenants enjoy the simplicity of using their trusted mobile devices to seamlessly access their spaces. As with the Vanderbilt deployment, the drive for operational efficiency and convenience in the tower was combined with a desire to minimise the need for users to come in physical contact with the system. Having a solution like HID Mobile Access that delivers touchless entry and increased safety and security is important. Q: What have been the biggest mobile access advancements? The mobile credential provides contactless, seamless access to a wide range of devices and services Merredew: One of the most important advancements was simplifying upgrade paths to mobile access. In the Vanderbilt example, our HID Reader Manager was used to upgrade the firmware on the universitys physical access control readers and extend support for NFC-based credentials in Apple Wallet. The university uses the HID Origo Mobile Identities API integrated with CS Gold, a higher education transaction system from CBORD, for credential lifecycle management. Another significant enhancement has been the expanded range of uses cases for the mobile credential, going beyond simply opening doors to include providing contactless, seamless access to a wide range of devices and services such as time-and-attendance terminals, cashless vending machines, printers, computers, workstations, and many other applications. Q: Wearables are also having an impact. Merredew: Contactless mobile experiences are also delivered through wearable wristbands. One example is the Nymi band which, once authenticated, continuously authenticates the identity of the user until its removed from the wrist. This delivers zero-trust security principles and access control using convenient fingerprint and heartbeat biometrics to users seeking touchless authentication. Q: What is the impact of the cloud? Merredew: The move to a cloud-based system to issue and manage mobile identity credentials has unified, automated, and simplified identity issuance at a single facility or across any number of distributed office or remote work locations. Q: What should end users look for in a mobile access solution? Look for solutions that use a secure element in the reader as well as cloud certificates, to ensure security and data privacy Merredew: Solutions should support the largest possible number of popular mobile devices  in HIDs case, this includes more than 250. Look for solutions that use a secure element in the reader, and a secure key management process, as well as cloud certificates, to ensure both security and data privacy. Make sure the solution supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), and both iOS and Android operating systems. Solutions that provide Application Programming Interface (API) and Software Development Kit (SDK) support offer direct access to the solutions access control hardware, speeding deployment while enabling integration partners to continue innovating products that deliver even better user experiences. Q: Wonder what this market will look like in 10 more years. Whats next for mobile access? Merredew: Future innovations are on the horizon with technologies such as Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless connectivity, which HID expects will become ubiquitous on mobile devices. It provides unprecedented accuracy and security when measuring the distance or determining the relative position of a target. It is not HIDs expectation that UWB will replace Near Field Communication (NFC) or Bluetooth, but rather supplement Bluetooth and other technologies to provide the assurance, reliability, and granularity of device position that enables truly seamless experiences.
Dale County natives and Auburn University students Brittany and Blake Carroll received scholarships from the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation and the Dale County Farmers Federation. They were recognized during the Alabama Farmers Federation scholarship reception Sept. 27 at Lazenby Farms in Auburn. Blake is a sophomore from Ozark studying animal sciences, allied industries track, while Brittany is a senior from Ozark studying agricultural business and economics. From left, are Federation President Jimmy Parnell, Brittany, Blake, Dale County Farmers Federation President Chris Carroll, Federation District 12 Director Thomas Adams and Federation Southeast Area Vice President George Jeffcoat.
OTHER PROJECTS

Projects MnDOT District 6 has scheduled in the next two years:

2022

 Lighting projects on Hwy. 3 from the north side of Northfield to central Dundas, on the northern edge of Faribault and central Faribault.

 Resurfacing of Hwy. 21 from Hwy. 99 west.

 Construct roundabout at Hwy. 3 and 30th Street in Faribault.

2023

 Resurface all I-35 lanes from County Road 48 to Hwy. 21

 Concrete repaving of I-35 northbound from County Road 9 to the Heath Creek rest area.
1.4 - Paniolo

Written by Noah Evslin

Directed by Larry Teng

Reviewed by KathM

I am all about this episode. I found the first three episodes endurable, but this one showed characters including Kai with depth (Kai contiues to have depth) and a great storyline. Note to writers: more of these, please. Its a good idea to compel us to keep watching a new show by putting something interesting in that makes us watch it up front. Anyway, enough unhappy thoughts.

There are two tales in this episode, and both center on family. Kai is having trouble getting his dad to the doctor because he keeps skipping appointments and Kais unpredictable work schedule isnt really allowing him the time off to take dad in. Dads got some bruises he says are from tripping, and everyone is worried about the amount of time he spends in the kitchen at the diner he owns, particularly since hes talking about tripping and falling and all. Kai has even hired extra help, but Dad wont slow down.

The other family were looking at is that of Master Sergeant Kaleo Whitman, who lopes into town on his horse shot and bleeding out. He tells the NCIS crowd that he was probably shot by a hunter accidentally, but he and particularly his wife are very close-mouthed about it and just want the issue closed. Nobody believes him, especially when Whitman was found to be far from where the closest hunting area was and that he was shot by handgun. When Lucy and Kai return to question him, Whitman is in the wind.

Witman is also a Paniolo, a Hawaiian cowboy. Theyve been around since the time of King Kamehameha III, and as with a lot of native populations on the islands they arent too comfy with the local police. At the Alia ranch, where Whitman was raised, his cousin Hoku says he has no idea where he is. After a little chat with Jesse and a reminder of the Paniolo honor code (Hanohano), Hoku admits that he brought Whitman to the ranch and he proceeded to ride off on his horse for the mountains. Tennant checks the stable and finds what she estimates to be about three pounds of crystal meth.

Micah, Whitmans son, is the culprit. He fell in with a bad crowd in school (dont they all?) and heard about making some easy money taking packages up the mountain. The second time he went up he looked at what he was carrying, freaked out, and went straight to his dad. Micah wanted to make some money to contribute to the ranch, but not that way. Dad sends Micah to hide up in the mountain while he tries to negotiate with the drug runners. This is the most improbable part of the episode, because I dont think a career marine would be that naive. He gets shot for his trouble and once he frees himself from the hospital Whitman sets out to find and protect his son. Tennant, Hoku (as guide) and Jesse ride up into the mountains seatching for the Whitman's. Theh reach them as Whitman as hes near death and as they are taking him down the mountain along with Micah they meet the drug dealers. The main guy is a real jerk, and its easy for Tennant to shoot him and get the rest of the gang to surrender by telling them about the life sentence theyll receive if they are charged with killing a Federal officer (if they do). A helicopter comes for Whitman and gets him to the big pink hospital and save his life, the bad guys are put away, and the folks at the Alia ranch throw the NCIS folks a luau where everyone line dances and Tennant and Jesse get delightfully festooned cowboy hats in thanks.

Im still really having issues with Lachey. Sometimes her character is convincing and sometimes its like she's reading a script. But it was nice to learn a bit more about Tennant and the rest of the gang, regardless.

Tennant is a total rock star in the saddle and learned at a place called Tama Hills when her dad was stationed in Japan.

Lucy continues to annoy, but somewhat less in this episode. She tells Kai thats shes had every issue imaginable with her family as she tries to get Kai to open up about the issue hes been getting texts and calls about throughout the day. She is a total cow about it and I dont think Id share with her.

Ernie seems to have had some kind of fraught former relationship with narcotics detective and chemist Dahlia Gates, which it seems shed like to rekindle. She is practically crawling on poor Ernie, the majority of her conversation drippig with innuendo and hints of times gone by. When his replies get a bit too...much, Lucy, who had accompanied him, basically runs away. Ernie later agrees meet Dahlia for mid-afternoon coffee at a location of his choosing and they go dutch. I want to know more.

Kai continues to be interesting and awesome. Hes trying to keep the personal and professional separate, but does end up telling Lucy about his dad missing doctors appointments, and even admits that he came back to take care of him. The stress of handling something like his is familiar to anyone who has had to do it. To make sure that his dad gets a checkup, he brings his doctor to the diner so his dad cant duck out. Kai is a good family man and it just keeps showing.

1.5 - Gaijin

Written by Ron McGee

Directed by Tim Andrew

Reviewed by KathM

Drunken Japanese sailors stop karaoking when they realize one of their own is missing. Unfortunately he isnt sleeping it off; hes sprawled on the sand, dead with a knife in his heart.

Shogo Oda, an Isso (Petty Officer equivalent) with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, is this episode's current victim. Tennant is getting many, many calls from the higher-ups about how important the case is, even SecNav is keeping an ear on the situation. Oh, look! Helping out the Japanese Navy is Captain Milius.

Oda was in Hawaii to participate in Operation Iron Cloud (missile defense training using computer simulations that are held in a different location every year). Interestingly enough, when they held Iron Cloud last year in Okinawa, Odas girlfriend, a translator, was murdered, also by being stabbed through the heart. The one suspect in her death was her roommate Abby Nelson, but they didnt have enough evidence against her. Her explanations were off, and she claimed that she had breakfast with Yukis dead body in the apartment because she was in shock. This is also why it took her an hour to call the police

Abby now lives in Honolulu, and the NCIS gang cant find her anywhere until she shows up at the station. She says that she hasnt seen Oda in a year, but a waiter in a Japanese restaurant says he saw them a few days ago. Busted for lying, Abby agrees to a polygraph, which she beats handily. Tennant notices that no matter what Abby is asked, her heart rate never wavers. Does she have antisocial personality disorder? Tennant thinks so. Abby seems unconnected to her emotions, which Abby casually admits. It is because of that the gang isnt sure whether shed be able to get angry enough to kill Yuki because her default emotion, if it can be called that, is relaxed. She does tell Tennant that she thought Yuki was seeing someone else, so maybe they were the murder.

Turns out that Yuki was seeing someone else: Commander Tanaka, who is in charge of Iron Cloud. And nobody will be able to get him to confess but Abby, who will be able to remain calm while talking to Tanaka at a noodle bar wearing a wire. She gets him to confess to both murders (he killed Yuki because she wanted to be with Oda, and Oda to cover his tracks. He even worked with the US government to get Abby out of Japan in a way that made her look guilty. So Tanaka gets arrested, Milius asks Jane out and gets shot down, and Lucy tries to sing karaoke. Tennant was right not to accept the dinner invite, because shes the first woman to have her job and she doesn't want to be seen in the company of any high-ranking officer socially on their own that might convince others that she might have gotten her job through any way besides hard work. It sucks, but its still true.

This episode is very heavy and dramatic and aside from Lucy trying to karaoke, nothing really appealed. I was interested in Abby in sort of an abstract way, and it might be interesting to see her again. Sometimes youre in the mood for this kind of episode, sometimes life is just too distracting. Im hoping next week will bring something interesting to my screen.
Many residents consider robocalls an annoyance, but state officials are about to use that platform to reach out to about 18,000 consumers statewide who are having trouble paying their electric bills to let them know financial help is available.

The calls began going out this week to raise awareness about funds from the states UniteCT program, run by the state Department of Housing, that can be used to help pay overdue electric utility bills.

Gov. Ned Lamont delivers the message in English while Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno provides it in Spanish.

UniteCT is funded by the federal Emergency Rental Assistance program. The program is limited to families and individuals who rent their residence so the calls will only be going out to customers who meet certain income qualifications.

UniteCT program is run by the state Housing Department on behalf of the U.S. Treasury Department. The program provides up to $15,000 in rental and electricity payment assistance to some Connecticut households that have been hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The money goes directly from the program to the utilities that are owed the money, according to Aaron Turner, a Housing Department spokesman.

UniteCT already has made $17 million worth of payments on behalf of Eversource and United Illuminating customers behind on their payments.

These calls will let people know that UniteCT is here to help with their past-due electric bills, Lamont said in a statement. If you are or know of a household that has fallen behind on rent or electric utility payments, do not hesitate to go to the UniteCT website and apply for assistance.

But not everyone is convinced that using robocalls to reach out to those who qualify for help in paying electric bills will be effective.

Does anyone take robocalls seriously? Kristin Delaney Hyde of Cheshire said in response to a social media inquiry by Hearst Connecticut Media. Certainly less expensive than live calling  and also great if the state doesnt actually want participation.

David Cadden, a professor emeritus at Quinnipiac Universitys School of Business, called the use of robocalls extremely problematic.

I think some people might think they are being pressured to pay their bill, Cadden said. Im sure it would be more expensive, but I think they might be better reaching out to these people through the mail.

State Rep. Liz Linehan, D-Cheshire, said that while she appreciate Lamonts looking for ways to reach out to help, there is a decreasing effectiveness over the years of robocalls due to the constant bombardment of spam calls and scam calls.

I think its a great start, Linehan said. But Id like to see more social media involvement and collaboration with senior outreach programs.

Susan Millerick, a spokeswoman for The United Illuminating Co., said traditional methods for reaching out to people, such as contacting them via the mail, arent foolproof, either.

These are people who need help, so we have to try as many different methods as possible, Millerick said.

Mitch Gross, an Eversource spokesman, said UniteCT is a unique opportunity to help Connecticut renters get back on their feet and were happy to partner with the Department of Housing to assist those renters who are still facing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We strongly encourage any customers who may be having trouble paying their bill to contact us so we can help them take advantage of the multiple energy assistance and programs available - including UniteCT, Gross said. We want to get customers enrolled in a program that will help them resolve their past due balance with the lowest monthly payment, and ensure theyre aware of the financial and medical hardship protections available to avoid any service disconnection. Were also reminding customers through our social media channels that these particular calls from the Governor and the Commissioner are not scam calls.

Turner said the total UniteCT funding available for both rent and utilities is $398.9 million.

The state Department of Housing and Connecticut Housing Finance Authority are in the process of developing the Homeowners Assistance Fund to provide similar assistance to homeowners who have fallen behind on their electric bills and mortgage payments, he said. If that fund is approved, it will be administered by CHFA, according to Turner.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
Editor's note: This story is part of our new series "Entrepreneurs like me" , in which we seek to give visibility to SME, local and business owners by telling their stories of resilience.

The business of the Hernandez Aguilar family is a hidden utopia in the streets of Coyoacan, a place that wants to provide a space for creative women and for social issues that we should be informed about. That is why it is called Utopics. According to the owner, the percentage of publications made by women compared to men is 30-70%, reasons like this led them to think that it was necessary to open a bookstore where only women's work was sold.

They had the idea a long time ago, but before starting the process they were given the opportunity to go live in Spain and they stayed there for 15 years, leaving the project of the cultural center for women pending. In Madrid is the mother of women's bookstores, and they were inspired by her for Utopicas. They also took the opportunity to make contacts and when they returned they were ready to open Utopicas.

We found a place around the corner from my house. We prepare it to be able to start to create the library. That took us a long time, between getting the nurseries, the furniture and everything. But despite that effort, the most difficult thing was getting publishers, says Marta Hernandez in an interview with Entrepreneur en Espanol .

Image: Courtesy Utopicas

The hardest thing of all was getting the publishers. Big publishers ask you to have recommendations and when you start out you don't have any. They started with smaller and independent publishers such as Sexto Piso and Almeria. Little by little they were getting others. But the vast majority of his books are brought from Argentina and Spain. The books they sell are on highly specialized topics such as social movements, so you have to find outreach publications about them. It is not an easy task because in Mexico, for example, there are only academic texts at the moment.

As it is difficult to get them nationally, the vast majority of his books are brought from Argentina or Spain. This is problematic for female owners for two reasons. The first is that customs are a major complication in the book acquisition process. They are very complicated procedures where you have to fill paper after paper and then the shipments stay in the warehouse for a long time. They have received packages that arrive with battered books, or include things that they did not ask for in their boxes.

Image: Courtesy Utopicas

Life savings to create a utopia

The second reason is that the themes they have within the bookstore are very social and cultural, so they vary a lot depending on the country they are in. So a book on feminism in Spain may be lacking in topics that need to be discussed in Mexico. That is why they want to find a way to motivate Mexican authors to publish their writings on these topics.

It is our golden dream right now to be able to convene publishers and authors to work on these issues. It is a pending task that we have , says the owner of the bookstore.

To begin with, Utopicas used all their savings, they do not have a foundation behind or a large company, they decided to bet everything on their idea. When they changed premises, they had many expenses because the rent is much higher, so the economic income has become more complicated. Sometimes people complain about the prices of Utopics, but they cannot charge the same as in Gandhi or devalue the work of the artists who sell their things in the store.

Image: Courtesy Utopicas

It is a very intense and demanding job that we like a lot, but we tear ourselves apart. You have to be supportive and supportive, but you have to be realistic. We also have charges to meet. "

In addition to selling books and owning a gallery, they decided to expand beyond literature. They sell jewelry, clothing, bags, hats, movies, and paintings. They never mess with the prices that artists put on their work. Marta says that this relationship is one of the most beautiful parts of the whole business and what is most enjoyed. It was like a chain, in which they contacted two or three and they were including their friends. This is how the network grew and became a community.

Our relationship with the artists, the suppliers, is more one of friendship than commercial. It is very cute. Suddenly we knew two or three who brought us earrings and diaries and notebooks, but they told us that they had friends who did such and such and they made a chain. From being a gallery / bookstore it has become a community. Confidence goes ahead, says Marta.

This is how they have grown, creating community. They haven't spent much on social media, they will suddenly be doing paid advertising, but it's not in their budget yet. Sure they plan to formalize the marketing plan sometime in the future, but for now the growth has been almost entirely organic. People who are going to buy books or sell your products or participate in workshops spread the word. They are very optimistic about their future, because every day they grow and it is a cause that they are passionate about as a family.

Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The women of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey," Bravos hit reality TV show, are used to dishing out the drama. The men in their lives, though, say they are less prone to drama (though the current season might say otherwise) and are an open book when meeting their fans.

In an event titled An Evening with the House Husbands of New Jersey," Joe Gorga (who is married to Melissa Gorga), Frank Catania (ex-husband of Dolores Catania) and Joe Benigno (married to Margaret Josephs) will spill the tea (or apple-tinis as we saw Catania famously order once) on what its like behind the scenes of the show and answer fan questions at the Ridgefield Playhouse. The event takes place Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m

This isn't the first time the cast of Jersey has been spotted in Connecticut this year. In April, an episode aired in which the "housewives" sailed around Norwalk. The episode had been filmed in September 2020.

Courtesy of Emily Liebert

In advance of the Ridgefield show, the "house husbands" of New Jersey sat down via Zoom with freelance writer Andrea Valluzzo to share stories, give a few light "Housewives" spoilers and answer questions  often finishing each others sentences.

Q: What are you most looking forward to about your show at the Playhouse?

Frank Catania: I just love being in the same place with our fans and discussing things with them and being on a personal level. I truly enjoy being with people who watch the show.

Joe Benigno: Its a lot of fun, Its rewarding to see them ask questions about things that the three of us did and our lives. I am tired of questions about my house to be honest though. (A recurring story line for Benigno and his wife Margaret Josephs is their house renovation).

Joe Gorga: The best thing about doing this is the fans, they are just amazing and the "Housewives" fans are just to another level. We go to these events and I love the fact that our fans know more about our families than we do.

JB: And they remember details much better than we do.

FC: Thank God, because it helps me at the next family dinner.

Q: Whats the one question that you most get asked about from fans?

JG: It depends on whats going on in that season so they will ask whatever is happening on that season.

JB: It never changes for me. They always want to know Is the house done, how soon is it going to get done, what did I do to it this week. My house was built in 1906 and everything is old.

FC: My main question is When are you and Dolores going to get back together? I hear it all the time. These guys ask me more than anybody else.

Q: Whats one thing you will reveal at next months show?

JG: We cant tell you, you have to be there.

FC: Its got to be kept on that stage and that stage only.

JB: ...But the spoiler Im going to tell you though is this year is a lot more crazy than last year.

Manny Carabel/Getty Images

Q: The "housewives" have drama on the show, but do you all ever have arguments?

JG: The men had some drama, which, wow, I was shocked.

FC: Normally we dont. Normally, we stay out of the womens affairs and dont get involved in that. Joe is right, the men had a little bit of an issue this year.

Q: You all seem like you are good friends though?

JB: Thats it. Heres the difference, the girls get mad at each other and they will fight and because of production or whatever  you will see that fight over three or four episodes. We can have an argument amongst each other but really we are all friends and the argument is over inside of 10 minutes.

Q: If Bravo offered you your own show to star in, would you do it?

JG: We would.

FC: We would do pretty amazing, Id have to say.

JB: We would have higher ratings than the girls.

Note: "An Evening with the House Husbands of New Jersey" at the Ridgefield Playhouse is sponsored by Hearst Connecticut Media.
Theres a line that Bill Murrays Harold Ross-like character Arthur Howitzer Jr, the editor of The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun, says a few times in Wes Andersons new movie that I cant stop thinking about. Just try to make it sound like you wrote it that way on purpose, he gently advises his staff.

Its clever, sure, and just familiar enough to make you wonder if it is some well-known writing advice. But whats especially striking is that it's somehow both confident and self-deprecating - a beautiful quip thats full of insight and contradictions, not unlike Anderson films themselves. And its easy to wonder whether its a kind of window into Andersons mind, something he tells himself or was once told to make sense of his idiosyncratic aesthetic, which lately seems to have become a bit of a liability. For better or worse, Wes Anderson films always look, sound and feel like Wes Anderson films.

The French Dispatch is no exception, but because weve now been living with his films for 25 years and the most surface interpretation of his style has been misappropriated by dilettantes on Instagram, its become easy to write off. And perhaps there is something to the fact that fairly or not, some of the luster has dulled due to familiarity, but  The French Dispatch  remains a highly enjoyable, sophisticated and experimental ode to the romantic, and fictionalized, idea of the midcentury heyday of magazines like The New Yorker and The Paris Review.

This particular magazines reach is significantly more limited than that of its inspirations. The French Dispatch is a weekly insert of the Liberty Kansas Evening Sun. The real Liberty, Kansas, is a town with a population that has barely exceeded 250 in the past century and, more recently, has hovered closer to 100. This makes it all the more amusing that Murrays character would bankroll this magazine out of France (in a fictional town called Ennui-sur-Blase) with a staff of famous longform writers. But its a pursuit that will end with his death, and the final issue provides the structure for this anthology film.

There is a Talk of the Town-like vignette with Owen Wilson as Herbsaint Sazerac describing a day in the life of a small French town, a story about an incarcerated murderer (Benicio del Toro) whose modern paintings become a sensation, one about a reluctant student revolutionary, Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet), and another about a food journalist (Jeffrey Wright) sent to profile a celebrated chef (Stephen Park) who is caught up in a wild kidnapping and rescue scheme. It is quirky, delightfully absurd at times and dark  all Anderson's films are, even if thats always forgotten in the bad cover versions.

Anderson has written the screenplay alongside frequent collaborators Roman Coppola, Hugo Guinness and Jason Schwartzman (who also plays a minor role). And it is a uniquely moving experience jumping from story to story (in fitting black and white with the occasional pop of color, presumably to mimic print and photo) with only the loosely connective thread that they all happen to be in the same publication. That you get as invested as you are is a testament to the storytelling and the army of seasoned actors who seem more than happy to pop in for a few minutes of screen time, including but not limited to Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Lea Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Mathieu Amalric, Elisabeth Moss, Henry Winkler and Saoirse Ronan.

If anything, The French Dispatch perhaps suffers because of its abundance which on first viewing can seem like overwhelming excess, but I think will hold up enormously well. These are the details that will make it enjoyable and rewarding to revisit. Or maybe it was just a kitchen-sink kind of endeavor, but it works.

In any case, Anderson made it feel like he did it that way on purpose.

The French Dispatch, a Searchlight Pictures release in limited release Friday, expanding on Oct. 29, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for language, graphic nudity, some sexual references. Running time: 103 minutes. Three stars out of four.



MPAA Definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

-

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr
Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media

HARTFORD  A city man faces up to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a firearm offense this week, according to federal prosecutors.

George Harris, 40, pleaded guilty Tuesday before Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven federal court to a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. At sentencing, Harris faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang that police say is holding 17 members of a kidnapped missionary group is seen in a video released Thursday saying he will kill them if he doesnt get what hes demanding.

The video posted on social media shows Wilson Joseph dressed in a blue suit, carrying a blue hat and wearing a large cross around his neck.

I swear by thunder that if I dont get what Im asking for, I will put a bullet in the heads of these Americans, he said in the video.

He also threatened Prime Minister Ariel Henry and Haiti's national police chief as he spoke in front of the open coffins that apparently held several members of his gang who were recently killed.

You guys make me cry. I cry water. But Im going to make you guys cry blood, he said.

On Thursday afternoon, Henry's office announced that Leon Charles had resigned as head of the National Police and was replaced by Frantz Elbe. The newspaper Le Nouvelliste said Elbe was director of the police departments of the South East and Nippes and previously served as general security coordinator of the National Palace when Jocelerme Privert was provisional president.

We would like for public peace to be restored, that we return to normal life and that we regain our way to democracy, Henry said.

There was no immediate comment from Charles or Elbe.

Earlier this week, authorities said that the gang was demanding $1 million per person, although it wasnt immediately clear that included the five children in the group, among them an 8-month-old. Sixteen Americans and one Canadian were abducted, along with their Haitian driver.

The missionaries are with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, which held a news conference before someone posted the video of the gang leader.

Weston Showalter, spokesman for the religious group, said that the families of those whod been kidnapped are from Amish, Mennonite and other conservative Anabaptist communities in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Ontario, Canada. He read a letter from the families, who werent identified by name, in which they said, God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lords command to love your enemies.

The group invited people to join them in prayer for the kidnappers as well as those kidnapped and expressed gratitude for help from people that are knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with such situations.

Pray for these families, Showalter said. They are in a difficult spot.

The organization later issued a statement saying it would not comment on the video until those directly involved in obtaining the release of the hostages have determined that comments will not jeopardize the safety and well-being of our staff and family members.

The gang leaders death threat added to the already intense concern in and around Holmes County, Ohio, where Christian Aid Ministries is based and has one of the nations largest concentrations of Amish, conservative Mennonite and related groups. Many members of those groups have supported the organization through donations or by volunteering at its warehouse.

These kinds of things erase some of the boundaries that exist within our circles, added Marcus Yoder, executive director of the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center in Millersburg.

Many people in the community feel helpless, but they also realize the power of prayer and the power of our historic theology, he said, including the Anabaptist belief in nonresistance to violence.

The same day that the missionaries were kidnapped, a gang also abducted a Haiti university professor, according to a statement that Haitis ombudsman-like Office of Citizen Protection issued on Tuesday. It also noted that a Haitian pastor abducted earlier this month has not been released despite a ransom being paid.

The criminals ... operate with complete impunity, attacking all members of society, the organization said.

UNICEF said Thursday that the number of women and children kidnapped in the first eight months of this year has surpassed the total for all of last year.

Nowhere is safe for children in Haiti anymore, Jean Gough, UNICEF regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said in a statement. Whether on their way to school, at home or even at church, girls and boys are at risk of being kidnapped anywhere, at any time of the day or night.

UNICEF said 71 women and 30 children were kidnapped this year, up from 59 women and 37 children last year.

They represent one third of the 455 kidnappings reported this year, the agency said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads and burned tires in Haitis capital to decry a severe fuel shortage and a spike in insecurity and to demand that the prime minister step down.

The scattered protest took place across the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince.

In addition to kidnappings, the gangs also are blamed for blocking gas distribution terminals and hijacking supply trucks, which officials say has led to a shortage of fuel. Many gas stations now remain closed for days at a time, and the lack of fuel is so dire that the CEO of Digicel Haiti announced on Tuesday that 150 of its 1,500 branches countrywide are out of diesel.

Nothing works! complained Davidson Meiuce, who joined Thursdays protest. We are suffering a lot.

Some protestors held up signs including one that read, Down with the high cost of living.

Demonstrators clashed with police in some areas, with officers firing tear gas that mixed with the heavy black smoke rising from burning tires that served as barricades.

Alexandre Simon, a 34-year-old English and French teacher, said he and others are protesting because Haitians are facing such dire situations.

There are a lot of people who cannot eat, he said. There is no work ... There are a lot of things we dont have.

___

Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Kantele Franko in Columbus, Ohio, and Peter Smith in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.
NEW HAVEN  News of state Rep. Michael DiMassas arrest Wednesday surged through City Hall, where he has worked since beginning as a college intern a decade ago, as well as through the quiet neighborhood off Meloy Road where he has lived since he was a child.

Publicly, almost no one in City Hall would talk about it, although several of DiMassas co-workers spoke about their disappointment at seeing one of the citys bright young stars  the 2009 Notre Dame High School Man of the Year  allegedly in trouble.

Were just heartbroken, said City Clerk Patricia Horvath, one of the few in City Hall beside Mayor Nancy Rossi who would talk about the arrest of DiMassa, 30, a Democrat state lawmaker whose current job includes 25 hours a week as administrative assistant to the City Council and 10 hours a week as an administrative assistant in the Corporation Counsels office. Everybodys heart is broken.

Asked whether people were talking about the arrest at work, Horvath said, Everybody is. Nobody is getting any work done.

Horvath said she does not know what DiMassa, who was arrested Wednesday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with one count of wire fraud in connection with what authorities say was a scheme to steal federal funds intended for COVID-related expenses, will do next. State Speaker of the House Matt Ritter announced Wednesday that DiMassa had been stripped of his committee assignments.

If he were to resign his legislative seat, the city would immediately call a special election to elect a replacement to finish out his term, Horvath said.

Few other city employees would comment on DiMassas arrest.

I honestly dont know much about it, said Assessor Ann Marie Gradoia.

Tax Collector Leslie Naizby declined to comment, both on behalf of herself and everybody in her office.

Nobody answered the door at DiMassas home on Putney Drive, in a quiet, well-kept neighborhood off Meloy Road.

Two doors down, Joseph Mongillo  who voted for DiMassa in the last election but doesnt know him well  shook his head.

Mongillo said he knows a relative of DiMassa, who goes by and tells me to vote for him.

Im sorry to hear that  but hes not convicted, he said, holding out hope that perhaps DiMassa would be exonerated.

Yeah, Im surprised, he added. He seemed like a quiet kid  a quiet man. Maybe he didnt do anything. I hope not.

Two other nearby neighbors, both of whom declined to be identified by name, also said they were shocked to hear about it.

Ive lived in this neighborhood for three years but I never knew, said one neighbor, who said she didnt really know DiMassa even though he lives down the street.

I was just shocked, said another neighbor. I really didnt know.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
A man who pleaded guilty to posting threats on social media in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison, the longest term to date resulting from the federal investigation of the insurrection.

Troy Smocks of Dallas traveled to the nation's capital before the Jan. 6 siege but he was not accused of storming the building to support the false claims that President Donald Trump had won reelection.

Smocks has been in jail since his arrest Jan. 15. One of the few Black people among the 600-plus defendants charged so far, Smocks argued that his treatment has been unfair compared with others who did enter the Capitol.

Im no Dr. King, but we do share same the skin color and the same idea of justice. I just want to be treated equally, he said at his sentencing.

But U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said she had not seen a scintilla of evidence that prosecutions had been racially motivated and she noted that Smocks expressed little remorse.

People died fighting for civil rights, she said. For you to hold yourself up as somehow a soldier in that fight is very audacious.

The sentence exceeded what prosecutors requested  the time he has already served in jail, during which he tested positive for COVID-19.

On Jan. 6, Smocks posted threats to hunt these cowards down, targeting RINOS, Dems, and Tech Execs  words that were viewed tens of thousands of times on the social network Parler. RINO stands for Republican In Name Only."

Smocks has a two-decade-long criminal history, and prosecutors said he had bought a plane ticket to leave the country shortly before his arrest.

His social media accounts indicated he had been a colonel, but authorities found no record of military service. Prosecutors found evidence he had long passed himself off as veteran and had a history of fraud-related convictions from the 1980s to 2006, though he had stayed out of legal trouble over the past two decades.

Smocks' sentence was the longest since an eight-month term handed down in July to a crane operator from Florida who breached the U.S. Senate chamber while carrying a Trump campaign flag.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  A Northern California family found dead on a hiking trail near the Merced River died after they overheated and ran out of drinking water on a sunny August afternoon when temperatures reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) in the steep mountain terrain, authorities said Thursday.

The deaths of Jonathan Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Aurelia Miju Chung-Gerrish, and their dog, Oski, had baffled investigators. The case involved more than 30 law enforcement agencies who had painstakingly reviewed  and ruled out  causes such as murder, lightning strikes, poisoning, illegal drugs and suicide.

On Thursday, Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said investigators concluded the family died from hyperthermia, a condition caused when a person's body temperature is dangerously high after exposure to hot, humid weather. It's unclear what killed the dog, an 8-year-old Australian shepherd and Akita mix. But Briese said evidence indicates the dog was possibly suffering from heat-related issues.

This is an unfortunate and tragic event due to the weather, he said.

Briese described Gerrish, 45, as an experienced hiker who used an app on his phone to plot a route along the Hite Cove Trail, an approximately 8-mile (13-kilometer) loop that hugs the south fork of the Merced River and is a popular spot to view wildflowers in the spring.

But many of the trees had been destroyed in a wildfire three years ago, leaving much of the trail with very little shade. The family and their dog began the hike at about 8 a.m. on Aug. 15.

It was about 74 F (23 C) when they started. But the temperature quickly climbed as the trail descended and the day heated up. By the time they reached the steep uphill section of the hike known as the Savage Lundy Trail, Briese said it was 109 F (43 C).

Officials found the family two days later after relatives had reported them missing. The family had hiked 6.4 miles (2.5 kilometers) with the baby in a backpack-type carrier. They were only 1.6 miles (2.5 kilometers) away from their car.

The family had an 85-ounce (2.5-liter) water container with them that was empty. A portion of the trail ran along the Merced River, where tests of the water showed it was contaminated with Anatoxin A, a lethal toxin produced by blue-green algae.

That prompted the Bureau of Land Management to close campgrounds and recreation areas along 28 miles (45 kilometers) of the river, between the towns of Briceburg and Bagby. But Briese said Thursday there was no evidence the family had drunk any of the river water.

Briese said the FBI is attempting to unlock one of the couple's cellphones, saying the agency is making good progress.

Our hope is that that cellphone will continue to give us more answers about that day, he said.

Kristie Mitchell, the public information officer for the sheriff's office, read a statement from unnamed family members during a news conference on Thursday.

Some questions have been answered, and we will use this information as a way of helping us come to terms with the situation, relatives said, according to the statement read by Mitchell. Our hearts will never forget the beautiful lives of Jonathan, Ellen, Miju, and, of course, Oski. They will remain with us wherever we go.
STAMFORD  The first shot felt like a celebration. The second, a rite of passage. But months after seniors first lined up to get their COVID-19 shots, vaccination felt like another beast entirely.

Its different, Ada Caro, who works at the Stamford Senior Center, said while helping people register for their shots. The flu shot is once a year, but this? Its like, here we go again.

In a sedate auditorium tucked in the back of Stamford Government Center, where the Senior Center rents space, more than a dozen seniors waited patiently to receive their booster shots.

But more than six months after some seniors first got the jab, all the spectacle and excitement from the vaccination efforts early months had disappeared. Instead, those clustered in folding chairs waiting for a nurse to call them up saw getting vaccinated as their civic duty.

The clinic was the first major push from the center to give out third doses in Stamford, though it expects to hold at least one other COVID booster clinic, according to Caro. Just over 30 people had signed up to get a booster at the first clinic.

The Food and Drug Administration first authorized booster doses in late Sept. for people who received Pfizer and BioNTechs coronavirus vaccine. As it stands currently, only people 65 years of age or older and people at high risk of contracting severe COVID are eligible for the vaccine.

The FDA Wednesday authorized boosters made by Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, and said Americans will be allowed to mix and match vaccines.

Though the vaccination process feels more normal this time around, Marjorie Meehan thinks the outcome will be essentially the same.

We might be doing this forever, she mused while waiting for her 15-minute waiting period to pass after getting the shot. Meehan thinks that masks will be around for a while  even with the booster, and even though she desperately wants them to be gone.

A third shot wont change the precautions shes taking in her day-to-day life either, especially since Meehans husband currently lives in a rehab facility. Every time she visits him, the staff makes her put on a new mask (no matter how new the one shes wearing is) and disinfect her hands. So as long as she still needs to tread lightly to keep her husband safe, Meehan said shed still be masking up and being cautious.

Honestly, she said, she was more concerned with getting a new vaccination sticker from the entire ordeal than she was with changing any of her behaviors.

Im just so used to it all, she said as the clock ticked on. Im just doing what Im supposed to do.

Even though Ashley Beach felt more enthusiastic about the process of getting a third shot, even he viewed the booster as a next step rather than a life-changing action.

I dont want to be a Debbie Downer, but I think were going to be where we are, pandemic-wise, for a long time, Beach said while sitting near the back of the makeshift clinic. Like Meehan, he was already used to the contours of the pandemic. Masking, social distance, exhibiting general caution  it all felt second nature almost two years and three shots later.

There are things he hopes the booster shot will get him closer to doing again, despite his anxieties.

I miss breathing in the air without hesitation, he said. Even when Beach is outside or away from people, he frets about keeping himself safe from the virus.

Meehan, on the other hand, has her sights set higher than just breathing in air. More than anything, she wants to travel again.

T-R-A-V-E-L-I-N-G, thats what I want, she said. She owns a home in Jamaica that has been locked up for most of the pandemic, barring the five months she spent stuck there during early lockdown.

Though receiving the booster at the Senior Center completely assuage Beachs anxieties or get Meehan on a flight to Jamaica immediately or end the pandemic at all, they both hope it will give them more peace of mind.

Its given me more of a buff, Beach said of his first shot. Now he just wants to make that buff a little bigger.

veronica.delvalle@hearstmediact.com
Published: 21 October 2021

Non-subsidised rents increased in July to September

In July to September 2021, non-subsidised rents increased by 0.9 per cent in Greater Helsinki and by 1.0 per cent in the rest of Finland in a year. The rents of non-subsidised rental dwellings rose most in Turku (1.7%) and Tampere (1.5%) and least in Jyvaskyla (0.2%) and Pori (0.0%). Non-subsidised rents decreased in Mikkeli (-0.1%).

The development of rents in non-subsidised rental dwellings, index 2015=100

Compared with 2015, non-subsidised rents have risen most in Kerava (10.7 %) and Turku (10.6 %). The rise in rents has been lowest in Seinajoki (3.5 %) and Pori (4.4 %). In Greater Helsinki, rents have risen by 8.9 per cent and in the rest of the country by 7.2 per cent from 2015.

Rents for government-subsidised rental dwellings have increased by 9.0 per cent in Greater Helsinki and by 6.8 per cent in the rest of Finland from 2015. Rents for government-subsidised rental dwellings have risen most in Kuopio (11.6 %) and least in Rovaniemi (2.6 %)

Rents for non-subsidised rental dwellings, 3rd quarter 2021

Region Index 2015=100 Quarterly change in index, % Yearly change in index, % Number* Rent per square meter (euro/m) Rent for new tenancies (euro/m) Whole country 107.9 0.2 0.9 119 815 15.3 16.5 Greater Helsinki 108.9 0.1 0.9 43 154 20.3 21.4 Rest of the country (whole country - Greater Helsinki) 107.2 0.2 1.0 76 661 13.1 14.0 Helsinki 108.8 0.1 0.9 24 293 21.5 22.8 Helsinki 1 107.1 0.1 0.9 3 608 23.2 25.5 Helsinki 2 108.7 0.1 0.7 9 420 22.6 23.5 Helsinki 3 107.0 0.1 0.6 2 874 20.3 20.9 Helsinki 4 111.5 0.2 1.4 8 391 18.9 19.7 Espoo-Kauniainen 108.2 0.1 0.9 8 481 18.5 19.3 Vantaa 110.1 0.1 0.8 10 380 18.3 19.2 Satellite municipalities 108.3 0.3 1.1 5 310 15.1 15.9 Tampere 109.6 0.3 1.5 11 643 15.6 16.3 Turku 110.6 0.4 1.7 8 906 14.7 15.7 Lahti 104.7 0.1 0.6 4 140 13.6 13.9 Kuopio 108.0 0.2 0.7 3 556 14.5 15.1 Jyvaskyla 106.0 -0.0 0.2 5 650 14.4 15.2 Oulu 108.6 0.3 1.3 6 648 13.6 14.1

1) * Number of observations included in the index calculation

In non-subsidised rental dwellings, the highest average rent levels are found in Helsinki (EUR 21.5 per m), Espoo (EUR 18.5 per m) and Vantaa (EUR 18.3 per m). The lowest rents are in Kouvola (EUR 10.8 per m), Rauma (EUR 11.0 per m) and Pori (EUR 11.2 per m). In new tenancies signed during the past six months, the average price of a rented square metre of a one-room flat was EUR 27.5 per m in Helsinki, EUR 20.0 per m in Tampere and EUR 18.9 per m in Turku.

These data derive from Statistics Finland's quarterly statistics on rents of dwellings, which are based on data from the Social Insurance Institutions housing aid register and private rental housing companies.

Source: Rents of dwellings, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Martti Korhonen 029 551 3451, Elina Peltoniemi 029 551 3088, asuminen.hinnat@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

Publication in pdf-format (234.3 kB)

Updated 21.10.2021

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Rents of dwellings [e-publication].

ISSN=1798-1018. 3rd quarter 2021. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 20.11.2021].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/asvu/2021/03/asvu_2021_03_2021-10-21_tie_001_en.html
Published: 21 October 2021

General government deficit 5.5 per cent and debt 69.5 per cent relative to GDP in 2020

According to the revised data reported by Statistics Finland to Eurostat, general government deficit was 5.5 per cent relative to gross domestic product in 2020. The deficit exceeded the reference values of the European Unions Stability and Growth Pact, which is three per cent relative to gross domestic product. General government EDP debt, or consolidated gross debt, was 69.5 per cent relative to gross domestic product at the end of 2020. The ratio of debt to GDP exceeded the reference value of 60 per cent.

General government EDP deficit (-), relative to GDP

In 2020, general government deficit, or net borrowing according to national accounts, was EUR 12.9 billion. The financial position of general government weakened by good EUR 10 billion from the year before. Compared to 2019, the financial position of central government weakened most, by around EUR 10.5 billion to EUR 13.1 billion in 2020. This was particularly due to increased income transfers to other sectors. According to preliminary data, the local government sectors deficit turned into surplus, to EUR 46 million in 2020.

Social security funds are divided into employment pension schemes and other social security funds. The surplus of social security funds decreased due to a fall in dividend income to EUR 105 million in 2020, that is, it decreased by around EUR three billion from the previous year. The surplus of employment pension schemes decreased to EUR 306 million and the financial position of other social security funds turned into deficit (EUR 201 million in) in 2020.

General government EDP debt relative to GDP

Consolidated general government gross debt (EDP debt) amounted to EUR 164.2 billion at the end of 2020. The debt grew by EUR 21.2 billion in 2020. Central government debt grew by EUR 17.6 billion and local government debt grew by EUR 1.6 billion. The debt of social security funds grew by EUR 2.2 billion. The increase in consolidated items between general government by EUR 95 million contributed to the debt of the entire general government sector growing by said EUR 21.2 billion in 2020. The EDP debt describes general governments debt to the other sectors of the economy and to the rest of the world, and its development is influenced by changes in both the unconsolidated gross debt and the internal general government debt.

Eurostat will publish preliminary data on Member States on 21 October 2021.

About the content and concepts of the statistics

General government surplus/deficit refers to net lending/borrowing according to the sector accounts of national accounts, which is the difference between total revenue and expenditure. For instance, in the case of local government, the concept differs from the surplus/deficit of the accounting period according to the profit and loss accounts of municipalities and joint municipal authorities included in the sector. The key difference concerns investments, which are recorded in national accounts as expenditure as such.

In general government accounts, the European Financial Stability Facility EFSF is, based on Eurostat's decision, handled so that EFSF's borrowing is recorded as part of the gross government debt of the countries that have provided guarantees. The loan received by the beneficiary country from the EFSF is recorded as if it had been received from the countries in the euro area that have provided guarantees and these countries in turn owe the corresponding amount to the EFSF. As a result, the EDP gross debt of the countries that provided guarantees grows but the net debt remains unchanged because the countries have a similar receivable from the beneficiary country. The gross government debt to be recorded in each countrys general government debt on the loans granted by the EFSF is calculated by dividing the loan granted to the beneficiary country by the contribution key (based on the share in the ECB's capital of each country participating in the support operations).

At the end of 2020, Finland's general government debt includes EUR 3.4 billion of debt granted by the EFSF to beneficiary countries. Corresponding treatment does not apply to the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

Central government's EDP debt differs as a concept from the central government debt published by the State Treasury. Central governments EDP debt includes loans granted to beneficiary countries by the European Financial Stability Facility EFSF, received cash collateral related to derivative contracts, the capital of the Nuclear Waste Management Fund, debts generated from investments in central government's PPP (public-private partnership) projects, and coins that are in circulation. In National Accounts, central government is also a broader concept than the budget and financial economy (http://www.stat.fi/meta/luokitukset/_linkki/julkisyhteisot.html). However, the State Pension Fund is classified as a social security fund. The valuation principle for both debt concepts is the nominal value, where the effect of currency swaps is taken into account. When these differences are taken into consideration, we reach the central government non-consolidated gross debt in accordance with the EDP concept (Appendix table 2). In 2020, the State Treasury's central government debt EUR 124.8 billion + conceptual differences of the debt EUR 6.6 billion + differences caused by the sector delimitation EUR 4.4 billion = central government gross debt EUR 135.9 billion. The valuation principle for both debt concepts is the nominal value, where the effect of interest-rate contracts and currency swaps is taken into account.

A list of units belonging to general government and decisions on major sector classification cases (only in Finnish) can be found at https://www.stat.fi/meta/luokitukset/_linkki/soveltamisp.html.

Finland updated the EDP inventory concerning the compilation of deficit and debt data in connection with the April 2021 release. A new updated methodological description can be found at: https://stat.fi/til/jali/men_en.html

Source: General government deficit and debt. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Lotta Sjoblom 029 551 3342, Lauri Piirainen 029 551 3278, financial.accounts@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Katri Kaaja

Publication in pdf-format (247.4 kB)

Updated 21.10.2021

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): General government deficit and debt [e-publication].

ISSN=1799-5914. 2020. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 20.11.2021].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/jali/2020/jali_2020_2021-10-21_tie_001_en.html
Published: 21 October 2021

Domestic trips increased by nearly one third in the hot summer of 2021

According to Statistics Finlands preliminary data, the number of leisure trips with overnight stay in Finland increased in May to August 2021 by nearly one third from the year before.

The number of international flights started to grow slowly towards the summer, but the number of trips abroad made by air was, however, 90 per cent lower in May to August than two years ago.

During May to August 2021, Finnish residents made 13.2 million domestic leisure trips with overnight stay and 0.6 million leisure trips abroad, of which 0.4 million were trips with overnight stay in the destination country.

Leisure trips in January to April 2015 to 2021* (excl. domestic same-day trips and trips with free accommodation)

In the second four months of 2021, Finnish residents aged 15 to 84 made 27.5 million trips, when leisure trips in Finland and abroad, as well as business and professional trips are included. In addition to trips with overnight stay, the number also includes same-day trips in Finland and abroad.

Altogether 13.2 million domestic leisure trips with overnight stay were made in the May to August period. In all, 9.9 million of them were trips with free accommodation, which is about 30 per cent more than in May to August last year. Leisure trips with overnight stay at paid accommodation numbered 3.3 million and their most population destinations were Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and Southwest Finland. The number of domestic trips with paid accommodation was good one quarter higher than in May to August of the previous year.

July was the most popular month for travelling in the summer season, as then 1.3 million domestic trips with paid accommodation and 3.0 million trips with free accommodation were made. Fourteen per cent of trips with paid accommodation made in July were headed to Uusimaa, nine per cent to Southwest Finland and eight per cent to Pirkanmaa, Central Finland, North Ostrobothnia and Lapland.

Spending time at summer cottages was very popular in the hot summer. Overnight stays at both own and rented cottages increased slightly compared with the top figures in the previous summer. Domestic hotel holidays also increased their popularity by good one third from the summer before.

Finnish residents made 12 million same-day trips abroad in May to August. The most popular regions for day trips in Finland were also Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and Southwest Finland.

In all, 600,000 leisure trips were made abroad in May to August. The figure includes trips with overnight stay in the destination country, cruises and same-day trips. The number is the same as in the corresponding period of the previous year and over 80 per cent lower than two years ago before the corona crisis.

A total of 420,000 leisure trips abroad included overnight stay in the destination country. One-half of these trips were made to Estonia. The most popular months for travelling were July and August.

Considerably more same-day trips were made to our neighbouring countries than in the summer before, as the number of trips increased by nearly 90 per cent from the previous summer.

In addition to leisure trips, 0.6 million business and professional trips with overnight stay and over one million business and professional trips lasting only one day were made in Finland. Business trips in Finland increased slightly from the corresponding period of the previous year.

These data derive from Statistics Finland's Finnish Travel survey for which data were collected from altogether 4,511 Finnish residents aged 15 to 84 on the web or alternatively as a telephone interview in June, July, August and September.

Source: Finnish Travel, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Taru Tamminen 029 551 2243, Ossi Nurmi 029 551 2984, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

Publication in pdf-format (312.1 kB)

Updated 21.10.2021

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Finnish Travel [e-publication].

ISSN=1798-9027. Summer (1.5.-31.8) 2021. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 20.11.2021].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/smat/2021/14/smat_2021_14_2021-10-21_tie_001_en.html
Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (429)
Deputy George Simion, co-chair of AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians), stated on Thursday, after going to the consultations held by President Iohannis at the Cotroceni Palace, that his party will not support Nicolae Ciuca as a prime minister option, adding that if a majority is not obtained in Parliament for Nicolae Ciuca, AUR will initiate procedures for suspending the President, agerpres reports.

"We will not support Nicolae Ciuca as a prime minister option, Marcel Ciolacu as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and Florin Citu as president of the Senate. For this seems to be what comes next in terms of proposals. (...). If a majority for Nicolae Ciuca is not obtained, we will initiate the suspension procedures against President Iohannis. Now, the ball is in PSD's hands," said Simion.

He added that AUR has submitted another proposal for Victoria Palace."President Iohannis told us that the proposal for prime minister will be General Nicolae Ciuca. We have submitted another proposal today to Cotroceni so that the President has two choices on his table. We pointed out to Klaus Iohannis that if this new proposal of his also fails to meet a parliamentary majority, AUR will initiate the procedures for his suspension. I will go with the proposal of an independent prime minister or other person outside the political parties. The president told us that it seems that this is our hobby, the idea of suspending the President, and I told him that everyone had their own hobbies. My colleague Mihai Negoescu also asked the President what recommends Nicolae Ciuca as prime minister, to which the President said that this would emerge from the dialogue that Nicolae Ciuca would later have with us," said Simion.
Babes-Bolyai University (UBB) in western Cluj-Napoca announced that it will develop Romania's strategy in quantum communications, together with the National Institute of Research and Development for Materials Physics, agerpres reports.

"Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca (UBB), as coordinator, together with the National Institute of Research and Development for Materials Physics (INCD-FM), as a partner, will develop, in the period 2021-2023, the Strategy for the development of national capabilities in the field of quantum communications (QTSTRAT). Quantum technologies represent a new paradigm assumed by the European Union, with revolutionary potential in science, society and the economy (https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/quantum-technologies-flagship). For example, the networks of quantum telecommunication and quantum secure internet are closely related to cyber-security, which necessarily strikes any segment that entwines a component of digitization," reads a statement sent by UBB on Wednesday.

The rector of UBB, Prof. Daniel David, PhD, says that he proposes Romania should become an important international actor in the field."UBB has the best specialists in the elaboration of strategic plans/strategies, in various fields, which, together with the top experts in the "quantum technologies" area of UBB and the country (including from other institutions that are not now part of the consortium declared the winner, but which have an advanced expertise useful to the project), will propose a Strategy through which not only to implement the new quantum technologies in the country, but to turn Romania into an important player in this field at European and international level," said Daniel David, according to the press release.
The movie Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn ("Babardeala cu bucluc sau porno balamuc" in Romanian), directed by Radu Jude is Romania's proposal for a nomination in the "Best International Feature Film" of the 2022 Academy Awards, informs a release sent to AGERPRES.

The film, which had its world premiere at the Berlinale, where it won the Golden Bear, was chosen by a committee appointed by the Administration Council of the National Center for Cinematography, composed of professionals in the industry: Dana Duma, Victor Morozov, Irina Trocan, Catalin Olaru, and Laurentiu Damian.

Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn analyzes the relations between individual and society, having as a starting point the consequences that an amateur porn clip, uploaded by a general school teacher on a specialized website provokes in her life, shows the film's synopsis.This is the third film signed by Radu Jude that represents Romania in the race for a nomination, after "Aferim!" and "I do not care if we go down in history as barbarians" ("Imi este indiferent daca in istorie vom intra ca barbari").Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn is a microFILM production, in co-production with Paul Thiltges Distributions, Endorfilm, Kinorama, done with support from the National Center for Cinematography, Film Fund Luxembourg, Czech Film Fund, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Artekino International, in association with Bord Cadre Films, Sovereign Films.According to the quoted release, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn will have its premiere in American theaters next month.
Bucharest's 14-day COVID-19 rate is 16.5 cases per thousand population, a nick down from 16.51 the day before, the Public Health Directorate (DSP) informs on its website.

One month ago, on September 21, the COVID-19 incidence rate in Bucharest City was 2.91 per thousand population, according to DSP.

The COVID infection rate topped 6 cases per thousand population on September 29.
The State Secretary for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations, Simona Cojocaru, will attend, on Thursday and Friday, the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence, which will take place at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, informs a press release of the Defence Ministry, agerpres reports.

The reunion represents a good opportunity to evaluate the implementation of decisions adopted by the NATO Summit in Brussels of June 14, as well as in the perspective of preparing the Madrid Summit of June 2022.

The Ministry of National Defence (MApN) shows that on the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian State Secretary will sign the Declaration of intent regarding Romania's accession to the initiative to constitute a Venture Capital Fund, a financial instrument associated with the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) project.
The most new cases of infection with SARS-CoV-2 from the last reporting were registered in Bucharest - 3,018 and the counties of Ilfov - 787, Iasi - 708, Prahova - 706, Cluj - 699, Timis - 631, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) informed on Thursday.

The capital has an incidence of 16.50 cases per thousand inhabitants, with a slight drop from Wednesday, when the incidence was 16.51.

Ilfov county has the largest case incidence, cumulated at 14 days, with 17.23 cases per thousand inhabitants.All counties are in the red scenario (over 3 cases per thousand inhabitants).
Nicolae Ciuca, interim Defence Minister, has been designated by President Klaus Iohannis, on October 21, 2021, as a candidate for the office of prime minister. Ciuca was the proposal that the National Liberal Party made for this office at the consultations held by President Iohannis at the Cotroceni Palace.

Nicolae Ciuca was born on February 7, 1967 in Plenita, Dolj County. He graduated the "Tudor Vladimirescu" High School in Craiova, in 1985, and the Military School of Active Officers "Nicolae Balcescu" in Sibiu, in 1988. In 1990 he followed the Training course for leaders of scout companies. Over 1992-1993 he was chief of staff in operations at the same battalion, according to the http://www.mapn.ro/ website.

He graduated the PSO Course (peacekeeping operations), at the PfP Centre in Bucharest, and the English language Course in 2000 (at the Sibiu Land Forces Academy), and in 2001 he graduated the JOINT Course in multinational operations (the PfP Centre in Bucharest). In 2003 he obtained a PhD in military science, with the thesis called "The Dimension of Romanian Army"s Commitment to Joint Multinational Operations," and in 2004 he attended the CIMIC Course in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Hulburt, Florida, USA. In 2005 he attended the English Language Course - NATO terminology at the York University, and in 2006 he graduated the War College in the USA, ground troops, and he got a MD in Strategic Studies. In 2012 he graduated the post-academic course in security and national defence 'Security and efficient governing' - National Defence College, Bucharest.Over August 1988-March 1989 he was a platoon leader at the "Rovine" 26th Mechanized Regiment, Craiova, and between March 1988 and September 1992 he was a research and instruction platoon commander at the 121 Scout Battalion, in Craiova.Over 1992-1993 he was chief of staff in operations at the same battalion, according to the http://www.mapn.ro/ website, and from July 1995 until May 1996 he was a chief of staff at the "Rovine" 2nd Mechanized Brigade, in Craiova.Over 1996-1997 he participated in the UNAVEM III mission, in Angola, as a chief of staff, and then, from May 1997 until November 1998, he became a chief of staff with the "Rovine" 2nd Mechanized Brigade, the operations bureau, in Craiova. He was the Commander of the Land Component in the "Blue Danube 2000" Multinational Exercise; November 1998-February 2001 - chief of staff at the "Neagoe Basarab" 26th Infantry Battalion, in Craiova.Since 2000 he was chief of staff at the 26th Infantry Battalion - a SACEUR strategic reserve, and in 2001 he became Commander of the 26th Infantry Battalion - SACEUR strategic reserve, participating in the 'Dynamic Response" International Exercise, Bosnia and Herzegovina; February 2001-October 2004 - Commander of the "Neagoe Basarab" 26th Infantry Battalion, in Craiova.From June 2002 to January 2003 he was Commander of the Romanian battalion that participated in the Enduring Freedom mission in Afghanistan. In 2003 he was commander/head of the OCE/EXDIR exercise, within the ISAF mission, according to the https://www.mapn.ro/ website.Over January 2004-July 2004 he was commander of the infantry battalion that participated in the mission in Iraq; October 2004-October 2006 - chief of operations, the "Rovine" 2nd Infantry Brigade, Craiova; October 2006-March 2007, he was mandated chief of staff, "Rovine" 2nd Infantry Brigade, Craiova; March 2007-February 2009 - interim Commander of the "Unirea Principatelor" 282nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Focsani; February 2009-January 2011 - Commander of the "Unirea Principatelor" 282nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Focsani, January 2011-January 2014, Commander of the 2nd "Getica" Infantry Division, Buzau; January 2014-October 2014 - chief of the Land Staff.Over October 2014-January 1 2015, he was interim Chief of the General Staff and over January 1, 2015 - October 28, 2019, he was Chief of the General Staff. in October 2019 he became a General in reserve through a decree signed by President Klaus Iohannis.On November 4, 2019, he was appointed Minister of National Defence in the Ludovic Orban Government (November 4, 2019 - March 14, 2020). On December 8, 2020, he was appointed interim PM and Minister of National Defence, After the parliamentary elections of December 6, 2020, he became a Senator, for the National Liberal Party. Also in December 2020, he was appointed Minister of National Defence in the Florin Citu Government (December 23, 2020 - Oct 5, 2021).For the great results he obtained in his career, he was distinguished with: the National Order of Merit, in the rank of Officer, National Order of Merit, in the rank of Knight, the Honorary Sign in the service of the country, for 15, 20 and 25 years of activity, the UN Medal, the Emblem of Honor of the Romanian Army, the Emblem of Honor of the General Staff, the Emblem of Honor of the Land Forces, the Emblem of Honor of the Air Force, the Emblem of Honor of the Naval Forces, the Emblem of Honor of Military Intelligence, the Emblem of Honor of Communications and Informatics, the Emblem of Honor of Logistics, the Emblem of Honor of Military Medicine, the National Order of Merit of the French Republic, in the rank of Commander, the Emblem of Merit "In the Service of the Romanian Army" 3rd class, the Emblem of Merit "In the Service of Peace" third class, the Emblem of merit "Military Science" first class, the honorary title of "Military Veteran" for the military, according to the website https://www.mapn.ro/.He was also awarded the US Medal for Merit and the Medal of Honor of the United States Special Operations Forces.
The National Liberal Party's (PNL) delegation went to consultations with the President with a nominee for Prime Minister - current Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuca, who is vetted to head a minority government formed with the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), Liberal Chairman and interim Prime Minister Florin Citu announced on Thursday.

"Proving maturity and responsibility, PNL tabled at consultations with the President of Romania a proposal for Prime Minister meant to unblock the political crisis, for a government to be installed as soon as possible and for us to be able to manage the health situation. PNL's pick for Prime Minister is current Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuca, who is to lead a minority government formed together with UDMR, the partners with whom we have already been managing this situation. We count on the responsibility of the Romanian lawmakers to vote in the government as soon as possible," Citu said after consultations with the head of the state at the Cotroceni Palace.
The National Political Bureau of the National Liberal Party (PNL) on Thursday decided to nominate the acting Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca for the position of Prime Minister at the consultations with President Klaus Iohannis at the Cotroceni Palace, liberal sources told AGERPRES.

The Liberals also propose a minority government formed with the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR).

The unanimous decision was made in the meeting of the PNL's national political bureau.
According to the Presidential Administration, the main topics on the agenda of the meeting are European coordination in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU digital agenda, the recent rise in energy prices, migration, European trade policy and foreign relations, with a focus on the preparation of the EU-Asia Summit (ASEM), the Eastern Partnership Summit, as well as the COP 26 meetings on climate change and the COP 15 on biodiversity, agerpres reports.

In preparation for the meeting, President Iohannis attended a videoconference meeting on Monday with European Council President Charles Michel, his Lithuanian counterpart and prime ministers in Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

After this videoconference, the Presidential Administration reported that the head of state highlighted the crisis in Romania regarding the incidence of COVID-19 cases, showing that the low vaccination rate contributed significantly to this situation. He mentioned that Romania had activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism and thanked the member states that have already offered support to Romania.As to the energy situation, the President stressed that the significant increase in energy prices is a major concern for Romania, given the impact it has on citizens, businesses and, in particular, on vulnerable consumers.The head of state stressed the need to quickly identify efficient solutions in the short term, because the current energy crisis will have serious effects in all EU countries, with profound socio-economic impact, both in household consumers, population and economies in general, affecting the competitiveness of industries. The President pointed out that a medium- and long-term approach was also needed to address the structural problems of the energy sector, but also of the common market in the field of energy.In the perspective of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels in December, Iohannis emphasized the need to support, through concrete measures, the three partner countries that want to strengthen relations with the EU. In the context of the current energy crisis, the head of state requested the support for the Republic of Moldova for the supply of natural gas and electricity.
The chairman of PSD (Social Democratic Party) Marcel Ciolacu reiterated on Thursday that Romania is not entering an area of stability with a minority Government.

"I maintain my opinion that Romania is not entering an area of stability with a minority Government. Especially with what we have to deal with at this moment. You know that in one day Romania had more (Covid-19, ed. n.) casualties than the entire European Union," Ciolacu said before the reunion of PSD's National Standing Bureau.

He specified that PSD will "come out with a clear statement" after this meeting and after consulting with president Klaus Iohannis at Cotroceni Palace, Agerpres informs.
Romanians' urgency is to discuss with president Klaus Iohannis about the pandemic problem, the chairman of PSD (Social Democratic Party) Marcel Ciolacu, declared on Thursday, before the meeting between the social-democrats and the head of state, agerpres reports.

The representatives of PSD are taking part in consultations at Cotroceni Palace, on Thursday, for the nomination of a new candidate for Prime Minister.

"Professor Rafila and professor Cercel are also part of the delegation and I believe that the Romanians' urgency is to discuss with the president about the pandemic problem," Ciolacu said at PSD's central headquarters.Asked if he has given up on the scenario of early elections, Ciolacu said: "No. And we all knew that early elections could not have been held at this moment, given the pandemic and the Constitution, but we continue to believe that after the failure of the right-wing governing the best option is returning to the Romanian people."The PSD chairman also said that there were no decisions made regarding a Government led by Nicolae Ciuca, the proposed candidate from the liberals."My opinion, and I am keeping it, is that at this moment Romania needs a stable Government, with a wide parliamentary support," Ciolacu said.
In a challenging context for Bucharest, severely affected by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the pilgrimage dedicated to Saint Demetrius the New begins on Thursday, October 21, under exceptional conditions, basilica reports.

Being called the Protector of Bucharest, Saint Demetrius helped the Romanian Capital during the bubonic plague epidemic of 1813-1814 and the cholera epidemic of 1831.

We can confess, in fear of God, that we have seen with our own eyes the miracles performed by this Saint. () In 1815, as this terrible epidemic was very widespread in the Capital, they took the Saint out and, after bypassing the Capital with him, seized him in the middle of the fair, where the water was consecrated, and prayers were read to the Saint. From that day, the epidemic began to decrease gradually, and the Capital got rid of that scourge, reports Lt. col. Demetrios Papazoglou in History of the founding of the city of Bucharest.

This year, the pilgrimage will take place over seven days.

On Thursday, October 21, the relics of Saint Demetrius will be placed for veneration on the porch of the Patriarchal Cathedral, along with the relics of Saint John Jacob of Neamt, the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen and Saint Nectarios of Aegina.

The reliquaries will be relocated to the Baldachin of the Saints, prepared for the celebrations on Saturday morning. The reliquaries will remain there for veneration until Thursday, October 28, 2021.

Exceptional conditions

In the severe context of the pandemic, in which the Church itself carried out an intense campaign to promote and raise awareness of the hygienic-sanitary rules, emphasizing the naturalness and need to listen to doctors advice, to organize in real safety the feast of St. Demetrius the New, several special measures will be followed.

To respond to the desire of Romanian believers from all over the country and abroad to participate spiritually in the liturgical moments of the feast of Saint Demetrius the New, the Basilica Media Centre will broadcast the events of the Patriarchal Cathedral on all its channels.
The Ministry of Health (MS) informs that today three critically ill COVID-19 patients from Romania are being transferred to Poland.

These are patients who have been hospitalised in emergency reception units in Bucharest, who are in a stable condition, transportable, intubated and who require special healthcare in an anesthesia-intensive care unit, according to an MS press statement.

"We want to thank our colleagues in Poland for their support and promptness. In these very difficult days, we continue our efforts to find solutions to supply hospitals with the necessary medicines and to provide healthcare to patients in need, including by transfer outside Romania," acting Health Minister Cseke Attila is quoted as saying in the statement.

On Monday, President Klaus Iohannis attended a virtual meeting with President of the European Council Charles Michel, the president of Lithuania and the prime ministers of Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, in preparation for the European Council meeting on October 21-22 in Brussels, where the attending European leaders expressed their availability to assist Romania, according to MS.

Following this virtual meeting, Cseke on October 19 had a similar conversation with his Polish counterpart, Adam Niedzielski, who assured that he was analysing the possibility of providing healthcare assistance to Romania, Agerpres informs.
The Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) has learned about the National Liberal Party (PNL) intention to have Nicolae Ciuca designated prime minister and will sit at the negotiating table, after the announcement to be made by the chief of state, UDMR national chairman Kelemen Hunor said on Thursday, agerpres reports.

He added that also today he will meet the PNL national chairman, acting PM Florin Citu, for discussions on a future government, as it is important that next week there will be a full-fledged cabinet to be voted by Parliament.

"It is not very common; over the last 50-60 years in democratic countries no active of retired army officer lead a government. Sure, we can find similar examples, but there were in other times and other political eras. That's why we have our reservation - and it is not a personal matter - but we understand the PNL proposal and the desire to seek a quick solution, maybe not in the very long term, because I do not think that at this moment we can talk about a very long time," Kelemen said at the Parliament House.He added that UDMR is open to dialogue."We do not have any problem with Mr Ciuca, as we are colleagues in the government, we were colleagues for nine months, and we even collaborated well. But there is a principle that under normal circumstances, in normal times, there are not many governments led by the military, even retired officers (...) We will have a discussion with our colleagues, we will make a decision today and it will probably be the mandate to sit down, to look for a solution after the appointment of Minister Ciuca to the position of prime minister," Kelemen said."In principle, I do not agree with the government being led by the military, because we are talking about a political government, but this is an exceptional situation. I do not deny that for now, but I do not think that is the best option in a democracy, even the democracy in Romania."The UDMR leader said that if a majority is mounted in Parliament, the new government can function until early or on time elections."On the other hand, if there is a minority government, a motion of censure will appear in the spring session. And that moment will be a difficult time for everyone, because any motion of censure is an instrument by which the government can be dismissed. (...) We will see what will happen. (...) At this moment we need a full-fledged government," said the UDMR leader.
Two more vendors have opened at the Food Hall at City Foundry STL. Chicken Scratch, featuring rotisserie chicken, and Sureste Mexican, offering Yucatecan cuisine, both debuted Wednesday at the midtown venue.

Chicken Scratch

The Chicken Scratch concept comes from former Niche executive chef Nate Hereford. As Off the Menu reported in June, Hereford and his wife, Christine, were inspired by the rotisserie-chicken restaurants they visited while living in California a few years ago.

The focal point of Chicken Scratchs kitchen is a Rotisol rotisserie oven. Before the chickens are cooked, they are cured in salt and sugar overnight and then dry-rubbed.

The dry rub is nothing too crazy, Hereford says. Instead, it lets the chicken taste like chicken with an herbal and a spice background that isn't really too aggressive but is nice and warming.

The menu offers a quarter of a chicken with your choice of a sauce and a side. (Half and full birds are available after 4 p.m.) There are three sauces: a Fresno-chile based hot sauce, a horseradish mustard, and Scratch sauce, which Hereford describes as buttermilk-based with a ton of herbs and seasonings.
Despite her role leading council meetings, Days said that Page was responsible for enforcing mask requirements in county buildings.

The county executive had an opportunity to issue an order for all county buildings in St. Louis County. The county executive did not do that, Days said.

This chamber being within the building, that is under the purview of the county executive.  If the county executive wants masks all he has to do is put an order in, and that will be done. It is not my responsibility.

Days said she would not ask security to ask people who refuse to wear masks to leave because it would put them in jeopardy.

Fitch, at the Tuesday meeting, asked what charge a person who refused an officers order would face.

Asked Wednesday to respond, Page said council Republicans and protesters were seeking a confrontation.

But security officers, he said, are well-trained at de-escalating conflict when asking people to either wear a mask, or leave.

I know there are some elected officials, and there are some individuals in our community, that are desperately seeking a confrontation over mask wearing, he said. We are just not interested.
The federal governments Paycheck Protection Program provided small-business owners with just under $800 billion in COVID-19 relief, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The PPP concluded on May 31, but as businesses forge ahead in the recovery process, they may find a continued need for affordable financing. Here are some of the government funding options that are still available  and how to get them.

COVID-19 ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOANS

If your business lost money as a result of the pandemic, you may be eligible for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan. The SBA can issue these loans through Dec. 31 of this year, or until funds run out, whichever is sooner.

New changes to the program have increased the maximum available loan amount from $500,000 to $2 million, extended the payment deferment period to 24 months for all loans and expanded the use of funds to include payment of nonfederal and federal debt.

COVID-19 EIDLs are funded by the SBA directly  but unlike PPP loans, they cannot be forgiven.

However, businesses in low-income communities may be eligible for a COVID-19 EIDL advance of up to $15,000 that does not need to be repaid. Business owners can get an advance without getting a loan.
ST. LOUIS  In the burst of westward growth during the 19th century, it seemed that almost every town with a printing press was declaring itself the next Alexandria, Rome or Paris.

Logan Uriah Reavis, publisher of the St. Louis Daily Press, was this citys most exuberant tub-thumper in the boom years after the Civil War. He called St. Louis the Babylon of the New World ... on the banks of the great Mississippi.

His newspaper didnt last, but he was the champion of a movement to relocate the nations capital from Washington to the Mississippi valley, which he called the great vitalizing heart of the Republic. Reavis claimed to know the perfect spot and recommended dismantling the White House and newly completed Capitol for reassembly in St. Louis.

Henry T. Blow, a prominent local businessman, offered to donate 500 acres in the Carondelet area for a transplanted federal government. A St. Louis congressman filed legislation to move the capitol.
Shea died in the back yard a few minutes later. Other officers rushed Dwyer, McCluskey and Morris to City Hospital, then in temporary quarters at 17th and Pine streets. (The hospital on Lafayette Avenue, wrecked by the tornado of 1896, was being rebuilt.)

Dwyer died an hour later. McCluskey lived another day, asking shortly before he died, How is Tom? Doctors told him Dwyer was OK.

Morris confessed from his hospital bed. Im going to die. I might as well tell the whole thing, he said.

Delirious, Morris died Oct. 24 as a funeral procession headed north on Grand Boulevard to Calvary Cemetery for Dwyer and Shea. Mayor Rolla Wells and 600 police officers led the march from St. Alphonsus Rock Catholic Church.

Another funeral Mass was held for McCluskey the next day. More than 70 of his fellow Knights of Columbus marched with the mourners to Calvary.
UPDATED at 9:50 a.m. Thursday with name of man who died

ST. LOUIS  A security guard at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital early Wednesday morning shot and killed a man who had rammed the guard with his car, according to St. Louis police.

Police said the guard was investigating two people in a red Kia that were on the hospital lot in the 1400 block of South Grand Boulevard about 1:10 a.m.

The Kia then struck the guard, throwing him to the ground, and the guard fired gunshots into the car, according to police.

The Kia then struck a parked car in the lot. The driver of the Kia ran from the car, but was found in the street about two blocks south of the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead.

Police on Thursday identified him as 32-year-old Anthony Smith of the 5500 block of Alcott Avenue.

A 26-year-old female passenger of the Kia also attempted to run from the scene, but was taken into custody, St. Louis police said.

Police later forwarded charges for the woman to prosecutors, but she had not yet been charged as of 4:20 p.m.
JEFFERSON CITY  Despite a significant revision, Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick remains opposed to a Biden administration proposal designed to crack down on tax cheats.

The plan being crafted by congressional Democrats would require financial institutions to submit additional information to the Internal Revenue Service on all accounts with more than $10,000 in annual deposits or withdrawals.

In a press conference Thursday, Fitzpatrick said the revamped version would still be too intrusive and puts the data privacy of Missourians at risk.

Were opposed to this proposal at any level, said Fitzpatrick, who was flanked by four central Missouri bank presidents. Granting the IRS access to this information will increase the risk of personal information being compromised, increase costs for consumers and small businesses and make it less likely that unbanked Missourians will seek a path to financial independence.

The proposal is aimed at helping find people who are lying on their tax forms about how much they make each year.
Patricia McCloskey on Wednesday said in an interview that she paid the outstanding bill by e-check a few days ago shortly after getting a notice by certified mail from the city that a lien was put on the property because of the issue. She said she was given a confirmation number.

Vollmer said there can be a delay of three to four days for certain payments to show up in the city computer system.

McCloskey said she and her husband had been unaware until they got the recent certified letter that they owed the city anything.

I saw it late last week, she said.

She said the U.S. Postal Service had stopped regularly delivering mail to their home shortly after the couple gained national attention on June 28, 2020 for waving guns at protesters outside their home.

Since our event, the post office (wouldnt) deliver at all, she said.

She said mail service had begun again only about six weeks ago.

McCloskey said a postal worker who regularly delivers mail to her and her husbands law office had checked on the situation regarding their home. She said he was told that postal employees assigned to deliver in their neighborhood refused to do so at their home because of who we are.
LONDON  In the past, shareholder votes on the environment were rare and easily brushed aside.

Things could look different in the annual meeting season starting next month, when companies are set to face the most investor resolutions tied to climate change in years.

Those votes are likely to win more support than in previous years from large asset managers seeking clarity on how executives plan to adapt and prosper in a low-carbon world, according to interviews with more than a dozen activist investors and fund managers.

In the United States, shareholders have filed 79 climate-related resolutions so far, compared with 72 for all of last year and 67 in 2019, according to data compiled by the Sustainable Investments Institute. The institute estimated the count could reach 90 this year.

Topics to be put to a vote at annual general meetings include calls for emissions limits, pollution reports and climate audits that show the financial impact of climate change on their businesses.

A broad theme is to press corporations across sectors, from oil and transport to food and drink, to detail how they plan to reduce their carbon footprints in coming years, in line with government pledges to cut emissions to net zero by 2050.
Eleven days ago, Muqtada al Sadr, a popular Shia cleric, became the leader of a dominant parliamentary coalition that is anti-Iran, anti-corruption and wants all foreign troops out of Iraq. Thats fine with most Americans, who left in 2011 and were asked to return in 2014 as ISIL took control of a third of Iraq. Sadr and the Americans also agree that it was the epic levels of Iraqi corruption that made 2014 possible. If Sadr can make a serious dent in the corruption, especially inside the military, the Americans are eager to go.

When asked to return in 2014 the American came back in smaller numbers and on their own terms. The U.S. troops are mainly involved with training and advising Iraqi troops as well as monitoring the corruption levels. In 2014 the Americans, and Iraq, depended on the support of the autonomous Kurds in the north, who have always had the best troops and it was Kurds and Iraqi special operations troops who took the lead in driving ISIL out of Mosul and the rest of northern Iraq. The Kurds are still autonomous but with a growing list of grievances against the Shia government.

Sadr was never a fan of Kurdish autonomy and considered them potentially suspect because the Kurds are largely Sunni Moslems or Islamic sects most Moslems consider heretical. Despite that Sadr is more willing to cooperate with the Kurds now because they are a Sunni group that does not view Shia Arabs as their enemy. This became even more important when Sadr discovered that his new power in parliament was not enough to form a Sadr controlled government. With the help of the Kurds, his coalition would work. Sadr and the Kurds agree on the need for less corruption and more opposition to Iranian threats. The Kurds have corruption problems but to a lesser extent than the Arab majority down south. That reduction in corruption has made the Kurds more effective economically and militarily. Sadr needs Kurdish votes as well as practical and proven advice on how to reduce corruption, especially in the security forces.

Sadr also received unexpected levels of support from the Sunni Arab minority. Together with the Kurds, these two groups represent about 40 percent of the population and both are far more opposed to Iran than many Shia Arabs are.

Most of the parliament members who lost their seats were either pro-Iran or backed by corrupt and wealthy politicians who saw Sadr as more of a threat than the Iranians. Fears of vote rigging kept a lot of people from participating and the voter turnout was the lowest yet for a national election. Sadr paid attention to the more accurate and reliable public opinion polls and urged his supporters to vote. The voter fraud effort was less energetic because so many political parties expected to retain power. The more corrupt and wealthy Iraqi politicians are double checking their plans to get themselves, their families and most of their assets out of the country if the Sadr anti-corruption effort gains any traction. The pro-Iran politicians who lost were either planning violent responses or reconsidering their support for Iran.

Welcome Trends

Deaths from Islamic terrorism or political violence continue at historically low levels. That is another change most Iraqis agree on and support. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and pro-Iran radicals are encountering more resistance and less popular support than in the past. Now pro-Iran groups are sliding into the same status. The many Sunni factions are once again more united than in the past and willing to deal with Kurds or the Sadr coalition to improve the economic and political situation in Iraq. The Sunni coalition is also useful for reassuring the Sunni Arab oil states that investing in Iraq is the wise thing to do. After all, Iran is broke, and 80 percent of Iraqis are Arabs, and the Kurdish minorities in both are not friends of the Turks or Iranians.

October 20, 2021: In the west (Anbar province) at the Tanf (on the Syrian side)/Walweed (on the Iraqi side) border crossing explosions were heard in the American base near Tanf. The Americans confirmed the explosions but said there were no casualties. Civilians in the area report that the attacks came from a UAV. Syria and Russia want the American base gone and their ground forces have tried to get close but were turned back by American airstrikes. The Americans have controlled the Syrian side since 2017 while a pro-American Iraqi militia controls the Iraqi side. This is one of the three main Syria/Iraq border crossings and controls access to the main Baghdad-Damascus highway. The crossing is near where the borders of Jordan, Syria and Iraq meet.

In the south (Dhi Qar province, 375 kilometers south of Baghdad) there was another roadside bomb attack on an American supply convoy from Kuwait. As with most of these attacks, there were no casualties or damage to the convoy.

October 18, 2021: Popular Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, suddenly the most powerful politician in Iraq, is waiting, along with other political party leaders, for the official final tally of the October 10 parliamentary elections. It will be another week before these are released and the vote certified. The Sadr coalition does not have an absolute majority of seats and will have to form a coalition. There are several Sunni and Kurdish coalitions as well as some much-reduced pro-Iran coalitions. Sadr confirmed that he wants to improve relations with the Americans. This is popular with the Kurds, where the presence of American troops has kept the Kurdish north autonomous for 25 years. Sunni factions also favor the Americans because the U.S. urged the Shia majority to trust and protect the Sunni groups that turned against the Islamic terrorists fifteen years ago and resisted ISIL in 2014. So far, not enough Shia Arabs took the American advice and Sadr may be what finally changes that. All this change is coming mainly at the expense of pro-Iran Shia Arab candidates

October 15, 2021: In the north (Kirkuk province) security forces received tips from locals that led them to a stockpile of ISIL bomb making materials, including 56 mortar and tank shells and 53 detonators. With this material ISIL could build dozens of bombs for suicide bombings or roadside bombs for attacks on civilians or the security forces.

October 12, 2021: In the north (Nineveh Province, 45 kilometers southeast of Mosul) soldiers, acting on tips, found a major ISIL bomb workshop and stockpile of rockets. This workshop contained several special tools and machines that made it easier to build bombs and do it faster. The tips and other support from local civilians had made it much more dangerous for ISIL to operate in urban areas and the number of raids or airstrikes on ISIL facilities and the losses in personnel and weapons is visibly weakening the organization. There are fewer new recruits and more desertions.

In the west (Anbar province) across the Syrian border (in Deir Ezzor province) an airstrike once again hit an Iran-backed militia facility and largely destroyed it. The air strike was near the Al Bukamal crossing into Iraq. Iran is seeking to provide a safer environment for its Iraqi militias. Inside Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah is subject to attack by security forces and pro-government militias. In eastern Syria the biggest threat is Israeli airstrikes and the occasional American one. Todays attack left three Iraqis dead along with one Syrian and several Iranians. These constant attacks are causing Iraqis belonging to pro-Iran militias to reconsider their loyalty to Iran.

October 10, 2021: National elections were held and the result was Muqtada al Sadr, an Iran educated Shia senior cleric and his coalition of political parties won. Pro-Iran militias and political parties were apparently waiting for instructions from Iran, which has been claiming growing popularity for Iran inside Iraq.

Sadr is hostile to Iranian influence in Iraq, especially the way Iran exploits Iraqi corruption to maintain Iranian influence in Iraq. Pro-Iran Iraqis, who want Iraq to have a government like Irans, insisted todays elections were fraudulent. Corruption is usually a factor in Iraqi elections, with voters or voting officials bribed or threatened in order to favor a particular candidate. The only reliable antidote to that is to compare opinion polls taken before the vote with the outcome of the vote. The polls have remained relatively corruption-free and this time they showed the vote following what the polls were saying; the reform coalitions, especially the dominant Sadr faction, would win.
How Telstra Delivered Record-Breaking Americas Cup from New Zealand to the World

Telstra distributed the 36th Americas Cup to a record-breaking global audience

Sydney( )

Telstra Broadcast Services (TBS) has delivered the 36th Americas Cup presented by PRADA (AC36) to a worldwide audience reaching nearly one billion viewers in 236 countries and territories, making it the most-watched Americas Cup in its 170-year history.

Working with Americas Cup and the host production provider for AC36, Austrians circle-o, TBS designed a bespoke network encompassing a wide range of different services that few other companies would be able to match within their portfolios.

AC36s key requirement was for scalable and reliable contribution and distribution services that could meet the demands of 55 major networks, as well as global online distribution through YouTube, Facebook, and the America's Cup website. Alongside that, large amounts of broadcast-quality content needed to be regularly uploaded to a media cloud as part of the production workflow, and a 24/7 connection was required to circle-os remote centre in Wuppertal, Germany.

Telstra had a technical service that was outstanding, comments Werner Eksler, Managing Director for circle-o. It was important for us to have one partner and not three partners for three different services, and the communication with Telstra was excellent.

TBS curated an international contribution and distribution solution from its high-bandwidth media network, known as the Special Events Network, to meet these challenges. This solution managed end-to-end IP broadcast network provided services, including on-site and remote broadcast operations; remote production; the distribution of world feeds and streaming feeds to global rights holders; the contribution of signals (including 24/7 upload and Point-to-Point IP connectivity); and bespoke internet services onsite, including ethernet private lines.

We had a great experience with Telstra, comments Stephen Nuttall, Head of Production and Distribution at Americas Cup. The fibre delivery, I think, was a major plus; it was pretty straightforward for broadcasters to plug into the Telstra network. They were always available and very proactive in doing testing with broadcasters. And they delivered an operation, which was, from my point of view, as a rights holder, seamless and very, very reliable.

Andreas Eriksson, Head of Telstra Broadcast Services said: When we won the AC36 contract in January 2020, we could not have foreseen the challenges ahead due to the pandemic. The team rose to meet every one of them to deliver a high-quality, high-profile service from a country that was effectively in isolation and made AC36 one of the standout global sporting successes of the year.

For more information on how Telstra addressed the challenge of AC36, you can download the case study here.

About Telstra

Telstra is a leading telecommunications and technology company. We offer a full range of services and compete in all telecommunications markets in Australia, operating the largest mobile and Wi-Fi networks. Globally, we provide end-to-end solutions including managed media networks, managed network services, global connectivity, cloud, voice, colocation, conferencing and satellite solutions. We have licenses in Asia, Europe and the United States and offer access to more than 2,000 points of presence across the globe.

For more information visit www.telstra.com
Insurer implements Guidewire for increased system efficiency, better data insight, and enriched customer experience

CARDIFF, Wales & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Admiral Group plc, the FTSE 100 Financial Services organisation, and Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE: GWRE) today announced that Admiral has implemented Guidewire as the new claims management system for its household line of business. Guidewire PartnerConnect Consulting Global Premier member, EY, led the implementation to go-live stage.

A customer since 2013, Admiral has already deployed Guidewire for its policy administration and billing systems, as well as digital applications, to its motor and household lines of business.

What the programme has delivered for Household Claims will significantly advance our processing and service capability, said Claire Charlton, Admirals Head of Household Claims. I believe Guidewire ClaimCenter will empower us to deliver better outcomes and experiences for all our users. For our people, it will be easier to manage claims, for our business we will have more data to better control claims cost, and for our customers, it will enable a truly digital experience.

The increased use of Guidewire is enabling Admiral to:

Manage claims processes more cost-effectively through a streamlined, agile, and proficient claims system;

Access and gather higher quality data more systematically and efficiently for increased insight, clearer reporting, and better-informed decision-making, and

Provide enhanced digital customer experience by offering more choice and flexibility when submitting claims.

Our programme has journeyed through a thorough supplier selection process, scoping, development, testing, training, and deployment, all amid a global pandemic, said Charlotte Bennett, Programme Manager, Admiral. This has been achieved completely remotely, with colleagues involved across nine countries. The teamwork and cooperation on such a global scale has been phenomenal with everyone pulling together to make it happen. I just want to take this opportunity to thank all of my amazing colleagues in Admiral and our partners who worked very hard to complete this huge project.

Weve worked closely with Admiral and Guidewire to deliver an innovative digital claims platform which will transform the way claims are managed, commented Mitch Robinson, partner in EYs Financial Services practice. The platform, using market-leading technology and architecture, provides enhanced online capabilities. It will enable more efficient and effective claims handling, which will support the capture of valuable new data and insights, and improve customers claims experiences. We look forward to continued joint work with Admiral and Guidewire as the new service is rolled-out across other insurance lines.

We congratulate Admiral on their latest deployment and thank them for their continued trust in Guidewire, said Laurent Fontaine, group vice president, Sales  EMEA, Guidewire Software. Admiral has a well-deserved reputation for its straightforward and hassle-free approach to customer service. We admire their commitment to delivering digital products and services in a clear-cut and innovative way and look forward to our continued collaboration.

About Admiral Group

Admiral Group is a leading FTSE100 Financial Services company with businesses in the UK, Europe and the US. It was set up in 1993 as a car insurance specialist in the UK, but since then has expanded into other countries and other services such as, home and travel insurance, Insurtech, personal loans, car finance and legal services. It is proud to have its headquarters and UK offices in south Wales as well as businesses in Spain, Italy, France and the US. Its history is one of growth, profitability and innovation. When it launched in 1993 it had just one brand, zero customers and 57 members of staff. It now has over 11,000 employees and 7 million customers worldwide. Admiral Group is Wales only FTSE 100 Company. Group turnover in 2020 was 3.55 billion (2019: 3.46 billion). Admiral Group, through its subsidiary companies, consists of 15 brands - Admiral, elephant.co.uk, Diamond, Bell, Gladiator and Veygo, all based in the UK, Qualitas Auto, Balumba and WiYou Seguros based in Spain, ConTe.it based in Italy, LOlivier.fr and Homebrella based in France, Elephant.com, Apparent Insurance and Compare.com based in the USA. Add from here https://admiralgroup.co.uk/our-business/brands-markets Admiral Groups website address is www.admiralgroup.co.uk Admiral is proud of its award-winning culture. In 2020, Admiral Group was named the 14th Best Workplace in the World by Great Place to Work. In 2021, Admiral UK was named the 5th best workplace in the UK by Great Place to Work, the 5th Best Big Company To Work For in the UK in the Sunday Times Best Companies To Work For and Admiral Group was named the 17th Best Multinational Workplace by Great Place to Work in Europe. Follow Admiral Group on Twitter at www.twitter.com/admiralgroup and on Instagram @AdmiralGroupplc

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organisation, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organisation, please visit ey.com

About Guidewire

Guidewire is the platform general insurers trust to engage, innovate, and grow efficiently. We combine digital, core, analytics, and AI to deliver our platform as a cloud service. More than 450 insurers, from new ventures to the largest and most complex in the world, run on Guidewire.

As a partner to our customers, we continually evolve to enable their success. We are proud of our unparalleled implementation track record, with 1,000+ successful projects, supported by the largest R&D team and partner ecosystem in the industry. Our marketplace provides hundreds of applications that accelerate integration, localisation, and innovation.

For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com and follow us on twitter: @Guidewire_PandC.

NOTE: For information about Guidewires trademarks, visit https://www.guidewire.com/legal-notices.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005138/en/

James Carnduff

Admiral UK

James.carnduff@admiralgroup.co.uk

Victoria Luttig

EY Media Relations, UK & Ireland

+44 (0)7393 758730

vluttig@uk.ey.com

Daniel Couzens

Allison + Partners

+44(0)203 971 4308

guidewire@allisonpr.com

Louise Bradley

PR & Communications  EMEA, Guidewire

+44(0)7474 837 860

lbradley@guidewire.com

Source: Guidewire Software, Inc.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- jCyte, Inc., a private biotechnology company dedicated to improving the lives of patients with retinal degenerative diseases, announced the continued expansion of the companys executive management team with the appointment of John Pollack, MD, FASRS, as the companys first Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

Dr. Pollack is a retinal clinician, surgeon, and educator, and brings over two decades of clinical, research, and drug development experience in ophthalmology to jCyte. Dr. Pollack is a past president of the American Society of Retinal Specialists (ASRS), the largest organization of retinal specialists in the world, and its philanthropic arm, the Foundation of ASRS.

The potential to provide relief to patients suffering from blinding inherited retinal disorders, the impressive team at jCyte, and our shared values made joining the company a compelling opportunity, said Dr. Pollack. I believe that jCell has the potential to transform the lives of these patients and their families, and I am delighted to be able to play a role as we work towards this very important goal.

Dr. Pollack joins jCyte from Neurotech, where he served as CMO. While at Neurotech, Dr. Pollack oversaw the execution of their Phase 3 clinical program, patient safety, and supported the companys regulatory submissions and development objectives.

Dr. Pollack has practiced at Illinois Retinal Associates for 25 years, while also being on faculty at the Rush University Medical Center. In addition to seeing patients and being listed in the Best Doctors in America and Guide to Americas Top Ophthalmologists, Dr. Pollack is an internationally recognized researcher, serving as a Study Chairperson, Principal Investigator (PI), or Co-PI on nearly 20 studies of novel therapies for age-related macular degeneration, macular edema, retinal detachment, and artificial vision. Dr. Pollack has delivered over 200 scientific presentations at international scientific conferences, published over 60 papers and book chapters, and is a highly sought-after speaker and advisor. Dr. Pollacks work led to him being honored as a Charter Inductee into the Retina Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifetime achievements and contributions to the field of retina.

Dr. Pollack earned his undergraduate degree in Biology at Washington University in St. Louis and his MD at Georgetown University. He returned to Washington Universitys Barnes Hospital to complete his ophthalmology residency followed by a retina-vitreous fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

I am extremely honored and humbled to have John join our team, said Dr. Shannon Blalock, Chief Executive Officer, jCyte. I know John to be a true friend of the patient who has dedicated his life to caring for and changing the lives of patients suffering from retinal disorders. I cannot think of a better person to help ensure that our RMAT designated therapy successfully navigates the final pivotal phase of its development for our lead indication in RP so we can safely deliver it to the many patients who are in desperate need. Johns close work with patients, his thorough understanding of the retina and retinal degenerative diseases, his ability to translate the science to application, and his long-standing leadership position within the ophthalmology community will be critical to our companys evolution and continued success. We look forward to benefiting from Johns extensive experience as a clinician, surgeon, scientist, researcher, and advisor as we study and commercialize our RMAT designated jCell platform technology for a number of follow-on retinal degenerative conditions.

jCell is a first-in-class investigational treatment for RP which has received FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation. In addition to RMAT designation, jCell has received Orphan Drug designation from the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

About jCyte, Inc.

jCyte, Inc. is a late-stage clinical development biotech company focused on developing its first-in-class regenerative cell therapy, jCell, for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and other retinal degenerative disorders. The treatment is minimally invasive and given as an intravitreal injection. There are currently no FDA approved therapies for RP. The company is pioneering a new era of regenerative therapies to address the significant unmet medical needs of patients suffering from a broad set of retinal degenerative diseases. For more information, visit www.jcyte.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211019005183/en/

jCyte, Inc.

Robert Beathard

Sr. Vice President, Corporate Development

Media@jcyte.com

Source: jCyte, Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2021) - Quaterra Resources Inc.(TSXV: QTA) (OTCQB: QTRRF)the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed an oversubscribed third and final tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"). 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 third tranche, the Company has issued 29,832,834 units ("Units") at a price of US$0.06 (C$0.075) per Unit for gross proceeds of US$1,789,970 (C$2,237,463). Combined with the first and second tranches, the Company has raised an aggregate of US$4,128,140 (C$5,160,175) in the Private Placement.

Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one non-transferable 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.

In connection with the completion of the third tranche of the Private Placement, the Company paid a total of US$110,388 and issued an aggregate of 1,839,798 finder's warrants as finder's fees. The finder's warrants are exercisable at a price of US$0.10 per share for a period of 3 years from the date of closing.

The securities issued pursuant to the third tranche of the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period expiring on February 22, 2022 in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Letter of Intent to Acquire B.C. Exploration Properties: Chaco Bear and Ashton Properties

The Company further announces that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent (the "LOI") with Houston Minerals Ltd. and certain affiliated persons pursuant to which the Company was granted the option to acquire a 100% interest in the Chaco Bear Property located directly east of the Golden Triangle of British Columbia, and the Ashton Property located near Lytton, British Columbia (Collectively, the "Properties"), subject to a 2.5% net smelter return royalty (the "NSR") on each property. The Properties are comprised of 19 mineral claims covering 7,975.46 hectares. A map providing the location of the claims for each of the Properties is provided in Figures 1-3 below.

Mr. Travis Naugle, CEO, states that these "B.C. Properties represent an exciting opportunity to create value for our shareholders. The Chaco Bear Property appears to be a compelling analogue to the world-class Eskay Creek gold deposit and we look forward to further exploring this potential. The Ashton Property represents one of the earliest staked properties in the emerging Spences Bridge Gold Belt and we believe it to be a prime exploration opportunity, with multiple drill targets already identified." Mr. Naugle also states that the support of the vendor in completing this LOI, including their participation in Quaterra's financing, was appreciated.

Under the terms of the LOI, the Company can earn up to a 100% interest in the Properties by making the following issuances and payments over a four year period:

issuing 8,000,000 common shares of the Company on closing

making annual lease payments on the Properties after 2021

incurring C$150,000 of exploration expenditures on the Chaco Bear Property and C$50,000 of exploration expenditures on the Ashton Property before the end of 2021

incurring exploration expenditures of at least the value of the annual assessment multiplied by 1.5 for periods after 2021

paying C$1,500,000 for the Chaco Bear Property and C$1,000,000 for the Ashton Property on or before 4 years from the closing, which amounts are payable in cash or common shares of the Company

making annual advance royalty payments in the fourth and fifth year from the closing in the amounts of C$250,000 on the Chaco Bear Property and C$150,000 on the Ashton Property

Prior to feasibility, the Company may reduce the NSR to 1.0% on the Chaco Bear Property in consideration for a payment of C$6,000,000 and 1.0% on the Ashton Property for a payment of C$3,000,000. Post feasibility, the Company may purchase the remaining 1.0% NSR on the Chaco Bear Property for C$12,000,000 and the remaining 1.0% NSR on the Ashton Property for C$6,000,000.

Closing of the transaction contemplated in the LOI is subject to the parties entering into a definitive agreement and stock exchange approval.





Figure 1: Chaco Bear Project

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1020/100501_chaco%20region%20pr%2021-1020.jpg





Figure 2: Chaco Bear Claim

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1020/100501_chaco%20claims%20pr%2021-1020.jpg

Figure 3: Ashton Project



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1020/100501_ashton%20region%20pr%2021-1020.jpg





Shares for Debt

The Company announces that it has agreed to settle outstanding debt of C$33,302.42 with an arm's length creditor by issuing 444,032 common shares of the Company at a deemed price of C$0.075 per share. The amount of indebtedness represents an outstanding account for services provided to the Company.

The issuance of common shares in connection with the debt settlement is subject to the approval of the Exchange. The common shares issued pursuant to the debt settlement will be subject to a four-month hold period in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

Stock Options and RSUs

The Company announces that it has granted an aggregate of 2,700,000 incentive stock options ("Options") pursuant to its stock option plan and 8,000,000 restricted share units ("RSUs") pursuant to its restricted share unit plan (the "RSU Plan") to various directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company. The Options are exercisable at a price of $0.09 per share and expire five years from the date of grant. The RSUs granted will vest over a three year period, with 33.33% of the RSUs vesting immediately upon receipt of final approval of the RSU Plan from the Exchange and 33.33% vesting every 12 months from the date of grant. If at any point the Company divests its interests, including the option to purchase, absent a merger, sale or similar transaction in a) one of either the Chaco Bear or Ashton Projects, then 50% of the total RSUs that have not vested will be cancelled, or b) both the Chaco Bear or Ashton projects, then 100% of the total RSUs that have not vested will be cancelled.

The grant of RSUs and the adoption of the RSU Plan are subject to receipt of the final approval of the Exchange and shareholder approval. The aggregate number of common shares of the Company that may be reserved for issuance pursuant to RSUs granted under the RSU Plan is 8,000,000. After this issuance of the RSUs to the directors and officers, there will be no RSUs available for future grants under the RSU Plan.

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.

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.

Technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Travis Naugle, MMSA QP, the Company's CEO and a director, and a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

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/100501
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- History will be made when Former Ambassador of Israel to the Republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and Consul General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest in Los Angeles, Dr. Hillel Newman, will visit Watts, Los Angeles, California on October 20, 2021.

Consul General Hillel Newman is personally scheduled to pay a visit to Women of Watts and Beyond (WOWB) located at the iconic Watts Happening Cultural Center in South Los Angeles to explore the establishment of a state-of-the-art computer hub for the local youth, which will serve as a preeminent educational center in the Watts community to ensure that impoverished and underprivileged African American and Latino students have access to the tools, educational and technical resources required to compete academically, while empowering their lives and future.

"This exploratory meeting comes at the heels of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid's visit to Washington, further solidifying the deep bonds and unbreakable ties between our two nations and their peoples, the United States of America and the State of Israel. As the world evolves into a new paradigm of unified consciousness, we want to be at the forefront whereby in servant leadership we partner with our local communities in need to help support, empower and propel them into a newfound destiny of hope, faith, kindness, tolerance, compassion and Unity Consciousness, and we feel that providing these necessary tools and resources for education can help in achieving these aspirational goals while creating positive, lasting change to posterity," said Jack Tifin, Meeting Coordinator and Founder and President of Jack Tifin, LLC, a global spiritual practice dedicated to raising the consciousness on the planet.

The meeting will include community leaders, politicians, and the Los Angeles Police Department. Consul General Hillel Newman said, "We look forward to meeting with Women of Watts and Beyond and the local community and officials, in solidarity to unity for the betterment of our communities and society. As Martin Luther King Jr. said to the American Jewish Congress in his legendary speech in 1958, 'My people were brought to America in chains. Your people were driven here to escape the chains fashioned for them in Europe. Our unity is born of our common struggle for centuries, not only to rid ourselves of bondage, but to make oppression of any people by others an impossibility.' We are excited at the prospect of this unifying partnership."

"Every single life is so precioustoo precious to lose to senseless gang violenceand this will help us save lives and reduce crime in our streets," said Lydia Friend, Founder of WOWB."

Date:

Wednesday, October 20, 2021.

Meeting:

11:00 AM  11:45 AM.

Tour:

11:45 AM  12:00 PM.

Location:

1827 East 103rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90002.

Attendees:

Jack Tifin, Meeting Coordinator, Entrepreneur, Founder and President, Jack Tifin, LLC.

Lydia Friend, Founder, Women of Watts and Beyond.

Local Politicians.

LAPD Officers.

Dr. Hillel Newman, Consul General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest in Los Angeles.

Source: Jack Tifin, LLC: http://www.jacktifin.com

Consulate General of Israel: https://embassies.gov.il/la/Pages/default.aspx

Women of Watts and Beyond: https://womenofwattsandbeyond.com

Media Contact:Jack Tifin3236456415 321697@email4pr.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/former-ambassador-of-israel-to-the-republics-of-uzbekistan-and-tajikistan-and-consul-general-of-israel-to-the-pacific-southwest-in-los-angeles-dr-hillel-newman-is-set-to-visit-watts-los-angeles-california-on-october-20-2021-301404339.html

SOURCE Jack Tifin, LLC
NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GoGreen Investments Corporation (the "Company") announced today the upsizing and pricing of its initial public offering of 24,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit. The offering was upsized from 20,000,000 units. The units will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") and will begin trading tomorrow, October 21st, 2021, under the ticker symbol "GOGN.U". Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share of the Company and one-half of one redeemable warrant, each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. Only whole warrants are exercisable. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and warrants are expected to be listed on NYSE under the symbols "GOGN" and "GOGN.WS," respectively.

The Company is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While the Company may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry, it intends to focus its search on companies in the clean/renewable energy space. The Company is led by Chief Executive Officer John Dowd.

Citigroup and Credit Suisse are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,600,000 units at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any.

The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained, when available, from Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at 1-800-831-9146 and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 6933 Louis Stephens Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560, by telephone at 1-800-221-1037, or by emailing usa.prospectus@credit-suisse.com.

A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on October 20th, 2021. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements," including with respect to the initial public offering and the anticipated use of the net proceeds. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described, or at all, or that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's registration statement and preliminary prospectus for the offering filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

Contact

Michael Sedoy, CFA CFO 713.337.4075 info@gogreeninvestments.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gogreen-investments-corporation-announces-upsizing-and-pricing-of-240-000-000-initial-public-offering-301405061.html

SOURCE GoGreen Investments Corporation
KARIYA, Japan, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tokai University, Toyohashi University of Technology, Chubu University, and DENSO Corporation have been developing testing equipment to detect SARS-CoV-2 with support from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)*1. Universities and DENSO announced today that the group has succeeded in developing a biosensor based on a new mechanism and detecting SARS-CoV-2. The group will accelerate the development toward practical application to contribute to early diagnosis of infectious diseases, which is a key factor in limiting virus' spread.

To prevent the medical system from being overwhelmed due to viral infectious diseases, it is essential to prevent the spread of viruses by early diagnosis and isolation. At present, PCR tests*2 and antigen tests*3 are used for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. However, these tests cannot evaluate "virus infectivity," which indicates the power of the detected virus to infect. PCR tests are characterized by its high virus detection sensitivity, but effort of sample pretreatment process imposes a high workload on medical professionals. Meanwhile, antigen tests are simple, but the detection accuracy varies. There has been growing demand for a high-sensitivity and simple detection method to evaluate viral infectiousness.

The universities and DENSO have been developing a biosensor for clinical testing equipment to enable high sensitive and quick quantitative detection of viral infectivity. Unlike PCR tests and antigen tests, the biosensor detects the spike protein*4 on the virus surface, which triggers infection, by using a semiconductor sensor and aptamer.*5 The group has succeeded in developing highly sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 with high sensitivity by using this technique for the first time in the world.*6

The semiconductor sensor can quantitatively measure the viral load by using electrical signals. Thus, it is expected to be used to determine the status of infection and confirm the efficacy of treatment with high accuracy. An aptamer is small in size and binds selectively to various types of protein. It is also easy to design and can be mass-produced quickly, and so the aptamers can be used to detect unknown viruses.

The goal of the development of the biosensor by the universities and DENSO is to determine the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and offer novel tests which have virus detection sensitivity equivalent to that of PCR tests and which is as simple as antigen tests. The group will enhance the basic technology and accelerate the development toward practical application.

The universities and DENSO remain committed to preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection by harnessing the technologies that have been refined through the project.

Glossary

*1 AMEDUniversities and DENSO develop biosensor with the support of AMED, with the project called "Advanced semiconductor sensor-based biomolecule detection system towards diagnosis of infectious SARS-CoV-2"*2 PCR testA test for detecting genes in a virus.*3 Antigen testIn a typical antigen test, the nucleocapsid protein in a virus is detected using an antibody.*4 Spike proteinProtein on the virus surface. It has the function of binding to human cell receptors and triggers infection. *5 AptamerAn artificially synthesized nucleic acid molecule. It bonds with specific substances.*6 For the first time in the worldWorld's first technology to detect the spike protein by using a semiconductor sensor and aptamer.

Respective roles and comments

 Tokai UniversityFrom the viewpoint of infection control and laboratory physicians, we are eager to develop a system characterized by superb sensitivity and specificity and capable of quick diagnosis to determine infectiousness with simple operation. We offer advice on practical application and ensure accuracy management by using products, which are developed with world-leading engineering capabilities.

 Toyohashi University of TechnologyWe fabricated a semiconductor sensor capable of converting the viral load into electrical signals and supplied it to this project. The use of semiconductor technology makes it possible to distinguish viruses which cause very similar symptoms in a single test by using a sensor as small as a grain of rice.

 Chubu UniversityWe prepared and supplied various types of viruses to evaluate the specificity of the semiconductor sensor. This biosensor is capable of quick detection of "infectious viruses" which cannot be determined by conventional methods such as PCR tests. Determination of the status of viral proliferation (that is, whether the viruses that have entered the body keep their infectivity or not) will clarify the timing when viral detection and/or isolation could be finished, and help infected individuals return to normal life.

 DENSO CorporationWe supplied biotechnology to detect viruses using a semiconductor sensor with higher sensitivity by taking full advantage of our expertise derived from R&D on detecting various viruses and biomarkers, which was conducted as part of advanced research to create a comfortable cabin space. We will accelerate the development toward practical application by leveraging biotechnology and semiconductor technology that have been refined through many years of operations.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/universities-and-denso-develop-biosensor-to-detect-sars-cov-2-and-accelerate-development-for-practical-application-301405950.html

SOURCE DENSO
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a B-1B Lancer in flight over the Black Sea, Oct. 19, 2021. This still image from video was recorded by Russian crew members aboard a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet, which mobilized in response to the U.S. flights over international waters. ((Russian Defense Ministry))

A pair of Russian fighter jets intercepted four U.S. military planes in international airspace over the Black Sea, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

Two U.S. B-1 bombers and two KC-135 tanker refueling planes were intercepted Tuesday, Russian officials said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the two Su-30 fighters had been scrambled to prevent a violation of Russias state border.

The encounter, which appears to have occurred without incident, happened amid NATOs annual deterrence exercise Steadfast Noon, taking place this week all across southern Europe.

Aircraft from 14 NATO countries, including the U.S., are taking part in the drill. The U.S. B-1B Lancers operating in the Black Sea are from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and have been carrying out missions across Europe as part of a bomber task force rotation. The U.S. military regularly flies in international airspace over the Black Sea, and encounters with Russian aircraft have become commonplace. While most intercepts occur without incident, the U.S. has cited instances in recent years of Russian planes flying too close to American aircraft or buzzing Navy ships on patrol.

The Black Sea has been a focal point this week for the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is touring the region, making stops in Georgia, Ukraine and Romania.

On Thursday, Austin will attend a NATO defense ministers meeting at alliance headquarters in Brussels.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Sarah Ringdahl, 60th Dental Squadron periodontist, administers a COVID-19 vaccine to Capt. Marshall Neubauer, USAF Reserve Officers' Training Corps Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies, Jan. 8, 2021 at Travis Air Force Base, California. The Air Force has set a Nov. 2 deadline for active-duty airmen and guardians to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and Dec. 2 for reservists and Guardsmen, unless they have a valid exemption. (Heide Couch/U.S. Air Force)

(Tribune News Service)  The Air Force is warning those who refuse to take a COVID-19 vaccine that they could be prosecuted under military law.

Nov. 2 is the deadline for active-duty airmen and Space Force guardians to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel facing a Dec. 2 deadline.

Any active-duty airman or guardian who has refused to get a qualifying vaccine by Nov. 2 and has not received, or is not in the process of seeking, a medical exemption or religious accommodation will be in violation of a lawful order and subject to discipline under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the Air Force said Wednesday.

"Should a service member refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, commanders retain the full range of disciplinary options available to them under law and policy, some of which includes issuing administrative paperwork, imposing nonjudicial punishment, or referring court-martial charges," the Air Force said.

Article 92 concerns the failure to obey a direct, lawful order. The maximum punishment is dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for two years.

As of Oct. 18, 96.2% of the active-duty population has had at least one shot, the Air Force said. Those in the "total force"  active-duty, Guard and Reserve  who have received at least one shot amounts to 92.8%.

"Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of total force Airmen and Guardians who are fully vaccinated or on track to meet the department's vaccination timelines," Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said in the statement. "To those yet to get vaccinated, the order is clear: You have a responsibility to take action now, protect our nation and those we love, or be held accountable for failing to do so."

Active-duty members should have gotten their second dose of a two-dose vaccine  the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines  by Tuesday, Col. Patrick Miller, installation commander at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, said in a Facebook town hall Wednesday afternoon.

It takes two weeks after that second dose before the vaccine offers full protection.

"Really, what we're tracking is yesterday," Miller said Wednesday.

Similarly, Guard and Reserve members will need a second shot by Nov. 18.

Civilian employees should be fully vaccinated by Nov. 22, meaning they need to receive their second shot by Nov. 8.

There are medical and religious exemptions available to those who seek them, Miller said. "Know that our team is doing their due diligence to assess those," he said.

Miller asked those who have not received an exemption to not let concerns about the impending deadline "chew you up."

"Don't get angry, don't get frustrated," Miller said. "Once we get that information, we will arm you with that."

He added: "Know that we will adjust fire as we move along."

(c)2021 the Journal-News (Hamilton, Ohio)

Visit the Journal-News (Hamilton, Ohio) at www.journal-news.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Col. Kevin Mantovani, vice commander of Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, and Lt. Col. Craig Svanberg, special projects officer for AFIMSC directorate of staff, discuss the organizations change to a majority telework environment during a livestreamed town hall with personnel in September. Based on the successes of telework during the coronavirus pandemic, AFIMSC has changed the layout of its office building at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, so that employees can reserve desk space on days they need to be in the office. Otherwise, they can work from home. (Air Force)

Before 2020, Candice Velazquez had the option to telework one day a week with her job at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. She declined.

I was dead-set against it. I was one of the ones holding out, I didnt want to do it, said the retired Air Force reservist who has spent the past 22 years in civil service. Shed spent her entire career going into an office and saw no reason not to continue doing so.

After the coronavirus pandemic forced her to work from home, Velazquez, a government information specialist with Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, or AFIMSC, said she was happy to learn the agency is retooling to become up to 70% telework. She now only goes into the office when the work of the day requires it  about twice a week.

She said working from her home limited distractions and interruptions, allowing her to complete work at a faster pace.

Throughout AFIMSC, supervisors were noticing that many employees were like Velazquez, meeting the same standard of work, but from home  and they were happy to be there.

What we found over time  was that we were very successful if not as successful working from home, as we were when everyone came into the office every single day, said Col. Kevin Mantovani, AFIMSC vice commander. Without the pandemic forcing the agency to switch to telework, he said the plan to keep the majority of personnel working from home might never have been taken seriously.

For the government, it was probably a bridge too far to say, Hey, we wear uniforms, and we're going to work from home, he said.

Following guidance from the Department of the Air Force released in May to incorporate more telework options into the post-pandemic workspace, AFIMSC is hoping to create and test a model that can be incorporated at other service agencies and bases where the local mission allows for it.

Positive impacts of telework were seen across the Defense Department, according to a March report from the Defense Department inspector general. Of more than 54,600 survey respondents, 88% said their productivity level remained the same or increased during telework, regardless of any initial challenges faced when adjusting to the sudden shift in operations. About two-thirds of respondents said theyd like to telework regularly in the future, with many citing benefits such as commuting less often, better work-life balance and more flexibility in their work schedule.

However, the Defense Department has not issued any specific guidance to the services regarding telework.

More efficient

AFIMSC oversees and provides support operations to 78 Air and Space Force bases around the globe and employs about 3,200 people. Of those, about 2,000 work from offices at Port San Antonio, formerly Kelly Air Force Base, and about two-thirds are civilians tasked with base services such as civil engineering, financial management, logistical readiness and security forces.

Velazquez wasnt alone in her reservations about telework  or her change of heart. As employers gauge how, and if, to bring personnel back to an office environment as the coronavirus pandemic loosens its grip on American society, they must also understand many employees are happy at home.

Early in the pandemic, Velazquez said she purchased a desk and a new chair and carved out a work area in her home. Without her 30- to 40-minute commute, she starts the workday earlier, usually at about 6:30 a.m., takes an actual hourlong lunchbreak, then ends the day by 4 p.m.

During work breaks, she said she cooks her own meals instead of eating fast food lunches at a desk and uses quick household tasks, such as ironing, to clear her head when shes stuck on a work problem or struggles to organize her thoughts to write a memo. It clears her head and allows her to refocus, she said.

Velazquezs job is centered on filling information requests, mostly through the Freedom of Information Act, and it requires she go into the office to sort through classified paperwork. As telework continued, she found the days she went into the office were more productive than in the past. She entered the building with set goals and achieved them quicker.

It gave me time without the stressors of the office to review everything and it helped me to be more efficient, Velazquez said.

While there are some cost savings included in reducing the physical space required to provide everyone a desk, its also about retention of personnel, said Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, who in May released a statement on the services expanded telework policy.

Telework and remote work provides additional tools and options to help us recruit and retain the right talent to compete in the high-end future fight, he said. We recognize the value these flexible work arrangements can have, in some circumstances, to enhance work-life balance and maximize organizational productivity.

About 54% of employed adults said they would like to continue telework once the pandemic ends, according to a Pew Research Center poll released in December. However, the poll also found there are some people who said they faced difficulties, such as finding adequate workspace, having the technology necessary and feeling motivated. This is, in part, why Mantovani said AFIMSC will move forward with a hybrid approach.

Candice Velazquez, a government information specialist for Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, enters the organizations main building recently. Based on the successes of telework during the coronavirus pandemic, AFIMSC is allowing for up to 70% telework for employees, including Velazquez. (Air Force )

He said he is also aware that some jobs just dont allow for workers to be at home even part of the time. Theres no one-size-fits-all, he said. Hes asked leaders in various departments and sections of AFIMSC to coordinate with personnel to create a plan and adjust and adapt as needed.

Prior to the pandemic, AFIMSC was looking at plans to expand the number of desks in its 130,000-square-foot headquarters to accommodate more workers. Now, Mantovani said they have scrapped those plans and started a new plan to make the office more open and sharable.

First thing to go, about 100 cubicles, with more to follow.

Theyve removed assigned spaces for the majority of employees and created hotel desks that people can reserve for the days that they plan to come into the office. Otherwise, they can work freely from an open area with a variety of chairs, tables and small booths that offer varying degrees of privacy.

Personnel can also book conference rooms and certain collaborative spaces to bring together teams and host in-person meetings as the pandemic conditions allow for more group settings.

Renovations are ongoing as AFIMSC waits for furniture deliveries and a few technology updates, but personnel are already taking advantage of the new concept, Mantovani said.

Move fast and experiment

Named the Office of the Future, Mantovani said they will continue to adapt the space as employees provide feedback on what they like and what they dont.

You know the Department Defense keeps saying, innovate, innovate, innovate. Move fast and experiment. This is our culture now. It didn't used to be this way, so I think the culture plus the pandemic encourages us not to have it 100% right on day one, Mantovani said.

Because AFIMSC oversees bases, he said he knows they arent alone in navigating through this new telework environment. As a headquarters, they want to provide guidance to other bases and offices as quickly as possible, he said. Mantovani has fielded calls from other Air Force offices to give advice, share ideas and collaborate on telework.

We're trying not to let everybody reinvent the wheel. Let's work together and figure it all out together. What works? What doesn't? he said.

The challenge is making certain everyone at AFIMSC feels like a valued member of a team, he said

The culture and the camaraderie has been absolutely hurt by telework, Mantovani said. In our minds, it has to be hybrid. In order for us to create that culture that we enjoy in the military, that youre part of a higher purpose, you have a mission.

Velazquez, who leads the training team in her section, said theyve been able to maintain a sense of camaraderie through video conference meetings and off-site meetups that could move into the open-office environment once its complete.

You appreciate the time, the off-sites, when we all get together to talk, she said. As far as the team concept, we still have it.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASAs Lucy spacecraft launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., Oct. 16, 2021. The U.S. Space Force, which utilizes the rockets for its missions, received a weak first strength assessment by the Heritage Foundation. (Joshua Conti/U.S. Space Force)

The U.S. Air Force and the newly established Space Force were graded as weak in an annual assessment of military power that found both services to be underequipped to carry out the full spectrum of their respective missions.

The assessments, contained in the conservative Heritage Foundations 2022 index on military strength, examined the capability, capacity and readiness of each service and whether they would be up to the task of fighting two major conflicts simultaneously.

These three areas of assessment (capability, capacity, and readiness) are central to the overarching questions of whether the U.S. has a sufficient quantity of appropriately modern military power and whether military units are able to conduct military operations on demand and effectively, the Washington-based think tank said in a statement Wednesday.

The Heritage index rates the services on a five-category scale that ranges from very strong to very weak. Heritage emphasized that the scores do not reflect the U.S. militarys strength relative to other militaries.

Rather, they are assessments of the institutional, programmatic, and material health or viability of Americas hard military power, Heritage said.

For the Air Force, the score of weak was a downgrade from its marginal rating in Heritages assessment last year.

U.S. Air Force combat-coded fighter squadron mission capable rates are not measuring up to defense needs, according to a report by the Heritage Foundation released Oct. 20, 2021. (Heritage Foundation) The U.S. Air Force and the newly established Space Force were graded as weak in an annual assessment of military power by the Heritage Foundation, released Oct. 20, 2021. (Heritage Foundation)

While the Air Force possesses 86% of the combat aircraft recommended by the index, the mission readiness and physical location of the aircraft would make it difficult for the Air Force to respond rapidly to a crisis, Heritage said.

Also, the need to pull aircraft from all locations for a single major fight would prevent them from joining a simultaneous major battle elsewhere.

While Heritage said Air Force modernization programs are generally healthy, old planes are being retired faster than they are getting replaced. A pilot shortage and reduced flying hours also factored into the Air Forces lower score.

Meanwhile, the Space Force was assessed by Heritage for the first time and received poor marks.

The service does not have enough assets to track and manage the explosive growth in commercial and competitor-country systems being placed into orbit, Heritage said in its 608-page report.

Also, the force has outdated equipment and lacks defensive and offensive counter-space capabilities, the report said.

There was no change in Heritages assessment of the Army, which was again graded as moderate in strength. The Navy was again graded as marginal, trending toward weak because it desperately needs a larger fleet to meet its mission requirements.

The Marine Corps, meanwhile, was bumped up from moderate to strong due in part to its extraordinary efforts to modernize and its enhanced combat readiness, Heritage said.

The Corps strides came at the expense of building capacity, but better to have a combat-relevant force, even if small, than a large force that is ill-suited for war, the report said.

John Vandiver
Massachusetts state Sen. John Velis speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the reopening of Runway 15-33 Wednesday morning. (Leon Nguyen, The Republican/TNS)

BOSTON (Tribune News Service)  The state Senate passed a measure Thursday that makes it easier for military families relocating into the Commonwealth, and by doing that make Westfield and its Barnes Air National Guard Base an attractive place to station the latest F-35 fighter jets.

The measure, backed by state Sen. John C. Velis, D-Westfield, now goes to the state House where a similar bill has already been OKd in committee.

I strongly believe that there is more we can do for the spouses and children of service members who also call Massachusetts their home. Anyone who has worn the uniform or has a family member who has worn the uniform knows that the sacrifice of military service goes far beyond the individual service member, Velis, a member of the Army Reserves, said Thursday. " These families have made their own great sacrifices.

Gov. Charlie Baker has a similar proposal that would create a series of interstate licensure compacts.

Velis bill, modeled on what the Pentagon wants to see as it makes multimillion-dollar decisions about what goes competing bases, would:

 Require Massachusetts agencies to inform service members or their spouse within 30 days if an application for licensure is approved or does not satisfy the requirements.

 Require Massachusetts Commissioner of Education to issue a military spouse a valid certificate for teaching if the spouse holds a valid teaching license from another state. The temporary certificate would be good for three years and would be counted toward receiving a teachers license. However, these teachers will still need to pass the Massachusetts certification test.

 Waive proof of residency requirements for school enrollment of military children, letting them register for classes and enroll at the same time everyone else does.

 Create Purple Star school districts that are military kid friendly with resources and points of contact for military families.

 Close a loophole that made it hard for military families to take advantage of in-state tuition.

This legislation is not only the right thing to do for our military families, it is a signal to our Federal Officials that we have our military members backs and that Massachusetts is a viable state for future investments, Velis said.

In 2020, Barnes Air National Guard Base and its 104th Fighter Wing were included on a short list of candidates for new aircraft to replace its aging F-15C fleet. The possibilities are the better F-15EX planes or the latest F-35As.

The Air Force says it will replace the current F-15 fighters at Barnes and at other bases  Fresno Yosemite Airport in California and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans  with either F-15EX planes or, preferably, the F-35As.

The bill also helps Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee and the states other bases  Fort Devens, Hanscom Air Force Base, Joint Base Cape Cod, the U.S. Armys Natick Soldier Systems Center  compete for new roles and federal investment, Velis said.

Westover and Barnes are reserve and National Guard bases, but they require active duty service members who often move around. There are 4,382 active-duty service members with collectively 2,285 active-duty spouses and 3,827 children.

2021 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit masslive.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The National Guard in Philadelphia on June 2, 2020 during protests. A day after five shootings claimed the lives of two men and injured seven people, the founder of two anticrime community organizations called on Philadelphia officials to request that the National Guard be dispatched to the city. (Robert Bulmahn/Wikimedia Commons)

The Army National Guards top general said Wednesday that he would not lobby to expand the size of the increasingly busy force, but if top Army officials proposed adding new troops he would accept that mission immediately.

I don't advocate for growing the Army Guard because I'm part of the Army team, and I understand the budget constraints that we have inside the Army right now, Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. But, if [Army] Secretary [Christine Wormuth] and Chief [of Staff Gen. James McConville] felt they needed some more capability in the Reserve component, yes, Id accept that.

The Army National Guard makes up about two-thirds of the total National Guard force, with more than 337,000 soldiers as of Sept. 30, according to the Army. The rest of the National Guards about 108,000 troops serve in the Air Force National Guard. Jensen said Wednesday that he could envision growing the Army Guard to about 350,000 troops in several years. He said the added soldiers could help considering the incredible demand placed on Guard troops during the last two years.

Since March 2020, National Guard troops have set records for the number of missions that they have been called to support  including coronavirus-related missions, riot control during the summer 2020 demonstrations against racism, border operations along the southwest U.S., and relief efforts for natural disasters including hurricanes and wildfires. Guard members logged a record 8.4 million duty days in 2020, and they set a record that June with more than 120,000 on duty across the world, including supporting operations in combat zones, officials said.

Given the unprecedented demand for the National Guard, dozens of lawmakers have called for boosting the size of the Guard in their home states and the overall force size. Among those advocating for a larger force were lawmakers from the nations three most populous states. In advocating earlier this year to grow the Guard, the lawmakers in a bipartisan letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pointed to the increase in hurricanes in Florida, flooding in Texas and wildfires in California, in addition to other operations in recent years to which Guard forces have responded.

Army officials, including Jensen, have acknowledged the pace of operations for the National Guard since March 2020 has been hard on troops and their families and difficult for some employers who have hired Guard members for civilian jobs.

Its obviously a very stressful period of time for our whole country, not just our Guardsmen, Jensen said. And then, for the National Guard, its been a stressful time -- dealing with a pandemic, lots of other things, and economic uncertainty in many cases. But, the National Guard  our soldiers and airmen, you know, they have responded remarkably.

Jensen has led the Army National Guard since August 2020 after previously serving as the Minnesota National Guards adjutant general. His predecessor as the Army Guards top general, Gen. Daniel Hokanson, is now the general in charge of the entire National Guard and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Earlier this year, he said he backed boosting the size of the Guard, given the increasing demands on the force.

But, the size of the force is a decision for Congress, which sets the end strength for each service and their components each year in the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act, which sets Pentagon spending and policy priorities. Congress has yet to pass an NDAA for fiscal 2022, which started Oct. 1. The Pentagon is operating under a continuing resolution, which funds operations at fiscal 2021 amounts.

Jensen said he expected Guard forces would remain in demand for the foreseeable future. Despite the domestic operations Army Guard forces have been supporting, he said they must still prepare for war.

By preparing for major combat operations, the general said, Guard members learn the skills that they need no matter what mission they are asked to accomplish, even in the United States.

Our role domestically is a very important mission task which we take very, very seriously, Jensen said. Do we think that that those requirements are going to increase over the course of time? Were not really sure yet, but were committed to being prepared and being ready for those missions.

We believe that the best way to be ready and prepared for those missions is by preparing for the most complex mission  our go-to-war mission. And, that allows us to be incredibly adaptable here domestically.
Timothy Hale-Cusanelli in a photo attached to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. (U.S. Attorney for the District oof Columbia)

An Army reservist charged in the Justice Department's sweeping investigation of the U.S. Capitol riot was demoted and discharged earlier this year, becoming the first known service member to be forced out of the military after officials learned of an alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to personnel records reviewed by The Washington Post and the former soldier's attorney.

Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, 31, was working part-time as an Army Reserve sergeant in human resources. In May, he was demoted to private  the enlisted force's lowest rank  and given an other-than-honorable discharge the next month, terminating a 12-year military career, said his attorney Jonathan Crisp.

Federal authorities have accused Hale-Cusanelli of illegally entering the Capitol, using hand and arm signals to advance rioters forward, and harassing police officers.

Crisp called the punitive discharge, which severely limits benefits and resources otherwise available to military veterans, "improper" because, he said, it was delivered while Hale-Cusanelli was incarcerated and because any comments made in the former soldier's defense could violate his 5th Amendment rights in the federal case. Typically, commanders wait until criminal cases are finished before making discharge decisions, Crisp said.

"This was a knee-jerk reaction to the charges," the attorney said, adding that he intends to help Hale-Cusanelli fight the Army's decision and have him reinstated.

Army officials declined to comment on Hale-Cusanelli's discharge, citing privacy laws.

Hale-Cusanelli is one of at least six service members charged in connection with the riot. Another, Marine Corps Maj. Christopher Warnagiris, also faced a military administrative proceeding recently, the outcome of which is pending, officials said. Authorities have accused Warnagiris of assaulting police and leading rioters into the Capitol building. His attorney did not return a request for comment.

Both men have pleaded not guilty.

At the time of his arrest, Hale-Cusanelli, who remains in federal custody, according to the Justice Department, was employed as a civilian security contractor at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey and held a secret security clearance, prosecutors said in a March court filing. Navy investigators interviewed 44 of his colleagues, including Navy personnel and fellow security contractors, about his behavior at work. All but 10 described Hale-Cusanelli as "having extremist or radical views pertaining to the Jewish people, minorities and women," prosecutors said.

Several colleagues told investigators about his wearing of a "Hitler mustache" while at work, court papers show. Among them was a supervisor, who said Hale-Cusanelli was admonished because of it. One sailor told investigators that he heard Hale-Cusanelli say that if he were a Nazi, "he would kill all the Jews and eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and he wouldn't need to season them because the salt from their tears would make it flavorful enough," according to the court filing.

Crisp declined to address the accusations before his client's trial, which is scheduled for May, he said.

Hale-Cusanelli's colleagues avoided reporting his conduct because they were afraid of how he may react, prosecutors said.

His employer at the time, HBC Management, could not be reached for comment about his employment status. Court documents say he lost access to the Navy base.

Commanders can administratively discharge troops without a court-martial if they are deemed unfit for duty, including for inappropriate or illegal conduct outside of military settings. But officials have said previously that the services are reluctant to swiftly pursue action against military personnel accused of wrongdoing on Jan. 6 because the Defense Department does not want to impede the Justice Department's work.

Among the other service members facing charges in connection with the Capitol riot are two soldiers in the Army National Guard, Abram Markofski and Jacob Fracker, and Army Reserve officer Mark Sahady. All three remain in uniform, according to service records and military officials.

One man, who authorities say pepper-sprayed police, enlisted in the Army months after the FBI interviewed him about his presence at the Capitol. Authorities charged James Mault earlier this month with assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon or inflicting bodily injury, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and civil disorder, according to court documents.

Lt. Col. Simon Flake, a spokesman for the Army Reserve, said military leaders "are monitoring the ongoing civilian proceedings" involving Sahady and "will make further decisions at the appropriate time."

"The Army Reserve remains committed to holding personnel accountable for conduct that does not align with the Army Values," Flake said in a statement. " . . . Extremist ideologies and activities directly oppose our values and beliefs and those who subscribe to extremism have no place in our ranks."

The riot was perpetrated by supporters of former president Donald Trump who marched on the Capitol, clashed with police and attempted to disrupt lawmakers as they tallied electoral college results affirming Joe Biden's victory in the November election. More than 600 people have been charged in connection with the violence.

The incident prompted the Defense Department to screen for potential extremists in uniform, a process that has included military-wide "stand downs" for leaders to discuss with personnel what kinds of behavior and group membership are inappropriate. Far-right and extremist groups prize military experience because of the weapons and leadership training service members receive, along with the perceived social capital veterans can bring to their causes.

Such groups can also exploit veterans searching for community and a sense of purpose after leaving the military, experts have said. At least 53 military veterans have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot, according to arrest and service records reviewed by The Post.
Members of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing load a CH-53E Super Stallion during an exercise in Ie Shima, Okinawa, March 17, 2021. (Ujian Gosun/U.S. Marine Corps)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  No damage or injuries were reported after a U.S. military helicopter made an emergency landing Wednesday at a remote island airport off the Okinawa coast, Marine Corps and Japanese officials said.

A CH-53E Super Stallion from Marine Corps Air Station Futenmas 1st Marine Aircraft Wing made the precautionary landing at Aguni Airport around 6:30 p.m., after an issue requiring immediate attention was identified, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing spokesman Maj. Ken Kunze wrote in an email Thursday morning to Stars and Stripes.

Three-square-mile Aguni Island is 37 miles northwest of Naha City.

The CH-53 that landed at Aguni Airport yesterday evening departed Aguni this morning and returned safely to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Kunze wrote. The flight crew demonstrated 1st Marine Aircraft Wings steadfast commitment to ensuring the safety of our aircrews, the community and the airworthiness of all our aircraft.

The aircraft was operating as an aerial refueler at the time, Kunze said. The landing was normal and uneventful.

An issue with the heavy-lift helicopters flight control system seemed to be the problem, according to a spokesman from the Okinawa Defense Bureau, which represents Japans Ministry of Defense.

The helicopter was capable of flying back to MCAS Futenma but a maintenance crew was dispatched in a separate helicopter out of an abundance of caution, Kunze said. A Super Stallion typically flies with a crew of four or five.

Both helicopters left Aguni around 11:10 a.m. Thursday, the bureau spokesman said.

In response to the incident, the bureau requested the Marines improve their safety management, the spokesman said.

A spokesman for Okinawa prefectures military base affairs division said it was collecting information Thursday morning and had no immediate response to the incident.

Some government officials in Japan customarily speak to the media on the condition of anonymity.
Sailors combat a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). On the morning of July 12, 2020, a fire was called away aboard the ship while it was moored pierside at Naval Base San Diego. Base and shipboard firefighters responded to the fire. (Hector Carrera/U.S. Navy)

WASHINGTON  The second highest ranking admiral in the Navy explained Wednesday what the service must do to prevent another major ship fire like the one aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard that gutted the amphibious assault ship last year in San Diego.

Adm. Bill Lescher, vice chief of naval operations, said the force must create better mechanisms to recognize when our people need help or need intervention with firefighter training after a report on the July 2020 fire released Wednesday found the Bonhomme Richard crew was unprepared to fight the flames.

We saw that our ships meet high firefighting stands at sea, but when they transition to and from the maintenance phase, they face different hazards and challenges, Lescher told reporters Wednesday during a news briefing.

The report found the crews lack of familiarity with firefighting protocol and inability to work with civilian firefighters led to an ineffective fire response that caused the ship to become damaged beyond economical repair. For example, the crew did not know how to use the ships main firefighting foam system and did not ring the ships alarm bell until 10 minutes after finding the fire.

The Navy on Wednesday also released a major fires review report, commissioned in January, that examined fires that the service has had during the past 12 years. That report found ineffective learning, persistent watch-standing weaknesses, improper hazardous and combustible material stowage and poor training contributed to a lack of enduring change and in shipboard fires.

The Bonhomme Richard was undergoing a two-year, $249 million maintenance period when it went up in flames. The Navy said the fire was set by a disgruntled crew member, Seaman Apprentice Ryan Sawyer Mays, 20.

The fire burned through 11 of the ships 14 decks, destroyed its forward mast and damaged the superstructure before it was extinguished, causing the Navy to decommission the vessel in April. Mays was charged in August with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel.

Although the fire was started by an act of arson, the ship was lost due to an inability to extinguish the fire, according to the Bonhomme Richard report. In the 19 months executing the ships maintenance availability, repeated failures allowed for the accumulation of significant risk and an inadequately prepared crew.

Calling the fire clearly preventable, Lescher said the Navy needs to ensure lessons learned from similar fires are implemented.

This is unacceptable. Bonhomme Richard was not the first major fire that resulted in the loss of a capital Navy ship, he said. (The report) clearly illuminated that the Navy has not been consistently effective in sustaining corrective actions from previous fires over time.

To address that problem, the major fires review offered seven strategic recommendations to ensure the lessons stick. The recommendations include improving operational safety programs, addressing the unabated threat of arson, reviewing shipyard fire safety processes and enforcing a much higher standard for shipboard stowage of both combustible and hazardous materials.

The report also recommended a revamp of the Naval Safety Center to create a more effective organization responsible for establishing policy, conducting investigations, assessing trends and overseeing implementation and enforcement of safety standards.

Through this work, the naval safety command will provide an ongoing, comprehensive view of the Navy safety posture and promote compliance and evaluate whether lessons learned and best practices are being implemented, sustained and shared across the Navy, Lescher said.
These booking photos released Oct. 9, 2021, by the West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority show Jonathan Toebbe and his wife, Diana Toebbe. (West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority)

An Annapolis, Md., teacher accused of plotting with her husband to try to sell nuclear submarine secrets to a foreign country will remain behind bars pending trial, a federal judge ruled Thursday, to ensure she does not try to flee the country.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Trumble issued a written order a day after a lengthy hearing in which an FBI agent testified that Diana Toebbe, 45, served as a "lookout" for her husband as he left small data cards full of government secrets at "dead drop" locations, hidden inside a peanut butter sandwich in one instance, and an adhesive-bandage wrapper and Dentyne gum package in others.

The judge called the evidence against Diana Toebbe "strong" and said she poses a flight risk, noting her previous text messages with her husband in 2019 and 2020 in which she appeared to express a strong desire to leave the country quickly.

Friends and students of Toebbe, who taught at the private Key School in the Maryland state capital, have said they were shocked to find out that the person they knew as a knitting and martial arts enthusiast had allegedly spent years planning a multimillion dollar sale of U.S. government secrets.

Toebbe and her husband pleaded not guilty at Wednesday's hearing, but only Diana sought to be released from jail, hoping she could stay at her home with their two children while she awaits trial on charges that carry a potential life prison sentence.

The husband and wife were arrested Oct. 9 in West Virginia, on charges that they conspired to share "restricted data" under the Atomic Energy Act.

Jonathan Toebbe, 42, is a nuclear engineer with the Navy. Authorities allege that, with his wife's help, he offered to sell government secrets about nuclear propulsion systems on submarines to an unidentified foreign country. The FBI learned of the alleged plot and conducted an undercover sting operation to gather evidence against the Toebbes.

Diana Toebbe's lawyer, Edward MacMahon, said in court Wednesday that most of the evidence the government has offered is against her husband, not her.

"She's not going to flee the United States and leave her children here. That's not going to happen," MacMahon said. "The government really doesn't have much of a case against her."

He suggested that any talk of her leaving the country was just common liberal griping about Donald Trump's presidency, and not evidence of a nefarious criminal scheme.

The FBI said at the hearing that they have yet to recover thousands of the secret documents that the Toebbes allegedly planned to sell as part of a scheme to make up to $5 million in cryptocurrency. Agents also have not found the $100,000 in cryptocurrency they say they sent to Jonathan Toebbe as part of the undercover operation to identify and arrest him.

The case began in December, when a foreign government that authorities have refused to identify gave the FBI a letter proposing to sell U.S. government secrets in exchange for money. The letter, which had been sent months earlier, said that if the foreign country didn't respond by the end of the year, the author would try to find another buyer for the documents.

According to court documents and testimony, the FBI then set up an undercover operation, trading encrypted emails with the person offering the material and arranging a series of "dead drop" exchanges for which the undercover agent, posing as a foreign intelligence service handler, paid him in cryptocurrency.

previous coverage Navy nuclear engineer and his wife charged with trying to share submarine secrets with a foreign country
Fantahun Girma Woldesenbet, a Navy hospital corpsman who shot and wounded two fellow sailors before Fort Detrick security forces shot and killed him at the nearby Army base, had been assigned to a medical research center in Maryland for nearly two years. A shooting at a Frederick business park in April where a Fort Detrick sailor reportedly shot two fellow service members was targeted, Frederick police said Wednesday. (City of Frederick, Md.)

FREDERICK, Md. (Tribune News Service)  A shooting at a Frederick business park in April where a Fort Detrick sailor reportedly shot two fellow service members was targeted, Frederick police said Wednesday. But key questions remain unanswered in that case and the subsequent fatal shooting of the gunman by civilian police at Fort Detrick.

The news that the shooting was targeted, sent to the News-Post Wednesday by the Frederick Police Department, marks the first substantial update to the media since April. Answers as to motive and details of the relationship between the shooter and victims remains unknown.

On April 6, Fantahun Girma Woldesenbet, a 38-year-old Navy Hospital Corpsman stationed at Fort Detrick, reportedly shot two fellow service members with a rifle in the 8400 block of Progress Drive around 8:20 a.m., according to police.

Injured were Seaman Casey Nutt, 26, of Germantown, and Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos Portugal, 36, of Frederick. The Naval Medical Research Center through spokesman Tommy Lamkin said Wednesday the victims and Woldesenbet were in the same department and worked together closely on a routine basis. Lamkin could not comment on the medical status of service members, but confirmed Portugal was no longer hospitalized. Nutt was released the day of the shooting.

"The Frederick Police Department typically does not release investigative information while cases are open," Lt. Jon Holler, commander of FPD's Criminal Investigations Division, said in a written statement. "However, due to the intense public scrutiny of this case we can confirm that detectives determined this event to be a targeted incident and was not a random shooting. However, we cannot comment more specifically to the motives of Mr. Woldesenbet. The FPD has worked in concert with the FBI and other partnering agencies to assist them with their investigation. However, as the investigation is still ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further."

Nutt and Portugal were working inside a warehouse rented and used for storage by the Naval Medical Research Center, Biological Defense Research Directorate, according to the Frederick Police Department. Woldesenbet, of the 100 block of Willowdale Drive in Frederick, reportedly fired upon Nutt and Portugal then immediately drove to Fort Detrick, where the post's civilian police fatally shot him after he reportedly displayed a gun.

Prior to the shooting, Woldesenbet didn't appear to show any signs of what was to come.

"There were no visible indications or changes in behavior that would have alerted us to his actions," Lamkin wrote in an email. "We are not aware of any issues in his past."

Joy Jiras, an FBI Baltimore spokeswoman, said Wednesday the Baltimore Field Office investigated the officer-involved shooting at Fort Detrick and turned its findings over to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. She wrote in an email the FBI was not in a position to answer other questions.

Records requests denied

Under the federal Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts, the News-Post requested access to records regarding the April 6 events from the investigating agencies. Fort Detrick referred the News-Post to the FBI, which denied the paper's request. FPD also denied the News-Post's request.

The Oct. 5 FBI letter, signed by section chief Michael G. Seidel, states, "The material you requested is located in an investigative file which is exempt from disclosure ... records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that the production of such law enforcement records or information ... could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings."

The FBI letter cites the denial as pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

FPD on Oct. 14 denied the News-Post's request for a copy of the investigation related to the shooting by Woldesenbet. The email reads, "This investigation is currently open and ongoing and therefore we are denying your request for a copy of the record."

The News-Post posed further questions to the FBI and FPD, including queries into Woldesenbet's relationship to Nutt and Portugal, a motive, how Woldesenbet obtained the firearm, and more queries. The agencies did not provide answers to those questions.

Also unknown are the details of the exchange between Woldesenbet and Fort Detrick officials at the Nallin Farm Gate, where he entered in his vehicle before driving roughly one-half mile onto post and displaying a gun.

Fort Detrick, through spokeswoman Lanessa Hill, declined to expand on any security changes that may have been made since the incident.

"That day [April 6] demonstrated the effectiveness of a coordinated response by the Fort Detrick police, local law enforcement agencies, and emergency services to contain a threat," Hill wrote in an email Wednesday. "At Fort Detrick, the safety of our employees and residents is a top priority and steps are taken every day to ensure this. Releasing specific details about force protection presents a risk to our operational security."

(c)2021 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.)

Visit The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.) at www.fredericknewspost.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Buy Photo Tyson Manker, a Marine who said he was discharged from the military after suffering from PTSD, calls on then-President Barack Obama to make the Veterans Fairness Act happen with executive action on Sept. 13, 2016. (Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON  The Navy has agreed to review and potentially upgrade other-than-honorable discharges given to Navy and Marine Corps veterans dating back to March 2012, as part of a settlement reached this month.

The agreement is pending approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. It orders the Navy Discharge Review Board to reconsider cases in which the board denied upgrades despite evidence that veterans were struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or military sexual trauma when they separated from the military.

A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 16, during which the court will decide whether to give final approval to the settlement.

The court approved a similar settlement agreement with the Army during the spring. At the time, lawyers with the Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic, which represented veterans in the case, said they hoped the decision would provide momentum for the Navy case.

The Defense Department instituted a policy in 2017 to give liberal consideration to veterans looking to upgrade their other-than-honorable discharges, or bad paper discharges, in situations in which a service-related medical disorder could have led to their misconduct. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit argued the Army Discharge Review Board ignored the policy and denied upgrades when they were warranted.

The wrongful discharges go back even further, according to the Government Accountability Office. The GAO has reported the Pentagon didnt consistently apply previous policies going back to 2011 that required discharge review boards to take mental health issues into consideration.

Bad paper discharges disqualify veterans from receiving certain health and education benefits, as well as preferential hiring and tax breaks.

The lawsuit was filed in 2018 by Iraq War veteran Tyson Manker, who was kicked out of the Marine Corps after being caught with marijuana, which he said he used to self-medicate. He was later denied a discharge upgrade despite being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Veterans Legal Services Clinic is seeking other veterans who might be part of the class-action settlement. Veterans affected by the settlement can submit written comments to the court or appear at the hearing Dec. 16 to offer their opinions on the agreement. The clinic is asking those veterans to go to mankersettlement.com to learn if they meet the criteria for the case.

In addition to reviewing cases going back to 2012, the settlement would require the Navy to allow veterans with bad paper discharges going back to 2001 to reapply for a discharge upgrade.

As part of the agreement, veterans also will be allowed to participate in their review board hearings through video conferencing. Veterans are required now to appear in person in Washington if they want to argue their case.
Rear Adm. Michael Buzz Donnelly, right, relieves Rear Adm. Will Pennington as commander of Task Force 70 and Carrier Strike Group 5 inside Benny Decker Theater at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (Askia Collins/U.S. Navy)

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan  The carrier strike group organized around the USS Ronald Reagan welcomed a familiar face as its newest commander on Thursday.

Rear Adm. Michael Buzz Donnelly took leadership of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70, relieving Rear Adm. Will Pennington during a ceremony at Benny Decker Theater on the naval base south of Tokyo.

Task Force 70, which the Navy describes as its only permanently afloat task force, consists of thousands of sailors and a wide variety of components, including guided-missile cruisers, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its air wing of fighter squadrons, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 51 and a squadron of specialized electronic warfare aircraft.

Donnelly, originally from Kent Island, Md., is no stranger to 7th Fleet or the Ronald Reagan. He commanded the carrier from 2016 to 2018, and also served as an assistant to the 7th Fleet commander aboard the Yokosuka-based USS Blue Ridge.

After his time in Yokosuka, Donnelly in 2019 assumed command of U.S. Naval Forces Korea.

A 1989 graduate of Villanova University and the Naval War College in 2002, Donnelly also has extensive flight experience. Hes a veteran pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours and 990 carrier landings in F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Super Hornets.

My thanks go out to Adm. Pennington and his great leadership of the task force, Donnelly said in a Navy news release Thursday. His stewardship has ensured support to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and it is a legacy I look forward to continuing.

Pennington, who assumed command of the task force in November, is slated to take over as deputy commander of 10th Fleet, the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, at Fort Meade, Md.

The ceremony comes just five days after the Ronald Reagan returned to its homeport in Yokosuka after a 150-day deployment that included support for U.S. forces withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Buy Photo Il Salvatore restaurant in Brandon, England, was inspired by chef Fabio Rodrigues' grandfather Salvatore Iovine, an Italian immigrant who moved to London in 1982 and opened his first restaurant in 1994. (Kyle Alvarez/Stars and Stripes)

As my family and I were driving through Brandon, England, we came across a small restaurant with a beautiful floral arch framing two big, green doors. Above the windows hangs a sign with the name Il Salvatore.

My wife immediately recognized the name, as the restaurant is often recommended by fellow military spouses stationed at the nearby RAFs Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Feltwell.

The friendly staff said we were lucky that we arrived so early because even on a Tuesday night, the place was almost fully booked.

The interior is eye-catching. The lighting sets a warm and welcoming ambience, and we especially liked the green Vespa decorating the cocktail room.

Buy Photo A Vespa in the cocktail lounge is among the decor highlights at Il Salvatore in Brandon, England. (Kyle Alvarez/Stars and Stripes)

Spread throughout the restaurant are black-and-white images of Italy and the owners Italian family heritage. Head chef and owner Fabio Rodrigues and his sister Patricia Rodrigues opened Il Salvatore in 2019 and chose to honor their Italian maternal grandfather, Salvatore Iovine, by naming it after him.

Iovine immigrated to the U.K. in 1982 and began working as a dishwasher in a restaurant.

He started to learn how to cook and ended up opening his own restaurant in 1994, and he had three restaurants in London, said Patricia Rodrigues, who helps her brother run Il Salvatore.

After many successful years, Grandpa Salvatore closed his restaurants and retired in Brandon, where he and his wife still live, down the street from the restaurant.

The food, in short, was a wonderful culinary experience. The menu offers a variety of Italian dishes based on Grandfather Salvatores menus from his London restaurants, along with creative cocktails and delicious milkshakes.

We ordered the bruschetta and the fried calamari as starters. Both were tasty, but the standout was the calamari, which was served with a delicious homemade tartar sauce.

Buy Photo Il Salvatore's menu, like the restaurant itself, was inspired by the owners' immigrant grandfather Salvatore Iovine, who moved to London in 1982 and opened his first restaurant in 1994. (Kyle Alvarez/Stars and Stripes)

I normally cant stand tartar sauce because I find it overpowering. But the unique blend of lemon and herbs made it light and tasty. Even my 3-year-old daughter couldnt get enough of the fried calamari.

For the main course, I had the pollo di Salvatore, a custom dish the Rodrigues siblings developed on their own years before the opening of this restaurant, and it was such a hit they decided to name it after their grandfather. It is now the most popular chicken dish on the menu. Its a breaded chicken breast with asparagus, ham, melted mozzarella and homemade marinara sauce, with a side of roasted potatoes.

My wife had the tagliatelle Sofia Loren, which is pasta served with chicken, bacon and spinach and a cream sauce. My 3-year-old daughter chose the pizza from the childrens menu. It came with a beverage and ice cream.

Buy Photo The pollo di Salvatore is a dish that siblings Fabio and Patricia Rodrigues, owners of Il Salvatore, developed on their own years before opening their restaurant in Brandon, England. (Kyle Alvarez/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo Il Salvatore restaurant opened in 2019 and boasts a sumptuous array of Italian fare. It has quickly gained a reputation as a go-to spot in Brandon, England. (Kyle Alvarez/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo The children's menu at Il Salvatore offers a few main dishes that include a drink and a dessert. (Kyle Alvarez/Stars and Stripes)

The final act of the evening was dessert. I had the black-and-white souffle with vanilla ice cream, and my wife had the mango and passion fruit cheesecake. To say it was good is an understatement.

Buy Photo Chef and co-owner Fabio Rodrigues whips up a broad range of Italian cuisine at Il Salvatore's restaurant in Brandon, England. (Kyle Alvarez/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo The menu at Il Salvatore drew inspiration from Salvatore Iovine, an Italian immigrant who moved to London and later became a restaurateur. He lives down the street from Il Salvatore, which is owned by his grandchildren, in the town of Brandon. (Kyle Alvarez/Stars and Stripes)

Both my wife and I never spoke a word as we were both too involved with the post-dinner treat.

This will definitely be our date night restaurant choice when the grandparents come to town to watch the kids. Speaking of a return to Il Salvatore, even my daughter added her voice to the chorus.

As we were getting ready to leave, she looked at us and said Can the next family night be here please? I love it here.

Buy Photo Il Salvatore in Brandon, England, has an extensive cocktail menu and an atmosphere suitable for a proper night out. (Kyle Alvarez/Stars and Stripes)

Il Salvatore

Address: 6 Market Hill, Brandon IP27 0AA, UK

Hours: Closed on Monday; Tuesday, 5:30-10:30 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 5-10:30 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 12-3:00 p.m. and 5-10:30 p.m.

Prices: Starters are priced between 5 and 7 pounds, pastas are between 9 and 12.50 pounds, pizzas are between 7.50 pounds and 13.50 pounds, and the meat and fish options are between 11.50 pounds and 17.50 pounds.

Information: Phone: +44 1842 814944; Online: facebook.com/IlSalvatorerestaurant
When the Supreme Court rules in the coming months on the Mississippi and Texas laws substantially restricting abortions, it will do more than decide the future of its 1973 ruling legalizing a womans right to end her pregnancy.

It will almost certainly plunge the long-simmering issue into the midst of the 2022 midterm congressional and gubernatorial elections at a time both Democrats and Republicans believe it could help them.

One is likely to be wrong. Or, perhaps, each will be right in some places and wrong in others.

Ever since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, abortion rights has been a potent factor in many national and state elections, and its an issue in next months Virginia governors race. As is often the case, the Republican, Glenn Youngkin, favors additional restrictions and the Democrat, Terry McAuliffe, opposes them.

But polls on which party benefits are as complicated as those on the attitude of Americans toward the practice itself.

For example, 2020 television network election exit polls showed a majority of voters favored keeping abortion generally legal. They also showed the proportion regarding the issue as an important factor in their vote was roughly the same among supporters and opponents of abortion rights, about three in five.

Still, Donald Trumps 2016 promise to name Supreme Court justices opposed to abortion rights  and the fact that by 2020 he had done so  likely helped to maintain his strong support from religious conservatives, including those wary of his three marriages and other aspects of his private life.

Current attitudes are similarly complicated. A recent Quinnipiac University Poll showed Texans agreed by a 2-to-1 margin with the courts 1973 ruling legalizing abortions, about the same degree of overall support as has been shown in most national polls.

But the same poll showed opinion evenly split on the provision in the states new law that makes abortions illegal when a fetal heartbeat is detectable. That provision would ban abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy, rather than the 26 weeks currently allowable under the Supreme Court decision.

At the same time, the survey showed strong opposition among Texans to the new laws provisions allowing private citizens to sue anyone they suspect may have facilitated an illegal abortion and to the provision in the abortion ban including any pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

It didnt take long after the 1973 decision for the issue to enter the political debate. Interestingly, the first major figure to use it was a rising Republican senator named Bob Dole, facing a close 1974 reelection race in Kansas. In a debate, Dole raised the fact that his Democratic opponent, a gynecologist and congressman named William Roy, had performed abortions. It was seen as a major factor in Doles narrow victory.

Though he mostly downplayed the hot-button issue in later years, Dole took credit for it when seeking the GOPs 1996 presidential nomination, telling the South Carolina Christian Coalition that when abortion first became a national issue was at my reelection in 1974.

Still, national Republicans were slow to embrace it. In 1976, then-President Gerald Ford said the decision should be left to the states. But in their 1980 takeover of the GOP in which religious conservatives played a key role, Ronald Reagans forces added planks to the Republican platform that urged reversing Roe v. Wade and appointing federal judges at all levels of the judiciary who opposed abortion rights.

Ever since, it has been a prominent political issue in both national and state elections. And recent legislation makes it likely to become an even greater factor in 2022.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a womens rights and reproductive rights support organization, 19 states have passed a total of 106 restrictive measures this year, hoping they would pass muster with the newly reconfigured Supreme Court that now has a solid conservative majority because of Trumps appointments of three justices critical of abortion rights.

The court has agreed to consider a Mississippi law, which would ban most abortions after 15 weeks. It also stepped into the controversy surrounding the even more restrictive Texas law, allowing it to take effect pending a ruling on its constitutionality, though even some conservative legal experts consider it unconstitutional unless the court is ready to reverse the 1973 ruling.

In this circumstance, there are two great uncertainties: how far the court will go in restricting its 1973 ruling, assuming that is why it took these cases. And which side will benefit politically.

Democrats believe the issue will spur a larger-than-usual turnout of suburban women that will help their candidates in next years elections. That sort of turnout was a key factor in the Democrats recapture of the U.S. House in 2018 and the presidency in 2020.

Similarly, many Republicans believe it helped to elect Trump in 2016  and nearly reelected him in 2020  by generating an outpouring of religious conservatives.

Interestingly, weekly polls by The Economist and YouGov show that the proportion of Democrats who consider abortion an extremely important issue has risen during 2021, while the proportion of Republicans has dropped. That trend, along with the underlying national support for maintaining most legal abortions, suggests Democrats stand to benefit the most if the court significantly restricts its 1973 ruling.

Carl P. Leubsdorf is a former Washington bureau chief of The Dallas Morning News.
This past August, President Joe Biden signed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act into law, which for the first time ever requires the VA to establish a pilot program providing service dog training to veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress. (Noah Sudolcan/Air Force)

Ensure critical support is in place for vets of all eras

While watching images of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, it was impossible not to reflect on the stark differences in how we welcome home our servicemen and women today versus Vietnam era veterans decades ago. When todays heroes return home from war and transition out of the military to civilian life, they are given months of training by the Department of Defense and a wealth of support from veteran service organizations. Warriors returning home from Vietnam, as is well known, were treated atrociously: no parades, no new nonprofits catering to their various needs, and certainly far too little respect.

A little known or discussed result of this treatment was the serious long-term health implications on Vietnam era veterans. However, recent changes in federal policy and nonprofit practices bring some hope that our past mistakes as a nation are beginning to be rectified, and that it is never too late to correct a mistake.

While the old guard of veteran service organizations have always served veterans from all eras, they have historically provided few direct resources to these veterans. Rather, their focus has been on national policy efforts and providing veterans with venues to socialize. Following 9/11, a whole host of new organizations popped up to fill this gap and provided veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom with everything from career training, mountain climbing and hunting, to free psychological services. Indeed, the massive American response to our newest generation of returning heroes outpaced the support provided to any generation before  and we should all be justly proud.

That said, the huge surge in support for OEF and OIF veterans has exacerbated the already large gap between resources for Vietnam era veterans and everybody else. That gap has had tragic consequences. Many are familiar with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs research on suicide  the VAs 2021 report found that an average of 17 veterans died by suicide every day in 2019. However, a deeper dive into the data reveals that this crisis disproportionately affects pre-9/11 veterans:

Veterans aged 75 and over accounted for 1,336 deaths by suicide in 2019.

Veterans aged 55-74 accounted for 2,407 deaths by suicide in 2019.

Veterans aged 35-54 accounted for 1,663 deaths by suicide in 2019.

Veterans aged 18-34 accounted for 828 deaths by suicide in 2019.

In the fight to end veteran suicide, we must ensure that the latest treatment options and resources are accessible to veterans of all eras, not only those who served in the last two decades.

Thankfully, policy changes are beginning to close the gap in available services to pre-9/11 and post-9/11 veterans. This past August, President Joe Biden signed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act into law, which for the first time ever requires the VA to establish a pilot program providing service dog training to veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress.

Federal support for this program is significant given recent research verifying the positive impact that trained service dogs have on veterans struggling to overcome mental trauma. Purdue University studies found statistically lower severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms in veterans who were paired with a service dog compared with those who were not. Moreover, researchers determined that, on average, a service dogs ability to recognize and interrupt episodes of anxiety were reported by veterans as the most important task performed in a typical day.

Im the CEO of K9s For Warriors. From our perspective, veterans have personally reported they finally feel comfortable leaving their house during the day thanks to the calming effects of their service dog. A veteran reclaiming their ability to venture from their home empowers them to reconnect with their community and access support services that can help reduce their likelihood of dying by suicide.

While K9s For Warriors was founded in the post-9/11 era, we want to ensure veterans of all eras have the option of pairing with a service dog to help mitigate symptoms of mental trauma. As the president and the VA move to provide service dog training to veterans through the PAWS Act, we also have grown our program to serve veterans of all eras.

Such policy and practice changes are already making a difference. Earlier this year, our team connected with David, a 73-year-old veteran living in Oregon. He joined the Army in 1967, served in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart before exiting the service in 1995. Despite nearly 30 years of service and sacrifice, David has struggled to overcome post-traumatic stress with only limited access to the latest and most innovative treatment options. He and all his fellow veterans from the pre-9/11 era deserve more, and we are honored to assist him in pairing him with a service dog during our next training class in November.

If our countrys dedicated veteran-serving organizations and policymakers can continue working together to close this gap in services between pre-9/11 and post-9/11 veterans, we may soon hear more stories like Davids in the near future rather than another statistic in a veteran suicide study. I, for one, cannot wait to hear their stories.

Rory Diamond is CEO of K9s for Warriors ( www.k9sforwarriors.org ), the nations largest provider of service dogs for disabled American veterans and the largest service dog agency in the world using primarily rescue dogs.
Haitian police display some of the weapons they say they took from men who were involved in the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise. (Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald/TNS)

A key suspect in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise has been arrested in Jamaica by U.S. authorities and Interpol.

Mario Palacios Palacios, a former Colombian military officer, was arrested in Kingston earlier this month. The arrest had remained secret. Palacios' arrest was confirmed by multiple Haitian and Jamaican sources speaking to the Miami Herald on the condition of anonymity.

Haiti police say former Colombian soldiers made up the hit squad that stormed Moises private residence in the middle of the night on July 7. Yelling that their presence was part of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration operation, they gained access to the home. Moise was tortured and shot multiple times, while his wife, Martine, was seriously injured, according to 122-page Haitian police investigative report. None of the presidents security detail was killed or injured.

In total, 44 people have been arrested in connection with the crime, including 18 Colombians and three Haitian Americans who lived in Florida. Arrest warrants, including Interpol red notices authorizing an individual to be detained internationally, were issued for a number of suspects, including Palacios, who is known as Floro. Palacios is accused of being one of the main executors of the plan leading to the presidents assassination, according to the 124-page Haitian police report obtained by the Herald.

Palacios entered Haiti on June 4, 2021, according to the police investigation, and was part of the four-member Delta team that allegedly penetrated the presidents bedroom. Two of the team members were killed by Haitian police.

The police report lays out the alleged roles of many of the individuals in custody, including the Colombian mercenaries who had abruptly moved out of a boutique hotel and into the home of another key suspect, a convicted drug trafficker, four days before the killing. What the report doesnt do is resolve many of the core mysteries surrounding the attack, including who financed it and why.

The arrest warrant for Palacios was issued almost immediately after police confirmed that they had also killed two Colombian mercenaries. Haiti police in their investigative report surmised that being the only black Colombian on the team enabled Palacios to easily blend in with the population, allowing him to escape.

Among those who remain on the run are a former Haitian government official in the anti-corruption unit, Joseph Felix Badio, and a former diplomat, Ashkard Pierre, and Rodolphe Jaar, a convicted drug trafficker.

2021 Miami Herald.

Visit at miamiherald.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This combination of four photos provided by the North Korean government shows a ballistic missile launched from a submarine Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, in North Korea. North Korea announced Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021 that it had tested a newly developed missile designed to be launched from a submarine, the first such weapons test in two years and one it says will bolster its militarys underwater operational capability. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: KCNA which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

UNITED NATIONS  The United States and several European countries on Wednesday condemned North Korea's recent missile tests and said Pyongyang's technical advances demonstrate the urgent need to ramp up implementation of U.N. sanctions on its nuclear and missile programs and its economic activities.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged North Korea to stop its "reckless provocations" that violate Security Council sanctions resolutions. She said it should start talks with the Biden administration without preconditions toward the goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

She urged all countries to fully implement U.N. sanctions "so that we can prevent the DPRK from accessing the funds, the technology, the know-how it needs to further develop unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs."

Thomas-Greenfield reiterated to reporters before an emergency closed meeting of the council on North Korea's latest missile tests that the United States has offered to meet officials from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea -- the country's official name -- "and we have made clear that we have no hostile intent toward the DPRK."

In a separate statement, the three members of the European Union on the Security Council -- Ireland, France and Estonia -- said Monday's reported test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile "forms part of a pattern of provocations by the DPRK" in recent weeks, including launches of short-range ballistic missiles, long-range cruise missiles, "and what it has claimed to be a hypersonic glider."

They said the new submarine missile launch "underlines the continued enhancement of the nuclear and ballistic program of the DPRK, which stated the ambition to ultimately acquire sea-based nuclear capabilities."

The EU council members urged North Korea to immediately end its "destabilizing actions and take concrete steps to abandon its ballistic missiles" and other weapons of mass destruction including its nuclear program "in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."

Ireland, France and Estonia also urged North Korea to respond positively to the repeated offers by the U.S. and South Korea for dialogue saying "there is no other way to achieve peace, security and stability on the Korean peninsula."

The 15-member Security Council heard a briefing on the latest missile tests from U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Khaled Khiari, but did not issue a statement.

The council has imposed increasingly tough sanctions on North Korea severely restricting its imports and exports while demanding an end to its nuclear and ballistic missile activities. But North Korea has repeatedly flouted council resolutions and continues to launch increasingly sophisticated missiles, escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the region.

Thomas-Greenfield said the Biden administration is committed to working with the international community to reduce tensions and maintain peace on the Korean peninsula. And the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan "is ironclad," she said.

She criticized the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions on North Korea, saying it "is not doing its job."

"We must enforce these violations," she said. "We need to ramp up the implementation of the sanctions and we've not done that. And particularly, we need to focus on those who are violating the sanctions and others who are engaging in activities that break the sanctions."

The U.S. ambassador didn't name any countries, but the panel of experts monitoring the implementation of sanctions has cited alleged violations by North Korea's neighbors China and Russia.
This photo released by the Korean Central News Agency show a submarine-launched ballistic missile test by North Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (KCNA)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  North Korea says its test of a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile earlier this week should be considered normal activities for the country, and that it posed no threat to the United States.

A spokesperson for North Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the launch was a defensive measure, a claim the communist regime frequently makes to justify its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, according to a statement released Thursday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

The test was part of the normal activities for carrying out the medium and long-term plan for the development of defense science and it did not pose any threat or damage to the security of the neighboring countries and the region, the spokesperson said through KCNA.

The statement added that we did not have the U.S. in mind nor aimed at it and that there is no need for the U.S. to worry or trouble itself over the test-firing.

South Korean military officials assessed that a short-range ballistic missile flew 279 miles at a maximum altitude of 37 miles at 10:17 a.m. Tuesday. The Japan Coast Guard, however, said two missiles were fired from North Koreas eastern coast.

The missile appeared to have been launched from Sinpo, according to South Korean military officials, where a North Korean shipyard is believed to be working on a new ballistic missile submarine. The North last conducted an SLBM test from an underwater platform in 2019, and claims it fired a separate SLBM from an outdated submarine in 2016.

Experts have widely remained skeptical of North Koreas claims of self-defense, particularly with the development of its SLBM program. The missiles are typically viewed as retaliatory, second-strike weapons due to the difficulty in detecting submarines prior to a launch.

Sea-based missiles are more survivable and more difficult to destroy through pre-emptive attack than land-based systems, Ankit Panda, a North Korea analyst and Stanton senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Wednesday.

Pyongyangs latest missile launch is the fifth weapons test in recent weeks. In September and so far in October it has launched an anti-aircraft missile, a ballistic missile from a train, long-range cruise missiles capable of reaching Japan and a hypersonic short-range missile.

The U.N. Security Council held a closed-door meeting Wednesday to discuss the most recent launch. The U.S. and several other member nations condemned the test, calling it the latest in a series of reckless provocations.

These are unlawful activities, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement. They are in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. And they are unacceptable.

Thomas-Greenfield did not say whether the council was considering additional sanctions against North Korea and said we just need to be more serious about the implementation of existing sanctions.

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong during a parliamentary briefing Wednesday appeared to rebuff the notion of imposing additional sanctions, saying that sanctions relief" may be taken into consideration to bring North Korea to the negotiation table.
Spotted atop the dental clinic at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, a monkey was soon a star of social media as residents posted photos and videos of their macaque sightings. (Facebook)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  A Japanese macaque gained dual status as a celebrity and a fugitive over two days at this airlift hub in western Tokyo.

Spotted Wednesday atop the roof of the base dental clinic, the monkey was soon a star of social media as residents of Yokotas eastside housing area posted photos and videos of their macaque sightings.

The monkey was seen and photographed along Yokota streets, in trees and on buildings.

Spotted atop the dental clinic at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, a monkey was soon a star of social media as residents posted photos and videos of their macaque sightings. (Facebook)

Several commenters singled out the monkey as a likely but circumstantial suspect behind vandalized Halloween decorations outside one familys home.

By Thursday morning, the monkey business had subsided, according to information attributed to the base public affairs office and posted on the Yokota Community Facebook page. A local city hall notified the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron pest management unit that the macaque, also known as a snow monkey, had left base property around 10 a.m.

The 374th Airlift Wing public affairs office had provided no further information on the sightings by 6 p.m. Thursday in response to a request from Stars and Stripes. An annual, basewide readiness exercise is underway at Yokota.

However, the base warned its residents the monkey may return and anyone who sights it should contact the pest management unit.

If the monkey is spotted, please do not feed or approach the monkey, according to the post on the Yokota Community page. If the wild animal feels threatened, it may attack.

The Japanese macaque is common in the forested areas in and around Tokyo.

In September, Camp Zama, the headquarters of U.S. Army Japan in nearby Kanagawa prefecture, issued an alert after base residents spotted a group of macaques at Sagamihara Housing Area.

This is not the first time that wild monkeys have been spotted on or near Camp Zama, but fortunately we have not had any incidents involving property damage or injury in the past, U.S. Army Garrison Japan spokesman Timothy Flack said at the time. Our communication with the community is key to avoiding incidents.

The monkeys seldom attack humans, according to JapanVisitor.com, but staring at them eye to eye can provoke an aggressive response, such as baring their teeth. Further unwanted attention could result in a bite. They travel in troops, are active during the day and sleep in trees at night.

Erica Earl
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomes U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to the alliances headquarters in Brussels, Oct. 21, 2021. (NATO)

STUTTGART, Germany A new blueprint for defending against Russia in Europe was approved by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his allied counterparts Thursday after an opening round of talks at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

We are in the midst of a transformation of NATO, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said as the two days of talks got underway. Over the last years, we have stepped up and refocused on our collective defense.

The defense ministers also agreed on a new set of capability targets for all allies, while endorsing an overarching plan for the defense of the Euro-Atlantic area, Stoltenberg said.

The new strategy aims to make sure allies have an operational plan that accounts for all member-nation territory and the range of threats they face, from nuclear and cyber to operations on land, at sea and in the air.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at a news conference in Brussels on Oct. 21, 2021. Stoltenberg said NATO military leaders will meet this week to discuss a new defense strategy for Europe. (NATO)

The strategy, referred to as the Concept for Deterrence and Defense in the Euro-Atlantic Area, and its supporting plans center on how to deal with threats from Russia as well as international terrorist groups. It also brings together various national and regional military plans under a single framework.

But just as allies put the plan into action, it may already be out of date by not taking sufficient account of China, some analysts say.

The evidence indicates China isnt some challenge of tomorrow or threat that has yet to fully form; even today, it is a clear and present threat to allied security in Europe and beyond, John R. Deni, a U.S. Army War College professor and European security expert, wrote in an Atlantic Council essay in June.

U.S. military officials in Europe have been vocal about Chinas expanding influence on the Continent, where Beijing has invested heavily in infrastructure and has controlling interests in numerous ports.

In a worst-case scenario, China could weaponize its ownership or operation of infrastructure in Europe to frustrate, limit, or prevent U.S. or allied use, Deni wrote.

Allies are divided on how best to deal with an increasingly assertive Beijing, which NATO has made more of a strategic focal point in the past couple of years.

Germany and France have refrained from characterizing China as an adversary, while the U.S. has urged Europe to take a tougher stance.

For most allies in Europe, the potential military threat posed by Russia remains paramount, especially along NATOs eastern flank.

Stoltenberg said NATOs new strategy ensures that the alliance will have the right forces in the right place at the right time.
Female protesters gather in downtown Kabul after a brutal Taliban crackdown on demonstrations. The Taliban imposed further restrictions on female city government employees in Afghanistans capital on Thursday, barring many from returning to work next week in a sign that the group will continue to restrict womens rights despite two decades of freedoms under the previous government. (Susannah George/The Washington Post)

KABUL, Afghanistan  The Taliban imposed further restrictions on female city government employees in Afghanistan's capital on Thursday, barring many from returning to work next week in a sign that the group will continue to restrict women's rights despite two decades of freedoms under the previous government.

Neamatullah Barakzai, the Taliban's head of public awareness for the Kabul municipality, said many female city employees were told not to come to their jobs while officials prepare a new plan to allow women to work in government offices.

The order does not include women in the health and education sectors. The salaries of all female government employees will continue to be paid, Barakzai added.

The Taliban has long enforced an extreme interpretation of Islamic law, or sharia, in territory the militant group controls, forcing women to wear head-to-toe coverings in public, restricting girls' access to education and requiring women to be accompanied by a male relative when outside the home. When the group controlled Kabul and the rest of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, such restrictions were imposed nationwide.

Since retaking all of Afghanistan, the Taliban has suggested the group could allow women more freedom within the framework of Islamic law.

During a visit to Russia on Wednesday, Taliban acting deputy prime minister Abdul Salam Hanafi said that across the country, women will also continue to work at police stations and in passport offices. "We are trying to provide working conditions for women in the sectors where they are needed, according to the Islamic law," he said.

"We assure the international community that there will be no discrimination against women, but, of course, within the frameworks we have," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in August.

Afghanistan is in the midst of an economic crisis, and the cash-strapped Taliban is wary of once again governing as an international pariah. Some countries that have donated billions of dollars in development and humanitarian aid are calling on the group to demonstrate progress in the areas of women's and civil rights before resuming the flow of aid money.

Despite the dangers, Afghan women have frequently taken to the streets of several major cities since the Taliban swept to power this summer, to protest restrictions on work and education. Some women have also taken part in countermarches in favor of Taliban rule.

Many Afghan women have demanded female inclusion in the new government. The Taliban formed an all-male caretaker cabinet in September.

Since returning to power nationwide, the Taliban has also moved to impose dress codes and restrict the movement of women in public places. It stated that women should wear "Islamic dress" - a term with no set definition.

Undeterred, a number of Afghan women last month began sharing images of themselves online dressed in bright and intricate traditional outfits, in what appeared to be a personal protest.

The Taliban has been open for years to women working in education and health care in some of the territory under their control. But the group's approach to women's rights has not been uniform. In some districts under Taliban control, women and girls are not allowed any education, while in others, women were allowed waivers to attend university.

Since taking control of Kabul, the group has said Afghan women can study in universities and postgraduate programs, but only in gender-segregated classrooms and in Islamic dress.

"Coeducation is in opposition to sharia law," Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the acting minister of higher education, told reporters, but he added that the Taliban intended to "start building on what existed today."
Buy Photo A woman holding a small child steps off the bus at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021, after arriving on a U.S. military flight from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)

(Tribune News Service)  The wrenching scenes of Afghans fleeing a chaotic Kabul disappeared from television screens weeks ago, but thousands are still in danger and desperate to get out of the country.

Now a large, national coalition of legal and community groups is working to enable many of those people to enter the United States  but says the Biden administration isn't helping.

The administration, says Project ANAR, the Afghan Network for Advocacy and Resources, has stopped approving a specific type of immigration permission, called humanitarian parole, for Afghans trapped inside the country.

No one there has been granted parole since Aug. 31, they say, when the United States completed its official evacuation. Parole would allow endangered Afghans to enter the United States, although they would need to get here on their own.

A spokesperson for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that handles parole requests, on Thursday referred questions on the matter to the Department of Homeland Security. That agency did not immediately respond when asked for comment.

"We have filed thousands of applications for Afghans left vulnerable by the U.S. government," said Saamia Haqiq, a coordinator with Project ANAR. "We are extremely concerned that these applications are now at a standstill."

The United States evacuated about 120,000 people as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. Today an estimated 53,000 are living on eight U.S. military bases, including Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey, as they await resettlement to communities across the country.

Though commonly described as "refugees," most were in fact admitted under humanitarian parole, a different category of immigration.

This week about 120 Afghan, legal, advocacy and community organizations sent a letter to the White House and members of Congress, demanding information and clarity on thousands of pending petitions. The groups asked the White House and elected and appointed officials to:

 Issue conditional approvals to Afghans who have completed their parole applications, and ensure safe passage for those in Afghanistan and other countries as they seek to travel to the United States.

 Create a special parole category specifically for Afghans.

 Require officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to publicly brief Congress on the matter within 30 days.

 Publish how many applications USCIS has received for humanitarian parole, along with how many of those have been granted, and show how long the process is taking.

Project ANAR estimates that 9,000 applications have been filed but not adjudicated by USCIS, and said it expects to file a total of 30,000 on behalf of vulnerable Afghans.

Some of those people worked closely with American forces. Others fear harm from the Taliban because they worked as journalists or in government, or because they're targeted ethnic minorities, like the Hazara people.

What all have in common, says Hamid Yazdan Panah, an immigration attorney and the advocacy director for Immigrant Defense Advocates in California, is "they're folks who are terrified at the prospect of living under the Taliban."

Project ANAR says it has raised more than $350,000 to help pay the $575 filing fee required with every application. And that it could raise more money to help pay for flights and transportation out of Afghanistan.

Humanitarian parole is merely a permission to enter, not an immigration status. And unlike the designation of "refugee," it carries few benefits and privileges.

Those entering under parole get no automatic right to work, nor a guaranteed path to permanently stay in the United States.

Even with parole approvals in hand, Afghans would still have to find their way to a U.S. embassy or consulate in a neighboring country, since American diplomats have left Afghanistan. They also would have to pay for their own flights and transportation.

Against those barriers weighs the fact that parole can save lives.

Though usually granted on a limited, case-by-case basis to people in urgent need  say an adult child needs to enter the country to care for a dying parent  parole also has been employed to evacuate large groups of people, particularly wartime allies.

In 1996 humanitarian parole enabled 6,600 Kurdish allies to leave Iraq for a U.S. base, and in 1975 it assisted 130,000 Vietnamese after the fall of Saigon.

"The United States owes a unique duty to the people of Afghanistan given not only the events of the last year, but the last few decades in the region," said Wogai Mohmand, an attorney and coordinator for Project ANAR. "The least our government can do is act in good faith in responding to this community-led effort to provide critical support to Afghans.

(c)2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
In this file photo from Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018, Steve Bannon, President Donald Trumps former chief strategist, talks about the approaching midterm election during an interview with The Associated Press, in Washington. The special congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection has set a vote for Tuesday to recommend criminal contempt charges against Bannon after he defied the panels subpoena. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

WASHINGTON  The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, led the floor debate along with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the panel. Still, the vote was 229-202 with most GOP lawmakers voting "no," despite the potential consequences for Congress if witnesses are allowed to ignore its demands.

The House vote sends the matter to the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, where it will now be up to prosecutors in that office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges.

The partisan split over Bannon's subpoena  and over the committee's investigation in general  is emblematic of the raw tensions that still grip Congress nine months after the Capitol attack. Democrats have vowed to comprehensively probe the assault in which hundreds of Trump's supporters battered their way past police, injured dozens of officers and interrupted the electoral count certifying President Joe Biden's victory.

Lawmakers on the investigating committee say they will move swiftly and forcefully to punish anyone who won't cooperate with the probe.

"We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because our work is too important," Thompson said ahead of the vote.

Republicans call it a "witch hunt," say it is a waste of time and argue that Congress should be focusing on more important matters.

Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, leading the GOP opposition on the floor, called the probe an "illicit criminal investigation into American citizens" and said Bannon is a "Democrat party boogeyman."

Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger are the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel. Both have openly criticized Trump and his role in fomenting the insurrection, even as other Republicans have mostly remained silent in the face of Trump's falsehoods about massive fraud in the election. Trump's claims were rejected by election officials, courts across the country and by his own attorney general.

The Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend the contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel last week, citing a letter from Trump's lawyer that directed him not to answer questions. The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack, and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that "all hell is going to break loose."

Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them.

"Mr. Bannon's own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of -- and may well have been involved in -- the planning of everything that played out on that day," Cheney said ahead of the vote. "The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did."

Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will prosecute, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress' power to call witnesses and demand information.

While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries.

Attorney General Merrick Garland gave no hints during a House hearing on Thursday.

"If the House of Representatives votes for a referral of a contempt charge, the Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances. It will apply the facts and the law and make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution," he said.

Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is on the line.

"The stakes are enormous," Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said in an interview with The Associated Press.

If the Justice Department doesn't prosecute, the House has other options, including a civil lawsuit. That could also take years but would force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court.

Another option would be for Congress to try to imprison defiant witnesses  an unlikely, if not outlandish, scenario. Called "inherent contempt," the process was used in the country's early years but hasn't been employed in almost a century.

The lingering acrimony over the insurrection, and the Bannon subpoena, flared Wednesday at a House Rules Committee hearing held to set the parameters of Thursday's debate. Under intense questioning from Raskin, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who defended Trump and opposed the Bannon contempt effort, said he accepted that Biden is the president but would not say that Biden won the election.

Raskin said, "I know that might work on Steve Bannon's podcast, but that's not going to work in the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Gaetz. I'm sorry."

___

Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report. House votes to hold Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt

By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)  The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, led the floor debate along with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the panel. Still, the vote was 229-202 with most GOP lawmakers voting "no," despite the potential consequences for Congress if witnesses are allowed to ignore its demands.

The House vote sends the matter to the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, where it will now be up to prosecutors in that office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges.

The partisan split over Bannon's subpoena  and over the committee's investigation in general  is emblematic of the raw tensions that still grip Congress nine months after the Capitol attack. Democrats have vowed to comprehensively probe the assault in which hundreds of Trump's supporters battered their way past police, injured dozens of officers and interrupted the electoral count certifying President Joe Biden's victory.

Lawmakers on the investigating committee say they will move swiftly and forcefully to punish anyone who won't cooperate with the probe.

"We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because our work is too important," Thompson said ahead of the vote.

Republicans call it a "witch hunt," say it is a waste of time and argue that Congress should be focusing on more important matters.

Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, leading the GOP opposition on the floor, called the probe an "illicit criminal investigation into American citizens" and said Bannon is a "Democrat party boogeyman."

Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger are the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel. Both have openly criticized Trump and his role in fomenting the insurrection, even as other Republicans have mostly remained silent in the face of Trump's falsehoods about massive fraud in the election. Trump's claims were rejected by election officials, courts across the country and by his own attorney general.

The Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend the contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel last week, citing a letter from Trump's lawyer that directed him not to answer questions. The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack, and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that "all hell is going to break loose."

Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them.

"Mr. Bannon's own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of -- and may well have been involved in -- the planning of everything that played out on that day," Cheney said ahead of the vote. "The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did."

Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out  potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation.

There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will prosecute, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress' power to call witnesses and demand information.

While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries.

Attorney General Merrick Garland gave no hints during a House hearing on Thursday.

"If the House of Representatives votes for a referral of a contempt charge, the Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances. It will apply the facts and the law and make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution," he said.

Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is on the line.

"The stakes are enormous," Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said in an interview with The Associated Press.

If the Justice Department doesn't prosecute, the House has other options, including a civil lawsuit. That could also take years but would force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court.

Another option would be for Congress to try to imprison defiant witnesses  an unlikely, if not outlandish, scenario. Called "inherent contempt," the process was used in the country's early years but hasn't been employed in almost a century.

The lingering acrimony over the insurrection, and the Bannon subpoena, flared Wednesday at a House Rules Committee hearing held to set the parameters of Thursday's debate. Under intense questioning from Raskin, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who defended Trump and opposed the Bannon contempt effort, said he accepted that Biden is the president but would not say that Biden won the election.

Raskin said, "I know that might work on Steve Bannon's podcast, but that's not going to work in the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Gaetz. I'm sorry."

Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.
The entrance to Camp 1 in Guantanamo Bays Camp Delta. (Kathleen T. Rhem/Wikimedia Commons)

WASHINGTON  A federal judge has found that a former Afghan militant has been held unlawfully at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the first time in 10 years that a detainee has won such a case against the U.S. government, his lawyers said.

U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta in Washington this week entered a final order and two classified opinions in the case of Asadullah Haroon Gul. One opinion granted Gul's petition for a writ of habeas corpus after finding he was not part of al-Qaeda, but another found that the end of hostilities in Afghanistan did not merit his immediate release.

The government could appeal the order, and others previously granted habeas have sometimes languished for years. But the decision marks a significant legal turn involving the prison that remains a global symbol of U.S. excesses of power after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. The facility became infamous for its detention of some prisoners who had been subjected to brutal mistreatment, including waterboarding and secret interrogations, but who had not been charged. Guantanamo, which has held nearly 800 detainees, now houses 39.

Spokeswomen for the court and the Justice Department declined to comment, but a U.S. official confirmed that the petition was granted Tuesday and that the opinion was undergoing classification review before it is released.

"This is a landmark victory for the rule of law and a much-needed reminder to the US government that there are limits on what it may do in the name of national security," Gul attorney Tara Plochocki said in a written statement.

Gul's counsel Mark Maher, with the nonprofit group Reprieve, said the judge's ruling this week "affirmed what Asad has known for so long."

"He should be home with his family, and his detention is unlawful," Maher said.

The basis of the ruling remains classified, but in public opening statements in May before evidentiary hearings conducted over weeks, U.S. prosecutors said they would rely on the detainee's purported sensitive statements to interrogators and to an unnamed witness and al-Qaeda courier to support his detention.

Gul, 40, was captured in 2007 by Afghan forces, turned over to the United States, and remains one of the last 39 detainees at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He is also one of only two Afghans who remain out of 219 sent there after the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan in 2001. President Joe Biden formally ended the U.S. war in Afghanistan in August.

Three of the last four presidents, including Biden, have said the facility should close. But the U.S. government continues to grapple with what to do with a small group of prisoners who have never been charged but are seen as posing ongoing threats. The government is also struggling with where to house another dozen prisoners winding glacially through a dysfunctional military commission process or how to account for individuals whose convictions by the commission have been overturned by U.S. courts.

Twenty years after 9/11, the case of five men accused in the attacks remains in pretrial proceedings, and the Supreme Court recently took up the case of Guantanamo terrorism suspect Abu Zubaida, who was captured after the 9/11 attacks and is requesting more information about his CIA-sponsored torture.

Earlier this month, in a separate proceeding, the U.S. government determined that it was safe to transfer Gul, who has never been charged with a crime, out of Guantanamo. He is among 13 men who have been recommended for transfer by the multiagency Periodic Review Board (PRB), on the basis that they are not considered to pose a threat to U.S. national security. Among factors in its decision, the PRB cited Gul's "lack of a leadership role in extremist organizations and his lack of a clear ideological basis for his prior conduct."

Three of the men have been held for more than a decade, and clearance is no guarantee of release. Lawyers for those detainees say their continued detention despite having been cleared necessitates action by a court.

Gul's lawyers challenged his detention in federal court in July 2016 and argued in a hearing this spring that Biden's troop withdrawal announcement effective September 2021 amounted to a declaration that the U.S. war in Afghanistan was ending and that all prisoners of said war should be released.

Early this year, the U.S.-backed Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani also filed a court brief in support of Gul's release, saying his continued detention was "detrimental" to U.S.-Afghan relations.

Gul "is a prisoner of war  a war that has been over for many years," Plochocki argued in May for Gul's legal team, which includes the law firm Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss. Plochocki said the fact that Gul remains detained has "gotten ridiculous," saying he is one of about 20 men still at the prison "who have not been and never will be charged with a crime."

Prosecutors argued that Gul's detention, while lengthy, remained justified.

Gul at the time of his capture was a member of Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), a militant group then allied with al-Qaeda that resisted U.S. forces in 2001.

The HIG made peace with the government in Kabul in September 2016. Hundreds of its members have been freed from Afghan prisons, and its former CIA-backed leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, continues to have a presence in the country's political dialogue. The U.S. government also has freed scores of Taliban figures from Guantanamo, including high-ranking members who now hold leadership roles in Kabul.

But prosecutors argued that Gul's ties to al-Qaeda went deeper and that the U.S. government remained at war with al-Qaeda.

Gul made several trips to training camps specializing in chemicals and explosives, helped transport money, communications and individuals, and carried out "other operational taskings" for al-Qaeda operatives, U.S. prosecutor Stephen McCoy Elliott said in May. Gul also became close to the only other Afghan still at Guantanamo, Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, a former interpreter for Osama bin Laden who helped the latter escape Afghanistan in late 2001, Elliott alleged.

The government's position in Gul's habeas case appears fundamentally at odds with the position reached by the PRB  a body composed of representatives from the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department. The purpose of the board is to determine whether a detainee still poses a viable threat to U.S. national security, and, earlier this month, the board found that Gul did not.

But although the board assesses a detainee's dangerousness and makes a recommendation on that basis, it does not make a determination on whether the person's detention by the government is legal; that is where a habeas ruling comes in.

"The decision for the habeas petition is whether or not it's legal, and the decision for the PRB is whether or not it's wise," Maher said in an interview last week, likening the PRB to a "parole board."

At Gul's hearing in May, prosecutors said they would provide the judge with classified evidence to support their allegations of Gul's ties to al-Qaeda. They asserted that Gul had trained with a student organization associated with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed  the alleged mastermind of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001  and provided "substantial support" to al-Qaeda up to the time of his capture as evidenced by his purported disclosure of the locations of three of the group's operatives, the prosecutor said.

The hearing for Gul was the first involving a Guantanamo Bay prisoner petitioning for federal court review in two years and was scheduled before Biden announced the planned withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a process thrown into turmoil by the swift collapse of the U.S.-backed government and the return of the Taliban to Kabul.

Federal judges granted about 70% of 53 habeas petitions brought to them between 2008  when the U.S. Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right by Guantanamo inmates to seek federal court review of the legality of their detention  and 2010, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sharply curbed that decision. Since then, every petition opposed by the government has been rejected, and previously granted petitions appealed by the government reversed.

The Washington Post's Abigail Hauslohner contributed to this report.
James Kilcer, who claimed to be a Marine Corps veteran, shown Wednesday in surveillance footage disarming a would-be robber at a convenience store in Yuma, Ariz., according to the Yuma County Sheriffs Office. (Screenshot from Yuma County Sheriffs Office video)

WASHINGTON  A Marine Corps veteran is being heralded in Yuma, Ariz., for his quick reaction in disarming a would-be robber Wednesday at a gas station convenience store, according to the Yuma County Sheriffs Office.

James Kilcers heroics were captured in eight seconds of surveillance footage that show him standing with his back to the stores front door as two masked men  one with a handgun and another with a bag  enter the store. The armed robber immediately pointed the gun directly at Kilcer, who turned to see the two men.

The armed robber then turned the gun toward the cashier. Thats when Kilcer quickly acted, grabbing the handgun. He then wrestled the robber to the ground and out of the cameras view. He also hit the man in the face with a bag of drinks, The Associated Press reported Friday.

I guess I was just in the right place at the right time, Kilcer said, according to the Yuma Sun. I was doing what needed to be done.

The unarmed robber and a third person not seen in the video escaped before police arrived.

The customer was able to detain the suspect he disarmed until law enforcement arrived, the sheriffs office said in a statement late Wednesday. No injuries [were] reported from any of the victims.

When deputies asked Kilcer how he was able to take control of the situation, he said: The Marine Corps taught me not to [mess] around, according to police.

Kilcer served four years in the Marine Corps, rising to the rank of sergeant before separating in August 2011, Capt. Ryan Bruce, a service spokesman, said Friday. He was a tactical air operations technician and deployed to Afghanistan in 2010.

His awards and recognitions include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Bruce said.

The incident happened at about 4:30 a.m. at a Chevron gas station, police said. An investigation is underway.

Kilcer, who works as a civilian employee at Army Yuma Proving Ground, told the Yuma Sun that the incident was definitely not what I was expecting, but you always have to be ready for that kind of stuff.

The armed robber is a minor who was booked into the Yuma County Juvenile Justice Center on charges of armed robbery and aggravated assault, according to police.
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough speaks during a news conference Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, at VA headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Screenshot from video conference)

WASHINGTON  The Department of Veterans Affairs has started disciplining employees who refuse to comply with the agencys vaccine mandate, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said Wednesday.

The VA was the first federal agency to mandate that its employees be vaccinated against the coronavirus. There are 420,000 employees at the agency, and most workers had until Oct. 8 to provide proof of vaccination to their local VA Occupational Health Office.

So far, about 70% of employees have shared their vaccination status with the VA. The department didnt provide data Wednesday about how many employees had been vaccinated. McDonough said he would provide updates on those numbers as they became available.

The disciplinary process has begun for those employees who are refusing vaccines or who havent shared their vaccination status, he said. Undergoing counseling is the first step in the process, followed by several other measures before employees are terminated if they continue to refuse vaccines.

If they choose not to do it, and after our disciplinary process continue not to do it, theyll be fired, McDonough said. It starts with counseling and ends with separation.

Employees were allowed to request exemptions from the mandate for health or religious reasons. It was unknown Wednesday how many exemptions had been filed, but McDonough said the number of requests for religious exemptions was larger than those who sought exemptions for the flu vaccine last year.

McDonough said he might deny some of those requests if faced with a situation of undue hardship. That might occur if there arent enough vaccinated health care workers to treat veterans, he said.

VA officials are trying to determine the locations and job duties of employees who might refuse vaccines. The agency could use its authority to move other VA employees to regions where hospitals and clinics could become short-staffed, McDonough said.

Were looking really hard at it, he said. Were trying to get a sense as best we can where people might be and what the nature of employment might be so were in a position to do that.
Experts say it is not quite time to let down our guard, but the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to improve in the state of Florida
Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view.
Bay of Plenty

Our client has plenty of work in the pipeline and as such they are in need of qualified or experienced carpenters for an...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz
Daniel Hutchinson

From The Hutch

Regional rivalry has always been a big part of Kiwi culture.

Some of my favourite sporting memories involve Ranfurly Shield matches on the terraces of the old Lancaster Park in Christchurch.

Spilled beer and boorish chanting in the afternoon sun, while the evil northern tribes tried to wrest away the spoils.

I supported Canterbury because I lived there at the time and because the Red Devils of Marlborough, my home province, were never seriously threatening for the prized trophy at the time.

Since then Ive teased the stoic Dunedin folk with exuberant shark fins when the Makos left scars on the local team, and fake-commiserated when the sword-swinging Crusaders slayed the North Island teams.

So it was an odd experience when Christchurch-born-and-bred Mrs Hutch and I made our way down the country and across the ocean to the Souths biggest city for a family celebration.

Dropping in

Regional New Zealand shares a common curse  expensive airfares  so we usually drive to Auckland, pay for parking and then catch a cheap flight on the cheapest airline.

Thats not an option, so we headed south instead, making the five-hour trip from Taupo to Wellington and then hopping on a jet for the second half of the journey.

Its a quick flight, and barely 30 minutes after take-off we touch down in the south. Some 200 masks and 200 sets of North Island eyes disembark in an eerily quiet airport.

Most of the food outlets are closed and our bags miraculously arrive on the carousel at the same time as we do. A Singapore Airlines plane sits conspicuously on the tarmac, but its the only international carrier represented unless you count the two US Air Force planes parked a few hundred metres away, no doubt bound for the Antarctic.

We meet up with relatives we havent seen for a couple of years, crash in the spare room and then wake up refreshed, glad to be somewhere, anywhere, in these crazy hermit-like times.

To be honest we hadnt expected to be making the trip, with Covid leaks dripping and splashing ever closer to our patch of paradise.

Paranoia sets in

I leafed through The Press  the souths biggest daily newspaper and one that I used to work for  when I hit the Mainlander section.

Should we isolate the South Island? poses the main headline, before several pages of stories and columns present a hodgepodge of ideas dedicated to exploring this regional republicanism. The idea is to have a border between the North and the South to keep out Covid.

Id heard these rumblings in the days before leaving, and wondered how widespread the sentiment was. As it turns out, its as real as regional rivalry.

Suddenly the reason for our visit seems flimsy, as if its a social crime to be moving around the country. The event that night is missing plenty of people from Auckland, Hamilton and Australia. When out-of-town guests are thanked for making the journey, it seems we are the most exotic of the lot.

Eyes search the room for the cloud of covid that will surely be hovering above our heads.

Barely anyone mentions it  and we certainly dont  but this Covid sub-plot hangs in the air.

Going incognito

We both have South Island suffixes on our drivers licence numbers and tiny certificates that proclaim our double-vaccinated status. Neither of us is dressed like an Auckland sex worker, and I even packed an oilskin hat so Im pretty sure well be okay wandering around the city if we get stopped by the border police.

The logo on the back of the rented Corolla feels like a big, flashing Covid sign but we dont get pelted with rocks.

Its hot, dry and windy as we traverse the city, catching up with family and friends  strengthening relationships and meeting new adults who were children not so long ago.

Something we took for granted is now a rare treat. Catching up with family is important, and while I enjoyed every minute, it was a relief to be back on the plane and heading home to the North Island.

For the first time, there were no pangs of nostalgia or homesickness when we lifted off from the mainland  just a warm relief that we were able to make connections with people that seem so far away.

Whether its Northland versus Auckland, Bay of Plenty versus Waikato or North versus South, regional rivalry is just a little bit more real these days.

I just hope every tribe gets to enjoy being together soon, regardless of which provincial flag they fly.

daniel@thesun.co.nz
Rotorua has topped the list for the most noise complaints about a single premises in New Zealand.

Official information responses from all 67 district and city councils in New Zealand revealed, besides from Upper Hutt City Council, Rotorua Lakes Council was the only territorial authority to receive more than 200 noise complaints about a single business or individual between November 2019 and August 2021.

While complaints against Farrahs, manufacturer of wraps and flour tortillas, in Upper Hutt numbered 204, Rotorua Lakes Council had received 1144 noise complaints about a single commercial premise over the time period.

The Rotorua Lakes Council will not divulge the location due to an ongoing investigation, but a Rotorua district councillor says she will be looking into the matter.

Council community and regulatory services manager Kurt Williams says it relates to an isolated but complex noise issue.

"[The] council has been, and remains, involved in seeing this matter through to an appropriate resolution.

The investigation is ongoing and as such it is not appropriate to comment further at this point. This helps prevent any potential prejudice of those involved and protects the relevant legal processes.

The councils official information response, provided by chief executives group deputy chief executive Craig Tiriana, stated as at September 23 the council had served the commercial premises with three excessive noise direction notices.

Rotorua district councillor Tania Tapsell says any single complaint was enough for concern if it was disrupting people.

It is disappointing to hear that people are being disrupted so significantly and I will certainly, as a councillor, be looking into this issue and taking it seriously, because everyone deserves the right to live and work in a place of peace.

Rotorua district councillor Tania Tapsell. Photo / File / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post.

Tapsell says people enjoy Rotoruas lifestyle, so it is important to protect that.

Upper Hutt resident Logan McLean is among many people frustrated by noise in his area, which they believe emanates from a Farrahs factory in Silverstream.

His frustration prompted him to ask all councils in the country if they had received more than 200 complaints, under district or regional plans, about a single individual or business.

He expected Upper Hutt City Council to top the list but is surprised Rotorua exceeded his councils number and recommended residents affected by the noise dont wait to raise their concerns.

Your home is meant to be your place of refuge, and theres no escape.

He says he and his community had initially been patient and given Upper Hutt City Council the benefit of the doubt but the noise significantly impacted peoples health and wellbeing.

Farrahs managing director Jovan Canak declined to comment as the noise issues are subject to a consent application with Upper Hutt City Council and he did not want to compromise the process.

Upper Hutt City Council planning and regulatory services director Richard Harbord says it monitors noise in response to complaints and noise consultants have been contracted by the council.

He says noise monitoring confirmed the excessive noise was limited to a small number of nearby homes and an abatement issue was issued.
Workplace mental health and suicide prevention charity MATES in Construction says new government funding will allow it to expand its support to construction workers right around the country.

The charity has received $600,000 in one-off funding from the Governments Mental Wellbeing Innovation Fund, designed to support innovative mental health projects.

MATES in Construction CEO Victoria McArthur says the charity will use the funding to expand their suicide prevention services, to ensure we can support our workers all over Aotearoa New Zealand and across all sectors, residential, commercial and civil construction.

Right now, we are losing on average one worker per week to suicide in the construction sector, says Victoria. The workers in our industry tend to be very unlikely to reach out proactively and seek or accept help. Thats a real challenge for traditional programmes of mental health care.

Our programme is done on site, delivered for industry by industry. Our field staff come from the tools  they have backgrounds in the industry and the real lived experience of working in the industry.

That means they can reach past those barriers and reach people on the job site. MATES is one of very few well documented and researched workplace-based suicide prevention programs globally, our approach has been highlighted as best practice by the World Health Organisation.

Since its inception, MATES in New Zealand has inducted more than 21,000 workers into the General Awareness Training programme, delivered the programme onto 256 sites, had 5265 call-backs requested after attending a MATES training session, trained 1100 people as Connectors, and gained the support of 110 industry organisations.

Now, with this extra funding we will be able to increase our presence in the South Island, including new field staff in Dunedin and Christchurch. This will mean more people in our industry can get support on their site, says Victoria.

We know that as an industry we need to keep prioritising the wellbeing of our people, especially as we continue to battle COVID-19. Its excellent to have government recognise and support the work we are doing, and help us to take those services even wider in our industry.

For more information on MATES in Construction, contact Hayden Munro 0272366966

To contact MATES in Construction click here

Where to get help:

Lifeline (open 24/7) - 0800 543 354

Depression Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 111 757

Gambling Helpline - 0800 654 655

Healthline (open 24/7) - 0800 611 116

Samaritans (open 24/7) - 0800 726 666

Suicide Crisis Helpline (open 24/7) - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.

Youthline (open 24/7) - 0800 376 633. You can also text 234 for free between 8am and midnight, or email talk@youthline.co.nz

0800 WHATSUP children's helpline - phone 0800 9428 787 between 1pm and 10pm on weekdays and from 3pm to 10pm on weekends. Online chat is available from 7pm to 10pm every day at www.whatsup.co.nz.

Kidsline (open 24/7) - 0800 543 754. This service is for children aged 5 to 18. Those who ring between 4pm and 9pm on weekdays will speak to a Kidsline buddy. These are specially trained teenage telephone counsellors.
Pharmac says it will fund next generation diabetes drugs for all people with the condition who meet its criteria, despite new concerns raised by patient advocates.

The agency announced in December it would fund empagliflozin or dulaglutide for an estimated 53,000 patients with the disease who met certain criteria, starting in February.

This week, the agency said in the past eight months, it had already funded the drugs for 40,131 people.

Patient Voice Aotearoa spokesman Malcolm Mulholland says he's concerned the funding would run out and a lot of people would miss out on treatment.

Unless Pharmac receives more money to fund the drugs it will have no other option than to say, Sorry, thats it.

Patient Voice Aotearoa spokesman Malcolm Mulholland. DAVID UNWIN/STUFF.

Diabetes is the countrys biggest and fastest growing health condition, and south Auckland is the region most affected.

Ministry of Health figures show in 2020, there were 277,803 people with diabetes in New Zealand, with 47,988 people with the disease in Counties Manukau alone.

Mulholland says the drugs had proven they could save the overall health system money and prevent people ending up on dialysis due to kidney failure.

But he says Pharmac is only focused on what it will cost the agency and what impact it will have on its own budget.

It just illustrates how siloed off Pharmac is from the rest of the health system.

Counties Manukau resident Graham King was diagnosed with diabetes in 1990. STEPHEN FORBES/LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTING.

Counties Manukau resident and Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa member Graham King (Ngati Tai) was diagnosed with diabetes in 1990.

He has been taking part in a diabetes drug trial which is expected to end in December.

When the trial finishes Ive got to decide which one I go on, empagliflozin or dulaglutide, because Pharmac will only pay for one of them.

He says Pharmac shouldn't be putting up barriers to access.

For all those diabetics that may have to eventually go on dialysis or get a kidney transplant, these drugs are life changing.

Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa chairman Dr John Baker says by his own estimates, 120,000 people would meet the criteria to receive both drugs.

In June, Pharmacs director of operations Lisa Williams said the company received significant feedback from health professionals who were supportive of its decision to provide funding for empagliflozin or dulaglutide.

When you manage a fixed budget, there will always be more medicines than we can afford to fund, which means we need to make some difficult choices.

Williams says widening access to other people who will benefit from the new medicines is something Pharmac would like to do when funding was available.

Williams says the latest data shows nearly half of those approved to receive the medicines were Maori or Pasifika.

Everybody who met Pharmacs special authority criteria would get funded access to treatment, she says.

The 53,000 figure used by Pharmac when it announced its decision was simply an estimate of how many people would meet the criteria, she says.
New Zealand travellers and trading partners with Tonga are set to benefit from the opening of the countrys largest international airport.

The new development will allow Kiwi tourists to fly direct to Tongas main tourism hub Vava'u for the first time as well as expanding trade access for a wider range of goods and services. New Zealand is Tongas largest tourism market, making up 42 per cent of visitor numbers.

New Zealand is also a key export market for Tonga with two-way trade between the countries valued at NZD$240 million per annum.

The $172m project will see Vava'u International Airports existing building replaced with a proposed new 8,000sqm terminal and cargo facility along with an extended runway capable of accommodating long-range aircraft.

The new airport will be one of the worlds first to be designed to meet the needs of a post COVID tourism market and is considered a key component of the strategy in the regeneration and development of a high quality tourism market for the Pacific Island nation.

Talks are currently underway with New Zealand architects, along with those in other markets, around the design of the new airport which will also provide opportunities for specialist skilled labour.

A multi-megawatt renewable energy plant to be built as part of the development will harness solar and wind to power the airport as well as contribute to Vava'us resident population of over 13,700 - reducing emissions and working towards eliminating the need for imported diesel, which supplies 90 per cent of power to the island.

Vava'u is Tongas main tourism hub, with 34 islands in the group providing dramatic scenery and a world-renowned centre for water-related activities, however the current length of the runway prevents access from larger aircraft - restricting international flights from a number of countries to neighbouring Pacific Islands of Fiji and Samoa.

The new 2,700m extended runway will provide direct access from higher value destinations including New Zealand, Australia, USA, UAE and key Asian markets such as Japan and China.

Havea L. Gatti, Raw Mana Ltd CEO, says the project will provide cargo infrastructure for a wider range of import and export opportunities for Tonga and trading partners such as New Zealand.

Gatti says currently all airfreight is first transported to Tongatapu, which increases the cost of the produce prior to export and impacts the freshness of the products and the overall price that can be achieved within the target markets.

While the capacity constraints of Vava'us cargo infrastructure limit the majority of agricultural exports to less perishable produce such as vanilla, squash and yams, when the new international airport comes online in 2024 it will open up a range of business opportunities for trading partners and will lead to the diversification of Tongan producers into more high value raw and processed exports.

The direct flights would make it possible to land fish caught in Tongan waters and other fresh local produce on the tables of New Zealand restaurants the next day.

Gatti says the airport will also see a significantly increased capacity for high-value tourism and will encourage investment in hotels and associated businesses.

Tonga also offers exceptional experiences for tourists ranging from archaeological history extending back over 2,300 years, which includes ancient megaliths through to the ability to see humpback whales nursing newborn calves in shallow waters around the coastline.

The Vavau International Airport will provide direct access from key tourism markets helping increase the proportion of Tongas GDP that is derived from this sector of the economy. We want to offer a premium experience for visitors which is in line with the positioning of other island destinations such as the Maldives, he says.

Gatti says the Vavau group development project would not be possible without the support of His Majesty King Tupou VI, the High Commission of Tonga in London UK, Palms Tonga and the Tongan Tourism Authority, who they will engage with fully on all tourism activities.

Gatti says multiple funding sources are accessible with a final decision to be made prior to the start of the development.

Raw Mana, a global construction and services group specialising in civil engineering, renewable energy, international airport and port developments was chosen to lead the project after being referred to the Tongan Government. Their managerial team includes Tongan nationals Havea Gatti and Sililo Martens, New Zealander Miriama Mahuika, and UK-based Neil Hodson.
News of a free trade agreement between New Zealand and the United Kingdom has been welcomed by the business sector and opposition parties alike.

The deal, agreed to in principle, with the hope of concluding final negotiations by next year, was announced this morning.

It would eliminate tariffs on all UK goods into New Zealand, and tariffs on about 63 per cent of goods currently exported to the country. Sheep meat and beef would be subject to tariffs but have a quota, increasing each year, for duty-free exports until the 15th year of the agreement, while butter and cheese would have tariffs reduced until the sixth year.

It also includes provisions covering environmental concerns, animal welfare, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, telecommunications and digital trade, investment, intellectual property and efforts to combat gender inequality and modern slavery.

NZ International Business Forum executive director Stephen Jacobi says the news would help lift the spirits of exporters amidst the gloom of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"This is clearly a substantial and comprehensive deal, with commercially meaningful market access from entry into force across New Zealand's key export sectors including dairy, meat, horticulture and wine, he says.

"British interests in services trade, business mobility and investment have been addressed ... while some of the detail remains to be worked out, negotiators have done a good job getting this far relatively quickly."

Jacobi says the agreement would help position the UK in its efforts to join the broader multinational Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership) trade agreement.

"CPTPP is gaining in momentum and the UK accession process is well advanced, he says. A strong outcome from the FTA negotiations, which is now within reach, is what is needed for New Zealand to confirm its wholehearted support for UK accession".

The UK is the red meat sector's third largest export market. Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva says while they were disappointed by the length of the transition period, it was still a reasonable deal.

"It gives some commercially meaningful access into that market and over a period of time you will see tariff elimination which will open up that market to our exporters without any duties or quotas.

"So from that perspective that's really great news. It is an ongoing market of interest for the industry and this just gives our exporters a lot more certainty and the ability to compete on a level playing field."

During negotiations, there had been some concerns from UK farming interests that improving access for New Zealand farmers would undercut them but Karapeeva said there was no risk of this.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand chief executive Sam McIvor says New Zealand producers were well-placed to meet British consumers' high expectations for free range, pasture-based meat farming, and would complement the UK's northern hemisphere season perfectly.

Apiculture New Zealand chief executive Karin Kos says today's announcement was a major win for the honey industry that would improve competition in one of its largest markets.

"The UK is worth about $70m annually to New Zealand and it just opens the opportunity to really just boost growth in that area, in that market."

She says the deal would give New Zealand beekeepers and honey exporters a real boost at a time when it was much needed.

Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says the agreement was a fantastic and historic result for New Zealand.

"The UK is the second largest importer of dairy by value, with customers and consumers in high value market segments who are willing to pay for New Zealand provenance, our sustainability credentials and our innovation," he says.

He says it was a high-quality comprehensive agreement that would ultimately benefit broader New Zealand.

In a statement, Onions NZ chief executive James Kuperus says the deal would mean immediate benefit to growers and exporters when it came into force.

"The conclusion of this agreement will benefit onion growers and regional communities, from Pukekohe to Canterbury. The tariff on New Zealand onions is currently eight per cent. New Zealand currently exports $11 million worth of onions to the United Kingdom annually.

"Onions are an important rotation crop for many vegetable growers. Having onions in a rotation allows growers to rotate between other crops such as lettuces, potatoes, carrots etc, which helps to control pests and diseases... the New Zealand onion sector is extremely grateful for the hard work of New Zealand's negotiators and diplomats."

National Party trade spokesperson Nicola Grigg welcomes the deal, saying an immediate elimination of 97 per cent of tariffs on exports was unprecedented.

"The last National Government began discussions with the UK on an ambitious and comprehensive FTA. We have supported this Government's efforts to conclude these negotiations as a priority ... we want to see New Zealand do well in the world and trade is our best opportunity to do that," she says.

"With our national debt sitting at $120 billion - and predicted to climb to $185bn - our exporters will play a crucial role in allowing us to trade our way out of that debt. Securing high quality and comprehensive free trade deals is an important part of the solution."

She congratulates the minister and his predecessors for their hard work, but was disappointed New Zealand's sheep meat and beef farmers would have to wait longer for full tariff elimination than Australia secured with its own deal.

ACT's trade spokesperson Brooke van Velden also welcomes the news, but says the next test for the agreement would be "ensuring the provisions come true over the coming years, and the trend is towards further liberalisation".

"New Zealand farmers helped to pull us through the Covid-recovery, New Zealand's DNA is that we are a trading nation, with some of the finest agricultural produce in the world.

"ACT has always been the strongest proponent of free trade in Parliament. We welcome today's news."

- RNZ
Junta 'highly recommends' the use of face masks 'throughout the winter, until spring' Andalucia's Minister of Health, Jesus Aguirre, has stated that this year there will be a 'higher incidence' of respiratory viruses, so that the use of a face covering will be recommended by the regional government

The Junta de Andalucias Minister of Health, Jesus Aguirre, has recommended this Thursday (21 October) the use of face masks until next spring as a means of protection from Covid and also the flu.

Aguirre predicted that "this year there will be a greater incidence of influenza than in the past and "a higher incidence of respiratory viruses, so the use of the face mask will be highly recommended throughout the winter, until spring".

Magic wand

Despite the downward trend of the coronavirus data, the Health Minister said that we do not have a magic wand, and that is why until the World Health Organization says that the pandemic is over, we have to be careful."

Speaking at the Virgen del Rocio University Hospital in Seville, Aguirre has again highlighted that the highest incidence of the virus at the moment occurs in the age group from zero to 12 years old, which is the one that is not vaccinated.

Vaccination

He said that, in his opinion, "when we start to vaccinate, I estimate by the end of November, the age group between six and eleven years old, the cumulative incidence rate will go down, because that is where there are more positives."

Aguirre made the comment shortly after the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, announced that face masks will cease to be mandatory in the playgrounds of the Madrid regions schools at breaktime as of this Monday.

Covid-free residences

The Health Minister added that the Covid-19 cumulative incidence rate in the Andalucia is 30.62 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with the highest in Almeria, 61, and the lowest in Cadiz, with 14.30.

"99.6 per cent of the regions 1,107 residences are free of Covid, with ten positives in four centres," reassured Aguirre.
Capital of the Costa del Sol heads towards becoming a five-star destination With several top-end projects in the pipeline, added to the existing luxury hotels, Malaga will be able to offer more than 1,200 five-star rooms in the next three years - more than any other city in Andalucia

Malaga is fast heading towards becoming a five-star destination for travellers. The recent openings of the Only You Malaga hotel and the Soho Boutique Castillo de Santa Catalina are just an appetizer for what is to come.

The capital of the Costa del Sol will be able to offer up to a dozen top-class establishments between now and 2024.

To the four already operational, the Cortijo de la Reina will be added, which will be the first five-star hotel located in Los Montes; the Montana, which will open where the restaurant with the same name is currently located; the Palacio de la Tinta, very close to the Gran Hotel Miramar, the only new luxury hotel already underway; the controversial Torre del Puerto; the one that the Melia chain will manage, following the purchase of in the old Andalucia cinema by the Pique family, and the one that, if the change of use is allowed, in the central post office building.

The latter is the project that is most up in the air. The rest either already have a building licence or are being processed, according to the citys Councillor for Land Management, Raul Lopez.

While waiting planning applications to be processed, he assures that "Malaga will have seven top-class hotels within two years."

New business opportunities

With these projects, Malaga city will make a giant leap forward in its luxury hotel offer that will open up new business opportunities and that will place it as the city with the highest five-star room offer in Andalucia.

The new hotels could provide 835 luxury rooms, which together with those already in operation will allow Malaga to offer more than 1,200 five-star rooms, not counting those at the old post office.

Since the Vincci Posada del Patio hotel opened its doors in May 2010 as the first five-star hotel in Malaga, it took until the end of 2017 for the opening of the Gran Hotel Miramar, with 190 rooms, to expand this offer.

This year, the Only You Malaga, located at the foot of the emblematic La Equitativa building, and the Soho Boutique Castillo de Santa Catalina were added.

Torre del Puerto

The most significant project in the pipeline, with more than 370 rooms, is the Torre del Puerto. However, it is the one facing most challenges at the planning stage.

Councillor Raul Lopez is convinced that the city still has a long way to go. "There is a lot of interest from chains and investors and many four-star 'premium' projects," he says.
Hundreds attend funeral mass for Joan Hunt in Malaga Cathedral Tribute was paid to the founder of the Cudeca hospice charity, who died in June, at the service on Monday

More than 300 people were in Malaga Cathedral on Monday evening to attend the funeral mass for the founder of the Cudeca hospice foundation, Joan Hunt.

The British woman who will go down in history as the pioneer of palliative care on the Costa del Sol died on 24 June this year, aged 92.

Among the congregation at the service, which was led by the Bishop of Malaga, Jesus Catala, were friends, volunteers and staff of the Benalmadena-based cancer care charity, as well as representatives of local authorities and private institutions and the foundation's board of trustees.

Following the mass, during which the bishop spoke of the importance of Joan's contribution to the local community, the choir performed the Hallelujah Chorus, music that charity's founder had specifically requested to be heard at her funeral.

A moving tribute was read by Cudeca's CEO and Medical Director, Marisa Martin. "Joan was an example of the power of determination, as well as of commitment on a social, moral and intellectual level," she said. Martin stressed Joan's belief in the collective spirit of a community and volunteering.

And when things weren't always going as well as she had hoped, said Martin, Joan taught them to have faith, with her words: "What was meant to be, will be."

It was back in 2015 that Joan left written instructions for her funeral. As well as her choice of music, she also asked for an anonymous poem to be read, based on the words from Mark (16:4) "And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away."

Cudeca's Medical Director reminded the congregation of Joan's habitual farewell message of "God bless". "Now it's our turn to bid farewell to Joan with her 'God bless'," she said, "Rest in peace."

Joan's last wishes also included the following message: "Don't send flowers to my funeral; send a donation."

Anyone who did not get a chance to attend the funeral and give their donation there, is invited to visit the Cudeca website www.cudeca.org or make a donation by Bizum 00206 or bank transfer to ES48 2100 7681 3253 0006.
Watch as burst water pipe makes quite a splash in Malaga For half-an-hour, the high-pressure jet reached the height of the seventh floor of a neighbouring building

Local Police officers try to keep the traffic flowing. / SUR

Malaga residents were startled to see a new water feature shooting into the sky this Thursday morning (21 October) after a pipe ruptured in the city.

There have been no injuries, but the scene caused quite a commotion, in the El Palo district.

The high-pressure water jet reached the height of the seventh floor of the adjoining building for more than half an hour.

While several Local Police teams coordinated the traffic and prevented the water flooding from the pipe from causing an accident, water board technicians worked to isolate the supply.
 Unlimited website access 24/7

 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7

 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more!



With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-Edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.
Do you already have a paid subscription to any of the SWNewsMedia newspapers? If so, you can Activate your Premium online account by clicking here. Activation will allow you to view unlimited online articles each month. To activate your Premium online account, the email address and phone number provided with your paid newspaper subscription needs to match the information you use in setting up your online user account. If you are having trouble or want to confirm what email address and phone number is listed on your subscription account, please call 952-345-6682 or email circulation@swpub.com and we'll be happy to assist.
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.
Filters in ballast water systems

Filters for ballast water systems may not be a legal requirement, but they may prove very helpful, particularly if the vessel is loading ballast in sediment-rich waters. We spoke to filter system manufacturer Filtersafe.

It may make a lot of sense for tanker operators to consider the sediment in the ballast water they load onto vessels, and whether they should filter it out, says Mark Riggio, head of marine at filter systems manufacturer Filtersafe. The regulations for ballast water systems require a system which is approved to kill organisms and remove sediment to a certain level, and has been tested in factory conditions to ensure that it can do that. But the only ships which dont need filters are very large vessels, trading between large deep water ports, where there isnt a lot of sediment in the water being collected for ballast, Mr Riggio says. Particularly high levels of sediment are likely if you trade in rivers, deltas, or shallow harbours where flowing water and run-off may impact water or where the ships uptakes may be close to the bottom. And this is where most cargo is being discharged, he says. The ballast water regulations do include requirements about sediment levels in ballast water being discharged. The full name of the regulations is International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM). There are a number of ballast water systems which are type approved for use without a filter. But tanker operators not using filters may find that their ballast tanks slowly collect a layer of sediment at the bottom, which cannot be pumped out, so it must be removed at dry dock. In dry dock, you end up shovelling 6-8 inches of sediment at the bottom of the tanks, he says. This is dead weight that the vessel needs to carry. But an additional concern is that this sediment may be classed as hazardous waste in future, so incur high disposal fees. Its disposal regulations could be similar to those for bilge water. Also, the waste disposal contractor may be chosen by the dry dock yard, putting the shipowner in a poor position to negotiate the fee. Tankers may need two dry dock visits every five years. For many tanker operators, their next visit will be the first visit they make after installing the ballast water system (since the systems were installed at their previous dry dock), and so the first time they learn about sediment levels in their tanks, he says. Ballast testing Ballast water systems are thoroughly tested by the IMO and testing facilities before they are approved to be installed on ships. This test has the highest challenge conditions. We want to stress the system and make sure it works. This is done in a scientific lab, Mr Riggio says. But if the system needs to be tested after being installed on a ship, the test might not be so rigorous. Companies may schedule a test while the ship has its most competent crew, on a route which is less demanding from a ballast water perspective. For example if the ship is transiting equatorial waters, the high temperatures may kill the organisms, so no-one will know if the ballast water system is not working. A shipboard test is good but its a limited test. There's a whole lot that can go into gaming the test to make sure that you pass, he said. A better filter If tanker operators are persuaded about the need for a filter system, the next question is what kind of system to use. The filters are used when the ballast water is being loaded. This has to happen at the same time as the tanker is being discharged (with the ballast water taking the place of the removed cargo in keeping the vessel stable). If the filter system is not able to filter ballast water at the rate needed to balance the rate the cargo is being discharged, then discharging needs to be stopped to catch up. Port facilities tend to really dislike tankers giving them a variable flow rate of cargo, Mr Riggio says. So this would happen if you cant bring ballast on fast enough. Tanker operators need a filter which will give them predictable results and predictable flow rates. Just with any filter, the flow rate will decline if it is clogged  and so to be predictable there needs to be a reliable way to remove the sediment. Filtersafes system One of the big differences between a poor and good quality filter is the cleaning system, because a filter can only maintain maximum flow rate if it is free of debris, Mr Riggio says. The Filtersafe product has its own automatic cleaning system. The ballast water being loaded comes in through the inlet to the filter from the inside of the cylindrical filter mesh. It passesthrough the screen and into the tank. The cleaning process is initiated when a pressure sensor detects a higher pressure inside the screen than outside, indicating that water is not flowing freely through the screen. A suction pump is activated, which sucks clean water back across the filter mesh, through precision designed cleaning nozzles, and back to the seawater source that the water came from, taking the sediment with it. Any sediment which has built up on the screen is drawn through the suction nozzle down a pipe and back to the sea it was originally taken from. Also, to improve durability of the filter, Filtersafe has removed 316L grade stainless steel and switched to 904L grade stainless steel, which is up to 82% more durable than 316L. It has 3 configurations, labelled regular, turbo, and super turbo giving different levels of cleaning capability, using more nozzles. It has been tested at solids levels of up to 2500 mg (2.5g)/ litre. The system is used for 25 per cent of all ballast water worldwide. In the maritime industry, its systems are used by ballast water system suppliers Wartsila, Techcross, Ecochlor and Evoqua. Filtersafe makes filtration systems in a variety of sizes, for a variety of industries other than shipping  including oil and gas, agriculture, desalination, and other industry. The company is headquartered in North Israel, and has offices in Pittsburgh (USA), Brazil, Chile, Hamburg (Germany), Netherlands, Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, and South Australia.




Managing cyber risks of ECDIS

There have been concerns raised in the industry about cyber risks of operational technology onboard ships, such as ECDIS. We talked to Navtor, one of the worlds leading ECDIS technology companies, about how the risks can be best managed.

There have been concerns raised in the shipping industry about the cybersecurity risks of operational technology, such as the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). We talked to Navtor, one of the worlds leading ECDIS technology companies and chart suppliers, about the best ways the risks can be managed. The main cyber concerns are that the ECDIS operating system software can be corrupted or get a virus, a virus can be introduced using a USB stick, and the charts can be corrupted. But all of these risks can be mitigated easily by using modern technology and following procedures. Perhaps more importantly, it should be possible to show this to other people with a stakeholding in maritime safety, such as insurers, authorities and charterers, that the ECDIS is being managed in a way which eliminates cyber risks. To put peoples concerns at rest, the whole system needs to be demonstrably secure. There is no means for any hack or corruption to occur in chart data as it flows between the hydrographic office, the electronic chart supplier and the vessel systems. There is tight control over what data can enter the ECDIS system so that only correct software updates, charts, chart updates and chart licenses are allowed. The ECDIS is running an up to date operations system with the latest patches. But it is still important that everybody involved has some understanding of the risks, as with any other risk in shipping. It is important that seafarers have training in the basics of cybersecurity, says Anders Holme, CTO, NAVTOR. Old operating systems The biggest potential risk with ECDIS probably comes from the use of old equipment with operating systems which have not been updated. Chart display systems are computers, which use the same operating systems which are in a PC. The first systems, type approved in 1999, ran the Windows versions which were being used at the time. You wouldnt use 1999 Windows systems in the office, partly due to the cybersecurity concerns, with systems no longer being provided by patches by Microsoft. Most companies would not allow this. Shipping companies should not do so either. It is rare for ships today to use ECDIS systems with old operating systems, says Tor Svanes, CEO of Navtor. This is much to do with todays cyber risk management processes. Every ECDIS manufacturer must make sure they keep the ECDIS software updated, Mr Svanes says. This can be done either with personnel who go onboard after a certain amount of time to update and check the systems, or it can be done remotely, as we do with our home and office Windows computers. When shipping companies consider a new ECDIS supplier, the ease and security of the maintenance service should be a major factor. There is an increasing trend for ECDIS companies to use Linux rather than Windows for the operating system, says Bjrn Kristian Sstad, Chief Quality Officer & Chief Business Development Officer OEM at NAVTOR. But there is no clear answer as to whether Windows or Linux are safer from viruses. Arguably, the Windows community has a higher vigilance about viruses, says Anders Holme, CTO of Navtor. Perhaps the legal requirement to update ECDIS operating systems is not crystal clear, since once a system was given a type approval certificate, it is valid for life. But there is a reasonably clear obligation, since ensuring up to date operating system software is one of the most important cyber security risks, which should be considered in any risk assessment, which shipping companies are required to do. In addition, SOLAS Chapter V/27 says that nautical charts "shall be adequate and up to date". If the ECDIS is running older software, it may not be able to display the chart information fully, even if the chart files themselves are up to date. For example newer features like Particularly Sensitive Areas (PSSA) and Archipelagic Sea Lanes (ASL) maye not display on older ECDIS software, according to a 2016 paper by Lucian Indries of the University of Oslo (Candidate number: 8008). Further performance standards and guidance for ECDIS systems were published by IMO, including MSC.232(82) (2006), IMO SN.1/Circ.266/Rev.1 (2010) and IMO MSC.1/Circ.1503 (2015). It states that ECDIS software "should be kept up to date such that it is capable of displaying up-to-date electronic charts correctly according to the latest version of IHO's chart content and display standards." This language is guidance though, not legally binding. USB sticks and connectivity A second concern is that viruses can be introduced with USB sticks. This concern is heightened if an older Windows version is being used for the chart display system, because there are many viruses in circulation which can attack old Windows versions. It is not usually practical to disable USB drives on ECDIS systems, because they may be the only way to update the software and put in new virus updates (although Navtor has an alternate system for chart updates, described below). Many chart suppliers send chart updates by e-mail attachment, which means copying them into the ECDIS with a USB stick, or by a CD. Data communication is also needed to unlock new chart files, when a vessel is going to a new area. The chart is already stored onboard the ECDIS, but the shipping company pays for a permit to view the chart. For smaller distributors, these permits would typically be sent by e-mail, and need copying onto a USB stick. But shipping companies should have strict procedures about how USB sticks can be used with an ECDIS, as should any service personnel who come onboard to update the software. The USB stick used for updating ECDIS systems should not be used for anything else. If you take that stick and use it for storing movies, pictures and whatever you do, then there is a risk, Mr Holme says. It also means a violation of procedures. This memory stick should also only be inserted into computers with well managed security, such as virus scans and up to date operating systems. ECDIS systems are not allowed to be connected directly to an internet communications system. There are strict rules about how they can be connected. Just to have one ECDIS connected to another ECDIS, even without the internet, is [subject to] very strict [regulation], whatever you do regarding communication, says Bjrn Kristian Sstad of NAVTOR. Hacking chart data A third concern is that the chart data itself can be hacked. For example, an enterprising and vicious hacker may wish to send chart data to a ship which indicates deep water in a part of the sea where, in reality, there is a shallow rock. So there needs to be a secure communications chain from the chart supplier to the ship. A chart supplier such as Navtor does not verify the accuracy of the data itself  this is the responsibility of the hydrographic office which supplies it. In the same way, it is the hydrographic offices responsibility to ensure that data on their paper charts is correct. But the chart supplier will ensure that the data cannot be corrupted or hacked on its way to the vessel. Navtors data is protected using S-63, an International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) standard for encrypting, securing and compressing electronic navigational chart (ENC) data. Chart mistakes and inaccuracies made by hydrographic offices are rare, but they do happen. In one example,  a customer said there is something wrong here in the Port of Rotterdam. We took action and found the problem, Mr Svanes says. Note that when this happens, digital systems can be updated much faster than paper charts. All vessels can be updated in hours, Mr Holme says. There is a secondary means of verifying that chart data has not been corrupted, because the ECDIS will show radar images overlayed on the chart. For example, the radar image of land will show on top of the chart showing land. If there is corruption with the chart data, they are not aligned. The ECDIS will also sound an alarm if it identifies a problem with data input. This is in the specification for ECDIS, Mr Svanes says. Electronic safer than paper Some people may argue that the cybersecurity risks of ECDIS, although very small, mean they outweigh the benefits of using electronic charts over paper, or that paper charts should still be carried as a contingency. But paper charts come with risks which electronic charts dont have. Paper can burn, or get water spilled on it, says Navtors Anders Holme. Updating digital systems, and receiving new charts, was also much easier to do than with paper charts during the COVID era, when it was harder to arrange physical deliveries to the ship, he says. Backup to ECDIS Under the ECDIS regulations in place since the 1990s, shipping companies cannot rely on just one ECDIS unit  they need to have a backup system. This can be a second ECDIS, or paper charts. It would be easier for shipping companies if the backup could be a second ECDIS, so then they do not need to have to handle paper charts onboard. Navtor provides a planning station, a software tool which can be used for planning routes, which uses the same ENC charts. A popular option is to use it with a 46 inch touch screen. This planning station can also function as a third back-up, because it runs on the same software kernel and charts as the actual ECDIS system. Even if you have a double ECDIS and there is something wrong in both of them, you still have the planning station with the ENC. You have the backup to the backup, Mr Svanes says. Navtors Navbox Navtor provides its own device to manage the connectivity between the ECDIS and the satellite communications system and the cloud, called the Navbox. This is a physical device onboard the ship, which plugs into both the ECDIS and the satellite communications system. It ensures that only bona fide chart updates, sent from Navtor, via Navtors cloud system, can be uploaded onto the ECDIS. So it allows the ECDIS to be connected to a network in a secure way, avoiding the need for USB sticks. The connection between the ECDIS and the Navbox is set up with secure APIs, which ensure that only the right chart content can be exchanged. So we can describe the Navbox solution as end to end secure, without needing any extra policies / procedures. The Navbox is certified to meet the IEC 61162-460 standard, for cybersecurity in Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems  Digital interfaces  Part 460: Multiple talkers and multiple listeners  Ethernet interconnection  Safety and security. The Navbox itself is a PC but which has its own mechanisms to only read certain content. It is possible to plug a USB stick into the Navbox, but it will only read the chart files from the USB stick. Navbox is a component of a fully enclosed solution  connecting only to Navtors Navcloud, only with fully encrypted and authenticated communication. you can't talk to it through any other channels, says Mr Holme. And the data communication Navtor makes to the Navcloud is also very strictly controlled.




Piracy and armed robbery incidents at lowest level in decades

The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has reported the lowest number of reported piracy and armed robbery incidents for the first nine months of any year since 1994.

IMBs latest global piracy report recorded 97 incidents of piracy and armed robbery for the first nine months of 2021  the lowest level of reported incidents since 1994. In 2021, IMBs Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) reported 85 vessels boarded, nine attempted attacks, two vessels fired upon and one vessel hijacked. Reported incidents are down to their lowest level in decades, but violence against seafarers has continued with 51 crew kidnapped, eight taken hostage, five threatened, three injured, two assaulted and one killed, according to the latest IMB statistics. While the reduction of reported incidents is a welcome, IMB PRC warns that seafarers must remain vigilant as violence against crew remains high in many areas of the world. Decrease in Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea region recorded 28 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the first nine months of 2021, in comparison to 46 for the same period in 2020. Most notably, Nigeria only reported four incidents in the first nine months of 2021, in comparison to 17 in 2020 and 41 in 2018. Crew kidnappings in the region have dropped with only one crew member kidnapped in Q3 2021, compared to 31 crew members taken in five separate incidents during Q3 2020. All Q3 incidents in 2021 were also against vessels at port anchorages whilst the average successful kidnapping location in Q3 2020 was approximately 100NM from land. The overall reduction of piracy and armed robbery incidents in the region is a testament to enhanced maritime security and response coordination measures adopted by regional and national authorities, according to IMB. Despite these gains, IMB warns that the risk to crew remains high in the region and that such efforts must therefore be sustained. We welcome the decrease of piracy and armed robbery attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and the efforts taken by maritime authorities in the region, said Michael Howlett, Director, ICC International Maritime Bureau. However, there needs to be sustained efforts to ensure the continued safety of seafarers as they transport essential goods throughout the region. Coastal States must redouble their coordination and security measures to ensure that piracy and armed robbery incidents continue to decline. Worrying signs in Singapore Straits The Singapore Straits reported 20 incidents of armed robbery  the highest number recorded since 1991. Reported incidents in the Singapore Straits are up from 15 in 2020 and just one incident in 2019. These attacks are low-level and opportunistic in nature, but IMB warns that the perpetrators pose a direct threat to seafarers and vessels underway. In four incidents, crew were either threatened, assaulted, or injured. Concern off the coast of Peru The Callao Anchorage in Peru is another area that has witnessed an increase of piracy activity with 15 reported incidents in 2021  the highest number since 1991. As with the Singapore Straits, these incidents are low-level thefts with knives being reported in 60% of the incidents. Attackers in the region possess the capacity to carry out violent attacks with three crew taken hostage and a further one each assaulted or threatened during the first nine months of 2021. Improvements in Indonesia The IMB PRC reported a noticeable reduction in the number of reported incidents in Indonesian waters with only six low-level incidents reported in the first nine months of 2021, compared to 23 incidents during the same period in 2020. This is the lowest total of reported piracy and armed robbery incidents in Indonesian waters since 1993. The report commends the policies and proactive response measures implemented by the Indonesian Marine Police informed IMB PRC reporting. IMB Piracy Reporting Centre Since its founding in 1991, IMB PRC remains a single point of contact to report all crimes of maritime piracy and armed robbery, 24 hours a day. Their prompt forwarding of reports, and liaison with response agencies, broadcasts to shipping via GMDSS Safety Net Services, and email alerts to CSOs, all provided free of cost, help the response against piracy and armed robbery and the security of seafarers, globally. View the full IMB report here




The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime.
Our Most Popular Magazines + Digital

We get it. You live by the Ski Valleys snow report even when youre hours away. You follow every Taos post on Instagram. Our small town occupies a BIG part of your heart. Keep in touch with all things Taos when you subscribe to FIVE of our national award-winning magazines, plus access to the website and e-edition for a full year at the special low rate of just $55.
sumannandy BHPian



Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 750 Thanked: 478 Times

View My Garage





Re: Mahindra XUV500 AT | Automatic transmission light blinking Quote: sagarpadaki Originally Posted by There is nothing called as sealed for life transmission. All these are marketing gimmicks and definitely do not work in harsh Indian conditions. 1,17 Lakh on original AT fluid is a lot of kms especially in our stop and go conditions. Suggest you replace it ASAP. Quote: SS-Traveller Originally Posted by Suggest that you don't push the car too hard on uphill climbs, let the torque converter do its job with as little stress as possible, and carry on with the trip; at the next large authorised service station you can find, have the code read and the oil checked for deterioration / leakage / reduced level.



They have topped up 250 ml AT fluid.



However according to them the oil turned dark/black. They advised me to get the oil changed asap.



The reason for oil turning black is not known, probably normal wear and tear. However this is not part of mahindra service schedule and they dont change the oil usually. Apparently there is another Xuv AT in Siliguri run 150k where the oil was never changed and it is maintained in this service center.



While at it, there was some sound coming while changing gears. They diagnosed it with vacuum modulator issue and are changing both the modulators.



Will drive to kolkata tomorrow and get the oil changed after that.



My Xuv is always maintained at service center with proper schedule and run mostly on highways. If this is the condition of the oil suggest all Xuv AT owners to change AT oil after a lakh km or so. The service center in Siliguri checked the oil level today. Apparently there was no overflow when the overflow plug was opened. The oil is supposed to overflow when the overflow plug is opened.They have topped up 250 ml AT fluid.However according to them the oil turned dark/black. They advised me to get the oil changed asap.The reason for oil turning black is not known, probably normal wear and tear. However this is not part of mahindra service schedule and they dont change the oil usually. Apparently there is another Xuv AT in Siliguri run 150k where the oil was never changed and it is maintained in this service center.While at it, there was some sound coming while changing gears. They diagnosed it with vacuum modulator issue and are changing both the modulators.Will drive to kolkata tomorrow and get the oil changed after that.My Xuv is always maintained at service center with proper schedule and run mostly on highways. If this is the condition of the oil suggest all Xuv AT owners to change AT oil after a lakh km or so.
What just happened? The United States Department of Commerce has announced that it will ban the sale or export of hardware and software that can be used for malicious cyber activities to authoritarian regimes, including China and Russia.

The Commerce Department writes that the export of cybersecurity items to countries of national security or weapons of mass destruction concern will require a license from the departments Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). Countries subject to a US arms embargo and those deemed by the US to have a history of human rights abuses are subject to the same ban.

The rule, set to go into effect 90 days from yesterday (October 20), is being put in place for national security and anti-terrorism reasons. It aims to prevent foreign agents from using US-built tools to hack American businesses, organizations, and government entities.

#NEWS: Commerce's @BISgov tightens export controls on items used in surveillance of Private Citizens and other Malicious Cyber Activities.



More  https://t.co/trsR5VKCKF  U.S. Commerce Dept. (@CommerceGov) October 20, 2021

The United States Government opposes the misuse of technology to abuse human rights or conduct other malicious cyber activities, and these new rules will help ensure that US companies are not fueling authoritarian practices, writes the BIS.

China and Russia are the two biggest nations that will be impacted by the new rule. Russian hackers, of course, have been attacking US interests for years, often at the behest of their countrys governmentaccording to US security agencies. One of the most notable Russian hacks on a US business in recent times was against Cybersecurity giant FireEye, a $3.5 billion company that has contracts with governments and corporations around the world.

President Biden recently told Vladimir Putin to act on Russian ransomware attacks, warning that such incidents could lead to a real shooting war.

TechCrunch notes that the new rule doesnt cover software designed for cyber defense purposes as it wont prevent cybersecurity researchers based in the US from collaborating with colleagues overseas or disclosing flaws to software makers.
What just happened? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has ordered several of the largest tech companies in the US to hand over information about how they use personal payments data and manage access to consumers payment information so the agency can ensure consumers are being adequately protected.

Request were initially sent to Apple, Amazon, Facebook, PayPal, Google and Square, the bureau said, and are pursuant to Section 1022(c)(4) of the Consumer Financial Protection Act.

Specifically, the bureau believes the information will provide insight into data harvesting and monetization practices. Its possible, for example, that some big tech companies could be sharing payment data across product lines or selling information to data brokers and other third parties to help with ad and behavior targeting.

The orders also aim to identify any restrictive access policies that could affect consumer choice and stifle innovation. For example, consumers want to know that everything is being done to protect them from fraud and payments made in error, to have access to responsive customer service and to be treated equally under the law.

The Wall Street Journal reached out to each of the companies listed above. Spokespeople for Google, Amazon and Facebook declined to comment, while reps for Apple, PayPal and Square failed to respond to the request for comment before the publications deadline.

The bureau said it will also look into the payment system practices of several Chinese tech titans including WeChat Pay and Alipay.

A deadline for tech giants to respond was not made publicly available.

Image credit Jonas Leupe, Karolina Grabowska
A drone will attempt to rescue dogs stranded due to the lava flowing from a volcano on the island of La Palma in Spain.

Aerocamaras, a Spanish drone operator, received the approval to conduct the rescue attempt and the company's CEO acknowledges the risks of such efforts, including the possibility that the drone's battery will run out in the middle of the rescue attempt.

Test flights are still being conducted by the drone operator. The success of the operation will depend highly on whether or not the dogs will come to the drone in order to be rescued.

Drone Rescue Effort for Trapped Dogs

A drone will attempt to rescue a couple of dogs that have been trapped for weeks by the lava from a volcano on the island of La Palma in Spain.

According to a report by Reuters, drones have been used to feed the trapped dogs, but no one has figured out how to rescue the animals until the drone rescue attempt was approved by the authorities.

Aerocamaras, a Spanish drone operator, will be the one to conduct the rescue effort and its CEO, Jaime Pereira, said "it's the first time an animal is being rescued with a drone and the first time it has to be captured."

"If that's the last option that the dogs have? Then we're going after them," the CEO told Reuters.

Helicopters have not been allowed to fly in due to the volcanic gas and ash that can cause damage to a helicopter's rotors.

Related Article: Firefighters Perform Dramatic Aerial Rescue of Dog from Los Angeles River [Video]

Risks of the Rescue Operation

Considering the circumstances, the rescue operation is proving to be a risky one.

According to a report by Digital Trends, the dogs can only be rescued one at a time due to the weight limit that the drone can carry. Once a dog has been lured into the net that the drone has with it, the drone has to fly up to 1,500 feet over the lava to bring the dog to safety.

The Aeroacamaras CEO has told Reuters that he is concerned that the drone will run out of battery in the middle of the operation. He also said that there is a four-minute time limit to get each dog into the net in order to rescue it.

Another risk factor for the operation is the dog's actual willingness to be rescued.

"They might come, or become scared of the drone. We really depend on their reaction," Pereira told Reuters.

Using Drones in Rescue Attempts

Drones have been used to aid in many rescue attempts around the world. In fact, a drone had even rescued a fellow drone back in 2015.

A previous Tech Times article from 2016 reported that scientists have actually been training search and rescue drones in order to help lost hikers.

Also Read: 72-Year-Old Woman And Her Dog Survived Nine Days In An Arizona Forest, Saved After Writing 'Help'

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isabella James

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Space missions for persons with disabilities might could really happen as the new "Mission: AstroAccess" project tries to make this a possibility. Last Oct. 17, the non-profit space program allowed 12 individuals with disabilities to experience weightlessness.

This activity took off from Long Beach, California. As of the moment, Mission: AstroAccess aims to send persons with disabilities to space in the future. One of the lucky individuals to be included in the new program is Sina Bahram.

During his space-like experience, he said that he enjoyed the opportunity given by AstroAccess since he really dreamed of becoming an astronaut.

"I knew it would be a joyous experience just because I looked forward to it for many decades of my life, but the visceral nature of that joy wasn't brought home until you actually experience it," he said via The Verge's latest report.

Persons with Disabilities Could Visit Space?

Recently, Blue Origin sent William Shatner to outer space, allowing him to become the oldest individual to reach outer space. Jeff Bezos' company is just one of the agencies that are trying to push space tourism to allow common people to have the chance of leaving Earth.

Also Read: SpaceX Launch Site: FAA Environmental Assessment, Jeff Bezos Meme, And Everything You Need to Know

Meanwhile, NASA is also making its own efforts, including the upcoming Lucy flight. But, AstroAccess is quite different from these space agencies since it wants to help individuals with disabilities to visit outer space.

According to Scientific American's latest report, the ongoing Mission: AstroAccess program still hasn't made any space missions. Although this is the case, the agency's microgravity project still allows persons with disabilities to feel what astronomers and other space visitors actually feel when they are outside Earth.

Will NASA Allow Individuals with Disabilities?

Right now, NASA is the main space agency that sends people to outer space. But, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration still has some requirements before it allows a person to visit outer space.

Candidates for future spaceflights need to be in great condition. This means that must have good health and physique if they want to be launched outside Earth.

But, since Blue Origin already sent old people to outer space, it simply shows that bringing Earthlings there would not be conducted by NASA alone in the future.

For more news updates about space and other similar topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: NASA Told to Pick Second Company to Build Moon Lander

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google Chrome has presented a new update for its browser, and it is intended to protect as many as two billion users from numerous zero-day UAF threats that can access the tech. Google has issued this for as many as five zero-day vulnerabilities that have been discussed by the company, but there could be more.

Google Chrome Update: Zero-Day Protection

Google said that this next update is integral to the protection of users and to avoid any hacks or threats that are brought by the said vulnerabilities that are present in the application now. The internet company is still finding out its sources, but the sure thing here is that they have already devised ways to keep these out.

Chrome 95 is updating for Linux, Mac, and Windows to introduce its answer to the threats that loom over the previous version.

Google is still open for any reports or investigation to look into its system that is affected by the said zero-day vulnerabilities, especially as it could endanger the landscape of the company. Also, it does not close its doors for this issue or problem, as there could be more that has not been detected.

Read Also: Google Docs ' @ ' Symbol Gets Upgrade | Literally Insert Almost Anything

Zero Days in Chrome

There have been 19 fixes that were made by Google, with as many as 16 threats found by contributors and concerned citizens that have been reported to the platform for developers that help them detect this. Google is still encouraging users to take part in this initiative and project to further help the internet platform keep the environment safe.

The users have found as many as 16 threats categorized into different tiers, such as high, medium, and low.

Google Chrome: Is It Safe?

Google would soon be introducing a "Privacy Sandbox" feature that would stop its collection of cookies from websites and give them to users so that each domain or website would be easier to access. This would be available in 2022, and it was said to be a safer approach for the browser, especially as it focuses on cookie usage.

The internet is already a broad spectrum that is not necessarily good but is also not necessarily bad or unsafe as people utilize it now. There have been several reported issues from Google earlier this month, and it has been a continuous cycle for the company to be receiving threats from zero-day vulnerabilities already.

Chrome has been a massive talk in the past weeks, especially as it has different scrutinies that it has faced, and its users are the ones to suffer for its shortcomings in the security aspect. Google has been in odds and ends to fix this issue now, especially as it has affected almost all aspects of Chrome in the past weeks that have passed.

Related Article: Global YouTube Crypto Livestream Scam Involves 1,000 Malicious Domains | Other Things Google Discovers

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA's contest wants kids to design a new robot that could dig and move the moon's soil--similar to what the Artemis program of the space agency is currently doing.

NASA Contest for Kids to Design Moon-Digging Robot

As per the latest report of Phys.org, the said competition carries the name Lunabotics Junior Content, which will be open to all K-12 students until Jan. 25, 2022, at least in the United States.

In addition, it does not matter if the young minds go to a public or a private learning institution or even a home school.

The NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration contest is made possible in collaboration with Future Engineers, which is home to numerous 3D design contests concerning space.

NASA Contest and Future Space Missions

According to Engadget, the contest is not meant to use the engineering prowess of the young folks to develop the next spacecraft that NASA will be using in future Artemis program missions.

Instead, the competition actually seeks to inspire young minds in creating such robots. It comes as they could one day be the next engineers that could produce innovative tech for the multiple colonization plans that the space agency is looking into.

For instance, some of the scientists of NASA from the Jet Propulsion Lab predicted that human landing on the moons of both Jupiter and Saturn could likely occur before 2100. Not to mention that recent space missions are targeting to fly crewed missions on Mars and the Moon.

NASA's Artemis Program

As such, NASA and Future Engineers' contest is encouraging students in the US to use their engineering prowess and creativity to develop a space robot.

To be precise, the robot needs to be able to dig the soil of the moon from the lunar South Pole and bring the sample to a container where the Artemis astronauts are expected to go in future missions.

Not just that, although NASA gives the students the task of designing the robot, it should still be within the size of 3.5 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet.

It is worth noting that the ongoing Artemis program of the US space agency is slated to launch a monumental mission, which will be landing the first woman and person of color into the Moon.

On top of that, human landing on the Moon will also further explore the Moon as NASA readies its upcoming Mars mission.

Read Also: Space Missions for Persons With Disabilities Could be Possible, Thanks To 'Mission: AstroAccess' | Will NASA Allow It?

NASA Lunabotic Junior Contest for Kids: How to Join

Young folks could submit their entries to Future Engineers' website, including a photo of the design of the moon-digging robot, as well as a written brief explanation on how the concept would mine samples from the Moon.

Related Article: NASA Releases Video Of WILD, Sci-Fi-Like Space Exploration Concepts--Which Ones Can Come True?

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Boring Company is going back to Nevada and continuing the Vegas Loop after Clark County green lights the project, putting 29 miles more to the tunnels and having as many as 51 stations soon. The Vegas loop is one of the earliest projects of the company, and it has been a success that is expanding now into different places in the state.

Vegas Loop is Expanding in Clark County

Clark County is the next stop of the Vegas Loop, and it would be fulfilled by The Boring Company to dig underneath and pave the way for the Tesla EVs to move around and avoid traffic. The venture would pick up on The Boring Co.'s special project in Las Vegas, where it has already made 10 miles worth of tunnel underneath the Sin City.

This is a massive venture for the state of Nevada, as it would have one of the most expansive tunnel systems in the country, especially as it is to be run by environment-friendly Tesla EVs. Moreover, it would ease the traffic in the state and help more people to get around places in the most efficient way.

Vegas Loop is expanding - 29 miles and 51 stations!

Thanks to the Clark County team for the great partnership and to the Commissioners for unanimous approval. https://t.co/KrfF5SUsxq  The Boring Company (@boringcompany) October 20, 2021

Read Also: The Boring Co.'s 'Las Olas Loop' is a Beach Tunnel for Florida's Fort Lauderdale, Construction to Start Soon

The Boring Company Tunnels: 29 Miles More, 51 Stations in Total

According to The Boring Co.'s Twitter page, there would be a total of 29 miles and 51 stations in the project's expansion of the Vegas Loop. This pickups from the 10 miles worth of tunnel that runs underneath Las Vegas.

This is currently the largest tunnel system that The Boring Company has made, and it would benefit the citizens and visitors of Nevada, as it interconnects them from the airport to the different parts of the county.

The Boring Company Tunnels Are Famous in the Other States Outside Nevada

The Boring Company has been a proprietor in the tunnel system that focuses on employing electric vehicles underneath the surface to transport people and their needs to different places. This means that it would not need to build tracks like trains, and the sister company of Boring, Tesla, can readily bring electric vehicles for its tunnel.

The vehicles would be driverless, and it would only be fitting because it would drive on a set road already, without having to worry much about upcoming traffic. Moreover, it would use Tesla's FSD and Autopilot to go around the different stations that are offered.

The Boring Co.'s tunnel project has been signed on to different states and counties already, and it is not exclusive to Nevada and the Vegas loop only. It also includes several partnerships from the likes of Austin, Texas, and Miami's Las Olas Beach Loop that includes Fort Lauderdale.

States outside Nevada are growing their interest in the venture as they saw how much it improved the traffic and transportation in Las Vegas, the proprietary county for the project.

Related Article: Tesla Cybertruck Side Mirrors Are Required by Law But is Easily Removable Says Elon Musk-Do You Need It?

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : GettlyImages/ Leon Neil) Boris Johnson UK

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had promised to finally present the online harms bill to parliament before Dec. 25 after it was delayed for years.

This is in response to the killing of David Arness, a member of the parliament who was stabbed to death last week.

UK Prime Minister to Tackle Online Harms Bill

Johnson made his comments after politician Keir Starmer urged him to work together in clamping down online extremism, according to CNN.

Johnson also agreed to another of Starmer's requests that the online harms bill would include criminal sanctions against tech company bosses who do not do enough to fight harmful and illegal content.

Johnson promised that the online harms bill debate would happen before Christmas, according to Independent.co.

However, the government have rowed back on Johnson's commitment to criminal sanctions for tech company bosses.

Also Read: Facebook To Tighten Policies On Suicide, Self-Harm, Eating Disorders

The new culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, is minded to take a tougher approach to sanctions as she has first-hand experience of online abuse.

The proposals include deferred powers on new criminal offences, and the bill already has the power to issue fines, but any change to implement criminal sanctions immediately would be hardening of the proposals.

Johnson has promised to present the new bill to parliament before Christmas, but that prospect was played down by Whitehall sources, saying that would give them only five days to re-draft the entire bill between the pre-legislative scrutiny committee reporting and the bill being presented in parliament.

Pressured by Starmer

After being pressed by Starmer on the measures that he would take, Johnson had agreed with the idea of a cross-party approach but also cited partisan criticisms, according to The Evening Standard.

Starmer started his questions by noting the tributes to Arness given by parliament members from all parties in the Commons on Oct. 18.

Starmer said that he wants to see if they can use that collaborative spirit to make progress on one of the issues that were raised, which is tackling violent extremism. He also asked about the progress of the online safety bill, which was first introduced in 2018.

Starmer asked Johnson if he would build on the desire shown by the house to get things done and commit to bringing forward the second reading of the online safety bill by the end of the year as they will support it if he does.

Johnson then replied by pledging the bill would complete all the stages before Dec. 25. He then corrected himself after being prompted by Priti Patel, the home secretary, who was sitting next to him. He then said that he would bring it forward before Christmas in the way that he suggested.

Starmer then pressed on changes to the proposed online bill, asking that even though tough criminal sanctions are clearly needed, yet under the government's current proposals, directors of platforms failing to crack down on extremism would still not face criminal sanctions.

In a later answer, the Prime Minister appeared to agree to Starmer and said that they would have criminal sanctions with tough sentences for those who are responsible for allowing foul content to say and spread on the internet.

Tech CEOs of major social media platforms, including Facebook, has been releasing features that makes it safer for users to go online, especially teenagers.

Related Article: Facebook: 3-Tier System for Banning Groups, Pages, and MORE Appears Online as 4,000 Names Leak

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple's unvaccinated employees will have to undergo more COVID-19 testing frequency as it will be required for them to enter the offices of the Cupertino tech giant.

It is worth noting that Apple has yet to require its employees to get their vaccines. Instead, the iPhone maker is adding a new protocol that would ensure that its offices are free from the raging threat of the novel coronavirus.

Apple's Unvaccinated Employees and Daily COVID-19 Tests

As per the latest report of Bloomberg, Apple will soon force its corporate employees, who marked themselves as unvaccinated from COVID-19, to take tests each day that they will report to work.

What's more, the latest protocol will also apply to employees that refused to tell the Cupertino giant about their vaccination status.

On the other hand, the Apple employees who declared themselves vaccinated will need to test themselves less frequently than those without a COVID-19 jab. To be precise, vaccinated staff will only need to take their rapid test once a week.

Bloomberg further revealed in its report that Apple has already notified its employees regarding the more frequent testing requirement, noting that it will take effect on Nov. 1.

Apple's Unvaccinated Employees in Retail Stores

Meanwhile, the employees of Apple in its retail store have a different protocol to follow compared to their corporate staff.

Instead of having to undergo COVID testing on a daily basis, retail employees will only need to test twice a week to report to their duties at work.

On the other hand, the vaccinated staff on Apple stores will likewise need to take their rapid COVID tests once a week.

Read Also: Apple's Health Team is Dealing With Internal Issues, Hindering Projects from Being Released, Report Says

Apple Employees' Vaccination Status

On top of that, the Cupertino giant is giving its employees until Oct. 24 to voluntarily provide their vaccination status to the tech firm before the new testing requirement rolls out, according to 9to5Mac.

It is worth noting that Apple previously delayed the deadline for its program to ask for the vaccination status of its employees last Sept.

However, it turns out that the tech giant has already decided on a new deadline for it as the testing requirement is about to take place in the next month.

Last Sept. 2, Apple announced that it will be asking for the vaccine information of its employees, but noted that their staff could opt not to provide their status.

Nevertheless, it turns out that those who will not give out their jab info will be considered by the company as unvaccinated, which also applies to the latest testing rules.

Since last August, Apple has been consistent with its move not to apply any vaccine mandate on its workforce. Instead, the iPhone maker will focus on ramping up the COVID tests for its employees.

Related Article: Apple Employees Might Quit Their Job if the Company Denies Remote Work Requests As COVID-19 Vaccination Rolls Out

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been accused of crimes against humanity and eight other crimes over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

A senate committee report also accused Bolsonaro of improper use of public funds, malfeasance and quackery or charlatanism, among others. A total of 66 people are recommended to be charged by the senate committee, including three of the president's sons.

As part of his COVID-19 response, the president discouraged the use of face masks and pushed for unproven treatments for COVID-19.

President Bolsonaro has since insisted that he and his government have done the right thing since the start of the pandemic.

As of press time, Brazil has over 21 million COVID-19 cases in total. 603,000 people have died in the country due to COVID-19.

Brazil's President Accused of Crimes Against Humanity

Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been accused of a total of nine crimes, including crimes against humanity, over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

A senate committee report has also accused the president of improper use of public funds, malfeasance, inciting crime, and quackery or charlatanism, among others, according to a report by Ars Technica.

A report by the BBC says that the initial draft of the senate committee report "had recommended the president be charged with homicide and genocide against indigenous groups."

Related Article: Coronavirus Brazil Update: After Confirmed COVID-19 Case in Amazon Tribe, Rio's Christ the Redeemer Statue Lit Up

President Bolsonaro is quoted in the BBC report, saying, "We know that we did the right thing from the first moment."

Despite the 1,200-paged senate committee report, there is no guarantee that the president and the 65 others being accused in the report will face formal charges. Among the others accused in the report are three of Bolsonaro's sons.

The Senate committee is set to meet next week to determine if the report will be approved or not. After that, the lower chamber of Brazil's congress has to sign off as well before the attorney general decides whether or not criminal charges should be pursued.

According to the Ars Technica report, the president will be suspended from his office for 180 days should charges be filed. If President Bolsonaro is convicted, he can be jailed for years and banned from the presidency for eight years.

President Bolsonaro's COVID-19 Response

The Ars Technica report detailed how President Bolsonaro "downplayed the pandemic."

Per the report, the Brazilian president "has discouraged mask use, urged local public health officials to lift health restrictions, encouraged mass gatherings, pushed unproven treatments, questioned vaccines, and suggested that the country's death toll was inflated for political reasons."

Bolsonaro "suggested that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can turn people into crocodiles."

As of press time, Brazil has a total of 21,651,910 COVID-19 cases, according to the data of the World Health Organization (WHO). 603,465 people have died because of COVID-19.

Also Read: Brazil Sees 102 Million Customer Data Exposed, including President Bolsonaro's in Recent Hack

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isabella James

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Unsplash/ Christian Wiediger) TikTok challenge

TikTok is reportedly responsible for a bizarre phenomenon that is seen among teenage girls, according to physcians at hospitals.

The phenomenon involves girls developing tics, or physical twitches, which experts believe may have been derived from the popular social media site.

TikTok's Effects on Teenage Girls

After months of studying, doctors believe TikTok trends and the boredom caused by the pandemic is the source of the unusual tic, according to The New York Post.

Also, the Tourette syndrome influencers on TikTok contribute to this trend. Popular hashtags like #tourettes and #tourettesyndrome has attracted more than 6.2 billion views as on Oct. 20.

Also Read: TikTok Weird Food Trends: Mustard on Watermelon is Viral Now But How's the Taste?

In the United States, doctors are doing extensive research to discover the underlying cause of the sudden rise in Tourette-like cases, including the most recent article released by doctors in Chicago that was published in Movement Disorders with the title "TikTok Tics: A Pandemic Within a Pandemic."

Tourette syndrome is a nervous system disorder that causes repeated and uncontrolled movements like seizure-like jerks and blinking. Severe cases of Tourette syndrome leads to patients uncontrollable noisy outbursts.

Rise in Tics

According to The Wall Street Journal, there is a rise in tics across several hospitals in the United States. At Texas Children's Hospital, the patients with tics that are recorded per year is just one or two before the pandemic.

The rate has now multiplied by a couple of dozen, and there are now 60 patients reporting tics since March 2020.

Also, Johns Hopkins University Tourette's Center saw 20% of its pediatric patients arrive with these symptoms since last year, whereas the typical rate before the pandemic was only 3% every year.

In Chicago, Rush University Medical Center doubled their annual rate of patients that have tics, from 10 in 2019 to 20 in 2020.

Donald Gilbert, a neurologist and specialist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, told The Wall Street Journal that he has seen 10 new patients, which are teenagers with tics, every month for the last 18 months. Before March 2020, he only saw one patient every 30 days.

The restrictions set by the coronavirus pandemic has caused anxiety and depression, and it may also have contributed to the trend as stress is known to manifest as physical symptoms.

The previous studies support the psychological origins of inexplicable clusters of people with Tourette-like disorders.

Dr. Mariam Hull from the Texas Children's Hospital said that some children have pulled out their phones and showed her their TikTok and that it is full of Tourette cooking and alphabet challenges.

A spokeswoman for TikTok stated that the safety of the users is their priority and they are consulting with industry experts to know more about the ongoing issue.

TikTok has seen a rise of very unusual trends, from trends that is done at home to those done in school.

Meanwhile, the event has not risen to the levels of a pandemic just yet.

Dr. Joseph McGuire from Johns Hopkins said that there are children who watch social media and develop tics and there are some who do not have any access to social media at all and they develop tics.

Some doctors are incredulous that some Tourette influencers on the social media platform do not look like Tourette syndrome to them.

The fact that most of them are women is highly noted, as the disorder is known to affect more men. Also, the tics can be mitigated with proper medication.

Related Article: TikTok Financial Advice Is the New Craze for Gen Z Viewers | #personalfinance at 4.2 Billion Views

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
China has released the updated list of online news sites on Wednesday, Oct. 20 following the removal of one of the country's publications Caixin.

The cyberspace regulator has come up with the decision to expel the said internet news provider.

China Removes Caixin as Official News Outlet

According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Caixin Media is now out in the revised list of news sites that can reprint online content.

In line with the removal of the popular business publication, China only included 1,358 news sites in the new list. The move followed after the country imposed a massive crackdown in several sectors such as media.

Since President Xi Jinping entered office, China has been tighter in controlling the print media that could tackle the local events. Previously, foreign sites such as the British Broadcasting Corp., and the New York Times were blocked by China in posting print media.

In an announcement, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said that the current number of news outlets includes a combination of social media and public accounts.

With the ban of Caixin on the list, it could no longer post news online. Moreover, many believed that this bypassed the freedom of the publication to write news about the shortcomings in the country.

Caixin Criticizes CAC

From another report by The Strait Times, Caixin has been one of the active publication sites that exposed the government's shortcomings.

In 2016, the organization said that the country's cyberspace regulator was censoring an English article. The Chinese version of the post was deleted immediately.

Earlier this October, China announced that it would stop the "non-public" capital investment from gathering news, as well as broadcasting news components and the like.

According to the Strait Times, this move would likely weaken the influence of the news media against the state-run media. There was also a report back in March about Alibaba.

In the report, Beijing urges Alibaba to sell its assets that are linked to media publications. This includes the famous news site South China Morning Post.

Over the past years, Alibaba head Jack Ma has been constructing an immersive media portfolio that envelops newspapers, advertising assets, news outlets, and even TV production firms.

Read Also: China to Ban 'Lite' WeChat, Alipay, Other Apps That Require Excessive User Data

Social Media Crackdown Leads to WeChat Account Ban

Last week, Tencent banned a total number of 1,463 WeChat accounts following their violations of illegal transactions. At the time of writing, the account of Essence Securities chief strategist Chen Guo was also included in the restriction.

The action took place amid China's aim to cleanse more content about the country's economy. The band does not mean that all accounts are permanently suspended. Some of them underwent a seven-day restriction.

In 2017, Apple decided to take down The New York Times app in the China App Store because of its violation of local regulations. At that time, the Cupertino giant did not disclose further details on how the government urged them to remove the said app.

China has not specified why it arrived at that decision.

Related Article: China Bans Access To Online Publishing Site Medium

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A criminal organization now believed to have built the software responsible for shutting down a U.S. fuel pipeline is setting up a fake company to recruit potential employees. The ransomware group is reportedly impersonating a legit company to recruit talented employees potentially.

Fake Company Called Bastion Secure

According to the story by The Wall Street Journal, the information was according to researchers at the intelligence firm known as Recorded Future and Microsoft. The fake company is now named Bastion Secure.

Despite a professional-looking website noting the company sells cybersecurity services, the site's operator is a well-known hacking group known as Fin7, Recorded Future, and Microsoft. Fin7 reportedly has hacked hundreds of different businesses, stolen over 20 million customer records, and even written the software that could hack the disputed gasoline delivery in certain parts of the Southeastern U.S., as per federal prosecutors and researchers.

Ransomware Group Job Listing

The website, which uses a B.S. logo, listed jobs that are reportedly technical in nature and also appear quite similar to work that could perform at any security company. These include programmers, system administrators, and other people that are good at finding bugs in their software. The colonial pipeline ransomware attack saw cyber insurance prices go up as energy companies are now scrambling to get one.

Prospective hires will reportedly work nine-hour days on a more predictable schedule from Monday to Friday and up to $1,200 salary as per The Daily Beast. The site also notes that lunch breaks are provided. The attempt to impersonate a legit company for certain recruiting purposes shows a new ransomware development by certain purveyors.

Ransomware Group Attacks

This is to be able to spread a scourge that has been able to disrupt meat production, hospital care, education, and even hundreds of different businesses. About hundreds of millions of dollars when it comes to illegal earnings. These ransomware operators are now increasingly operating just like criminal startups.

The ransomware operators are increasingly operating like startups with the help of software development, support staff, and even cloud-computing services along with media relations, as per the researchers. Recorded Future reportedly shared its findings to The Wall Street Journal and even planned to publish them in a blog.

Read Also: REvil Ransomware Claims Group is Ending Activity | Researchers Skeptical About Latest Shut Down

Investigation Into Bastion Secure

Microsoft officials already gave a presentation regarding their discovery earlier in October 2021 at a conference that was hosted by the known cybersecurity firm Mandiant. It was noted that emails to an address listed on the said Bastion Secure website remained unanswered. The colonial pipeline hack resulted in $5 million worth of crypto being paid to the hackers.

A phone call towards a certain Israeli number that was listed on the site was actually answered by a Russian-speaking person. The response to the phone call noted that the person being called had nothing to do with any cybersecurity company.

Related Article: Bank Robbers Used Deepfake Voice for $35 Million Heist | AI-Enhanced Voice Simulation Used

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian B.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Donald Trump's TRUTH account is confirmed to have been hacked. This issue happened even before the new social media platform received its Beta launch this coming November.

The former president of the United States confirmed on Wednesday, Oct. 20, that he and his team would launch his own social media company called Trump Media & Technology.

On the other hand, there would also be the official social media app, TRUTH Social.

He added that in the upcoming beta launch, only invited individuals can access the new online platform. But, the former POTUS explained that interested users can create their own TRUTH accounts once the complete rollout takes place, which is expected to happen as early as 2022.

But, it seems like there could be some issues since Trump's own account was already hacked by cybercriminals even before the nationwide launch happened.

Trump's TRUTH Account Now Hacked!

According to News Week's latest report, the official TRUTH Social account of the recent U.S. leader was breached. The one who noticed the security issue is Drew Harwell, a tech journalist from The Washington Post.

Also Read: Google Says Russian-Speaking Hackers Are Behind Phishing Attacks on YouTube Creators

"The 'donaldjtrump' account of Trump's TRUTH Social has already been hacked," said the reporter via his official Twitter account.



Drew even posted a screenshot of the hackers' post using Trump's official TRUTH account. If you will visit his latest tweet, you will see that the hackers pinned an NSFW photo of a pig.

The "donaldjtrump" account of Trump's TRUTH Social has already been hacked. pic.twitter.com/LDQ5w24tcV  Drew Harwell (@drewharwell) October 21, 2021

Right now, Harwell's latest Twitter post was able to generate more than 3,8000 likes and 850 retweets. Because of the new account breach, Drew criticized the upcoming online platform of Trump, saying that the site hasn't been officially launched yet, but it is already vulnerable.

The former U.S. president is just one of the victims of various online attackers. Aside from different social media platforms, hackers are also targeting large companies.

In other news, the U.S.-based candy company was also attacked by massive ransomware.

TRUTH Social's Main Goal

CNBCTV18 explained that the main goal of the upcoming TRUTH Social is to combat big tech companies, such as Facebook and other social media platforms.

Trump claimed that he and his new social media website would fight against the "tyranny" of giant firms, allegedly silencing opposing residents in the United States.

For more news updates about TRUTH Social and other related tech topics about Donald Trump, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Donald Trump Wants His Twitter Account Back, Files Lawsuit to Get it Reinstated

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Image from Commons.Wikipedia.com) Tesla Gigafactory Berlin Delayed Due to Repeat Online Consultations as Announced by Regional Environmental Ministry

The Tesla gigafactory has been experiencing delays due to the repeated online consultations as announced by the regional environmental ministry. It was announced that the repeat would be for local citizens to express their objections properly.

Tesla Gigafactory Berlin Hits Roadblock

According to the story by Engadget, Tesla reportedly hit another roadblock when it came to starting the company's production at the long-awaited Gigafactory Berlin. This was reportedly caused by a technicality that is delaying the whole approval process by about a full month.

During Gigafest last week, Elon Musk noted that Tesla was reportedly aiming to start its production at the Gigafactory Berlin in November 2021. People reportedly attending the factory tour during the county fair noted that Tesla looks like it is almost ready and will soon start production.

Regional Environmental Ministry Reports

The main hurdle, however, remains the long-awaited regulatory approval. The official regional environmental ministry reportedly announced that they will start to repeat the online consultations for local citizens to be able to express their objections.

Although this has already been done back in 2020, environmental groups are still now successfully arguing that the process was actually done properly and should also be repeated, as per Reuters. Authorities then decided to repeat the whole process after certain environmental groups disputed in a different case that also moved online that citizens were not given enough warning.

How the Warning was Given

The warning was not reportedly given when it came to the advance that the consultation would be digital. This prompts certain concerns that the same time also applied to the Tesla consultations. Tesla gigafactory Nevada required face masks for all workers despite being vaccinated or not.

The online consultation is reportedly for local citizens to be able to express their obligations and is expected to run from Nov. 2 to 22. The objections would reportedly again need to be reviewed following the whole period. Tesla Giga Berlin is expected to start its Model Y production during the latter part of 2021.

Read Also: Elon Musk: Tesla NOT Building a Giga Russia, No Location on Fourth Gigafactory Yet

Tesla Start of Production

This makes it more likely to push the official approval of the projects towards at least December. However, the good news is that while this would delay Tesla's official start of production and its deliveries at the Gigafactory Berlin, it should not reportedly delay the whole ramp-up, which is still more important.

Although the whole process is reportedly being delayed, Tesla can still reportedly work on the supply chain and its own production process to prepare for the ramp-up at the said factory. During the official Q3 Tesla earnings call, CFO Zach Kirkhorn added that while Tesla aims to start production at the factory this year, buyers should not expect any deliveries with those vehicles until 2022.

Related Article: Tesla's $7 Billion German Gigafactory Postpones Launch to Late 2021 - Why Is There a Delay?

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian B.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Facebook Oversight Board claimed that the social media giant prevented it from moderating VIP users. If you don't know what an oversight board is, it is a part of an online platform that makes essential content moderation decisions to ensure that the platform is fair and not toxic.

The Oversight Board of FB is currently responsible for maintaining Facebook, as well as Instagram.

"On some occasions, Facebook failed to provide relevant information to the Board, while in other instances, the information it did provide was incomplete," said the department.

The Facebook Oversight Board added that the giant online platform specifically failed to provide crucial details about its VIP user program called Cross-Check.

What FB announced the arrival of Cross-Check, it said that the program would review content decisions linked to politicians, journalists, celebrities, and other high-profile users.

Facebook Oversight Board's Claims

According to CNN Business' latest report, the Oversight Board is an entity of FB. This department involves various social media experts that maintain the freedom of expression and human rights in the giant platform.

Also Read: Facebook Whistleblower's Advocacy Receives Aid from eBay Billionaire

However, it seems like Facebook itself doesn't want the department's moderators to moderate VIP users. This was seen when various internal documents surfaced. They revealed that the Cross-Check program prevents normal FB enforcement processes from being implemented the high-profile consumers.

Now, the Oversight Board is going against Facebook, claiming that they are being silenced regarding unfair VIP treatment. This is just one of the issues that Mark Zuckerberg and his company are currently facing.

A new Facebook whistleblower appeared in other news, saying that the company failed to fight various election interference. On the other hand, a new website called HowToStopFacebook.Org was launched by advocacy groups against the giant social media site.

Facebook Cross-Check Covers Millions of VIP Users?

NPR reported that Facebook's Cross-Check program is not a small project, which contradicts that claim of the online platform.

FB recently explained that its VIP user program is not a big deal since it covers relatively small numbers of high-profile consumers.

The Oversight Board Director Thoman Hughes said that the unfair project is quite big since it covers more than 6 million VIP accounts.

For more news updates about Facebook and other issues about it, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Has Not Come Up With a New Name for the Company Yet

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that the North American country's residents can now use an international COVID-19 vaccine card.

Also Read: Singapore Clinic Mistakenly Sends COVID-19 Positive Test Result to a Senior Citizen-Here's What Happened

"I'm happy to confirm that all provinces and territories have confirmed that they will be moving forward with a standardized national proof of vaccination," said the Canadian leader in his recent announcement.

The new vaccine proof includes the name, birth date, and COVID-19 history of the resident. It also shows the vaccine doses you received and the brand.

When it comes to using, Trudeau said that Labrador, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, Ontario, and all the remaining territories of Canada are now implementing the use of the new COVID-19 vaccine card.

Canada's New International COVID-19 Card

According to Global News' latest report, the new international vaccine proof uses the provincial vaccine certificate as its framework. You can check the image below to see its actual design.

BREAKING: Here's a first look at a federal, standardized vaccine passport, which is already published on the government's website.



The website says that in every province or territory, page one will look like the Yukon sample shown below. pic.twitter.com/4kRJ5zMBqY  Rachel Gilmore (@atRachelGilmore) October 21, 2021

On the other hand, the Government of Canada provided a detailed explanation about the information shown in the new vaccine card:

Says "COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination" at the top of the document.

Has the official logos for your province or territory and the Government of Canada.

The number of doses.

A SMART Health Cards QR code.

The vaccine type, the lot number, as well as the brand's name.

The date you got your vaccination.

Full name and date of birth.

Canada and other countries across the globe are still trying to prevent the further spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. In other news, U.K. students are also helping by using facial recognition to pay for their lunch, allowing them to minimize physical contact.

But, there are still some students that visit their actual schools because of the ongoing COVID-19.

Can Canadians Now Visit Other Countries?

Although Canada received the new international vaccine proof, the government explained that it doesn't guarantee international travel for residents.

Officials said that they still need to check the policies of the countries they want to visit before entering those places.

For more news updates about Canada and other countries fighting the ongoing pandemic, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Brazil's President Accused of Crimes Against Humanity, Other Crimes Over COVID Response

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Unsplash/ Christian Wiediger) Coca Cola bottle

A man in China tragically passed away after drinking a 1.5-liter bottle of Coca-Cola in only ten minutes. The man's doctors have written a report about the incident in Clinics and Research in Hepatology and Gastroenterology.

Man Dies After Drinking Too Much Coke

The 22-year-old did not have any underlying health conditions. After drinking the beverage, he was rushed to the emergency department at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital due to swelling and upper abdominal pains that lasted for four hours.

Upon further inspection, the man's heart rate increased, and it was recorded to have been 130 beats per minute. He also had low blood pressure, and his breathing rate was only 32 times per minute.

A CT scan done by his doctors showed that there was a buildup of gas in his portal vein, which indicates very serious gastrointestinal problems and gas cysts in the wall of his bowels, according to IFLScience.

Also Read: Coca-Cola's NFT Collectibles Auction in Decentraland; To Donate Proceeds to Special Olympics

The CT scan also showed that his liver was not getting enough oxygen and blood because of the gas buildup in his portal vein. The portal vein carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, gallbladder, and spleen to the liver.

After more questioning, the man revealed that six hours before he felt any pain, he drank the 1.5 bottles of Coca-Cola because of how hot the weather was.

The team of doctors tried to relieve the pressure from his intestines and treat his inflammation. They also tried to give him fluids.

Unfortunately, it was not enough to save him, and the lack of oxygen to his liver caused severe liver damage.

The team wrote in the Clinics and Research in Hepatology and Gastroenterology that the pneumatosis of the portal vein is a very rare clinical sign. It is also known in the medical field as a death sign, and it can be seen in patients with abdominal infection and intestinal hypertension.

Dangers of Drinking Coca Cola

Drinking a massive amount of Coca-Cola in a very short period of time causes gas accumulation in the intestinal tract at first, according to Forbes.

Even a can of Coca-Cola can affect how your body works, as your metabolism shoots up after an hour of consumption.

Coca-Cola released its No Sugar edition, but it does not mean it is healthier for fast consumption.

The intestinal pressure will rise, which will result in high pressure and lead to gas accumulation in the portal vein. The man died because of it.

Though the buildup of gas in the portal vein can cause issues and even death, Professor Nathan Davies, a biochemist, believes that there may have been an underlying condition.

Davies said that the chances of drinking 1.5 liters of a regular soft drink being fatal are very unlikely. He said that this type of condition is usually caused because a bacteria has made its way from the gastrointestinal tract to another organ where it is not supposed to be.

Davies said that if the bottle of Coca-Cola were the only cause of the man's death, they would witness more deaths of this type worldwide.

Davies added that it is possible but not that likely, that drinking a large number of soft drinks could have such an effect. But with no underlying health condition, it isn't easy to see what could have happened.

Related Article: Coca-Cola 'Funded' Obesity Studies Sparks Health Controversy

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
UK and New Zealand reach agreement in principle on new FTA with a solid digital trade chapter

Yesterday, UK and New Zealand reached agreement in principle on a new Free Trade Agreement.

On digital trade, New Zealand and the UK have agreed in principle on ambitious commitments that will:

Enable cross-border data flows and avoid unjustified data localisation, while also ensuring governments can enact measures in respect to data protection, privacy and other legitimate public policy objectives.

Commit to open digital markets by establishing effective principles that allow businesses to operate fairly and competitively, including recognition that consumers benefit from reasonable treatment by internet service providers and a commitment not to impose customs duties on electronic transmissions.

Reduce barriers to digital trade by addressing restrictive practices such as requirements for paper-based trade administration documents, promotion of e-invoicing and a commitment to accept e-contracts except in circumstances provided for under New Zealand or the UKs laws. The two countries will ensure that electronic transactions and electronic transferable records regulations are implemented in a manner consistent with international frameworks.

Promote a safe trading environment which builds business and consumer trust, including through commitments that discourage unsolicited commercial electronic messages (spam), protect personal information and support cooperation in the establishment of New Zealands and the UKs respective digital identities frameworks. The two countries will also recognise the importance of working together on cyber security issues and encouraging businesses to improve their cyber security resilience.

Improve the accessibility, as appropriate, of publicly available, anonymised government data and information, in a machine-readable format for the purpose of economic, social and research benefit.

Protect innovation by preventing the forced tech transfer of encryption keys, subject to legitimate scrutiny and regulatory interventions by appropriate authorities alongside other protections to address emerging issues in these areas.

Support ongoing cooperation on important digital trade issues, including on digital innovation, emerging technologies, and digital identities. Both countries will cooperate on digital inclusion, to ensure that all people and businesses can harness the potential benefits arising from digital trade.

Further detail can be found here:

In response to todays announcement, Julian David, techUK CEO, said:

Like Australia, New Zealand is a key partner for the UK in developing modern digital trade rules. techUK welcomes todays Agreement in Principle, that includes a solid digital trade chapter. For tech businesses looking to scale beyond our borders, the biggest challenge is understanding and complying with the numerous rules and regulations in other markets. That is why we think the provisions committing the UK and New Zealand to regulatory cooperation on emerging technology, cyber security and digital identity are crucial. Well be working closely with the government in bringing these regulatory cooperation mechanisms to life so our industry can take full advantage of this modern FTA.

Underpinning this agreement in principle is the legal text of the agreement. Work to finalise the text in accordance with this document will continue over the coming weeks, alongside the commencement of the legal review and verification of the agreement.

Once the text has been finalised and legally verified, and domestic approval processes have been completed, arrangements will be made for the signing of the FTA. Following signature, and subject to completion of both countries domestic requirements, the FTA will enter into force.

Should members have any questions on the agreement in principle or next steps, they should reach out to [email protected]
A Drag Queen Story Time protester who is trying to shrink the mission of the Lafayette Parish Library System was chosen Wednesday to lead the library board for the next year.

Robert Judge, who has only been on the library board since February, was unanimously elected by the board as its next president for the fiscal year that begins Nov. 1. He replaces Doug Palombo, who remains on the library board but did not seek the presidency again. Palombo nominated Judge as his replacement.

Landon Boudreaux, an elected member of the Lafayette Republican Parish Executive Committee, was elected vice president, nominated by fellow library board member James Thomas, who is a member of the Lafayette Democrat Parish Executive Committee.

The board president works with the library director to prepare meeting agendas, although board members also may place items on the agenda. The president, according to library board bylaws, presides at meetings, appoints committees, directs and supervises the library director between board meetings and performs the duties of head official.

+7 Opponent of Drag Queen Story Time event appointed to Lafayette library board The Parish Council on Tuesday appointed to the Lafayette Parish Library Board a resident who protested the library's Drag Queen Story Time eve

Judge and Stephanie Armbruster, before their appoiintments to the library board, publicly objected to the 2018 Drag Queen Story Time event at the library that featured men dressed as women reading to children.

Parish Councilman Josh Carlson in February nominated Judge for a volunteer seat on the library board from among seven people who applied, including university professors and educators.

Judge didn't waste any time before trying to make big changes to the public library system. In April, he proposed changing the mission statement, removing "recreation and cultural enrichment."

The current mission of the library system "is to enhance the quality of life of our community by providing free and equal access to high-quality, cost-effective library services that meet the needs and expectations of our diverse community for information, life-long learning, recreation and cultural enrichment."

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

Newest board member wants library to stop offering recreation, cultural enrichment The newest member of the Lafayette Parish Library Board of Control wants to narrow the services of the library system by removing "recreation 

Judge said at the time eliminating "recreation and cultural enrichment" could save the library system money that could be used to enhance its core purpose. He said recreation and cultural enrichment already are provided by the city and parish so they are a duplication of services.

Specifically, he cited the Lafayette Science Museum, Heymann Performing Arts Center and Acadiana Nature Station and Park, and services the library offers such as loaning out musical instruments and fishing poles, and offering the use of sewing machines.

The board in April tabled Judge's mission statement amendment. He tried to resurrect the issue a few months later, but was stopped by an attorney's opinion that it could be a violation of the Open Meetings Law because it was not on the meeting agenda. Other board members suggested it wasn't a good time to bring up anything controversial because a 1.84-mill property tax renewal goes to voters Nov. 13.

The tax generates about $4 million a year. The library system has been struggling since voters, in 2018, rejected one of three library property taxes, costing the library system about $3.5 million a year.

Voters later approved a plan by former Mayor-President Joel Robideaux to use $8 million from a $26 million library fund to pay for drainage. The failure of the Parish Council to roll millages forward as allowed by law further cost the library system as much as $1 million a year.
Lafayette residents driving by the Northgate Mall parking lot these days must be surprised to see a flaming eight-wheeled blue car that screeches loudly through an improvised track.

Something to do with NASCAR, perhaps?

What is, in fact, going on for the next two weeks is a special driver training program engaged by the Lafayette Police Department.

Officers and civilian employees will be participating in the daily two-hour training sessions, LPD said last week, when the program began. They will be trained in a low-speed controlled environment to develop experience with vehicle traction and skid avoidance.

Violent crime and homicides increase in Lafayette, following state, national trends Lafayette has experienced a significant increase in violent crimes, according to the latest annual FBI crime report. The rise in crime follows

It is really new for us. I have never experienced anything like that. It is cool and helpful, said Senior Corporal Dwight Huval getting out of the car after his turn. He is one of the dozens of officers who qualified for the program because they utilize a department vehicle.

The training course is provided by the Nevada-based company Skid Car. And it allows the officers to drive a car that has a framework attached which, when controlled by an instructor, hydraulically lifts and lowers the car to alter the amount friction between the tires and asphalt.

It changes the contact patch between the driving surface and the tires, said Steve Westerburg, the course instructor. Since we raise the car up, we can slow down the entire driving process. The officers experience at 15 or 20 miles an hour the same dynamics they usually find at a far faster pace, around 50 miles or more.

Westerburg, who is based in Oregon, trains police officers across the country. To challenge the officers' skills, during the course he isolates the anti-lock brakes, the traction control, and the electronic stability control.

They experience their own excess in maneuvering without those controlling systems, too, the instructor said. When the error is made, the training environment supports them in finding the right grip to prevent the vehicle from sliding out of control in the following lap.

The course provides a 45-minute classroom that explains to the participants the theoretical physics. Then three officers per shift will practice on the track for more than an hour.

When you are going high speed during an operation, it happens that you have to deal with the situations you experience in this training, said Huval, who practiced Monday morning with two colleagues, Corporal Paul Devaux and Senior Corporal Tyler Mitcham.

Since you can do it slowly here, well, that makes you understand when you are doing wrong and what you are doing right. Basically, you learn how to control a vehicle when it is out of control.

Auto crashes killed police officers in the United States almost as much as gun violence, according to the data shared by the Officer Down Memorial Page, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring America's fallen law enforcement officers. Out of the 113 officers who died on duty in 2021, 50 died in a car crash, the ODMP data showed. In 2020, 50 police officers died of gunfire (49%) and 46 of auto incidents (45%) in the United States.

Louisiana ICE centers ignore agency protocol on release of asylum seekers, advocates, immigrants say Hundreds of asylum seekers at the ICE detention centers in Louisiana are being forced to pay for private transportation options to get to an a

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found that between 2011 and 2020, 311 out of the 1,762 law enforcement officers' deaths were caused by automobile crashes, the third main cause after gunshots (514) and job-related illnesses (456).

When you are on board the Skid Car, it is easy to see why there are so many crashes. The training simulates what a n officer might feel when driving on ice or snow. The conditions became even worse when Westerburg turned off the controlling systems.

It is important to get to the limit on this track and to understand from the mistakes we make here, said Senior Corporal Tyler Mitcham. Mitcham, who has been with Lafayette Police for 12 years, pointed out that officers can drive up to 1,820 hours a year.

"What's the chance to get into a crash? It's pretty high if you think about it, even because we can't drive relaxed," he said. "There always thousands of distractions.
After hitting the pause button during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, ExxonMobil is back on track to open its $500 million polyolefin expansion by the end of 2022.

The company began in 2019 and expected to complete construction this year but demand for vehicles plummeted and ExxonMobil slowed construction on the project until the market began to recover. ExxonMobil was expanding to sell plastic to automobile parts manufacturers but as more workers stopped commuting demand for new vehicles dropped.

It has hundreds of construction workers still on site and is wrapping up hiring 45 workers to run the plant. The new polypropylene unit has capacity of 450,000 tons each year at full capacity in 2025.

During the shutdown phase of the pandemic the company kept some construction workers on site to keep the project moving along at a slower pace.

"We were at about half speed but there's a lot of people in our company now saying we should have never slowed that project down," said Travis Fuller, ExxonMobil's chemicals project venture executive. "The demand for polypropylene is going through the roof."

Polypropylene and polyethylene is used as a raw material in manufacturing lightweight plastics, some of which end up as fibrous materials such as surgical gowns or baby diapers. Other final products range from an insulated recyclable foam coffee cup to super lightweight vehicle parts. Demand for polypropylene has been driven by a growing middle class overseas, particularly in Asia. Food-grade plastic film is one driver in particular that enables longer shelf life of consumer products.

Global demand for this project has been growing significantly. The company is about 68% done with construction.

The raw materials for the products come through pipelines from ExxonMobil's chemical complex just north of downtown Baton Rouge. Then the polyolefin plant turns those gases into tiny solid pellets known as nurdles.

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

"Everything we make turns into a plastic pellet and leaves in a hopper car," said Stephen J. Hamilton, ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Polyolefin plant manager. "One of the reasons that plastic plants are built near refineries is because that's where we get our feed."

One pound of the white plastic nurdles has 18,000 pellets. Each railcar can hold up to 200,000 pounds of plastic

Turner Industries and Jacobs Engineering, which is now Worley, handled the engineering, procurement and construction contract. Exxon contracted out locally for its concrete, trucks and steel fabrication at the site among other contracts.

ExxonMobil is expected to get a tax break worth $31.7 million over a 10 year period through the Industrial Tax Exemption Program which is an 80% abatement.

ExxonMobil has spent more than $330 million across 35 local contractors and businesses in Louisiana since 2019.

ExxonMobil looks to invest more than $240 million in Baton Rouge refinery After about two years of planning, ExxonMobil proposes investing several hundred million dollars in its Baton Rouge refinery to make the site 
After dump trucks tore up a road the St. Helena Parish police jury recently spent $258,000 to fix, a few local officials and residents want to shut down the gravel company responsible for the damage  an effort the business owner calls harassment.

St. Helena Parish police jury president Frank E. Johnson accuses Louisiana Aggregate Materials, a gravel mining company operating in Johnsons district near the St. Helena-Livingston line, of lacking permits from the states Department of Environmental Quality. And Johnson wants the company to foot the bill to patch an RV-sized hole in Nesom Roads asphalt.

After the parish repaved the road this spring, it proved too weak to stand up to the gravel trucks weight.

That hole was so big it was pathetic, the police jury president said.

Records show the company has filed for permits, however. And Louisiana Aggregate Materials owner Guy "Tony" Modica says the hole emerged in the asphalt because Johnson and the police jury didn't put enough money and resources into building a sturdy roadway.

"100% right the trucks have torn up the road," Modica said. "Its tearing up because (Johnson) built a sub-standard road."

After growing weary with the noise of gravel-hauling flatbeds and damage to the road they use to get to their homes, some Nesom Road residents share Johnsons ire.

It took us two years to get this road paved good, said James Robertson, 75, who lives in a house on Nesom Road a few hundred yards west of the gravel mine. Then, in a few weeks time, theyd destroyed it.

+10 Debris bonanza after Ida unleashes stampede of companies aiming to pick up Louisiana's refuse The trucks came from as far as Wisconsin and Florida, driven by people who are normally loggers but descended upon Louisiana after Hurricane I

St. Helena Parish has little of the development and a fraction of the populations of neighboring Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes. But despite a lack of industry in the sparsely populated rural parish, the regulatory vacuum created by a dearth of building rules can foment schisms among local leaders and those trying to usher in new business.

Its a common refrain in the region.

Local leaders in Tangipahoa wrestled in July over how to regulate solar plants, around the same time Livingston Parish became embroiled in a debate over whether a paintball site should be allowed to operate between two homes.

While Johnson insists the gravel company is operating out of turn, records show Modica did file for site approval with the Department of Environmental Quality.

Modica on May 3 submitted a notice of intent to discharge stormwater and wastewater at the site, records show  the first step towards getting a gravel mine approved. That August, after construction had commenced, St. Helena Emergency Director Roderick Matthews filed a complaint with the department, doubling down on Johnsons accusations that Modica lacked permits.

An inspector arrived to survey the site on Aug. 24, records show. She chided Modica for not having a stormwater permit for construction  something required of mining projects exceeding 5 acres  but let the site stay open provided Modica apply for that permit.

A second, anonymous complaint saying the mine lacked permits yielded another visit from an inspector in September, who again took no action, saying Modica was on the way to applying for the construction permit he needed.

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

Modica is working with the department to get the proper paperwork processed, Greg Langley, a spokesperson for the department of environmental quality, said on Wednesday.

Citing his compliance with the environmental quality regulator, Modica says hes doing nothing wrong.

Im trying to have a business in the parish, to bring them (gravel) while running a business myself, he said, and Im getting harassed by one police juryman.

Gravel mining is big business in St. Helena  especially in the southwest corner of the parish near the Amite River and its associated tributaries, where sediment has long been coveted by miners eager to capitalize on subdivision construction to the south of the parish.

But there can be downsides for natural ecosystems near the gravel mines.

Rich agricultural land is often converted to desert-like terrain once a mine comes and goes  part of the reason the industry attracts controversy, said Dr. Sam Hyde, director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern University.

Tangipahoa Council orders 50-foot vegetation border around newly approved solar farms AMITE CITY  The Tangipahoa Parish Council has approved new rules for solar plant developments, capping off weeks of debate among farmers fear

It gives people jobs and does some good for the economy, Hyde said, but it can be devastating for the environment.

Johnson, the police jury president, wants the company to repair the road. He insists Modica said he would pay for any such repairs; Modica says he made no such promise.

In front of the entrance to the gravel mine, a large quantity of clay fills the large hole the gravel mines trucks bore into the asphalt of Nesom Road.

You could not pass through here, said Johnson.

Cathy Robertson, James Robertsons sister-in-law, owns the land where Modicas company is operating. She now lives in Mississippi and leased the property amid financial struggles that followed her husbands death, she said.

The problem with the road, she said, is that the parish didnt spend enough on paving it properly in the spring. If officials are so worried about the trucks impacts, they could pass an ordinance enforcing a weight limit for parish roads, Modica added.

Cathy Robertson said Johnsons upset because he cant stop her.

Its because he cant fix the road the way its supposed to be, she said. That road is not properly built."
Louisiana State Police can inspect the medical records of a man who was hospitalized after allegedly killing a state trooper and a Prairieville woman Oct. 9 during a three-parish shooting rampage, a Baton Rouge judge ruled Thursday.

State District Judge Eboni Johnson-Rose rejected arguments made by an attorney for Matthew Reese Mire that he has an expectation of privacy when it comes to his Our Lake of the Lake records, and that a medical privilege also should apply to those records.

Christine Lehmann with the New Orleans-based Louisiana Capital Assistance Center told Johnson-Rose she intends to appeal the judge's ruling and asked her to stay the decision. The judge denied that request.

Mire, 31, of Baton Rouge, was booked Tuesday in Ascension Parish on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Master Trooper Adam Gaubert and Pamela Adair, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count each of armed robbery, home invasion, aggravated flight from an officer, illegal use of weapons and illegal possession of stolen things.

+2 Matthew Mire, Ascension double murder suspect, shipped to Angola to await trial in max security Ten days after Matthew Mire was arrested following a shooting rampage that crisscrossed the Baton Rouge area and left a Louisiana state troope

He also was booked Tuesday in Livingston Parish on two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count each of home invasion, vehicle theft and vehicle burglary.

Mire was previously booked in East Baton Rouge Parish on counts of aggravated flight from an officer, attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, illegal possession of stolen firearms, obstruction of justice and misdemeanor resisting an officer.

Johnson-Rose signed a search warrant on Oct. 11 authorizing the seizure of Mire's medical records and biological samples from OLOL.

The hospital provided blood and urine samples to LSP last Friday, and they were submitted to the State Police Crime Lab the same day for testing. The medical records that were sought were not provided because they were not complete at that time.

Also Friday, Mire's attorneys filed a motion for a protective order regarding his medical records and bodily samples. Later that afternoon, Johnson-Rose granted the order barring State Police from inspecting Mire's records or testing his biological samples until after a hearing.

After a Crime Lab official stated Monday in an affidavit that the samples needed to be tested as soon as possible for the most accurate results, the judge rescinded the portion of her order dealing with the samples and granted State Police's request to test them.

Then, on Thursday after a brief hearing in her 19th Judicial District courtroom, Johnson-Rose gave the state agency the green light to obtain and inspect Mire's medical records.

The judge also signed an order for the state to transfer half of the bodily fluids collected to the defense so they can have them independently tested.

East Baton Rouge Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings, who had filed court papers Monday asking the judge to lift the protective order dealing with Mire's medical records, argued Thursday that the Supreme Court put in place the "greatest protection" to obtaining such records: a court-authorized search warrant.

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

The judge cited that protection in her ruling and noted that she reviewed an affidavit of probable cause submitted by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety before signing the search warrant.

That affidavit says State Police detectives tried to interview Mire at OLOL, where he was treated for dog bites and a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right leg, but he declined.

"However, Mire asked the Troopers standing guard about the deceased Trooper's status and made a culpable statement in part, 'I didn't mean to, but the guy was watching the house,'" the affidavit states.

State Police detectives believe that statement referred to Gaubert and his location, which was near the Dutton Road homicide, the affidavit says.

Cummings said after the hearing that blood and urine samples can help address a person's physical condition at the time of an alleged offense. Medical records could include anything a suspect tells hospital staff.

Mire, who attended Thursday's hearing in orange prison clothes, shackles and a shaved head, is locked up without bond at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Man accused of killing trooper, woman in Ascension to be held without bond on Baton Rouge counts A Baton Rouge judge declined Tuesday to set a bond for a Livingston man accused of killing two people, including a state trooper, and wounding

His Livingston charges refer to the series of events that started the shooting rampage, which unfolded in the early morning hours of Oct. 9 and then morphed into a multi-parish manhunt that lasted throughout the day, ending after 10 p.m. when police finally took Mire into custody.

Mire is accused of barging into a trailer home off La. 444 in French Settlement and shooting his neighbors around midnight. He then proceeded on foot through a nearby wooded area and stole a truck from another house, according to law enforcement.

He drove the truck to Ascension, where he ambushed Gaubert, who was sitting in his patrol car writing reports near the intersection of Airline and Jefferson highways in Prairieville, officials said. Moments after killing the trooper, Mire arrived at a house less than a mile away and allegedly shot two of his relatives, leaving Adair dead.

The manhunt started after he shot at another trooper a couple hours later during an attempted traffic stop. He was ultimately arrested that night near Bayou Manchac in the southeastern corner of East Baton Rouge.
A Baton Rouge man who struck and killed another driver during a 2017 police chase that stretched from Livingston Parish into East Baton Rouge and reached speeds of 119 mph was convicted of negligent homicide Wednesday.

Reginald Weeden, 34, stood trial on a manslaughter charge in the death of Jonathan Scott, 23, also of Baton Rouge, but was unanimously found guilty of the lesser charge.

State District Judge Christopher Dassau said he will sentence Weeden on Nov. 10.

He faces up to five years in prison. A manslaughter conviction would have carried a prison term of up to 40 years.

Weeden had rejected an offer in January 2020 to plead guilty to vehicular homicide in exchange for a 30-year sentence. East Baton Rouge prosecutors would have dismissed two drug charges against him if he had accepted that deal.

+2 In fatal 2017 police chase, Baton Rouge man now faces upgraded charge of manslaughter A Baton Rouge man accused of striking and killing another man during a 2017 police chase that reached speeds of nearly 120 mph was charged Thu

Prosecutor Adam Kwentua told the jury this week that Weeden was traveling 90 mph when his 2016 Dodge Charger collided with Scott's 2004 Chevrolet Impala on Florida Boulevard where it intersects with Stevendale Road on Sept. 5, 2017. The posted speed limit at that spot is 55 mph.

The 10-mile police chase began in Walker and ended near the Amite River bridge in Baton Rouge.

One of Weeden's attorneys. Ron Haley, argued to jurors that a Livingston Parish sheriff's narcotics detective who pursued Weeden at high speeds from Walker to Baton Rouge, and a Denham Springs police officer who joined the pursuit until Weeden crashed into Scott, also were responsible for the fatal crash.

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

Scott's family sued the Livingston Sheriff's Office and Weeden. The lawsuit is pending in the 19th Judicial District Court.

Drugs were found in Weeden's system after the fatal crash, prosecutors have said.

Scott had marijuana in his system after the crash, East Baton Rouge Coroner Dr. William "Beau" Clark testified at the trial.

Haley also said Scott was partially to blame for the crash because he turned left at a green light  without waiting for a green arrow  into Weeden's path. Weeden had a green light and the right of way, his lawyer said.

+2 Charged with fatal, 119-mph police chase, Baton Rouge man's lawyers question the pursuit The man who led police on a 10-mile chase from Walker to Baton Rouge, reaching speeds of nearly 120 mph at one point, was traveling 90 mph whe

At the time of the crash, Weeden was free on bail while awaiting criminal proceedings from an Aug. 11, 2017, drug arrest.

Weeden was convicted of manslaughter in 2005 in the beating death of a 55-year-old man who Weeden and another man struck repeatedly with a tree branch on Dec. 9, 2004, according to The Advocate archives.

Weeden was sentenced to 10 years at hard labor in that case, East Baton Rouge court records indicate.
Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission
Australias three major supermarkets, Woolworths, Coles and Aldi are beginning to roll out vaccine mandates in a major push by some of the countrys largest retailers to protect shoppers and staff from COVID-19.

More than 250,000 workers across the three companies will need to be vaccinated to work in the companies stores, distribution centres and support offices as businesses prepare to live with COVID-19 as lockdowns end and Australia begins to reopen.

Woolworths is hoping to finalise the policy by the end of November. Credit:Janie Barrett

Woolworths workers will need to be fully vaccinated by either January 31 or March 31 depending on which state they reside in. Coles employees in all states bar Tasmania, Queensland and SA will also need to be vaccinated in line with state government requirements. Coles staff in Victoria will be required to be fully vaccinated by November 26 and NSW/ACT staff by December 17. Staff in the Northern Territory have until December 25 while staff in Western Australia will need to be fully vaccinated by January 31. Aldi will require all workers across the country to be vaccinated but has not yet set a timeline.

Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci said the move was intended to strengthen its health and safety settings as states and territories around the country begin to open up and reduce their various COVID-19 restrictions.
In 1998, when he was just 17 years old, Daniel MacPherson packed up his life and drove from Sydney to Melbourne. Discovered on a beach, the teenager had been offered an 18-month contract to appear on Neighbours. MacPherson had never acted  and I had no idea how to do it, he adds  but the teen figured this could be a fun gap year that might earn him what he wanted most: a 1964 EH Holden station wagon.

It was this novelty 18 months where I would do this acting thing, MacPherson says. It was only a couple of years later where I was still on Neighbours but doing pantomime in the UK that I realised, Im enjoying this, Ill see how far this acting ride will take me.

Earlier this year, standing on the side of a windswept volcano in the Atlantic Oceans Canary Islands, surrounded by 300 cast and extras in full costume and a sizeable international crew, Macpherson realised just how far that acting ride had taken him. The 41-year-old was playing a major role in the first season of Foundation, AppleTV+s adaptation of Isaac Asimovs canonised science-fiction novel. The actor was in a different universe to Ramsay Street.

Daniel MacPhersons first role was Neighbours spunk Joel Samuels in 1998. Credit:Who Weekly

In terms of scale and size, its definitely the biggest job Ive worked on. I loved it, but it would have been mind-blowing to 17-year-old Daniel, MacPherson says. The artistry that went into creating these worlds is incredible. To work at the highest level, everything from scripts to production design to visual effects to costume design, is an absolute gift.
After 17 years in one of the hot seats of Australian political journalism  as host of Radio Nationals breakfast program  Fran Kelly is looking forward to switching off the early morning alarm.

Its all about having a bit more space for family and friends, she said on Thursday morning after announcing her departure from the role, though not from the ABC.

Kelly plans to take a few months off and then return on different [ABC] platforms at a different pace. Initially, she will focus on television for the election campaign next year. Beyond that, she wont be drawn, except that she hopes to work on ongoing and meaningful rather than daily projects.

Fran Kelly waves goodbye from the Radio National breakfast desk Credit:ABC/Steven Siewert

Shes not angling for the empty Q&A host chair. I just need a breather before I commit to a major, high-profile ongoing role like that right now.
Members of Parliament from across the political divide have called for more robust sexual consent education to be introduced across NSW schools during a parliamentary debate triggered by activist Chanel Contos petition, which launched earlier this year.

Greens MP Jenny Leong, who sponsored the petition with support of government MP Felicity Wilson and Labors Marjorie ONeill, told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that young people were not getting the information about sex and consent they needed nor help they were asking for.

Chloe Korbel, 17, and Lucinda Hoffman, 26, string a line of 6000 ribbons outside NSW Parliament: one representing each young person who submitted a sexual assault testimony to Chanel Contos petition. Credit:Nick Moir

We know that teachers are doing as much they can with what they have ... But I dont think any member in this place can say we are doing enough, she said. If we dont see change in how we educate our young people, it will happen to our daughters and granddaughters as well.

Thousands of testimonies published by Ms Contos detail the accounts of women who said they were teenagers when they woke up naked at parties or in a mans house after passing out, with their male peers penetrating them.
Most Melbourne hospitality operators breathed a sigh of relief when the clock struck midnight on Thursday night putting an end to months of no trading.

But some business owners are confused about the current rules and worry about becoming the victims of unvaccinated patrons wrath when they are refused entry to a venue.

Atcharapan Jongwattanasiri, owner of a Thai restaurant in Yarraville. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Atcharapan Jongwattanasiri, the owner of At 43 Thai Restaurant on Yarravilles Anderson Street, said it wasnt clear what venues were supposed to do if vaccinated diners tested positive for COVID-19.

Who do I contact? she said.

Ms Jongwattanasiri, who opened the restaurant shortly before the pandemic, said she hadnt had trouble with unvaccinated patrons refusing to abide by the rules during Melbournes first day of freedom, but some of her business owner friends had experienced issues with angry customers.

I am worried if the people have the first dose and they wait for the second dose and they want to come in, how do I do it? I want to make the customer happy, she said.

Ms Jongwattanasiri said she understood the need to make venues safer by requiring proof of vaccination but putting the onus on owners was stressful.

She worried the government would walk back on its promise to put a stop to lockdowns.

If next week the cases pop up to 4000, what is the government going to do? Lockdown again or they are going to keep going? Im worried.
They had more than 7000 entrants to the competition, and welcomed the winners with golden balloons and golden scissors. We thought of a great idea to make Melbourne look and feel great again, Mr Scandizzo said. Weve been locked down for nearly 12 weeks  so its exciting to be open again. One of the winners, Janet Shafik, said she was extremely excited when she found out shed won a hair session at the salon. I couldnt stop thinking about the next time I could get my hair down [during lockdown] to be completely honest, I really need it, she said.

Client Janet Shafik sits down to get her hair at Joey Scandizzos salon in South Yarra. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Up the road at Chapellis restaurant on Chapel Street, there was laughter and the clinking of glasses with a seated service of a few dozen people. Benjamin Krongold and Ariella Goldman were among those ready to share a late night meal. We come to Chapellis most Saturday nights if were out, Mr Krongold said. We called them up and asked about availability and they said they were opening and they were super excited. Even the waiter said he hasnt set tables in 10 weeks; he forgot how to do it.

Diners sit down for a meal after midnight at Chapellis in Chapel Street. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui At Loch & Key in Melbournes CBD, there was a line of about a dozen people out the front at 1am after the bustling bar reached its full capacity. Inside, the atmosphere was electric; bartenders were stoked to be back pouring cocktails, and young people were ecstatic to be out drinking them. Susie was glad that, once again, Melbournes CBD was starting to feel like it was among the best cities in the world. They are my local and they were opening so I thought Im gonna spend a little money and give them the service [that they need], she said.

We all know that people come to Melbourne to socialise - its the place to be and Im excited to be out again. Susie (left) and her friend Stephanie celebrate after midnight. Credit:Cassandra Morgan By about 1.40am, some keen punters in the line outside Loch & Key had been waiting an hour and a half outside to try to get in. Some said they could be prepared to wait for hours longer. Owner Paul Scanlan said as a 24-hour licensed venue, Loch & Key was keen to open at midnight. It generally catered to hospitality workers, but not so much on Thursday night.

At Essendon Fields Lux Brows and Lashes, owner Kim Evans was thrilled to allow a few clients in from midnight. After they were serviced, she was set to have a nanna nap, before jumping back on deck at 5am on Friday, and finally clocking off at 4pm. We just wanted to reopen with a bang and make an impact, she said. The regulars are very excited. One of my girls, shes been a regular for maybe six years and she comes every four weeks - she has the most amazing naturally beautiful eyebrows, but she has a lot of eyebrows. Loading The lockdown lifting meant Melbournes hospitality venues could host seated services for up to 20 fully vaccinated customers indoors, and 50 fully vaccinated customers outdoors.

Along with the cap on patrons, a rule of one person for every four square metres applied. Rumi restaurant at Brunswick East took full advantage of the new allowance, opening its doors at 11.59pm on Thursday to host a middle eastern midnight feast. Rumi Owner Joseph Abboud prepares to open his restaurant after lockdown. Credit:Cassandra Morgan Owner Joseph Abboud came up with the idea for the mezze, from which proceeds would go to charity Beyond Blue, after a mate jokingly asked him whether Rumi would open at midnight. He started work at 9am on Thursday, and only stopped when the feast was finished. I said, no [to opening], and then I thought, maybe that could be something good, Mr Abboud said.

Whenever you do something like this, you do worry that you may not sell any tickets or no-ones crazy enough to come out at midnight, but I think a few people are very excited about the idea. Loading The lockdown lifting at 11.59pm on Thursday also meant hospitality venues in regional Victoria could boost their cap on patrons to up to 30 fully vaccinated people indoors. Outdoors, the cap increased from 30 to 100 people, with a density limit of one person for every two square metres. Melburnians can also now have up to 10 people, including dependents, visit their homes each day, and gatherings with up to 15 people can take place outdoors.
There is an old quip about politicians, sometimes attributed to Joh Bjelke-Petersen, that says voters will not remember why they were on the front page, only that they were on it.

It might be right for some. And it might have worked for Sir Joh, a hero to the Nationals for running Queensland for 19 years. But it is small comfort for Scott Morrison when the Nationals are all over the media for being unable to make up their minds on climate change.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Brendon Thorne/Getty

The Prime Minister needs an outcome, fast. He boards a plane this Thursday for a G20 meeting in Rome and the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow. He already knows what the decision has to be: net zero emissions by 2050.

What he offers instead is daily dithering. Liberals are resigned to the government looking like a circus while Morrison, federal cabinet, the Liberal party room and half the Nationals wait for a small bloc of holdouts to accept the majority outcome.
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten has blasted a Greens call to halve Australias defence spending and scrap the nations nuclear submarine deal should the party form a power-sharing government after the next federal election.

Mr Shorten said Labor had been very clear it was not interested in forming any coalition with the Greens, which was in effect proposing one rifle for every two soldiers.

Former Labor leader Bill Shorten says a Greens call to cut Australias annual $44 billion defence spending in half is bonkers. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The 10-member Greens party announced this week it would negotiate with Labor to reduce the defence budget to 1 per cent of gross domestic product if it gained the balance of power, making $312 billion available over the next decade for essential services.

Senator Jordon Steele-John pointed to New Zealands lightly armed defence force as the gold standard Australia should aspire to, saying the nation needed a readily deployable and highly mobile force that is commensurate with our size and location.
Four Victorian electorates will be key to the Greens plan to push Labor into a power-sharing arrangement if the next federal election delivers a hung parliament, as the party opts for a more moderate path to take on the major parties.

The Greens leader Adam Bandt and Labor leader Anthony Albanese. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The Greens will run candidates in all 10 federal lower house seats as well as a Queensland senate seat. Leader Adam Bandt has revealed the 11 electorates the party is targeting, include the five Melbourne seats of Cooper, Wills, Kooyong, Macnamara and Higgins.

Following the latest boundary changes in Western Australia and Victoria, the Greens commissioned new modelling by the Parliamentary Library which shows that Labor would need a two-party preferred swing of 3.28 per cent on election day to beat the Coalition and govern in its own right after the election.

But the Greens are banking on a uniform swing closer to three per cent which would likely deliver a minority government with Labor potentially forced into a power-sharing arrangement with the Greens and other crossbenchers.
A robot artist made it to an exhibit at Egypts pyramids after its British maker said airport security held his creation for 10 days on suspicion it could be part of a wider espionage plot.

The release came in time for the android that goes by the name Ai-Da to showcase work, alongside human artists, at a show opening on Thursday at the pyramids of Giza. Hours before, the robot was in the custody of Egyptian border guards over security fears about the cameras in its eyes that enabled it to paint, according to gallerist Adrien Meller who told British media that the British ambassador stepped in.

Ai-Da stands in front of one of her artworks during Ai-Da: The Worlds First Robot Artist press view at Design Museum in London, England. AI-DA is on display until August 29, 2021 at The Design Museum Credit:Getty

I cant really gouge her eyes out, he told The Guardian. Lets be really clear about this. She is not a spy.

Some people took the opportunity to note the robot fared better than thousands of people, including lawyers and journalists, who have faced detention in Egypt where advocates have long urged authorities to ease the crackdown.
Minneapolis: A Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot unarmed Australian woman Justine Ruszczyk Damond has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison  the maximum allowed for manslaughter  after his murder conviction was overturned.

Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Damond, a 40-year-old dual US-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married.

Damond had called police to report a possible rape happening behind her home in the US in the 2017 incident that led to her death.

Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was jailed for the killing of Australian Justine Ruszczyk Damond. Credit:Star Tribune/AP

The Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out Noors murder conviction and 12-year sentence last month, saying the third-degree murder statute didnt fit the case because it can only apply when a defendant shows a generalised indifference to human life, not when the conduct is directed at a particular person, as it was with Damond.
Martha Henry, a legendary actor on the Canadian stage, has died the age of 83, just 12 days after playing her final performance in the Stratford Festival's production of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women.

Henry was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, not long before the production was canceled due to Covid. After undergoing treatment, she began rehearsals for Three Tall Women in the summer of 2021, playing early performances with a walker and later moving to a wheelchair. Her last show was October 9.

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1938, Henry graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh (now Carnegie Mellon). Upon graduating, she headed to Canada instead of New York, eventually becoming a full citizen in 1970. She joined the Stratford acting company in 1962, playing Miranda to William Hutt's Prospero in The Tempest, and was with the Festival for a remarkable 47 seasons through her passing. In addition to acting in 70 shows and directing 14 others, she served as artistic director of the Festival's Birmingham Conservatory for a decade and also directed the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction from 2017-2020.

Beyond Stratford, she served as Artistic Director of the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario, from 1988-1994. She acted and directed at the Shaw Festival, the National Arts Centre, the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Theatre Calgary, Vancouver's Arts Club and Edmonton's Citadel;, and at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. On Broadway, she worked with the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center in The Playboy of the Western World, Antigone, Narrow Road to the Deep North, Twelfth Night, and The Crucible from 1970-72, receiving a Theatre World Award for her performances.

Her Shakespearean roles ran the gamut: Miranda, Lady Macduff, Cressida, Luciana, Phrynia, Rosaline, Cordelia, Lady Percy, Joan la Pucelle, Viola, Titania, Desdemona, Thaisa, Constance, Isabella, both Helenas, Lady Anne, Beatrice, Paulina, the Princess of France, Doll Tearsheet, Goneril, Volumnia, Lady Macbeth, Cymbeline's Queen, Queen Eleanor, the Countess of Rossillion, Queen Margaret, and Prospero. She directed productions including Of Mice and Men, An Enemy of the People, Three Sisters, All My Sons, and Henry VIII, which was released as a film this past year.

After making her 1962 debut with Hutt in The Tempest, she shared the stage with him on numerous occasions, notably as Mary to his James Tyrone in 1994'sLong Day's Journey into Night , for which she earned a Genie Award. Another of her favorite leading men was Brian Bedford, with whom she starred in Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure, and The Winter's Tale.

In 1989, Ms Henry married actor Rod Beattie. The two worked together on many productions, including Macbeth, Twelfth Night and Henry VIII (which she directed), The Tempest. Beattie is among her survivors.

Stratford will hold a memorial for Henry in the coming months. The Festival captured a performance of Three Tall Women on film in the hope of securing the rights to share it. The first Shakespeare production at the Tom Patterson Theatre will be dedicated to her memory.
Up for debate:

Live legislation tracker

Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics.
Associate Editor

Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to journalists following a round table on Cuba, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora in Miami.
In this June 10, 2021 file photo, a pair of migrant families from Brazil pass through a gap in the border wall to reach the United States after crossing from Mexico to Yuma, Ariz.
Get complete access to all of the news and special sections included in the bi-weekly print editions, plus additional online-only features like breaking news, searchable archives of past editions and more! You will receive immediate access to our site after submitting your order.



Rate Information

The $39 and $20 rates reflect the cost of an online-only subscription. The $5 and $3 rates reflect the cost to add an online subscription to your active and current print subscription. Your print subscription must be (and remain) paid to current in order to qualify for the $5 and $3 discounted online subscription rates. If you pay for a discounted rate and do not qualify for it, the amount you paid will be assessed at the online-only rate and your online subscription will be terminated when your payment has been used in full.



Important Additional Information

Please provide your phone number in the Notes box in case we need to contact you about your order. Please note: An online subscription is valid for a single household/business use only. Any violation of this policy will result in cancelation of internet subscription and forfeiture of subscription money.



**We accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover.**


News

featured

Aqua installs first fire hydrants in Treasure Lake

Elaine Haskins / Elaine Haskins Aqua Pennsylvania, along with local and state officials, announced on Wednesday the installation of the first of up to at least 100 new fully-operational fire hydrants in the Treasure Lake community of Sandy Township. It is located near the main entrance at Bay and Matura roads. Shown, from left, are: Sam Mollica (township supervisor); Mike Starr (Aqua); state Rep. Mike Armanini; Jim Jeffers (township supervisor); Larry Bickel (township EMA coordinator); Shawn Arbaugh (township manager); Ed Clark (Treasure Lake Property Owners Association manager); Steve Clark (Aqua); Zach Martin (Aqua); Ray Byrom (Aqua); and David Distler (TLPOA).

DuBOIS  Aqua Pennsylvania, along with local and state officials, announced on Wednesday the installation of the first of up to at least 100 new fully-operational fire hydrants in the Treasure Lake community of Sandy Township.

The installation of the fire hydrants will be ongoing for several months and will provide fire protection service for the more than 2,200 Aqua customers located in Treasure Lake, according to Aqua. The hydrants will also help Aqua, Treasure Lakes water and wastewater provider, to maintain water quality in the community by serving as flushing points throughout the water distribution system.

Its kind of a big deal for us, said Steve Clark, Aquas director of operations for the Greater Pennsylvania Area. This has been a long time coming, for me not so much, Ive only been in this role for about two years now, but for two years Ive known that we needed to get Treasure Lake fire hydrants. It was one of the top, Id say probably top three priorities for me, in my role. Im really glad to be here today and to be here to announce with Aqua and the township, who weve worked with, as well as Treasure Lake, the announcement that fire hydrants are now here and theres more on the way in Treasure Lake.

Aqua Area Manager Zach Martin said the fire hydrant project has been quite an undertaking over the past eight years. He said Aqua has partnered with the community to invest in new water sources, water storage tanks and main replacements to improve the safety and reliability of the communitys water system.

Its already been eight years. Were getting close to a decade and its nice that now it isnt just an inconvenience in the roadway, said Martin. Theres something thats tangible, something thats visual for the community, for the customers, for all of our neighbors. And thats something that were really excited about.

The first hydrant was installed near the main entrance of Treasure Lake at Bay and Matura roads and there are more on the way, said Martin.

Weve got the first 50 on the way, and were going to be working with the fire department to put in up to that full 100, said Martin. To us, thats really exciting. We appreciate everyones patience as we work through some of the challenges in the system. We appreciate all of the cooperation when weve worked on future planning, easements, the strategic aspects of what we do. So thank you for that. Thank you for being here today.

State Rep. Mike Armanini, R-DuBois, who has been a Treasure Lake resident for the last 20 years, commended Aqua, the Treasure Lake Property Owners Association, TLPOA Manager Ed Clark and Sandy Township for all of their work on getting the hydrants installed.

The water improvement in Treasure Lake over my period of time here has increased dramatically, said Armanini. Its very good to know that the commitment of Aqua bringing clean water into Treasure Lake is an everyday occurrence now. With the fire hydrants coming in, of course, its making Treasure Lake a more viable place for home building and for growth. And then of course new homeowners now will have the feeling of knowing that theyll have fire hydrants there, if of course they need that, if their home, unfortunately, would have a fire.

Today is an exciting day, aside from the beautiful weather were having, the residents of Treasure Lake are going to benefit tremendously, said Ed Clark. Fire station 39 (North Point) and all of the other supporting fire stations are going to benefit tremendously, and I personally, for myself and on behalf of the board, want to thank Aqua and Sandy Township for working together to find the solution. It took a little bit of time, but I really appreciate it on behalf of the residents.

Township Manager Shawn Arbaugh thanked Aqua for their cooperation in making the hydrant installation become a reality.

We worked through some struggles, worked for a few years to get this project finally on the ground, said Arbaugh. I really appreciate the efforts and Aqua working with us, and doing some things that they normally dont do with other systems that they could do here, so we really appreciate that. Were excited to have better fire protection for Sandy Township and for Treasure Lake, and this is a great asset for the area. We look forward to working with you in the long-term and (I) really appreciate all of the efforts by everybody, special thanks to Zach (Martin) and Steve (Clark) and you guys have done, so thank you.

Larry Bickel, township emergency management coordinator and a forest fire warden, said the installation of the fire hydrants is huge for Treasure Lake.

Treasure Lake is the largest Firewise community in the state of Pennsylvania, 9,000 acres, said Bickel. Everybody thought with two lakes here we have a tremendous opportunity to get water. We only have two places to fill here and the other one, the marina was usually closed in the winter due to ice issues. So to have Aqua get us the opportunity to get water to these fires, whether it be a structure fire or a wildfire, is huge and to me thats the biggest part of this. I know they talked about insurance not going up or maybe reduction of insurance or hydrants, but in order for us to come in here, because we have a lot of issues with leaf litter, theres a real possibility we could lose some of this lake. So to have those hydrants to use so we can fill our portable tanks with and our Indian tanks for our firefighters is huge. I want to thank you, I think its an amazing thing.

Also on Wednesday, Aqua presented a $1,000 check to the Sandy Township Fire Department.

We just really wanted to show our commitment to Treasure Lake and Sandy Township, said Steve Clark. We hope that this $1,000 can be used to further the fire protection efforts that you already are undertaking.

In May, Sandy Township approved the agreement with Aqua to install up to 100 fire hydrants in Treasure Lake. The township agreed to pay the fire hydrant rental fee of $25.86 per hydrant per month.
This is the temporary subscription pass for users returning from the Vision Data subscription process. Your subscription will be updated within 24 hours, after your information is verified. Please click the button below to get your pass.
Oneonta, NY (13820)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 26F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 26F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks.
Meet Banjo! She's a fun and loving rescue kitten who brings smiles to everyone's face! Banjo's favorite thing to do is cuddle up to you for he
Goodbye alert levels, hello traffic light.

Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed the next stage of New Zealand's COVID-19 protection framework.

The new framework is made up of 3 steps; Green, Orange, and Red (a.k.a the traffic light).

Once 90% of eligible New Zealanders are full vaccinated, we will move to the new framework, until then we will remain under the alert levels.

Vaccine certificate requirments will play a big role in the new traffic light framework.

Requiring a vaccination certificate will be optional for many locations. There will be some higher-risk settings where they will be a requirement in order to open to the public.

At all levels, businesses, retail, and public facilities will generally be able to remain open for vaccinated people.

Businesses, events, organisations, community, and a range of sectors may legally choose to implement a vaccination entry requirement for customers.

If a business, organisation or service does not wish to request proof of vaccine, they will have to operate with strict limits on capacity and space requirements. They may need to close in Orange and/or Red levels.

Unite against COVID-19 has done a full breakdown of everything you need to know about each of the 3 steps:
The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, on Sept. 26, 2021. (Aly Song/Reuters)

China Evergrande Shares Tumble as Trade Resumes Without $2.6 Billion Deal

Shares of China Evergrande Group fell by as much as 13.6 percent on Thursday as trade resumed in the latest blow to the debt-saddled developer, whose woes have rattled global markets.

The development comes after a two-week suspension in trade that started on Oct. 4.

The company announced late on Oct. 20 that it had failed to secure a $2.6 billion deal to sell a 50.1 percent stake in its property services arm to smaller rival Hopson Development Holdings, setting the conditions for a potentially disruptive default.

Evergrande Property Services Groups stock dropped by as much as 10.2 percent as trading in both companies shares resumed.

Since the beginning of the year, the firms shares have fallen by almost 80 percent.

Its debt obligations boiled over to crisis point this year, triggered by new central government policies introduced in August last year designed to deleverage Chinas property sector. Chinese regulators outlined three red lines to cut off new bank loans to what were considered overleveraged developers, according to the new policies, which impacted Evergrandes cash flow overnight.

It remains to be seen what the immediate implications of an Evergrande default will be the Chinese and global market, with Communist Party politics expected to play a role in determining the speed and extent of the fallout, according to analysts.

According to data compiled by Bloomberg, foreign investment firms BlackRock, UBS, HSBC, and Ashmore Group, are among Evergrandes largest bondholders, with combined holdings of $1.3 billion.

Evergrande is just one of many highly indebted developers in Chinas property sector, meaning that investors in the sector, including any U.S. investors, are exposed to broader risks than just Evergrandes debt crisis alone.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A Woolworths truck is parked outside a Coles Supermarket in Melbourne, Australia, on May 25, 2015. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

300,000 Australians to Be Vaccinated as Supermarket Giants Unveil Sweeping Mandate for Staff

Australias largest supermarket chains, Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi, have announced a vaccine mandate for all employees, encompassing around 300,000 individuals.

The three grocery chains made the announcement on the same day, Oct. 21, amid a flurry of vaccine mandates issued from Australian state governments in recent days.

Brad Banducci, CEO of the Woolworths Group, who has been resistant to implementing mandates for customers, said management decided on the move for staff to provide the safest possible work environment.

We have 170,000 team members across our stores, distribution centres and support offices, and more than 1,200 retail stores, he said in a press release. With each store welcoming an average 20,000 customers a week, a single team member can come into contact with quite literally thousands of people in the course of a normal working week.

After careful review of the best medical advice, weve made the decision to require all of our team members in Australia to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, he said, noting that exemptions would be available for those with legitimate medical and religious reasons.

Currently, a third of all Woolworths staff are subject to public health orders from state governments to receive the vaccine, this latest move by management would bring the rest of the workforce into line.

Woolworths store in Sydney, Australia on Aug. 25, 2016. (Peter ParksAFP via Getty Images)

Full vaccination will be required in the jurisdictions of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), New South Wales (NSW), Northern Territory (NT), Victoria, and Western Australia by Jan. 31, 2022, and March 31, 2022, in the remaining states.

Steven Cain, CEO of Coles Group, echoed Banduccis message saying the focus was on providing a safe environment for staff and customers.

We have worked hand-in-hand with health authorities and adopted their recommended safety measures, allowing us to keep our 120,000-plus team members and millions of customers safe, he said in a press release.

As people are able to circulate more freely in NSW, ACT and Victoria, health authorities have warned that COVID case numbers in these states are expected to increase, which also means a higher risk of positive cases visiting our stores, he added.

Coles staff in NT and WA are already under vaccine mandates issued by their respective governments, while new deadlines have been set for employees in NSW, ACT, and Victoria.

File photo of a Coles supermarket in Sydney, Australia. (Janita Kan/NTD)

Tom Daunt, CEO of ALDI Australia, and the third-largest chain employing around 12,000 staff, said it had begun consultation on safety plans and timelines.

While the hope is that lockdowns will become a thing of the past, we know that Australias COVID-19 approach has shifted, and were entering a new phase of living and working with COVID-19 in the community, he said in a press release.

We only have to look overseas to see the trend in countries with high vaccination numbers and most pre-COVID freedoms restored: COVID-19 cases in the community increased, as did exposures in essential services, like supermarkets, and there was an increase in hospitalisations and ICU cases.

If that trend is mirrored here in Australia, we must consider how we continue to protect our teams, wider families, and the communities we operate in, he said, noting that vaccination of all staff was considered the most appropriate measure.

On Oct. 20, the Western Australian government announced that three-quarters of the states workforce was subject to vaccination.

It follows a sweeping directive from the Victorian state government on Oct. 1, mandating all authorised workers be vaccinatedaffecting 1.25 million individuals.

The move was met with anger from segments of the community, with protests breaking out in the capital city of Melbourne.

Some experts have poured cold water on mandatory vaccinations, with Harvard University epidemiologist, Martin Kulldorf, saying compulsory rules would weaken public confidence.

Right now, with these vaccine mandates, and vaccine passports, this coercive thing is turning a lot of people away from vaccines and not trusting them for very understandable reasons, Kulldorff told The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders.

Why do you have to force somebody to take the vaccine if its so beneficial to you? Thats one rationale.
A woman stomps on a free speech sign at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley in Berkeley, Calif., on Sept. 24, 2017. (Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)

A Free Speech Code for Australian Universities: Protecting Free or Restrictive Speech?

Commentary

The Australian Minister for Education and Youth, Alan Tudge, reported on Oct. 13, 2021, that all 41 universities in the country have now adopted policies to strengthen and protect free speech and academic freedom.

Specifically, most have adopted a slightly modified version of the Model Code as revised by the Chancellors Council Working Group. The council has also undertaken that their universities will report every year on the implementation of the code.

Of course, it is surprising that a code is necessary in the first place. This is because using the language of Cardinal John Henry Newman; universities should aim at raising the intellectual tone of society, at cultivating the public mind, at purifying national taste  and refining the intercourse of private life.

The history of academic freedom goes back to the famous Glasgow Controversy in 1716-17 when disaffected staff sought to break the dominance of an obstreperous administration on the affairs of the university. Later, in the 19th century, the concept of academic freedom was further elaborated in Germany as the right of academics to be free from unreasonable state or university interference in their duties.

Minister for Education Alan Tudge at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Aug. 27, 2021. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

But, since World War II, there have been many documented violations of an academics free speech throughout the world.

When editing a book on Academic Freedom Today, I wrote in 1992 that there is an increasing trend to limit academic debate to the elucidation of politically correct positions which preclude a judicious discussion and dissemination of incompatible views and ideas.

Since then, universities have adopted and implemented restrictive speech codes to ensure that academics refrain from speech that could be interpreted as insensitive to minority students.

Has the adoption of the Model Code changed this narrative?

The Model Code defines academic freedom as the freedom of academic staff to teach, discuss, and research and to disseminate and publish the results of their research. Speech includes expressive conduct including oral speech and written  works.

The code refers to the paramount value of free speech and to academic freedom as a defining value. It also affirms the importance of the universitys institutional autonomy under law in the regulation of its affairs.

Although no reports on the implementation of the code are yet available, it is nevertheless possible to rely on the language used in the code to ascertain its usefulness as a freedom-enhancing mechanism.

In its definition, the code provides that it supports reasonable measures to prevent a person from using lawful speech that a reasonable person would regard as, in the circumstances, likely to humiliate or intimidate others, and with the intention to.

It goes on to say that the universitys duty to foster the wellbeing of staff and students does not extend to a duty to protect any person from feeling offended or shocked or insulted by the lawful speech of another.

These passages in the code are problematic. First, they refer to lawful speech, which is deemed by a reasonable person as likely to humiliate or intimidate another person. Thus, the code does not protect all lawful speech.

Also, the reference to a reasonable person is unhelpful because the code does not define that person. As the concept of the reasonable person is vague, it could easily be manipulated for the purposes of limiting an academics freedom, provided the speech is intended to have the effect to humiliate or to intimidate.

However, the view that lawful speech should not be used to intimidate or humiliate may be incompatible with the reassurance that the code does not protect a person from feeling offended, shocked, or insulted by the lawful speech of another.

The incompatibility arises when persons who are offended, shocked, or insulted, also feel humiliated and intimidated. A feeling of humiliation or intimidation is subjective in nature, and it would be difficult to disprove the allegation that the impugned speech intended to humiliate or intimidate.

Thus, subject to the validity of this point, the code is nothing more than a rehash of the old restrictive speech codes, according to which staff members are expected to refrain from comments that might affect the sensitivities of minority students.

People participate in a Demand Free Speech rally on Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., on July 6, 2019. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

Every member of the academic staff and every student enjoy academic freedom subject only to the reasonable and proportionate regulation necessary to the discharge of the universitys teaching and research activities, and the reasonable and proportionate regulation to enable the university to give effect to its legal duties.

As the reasonableness and proportionality of a regulation is likely to be determined by university administrators, the usefulness of the Model Code for the protection of academic freedom and free speech is questionable.

Provision (6)(c) of the Principles of the code stipulates that universities have the right to refuse permission to any invited speaker to speak where the content of the speech is, or is likely to,  prejudice the fulfilment by the university of its duty to foster the wellbeing of staff and students. And by virtue of provision (6)(d), free speech can be abrogated where the content of the speech falls below scholarly standards to such an extent as to be detrimental to the universitys character as an institution of higher learning.

The code thus justifies the suppression of speech whenever its content prejudices the interests of the university under the circumstances described in the code. In such a case, there is no difference between the universities restrictive speech codes of the past and this Model Code.

The restrictions on academic speech, inherent in the Model Code, are worrying, especially if university administrations were to act upon anonymous complaints by the union, or staff, or students against an academic who does not propagate the appropriate philosophies of these complainants.

There are documented cases where truly excellent academics have suffered when unfounded, malicious, and false anonymous complaints were made against them. Unfortunately, many of these unfortunate academics are conservatives, even though they were merely diligent and conscientious professionals.

The cancel culture is still rampant on Australian campuses. As a result, University administrations are often reluctant to disregard anonymous complaints and instead wrongly conclude that the alleged miscreant is guilty.

Even a basic understanding of fairness demands that an accused be allowed to face their tormentors to prepare a defence. But, unfortunately, the code will do nothing to help these academics.

The Model Code may well be nothing more than a revised Restrictive Speech code.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A crowd is seen at a Loudoun County School Board meeting in Ashburn, Va., in a file photograph. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

AG Garland: School Board Domestic Terrorism Letter Underpinned Decision to Launch Probe

Attorney General Merrick Garland opened an investigation on Oct. 4 into violence against educators, declaring that there has been a disturbing spike in threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff in recent months.

However, according to information revealed on Oct. 21 during a House Committee on the Judiciary oversight hearing, Garlands assertion of a disturbing spike was based not on law enforcement intelligence or academic studies, but by a letter the National School Boards Association (NSBA) had sent to the Biden administration days earlier.

The letterwhich characterizes protesting parents as domestic terrorism threats and calls for the FBI to use statutes such as the PATRIOT Acthas since received significant backlash from the public as well as NSBA board members.

Garlands statements about the issue came in response to questions from committee member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) about when he first noticed the disturbing spike in threats of violence against educators.

I read the [NSBA] letter, and we have been seeing over time Garland said before Jordan interjected.

So you read the letter and thats your source? Jordan asked.

Garland said the NSBA, which represents more than 90,000 school board members in the United States, is an authoritative source.

However, internal NSBA records released on Oct. 21 suggest that the association itself doesnt fully stand behind the letter. The nonprofit organization Parents Defending Education released NSBA emails obtained via the Freedom of Information Act showing that the NSBA board apparently wasnt consulted before the association sent the letter to the White House.

I agree with many of my colleagues that the board of directors should have been consulted before a letter like this was sent out publicly, and no less to the President of the United States and the national press, NSBA board member John Halkias wrote to staff members on Oct. 1. I also agree that the letter took a stance that went beyond what many of us would consider to be reasonable and used terms that were extreme.

Halkias took issue with the NSBA letterwhose signatories are President Viola Garcia and Interim Executive Director Chip Slavencharacterizing protesting parents as domestic terrorism threats.

Many of us have been put in a position now of explaining or defending this action of our association as we are asked by members of our community if we consider them domestic terrorists for showing up to our meetings and expressing their opinions, Halkias wrote.

Throughout the hearing, numerous Republican lawmakers criticized Garland for launching his investigation into what largely has amounted to heated school board meetings. Parents groups have increased pressure on boards over the teaching of critical race theory and the imposition of mask mandatesand, at times, contentious meetings have resulted in fights and arrests.

Each time he was criticized, Garland said his memo has nothing to do with First Amendment-protected activity, and simply seeks to investigate reports of violence and threats. Despite admitting to the NSBA letter having influenced his decision to launch the probe, Garland said the investigation has nothing to do with domestic terrorism.

But Jordan pointed out that Garlands memo was accompanied by a DOJ press release, which stated that the DOJs national security division is working on the mattersuggesting that counterterrorism is involved. Other legislators also criticized Garland on the point.

I have to say I find it deeply disturbing that the National School Board Association convinced the Biden administration to sic you and your Justice Department and the FBIthe full power of federal law enforcementon involved parents, as if theyre domestic terrorists, said Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio).

Other than a brief nod to the First Amendment, you include no guidance how FBI should go about avoiding chilling and intimidating legitimate First Amendment activity, added Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.).

Some Democrat committee members defended Garlands investigation.

Rep. Theodore Deutch (D-Fla.) said a probe is well-needed, citing recent threats against school board members.

In Texas, a parent tore a teachers mask off her face. In California, a parent verbally assaulted a principal and physically attacked a teacher who intervened, sending him to the hospital, Deutch said, criticizing Republicans for what he said is a lack of concern about violence.
Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio earned the nickname "America's Toughest Sheriff" because of his tough stance on crime, in his office in Fountain Hills, Ariz., where he displays some of the relics of his controversial "Tent City," which housed convicted felons, on Oct. 18, 2021. (Allan Stein/Epoch Times)

Americas Toughest Sheriff Sets His Sights on Being Toughest Mayor

FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz.To millions of his conservative admirers Sheriff Joe Arpaio is something of a living legend, though hes viewed as a heavy-handed law enforcer by his detractors.

Whether you love him or hate him, Arpaio is a powerful personalityeven at the age of 89with strong opinions on where America is heading.

Its not looking good, he says.

But the American legend says he has no intention of fading away in a time of need.

That hes stood firm on the important issues of the day has only bolstered his popularity, it seems. Hes still tough on crimeand criminalsregardless of who they are in life. After all, thats how he earned the nickname of Americas Toughest Sheriff.

The media gave me that name, Arpaio says with a grin as he spoke with The Epoch Times on Oct. 18. Then, I wrote a book (Sheriff Joe Arpaio: An American Legend). I dont mind (the nickname). But if they call me Americas Meanest Sheriff, I wouldnt like that. If they call me Americas Nicest Sheriff, I wouldnt like that either.

Proud of his Italian heritage, hes also earned the title Americas Good-Hearted Godfather, but hes okay with that.

Americas Toughest Sheriff Joe Arpaio sits at his office desk in Fountain Hills, Ariz., on Oct. 18., 2021. (Allan Stein/Epoch Times)

It goes without saying that Arpaio remains staunchly unapologetic about his controversial methods being Americas top crime fighter.

As sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, he instituted chain gangs for both men and women. He then built the infamous tent city to house some of the nations worst offenders. He even began issuing pink underwear to felons to prevent theft of the white variety.

He stands unfazed by critics of his hardline stance on illegal immigration. The southern border crisis under President Joe Biden is vindication in itself, he says.

In fact, Arpaio, who served as sheriff from 1993 until his electoral defeat in 2016, has few kind words to say about Biden, or his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. But he wont stoop to badmouthing them, or any other political opponent.

He will, however, proudly show you his birth certificate to prove he was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on June 14, 1932.

Even today, Arpaio questions the authenticity of Obamas birth documents. He caught major flak for that, after he launched an investigation into Obamas legal status while he was in office.

You never take anything for granted in politics, Arpaio says hes learned after nearly four decades in law enforcement. But let me tell you thisIm well known around this universe.

That, too, goes without saying.

Upon meeting Arpaio for the first time in his office in Fountain Hills, Arizona, one is instantly taken by the vast expanse of Arpaios media-driven universe.

Hanging on a wall are rows of autographed pictures of Arpaio posing with past Republican presidents George W. Bush, his hero Donald Trump, and other GOP notables.

Dominating other walls are front-page newspaper and magazine articles, encased in glass, depicting Arpaio as Americas premier law enforcer.

Americas Toughest Sheriff Joe Arpaio considers former President Donald Trump his hero. Here, Arpaio stands in front of the many pictures hes had taken with former U.S. presidents over the years in his office in Fountain Hills, Ariz., on Oct. 18, 2021. (Allan Stein/Epoch Times)

The manthe American legend himselfhowever, appears older these days, and thinner. Today, its Monday, Oct. 18, and hes wearing a blue blazer and a light blue casual shirt and slacks. He sits back at a big desk with the brass name plate Sheriff Joe Arpaio displayed prominently in front.

As Maricopa Countys former top cop, Arpaio says he feels he still has a job to dosomething vital, and personal.

That something is a basic need to give back to his adopted hometown of Fountain Hills, population 25,000, after living, and serving, in the community as sheriff for so many years.

Arpaio, however, says he has no qualms about his political futurehe wants to become Americas toughest mayor in Fountain Hills.

He says it with such conviction, it almost sounds like a done deal.

Fountain Hills town clerk Elizabeth Klein said that as of Oct. 19 only two candidates have filed papers of interest in the Aug. 2 non-partisan mayoral raceArpaio, and his opponent, Kelly Smith. Mayor Ginny Dickey has not filed papers yet.

Each candidate needs 324 signatures on a petition to become a viable candidate, Klein said.

As mayor, Arpaio says hell be all business.

Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio reflects on the passing of his wife, Ava, after 62 years of marriage in this Photo taken on Oct. 18, 2021. (Allan Stein/Epoch Times)

Hell stoke the local economy through travel and tourism, and to do this hell work toward building a viable partnership with the nearby casino.

Im a big advocate of small business, says Arpaio, who ran a successful travel business with Ava, his wife and best friend of 62 years. She passed away in August.

Arpaio says hes confident he has the support of conservative voters in Fountain Hills, who back the Blue and support legal immigration. Hes got plenty of name recognition to win in next years election, he says.

During his 38-year career as a top federal agent in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Arpaio enforced border laws as the lead official in Texas, Arizona, Central and South America, and Mexico.

He spent 24 years at the border as sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizonas most populous. He also was a street cop in Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas.

While on the job in Vegas Arpaio had the rare distinction of apprehending Elvis Presley, caught speeding on a Harley Davidson motorcycle with an unidentified blonde riding in the saddle.

Regarding illegal immigration, Arpaio says he plans to do a book signing at the U.S./Mexican border in Nogales, Arizona, so that people can learn the truth about immigration.

I dont have a badge and gun anymore. Ive got this, Arpaio says, holding up his book like a minister behind his pulpit.

Ive been very controversial even before illegal immigration, Arpaio adds, yet hes proud of that fact.

As an equal-opportunity sheriff, Arpaio has arrested people from all political parties and of all political persuasions.

Ill tell you what really bugs me. Im not going to say Im sorry, Arpaio says. Now, weve got a president of the United States who gets a pass. Obama gets a pass.

I still talk about the birth certificate. I think they were worried about the birth certificate.

Arpaio says most likely it was the birth certificate probe that ruined his bid for re-election as sheriff. It most certainly prompted billionaire globalist George Soros to kick in $3 million to help seal Arpaios electoral defeat in 2016, he argues.

In 2018, Arpaio was defeated in a bid for U.S. Senate. He then lost the August 2020 primary for Maricopa County sheriff in the primary election, hoping to reclaim his former position.

But everything moves full circle in politics. Its no different with Americas Toughest Sheriff.

Arpaio views his controversial past as a political curse, and a blessing.

Its strange. Im getting people coming up to me now (to offer their support) more than when I was sheriff. I cant figure it out.

One thing he knows for certain, is that hes probably the best politician in history.

You know why? Everybody says Im not a politician, Arpaio says, smiling.

His political opponents fear me, he says, because I say Im going to do something and Im going to do it.

There is a rest of the story with my life, Arpaio says with certainty that tells you he is still writing it.
A euthanasia kit available in the 250 Belgian Multipharma's chemist shops for the general practitioners who want to practice euthanasia at the patients' homes, in Brussels on April 18, 2005. (Etienne Ansotte/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-Conscience Mandates Force Doctors to Violate Their Religious Beliefs

Commentary

Coercion is becoming ubiquitous in medicine. Its not just vaccine mandates. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who oppose morally contentious medical procedures are increasingly being forced to choose between remaining in their professions and violating their deepest-held religious beliefs.

Take the new Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill of 2021 just passed in Queensland, Australia. The law authorizes doctors to kill terminally ill patients who ask to die. Thats bad enough. But it also requires conscientious objectors to become complicit in homicide by finding another doctor known to be willing to kill.

The euthanasia legalization law in Ontario, Canada, similarly requires doctors to kill or refer patients who are legally qualified for euthanasiawhich includes people with disabilities and soon will encompass the mentally ill and dementia patients.

When Catholic and other conscientiously opposed doctors sued to be exempted because the referral requirement violated their Charter rights to freedom of religion and conscience, a court ruled that their morality must take a back seat to the patients right to access legal medical treatments. If doctors dont like it, the judge sniffed, they can get out of medicine.

The right not to participate in abortion also is under attack. Dr. Mark Hobart, a Catholic physician in Melbourne, Australia, ran afoul of a law requiring doctors to either abort or refer, when he refused to procure an abortionist for a patient seeking a sex-selection abortion.

When the medical association found out about his act of conscience, Hobart was investigated and received a letter of formal cautiona black mark on his career and a warning to other doctors that they will be punished if they allow pro-life views to affect their professional lives.

Readers may think that these overseas restrictions have little to do with the United States. Dont you believe it. Medical conscience, as the issue is known, is also on the boil here with medical journals and the popular media ubiquitously attacking the right of doctors to say no to procedures they morally oppose.

For example, Ezekiel Emanuelperhaps the countrys most influential bioethicistcoauthored an advocacy article in the New England Journal of Medicinethe worlds most important medical journalarguing that to invoke conscientious objection is to reject the fundamental obligation of health care. This specifically included abortion. So, according to Emanuel, if a doctor wants to deliver babies, she must also be willing to kill the unborn.

Medical conscience is moving to the center of our ongoing societal discord. After Ohio recently passed a law strengthening medical conscience rights, LGBT activists screamed that it opened the door for discrimination against patients simply for being gay. It did no such thing. But proving that ideology often trumps facts, California lawmakers were so incensed they enacted rules forbidding all state-funded travel to the state.

Its not just theoretical advocacy in medical journals or California-style tantrum-throwing. The Equality Actwhich has passed the House of Representativesseeks to obliterate existing medical conscience rights around abortion by transforming conscientious refusals into acts of sex discrimination.

Specifically, the bill redefines the term sex to include pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. It then bans pregnancy discrimination and requires that pregnancy shall not receive less favorable treatment than other physical conditions. Moreover, it would gut the right to refuse participation in abortion based on religious belief.

Put all of this together, and refusing to perform an abortion becomes an act of discrimination based on sex, against which a religious objection claim would no longer be a defense.

Another Democratic agenda itemthe Do No Harm Actwould gut the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) by exempting the law from anti-discrimination statutes if the exemption would impose the religious views, habits, or practices of one party upon another. Thus, refusing to, say, block a transgender youths puberty would be interpreted not as an act of protected conscience but unlawful discrimination.

A recent court ruling illustrates the importance of the RFRA to medical conscience protections. Last August, a federal judge granted a permanent injunction protecting a religious doctor from being penalized by a Biden administration anti-conscience regulation, ruling that the current  regulatory scheme threatens to burden Christian Plaintiffs religious exercise  by placing substantial pressure on the doctor to perform and provide insurance coverage for gender-transition procedures and abortions. But for the RFRA, that doctors medical conscience goose would already be well-cooked.

Why resort to coercion when there are plenty of medical professionals willing to participate in controversial procedures?

I think there are three reasons: First, stifling medical conscience would be a triumph for the secular progressive ideology that predominates in bioethics and among the medical intelligentsia.

Second, compelling doctors participation in contentious procedures would silence the moral message communicated when a doctor or nurse says, No, I wont do this. Its wrong.

Third, obliterating medical conscience would allow political progressives to remove one of the few remaining cultural obstacles to their societal dominance.

Theres a practical predicament posed by this issue as well. If we force health care professionals to violate their moral beliefs as the cost of licensure, the country could see a mass exodus from the fieldjust as we are seeing people quit their jobs over vaccine mandates.

At the very least, older doctors and nurses will retire when they might otherwise have continued working, taking their experience and knowledge with them. Most alarmingly, exceptional young people who would make splendid doctors, nurses, or pharmacists may avoid the health care field altogether.

Comity is essential to societal cohesion in our moral polyglot age. Medical conscience allows patients to obtain morally contentious procedures that they want, while permitting dissenting medical professionals to stay true to their own moral and religious beliefs.

Compelling doctors to hew to secular cultural values in their practice of medicine is both authoritarian and un-American. If the anti-medical conscience campaign succeeds, we will all be the poorer for it.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, policemen and firefighters walk through damaged shophouses following a gas explosion in Shenyang in northeastern China's Liaoning Province, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. Several people were killed and over dozen injured in the gas explosion at a restaurant in northeastern Chinese city Shenyang Thursday morning, according to local authorities. (Cai Xiangxin/Xinhua via AP)

At Least 4 Dead, Over 40 Injured in Gas Explosion in North China

A powerful gas explosion in a BBQ restaurant in northeastern China has killed at least four people and injured 47, local authorities and state media said on Oct. 21.

The blast erupted in a mixed-use commercial and residential building in Shenyang city of Liaoning Province at around 8:20 a.m. Thursday, authorities said. All the injured have been sent to hospitals.

A cloud of dust and debris blew onto a busy street, damaging nearby buildings and vehicles, sending passengers fleeing, according to footage captured by a dashcam and released by state media The Paper.

Images published by state media showed only a concrete skeleton remained of the lower three floors of the building.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, policemen and firefighters walk through damaged buildings following an explosion in Shenyang in northeastern Chinas Liaoning Province on Oct. 21, 2021. (Cai Xiangxin/Xinhua via AP)

A bus passing the scene when the explosion happened was badly damaged, but the number of injuries is still unknown, The Paper reported, citing a staff member of the bus company.

The number of fatalities and the injured rose steadily during the day on Thursday. By 7 p.m. local time, Shenyang authorities said at least three of the 47 people who were taken to hospital suffered grievous injuries.

The exact cause of the gas explosion is still under investigation.

Reports said the gas company was replacing the streets pipelines the night before, but its unknown whether the work was related to the explosion.

Shenyang, a city of 8 million people, is in the process of renovating and replacing decades-old gas pipelines.

State Grid Shenyang Electric Power said in a statement that the explosion caused damage to infrastructure, resulting in the loss of power in nearby homes and hospitals.

China is replacing old infrastructure, with gas lines an especially dangerous part of the project. In June, a gas line explosion at a market and residential area in the central city of Shiyan killed 25.

Deterioration caused by age, weak adherence to safety standards, poor maintenance, and corruption among enforcement bodies are all considered contributors to such disasters. Among Chinas worst accidents was a massive 2015 explosion at a chemical warehouse in the port city of Tianjin that killed 173 people, most of them firefighters and police officers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Australia Lays Bare Beijings Coercive Trade Policy at WTO

Australian diplomats have issued a strongly worded statement criticising Beijings use of economic coercion and warning that its behaviour could undermine the global trading system.

Australias ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), George Mina, released the statement as part of the global bodys regular Trade Policy Review process.

It said that while increased engagement from Beijing was welcome, it had made little progress in adopting WTO principles and that it needed to adhere more closely to market-oriented principles.

Since its last review, China has increasingly tested global trade rules and norms by engaging in practices that are inconsistent with its WTO commitments. Australia is one of numerous WTO members that has experienced this first-hand, the statement read.

It outlined a range of activities undertaken by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against Australian exporters, including arbitrary border testing and inspections, the imposition of tariffs, and unwarranted delays in listing export establishments and issuing import licences.

Australian beef is seen at a supermarket in Beijing on May 12, 2020 (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

The measures have limited or ended Australian trade to China across the barley, coal, cotton, hay, logs, meat, rock lobsters, and wine industries.

China says these actions reflect legitimate concerns, but there is a growing body of information that demonstrates Chinas actions are motivated by political considerations, the statement noted.

For example, when asked in July 2021 how Australia should handle relations with China, a spokesperson for Chinas Foreign Minister said: We will not allow any country to reap benefits from doing business with China while groundlessly accusing and smearing China and undermining Chinas core interests based on ideology.

The Australian government noted that WTO rules did not allow member statesno matter how large they wereto impose such conditions on other nations.

The implications of Chinas actions go beyond their impact on Australian exporters; they raise the risk and uncertainty of the China market for the global business community, it said.

By undermining agreed trade rules, China also undermines the multilateral trading system on which all WTO members rely, it continued. China has assured members of its commitment to the rules-based order, but from our viewpoint, there is a growing gap between Chinas rhetoric and its actions.

Beijings trade strikes against Australian exports began soon after Foreign Minister Marise Payne started calling for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19 in April 2020.

Chinese Ambassador to Canberra, Cheng Jingye, responded with a veiled threat saying bilateral trade could suffer as a result.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg estimated on Sept. 6 that the ongoing economic coercion campaign had contributed to a A$5.4 billion (US$4 billion) drop in exports in the year to June 2021. At the same time, however, exporters have been moving to alternative markets, which saw trade exports to other parts of the world increase by $4.4 billion.

Federal Trade Minister Dan Tehan said Australia would continue to pursue its case against China at the WTO.

We havent seen much change in the last 12 to 18 months, but that doesnt mean we dont keep putting forward our case, he told Sky News Australia on Oct. 21.

(The statement) calls out what we think are practices that are politically motivated.

Australia is currently progressing two actions at the WTO against tariffs imposed by Beijing on wine and barley exports.

According to Peter Draper, executive director at the Institute for International Trade at the University of South Australia, obtaining a genuine resolution will be difficult. However, the Australian government is most likely using the platform to expose Beijings actions and behaviour.

As they say, Sunlight is the best disinfectant. I think thats what the Australian government is aiming for in this case, he told The Epoch Times previously.
Australia to Roll out Population-Wide Booster Shots Program

The Australian government is planning to launch a population-wide COVID-19 vaccination booster program by 2022, pending approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the countrys medicine and therapeutics regulator.

The news of the plan comes as Australia reached the 70 percent vaccination milestone on Wednesday, which will move the nation closer to phase B of the national reopening roadmap, with more freedoms released.

The TGA and Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) are preparing advice on booster shots for the general population, with around 500,000 immunocompromised people having already started receiving boosters.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said he believes the general population can start receiving COVID-19 boosters later this year.

Would I like to see it commence this year and do I expect it to commence this year? Yes, and yes, Hunt told reporters in Canberra.

People in the aged care sector are expected to start receiving boosters from the second week of November, while Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly said those vaccinated at the start of the rollout would also be the first to receive third injections.

They will be the first in line because they are now six or more months after that second dose, Kelly said.

The third dose is likely to be either a Moderna or a Pfizer, with the latter expected to announce an eight-month gap between the second and booster dose.

Opposition health spokesman Mark Butler argued that health, border, and quarantine workers should also be prioritized for booster shots.

Every step of the way, Scott Morrison has been months and months behind the rest of the developed world, Butler told reporters in Adelaide. The Australian people cant afford for him to bungle boosters as well.

But there is concern that offering booster shots in countries that have excellent vaccination rates are not the right move, with the World Health Organisation arguing against booster shots until third world countries have received their first.

Australian infectious diseases expert Robert Booy agrees.

He argues that it may not be that urgent to roll out a booster program in Australia, considering those vaccines could be utilised for countries like neighbouring Papua New Guinea which is experiencing a COVID outbreak with a vaccination rate under five percent.

Theyve got hundreds of thousands of cases and deaths, Booy told the Nine Network.

Wed be stopping a mutation. A mutation in Papua New Guinea which is a canoe ride away from Australia, he said. That is a way to stop further problems with COVID, to help our neighbours, to help ourselves.

AAP contributed to this report.
Australian PM Urges For 80 Percent Vaccination Rate Across the Country

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that vaccination rates have to reach up to 80 percent for a strong level of protection in the community for the unvaccinated.

The virus finds the people who are unvaccinated, and thats what can put stress and strain on your hospital system, Morrison said on the 7 Network on Thursday.

You have to be careful about those who are unvaccinated because, as we are seeing all around the world, the hospitals are full of people who are unvaccinated.

When asked by television presenter David Koch which of the states Victoria or New South Wales was right in the way they handled the COVID-19 restrictions for unvaccinated individuals, the prime minister said the unvaccinated are the ones we have to be careful about.

Since Oct. 18, New South Wales has surpassed its 80 percent vaccination rate and further eased its restrictions.

The state currently has two different levels of restrictions for the vaccinated and unvaccinated; however, by Dec. 1, all will share the same restrictions and freedoms regardless of vaccination levels.

Victoria is due to ease restrictions on Oct. 22 for the unvaccinated. However, the state government has not set a date for the unvaccinated at which they will share the same freedoms as the fully vaccinated to encourage more vaccinations.

Morrison also said Australia was on the way to becoming one of the most immunised countries in the world after Victoria became the latest state to reach above 70 percent fully vaccinated coverage.

Morrison also expressed his doubts on whether Western Australia (WA) will close its borders until Easter since he appealed to boost vaccination rates.

I dont believe it will take that long, frankly. I just dont, the prime minister said.

WA Premier Mark McGowan has ruled out opening state borders to Victoria and NSWstates labelled as extreme riskin time for Christmas and has recommended restrictions will remain well into 2022.

However, Morrison argued that many states initially said they would not open up by Christmas, but now they are, showing that states could change their course.

Australia is also on track to start a booster shot program for aged care residents in early November, subject to approval by the medicine regulatory agency and immunisation advisory groups.

Morrison said the third round of shots would further provide high levels of protection across nursing homes.

There is plenty of vaccines for the boosters; they are all sorted, he said.

The prime minister noted that the reopening of international borders on Nov. 1 would also be monitored keenly.

Well see how that is going because we have to ensure we keep opening consistently; we keep taking steps every day so we can stay safely open, he said.

We dont want to see what has happened in other parts of the world where people have moved too fast.

As of Oct. 19, 57.4 percent of Australia has been fully vaccinated.
Beijing Expands and Upgrades 3 Airbases Near Taiwan: Satellite Images

China is expanding and upgrading three airbases in a coastal province across from Taiwan. Experts say the move could facilitate incoming military jets at a potential Taiwan Strait frontline.

Satellite imagery shows China began expanding and upgrading the airbases in early 2020 at Longtian village, Huian county, and Zhangzhou city, all in southeastern Chinas Fujian Province, which sits across the sea from Taiwan, reported The Drive, an American tech and military site. Projects include runway and apron extensions, bunkers, hardened aircraft hangars, a new surface-to-air missile defense site, administrative buildings, and possible barracks.

The images show that building of the new infrastructure continued uninterrupted through the pandemic, indicating its priority.

Taiwanese military expert Chi Le-yi told The Epoch Times on Oct. 18 that all three airbases are close to Taiwanroughly a seven-minute flight awayranging between 135 and 250 miles from the island nation.

He believes the new projects are primarily for the purposes of transfer, logistic support, or resupplies, particularly when a large number of military jets arrived. China is seeking to put its air combat power closer to Taiwan, said the expert. The regime is also showcasing its increased preparedness and giving a warning to Taiwan and its ally the United States.

Chi noted that the three airbases, until recently, had not been expanded or upgraded for years.

Su Tzu-yun, an associate research fellow at the Taiwan-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 18 that the new additions could accommodate larger maritime patrol aircraft. The expert, judging from the satellite images, said he found both the runways and taxiways had been strengthened in preparation for the takeoff and landing of large jets.

The airports could serve as a temporary hub for army helicopters capable of crossing the Taiwan Strait and launching direct attacks on the island democracy.

Besides the airbases, the expert mentioned the construction of a high-speed rail line leading to the city of Zhangzhou, which previously hadnt received much attention. It is intended to connect to the city of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province. Once completed, it could provide another logistics route for the regime. The rail could transport troops to Zhangzhou, where soldiers could then be sent to the three airbases, he said.

The rail line might be completed by late 2021 or early 2022, according to the expert. Public information shows the designed train speed would be approximately 217 miles per hour along the line.

Luo Ya contributed to this report.
Billions Worth of American Tech Licenses Approved for Blacklisted Chinese Companies

Suppliers to two blacklisted Chinese companiestelecom giant Huawei and Chinas top chipmaker SMICwere approved to receive billions of dollars worth of licenses for U.S. technologies shipments between November and April, documents released by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Oct. 21 detail.

Some 301 licenses worth a total of $103 billion were approved for suppliers to sell goods to Huawei and SMIC, according to the documents prepared by the Commerce Department.

Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) were put on a U.S. trade blacklist, known as the entity list, in May 2019 and December 2020 respectively over national security concerns. Their addition means that American companies seeking to sell to them must apply for a license with the department.

Huawei equipment was also previously banned from use by the federal government over security concerns. SMIC is the largest manufacturer of semiconductor chips in mainland China and is known to have ties to the Chinese military.

The committee voted Thursday to release the data, which it received in May.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, issued a prepared statement saying that the bipartisan effort to release the documents indicated the seriousness of the matter.

In addition to sanctions and other tools to impose consequences on bad actors, export controls are fundamental in restricting the transfer of technology and goods to our adversaries, McCaul said.

McCaul said that such licenses, if materialized into actual shipments, could end up being used by the Chinese military, and suggested that American technologies could be responsible for Chinas reported test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic weapon.

This decision by the House Foreign Affairs Committee reflects our bipartisan support for conducting oversight over our export control system, McCaul said. This data provides concrete statistics to a public policy issue that, until now, has been based solely on rhetoric and anecdotes.

The recent reports regarding Chinas hypersonic program, that has likely been supported by U.S. technology, is another frightening wake-up call for why there must be more transparency and stricter enforcement when it comes to export controls.

Statements by the Commerce Department in the documents indicated that the license applications involving Huawei and SMIC were processed under licensing policies developed by the Trump Administration and maintained by the Biden Administration.

Further, the department wrote that the aggregate numbers of licenses noted in the documents do not necessarily reflect the real number of licenses that were utilized for exports to the two companies.

This is because the documents do not include those licenses that were earmarked for denial but had not yet been denied, as well as the fact that approved licenses do not correspond directly to actual shipments made.

The Commerce Department stated that, generally, about half of such licenses are utilized, and warned that the release of the data to the public would not improve efforts to understand the effectiveness of U.S.-China trade policy.

The public release of aggregate licensing data for certain PRC [Peoples Republic of China] companies on the Entity List, over an arbitrary snapshot in time, risks politicizing the licensing process and misrepresenting the national security determinations made by the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy, and State, the statement said.

A majority of the licenses granted did not authorize shipments of sensitive items. Of the 113 licenses approved for Huawei during the period, 80 were for non-sensitive items that only required a license because the recipient was blacklisted. For SMIC, the figure was 121 of 188.

Licenses are generally good for four years.

Huawei and SCIM did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Police tape is seen in this stock photo. (Simaah/Pixabay)

Bone Found in SUV of Ohio Mom 2 Kids Missing Since 2002: Officials

The vehicle belonging to a mother of two children who all disappeared about 20 years ago was pulled out the Ohio River, said the Delhi Township Police Department. Officials this week confirmed that a bone was found inside.

Stephanie Van Nguyen and her young children, John and Kristina, vanished in 2002 in the Cincinnati suburb of Delhi, said police in a Facebook post last week.

The woman was traveling in a 1997 Nissan Pathfinder with Ohio plates, according to an Ohio Attorney Generals Office missing person report on her case. Her case was investigated but went cold.

Nguyen left a note that she was going to drive into the Ohio River, Delhi Police said in the post. Her vehicle wasnt ever located.

The Indiana State Police confirmed on Monday that a bone found in the vehicle is believed to be of human origin, and it was sent to a crime lab for testing.

In 2021, officials re-investigated the case after advancements in sonar technology. According to local reports, searchers last week discovered the Pathfinder about 50 feet below the Ohio Rivers surface in Aurora, Indiana, which is about 24 miles west of Delhi.

After years of being underwater, it was in bad shape. So, its going to take a lot of time to determine if anyone was in there, said Delhi Township police Lt. Joe Macaluso, according to WLWT-TV.

Retired Delhi Sgt. Bob Schwaeble, who was assigned her case in the early 2000s, told the news outlet that the note was left to her parents along with money and jewelry.

In this note, it said, Use this money and jewelry to pay for the funeral for me and the children,' Schwaeble told the station.

The Delhi Police said they were assisted by the Hamilton County Police Association Dive Team and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection patch is seen on the arm of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Mission, Texas, on July 1, 2019. (Loren Elliott/Reuters)

Border Patrol Arrests MS-13 Gang Member Wanted for Homicide in New York

Border Patrol agents in Texas arrested three criminal illegal aliens on Oct. 20, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP). All three are gang members.

One man, from El Salvador, is an MS-13 gang member with pending charges for homicide, fraud, and trespassing in New York. He was encountered about 60 miles north of the U.S.Mexico border.

Another Salvadoran man was found in the brush, ostensibly trying to skirt the Border Patrol highway checkpoint in Falfurrias, about 80 miles north of the border. Hes an MS-13 gang member with a criminal arrest for homicide in El Salvador.

Closer to the border, on the same day, an 18th Street gang member from El Salvador was arrested after being discovered among a group of 61 illegal aliens near Hidalgo. The man had been removed from the United States last month.

Border Patrol personnel have arrested 325 illegal alien gang members in fiscal year 2021 through August, according to CBP statistics. Border Patrol is the law enforcement arm of CBP within the Department of Homeland Security.

Border agents have encountered more than 12,000 illegal alien criminals and those with outstanding warrants in the same time period, according to CBP. A further 4,474 illegal alien criminals were encountered at U.S. ports of entry.

CBP commissioner nominee and former Tucson, Arizona, Police Chief Chris Magnus refused to say the border was in a crisis during a nomination hearing in front of the Senate on Oct. 19, despite preliminary numbers showing 1.7 million apprehensions at the borderbreaking all previous records.

In response to a question about the record volume of drugs entering the United States, Magnus said: Of course, if there was a ready-to-go plan to address all the problems that youve just described, my guess is that not only CBP, but you all as a body would have seen to it that it was implemented.

He said a key part of his strategy as commissioner would be to build relationships and collaborate with policymakers.

Former CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan said at a congressional Republican roundtable on border security on Oct. 20 that Border Patrol had detected but not caught at least 400,000 illegal aliens this year.

If you open up your borders to one threat or one crisis, youre opening your borders up to the vast, complex set of threats, Morgan said.

If you expand illegal immigration, youre pulling essential resources off the line, opening those borders up to criminal aliens, to gang members, increased human smuggling, human trafficking, and drugs pouring into this country.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and then-Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren attend a presentation by the East Hartford CONNects, a Working Cities Challenge initiative, and community residents project at Silver Lane Elementary School in East Hartford, Conn., on Nov. 25, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Boston Fed Will Not Release Documents on Its Former Presidents Trades

WASHINGTONThe Boston Federal Reserve will not release documents that could show whether its former president vetted a series of personal investments last year with its ethics officer, a spokesman for the regional Fed bank said, a key point in an ongoing ethics controversy at the U.S. central bank.

Eric Rosengren, along with Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan, stepped down after details of their trading activities in 2020 were reported in the media last month, raising questions about whether Fed rules on policymakers financial investments are strict enough given their market-sensitive roles.

Their investing activities and those of other top Fed officials including Chair Jerome Powell, in a year when the central bank delivered an unprecedented response to the economic threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic, have erupted into a full-blown controversy that may weigh on whether Powell is reappointed as Fed chief.

In a statement issued shortly after the initial reports, Rosengren said he would sell the securities in question, including shares in real estate investment trusts, the value of which could be influenced by Fed policy decisions. Rosengren also said the investments were permissible under Fed ethics rules for asset types and timeframes for transactions.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Bostons President and CEO Eric S. Rosengren speaks in New York on April 17, 2013. (Keith Bedford/Reuters)

Responding to a Reuters request for any documents from the Boston Feds general counsel or ethics officer underlying that comment, a spokesman for the regional bank emailed a statement on Tuesday that deferred to a broad review of Fed ethics rules launched by Powell last month.

We will not be able to provide internal communications of that nature, the statement said. The Chair has called for reviews of the ethics rules and frameworks. We welcome them, and will cooperate fullyand wont publicly address specifics so as to see those reviews proceed fully, without prejudgment or distraction.

Reuters has requested similar documents from the Dallas Fed as well as the Feds Board of Governorsthe panel of officials who oversee the entire U.S. central bank system. A Dallas Fed spokesman said the request had been forwarded to the regional banks general counsel. There has been no response yet on the request filed to the Feds Board of Governors under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

The 12 regional Fed banks are quasi-private entities not governed by the Freedom of Information Act, and can be selective about the documents they make public. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) pointedly questioned Powell about this issue at a recent congressional hearing.

Other prominent lawmakers, including Senate Banking Committee Chair Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), plan to introduce legislation restricting Fed officials ownership of shares of individual companies. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has asked for securities regulators to investigate the transactions and demanded an ethics overhaul at the Feds regional banks.

In a Sept. 20 letter to Warren, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, writing on behalf of all the Fed regional banks, said they would abide by whatever new guidance emerges from Powells review.

Powells Future

The ethics controversy has become an issue for Powell as he awaits word on whether President Joe Biden will appoint him to a second four-year term as Fed chief when his current one expires in February.

Reports on some of Powells own transactions last year have highlighted the potential reputational damage the central bank now faces as the controversy lingers. In Powells case, that involved between $1 million and $5 million in proceeds from the sale of a stock market index fund a few days before he delivered a policy speech. Under forms that Fed governors file each year with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, the values of holdings and transactions are recorded only in broad categories so the exact amount of the sale is not known.

A Fed spokesman said the sale and six smaller ones that year were to cover Powells family expenses.

From a personal finance perspective, it was a bad move. The fund, the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund, which tracks the broader U.S. equity market, has risen more than 30 percent since Powell sold it.

Robert Kaplan speaks on stage at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundations 60th Anniversary Gala in New York on Nov. 19, 2015. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation)

But, as with Rosengren and Kaplan, the context has become as important as the details. Their transactions took place in a year of enormous economic uncertainty and hyperactivity by the Fed in response, actions that had tremendous influence on both the economy and financial markets.

In Powells case, the apparent liquidation of his stake in the Vanguard fundhis annual disclosure for 2020 shows effectively no holding in it at the end of that yearcame with the U.S. unemployment rate at a lofty 7.8 percent, the initial rounds of federal pandemic-related aid due to expire, and no vaccines against COVID-19 in sight.

Powell has been a clear favorite for renomination, and still may be. The online political betting market PredictIt.org, where the pace of transactions has surged since the ethics controversy emerged, suggests about a 70 percent probability he will be renamed to the job. But that is down from 90 percent just before the matter arose.

Added to the discussion around Powells management of monetary policy and bank regulationthe substance of his jobhe now faces what Fed historian Peter Conti-Brown called a legitimacy crisis.

There should be a very clear bright line rule, and that is that no central banker, or frankly any Fed employee with access to (Federal Open Market Committee) deliberations, can be an active market participant, Conti-Brown said on a podcast with David Beckworth, a senior research fellow at George Mason Universitys Mercatus Center. I would prefer to see central bankers buy structured products that rebalance by algorithm. So theres no human discretion involved.

By Howard Schneider
A soldier helps a member of a rescue team on Paraopeba River as they search for victims of a collapsed tailings dam owned by Brazilian mining company Vale SA, in Brumadinho, Brazil, on Feb. 5, 2019. (Adriano Machado/Reuters)

Brazil Superior Court Rejects Brumadinho Indictments on Procedural Grounds

BRASILIABrazils Superior Court of Justice threw out on procedural grounds an indictment of 16 people in relation to the collapse of the Brumadinho dam owned by Brazilian miner Vale SA, a disaster that killed 270 people in 2019.

A chamber of the court known as the STJ ruled on Tuesday that the charges filed by state prosecutors in Minas Gerais should be filed through a federal court and not a state one.

The collapse of the dam unleashed a massive wave of tailings on the mining community of Brumadinho and its surroundings. The dead included 250 Vale employees.

The unanimous decision on an appeal filed last year by former Vale chief executive Fabio Schvartsman, one of the 16 people prosecutors sought to indict, means that the case has to begin again from scratch in a federal court.

The Minas Gerais state prosecutors office said on Twitter that it will appeal against the decision.

By Ricardo Brito
Brownshirts Harassing Sen. Sinema: A Preview of Progressive Tyranny

Commentary

Progressive zealots have been waging a war of intimidation and harassment against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) because of her resistance to the proposed BidenSandersPelosi $3.5 trillion spending legislation.

In addition to the infamous incident of Sinema being filmed going into a public restroom stall and being harangued while taking care of natures business, she has been accosted while aboard airliners, hectored in airports, abandoned by womens organizations, vilified by seemingly every progressive politician in the country, and openly scorned by fellow Democratic senators.

Acting on the sinister threat We are going to make her life unpleasant or uncomfortable, a group known as Our Revolution (clearly infected with the Jacobin spirit of the French Revolution) has deployed groups to besiege the senators district offices in Arizona. Other left-wing activists groups have targeted her as well.

Its difficult to overstate the significance of the persecution to which Sinema is being subjected. On an individual level, the way shes being treated is barbaric, indecent, outrageous, disgusting, ugly, and at times criminal (implied threats are a form of assault). On a national level, if the left succeeds in creating a progressive/socialist tyranny in the United States, the brutal treatment of this one woman may one day be recognized as a milestone on that grim path.

I have great sympathy for Sinema. Its difficult for the rest of us to imagine what it feels like to be subjected to the seething hatred thats being vented toward her. If theres justice in this world (real justice, not the phony social justice that her persecutors extol), she deserves some sort of recompense for what she has endured. Whether she ultimately caves to the bullying (and I, for one, would be unwilling to condemn her if she did), we need to see the attacks against her for what they are: not just cruel attacks against one elected official, but an attack against our constitutional order and the American way of life.

The hooligans who are hounding Sinema are disrespecting both her right of conscience and the interests of the people of Arizona who elected her to represent them. Federal finances are already acutely stressed. Due to COVID-19, the annual deficit has averaged more than $3 trillion during the past two years. After such an unprecedented flood of red ink, a prudent approach would be to delay any plans for additional spendingto let the dust settle, tally whatever appropriated COVID-19-related funds might not have been spent, see how large deficits are post-COVID 19, and then, in a year or two, see if new spending initiatives are affordable.

Sinema believes (quite rightly, in my opinion) that the Democratic leaderships massive spending proposals are too much too soon after the recent spending splurge. She apparently also believes that the people she represents in Congress regard the Democrats spending proposals as too large at this time. But such concerns dont matter to Sinemas persecutors. They dont care a whit about representative government or our system of federalism. Like Hitlers brownshirts, they seek to crush all opposition to the agenda of the party elite.

Pluralism? Forget about it. Diversity of opinion? Intolerable. Compromise? Unthinkable. What the fanatics want is absolute conformity within the Democratic Party. They dont want independent thinkers remaining loyal to their widely different constituencies. Instead, they want every Democratic member of Congress to be an unthinking automaton, robotically rubber-stamping whatever proposal the leadership concocts. Weve seen this picture before. Recall the televised images of the Soviet Duma, the Cuban National Assembly, and the Peoples Congress of communist Chinawith every blank-faced individual obediently voting the party line. Thats what the brownshirts want Congress to be like.

Sinema is a member of the most endangered species in Washingtona Democrat with enough common sense and independent thinking to recognize the recklessness of her party leaderships unaffordable and unnecessary gargantuan spending proposal. Now, ask yourself this: What happens if the Democratic leadership succeeds at purging moderates and imposing the robotic, submissive uniformity they so intensely crave? Their obvious goal is to achieve political hegemony over all of us. Then consider this: If theyre willing to treat one of their own party members as viciously as theyre treating Sinema, do you really think that they would show more restraint in their treatment of conservatives, traditionalists, Republicans, and libertarians? Good luck with that!

The Democratic leadership in Washington has proposed dozens of plans affecting this or that area of our economy and society, but theres one overarching goal: the centralization of power. The centralization of power is the very essence of tyranny and the very antithesis of our countrys rights-based, power-limiting Constitution. Progressives are making it increasingly clear that theyll tolerate no opposition, squash all dissent, and ferociously impose their will. The self-love, self-righteousness, and self-importance of progressives are mirrored in their contempt and openly avowed hatred of those who disagree with their socialist vision. We already have abundant evidence of the tyrannical tactics of arrogant, undemocratic progressives, and the trend seems to be accelerating ominously.

Progressives are trying to divide our country into two classes: the increasingly aggressive, oppressive, and elitist rulers and the rest of us, the ruled. Keep your eye on what happens to Sinema, folks. That treatment and worse is what the increasingly totalitarian progressive left has in mind for all of us.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian firefighters and security officer check a burned bus at the site of a deadly explosion, in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. Two roadside bombs exploded near a bus carrying troops during the morning rush hour in the Syrian capital early Wednesday, killing and wounding several people, state TV reported. (SANA via AP)

Bus Bomb Explodes in Syrian Capital Killing 14, Army Shelling in Rebel Territory Claims 12 Lives

Bombs attached to a bus carrying Syrian army troops exploded in Damascus killing 14. This was followed by army shelling in the rebel-held northwest which resulted in 12 deaths, including four children. The attacks happened on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 20.

The bus bombs exploded in a busy intersection in Damascus where people transfer between buses. The attacks responsibility was claimed by Qasioun Brigades who said that the bombs were placed under the bus. This was verified by an unnamed Syrian military official. Not much is known about the fringe group.

According to the official, there were two bombs attached to the bus and a third one was defused by army engineers. It is not yet clear whether the dead were all bus passengers.

Attacks, especially on this scale, are almost a rare occurrence nowadays in the war-torn country. The last time a major attack happened was in 2017 when suicide bombers from the ISIS terrorist group blew up a judicial office building and a restaurant killing 60 people.

The shell bombing in the town of Ariha, in Idlib province situated in the northwest of Syria, happened almost an hour after the Damascus bus blast. This area is mostly in the hands of rebels like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a Sunni Islamist militant group, that was once associated with Al Qaeda.

Dozens of shells fell on the town, killing 12, and injuring around 20. Among the dead were four children and a teacher on their way to school, according to UNICEF.

Todays violence is yet another reminder that the war in Syria has not come to an end. Civilians, among them many children, keep bearing the brunt of a brutal decade-long conflict, the agency said, according to AP.

Every time I remember how busy the street was, with boisterous kids and women in the markets and young men going to workevery time I remember that, I cant comprehend, said Wael el-Hussein to AP. El-Hussein is a surgeon based in the area, who spent the day treating the injured.

Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since March 2011, with President Bashar Assads forces now in control of much of the country. He has been assisted mainly by Russia and Iran. The rebels, supported by neighboring Turkey, control the northwestern region.

There has not been much violence in recent times owing to a truce in March last year between Russia and Turkey. But there have been attacks on army vehicles coordinated by ISIS militants who operate out of the deserts in central and eastern Syria.

U.N. talks have made headway recently as the government and rebels agreed to the drafting of a new constitution.

The war in Syria has left between 350,000 and 450,000 people dead, till now, and resulted in the displacement of half the countrys 17.5 million population. There are almost five million Syrians who are currently refugees abroad.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg listens to a question during a press conference following a tour of a Southside transportation hub in Chicago, Ill., on July 16, 2021. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Buttigieg: Supply Chain Issues Will Persist as Long as Theres a Pandemic

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg predicted more supply chain bottlenecks, saying they will continue as long as the pandemic continues.

If a shoe factory closes in Vietnam in September for a COVID outbreak, youre going to see the effect of that at the mall in December or January, Buttigieg, who received criticism recently for taking a leave of absence during a supply chain crunch affecting ports and freight lines, said during a televised interview on Wednesday.

The United States is seeing goods move through our system and reach shelves at record levels, he said, blaming the shortages on high demand.

The supply chain issues could prove to be more politically damaging for the Biden administration if bottlenecks persist during the Christmas shopping season. At the same time, data released by the Labor Department shows that the year-over-year prices increased by 5.4 percent in September, the largest annual increase since January 1991.

About a week ago, the Biden administration announced it secured commitments from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to move to operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The move was touted by White House secretary Jen Psaki on Monday, who claimed there is serious progress being made in dealing with bottlenecks.

But data from the Marine Exchange, which tracks port operations in California, reported an increase in container ships off the coast of California. As of Wednesday, there were 167 ships sitting outside the ports, up from 157 on Monday.

During the Trump administration, the number of containers that passed through the Port of Los Angeles broke several records, according to reports and city data. In 2018, about 9.5 million containers were transported, compared to 7.3 million containers passing through during Bidens first year in office, the data shows.

Buttigieg said that the White House is also talking with the key ground logistics companies, adding: But theres no question that there are challenges that will persist as long as this pandemic continues, and its both things that are going on here in the U.S. Because weve already got a brittle system that has been under-invested in for decades and things happening around the world.

Some economists, meanwhile, have said that federal policies under the Biden administration have likely exacerbated the problem.

The net effect of President Bidens policies has probably been to worsen the supply disruptions to a certain degree, Brian Riedl, a senior fellow for economic policy at the Manhattan Institute, told the Daily Caller. And that was by shooting a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill at an economy that was only $420 billion below its potential performance.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is seen in Washington in a file photograph. (Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images)

CDC Issued Last-Minute Changes to School Reopening Guidance After Being Asked by Teachers Unions, Emails Show

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued last-minute changes to its school-reopening guidance after two prominent teachers unions asked the agency to do so, according to newly obtained emails by watchdog group Americans for Public Trust.

The emails, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the watchdog and published online show a string of communications between the CDC, the National Education Association (NEA), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the nations second-largest teachers union and one of the top donors to the Democratic Party.

Multiple emails show that both of the teachers unions also received a copy of the guidance, pertaining to the reopening of K12 schools, shortly before the CDC released it to the general public.

These documents are further evidence that instead of following the science, the White House and the CDC allowed politics to influence policy, Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, told Fox News.

One such email from AFTs senior director of health issues, Kelly Trautner, to the CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Feb. 11, shows AFT suggesting alterations be made to the CDCs guidance just one day before it was publicly posted.

Thank you for your continued openness to our suggestions and input. We would like to share some thoughts regarding the paragraph below which was apparently leaked from the imminent guidance on reopening schools.

The paragraph reads: At any level of community transmission, all schools can provide in-person instruction (either full or hybrid), through strict adherence to mitigation strategies. Recommended learning modes vary to minimize risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in school by emphasizing layered mitigation, including school policies requiring universal and correct mask use. The recommended learning modes (in-person, hybrid) depend on the level of community transmission and strict adherence to mitigation.

Within the email, Trautner says that it would be great, if the CDC insert the line: In the event high-community transmission results from a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, a new update of these guidelines may be necessary.

Trautner goes on to cite concerns over the likely implications the language will have in schools where it is difficult to adhere to strict mitigation strategies due to them being located in high density, crumbling infrastructure areas, and particularly when community transmission is high.

We dont believe that any current research has demonstrated that all schools in those areas can safely reopen, Trautner wrote.

One day later, on Feb. 12, CDC Chief of Staff Sherri Berger flagged Trautners suggestion for possible follow-ups.

Walensky forwarded the email on to the CDCs Director of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, Henry Walke, who replied, Yes, will work with team.

On Feb. 12, Walke emailed Walensky with updated language for the guidance, writing, see below, new is second paragraph.

Super, thank you for doing that, Walensky replied, adding, Im so grateful for your help.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, speaks during a rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on June 9, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

People who are part of standout protest organized by the American Federation of Teachers chant, hold signs, and raise their fists outside of the Massachusetts State House in Boston, Mass., on Aug. 19, 2020. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

The emails also show CDC officials coordinating an early release of the final guidance with both teachers unions.

An email dated Feb. 11 from the CDCs acting associate director for communications, Christopher Jones, has the subject headline, AFT/NEA closing the loop.

Greta and team will reach out to NEA/AFT this evening to set up a technical discussion tomorrow with both groups to talk through the CDC operational strategy, Jones wrote.

Targeting 1130am so they have time to digest prior to the 2 pm release. Feel free to make that offer when you talk to them this evening and say CDC will be reaching out later tonight to set it up, he continued.

Walensky responded: Perfect. Will do. Will try to reach them before I board. Thank you!

The following day, on Feb. 12, Jones wrote that the Department of Health and Human Services said they are comfortable if we want to send something out at 145 we can. I am going to send the strategy and FS [fact sheet] to the unions at 145. If you all want to send the FS to partners at that time, that is fine. Amy, lets send FS to press at 145.

Jones messaged Becky Pringle, NEAs president, and Randi Weingarten, AFTs president, thanking them for their continued partnership and input, along with a PDF version of the strategy posting that day with a fact sheet embargoed until 2 p.m.

I know not much lead time but wanted to send your way as soon as was able, Jones wrote.

AFT President Randi Weingarten has defended her organization communicating with the CDC regarding its school opening guidelines earlier this year.

The CDC in February and March basically asked all sorts of different organizations to sit down with them and give them comments about what they thought was important, Weingarten said in an interview with C-SPANs Washington Journal.They talked to parent organizations, they talked to the two [teachers] unions.

This is normal rule-making, she said.

The Epoch Times has contacted the CDC and the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers for comment.
Chinas Business Climate Is Uncomfortable for Foreign Firms

Beijing makes it difficult for foreign companies to operate in China

News Analysis

Foreign firms are finding it harder to operate in China due to factors such as product boycotts, visa hurdles, government patronage of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and arbitrary legislative changes.

Many foreign companies have been denounced by Chinese netizens  H&M, Nike and others are now suffering heavy losses to their reputations in the Chinese market, wrote state-run media Global Times, in support of Chinese citizens boycotts against foreign companies that fail to toe the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) line.

Foreign brands suffer as China turns inward. Chinas borders have been effectively closed since March 2020. Visitors need special government approval and must quarantine for as long as 28 days. Multinationals have been unable to send senior managers or engineers into the country, while employee rotations and replacements are largely on hold. Strict COVID-19 rules, which make it difficult for foreigners to enter China, have caused sales to decrease and negatively impacted the operations of foreign companies.

Both U.S. and EU companies are reporting more evidence of government favoritism for domestic firms, as well as the increasing role played by state-owned enterprises in an allegedly market economy. Buy China has even become part of the public procurement policies. Additionally, Beijing has been subsidizing manufacturers of strategic products, such as semiconductors, aircraft, and electric cars, in an effort to achieve greater self-reliance. The European Union Chamber of Commerce posits that the CCPs fixation on national security and self-reliance could alienate foreign firms, while damaging the Chinese economy.

The push for self-reliance, spelled out in the CCPs 14th Five-Year Plan, means that Beijing must continue to pump hundreds of billions of dollars into research and development to replace foreign advanced technologies. In 2020, the CCP spent $372 billion on research and development, a 10 percent increase from the previous year. This expense comes at a time when public debt is at epic levels and the Chinese economy is faltering.

In addition to economic risk, both domestic and foreign companies in China are facing political and legislative risks. Shortly after the IPO of Chinese ride-hailing app Didi, the company was told to suspend new account registrations. In another random stroke of legislation, educational companies were ordered to stop offering classes with foreign teachers. Wall Street English, the largest provider of English language classes in China, was forced to close most or all of its domestic operations. Consequently, Chinas $120 billion educational market lost roughly 60 percent of its value almost overnight.

Liu Jean Qing, president of Didi, the number one ride-sharing and taxi-hailing service in China, attends a press event in Beijing on Jan. 26, 2016. (Fred Dufour/AFP via Getty Images)

Multinationals are painfully aware of the fact that changes in regulation could, at a moments notice, impair their ability to do business, while geopolitical events outside of their control could cause a reversal of public opinion, resulting in a boycott.

International brands, such as H&M, Nike, and Zara, have recently faced boycotts in China as a result of speaking out against the CCPs repression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Japanese brands Muji and Uniqlo saw their sales plummet after siding with the international community on the Xinjiang human rights issue.

In 2012, Japanese products were the target of boycotts due to the disputed Senkaku Islands. Now, in 2021, Japanese automakers have seen China sales in sharp decline due to supply chain shortages and COVID-19 restrictions.

Patriotic young people are changing their buying habits, adopting domestic brands, while foregoing imports. Chinese consumers are now switching their allegiance from Starbucks to HeyTea, and from Coke Zero to Yuanqi Senlin. Sportswear company Li-Ning experienced an uptick in sales after announcing that boyband member and actor Xiao Zhan would be their new brand ambassador. Every article of clothing he has touched has gone viral.

A combination of political conflicts and nationalism have hit South Korean products extremely hard. Geopolitical and public opinion fallout from South Koreas acceptance of the American Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system killed numerous Korean brands and fads, from K-dramas to K-pop. South Korean carmakers have seen their China sales decrease by 7.7 percent in 2016 to 4 percent in the first six months of 2020. Korean cosmetic sales have dropped from 27 percent in 2016 to 18.9 percent in 2020. And the market share of South Korean smartphones in China has dropped from 4.9 percent in 2016 to less than 1 percent in 2019.

Before the U.S.-China trade war began, complaints against the Chinese regime remain such as forced IP transfer, restricted access to certain sectors of Chinas economy, and the necessity for a JV partner in many areas. Other continuing problems faced by foreign firms are lack of transparency and strict controls on the inflow and outflow of capital.

Numerous foreign enterprises have reported that technology transfer may be required in order to obtain approval to conduct research and development, or to satisfy export regulations. Forced IP transfer is sometimes a requirement in order to gain commercial concessions. Beijings industrial policies continue to limit market access for foreign manufacturers and service providers, giving preference to SOEs or shutting out foreigners completely. At the same time, Chinese firms, particularly SOEs, receive government guidance, resources, and regulatory support. Provincial and local governments can also be significant shareholders in SOEs, biasing their decision-making regarding foreign competitors.

In spite of the aforementioned problems, as well as pervasive corruption, American Chamber of Commerce members have identified regulatory compliance risk as the largest obstacle facing foreign companies. The regulations often change at a moments notice, not giving firms enough time to adjust and comply.

Rule changes seem to be moving in the direction of greater state control, rather than liberalization and increasing openness to foreign companies.

Growing business risk in China could ultimately result in a decrease in foreign investment. South Korean direct investment in China, for example, dropped 23 percent in 2020. Similarly, Australian cumulative investment in China decreased by more than $20 billion last year.

So far, 13 percent of American Chamber of Commerce members said that they had reduced planned investments in China. U.S.-China technology related investment dropped by 96 percent from 2016 to 2020, a trend which is expected to continue into the immediate future. The effects on the general economy may already be visible as Chinas third quarter economic growth this year was only 4.9 percent, according to the Global Times.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Condoleezza Rice Denounces Critical Race Theory Curriculums Being Taught in Schools

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that a curriculum that incorporates critical race theorys (CRT) ideas should not be taught to schoolchildren, because it sends the wrong message to young childrenthat one race is less than the other.

But if I could take a moment to talk about the whole issue of critical race theory and what is and is not being taught, Rice said during an interview on The View Wednesday. One of the worries that I have about the way that were talking about race is that it either seems so big that somehow white people now have to feel guilty for everything that happened in the pastI dont think thats very productiveor black people have to feel disempowered by race.

One of The View hosts, Sunny Hostin, countered Rices comment by saying that those who oppose CRT dont want real history being taught in schools.

People want to hide history  that is exactly what we are seeing is this rollback of history. Parents dont want children to hear about the real history, said Hostin.

People talk before the start of a rally against critical race theory (CRT) being taught in schools, at the Loudoun County Government Center in Leesburg, Va., on June 12, 2021. (Andrew Cballlero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Opponents of CRT say they want all of the history of the United States taught including the history of slavery and segregation, but they do not want the divisive concepts like systemic racism, white supremacy, and sexually explicit education being taught to their children.

Those who are opposed to CRT also say the teaching materials being used in schools are rooted in the Marxist theory of class struggle, but with a particular focus on race. Proponents of CRT see racism in every aspect of the American public and private life and seek to dismantle American institutionssuch as the Constitution and legal systemwhich they claim to be inherently and irredeemably racist.

While schools have for years been quietly infusing CRT into their curriculums, it wasnt until last year, when lockdowns were enacted in response to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, that parents were able to see what their children were being taught. Since then, parents have been increasingly stepping forward to oppose CRT due to its racially divisive and anti-American concepts.

In the last year, parents across the nation have been voicing their opposition to this type of curriculum during school board meetings. Rice also stressed that parents should have a say in what is taught to their children.

Parents ought to be involved in their childrens education. Their children are in school seven hours, thats a very formative period.  theyre actually homeschooling them in increasing numbers, and I think thats a signal, said Rice.

Professor Rice said that she lived through the injustices of the segregated South but her parents taught her that she could overcome her circumstances and that she was not a victim.

I couldnt go to a movie theater or to a restaurant with my parents. I went to segregated schools, but we moved to Denver. My parents never thought I was going to grow up in a world without prejudice, but they also told me, thats somebody elses problem, not yours. Youre going to overcome it, and you are going to be anything you want to be, and thats the message that I think we ought to be sending the kids, said Rice.

She said the way race is being taught in schools disempowers black children and vilifies white children.

Asra Nomani of Virginia, the VP of strategy and investigation with Parents Defending Education gave examples of how CRT vilifies white students. She cited a book called Not My Idea during a recent interview with NTD TVs The Nation Speaks.

This is a book that has been read to children in elementary schools from Philadelphia to Texas. And one of the really critical ideas here is this one, that whiteness is a bad idea, and the picture then is of the devil, and what has happened then is that white people have signed a contract with the devil that ends up with stolen land, stolen riches, and special favors. Nomani said.

A file photo of Asra Nomani. (Andrew Propp/Washingtonian Magazine)

Rice said she is opposed to teaching children that white students are bad, as Nomani pointed out.

I would like black kids to be completely empowered to know that they are beautiful in their blackness, but in order to do that, I dont have to make white kids feel bad for being white. So somehow, this is a conversation that has gone in the wrong direction, said Rice. It goes back to how we teach the history. We teach the good and we teach the bad of history. But what we dont do is make seven- and ten-year-olds feel that they are somehow bad people because of the color of their skin. Weve been through that and we dont need to do that again.

Rice was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and grew up while the South was racially segregated. She was the first female black secretary of state and the first woman to serve as National Security Advisor.
The P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China, on April 17, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Controversial Wuhan Lab Seeks to Staff New Facility With CCP Members

Chinas Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), the lab at the center of intense scrutiny over whether it was the source of the COVID-19 pandemic, launched a new research facility earlier in 2021 and has sought to staff it with workers loyal to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The new facility, known as the Jiangxia Laboratory, will focus on studying emerging pathogens, biosafety technologies, and drugs on biosafety defense, according to Chinas state-run media. Located in central Chinas Hubei province, the new lab was formally unveiled in February.

According to the WIV website, the facility is headed by Gengfu Xiao, whos currently the CCP secretary attached to the WIV.

In China, most companies, schools, institutions, and other entities have Party branches or Party cells embedded within thema way for the communist regime to maintain a tight grip on their operations and staff.

Since May, the WIV has published several job listings on its website for positions at the new facility. At least two listings had one specific qualification requirementbeing a CCP member.

A May 17 job post sought a CCP member who could fill a comprehensive management post. The person would need to handle administrative duties, such as coordinating and organizing important meetings and major events.

The person would also be tasked to handle Party affairs management, including having the responsibility of Party branch construction and daily management of Party members, according to the job post.

On Aug. 25, the WIV published a post seeking a CCP member to fill a human resources position. The person would be in charge of hiring and other duties, such as managing contracts.

The recruiting documents were initially reported by The National Pulse.

Jiangxia Laboratory is one of seven new labs established in Hubei in 2021 as part of an initiative by provincial authorities to turn it into a province with strong technology sectors. According to Chinas state-run media, one of the labs focuses on optoelectronics, the study of electronic devices that use light, and is run by the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Hubeis capital.

Of the remaining five new labs, one dedicated to researching aerial technology is run by Wuhan University, while another lab focusing on biological breeding is managed by Wuhan-based Huazhong Agricultural University.

The Chinese regime has vehemently denied that the CCP virus, the pathogen causing the disease COVID-19, escaped from the WIV, despite a growing body of circumstantial evidence raising questions about the potential role of the lab in causing the pandemic. Instead, the communist regime has argued that the virus has a natural origin.

In January, the U.S. State Department released a fact sheet stating that several researchers at the WIV fell ill with symptoms consistent with both COVID-19 and common seasonal illnesses in autumn 2019. The assertion contradicts a claim by a researcher at the institute who said there was zero infection among lab staff and students.

The WIV has been conducting research on bat coronaviruses for more than a decade and is located a short drive from a local market in Wuhan where the first reported cluster of infection cases emerged.

Australian investigative reporter Sharri Markson, in a recent episode of EpochTVs American Thought Leaders, said evidence quite clearly points to a leak at the WIV. Among the evidence she cited was a WIV database containing 22,000 viruses going offline unexpectedly in September 2019 and that the institute spent $500,000 to boost its security before the onset of the pandemic.
Washington State Patrol troopers stop vehicles at a road block on Washington Highway 530 near a massive mudslide in Darrington, Wash., on March 28, 2014. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

Cost to Replace Washington State Patrol Troopers Lost to Vaccine Mandate Tops $12.4 Million

Washington State Patrols (WSP) decision to terminate the employment of 127 people on Tuesday for refusing to comply with Gov. Jay Inslees COVID-19 vaccine mandate will end up costing the states taxpayers millions of dollars.

For the fiscal year 2022, training costs are estimated to be about $168,000 per cadet, according to Chris Loftis, WSP communications director.

Given that 74 commissioned officers67 troopers, six sergeants, and one captainwere separated from employment, in WSPs parlance, that means it would cost more than $12.4 million to replace just those law enforcement officers who were dismissed.

Inslee announced the vaccine mandate for state workers in August.

Monday, October 18 was the deadline for state employees to provide proof of vaccination or receive approved exemption and accommodations for religious or medical accommodations or face separation from employment, WSP said in a Tuesday press release. As of the end-of-business on Monday, 127 individuals have separated from employment due to the mandate.

We will miss every one of them, WSP Chief John Batiste said in a statement. I extend a hardy thanks to those who are leaving the agency. I truly wish that you were staying with us. You have my utmost appreciation for the hard and successful work that you have provided during your valued WSP careers. You will forever have our respect for your courage and your commitment in all you have done on behalf of the agency.

In addition to the financial costs of training, the costs of recruitment, and time, will be factors for the agency in terms of making up for the loss of so many troopers at once.

We have one academy class ongoing and two more scheduled over the next 18 months, Loftis said. Each class graduates anywhere from 35 to 60 troopers.

WSP, made up of approximately 2,200 personnel in eight districts across the state, indicated it is working on a contingency plan, including resources to be moved where necessary while recruiting efforts intensify.

As for more than 2,000 individuals who elected to stay with our agency, I am forever thankful, Batiste said. We must now turn our attention to making sure we deploy our resources in a manner that continues to keep our roadways safe and meets the other core law enforcement responsibilities this agency has met with honor for over 100 years.

The remaining 53 people let go from their posts were civilian employees whose duties encompass everything from aircraft maintenance to custodial work to forensics to clerical work, Loftis said.

He added there is no real way to quantify their group training costs, but there definitely will be costs, making the $12.4 million projected price tag to taxpayers a floor, not a ceiling.

The contingency plan includes WSP making adjustments as needed and working to fill vacancies as quickly as possible.

One silver lining: The 127 people WSP ousted was less costly than previous estimates that the agency could lose up to 10 percent of its workforce over the states vaccine mandateor 220 employees.

By Brett Davis
European Commission's executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager delivers a speech during a debate on EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Oct. 19, 2021. (Ronald Wittek/Pool via Reuters)

European Parliament Push Brussels to Upgrade Partnership With Taiwan, Despite Beijings Opposition

The European Union must deepen its ties with democratic ally Taiwan, said lawmakers in a report approved on Oct. 21, despite strong opposition from the Chinese regime.

The European Parliament adopted the report, titled the EU-Taiwan Political Relations and Cooperation, by an overwhelming majority in the French city of Strasbourg, with 580 votes in favor, 26 against, and 66 abstentions.

The non-binding report called for the EU to urgently begin preparations for a new bilateral investment deal, an EU-Taiwan Bilateral Investment Agreement, with the like-minded partner in which Europe shares many common values.

They demanded changing the name of the blocs trade office in Taipei to European Union office in Taiwan to reflect the upgraded bilateral ties, even though neither the EU nor its members have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, according to the report.

European Parliament members (MEPs) urged the EU to do more to address the escalated military tensions between Taiwan and the Chinese regime and protect the islands democracy, the report said.

There is absolutely no time left to wait until the U.S. comes up with a strategy, said Hungarian MEP Katalin Cseh on Oct. 20. Europe must lead a global coalition to ensure Taiwans representation in multilateral organizations while calling on China to immediately end the military show of force in the Taiwan Strait.

At the beginning of October, Taipei saw 150 warplanes flying into the islands air defense zone in four straight days. The defense minister warned Beijing will be capable of mounting a full scale invasion in four years.

The Chinese regime views the self-ruled island as its own territory to be taken by force if necessary. The regime also has a known track record of demanding other governments adopt its stance on Taiwan.

The Chinese Mission to the EU lashed out at the report on Thursday, warning the EU that adhering to its claims on Taiwan is the political foundation of the two sides relations.

Without a solid foundation, everything above will be shaky, the Mission said in a statement.

The regime had offered its strong opposition when the EU Foreign Affairs Committee adopted the resolution on Sep. 1.

That Chinese Communist Party (CCP) efforts to stop this democratic process were futile sends a strong signal from Strasbourg to Beijing, Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers, the reports rapporteur, said on Twitter before Wednesdays vote.

 EU Parliament today votes on the historic report on EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation. That Chinese Communist Party efforts to stop this democratic process were futile sends a strong signal from Strasbourg to Beijing. I urge MEPs to vote in favor of my report. pic.twitter.com/fVIblYLoTE  Charlie Weimers MEP  (@weimers) October 20, 2021

Before the vote, Beijings envoy to the European Union Zhang Ming reportedly tried to pressure the president of the European Parliament to influence the outcome, according to a letter seen by the South China Morning Post.

Contrary to Beijings wish, the relations between EU member states and Taiwan have warmed up recently.

A delegation of French senators visited the island and held talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Oct. 6. Frances foreign minister dismissed Beijings warning, saying senators are free to meet whomever they wish.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu will start a trip to Eastern Europe, visiting countries including the Czech Republic and Lithuania from Oct. 23.

While the EU maintains its one-China policy, MEPs have pushed the bloc to adopt a more robust strategy to engage with the communist Chinese regime to defend its vital democratic values in a report adopted in the Parliament last month.

Earlier this year, the EU leveled sanctions against CCP officials over their role in overseeing the repression of ethnic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, which led to Beijing slapping retaliatory sanctions against European politicians and entities. The deepening row led to the freezing of a bilateral trade deal in May after seven years of negotiations.
Ex-Lawyer From Redondo Beach Agrees to Plead Guilty to Conning Clients

LOS ANGELESA former lawyer from Redondo Beach agreed Oct. 20 to plead guilty to a fraud charge, admitting he lied to clients about winning cases and deceiving them with bogus documents, some with the forged signatures of judges.

Matthew Charles Elstein, 51, will plead to one count of wire fraud in Los Angeles federal court on a date to be determined, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Elstein was a licensed California attorney from December 1994 until the State Bar of California ordered him inactive in March 2019.

According to his plea agreement, from June 2015 to July 2018, Elstein engaged in a scheme to defraud his clients by claiming he obtained favorable legal resolutions for them, when in fact the favorable resolutions had never been obtained.

In many cases, Elstein never initiated any legal action, prosecutors said. Elstein also admitted to misappropriating funds by informing victims their fees were going into his client trust account, when in fact he directed them to deposit money into his personal bank account, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Elstein admitted to fabricating depositions in a federal case in Washington state in September 2015. Because the depositions were fake, no one appeared for them. Nonetheless, Elstein had a court stenographer present and made a formal record of the nonappearances, according to prosecutors.

Elstein also billed his client for attending the fake depositions and his travel expenses to Seattle. Elstein also falsely told the victim that he had obtained a $4.25 million judgment in the victims favor and provided the victim with a fake court order containing the forged signature of a judge,

prosecutors said.

When the victim traveled to Seattle to collect the judgment, he was informed by the court that no such case existed. In total, Elsteins conduct resulted in losses of at least $350,000 to his victims, according to prosecutors.

Once he enters his guilty plea, Elstein will face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In this photo illustration, the Facebook logo is displayed next to a screen indicating a problem in San Anselmo, Calif., on Oct. 4, 2021. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Facebook Is Rebuked by Oversight Board Over Transparency

Facebooks Oversight Board offered strong words in a quarterly report released Thursday that called out the company for not revealing information about its new XCheck program for VIP users, designed to better protect celebrities, journalists, and human rights activists.

The board, developed in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol protest that led to Facebooks ban on then-President Donald Trump, condemned the social media provider for its failure to disclose the new development when it was asked to investigate whether the former president could return to the platform.

When Facebook referred the case related to former U.S. President Trump to the Board, it did not mention the cross-check system, the report noted.

Today we are releasing our first transparency reports which provide details on cases submitted to the Board, as well as our decisions and recommendations to Facebook. Our key finding: Facebook needs to commit to greater transparency and to treat users fairly.  Oversight Board (@OversightBoard) October 21, 2021

Given that the referral included a specific policy question about account-level enforcement for political leaders, many of whom the Board believes were covered by cross-check, this omission is not acceptable, the board added.

The boards significant workload, they argued, should have led to more information concerning the pending program. The oversight group has taken on 20 important cases and issued 17 decisions covering topics from hate speech to COVID-19 misinformation. Weve received around 10,000 public comments from people across the world and made more than 75 recommendations to Facebook, according to the groups statement on Thursday.

The XCheck development was introduced last week as Facebook announced updates to its harassment policy to protect public figures, journalists, and activists from harmful content and attacks, according to a new statement from the social media giant.

The changes followed the recent congressional testimony of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who shared concerns about the companys practices.

Haugen, a former product manager on Facebooks civic misinformation team, on Oct. 3 revealed that she was the individual who provided the internal documents for a Sept. 14 expose by The Wall Street Journal that claims Instagram has a toxic impact on the self-esteem of young girls.

She has accused Facebook of repeatedly putting profit before doing what was good for the public, including clamping down on hate speech.

The companys new policy is designed to better protect users concerned about bullying and harassment on the platform.

Its important that everyone on our apps feels safe to engage and connect with their communities. We do not allow bullying and harassment on our platform, but when it does happen, we act, Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis said in the statement.

We remove content that violates our policies and disable the accounts of people who repeatedly break our rules, Davis added.
In New York City, the Public Design Commission unanimously voted to remove a nearly 200-year-old statue of Thomas Jefferson from city hallmeaning that our nations first secretary of state, drafter of the Declaration of Independence, and the nations third president has officially been canceled.

Meanwhile, while everyone has been focusing on the FDAs approval of the Johnson & Johnson booster shot, something else has been at work behind the scenes. That is, in order to limit their liability, as well as to protect their corporate assets, Johnson & Johnson pulled a very interesting legal maneuver last week against the over 30,000 women who were suing them for causing ovarian cancer.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, where they have implemented a vaccine mandate for all restaurants, one restaurant is not complying. In-N-Out Burger has been temporarily shut down by the city because they refused to be what they called the governments vaccine police.

Lastly, the U.S. government has just launched a new $125 million projectalongside Washington State University and about a dozen different countriesto discover over 10,000 novel viruses in nature and to test them to see whether they are infectious to humans.

Resources:

 American Hartford Gold (866-242-2352):

https://ept.ms/3biH9MN

 Johnson & Johnson:

https://ept.ms/3jlZEDc

https://ept.ms/3pjFdLd

https://ept.ms/3DY1eTR

https://ept.ms/3lZfFRq

 Virus Research:

https://ept.ms/3naGTDX

 Thomas Jefferson:

https://ept.ms/3pqkzZM

 In-And-Out Burger:

https://ept.ms/3lY9Qne

Stay tuned for our newsletter so you wont miss out on our exclusive videos and private events.

Facts Matter is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube.

Follow Roman on Instagram: @epoch.times.roman

Listen to Podcasts: https://blubrry.com/factsmatterwithromanbalmakov/

Follow EpochTV on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus

Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV

Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv

Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV

Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV

Parler: https://parler.com/#/user/EpochTV
These booking photos released Oct. 9, 2021, by the West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority show Jonathan Toebbe and his wife, Diana Toebbe. (West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority via AP)

FBI: Cash, Shredded Papers Seen at Couples Home in Spy Case

WASHINGTONThe FBI found a trash bag of shredded documents, thousands of dollars in cash, latex gloves and a go-bag when they searched the home of a Maryland couple accused of trying to sell information about nuclear-powered warships to a foreign country, an agent testified Wednesday.

Jonathan Toebbe, a Navy nuclear engineer, and his wife, Diana, were arrested in West Virginia this month on espionage charges. Prosecutors allege that Jonathan Toebbe tried to pass secrets about sophisticated and expensive Virginia-class submarines to someone he thought was a representative of a foreign government but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. The government accuses Diana Toebbe of serving as a lookout for her husband at several dead drop locations at which sensitive information was left behind.

The couple pleaded not guilty in federal court in Martinsburg, West Virginia. They face life in prison if convicted. The Toebbes have been jailed since their arrests.

The country to which Toebbe was looking to sell the information has not been identified in court documents and was not disclosed in court during the detention hearing Wednesday.

A judge heard arguments but did not immediately rule on whether Diana Toebbe should continue to be locked up. Jonathan Toebbe waived his right to a detention hearing.

Peter Olinits, a Pittsburgh-based agent specializing in counterintelligence investigations, testified in support of the governments argument that Diana Toebbe was a potential flight risk and should remain jailed as the case moved forward. He described how agents on the day of the couples arrest found, among other objects, $11,300 in cash, childrens valid passports and a go-bag containing a USB flash drive and latex gloves.

Olinits also cited text messages from 2019 and 2020 in which the Toebbes discussed leaving the country. But Diana Toebbes lawyer, Edward MacMahon, raised the possibility that his 45-year-old client, who worked as a teacher at a progressive private school in Annapolis, Marylandwas referring to her distress over the prospect of President Donald Trumps reelection.

Shes not the only liberal thats wanted to leave the country over politics, MacMahon pointed out. Thats correct, isnt it, sir?

The agent also noted that the FBI has not been able to locate the roughly $100,000 in cryptocurrency payments that the bureau sent the Toebbes in exchange for the stolen government secrets.

The investigation began in late 2020 after an FBI legal attache office in an unspecified country obtained a package that prosecutors say Jonathan Toebbe had sent that nation. In a letter, he offered to sell confidential U.S. Navy information, according to prosecutors.

The letter, dated April 1, 2020, and bearing a return address in Pittsburgh, says: If you do not contact me by December 31 2020 I will conclude, youre uninterested, and will approach other possible buyers, according to Olinits testimony.

The FBI then used an undercover agent to communicate with Jonathan Toebbe, arranging for the information to be deposited at dead drop locations.

Olinits testified that Diana Toebbe accompanied her husband on three of the four missions. To avoid suspicion, Olinits said, the Toebbes would dress as if tourists or hikers and meander around the drop site. Authorities say Jonathan Toebbe left at the locations memory cards containing government secrets, concealing them in objects including a chewing gum wrapper, a Band-Aid wrapper and a peanut butter sandwich.

MacMahon, the lawyer for Diana Toebbe, argued that because the FBI did not record any of the couples conversations, agents actually had no proof that his client had any knowledge of her husbands activities or what precisely he was doing.

Did it occur to you as part of your investigation that maybe Mr. Toebbe was telling her he was up to something other than espionage against the United States? MacMahon asked.

I think thatd be a difficult thing to sell, but maybe, Olinits said.

By Eric Tucker
Vocational nurse Christina Garibay displays a syringe with Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Covid-19 vaccine at a Skid Row community outreach event where Covid-19 vaccines and testing were offered in Los Angeles, California on August 22, 2021. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

FDA Authorizes Moderna, J&J Booster Shots, Mix and Match Approach

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized booster shots for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines for certain eligible populations, adding that people can take a different vaccine brand than the ones theyd taken originally.

The booster campaign for those aged 65 and over and those at high risk aims to increase protection against COVID-19 amid signs that vaccine efficacy decreases over time.

Today the currently available data suggest waning immunity in some populations of fully vaccinated people, FDAs acting commissioner Janet Woodcock said. The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease.

The FDA on Wednesday authorized a third COVID-19 vaccine dose from Moderna for seniors and those at risk of severe disease, and those who may be exposed at their residence or work to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. The booster is authorized six months after a persons last inoculation and will be half the dose used for the first two shots.

The agency said that for Johnson & Johnsons single-shot vaccine, people of any eligible ages can get a second dose at least two months after their first shot.

Previously, the FDA authorized third doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine for at least six months after people received the first two doses. The authorization was for people aged 65 and older, and others at high risk from COVID-19 due to health conditions or jobs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will consult a panel on Thursday before finalizing official recommendations about who should get a third dose, and when. The recommendations are subject to approval by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

About 65 million eligible Americans remain completely unvaccinated. Of the nearly 190 million Americans who are fully vaccinated, about 15 million have received the J&J vaccine while the rest have received the mRNA-based Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots. About 11.2 million people have so far received a booster dose.

Mix and Match

The FDA said people can take any brand for the booster shots regardless of which vaccine brand they took initially.

The FDA advisory panel meeting included a presentation of data (pdf) on the mix and match of booster vaccines from a study under the National Institutes of Health. The 458 participants in the study took varying combinations of the three brands of vaccines.

Results suggest that an extra dose of any brand will increase levels of antibodies against COVID-19.

This is only antibody data. Cellular immune responses are still being analyzed, the presentation noted.

FDA officials said it was not immediately clear from the data whether any shot combination should be preferred.

Because we dont have those data right now, I think we just have to be noncommittal about what is the best, said Peter Marks, director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Being able to interchange these vaccines is a good thingits like what we do with flu vaccines, Marks told reporters late Wednesday. Most people dont know what brand of flu vaccine they received.

An FDA advisory panel on Sept. 17 had voted 163 against approving the Pfizer-BioNtech shot for most people except for those aged 65 and over, and those in high-risk situations.

FDA regulators said they would move quickly to expand boosters to lower age groups, such as people in their 40s and 50s, if warranted. We are watching this very closely and will take action as appropriate to make sure that the maximum protection is provided to the population, said Marks.

Two top vaccine officials penned a paper published Sept. 13 in The Lancet medical journal saying that no evidence is available to support COVID-19 booster shots for the general population.

[A]lthough the benefits of primary COVID-19 vaccination clearly outweigh the risks, there could be risks if boosters are widely introduced too soon, or too frequently, especially with vaccines that can have immune-mediated side-effects  If unnecessary boosting causes significant adverse reactions, there could be implications for vaccine acceptance that go beyond COVID-19 vaccines. Thus, widespread boosting should be undertaken only if there is clear evidence that it is appropriate, the two officials, Dr. Marion Gruber, the head of the FDAs Office of Vaccines Research and Review, and her deputy, Dr. Philip Krause, wrote.

The two announced in late August they will be leaving the FDA in October and November.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Federal Reserve: Businesses Say Vaccine Mandates Are Hurting Employment

The Federal Reserve on Thursday said that businesses have reported COVID-19 vaccine mandates have hurt employment and are contributing to labor supply problemseven before President Joe Bidens previously announced vaccine mandate for private businesses goes into effect.

While employment increased at a modest to moderate rate in recent weeks, the Feds so-called Beige Book noted that the U.S. economy has been dampened by a low supply of workers, partially due to vaccine mandates.

Transportation and technology firms saw particularly low labor supply, while many retail, hospitality, and manufacturing firms cut hours or production because they did not have enough workers, its report summary said. Firms reported high turnover, as workers left for other jobs or retired. Child-care issues and vaccine mandates were widely cited as contributing to the problem, along with COVID-related absences.

Boeing employees and others wave to passing traffic in the rain as they protest the companys COVID-19 vaccine mandate, outside the Boeing facility in Everett, Wash., on Oct. 15, 2021. (Lindsey Wasson/Reuters)

Individual Fed banks said they have heard of employees quitting over mandates. While the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported that few businesses lost employees over the mandates, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta reported that companies were worried that implementing a vaccine requirement could cost them workers.

Most employers shared that they would like to implement COVID-19 vaccine mandates but were concerned about losing employees, the Atlanta Fed said in the report. Worries about employee mental health, burnout, safety, and vaccine mandates impacting company culture were mentioned.

Some manufacturing businesses reported a higher labor turnover that some attributed to the lagged effects of the pandemic but some said the quits were in response to vaccine mandates, the Boston Fed also said in its report.

A few employers expressed concern that federally mandated COVID regulations, such as vaccine requirements, could exacerbate their workforce challenges, the Richmond Fed also said. Average wages increased moderately as firms offered higher starting pay and increased wages to recruit and retain staff. Many also continued to provide sign-on and stay-on bonuses.

Some 4.3 million workers quit their jobs in August, according to the most updated data from the Labor Department. That figure represents an all-time high since recordkeeping began in December 2000.

On Sept. 9, Biden announced that private businesses with 100 or more employees would have to either mandate vaccinations or have workers submit to weekly COVID-19 testing, as well as mandates for federal contractors, federal workers, and healthcare staff who are employed at Medicaid- or Medicare-funded facilities.

As a result several large corporations, including most major airlines and healthcare companies, began to implement vaccine requirements in recent weeks.

Although Biden made the announcement in early September that he will direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to come up with an emergency rule on COVID-19 vaccines, the agency submitted its mandate for private employers on Oct. 12. So far, the White House has not provided a clear timeline on when the rule could be implemented or what penalties businesses could face.
Florida Governor Calls for Special Session to Counter Vaccine, Mask Mandates

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Oct. 21 called for a special legislative session to consider measures to counter vaccine and mask mandates.

The move follows a series of COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed by the administration of President Joe Biden. That doesnt sit well with the Florida governor, who has had enough of federal interference into state business, press secretary Christina Pushaw told The Epoch Times.

The legislative proposals include the provision of reemployment assistance to people who are fired due to failure to comply with an employers vaccine mandate. Under another proposal, Floridians who have an adverse reaction to a vaccine would be eligible for workers compensation.

Employers who fire workers solely based on the vaccine mandate would be prohibited from enforcing non-compete agreements against the employees, according to another proposal. Another provision would require employers to provide and religious and health exemptions to vaccine mandates. Meanwhile, companies that fail to notify employees about the exemptions would be liable to lawsuits by fired employees.

Biden last month ordered the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to create a rule to require all private employers with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccines or require them to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. The rule could affect nearly 80 million workers according to administration officials, while businesses could face fines up to $14,000 per violation.

Although the rule isnt yet in effect, a large number of private companies have mandated vaccines for their employees in anticipation of the rule.

According to Charlotte County attorney Charles Heekin, the Florida Legislature could address the vaccine mandate by building on the right-to-work protection in the states Constitution.

Florida is an at-will employment state. Employers can fire, demote, hire, promote, and discipline employees for almost any reason, or no reason at all. As a result, the strongest recourse for private company vaccine mandates is through legislative action.

In April, DeSantis signed an executive order banning vaccine passports in the Sunshine State. In May, he signed a bill into law codifying the ban. The law (pdf) prohibits businesses from requiring customers to prove their vaccination status, and also prohibits government entities in Florida from issuing such documents.

In Florida, your personal choice regarding vaccinations will be protected and no business or government entity will be able to deny you services based on your decision, DeSantis said in May, before he signed the bill into law.

Republicans in Texas, Wyoming, and Nebraska are considering statewide laws against vaccine mandates.

A special session in Texas wrapped up without a vote on a bill backed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that would counter the vaccine mandate.

Lawmakers in Wyoming will hold a special session next week to consider bills to block vaccine mandates.

In Nebraska, Republicans need more votes to trigger a special session to consider similar bills. In a statement, the senators say there is a growing concern that employers will require their employees to choose between their jobs or being vaccinated without regard to their good faith personal objections.
Former Minneapolis Police officer Mohamed Noor leaves the Hennepin County Government Center during a break from his trial on April 1, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Former Minneapolis Police Officer Resentenced to 57 Months in Prison in Killing of 911 Caller

Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was resentenced to 57 months in prison Thursday following the shooting death of 911 caller Justine Ruszczyk in 2017.

The resentencing followed Noors original sentence for manslaughter and third-degree murder that was later overturned, removing the murder charge from the offense.

The original sentence of 12 years and six months was removed by the state Supreme Court last month. The manslaughter charge remained, leading to a resentencing less than half as long as the original sentencing.

The new 57-month charge was reportedly at the top of the recommended time frame for the manslaughter charge, although the crime could be punishable with up to 10 years in prison. Noor had hoped for a shorter resentencing that would have allowed an immediate release after already serving time in prison.

The victims fiance, Don Damond, appeared via video conference, saying, Does not diminish the truth which was uncovered during the trial. The truth is that Justine should be alive.

He said Damond lived a life of love, she modeled a life of joy for all and she stood for forgiveness.

Damond offered his forgiveness in a moving display during the difficult event.

Given her example, I want you to know that I forgive you Mohamed, he said. All I ask is that you use this experience to do good for other people. Be the example of how to transform beyond adversity. Be an example of honesty and contrition. This is what Justine would want.

With good behavior, the sentencing guidelines could make Noor eligible for parole after serving two-thirds of his sentence. The earliest he could leave prison under the new sentence with parole would be mid-2022.

Noor was arrested following the 2017 shooting death of Damond. He and police partner Matthew Harrity responded to a 911 call from Damond regarding a potential sexual assault when she heard a woman screaming in her neighborhood.

Noor said he heard his partner shout, Oh, Jesus! Noor reportedly pulled his gun, pushed his partner aside and fired a single shot at Damond.

He later argued his motivation was to stop what he believed was a threat on his partners life. Noor lost his court battle, but the third-degree murder charge required proof of firing without regard for human life, something the states Supreme Court ruled could not be proved.

The city of Minnesota reportedly settled with the family with a payment of $20 million.
A French soldier involved in the regional anti-insurgent Operation Barkhane stands guard next to a Reaper drone at the French military airbase in Niamey on March 14, 2016. (Pascal Guyot/AFP via Getty Images)

Senior al-Qaeda Affiliate Member, 4 Other Terrorists, Killed in Mali: French Military

The French military confirmed on Oct. 21 that a leading senior member and four other terrorists of the African-based al-Qaeda affiliate Katiba Serma were killed in an airstrike in Mali last week.

Nasser Al Tergui was spotted by a drone on Oct. 15 while in a vehicle carrying five individuals about 60 miles northwest of Gossi, a rural commune in Mali, according to the French military.

The cross-checking of various information made it possible to confirm the presence  of Nasser Al Tergui, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces said in an Oct. 21 statement, French news agency AA reported.

Barkhane military forces, under which France has about 5,100 soldiers deployed across five countries in the Sahel region, launched a military operation the following day to intercept the vehicle, which refused to stop.

In cooperation with the partner forces, after having again confirmed the presence of Nasser Al Tergui aboard the vehicle, the soldiers of the Barkhane force decided to launch an operation, the army said.

A soldier of the French Army launches a mini-drone used to check the presence of jihadist groups in northern Burkina Faso, on Nov. 11, 2019. (Michele Cattani/AFP via Getty Images)

Operation Barkhane was launched in 2014 to combat the jihadi insurgency in Africas Sahel region.

The ministry confirmed that two airstrikes were launched at the target, which destroyed the vehicle and the five Katiba Serma members, an armed group affiliated with al Qaedaa multinational terrorist network that was founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, among several others.

Al Terguis death will reduce the capacity to cause harm of an armed terrorist group known for carrying out attacks against local forces and numerous acts of violence against the local population, the army said in a statement that was obtained by news agency AFP.

The jihadist commander joined al-Qaeda in 2012 and had major operational responsibilities in the terrorist group, it added.

He was notably specialized in planting improvised explosive devices, according to the statement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Then-Judge Merrick Garland delivers an opening statement as he testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be Attorney General on Feb. 22, 2021. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Garland Tells Lawmakers He Missed Leftist Demonstrators Attack on Interior Department

Attorney General Merrick Garland was caught flat-footed during a House Judiciary Committee hearing when Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) held up two large photographs, one showing Jan. 6 demonstrators breaking into the Capitol and the other of demonstrators assaulting the Department of Interior on Oct. 14.

When the Florida congressman asked Garland if the October event was an example of domestic terrorism, the attorney general demurred in his response.

Im not going to be able to reference that specific incident since this is the first I know of it, he said.

Steube was referring to Oct. 14 protesters from an extreme left-wing environmental activist group, People vs. Fossil Fuels, which had organized five days of protests at the Interior headquarters building in Washington. They were seeking to force President Joe Biden to stop approving fossil fuel energy projects.

As happened with the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol, the October protestors forced their way into the building, and multiple federal security and law enforcement personnel were injured in the resulting confrontation, including some who required hospitalization. Fifty-five of the protestors were arrested.

They forced their way into the Department of the Interior. They fought with security and police officers, sending some of those officers to the hospital. The extremists violently pushed their way into a restricted government building in an attempt to thwart the work of the department, Steube told Garland.

Police arrested at least 55 protestors on sight, but others got away. Mr. Garland, do you believe these environmental extremists who forced their way into Interior are also domestic terrorists? Steube asked.

Steube was surprised to learn that Garland hadnt heard about the incident prior to his question.

This is the first youve heard about demonstrators who forced their way into a federal government building right here in D.C.? Steube asked. You didnt hear about this at all?

Garland appeared to be visibly irritated by the question.

Just because I dont know about this particular example, it doesnt mean the Justice Department doesnt know about it, he said.

At the Justice Department, we dont care if the violence comes from the left or the right, or the middle, or from Up or from Down. We will prosecute violations of the law according to the statutes and facts we have.

Noting that were mostly all lawyers here, Steube then held up the two large photographs, each showing multiple demonstrators forcing their way into government buildings.

So looking at these pictures, and I know you say you are not aware of this one, it blows my mind that you arent aware of violent extremists forcing their way into a federal building right here in Washington, Steube said.

You see in both of these pictures people forcing their way into federal buildings. Would you call both of these acts domestic terrorism?

Look, Im not going to comment about particular matters, Garland said.

Steube said he was only asking him about the two photos.

In one, you very welcomingly called it domestic terrorism, Steube said. But you are refusing to call groups like this, who committed the same atrocities, domestic terrorists.

Garland insisted that one I know the facts of, the other I dont know the facts of.

Seeming a bit exasperated, Steube then held the two photos up higher.

Heres the facts, he said. Exhibit A and exhibit B.

But Garland again insisted that with one picture, Im not going to be able to resolve a legal determination. He also stated that we have terabytes of video of the Jan. 6 riots.

Steube told The Epoch Times during a recess in the hearing that Garland not knowing about the Oct. 14 violence absolutely blew my mind.  If he didnt know that that happened, it raises so many other questions, like youre telling me that you arent paying that much attention to whats happening in the media in general, but your deputies didnt raise that to you as an issue.

Steube was then asked what Garlands deputies not telling him about the Oct. 14 incident suggests about how the department is functioning.

It shows they dont care, he said. The Department of Justice obviously doesnt care what happened to the Department of the Interior because it was their leftist ideologies that they support, just like all the riots we saw last summer, none of those people have been prosecuted with the full force of the department.
The witticisms of American author Mark Twain (18351910) apply as well today as they did in his own time. Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs. (Public Domain)

Gems From the Gilded Age: The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain

Future historians called it The Gilded Age.

From the 1870s to around 1900, technology and manufacturing exploded in the United States, and the face of America changed forever. Men like John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Andrew Carnegie were building industrial empires, railroads crossed the country, and men and women left small towns and farms in droves to work in cities alongside the immigrants pouring into the country.

Hand in hand with these changes came widespread political corruption, both in the federal government and in political machines in the larger cities. Greed and a lust for power drove this double-dealing.

It was a time, too, of social reforms. Often founded and directed by a variety of religious denominations, charities sought to help the poor and the infirm. They built hospitals, lobbied for better sanitary conditions in the burgeoning cities, and improved safety in the workplace. Some journalists joined in these attempts, investigating everything from corrupt officials like Boss Tweed to the conditions in mental asylums.

Among them were Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, who in 1873 co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, a satire of that time when the gold gilt of progress and promised prosperity concealed the suffering and poverty of so many. It was the title of this book that would later give its name to this era.

A Great American Aphorist

Even if weve never read him, all of us know of Mark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemensas the author of books like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court, and Life on the Mississippi. (An aside: Though known for his irreverence and satire, Twain thought his best work was Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, a fictional account of the life of that warrior-saint. Of her, he wrote, She is easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.)

Those who have studied Twains books, journalism, speeches, and correspondence have dug up a gold mind of his epigrams and aphorisms. Paul M. Zall and Alex Ayres are just two of these literary archaeologists. The former put together almost 600 of Twains observations and witticisms in Mark Twain Laughing: Humorous Anecdotes by and about Samuel L. Clemens (The University of Tennessee Press, 1985, 200 pages), while the latter did the same in Greatly Exaggerated: The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain (Barrie & Jenkins, 1988, 260 pages), though now out of print. It is from these two sources that I have gleaned the quotations used here.

Todays Headlines

Though Twain died well over a century ago, his observations remain pertinentand funnytoday, unspoiled by the passage of time. Even regarding our current political battles and debacles, some of his comments hit home.

For example, if youve followed the current school board battles, Twain delivers a knockout blow with this punch: In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.

Of Congress, the writer had this to say in his 1897 book Following the Equator: It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.

In a speech he gave in 1901, he even supplies an observation appropriate for the COVID-19 virus and our governments insistence on mandated vaccinations: Whose property is my body? Probably mine. I so regard it. If I experiment with it, who must be answerable? I, not the State. If I choose injudiciously, does the State die? Oh, no.

Free Speech

We are all aware of the truncheons that some wield on social media to beat down people whose stances and opinions they despise. Rather than engage in argument or discussion, they prefer to bully those they find disagreeable, thereby kicking the First Amendment to the curb.

Twain must have encountered some version of this bullying in his own day, as witnessed by this comment in 1907: In all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane.

Whether we stand with the left or right in our politics, which of us has not at times looked at our opponents and believed they are missing a few of the bulbs in the chandeliers that light their brains?

In Puddnhead Wilson, Twain writes, It were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horseraces.

The Patriot

Though Twain frequently critiqued the government, politicians, and foreign policy, he remained all his life a believer in American ideals. He loved his country, and again and again he defended America against the criticism of Europeans, arguing, for example, of liberty that it was the American Revolution in particular that planted it.

In an 1890 speech, Twain remarks: We are called the nation of inventors. And we are. We could still claim that title and wear its loftiest honors if we had stopped with the first thing we ever invented, which was human liberty.

And in a 1905 essay, The Czars Soliloquy, he reminds us of what so many people forget today: The modern patriotism, the true patriotism, the only rational patriotism is loyalty to the nation all the time, loyalty to the government when it deserves it.

The Other Side of the Man

Though Twain could be sharp and quick with criticism and didnt suffer fools gladly, he had a sweet and sentimental side. He dearly loved his wife, Olivia, and fell into a depression at her death. Two of his three daughters died when in their 20s, and Twain felt himself crushed by those losses as well.

He was often kind to friends. One famous example of his generosity is the assistance he gave to his friend, former President Grant, in getting his memoirs published. Grant was dying of cancer and was racing against time to finish his book so as to provide some income for his wife, Julia, and their family after his death. Twain struck a deal with him to publish his book, which became a bestseller at the time, more than provided for Julias needs, and remains in print today.

Mark Twain helped President Ulysses S. Grant write his memoirs. White House Collection. (Public Domain)

This goodness also comes across in Twains public and private writing.

In My Early Life, for instance, Winston Churchill describes meeting Twain and asking him to sign his works for my benefit. Twain obliged him, Churchill wrote, and in the first volume he inscribed the following maxim intended, I dare say, to convey a gentle admonition: To do good is noble; to teach others to do good is nobler, and no trouble.

Though no angel himself, particularly in his younger years, Twain matured as he aged. We detect a growing tenderness in him. In Tom Sawyer Abroad, published in 1894, he wrote, The more you join in with people in their joys and sorrows, the more nearer and dearer they come to be to you.  But it is sorrow and trouble that bring you the nearest.

And in 1901, in a Note to the Young Peoples Society, he famously wrote: Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.

Advice for Parents

In Greatly Exaggerated, Ayers recounts the story of an 1879 speech that Twain delivered at a banquet honoring President Grant. He was the last at the podium that evening, and it was three oclock in the morning, by which time we may assume the audience was ready to hit the sheets. Nevertheless, according to Ayers, Twain gave one of the finest speeches of his life, The Babies.

Babies are national treasures, he told the audience. Among the three or four million cradles now rocking in the land are some which this nation would preserve for ages as sacred things, if we could but know which ones they are.

Twain then said of a baby:

He is enterprising, irrepressible, and brimful of lawless activities. Do what you please, you cant make him stay on the reservation.  As long as you are in your right mind dont you ever pray for twins. Twins amount to a permanent riot. And there aint no real difference between triplets and an insurrection.

Water and Wine

In Twains Notebooks, we find this 1885 entry: My works are like water. The works of the great masters are like wine. But everyone drinks water.

A classic, Twain said in another speech, is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.

Twains remark is both humorous and right on the money, like so many of his epigrams, yet ironically his own works now qualify as classics. Time has changed his water into wine. His books and words are the still-beating heart of American literature and a part of the canon of Western literature.

As for his well-known comment about the classics, perhaps his observation should give us pause. When we stop listening to the voices from the past, when we plug our ears against their advice and their injunctions, we make ourselves children, lost boys and girls without a map or compass.

When we read the great writers of the past, including Mark Twain, we have the opportunity to make these navigational tools our own.
Workers stand near the manned Shenzhou-12 spacecraft from China's Manned Space Agency onboard the Long March-2F rocket before launch with three Chinese astronauts onboard at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on June 17, 2021 in Jiuquan, Gansu province, China.(Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

General: China Trying to Become the Most Dominant Force in Space

A Space Force general warned that Chinas communist regime might become the most dominant force in space if the United States doesnt accelerate its pace to field critical new technologies in the warfighting domain.

Vice chief of Space Operations Gen. David Thompson told the Washington Times this week that China has already developed a tremendous and exquisite capability to look from space to see, hear, track and defend.

Most important, Beijing is approaching the ability to field new space systems in about half the time it takes the United States to do the same, Thompson suggested.

Not only do they have the ability to adopt new technology and updated capabilities much more quickly, if theyre almost as good as we are todayand they are almost as good as we arethey can cycle these things in very quickly [and] they become better than we are, Thompson said.

Last week, China successfully sent a spaceship to its space station, starting the countrys longest-ever crewed mission for space station construction, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Three astronauts, including one female astronaut, are supposed to stay in the space station for six months.

Between June 17 and Sept. 17, another three Chinese astronauts stayed in the space station for three months.

So far Beijing has conducted five space launch missions this year.

Chinas communist regime has devoted significant resources to growing all aspects of its space program, from military space applications to civil applications, reads the Pentagons latest annual report (pdf) to Congress.

As early as 2007, China launched a ballistic missile, that destroyed a non-operational Chinese weather satellite.

In September, Gen. John Jay Raymond, chief of Space Operations, said China has deployed satellites with a robotic arm that could be used to grab other satellites.

The Financial Times reported that China tested its hypersonic missile recently. U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood called it a technology we just dont know how we can defend.

Its very critical that we accelerate, not just to keep pace, but to stay ahead of the threat of the capabilities the Chinese are provided, Thompson said.

Gen. David Thompson (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

The good thing is, Thompson pointed out, that the Space Force has put some processes and organizations in place to do that, and theyre demonstrating, early-on, the ability to do so.

The next conflict between Chinas regime and the United States may start in space, Thompson said.

We absolutely believe that the Chinese thinking would be if its coming to crisis and conflict, theyre going to start this conflict in space, the general said.

Last month, some Democrats in Congress introduced a bill called the No Militarization of Space Act, in an attempt to abolish the Space Force, which was established under the Trump administration.

Since its creation under the former Trump administration, the Space Force has threatened longstanding peace and flagrantly wasted billions of taxpayer dollars, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the bills sponsor, said in a statement.
Good Samaritans Rescue Distressed Woman Preparing to Jump From Bridge in Massachusetts

Seeing a distressed woman who had climbed over a railing of a bridge in West Springfield, Massachusetts, a number of good Samaritans stopped their cars and rushed to her aid, pulling her to safety and possibly saving her life.

The civilians have since been recognized by Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood, and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, for their quick thinking and selfless actions on Sept. 24.

Their help came in the nick of time. According to footage of the troubling scene captured by the Springfield Police Departments Real-Time Analysis Center cameras, which was also shared on YouTube, the woman had climbed over the railing of the citys Memorial Bridge and looked ready to jump before first responders could arrive.

The first 911 calls came in at around 9:45 a.m., a press release stated.

Noticing the woman, several compassionate drivers clocked the emergency and pulled over. They teamed up to lift the woman over the railing to the safety of the sidewalk by her arms and legs. Police officers and Behavioral Health Network (BHN) clinicians soon arrived to take over, transporting the woman to an area hospital for evaluation. Co-responders and clinicians at the hospital further worked with the woman to provide her with the care and assistance that she needed.

Clapprood commended the civilians for their incredible job working together to pull the distressed woman back to safety.

I want to thank them for their selfless actions today, she expressed.

Sarno added his own statement of gratitude, hailing the civilians quick and selfless actions that kept the woman safe until health care professionals could arrive.

Mental health is a serious concern, he said, adding, I want to applaud Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood, and the brave and dedicated men and women in blue, for their continued and unyielding efforts working with our BHN partners in addressing mental health calls.

In November 2019, Springfield Police Department inaugurated its Crisis Intercept program in conjunction with mental health partners at BHN, so named for its inclusion of a certified clinician alongside the traditional response of sending the closest police cruiser to any emergency call.

(Courtesy of Springfield Police Department)

Crisis Intercept, said Sarno, has so far been extremely successful in responding to crisis calls and getting individuals the help and assistance they need.

The program has already grown to include six dedicated BHN co-responders. Police claim that when responding to mental health calls, the person in crisis would often rather speak to a clinician than an officer or ambulance personnel.

The current mental health crisis, said Clapprood, is why she is such an advocate for the citys successful, expanding program.

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
In this screenshot from a police camera video, Brian Laundrie talks to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was traveling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle Gabby Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park, Utah, on Aug. 12, 2021. (The Moab Police Department)

High Probability That Human Remains Found in Florida Park Are Brian Laundries: Lawyer

An attorney representing the family of high-profile fugitive Brian Laundrie said that human remains that were found at a Florida wildlife preserve on Wednesday likely belong to him.

Steve Bertolino, the attorney representing the Laundrie family, told local news outlets Thursday the probability is high that the remains are his. FBI officials on Wednesday afternoon announced that human remains as well as items belonging to Laundrie were found in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park near the Carlton Reserve in North Port, Florida.

Bertolino, in a CNN interview, added that Laundries parents were part of the search team.

Its quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your sons belongings alongside some remains. Thats got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken, he said Wednesday night.

Laundrie was named as a person of interest in the disappearance and death of fiance Gabby Petito, whose body was found in Wyoming. The FBI also issued a federal warrant for his arrest on bank fraud charges.

FBI agents begin to take away evidence from the family home of Brian Laundrie, who is a person of interest after his fiance Gabby Petito went missing in North Port, Fla., on Sept. 20, 2021. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

Gabrielle Petito, 22, poses for a photo with Brian Laundrie in this undated handout photo. (North Port/Florida Police/Handout via Reuters)

Chris and Roberta Laundrie were at the reserve earlier today when human remains and some of Brians possessions were located in an area where they had initially advised law enforcement that Brian may be, Bertolino said on Wednesday. Chris and Roberta will wait for the forensic identification of the human remains before making any additional comments.

During Wednesdays news conference, FBI special agent Michael McPherson announced that the North Port Police Department and our state and local law enforcement partners have been searching the area of the Carlton Reserve for Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the murder of Gabby Petito. He added that a backpack and notebook belonging to Laundrie were also discovered near the remains, which were previously underwater.

The Sarasota County Medical Examiners Office confirmed to local media that it was also called to the preserve on Wednesday.

Its likely the team will be on site for several days, McPherson also said.

Petito and Laundrie had set off on a cross-country trip throughout the United States and documented their travels on social media. Officials said Laundrie returned to North Port without Petito in early September, and Petitos family later reported her missing on Sept. 11.

The couple was stopped on Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no charges were filed. A police body camera video showed the officer responding to the scene, interviewing both Laundrie and Petito.

Days later, Laundries parents said he went on a hike on Sept. 13 and never returned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
House Votes to Hold Steve Bannon in Contempt of Congress

The House of Representatives voted Thursday to hold former President Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress after he declined to cooperate with a congressional investigation of the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally.

The partisan vote came after the Democrat-led Jan. 6 Committee voted to move the charge forward to be confirmed in the House. Members of the commission alleged that Bannon refusing a subpoena to provide documents and testimony to the panel constitutes contempt of Congress.

The contempt resolution argues that Bannon has no legal standing to defy the subpoena.

Trumps attorney argued that Bannon shouldnt comply because the requested information is protected by the former presidents executive privilege. Team Trump submitted a memo to Trumps website announcing a lawsuit to defend executive privilege.

The January 6th Committee is a partisan sham to distract Americans from the Democrats policies that are killing and robbing Americans, the memo alleged.

The committee says it wants Bannons documents and testimony because he was in touch with Trump before the Jan. 6 incident, because he tried to get Trump to focus on the congressional certification of the election results, and because he said on Jan. 5 that all hell is going to break loose the next day.

Bannon appears to have had multiple roles relevant to this investigation, including his role in constructing and participating in the stop the steal public relations effort that motivated the attack and his efforts to plan political and other activity in advance of Jan. 6, the committee alleged in the resolution.

With the Houses certification of the charge, it is now up to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to decide whether or not to pursue legal action.

President Joe Biden has encouraged the DOJ, led by his appointee Merrick Garland, to prosecute those found to have violated the Jan. 6 commissions subpoenas.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki later sought to clarify Bidens remarks, writing on Twitter that he supports the work of the committee and the independent role of the Department of Justice to make any decisions about prosecutions.

The post drew pushback from Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), who responded by wondering if the DOJ would be charging Bidens son, Hunter Biden, whos under investigation for alleged tax fraud.

How about the millions of illegals crossing our southern border? There is nothing independent about this DOJ. They serve the far left and only care about investigating conservatives, Steube said.

The DOJ has promised that it will react to the case on its merits, and will not be swayed by partisanship.

The Department of Justice will make its own independent decisions in all prosecutions based solely on the facts and the law. Period. Full stop, a DOJ spokesperson told news outlets in an Oct. 15 statement.

Garland promised much the same. The department recognizes the important oversight role Congress plays in respect to the executive branch. Ill say what a DOJ spokesperson said yesterday: The House votes for a referral of a contempt charge, the DOJ will do what it always doesapply the facts and the law and make a decision.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) argued that the subpoena issued by the committee is invalid because neither party knows whether Bannon is protected under executive privilege.

Theyre issuing an invalid subpoena, McCarthy said. Issuing an invalid subpoena weakens our power. He has the right to go to the court to see if he has executive privilege or not. I dont know if he does or not, but neither does the committee. So theyre weakening the power of Congress itself by issuing an invalid subpoena.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) applauded the committee at a Thursday press conference. She alleged that The January 6 domestic terrorist attack was intended to interfere with the constitutional transfer of power.

House Democratic Caucus Co-chairman Pete Aguillar (D-Calif.) said of the vote. Let me be clear that this is not done to be punitive, this is done to uphold the law.

Trump has also commented on the ongoing proceedings on his website.

Trump said in a statement on the situation: This is just a continuation of the Witch Hunt which started with the now fully debunked and discredited Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, quickly reverting to a perfect phone call with Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, and now this. The Unselect Committee is composed of absolute political hacks who want to destroy the Republican Party and are decimating America itself.

I am the only thing in their way, Trump concluded, promising continued intervention on Bannons behalf.

Zachary Steiber and Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.
Whats all the buzz about Beijings hypersonic weapons, and why could they pose a nuclear threat to the United States? We break it down in this episode.

A 12-year-old girl died after getting a shot of a Chinese-made vaccine. Her mother asked authorities for an investigation into the case, only to be beaten and detained.

Chinese journalists must undergo so-called continuous education by the stateat least 90 hours every yearto learn how to develop news with a Marxist angle.

China has a real-life version of the U.S. crime drama Prison Break. Footage of an agile North Koreans jailbreak in China is going viral.

Taiwanese businesses are leaving China, and experts say a bigger wave of retreat is on the way.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China.

For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (R) poses for the press in court in Moscow, Russia, on March 30, 2017. (AP Photo)

Imprisoned Russian Activist Awarded Sakharov Prize, EUs Top Recognition

Jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny was awarded the European Unions top human rights prize on Wednesday for his efforts in challenging President Vladimir Putins grip on power.

He has fought tirelessly against the corruption of Vladimir Putins regime. This cost him his liberty and nearly his life. Todays prize recognises his immense bravery and we reiterate our call for his immediate release, European Parliament President David Sassoli wrote on Twitter.

Navalnys recognition with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will likely heighten tensions between Russia and the European bloc.

Navalny, 45, was allegedly poisoned with a nerve agent in August last year while in the Siberian city of Tomsk. Russian authorities had denied involvement. However, investigative reporters from The Insider and Bellingcat have named Russian security officers responsible for the incident. The EU has called for his immediate release and sanctioned six Russian officials for Navalnys poisoning and imprisonment.

Navalny was undergoing treatment in Germany and was arrested by the government on his return to Russia in January. He is currently serving a 2.5-year sentence in a penal colony for alleged parole violations.

Navalny was a growing YouTube phenomenon with trending investigative videos into the corruption of the Russian elites. The Kremlin critics claims have turned him into a leading opposition figure.

However, Moscow remains defiant regarding the allegations saying that Western powers were organizing a smear campaign against the country while maintaining that Navalny was jailed for breaking the law.

On June 9, a court in Moscow classified Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation as an extremist outfit. This gave leverage for local Russian authorities to prosecute his allies throughout the country, and halt the NGOs activities. Many of his supporters have fled abroad.

Putin calls Navalny a criminal blogger, but he is alone in this. Alexei Navalny is a politician who fights for justice despite all the threats and assassination attempts, wrote Navalnys team on Telegram. And we are certain that Putin is not pleased to hear about this.

Russias Investigative Committee launched an inquiry in September against Navalny claiming that his extremist foundation aimed at changing the foundations of the constitutional system in the Russian Federation. Navalny has denied the allegations, and said that they were politically motivated. If proven, the charges could keep him in jail for another decade.

According to Marat Gelman who spoke with RFE/RL, the Kremlin will make use of its influence in Russian media to discount the story, and neutralize any impact at home.

It will not change opinions of Navalny, Gelman said. Allies will be happy but people who watch [Russian state] television  will receive one more affirmation that Navalny is a scoundrel, an American agent.

Named after Russian dissident Andrei Sakharov, the Sakharov Prize is awarded annually by the European Parliament for activists and organizations that promote human rights and freedoms.

This years nominees included jailed former Bolivian President Jeanine Anez, Sahrawi activist Sultana Khaya and 11 Afghan women who were fighting for womens rights in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power.

Past winners include Venezuelas democratic opposition and South African president Nelson Mandela.
Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, arrives at the "Tech for Good" Summit in Paris, France, on May 15, 2019. (Charles Platiau/Reuters)

News of Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba, Resurfacing Overseas, Props up Investor Confidence

The reported reappearance of Jack Ma overseas, for the first time in over a year, has resulted in shares of the tech giant Alibaba Group surging in Hong Kong.

Ma is the founder and former chairman of Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the South China Morning Post (SCMP) which reported on Oct. 19 that he was on an agriculture study tour in Europe.

Frenzied rumors have swirled over the whereabouts of the once Chinas richest man over the past year.

The sighting has fed speculation that Beijing has relaxed its almost year-long scrutiny over the e-commerce giant, resulting in Alibabas Hong Kong-listed shares jumping nearly 10 percent on Oct. 20, extending gains for the fourth consecutive session. By the end of the day, Tencent went up 2.1 percent, Meituan gained 2.9 percent, and Alibaba added 6.7 percent.

On Oct. 20, the Hang Seng Tech Index jumped 2.7 percent, having bounced nearly 14 percent from a record closing low hit on Oct. 6. The indicator is to reflect the performance of the Hong Kong stock market related to the internet and information technology.

The rebound in technology giants saw Hong Kong stocks hit a near six-week high, as the Hang Seng Index rose 1.4 percent to 26,136.02 on Oct. 20.

A day after the SCMP report, two Spanish newspapers said that Ma was on the Spanish island of Mallorca, where his luxury yacht is anchored.

The Diario de Mallorca newspaper said Ma was seen on Oct. 19 in the port of Andratx buying home decor at a local store, after the superyacht had been seen moving along Mallorcas northwestern coast for several days.

Jack Mas superyacht anchored on the Mallorca Island coast, Spain on Oct. 20, 2021. (Screenshot via Reuters)

These reported sightings are only a few of the public appearances made by Ma amid a regulatory clampdown by Beijing on his sprawling business empire, starting late 2020.

The billionaire disappeared from the public view for three months after he blasted Chinas regulatory system for having too many prohibitions and limitations with too few policies in a speech made at a Shanghai forum on Oct. 24, 2020.

Mas empire promptly then came under heavy scrutiny from regulators, which even led to the suspension of Ant Groups $37 billion blockbuster IPO, besides a record $2.8 billion antitrust penalty in April.

Ma firstly reemerged before the public with a 50-second video appearance on Jan. 20, speaking to a group of teachers, and easing some concern about his unusual absence.

Chinese authorities have tightened control over the countrys fast-developing industries including internet giants.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny shows the heart symbol from the cage, during a hearing at the City Court in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 2, 2021. (Moscow City Court via AP)

Jailed Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Wins Top EU Prize

BRUSSELSImprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who narrowly survived a poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin, was awarded the European Unions top human rights prize Wednesday in a clear slap at President Vladimir Putin.

In awarding the Sakharov Prize to Navalny, the European Parliament praised his immense personal bravery. The 45-year-old activist fell ill from a nerve agent poisoning last year and recuperated in Germany, then was promptly arrested upon his return to Moscow and later imprisoned.

He has campaigned consistently against the corruption of Vladimir Putins regime, and through his social media accounts and political campaigns, Navalny has helped expose abuses and mobilize the support of millions of people across Russia. For this, he was poisoned and thrown in jail, parliament President David Sassoli in a statement.

Sassoli called for the immediate release of Navalny, who is Putins biggest domestic foe.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (R) poses for the press in court in Moscow, Russia, on March 30, 2017. (AP Photo)

There was no immediate reaction to the award from the Kremlin, which denies any involvement in Navalnys poisoning.

The recognition of Navalny will further sour relations between the 27-nation bloc and Russia. These ties have been on the decline for years, especially following Moscows 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and its support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

The impact reverberated beyond the EU as well.

Days after Russia suspended its mission at NATO and ordered the closure of the alliances office in Moscow in retaliation for NATOs expulsion of Russian diplomats, the organizations chief said he embraced the news.

I welcome the fact that a strong voice  in Russia has been awarded this prize, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, adding that the prize also was a call for his unconditional release from prison and to have an international investigation into it.

Stoltenberg recalled that NATO considered the treatment of Navalny as part of a pattern where we see that Russia has become more oppressive at home and more aggressive abroad.

Russias treatment of Navalny has only exacerbated matters. The EU has been calling for his immediate and unconditional release in what it sees as a politically motivated imprisonment and has said it holds Moscow responsible for his health.

The EU imposed sanctions last year on six senior Russian officials for their alleged involvement in the poisoning of Navalny.

With the standoff between Brussels and Moscow continuing, the move by European legislators in awarding the prize to Navalny put it back at the heart of the political debate.

It is an important signal, also to the Kremlin, that the EU will not give in to pressure and blackmail or be fooled by empty promises, said Sergey Lagodinsky, a Greens/EFA MEP from Germany.

Navalnys top associate Leonid Volkov said the prize showed that hundreds of lawmakers from different countries and parties had reached a consensus that the fight against corruption is an issue for all of Europe and that Navalny is political prisoner No. 1 in the world and Putins personal captive.

Europe understands that we are fighting to make Russia a normal European country, which it will become, and supports it, he said in a post on Facebook.

Ruslan Shaveddinov, another member of Navalnys team, told The Associated Press that Russian authorities may want this to be forgotten as soon as possible, but we see that European politicians believe that this issue is important and send quite a clear message that no one forgot and that they demand Alexei Navalnys release.

He said Navalnys associates will do everything possible to win his freedom, and will continue their anti-corruption investigations, political and public campaigns and protests.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell tweeted that the prize is a recognition of Navalnys commitment to defending democracy in Russia, at great personal cost, adding that the EU wants his immediate and unconditional release.

Awarding the prize to Navalny will keep his name in the news, which is a priority for his supporters, said Ben Noble, associate professor of Russian politics at University College London.

Its unlikely to improve his conditions in prison or help his position as it currently stands, added Noble, co-author of Navalny: Putins Nemesis, Russias Future?

He told AP that one worrying implication is that the award could have a negative effect  that this adds to Moscows narrative of foreign interference, of what they claim is a concerted Western attempt to interfere in the countrys domestic affairs.

The EU award, named for Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, was created in 1988 to honor individuals or groups who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms. Sakharov, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, died in 1989.

It was the second straight year it has gone to those challenging authoritarian leaders. Last year, it went to the Belarus opposition movement and its leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, for their challenge to President Alexander Lukashenkos rule following a widely disputed election in 2020.
This undated file aerial view shows the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M. (The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Judge Declines to Block Vaccine Mandate for Los Alamos Lab Workers

A New Mexico judge on Oct. 15 rejected a request by dozens of workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory to block a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The mandate, which took effect on the afternoon of Oct. 15, was challenged by a total of 114 workers at the laboratory, which was the birthplace of the atomic bomb.

The plaintiffs claimed that Triad National Security LLC, the contractor that runs the lab for the U.S. Department of Energy, is violating their constitutional rights and that some exemptions for the mandate, which was first announced in August, had been unduly denied.

The employees also alleged that some had been harassed by lab management for not being vaccinated against COVID-19, creating a hostile work environment. One employee was allegedly screamed at and told he and his family deserved to die for being unvaccinated.

Attorneys for the Los Alamos National Laboratory argued in court on Oct. 14 that being vaccinated against COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, was a condition of working at the facility.

State District Judge Jason Lidyard agreed, saying unvaccinated employees will have to find work elsewhere. The plaintiffs include scientists, nuclear engineers, project managers, research technicians, and others, and some have worked for the lab for decades.

Under the new rules, individuals who are granted religious exemptions will be placed on leave without pay or be forced to use vacation time. Those who have yet to receive their second dose will be placed on unpaid leave or have to use up vacation time until fully vaccinated.

Its not clear how many lab employees have requested exemptions or how many could be terminated for refusing to comply. The lab said last week that more than 96 percent of workers had at least one dose of the vaccine.

The safety and health of our employees remains our top priority as we fulfill our national security mission, and as a result our vaccine mandate remains in effect, lab spokeswoman Jennifer Talhelm said in a statement on Oct. 15.

The plaintiffs are considering an appeal, according to Jonathan Diener, an attorney representing the workers. He said the plaintiffs have requested a jury trial.

The main thing is we wanted to stop people from being thrown out of work, the attorney said.

Los Alamos National Laboratory didnt immediately respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times.

The laboratory currently employs nearly 14,000 people, making it one of New Mexicos largest employers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Editors note: This article was further edited for clarity.
A police van leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court after Ali Harbi Ali appeared charged with the murder of Southend West MP Sir David Amess, in London on Oct. 21, 2021. (James Manning/PA)

Killer of UK Lawmaker Accused of Plotting to Kill an MP 2 Years Ago

The man who was charged with the murder of Sir David Amess has allegedly been plotting to kill a member of Parliament since 2019.

Ali Harbi Ali, who was charged on Thursday with murder and preparation of terrorist acts, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on the same day.

The 25-year-old was arrested on Oct. 15 after Amess, a 69-year-old MP for Southend West, was fatally stabbed while meeting local voters at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea.

During a short hearing that lasted for just over 13 minutes, the court heard that Ali allegedly settled on a plot to kill an MP two years ago, focusing on two MPs other than Amess.

He is said to have carried out reconnaissance at one of their homes, the surgery of another, and the Houses of Parliament.

In the UK, most MPs hold so-called surgeriesoften on a weekly basiswhere their constituents can meet them to raise issues.

Ali allegedly murdered Amess while the two met in one of such surgeries.

Prosecutor James Cable said Ali travelled by train from his home in Kentish Town, north London, to get to Belfairs Methodist Church after making a midday appointment by email, claiming he was moving to the area.

During the meeting, he was allegedly seen using his mobile phone before standing up, producing a large knife from his pocket, and stabbing Amess in the stomach.

The veteran MP was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:10 p.m. and a preliminary post-mortem report gave the cause of death as multiple stab wounds to the chest.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) alleges the murder has a terrorist connection because of its religious and ideological motives.

Prosecutors allege Ali was affiliated with the ISIS terrorist group and targeted Amess over the MPs voting record in support of airstrikes on Syria.

During the hearing, Ali only spoke to confirm his name, address, and date of birth.

He has not been asked to enter pleas to the charges against him.

Earlier on Thursday, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes said a large team of detectives had been working around the clock to find out as much as they can about what happened and why.

That work has included searches at a number of London addresses, he said.

Our advanced forensics team analysed digital devices and carried out a painstaking review of CCTV footage, he added.

Jukes also urged the members of the public who have potentially useful information to come forward.

Also speaking on Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he couldnt comment on the case, but he hopes Amesss family and all those who love him can get the justice they deserve as fast as possible.

Ali is due to appear at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales on Friday.

PA contributed to this report.
Man Accused of Raping Woman on Philadelphia Train Is Illegal Immigrant With Criminal Record

The man accused of allegedly raping a woman on a passenger train in Philadelphia is also an illegal immigrant with a criminal record.

Fiston Ngoy, arrested last week following the incident, reportedly came to the United States in 2012 on a student visa that was later terminated after he ended university studies.

The new information was first reported by Tucker Carlson on his program Tucker Carlson Tonight on Wednesday.

Ngoys multiple arrests included two misdemeanor convictions, including one related to controlled substances and another regarding sexual abuse. The events led to Ngoy entering immigration detention in January 2018 but he was later released.

Ngoy was arrested following the incident that took place in front of numerous witnesses riding on the train. Reportedly, no one intervened in an attempt to stop the sexual assault. A SEPTA employee who observed the suspicious activity reported it via a 911 call.

The perpetrator claimed the acts were consensual. The woman said Ngoy ignored her pleas to stop, an account investigators confirmed using surveillance footage from the train.

Ngoy has been arrested for sexual assault and related crimes following the event. He is being held under a $180,000 bond with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 25. His last known address is listed as homeless.

On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, a woman riding a SEPTA train from Philadelphia was sexually assaulted. Law enforcement intervened and arrested the perpetrator at a SEPTA stop located in Delaware County. As District Attorney, it is my intention to prosecute the perpetrator to the full extent of the law, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said in a statement Wednesday.

The district attorney expressed his outrage over the incident taking place among witnesses. He communicated, however, the importance of witnesses coming forward with any information that would help in the case.

While I share the publics outrage that such a heinous crime could occur on a public SEPTA train, I want to reiterate that Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of a passenger who may have witnessed a crime. Accordingly, any passenger who believes he or she may have observed the October 13th event on the SEPTA train should not fear prosecution, Stollsteimer added.
An image of slain British Conservative lawmaker David Amess is displayed near the altar in St Peters Catholic Church before a vigil in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, on Oct. 15, 2021. (Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo)

Man Charged With Murder, Terrorist Offense Following UK Lawmakers Death

A 25-year-old man has been charged with the murder of British politician Sir David Amess.

Ali Harbi Ali, of north London, was charged with murder and the preparation of terrorist acts on Oct. 21, the Metropolitan Police stated. The charges were authorized by the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) Special Crime and Counter-Terrorism Division (SCCTD), the police said.

Ali was arrested on Oct. 15 after Amess, a 69-year-old Member of Parliament (MP) for Southend West, was fatally stabbed while meeting with local voters at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea. He remains in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey court in London on Oct. 22.

Matt Jukes, assistant commissioner for specialist operations, called the charge a significant milestone.

Jukes extended his deepest condolences to Amesss family, friends, and colleagues and asked for restraint in speculation over the background, history, and motivation of the defendant in order to ensure future court proceedings are not prejudiced in any way.

Nick Price, head of the SCCTD, said the CPS will submit to the court that this murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations.

He also reminded all concerned that the legal proceeding is ongoing and that Ali has the right to a fair trial.

According to a previous report by The Sunday Times, Ali is the British-born son of Harbi Ali Kullane, a former adviser to the prime minister of Somalia. The newspaper reported that Kullane had confirmed that his son was in police custody and said he was very traumatized by what happened.

Its not something that I expected or even dreamt of, Kullane said, The Sunday Times reported.

The killing of Amess marked the second fatal attack on a sitting British lawmaker in their constituency within the past five years. In 2016, Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered in her small-town constituency in a fatal shooting a week ahead of the Brexit referendum by Neo-Nazi Thomas Mair.

Before that, Labour MP Stephen Timms survived a stabbing in his constituency office in 2010 by Islamic extremist Roshonara Choudhry.

In 2017, a police officer and four pedestrians were killed in a terrorist attack targeting Westminster by British-born Islamic terrorist Khalid Masood.

Politicians across the political spectrum have said theyve received threats during their careers.

Home Secretary Priti Patel told MPs on Oct. 20 that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, a branch of MI5, had raised the threat level facing Members of the House to substantial.

Patel assured MPs that security and intelligence agencies and counterterror police will ensure the change is properly reflected in their operational posture and urged MPs to make use of the resources available to them to ensure their safety and the safety of their staff and the public.
Medical History to Be Checked as Britain Tightens Rules for Gun Licences

Police will have to check someones medical history before issuing a gun licence in the wake of the mass shooting in Plymouth, the UK Government has confirmed.

From Nov. 1, all firearms applications must be accompanied by a medical document signed by a registered, practising doctor, the Home Office said.

New statutory guidance published on Wednesday sets out how any relevant health recordsparticularly any information on mental health, neurological conditions, and substance abusewill have to be reviewed as part of the process.

It means police, for the first time, will be legally required to follow the guidance to help improve standards and consistency across forces in the UK.

Police have also been told to review an applicants social media accounts and financial history as well as carry out domestic violence checks in cases where officers believe more evidence is needed before authorizing a licence.

The Home Office said: Background checks which can be conducted by the police are already extensive, spanning everything from criminal convictions and previous run-ins with the law, to evidence of domestic turmoil, un-managed debt, or even dishonesty.

Existing laws also require a home visit by the police for first-time applicants, to ensure they have utmost confidence in an individuals suitability to own a gun with no risk to public. Two credible referees for a firearm and one for a shotgun must be provided before a licence can be issued.

Undated file photo of Jake Davison, posted on his Facebook page. (Jake Davison/Facebook/PA)

Jake Davison, 22, killed five people in the Keyham area of the Devon port city earlier this year before turning the gun on himself.

The apprentice crane operator had received mental health support during the COVID-19 lockdown from a local telephone helpline.

His social media usage suggested an obsession with incel culture, meaning involuntary celibate, as well as an interest in guns.

Questions remain over how he was permitted to have a firearms licence.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the decision by the Devon and Cornwall force to return Davisons shotgun certificate and weapon to him.

They had been seized in December last year following an assault allegation the previous September and were returned to him in July.

Although the UK has some of the toughest firearms laws in the world, Home Secretary Priti Patel said we must never become complacent about these high standards, adding, This new guidance prioritizes public safety above all else and we have taken considerable care to ensure it is comprehensive and enforceable, having worked closely with the medical, policing, and shooting sectors.

The British Medical Association, which helped develop the guidance, said it makes clear doctors are responsible for providing medical evidence but the police force will make the final decision on issuing the licence.

The organisations Dr. Mark Sanford-Wood said, As doctors we support the Governments overall messagethat gun ownership is a privilege and not a rightand that firearms must be in the hands of only those who are deemed safe and responsible.

Debbie Tedds, the Chief Constable for Warwickshire Police who leads the National Police Chiefs Councils work on firearms licensing, welcomed the guidance and said, Policing take this matter incredibly seriously and any advancement on the already extensive checks will help to ensure that only those who are safe to carry a firearms licence will receive one.

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) said while the guidance will allow applicants to choose who completes their medical verification if their GP states they are opposed to shooting or insists on excessive fees, they warned that flaws remain in the process and urged the Government to listen again to those who want a pragmatic, cost-efficient licensing system that is fit for purpose.

By Flora Thompson
Members Leave Chapman Fundraising Group Due to Universitys Woke Posture

Several former members of Women of Chapman (WOC) left the fundraising organization that supports Chapman University due to differences in opinion regarding school policy and the retirement of John Eastman, the universitys former dean of law, who left the school after speaking at the Jan. 6 Save America rally in Washington.

Orange County resident Anne Manassero, past president and board member of WOC for more than 18 years, told The Epoch Times that things began to unravel for her and others when she tried to find out the details surrounding Eastmans retirement.

Because members of the WOC board act as community ambassadors for the university, answering questions and recruiting new members to the group, Manassero said she felt it was an appropriate move to leave the organization, given the circumstances.

Steering committee members were being asked about what had happened with John Eastman, and all we knew about his retirement was coming from conflicting media coverage, Manassero said. We were just looking for information  It wasnt meant to be anything political or divisive.

Manassero said that a letter to the Los Angeles Times signed by dozens of Chapman faculty and board of trustees members seemed to be the driving factor in Eastmans departure. But she felt there had to be more than one side to the story.

Last month, 159 Chapman University faculty members signed a statement of outrage that law professor John Eastman was using his university credentials in a spurious lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court. At the time, we did not call for his ouster, the letter reads.

But his actions Wednesday that helped incite a riot against the U.S. government put matters into a different realm. They should disqualify him from the privilege of teaching law to Chapman students and strip him of the honor of an endowed chair.

After the letter was published, Manassero said she still believed that Eastman had plenty of support at the school.

We were finding it difficult to understand how a group of vocal protestors coming out against Dr. Eastman would result in his leaving, because we also knew that he had a lot of support, perhaps less vocal. But nevertheless, not everyone thought he had done anything so severe that he would agree to leave Chapman after such a long and distinguished career, Manassero said.

Chapman University law professor John Eastman (L) watches as Rudy Giuliani speaks to supporters from The Ellipse near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Eastman Retires

On Jan. 13, Chapman University President Daniele Struppa sent a statement to the Chapman community about Eastmans resignation.

After discussions over the course of the last week, Dr. John Eastman and Chapman University have reached an agreement pursuant to which he will retire from Chapman, effective immediately, Struppa said. Dr. Eastmans departure closes this challenging chapter for Chapman and provides the most immediate and certain path forward for both the Chapman community and Dr. Eastman. Chapman and Dr. Eastman have agreed not to engage in legal actions of any kind, including any claim of defamation that may currently exist, as both parties move forward.

The university is not able to comment further on the specifics of confidential personnel matters and will make no further statements on this matter.

After his departure, Eastman posted a statement about his decision to retire in The American Mind, a publication of Claremont Institute, where Eastman directs its Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence.

It is with mixed feeling that I announce my retirement from Chapman University today. Apart from prominent visitorships at the University of San Diego and the University of Colorado Boulder, my entire academic career has been as a professor and Dean at the Chapman University Fowler School of Law.

Pointing to his strong working relationship with Struppa, Eastman fired back at his accusers.

But I cannot extend such praise to some of my colleagues on the campus or to the few members of the Board of Trustees who have published false, defamatory statements about me without even the courtesy of contacting me beforehand to discuss, he said. I am grateful that not a single one of my colleagues at the Law School signed such a defamatory letter.

To my knowledge, not one of the faculty signers has a law degree, and the three members of the Board of Trustees who are lawyers (and hyper-partisan Democrats) are clearly not well-versed in the constitutional questions at issueeither the Article II role of legislatures or the definition of the incitement exception to the First Amendments freedom of speech. Nevertheless, these 169 have created such a hostile environment for me that I no longer wish to be a member of the Chapman faculty, and am therefore retiring from my position, effective immediately.

Leaving Women of Chapman

For those of us who chose to leave the [WOC] organization, we felt like the situation was badly handled, that a small group of highly vocal people were heard, but that there was no other public discussion about Eastmans side of the story, which if you read his statement, is incredibly compelling and undermines the protestors claims, which ultimately led to his departure, Manassero said. That didnt feel right, and we decided we just couldnt support a university that would treat a distinguished, tenured professor in that manner simply because his politics were different than those of his critics.

Thats when we began to realize that the university is turning towards taking this whole woke posture, and we decided that that that is not acceptable for those of us who have spent a significant amount of time, energy, and money in supporting Chapman all these years. Were concerned about the direction of the school.

Chapman University has meant a lot to us, to me personally. This whole thing makes me very sad.

Anne Manassero holds a pumpkin at Manassero Farms in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 7, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

50 Years of Fundraising

Founded in 1971 with 35 initial members, WOC has grown to have more than 200 members. The organization has hosted numerous educational and philanthropic events, including its signature annual fundraiser Christmas at The Ritz. It has also given more than $8.8 million to the university through funding student scholarships, as well as various capital campaigns and programs across campus.

Currently, the group has committed to more than $2 million in pledges to support the Keck Center of Science and Engineering and the Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine. WOC has also contributed to Chapmans CU Safely Back Fund and underwritten a portion of the Provosts Arts and Lecture Series, as well as Dodge Colleges Women of Chapman Distinguished Artist Series.
Mexican Agriculture Minister Victor Villalobos, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen tour the Seed Science Center in Ames, Iowa, on Oct. 20, 2021. (Tom Polansek/Reuters)

Mexicos Agriculture Minister Say Mexico Will Not Limit GMO Corn Imports From US

ANKENY, IowaMexicos agriculture minister said the country would not limit imports of genetically modified (GMO) corn from the United States during a meeting with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in Iowa on Wednesday.

Mexico published an executive order late last year that sought to ban in three years the use of GMO corn for human consumption, but did not define what products would be included, generating confusion in the agriculture industry. The government pledged to substitute imports with local production by 2024.

Mexico is the No. 2 buyer of U.S. corn after China. Mexican Agriculture Minister Victor Villalobos said Mexico would not allow the cultivation of GMO corn but would allow imports from the United States.

We will continue requiring and demanding yellow corn from the United States, he told reporters. He said Mexico depended on yellow corn for agro industries.

Vilsack said seeds are the next thing the Department of Agriculture will look at under a Biden administration order on competition.

The administration plans to take a look at the seed industry and why its structured the way its structured, Vilsack said. You wonder whether these long patents make sense.

Companies, including Bayer AG and Corteva Inc., develop genetically modified seeds and herbicides that other companies can only produce once a patent expires. Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2016, has long been dominant in the U.S. market.

Bayer and Corteva did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

By Tom Polansek
The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 12, 2021. (Staff/Reuters)

Miners, Weak Earnings Drag European Stocks Lower

European stocks retreated from six-week highs on Thursday, with miners leading the declines on renewed concerns about Chinas property sector, while mixed quarterly updates from companies dampened risk appetite.

The Europe-wide STOXX 600 index fell 0.2 percent due to a dour mood in global markets following the collapse of a $2.6 billion asset sale at indebted developer China Evergrande Group.

European miners, which have a large exposure to China, shed 2.5 percent. UK-listed shares of Anglo American fell 3.7 percent even though it reported a 2 percent rise in overall production in the third quarter.

Worries about Chinas plan to bring down coal prices hit high-flying metal prices on Wednesday.

Chinas macro cycle has troughed, but growth remains subdued, said Andreas Bruckner, Bank of Americas European equity strategist, who earlier this month set a year-end target of 420 for the STOXX 600, implying a fall of about 10 percent from current levels.

The downside risks relative to our projections are increasing, given the potential additional drag from supply-chain disruptions, energy shortages in Europe and China, the intensifying debt crisis in Chinas property sector, and the risk of a central bank policy mistake.

Swiss engineering and tech group ABB tumbled nearly 6 percent after it lowered its full-year sales forecast and warned of shortages of components, while Swedens AB Volvo fell about 0.8 percent after it said chip shortages hampered production of its trucks.

There was no relief for banking stocks either. The sector fell 0.9 percent even though UKs Barclays and Finlands Nordea reported upbeat quarterly results.

Defensive sectors lent support to European bourses as personal and household goods index rose 0.7 percent on the back of Unilevers third-quarter earnings beat.

Luxury stocks were also higher after Birkin bag maker Hermes rose 0.8 percent on strong quarterly sales.

Cartier-owner Richemont advanced 0.4 percent after HSBC raised the brand to buy from hold, citing its leadership and momentum in the jewellery industry.

By Anisha Sircar
Harley and Connie Baker at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Gallo Center for the Arts  Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, in Modesto, on Oct. 19, 2021. (Zhou Rong/The Epoch Times)

MODESTO, Calif.The beauty of divine being dancing, is the meaning behind the name, Shen Yun Performing Arts. Harley Baker, a professor, was struck by the emotions and sincerity of Shen Yuns dancers.

Their movements were well-choreographed  synchronized, well-articulated with the music. It moved me emotionally, Prof. Baker said.

He also felt the sincerity of the dancers through their expressions. The modesty of the entire performance also struck Prof. Baker, who attended the performance with his wife Connie, a retired professor, who said the performance was phenomenal.

New York-based Shen Yun is focused on expressing traditional values and showcasing China before communism. The costumes in Shen Yuns performances reflect the attire of ancient China and the attire of the different ethnic groups of China.

I thought that was lovely that they didnt give in to the kind of sensationalism or Westernism of showing as much as they possibly can, the professor said. There was incredible modesty and incredible beauty in what they did.

The live animation characteristic of Shen Yuns performanceswhich bridges east and west in its orchestra, and old and new in its digital animationsextends the stage boundlessly. Dancers are seen dancing gracefully on the stage at one moment and then seen flying into the sky or diving deep into the ocean the next.

I thought that was brilliant, Prof. Baker said of the digital backdrops. It was just so well-integrated. It brought such a depth and dimension to everything.

It really felt like there was an entire universe on the stage.  Harley Baker

It really felt like there was an entire universe on the stage, he added.

Shen Yun Dancers Are Beautiful

Karen Wilson (L) and school teacher, Laurie, at Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Gallo Center for the Arts  Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, in Modesto, on Oct. 19, 2021. (Zhou Rong/The Epoch Times)

Karen Wilson, a financial analyst, said she enjoyed the performance so much that she will be recommending it to more people.

I hope [Shen Yun comes] back every year. I think more people need to see it, and I think more people need to know about it, Ms. Wilson said.

The dancers are beautifulthe skirts, the sleeves, everything. All of the scenes are very different.

She elaborated, saying, We get to see their faces and their smiles and their eyes, and their energy and their enthusiasm. Its very beautiful.

Reporting by Zhou Rong and Maria Han.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand, speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Oct. 21, 2021. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

New Zealand, UK Sign Historic Free Trade Deal

New Zealand and the United Kingdom have agreed in principle to a free trade deal that will boost New Zealands gross domestic product by almost $1 billion. It will also cut red tape for UK businesses, end tariffs on UK exports, create new opportunities for UK technology and services companies, and make it easier for UK professionals to live and work in New Zealand.

After 16 months of talks, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern agreed to the deal during a video call on Oct. 21, according to a statement by the British government.

Ardern said the free trade agreement was one of New Zealands best deals ever, coming at a crucial time in the countrys COVID-19 recovery.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and I spoke yesterday evening to mark this historic moment and its importance in forging a stronger and more dynamic future relationship between two close friends and partners, Ardern said in a statement.

This deal serves New Zealands economy and exporters well as we reconnect, rebuild and recover from COVID-19 and look forward into the future, she said.

The deal will immediately end to 97 percent of all duties on New Zealand exports to the United Kingdom, including on wine, honey, onions, dairy products, and most industrial products. It is expected to save NZ$37.8 million per year, based on current export volumes, Ardern said.

Further, New Zealand beef export volumes are expected to increase from 12,000 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes, while sheep meat exports are expected to increase by 15,000 tonnes.

Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a speech during the Global Investment Summit at the Science Museum in London on Oct. 19, 2021. (Leon Neal / Pool / AFP via Getty Images)

Johnson said the deal will benefit businesses and consumers across Britain by cutting costs for exporters and opening up access for our workers.

This is a fantastic week for Global Britain. On Tuesday, we raised almost 10bn in investment for the industries of the future, and this new deal will help drive green growth here and on the other side of the world in New Zealand, Johnson said in a statement.

Trade between the two countries was worth 2.3 billion (NZ$4.4 billion) last year.

The UK government said the new deal would see trade grow after removing barriers, allowing smaller businesses easier access to break into the New Zealand market and deepening access for British tech and services companies.

The United Kingdom and New Zealand are great friends and close partners. The historical connections that bind us run deep, Ardern said.

This world-leading free trade agreement lays the foundations for even stronger connections as both countries embark on a new phase in our relationship. It is good for our economies, our businesses and our people.

Tariffs as high as 10 percent will be removed from UK exports, ranging from clothing to buses, ships, bulldozers, and excavators. This will give British exporters an advantage to compete against rivals in the New Zealand market, according to the UK statement.

Among the British companies that will benefit from the removal of tariffs are Welsh auto companies that exported about 3.4 million of road vehicles to New Zealand last year.

Lawyers, architects, and other professionals will also benefit from improved business travel that will make it easier to set up companies in New Zealand.

UK International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the deal was a win-win.

It delivers for families, workers and businesses across Britain and sets the stage for greater cooperation between our two nations on global challenges like digital trade and climate change, she said.

It is a vital part of our plan to level up the country: slashing costs and red tape for exporters, building new trade routes for our services companies and refocusing Britain on the dynamic economies of the Asia-Pacific.

New Zealand is the second country to secure a new free trade deal with the United Kingdom post-Brexit and follows new UK free trade deals with Australia and Japan.

The United Kingdom was New Zealands seventh-largest trading partner pre-COVID-19, with two-way trade worth nearly NZ$6 billion in March 2020.
Climate Change Minister and Green co-leader James Shaw speaks at a press conference announcing the government's reforms to clean up waterways, in Wellington, New Zealand, on May 28, 2020. (Kevin Stent - Pool/Getty Images)

New Zealand Becomes First Country in the World to Pass Climate Change Disclosure Law

New Zealand has become the first country in the world to pass a law ensuring financial organizations disclose and act on climate-related risks and opportunities, the government announced on Thursday.

The Financial Sector (Climate-related Disclosures and Other Matters) Amendment Bill passed its third reading with the goal of driving New Zealands push toward carbon neutrality by 2050.

In a statement, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark and Climate Change Minister James Shaw said the bill was one of several actions New Zealands government is taking to meet its international obligations in achieving the carbon neutrality goal as required by the Climate Change Response Act 2002.

The bill would require roughly 200 financial market participants to clearly disclose the risks and opportunities climate change presents their business.

The new rules would apply to the largest financial firms in New Zealand, including banks, credit unions, and building societies with total assets of more than NZ$1 billion ($718.90 million), managers of registered investment schemes with more than NZ$1 billion in total assets under management, and licensed insurers with more than NZ$1 billion in total assets or annual premium income greater than NZ$250 million ($180 million), according to the Ministry for the Environment.

It would also apply to equity and debt issuers listed on the New Zealand stock exchange and Crown financial institutions with greater than NZ$1 billion in total assets under management, noting that the thresholds would be increased from time to time to reflect the movements in the consumer price index.

Currently, the majority of large New Zealand entities provide limited or no information on what climate change might mean to them, or are reporting in inconsistent ways, the ministry said.

The law will require disclosures for financial years beginning in 2023, subject to the publication of climate standards from New Zealands independent accounting standard setter, the External Reporting Board (XRB).

The XRBs climate standards will be based on the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) on Governance, Risk Management, Strategy, and Metrics and Targets, which are widely acknowledged as international best practice.

Both the Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister said in a statement on Oct. 21 that the new law will promote business certainty, raise expectations, and accelerate progress to create a level playing field.

Climate-related disclosures will bring climate risks and resilience into the heart of financial and business decision making. It will encourage entities to become more sustainable by factoring the short, medium, and long-term effects of climate change into their business decisions, Shaw said.

New Zealand is a world-leader in this area and the first country in the world to introduce mandatory climate-related reporting for the financial sector. We have an opportunity to pave the way for other countries to make climate-related disclosures mandatory, he added.
Newsom Proposes 3,200-Foot Buffer Between Oil Drilling, Communities

LOS ANGELESNew oil wells or drilling facilities in the state of California would have to be located at least 3,200 feet from homes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and other sensitive locations under proposed rules announced Oct. 21 by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Our reliance on fossil fuels has resulted in more kids getting asthma, more children born with birth defects and more communities exposed to toxic, dangerous chemicals, Newsom said in a statement. California is taking a significant step to protect the more than two million residents who live within a half-mile of oil drilling sites, many in low-income and communities of color.

We are committed to protecting public health, the economy and our environment as we transition to a greener future that reckons with the realities of the climate crisis were all facing.

Motorists and pedestrians in a shipping plaza near an oil derrick pump in Signal Hill, Calif., on Sept. 25, 2019. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Newsom made the announcement during a visit to Los Angeles.

The proposed regulations were put forward by the state Department of Conservations Geologic Energy Management Division.

The proposed 3,200-foot setback proposal was recommended by a 15-member panel of public health experts who concluded that close proximity to oil facilities can lead to higher rates of adverse birth outcomes, respiratory diseases such as asthma, and heart disease, among other health impacts, according to the governors office.

The 3,200-foot setback requirement would apply to new oil drilling facilities. Existing facilities within that buffer zone would be required to enact a series of pollution controls, although the health experts supported moving such facilities farther away from communities.

The Geologic Energy Management Division will accept public comment on the proposed rule for 60 days, after which it will conduct an economic analysis before submitting the rules to the Office of Administrative Law. The proposal will then undergo a further public comment process before taking effect.

According to the governors office, more than 2 million Californians live within a half-mile of oil drilling sites.
Ninth Australian Abattoir Suspended from Exporting to China

A ninth Australian abattoir has had its license to export to China suspended.

One of the countrys largest beef companies, Australian Country Choice (ACC), based in Brisbane, was notified by federal authorities that from Oct. 18, its trade to China had been blocked.

Chinese authorities supposedly detected a chemical substance used to treat bacterial infections in dogs in ACCs products.

The reasons provided to Department of Agriculture Water and Environment (DAWE) from Chinese authorities was that a frozen product received in China had failed a random sampling test for chloramphenicol on beef products inspected at the entry port of Ningbo, ACC CEO Anthony Lee said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

Anthony Lee, CEO of beef company Australian Country Choice. (Supplied)

The Export Meat Program at DAWE will request a second test be carried out by the General Administrations of Customs Chinaa standard practice.

Random product testing that could identify this drug is also conducted at other ports of entry to the EU, Korea, and Japan, among others, he said.

While the beef product that failed the test was not ACCs, nor from ACC livestock or feedlots, it was processed on behalf of a branded non-packer export customer and exported under ACCs establishment 1620 licence.

Given the supply chain processes were beyond ACCs control, it is clearly a huge disappointment and major disruption to its business and its customers branded programs into China.

In the absence of a China licence, the company will now focus on alternative markets.

Other companies to have had their meat exports suspended include Queenslands Kilcoy Pastoral Company, Beef City (owned by JBS Group), John Dee, and Meramist; New South Wales Northern Cooperative Meat Company; and Victorias Australian Lamb Company and JBS Brooklyn.

Jeffrey Wilson of the Perth USAsia Centre said the nature of food safety inspections in China meant we will never know for sure whether this abattoir ban is a political act by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) or not.

Fundamentally, the international trade rules for food safety are based on trust (we all agree to leave it to the scientists). So, when trust collapses, e.g., when the PRC starts directing their safety inspectors to make non-scientific callstheres not a lot you can do, he wrote on Twitter.

David Littleproud, federal agriculture minister, said the latest suspension was a reminder of the need to create, maintain, and expand market access for all agricultural exporters.

Despite information being provided to Chinese authorities and our efforts at a government, departmental, diplomatic and counsellor level, suspensions remain in place, the minister said in a statement to the ABC on Oct. 21.

The latest episode comes as Australia continues to expose Beijings use of economic coercion against other countries.

Australian beef is seen at a supermarket in Beijing on May 12, 2020 (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

On Oct. 20, Australias ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), George Mina, released a statement as part of the global bodys regular Trade Policy Review process.

It said that while increased engagement from Beijing was welcome, it had made little progress in adopting WTO principles and that it needed to adhere more closely to market-oriented principles.

Since its last review, China has increasingly tested global trade rules and norms by engaging in practices that are inconsistent with its WTO commitments. Australia is one of numerous WTO members that has experienced this first-hand, the statement read.

China says these actions reflect legitimate concerns, but there is a growing body of information that demonstrates Chinas actions are motivated by political considerations, it continued.

Beijings trade strikes against Australia, which have swept up a range of industriesincluding barley, coal, cotton, hay, logs, meat, rock lobsters, and winebegan soon after Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19 in April 2020.
North Carolina Parent Seeks to Halt Medical Tribalism in Schools

A North Carolina parent seeks to prohibit medical tribalism in schools after his child reported school officials differentiating between the vaccinated and unvaccinated students.

Chad Slotta spoke of two reported incidents to The Epoch Times: one in which his child recorded a Wake County school principal advising students over the intercom to get vaccinated, and the other in which a teacher had asked for a show of hands of who has had the COVID-19 vaccine and who hasnt.

Slotta read the principals quote from what was recorded at a Wake County School Board meeting on Sept. 7: I spent the last three or four days on the phone all day talking with students and parents who were forced into quarantine. If you are not vaccinated, I encourage you to seek out a vaccine if you are able to get one.

In the meeting, Slotta asked the board to issue directives to all school officials that medical recommendations, including those regarding taking specific medications, remain between the parent and the child.

If I have to sign a waiver that says my child is allowed to take an Ibuprofen, certainly I should have the say on if my child gets the vaccine, Slotta said.

He also asked that the board issue a directive precluding teachers from inquiring about a students vaccination status, or any other private medical information.

I advocate for a students right to privacy and secondly a parents exclusive and inviolable right to make all medical decisions and recommendations for their children without the influence or interference of a school official, Slotta told the board. Children rightly listen to and obey the authority figures in their lives. This administrator overstepped their authority in an unwise and an unethical manner.

Transgressed Lines

A line of demarcation has been transgressed, Slotta said.

It really concerned me, he said. I was very clear. I said I wasnt there to argue for or against the wisdom of any vaccine, mask, or any other medical decision related to the current pandemic. I was specifically addressing a parents right to make those medical recommendations and decisions for their children.

There could be numerous reasons why parents arent allowing their kids to get the vaccine, he said.

Vested Interest

One of the Wake County school systems sources on COVID-19 policy is the ABC Science Collaborative (pdf), coordinated by Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), a government agency that also has what NIH Director Francis Collins said in 2020 was a particular stake in the intellectual property of the Moderna vaccine.

The NIH is currently under criticism for its funding of gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where the first outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus occurred.

Youve got the NIH with a financial interest in the Moderna vaccine funding the ABC Science Collaborative, which is coming into school districts promoting vaccine mandates, Slotta said. That doesnt mean that their advice is necessarily bad. What it does mean to me is that this information should be shared with parents. It should be pointed out that the school districts are listening to organizations who happen to be funded by people who have a vested interest in the vaccines.

When this information is not disclosed, it sadly creates doubt, Slotta said.

I think thats something that we are seeing in our culture, he said. There is a mishandling with the rollout of this information that may be unnecessarily creating doubt where it might not need to be.

Slotta emphasized that he and his family are not anti-vaccine, however, he said the money trails running through the COVID-19 vaccine narrative are concerning.

Creating Tension

Now you have a school administrator telling students to go get vaccinated, and that may very well put a child against their mom or dad at home in terms of creating tension, Slotta said.

Just by having a show of hands, the blatant violation of students right to privacy can lead to dividing students into groups, pitting them against not just their parents, but against one another, Slotta said.

We must never divide students into groups of any kind, Slotta said. We must never allow medical tribalism or any other form of tribalism to be taught or to take hold in our schools.

While tribalism is festering in many areas of the country, Slotta said, its not the way to raise children.

We are teaching the future leadership of this country, and we will certainly reap from the seeds that we are sowing, so I hope, as it relates to tribalism on a number of levels, that we make wise decisions here, Slotta said.

Wake County School District Response

When reached for comment, the communications director for the Wake County School system said the school district doesnt ask for the COVID-19 vaccination status of its students and has no plans to do so.

In accordance with North Carolina law, however, the school district is required to collect other vaccination information, such as measles, mumps, and rubella.
North Korea Says Its Sub-Launched Missile Didnt Target US

SEOUL, South KoreaNorth Korea hit back at U.S. criticism over its test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile this week, saying it was rightfully exercising its rights for self-defense and that the weapon doesnt specifically target the United States.

The comments by an unidentified spokesperson of the Norths Foreign Ministry on Thursday came as the U.N. Security Council was set to hold an emergency closed-door meeting over the launch at the request of the United States and the United Kingdom.

Tuesdays launch of a new ballistic missile from a submarine was the Norths first test of such weaponry in two years and the most significant demonstration of its military might since President Joe Biden took office.

Washington condemned the launch, which underscored how the North continues to expand its military capabilities amid a freeze in nuclear diplomacy and called for Pyongyang to engage in sustained and substantive dialogue.

In comments published by Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency, the North Korean spokesperson said its recent test posed no immediate threat to neighboring countries and that there was no need for Washington to agonize over a weapon that doesnt specifically target the United States.

The spokesperson said Pyongyang is truly concerned over what it sees as an abnormal reaction by the United States over a rightful exercise of its rights to defense and described Washingtons efforts to set up the U.N. Security Council meeting as a provocative move.

When doing the recent test-firing, we did not have the U.S. in mind nor aimed at it, but it is the work which had already been planned purely for the defense of the country, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson noted that the United States already possesses submarine-launched ballistic missile systems and said it was exposing its double standards by criticizing the North for pursuing the same weaponry. That only raises the Norths suspicions about the sincerity of the Biden administrations statements that it harbors no hostility toward the North, the spokesperson said.

Ending a months-long lull in September, North Korea has been ramping up its weapons tests while making conditional peace offers to Seoul, reviving a pattern of pressuring South Korea to try to get what it wants from the United States.

Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled for more than two years over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea and the Norths denuclearization steps.

Since his fallout with the Trump administration, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen his nuclear deterrent in face of what he described as U.S. pressure and threats.

His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations open-ended offer to resume talks, saying that Washington must abandon its hostile policy, a term North Korea mainly refers to sanctions and U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises.

North Korea has been pushing hard for years to acquire the ability to fire nuclear-armed missiles from submarines. The submarine missiles are the next key piece in an arsenal that includes a variety of weapons, including ones with the potential range to reach American soil.

Still, experts say it would take years, large amounts of resources, and major technological improvements for the heavily sanctioned nation to build at least several submarines that could travel quietly in seas and reliably execute strikes.

Bidens special envoy for North Korea, Sung Kim, is scheduled to meet with U.S. allies in Seoul over the weekend to discuss prospects of reviving talks with North Korea.

By Kim Tong-Hyung
A couple ride along the harbour in Sydney on June 26, 2021, as Australia's largest city entered a two-week lockdown to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Pandemic Is Far From Over: Australian Treasury Secretary

Australian Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy has warned that the pandemic is far from over and the country needs to remain vigilant against the risks associated with the CCP virus.

As we move through 2021, the pandemic is far from over. We have witnessed the consequences and impacts of second and third waves around the world and within Australia, Kennedy said in the latest Treasury Annual Report.

He said the vaccination rollout in Australia is expected to reduce the risk of death and the speed of transmission of the virus.

But uncertainties remain, including about how the nature of the virus could change over time, and so the risks to Australia and the global economy remain heightened, Kennedy said.

Kennedy added that the Treasury would continue to advise the federal government and implement policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and support economic recovery.

COVID-19, a once-in-a-century pandemic, continues to deliver an enormous shock to our economy, Treasury said. Our purpose remains at the forefront as we assist the governments economic response to outbreaks and long-term recovery efforts.

ANZ Research noted the recent lift in activity after New South Wales (NSW) eased restrictions. Google searches for government support have plummeted to the lowest point since the Delta outbreak began.

ANZ also found that interest in flights to Brisbane surged after Queensland announced its border reopening roadmap and its intention to reopen to fully vaccinated individuals by Christmas.

People swim at Burleigh Heads beach in Gold Coast, Australia, on May 16, 2020. (Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, National Australia Banks quarterly business survey, conducted from Aug. 17 to Sept. 9, shows that business confidence and conditions fell sharply during the September quarter, but are still optimistic of a strong rebound.

While conditions deteriorated sharply, they didnt fall to the depths seen during the first lockdowns in 2020. That shows the resilience that the economy has built up by adapting to past lockdowns, as well as the residual strength from earlier in the year and the impact of government support, NAB Group chief economist Alan Oster.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that over the fortnight to Sept. 25, payroll jobs went up by 0.2 percent after falling 0.6 percent during the previous fortnight.

The National Skills Commission also found that the number of online job advertisements increased by 4.9 percent nationally during September, after three months of consecutive drops due to the Delta outbreak. This figure was led by NSW, where ads increased 16.7 percent.
Sam Stanfield in front of her home in Portland, Maine, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Sarah Jane Photography for The Epoch Times

Pay-to-Move Programs Revitalize Small Towns

Small cities and rural areas have discovered they can trade dollars for citizens to revitalize their economies.

Dozens of American towns facing population losses are now offering as much as $15,000 to those who move there and stay for at least one year. Most offer about $10,000.

In a world where many people work remotely, this inducementplus lower taxes, wider spaces, and other local amenitiesgives small towns a large advantage in attracting people, said Bob Ross, the spokesman for the Choose Topeka Initiative in Topeka, Kansas.

The economic impact far exceeds the $10,000, said Ross. If you really think about it, $10,000 isnt a huge amount when you consider the fact that youre coming here to purchase a home.

The Topeka initiative pays people up to $15,000 to move to the citynearly a fourth of the areas average salary. The city chose this number because it was the estimated cost of moving from the coast to Topeka, Ross said.

Half the money comes from local employer-signing bonuses, and the city provides the rest, he said.

Despite the outlay, the city makes its investment back and more after just one year, he added.

A crowd of people at a food truck festival in Topeka, Kansas. (Bob Ross/Greater Topeka Partnership)

There is a dollar impact, he said. Theyre bringing partners with them which often have jobs as well. Theyre buying homes and theyre shopping at businesses.

When a person moves to an area, they bring much more than their tax dollars, Ross said. They add their own personal contributions to the community.

What Ive enjoyed about the 54 people that have moved here is almost to a person, theyre very adventurous, he said. Theyre very eager to become a part of a place. Theyre choosing a smaller city because they want to make an impact there.

Since its start in 2019, Topekas paid-move program has brought in an estimated 200 people, he said.

For decades, towns have attempted to attract businesses to get people, said Ross. Now, paying people directly cuts out the middleman.

Do you really need an Amazon headquarters? Or do you just need 50 to 100 of those Amazon workers able to enter the community? he asked. Thats the real value that comes out of those businesses coming into your community.

Population Maintenance

As with many rural places in America, Topekas population has been declining. In the past decade, it dropped by 1 percent.

Experts argue over which factors bear the most responsibility for this demographic change, although the results are indisputable. Towns disappear, local tax bases are strained, and communities die. A shrinking town is a dying town.

Although Ross said the program was started as a talent-attraction move, statistics suggest that it may balance out the towns population decline. If it continues to succeed at the same rate, the city will nearly match its population departure rate.

Weve been working so aggressively over the last decade to revitalize our city and to really transform it, he said.

For other cities, paid-move programs have the primary goal of attracting population. In the 15,000-person town of Newton, Iowa, the local government currently pays people $10,000 to build new houses.

After the 2008 housing crisis, Newton struggled to add housing, said Bruce Showalter, the towns housing director.

In 2011, we had zero starts and zero housing permits taken out, he said.

The town then hired a consulting company, which announced, following a study, that Newton was dying. In response, civic leaders came up with a revitalization plan, under which Newton would pay $10,000 to anyone who bought a newly constructed home in the area. With this initiative, the city could fix both its housing and population issues.

The two reasons were to build and maintain our population and to increase our tax base, said Showalter.

Since the beginning of the program in 2014, the city has assisted in the building of 100 new houses.

Paying the incentive for these houses cost Newton $1 million. To raise the funds, the city sold bonds, Showalter said.

Tax growth from the increased population is enough to pay for the bonds, he said.

Its paying itself back pretty much and with the population growth, the city council is very happy.

Chris Giesen, the economic development authority coordinator for a similar program in Harmony, Minnesota, said he also was confident his program could quickly pay for itself.

If you have a $255,000 house, the city will collect about $12,000 in five years, he said. So its a way of foregoing those dollars for a little bit of time.

Pandemic Plus-Sides

In some ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has gifted paid-move programs with a golden opportunity, Showalter says.

You can live anywhere and still do your job remotely, he said.

Statistics support his observation, as many urban dwellers have relocated to rural areas during COVID-19.

Maine has seen a surge of applicants to its student-loan-repayment program during the pandemic, said Katie Shorey, the engagement director of the nonprofit Live and Work in Maine. Students who move to, or stay in, Maine get some student-loan payments reimbursed by the state using tax credits. In 2019, Maine reimbursed $30 million in student loans.

Many urbanites are moving to rural Maine because they want to be outdoors.

If you were in a city during COVID, you were like, Oh my God, I am confined in these walls and in these streets, she said. I was able to get outside and snowshoe and walk in the woods.

From its start in 2008, the Opportunity Maine Tax Credit program has grown exponentially. In 2019, 14,751 people took advantage of the program, according to Maine Revenue Services.

Making the most of Maines great outdoors, a cyclist pedals down Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park on Jan. 31, 2021. (Courtesy of Jinnee/Dreamstime.com)

But Shoreys main emphasis about Maine is the benefits of rural life. Free college payment may attract people, but hiking, enjoying the fall colors, and friendly neighbors keep them.

In return for these economic and personal benefits, Maine receives a stream of talented young people.

Historically, weve had a big brain-drain problem, and a lot of young people leave the state, Shorey said. So if this program can either entice them to stay after going to school or help attract younger people here, that is a huge value add for us.

Physician assistant Sam Stanfield, a Live and Work in Maine participant, said that she and her husband moved to the state for school, but chose to stay because of the student loan payment offer. Because Stanfield works at a rural hospital, her monthly loan payments are now only $500 a month. In other places, she would have to pay more than $2,500 a month, she said.

Sam Stanfield in front of her home in Portland, Maine, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Sarah Jane Photography for The Epoch Times

We thought we would move to Maine for me to attend school and then relocate to be closer to our families, she said. But this was definitely a great reason for us to stay in Maine.

Stanfield said she loved both Maines community and its natural beauty. She also said she appreciates the simplicity of loan reimbursements.

Maine has made it super easy, she said. You can literally go onto the website, fill out the form, and show proof of graduation, and you qualify.

Paid to Buy Cheap?

One of the strangest parts of paid-move programs is that the towns paying often already have a lower cost of living than the places that they seek to draw people from.

Paid-move towns Topeka, Kansas; Newton, Iowa; and Muscle Shoals, Alabama, all have a cost of living thats about 20 percent lower than the U.S. average. For example, the average price of a house in Newton is $195,000, compared to the average cost of a house in the United States of $374,900.

But inexpensive small towns still pay prospective movers.

In many places that pay to shift, the numbers of people heading to rural America remain fairly small.

Mackenzie Cottles, a spokeswoman for the Shoals Economic Development Authority, said that in the past two years, 71 people have moved to the FlorenceMuscle Shoals metropolitan statistical area. The area has a population of about 150,000 people.

Although Americas rural places may struggle to attract new people, it seems they dont struggle to keep them.

Representatives from Topeka, Newton, the Shoals, Harmony, and Maine all say that almost no one leaves after spending a year in small-town America.

We have a good amount of confidence in our community. If someone does live here for a year, they will never want to leave, Cottles said.

Correction: A previous version of this article described incorrectly Topekas population drop and Samantha Stanfields position. It also gave an incorrect name for the Live and Work in Maine program and described incorrectly the manner in which 14,751 people used the program. The Epoch Times regrets the errors.
Pelosi Tacitly Confirms Reports that Sinema Opposes Tax Hikes

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tacitly confirmed reports that have long circulated regarding moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinemas (D-Ariz.) opposition to raising corporate tax rates.

Though her colleague Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) has controlled headlines for months, Sinema has joined with Manchin on a number of key issues. Because of the Democrats razor-thin one-vote majority in the upper chamber, Democratic leadership cannot spare a single defection; But Sinema, like Manchin, has broken with the party on a laundry list of issues.

Yet Sinema, as has been her tendency, has been unwilling to give her opinion on various issues to the press. A spokesman for Sinema summed up this attitude, telling reporters that we do not negotiate through the press.

Even some congressmen have been in the dark on Sinemas position. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) admitted to reporters I have no sense of what Sinema wants.

This uncertainty has led to some frustration among Democrats.

At a press conference, Senate Budget Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) demanded that moderate holdouts give clear answers about what they want and do not want in the final package.

President Joe Biden also expressed frustration. I was able to close the deal with 99 [percent] of my party, Biden said during a press conference. Two. Two people.

Given Sinemas importance to Democratic aspirations, reports have still trickled out about the senators position on various issues.

One such issue has been taxation.

A report from the New York Times claimed that Sinema had told colleagues that she would not support her partys reconciliation bill if it raised corporate or income tax rates. As is her wont, Sinema did not comment on these reports publicly.

But at her weekly press conference, Pelosi finally gave a tacit confirmation to these rumors. Asked about Sinemas rejection of increased tax rates, Pelosi said only that [Sinemas] committed position is well known.

Since the introduction of the budget resolution in the Senate, Democratic proponents of the bill have assured skeptics that the legislation would be completely paid for by increasing taxation on the wealthy and corporations after congressional Republicans used their majority during President Donald Trumps term to significantly cut these rates.

In 2017, Republicans used the reconciliation processthe same filibuster-proof process that Democrats are using nowto pass the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. The legislation lowered the corporate tax rate from its previous 35 percent flat rate to a substantially lower 21 percent flat rate.

The bill, which critics nicknamed the GOP tax scam, has frustrated Democrats since the bill was first passed. Now that Democrats are in the majority, the party is trying to abandon the flat corporate tax rate altogether in favor of a marginal tax rate, the same scheme used by the IRS to collect income taxes.

Democrats proposal adjusts the tax rate to 18 percent on the first $400,000 of income, 21 percent on income up to $5 million, and 26.5 percent on all income after $5 million.

Sinemas opposition to these increases could put Democrats paid for promise in jeopardy.

But Pelosi insisted that she was not concerned about this. Asked whether the bill could be entirely paid for if tax rates were not increased, she assured that the bill will be fully paid for.

Sinema and other moderates have been in constant negotiations with the White House. Because these meetings are closed-door affairs, it is not clear whether Sinema has offered a compromise or if the senator has relaxed her demands on taxation.

In the past, Sinema has broken with her party over a slew of other issues.

In August, Sinema told the press through a spokesman that she would not support any budget reconciliation bill costing $3.5 trillion, a position held by Manchin as well. Despite efforts by the White House to sway the two moderates, they have persisted in their opposition to such a high price tag on the bill.

This has forced Democrats including Pelosi and Biden to hesitantly admit that $3.5 trillion will not be possible.

Sinemas rejection of Democrats taxing plan could throw another wrench into her partys plans, forcing them to whittle down the bill even further to meet their commitment to a fully paid-for bill.

Sanders blasted Sinemas positions, telling reporters Im surprised there is anyone in the U.S. Senate not prepared to do what the people want, and that is to demand that the wealthiest people in this country start paying their fair share of taxes.

The Epoch Times contacted Sinemas office for comment.
Some of the 220 Chinese vessels are seen moored at Whitsun Reef, South China Sea on March 7, 2021. (Philippine Coast Guard/National Task Force-West Philippine Sea via AP)

Philippines Lodges Protest Against Beijings Illegal Incursions in South China Sea

The Philippine government has issued a diplomatic protest against the frequent disruptive actions of Chinese vessels challenging its ships patrolling the South China Sea.

The Filipino Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that the protest was against the unlawful issuance of over 200 radio challenges, sounding of sirens, and blowing of horns by Chinese government vessels.

These provocative actions, announced by the ministry on Oct. 20, were conducted against Philippine authorities who were on their routine patrols in the region. The timing was not specified.

Conflicts in the South China Sea have been happening for years with Manila and Beijing, along with neighboring countries, claiming territories and maritime zones. According to the Philippine foreign ministry, the patrols were legitimate, customary, and routine, and Beijings actions threatened to undermine the existing order in the region.

Based on Chinas so-called nine-dash line, the communist regime claims vast swathes of the South China Sea, including islands. But this is disputed by almost all countries sharing the surrounding coastline, including Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

According to tracking done by the U.S.-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (AMTI CSIS), the Philippines has increased the frequency of maritime patrolling in the South China Sea during recent months. But there are a significantly greater number of Chinese vessels that move through and survey the region.

Besides this latest incursion, there have been 78 protests filed under President Rodrigo Dutertes administration as of April 2021. The issues have mainly been raised for infractions in the West Philippine Sea, which is the official name given by the Philippine government for the eastern parts of the South China Sea that come under the countrys economic zone.

Duterte has been called out by critics for not standing firmly against China and for favoring warmer relationships with Beijing.

Last month, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. ordered the DFA, in a series of tweets, to file protests against Chinese radio challenges unlawfully issued against Philippine maritime patrols, Chinas incessant & unlawful restriction of Filipino fishermen from conducting legitimate fishing activities in Bajo de Masinloc, and continued presence of Chinese fishing vessels in vicinity of Iroquois Reef.

Back in March, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported more than 200 Chinese militia ships in the vicinity of the Whitsun Reef, located in the northeast of the Union Banks in the hotly-disputed Spratly Islands. This prompted the DFA to issue daily protests until the Chinese vessels cleared the area.

DFA Protests Anew Illegal Presence of Chinese Vessels in Philippine Waters, titled a diplomatic protest lodged in April 2021 regarding continued unauthorized presence and activities of a total of one hundred sixty (160) Chinese Fishing Vessels and Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels in Philippine waters.

The Philippines increased patrol efforts send a message that Manila is determined to assert its rights. But they pale in comparison to Chinas near-permanent coastguard and militia presence throughout the South China Sea, AMTI CSIS said in a report.

Beijings claims in the South China Sea were dealt a blow in 2016 when The Hague tribunal invalidated Chinas historic rights within the nine-dash line.

The panel validated the Philippines 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, and concluded that Beijings activities such as illegal fishing and environmentally ruinous artificial island construction, infringed on Manilas sovereign rights.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington for a vote on Sept. 29, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Police Recommend Charges Against Four Over Harassment of Sen. Sinema

Police officials at Arizona State University have recommended to prosecutors that they charge four people over the harassment of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) at the school earlier this month.

Activists, including some with a group called Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), confronted Sinema in Tuscon on Oct. 3. They harassed her and illegally recorded her in a bathroom.

After an investigation, the Arizona State University Police Department submitted charges of disorderly conduct and disruption of an educational institution to the Maricopa County Attorneys Office, a spokesman confirmed to The Epoch Times via email.

Both charges are misdemeanors that typically can land a wrongdoer up to six months in jail.

State law makes recording in a bathroom without another persons consent a felony. A violator can land up to 2.5 years in prison.

The spokesman declined to say why there was no recommendation to charge anybody under the law.

Footage of Sinema in the bathroom was circulated widely by LUCHA and other groups, who are trying to pressure Sinema into backing President Joe Bidens massive $3.5 trillion budget package. The moderate senator is negotiating for a lower budget, as is fellow moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), upsetting some on the left.

Sinema denounced the harassment a day after it happened, calling it unacceptable for activist organizations to instruct their members to jeopardize themselves by engaging in unlawful activities such as gaining entry to closed university buildings, disrupting learning environments, and filming students in a restroom.

Sinema teaches at the university.

Sinemas office did not return a request for comment, nor did LUCHA.

A spokesman for the Maricopa County Attorneys Office said the office received the submission from the university police on Oct. 12.

We have asked for additional information from the investigating agency and the case is considered under review by our office. There is no timeframe at this time as to when a formal charging decision might be made, he said.

LUCHA has continued protesting against Sinema. It posted photographs on Facebook on Wednesday showing activists outside one of her offices.
The Pornhub website is shown on a computer screen in Toronto on Dec. 16, 2020. Pornhub and several affiliated companies have settled a lawsuit brought by 50 women who alleged it profited from pornographic videos published without their full consent. (The Canadian Press)

Pornhub Settles California Lawsuit Brought by 50 Women, Including Canadians

MONTREALPornhub and several affiliated companies have settled a lawsuit brought by 50 women who alleged it profited from pornographic videos published without their full consent.

The parties reached a mutual resolution to resolve the dispute and the terms are confidential, Brian Holm, the lawyer for the plaintiffs, wrote in an email.

The lawsuit filed last December in U.S. district court in California alleged that MindGeek, parent company of Pornhub, knew or should have known that one of its commercial partners regularly used fraud and coercion to get women to appear in videos.

The lawsuit initially involved 40 women, including three Canadians, but it was later expanded to include 10 additional women and other businesses connected to MindGeek were added as defendants.

The original court filing alleged that MindGeek did not end a partnership with GirlsDoPorn until that companys operators were charged by U.S. authorities in November 2019.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation launched a new public appeal for information, offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest Michael James Pratt, one of the owners of GirlsDoPorn.

According to the FBI, three other people involved with GirlsDoPorn have pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges, while two more are awaiting trial.

Authorities allege that women were recruited to participate in videos under false pretences and told that pornographic videos would never be posted online or released in the U.S.

However, the sites operators planned to post the videos on their website, where viewers could pay to watch, with excerpts appearing on free sites, such as Pornhub, according to admissions made as part of the guilty pleas.

Women were also pressured to participate in sex acts that they did not want and paid less than they had been promised, one of GirlsDoPorns operators, Ruben Andre Garcia, admitted when he pleaded guilty in November.

In June, Garcia was sentenced to 20 years in a U.S. federal prison.

According to the lawsuit, MindGeek and GirlsDoPorn entered into a partnership in 2011. The deal allegedly allowed videos created by GirlsDoPorn to be hosted on MindGeeks sites, such as Pornhub.

The lawsuit also claimed that MindGeek-owned websites did not remove videos when requested by the women who appeared in them. In some of those requests, the women explicitly stated that they were coerced, the suit alleged.

In January 2020, a California state court awarded 22 women who had appeared in GirlsDoPorn videos nearly US$13 million in damages.

While MindGeek is legally headquartered in Luxembourg, its main office is in Montreal.

The company confirmed that a settlement had been reached and said that the details were confidential.

MindGeek has zero tolerance for the posting of illegal content on its platforms, and has instituted a comprehensive, industry-leading trust and safety policy to identify and eradicate any illegal material from its community, the company said in an unsigned statement.

A joint request to dismiss the suit was filed with the court on Oct. 15.

MindGeek also faces a class-action lawsuit involving 30 women that was filed in another California federal court in June.

By Jacob Serebrin
Portland Murders Highest in 35 Years, Possibly Ever

The number of murders in Portland, Oregon, has hit 70 this year and is on track to set what may be the highest total on record.

This year is on track to set a new record, with the closest year being 1987, when 66 murders were recorded, a Portland Police Bureau spokeswoman told The Epoch Times in an email.

Data for years before that are in archival form and were not immediately available.

Cities across the United States have seen a surge in killings since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but things have been particularly turbulent in Portland, a port city of approximately 662,000.

Rioting, primarily by far-left activists, has consumed dwindling police resources, sometimes preventing officers from answering every 911 call when it comes in.

Criminals have grown more emboldened with fewer officers on patrol, and crime has increased alongside shootings and murders.

Arson, larceny, motor vehicle thefts, and robberies are up through September when compared to the first nine months of 2020, as are assaults, human trafficking offenses, sex offenses, and kidnapping, according to bureau data. Many crimes, including murders, had already risen in 2020 compared to the previous year.

Murders rise in a city due to a number of factors, Maria Haberfeld, a professor of police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told The Epoch Times in an email.

They can include an increase in youth joining gangs and engaging in violence; an economic downturn that leads to more unemployed people, some of whom start using drugs and become violent; an introduction of a new drug or drugs on the streets; social unrest; restrictions on police agencies; and a softening on crime by prosecutors.

Measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp rise in unemployment and Oregon and Portland officials have restricted police officers in Portland while cutting staff numbers and redirecting funds to community groups.

Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schmidt last year upon taking office implemented new policies, including not charging everybody who was arrested during protests or riots.

The situation in Portland shows the disastrous impact of the ongoing effort to not only defund but ultimately abolish police. Thanks to radical city policies, law enforcement has been totally hamstrung from dealing either with the citys criminal element or with the growing political violence from Antifa and similar groups, Kyle Shideler, director and senior analyst for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, told The Epoch Times via email.

Antifa, a far-left, anarcho-communist network, has been behind a significant portion of the rioting in Portland since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day in 2020.

Police are denied access to non-lethal munitions to prevent violence. The citys rapid response unit has resigned en masse. Law enforcement officers know that responding to violent criminals may result in an incident which sparks new riots and protests, and that if it does the city will abandon them. Meanwhile, the major discussion in Portland is not whether to support police but whether to further defund police in favor of its non-police street response unit, Shideler added.

The police bureau declined to comment on the rise in murders and whether it was linked to the force being cut. In 2009, the bureau had 1,001 authorized positions and 886 sworn members. It currently has 916 authorized positions and 789 members.

Some 167 members have retired or resigned since July 2020.

The Portland Police Association, the police union for city officers, called earlier this month for increasing the number of officers, noting that Portland has grown in population in recent years. The union wants 840 more officers hired over the next five years.

That would help address the surge in shootings and other public safety priorities, Daryl Turner, the unions executive director, said in a statement.

City leaders are all Democrats. Each City Council member, including Mayor Ted Wheeler, also oversees an agency. Wheeler oversees the police department.

The City Council last year slashed $18 million from the bureaus budget and Wheeler eliminated a team focused on reducing the number of shootings.

Members did not respond to requests for comment.

They have worked in recent months to give money to community groups that work on intervention and other efforts, arguing the approach to combating shootings should be multifaceted.

We agree that the immediate spike in gun violence is a public health threat that requires a public health response that invests in community-based organizations working to change the conditions and environments that foster violence, the members said in a joint statement.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty floated last month several other ideas, including implementing a regular gun buyback program, a new tip hotline, and a community mediation program. She also said she doesnt think the bureau has a staffing crisis. She described it as a recruitment crisis since it has over 100 vacancies.

What would adding millions of dollars to PPB to create more empty positions they havent proven they can fill do to promote public safety? she said. While police officers play a role in public safety, Clearance rates dont go up by adding police, they go up when community members respect and trust the police, she added.
Remote Work Anxiety Is Real. Heres How to Help Employees Who Have It.

Remote work anxiety is on the rise as people spend more of the workday at their home office. Here's what you can do to help employees facing these mental health issues.

The increasing popularity of hybrid work models has produced an unexpected consequence: remote work anxiety. Many employees say that working remotely leaves them feeling lonely, stressed out, less motivated and ultimately leads to lower levels of productivity.

A recent survey by InsurTech company Breeze found 47 percent of remote workers are experiencing remote work anxiety as their coworkers return to the office. This anxiety is caused by many factorsincluding a fear of missing out, imposter syndrome, and plain old burnout.

Sixty-six percent of remote workers with remote work anxiety said it impacts their overall productivity, while 54 percent said remote work anxiety makes them feel exhausted, lethargic, or have difficulty sleeping. Some of the employees also said they get depression, irritability, sadness, and/or panic attacks as a result.

Because 25 percent of respondents say their remote work anxiety only began once their colleagues started returning to the office, the problem may get bigger as many companies transition to a fully hybrid model moving forward.

These statistics are certainly cause for concern if youre building a hybrid or fully remote work model. But, there are several steps you can take to reduce remote work anxiety at your company and create a healthier, more productive workplace for your remote team members.

Related: 5 Tools to Help Your Remote-Work Business Click

Give Positive Affirmation

Giving positive feedback to your employees may be the easiest way to help combat remote work anxiety. Forty-seven percent of employees with remote work anxiety say their anxiety stems from concern their employer will think them lazy for choosing to work remotely. In response to these feelings, remote workers may overcompensate by taking on extra projects or working later hours.

Simply acknowledging the work your remote employees are doing and expressing your appreciation or satisfaction with their work could go a long way toward easing remote work anxiety.

You could also consider scheduling one-on-one check-ins with your remote workers to talk about their workload. This is a great opportunity to reassure your employees that youre not judging them for their choice to work remotely and add in some positive feedback while youre at it.

Related: 7 Ways to Get From Burnout to Balance

Prioritize Inclusion

FOMO, or fear of missing out, is another commonly cited reason remote workers experience anxiety. One of the best ways you can help reduce remote work anxiety stemming from FOMO is to make sure your remote workers stay involved in the conversations happening at the workplace.

Although important conversations pop up naturally at the office, and remote workers will inevitably miss out on some of the action, there are steps you can take to make sure your remote employees are in the loop.

Keep in contact with remote team members on casual messaging platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams for a quick and stress-free way to let your remote workers know you havent forgotten about them.

Another way to help reduce FOMO among your remote workers is by continuing to host virtual social events. Zoom calls dont always need to be formal work meetings. Informal online gatherings will give remote employees the chance to socialize with colleagues and give everyone a way to catch up on recent happenings.

If your remote employees are in the area and comfortable with meeting up in person, consider hosting socially distanced, in-person events to provide a safe opportunity for remote workers to participate in community building activities and boost feelings of inclusion.

Related: How to Strengthen Communication Within Remote and Hybrid Teams

Respect Personal Boundaries

Another reason remote workers are suffering is they may feel they lack work-life balance. The line between work and personal life can be easily blurred when working from home, and one of the best ways to support remote workers struggling to keep work-life balance is to respect the boundaries theyve created to separate their job from the rest of their lives.

Communicate with your employees about what those boundaries look like, talk about the times of day they are generally available to work, and review any black-out times or dates that they prefer not to be contacted.

Another way to show your employees that you prioritize their personal well-being and boundaries is to make mental health days a standard practice at your company. Offering mental health days and making them a normal part of your company culture shows team members you care about their well-being and encourages a healthy work-life balance, especially for remote workers who may be struggling with feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome.

Related: Cultivate Resilience and Mental Health Within Yourself

Offer Health Benefits With Therapy

Offering mental health services as a part of your health plan is perhaps the most comprehensive way to support the mental health of your remote workers.

Breezes survey found that 67 percent percent of those who sought professional help did so with the help of their employers health insurance plan. This means employees who have therapy covered by their health insurance will be more likely to seek the help they need and take proactive steps to address their mental health.

While plans that provide mental health services may be more costly, they can pay for themselves in terms of employee productivity and motivation.

Offering these benefits also demonstrates that your company cares about its employees mental health and goes a long way toward proving that you have your employees best interests at heart.

Related: 10 Creative Ways to Celebrate Your Employees Birthdays Remotely
Rep. Biggs: Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Triggering Tremendous Pushback

President Joe Bidens federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates are unconstitutional and the mandates and other actions by his administration are triggering strong challenges, legal and otherwise, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) said.

Biden last month imposed a vaccine mandate on federal workers and contractors, with limited exceptions, and his administration plans to force private businesses to compel vaccination or require weekly COVID-19 testing.

Many Republicans oppose the mandates, including Biggs, who noted on NTDs Capitol Report this week that a flurry of lawsuits have been filed challenging them or are being prepared when the private business rule is ultimately released to the public. He also highlighted how some businesses appear to be impacted by workers defying the mandate, including Southwest Airlines.

The administration is so rogue and tyrannical. Theyre big government socialists, theyre fascists, they want to use this, Biggs said.

But what were seeing is tremendous pushback around the country. And it isnt necessarily over the vaccine as much as it is over the mandate, he added.

Biden announced the private business vaccination requirement in early September but his administration did not submit the rule for review until last week.

The president just basically willy nilly says something in a press conferencedoesnt issue any document, actually, to this point that supports it, Biggs said, adding: So I think youre going to continue to see a fight in the American public, youre going to see a fight in Congress. And I think youre going continue to see the states fight as well, certain states, and they should, because this is an unconstitutional mandate.

The White House has said it has the authority to compel private business vaccination through the 1970 OSHA Act. That law lets the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issue a type of rule called an Emergency Temporary Standard, in cases where the agency finds that employees are exposed to grave danger from exposure to substances or agents determined to be toxic or physically harmful or from new hazards.

The administration has said federal laws override state ones after some states banned vaccine passports, or banned requiring proof of vaccination.

Biden, meanwhile, has welcomed legal challenges.

Asked about the filed and pending challenges during an appearance earlier this month, he said: Have at it. Were playing for real here. This isnt a game.

Correction: The term for what type of rule OSHA can issue has been corrected. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
Virginia GOP Gubernatorial Hopeful Calls for Probe Into Loudoun County Rape Scandal

The Republican candidate in Virginias gubernatorial election has called for an immediate investigation into a claimed coverup of alleged sexual assaults that took place earlier this year at schools in one of the states most populous counties.

A young girl was sexually assaulted in her school, and the administrators, those who were trusted with not only her education but her safety, tried to cover it up, Glenn Youngkin told supporters in Burke on Oct. 19. And they quietly moved the offender, an offender being prosecuted for sexual assault, to another school, where he was able to do it again. Two young girls have been sexually assaulted because our system, our system failed to protect them.

The 15-year-old daughter of Scott Smith was allegedly raped in May by a male wearing a skirt in a girls bathroom at Stone Bridge High School in Loudoun County. That incident is under investigation, county officials have told The Epoch Times. The same male sexually assaulted another girl at a different high school in the county on Oct. 6, according to sheriffs officials and the county prosecutor.

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) officials have declined to answer questions about the male, although Superintendent Scott Ziegler indicated last week that he was placed at the other school as part of the alternative placement process for students accused of serious disciplinary infractions.

Youngkin called for an immediate full investigation into the Loudoun County School Board, which Smith has accused of covering up his daughters rape.

They had a duty of care and they failed. They endangered our students and violated the Virginia Constitution, he said.

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, the Democrat running against Youngkin, and state Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat running for reelection, didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

Virginia Del. Jason Miyares, the Republican candidate for attorney general, backed Youngkins call for an investigation. Miyares said that if Republicans win the election, he will open a probe into the school board.

Mark Herring and Terry McAuliffe have made it clear that they wont stand up for parents. But Glenn Youngkin and I will, Miyares said in a statement.

Smith was arrested at a school board meeting in June for being disorderly while protesting the districts proposed transgender policies, the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office said. At the meeting, Ziegler said no assaults had taken place in bathrooms, a false statement he later said stemmed from his misunderstanding of a question.

Ziegler also indicated last week that the district had violated Virginia law by not reporting alleged sexual assaults to the state.

A Virginia Department of Education spokesman confirmed to The Epoch Times in an email that the agency is actively investigating discrepancies in the LCPS reports.

An LCPS spokesman said several days prior that Stone Bridges principal reported the alleged sexual assault to law enforcement within minutes of receiving the initial report on May 28. But LCPS is constrained from investigating what happened until law enforcement finishes its probe, the spokesman alleged. He also said the district cannot discipline a student without following the Title IX grieve process, which includes an investigation of alleged sexual harassment and sexual assault complaints.

School Board members are typically not given details of disciplinary matters. The board may be obligated to consider long-term suspensions or expulsions and must ensure that students have not been deprived of due process. Consequently, members of the Loudoun County School Board were not aware of the specific details of this incident until it was reported in media outlets earlier this week, the spokesman added.

Ziegler in prepared remarks to the press on Oct. 15he did not take any questionssaid hes spoken with state and federal officials to push for changes to federal law regarding Title IX. He also said the school board would be asked to make changes to policies to place greater emphasis on victim rights.

Ziegler apologized to the families and students involved in the assaults.

LCPS is facing a lawsuit from Smiths family over its handling of the incident involving his daughter.
Smoke billows from two smokestacks at the coal-based Badarpur Thermal Station in New Delhi on April 6, 2015. India relies on thermal power plants for 54 percent of its electricity. (MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)

Rising Price of Imported Coal Sparks Indias Biggest Electricity Crisis

India, the second-most populous country in the world, is facing an unprecedented electricity crisis due to a shortage of coal, which is disrupting the production of its thermal power plants.

Indias coal-fired thermal power plants account for nearly 54 percent of the countrys electricity generation capacity.

The disruptions have caused some states to resort to limited daily power cuts. Others are on the verge of announcing them.

Out of Indias 135 power plants dependent on coal for electricity, more than 60 percent are reported to be in some form of crisis.

Some of these power plants, as per media reports, presently have a stock of coal to last four days, well short of the federal recommendation of at least two weeks.

On Oct. 10, Indian Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy R.K. Singh reviewed the coal-stock position in all thermal power plants.

A government statement on Oct. 9 said the total amount of coal from all sources totaled 1.92 million tons, while consumption was 1.87 million tons, indicating a shift toward a gradual building up of coal stock.

Ministry of Coal and Coal India have assured that there is ample coal available in the country to meet the demand of power plants, the statement reads.

Any fear of disruption in the power supply is entirely misplaced. The coal stock at the power plant is sufficient for more than 4 days requirement and as the coal supply is being ramped up by Coal India Limited, the coal stock at the power plant would gradually improve.

However, the situation on the ground looks different, as power cuts in some of the cities and industrial areas have been reported. Recently, Singh hinted that the coal supply may remain uncomfortable for another few months.

The main reasons behind the coal shortage, economists say, are heavy rains in August and September, a rise in power demand due to economic recovery after the second wave of the CCP virus, and an increase in prices of imported coal.

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus is the pathogen that causes COVID-19.

As stated in an Economic Times report, Indias power consumption grew by 3.35 percent in the first half of October to 57.22 billion units (BU). During the same period last year, power consumption stood at 55.36 BU, which was higher than the 49.66 BU in the same period a year before.

Despite having the fourth-largest coal reserve in the world, India is the second-largest importer of coal. On average, the country imports 20 percent of its coal needs, and a steep rise in international prices has led to declining imports, hitting the supply of coal to thermal power plants.

Due to rains, there was a coal shortage, causing an increase in international pricesfrom [80 cents] per ton to [$2.40] per ton. Subsequently, imported coal-power plants are either shut for 15 to 20 days or are producing very less. This puts pressure on domestic coal, coal minister Pralhad Joshi said, according to Indian news agency ANI.

The crisis provides an opportunity for India to fast-track reforms, including measures to improve the financials of electricity distribution companies and to boost renewable energy such as solar, wind, and biofuels.

Anil Swarup, a retired civil servant and former government secretary, stressed the need for structural reforms in an article in The Print, writing: Coal supply is a problem. The problem was sorted out between 2014 and 2016. It will again be sorted out, but the real problem is in the power sector. The enormity of the situation needs to be recognized now and correctives put in place and pursued.

If one looks at the power sector, it reveals that the electricity distribution companies  are in extremely bad shape. Non-performing assets in power-generating companies  are mounting.
Salmonella Outbreak in Multiple States Linked to Onions: CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a food safety alert on Wednesday regarding an outbreak of Salmonella infections in multiple states it says has been linked to whole onions.

At least 652 people from 37 states have reported sick, 129 of whom have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported, the CDC announced.

The onionswhole red, white, and yellow varietieswere all imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed across the United States by ProSource Inc., according to epidemiological and traceback data, per the CDC.

The outbreak strain was identified in a sample of cilantro and lime from a restaurant condiment cup collected from a sick persons home, the CDC alert reads. The sick person also reported that the cup contained onions, though none were left in the cup when it was tested.

About 75 percent of the sick people who were interviewed said that they ate or possibly ate raw onions or dishes containing raw onions before they became sick, and several ill people reported eating at the same restaurants, which the CDC said indicates they may be part of illness clusters.

Investigators determined that ProSource Inc. supplied onions to many of the restaurants where sick individuals had eaten, including the restaurant where the condiment cup was collected. The investigators are now working to see whether other onions or suppliers are also linked to the outbreak.

The CDC advises people who have unlabelled whole onions at home to throw them away. If the onions are known to have been imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed by ProSource Inc., people should not eat them and businesses should not sell or serve them, the agency advised.

Furthermore, people are urged to wash surfaces and containers that may have touched the onions, using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

People who eat food contaminated with the Salmonella bacteria can develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramping within 6 hours to 6 days, the CDC warned. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment, but sometimes cases can be severe and warrant hospitalization. Severe illness is more likely in children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with compromised immune systems.

The CDC urges people to contact a doctor if they have severe symptoms.
Santa Ana Passes Rent Control Law

The City of Santa Ana became the first in Orange County to pass a rent control ordinance on Oct. 19 after weeks of heated council meeting debates.

The motion, passing 43 shortly before midnight on Tuesday, prevents landlords from raising rent more than 3 percent annually, or 80 percent of the change in the consumer price index, whichever is less.

Mayor Vicente Sarmiento and Councilmembers Jessie Lopez, Thai Viet Phan, and Johnathan Ryan Hernandez voted in favor of the motion.

I support rent control because its the one tool we have to protect current residents, longtime residents who have nowhere else to go, but to the Inland Empire, and Riverside, Phan said during a council meeting.

Officials in favor of the rent control ordinance hope more tenants will stay in their homes without worrying about annual rent hikes, while those opposed say the move could result in negative long-term impacts.

Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza, and Councilmembers Nelida Mendoza and Phil Bacerra voted against the ordinance.

Rent is always going to be high, regardless whether we pass this or not, and its a serious concern problem to our community, Penaloza said. However, I need to make sure, as a member of this legislative body that the decisions we make are sustainable, not just over the next month, not just over the next six months, but over the next 10 [to] 15 years.

The rent control ordinance was originally intended to combat the expiration of the statewide moratorium on evictions, Bacerra said; however, this approved ordinance provides no such assurance.

Whats disappointing is that numerous residents came before the council with the false belief that this proposed policy is going to stop evictions, Bacerra said during the meeting.

This policy, again, is not going to, so shame on those whove led folks to believe that was gonna happen. They provided them with false promises and false hopes.

While his colleagues believe rent control will best assist the residents of Santa Ana, Penaloza does not foresee the rent crisis lessening.

Its a problem thats never going to go away, Penaloza said during a council meeting.

Mendoza proceeded to warn the council and residents of the potential impacts of rent control, including a shortage of affordable housing, which could force many out of the city.

She further explained rent control to be an expensive tool for the city, as a board would need to be formed.

The citys rent control law goes into effect on Dec. 19.
President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with business leaders about the debt limit in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Oct. 6, 2021. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

School Board Group Contacted Biden Administration Before Letter Comparing Parents to Domestic Terrorists

The national school board group that sparked a nationwide backlash with a letter comparing parents to domestic terrorists was in contact with Biden administration officials before releasing the letter late last month, newly released emails show.

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) on Sept. 29 urged President Joe Biden to take action to stop what it described as threats and acts of violence against school boards, teachers, and others involved in the public education sphere.

Five days later, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced federal officials would crack down on parents accused of threatening violence or trying to intimidate educators.

The newly disclosed emails (pdf), obtained by Parents Defending Education, show the NSBA was in touch with the White House and others in the administration before the release of the letter.

In talks over the last several weeks with White House staff, they requested additional information on some of the specific threats, Chip Slaven, the NSBAs interim executive director and CEO, wrote in an email to NSBA board members just hours after the letter was released to the public.

So the letter also details many of the incidents that have been occurring, he said.

Most of the incidents the board included related to parents vigorously pushing back on controversial teachings or material and not incidents where any laws appeared to be broken.

Several incidents did ultimately lead to arrests at school board meetings, including a father in Loudoun County, Virginia, who was upset his daughter had been raped and school officials allegedly acted to cover it up.

The NSBA has not responded to requests for comment on the letter, the Department of Justices order, or the newly released emails.

Viola Garcia, the groups president, wrote to NBSA directors on Oct. 2, telling them that the association has been engaged with the White House and the Department of Education on these and other issues related to the pandemic for several weeks now.

Attorney General Merrick Garland gives an opening statement during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the Department of Justice at Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 21, 2021. (Greg Nash/Pool via Reuters)

The White House did not respond to a request for comment and deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was not asked about the emails during a press briefing on Thursday.

Garland, testifying to Congress in Washington, said he learned about the letter by reading about it in the news and had not been told by the White House to issue the memo. He said he was certain the White House communicated its concerns about the letter to his department and that that would be perfectly appropriate.

Garland said he did not himself communicate with the White House, the NSBA, or the two largest teachers unions in the country before issuing his memo. He also indicated that the Department of Justice used the NSBA as its source for the claim that there has been a spike in harassment and threats of violence against school officials in recent months.

The letter was signed by Garcia and Slaven and shared with the NSBAs Board of Directors on Sept. 29, the same day it was sent to Biden and the night before it was released publicly. Some on the board indicated they had not agreed to the language in the letter, which included saying acts of malice, violence, and threats against school officials could be classified as the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.

I agree with many of my colleagues that the Board of Directors should have been consulted before a letter like this was sent out publicly, and no less to the president of the United States and the national press, John Halkias, one of the directors, told Slaven on Oct. 1.

I also agree that the letter took a stance that went beyond what many of us would consider to be reasonable and used terms that were extreme, and asked for action by the federal government that many of us would not request, he said, before adding that the letter had created a new and renewed firestorm and had given our loudest critics more ammunition to criticize us.

State school boards representing at least 20 states have also said they disagree with the letter. Some have quit or moved to leave the NSBA.
A file photo of a girl doing her Math studies in her bedroom on Jan. 25, 2021. (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

School Enrollment Across US Dropped by Almost 3 Million From 2019 to 2020: Report

School enrollment across the United States dropped by 2.9 million from 2019 to 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to new data released on Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

This marks the lowest level52.4 percent of the learning-aged populationof school enrollment for those under 35 years of age in over 20 years, as per the bureaus data.

College enrollment also fell to its lowest level since 2007, with the majority of the decline occurring in colleges with two-year courses, which had their lowest enrollment levels in 20 years.

While the reasons for the declining figures are unclear, multiple factors such as pandemic-related lockdowns, school closures, and a focus on remote learning will undoubtedly have played a part.

Meanwhile, the percentage of children ages 3 and 4 who were enrolled in school fell from 54 percent in 2019 to 40 percent in 2020. This decline marks the first time since 1996 that less than half of the children in this age group were enrolled in school.

Enrollment in nursery schools also fell also from 4.7 million to 3.5 million, or by 25 percent, and in kindergarten by 4.1 million to 3.7 million, or by 9 percent.

Child care issues also appear to be a factor in the declining numbers. Enrollment of children between 3 and 4 years of age who have a working mother also fell by 35 percent from 2019 to 2020, compared to a 10 percent decrease of other 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled.

The data notes that despite the pandemic, enrollment in graduate school held steady, with graduate school enrollment at 3.8 million in 2020 and not statistically different from the previous year.

The Current Population Survey, sponsored jointly by the Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is the primary source of labor force statistics for the U.S. population.

However, the Census Bureau notes there were some data collection challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected some of the results it reported. It noted that the overall response rate to its Current Population Survey (CPS) was lower in 2020 than 2019 by 3 percent.

During the pandemic, students may have continued their enrollment (i.e., to study) but in less traditional ways such as remote learning or by completing virtual or paper assignments. The various learning options increased the potential for misclassification of enrollment status, potentially artificially decreasing some enrollment estimates, the bureau said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated teacher shortages in public schools across the United States, forcing some students to return to remote learning, according to data released earlier this year.

The teacher shortage comes amid a spike in retirements and resignations of teachers prompted by the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teacher shortages and difficulties filling job openings have been reported in Tennessee, New Jersey, and South Dakota, which saw one school district begin the year with 120 teacher vacancies.

In Texas, Houston, Waco, and a number of other districts saw hundreds of teaching vacancies unfilled at the start of the year.

In one California school district, staff have reportedly been sending flyers home with students to let parents know the district is now hiring.

According to a June poll that surveyed 2,690 members of the National Education Association between May 19 and May 26, one-third of members reported plans to leave education sooner than they had initially planned as a result of the pandemic, which could further exacerbate the existing teacher shortage.
Senate Narrowly Confirms Catherine Lhamon to Lead Education Departments Civil Rights Arm

Catherine Lhamon will return to lead the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights after the Senate narrowly confirmed her appointment in a party-line vote, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the 50-50 tie.

The Wednesday vote came more than five months after Lhamon was tapped by President Joe Biden as the nominee for assistant secretary for civil rights, a position she held under the Obama administration from 2013 to 2016. The nomination was then stalled in August following a deadlock in the Senate education committee.

Lhamon is expected to play a key role in the Biden administrations overhaul of rules regarding Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in educational settings.

The Biden administrations efforts include expanding Title IX protections to cover gender identity and sexual orientation, and potentially rolling back rules made by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who bolstered due process rights of those accused of sexual misconduct and limited the scope of cases that colleges have to investigate.

Lhamon criticized the Title IX rule when it was finalized last year, saying it would send colleges back to a time when it was permissible to rape and sexually harass students with impunity.

The Democrats celebrated the confirmation, praising Lhamon as a champion of civil rights.

With this confirmation, our nation has once again gained a champion who will work each day to ensure that our public schools and institutions of higher education become ever fairer and more just, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. Catherine is one of the strongest civil rights leaders in America and has a robust record of fighting for communities that are historically and presently underserved.

The Republicans, however, find Lhamons record of leading the OCR troubling. North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, the top Republican on the Senate Education Committee, accused Lhamon of pushing a highly partisan, politicized agenda during her tenure and overstepping her authority.

She oversaw policies that led to hundreds of violations of students due process rights, resulting in more than 300 legal challenges, Burr said in a press release prior to the Wednesday vote. When Secretary DeVos issued the Title IX rule on campus sexual assault, Ms. Lhamon responded with inflammatory, divisive rhetoric that in itself should be disqualifying.

In her previous tenure, she made it clear she believed her guidance to schools was binding and she worked to enforce it as though it were law, Burr added, arguing that it was inexcusable for an unelected official to not understand the limits of her authority.

The incident Burr referred to took place in a 2014 Senate hearing. When now-retired Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) questioned Lhamon on where she acquired the authority to treat OCR guidance as if they were binding, Lhamon replied that, Well, with gratitude, you did when I was confirmed.
Signage is seen at the headquarters of the Federal Communications Commission in Washington on Aug. 29, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Senators Urge FCC to Address Surveillance Threats to US Telecom Networks

WASHINGTONA group of five U.S. senators urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday to address surveillance threats posed by foreign firms providing services to U.S. telecommunications providers.

The previously unreported letter, led by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and also signed by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said it is widespread among small rural carriers to outsource the installation and ongoing administration of networking technology to managed service providers, some of which are based in foreign countries.

The FCC has taken action in recent years to address concerns raised by U.S. telecommunications firms using hardware made by companies like Chinas Huawei and ZTE Corp.

The Democratic lawmakers said the FCC should work with U.S. intelligence agencies to identify high-risk foreign managed service providers that pose a threat to Americans privacy and U.S. national security and prohibit U.S. wireless carriers from outsourcing the administration of their networks to these high-risk foreign firms.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines in January told the Senate Intelligence Committee that remote administration and management of U.S. telecommunications networks by foreign companies could potentially threaten national security.

The letter to acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel noted President Joe Biden in June signed an executive order aimed at protecting Americans sensitive data from foreign adversaries.

The FCC did not immediately comment but Rosenworcel said in June we need to think about security in everything we do in our connected world.

The letter added, there are currently no registration requirements for foreign managed service providers.

In 2020, the FCC designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats to communications networksa declaration that barred U.S. firms from tapping an $8.3 billion government fund to purchase equipment from the companies.

Last month, the FCC said it would open starting Oct. 29 a $1.9 billion program to reimburse mostly rural U.S. telecom carriers for removing network equipment made by Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE.

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 networksHuawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications Corp, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co, and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co.

By David Shepardson
Cargo ships sit backlogged outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., on Jan. 12, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Small-Business Owners Complain of Product Shortages Due to Port Backlog

As the port backlog continues, some local business owners in Los Angeles County say theyre concerned about product shortages ahead of the holiday season.

Sandy Rosco, executive director of the San Gabriel Chamber of Commerce, said on Oct. 20, the businesses that are hurting the most are small to medium-sized, because their owners dont have the capital or the space to have bought and stocked up on products ahead of time.

These businesses that survived the pandemic, she said, were counting on the Christmas shopping spree to get back on track.

All these businesses were hurt last year [and] are looking forward to this holiday season to make up for [the loss], Rosco said.

Josh Wataru, manager of Fannys Flowers in Temple City, said the store is facing shortages, for example, of many of its products that come from overseas, like vases and containers that are needed for floral displays.

Were facing a couple of different [shortages,] he said. The biggest one right now is for hard goods.

He also said that his shop has had to raise prices on flowers, many of which are flown in from places such as Holland and South America.

Commercial air flights, which sometimes ship perishable goods like flowers, he said, have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, which in turn, has created price hikes, which Wataru has to pass on to his customers.

We just cant raise prices too much, because we feel that will drive customers away, he said.

Gilbert Figueroa, store manager of Mission Hardware, also in San Gabriel, said hes also seen prices rise from overseas products.

Sometimes the pricing has gone up since the last time we ordered, and a lot of our suppliers are saying its all transportation-related, said Figueroa.

According to Figueroa, the store is waiting for its holiday supplieslike Christmas lightswhich have been delayed.

I called my supplier last [week] and they told me that its in the Port of Long Beach. All of our lights are on a container ship somewhere out in the port, said Figueroa.

The store, he said, is also in short supply of spray paint, electrical boxes, as well as plumbing and electrical tools.

But Hayley Chesshir, manager of the Pasadena branch of Ten Thousand Villages, which sells handcrafted products made by artisans from over 35 countries, said her shop was in good shape so far.

But she said she has a backup plan if things change, specifically borrowing products from the retail outlets other 70 stores across the U.S.

Were not feeling like we are in a dire situation regarding holiday products not arriving, she said. But we have a network of stores, so there are [more shipments], already on their way to them.
Supreme Court Urged to Allow Suit Against UK Bank Over Terrorism Complicity

More than 200 U.S. citizens, family members, and estates of deceased U.S. citizens are asking the Supreme Court to revive their lawsuit against a foreign bank for allegedly processing hundreds of transfers moving millions of dollars for terrorist group Hamass principal European fundraiser, Interpal, over a decade.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the petitioners in the case known as Weiss v. National Westminster Bank Plc, court file 21-381. Among those senators are Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).

The petitioners were injured or killed in terrorist attacks committed by Hamas in Israel during the Second Intifada.

The Second Intifada, a period of intense Palestinian terrorist violence, began in September 2000, and was a defining event in Israels history, akin to the [Israeli] War of Independence and the Six-Day and Yom Kippur wars, according to The Jerusalem Post. This difficult period fundamentally altered Israeli society because it impacted everyone. No one, regardless of their political opinions, level of religious observance, or ethnicity, was left unaffected.

More civilians, about 70 percent of the total fatalities, were killed in the Second Intifada than in any campaign with the exception of the War of Independence, when 2,400 civilians were among the 6,400 Israeli dead.

The petitioners originally brought their lawsuit in 2005 under the Antiterrorism Act, a U.S. statute, against respondent National Westminster Bank, which is part of Royal Bank of Scotland.

Although the transfers carried out by the bank were nominally for charitable purposes, the evidence shows that NatWest knew that Interpal was closely linked with Hamas and that the transferees were controlled by  alter-egos of Hamas. These contributions swelled Hamass coffers, enabling its terrorist violence, the petitioners state in their court filing.

U.S. law makes it a felony to knowingly provide any material support, including currency and financial services, to certain designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTO), including Hamas, and imposes civil liability and provides redress to victims of terrorist attacks.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled in favor of the bank, because precedent in the circuit recognizes a humanitarian charity exception when it comes to liability for aiding and abetting. According to 2nd Circuit caselaw, knowingly providing support to an FTO isnt enough to allow a jury to find a defendant aided and abetted the FTOs attacks when, as is the case here, the transferor didnt admit the funds were for a terroristic purpose, and the victims are unable to link the funds to attacks or terrorist recruiting, the petition for certiorari, or review, states.

The other circuit courts disavow that exception.

The secondary liability provision of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), a U.S. law, offers one of very few avenues to hold accountable both terrorist organizations and their aiders and abettors, and to deter their future illegal conduct, Agudath Israel and other Jewish organizations stated in their friend-of-the-court brief.

The petitioners argue that the 2nd Circuits ruling conflicts with the findings of every branch of our government, including [the Supreme Court].

In Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project (2010), the Supreme Court accepted the considered judgment of Congress and the Executive that providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organizationeven seemingly benign supportbolsters the terrorist activities of that organization.

The high court found that this judgment was supported by persuasive evidence, which demonstrated it was wholly foreseeable that even peaceful support for designated FTOs would move these organizations violent agendas forward.

Thus, people and entities that transferred money to Hamas charities, even for purported humanitarian purposes, have been found civilly liable in the Seventh Circuit, and criminally culpable in the Fifth Circuit, the petition stated.

Jonathan I. Blackman, the New York-based counsel of record for National Westminster Bank, didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
An Air Tractor AT-802 firefighting plane tries to extinguish a forest fire near the Israeli military base of Har Dov on Mount Hermon, a strategic and fortified outpost at the crossroads between Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, on Oct 10, 2020. (Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images)

Syria Executes Dozens Over Deadly Human-Sparked Wildfires

Syria executed two dozen people on Oct. 20 after they were charged for igniting wildfires in 2020 that burned nearly 60,000 acres of forest and killed three people.

The countrys justice ministry said in an Oct. 21 statement that the 24 executed individuals were charged with committing terrorist acts that led to the death and damage to state infrastructure and public and private property through the use of flammable material.

Although capital punishment is common in war-torn Syria, the number of people put to death on Oct. 20 was larger than usual.

The ministry said that 11 other people were sentenced to hard labor for life, including four to temporary penal labor. Five minors were handed jail sentences that range between 10 to 12 years over similar charges.

The identities of the executed and jailed individuals werent disclosed, and no details were provided on where and how the executions took place.

The suspects, according to news agency Middle East Eye, were identified in a late 2020 interior ministry probe into wildfires in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus, and Homs.

They confessed that they had started fires at several locations in the three provinces, and they also confessed to convening meetings to plan the fires, the ministry stated.

The fires occurred intermittently in September and October 2020, according to the ministry.

Syrian officials detained dozens of people after they confessed to plotting plans to ignite fires in August 2020. They confessed to starting fires in September that affected 280 towns and villages, damaging 370 homes, the ministry stated.

The wildfires that devastated forest areas in central and northwestern Syria in 2020 also led to dozens of people being hospitalized due to suffering from burns and breathing difficulties. The coastal provinces of Latakia and Homs were hit the hardest.

Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad made a public visit to the Latakia region after the fire was brought under control, where he toured areas that suffered heavy damage. Qardaha, Latakia, is al-Assads hometown.

The law in Syria allows capital punishment for offenses including murder, terrorism, arson, espionage, treason, rape, and army desertion, among several others. The death penalty is usually carried out by hanging.

The wildfires occurred at the same time that multiple Middle Eastern countries faced similar fires in 2020, including Turkey and Lebanon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Workers produce adhesive tapes for flexible printed circuits at a factory in Yancheng in China's eastern Jiangsu Province on Sept.15, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Taiwanese Investment Leaving China, Dropped by Half in a Decade: Expert

Over the past decade, Taiwans investment in China has significantly dropped, and due to a worsening business environment, those Taiwanese who remain in the country, do so at the risk of losing all of their investments, an online forum was told.

Lin Thung-Hong, a researcher at the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, told the forum, organized by the civic group Economic Democracy Union, that it is necessary for Taiwanese businessmen to recognize the risks of doing business in China.

While investments are declining, some Taiwanese businessmen who cannot withdraw immediately from the mainland are also reducing their investment, Lin told the forum which had as its theme: Taiwanese businessmen going west for 30 years, end with common prosperity or retreat?

Their money has been tied down in China, and they may also face the risk of a total loss, he said.

Lin said that Taiwans investment in mainland China can be divided into three phases.

The first, he said, is the Golden Era from 1992 to 2007 when Taiwans direct foreign investment (FDI) in China was on the rise. In 2002 it accounted for more than 60 percent of Taiwans outflow capital.

The second period is the huge wave of investment between the 2008 financial crisis and the 2014 Sunflower Movement.

The third phase began in 2015 when Taiwans capital in China began diminishing.

Lin said a watershed moment occurred after the Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping came to power in late 2012. Since then the percentage of Taiwans investment in China dropped from 61.2 percent to 33.33, which is almost by halfequivalent to levels from 2000.

Some of the funds went to Southeast Asian and South Asian countries. A large amount of money was invested in the United States.

Lin described some of the changes that Taiwanese businessmen in China have experienced, with some examples being that they were once able to get tax cuts, land fee reductions, and cheap labor.

However, since 2007, Lin said that China has entered a period of industrial upgrading, and many Taiwanese businessmen were driven into inland areas such as the central and western regions.

The tax incentives for Taiwanese businessmen have also been canceled, he added.

Lin said in 2007, there were still 356 Taiwanese businessmen on the list of One Thousand Largest Enterprises across the Strait. In 2020, there were only 108. He said many were forced out of the Chinese market by what he described as a Chinese regime-backed supply chain.

The situation of Taiwanese businessmen in China is a warning to all Taiwanese in mainland China, Lin said.

However, he also emphasized that although Taiwanese businessmen are retreating, it does not mean that all of them will withdraw.

It is normal that 10 percent and 20 percent will remain, he said.

Wu Minzhou contributed to the report.
People talk before the start of a rally against critical race theory being taught in schools at the Loudoun County Government Center in Leesburg, Va., on June 12, 2021. (Andrew Cballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Teachers Union Tells Members to Treat Complaining Parents as Enemies: Report

Parents opposed to critical race theory-based indoctrination in public schools should be treated as adversaries, teachers in Washington state have been told by their labor union.

Critical race theory (CRT) holds, among other things, that white people are inherently racist and calls for engaging in racial discrimination in the name of combating it. Leftists claim that CRT promotes racial equality by highlighting the harm they claim white people have done to society.

An Oct. 19 report by the Olympia, Washington-based Freedom Foundation states that the largest union in the state, the Washington Education Association (WEA), representing 100,000 teachers and support staff in Washingtons K12 system, is one of the biggest forces for transforming taxpayer-funded government schools into indoctrination and recruitment centers for leftist activism.

WEA is affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA), the largest U.S. teachers union with a membership of 3 million. The Freedom Foundation previously documented how NEA, which claims that structural racism is part of the U.S. experience and favors radical causes such as defunding the police and reparations for descendants of slaves, strongly supports CRT as a way to advance a far-left political agenda under the guise of fighting racism.

The new report, by Maxford Nelsen, the Freedom Foundations director of labor policy, finds that WEA is just as steeped in the neo-Marxist CRT ideology as the NEA is.

Maxford Nelsen, Director of Labor Policy, Freedom Foundation (photo courtesy of Maxford Nelsen)

The WEA just completely bought into and is advocating for this toxic ideology of critical race theory in our public schools, Nelsen told The Epoch Times.

CRT itself, in its purest form, is absolutely antithetical to American ideals, he said.

Critical race theory teaches that we are all defined by our racial identity, and that that dominates all other aspects of our lives, according to Nelsen.

And so, based on your racial identity, you are either an oppressor or you are being oppressed, he said.

According to Nelson, unions such as WEA and NEA are essentially seeking to turn back the clock and return us to the dark days, where people are defined by race.

And its all in the service of advancing their Marxist worldview and progressive agenda, he said.

To beat back CRT, the public, families, and taxpayers need to realize that one of the main driving forces for this toxic ideology is the teachers unions, Nelson said.

And their ability to push back against parent advocacy stems from the level of control that too many states have granted them over the public education system, he said. That is absolutely an issue that needs to be addressed and reformed.

Moreover, teachers unions play a fundamental role in the intransigence of school boards. Theyre the puppet masters behind the scenes, Nelsen said.

Much of the time, there is no daylight between school boards and unions, because the board has often been captured and is dominated by either former union officials or current union officials, or at the very least, people who have been elected with union backing and are not willing to cross the unions interests because theyre on the same page ideologically.

Nelsens report states that in August, WEA published a guidebook for members, Teaching Truth: Tips for Teachers in a Tumultuous Time. WEA makes it clear in the booklet that teachers know whats best for students and that concerned parents should be viewed as ideological opponents to be resisted and not taken seriously.

One of the more notable instances cited in the report of a Washington state teacher being dismissive of parents came in January, when Scott Wilson, former president of the Pasco Association of Educators, spurred parental outrage when he criticized a school districts plan to begin reopening schools.

Wilson said opening schools was supporting white privilege and that parents supporting in-person schooling out of concern for their socially isolated children was ignorant and another expression of white privilege.

Recent broad-ranging attacks on how we teach and what we teach has created confusion about how we can safely continue teaching accurate and updated curricula, the union document advising WEA members reads.

At the same time, the document reassures teachers that theyre protected and cannot be disciplined for teaching officially prescribed curricula, which they have broad leeway to carry out, whether thats by choosing which books to read or by selecting which units on which to spend more or less time. The only limit the union acknowledges is that educators should not teach curricula that are explicitly prohibited by their administration.

If a school district has banned the teaching of CRT, WEA members are advised to engage in spin, stressing that critical race theory is only taught in universities and law schools, while K12 educators merely teach age-appropriate lessons that help our students understand and communicate across differences and portray a holistic and accurate picture of our nations history.

David Randall, research director for the National Association of Scholars, said the WEA has it all wrong.

The union misunderstands the point at issue, Randall told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

What must be barred, above all, is the application of Critical Race Theory in the classroomwhich is immoral and prohibited racist behavior, he wrote. Parents have the right to prevent politicized teachingand even more to prevent politicized (racist) behavior. Teachers, of course, should treat parents as their friends and their employers, and defer to their principled judgment in all matters of public concern.

Nelsen suggested that banning instruction in CRT, an ideology thats hard to describe with legal precision, is easier said than done.

Several states are considering legislation that attempts to ban CRT in public schools, but its fundamentally difficult, though, to try and craft a legislative response  that would truly ensure that the teaching of these concepts as truths does not take place.

Just saying the words, We banned critical race theory in the school district or the state, I dont think are sufficient to prevent the concepts and the curriculum from making its way into classrooms, Nelson said.

Besides, the WEA doesnt care what parents think, he said.

The union has adopted an adversarial posture towards parents and families, Nelson said, and it apparently has taken upon itself to twist the public education system into an indoctrination process to inculcate in these students the types of values that WEA thinks are importantfamilies be damned.

The Freedom Foundation report states that WEA advised its members that they do not singlehandedly need to justify or defend the curricula and do not have to reply to parental emails asking questions about what exactly we are teaching regarding equity, anti-racism, LGBTQ inclusion, sexual health education, and more.

WEA didnt even admit that parents have sincere concerns about what their children are being taught, dismissing them as tools of corporate interests who seek to undermine public education by inciting paranoia among families.

If a teacher feels threatened by activists, the WEA suggests that the teacher should report the parents to school administration and to the police, according to Nelsens report.

Julie Popper, WEAs media relations director, didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.
Members of the Supreme Court pose for a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021. Seated from left: Associate Justice Samuel Alito, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Standing from left: Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett. (Erin Schaff/Pool/Getty Images)

Texas AG Urges Supreme Court to Leave Anti-Abortion Law Intact

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed court papers with the Supreme Court, asking the nine justices to deny an attempt to rescind the states recent ban on abortions after six weeks.

The heartbeat provisions in SB 8 reasonably further Texass interest in protecting unborn life, which exists from the outset of pregnancy and further doesnt violate the Fourteenth Amendment, Paxton wrote (pdf) in a submission to the court on Oct. 21, referring to Senate Bill 8.

On Oct. 18, the Justice Departments lawyers suggested that the Supreme Court could leapfrog over lower courts that are considering arguments on the law and make its own decision.

But if the Supreme Court takes up a legal challenge recently filed by the Biden administration, the justices could move to overturn the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision that essentially legalized the procedure nationwide. Paxton made the court ruling in response to the Department of Justices request to the Supreme Court to quickly block the state law while separate litigation over its legality is considered.

Properly understood, the Constitution does not protect a right to elective abortion, Paxton wrote, saying that the law protects Texass interest in protecting unborn life, which exists from the outset of pregnancy.

Previously, the Supreme Court voted 54 to allow the Texas law to be enforced in early September in a separate challenge that was filed by pro-abortion groups and providers. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor in the dissent.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the launch of an antitrust investigation into large tech companies outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Sept. 9, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

In a key difference from other anti-abortion laws, Texass SB 8 grants private citizensnot the state of Texasthe ability to enforce it by enabling them to sue anyone who assists a woman in obtaining an abortion after cardiac activity is detected in the unborn child. Roberts, in his dissent last month (pdf), wrote that he had concerns with how the law is enforced.

Referring to the laws enforcement mechanism, Paxton on Oct. 21 argued that the Department of Justice lacks standing because its suing the state, noting that Texas executive officials do not enforce SB 8.

There is therefore no state executive or judicial official who can be enjoined to stop enforcing the law even if a temporary injunction is handed down, he wrote.

Earlier in October, Judge Robert Pitman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas temporarily blocked SB 8 and argued that its enforcement means women have been unlawfully prevented from exercising control over their lives in ways that are protected by the Constitution.

That other courts may find a way to avoid this conclusion is theirs to decide; this Court will not sanction one more day of the offensive deprivation of such an important right, wrote Pitman, an appointee of President Barack Obama.

However, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Pitmans ruling, meaning that the law can be enforced for now.

The Supreme Court also is slated to hear Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, a challenge to a Mississippi law that bars most abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy.
William Ding, CEO of China's internet company NetEase, speaks during the fifth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China's eastern Zhejiang province, on November 8, 2018. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

The Changing Fortunes of Chinas Internet Moguls

Chinas Internet commerce and technology giants are increasingly impacted by a variety of regulations imposed on them by the Chinese regime.

The disappearance of the acclaimed Wuzhen Banquet, the star event of the annual World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen, China, this year directly reflects the changing fortunes of Chinas Internet moguls.

William Ding, the founder of online service provider NetEase, started the Wuzhen Banquet in 2014, alongside the first WIC. Dinner guests were mostly Internet moguls with an average net worth of over $1 billion.

Located in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, with its waterways, arch bridges, ancient trees, and pagodas, Wuzhens picturesque environment has been the go-to place for Chinas Internet moguls to meet, relax, and discuss business.

Huawei CEO Richard Yu, Honor CEO George Zhao, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, and Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing, among others, attended the banquet in 2016, which was described as a near perfect launching event for cell phones. After the banquet, Yang posted on Weibo that Lenovo, Huawei, and Xiaomi would work together with the aim of becoming the worlds top three smartphone makers.

The Wuzhen Banquet event reached its peak in 2017, with more than 20 Internet moguls in attendance. However, 2018 saw only four people remain: William Ding, Qihoo 360 founder Zhou Hongyi, Sohu chairman Charles Zhang, and Alibabas Jack Ma, who had appeared unexpectedly. There was little change in 2019, with Ding and four other CEOs, including Baidus Robin Li, showing up.

Online commentators blamed the banquets waning popularity on a war between Chinese Internet moguls that began after 2017. Although there had always been competition, Zhang Yimings news aggregator Toutiao and the Chinese-language TikTok platform Douyin had taken their rivals by surprise. The rapid development of agriculture-focused e-commerce platform Pinduoduo also seized the market previously held by e-commerce giants Jingdong and Taobao. The three-way battle between Internet giants Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent ended with Baidu out of the running, and Alibaba Group and Tencent continuing to compete.

Common Prosperity Regulation

Internet commerce in China continued to soar in 2020. But now, it was no longer impacted by commercial competition alone; there was also the increasing effects of regulations from the Xi Jinping administration, including antitrust measures and the nebulous Common Prosperity directive that was announced this year.

Jack Mas Ant Group listing was abruptly halted in November of 2020. Pony Ma, Jack Ma, and Richard Liu didnt attend the 2020 WIC.

On Sept. 2 of this year, the Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) issued a directive for Capital Expansion, repeating the fact that Alibaba was fined 18.228 billion yuan ($3.31 billion) on April 10 and 500,000 yuan ($77,500) on July 7 following anti-monopoly inquiries.

There are no restricted areas and no exceptions in antitrust, the CCDI directive said. The establishment of Internet antitrust rules will affect Internet giants in the short term, but it is the best choice in the long run.

Jack Ma, businessman and founder of Alibaba, at the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up at The Great Hall Of The People in Beijing, China, on Dec. 18, 2018. (Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)

On Sept. 3, Alibaba officially announced a 100 billion yuan ($15.5 billion) investment to support common prosperity. Alibabas chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang also made sure to follow the latest policies in his speech at the opening ceremony of the WIC on Sept. 26, where he talked about common prosperity and dual carbon goals that authorities are focusing on this year. Xi announced the dual carbon emissions goals in 2020 at the U.N. general assembly: that China will reach its peak in carbon emissions before 2030 and become carbon neutral before 2060.

Alibaba is not alone in donating large sums of money to the regimes economic goal of common prosperity.

Tencent invested 100 billion yuan ($15.5 billion) in common prosperity projects within four months in 2021.

Pinduoduo set up a 10 billion yuan ($1.55 billion) agricultural science and technology special project on Aug. 24, and its founder Colin Huang ranked first on the Hurun China Philanthropy List 2021 with his donation of 12 billion yuan ($1.88 billion).

Food delivery giant Meituans CEO Wang Xing donated $2.27 billion to private foundations. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun also donated $2.2 billion to private foundations.

Global Consequences

Xie Jinhe, chairman of Taiwan-based Caixin Media, told a Chinese language program on NTD, an affiliate of The Epoch Times, that the common prosperity directive is a knife at the throat for these large new companies that have donated large amounts of money to comply with the Chinese regimes policy demands.

This kind of policy also is not in accordance with Environment, Social Responsibility, and Corporate Governance (ESG) standards for socially responsible investments recognized around the world, which includes information disclosure, evaluation, and rating, etc., Xie said.

Such huge donations have, in the past, been voted on by the board of directors and at shareholder meetings. But now, there is none of that, Xie said. The CCP suddenly turns great companies into non-profit organizations, he said. This will affect the future model of enterprise evaluation, impact the global capital market, and create unprecedented challenges for corporate governance and ESG, he said.

The impact of the Xi administrations regulatory directives will not be limited to only Chinese tech giants who are answering to the call of common prosperity; global capital markets will be as well. Policies by the Chinese regime on antitrust, national security, and double reduction have already given Western investors a taste of their regulatory impact on U.S. capital markets. A case in point was the collapse of Chinese technology and education stocks in July, caused by the CCPs regulation.

The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a warning to American investors on July 30: When American investors invest in U.S.-listed Chinese concept shares through a VIE (variable interest entity), they actually only invest in the shell company set up overseas rather than the entity company in China. Therefore, investors do not own equity in the entity company in China and face potentially huge risks. On Sept. 20, the SEC posted another article reiterating the risks of investing through VIEs.

Two days later, the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) adopted new rules requiring foreign companies that are not being audited by U.S. auditing firms to disclose more information to help the board implement the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. The new rules are awaiting approval by the SEC.

According to Xie, the CCPs regulatory future looks very challenging. The challenges are changing the landscape for Chinas tech giants, and not everyone is choosing to stick it out and endure the pressure of having a knife at their throat.

Zhang Yiming, the 38-year-old founder of Tiktok, set a new record for retirement as a private Internet tech mogul. On May 20, he announced his resignation as CEO in an email to employees, saying that, when a company grows, the CEO, as the central node, can easily fall into passivity. After nearly six months of pondering, he said he decided to make an adjustment to his status.

Zhang was harshly criticized by state media and accused of committing crimes during the height of a crackdown. The crimes referred to an incident of some fake goods being sold on Douyin in May 2020 that was allegedly exposed by China Central Television and attributed to Zhang Yimings lack of values. The article said that Zhang suffered all kinds of loss of moral values, but still did not learn much.

A man holding a phone walks past a sign of Chinese company ByteDances app TikTok, known locally as Douyin, at the International Artificial Products Expo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, on Oct. 18, 2019. (STR/Files/Reuters)

In March, Douyin and seven other video companies were asked by authorities to attend a regulatory talk.

On March 17, Pinduoduos Huang, who is only in his early 40s, also announced his resignation as chairman in a letter to shareholders, saying that he will focus on his interests in food science and life science research after stepping down.

Sun Pishu, known as the father of servers in China, resigned on Dec. 31 last year as chairman and CEO of Inspur Group. He then took up the post of deputy director of Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Department in 2021. Suns new job responsibilities include building up the communist party, ensuring integrity according to party values, and ideological work.

As the Chinese regimes market regulation continues, the outlook for Chinese technology giants is bleak.

On Oct. 8, Meituan was fined 3.442 billion yuan ($516 million) by Chinas State Administration for Market Supervision for abusing its dominant market position and violating the antitrust Law.

On Oct. 11, Yi Gang, governor of the Central Bank of China, said that it is necessary to play a regulatory role to curb the abuse by those in dominant market positions and monopolies.
Trump Announces Launch of Social Media App

Former President Donald Trump on Oct. 20 unveiled the upcoming launch of his own social media platform.

The beta version of the app, called TRUTH Social, will be available to invited guests in November, according to a statement from the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). A nationwide debut is expected to follow in the first quarter of 2022.

I created TRUTH Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech, Trump said in a statement released by TMTG. We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced. This is unacceptable. I am excited to send out my first TRUTH on TRUTH Social very soon.

The announcement was timed together with a merger announcement between Digital World Acquisition Corp. and TMTG, which will allow TMTG to become a publicly listed company with a cumulative valuation of $1.7 billion.

According to a company news release, TMTGs mission is to create a rival to the liberal media consortium and fight against the Big Tech companies of Silicon Valley, which have used their unilateral power to silence opposing voices in America.

Twitter and Facebook permanently banned Trump in the wake of Jan. 6. The former president earlier this month sued Twitter, seeking to force the reinstatement of his account. In July, he filed class-action lawsuits against Twitter, Facebook, and Google, alleging his rights were violated when he was banned.

Donald Trump Jr. posted a link to TRUTH Social on Twitter. The website currently features a waiting list sign-up for and a link to the Apple App Store where the app can be preordered for free.

For so long, Big Tech has suppressed conservative voices, Trump Jr. said on Sean Hannity. If youre pro-Second-Amendment, if youre pro-life, if youre religious, if youre just a conservative; you have been in Facebook jail, you have been de-platformed, you have been demonetized.

What were trying to do is create a big tent, an open and free network for people to be able to communicate, to exercise your First Amendment rights.

The former presidents son said Trump signed the formal merger agreement on the night of Oct. 20.

According to Bloomberg, Digital World Acquisition Corp. is a blank-check company created for the purpose of acquiring one or more companies.
United Airlines Expects Boeing 777S to Return to Sky in Q1 of 2022

CHICAGOUnited Airlines said on Wednesday its Boeing 777-200 planes equipped with Pratt & Whitney (PW) engines are expected to return to service as early as in the first quarter of 2022.

The Chicago-based carrier had to ground the wide-body jets after a United flight to Honolulu suffered an engine failure and made an emergency landing in February in Denver.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered immediate inspections of Boeing 777 planes fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines after the incident.

On Wednesday, the regulator said it is still evaluating the manufacturers proposed fixes and will not approve them until it is satisfied that they address its safety concerns.

Any work performed on the airplanes prior to that time is subject to being affected by any new Airworthiness Directives, the FAA said in a statement.

Greg Hart, Uniteds executive vice president, strategy and planning, said the company has not heard from the FAA, but it expects the aircraft to return to service in the first quarter of next year.

We have been working tirelessly with Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and the FAA over the past six months, he said.

United is the only U.S. operator of 777s with the PW4000 engine and has 52 such planes.

The anticipated return of the planes is a key element of the companys strategy to ramp up international capacity by 10 percent next year.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in May the agency was going to mandate strengthening a key engine part on Boeing 777-200 planes with the PW4000 engines.

Dickson told a U.S. House committee that the agency is requiring the manufacturers to address strengthen(ing) the cowling and will issue an airworthiness directive.

By Rajesh Kumar Singh
Universal Electronics Ended Relationship With Agency Linked to Uyghur Workers

WASHINGTONUniversal Electronics Inc. said on Wednesday it had ended its relationship with a staffing agency that hired Uyghur workers who were transported from Chinas Xinjiang province to a plant in southern China.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Universal struck a deal with authorities in Xinjiang to transport hundreds of Uyghur workers to its plant in the city of Qinzhou. Three U.S. senators said on Wednesday they had sent a letter to the company asking about the matter.

UEI made the decision last week to end its relationship with the staffing agency that hired these workers based on feedback on how to best secure its supply chain and in light of ongoing regulatory and legislative changes globally, a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

By Patricia Zengerle
US Army, Navy Hold 3 Tests to Advance Hypersonic Missiles: Pentagon

The U.S. Army and Navy tested several hypersonic weapon component prototypes that will determine the development of new weapons, the Department of Defense (DOD) confirmed on Oct. 21, saying that all three tests were deemed successful.

The Pentagon, in a statement on Oct. 21, said the Sandia National Laboratories ran the tests from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, adding that the tests will help inform the development of the Navys Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) and the Armys Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) offensive hypersonic strike capability.

The tests demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems in a realistic operating environment, the Pentagon stated.

During weapon system development, precision-sounding rocket launches fill a critical gap between ground testing and full system flight testing, the DOD added. These launches allow for frequent and regular flight testing opportunities to support rapid maturation of offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies.

White House officials earlier this week expressed concerns that China was testing a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide weapon, coming after the Financial Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the regime tested a weapon in August that circled around the planet in space before dropping altitude and hitting its target. The weapon missed.

In another report published on Oct. 20, the Financial Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, stated that China carried out a second hypersonic glide vehicle on Aug. 13. The first test was reportedly carried out in late July, the report stated.

The Chinese regime through its official channels denied the Financial Times report, claiming it was a test of a space vehicle, and not a missile or other weapon.

Hypersonic weapons can travel in the upper atmosphere at around 3,850 miles per hour, or about five times the speed of sound. The United States has attempted to pursue such technology for decades to implement in its global strike program.

In the meantime, defense contractors including Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have been working to develop a hypersonic weapon for the United States.

The White House and DOD didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on Chinas alleged hypersonic testing. No federal government officials have publicly confirmed the tests.

Earlier this week, when asked by reporters about the Chinese regime obtaining such weapons technology, President Joe Biden, while leaving Washington for Pennsylvania, responded in the affirmative. Meanwhile, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the administration is very concerned about Chinas nuclear capability and novel delivery systems.

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), in expressing concern about reports that China tested hypersonic technology, said the weapons are strategic game-changers with the dangerous potential to fundamentally undermine strategic stability as we know it.

The implications of these weapons under development by China or Russia could be catastrophic, King was quoted by media outlets as saying.

U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood stated that Washington was concerned that the United States hasnt developed a means to counter Chinas possible deployment of hypersonic weaponry.

Hypersonic technology is something that we have been concerned about, the potential military applications of it, and we have held back from pursuing. We had held back from pursuing military applications for this technology, Wood said at a press meeting in Geneva earlier in the week.

But we have seen China and Russia pursuing very actively the use, the militarization of this technology, so we are just having to respond in kind.  We just dont know how we can defend against that technology. Neither does China, neither does Russia.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Pentagon for additional comment on the three tests.
An entrance to the Christian Aid Ministries compound is seen after the abduction of a U.S.-based group of missionaries fueled international concerns over gang violence, in Titanyen, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Oct. 18, 2021. (Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters)

US Captives in Haiti Were Helping Rebuild Quake-Damaged Homes

The work of U.S. and Canadian missionaries kidnapped in Haiti over the weekend included helping rebuild homes following an August earthquake on the island, according to their Ohio-based organization that has aid projects all over the world.

Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) said in a statement Tuesday that the 17 captivesamong them, five children, one just eight months oldhad been visiting an orphanage the organization supports when they were kidnapped Saturday outside the capital Port-au-Prince.

CAM added the missionarys work in Haiti included distributing Bibles and Christian literature, feeding the elderly, and getting medicine to clinics.

Their heartfelt desire is to share the love of Jesus, CAM said. In recent months, they were actively involved in coordinating a rebuilding project for those who lost their homes in the August 2021 earthquake.

The gang that kidnapped the group is asking for $17 millionor $1 million eachto release them, Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel told Reuters.

According to its most recent annual report, CAMs 2020 revenue was more than $132 million, most from cash and in-kind donations. An audited financial statement that is part of the annual report shows CAM spent nearly all its revenue on aid programs such as supporting school children in Haiti and feeding families in Nicaragua.

CAM ran operations in more than 130 countries and territories in 2020, according to the annual report, providing food, clothes, medicine, and other services to over 14 million people.

The organization founded in 1981 strives to be a trustworthy and efficient channel for Amish, Mennonite, and other conservative Anabaptist groups and individuals to minister to physical and spiritual needs around the world, according to CAMs website.

Anabaptism is a Christian movement dating back to 16th century Europe centered around a literal interpretation of Jesus teachings and adult baptism.

In Haiti, where CAM has worked for several years, it runs a medical clinic as well as projects providing Haitians with work, according to its website. Another program provides textbooks and other school supplies and meals to more than 9,000 students at 52 schools in Haiti, according to the annual report which states that a donation of $65 per month enables five students to go to school.

In 2019, it emerged that an employee for the Christian group had molested children while working for the organization in Haiti, and that CAM managers had known for years.

The fallout from the Haiti abuse case continues to weigh on us, CAM General Director David Troyer wrote in the annual report.

By Maria Caspani
Former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns testifies during a hearing before Senate in Washington, DC on August 4, 2015. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

US Ambassador to China Nominee Calls Out CCPs Aggression

Nicholas Burns, the Biden administrations nominee to be U.S. ambassador to China, criticized the regime in Beijing during his Oct. 20 confirmation hearing for its display of aggression on the international stage as well as rights abuses in Tibet and Taiwan.

Burns was questioned by members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a host of topics including countering the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), its human rights abuses, the United States stance on TaiwanChina relations, and other U.S. interests concerning China.

Burns, 65, said Beijing should be challenged when it takes actions that run counter to American values and American interests, actions that might threaten the security of the United States or our allies and partners, or undermine the rules-based international order.

The Biden administration intends to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific by maintaining Americas commercial and military superiority in 21st-century technologies, Burns said. He also emphasized holding the CCP accountable for failing to play by the rules on trade and investment, its theft of intellectual property, use of state subsidies, dumping of goods, and unfair labor practices.

While Burns called the CCP out on its bullying of Taiwan as well as its genocide, and abuses in Tibet, he said that the United States is right to continue its one-China policy.

The U.S. government and human rights groups have often termed the CCPs treatment of Uyghur Muslims in its Xinjiang region genocide, despite denials from the CCP.

Regarding TaiwanChina relations, Burns proposed helping Taiwan to maintain a self defense capability.

If confirmed, Burns said the Biden administration will cooperate with the [CCP] on climate change, counternarcotics, global health and, non-proliferation.

Regarding the phase one trade agreement between the Trump administration and the CCP in January 2020, Burns said the CCP should be held accountable for its obligations, which include buying $468 billion of U.S. goods, energy, agriculture, and services over a two-year period.

When asked about options to ensure that the CCP fulfills the terms of the agreement, Burns said that the dialogue should be initiated by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who made remarks regarding the issue on Oct. 4.

Burns has worked in Republican and Democratic administrations throughout the 27 years of his career in the U.S. government. He was previously a member of Secretary of State John Kerrys foreign affairs policy board, served as senior director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Affairs on the National Security Council, was a special assistant to President Bill Clinton, and as director for Soviet Affairs during the administration of President George H.W. Bush.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry, on Oct. 21 said Burnss remarks showed Cold War zero-sum mentality.

We oppose defining China-U.S. ties as competitive, he said, adding that he hopes Burns will speak and act in a more constructive manner.

Eva Fu contributed to this report.
Pro-democracy activists (C) from the League of Social Democrats protest in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong on Oct. 1, 2021. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images)

US Decries Politically Motivated Prosecutions in Hong Kong

The U.S. State Department has expressed serious concerns about the continued deterioration of freedoms in Hong Kong, telling Beijing to cease its politically motivated prosecutions and release those unjustly detained in the regimes ever-expanding clampdown.

We note in particular the increase in politically motivated prosecutions, including through the National Security Law, targeting Hong Kongs teachers, labor unions, lawyers, journalists, health care workers, student unions, and individual citizens, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

We again call on the Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to release those unjustly detained and cease their crackdown on peaceful civil society organizations.

Prices remarks come as Beijing has quickened its steps to roll back the territorys freedoms, with observers noting that Hong Kong is on track to mirror other Chinese cities.

Civil society groups in Hong Kong have been dissolving in quick succession under the Beijing-imposed national security law, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

At least 29 trade unions have disbanded in the city since the start of 2021. The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, the largest pro-democracy labor union representing 93 organizations, was dissolved in October, citing political uncertainty. The groups chief executive has fled Hong Kong, while a co-founder is in jail, serving a 14-month term for his role in anti-government protests in 2019.

Over the past two months, Hong Kong has also lost its largest teachers union, a major group advocating for prisoners rights, and a 50-year-old student union at a top university.

Police ask supporters to leave during the court hearing of Tong Ying-kit, the first person charged under a new national security law near the High Court in Hong Kong, on July 30, 2021. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

A vigil honoring the Tiananmen Square Massacre victims, an annual tradition for more than three decades that has attracted hundreds of thousands of participants, is to become no more after Hong Kong authorities arrested organizers and froze their assets over vaguely defined national security charges. This forced the group to disband.

An Oct. 20 court ruling saw judges handing nearly five-year sentences to five students for taking part in a 2019 anti-government protest on their university campus.

Civil servants, including legislators and district councilors, are losing their positions under a new patriotism law enacted earlier this year that allows authorities to disqualify anyone they deem as disloyal to Beijing.

Workers raise the Chinese (top-R) and Hong Kong flags outside of a building in Hong Kong on Oct. 16, 2021. (Bertha Wang/AFP via Getty Images)

More than 250 of 452 district councilorsa majority of them from the opposition pro-democracy camp that scored a landslide victory in 2019have resigned due to pressure or national security investigations.

Price criticized the Hong Kong government for targeting pro-democracy district councilors, noting that they had received their public mandate from free and fair elections.

These retroactive and targeted disqualifications, based on the Hong Kong authorities arbitrary determination that these district councilors loyalty oaths are invalid, prevent people in Hong Kong from participating meaningfully in their own governance, he said.

On Oct. 21, U.S. immigration authorities also outlined eligibility criteria for a program that would extend Hongkongers stay in the country for another 18 months, so that they can escape Beijings growing suppression in their home city.
Then-Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), left, and ranking member Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), right, in Washington during a hearing on Dec. 18, 2019. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

US Has Lost Operational Control of Southwest Border, Senate GOP Panel Told

Federal officials have lost complete control of the southwest border under President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, three former high-ranking immigration enforcement officials told a panel of Republican senators on Oct. 20.

We have lost complete control of the border. Ive talked to several Border Patrol chiefs who tell me they have lost operational control of the border under this president, former Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Thomas Homan told three Republican senators during a roundtable discussion of the situation on the U.S.Mexican border.

Theyve also lost respect for the commander-in-chief and the [DHS] secretary, Homan told Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Rick Scott of Florida.

Johnson said in his opening statement that he convened the roundtable discussion after Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who is chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, declined to convene a hearing on the border crisis.

A committee spokesman for Peters didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment on Johnsons claim. Johnson had preceded Peters as committee chairman prior to Democrats gaining control of the chamber in the 2020 election.

Homans intense criticism of Biden and Mayorkas was affirmed by Mark Morgan, who was chief of the U.S. Border Patrol during the Obama administration, and Rodney Scott, who served in the same role under both Biden and his predecessor, President Donald Trump.

Morgan told the senators that what happens at the southwest border does not stay at the southwest border.

Every town, city, and state in this country is a border town, city, and state. If you have a drug overdose from fentanyl, take it to the bank that the fentanyl came from the southwest border, he said.

Almost every day I get up, as an American, angry. Why? Because I know because Ive been there, this administration is way beyond not being transparent. They are lying to the American people.

With 400,000 gotaways this fiscal year, 1.9 million total enforcement encounters, an all-time record high, so if the secretary were sitting in front of me right now, I would say Mr. Secretary, stop lying to the American people,' Morgan said.

Morgan was referring to Mayorkass comment to a House committee in September that the border is secure. Were executing our plan, and that the border today is no less secure than it was under Trump. Gotaways are illegal immigrants who come into the United States and are not apprehended by U.S. law enforcement officials.

A White House press office representative didnt immediately respond to request for a response to Morgans comment.

Scott said he agreed to appear before the panel because he wanted to bring attention to the irresponsible and reckless policies that are being implemented by the current administration on the border despite being advised otherwise by professional border security personnel that have been involved in this for decades.

The immigration aspect of the issues involved in border security is only one area of a broader scope of issues that involve national security, he said.

Its just like your home; its exactly like your home. If we dont know and cant control who and what is in our home, we have no security. If we dont know who and what are in our country, then we have no homeland security, Scott said.

When I left as [Border Patrol] chief, there were 15o nationalities mixed in. Its not just the Haitians you hear people talking about, or just the South Americans, its 150 different nations, many of which are directly involved in or ignoring terrorism threats.

The Biden transition team was briefed by border security professionals  that if they rescinded the commonsense policies that were put in place recently, if they stopped building the border wall, we all predicted that there would be a mass migration, Scott said.

The roundtable also heard testimony from two mothers, one of whom lost a daughter to fentanyl and the other who lost a son in a traffic accident caused by an illegal alien driving without a license.

Virginia Krieger of Cleveland, Ohio, president of the Fentanyl Awareness Coalition, told the senators that her 27-year-old daughter, Tiffany, died in 2015 as a result of ingesting what she thought was a Percocet capsule but, in fact, was a highly toxic dose of fentanyl.

Tiffany didnt seek to use fentanyl. Tiffany didnt really have any issues at all before that day, Krieger said. And now, we have an entirely new population of young people dying, being affected by the fentanyl crisis that we have never before seen in this country. And they are the non-addicted victims.

Krieger said young people are getting counterfeit pills, either given to them by a friend or being purchased from an online platform like Snapchat that make these pills available to anyone with a smartphone, including children as young as 12.

Mexican drug cartels smuggle billions of dollars worth of illegal drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States every year, with 95 percent of it coming across the southwest border, Morgan said.

Similarly, Sabine Durden-Coulter of Riverside, California, said her son, Dominic, was on his way to work as a 911 communications officer when he was killed in 2012.

He was killed by an illegal alien, repeat offender, a felon with armed robbery convictions, no drivers license, and two DUIs he received that he received probation for, Durden-Coulter told the panel.

The man made a deal with the judge and was charged with vehicle manslaughter without gross negligence and received nine months, with five years probation. And he served 35 days.

If the immigration laws that were on the books would have been upheld the first time they had him, the second time, the third time, I wouldnt be here and my son would still be enjoying his beautiful life and thousands of other families like mine wouldnt know this grief and pain.
The headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is seen in Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 11, 2019. (Robert Hradil/Getty Images)

US Takes Aim at Chinas Unfair Trade Practices at WTO Review

GENEVAThe United States said on Wednesday that Chinas industrial policies skew the playing field against imported goods and services, as well as their foreign providers, and that Washington would pursue all means to secure reforms.

In addition to industrial subsidies, other unfair trade practices include preferential treatment for state enterprises, data restrictions, inadequate enforcement of intellectual property rights, and cyber theft, U.S. charge daffaires David Bisbee told the World Trade Organization (WTO).

He was addressing a closed-door WTO meeting, which continues on Friday, to conduct the watchdogs first review of the Chinese regimes trade policy since 2018.

Both the United States and Canada denounced alleged economic coercion by China against other WTO member states who speak out against its practices.

We also cannot ignore reports of Chinas use of forced labour in several sectors, Bisbee said, in an apparent reference to activists allegations regarding ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Xinjiang, a charge that Beijing denies.

The United States would pursue all available tools to try to persuade China to make needed changes, he added in remarks made available by the U.S. trade delegation in Geneva.

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, who led its 20-member delegation, told the meeting: Since the last review, China has stayed committed to deepening reform, expanding, opening up, and growing its open economy at a higher level.

The EU said that the degree to which China has reformed and opened is not commensurate with its weight in the global economy, or comparable to the access its goods have to the markets of other WTO members. It urged the Chinese regime to adopt further market reforms and play a role in the WTO equal to its economic weight.

India said that bilateral trade was skewed in favor of China, with a growing deficit, the single largest it has with any country. India was seeking to engage Chinese authorities about serious efforts that are required, it said.
US Treasury Will Hold IMF Chief Accountable for Integrity Changes: Official

WASHINGTONThe second-ranking U.S. Treasury official told senators on Tuesday that the agency would hold International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva accountable for changes needed to safeguard IMF integrity in the wake of a World Bank data-rigging scandal.

We did not find that it was appropriate at this point to remove the (IMF) managing director, Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told a U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing.

But we did make very clear during those meetings, and directly to the managing director that changes need to be made to ensure whistleblowers rights are protected and that the integrity of the institutions are protected, which is our overarching goal, Adeyemo said.

Adeyemos comments underscored the Biden administrations continued pressure on Georgieva after the IMF executive board last week cleared her of wrongdoing following allegations that when she was World Bank chief executive in 2017, she put undue pressure on bank staff to make data changes to boost Chinas ranking in the now-canceled Doing Business report.

Then U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury nominee Wally Adeyemo speaks during an event at the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Del., on Dec. 1, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

We will be holding her and the other leaders of the international financial institutions accountable for making these changes, Adeyemo said.

A probe of Doing Business data irregularities, by law firm WilmerHale, is continuing and the firm is expected to issue a second report on potential misconduct by World Bank staff.

Adeyemos boss, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, last week during IMF and World Bank annual meetings, called for strong action by the two institutions to protect data integrity and prevent misconduct in the wake of the scandal.

Georgieva told Reuters last week that the IMF has robust controls and strong internal protections for whistleblowers, but would work with staff to strengthen the Funds credibility.

By David Lawder
Frontline workers and first responders stand in silence to protest Quebec's vaccine mandate in Quebec City on Oct. 15, 2021. (The Epoch Times/Sonia Rouleau)

Vaccine Mandates Backfire on Employers

Commentary

Vaccine mandates are being imperiled as intransigent workers ignore approaching deadlines. Labour unions are pushing back against vaccine mandates in some cases, while informal employee organizations are standing up for unvaccinated workers when unions wont.

Companies and governments are facing a choice between firing thousands of workers or backing off on their vaccination deadlines. Many are backing off.

Its easy for employers and governments to talk tough and draw lines in the sand with vaccine mandates. It is proving much more difficult to enforce these mandates in reality. Very few industries can suddenly dismiss five or ten percent of their workforce without serious disruptions to their operations.

Canada is in the midst of a labour shortage already. Finding skilled replacement workers after having fired thousands will prove difficult for employers, if not impossible, and they are re-evaluating vaccine mandates in light of this.

The most notable Canadian example is in Quebec, where the government had set a deadline of Oct. 15 for all health care workers to be vaccinated. As the deadline loomed, 22,000 health care workers remained unvaccinated. No amount of cajoling, threats, or incentives was going to get those workers to submit.

Faced with the prospect of a collapse in their health care system, Quebecs government blinked and moved the deadline to Nov. 15.

With nurses and other health-related workers already in short supply, it wouldve been a catastrophe to suddenly fire tens of thousands of them. There is little indication the unvaccinated will relent by mid-November, and the Quebec government will be facing a hard choice again soon.

Supply chains have proven fragile and troubled throughout the pandemic as ships worldwide languish offshore, awaiting the ability to load and unload their products.

In Canada, dock workers are considered federally regulated workers under Transport Canada. That means they are subject to federal vaccine mandates. British Columbias longshore union has made it clear they will not put up with their members being threatened with mandatory vaccinations.

In a letter to the federal government, the union told the government to mind its own business on the matter, and I suspect the government will. If B.C.s 7,200 longshore union members began even minor labour actions, disruptions to the distribution of consumer goods across Canada would be immediate and costly.

In the United States, Southwest Airlines was forced to relent on their steadfast vaccine mandate due to unofficial labour action from their staff. While both the airline and the union deny it, its clear it was more than weather issues that led to thousands of flights suddenly being cancelled over one weekend in early October.

If labour actions didnt cause the flight disruptions, why did Southwest suddenly back off on their threat to put unvaccinated workers on unpaid leave? Its not hard to read between those lines.

In Canada, airline workers opposed to mandatory vaccination are organizing without union support. A group calling itself Free to Fly claims to have more than 2,500 airline professionals signed on, and plans to actively oppose vaccine mandates. Airline professionals cant be replaced quickly, and if even a small number of them begin labour action, transportation in Canada could be crippled.

Among emergency services, the RCMP union has stated it will support members who choose not to be vaccinated. In Alberta, firefighters and paramedics are organized under a group called Fight for the Frontline, and are challenging vaccine mandates. Last week, they threatened to take Alberta Health Services to court over its vaccine mandate for frontline health-care workers.

Are governments prepared to terminate the employment of thousands of emergency response workers? Will the public accept shortages of those critical services on a point of vaccination principle? If your home is burning down, I doubt the vaccination status of the firefighters responding will be your primary concern.

There is a sizable segment of the population who will not get vaccinated under any circumstances. While figures such as five percent or ten percent sound small, they amount to hundreds of thousands of workers across the country. Employers in both the private and public sectors need to face reality and make plans to accommodate workers to choose not to be vaccinated.

Canadas economy is already in a precarious position while our health care systems are overloaded. Vaccine advocates need to temper their zeal and understand that putting hundreds of thousands of Canadians out of work over their vaccination status will cause damage we can ill afford to suffer right now.

Both formally and informally, workers are organizing against vaccine mandates. Rather than constantly extending vaccination deadlines, employers would be well served to start negotiating compromises.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A Volvo logo is seen on a rim displayed at a Volvo showroom in Mexico City, Mexico, on April 6, 2018. (Gustavo Graf/Reuters)

Volvo Adds 195,000 Vehicles to Recall for Dangerous Air Bags

DETROITVolvo is recalling another 195,000 vehicles in the United States because the front drivers air bags could explode and send shrapnel into the cabin.

Its the companys third U.S. recall for the issue with air bag inflators made by supplier ZF/TRW. It stems from the death of an unidentified U.S. driver. In all, the recalls cover more than a half-million vehicles.

The latest recall posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators covers XC70 and V70 wagons from the 2001 through 2007 model years that were built from Feb. 22, 2000 through May 4, 2007.

The problem is similar to widespread trouble with air bag inflators made by bankrupt Japanese air bag maker Takata. The company used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate the air bags. But the chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high heat and humidity and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister.

At least 19 people in the United States and 28 worldwide have been killed by exploding Takata inflators. More than 400 have been injured in the United States.

The Volvo inflators do not use ammonium nitrate, but the propellant can still deteriorate when exposed to high heat and humidity, according to documents posted Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Volvo said in the documents that the fatality is the only inflator rupture case that it knows of.

ZF/TRW said the inflators were not sold to any other automakers in the United States. The companys U.S. headquarters is in Livonia, Michigan, near Detroit.

Earlier this month Volvo recalled nearly 260,000 older cars in the United States for the same problem. That was in addition to a recall from November of 2020.

Dealers will replace the drivers air bag with a modern state-of-the-art propellant/inflator, the Volvo documents say. Owners in the latest recall will be notified by letter starting Dec. 14.
A person takes in the work of artist Richard Bell at the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art Australia) in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 12, 2021. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

We Want You to Come Back: Australian State Tourism Minister Says Sydney Open for Business

The New South Wales government will invest more than $530 million (US$397 million) into turbocharging the recovery of the events and tourism sector.

This is all about turbocharging our visitor economy, Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres told reporters. Theres probably no sector across NSW thats been more damaged by the sustained impact of the coronavirus pandemic than our tourism industry.

Ayres said the government was making a strong statement to global airlines that the state wanted planes back in Sydney.

Sydney International Airport has been operating at 1 percent of its traditional revenue because Sydney and Australia had been closed off from the world for 19 months, causing airlines to direct flights away from the country.

The state government will allocate $60 million into an Aviation Attraction Fund to incentivise commercial airlines to resume flight routes to Sydney.

We should not be arrogant enough to think that just because weve reopened the border, or weve removed quarantine, that every commercial operator around the world is just going to come back to Australia, Ayres said.

Weve actually got to put up for open for business sign on the ground. Weve actually got to reach back out to those partners who have been working with us for decades  and say, we want you to come back.'

As the first state to open internationally in Australia, Ayres said the funding was about telling the world, Were open for business.

Were going to be aggressively in the market making sure we get those airlines that have been sending routes to other cities to come back to Sydney, he said.

The funding package also includes $150 million to support the recovery of major events across the state and another $50 million to revitalise events in Sydney CBDs and surrounding areas.

Most of the package will go into expanding the Stay & Rediscover scheme offering $50 vouchers to all NSW adults.

This is a huge shot in the arm for the tourism sector. It really turbocharges the recovery, Ayres said. Theres no doubt here in NSW its lift-off time when it comes to the visitor economy.

From Nov. 1, people who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter NSW without going through quarantine. However, they will be required to return a negative PCR test before boarding their flight and show proof of their vaccination status.

A cap of 210 people remains for the number of unvaccinated travellers allowed into the state.
Orange County Woman Sentenced to Community Service After Refusing to Wear Mask

A 57-year-old nurse was sentenced to 40 hours of community service after being convicted of trespassing after refusing to wear a mask while inside a Costa Mesa, California, grocery store.

Marianne Campbell Smith was pronounced guilty on Oct. 20 of trespassing with intent to interfere with business and obstructing or intimidating a business or customers, with jurors deliberating for only 45 minutes. She pleaded no contest June 9.

In addition, Smith will need to pay a $200 fine and $895 in penalties during her one year of informal probation.

She was also required to stay away from the grocery store.

In August 2020, Smith went to Mothers Market, a local grocery store in Costa Mesa, where face masks were required at the time due to state health standards. She participated in a mask protest outside of the store.

Smith and two other women from the protest then walked into the store without masks, where they were continually asked to leave, according to prosecutors.

While walking around the store, Smith told another customer, You dont have to be scared. Its all a lie, while simultaneously carrying a sign that said Economic Health = Public Health and Healthy People Do Not Wear Masks, according to the prosecutors.

This caused employees to become concerned, and they escorted other customers out and locked the doors, the prosecution said.

Smith told the police officers on scene that she went into the store to buy a bottle of water and that she was being discriminated against due to her having a medical exemption from wearing the mask, according to prosecutors.

Fred Fascenelli, Smiths defense attorney, said it was disturbing how quickly the verdict was reached, given how nuanced the law can be regarding mask-wearing.

Theres a lot of law there and complicated issues, he told City News Service.

Shes not offended by someone else wearing a face covering, he said. She physically cant wear one. She has an issue that prevents her from doing that. She told the clerk she cant wear a mask and told the police she could not wear a mask.

Fascenelli said he believes the American justice system is the best in the world but thinks the jury got it wrong this time.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer had a different response, saying it was an issue of private property rights.

The defendant wanted to make this about masks and freedom, Spitzer said in a statement. This trial was about a private business and workers just trying to comply with local and state health orders.

Instead, the defendant bullied her way around the store and yelled at masked elderly shoppers that they were part of a government conspiracy. As the elected District Attorney of Orange County, I am responsible for protecting private property rights.
A woman stands next to the world's biggest triceratops skeleton, known as "Big John," during its auction in Paris, on Oct. 21, 2021. (Francois Mori/AP Photo)

Worlds Biggest Triceratops Sells for $7.7 Million in Paris

PARISThe worlds biggest triceratops skeleton, known as Big John, was sold for 6.6 million euros ($7.7 million) Thursday to a private collector at a Paris auction house.

The enormous skeleton, estimated to be over 66 million years old, was found in 2014 in South Dakota. The triceratops is known for its three horns on the head.

Big John, named after the owner of the land where it was found, is certified by the Guinness World Records as the largest documented skeleton of a triceratops. The dinosaur died in an ancient flood plain on the island continent stretching from present-day Alaska to Mexico, allowing the conservation of its skeleton in mud.

The skeleton is 23 feet long and stands 8 feet high at the hips. The skull represents more than one third of its total length, with two large horns over 3.6 feet long.

The hammer price at the Drouot auction house, before commission and other costs, was 5.5 million euros.

Its a record for Europe, auctioneer Alexandre Giquello said.

Big Johns skeleton is more than 60 percent complete and its skull more than 75 percent complete, making it unique.

The overall quality of Big John really deserved this price, Iacopo Briano, a paleontology expert, said. For a triceratops and for an herbivore. This is unbelievable record, he said.

Last year, a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton reached almost $32 million in an auction in New York, becoming the most expensive dinosaur ever sold.

Big John was sold to a private U.S. buyer who requested to remain anonymous.

Djuan Rivers, a representative for the buyer, said its being acquired by an American collector  absolutely thrilled with the idea of being able to bring a piece like this to his personal use.

The history behind this and the duration of it is absolutely impressive. So to be able to be a part of preserving something of this nature  its also something extremely special, Rivers added.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping (on screen) delivers a speech during the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, on July 1, 2021. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinas Xi to Introduce Historical Resolution in Bid to Cement Legacy: Experts

News Analysis

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will hold its key members meeting in November, where the politburo will issue a third historical resolution to draw conclusions on historical issues.

Experts believe that this third historical resolution will set the tone for leader Xi Jinpings identity in the CCPs history, and pave the way for his succession in the regimes major meeting in 2022.

In a Politburo meeting on Oct. 18, the Party announced the plan to hold its Sixth Plenary Session of the Nineteenth Central Committee from Nov. 8 to 11.

In the meeting led by Xi, participants also discussed the resolution on major achievements and historical experience over the past 100 years of the Party, which is to be revised and presented to its rubber-stamp legislature meeting in 2022.

Resolutions on the CCPs History

The previous two resolutions (pdf) on the history of the CCP were adopted in 1945 and 1981, respectively.

Those two resolutions successively established invincible positions for Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping in the Party.

The 1945 resolution on certain questions in the CCP history served Maos first ideological mass movement to eliminate his political opponents at the Partys base in Yanan, a landlocked mountainous area of China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was drafted at the Seventh Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party.

A group of people take pictures in front of portraits of (L-R) late Chinese chairman Mao Zedong and former Chinese leaders Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and current leader Xi Jinping at an exhibition marking the countrys achievements over the past 70 years, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China, in Beijing on Sept. 26, 2019. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Dengs 1981 resolution on certain questions in the CCP history since the founding of the regime, was issued at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Party. It assessed and criticized Maos ultra-leftism political line and Maos Cultural Revolution. It helped to secure Dengs political status.

Partys Internal Fighting

Yuan Hongbing, is a leading Chinese dissident and writer. In an interview with The Epoch Times, the former head of the law school at Beijing University said Xis historical resolution is paving the way for his tenure as the Party leader.

He said that Xis general idea of the Sixth Plenary Session can be summarized as: Mao Zedong made China stand up; Deng Xiaoping made China rich; Xi Jinping made China strong.

Yuan explained, To begin with, it was Mao Zedongthe dictator and thiefwho made China stand up. Its from Xi Jinpings point of view; but, in our view, he made the communist bandit stand up, not the Chinese people.

Then, it was Deng Xiaoping, along with his successors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. Together, they made China rich; in our opinion, the Partys elite capitalism has helped the totalitarian CCP to reach an unprecedented level of corruption.

According to Yuan, Xi has defined himself as a powerful dictator, His wolf-warrior diplomacy has put him in the center of conflicts, both domestic and international. Xi believes being tough is how he made China strong.

Thats how Xi Jinping sees himself in the CCPs history, the one who stands side by side with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, Yuan said.

The third historical resolution will help Xi to set up an ideological foundation for his political legacy in the Party, according to Yuan.

Therefore, the CCPs internal fighting will surround the issue of his succession in the leadership and even the tenure of his ruling within the Party.

Yuan also believed that for Xi to reach his goal, he must negate former leader Jiang Zemin.

Xis Aggressive Obsession

Tang Jingyuan, a columnist and China affairs specialist, also believes that Xi is trying to differentiate himself from Mao and Deng, so that he can set his own legacy for possible tenure of his leadership.

He said, Xi is aiming to eliminate the influence of Deng. He must establish his own image as a pioneer. Its his way to win his legitimacy in ruling the Party and even life-long leadership.

However, he doubted that Xi would totally negate Jiang Zemin, noting that in a recent document of the politburo meeting, former leaders of the CCP such as Mao, Deng, Jiang, and Hu were still mentioned. Rather, Xi has been pretty aggressive in the international arena.

He said, Xi Jinping believes that his mission is to exploit the two major weapons built by Mao and Dengthe political totalitarian system, and the economic corrosion and penetrationto launch a full-scale unconventional war against the world, and thats why Xi claimed himself the one to make China strong.

Tang said the national meeting in 2022 will target world leadership. Xi will fight for world leadership in a full-scale manner including the infiltration and expansion of all coercive, aggressive, and destructive types of hot wars, cold wars, and unrestricted wars.

Xis Image in the Ruling Party

In the 2016 plenary session of the Party, Xi established himself as the core leader. In 2017, he further stepped up on the CCP hierarchy and published Xi Jinpings Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, often abbreviated as Xi Jinping Thought.

Xi Jinping Thought is comparable to Maos doctrine, Mao Zedong Thought.

In 2018, Xi Jinping Thought was added into the Partys constitution. At the same time, Xi revised the Party constitution and removed the two-term limit of the regime chairman.

In the latest edition of the Brief History of the Party published this year, Xis ruling period occupied 146 pages of the entire 531 pages, more than a quarter of the book; the condemnation of Maos Cultural Revolution was downplayed.

Commentator Yuan said that according to insiders understanding, Xi believed that there were only two CCP leaders worth praising: Mao is one, and Xi is surely the other one.

Xi intended to negate Dengs economic reforms, but he was advised that the time was not right. After all, there are still allies and cronies of his predecessors within the Party, according to Yuan.

Yuan explained, He must completely deny Deng Xiaopings economic line and Jiang Zemins corrupt elite line before he can establish his sole identity as high as Mao in the Party.

Xis Two Cannot Deny Ideology

In 2013, Xi brought up the two cannot deny ideology referring to the CCP history before and after the reform and opening up period. The 30 years before the reform and opening up period cannot be used to deny the 30 years after the reform and opening up, and vice versa.

Young Chinese people demonstrate during the great proletarian Cultural Revolution in front of the French embassy, in Beijing, on Jan. 1967. Since the Cultural Revolution was launched in May 1966 at Beijing University, Maos aim was to recapture power after the failure of the Great Leap Forward, The movement was directed against those party leaders in authority taking the capitalist road. (Jean Vincent/AFP via Getty Images)

In the first 30 years since the founding of the Party, there were Maos political movements such as land reforms, elimination of communist opponents, and the purge of state enemies; the economic and social movementGreat Leap Forward; the Great Famine; and the Cultural Revolution.

Dengs economic reform and opening up in the 70s brought the regime on the world stage for the next 30 years. But the CCPs ruling also resulted in the countrys totally corrupt and collapsed morale.

Tang explained that its simply a tactical adjustment between Mao and Deng within the 60 years of the CCPs ruling.

The Partys fundamental line to global hegemony with communism has never changed. This line was described as liberation of all mankind in the Mao era.

Deng kept up a guise to fool Western society, rather than publicly tout a similar slogan as Mao. Dengs 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre and his 1992 political campaign on the Southern Tour following the Peaceful Evolution (the dissolution of the Soviet Union during 1988 and 1991), secured the communist line of the CCP.

Xi, on the other hand, inscribed the line with his slogan, a community with a shared future for mankind.

Tang said, When Xi mentioned the two cannot deny [ideology], he was really saying hes the sole heir of the Partys fundamental line.

He believes that Xi will declare the end of Dengs era by highly affirming his own political achievements. This is the same strategy as Dengs declaration that the era of Mao was over.

When Xi was hitting hard on the private enterprises in the name of common prosperity, public opinion believed that China was ushering in a second cultural revolution, but Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Vice Premier Liu He insisted that the opening up for the private enterprises remained.

Tang said, Objectively, Xi Jinpings two cannot deny [ideology] indeed balances the faction differences between the predecessors, Mao and Deng.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Haizhong Ning Follow Haizhong Ning was a state employee and worked for a real estate company in China, before moving abroad and working as a reporter with a focus on Chinese affairs and politics for more than seven years.
Bailey, CO (80421)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 34F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 34F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
NORWALK  The children of Myanmar have not attended classes since early 2020, when the schools first closed due to the pandemic. Then in February, the military overthrew the democratically elected government and have kept the schools shut ever since.

We woke up on Feb. 1 and all the telephone towers were down. We had no connection with the world. That was so terrifying, said May, a 19-year-old Myanmar citizen who boarded her first flight out of the country this week to attend college in New Hampshire.

May, whose last name is being withheld due to safety concerns, is currently staying with Norwalk resident Emily Kelting until she starts school next week at Southern New Hampshire University. She was in her first year of university in Myanmar studying psychology when the schools initially shut down.

A degree in psychology is still the goal for May, who dreams of becoming a therapist and bringing greater mental health services to her home country. Mental and behavioral health services are severely lacking in Myanmar, she said, and May wants to give her people, especially children and teens, someone to trust with their feelings.

I want them to experience things like me, coming to the Americas and experience things that theyve never. I just want to change something, the things that they need in my country. I want them to have an open mind, May said. Thats why I have dreams of becoming a therapist. There is so many depressed kids.

May described life before COVID and the coup as so beautiful living in the city of Yangon. Under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi, communication was much more open and walking the streets, even after dark, was safe, she said.

Under military rule, May must cover up before going outside and communication is limited to mostly email with a few other messaging apps. Facebook and its family of apps have been banned.

Even going out during the day is dangerous, she said, especially for women who May said are sexually harassed by the male soldiers. Her mother, Soe, does not allow May to work outside the home for fear of her safety.

Protests of the coup began a few days after military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing took power and detained Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the National League for Democracy, according to May. The protests began peacefully, with protesters gave the soldiers flowers, food and water as they tried to convince them to stop and join the people.

On Feb. 19, a 19-year-old female protester was shot in the head as police tried to disperse the protesters, according to a BBC report. Police denied using lethal force, but doctors told the BBC that two other protesters were struck by live rounds.

May said the protests then became more violent, with the opposition forces trying to shoot with the guns or smoke. Students and teenagers who are the futures of the country were being killed, arrested or harassed. The protests continued even as a second wave of COVID hit the country.

We cant go outside, but we still go, some teenagers go and do protesting. This is stupid, during the COVID time, its not safe to do the protest, but they just wanted democracy, May said.

Kelting made the connection with Mays family in January 2020 when she traveled to Myanmar on a photography tour. Mays mother operated the tour company and the two became fast friends, staying in touch after Kelting returned home. As conditions worsened in Myanmar, Kelting raised money to help Soe and her family since tourism in the country had dried up.

Kelting then worked to find a way to get them out of the country. Immigration wasnt an option, but Soe also wanted to study in America so they started looking into student visas. To obtain a student visa, Soe and May needed to be accepted into a U.S. college or university. Kelting looked at 30 colleges before learning about Southern New Hampshire and its international team.

Soe had her interview for the visa on Sept. 23, but Kelting said she was denied. Mays visa was approved, but she was reluctant to leave her family, including her 14-year-old sister Hsu behind. She had never lived without her mother and had never been on an airplane before, she said. But Soe convinced her daughter to take advantage of the opportunity.

Shes been a role model for me. She was divorced and took care of me and my sister. That was wonderful, May said.

Kelting plans to help Soe again in the spring in a second attempt to apply for a student visa. May said her mother loves business and will likely pursue a degree in marketing or management.

Mays flight touched down at John F. Kennedy Airport International on Tuesday, ending a day and half of travel. Due to flight restrictions, May had to fly from Yangon to Malaysia, where she had an 11-hour layover before her flight to Dubai. The flight from there to New York was another 12 hours.

Im lucky I got here, thanks to Emily. Shes a very amazing person, May said.

In the first two days, May said she has taken a walk on the beach, enjoyed a taco and admired the clean streets. Shes also looking forward to a trip to New York City. She said her greatest hope is to take what she learns in America and bring it back home to change her country.

Im doing this for my country, May said.

Southern New Hampshire University extended a full tuition scholarship to May, according to Kelting, adding she is helping pay for room and board and any additional donations are appreciated.

emily.morgan@hearstmediact.com
BRUSSELS (AP)  Belgium's government warned Thursday that the country could well be on the cusp of another major surge in COVID-19 cases despite its high vaccination rate.

Though the government recently relaxed the mandatory use of facemasks, it is again starting to encourage the population to use them to counter a rise in cases reminiscent of the first three surges of the past 1 1/2 years.
NORWALK  The city school district made the committment this week to expand academic opportunities and perspectives for its student body with the adoption of an equity statement.

The Norwalk Board of Education approved the statement during its regular business meeting on Tuesday. Policy committee chair Heidi Keyes brought forth the measure, which she hopes will lead to an actual equity policy in the future. She also hopes to see the statement printed and put on display in each school building.

The statement further defines the districts mission to provide all of its students with an excellent and equitable education. The district commits to not allowing race/ethnicity, language or socio-economic status to be barriers to accessing academic, social-emotional and extra-curricular opportunities.

The statement was developed by the boards policy committee with input from Dr. Edward Fergus of Temple University, Norwalk Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Thomas McBryde Jr., Richard Lemons, executive director for CT Center for School Change, and Brenda Wilcox Williams, chief of staff and communications for the district.

Information from surveys and focus groups conducted across the district also helped shape the statement, as well as feedback from the Center for Youth Leadership, allowing the schools student leaders to weigh in.

Board Chair Colin Hosten commended the statement for articulating the idea of equity in the district, the meaning of which is not always appreciated by the community at large.

I think hopefully articulating this idea of equity in such a very thorough but also clear, precise and simple way helps to dispel any confusion people may have. This is not about holding anyone back for the sake of equity. This is about expanding opportunity for all students, Hosten said.

Before the board voted, board member Sarah LeMieux asked to amend the statement slightly by changing the word regardless to welcoming when referring to the many backgrounds and identities of the districts students. Her fellow board members agreed to the change and approved the amended statement unanimously.

Mary Yordon, president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers and vice president of AFT Connecticuts PreK-12 educators, also praised the equity statement during the public comments section of Tuesdays meeting. She said the statement stands Norwalk apart from other communities at this time.

Teachers want to be able to have that protection and leadership at the top to be able to engage in rigorous learning, allowing our students to engage critically and explore the world in a way that includes people that look like them, sound like them, and a whole range of experiences in the world, Yordon said.

The statement specifically states the district will support our schools in teaching the contributions and viewpoints of all people, using culturally relevant curricula.

emily.morgan@hearstmediact.com
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  The United Arab Emirates crown prince received a rare telephone call from Syrian President Bashar Assad in which they discussed strengthening relations and cooperation, Syrias state media reported Wednesday.

The call between Assad and UAEs Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed came as some Arab countries are improving relations with Syria, a decade after the countrys civil war began.

Syrian government forces now control much of the country with the help of Assads strong allies Russia and Iran, who helped tip the balance of power in his favor. The conflict killed hundreds of thousands and displaced half of Syrias population, including 5 million refugees outside the country.

The UAE reopened its embassy in Damascus in December 2018 but relations remained cold since then.

Assads office said the two leaders discussed mutual relations and ways of strengthening them in addition to expanding cooperation. It added that they also discussed regional and international affairs. Assads office did not elaborate.

Last month, Assad called King Abdullah II of Jordan for the first time since Syrias conflict began in March 2011. The two countries also reopened a major border crossing between them.

The UAE was a supporter of the Syrian opposition, which is now largely confined to a small corner in northwest Syria after Assads forces gained control of much of Syria in recent years.

The call comes as Syrias economy is being squeezed by crippling Western sanctions and at a time when Damascus badly needs to boost relations with countries such as the oil-rich UAE. The UAE is home to thousands of Syrians who work in the gulf nation and send money to their relatives at home.

Arab and Western countries generally blamed Assad for the deadly crackdown on protests that erupted in 2011 and developed into a civil war, and supported the opposition in the early days of the conflict.
We are just beginning to heal. Many of us, in one way or another, are still suffering under the weight of the pandemic. Many of us had family members affected. Many of us had our lives disrupted. We lost jobs. We lost business. How do begin to pick ourselves up? Do we focus on putting things back the way they wereor lean forward and build the region, communities, and life we want?

The pandemic of 2020 brought the tourism and service industry to its knees with an impact that was nine times more powerful than the tragedy of 9/11. Local businesses and attractions in southwest Illinois, which relied on tourism lost employees, income, and were faced with unprecedented choices: close their doors or pivot to online sales and/or delivery services. From one day to the next, we all rode a roller coaster of uncertainty and fear.

Visitor spending and tax revenues were down more than 50% across Illinois. Locally, that meant a loss of nearly $40 million in local and state tax revenues that would have been generated from visitor spending. Prior to the pandemic, tourism was the third largest industry in our six-county region. Everyone has been impacted by those losses.

Combining losses of tax revenues, jobs and the impact on the workforce in the service industry, the pandemic triggered awareness that we are one of the top regional destinations in the Midwest and we need to focus on building a resilient tourism destination for years to come.

And now? The final months of 2021 have provided glimmers of hope for the tourism industry  both statewide and locally.

People are increasingly open to travel but they dont want to visit the big cities and crowded attractions that once called out to them. Travelers are choosing rivers and roads over skyscrapers. Now they are planning visits to the smaller destinations with a focus on nature and outdoor activities. And guess what? Thats the Great Rivers & Routes region in southwest Illinois! We are home to four national scenic byways  The National Road, Route 66, the Great River Road and the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. We are home to the largest state park in Illinois, the Lewis & Clark National Trail and the National Mississippi Water Trail and we are located at the confluence of Americas three great rivers  the Mississippi, Illinois, and Missouri.

But there is so much more to our region. There are the people, the businesses, the attractions that have been the bedrock of the local tourism industry.

State and Federal assistance is timely, but we need to build capacity as a region; we need to focus, come together, and build our region back better. Together!

The Federal government is currently distributing funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to state and local governments across the country. These funds can be used to help industries negatively impacted by the pandemic. And tourism is one of those impacted industries.

It will take bold and transformational thinking to use these funds for tourism development. It will take counties and cities determining how they want to embrace the future of tourism in our region.

We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to build the destination we want to see and cement our place as a world-class destination for travelers from around the world.

We encourage regional mayors, economic development officials and community leaders to be courageous when it comes to determining how to spend ARPA funds. Custodial thinking is not enough. These funds can and should be a game changer for the tourism industry in our region.

The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau has worked hard over the past years and especially the last 18 months to make our destination top of mind with travelers. We are welcoming back road trippers and regional travelers after a 12-month absence. But we must continue to be relevant and viable to those looking for their next travel destination whether it be for leisure activity, attending a meeting, conference, or a youth sporting event. Just marketing the destination we have is not enough anymore.and it never really was. We have to build and then steward the destination we need and could have. A destination not only for leisure travelers but also for young families, retirees, start-ups, remote workers, etc.

We need to work together to embrace tourism as the economic recovery engine for the region. To be bold thinkers. To be transformational in our planning and development along our rivers and byways. Together. Our main streets and our rivers are economic corridors that can contribute to the livability of our region. We need to be creative and innovative. We can not expect to do the same things and expect different results.

Do we, as a region, have the determination to give our local businesses and the tourism industry in general, a much-needed boost? Are we ready to be bold thinkers and invest in tourism in unprecedented ways?

Are we ready to build the destination we want by creating a livable destination for young families, active retirees, and entrepreneurs? If you dont think we are a regional destination for tourism, then why was more than $1.4 billion spent on travel in 2018 and 2019 combined? We have a destination that people want to visit.

Local leaders, its up to you. We challenge you to be transformational!

Cory Jobe is President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said he will call state lawmakers back to work early to pass legislation to combat coronavirus vaccine mandates enacted by businesses.

The Republican governor said he will convene a special session of the GOP-controlled statehouse in November to address vaccine requirements. He didn't specify a starting date.

At the end of the day, you shouldnt be discriminated against based on your health decisions, he said during a news conference. We want to provide protection for people, we want to make it clear that, in Florida, your right to earn a living is not contingent upon whatever choices you're making in terms of these injections.

Many other states are considering anti-mandate bills. GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last week issued an executive order to prohibit any entity from requiring vaccines.

In broad terms, DeSantis outlined policy goals for the special session, including holding businesses liable for adverse reactions to vaccines, removing legal liability protections for employers with vaccine mandates and added protections for people fired for not being vaccinated.

DeSantis has for weeks criticized White House plans to require vaccinations and vowed to fight such rules in court. His administration has also fined local school boards who defied a state ban on mask mandates in classrooms and has moved to withhold funding from districts that receive federal grants meant to blunt the states fines.

The announcement appeared to catch at least one legislative leader off-guard. Shortly after the governor's news conference, GOP Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls told lawmakers that his office had no additional details about the session.

Democrats were quick to criticize the governor's plan.

"He's behaving like the dictators that supposedly we all hate," said state Sen. Annette Taddeo, who this week announced she is running for governor. Why are we telling private businesses what they can and cannot do?
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  The leading candidates for Virginia governor have gone quiet on commitments both previously made to disclose at least some information from recent tax returns before the Nov. 2 election.

Neither the campaign of Democrat Terry McAuliffe nor that of Republican Glenn Youngkin has responded to recent inquiries from The Associated Press about their plans to share the information with voters.

While it is not required for Virginia gubernatorial candidates to disclose their returns, there is some limited precedent for doing so. The complete documents could give a more nuanced look at a candidates income, deductions and philanthropy than the states mandatory disclosures do.

In July, in response to questions from the AP, Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter said the former private equity executive and first-time candidate would release information from recent years' tax returns before November.

Christina Freundlich, a spokeswoman for McAuliffe, said the former governor would share a summary of recent years returns before the election.

In 2013, during the race between McAuliffe and then-Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, Cuccinelli allowed reporters to examine eight years worth of complete federal and state income tax returns, including itemized sources of income and deductions.

After more than a week of public pressure, McAuliffe released summaries of three years of federal returns to reporters, withholding all information about the sources of his income and the deductions and exemptions he enjoyed, the AP reported at the time.

Also on the ballot for governor next month is third-party candidate Princess Blanding, an activist and educator who did not respond to the AP's initial inquiry about whether she intended to release any tax return information.

Jeff Thomas, a Richmond native and the author of two books about money, corruption and influence in Virginia politics, said politicians' tax returns should be a matter of public record.

A campaign finance system that prevents the public from knowing basic information about how politicians make their money permits two shady gazillionaires to blanket the airwaves with images portraying themselves as avuncular everymen, he wrote in an email.
Bangkok Airways to resume Phuket  Hat Yai flights

PHUKET: Bangkok Airways will resume its direct service between Phuket and Hat Yai from Oct 31.

tourismtransport

By The Phuket News

Thursday 21 October 2021, 09:20AM

Photo: Bangkok Airways

The direct service between Phuket and Hat Yai will be operated by an ATR72-600, starting with one flight daily.

The outbound flight PG298 departs Phuket airport at 9:45am and arrives at Hat Yai airport at 10:50am.

The inbound flight PG299 departs Hat Yai airport at 11:20am and arrives at Phuket airport at 12:25pm.

The resumed services between Phuket  Hat Yai bring to nine the total number of destinations the airline is currently operating:
Cabinet nods to Flexible Plus Program for investments by foreigners

BANGKOK: The Cabinet has approved in principle the proposed Flexible Plus Program aimed at attracting foreign investors to Thailand.

tourism

By National News Bureau of Thailand

Thursday 21 October 2021, 10:01AM

Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul. Photo: NNT

Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said the Cabinet in its weekly meeting approved the principle of the Flexible Plus Program proposed by the Ministry of Interior, aiming to provide special benefits to high-income foreigners seeking to invest in Thailand.

The program, which will be available to holders of the Thailand Privilege Card, requires at least US$1 million (B33.3mn) to be invested in a one-year span after registration. Foreigners who apply for this program will be able to obtain work permits.

Investments that a foreigner can make in Thailand will be limited to real estate, public limited companies, stock exchanges, common stocks, bonds, and any investment units authorised by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Holders of Thailand Privilege Card, including their spouses and children younger than 20 years old, will be eligible for a so-called Smart Visa for temporary residency valid for 5 years. This visa can be renewed throughout the duration of their investments in Thailand.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects this special benefit campaign to attract 10,000 high-income foreigners, and inject some B300 billion into the Thai economy.
Income distribution vital in Phuket tourism recovery, says Governor

PHUKET: Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has emphasised that income distribution among residents across the island was paramount in the expected slow return of tourists after Nov 1, when Thailand is expected to reopen to receiving vaccinated tourists without quarantine from selected low-risk countries.

tourismeconomicsCOVID-19health

By The Phuket News

Thursday 21 October 2021, 10:33AM

The key message was delivered at an event held yesterday (Oct 20) to launch a united campaign by local business leaders and Phuket officials to prepare island residents for inbound tourists from Nov 1 and to promote the island as a safe tourist destination.

The campaign, called Together Phuket Stepping Forward, was launched at the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Chao Fah (Ramada Plaza Chaofah) in Wichit.

Governor Narong noted that Phuket was well prepared to receive tourists through the procedures and systems set in place under the Phuket Sandbox scheme, including the Mor Prom app, and the SHA and SHABA initiatives specifically designed for Sandbox.

He added that the next step forward would be through the Phuket Sandbox and various projects that will help Phukets economy recover to prosper again in all sectors.

"Moving forward from now on, it is important that we create as much income distribution as possible, to minimise the economic gap so that we can walk together in a stable manner in the midst of volatility. Phuket is ready to be a sandbox in every aspect of development to benefit the people of Phuket and Thailand, he said.

Phuket Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong pointed out that systems in place to receive both foreign and domestic tourists were concise and integrated in all aspects.

Phuket entry and exit measures [for domestic travellers] since October 16 are much easier. It signals the readiness of Phuket to move forward confidently. And Phuket is very ready to support the governments policy of opening the country on November 1 and we will set a good example to welcome tourists again happily, he said.

MORE INFECTIONS WILL COME

Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), pointed out plainly that more infections will come as the island reopens to receiving more visitors.

The real world is that we will inevitably find infections from both foreign and domestic visitors, but the PPHO Health Team is confident in controlling and managing COVID-19 infections as we have learned from past experiences. With the support of all sectors, we are ready to live with COVID-19 safely, he said.

Dr Kusak also pointed out that the number of hospital beds available for treating COVID patients had risen significantly over the past few weeks as patients had recovered, with fewer people needing treatment replacing them.

The Phuket CCR Team [Comprehensive COVID-19 Response Team] is continuing its proactive prevention and solution operations in the community, and we are paying much attention to check on Group 608 at-risk people, he added.

Group 608 has become Phuket officials preferred term for higher at risk patients, comprising people over 60 years old along with those suffering from any of the seven recognised medical conditions that place patients at higher risk of developing serious signs of infection, plus women more than 12 weeks pregnant.

Students are now registering through the Phuket Must Win website to be vaccinated, and more local quarantine centres, COVID Care Centres and Hospitels are closing, he added.

Of note, according to the Phuket COVID Daily Situation Report issued by the PPHO, the total number of people reported as currently being held at COVID-19 Care Centers across the island fell overnight by 237, from 1,438 to 1,201  indicating that at least one of the mass care facilities on the island had closed.

RECOVERY WILL TAKE TIME

Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, President of the Phuket Tourist Association, noted that even with the doors to tourism reopening, it will take time for the islands economy to recover to previous levels.

Before Phukets economy becomes as good as it was, it will take time and cooperation of all parties. Therefore, we have to spread our wings to open this door to travel more in all channels.

As a result, the Phuket economy will recover. The aim is to allow Phuket residents to move forward together with enough income to support them through the crisis,. and increase efforts to build tourism business sustainability for the next generation, he said.
Kevin Moss, founder of Phuket Immigration Volunteers, passes away

PHUKET: Kevin Moss, the British expat who founded the Phuket Immigration Volunteers and a regular at Patong Police Station with the Region 8 Police Volunteers, has passed away after a brief battle with cancer.

immigrationpolicepatongdeath

By The Phuket News

Thursday 21 October 2021, 11:27AM

Kevin Moss happy to help, pictured here at Phuket Immigration in 2011. Photo: The Phuket News / file

Kevin was diagnosed with late-stage cancer after presenting himself at Chalong Hospital for back pain. He was later admitted to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, where he was diagnosed with cancer in the brain and his back.

Kevin passed away on Oct 6. He was 64.

A friend to so many, said Wal Brown, a long-time friend who has also worked with the police volunteer programme in Patong and the International Liaison Volunteer Program supporting the Region 8 Police.

He had this temperament, when walking on patrol along Soi Bangla he could walk up to any situation where someone was kicking off and be able to just calm them down, Wal recalls.

He was an active member the whole time, always there to help out, he said.

At the police station, there was always somebody coming in asking for help. Kevin was happy to help, and very good with the immigration questions, he added.

Kevin, originally a butcher from the UK, founded the Phuket Immigration Volunteer Program at the main Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town in 2007 after simply pedalling up to the Immigration Office in Patong on his bike and asking if they needed any help. (See story, The friendly faces at Phuket Immigration - click here.)

The program grew to 17 active volunteers, many of whom remain in service at the main immigration office today to help foreigners navigate the bureaucratic hurdles of filing applications for visa extensions and other immigration services.

He left he Immigration Volunteers in 2013 for a break. While on the island he also worked as Sales Director for Layana Development Co Ltd over several years.

Kevin joined the Region 8 Police Volunteers operating out of Patong Police Station in 2015, and remained an active member to the end.

Help to coordinate between Thai Police and Tourists in Phuket Thailand. Ranging from loss of personal items to Drink Driving. Helping people to be safe while enjoying the Kingdom, Kevin noted about his service to tourists in Phukets busiest tourism town before COVID pandemic.

Kevins body will be at rest at Wat Chalong at 6pm this Saturday (Oct 23). His cremation will be this Sunday.
Thai researchers develop COVID-19 antigen rapid tests

BANGKOK: A local antigen rapid test for both professional use and self-testing has been developed and approved for the detection of COVID-19, it has been confirmed.

CoronavirusCOVID-19health

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 21 October 2021, 01:48PM

Photo: AFP

The test was developed by the National Nanotechnology Center under the National Science and Technology Development Agency, reports the Bangkok Post.

The professional use and self-test versions of the kits were approved by the Food and Drug Administration on July 21 and Sept 28 respectively.

After we developed the professional-use kits, infections were continuously surging from July, said chief researcher Natpapatsorn Wiriyachaiporn.

And then the government promoted the use of self-testing, so we developed the research further into self-test kits, Ms Natpapatsorn added.

The professional-use kits must be analysed by experts, she said, adding that they use longer and more flexible swabs than self-test kits while the antigen-positive result of the self-test must be confirmed by an RT-PCR.

Dr Wannee Chinsirikul, executive director of the National Nanotechnology Center, said the self-test kits will elevate safety and sanitation measures during the pandemic.

The highly effective test kits will help in detecting cases more accurately while also speeding up quarantine and treatment, she said.

The antigen rapid test for self-testing purposes can be used by the public by inserting swabs into the nose and rolling them five times in both cavities before dropping and squeezing the end of the swabs into the tubes provided.

Then the swabs are pulled out and the tube closed for one minute.

A user then squeezes five drops from the tube onto a test strip and needs to wait 15 minutes for a result to become clear.

Ms Natpapatsorn said people need to carefully read the kit instructions to ensure an accurate result.

She added that the centre has made instructional media that can be downloaded via a QR code for easy understanding.

National authorities will discuss with the private sector about the production of the tests.

Details are to come about when the tests will be available.
Progress_news

Glendale parents continue opposition to mask mandate

FLINTON  A contingent of approximately 20 parents who want school directors to oppose a mask-wearing requirement from the state Department of Health spoke again to the Glendale School Board at meeting on Tuesday.

The group presented a petition with 300 signatures to the board that they said were district parents, grandparents and caregivers in support of the district not taking its orders from Harrisburg. Supporters state mask wearing in school buildings should be a local decision.

Four representatives spoke to the board and asked a number of questions  some of which the board did not answer. The question posed by almost all who spoke questioned why the board wont vote to defy the mask requirement order and allow parents to choose whether their children should mask in school.

At times, some of those speaking appeared to be frustrated with directors, with one woman yelling a profanity-laden statement as she left the library during the public comment period.

Board President Dr. Andy Mulhollen said the time for the public to express its views to the board is set aside for remarks/public comment, not as a question and answer session. He also said he understands the topic is very controversial and not everyone agrees with the mandate, but the district is following it because by doing so, students are able to be in school for in-person learning. Mulhollen also reminded those speaking he doesnt believe their fight is with the board, but with state legislators.

I understand that you are angry but your anger is misplaced. The board doesnt have a choice. It has no right to change the mandate. Your fighting with us cant change this. You need to take it to Harrisburg. Legislators can change the directive. Thats the best use of your time, Mulhollen said.

Mulhollen also addressed the groups comments stating they dont believe the board is listening to parents, and that the board should support their drive opposing the mandate.

Mulhollen said, We are hearing you, but there is nothing we can do to change (the mandate) without taking on personal liability. I know you believe that wont happen. The school board is not the body to back a political movement. If individual board members want to back it, thats up to them. But as a board we cant sign a resolution supporting a particular movement.

In response to questions about lawsuits brought against school districts for supporting the mandate, district Solicitor Aimee Willet said she has been following several.

I am aware of one school district that wrote a letter asking to be relieved of the mask mandate. I am not aware of anything that it received that was anything different than to follow the mandate. I am also aware of a district that allowed masks to be optional. There was litigation filed against it by a parents group that wanted the mandate enforced. The federal courts directive was that the school district had to comply with the mandate.
Roanoke, AL (36274)

Today

A clear sky. Low around 35F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low around 35F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Update Required

To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
A proposed crackdown on so-called forever chemicals announced by the Biden administration this week would likely have a sweeping impact on Connecticuts manufacturing industry, experts said, pointing to the chemicals ubiquitous use in everything from furniture to makeup to cookware.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that it will seek to adopt tougher regulations and collect data from manufacturers on the use of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, known as PFAS, due to mounting evidence that the chemicals pose a health threat in food and water supplies.

In Connecticut, those concerns have come to light in the highly publicized spills of firefighting foams containing PFAS into the Farmington River and the discovery of more than a dozen contaminated wells in Killingworth.

State lawmakers took action to curb PFAS contamination earlier this year, voting to enact some of the toughest regulations in the nation by banning use of the chemicals in most firefighting foams and food packaging. The proposed action by the Biden administration would go further, requiring manufacturers to report how many PFAS chemicals their products contain, provide data about emissions and potentially pay for environmental cleanup.

Its going to affect pretty much every manufacturer in the state, because PFAS are so widely used, said Ashley Zane, a government affairs associate with the Connecticut Business & Industry Association.

One of the biggest costs for compliance, according to industry experts, would be the analysis that companies must undertake to determine whether their products contain PFAS, and in what quantity.

Sabrina Beck, vice president of Torrington-based electronics manufacturer Altek, said companies like hers that sell products into the European Union must already complete such analysis on a wide range of chemicals to comply with tougher overseas regulations. Beck said her company hires a third-party contractor to collect the relevant information from component manufacturers and assemble a full disclosure for regulators.

Still, manufacturers face a dilemma over addressing customers concerns about PFAS and filling the demand for products that use the chemicals, Beck said.

Its time consuming, it requires an expertise that most small manufacturers dont have, she said. Thats not to say its not important or that they shouldnt be doing it, but its a costly administrative burden.

While the chemicals have been used in manufacturing for over 60 years, public concern over their toxicity is relatively new and little is known about their impact on the environment. PFAS are often referred to as forever chemicals because they take a long time to break down in the environment, and have a tendency to accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals.

According to the EPA, exposure to PFAS chemicals has been linked to certain cancers, impaired immune systems, decreased fertility and low birth weights.

Environmentalists cheered the EPAs decision to address PFAS, saying the federal governments intervention would help expand testing for the chemicals in soil and water. In states that have already taken steps to regulate PFAS, more evidence stemming from government research will push officials to put even tougher measures in place, advocates said.

We have more to do of course, we need to get (PFAS) out of textiles and rugs and all sorts of things, said Susan Eastwood, state chapter chair of the Sierra Club. But this will back us up.

Some of the new federal regulations, such as a proposal for nationwide standards for PFAS chemicals in drinking water, are likely to have little practical effect in Connecticut. The state Department of Public Health, for example, has already established a limit of 70 parts per trillion for PFAS detected in drinking water, the same as the advisory levels currently set by the EPA.

The staff at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection are reviewing the announcement by the Biden administration, DEEP spokesman Will Healey said in an email Tuesday. He was unable to comment on the potential impact in Connecticut.

Some parts of new state law on PFAS are still contingent on unannounced federal regulations  such as getting rid of PFAS-based firefighting foams at airports, which are governed by the Federal Aviation Administration. But state Sen. Christine Cohen, D- Guilford, said the EPAs announcement signals that the Biden administration is moving toward such steps.

Nationwide guidelines will also limit the stress on manufacturers, compared to the current state-by-state approach, said Cohen, who co-chairs the Environment Committee. Some states, such as Vermont and California, have already adopted stricter limits on PFAS than Connecticut, she said.

Theres so much more we have to do on this, theres so much more we have to discover, Cohen said. We know that there are thousands of these chemicals, but some of them are particularly dangerous carcinogens that are in things we use on a daily basis.

Companies concerned about the potential for new regulations should be vocal during the public comment period, Beck said, allowing regulators to draft new rules that take into account the perspective of smaller businesses.

Groups such as the Small Manufacturers Association of Connecticut, for which Beck serves as board chairman, can also connect companies with resources to fulfill regulatory requirements, she said.
The filmmaker also explained that he is keen to delve into comedy as he described an unspecified Spaghetti Western project that he is planning, although he suggested that it might not be a film.

Tarantino said: "It's not like my next movie. It's a piece of something else that I'm thinking about doing  and I'm not going to describe what it is. But part of this thing, there is supposed to be a Spaghetti Western in it."

The 58-year-old director  whose previous credits include 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Pulp Fiction'  continued: "I'm looking forward to shooting that (thing) because it's going to be really fun. Because I want to shoot it in the Spaghetti Western style where everybody's speaking a different language.

"The Mexican Bandido is an Italian; the hero is an American; the bad sheriff is a German; the Mexican saloon girl is Israeli. And everybody is speaking a different language."

Tarantino also discussed how he decided to become a director when he realised his passion for film while doing acting classes.

The 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' helmer said: "I realised that, not only did I love movies more than other kids in the class. But I cared about them, whereas I think they only cared about themselves. And the reason why is that I loved movies too much to be an actor.

"I didn't just want to appear in them: I wanted the movie to be my movie."

Bang Showbiz
The city of San Francisco, known for its romantic hills, cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge and, more recently, growing homeless problems, may soon have another tourist attraction to add to its list.

Many are no doubt familiar with Italys Leaning Tower of Pisa. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say. If so, San Francisco may have something to rival Pisas famous tower.

It seems the best architects, engineers and construction workers that the state of California had to offer applied their trade at the much ballyhooed Millennium Tower apartment building in downtown San Francisco. It was billed as home to the rich-and-famous muckety mucks of San Francisco. And it was really, really fabulous until the unthinkable happened. The building became unstable and started slowly tilting to one side.

At last report the tower had sunk 16 inches and was listing like a ship taking on water at about 2 inches to the northwest. Some are suggesting they jack it back up straight by driving steel reinforced pylons into the ground to right it. Others think they should just torpedo it like the listing aircraft carrier that it is, sink it and put it out of its misery.

To be fair the Leaning Tower of Pisa was constructed in the 12th century, nearly 1,000 years before the one in San Francisco. They were using medieval technology, so they can be forgiven a bit. So whats San Franciscos excuse?

While digging deeper in the root causes of the slow motion disaster in the making, reporters have uncovered the curious fact that despite being in an area known to be crisscrossed with fault lines, the designers didnt think it necessary to secure the foundation down to bedrock. Whoops.

Im really wondering which persnickety building inspector actually approved the project. This in a city where it is highly illegal to have new gas stoves for example. Oh, but when erecting the tallest building in a city, they trust you to do it right. As long as there are no gas hookups in your units you should be fine. Leaning skyscrapers dont destroy the environment like gas cooktops do.

The owners of the building have hired the best legal counsel they can muster. However, any court action will have to be postponed until they first can spring the lawyers out of prison.

So the optimists are all excited about having the Leaning Tower of Frisco as yet another tourist destination, alongside the Golden Gate Bridge and the iconic cable cars. Tourists from around the world will now have a new reason to visit the City by the Bay. Italian tourists from Pisa will be coming in droves to laugh and point at American engineering stupidity. The postcard and souvenir industry in San Francisco is sure to get a boost from this.

And finally, theres talk of making the Leaning Tower of Frisco the 8th Wonder of the World, but I have my doubts. With all the mismanagement and incompetence that went into the project, is it really any wonder at all?
EDWARDSVILLE  Richard Marion and his brother, Jim, recently completed a trip to Washington D.C. like no other.

Jim is a Vietnam veteran, and the pair took an Honor Flight to the nations capital to see the Vietnam War Memorial, among other things, during a flight on Sept. 28. This was the first Honor Flight from this area since October 2019, thanks to the pandemic. Richard guesstimated the flight had been postponed at least seven times due to COVID-19.

The brothers, who live in Edwardsville, spoke to an Intelligencer reporter Monday in LeClaire Park, near the bandstand.

The Honor Flight Network is a national network comprised of independent hubs working together in furtherance of the Honor Flight mission and to show our nations veterans the appreciation and honor they deserve. Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the opportunity to share this momentous occasion with other comrades, to remember friends and comrades lost, and share their stories and experiences with other veterans. All honored veterans travel at no cost to the veteran.

It was really quite nice and well done, Jim said. I cant say enough [good things] about it.

Richard served as Jims Guardian on the flight, which boarded a plane at Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois at 4:45 a.m. This is, appropriately enough, the airport in Marion. After a chaplain led those on board in prayer at 5:35 a.m., they took off 10 minutes later. The flight itself lasted less than two hours, which surprised the brothers, landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

We got to D.C. at 7:15 a.m. Eastern Time, Richard recalled. When we arrived there, they read the names of 12 soldiers who didnt make it and they had a flag for each one of them.

When we walked in, me, him and everyone, theres police there, everyone in the airport gave us a standing ovation, Richard recalled.

They were clapping for us and hollering at us, Jim remembered.  Thank you for service. It was really nice.

Jim served in Vietnam for one year, in 1966, after he was drafted, until January 1967. He was in the 25th Infantry Division.

Richard called it humbling and melancholy. Unlike returning soldiers and sailors from World Wars I and II, those returning from Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s did not get ticker-tape parades or similar receptions. Most of the time, Vietnam Vets were ignored or in extreme cases, spat upon by civilians in the US.

Nobody paid attention to us; I just went back to work, Jim recalled.

Originally, veterans would make seven stops at various memorials around D.C., but in the Marions case, they visited 10, two of which were not in their itinerary. The group of 87 veterans, five from World War II, their guardians, medics and docents, or tour guides, boarded four buses at 8:55 a.m. and the first memorial they stopped at was the World War II Memorial at 9:35 a.m. Its located at the east end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Richard said he had been to DC years ago, before most of these memorials had been erected, while Jim had never visited before. Each veteran and their guardian wore red Honor Flight T-shirts while the Honor Flight staff wore blue versions of the same T-shirt.

At 10:50 a.m., we got to the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Wall, Richard said. Theyre all right within walking distance of each other. All three are clustered around the west end of the Lincoln reflecting pool.

Jim said the Korean War Veterans Memorial was under renovation, so they did not get to see much of it.

We had lunch there; they had a boxed lunch for us, which was really good, Richard recalled.

At 1:10 p.m. they stopped at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, which is located on the west side of the Tidal Basin, among all of those Japanese Cherry Trees that blossom annually.

This is one of the two museums not on the itinerary because their group was running ahead on time.

Roosevelt was gigantic! Its beautiful; waterfalls everywhere you turn. They had quotations in stone all throughout the memorial, Richard said.

I cant explain it but its really impressive, Jim echoed.

They again complimented the local Honor Flight group on the organization and work that they did. Across the Tidal Basin, to the south and east, is the vast Thomas Jefferson Memorial. They also visited the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which is fairly new, compared to most of the other memorials and was the other memorial not listed on their itinerary.

The next stop, at 2:30 p.m., was the US Marines Corps War Memorial, in Arlington, Virginia. Better known as the Iwo Jima Statue, echoing the flag-raising on that remote western Pacific island.

Larger-than-life, Jim said of the statue, which dwarfs the LeClaire Park bandstand.

The next stop was at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where they witnessed the Changing of the Guard, also in Virginia.

That was very interesting, Jim said. That was really something.

They had two families place wreaths at the tomb. That was very solemn; everybody had to take their hats off and salute at a certain time if they were servicemen.

They described the inspection process prior to the changing of the guard, to which those in wheelchairs had front row seats.

They visited Arlington National Cemetery, which has more than 400,000 graves.

At 5:10 p.m., they stopped at the Air Force Memorial, which is adjacent to Arlington.

Thats something I didnt know existed, Richard said, and Jim echoed him. By 7 p.m. Eastern, they were back on a plane and took off at 7:30 p.m.

They received another deluge of applause, cheers and standing ovations at the airport.

The final surprise happened after they returned to Marion at 8:10 p.m., just in time for a party.

There were probably 3,000 people there; little kids, bands, color guards, schools, choirs from churches, bands, Army Reserve guys; it was quite a reception, said Jim.

Families of the deceased soldiers received the 12 flags mentioned earlier, a bagpiper played Taps. On the plane, every soldier had Mail Call. One of the Guardians tasks is to get people to write to the veteran  Richard asked Jims nieces and nephews, his grandson, his wife and asked them to write letters  he also received mail from his daughter, kindergarteners, and some elected officials. Some were from out-of-state; one came from Canada.

The culmination was their younger sister made copies of letters that Jim wrote to her while he was in Vietnam and she was in second grade; shes 63 now.

I would encourage any veteran, if they can sign up for it, to take it because its well worth it, Jim said.

The Honor Flight Network was formed in 2005 by Jeff Miller and Earl Morse with a mission of honoring our nations veterans by bringing them to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials and monuments dedicated to their service and sacrifice.

While originally focused on honoring our nations World War II veterans, the Honor Flight Network now also honors those who served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, intermediary operations, and in special cases of terminal illness or injury, veterans from more recent service eras.
NASA has selected 18 U.S. teams to receive a total of $450,000 for ideas that could feed astronauts on future missions. Each team will receive $25,000 for winning NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge, during which students, chefs, small businesses and other competitors whipped up novel food technology designs to bring new solutions to the table for space missions.

One of the teams that won was Bites of Carbondale, Illinois. The team created a microbial-based next-generation food production system called Bites, which will utilize plastic and biomass waste as the carbon source for food generation.

NASA, in coordination with the Canadian Space Agency, opened the Deep Space Food Challenge in January. The competition asked innovators to design food production technologies or systems that met specific requirements: They would need to use minimal resources and produce minimal waste. The meals they produced would have to be safe, nutritious and delicious for long-duration human exploration missions.

"NASA is excited to engage the public in developing technologies that could fuel our deep space explorers," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "Our approach to deep space human exploration is strengthened by new technological advances and diverse community input. This challenge helps us push the boundaries of exploration capabilities in ways we may not recognize on our own."

NASA Television, the NASA app and the agency's website will air a show on the Deep Space Food Challenge at 11 a.m. EST Nov. 9 with details about the competition, winning solutions and what could be next for the teams.

Special guests during the show will include celebrity chef Martha Stewart and retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who will announce the winners of two awards honoring international teams that demonstrated exceptional innovation. Other participants will include retired CSA astronaut Chris Hadfield and celebrity chef Lynn Crawford.

For the U.S. teams, NASA's judges grouped submissions based on the food they envisioned producing. Among the designs were systems that used ingredients to create ready-to-eat foods such as bread, as well as dehydrated powders that could be processed into more complex food products. Others involved cultivated plants and fungi or engineered or cultured food such as cultured meat cells.

"These types of food systems could offer benefits on our home planet," said Robyn Gatens, director of the International Space Station Program at NASA and challenge judge. "Solutions from this challenge could enable new avenues for worldwide food production in resource-scarce regions and locations where disasters disrupt critical infrastructure."
MADRID (AP)  Hundreds of people were evacuated during the night on the Spanish island of La Palma as a river of molten rock crept deeper into a coastal town during a protracted volcanic eruption, authorities said Thursday.

Emergency services helped some 500 people leave their homes, the mayor of Tazacorte, Juan Miguel Rodriguez, told public broadcaster RTVE.

A total of around 7,500 people have been forced to flee since the Cumbre Vieja began erupting more than a month ago. Scientists say the eruption could go on for three months.

The tension of not knowing whether the slow-moving molten rock would entomb their homes, farmland and businesses is taking a toll on local people, Rodriguez said.

There is already a certain degree of despondency and desperation, waiting for the volcano to subside, he said.

Though most of the island of 85,000 people off northwest Africa is unaffected by the eruption, part of the western side has seen the lava ruin livelihoods and destroy homes.

The molten rock has covered more than 866 hectares (2,100 acres) and crushed or damaged around 2,185 buildings.

The volcanos constant roar and numerous earthquakes have also kept locals on edge. The National Geographical Institute counted 38 quakes since midnight, the strongest recording a magnitude of 4.3.

The economy of La Palma, part of Spains Canary Islands, is based mainly from tourism and banana plantations. The Spanish government has pledged millions of euros (dollars) to help rebuild damaged infrastructure.
Reproductive rights providers in the Metro East have seen an influx in patients from Texas after that state's restrictive abortion law went into effect in early September. But doctors have also seen more patients from other states.

Since the Texas law took effect on Sept. 1, officials with the Planned Parenthood facility in Fairview Heights have seen a 47% increase in patients coming from outside the normal service area, including patients from Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Kansas, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"They are telling us that wait times are sometimes weeks. One clinic told them they did not have an appointment until November," Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer for Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood, told the Post-Dispatch.

"That is really the impact in this immediate six weeks since the Texas decision, that we are starting to see more of those patients from those states in between who cant wait weeks for an abortion in their own state," McNicholas continued.

Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City has seen "nonstop" calls from women confused about how to navigate complex laws in Texas and surrounding states, but appointments have increased only slightly, per the Post-Dispatch.

In states across the South and Midwest, myriad abortion restrictions and facility regulations have led to shuttered clinics and greatly reduced access to reproductive rights.

"Hope Clinic has always been a desitination for abortion access since we opened in 1974," Alison Dreith, deputy director at the Hope Clinic, wrote in an email. "Over 55% of the patients we serve travel to us from Missouri, with another 5% coming from other states around the country, most notably Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

"This is largely due to states surrounding Illinois, in the Midwest and South, chipping away at access to abortion care since Roe v. Wade was upheld in 1973," Dreith continued. "This patchwork of access across the country did not happen overnight, and nobody should be shocked where access stands today. For example, when Illinois passed the Reproductive Health Act in 2019, is was largely because that same year six other states moved to ban abortion - including Missouri. However, if Roe falls, Illinois should expect to potentially see tens of thousands of more patients traveling to our state for compassionate abortion care."

While other states are passing heavier restrictions, the Illinois General Assembly is targeting what is considered the last restriction on access to abortion in Illinois, the AP reported.

Democrats in both the Illinois House and Senate are pushing to repeal a law requiring that a parent or guardian be notified at least 48 hours in advance when a minor 17 or younger seeks an abortion. Consent is not required unlike in almost half of states.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul also joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstitute an injunction barring the enforcement of Texas's six-week abortion ban, which the coalition labeled unconstitutional in a press release on Tuesday.

"For decades, the Supreme Court has upheld the principle that women have the right to make their own reproductive health decisions," Raoul said in a statement. "Texas unconstitutional abortion ban blatantly ignores that precedent and, more importantly, threatens the safety and well-being of women. I urge the court to adhere to its precedent and halt Senate Bill 8 so that women can maintain control over their own reproductive health and abortion decisions."

Illinois stands as a lone refuge in the Midwest giving unencumbered access to abortion services with the Reproductive Health Act, which also ensures access to pregnancy care and birth control.

More than 55,000 abortions were performed last year in Texas, which has almost 7 million women aged 15-49, accounting for 1 in 10 U.S. women of reproductive age, according to the Post-Dispatch. Up to 35,000 more women are expected to turn to Illinois each year for reproductive rights, including 14,000 headed to southern Illinois, according to estimates by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

"Our call center has received calls from patients in Texas frantic about the Texas abortion ban and desperate to figure out their options," Kencia Page, the call center director for the clinic in Fairview Heights, told NBC News. "These patients are overwhelmed. We received a call from one Texas patient who did not know how they would be able to access abortion because they did not have any family support or any money to pay for travel and lodging to access abortion out of state."

Nearly every patient outside of Illinois calling for help is low-income and facing serious struggles at home, the Post-Dispatch reported. Half of all women in the U.S. who got an abortion in 2014 lived in poverty, according to a 2016 study by the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research group.

"I think they most important thing to remember here, is that the denial of abortion leads to economic hardship," Dreith wrote. "The Turnaway Study, published by Diana Greene Foster, found that people who were denied an abortion had almost four times greater odds of being below the federal poverty level, making it hard to afford basic things like food, housing, and trasportation. Abortion is an economic justice issue for many."

Metro East doctors say their staffs help women connect to abortion funds that help with travel logistics as well as the cost of the procedure, child care, travel expenses and hotel stays.

"Part of our job is going to be reassuring folks that they can still access abortion care. It may not be immediately in their community, but they can  and we and others are here to help them figure that out," McNicholas told the Post-Dispatch.

Abortion funds have long been a mainstay in helping women who cant afford the costs of the procedure or travel. But those services  often small nonprofits with few employees  are also stretched thin.

One abortion fund is the Midwest Access Coalition, which helps people traveling to and from the Midwest access abortion. Headquartered in Chicago, the nonprofit relies on a network of 200 volunteer hosts, drivers and others to help with travel, lodging, food, child care and emotional support.

Planned Parenthood and Hope Clinic invested $10 million into their clinics and have been building clinical capacity and infrastructure in preparation for abortion bans and restrictions in neighboring states, NBC News reported.

"Our current building was built in the 1990s to accommodate 10,000 patients per year, and we already see patients six days a week," Dreith wrote. "However, over the last decade or more, we have only seen between 3,000-5,000 per year. So, we still have quite the capacity to see more patients should they choose us as their provider. It's just a shame that so many people have to access basic reproductive healthcare outside of their own communities. Nobody should have to travel outside of their zip code for healthcare."

Just this year, states have enacted a record-breaking 97 abortion restrictions, surpassing the highest count from 2011, when 89 restrictions were passed. In total, states have enacted 1,327 restrictions since Roe v. Wade was decided.

"We've seen patients come to us from outside the United States," Dreith wrote, "but as far as the U.S. goes, this year alone we have seen patients from 19 states, including Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Kansas."

The mounting restrictions in Missouri  including two appointments 72 hours apart and a pelvic exam for medication abortions  have all but made abortions nearly nonexistent in the state, the Post-Dispatch reported. The rules left the state with just one abortion provider in St. Louis, so many patients decide to drive the extra 15 minutes into Illinois to avoid the requirements.

While clinics brace for an influx of patients, some are struggling to deal with struggles including staff shortages due to the pandemic, which has led to crosstraining, creative scheduling and sometimes longer hours for staff. Planned Parenthood's clinic in Fairview Heights is considering adding employees and opening seven days a week instead of six, the Post-Dispatch reported.

"Over the past few years, we have started adding additional staff to accommodate the greater patient need that we are anticipating, should Roe be gutted or overturned at the Supreme Court. But in general, not a lot has changed for our staff internally," Dreith wrote. "What we have experienced is an increase in calls from panicked patients about their abortion appointment.

"We hear things like, 'I made my appointment before I saw abortion was banned, can I still have my appointment?' or, 'my boyfriend told me I would go to jail if I had an abortion. Is that true?' Of course, abortion is still legal in all 50 states, even in Texas. It is just heartbreaking to hear that fear that abortion is illegal in a patient's voice, that they may face criminalization. We just try to reassure them that their appointment is still legal and valid and that we are here to support them in any way."

Dreith said that it's important to remember that even as this influx of those seeking easier access to reproductive rights occurs, it doesn't mean Illinois is a "safe haven." The Parental Notice of Abortion Act is still in place, even if Democrats are currently working towards its potential repeal.

"Maybe more importantly, just show compassion and empathy, no matter where you stand privately on the issue," Dreith wrote. "One in four women will have an abortion in their lifetime. That means, even if you aren't aware of someone's abortion story, you may still love someone who has had an abortion."
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexicos richest man reached an agreement with Mexico City authorities Wednesday to rebuild or reinforce an elevated subway line that collapsed in May, killing 26 people.

Telecom and construction magnate Carlos Slim said his Grupo Carsos construction subsidiary would pay the cost of rebuilding the span that collapsed, and reinforcing other parts of the elevated line to meet higher standards in a city plagued with severe earthquakes.

Grupo Carso said in a statement to the countrys stock market that the outlay did not constitute any admission of responsibility for the collapse, and would not materially affect the companys business.

On Monday, Mexico City prosecutors announced criminal charges against 10 individuals and companies for construction and design defects they say caused the collapse. The Carso statement said the company had reached different conclusions about the cause of the collapse, but did not want to drag the matter out.

In the past, some companies involved in building the line more than a decade ago have claimed that subsequent repair work put too much weight on the elevated section.

In the case of the companies involved, prosecutors have said the goal of the criminal charges is aimed at making them pay for or repair damages both to the subway and the victims.

Carso said it was willing to do both.

The charges are for negligent or involuntary homicide, damages and causing injuries. Local media reported those charged include former city officials. No arrest warrants were issued for those involved and they have been told to appear before a judge at the initial hearing in the case, scheduled for Oct. 25.

Prosecutors say expert studies found the collapse was caused by construction defects like poor welds and missing connection studs. Bad design also allegedly played a role.

The prosecutors report, presented last week, was similar to, but a bit broader than, the conclusions presented by the private Norwegian certification firm DNV in September.

Both reports cited poorly welded, badly located and completely missing studs that were intended to join steel support beams to a concrete layer supporting the track bed.

But prosecutors also cited bad welds in the steel beams underlying the concrete track bed that either failed to adhere or split. Steel struts intended to stiffen the metal beams were too short or not properly attached, and the elevated line was not designed with enough of a safety margin.

The defects distorted the train lines framework, leading to fatigue cracks that reduced the structures ability to bear weight.

The $1.3 billion Line 12 of Mexico Citys metro system was built between 2010 and 2012 when current Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard was the capitals mayor. Ebrard is seen as one of the likely contenders to succeed President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

The project was plagued by cost overruns and alleged design flaws, corruption and conflicts of interest.

The city was forced to close the line in 2014, just 17 months after it was inaugurated, so tracks could be replaced or repaired. The section that collapsed has remained closed since May.
EAST ALTON  St. Louis Regional Airport Director David Miller plans to spend more time with family and hobbies when he retires effective Jan. 1, he said.

Miller, 78, of East Alton, came to St. Louis Regional in approximately 2003 from the Montrose Regional Airport in Montrose, Colorado.

We have no immediate plans, like, to move, because were embedded in the community with a lot of other activities, said Miller, of East Alton, speaking about himself and his wife, Cora Miller, who he married in 1980.

Well do some travel, get caught up with grandkids, that type of thing, he said. Whether its music with municipal bands or working with the Legendary Mustang Sanctuary or other activities, like ham radio, Ill be able to spend more time on those activities.

David Miller has won numerous community service awards, including Rotarys Paul Harris Award and was honored by the Metro Area Professional Organization as a business leader. Miller will serve at the grand marshal for the 104th Alton Halloween Parades this year Saturday, Oct. 30.

Miller has been involved in a background capacity each year in the Alton Halloween Parade as a volunteer ham radio operator and member of the Lewis and Clark Radio Club for amateur radio operators, which coordinates logistics for the parade. He is a member of the Granite City Municipal Band, the Edwardsville Municipal Band and the Dixie Dudes and Dance. He was a past clarinet player with the Alton Symphony Orchestra and is a past president and treasurer of the group.

Miller was the RiverBend Growth Association chairman in 2009, and attends the RGBA past chairs board meeting, which acts as the executive board for the RBGA Board of Directors.

He also serves on the board of the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois, and its committees of military affairs and Southwest Illinois Transportation Enhancements, as well as the board of the Southwest Illinois Trade and Investment Council.

Miller, originally from Salina, Kansas, operated the Montrose Regional Airport on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the U.S. at New York Citys World Trade Center. As the leader of that airport, Miller successfully commanded the shut down of air traffic on 9/11 and reopened the airport, the first in the state to do both without the initial direction of the Federal Aviation Administration. He also successfully advanced the St. Louis Regional Airport, invited more public awareness with annual events on the airport grounds, helped to expand West Star Aviation on the airports grounds and won lawsuits on behalf of airport thereby saving taxpayers money.

Miller was the past volunteer emergency coordinator for Madison Countys Amateur Radio Emergency Services and also maintained the countys status as an official emergency station under the auspices of Madison County Emergency Management.

He also is on the board and past chairman of the Illinois Public Airport Association and sits on the board of the Great Rivers and Routes of Southwest Illinois tourism bureau.

Miller attended the University of Denver for his undergraduate studies, immediately enlisting in the U.S. Air Force thereafter in 1966, where he was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, near Rapid City, South Dakota. While enlisted he received his masters in public administration from the University of Northern Colorado though he never set foot on its campus.

Professors came to the air base, recalled Miller, who was active duty for more than 21 years as a pilot and officer, retiring as major in the mid 1980s.

He flew more than 2,000 hours each in the KC-135 refueling aircraft as a gas tanker, then cross-trained as a B-52 strategic bomber pilot, flying for more than 2,000 hours. Between the two planes, Miller amassed 888 days in the Southeast Asia conflict, which included north and south Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Miller was part of the Strategic Air Command on temporary duty assignment, which allowed him to pursue his education during wartime.

When the conflict terminated, he came back to the U.S. to Minot Air Force Base, near Minot, North Dakota, pulling strategic alert duty for nine months while active and where he eventually retired.

During active duty he had a two-year supplemental assignment, taking him out of the cockpit while still a pilot reserve, which started at the Ellsworth base and concluded in Minot.

I was fortunate in this because I got into aircraft maintenance, he said.

The rated supplement program landed Miller in the Philippines for two years where he met his now wife who also was living on a U.S. military base at the time.

Miller serving in a command post function capacity for four years and his final assignment as base operations at Minot Air Force Base prepared him for his civilian career managing regional airports.

He was awarded several military decorations, medals, badges, citations and a campaign ribbon during his military career, including an air medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters, small arms expert, Armed Forces Expeditionary medal, Combat Readiness medal; National Defense Service Medial; Air Force Overseas Long Tour ribbon, Vietnam Service medal with one silver and three bronze stars, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with combat device, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm device and Republic of Vietnam Campaign medal.

His first civilian position was as assistant airport manager in Flint, Michigan. From there he was an airport manager in Bismarck, North Dakota, then in Alaska at airports in Juneau and Ketchikan, respectively, before landing at Colorados Montrose Regional Airport, after which he came to St. Louis Regional in East Alton, where he has managed for nearly 20 years.
EDWARDSVILLE  Three people face cannabis delivery charges in separate incidents.

Charges were filed Oct. 19.

Sherman A. Lindsey, 37, of Florissant, Missouri, was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class 3 felony; and aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony.

The case was presented by the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois.

According to court documents. On June 21 Lindsey was found to be in possession of more than 30 grams of cannabis with intent to deliver; and was carrying a loaded and accessible FN 509 9 mm handgun in a vehicle without a valid concealed carry license.

Bail was set at $25,000.

Trevor B. Williams, 21, of Morrow, Georgia, was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class 3 felony; and aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony.

The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department.

On Oct. 18 Williams was found to be in possession of more than 30 grams of cannabis with intent to deliver; and was carrying a loaded and accessible Glock 9 mm handgun in a vehicle without a valid concealed carry license.

Bail was set at $25,000.

Derrick L. Coleman, 32, of the 7400 block of W. Frontage Road, Worden, was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class 3 felony.

The charges were presented by the Pontoon Beach Police Department.

According to court documents, on April 23 Coleman was found to be in possession of more than 30 grams of cannabis with intent to deliver.

Bail was set at $15,000.

Other drug-related felony charges filed Oct. 19 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include:

 Colby D. Barnett, 37, of the 300 block of W. Franklin, White Hall, was charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on Aug. 14 Barnett was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Shawn M. Fulton, 33, of the 400 block of Mense Drive, Bethalto, was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on Aug. 31 Fulton was found to be in possession of less than 15 grams of fentanyl. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Amber D. Nichols, 25, of Dupo, Illinois, was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. According to court documents, on Sept. 14 Nichols was found to be in possession of less than 15 grams of fentanyl. Bail was set at $15,000.
EDWARDSVILLE  Several firearms-related felony cases were filed Oct. 19 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office.

Levell A Douglas, 34, of the 300 block of Osprey Drive, Pontoon Beach, was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, a Class X felony; and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony, after an incident where another person was shot.

The case was presented by the Madison Police Department.

According to court documents, on Oct. 16 Douglas shot another person in the left arm and right leg of the victim.

It was also noted that Douglas has a prior conviction for aggravated battery with a firearm out of Madison County in 2013, making him ineligible to possession weapons.

Bail was set at $250,000

In an unrelated case, an East St. Louis man faces a number of weapons-related charges after an incident on October 18.

Armond L. Allen, 28, of East St. Louis, was charged Oct. 19 with two counts of possession of a firearm with revoked Firearm Owners ID card, both Class 3 felonies; and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of weapons, both Class 4 felonies.

The charges were presented by the Illinois State Police.

According to court documents, on Oct. 18 Allen was found to be in possession of a Glock Model 23 .40 caliber handgun, and an American Tactical Omni Hybrid pistol, and were carrying both loaded and accessible.

It was noted that his Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Card, which allows the possession of weapons, has been revoked.

Bail was set at $50,000.

Other felony cases filed Oct. 19 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include:

 Deangelo K. Johnson II, 33, with a last known address in East St. Louis, was charged with threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. According to court documents, on Oct. 18 Johnson threatened a Collinsville police officer. Bail was set at $20,000.

 Judiah D. Davis, 42, of the first block of Lily Avenue, Pontoon Beach, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Pontoon Beach Police Department. According to court documents, on Oct. 13 Davis slammed a Pontoon Beach police officers head into a wall. Bail was set at $75,000.
PHILADELPHIA  Prosecutors pursuing the case against a man accused of raping a woman on a commuter train last week dont anticipate charging fellow passengers for not intervening, a spokesperson for the suburban Philadelphia district attorney said.

Its still an open investigation, but there is no expectation at this time that we will charge passengers, said Margie McAboy, spokeswoman for the Delaware County District Attorneys office.

Original story: PA train riders held up phones for 40 minutes as woman was harassed then raped

In an emailed statement, District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said prosecutors want witnesses to come forward, rather than fearing prosecution, and said, Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of a passenger who may have witnessed a crime.

Authorities continue to investigate the Oct. 13 attack, where a woman was repeatedly touched and groped over the course of a 40-minute ride despite trying to push 35-year-old Fiston Ngoy away, according to an arrest affidavit that detailed the surveillance footage from the train.

Investigators say Ngoy ripped the womans pants off and proceeded to rape her for somewhere between six and eight minutes before officers boarded the train and detained him.

Police declined to say how many passengers may have witnessed the assault, but have said it appeared that some held their phones up in the direction of the assault seemingly to film the attack. Police have also declined to say whether investigators have found any photos or videos of the attack posted online.

Requests by The Associated Press for surveillance video from the Oct. 13 attack on the Market-Frankford line have been denied, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. It remains unclear whether passengers actually witnessed or recorded what happened on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train.

SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch said Wednesday that at points during the rape, there were passengers standing or sitting nearby, though he couldnt guess whether any understood the serious nature of the situation.

Our hope is that people will realize when they see this type of activity, whether they fully understand it or not, that they will push the emergency call button or call the police. There really was no way to not see it even if they didnt fully understand, Busch said.

Legal experts said unrelated passengers dont have a legal duty to intervene under Pennsylvania law.

Unless they have a legal duty to intervene, like a parent for their child, a person cannot be prosecuted for sitting back and doing nothing, said Jules Epstein, a law professor and director of advocacy programs at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Doing nothing may be morally wrong, but in Pennsylvania, without that special duty relationship, it is not legally wrong, Epstein said.

Busch said the employee who called the police, entered the train car after the assault had begun, but his call meant police had an opportunity to arrest Ngoy.

Without that call, the suspect might have been able to just walk off the train and we would still be looking for him, Busch said.

SEPTAs police chief, Nestel has said Philadelphia 911 did not receive any calls about the attack. He said Monday operators at Delaware County 911 were still researching whether it received calls.

Ngoy is charged with rape and related sexual assault offenses. He was being held on $180,000 bail, awaiting an initial appearance scheduled for Oct. 25. Attorney Mary Elizabeth Welch confirmed the Delaware County Public Defenders office is representing Ngoy, but said she could not comment on the case Wednesday.

Court records show Ngoy has a history of arrests and convictions under at least three names in Washington D.C., Philadelphia and suburban Southeastern Pennsylvania counties including public intoxication, defecating or urinating in public, public disturbance and other charges.

In D.C., Ngoy pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual abuse in November 2017 under the name Jack Falcon, after police said he groped two women on the street near a homeless shelter where he was staying.
Jack C. Taylor, 86, formerly of Corbin, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 7, 2021. Jack will always be known as a hardworking and caring family man. He was an exceptional athlete, receiving 1954, high school All-State Honors in both football and basketball by the Courier-J
SAM MONTALTO, Stonington, Boys Soccer, Senior; Montalto scored three goals including the 100th of his career in the Bears 4-0 victory over Plainville in the Class M state tournament. Montalto, who missed the first three games of the season, has 32 goals and nine assists this season.

GIRLS & BOYS Soccer Team, Chariho; It wouldnt be fair to single out a player from either team, both of which captured Division II titles over the weekend of Nov. 12. The girls tied their game with Prout with 1:02 left in regulation and prevailed in penalty kicks. The boys scored the winning goal in the final two minutes of the second overtime to beat North Smithfield.

ZACK TUCK, Westerly, Football; Tuck rushed for 150 yards on 29 carries in a loss to unbeaten St. Raphael in the Division II semifinals. Tuck has rushed for 1,533 yards and scored 19 touchdowns this season for the 7-3 Bulldogs.

Vote

View Results
Deliveroo founder and chief executive Will Shu is under pressure to give up his 'golden share' in the company.

Investors want the food delivery boss to drop the benefit which gives him 20 times as much voting power as regular shares, a source told the Mail.

The founder of The Hut Group, Matt Moulding, this week said he would give up a similar structure.

Deliveroo investors want chief executive Will Shu (pictured) to give up his 'golden share' which gives him 20 times as much voting power as regular shares

But Deliveroo denied Shu would follow, with a spokesman saying: 'We do not recognise this claim.'

The company has been under scrutiny since its stock market listing turned sour.

The stock fared better yesterday  up 3.8 per cent or 11p to 301.5p  after it said people were still ordering takeaways despite restaurants reopening.

It said customers spent 1.6billion on the Amazon-backed food delivery app in the three months to October.

Deliveroo said it expects yearly growth to be between 60 and 70 per cent, up from predictions.
Rishi Sunak plans to more than halve the tax surcharge on bank profits to help boost Londons competitiveness as a global financial centre.

The Chancellor will announce a cut to the surcharge from 8 per cent to 3 per cent from April 2023 in his Budget next week, according to the Financial Times.

It comes ahead of a hike in corporation tax from 19 per cent to 25 per cent in 2023, which Sunak had cautioned risks making the taxation of banks uncompetitive.

Banking boost: The Chancellor is expected to announce a cut to the surcharge on bank profits from 8 per cent to 3 per cent from April 2023 in his Budget next week

Banks pay 27 per cent tax on profits, of which 19 per cent is corporation tax and 8 per cent the bank surcharge.

They would see their overall corporation tax charge surge to 33 per cent in 2023, if the surcharge was not reduced.

But the expected reduction in the top-up tax would see their overall charge edge up to 28 per cent.

It follows comments by City minister John Glen last month flagging that the surcharge could be cut as he vowed that Britains financial services sector would enjoy competitive tax rates.

The bank tax was introduced by former chancellor George Osborne on profits over 25million in 2015.
Instant unlimited access to all of our content on tillamookheadlightherald.com.

The Headlight Herald E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street!

This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers.

(The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement)
Barre, VT (05641)

Today

Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 24F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 24F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
The Scott County Rotary Club kicked off its 32nd annual Shoe Fund Drive at Addington Oil Corporation in Weber City on Tuesday. Each year, the club provides new pairs of shoes and socks to underprivileged students in county schools, all from community donations.
The Ethiopian government carried out a second air strike within hours on the Tigray region on Wednesday, significantly escalating a campaign to weaken rebellious Tigrayan forces in an almost one-year-old war.

The second strike was in Agbe in the Temben region some 80 km (50 miles) west of the regional capital Mekelle, targeting a military training centre and heavy artillery depot, government spokesperson Legesse Tulu said.

That came after a morning air strike in Mekelle, the third this week. Tigrai Television said the attack targeted the centre of the city while the Addis Ababa government said it targeted buildings where Tigrayan forces were repairing armaments.

The Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) has been adept at hiding munitions and heavy artillery in places of worship and using ordinary Tigrayans as a human shield, Legesse said.

Two witnesses and a humanitarian source in Mekelle told Reuters that the morning strike appeared to have targeted Mesfin Industrial Engineering PLC, a factory complex which the government believes supports the TPLF.

TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael, referring to government forces, said: They are desperate on the war front. My interpretation is they are bombing us because they are losing on the ground and its their reprisal. The fact that they are bombing shows they dont care about Tigrayan civilians.

Speaking to Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location, Gebremichael said the strike did not hit the engineering complex, rather another private company compound, but he had no further details.

Nine civilians, including a five-year-old child, were being treated at Ayder Referral Hospital for injuries sustained in the strike, according to TPLF-run Tigrai Television.

The blast shattered the windows of Mekelle General Hospital, about one kilometre away from Mesfin Industrial, and damaged nearby homes, said a doctor at the hospital. It had received five wounded people, he said.

Four of them were factory employees and the fifth one is a lady whose lives near the factory. Her house was destroyed by the air strike, the doctor said.

Tigrai Television posted photographs of what appeared to be plumes of billowing smoke. Reuters geolocated the images to Mekelle.

The two sides have been fighting for almost a year in a conflict that has killed thousands of people and displaced more than two million amid a power struggle between the TPLF, which controls the northern region, and the central government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa.

The TPLF dominated the Horn of Africa countrys ruling party for decades before Abiy, who is not a Tigrayan, took office in 2018.

CONTROL OF THE SKIES

Mesfin Industrial Engineering is an equipment manufacturer and car and truck assembly plant that was part of EFFORT, a TPLF-owned conglomerate.

After war broke out last November, the government froze the companys bank accounts, saying there was evidence that it was supporting the TPLF. The company could not be reached for comment. Most communications in Mekelle are down.

Mekelle was also hit by two air strikes on Monday . The TPLF accused the government of launching the attacks. A government official initially denied the accusation but state media later reported the air force had conducted a strike.

The attacks follow intensified fighting in two other northern regions where the military is trying to recover territory taken by the TPLF, which recaptured Mekelle and most of the rest of Tigray several months ago.

In July, the TPLF pushed into the two other regions, Amhara and Afar, and several hundred thousand more people fled their homes, according to the United Nations.

Last week, after the TPLF said the military had started an offensive in Amhara, the military said that the TPLF had opened war on all fronts, and that government forces were inflicting heavy casualties.

The federal air strikes on Mekelle appear to be part of efforts to weaken Tigrays armed resistance, which has recently made further gains in eastern Amhara region, with fighting ongoing in some areas, said Will Davison, a senior analyst on Ethiopia at the International Crisis Group think-tank.

Along with superior manpower, control of the skies is one of the few remaining areas of military advantage for the federal government, Davison said.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Demanding that the Bangladesh government should enact a new law to ensure religious freedom for everyone, protesters and academicians across the country condemned the mob attacks on the Hindu community and vandalisation of temples and idols during Durga Puja festivities.

Attacks on Hindus and their temples have intensified in Bangladesh since last Wednesday after an alleged blasphemous post surfaced on social media during the Durga Puja celebrations. On late Sunday night, a mob damaged 66 houses and set on fire at least 20 homes of Hindus in Bangladesh.

Condemning the attacks on the Hindu community, protests were held across the country for the sixth day on Tuesday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Speakers at various programmes demanded that the perpetrators of the violence be brought to justice, as well as other measures to protect minorities in Bangladesh, it said.The Dhaka University Teachers Association demanded exemplary punishment for those involved in the attacks on Hindu temples and Durga Puja venues across the country. They also urged the government to enact a new law to ensure religious freedom for everyone. Over a hundred teachers from various departments of the university participated in programme and made a human chain, voicing the demands, at the Dhaka varsity campus.

Condemning the violence, DU Vice-Chancellor M Akhtaruzzaman said: The Durga Puja celebration of this country was a model of secularism for the entire world. This festival is supposed to be open to people of all religions. The rise of communal evil in various parts of the country is disgraceful and cannot be tolerated.
ALBANY  Kitchen 216, a neighborhood favorite known for its delectable soul food, is leaving 85 Central Ave. and resettling in a larger space with more parking at the Crossgate Commons Plaza in late November.

Emrys Young, Kitchen 216s co-owner and chef, is making the move in hopes of expanding her customer base and also to leave behind some of the quality-of-life issues she feels are impacting business at the current location. The restaurant previously operated out of what she called a tiny hole in the wall on Lark Street.

The thing is, with the neighborhood that we're in is, it's  I don't want to say it's on its way down  but I feel like the crime in the area is on its way up, she said.

Young has noticed more panhandlers in the area and people hanging around without patronizing the kitchen, something she no longer wants. She noted that the restaurant has increasingly been obliged to depend on third-party delivery services such as Doordash and UberEats because customers arent willing to come into the neighborhood to pick up takeout orders. The Crossgates Commons spot also has ample parking.

Staying on Central Avenue led Young to feel as though she was putting the business in a box that stunted its growth. The move, Young said, will give her the chance to reach more customers.

Students from nearby universities flooded her restaurant for years but have limited mobility, she said. She figured she was already feeding just as many mouths as larger restaurants in the area, so why not move into a space that would accommodate the high volume and bring her closer to some of her student customers?

Everybody loves our food  not just people in the inner city, not just people in the 'hood. ... So I would love to have that access, she said. Its going to be a beautiful thing.

While the challenges she has faced at the Central Avenue location were enough to make her look elsewhere, Kitchen 216 has been an integral part of the neighborhood. Young has often used the restaurant to feed homeless individuals in the area and provide school lunch to scores of children during the pandemic.

Anthony Gaddy, chief executive officer of the Upstate New York Black Chamber of Commerce, was not surprised to hear the popular Black-owned business will be leaving Central Avenue. He has spoken with a number of businesses along the Central Avenue corridor that expressed similar frustrations.

Business owners are tired of navigating quality-of-life issues  loitering, double parking, panhandling and crime  to keep their businesses running, Gaddy explained.

Theyve grown frustrated with essentially feeling as though their concerns and the issues that they're raising aren't really being heard, and properly responded to, he said.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Gaddy said communities are a partnership between the municipality, business owners, residents, elected officials and law enforcement, with each branch having a role to play.

If everyone's not necessarily doing their jobs  theres going to be gaps, he said, adding that without accountability, business owners are more frequently finding themselves in a tough position.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehans office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the situation.

Although Kitchen 216 is moving, in part, due to challenging conditions in the neighborhood, Gaddy applauded the business for being so successful that it could scale up into a new space.

Young said Kitchen 216 might not be on Central much longer, but residents will still be able to find it within reach. She noted that her urban customers also frequent other businesses at Crossgates Commons such as Walmart and Home Depot.

We're not going anywhere that's not familiar to them, she said. We're not going anywhere they don't go.
This article was featured in the Capitol Confidential newsletter. Sign up here to get it each morning.

The attorney for former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday accused state Attorney General Letitia James of political bias and of improperly interfering with the independent investigation overseen by her office that produced a scathing report that led to Cuomo's resignation on Aug. 10. (TU)

Under a policy adopted earlier this year, county governments will no longer routinely weigh in on whether state reports reviewing child deaths in New York should be publicly released. (TU)

Heres the rest of your roundup:

Advocates and individuals impacted by addiction are calling on New York lawmakers and government officials to make significant investments in the states behavioral health system, now that new funding streams are available, to curb the alarming rise in statewide overdose deaths. (TU)

State Sen. Michelle Hinchey is calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill lowering the number of years a forest ranger must serve before being eligible to get their pension in an attempt to attract job-seekers to the understaffed agency, which is under the umbrella of the state Department of Environmental Conservation. (TU)

As climate change and aging infrastructure cause more severe electrical outages across the United States, researchers at General Electric Co. believe they have come up with a new solution that could reduce outage times and offer new solutions for adding more renewable energy sources to the electrical grid at the same time. (TU)

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

General Electric Co. is requiring all employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. (TU)

New York City will require its entire municipal workforce to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be placed on unpaid leave, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday, an ultimatum that ensures a fight with some unions representing employees, including police officers and firefighters, who have refused the shots. (AP)
ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochul made several key appointments on Thursday, including naming Lucy Lang as the new state inspector general.

Lang, who ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for Manhattan district attorney earlier this year, formerly worked as a prosecutor in that office for a dozen years. A June profile in the New York Times described her as having a reputation within that office for "pushing reforms that created new opportunities for those charged by prosecutorism," while being "stymied by a leadership team that did not always want things to change as fast as she did."

During the decade-long tenure of Hochul's predecessor, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, all three inspectors general were drawn from the ranks of Cuomo's staff when he was state attorney general. The office was criticized for lacking of independence from Cuomo, particularly in its lackluster investigation of a 2019 state ethics commission leak to the governor.

Hochul has said she is "rethinking" about how inspector general appointments should be made  they're currently made by the governor, with no confirmation process  but went forward with appointing Lang. Lang replaces acting-Inspector General Robyn Adair, who held the job for a month, following the September resignation of Cuomo appointee Letizia Tagliafierro.

There's no indication Lang has past political ties to Hochul, and Lang has not donated money to Hochul's political campaigns. In January 2020, long before scandals beset Cuomo and led to his August resignation, Lang donated $1,000 to Cuomo's gubernatorial campaign. Lang also donated heavily to her own 2021 Manhattan district attorney bid.

While the inspector general's office has at times had a reputation for independence from the governor  one example being former Inspector General Joseph Fisch, who was appointed by Gov. David Paterson  some lawmakers still want to reform the appointment process, so that office maintains independence even when a governor who resists independent oversight.

Hochul's office did not immediately have a comment on whether she is still considering reforming the inspector general appointment process. Under state law, Lang's term of office will last through the end of Hochul's current term ending in December 2022. Hochul is running for a full, four-year term as governor in 2022.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

In recent discussions between good-government groups and Hochul's office, the topic of somehow reforming the Inspector General's office did come up, although it was not clear that the Hochul administration currently had any specific plans.

Hochul also announced the nomination of new commissioners: Jeanette M. Moy as commissioner of the Office of General Services; Maria Imperial as commissioner for the Division of Human Rights; and Jackie Bray as commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
ALBANY  A bill signed this week by Gov. Kathy Hochul that is intended to increase transparency in local and state governments by expanding access to documents before public meetings leaves a loophole and more work to do, according to the good government group that pushed for the legislation.

The bill, which is to go into effect in a month, requires governments in New York at least 24 hours before a public meeting to make related documents available, at least by request, "to the extent practicable." New York Coalition For Open Government called it the "first major change to the Open Meetings Law in 10 years."

Previously, a 24-hour window was not a part of the law, meaning governments could post documents right before a meeting began. It also had included that the documents could be provided "as determined by the agency or the department."

"It is sad that obtaining a 24-hour requirement is a victory but that is how bad New York's Open Meetings Law is," said Paul Wolf, president of New York Coalition For Open Government.

The language that remains, "to the extent practicable," is still problematic, according to Wolf.

"We really need to get rid of the 'to the extent practicable' language," he said. "There is no practicable reason why a public body with a website cannot scan and post online the board member packet for their meetings."

The bill, according to Wolf, came to be after he reached out to Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, about shortfalls his group believe weaken the Open Meetings Law. Paulin later introduced the bill, which included a memo noting Wolf's group found that six of 41 local governments they examined did not post public meeting documents.

The law's phrasing of "to the extent practicable," has "created loopholes and a way for agencies to bypass this requirement" of making documents available to the public, according to the bill's memo. Nonetheless, the bill, passed in June by the Legislature, did not strike that language.

Hochul, during the bill signing Tuesday, reiterated a goal for her administration to be the "most transparent administration in the history of the state of New York."

"At minimum, I believe that every government agency in the state of New York that's subjected to the Open Meetings Law should provide this information, because the best constituents we have are informed constituents," Hochul said. "They have a right to know on what's on the agenda."

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

State Sen. Anna M. Kaplan, D-North Hills, called public access to documents before a meeting "an opportunity for meaningful participation in the process."

"Unfortunately too many public bodies in New York state are using a weakness in our current law to skirt this important requirement," Kaplan said in a statement.

Wolf, for his part, called the bill signing a great victory considering it was the coalition's first "venture into the world of Albany legislation."

"We have other legislative ideas in the works and hope to have more positive news to report in the future," Wolf said.
For years theres been debate about whether NY-17, a heavily trafficked roadway to popular area attractions like Legoland and Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets, should be widened from two lanes to three in each direction to accommodate more travelers in the region.

The public recently had a chance to share their opinions. Last week marked the end of a month-long public comment period of New York State Department of Transportations (NYSDOT) recommendations to widen the 47-mile stretch between Exit 103 (Rapp Road) in Sullivan County and Exit 131 (I-87  Harriman) in Orange County.

The proposed plan  called the Planning and Environment Linkages study (PEL)  follows previous calls to widen the four-lane roadway. Once the comments have been reviewed, a final report will be released.

The region that Route 17 serves has seen considerable growth in recent years, leading to more travelers on the four-lane route. The roadway connects visitors to Legoland New York theme park and hotel, which opened this summer in Orange County, and to Resorts World Catskills, which opened in Monticello in 2018.

Woodbury Commons, one of the top tourist destinations in the state that is also undergoing expansion, as well as Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and the Catskill Mountains, are also major attractions that draw tourists along NY-17.

Additionally, the stretch is a major commuter route. The draft study states that eastbound traffic is particularly severe between Exit 121 and Exit 131. The congestion drives some to then use other state highways and local roads.

As our community continues to grow, and the corridor  which is the basic lifeblood between the two counties moving north  we said we should really look into addressing this and building upon what the study predicted back then, especially given there is a lot of new development, said Marc Baez, co-chair of a coalition in support of widening Route 17.

The movement to expand Route 17 began years ago, following a 2013 NYSDOT study, funded by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, that recommended adding a general-use, third lane to Route 17.

Like that 2013 study, the newest study reinforced the need to accommodate more travelers, improve high-accident locations, and expand park-and-ride facilities. This could be done by adding a general use third lane, a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane, or invest in other alternatives like light rail transit or bus rapid transit.

Planning for the future

A coalition, 17-Forward-86, was formed a few years after the 2013 study to show support for the widening of Route 17. Baez, president and CEO of Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development, is the co-chair, along with Maureen Halahan, president and CEO of Orange County Partnership of Economic Development.

Its 200-plus members from the two counties believe that expanding Route 17 is a key component to the economic well-being of the Hudson Valley and Catskills. The coalition  which includes Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, Orange County Chamber of Commerce, and Legoland says they are in support because it would allow economic development to grow, aid in the transport of goods and services, and improve Route 17s safety.

We want to proactively prepare for what we see is going to be needed in the future, rather than act after the fact, said Baez. Getting ahead of it is a smart move, smart growth, and certainly something we feel is imperative to our success moving forward.

Route 17 within the study area was originally built as a four-lane freeway between 1950 and 1960 with two travel lanes in each direction, intended to divert travelers away from smaller local roads.

Its because of this, said Halahan, that people no longer are driving through communities to get to upstate New York. Thats how progress occurs. Now, Route 17 is overloaded with transportation.

Halahan said she believes the corridor needs to be upgraded to reflect larger changes that our society sees today, including more upstate tourism and consumers wanting goods faster.

Everything has changed, and so has the need for safer and better transportation, said Halahan. If we want to continue to grow as a county, and not just have a certain few companies here, then its very important we keep all of our infrastructure up.

Safety is another reason supporters would like to see an expanded Route 17. A recent crash analysis found 11 areas along NY-17 where crash rates exceed the statewide average.

If the project continues forward, the next step is to secure funding. The PEL study found that the project would cost anywhere between $215 million to $320 million for Sullivan County, and $310 million to $720 million for Orange County, depending on the length of roadway that is widened.

Additional interchange upgrades could run upwards of $70 million for Sullivan County and $150 million for Orange County.

The stalled bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes around $550 billion in new federal investment in Americas roads and bridges, water infrastructure, internet and more, is one pot of funds that the coalition is eyeing.

Downtime is the best time Make the most of your Hudson Valley weekend, every week with our newsletter.

Its whether or not the governor and the administration say this is the first project to get the money, said Halahan.

If you build it, traffic will increase

Catskill Mountainkeeper, a nonprofit whose mission is to protect the regions natural resources, has lobbied against the widening of Route 17.

The group believes that NYSDOT should go back to the drawing board to take into consideration the traffic phenomenon known as induced demand meaning if you build something, people will come. If Route 17 is widened, said Katherine Nadeau, Deputy Director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, traffic will only increase further.

There is a lot of infrastructure money on the table, said Nadeau. There is a big group of contractors and roadbuilders who would stand to directly benefit if this project goes through.

One of Mountainkeepers biggest concerns with the project is the environmental impact s . With more cars, millions of tons of CO2 emissions could be released, according to the group.

Its a foundational study and subsequent environmental reviews will be a part of the process, said Nadeau. Thats why its so important for New York State Department of Transportation to get it right, and so far, they are not getting it right.

Catskill Mountainkeeper believes that NYSDOT should have evaluated the impact of additional traffic on climate pollution pursuant to the states Climate Leadership and Community Project Act. That level of detail is not required given the early stage of planning, but Nadeau believes it lacks foresight.

We are in a climate crisis, and to ignore that and propose to build a massive fossil fuel dependent infrastructure project is dangerous and destructive, said Nadeau. Its the wrong direction.

Mountainkeeper is also concerned that expanding the highway could affect the aesthetic and existing character of the Catskills region.

Nadeau suggested the state look closer at public transportation alternatives like bus and rail transit. The PEL study found that the total cost for improving connectivity to existing transit would range from $1 to $1.5 million for Sullivan County and $9 to $12 million for Orange County.

Mountainkeeper released a petition asking the DOT to address its points before finalizing the PEL study; to date its received over 500 signatures.

Its our hope our comments are taken seriously, and the draft is revised to better reflect some of our concerns and to dig deeper on alternative solutions, said Nadeau. Were going to continue watchdogging it every step of the way.
ESSEX COUNTY  A missing bobcat, undisclosed birds and a cover-up of failures in a black bear enclosure are among reasons state officials moved to pull a wildlife refuge operators licenses and deny the applications of her successors, according to state records.

Wendy Hall, co-owner along with her husband, Stephen Hall, of Adirondack Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington, surrendered her remaining state wildlife licenses this summer after the Department of Environmental Conservation said it would revoke them. Wendy Hall was the sole license-holder at the refuge.

On Aug. 31, the DEC denied the license applications of Hanna Cromie and Donald Tourtellot, two employees listed as Halls designated agents. Cromie, the general manager of the refuge, was directly implicated in many of the violations and other unlawful conduct, the department wrote. Tourtellot also worked at the refuge during the time of many of the violations, the DEC said.

In testimony submitted to the DEC, Cromie and Tourtellot admitted to deceiving regulators about how two black bears escaped their enclosure in 2019.

Reached by phone on Tuesday, Cromie declined to comment, but requested the Adirondack Explorer email questions. Cromie did not respond. The Explorer could not find contact information for Tourtellot.

With no one currently licensed at the AWR, staff and the Nature Walks Conservation Society  a nonprofit connected to the refuge  are finding new homes for about a dozen state-regulated animals. AWR is closed to the public.

Since 2015, DEC regulators have tried to bring Wendy Hall and her team into compliance. A July 29, 2020, email from the head of the DECs special licenses unit, Joseph Therrien, indicated the department had run out of patience and was considering the fate of the entire facility.

At that time, the department was investigating what happened to a bobcat named Yayo. A whistleblower had reported the educational animal had escaped, while Stephen and Wendy Hall had claimed it had died.

Therrien wrote to DEC colleagues that the alleged escape of the bobcat, should it prove true, would add to a growing list of other animal escapes including the disappearances of wolves and two bears. Complaints had been filed against the refuge, too, about staff walking wolves and a lynx on leashes on public roads. A red fox bit a child, Therrien wrote.

All of these animals are defined as animals dangerous to the health and welfare of the public, Therrien wrote. We may find that we soon have no other option then to proceed with revocation of Ms. Halls exhibition licenses and the removal of all licensed animals from the facility.

Runaway bears

Among records sought by the Explorer, one batch from the DEC details the March 2019 escape of two bears, Ahote and Luvey.

Wendy Hall and husband Stephen Hall testified in a written DEC deposition that the bears had escaped by toppling a tree. An employee, Chris Mattern, testified the same.

Cromie and Tourtellot gave the DEC investigators a different story.

The morning of March 29, 2019, Cromie discovered the bears were missing, she wrote in a DEC deposition. She and Tourtellot spent the day looking for them. When Cromie came back to the refuge the next day, Cromie said Stephen Hall wanted to meet and figure out what our story was going to be.

Stephen Hall told Tourtellot and other staff to repair part of the bear enclosure, Tourtellot wrote in his deposition.

Steve decided he wanted to pull one of the trees over to make it look like that was how the bears got out of the enclosure, Cromie said. Chris (Mattern) and I were not happy with this, but it was clear that Steve was not going to let us go back out 'til we took care of the tree first.

Cromie and Tourtellot said they used a ratchet strap lassoed around the tree to pull it down and break it. Cromie said Stephen Hall approved the look of the broken tree before the team returned to looking for the bears.

I regret that I didnt call the DEC from the get-go, Cromie said.

In an email on April 3, 2019, to DEC staff, Stephen Hall said he wanted to amend my statement with one detail, which was inaccurate. Hall wrote paragraphs about Matterns role as bear specialist in charge of the enclosure. Stephen Hall said he had made his own fixes to vulnerabilities in the enclosure and that Mattern was no longer working at the refuge.

Wendy and I basically panicked, as the ambassador bears are a huge part of our education, and therefore money-raising programs, and we feared that the DEC would hold us responsible, and not allow us to keep bears, even if we got our two bears back, Stephen Hall wrote. I suggested we try to make it look as though an act of god caused this, and Chris (Mattern) suggested the bent tree solution.

"I realize in retrospect that it was unfair to have team members be put in a position where theyd have to sign statements which might contain falsehood(s)," he continued. "In fact, it didnt occur to me that wed be signing statements at all, figuring the focus would be on getting the bears back.

The Explorer reached out to Mattern, but did not receive a reply.

Surprise eagles

At an inspection on April 5, 2019, state and federal investigators found 20 animals, including birds, on display in cages without the proper licenses. The state issued a notice of violation to Wendy Hall, which required her to transfer, release or euthanize the animals.

While the Halls appeared to comply with the order, they racked up new violations by taking on more animals and birds without licenses, DEC reports show.

At another inspection in October 2019, reports show Wendy Hall was housing a black vulture but did not disclose that to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or DEC. Hall told officers she had forgotten about it. Investigators asked Wendy Hall if there were any animals inside an enclosed building on the refuge. Wendy Hall told them no. They asked her to open the building. When she did, they saw a juvenile bald eagle inside. Wendy Hall said she didnt know about the eagle, the report read, but it was discovered that the eagle had already been fed by staff twice earlier in the week and was due for another feeding that afternoon.

In November 2019, USFWS revoked Wendy Halls migratory bird licenses for numerous federal violations, including housing birds meant for rehabilitation and release with educational birds.

In January 2020, DEC and USFWS conducted another inspection and found Wendy Hall to be in possession of nearly two dozen birds without proper state and federal permits. At the end of January, USFWS denied Wendy Halls request for reconsideration of her bird licenses.

At the end of February, a former refuge volunteer, Melissa Sheeley, contacted USFWS. Sheeley said during one of the inspections in 2019, she feared Wendy Hall had not brought officials across the street where another bald eagle was housed. After searching public records, Sheeley discovered Wendy Hall had reported only one of two bald eagles in her possession to the federal agency.

I dont want to be associated with her negligent actions, Sheeley wrote in an email to USFWS.

Sheeley also signed a statement alleging the refuge would change animals names to avoid paperwork and avoid turning over animals to other rehabilitators.

Special Agent Ryan Bessey with the USFWSs law enforcement, emailed Therrien and others that he spoke with Sheeley at the beginning of March 2020 and learned of the death of an eagle at the refuge dating to November 2019. He wrote: Wendy (with convincing from her husband, Steve) had a bald eagle euthanized by a vet and buried hidden on the property. The same eagle had been moved across the street approximately one week before the fall inspection and was euthanized approximately two weeks after the inspection.

Officers later inspected the refuge and dug up the eagles remains, records show.

In an email dated Nov. 26, 2020, to the DEC, Wendy Hall said the buried eagle was a careless mistake, not a true criminal violation.

Connor Schmitz, a former refuge employee, told the department in a deposition earlier this year that he believed an injured bald eagle was euthanized and buried to keep the undocumented eagle quiet from the DEC.

In an email to Therrien, Schmitz accused Cromie and Alex Hall of improper handling of two coyotes. Alex Hall, the son of Stephen and Wendy Hall, is listed as a general manager, animal handler and groundskeeper at AWR. Schmitz also provided the DEC with video footage of Cromie planning to make a false statement to regulators that a peregrine falcon in her care had died overnight. That video was also supplied to the Explorer in response to the news organizations records request.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

I dont mean to make this personal, but these people are not fit to care for these animals, Schmitz wrote.

Alex Hall did not return the Explorers phone call requesting comment. Reached by email, Sheeley and Schmitz declined to comment.

Where's Yayo?

Records show Schmitz had also provided a letter to the board of Adirondack Wildlife Inc., the nonprofit that the Halls started, outlining his concerns on how the Halls and Cromie were running the refuge. The nonprofit board has since split with the refuge.

Samantha Pope, who is identified as the boards president in 2020 financial records, said We dont have a relationship with the Halls at this time. Pope did not respond to additional calls and emails requesting comment.

Gwendolyn Craig, Adirondack Explorer

At the end of July 2020, Sheeley and Schmitz also contacted DEC about the stray bobcat Yayo. Maxwell Nicols, an environmental conservation officer, wrote a report about his investigation. Nicols spoke with Sheeley. The Halls had told her the bobcat had escaped. She had seen a live animal trap set outside the enclosure.

Nicols interviewed Stephen Hall, who told him Yayo had died and been buried.

Stephen Hall, in an interview with the Explorer this month and in past testimony provided to the DEC, attacked the credibility of Sheeley and Schmitz, pointing to a vehicle accident he said Schmitz was involved in with the refuges truck. He did not deny to the Explorer that the bobcat had escaped and that he had made a false statement to regulators.

What happened to Yayo? The DEC does not know.

Stephen Hall  who has written some pieces for the Explorers sister site, the Adirondack Almanack  told the Explorer that Wendy Hall thought she had found its remains, but he believed the fur she found was from a deer.

Again, what does this have to do with what is good for the citizens and students of New York? Stephen Hall said in an email. They will always steer you back to Wendy, who is already out of the picture. Ask your DEC contacts whether education and the economy are important to New Yorkers.

Wendy Hall, in a May 3, 2021, letter to DEC, said Sheeley and Schmitz had set her up so that they could seize control of the refuge.

While much of this is accurate, there are plenty of inaccuracies, Wendy Hall wrote about her former employees reports. Much of this goes back many years, and I have since totally retired, leaving the refuge in totally capable hands.  Connor and Melissa had an agenda, and while Connor was an excellent worker, his behavior was totally nefarious.

In a letter to Commissioner Basil Seggos on May 10, Stephen Hall wrote that he and Wendy Hall admitted to most of the DEC violations.

There are some inaccuracies in the claims, some seriously manipulated information from disgruntled former employees, he wrote. Wendy is guilty of having an enormous heart in her desire to rescue every suffering animal she can, while not following through with the proper paperwork to document such rescues.

Stephen Hall said Wendy Hall is suffering from cancer and is no longer involved with the AWR. They still live on the property. Wendy Hall recorded a statement posted on YouTube, calling on the DEC to allow Cromie and Alex Hall to run the refuge. She called it unfair that the two were being branded with her violations.

On Aug. 30, Cromie emailed Therrien updating him on how the transfer of the refuges animals was going. She inquired on her own state license applications.

In all seriousness, this transfer would be in the best interest of the animals being discussed  our top priority, Cromie wrote.

On Aug. 31, the DEC issued Cromie a denial letter. Therrien said the Halls were still heavily involved with the refuge based on the fact that they reside on the 50-acre complex, and from DECs observations during a July 30 inspection. At that inspection, Stephen Hall was found giving an illegal educational presentation with animals under Wendy Halls surrendered licenses. Therrien outlined 10 instances of Cromies alleged involvement in violations, including making false statements. He also included how the two black bears had escaped a second time in 2021.

Denial of your license applications is necessary to prevent further violations at AWR and to protect the health and welfare of the public and native wildlife in New York State, Therrien wrote.

This story first appeared in the Adirondack Explorer, a nonprofit news outlet covering people and policy within the Adirondack Park. See their website for more details and comments about the refuge issue.


FORT ANN  The bus driver shortage forced the cancellation of classes Thursday at the Fort Ann Central School District.

"Unfortunately, we do not have enough bus drivers to transport students," the district wrote on Twitter.

Elementary school students were asked to work Thursday on instruction packets while high school and middle school students were urged to log into the remote system for further instruction.

It was unclear if classes would resume on Friday.

Staffing shortfalls at schools are another byproduct of the coronavirus pandemic, which has also forced some districts to rely on remote learning when too many students or staff fall into quarantine because they were exposed to infected people.

Shortages of employees have plagued local schools since the current school year began in September. And a lack of bus drivers has been acute in some districts, prompting schools to launch hiring campaigns to keep transportation moving.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

The shortage comes at a time when schools have plenty of money for staff. Local school districts are swimming in state and federal aid and would like to hire teachers, support staff, and counselors to address learning loss and mental health needs associated with the pandemic. But they can't seem to find people to fill the roles.

There is limited data on the current hiring climate, but experts say a confluence of factors may be driving the sudden education labor shortage. The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated a problem that's been festering for years.

Public education stakeholders in New York have long called for action on the state's shrinking teacher pool, and that predates the pandemic.
For the first time ever, local school districts are swimming in state and federal aid and would like to hire teachers, support staff, and counselors to address learning loss and mental health needs associated with the pandemic. But they can't seem to find people to fill the roles.

There is limited data on the current hiring climate, but experts say a confluence of factors may be driving the sudden education labor shortage. The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated a problem that's been festering for years.

Public education stakeholders in New York have long called for action on the state's shrinking teacher pool, and that predates the pandemic.

It's unclear why fewer people are becoming teachers, but "some speculate that education may become less attractive as a profession due to controversies of the prior decade, such as the debates over standards, testing, and teacher evaluations," said Robert Lowry, of the New York State Council of School Superintendents.

Various teacher-training pipeline initiatives and regulatory changes have yet to deliver results.

Between 2009 and 2017, enrollments in the states undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs declined 53 percent, from more than 79,000 students to about 37,000 students, according to a Feb. 24, 2020 report from the Educational Conference Board, a coalition of public school advocacy groups.

Now schools are encountering a tight labor market for virtually every position, from bus drivers and custodial staff to administrators and school psychologists.

Almost every district is feeling the strain, but most impacted are high poverty and rural schools that in some cases can't find a single qualified applicant to fill administrative positions, according to Lowry.

With all the districts hiring at once, "you may be competing with your neighbors in a pool that is just too small to begin with," he said.

There were fears the state's vaccine mandate  which requires school employees to show proof of vaccination or agree to be tested weekly  would prompt teachers to quit, but with competitive pay and pensions on the line, most educators stayed on.

It was largely support staff, made up of low-wage and part-time workers, who left the workforce over the vaccine mandate or over fears for their own health.

High-needs urban school districts like Albany and Schenectady, which last fall laid off hundreds of employees, are still short dozens of positions. This has resulted in chaotic high school hallways, poor building maintenance, an uptick in disruptive behavior and stressed-out teachers.

Laid-off employees were recalled in May, but union leaders say some already retired or accepted other jobs.

"Paraprofessionals, custodial staff, assistant principals. We have vacancies at every level," Schenectady Superintendent Anibal Soler, Jr., said in a recent interview. The district is currently short 12 teachers, according to its employee recruitment page.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Education officials connect an ongoing bus driver shortage to a 2017 federal law that went into effect in 2020, making it more difficult to get a commercial driver's license.

The growth of the e-commerce sector has also generated a high demand for commercial driver's license holders. School bus drivers earn about $15 an hour and work a few hours a day. Truck drivers can work full time and earn significantly more.

At large suburban schools, some students are seeing more complicated bus schedules or parents are being asked to drive their children to school. A nationwide shortage of food service staff, coupled with supply chain issues, is prompting some school cafeterias to provide limited lunch offerings and fewer fresh fruits and vegetables.

Schalmont Superintendent Thomas Reardon said the 1,800-student district has managed to fill all positions for a year by offering maximum flexibility and benefits, but retaining bus drivers and cleaners has been difficult due to opportunities in the private sector.

"It's hard to be competitive against someone with 60 grand a year," he said.

There are no easy solutions. Some school districts are getting creative, including by hiring temporary workers and partnering with local organizations to fill in the gaps. "Test-drive a bus" events do appear to be attracting retirees from the community.

School leaders hope lawmakers and the state Education Department will issue waivers for some of the certification requirements for teachers and other school staff.

They are also seeking guidance on how they may spend all the additional foundation aid and American Rescue Plan (ARP) dollars.
CHICAGO (AP)  Illinois Democrats are getting pushback on new congressional district boundaries they proposed last week, and not just from Republicans who stand to lose U.S. House seats under the plan.

Voters from Chicago's southwest side, who were drawn out of the district currently held by Democratic Rep. Marie Newman, told lawmakers Wednesday that the newly released maps would dilute their representation in Washington by putting their blue-collar, industrial neighborhoods in districts with miles and miles of farmland."

Another witness criticized the way districts held by Black members of Illinois' congressional delegation were hacked up, in what Rep. Bobby Rush, who is Black, called a horrendous map. And the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, a nonpartisan group that studies redistricting, gave Illinois proposed map an F for fairness.

The Democrats, who control state government and redistricting in Illinois, are expected to approve new maps as soon as next week. Although it's possible they will make changes to the draft they released Friday, the maps are expected to maintain the party's partisan advantage and eliminate at least one Republican-held district.

Illinois currently has 18 seats in the U.S. House, with Democrats holding 13 and Republicans the other five. The state is losing a congressional seat because of population loss, most of which occurred in heavily Republican areas of central and southern Illinois, according to the 2020 census.

The Democrats' new map is intended to elect 14 Democrats and three Republicans. It would dismantle the district currently held by GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a critic of former President Donald Trump who was one of 10 House Republicans to vote for Trump's impeachment.

Instead, Kinzinger was drawn into the district held by Newman, which would stretch from Chicago's southwest suburbs and west along Interstate 80 to the La Salle area. Kinzinger said Friday that he and his staff were looking over the maps and that he is "reviewing all of the options, including those outside the House.

Former Rep. Dan Lipinski, who represented the 3rd District for more than a decade before losing to Newman in the 2020 Democratic primary, told Crain's Chicago Business that he is considering challenging Newman for the seat.

Illinois is one of the few states where Democrats control redistricting, and the party nationally is looking to the state for help in 2022. Democrats control the U.S. House by a thin margin, and Republicans are in charge of redistricting in more states than Democrats, which could give the GOP an advantage in next year's midterm elections.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

On Tuesday, the National Republican Redistricting Trust blasted Illinois' proposed maps, with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie saying a federal court ruling this week in a lawsuit over newly approved state legislative maps should be a warning sign to Illinois' Democratic governor, J.B. Pritzker.

The court ruled that maps Democrats passed this spring based on population estimates rather than census data were unconstitutional. Democrats have since passed new state legislative maps using census data, though they are being challenged in court by Republicans and the Mexican American Legal and Educational Defense Fund.

The judges denied a request for a legislative redistricting commission made up of Republicans and Democrats to draft new maps, but said MALDEF, Republicans and Democrats may all submit new proposals for the court to consider.

I hope that what the governor sees is, you can't get away with it, Christie said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  For the third time this year, Senate Democrats on Wednesday tried to pass sweeping elections legislation that they tout as a powerful counterweight to new voting restrictions sweeping conservative-controlled states.

Once again, Republicans blocked them.

But amid the ongoing stalemate, there are signs that Democrats are making headway in their effort to create consensus around changing Senate procedural rules, a key step that could allow them to muscle transformative legislation through the narrowly divided chamber.

Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, recently eased his longstanding opposition to changing the filibuster rules, which create a 60-vote threshold for most legislation to pass.

Ive concluded that democracy itself is more important than any Senate rule, said King, who acknowledged that weakening the filibuster would likely prove to be a double-edged sword under a Republican majority.

Democrats still face long odds of passing their bill, now known as the Freedom to Vote Act, which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., excoriated Wednesday as a federal election takeover scheme. But the softening of King's stance on the filibuster amounts to progress, if incremental, for Senate Democrats as they look to convince others in their caucus to support a rule change.

After the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invoked the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, hailing the Northern senators serving at that time for going it alone when confronted by minority obstruction.

Members of this body now face a choice, said Schumer, D-N.Y. They can follow in the footsteps of our patriotic predecessors in this chamber. Or they can sit by as the fabric of our democracy unravels before our very eyes.

The Democrats voting bill was first introduced in March in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. It quickly passed the House at a time when Republican-controlled legislatures  many inspired by Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen 2020 election  were advancing restrictions in the name of election security that will make it harder to vote and could make the administration of the elections more subject to partisan interference.

Trumps claims of election fraud were widely rejected in the courts, by state officials who certified the results and by his own attorney general.

But initial optimism that the measure would swiftly pass the Senate dissipated after several members of the Democratic caucus, including King, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, among others, made clear their reluctance to change the filibuster rules. Manchin, who has said that any election overhaul needs bipartisan support, also sought changes to the voting bill to make it more palatable to Republicans.

As written, the current compromise version of the bill would establish national rules for running elections, limit partisanship in the drawing of congressional districts and force the disclosure of many anonymous donors who spend big to influence elections.

Other provisions are aimed at alleviating concerns from local elections officials, who worried that that original bill would have been too difficult to implement. And some new additions are aimed at insulating nonpartisan election officials, who may be subject to greater partisan pressure under some of the new state laws.

It also includes a number of changes sought by Manchin, the chambers most conservative Democrat, including a provision that would limit, but not prohibit, state voter ID requirements.

But so far, those changes have not attracted the Republican support that Manchin was seeking.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

The latest umpteenth iteration (of the bill) is only a compromise in the sense that the left and the far-left argued among themselves about exactly how much power to grab and in which areas," McConnell, who recently met with Manchin about the bill, said Wednesday. The same rotten core is all still there.

Hours later, Republicans denied Democrats the 60 votes needed to debate the measure on the Senate floor.

That gives Democrats few options and little time to act on a major party priority while their restive base has become increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress on the issue.

"Democracy  the very soul of America  is at stake, President Joe Biden said in a statement. It should be simple and straightforward. Let there be a debate and let there be a vote.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki also hinted that Biden may be softening his opposition to filibuster changes.

Are (Republicans) going to protect this fundamental right? Or are they going to continue to be obstreperous  to use a word the president has used in the past  and put Democrats in a position where theres no alternative but to find another path forward? Psaki said Monday.

But Manchin and Sinema, whose votes would be required for any rule change, have said they remain opposed to changing the filibuster.

Meanwhile, pressure is building from the Democratic base for Biden and Senate Democrats to take greater action.

They have failed to pass substantive legislation, and they are failing to act now, said Joseph Geevarghese, the executive director of Bernie Sanders-aligned group Our Revolution. "It needs to be made even more clear by the President that he is 100% on the side of the American peoples most sacred right, and if that means fixing the filibuster then we must do it for the sake of our democracy.
Catholic Funeral Liturgy for Mary Casuccio will be at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church on November 23, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Interment follows at Mt. Carmel Cemetery. Arrangements are under the care of Domico Funeral Home.
What's Included

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 570-724-2287 or email dtaylor@tiogapublishing.com.
Wellsboro, PA (16901)

Today

Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Partly cloudy skies. Low 28F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Partly cloudy skies. Low 28F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
The Herald decided to add some bathroom humor to the polls this week

You voted:
Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou says he will seek the leadership of the once-powerful Socialist party founded by his father, in an effort to revive its popularity that plummeted during a recent financial crisis
Public health departments across California are gearing up to administer coronavirus vaccines to children ages 5 to 11 in the coming weeks and officials say they are planning family-friendly events  including at schools  to persuade parents and guardians to get their kids vaccinated
Michigan will not order employers to adhere to a COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirement that is stricter than one planned by the Biden administration
An advisory panel on political redistricting has advanced three proposals for overhauling district boundaries in New Mexicos Democrat-dominated House of Representatives, with special deference to Native American communities
Police say a 15-year-old who was injured in a shooting this month at a Texas high school has been released from the hospital
[October 21, 2021] Bitdefender and SFR Partner to Deliver Advanced Cybersecurity Solutions Across France

New SFR Cybersecurite Platform Offers Advanced Threat Prevention and Detection Capabilities for Business and Consumer Customers BUCHAREST, Romania and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bitdefender, a global cybersecurity leader and SFR, a leading European internet service provider (ISP), have formed a strategic partnership to deliver advanced cybersecurity capabilities to SFR broadband and mobile customers. Bitdefender collaborated with SFR to develop SFR Cybersecurite, a cybersecurity platform incorporating technology from Bitdefender Total Security, a market leading antimalware and VPN solution for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. With Cybersecurite, SFR consumer and business customers have advanced protection against a full array of threats such as hard-to-detect malware, crippling ransomware, zero-day threats, phishing attacks, spam and more. SFR Cybersecurite is managed by the user through a co-branded, Bitdefender-enabled interface. For the backend, SFR manages security subscriptions through Bitdefender's platform for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). "Cybersecurity is a critical concern and we are committed to the online safety of our customers and believe this new solution will offer a new level of protection against security threats," said Gregory Rabuel, chief executive officer of SFR. "We've chosen to partner with Bitdefender, because the quality of the technologies developed by a recognized cybersecurity leader clearly responds to customers' needs and the company's offering for ISPs was the most versatile we ound."



The need for advanced cyber threat protection is at an all-time high. Bitdefender Labs saw a surge in online crime prompted by the sudden shift to working from home over the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Bitdefender's 2020 Consumer Threat Landscape Report, there was a 485 percent jump in global ransomware reports last year and a 320 percent rise in global reports of potentially unwanted applications. "With this partnership Bitdefender and SFR will strengthen cybersecurity for SFR's millions of customers," said Ciprian Istrate, vice president of consumer solutions at Bitdefender. "This partnership highlights Bitdefender's offerings for internet service providers and telcos seeking to optimize future offerings, reduce support costs, expand their portfolio, differentiate themselves and better protect their customers and internal networks."

Bitdefender's flexible platform for ISPs offer a complete cybersecurity ecosystem and can be easily integrated to create customer cybersecurity offers, including IoT security, gatewaylevel protection with network security, endpoint security and an API and subscription management interface through Bitdefender MSP. About Altice France - alticefrance.com Altice France is the leading telecoms-media convergence player in France. Through SFR, France's second-largest communications services company, Altice France is a telecommunications industry leader serving 25 million customers. Providing a fiber optic network (FTTH / FTTB) of 24 million eligible connections, SFR has launched 5G in France and also covers 99.7% of the population with 4G. SFR has major positions on the entire market, among the public, businesses, local authorities and other telecom companies. Altice France is also a leading media group with iconic brands such as BFM and RMC. In 2020, Altice France achieved a turnover of 10.9 billion euro. Follow the Group's latest news on Twitter: @AlticeFrance. About Bitdefender Bitdefender is a cybersecurity leader delivering best-in-class threat prevention, detection, and response solutions worldwide. Guardian over millions of consumer, business, and government environments, Bitdefender is the industry's trusted expert* for eliminating threats, protecting privacy and data, and enabling cyber resiliency. With deep investments in research and development, Bitdefender Labs discovers 400 new threats each minute and validates 30 billion threat queries daily. The company has pioneered breakthrough innovations in antimalware, IoT security, behavioral analytics, and artificial intelligence and its technology is licensed by more than 150 of the world's most recognized technology brands. Founded in 2001, Bitdefender has customers in 170 countries with offices around the world. For more information, visit https://www.bitdefender.com. *Bitdefender has ranked #1 in 54% of all tests by AV-Comparatives 2018-2021 for real-world protection, performance, malware protection & advanced threat protection. Contact:

Steve Fiore

Bitdefender

+1-954-776-6262

[email protected]com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/833268/Bitdefender_Logo.jpg

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] BNP Paribas Launches New Philanthropic Campaign with Independent Nonprofit, The Forgotten International

BNP Paribas, a leading international bank, is pleased to announce today the launch of a new structured notes campaign benefitting The Forgotten International, the independent nonprofit developing programs to alleviate poverty. The donations raised from the campaign will specifically benefit one of the nonprofit's important projects at La Comunidad de Ninos Sagrada Familia, a large school, orphanage, and medical clinic in Peru, housing over 1,000 children. BNP Paribas will donate to The Forgotten International a portion of the bank's proceeds from structured products notes sales. The donation will cover thousands of meals for children housed at the orphanage. Nathalie Texier-Guillot, BNP Paribas Head of Equity Sales US, said, "BNP Paribas has a long history of giving back to groups in need across the world. Today's launch of our donation campaign is another example of this philosophy at work. This donation will help an organization that has been severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, only to see its needs continue to expand. Tom Nazario's commitment and work is very inspiring and I am looking forward to partnering with The Forgotten International to positively impact the life of Sagrada Familia's kids." Thomas Nazario, The Forgotten International Founder, commented, "In a world that is being challenged on so many fronts, today all individuals, businesses, corporations and governments must do their part to help those most vulnerable. More recently, so many are suffering simply from the inability to acquire the food they need to survive. By way of this initiative, we are so thankful that BNP Paribas USA is again partnering with us at The Forgotten International to help feed the over 1,000 children at the Sagrada Familia School and Orphanage in Peru. I applaud them in their efforts to help those who, in many cases, are simply too poor to live without the help of others." BNP Paribas has a long track-record of commitment to its global community. The firm has worked closely with both The Forgotten International and the Sagrada Familia Orphanage and School for a number of years, and has seen employees travel to Peru to aid with on-the-ground efforts. Additionally, the firm's Women in Global Markets Group organized a successful employee-led fundraising campaign to aid this project in 2019. In this latest philanthropic campaign, BN Paribas will fund the cost of a child's daily meals at the Sagrada Familia School and Orphanage for every $10,000 of structured products notes purchased by the bank's clients.



La Comunidad de Ninos Sagrada Familia Founded over 30 years ago in Ventanilla, Peru by Miguel Rodriguez, La Sagrada Familia has blossomed. Starting as a safe place for street children to sleep, La Sagrada Familia expanded, first becoming a large school, orphanage, and medical clinic, and then introducing vocational workshops for children who need to find jobs. Miguel came to this mission after experiencing a family tragedy and now puts his energy into providing love and care to all the children coming into this community. Alumni of Sagrada Familia are now working as successful teachers, lawyers, and other professionals. The orphanage now has over 1,000 children at the school.

The Forgotten International The Forgotten International's mission is to develop programs that alleviate poverty and the suffering associated with poverty both in the United States and worldwide, in particular, that experienced by women and children. For more information please see www.theforgottenintl.org. About BNP Paribas BNP Paribas is the European Union's leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 68 countries and has more than 193,000 employees, including nearly 148,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Retail Banking for the Group's retail-banking networks and several specialized businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval ; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions ; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realize their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, Eastern Europe as well as via a large network in the western part of the United States. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group's performance and stability. About BNP Paribas in the USA BNP Paribas has built a strong and diversified presence in the United States to support its client base. The bank employs close to 14,000 people and has had a presence in the USA since the late 1800s. Bank of the West serves over 2 million individuals and small & businesses through a network of around 600 branches and business centers. Large corporate and institutional clients are serviced by BNP Paribas' Corporate & Institutional Banking franchise that has a presence in the main US cities, in addition to a global reach through a network of offices in EMEA and APAC. The bank also offers asset management services through BNP Paribas Asset Management as well as Real Estate and Fleet Services through partnerships. For more information please see www.usa.bnpparibas.com/en/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021006024/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] CGI opens new global innovation center dedicated to Industry 4.0 in Toulouse, France

Stock Market Symbols

GIB (NYSE)

GIB.A (TSX)

www.cgi.com/newsroom TOULOUSE, France, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) has opened a new global innovation center dedicated to Industry 4.0 in the heart of the Occitanie region in Toulouse, France. This latest center completes a network of global innovation centers established by CGI in France, including centers dedicated to digital transformation (Montpellier), commerce and consumer services (Lille) and supply chain digitization (Lyon).

"As the cradle of industry in France, Toulouse and the surrounding region are home to several high-tech industries, including aeronautics, pharmaceuticals and agri-food," said Jean-Bernard Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, Grand Sud region, CGI. "Therefore, the choice to set up this new center in the region of Occitanie was obvious; we want be in close proximity to leading manufacturers in the area."

In the 2021 CGI Voice of Our Clients, which provides insights and recommendations based on interviews with nearly 1,700 business and technology executives, anufacturers cite modernizing and rationalizing their systems as a top priority. They also seek to digitize the value chain through technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality and digital twins. In addition, developing innovative products and services through automation, including autonomous decision-making, within collaborative ecosystems is a key priority.





CGI's new global innovation center is designed to help manufacturers achieve these goals and more. It gives them the opportunity to experiment with innovative and practical solutions that are quickly executable. Further, because the center is interconnected with CGI's other innovation centers, visitors can explore all of CGI's offerings through a cross-center, immersive and personalized journey.



Overall, CGI is pursuing three major objectives with its new center in Toulouse: Co-build, with manufacturing clients, the factory of the future.

Through innovation, develop new manufacturing solutions and improve existing ones.

Apply Industry 4.0 best practices to accelerate transformation. Another unique aspect of the center is an immersive game designed to interactively teach a course structured around seven key Industry 4.0 issues, including: real-time monitoring, data continuity, digital twins, process automation, manufacturing execution systems, process mining, and cybersecurity. "CGI has proven industry expertise across the globe," said Laurent Gerin, President of CGI's operations in Western and Southern Europe. "With a network of more than 6,000 experts, we deploy many technological innovations for our manufacturing clients. With this new center, we can help our clients address their key transformation challenges, with the objective of driving the end-to-end digitization of their value chains."

About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 78,000 consultants and other professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2020 reported revenue is C$12.16 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgi-opens-new-global-innovation-center-dedicated-to-industry-4-0-in-toulouse-france-301405509.html SOURCE CGI Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] CLEAR Launches Airport Reservation Lane with Orlando International Airport

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, CLEAR (NYSE: YOU), the secure identity company, announced the launch of its newest service offering, "Reservation Lane powered by CLEAR" at Orlando International Airport (MCO). This new, free travel experience powered by CLEAR will allow travelers at MCO to plan ahead and reserve a dedicated security lane time slot for their party - giving travelers more control over their time and more predictability in their travel experience. MCO will be the first airport to pilot "Reservation Lane powered by CLEAR," and MCO was the first airport to feature CLEAR Plus lanes in 2010. Using the Reservation Lane powered by CLEAR, travelers can quickly and easily see and reserve one of the available time slots for their party - all at no cost. After reserving their slot and arriving at the lane, travelers will simply scan their issued QR code and will move directly to TSA to screen their boarding pass and I.D. and then proceed to standard TSA physical security. The reservation lanes will be located at both the East and West checkpoints of MCO and will have a limited number of slots available per day. "The travel experience can be unpredictable - from the moment you step outside your door to the moment you arrive at your destination," said Caryn Seidman-Becker, CLEAR CEO. "We are excited to offer this new experience alongside Orlando International Airport and help give ther travelers more predictability and more control over their time. With CLEAR's solutions, travelers are enjoying faster and easier travel from home to gate."



"Since the very beginning, Orlando International Airport leaders have guided growth and development of Central Florida's main airport to include innovative technology and to enhance the travel experience," said Brian Engle, Director of Customer Experience of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. "The Reservation Lane service will offer a streamlined process for the modern traveler, allowing us to better deliver The Orlando Experience." How It Works

Reserve: To use the free Reservation Lane powered by CLEAR just visit reserve.clearme.com where you can enter your flight details, the number of passengers in your group, and find a reservation time that works for you.

To use the free Reservation Lane powered by CLEAR just visit reserve.clearme.com where you can enter your flight details, the number of passengers in your group, and find a reservation time that works for you. Confirm : Once you select your reservation time, finish booking by entering your name, email, and phone number. You'll receive a confirmation email with a QR code.

: Once you select your reservation time, finish booking by entering your name, email, and phone number. You'll receive a confirmation email with a QR code. Enjoy: When you arrive at airport security, look for signs pointing to Reservation Lane powered by CLEAR. Scan your QR code with our staff and enjoy the fast lane right to TSA screening and security. Reservation Lane powered by CLEAR is the company's latest airport service and builds on CLEAR's decade of airport experience and mission to create frictionless experiences. For the travelers who want an even faster and on-demand travel experience, CLEAR Plus requires no reservations and allows subscribing members to use their eyes to verify their identity for expedited and frictionless entry to both standard and TSA PreCheck security screening. CLEAR Plus is available in 38 airports and 100+ security lanes across the country and costs just $15 a month billed annually. CLEAR has continued to innovate and develop frictionless travel solutions, including CLEAR Plus lanes, biometric powered pilots for bag drop, boarding, and lounge access, Health Pass for travel to Hawaii, and now Reservation Lane powered by CLEAR. About CLEAR With CLEAR, you are always you. CLEAR's mission is to enable frictionless and safe journeys using your identity. With more than 7 million members and 100+ partners across North America, CLEAR's identity platform connects you to the cards in your wallet - transforming the way you live, work and travel. Trust and privacy are the foundation of CLEAR. We have a commitment to members being in control of their own information and never sell member data. CLEAR is at the highest level of security by U.S. government regulators and is also certified as Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology under the SAFETY Act. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clear-launches-airport-reservation-lane-with-orlando-international-airport-301405706.html SOURCE CLEAR

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] E-commerce AI Leader Fanplayr Makes Strategic Appointments to Support Growth in U.S. and APAC

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fanplayr , a leader in SaaS and online behavioral personalization, announced the hiring of Jack Hallahan as Vice President of Sales for the U.S.; David Ticconi as Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand; and promoted Mariano Tripiciano to Managing Director of the Americas. Jack Hallahan is an expert in data driven marketing having brokered global strategic agreements in Ad Tech, SaaS Software, and Digital Media for several decades. He has held previous leadership positions at Thunder (acquired by Walmart) as Head of Partnerships and Revenue and at Celtra as Senior V.P. of Partnerships. David Ticconi joins Fanplayr as Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand with significant experience in mobile marketing platforms as previous Managing Director at Airship and V.P. of Sales - Australia at AdColony. Mariano Tripiciano has been promoted to Managing Director of the Americas to include the U.S.. He has been with Fanplayr since 2013, where he previously held roles as V.P. of the European region, helping to establish and expand the company in Europe, and Managing Director of Latin America. "As Fanplayr continues to grow in global representation and product breadth, it's critical to invest in highly talented and experienced individuals who can enhance and develop the vision through sales leadership and operations best practices," says Simon Yencken, Co-founder and CEO of Fanplayr . "Jack, David and Mariano all bring a wealth of knowledge about personalization, AI and Segmentation as a Service. In addition, their experience with global partnerships will be pivotal in Fanplayr's development of global sales and in exceeding current customers' expectations."



In September, Fanplayr launched PrivacyID, its solution to the demise of cookies, and it currently holds a U.S. patent for Segmentation as a Service. About Fanplayr

Fanplayr is a global leader in e-commerce behavioral data , using machine learning and AI to enable businesses to increase conversion rates and revenue, collect more leads, and retarget visitors with personalized recommendations during and after the shopping experience. Fanplayr is headquartered in Palo Alto, California with offices in New York, Buenos Aires, Brazil, Mexico, Milan, London, Manchester, Paris, Stockholm, Hamburg, Melbourne and Tokyo. https://fanplayr.com/ Media Contact:

Nick Mitsis

(202)-361-5789

[email protected] Print Image: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/21-1021s2p-fanplayr-newhires-300dpi.jpg This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/e-commerce-ai-leader-fanplayr-makes-strategic-appointments-to-support-growth-in-us-and-apac-301405264.html SOURCE Fanplayr

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] EverC Appoints New Chief Product Officer, VP of Strategy & Finance

Leadership Additions Come Ahead of Accelerating Demand for Risk Management, Cyber Intelligence Services in E-Commerce NEW YORK and TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EverC today announced two new leadership hires  Ishai Froind as Chief Product Officer and Ariel Katz as VP of Finance & Strategy  as the company looks to meet increasing e-commerce industry demand for risk management and cyber intelligence solutions. The e-commerce industry is poised to grow into a $5.4 trillion market by 2022, according to eMarketer, and with it, criminal activities are rising exponentially. Payment organizations are increasingly looking to prevent criminals from posing as legitimate businesses and selling illicit goods, as well as detect transaction laundering activities. Criminals are also flooding the global economy with nearly $1 trillion worth of dangerous, counterfeit, and illicit products, taking advantage of todays largest e-commerce marketplaces, reports Fast Company. "I am proud to join a company that is making the web a safer place for everyone to transact on, instilling trust and unlocking growth opportunities said Froind. The past year has proven that this is an area with inexhaustible opportunities for innovation. I am excited to join

a growth company with a cutting-edge technology, subject matter experts and an ever-growing roster of the most impressive customers in the industry." Froind previously served as GM of eBay Israel and the global product lead of eBays Structured Data organization. He began his work at the companys San Jose headquarters in 2007 and successfully oversaw multiple data products spanning ad and marketing tech, personalization, merchant analytics and the product catalog platform. Froind holds bachelor's degrees in law and accounting from Tel Aviv University and holds two master's degrees: one in commercial law from Tel Aviv University and another in business managemen from Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management.



Meanwhile, Katz has spent the first part of his career with Big 4 advisory firms PwC, Deloitte and KPMG in Australia, Belgium and Israel. Most of that time came with KPMGs Deal Advisory practice in Tel Aviv, where he assisted large international investors and buyers throughout their transactions involving Israeli targets. From there, Katz joined newly established late-stage tech investment firm Claridge Israel, where he was involved in all aspects of its investment activities, from sourcing investment opportunities to due diligence, execution, and portfolio value creation. Then Katz joined Visas global Corporate Development group where he led their outreach activities in Europe. Katz collaborated closely with Visa's executive leadership, business owners and regional teams, as well as with a wide network of Fintechs, investors, advisors and other industry experts in all major European Fintech hubs, to define and execute inorganic growth strategies.

With the accelerated move of merchants to online channels and payments, smooth and secure onboarding and risk management have become critical capabilities for payment organizations to safely expand their merchant portfolio - all while avoiding material fines, reputational damage, and staying ahead of criminal activity, said Katz. With its advanced technology and strengthened leadership team, EverC will capitalize on the very favorable market dynamics with an exciting and ambitious vision. EverC uses artificial intelligence technologies and unique web crawlers to mine and analyze data on the web. The company offers solutions that support its customers' needs to monitor, classify and assess the risks businesses face when dealing with online payments and trading. MerchantView helps payment organizations deal with merchant-committed money laundering and online fraud, while MarketView aids leading online trading platforms in detecting illegal and counterfeit products. EverC's clients include financial institutions, credit and clearing companies and the world's leading trading platforms. The company's investors include American Express Ventures, Viola Ventures, Red Dot Capital, Arbor Ventures, Maor Investments and Joey Lowe. The past year has been particularly significant for EverC, which has raised $35 million and expanded its presence around the world with new employees in Israel, New York, Amsterdam, London and Kiev. The company has recruited a diverse team that includes leading industry experts in the field of online e-commerce and online payments and continues to recruit new employees and meet growing industry demand. About EverC

EverC is a pioneer in risk management and cyber intelligence, harnessing advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning and unique web crawlers to extrapolate and analyze data that illuminates the darkest corners of the web. The company provides unparalleled visibility into the largest source of data in the world, the internet. For more information about EverC, please visit https://www.everc.com/. Media Contact

Corbin Mihelic, CSG

316-209-9794

[email protected]



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] FEops Appoints Digital Health Expert Euan Thomson to its Board of Directors

FEops, a cloud-based digital health player in the structural heart space, is glad to announce the nomination of Euan Thomson (News - Alert) as a board member to its Board of Directors. "We are delighted to welcome Euan to the FEops Board of Directors. His wealth of knowledge and extensive expertise in digital health technology will be invaluable as we navigate the structural heart space with new and innovative solutions, said Matthieu De Beule, PhD, co-founder and CEO of FEops. "Euan's addition will provide substantial strategic guidance to further develop our digital and data driven strategy." Euan Thomson is a seasoned C-suite healthcare executive, bringing more than 30 years of experience. Euan is currently acting as President of Ophthalmology, Head of the Digital Business Unit, and CEO and Board Chair of Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc. Before joining Zeiss, Euan held different leading positions including Global Head of R&D, Digital Technology and Advanced Innovation with Johnson & Johnson and Head of Digital Health at Samsung (News - Alert). Euan holds a PhD in physics from the University of London. "FEops is truly unique in the health technology space, applying fascinating artificial intelligence, digital twin and cloud technology to revlutionize structural heart disease management", said Euan Thomson. I am thrilled to lend my expertise to the Board and the leadership team with strategic guidance enabling FEops to claim their space in data driven digital health."



The appointment of Euan Thomson is effective immediately. About FEops HEARTguide

FEops HEARTguideTM cloud-based procedure planning environment uses digital twin technology to provide clinicians and medical device manufacturers with first-ever insights into the interaction between transcatheter structural heart devices and specific patient anatomy - preoperatively. This includes a range of quality controlled, validated and AI-enabled** anatomical analyses. Such insights have the power to help improve clinical outcomes in real-world hospital settings, as well as to accelerate research and development of novel device-based solutions.

Besides the recent FDA clearance to enter the US market with its LAAo workflow with WATCHMAN, FEops HEARTguide is also commercially available in the European Union, UK, Canada and Australia for its TAVI and LAAo workflows. ** Currently available only in the European Union, UK, Canada and Australia for its TAVI and LAAo workflows About FEops

Privately held FEops, headquartered in Gent, Belgium, is a digital health player offering cloud-based procedure planning solutions in the structural heart space. It's FEops vision that combining digital twins with AI-enabled anatomical analyses generates data-driven insights aspiring to enhance and improve procedure planning and periprocedural guidance. In September 2017, FEops announced that it closed a 6 million euros financing, led by Valiance, and joined by existing investors Capricorn Partners and PMV. In December 2019, FEops was also awarded a grant of 3.2 million euros from the European Innovation Council (EIC) accelerator programme. www.feops.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005450/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Fortive Announces Segment Leadership Appointments

Fortive Corporation ("Fortive") (NYSE: FTV) today announced that on January 1, 2022, Pat Murphy, currently serving as President & CEO, Precision Technologies (PT), will transition to President & CEO, Advanced Healthcare Solutions (AHS). As part of this transition, Mr. Murphy will also assume High Growth Market leadership for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) regions, in addition to his current responsibility for China. Fortive also announced that Tami Newcombe, currently serving as Group President at Fortive and President of Tektronix (News - Alert), will be promoted to President & CEO, PT, to succeed Mr. Murphy effective January 1, 2022. Additionally, Fortive announced that effective December 31, 2021, Barbara Hulit will step down from her current role as President & CEO, AHS. At that time, Ms. Hulit will take on a part-time role as Executive Advisor, where she will continue to work with operating company leadership teams across AHS and Fortive to accelerate key aspects of strategy development and Fortive Business System implementation to support the next phases of growth. Jim Lico, President and CEO of Fortive, stated: "We're excited to have Pat assume the leadership role at AHS. He brings extensive senior management experience driving breakthrough technology innovation and enhancing performance across businesses in a range of different markets. Pat is looking forard to supporting the important mission of the AHS team as it raises the standard of care globally, improves safety in a variety of critical healthcare settings, and ensures that healthcare providers can focus on the best possible care for their patients."



Mr. Lico continued: "Throughout her tenure at Tektronix, Tami has shown a passion for leading with FBS to take market share and deliver results, providing inspiration to her team and a benchmark to other leaders across Fortive. Tami brings the bold vision, rigorously customer-centric approach, and specialized expertise required for success in her expanded role as the leader of the Precision Technologies segment. I am looking forward to a seamless transition and expect Tami to drive significant progress across the segment in the coming years." Mr. Lico added: "I have had the distinct pleasure of working very closely with Barb over the past 16 years. From her time as President / Group Executive of Fluke, to more recent roles guiding the Fortive Business System Office, our High Growth Markets businesses, and the establishment of The Fort, Barb played an instrumental role in the launch of Fortive and the evolution of our portfolio since then. Her leadership and her commitment to FBS will have a lasting impact on Fortive as we move forward, and we're grateful that she will continue to play a meaningful role on our team."

ABOUT FORTIVE Fortive is a provider of essential technologies for connected workflow solutions across a range of attractive end-markets. The company holds leading positions in intelligent operating solutions, precision technologies, and advanced healthcare solutions. Fortive is headquartered in Everett, Washington and employs a team of more than 18,000 research and development, manufacturing, sales, distribution, service and administrative employees in more than 50 countries around the world. With a culture rooted in continuous improvement, the core of our company's operating model is the Fortive Business System. For more information please visit: www.fortive.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005921/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] FTX Trading Ltd. Closes $420 Million Series B-1 Funding Round

NASSAU, Bahamas, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FTX Trading Ltd. ("FTX" or "the Company"), owner and operator of FTX.COM, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, today announced the closing of a $420,690,000 Series B-1 fundraise, increasing the valuation of the Company to $25 billion. The round saw the participation of 69 investors, including Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, via its Teachers' Innovation Platform, Temasek, Sequoia Capital, Sea Capital, IVP, ICONIQ Growth, Tiger Global, Ribbit Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock. The Company also disclosed that in addition to the B-1 fundraise, Temasek had participated in the previously announced Series B, and updated the total amount of that raise from $900 million to $1 billion. Coming three months after FTX's Series B, this financing round is a testament to the Company's continued growth and will allow FTX to expand into new jurisdictions, improve upon its current offerings, and further establish itself as a marketplace leader. Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of FTX, commented on the news, "We founded FTX two years ago with the idea of creating a better financial marketplace. Today we are focused on establishing FTX as a trustworthy and innovative exchange by regularly engaging with regulators around the world, and constantly seeking opportunities to enhance our offerings for digital asset investors. For this round, we capitalized on those strides and were able to partner with investors that prioritize positioning FTX as the world's most transparent and compliant cryptocurrency exchange." FTX has grown significantly since its initial $1 Billion Series B round back in July 2021, with the Company's user base growing 48% and its average trade volume increasing 75%, now averaging $14B per day in daily volume. Since July, FTX established its global headquarters in the Bahamas and secured licenses under new regulatory frameworks in the Bahamas and Gibraltar. Additionally, the Company's US-affiliate, FTX US, acquired CFTC regulated digital currency futures & options exchange and clearinghouse, LedgerX, and has recently launched a global NFT marketplace, FTX NFTs.



"The additional capital and group of investors will let us provide the experience our users deserve and address other adjacent market opportunities including equities, prediction markets, NFTs and videogame partnerships. We expect to make strategic investments designed to grow the business and expand our regulatory coverage." said Ramnik Arora, Head of Product at FTX. Investor Quotes

"Teachers' Innovation Platform (TIP) invests in innovative companies that use technology to help shape new categories. As a global, technology-driven innovator in the financial sector, FTX fits well with our mandate. We look forward to working with FTX's management team in supporting the continued growth of the company." -- Olivia Steedman, Senior Managing Director, TIP. Sam Bankman-Fried is a special founder who is ambitious and daring enough to build the future of crypto by establishing FTX as the global exchange with the best overall product offering and leveraging the world's crypto rails to build the future of finance. We are thrilled to partner with FTX on their next phase of growth. -- Alfred Lin, General Partner at Sequoia Capital "FTX is forging the way to create a modern financial system. We admire Sam and the FTX team's laser focus on product and user experience which we believe has been core to FTX's success as a leading global crypto exchange. We are thrilled to partner with them as they leverage their underlying infrastructure to expand into broader financial services and become the exchange of everything."  Divesh Makan, Founding Partner at ICONIQ "FTX has that rare combination of a visionary founder, impeccable execution and an exploding market. They also take regulatory compliance and engagement seriously. Our thesis has been and continues to be that only the trusted, regulated exchanges will win in the long run. Ambition, creativity, velocity and rigor make FTX truly unique. We're excited to partner with Sam and the entire FTX team."  Tom Loverro, General Partner at IVP "Lightspeed is excited to double down in FTX's B-1 round. Sam Bankman-Fried and the team are innovators in product with a thoughtful approach to working closely with regulators across 150+ jurisdictions. We believe FTX will continue to be a leader in powering crypto transactions across financial services and consumer businesses." -- Amy Wu, General Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners About FTX FTX is a cryptocurrency exchange built by traders, for traders. It offers innovative products, including industry-leading derivatives, options and volatility products, tokenized stocks, prediction markets, leveraged tokens and an OTC desk. FTX strives to be an intuitive yet powerful platform for all kinds of users, and to be the most innovative exchange in the industry. To learn more about FTX, please visit: https://ftx.com/ FTX is not available to US residents or residents of other prohibited jurisdictions, as set out in its Terms of Service. Media Contact

Jay Morakis

M Group Strategic Communications (on behalf of FTX)

+1 646 859 5951

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ftx-trading-ltd-closes-420-million-series-b-1-funding-round-301405473.html SOURCE FTX Trading Ltd.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Gaia Rating - New Award for ESI Group's ESG Commitment

Regulatory News: Gaia Research, a service of EthiFinance and a major player in the field of ESG rating (environment, social and governance) of French mid-sized listed companies, has awarded ESI (News - Alert) Group (Paris:ESI), a global player in virtual prototyping, committed to a cleaner, safer, and more productive industry, the first Gaia 2021 prize in the category of mid-cap companies with annual revenues under 150 million. This award received during the ceremony held on October 19th, 2021 in Paris, illustrates the efforts made by the Group to continuously improve its CSR (News - Alert) commitments (social, societal, and environmental). 2021 was shaped by several significant actions for ESI Group, both within its governance, its environmental commitments, some in collaboration with Reforest'Action, and above all, with initiatives dedicated to its employees. Particularly shaken by the Covid-19 health crisis, the work-life balance was a field of action for ESI Group, which employs 1,200 people in about 20 countries. In this context, the Group has introduced a "No-Meeting Day": one-day per week dedicated to restoring the importance of taking time, without meetings, enabling employees to work differently. While reducing the stress and pressure caused by overloaded agendas, this format increases the concentration and productivity of teams. "We are delighted with this new distinction from Gaia Research. In 2021, ESI succeeded in optimizing its ESG commitment on all areas. The pandemic has disrupted the lives of our teams as well as our work habits. With the 'No-Meeting Day', we wanted to offer an initiative that would give our employees the opportunity to break the rhythm which could sometimes be counterproductive and allow them to thrive in their missions. We also worked for the Planet by helping reforestation, strengthened the independence of our governance and contributed to the decarbonization of the industry through our solutions. All this would not have been possible without the contribution of all our teams, who, in addition to being expert and recognized, reflect diversity. This is a real source of pride for all of us!" declaredCorinne Romefort-Regnier, ESI Group's Governance Director.



"We want to be a vector of progress. The companies monitored by the Gaia Research teams are growing companies with strong development ambitions. Our objective, in addition to supporting financial players in their responsible investment approach, is also to prepare companies for the new expectations of their stakeholders in terms of environmental, social and governance issues," says Emmanuel de La Ville of Gaia Research. "Our evaluations allow investors to identify the most transparent and efficient companies in terms of CSR." Methodology:

Since 2009, Gaia Research has been conducting an annual data collection campaign covering most of the SMEs listed in France. Based on this information, companies are rated on their level of transparency and performance. The ratings are based on 174 criteria (economic, governance, human capital, environment and stakeholders) and are used by leading management companies in their management process and investment decisions. Since its creation, this index has outperformed the CAC 40 and the CAC Mid & Small every year.

About ESI Group

Founded in 1973, ESI Group envisions a world where Industry commits to bold outcomes, addressing high stakes concerns - environmental impact, safety & comfort for consumers and workers, adaptable and sustainable business models. ESI provides reliable and customized solutions anchored on predictive physics modeling and virtual prototyping expertise to allow industries to make the right decisions at the right time, while managing their complexity. Acting principally in automotive & land transportation, aerospace, defense & naval, energy and heavy industry, ESI is present in more than 20 countries, employs 1200 people around the world and reported 2020 sales of 132.6 million. ESI is headquartered in France and is listed on compartment B of Euronext Paris. For further information, go to www.esi-group.com. Follow ESI

LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube About Gaia Research, EthiFinance and Qivalio

Gaia Research is an EthiFinance service, a subsidiary of Qivalio, a European rating, research and consulting group dedicated to sustainable finance and development. The Group provides solutions to investors, companies and organizations to meet the challenges of financing and environmental and societal transformations. Created in 2017, Qivalio is the result of the merger between Spread Research and EthiFinance, French financial and extra-financial rating agencies founded in 2004. The group's purpose is to work towards the transformation of finance and the real economy for a more sustainable society, by promoting enlightened and responsible decision-making. Qivalio serves a portfolio of leading international clients under Spread Research (independent credit research), Qivalio Ratings (financial rating agency), Qivalio Analytics (risk modelling) and EthiFinance (extra-financial rating and advisory agency) brands. For further information: www.ethifinance.com www.qivalio.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211020006161/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] HERE launches Intelligent Speed Assistance map for automakers to comply with EU regulation

HERE ISA Map provides fresh and accurate speed limit information, with comprehensive coverage across the globe

Starting in July 2022, new passenger and commercial vehicles in the EU need to be equipped with an ISA feature; the requirement extends to all newly registered vehicles beginning July 2024 Amsterdam  HERE Technologies, the leading location data and technology platform, today announced the launch of the HERE ISA Map, delivering vehicle systems and drivers fresh and accurate speed limit information on any road. The HERE ISA Map was designed for automakers to comply with requirements under the European Unions (EU) new Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) regulation aimed at road safety and reducing Co2 emissions.



ISA is an in-vehicle feature helping drivers to acknowledge and comply with legal speed limits on any given road. For an optimal experience, a detailed map with correct speed limit information is crucial. The HERE ISA map provides speed limit information at any time, irrespective of environmental conditions. This is particularly important in situations that are challenging for onboard camera-only ISA solutions. These include: Speed limits that are not sign-posted, including default country-level speed limits for motorways, urban roads and metropolitan areas, as well as border speed limit rule changes based on country level requirements.

Conditional speed limits based on the time of day or weather conditions.

Concealed speed limits due to foliage growth, lack of infrastructure maintenance or other reasons.

Implicit sign-posted speed limits, which indicate a change in speed limit based on default rules, e.g. for the start of built-up areas or the beginning of motorways. The HERE ISA Map contains:

Explicit speed limit visible on road signs as well as implicit speed limits derived from road signs without numerical values.

Speed limits that are defined by road rules and regulations, including national, or regional, speed limits and conditional rules. These are typically not sign-posted and therefore not detectable by onboard cameras.

Required road topology with selected attributes to minimize the data footprint for smaller vehicle segments while still enabling electronic horizon providers to power an ISA feature.







HERE is proud to deliver the automotive industry with the advanced location data and services it needs to enhance road safety for all road users. The HERE ISA Map focuses on supporting driver safety by ensuring they always have accurate speed limit information, including conditional limits and non-posted signs, said Sheila Nedelcu, Senior Director, Automotive Product Management at HERE Technologies. The HERE ISA Map can be easily integrated into any ISA solution and help automakers comply with the new mandatory ISA regulation of the European Union.





The HERE ISA Map is available as a standalone map for simpler ISA solutions and smaller vehicle segments. The same map attribute set is also included in the HERE ADAS Map (Advanced Driving Assistant Systems) that contains additional geospatial content for lane keeping and adaptive cruise control for more advanced driver assistance feature sets. Available publication formats include RDF for customers who use their own compilation into a proprietary format, NDS.Classic for customers following an onboard map approach and NDS.Live map services for highly connected vehicles.



The ISA regulation is part of the EUs new General Safety Regulation for motor vehicles, planned to become mandatory for all new new-model cars, vans, trucks, and buses in July 2022 and for all new vehicles sold in the EU in 2024. It is expected that ISA can help to reduce both accidents and traffic fatalities, as well CO2 emissions. Beyond EU member states, also Norway and Switzerland, as well as selected EU candidate countries, have signaled to adopt the ISA Regulation.



Media Contact

Dr. Sebastian Kurme

+49 173 5153549

[email protected]



About HERE Technologies

HERE, a location data and technology platform, moves people, businesses and cities forward by harnessing the power of location. By leveraging our open platform, we empower our customers to achieve better outcomes - from helping a city manage its infrastructure or a business optimize its assets to guiding drivers to their destination safely. To learn more about HERE, please visit https://here.com and https://360.here.com.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] HireRight Announces Launch of Initial Public Offering

HireRight today announced the launch of its initial public offering of 22,222,222 shares of its common stock. The initial public offering price is expected to be between $21.00 and $24.00 per share. As part of the offering, HireRight expects to grant to the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,333,333 shares of common stock at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. HireRight has applied to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "HRT." Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as lead bookrunners for the proposed offering. Barclays, Jefferies, RBC Capital Markets, William Blair, Baird, KeyBanc Capital Markets, Stifel and Truist Securities will act as bookrunners for the proposed offering. Citizens Capital Markets, SPC Capital Markets LLC, Penserra Securities LLC, R. Seelaus & Co., LLC and Roberts & Ryan will act as co-managers for the proposed offering. The proposed offering of these securities will be made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus relating to the proposed offering may be obtained when available from: Credit Suise Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 6933 Louis Stephens Drive, Morrisville, North Carolina 27560, telephone: 1-800-221-1037 or by email at [email protected]; or Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing [email protected].



A registration statement on Form S-1 relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC (News - Alert) but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. About HireRight

HireRight provides comprehensive background screening, verification, identification, monitoring, and drug and health screening services for more than 40,000 customers across the globe. HireRight offers services via a unified global software and data platform that tightly integrates into their customers' human capital management systems enabling highly effective and efficient workflows for workforce hiring, onboarding, and monitoring. In 2020, HireRight screened over 20 million job applicants, employees and contractors for its customers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005488/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] IBM and Credit Mutuel accelerate partnership with AmbitionS, a new center of technological excellence in Strasbourg

STRASBOURG, France, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Credit Mutuel are announcing a new step in their strategic partnership initiated more than 50 years ago, with the signing of the AmbitionS contract between Euro-Information, the technological subsidiary of Credit Mutuel, and IBM. The objective is to pursue and strengthen their close collaboration over the next four years to continue to anticipate developments in the financial services sector by: Accelerating and industrializing the use of data, artificial intelligence (AI) and automated document analysis to develop new services, improve business processes and protect customers and the bank (combat fraud, ensure compliance, etc.) Transforming the information system into a unified private cloud platform leveraging Red Hat OpenShift, working in synergy with IBM Z. This private cloud, hosted in Credit Mutuel datacenters located in France and fully operated by Euro-Information teams, will be based on an architecture meeting availability, performance and security requirements in accordance with the commitment of digital privacy and contributing to the improvement of time-to-market and operational efficiency. This comprehensive approach aims to give Credit Mutuel sustainable autonomy and contributes to the commitments made in terms of reducing its environmental footprint and an IT resolutely focused on the new digital uses of client-members. Creating an IBM technology and skills center in Strasbourg , dedicated to Credit Mutuel, around artificial intelligence, data, cloud and infrastructure modernization. "In face of the explosion in digital use cass, the AmbitionS plan will help accelerate the deployment of new offers and services for the 27 million customers of Credit Mutuel and its subsidiaries," said Frantz Ruble, President of Euro-Information.



Accelerate the bank and insurance's transformation with the creation of a center of excellence dedicated to technological innovation, based in Strasbourg The strengthening of this strategic partnership with IBM is reflected in the creation of a skills and technology center in Strasbourg, hosted in a structure dedicated to Credit Mutuel. This hub will make it possible to accelerate the supply of services and technologies such as AI or the private cloud, in synergy with the IBM Z platform, for customers and members, partners and employees of all Credit Mutuel federations, and their subsidiaries, as well as members of the Euro-Information IT System.

A co-creation approach is planned to accelerate exchanges and knowledge sharing between Euro-Information and IBM Research (including Paris-Saclay). This is expected to strengthen the IBM teams in Strasbourg as well as access to IBM Research, consulting, support and technology centers worldwide. Finally, an "Academy" approach to develop and perpetuate skills on IBM Z technologies, and to attract young talent, especially in Strasbourg, by relying on higher education institutions. "The creation of the AmbitionS technology and skills center will strengthen our strategic partnership with Credit Mutuel and its technological subsidiary Euro-Information, combining geographic proximity, skills excellence and the use of technology as accelerators of transformation," said Jean-Philippe Desbiolles, IBM Managing Director. "After AI, Credit Mutuel is once again paving the way for a new vision of the bank." About Euro-Information, a Credit Mutuel group company

Euro-Information is the technology company of the Credit Mutuel group. Euro-Information manages the information system of 16 Credit Mutuel federations1 as well as CIC and all the subsidiaries carrying out financial, insurance, real estate, consumer loans, private banking, financing, telephony and technology. With nearly 3,700 employees, Euro-Information offers the best of technology to employees, members and customers associated with a high level of security and protection of personal data. Euro-Information masters all the technologies internally and carries out the necessary developments to serve the entities of the Credit Mutuel group. More information on e-i.com and creditmutuel.fr 1 Credit Mutuel Alliance Federale (Center Est Europe (Strasbourg), South-East (Lyon), Ile-de-France (Paris), Savoie-Mont Blanc (Annecy), Midi-Atlantique (Toulouse), Loire-Atlantique and Center federations -West (Nantes), Center (Orleans), Normandy (Caen), Dauphine-Vivarais (Valence), Mediterranean (Marseille), Anjou (Angers), Massif Central (Clermont-Ferrand) and Antilles-Guyane (Fort-de-France ), Credit Mutuel Nord Europe (Lille), Credit Mutuel Maine-Anjou, Basse Normandie (Laval) and Credit Mutuel Ocean (La Roche-sur-Yon). About IBM

To learn more about IBM, please visit: www.ibm.com Contact:

Michael DeFilippis

IBM External Relations

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ibm-and-credit-mutuel-accelerate-partnership-with-ambitions-a-new-center-of-technological-excellence-in-strasbourg-301405329.html SOURCE IBM

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Ladder Capital Corp to Report Third Quarter 2021 Results

Ladder Capital Corp (NYSE: LADR) ("we," "Ladder," or the "Company") will release its third quarter 2021 results on October 28, 2021, after the close of markets that day. The Company will host a conference call and webcast for investors at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time that day to discuss the financial results. The conference call can be accessed by dialing (877) 407-4018 domestic or (201) 689-8471 international. Individuals who dial in will be asked to identify themselves and their affiliations. For those unable to participate, an audio replay will be available from 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, October 28, 2021, through midnight Thursday, November 11, 2021. To access the replay, please call (844) 512-2921 domestic or (412) 317-6671 international, access code 13724055. The conference call will also be webcast through a link on Ladder Capital Corp's Investor Relations website at ir.laddercapital.com/event. A web-based archive of the conference call will be available at the above website.



About Ladder Ladder is an internally-managed commercial real estate investment trust with $5.6 billion of assets as of June 30, 2021. Our investment objective is to preserve and protect shareholder capital while producing attractive risk-adjusted returns. As one of the nation's leading commercial real estate capital providers, we specialize in underwriting commercial real estate and offering flexible capital solutions within a sophisticated platform.

Ladder originates and invests in a diverse portfolio of commercial real estate and real estate-related assets, focusing on senior secured assets. Our investment activities include: (i) our primary business of originating senior first mortgage fixed and floating rate loans collateralized by commercial real estate with flexible loan structures; (ii) investing in investment grade securities secured by first mortgage loans on commercial real estate; and (iii) owning and operating commercial real estate, including net leased commercial properties. Founded in 2008, and led by Brian Harris, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Ladder is run by a highly experienced management team with extensive expertise in all aspects of the commercial real estate industry, including origination, credit, underwriting, structuring, capital markets and asset management. Members of Ladder's management and board of directors are highly aligned with the Company's investors, owning over 10% of the Company's equity. Ladder is headquartered in New York City with a regional office in Miami, Florida. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005039/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Multimedia News Release: Yinchuan, a City Located in the Hinterland of China, Embracing the Global Stage through International Cross-border E-commerce

YINCHUAN, China, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 19, 2021, the 5th China-Arab States Expo Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition and Cross-border E-commerce Innovation and Development Summit were successfully held in Yinchuan (China), with 12 projects being signed in the summit and the total planned investment and trade volume reaching 1.246 billion yuan (193.63 million USD). Based on the successful host of China-Arab States Expo this year, Yinchuan strives to cultivate at least 3 cross-border e-commerce demonstration zones and incubation bases by 2022, focusing on supporting more than 100 cross-border e-commerce enterprises. The annual transaction volume of cross-border e-commerce in the city is expected to increase by more than 15%. The city of Yinchuan is dedicated to building a cross-border e-commerce industry with strong characteristics and remolding the new advantages of Yinchuan's quality development. For broadcast quality video and high-res images, please visit the Multimedia News Release: http://news.medianet.com.au/xinhua/yinchuan-city-located-hinterland-china



Any place on earth has the potential of becoming a center with the prerequisite that it can link sufficient resources.

In 2019, the State Council of the People's Republic of China approved the establishment of China (Yinchuan) Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone, providing new opportunities for the inland city of Yinchuan to embrace the global stage. As an old Chinese saying goes, "It is difficult to grasp the golden opportunity when good luck falls upon you, therefore it is important to take the chance to take action as quickly as possible." The city of Yinchuan, the provincial capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China took swift action to establish a leading panel of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone headed by the major government officials of the municipal government and issued The Opinions on Speeding up the Development of Cross-border E-commerce, injecting new impetus and momentum to the development of cross-border e-commerce. An government official with Yinchuan Municipal Bureau of Commerce is quoted as saying, "In the face of new opportunities, the city of Yinchuan must sort out its own advantages and integrate the advantages into crucial linking points." The characters of being courageous to try ahead of others, reform and innovation are the inherent genes of Yinchuan. In the face of brand new opportunities, the provincial capital of Yinchuan located in the hinterland of China will consider the industrial growth of cross-border e-commerce as the new impetus for development. The city will make great efforts to develop by leaps and bounds to take the lead and to make a bright future for the development of the city. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=404806

Caption: Yinchuan Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=404810

Caption: Yinchuan View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/multimedia-news-release-yinchuan-a-city-located-in-the-hinterland-of-china-embracing-the-global-stage-through-international-cross-border-e-commerce-301405861.html SOURCE Yinchuan Municipal Bureau of Commerce

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Nord Anglia's education experts invited to speak at Asia's largest EdTech event

EDUtech Asia invites Nord Anglia Education to share insights and emerging trends LONDON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nord Anglia Education, the world's largest premium international schools organisation, announced today that its education leaders will be returning to speak at this year's EDUtech Asia conference, the region's leading education technology event. Taking place 9 -11 November 2021, Nord Anglia's panellists include: Dr Elise Ecoff , Group Director of Education, and Dr Kate Erricker , Assistant Director, Nord Anglia University, will discuss the future of blended learning, how technology can be used to deliver an outstanding learning experience and Nord Anglia's teacher-led approach to EdTech.

, Group Director of Education, and Dr , Assistant Director, Nord Anglia University, will discuss the future of blended learning, how technology can be used to deliver an outstanding learning experience and Nord Anglia's teacher-led approach to EdTech. Mark Orrow-Whiting , Nord Anglia's Director of Curriculum and Student Performance, will join a panel discussion exploring technology's role in student wellbeing and resilience.

, Nord Anglia's Director of Curriculum and Student Performance, will join a panel discussion exploring technology's role in student wellbeing and resilience. Naima Charlier , Director of Teaching and Learning at the award-winning Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong, will join a panel discussion to share her views on designing an effective online teaching and learning environment. More than 10,000 delegates are expected to attend the virtual event and hear how leading educators are uing education technology to accelerate learning.



Dr Elise Ecoff, Group Director of Education, Nord Anglia Education, said: "We're excited to be returning to EDUtech Asia and looking forward to sharing our insights about how we've been using teacher led education technology to enhance learning for 68,000 students across our 76 schools worldwide. We've seen how EdTech can be used to create outstanding learning experiences in the classroom and at home, and believe that it's important we continually harness new ideas and new technologies to improve the quality of teaching and learning." Sharon Roessen, Managing Director, Asia and COO of Terrapinn, global events company and organisers of EDUtech Asia, said: "Our mission, at EDUtech, is to inspire educators to inspire the next generation  globally. By bringing together educators and education professionals from around the world we hope to help level the education playing field for all and accelerate a change in the way that education is delivered.

"EDUtech Asia in November will be our largest virtual event to date with over 10,000 attendees. We have an incredible international keynote speaker line-up and a further 250 speakers, including Dr Elise Ecoff, Naima Charlier, Mark Orrow-Whiting, and Dr Kate Erricker from Nord Anglia Education! We are delighted to welcome back Nord Anglia Education and thank them for their continued support." About Nord Anglia Education Nord Anglia Education (NAE) is the world's leading premium schools organisation, with 76 schools across 31 countries. Our schools go beyond traditional learning to deliver a high quality, transformational education to 68,000 students from kindergarten through to the end of secondary school. We offer multiple internationally recognised curriculums, including the English Curriculum, the International Baccalaureate, the Swiss Maturite and the US Curriculum, amongst others. Our global scale enables us to recruit and retain world-leading teachers and to offer our students unforgettable experiences through our partnerships with world-renowned institutions The Juilliard School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UNICEF. As part of the NAE family, every student can connect and collaborate on our bespoke Global Campus platform to bring their learning to life beyond the classroom. Founded in 1972 in the United Kingdom, initially offering learning services such as English-as-a-foreign-language classes, NAE opened its first international school in 1992: the British School Warsaw. In the 2000s, NAE began a strategic focus on premium international schools, with rapid growth in Asia, the Americas, China, and across Europe and the Middle East. In July 2019, the company relocated its headquarters from Hong Kong to London. For more information, please visit www.nordangliaeducation.com. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1503193/Nord_Anglia_Education_Logo.jpg

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Press Release - InSite Secures Strategic Investment from Sustainability Firm GEF Capital Partners to Accelerate Growth

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- InSite announced today that it has completed a strategic investment with GEF Capital Partners ("GEF Capital"), a leading sustainability-focused private equity firm. By partnering with GEF Capital, InSite will expand its capabilities to meet the growing demand for healthy, high-performing building portfolios. With InSite's market-leading solutions addressing energy efficiency and its growing focus on supporting its customers' sustainability and ESG requirements, InSite's technology and services continue to lead the digital building revolution and broader climate technology demands. InSite Secures Strategic Investment from Sustainability Firm GEF Capital Partners to Accelerate Growth InSite is a leading business intelligence solution that helps organizations integrate their physical and digital assets to maximize the quality and efficiency of their building portfolios. The InSite platform combines enterprise-level analytics, mobility, and security features with powerful, scalable tools for data integration, validation, warehousing, and sophisticated visualizations to reduce energy usage, improve building performance and health and enable organizations to meet their sustainability goals. InSite is delivered as a fully integrated SaaS offering for facilities and real estate teams, leveraging data and machine/human analytics in a flexible structure, making access to valuable intelligence less expensive and less omplicated.



"We are enormously excited about this partnership with GEF Capital and what it will mean to our customers. During this time of market evolution, our partnership with GEF Capital will enable us to scale InSite's current offerings, while catalyzing the development of exciting new solutions addressing ESG and sustainability, to meet future market demand," said Francis Gangemi, InSite's President. "InSite has built a market leading solution for building owners and operators. We are looking forward to supporting InSite's growth and its continued innovation as it scales for its next phase of growth and development," said Stuart Barkoff, a Managing Partner at GEF Capital who will oversee the investment on behalf of GEF Capital.

About InSite:

InSite is a premier business intelligence solution for owners and operators of real estate portfolios. InSite's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform provides innovative digital solutions that promote better business outcomes and lower operational costs. The InSite platform was built to help solve a growing proliferation of systems, complexity, and productivity loss by enabling rapid access to real intelligence. Visit www.insiteintelligence.com for additional information. About GEF Capital Partners:

GEF Capital Partners is a private equity fund manager focused on making investments in companies that seek to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and pollution. With operations in the United States, Brazil, and India, GEF Capital works with its investment and portfolio company partners to bring capital as well as strategic and operational expertise to businesses that promote the efficient use of scarce natural resources. By enabling clean energy, improving energy efficiency, reducing the amount of waste generated or water used, or building products using fewer or more efficient materials, GEF Capital seeks to invest capital in ways that deliver both private equity risk-adjusted returns and positive environmental outcomes. Visit www.gefcapital.com for additional information. FOR INFORMATION: Lisa West

202.728.9800

[email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/press-release--insite-secures-strategic-investment-from-sustainability-firm-gef-capital-partners-to-accelerate-growth-301405786.html SOURCE InSite

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Stratus to Join Forces With Novacap to Further Accelerate Growth

MONTREAL, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Novacap, a leading North American private equity firm, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Stratus Networks ("Stratus"). The transaction is expected to close in the last quarter of 2021, following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals. Headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, Stratus is a leading provider of fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services. Founded by Co-CEOs John Petrakis and Kevin Morgan in 1998, Stratus has grown to become a leading data and voice networking services provider for enterprises with a full suite of products including data, cloud and voice solutions. John Petrakis and Kevin Morgan will continue in their roles as Co-CEOs leading Stratus and remain significant shareholders in the business. "The investment in Stratus continues Novacap's deep experience of successfully partnering with strong founders and entrepreneurs to support long-term growth in the fiber industry said Pascal Tremblay, President and CEO, Managing Partner at Novacap. "The accelerated digitization of our economy is driving the demand for robust digital infrastructure services to feed the digital value chain. The transaction will enable Stratus to expand its presence in growing market segments ad larger geographic areas to meet the increased demand for connectivity," commented Ted Mocarski, Senior Partner at Novacap. "We look forward to applying Novacap's strategic, operational and financial expertise to propel Stratus' growth."



"We are excited to partner with Novacap and take advantage of their substantial experience as a successful investor in regional fiber-optic providers such as Horizon Telecom, FirstLight Fiber and Fibrenoire," said Kevin Morgan, Co-CEO and Co-founder of Stratus. "We are delighted to have a partner who will be able to provide the resources necessary, and share our vision, of being the premier provider of internet and voice services in our region. Novacap has already begun sharing ideas about ways to invest in our business to aggressively pursue the significant growth opportunities available to us," added John Petrakis, Co-CEO and Co-founder of Stratus. Advisors

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to Stratus. Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP served as legal counsel to Stratus. Paul Hastings LLP served as legal counsel to Novacap. About Novacap Founded in 1981, Novacap is a leading North American private equity firm with over C$8B of AUM that has invested in more than 100 platform companies and completed more than 150 add-on acquisitions. Applying its sector-focused approach since 2007 in TMT, Industries, Digital Infrastructure and now Financial Services, Novacap's deep domain expertise can accelerate company growth and create long-term value. With experienced, dedicated investment and operations teams as well as substantial capital, Novacap has the resources and knowledge that help build world-class businesses. Novacap has offices in Brossard, Quebec and Toronto, Ontario. For more information, please visit www.novacap.ca. About Stratus Networks Founded in 1998, Stratus has grown to become a leading data and voice network services provider for enterprises across Central Illinois. Since inception, Stratus has invested in and built superior network, product offering, ancillary services, partnerships and proprietary operational systems in order to deliver the best available service to its customers. The Company owns, leases and operates a large fiber network to deliver a full suite of solutions including data, cloud and voice solutions to reach significant scale in order to serve nearly 1,000 highly diversified enterprise customers primarily across the financial services, healthcare, telecom industries. For more information about Stratus, visit www.stratusnet.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stratus-to-join-forces-with-novacap-to-further-accelerate-growth-301405118.html SOURCE Novacap Management Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 20, 2021] Transphorm Appoints Cindi Moreland to Board of Directors

Transphorm, Inc. ("Transphorm" or the "Company") (OTCQX: TGAN)-a pioneer in and global supplier of high reliability, high performance gallium nitride (GaN) power conversion products-today announced the appointment of Cindi Moreland to the Company's Board of Directors, effective October 20, 2021. Ms. Moreland has over 30 years of experience working as an attorney within the technical field. Having counseled public and private companies, both domestically and internationally, Ms. Moreland is a recognized expert across the technology sector for her informed guidance on legal matters, such as SEC (News - Alert)/SOX compliance, intellectual property and risk management. She currently serves as the general counsel of Care.com, an online marketplace for various care services and a subsidiary of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NYSE: IAC). Previously, Ms. Moreland served as the Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Samsung (News - Alert) Mobile USA. Prior roles also include Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of Applied Micro, and General Counsel of Motorola (News - Alert), Inc.'s semiconductor unit. Ms. Moreland holds both a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi. "Cindi is well known in the industry for her legal expertise and corporate counsel, and we are excited to welcome her as our newest independent director," stated Mario Rivas, Transphorm's Chif Executive Officer. "Having worked together previously while at Motorola Semiconductors, I have first-hand insight to the value of her guidance as well as the depth of her legal knowledge. She brings a wealth of complementary experience to Transphorm's existing Board, which will play an important role as we continue to grow as a public company. Together with the additions of Ms. McFarland and Ms. Smales earlier in the year, this appointment demonstrates our ongoing commitments to board diversification and further strengthening the breadth, talent, knowledge and background of our directors."



Concurrent with Ms. Moreland's appointment, Brittany Bagley has stepped down from Transphorm's Board of Directors. Ms. Bagley's resignation is not due to any disagreement relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices, and primarily relates to a desire to dedicate more time to other existing full-time career commitments. Mr. Rivas further commented, "On behalf of the Board and the entire company, I want to extend our utmost gratitude to Brittany for her loyal service and significant contributions over the past six years. She has been incredibly generous with her time and commitment to the company, while helping to prepare and position Transphorm to lead the GaN revolution, and we wish her the very best in her future business pursuits."

About Transphorm, Inc.

Transphorm, Inc., a global leader in the GaN revolution, designs and manufactures high performance and high reliability GaN semiconductors for high voltage power conversion applications. Having one of the largest Power GaN IP portfolios of more than 1,000 owned or licensed patents, Transphorm produces the industry's first JEDEC and AEC-Q101 qualified high voltage GaN semiconductor devices. The Company's vertically integrated device business model allows for innovation at every development stage: design, fabrication, device, and application support. Transphorm's innovations are moving power electronics beyond the limitations of silicon to achieve over 99% efficiency, 40% more power density and 20% lower system cost. Transphorm is headquartered in Goleta, California and has manufacturing operations in Goleta and Aizu, Japan. For more information, please visit www.transphormusa.com. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @transphormusa and WeChat @ TransphormGaN. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211020005946/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 20, 2021] Intermediate Bulk Container Market to grow by USD 3.18 bn from 2021 to 2025|Berry Global Group Inc. and Bulk Lift International LLC among key market contributors|Technavio

NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The intermediate bulk container market is expected to grow by USD 3.18 bn from 2021 to 2025. Technavio's latest market research report estimates that the market will progress at a CAGR of 6.45%. This report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Read Free Sample Report to explore growth opportunities in the intermediate bulk container market. The intermediate bulk container market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. 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. Intermediate Bulk Container Market 2021-2025: Segmentation End-user

Chemical



Pharmaceutical



Food



Others

Geography

APAC



North America



Europe



MEA



South America Request a Free Sample to find more information about the various segments of the intermediate bulk container market. Intermediate Bulk Container Market 2021-2025: Vendor Analysis and Scope To help businesses improve their market position, the intermediate bulk container market provides a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the market. Some of these vendors include Berry Global Group Inc., Bulk Lift International LLC, DS Smith Plc, FlexiTuff Ventures International Ltd., Global-Pak LLC, Greif Inc., HOYER GmbH, LC Packaging International BV, MAUSER Corporate GmbH, and Plymouth Industries LLC. The report also covers the following areas: Intermediate Bulk Container Market size

Intermediate Bulk Container Market trends

Intermediate Bulk Container Market industry analysis The high demand for IBCs from the construction industry, the growing manufacturing industry, and the rise in containerization will offer immense growth opportunities. However, factors such as the volatility of raw material prices may threaten the growth of the market. Get lifetime access to our Technavio Insights. Subscribe now to our most popular "Lite Plan" billed annually at USD 3000. View 3 reports monthly and Download 3 Reports Annually! Intermediate Bulk Container Market 2021-2025: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2021-2025

Detailed information on factors that will assist intermediate bulk container market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the intermediate bulk container market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the intermediate bulk container market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of intermediate bulk container market vendors Related Reports: Container Fleet Market: The container fleet market has been segmented by type (dry containers, reefer containers, and tank containers) and geography (APAC, Europe , North America , MEA, and South America ). Download Free Sample Report

The container fleet market has been segmented by type (dry containers, reefer containers, and tank containers) and geography (APAC, , , MEA, and ). Shipping Container Liners Market: The shipping container liners market has been segmented by end-user (food, chemicals, minerals, and others) and geography (APAC, Europe , MEA, North America , and South America ). Download Free Sample







Intermediate Bulk Container Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.45% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 3.18 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 5.98 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 35% Key consumer countries US, China, Canada, UK, Germany, and India Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Berry Global Group Inc., Bulk Lift International LLC, DS Smith Plc, FlexiTuff Ventures International Ltd., Global-Pak LLC, Greif Inc., HOYER GmbH, LC Packaging International BV, MAUSER Corporate GmbH, and Plymouth Industries LLC Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Download Latest Free Sample Report for additional highlights on the intermediate bulk container market. 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/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intermediate-bulk-container-market-to-grow-by-usd-3-18-bn-from-2021-to-2025berry-global-group-inc-and-bulk-lift-international-llc-among-key-market-contributorstechnavio-301402061.html SOURCE Technavio

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 20, 2021] MedTech Innovator Names Opharmic Technology as 2021 Asia Pacific Final Competition Winner

MedTech Innovator, the largest accelerator of medical devices in the world, in partnership with Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed), the first and only regional association to provide a unified voice for the medical technology industry, today announced Opharmic Technology as the winner of its 2021 Asia Pacific Accelerator program. The winning company was determined by a live virtual audience vote on Oct. 20th during the MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific 2021 Grand Finals hosted by MedTech Innovator in partnership with APACMed. Based in Hong Kong, Opharmic is developing a transformational ultrasonic non-invasive ocular drug delivery device with the goal of replacing intravitreal injections. More than 500 million patients worldwide suffer from eye diseases like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. While there are effective medications that can improve these diseases, up to 30% of patients refuse these treatments because they require direct injection into the eye. "The MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Accelerator program is a truly unique program that not only provided us with valuable industrial insights but also allowed us the rare opportunity to tap into a very exclusive network via its corporate mentorships," said Dr. Langston Suen, founder and CEO of Opharmic. "We are honored to be recognized as the 2021 Asia Pacific Grand Prize winner, and this funding will support Opharmic as we strive towards our mission of providing a non-invasive alternative to horrifying eye injections for patients all over the world." Selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants, Opharmic was awarded the US$175,000 non-dilutive grand prize to advance its business goals and mission to improve future health outcomes of patients in the Asia Pacific region. The company was also awarded a one-year membership to APACMed and was the recipient of the Cambridge Consultants (News - Alert) Product Development Award, where they will receive exclusive technical and consultation services from Cambridge Consultants. Biorithm, Miraqules, and VPIX Medical also participated in the organization's Accelerator program and competed in the Grand Finals, each receiving a US$10,000 cash prize. "This a groundbreaking time for innovation, disruption, and improvement in the medical technology industry," said Paul Grand, CEO of MedTech Innovator. "I am proud to announce Opharmic as this year's Asia Pacific MedTech Innovator competition winner for its ultrasonic non-invasive ocular drug delivery device. Today's competition was representative of the new and exciting technologies emerging in the APAC region that could bring significant value to patients and the healthcare industry. We look forward to continuing our work to identify the top medtech startups in the region and connecting them with a network of potential partners and investors to help them achieve their goals."



"As a judge of today's competition, I was thrilled to see Opharmic's device for ultrasonic non-invasive ocular drug delivery be recognized," said Peter Hawkes, senior director of marketing, Ethicon, Johnson & Johnson. "Johnson & Johnson is a proud partner of the MedTech Innovator APAC Accelerator, and we are eager to continue to help advance new and emerging medical technologies that demonstrate real-world utility and value."

"Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific competition," said Audrey Lok, director of healthcare and biomedical, Enterprise Singapore. "We are delighted to work with MedTech Innovator again this year, to identify and support emerging healthcare innovations from around the world. Singapore has established a vibrant biomedical ecosystem and we welcome global startups to join us here in the ideation and commercialization of groundbreaking solutions not just for Singapore, but regionally." MedTech Innovator carefully selected 20 best-in-class startups from across Asia Pacific for its 2021 program, providing the companies with exposure to industry leaders and awarding over US$300,000 in cash prizes and in-kind awards. During its final competition, MedTech Innovator also announced the winners of several additional awards. Biorithm, a company developing a remote fetal monitoring device, was announced winner of Enterprise Singapore's (ESG) Startup SG award, comprising a SGD$30,000 grant prize and access to extensive resources and networks within Singapore's startup ecosystem. Additionally, they will be fast-tracked to ESG's SLINGSHOT global startup competition happening at the Singapore Week of Innovation & TeCHnology (SWITCH) in November, where the Top 100 will pitch their solutions on a global stage and stand to win additional prizes. Nayam Innovations, a company developing intraocular lenses which can be personalized before or after implantation using a safe light dose was awarded one-year of residency at JLABS @ Shanghai, a state-of-the-art facility that can accommodate more than 50 start-ups across the pharmaceuticals, medical device, consumer, and health tech segments. Nayam Innovations also received the Sterile Barrier System Design & Development Award from Oliver Healthcare Packaging, where they will receive exclusive technical and consultation services from Oliver Healthcare Packaging in the development of the sterile barrier system for their device. Adiuvo Diagnostics, a company developing a rapid label free multispectral imaging device to detect and classify pathogens on wounds, was announced the winner of the MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Best Video Award with a US$5,000 prize. Judges of the 2021 Asia Pacific final competition included: Peter Hawkes, senior director of marketing, Ethicon, Johnson & Johnson; Yuji Takamiya, senior supervisor, Olympus; Ryota Umegaki, manager business development, Nipro Medical Corporation; Julie Tay, senior vice president and managing director, Asia Pacific, Align Technology; Florian Belohlavek, senior vice president and head of strategy, Asia Pacific, Siemens (News - Alert) Healthineers. MedTech Innovator works closely with stakeholders across the industry to foster the growth of early to mid-stage startups. MedTech Innovator's 2021 Asia Pacific program sponsors include Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, Align Technology, Nipro Medical Corporation, Oliver Healthcare Packaging, Olympus Medical Systems Group, Siemens Healthineers, Cambridge Consultants, and Enterprise Singapore. The MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Program is held in partnership with APACMed. About MedTech Innovator Based in Los Angeles, Calif., MedTech Innovator is the largest accelerator of medical device companies in the world and the premier nonprofit startup accelerator in the medical technology industry.i Its mission is to improve the lives of patients by accelerating the growth of companies that are transforming the healthcare system. MedTech Innovator matches healthcare industry leaders with innovative early-stage and emerging growth medtech companies for mentorship and support. For more information about MedTech Innovator, visit https://medtechinnovator.org/ and follow @MedTechAwards on Twitter (News - Alert). To receive industry insights and highlights about MedTech Innovator's current and alumni participant companies, subscribe to its monthly newsletter. About APACMed Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Singapore, APACMed represents manufacturers and suppliers of medical equipment, devices and in vitro diagnostics, industry associations and other key stakeholders associated with the medical technology industry in Asia Pacific. Providing a unified voice for the medical devices and in-vitro diagnostics industry in Asia Pacific, APACMed works proactively with bilateral, regional, and local government bodies to shape policies, demonstrate the value of medical technology and promote regulatory harmonization. APACMed strives to promote digital health innovation and impact policy that advances healthcare access for patients by engaging with medical device associations and companies in Asia Pacific. APACMed is also host to the annual Asia Pacific MedTech Forum. www.apacmed.org _______________________________________ i Gibbs, M., Johnson, B., Silva, B. A., & Berube, K. (2020, July 10). Q2 2020 Life Science Accelerators Insights Cipher Bio. Retrieved September 15, 2020, from https://www.cipherbio.com/blog/life-science-accelerators-insights/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211020006173/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 20, 2021] Enfusion Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering

Enfusion, Inc. ("Enfusion"), a leading provider of cloud-based investment management software and services, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 15,322,660 shares of its Class A common stock offered by Enfusion and 3,427,340 shares of Class A common stock to be sold by certain of Enfusion's existing stockholders at a price to the public of $17.00 per share. In addition, the underwriters have been granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,812,500 shares of Class A common stock, at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on October 21, 2021 under the ticker symbol "ENFN", and the offering is expected to close on October 25, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. Enfusion intends to use the net proceeds received from the offering to purchase equity interests in its operating subsidiary Enfusion Ltd. LLC from certain of Enfusion's pre-IPO equity holders and to purchase newly-issued equity interests in Enfusion Ltd. LLC. In turn, Enfusion Ltd. LLC intends to apply the balance of the net proceeds it receives from Enfusion to repay indebtedness, pay expenses incurred in connection with the IPO and te other organizational transactions contemplated thereby and for general corporate purposes.



Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as lead book-running managers for the proposed offering, with BofA Securities, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Piper Sandler & Co., Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and William Blair & Company, L.L.C. acting as additional bookrunners, and Loop Capital Markets acting as co-manager. The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014, Attn: Prospectus Department, by email: [email protected]; Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone at (866) 471-2526 or by email at [email protected].

A registration statement relating to this offering was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, 2021. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Enfusion Enfusion's investment management software-as-a-service platform removes traditional information boundaries, uniting front-, middle- and back-office teams on one cloud-native system. Through its software, analytics, and middle/back-office managed services, Enfusion creates enterprise-wide cultures of real-time, data-driven intelligence, boosting agility, and powering growth. Enfusion partners with 600+ investment managers from nine global offices spanning four continents. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211020006174/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 20, 2021] Mintegral Surges to Become a Top 5 Global Ad Network on AppsFlyer's Performance Index

GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mintegral, a leading mobile programmatic advertising platform, announced today that it was featured on AppsFlyer's Performance Index 291 times, 43 of which were Top 3 rankings across all app verticals and regions. The Appsflyer Performance Index is a comprehensive industry-standard report that highlights top mobile media sources globally. In addition to regional rankings, the report includes iOS and Android rankings across all major non-gaming and gaming app verticals. The report included 623 media sources to examine 33 billion app installs, 17,000 apps, and 55 billion app opens. Mintegral outperforms the market on the Retention Index Most notably, Mintegral outperformed the market on the Retention Index ranking 171 times and received the top position for a number of regional gaming categories including simulation, midcore, casual and music. Globally, Mintegral ranked 4 for Android and 7 for iOS. As one of the most important mobile metrics, retention measures how engaged mobile app users are over time and provides lifetime values (LTV) to optimize user acquisition. While engagement has increased since the pandemic, retention has become increasingly more important and has become an indicator on the traffic quality each ad network provides. AppsFlyer's retention is measured through non-organic installs across days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 with the longer the user is retained, the higher the score. Oher standout rankings



Mintegral's strength in mobile gaming is also apparent in North America and Western Europe, placing number 1 for midcore gaming on iOS. Hardcore games have also continued to explode in Western markets, with Mintegral ranking Top 3 across North America and Western Europe. Android-heavy emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and India have also seen Mintegral secure top placements. APAC markets have recently been identified as a clear stand out for gaming user acquisition, accounting for up to 64% of ad spend distribution. Mintegral is the number 1 ad network for India, the Middle East and South-east Asian simulation gaming on iOS.

The Performance Index also included an in-app advertising (IAA) index which analyzes ad revenue generated from a single media source for which Mintegral ranked 6th for iOS and 8th for Android in global gaming categories. In-app purchase (IAP) indexes conveys a media source's strength with non-organic paying users and had Mintegral ranking 8th globally for iOS. "Our performance rankings are a real testament to our ability in providing our publishers and advertisers with consistent, sustainable growth and ROI," said Erick Fang, Mintegral CEO. "Mintegral's programmatic and creative technologies continue to outperform the market and give global clients the ability to bridge the gap between East and West." The recent shake up in the mobile ecosystem caused by iOS14 and the pandemic has made the industry significantly more competitive. Mintegral has placed heavy emphasis on continued improvements to its algorithms and advertising technology and as a result, Apple's implementation of limited ad tracking had minimal effect on monetization efforts, with Mintegral's overall in-app bidding win rate increasing by 36%. AppsFlyer's Performance Index showcases Mintegral consistent growth and strengthened market position. Mintegral recently recorded an unaudited revenue of $160 million in Q3 2021, an increase of 72.86% compared to Q3 2020. In addition, the company also recently gained multiple 3rd party certifications for user privacy and data security including WhiteSource SDK security audits, SOC2 Type1 & 2 reports, kidSAFE+ COPPA Seal Audit, IAB Tech Lab Open Measurement SDK, and more. About Mintegral Mintegral is a mobile advertising platform that provides user acquisition, monetization, and creative solutions for mobile advertisers and publishers around the world. Mintegral's AI-driven, programmatic ad platform aims to bridge the gap between East and West through innovative products that include SSP, DSP, DMP, Ad Exchange, Self-Service Advertiser Platform, and Creative Automation Platform powered by Mindworks, Mintegral's Creative Studio. Learn more at mintegral.com SOURCE Mintegral

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 20, 2021] Newly-launched ESR Japan Income Fund set to acquire US$2.1 billion initial portfolio with a target of US$10 billion GAV by 2026

TOKYO and SINGAPORE and HONG KONG, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ESR Cayman Limited ("ESR" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries as the "Group"; SEHK Stock Code: 1821), the largest APAC focused logistics real estate platform, today announced the initial closing of ESR Japan Income Fund ("JIF") endowed with US$750 million of equity commitments. JIF has received a sponsor and cornerstone commitment from a leading Asian sovereign wealth fund with the other three commitments coming from existing investor relationships as well as a new investment partner. The c. 618,000 sqm seed portfolio of JIF consists of four state-of-the-art assets developed by ESR-managed development vehicles. The portfolio is 99% occupied and the exit to JIF is consistent with the relevant investment and disposition strategies of the ESR development vehicles selling the assets. The seed portfolio will include a stake in ESR's largest asset to date, the award-winning 388,570 sqm ESR Amagasaki Distribution Centre in Osaka, which boasts a GAV in excess of US$1.0 billion and is now 98% leased to a diversified rent roll of 16 tenants including leading e-commerce companies since its completion in June 2020. The other seed assets include ESR Toda Distribution Centre and ESR Kawasaki Yako Distribution Centre in Greater Tokyo, and ESR Nanko Distribution Centre 1 in Osaka. With access to ESR's robust development pipeline, which includes over 1 million sqm of GFA currently under construction, and the ability to undertake sizable third-party acquisitions, JIF has a defined roadmap to grow to over US$10 billion over the next five years. Stuart Gibson, Co-founder and Co-CEO of ESR, welcomed the first closing of JIF as a long-awaited building block in ESR's core product offering. He remarked: "The secular trends fuelling modern logistics real estate growth are still nascent. Logistics facilities are getting larger and larger to meet the increasingly complex needs of the tenants and we are now seeing US$1 billion warehousing values. The Japan Income Fund's scalable structure combines diversification with capacity to meet this increasing capital intensity." Expanding on Mr Gibson's words, Pierre-Alexandre Humblot, ESR Managing Director, Fund Management & Capital, commented: "Institutional investors are becoming increasingly aware of the extremely compelling long-term income potential of well-located urban logistics portfolios. JIF was correspondingly structured to allow ownership in perpetuity and to incentivise sustainable income growth. The fact that JIF was vastly oversubscribed is a testament to the strategy." As global institutional investors are seeking to deploy capital in APAC New Economy real estate, ESR is firmly focused on accelerating its growth in size, scale and offerings. In August 2021, ESR announced the plan to acquire 100% of the share capital of ARA Asset Management Limited ("ARA") (the "Proposed Acquisition"). The Proposed Acquisition, which includes ARA's captive logistics and data centre specialist LOGOS, will create the largest real asset manager in APAC and the third largest listed real estate investment manager globally with a combined AUM of US$131 billion. The enlarged ESR Group[1] is powered by the leading New Economy real estate platform with over US$50 billion[2] of AUM and which represents approximately 80% of the enlarged Group's EBITDA. In mid October, the Group also announced the proposed merger of ESR-REIT and ARA LOGOS Logistics Trust  one of the value enhancing steps for the enlarged ESR Group as part of the proposed ARA acquisition. Capitalising on a new era of real estate, which is driven by the rapid rise of e-commerce, digital transformation and the financialisation of real estate, the enlarged ESR Group is uniquely positioned to capture these high-conviction secular growth opportunities.







[1] Upon completion of the Proposed Acquisition of ARA [2] Enlarged ESR Group data as at 30 June 2021 inclusive of ALOG, adjusted for LOGOS' acquisition of Moorebank Logistics Park announced on 5 July 2021.

About ESR ESR is the largest APAC focused logistics real estate platform by gross floor area ("GFA") and by value of the assets owned directly and by the funds and investment vehicles it manages with a growing presence in data centres. ESR and the funds and investment vehicles it manages are backed by some of the world's preeminent investors including APG, CPP Investments, JD.com, Oxford Properties, PGGM and SK Holdings. The ESR platform spans major economies across the APAC region, including China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, India, Vietnam and Indonesia. As of 30 June 2021, the fair value of the properties directly held by ESR and the assets under management with respect to the funds and investment vehicles managed by ESR recorded approximately US$36.3 billion, and GFA of properties completed and under development as well as GFA to be built on land held for future development comprised over 22.6 million sqm in total. Listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited in November 2019, ESR is a constituent of the FTSE Global Equity Index Series (Large Cap), Hang Seng Composite Index and MSCI Hong Kong Index. For more information on ESR, please visit www.esr.com. Important Information This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase interests or securities in any type of product in any jurisdiction. Any offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction will be made only following the appropriate registration or exemption from registration and based on the adequate documentation providing detailed information about the product and the interests or securities. Investor Relations Chang Rui Hua Group Managing Director Capital Markets and Investor Relations +852 2376 9623 [email protected] Media Contact Antonia Au Group Executive Director Corporate Communications +852 2376 9617 [email protected] SOURCE ESR Cayman Limited

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Tigo Energy to Showcase Solutions for Roof Space Usage, Monitoring, and Safety at Key Energy

Tigo Energy, Inc., the solar industry's worldwide leader in Flex Module Level Power Electronics (MLPE), today announced the Company's presence as an exhibitor at the upcoming Key Energy in Rimini, Italy. Tigo representatives will showcase all of its TS4 Flex MLPE devices, including the recently released TS4-A-O, compatible with all PV modules up to 700Wp, and the Tigo Energy Intelligence (EI) software platform. Together, these products are the most cost-effective and advanced solution for optimization and module-level monitoring for small to large-scale solar projects. "Key Energy is a big event for us and we are excited to once again meet with our customers in person, especially right on the heels of releasing the restyled layout for residential and storage applications in our new EI software platform," said Mirko Bindi, Vice President MEA Sales and MD Europe at Tigo Energy. "Moreover, our new TS4-A-O, with a 700Wp max power rating, covers all the modules currently available in the market. This allows customers to apply the Italian Superbonus 110 percent in an effort to optimize systems with sub-optimal exposures, maximizing both the investment and the usable roof space, ensuring the best possible performance."



During the event, Tigo will host two sessions with Insun, the innovative cloud-based solar design tool for PV professionals, with tens of thousands of users all around the world. The sessions will walk installers through the design stages of the platform and simulate the most accurate and efficient solar yield predictions. To understand how Tigo optimizers contribute to system performance, Key Energy attendees can visit the Tigo booth (B7.076) on Wednesday, October 27, and Thursday, October 28. "Insun aims to ensure that users experience the highest performance and efficiency through a complete and reliable, all-in-one engineering platform," said Marco Ferrarini, founder and CEO at Insun. "Together with Tigo, we integrate our computation capabilities with a timely management of optimization dynamics in an effort to further offer the best performance and expand the range of users in the market."

To learn more about Tigo Flex MLPE solutions and the Tigo Energy Intelligence monitoring platform, please visit Tigo Energy at Key Energy (Quartiere Fieristico di Rimini, Italy, Pavilion B7, Booth 076) from Tuesday, October 26, through Friday, October 29, 2021. To contact the Tigo team prior to the event, use this link. 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/20211020006077/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] ADVA manages supply constraints and grows revenues and profitability in Q3 2021

ADVA (News - Alert) (ISIN: DE0005103006, FSE: ADV), a leading provider of open networking solutions for the delivery of cloud and mobile services, reported its financial results for Q3 2021 ended on September 30, 2021. The results have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211020005879/en/ Brian Protiva (News - Alert), CEO, ADVA (Photo: Business Wire) Q3 2021 financial summary1







(in thousands of EUR) Q3 Q3 Change Q2 Change 2021 2020 2021 Revenues 151,777 146,676 3.5% 149,354 1.6% Pro forma gross profit 52,153 51,930 0.4% 57,274 -8.9% in % of revenues 34.4% 35.4% -1.0pp 38.3% -3.9pp Pro forma operating income 13,012 11,053 17.7% 14,415 -9.7% in % of revenues 8.6% 7.5% 1.1pp 9.7% -1.1pp Operating income (loss)2 9,496 9,768 -2.8% 13,036 -27.2% Net income 18,478 6,671 177.0% 12,001 54.0% (in thousands of EUR) Sep. 30 2021 Sep. 30 2020 Change Jun. 30 2021 Change Cash and cash equivalents 100,513 68,293 47.2% 85,023 18.2% Net cash (+) / Net debt (-) 20,610 -35,009 n.a. 3,876 431.7% Net working capital 130,794 124,043 5.4% 132,767 -1.5%

1 Potential difference due to rounding

2 Q3 2021 including EUR 2.1 million extraordinary expenses Q3 2021 IFRS financial results

Revenues in Q3 2021 reached EUR 151.8 million, up by 1.6% from EUR 149.4 million in Q2 2021, also up by 3.5% compared to EUR 146.7 million in Q3 2020. The increase in revenues is predominantly driven by a growth in demand from communication service providers (CSPs). Pro forma gross profit in Q3 2021 decreased by 8.9%, reaching EUR 52.2 million (34.4% of revenues) compared to EUR 57.3 million (38.3% of revenues) in Q2 2021 and increased by 0.4% compared to EUR 51.9 million (35.4% of revenues) reported in Q3 2020. The reduction in gross profit compared to the previous quarter is mainly attributable to the semiconductor crisis, which led to increased purchasing costs. Pro forma operating income for Q3 2021 was EUR 13.0 million (8.6% of revenues) and decreased by 9.7% compared to EUR 14.4 million (9.7% of revenues) reported in Q2 2021. Compared to Q3 2020, pro forma operating income improved substantially by 17.7% from EUR 11.1 million (7.5% of revenues). Operating income for Q3 2021 of EUR 9.5 million decreased substantially by 27.2% from EUR 13.0 million reported for Q2 2021 and slightly decreased by 2.8% from EUR 9.8 million in Q3 2020. Operating income for Q3 2021 was impacted by extraordinary expenses in connection with the announced merger with ADTRAN (News - Alert) amounting to EUR 2.1 million. Net income reached EUR 18.5 million in Q3 2021, substantially up by 54.0% from EUR 12.0 million in Q2 2021, and significantly up by 177.0% from EUR 6.7 million in Q3 2020. The significant increase in net income is mainly due to a tax benefit of EUR 8.8 million resulting from increased deferred tax assets. The company's cash and cash equivalents totaled EUR 100.5 million, representing an increase of EUR 15.5 million compared to EUR 85.0 million at the end of Q2 2021. Year-over-year cash and cash equivalents substantially increased by EUR 32.2 million from EUR 68.3 million at the end of Q3 2020. Net cash at the end of Q3 2021 stood at EUR 20.6 million compared to a net cash position of EUR 3.9 million at the end of Q2 2021 or a net debt position of EUR 35.0 million at the end of Q3 2020. Net working capital at quarter-end was EUR 130.8 million and decreased by EUR 2.0 million compared to EUR 132.8 million at the end of Q2 2021 and increased by EUR 6.8 million compared to EUR 124.0 million at the end of Q3 2020. Management commentary

"Customer demand for our solutions remains strong and we're fighting hard to overcome the current supply chain challenges," said Brian Protiva, CEO, ADVA. "We're also looking forward to the planned business combination with ADTRAN. Our industry is in the early stages of an unprecedented investment cycle in fiber expansion propelled by the goal of delivering high-speed connectivity to all homes, businesses and the future 5G infrastructure. This expansion of the digital infrastructure requires new, innovative solutions and drives convergence at the network edge. Together with ADTRAN, we're creating a market and innovation leader in this space that offers the industry's most comprehensive and unique portfolio of solutions based on openness, scalability, security and software-controlled automation." "In view of the global semiconductor crisis, the third quarter was definitely challenging. Nevertheless, we managed to grow and generate solid margins. In addition, we were able to generate cash, and with more than EUR 100 million cash and a net cash position of around EUR 21 million, we further improved our level of financial flexibility," said Uli Dopfer, CFO, ADVA. "The semiconductor crisis will last longer than we originally assumed, and the coming weeks and months will certainly be demanding again. Nevertheless, we are confident that with these strong numbers and order books at a record level, we will be able to overcome these supply challenges and close the year with good results within our outlook." Financial outlook 2021

For the fiscal year 2021, ADVA still expects revenues to be in the range of EUR 580 million and EUR 610 million and a pro forma operating income of between 7.0% and 10.0% of revenues. The company will publish its financial results for Q4 and the full fiscal year 2021 on February 24, 2022. Conference call details

ADVA will hold a conference call for analysts and investors today, October 21, 2021, to discuss the Q3 2021 results. The company's CEO, Brian Protiva, and CFO, Uli Dopfer, will host the call at 3:00 p.m. CEST (9:00 a.m. EDT). A question and answer session will follow management presentations. A corresponding presentation is available on ADVA's website:

https://www.adva.com/en/about-us/investors/financial-results/conference-calls The complete quarterly statement 9M 2021 (January - September) is available as a PDF:

https://www.adva.com/en/about-us/investors/financial-results/financial-statements A replay of the call will be available here:

https://www.adva.com/en/about-us/investors/financial-results/conference-calls Forward-looking statements

The economic projections and forward-looking statements contained in this document relate to future facts. Such projections and forward-looking statements are subject to risks that cannot be foreseen and that are beyond the control of ADVA. ADVA is therefore not in a position to make any representation as to the accuracy of economic projections and forward-looking statements or their impact on the financial situation of ADVA or the market in the shares of ADVA. Use of pro forma financial information

ADVA provides consolidated pro forma financial results in this press release solely as supplemental financial information to help investors and the financial community make meaningful comparisons of ADVA's operating results from one financial period to another. ADVA believes that these pro forma consolidated financial results are helpful because they exclude non-cash charges related to the stock option programs and amortization and impairment of goodwill and acquisition-related intangible assets, which are not reflective of the company's operating results for the period presented. Additionally, expenses related to M&A and restructuring measures are not included. This pro forma information is not prepared in accordance with IFRS and should not be considered a substitute for the historical information presented in accordance with IFRS. About ADVA

ADVA is a company founded on innovation and focused on helping our customers succeed. Our technology forms the building blocks of a shared digital future and empowers networks across the globe. We're continually developing breakthrough hardware and software that leads the networking industry and creates new business opportunities. It's these open connectivity solutions that enable our customers to deliver the cloud and mobile services that are vital to today's society and for imagining new tomorrows. Together, we're building a truly connected and sustainable future. For more information on how we can help you, please visit us at www.adva.com. Published by:

ADVA Optical Networking (News - Alert) SE, Munich, Germany

www.adva.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211020005879/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Avast at Web Summit 2021: Taking back control of the internet

Avast CEO, Ondrej Vlcek, and Avast Security Ambassador, Garry Kasparov, will discuss how digital freedom can be unlocked for all PRAGUE, Czech Republic and LISBON, Portugal, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avast (LSE:AVST), a global leader in digital security and privacy, today announced that Ondrej Vlcek , Chief Executive Officer at Avast, and Garry Kasparov, Chess Grandmaster, Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation in New York and Avast Security Ambassador, will discuss how to unlock the potential of the digital world at the annual Web Summit Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The talk titled "Taking back control of the internet" will take place on November 3rd at 2:00 p.m. Western European Time, and will also cover Avast's mission to establish digital freedom as a fundamental human right. Since its foundation three decades ago, the free and unlimited space of the world wide web has evolved into a tool that is providing us with advances, yet simultaneously endangering our rights and privacy. It is time to speak up. Digital inequality exists, but few among us have the fortitude to discuss it. Ondrej Vlcek and Garry Kasparov will address these issues and discuss how the internet must be changed to fit our society. On November 4th at 3:20 p.m. WET Garry Kasparov will also participate in a fireside chat to discuss his role as a consultant on the hit Netflix series The Queen's Gambit. He will be joined by an industry expert who will contribute to the discussion about bringing stories to life on screen. Later that afternoon, at 4:30 p.m. Garry Kasparov will also play a simultaneous chess exhibition with 20 selected participants of the conference. About Garry Kasparov, Avast Security Ambassador

Garry Kasparov became the youngest world chess champion inhistory in 1985 and was the world's top-rated player for 20 years. He first discovered the potential of AI during his famous matches against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue. Ever since, he's spoken about future tech, most recently as Avast's security ambassador. His matches against arch-rival Anatoly Karpov and Deep Blue popularized chess and machine intelligence in unprecedented ways.



About Ondrej Vlcek, Avast CEO

Ondrej Vlcek serves as Chief Executive Officer for Avast. Together with his senior management team, he executes on Avast's vision to deliver people-centric security and spearheads the Company's product innovation program for emerging consumer technology categories, including AI and identity protection. Previously, he held the combined position of Executive Vice-President & General Manager, Consumer, and Chief Technology Officer. In this role, he led Avast's transformation from a traditional PC antivirus vendor to the leading provider of a full portfolio of protection, privacy, and performance products for consumers. About Avast:

Avast (LSE:AVST), a FTSE 100 company, is a global leader in digital security and privacy, headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. With over 435 million users online, Avast offers products under the Avast and AVG brands that protect people from threats on the internet and the evolving IoT threat landscape. The company's threat detection network is among the most advanced in the world, using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to detect and stop threats in real time. Avast digital security products for Mobile, PC or Mac are top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Avast is a member of Coalition Against Stalkerware, No More Ransom, and the Internet Watch Foundation. Visit: www.avast.com .

Keep in touch with Avast: For security and privacy insights, visit the Avast blog: https://blog.avast.com/

For handy guides, advice and tips, visit Avast Academy: https://www.avast.com/c-academy

For more information about Avast visit: https://www.avast.com/en-gb/about and https://www.avast.com/company-faqs

and Follow us on Twitter: @Avast

Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avast/

Visit our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/avast Media Contact:

[email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1627507/Avast_New_Logo.jpg

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Lleida.net and Smart Africa sign agreement to digitize public services in the continent

DUBAI, UAE and MADRID, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lleida.net (BME: LLN) (EPA: ALLLN) (OTC-QX: LLEIF) and the international organization Smart Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in the digitization of all types of public processes through the use of the SaaS services belonging to the Spanish company. Smart Africa is the African Union agency in charge of promoting the digitization of the continent. Its partners include Google, Huawei, Microsoft, Facebook, Intel, Softbank, the World Bank, and the United Nations. The agreement will empower state organizations in African countries to undertake digitization projects in public administration, private services, and e-commerce without having to invest heavily in infrastructure. The understanding was signed last Monday, October 18, within the Dubai Expo, specifically in the Rwanda Pavilion. Smart Africa is headquartered in the Rwandan city of Kigali. "As a corporation with a presence in Africa, we are gratified to contribute to African countries, through our technology, to address digitization projects of high immediate impact," emphasized Sisco Sapena, CEO and founder of the company. As a reult of the agreement, Lleida.net and eGate Egypt, the company's partner in Egypt, will help Smart Africa to identify projects in which its SaaS services can be used for the public good.



This agreement follows the one signed last summer between Lleida.net and the Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU), the body that coordinates the postal services of the 55 countries of the continent. The framework agreement signed in July allows operators in all African countries to channel digital postal services through the infrastructure of the Spanish company.

As a result, the postal services of several states have already begun to distribute registered digital communications that can be used as valid evidence before courts of law and public administrations. Postal operators in Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Senegal, and Sierra Leone have joined the agreement, and several more countries are negotiating their entry. Before the signing, Lleida.net was already providing digital postal services in South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Colombia. Africa has approximately 650 million cell phones and 525 million Internet users. There are also 500 million mobile bank accounts on the continent, about half of those worldwide. Lleida.net is listed in New York, Paris and Madrid. Its technology has received more than 200 patents from 63 countries on five continents, and its intellectual property portfolio is one of the most important in the industry worldwide. In the first nine months of 2021, it channeled more SaaS units (contracts, notifications, emails, and registered SMS) on behalf of its clients than in all of 2020. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lleidanet-and-smart-africa-sign-agreement-to-digitize-public-services-in-the-continent-301405465.html SOURCE Lleida.net

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Amobee and smartclip Announce TechAlliance, Europe's First Broadcaster-centric, Cross-Screen Advertising Platform

Amobee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singtel and global leader in advertising technology, and smartclip, RTL Group's (News - Alert) leading European provider for ad-tech solutions, together announced their agreement to form TechAlliance, the European industry's first end-to-end, broadcaster-centric, cross-screen advertising platform. This platform will provide advertisers with exclusive programmatic access to the linear ad break, including digital ads on linear TV inventories, as well as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), privacy-compliant audience and content viewership data across the region. With monumental changes seen across the advertising industry-accelerated by shifting consumer preferences and new ad-supported connected TV players-this landmark partnership will empower broadcasters to take advantage of this quickly-evolving inventory landscape by tailoring the buying experience for advertisers. This will enable marketers to employ the same degree of data-driven tactics used for digital campaigns across their TV strategies. By bringing together the advanced video and TV capabilities of Amobee's (News - Alert) demand-side platform (DSP) with the first-party relationships and yield optimization tools natively integrated into the smartclip supply-side platform (SSP), this new venture will proactively tackle the uncertain future of identity resolution within programmatic TV, the most sought-after addressable environment. Data protection and privacy will be at the center of this joint offering, fortifying European broadcasters' position against digital competitors and ensuring advertisers' seamless access to premium video inventory in the rapidly changing advertising industry. This unique offering-supported by Amobee's suite of cross-channel planning, activation, and measurement solutions-will eventually allow advertisers to combine linear TV, connected TV, over-the-top, and digital video touch points with downstream digital actions by consumers. This will enable brands to quantify the return on investment that these premium formats deliver. With this planned, integrated ecosystem, European broadcasters will be able to control and curate how their products are offered to buyers as well as offer linear and digital programmatic TV capabilities at scale. This will ultimately make premium TV advertising opportunities available to new advertisers (e.g., niche, smal, medium, and large enterprises), driving fresh revenue growth for media owners. Additionally, broadcasters will benefit from the efficiencies of shared planning and booking systems, the inclusion of new audience segmentation options, and better monetization of their inventory.



This transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, and is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of calendar year 2022. Thomas Servatius, Co-Chief Executive Officer at smartclip: "This venture advances our efforts to protect the independence of European broadcasters with a European-built and controlled video marketplace where TV commercials across Europe can be holistically traded. While we initially looked to Amobee for their proven experience and expertise working with the largest broadcasters in the world, like ITV's Planet V, it was quickly evident that our leadership, technology stacks, company values, and future business strategies were a natural fit for each other. Programmatic TV will be just the first step."

Maria Flores Portillo, Managing Director EMEA at Amobee: "Amobee's planned collaboration with smartclip will allow brands to get much closer to the media and audiences that are most important to them with privacy-compliant cross-screen advertising solutions, especially as the industry moves beyond identity strategies that rely on third-party cookies. RTL Group and smartclip offer an expansive ecosystem for advertisers with the most premium content in Europe, combined with deep insight into cross-channel consumer behavior. This extended partnership shows the industry how Amobee and smartclip aim to tackle the next generation of TV and digital adtech innovation together by focusing on data privacy, inventory quality, and control to both ends of the supply chain." About Amobee Finally, there is a technology that understands how people consume content today. Only Amobee makes it easy for you to find your audience-no matter where they are, no matter what they're viewing. We help brands, agencies, and media companies unify audiences to optimize advertising results across all linear TV, connected TV, and digital, including social media to deliver the results that drive customer growth. Amobee is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singtel, one of the largest communications technology companies in the world, which reaches more than 675 million mobile subscribers. The company operates across North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit amobee.com or follow @amobee. About smartclip At smartclip, we are shaping the future of video advertising-delivering advanced online video and TV advertising solutions. Our proprietary technology and services empower brands with true cross-screen storytelling on all devices, and enable broadcasters and publishers to monetise their content in the most efficient and effective way possible. We are committed to delivering the most innovative video ad experiences-spanning in-stream, out-stream, connected TV, addressable TV, and gaming. As a subsidiary of RTL Deutschland, smartclip is part of RTL Group-Europe's leading free-to-air broadcaster group. Headquartered in Hamburg, smartclip has offices in Berlin, Munich, Dusseldorf, Gutersloh, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Milan and Rome. For more information, please visit www.smartclip.tv, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005164/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] ITILITE partners with ICICI Bank to offer commercial credit card for travel expenses to businesses

MUMBAI, India, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ITILITE , an all-in-one business travel and expense management platform, today announced an exclusive tie-up with ICICI Bank to issue commercial credit cards to businesses in the country. With this, companies can now get an 'ICICI Bank Central Travel Account Card (CTA card)' and make travel bookings for employees seamlessly at a discounted rate on the ITILITE platform. As part of the partnership, the bank will issue the CTA card to businesses and offer them a credit period of upto 50 days, while ITILITE will offer a digital, automated, and cost-effective travel and expense management platform. Businesses can use the CTA card to recharge their ITILITE wallet, and then make travel bookings on behalf of their employees. Employees can also seamlessly make the booking themselves using the wallet. Additionally, the ITILITE platform allows businesses to synchronize their travel policies with their account and set a customized travel approval matrix. Its algorithms filter through the various available travel options and help to select the most economical option at the time of booking. Businesses also get access to a smart analytics dashboard that provides real time view as well as detailed reports of their travel expenditure. Speaking about the partnership, Sudipta Roy , Head - Unsecured Asset, ICICI Bank said, "At IICI Bank, we aim to enhance the experience of our customers through our innovative products and services. Typically, employee travel and expense management is a challenging and time-consuming process for any business. We are delighted to partner with ITILITE to offer businesses the combined benefit of seamless payments and automated employee travel and expense management. The partnership aims to help businesses enhance their productivity in a cost-effective manner. We believe that armed with the 'ICICI Bank Central Travel Account Card (CTA card)' and the ITILITE platform, businesses will be able to strengthen and streamline their employee travel and expenses processes."



"We are excited at the opportunity to leverage ICICI Bank's expertise in digital payments to strengthen our integrated Travel and Expense management solution's offerings," said Mayank Kukreja , CEO, ITILITE. "Across the country, and the world, companies are moving towards digital solutions for better experience, safety and optimized processes. With ICICI Bank, now we can create more value for their Travel and Expense Management journey." Visa, a longstanding partner of ICICI Bank, has brought this value addition to its travel and expense solution for the Bank's clients through ITILITE. To know more about ITIILITE, visit: https://blog.itilite.com/itilite-icici-partnership/

To know more about ICICI Bank commercial credit cards, visit: https://www.icicibank.com/Personal-Banking/cards/personal-banking-commercial-cards.page?ITM=nli_cms_COMMERCIALCARDS_card_navigation_btn About ITILITE (www.itilite.com): ITILITE is an all-in-one platform to manage business travel and expense reimbursements. ITILITE powers 500,000+ users globally across small businesses to Unicorns & Fortune 500 companies. Through its unique savings led employee incentives, it helps companies reduce their Travel & Expense spend by up to 30% in a way employees love. Customers use ITILITE's powerful compliance along with the free 24/7 call, chat and email support to increase finance productivity and to keep their employees safe and happy. About ICICI Bank (www.icicibank.com): ICICI Bank Ltd (BSE: ICICIBANK) (NSE: ICICIBANK) (NYSE:IBN) is a leading private sector bank in India. The Bank's consolidated total assets stood at ?15,72,772 crore at June 30, 2021. ICICI Bank's subsidiaries include India's leading private sector insurance, asset management and securities brokerage companies, and among the country's largest private equity firms. It is present across 15 countries, including India. Write to us at [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1598093/ITILITE_Logo.jpg

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Admiral Broadens Guidewire Deployment with Claims Go-Live

Admiral Group plc, the FTSE 100 Financial Services organisation, and Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE: GWRE) today announced that Admiral has implemented Guidewire as the new claims management system for its household line of business. Guidewire PartnerConnect Consulting Global Premier member, EY, led the implementation to go-live stage. A customer since 2013, Admiral has already deployed Guidewire for its policy administration and billing systems, as well as digital applications, to its motor and household lines of business. "What the programme has delivered for Household Claims will significantly advance our processing and service capability," said Claire Charlton, Admiral's Head of Household Claims. "I believe Guidewire ClaimCenter will empower us to deliver better outcomes and experiences for all our users. For our people, it will be easier to manage claims, for our business we will have more data to better control claims cost, and for our customers, it will enable a truly digital experience." The increased use of Guidewire is enabling Admiral to: Manage claims processes more cost-effectively through a streamlined, agile, and proficient claims system;

Access and gather higher quality data more systematically and efficiently for increased insight, clearer reporting, and better-informed decision-making, and

Provide enhanced digital customer experience by offering more choice and flexibility when submitting claims. "Our programme has journeyed through a thorough supplier selection process, scoping, development, testing, training, and deployment, all amid a global pandemic," said Charlotte Bennett, Programme Manager, Admiral. "This has been achieved completely remotely, with colleagues involved across nine countries. The teamwork and cooperation on such a global scale has been phenomenal with everyone pulling together to make it happen. I just want to take this opportunity to thank all of my amazing colleagues in Admiral and our partners who worked very hard to complete this huge project." "We've worked closely with Admiral and Guidewire to deliver an innovative digital claims platform which will transform the way claims are managed," commented Mitch Robinson, partner in EY's Financial Services practice. "The platform, using market-leading technology and architecture, provides enhanced online capabilities. It will enable more efficient and effective claims handling, which will support the capture of valuable new data and insights, and improve customers' claims experiences. We look forward to continued joint work with Admiral and Guidewire as the new service is rolled-out across other insurance lines." "We congratulate Admiral on their latest deployment and thank them for their continued trust in Guidewire," said Laurent Fontaine, group vice president, Sales - EMEA, Guidewire Software. "Admiral has a well-deserved reputation for its straightforward and hassle-free approach to customer service. We admire their commitment to delivering digital products and services in a clear-cut and innovative way and look forward to our continue collaboration."



About Admiral Group Admiral Group is a leading FTSE100 Financial Services company with businesses in the UK, Europe and the US. It was set up in 1993 as a car insurance specialist in the UK, but since then has expanded into other countries and other services such as, home and travel insurance, Insurtech, personal loans, car finance and legal services. It is proud to have its headquarters and UK offices in south Wales as well as businesses in Spain, Italy, France and the US. Its history is one of growth, profitability and innovation. When it launched in 1993 it had just one brand, zero customers and 57 members of staff. It now has over 11,000 employees and 7 million customers worldwide. Admiral Group is Wales' only FTSE 100 Company. Group turnover in 2020 was 3.55 billion (2019: 3.46 billion). Admiral Group, through its subsidiary companies, consists of 15 brands - Admiral, elephant.co.uk, Diamond, Bell, Gladiator and Veygo, all based in the UK, Qualitas Auto, Balumba and WiYou Seguros based in Spain, ConTe.it based in Italy, L'Olivier.fr and Homebrella based in France, Elephant.com, Apparent Insurance and Compare.com based in the USA. Add from here https://admiralgroup.co.uk/our-business/brands-markets Admiral Group's website address is www.admiralgroup.co.uk Admiral is proud of its award-winning culture. In 2020, Admiral Group was named the 14th Best Workplace in the World by Great Place to Work. In 2021, Admiral UK was named the 5th best workplace in the UK by Great Place to Work, the 5th Best Big Company To Work For in the UK in the Sunday Times Best Companies To Work For and Admiral Group was named the 17th Best Multinational Workplace by Great Place to Work in Europe. Follow Admiral Group on Twitter (News - Alert) at www.twitter.com/admiralgroup and on Instagram @AdmiralGroupplc About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities. EY refers to the global organisation, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organisation, please visit ey.com About Guidewire Guidewire is the platform general insurers trust to engage, innovate, and grow efficiently. ?We combine digital, core, analytics, and AI to deliver our platform as a cloud service. More than 450 insurers, from new ventures to the largest and most complex in the world, run on Guidewire. As a partner to our customers, we continually evolve to enable their success. We are proud of our unparalleled implementation track record, with 1,000+ successful projects, supported by the largest R&D team and partner ecosystem in the industry. Our marketplace provides hundreds of applications that accelerate integration, localisation, and innovation. For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com and follow us on twitter: @Guidewire_PandC. NOTE: For information about Guidewire's trademarks, visit https://www.guidewire.com/legal-notices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005138/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] DNA Script Appoints Don Kania as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Catherine Moukheibir as Audit Chair and Bonnie Anderson as Independent Director

DNA Script, a leader in Enzymatic DNA Synthesis (EDS (News - Alert)), today announced the appointment of Don Kania, Ph.D. as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Catherine Moukheibir as Audit Chair and Bonnie Anderson as independent new members of the Board. With decades of life sciences experience among them, they will play a key role in steering the company's strategy to deploy its SYNTAX Platform and the EDS technology. "I firmly believe DNA Script's EDS technology will have a profound impact on genomics and synthetic biology. The life sciences industry is in the process of revolutionizing our world, starting with healthcare and expanding into other markets. This is an incredibly exciting time for the company," Kania said. "I have spent my career helping companies grow into life science leaders. I am looking forward to applying my experience and working closely with the Board and the company's leadership and founders to expand the applications of EDS and grow DNA Script's DNA-on-demand offerings." For over thirty years, Kania has been an influential member of the life sciences industry. Notably, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of FEI Company from 2006 until 2016, when the company was sold to Thermo-Fisher for $4.2 billion. Kania currently advises several startups and serves on a number of boards that span the life sciences and nonprofit sectors. Moukheibir brings over 30 years of leadership experience in finance, capital markets and lif sciences to DNA Script. Most recently, Moukheibir was the chair and CEO of MedDay Pharmaceuticals. She currently serves on the Board of Directors at Asceneuron, Biotalys, CMR Surgical, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc and Orphazyme. Prior to her current roles, she has held senior management positions at several European biotech companies following an initial career in strategy consulting and investment banking in Boston and London.



Anderson's career spans over 40 years in regulated diagnostics and life science markets. She co-founded Veracyte in 2008 and served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board until June 1, 2021, when she assumed the role of Executive Chairwoman. She led Veracyte's initial public offering in 2013, spearheaded commercialization of its market-leading products, and was the architect of the company's vision to become a global enterprise with a growing menu of advanced genomic diagnostics tests and its own distributed instrument platform. "DNA Script is at a pivotal point with the targeted commercial launch of our SYNTAX Platform," said Thomas Ybert, DNA Script co-founder and CEO. "We now have the first, initial demonstration of the true promise of EDS technology - the ability to produce quick, clean, and high quality synthetic DNA in a benchtop solution to expedite life science discoveries. This is only the beginning; we have barely started. As we continue to expand the company and explore what is possible with EDS technology, the new board members' partnership and counsel will be invaluable."

About DNA Script Founded in 2014, DNA Script is a pioneering life sciences technology company developing a new, faster, more powerful and versatile way to design and manufacture nucleic acids. The company has developed an alternative to traditional DNA synthesis called enzymatic DNA synthesis, or EDS, allowing this technology to be accessible to labs with the first benchtop enzymatic synthesis instrument, the SYNTAX System. By putting DNA synthesis back in the lab, DNA Script aims to transform life sciences research through innovative technology that gives researchers unprecedented control and autonomy. www.dnascript.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005170/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Media Invitation: HKBN FY2021 Annual Results Live Webcast

To: Business Editor / Assignment Editor HKBN Ltd. (SEHK Stock Code: 1310) will hold its FY2021 annual results media presentation via webcast. In the event, the company will share its key annual financial results for the 12 months ended 31 August 2021, as well as its business outlook. We cordially invite your presence with details of the live webcast as follows:







Date: 28 October 2021 (Thursday)

Time: 4:30pm

Link: https://webcast.irasia.com/hkbn/annual/2021/press/index.php (You are advised to join at least 10 minutes earlier for filling out the form)



Presenting Executive: Mr. William Yeung HKBN Co-Owner and Executive Vice-chairman

Language: Cantonese



* If you cannot view this webcast via Microsoft Internet Explorer browser, we recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox for viewing this webcast. Please fill in and return the attached Media Reply Slip to [email protected] by

26 October 2021. Should you have any enquiry, please contact: HKBN Ltd.

Corporate Communications Department

Ada Tsang

Tel: +852 3999 2285 / +852 9728 9289

Fax: +852 3999 7349

Email: [email protected] Media Reply Slip HKBN FY2021 Annual Results Live Webcast To: HKBN Ltd. Email : [email protected]







? Our representative(s) will attend HKBN FY2021 Annual Results Live Webcast ? Our representative(s) will not attend and would like to receive related press materials



Media name: _ Reporter name: Title: Email: ____________________________ __ Mobile:

/PRNewswire/ -- Oct. 21, 2021/ SOURCE HKBN Ltd.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Orange Grove Bio, AlleyCorp and Alexandria Venture Investments Establish Partnership with Albert Einstein College of Medicine to Support Development of Novel Therapeutics

Mentorship Program Designed to Support Researchers and Clinical Scientists in Streamlining Translation of Novel Discoveries into New Therapeutic Candidates

Pitch Contest to Award Winners Funding to Further Research Programs NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orange Grove Bio, AlleyCorp and Alexandria Venture Investments, three industry leaders dedicated to the acceleration and growth of innovative healthcare and life science companies, today announced the formation of a partnership program with Albert Einstein College of Medicine to support the development of novel therapeutics. Through the newly established program, Einstein scientists will have the opportunity to receive expert mentorship and financial support to advance their foundational research and streamline translation of their discoveries into new drug candidates. Program participants will be selected by an expert panel of scientists, investors and drug development professionals based on submitted applications. Selected project teams will receive more than six months of director mentorship designed to assist in translating their discoveries into novel therapeutic candidates. The program will culminate in a pitch contest during which each team will present their work, highlighting the medical and commercial potential of their proposed program. Top teams will receive cash prizes to directly support the research efforts presented during the pitch contest. The life science ecosystem in the greater New York area, including the renowned Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is teaming with talented scientists who are advancing cutting-edge research that has the potential to combat disease and make a meaningful impact in the lives of patients around the world. However, some of the biggest obstacles to this science reaching patients are the myriad challenges involved in translating groundbreaking research into novel drug candidates, as well as creating companies to develop the therapeutics, said Marc Appel, chief executive officer of Orange Grove Bio. Through this new partnership, Orange Grove Bio, AlleyCorp and Alexandria Venture Investments are working to leverage our combined expertise in drug development, copany formation and fundraising to support Einstein scientists in translating their groundbreaking discoveries into the impactful treatments of tomorrow.



We are excited to partner with Orange Grove Bio, AlleyCorp and Alexandria Venture Investments to provide this opportunity for our exceptional researchers, said Janis Paradiso, director of Einsteins Office of Biotechnology and Business Development. These groups share our commitment to advancing human health through the translation of innovative research, as well as our vision of New York as a leading hub for creating the next generation of transformational therapies, added Edward R. Burns, M.D., executive dean of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

About Orange Grove Bio

Orange Grove Bio (OGB) is an emerging, preclinical, capital allocation and asset development biotech company. OGB partners with universities and entrepreneurs to develop innovative treatments for important diseases, particularly cancer and immune disorders.

www.orangegrovebio.com About AlleyCorp

Founded by serial entrepreneur Kevin Ryan, AlleyCorp is a New York-based $500M+ evergreen venture fund that founds and invests in companies in New York and across the globe. AlleyCorp's work stretches across three principal categories: first, founding companies (having founded MongoDB, Gilt Groupe, Business Insider, Zola, Nomad Health, and many more); second, as an early-stage investor in technology companies (across pre-seed, seed, and series A); and third, as a limited partner and fund-of-funds (investing in 30+ top funds globally). While AlleyCorp is industry-agnostic, it also has a dedicated Healthcare Fund, Robotics Fund and Canada-focused fund. For more information, please visit www.alleycorp.com. About Alexandria Venture Investments

Alexandria Venture Investments, the strategic venture capital platform of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE), was founded in 1996 to invest in disruptive life science, agrifoodtech, and technology companies advancing transformative new modalities and platforms to meaningfully improve human health. Alexandria Venture Investments has been recognized by Silicon Valley Bank as the most active biopharma corporate investor by new deal volume since 2017 and the most active new Series A investor in biopharma by new deal volume from 2020 to 1H21, as well as by AgFunder as one of the five most active U.S. investors in agrifoodtech in 2020. With approximately $2B under management, Alexandria Venture Investments continues to invest in seed-, early- and growth-stage companies that are accelerating discoveries in immunology, neuroscience, cell and gene therapies, single-cell genomics, epigenetics, synthetic biology, in silico drug discovery, and other emerging areas. For more information, please visit www.are.com/venture-investments.html.



Contacts Orange Grove Bio Marc Appel, Chief Executive Officer [email protected] (845) 558-5286 Vida Strategic Partners (on behalf of Orange Grove Bio) Tim Brons [email protected] (415) 674-7402

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] reMYND's ReS19-T program, managing calcium homeostasis for Alzheimer's, has moved to MAD phase after demonstrating strong safety in SAD phase

Press release reMYNDs ReS19-T program, managing calcium homeostasis for Alzheimers, has moved to MAD phase after demonstrating strong safety in SAD phase Leuven Belgium, 21 October 2021: reMYND NV, a clinical stage company, is pleased to announce that it has initiated the multiple-ascending-dose (MAD) phase of its Alzheimers program after observing no compound-related ReS19-T adverse events so far in the 58 healthy volunteers in the single-ascending dose (SAD) phase. The Phase I study of ReS19-T, a first-in-class small molecule which aims to restore cognition in Alzheimers patients, is being conducted at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria and will guide the dose range selection for a Phase IIa proof-of-concept study. The multiple-ascending dose (MAD) phase has been initiated well before the maximum tolerable dose has been reached. To date, healthy volunteers in the SAD phase have been dosed up to 700 mg, and food impact has been assessed at this high dose. Dosing with food provides an excellent bio-availability, resulting in exposure well above the anticipated therapeutic levels. After learning how to deal with a molecule that exerts its activity only in pathological conditions in diseased tissue and not in physiological conditions in healthy tissue, it has been exciting to challenge and closely observe such a new therapeutic concept in humans, said Prof. Wolzt from MedUni Vienna, the principal investigator of the clinical trial in healthy volunteers. The Alzheimers field is in dire need of exploring new mechanisms. Calcium dyshomeostasis is such a promising and under-explored mechanism, mainly for safety concerns: it has been known for decades to be a fast and central process in Alzheimers; the caution has previously been regarding potential safety concerns when interfering with sch a central process. Taking into account that interfering with calcium is a very fast process, these preliminary results, even at a single dose, indicate that we might have found a safe way of engaging with this central Alzheimers process, commented Prof. Cummings, Joy Chambers-Grundy Professor of Brain Science, UNLV, USA and a member of reMYNDs Clinical Advisory Board. The preclinical studies and early clinical trials of ReS19-T provide a strong foundation for advancing this innovative treatment. With this promising data we are getting close to a pivotal test of the calcium hypothesis in patients in 2022.



Every test we take further confirms our hypotheses step-by-step. As we develop our novel approach with the potential to restore function in Alzheimers patients, we cannot just copy existing clinical approaches, repeated Koen De Witte, Managing Director of reMYND. He added, Therefore, it is so great to notice the growing momentum and the increasing excitement of some of the leading thinkers and first adopters." -ENDS-

About reMYNDs ReS19-T Alzheimers program ReS19-T is reMYNDs most advanced program, an investigational compound for the treatment of Alzheimers, which entered the clinic in Q4 2020. The ReS19-T candidate, a first-in-class small molecule, represents a novel approach to treat Alzheimers Disease, aiming to address the disease at its root and restore cognition in patients by reducing the cellular damage associated with memory loss. In animal models it has shown to produce an acute response, restoring calcium homeostasis and synaptic plasticity, a process central in the disease cascade leading to neuronal demise and build-up of plaques and tangles. It is the first in a pipeline of candidates developed using reMYNDs proprietary drug discovery platform. The Phase I randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with an adaptive dose design was launched in December 2020 in Austria and is evaluating the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of ReS19-T in healthy subjects. The trial includes both young and elderly subjects and will guide the dose range selection for the Phase IIa proof of concept study. About reMYND reMYND is a clinical stage company developing novel treatments for Alzheimers, diabetes and other diseases caused by cellular dysfunction. It is backed by a proprietary drug discovery platform, which enables the identification of novel mechanisms-of-action, targets and first-in-class small molecules. reMYNDs most advanced program is ReS19-T, an investigational compound for the treatment of Alzheimers, which entered the clinic in Q4 2020. In animal models it has shown to produce an acute response, restoring synaptic plasticity, a process central in the disease cascade leading to neuronal demise and build-up of plaques and tangles. The company is also developing a treatment for diabetes, ReS39. Animal models have demonstrated the compounds efficacy to increase endogenous insulin production capacity with a sustained and durable effect on blood glucose levels and end-organ protection. Other treatments for major health challenges are being explored using reMYNDs discovery platform, with a focus on mitochondrial dysfunction in central nervous system (CNS) disorders. In addition, reMYND has a dedicated Contract Research Organization (CRO), which focuses on CNS disorders. The team helps clients to assess the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and efficacy of their experimental treatments in reMYNDs proprietary animal models. The CRO has a global client base, including the US, Europe and Japan. reMYND was founded in 2002 as a spin-off from the University of Leuven, and has been substantially supported by grants from VLAIO/IWT (Flanders, Belgium). Find out more at https://www.remynd.com.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Rhombus Systems Raises $10M Series A to Help Organizations Create Safer Spaces

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rhombus Systems, a leader in cloud managed physical security solutions, is excited to announce a $10M round of funding led by Cota Capital with existing investors MSD Partners, Lemnos Labs, and Promus Ventures also participating in the round. This brings their total funding to over $20M in efforts to make the world safer with simple, smart, and powerful physical security solutions. Rhombus Systems provides smart security cameras and IoT sensors in over 10,000 locations worldwide and has raised a $10M Series A. Rhombus Systems provides smart security cameras and IoT sensors in over 10,000 locations worldwide. The company's solutions have been deployed across many industries and organizations including school districts, healthcare providers, city governments, and Fortune 500 companies. "At CA, we have deployed over 700 Rhombus cameras with another 500 in the immediate pipeline. The experience has been instrumental in helping us protect our assets globally," said Mark Zikra, Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation at CA Ventures. "We can distribute cameras quickly, integrate with our broader tech stack, manage our security remotely, and receive alerts when things need our attention. Rhombus has transformed how we protect our environment and gve us the peace of mind we wanted from a smart security camera solution."



With Cota's deep expertise in building enterprise SaaS companies, Rhombus will fund more R&D and build out the sales team to continue providing organizations with a customizable and scalable physical security platform. "We are excited to partner with Rhombus, who has developed an innovative cloud managed platform that leverages AI powered security cameras and smart sensors to gain critical insights into physical spaces," said Bobby Yazdani, Founder and Partner of Cota Capital. "We look forward to working with the talented Rhombus team as we believe in the company's vision and expertise to address the physical security challenges today's modern organizations face."

Traditional video security systems are siloed pieces of technology that require extensive technical expertise to set up, configure, and use. Rhombus devices come online in minutes without any complex configurations and can be managed from a single pane of glass via the Rhombus Console. Users can access live video feeds, share footage, and receive AI-powered alerts from anywhere around the world through a web browser or mobile device. With this modern approach to physical security, Rhombus is on pace to triple its revenue year over year, as it did the previous year. "This capital will help us keep up with the unprecedented growth we've been experiencing this year, as well as invest in future product development," said Garrett Larsson, CEO and co-founder of Rhombus Systems. "We're still in the early days of a major technology shift in this industry which is really exciting to us because we see so many opportunities for innovation." The company is also backed by other notable investors including Uncorrelated Ventures, Portfolia, and individual investors including Michael Stoppelman (formerly of Yelp), Tim Lee (formerly of Sequoia Capital), Sharon Wienbar (formerly Scale Venture Partners), and Suresh Batchu (co-founder of MobileIron). About Rhombus Systems Rhombus Systems provides cloud managed video security and IoT sensors for enterprises to better understand their physical spaces. With the Rhombus Platform, organizations can leverage the latest in AI and computer vision to see, manage, and respond to critical physical security events in real-time. The company is founded by industry veterans and is backed by numerous investors including Cota Capital, MSD Partners, Lemnos Labs, and Promus Ventures. Rhombus Systems is on a mission to make the world safer with simple, smart, and powerful physical security solutions. To learn more, visit www.rhombussystems.com or connect with us via Linkedin , Twitter , or Facebook. Jordan Shou

[email protected]

+1-877-746-6797 Ext. 3 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rhombus-systems-raises-10m-series-a-to-help-organizations-create-safer-spaces-301404896.html SOURCE Rhombus Systems

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Learning Undefeated, AstraZeneca and The WRK Group Launch Multi-Year STEM Education Partnership to Benefit Wilmington Students

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning Undefeated , AstraZeneca , and The WRK Group (The Warehouse, REACH Riverside, and Kingswood Community Center) are kicking off a multi-year partnership to bring hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to Wilmington area students. The multifaceted education partnership engages local students with STEM concepts through hands-on education and introduces them to in-demand STEM careers located right in their own backyard. The program combines school visits from Learning Undefeated's Drop Anywhere Lab, a traveling science laboratory housed in a shipping container, with weekly afterschool STEM programming at Te Warehouse, a teen-led community center in the Riverside neighborhood created for teens, by teens.



"Groundbreaking science is created in Delaware, making it a hot spot for STEM jobs. We want to energize students and get them excited about all of the STEM career opportunities that are right here in their local community," said Brian Gaines, CEO of Learning Undefeated. "Through this collaboration between AstraZeneca and the WRK Group, we will benefit thousands of students across the region by building their confidence in STEM subjects and empowering them to know that STEM careers are out there for them." This new collaboration supports the development of a Delaware STEM ecosystem, creating educational opportunities for teachers and students based on the leading-edge research and development within the local community.

The mobile lab will visit its first Delaware school, A.I. Dupont Middle School, the week of October 25. In addition to providing STEM skill-building workshops for local teens, the Drop Anywhere Lab will visit two schools that operate out of the Warehouse, Eastside Charter School and Kingswood Academy, in December. "The Warehouse and The WRK Group share a collective mission to empower the community to reach its full potential by eliminating the barriers of structural racism and revolutionizing teen engagement," said Melody Phillips, The Warehouse's Director of Operations. "Our partnership with Learning Undefeated illustrates our ongoing commitment to bring the right tools, resources, and people to Wilmington's youth. This STEM program helps build the knowledge and skills teens need to thrive in our 21st-century economy. Putting professional-grade science equipment in teens' hands and connecting scientific investigations to local careers opens our youth's eyes to a whole new world of possibilities." The Drop Anywhere Lab student experience, designed for grades 6-8, uses game-based learning, touchscreen walls, and special effects to explore chemistry concepts. The learning continues in the classroom with extension activities that allow students to continue exploring through hands-on laboratory investigations. Wilmington-area middle schools can sign up to receive a free visit from the mobile lab at the Learning Undefeated website. About Learning Undefeated

Learning Undefeated provides life-changing STEM experiences for under-resourced communities by providing equitable access to education and inspiring students to imagine their own success. Through innovative and experiential education programs for grades K-12, we are sparking interest in STEM careers and building the workforce that will drive the innovation economy. Learning Undefeated's flagship education program features mobile STEM labs that have provided hands-on learning opportunities to over one million K-12 students in all 50 states since 2003. Learning Undefeated also operates several other celebrated STEM education programs, including the Young Science Explorers Program, a summer camp for middle school students, Advancing Tomorrow's Leaders in STEM (ATLAS) College and Career Exploration Program, STEM Leadership Experience, student competitions, after-school programs, curriculum development and disaster recovery education. Visit learningundefeated.org or follow us on social media @LearningUNDFTD. About WRK Group

The WRK Group is comprised of three organizations and over 130 employees who share a collective mission to empower the community to reach its full potential by eliminating the barriers of structural racism and revolutionizing teen engagement. REACH Riverside, overseeing a $250M holistic revitalization, also serves as the managing partner for Kingswood Community Center, a pillar of the Northeast Wilmington neighborhood for 75 years, and The Warehouse, an educational and recreational oasis for teens. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/learning-undefeated-astrazeneca-and-the-wrk-group-launch-multi-year-stem-education-partnership-to-benefit-wilmington-students-301405162.html SOURCE Learning Undefeated

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Icertis Raises Stakes for CLM Market with Launch of First Vertical Solutions

BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Icertis, the contract intelligence company that pushes the boundaries of what's possible with contract lifecycle management (CLM), today launched the market's first industry vertical CLM solutions, delivering deep industry-specific template configurations, contracting processes, provision/clause AI models, and business reports. The tailor-made solutions are built on the award-winning Icertis Contract Intelligence (ICI) platform, leverage Icertis' decade-plus years of experience working with industry leaders and are designed to speed solution delivery by up to 30%, increasing business performance, and improving contract excellence across key sectors. The CLM solutions are designed to speed delivery by up to 30%, increasing performance and improving contract excellence. "Organizations are racing toward digitization to better adapt to supply chain disruptions and ever-changing markets that demand agility as a new normal," said Niranjan Umarane, Executive Vice President of Product Management, Icertis. "ICI Industry Vertical Solutions are designed for quick deployment and adoption of a comprehensive orchestration and governance layer that delivers execution agility without any trade-offs on risk and compliance. They reflect the best of our solution expertise, stemming from a trillion dollars of contracts managed by customers on the ICI platform and gleaned from the most complex vertical CLM implementations in the world." "Icertis is differentiating on a number of pathways here, potentially playing chess while many other vendors are playing checkers, when it comes to value," said Ryan O'Leary, Research Manager, Privacy and Legal Technology, IDC. Recognizing the need for a governance layer in contracting amid market disruptionsand that challenges and opportunities vary greatly by industryIcertis has applied its experience with customers across sectors to deliver vertical solutions that speed the benefits of CLM to enterprise and mid-market organizations. The first Icertis industry vertical CLM solutions include: ICI for CPG & Distribution  Optimizes the pre-contract negotiation process by providing financial guardrails, such as ensuring a successful credit check before offering prepaid incentives or using pre-defined templates and calculations, so that sales can close deals more quickly. The solution also helps companies maximize profits, avoid revenue leakage, and track actual performance to contract terms, leveraging integrations with CRM, ERP, and other systems.

 Optimizes the pre-contract negotiation process by providing financial guardrails, such as ensuring a successful credit check before offering prepaid incentives or using pre-defined templates and calculations, so that sales can close deals more quickly. The solution also helps companies maximize profits, avoid revenue leakage, and track actual performance to contract terms, leveraging integrations with CRM, ERP, and other systems. ICI for Healthcare | Payer Streamlines complex contract assembly, such as provider agreements and state-managed care contracts. Embedded workflows support obligation management, risk detection, regulatory requirement identification with policy and procedure associations, auditing, and mass amendments, so payers can efficiently establsh, protect, and scale their networks to meet members' needs for access to contracted services.

Streamlines complex contract assembly, such as provider agreements and state-managed care contracts. Embedded workflows support obligation management, risk detection, regulatory requirement identification with policy and procedure associations, auditing, and mass amendments, so payers can efficiently establsh, protect, and scale their networks to meet members' needs for access to contracted services. ICI for IT & Professional Services  Speeds MSA, SOW, and EL workflows and approvals with self-service capabilities accessed from within CRM systems, so that service organizations can sign contracts and begin engagements faster. Organizations gain visibility into obligations and dependencies to ensure a deadline or delivery is not missed and contract potential is realized.

 Speeds MSA, SOW, and EL workflows and approvals with self-service capabilities accessed from within CRM systems, so that service organizations can sign contracts and begin engagements faster. Organizations gain visibility into obligations and dependencies to ensure a deadline or delivery is not missed and contract potential is realized. ICI for Life Sciences | Medical Technology  Best-practice configurations deliver faster time to market, comprehensive pricing and rebate management, and 360-degree performance monitoring. Helps maximize revenues and reduce risk by effectively managing complex contracts and commercial models and enabling regulatory compliance at every contract stage.

 Best-practice configurations deliver faster time to market, comprehensive pricing and rebate management, and 360-degree performance monitoring. Helps maximize revenues and reduce risk by effectively managing complex contracts and commercial models and enabling regulatory compliance at every contract stage. ICI for Technology  Improves customer relationships through robust contract obligation management and tracking of IP rights, non-compete covenants, and SLAs. Also leverages AI to empower sales teams to complete everyday subscription and renewal contracts, accelerate the approval process, and close deals faster to keep up with the speed of business.



Mickey North Rizza , Program Vice President, Enterprise Applications and Digital Commerce, IDC. More information about Icertis vertical solutions can be found at www.icertis.com/vertical-solutions. Icertis plans to release its second phase of vertical solutionsfor Healthcare providers, Government, Pharmaceutical, and Retailin early 2022.

Building on Contract Intelligence at Scale Contracts are the single source of truth for all commercial, operational, and legal entitlements and obligations of a company. Icertis structures and connects this business data so that customers gain the transparency and agility to move faster and deliver on their commitments. ICI digitizes the contracting process, extracts the critical structured and unstructured data in contracts, connects this data to operational surround systems, and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure the intent of every contract is fully realized. The platform offers integrations with SAP, Microsoft, Salesforce, Workday, and other systems, extending its benefits into other mission-critical applications. The industry-specific functionality provided in Icertis' vertical solutions reflect learnings and best practices gleaned from ICI use by hundreds of innovative customers across sectors over time. "Having a single system for agreements has streamlined our contracting process, reduced compliance risk, and eliminated having multiple contracts with the same supplier."  Henry Pulice, Senior Contract Manager, Becton, Dickinson and Company, a global technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices "By digitizing contracting processes, we freed up human capital and streamlined processes. Now we have the visibility we need to make more informed decisions on behalf of our clients."  Frank Marty, Global Head, Contract Lifecycle Risk Management, Cognizant "Gateway Health uses ICI to manage a large volume of complex agreements, while maintaining strict compliance and approval standards, speeding contracting, improving visibility, and increasing efficiency across our legal and procurement teams. We are building on this success by expanding Icertis use throughout our supplier, legal, and products/services."  Frances A. Woodward, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Gateway Health "Infor is working with Icertis to greatly improve sales cycles, increase efficiency in finance and legal, and mitigate risk. By digitally transforming contract management across the enterprise we will not only speed business growth, but also improve customer service."  Sean Wdowiak, Senior Vice President Sales and Ecosystem Operations, Infor "Using ICI, we can usually turn our standard contracts around in less than a day, rather than the 5-7 days response times we had previously using manual processes and contracts housed across servers and desktops. People can now search and find records in a centralized system and be more assured that details are verified for profitability."  Scott Moore, Vice President Contracts at Vallen Distribution, Inc., a leading provider of maintenance, repair, and operations solutions and products Icertis leads the booming CLM space, a sector growing 35% YoY (MGI Research), with future-proof AI-powered solutions that are transforming the foundation of commerce. The company achieved record growth and milestones in 1H 2021, highlighted by 60% recurring revenue growth and accolades that include being named a Leader in both the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Contract Life Cycle Management and The Forrester Wave: Contract Lifecycle Management for All Contracts, Q1 2021. For more information about Icertis, visit www.icertis.com. About Icertis

With unmatched technology and category-defining innovation, Icertis pushes the boundaries of what's possible with CLM. The AI-powered, analyst-validated Icertis Contract Intelligence (ICI) platform turns contracts from static documents into strategic advantage by structuring and connecting the critical contract information that defines how an organization runs. Today, the world's most iconic brands and disruptive innovators trust Icertis to govern the rights and commitments in their 10 million+ contracts worth more than $1 trillion, in 40+ languages and 93+ countries. Media Contact:

Liza Colburn

Director, Corporate Communications

[email protected]

+1 (781) 562-0111 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/icertis-raises-stakes-for-clm-market-with-launch-of-first-vertical-solutions-301405612.html SOURCE Icertis

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021]

Recovery Centers Of America Collaborates With Johns Hopkins Healthcare Solutions To Introduce Virtual Reality Treatment Enhancement At Two Maryland Facilities

EARLEVILLE, Md. and WALDORF, Md., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Recovery Centers of America at Bracebridge Hall and Recovery Centers of America Capital Region (RCA), two Maryland substance use disorder treatment facilities, today announced a partnership with Johns Hopkins HealthCare Solutions to introduce virtual reality (VR) technology as a way to enhance the treatment of addiction and anxiety. The technology helps patients overcome the difficult early stages of treatment and fortifies their long-term recovery.

"We're excited to work with Johns Hopkins HealthCare Solutions to offer innovative, proven technology to assist patients

People suffering from substance use disorders (SUD) are twice as likely to suffer from mood and anxiety disorders. Recent research also indicates that nearly half of those who experience a mental health disorder also experience SUD and vice versa.

Johns Hopkins HealthCare Solutions, in conjunction with BehaVR, developed the program to address stress reduction through mindfulness practice. As an immersive, interactive therapeutic tool, it is used to teach patients how to decrease an anxious response and promote healthy ways they can ease their anxiety, such as meditation, breath work, and other evidence-based strategies.

Patients who are admitted for drug and alcohol treatment and also experience anxiety at RCA at Bracebridge Hall, located in the northern part of the state, and RCA Capital Region, located near Washington D.C., will be recommended for the program.

"We're excited to work with Johns Hopkins HealthCare Solutions and offer an innovative, proven technology to assist our patients and rovide them with the best, personalized care," said Kerry King, Psy.D., MBA, Vice President of Clinical Services, RCA. "Introducing this program during a patient's inpatient care, while also utilizing immersive mindfulness techniques, can help diminish the overwhelming  and sometimes debilitating  stress or anxiety many experience when beginning treatment. It also supports relapse prevention for lasting recovery."







Over the course of six virtual reality mindfulness sessions, the patient's individual specialists will identify the form and level of their anxiety through a series of questions. Responses establish an initial level of experienced anxiety. The VR software will then create a simulated visual and auditory environment where patients can select a setting that is most comforting to them. They are then guided through a meditative/mindfulness activity while immersed in the virtual setting. This increases the experience and benefits of mindfulness and stress reduction.

For participants, program benefits may include:

Joint treatment of addiction and anxiety, which may prevent one from triggering or worsening the other

Potential boost to early treatment results by easing symptoms of irritability, agitation and response to pain

Increased awareness of, and sense of control over, triggers, stressors and anxiety

Enhanced ability to effectively manage emotions

"The goal is not for our patients to disassociate when experiencing virtual reality but to reduce anxiety and increase mindfulness," said Corey Richey, interim CEO, RCA at Bracebridge Hall. "Our team is dedicated to providing effective tools that build the necessary skills patients can use to decrease stress, experience calm and cope with day-to-day living outside of our facility, which can ultimately be lifesaving."



While RCA is using VR sessions to target SUD and anxiety, patients can receive therapy with any of the specialized inpatient programs available at either location, including programs for young adults , older adults , relapse , trauma , and members of the LGBTQIA+ populations .

RCA at Bracebridge Hall and RCA Capital Region are accredited by the Joint Commission and the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. Both RCA at Bracebridge Hall and RCA Capital Region have been named a "Best U.S. Addiction Treatment Facility in Maryland" by Newsweek. In addition to providing evidence-based inpatient treatment for substance use disorder, outpatient treatment is also available at RCA Capital Region and most other RCA locations as well as an extensive alumni support network and programming after graduation from treatment.

RCA has also pioneered a new digital health platform called Shoutout to make treatment even more accessible and provide constant support and education to everyone no matter where they are in their recovery journey.



To learn more about the VR enhancement treatment program at RCA at Bracebridge Hall and RCA Capital Region, click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A media demo of the VR treatment will be available during the RCA at Bracebridge Hall open house on Tuesday, October 26 at 2 p.m. Journalists can also arrange a visit to RCA at Bracebridge Hall to demo the VR if they're unable to attend the open house.



ABOUT RECOVERY CENTERS OF AMERICA

Recovery Centers of America is dedicated to helping patients achieve a life of recovery through evidence-based alcohol and drug addiction treatment. RCA has ten inpatient facilities in the United States in Earleville and Waldorf, Maryland, Danvers and Westminster, Massachusetts; Devon (near Philadelphia), and Monroeville (near Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania; South Amboy and Mays Landing, NJ; St. Charles, Illinois (outside of Chicago), and Indianapolis, Indiana. A full spectrum of outpatient treatment is also provided at many of these facilities and in Voorhees, NJ. RCA also provides Medication-Assisted-Treatment (MAT) at its treatment centers and at standalone facilities in Trenton, Woodbridge, and Somerdale, NJ and in Lansdowne, PA. Patients can obtain immediate substance use disorder care by calling 1-800-Recovery with complimentary transportation provided in most cases.



PRESS CONTACTS:

Lisa Trapani

RoseComm for Recovery Centers of America

410-245-0094

[email protected]

Terri Malenfant

Recovery Centers of America

[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/recovery-centers-of-america-collaborates-with-johns-hopkins-healthcare-solutions-to-introduce-virtual-reality-treatment-enhancement-at-two-maryland-facilities-301405324.html

SOURCE Recovery Centers of America
[October 21, 2021]

Parks Associates: Only 19% of US Broadband Households are Aware of Energy Monitoring and Management Products Offered by Their Electricity Provider

DALLAS, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Parks Associates will highlight its latest smart energy research, Smart, Clean, Connected: The Future of Home Energy Management, at its upcoming Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer virtual session "Partnerships and Tech Advancements" on October 27, 11 am CT. The session, featuring Anna Demeo, President, Savant Power, and Ansul Rajgharia, Director, Connected Products and Surge, Home & Distribution Division, NA Operations, Schneider Electric, focuses on the role of smart home solutions and tech innovations to grow familiarity with energy-saving and load-control services through connected devices and renewable energy resources.

Smart, Clean, Connected: The Future of Home Energy Management, which includes a survey of 5,000 US broadband households, reports 19% of broadband households are aware a service from their electricity provider offering energy monitoring and management products. Only 17% are familiar with load control problems. Overall, 50% of households are aware of one of the surveyed utility services.

The ninth annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, sponsored by Bidgely, Grid4C, Austin Energy, dcbel, FLO American Water Homeowner Services, and Very, examines the expanding market for the smart home in the residential energy ecosystem.







"Consumers have never been more aware of grid instability and the numerous ways it can impact their families," said Anna Demeo, President, Savant Power. "Savant Power's inCharge energy management and microgrid solutions enable homeowners to monitor and optimize their daily efficiency, reduce costs, and lessen their dependence on the grid through the seamless integration of alternative energy sources. Intelligent energy management is a vital component of the modern smart home ecosystem."

"Solving energy problems will accelerate with end-to-end grid-to-plug solutions that will address both demand and supply sides of the energy equation," said Ansul Rajgharia, Director, Connected Products & Surge, Home & Distribution Division, North America Operations, Schneider Electric.

An interactive panel follows:

Stephen Douglas , Head of Market Strategy, Spirent Communications

, Head of Market Strategy, Brett Lasher , Executive Director, New Growth & Development, Cox Communications

, Executive Director, New Growth & Development, Cox Communications Peter Mathews , GM, North America , SolarEdge

, GM, , SolarEdge Wannie Park , CEO, Zen Ecosystems

, CEO, Zen Ecosystems Mike Phillips , CEO and Co-Founder, Sense

, CEO and Co-Founder, Sense Courtney Thier , Director, Enterprise Solutions, Elevation Home Energy Solutions

"An in-home environmental revolution could be enabled through the application of 5G and AI to unlock the data and insights generated by our appliances and efficiently coordinate this with the supply chain," said Stephen Douglas, Head of Market Strategy, Spirent Communications.

"Parks Associates' research points to new opportunities as homes have intelligence built into them," said Mike Phillips, CEO, Sense. "The key is engaging consumers with smart home apps that become part of their lives and are able to help them manage energy and automatically shift loads to better match the dynamic conditions of the home's energy sources."

"I'm thrilled to be speaking at the Smart Energy Summit and provide our perspective on how commercial entities are using innovative ways to address sustainability," said Wannie Park, CEO, Zen Ecosystems. "These new business models position internal 'RPS' and Sustainability as topline KPIs, giving companies like ours a way to develop solutions that deliver positive environmental impact."

To schedule an interview or to request data, contact Rosey Ulpino, [email protected], 972-490-1113.

About Smart Energy Summit

Smart Energy Summit addresses the evolution of the consumer utility market, the impact of COVID-19 on energy management programs, and new opportunities to drive engagement in utility-sponsored programs. www.ses2021.com

Contact:

Rosey Ulpino

Parks Associates

972.996.0202

[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/parks-associates-only-19-of-us-broadband-households-are-aware-of-energy-monitoring-and-management-products-offered-by-their-electricity-provider-301405690.html

SOURCE Parks Associates
[October 21, 2021] Skye Bioscience Sponsored Research Presented at American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Meeting PharmSci 360

SAN DIEGO, CA, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skye Bioscience, Inc. (OTCQB: SKYE) (Skye or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company developing proprietary, synthetic cannabinoid-derived molecules to treat glaucoma and other diseases with significant unmet need, announced today researchers from the University of Mississippi presented two Skye-sponsored studies at the 2021 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Meeting (AAPS) PharmSci 360 held October 17-20, 2021, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The first study evaluated the intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effects of different nanoemulsion (NE) formulations of THCVHS. The second examined the effect on IOP of co-administering THCVHS with other classes of IOP-lowering drugs. Details of the poster presentations are as follows: IOP Profile in Dutch Belted Rabbits Following Topical Application of ?9-Tetrahydrocannabinol-Valine-Hemisuccinate (THC-VHS, NB1111) Nanoemulsion Formulations The THC and THC-VHS nanoemulsion formulations did not exhibit any significant difference (p>0.05) in terms of intensity of action, but duration of activity differed significantly (p<0.05). With THC-VHS-NEC (SBI-100), IOP remained about 20% below baseline even at 9 hours post treatment.

Both THC-VHS-NEC and netarsudil formulations performed better than latanoprost in terms of average max drop (p<0.05) in IOP as well as duration of activity (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between THC-VHS-NEC and netarsudil (p>0.05) in terms of average max drop and duration of activity on IOP lowering. Co-administration of ?9-Tetrahydrocannabinol-Valine-Hemisuccinate (THC-VHS, NB1111) and Netarsudil, a Rho-Kinase Inhibitor, Produces Superior IOP Lowering Activity in Dutch Belted Rabbits

The THC-VHS-NEC (SBI-100) + Rhopressa (netarsudil) combination demonstrated the most robust IOP lowering profile and was better than the THC-VHS-NEC formulation alone (p<0.05) or Rhopressa alone (p<0.05).

Rhopressa + latanoprost was better (p<0.05) than latanoprost alone, but the activity was significantly less than Rhopressa alone (p<0.05).

Latanoprost + THC-VHS-NEC combination exhibited an IOP-lowering profile similar (p>0.05) to that of latanoprost alone.



Formulation Avg max Drop in IOP (%) Duration of activity (min) THC-VHS-NEC 27.52.1 > 5403 THC-VHS-NEC + Rhopressa 32.42.6 1,2 > 5403 Rhopressa 30.61.4 2 > 5403 Rhopressa + latanoprost 22.72.9 540 latanoprost 21.32.1 480 latanoprost + THC-VHS-NEC 21.62.9 540



1 statistically significant from both Rhopressa + latanoprost, latanoprost + THC-VHS-NEC at p<0.05

2 statistically significant from latanoprost at p<0.05

3 IOP remained about 20% below baseline We are pleased to see Skyes sponsored research with our collaborators at the University of Mississippi on SBI-100 be accepted and presented at a prominent scientific meeting such as AAPS - it highlights the quality of our science and reinforces our confidence in moving this drug candidate into human trials, said Punit Dhillon, CEO & Chair. Our THCVHS nanoemulsion for ocular delivery continues to demonstrate superior delivery of THC into the eye resulting in meaningful reduction of IOP, while our first study to evaluate co-administration of THCVHS with currently available therapies demonstrates the potential of our drug as an option for combination.

Full abstracts are available online at www.aaps.org. Final posters are available on Skyes website. Skye recently updated its clinical development strategy and timeline for its Phase I study, focused on safety and tolerability in 48 healthy volunteers, which is being initiated in Q2-22 in Australia. The study will include single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple ascending dose (MAD) cohorts. Skye also recently submitted and had a pre-IND meeting request scheduled for before the end of 2021. This is an important step in filing an Investigational New Drug Application (IND), which will allow for human trials in the US. Under the improved clinical plan, a robust Phase 2 study will be initiated in Q4-22 in the US. This proof-of-concept study, focusing on dose ranging and efficacy, will be a randomized, double-masked, placebo and active pharmaceutical controlled study in patients with glaucoma and/or ocular hypertension.

About SBI-100 SBI-100 is the proprietary topical ocular formulation of Skyes prodrug of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), THCVHS and is being developed to treat glaucoma. THCVHS, a synthetic molecule, was developed using rational drug design and biochemical engineering, to enable local delivery of THC into the eye, reducing the potential for systemic side effects. Additional formulation studies have lead to the proprietary topical nanoemulsion formulation containing THCVHS, referred to as SBI-100. In preclinical studies, SBI-100 demonstrated superior lowering of intraocular pressure, a major risk factor related to irreversible vision loss, compared to the standard-of-care glaucoma treatment. SBI-100 will be the final formulation intended for use in Skyes first-in-human trials expected to begin in Q2-22.

About the University of Mississippi

The University of Mississippi, the state's flagship university, is among the elite group of R-1: Doctoral Universities - Highest Research Activity in the Carnegie Classification. The university has a long history of producing leaders in public service, academics, research, and business. Its 15 academic divisions include a major medical school, nationally recognized schools of accountancy, law and pharmacy, and an honors college acclaimed for a blend of academic rigor, experiential learning, and opportunities for community action. Over 50 years ago, the university was awarded the first federal government contract to cultivate cannabis for research. About Skye Bioscience

Skye Bioscience Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company unlocking the pharmaceutical potential of cannabinoids through the development of its proprietary cannabinoid-derived molecules to treat diseases with significant unmet needs. The companys lead program, SBI-100, is focused on treating glaucoma, the worlds leading cause of irreversible blindness. For more information, please visit: www.skyebioscience.com. CONTACT

Karam Takhar

VP, Corporate Development & Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (858) 410-0266 FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our product development, business strategy, timing of clinical trials and commercialization of cannabinoid-derived therapeutics. Such statements and other statements in this press release that are not descriptions of historical facts are forward-looking statements that are based on managements current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, our business, operating results, financial condition, and stock price could be materially negatively affected. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology including anticipated, plans, goal, focus, aims, intends, believes, can, could, challenge, predictable, will, would, may or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. We operate in a rapidly changing environment and new risks emerge from time to time. As a result, it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements the Company may make. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, our capital resources, uncertainty regarding the results of future testing and development efforts and other risks that are described in the Risk Factors section of Skyes most recent annual or quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as expressly required by law, Skye disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Piedmont Advantage Credit Union launches business products and services

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Advantage Credit Union announced today it will be offering business products and services and has retained Scott Smith as its first vice president of commercial lending. According to Piedmont Advantage's President and CEO Dion Williams, commercial deposit offerings are expected to be available by year-end with business loan products and services, including merchant services, available by the second quarter of 2022 if not sooner. "After successfully administering the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan closings and forgiveness during the pandemic, we know that there is an opportunity to assist small businesses in he communities we serve. We are fortunate that Scott Smith saw the positive impact he could make at Piedmont Advantage to help area small businesses to grow and thrive," said Williams.



A resident of Kernersville, Smith has more than 30 years of experience in commercial lending, risk management, financial planning and analysis and commercial credit underwriting, along with new account development and regulatory compliance. He earned his MBA from University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., and bachelor's degrees cum laude in business administration and history from Alma College in Alma, Mich. About Piedmont Advantage Credit Union

Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., and founded in 1949 within the airline industry, Piedmont Advantage Credit Union now serves member owners, who reside, work, worship or attend school in one of the 13 counties it serves in North Carolina or who are employed by one of its many employer companies. These 13 North Carolina counties are Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Davie, Duplin, Forsyth, Guilford, Iredell, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Pender and Rockingham. A not-for-profit cooperative financial institution, Piedmont Advantage has 10 branches throughout its service regions and employs a workforce of more than 120. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/piedmont-advantage-credit-union-launches-business-products-and-services-301405760.html SOURCE Piedmont Advantage Credit Union

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Canada Infrastructure Bank Invests $19.3 million in Toronto Western Hospital Retrofit Project

Project will lower greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs at healthcare facility TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) has reached financial close on the world's largest raw wastewater energy transfer project, located at Toronto Western Hospital, part of the University Health Network (UHN). Renewable energy company Noventa Energy Partners (Noventa) worked with UHN with the support of Enbridge Gas to develop the $42.9 million project which will provide approximately 90 per cent of the hospital's heating and cooling requirements. Under the terms of the agreement, the CIB will invest up to $19.3 million in subordinated debt and Vancity Community Investment Bank will invest $15.3 million in senior debt. Equity partners include Noventa and Enbridge Gas, while UHN will make a capital contribution. The Government of Canada is providing a grant under the Environment and Climate Change Canada - Low Carbon Economy Fund. The retrofit project will use the Huber ThermWin? System and Noventa IP to transfer thermal energy to and from wastewater flowing in the mid-Toronto interceptor sewer to provide low-carbon heating and cooling to the hospital. As a result, the hospital's natural gas use and water consumption will be significantly reduced. Over the next 30 years, the hospital will see a cumulative reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 250,000 tonnes. This is the first project under the CIB's Public Building Retrofits Initiative, which seeks to achieve significant energy savings from infrastructure owned and/or managed by the public sector. Construction ativities began at Toronto Western Hospital earlier this month.



Endorsements: We are proud to partner with UHN and private-sector partners on our first public building retrofit investment. The project will dramatically lower GHG emissions at the hospital while helping UHN meet its climate change commitments. We look forward to working with more public sector asset owners and the private sector to invest in new energy retrofit projects which consider long-term sustainability and action on climate change.

Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank

At UHN, we know climate change is a major threat to health. Over the past decade, our Energy & Environment team has completed more than 300 energy projects, which have already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent. We're excited to add the WET System to the roster  something we couldn't do without support from incredible partners, like the CIB, Noventa Energy Partners, VCIB, Enbridge Gas, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the City of Toronto.

Ron Swail, Vice President, Facilities Management  Planning, Redevelopment & Operations,

University Health Network Financial institutions have a critical role to play in financing the transition to a low-carbon future. It will take many tools to reach net-zero and public and private collaboration will be crucial. VCIB is committed to support a clean and fair future for our communities and we will continue to back innovative technologies that create clean and cost-efficient energy systems.

Vince Gasparro, Managing Director of Corporate Development and Clean Energy Finance, Vancity Community Investment Bank We are pleased to have achieved financial close for this important renewable energy project that will demonstrate the viability of wastewater energy transfer as a low-carbon means of heating and cooling our buildings. This milestone would not have been possible without the support of the University Health Network and the City of Toronto and our project partners, Enbridge Gas, the Canada Infrastructure Bank and VanCity Community Investment Bank.

Dennis Fotinos, CEO, Noventa Energy Partners Enbridge Gas is pleased to be a partner in developing the largest wastewater heat recovery system in the world. It's an important step in protecting our natural resources as well as leveraging "waste" to create clean energy solutions. We are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of initiatives, and this is one example of how we are investing our resources to further assist Ontario's transition to a greener future.

Cynthia Hansen, President, Enbridge Gas Quick Facts Toronto Western Hospital is a 272-bed academic health science centre dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care, providing a breadth of services from emergency care to sophisticated brain surgery.

VCIB, a subsidiary of Vancity Group, is the only Canadian bank focused on supporting emerging and built environment climate solutions under $50 million .

. The CIB is investing $35 billion in new infrastructure projects which increase economic growth, connect communities and act on climate change.

in new infrastructure projects which increase economic growth, connect communities and act on climate change. The CIB's investments are subject to approval by its Board of Directors. Learn More: www.cib-bic.ca

www.uhn.ca

www.vancity.com

www.noventaenergy.com

www.enbridgegas.com SOURCE Canada Infrastructure Bank

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Crux Intelligence Announces First Anchor Partner

Reckitt benefiting from the exceptional value of Crux Intelligences AI-fueled business intelligence solutions

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crux Intelligence, a business intelligence company providing a comprehensive suite of augmented analytics products that puts AI in the hands of every business user, today announced Reckitt as the first anchor partner for the companys business intelligence platform. Reckitt uses Crux Intelligence to more effectively manage business outcomes through its data-driven decision-making. As the anchor partner, Reckitt has expressed its long-term commitment to the platform and interest in expanding use cases for Cruxs next-generation augmented analytics tools.



Reckitt is a leading distributor of hygiene, wellness and nourishment products, including household brands such as Lysol, Mucinex, Durex and Air Wick. The international corporation recognized Crux Intelligences potential to proactively mitigate revenue and value at risk; Reckitt now uses augmented analytics from Crux to drive business and supply chain decisions. By bringing together disparate datasets within a unified semantic layer, Crux Intelligence enabes Reckitt employees to easily understand key business drivers and indicators and take action accordingly.



Todays business environment requires companies to make the most out of their first-party data assets to remain successful. Crux Intelligences mobile-first business intelligence platform lowers the barrier to entry for enterprises seeking to derive insights from their data. Focusing on speed-to-insight and ease of use, Crux Intelligence uses natural language processing to facilitate seamless onboarding and rapid data analysis. Crux Intelligence represents a significant step forward for enterprise data analytics. They have disrupted the dashboard as we know it, delivering a forward-looking insights engine that helps us to identify in advance when our revenue may be at risk, said Ganesh Sivakumar, Head of Data and Analytics at Reckitt. We plan to further develop our processes within Cruxs business intelligence platform to take an even more predictive approach to business insights.

Innovative companies like Reckitt and DFA realize that the next disruption in business intelligence will be driven by a shift from predefined dashboards to automated, conversational, mobile and dynamically-generated platforms, said Kathy Leake, CEO of Crux Intelligence. Our capabilities empower Reckitt and DFA to put AI in the hands of every business user. ABOUT CRUX INTELLIGENCE



Crux Intelligence is a business intelligence company that puts AI into the hands of every business user. Developed as a mobile-first platform to provide curated, on-demand insights available anytime, anywhere, Crux Intelligence helps to answer the why behind many of the most pressing business questions. Automated and always on, Crux Intelligence delivers agile insights without requiring inputs or queries from the end user. Crux Intelligence leverages natural language processing and natural language generation through sophisticated voice search tools to offer a seamless, high-performance user experience.



Crux Intelligence was established and incubated by Fractal  a global leader in AI and Analytics services. Contact: Alexandra Levy

650-996-5758

[email protected]



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Seward & Kissel Named Best Law Firm for Fund Structuring by Private Equity Wire

Seward & Kissel LLP has received the 2021 "Best Law Firm - Fund Structuring" award from Private Equity Wire. The annual Private Equity Wire US Awards honor providers of services and solutions to the private equity industry who are selected by more than 400 GPs and the broader Private Equity Wire readership. Seward & Kissel was presented the award at a ceremony in New York City on October 20. "We are honored to be selected as the best law firm for fund formation within the private equity industry. Being recognized by the industry for our ongoing commitment to our private equity clients and the growth of our practice is a testament to our continued dedication to providing clients premier legal services," said Patricia Poglinco and Robert B. Van Grover, co-heads of the firm's Investment Management Group. Seward & Kissel is home to one of the largest investment management practices and is recognized for its work wih private investment funds of all types. The Firm's clients include some of the largest institutional fund managers as well as startup and emerging managers across all asset classes and strategies.



"Our private equity clients turn to us for practical, pragmatic advice with respect to all areas of their business - from formation to employment to mergers and acquisitions. We strive to advise private equity managers in an efficient and effective way to help them achieve their long- and short-term business goals," said Joseph Morrissey, partner in the Investment Management Group. "We always make a conscious effort to try to anticipate our clients' needs and disseminate responses to their questions through different and far-reaching distribution channels, in addition to focused, individual outreach, and we feel strongly that our client service differentiates us. We're excited that our efforts are resonating," added Kevin Neubauer, partner in the Investment Management Group.

The full list of this year's winners can be found here. About Seward & Kissel LLP Seward & Kissel LLP, founded in 1890, is home to one of the largest investment management practices and is recognized for its representation of both large, institutional private funds as well as emerging managers across all asset classes and strategies including hedge, private equity, private credit, venture capital/growth equity, secondaries, real estate and other real asset classes. Our attorneys represent fund sponsors, their portfolio companies, and their institutional investors. We provide counsel on fund formation, management company structuring, investor negotiations, and portfolio company transactions. Working closely with the Firm's other practice areas, such as taxation, business transactions, trusts & estates, litigation, and ERISA, we advise our clients with respect to all their business and legal needs. As active participants in the asset management industry, we are at the forefront of the legal, regulatory, and business trends affecting private fund sponsors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005663/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Energage Announces Recipients of October 2021 Top Workplaces National Culture Excellence Awards

Energage, a technology company that empowers workplace excellence and the organization behind the Top Workplaces awards, revealed the winners of its October 2021 Culture Excellence Awards, which recognize companies based on employee feedback. Companies from across the nation were applauded for creating a desirable work culture in four areas: DE&I practices, employee well-being, professional development, and remote work environments. The October 2021 Top Workplaces national Culture Excellence awards are based solely on employee feedback from Energage's anonymous, science-based, employee engagement survey. Organizations are evaluated against the industry's most robust benchmark, based on Energage's 15 years of research and data from 70,000 organizations and 23 million employee surveys. "Companies continued to have difficulty retaining employees, as illustrated by record separations reported by the Labor Department in the latest period," said Dan Kessler, president and chief operating officer of Energage. "Our Culture Excellence awards showcase companies that are listening to employee feedback and are working hard to create organizations that employees don't want to leave." Over the past year, nearly 42,000 organizations have competed for Top Workplaces national awards, including Top Workplaces USA, Industry, and Culture Excellence awards. Fewer than 3 percent of eligible organizations earn a Top Workplaces designation, making these achievements clear differentiators among peers. The following organizations were ranked highest by employees in each of the October 2021 Top Workplaces national Culture Excellence awards. For a complete list of all award recipients in each category, click here or on the award names below. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Practices-The DE&I Practices award celebrates Top Workplaces that prioritize a welcoming and inclusive culture, no matter one's background. Asurion (News - Alert) (2,500+ employees)

Cross Country Healthcare (1,000-2,499 employees)

Service by Medallio (500-999 employees)

Publishing Concepts (150-499 employees)



Remote Work-The Remote Work award celebrates Top Workplaces with workforces in which at least half of survey responders indicate they work either mostly or fully remote. Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (2,500+ employees)

Union Home Mortgage (1,000-2,499 employees)

Highlands Residential Mortgage (500-999 employees)

Covenant Eyes, Inc. (150-499 employees) Employee Well-Being-The Employee Well-Being award honors Top Workplaces noted for putting employee health and wellness at the center of their workplace culture.

Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (2,500+ employees)

Bell Bank (1,000-2,499 employees)

Benjamin F. Edwards (500-999 employees)

GVC Mortgage (150-499 employees) Professional Development-The Professional Development award honors Top Workplaces that place a special focus on developing their employees' careers and enabling their people to grow professionally. Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (2,500+ employees)

Union Home Mortgage Corporation (1,000-2,499 employees)

Highlands Residential Mortgage (500-999 employees)

Fenix Consulting Group (150-499 employees) Top Workplaces national and regional employer recognition awards are announced throughout the year. This January, Energage will reveal the winners of the 2022 Top Workplaces USA national award. Qualified companies must complete the required survey process no later than November 26, 2021 to be eligible. Energage supports Top Workplaces and related employer recognition programs in 59 markets nationwide in partnership with major media outlets such as The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, Star Tribune, Chicago Tribune, and The Arizona Republic. For more information about Top Workplaces' national, regional, industry, and culture excellence awards, please go here. About Energage Energage is a purpose-driven technology company that powers Top Workplaces, the premier employer recognition program. Analyzing data from a short, research-based employee survey, Energage identifies people-first Top Workplaces across the country, as well as regionally in partnership with 59 of the nation's most reputable media outlets. National quarterly awards recognize Top Workplaces in culture-specific topics important to job seekers, such as Appreciation, Compensation, DE&I, Remote Work, Woman-Led, Work-Life Flexibility, and more. Energage empowers organizations to exceed the competition, evaluate where they stand in the market, and engage with employees. More than 70,000 organizations have completed over 23 million employee surveys, including some of the nation's leading brands: Accenture, Ace Hardware, The Atlanta Hawks, Go Daddy, Facebook (News - Alert), Hubspot, Microsoft, Progressive Insurance, Salesforce, and Wayfair. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005029/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Digital Commerce Bank Announces Partnership With Fundica to Assist Canadian Businesses Find Funding Options

Digital Commerce Bank ("DCBank" or the "Bank") today announced that it has partnered with Fundica to help Canadian businesses match with relevant funding opportunities. Through the partnership, the Bank offers Fundica's online funding search technology for free on its website, providing easy access to businesses to search and source information on relevant grants, tax credits, government loans, loan guarantees, and accelerators. To access this unique search tool, visit the Bank's website at: https://www.dcbank.ca/business-funding/. "Digital Commerce Bank is proud to offer Fundica's funding search technology as part of our commitment to support and promote business in Canada," said Jeffrey Smith, the Bank's President & CEO. "We are delighted to partner with an innovative group like DCBank who shares our mutual commitment to make finding and applying for funding easier for entrepreneurs across Canada," said Mike Lee, Fundica's President and Co-founder. Fundica Fundica provides funding search technology that intelligently identifies the most relevant funding sources for businesses. Its white label and API soltions seamlessly allow its clients to become thought leaders and more complete advisors in the broader funding space. Fundica has received awards from the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation, Intuit (News - Alert), Startup Canada, and CFO Canada.



For more information about Fundica, please visit their website at: www.fundica.com. Digital Commerce Bank

The Digital Commerce Bank is a privately held Schedule 1 Canadian chartered bank. The Bank's mission is to provide innovative payment and banking solutions to its clients. The Bank's proprietary solutions offer clients efficiency, flexibility, and convenience when it comes to their banking and payments needs. The Bank is regulated by OSFI, is a member of Payments Canada, and is a principle member of Interac, Visa and MasterCard (News - Alert). For more information about Digital Commerce Bank, please visit their website at: www.dcbank.ca. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "will", "aims" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Bank. Although the Bank 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 Bank 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. The statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Bank undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable laws. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005369/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Brian Rainboth Appointed SYSPRO Americas CEO to Drive Growth Strategy Across the Region

SYSPRO, a global provider of industry-built enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, today announced the appointment of Brian Rainboth to the position of Americas CEO. Brian joined SYSPRO in February 2020 as CEO for Canada, where he successfully implemented the SYSPRO business strategy and expanded SYSPRO's footprint within the country. Brian will continue to deliver value to our SYSPRO customers and partners across the Americas and play a strategic role in enabling SYSPRO to collaborate with manufacturers and distributors as they embrace their digital transformation journey. Scott Hebert remains in his role as CEO of SYSPRO USA and will work closely with Brian to accelerate SYSPRO's growth within the region. A new leader for Canada will be appointed at the appropriate time. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005042/en/



Brian Rainboth appointed SYSPRO Americas CEO to drive growth strategy across the region. (Photo: Business Wire)

"As part of SYSPRO's long-term growth strategy, we have segmented the business into three distinct regions: APAC, EMEA, and now the Americas," said Phil Duff, CEO of SYSPRO. "In his new role, Brian will build on his success as CEO of SYSPRO Canada to accelerate growth across the Americas region and increase our footprint among distributors and manufacturers in that market. With Brian leading the Americas, I'm confident that SYSPRO's customers and partners will continue to experience the highest levels of support and service while continuing to increase value for their businesses." Brian is a lauded IT industry leader with over 25 years of experience building and transforming successful teams. His in-depth experience and knowledge of digital transformation enable him to better understand the specific needs and challenges facing customers and partners with the clear objective of ensuring their success. "SYSPRO is well known for speaking the language of our customers and providing them with solutions that are tailored to meet the unique needs of their specific industries," Rainboth said. "As a result, they see faster ROI from their ERP investment, and they get a flexible platform that will easily incorporate new technologies, scale, and adapt as the business grows. Our talented teams in both the US and Canada, combined with the region's growth potential, present us with a tremendous opportunity to work more effectively together, deliver faster and grow the business." About SYSPRO SYSPRO is a leading, global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software provider specializing in key manufacturing and distribution industries. For over 40 years, SYSPRO's team of specialists have continued to address unique industry needs and enable customers to easily adapt and grow. The solution is scalable and can be deployed in the cloud, on-premise, or both, and accessed via the web on any device to provide customers with choice and flexibility. SYSPRO remains focused on the success of partners and customers. Our evolving solutions are aligned with industry trends to leverage emerging technology that will enable partners and customers in securing a digital future. With more than 15,000 licensed companies in over 60 countries across six continents, SYSPRO offers guidance and support every step of the way as a trusted advisor. For more information and career opportunities, visit syspro.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005042/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] 2021 Suzhou Science and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition is held, and "Competition and Investment for Evaluation" have achieved remarkable results

SUZHOU, China, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "Paradise for Innovation and Entrepreneurship" 2021 Suzhou Science and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition is the first competition co-hosted by the Talent Office, the Science and Technology Bureau, the Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Suzhou Municipal People's Government, and the Suzhou Daily. It aims to attract talents to Suzhou to innovate and start businesses, gathering surging power for the high-quality development of Suzhou, according to the Organizing Committee of 2021 Suzhou Science and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. The competition was officially launched in April this year. Relying on the "Gusu Technology Entrepreneur Plan", "Competition and Investment for Evaluation" was adopted. 1,233 projects registered for the competition, and 415 projects passed online evaluation, covering 9 major fields such as electronc information, biomedicine, and advanced manufacturing. Finally, 308 projects were selected for the plan, and each project can receive a project funding of 100,000 to 200,000 yuan. The final was held on October 20. 18 high-quality projects competed for the first, second, and third prizes, and received funding of 500,000 yuan, 400,000 yuan, and 300,000 yuan respectively. First prize projects that meet the conditions of the Gusu Leading Talents Program will be given priority.



This competition adopts a new competition system and has achieved remarkable results. First one is "Competition for Evaluation", to give the project team the opportunity to fully demonstrate themselves through roadshows, reduce the loss rate of good projects, and successfully unearth 8 high-quality projects that have not passed the online evaluation; The second one is "Investment for Evaluation" to increase the participation of social capital. During the roadshow season, over 100 venture capital institutions participated and facilitated the docking of over 60 projects with venture capital institutions; The third one is 7 offline special competitions such as "Future of Technology", "Advanced Manufacturing" and "Yangtze River Delta", which have greatly expanded the source of participating projects. The number of projects has increased by 20%. Cooperating in other areas to expand the source of team projects, the number of teams established is 58. Image Attachments Links:

Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=404762

Caption: 2021 Suzhou Science and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition

Finals View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2021-suzhou-science-and-technology-innovation-and-entrepreneurship-competition-is-held-and-competition-and-investment-for-evaluation-have-achieved-remarkable-results-301405854.html SOURCE The Organizing Committee of 2021 Suzhou Science and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Nearly 9,000 telephone interventions in the shadows

Imagine our impact once you shine a spotlight on us MONTREAL, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Deborah Trent, director of the Montreal Sexual Assault Centre (MSAC), announces the official launch of the new identity of SEXUAL VIOLENCE HELPLINE/INFO-AIDE VIOLENCE SEXUELLE, the Quebec-wide referral service for victims of sexual violence. Previously known as the "Provincial Helpline for Victims of Sexual Assault," the Sexual Violence Helpline is managed by the MSAC and has been operating 24/7 for more than 10 years thanks to a partnership with the Ministere de la Justice du Quebec. This renaming emphasizes the fact that the helpline provides assistance to people affected by all forms of sexual violence. Every victim of sexual violence, no matter what form it takes, is one victim too many. "Did you know that here in Quebec, over 80% of victims know their aggressor? That people in marginalized groups are at a much higher risk of falling victim to sexual violence? That 67% of victims are younger than 18? Reported cases of cyber violence and sexual exploitation have only increased in recent years. Sexual violence is pervasive," Ms. Trent explained. "We were initially mandated to help people who had been sexually assaulted, but we quickly adapted our services to respond to calls related to harassment, cyber violence and particularly sexual exploitation. Having been in operation for over 10 years, our team of telephone counsellors is on the front lines, providing support in both French and English across Quebec. When the need for support arises, whether for sexual violence that occurred recently or in the past, the source for resources is always available," concluded the MSAC's director. The Sexual Violence Helpline was recognized by the Comite d'experts sur l'accompagnement des personnes victimes d'agressions sexuelles etde violence conjugale (expert committee on support for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence) for its ability to centralize the various existing resources in Quebec. In its report entitled Rebatir la confiance (rebuilding trust), tabled in December 2020, the committee recommended improvements to the referral services offered by the Sexual Violence Helpline and better promotion of the helpline.



Too many people are still unaware of the existence of this helpline. People from all walks of life, no matter where they are in the province, must have access to support as quickly and efficiently as possible. The new identity combined with an increased presence in the digital sphere, particularly on social media, will allow more people to find their way to the Sexual Violence Helpline easily when the need arises. The phone number remains unchanged: 1-888-933-9007.

 Le gouvernement met tout en uvre pour mieux accompagner et mieux soutenir les personnes victimes de violence sexuelle. Les services, comme Info-aide violence sexuelle, jouent un role essentiel et contribuent a offrir un filet de securite aux personnes victimes. Nous sommes heureux de soutenir cette demarche qui vise a mieux faire connaitre leurs services.  annonce Monsieur Simon Jolin-Barrette, ministre de la Justice et procureur general du Quebec. "For us, the issue is not to encourage victims of sexual violence to follow a specific path, but rather to ensure that they are welcomed, listened to and supported every step of the way, no matter what path they choose. To do this, there must be adequate specialized resources and services to serve the entire territory, with particular attention given to the specific needs of marginalized people. To be able to respond in a way that respects the reality of each survivor, collaboration such as that between CALACS and the Sexual Violence Helpline is essential. We are all working towards the same goal: ensuring that no victim of sexual violence gets left behind," concluded Roxanne Ocampo, representative of the Regroupement quebecois des CALACS The last few years have demonstrated beyond any doubt that thousands of people across the province still need support services. Many organizations and specialized services are available to help these individuals regain control of their lives. What we need to do now is promote the Sexual Violence Helpline as the source for resources that can help steer them towards services adapted to their needs. The team, which is specially trained to work with victims of sexual violence, is made up of nearly 20 counsellors who serve the general public and are capable of meeting new challenges. After more than 10 years of managing the provincial helpline, the MSAC remains firmly committed to its mission of helping all victims of sexual violence in a safe manner by meeting their needs while respecting their choices. About us: The Sexual Violence Helpline is a phone line that offers listening, information, support and referral services. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the service is anonymous, confidential, free of charge and bilingual. The helpline is open to ANYONE affected by sexual violence, regardless of age or gender: victims, their loved ones, counsellors, people in doubt, as well as the general public. The service is managed by the MSAC and is mandated and funded by the Ministere de la Justice du Quebec. Additional documents: https://infoaideviolencesexuelle.ca/1/conference-presse Website: https://sexualviolencehelpline.ca/ Social media: https://www.instagram.com/infoaideviolencesexuelle/ https://www.facebook.com/infoaideviolencesexuelle SOURCE Centre pour les victimes d'agression sexuelle de Montreal

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Todos Medical Announces Publication in Journal of Clinical Virology Highlighting Clinical Utility of cPass Semi-Quantitative Neutralizing Antibody Test in SARS-CoV-2 Risk Assessment Post-Vaccination or Recovery from Infection



Company hosting cPass webinar on Friday, October 22, 2021 for long-term care facilities New York, NY, and Tel Aviv, ISRAEL, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Todos Medical, Ltd. (Todos Medical) (OTCQB: TOMDF), a comprehensive medical diagnostics and related solutions company, today announced the publication of an article entitled A Practical Approach to SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Pre and Post Vaccination Era in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Virology, available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667038021000363?via%3Dihub , that highlights the clinical utility of combining the cPass neutralizing antibody test in the vaccinated and COVID-recovered populations with PCR testing in the unvaccinated and not previously infected to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Todos Medical is hosting a webinar entitled New Paradigm for Measuring Immunity in Pre- and Post-Vaccination Era on Friday, October 22nd, 2021 at 12:00pm ET for The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA), and is available for anyone to attend virtually on Todos YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWsJLl1iB9qlZUSicQ9e-Mg. The publication concluded, To minimize the potential for future outbreaks, a revised testing strategy to assure initial and continued protection post-vaccination will likely be required. This could include a combination of qPCR (for non-vaccinated and susceptible people) and nAb (for previously infected and vaccinated people) assays. cPass sVNT could be a useful tool for substantiating individual immunity in a SARS-CoV-2 post-vaccination era. Provista Dx offers high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing and high-throughput semi-quantitative cPass neutralizing antibody testing as services. For more information on Provistas testing services, please contact James Doherty, Sr. Director of Business Development at Provista Diagnostics at [email protected] For more information, please visit www.todosmedical.com. For more information on the Companys CLA/CAP certified lab Provista Diagnostics, Inc. please visit www.provistadx.com.



About Todos Medical Ltd. Founded in Rehovot, Israel with offices in New York City, Todos Medical Ltd. (OTCQB: TOMDF) engineers life-saving diagnostic solutions for the early detection of a variety of cancers. In 2021, Todos completed the acquisition of U.S.-based medical diagnostics company Provista Diagnostics, Inc. to gain rights to its Alpharetta, Georgia-based CLIA/CAP certified lab currently performing PCR COVID testing and Provista's proprietary commercial-stage Videssa breast cancer blood test. The Company's state-of-the-art and patented Todos Biochemical Infrared Analyses (TBIA) is a proprietary cancer-screening technology using peripheral blood analysis that deploys deep examination into cancer's influence on the immune system, looking for biochemical changes in blood mononuclear cells and plasma. Todos' two internally-developed cancer-screening tests, TMB-1 and TMB-2, have received a CE mark in Europe. Todos is focused on the commercialization of Videssa and will bring the TBIA tests to market thereafter.

Todos has entered into a joint venture with NLC Pharma targeting diagnostic and testing solutions to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The Joint-Venture is pursuing the development of diagnostic tests targeting the 3CL protease, as well as 3CL protease inhibitors that target a fundamental reproductive mechanism of coronaviruses. The Companys proprietary therapeutic candidate Tollovir is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Israel, and is preparing to initiate Phase 2/3 clinical trials for both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients in Israel. Todos is also developing blood tests for the early detection of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. The Lymphocyte Proliferation Test (LymPro Test) is a diagnostic blood test that determines the ability of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and monocytes to withstand an exogenous mitogenic stimulation that induces them to enter the cell cycle. It is believed that certain diseases, most notably Alzheimer's disease, are the result of compromised cellular machinery that leads to aberrant cell cycle re-entry by neurons, which then leads to apoptosis. LymPro is unique in the use of peripheral blood lymphocytes as a surrogate for neuronal cell function, suggesting a common relationship between PBLs and neurons in the brain. Todos is also distributing certain (COVID-19) testing materials and supplies to CLIA-certified labs in the United States. The products cover multiple suppliers of PCR testing kits, extraction kits, automation materials and supplies, as well as COVID-19 antibody and antigen testing kits. For more information, please visit https://www.todosmedical.com/. Forward-looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. For example, forward-looking statements are used when discussing our expected clinical development programs and clinical trials. These forward-looking statements are based only on current expectations of management, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including the risks and uncertainties related to the progress, timing, cost, and results of clinical trials and product development programs; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approval or patent protection for product candidates; competition from other biotechnology companies; and our ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct our research, development and commercialization activities. In addition, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in technology and market requirements; delays or obstacles in launching our clinical trials; changes in legislation; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; lack of validation of our technology as we progress further and lack of acceptance of our methods by the scientific community; inability to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products; unforeseen scientific difficulties that may develop with our process; greater cost of final product than anticipated; loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition; and laboratory results that do not translate to equally good results in real settings, all of which could cause the actual results or performance to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, Todos Medical does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Todos Medical, please refer to its reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Todos Corporate and Investor Contact: Richard Galterio Todos Medical 732-642-7770 [email protected]



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Alliance Memory Introduces New Series of 3V Multiple I/O Serial NOR Flash Memory Solutions

KIRKLAND, Wash., Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alliance Memory today announced a new line of 3V multiple input/output serial NOR flash memory products designed to provide supply continuity for Micron Technology customers utilizing discontinued N25Q series devices. Offering support for single, dual, and quad SPI modes, the AS25F series combines fast read performance up to 104MHz with fast program and erase times of 0.3ms and 40ms typical, respectively.

Available in 8-pin SOP Wide Body (209mils) and 8L WSON (6x5mm) packages, the devices released today operate from a single 2.7V to 3.6V power supply over an industrial temperature range of -40C to +85C. The solutions offer typical erase/program currents of 20mA and maximum read currents of 25mA at 104MHz, and they provide reliable, long-term performance with 100,000 program/erase cycles and 10-year data retention. AS25F series devices support uniform 4KB or 32KB or 64KB erase, offer an 8/16/32/64byte wrap-around burst read mode, and feature program/erase suspend and resume. Advanced security features include block protection and 4K-bit secured OTP to protect content from hostile access and inadvertent programming and erasing. With their enhanced performance, the serial NOR flash memory products are designed to meet the demands of the computer, consumer, communications, IoT, and mobile markets. The devices are ideal for use in chipsets for PCs, DVD and Blu-ray players, wireless LANs and cable modems, printers, set-top boxes, LCD displays, mobile and wearable devices, digital cameras, handheld GPS units, smart meters, and more. Device Specification Table: Part number AS25F364MQ-10SIN AS25F364MQ-10WIN Density 64Mb Bus width Serial Multi IO (x1/x2/x4) V CC 2.7V to 3.6V Frequency 104MHz Active read current max. 25mA Program / erase current max. 25mA Standby current max. 10uA Temperature range -40C to +85C Package 8-pin SOP (209mils) 8L WSON (6mm x 5mm)



About Alliance Memory Inc.

Alliance Memory is a worldwide provider of critical and hard-to-find memory ICs for the communications, computing, consumer electronics, medical, automotive, and industrial markets. The companys product range includes flash, DRAM, and SRAM memory ICs with commercial, industrial, and automotive operating temperature ranges and densities from 64Kb to 8Gb. Privately held, Alliance Memory maintains headquarters in Kirkland, Washington, and regional offices in Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America. More information about Alliance Memory is available online at www.alliancememory.com .

Editor resources: Link to product image:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alliancememory/51589901241/in/dateposted-public/ Link to detailed product info:

https://www.alliancememory.com/as25f-serial-nor-flash/ Agency Contact:

Bob Decker

Redpines

+1 415 409 0233

[email protected]



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] U.S. Army Brigadier General (Ret.) Leo A. Brooks Jr. joins Uptake as Advisor

CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Uptake announced today the appointment of U.S. Army Brigadier General (Retired) Leo A. Brooks Jr. as an advisor. As Uptake deepens its engagement with the Department of Defense, Brooks will provide strategic leadership and vision on the deployment of Industrial AI and Analytics to protect national security interests, increase mission readiness, and improve warfighter safety. "We're honored to welcome General Brooks. In his twenty-seven years of distinguished service to our nation, he built and led integrated operations across the Army," said Kayne Grau, CEO, Uptake. "His national security expertise and experience strengthening public-private partnerships to enable digital transformation in the federal government will position Uptake to better equip the U.S. Military with insights that enhance operational efficiency and troop safety." Before his retirement from the U.S. Army in 2006, General Brooks served at the Pentagon as the Vice Director of the Army Staff, Office of the Chief of Staff, where he coordinated mission support for Army and Combatant Commands in the Global War on Terrorism. Earlier in his career, General Brooks commanded units across the Army, including as the Deputy Commanding General of the 1st Armored Division in Germany and Commandant of Cadets at the United States Military Academy. For his exceptional leadership, General Brooks was awarded the Army's Distinguished Service Model in 2006 and the Secretary of the Army's Freedom Team Salute Award in 2007. General Brooks ten moved to the Boeing Company. On the leadership team of its defense business, he was the senior corporate liaison to the Pentagon, NASA, and Department of Homeland Security. He last served as the company's VP of Government Operations, Enterprise Subsidiary Integration, in which he optimized the coordination of Boeing subsidiaries, joint ventures, and investment partners.



"As part of the federal mandate to accelerate the adoption of AI, the DoD has an opportunity to leverage easily actionable insights on assets that are critical to preparing troops and supply chains on the frontline," said General Brooks. "The safe and secure use of powerful commercial software like Uptake enables commanders and asset managers to better protect their time, money, and ultimately, through more reliable operation and maintenance of heavy equipment, their troops." In addition to his new advisory role at Uptake, General Brooks sits on the boards of Valiant Integrated Services, America's Public Television Stations, and the District of Columbia College Access Program. He is also the Chairman of the Awards Committee on the Advisory Board of the Association of the United States Army and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

To learn more on how Uptake's work is improving equipment reliability, decision support, and warfighter safety for the U.S. Military, visit our Department of Defense page. ABOUT UPTAKE

Uptake is the industrial intelligence system, providing actionable insight for operators across a variety of industries. Uptake gives all departments  maintenance, reliability, operations, and financial teams  a single, shared, and contextualized view of every operational asset and interaction that affects performance. Driven by powerful data science models and cloud computing, Uptake's products deliver actionable insights that predict and prevent asset failure, increase compliance with ESG initiatives, mitigate catastrophic risk, optimize maintenance strategy, reduce repair costs, enhance productivity, and ensure operator safety. With 40+ patents and recognized for leadership in Industrial AI by Gartner, the World Economic Forum, CNBC, and Forbes, Uptake is headquartered in Chicago with a presence in Canada, South America, Europe, India, and Australia. To stay up-to-date on what we're doing, visit us at www.uptake.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. CONTACT

Linda Bartman,

Chief Operating Officer,

[email protected],

+ 1 312-242-2167 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-army-brigadier-general-ret-leo-a-brooks-jr-joins-uptake-as-advisor-301405179.html SOURCE Uptake

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021]

OliX Pharmaceuticals to Conduct One-on-One Meetings at BIO-Europe Digital 2021 Conference

SUWON, Republic of Korea, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OliX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (KOSDAQ: 226950), a leading developer of RNAi therapeutics, today announced that the Companys management will hold one-on-one partnering meetings at BIO-Europe Digital 2021, being held virtually October 25-28, 2021.



Sun Woo Hong, Ph.D., head of R&D at OliX Pharmaceuticals, and June Hyun Park, Ph.D., principal scientist at OliX Pharmaceuticals, will be available to discuss platform-based early discovery collaborations as well as global licensing options for the Companys pipeline programs for OLX703A for hepatitis B virus (HBV), OLX104C for androgenic alopecia (hair loss) and OLX702A for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

To schedule a virtual meeting, please visit the BIO-Europe partneringONE platform here: https://informaconnect.com/bioeurope/partnering/







About OliX Pharmaceuticals

OliX Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics against a variety of disorders by down-regulating expression of disease-causing genes based on its own proprietary RNAi technology. The Companys core RNAi platform, asymmetric siRNA (asiRNA), is a unique gene silencing technology based on RNA interference (RNAi), which is considered the most efficient gene silencing technology. Utilizing this proprietary asiRNA technology, OliX has developed cell penetrating asiRNA (cp-asiRNA), a therapeutic RNAi platform to effectively target diseases locally, such as hypertrophic scarring, dry and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), subretinal fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and neuropathic pain. OliX has also developed another therapeutic RNAi platform, GalNAc-asiRNA, to target a variety of liver diseases.

Learn more: https://www.olixpharma.com/eng/

Media Contact:

Jon Yu

ICR Westwicke PR

Phone: +1.475.395.5375

[email protected]
[October 21, 2021] Leading cybersecurity officials call for real collaboration between the public and private sectors to fend off threats of cyber threats

WASHINGTON D.C., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Federal agencies fighting cyber adversaries must truly integrate their efforts and build a real partnership with the private sector to counter cyber threats, six public and private sector cyber security experts said Tuesday in a special panel discussion hosted by Auburn University's McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security. Private and public agencies must go beyond information-sharing and create a joint operational approach, experts said. Companies and federal agencies need to go beyond information-sharing and create a joint operational approach, experts from the White House, NSA, the FBI, and CISA said. The discussion was moderated by McCrary Institute Director Frank Cilluffo, who described the participants as "the Mount Rushmore" of cyber security experts. The cyber expects representing the public and private sectors were: National Cyber Director Chris Inglis of the Executive Office of the President is the first person to hold the role. Inglis is also a former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency.

of the Executive Office of the President is the first person to hold the role. Inglis is also a former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency. Department of Homeland Security CISA Director Jen Easterly , a two-time Bronze Star recipient and retired U.S. Army veteran, leads CISA's efforts to promote and defend civilian government networks, manage systemic risk to national critical functions, and collaborate with state and local partners to ensure the security and resilience of the nation's cyber and physical infrastructure.

, a two-time Bronze Star recipient and retired U.S. Army veteran, leads CISA's efforts to promote and defend civilian government networks, manage systemic risk to national critical functions, and collaborate with state and local partners to ensure the security and resilience of the nation's cyber and physical infrastructure. FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate oversees all FBI domestic and inernational intelligence activities. His FBI service capacities previously included roles as a counterterrorism supervisory special agent in Iraq and domestic locations.

oversees all FBI domestic and inernational intelligence activities. His FBI service capacities previously included roles as a counterterrorism supervisory special agent in and domestic locations. NSA Director of Cybersecurity Rob Joyce is instrumental in strengthening the cybersecurity of federal networks and critical infrastructure and revamping the nation's vulnerabilities equities process.

is instrumental in strengthening the cybersecurity of federal networks and critical infrastructure and revamping the nation's vulnerabilities equities process. Berkshire Hathaway Energy CEO William J. Fehrman has been a senior executive within the Berkshire Hathaway Energy family of companies since 2006. During this time, he held executive roles for PacifiCorp Energy, MidAmerican Energy and BHE Renewables, managed Berkshire Hathaway Energy's cross-business cyber and physical security strategies, and served as the lead executive of Berkshire Hathaway Energy's supply chain and procurement initiatives.



Chris Inglis , the White House National Cyber Director. "But today the challenge is how to collaborate to discover a threat that none of us could have discovered alone. "The private sector is now on the frontlines, as it builds, maintains and defends critical parts of our infrastructure. The government needs to shift to a more supportive role, bringing its resources to help secure the private sector. We need a structure where a transgressor in cyber space would need to beat all of us to beat any of us.

While the federal government is tasked with leading the fight, more than 85 percent of the nation's critical infrastructure, including cyber networks, remain in private hands, enhancing the national security threat. Federal initiatives will have little impact if they are not built into private sector security operations, the participants noted. "What we're undertaking now on the cyber side is a form of terrorism that holds companies unable to function. This requires an elevated level of collaboration like we've never seen before in the private sector," said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. "Companies handle proprietary and sensitive information all the time," NSA Director of Cyber Security Rob Joyce said. "What I've seen in NSA in the last several months is we've been able to take that sensitive information, get it down to that unclassified level where it's operational and work with companies in the defense industrial base. For years, we've had things go up, over, around and down. Frankly, that's too slow and often misinterpreted. Those are the kinds of things we've got to get to right." To best protect private cyber infrastructure, panelists suggested becoming a more difficult cyber target through collaboration, trust, resilient cyber networks and building a strong, cyber-educated workforce beginning at an early age. "Cyber security is a team sport," Department of Homeland Security CISA Director Jen Easterly said. "It really matters to have those trusted relationships. This is all about the future of partnerships, which is operational collaboration. The federal government is really just a co-equal partner with the private sector and state and local colleagues. It truly is about a collective defense, in particular given that we live in a highly digitized, highly connected and highly complex threatened environment which is evolving every day." "If a company can't afford to protect itself, it probably can't afford to be in business," said Berkshire Hathaway Energy CEO William J. Fehrman. "I know some companies share a significant concern about data being provided to the government. Will it be used for the purposes of national defense and critical infrastructure protection? Or will it be used for regulatory and legal reasons that could come back and hurt the companies? Moving this forward, there must be a confidence built across companies that when the collaboration is occurring, it's occurring for the purposes of national defense and defensive critical infrastructure." McCrary Institute Director Frank Cilluffo noted, "Sometimes we have a 'plandemic' of plans. Plans have no value unless we are ready to work together and act on them. I have grappled with the challenge of collaboration for decades, but I believe we finally have the team in place to get this done." About the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security

The McCrary Institute seeks practical solutions to real-world problems, underpinned by research and scholarship. Founded in 2015 through a generous donation to Auburn University by the Alabama Power Foundation in honor of its retiring CEO and Auburn alumnus Charles D. McCrary, the Institute fuses theory with practice, and policy with technology, to protect and advance U.S. interests in the areas of cyber and critical infrastructure security. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leading-cybersecurity-officials-call-for-real-collaboration-between-the-public-and-private-sectors-to-fend-off-threats-of-cyber-threats-301406065.html SOURCE Auburn University-College of Engineering

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Rasmussen University Hosts 11th Annual Women's Leadership Breakfast

Rasmussen University, a university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission*, will host its 11th Annual Women's Leadership Breakfast on Fri, Oct. 29 at 8:00 a.m. Central. This no-cost event will be held virtually this year. All are welcome to register and attend. The theme for this year's Women's Leadership Breakfast event is Anything but Normal, which explores timely issues like progress, perfectionism and mental health. Attendees will have the privilege of hearing from Nora McInerny, an author, speaker and podcaster on redefining "what's normal" and how to navigate many of the important yet difficult conversations we face today. As the creator of the award-winning podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking, McInerny has experience exploring complex topics with wisdom and humor. She has also written several books, including It's Okay to Laugh (Crying is Cool Too), No Happy Endings and The Hot Young Widows Club. "We are thrilled to welcome and hear from Nora McInerny-a dynamic speaker who is passionate about having difficult conversations," said Staceyann Jibbison, assistant vice president of Campus Operations and Student Services, Rasmussen University. "In a time when nothing may seem normal Nora will help us redefine the phrase 'getting back to normal' and will use wisdom and humor to teach us how to make space for messy emotions in our lives, relationships-and even in the workplace."



The Rasmussen University Women's Leadership Breakfast began 11 years ago as a way to empower women and deepen their leadership presence in all aspects of their lives. Rasmussen is a place where women and men have learned as equals since its founding 121 years ago. In previous years, this event was hosted in the Minneapolis area. Last year, due to COVID-19, Rasmussen moved the event online, allowing the University to expand its reach to community partners and women all over the country. "Rasmussen University believes in the power of strong communities and knows the health and strength of those communities depends on the critical support and guidance offered by organizations that empower individuals and change lives," said Jibbison. "We are excited to host our event virtually again this year, and we look forward to impacting even more lives during this inspiring event."

The Women's Leadership Breakfast virtual event will last one hour. Following McInerny's remarks, audience members will have the opportunity to participate in a brief Q&A session with McInerny. To register for the 11th Annual Rasmussen University Women's Leadership Breakfast, visit https://rasmussen.co/WLB2021. *Higher Learning Commission / hlcommission.org / 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, Illinois 60604-1411 / 800-621-7440 ABOUT RASMUSSEN UNIVERSITY: Rasmussen University, a university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, is dedicated to changing lives and the communities it serves through flexible educational programs. As a pioneer in career-focused education since 1900, the University is defining a new generation of higher education that focuses on competency-based education, technology and transferrable skills. Rasmussen offers undergraduate and graduate programs online and in person at 23 campuses around the country. The University is designed to lift and support its students every step of the way, from each student's first credential to their last. Rasmussen is dedicated to global enrichment, serving the underserved and meeting the evolving needs of diverse students, communities and economies. Rasmussen encourages its students, faculty and staff to strive for academic excellence, community enrichment and service to the public good. For more information about Rasmussen University, please visit www.rasmussen.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005993/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Quantropi emerges as a major contender with the appointment of Ottawa technology visionary and seasoned senior executive Marco Pagani as Chairman of the Board

OTTAWA, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quantropi Inc., a groundbreaking Canadian quantum-secure data and communications software solutions provider, announced today the appointment of Ottawa Community Foundation President & CEO Marco Pagani to the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Todays announcement comes as the company enters the final run-up to a full commercial launch of its revolutionary QiSpace Quantum-Secure software platform for enterprises, governments, and developers worldwide. The nomination of an executive of Mr. Paganis caliber as Chairman comes in the wake of the companys 2nd quarter announcement of the hiring of Michael Redding, co-founder and former managing director of Accenture Ventures, as CTO, and speaks to the companys growing profile and confidence. Marco Pagani began his long and successful career as a senior executive in Ottawas high-tech sector in 1985, with Nortel Networks (then Bell-Northern Research). He rose across two decades to become president of several Nortel Business Units, managing more than 2,000 employees and over $1 billion in revenue. Having gone on to advise numerous organizations, as well as guide a range of companies through complex, critically necessary turnarounds, he is particularly respected for placing a strong emphais on ethics and corporate governance in building the culture of the corporate and not-for-profit organizations he leads and supports.



Mr. Pagani is enthusiastic about Quantropis prospects. I see the potential of this company to be a game-changer, to be a lighthouse  for our city, our country and our global business, technology and human communities. Its more than just an exceptionally promising start-up tech play. Its a company with an environmental, social and governance (ESG) value system explicitly aimed at contributing to the betterment of our world. In my opinion, co-founder and CEO James Nguyen is an individual bound to become one of the next generation of preeminent business leaders. I look forward to this opportunity to invest my mentoring support in James, and by extension the entire executive team, knowing society will see a significant return on that investment based on our working together to make technology relevant for a greater purpose. Having Marco join as chairman sends an important signal to the markets in terms of legitimization and validation, said James Nguyen. If someone like him  a legendary executive, one of the youngest presidents in Nortels history at a time when that company represented 40% of the TSX  if a heavy-hitter like that is motivated to contribute to the fulfillment of our mission, it must truly be a world-changing opportunity.

Knowing what I do about technology and IT infrastructures, I am always on the lookout for what I call waves, added Mr. Pagani. At one time, the wave we rode was about digitizing telecommunications networks; at another, it was the paradigm shift from fixed access towards untethered mobilization  the explosion of bandwidth, artificial intelligence  these are all waves. Well, quantum is a tsunami. And that makes Quantum Security a mega-tsunami. In my estimation, with vision, strategy and execution intelligence, Quantropi is capable of making an impact that will be felt for generations. Marco Pagani can be heard at the eminent quantum tech business event, Inside Quantum Technology (IQT), in conversation with Quantropi CTO Michael Redding, in an exclusive Fireside Chat on Preserving Truth, Trust and Network Security, to be held on November 2, 2021, from 10:45 am  11:15 am Eastern. About Quantropi

Founded in Ottawa in 2018, Quantropi is bound to be the standard for quantum-secure data communications  forever unbreakable, no matter what. Powered by quantum mechanics expressed as linear algebra, our technology encrypts data in transit and data at rest  defending against todays threats and tomorrows quantum-based attacks  without requiring the processing power of a quantum computer. Quantropi's TrUE quantum-secure key generation, encryption & distribution solutions are accessible via the company's flagship QiSpace platform. By offering an easily deployable, cost-effective, and effortlessly scalable solution that enables organizations to progressively upgrade towards 100% quantum security, forever, Quantropi's vision is to protect Truth & Trust beyond the information age. Bring it on. For more information, please contact:

Ken Dobell

Vice President, Marketing

[email protected]

https://quantropi.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Panish Shea & Boyle LLP Announces Name Change

Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, a nationally recognized plaintiffs' law firm, is proud to announce that it is changing its name to Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP. The firm's updated name reflects the significant contributions of firm partner Rahul Ravipudi who joined the firm in 2006 as an associate and was promoted in 2012 to firm partner. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021006071/en/ Nationally recognized plaintiffs' law firm Panish Shea & Boyle LLP introduces new logo and proudly announces it's changing the firm name to Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP. "Since his days as a law student, I have watched Rahul grow and develop into an incredible trial lawyer. He has embraced the firm's commitment to our clients, lawyers, and staff. He serves as a mentor and teacher to those wishing to be trial lawyers and advocates," said Brian J. Panish of Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP. "His skills as a trial lawyer, mentor, and teacher have significantly contributed to the growth and success of the firm. We are honored to be partners with Rahul and to place his name alongside ours." Mr. Ravipudi has spent his legal career handling catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving commercial vehicles, pedestrians, industrial or construction accidents, utility negligence, dangerous conditions of public and private property, as well as cases of sexual abuse and sexual assault. He currently serves in several litigation leadership roles including as Public Entity Plaintiffs' Co-Lead Counsel representing school districts in the JUUL Labs Product Cases as well as Plaintiffs Co-Lead Counsel in the Southern California Fire Cases litigation arising out of the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows in Montecito, California. Licensed in both California and Nevada, Mr. Ravipudi has obtained numerous landmark verdicts including a $16.5 million jury verdict for a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a vicious beating by security personnel for a Nevada nightclub, as well as a $20.5 million jury verdict for the mother of a Southern California high school student who was killed while walking to a school bus stop. In the last five years, two school injury cases arising from the death of a student and led by Mr. Ravipudi have been the catalyst for change in California legislation -- the "Paul Lee School Bus Law" requiring all school buses in the state to be equipped with a child safety alarm system that must be deactivated by the bus driver before departing the bus, and "Alex's Law" requiring a school district or charter school to have at least one adult with valid CPR certification present at an event where children will be in or around a school swimming pool.



Mr. Ravipudi has served as an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School since 2008 where he has taught Trial Advocacy at his alma mater for the past 13 years. Beginning in Spring 2022, he will be teaching a newly developed course on Jury Selection that will include the art and skill of selecting a jury as well as a focus on the substantive law relating to juries. This is believed to be the only law school course solely dedicated to jury selection offered at any law school in the country. As a result of his outstanding trial efforts and trial advocacy, Mr. Ravipudi has been recognized by numerous organizations and publications. He is honored to be named the 2021 recipient of the Consumer Attorneys of California's Robert E. Cartwright, Sr. Award presented in recognition of excellence in trial advocacy and dedication to teaching trial advocacy. He is also named among the 2021 finalists for Consumer Attorney of the Year - this is the sixth consecutive finalist recognition for Mr. Ravipudi. He has previously been recognized by the National Law Journal as a 2020 Plaintiffs Lawyer Trailblazer, received the 2019 Trailblazer Award from the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California, and named 2017 Trial Lawyer of the Year by Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles.

A Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Mr. Ravipudi is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers, and an Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is an active member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), the South Asian Bar Association (SABA), and the Nevada Justice Association. He serves on the Board for Loyola Law School, on the Executive Committee for the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA, on the Board of Governors for CAALA, on the Steering Committee for SABA, and on the Board for Public Counsel. Mr. Ravipudi received his law degree from Loyola Law School and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Minor in Chemistry from the University of California, Riverside. He resides in La Canada Flintridge with his three sons and wife Smitha, who serves as Chief Executive Officer at USC Care & Ambulatory Care Services at Keck Medicine of USC. ABOUT PANISH | SHEA | BOYLE | RAVIPUDI LLP Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP is a nationally recognized law firm with 38 attorneys representing plaintiffs in wrongful death, catastrophic injury, sexual abuse/assault, product liability, mass torts, and business litigation cases. With offices in California and Nevada, firm attorneys have dedicated themselves to obtaining justice for clients who are often dealing with a life-altering injury, death of a family member, or other challenges caused by the wrongful act of another together. With this mission at the heart of its work, the firm has obtained some of the most significant verdicts and settlements for plaintiffs in United States history, and together, firm attorneys have secured more than $10 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients over the years. The firm is consistently ranked among the best plaintiff's law firms in the country by U.S. News & World Report where it has been recognized as a 'Tier One' law firm -- the highest ranking a law firm can receive -- in the areas of Plaintiffs' Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions, Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Litigation, Plaintiffs' Product Liability Litigation, Insurance Law, and Aviation Law. The firm is also honored to have been named the 2020 'Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year' by National Law Journal in recognition of the firm's exemplary and cutting-edge work on behalf of plaintiffs. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021006071/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Wripple Reaches Agreement With Procurement Foundry to License Its Online Marketplace Platform

ATLANTA, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wripple, the first Agency Services Platform, announced today an agreement with Procurement Foundry to license its online marketplace software within the procurement category.

Procurement Foundry will leverage Wripples software to launch a new offering to their community  an online talent marketplace  which will give the Foundrys more than 5000 members across the world access to expert, on-demand procurement professionals for key projects. At Wripple, weve leveraged our extensive experience and intelligence from the digital agency worlds and channeled it into software that connects blue-chip brand opportunities with highly vetted, system-curated digital talent, on-demand, said Shannon Denton, co-founder and CEO of Wripple. Wripples platform represents the future for not just finding talent, but matching it at the right and best time for employers. We welcome the opportunity to work with Procurement Foundry to bring this intelligence and automation to the procurement and supply chain category. Procurement Foundry is building the largest community of Procurement and Supply Chain Management professionals in the world and provides a way to converse, share, and grow collective knowledge across their community  and now, seek on-demand procurement professionals though Wripples online talent marketplace software.



Wripples software not only delivers a superior customer experience and rich feature-set, but it has shown how it can help match highly-skilled people to companies that have an immediate need for top, specialized talent, says Michael Cadieux, founder of Procurement Foundry. Now more than ever, organizations such as ours welcome that kind of technology solution to serve our community members. Wripples software platform leverages software algorithms and rich data sets to match clients to (a) interdisciplinary solution teams for project-based assignments, or (b) individuals with specialized expertise. The Wripple algorithm analyzes a range of factors to recommend the best talent fit for the project, which results in higher quality candidate interviews and faster fill times.

With 70 years of combined agency work experience, Wripple founders, Bonny Block, Shannon Denton and Ray Samuels, have set out to enhance the agency business model they helped to create with the first intelligent, ecommerce engine for agency services. About Wripple (www.wripple.com)

Wripple is the first Agency Services Platform that utilizes a two-sided marketplace to connect companies & independent digital talent to help both thrive in our on-demand world. Technology and channel proliferation, the on-demand economy and now, a global pandemic, continue to shift the fundamental requirements and characteristics of marketing work, as the volume, velocity, complexity and need for specialized resources continues to grow. Wripples online marketplace provides a flexible, transparent, agile and cost-effective way to extend the total marketing workforce through access to on-demand, high quality talent and ready-made project teams. About Procurement Foundry

Procurement Foundry is the world's largest gathering of Procurement and Supply Chain Management practitioners today. It is a place where knowledge, ideas, questions, and information are shared through multiple engagement methods. The community includes chat channels, webinars, AMA (ask me anything) sessions, real-time surveys, document libraries, presentation theaters, and much more. The platform aggregates the industrys information and knowledge in one place so members can focus on what's important: members come to gather, grow, and share with peers. CONTACT Michael Shmarak

312.919.9222

[email protected]



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Macquarie Asset Management Acquires Alternative Investment Firm Central Park Group, Further Strengthening Commitment to Providing Alternative Investment Solutions to High-Net-Worth Investors

Macquarie Asset Management (MAM), the asset management division of Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG), today announced that it has agreed to acquire New York-based Central Park Group (CPG), an independent investment advisory firm delivering private client access to institutional hedge fund, private equity, real estate and funds-of-funds. The agreement underscores MAM's commitment to offering individual investors a diversified platform of institutional-quality alternative investments managed by Macquarie and other leading sponsors. With more than $US3.5 billion in assets under management, Central Park Group is a pioneer in providing financial advisors and their clients access to top alternative investment talent in structures specifically designed to meet the needs of high-net-worth and smaller institutional investors. "We have long admired Central Park Group's track record of innovation and success in delivering alternative solutions to individual investors. Given our alternatives expertise and our significant presence in the intermediary channel, the combination of Macquarie and Central Park Group uniquely positions us to address the needs of individual investors by providing increased access to alternative investments along with an enhanced client experience," said Ben Way, Head of Macquarie Asset Management. The acquisition highlights Macquarie's approach to serving clients and becoming a leader in the US high-net-worth alternatives sector. To support this effort, Macquarie is continuing to build its suite of cohesive value-added services, robust educational tools, curricula, and broad platform of alternative investment offerings based on its deep, long-standing industry and asset-class experience. "The asset management industry is rapidly evolving, and individual investor demand for alternative strategies is playing a central role in this dramatic shift. Macquarie's objective with the acquisition of Central Park Group is to empower clients and their financial advisors to invest for long-term success through access to institutional-quality alternative investment opportunities in thoughtful structures," added Graeme Conway, Chief Commercial Officer at Macquarie Asset Management.



"Joining forces with Macquarie is the natural next step in Central Park Group's evolution," said Gregory Brousseau, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Central Park Group. "We will continue to offer best-in-class alternative investments and clients will benefit from the added resources, depth and scale of a major global financial institution." "Macquarie is committed to democratizing alternative investments," said Mitchell Tanzman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Central Park Group. "As part of Macquarie, we will be able to further our mission of eliminating many of the structural impediments to private client investment in best-in-class alternatives, on a substantially larger scale. With a shared vision and similar entrepreneurial spirit, we believe that Macquarie is a great fit for Central Park Group."

The transaction is expected to close in early 2022. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About Macquarie Asset Management Macquarie Asset Management is a global asset manager that aims to deliver positive impact for everyone. Trusted by institutions, pension funds, governments, and individuals to manage more than $US520 billion in assets globally, we provide access to specialist investment expertise across a range of capabilities including fixed income, equities, multi-asset solutions, private credit, infrastructure, renewables, natural assets, real estate, and transportation finance. Macquarie Asset Management is part of Macquarie Group, a diversified financial group providing clients with asset management, finance, banking, advisory and risk and capital solutions across debt, equity, and commodities. Founded in 1969, Macquarie Group employs approximately 16,400 people in 31 markets and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. About Central Park Group, LLC Central Park Group was founded to serve the growing demand for alternative investments among high-net-worth and smaller institutional investors. The Firm sources private equity, hedge fund, real estate and fund-of-funds managers and develops offerings that are appropriate for a broad range of qualified investors. Committed to "education before assets," Central Park Group has created a suite of educational tools and resources for financial advisors and their clients. Central Park Group's founders pioneered many of the fund structures now used industrywide providing private client access to strategies historically accessible solely to institutional investors. Over more than 25 years, Central Park Group's founders have invested more than $US15 billion in hedge funds, private equity, real estate and funds-of-funds on behalf of investors. All Macquarie figures as of 30 June 2021. All Central Park Group figures as of 1 September 2021. Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) offers a diverse range of products including securities investment management, infrastructure and real asset management, and fund and equity-based structured products. Macquarie Investment Management (MIM) is the marketing name for certain companies comprising the asset management division of Macquarie Group. These include the following investment advisers: Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust (MIMBT), Macquarie Funds Management Hong Kong Limited, Macquarie Investment Management Austria Kapitalanlage AG, Macquarie Investment Management Global Limited, Macquarie Investment Management Europe Limited, and Macquarie Investment Management Europe S.A. Other than Macquarie Bank Limited (MBL), none of the entities noted are authorized deposit-taking institutions for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Commonwealth of Australia). The obligations of these entities do not represent deposits or other liabilities of MBL. MBL does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of these entities, unless noted otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021006078/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 21, 2021] Wholesale Investor Launches CRIISP AI-Driven Investor-to-Founder Matchmaking Feature

Release highlights: Wholesale Investor (WI) proudly launches a new AI-driven matchmaking feature on its capital raising and venture investment platform, CRIISP (Capital Raising Intelligent Investment Platform).

The feature utilises deep machine learning to connect discerning investors with relevant investment opportunities based on their past usage and behaviour.

Combined with the other capabilities of CRIISP, the AI matchmaking feature significantly reduces inefficiencies that investors commonly experience when sourcing deal flow whilst ensuring founders are placed in front of more relevant investors.

The launch is part of a series of new releases that will redefine and streamline quality founder-investor engagements. SYDNEY, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wholesale Investor, a leading global venture investment platform, announced today the release of its powerful AI-driven matchmaking feature, available to all users with a CRIISP account. Testament to its established industry leadership, WI is one of the first companies worldwide to utilise this technology in the venture capital space. The company has designed it to benefit investors by providing relevant deal flow and founders by promoting and connecting them with investors. WI has seamlessly built the matchmaking feature into the CRIISP software, which provides access to emerging growth companies and private opportunities for its network of over 32,000 investors, nurturing investor-to-founder activity with intuitive dashboards and analytics, and powerful communication tools. Utilising historical and current data, CRIISP strategically provides high-net-worth professional investors and industry players with relevant recommendations in the areas that matter most to them. Investors receive a unique and consistent deal flow tailord to their investment preferences every time and get insights into trending opportunities.



For companies raising capital, the AI matchmaking feature helps provide visibility to relevant investors, maximising their chances of attracting smart money whilst helping them avoid time and money-wasting discussions. WI is directly answering the market's needs with this new feature, cognisant of extensive research done by companies like Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT). In an article published in March 2021, Gartner, Inc. shared that more than 75% of venture capital and early-stage investor executive reviews will be informed using AI and data analytics by 2025.

According to Wholesale Investor's Co-Founder and Managing Director Steve Torso, "The launch of our AI-Driven Matchmaking Engine on CRIISP is an exciting and significant milestone for Wholesale Investor and the venture capital ecosystem. For over 13 years, we've witnessed first-hand how fragmented and inefficient traditional processes are in this space. That's why we built CRIISP, to streamline the process for investors, helping them discover opportunities relevant to their personal preferences and interests. We move the industry deal sourcing strategy from the old-world 'who you know' approach to an AI-driven platform providing matching suggestions based on relevance and deep learning. The more you enable relevant connections to take place, the greater the opportunity for investors to meaningfully participate in companies of interest. For example, an investor with a career spanning 20 years and who has built a solid network can add substantial value to innovative growth companies  this is where the value of an investor goes beyond just the capital! That is where transformational introductions can happen." Mr. Torso adds, "This release is just the first of many future developments we have planned for the platform. By leveraging new technologies, we will continue to create exponential opportunities for founders, investors, and the broader network." More CRIISP updates will be coming in the last quarter of 2021 and early next year to further redefine and streamline the engagements of founders and investors. WI invites investors who want to take advantage of the future-ready capabilities of CRIISP to create a free account here: https://app.criisp.io/register For companies raising capital, please get in touch with WI here:

https://wholesaleinvestor.com.au/raise-capital/ About Wholesale Investor Wholesale Investor is a global leading investment platform that connects innovative and emerging companies looking to raise capital with an active, engaged, and growing ecosystem. The company has a solid track record of 13 years, with seven unicorns and over 63 exits. It actively connects 32,000+ investors with 410+ investment opportunities. For more information, please visit https://wholesaleinvestor.com.au/ SOURCE Wholesale Investor

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Today Kansas City political insiders paid tribute to a local leader . . .



There was a great deal of social media mourning but we think comment from Show-Me State party infrastructure stands out . . .



"I am saddened to hear of the passing of Chair Wrabec," Randy Dunn, executive director of Missouri Democrats, said in a tweet. "Paul was not only a good Democrat and union man, he was just a good person, period.



"He was a strong and trusted voice, not just in Kansas City, but across the state. He was someone I looked up to when I became involved in Kansas City politics originally and his leadership is a loss to us all. He will be deeply missed and my prayers go out to his family, friends and Jackson County Democrats."

The note from mayor Q . . .

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .
We may not always agree with one of our favorite OG Kansas City metro bloggers but his perspective on local is certainly worthy of consideration . . .



His overall take . . .



"It is easy to divide a community by throwing out divisive bullshit stories like this, especially with little to no research done or shown. Instead, they plucked some numbers from a left-wing group that has a clear objective."

And again . . .

Readers don't have to agree but it's worth noting that A LOT of people out there feel this way . . . And that fact of life is reflected in falling subscriptions and ad revenue for the so-called paper-of-record . . .



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .
Actually, the survey results include a crucial part of flyover country as both Missouri & Kansas residents were counted . . .



For us, here's the money line . . .



"The results from QuoteWizard were widely split, but a plurality of those not getting the vaccine in Missouri said they were foregoing the jab because of a concern over side effects---37 percent of respondents. Those in Kansas were most concerned about the vaccine's side effects and the safety of the vaccine itself."

Worth consideration . . .

Nowadays right wingers get most of the blame for vaccine hesitancy and skepticism but it's worth remembering that in the early days of the plauge . . . The future Veep also voiced her criticism of any vaxx coming from MAGA.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .
The African-inspired conceptual resort offers a special deal for its first anniversary celebration



(TRAVPR.COM) THAILAND - October 21st, 2021 - An African-inspired conceptual resort, The Gems Mining Pool Villas Pattaya celebrates its first anniversary this November offering special deals on accommodation, food and beverages, and spa treatments.

The anniversary promotion offers 15% discount on the best available rate on accommodation with breakfast, other benefits include a complimentary welcome mini-bar set on the arrival day, coffee and tea making facilities and 15% discount on food, beverages and spa treatments. Moreover, book a two-consecutive night and receive resort credit of 500 Baht per stay for Topaz Jacuzzi and Emerald One-Bedroom Pool Villa, 1,000 Baht per stay for Sapphire Two-Bedroom Pool Villa, and 1,500 Baht per stay for Ruby Three-Bedroom Pool Villa.

The Gems Mining Pool Villas Pattaya boasts of a barefoot luxury experience with five-star facilities in greenery settings. It is categorized in five room types including Topaz Jacuzzi (93 SQM.), Emerald One-Bedroom Pool Villa (100 SQM), Sapphire Two-Bedroom Pool Villa (140 SQM), Ruby Three-Bedroom Pool Villa (270 SQM.) and The Legacy Conceptual Residence with five bedrooms (2,888 SQM.) The resort boasts of a luxury African gems mining concept with a touch of Safari. Each room and villa is spacious and equipped with five-star amenities. Guests can take advantage of the wellness facilities at Club Amethyst including spa, gym, onsen bath, steam and sauna

Rates per night start from 4,002 Baht for Topaz Jacuzzi, 4,702 Baht for Emerald One-Bedroom Pool Villa, 9504 Baht for Sapphire Two-Bedroom Pool Villa, and 14,306 Baht for Ruby Three-Bedroom Pool Villa. A consecutive two-night stay is required for long weekends and festive seasons.

Reservations can be made from 1 November 2021 until 15 January 2022 for stays from 1 November 2021 to 30 April 2022. Enter promo code FIRST and book on www.thegemspattaya.com.

###
Veda Yowell, 90, of Clinton, passed away on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at IU West Hospital in Avon, surrounded by her loving family. Veda was born in Parke County on August 30, 1931, to Harry and Angeline Ladiha Crossley. She married her husband, Fred, on July 22, 1949, and together, they
Police in Missouri have released a new age-progressed sketch of the man who went on a killing spree across the Midwest almost three decades ago and is believed to be the suspect in two Terre Haute homicides.
Hi Guys,

I am planning a trip to Istanbul and Cappadocia. My dates are from 4th to 10th Dec as my wifes bday is on the 6th. So cant really move the dates

I wanted to know if this is a good time to visit Turkey and if things like Balloon rides are comfortable in Dec.

Please help as we have already changed our travel plans once from an earlier destination coz of very high flight prices. Now we are a little worried about the weather in Turkey in Dec.
Tucson, AZ (85741)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 52F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 52F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
SBU counterintelligence in Vinnytsia region detained an FSB asset trained by terrorists in the temporarily occupied Donbas.

That's according to the SBU press center, Ukrinform reports.

"SBU counterintelligence operatives have exposed and detained in Vinnytsia region a Russian FSB asset who had been trained by terrorists in the temporarily occupied Donbas. The investigation established that the citizen of Ukraine in question had joined the illegal armed groups with the so-called Luhansk People's Republic and taken part in hostilities against the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Also, he underwent in the occupied territory of Luhansk region combat training as part of a sabotage and reconnaissance group, led by a former FSB operative call sign Dykyi (Wild - ed.)," reads the statement.

It is noted that on the instructions of his Russian handlers, the FSB asset moved to a government-controlled region of Ukraine to perform intelligence tasks.

As part of the criminal proceedings, SBU detectives pressed treason and terrorism charges against the detainee.

The court is yet to rule on a measure of restraint to be applied to the suspect.

Further pre-trial inquiry is underway.

The SBU has carried out the raid under the procedural guidance of the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor's Office.

Photo from the SBU

im
The foreign delegation led by European Union's Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore visited the Joint Forces Operation area in eastern Ukraine on October 20.

As the JFO press center posted on Facebook, the officials met with representatives of the JFO Command and got acquainted with the security situation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Moreover, the European delegation visited the entry-exit checkpoint "Mayorske".

Colonel Pavlo Tsvelikh, head of the Kramatorsk border unit, told the guests about the peculiarities of performing tasks at the entry-exit checkpoint and the obstruction of the movement of people by the occupation administration.

"There is a sufficient number of border guards at all checkpoints every day who are able to let the citizens cross the line of contact smoothly in both directions. However, all attempts by people to cross the line of contact in this direction are blocked by the occupiers," the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine quotes Tsvelikh as saying.

The delegates discussed the security situation and the impact of quarantine measures on citizens' ability to cross the contact line. The border guards assured the EU representatives of their readiness to maintain security and let the people cross the contact line at a steady pace.

EU Special Representative Gilmore thanked for the work and expressed hope for the speedy liberation of the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.

As reported, all four entry-exit checkpoints ("Hnutove", "Novotroitske", "Marinka", and "Mayorske") are open in Donetsk region, but occupiers continue to let people only through "Novotroitske" checkpoint twice a week  on Mondays and Fridays.

Photo credit: JFO press center

ol
The European Union is concerned about the situation of detainees in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and calls on the occupation authorities of non-government-controlled areas to greenlight monitoring and access to detainees.

"I am glad to be in Kramatorsk [Donetsk region] and to be able to get acquainted with the situation in eastern Ukraine. I talked to civil society organizations, government officials and I hope to be able to see the situation on the ground," European Union's Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore said in an interview with Dom TV channel, Ukrinform reports.

The European Union is very concerned about the human rights situation in the non-government-controlled areas, said the EU Special Representative for Human Rights.

Read also: EU Special Representative Gilmore visits JFO area

"We are particularly concerned about the situation of imprisoned people because we have heard reports on torture of detainees, sexual abuse, and very poor conditions in the places of detention," Gilmore said.

He also called on the occupation authorities of the temporarily non-government-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine to greenlight international monitoring of places of detention and direct communication with detainees.

"And we call on the de facto 'authorities' of these areas to allow international monitoring of places of detention. So that, in particular, United Nations human rights mission will be able to inspect these places of detention and be able to communicate with detainees directly," Gilmore said.

As reported, on October 18, European Union's Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore arrived in Ukraine on his first working visit. He visited Donetsk region. Gilmore studies the human rights situation in non-government-controlled areas.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova said that 426 Ukrainian citizens were being held in inhumane conditions in places of detention in the Russian Federation and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine on trumped-up politically motivated charges.

Denisova also said that almost 450 more citizens were awaiting the transfer from places of detention in the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to serve their sentences in the government-controlled territory but the transfer process had been blocked for two years already.

ol
Gas TSO of Ukraine, the countrys gas transmission system operator, applied to the German energy regulator (Bundesnetzagentur) to participate in the certification procedure for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline operator.

Thats according to the company press service, Ukrinform reports.

"We continue to strongly oppose this geopolitically dangerous project, which threatens Ukraine's national security, destroys Europe's energy architecture, and seeks to circumvent EU rules. Nord Stream 2 AG certification will violate the rights and commercial interests of Ukraine's GTS operator, which is the basis for our application to Germany. Nord Stream 2 is not aimed at diversifying gas shipment routes, threatening the security of gas supplies to Europe," said Sergiy Makogon, the company CEO.

He stressed that Nord Stream 2 adds a huge amount of unnecessary additional capacity for gas shipments from Russia to Europe to the existing capacity, which is already being underutilized. In particular, this is about the Ukrainian GTS, which is in good technical condition and boasts a capacity triple that of Nord Stream 2.

In addition, Russias new pipe bypassing Ukraine does not in fact diversify gas supply routes and will hinder competition in the European gas market. Gas TSO of Ukraine also noted that Nord Stream 2 AG, the pipe operator, is set to remain part of Gazprom Group, which is contrary to current European legislation.

"Nord Stream 2 AG can only be certified if it complies with all the obligations set out in European law. European energy law requires that the Nord Stream 2 operator be completely separate and independent from Gazprom, and that the rules on third-party access, non-discriminatory and transparent tariffs were applied to the entire pipeline from its end point in Lubmin, Germany, to the starting point in Ust-Luga, Russia," Gas TSO of Ukraine wrote.

The company insists that Ukraine's gas transmission system should be open for use by third parties at the Russian border, regardless of whether the party is from Central Asia or another Russian gas producer beyond Gazprom.

As reported, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine submitted the same application to the German regulator to participate in the certification process of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Nord Stream 2 AG earlier said the first line of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline had been filled with technical gas and was ready for operation.

On September 10, Russian gas monopoly Gazprom announced the completion of NS2 construction.

The pipeline was built from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine, along the Baltic Sea bottom. The sole shareholder in the project is Gazprom. Now the pipeline is awaiting certification by a German regulator.

Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic States, and the United States vehemently oppose this project. The governments of the said countries, as well as an influential group of European Parliament members, believe Russia is already using Nord Stream 2 as a hybrid energy weapon against both Ukraine and the entire European Union.

im
During the meeting with Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic Silvana Jirotkova, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for European Integration Valeria Ionan presented the ecosystem of Diia projects.

"It was a constructive meeting at which we exchanged information about our digitalization projects and outlined the ways for future cooperation. In particular, representatives of the Czech Republic learned about Diia as a brand of digital state and the ecosystem of projects: Diia application, Diia portal, Diia.Business, Diia.Digital Education, and Diia City projects," Ionan said, the Ministry of Digital Transformation informs.

The parties identified areas for further cooperation, in particular: smart city, Diia City, cooperation through the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office, and joint efforts at the regional level.

"We are interested in bilateral cooperation with Ukraine and, in particular, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, to jointly implement digitalization projects that will improve the lives of citizens and promote business development," Jirotkova said.

As reported, on July 15, 2021, the Verkhovna Rada passed the Law of Ukraine "On Stimulating the Development of the Digital Economy in Ukraine" which provides for the creation of a special legal regime for IT industry  Diia City.

The law aims to stimulate the development of digital economy in Ukraine by creating favorable conditions for doing innovative business, attracting investment, building digital infrastructure, and attracting talented employees.

ol
Ukraine must finally overcome corrupt influences that undermine the rule of law and hold the country back from its Euro-Atlantic path.

Charge d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv Kristina Kvien, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas and British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons wrote this in an article "Now Is the Moment to Transform Ukraine" for the Ukrayinska Pravda news site.

According to the diplomats, while passage by the Ukrainian parliament of the laws on judicial reform, including the reform of the High Council of Justice, was an enormous achievement, implementation of the actual reforms  including the "integrity checks" of judicial body members  must now take place.

At the same time, they said that, unfortunately, the Council of Judges (COJ) has so far failed to nominate representatives to the HCJ's Ethics Council, the body which would perform this important work. In addition, diplomats suggested that by establishing excessive, extra-legislative qualification requirements, the COJ may have discouraged Ukrainian judges from applying.

"The best way forward for judicial reform is clear: We call upon the COJ to allow those who want to support this reform to serve on the Ethics Council. We know that there are many professional, capable, honest legal professionals who want to do so," the ambassadors said.

They also noted that the COJ's move was not the only challenge facing judicial reform. A separate setback occurred October 8, when Ukraine's Supreme Court petitioned the Constitutional Court to review the constitutionality of certain provisions of the HCJ reform law.

In this context, the ambassadors recalled that the Constitutional Court sparked a crisis a year ago by declaring Ukraine's asset declaration registry unconstitutional and invalidating key provisions of Ukraine's corruption prevention law. This widely-criticized decision highlighted the urgent need for reform of the Constitutional Court (CCU), and led to President Volodymyr Zelensky's declaration that in addition to judicial reform, CCU reform was one of his highest priorities.

"The president rightly understood that establishment of a transparent, merit-based selection procedure for CCU judges is key in ensuring gradual renewal of this controversial court. This step, together with a temporary increase in the decision-making quorum are among the most important recommendations of the Venice Commission and they are, in our view, the right way ahead. Unfortunately, we have not seen any progress on this reform since the Venice Commission issued its opinion on this matter in December 2020," the ambassadors said.

According to them, only when the highest levels of the judiciary are viewed as independent and principled can trust in the judiciary among citizens be established and sustained. International businesses are also consistently calling for this reform to unlock foreign direct investment into Ukraine by creating a more stable, transparent investment climate and fostering rule of law, they said.

"So, now is the time. The time to stand up to vested interests and their accomplices, to insist on fair and equal treatment under Ukrainian law for all citizens, and to finally overcome the corrupt influences that undermine rule of law and hold Ukraine back from its Euro-Atlantic path," the ambassadors said.

Finally, they added that the international community will stand behind you as you take these important steps forward.

op
Ukraine is on its way to NATO, but joining the Alliance requires both compliance with the required criteria and the solidarity of the 30 participating states.

The head of the board of the Center for Defense Strategies, ex-defense minister (2019-2020) Andriy Zahorodniuk made the relevant comment for Dom TV, Ukrinform reports.

According to the expert, during an official visit to Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made a number of statements that cast no doubt on the U.S. support for Ukraine on its path to NATO.

"During the visit, Austin repeated the same narrative we heard from Biden after the NATO Summit in Brussels in June 2021. So we see this as a positive thing because it was absolutely clear that the Allies do see Ukraine in NATO," said the expert.

Despite the fact that at the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest, Germany and France expressed doubts about Ukraine's accession prospects, a final communique was signed saying Ukraine would eventually become an Ally, the head of the Center for Defense Strategies said.

"We never had a situation where all NATO Allies would be against Ukraine's accession. In 2008, only Germany and France said they didnt see us there yet. However, a communique was signed by all Allies without exception, that is, there was full consensus. And that communique says Ukraine will become a member of NATO. This statement is positive as such," Zahorodniuk is convinced.

He stressed that joining NATO is a matter of consensus of all 30 Allies who must show solidarity when voting, so compliance with the NATO standards gives no absolute guarantee of Ukraine's accession.

"When Biden was asked in June this year, when Ukraine could join NATO, the answer was very simple: we expect it to become a member of NATO, but it must meet the criteria. Is this a guarantee that we will meet the criteria tomorrow and get there? Of course, not. Because joining NATO is a matter of consensus of all 30 NATO Allies who must vote in favor. In particular, such complex powers as France, Germany, and some others that still need to be persuaded," the expert said.

He noted that the United States cannot act as a guarantor of Ukraine's accession to NATO, as each country makes its own decision.

"No politician will ever take responsibility for the decisions of France or Germany. That is, neither Biden nor Austin will promise us membership if that membership doesnt depend solely on United States policy. So they are all very careful because they dont want to get into a situation where they will look very bad. Therefore, they will promise it only when they see that a consensus is reached in the Alliance. And we still need to work to this end," Zahorodniuk explained.

At the same time, the United States remains one of the main advocates of Ukraines interests, he added.

"But the United States is indeed one of our main lobbyists in NATO. It is one of the countries that works with other countries and pushes them enough to support Ukraine," said the former defense minister.

In addition, Ukraine must meet the requirements set for an applicant country to get NATO membership.

"And, of course, the issue wont go anywhere. We are yet to address many issues within the country. That is, these are the reforms that we promise to carry out and havent yet done so or the ones were implementing and are yet to complete," Zahorodniuk concluded.

As reported, on October 19, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin paid an official visit to Ukraine. He met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Defense Minister Andriy Taran. The parties discussed issues of bilateral relations, implementation of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, material and technical assistance to the Ukrainian Army, and countering Russian aggression.
The United Kingdom is in talks with Ukraine on arms sales, including of missiles for patrol boats and those for aircraft, amid fears that Russia could exploit the latest gas crisis in Europe to seize more of Ukrainian territory.

Thats according to The Times referring to an unnamed Ukrainian diplomat, Ukrinform saw.

This is about the sale by Britain to Ukraine of surface-to-surface missiles developed by MBDA UK. The missiles are able to hit swarms of targets simultaneously and set to be put on warships that are in service with the Ukrainian Navy.

No further details of the talks have been disclosed so far.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, half of the funds from a GBP 2.5 billion ($2.7 billion) loan the United Kingdom provides to Ukraine will go for strengthening the Ukrainian Navy Fleet. In particular, Ukraine will build a number of naval bases. Preparations have been launched to build the first two of them  one on the Black Sea coast and the other  on the Sea of Azov. Ukraine will also purchase two British Sandown-type minesweepers.

In October 2020, Britain and Ukraine signed a memorandum providing for the re-equipment of the Ukrainian Navy.

im
The geopolitical importance of Ukraine has been growing every day since the Revolution of Dignity, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas has said.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, he said this at the 4th Association Exchange Forum in Kyiv on Thursday, October 21.

"Ukraine's geographical location has not changed. But Ukraine's geopolitical position has been changing every day since the Revolution of Dignity, when you finally made your clear choice to return from the East to the West," he said.

According to Maasikas, this was the biggest "geopolitical shift" in Europe, and the EU had all the reason to support that.

In his speech at the forum, Maasikas also praised the format of the Association Trio launched by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to strengthen their cooperation with the EU. According to him, the European Union recognizes that these three partner countries in the Eastern Partnership have "higher ambitions and aspirations" and that the format of cooperation they initiated will only benefit the EU and the region.

op
Experts with the National Security and Defense Council Staff met with the NATO delegation led by Marcin Kozhiel, Head of the Department for Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine at the Operations Division of the NATO International Staff.

Thats according to the NSDC press service.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the issues of monitoring the implementation of the National Security Strategy of Ukraine and the state developing strategic planning documents in the field of national security and defense, which will determine the ways and tools to implement the Strategy, the report says.

It is noted that the parties also paid special attention to the state of security and defense sector reform within the Annual National Program under the auspices of the NATO-Ukraine Commission for 2021 and the activities of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defense Reform.

In turn, Mr. Kozhiel noted Ukraines impressive pace and progress in developing agency-level strategic documents.

He also assured of the Allies readiness to provide all required assistance in the process of implementing these documents and stressed the urgency of the relevant revision of the NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine.

Mr. Kozhiel also stressed the importance of resuming high-level consultations within the NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defense Reform.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on October 19, following talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Defense Minister Andriy Taran stated that Ukraine and the United States had agreed on steps to implement agreements on Ukraine's defense on land, in the air, at sea, and in cyberspace from existing and potential threats.

im
Turkey does not recognize the temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia and clearly states its position.

"We do not recognize and accept the annexation of Crimea by Russia. We say that Ukrainian territorial integrity has to be protected," Head of the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Akif Cagatay Klc said speaking at a TRT World Forum 2021 panel, Turkeys Grand Strategy: Regional and Global Challenges, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to him, Turkeys position on Crimea is clear, although the country has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia.

As a reminder, Turkey has repeatedly stated at various levels that it does not recognize the temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia and supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Turkey encouraged Ukraine's initiative to launch the Crimea Platform and became its member. The 9th meeting of the UkraineTurkey Joint Strategic Planning Group at the level of the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Turkey took place in Lviv on October 7-8.

TRT World Forum is an annual international forum with the participation of leading politicians, experts, opinion leaders who raise topical issues of international and regional policy.

ol
Ukraine is ready to admit international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to Andrey Kosyak, a member of the armed formations of the Russian Federation, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Olegh Nikolenko has told Ukrinform.

"The international community must see who Russia is sending to fight against the Ukrainian people. Kosyak's detention during a reconnaissance operation and his documented participation in hostilities once again illustrates Russia's responsibility for waging an international armed conflict in our country," Nikolenko said.

He said the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry had also instructed Ukrainian embassies abroad to inform foreign governments in detail about the evidence of Russian aggression and Russia's gross violations of the agreements reached by the leaders of the Normandy Four countries.

Nikolenko recalled that Kosyak was currently in custody according to a ruling issued by the Sievierodonetsk City Court of Luhansk Region. He was charged with participation in illegal armed groups under Part 2 of Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on October 19 announced the detention of Russian national Kosyak in Ukraine. She called on the Ukrainian side to report his whereabouts and allow Russian consular representatives to visit him.

On October 13, Russian occupation forces resorted to a gross provocation as an armed group wearing armbands of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination were caught red-handed on a reconnaissance mission under the guise of a demining effort near the abandoned positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. One of the group members, Russian national Andrey Kosyak born in 1978, was detained on the spot.

op
Ukraine has recorded 22,415 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Health Ministry has reported on Facebook.

"Some 22,415 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease COVID-19 (including 1,771 cases in children and 345 cases in healthcare workers) were recorded in Ukraine on October 20, 2021," the report reads.

According to the report, 546 coronavirus-related deaths, 4,892 hospital admissions, and 8,036 recoveries were registered in Ukraine on October 20.

As many as 2,701,600 people have contracted coronavirus in Ukraine, 2,352,835 have recovered, and 62,389 have died since the pandemic began.

According to the report, 251,254 people were vaccinated for COVID-19 in Ukraine on October 20. Some 165,649 people received their first dose, and 85,605 people were fully vaccinated.

A total of 15,117,165 doses have been administered in Ukraine since it launched the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with 8,373,550 people receiving their first dose and 6,743,615 people receiving both doses (two people received their first dose abroad).

Some 95% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 last week were not vaccinated, the report said.

op
The court has selected a measure of restraint for former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov who is being investigated for treason in relation to the so-called "Kharkiv agreements" signed with Russia.

Thats according to the State Bureau of Investigation, Ukrinform reports.

In a statement, the SBI says the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv granted the relevant motion by the Bureaus detective as part of a criminal proceeding into high treason committed in conspiracy with others.

The pre-trial inquiry has established that the content and terms of the Agreement signed between Ukraine and Russia on the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Ukrainian territory were imposed by the then-President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, on the then-Prime Minister of Ukraine, Mykola Azarov, on the eve of its signing in Moscow on April 21, 2010.

Fully understanding the implications for Ukraine of signing such an agreement, the then head of government deliberately ensured that the said document be endorsed and approved by authorized officials (ministers, heads of law enforcement and on behalf of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine) at all stages of approval and implementation," the SBI said.

Detectives have obtained original documents proving "the deliberate actions by former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov to the detriment of our countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Such actions subsequently contributed to the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation," the statement stressed.

It was established that these acts were carried out "in conspiracy with the then President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, who had also been charged and declared wanted in the said criminal proceeding."

The court ruling to remand Azarov in custody will provide grounds for requesting international legal assistance in his extradition, as well as allow initiating a pre-trial investigation in absentia," the SBI said.

The bureau reminded prosecution for treason has no statute of limitations.

In January 2021, the SBI pressed treason charges against the disgraced ex-president, Viktor Yanukovych.

On March 12, the SBU announced the start of a pre-trial inquiry into the circumstances of the signing and ratification by the Verkhovna Rada in 2010 of an agreement on the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine.

The agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, signed in Kharkiv on April 21, 2010, by the then presidents of Ukraine and Russia, Viktor Yanukovych and Dmitry Medvedev, extended the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol from 2017 to 2042, setting the relevant rent fee.

Photo: Alexander Widding / Global look

im
Chuck Sams has been nominated to be the next head of the National Parks Service.
Mrs. Evelyn Holland Reddick Dixon, 81, passed away on Nov. 14, 2021. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, at 11 a.m. in the Williams Funeral Home Chapel in Milledgeville. A burial service will be held at 2 p.m. in the Alligood Cemetery in Laurens County. The family wil


(Photo : Image by Free stock photos from www.rupixen.com from Pixabay )

Online businesses have become a major part of the world we live in today. Not only it makes the commerce process easier for the business by providing them an easy and simple way of selling goods and services, but also for customers by simplifying the buying process and giving them more choices. Days when we had to go to the physical shop to purchase goods or services are long gone, now the entire world is literally in the palm of our hand. Even the banking industry has started to undergo digital transformation to make it possible for everyone to access the financial services from their devices. Our devices give us the chance to buy the goods or services from anywhere in the world, and have it delivered to us in a matter of days.

Truth is that e-commerce comes with so many benefits, that most people hardly think about the downsides. This new world of e-commerce is also providing new possibilities for cyber criminals to access the confidential details of businesses and customers and to use it for their own benefit. Duty of every business dealing with private confidential customer details, especially when dealing with their banking details, is to do everything in their power to protect them. When it comes to the area of e-commerce that means that a merchants primary duty is to ensure that the transactions on your website are secure.

The process of online payment transactions consists of five elements and they are: the client, the merchant, the client's financial institution, the merchant's financial institution and the payment gateway. Payment gateway is the last and most important step in defense against cyber attacks which is why it is extremely important to secure it.

What is a Payment gateway?

The payment gateway in the most simplest terms is a merchant service used to process the card payments. In more broader terms, payment gateway is used to provide a secure connection that will carry out transactions and to verify, accept or even decline transactions on behalf of a merchant. It is used for ecommerce sites but also for the traditional brick and mortar stores. It might sound technical, but you can always compare a payment gateway to a normal cash register, but instead of being used for cash payments it is used for electronic transactions. And just like you use any means possible to keep the standard cash register secure, the same needs to be done also with the payment gateway.

How To Secure Your Payment Gateway

As a merchant you always need to keep the security of your customers your top priority for more reasons than the obvious ones. Not only that endangering customer details puts them at risk, but also the cost of recovery from data breach is $4.24 million according to the study from 2021, which is the highest ever recorded. Not many businesses can recover from that, especially when data breach also means losing the trust of even the unaffected customers.

In order to avoid this happening to your business, read about the five ways you can use it to secure your payment gateway.

Data Enrichment. This is a process of taking raw data from different sources and enriching the initial data. This can help you to create a unique profile of your customers before they even make a purchase and to confirm their identity before completing payment. By using data enrichment to secure your payment gateway you can compare customers' email or even IP addresses with the internal and external databases to see if it was involved with any previous data breaches or if it happens to be on any spam blacklists. This way you can prevent fraud attempts before it does any serious damage. It might sound complicated, but it actually is not that complicated.

Reverse Email Lookup. It is a great tool to ensure the security of all your customers because you can create a complete user profile just by using their email. Every person has their online presence on different platforms, which makes it easy to recognize the cyber criminals as their online presence won't be detailed.

Data encryption. This is one of the most important methods payment gateways use to secure the data. The moment a customer enters their card details, they will be encrypted and then they can only be decrypted by private key from the payment gateway. This way the customer data is protected during transmission from the gateway to the acquiring bank.

Transport Layer Security (TLS). This is used to provide secure data transfers over various public channels, like a web server and a browser. By using this process your payment gateway will encrypt all sensitive data that is sent from one system to another so that cyber criminals won't be able to recognize the data if they try to access it.

Secure Electronic Transaction (SET). This protocol is a great tool that is used to secure the transfer of any customer's card details during an online transaction because it blocks out the details of the card so not even the merchant can't access it.

As a merchant you need to be aware that nobody is immune to cybersecurity issues and you need to stay proactive in order to ensure the security of your business and your customers. Don't wait for something bad to happen before you take all the necessary action. The only business that will stay safe are the ones that take active measures in cybersecurity.
The Main Point is an opinion written collectively by The University Star's Editorial Board. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of our entire publication.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Abuja, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :Thirty students who were kidnapped by a criminal gang more than four months ago in northwest Nigeria have been released, the local government said Thursday.

Since December, more than 1,000 students have been snatched in the country by heavily armed gunmen known locally as bandits.

"Today... thirty (30) students of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri have arrived Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital following their release," local government spokesman Yahaya Sarki said in a statement.

It was unclear if a ransom was paid.

Gunmen attacked the Federal Government College in Kebbi on June 17.

Police said at the time that the gunmen killed one security officer and injured a student, but declined to say how many were kidnapped.

"Efforts are still continuing to secure the release of the remaining (students)," Sarki said.

According to local residents, the attackers shot and injured five people, including four students.

They also ransacked the hostels and vandalised student personal effects.

Most students kidnapped in Nigeria are freed after weeks or sometimes months in captivity.

The country's bandits have long targeted central and northwestern states, raiding villages, stealing cattle and kidnapping for ransom.

But they have increasingly targeted schools, snatching students or schoolchildren and herding them into forest hideouts to negotiate ransom payments.
Miami, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :Apparent human remains were found Wednesday in a Florida nature reserve where authorities have been searching for the missing boyfriend of murdered US road-tripper Gabby Petito, the FBI said.

FBI special agent Michael McPherson said a notebook and backpack belonging to Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie, had also been found.

Police have been searching for Laundrie for weeks after Petito was found strangled to death in Wyoming.
(@FahadShabbir)

New Delhi, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :India administered its billionth Covid-19 vaccine dose on Thursday, according to the health ministry, half a year after a devastating surge in cases brought the health system close to collapse.

According to the government, around three-quarters of adults in the country of 1.3 billion people has had one shot and around 30 percent are fully vaccinated.
Seoul, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :North Korea accused the United States of "double standards" over weapons testing, state media reported Thursday after an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the issue.

Pyongyang fired a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Tuesday, the latest in a series of tests in recent weeks, prompting the US and Britain to call the diplomatic meeting in New York.

But a spokesperson from the North's foreign ministry said the test was not aimed at the United States and was carried out "purely for the defence of the country".

"So there is no need for the US to worry or trouble itself over the test-firing," the spokesperson said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

The statement added Washington's criticism of the North for "developing and test-firing the same weapon system as the one the US possesses or is developing is a clear expression of double standards".

"It only excites our suspicion" about the sincerity of Washington's insistence it has no hostile intent towards the country, it said.

Kim met three times with former president Donald Trump, who boasted of stopping a war but failed to reach a comprehensive agreement on ending North Korea's nuclear programme.

The talks process has been largely stalled since the collapse of their Hanoi summit in early 2019.

President Joe Biden has promised to keep seeking diplomacy but with a more low-key approach looking for areas for progress.

Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un blamed the United States for tensions, dismissing Washington's assertions that it does not have hostile intentions.
UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) ::Pakistan has called on UN's Decolonization Committee and the Security Council to take action to end India's colonialization of Jammu and Kashmir and enable its people to exercise their right to self-determination.

"Eradicating colonialism is part of the unfinished agenda of the United Nations," Ambassador Munir Akram emphasized in a speech to the General Assembly's Special Political and Decolonization (Fourth) Committee on Wednesday.

After his speech, delegates of India and Pakistan had a verbal duel over the Kashmir dispute.

In his remarks, Ambassador Akram said that the Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir is the "worst manifestation of modern-day colonialism." Since 1946, 80 former colonies have gained independence, he pointed out but still the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine are among those who are denied the right to self-determination.

Noting that the Declaration on Decolonization proclaims that 'all people' have the right to self-determination, Ambassador Akram said that in case of Jammu and Kashmir, this right was further sanctified by the UN Security Council resolutions that calls for the final disposition of the state should be decided by its people through a free and fair plebiscite held under UN auspices.

But Kashmir today is the most densely occupied place in the world, with 900,000 Indian troops, deployed in the disputed territory, he said adding that the entire Kashmiri leadership has been imprisoned, thousands of Kashmiri youth, including women and children, detained, protests put down violently, with neighborhoods and villages destroyed as "collective punishment".

"It (India) has locked down the internet and locked out impartial observers from occupied Kashmir," Ambassador Akram remarked.

The iconic Kashmiri leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani's body was snatched from his family, whisked away and buried hurriedly in a non-descript place, denying his family the right to the prescribed Islamic burial rites.

"This is not only a measure of Indian tyranny but also its fear of the free voice of the Kashmiri people," the Pakistani envoy said.

Since its illegal attempt to annex Jammu and Kashmir, he said, India aims to achieve its ominous "final solution" by seeking to change the demographics of the region, providing fake domicile certificates to Hindu outsiders.

"This surely amounts to genocide," he stressed, calling for action by the Security Council that would enable the people of Kashmir to exercise their right to self-determination.

Speaking about UN peacekeeping operations, Ambassador Akram emphasized the need to protect peacekeepers and welcomed the use of modern technology to strengthen camp security, monitor convoy movements and provide troops with telemedicine care.

Over the last six decades, he said, Pakistani peacekeepers have operated effectively in some of the most challenging environments due to high morale, discipline, rich experience and training.

Underlining that the UN Secretary-General's A4P (Action for Peacekeeping) initiative stipulates that peacekeeping is most effective when it is supported by an overall political strategy, he said considerable work needs to be done in this context.

The Security Council, Ambassador Akram pointed out, has been unable to develop political solutions to several old and new disputes across the world, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, where one of the oldest UN missions, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), is stationed.

Reacting to Ambassador Akram's tough statement, an Indian delegate repeated allegation about Pakistan's involvement in terrorism, and said that by raising the Kashmir issue, Pakistan had wasted the committee's time.

The Indian delegate also claimed that the entire territory of Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always be an integral part of India.

Pakistan's Delegate Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary hit back at India immediately.

He said that drawing attention to the continued Indian colonization of Jammu and Kashmir is not a waste of the committee's time.

"Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory, and not an integral part of India, making a wrong claim again and again, does not alter the legal reality," remarked Bilal Chaudhry, a counsellor at the Pakistan mission to the UN.

The Security Council resolutions, he said, established self-determination as the governing principle for the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.

"This is the world body's commitment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir," the Pakistani delegate said. Pointing out that for its narrow political reasons, India equates the freedom movement in Kashmir to terrorism, he said that such propaganda is only meant to deceive the international community.

"The United Nations has not only the right, but the obligation to discuss the Kashmir dispute", Bilal Chaudhry added.
Panama City, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :The presidents of Panama, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic called on the United States Wednesday to take "concrete measures" to curb the migration of Haitians across Latin America headed for the US border.

Panama's President Laurentino Cortizo said the movement of large numbers of Haitians across Central America is an "unsustainable problem." "This is a regional problem, the solutions must be regional and we expect the United States to participate much more effectively," he said, after a meeting with his Costa Rican and Dominican counterparts -- Carlos Alvarado and Luis Abinader, respectively -- in Panama City.

The leaders insisted on the need to involve the United States and the United Nations in a push for investment in Haiti, in particular in public infrastructures that could generate jobs and spur economic development in a country plagued by poverty, violence and institutional crises.

"We believe that the international community must carry out a series of coordinated actions in Haiti, and we are proposing a roadmap," said Alvarado.

Last week, US Under Secretary for Civil Security and Human Rights Uzra Zeya visited Haiti and Panama, where she called for the flow of migrants to be stemmed across the Darien jungle border between Panama and Colombia, which has become a corridor for migration.

According to official Panamanian figures, more than 107,000 people crossed the Darien Gap in 2021 to reach Central America on their way to the United States.

That was almost as many as in the previous six years. Panamanian authorities estimate that 150,000 migrants take the dangerous route, where criminal groups are rampant, every year.
(@FahadShabbir)

Khartoum, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2021 ) :Tens of thousands of supporters of Sudan's transition to a civilian-led democracy took to the streets Thursday, as rival demonstrators kept up a sit-in demanding a return to military rule.

Both sides appealed to their supporters to refrain from violence, and there was a heavy police and troop presence around potential flashpoints.

Security forces fired tear gas as pro-civilian rule protesters rallied outside parliament in Omdurman, across the Nile river from the capital Khartoum, witnesses and an AFP correspondent said.

The two sides represent opposing factions of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), the civilian umbrella group which spearheaded demonstrations that led to the army's overthrow of longtime president Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

The mainstream faction backs the transition to civilian rule, while supporters of the breakaway faction are demanding the military take over.

Demonstrators joined the march organised by the mainstream faction across Sudan, including Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman, Port Sudan in the east, and Atbara to the north.

Banners proclaimed "Civilian (rule) is the people's choice", while the marchers chanted slogans against Islamists and the military, the two main pillars of the former Bashir regime.

"Give up power, (Abdel Fattah) al-Burhan," they chanted in reference to the general who chairs the Sovereign Council, the joint civilian-military body overseeing the transitional government.

"Burhan is dirty, and was installed by the Islamists." - 'In the right' - Jaafar Hassan, spokesman of the mainstream FFC faction, said supporters backed two key agreements -- the 2019 power-sharing deal between the civilians the military, and a 2020 peace deal with rebel groups.

The two deals stipulate power will be handed over to civilian rule by the end of a three-year transition period in 2023.

"Our main goal is to have the military hand over the chairmanship of the Sovereign Council to the civilians," Hassan told AFP. "We also want the armed groups to be integrated in the Sudanese army." Their rivals, the pro-military faction, have been holding a sit-in outside the presidential palace since Saturday.

It has drawn support from some of the many Sudanese who have been hit hard by the tough International Monetary Fund-backed economic reforms implemented by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, a former UN economist.

"This government has not offered the Sudanese people anything for two years," said protester Hamada Abdelrahman, standing outside the presidential palace.

The sit-in's opponents charge it has been orchestrated by leading figures in the security forces with the support of Bashir sympathisers and other "counter-revolutionaries".

The same groups were blamed for a September 21 coup attempt that was thwarted by the government.

Security forces have sealed off roads leading to the large open space outside army headquarters, where tens of thousands of protesters camped out for weeks before and after Bashir's ouster.

- 'Dangerous' divisions - On Thursday, Hamdok praised those who had marched in favour of transition to civilian rule.

"You have proved today your committment to peacefulness and your committment to the path of freedom, democracy, and democratic civilian transition," he said.

The premier has previously described the deep divisions over Sudan's transition as "the worst and most dangerous" since Bashir's overthrow.

Hamdok has made his top priorities addressing the chronic economic woes inherited from the Bashir regime, and making peace with the multiple rebel groups that took up arms during its three decades in power.

A sharp improvement in relations with the United States has led to the lifting of sanctions giving some help to the economy.

But a package of painful structural reforms, including the slashing of fuel subsidies and a managed float of the Sudanese pound, has proved widely unpopular.

In October 2020, the government signed a peace deal with multiple rebel groups in Sudan's far-flung regions with a view to ending the ethnic conflicts that have dogged the country since independence.

The deal was widely hailed as a step forward, but its focus on the three battleground regions of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan left minority communities in other parts of Sudan feeling sidelined.

Resentment has been particularly strong among the Beja people of the Red Sea coast, who have mounted protests across the east since mid-September, including a blockade of the key trade hub of Port Sudan.
United Nations, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :The UN Security Council called Wednesday for "de-escalation" in Yemen in a unanimously adopted statement to counter "the growing risk of large-scale famine" in the country.

The 15 council members "stressed the need for de-escalation by all," demanded an immediate nationwide ceasefire and called for an end to the escalation by Huthis in the strategic city of Marib.

They also "condemned the recruitment and use of children, and sexual violence, in conflict," according to a statement.

"The members of the Security Council expressed grave concern for the dire humanitarian situation, including prolonged starvation and the growing risk of large-scale famine," the text said.

Their communique called on the Yemeni government to facilitate "regularly and without delay" the entry of fuel ships into Hodeida port, and for all parties to ensure "the free flow of fuel inside the country to deliver essential commodities and humanitarian aid.

" The UN body also repeated its concern over "the grave threat posed by the Safer oil tanker." Anchored off the coast of Hodeida, the 45-year-old fuel vessel FSO Safer has been at risk of sinking or exploding for several years.

The council says Huthis are responsible for the situation, as they refuse to allow the UN to conduct any assessment of the ship.

Huthi rebels and government forces have been fighting a devastating war since 2014, when the Iranian-linked Huthis seized the northern capital Sanaa.

Since 2015, a Saudi-led coalition has intervened to support struggling loyalist forces against the rebels.

The war in Yemen has plunged the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula into the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN, pushing the population to the brink of starvation.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict began.
Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :US authorities unveiled Wednesday long-delayed new rules aimed at clamping down on export to nations like Russia and China of hacking technology amid a sharp uptick in cyberattacks globally.

The rules, which are set to go into force in 90 days, would prevent the sale of certain software or devices to a list of countries unless approved by a bureau of the Commerce Department.

"The United States opposes the misuse of technology to abuse human rights or conduct other malicious cyber activities, and these new rules will help ensure that US companies are not fueling authoritarian practices," a Commerce statement said.

The news comes days after US government data showed $590 million in ransomware-related payments were reported to Washington in the first half of 2021 alone, setting a pace to beat totals for the whole previous decade.

The figure was also 42 percent higher than the amount divulged by financial institutions for all of 2020, the US Treasury report said, and there are strong indicators the true cost could be in the billions.

Although Moscow denies any responsibility, most recent ransomware attacks against the United States have been blamed on Russian-speaking hacker groups or those operating from Russian territory.

Under Commerce's new rules, a license would be required when selling to places deemed "countries of national security or weapons of mass destruction concern," or which are already under an arms embargo.

The United States, along with Israel, has been a major presence in the market to sell cybersecurity products.

Commerce's new rules were in the works for years, as officials tried to balance legitimate uses of technology for things like cyber defense against criminal exploitation.

Because of the complexity of the technology and the mix of uses, the rules can be complicated as they differentiate between governments, defensive uses and private individuals.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan Thursday inaugurated the extension of an intensive care unit (ICU) at Mother and Children Hospital (MCH) of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan Thursday inaugurated the extension of an intensive care unit (ICU) at Mother and Children Hospital (MCH) of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

Addressing the ceremony, he said the government was committed to providing the best medical services for mothers and children in the country.

He said innovative steps were being taken to further improve the facilities to control the mother and child mortality rate in the country.

He said the present government had paid special focus on the health sector and particularly on mother and child health by starting several mega projects.

He said effective measures were being adopted to achieve targets of universal health coverage (UHC).

He said the government was working for the expansion of the UHC by investing in health systems, especially in Primary Health Care (PHC), and was committed to implementing its agenda to achieve the target of UHC.

He reiterated the strengthening of PHC in the country and taking innovative steps to improve the health status of the population.

He assured expansion in coverage of the Sehat Sahulat Programme, which would be instrumental in decreasing the financial burden on the poor and marginalized population, and endorsement of the UHC Benefit Package.

He said the government was working on developing strategies and plans for strengthening the PHC services and implementation of the UHC plan.

He said PIMS was a major public sector hospital and assured that all possible support would be provided to improve the standard of services at the hospital.

He expressed the hope that the hospital's governing board would play its role in making positive changes in running the affairs of the hospital.

He thanked the ambassador of Japan, Matsuda Kuninori, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for their support to Pakistan in the health sector.

He said the government of Japan had always supported Pakistan in many areas including disaster management and expressed the hope that such cooperation would continue in the future also.

He urged the public to strictly adhere to COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SoPs) to effectively counter the disease.

He also asked citizens to wear mask, maintain social distance, wash hands with soap frequently and avoid crowded places.
President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday signed the summary to retain Shaukat Tarin as member of National Economic Council (NEC)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday signed the summary to retain Shaukat Tarin as member of National Economic Council (NEC).

The president gave the approval on the advice of the prime minister under Article 156 of the Constitution, the President's media office said.

Shaukat Tarin will now be a member of the Advisory Council instead of the finance minister.
France's Alliance for the General Information Press (APIG) said on Thursday they have reached a licensing agreement with Facebook regulating the use of their copyrighted content

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) France's Alliance for the General Information Press (APIG) said on Thursday they have reached a licensing agreement with Facebook regulating the use of their copyrighted content.

APIG is a group of national and regional media outlets. Facebook reached similar agreements with newspapers Le Monde and Le Figaro earlier in October, agreeing to pay compensation for the use of their content online while preserving their copyright in line with French law.

"I am very pleased to reach this agreement, which is the result of a frank and fruitful dialogue between publishers and a leading digital platform.

The terms we have reached will allow Facebook to apply the directive and French law while generating significant funding for Alliance publishers, especially the smallest. This first step in the concrete implementation of neighboring rights shows that solidarity between publishers is essential to effectively defend their interests," APIG President Pierre Louette said.

In January 2022, the social network will launch in France a special information platform, Facebook news, and the deal it has just signed will allow national publishers to participate therein, according to the statement.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) Bolivian Foreign Minister Rogelio Mayta will be paying a visit to Moscow this week, he plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrrov on Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said.

"The Bolivian foreign minister will be on an official visit in Moscow from October 21-24.

On October 22, he will hold negotiations with the Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov," Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

The ministers will discuss the bilateral political dialogue and expansion of cooperation against COVID-19, they will also focus on strengthening interaction in the global arena and improving the legal framework for cooperation, the spokeswoman added.
The European Union will come up with a hard response to Belarus over the migration crisis during this week's summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) The European Union will come up with a hard response to Belarus over the migration crisis during this week's summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.

"No one's life should be put at risk for political reasons therefore I am confident that the Council will give a very storing and very united answer to this behavior of Belarus that must stop," von der Leyen said in her doorstep statement.
The International Monetary Fund on Thursday forecast that Africa's economic rebound from pandemic-induced shrinkage would be weaker than in the rest of the world in 2021 and 2022

Abidjan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :The International Monetary Fund on Thursday forecast that Africa's economic rebound from pandemic-induced shrinkage would be weaker than in the rest of the world in 2021 and 2022.

Low rates of vaccination against Covid-19 across the continent top the list of reasons for the slower recovery, the Washington-based institution said in a biannual report on the region.

Growth for sub-Saharan Africa should reach 3.7 percent in 2021 and 3.8 percent in 2022, "a welcome but relatively modest recovery," the IMF said in its forecasts.

Those figures would nevertheless be "the slowest in the world given that the developed economies will grow by more than five percent and the emerging or developing countries by more than six percent," it added.

With just 2.5 percent of people vaccinated against Covid-19, "lockdowns have been the sole option for containing the virus," said IMF Africa chief Abebe Aemro Selassie.

Even though 12 billion doses of vaccine are to be produced in 2021, it will likely take more than a year for a significant number of Africans to be vaccinated, the Fund added.

Although Africa has been the region of the world least affected by the pandemic, it has also experienced several successive waves of the coronavirus, and "there is little reason to believe that there won't be repeated waves going forward", Selassie said.

He blamed "stockpiling by advanced economies, export restrictions by major vaccine manufacturing countries, and demands for booster shots in advanced economies" for shortages in Africa that could continue for the foreseeable future.

Selassie added that "international cooperation on vaccination is critical to address the threat of repeated waves.

"This would help prevent the divergent recovery paths of sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world from hardening and becoming permanent fault lines, which would jeopardise decades of hard-won social and economic progress." In South Africa, growth should reach five percent this year, better than expected, but return to a more modest level (+ 2.2 percent) next year for want of structural reforms, according to the IMF.

The Nigerian economy is expected to grow by 2.6 percent thanks to high oil prices, even if production will remain below pre-Covid levels. The IMF predicts 2.7 percent growth in Africa's most populous country in 2022.

In Angola, another economy that relies heavily on oil, the IMF forecasts a 0.7 percent GDP contraction in 2021, before growth of 2.7 percent in 2022, ending six consecutive years of recession.

In tourism-dependent countries such as Cape Verde, Mauritius, The Gambia or the Seychelles, growth has returned to pre-Covid levels but the losses sustained in 2020 will be difficult to erase.

Meanwhile the most fragile economies include Sahel nations facing jihadist insurgency or political tensions, like Chad and Guinea.

The security situation there could "shake the expected rebound in consumption and investor confidence," the IMF warned.
Presumed militants have kidnapped five civilians in southern Mali, security sources and a local official told AFP on Thursday, a rare abduction in an area that has been largely spared the violence convulsing much of the landlocked African nation for nearly a decade

Bamako, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :Presumed militants have kidnapped five civilians in southern Mali, security sources and a local official told AFP on Thursday, a rare abduction in an area that has been largely spared the violence convulsing much of the landlocked African nation for nearly a decade.

The five people were seized by "terrorists on motorcycles in Blendio in the Sikasso region during the night Wednesday to Thursday," one security source said on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

Another security source confirmed the incident and a local official said that between 11 and 17 kidnappers were involved in the attack that happened shortly before midnight.

Kidnappings have been common in Mali since the country was plunged into turmoil in 2012 when an insurgency first erupted in the north. But abductions are rare in the south, which has largely been spared the violence.

Mali's interim government this week entrusted its religious affairs ministry with talking to militant groups, a policy fiercely opposed by former colonial power France, but that is seen by many Malians as one of the few ways to end the violence that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Latvia's National Electronic Mass Media Council decided to revoke the broadcasting license in the country of the rebroadcaster of Russia's Channel One, the First Baltic Channel, the head of the council, Ivars Abolins, said on Thursday

RIGA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) Latvia's National Electronic Mass Media Council decided to revoke the broadcasting license in the country of the rebroadcaster of Russia's Channel One, the First Baltic Channel, the head of the council, Ivars Abolins, said on Thursday.

"The Council decided to cancel the broadcasting license of the First Baltic Channel in connection with three violations," Abolins wrote.

The rebroadcaster can challenge this decision in court.

The authorities of the Baltic countries have repeatedly obstructed the work of the Russian media. The Russian Foreign Ministry saw clear signs of a coordinated policy of these states. Cases of harassment of the media in the Baltic states "clearly demonstrate what demagogic statements about the adherence of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn to the principles of democracy and freedom of speech are worth in practice," the ministry said.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

NATO defence ministers on Thursday pushed to bolster the alliance's defences, as they weighed the calamitous end to their involvement in Afghanistan

Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2021 ) :NATO defence ministers on Thursday pushed to bolster the alliance's defences, as they weighed the calamitous end to their involvement in Afghanistan.

"We are in the midst of a transformation of NATO. Over the last years we have stepped up and refocused on our collective defence to protect our own territory," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the start of a two-day meeting in Brussels.

Ministers were set to agree new targets to boost each country's military capabilities and an overall plan on defending the Euro-Atlantic area.

The strategy was aimed at "ensuring we have the right forces in the right place at the right time," Stoltenberg said.

NATO has stepped up its defences in Europe since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and is increasingly facing up to the challenge posed by China.

Allies were launching a 1 billion euro ($1.16 billion) innovation fund aimed at helping finance startups working on cutting-edge technologies.

The meeting was the first face-to-face talks by the alliance's defence ministers since the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan as NATO withdrew.

The alliance is conducting a review of "lessons learnt" from its two-decade involvement and the disastrous way it ended after criticism among some allies of the US decision to pull out.

Stoltenberg has insisted that allies must remain united despite disagreements over the departure from Afghanistan.

"Our mission was not in vain -- we prevented Afghanistan from being a safe haven for international terrorists, and prevented an attack against any NATO ally over 20 years," Stoltenberg insisted.

"We will stay vigilant and preserve those gains."
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) NATO-Russia relations now are worse than during the cold war because of the actions of the alliance and its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, said on Thursday.

"They just drove our relationship into a state in which they were not even in the most severe times of the Cold War," Zakharova told a press conference.

NATO actually "buried" the Russia-NATO Council by rejecting communication on the military level, the spokeswoman added.

"Yes, we have heard another statement by Stoltenberg about his alleged readiness to discuss security issues with Russia. Well, what can I say? In practical terms, there is nothing behind these claims. And in principle, it seems to me that there is no sense in them," Zakharova said, adding that Moscow doubts that anything can be discussed with the NATO head.
More than 300 mercenaries from Equatorial Guinea arrived in Eswatini to suppress mass protests, a representative of pro-democracy organization "Swaziland Solidarity Network" (SSN; Swaziland is the former name of Eswatini) Lucky Lukhele told Sputnik on Thursday

JOHANNESBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) More than 300 mercenaries from Equatorial Guinea arrived in Eswatini to suppress mass protests, a representative of pro-democracy organization "Swaziland Solidarity Network" (SSN; Swaziland is the former name of Eswatini) Lucky Lukhele told Sputnik on Thursday.

"Equatorial Guinea's President is a best friend and business partner of King Mwsati the third. The Guinean soldiers are dressed in Eswatini police uniform to conceal evidence and the level of shooting can tell you that these people are highly trained. Teargas was thrown into one of the buses and when the passengers ran out of the bus they were shot on the legs and by that one can tell that if you shoot people on their legs you are a sharp shooter. King Mwsati no longer trusts his own security because the security is fed up with him," Lukhele told Sputnik.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, as chairman of one of the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) bodies, appointed several special representatives to discuss he political situation in the country after the demonstrations with King of Eswatini Mswati III. The delegation is due to arrive in the south African kingdom this week.

Seven people have died in protests this month, the SSN estimates.

Protests have been taking place since the beginning of October. Some of the demands are free education, the release from custody of two members of parliament and the end of the rule of King Mswati III. Schools are closed in the country and the internet does not work.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The United Nations denounces the attack on an army bus in the center of Damascus, which killed 14 soldiers on Wednesday, spokesman Farhan Haq said in a press briefing

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2021) The United Nations denounces the attack on an army bus in the center of Damascus, which killed 14 soldiers on Wednesday, spokesman Farhan Haq said in a press briefing.

"We are ...

following with concern reports of a military bus coming under attack in Damascus earlier this morning in an attack that killed scores of people," Haq said. "The UN strongly condemns all violence in Syria, and, as always, we urge all parties and those with influence over them to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure at all times."
MANAGUA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) The Mechnikov Institute of Biotechnology in Nicaragua will produce the Russian vaccine against COVID-19, CoviVac, trials have already begun, Laureano Ortega Murillo, Nicaraguan presidential adviser on investment, trade and cooperation, said during the 6th congress of Russian and Nicaraguan pharmaceutical companies.

"Our government, thanks to efforts with the fraternal Russian Federation, institutions and ministries, is starting trials for the production of a vaccine against coronavirus here in Nicaragua," Ortega Murillo said. According to the official, the supply of raw materials from Russia for testing has already begun, and the authorities expect to bring the ready vaccine to the Nicaraguan market next year.

In the fight against the coronavirus epidemic, the Nicaraguan government is already working with the Gamaleya Institute and the Russian Direct Investment Fund - ready Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines are being supplied to the country.

Nicaragua began vaccinating the population in March. In addition to the Russian vaccine, Covishield and AstraZeneca vaccines obtained through the Covax mechanism are used.

"Now (we will work) with the Chumakov Institute from Russia to... be able to produce it (CoviVac vaccine) ... for brothers from Central and South America," Ortega Murillo said.

The research and production complex of the Mechnikov Institute was built on the outskirts of the capital of Nicaragua in 2016 as part of an agreement with Russia. The plant is operated by a Nicaraguan company, but the Russian side, represented by the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums, has invested significant resources in the project, including technology transfer and personnel training.

In April 2019, the Mechnikov Institute began to produce the first commercial batches of influenza vaccine for Latin Americans. The production line capacity is up to 10 million doses of vaccines per month.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) Damage from a July 2020 fire that destroyed US warship Bohnomme Richard could have been prevented, the Navy said in a report that blamed the four-day blaze on inadequate training of the ship's crew and ineffective oversight of commanders.

"The loss of this ship was completely preventable. And the Navy is executing a deliberative process that includes taking appropriate accountability actions with respect to personnel assigned to Bonhomme Richard and the shore commands designed to support the ship while moored at Naval Base San Diego," Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Lescher said in a press release explaining the report on Wednesday.

The report cited four causal factors responsible for ineffective fire-fighting efforts, which resulted in the Navy's decision to decommission the amphibious assault vessel: the ship's condition, training and readiness of the ship's crew, integration between the ship and shore-based firefighting organizations and oversight by commanders across multiple organizations.

Arson by a disgruntled Navy sailor was blamed for starting the July 12, 2020 fire, which was berthed in the US port of San Diego for repairs and maintenance. Scaffolding reportedly blocked access by firefighters and combustible materials for maintenance fueled a blaze that burned for four days.

Thirty-six people have been recommended for some form of discipline, Lescher told reporters in a conference call earlier on Wednesday, as reported by US media.
(UroToday.com) The ANZUP annual scientific meetings clinical trials session included an update in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) provided by Dr. David Pook and Dr. Craig Gedye. Dr. Pook started by highlighting that non-clear cell RCC account for ~25% of RCC cases with less clear treatment guidelines compared to clear cell RCC. The UNISON trial is evaluating nivolumab followed by ipilimumab + nivolumab in advanced non-clear cell RCC (ANZUP 1602). The hypothesis of this trial is that patients are treated with nivolumab monotherapy upfront and that those who are nivolumab refractory may benefit from nivolumab + ipilimumab combination therapy.

The trial is aiming to accrue 86 participants, powered to distinguish an objective response rate of 15% versus 30% in participants treated with nivolumab + ipilimumab in part 2 of the trial.

The KeyPAD trial is a phase II trial of denosumab and pembrolizumab in patients with clear cell RCC (ANZUP 1601). The aim is to determine the activity and safety of combining the RANKL inhibitor denosumab with the anti-PD1 inhibitor pembrolizumab in advanced clear cell RCC:

Thus far, 54 of 70 patients have been recruited, with an aim to complete enrollment in mid-2022.

The third trial discussed by Dr. Pook was the UNICAB trial evaluating non-clear cell RCC post immunotherapy patients treated with cabozantinib. The aim of this trial is to determine the activity and safety of cabozantinib in participants with metastatic or locally advanced/unresectable non clear cell RCC who have progressed on or are unsuitable for treatment with immunotherapy. To date, 24 of 48 patients have been recruited, with an aim to complete recruitment by mid-2022. The trial design for UNICAB is as follows:

The RAMPART trial is the Renal Adjuvant Multiple Arm Randomized Trial with three groups of patients including: Group A - active monitoring for 1 year, Group B  durvalumab every 4 weeks for 1 year, and Group C  durvalumab every 4 weeks for 1 year and tremelimumab at day 1 and week 4:

This trial will include 1,750 participants (200 from Australia) with intermediate/high-risk RCC (all histology) randomized 3:2:2 with a primary outcome of disease-free survival and overall survival, and secondary outcomes of metastasis-free survival and disease-specific survival.

Dr. Gedye notes that according to Canadian goals for research priorities for kidney cancer, the following three proposals were amongst the top priority: (i) development and evaluation of new effective treatment for patients with advanced kidney cancer of the non-clear-cell variety/subtype, (ii) identification and validation of biomarkers that may be used to predict the response to a treatment for kidney cancer, and (iii) identification and validation of biomarkers that may be used for the detection of kidney cancer. British research priorities for patients with RCC are as follows:

Selecting the right targeted therapies and immunotherapies, combination of therapies and optimal therapeutic sequence for individual patients to maximize the quality of life and minimize side effects

Management for patient groups that are difficult to treat, and in particular non-clear cell RCC subtypes

Maximize quality of life in all domains

Early detection and screening for RCC

Personalized treatment to minimize side effects of therapy, increase effectiveness and maximize quality of life

Optimizing and personalizing follow up after treatment for RCC

Improved prognostic tools

The following are clinical questions by stage, translational questions, and pathway-spanning needs as highlighted by Dr. Gedye:

Ideas and next steps for research in RCC are as follows:

Functional imaging and theranostics

De-escalation of systemic therapy

Management of small renal masses

Management of oligometastases

Unmet supportive care needs

Dr. Gedye emphasizes that for patients with metastatic RCC, perhaps there is a role for an initial period of active surveillance as highlighted in the following figure:

However, there are several outstanding questions to this approach, which Dr. Gedye used to conclude this presentation:

Who is eligible for active surveillance? Can we predict who needs immediate treatment and who can wait? What predicts success of active surveillance? Clinical features beyond IMDC criteria? Lymphocyte-neutrophil ratio? Late relapse? Low grade disease? Sites of metastasis? When do we stop active surveillance and offer treatment? Grow velocity? New lesions? How long can patients stay on active surveillance? Can we extend the duration of active surveillance? What are the psychological needs of active surveillance? What is the best clinical practice for active surveillance? What is the follow-up schedule? Imaging schedule? Which scans should we use?

Presented by: Craig Gedye, BSc(Hons) MBChB FRACP PhD, Medical Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia and David Pook, BMedSci (Hons) MBBS FRACP MD, Medical Oncology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Written by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2021 Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate (ANZUP) Cancer Trials Group Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), Sunday, Oct 17  Monday, Oct 18, 2021.
Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA) has described findings in a recent report detailing suicide deaths in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children as a national disgrace.

By Lisa Zengarini

A newly released report in Australia has shown that suicide was the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5 to 17 during the years 2016 to 2020. The report published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) also found almost one-third of deaths of Indigenous children was due to suicide.

The data recorded that in 2020 alone a total of 223 Aboriginal minors took their own lives, with a record number of 70 in Queensland.

Higher suicide rates

Moreover, suicides still represent a significantly higher proportion of deaths in young Indigenous Australians age groups compared to non-Indigenous Australians.

Data showed the rates of suicide deaths per 100,000 people among Indigenous Australians were 16.7 and 45.7 in those aged 024 and 2544 years respectively. These rates were 3.2 and 2.8 times as high as in nonIndigenous Australians in the respective age groups.

A national disgrace

Catholic Social Service Australia (CSSA) has described the findings as a national disgrace.



Indigenous people are telling us what the problem is and we need to listen, said Francis Sullivan, Chair of CSSA. While causes of Indigenous suicide share some similarities to the rest of the population including untreated mental illness, trauma from childhood abuse and substance abuse, Indigenous people also suffer the devastation caused by loss of land and culture, trans-generational trauma, racism, and social exclusion.

Intergenerational trauma caused to First Nations

According to Sullivan, the findings only confirm that Australian Indigenous policies have failed to find a solution to the trauma caused to First Nations peoples by over 230 years of colonisation.

He noted that one approach that appears to be working for CSSA is ensuring a high proportion of Indigenous people are employed and trained to work in Indigenous communities. He quoted the example of CatholicCare in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes where 35% of the social services workforce are Indigenous, and they are represented at all levels of management.

This genuine commitment to facilitating Indigenous solutions to Indigenous issues is invaluable and needs to be replicated across the board, he said.

Church commitment to reconciliation



The Australian Church has long been actively committed to healing the historical wounds of First Nations communities. Solidarity and reconciliation with the Aboriginal peoples is one of the main topics in the agenda of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia which started early in October. Bishops have also recently endorsed the Uluru Statement From the Heart, a landmark document calling for the establishment of a First Nations Voice in the Australian Constitution.

On 24 September, Australian Bishops president, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, recalled the marginalization, discrimination and hardships Aboriginal people have had to endure over the past two centuries, remarking that only a heart of stone could allow them to become aliens, exiles, and refugees in their own land.


Lydia Hobbs, owner of Kolture & More Fashion, fans herself as she watches over her booth during a Juneteenth celebration in Edna earlier this year. On Sunday, Hobbs is holding a grand opening ceremony for a permanent location for her business in Victoria.
Warships from the U.S. and Canadian navies traversed the Taiwan Strait together last week. With heightened tensions between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Republic of China (ROC), centered in Taiwan, the passage of foreign vessels triggered the usual response from Beijing, which accused the western nations of endangering the peace of the region.

Commitment to Taiwan

According to a report by Reuters, the ships that passed through the strait were the USS Dewey, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer of the U.S. Navy, and the HMCS Winnipeg, a Canadian frigate. Both ships passed through the open waterway between the mainland and the island on Thursday and Friday.

Deweys and Winnipegs transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the U.S. military said.

The U.S. has been regularly sending what they call freedom of navigation patrols through the Taiwan Strait on a monthly basis, angering Beijing. The transit of the two warships followed an earlier journey by the British warship HMS Richmond on Sept. 27, which was making its way to Vietnam.

While the transit of the USS Dewey is the tenth conducted by the U.S. in 2021, it was the first performed with an ally.

Canada and Taiwan recently announced their intentions to strengthen educational cooperation between the countries in a virtual meeting on Oct. 6. The ROCs application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was made in hopes of bringing stability and prosperity to the Indo-Pacific region.

A breakthrough

Analyst Liu Weidong from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told South China Morning Post (SCMP) that the joint transit of the two ships was a breakthrough, accusing the U.S. of banding countries together against the CCP.

Although the joint transit made by U.S. and Canadian warships itself was limited in both power and scale, it reflected a significant shift in the U.S. strategic approach in countering China, he said. Its a breakthrough, meaning the U.S. has succeeded in convincing more countries to go against China in this sensitive waterway.

Liu also pointed out that the movement against China is also occurring in the South China Sea, as several other nations are sending their own vessels to reinforce the region.

Enraging Beijing

Once again, Beijing responded aggressively to the trip made by the U.S. and Canadian ships. The communist government accused Washington of stoking regional tensions, despite the fact that the CCP has openly declared its militaristic intentions to control Taiwan by concentrating its own forces around the island.

The CCP-controlled Peoples Liberation Armys (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command stated that its forces watched the passing ships closely, standing guard throughout the waterway.

The United States and Canada colluded to provoke and stir up trouble seriously jeopardising peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, it said. Taiwan is part of Chinese territory. Theatre forces always maintain a high level of alert and resolutely counter all threats and provocations.

While tensions are high, there has been relatively no conflict between the PLA and the ROC. However, throughout the year, the PLA has been sending planes into the southwestern corner of Taiwans air defence identification zone (ADIZ). On Oct. 17, Taiwans defence ministry reported three aircraft intruded into the ADIZ.

Despite the release of Meng Wanzhou, CFO of communist-run Huawei, in Canada, as well as Beijings release of two Canadians, relations between China and Canada have been rocky. The ruling Liberal Party in Canada has a more moderate stance towards China, as opposed to the Conservative Party, which is more critical of the CCP.
A report based on an investigation issued by a group of Brazilian Senators on Oct. 20 recommends charging President Jair Bolsonaro with crimes against humanity for his handling of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

CNN Brasil said it received draft excerpts from a leaked copy of the 1,200 page document, reportedly based on six months of investigation by an 11-member Senate Committee on Oct. 19. The outlet said the documents accuse[s] Bolsonaro and other government officials of allowing the lethal coronavirus to spread through the population in hopes of achieving herd immunity.

The portion CNN reviewed called the Bolsonaro administrations approach to the pandemic reckless, which created a concrete risk of mass infection because of an alleged intention to immunize the population through natural contamination.

Charges were also called for against 69 other people, including three of Bolsonaros sons and numerous current and former government officials.

The New York Times characterised Bolsonaros pandemic response in the following way: From the outset of the pandemic, Mr. Bolsonaro has gone out of his way to minimize the threat of the virus. As countries around the world locked down, and his own people began filling hospitals, he encouraged mass gatherings and discouraged masks. An avowed vaccine skeptic, he lashed out at any who dared criticize him as irresponsible.

NYT also said, the administration caused a monthslong delay in the distribution of vaccines in Brazil by ignoring more than 100 emails from Pfizer.

Instead, his government opted to overpay for an unapproved vaccine from India, the report said, a deal that was later canceled over suspicions of graft.

RELATED STORIES:

A summary of the document was delivered officially to the Senate on Oct. 20 according to Associated Press, noting it called for additional charges of charlatanism, inciting crime, and misuse of public funds against the President and his allies.

Senators characterized Bolsonaro advocating for the use of hydroxychloroquine in the early part of the pandemic as practically the only government policy to fight the pandemic.

Verbiage such as, Jair Bolsonaro strongly collaborated for COVID-19s spread in Brazilian territory and, as such, showed himself to be the main person responsible for the errors committed by the federal government during the pandemic was utilized in the report.

The recommendation will be referred to the federal Prosecutor Generals office, managed by one of the Presidents allies, who will then decide whether to charge Bolsonaro and others.

AP remarked that the report was far more likely to hamper Bolsonaros push for reelection in 2022 than make him a defendant in a courtroom.

The 11-member Senate Committee who prepared the report can make changes to the document until Oct. 26 when a formal vote to endorse it occurs.

According to Google, Brazil ranks third in the world behind the United States and India in the number of total positive PCR tests since the pandemic began at 21.7 million. It ranks second in deaths at 604,000.

The country, home to more than 212 million people, has shown a sharp decline in new cases. Brazils 7-day moving average peaked at about 77,000 in June, trending downward to less than 11,000 as of time of writing.

By comparison, the U.S. peaked its 7-day average at more than 175,000 new positive PCR tests per day in September, declining to 79,000 today. India fell from more than 390,000 per day in May to 15,000 today.

According to Google, pulling statistics from Our World in Data, India has double injected only 20.8 percent of its population with a COVID-19 vaccine, the United States 57.5 percent, and Brazil 50.4 percent.

A Sept. 30 study by a Harvard researcher in the European Journal of Epidemiology found there was no notable relationship in data examined across 68 countries and almost 3,000 U.S. counties between vaccine acceptance statistics and new case count.

An independent political analyst in Brasilia told NYT, I didnt see any concrete element that was strong enough to accuse the president of genocide or homicide in the report, noting that seven of the eleven members of the Senate Committee responsible for the report were Bolsonaros political rivals.

If Bolsonaro is charged, he will be suspended from office for six months as the countrys Supreme Court hears the case.
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

A battle between gangs in a prison in Ecuador's coastal city of Guayaquil killed at least 100 inmates and injured 52 more in what authorities are calling the worst penitentiary massacre in the country's history. (Reuters)
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

Antony Blinken is making a major push for democracy on his first journey to South America as U.S. secretary of state, visiting two stable democracies, Ecuador and Colombia, at a time of rising violence, authoritarianism and populism in the region.
Activists in Nigeria gathered this week to demonstrate on the one-year anniversary of massive street rallies last year against police brutality. As Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja, many victims of police abuse say they have yet to see justice.
Residents of Halabja, a Kurdish city where thousands died in 1988 from a chemical weapons attack launched by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, are mourning the death of Colin Powell  the former American general and secretary of state. Gas attack survivors credit Powell with being instrumental in ousting the Iraqi regime and recall his 2003 visit to the city.
A fresh attack in western Niger near the border with volatile Mali has left 19 civilians dead, the government said Thursday.

The attack took place Wednesday in the village of Deye Koukou in the Banibangou area, where 14 civilians were killed Sunday, it said.

Three others were wounded and one was missing.

A local official earlier told AFP that 18 people had been killed in the raid.

The latest attack takes to 33 the number of civilians killed in the region in less than a week.

Banibangou falls inside what is known as the three-borders region between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, which for years has been the scene of bloody attacks by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

In mid-March, an attack by suspected jihadists in the same district targeting a village market left 66 people dead.

And on June 24, attacks on villages in Tondikiwindi, in a neighboring district, killed 19 people.

Despite repeated efforts by the authorities to secure the region, the deadly attacks have continued, often carried out by gunmen on motorbikes who flee across the border into Mali after their raids.

A contingent of 1,200 Chadian soldiers is deployed in the three-borders region as part of a multinational force put together by the G-5 Sahel group, which included Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
Gunmen on motorcycles attacked a group of civilians returning from market day in a volatile corner of Niger, leaving at least 58 people dead and then burning granaries to the ground, the government said Tuesday.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's massacres, though extremists belonging to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara group are known to be active in the Tillaberi region where the villages were attacked.

The victims were returning home from a large livestock market in Banibangou, near Niger's troubled border with Mali. The suspected extremists also destroyed nearby granaries that held valuable food stores.

The announcement was read on Niger state television Tuesday evening by government spokesman Abdourahmane Zakaria , who declared three days of national mourning for the victims.

Monday's attacks underscore the enormous security challenges facing Niger's new president, Mohamed Bazoum, who won the election in late February to succeed outgoing leader Mahamadou Issoufou.

Not only are jihadis active in the Tillaberi region, but the counterterrorism offensives against those extremists have helped give rise to ethnic militias, analysts say.

Intercommunal tensions have been exacerbated as a result, particularly near the border between Mali and Niger.

Monday's attack echoed a January massacre that left 100 people dead in two villages also in the Tillaberi region that hadn't been claimed by any extremist group or militia.

Extremists staged mass attacks on Niger's military in the Tillaberi region, killing more than 70 in December 2019 and more than 89 in January 2020. It's near the area where four U.S. Special Forces soldiers were killed along with five Nigerien colleagues in 2017.


North Korea has conducted eight missile launches this year alone  the latest was this weeks test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile. But in South Korea, which arguably has the most to lose from a conflict with the North, people arent overly concerned.

You wouldnt know it, judging from the outside. Thats partly because North Korean state media footage of missile launches can be intense, often featuring overly dramatic narration, bellicose threats, and a Hollywood flare  complete with multiple camera angles, including some shot from drones.

That footage gets replayed on international media, which can often create a sense of crisis, especially during low points of U.S.-North Korea relations.

But in South Korea, even during times of heightened diplomatic tension, it feels like anything but an emergency.

My main thought is: well, they did it again, says Yoo Ye-jin, a 16-year-old Seoul resident waiting on a train at the central Seoul Station, a day after the latest North Korean launch. I mean, yes, I heard about it. But the truth is, people in South Korea dont seriously care.

Yoo was sitting at a waiting area in front of a television that continually airs news broadcasts. The area is frequented by mostly foreign photographers following North Korean launches, in large part because it is a captive audience sitting in front of a screen that is sure to show North Korean missile footage. The result is photos that imply South Koreans are watching the events closely. But if you talk to the people sitting there, you'll probably hear a different story.

Song Tae-ho, 76, is another Seoul resident sitting in front of the TV screen. They just test so often, he says. I feel like weve become immune to this kind of news. We just dont see it as a big deal.

One of the reasons for South Korean disinterest may be alarm fatigue. North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006 and launched about 150 missiles since 1984.

We just think about this as part of our normal life, says Choi Jin-bong, who teaches at Seouls Sungkonghoe University. This is the situation between North and South Korea. We have tension between those two countries.

Most South Koreans, he insists, dont believe that North Korea will invade, in large part because of the presence of the approximately 28,000 U.S. troops. Many countries, such as China and Russia, which are friendlier to North Korea and which have supported it to varying extents, also would oppose a North Korean attack, he says.

The 1950-53 Korean War is still technically ongoing, since it ended in a truce and not a peace treaty. But it has been decades since major hostilities. There have been occasional flare-ups of violence, most recently in 2010, when North Korea shelled a South Korean border island and sunk a warship, killing 50 people.

But polls suggest young South Koreans, who didnt experience the Korean War, dont care as much about the North. And reports vilifying North Korea just arent as convincing these days, says journalist Kim Hye-in, who works for a news website called Mediaus.

The younger generation doesnt care much about North Korea news. Theyve seen these missile launches since they were born. And anyway, many of those reports turned out to be inaccurate, she says, noting that many South Koreans turn to foreign news coverage for what they consider to be more credible North Korea reporting.

Another reason for confidence is South Koreas own military. In addition to relying on U.S. protection, South Korea is also developing more of its own weapons, including several new advanced missiles, fighter jets, and even an aircraft carrier.

On Thursday, South Korea conducted its first launch of a domestically built space rocket, which attempted to carry a dummy satellite into space. Analysts say the test, which was only partially successful, will have important commercial and military ramifications.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has overseen an intensification of South Koreas military buildup, says the new weapons can deter North Korean provocations.

At a defense expo outside Seoul this week, Moon arrived in a new South Korean fighter jet. After landing, he said the state-of-the-art weapons can help South Korea feel secure that it can keep the peace.
A suspected drone attack hit an outpost in southern Syria on Wednesday that is used by U.S. forces.

Captain Bill Urban, a U.S. Central Command spokesman, called the attack deliberate and coordinated.

"Based on initial reports, the attack utilized both unmanned aerial systems and indirect fire," he said.

U.S. officials said there were no American injuries or deaths.

The attack happened at the Al-Tanf base located in Syria near the border with Iraq and Jordan.

The site was set up as part of the effort to defeat Islamic State.

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.
President Joe Biden on Thursday tied his legislative priorities on voting rights, police reform and climate change to Martin Luther King Jr.'s push for racial justice as he marked the 10th anniversary of the opening of the civil rights leader's memorial on the National Mall.

Biden, introduced by Vice President Kamala Harris, sought to reassure his supporters that he wouldn't let up the fight as he works to muscle his massive social spending bill through a divided Congress. Invoking King, Biden said the country was still working to live up to those ideals as a nation and had reached an inflection point on issues including fighting voting restrictions.

"I know that progress does not come fast enough," Biden said. "It never has."

But he reiterated that protecting the right to vote was central to his administration. "I know the stakes. You know the stakes. This is far from over," he said.

Biden spoke at the memorial a day after Senate Republicans blocked debate on Democrats' elections legislation that they tout as a powerful counterweight to new voting restrictions passing in conservative-controlled states. Biden has promised to push for the legislation, but supporters are growing impatient that he has not embraced changing Senate rules to end the filibuster to break through the logjam.

Biden also promised to "continue to fight for real police reform legislation," which has stalled out in Congress after bipartisan talks collapsed this summer.

Highlighting his agenda of social spending, which remains the subject of heated intraparty negotiations, Biden said the bill would cut prescription drug costs, reduce poverty and fight housing discrimination.

"We can afford to do this," Biden said. "We can't afford not to do this."

Biden is hoping to rally Democrats around an agreement on that legislation before he departs for an international climate summit next week.

The memorial was dedicated in the fall of 2011 and is the first honor for an African American on the National Mall. Located on Independence Avenue along the Tidal Basin, the memorial features a huge likeness of King carved out of stone and a separate wall etched with some of his most notable quotes.

Recalling the struggles of King's time, Biden said in his speech that white nationalism still poses a threat to the nation and that, in his view, it inspired the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Biden said people of his generation always thought that hate would go away.

"But it doesn't," he said. "It only hides until some seemingly legitimate person breathes some oxygen under the rocks where they're hiding and gives it some breath."

In a reference to former President Donald Trump, Biden said, "We had a president who appealed to the prejudice." He added, "We cannot and must not give hate any safe harbor."

Harris, for her part, praised King as a prophet and said the monument "is dedicated to a man who lived among us."

"This monument, whatever your age, is dedicated to a man whose voice we still hear, whose words still echo not only across this city, but throughout our country and our world," she added.
The United States and Colombia are holding high-level talks Thursday as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wraps up a trip to the region that has included a focus on migration policy and upholding democracy.

Blinken told reporters Wednesday after meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque that the two countries have many areas of potential cooperation, including in sectors such as cloud computing, health technology and agriculture.

He said such collaboration would be among the topics for further consideration during Thursdays U.S.-Colombia High-Level Dialogue.

Migration

The United States is asking countries in the Western Hemisphere to step up pledges to tackle the immediate challenges of irregular migration as it expands eligibility for legal migration to the United States.

Blinken held talks Wednesday with more than a dozen officials from Latin America at a regional migration ministerial in Bogota, Colombia. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas joined the gathering virtually.

The United States discussed options, including assisting with voluntary returns for migrants who do not have valid asylum claims to return their home country.

We increase law enforcement cooperation against the smugglers and traffickers.  We improve protection, screening, referrals along the way that we strengthen asylum processing  and maybe more than medium term, expanding legal pathways to migration, existing ones and new ones as well, Blinken said during a joint press conference with Colombian President Ivan Duque.

Duque confirmed that his government had received resources from the U.S. to tackle what he called the most complicated migration crisis in the world: the Venezuelan migration crisis.

We have seen more than 5 million people leaving the country with frozen bones, without access to food or medicine, that have moved to different countries, looking for opportunities. We have received in Colombia almost 1.8 million Venezuelan migrants. And we have created a policy framework to address this very complicated circumstance, Duque said.

Protecting the displaced

Refugees International, a Washington-based advocacy group, said U.S. leadership is critically needed to enhance protection of displaced people as Venezuelans and Haitians flee their homes.

Secretary Blinken should use this weeks ministerial conference in Bogota to engage with leaders on a myriad of policy opportunities, including creating a plan for addressing Venezuelan displacement in the region, said Rachel Schmidtke, Refugees Internationals advocate for Latin America.

Secretary Blinken should also focus on supporting Colombias new efforts to offer regularized status to people seeking safety. This move and those like it are offering much-needed hope and stability for displaced people and their hosts alike.

COVID-19 has hit Colombia hard. The country has seen a 7% drop in gross domestic product in 2020, leading to large-scale protests over issues such as socioeconomic inequality and trade relations with the U.S., according to Keith Mines, director of the Latin America program at United States Institute of Peace.

Duque, who has come under fire by U.S. Democratic Party progressives over a crackdown on protests, said that his government has a zero-tolerance policy concerning human rights abuses and that reforms are being made within Colombias national police.

Blinken said the United States is donating 6 million safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine doses to Colombia and more than $80 million to support the countrys COVID-19 response.

Challenges to democracy

In a speech earlier Wednesday in Ecuador, Blinken outlined several challenges that democracies face in the Western Hemisphere. He said he is optimistic they can be overcome and noted that the survival of a democracy driven by ordinary people is vital to the shared future of the region.

Those challenges include corruption, civilian security and the economic and social well-being of the people.

The reality is, weve often put more energy into strengthening civil and political rights, as vital and important as they are  free and fair elections, the rule of law, freedom of speech and assembly  and less into strengthening peoples economic and social rights, like bolstering labor standards, expanding access to adequate education and health, providing more inclusive opportunities. People across our hemisphere are demanding that we do both, Blinken said Wednesday in a speech at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

The United States has for the first time designated fighting corruption as a core U.S. national security interest, Blinken noted, as Washington cracks down on illicit financing and seizes and freezes stolen assets.

Since 2020, the U.S. has invested more than $10 billion in Latin America and the Caribbean through the International Development Finance Corporation. In Ecuador, the U.S. is working with the Banco de la Produccion to provide $150 million in loans this year to small businesses, especially those owned by women.

Blinken said these investments are done in a transparent manner, and they treat local communities as partners, as he drew a stark contrast with the authoritarian governments that mire countries in the region in a pernicious cycle of debt.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso declared a surprise state of emergency to combat violence late Monday, saying he would send troops to the streets to combat drug trafficking.

The security forces to carry out these measures must abide by international standards and be held accountable when they are not doing so, Blinken emphasized during his Wednesday speech.

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

Antony Blinken is making a major push for democracy on his first journey to South America as U.S. secretary of state, visiting two stable democracies, Ecuador and Colombia, at a time of rising violence, authoritarianism and populism in the region. VOA Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
A bomb explosion in northwest Pakistan along the Afghanistan border has killed five security personnel, the Pakistani military said Thursday.

The three paramilitary soldiers and two police officers were conducting a cordon and search operation in Bajaur district late Wednesday when an improvised explosive device hit them, the militarys media wing said in a statement.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility, but suspicions immediately fell on the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban.

Bajaur and surrounding Pakistani border districts served as strongholds of the banned militant group until recent years.

TTP, also designated as a global terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations, has claimed responsibility for killing thousands of Pakistanis in bombings and other attacks since the groups emergence in 2007.

The Pakistan military has carried out sustained operations against TTP bases, killing thousands of fighters and forcing others to take refuge on the Afghan side of the border. The operations led to a decline of more than 80% in terrorist attacks across Pakistan in the past few years.

Pakistani officials, however, note an uptick in TTP attacks since the start of the year, killing scores of people, mostly security forces.

The militant group is known to have close ties with the Afghan Taliban and assisted them in their two-decade long insurgency against U.S.-led international forces to oust the Western-backed government in Afghanistan.
More than 26,000 people who fled in 2015 jihadist attacks in southeastern Niger were returned to their hometown, in the Diffa region, local authorities said on Friday.

"These are 26,573 people from 8,190 households who have already been transported to 19 villages at the end of the first phase of the IDP return operations," an official from the governorate of the Diffa region told AFP.

This region bordering Nigeria is home to 300,000 Nigerian refugees and internally displaced persons, driven out by the atrocities of the jihadists of the Nigerian group Boko Haram and its dissident branch of the Islamic State group in West Africa (Iswap), according to the U.N.

Nigerien public television showed images on Thursday evening of the last wave ending this first phase, of 11,733 people en route to their locality of origin in trucks chartered by the authorities.

These displaced people had found refuge in sites around more secure villages, U.N. camps or with relatives across the region.

Launched on June 20, this first phase of voluntary return concerns villages bordering the national road No. 1 "where the security situation is already favorable" for the return of the inhabitants, President Mohamed Bazoum indicated at the beginning of July during a stay in Diffa.

Other operations will be scheduled in order to return all the displaced to their villages "by December 2021," explained Mohamed Bazoum.

In particular, the government provided food assistance, shelters and mosquito nets -- to fight malaria -- to populations returning to their villages.

He also promised to rehabilitate health centers, drinking water distribution systems and dilapidated schools after the residents left.

Niger and the governor of Nigeria's Borno region, particularly hit by the attacks, have reached an agreement for the repatriation of 130,000 Nigerian refugees in Niger from November or December, President Bazoum said July 9.

Bazoum announced new military operations to "cleanse" villages where jihadists are located, who have "widened" their field of action in the southeast of the country.
First lady Jill Biden is using her powerful platform and her background as an educator to fight for a cause close to her heart: literacy.

In doing so, she brings home a cause that the U.S. government has spent years spreading around the globe, with a multitude of programs that promote the value  and also the joy  of reading in some of the worlds poorest countries.

Biden, who is the first, first lady to hold a full-time job outside the White House, drew a straight line from her professional pursuits to the well-being of the American people. She spoke before some 200 educators who gathered Wednesday in Washington for the National Summit on Adult Literacy, an event convened by the foundation of former first lady Barbara Bush.

Mrs. Bush understood the incredible power of this platform, Biden said. She chose literacy because she wanted to help the most people possible. She believed that everything she was worried about  from homelessness to hunger and crime  could be tied back to literacy and education. And you know what? She was right.

Literacy-diplomacy

Outside of Washington, this is a message that forms a key part of American engagement. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) works on literacy and education programs that reach nearly 70 million children in more than 50 countries  among them some of the worlds poorest.

From coastal Africa to the Caribbean, over the steppes of Central Asia and into the wild and borderless domain that is the internet, USAID conducts myriad programs aimed at improving literacy.

In the over 40 Early Grade Reading programs that USAID supports worldwide, USAID missions support improvements in reading through methods that reflect current international scientific educational achievement studies conducted in many languages and cultures, the agency said in a press release, adding that many of its programs teach children to read in a local language.

In rural Mozambique, the Vamos Ler! bilingual early-grade reading program works on the reading and writing skills of more than 800,000 children in rural Nampula and Zambezia provinces. In the landlocked central Asian nation of Tajikistan, the Read with Me project partnered with that nations Ministry of Education and Science to host a popular radio show for children called Lets Read Together. And in the Dominican Republic, a USAID program worked this year to improve the reading skills of 200,000 students in more than 370 schools.

USAID also manages the free online Global Digital Library, a repository of more than 6,000 books in 83 languages.

World Bank statistics show a marked difference in literacy between high- and middle-high-income nations, which have extremely high rates of adult literacy; and low-income nations, where literacy levels hover on average around 61%. Studies show that low literacy is a serious impediment to building wealth  a fact that Biden brought home.

Jobs, helping your child through school, or the ability to support your family all require the ability to read, she said.

More than half of American adults read below a sixth-grade level, according to the Barbara Bush Foundation, and nearly one in five American adults read below a third-grade level, which makes it difficult for them to perform necessary and valuable tasks like filling out job applications, taking driving tests, digesting news articles or casting ballots.

But Biden said literacy is a transferable skill that can have a big impact. She urged Americans to do their own small part.

When we see people in the community who are struggling, to get a job interview, to put food on the table, to learn  maybe we offer to babysit. We all donate food to food banks. We volunteer to help someone learn to read. We can change the world in big ways and small ones, she said.
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says Australia should do more to support democracies like Taiwan as China asserts its influence across the Asia-Pacific region.

In a fiery keynote speech earlier this month at the government-backed Yushan Forum in Taipei, Abbott warned that internal problems within China might lead Beijing to lash out at Taiwan. Just days before his trip, China sent a record 149 flights into Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) between October 1 and October 4.

He said Taiwans friends need to show their support now more than ever as nowhere is the struggle between liberty and tyranny more stark than across the Taiwan Strait.

While no longer in office, Abbotts speech attracted attention for his loud and vocal support of Taiwan, an unusual move for any former leader due to Taipeis diplomatic isolation.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stressed that Abbott was traveling as a private citizen although he was received by President Tsai Ing-wen ahead of his speech on October 8 and was also allowed to bypass quarantine protocols.

Since leaving office in 2015, Abbott has focused on trade advocacy and has most recently begun to drum up support for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The CPTPP is the successor to the failed Trans-Pacific Partnership and key signatories include Australia, Singapore, Japan, Canada and Mexico.

Recently, Abbott has called for Taiwans inclusion in the trade bloc, a point he further stressed during his speech at the Yushan Forum despite the potential that the move would anger Beijing.

China has squeezed Taiwan out of most international forums although it belongs to the World Trade Organization as the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu and competes in the Olympics as Chinese Taipei. Taipei previously said it fears that if China joined the CTPP first it would block its membership.

Despite Abbotts outspoken comments, his visit to Taiwan falls in line with the general direction of Canberra, whose relationship with China has become acrimonious Australia called for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.

Australia does not formally recognize Taiwans government, but it has maintained close and discrete ties over the years but has recently become more vocal about its support, said Brendan Taylor, professor of strategic studies at Australian National Universitys Strategic & Defence Studies Centre.

While the Morrison governments position is perhaps not as stark as that articulated by Abbott while he was in Taiwan, there were certainly clear points of consistency, especially the emphasis given to values and freedom as well as the parallels highlighted between the current period and the strategic environment in the 1930s, Taylor said.

A major difference, however, was Abbotts repeated use of the word country in his speech to describe Taiwan, a word that is seldom used in English language discourse due to Taiwans disputed political status.

In September, Australias foreign affairs and defense ministers and their American counterparts issued a joint statement expressing their intent to strengthen ties with Taiwan, which is a leading democracy and a critical partner for both countries, Taylor said.

Australia has also helped to revive the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) in September with the United States, India and Japan, which also included discussion of the Taiwan Strait.

The safety of the 180-kilometer-wide waterway has been in the global limelight since 2020 as Beijing continues to send record numbers of military flights towards Taiwan.

Australia has become much more concerned about Indo-Pacific security in recent years, said Mark Harrison, senior lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Tasmania. Up until the late 2010s, Australias interest in the region was dominated by a trade policy agenda but with Beijings assertiveness, that emphasis has shifted.

Security issues are not the only reason why the government might be interested in Taiwan. Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan recently met online with Taiwanese officials to discuss trade relations, Harrison said.

Taiwan cannot replace China as a destination for Australian exports, but it does buy products like coal, natural gas, and iron ore, Elliott Charng, a representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia, recently told a parliamentary committee. Expanding trade, he said, could also allow Australia greater access to Taiwans important semiconductor and electronics industry as well as consumer goods like bicycles and motorcycles.
A Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report a possible rape happening behind her home was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison  the most the judge could impose but less than half the 12 years he was sentenced to before his murder conviction was overturned last month.

Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher. But the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out Noor's murder conviction and sentence last month, saying the third-degree murder statute didn't fit the case because it can only apply when a defendant shows a "generalized indifference to human life," not when the conduct is directed at a particular person, as it was with Damond.

Judge Kathryn Quaintance, who also presided at Noor's trial, granted prosecutors' request to impose the maximum sentence in state guidelines on Noor's manslaughter conviction, 57 months. In doing so, she brushed aside the defense's request for 41 months, which is the low end of the range. With good behavior, Noor could be freed on supervised release by next summer. The state prison website listed his anticipated release date as June 27.

"Mr. Noor, I am not surprised that you have been a model prisoner," Quaintance said. "However, I do not know any authority that would make that grounds for reducing your sentence." She cited Noor "shooting across the nose of your partner" and endangering others the night of the shooting to hand down the stiffest sentence she could.

Noor, who was fired after he was charged, has served more than 29 months and had been serving most of his time at an out-of-state facility. In Minnesota, inmates who behave well typically serve two-thirds of their prison sentences and the remainder on supervised release.

Noor's appeal of his murder conviction was watched closely for implications in the case of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of the same charge in George Floyd's death.

After the state Supreme Court overturned Noor's third-degree murder conviction, experts said they expected the same eventual result for Chauvin but that it would likely have little impact because Chauvin was also convicted of a more serious second-degree murder charge in Floyd's death. Chauvin was sentenced to 22years.

Noor's attorneys, Tom Plunkett and Peter Wold, sought 41 months at the resentencing, citing Noor's good behavior behind bars and harsh conditions he faced during many months in solitary, away from the general prison population.

Damond's parents, John Ruszczyk and Maryan Heffernan, also asked the judge to impose the longest sentence. In a statement read by prosecutors, they called Damond's death "utterly gratuitous" and said that the Minnesota Supreme Court's overturning of a "poorly written law" didn't change the jury's belief that Noor committed murder.

"Our sorrow is forever, our lives will always endure an emptiness," they said.

The victim's fiance, Don Damond, gave his statement via Zoom. He started by praising prosecutors for their "sound application of the law" and criticizing the state Supreme Court for its reversal, which he said "does not diminish the truth that was uncovered during the trial."

"The truth is Justine should be alive. No amount of justification, embellishment, cover-up, dishonesty or politics will ever change that truth," he said.

But Don Damond also spoke directly to Noor, saying he forgave him and had no doubt Justine also would have forgiven him "for your inability in managing your emotions that night."

Noor, wearing a suit and tie and donning a face mask, appeared impassive as the victim's loved ones' statements were read. He later addressed the court briefly, saying, "I'm deeply grateful for Mr. Damond's forgiveness. I am deeply sorry for the pain that I've caused that family. And I will take his advice and be a unifier. Thank you."

Noor, who is Somali American, was believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting. Activists who had long called for officers to be held accountable for the deadly use of force applauded the murder conviction but lamented that it came in a case in which the officer is Black and his victim was white. Some questioned whether the case was treated the same as police shootings involving Black victims.
German authorities on Wednesday detained two former soldiers who are alleged to have tried to form a mercenary group that would have intervened in the military conflict in Yemen.

Federal prosecutors said the men, identified only as Arend-Adolf G. and Achim A. in keeping with Germany privacy laws, were detained in southern Germany. Both are German citizens and former members of the Bundeswehr.

The men are accused of being ringleaders in the formation of a terror organization, prosecutors said in a statement.

Together, they allegedly decided in early 2021 to create their own mercenary group of between 100 and 150 former soldiers or members of the police.

The men's primary motivation was to earn about 40,000 euros ($47,000) each per month by offering the group's services to third parties, specifically Saudi Arabia, prosecutors said. The oil-rich kingdom has intervened in the conflict in neighboring Yemen against the Houthi rebel group.

Prosecutors said the men's attempts to contact Saudi officials were unsuccessful.

The men were aware that their plans for military intervention in Yemen would inevitably require them to kill people, and they were aware that civilians might be injured and killed too, prosecutors said.

Arend-Adolf G. is alleged to have won over at least seven people for the plan, they added.
The Biden administration is preparing to open America's borders to travelers fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on November 8, but the decision will not affect asylum-seekers at the southern border, many of whom are barred entry under a Trump-era public health order that authorizes the swift expulsion of migrants.

The administration is hailing the reopening of the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada land borders, closed to most travelers since March 2020, as a win for interlinked communities in all three countries.

Cross-border travel creates significant economic activity in our border communities and benefits our broader economy. We are pleased to be taking steps to resume regular travel in a safe and sustainable manner, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

But immigration advocacy groups see disparate and unfair treatment of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. They note the U.S. will welcome nonimmigrant travelers coming to the U.S. for tourism or business while a federal public health order continues to serve as the basis for expelling migrants, regardless of their vaccination status.

"The Biden administration's so-called public health restrictions on asylum are a deadly and illegal double standard," Kennji Kizuka, associate director of research for refugee protection at Human Rights First, said in a statement.

In a report issued this week, Human Rights First documented 7,600 cases of migrants the Biden administration expelled under Title 42 who were subsequently kidnapped or victims of violence in Mexicos crime-ridden border regions.

Defense of policy

The Biden administration continues to defend the expulsion policy, which it has modified to exclude unaccompanied minors and some families with young children. The United States recently allowed entry to thousands of Haitian migrants encamped at a Texas border town, while sending many others back to Haiti.

Biden's pick to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Chris Magnus, promised during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that he would continue to enforce the health order.

I think it's absolutely imperative that we do everything possible to stop the spread of COVID. And Title 42 is a CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] authority, and I think it helps with this," said Magnus, who is currently police chief of Tucson, Arizona.

Magnus acknowledged challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border and stressed he is dedicated to enforcing immigration law in a humane way.

Immigrant advocates are not satisfied.

Matt Nelson, executive director of Presente.org, told VOA that reopening land borders for fully vaccinated nonessential travelers next month shows the administration believes America has reached a milestone in the pandemic.

In light of that, retaining Title 42 boggles the mind, he said.

The U.S. is a global leader in vaccine production and can easily vaccinate asylum-seekers and process their asylum cases but chooses not to. The paradigm of restriction, exclusion and punishment is an inhumane response to a humanitarian crisis, Nelson added.
India has administered one billion doses of the Covid 19 vaccines, a significant milestone for an immunization drive that had struggled to get off the ground earlier this year. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, with its domestic program making progress, the worlds largest vaccine maker has resumed vaccine exports.
India celebrated the milestone of administering one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, marking a key turnaround in a drive that got off the ground slowly earlier this year.

India is the second country after China to reach the one billion mark in its immunization program.

India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of [1.3 billion] Indians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a Twitter post Thursday. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. He visited a government hospital to mark the occasion.

However, with only about 30% of the population fully inoculated, India still needs to administer tens of millions of doses to those who have only received one dose.

Amid concerns over the wide gap that needs to be bridged between those fully and partly inoculated, officials say they aim to inoculate the adult population of 944 million by the year end.

Still, the billion doses mark significant progress in the country that has counted more than 34 million infections  the second highest in the world.

I think its a morale booster, said K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, a public-private partnership. Because it sort of gives us the confidence that we can get on with a vaccination program without getting resistance from the people and a machinery that is reasonably efficient reaching out in different parts of India.

There was a scramble for vaccines in India earlier this year when tens of thousands fell sick or died as it reeled under a deadly second wave fueled by the delta variant. The government was criticized for failing to ensure adequate supplies even though India is the worlds biggest vaccine distributor.

But authorities bolstered the inoculation program in recent months and vaccine supplies have surged as the government helped companies increase production lines.

Officials are urging those who are not vaccinated to come forward  some 70 million Indians have still not received a single shot.

However, experts say vaccine hesitancy has not emerged as a major stumbling block.

There are people who feel they do not need the vaccine because they have immunity, Reddy told VOA. But there is no anti-vaccine phobia in terms of suspecting that this is going to be a very dangerous vaccine that is going to harm them.

In cities, where an army of migrant workers have to work outside their homes, there was a rush for vaccines. Ajay Kumar Nayak, a building contractor in New Delhi, said he got vaccinated as soon as his turn came for his safety. When there is no proper cure, it is better to increase your immunity.

Jospina Kajur, a housemaid who lost her job during the pandemic, said she wanted to get the vaccine because no one would hire her otherwise. People ask for proof that we [have been vaccinated], so I show them my vaccine certificate.

In rural areas, community health workers spread the message about the importance of vaccines. For those who were reluctant, several state governments made it mandatory to show the first-shot vaccination certificate to access welfare programs such as food rations.

Despite poor health infrastructure in villages, Indias long experience in conducting mass immunization programs among children and women helped the drive. Drones and boats have been used to deliver vaccines to isolated areas and health workers have trudged up Himalayan slopes to inoculate people living in remote villages.

India also plans to celebrate the one billion dose milestone by illuminating national monuments and musical programs.

Much of the country has reopened as infections drop to their lowest level in seven months it has been counting about 15,000 new infections daily in the past week.

But with the festive season approaching, officials are advising caution. If the virus becomes different or mutates, it changes the dynamics, it changes everything, V.K. Paul, the head of the countrys COVID-19 taskforce said at a briefing recently.

Many however hope that the immunity built up by an estimated 70% of the population  either with vaccines or due to contracting COVID-19  will afford some protection.

India also faces the challenge of deploying vaccines for children under 18, who make up 40% of the population. Although one locally developed vaccine has been approved for those above the age of 12 years, it is not yet being administered.

The progress in Indias vaccination drive, experts say, is also important for developing countries across Asia and Africa as it raises hopes that the worlds biggest vaccine maker will emerge as a major global supplier in the coming months.

With domestic stockpiles improving, India has resumed exports  the first batches of vaccines were sent recently to Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Iran.

We will decide on further supplies based on our production and demand, foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said last week.

But with Indian companies on track to increasing their capacity significantly, analysts predict exports are expected to rise in the coming months.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is resisting calls by some public health officials to implement new COVID-19 restrictions, despite a surge of new infections hitting the nation.

The Health Ministry reported 52,000 new infections on Thursday, with a daily average the past week of more than 44,000  a 16% increase from the previous week.

The World Health Organization reported this week that Britain has among the highest number of daily new infections in the European region, the only part of the world that saw an increase in new cases last week.

Speaking to reporters, Johnson said the government is going to stick to a plan it laid out earlier this year which called for a series of steps to allow the country to reopen and lift the restrictions.

Johnson said officials are carefully watching the COVID-19 numbers and said while the figures are high, they are within the parameters that government experts predicted.

Johnson said the best thing people can do now is get a booster shot. Almost 80% of British residents 12 and older have been fully vaccinated, and everyone over 50 is being offered a booster.

Johnson said, Ninety percent of the adult population has antibodies right now. But we must fortify ourselves further."

Critics of the government plan say the booster campaign is moving more slowly than the infection. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday the booster shot campaign is currently vaccinating about 165,000 people a day and that it should be closer to 500,000 per day.

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
At least 50 journalists were among the thousands of people due to be freed from prison in Myanmar this week after the military announced an amnesty.

The military-installed government announced an amnesty for 5,600 people on Monday. The figure includes over 1,300 who had been convicted, and 4,320 who were awaiting trial.

Among those named on the list are three journalists from the independent broadcaster Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB); two journalists from the VOA affiliate Mizzima; and Sithu Aung Myint, a veteran journalist who contributes to VOA and who has been jailed since August 15. The DVB journalists were freed Monday but as of Thursday Sithu Aung Myint remained in custody.

A team of lawyers representing the journalists on a pro-bono basis welcomed the announcement but said it would continue to assist the dozens still behind bars.

"We are relieved and happy to know that three DVB journalists, including Aung Kyaw, from Myeik, and Min Nyo, from Pyay, were released. We have to wait and see whether all 50 journalists are released. If not, we'll continue to represent them, the legal teams spokesperson, Khin Maung Myint, told VOA Burmese.

Most of those released had faced charges under Section 505a, which criminalizes content deemed to cause fear or spread false news about the government, but it was unclear if those accused under other sections of the penal code would be freed.

Incitement charges filed against Htet Htet Khine, who freelances for the BBC, were dropped under the amnesty, but a charge under the Unlawful Association Act remains active, the spokesperson for the legal team said.

On Wednesday, the Facebook group Myanmar Press Freedom In-Depth, which tracks jailed journalists, said at least 17 journalists have left prison since the start of this week. But dozens more remain in custody.

One of those is American journalist Danny Fenster, whom Myanmar has charged under its laws on incitement and the Unlawful Associations Act. Fenster, who is managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, was not named in the amnesty and remains in custody.

Originally from Detroit, Fenster has been jailed since May 24 for offenses allegedly carried out by Myanmar Now, months after Fenster resigned from the news outlet, his lawyer says.

Frontier Myanmar has said it will end its print publication and temporarily cease its online and social media operation.

In a message emailed to subscribers, editor-in-chief Thomas Kean cited political instability and risks to staff from possible arrest or the coronavirus.

The conditions for journalists working inside the country have gotten progressively worse over the past few months as the regime gets more desperate to crush resistance, Kean said.

His message added that many of the outlets reporters are in hiding and that it has become harder for the photographers to work.

Mixed feelings

The amnesty brought mixed emotions for those freed, including DVB reporter Min Nyo, who was arrested in March while covering a protest over the military takeover, and later sentenced to three years in prison.

The reporter said that 170 people were detained under incitement charges in Pyay, in Myanmars Bago region, but only eight of those have been freed.

"Many youth remain in prison. We are not happy to be released, because we feel uncomfortable looking at those left behind in jail. They have hopes and vision for future, Min Nyo told VOA. We left prison with sadness, and we want them to be released as soon as possible."

Also freed were Mizzima co-founder Thin Thin Aung and one of her staff, James Pu Thoure. Both were arrested on April 8 on charges of incitement.

Since the February 1 coup, arrest warrants have been issued for at least 10 Mizzima journalists, including the managing director and editor-in-chief Soe Myint and managing editor Sein Win.

The amnesty deal was announced three days after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) declined to invite Myanmars military leader to a summit.

ASEAN cited a lack of progress on plans the junta had agreed to in April to restore peace in Myanmar.

Myanmar's military government blamed "foreign intervention" for the decision.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) tied the prisoner release to the juntas attempts to blunt international criticism.

The military announcement must not be met with applause. It is a tactic of the junta to stop international condemnation. These releases will not end the coup, the AAPP said.

The group said that as of Monday, 7,355 people were detained, including 354 who have been sentenced. A further 1,989 are under arrest warrant and Myanmar has sentenced over 100 in absentia.

Tom Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said that while the prisoners' release was welcome, it came "not because of a change of heart, but because of pressure."

In a statement posted to Twitter, Andrews added that they had been detained "illegally for exercising their fundamental human rights."



This story originated in VOAs Burmese Service.
The largest triceratops skeleton ever found was sold for $7.74 million Thursday at an auction in Paris to a private American collector.

In a statement on its website, the Drouot auction house said the fossilized remains of Big John, as the skeleton is known, was expected to go for between $1.4 and $1.7 million. But they said the prehistoric remains aroused the enthusiasm of bidders onsite at the auction house, on the phone and online.

An anonymous U.S. collector finally won the bidding battle. A representative for the buyer told reporters the individual is absolutely thrilled with the idea of being able to bring a piece like this to his personal use.

Triceratops, which means three-horned face in Latin, was a large plant-eating dinosaur that lived between 66 million and 84 million years ago. It was distinctive for the two large horns on its forehead and a third on its nose. Big John is named after the owner of the parcel of land where the bones were discovered in 2014 in the upper midwestern U.S. state of South Dakota.

Experts say Big John is unique and rare among dinosaur fossils because more than 60% of its skeleton and 75% of its skull are complete.

Last year, a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton was sold in New York for a record-breaking $31.8 million. Paleontologists say enthusiasm for dinosaur bones by private collectors is pricing them out of reach of the worlds museums.

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
British authorities said Thursday that a British man has been charged in the fatal stabbing of lawmaker David Amess last week while he was meeting with constituents at a church.

Britains Crown Prosecution Service said Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old of Somali heritage, has been charged under the Terrorism Act.

The death of the longtime lawmaker has stunned Britain and particularly its politicians, who have a tradition of being accessible to constituents. His murder has sparked high level conversations about how Britain protects its leaders and confronts domestic extremism.

The 69-year-old Amess was a social conservative who opposed abortion and supported Britain's exit from the European Union.

His killing came five years after Labour Party legislator Jo Cox was murdered by a far-right extremist, the first British lawmaker to be killed since a peace agreement ended violence in Northern Ireland nearly three decades before.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday relations between the alliance and Russia are at their lowest point since the Cold War ended.

Stoltenberg made the comments as NATO defense ministers began two-day meetings in Brussels.

Tensions have risen between Russia and NATO over recent weeks, as Russia announced Monday it was suspending its permanent mission to NATO in response to the alliances expulsion of eight Russians earlier this month. The alliance had accused the Russians of spying, which the Kremlin denied.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Stoltenberg said he regretted Russias decision to close the alliances office in Moscow. He said they still have channels for communications with Russia, but this makes it more difficult.

But the NATO chief said this difficult situation just makes it more important that the two sides continue to talk. He said NATO will continue to strive for a constructive dialogue with Russia.

Stoltenberg also said NATO is going through a transformation, with member nations refocusing their collective defenses to protect our own territory. The defense ministers are set to agree on a new master plan to defend against any potential Russian attack on multiple fronts.

NATO allies will also address Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover of the country.

"The 'lessons learned' process has to focus on both what did not work, but also what worked," during the alliances involvement in the country, Stoltenberg said.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the NATO chief said, The most urgent role NATO has, and the most immediate task we are faced with, is to resettle Afghans who worked with us.

Stoltenberg said NATO allies and partners were able to get more than 120,000 people out of Afghanistan and continue to work on evacuating more.

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in Brussels for a meeting of NATO defense ministers Thursday and Friday to talk about security issues in Afghanistan, tensions with Russia and technology policy.

Im here to help advance NATOs military adaptation, and ensure the alliance is prepared for the challenges of the future, Austin tweeted after arriving Wednesday.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the defense ministers would discuss preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists, and making sure Afghans evacuated during a massive airlift operation are able to resettle in NATO member states and not remain at transit centers.

The most urgent role NATO has, and the most immediate task we are faced with, is to resettle Afghans who worked with us, Stoltenberg told reporters ahead of the ministerial. And NATO Allies and the NATO partners were able to get more than 120,000 people, many of them Afghans, out of Afghanistan. And we still, Allies and partners, are still working on how to get more people out.

Austin traveled to Belgium from Romania, where he said Wednesday the Biden administration is committed to strengthening its Euro-Atlantic bonds while securing NATOs eastern flank.

Speaking in Bucharest, Austin praised Romania for setting an important example for allied commitment on sharing responsibility and defense modernization.

Romania is one of the few NATO nations that spends more than 2% of its Gross Domestic Product on defense, with 20% of that spending going toward modernization  two key NATO spending goals.

The country also hosts about 1,000 rotational U.S. forces who help maintain security of the Black Sea region.

Austins visit to Romania followed stops in Ukraine and Georgia, two countries that aspire to join NATO and that are partially occupied by Russian and Russian-backed forces.

Tensions have risen between Russia and the longstanding alliance, with Russia announcing on Monday it was suspending its permanent mission to NATO in response to the alliances expulsion of eight Russians earlier this month.

Speaking in Kyiv Tuesday, Austin called Russia an obstacle to any peaceful resolution to the war raging in Ukraines east.

We again call on Russia to end its occupation of Crimea, to stop perpetuating the war in Eastern Ukraine, to end its destabilizing activities in the Black Sea and along Ukraines borders, Austin said.

Earlier this year, the largest number of Russian troops amassed near the Ukrainian border since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Kyiv. Russia soon pulled back its troops, however, after taking part in exercises near the Ukraine border.

Russia still occupies about a fifth of Georgia.
Ethiopian forces carried out an airstrike Thursday on Mekelle, their third on the Tigray regional capital this week, as the government attempts to weaken the Tigrayan forces theyve been fighting for almost a year.

Spokesman Legesse Tulu told reporters the airstrike targeted a training center for Tigrayan forces. He said the base previously was used by Ethiopian forces in the area.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

War erupted nearly a year ago between Ethiopian troops and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which governed Ethiopia for three decades but now rules only the northern Tigray region.

Mekelle has not seen large-scale fighting since June, when Ethiopian forces withdrew from the area and Tigray forces retook control of most of the region. Following that, the conflict continued to spill into the neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar.

Last week, Tigray forces said the Ethiopian military had launched a ground offensive to push them out of Amhara and to recapture territory lost to them several months ago.

U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters Tuesday that U.N. colleagues are alarmed at the intensification of the conflict and once again reminded all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Activists in Nigeria gathered this week to mark the anniversary of last years massive street rallies against police brutality. Many victims of police abuse say they have yet to see justice.

Obianuju Iloanya's older brother Chijioke Iloanya was 20 years old in November 2012 when members of Nigerias notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, arrested him at a party in Anambra state in southeastern Nigeria.

Obianuju Iloanya, an NGO worker and activist, said that was the last time she saw him.

"It was a child dedication. They were drinking and making noise. They came and arrested everybody. That's not enough reason to kill anybody," said Iloanya.

She said the SARS, often accused of torture, rape and extrajudicial killings, was responsible for her brothers death. And that her family's efforts to bail him from police detention were not successful.

She said, "The man said, If it's those boys that were led in the other day, I've killed them. They're already dead, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Last year, issues involving the SARS police unit escalated, leading to nationwide street demonstrations demanding its disbandment. The protest was an opportunity for Iloanya to vent about her brother's death.

Days into last years protests, authorities dissolved the police unit. But demonstrations continued, expanding to include calls for better governance and climaxing in a shooting incident at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos on October 20, 2020. Amnesty International says 12 people were killed.

This week, thousands of protesters in several Nigerian cities, including Abuja, remembered victims of police brutality a year after the shooting. They also reignited calls for an end to police brutality.

"Indeed, with resilience, with confidence, we can surmount our fears and we can confront every issue that is bedeviling our nation with the view of making genuine corrections," said activist Deji Adeyanju.

In the past year, authorities set up investigative panels and have been offering restitution to victims.

A Lagos panel on Monday said it has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation to 70 of the more than 250 victims who came forward in the state.

But activists like Cynthia Mbamalu said the process has been slow.

"Until compensation is paid to every victim who got awarded compensation at the panels, until arrests and prosecutions are enforced for all the officers indicted by the panel, we cannot say justice has been achieved," she said.

Amnesty International's Seun Bakare said the protests will likely continue unless the police officers guilty of abuse are held accountable.

"I know that as long as the Nigerian authorities refuse to bring justice and accountability for the crimes committed by its security forces, the agitations will continue," said Bakare.

In the meantime, victims and protesters say the memories and effects of the police brutality will never go away.
Researchers around the world are keeping a close eye on a mutation of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus.

Israeli health officials confirmed earlier this week that an 11-year-old boy tested positive for the subvariant known as AY.4.2 after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv from Moldova. The boy was immediately placed in isolation and is said to be doing fine.

The AY.4.2 subvariant, which has been dubbed delta plus, has already been detected in Britain, Russia and the United States, but scientists have not determined if it poses a significant risk of being more contagious than the original version, which triggered a wave of new infections and deaths around the world during the third quarter of 2021, or whether it is more resistant to vaccines.

The AY.4.2 variant has not been categorized as either a variant of interest or variant of concern by the World Health Organization.

Meanwhile, the Reuters news agency is reporting that India has delayed supplying COVID-19 vaccines to COVAX, the global vaccine sharing initiative backed by the World Health Organization.

India, the worlds biggest supplier of vaccines through the Serum Institute of India,

halted exports in April because it faced a humanitarian disaster due to a surge in new infections and deaths triggered by the delta variant, with hospitals filled to capacity and scores of makeshift crematories rushing to burn the dead.

Reuters says it has learned from two sources that WHO officials informed the Serum Institute that it could not cut corners in approval of Covaxin, Indias first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine.

The Serum Institute has contracts to supply hundreds of millions of doses of a licensed version of the two-dose AstraZeneca vaccine to COVAX and countries such as Bangladesh.

In a related story, the Britain-based The Guardian newspaper says a new report has revealed that only one in seven COVID-19 vaccine doses promised to the worlds poorest countries has been delivered.

An analysis by the Peoples Vaccine Alliance, a coalition of non-governmental organizations including Oxfam and Amnesty International, shows that of the 1.8 billion doses that have been pledged by the worlds richest nations, 261 million, or 14 percent, have arrived in low-income nations. The report also says that out of 994 million doses promised by vaccine developers AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech to COVAX, only 120 million, or 12 percent, have been delivered.

The shortage has resulted in only 1.3 percent of people living in the worlds poorest nations to be fully vaccinated against the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
As the European Parliament wrapped up a mission to Slovenia last Friday, Dutch MP Sophia in t Veld cited concerns that public debate in the country is often hostile.

Her comments came after Slovenias Prime Minister Janez Jansa criticized the European Parliament and made what some said were anti-Semitic remarks.

The European delegation were in Slovenia to assess democracy, rule of law, and fundamental rights including press freedom in the country, which currently has the rotating presidency of the European Union.

While public institutions work well, the mission cited areas of concern including harassment and pressure on public broadcasters and critical journalists.

Its a concern shared by several journalists and media rights groups, including Jamie Wiseman, from the International Press Institute (IPI).

IPI and other organizations were hoping to see an improvement in media freedom in Slovenia after the country took over the rotating presidency. Sadly, this has not been the case, Wiseman told VOA.

Cold reception

During their three days in Slovenia, in t Veld, from the EUs political group Renew Europe, and her team met with government officials, public bodies and members of the media. But Jansa did not speak with the group.

However, Jansa questioned on Twitter why the delegation was focused on Slovenia, and retweeted a photo in which in t Veld and 12 other EU parliamentarians are accused of being puppets of the philanthropist George Soros.

Soros, a Hungarian-born businessman and founder of the Open Society Foundation, is often targeted with anti-Jewish slurs and accusations that he is financing and orchestrating far-left extremism, protests and other conspiracies.

The president of the EU Parliament called for the Slovenian leader to cease provocations against members saying Attacks on members of this house, are also attacks on European citizens.

When Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, weighed in, calling the Soros tweet tasteless, Jansa replied that Rutte should not waste time with  media freedom in Slovenia and should instead protect your journalists from being killed on the streets.

The remark was a reference to veteran crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, who was murdered in Amsterdam in July.

Hostile environment

For in t Veld, who oversaw the mission to Slovenia, the rhetoric reflected the overall hostile environment and pressure that she says the media and public bodies are under.

It is very striking that members of the government are also engaging in that kind of debate which I think is unfit for a civilized and democratic society, in t Veld said.

The tone of the [public] debate is not harmless and its not innocent and we have seen in other countries how it can lead to an erosion of trust in the democratic institutions and even an attack on the democratic institutions in the end, she said.

At the news conference, in t Veld warned that if pressure on media and other bodies continued, You may end up with a kind of climate wherein the media and the democratic institutions do not function properly anymore.

The Ministry of Culture, which oversees Slovenias media, disputed the European delegations initial findings.

International organizations  know nothing about the Slovenian media and resort mainly to reports from Slovenia, the ministry said in a statement prepared for VOA.

Most local media are biased in favor of left-wing parties, the ministry said, adding that this is the biggest proof that media freedom in Slovenia is untouched.

Representatives from the Culture Ministry declined a meeting with the European Parliament delegation because the mission would not agree to have the meeting recorded.

The ministry told VOA that recording meetings is a precondition, and that without it, anyone can interpret what was said by himself and according to his memory."

Press advocates, analysts share concerns

Media analysts however, mostly share concerns over the state of press freedom in the country.

Since Jansa came to power, journalists have reported an increase of harassment and online attacks over their coverage by government officials, pro-government supporters, and in anonymous attacks.

While the situation remains a long way away from the current landscape for the free press in Poland and Hungary, there are tactics used by governments in Warsaw and Budapest that are being replicated in Ljubljana, said Wiseman, the IPIs Europe advocacy officer.

Rights groups say independent media in Hungary and Poland face an increasingly restrictive environment, with attempts to discredit media and control public broadcasters.



In t Veld and Wiseman both pointed to the stop on financing for the national news agency STA, which is required by law. The agency normally receives about half of its financing from the government, but earlier this year that revenue was cut off.



If funding is not reinstated, a central part of the countrys media ecosystem would fall silent and an important pillar of Slovenias democracy would be dismantled, said Wiseman.



STA director Bojan Veselinovicwhom Jansa has accused of being a political tool for the leftresigned last month, saying the funding dispute was always about [the government] stance on media independence and the attempt to subordinate the agency.



And Manica Janezic Ambrozic, managing editor of TV Slovenia news programs, resigned on October 15 after what Wiseman said was months of orchestrated attacks on her by political forces determined to remove her from her position.



When RTV's director of television programming Natalija Gorscak was dismissed in August, she told VOA she believed it was because she refused to dimiss Ambrozic.



Like other outlets, the station had also been accused of bias and false news over critical reporting on the government.



While many journalists and analysts see the changes at RTV Slovenia as a proof of political pressure on the countrys influential public broadcaster, the stations new chief executive Andrej Grah Whatmough and the Ministry of Culture have denied any interference.



The full findings of the European Parliament mission is due to be released at a later date.
South Koreas space agency launched its first domestically built rocket into space Thursday but failed to put its 1.5-ton dummy payload into orbit.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) provided video of the 47-meter rocket, known as the Nuri, or world, blasting off and climbing into the sky from the Naro Space Center, the countrys lone spaceport on a small island off its southern coast.

South Korean Science Minister Lim Hye-sook told the Associated Press the rockets first and second stages separated properly and that the third stage ejected the payload  a block of stainless steel and aluminum  700 kilometers above Earth.

But she said launch data suggested that the third stages engine burned out after 475 seconds, about 50 seconds shorter than planned, failing to give the payload enough speed to stabilize in orbit.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was at the launch site, still described the test as an excellent accomplishment that takes the country a step further in its pursuit of a satellite launch program. He said the space agency plans to conduct as many as five more test launches, with the next set for early 2022.

Space launches have long been a sensitive issue on the Korean peninsula, where North and South Korea are technically still at war.

After relying on other countries to launch its satellites since the early 1990s, South Korea is now trying to become the 10th nation to send a satellite into space with its own technology.



The nation plans a range of military satellite launches but officials deny that the Nuri has any use as a weapon itself.

Some information for this report was provided by the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
A series of militant killings of civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir this month has prompted members of the regions small Hindu minority to leave the area for fear of further attacks on their community, some residents have told VOA.

Those who say none of us left [Kashmir] after October 8 are lying, said Abhay Koul, 24, referring to the date on which he said some families started to depart his gated community of local Hindus, known as Pandits, in the Sheikhpura neighborhood of Budgam district. He spoke while waiting to enter the compound through a gate guarded by Indian police and paramilitary forces.

Eleven civilians have been fatally shot by militants since October 2, according to local authorities. The total includes two Pandits, four non-Kashmiri Hindu migrant workers, one minority Sikh, one Muslim migrant worker and three local Muslims.

The Resistance Front (TRF), an Islamist militant organization believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for most of the attacks.

The Associated Press reported that TRF claimed in a social media post that it was targeting people working for Indian authorities. It said the groups statement could not be independently verified.

Koul said most of the apartments inside the Pandit compound were empty following the targeted killings.

The fear of being killed has triggered migration plans for Pandits once again, Koul said. Fifty to 60 Pandit families who lived inside Sheikhpura packed their luggage and left the Kashmir valley during the night of October 8 to 9. In my building, only my family is staying behind, he added.

Koul noted that his family was among the few Pandits who continued to live with Muslims in Pulwama district since the 1990s when armed insurgency erupted in the region.

The compound has become a no-go zone for outsiders. VOA approached police and paramilitary forces on duty for permission to enter it but they refused, citing security reasons.

Haunting past

Another local Hindu resident of Sheikhpura, Madan Lal, recalled fleeing Kashmir along with thousands of other Pandits in the 1990s, fearing death at the hands of anti-India militants. He said they settled in different parts of India and in the predominantly Hindu Jammu region of the disputed Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir territory, which has a Muslim majority.

A prominent Kashmiri Islamic scholar, Grand Mufti Nasir ul Islam, told VOA that Indias majority Hindu-led government engineered the Pandits migration from Kashmir in the 1990s.

The Muslim community protected hundreds of Pandit families who stayed in Kashmir valley after thousands of them fled, Islam said. That protection included providing Pandits financial aid and helping them to perform funeral rites for members of their community, he said.

Muslims over the last 30 years have been asking Pandits to return and live with us, Islam said.

Lal said more than 300 Pandit families returned to Kashmir in response to then-Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs 2008 policy of offering jobs and housing to minority communities. It was part of Singh's attempt to encourage other displaced Pandits to return home and live alongside Kashmiri Muslims as they did previously.

Lal himself returned to Kashmir several years ago from New Delhi to be with his daughter, whom he said had secured a government job there.

His haunting memories of the 1990s came back, Lal said, after he learned about the recent killings of two members of his Hindu community. He estimated that a smaller number of 20 to 30 Pandit families have left the Kashmir valley for Jammu since October 8.

I think every Pandit is nervous and scared after these episodes, Lal said.

Religious scholar Islam said he visited the homes of the slain civilians from minority groups to honor their memories and show support for their communities. I personally believe that the recent killings of minorities need to be investigated independently so that the truth comes out, he said.

Some departures opportunistic?

Another Kashmiri Pandit living in Sheikhpura, who asked that his real name not be used for security reasons, also said about 20 to 30 Pandit families had left Kashmir this month. But the man, whom VOA is referring to as Sanjay Dhar, said the situation for Pandits is not as bad as claimed by some Kashmiri Hindu groups affiliated with pro-India Hindu nationalists.

Dhar said he has not restricted his movements since the militant attacks on civilians and continued his work at the Jammu and Kashmir agriculture department as before.

Many people from our community took [the recent civilian killings] as a pretext to leave Kashmir because they are opportunists, Dhar said. Only a few left out of fear, while the rest abandoned their duties because they think government will settle them in the Jammu region, he said.

Islam, the Kashmiri grand mufti, accused some Pandits of maligning the image of Kashmiri Muslims. He said he condemned the killings of several hundred Pandits since the early 1990s and called on Pandits to also condemn the killings of what he said were 150,000 Kashmiri Muslims in the same period.

A report published this month by Turkeys TRT World said the Indian government has estimated that Kashmirs sectarian conflict has killed 47,000 people since 1989. The report said human rights groups believe the death toll is twice that amount.

Mohit Bhan, spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party founded by a Kashmiri Muslim, told VOA that the recent migration of Pandits from Kashmir reflects a resurgence of the fear generated by the sectarian conflict of the 1990s. Bhans party advocates for Indias central government to restore the autonomy that it previously granted to the territory until 2019.

Much more needs to be done, as we are dealing with the ghosts of the 1990s and those who are on the prowl to disturb the social fabric, Bhan said.

The central government and Jammu and Kashmir authorities must stop using minorities as a political tool ... and making them targets for the lunatic fringe, Bhan said.

Some information for this story came from the Associated Press.
TRANSCRIPT

The Inside Story: Afghanistans Addiction Crisis

Episode 10  October 21, 2021

Show Open:

Voice of: KATHERINE GYPSON, VOA Congressional Correspondent:

Afghanistans poppy fields provides most of the worlds opium 

Creating a crisis of addiction in the country.

Mark Colhoun, Former UNODC Representative in Afghanistan:

So, these are all increasing the threat to the population exponentially.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

The old ... the young.

The men  and the women 

Drugs grip on Afghanistan's society and economy ---

On The Inside Story: Afghanistans Addiction Crisis.

The Inside Story:

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Hi. Im Katherine Gypson, VOAs Congressional Correspondent.

While members of Congress and others debate the tactics of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the strategies of 20 years of war, there is one issue that has constantly plagued that country: Drugs. Narcotics. Specifically, opium.

According to the U.N., Afghanistan produces 80 percent of the worlds opium.

While the rest of the world tries to deal with the trafficking of the drug, millions of people are addicted inside Afghanistan.

Before the U.S. withdrawal, VOAs Afghan Service traveled through the country to document the extent of Afghanistans Addiction Crisis.

Our grim trip begins in the capital, Kabul.

Voice of narrator (Annie Ball):

In Afghanistan, this is where, and how, it sometimes ends. A drug addicts life.

Health workers came to round-up the addicts and take them to addiction treatment centers. But today they encounter the lifeless bodies of three addicts.

Here, at Kabuls Pul-e-Sokhta bridge, the health workers face the grim, and heavy chore of removing the bodies, hauling them up to the street and away for burial. If no family can be located, they will be laid in an unmarked grave, with no one to mourn their loss. It is the mark of shame to be buried alone in Afghanistan.

For the workers and government officials, it reminds them they cannot help everyone.

Dr. Aref Wafa was working with addicts.

Dr. Aref Wafa, Department of Drug Demand Reduction:

Especially when we come here in the winter, our goal is to save their lives. They may increase the dose due to cold or chills. When they overdose, they do not feel it, therefore, this causes their death.

Narrator:

Doctors say, these addicts are consuming heroin, morphine, opium and increasingly, crystal meth. The cause of death is usually a drug overdose. They are taken to a Kabul cemetery for burial. How many bodies are buried there? No one knows. Officials dont track the numbers.

Gholam Yahyas brother lost his life to addiction under the bridge. Yahya, an addict like his brother, still lives under this bridge. Now, he describes the sadnessand shameand how addicts deaths are treated by religious leaders.

Gholam Yahya, Drug Addict:

They said those who use drugs, commit suicide. Since they commit suicide, their funeral prayers are forbidden. They cannot be washed. His mother did not bring her child to this world to end up under Pull-e-Sokhta bridge. He did not wish this for himself., but I could not bury him in any cemetery.

Narrator:

In Kabuls Pul-e-Sokhta area, this is not just the story of Gholam Yahyas life.

Throughout Afghanistan, it is known as a drug addiction center. The bridge in western Kabul has become a major hub for drug users for the past two decades. An iconic symbol of drug abuse in a nation rife with addiction.

The addicts dont come just from Kabul, but many from the provinces, too. Hundreds of them share this grimy space, spending their days and nights getting high amidst the waste and debris. Most of them have been evicted by their families and have no shelter.

They live in squalor, surrounded by filth, black walls, and dirty water.

Over the years there have been several unsuccessful attempts to close the area. But it remains a popular gathering place for addicts.

Nazo is one of many looking for loved ones. Her husband and brother are addicted to drugs. Nazo's husband uses opium and is remarried. He left her with the responsibility of taking care of their six boys. In Afghanistan, single mothers with no men in the house face a particularly difficult life, especially when the single mother is the only breadwinner. This is why Nazo hopes to find her brother, who is a heroin addict.

Nazo, Sister of a Drug Addict:

It has been five months since I went to Kart-e-now, Arzan Qemat, Jada, and Cinema-e-Pamir to Shama-li so that anyone could tell me his whereabouts. I dont know the area. I went to ask. I got home about ten o'clock at night. I am a woman. I cannot bear this grief, if God forbid. someone touches me or someone talks dirty behind my back.

Narrator:

In addition to her six children, Nazo also has been taking care of her mother and her brothers wife. She washes dishes and cleans peoples laundry, making about $2.60 a day.

Nazo, Sister of a Drug Addict:

I suffered for him so much. The other day, I told my mother. Mother! She said, Yes. I said it's a pain, we can get over it. I will find a poison tablet and we will end everything together.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Stories like Nazos are becoming more commonplace because of the drug trades grip on Afghanistan's economy.

2017 was the peak, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

Nearly 10-thousand tons of opium brought in one-point-four billion dollars --- seven percent of Afghanistans GDP.

And now the opium produced from the poppy plant has a rival that also grows wild in Afghanistan.

Narrator:

As a country, Afghanistan deals with insecurity, endless wars, corruption, poverty, a weak economy, high unemployment, and other challenges. But it also faces the problem of home-grown addiction and drug use. Some describe drug addiction in this country as a hidden tsunami; a large wave ready to crush what is in its wake.

Despite billions of dollars in international aid, government projects and efforts, Afghanistan remains the worlds top cultivator of poppythe plant used to make opium and heroin.

The country is the world's largest narcotics producer. A joint survey by the Afghan government and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, shows they are losing the war to eradicate the crop.

It says in 2020, poppy cultivation was up 37% in Afghanistan.

The report found that last year poppy was cultivated on nearly a quarter of a million hectares of land in 22 of the 34 provinces.

Most of the opium is smuggled abroad, but what remains is a problem at home.

Mark Colhoun, Former UNODC Representative in Afghanistan:

We are seeing high level of opioid use in the country. We are seeing high level of cannabis use in the country and an emerging threat that we have been noticing for the last number of years is definitely methamphetamine and other amphetamine type stimulants in the country. So, these are all increasing the threats to the population exponentially, so we have drug production and then rising drug use in the country which is a severe threat to the people of the country.

Narrator:

Drug production and addiction go hand-in-hand, and both are on the rise.

User statistics are hard to come by. The most recent numbers are from a 2015 survey. It was conducted by INL, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Afghan government. It found that 2.5 to 3.5 million Afghans are directly or indirectly addicted to drugs. At that time, one in three families tested positive for drugs. And the rural areas were three times worse than in the cities.

Dr. Ahmad Jawad Osmani, Former Afghanistan Minister of Public Health:

Unfortunately, drug addiction is not diminishing. It is increasing. And thats why, we think that the number that was estimated in the past has increased even more.

Narrator:

Meanwhile, a recent report shows crystal methamphetamine  also called crystal or meth --- is a growing problem in Afghanistan. Last November, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) reported that the country is becoming a significant global producer of meth.

One reason is drug traffickers discovered that the ephedra plant, which commonly grows wild in parts of Afghanistan, can be used to make meth. The report focused on the production of meth in Bakwa district. It called the preliminary findings worrying, adding there is potential for meth to rival the countrys production of opiates.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Concern over the rapid increase in meth production is its relative low cost to make.

And for many of Afghanistans addicts, low cost is what they are looking for.

And it is not limited to the cities.

VOAs Afghan Service went about 180 kilometers west of Kabul --- to Bamyan province --- for a ground-level view of addictions reach into rural villages.

Narrator:

Bamyan is known for its beautiful landscapes. It is where, nearly 20 years ago (March 2001) the Taliban destroyed two ancient statues of Buddha, which had been the largest in the world.

Here, people in the cities and villages suffer from drug addiction.

Local officials say there are about 50,000 addicts, and people affected by addiction.

Head west, into more rural areas, and you find drugs even more prevalent than in central Bamyan province.

The Waras district is where most of the villagers use drugs.

The long drive to get there winds through scenic landscapes and rutted roads.

Waras district is surrounded by green hills and valleys.

People in this remote area live in poverty. They lack the benefits of modern society, like good schools, clinics or hospitals, and technology.

The sun shines brightly this morning in Bazobala village. Here, everyone, young and old, including the men, women and children are drug addicts.

Eighty families live in Bazobala.

Most people here use drugs together, in groups, and out in the open. The lives of the villagers revolve around smoking drugs. When they have it, they use it.

When asked why, they mention many reasons. Like this 18-year-old man:

Drug Addict, Bazobala Shuqol village:

The reason I became addicted to drugs was unemployment and poverty. I went to Iran, far away from home. I was unemployed and the situation was bad, so I got addicted to drugs. So, when I return here, I thought that the situation will be better. The situation is bad here as well.

Ali Yawar, Bazobala Shuqol village:

I have been using drugs for almost fifteen years. First, I used heroin, now Im using in crystal.

Narrator:

It affects the children too. Parents not only use themselves, but also give drugs to their children. In addition to heroin, opium and crystal meth, the addicts of Bazobala are also familiar with other drug options, like tramadol tablets. It is a cheap alternative to heroin and opium.

Drug Addict, Bazobala Shugol village:

Those whose consumption is high, like myself, my spending is also high. I use may be one or one and half packet. A packet is 25 (32 cents) to 50 Afghanis. You cant even purchase this tramadol 500 for 100 Afghanis.

Narrator:

In Pezhandur village, women are also drug addicts.

In many families in the area, they use drugs with their husbands and children

This is Fatima. She has been addicted to drugs for 30 years. Fatima, her husband and her sons use drugs together.

Fatima, Pashandur Village:

I have asthma. Im sick as well. Im 65 years old. I go to work in the desert and mountains until late. Im weak and my husband is also sick.

Narrator:

Villagers here work in farming and raising animals. Young people go to the mountains to collect grass for the animals, and the children are shepherds.

The idyllic life of these villages is disrupted by narcotics, brought in from neighboring provinces. Residents say they have repeatedly informed security agencies about the smugglers, but no action is taken.

The villagers want the government's attention. They want help, and they want an addiction treatment center.

There is only one 20-bed clinic in Waras, which clearly lacks the ability to treat all the addicts in an area of tens of thousands of people. Local officials want more.

Qasim Ali, Chairman, People's Council of the Peshandur & Bazobala Area:

Everyone is addicted to drugs. These people are all unfortunate. The reason is unemployment and poverty. The government does not care about these people. I request from the government, the international community, and human rights to build a hospital in the Shiwqol area. The hospital should be 100 beds or so so these people can be treated.

KATHERINE GYPSON

Addiction treatment is undergoing a change now that the Taliban are running Afghanistan.

Police have been recently rounding up addicts in Kabul, giving them a choice to either sober up or face beatings.

They are stripped, bathed and shaved before going into a 45-day treatment program.

But as one Taliban officer put it: It's not important if some of them will die. Others will be cured. After they are cured, they can be free.

The addicts rounded up in these raids have been men. But women fall victim to drug addiction, too. Before the Taliban took over, our VOA Afghan Service team went to Balk province in northern Afghanistan and discovered the disturbing way women addicts can be preyed upon.

Narrator:

The yellow morning sun shines on Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkhs capital.

This is one of the most populous provinces in northern Afghanistan, and Mazar-e-Sharif is the fourth largest city in the country.

The Blue Mosque, dating back to the 15th century, has made this city famous.

Mazar-e-Sharif hosts internally displaced people, IDPs, from nearby provinces. Security in the city brings people to come live here.

The city suffers from a large presence of drug addicts. Local officials say more than 300,000 people in Balkh province, including women and children, use drugs.

Easy access to drugs has led to more addicts. In the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, some women addicts are homeless, and some seek shelter in the cemetery at night.

This area is called Dasht-e-Shoor. These are the tents of internally displaced families.

This woman lives in the camp. She is an addict with a difficult story.

Zohra, Homeless Drug Addict:

I was 13 years old, and my father was not there when my brother and mother married me. Now I am 31 years old, and I am lost. My mother-in-law was beating me. My father-in-law was beating me. I was smoking opium. I used to drink opium and that's why they were beating me and telling me not to eat it. My husband left me and said I dont want a wife like you. You are free. I have my two children with me. My husband hates me and doesnt allow me to go home. I live in a tent. I have relatives, but they dont care about me.

Narrator:

But Zohra says she is not addicted to drugs by her own free will. She says her family got her hooked. They used drugs in groups, she explains, to lessen the intense pain caused by their work as carpet weavers.

Zohra uses marijuana and opium. She has tried to quit several times but concerns about being homeless led her to relapse.

.

She walks the streets of Mazar-e-Sharif at night, begging and collecting usable garbage. This is NOT normal practice for womenbecause generally, it is not safe here for a woman to be out alone at night.

VOA went with her one night to see how she fares alone.

Zohra told us about how she pays for her habit. And in this harrowing story, she shared about someone giving her a ride, and the offer he made her:

Zohra/Homeless Drug Addict:

I weave carpets to earn money. I use opium, thats not cheap. I was on my way to collect waste when a car stopped, and the driver told me to get in the car. And he told me I will take you home and help you. Then I got in the car. The driver showed me the suicide jacket and asked me, Do you want to do this? I will give you money. I said No, I will not do it. And I jumped out of the car.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

The United States spent more than eight-and-a-half billion dollars between 2002 and 2017 battling Afghanistans drug trade --- That, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

In May, the Special Inspector General said the Taliban gets an estimated 60 percent of its income from illegal drugs --- About 400-million dollars between 2018 and 2019 according to the U.N.

And in Afghanistans easternmost province, VOAs Afghan service found out that addiction knows no age --- old or young.

Narrator:

Here in Badakhshan province, there are an estimated 25 to 30,000 addicts. Like elsewhere, addiction tends to run in families.

Jan Begums family is one of them. They live in the city of Faizabad. Her two sons and husband are addicted. They use crystal meth and heroin.

Jan Begum, Drug Addict:

We dont have anything. They are both unemployed, this one is an addict, that one is an addict, too. My older son is not here. It has been three years since he is missing. I dont know if he is alive or dead. There are four of us, and all four of us are addicts. Yes, we sold everything. We sold bedsheets and everything that we had. And with the money, we bought drugs and used it.

Narrator:

Jan Begum's family used to live in a house in Faizabad. When the homeowner found out the family was using drugs, he kicked them out.

Now, they beg, take in laundry, and spend most of their income on drugs. Some of them have been treated several times for their addiction, but relapsed.

Samiullah is 18 years old. He uses drugs together with his mother, father, and brother.

Samiullah, Drug Addict:

I have been taking drugs from a young age. I take it with my parents. I go out to find then I take it. I wish the government would come and treat us and I would work as a server in a hotel.

Narrator:

Afghanistan remains the world's largest opium producer.

Here in Nangahar province, children and teenagers work in the poppy fields collecting the gum with the elders in their family. Theyre helping with opium production.

Mustafa is one of the teenagers working the poppy fields. Now,16 years old, Mustafa says he has been moving towards addiction for a long time, just because he works with poppies and opium.

Mustafa, 16-Year Old Poppy Field Worker:

Well, its narcotics, it gets you high. When we collect, we sniff, and it made us dizzy. Made us high, then we would sit down or go home with an excuse to relax and then go out. It had a bad effect. I had a headache when I went to school. I got permission to leave. It had a very bad effect because our heads were spinning, we were high. Drugs must cause this condition to our body.

Narrator:

This is some of Mustafa's poppy harvest for the year. A few kilograms of opium have been harvested from the fields. He says that after collecting, he sold the opium and kept two more kilograms to sell later.

When the poppy season is over, he works in fields tending other crops like onions.

Mustafa says he has seen many people, including women, become addicted to drugs after working in poppy fields. He does not want to become an addict himself.

Mustafa, Poppy Field Worker:

If no narcotics were planted here, maybe no one would be addicted to drugs. Poppy made many people addicted to heroin. We want the government to stop the poppy cultivation. They should cultivate for us good, good fruit trees.

Narrator:

Less poppy production would mean less drug addiction, and fewer drug addicts ending up here, in this cemetery, in an unmarked grave. A sad and shameful death, in a nation where nothing is more important than family, honor and tradition.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

These are just a few of the stories of addiction in Afghanistan - you can watch the entire documentary at VOANews.com. Thats all we have for now.

Connect with us at VOANews on Instagram and Facebook.

And you can follow me on Twitter at Kgyp. Thats @ K G Y P.

See you next week for The Inside Story.

###
The U.N. Development Program is launching a plan to help millions of Afghans who have lost their livelihoods in the midst of the recent political turmoil regain the ability to earn a living and feed their families.

The speed and degree to which Afghanistans economy has imploded since the Taliban gained control of the country in mid-August is breathtaking. Most affected are the countrys 38 million people, many of whom are unable to support themselves.

The latest assessment by the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) forecasts 97 percent of households in Afghanistan could sink below the poverty line by early to mid-2022 if the countrys political and economic crisis is not urgently addressed.

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner acknowledges the country is in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. At the same time, however, he said measures must be taken to keep the local economies going. He said international aid alone cannot keep 38 million Afghans alive.

We have to step in. We have to stabilize the peoples economy and in addition to saving lives in the immediate.We also have to save livelihoods because otherwise, we will confront, indeed, a scenario through this winter and into next year where millions and millions of Afghans are simply unable to stay on the land, in their homes, in their villages, and survive, said Steiner.

The UNDP has established a Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan to protect the hard-won development gains the country has achieved over the past 20 years. Countries can channel funding for specific development and livelihood projects through this program.

Kanni Wignaraja is assistant secretary general and director of the Regional Bureau for Asia Pacific. She said the money will go directly to community groups and community members.

It will provide a cash for work to support small public works efforts.As Achim said, it will provide temporary, basic income for the most vulnerable, including elderly and disabled.It will work with a number of U.N. agencies, with international and national NGO partners who are on the ground, said Wignaraja.

UNDP estimates $667 million will be needed to cover the cost of livelihood activities for 4.5 million Afghans in the first year. It hopes to double the number of beneficiaries in the second year, if it is able to double the size of funding.

The agency says the launch of the Trust Fund is off to a good start, with a contribution of 50 million euros from the German government.
A United Nations rights commission in South Sudan says the government is harassing activists, journalists and their families, limiting their activities, and targeting their work and finances.

In a statement of "concern" issued this week, the United Nations Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan said the pattern of harassment is impeding the already slow pace of achieving peace among feuding factions and stifling public opinion crucial to achieving democracy.

Civic space in South Sudan is eroding at the accelerating pace, undermining efforts to achieve a sustainable peace, said Yasmin Sooka, the commission chairwoman.

The government slammed the statement, with a spokesman saying the commission was spreading untruths,

This U.N. Human Rights Commission, who is monitoring them?" asked Michael Makuei, South Sudan's information minister. "Who is supervising them? They just sit in their offices here in Juba and they write because they must write something controversial to prove that they are doing their job, so that they continue in their job."

The commission blames government security officers for a continuing crackdown that it says has forced some prominent activists to flee the country.

The commission says those include James David Kolok, a member of the technical committee to conduct a consultative process on truth, reconciliation and healing, and Wani Michael, who has acted as a youth representative on the national constitution amendment committee.

Andrew Clapham, one of the commissioners, said the governments targeting of high-profile human rights defenders will have a chilling effect on civil society, and will discourage public participation.

He said government actions will undermine confidence in the work on transitional justice, framing a constitution, and setting up national elections, which Clapham said are essential to the success of the transition set out by the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.

The commission says the latest restrictions and acts of harassment began after the creation of the opposition Peoples Coalition for Civil Action in July.

The security clampdown accelerated after a planned nationwide government protest in August fizzled amid what activists say was an intentional internet outage and warnings from security officials of serious consequences against organizers if the demonstration happened.

Since then, some activists say their phone service has been disrupted and bank accounts frozen and journalists say they have been increasingly harassed.

A key parliament member recently said that journalists should be restricted in covering the newly formed parliament.

Agents also detained a government broadcaster after he allegedly declined to report news about recent presidential decrees on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation airwaves.

In addition, three journalists recently were detained and a radio station was closed as the government clamped down on the August protests.

Government spokesman Makuei says the government could not allow the planned protests by the PCCA, which he described as enemies.
A top U.N. official for central Africa recently visited the Lake Chad Basin to assess living conditions in the area. Years of attacks by Boko Haram have left much of the infrastructure there in ruins.

Francois Lounceny Fall, the U.N. Secretary Generals special representative in central Africa, says attacks by the jihadist group have diminished over the past five months.

Fall says the U.N. is mobilizing the international community to support the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional military alliance, as it fights against the extremist group for a lasting peace to return. He says he is visiting Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger to assess ways to start rebuilding and focus on reducing poverty.

Those four countries contribute troops to the MNJTF, along with Benin.

Fall said the U.N. Development Program is raising funds to build roads linking Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad to facilitate movement of people and goods. He said the UNDP is also helping villagers to plant trees.

He said the U.N. refugee agency is helping displaced persons return to their villages, establishing lost documents like birth certificates, and providing funds for women to open businesses.

The U.N. reports that a majority of the estimated 40 million people in the Lake Chad Basin live in poor conditions, partly due to Boko Harams attacks.

Civilians need assistance and are asking Cameroonian authorities and the U.N., to help them create better conditions, notes Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of Cameroons Far North region on the border with Nigeria and Chad.

Bakari says that economic activity is picking up gradually after more than 10 years of inactivity due to instability caused by Boko Haram attacks. He says within the past 5 months, civilians and merchants have been travelling freely with their goods between Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad.

He also said although there is apparent calm, Cameroonian troops fighting terrorism on the northern border with Nigeria are on standby to protect civilians, should there be a large-scale attack by jihadist groups.

Cameroons government says it has allocated 300 million dollars to reconstruct infrastructure destroyed by Boko Haram. It says that in some of the relatively calm areas, construction of schools, water wells and toilets and dozens of markets and hospitals has begun.

Officials from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria met in Cameroons capital Yaounde on October 8 and agreed to work together to rebuild areas destroyed by Boko Haram.

The officials said the Lake Chad basin is gradually returning to normalcy since Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was declared dead in May.

Still, they said unemployment may be pushing young people to join the jihadist group, which continues to recruit in the area.
The United States on Thursday marked the successful distribution of 200 million COVID-19 vaccines to more than 100 countries, a move the White House says fulfills President Joe Biden's vow to become "the world's arsenal of vaccines."

White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this is just the start. In September, Biden announced plans to donate more than 1 billion vaccines to low- and lower-middle-income nations.

"Donating vaccines is one urgent effort we are taking to tackle this pandemic globally, and we've committed to donate 1.2 billion (vaccines), along with lifesaving assistance to countries in need to enhance their ability to get shots into arms," she said Thursday. "We also reiterate support for an intellectual property waiver and bolstering manufacturing here at home and abroad."

The U.S. Agency for International Development said it is also working to help provide nations in need with related items and support such as testing, treatment and protective equipment.

"Americans have 200 million reasons to be proud," read a statement from USAID Administrator Samantha Power. "USAID is honored to be at the forefront of this global vaccination effort unprecedented in scale, speed, and complexity, to counter the worst pandemic in modern history."

Those donations have come rapid-fire in a matter of months, with large tranches going out recently to lower-income nations. Last week, the White House announced it was donating 17 million doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the African Union, bringing the total donation to the 55-state body to 50 million doses.

But critics note that beating the pandemic is far from a fait accompli.

"The U.S. is far and above the leader in global vaccination efforts, and these doses are helping save lives and stop the spread of COVID," said Sarah Swinehart, senior communications director at the ONE Campaign, an anti-poverty group.

"But if the vaccine isn't everywhere, this pandemic isn't going anywhere," she said. "Only 16% of the doses pledged by G-7 countries have been delivered. Wealthy countries must step up and show urgency to get these doses out the door and into arms."

And even as donations have increased, the White House has faced criticism over its push for already vaccinated Americans to receive boosters when many people across the globe have yet to receive a single dose. Administration officials dismissed it as a false choice, saying they can protect the already vaccinated U.S. population while also sharing with the world.

On Wednesday, theFood and Drug Administration authorized the use of booster shots for those who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines  a move that Tom Hart, acting CEO of the ONE Campaign, said could imperil the Biden administration's ambitious donation goals. The group noted that as of this week, 84% of the vaccine doses promised to low- and lower-middle-income countries have not been delivered.

"While some argue that we can both administer boosters and vaccinate the world, the simple fact is that boosters divert supply from an urgent area of need  administering first shots around the world," Hart said. "Wealthy countries are already woefully off track in delivering the vaccines they have promised to share to date, and it will take significant ambition, funding, and speed to reach the goal of 70 percent of the world by September 2022."

Globally, the coronavirus has killed 4.9 million people in under two years, according to World Health Organization data.

At the height of the AIDS pandemic, in the years 2005 and 2006, just under 2 million people died of that virus each year.


In a courtroom in Brunswick, Georgia, three white men face murder and hate crime charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man who was confronted and shot while jogging in 2020. Last month, a California man was sentenced to life in prison on federal hate crime charges for a deadly shooting spree inside a San Diego synagogue in 2019. Such headline-grabbing cases are just the tip of the iceberg.



The United States recorded nearly 7,500 hate crimes in 2020, the highest level in more than a decade, according to annual statistics released by the FBI. The report, using data from 18,000 law enforcement agencies, noted an increase in assaults targeting Blacks and people of Asian descent. As eye-popping as the yearly total may be, researchers note the vast majority of hate crimes are never reported to police.

"The FBI report is the best national snapshot of violent hate and hate crimes across the country, but it's definitely incomplete," said Michael Lieberman, senior policy counsel with the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights advocacy group. He noted that 70 cities with more than 100,000 people reported zero hate crimes to the FBI.



"That's definitely wrong and there certainly shouldn't be any cities that are not reporting data," Liberman told VOA.

In October, the FBI launched a nationwide awareness campaign to encourage victims and witnesses to report hate crimes to law enforcement.

"Hate-motivated crimes against anyone will not be tolerated by the FBI," Jermicha Fomby, special agent in charge of the Jackson, Mississippi, field office, said in a statement. Advertisements have been posted on billboards and buses across the state on how to report hate crimes.

Mississippi, a Southern state where African Americans constitute 38% of the population, has seen a sharp rise in bias-motivated crimes. Sixty-four incidents were reported in 2020, according to Mississippi law enforcement agencies who reported 14 cases in 2019. The FBI is working closely with state and local police on investigating offenses even when federal charges are not brought in a case.

Hate crimes are defined as offenses motivated by bias based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or ethnicity.



"The FBI is dedicated to pursuing offenders of these heinous crimes and holding them accountable for their actions," Fomby said. The FBI awareness program, administered from 56 agency field offices across the nation, seeks to boost hate crime investigations and encourage local law enforcement to refer possible federal hate crime cases to the FBI.

"It's a welcome move," said Robert Trestan, regional director with the Anti-Defamation League of New England. Trestan noted in an interview with Reuters there are other challenges in getting people to report misconduct.

"The reporting of hate crimes, unlike other crimes across the country, is not mandatory," he said. Advocates for crime victims maintain that in many cases when wrongdoings are reported, police don't have proper training in making hate crime classifications.

Rising hate

Each year, an average of more than 200,000 hate-fueled incidents are reported to the Justice Department's National Crime Victimization Survey. Meanwhile in 2020, there were 7,426 hate offenses classified as actual crimes against people, an uptick of 25% in the last five years.

FBI data indicate the number of hate-motivated offenses targeting Blacks rose from 1,930 to 2,755. Crimes targeting Asians jumped from 158 to 274. Some researchers believe hate-inspired attacks on Asian Americans grew last year in part as a result of former President Donald Trump's inflammatory remarks blaming the COVID-19 pandemic on China and calling it the "Chinese virus" and "kung flu."

Law enforcement officials also point to a rise in the notoriety of white supremacy groups as a result of events such as the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Even so, research indicates relatively few bias crimes are committed by white supremacists or by individuals who are acting on behalf of an organized hate group. Research points to a disproportionate number of hate crimes committed by and against juveniles.

Data compiled last February by Reuters showed 11% of Asian Americans had experienced threats or harassment, compared with 8% of African Americans, 6% of Hispanics and 5% of white Americans. The study noted Asian Americans were also twice as likely as whites to have experienced repeated abuse.

"Preventing and responding to hate crimes and hate incidents is one of the Justice Department's highest priorities," U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "The FBI Hate Crime Statistics for 2020 demonstrates the urgent need for a comprehensive response."

In May, Garland unveiled federal resources to help state and local police track and investigate hate crimes. The effort also works to expedite a review of hate crimes reported to police.

"Reporting is a two-way street," Lieberman said. "You need to have officers that can identify, report and respond to hate crimes but you need to have victims to have trust in law enforcement in the first place."

He added, "If you're reporting zero hate crimes, you're not instilling trust and faith in the people that live in your city that you're actually going to be able to do anything about a hate crime if it was reported."

Anti-hate crime legislation

Since the federal government established hate crime laws in the 1980s, 46 states and the District of Columbia have adopted laws punishing bias acts and violence against minorities. The only states that don't have hate crime laws are Indiana, Arkansas, South Carolina and Wyoming.

"If you're in Indiana and there's a cross burned on a Black family's lawn that just moved into a previously all white neighborhood, you should be reporting that as a hate crime in addition to trespass or criminal damage to property," Lieberman said.

Across the nation, public opinion surveys suggest a majority of Americans say they are horrified by bias-motivated violence and support hate crime legislation to deter such attacks.

In May, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. The measure includes provisions to combat violence against Asian Americans and increase reporting of hate crimes by offering incentives to law enforcement agencies. It would also set up state telephone hotlines where people can get information about hate crime services.

"Standing against hatred and racism, the ugly poison that has long haunted and plagued our nation, is what brings Americans together," Biden said.



Speaking Thursday at Washington's Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Biden said, "The rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the pandemic and the rise of anti-Semitism here in America and around the world  the through line is that hate never goes away, it only hides until someone gives it some breath.

"We cannot and must not give hate any safe harbor," he added.

In addition to stronger laws, victim support groups are calling on police departments to develop specialized units to investigate hate crimes and support victims.

"When hate crimes occur, we need to make sure the perpetrators are found and punished to the full extent of the law," Lieberman said. "Hate crimes are preventable."
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations called on North Korea Wednesday to refrain from further provocative actions and engage in sustained and substantive dialogues, after Pyongyang launched a ballistic missile from a submarine this week.

We should not look at this most recent launch in isolation. It is the latest in a series of reckless provocations, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said of Pyongyangs announced submarine-launched ballistic missile test on Tuesday.

She spoke to reporters ahead of a closed-door Security Council meeting called by the United States, Britain and France to discuss the launches.

Since the beginning of September, the DPRK has launched multiple ballistic missiles, one of which the DPRK claimed included a new hypersonic glide vehicle capability, Thomas-Greenfield said, using the abbreviation for North Koreas official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

These are unlawful activities, she said. They are in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions, and they are unacceptable. Each new advancement of the DPRKs weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs destabilizes the region and threatens international peace and security.

New missiles, delivery systems

North Korea on Tuesday test-fired a short-range submarine-launched ballistic missile, or SLBM. It was the North's first launch in two years of an SLBM, which if deployed would add an unpredictable component to its fast-expanding arsenal.

Since nuclear talks with the United States broke down in 2019, North Korea has rolled out a series of new missiles and delivery systems, most of which are designed to evade the missile defenses of the U.S. and its allies.

North Korea is banned from any ballistic missile activity  short range or long range  by a series of Security Council resolutions.

These launches clearly demonstrate the need for the full and effective implementation of U.N. sanctions, as well as the urgent need to address sanctions evasion by the DPRK, Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said in a joint statement with her French and Estonian council colleagues.

The DPRK must immediately end its destabilizing actions and take concrete steps to abandon its ballistic missile, other WMD, and nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, Byrne Nason added.

Tuesdays test was carried out while neighbors Japan and South Korea held talks with the United States in Seoul.

South Korea and the United States have repeatedly offered to resume talks with North Korea in order to reduce tensions and make progress on denuclearization.

To reach this objective, we will seek diplomacy with the DPRK to make tangible progress that increases the security of the United States and our allies. This includes considering potential engagement with the DPRK to reduce tensions, Sung Kim, the U.S. envoy for North Korea, said late Monday.

The U.S. continues to reach out to Pyongyang to restart dialogue. Our intent remains the same. We harbor no hostile intent towards the DPRK, and we are open to meeting with them without preconditions, he said.

Rejection from Pyongyang

In a speech last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rejected those offers.

Recently, the United States has frequently sent signals that it is not hostile to our state, but its behaviors provide us with no reason why we should believe them, Kim said, according to state media.

In recent weeks, North Korea has released statements objecting both to U.S.-South Korea military exercises, as well as the U.S. military presence in Korea and the wider region.

North Korea is trying to coerce the world into accepting its violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions as if they are normal acts of self-defense, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

This is part of the Kim regimes efforts to achieve de facto international recognition as a nuclear power and receive concessions just for resuming contact.
Dozens of women linked to the Islamic State (IS) terror group set several tents on fire Wednesday in a refugee camp in northeast Syria, a local security source told VOA.

The arson reportedly caused damage to at least 16 tents in the Roj camp, which holds nearly 2,500 women and children with ties to IS militants. No casualties were reported.

A camp official, who requested anonymity, said fighters were quick to respond by putting out the fire and containing the situation.

In recent days, tensions have escalated between families of IS fighters and local security forces inside the camp. A protest preceding the fire was staged by dozens of women who reportedly hurled stones at the camp's security forces.

The camp official said the U.S.-Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has deployed female anti-terror units to control the situation inside the camp.

Roj is one of several detention camps in northeast Syria that have been housing thousands of people, including many foreign nationals, since the SDF and the anti-IS global coalition declared the territorial defeat of the terror group in March 2019.

Local authorities are urging countries to repatriate their citizens from Roj, al-Hol and other detention camps in northeast Syria. While some have been returned to their countries of origin, most of them are still held in the war-torn country.

"Many women held at the Roj camp are still strict believers of Daesh's radical ideology," said Dilbirin Khelo, a political analyst based in Qamishli, Syria, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

"Every time there is a Turkish threat against northeast Syria, these women think they might have a chance to be freed, so they cause trouble, hoping that chaos will help them flee the camp," he told VOA.

Turkish officials have recently increased their threats for a possible military incursion in northeast Syria against SDF-linked Kurdish forces, whom they consider to be terrorists.
A Zimbabwean who was a bodyguard of former MDC-T leader, Thokozani Khupe, was today beaten up by some youth belonging to the party led by Douglas Mwonzora when he tried to speak about alleged abuse of funds by the president of the MDC-T formation.

Kudzanai Mashumba was manhandled by MDC-T youth leader, Yvonne Musarurwa, and several others in Harare and beaten up for trying to expose what he alleges is mismanagement of funds by the party leader.

Mashumba was heckled and beaten up in front of reporters when he was about to start talking to the media about the alleged abuse of funds.

Musarurwa and others claimed that he was no longer a member of the party and therefore he had not right to talk to the press about anything related to the MDC-T.

Mashumba is among several other people in the party who claim that Mwonzora allegedly diverted to his own use thousands of dollars belonging to the MDC-T before the party held an Extraordinary Congress last year.

Mwonzora has dismissed the allegations as wishful thinking.

The partys information and publicity secretary, Witness Dube, claims that Mashumba is acting on behalf of the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.

Mashumba and all these people making these false claims have been sent by the MDC Alliance. They want to denigrate the image of our president as we are preparing for a congress to chose the new leadership. Its nothing new as far as we are concerned because there are some like him who have made similar allegations. We are not concerned at all about this because these are people who are looking for fame.

Mwonzora beat Khupe and several other MDC-T candidates in an Extraordinary Congress held last year, which was described by some party activists and obsevers as a sham poll. He replaced the late party founder and leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
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

Millet / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Laying in bed and felt the bed sway like it was being pushed against ghe wall hard. Like i was in a water bed | 13 users found this interesting.

near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (43.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Sitting in chair in living room of mobile home. FElt floor shake for a few seconds. felt like I was falling backwards in the chair. | 11 users found this interesting.

St. Albert (150.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : It felt like the ground was rumbling  my sister had said it was her washing machine being funny, but it was a bit more intense. There was no objects swaying or falling, but it felt different from when her place would vibrate from her washer/dryer | 6 users found this interesting.

Stony plain, alberta (140.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : I was sitting on my couch and felt a shaking like on waves and heard some sounds coming from the walls of the house. | 6 users found this interesting.

near Stony Plain, Alberta (141.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Laying in bed reading. Felt familiar - looked at the clock at 9:24. | 7 users found this interesting.

Edmonton (167.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I have quite a substantial headboard on my bed and was surprised to feel it shaking and items on top were vibrating as well as the pictures hanging on the walls. Im not sure if something happened last night as well because I had a similar experience la | 2 users found this interesting. / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Edmonton (152.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Sitting on my bed and felt my mattress shake | 6 users found this interesting.

4120 Orchards Drive SW (151 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : Watching TV and my home shifted | 6 users found this interesting.

Leduc (136.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I've been having cramps, so I was laying in bed for a couple of hours, then I felt some shaking, some baking, some earthquaking, then I thought it was maybe the tylenol I took whippin me, then I found out there was an earthquake. | 4 users found this interesting.

Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (36 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Inside the house. Heard a rumble and then felt bed move slightly and shake for a couple of seconds. Heard noises of things in house moving. | 4 users found this interesting.

Beaumont, Alberta (148.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt vibrations and shake. | 5 users found this interesting.

Red deer, Alberta (106.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short : A bump | 4 users found this interesting. leave your comment here / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short

Edmonton (158.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I am located in east Edmonton and was laying in bed when my bed and my tv and dresser started vibrating for 1-2 seconds and then went away. I texted my best friend saying I swear to god I just felt an earthquake and we decided it was probably just t | 2 users found this interesting.

Edmonton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Light movement back and forth of the bed for a few seconds | 4 users found this interesting.

edmonton, Alberta, canada (149 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : i was on my bed. the mattress knocked the wall two times. I was wondering how could it happened. | 3 users found this interesting.

Millet, Alberta (132.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : Tiny tremor, people within 10km felt it. Only lasted a few seconds. Intensity was low. | 3 users found this interesting.

Uni of Alberta (156.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : My chair was quaking. The building was squeaking heard it for a good 15 seconds.......... | 3 users found this interesting.

Drayton Valley / not felt : Watching a movie with family, got an earthquake alert from an app on my IPhone, was shocked to see a 4.1 approximately 80 km SouthEast of us. | 2 users found this interesting.

Edmonton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : living in an apartment and it was about 3 or so seconds of it feeling like the entire building was shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

T5g2w3 / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was laying on the floor and reading books, all of a sudden there was shaking. For 2 second and it was Light Shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

26 km of Stony Plain, Alberta (133.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : 54013 range road 30 near Onoway AB...At 9:23 tonight the whole house shook and the sofa we were sitting on, moved forward a few inches. It lasted just a few seconds but we definitely need felt it. | One user found this interesting.

Edmonton (161.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Bikes fell over in the garage, didnt think much of it except that it was weird because there was no wind draft and nothing that could have fallen and knocked them over | One user found this interesting.

Trailer (98.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Glasses and bottles were shaking Felt like my washing Maschine was on the spinning cycle We live in a mobile home | One user found this interesting.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Laying in bed upstairs in my 2 storey home I felt the bed shudder | 3 users found this interesting.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was in bed with my son | 3 users found this interesting.

Beaumont, Alberta (152.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Light shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Edmonton (148.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt a vertical shift about 30 seconds before horizontal shaking for ~5seconds | 2 users found this interesting.

Mewassin (117.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Watching TV. House rattled TV shook on wall mount. | 2 users found this interesting.

Edmonton (151 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : In bed going to sleep. | 2 users found this interesting.

Edmonton (155.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Felt a bit of shaking twice while sitting on chair. | 2 users found this interesting.

Edmonton alberta (159.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : My king size bed moved twice | 2 users found this interesting.

Edmonton (155.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : I was sitting on my bed and I feel shake and my flowerpot had shown some disturbance | 2 users found this interesting.

Edmonton, AB / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s : Was laying in bed reading and felt a slight vibration like something was dropped on the floor. Was a very odd feeling. | One user found this interesting.

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : I was reading in my upstairs bedroom and felt the shake underneath the bed. I stopped reading to try to understand what was happening | One user found this interesting.

AlderFlats / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s : Moderate. It was a up and down. Like a rolling heave. At the coordinates you give for the epicentre there is a big frack going on by the Baptiste River next to the OChease reservation. | One user found this interesting.

Three Hills / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I had just open my kitchen glass mugs cupboard to get a drink and I saw all my glass mugs raddled and moved. | One user found this interesting.

Edmonton, AB, Canada / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Two different shakes. First one lighter, rattling and mild shaking. Second one longer,slower swinging and rumbling in building (I'm on 4th floor). | One user found this interesting.

Spruce grove (139.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Was laying in bed and my bed moved just once. Seconds later my daughter came and and said her bunk bed shook a bit.

Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (36 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Inside the house. Heard a rumble and then felt bed move slightly and shake for a couple of seconds. Heard noises of things in house moving.

wetaskiwin, alberta canada (101.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : I live in Wetaskiwin County, 26 km west of Wetaskiwin (45 min south Edmonton). It was a sudden complete shake of my mobile home. Nothing moved in the house except some paper off my desk. Haven't felt anything like this in many years.

Edmonton (158.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : My house shook lightly. My cat was sleeping on my lap and instantly woke up and looked around but settled after

I was laying in bed playing games on my tablet (166.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : It was like someone had bumped into the wall by the furnace in the hallway by my bedroom! The furnace rattled!

near Sherwood Park, Alberta (178.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : we live by train tracks, so probably would have thought that's what it was. We have 3 big dogs and they didn't alert to anything either

4327 Township Road 540, Wabamun, AB (126.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : My chair bumped which got my attention then again a few seconds later. I thought it was the dog but could hear he was in another room eating.

Edmonton (164.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was leaning against the headboard of my bed reading and felt the bed vibrate for a few seconds. I thought it was a train passing but I did not hear it.

Red deer, alberta (5 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : I live in a row of townhouses and the whole house shook suddenly as if someone 2 houses down had loudly slammed the door hard

Edmonton (158.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : My house shook lightly. My cat was sleeping on my lap and instantly woke up and looked around but settled after

South Edmonton (156.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : I felt my house shaking and vibrating! I thought it was a fighter jet flying by but I didnt hear the loud noise

Edmonton (158.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : 9:24 Pm.Was just an enjoyable Wednesday. Eating dinner.But while i was chewing on something,4 of my markers fell off down the table.I thought it was a poltergeist so i really got scared.In fact i got anxiety so I thought the poltergeist is gonna beat my a

Morinville alberta (173.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating : I was laying still and felt a very tiny rumble at this time it continues for a few minutes till it went away

King Edward Park neighborhood in Edmonton (160.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I heard drain pipes outside my window rattling. It was strange because we had very strong gusty winds all day and it was windy at the time, but there was no rattling due to the wind. I didn't feel any movement but the sound caught my attention.

Edmonton (156.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : I was sitting on my couch knitting and all of a sudden the couch started to shake. I assumed it was the wind, although I knew that was silly. In my head I kept trying to justify how it could possibly be the wind. An earthquake never crossed my mind, but w

near Wetaskiwin, Alberta (136.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Felt and sounded someone slammed a door as he did have the TVs on. It was like a jar or the house settling

Red deer (102.5 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : I was sitting on the couch and it felt like the couch dropped an inch and the house made a thud noise. It was about 9:30pm Wednesday oct 20th.

Edmonton (145.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Weak shaking. Laying in bed and on our second floor and sounded and felt like a huge wind storm. Shock the house

North West of Rocky Mountain House (18.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Started slowly, shaking got more intense and then slowly stopped. We thought maybe a vehicle hit the house or something else was happening. A few things fell off the wall.

Working quietly on computer in rural Springbank, j (181.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : Grew up in Southern California & familiar with earthquakes. I did not notice any shaking but did hear a slight rumble w/very mild low frequency vibration that also made our dogs bark. Checked for nearby vehicles and did not see any. Chalked it up to a low

Edmonton (167.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I have quite a substantial headboard on my bed and was surprised to feel it shaking and items on top were vibrating as well as the pictures hanging on the walls. Im not sure if something happened last night as well because I had a similar experience la

my bedroom (159.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : it felt very weak, but i could feel the actual shaking- not just a vibration. my flatscreen tv wobbled for a few seconds. i could hear the shaking in the house

Bearberry, Alberta (85.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : Felt a sharp jolt from north-northwest, thought it was a large tree falling near house or a very strong wind gust, went outside and no wind at all.

Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (36 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Inside the house. Heard a rumble and then felt bed move slightly and shake for a couple of seconds. Heard noises of things in house moving.

Chelyn Heights, Parkland County (139 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : The house suddenly shook, like something hit it, and everything on the shelves rattled. I even said that felt like an earthquake!. Nothing broke that I could see.

Sherwood Park (185.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was sitting on a chair in front of my laptop when I felt a slight shaking to my left and right. It was if someone shook my chair very slightly.

near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (37.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Watching tv felt two thumps about 5 seconds apart. First one made you wonder what/ if something happened, second one confirmed I wasnt crazy. No rattling or shaking of anything.

Sitting at the computer upstairs. Red Deer north. (103 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : It felt as though something hit the roof, and as if the wall behind the bookcase moved. It freaked me out and I said, What was that?

near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (33.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Was sleeping but thought someone broke in the back foor. My dog barked and took off. My partner said it felt like a truck hit the house.

27 km of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (35.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was inside our fifth wheel and felt a bang maybe 2 and the whole trailer moved. He was outside in our smoking shelter and felt the whole thing move as well

St. Albert (162.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was sitting on the couch watching TV and my shelf unit started shaking. It also felt like the wall behind me was shaking. Twice for about 4 seconds each. Edmonton.

Edmonton, Alberta (157.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Currently live in a 3rd floor wood frame condo. Felt like weak shaking akin to what I felt when I lived closer to train tracks but weaker. Had a "did I imagine that?" Moment

Drayton Valley, Alberta (74.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Didn't feel a thing. Although there was a few ppl in my son's Hotel room so it was a bit chaotic as was.

Acheson (146.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Did not feel anything. Live very close to busy train yard, so rumbles and slight shakes are not uncommon.

Millet (133.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Very weak, i was on my sofa and headr a small boom/and felt the shaking. And i thought it felt like a heatquake!? When I saw the news, I said oh! it was really one. So here is my report

St Albert, Alberta (167.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : I was leaving a movie theatre. Going down the steps I suddenly lost my balance and fell over backwards. Never happened to me begore! I later heard the time of the quake on the news. It was the very moment I had fallen backwards! Coincidence? I think not.

Millet AB (131.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : It was scary, we felt it in all different areas and levels of the house and we didnt know what the heck it was. Pictures were moved but didnt fall.

Windermere Edmonton Ab (145.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Leaning up against a bookcase and I felt the shake, my daughter felt it in her bed while reading and leaning against the headboard

T5P1V6 (155.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : My house is made of ICF foundation and 15ft ICF walls. It doesn't rattle and shake. But it did tonight! I couldn't figure out what it was. It was like a semi truck ran into my house or a bomb exploded next door and shook it except there was no blast or im

North West of Rocky Mountain House (18.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Started slowly, shaking got more intense and then slowly stopped. We thought maybe a vehicle hit the house or something else was happening. A few things fell off the wall.

Onoway, Alberta (142.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : It felt like something large rolled under the entire house. Very quick. Only a few seconds. No real shaking, more a rolling sensation

Edmonton (146.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : In bed watching TV moved the bed back and forth against the wall 3 times. Very very heavy bed cant move it by my self.

Stony Plain, Alberta (134.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : We felt a brief move. We were confused because it was not windy but both me and my daughter had to say outloud at the same time, "what the heck was that"

Drayton Valley Alberta (84 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Very weak shaking. I also felt one a couple days ago but wasn't sure what it was but then when it happened again I had to check it out.

Spruce Grove (142.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : It was a very short rumble but the house shook and it startled me and my pets. I immediately wondered if it could have possibly been an earthquake.

Spruce Grove, Alberta (139.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I felt a little shake and heard something make a sound , like something was being shaked in the house cause it was a little rattle

Spruce Grove, AB (139.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting on couch on second level of house, felt about 10-16 shakes side to side. Heard a snap in the window sill on main floor. Very faint feeling of shake sitting on couch on main floor. Shaking and snap felt and heard by 3 different people in same house

Edmonton (145.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Weak shaking. Laying in bed and on our second floor and sounded and felt like a huge wind storm. Shock the house

T5a3e3 (168.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : My dogs went nuts but I didn't feel it then I saw the reports on Facebook and realized why they woke up

6 km north-west of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (26.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : A loud "boom" and the entire house 'moved' more shook. Like a large semi hit the entire side of the house. Nothing feel off of shelves, counter tops etc.

Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (26.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short : More like a very quick thud. Cats did not react which they usually would do if they heard or felt something

Walking down my hallway (20.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : It felt like a bang! I thought it was a gas explosion or a car hitting something nearby. Felt like a sharp bang that reverberated through the house.

Edmonton (158.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : My house shook lightly. My cat was sleeping on my lap and instantly woke up and looked around but settled after

Red Deer County-5kms east of spruce view, Alberta (87.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : I ran outside thinking someone had run into our house with a heavy vehicle. My neighbour a 1/4 mile away didnt feel anything.

Spring lake, Alberta (128.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Felt it, heard it saw it Weaker shaking though like not yet to the point of pictures falling off a wall or anything

Camping at Wilderness Village campground approx 20 (17.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Approx 9:20 pm we were watching Aztec in our easy chairs inside our Recreational Vehicle. We felt a slight shaking movement that lasted just a couple seconds. No wind outside so thought maybe a bear or a deer rubbed up against the slide out portion of our

T7Y2T3 (134.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Shaking of the house and hearing things rattle (ex gas fireplace). Thought the wind had picked up outside but it only lasted a few seconds.

near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (23.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Was inside relaxing on couch when we heard a loud thump outside following the entire house had a large intense vibration

Duffield AB (128.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Was in bed with my kids, just cuddled them to sleep and the house jolted west to east. My two little ones woke and were terrified. It felt like something drove into the house.

near Devon, Alberta (122.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Just watching the ball game on the couch. Heard some noise on the door handles then felt horizontal shaking on the couch.

RED DEER (105 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : My wife and I both felt a very weak and short vibration. It was so weak that we had to ask each other if we felt it.

Ambleside (145.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : I thought my washing machine was making the house shake then realized i wasnt doing laundry. The walls upstairs were shaking and the blinds were making a noise from vibration . Then i thought a big truck was driving in the neighbourhood . My friend mes

Alberta (157.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I was sitting on my bed, and I felt my bed shake for 2-3 seconds. My MacBook was on my lap and I saw my laptop move.

Spruce grove (139.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Was laying in bed and my bed moved just once. Seconds later my daughter came and and said her bunk bed shook a bit.

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : I felt very minor shaking in the second floor of a house in Edmonton.. | 2 users found this interesting.

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : my couch moved with me in it. twice. | 2 users found this interesting.

31 km of Stony Plain, Alberta (135.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Laying on the couch watching tv and the couch shook a bit. | One user found this interesting.

Spruce Grove (139.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Very Slight Vibration of the table | One user found this interesting.

COCHRANE (163.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Like someone shook my bed back and forth | One user found this interesting.

Red Deer, Alberta / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I live in an apartment building. Sitting on the couch I felt it moving under me and couldnt understand. Nothing else rattled.

Buck lake / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : Was laying on a heavy couch when i herd a bang/cracking/snapping like sound and moved/bounced on couch. I thought because the wind was so strong the tree beside house fell and shook house. Was metal frame couch with easy chairs built in.

Cardiff alberta / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Sitting in bed watching tv. Such a quick shake of the bed. Was odd and so quick and I uttered what the heck. Happened close to 9:25 pm on the 20th

St Albert / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was confused when I felt it and since I didnt think we got earthquakes here I thought my condo building was shifting (going to collapse).

Calgary / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating : 5yo daughter woke up when it happened, in the morning she said she woke up and asked if there was a storm because it sounded like hail was hitting her window.

SW neighborhood of Edmonton. / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was in the bed on the second floor and felt a small short shaking like a horizontal vibration. It stopped for a fraction of seconds and another shaking started again on the same way slightly longer and larger intensity.

Leduc / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : I first thought someone in the apartment above me had fallen down or something. (I live on the second floor, but not the top floor) Then talking to people at work today, if learned of the earthquake. Maybe it couldve been that.

Leduc / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : There was a loud noise like a Hercules airplane but I knew that the movement I was feeling was an earthquake. Id felt them while living on the west coast. Felt a little confused since Ive never really felt one in Alberta.

Edmonton Terwillegar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was home alone, lying on my side in my second story bedroom. I was about to turn the page of my book, when my bed gently shook. It felt as though someone had sat down behind me on the bed. My heart stopped and skipped a beat!

Leduc, Alberta / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : I was sitting on the bed in the room directly above the attached garage of my home when I felt the room or house shaking for maybe 10-12 seconds. I instantly was reminded of the earthquake I felt in Toronto as a child.

Alder Flats / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : My adult daughter felt the 9:23 shakingI slept through that. However at 11:37 pm I was jolted awake with a feeling that Id been pushed firmly and awoke with a start to the sound of my dresser pulls rattling for at least 3 seconds. Was this an afters

South Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : I live in a condo and I felt the building move slightly and the tv made a noise like it was shifting - the tv was not on and the room was quiet.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : I was driving at the time down the Henday ring road around Edmonton and my car jolted to the left once. That was it. Left me wondering what imaginary something hit my cat for it to do that. Was weird and left me confused.

St Albert / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was confused when I felt it and since I didnt think we got earthquakes here I thought my condo building was shifting (going to collapse).

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : I was driving at the time down the Henday ring road around Edmonton and my car jolted to the left once. That was it. Left me wondering what imaginary something hit my cat for it to do that. Was weird and left me confused.

Devon, Alberta / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Very weak shake/bump while sitting on the couch (just once, confused it for neighbor(duplex) Dropping something very heavy) at aprrox 9:23

Wabamun Alberta / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Shaking like heavy traffic going by. Thought it might be the wind, at first. But then realized our mobile home had shaken, not because of a wind gust. There was no wind! Very weird eery feeling. Same kinda thing happened to us when we were in Yuma AZ two

Red Deer County / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I live in Red Deer County, NW on Highway lla. I believe there was one as well at approx 8:15/20 pm, sitting in my recliner as my cat and I felt a bit of shaking in my house around the above time. My cat was freaked out and tried to hide under the blanket

Sunchild First Nation Reserve 202 / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s : It felt like crazy wind at first for around 10-15 second then it was gone like nothing even happened in the first place

Edmonton, AB (Highlands neighbourhood) / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Was sitting in upstairs in bed reading and felt the bed shake behind my back, and heard something rattle on the desk nearby at the same time.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : I was lying in bed and suddenly felt the bed like shake beneath me. Never have had this experience in my life. It lasted for about 5 to 6 seconds. Approx 9:25 pm

South Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Was sitting in the bed watching tv and texting hubby. Felt the bed and room shake and heard some rattling. At that moment I texted hubby, who was outside, to ask him if he felt a quake. He said no. I asked my kids downstairs if they felt anything and they

10 km north of Rocky Mountain House / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt like something ran into house causing it to vibrate. Sitting reading and could feel the vibrations.

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Sitting in my lounge chair, I felt 1-2 second vibrations. Alerted, felt 2 or 3 more gentle quivers in my chair. Nothing else moved, or shook. Then it stopped. Thought it was reverberations from road repair machinery outside, but they had finished for the

Crimson lake / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : A picture sitting on my tv cabinet fell over I was curled up in an arm chair and it felt like someone slammed the door

Natural gas drilling rig site (13-23-44-10 W5M leg : Us two geologists were in a shack at drilling site. Felt like a vehicle had bumped into our shack. Lasted less than one second. No damage. I thought it was a distracted equipment operator. My partner immediately said 'earthquake.'

Red Deer, Alberta / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I live in an apartment building. Sitting on the couch I felt it moving under me and couldnt understand. Nothing else rattled.

Sherwood Park / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Felt like the house was sliding forward. Was weak, weak enough fo time to wonder if it was the high wind

Sturgeon County / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : lasted only about 2-3 seconds. Very slight vertical shaking. Felt similar to the ground shaking as a train goes by, but I was on my couch on the second floor of our home.

Near Crimson Lake Provincial Park / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : It felt like something hit the mobile home. We both felt it and my husband went outside to see if he could see if a tree fell or something.

Parkland County, near the River / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Like a quick jolt, where the bed moved, the fridge shimmied and shook, a dog started barking - enough to know that there was something more than coincidental events - there was definitely a jolt of some sort

Stony Plain / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Just sitting at my dining room. Felt chair shake like a big truck or train was going by. Definitely felt it but wasnt over whelming movement.

Edmonton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Light shaking. I was sitting on my bed and it moved a little, stopped, then moved more. The second time my dresser and a desktop computer moved too.

Red deer city north west / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : I actually thought it was my imagination, my north south facing bed moved, a bit to the south and the charge cord for my phone dropped. I remember thinking, "was that an earthquake"?. Then I thought, no, it must have been my imagination. However when I wo

Red Deer / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : I was laying on my bed, and it felt like the building was hit by a car or something. my bed shook as if I had jumped on it. At first, I thought omeome drove their car into our apartment building but I didn't hear any noise indicating that had happened, so

Sitting in my livingroom / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Was sitting in my living room on the sofa on the fourth floor of my apartment when I felt a very slight feeling that the living room had moved or shifted.

Trochu / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 s : It felt more like short vibration like a heavy truck going by. It didn't last long. Nothing moved in the house, but I could feel it.

Red Deer / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : We were on the top floor of a two story house. At first we thought our top floor washer was in a spin cycle which can vibrate the top floor. Our neighbours felt it too.

4615 106 street NW Edmonton Alberta / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : It started as a really low rolling vibration from far away: about 20 yards, and then it started shaking the building for about 15 seconds with the last five seconds being the most intense and then it passed through and I believe another small roll that la

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : I was upstairs in my 2 story house reading in bed and I felt the house move and the noise of movement as if someone slammed door really hard and the walls move. I thought wow that was weird but just thought my teenager slammed the door and shook the house

Sherwood Park / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : I live on the fourth floor of a condo building. I was sitting on the couch and felt it sway slightly.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Brief rumbly shudder in home.. No noise.. Similar experience at neighbors.. Never felt anything like it before

South Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Was sitting in the bed watching tv and texting hubby. Felt the bed and room shake and heard some rattling. At that moment I texted hubby, who was outside, to ask him if he felt a quake. He said no. I asked my kids downstairs if they felt anything and they

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : First I could hear something - then the house started to shake but it only lasted 2-3 seconds. I felt a bump/vibration and saw my plants shake.

Sherwood park / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Laying in bed, bed shook side to side a few times, stopped then a few seconds later started shaking again. Somewhat startling.

Sherwood Park, AB / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Felt a weak 'shake' similar to when the washing machine has an off balance load. Only lasted a few seconds at most.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Mild shaking as if a door slammed beside me, but with a strange sideways movement. I discounted it at first as just the wind being strange against the foundation of the house.

Edmonton NW / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Weak shaking, was lying in bed and the bed started to vibrate for a short period of time. One of our wall fixtures fell down as well. Then it stopped and nothing. Seriously thought our house was haunted. This is what I get for watching horror movies in Oc

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : I felt vibrations twice, a few minutes apart. But in between the two vibration events there was actual movement in the ground, it felt like a very small wave move under my feet.

Red Deer / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : Sitting on the couch, couch visibly shaking in seemingly random directions. Fourth (top) floor of apartment building

Violet Grove / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : The shaking was very short and I thought it was odd and out of place. Didn't think earthquakes happened in this area.

Edmonton, Alberta / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : I was lieing on my couch.. and I felt like someone was shaking my couch. My hubby was standing beside me and he didn't feel anything.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Weak shaking, sitting on my bed on second floor, vibrations, almost felt like people running around on main floor. I felt it in two bursts of about 2-3 seconds separated by no vibrations for about 2-3 seconds.

Edmonton / not felt : My mom texted me at 9:24 saying she thought she felt an earthquake. I felt kind of queasy but didnt feel or notice any shaking. I was sitting on the couch and Im in a concrete high rise, shes in a wood frame condo about 6 blocks from me.

Spruce Grove / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was in bed watching my show and my daughter was out in the living room. I felt my bed shake cause I thought it was her walking around. I went out a few mins later and asked her if she felt the house shake and she said yes.

Edmonton, Alberta / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I felt my couch vibtate underneath me, very slight and very brief; but, noticeable. Something on my shelving unit rattled very slightly, and even more briefly. I'm on the 4th floor in my building.

St ALBERT / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Was driving when quick vibration happened on the road, thought there was something wrong with my vehicle as it drove weird.. It happened sp quick, random and fast

Edmonton (South side) / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : My daughter called me into her room because she felt her loft bed shake and heard some lights on it rattling. Had no idea about this Earthquake until later.

Home, Stony Plain Alberta / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : The couch shook quite noticeably but we thought it very strange if it was an earthquake - us kiwis in Canada who know earthquakes were very surprised!!!!

Edmonton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt the bathroom vibrate and felt the sink vibrate and the room felt off and odd. Painting fell off the wall.

Edmonton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Was sitting on my couch. On the 4th floor of condo building. Felt shaking twice, second a bit stronger than the first time.

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 10-15 s : It felt similar to a basement being dug next to my house. There was definite movement, but not scary.

Stony Plain / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was sitting on my tub deck, when I felt the whole thing vibrate distinctly 3-4 times in succession. It was enough to make me jump up and check outside for an explosion or crash. Definitely strong enough to be outside the norm, and our house regularly ge

Stony Plain / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : Heard a noise, distant bang/poothen felt a hard bump/jolt..like something hit the house hard..then a light shake right after initial bump. No idea it was a quake until I looked online.

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : First I could hear something - then the house started to shake but it only lasted 2-3 seconds. I felt a bump/vibration and saw my plants shake.

Red Deer / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : We were on the top floor of a two story house. At first we thought our top floor washer was in a spin cycle which can vibrate the top floor. Our neighbours felt it too.

Edmonton / not felt : Didn't feel anything but some wedding cards fell off our table at that time which we thought was strange as there didn't seem to be any other explanation.

Edmonton, AB / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : House shook for a couple seconds we were on second floor at the time. Felt like something hit the house.

Beaumont / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I was laying in bed alone, and felt the bed shake twice. I thought I had gone crazy but I was certain it was an earth quake.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Was on the couch felt a vibration about 1second or less twice After first vibration looked and saw as well as felt the couch vibrate a second or less

Millet, Alberta / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short : Was sitting in the living room watching TV. We felt the couch jump and move slightly. Just a slight tremor after the initial jump

Cochrane Alberta / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : House shook, similar to the vibration of heavy equipment from the construction that happens during the day. But its not day time and they are not working

Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta Canada / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Felt two quick shakes. I was sitting with my back to the wall and felt the wall vibrate kind of like a wave and then again a second or so later.

Sherwood park / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : House shook for a second like something hit it. (Friend I was talking to felt it in his place in South Edmonton at same time)

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : I thought a very strong wind gust or large vehicle went past my home. Small shaking and a rumble sound

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : I felt like the recliner was rocking or swinging for a few moments, then stopped for 20 seconds and then swinging again for a few moments, then stopped.

Cochrane Alberta / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : House shook, similar to the vibration of heavy equipment from the construction that happens during the day. But its not day time and they are not working

Sitting on my couch in Wabamun, AB / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short : I felt the house move. It didnt last long but I knew it was something I have never experienced before. Very scary.

Edmonton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Thought it might be wind shaking the house but was too sudden in onset and then completely disappeared.

Edmonton, Alberta / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : i was sitting on the couch and felt shaking twice. My husband was in the shower and felt sudden shaking and vibration twice, about 5 seconds apart.

Stony plain AB / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was sitting in bed watching tv and the bed shook a couple of times, and the dog next door started to bark!

Southwest Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : I thought a big truck drove by or someone opened my garage door it was directly under my couch though creepy

Edmonton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Very slight verticle bump bump movement felt whole sitting on the sofa. Our daughter was upstairs in bed and felt her bed move, she called me upstairs because she felt her bed springs creak.

Edmonton downtown / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Im on the 4th floor if an apartment building. I was sitting on my sofa and I felt it give a slight bump.

Edmonton downtown / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : My computer chair started to faintly rock, but nothing else was moving. I was sitting with my legs on the chair, and I thought I'd imagined it, but I was scared.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Two shakes from side to side, about a second apart from each other. On the third floor of my apartment building.

Edmonton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : I was in my house on second floor felt vibration that made me check for dog movement. Do was not in the room.

Edmonton / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Edmonton sitting watching TV and felt the house shake slightly more than a big truck passing close by

Edmonton, AB / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Siding of house creaked and house felt like it was being hit with really strong wind, but there is no wind.

Edmonton, AB / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt like a very low rumble. Both the dog and I felt it. Wasnt sure what it was at first so I muted the TV and then chalked it up to my imagination and just noise from the neighbour moving their garbage bins.

Edmonton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : 3/5 seconds of shaking - i was on upper floor of house. Bed swayed side to side. Picture frames on dresser rattled. Plants swayed.

edmonton, alberta / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : single shake on me, third floor, and subsequent wall noise on other side of building, facing north so west to east

Devon / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Laying in bed. My bed and bed sheets shook | One user found this interesting.

Edmonton, Alberta / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Wall and bed moving | One user found this interesting.

Alder Flats t0c0a0 / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Yes | One user found this interesting.

7807 Summerside Grande Boulevard SW / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Weak shaking with a 5-10 second duration furniture rattled and tipped a couple very light objects. | One user found this interesting.

High Prairie, Alberta (328 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short

Edmonton (163.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Red deer (106.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Couch shook walls

Stony Plain AB (134.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : My husband and I felt a bump.

Red Deer (7.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Bed shook, things rattled. Very strange.

Edmonton (149.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

51003 rr 12 parkland county (119.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : light shaking, mobile home felt like it was rattling off it's blocking

Leduc (137 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Was laying in bed and my bed started to shake.

Home Edmonton AB (172.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Parkland County (131 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

32 km of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (0.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Airdrie (172.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Wetaskiwin, Alberta (133.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Very small vibration noticed/headx some things rattle but I just assumed was wind

Edmonton (152.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Sitting on my bed and felt my mattress shake

Edmonton enjoying my dinner (158.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : I was just enjoying my lovely dinner when all of a sudden 4 markers fell off by themselves

Edmonton (145.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : A bump. Felt like something hit a nearby building.

Stony plain (136 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Leduc, Alberta (136.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short : Felt our bed jolt.

Edmonton, Alberta (154.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Spruce Grove, Alberta (112.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : The bed was shaking and the glass shower doors and a lamp were rattling.

Edmonton, Alberta (154.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short

Red Deer (108.5 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short

158 crocus crescent sherwood park (172.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Felt nothing

Airdrie (172.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Stony plain (135.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Very brief jolt

Caroline (59.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Didn't feel anything here.

Cochrane AB (163.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Felt low rumbling coming from below my bed on the fourth floor of my condo building.

Spruce grove (140.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Felt bed shake as lying in it

Edmonton enjoying my dinner (158.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : I was just enjoying my lovely dinner when all of a sudden 4 markers fell off by themselves

Clareview Edmonton Alberta (168.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : rumbling under my bed, 2nd floor apartment. glasses rattling

Edmonton (152.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Sitting on my bed and felt my mattress shake

T0c1z0 (135 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Red deer, AB (103.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Wetaskiwin (141.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Subtle noise of whole house shifting

Red Deer (106.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Arm chair felt like someone gave it a shake

near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (30.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Entire home shook sideways including contents inside

Sherwood Park (169.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Ddnt feel anything.

Spring Lake, Alberta (129.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Shaking of the china cabinet and rattling of dishes. Shaking of other parts of house.

Edmonton NW (170.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (147.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I did not want to believe it was an earthquake because we don't have them in Edmonton

near Beaumont, Alberta (146 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Weak shake ITS HAPPENING AHH

Kelowna bc (425 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Shaking

Edmonton (160.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Felt nothing

Bearberry cabins (77.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Calling River, Alberta (317 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : We heard the loud boom around 9:20 PM. Athabasca

Stony Plain (136 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : House shook briefly,china on cabinet rattled.

Edmonton (145.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : A bump. Felt like something hit a nearby building.

near Stony Plain, Alberta (141.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Laying in bed reading. Felt familiar - looked at the clock at 9:24.

Westlock, Ab (199.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Red Deer (99.9 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was walking and thought I was having a moment of vertigo, it made me nauseous an unbalanced.

Summerside, Edmonton, AB (152.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was on the second floor of a house and I thought it was a low-flying jet engine overhead.

Edmonton (145 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Beaumont (150.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Fort Saskatchewan Alberta (181.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting on sofa and felt weak side to side movement.

Devon (134.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Felt nothing

38 km of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (23.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Edmonton (168.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (152.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Whole house shook

Parkland village, spruce grove (144.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : My house shook

Leduc (134.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Edmonton (157.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

parkland county, ab (127.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : like someone bumped into the house. the chairs we sat on bumped

Leduc (136.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Sitting on the couch watching tv. Felt the vibration where I was sitting.

Calahoo, Alberta (153.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Very weak, felt bed swing side to side twice.

Edmonton (146.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Felt vibrations on the walls and floor

SW Edmonton (146.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Markerville. (90 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : It felt like something lightly hit the side of our house but with no crash. It shook the upper level

Spruce Grove (142.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short

Edmonton (157.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s : Was laying in bed and I could feel it moving side to side. Just the slightest.

Sylvan Lake (83.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Leduc county (108.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Just a quick tumbling wasnt sure what it was at the time

Red Deer (99.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Bed vertical shake. Creak of door frame.

Spruce Grove (139 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Spruce grove (139.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing at all

Home (133.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 s : Did not feel any after shocks.

Leduc, Ab (140.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : 5th floor Hotel room sway a bit.

Alberta Beach watching TV (136.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : A very sudden bump

Edmonton (153.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Beaumont, AB (150.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Felt like shaking like when the washing machine is off balance

Reading a book (182.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Beaumont, Alberta (151.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

1202 knottwood road east nw edmonton (155.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was laying in my bed and my head board started vibrating

Leduc, Alberta (137.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

near Stony Plain, Alberta (125.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : A noise came out of the basement and it seemed like the couch went through a bump.

Parkland county (133.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short : I felt just a single bump

Church-Yonge Corridor, Toronto, Ontario (2807.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Stony plain Alberta (136 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : My bed and house shook. Same as when equipment is ripping frozen ground to dig a basement

Edmonton (162.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Spruce Grove (141.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Weak shaking

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (163.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : We were sitting on the couch and it felt like it was swaying

Edson (114.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Edmonton (162.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

42 km of Slave Lake, Alberta (334.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

T6X0Z2 (152.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Super cool

Brule Alberta (214.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : I felt the whole world shake. I was in bed on the top bunk of my bed.

Red Deer (106.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : One single movement, felt like a door slammed in the house. Couch moved under me.

Drayton valley (74.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (147.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Leduc (136.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Didnt feel anything.

near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (42.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Very large and loud thump. Like a car hitting the side of the house.

Edmonton (158.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Felt like when a train goes by on nearby tracks.

Sherwood park (168.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : House shook

Edmonton (151.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Light shaking

Beaumont, Alberta (145.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

near Beaumont, Alberta (146 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Bed in second story shaking

Edmonton (159.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Two separate instances of very weak shaking. Was sitting down on the second floor.

Oliver, Edmonton (160.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Heard rattling and felt the couch moving under me in an odd wiggly way. Brief duration.

Spruce Grove, Alberta (140 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : rattled pictures on wall. Not strong

Millet alberta (132.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short : Yes we felt it here in town.

Parkland County (130.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Light shaking of exterior walls on upper floor of house.

Leduc (135 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I was in bed watching TV and just felt my bed slightly shake for a moment.

4029 orchards dr so, edmonton (151.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Red Deer, Alberta (103.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Beaumont, Alberta (148.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Felt my bed move

Edmonton (152 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Wabamun (121.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : It felt like a bump and felt like a jiggle. Didnt know what to think at the time. Slight shake.

near Beaumont, Alberta (147.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s : My daughter and I both felt our beds shaking.

near Edmonton, Alberta (149.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Sturgeon County (151.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Sitting on couch, felt like a light massage on my back. Approx 3 seconds in duration.

Everdell (44.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Sidor close Lac St Anne County. darwell (134.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Thought someone or something fell or someone jumped on my deck

Edmonton (154.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

near Wetaskiwin, Alberta (119.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Felt like some one pushed my bed thought my house was haunted haha

Parkland County (134.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Edmonton (161.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (168.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Didnt feel it

Red Deer (106.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Arm chair felt like someone gave it a shake

morinville (173.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton, Alberta (161.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Buck lake (56.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Westlock AB (198.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (163.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Red Deer (102.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : I was taking a bath in the basement bathroom and felt the bottom of the tub vibrate.

75 Ave NW, Edmonton (156.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Reddeer (103.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short

Nisku alberta (153 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : Swayed on my couch

3010 33 avenue NW (159.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

near Airdrie, Alberta (174.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

near Beaumont, Alberta (151.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Spruce view (402.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (148.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton, Alberta (158.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Drayton valley (74.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta (184.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Sitting on couch, could feel the vibration for about 3 to 4 seconds.

Sylvan Lake, Alberta (82.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Sunchild Reserve, Alberta (24.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Just a little shake in the house

36 km of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Red Deer (106.3 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Calgary (192.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

31 km of Wetaskiwin, Alberta (106.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short

Millet, Alberta (132.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 s : Like a rocking boat

Eckville, alberta (63.9 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Red Deer, AB (113 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : One of us felt the 10ft kitchen island shake. Other one felt the couch shake and saw the blinds move

Lacombe (103 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s

Edmonton (148.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Is it going to happen again? I want to know that too! / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Spruce grove (141.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I was working from home today, I didnt feel or notice anything out of the ordinary

Fort Saskatchewan (185.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Echo Canyon Subdivision North of Rocky Mountain Ho (22.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Edmonton, alberta (148.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt the couch shake fairly well for about 5 seconds

Wabamun (121.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Felt it for couple of seconds. I could feel my house moving little bit

Sturgeon County, AB (149.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Red deer Alberta (101.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short

Sturgeon County, AB (149.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I was sleeping and didnt feel it.

Edmonton SE (160.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting on couch felt very weak shake

Beaumont (153.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Shaking. I thought I was dizzy.

Edmonton (150 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : My couch vibrated

Spruce Grove (141.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short : Did not know it was an earthquake until I heard about it

Rocky Mountain House (29.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : We felt like something hit the house. Or fell on the roof.

25 Pine Street, Sherwood Park (167.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

near Stony Plain, Alberta (131.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Did not feel the quake, but hearing reports 13kms east of here had felt it

Rocky Mountain house (43.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : House vibrating and shaking maybe 5 seconds approx

Stony Plain, Alberta (135.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : No one in my household felt it.

near Wetaskiwin, Alberta (132.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Thiught I was Losing my mind when my china in my china cabinet rattled.

Drayton valley alb (73.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Red Deer, Alberta (100.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Devon (134.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Sherwood Park, Alberta (169.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : .

Alder Flats, AB (47.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

near Wetaskiwin, Alberta (119.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : Quick vibration

Whitecourt Alberta (176.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (20.2 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (28.8 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Was one large bang and the floor shook.

Edmonton (145.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I felt 2 shakes about 1 second apart in the east/west motion.

Spring Lake, AB (129.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Weak shaking. Vibrated the piano as well as the floor under the couch that I was sitting on.

Spruce Grove AB (142.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

T8n 5n (162.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

edmonton (147.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

near Beaumont, Alberta (155.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (159 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Literally nothing

Edmonton, Alberta (155.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Leduc (137.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Very weak vibration

Spruce Grove Alberta (138.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

near Beaumont, Alberta (155.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

St. Albert (175.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Stony Plain (134.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Felt a single vertical bump

51514 rr 262 (138.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt like something banged into the house!

Telfordville (106.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Light shaking

26 km of Drayton Valley, Alberta (56.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : One bump

Beaumont, Alberta (147.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s

Edmonton NW (162.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Stony Plain, Alberta (136.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Felt like a passing train on the tracks

Stony Plain, Ab (128.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Felt like my couch moved, water in my glass moved and a string attached to my blinds was swinging.

Edmonton (158.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Summerside Edmonton alberta (152.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

28 km of Rimbey, Alberta (40.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : We didn't feel anything at our location

Morinville, Alberta (172.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Was unaware of event.

Spruce Grove alberta (141.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Sylvan lake (83.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Carvel (128.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

31 km of Stony Plain, Alberta (121.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Very brief shockwave

edmonton (146.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Duffield Alberta (123.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Everything shook for just a few seconds

Edmonton west (146.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Edmonton (52 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Spring Lake, Alberta (129.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Shaking of the china cabinet and rattling of dishes. Shaking of other parts of house.

Morinville (172.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kamloops, Thompson-Nicola, British Columbia (409.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Stony plain (133.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Chairs & bed shook around 9:30

5021 53 Ave, Calmar, Ab (123.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : Felt like the house shook just once I was on the second floor on the cellphone.

near Wetaskiwin, Alberta (132.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Edmonton (157.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was laying down and felt my bed slightly shake

Edmonton (150 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : My couch vibrated

Spring lake (130.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Millet, Ab (134.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Felt like a "bump"

Beaumont, Alberta (151.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Windermere (144.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (147 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating

Spruce grove (134.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Kids in bed were alarmed their beds were moving

Morinville, alberta (174.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

T8a0z8 (166.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Edmonton, AB (153.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Bed shook as if someone kicked it a few times.

near Wetaskiwin, Alberta (121.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Laying in bed on top floor of two story house, bed shook side to side.

Millet (131.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Stony Plain AB (134.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : My husband and I felt a bump.

Beaumont (150.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Spruce Grove, Alberta (144.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I would say 5 out of 10 on the shake.

Blue Quill, Edmonton, Alberta (151.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s : Weak shaking, rolling

near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (39.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short

Edmonton (153 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

St. Albert (160.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s

Edmonton (146 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

near Drayton Valley, Alberta (83.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Birchwood, AB House moved and made sounds Chairs we were sitting in vibrated

near Devon, Alberta (145.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short

Parkland County (126.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Sylvan Lake (83.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

38 km of Devon, Alberta (97 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

NE Edmonton (168.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I felt nothing, but my dog was agitated and growling at the time of the reported event.

Edmonton, T5T7N5 (149.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Red Deer, Alberta (106.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : Weak shake

near Devon, Alberta (146.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : My floor and chair moved for about 3 seconds

Getting ready for bed (171.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short

Alberta Beach (135 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Edmonton (159.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short : Just light shifting and shaking

Red Deer, Alberta (102.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Edmonton Alberta (148.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I felt a vibration for about 5-10 seconds

Edmonton (147.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : Felt it while in bed

Edmonton (159.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (148.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Parkland County (132.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

Rocky Mountain House (26 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Heard a dull boom and my entire house shook.

Edmonton (145.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Very weak shaking but I could tell it was different

Fort saskatchewan (182.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Sitting on couch felt the floor shaking. Shelves were rattling. Lasted ten seconds

Millwoods, Edmonton, AB (156.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Devon (133.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 2-5 s : Back and forth shaking sitting in bed. Very random pattern

385 village drive (165.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

2474 Bowen Wynd SW Edmonton AB (149.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

near Devon, Alberta (145 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

near Devon, Alberta (127.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : House shook. 2 jolts

near Stony Plain, Alberta (144.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Edmonton (145.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Edmonton, Alberta (154.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short

Millet (132.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

near Edmonton, Alberta (148.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Scared, what's happening?

Spruce grove (140 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

near Edmonton, Alberta (152.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

1542 Cunningham Cape sw (148.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : My bed started RJ shake

Edmonton (158.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Red Deer, Alberta (103.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : Just a slight bump was all.

near Wetaskiwin, Alberta (132 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Leduc Alberta (140.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Sherwood Park, Alberta (157.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was sitting on my bed and then my bed shook and my light swung

Edmonton (152 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

T0c1z0 (135 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short

St. Albert (159.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Red Deer, Alberta (108.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Pictures on the wall rattled, otherwise felt nothing

Edmonton (160.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton, Alberta (166.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Edmonton (145.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

322 grand meadow cres (157.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

near Wetaskiwin, Alberta (118.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Alberta Beach (137.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : A super quick 2 second shake and that was it. It was a light shake.

Edmonton (148.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short

Wetaskiwin (141.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Subtle noise of whole house shifting

Edmonton (147.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Spruce Grove (124.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Edmonton, Alberta (155.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / rattling, vibrating / very short : Plant leaves shake. Felt slight rattle to building.

29 km of Wetaskiwin, Alberta (108.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : I thought it was a door slamming at first and hubby felt and heard the big picture window rattle.
Photo-Illustration: Vulture

Yes, this really is happening. Vulture Festival is fully back, live and in person and outdoors at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel November 13 and 14, presented in association with Clear, Pluto TV, Showtime, Spectrum Originals, and Taylor Creative. Last week, we gave you a glimpse of our lineup, which includes Niecy Nash, The Great, Henry Winkler, Insecure, Meredith and Brooks Marks, a screening of Romy and Micheles High School Reunion with Mira Sorvino, and a sneak peek at Showtimes Yellowjackets. But now were ready to announce the next batch of events weve lined up just for you. Start your holidays off right with Sarah Silverman and Seth Rogen; have a lovely time with Mrs. Maisels parents Tony Shalhoub and Marin Hinkle; join Hollywood Handbooks Hayes Davenport and Sean Clements as they chat with Titus Welliver, a.k.a. Bosch; and learn to dance with the finalists of Dancing With the Stars. But that is not even all! Cowboy Bebop will be there to give us a sneak peek at the new live-action series; Mike Mills and Woody Norman will be there to talk about CMon CMon; Simon Rex and Sean Baker will chat with us about the upcoming film Red Rocket; and well be getting a showcase performance of Vultures Comedians You Should and Will Know, hosted by Joel Kim Booster. And yes, there is one more thing: The cast of 3rd Rock From the Sun is reuniting for the first time ever, live and in person at Vulture Festival  come see how tall John Lithgow is in person!

Get your tickets now at VultureFestival.com!

Comedy Comedians You Should and Will Know, Hosted by Joel Kim Booster Photo-Illustration: Vulture Every year, Vulture highlights the up-and-coming comedians who are currently dominating what we call industry chatter. Thats right, baby: These are the comedians who are hot, hot, hot! This is your chance to see them live before theyre winning Emmys or selling out arenas, and its hosted by former Comedian You Should and Will Know whom you now know and love, Joel Kim Booster.

TV Sarah Silverman and Seth Rogen: Two Friends: A Holiday Spectacular Photo-Illustration: Vulture Sarah Silverman and Seth Rogen are both starring in the upcoming HBO Max series Santa, Inc. Theyre also two friends and legendary comedians who have agreed to let us all hang out with them for an hour or so and hear what they have to say. And yes, we know listening to two comedians talk is not necessarily a holiday tradition, but hey, if we wanted to, we could just make it one! Moderated by Vulture senior editor and Good One podcast host Jesse David Fox.

Reunions A 3rd Rock From the Sun Reunion Photo-Illustration: Vulture Incoming message from the Big Giant Head: Its a whole extraterrestrial family reunion for the Solomons as the cast of 3rd Rock From the Sun comes together for the beloved NBC seriess 25th anniversary. John Lithgow, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kristen Johnston, and French Stewart will join us to celebrate  and oh my God, theyre GORGEOUS!

TV Hollywood Handbook Dives Into Hollywood Homicide With Bosch: A Coming Together of Two L.A. Institutions Photo-Illustration: Vulture Harry Bosch, L.A.s top homicide detective, and Hollywood Handbook, a podcast about two A-list It boys living their showbiz dreams. Titus Welliver, who portrays Harry Bosch in Amazons longest-running series, Bosch, joins Hayes Davenport and Sean Clements, Hollywood Handbook hostsBosch superfans (Clements has a dog named Bosch), for a discussion of all things Bosch and all things Tinseltown. A new chapter of Bosch will premiere in early 2022 on Amazons premium free streaming service, IMDb TV.

TV A Lovely Time With Mrs. Maisels Mom and Dad Photo-Illustration: Vulture Your favorite melodramatic parental units are coming to Vulture Festival. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisels Tony Shalhoub and Marin Hinkle sit down for a night of fond recollections and deep chats thatll have you realizing quickly that they are actually your new mom and dad, whom you love VERY much. Both Mom and Dad will take a look at the hit seriess past three seasons, as fans anxiously await the upcoming fourth season on Amazon Prime Video.

TV An Extremely Cool and Exclusive Preview of the New Cowboy Bebop Photo-Illustration: Vulture Stars of the upcoming live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop John Cho, Daniella Pineda, and Mustafa Shakir join us for a discussion of the upcoming Netflix series thats had everyone in an absolute tizzy. Theyll also treat us to a few sneak peeks of whats to come, if youre lucky!

Film A Conversation for Your Consideration: Simon Rex and Sean Baker Talk About Red Rocket Photo-Illustration: Vulture Acclaimed writer-director Sean Baker, best known for his remarkable films like The Florida Project and Tangerine, lit up the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year when he debuted the audacious new film Red Rocket. Starring Simon Rex in a magnetic, live-wire performance, Red Rocket is a darkly funny and humane portrait of a uniquely American hustler and a hometown that barely tolerates him. Join us for an in-depth conversation with Baker and Rex as they talk about tackling tough subject matter with authenticity, location as character, and much more.

Film Cmon, Cmon  No, Really, Come On and Join Us for an Event With Mike Mills and Woody Norman Photo-Illustration: Vulture Academy Awardnominated writer-director Mike Mills is coming to Vulture Festival to talk his newest heartfelt feature, Cmon Cmon. Joining him in person, for the first time since filming, is the young up-and-comer Woody Norman. Join us as we talk to them about the film, working with Joaquin Phoenix and Gaby Hoffmann, and take a deep dive into Normans secrets to youth and longevity.
Photo: Warner Brothers

Dune director Denis Villeneuve has strenuously argued against Warner Bros./AT&Ts strategy to release Dune on streaming at the same time as it comes to theaters. Warner Bros. decision means Dune wont have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph, he wrote in Variety last year. Warner Bros. might just have killed the Dune franchise. To which WB seemingly responded, You dont want your movie to come out the same day on streaming as theaters? Dune worry about it! Itll come out the day before. Villeneuves sandworm opus debuted on the ad-free version of HBO Max on Thursday, October 21 at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.

Don't have HBO Max?

When and how to release films digitally is becoming an extremely fraught topic for studios. The version on HBO Max is the films 2.39:1 aspect ratio, not the much-hyped, large-format IMAX presentation. And Disneys decision to release Black Widow on Disney+ along with theaters resulted in Scarlett Johansson suing the Mouse for breach of contract. And the simultaneous streaming strategy may have been part of why Christopher Nolan is taking his next picture to Universal instead of the WB. No word yet on whether Villeneuve is going to sic the Fremen on Warner Bros.

If you subscribe to a service through our links, Vulture may earn an affiliate commission.
The United Kingdom and New Zealand have struck a free trade agreement that will reduce tariffs on bulldozers, wine, buses and clothing.

The draft deal, which follows 16 months of negotiations, is the latest to be brokered by the United Kingdom after its departure from the European Union.

The agreement is not expected to deliver a boost to the UK economy. But Downing Street expressed hopes that it will help "pave the way" for Britain to join Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a free trade area of 11 Pacific nations including New Zealand.

"This is a great trade deal for the United Kingdom, cementing our long friendship with New Zealand and furthering our ties with the Indo-Pacific," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

Trade between the United Kingdom and New Zealand was worth 2.3 billion ($3.2 billion) in 2020, accounting for less than 0.2% of total UK trade. The deal is not expected to increase UK GDP, according to the UK government's own estimates.

The United Kingdom's ability to negotiate its own trade policy has been billed by the government as a major benefit of Brexit. It has moved ahead with deals with both New Zealand and Australia deal despite opposition from UK farmers, who are worried the agreements could allow cheap imports.

The rush to sign new trade deals comes as Britain seeks to compensate for losing the economic benefits of EU membership. The European Union accounted for 42% of UK exports of goods and services and 50% of imports in 2020, and companies face new barriers to trade following Brexit.

Britain has also struck deals with Japan and Norway, but they were based on existing agreements negotiated by the European Union.

Johnson said that New Zealand products loved by British consumers will be available for cheaper, from Sauvignon Blanc wine to Manuka honey and kiwi fruit.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the countries as "great friends and close partners."

"The historical connections that bind us run deep," she said, adding that the trade deal is "good for our economies, our businesses and our people."

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
India has administered more than 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses, a remarkable feat just months after a second wave of infection killed thousands of people across the country.

But as India celebrated passing the milestone on Thursday, some experts warned the pandemic threat was not over -- in a nation of 1.3 billion, millions of people are yet to receive any dose at all.

So far, India has fully vaccinated just 30% of its adult population and given one dose to 74%, according to India's Ministry of Health on October 16. Those statistics don't include children under 18 who make up 41% of India's population and aren't yet eligible for the jab.

But even as India races to fully vaccinate its adult population, the country is opening up and exporting millions of vaccine doses. On Friday, the first foreign tourists arrived in the country after an almost 18-month pause, and within the country millions are traveling to celebrate various festivals, with movement expected to increase in November during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights."

Experts fear that interstate travel and the possibility of new variants could lead to a third surge in infection -- leaving unvaccinated people and children most at risk.

"It's difficult to predict because the global experience shows that things could turn sour at any point of time," said Dr. Anant Bhan, a global health and policy expert from the central Indian city of Bhopal. "But the trend in India right now is very encouraging. The number of vaccines administered is high and there is no upswing in cases."

Up to 8 million doses are being administered on a typical day, but the Indian Medical Association is calling for the government to cease exports until more people are vaccinated at home.

Second Covid wave beat vaccines

India has had two waves of Covid-19 -- one last year before vaccines were available, and the second that began only weeks into the country's ambitious inoculation program earlier this year.

The first doses started rolling out in January to vulnerable citizens and frontline workers, part of a priority group of 300 million people -- almost as many people as the entire US population.

At the same time, millions of doses of Covishield -- the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in India -- were being exported to other countries and the global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed India was saving "entire humanity" from tragedy. But at home, the world's largest vaccine program was struggling.

"We absolutely faced hiccups in the beginning," Dr. J. A. Jayalal, president of the Indian Medical Association told CNN. "We weren't able to meet our huge demand, and there was a lot of hesitancy, especially among our rural population."

Vaccination rates were still very low as the second Covid wave built in early March, and by the end of the month, the government had stopped vaccine exports to prioritize Indians.

The surge in Covid cases brought panic and despair as millions tried to navigate the country's collapsing health care system. Some desperately posted for help on social media, hopeful to secure a hospital bed or medical oxygen.

In April -- weeks before cases peaked at more than 400,000 a day -- vaccine supplies dried up, with at least five out of India's 29 states reporting severe shortages.

Several districts in the western state of Maharashtra had to temporarily suspend vaccination drives, including more than 70 centers in financial capital Mumbai, according to the state's health minister, Rajesh Tope.

The government faced widespread criticism for its handling of the crisis. For many, Modi underplayed the severity of the pandemic. Authorities belatedly ramped up the vaccination program, and in August more vaccination centers were opened and education campaigns rolled out in rural areas.

On September 17, Modi's birthday, India set a single-day vaccination record by administering more than 25 million shots. That week, the country crossed a major milestone by delivering at least one dose to more than 60% of its eligible adult population.

But like many countries, India's vaccination rates aren't evenly spread. In rural areas, more than 64% of people have received at least one dose of a vaccine. In urban India, where people live in more crowded cities and towns, the figure is close to 35%, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

India's challenge is to improve rates across the country -- and most importantly, to vaccinate its children.

Children next in line

Since the pandemic began, fewer than 1% of India's Covid-19 deaths were of children under 15, according to the country's Health Ministry. But several states are taking extra precautions and preparing for a worst-case scenario should a third wave hit.

Hospitals are stockpiling medical oxygen and some states -- including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka -- are building Covid-19 treatment facilities, especially for children.

"We don't know how the virus will behave, but we cannot afford to be unprepared this time around," Suhas Prabhu, head of the Pediatric Task Force in the western state of Maharashtra, said, according to Reuters.

"No mother should have to run around looking for a hospital bed when her child is sick."

The first vaccine available for Indian children over 12 -- ZyCov-D, developed by Gujarat-based Cadila Healthcare Ltd -- was given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in August.

About 10 million doses of the vaccine would be available per month, India's Covid-19 Task Force Chief, V.K. Paul, told CNN affiliate CNN-News18 on Wednesday, adding the government had asked India's National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation for guidance on how to allocate the shot.

"Our priority right now is to continue to explore options for children and adolescents for sure but our thrust is to cover the adult population for which there is no dearth of vaccines anymore," he said.

Another vaccine, India's homegrown Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research, is expected to be given EUA for children age 2 to 18 soon.

However, the World Health Organization has not yet approved it for adults or children.

The US-developed Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines are also expected to roll out in India this year, although the timeline is not known -- and neither have been approved for use on children in India.

Concern about exports

The delivery of 1 billion Covid vaccine doses is a milestone for India, but experts say it has to do much more to reach its target of inoculating its entire adult population by the end of the year.

Jayalal from the IMA says the country should be aiming to vaccinate at least 10 million people per day.

Then there is the issue of supplies. The IMA worries that by resuming vaccine exports, India could find itself in a similar position to last year -- when demand vastly outnumbered supply.

"Personally, we are not supporting exports," said Jayalal. "We are emphasizing that all our population should get the first dose at least before exports resume."

Some 1 million shots of Covaxin were shipped to Iran last week, the Indian embassy in Tehran confirmed on Twitter. Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar have also received India-made vaccines in October, according to Indian officials. Exports are expected to increase significantly in the next few months as domestic stocks build and most of India's population is inoculated with the first dose, officials said on October 14.

Dr. Bhan, the global health and policy expert, said while India plays an important role in the world's vaccine supply, a balance must be met.

"We should, of course, offer some of that supply to other countries, especially those where there has been a trickle of supply," he said. "We have ramped up production and local vaccine coverage is going up. But perhaps this is the time for us to enhance manufacturing in a way that supports local and export needs."

A spokesperson from Bharat Biotech, which manufactures Covaxin, said it is not facing any challenges in manufacturing the shot, and is working towards making 1 billion doses in India this year by expanding its production capacity across multiple facilities in the country.

SII, which manufactures Covishield, will produce 200 million doses in October, up from 160 million in September, according to the company, after it improved access to raw materials required to make the vaccines.

CNN reached out to the Ministry of Health but did not receive a response.

K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, said the country may not achieve full vaccination by the end of the year, but added authorities are "drawing comfort" from antibody surveys showing high positivity rates across the country, meaning there is some protection against the virus.

"This is being taken as an indicator of protective immunity acquired either during the Delta-driven second wave or through vaccination even from a single dose," he said.

Indian authorities will be hoping -- even without both doses -- that protective immunity offers Indians some safety as the long festival season gets underway.

The government hasn't announced a ban on religious gatherings and interstate movement, but it's urging the public to remain vigilant and avoid non-essential travel.

"We are starting to get back on our feet again, but we cannot afford to be complacent," said Jayalal, the IMA president.

"We are requesting the government not to allow mass gatherings. It's definitely a possibility that a third wave will come, and we need to be ready for it."

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
A fire-sale deal that would have eased a punishing cash crunch at Chinese real estate giant Evergrande has collapsed, pushing the troubled company closer to a potential collapse.

Evergrande announced Wednesday that it had terminated an agreement to sell a controlling stake in its property management unit to rival Chinese developer, Hopson, for about 20 billion Hong Kong dollars ($2.6 billion).

The companies traded blame for the collapse of the deal, with Evergrande claiming in a stock exchange filing that "the purchaser had not met the prerequisite to make a general offer for shares in Evergrande Property Services."

Hopson said in a statement that it was ready to complete the deal, but "other parties" had attempted to change the terms of the agreement.

Shares of both companies, which had been suspended since the potential deal was announced, resumed trade Thursday in Hong Kong. Evergrande plummeted 12.5%, while Hopson surged 7.6%.

A critical weekend

The deal's collapse is bad news for Evergrande, which is just days away from a potential formal default.

The company faces a deadline this weekend when a 30-day grace period expires on interest payments owed to investors.

Evergrande appeared to miss $83.5 million in payments on a dollar bond on September 23. The deadline to pay is Saturday, according to Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst of Asia Pacific at Oanda.

Halley said that a failure to make the payments "could trigger a cross-default on other debt instruments," which may allow some of Evergrande's other creditors to demand their money back.

"They'll run out of wiggle room here," he said.

A formal default could send shockwaves through global stock markets on Monday, said the analyst. It could also prompt Chinese regulators to take action.

"The Chinese government has been deafening in its silence on this issue," said Halley. "This may force the hand of the central government to finally act more directly."

Authorities have tried to calm the situation as investors fret over the risks of contagion. Last week, China's central bank said that Evergrande had mismanaged its business, but risks to the financial system were "controllable."

That was echoed by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at a financial forum in Beijing on Wednesday.

In a speech reported by Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua, Liu acknowledged what he called "individual problems" in the real estate market.

But he stressed that risks were generally under control, the capital needs of property developers were being met, and the overall trend of "healthy development" of China's real estate market would not change, according to Xinhua.

Struggling to recover

In recent weeks, Evergrande has been trying to resolve its cash flow issues by attempting to sell some of its assets, such as partial stakes in its electric vehicle and property services businesses, as well as an office tower in Hong Kong.

But the company hasn't had much luck in its search for buyers.

In another stock exchange filing Wednesday, the group said that there had been "no material progress" on the sales of its other assets, apart from a previously disclosed stake sale in a local lender.

The group has also warned of further hits to its business over the last few months.

From September 1 to October 20, contract sales of properties were just 3.65 billion yuan ($571 million), it said Wednesday. That represents an approximately 97% drop compared to the same period last year, according to Halley.

Evergrande isn't the only player struggling. Recently, a slew of other developers have disclosed their own cash flow issues, asking lenders for more time to repay them or warning of potential defaults.

Beijing-based Modern Land is one of those developers. Last week, the company asked investors for more time to repay a $250 million bond due on October 25, highlighting its own liquidity problems.

Its shares were suspended from trade in Hong Kong on Thursday as it disclosed an upcoming announcement, without giving further details.

 CNN's Beijing bureau contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
UPDATE: Florence Police said the teen was found with assistance from Jackson (Tennessee) Police Department.

ORIGINAL: Florence Police are searching for Amber Elizabeth Desiree Castile Bonds, 17, after she left her home Sunday and has not returned.

She was last seen in a light gray hoodie and sweatpants. She is 5' 2" and weighs 140 pounds. She has blue eyes and brown hair.

If you see her or know where she is, call Florence Police at (256) 760-6610.
Gov. Kay Ivey announced Wednesday that she has awarded $2.8 million to help Alabamians fight homelessness, with $500,000 going to help the homeless population in Huntsville.

It's unknown exactly how many people currently experiencing homelessness in Huntsville, because data is usually collected each January but Covid-19 made it difficult to get accurate numbers in 2021. The North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless has the most recent data from 2020, which shows the homeless population has gradually increased over the past couple of years and is not likely to go down.

As manager of community development for the largest city in the state, Scott Erwin sees the homeless population growing along with the city.

"We have more homeless people coming to our community," Erwin said. "Some are seeing our success, and they get here and sometimes it isn't what they expected."

He's hoping the $500,000 from this year's "Emergency Solutions Grants" program will provide assistance directly for those who need it.

"Solving the homeless is a complex issue, but I do see (the funds) being able to get more street outreach," he said.

The funds will also be used for shelters, homelessness prevention and  one of the biggest needs  rapid rehousing.

"Literally every income segment is experiencing a housing shortage in Huntsville, but some would argue it's most affecting those with the lowest income," Erwin said.

He said the situation amounts to growing pains from a growing population, and the challenge is making sure anyone who comes to Huntsville has the resources and ability to move past homeless circumstances.

Since the North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless was unable to get accurate data from 2021, the upcoming "point-in-time count" will be extra important in seeing how the population has grown. The "point-in-time count" looks at people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January and heavily influences the level of Emergency Solutions Grants the city can expect next year.
A man accused of killing a Sheffield police officer and another man will face trial in Colbert County but be represented by a Franklin County attorney after conflicts of interest and heavy caseloads prevented local attorneys from taking the case, records show.

Court documents show the first two attorneys who were court-appointed to represent Brian Lansing Martin filed motions to be removed from the capital murder case. One said hes too busy and has 36 other appointed cases, while the other said she had a conflict of interest.

Brian Lansing Martin (From Colbert County Jail) Brian Lansing Martin (From Colbert County Jail)

According to an order from Colbert County Judge Chad Coker, there were only three attorneys left in the county who could be appointed to the case, but each had legitimate conflicts which would preclude their representation of the defendant.

As a result, Martin will now be represented by Rebecca Thomason, an attorney who handled capital murder cases in Franklin County. Several of Thomasons colleagues told WAAY 31 that if they needed a court-appointed attorney, she is the one they would want.

Martin is currently scheduled for a preliminary hearing Monday, though Thomason asked for the hearing to be postponed Thursday, which would give her additional time to familiarize herself with the case. Martin faces 10 charges related to the Oct. 1 incident that left two dead and two injured, including himself.

According to police, the incident began with an altercation in which Martin shot and killed William Mealback Jr. before pushing Mealback out of a vehicle on Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, for which he is charged with abuse of a corpse and capital murder.

Martin then got into a car chase with Sheffield Police that ended in a shootout by the Muscle Shoals Walmart, police said. During the exchange, Sheffield Police Sgt. Nick Risner, Sheffield Police Lt. Max Dotson and Martin were each shot. Dotson and Martin survived; Risner died the next day.

In addition to the charges for Mealbacks death, Martin faces three counts of capital murder, two counts of attempt to commit murder, two counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
A man hoping to avoid a Madison County prison sentence tried to bribe his way out of charges after being stopped by the Limestone County Sheriffs Office, according to authorities.

Mitchell Joseph Caldwell, 43, of Athens now is charged with drug trafficking, bribery of a public servant, parole violation, and probation violation for burglary.

He is being held in the Limestone County Detention Facility.

According to the sheriffs office, deputies responded to a robbery call about 8:50 p.m. Oct. 6 in the 13,000 block of Sugar Plum Lane.

The victim provided a description of the suspect and a vehicle. An Alabama State Trooper then spotted the vehicle about three miles from the scene on Highway 72.

The office said 49 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found during a search of the vehicle, deputies said.

Caldwell was taken into custody and offered a deputy up to $20,000 to release him from custody, which the sheriffs office said the deputy declined.

Caldwell told the deputy he was on the run from a prison sentence for burglary in Madison County and did not wish to return to prison, according to the sheriffs office.
The high-profile case involving the murder of Sgt. Nick Risner at the hands of a man who was released early from prison on good behavior has some crime victims scrambling to find out the status of their attackers.

The fear of early release is what led sexual assault survivor Teresa Martin to send WAAY 31's newsroom a handwritten letter explaining the details of her case and asking reporters to look into the status of her attacker. She said she couldn't get answers from officials.

And what WAAY 31 uncovered wasn't what Martin believed to be the plea deal she agreed to in 2018.

Billy Joe Coleman was linked to Martin's attack inside her home from a DNA match. Martin said she agreed to a plea deal to avoid having to go through a lengthy trial, and she believed the result would be a 20-year prison sentence for Coleman.

On Wednesday, WAAY 31 confirmed Coleman will actually only serve five years of that sentence. His release date is currently set for June 2023, a shock to Martin.

The Limestone County District Attorney's Office confirmed the plea deal and said if Coleman has bad behavior during his prison sentence, they will revoke the probation and release. He would serve the remaining time of his full 20-year sentence.

Martin said this was for an attack that had her begging for her life. During the random home invasion, Martin said she was able to dial 911 when she heard a noise, but before she knew what to think, a man was on top of her, placing a pillow over her face.

He told the investigators his intent was to rape, rob and kill me," Martin said. At one point during the attack, he moved the covers over and saw on my phone that 911 had been trying to call me, and thats when he got startled."

Martin's attack was not Coleman's first violent crime, according to court records. Coleman was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the 1980s. The state database shows Coleman was convicted of first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse against a 3-year-old girl. He was convicted in August 1986.

When Martin was attacked, Coleman was out of prison and a registered sex offender in Alabama.

He attempted to kill me that night, and the next time he gets out, he will kill his victim, without a doubt," Martin said.

Martin said the state has promised they will send her a letter alerting her to Coleman's release. Even though she has moved to a new home since the attack, this promise does little to calm her fears.

Its the victim that gets the life sentence," she said. "Theyre always looking over their shoulder."
A high-tech company is calling Huntsville home.

QuantumAI, a division of Davidson Technologies Inc., opened in Madison County today. The company is a defense industry spin-off, building a new class of network to address high-stakes artificial intelligence domains across commercial and federal markets.

CEO Lisa Hammitt comes to the Rocket City from San Francisco. She said this city has the right people to work for her company.

"Huntsville has talented developers, but we could say that about a number of U.S. cities or really abroad, too," Hammitt said. "But (Huntsville) has something that's an 'X factor.' It has a long-standing history of tackling the thorniest problems with a great deal of bravery."

The company is building data centers in Huntsville, Colorado Springs and the United Kingdom.
It was in February and March that my wife and I received our covid vaccination. Then on August 19, we learned that a great grandchild, who visits quite often, was ill with covid. We decided we should be tested because my wife wasnt feeling well, and I had a bad cough. We were tested on August 21 and had the results before the end of the day. We both tested positive, and we were to isolate for 10 days.

My wife felt ill for about three days and then took care of me. She was worried about me and called our regular physician, who prescribed some pills and cough syrup. After a week she called again, and I was prescribed two antibiotics which I was to take for the next five days. There was no improvement, in fact the night fevers, which soaked my pillow and sheets, and the cough continued for the next five nights. After a really fitful night, she decided I needed to go to the emergency room.

After a short talk with the E.R. doctor and his listening to my lungs, I was given a chest X-ray, C-T scan, blood test and a heart test, among other things, and it was decided I had covid induced pneumonia. There was a discussion between my regular doctor and the E.R. doctor, and since my oxygen level was up, I could go home rather than spend time in the hospital. I left the hospital with two prescriptions. One for a cough syrup pill because he hated the taste of cough syrup as much I do, and five pages of instructions.

So, from the end of August to the second week of October I suffered covid induced pneumonia. For the last week of September and the first week or so of October I stayed in bed with fever and such. Then I began spending time in my recliner when not in bed. I did some walking. During the first or second walk I managed to kick something which landed between the second and third toe of my right foot. I do think I might have broken something. It still bothers me.

At one point I stood up from my recliner and started a short walk. I have no idea how, but I managed to trip. I fell forward. Landing on my hands and knees, while knocking over a potted plant in a two-or-three-gallon pot. The dirt spread across the rug and the vent to the furnace duct. My wife could not lift me and had to call her son for help to get me back on my feet and back into my recliner.

Using either a walker or a cane, I did manage to walk a short distance which extended in length over the next few weeks.

I kept improving, along with losing about 20 pounds of weight, and in the last weeks of my confinement, I wanted to either draw a picture or write something. In the past I have often gotten a good idea for a story from what I have drawn and a good idea for a picture from something I have written.

Most of the last two weeks I sat in my recliner looking out the sliding glass door leading to the deck and back yard, watching the rain falling, and the wind moving the leaves, which turned from green to yellow before falling to the long, long unmowed lawn. However, every day of those weeks both a sketch pad and a writing pad were at the ready. Both were just a big waste of time.

Ive heard covid often affects a persons taste. It did mine for a time. Im not sure, but I dont think Im hearing as well as I did in August, and I think the sight in my right eye has made a small change. Im now wondering if the covid has affected my imagination.

I returned to the doctor on October 11. After some general discussion, he took a blood sample. A day or so later he called with the results. He was amazed. I have a count of 50,000 covid antibodies in my system. He said, Ive never seen that high a count. A pharmacist I mentioned that to said, with a smile on his face, Youre impervious to anything.

So, I may have suffered for a month, and perhaps lost my imagination, but I am well protected from covid. If I hadnt gotten those shots in February and March, covid might have taken me in September.

I will always think of those shots like I think of that heavy, awkward piece of clothing I was required to wear when I was in the army. My helmet.

The situation reminds me of the two combat capable solders. One wore his helmet, the other wouldnt if an officer wasnt present. The two were in a fox hole, shooting at an unseen enemy. The one, as usual, wore his helmet. The other, since no officer was present, didnt. Two rounds came flying toward them. One hit the helmet, leaving the wearer with a life-long ringing in his ears. The other just left his brains splattered on the side of the fox hole.

The moral to this story  if you are a capable soldier, wear your helmet of those first vaccinations in this battle with our unseen enemy  covid.

Wallace Pride is a retired educator living in Logan, Utah.
The Lower Columbia College Fighting Smelt Speech & Debate Team began the Northwest Forensics Conference (NFC) season with the Steve Hunt Classic tournament, hosted by Lewis & Clark and Whitman Colleges. The Smelt participated in this virtual tournament from their campus in Longview. The team came out of the gate strong and emerged with a convincing result to start the year.

Sixty-nine colleges and universities from 26 different states participated in speech and debate events at this years Steve Hunt Classic. Participating schools included regional rivals Boise State, Whitworth, and Linfield, as well as less familiar national programs Penn State, UC-Berkeley, and Georgia Tech. Lower Columbia College finished second in two-year college team sweepstakes out of a field of 11 community colleges.
This content is expired!

Unfortunely this content is expired and cannot be viewed anymore; if You are the owner of this content please login to our Website, go to our access panel and enable this content again.
Ex-Alitalia staff undress in protest at Piazza del Campidoglio.

Around 50 former Alitalia flight attendants stripped out of their uniforms in a choreographed flash mob protest outside Rome city hall on Wednesday afternoon.

The ex-Alitalia employees were protesting over the loss of jobs and the working conditions of colleagues re-hired by the slimmed-down ITA Airways following its acquisition of Italy's former national airline.

When ITA took to the skies last Friday it employed only around 2,800 of the almost 11,000 Alitalia staff, amid claims by unions that the workers were taken on with significantly lower salaries.

Standing in rows on the Capitoline Hill, the female protesters slowly removed their uniforms and shoes, in a symbolic refusal to accept the situation.

Ater stripping down to their undergarments, the hostesses remained in silence for several minutes before picking up their clothes and chanting: We are Alitalia!

A spokesperson for the group said the choreographed protest on the Capitoline Hill was designed to show solidarity with colleagues "who were forced to sign a humiliating and mortifying company contract."

Last week Alitalia made its final flight, from Rome to Cagliari, bringing an end to a colourful 74-year history between Italy and its former flag carrier.
Raggi hands over mayoral sash to Gualtieri.

Roberto Gualtieri arrived at Rome city hall this morning to take over officially from outgoing mayor Virginia Raggi, who leaves the office after five years.

Gualtieri, of the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), was elected mayor after beating the centre-right candidate Enrico Michetti in a run-off vote on Monday.

"I wish Gualtieri all the best. Being a mayor is the most beautiful and complex job" - Raggi said in the Giulio Cesare hall - "On a human and political level it is a full experience. I have been honoured to lead this city, the most beautiful in the world, for five years."

Raggi, of the once anti-establishment Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S), joined Gualtieri on the balcony of his new office overlooking the Roman Forum, before the pair held talks described as cordial.

Virginia Raggi with Roberto Gualtieri in Rome city hall today. Photo Il Messaggero.

Gualtieri, 55, told reporters he would dedicate all his "commitment and passion" to the new role, adding: "I thank Raggi for the work of these years and now an intense and exciting phase for me begins."

In the meantime the new mayor is busy putting together his team to face a range of challenges ahead, from cleaning up the city's rubbish problem to developing the capital's bid for Expo 2030

Raggi - who in addition to being the first woman to hold the office of Rome mayor was also the youngest at 37 - left the Campidoglio just after midday, to applause from her old staff, some of whom were in tears.

As Rome newspaper Il Messaggero put it: "On 23 June 2016 she arrived at city hall in an electric minicar, today she leaves in an Alfa Romeo."

Cover photo Leggo
Especially painful to watch, however, is the disaster that has befallen Sebastian Kurz in relatively tiny Austria. Just weeks ago Kurz, only 35 years old, was the European center rights great hope. As recently as mid-September, Manfred Weber, the leader of the center-right European Peoples Party faction in the European Parliament (the EPP is moderate European conservatives umbrella organization) called on like-minded politicians to go Sebastians way everywhere in Europe to modernize their parties; early this month, Tilman Kuban, head of the German Christian Democrats youth wing, said his party needed its own Sebastian Kurz. And yet Kurz has been forced to resign as Austrias chancellor since his Peoples Party coalition partner, the Greens, refused to work with him following a corruption scandal. His close associates are accused of using government money to engineer bogus polls that boosted Kurzs popularity and then getting a tabloid to run them. The charges are based on a trove of text messages from the ex-chancellors close circle. While they dont prove Kurzs personal involvement in the scheme, they contain damaging material. Kurz, for example, is revealed as a shameless careerist who sought to undermine his predecessor as party leader, Reinhold Mitterlehner, by secretly agitating regional leaders against his plan to increase funding for kindergartens  all while both he and Mitterlehner served in the same cabinet. A Man Without Morals, went the headline about Kurzs scandal in Germanys Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
Todays Headlines

The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.

Email address

By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
The emergence of Sheikh Tahnoon, 51, from relative obscurity just five years ago has set off speculation about his place in the princely pecking order: Might he, rather than one of MBZs sons, be next in line to become crown prince? In the UAE, any discussion about succession must be carried out sotto voce, but practically everybody I met during a recent trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi agreed that MBZ is grooming Sheikh Tahnoon for bigger things. Hes been given oversight into every aspect of the state that matters, so you have to think that this is a springboard for something, a senior Emirati official said.
Still, Tesla has taken the opportunity presented by its ballooning stock to prepare for whatever comes its way; net debt of around $8 billion at the end of 2019 has flipped to net cash of around $8 billion after several giant equity issuances. That ability to hold out its hand and have gold drop into it makes Tesla decidedly abnormal in this industry, to its continued benefit  however long it lasts.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube routinely remove posts deemed to violate standards on violence, sexual content, privacy, harassment, impersonation, self-harm and other concerns. Most of those actions happen automatically, through decisions made by artificial intelligence. (Thats led to complaints of over-enforcement, or the removal of content that may not have violated rules.) Facebook and Alphabet Inc.s Google partner with third-party fact-checkers to vet posts and news items that may be suspect, while Twitter labels some posts that contain misleading or disputed claims in certain categories, like Covid-19 or elections. Google recently pledged to ban advertisements that contradict the established science on climate change. More rarely, the platforms ban users, such as radio provocateur Alex Jones, removed from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Apple for engaging in hateful speech. Then-President Donald Trumps Facebook and Twitter Inc. accounts were frozen following the Jan. 6 riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. Twitter has barred him permanently; Facebook says it could reinstate him in 2023 if the risk to public safety has subsided.
Yes. Kurz showed resilience, and a deft touch, when faced with previous corruption allegations. In 2019, two years into his first government, he called snap elections after the leader of his far-right coalition partner, the Freedom Party, was caught on a leaked video tape offering favors to a woman posing as a Russian oligarchs niece. Kurz was out of office for seven months but bounced back stronger than before with a carefully-choreographed campaign, bridging the ideological divide to form a coalition with the Greens. It was an early sign that the poster child of the anti-immigration populist movement in Europe was comfortable with changing tack to keep a hold on power.
Preliminary findings from a study run by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and presented in October found that booster shots were well-tolerated and increased antibodies in adults tested -- and that mixing the shots could provide an even greater benefit than receiving another dose of the same brand. Thats one of the reasons the U.S. Federal Drug Administration approved a so-called mix and match strategy for certain high-risk individuals. An earlier study done on a small group of patients on dialysis found a third dose of the so-called mRNA vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE dramatically raised antibody levels, by a median of 580%, over those who only had two doses. Soren Brostrom, head of the Danish Health Authority, said other research thats been submitted for regulatory review but not yet published indicates that that a third dose of an mRNA vaccine given to healthy adults should trigger a rebound in antibodies to peak levels.
Conventional wisdom is that in the U.S., third-party efforts are doomed by the first-past-the-post voting system. Theres even a name for this idea, Duvergers Law. But you only need to look as far as Canada to find robust multiparty systems coexisting with first-past-the-post electoral systems. Third parties have mostly been unnecessary in the U.S. because its relatively open primary system gives people with new ideas a path to power within the parties. But the Republican Partys increasing cult-like devotion to Trump, and the growing policy ambitions of Democrats, have opened up a space that several politicians and many voters clearly fit into. And todays Congress is evenly divided enough that a small centrist caucus could wield enormous influence.
But that faith in Londons role is now giving way to fear. Foreign direct investment into the U.K. has fallen off a cliff since 2016, with finance and other professional services leading the decline. The government is also getting antsy about bankers moving to Paris and Frankfurt, where they are better positioned to serve clients they can no longer satisfy from London. According to research firm New Financial, about 550 billion euros (about $640 billion) of bank assets have already been moved out of the U.K. into the EU to comply with regulators wishes there.
The term traditionally has referred to an additional dose of a vaccine given some time after the initial course of inoculation to bolster protection that may have started to wane. While many vaccines produce long-lasting immunity, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults receive boosters of the tetanus vaccine every decade, for example. For Covid-19, a new disease, researchers are working out the optimal schedule and dosage for a wide variety of vaccines on the fly in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. The term booster is being used loosely to refer to additional shots given for a variety of reasons to people who have already received the prescribed course of a Covid vaccine, meaning one dose of Johnson & Johnsons formulation or two doses of any of the others. With the messenger RNA vaccines, the first two shots were given relatively close together, either three or four weeks apart. If an additional dose is given six months or so after the first two, it may produce longer-lasting immunity, by training the immune system to realize that Covid is a long-term threat.
WeWork has been substantially reformed since its IPO was pulled in 2019 and chief financial backer SoftBank Group Corp. had to bail it out. Its parted ways with free-spending founder Adam Neumann and appointed more sensible management, slashed costs, closed particularly unprofitable locations and sold off a hodgepodge of non-essential activities and fripperies such as its Gulfstream jet, often for less than it paid. Once valued by SoftBank at $47 billion, its market worth today  about $8 billion, excluding net debt  is also far more modest, notwithstanding it still loses heaps.
The right question is, what could it have done differently? Its often necessary for regulators to inconvenience those its seeking to protect  something we have come to grudgingly accept post-9/11 as we remove our shoes at airport security checks. But flights must still take off, and contractually agreed payments must still land. The RBI could have simply held banks as non-compliant  and taken a part of their revenue as fines  as long as they didnt register their recurring payment e-mandates. This isnt the first time the RBI has botched things up. Such carelessness has been on display since at least the bank meekly went along with Prime Minister Narendra Modis strange decision in 2016 to outlaw 86% of the currency it had issued.
One worry, though, is that neither Versace nor Alexander McQueen are particularly known for handbags, though the latter has successfully developed other accessories such as sneakers. Bags are the sales and profit engines of the luxury industry, holding up much better than other categories including apparel. Gobbetti laid the foundation for Burberry to expand its bag range, but Akeroyd will have a lot more work to do.
What may be the most controversial part of the film lies in its politically inflected contemporaneity, starting with the flowing Middle Eastern robes and the face coverings of the Fremen. The young woman Paul glimpses in his dreams laments the exploitation of her beautiful land and the wars that have ravaged it; she also resembles that Afghan girl with piercing green eyes on the famous National Geographic cover. When the Fremen speak of the Mahdi, any student of history will recall that this was the nom de guerre of the charismatic zealot who fomented a 19th-century Arab revolt against the British, culminating in the massacre at Khartoum. For spice one need only read the word oil. While the films promotion claims its about conquering ones fears, it also looks ahead to a conflict that can be seen as either a freedom fighters crusade or a fanatical jihad. At its core, Dune is, as Simone Weil said of The Iliad, a meditation on force, in all its aspects.
Three of the last four presidents, including Biden, have said the facility should close. But the U.S. government continues to grapple with what to do with a small group of prisoners who have never been charged but are seen as posing ongoing threats. The government is also struggling with where to house another dozen prisoners winding glacially through a dysfunctional military commission process or how to account for individuals whose convictions by the commission have been overturned by U.S. courts.
Complete coverage: Pro-Trump mob storms Capitol building

The Attack: Before, During and After

A sprawling investigation: What we know so far about the Capitol riot suspects

Six hours of paralysis: Inside Trumps failure to act after a mob stormed the Capitol

Profiles of three involved in the attack: A horn-wearing shaman. A cowboy evangelist. For some, the Capitol attack was a kind of Christian revolt.

Video timeline: 41 minutes of fear from inside the Capitol siege
This year, he launched an investigation of police custody deaths overseen by the states former chief medical examiner, who testified for the defense in former police officer Derek Chauvins trial in the 2020 killing of George Floyd. Frosh said the review of David Fowlers cases is one of the things he will focus on as his term finishes. He also plans to propose legislation again this year to raise the court filing fee for eviction. He said Maryland has one of the lowest rates in the country.
I talked to a woman who has lost an hour of pay every day this week due to the delays, still making it to work late even though shes leaving the house earlier and earlier. One day, she hired an Uber to try to get to work in downtown D.C. on time, but that made her break even. She had to hop on the bus at New Carrollton before she had a chance to give me her name  no way was she missing another connection to talk to me.
The FBI said at the hearing that it has yet to recover thousands of the secret documents that the Toebbes allegedly planned to sell as part of a scheme to make up to $5 million in cryptocurrency. Agents also have not found the $100,000 in cryptocurrency they say they sent to Jonathan Toebbe as part of the undercover operation to identify and arrest him.
A committee probing the Jan. 6 attack on Congress has subpoenaed Bannon and others, and he has refused to comply. The Democratic-controlled House is expected to hold a vote on referring him to the U.S. attorney in Washington. If that happens, the Justice Department would have to decide whether Bannon should be investigated or prosecuted.
Iran, in response to an urgent appeal by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, has now extended an invitation for him to meet with its political leaders in Tehran in the coming days, Grossi said in an interview. On his agenda are interruptions in international monitoring of Irans nuclear program and other questions that, if they are not resolved, could make it virtually impossible to return to the agreement.
But this play is much bigger than education. For years, the Republican Party has understood that the demographic tide is against it. Knowing that every vote matters, the GOP has increasingly relied on a strategy of voter suppression. Simultaneously, Republicans have worked to ensure that their base turns out in force by stoking White racial grievance. The recent firestorm over critical race theory is a perfect case in point. Never mind that this concept from legal scholarship isnt actually taught in K-12 schools or that it isnt what most protesters believe it to be. Republicans gain an electoral advantage by convincing their base that White children are being taught to hate themselves, their families and their country. Whether this supposed attack on the American way of life is being coordinated by Black Lives Matter activists, Marxist educators or antifa operatives, the point, as Hofstadter observed, is to generate an enemy thought of as being totally evil and totally unappeasable.
However those working closely with Biden or familiar with his meetings say that the president is now more clearly setting guidelines for what should stay in his social-safety-net bill and what will have to go as it gets whittled down from $3.5 trillion to $1.9 trillion or less. These guidelines do not carry an ideological cast, the people said, but rather seem aimed at shaping a deal that can pass.
The Supreme Court could decide what to do in the next few days. It is faced with the federal governments request in U.S. v. Texas to put the law on hold. And abortion clinics and providers in Texas are asking in Whole Womens Health v. Jackson that the court not wait for a ruling on the law from the 5th Circuit, which has scheduled a hearing on the merits of the law in early December.
The chalkboard on an interactive Remembrance Wall at Union Station, where survivors and relatives of traffic crash victims post memories of their loved ones. (Bill OLeary/The Post)

The District has recorded as many traffic fatalities by mid-November as occurred in all of 2020.
So our relationship goes way back, and it was based on trust, it was based on important issues to us, Lucier said. Now, however, the group felt that our voices werent being heard, action was not being taken on the issues that we raised, and it became very frustrating, and the frustration turned to anger. And I think this is the natural outcome of the deterioration of that relationship.
Beginning this week, South Korea will slightly raise its cap on the number of people who can congregate in private from six to eight. Cafes, movie theaters, concert venues and restaurants will be allowed to stay open later than they had been in recent months as officials clamped down when cases began spiking in July.
After the latest Polish legal ruling, from a court closely aligned with the government, some European leaders and good-government advocates want the commission to go further by invoking a new, never-used tool that allows the European Union to block budget funds for states that fail to uphold the rule of law. That could freeze billions more bound for Poland, the largest recipient of the blocs money.
Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on.
Resource giants including BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group are reeling after complaints of the discrimination, harassment and sexual assault experienced by women working on their vast operations in Western Australias north were exposed this year.

Paul Everingham, chief executive of WAs powerful Chamber of Minerals and Energy, on Wednesday opened his testimony to a WA state parliamentary inquiry into the issue with an apology.

To all of the victims of sexual assault, harassment or rape on mine sites and gas facilities at any time, its completely unacceptable, Mr Everingham said.

Pilbara mine worker Astacia Stevens has suffered sexual harassment with a number of mining companies.

There is a lot of public talk around improving things by getting greater diversity onto mine sites, but what young impressionable girl would want to work on a mine site, particularly when we have sexual harassment and assault going on?
In the media, [drought] is always described as a battle  theres a winner and theres a loser. I think most people here see it as a neighbour. We expect it to drop in every now and then, says Andrea Mackenzie, a Cunnamulla-based sheep farmer. She is speaking about life on the land, one of dozens of people interviewed by Brisbane-based photographer Sam Thies, quoted in a new book called Bush.

Outback, Queensland-style. Credit:Sam Thies

A coffee table book featuring 150-plus images, it documents the lives of Queenslanders young and old, from a sustainable farmer in Roma to a roo harvester in Aramac, an Indigenous park ranger in Birdsville to an opal miner in Winton. Theres also a long-distance swimmer who does laps of her propertys dam  the water temperature ranging from 32 degrees in summer to minus 11 degrees in winter  and a heavy metal rocker in Goondiwindi.

Andrea Mackenzie, a farmer from Cunnamulla, Queensland. Credit:Sam Thies

Mackenzie grew up in the city but after living on the land, she cant imagine being anywhere else. Her experience has taught her a different way of living and an alternative perspective. Its honestly the little things. Out here we have the time and space to notice them. A farmer knows which sheep is sick in a mob just by the way they hold their head. They can identify hundreds of plants from the moment they sprout. Its part of their job to be observant. They will notice 50 things in a paddock before youve even clocked five. So they get to see things, like a tiny birds nest hidden in the grass or a lamb being born.
A week from now Ill be heading to Glasgow for what may be the most important global gathering of our lifetimes. As we count down the days to the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), I feel buoyed by the unprecedented surge in global action leading into this monumental event, but also daunted by the scale of the task still ahead. Most of all, I feel determined to help ensure Australia rises to the moment and plays its part in delivering a successful outcome.

If were to take just one message from the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, its that climate pollution needs to plummet this decade. Period.

Once again, Australia is the holdout among developed nations when it comes to commitments on emissions. Credit:AP

For all those watching our unfolding climate crisis and the worlds efforts to respond, the past two years have been remarkable. We have seen the brute realities of a warming planet manifest faster than most scientists ever imagined. We have entered a new age of megafires, deadly heatwaves, monster storms and catastrophic floods. From Townsville to Tuvalu, New York to New Delhi, almost no community has been left untouched. And from the Great Barrier Reef to the grasslands of Tibet, the impact on the worlds critical ecosystems, to which our own lives and security are inextricably tied, has been both heartbreaking and alarming.

At the same time, if you were to have told me a year ago that wed be approaching COP26 with all the worlds big developed nations having committed to halve their emissions this decade, and with more than two-thirds of the world having called time on fossil fuels through commitments to net zero by mid-century, I would have been stunned. Believe it or not, that is where we find ourselves. Unfortunately, Australia is not on that list of countries stepping up ahead of COP26.
General practitioners are bracing themselves to manage the bulk of coronavirus patients into next year, calling for a major funding overhaul to cope with demand on primary care as more people catch milder cases of the virus and need treatment for long COVID.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Health of the Nation report, released on Thursday, reveals GPs struggled to manage patient expectations during the pandemic, with three out of five doctors saying changes to vaccine eligibility requirements left people confused and frustrated.

RACGP president Karen Price says general practice could alleviate the squeeze on emergency departments and hospitals. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Unfortunately, it has not been an easy experience for many practices. The repeated changes in the vaccine rollout left patients disgruntled and some took this out on practice staff, RACGP president Karen Price said.

The report comes as state health departments seek more cash for hospitals, anticipating pressure on the health system as restrictions ease and COVID-19 infections spike.
Attorney-General John Quigley has again dodged questions in Parliament over who first nominated Perth Casino Royal Commission lead commissioner Neville Owen for the role.

Mr Owen, a decorated former judge and former head of the HIH Royal Commission, is a close friend and business associate of media mogul Kerry Stokes.

WA Attorney-General John Quigley has dodged further questions about the appointment of Neville Owen to the Perth Casino Royal Commission. Credit:Philip Gostelow

He has made three declarations about this relationship with the billionaire during the commission, as two Crown casino witnesses also worked at the highest levels of the Stokes empire.

Mr Quigley continues to publicly support Mr Owens appointment, but privately has said he was unaware of the relationship before the commissioners appointment, telling Nine News Perths Gary Adshead it wouldnt have happened had he known.
Nearly $34 billion worth of tax was not paid in the year before the pandemic hit with small businesses and individuals responsible for the majority of the missing money.

The Australian Taxation Office estimates there was a 7.3 per cent gap between collected tax and what was expected to be brought in during 2018-19 or about $33.5 billion. This was up from $32 billion the year before.

Small businesses and individuals were responsible for most of the missing tax dollars. Credit:Josh Robenstone

The vast majority of the missing tax from what was expected was attributed to small businesses ($12.5 billion) and individuals ($8.4 billion). A further $2.6 billion was missing from large corporate groups.

It is not yet clear how this gap has changed during the pandemic, though the ATO was less aggressive in its compliance activities at the height of the crisis.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen has warned Australian MPs not to trust the tech giants promises that it is working to make its platform safer, and instead force the company to disclose crucial internal data about how it keeps users engaged.

In an online briefing to federal politicians, Ms Haugen said Facebook was dramatically less transparent than other big tech companies, saying at a bare minimum it should be forced to regularly publish data about popular content to allow researchers to track the spread of misinformation or extremist material across its platforms.

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen testifying at a US Senate committee hearing. Credit:AP

Right now the only people who can detect those patterns are people inside of Facebook, and I guarantee you Australia is not a top priority, she said. Theres just not enough people that live in Australia.

One of the most important things government should do, she said, is stop just trusting Facebook when they say we are working on X or we have done X.
In the past week we have seen NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry advocate for much higher levels of immigration.

State bureaucrats have pushed Perrottet to lobby for an increase in Australias net migration to an unprecedented 400,000 a year for five years. The ACCI is calling for the government to issue 200,000 skilled migrant visas annually. And Frydenberg says Australia needs to rethink its migration targets after losing almost 100,000 people last financial year.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in question time on Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Only once in our history has net migration been a little more than 300,000 and that was just before the global financial crisis. I am not suggesting immigration had anything to do with that crisis, but net migration fluctuates with economic conditions, particularly the labour market. While the labour market is weak right now, there are predictions it will bounce back next year.

When John Howard was prime minister, I was responsible for firstly managing Australias immigration intake down, and then increasing it again from about 2001. Oddly enough, I found increasing numbers was more difficult than cutting them.
Readers are warned the audio with this story contains graphic language

A Victorian opposition video call descended into chaos  and a whole lot of swearing  after some members furiously rejected a shadow ministers promise that the Coalition would not alter the Andrews governments law banning gay conversion therapy.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Coalition MPs complained during Tuesdays joint party room meeting that the decision not to amend the law was made unilaterally by newly appointed equality spokesman James Newbury and Opposition Leader Matthew Guy without the approval of shadow cabinet.

In an interview with The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald last month, Mr Newbury gave an iron-clad guarantee the party would not pursue any changes to the controversial law, prompting fury from his colleagues.
London: The Queen spent a night in hospital for preliminary investigations after earlier cancelling a trip to Northern Ireland, raising fears about the 95-year-olds health ahead of Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking 70 years on the throne.

The monarch cancelled the official trip on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), with Buckingham Palace saying she had been advised to rest by her medical staff.

Britains Queen Elizabeth. Credit:PA

But more than 24 hours later it emerged the Queen had actually been admitted to a London hospital.

Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime [Thursday] and remains in good spirits, the palace said in a statement.
St Petersburg, Florida: Unidentified human remains were found on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) in a Florida wilderness area along with items believed to belong to Brian Laundrie, whose girlfriend, Gabby Petito, was found slain after he returned home alone from their cross-country road trip, according to the FBI.

Michael McPherson, chief of the Tampa FBI office, said at a news conference that it will take time to identify the remains, which forensic teams were examining. McPherson said they were found near a backpack and a notebook linked to Laundrie.

A police camera video still shows Brian Laundrie talking to a police officer on August 12. Credit:The Moab Police Department via AP

We are working diligently to get those answers for you, McPherson said, adding that the items and remains were found in a swampy area  home to alligators, snakes, coyotes and other wildlife  that had previously been underwater. Its likely the team will be on site for several days.

Laundries parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, took part in the search on Wednesday with the FBI and police from North Port, Florida, more than a month after Laundrie was reported missing after heading to the vast Carlton Reserve park.
Brasilia: A Brazilian Senate report recommended on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) pursuing crimes against humanity and other charges against President Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly bungling Brazils response to COVID-19 and contributing to the country having the worlds second-highest pandemic death toll.

Senator Renan Calheiros presented the proposal to a committee of colleagues that has spent six months investigating the Brazilian governments management of the pandemic. The decision on whether to file most of the charges would be up to Brazils prosecutor-general, a Bolsonaro appointee and ally.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Credit:AP

Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the threat of the coronavirus and touted misinformation and unproven COVID-19 treatments while ignoring international health guidelines on mask use and public activity. The 11-member Senate panel examined whether his actions caused many of Brazils more than 600,000 COVID-19 deaths.

In a nearly 1200-page report based on the committees work, Calheiros called for Bolsonaros indictment on charges ranging from charlatanism and inciting crime to misuse of public funds and crimes against humanity.
Reporter

I cover a range of stories for WDRB, but really enjoy tracking what's going on at our State Capitol. I grew up on military bases all over the world, but am a Kentuckian at heart. I'm an EKU alum, and have lived in Louisville for 30 years.
LMPD says 81-year-woman found after going missing from the Auburndale neighborhood
You have permission to edit this image.

Edit Close
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Dana Bowman parachuted from a helicopter, bringing with him a large American flag as he landed on the Weatherford Christian School field Tuesday, Nov. 9 for a special ceremony in honor of Veterans Day.
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP)  In an abrupt change, the White House on Wednesday floated new plans to pay for parts of President Joe Bidens $2 trillion social services and climate change package, shelving a proposed big increase in corporate tax rates though also adding a new billionaires' tax on the investment gains of the very richest Americans.

The reversal came as Biden returned to his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to highlight the middle class values he says are at the heart of the package that Democrats are racing to finish. Biden faces resistance from key holdouts, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who has not been on board with her party's plan to undo Trump-era tax breaks to help pay for it.

This has been declared dead on arrival from the moment I introduced it, but I think were going to surprise them, because I think people are beginning to figure out whats at stake, Biden said in a speech at Scrantons Electric City Trolley Museum, his first visit home since becoming president.

Negotiations between the White House and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are underway on what's now a scaled-back package but would still be an unprecedented federal effort to expand social services for millions and confront the rising threat of climate change. It's coupled with a separate $1 trillion bill to update roads and bridges.

Biden and his Democratic Party have given themselves a deadline to seal agreement after laboring to bridge his once-sweeping $3.5 trillion vision preferred by progressives with a more limited focus that can win over party centrists. He has no Democratic votes to spare for passage in the closely divided Congress, and leaders want agreement by weeks end.

The newly proposed tax provisions, though, are likely to sour progressives and even some moderate Democrats who have long campaigned on undoing the 2017 GOP tax cuts that many believe unduly reward the wealthy, costing the federal government untold sums in lost revenue at a time of gaping income inequality.

Administration officials spoke with congressional leaders on the tax alternatives, according to a person familiar with the private talks and granted anonymity to discuss them. The changes may be needed to win over Sinema, who had objected to plans to raise the rates on corporations and wealthy individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, said the person and several others.

As it stands, the corporate tax rate is 21%, and Democrats want to lift it to 26.5% for companies earning more than $5 million a year. The top individual income tax rate would rise from 37% to 39.6% for those earning more than $400,000, or $450,000 for married couples.

Under the changes being floated that 21% corporate rate would stay the same.

However, the revisions wouldn't be all positive for big companies and the wealthy. The White House is reviving the idea of a minimum corporate tax rate, similar to the 15% rate Biden had proposed earlier this year. That's even for companies that say they had no taxable income  a frequent target of Biden who complains that they pay zero in taxes.

And there could be a new billionaires tax, modeled on legislation from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the chairman of the Finance Committee, who has proposed taxing stock gains of those with more than $1 billion in assets  fewer than 1,000 Americans.

Sinema has not publicly stated her position, and her office did not respond to a request for comment.

Another key Democrat, conservative Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, has said he prefers a 25% corporate rate. He has been withholding his support for the bill with additional objections to its provisions on climate change and social services.

On the call with the administration and the White House, Wyden said he stressed the importance of putting an end to Americas two tax codes, and finally showing working people in this country that the wealthiest Americans are going to pay taxes just like they do.

The possible shift comes as Democrats appear to have made progress uniting themselves, ready to abandon what had been a loftier package in favor of a smaller, more workable proposal the party can unite around

In the mix: At least $500 billion to battle climate change, $350 billion for child care subsidies and free pre-kindergarten, a new federal program for at least four weeks of paid family leave, a one-year extension of the $300 monthly child tax credit put in place during the COVID-19 crisis, and funding for health care provided through the Affordable Care Act and Medicare.

Likely to be eliminated or shaved back: plans for tuition-free community college, a path to permanent legal status for certain immigrants in the U.S. and a clean energy plan that was the centerpiece of Bidens strategy for fighting climate change.

Nothing is decided until everything is decided, said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus after a morning meeting of House Democrats. Were just trying to get it done.

Democrats are growing anxious they have little to show voters despite their campaign promises and have had trouble explaining what they're trying to do with the massive package, made up of so many different proposals.

It's a tall order that was leading to an all-out push Wednesday to answer the question  Whats in the damn bill?  as a press release from Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, put it.

The president especially wants to advance his signature domestic package to bolster federal social services and address climate change by the time he departs for a global climate summit next week.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a progressive caucus member, said, "He really believes American leadership, American prestige is on the line.

Manchin has made clear he opposes the president's initial energy plan, which was to have the government impose penalties on electric utilities that fail to meet clean energy benchmarks and provide financial rewards to those that do.

Instead, Biden is focused on providing at least $500 billion in tax credits, grants and loans for energy producers that reach emission-reduction goals.

On other fronts, to preserve Bidens initial sweep, Democrats are moving to retain many of the programs but trim their duration to shave costs.

Biden wants to extend the $300 monthly child tax credit that was put in place during the COVID-19 crisis for another year, rather than allow it to expire in December, but not as long as Democrats wanted.

What had been envisioned as a months-long federal paid family leave program could be shrunk to as few as four weeks  an effort to at least start the program rather than eliminate it.

Biden also wants to ensure funding for health care programs, including for home- and community-based health care services, supporting a move away from widespread nursing home care.

And a new program to provide dental, vision and hearing aid benefits to people on Medicare proposed by Sanders, is likely to remain in some fashion.

Biden has told lawmakers that after his top priorities there would be $300 billion remaining.

That could lower the overall price tag or be used for other programs.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Josh Boak contributed to this report.
Tens of billions of dollars for U.S. environmental justice initiatives originally proposed in a $3.5 trillion domestic spending package now hang in the balance as Democrats decide how to trim the bill down to $2 trillion.

Investments in a wide range of these projects were proposed in the Build Back Better plan, but Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona demanded that the bill be reduced, with Manchin asking for it to be cut by as much as half.

Now, Democratic leaders are trying to bridge divergent views of progressive and moderate lawmakers over the size and scope of the bill. With Republicans in lockstep against President Joe Bidens proposal, Democrats must hold together slim House and Senate majorities to pass it. Leaders have set an Oct. 31 voting deadline, but that may slip as they struggle for consensus.

Several congressional aides who spoke on background to discuss ongoing negotiations said no one can venture an estimate of how much environmental justice spending will be cut from the reconciliation bill, but the overall amount for such initiatives certainly will be less than the roughly $80 billion originally proposed.

The biggest spending proposals were $20 billion for replacing America's lead water pipes, nearly $15.5 billion for a greenhouse gas reduction fund and $10 billion for expanding access to public transit near affordable housing. Among the other initiatives were $5 billion in block grants to environmental and climate justice projects, $2.5 billion for providing access to solar in low-income communities and $2.5 billion for abandoned mine cleanup.

The high-stakes wrangling is taking place about two months after the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change called the warming planet a code red for humanity and just weeks before world leaders, including Biden, convene to determine global climate and environment policy at the U.N. climate change summit known as COP26.

As domestic spending talks take place in Washington, environmental justice advocates around the country are watching closely and lobbying lawmakers to preserve as many initiatives and as much money for them as possible.

When we hear that the $3.5 trillion will be watered down ... its honestly unacceptable, said Ellen Sciales, communications director for Sunrise Movement, a national, youth-led environmental group. The urgency of now really cannot be (overstated).

Local and regional environmental activists have held protests across the nation for several weeks, calling on Senate Democrats to pass the entire $3.5 trillion package. With a reduction in the package looming, activists worry environmental justice projects that could improve the health of their communities will be sacrificed.

If Congress does not pass a full deal, ... it would be devastating, said Juan Jhong-Chung, policy associate with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition. It would represent another broken promise by our elected officials.

Environmental advocates have been banking on Bidens promise just days before the presidential election to pass the most ambitious environmental justice agenda ever. He was speaking at a news conference in Flint, Michigan, where residents have been dealing with a lead contamination crisis in its water systems since 2014.

Our people are already struggling, Jhong-Chung said. And now with the climate crisis, things are getting worse here in Michigan. We just experienced this summer of record-breaking flooding.

Water sanitation and scarcity issues top of the list of pressing needs for many in disadvantaged communities as rural areas countrywide lack modern sewage and sanitation systems, and the West deals with a megadrought.

Catherine Flowers, who serves on Bidens White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and long has advocated for clean water and sanitation systems in rural areas, is concerned for places like predominately Black Lowndes County, Alabama, where many residents have to release their wastewater directly into the environment.

When people talk about environmental justice, they never talk about sanitation, she said. The assumption was that rural communities have always had it, and thats not true."

In Arizona, with its drought, some of Sen. Sinemas constituents have aggressively pushed her to pass the Build Back Better plan in its entirety, going so far as to confront her on the campus of Arizona State University, where shes a professor.

Hannah Hurley, a spokesperson for Sinema, said she would not reveal the nature of negotiations on Capitol Hill to news media. The other key senator in negotiations on the plan, Manchin, has publicly opposed incentivizing clean energy over fossil fuels, such as coal produced in his state. His office did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

Some western senators publicly support environmental justice spending proposed in the plan.

Environmental justice is not an issue adjacent to climate action, it is at the heart of climate action, said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). We can no longer ignore the inequities that leave communities of color behind and bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.

___

This story corrects the spelling of Kyrsten Sinemas first name.

___

Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.

___

Follow Drew Costley on Twitter: @drewcostley

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Facebooks semi-independent oversight board says the company has fallen short of full disclosure on its internal system that exempts high-profile users from some or all of its content rules.

Facebook has not been fully forthcoming with the overseers about its XCheck, or cross-check, system the board said in a report Thursday. It also said it will review the system and recommend how the social network giant could change it.

The board started looking into the XCheck system last month after The Wall Street Journal reported that many VIP users abuse it, posting material that would cause ordinary users to be sanctioned  including for harassment and incitement of violence. For certain elite users, Facebooks rules reportedly dont seem to apply. There were at least 5.8 million exempted users as of last year, according to the Journal article.

Facebook is generally not bound under the oversight boards rules to follow its recommendations.

We believe the boards work has been impactful, which is why we asked the board for input into our cross-check system, and we will strive to be clearer in our explanations to them going forward," Facebook said in a statement Thursday.

The report said Facebook wrongly failed to mention the XCheck system when it asked the board earlier this year to rule on its ban on former President Donald Trumps accounts following the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol.

Facebook only mentioned cross-check to the board when we asked whether Mr. Trumps page or account had been subject to ordinary content-moderation processes, the report said.

In May, the board upheld Facebooks suspension of Trumps accounts, which came out of concern that he incited violence leading to the Jan. 6 riot. But the overseers told Facebook to specify how long the suspension would last. Facebook later announced that Trumps accounts would be suspended for two years, freezing his presence on the social network until early 2023, to be followed by a reassessment.

Trump announced Wednesday the launch of a new media company with its own social media platform. He said his goal is to create a rival to the Big Tech companies that have shut him out and denied him the megaphone that was paramount in his national rise.

Twitter, which was Trump's platform of choice, banned him permanently after the Jan. 6 assault.

The oversight board said Thursday that for its review, Facebook agreed to provide the internal company documents on the XCheck system that were referenced in the Journal article. Facebook documents were leaked to the newspaper by Frances Haugen, a former product manager in the companys civic integrity unit who also provided them to Congress and went public this month with a far-reaching condemnation of the company.

In a separate blog post, the board said Haugen has accepted its invitation for a meeting in coming weeks, to discuss her experiences and gather information that can help push for greater transparency and accountability from Facebook through our case decisions and recommendations."

Haugens accusations of possible serious harm to some young people from Facebooks Instagram photo-sharing platform raised outrage among lawmakers and the public.

The board said in its report that in some cases, Facebook failed to provide relevant information to the board, while in other instances, the information it did provide was incomplete.

In a briefing to the board, Facebook admitted it should not have said that (XCheck) only applied to a small number of decisions, the report said. Facebook noted that for teams operating at the scale of millions of content decisions a day, the numbers involved ... seem relatively small, but recognized its phrasing could come across as misleading.

Facebook created the oversight panel to rule on thorny content issues following widespread criticism of its problems responding swiftly and effectively to misinformation, hate speech and harmful influence campaigns. The board's decisions have tended to favor free expression over the restriction of content. Its members include a former prime minister of Denmark and a former editor-in-chief of British newspaper the Guardian, along with legal scholars, human rights experts and journalists.

The board's independence has been questioned by critics who say it's a Facebook PR campaign intended to draw attention away from deeper problems of hate and misinformation that flourish on its platforms.

__

Follow Marcy Gordon at https://twitter.com/mgordonap
HELENA, Mont. (AP)  Members of the Montana media are appealing a state judge's ruling in a lawsuit over whether Republican members of a legislative committee legally held a secret meeting before voting on bills involving abortion and transgender health care.

The media groups, including The Associated Press, argued the meeting of nine of 12 Republican lawmakers on the 19-member House Judiciary Committee should have been open to the public.

State Rep. Barry Usher of Billings, the committee chairman, said he intentionally limited the February meeting to nine Republicans so he could close it because the group did not include a majority of the members of the entire committee.

District Court Judge Mike Menahan agreed, ruling in July that he was unwilling to say that when most of the majority partys committee members meet, it constitutes a quorum whose discussions must be open to the public.

The media organizations, in an appeal filed with the Montana Supreme Court on Monday, argued that Menahan only ruled based on the definition of meeting in state law and did not address whether the closed meeting violated Montana's Constitutional right-to-know provision.

Montana's Constitution guarantees the public the right to observe the deliberations of public bodies or agencies of state government and its subdivisions, unless the demand of individual privacy outweighs the merits of disclosure.

The media groups pointed to a 2004 Montana Supreme Court ruling that found the then-commissioner of higher education's closed meetings with upper-level employees of the university system were subject to the state's open meeting laws, even if the committee didn't have a set number of members or take votes.

Usher said he supports the public's right to observe what its government is doing.

Montanas Constitution and state law spell out what is and isnt a meeting thats open to the public, he said in a statement. "I was glad to see the District Court agree with the very clear fact that a fraction of a quorum is not a quorum and the members of my committee talking together followed Montana law. Im hopeful the Montana Supreme Court will uphold that common sense ruling.

The Montana Attorney General's Office is defending Usher in the lawsuit.

In addition to The Associated Press, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of all five Montana newspapers owned by Lee Enterprises as well as the Montana State News Bureau; the Bozeman Daily Chronicle; the Montana Free Press; the Daily Inter Lake and other papers owned by Hagadone Media Montana; the Montana Broadcasters Association; and the Montana Newspaper Association.
In western Kentucky on Thursday, Daviess County Sheriff Keith Cain said that he would be stepping down from his position as sheriff earlier than expected.

While Sheriff Kane had already announced that he wouldn't be running for sheriff after his current term ended, he said Thursday that he was leaving the office early to spend time with loved ones.

"I've decided after much thought and prayer to leave office before my term expires and take the opportunity to spend more time with those that I have neglected far too long," Sheriff Cane said.

Sheriff Cain says that as of Dec. 1, he will step down from his position.

When Sheriff Cain leaves the position on Dec. 1, Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly says he'll appoint DCSO Major Berry Smith as the county's interim sheriff.

"As of Dec. 1 we would have 13 months to go without a sheriff waiting for an election," Judge-Executive Mattingly said. "In my opinion Berry can step into those shoes immediately."

Sheriff Cain made the announcement on Thursday during a special-called meeting with Judge-Executive Mattingly. The announcement was streamed live on Facebook and can be watched by clicking here.
Today

Becoming mostly clear and cold as winds diminish.

Tonight

Becoming mostly clear and cold as winds diminish.

Tomorrow

Still chilly with sunshine followed by increasing clouds.
The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV.
The 25th-anniversary special performance of Miss Saigon is headed for Netflix UK, the streaming site has sneakily revealed.

Adding the record-breaking WhatsOnStage Award-winning musical to its "Coming Soon" section, the piece will be available from 16 November.

The West End production stars Eva Noblezada, Alistair Brammer, Jon Jon Briones and Rachelle Ann Go.

Boublil and Schonberg's musical tells the tragic tale of young bar girl Kim, orphaned by the Vietnam war, who falls in love with an American GI called Chris - but their lives are torn apart by the fall of Saigon.

A day later on 17 November, Netflix will be releasing a big-screen version of Jonathan Larson's musical tick, tick...boom!, marking Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut.
Bob Marley's life, from his part in conceiving the reggae movement to his conceiving many children with many partners, has been on stage three times in the last decade: Kwame Kwei-Armah's Marley had a fleet life in Baltimore in 2015 before, rechristened as One Love, a newer take was presented at the Birmingham Rep in 2017. After many pandemic-induced stops and starts, this latest piece, directed by Clint Dyer alongside book writer Lee Hall, has arrived with an endearing if uneven blast of energy that will likely delight Marley fans no end.

Hall, who has struck gold with the electrifying Billy Elliot and riotous Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, is on far less sturdy form here: he tells Marley's life story like a jockey swapping records with reckless abandon, hopping from scenes exploring Marley's artistic drive to political moments in Jamaican history that, without emotional grounding, feel more rote than rousing. There isn't really a cohesive through-line tying it all together.

The same is true when Hall chimes in on Marley's romantic life  a myriad of amorous affairs and (for the most part, unseen) sired children. The Rasta's relationship with global superstar Cindy Breakspeare (an under-used yet note-perfect Shanay Holmes) feels rushed, while his wife Rita (Gabrielle Brooks, more on her below) disappears into the periphery for a large portion of the show before returning for what could, if treated properly, have been a moment of catharsis.

The experience isn't helped by Chloe Lamford's set  supersized speakers and amplifiers littered across the stage  which provide a nice sense of vertical movement, but accomplish little else beyond that. Tal Yarden's video design, thankfully, goes some way towards making the show more visually arresting, aided by Charles Balfour's versatile lighting.

Dyer adds some neat touches  a pre-show passage involving a box-occupying DJ starts the piece with a playful, refreshingly irreverent note  but generally it's when the production lets Marley's words and messages speak for themselves that everything really begins to gel: "Redemption Song", in particular, with a tight beam focussed on leading man Arinze Kene, is one of the few moments of outright pertinence on offer.

Arinze Kene as Bob Marley, Gabrielle Brooks as Rita Marley

 Craig Sugden

Disaster comes mere seconds later however: as the audience start to clamber to their feet for a spontaneous standing ovation, Hall has Marley's incessant health problems cut his moment of triumph short as the musician collapses: the Lyric Theatre's spectators, suddenly missing key moments of dialogue amongst the applause, have to shuffle back down to their seats as the play rattles on.

Without an overt emotional connection, the performers themselves have to work hard to earn the audience adulation. Thankfully  this is where they succeed in spades (kudos to casting director Pippa Ailon): Kene is the whirlwind at the heart of a geopolitical and musical melange  giving a nuanced, studied, sweaty turn that deserves all the critical and audience praise it will receive. A capable performer playing a capable performer, you can almost feel Kene's fondness for his subject ripple across the auditorium in what is a refined and multi-faceted interpretation of an icon.

Arinze Kene (Bob Marley)

 Craig Sugden

He's helped, when she's finally given a couple of chances to shine in the second act, by Brooks as Rita: a powerhouse in J'Ouvert earlier this year, she brings the house down with "No Woman, No Cry". But she, like so many others around Bob, feel unhelpfully underserved.

A closing montage of projected clips, reflecting on how aspects of Marley's life still strike a chord with present-day issues, highlights how far the book really dropped the ball. From the climate crisis, rampant racist vernacular, exploitation of Black and mixed-race talent for the profit of white producers and questions around pan-African identity, there is so much that could have been said, on top of what was sung.

So come for the performances  especially the final 15-minutes of non-stop hits  which definitely provides a reason to get up, stand up and dance the night away.
Thank you for reading the Herald-Whig

You have reached our free-content limit. If you are a current subscriber, please log in to continue viewing content or purchase a subscription by clicking the Subscribe button below. Thank you for supporting independent Journalism.
Internship (Remote Based) - Employee Resource Group, New York

Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund

Country: United States

City: New York

Office: UNICEF New York

Closing date: Wednesday, 3 November 2021

Internship (Remote Based) - Employee Resource Group "Una idea latinoamericana" - UILA (4 months)

Job no: 545482

Position type: Internship

Location: United States Division/Equivalent: Partnerships

School/Unit: Public Partnerships Division

Department/Office: Government Partnerships

Categories: Private Fundraising and Partnerships

UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope . . .

The UNICEF Internship Programme offers qualified and eligible students at both Headquarters (HQ) and Country Offices (CO) the unique opportunity to acquire direct practical experience in UNICEFs work and the United Nations system under the direct supervision of experienced UNICEF staff.

How can you make a difference?

The intern will support the work of the Employee Resource Group "Una idea Latinoamericana" (UILA). He/she will establish communication channels for each of the work streams and objectives of the group and ensure fluid communication across its members. The intern will also support the preparation of the groups work plan and implementation and ensure with the Chair that activities are organized based on UILAs monthly planning. This ERG, which was recently created, is expected to reach out to all Latin American nationals working in UNICEF and to ensure that the special needs of the group are supported in accordance with the purpose of the ERG.

UILA has three working groups. One on equity to increase the representation of indigenous and afro-descendants in UNICEF; two on mentoring to support, in Spanish, colleagues in the organization; and three on learning and networking with a monthly meeting, and creating opportunities to network, meet and exchange. UILA will also coordinate with other ERGs to ensure Latin Americans are focalized by those groups. Each of these activities has leaders and interns are expected to support their work.More generally and under the supervision of the Chair of the ERG, the main activities of the intern include,

Learn to support the working groups and the implementation of their work plans;

Support the coordination and activities with the other ERGs;

Assist in preparing the monthly meetings of the group, ensure the up-dated registration of members and steer the groups yammer group. cwTyryb Dh7qKS

Support the preparation and implementation of outreach campaigns to increase participation and relevance of UILA.

Support the collaboration with other teams in the organization that is led by the working group coordinators.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Be enrolled in a first-level university degree in (e.g. business or public administration, social sciences, education or related field).

Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Knowledge of relevant computer systems and applications; excellent knowledge of MS Office is required.

Start date: Immediately.

Salary/Payment: UNICEF will provide a monthly stipend during the duration of this Internship. There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship.

Visa: Interns are responsible for obtaining their G-4 visa before traveling to the U.S. They will not be permitted to enter the United States without a valid G-4 visa. UNICEF will only issue guidance and a letter stating acceptance of an individual as an intern and the conditions governing the Internship.

Insurance: UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the interns service. Therefore, the selected candidate must provide proof of enrolment in a health/accident plan prior to starting his/her work.

Duration and location: Initial period of 16 weeks that can be extended for a total of six months. The intern is expected to work 15 hours per week. Location is flexible.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEFs values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEFs values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Advertised: Oct 19 2021 Eastern Daylight Time Application close: Nov 02 2021 Eastern Daylight Time

Link zum Stellenangebot der Organisation: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1634673807491
Willmar, MN (56201)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 28F. S winds shifting to W at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 28F. S winds shifting to W at 10 to 15 mph.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP)  The Coast Guard received multiple reports of a possible fuel spill off the Southern California coast earlier than previously disclosed and asked local authorities to investigate about 15 hours before its own personnel confirmed a large oil slick, which came from a leaking undersea pipeline, records show.

The initial reports of a possible spill north of the Huntington Beach pier came into the Coast Guard about 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 1, according to an Orange County Sheriffs Departments memo provided Wednesday to The Associated Press. The documents said there were multiple similar calls over a marine radio emergency channel from boats leaving the Huntington Beach air show.

The department, which runs the countys harbor patrol, sent a fireboat to search for the spill, but the crew lost visibility as darkness fell, according to the memo obtained through the California Public Records Act. The spill wasnt confirmed until about 9 a.m. Saturday.

The documents raise more questions about the Coast Guards response to a spill that forced the closure of some of the regions signature beaches and harmed animal and plant life.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Jeannie Shaye said an official report came from the National Response Center after dark on Friday. She could not immediately answer questions about the marine radio calls that, according to the county memo, came in before that time or the harbor patrols search on Friday.

Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, who chairs a state legislative committee looking into the spill, said she was told the spill was reported much later Friday evening when it was too late to detect because of darkness.

It seems too crazy in a world where were trying to send a man to Mars that we cant inspect a potential oil slick in the dark, she said.

Miyoko Sakashita, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said the Coast Guard should have responded more aggressively after getting the initial reports.

An investigation should have immediately taken place, and it could have significantly reduced the size of the spill, said Sakashita, whose organization has called on the federal government to stop offshore oil drilling. Among all those reports, you should be able to triangulate that theres something that needs investigation immediately.

Prior to release of the sheriffs department documents it was thought that the first word of a possible spill came to the Coast Guard at 6:13 p.m. on Oct. 1 from a foreign ship anchored off Huntington Beach that reported a sheen on the water that was more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) long.

Rear Adm. Brian Penoyer previously told the AP that the Coast Guard put out a radio broadcast to vessels in the area and oil platforms looking for reports confirming a possible spill. But Capt. Rebecca Ore, the unified response commander, said no such broadcasts were made.

Coast Guard officials said they needed to look into what  if anything  was done at the time, but have repeatedly declined to answer questions about the purported broadcast.

Penoyer said the Coast Guard did not send a boat out to look for the spill because it was limited by darkness and didnt have the technology to detect it. The report by the Orange County Sheriffs Department, however, says the Coast Guard did request that the Harbor Patrol dispatch a boat.

The next morning, the Coast Guard reached out again to the Harbor Patrol, and its hazardous materials investigators went out on a county fireboat. Authorities on that boat located a miles-long black plume several miles offshore, the memo said.

Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr said it's not clear that earlier notice would have made a difference.

Hindsight is 20-20, she said. But Carr added that had she known about the 5:30 p.m. report, it would have elevated the first notice she got of a possible spill at around 9 a.m. the next morning.

Federal investigators are examining whether the Panama-registered MSC DANIT, a 1,200-foot (366-meter) container ship, was dragging anchor during a Jan. 25 storm and snagged the pipeline and dragged it on the seabed. It's not known why the leak occurred eight months later. Authorities are looking into whether other anchors hit and weakened the pipeline or if a preexisting condition with the line was to blame.

Houston-based Amplify Energy owns and operates the pipeline that ferries oil from the company's three offshore platforms. It is being scrutinized for its maintenance of the pipe and whether it reacted fast enough to the spill.

The Coast Guard says about 25,000 gallons (94,635 liters) of oil spilled off Orange County. Blobs of oil and tar balls washed ashore, forcing a weeklong closure of beaches that greatly disrupted the local economy and killing dozens of birds. Environmental advocates say the damage was less than initially feared but the long-term impact on wetlands and marine life is unknown.

Pete Stauffer, environmental director for Surfrider Foundation, which is working as a liaison between non-governmental agencies and the unified command for the spill response, said a swift response to a spill is key to limiting damage.

When theres a report of a significant-sized oil slick on the ocean, its important to investigate, Stauffer said. What happens in the first hours and days during an oil spill is absolutely critical.

Nearly three weeks since the spill, officials are starting to wind down some of the clean-up efforts as conditions along the coastline have improved. While tar balls continue to wash up farther south in San Diego County, beach clean up in some areas of Orange County could soon be deemed complete, California Fish and Wildlife Lt. Christian Corbo said Wednesday.

Workers are also scaling back efforts to scour the coastline for oiled wildlife, but they will continue to respond to reports from the public of oiled birds, said Dr. Michael Ziccardi, director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. Six birds that were treated for oiling were released Wednesday along the shoreline and another six are still being cared for, he said, adding they will hopefully be released next week.

A group of environmental organizations Wednesday demanded that the Biden administration suspend and cancel oil and gas leases in federal waters off the California coast. The Center for Biological Diversity and about three dozen organizations sent a petition to the Department of the Interior, arguing it has the authority to end these leases and that the decades-old platforms off the coast of California are especially susceptible to problems because of their age.

The Department of the Interior declined to comment on the petition.

____

Melley reported from Los Angeles.
D.C.-based Justin Trawick and The Common Good will perform a benefit concert from 1-4 p.m. Saturday at Winchester Ciderworks to benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.
In the darkness of the Rachel Browne Theatre, contemporary dancers Shayla Rudd and Sophie Milord are rehearsing a kinetic new work.

In the darkness of the Rachel Browne Theatre, contemporary dancers Shayla Rudd and Sophie Milord are rehearsing a kinetic new work.

At first, their movements are sharp, specific and rigid, driven by an unsettling score. And then: Rudd lets her hair down, and the pair begin dancing with abandon. Its a dance about crossroads and choices, and theyve chosen to live.

DANCE PREVIEW Click to Expand Emerging Artist Initiative

Winnipegs Contemporary Dancers

 Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.

 Rachel Browne Theatre

 Tickets: $15 at winnipegs

contemporarydancers.ca

The as-yet-untitled duet will cap off Winnipegs Contemporary Dancers Emerging Artist Initiative, a one-night-only showcase of up-and-coming talent and new choreography from WCD artistic director Jolene Bailie. A partnership between WCD and The School of Contemporary Dancers, Friday nights performance at the Rachel Browne Theatre will feature recent grads or soon-to-be grads.

For the dancers, the show is a welcome return to, well, everything, from rehearsal to live performance.

"The whole thing is exciting, but its also a little nerve wracking too, because its a lot of people looking at you and its been a while," Rudd says. "And then also now were not performing with a mask. Its something that I have, personally, hid behind. Its like, no mask, and even just doing an audience of maybe five people, I feel so vulnerable and exposed now."

The pair are also thrilled to be working together.

"I really rely on Shayla a lot as a partner because theres so many cues in this dance off of each other," Milord says. Rudd laughs. "I was going to say that!"

"Its a different experience every single time," Milord continues. "Its familiar, yes, because we know the choreography, but every time Im waiting an extra second, maybe, for you to go back in the running or like something like that. So its really a duet because were so connected even though were not touching."

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Sophie Milord (left) and Shayla Rudd will perform an untitled duet as part of Fridays WCD Emerging Artist Initiative showcase.

"Its so great to have someone that I love to dance with and get to dance with again, after so long," Rudd says.

Indeed, for the majority of the pandemic, the WCD and SCD alike could only work on solos, which can be a lonely place to create. So it makes sense, then, that the centrepiece of this show is a pandemic-inspired solo, entitled COVID Sonata.

"I created this as a direct grief-stricken response to everything being canceled during the COVID-19 and not knowing, are we going to get in to dance again?" Bailie says. "Its done to Beethovens Moonlight Sonata, which is really a grieving song."

COVID Sonata is performed by Andres Jimenez Mejia, who came to Winnipeg from Colombia. "This one is very touching for me," he says. "Im not from here in Canada, so all this time, in COVID, Ive been here and I havent been able to see anyone. And the restrictions, I live by myself, so I didnt have any contact with anyone  like one person that was designated to go.

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The whole thing is exciting, but its also a little nerve wracking too, says Shayla Rudd, right, with duet partner Sophie Milord.

"Its really fun to be able to put that on stage, and to show people that were all going through the same thing, you know? Its just like, if you feel bad about something, I feel it too. And we can share it while Im on stage and youre sitting down."

The work that will open the evening is called Aspects of Alterity, a piece Bailie has been tinkering with on and off for the past 10 years.

"The motivation for the creation was the feeling that, the time I created the piece in my life, I felt like I was in a situation where people were altering facts," Bailie says. "And so, this idea of, how do you feel when youre in a situation and you kind of know theres a different truth, but nobodys speaking out?"

This work is a trio, performed by Mejia, Gabriela Garcia Ortiz and Ariadna Schulz, who will be graduating from the School of Contemporary Dancers in May. For them, participating in the Emerging Artist Initiative has offered a taste of what its like to perform in a dance company.

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The type of movement we do at school, its quite different, says Gabriela Garcia Ortiz (second from left), rehearsing for Fridays one-night-only showcase of the Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers Emerging Artist Initiative.

"The type of movement we do at school, its quite different," Garcia Ortiz says. "Its challenging, but its also very interesting to explore other things and challenge yourself to achieve a different quality of movement."

"When youre in school, you have so much time and you have months and months to work on a piece and perfect it and just go over it as much as you need," Schulz adds. "Here, were kind of on the go. Its just adapting to a different pace."

The Emerging Artist Initiative will kick off WCDs 2021-22 season in earnest, which continues with Syreeta Hectors Black Ballerina on Nov. 26-28; Melanie Demers Icone Pop, programmed with a newly commissioned piece for WCD, on Feb. 25-27, 2022; and a new creation from Bailie featuring an ensemble of Winnipeg dancers in April 2022.

"I feel that its a really nice opportunity for everyone, for us and for the public," Mejia says of Fridays show. "Because I feel that everyone has been without art in their lives for a long time. Just online, if you see a show, is not the same. When you come here, you sit down, its a whole date for you, you know? You come here at night and you see us, and then you talk about it, and you feel so many things that you wouldnt feel otherwise. Its amazing to see all those things happening, finally, again."

jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @JenZoratti

If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more.

Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project.
STRATFORD, ONT. - Martha Henry, considered one of the greats of the Canadian stage, lived and breathed theatre up until her dying days.

STRATFORD, ONT. - Martha Henry, considered one of the greats of the Canadian stage, lived and breathed theatre up until her dying days.

The stalwart of the Stratford Festival died of cancer at her home in the southern Ontario town shortly after midnight Thursday  just 12 days after her final curtain call, organizers said. She was 83.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Martha Henry in 1999, when she directed King Lear at the Manitoba Theatre Centre.

Over more than a half century in the spotlight, Henry was revered as the leading lady of Canadian theatre whose transcendent performances and artistic stewardship helped solidify the Stratford Festival's success into its seventh decade.

"It's everybody's loss that didn't get to see her," said Cynthia Dale, a fellow actor and friend. "She is the great Canadian actress, Martha Henry."

In her 47 seasons at the Stratford Festival, Henry performed in more than 70 productions and directed 14 more.

- V. TONY HAUSER Martha Henry in Three Tall Women at the 2021 Stratford Festival.

She also served as director of the festival's Birmingham Conservatory from 2007 to 2016, and mentored the next generation of artists as the director of the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction from 2017 to 2020.

Her acting repertoire ran the gamut from Shakespeare to David Mamet. Dale said Henry threw herself into every performance with the force of an "earthquake," embodying the character's full physicality.

"Every cell in her being, in her body, was alive and in the character. And you felt it at every moment watching her," said Dale, who performed alongside Henry in a 1986 production of "Pal Joey" at Toronto's Tarragon Theatre. "That energy will never go. She was such a force  is such a force."

Martha Henry as Hecuba, with members of the company Photo: David Hou. For Jamie Portman (Canwest) CNS-STRATFORD-TROJAN

Henry upheld this devotion to her craft in her final role as an old woman facing her mortality in Edward Albee's "Three Tall Women."

She received her cancer diagnosis not long before the pandemic shuttered the 2020 Stratford production, the festival said.

When shows resumed this summer, Henry used a walker throughout rehearsal and early performances, but about a month into the run in September, she moved into a wheelchair.

Martha Henry is seen as Lady Percy in Henry IV (Henry IV, Part 1), in a 1965 handout photo. Henry died at the age of 83 today. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Peter Smith, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Even as her health deteriorated, Henry never let the audience in on the parallels between her character and her personal struggles, commanding the stage through her last performance on Oct. 9.

The festival said the show was filmed and it hopes to secure the rights to share it publicly.

Stratford artistic director Antoni Cimolino said Henry's tour-de-force farewell speaks to "the grit, dedication and craft" that fuelled her legendary stage career.

"Her sense of responsibility to the theatre was so profound that it enabled her to endure pain and face down her terminal disease to complete an astoundingly truthful performance," Cimolino said Thursday in a release. "Her life became art."

 by Adina Bresge in Toronto

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2021.
Kelly Grindrod remembers the confusion pharmacists felt last spring as Canada's COVID-19 vaccine policy changed rapidly throughout the rollout, sometimes with little warning.

Albertans line-up for a COVID-19 vaccination at a mass immunization clinic in downtown Calgary, Alta., Monday, May 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Kelly Grindrod remembers the confusion pharmacists felt last spring as Canada's COVID-19 vaccine policy changed rapidly throughout the rollout, sometimes with little warning.

Shifting eligibility requirements differed across the country, booking sites were harder to navigate in some regions, and one vaccine product came to be seen as inferior to the rest, infuriating the public and vaccinators alike.

Grindrod, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo and the pharmacy lead for Waterloo Region's vaccine rollout, hopes provinces learned lessons from Canada's first vaccination campaign for adults.

And if a COVID-19 vaccine is soon approved for children, she said a kid's rollout needs consistent and clear messaging.

"Communication was a real challenge," Grindrod recalled. "(Policy) would be announced nationally and everybody on the ground had to scramble because we were all hearing it at the same time.

"Immediately the phones would go crazy in pharmacies because people were trying to make sense of it.... We need a bit more lead-in, a bit more clarity, so (vaccinators) have answers before people start calling."

Pfizer-BioNTech asked Health Canada to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged five-to-11 this week. The regulator is reviewing data before making a decision.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that Pfizer is ready to ship millions of child doses in the event of authorization, while Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand added that Canada has already procured syringes and other supplies needed to speed up the rollout.

In the United States,an advisory group with the Food and Drug Administration, which received an approval request from Pfizer earlier this month, is scheduled to meet next week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is then set to discuss authorization in early November.

Grindrod said U.S. regulators, which sometimes stream meetings online, have shown "more transparency around the (decision-making) process."

Health Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization supply "fairly comprehensive" documents after they've made decisions, she said, but vaccinators could use a heads up "to facilitate planning."

Logistics of the kids rollout  where children get a vaccine, how they book appointments and whether certain kids will be prioritized  are still to be determined. Ontario said Tuesday it was open to running mass vaccine clinics at schools after school hours.

Omar Khan, an immunology and infectious disease expert with the University of Toronto, said school clinics are a great way to reach more kids. Pharmacies and family doctors can also help, but proper scheduling  which includes flexibility around parents' work hours  is needed to ensure half-empty vaccine vials aren't tossed at the end of the day.

"Anything that reduces accessibility barriers will help distribute (vaccines) to the queue of people waiting to get vaccinated across multiple sites," he said.

Most logistics can be ironed out once supply is determined, Grindrod said.

Pfizer's pediatric vaccine involves a different formulation, but Grindrod said some pharmacists have asked whether they must wait for kid-specific shipments or if a diluted adult dose could serve if supply was scarce. She urged clear information as soon as possible.

Messaging around the kids vaccine in general has to be handled with more care, she said,starting with whatever NACI and Health Canada recommend after reviewing its safety and efficacy.

"We need very careful communication ... because we haven't seen the data," she said. "There are questions that need to be answered very clearly  what is the risk of COVID to kids at the point at which vaccines become available? What are the known side effects we expect to see based on data from trials?

"And then separately, what are the unknowns?"

Science communicator Samantha Yammine noted the difficulty in maintaining consistent vaccine advice when the science on COVID-19 evolved quickly throughout the pandemic.

Policies introduced midway through the adult rollout, such as NACI's recommendation against using AstraZeneca for second doses, seemed to contradict earlier advice. But public health messaging constantly adapts to new data, she said.

While communication was confusing at times, the country still vaccinated nearly 82 per cent of its eligible population to date.

Since parents are likely more concerned about vaccinating children than getting the jab themselves, fears should be addressed honestly and parents made to feel part of the plan, Yammine said.

That includes equipping parents with child-friendly information they may need to field youngsters' questions about the vaccine, she added.

And kids' comprehension level shouldn't be underestimated.

"I'm advising people to acknowledge how great a job kids have done," Yammine said. "Wearing masks, understanding why they have to play with friends outside, it's been really hard on kids.

"But they've shown us they can be involved and they can understand complex things."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2021.
OTTAWA - A coalition of front-line health-care workers has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fast-track proposed legislative amendments to grant paid sick leave to federally regulated workers.

OTTAWA - A coalition of front-line health-care workers has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fast-track proposed legislative amendments to grant paid sick leave to federally regulated workers.

Trudeau has said an early priority of his newly re-elected government will be to give all federally regulated workers 10 days of paid sick leave, and work with provinces and territories on better sick-leave policies for all Canadians.

A coalition of front-line health-care workers have asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fast-track proposed legislative amendments to grant paid sick leave to federally regulated workers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits a vaccine clinic in Ottawa on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

He pledged to do so within 100 days of receiving a new mandate, but the Decent Work and Health Network says that's not fast enough.

"My patients cannot afford any more delays. And frankly, we shouldn't have to wait 100 days for paid sick days," said Dr. Gaibrie Stephen, an emergency physician from Peel, Ont., with the Decent Work and Health Network.

"Diseases are not waiting 100 days to infect our patients."

A lack of paid sick leave has been a major problem for many Canadians during the pandemic who couldn't afford to stay home when ill, risking the spread of COVID-19 in their workplaces.

During the election, Trudeau said as the countrys largest employer, it is up to the federal government to set the example.

The Decent Work and Health Network held an online news conference to call on the government to immediately amend the Canadian Labour Code to provide 10 paid sick days for federal workers, with 14 extra days during public health emergencies.

The group also asked the government to convene the provinces to create adequate sick-leave policies that would include migrant, precarious, and contract workers.

"As health experts, we are recommending patients with flu-like symptoms stay home and isolate, but without access to paid sick days this is difficult for working-class families who are disproportionately racialized," said Stephanie Sarmiento, a public health nurse in Toronto.

The issue is particularly urgent as Canada enters flu season, Sarmiento said.

"Children and adults with cold and respiratory viruses are on the rise across the country," she said.

The lack of paid sick leave can have far-reaching implications on schools and hospitals, said Dr. Shazeen Suleman, a Toronto pediatrician.

She said several schools in her area have already been shut down due to COVID-19 outbreaks, which could have been prevented.

"Many of the children who go to these schools have caregivers who cannot afford to stay home and care for them when they are sick," she said.

When parents can take time off to care for their kids, the children are also more likely to be treated early and less likely to end up in emergency rooms, she said.

"No one should have to make the difficult choice between having to go to work sick or stay home without pay," said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in a statement Wednesday.

The NDP said the change cannot be made to the Canadian Labour Code without recalling Parliament, which is not scheduled to happen until Nov. 22.

"Justin Trudeau should reconvene the House of Commons so we can make sure every worker has access to paid sick leave and save lives," Singh said.

Currently, there is a patchwork of sick-leave legislation across the country but no Canadian jurisdiction has adequate policy, the group said.

According to the Decent Work and Health Network, the only jurisdictions with any permanent paid sick days are federally regulated sectors, Quebec and Prince Edward Island with three days, two days and one day respectively.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2021.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Coronavirus infections and deaths in Ukraine surged to all-time highs Thursday amid a laggard pace of vaccination, with overall inoculations among the lowest in Europe.

People wait for their turn in a vaccination center in a city mall in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. Coronavirus infections and deaths in Ukraine have surged to all-time highs amid a laggard pace of vaccination, which is one of the lowest in Europe. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Coronavirus infections and deaths in Ukraine surged to all-time highs Thursday amid a laggard pace of vaccination, with overall inoculations among the lowest in Europe.

Ukrainian authorities reported 22,415 new confirmed infections and 546 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest numbers since the start of the pandemic.

Authorities have blamed a spike in infections on a slow pace of vaccination in the nation of 41 million. Ukrainians can choose between Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, but only about 15% of the population is fully vaccinated, Europes lowest level after Armenia.

Overall, the country has registered over 2.7 million infections and 62,389 deaths.

Ukraine has faced a steady rise in contagion in the past few weeks, which forced the government to introduce restrictions on access to public places and the use of public transport. Starting Thursday, proof of vaccination or a negative test is required to board planes, trains and long-distance buses.

The restrictive measures have made a black market for counterfeit vaccination certificates blossom, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chaired a meeting earlier this week on ways to combat the practice. Police said they suspect workers at 15 hospitals across the country of involvement in issuing false vaccination certificates.

Despite the rising contagion, the government has been reluctant to introduce another lockdown. It's keen to avoid further damage to an economy weakened by the conflict with neighboring Russia  which annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in the country's eastern industrial heartland.

"There are just two ways  vaccination or lockdown," Zelenskyy said. "I'm against the lockdown for the sake of (the) economy."

To encourage vaccination, the authorities have started offering shots in shopping malls. As infections soared, skeptical attitudes began to change and a record number of more than 251,000 people received vaccines over the past 24 hours.

"I'm frightened by a spike in infections, my friend is at a hospital in grave condition," 38-year-old businessman Denys Onuchko said after receiving the first vaccine dose at a Kyiv shopping mall.

Onuchko noted that many Ukrainians have been disinformed by conspiracy theories about vaccines, but now take a more rational approach as the situation exacerbates. "People have been scared by stories ... but the real threat must make them sober up," he said.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said city hospitals are facing an influx of patients, an increasing share of them in grave condition.

Yulia Furman, 47, who also received the first vaccine shot, said many people in her entourage believed in conspiracy theories about vaccines.

"Many of my friends believed those stories about a global plot and now they are gravely ill, it's now time to protect oneself," she said.

___

Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
TORONTO - Ontario business groups expect strong uptake of the new provincial app used to verify patrons' proof of COVID-19 vaccination but say they'd like financial support from the government to cover extra costs associated with it.

TORONTO - Ontario business groups expect strong uptake of the new provincial app used to verify patrons' proof of COVID-19 vaccination but say they'd like financial support from the government to cover extra costs associated with it.

The app, called Verify Ontario, was made available to businesses late last week and scans QR codes that are part of enhanced vaccine certificates issued to residents.

Businesses such as restaurants, gyms and spectator sporting venues  where proof of a shot is required  can use the app to quickly check a patrons' vaccination status. Previously, staff needed to check paper or digital versions of vaccine receipts at the door.

While paper records will still be accepted, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said the app is alleviating concerns about the potential for fraudulent documents.

"The app takes a lot of guesswork or fine print out of that," Ryan Mallough, the Ontario affairs director for the federation, said in an interview.

Businesses aren't required to use the app but Mallough said he expects it will be widely implemented.

Other businesses that aren't required to check customers' immunization records, like those in retail, have also expressed interest in the app, but Mallough said the group is advising them to seek legal advice before implementing proof-of-vaccination policies.

James Rilett of industry group Restaurants Canada said most eateries intend to use the app, particularly full-service restaurants, and some are already using it.

"Most feedback is positive," he said in an interview. "For the most part, people have been found it a successful experience."

Some operators have raised concerns about using their own personal devices for the app, Rilett said, but overall, the main complaint is that the system wasn't ready to go a month ago, when Ontario brought in its vaccine certificate system.

Restaurants Canada said it's seeking financial help for businesses to support additional staff needed to implement the proof-of-vaccination system.

The CFIB is also seeking similar supports for hiring costs. Mallough said the group is also getting questions about funding to help purchase company smartphones to scan QR codes, rather than use an employee's or business owner's phone.

Ontario Chamber of Commerce CEO Rocco Rossi said he expects the "vast majority" of business owners will use the app.

"We will take every step to get ourselves to the end of this very long tunnel and be able to, as safely as possible, reopen the economy," he said.

The government said more than 3.7 million of the over 10 million fully vaccinated Ontarians had downloaded enhanced vaccine certificates with QR codes as of Wednesday.

The app for businesses to scan those codes had been downloaded more than 896,000 times, according to Associate Digital Government Minister Kaleed Rasheed. He said he expects download numbers to keep going up, after hearing positive feedback so far.

"I think businesses will continue to download this app because none of us wants to go back into a lockdown," Rasheed said in an interview.

Mallough said the CFIB has been fielding questions about the requirement to scan QR codes every time at membership-based businesses that see the same customers repeatedly, and about medical exemptions that aren't scannable in the app yet and must still be accepted on paper.

Rasheed said his ministry still awaiting details of how medical exemptions can be integrated into the app, but he said the province wanted to provide the app for businesses in the meantime.

Amir Benedikt, who owns By the Way Cafe in Toronto, said some of his staff have started using the app but added that the restaurant was still prepared to check paper vaccine receipts, especially for customers who aren't tech savvy.

"I think that overall, it's a good idea," he said of the province's vaccine certificate system. "It makes it maybe easier to control the situation."

He noted, however, that he'd like to see more enforcement of the policy and of other public health restrictions like capacity rules  which some business owners have publicly said they don't plan to follow.

"If my neighbor doesn't keep the rules, and I have to keep the rules, and people are okay with it, I wonder, "Why am I doing it?"

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2021.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP)  Southern California harbor patrol boats picked up reports of a possible fuel spill off the coast on a marine radio emergency channel about an hour before the Coast Guard heard anything about oil on the water and about 15 hours before a large slick, which came from a leaking undersea pipeline, was confirmed, officials said Thursday.

This Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, photo shows the MSC DANIT anchored outside the Port of Los Angeles. Federal investigators have said they believe a 1,200-foot (366-meter) cargo ship dragging anchor in rough seas caught the pipeline operated by Houston-based Amplify Energy and pulled it across the seafloor early this year. They have not determined whether impact with the Panama-registered MSC DANIT caused this spill or if the line was hit by something else or failed due to a preexisting problem. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP)  Southern California harbor patrol boats picked up reports of a possible fuel spill off the coast on a marine radio emergency channel about an hour before the Coast Guard heard anything about oil on the water and about 15 hours before a large slick, which came from a leaking undersea pipeline, was confirmed, officials said Thursday.

Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said harbor patrol boats off the coast of Huntington Beach picked up radio chatter among local boaters about an oily sheen and smell on the water at about 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 1. At least one of the boats, which were in the area to assist with a popular air show, checked on the spill reports but found nothing on the water, she said.

The Coast Guard, however, didn't hear any radio chatter about a possible spill until about an hour later from a commercial vessel anchored off the coast, Coast Guard Lt. Commander Jeannie Shaye said. The federal agency asked the vessel to make a report to the National Response Center, which is staffed by the Coast Guard and notifies other agencies of emergencies for quick response, she said.

The spill of about 25,000 gallons (94,635 liters) of crude from a pipeline owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy that ferried oil from three offshore platforms forced the closure of some of the regions signature beaches and fisheries and harmed animal and plant life.

In the days after the spill, Coast Guard officials gave at-times conflicting accounts of the timeline for the initial response.

This Oct. 19, 2021, photo shows the stern of the Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., MSC DANIT, left, a large container ship anchored outside the Port of Los Angeles. Federal investigators have said they believe the 1,200-foot (366-meter) cargo ship dragging anchor in rough seas caught the pipeline operated by Houston-based Amplify Energy and pulled it across the seafloor early this year. At right is the AS Constantina container ship. They have not determined whether impact with the Panama-registered MSC DANIT caused this spill or if the line was hit by something else or failed due to a preexisting problem. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

On Thursday, Shaye confirmed that multiple calls about a possible spill came in over the marine radio channel but said her agency only acted after a call around 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1 from the anchored vessel. She said the Coast Guard had no prior knowledge that the harbor patrol actually searched for the spill that evening.

She said the Coast Guard reached out to state and local authorities about 7 p.m. but did not launch a search because darkness was falling. By then, Braun said the harbor patrol had completed its check.

It wasnt until 8:22 p.m. that the commercial vessels report was called into the National Response Center by Colonial Compliance Systems Inc., which works with foreign ships in U.S. waters to report spills, according to reports compiled by the California Office of Emergency Services.

This Oct. 19, 2021 photo shows heavy maritime traffic in front of the MSC DANIT ship, left, anchored outside the Port of Los Angeles. Federal investigators have said they believe a 1,200-foot (366-meter) cargo ship dragging anchor in rough seas caught the pipeline operated by Houston-based Amplify Energy and pulled it across the seafloor early this year. They have not determined whether impact with the Panama-registered MSC DANIT caused this spill or if the line was hit by something else or failed due to a preexisting problem. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The next morning, Coast Guard hazardous materials investigators went out on a harbor patrol fireboat and located a miles-long black plume several miles offshore, according to a sheriff's department memo that was obtained by the AP through a California Public Records Act request.

Pete Stauffer, environmental director for Surfrider Foundation, which is working as a liaison between non-governmental agencies and the unified command for the spill response, said a swift response to a spill is key to limiting damage.

When theres a report of a significant-sized oil slick on the ocean, its important to investigate, Stauffer said. What happens in the first hours and days during an oil spill is absolutely critical.

This Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, photo shows the MSC DANIT anchored outside the Port of Los Angeles. Federal investigators have said they believe a 1,200-foot (366-meter) cargo ship dragging anchor in rough seas caught the pipeline operated by Houston-based Amplify Energy and pulled it across the seafloor early this year. They have not determined whether impact with the Panama-registered MSC DANIT caused this spill or if the line was hit by something else or failed due to a preexisting problem. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The cause of the spill is under investigation. Federal investigators are examining whether the Panama-registered MSC DANIT, a 1,200-foot (366-meter) container ship, was dragging anchor during a Jan. 25 storm and snagged the pipeline and dragged it on the seabed.

It's not known why the leak occurred eight months later, and authorities also are looking into whether other anchors hit and weakened the pipeline or if a preexisting condition with the line was to blame.

After the spill, blobs of oil and tar balls washed ashore, forcing a weeklong closure of beaches that disrupted the local economy and killed dozens of birds. Environmental advocates say the damage was less than initially feared. But the long-term impact on wetlands and marine life is unknown.

Officials release birds after they were treated for oiling and have now recovered from the Huntington Beach shore on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. The spill washed blobs of oil ashore affecting wildlife and the local economy, though the environmental damage so far has been less than initially feared. But environmental advocates say the long-term impact on sensitive wetland areas and marine life is unknown and shop owners in surf-friendly Huntington Beach fear concern about oil will keep tourists away even once the tar is gone. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)

A group of environmental organizations this week demanded that the Biden administration suspend and cancel oil and gas leases in federal waters off the California coast.

The Center for Biological Diversity and about three dozen organizations sent a petition arguing that the Department of the Interior has the authority to end these leases and that the decades-old platforms are especially susceptible to problems because of their age. The agency declined to comment.

____

Melley reported from Los Angeles.
BRUSSELS (AP)  European Union leaders struggled to find a common ground during a long debate Thursday on how to ease the pain of soaring energy bills.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel talks to journalists as she arrives for an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. European Union leaders head into a standoff between Poland and most of the other EU member nations over the rule of law in the eastern member state. Other issues for the 27 EU leaders include climate change, the energy crisis, COVID-19 developments and migration. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool Photo via AP)

BRUSSELS (AP)  European Union leaders struggled to find a common ground during a long debate Thursday on how to ease the pain of soaring energy bills.

The hours-long energy discussion at the EU leaders summit came amid spiraling prices that are pummeling households and businesses still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In need of immediate solutions, leaders are also seeking to safeguard energy supplies to the 27-nation bloc by speeding up the transition away from polluting fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives.

To help consumers and companies this winter, leaders agreed that tax cuts, state aid and other measures like bill payment deferrals proposed by the European Commission would be useful on both the short and longer terms.

In their conclusions, they asked the EUs executive arm to look into the gas and electricity markets, as well as the blocs emissions trading program, under which companies pay for carbon dioxide they emit. The aim is to check whether manipulation of the market could have influenced the carbon price increase.

But there was no mention of setting up a joint procurement program for gas reserves, an idea recently proposed by Spain.

The talks came just 10 days ahead of the opening of a U.N. climate summit that is widely seen as the last chance to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU's executive and its member states already are working to ease the burden of soaring energy bills on households and businesses.

She said leaders also will have to look at the way energy markets function but stressed that in the mid and long term, it is very clear that the strategy has to be to invest massively in clean and renewable energy produced in Europe.

The debate on spiraling energy prices also took place against a backdrop of frosty relations with Russia, a key supplier of gas to Europe.

Von der Leyen said Wednesday that with the bloc importing 90% of its gas  much of it from strategic rival Russia  this makes us vulnerable. Gas makes up one quarter of all European energy consumption.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the energy price explosion this year the consequence "of a big geopolitical game.

Von der Leyen has said that while Norway had raised its gas exports to the bloc to meet increased demand, Russia's Gazprom had not gone beyond honoring its long-term contracts with the EU.

Gas prices have soared this year to 95 euros from about 19 euros per megawatt hour, affecting everything from household heating bills to farmers and food producers. The EU's executive commission says that lower-income households are hardest hit because they spend a higher proportion of their income on energy. Many countries have already offered energy tax cuts to ease the pain.

While all leaders want to minimize the impact of soaring energy prices on their populations, they differ on how to do it.

Entering Thursdays summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the issue of soaring energy prices should be differentiated from the long-term fight against climate change.

I think that we should react calmly; we in Germany will do so in any case, she said.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country is among those that are helping households and businesses foot rising power bills. But he added that long-term solutions must also be found.

And in the long term, there is only one solution  invest more in renewable energy so we are less vulnerable to price fluctuations for fossil fuels, he said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blamed the hike specifically on the Commissions Green Deal plans that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and making the bloc carbon neutral by 2050.

The current crisis has reignited a debate on whether the EU should promote nuclear power projects as a way of becoming more energy independent. That could be done by making them eligible for billions of euros as part of the European Green Deal and coronavirus recovery fund.

Two years ago, leaders agreed that nuclear energy could be part of the EUs efforts to become carbon-neutral. However, they have yet to decide whether nuclear projects can be included in the so-called taxonomy, a classification system attempting to define what activities can qualify for sustainable investment.

France recently asked for the inclusion of nuclear power in the taxonomy framework by the end of the year, leading the charge with nine other EU countries  Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Energy ministers from the bloc will meet as early as next week to continue the talks, with leaders set to reassess the situation at their next summit in December.

___

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands.

___

Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change.
TORONTO - Rarely a week goes by without Toronto tech worker Karthik Ramakrishnan seeing another example of artificial intelligence gone wrong.

TORONTO - Rarely a week goes by without Toronto tech worker Karthik Ramakrishnan seeing another example of artificial intelligence gone wrong.

Systems programmed with the technology have led to a French medical chatbot suggesting someone commit suicide, another created by Microsoft tweeting a 9/11 conspiracy theory and an Amazon.com Inc. recruiting tool downgrading resumes with references to women.

Karthik Ramakrishnan poses in this undated handout photo. Ramakrishnan co-founded Armilla AI, a Toronto-based business that launched Thursday with a new quality assurance platform that analyzes systems to detect faulty AI and predict its consequences, before systems turn dire or even deadly. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Armilla AI *MANDATORY CREDIT*

But Ramakrishnan is convinced this pattern can be eased and many of the problemsstemming from AI  machine-based technologies that learn from data  can be prevented.

That's why he, Dan Adamson and Rahm Hafiz co-founded Armilla AI, which launched Thursday with $1.5 million in financial backing from investors including AI godfather Yoshua Bengio and Two Small Fish Ventures, a fund run by Wattpad's Alan and Eva Lau.

Armilla is behind a new quality assurance platform that analyzes systems to detect faulty AI and predict its consequences  before troubles arise.

"No system is perfect, but our objective is to make them as perfect as possible," said Ramakrishnan, Armilla's chief business officer.

Armilla's platform delves into the systems clients have created, the data that trained their software and their modelling and outcomes to conduct about 50 tests looking for issues with compliance, gender or ethics biases and other unintended consequences.

For example, Armilla used its platform with a public data set filled with information about credit lending in Germany.

The bank behind the data set didn't want its AI to discriminate against new immigrants, so it removed a data line collecting immigration statuses.

Armilla found the system discriminated against immigrants anyway because the bank included information on housing and residence in multi-tenant apartments correlated so strongly with immigration that it was causing bias.

"This is how faults creep into systems, not intentionally, but there are these unintended consequences with the way we run our systems and the second-order correlations that we miss are the kinds of things that Armilla's platform is designed to surface," Ramakrishnan said.

The entire process is a time saver, he said, because while large and sophisticated companies keep teams in the hundredsjust to run their systems through a growing number of scenarios, that work is often done manually and either sporadically or on a fixed schedule.

"Banking has been doing models for 20-plus years," he said. "However, that process done manually takes anywhere between six months to a year for a single model and an average-sized bank has about 400-plus models and they're only growing."

Armilla's platform can quickly learn the sensitivities and riskiest parts of any system, so a company can run its tests repeatedly and uncover any blind spots not built into traditional models.

But the goal really isn't speed; it's safety and ethics.

Both have become pressing issues as organizations in every sector turn to the technology, according to a September report from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.

"Technology and AI systems are not neutral or objective but exist in a social and historical context that can marginalize certain groups, including women, racialized and low-income communities," said the report called "An Equity Lens on Artificial Intelligence."

It found that AI-based systems are a "double-edged sword" because they often help but are only as neutral as the data and algorithms their technology is based on.

For example, it pointed to a situation where an AI system for detecting cancerous skin lesions was less likely to pick up cancers in dark-skinned people because it had been developed from a database comprised of mostly light-skinned populations.

Armilla is hoping to expose such issues and avoid "catastrophic errors."

"There's so many things that could happen in a complex system," Ramakrishnan said.

"We want to ensure we can catch the big things as much as possible."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2021.
EDMONTON - Shares in Stantec Inc. gained more than 10 per cent Thursday after the company announced a deal to buy Cardno Ltd.'s North American and Asia Pacific engineering and consulting business for US$500 million.

EDMONTON - Shares in Stantec Inc. gained more than 10 per cent Thursday after the company announced a deal to buy Cardno Ltd.'s North American and Asia Pacific engineering and consulting business for US$500 million.

The Edmonton-based company said Thursday the deal helps expand its environmental services business.

Stantec shares were up C$7.43 at C$69.38 in mid-morning trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The acquisition will add about 2,750 professionals to Stantec, nearly doubling its position in Australia to 2,500 employees and increasing its presence in the United States.

Cardnos Latin American operations and international development business are not included in the deal.

Stantec CEO Gord Johnston said the company has worked closely with Cardno for many years and credited Cardno Group CEO Susan Reisbord and her team with transforming the company and returning it to a strong growth path.

"The timing couldnt be better to welcome their team to Stantec and grow together," Johnston said in a statement.

"Cardnos key strengths in ecosystem restoration, health sciences, infrastructure, water, and government services are completely complementary to Stantecs offerings in these growing sectors of the United States and Australia. Together, we will continue to set the standard for sustainable design and climate change mitigation."

RBC analyst Sabahat Khan said in a note to clients that the acquisition gives Stantec exposure to the right markets and regions.

"The increased exposure to environmental and infrastructure spaces also positions the business well amidst the broader industry tailwinds which include sustainability driven demand and increased infrastructure spend globally," Khan said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:STN)
Manitoba RCMP arrested a suspect who was the subject of an emergency alert Wednesday.

Manitoba RCMP arrested a suspect who was the subject of an emergency alert Wednesday.

"Wes Wadien has been safely arrested, without incident, in the RM of Rockwood and is in custody. The RCMP thanks the media and public for their assistance," the RCMP posted on its Facebook site around 8:15 p.m., minutes after holding a short news conference to alert the public they could be danger.

Wesley Wadien, 38, was last seen around 4 p.m. in the Interlake area. He is armed and dangerous, RCMP say.

They had issued an alert around 7 p.m. to advise that the 38-year-old man was considered armed, dangerous, and was an immediate threat to the public.

Wadien was wanted on allegations of uttering threats and pointing a firearm, as well as arrest warrants for other offences.

At a press conference, RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson said officers responded to a call on Tuesday at 1 p.m. in which it was alleged the suspect had pointed a shotgun at someone in Selkirk. When officers responded, the suspect fled, prompting a pursuit, but the suspect evaded police.

Police launched a response that included the Winnipeg police helicopter, drones, and a police dog unit. They encountered the suspect on Wednesday, but he was able to evade police, Lasson said.

The suspect is alleged to have stolen "multiple vehicles" in the past two days, Lasson added, and was believed to be armed. Lasson noted the suspect was on foot when he was taken into custody.

Wednesday evening marked the first time the emergency alert system was activated to warn of an ongoing threat, Lasson told media.

Lasson said the suspect was behaving "erratically" towards police, prompting the need for an emergency alert.

"The RCMP in Manitoba wanted to ensure that all public were well informed of the potential risk that this individual posed due to the unpredictable behaviour he displayed toward police in the last two days," he said, adding RCMP engaged in an ongoing risk analysis and determined the suspect to be a high risk to the public.

The warning had applied to Selkirk, the Interlake and Winnipeg.

"The RCMP does not take our public alert messaging lightly, and I want to thank the public for all their understanding and co-operation through this event," Lasson said at a second media conference Wednesday evening to announce the suspect had been arrested.
NOW that the sod has settled around Weston School, education leaders hope parents nerves will follow suit as the elementary building allows activity on its field after three years of restrictions because of lead contamination.

NOW that the sod has settled around Weston School, education leaders hope parents nerves will follow suit as the elementary building allows activity on its field after three years of restrictions because of lead contamination.

A soil remediation project at the Logan Avenue school, which began at the end of June, wrapped up last month and the schools field has since reopened for community use.

"Im super glad that it has finally been addressed," said April Roller, a mother of two, including a Grade 1 student at Weston. "It took longer than it should have, but the kids are definitely a lot happier that they can finally go on the field, as of last week."

Roller said some of her neighbours are skeptical about the work, given this isnt the first time such a project has taken place, but she is hopeful.

The field was fenced off in September 2018, after it was revealed that a 2011 report on soil sampling results in Weston and other inner-city neighbourhoods  a document kept under wraps for years  had determined several parks and school areas had elevated levels of lead in the 1980s. The sites were measured again in 2007 and 2008 to determine whether additional remediation was required.

Canadas soil-quality guideline for human health is 140 micrograms per gram. In some areas of Weston, levels exceeded 1,000 micrograms/g.

A history of emissions from traffic and nearby smelter plants that closed years ago are believed to be the cause. The removal of lead paint on outdoor walls and soil replacement has occurred in the past to address the issue.

A followup survey in 2018 found levels at Weston had generally dropped, but the overwhelming majority of samples still surpassed the guideline.

Citing the results of an independent analysis of the latest results, the province has repeatedly indicated the risk to the public is low. Community members, however, kept calling for additional work to address their concerns.

"If it werent for the community, parents and myself speaking out about the inequities for children at Weston School, I dont think (the lead levels) would have been taken as seriously  because it has been an issue for 40 years," said trustee Jennifer Chen, who represents Ward 6 in the Winnipeg School Division.

Chen has accused the province of dragging its feet on the issue because the school is in a low-income neighbourhood.

Earlier this year, the province earmarked $405,000 for remediation efforts. Manitoba Conservation approved the divisions plans, which included excavating the grounds, digging as deep as 12 inches, and re-sampling the soil.

Mile Rendulic, director of the divisions buildings department, said areas found to exceed guidelines were covered with a geotextile fabric to prevent leaching and covered with backfill, topsoil and sod.

"We have eliminated the possibility of someone being exposed  even though that risk was very, very low: youd have to ingest (the contaminated soil)," Rendulic said, adding he believes the project was a success and should alleviate community concerns.

It is not anticipated any more work will have to be done to address the lead issue, although he suggested extra care will have to be taken on projects such as tree planting.

The initial closure of the field resulted in indoor recess. Students were later allowed to play on the tarmac during two separate recesses and when the grass was covered by snow in the winter, in the field area.

Father Mark Halarewich said he recently received a call from Westons principal informing him the field would be reopening.

"Im happy," he said. "The kids need a place to play."

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
IF it were up to one city councillor, the amount of fines for tickets issued by police would be based on income rather than a flat rate.

IF it were up to one city councillor, the amount of fines for tickets issued by police would be based on income rather than a flat rate.

"If a member of the middle class or somebody who is low-income gets a fine, it can be the difference between rent or a car payment," said Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface). "Whereas, if somebody has a considerably higher income, it doesnt affect them in the same way."

Allard wants city bureaucrats to devise a model in which Winnipeggers pay tickets proportional to their household income.

"I think fines do act as a deterrent, and if we had them geared to income, they would be, I believe, more effective in influencing behaviour," he said.

Hes put forward a motion to the citys Riel community committee on Tuesday. It must pass before it can move to a more powerful city committee and bureaucrats can create a report.

"We do have tools to look at income as a municipality," Allard said, noting the city has a monthly transit program for low-income riders that it introduced in 2020.

Allards idea would be "a positive step" if implemented, said Josh Brandon of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg and member of Make Poverty History Manitoba.

"For people who are low-income, even a small fine can be severely debilitating," Brandon said.

"We know that many low-income Winnipeggers are living at a survival margin already," he said. "If that fine comes on top of that... they may be incurring risk that will put them into homelessness, or... they will be unable to pay bills or have to skip meals."

Tying ticket rates to income will create a fairer system, Brandon said. He pointed to Finland, which uses that approach. In an extreme example, the head of Nokia was fined 116,000 euros ($166,400) in 2002 after being caught driving 75 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.

"If youre very wealthy, do you really care if you get a $100 ticket?" Brandon said. "If it was proportional to your income, it might actually be more effective in discouraging some of the behaviour for wealthier people."

He said Allards proposal is a good step, but more must be done to further social equality in the city.

"When (the city) implements a policy, (it) should be asking, How will this affect people living in poverty?" Brandon said.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
WHAT do a bank robber, broken doll, banana, shadow and Rosie the Riveter have in common?

WHAT do a bank robber, broken doll, banana, shadow and Rosie the Riveter have in common?

They all want to go trick-or-treating this year.

Alexina Key (a future Rosie), plans on taking her four children door-to-door on Halloween. That is, if COVID-19 case numbers in Manitoba dont spike and health officials dont advise against it.

"We really enjoy the costumes and getting out into the community and being in our neighbourhood, but we are living in difficult times right now, so we need to respect that," Key said.

Last year, her family hunkered down in their St. Norbert home on Oct. 31, stuffing themselves with pizza and candy while dressed in homemade costumes, watching Halloween movies.

"It was fun, but it was lacking a little bit," Key said.

At the time, Manitobas daily case counts sometimes exceeded 400, and the number of active cases vaulted past 3,000.

COVID-19 is still a concern in the province  Manitoba added another 51 cases Wednesday  but for Halloween 2021, so far, health officials are giving a cautious thumbs-up to celebrating.

The province has a list of guidelines for trick-or-treaters, and door-answerers, on its website.

It advises people over the age of two to wear a non-medical mask. Travelling groups should comprise of household members, to limit non-household contacts. Physical distancing is warranted, as is using hand sanitizer often and staying home if sick.

Instead of doorbell-ringing, the province is encouraging knocking and yelling a popular Halloween catchphrase.

People handing out goodies should wear a mask, provide pre-packaged food using tongs or another means to keep distance, and avoid putting out communal candy bowls.

Jonathan Glass, co-owner of Party Stuff supply store, said hes noticed a large uptick in Halloween shoppers this month.

"Things are much better than last year," he said, noting up to 30 per cent more traffic compared to October 2020.

Patrons are also stopping by for birthday, wedding and anniversary decor  more than normal, Glass said.

"I think that any chance to celebrate, whether thats a family milestone like a birthday... or a general celebration like Halloween... everyones taking advantage of that," he said. "Its an opportunity that we didnt know was an opportunity  the ability to celebrate with each other."

However, Halloween spending isnt what it was pre-pandemic, Glass added.

Dana Binder is among the Manitobans who arent yet comfortable sending their children trick-or-treating. She hasnt committed to keeping them home, but shes leaning that way.

"Theres still so many unknowns, especially with the delta variant," Binder said.

Her 13-year-old son is vaccinated, but her 10-year-old daughter isnt yet eligible. Binder said it would be unfair to just send one out, and if either child gets sick, the whole family must stay home.

Shes decorated her home to boost her childrens spirits. Last year, they ordered in, ate sweets and watched movies. The household didnt hand out candy and, Binder doesnt anticipate doing so on Oct. 31.

"Id rather not have people that I dont know (come to the door)," she said. "People are still asymptomatic."

Indoor and mall-based trick-or-treating are permitted as long as folks maintain physical distancing and there are few to no shared contact items, according to the provinces website.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
Patrik Mathews defence attorney is asking a U.S. federal judge to sentence the neo-Nazi and disgraced Canadian reservist to a 33-month prison sentence, even as he concedes his client held beliefs "many would find repugnant."

Patrik Mathews defence attorney is asking a U.S. federal judge to sentence the neo-Nazi and disgraced Canadian reservist to a 33-month prison sentence, even as he concedes his client held beliefs "many would find repugnant."

Lawyer Joseph Balter argues in a newly unsealed sentencing memorandum that the prosecutions request for 25 years for Mathews and his co-accused, Brian Lemley Jr., is "grossly disproportionate."

"Mr. Mathews and Mr. Lemley were law-abiding citizens prior to the instant (offence) and served in their countrys militaries. They deserve a second chance to return to their families and resume their lives," Balter wrote.

"The governments recommended sentence serves no purpose than to utterly destroy the defendants lives."

Court sketch of Patrik Mathews in Greenbelt, Maryland Thursday January, 16, 2020.

The Winnipeg Free Press exposed Mathews as an active combat engineer in the Canadian military who was moonlighting as a recruiter for a violent neo-Nazi group called the Base in August 2019.

After being exposed, Mathews fled the country, illegally crossing over into the U.S., where he met up with neo-Nazi comrades, including Lemley, and participated in paramilitary training events.

The two men were arrested by the FBI in January 2020 and have been in custody since. Investigators allege Mathews and Lemley planned to perpetrate a terror attack on a pro-gun rights rally in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 20, 2020.

Balter contends Mathews had no intention of travelling to Virginia, and was actually scheduled to work on the day in question.

Homegrown hate: Coverage of a neo-Nazi recruiter in Winnipeg Click to Expand Posted: 11:56 AM Sep. 13, 2019 Read Ryan Thorpe's story on infiltrating a neo-Nazi paramilitary group, and the Free Press' follow-up coverage. Read Full Story

On June 11, Mathews and Lemley pleaded guilty to various felonies. They are scheduled to be sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland next Thursday.

Mathews pleaded guilty to transporting a firearm and ammunition interstate with intent to commit a felony, obstruction of justice and two counts of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Lemley pleaded guilty to, among other charges, conspiracy to transport an illegal alien, disposing of a firearm and ammunition to an illegal alien, transporting a firearm and ammunition interstate with intent to commit a felony and obstruction of justice.

At question is whether the court will impose stiffer sentences on the two men on the basis of terrorism enhancements. The prosecution and defence will argue their positions Monday in a pre-sentencing hearing.

Balter argues that while the evidence in the case demonstrates that Mathews and Lemley were white supremacists," they did not actually develop a concrete plan to commit an act of terrorism.

"(Their) conversations were replete with virulent hate speech and references to imagined acts of violence against property, minorities and government. However, the governments conclusion that the conversations evinced the request intent is wrong," he writes.

"The content of the conversations showed there were no plans to carry out any crime of terrorism. The intercepted conversations contain hate speech and advocacy of violence that are protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution."

The content of the conversations showed there were no plans to carry out any crime of terrorism. The intercepted conversations contain hate speech and advocacy of violence that are protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.  Patrik Mathews defence attorney Joseph Balter

Balter also claims an undercover FBI agent who infiltrated the Base "did everything in his power to encourage the defendants to develop a plan for violence in Virginia," but that ultimately they did not.

"(Their) conversations are replete with Mr. Mathews political opinions about race, anti-Semitism, and advocacy for anti-government and political violence. Mr. Mathews speech itself cannot be the subject of prosecution," Balter writes.

"While the defendants talked, they did not act (Mathews has) accepted responsibility for his conduct and is remorseful."

The prosecution filed a response to the defence attorneys sentencing requests, claiming their request for a 33-month term of imprisonment is "untethered to the facts" in the case.

"The First Amendment has nothing to do with this case. Speech and written words can prove intent and rationale behind criminal plans," the prosecution writes.

Mathews didnt illegally cross the border on a whim. Lemley didnt ferry Mathews throughout the country out of some misguided sense of altruism. Lemley and Mathews didnt assemble an assault rifle out of the goodness of their hearts."  The prosecution

The prosecution denies there was no "plan" to commit an act of terrorism, claiming Mathews and Lemley had developed various plans, "both general and specific," intended to achieve desired political outcomes.

"Mathews didnt illegally cross the border on a whim. Lemley didnt ferry Mathews throughout the country out of some misguided sense of altruism. Lemley and Mathews didnt assemble an assault rifle out of the goodness of their hearts," the prosecution writes.

"The guns they possessed werent for sport or collecting. Lemley could have walked into any federal firearms licensee and legally purchased any firearm; instead, he chose to help an alien construct one that couldnt be traced."

The prosecution claims the defence sentencing memos "do an expert job trying to humanize the defendants  to paint full portraits of damaged individual lives and loving extended families  instead of focusing on the criminal conduct that brought (them) before the court."

"The defendants ask for a leniency they never contemplated showing those they intended to murder, terrorize, and humiliate."

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe
The two candidates vying to be leader of the Manitoba Tory party, and the next premier, are laser-focused on winning over party members  not the public  with 10 days to go.

The two candidates vying to be leader of the Manitoba Tory party, and the next premier, are laser-focused on winning over party members  not the public  with 10 days to go.

"I think that these leaders are more concerned about speaking to members than to the general public," political expert Christopher Adams said Wednesday.

"If you think about what their task is right now, to win the leadership, either one of them has to convince members to support them," said Adams, a political studies professor at the University of Manitoba.

Neither Shelly Glover nor Heather Stefanson would answer questions from the Free Press Wednesday, after anti-vaccine passport crusaders posted support for Glover on social media, and Stefanson took out ads to show a diversity of Manitobans in her corner.

Glover, a former police officer and federal cabinet minister in Stephen Harper's Conservative government, was "on tour" and not available to comment, her campaign said.

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Shelly Glover, a former police officer and federal cabinet minister in Stephen Harper's Conservative government, was "on tour" and not available to comment, her campaign said.

Stefanson's campaign prepared a statement rather than make her available.

"I feel that weve been running a positive campaign listening to Manitobans. Weve focused on broadening our tent and becoming a more inclusive party that reflects the province that we call home," Stefanson's campaign said.

The campaigns are urging supporters to mail their ballots by the end of the day Friday to make sure they're received by the deadline  Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. The new leader will be announced on Oct. 30.

It's tough to know who is ahead because the PC party has a "one-member, one-vote" system, instead of having constituency associations select delegates to vote for a leader, Adams said.

He and veteran political analyst Paul Thomas both think Stefanson has an edge.

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Stefanson's campaign prepared a statement rather than make her available.

"As the establishment candidate within the provincial party, Stefanson is targeting more of her sales effort on disgruntled members of the PC party who are frustrated and angry with the direction and leadership style of (former premier Brian) Pallister," said Thomas, a political studies professor emeritus at the U of M.

"As more of an outsider, with her experience coming in the federal wing of the party, Glover is also running an anti-Pallister sales campaign but she is targeting her appeal more broadly to enlist new members fed up with COVID restrictions," he said.

Because Glover appears to lack a strong base of support from PC opinion leaders - cabinet and caucus members, constituency executives, leading business people and identifiable community figures - she has to cast a wide net to reel in as many members, new and old, Thomas said.

"She cannot afford to alienate an intense minority of potential followers who are anti-vaccination," he said of Glover. She will have to count on the emotional strength of her followers opinions on single-issue causes to drive them to mail-in ballots by the deadline, Thomas said.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE/FREE PRESS FILES Stefanson set out to establish an image as a moderate, pragmatic leader, said Paul Thomas, a political studies professor emeritus at the U of M.

"Stefanson set out to establish an image as a moderate, pragmatic leader who can command broad support within the political community, even across party lines."

Thomas said that's been a winning formula in Manitoba politics, including for premiers such as Conservative Duff Roblin and New Democrat Gary Doer.

"Her challenge is to convince members... and ultimately voters, that she was publicly loyal to the Pallister agenda but was critical in the privacy of cabinet and caucus," he said.

Stefanson's ability to entice endorsements from prominent people has given the Tuxedo MLA an edge, figures Adams.

DREW MAY/THE BRANDON SUN FILES Glover, too, has high-profile endorsements, including Conservative Sen. Don Plett, Peguis First Nation Chief Glenn Hudson, Sikh community leader Amarjeet Warraich as well as some notorious opponents to vaccine passports.

Glover, too, has high-profile endorsements, including Conservative Sen. Don Plett, Peguis First Nation Chief Glenn Hudson, Sikh community leader Amarjeet Warraich as well as some notorious opponents to vaccine passports.

Patrick Allard has been arrested for violating public health orders and failing to comply with conditions of his release for inciting protesters to block roads to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers home opener in August because proof of vaccination was required.

Allard spoke at a People's Party of Canada rally at The Forks, with its leader Maxime Bernier, last month and has since told his Facebook followers to vote for Glover. He's also offered to pick up PC party ballots supporting her and deliver them to the party headquarters. Another Glover supporter, Karl Krebs, tried and failed to convince Winkler city council to declare it a sanctuary city in which provincial mask and vaccine passport requirements would not be upheld.

"Refusing to challenge lawbreakers with extreme views could come back to haunt Glover in the unlikely event that she should win the leadership," said Thomas.

"She will face withering attacks from the opposition parties, by public health experts and in the media for ignoring science and evidence," he said.

"She will argue that she wants to build a 'big tent' political party that does not rely on top-down unilateral control from the premiers office. However, critics will argue that on life-and-death matters, leaders must show political courage and take a principled stand," said Thomas.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
When government is presented with a significant problem for which it does not have an immediate solution, it will typically announce an action plan that is wholly absent of any action. Manitoba's response to the surgical backlog is an excellent case in point.

When government is presented with a significant problem for which it does not have an immediate solution, it will typically announce an action plan that is wholly absent of any action. Manitoba's response to the surgical backlog is an excellent case in point.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitobans waiting for surgeries and groups such as Doctors Manitoba have been sounding the alarm about the growing backlog of surgeries created in large part by the pandemic. Together, they have pressed the Progressive Conservative government to take urgent action to address the situation.

In response, the PC government has unleashed the fury of an actionless action plan.

In March, former premier Brian Pallister announced $50 million for additional surgeries. Seven months later, only $14 million of that money has been spent and the most recent analysis from Doctors Manitoba shows the backlog of procedures is now 130,000, up from 110,000 when Pallister pledged the cash.

In March, former premier Brian Pallister announced $50 million for additional surgeries. Seven months later, only $14 million of that money has been spent.

Since then, Health Minister Audrey Gordon has offered to assemble a group of experts to advise government on the best way forward. To date, the advisory panel has no mandate, no authority and, in fact, has yet to be named.

That is simply not a responsible approach to one of the greatest health crises of our time. A crisis that is getting worse by the day.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon.

On Wednesday, the province confirmed 158 health-care workers had accepted unpaid leave rather than comply with the vaccine or testing mandate. No breakdown by discipline was provided, but you can assume some of the affected staff will come from the surgical side of the system, which will add to delays.

In some ways, the failure to provide an urgent response to this urgent problem is consistent with this government's entire pandemic response. It also reveals foolish mistakes made in the pre-pandemic period.

For many years before the pandemic struck, the PC government starved health-care funding, rationing new investments that could have led to a much shorter surgical wait list.

For many years before the pandemic struck, the PC government starved healthcare funding, rationing new investments that could have led to a much shorter surgical wait list.

Over its first three years in government, the Pallister government underspent its stated health-care budget by hundreds of millions of dollars. At the end of the 2017-18 fiscal year, the Tory government spent $42 million less than the year before, the first time in nearly 30 years that health-care spending had shrunk.

All the while, Pallister and his MLAs allowed spending on priority surgical procedures to languish  and wait times to go up. In fact, although wait times do tend to fluctuate on an annual basis, the current delays for hips, knees and cataracts are considerably longer now than in 2016 when the Tories took over.

And what did Pallister and his team do while Manitobans were crying out for more surgeries? They chose instead to indulge in hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to sales and property taxes. High-wealth individuals may find that an acceptable trade-off, but for the gross majority of Manitobans who cannot afford to go to the United States for privately funded surgery, it's a bum deal.

The worst part is that months ago, government was bombarded with good advice on how to address the backlog.

DAVID LIPNOWSKI / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Over its first three years in power, the Pallister government underspent its stated health-care budget by hundreds of millions of dollars. At the end of the 2017-18 fiscal year, they spent $42 million less on health care than the year before.

Doctors Manitoba has twice provided government with a road map for dealing with the surgery backlog. In June, it recommended the creation of an independent advisory group, increased investments in priority surgeries, regular and detailed updates on progress, and the need for government to establish a firm date to erase the backlog. It renewed those recommendations this month.

In one year, B.C. was able to cover all of the surgeries that had been delayed by the pandemic and had actually reduced its total surgical wait list to 84,000 patients, below prepandemic levels.

In both instances, the suggestions fell on deaf ears.

If the Tory government was determined to ignore Doctors Manitoba, at the very least it could have looked west to British Columbia, which provided a clear path to dealing with surgical backlogs.

B.C. formed an expert advisory committee on the surgical backlog in the spring of 2020, less than two months into the pandemic. It invested $250 million for more surgeries and to hire more surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, therapists and imaging technicians. It bought two new MRI machines and started running them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The results have been astounding. In one year, B.C. was able to cover all of the surgeries that had been delayed by the pandemic and had actually reduced its total surgical wait list to 84,000 patients, below pre-pandemic levels.

It's an impressive but incredibly simple strategy: more resources, spent wisely, and deployed on an urgent basis.

Pallister's departure probably did not help the situation. At a time when the Tory government needed solutions to the most pressing problems, it has been locked in a campaign to select the next leader and premier.

But even without that distraction, this is a government that has consistently tempted fate with its austere approach to funding health care. Initially, the Tories were able to get away with it because it had only made a bad situation a tiny bit worse.

The pandemic has turned worse into potentially disastrous. We can only hope the PC government realizes the magnitude of the threat before it's too late.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
The number of front-line health-care workers who are on unpaid leave because they refuse to provide proof of vaccination or take a COVID-19 test has grown to 158  more than half of whom work in the Southern Health region.

The number of front-line health-care workers who are on unpaid leave because they refuse to provide proof of vaccination or take a COVID-19 test has grown to 158  more than half of whom work in the Southern Health region.

Management has had to redeploy staff from other programs in the region to Eastview Place in Altona and Salem Home in Winkler "to ensure ongoing quality care and services," a Shared Health spokesman said Wednesday.

Vaccine status Click to Expand More than 37,000 of Manitoba's 42,000 direct-care workers have completed the voluntary online disclosure process. Just over 35,000 have indicated they have been fully vaccinated. That's approximately 95 per cent of those whose online disclosure has been completed. A large number of paper forms have been collected at sites and by managers and are still being manually entered into the system. Managers remain responsible for confirming the vaccination status of direct-care workers when they show up for work. Those who are not confirmed are required to undergo testing. As of Tuesday evening, 1,866 health-care workers had been identified as requiring testing.  Source: Shared Health

"Designated family caregivers are continuing to visit and provide some support with feeding and visiting at some sites," he said in an email.

Last week, Salem Home in Winkler and Tabor Home in Morden sent letters to residents' families advising them there may be staffing shortages on Monday when vaccination or COVID-19 testing became a requirement for direct-support workers, and that they could be asked to help care for their loved ones.

The system has been able to deal with the absences, a Shared Health spokesman said Wednesday.

"Contingency plans have been, and continue to be, in place and the staffing impacts continue to be very closely monitored."

Additional resources, including the COVID-19 casual pool of workers and internationally educated nurses have volunteered to provide staffing support and are being added to work schedules, he said.

Of 42,000 Manitoba health-care workers, 158 are on unpaid leave for refusing to comply with the public health orders that took effect Monday. They work in a variety of professions.

Most are in rural Manitoba, Shared Health data show. Just 17 are employed by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and three work for Shared Health, while 138 are outside the city: 83 in Southern Health, 27 in Interlake-Eastern, 26 in Prairie Mountain and two in the Northern region.

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Last week Salem Home in Winkler sent a letter to residents' families advising them there may be staffing shortages.

Shared Health said the "vast majority" of health-care facilities are reporting no "significant" impacts related to the employees being off work.

Southern Health, however, did not make a representative available for an interview Wednesday. Citing privacy concerns and human resource issues, the health authority stated it couldn't disclose where the 83 staff on leave work or which health-care facilities had to bring in more staff through redeployments.

"Regarding service delivery, contingency plans are in place to ensure ongoing access to health services and we are happy to report that, to date, those areas are operating with appropriate staffing levels, ensuring the ongoing care and comfort of our most vulnerable citizens," a spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement.

Coming off a stint in intensive care this week, a Winkler physician said he was expecting some aides and support staff to go on leave as a result of the mandatory vaccination or testing policies, but so far the effect on the hospital hasn't been as bad as he had feared.

"We were expecting healthcare aides and other support staff to fall into this group of 83 that you describe; I do believe that the personal care homes are more severely affected."  Dr. Ganesan Abbu

"In this area, it's not unexpected. We kind of anticipated that, hoped that would not be the case," said Dr. Ganesan Abbu, who is based at Boundary Trails Health Centre.

"We were expecting health-care aides and other support staff to fall into this group of 83 that you describe; I do believe that the personal care homes are more severely affected."

Abbu said he was told the hospital braced for protests earlier this week when staff became subject to mandatory testing and checking of vaccination status, but that only three people showed up to protest and quickly disbanded, on Monday.

Shared Health issued a reminder to members of the public and those on an unpaid leave of absence not to disrupt or block people who enter and leave facilities and to stay off health authority and health-care facility property so as not to disrupt health-care workers' "sense of security."

"Health-care workers, designated family caregivers and visitors must continue to have unimpeded access to facilities, including access to parking for their use," Shared Health stated.

"So far, it hasn't been as bad as we've anticipated, but I think the next week or two will tell the real story."  Dr. Ganesan Abbu

Meanwhile, Abbu said he is still working to care for severely ill patients. The number of COVID-19 patients at Boundary Trails hasn't spiked after Thanksgiving, but health officials are anticipating higher numbers of infections over the next couple of weeks.

"So far, it hasn't been as bad as we've anticipated, but I think the next week or two will tell the real story," Abbu said.

Only one of the seriously ill patients he treated this week had COVID-19, but that doesn't mean the virus is less of a concern in the area. COVID-19 patients who are seriously ill are being transported to Winnipeg or staying on hospital wards for palliative care, he said.

"The trend right now, though, is when patients come, they either come in very sick and they need to be intubated and sent to Winnipeg right away, so that's one reason why our numbers have been lower than the third wave. The second reason is that a lot of patients, especially elderly patients, those with co-morbidities, when they come in, then we've had a few more deaths than we had in the third wave... more patients kind of elect to be palliative."

No health-care staff at CancerCare Manitoba refused to get vaccinated or tested, Shared Health said.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Katie May

Reporter Katie May reports on courts, crime and justice for the Free Press. Read full biography
The lowest point in the pandemic for Dr. Doug Eyolfson was when he lost count of the ICU patients he had treated during the third wave who had succumbed to COVID-19.

The lowest point in the pandemic for Dr. Doug Eyolfson was when he lost count of the ICU patients he had treated during the third wave who had succumbed to COVID-19.

"The number of people I had cared for, before they were intubated, had conversations with them, knew things about them  and then watched them slowly die, I lost count of the number," said Eyolfson, who spent this spring working in the Grace Hospital ICU.

"The number of end-of-life conversations that we had with families  I saw more of that in six months than I had in probably a decade in emergency medicine."

What made it harder for the former Liberal MP is knowing policy choices factored into the number of deaths.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Former Liberal MP and ICU doctor Doug Eyolfson.

"There's a ripple effect, throughout the whole health-care system," he said in a wide-ranging interview.

The Free Press approached Eyolfson to hear what it's like to be on the COVID-19 front lines, with recent experience as a politician in government.

Eyolfson was an emergency department doctor primarily based out of Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg until fall 2015, when he was elected as Liberal MP for the riding of CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley.

Four years later, he lost to Conservative candidate Marty Morantz, returning to a hospital system that, by 2019, seemed to be in chaos.

By all accounts, Manitoba's health-care expenditures were unsustainable in the long term when the Pallister government took office in 2016. Eyolfson's own Liberal team had kept in place a federal health transfer that doesn't meet provinces' growing expenses.

Yet, the provincial PC government's health reforms have been widely viewed as chaotic. Three Winnipeg emergency rooms were replaced with urgent care centres, but paramedics and patients couldn't always tell which one to visit.

"It happened so suddenly, and not with a lot of forethought," Eyolfson said.

The government insists it's making hard choices that will provide Manitobans with better care in the long run. However, Doctors Manitoba said last week the system was run so tightly before the pandemic, it buckled under marginal increases in patients.

"They were given an almost impossible task," said Eyolfson. "(With) COVID happening shortly after these reforms took place, it made for a perfect storm of a just critically overloaded system."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES While the first wave largely spared Manitoba, the second hit a year ago, pulling staff such as Eyolfson from emergency wards to intensive care units.

While the first wave largely spared Manitoba, the second hit a year ago, pulling staff such as Eyolfson from emergency wards to intensive care units.

There was little reprieve for exhausted health-care workers this spring. In May, 200 doctors signed a letter urging Manitoba to further restrict non-essential gatherings, as the third wave hit other provinces hard.

The province insisted it had the right balance, but by June, it had the fastest COVID-19 spread than any other jurisdiction in North America.

"That was the low point, just seeing all this severe illness and death happening at the same time," he said. "Family members saying goodbye, over (video calls); I'll never forget that. I never thought I'd see that in my lifetime."

By late May, personnel from the Canadian military, STARS or other medical-transfer companies would enter hospitals to prepare ICU patients for transportation, in the end wheeling a total of 57 of them out and onto planes headed for Ontario, Saskatchewan or Alberta.

There should have been more requests for (federal) help earlier."  Former Liberal MP and ICU doctor Doug Eyolfson

Within a few hours, another patient would take their place.

"There should have been more requests for (federal) help earlier," he said. "The provinces had to ask for it."

Eyolfson has a chipper manner, which at times was awkward on Parliament Hill. His partisan jabs in the House never quite landed when delivered with an upbeat tone.

But underneath his happy demeanour, Eyolfson holds a deep anger  over Manitobans he says died because of local political decisions.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Eyolfson holds a deep anger  over Manitobans he says died because of local political decisions.

"They've been making a lot of ideological decisions, and holding off on making a lot of the necessary restrictions," he said. "They've been afraid of their base, that would claim that their so-called rights are being violated by lockdowns and vaccine mandates."

The PC government insists it follows the advice of public health, but that guidance is never shared with anyone other than ministers, who are the ones making all COVID-19 decisions.

After the resignation of premier Brian Pallister in late August, the province has taken a more cautious approach, which seems to have spared Manitoba the dramatic rise in cases seen in the rest of Western Canada.

Now, the main issue is unvaccinated Manitobans, who make up the vast majority of those hospitalized due to COVID-19.

Eyolfson said he and his medical colleagues will never deny care to anyone who's sick. However, he says, they have to actively ignore the fact it's unvaccinated people maxing out ICUs.

As a result, patients who should be coming in from the adjacent emergency ward end up transferred to other hospitals. Doctors and nurses are getting pulled off operating room shifts to deal with unvaccinated ICU patients, thus delaying surgeries.

"It is frustrating to see these effects in the health-care system," he said.

We can't be held hostage by people who want to make bad decisions.  Eyolfson on vaccine holdout health workers

Eyolfson fully supports measures to require health-care workers to get vaccinated, saying there is virtually no pushback from his colleagues in Winnipeg. He's glad Manitoba didn't push back its vaccination mandate, as Quebec did this month.

"That just will empower those who resist it," he said. "We can't be held hostage by people who want to make bad decisions."

As the pandemic grinds on, "I think it's premature to say there's any end in sight to this," Eyolfson said. "I don't think life is going to return to the way it was for quite some time."

He has hope, however. Manitoba has largely warded off a fourth wave, which Eyolfson attributes to a vaccine requirement for non-essential businesses and requiring mask use indoors.

"That was the high point, because that says the government is actually making decisions based on data," he said. "I hope they continue to do so."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
COVID-19 public-health orders that restricted gatherings and limited the number of people permitted to attend in-person church services are not unconstitutional or undemocratic, a Manitoba court has ruled.

COVID-19 public-health orders that restricted gatherings and limited the number of people permitted to attend in-person church services are not unconstitutional or undemocratic, a Manitoba court has ruled.

While the rules did restrict the freedoms of religious expression and peaceful assembly, they didn't infringe upon charter rights to liberty and equality and were justified as a pandemic response based on credible science, Court of Queen's Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal decided.

After reviewing a large volume of scientific evidence, the judge dismissed legal challenges brought by a group of seven Manitoba churches arguing the province's public-health orders unfairly violated their rights and were improperly enacted into law.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Chief Justice Glenn Joyal.

The decision comes after court heard several days of testimony last spring from scientists and public-health and medical experts, including chief provincial public-health officer Dr. Brent Roussin, who explained the scientific reasoning the province used to enact the temporary restrictions on gathering sizes and in-person church services.

"I have no difficulty concluding that even where Manitobas response to the various waves of the pandemic could be properly criticized in hindsight as too slow and not sufficiently broad, the restrictions that were eventually imposed represent public health policy choices rooted in a comparatively well-accepted public health consensus. As Dr. Roussin noted, the impugned restrictions were generally consistent with measures seen across most of Canada and the rest of the world," Joyal wrote in a 156-page decision, one of two rulings issued in answer to the churches' challenge.

Joyal's written decisions were released Thursday, 10 months after the case was launched by Gateway Bible Baptist Church, Pembina Valley Baptist Church, Redeeming Grace Bible Church, Grace Covenant Church, Slavic Baptist Church, Bible Baptist Church, the Christian Church of Morden and pastors Thomas Rempel, Tobias Tissen and Ross MacKay.

Download Second decision on Churches vs. Manitoba

The churches specifically challenged three provincial public-health orders that last fall, at the height of the second wave of the pandemic in Manitoba, restricted private and public gatherings and placed limits on the number of people who could attend in-person worship services.

It is not reasonable in a pandemic to require public-health orders to be passed through the legislative assembly, Joyal also ruled, dismissing another of the churches' legal arguments. The group wanted the court to declare that the public-health orders violated an "unwritten constitutional principle" that only the legislative assembly  not public-health officials  can make laws. But Joyal ruled the emergency measures are "constitutionally justifiable" within the province's Public Health Act legislation.

The churches were represented by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, whose founder and president John Carpay shocked the national legal community by admitting he hired a private investigator to follow Joyal and senior provincial government officials to see if they were following the public-health orders.

In a statement, the organization said it may appeal the ruling. Manitoba-based lawyer Allison Pejovic had argued the public-health rules failed to consider the "collateral social and health costs" of lockdowns.

"We are disappointed in these decisions and in the unwavering deference accorded to public-health officials," Pejovic stated in a news release. "We are carefully reviewing the decisions and are considering an appeal."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Protesters gathered to support seven churches fighting pandemic restrictions in court in front of the Law Courts in Winnipeg in May.

Manitoba Justice Minister Cameron Friesen said the ruling upholds the government's position that it enacted reasonable response measures.

"Those measures are demonstrating their value even now, as we continue to see a stabilizing of the daily case counts, even while other jurisdictions are experiencing very significant case spread and hospitalizations," Friesen said in an emailed statement to the Canadian Press.

Joyal's rulings are not binding in courts outside of Manitoba, but they could have a far-reaching impact, a legal expert says. The province was able to provide credible evidence that its limits on freedoms during the pandemic were reasonable, and courts across Canada use the same legal framework for these kinds of constitutional challenges, said Gerard Kennedy, an assistant professor of law at the University of Manitoba.

"Unless the (public-health) restrictions in other provinces were radically different, a judge in another province would think long and hard before coming to a different conclusion," Kennedy said.

The decision emphasized that public-health officials must be afforded a "margin of appreciation" to determine reasonable limits on charter rights.

"This was not a public inquiry; it didn't say what Manitoba did was good, or wise. It was, however, constitutional. So even if it can be criticized, it was constitutional and, thus, legal," Kennedy said.

"Given the amount of evidence that was considered, given the legal framework that is the same across the country, it's a pretty persuasive precedent."

"Given the amount of evidence that was considered, given the legal framework that is the same across the country, it's a pretty persuasive precedent."  Gerard Kennedy, an assistant professor of law at the University of Manitoba

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has launched similar court challenges in other provinces.

Carpay apologized in July for having the judge tracked, and claimed the private-eye work was not related to the then-still-ongoing legal case. Upon discovering he was being followed, Joyal made a complaint to the Winnipeg Police Service, which said it would investigate.

The spying came to light when the judge called a special court hearing July 12 to announce he'd been followed while doing errands in Winnipeg. Someone showed up at his home and had the address of his cottage as well, he said. Following the judge's revelation, Carpay admitted he was responsible.

The incident prompted Friesen to call for an investigation into the conduct of all lawyers affiliated with the Alberta-based JCCF, which is a registered charity. Carpay temporarily stepped down as president of the organization he created, but returned to the position less than two months later.

In court in July, Joyal stated the incident would not affect his decision in the churches' case. Indeed, there was no mention in his ruling of the private-investigator tactics used by the organization.

 With files from the Canadian Press

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  Syria executed 24 people Thursday after charging them with igniting wildfires last year that left three people dead and burnt thousands of hectares (acres) of forests, the Justice Ministry said.

FILE - In this file photo released Oct. 13, 2020 on the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency, Syrian President Bashar Assad, center left, wearing a mask to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, speaks with people during his tour of areas that suffered heavy damage from deadly wildfires, in the Syrian coastal province of Latakia. Syria executed 24 people Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 after charging them with igniting wildfires last year that left three people dead and burnt thousands of hectares (acres) of forests, the Justice Ministry said. (Syrian Presidency via Facebook via AP, File)

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  Syria executed 24 people Thursday after charging them with igniting wildfires last year that left three people dead and burnt thousands of hectares (acres) of forests, the Justice Ministry said.

Executions are common in war-torn Syria, but the number of those put to death Thursday is larger than usual.

Syria's decade-old conflict left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced half the countrys population, including five million refugees outside the country.

The Justice Ministry called the 24 who were executed, "criminals who carried out terrorist attacks that led to deaths and damage to infrastructure and public property." It said 11 others were sentenced to life in prison in the same case.

It said nine others, including five juveniles, received prison sentences. The prison sentences for the juveniles ranged between 10 to 12 years, the Justice Ministry said.

The ministry said in late 2020, authorities detained dozens of people who confessed that they began planning to ignite fires starting in August last year. They started fires in September that affected 280 towns and villages and damaged 370 homes, the ministry added.

It said a total of 24,000 hectares (59,300 acres) of forests and plantation were burnt in the fires.

Wildfires broke out in several Middle Eastern countries in October 2020 amid a heat wave that was unusual for that time of the year, leaving Syria particularly hard-hit. Three people were killed in the blazes, which also burned wide areas of forests, mostly in Latakia and the central province of Homs.

President Bashar Assads hometown of Qardaha in Latakia province was hard hit by the fires, which heavily damaged a building used as storage for the state-owned tobacco company, part of which collapsed.

Assad made a rare visit to the region shortly after the fire was brought under control.
LONDON (AP)  British police charged a 25-year-old man Thursday with the murder of a Conservative lawmaker, alleging that the killing was an act of terrorism by a supporter of the Islamic State group.

Floral tributes and pictures of British Member of Parliament David Amess lie placed outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. British lawmaker David Amess was killed on Friday during a meeting with constituents at the Belfairs Methodist church, in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

LONDON (AP)  British police charged a 25-year-old man Thursday with the murder of a Conservative lawmaker, alleging that the killing was an act of terrorism by a supporter of the Islamic State group.

Prosecutors said Ali Harbi Ali, a man from London with Somali heritage, had religious and ideological motivations when he attacked David Amess last week in the town of Leigh-on-Sea. Prosecutors allege Ali targeted Amess because the lawmaker had voted for air strikes on Syria.

The slaying took place as Amess, who was 69, attended a routine meeting with his constituents. The slaying shook a nation accustomed to having face-to-face contact with its leaders, heightened concerns about extremism and rattled British politicians, who say they face increasing levels of vitriol and abuse as they perform their jobs.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes gives a statement outside New Scotland Yard in London in connection of the death of British lawmaker David Amess, in London, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. British authorities say a man has been charged with murder and preparing acts of terrorism in the stabbing of a Conservative lawmaker who was killed as he met constituents at a church hall last week Police say Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old British man with Somali heritage, has been charged in the death of David Amess. (James Manning/PA via AP)

At a briefing hearing at Londons Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday, prosecutor James Cable said Ali began planning to kill a lawmaker two years ago, and initially focused on two other politicians before choosing Amess.

Ali was not asked to enter a plea at the preliminary hearing, which lasted less than 15 minutes. He smiled at his legal team as he entered the court and spoke only to confirm his name, age, and address. He was ordered detained until the next hearing.

Nick Price of the Crown Prosecution Service said the murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations.

Matt Jukes, the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations, said no other arrests have been made and at this time we are not seeking anybody else in relation to this incident.

A police van leaves Westminster Magistrates Court in London, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. British authorities say a man has been charged with murder and preparing acts of terrorism in the stabbing of a Conservative lawmaker who was killed as he met constituents at a church hall last week Police say Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old British man with Somali heritage, has been charged in the death of David Amess. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Jukes said detectives had analyzed computers, searched several London addresses and reviewed CCTV footage as part of the investigation.

The death of Amess, who had served in Parliament for almost 40 years and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015, escalated concerns about security among Britain's politicians, who pride themselves on being accessible to their constituents.

The slaying came five years after Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by a far-right extremist. Cox was the first British lawmaker to be killed since a peace accord ended large-scale Northern Ireland violence almost 30 years earlier.

British politicians are protected by armed police when they are in Parliament but generally are not given such protection in their home districts.

Home Secretary Priti Patel told the House of Commons on Wednesday that intelligence officers had upgraded the threat level for politicians from moderate to substantial, though she said there was no specific or imminent threat.

A special session of the House of Commons on Monday resounded with appeals to force social media giants to do more to prevent the spread of online hate that has poisoned political discourse.

Amess was a social conservative who opposed abortion, campaigned for animal rights and strongly supported Britains exit from the European Union. He was well liked even by his political opponents for his civility, good humor and commitment to his constituents in the seaside constituency of Southend West, 40 miles (60 kilometers) east of London.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped Amess loved ones would get the justice they deserve as fast as possible.

What we must not do is be intimidated by this appalling murder into changing the way we conduct our parliamentary business or the way we work in our constituencies, he said. Which I think is the last thing that David Amess wouldve wanted.
School leaders around the state must do more to protect students and staff from the dangerous delta variant of the coronavirus, Education Minnesota said Thursday in a news release.

The announcement came after the state health department reported the first death of a student from COVID-19 this school year and two more staff deaths.

According to the weekly update of infections related to schools from the Minnesota Department of Health, 13 school staff members and two students have now died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began last year.

The health department did not provide specific details about the student or the two staff members who died.

Five school staff members and one student have died of COVID-19 this school year and its only October, said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota. There is no excuse for any district leader to ignore the guidelines for masking, social distancing, quarantining and vaccinations set out by state and federal public health authorities.

The loss of this student is a tragedy that every educator will feel, Specht said. Were asking parents to please reduce the risk of another tragic death of a student by vaccinating their teens. When the vaccine becomes available to younger children, vaccinate them, too.

Since August 2020, there have been 38,737 COVID-19 cases associated with schools of all kinds and 363 hospitalizations of students and staff. Sixty-six staff and students have been admitted to intensive care units.

The health departments weekly report is available here: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/stats/

Education Minnesota is the voice for professional educators and students. Education Minnesotas members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesotas public school districts, faculty members at Minnesotas community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO. More information about Education Minnesota is available at www.educationminnesota.org.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A new vending machine at Jefferson Elementary offers students a fun, rewarding way to expand their love of reading.

The school recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Inchys Bookworm Vending Machine, which accepts only special golden tokens that students can earn in a variety of ways.

Among the titles currently in the vending machine are Dont Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, The Biggest Apple Ever, and Pig the Monster. The school also has a fund to purchase additional books throughout the year.

Students can earn tokens for special events such as their birthday, or as a reward for positive behavior that aligns with the schools Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) values of being respectful, responsible and safe.

The vending machine was a dream realized for teacher Tammy Eastep, who wanted to find a fun way to get books in the hands  and eventually the homes  of all students in the building.

Several businesses and organizations helped provide the funds to purchase the vending machine and supply it with books: Celanese, RTP, Midtown Foods, Eagles Club and WNB Financial. The school also received a BK5K grant.

Eastep said she was brought to tears by the support of businesses in the community, and was also grateful for the maintenance staff at Jefferson and Winona Area Public Schools for figuring out how to get the machine through the doors.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Young children arent the only ones who need a playground.

Thats the idea behind a Baraboo groups push to build a challenge course in the style of American Ninja Warrior for teenagers and adults at Ochsner Park by next summer. Nonprofit organization Friends of Baraboo Parks will host a chili cook-off fundraiser for the cause next weekend.

Founder Bekah Stelling said she initially had the idea, which is near and dear to my heart, several years ago and has been working with the city Parks Department on it for roughly two years. Teenagers, particularly boys, benefit from having a place to play, where they can challenge their minds and bodies without scaring away younger children, she said.

As a mother of three boys, Ive read a lot of books about boys needing that for their mental health, to really learn to challenge their bodies, and this would be a way to give them a safe way to do that, Stelling said.

The group already has raised about $20,000 for the new park, nearly one-third of the roughly $60,000 needed to build it, she said. An anonymous private donor pitched in the first $10,000 and the rest has been made up of small donations and grants.

Chili for a cause
It would be commonplace to think there is wholesale, widespread support for our men and women in blueand other colors as wellthat often risk their own safety to insure ours. However, there are also many who seek to promote movements such as defunding the police, and who believe the thin blue line flag is a symbol of controversy and divisiveness. However noble the sincere intention of most may be, it is challenging, as there are also groups that use this symbol inappropriately.

Support of law enforcement itself has become a divisive topic for a long time, but the level of vitriol and controversy have been amped up by recent events such as the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis in 2020. Its sort of a sad state of affairs when support for law enforcement becomes a controversial subject.

An Oct. 14 WXOW story quoted Viroqua Councilman Ben Wilson, who stated, the thin blue line has come to represent a lot of different things to a lot of people and, quite frankly, a lot of marginalized groups feel unsafe around that thin blue line imagery. The image has created controversy in other locations as well. On Jan. 26, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department issued a press release stating, public displays of the thin blue line imagery while operating in official capacity are disallowed.
In 2020 we had a very busy year, said Reinbold.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

She said a total of 89 investment opportunities were explored last year and Thrive helped Dodge County business negotiate more than $2 million in incentives for growth and expansion.

The companies that were assisted are investing over $25 million in capital expenditures and creating over 120 jobs over the next three years, she said. At the current tax rate, these businesses will generate approximately $380,000 in annual property tax revenue, just on the county portion, helping to ease the tax burden for your residents.

Recalling a notable success Pratt said, I met the Sure Fire owners at an event in Horicon in fall of 2019. We had conversations right up front and I assured them This is what we do for a living. Having professionals who can walk you through the process, understand the tools and secure financing. Thats what we did with Sure Fire. We worked with the city and with the state to bring a grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Council.

She said it resulted in a $1.5 million in investment that helped retain and add jobs.

The business is growing nicely, and expanding their footprint throughout central and south-central Wisconsin, Pratt said.
The Juneau County Health Department announced a possible COVID-19 outbreak event following a festival in Wonewoc.

The exposure event occurred from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Wonewoc Area Lions Fall Festival held at Wonewoc-Center School, 101 School Road, Wonewoc.

An outbreak is defined by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services as two or more laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the same facility or associated with a single event, with onset within two maximum COVID-19 incubation periods of each other (28 days). Health department officials are warning those who visited the event during the exposure period that they may have been exposed to COVID-19, and if theyre experiencing any symptoms such as headache, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, fever or digestive discomfort to contact their healthcare provider.

The Juneau County Health Department has warned of increased cases over the last few months and the increased prevalence of the Delta variant of COVID-19.

The delta variant makes up the majority of COVID-19 cases and spreads quickly from person to person, the Juneau County Health Department said in a statement.
Wits and Russian Embassy unveils Yuri Gagarin bust

Unveiling of the bust celebrates 60 years of space exploration and human space travel.

Wits University and the Russian Embassy in South Africa celebrated 60 years of human space exploration with the unveiling on Thursday, 21 October, of a bust of Yuri Gagarin, the first man to reach outer space in a spacecraft.

The occasion coincided with a celebration of the 60-year anniversary of the Planetarium at Wits University, where the bust will be on display.

Yuri Gagarin made his  and humanitys  maiden flight in outer space on 12 April 1961 after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the USSR. His flight in the spacecraft named Vostok 1 took one hour and 48 minutes after which he returned to Earths atmosphere. He ejected as planned at 7000 m and landed near Engels.

Gagarins comment at the time of his launch Poyekhali! (Off we go!), became widely known in Russia and is one of the key milestones in the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States, which culminated in the Americans landing on the Moon and the establishment of the International Space Station where global cooperation across all countries became a norm.

This year we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarins journey to outer space which took place on 12 April 1961. Today the significance of his extraordinary achievement is still as relevant as it was 60 years ago and, we hope, it will never be forgotten. Preserving the memory  is one of the main objectives of todays event and it is definitely the most noble one, says H.E. Mr.Ilya Rogachev, Russian Ambassador to South Africa.

The gift of the statue of Gagarins bust was made to Wits University as part of the global campaign dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarins flight to outer space.

Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University said Wits is thankful to receive the bust as a donation from the Russian Federation.

I believe this donation will inspire many young people to know that the exploration of space is not just the confines of one country, but that it is part of a broader search to explore beyond our latitudes, says Vilakazi. Science has no borders. Science is about the exchange of information. This is part of the intellectual, cultural and scientific exchanges between Wits, South Africa and the Russian Federation and I am certain that the Ambassador of the Russian Federation made this kind gesture in the spirit of international cooperation.

Gagarins bust will be on display in the Planetarium at Wits as part of an exhibition on space exploration and the history of the Planetarium. The Planetarium falls under the curatorship of the School of Physics, Faculty of Science at Wits University and will soon see an evolution into a new multifunctional, multidisciplinary Digital Dome under the helm of Professor Roger Deane, Director of the Wits Centre for Astrophysics.

We have assembled a team ranging from digital artists to artificial intelligence experts, engineers and physicists, with a vision to transform the Planetarium into a cutting-edge digital facility, while building on its proud history which dates back to Gagarins historic flight, says Deane.

The Planetarium is the place where thousands of school children developed their first impressions of Wits University during science educational tours over the years, and a science engagement facility capturing the imaginations of the general public, says Professor Deena Naidoo, Head of the School of Physics at Wits University.

In addition, we look forward to the new Digital Dome which will serve as a new hub for Researchers and Postgraduate training across many disciplines to inspire a new generation of scientists and explorers and broaden our links with the People of the Russian Federation for future collaborations, and the sharing of knowledge and ideas.
Civil society statement on Tendele and Mam'Fikile Ntshangase

The Asina Loyiko Working Group has written to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy and mining executives regarding Tendele mine and Mam'Fikile's death

The undersigned organisations, as concerned members of civil society, are aware of the court case brought by the Mfolozi Community Environmental Justice Organisation (MCEJO), Global Environmental Trust (GET), Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN) and ActionAid South Africa in the Pretoria High Court against the decision of the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy to grant Tendele Coal Mining (Pty) a mining right in Somkhele near Mtubatuba in KwaZulu Natal. We are aware that the court case is underway and that the matter will be heard in court soon.

We have seen the letter sent on 4 October 2021 by Tendeles Chief Operating Officer on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer to Minister Gwede Mantashe and senior officials in the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. A copy of the letter was disseminated widely by Tendele via WhatsApp to those in the Somkhele community and more broadly. A copy of the letter was also filed at court as part of the ongoing court case.

In the letter, Tendele pleads with the Minister and the Department for assistance to safeguard the future of the mine. In fact, the phrase We plead for your assistance to safeguard the future of the Mine is used twice in the letter. In doing so, Tendele appears to request an extra-judicial intervention by the Minister and the Department, regardless of court proceedings underway.

According to the letter, Tendele appears to accuse the applicants in the court case of trying to sabotage the mines operations. It alleges that closing the mine has become a personal goal for the applicants' attorney. The applicants, however, are exercising their constitutional rights to approach the court and challenge the authorisation of the mine under various legal provisions, as they are entitled to do. Their attorney is their legal representative and acts on the instructions of her clients.

An annexure to the letter also lists the names of office bearers (and in some instances personal details) of the Applicants, amici curiae (friends of the court admitted to intervene in the matter by the High Court), funders of these organisations, and other associated organisations, for reasons that are not disclosed in the letter - but can be inferred.

This matter has a history of intimidation and attacks on environmental rights defenders, including the assassination of Mam'Fikile Ntshangase on 22 October 2020. Mam'Fikile was a vocal critic of the operations and proposed expansions of the Tendele Coal Mine, and was killed at a time when she expressed unwillingness to sign an agreement with the mine to withdraw current court cases in relation to future mining operations. Mam'Fikile's assassination has been reported on globally. To date, no suspects have been arrested in connection with her murder.

With the anniversary of Mam Fikiles murder approaching on 22 October 2021, we call on Tendele to respect the judicial process, and refrain from any action that will inflame tensions surrounding this matter and increase the risk of further violence.

Thami Nkosi on behalf of the Asina Loyiko Working Group

The Asina Loyiko working group members are the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, the Centre for Environmental Rights, the Benchmarks Foundation, Right to Know, and Southern Africa Resource Watch. See https://asinaloyiko.org.za for more.
When Nikki Hudson drove to a local strip mall in Worthington, Ohio, to collect a corsage for her daughter's homecoming, she was met with two billboards plastered with her name.

One declared her a failure. The other said she should put kids before her political agenda.

"It's like nothing you would ever imagine in a local race," Hudson told CNN.

She's talking about her race for reelection to the Worthington School Board.

Four years ago she remembers going door to door in the well-off suburbs of Columbus, trying to drum up interest in her platform of tackling the ageing school infrastructure. She came top of the ballot with more than 7,000 votes in what felt like a traditional local contest.

But this year, the fractured national political climate has been replicated in heated school board meetings over issues like mask mandates and race equity.

That passion is now being reflected in contentious elections in Ohio and across the country, many with a new, negative undercurrent in the traditionally low-interest polls.

In Worthington, the billboards, yard signs, negative mailers and door hangers are more reminiscent of a divisive presidential or hotly contested congressional race than what would be expected for an off-year vote in the grass roots of American democracy.

Hudson and other board members say they have received threats from members of the community in email, texts and mail.

One mailed letter said, "We are coming after you," and that board members should be tried for treason, in part for "poisoning the minds of children" because of the belief the board is mandating critical race theory. Hudson said that's not the case.

"We want to be a part of selecting the curriculum for our children. We will protest in front of your homes, day and night," the letter said.

The letter was postmarked in Columbus, and said it was from a member of a group called Citizens to Remove CRT From America. CNN could not find a record of the group.

"You have become our enemies and you will be removed, one way or the other. Have a miserable, miserable day for the rest of your life you filthy traitor," the letter said.

Hudson said she expected to be challenged on her decisions, which have been far from universally popular, particularly a board vote to end a contract with police to provide school resource officers that triggered debates about race and law enforcement.

Worthington voters will get their democratic say on whether Hudson deserves another term, but she did not expect the vitriol facing her from billboards and yard signs across the neighborhood.

"They are putting tens of thousands of dollars into targeting me and smearing me," said Hudson.

She doesn't even know who is funding some of the opposition For instance, the billboards are cloaked behind an organization called "Save Worthington Schools," which became an LLC in August 2021. CNN has been unable to contact any people associated with the group despite emails and phone calls.

"It is essentially dark money," Hudson said about the lack of transparency. "As a school board member, when you have someone in your community that is upset about an issue or a decision, the first thing that you do is engage and you have conversations so that you can better understand their viewpoint and what's going on. This structure allows zero opportunity to engage."

The negative attacks and the mailed threats have made her more hesitant, even though she said she is ready to have passionate discussions around schools.

"I just am very just very cautious knocking on doors," she said. "I still do it, but it definitely has a different feeling right now."

'Never seen anything like that'

Hudson's fellow school board member Charlie Wilson, who's lived in the mostly White, upper-middle-class town for 40 years, said he's experienced strong objections to some of his stances, but not personal attacks.

"These so-called outsider groups are sending out scurrilous, untrue, highly defamatory attacks on a school board member who is running for reelection," said Wilson, whose position is not up for vote this year. "And we've certainly never seen anything like that."

Wilson, a past president of the National School Boards Association, said he's been aware of intense votes in big cities but this year the pressure is widespread and particularly charged.

Coupled with the anti-Hudson billboards, are yard signs on tidy front lawns around Worthington, that seem innocent enough. They promote a slate of three school board candidates, -- Jennifer Best, Kelli Davis and Brian Steel -- to fill the three positions up for election.

But Davis said she has nothing to do with the other candidates and condemns the use of her name alongside others. Steel said he wasn't consulted. Board incumbent Best told CNN she also didn't know about the signs before they were made and is focused on running her own campaign.

Davis said the arrival of the signs provoked such tension, she released a statement condemning them, despite the promotion of her candidacy.

"I tried to kindly and respectfully make things clear, but as things got more and more negative and more and more name calling, I felt that it was really important for people to understand that I have no part in that," said Davis.

The signs come from a group called OneWorthington, which seems to have a singular goal of unseating Hudson. Its website has a litany of criticism of Hudson, with clips from board meetings, text exchanges among people in town, and other details in a blog format.

The group does not publicize its leadership or membership, but in an email exchange with CNN, claimed to be comprised of "dozens" of local residents with "hundreds of other local parents cheering us on."

It declined to offer more details about its donors, stating it keeps "much of what we do to ourselves" to stop Hudson and others from targeting them.

But the group did email a statement from Christine Scott, a Worthington parent and member of OneWorthington.

"We're a group of many different Worthington parents who care about our kids. We want them to get a good education and we want to bring common sense back to our schools," Scott wrote. "Nikki Hudson has been a divisive leader on the board, uninterested in listening to the community and building consensus, and unsupportive of our administrators and teachers."

The statement went on to say the group was not part of any candidate's campaign, but selected whom they favored to promote on the yard signs.

"We act independently and make our own independent judgments. We have broad support in this community, and we expect you to include that fact in your story."

Hudson, who said she has the support of the local teachers' union, accused OneWorthington of attacking her personally while hiding behind anonymity.

She also said OneWorthington has "pushed misinformation and orchestrated personal attacks against me, even though most board decisions have had unanimous board support."

Local races gain new importance

This year's attention on school board races, including from outside groups, perhaps shows a growing understanding of how much these positions can impact lives.

The pandemic and questions over school openings and masks made more people care, Hudson's school board colleague Wilson said.

"Normally it really doesn't matter that much, because normally every kid's in school all the time," he said. "But when you get into a pandemic situation, we really do have quite a bit of authority on things that really matter. Especially for parents, when it's your kid ... there's nothing more important to you when you think that some public official is not doing what's best for your kid."

About 10 miles from Worthington, in Westerville, Ohio, feelings about whether masking has been right for kids have been the center of conversation for its school board. The school district adopted a masking policy, angering many in town who protested in favor of parental choice.

Rick Vilardo, who has served two terms for a total of eight years, was set to run for reelection. But he changed his mind when the atmosphere became so poisonous during the mask debate that the school board could not reach its usual consensus on the way forward.

He grows emotional when talking about his decision to not run again.

"In this community, and many communities across the country, we're developing a divide that people don't seem to want to bridge," said Vilardo. "And to me, I'm trying to build bridges."

He wishes the town would realize they agree, as he puts it, on 80 to 90% of issues, but the 10% of thornier issues is keeping anything from getting done.

Cash coming in from hundreds of miles away

Where Vilardo saw no way forward, others see an opening.

Ryan Girdusky is highly engaged in school board contests this year, including some in Ohio though not Hudson's race, even though he has no children in the schools -- or any children at all.

From his home in Queens, New York, he launched the 1776 Project PAC, which he describes as the first national super PAC for school board elections. It supports candidates opposed to critical race theory in education and who favor a "more patriotic curriculum" as well as continuing initiatives like the controversial gifted and talented program that was just dismantled in New York City.

Girdusky said the PAC has raised $250,000, and is spending $125,000 supporting 50 candidates in 29 school districts across seven states in this upcoming cycle. His efforts primarily go towards slates of candidates, with a hope of gaining a majority to control school board votes.

Girdusky believes he can have an impact, noting some races are decided by just a few votes.

"The money is going to primarily mailers, digital ads, text messaging, stuff like that," Girdusky said. "A little money can impact a lot of people."

Girdusky said he was motivated by family and friends frustrated by what they are seeing in their schools. Previously, he was part of local GOP efforts in Queens, and eventually became a consultant, contributor and writer for various right-leaning media sites like the Washington Examiner, Daily Caller and has appeared on OANN.

He bats away assertions that large political action committees have no role in the local decision-making of school board elections, pointing out that teachers' unions have long been involved.

He said he is aware of the pressure incumbent school board candidates are feeling around the country, and welcomes it.

"Good," he said. "They are not physically threatened. Their incumbency is threatened."

Other rare and bold efforts to flip school boards are playing out across the country. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican who has championed giving parents more choice in schools, is getting involved in this year's nonpartisan board elections, going so far as to endorse one candidate. In Pennsylvania, one man has given $500,000 to be split among 50 local PACs to help boost certain conservative candidates, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The campaign takes its toll

In the week since Hudson first talked to CNN about how school board races are changing, she's learned two more billboards against her are going up. Door hangers and mailers declaring her a "controversial board member" and the board's "bad apple" are being distributed by paid canvassers, she said.

She continues to push back on what she said are unfair or untrue characterizations, but she has decided to admit the impact on her mental health -- something she's resisted before, not wanting to give her attackers any satisfaction.

"I'm not OK," she told CNN, describing a constant tightness in her chest. "It's incredibly challenging. It's day in and day out, 24/7."

She grew emotional as she talked. "While I want our children to recognize that you don't back down to bullies, I also want them to know it's OK to say when they're not OK."

She worries about all the others facing similar battles and for the future of school boards and the work they do.

Even with early voting already underway, her own race is sometimes not even top of mind.

"Whether I lose or I win, something has to change," she said.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
When WeWork's plans for a blockbuster initial public offering imploded in 2019, the company became a poster child for the excesses of venture capital and startup culture in the post-2008 era.

"What happened to WeWork is not just a failure of this particular set of individuals," wrote Shira Ovide, a New York Times columnist who was at Bloomberg at the time. "It's a consequence of the last decade of easy money that has made investors throw money at assets promising to grow fast. It has been peak silly times, and they won't last forever."

Now, after a tumultuous two years that's included changes to the company's top leadership and a historic pandemic, WeWork is ready to try again.

What's happening: Shares in the flexible office space provider are set to start trading on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday under the ticker "WE."

But it's a different deal, a different world  and a very different WeWork.

Then: Initially, WeWork pursued a traditional IPO. Bankers were expected to assign the company an eye-popping valuation. At its peak, private investors believed WeWork was worth $47 billion.

Now: Thursday's listing follows a merger with BowX Acquisition Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. The deal values WeWork at roughly $9 billion.

Then: When WeWork released its IPO prospectus in 2019, questions quickly emerged about how quickly it was burning cash. The company shared that while it was rapidly growing its business, it had lost a staggering $1.9 billion in 2018 and $904 million in the first six months of 2019.

WeWork's corporate governance also came under the microscope after it was revealed that co-founder and then-CEO Adam Neumann had amassed huge voting power, giving him extensive control over the company's direction.

Now: Under Sandeep Mathrani, the real estate veteran who took over as CEO in early 2020, WeWork has cut costs and overhauled its portfolio of leases.

Yet the company is still losing money. Following the SPAC deal, which will raise $1.3 billion, Neumann will have voting power of about 11%.

Columbia Business School professor Len Sherman said that taking the SPAC route allows WeWork to avoid the scrutiny it drew in the past.

"The advantage of a SPAC offering is it allows WeWork the ability to make bullish forward-looking growth projections that would not be allowed under traditional IPO regulatory rules," he told me.

Then: What's Covid-19?

Now: The pandemic has dramatically changed the office space market as more people work from home.

"We think increased work from home decreases office demand by about 15%," Daniel Ismail, lead analyst for Green Street's office team, told me. "That's a real paradigm shift."

It's not all bad news for WeWork, though. Ismail thinks companies want more flexible office agreements as workers trickle back, and will favor signing one- or two-year contracts with a firm like WeWork instead of locking in longer leases that span eight to 10 years.

He predicts that the flexible office market, which currently accounts for just 2% of total office inventory in the United States, could reach 10% by the end of the decade.

That said: Shares of IWG, which Ismail said is WeWork's main publicly-traded competitor, are down 13% this year as uncertainties linger.

One more thing: Neumann is infamous now (he'll be played by actor Jared Leto in an upcoming Apple TV+ series). But that's not stopping him from celebrating WeWork's delayed debut. The Financial Times reports that Neumann will host a party in New York on Thursday with early employees at the Standard Hotel.

What supply chain woes? Tesla posts a record quarter

Automakers around the world are struggling, as problems securing crucial parts hit production. Tesla isn't exempt  but it's proving resilient.

The latest: The company reported another record quarter after US markets closed on Wednesday. Between July and September, it earned $1.6 billion in profit, a 389% increase over the same period last year.

Revenues rose 57% compared to 2020, even as the company earned less from selling regulatory credits to other carmakers, which use them to meet environmental standards and avoid large fines.

Analysts have warned that Tesla needs to become less reliant on that line of business, which is lucrative but expected to decline as competitors ramp up production of electric vehicles.

Still tough: The company warned that it's experiencing difficulties obtaining computer chips and other materials, even if it was able to overcome those issues in the third quarter.

Tesla previously disclosed record sales in the period, up 20% compared to the previous three months and 73% from the year earlier.

"Due to part shortages and logistics variability, we have not been able to run our factories at full capacity," Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn told analysts. "It's important to note that while we have roughly doubled deliveries year-to-date, this has been exceptionally difficult to achieve."

Kirkhorn said customers are waiting longer for vehicles and backlogs are growing.

"The only practical way to address this in the immediate term is to do everything we can to build more cars on our existing production lines," he said.

Investor insight: Shares are down more than 1% in premarket trading.

Pinterest stock soars on PayPal takeover chatter

Could PayPal buy Pinterest? Investors in the social media company certainly hope so.

Shares of Pinterest soared nearly 13% on Wednesday after news outlets reported that the online payment provider could purchase the bookmarking website. PayPal's stock fell 5%.

The deal could be valued at $45 billion, making it the biggest technology deal of the year, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Reuters and the Wall Street Journal have also reported PayPal's interest, citing sources.

The thinking: PayPal is taking steps to become a "super app" in the vein of Alibaba's Alipay and Tencent's WeChat, which are huge in China. Last month, the company unveiled a new "all-in-one" interface featuring a high-yield savings account, a bill management system and new shopping tools that allow customers to earn rewards.

Pinterest has also been rolling out new features to make it easier to shop on its site and is trying to boost its offerings for advertisers.

"The potential deal would be a big swing for [PayPal], but we think [the Pinterest deal] makes sense within the context of [PayPal's] broader commerce push," Barclays analyst Ramsey El-Assal told clients.

Pinterest is known as a feel-good corner of the internet. But it doesn't come without baggage. The company paid $22.5 million last year to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit brought by its former chief operating officer. It did not admit liability as part of the settlement.

Up next

Alaska Air, AutoNation, American Airlines, Southwest Air and AT&T report results before US markets open. Chipotle, Intel, Mattel, Snap and Whirlpool follow after the close.

Also today:

Initial US jobless claims for last week post at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Existing US home sales for September follow at 10 a.m. ET.

Coming tomorrow: Earnings from American Express and Honeywell.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
The parents of a 6-year-old who died on a free-fall ride at a Colorado amusement park in September have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the park, according to their attorney.

Wongel Estifanos died at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on September 5 after "operators did not notice she was sitting on top of both seat belts," according to a state report.

"Today the parents of Wongel Estifanos took the first step in their battle for the full truth and full accountability from the amusement park that killed their beloved 6-year-old daughter," attorney Dan Caplis said on behalf of the parents in a statement released to CNN.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Denver district court, names the amusement park as the sole defendant and claims Wongel was killed by "extreme recklessness." According to the lawsuit, her parents are seeking "economic and non-economic wrongful death damages past and future."

The lawsuit alleges that not only did Glenwood Caverns and the operators know that they did not properly belt Wongel into the ride but that before Wongel's death, Glenwood Caverns had knowledge that its operators were failing to put seat belts on some of their riders who had previously attended the park. The incidents occurred on the Haunted Mine Drop, the ride Wongel was on when she was killed, it states.

"They're obviously crushed, losing a child, but to lose a child because of this kind of recklessness in this way, they are just crushed," Caplis told CNN. "They are absolutely determined to hold this amusement park fully accountable through this lawsuit and they correctly believe that they will be protecting other families by doing that."

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park's did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

Girl wasn't buckled into the ride, state report finds

An investigation by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's Division of Oil and Public Safety revealed Wongel was not buckled into the ride when it launched, according to a report it released in September.

"There are two seatbelts for each passenger, but "When Ms. Estifanos, a six-year-old girl, sat down on the ride, operators did not notice she was sitting on top of both seatbelts," the report said.

"Because Ms. Estifanos was not restrained in the seat she became separated from her seat and fell to the bottom of the (Haunted Mine Drop) shaft, resulting in her death," the report said.

The park's founder, Steve Beckley, told CNN in September that the owners, management and park itself were "heart-broken" by the accident.

"There is no way we can imagine the pain of loss that the Estifanos family and their friends are experiencing," Beckley's statement read. "Safety is, and always has been, our top priority. Since opening our first ride just over 15 years ago, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park has delivered more than 10 million safe and enjoyable rides."

The park has been working closely with OPS and "independent safety experts" to review the accident, Beckley said.

Dagne and Rahel Estifanos will use their lawsuit to "force the full truth to be disclosed to them, and to the public. Their mission is to protect other families by holding all who are responsible for the killing of their daughter fully accountable, and by sending a loud and clear message to the entire amusement park industry," according to their attorney's statement.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
The former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot a woman while responding to her 911 call in 2017 was resentenced Thursday to 4 years and 9 months in prison after Minnesota's highest court threw out his third-degree murder conviction last month.

Mohamed Noor was originally sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for shooting and killing Justine Ruszczyk in July 2017. Last month, the Minnesota Supreme Court vacated Noor's third-degree murder conviction, ruling there was insufficient evidence to sustain the conviction and ordering Noor be sentenced on his conviction for second-degree manslaughter, a lesser charge.

The new sentence is at the top of the range of state sentencing guidelines, which provide for a punishment of 41 to 57 months for someone with no prior criminal record. Noor's attorney had asked the court to impose a sentence of 41 months, while prosecutors sought the maximum sentence for the remaining second-degree manslaughter conviction.

Noor will receive credit for the 908 days he's already served, the judge said Thursday. According to Minnesota law, he is required to serve two-thirds of his sentence before he will be eligible for supervised release. Noor has been incarcerated since his conviction in 2019, according to records from the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Kathryn Quaintance pointed to the fact Noor shot "across the nose" of his partner and also endangered residents in the surrounding community.

"These factors of endangering the public make your crime of manslaughter appropriate for a high-end" of the sentencing guidelines, she said.

Noor's lawyer argued at trial that a "perfect storm" of events led to the officer opening fire on Ruszczyk, who had called 911 the night of July 15, 2017, to report a possible assault in progress in an alley behind her home.

Noor feared for his partner's life, he testified, as Ruszczyk approached their squad car in an alley. But Hennepin County prosecutors argued Noor overreacted and failed to properly assess the situation before firing a gunshot into Ruszczyk's abdomen.

The death of Ruszczyk, who moved to Minneapolis from her native Australia to live with her fiance, attracted widespread attention in both the United States and Australia.

Ruszczyk's fiance, Dan Damond, appearing in court via video call, publicly forgave Noor on Thursday, saying it was what Ruszczyk herself would do.

"Justine was and is still my greatest teacher," Damond said. "Given her example, I want you to know that I forgive you, Mohamed. All I ask is that you use this experience to do good for other people. Be an example of how to transform beyond adversity."

Prior to his resentencing, Noor said he was "deeply grateful" for Damond's forgiveness and apologized for the pain he'd caused Ruszczyk's family.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
Senator Elizabeth Warren urged the Federal Reserve on Thursday to release a March 2020 ethics warning provided to Fed officials that could shed light on the central bank's trading scandal.

"I am writing to ask that you release this information immediately, so that Congress and the public can evaluate the extent to which Fed officials may have known of the risks from their trading, and if they ignored calls by ethics officials to avoid this scandalous behavior," Warren wrote in a letter to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.

Warren cited a report in The New York Times earlier Thursday that revealed the Fed's ethics office sent an email in March 2020 suggesting officials with access to sensitive Fed information may want to avoid unnecessary trading as they launched a daring rescue of the economy from the erupting pandemic.

The ethics warning, sent to regional bank ethics officers, was delivered on March 23, the paper reported. That was the day the Fed launched emergency actions and an unprecedented intervention designed to stave off an economic depression. It was also the day that US stocks bottomed, beginning a roaring recovery from the steep losses inflicted by the health crisis.

"The Fed has not released this email, or any other ethics advice given to Fed officials during the time period when it was heavily involved in financial markets in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," Warren wrote.

The Fed did not respond to a request for comment.

The push from Warren comes as the Fed remains engulfed in a trading scandal. Last month, the heads of the Boston and Dallas Federal Reserve banks announced early retirements amid criticism of their trades. Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren cited health concerns.

The scandal threatens to block Powell's shot at another four-year term running the Fed. Powell's term expires in February and the White House has not said whether he will be renominated.

Although Powell has received support from Republicans and moderate Democrats, progressives have criticized his stance on regulation and climate. Last month, Warren slammed Powell as a "dangerous man" to lead the Fed because he has presided over deregulation that has made "our banking system less safe."

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
UTICA, N.Y. -- The Utica Planning Board will review an application to renovate the Olbiston Apartments during its meeting on Thursday.

In Mid-July, the city deemed the building unlivable due to unsafe conditions and had to relocate all of the residents.

Prior to that, the city took the building owners to court in an attempt to compel them to repair the complex, but no corrective action was taken.

Liberty Affordable Housing wants to renovate the Olbiston Apartments and bring them up to code.

Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri saw the living conditions first-hand and says he's hopeful the renovation project will come to fruition.

We're very optimistic, we've talked to the state. We have collaborated, at this point, the importance to the state with funding, and Im very much excited at the outcome we are looking at. Until we cross the finish line, Im optimistic, but Im not going to start jumping up with excitement until it's signed sealed and delivered, said Mayor Robert Palmieri.

In the application, the development company says it's procuring historic tax credits through the Department of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation to keep historic finishes where possible.

The renovated complex will have 150 units ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments.

Funding is also coming from New York State Housing and Community Renewal, so the designs will be in compliance with state and ADA accessibility requirements.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - The state attorney generals office says it is investigating the death of a woman shot by police in Syracuse as she charged at officers with a knife.

The AG's office says Syracuse Police Department officers responded to reports of a woman brandishing a knife at a city residence early Wednesday morning. After they began talking to her, she allegedly set a fire and charged at officers with a knife.

At least one department member shot her. The unidentified woman was pronounced dead at 4 a.m. at a local hospital.

The investigation is being handled by the AGs Office of Special Investigation, which probes deaths of people potentially caused by police.

(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)
Here's a look at Veterans Day, a holiday honoring men and women who have served in the US armed forces. Observed annually in the United States on November 11 -- the anniversary of the end of World War I.

Facts

According to the most recent data from the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics:

There are approximately 19.5 million veterans in the United States.

There are approximately 2 million female veterans.

As of June 2021, there are 5.18 million veterans receiving disability compensation.

Timeline

November 11, 1918 - The armistice ending World War I begins at 11 a.m.

1919 - President Woodrow Wilson proclaims November 11 as Armistice Day.

November 11, 1921 - The first Unknown Soldier is reburied at Arlington National Cemetery. The tomb has the words inscribed, "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God."

May 13, 1938 - Armistice Day becomes a federal holiday.

June 1, 1954 - President Dwight Eisenhower signs a bill changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day in order to include all US veterans.

May 30, 1958 - Unknown Soldiers from World War II and the Korean War are reburied next to the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

1968 - Congress changes the date of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October in order to give federal employees a three-day weekend. The change begins in 1971.

September 25, 1975 - President Gerald Ford changes the date of Veterans Day back to November 11. The change begins in 1978.

May 28, 1984 - An unknown soldier from the Vietnam War is reburied in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1998, he is identified through DNA tests as Michael Blassie, a 24-year-old pilot shot down in 1972 on the border of Cambodia.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI)Greater Lafayette Commerce is teaming up with local tech company Skyepack. Both groups have created a K-12 manufacturing education program.

GLC held a press conference today introducing the new digital interactive program. It's aimed at teaching students about manufacturing and career opportunities.

The course provides real world examples from businesses. Skyepack CEO Eric Davis said this will help communities needing to educate young people about opportunities at their local manufacturers.

"We have a lot of job openings and we need more of our young people to start looking at those careers and this is a way for us to really put that message out and get students to start thinking in that way," said Davis.

TSC Superintendent Scott Hanback said this will get kids thinking about their future earlier.

"It just really opens up their eyes and gives them that horizon view of what their future might look like here in Lafayette, Indiana," said Hanback.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (WLFI)  The remains of a Korean War veteran have been returned to Indiana, a homecoming 70 years in the making.

Army sergeant Stanley Dewitt went missing in action in 1950. His remains were finally identified as one of 55 boxes turned over by North Korea.

The people of Logansport lined the streets to welcome him home on Tuesday.

On Saturday, Sergeant Dewitt will be laid to rest in Logansport's royal center cemetery.

Everyone's encouraged to line the procession route.
On Wednesday, the YWCA Clay-Bowl fundraiser was held to raise money for women in need. Every October the Lafayette Clay Guild comes together to create pieces of art. For nearly 20 years the YWCA has sold those bowls during domestic violence awareness month to raise money for their programs.

The YWCA is constantly working to better fund its programs to help women in dangerous situations and this year, much like many people, COVID has impacted women in need more than in years past.

"The need is greater now more than ever for our services to help survivors move from an unhealthy relationship, an unsafe environment to our support services so we can move them from surviving to thriving," said Lindsey Mackler, President, and CEO of YMCE of Greater Lafayette.

The money from the annual Clay-Bowl fundraiser goes towards intervention programs that help women exit abusive relationships.

It also helps fund their 30-bed shelter if women are in immediate danger and need a place to stay.
Raystown Lake is a reservoir created by the damming of the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River by the Raystown Dam. This beautiful lake is situated in Huntingdon County in the heart of the US state of Pennsylvania. Covering an area of only 33.6 sq. km, Raystown Lake is the largest body of water that is situated entirely within the boundaries of the state of Pennsylvania.

About The Raystown Lake

View of Raystown Lake from Hawns Overlook in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.

Raystown Lake is a multi-purpose lake that is currently managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers mainly for controlling floods, producing hydroelectricity, and supporting various recreational activities. The lake has a length of 45km and reaches a maximum depth of 61.0m in the deepest area that is located close to the Raystown Dam. Raystown Lake is surrounded by 84.98 sq. km of forested mountain slopes. The lakes shoreline twists and bends for about 189.9km around the perimeter of the lake that has led to the creation of many deep coves, v-shaped inlets, and jutting points. Several of these deep coves branch back into a series of inlets that in turn holds many small marshy wetlands.

Fauna Of The Raystown Lake

The Raystown Lake supports a healthy fish population and some of the notable fishes that are found here include the Atlantic salmon, bluegill, brook trout, brown trout, catfish, calico bass, carp, largemouth bass, lake trout, muskellunge, perch, pickerel, rock bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, shad, walleye, and white bass. Raystown Lake also provides an open-water habitat for numerous birds including bald eagles, waterfowls, and various other water birds. The lake serves as a natural avian crossroad for many migrating birds such as the common loon, Canada goose, tundra swan, etc. The woodlands surrounding the lake also host many wild animals including beaver, white-tailed deer, raccoons, river otters, minks, and squirrels.

Visiting The Raystown Lake

Puffy clouds and blue sky over the Tatman Run Recreation Area boat launch in the Lake Raystown region, Pennsylvania.

The Raystown Lake area attracts more than 1.5 million visitors every year and the lake offer several recreational activities for its visitors like swimming, boating, fishing, scuba diving, mountain biking, etc. In addition to this, there are a total of 594 campsites, luxury accommodations, 2 full-service marinas, 110.2 km of trails, restaurants, and 10 boat launches. Many tourists come to visit the area from far places only to enjoy the peaceful and calming atmosphere of the lake area. Since the US Army Corps of Engineers owns a major portion of the surrounding land, no residential development is allowed here. Therefore, most of the lake area remains undeveloped with the summer homes being constructed close to the lake rather than on the waterfront.

Brief History

A view of the Raystown Lake Dam and the Raystown Lake from the Ridenour Overlook, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

Although the current Raystown Lake is quite new, its history goes back into antiquity. The name Raystown has been derived from a trapper named Robert Ray who in 1750, had established a small camp close to the Bedford area. The present-day lake area was originally inhabited by the hunter-gatherers, who probably came to the area after the retreating of the ice sheets in Northern Pennsylvania. It is believed that during this time, the Sheep Rock Shelter offered protection to many groups of Native Americans who inhabited the area. Before the area was inundated by the present-day lake, archaeologists have excavated human remains dating as long as 12,000 years ago from the area. The idea of building the first Raystown Dam was conceived by Warren Brown Simpson and George Ernest in 1905. This dam was the first hydroelectric dam that was constructed on the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. The first Raystown Lake that was created after the completion of the dam construction in 1911 was relatively shallow and only about one-fourth the size of the present-day lake. However, in 1936, after a massive flood had devastated major parts of the Juniata and Susquehannock river valleys, a need for the construction of a new and large dam was realized. The Flood Control Act of 1962 authorized the construction of the present Raystown Dam and Lake. The US Army Corps of Engineers completed the construction of the new Raystown Dam and Lake in 1973. In 1988, the William D. Matson hydroelectric generating station at the Raystown Dam that is operated by the Allegheny Electric Cooperative started to produce up to 21MW of hydroelectricity.
Honor Flight: Korean War veteran reflects on service and the way forward after the trauma of war
A view from Clwyd Souths Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).

Clwyd South MS Ken Skates writes

It was an honour to represent Clwyd South at the official opening of the sixth Senedd last week and stand alongside my North Wales colleagues Lesley Griffiths, Hannah Blythyn, Jack Sargeant and Carolyn Thomas.

After the most difficult period most of us will ever experience, I will continue working as hard as possible to make our area an even better place to live, work and visit. The foundations to help us recover are already being laid at a national level, and there is much to be optimistic about here in Clwyd South too. I would love to hear constituents ideas about how we can work together to improve our local communities and move Clwyd South forward.

I am pleased we finally appear to be seeing progress on improvements at Ruabon Station.

I have worked alongside the fantastic Friends of Ruabon on the campaign for step-free access at Ruabon for a number of years, and the Welsh Government has twice offered to pay half of the costs of installing lifts on both platforms.

While transport is devolved to Wales, responsibility for track, station infrastructure and signalling remains with Westminster. After the project was derailed twice in recent years by the UK Government choosing not to match the Welsh Governments contribution, First Minister Mark Drakeford called on the UK Department for Transport to prioritise these long-awaited improvements earlier this year. Its encouraging that progress has been made since.

I know the people who use the station will welcome this step forward too. I look forward to seeing the project move forward, and will continue to work with all stakeholders to help ensure it finally comes to fruition.

It was brilliant to visit Rhos Community Cafe last week and see first-hand the amazing support it is providing with the help of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.

The cafe works as a community hub and well-being centre to house projects which help to tackle social isolation. These include mental health awareness, mindfulness and meditation sessions, international groups and bereavement support.

During the pandemic, they have adapted and developed new projects to help address the difficulties arising from Covid-19. The cafe now supports 200 people a week with their foodbank and works with organisations that support minority groups by providing them with food parcels to support their families.

Id like to say a huge thank you to Grace Lockhart and her team for such a warm welcome. They do a wonderful job, and the comfortable, supportive atmosphere they have created is testament to their vision and a great deal of hard work and passion.

Over the past five years alone, Clwyd South has been awarded 5.3m through The National Lottery Community Fund to support more than 60 projects. These include The Land at Plas Madoc; Brymbo Heritage Trust; Ysgol Gymraeg y Gwernant in Llangollen; Froncysyllte After School Kids Club and South Denbighshire Community Partnership.

In the Senedd earlier this month, I raised the issue of broadband connectivity in North Wales.

I share my constituents frustration about areas of Clwyd South which struggle to get a decent broadband connection. Broadband should be seen as a key piece of modern infrastructure, and everyone should be able to access it.

The UK Government is responsible for telecommunications, including broadband, but in recent years the Welsh Government has had to use funds set aside for areas it is responsible for to step in where the market and the UK Government have failed to act.

The Welsh Government has helped connect around 95% of properties in Wales but has to comply with competition law, so cannot stipulate which properties should be connected. OpenReach determines which premises it connects based on multiple factors including value for public money.

I believe OpenReach should have to connect all homes as a cost of doing business, and I know the Minister, Lee Waters, will continue to press the UK Government to class broadband as a universal service.

You can watch here and read the full transcript here.

If you need advice or support, please email ken.skates@senedd.wales and include your home address and a contact number. You can also find regular coronavirus updates on my Facebook page and sign up to my weekly newsletters here.





Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).
Police issue warning over scammers trying to sell vitamins to elderly people

Police in North Wales have issued a warning about scammers trying to sell vitamins over the phone to elderly residents who have not had their Covid 19 booster jabs yet.

Police say the vitamins which are being offered at a high price are unlikely to have any medical value.

DC Rachel Roberts North Wales Police, Financial Abuse Safeguarding Officer said: We have received a number of reports of elderly residents being contacted by telephone from an unknown male offering vitamins for sale to those who have not had their Covid 19 booster.

These vitamins are being offered for a high price and it is suspected that they are of no medical value.

We advise that residents do not agree to purchase these items and do not pass bank details over the phone.

Please share this message with friends, family and neighbours who may be vulnerable.

Almost 45 million people have been on the receiving end of potential scam texts or calls in the last three months, new Ofcom research reveals.

More than eight in 10 (82%) said they had received a suspicious message, in the form of either a text, recorded message or live phone call to a landline or mobile. This represents an estimated 44.6 million adults in the UK.

Scams are more commonly attempted via text messages with seven in 10 people (71%) saying they have received a suspicious text, and three quarters (75%) of those aged 16-34 were targeted.

More than four in 10 (44%) who had received a suspicious text message reported receiving such a message at least once a week.

Our research also shows that suspicious calls continue to be a threat for landline users, with older people particularly susceptible. Three in five (61%) people aged 75 and over reported receiving a potential scam call to their landline.

More than half (53%) of respondents who received a suspicious live phone call on a landline over the last three months said that they got a call at least once a week.

Four in 10 (43%) reported getting a suspect call to their mobile phone.

More than half of people who received a suspicious text either deleted the message (53%) or blocked the number (52%).

Almost half (49%) of those who received a suspicious live voice call, and more than four in ten (44%) who received a suspicious recorded message, blocked the number.

But, in the last three months alone, 2% reported following the scammers instructions in a message or call. This equates to almost a million people , who risk financial loss and emotional distress if a scam attempt is successful.

The research also revealed that almost eight in 10 (79%) mobile phone users are not aware of the 7726 number used to report a suspected text or call  although a similar figure (81%) agreed that reporting messages is helpful in preventing people being scammed in the future.

If you think youve been the victim of a scam, report it to Action Fraud as soon as possible. You can do this by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting the Action Fraud website at www.actionfraud.police.uk
Reseeding work to begin on fire-damaged Llantysilio Mountain

Restoration work is set to begin on Llantysilio Mountain in response to a devastating wildfire in the summer of 2018.

The scheme will involve a mixture of grass seed sown on the worst damaged areas, with the aim of kickstarting the growth of native plants on the mountain above Llangollen.

Backed by funding from the Welsh Governments Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience Fund, NRW is working in close partnership with the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB0), the North Wales Fire Service and Hafren Dyfrdwy as well as local landowners and land managers to deliver the project.

The land was damaged following a devastating wildfire which raged between July and August 2018.

At the height of the blaze smoke could be seen from 25 miles away as 12 fire crews worked to tackle the fire.

The restoration scheme will use two seeding techniques to maximise the effectiveness of the work  hydroseeding and conventional grass seeding.

Hydroseeding is a technique that has been used effectively for over half a century on fire damaged land and involves spreading native grass seed combined with a specialist mulch mixture on the most damaged parts of the mountain.

The hydroseeding element of the project will use large quantities of water supplied by Hafren Dyfrdwy. The Fire Service will provide crucial assistance through the pumping of water up the mountain and storing it in temporary reservoirs. This exercise also provides an opportunity for them to train for any future upland or other hard to reach wildfires.

The conventional grass seeding will take place on the areas of the mountain with less damage and will be carried out using a low-pressure alpine tractor with a mounted seed spreader. This kind of tractor will cause minimal damage to the ground while also being able to navigate across difficult terrain.

Nick Thomas, principle advisor at NRW, said: Llantsyilio Mountain provides effective habitat for rare wildlife like curlew and black grouse, is heavily used by walkers and is vital grazing land for local farmers.

It was devastating to see the impact of the fire in 2018. The vegetation on some parts of the mountain has returned fairly quickly and it is encouraging that we now have the resources available to repair the worst affected areas.

This rejuvenation project looks to repair some of the damage caused by those fires and were thrilled to be working with our partners to get it started.

Working in partnerships on projects like this means we can ensure Wales forests are looked after and preserved for current and future generations to enjoy.

Paul Scott, Senior Fire Safety Manager, said: This initiative is another great way of working in partnership with our colleagues at Natural Resources Wales and other partners and we are proud that our crews are able to assist with the restoration of the land. This project also allows our crews the opportunity to carry out essential training for mountain and upland fires that we might have to attend in the future.

This phase of the project will begin on 18 October, aiming to finish by the end of November.

Other works at the site this autumn will include heather mowing. The cuttings will then be spread on damaged land, a technique that has proven successful here in previous years.
Welsh Government give 1bn Metro plan update  50m so far for North Wales branded kick in the teeth

Labour ministers have been accused of neglecting and ignoring North Wales with their plans for the Metro by the Welsh Conservatives, however the reason given for the large differential is that the South Wales projects are at a far more advanced stage than local plans.

The criticism comes after a Welsh Government said that delivering the 1bn Welsh Metro project will be one of the most ambitious and complex programmes weve ever undertaken, with the detail released noting 50 million allocated for the North Wales Metro project.

Speaking a week before the Welsh Government publishes its Net Zero plans in the run up to COP26, Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters said the project would deliver on plans set out in Llwybr Newydd, the Wales Transport Strategy, by creating a modern, integrated and sustainable transport network that supports modern lifestyles

Welsh Government say the Metro will make it the easier choice for people to use their cars less and public transport and active travel more, to significantly reduce environmental impact and help Wales reach its Net Zero carbon target by 2050.

New maps illustrate the ambitious short and longer term plans that the programme will deliver, to help people make the right choice  one map for North Wales is above, and the other is below:

Taking questions on the update in the Senedd, Deputy Minister Waters said, For medium and long-term journeys, rail has an important part to play. We need to see the 5 billion shortfall in rail investment from the UK Government made up in order to modernise our network. For our part, we have taken the Wales and borders franchise under public control and are working hard to stabilise it after the collapse in passenger numbers during COVID. As we plan the rail recovery, we must do it in tandem with the other sustainable modes, so that people can make their whole journey, door to door, by sustainable transport.

The Burns commission in south-east Wales has set a blueprint for how that can be done, and we want to scale that approach to other parts of Wales. In particular, I want to emulate the model where the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales have formed a single joint delivery unit with the local authorities, and an independent delivery board set up to drive performance and ensure progress. Im pleased that Simon Gibson and Dr Lynn Sloman, both noted for their delivery focus, are serving as chair and vice-chair of the delivery board in south-east Wales.

I can announce that I have tasked my officials with creating a similar collaborative approach in north Wales too. We will create a north Wales metro delivery board, and I will be advertising for an independent chair and vice-chair to make sure we are being as ambitious as possible and to hold delivery partners to account, ourselves included. I would also like to see this model of partnership, co-design and shared leadership adopted by the four corporate joint committees across Wales as they take up their responsibility for regional transport planning over the course of this Senedd term.

In north Wales, weve put in place the foundations for a significantly improved rail and bus service and active travel through our 50 million of Welsh Government funding announcement. I recently saw for myself the plans at Wrexham General station to make it easier to change between rail and bus, helping connections between the north Wales coast and the more frequent Borderlands line services from next year at Shotton, alongside a new station at Deeside industrial park.

The wider plan includes a range of maps for South Wales:



Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS, responded to the statement in the Senedd, I wish to put on record that the Welsh Conservatives do fully support the metro projects across Wales, but I do want to also just put in there that we dont think its going to be a fully fledged solution to the environmental crisis. We do share your hope that itll make it easier for people to use their cars less and use public transport more.

However, we do have concerns that your Government is relying too much on the metro as an immediate transport solution for south Wales. I know you mentioned 750 million was being spent on south Wales and, as someone from south Wales, thats great, but just in comparison, 50 million for north Wales is a bit of a kick in the teeth for those people who live in north Wales.

On the difference in money, Mr Waters replied In terms of the different levels of investment in different parts of Wales, as I made clear, we are in different stages of development. The south Wales metro has been in gestation for a very long time. We now need to make sure that its matched across the rest of Wales.

I hope she would have welcomed the announcement we made today of a delivery board for north Wales, with an independent chair, to challenge us alllocal authorities, Welsh Government and Transport for Walesto increase our ambition and increase our pace. Because, if, unlike her, I am sincere in delivering our net-zero commitments, we do need to shift resources from road building to public transport, and thats why we announced the roads review.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for North Wales, Darren Millar MS, said: Minister, you made reference earlier on to the need for Wales to have its population share. What about the population share of investment within Wales? Youve referred to 1 billion having being invested or earmarked to date for these three metro projects, yet, of that 1,000 million, only 50 million has been allocated to north Wales. Thats a gross disparity in investment by your Welsh Labour Government. What are you going to do to make sure that theres a fair share of investment coming to north Wales, rather than the insulting and paltry amount that youve suggested is going there today?

Mr Waters started his reply by saying Well, Darren Millar never misses an opportunity to sow division and try and create a sense of grievance to which Mr Millar interjected This is your division that youve sown.

Mr Waters continued, Its the first time Ive heard him make a case for rail investment in north Wales. As I say, hes normally obsessed with putting money into road-building schemes, despite then going on to plead for the plight of the red squirrel, whichby the way, if we dont tackle change, biodiversity will be threatened. So, theres a disconnect in his argument and his thinking too.

As I said, the state of the metros in different parts of Wales are different. We have to raise ambition and delivery right across Wales. Thats what our Wales transport strategy is about, which he hasnt supported. Thats what our investment in the metro is about, which he hasnt supported. And thats what the announcement today about the delivery board for north Wales is about. Id be grateful if hed support that.

Later, after a question from Alyn and Deeside MS Jack Sargeant Mr Waters noted some more improvements planned and underway, In terms of infrastructure, in terms of railtrains, ratheron the north Wales network, we are currently progressing the class 230 trains for the Wrexham and Bidston line later this year, and weve introduced refurbished InterCity trains on services between north and south Wales, with increased capacity and better customer services. Were trailing the testing of new trains around north Wales at the moment, and Id be happy to write the Member with further details of what plans we have.
n this Aug. 20, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon speaks with reporters in New York. A lawyer for Bannon says Bannon won't comply with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol because President Donald Trump is asserting executive privilege to block demands for testimony and documents.
Medics wearing special suits to protect against coronavirus treat a patient with coronavirus, left, as others prepare a patent to move at an ICU at the Moscow City Clinical Hospital 52, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

On Wednesday, Russian president Vladimir Putin declared October 30 to November 7 a non-working week with paid time off. Over the past month, Russia has continually set new daily records for covid-19 deaths and infections. With over 1,000 succumbing to the virus and 34,000 new cases being registered each day, Russia has the second highest daily death toll after the US and the third largest number of new infections in the world.

Even these horrific numbers are widely considered to be underestimates, and Putin himself urged regions on Wednesday not to underreport their cases. Russian medical scientists are already speaking about a mega wave that could last, with no significant reprieve, into the spring.

Putin made clear on Wednesday that the government has no intention of implementing any serious public health measures, declaring We only have two ways to get through this  get sick or get vaccinated. But its better to get vaccinated. Why wait for an illness or its serious consequences?

The miserable character of the Kremlins action is revealed by the fact that the week from October 30 through November 7 already included four days off because of national holidays. In other words, the government simply added another three days of vacation to a long-weekend. In addition, the start date of the non-working period is more than a week away, which gives the virus another eight days to consume ever-more victims.

There are many loopholes in the so-called non-working week declared by the Kremlin. While schools will close, the government order only encourages non-essential businesses to send their employees home while paying their salaries. Many will simply not follow the recommendations.

The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, announced on Thursday that because of a historic peak in infections in the capital, the non-working week measure will begin on October 28. In addition, 2.5 million unvaccinated residents who are over the age of 60 or immuno-compromised will have to remain at home between October 25 and February 25, unless they are going to work, shopping, or for a walk. Companies in the countrys largest city must introduce remote work for at least 30 percent of their workforce. In the service sector, at least 80 percent of employees must be vaccinated. Concerts and other large public venues will remain open but only be accessible to people with a QR-code that confirms their vaccination status.

Other areas are introducing measures of their own, and reports from across the country indicate that schools are closing or sending kids on vacation because of outbreaks. Regions where the situation is particularly bad may introduce the restrictions earlier or extend them beyond November 7.

These limited measures will, at most, result in a temporary dip in infections and deaths.

Since the reopening of schools in September, when deaths were already at all-time highs due to a summer surge, the virus has spun completely out of control in a predominantly unvaccinated population and an environment without any serious mitigation measures. Country-wide, 87 percent of hospital beds are occupied, but in 40 regions, 90 or 95 percent are occupied. In many facilities, patients are already lying in the hallway and ICUs are packed across the country.

As in the US, Brazil and the UK, Russian pediatricians are reporting that children are being much harder hit by this wave of the virus, both because of the nature of the delta variant and the fact that kids are congregating in schools.

While the Kremlin does not publish any figures on child infections, figures from Moscow give an indication of the severity of the situation: As of October 19, out of 6308 people hospitalized, 10 percent were children. Out of these, 45 percent were between 7 and 14 years old, 19 percent were between 15 and 17, and about a third were under 6 years old.

Vaccination rates in Russia continue to be extremely low. Just about a third of the population is fully vaccinated, and roughly two thirds of the population have not received even one jab of the vaccine. Less than 400,000 doses were distributed last week. At this rate, it would take over two months to get another 10 percent of the population vaccinated. More than half the population has repeatedly indicated it is not planning to get immunized.

Mask mandates, if they exist, and social distancing measures, go largely unenforced. Scenes of overcrowded subways with many people either without face coverings or wearing them incorrectly are commonplace in big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Moreover, authorities only recommend wearing surgical masks, which are known to offer poor protection against the delta variant. The much more effective N95 masks are barely known in the population. Costing at least 100 rubles apiece ($1.40), they are also too expensive for most working people, who can only spend an average of 698 rubles (about $9.80) in a visit to a store. There are no disinfectants in many public spaces, and there has never been any effort to introduce any measures for contact tracing.

The current wave will significantly exacerbate what is already a staggering population decline.

Recent demographic data indicate that between September 2020 and August 2021, 2.36 million people died in Russia while only 1.4 million children were born, resulting in a population decline of nearly 1 millionan unprecedented drop outside of times of war. In the first 8 months of 2021, mortality rose by 18.5 percent. While the coronavirus has been a major driver of Russias population loss, it comes on top of a long list of social ills that has been exacting a terrible toll on working peoplepoor medical care, desperate poverty, alcoholism, drug addiction and other health conditions that result from intense deprivation.

In recent weeks, Kremlin officials have been publicly denouncing the population, blaming it for the skyrocketing cases because of the low vaccination rates. These slanders must be rejected. Full responsibility for covid-19s mass death toll and infection rate lies with the capitalist oligarchy, which emerged out of the Stalinist destruction of the Soviet Union three decades ago, and its response to the pandemic.

The outright criminality and constant lies of the government and oligarchy that it represents over the past decades are a major reason for the widespread distrust of the authorities, which, in many cases, lies behind peoples reluctance to get vaccinated.

Distrust of the vaccine is further fueled by the fact that the World Health Organization has not yet approved Russias Sputnik V. The vaccine was released late last summer before phase three drug trials had been completed. For reasons that remain unclear, Russia significantly delayed the submission of the full required documentation on the vaccine to the WHO. However, international medical journals such as The Lancet have found that the vaccine is highly effective and has no significant side effects.

At the same time, Western-manufactured vaccines such as Pfizer, AstroZeneca or Moderna are not available in Russia. Those who can afford it a tiny minority  are increasingly turning to travel to the EU to receive one.

The restoration of capitalism in the former USSR meant a systematic destruction of the Soviet Unions advanced public health system. Whatever hospitals remain today are often in dilapidated, even outright unhygienic conditions, with completely outdated equipment and an overworked and underpaid workforce. Even as the pandemic hit the country last year, the Kremlin imposed further cuts on health care spending.

This social counterrevolution was accompanied by the systematic promotion of attacks on science and various forms of political backwardness. The Russian Orthodox Church, historically a bulwark of the far-right and obscurantism, has been heavily promoted, including during the pandemic, when Church officials (as well as government officials) publicly ridiculed the virus and denounced any efforts to contain it.

The horrific situation in Russia is mirrored across Eastern Europe, with Romania reporting the highest mortality rate in the world and Ukraine the third highest number of deaths per day (495) and the fifth highest number of daily new cases, globally. An explosion in cases is also happening in Poland and the Baltic States. In Belarus, hospitals are overwhelmed.
President Joe Biden speaks from the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The social welfare legislation touted by Bernie Sanders, House progressives and their pseudo-left supporters as proof that major reforms could be enacted through the Democratic Party has turned into an object lesson on precisely the opposite.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden held a series of closed-door meetings with congressional Democrats in which he announced that the price tag for his Build Back Better budget bill would be cut from $3.5 trillion over 10 years to between $1.75 trillion and $1.9 trillion. Even this drastically reduced figure depends on the sufferance of the most right-wing, unabashed lackeys of big business in the Democratic Party, particularly Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Weeks ago, Manchin declared that he would support only $1.5 trillion over 10 years and has since reiterated his opposition to any climate control measures at odds with the profit interests of the fossil fuel industry, as well as demands that any social welfare programs be means tested and include work requirements.

Manchin, a multi-millionaire coal company owner and recipient of millions in energy industry campaign donations, has been joined by Sinema, a former Green Party activist now lavishly funded by the finance industry. She has told lobbyists she opposes any increases in taxes on corporations or the wealthy and opposes the original bills provision for Medicare to negotiate reductions in drug prices with the pharmaceutical corporations.

Big Pharma has mobilized 1,500 lobbyists and spent hundreds of millions of dollars to prevent Medicare from having the ability to negotiate drug prices.

According to the most recent Federal Election Commission reports in the third quarter, Manchin and Sinema together raised more than $400,000 from lobbyists and others in the influence industry as well as corporate and trade group political action committees. This is despite the fact that neither is running for reelection in 2022.

In all, Manchin raised nearly $1.6 million from July 1 to September 30, almost as much as he raised in the third quarter of 2018, when he was locked in a tight Senate race. This does not count the more than $200,000 raised by Manchins leadership PAC in July and August.

Sinema raised $1.1 million, including more than $125,000 from corporate and trade group PACs, lobbyists and others in the influence industry.

The gutted bill that Biden outlined on Tuesday, which Sanders and company are seeking to sell as the most consequential piece of legislation for working people since the New Deal, is far more Manchins legislation than Bidens.

The justification given by Biden, Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and their fake left allies in the Democratic Socialists of America and similar organizations for taking orders from Manchin and Sinema is the need to secure all 50 Democratic votes in the Senate to pass the budget bill in the evenly divided chamber, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. The fact is, however, these politicians, and their right-wing counterparts in the House Democratic caucus, call the shots because they most directly express the ruthless policies of the corporate-financial elite.

The real authors of the Democrats social agenda, assuming the entire plan does not collapse in the coming days and weeks, are the corporate oligarchs who control both parties of American capitalism. They have no intention of ceding voluntarily to the demands of working people for decent wages, working conditions and living standards in the midst of a pandemic that has already killed, officially, nearly 750,000 people in the US. Nor are they prepared to accept any significant expansion of social programs.

Bidens $3.5 trillion planitself a collection of half-measures, many involving new cash handouts and tax breaks for big businesswould have barely scratched the surface of the social crisis devastating the population, and in no way challenge the colossal levels of social inequality and entrenched wealth of the ruling oligarchy. Indeed, as Biden has repeatedly said in his speeches pitching his plan as a blue collar agenda: Im a capitalist. I have no problem with people making millions and billions of dollars.

According to press reports, Bidens scaled back plan includes:

Two free years of community collegeeliminated

Paid family leave to be cut from 12 weeks to as low as 4 weeks

The child tax credit to be extended by only one year

Inclusion of dental care under Medicare to be scaled back to an $800 voucher or eliminated; vision and hearing yet to be determined

Medicare negotiations with Big Pharma to cut prescription drug prices doubtful

Funding for elderly home care and public housing to be drastically slashed

Expanded benefits under the Affordable Care Act to be extended for only three years

Incentives and penalties to push utilities to switch from fossil fuel to clean energyscrapped, along with proposals to replace the program with a carbon tax

Modest increases in personal income tax rates for the wealthy, corporate tax rates and the capital gains taxdoubtful

A program to monitor the bank accounts of the wealthy to spot tax evasiondrastically scaled back

One program that reportedly remains intact is universal preschool for three- and four-year-olds. That is transparently because the ruling class and both parties are determined to force more working class women into the workforce.

A program to address the urgent climate crisistragically demonstrated in devastating wildfires and floods fueled by global warming and the degradation of basic infrastructurethe poverty wages and sweatshop conditions facing workers, the gutting of public education, the decayed health care system, the lack of affordable and decent housing merits, according to Biden and the Democrats, less than $2 trillion over 10 years.

This is less than $200 billion a year, while Biden and the Democrats support a military budget of $760 billion a year. The Federal Reserve spends $120 billion every month to prop up the stock market.

To add insult to injury, the Democrats gutting of their own bill in line with the demands of Wall Street coincides with a new report showing that US billionaires increased their collective wealth during the first 19 months of the pandemic by $2.1 trillion (an increase of 70 percent) that is, more than the entire price tag over 10 years for Bidens supposed new New Deal. 

Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezoswho, along with Elon Musk, Michael Bloomberg and George Soros, paid zero in federal income taxes in recent yearswent from $113 billion in net worth to $192 billion. Bezoss newspaper, the Washington Post, published an editorial Wednesday demanding that Democratic progressives give up their dreams, which were never realistic and are now evaporating. Instead, Bezoss organ called for programs on which people and businesses can rely, i.e., programs approved by big business.

The task now falls to Sanders and his progressive allies to sell this miserable bill to the public. On Tuesday, Representative Pramila Jayapal, chair of the House Progressive Caucus, told reporters, I think we all still feel even more optimistic about getting to an agreement on a really transformational bill that will fundamentally lift people up.

Sanders tweeted on Wednesday that the Build Back Better Agenda bill can show working people that DEMOCRACY WORKS! A democracy which delivers for its people, the worst nightmare of the ruling class.
The UKs Conservative government is refusing to make any change to its murderous policy of learning to live with the virus, amid warnings from National Health Service (NHS) leaders that a Plan B to stop the escalating spread of COVID must be put in place.

To avoid 'stumbling into a winter crisis', the NHS Confederation said that at least mandatory face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces should be implemented. The body demanded that a Plan C be developed with tougher restrictions if those measures are insufficient, because hospitals already face being overwhelmed.

COVID-19 cases and deaths are surging in Britain, fuelled by the reopening of schools in August and September.

Daily case numbers in Britain have averaged 45,000 over the last seven days and on Monday and Wednesday, hit 49,000the highest level since July.

Britain's Health Secretary Sajid Javid speaks during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. The U.K. recorded almost 50,000 new infections in a single day this week, and cases have risen 16% from a week earlier. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of health care umbrella group the NHS Confederation, said the health system risks being overwhelmed unless measures are introduced now. (Toby Melville/Pool Photo via AP)

More than 300,000 new cases (311,071) were recorded in the week to October 19an increase of nearly 20 percent. Only the United States (546,319), with a population five times that of Britain had a higher number of cases over the same seven-day period. COVID cases in the US were 1,638 per million of the population and in Britain were 4,551.

COVID hospitalisations and deaths have also sharply increased, despite the suppressive impact of vaccinations. Monday saw 7,749 Covid patients in UK hospitals, a weekly rise of 11 percent, with 868 people per day taken into already overcrowded and overwhelmed NHS units. The 908 deaths recorded over the last week is a 15 percent increase and the 223 deaths Tuesday were the highest since March. Deaths were higher than on the same date in 2020, before the mass vaccination of most of the population was rolled out. Another 179 people were reported dead from COVID Wednesday.

UK cases now account for the bulk of those throughout the European continent. On Monday, the UK recorded more daily cases than France, Germany, Italy and Spain combined. Over the last week, Britain recorded almost 10 times the number of cases as France, despite both having similar sized populations. Compared to Germany, whose population is substantially larger than Britains, the UK recorded almost five times more cases.

A major factor in this case rate disparity is that the UKs vaccination rollout, after being ahead of other countries in its initial phase, has virtually ground to a halt. Almost a third of Britains population is not vaccinated, with just 68 percent having had two jabs. Britain now stands at 13th place in Europe for full vaccinations and 22nd in the world.

Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government refused to intervene to vaccinate children over the summer, allowing schools to become the major source of COVID infections today. Under 30 percent of children aged 12 to 17 have been vaccinated with a single dose, compared with over 60 percent in Italy, 70 percent in France and above 80 percent in Spain.

In addition, some limited mitigation measures are still in place in countries across Europe, whereas the UK abandoned all efforts to stem the pandemic on July 19, dubbed by the political criminal Johnson as Freedom Day. More than one in six of all UK cases have happened since then.

The Tories will not tolerate any impediment to the profit drive of the major corporations, no matter how many become sick or die.

The first response of government to the appeal for the most limited mitigation measures was for Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to insist yesterday, I dont want to reverse back to a situation where we have lockdowns.

Johnson knew very well that tens of thousands were being condemned to death when he first proclaimed Freedom Day. It was leaked that he had privately accepted that there would be at least a further 30,000 deaths in the UK over the next year. To quantify when Plan B restriction such as public mask wearing and urging people to work at home where possible might be introduced, it was suggested that a sustained rate of death of around a 1,000 a week for two or three weeks50,000 a year, would lead to discussion on restrictions being reimposed.

With deaths already approaching a 1,000 a week, such a discussion has been rejected out of hand. Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced at a Downing Street press conference yesterday that strengthening our vaccination programme would be a our primary line of defence as we learn to live with the virus. This was even as he warned that cases could go as high as 100,000 a day in the weeks ahead. If the death rate remains unchanged, this would translate to around 2,000 deaths per week. But with winter and the flus season approaching this would be an optimistic prediction.

The fact that the surge in cases and deaths is being caused primarily by the reopening of schools underscores the criminality of the governments response.

According to the Office for National Statistics, on October 14, 209,000 children were absent from school for COVID related reasons, including 111,000 confirmed cases. To indicate the explosive spread of the pandemic, the Leicestershire Live online news site reported Wednesday, The number of Covid-19 cases among school pupils in [the city of] Leicester and [county of] Leicestershire has rocketed and is now around 11 times higher than before the peak of the third wave in June.

The herd immunity policy of the Tory government has so far resulted in over 8.5 million people being infected with COVID and over 163,000 deaths. Moreover, its allowing the virus to spread unchecked in a partially vaccinated population has now led to the emergence of a yet more contagious and therefore deadly mutation of the still dominant Delta variant that has done so much to escalate the pandemic.

Javid acknowledged in his press conference that that Delta Plus (AY.4.2) is spreading throughout Britain. The Daily Mail reported Wednesday, In just over three months it had reached almost every part of England. More than 2,500 cases of the subtype were detected across the country last week, meaning it now makes up almost 10 percent of all infections.

It noted, Scientists say the strainthought to be 10-15 percent more transmissible than its ancestorlikely first emerged in the UK because of the high number of infections here compared to other countries, which gives the virus more chance to mutate.

This murderous agenda must be opposed by class conscious workers in alliance with concerned scientists. They can expect no help from the Labour Party or the trade unions in this fight. Sir Keir Starmer spent yesterday boasting of his record in prosecuting terrorists, in response to the murder of Tory MP Sir David Amess, but had nothing to say about the 160,000 deaths from COVID resulting from his own collusion with Johnson. The National Education Union managed a single tweet calling for masks to be worn in secondary schools. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn could not even manage such a mealy-mouthed tweet of protest.

On Sunday October 24, the WSWS is holding a webinar that brings together scientists, public health specialists, and working people who are all engaged in the struggle to save lives. The discussion will be aimed at educating, clarifying and laying the basis for effective mass action to end the pandemic. We urge workers and youth throughout Britain and internationally to register and attend this vital event.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew to Ecuador on October 19 to declare US support for the countrys beleaguered President Guillermo Lasso, one day after he imposed a state of emergency (estado de excepcion), suspending constitutional rights and deploying heavily armed troops in the streets.

Appearing before the media alongside Ecuadors foreign minister, Mauricio Montalvo, Blinken declared, In extraordinary moments, democracies require exceptional measures.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Guillermo Lasso at presidential palace in Quito. (Credit: @EmbajadaEcuUSA)

Referring directly to Lassos imposition of dictatorial measures, Blinken continued, As I discussed with President Lasso, we understand that, support that, but know as well that these measures, of course, need to be taken pursuant to the constitution.

Lasso announced the state of emergency on October 18, seizing as his pretext an incident in the coastal city of Guayaquil in which a 13-year-old boy was killed in the crossfire between police and gunmen.

While the Ecuadorian president claimed that his state of siege measures are aimed at suppressing crime and drug traffickers, his order allows the suspension of basic democratic rights, including freedom of movement, assembly and association.

They have been imposed under conditions in which his presidency has been plunged into deep political crisis.

Troops on the streets of Ecuador, October 20, 2021(Credit: @FFAAECUADOR)

Lasso, a right-wing multimillionaire ex-Coca Cola executive and banker, was elected president last April in what was seen as an upset victory in a second-round election. His path to power was paved by the failure of the so-called Pink Tide government of Rafael Correa, whose limited reforms were eroded with a fall in oil prices. Correas hand-picked successor, Lenin Moreno, initiated a sharp turn to the right, ingratiating his administration with US imperialism by expelling WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from Ecuadors embassy in London, turning him over to the British government to face extradition to the US on espionage charges.

Lassos party, however, holds only 12 of the 137 seats in the National Assembly, and, even with backing from other rightist parties, he has been unable to force through his free-market agenda.

He has sought to impose an IMF-dictated structural adjustment program that includes sharp cuts in social spending, a labor reform that would strip workers of job protections, tax cuts for capitalist investors and the lifting of restrictions on mining, oil drilling and foreign control over key sectors of Ecuadors economy.

Lasso has seen his approval ratings plummet by more than 20 percent since the publication of the so-called Pandora Papers, which exposed his investments in at least 10 offshore shell companies located in Panama, South Dakota and Delaware.

Like other heads of state and top officials exposed by the Pandora Papers, Lasso insisted that his offshore holdings were all perfectly legal. The National Assembly, however, has launched an investigation, declaring that the right-wing president may have breached a statute that prohibits candidates and public officials from having their resources or assets in tax havens. Lasso has boycotted the probe, declaring himself the victim of a foreign conspiracy.

While Lasso was elected on promises that his policies would create jobs and raise living standards, some 6 million Ecuadoriansmore than a third of the populationare living below a miserably low poverty line, with two and a half million barely surviving under conditions of extreme poverty. According to the governments own figures, just three out of 10 Ecuadorians have formal employment, with the rest either unemployed, under-employed or eking out a living in the so-called informal sector.

His administration has also been rocked by violent prison revolts that have resulted in the deaths of about 230 inmates.

With growing popular opposition, the declaration of the state of emergency, imposed in the name of combating serious internal unrest, is a warning that Lasso intends to rely on naked force to remain in power and impose his right-wing agenda.

Lasso addressed a rally Wednesday, outside the Carondelet presidential palace, comprised of public employees, right-wing supporters and demonstrators who were paid by business interests. He denounced unions and indigenous organizations calling for an October 26 strike against his governments policies as conspirators and coup supporters, vowing that he would defend Quito against them.

With the support of the glorious Armed forces together with the National Police, we will give protection to the entire territory of Ecuador and the entire Ecuadorian family, Lasso declared.

Earlier, he announced that his government is forming a legal defense body to defend any cop or soldier charged in connection with the state of emergency. The law should intimidate the criminal, but not the police, he said. He promised to pardon any member of the repressive forces charged with a crime, effectively granting them absolute impunity to carry out acts of violent and deadly repression against the population.

It is under these conditions that Secretary of State Blinken traveled to Quito to praise Lasso for the strong pro-democracy voice that you have shared with the Ecuadorian people, but also with the people of our hemisphere.

These statements, delivered on the first trip to Latin America by the Biden administrations secretary of state, could be described as the Blinken Doctrine. Washington will support police state measures and dictatorship wherever they are required in the hemisphere to protect capitalist interests, sanctifying them as a defense of democracy.

Blinkens second leg of his Latin American tour took him to Colombia, where he urged far-right President Ivan Duque to prevent rights abuses, after his security forces gunned down dozens of protesters in nationwide demonstrations sparked by the governments regressive tax policies. He proclaimed Duque a very valued friend of the United States.

In Bogota, Blinken met with foreign ministers from Chile, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador, among others, to secure collaboration in suppressing migration to the United States.

A central aim of the US Secretary of States first Latin American tour was also to shore up the support of the regions right-wing regimes against the growing economic weight of China, which has displaced the United States as the regions top trading partner, if Mexico is excluded from the equation.
Parents shielding their children by keeping them away from unsafe schools are being threatened with fines, imprisonment or even the threat of having their children taken into the care of social services.

Schools reopening for the autumn term has fuelled a surge in cases, spreading into the community and leading to an increase in hospitalisations in children and older age groups.

On October 14, 209,000 children were absent from school for COVID related reasons, including 111,000 confirmed cases. That same day, 1.8 percent of teachers and school leaders and 1.6 percent of teaching assistants were absent due to COVID. On October 19, twitter group Long Covid Kids reported 25 kids hospitalised in the last 24 hours with preventable illness.

This led to appeals by National Health Service leaders for the Johnson government to implement a Plan Bwith the response back: the government has no plans to bring in any contingency measures yet.

Government mouthpiece Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), recommended ending the twice weekly lateral flow testing in schools.

Earlier in the month, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi announced the governments maniacal mission to raise school attendance figures, during a life-threatening pandemic that necessitates school closures. New to the post, he instructed his department to do a deep dive into whats happening with absenteeism. He aims to work with Ofsted (the school inspectorate) to raise attendance figures. Some of it is Covid-related both in terms of a student may have Covid and is therefore self-isolating what I would describe as Covid anxietywhether it be parental anxiety, students anxiety.

Those anxious parents are in fact legitimately appalled at the deaths of 96 UK children from COVID and the 11,000 children suffering Long COVID for over a year. But for trying to protect their children, they face the wrath of the authorities.

Mother of three, Sharon, explained to the WSWS how she was forced to deregister her youngest daughter 14-year-old Kelsey from school.

Sharon

I never dreamt of taking her out of school, she said. But her school was one of 200 schools doing trials.

In March 2021, the government launched a pilot scheme involving 200 schools and colleges, replacing daily lateral flow testing with the need for students in close contact with a positive case to self-isolate.

We got minimal information, continued Sharon. School sent out a [permission] letter to parents. As soon as I read it, I was flabbergasted. The virus is airborne, [it would mean] taking it out to families, into the communities, it will spread. I said to the head teacher, Youre giving me no choice. If my child is sitting next to a child who is positive, everyone is part of the trial. The head just said be part of the trial or leave. So, I took my daughter out. Schools are unsafe. But its gone way beyond that now, theyre not isolating any contact.

On July 17, the government lifted all mandatory restrictions and social distancing. In schools, mask wearing and quarantining after close contact with a positive case was no longer advised. This applied to Clinically Vulnerable (CV) and Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) staff and children. Self-isolation was only recommended after a positive PCR test.

As Kelsey was not provided with any alternative remote provision, Sharon signed [her] on for online private school because she is doing GCSEs in two years, its costing us a fortune.

All children should be protected, she continued, Vulnerable or not. I cannot believe the corruption, its all about privatisation, money. My child is being protected, but its tragic, parents saying they could be fined [for not sending their children into school].

At the very beginning of the pandemic, seeing people dying gasping for air in Italy, I was screaming at the TV, because governments didnt do anything, they kept the borders open. All this sickness, Long COVID, its being ignored.

Sharon said the media were censoring what leading scientists were advising. The truth about the pandemic is not getting out there. Its all misinformation, lobbying groups.

The governments murderous policies place the lives of those deemed CV or CEV in heightened danger. The WSWS spoke to Emmy Kelly, founder of twitter advocacy group Fighting 4 Vulnerable Lives.

Emmy Kelly

The group was founded in response to the governments end to shielding and the removal of CEV/CV status when schools reopened in September. Like all parents who kept children at home for fear of them contracting COVID, parents of CV children faced the stark choice of deregistering and losing their school place, or fines and imprisonment.

We are hearing of more and more families now being threatened or referred to social services, EWO [Educational Welfare Officers], etc., for unauthorised absence due to schools not being given the power to use the code for Exceptional Circumstances [ Section 7 of Education Act 1996] for all CEV families, explained Emmy.

Pre-pandemic, schools were always able to make exceptional teaching arrangements. The Department of Education guidance to schools is breaching the Equality Act, Disability Act and Human Rights of CEV CV.

Her group worked with the Good Law Project, which challenged the legality of this guidance. The outcome was that the government issued new guidance which, according to the Good Law Project, conceded that schools need to be sensitive to families needs when considering absence due to Covid. This is a big win for clinically extremely vulnerable families, but it is only the first step. Our work will now turn to making sure that schools approve reasonable requests for leave and provide full remote education for children who cannot go to school.

The new government guidance does not apply to CV/CEV educators. Teachers cant work from home, no one can work from home because furloughs ended, said Emmy. Its an absolute nightmare.

Leaving individual parents to negotiate access to Section 7 with school also puts parents into a new battle they didnt know existed, explained Emmy. It erodes relations between home and school. One family we are supporting said school is trying to help and asked for a GPs (general practitioner) letter. When the doctor checked with Public Health England, however, he was told, GPs cant write letters [on behalf of CEV/CV children]. The childs education is more important than health.

Weve got parents, families in suicide crisis because they have been referred to social services, having a safeguarding referral made on them [for keeping a child off school or even trying to deregister]. There is the stigma, people think theres no smoke without fire, they think child abuse. Once in that area, everything is going on behind closed doors. The parents have to [forgo a legal challenge and] do everything to build a working relationship with the authorities, for fear their children are put into care.

Without a strategy to eradicate the virus, those who are CEV/CV remain in grave danger, as do all children, from Long COVID or even MIS-C/PIMS (Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome).

For their part, the education unions refuse to mobilise their hundreds of thousands of members to demand remote education, knowing they and their pupils to be in danger. The unions maintain the fiction that schools can be made safe with a few mitigation measures, so parents can work to churn out profits.

In a press release, joint National Education Union general secretary Mary Bousted said Tuesday, We welcome the [government] announcement that vaccination centres will open for 12-15-year-olds over half term more needs to be done on ventilation in schools and other mitigation measures to stop the virus spreading and putting staff and pupils at further risk as we head into winter.

UK parents organised two school strikes, opposed by the education unions, against the governments prioritisation of profits over lives, with a third taking place today. To join the fight, register today for Sundays online meeting with scientists and epidemiologists hosted by the WSWS and International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees.
Nearly six months after being locked out by ExxonMobil, oil refinery workers in Beaumont, Texas rejected a contract ultimatum by the giant energy corporation in a vote on Tuesday evening. The workers courageously rejected the threats by company executives, who said the lockout would only end if workers accepted their last offer.

This is all the more impressive since the approximately 600 workers have been left to fight one of the worlds largest and most profitable corporations on their own, since the United Steelworkers union has vehemently opposed expanding the struggle to 30,000 other USW oil workers along the Gulf Coast and the rest of the US.

Locked-out Exxon workers (Facebook/USW)

Aware of the deep hostility to the contract, which gives ExxonMobil greater control over how jobs are assigned ahead of a major expansion and freezes some workers pay, officials from USW Local 13-243 called for a no vote. They nonetheless brought back the deal for a vote, no doubt to take a measure of how much resistance there was to another pro-company deal. While the USW reported that 400 workers of the original 650 who were locked out voted on the deal, union officials would not release the breakdown of the vote, saying only that the unions position was supported overwhelmingly.

The Beaumont workers, who had been working without a contract since January 2021, were locked out of the refinery and packaging plant by ExxonMobil on May 1. While the company has sought to keep some of its operations going with managers and temporary staff, many of the locked out workers have gotten other jobs. According to the union, 583 of the workers are still dues-paying members.

ExxonMobil is adamant about imposing a contract which allows it to remain competitive. The company made $2.7 billion in just the first three months of 2021 and is in the process of expanding its Beaumont facility into the largest in North America. The ongoing contract dispute is critical for the company, which will undoubtedly use the lockout as a precedent for pressuring other workers to accept its demands.

The company claimed that the most recent contract contained changes the USW bargaining committee put forward in earlier negotiations, including language that added seniority protection for employees, a demand that workers requested over safety concerns that come with working with volatile chemicals. According to the company, the offer also includes increased job security and improved paths to promotion. However, corporate management has stated it will begin withdrawing these beneficial offers if workers do not accept the deal by November 1. This also includes the loss of a $500 signing bonus and 2021 wage hikes.

Local union leaders said the offer, the first from the company since the lockout began, and the first that the USW has brought to its membership for a vote, only met a fraction of the unions demands. Along with increased job security and safety in the workplace, workers have demanded seniority be prioritized so that experienced workers can oversee safety precautions. ExxonMobil insists on basing job placements on qualification, a practice in place at other plants, which opens the door to the use of outside contractors and violation of workplace health and safety rules.

Locked out workers have been kept on starvation rations even though the USW sits on a strike fund worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The union reportedly reduced its meager $260 a week strike benefit in July, ended health care supplements in September, and unemployment benefits are set to expire.

We havent been getting our paychecks. So, everybodys families are experiencing a hard time right now. And were just doing our best to maintain, union member David Prejean told local reporters at 12News. Prejean said his family was struggling and bills were piling up, but he voted no because ExxonMobils proposal was not good enough.

At the same time, a small number of discouraged workers have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and collected some signatures to decertify the USW.

This is not the first time the USW has betrayed workers at the Beaumont facility. In 2015, some 6,500 Shell, British Petroleum (BP), Tesoro and other oil workers went on strike against the oil and gas giants. The USW International leadership forced ExxonMobil workers to remain on the job and then signed an individual deal with ExxonMobil, which separated workers in Beaumont from the industry-wide pattern of collective bargaining. The move effectively kept oil workers in Beaumont from uniting together with other US oil workers.

The continued isolation of the locked-out Beaumont workers is part and parcel of the treachery and pro-company character of the USW. While selling out the ExxonMobil workers, the USW is also collaborating with the United Auto Workers union to prevent a strike by 3,500 auto parts workers at Dana Inc., who rejected a USW-UAW-backed contract by 90 percent last month.

The resilience of the ExxonMobil workers parallels workers involved in drawn out battles in other industries who have stood fast against both the corporations and the pro-company unions. This includes the 700 nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, who after seven months of strike have rejected the last, best and final offer from health care giant Tenet. More than 1,000 coal miners at Warrior Met in central Alabama are continuing their six-month fight despite the treachery of the United Mine Workers union, which has isolated them and forced the workers to rely on poverty-level strike benefits.

The potential now exists to break the isolation of the struggles. Over the last several weeks, a powerful strike wave has developed, involving 10,100 workers at agricultural and construction machinery maker John Deere & Co. throughout the Midwest; thousands of nurses in western New York, California and Oregon; 1,400 Kelloggs workers in Michigan and other states, and hundreds of distillery workers in Bardstown, Kentucky. This is part of a global upsurge of working-class struggle, including struggles by oil workers in Iran, Mexico and other countries who are demanding substantial wage increases and less exhausting schedules as the energy monopolies benefit from rising prices.

Beaumont workers must draw the conclusion from their nearly six-month struggle. If they are to win their demands, they must take the conduct of the struggle out of the hands of the pro-company agents in the United Steelworkers. This means forming a rank-and-file committee to formulate their own demands and establish direct lines of communication with workers throughout the industry in the US and internationally, and workers in ongoing struggles. Only a coordinated counteroffensive by the working class can reverse decades of union-backed concessions, which have robbed workers of trillions of dollars.
The wave of strikes taking place in the United States is a decisive milestone in the international uprising of the working class against the intolerable conditions imposed by the global capitalist system. The strike initiated on October 13 by more than 10,000 John Deere workers, who rejected a rotten contract presented by the United Auto Workers (UAW), is a critical battleground for the international working class.

This strike, like others in the US, Brazil and around the world, has taken the form of a rank-and-file rebellion against the corporatist unions. Over the past three decades, trade union organizations across the globe have fully integrated themselves into the management of capitalist corporations and rammed through contracts that destroyed jobs, wages and gains won by previous generations of the working class.

Trade unions, corporations and bourgeois states around the world are watching these events with horror and are mobilizing a counteroffensive in an attempt to extinguish the fire spreading throughout different sections of the working class around the world.

Within this context, the UAW just released a video of Brazilian union leaders from the Metalworkers Union of Catalao allegedly supporting the John Deere strike in the US. Catalao is where one of Deeres main plants in Brazil is located, and the Metalworkers Union of Catalao is affiliated with the Forca Sindical union federation. The only support that American workers can expect from Brazils Forca Sindical to their strike is the kind that a rope gives to a hanging man.

Frame of Forca Sindical's video posted by the UAW

The video of the Metalworkers Union of Catalao is essentially a reissue of the UAWs blatant lies. They claim that the strike at John Deere began in the US because the UAW does not accept at all the companys proposal and is demanding a substantial increase of wages. In reality, the agreement was promoted by the UAW itself, which lauded its significant economic gains but was massively rejected by Deere workers.

The Brazilian union bureaucrats also stated that the workers in the US are asking for support from the company in a moment of difficulty with the COVID [pandemic]. According to them, after giving up staying at home, and going to work in the company risking their lives, the workers expected that the company would recognize the work that they had done.

But it was not the workers who agreed to be sent to the infected factories risking their lives. It was the UAW that, after the wave of wildcat strikes in the North American auto industry in March 2020, negotiated the reopening of factories, facilitating the mass infection of American workers.

Forca Sindical, alongside the PT-controlled CUT and other union federations, fulfilled this same nefarious role in Brazil. While they canceled all strike movements from their official agenda starting in March 2020, these union federations met with representatives of the Brazilian state to issue a bill reducing the working hours and wages of the working class to protect capitalist profits.

In April 2020, the president of Forca Sindical, Miguel Torresquoted by the union leaders in the video as sending support to [workers in] the United Statespublished an article titled Pandemic, Industry and Sovereignty, which demanded an immediate industrial resumption in Brazil. In chauvinist fashion, the article compared the COVID-19 pandemic to a war, in which national economic interests should be put first. Based on these corporatist interests, the Brazilian unions have enforced the unsafe operation of plants while trying to convince workers that they were safe.

Opposition to the policies of mass infections and deaths under the COVID-19 pandemic and to the terrible downgrading of living conditions is emerging in Brazil as well as in the United States. A series of strikes in defense of working-class living standards is emerging in the South American country, among them a recent strike at General Motors in Sao Caetano do Sul, Sao Paulo, described by workers in the plant as the most militant in many years.

Last Thursday, October 14, an overwhelming majority of GM workers rejected a rotten agreement advocated by the Metalworkers Union of Sao Caetano, also controlled by the Forca Sindical. In a mass assembly held at the plants gates, workers booed the union President Aparecido da Silva when he called for a return to work. But, despite the massive vote to continue the strike, the union criminally betrayed the workers and immediately started to advise workers individually to return to their jobs.

Remarkably, the assembly that buried the GM strike in Sao Caetano was attended by the UAWs spokesman in Brazil, Rafael Messias Guerra. He claimed that the UAW was closely watching the GM workers strike in Brazil, while spouting lies about the supposed achievements of the UAW, which betrayed the 2019 US GM workers strike.

The partnership between the UAW and the Forca Sindical is a criminal collaboration aimed at betraying workers in their own countries and blocking any unification of their struggles across national borders. An international unification of working-class struggles, imposed by the globalized structure of capitalist production itself, is the only effective strategy to confront transnational capitalist corporations like John Deere and General Motors.

The UAWs ostentatious presence in Brazilhaving also appeared alongside Forca Sindical leaders in other recent strikes, such as last years Renault workers strike in Paranais bound up with US imperialisms intervention in Brazil, continuing the infamous American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD). The AIFLD trained and funded right-wing union leaders who supported US-backed military coups in Brazil in 1964, Chile in 1973 and other countries in the region.

Workers in the US, Brazil and around the world must reject the reactionary alliance between the pro-capitalist unions. A genuine unification of rank-and-file workers around the world is needed to confront the transnational corporations and their union agents. That organization is the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC).
German Chancellor Angela Merkel [Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Pool via AP]

Although around 9,000 people are infected with coronavirus every day in Germany, federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) has called for an end to the epidemic situation.

The decision rests with the Bundestag (federal parliament), which first declared an epidemic situation of national scope in March 2020 and must extend the decision every three months. The epidemic situation empowers the federal and state governments to issue regulations on coronavirus measuressuch as social distancing, mask-wearing requirements, the obligation to present proof of COVID status, and contact restrictions.

If the epidemic situation is not extended until November 25, it means that no more measures will be taken to protect the population from the virus.

The reason given for lifting the measures is the allegedly high vaccination ratea claim that is by no means tenable. Only just under two-thirds are fully vaccinated in Germany, and no one under the age of twelve.

Particularly threatening is the growing number of vaccine breakthroughs, infections of people who have already been vaccinated. Vaccination, falsely claimed by governments to be a panacea against the pandemic, is itself increasingly undermined by the herd immunity policy.

In the over-60 age group, one in two symptomatic infections in the last four weeks has been a vaccine breakthrough, and one in three in the 18-59 age group. It is not uncommon for a vaccine breakthrough to have fatal consequences. A total of 817 people in Germany have already succumbed to the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated. The herd immunity policy also increases the risk that viral mutations will emerge that are resistant to current vaccines, thus invalidating one of the most important protective measures against the virus.

Contrary to government claims, the pandemic is not coming to an end. After stagnating at a high level over the past few weeks, new infections have again recorded a sharp increase in recent days. In the last week, the seven-day incidence rate rose from 65 to 75 infections per 100,000 inhabitants. Over 9,000 new infections and about 60 deaths occur every day. The figures are thus significantly higher than at the same time last year.

The increase is particularly strong among children and young people. Among 15-to-34-year-olds, the incidence rate is 98 per 100,000, and among 4-to-14-year-olds it is as high as 170. Regionally, even incidence rates of up to 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants are being registered. In the last four weeks alone, 636 outbreaks have been reported in schools.

The high number of infections among young people is directly related to the reopening of schools after the summer vacations and the dismantling of any protective measures. With the dropping of compulsory mask wearing in most German states, there are hardly any protective measures worthy of the name.

Although the pandemic has already claimed 94,000 lives in Germany, according to official figures, all the establishment parties are committed to continuing this deadly policy. During the election campaign, all the candidates for chancellor had declared that there would be no further lockdowns. So far, in the exploratory talks to form a new government, coronavirus protection measures have not even been broacheda clear indication of the aggressiveness with which the incoming government will enforce the crackdown.

This policy will be implemented by all the establishment partiesespecially the nominally left-wing ones. Even throughout the pandemic, leading representatives of the Left Party have supported the herd immunity policy. In April, in her YouTube programme Wochenschau, the partys long-time parliamentary leader Sahra Wagenknecht appealed to right-wing QAnon types, coronavirus deniers and anti-vaxxers to roll back even the last measures to contain the pandemic.

A few weeks ago, Left Party founder Oskar Lafontaine called for a Freedom Day, meaning an end to any coronavirus measures. He referred to Freedom Days in countries such as Britain and made the claim that they had not led to an increase in the number of cases there. In reality, over 48,000 new infections occur every day in the UK, and the numbers continue to rise.

In other countries, the situation is even more dramatic. In the US, over 20,000 people have succumbed to the virus in the last two weeks alone. The total number of reported deaths is approaching 750,000.

The Left Partys policies find their practical expression in Thuringia, where it holds the state premiership. In recent days, Thuringia has once again become the state with the highest incidence rate, with a figure of 139 per 100,000. Last year, the Thuringia state government distinguished itself by its ruthless policy of herd immunity. After Saxony, Thuringia is the federal state with the highest coronavirus death rate per inhabitant.

The Thuringia state executives unrestrained approach is particularly evident in school openings. Among 15-to-34-year-olds, the incidence is 158, and among 5-to-14-year-olds, it is as high as 390. These figures are a consequence of dismantling protective measures, which have gone further than in most other federal states. Not only is there no longer a requirement to wear masks in class, but also no mandatory testing in almost all of Thuringia.

The catastrophic coronavirus situation will worsen with the wave in the autumn and winter that virologists are warning about. In its weekly report, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) writes, A renewed increase in the number of cases is to be expected for the autumn and winter. Virologist Christian Drosten recently commented on the rising incidence levels, I think there are now signs of the autumn and winter wave, which we will probably see again in October. An exponential increase was to be expected, as was the case last year, he said.

The rising level of infections proves the bankruptcy of the herd immunity strategy, which exposes the population to the virus unprotected, and without even the mitigations that slow the spread of the virus through minimal protective measures. Both strategies lead to the same ultimate result: mass infection with countless deaths, long-term illnesses, and the emergence of even more infectious and deadly variants.

The only way to end the pandemic is a strategy to eradicate the virus worldwide. It requires the use of all the weapons in the arsenal of countermeasuresvaccination, school and factory closures, mass testing, contact tracing and quarantine, etc.coordinated at a global level to eliminate the virus once and for all. Several countries have demonstrated that such a strategy of elimination is possible.

On October 24, the World Socialist Web Site will host an online webinar with leading scientists on the prospect and necessity of this eradication strategy. Register here today to participate!
In a brief attempt by the Greens to posture as a critic of Australias new party deregistration laws, Senator Larissa Waters spoke and voted against the bills in the Senate as they were being rammed through on August 26.

Waters said the measures to de-register parties that fail to submit the details of 1,500 memberstrebling the previous requirementwere an attack on our democracy.

Larissa Waters, Greens Senator [Source: The Greens]

In the House of Representatives the day before, however, Greens leader Adam Bandt notably remained mute. And neither Bandt nor Waters, the Greens spokesperson for Democracy, have said a word since, let alone conducted a campaign against the laws.

Waters had issued a media release on August 24 criticising the Labor Party for agreeing to wave through the Liberal-National governments bills. In reality, Labor spearheaded the passage of the laws through both houses of parliament in just over 24 hours.

In her media release, Waters stated: The Libs and Labor are running scared. They know theyre on the nose with the electorate and they know their share of the primary vote is collapsing. This is a blatant and utterly shameless attempt to shore up their power With an election looming dozens of minor parties are now at risk of being deregistered.

This pretence of concern by the Greens for basic democratic rights is an utter fraud, as proven by the fact that they have kept their mouths shut ever since. If the laws are a blatant and shameless attack on democracywhich they arethen a powerful public campaign must be conducted to demand their repeal.

That fight has been taken up by only one party, however. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) is conducting a determined campaign in the working class to overturn the laws and all restrictions on the rights of parties and individuals to stand in elections.

For all their claims of concern for democracy, the Greens supported an amendment by right-wing Senator Jacqui Lambie to accept the new 1,500-member requirement for new parties applying for registration, but not those already registered.

Moreover, the Greens support the previous 500-member rule, which was itself an anti-democratic provision introduced under the Hawke Labor government in 1983, requiring party registration for the first time ever in order to have a partys name on ballot papers alongside its candidates.

Combined with state funding for the parliamentary parties, the 1983 laws were an earlier unsuccessful bid to shore up the two traditional ruling parties, for which electoral support was already unravelling because of the mounting bipartisan assault on jobs, working and living conditions, and ever-widening social inequality.

The Greens also have a record of backing similar laws at the state level. In New South Wales, the Greens combined with the other parliamentary partiesLabor, Liberal, National and Democratsto push through legislation to more than treble, from 200 to 750, the membership requirement for registered parties. That followed a 1999 election in which support for minor parties and independents rose to nearly 35 percent in the states upper house.

Over the past two decades, the Greens have become a pivotal part of the political establishment, particularly since the ignominious collapse of an earlier third party, the Australian Democrats, after the Democrats struck a sordid deal with the Howard Liberal-National government in 1999 to back the introduction of the regressive goods and services tax.

At times, particularly in order to appeal to younger voters, the Greens depict themselves as a progressive party on issues such as climate change, war and social justice. But they rest on an affluent upper-middle class milieu and are thoroughly committed to the capitalist profit system and to propping up the parliamentary order.

The Greens silence on the electoral laws dovetails with their pitch to form another de facto coalition government with the Labor Party, as they did under Julia Gillard from 2010 to 2013. For weeks, Bandt has been appealing for the formation of such a government to replace the increasingly loathed Liberal-National government of Scott Morrison.

In a media release on September 15, for example, Bandt announced a reshuffle of the Greens shadow Ministerial portfolios to set the party up for balance of power negotiations for the likely event of a minority Parliament after the looming federal election. Bandt promoted the prospect of kicking the government out and getting the Greens into balance of power.

The Greens last such power-sharing deal, with the minority Gillard government, allowed Labor to barely cling to office while it signed up to the US military build-up against China, including the stationing of US Marines near Darwin. The Gillard government also cut off welfare benefits to single parents, slashed university funding, and kept refugees incarcerated on remote Pacific islands.

In 2013, that regressive agenda saw the government defeated in an electoral landslide, paving the way for the current Liberal-National government.

Any future Labor-Greens government would have an even more reactionary agenda, as the ruling elite ramps up the confrontation with China, seeks to force the population to live with COVID-19, at the expense of lives and health, in order to boost corporate profits, and deepens the offensive against workers jobs and conditions.

That is why, after their initial posturing, the Greens are content to let the laws stand. They want to be part of a government that will seek to stifle dissent, particularly working-class opposition, and prevent it from challenging the parliamentary establishment.

It is no accident that it is the socialists, that is the SEP and its members and supporters, who are fighting the assault on fundamental democratic rights by the ruling class and its political servants. The working class is the only social force that can answer this offensive, which is part of a global turn toward anti-democratic measures.

As we have explained, the fight to defendand extendbasic democratic rights is part and parcel of the struggle for socialism, that is, a genuinely democratic and egalitarian society based on the informed, active and articulate participation of all working people.

To help defeat the bipartisan attempt to strangle democratic rights and stifle the struggle for socialism, the SEP is appealing to our supporters and readers and all working people, students and youth to become electoral members of the SEP so that we can retain our party registration.
The World Socialist Web Site and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees are holding a forum October 24 with leading scientists to discuss what is required to bring an end to the coronavirus pandemic. This requires a full-on political struggle against the policy pursued by the ruling elite all over the world, now under the rubric of living with the virus, although this was described last year as attaining herd immunity.

The more primitive form of the herd immunity argument, put forward by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, British Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former US president Trump, is that nothing should be done to fight the virus that in any way interferes with, or even inconveniences, the profit-making of the capitalist class.

A slightly more sophisticated argument has emerged in the wake of the development of multiple, highly effective vaccines, which goes something like this: the combination of the natural immunity conferred by contracting and surviving COVID-19 and the immunity conveyed by vaccination will make enough of the population immune that the virus will lack sufficient hosts to propagate itself. SARS-CoV-2 will then die a natural death.

This ignores several inconvenient, but fully proven, scientific facts about the nature of SARS-CoV-2, and particularly the Delta variantto say nothing of possible new variantsand the experiences derived from more than 18 months of efforts to combat the pandemic.

Above all, there is the stark realization that it may not be possible to achieve the threshold for ending the pandemic despite a high level of population immunity from previous infections and vaccinations. The modeling done by Dr. Malgorzata Gasperowicz shows that a strategy based on vaccination only will lead to continued community transmission, because the transmissibility of the Delta variant is much greater than for the previous variants.

This is being objectively verified now in real-world experience. Ireland has fully vaccinated 90 percent of its adult population, which means population immunity from COVID vaccines is at 75 percent.

However, Ireland is seeing a rise in cases of COVID among the elderly. Professor Kingston Mills, an immunologist at Trinity College Dublin, told the Irish Times that breakthrough infections were occurring among those who received their doses more than six months ago. The current seven-day average is spiking again, with more than 1,600 infections per day.

Additionally, data from SeroTracker, a global SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence dashboard built by researchers from Canada and the UK, found that by March 3, 2021, the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland ranged from 22.3 to 34.6 percent. Even taking into account that some survivors of COVID-19 were later vaccinated, so there is an overlap between infection totals and vaccination totals, the immunity in the population from both sources combined is considerable.

Britain, of course, is being ravaged by the latest surge in COVID-19, accounting in the recent period for more daily cases than France, Germany, Italy and Spain combined.

Infection confers little immunity

On the other end of the spectrum are countries that have endured repeated ravages from the virus with virtually no vaccination and find no build-up of immunity in the population due to infection.

In Iran, a country of 84 million people, there have been 5.77 million reported COVID-19 cases and 124,000 reported deaths. However, these numbers clearly underrepresent the real state of the pandemic in Iran. According to a recent study in preprint from the University of Oxford, excessive deaths reached 241,000 by mid-September, when the fifth wave of the pandemic was receding. Astoundingly, in several provinces the attack rate exceeded 100 percent. In several provinces like Kurdistan, North Khorasan, and Qazvin, the attack rates reached between 150 and 200 percent.

According to the CDC, the term attack rate is often used as a synonym for the risk of getting the disease during a specified period, such as the duration of an outbreak. It is defined as the percentage of an at-risk population that contracts the disease during a specified time interval. If population immunity was reaching a threshold of immunity, the at-risk population would theoretically be falling.

When the authors calculated the overall population attack rate over the course of the pandemic, they said, Our results are striking as they show very high attack rates across the country with more than 100 percent attack rates in 11 provinces.  Our findings of high attack rates in several provinces show that herd immunity through natural infection has not been achieved in the population even after nearly 20 months since the start of the Iranian epidemic. This is likely due to substantial reduction in protection against repeat infection over time due to waning immunity, increased chance of reinfection with variants of concern, or a combination of both.

Professor Nancy Delagrave from Montreal, tweeted a cautionary note regarding the above study, Let me repeat this: On average, it was estimated at the end of January 2021, the citizens of Sistan and Baluchistan had been infected on average 1.2 times in a year. But the combined fourth and fifth wave were still the deadliest and each person have COVID 2.5 times overall on average.

In India, before the staggering spring wave that killed close to 5,000 people per day, SARS-CoV-2 had already spread widely throughout the country. A national serosurvey reported in January 2021 found that 21.4 percent of adults and 25.3 percent of adolescents were carrying antibodies to the virus. In New Delhi, the seropositivity ranged from 40.1 percent to 62.2 percent across eleven districts. Public health officials had expected that this level of immunity would have conferred some level of herd immunity from future outbreaks. This was, like many previous assumptions, erroneous and deadly.

New Delhi was among the cities hardest hit by the Delta variant during the spring wave. By mid-April, daily cases had risen to more than 20,000 per day, and the health system had crumbled. Essentially every hospital was turned into an entire COVID care-only facility. Medical students and physicians from alternative professions were enlisted to render medical assistance.

A subsequent analysis of population seropositivity in Delhi found that by July the figure had risen to 87.5 percent of the unvaccinated population. As the study notes, Overall, the genomic and epidemiologic data were most consistent with the hypothesis that a new variant with higher infectivity, Delta, was driving the unexpected overwhelming surge in Delhi. They also found among those previously infected, between 10 percent and 50 percent were reinfected with the Delta variant.

In the US, before the late summer wave, scientists had estimated that because of the combined effect of previous infections and vaccines, approximately 83.3 percent of the population had some level of immunity. In three short months, the surge that continues to ripple through the Midwest, Southern and rural communities led to 10 million more infections and 114,000 additional deaths, despite the high levels of community immunity. In fact, during September, COVID-19 rose to the second leading cause of death in the US.

In a report published in Nature in March 2021, scientists were already recognizing that the threshold to reaching herd immunity would be elusive under the current circumstances. Lauren Ancel Meyers, an epidemiologist and executive director of the University of Texas Austin COVID-19 Modeling Consortium, stated at the time, Were moving away from the idea that well hit the herd-immunity threshold and then the pandemic will go away for good: The vaccine will mean that the virus will start to dissipate on its own. But as new variants arise and immunity from infections potentially wanes, we may find ourselves months or a year down the road still battling the threat and having to deal with future surges.

In a recent report in the Guardian, anecdotal reports of people in the UK catching COVID-19 two or three times are becoming common place. Citing new analyses, they wrote, unvaccinated individuals should expect to be reinfected with COVID-19 every 16 months, on average. These corroborate evidence cited in the Oxford study on Iran. As Stephen Griffin, associate professor of virology at the University of Leeds noted, If youve got high-level of prevalence, and frequent exposure to the virus, as you have in schools, you are going to see more and more people getting reinfected despite having been double vaccinated.

New sub-lineages of the Delta variant

Events are taking over these assessments on the Delta variants as new strains of this particular iteration of the coronavirus are paving way to possibly more transmissible and virulent lineages.

A recent concerning development has found a Delta sub-lineage of the coronavirus dubbed AY.23 rose rapidly in Singapore during July, completely displacing the ancestral Delta strain. By mid-August, Singapore witnessed a dramatic surge in cases with daily infection rates three to four-fold higher than the initial waves in 2020, with approximately 3,000 new cases each day. Hospitalizations have soared over the month. ICU admission has climbed from less than 50 patients to now 372. Essentially, all cases are now associated with locally transmitted cases. Seventy-five percent of all cases in July were among the vaccinated and partially vaccinated.

Despite these developments, the government decided to pivot to a strategy of living with the virus. More than 80 percent of the population had been fully vaccinated, and the country aimed to reach 90 percent before the winter months. They had begun to allow dining-in at restaurants, lifting some of the working-from-home rules and raising group sizes to five for those fully vaccinated. However, these recent developments have led the health authorities to pause the opening of their economy.

Another Delta subvariant of concern is the AY.4.2 lineage that rapidly began to climb in the UK during July 2021, accounting for almost 10 percent of sequenced viruses currently. Approximately two-thirds of the country has been vaccinated, and one-sixth has been infected previously, meaning that infections continue to soar despite a considerable population immunity.

As the graph below demonstrates, the rapid rise in the AY.4 lineage implies that it can evade the current level of immunity and is a better fit for the UK population than the previous Delta strain. Since the beginning of summer, the UK has faced persistently high community transmissions, with daily cases exceeding 40,000. On Monday, new cases of COVID almost reached 50,000.

Figure 1: Incidence of the AY.4 sublineage of the Delta variant in the UK

According to the Financial Times, Jeffrey Barrett, director of the COVID-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, and Francois Balloux, director of the University College London Genetics Institute, said that AY.4.2 could be 10 to 15 percent more transmissible than the original Delta, which came to dominate the pandemic in the few short recent months.

A strategy for elimination

The attempts to call for a policy of herd immunity to allow the virus to become endemic pose immense dangers for the working class. Experience is emerging that herd immunity in the context of changing variants and waning immunity, as well as unequal distribution of the COVID vaccines, implies the pandemic will continue to disrupt life and livelihood for possibly many more months or years.

Bringing an end to the pandemic cannot be left to the natural workings of infection-derived immunity combined with mass vaccinationand in half the globe, mass vaccination remains years into the future, if ever, because of the inequality in the distribution of vaccines and the health infrastructure to deliver them.

Moreover, population immunity is by no means the only, or even the preferred method of stamping out a deadly communicable disease, as historical experience has shown. Elimination or eradication of a disease can be achieved through the scientific combination of targeted vaccination campaigns and public health measures, whose characteristics must be tailored to the nature of the disease.

In a recent publication in BMJ Global Health, Dr. Michael G. Baker and his colleagues at the University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand, observe that population immunity was never achieved with smallpox. The ring vaccination strategy, the vaccination of all suspected individuals within a prescribed area around an outbreak of smallpox, was employed to bring the last case of the disease to an end in 1977. By creating a buffer of immune individuals, the disease could be contained from spreading to other regions. This can also be achieved by the globe. As experience with waning immunity and evolving variants is growing, vaccines function as stopgap measures that buy humanity additional time.

Baker et al. highlight that through coordinated global cooperation, the world eradicated smallpox, rinderpest (a disease of cattle), and two of three poliovirus serotypes. With the elimination of malaria in China, 40 countries have now been certified as malaria-free. Measles, mumps and rubella have been eliminated in many countries, with global measles deaths having declined by more than 80 percent over the last two decades. But the same political indifference and inadequate prioritization are seeing the resurgence of these diseases deemed technically feasible to eradicate. Effective preventative vaccines are widely available.

In the case of coronavirus, countries that include Australia, China, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam demonstrated that the disease could be eliminated even before vaccination was available. Border control, physical distancing, the universal wearing of masks, a high level of testing with rapid result turnaround, genomic sequencing, contact tracing, infrastructure for isolation and quarantine, and, most importantly, political will were required.

The authors wrote, On our scoring for eradicability using a three-point relative scale across 17 variables  it does seem to put COVID-19 into the realms of being possible [when compared to smallpox and polio], especially in terms of technical feasibility. In fact, the authors considered eradicating COVID-19 more feasible than polio. However, the concerns they cited were with vaccine hesitancy among the population and the emergence of more transmissible and immune-evading strains. More problematic, they concede, is achieving the necessary international cooperation as evidenced by vaccine nationalism and government-mediated anti-science disinformation.

The principal barrier to the elimination of COVID-19 off the face of the globe is the profit-driven system of health care, and the division of the world into rival nation-states: in other words, capitalism.
Nearly a month into the strike by 400 bourbon distillery workers in Bardstown, Kentucky, Heaven Hill management is moving to permanently replace strikers with scab labor.

Heaven Hill workers walked off the job on September 11 after rejecting by 95 percent a proposed five-year contract containing an increased workweek and increased out-of-pocket health care costs. The Heaven Hill strike is part of a growing rebellion which includes several major strikes in the United States, including over 10,000 workers at farm and construction equipment manufacturer John Deere, Warrior Met coal miners in Alabama, nurses in three states and over 1,400 Kelloggs cereal workers.

Heaven Hill distillery (Pinterest/Luise Thomas)

After the walkout, in an effort to force them into submission, the company moved swiftly to terminate workers health care benefitsa vindictive maneuver under normal circumstances, but one that is essentially homicidal under conditions of a global pandemic. Kentucky has seen almost 730,000 total cases and over 9,000 deaths.

In addition to cutting off workers health care, the company has also taken legal action, filing for an injunction against the strike, limiting their ability to conduct a struggle and opening them up to punitive fines and possible imprisonment. Strikers have been barred from blocking entrances, tailing any trucks entering or exiting the distillery and [harassing] employees at affiliated companies. The injunction also allows the company to send scabs across the picket line, which the company recently announced it plans to do.

As Heaven Hill and UFCW 23D have reached an impasse in contract negotiations, Heaven Hill will begin the process of hiring permanent replacement workers, and welcomes Heaven Hill union team members who wish to apply, the company said in a statement.

Matt Aubrey, the president of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 23D, issued a statement in response disputing that talks have reached an impasse. The reality is that Heaven Hill negotiations are not at an impasse. UFCW 23D and Heaven Hill workers are ready and willing to meet with the company to continue talks so that we can reach a fair contract.

The actions of the company have only tempered workers determination to fight. But workers are confronting not just the corporations, but the union as well, which is essentially allowing the company to replace workers without any serious resistance. It is doing nothing to mobilize its 25,000 members in the state of Kentucky, or other unionized workers, such as roughly 13,000 Ford workers in nearby Louisville. Instead, the UCFW has resorted to pathetic moral appeals, begging the company to return to the bargaining table. The company, for its part, is adamant about imposing its demands, calling the contract workers overwhelmingly rejected its last, best and final offer.

The spinelessness of the UFCW at Heaven Hill is similar to the response of the Massachusetts Nurses Association in the strike by nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, who have allowed management to hire hundreds of replacements for months.

The reality is that there is plenty of money to meet workers demands. Heaven Hill is one of the largest distilleries in the country, with revenues estimated to be over $500 million. The company invested $19 million in a tourist center, which opened earlier this year. Meanwhile, the bourbon industry itself has experienced significant growth despite the pandemic, with sales of bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey reaching $4.3 billion in 2020, an increase of $327 million over the previous year.

Moreover, there is immense support for the strike at Heaven Hill, not just in the Bardstown community, but across the country. But the strike is at a crossroads. Left in the hands of the UFCW, the powerful position occupied by the Heaven Hill workers will be squandered, and the workers led to defeat.

The way forward requires that workers take matters into their own hands, by forming a new alternative leadership. This means the formation of a rank-and-file strike committee, democratically elected and controlled by workers themselves, to appeal for the broadest possible support at distilleries across the state, as well as autoworkers, teachers, nurses and other sections of the working class who are also moving into struggle.
The Biden administration is preparing to restart a policy at the southern border that was used by former President Donald Trump to keep asylum seekers from the entering the country from Mexico.

In a court filing on October 14, Biden officials said they would relaunch the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)also known as Trumps Remain in Mexico policyin mid-November if the Mexican government accepts the return of asylum seekers to its territory.

Haitian migrants set up make-shift camp along the Rio Grande after crossing into the United States from Mexico, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The restart of the policy will include the construction of soft-sided tent courts at border crossings in Laredo and Brownsville, Texas at a cost of $14 million where asylum seekers would appear before videoconference hearings exactly the same way it was done during the Trump administration.

Bidens acting assistant secretary for immigration policy Blas Nunez-Neto told the court that substantial progress had been made in talks with Mexico to move forward with the revived MPP program, according to the Washington Post .

The Biden administration ended MPP soon after taking office. In April, the Republican-controlled states of Texas and Missouri responded by filing lawsuits in the Northern District of Texas saying that ending the program led to a harmful surge of illegal immigrants.

In August, a U.S. District Court judge ordered the Biden administration to resume MPP, stating that the program was terminated improperly. The Biden White House appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, but a 6-to-3 majority of the high court denied the application and upheld the lower court ruling.

The Supreme Court ruling was presented by Justice Samuel Alito who declared, The applicants have failed to show a likelihood of success on the claim that the memorandum rescinding the Migrant Protection Protocols was not arbitrary and capricious.

However, the Trump administration, which launched the program in January 2019, had itself largely dropped the use of MPP in March 2020 at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic and began using a public health code called Title 42 to apprehend and deport those crossing the border and blocking any chance to request asylum.

In preparing to restart the Remain in Mexico policy, Bidens Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement that said it was taking necessary steps to comply with the court order, which requires us to reimplement MPP in good faith.

The DHS statement went on, Significantly, Mexico is a sovereign nation that must make an independent decision to accept the return of individuals without status in Mexico as part of any reimplementation of MPP. Discussions with the Government of Mexico concerning when and how MPP will be reimplemented are ongoing.

During the 2020 presidential campaign, candidate Joe Biden tweeted in March 2020, Donald Trumps Remain in Mexico policy is dangerous, inhumane, and goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants. My administration will end it.

While it might appear that Biden is having his arm twisted by the courts to adopt Trumps immigration policies, the reality is that the Democratic Party administration has been willingly pursuing the same anti-immigrant border policies of the previous White House for months.

For example, Biden has been using Title 42 to detain and immediately deport migrants attempting to cross the border on the grounds that they pose a public health risk. Just like the Trump White House did, Bidens Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is cynically using the pandemic in order to implement a right-wing immigration policy that violates both international and US law.

As Mayorkas told Yahoo News on October 12, It is not an immigration policy that we in this administration would embrace. But we view it as a public health imperative as the Centers for Disease Control has so ordered. Were in the midst of a pandemic. For anyone to think its business as usual I think would be, frankly, ignoring a pandemic that has taken more than 700,000 American lives.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Bidens nominee for the leadership of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Chris Magnus, testified at his confirmation hearing and fully supported the Title 42 expulsions and swift actions at the border to prevent asylum seekers from entering the US. Magnus is currently the police chief in Tucson, Arizona and was seeking to impress both the Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee with his law-and-order credentials.

When he was asked about the fact that a total of 1.6 million migrants have been arrested for unlawful US-Mexico border crossings this year alone, Magnus told the committee, I agree, we have some significant challenges at the border, the numbers are very high, and it is something that has to be addressed, clearly we have a broken system.

According to DHS statistics, the Biden administration has carried out 1.8 times the number of Title 42 apprehensions and deportations of migrants at the southern border between February and August (690,209) as the Trump administration carried out during the same time frame in 2020.

While U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled on September 16 that Title 42 could no longer be used to block asylum seekers from entering the country, the Biden administration has repeatedly argued in court in defense of the Trump policy. The White House is currently appealing Judge Sullivans ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington D.C.

Title 42 is a clause in the Public Health Services Law of 1944 that allows the government to prevent the introduction of individuals during certain public health emergencies and has been rarely used until it was made the cornerstone of the Trump administrations xenophobic attack on immigrants arriving at the border as part of travel restrictions put in place in the early months of the pandemic.

On October 2, State Department senior advisor Harold Koh sent a letter of resignation to the Biden White House, saying that the use of Title 42 is inhumane and continues to violate our legal obligation not to expel or return individuals who fear persecution, death, or torture, especially migrants fleeing from Haiti.

In his scathing letter, Koh wrote, In my judgment, Title 42 is currently being implemented in a manner that violates the Refugee Conventions Article 33 prohibition against direct expulsion or return to persecution. ... There have also been disturbing reports that some migrants were not even told where they were being taken when placed on deportation flights, learning only when they landed that they had been returned to their home country or place of possible persecution or torture.

Matthew Reynolds, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative to the US and the Caribbean, said in a public statement, Individuals or families aboard those flights who may have urgent protection needs risk being sent back to the very dangers they have fled in their countries of origin in Central America without any opportunity to have those needs assessed and addressed. Reynolds said that some flights where non-Mexicans are being expelled to the deep interior of Mexico constitutes a troubling new dimension in enforcement of the COVID-related public health order known as Title 42.
The New York City Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee met on Saturday, October 16 and endorsed the following statement.

Teachers and staff protest outside Franklin D. Roosevelt High School as they call for more and better COVID-19 testing and precautions, Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

In the month since schools in the city opened in the largest district in the United States on September 13, children aged 5-12 have become the population segment with the fastest growing number of COVID-19 infections. The last five weeks have been a period of horrific anxiety and fear for teachers, parents and students alike, as the authorities have concealed infection outbreaks and at least one child has died.

The New York City Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee calls for an emergency program of action to protect children from the pandemic and stop the community spread of the deadly virus, which has already claimed the lives of at least three-quarters of a million people in the US, 55,600 of them in New York City.

To fight for this, the working class must base itself on scientific facts. That is why we are urging educators, parents, and students to attend the October 24 webinar, How to end the pandemic to listen to noted scientists explain how the virus can be eliminated.

We must understand the different responses to the virus by various sections of the corporate and political establishment.

They are:

1) Herd immunity: The policy of intentionally letting the virus infect as many people as possible and opposition to the slightest safety precautions.

2) Mitigation: Vaccines and mask mandates and other half measures designed to slow the spread while schools and non-essential workplaces are opened. This policy, which includes ever-more threadbare safety measures in the New York City schools, still allows COVID-19 to be transmitted and to mutate into more infectious and vaccine-resistant variants.

3) Elimination: the use of all public health measures including vaccinations, testing, contact tracing and quarantining, combined with the temporary closure of schools and non-essential workplaces while protecting incomes. This would reduce the transmission rate of the virus to as close to zero as possible and allow its elimination region by region and across the US. This must be part of a global strategy to eradicate COVID-19the global extirpation of the virus in nature, including in animal reservoirsonce and for all.

The narrative promoted by politicians of all stripes is that We have to learn to live with the virus. This is only a justification for more death and the devastating long-term consequences of this disease for children. Modern science and medicine have proven the possibility of defeating once widespread diseases like smallpox (wiped out worldwide in 1980), polio (reduced by 99.9 percent since the 1950s) and measles (declared eliminated throughout the Americas in 2016).

The failure to stop the spread of COVID-19 is not primarily a scientific problemit is a social and political one. In one fashion or another, all the political decision-makers, from Biden to de Blasio, to Republican-controlled state and local governments, insist that no measures can be taken that interfere with corporate profit and their drive to reopen the economy.

Republicans in Florida, Texas and other states are cutting off funding to school districts that implement mask or vaccine mandates, while promoting fascistic attacks on science and public health measures. For their part, the Democratic Party, with the full backing of the United Federation Teachers and other unions, claim that mitigation measures are sufficient while they keep schools and non-essential workplaces open, allowing the disease to spread and take more lives.

The supposed critics of the disaster unfolding in New Yorks schools, such as the Democratic faction of the City Council led by member Mark Trayger in the special Education Committee hearing of October 6, cannot offer any alternative to the de Blasio administration. The entire political establishment is united in saying that schools must remain open, which is the same as saying that children must continue to get sick and die.

The force needed to implement a scientific and human strategy to end the pandemic is the broad masses of working people who have the greatest stake in ending this mad sacrifice of life for corporate profit. Over the last several weeks, a powerful movement of the working class has emerged against wages that fail to keep up with rising living expenses and unbearable levels of forced overtime imposed by employers scrambling to deal with labor shortages and supply chain interruptions.

More than 10,000 John Deere workers have gone on strike in Illinois, Iowa and other states. Thousands of nurses and other health care workers are striking in western New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and California. More than 1,400 food processing workers at Kelloggs have also walked out. The biggest strike wave in the US in generations, moreover, is part of an international upsurge of the working class, including 150,000 metalworkers in South Africa.

On October 15, parents in the United Kingdom conducted a second school strike, with widespread support from working people around the world, against Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnsons reopening of schools. The determination of the British parents to fight backindependently of the established parties and the unionshas inspired millions, not least of all in New York City. That the working class is the social force that can eradicate COVID is now becoming clear for everyone to see.

In all these struggles, workers are rebelling against unions, which falsely claim to represent them. The most glaring proof of the fact that the unions and their highly paid executives are on the other side of the barricades is the role of the UFTs parent union, the American Federation of Teachers. The day before UK parents launched their first school strike on October 1, the AFT held an online town hall in partnership with the far-right parent group Open Schools USA and the pseudoscientist who co-authored the herd immunity manifesto, the Great Barrington Declaration.

The working class needs science. It also needs organization and leadership. That is why the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) was formed on May 1. The IWA-RFC has sought to unite the working class across national barriers and to arm workers with the scientific knowledge to counter the propaganda of the ruling class and mobilize its strength behind a program of stopping the pandemic and saving lives. That is why the IWA-RFC is co-sponsoring the October 24 webinar with the World Socialist Web Site.

We urge educators, parents and college and high school students to:

1. Register for the How to end the pandemic meeting on October 24

2. Encourage your colleagues and friends to attend.

3. Promote the meeting on social media.

4. Create communications networks via texting applications and on social media to discuss elimination and the independent organization of the working class to defend its right to health, safety and life.

5. Spread information about ending the pandemic and the developing strike wave. Distribute articles on these topics from the World Socialist Web Site .

6. Join the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee in New York and begin to build local committees in your school buildings, districts and neighborhoods to prepare action to shut the schools as the first step in putting an end to the pandemic.
New Zealands Labour Party-led government is systematically removing lockdown restrictions in Auckland, the centre of an expanding COVID-19 outbreak, and telling the population that it must accept a major increase in cases.

Yesterday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins, who is also Minister of Education, announced that high schools will reopen next week for all students in Years 11 through 13, the three top levels.

COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins addressing the media on October 20, 2021 (Still from YouTube video).

This extremely reckless decision will place thousands of students and school staff at risk of contracting COVID-19, getting sick and spreading it to the wider community. Schools have played a major role in the current outbreak, which began in August, with 35 percent of cases in people aged 19 and under.

While the government claims that it is following public health advice, in reality its policies are dictated by the demands of big business. It has rejected calls from numerous scientists for a harder lockdown in Auckland, and has already partially reopened schools and early childhood centres.

Internationally, reopening schools is a key demand of the financial and business elite, regardless of the dangers to peoples lives. The aim is to pave the way for parents to return to work so that the extraction of profits from the working class can fully resume.

In the United States, where the trade unions have collaborated with the far-right to reopen schools, nearly 2 million children have been infected, 6,523 hospitalized and 200 killed since July 29. No one knows how many teachers have died; the group School Personnel Lost to Covid has counted more than 1,600 deaths. The pandemic has killed more than 748,000 people in the US, and an estimated 15 million worldwide.

Until recently, New Zealand had been viewed as a model by scientists and working people because of the countrys stated policy of eliminating COVID-19. This has so far limited deaths from the coronavirus to just 28. On October 4, however, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced there would be a transition away from elimination.

Since September 22, when the government eased the lockdown in Auckland from alert level 4 to level 3, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to return to work, the size of the outbreak has expanded dramatically. Active cases have almost quadrupled from a low point of 202 on September 28, to 868 as of today. Most cases are in Auckland, with 54 in the neighbouring Waikato region.

Hipkins announcement that more than half of Aucklands high school students can return to school came the day after New Zealand recorded 94 new community cases of COVID-19the biggest daily increase until today, when 102 cases were reported.

Speaking to Radio NZ, Hipkins casually declared that case numbers are expected to double every two weeks, with the daily rate soon to exceed 200. University of Auckland infectious diseases expert Mark Thomas told Stuff that he expected we will see more than 500 cases daily.

This will mean a surge in hospitalisations and deaths. There are currently 46 people with COVID-19 in hospital. An emergency nurse told Radio NZ that hospital workers are feeling really anxious. They feel like theres a tsumani coming. As it currently stands, her department is short by three or four staff on a regular basis.

Dr Dion ONeale, a COVID-19 modeller who has advised the government, told Radio NZ a relatively small increase in the number of infections in schools risked causing a much greater rise in community transmission.

ONeale warned that current mitigation measures in schools, including advice to wash hands and to stay home if unwell, are at the absolute lower end of what wed expect to be put in place to reduce transmission. He called for air filtration systems, better ventilation, and widespread testing of students.

Vaccination is mandatory for school staff. Students are required to wear masks, but not to be vaccinated. By itself, vaccination is not enough to prevent transmission. New Zealands level of vaccinationjust 55 percent of the total population has received both dosesis lower than countries such as the UK and US, where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly and killing hundreds or thousands of people every week.

The Post-Primary Teachers Association (PPTA), clearly under pressure from teachers, said many were dismayed and angry that schools are being reopened in the middle of the surge in cases. President Melanie Webber said the government seems to have gone from acting out of an abundance of caution, to a reckless disregard for the consequences, in the blink of an eyelid.

The union, however, has not called strike action to protect teachers and students. Following the initial outbreak in March 2020, the PPTA opposed calls from teachers and healthcare workers for schools to be shut, with Webber falsely declaring that they were safe places. The union only changed its position on the day that Ardern announced a nationwide lockdown.

A parent in Auckland, whose wife is a teacher, told the World Socialist Web Site that the Labour government had proved to be the wolf in sheeps clothes. They obviously gave up on elimination and the strategy was to blame the public for not following the rules. He said the city should have remained in a level 4 lockdown, with any reopening linked to vaccine mandates.

The PPTA has made noises this time but I doubt theyll do anything when push comes to shove, he said. His household bubble includes two older people, one with severe respiratory issues. His wife is waiting to see what the union will do before returning to work. When her schools principal was asked, in a recent staff meeting, what protections were being put in place, they became flustered and couldnt answer the question properly.

The government is set to reveal more reopening plans in coming days, amid growing pressure from big business and the media for the lockdown to be ditched. The opposition National Party wants December 1 to be designated as Freedom Day with the wholesale lifting of restrictions. The term Freedom Day was used by the British government to promote its July 19 reopeninga homicidal policy that led to a surge in cases and hundreds of deaths per week.

The Socialist Equality Group in New Zealand calls on workers, including parents and teachers, to oppose the reopening of schools while COVID-19 continues to spread. We urge readers to attend and help promote our online meeting on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., which will explain the need for rank-and-file workplace and neighbourhood safety committees, independent of the unions, to fight for a scientific policy to eliminate the virus. Speakers will discuss the important example set by parents in the UK, who have carried out two school strikes in opposition to the Johnson governments reopening policy.
In an article published Tuesday, the New York Times revealed that Donald Trumps fascist right-hand man Stephen Miller attempted to deploy 250,000 troops on US soil to close the 2,000-mile border with Mexico in the spring of 2020 with Trumps apparent support. The Times also reported that Trump and Miller proposed invading Mexico with military assassination squads to kill gang members around the same time.

Trump and Millers plan was part of a fascist political strategy that played out over the course of 2020 and 2021 and poses a real threat today. The plan to deploy the army on US soil in March and April 2020 and carry out military action within Mexico would have transformed major US cities like San Diego, Phoenix and El Paso into armed encampments, with confrontations between soldiers, Mexican troops and mass demonstrations from both sides of the border leading to martial law or full-scale war. For over a year, the military and Democratic Party leadership have withheld this information from the public.

Former President Donald Trump, left, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right, visit an unfinished section of border wall, in Pharr, Texas, Wednesday, June 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The Times acquired details of the Trump-Miller plan through discussions with high-level military officials. With the coronavirus pandemic raging, Stephen Miller, the architect of Mr. Trumps immigration agenda, had urged the Homeland Security Department [DHS] to develop a plan for the number of troops that would be needed to seal the entire 2,000-mile border with Mexico, the Times wrote.

In response to the outbreak of the pandemic, which triggered wildcat strikes and a collapse of the stock market, Miller appealed to a network of fascist forces within the state and military in an attempt to scapegoat immigrants for COVID-19 and prepare for broader crackdowns on social opposition. The Times report explained, As the administration debated ways to secure the southern border against the virus, Mr. Miller urged top officials at the Department of Homeland Security to come up with the actual number of troops it would take to shut the entire border down.

Miller, who now leads a major pro-Trump think tank, recently made his motivations clear, telling the Times, With economies and health care systems faltering across the planet, our southwest border would have become the epicenter of illicit Covid fueled migration  one giant, never-ending superspreader event. Instead, the border was successfully sealed and the would-be violators and spreaders got the message and stayed home.

In response to Millers appeal, either DHS or the Pentagon then agreed to propose a deployment of 250,000 troops, more than were ever deployed at one time in Iraq or Afghanistan. According to the Times, Millers allies in DHS did not proceed with the request through the normal chain of command, but went directly to the armed forces Northern Command, a combat command center established in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 to oversee troop deployments in North America, including on US soil.

The deployment was one prong of a two-part strategy. Around the same time that officials considered the huge deployment to the American side of the border with Mexico, the Times wrote, Mr. Trump also pressed his top aides to send forces into Mexico itself to hunt drug cartels, much like American commandos have tracked and killed terrorists in Afghanistan or Pakistan, the officials said.

Trump and Miller are well aware that such a move would have immediately led to mass demonstrations across the United States and would have also provoked retribution by gang networks functioning in major American cities, likely resulting in attacks on police officers or government officials in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. This would have then been used to justify deploying the military across major cities, and not just those near the southern border. The revelations shed new light on the Canadian governments protests in March 2020 over the Trump administration plans to deploy troops to the northern border as well.

According to the Times report, the leadership of the military ultimately made the decision not to accept the proposals. After a brief but contentious confrontation with Mr. Miller in the Oval Office, the report notes, implying Trumps presence, Mr. Esper ended consideration of the idea at the Pentagon.

The militarys opposition to the troop deployment stemmed not from the defense of democracy, but from its view that the move would require pulling troops back from its numerous bases abroad, limiting its ability to conduct imperialist war. The Times noted that the military felt the move would undermine American military readiness around the world.

The Times reported that the military, Miller and Trump agreed to compromise by letting Trump invoke Title 42 to ban all immigration into the US, evidently satisfying Miller. The Times reported, Mr. Miller, who had prevailed in previous clashes with military officials over troop deployments to the border, did not press the issue, according to a person familiar with his thinking.

Efforts to deploy the military in the spring were an escalation of a strategy that had developed over the course of 2017 through 2019 and would explode in the run-up to the 2020 election and 2021 inauguration. Miller indeed prevailed over the military and Democrats, who acquiesced to Trumps decision to deploy 5,000 troops to the border in 2018.

The fact that the Pentagon brass and Democratic Party leadership withheld details of this plot from the public for over a year facilitated Trump as he escalated his fascist strategy over the latter half of 2020 and into 2021. Just weeks after the 250,000-troop proposal in May and June 2020, Trump attempted to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to the protests over the police killing of George Floyd, again threatening to deploy the military to major cities. The fascist plot continued through Trumps refusal to accept the outcome of the November election and his appeal to fascist militia to stand back and stand by, culminating in the January 6, 2021 putsch attempt to stop the certification of Bidens victory.

The cover-up continues today. Within hours of the publication of the Times report, the article was removed from the papers online front page. By Wednesday morning, there was no reporting of the revelations on the online front pages of the Times, Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, ABC News, NBC News, CBS News or CNN.

Although Joe Biden pledged that his presidency would restore democracy, he and the Democratic Congress have continued to carry out Trumps immigration policies, strengthening the repressive apparatus that is lying in wait for Trumps comeback and promoting the anti-immigrant propaganda for Trump and Millers political gristmill.

Earlier this month, Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin deployed 3,000 National Guard members to prevent immigrants from escaping war and poverty at the US-Mexico border.

The Biden administration has detained 1.3 million immigrants since his inauguration, over three times the average of yearly detentions under Obama and Trump. The Biden administration has announced it will restore Trumps Remain in Mexico policy, which abolishes the right to enter the US to apply for asylum. Earlier this week, Bidens nominee for head of Customs and Border Protection, Chris Magnus, testified that Title 42 is absolutely imperative and said he supports Donald Trumps proposal to expand the border wall.

There is no constituency for democratic rights within the ruling class. The Democratic Party continues to praise Republicans as their colleagues even as Trump and his fascist supporters consolidate power with state Republican parties in the lead-up to the 2022 midterms. The Democrats have refused to conduct thorough, public investigations into Trumps role on January 6. They are paring down their own social spending bills and guaranteeing a degree of social and economic desperation that Miller and Trump will seek to exploit.

The task of defending democratic rights falls to the working class, which is mobilizing itself in a massive global strike wave, the likes of which have not been seen in many decades. It is this objective movement that has the power to thwart Trump and Millers plots, which depend on the silence of the Democratic Party and the corporate media and which have next to no support among broad masses of working people in the US and internationally. The billions-strong global working class must be informed of the danger and its immense social power activated on the basis of a revolutionary socialist program.
Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the Democratic Party-sponsored Freedom to Vote Act on Wednesday. The motion to move the bill to a floor debate was defeated by a margin of 51 to 49, with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer voting no, a maneuver designed to allow the bill to be brought back for a vote later this year.

As expected, no Republicans voted for the measure, which required 60 votes to end the filibuster.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to reporters outside the Senate Chamber after a voting rights bill failed to pass the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The defeat of the Freedom to Vote Act marks the third time congressional Democrats have failed to pass a voting rights reform bill this year.

The bill was doomed to fail. Senate Republicans have remained resolute in blocking a vote on all Democratic voting bills. This Republican resistance in Congress comes at the same time that Republican-controlled state legislatures around the country are passing laws making it more difficult for Americans to vote, and in some cases strengthening the authority of the state government to impose partisan control over local voting procedures.

The latest legislative defeat is a striking exposure of the political bankruptcy of the Democratic Party. Faced with the biggest assault on voting rights since Jim Crow, the Democrats have refused to mount any serious attempt to defend the most basic of democratic rights.

The Freedom to Vote Act itself is a pared-back version of the For the People Act, the Democrats more expansive voting reform bill, which was defeated twice over the summer. Senate Democrats and the Biden administration have made no serious effort to amend or eliminate the filibuster, thereby allowing the Democrats to pass legislation to protect the right to vote by a simple majority. As on virtually all policy issues, they have bowed to right-wing Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who vehemently defends the filibuster.

In fact, Manchin is carrying out in full the logic of the endless appeals of Biden and the Democratic leadership for unity and bipartisanship with their Republican colleagues, the vast majority of whom continue to support Donald Trump, promote the lie of a stolen election and oppose any investigation of the attempted coup of January 6.

The feckless and duplicitous stance of the Democratic Party has only encouraged the Republicans to intensify their attack on voting rights at the state and local level.

At the same time, the Democratic leadership has capitulated to the demands of Manchin that any voting rights bill be designed to appeal to Republican lawmakers. The resulting Freedom to Vote Act removed many provisions that were included in the earlier bill regarding campaign finance and electoral redistricting. It also caved in to the Republicans on the enactment of state voter ID measures, which are designed to block working-class and minority voters from going to the polls.

Despite Manchins claims that he could win 10 Republican votes for the Freedom to Vote Act, not a single Republican voted to end the filibuster and bring the measure up for a floor vote.

After Wednesdays vote, Schumer said, Let there be no mistake, Senate Republicans blocking debate today is an implicit endorsement of the horrid new voter suppression and election subversion laws pushed in conservative states across the country. As though the increasingly fascistic Republican Party is susceptible to moral appeals!

Nor is there anything implicit about congressional Republican support for the assault on voting rights.

Schumer continued: This is supposed to be the worlds greatest deliberative body, where we debate, forge compromise, amend and pass legislation to help the American people. That is the legacy of this great chamber. The Senate needs to be restored to its rightful status as the worlds greatest deliberative body.

Known as the senator from Wall Street, Schumer dispensed these bromides to a gang of politicians on the take from various corporate interests, of whom Mark Twain famously wrote: It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.

In attempting to court Republican support for voting reform, the Democratic Party demonstrates that it has nothing to offer to the defense of democratic rights. Throughout the year, the Democrats have sought to channel opposition to restrictions on voting behind phony corporate campaigns, ineffectual political stunts and appeals for electoral support in 2022.

Schumer concluded by announcing that he planned to bring a different voting rights bill, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to the floor as soon as next week. That bill seeks to restore the enforcement powers of the federal government that were stripped from the 1965 Voting Rights Act by the US Supreme Court in 2013.

This is yet one more empty gesture that will meet with the same fate as the Democrats previous voting rights bills.

It is a fact that the Obama administration made no serious effort to move legislation through Congress restoring the enforcement powers. The absence of any genuine commitment within the Democratic Partyor the ruling class as a wholeto the defense of democratic rights was definitively demonstrated in 2000, when the Democrats and their presidential candidate Al Gore accepted without a fight the theft of the presidential election through the decision of the Supreme Court to halt the vote recount in Florida and hand the White House to George W. Bush, the loser in the national popular vote.
What appears to be human remains and items belonging to Brian Laundrie, including a backpack, have been found in a nature reserve in North Port, Florida, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson.

The remains were found in an area that has been under water until recently, he said.

The FBI Tampa's Evidence Response Team is on the scene using "all available forensic resources" to process the area. According to McPherson, it's likely the team will be on the scene for several days.

"I know you have a lot of questions, but we don't have all the answers yet," he said reading a statement for the media.

Follow live updates here

Brian Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, were in the park when the discovery took place, family attorney Steve Bertolino said.

"Chris and Roberta Laundrie were at the reserve earlier today when human remains and some of Brian's possessions were located in an area where they had initially advised law enforcement that Brian may be," Bertolino said. "Chris and Roberta will wait for the forensic identification of the human remains before making any additional comments."

The discovery comes 37 days after Laundrie, the fiance of Gabby Petito, was reportedly last seen by his parents.

Earlier, the Sarasota County Medical Examiner and a cadaver dog were called to the park and aerial footage showed activity in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park near the Carlton Reserve.

Laundrie's parents had informed the FBI and the North Port Police Department Tuesday night that they intended to come to the park on Wednesday morning to search for him, Bertolino said earlier. Law enforcement met them there Wednesday morning, he said.

The Sarasota County Medical Examiner was called to the scene, and the Pasco County Sheriff's office said a cadaver dog and two spotters were also on site. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Emergency Response Team and the Lee County Sheriff's Office were also now on scene along with a mobile unit.

The discovery comes amid an exhaustive search for Laundrie that has now stretched over a month and as authorities try to piece together what happened to Petito.

The Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park is on 160 acres of heavily wooded land in North Port, Florida, with trails and a camping area. The park connects to the Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre nature reserve that has been the primary search location for investigators.

Searchers had previously used swamp buggies, divers and airboats to scour the swampy terrain, but the area has dried out recently due to clearer weather.

How we got here

Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23, traveled around the western US in a white van this summer, all while regularly posting photos and stories to their social media pages. Those posts abruptly stopped in late August, though, and Laundrie then returned by himself to their home in North Point, where they lived with his parents, on September 1.

Petito's family, unable to get in contact with her, reported her missing 10 days later, launching a national search. Laundrie declined to cooperate with the investigation into her whereabouts, and soon after, he also went missing. His family told investigators they believed he had gone to a sprawling nature reserve nearby.

Petito's remains were found in a national forest in Wyoming on September 19 near where the couple had last been seen together. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled her death a homicide and said that she died by manual strangulation.

"We believe this was strangling by a human being," Blue told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Laundrie has not been explicitly connected to Petito's homicide, but he is the subject of a federal arrest warrant for unauthorized use of another person's debit card in the days after Petito last spoke with her family.

Though their social media posts appear idyllic, their relationship was full of tension and conflict in recent months. Petito called her mom regularly, and those conversations appeared to reveal there was "more and more tension" in Petito's relationship, according to a police affidavit for a search warrant of an external hard drive found in the couple's van.

In addition, the couple was involved in a domestic dispute and were stopped by police in August in Moab, Utah, after a 911 caller told dispatchers he saw a man hitting a woman, according to audio provided by the Grand County Sheriff's Office.

In a report from Moab police, another witness told police he saw the couple arguing over a phone. The witness said that when Laundrie got into the van, Petito appeared to hit him in the arm and then climbed through the driver's side door as if he had locked her out, the report states.

After interviewing Petito, Laundrie and the witness, the officers describe the incident as an argument that turned into a physical fight involving pushing and scratching.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
The White House on Wednesday unveiled its plans to roll out Covid-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11, pending US Food and Drug Administration authorization.

The Biden administration has secured enough vaccine supply to vaccinate the 28 million children ages 5 to 11 who would become eligible for vaccination if the vaccine is authorized for that age group and will help equip more than 25,000 pediatric and primary care offices, hundreds of community health centers and rural health clinics as well as tens of thousands of pharmacies to administer the shots, according to the White House.

"We know millions of parents have been waiting for Covid-19 vaccine for kids in this age group. And should the FDA and (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) authorize the vaccine, we will be ready to get shots in arms," White House Covid-19 response director Jeff Zients told reporters at a White House Covid-19 briefing on Wednesday.

Zients continued: "Kids have different needs than adults and our operational planning is geared to meet those specific needs, including by offering vaccinations in settings that parents and kids are familiar with and trust."

The administration is also launching a partnership with the Children's Hospital Association "to work with over 100 children's hospital systems across the country to set up vaccination sites in November and through the end of the calendar year," the White House announced.

The administration also plans to help make vaccination available at school and other "community-based sites" with help from Federal Emergency Management Agency funding.

The Department of Health and Human Services will also carry out a national public education campaign "to reach parents and guardians with accurate and culturally responsive information about the vaccine and the risks that COVID-19 poses to children."

Vaccine advisers to the FDA are scheduled to meet next week to consider Pfizer's request to authorize its vaccine to children ages 5 to 11.

If authorized, this would be the first Covid-19 vaccine for younger children. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is currently approved for people age 16 and older and has emergency authorization for children ages 12 to 15.

Pfizer said last month that a Phase 2/3 trial showed its Covid-19 vaccine was safe and generated a "robust" antibody response in children ages 5 to 11. The trial included 2,268 participants ages 5 to 11 and two doses of the vaccine administered 21 days apart. This trial used a 10-microgram dose -- smaller than the 30-microgram dose that has been used for those 12 and older.

Immune responses were measured by looking at neutralizing antibody levels in their blood and comparing those levels to a control group of 16- to 25-year-olds who were given a two-dose regimen with the larger 30-microgram dose. Pfizer said the levels compared well with older people who received the larger dose, demonstrating a "strong immune response in this cohort of children one month after the second dose."

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said on NBC's "Today" on Wednesday that US health officials want to be prepared for children to be able to get vaccines as soon as they can. He said the administration has been working for the last several weeks to months to prepare for the decision from the FDA and CDC.

These preparations include ensuring there is enough supply for every child in the 5- to 11-year-old age range, making sure there are tens of thousands of locations where people can get the vaccines and making sure that parents have answers to their questions and accurate scientific information that can be used in decision making, Murthy said.

He said that ensuring that parents had the answers to their questions was "really important," and so they have been working hard with doctors, nurses, teachers, parents and other community organizations to make sure that people can get the answers to their questions from trusted sources.

As of Wednesday morning, 56.7% of the total US population, or about 188 million people, has been fully vaccinated. At the same time, 23.2% of the eligible population, or about 66 million people, is not vaccinated.

An average of 240,749 people are initiating the vaccination process each day, according to the CDC. This is a 13% decrease from last week and a 28% drop from a month earlier.

The Delta variant of Covid-19, which is more transmissible and may cause more severe illness than previous strains, has ripped through parts of the country with low vaccination rates for months, though cases have decreased in recent weeks. President Joe Biden and health officials have repeatedly pleaded with unvaccinated Americans to get the shot so they can protect themselves and those around them, but many still refuse.

Biden said last week the nation was "headed in the right direction" on Covid but that the country is now is a "very critical period" as he asked the 66 million Americans to get vaccinated. He touted progress in the pandemic response and cited lower daily case numbers and declining hospitalizations.

But some places are still seeing troubling hospitalization numbers. For example, more than 96% of ICU beds in Minnesota are full, according to the state health department.

Biden has stressed the White House is leading with the science and taking the lead from medical experts with its pandemic response and national vaccination rollout. In addition to preparing for the FDA and CDC to make a decision on vaccines for younger Americans, the White House has been working on getting many eligible Americans booster Covid-19 shots.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - The Indiana Gaming Commission wants to hear from you.

In November, the gaming commission will meet to select an applicant for the Vigo County casino project.

Part of the review process includes reading written public comments for the project.

LINK | Here's where all four proposed Vigo County casinos would be built - including a proposal for a temporary location in the mall

You can send your public comments directly to the gaming commission by email or regular mail. Find their contact information below.

Email: VigoCoCasinoProjectComments@igc.IN.gov

Regular mail:

Attention: Indiana Gaming Commission-General Counsel

East Tower, Suite 1600

101 W. Washington St

Indianapolis, IN 46204-3408
JASONVILLE, Ind. (WTHI) - Following the tragic car crash Sunday morning in Sullivan County -- resulting in the death of 16-year-old Mallorie Cochran and 58-year-old Perry Deschamp -- residents are coming together to help.

Perry Deschamp's passenger was 56-year-old Karla Deschamp.

She was air-lifted to Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis. Her injuries are serious, but she is in stable condition.

Perry Deschamp was a resident of Jasonville, Indiana.

Now, community members have set up a GoFundMe account to help the family cover funeral expenses for Perry, as well as medical expenses for Karla.

The page has raised $380, with a goal of $5,000.

Click here to donate.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) -- Indiana State University is looking to keep students and alumni safe.

It comes as many will be taking part in Homecoming celebrations on Saturday, October 23rd.

SoberRide is a free shuttle service that will operate from 11 until 6 in the evening.

The Shuttle will drop off passengers at Memorial Stadium and ISUs campus, with several pick-up locations.

Designated Walkers will also be out, keeping an eye on their peers.

Designated Walkers are sober volunteers and make sure students are safe as they participate in Homecoming Festivities.

Here are the SoberRide pick-up and dropoff locations:

From ISU to Memorial Stadium

 Saratoga, 5th and Wabash Ave

 Verve, 7th and Wabash Ave

 9th and Wabash south side of Wabash Ave Across from Terminal

 14th and Wabash

 18th and Wabash Ave

 Auto Zone, 2301 Wabash Ave

From Memorial Stadium to ISU

 Memorial Stadium, 3300 Wabash Ave.

 2940 Wabash Ave

 20th and Wabash Ave

 Sonkas 14th and Wabash Ave

 9th and Wabash on 9th Street

DROP OFF/PICK UP LOCATIONS

 Memorial Stadium, 3300 Wabash Ave.

 6th and Elm University Village

 ISU Lincoln Quad at 5th and Tippecanoe Street

 ISU Lot 11 on 5th Street (south of Spruce Street)

 ISU 5th and Chestnut Street
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI)- The white house announced its plan to make COVID-19 vaccines available for children ages 5 to 11 years old. Over 28 million kids will be eligible for the vaccine if this is approved. The Pfizer shot is awaiting approval from the FDA and CDC. It is expected to become authorized in the next two weeks. When the vaccine gets approved doses of the shot will be distributed all across the country.

Over 25,000 pediatric and primary care offices will administer the vaccine as well as schools and other community sites. Some parents are expected to be hesitant towards the vaccine. Because of this, the Biden administration is preparing a public education campaign. This will answer parents' questions regarding the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine.

A public nurse for the Vigo County Health Department, Andrea Craft, says the plan will help get kids protected faster and keep case numbers low.

"It'll help speed up the process of getting out of this pandemic. So we are very much promoting it as soon as it comes out in the next couple weeks" says Craft.

The Wabash Valley Fairgrounds are hosting a mobile vaccination clinic from October 20th until the 23rd. COVID-19 tests and vaccines will be administered from noon until 8:00p.m. Those who have yet to be vaccinated are encouraged to come out and receive the vaccine to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) -- A local organization wants to make sure kids have a gift under the tree this year.

Starting next week, Vigo County families can register for the 2021 Christmas Store shopping.

The Christmas Store is put on by Terre Haute Catholic Charities.

The store allows families to come and shop in November.

All so they can get socks, underwear, and toys for kids to unwrap on Christmas.

Families can register for the shopping next week, October 25th through October 29th.

Registration is open daily from 9 A.M. - 12 P.M., 1 P.M. - 3 P.M.

On Tuesday and Thursday, you can also register from 4 P.M. until 6 P.M.

Catholic Charities tells News 10 the head of household must provide the following for each member of the home:

Birth certificate, social security, or health insurance card

If over 18, a photo ID must be provided.



They add they are always in need of donations.

The Christmas Store is located at 1440 Locust Street in Terre Haute.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Several organizations in the Wabash Valley are teaming up to make sure your students stay healthy and safe.

The Vigo County Health Department is hosting an immunization clinic to get kids "Back on Track" for school.

Providers will offer several different vaccines, all of which your child will need to stay healthy.

The clinic happens on Tuesday, October 26 at the Vigo County Health Department.

You can stop in anytime between 3 pm and 7 pm.

Organizers of the event told us falling behind on your shots could put your child at risk.

"The risk is increasing that children could contact those various diseases by being behind on their childhood shots," Torriaun Everett, from MDWise, said.

You are encouraged to preregister for the clinic, but it's not required. Learn more here.
VINCENNES, Ind. (WTHI) - Across the Wabash Valley, people are stepping up to help bring awareness during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

In Knox and Daviess counties, one local nonprofit is putting together a unique campaign known as "Paint the Town Purple."

Local experts say 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.

"Domestic violence can be one of the most dangerous calls a law enforcement officer can respond to," Doug Vantlin, the Knox County Sheriff, said.

Each year, millions of Americans experience domestic violence, and those numbers are continuing to rise.

"Last year in Knox County, we had 267 calls of domestic violence," Sheriff Vantlin said. "This year, we are up to 260, and we still have two and a half months to go.

But now, local residents are working to help make a difference in their communities.

"We've decorated pumpkins in purple, embellished them with bows, beautiful flowers, and we are putting those out at local businesses in hopes that people will go into those businesses and ask what the purple pumpkin is for, and then the businesses can help us spread awareness by explaining it is domestic violence awareness month," Cathy Bush, the volunteer and outreach coordinator at Hope's Voice said.

Hope's Voice is a nonprofit that provides assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence. As an organization, they put together a unique campaign known as "Paint the Town Purple."

"It's a really important time to get out there, do lots of education, and let people know about resources and then honor survivors and remember those that lost their lives to domestic violence."

Hundreds of purple ribbons and pumpkins are dispersed all over Vincennes and Washington, Indiana. And even local businesses, like "Kali's Bake Adventures," are helping to get the message out.

"I think it's really great," Kali Pitts, the owner of Kali's Bake Adventures, said. "It makes people know that we have a very safe community, and we are there to help people so that you're not alone through any of it."

Kali Pitts has decorated some of her specialty cupcakes in purple in hopes of spreading more awareness.

"It really draws people in, and they ask, 'Why is the cupcake purple?'" Pitts said. "So, they start asking questions, and we've had a lot of great feedback from it. "We've had more people come in because they've noticed it, and they want to support the cause."

Kali's Bake Adventures is just one of many businesses stepping up to show their support and help spread awareness.

Tim Kiger, the general manager of the Schott Gemtron factory in Vincennes, says he is proud to support a campaign like this one.

"It makes us very proud that we can help work with Hope's Voice and sponsor them," he said. "We also hope it gets the message out and other businesses get involved and helping them accomplish their mission."

As domestic violence awareness month nears its end, Bush says she's grateful to see all of the community support.

"It's so important to us," she said. "We can't do all of the awareness [alone] so it helps that we have others helping us with that and that they're helping to support survivors and they're showing their support to survivors so people will come forward and get help because they know they're supported by their community."

The "Paint the Town Purple" campaign will continue for the rest of the month, and this Thursday, the whole community is encouraged to wear purple for "Purple Thursday." That's because Thursday is a nationally recognized day to bring awareness to domestic violence.

If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence, Hope's Voice has a 24-hour hotline. The number is (812)-899-4673.
MARTIN COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - No need to adjust your computer monitor, that is a giant pumpkin. It sits in a barn at Lark Ranch.

Pictures don't do it justice. The large squash weighs in at 1,979 pounds. That is just shy of a ton.

The doctor to this Frankenstein is Freedom Indiana resident Tom Mobley. Mobley began growing these massive pumpkins just last year. It's a bit of a hobby.

Mobley tells News 10 he tried to grow two of these big guys this year. Only one made it.

To grow a pumpkin this big takes a lot of care and fertilizer. Mobley says special care is needed in the type of soil and the seed used. The pumpkin recently broke the previous Indiana state record.

Mobley then brought it to Lark Ranch.

Ranch manager Adam Lark says, "We've grown some big ones, like I said, we've seen some. But I have never seen anything like this. It was like, he was pulling it in on a trailer and it was almost like he had a minivan on the back of his car. I haven't ever seen anything like it."
News 10s Heather Good spoke with Tim Maniscalo of the Better Business Bureau to discuss a scam involving criminals impersonating police.

Posted: Oct 21, 2021 7:31 AM
Submitted by the WTO's Group of Small, Vulnerable Economies, the proposed decision calls for WTO members to address the issue of integrating small economies into post COVID-19 economic recovery by looking at the impact of the pandemic and the underlying challenges and opportunities faced by small economies. The chair, Ambassador Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha of Pakistan, praised WTO members on the outcome of their discussions: This is a moment to celebrate because, for this Ministerial Conference, it is the first text to be consensually agreed by all members of the WTO. The 12th Ministerial Conference will take place in Geneva from 30 November to 3 December.

The proposed decision also calls on the Dedicated Session on Small Economies to continue monitoring the progress of the small economies' proposals in WTO bodies and negotiating groups. In addition, the decision requests ministers to take note of the work undertaken to date in the Work Programme on Small Economies. The latest version of a WTO Secretariat compilation paper regarding this work is available here.

Background

A Decision on Small Economies was adopted by trade ministers at the 11th Ministerial Conference held in Buenos Aires in 2017. The objective of the Work Programme on Small Economies is to frame responses to the trade-related issues regarding the integration of small, vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system. More information on the Work Programme on Small Economies can be found here.

The draft decision can be found here.
WASHINGTON (WTVA) - Golden Manufacturing in Tishomingo County received a $10.6 million defense contract, according to a joint news release from U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss.

The company will produce trousers for the U.S. Army and Navy.

The contract represents the second one-year extension to the original $15.9 million award issued in 2019 to provide various trousers for the Department of Defense.

Open this link to read more.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Two new lawsuits claim hundreds of children have been exposed to dangerous lead levels through the drinking water in Mississippi's capital city, which has been facing water system problems for years.

One lawsuit represents one child, while the other seeks to be a class action with about 600 children as plaintiffs. The suits, filed Tuesday in federal court in Jackson, say the city of Jackson and the state Health Department have made conscience-shocking decisions and have shown deliberate indifference that have led to Plaintiffs' exposure to toxic lead in Jackson's drinking water.

Access to clean drinking water should be a fundamental right in this country, one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuits, Corey M. Stern, said in a news release. Stern is based in New York and has represented people who sued over tainted water in Flint, Michigan.

Attorneys for Jackson are reviewing the lawsuits and the city will eventually have a response," city spokesman Justin Vicory said Wednesday.

The lawsuits seek unspecified amounts of money for punitive damages and compensatory damages, plus attorneys' fees and "other relief the Court deems appropriate.

Jackson has about 160,000 residents, and the city has longstanding problems with water quality and distribution.

Since July 1, Jackson has been under a safe drinking water consent order with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which sets a schedule for work on water treatment facilities and delivery systems.

The EPA examined Jacksons water treatment plants in February 2020 at the request of the state Health Department. The agency found conditions presented an imminent and substantial endangerment to the persons served by the system.

The EPA sent the city an emergency order over the water system in March 2020, along with notices of noncompliance in May 2020 and April of this year. The consent order requires Jackson to determine the number of lead service distribution lines in its system and to develop a plan for gradually replacing them.

When a severe cold snap hit large parts of the South early this year, parts of Jacksons water system froze. That left thousands of customers without running water for weeks, forcing some businesses to close. Once service was restored, some customers still had to boil water for a month.
Here is the latest Minnesota news from The Associated Press at 1:40 a.m. CDT
Meghan Markle, the duchess of Sussex, wrote an open letter to Congress, advocating for paid family leave in the U.S.

The letter was published on the website Paid Leave For All.

"I'm not an elected official, and I'm not a politician. I am, like many, an engaged citizen and a parent. And because you and your congressional colleagues have a role in shaping family outcomes for generations to come, that's why I'm writing to you at this deeply important timeas a momto advocate for paid leave," Markle wrote.

In the letter, she looks back at her own upbringing, how hard her family worked to provide for her growing up and how the pandemic has pushed millions of women out of the workforce.

"Over the past 20 months, the pandemic has exposed long-existing fault lines in our communities. At an alarming rate, millions of women dropped out of the workforce, staying home with their kids as schools and daycares were closed, and looking after loved ones full-time," she wrote. "The working mom or parent is facing the conflict of being present or being paid. The sacrifice of either comes at a great cost."

Markle and husband Prince Harry welcomed their second child, daughter Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, this past June. Their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, was born in 2019.

Markle acknowledged in the letter that she and her family in no way face the same challenges that other families do when it comes to raising a family.

PHOTO: Meghan Markle appears onstage at the 2021 Global Citizen Live concert at Central Park in New York, U.S., September 25, 2021. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs (Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)

"Like any parents, we were overjoyed. Like many parents, we were overwhelmed," Markle wrote, recalling the moment she brought home her newborn daughter. "Like fewer parents, we weren't confronted with the harsh reality of either spending those first few critical months with our baby or going back to work. We knew we could take her home, and in that vital (and sacred) stage, devote any and everything to our kids and to our family. We knew that by doing so we wouldn't have to make impossible choices about childcare, work, and medical care that so many have to make every single day."

Story continues

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex believes it's time for #PaidLeaveforAll. In a powerful letter to Congress, she's standing up for millions of American families who need and deserve guaranteed paid leave. Read and share her letter: https://t.co/7m0GhdyhJz  Paid Leave for All (@PaidLeaveforAll) October 20, 2021

Markle noted that, unlike the U.S., most nations already have paid leave policies in place for all workers.

"Many other countries have robust programs that give months of time for both parents (birth or adoptive) to be home with their child. The United States, in stark contrast, does not federally guarantee any person a single day of paid leave. And fewer than one in four workers has dedicated paid family leave through their employer. I'm sure you agree that if we are to continue to be exceptional, then we can't be the exception."

MORE: Pete Buttigieg responds to paternity leave criticism as Congress weighs national paid leave

Her point is echoed in a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which acknowledges that the U.S. "is alone among wealthy countries in its lack of a national paid leave program."

Markle closed out her letter saying that the country should be putting families above politics and not lose sight of what's important.

"So, on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry, I thank you for considering this letter, and on behalf of all families, I ask you to ensure this consequential moment is not lost," Markle wrote.

Meghan Markle advocates for paid family leave in open letter to Congress originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Photo credit: Dan Chabanov



"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."

Photo credit: Dan Chabanov

Takeaway: A fully custom and beautifully balanced steel road frame made by Pratt Frameworks, a small builder from Providence, Rhode Island. Pratt takes a refreshingly modern approach to steel frames while maintaining a clean aesthetic that has a classic look.

Available with rim or disc brakes.

Comfortable for all-day rides without sacrificing responsiveness or quick handling.

Built from a mix of Columbus SL, Life, and Sprint tubing.

Photo credit: Dan Chabanov

Price: $3,600 (frame and fork), $8,900 (as tested).

Weight: 17.6 lbs. (including pedals, cages, and computer mount)

Style: Road Bike

Wheel Size: 700c

Frame: Steel frame made from a mix of Columbus SL, Life, and Spirit tubing

Fork: Enve Carbon, 12x100mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc, 45mm rake

Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200

Cranks: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200, 172.5mm

Chainring: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200, 52/36T

Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200, 11-30T, 12-speed

Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-9270 brakes, RT-MT900 center lock rotors, 160mm (front)/140mm (rear)

Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-M9100

Wheels: Front: Roval Terra CL DT Swiss 350 Hub 24h, Rear: Roval Terra CL DT Swiss 350 Hub 24h

Tires: Panaracer GravelKing 700 x 32

Saddle: Specialized S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror

Seatpost: Zipp Service Course SL, 27.2 x 300, 0 offset

Handlebar: PRO Vibe Carbon Handlebar, 42cm

Stem: PRO Vibe 110mm, -10







Photo credit: Dan Chabanov

When Shimano contacted us about testing the newest generation Dura-Ace groupset, we initially considered getting a frameset from a large manufacturer for our test riding. However, like everyone else trying to find a bike in 2021, we quickly ran into the realities of low stock and long lead times on frames. Then we called Max Pratt, founder of custom frame builder Pratt Frameworks. Max picked up the phone and was immediately drowned out by nearby cheering and a booming announcers voice.

Where are you? I asked.

Story continues

Oh, were at Elite Track Nationals with the team for the week, Max answered.

Cool. Im actually calling because we need a frame to test the new Dura-Ace. Would you be interested in that?

Well Im happy to make the frame. Do you mind waiting a few days until Im back in the shop?

Thats no problem, I said. But, were on a bit of a deadline. Shimano needs the frame in hand in two weeks. Do you think thats doable?

Max paused for a second. I think I can make that work.

A few emails back and forth about my preferred measurements, and Max was sending me progress photos within days of being back in his Providence, Rhode Island workshop.

Unfortunately, customers shouldnt expect that kind of insane turnaround time from any frame builder, but it shows the level of attention and care Max gives to customers. Currently, Pratt Frameworks quotes roughly a 4-5 month lead time for a fully custom frame. With pricing starting at $3,600 for a Road, CX, or Gravel frame in a single color with a painted carbon fork from ENVE. Pratt also offers an all-new Oyster Rock gravel frameset with pre-configured geometry with a 1-2 month lead time and a $2,850 price tag.

Photo credit: Max Pratt

Max started building frames at 19 when he was a Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) student. Now 24, hes making frames under the Pratt Frameworks label, which he runs with his partner & co-owner, Kaitlyn Cirielli. He has also returned to RISD as a teacher in the Industrial Design department.

The Pratt Racing team, also run by Max and Kaitlyn, is not just a platform for the brand to test and improve new frame designs. The team also serves as a tool for social change, working with a group of athletes who race Womens track, gravel, and cyclocross disciplines. Pratt envisions the team as ambassadors and role models for equity and inclusion in sport.

Photo credit: Dan Chabanov

As for the bike itself, while the frame is thoroughly modern, its also pleasantly simple. A threaded bottom bracket, a round 27.2 post, and universal fit parts sharply contrast the plethora of overly integrated frames with proprietary standards that currently dominate the market. Because the frame was built with the express purpose of testing Shimanos new Dura-Ace groupset, there are only provisions for hydraulic lines (run externally for my sake) with holes drilled for wiring up the front and rear derailleur to the seatpost mounted battery. But, customers can specify their frames groupset compatibility and preference in cable routing.

Photo credit: Dan Chabanov

Max takes a thoroughly modern approach to his steel frames, forgoing traditional brazing techniques in favor of tig welding and 3D printing. For this frame, he used a blend of Columbus SL, Life, and Sprint tubes. Upfront, a 44mm headtube holds a color-matched Enve fork. The rear dropouts are of his design and use a 3D SLM stainless steel printing process, resulting in a 142g saving over traditional forged dropouts. The chainstays are dropped slightly away from the top tube and seat tube junction, and the top tube has a nearly imperceptible slope from the head tube to the seat tube. From a few steps back, the frame strikes a thoroughly modern, yet understated silhouette. Its very clearly a steel road bike, just modern with a clean and understated aesthetic.

The bike rides with the crisp buzz of modern steel. Its certainly not the smoothest bike Ive ever ridden, but its not harsh. Under hard pedaling, the frame is bright and spirited, but it also has bite. Theres enough compliance that I am happy to ride it all day, particularly with some larger tires fitted. But at its heart, the Pratt is very much a bike designed for racing and fast riding. When I put power into the pedals, the response is instant. I wont pretend that its carbon fiber stiff, but truthfully, its very close.

Max built my frame with what I would consider very traditional road bike geometry. A 73 head tube angle is matched to an Enve fork with 45mm of rake, giving the Pratt a traditional 58mm of trail with a 30mm tire fitted (a figure shared amongst many popular road bikes such as the Specialized Aethos and Trek Emonda). The seat tube angle is a similarly traditional 74 with slightly longer chainstays at 416mm.

Its worth mentioning that Max quoted this bike's tire clearance to me at 32mm. However, my current 32mm Panaracer GravelKing tires measure 35mm on my caliper and have ample clearance in both the frame and fork to protect the paint. Which, for the kind of mixed surface road riding I like to do, was a nice bonus.

The handling is best described as frictionless. Turns are initiated with a light touch but still feel sharp with enough feedback to dampen any twitchiness. Its a bike that manages to be composed at high speed, lively in the middle, and smooth at low speeds. Essentially, it seems to do all the right things at the right time.

Photo credit: Dan Chabanov

At $3,600 ($8,900 as tested), its impossible to make a case for the Pratt being cheap; it most certainly is not. But it is a good value in a world where a stock S-Works frameset will set you back $5,500. Sure, you could opt for the non-S-Works version and save $300 over the Pratt, but at that point, youre probably asking yourself soul-searching questions about what kind of rider you are. From a purely practical point of view, you can actually order a Pratt frameset right now and have it delivered well ahead of next spring; which is at best an optimistic view of availability for many high-end bikes. Plus, going custom presents a nearly incalculable benefit for riders who find it hard to fit themselves on a stock bike.

Photo credit: Dan Chabanov

For me, Pratt hits the perfect balance. Its clean lines are both modern and classic. Its ride is lively and responsive, without being twitchy. Its the kind of road bike that I could happily keep riding for a decade or two, particularly with its generous tire clearance.

You Might Also Like
The House Intelligence Committee is seeking information about a Yahoo News report that CIA officials plotted to kidnap Julian Assange from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2017 after WikiLeaks published documents describing the spy agencys hacking tools.

We are seeking information about it now, said Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the committee chairman, in an interview on the Yahoo News Skullduggery podcast.

Schiff added that, as the ranking Democrat on the intelligence panel in 2017, he was never briefed about the CIAs plans to target Assange. But he said the committee had reached out to the agencies  an apparent reference to the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)  after reading about the Yahoo News account describing deep divisions within the Trump administration, including objections from White House lawyers, over the CIAs plans for unusually aggressive measures to cripple WikiLeaks that had been proposed by then agency Director Mike Pompeo.

Asked if he had received any response to the committees inquiry, Schiff replied: I cant comment on what weve heard back yet. (Spokespeople for the CIA and ODNI declined comment.)

From left: Reps. Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin, Stephanie Murphy, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger arrive at the Capitol for a hearing of the Jan. 6 select committee on July 27. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

The disclosure by Schiff that the committee is pursuing information about the CIAs measures targeting WikiLeaks comes the day after the ACLU and more than 20 other human rights and press freedom groups wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to drop the criminal prosecution of Assange in light of what they called shocking reporting by Yahoo News on the governments conduct in this case.

It also comes on the eve of a critical hearing before a British appellate court in London next week over the U.S. Justice Departments appeal of a lower court judges ruling rejecting its request to extradite Assange to the United States to face trial for publishing classified documents in violation of the World War I-era Espionage Act. The judge concluded that Assange, who is now in a British prison after spending years holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, would be at serious risk of suicide if he were incarcerated in an American prison.

Story continues

But lawyers for Assange intend to raise the issue of what they view as the CIAs misconduct, arguing that returning him to a country where some top officials once plotted to kidnap him strengthens the judges conclusions about the risk of suicide and should be an additional basis for turning down the U.S. extradition request.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2016. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP)

The Yahoo News story, published on Sept. 26, disclosed that Pompeo, who had publicly labeled WikiLeaks a non-state hostile intelligence service, pushed for highly aggressive measures to cripple the organization, including a so-called snatch operation that would abduct Assange from the Ecuadorean Embassy. There were also discussions within the CIA about the feasibility of assassinating Assange, including tasking for options on how to do so, although those talks never materialized into an actual plan.

White House lawyers also managed to scuttle the kidnapping plan pushed by Pompeo, but other CIA operations went forward, including monitoring the communications and travel of WikiLeaks associates throughout Europe. That surveillance also covered Assange himself, including audio and visual feeds from inside the Ecuadorean Embassy showing the WikiLeaks founder talking to friends and associates. (Assanges lawyers have claimed these included confidential conversations that Assange had with his lawyers and doctors.)

As Yahoo News reported, Pompeo and other top agency officials were enraged by WikiLeaks publication of information about the CIAs hacking tools, known as Vault 7, deemed at the time to be the largest data breach in the spy agencys history. They were seeing blood, said one former Trump national security official.

Mike Pompeo, then CIA director, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington in 2017. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

Pompeo, when recently asked about the Yahoo News report on the Megyn Kelly podcast, said that pieces of it are true and that all the sources who spoke to the news organization should be criminally prosecuted for disclosing classified information. But when pressed about the talk of assassinating Assange, Pompeo denied that the agency had engaged in any planning that would have violated U.S. law.

____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Oct. 21OLIVIA  The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has submitted the findings of its investigation into the July shooting death of an Olivia man by an Olivia police officer to the Blue Earth County Attorney's Office for review and a decision on what action, if any, should be taken next.

Ricardo Torres Jr. was killed during an altercation July 4 with an on-duty Olivia Police Department officer, Aaron Clouse, an 11-year veteran of the force, who discharged his weapon.

See related stories:

* Lots of unknowns in Olivia police shooting that killed Ricardo Torres Jr.

*

Ricardo Torres Jr. remembered at Olivia memorial Wednesday evening, mourners confronted by pickups with American, Trump and Blue-line flags

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension wrote in a news release at the time that a shotgun was found near where Torres was shot and that there is no dash camera or other known video of the shooting. Olivia police officers do not have or wear body cameras.

Torres was transported to Olivia Hospital & Clinic, where he was pronounced deceased.

Clouse has been on standard administrative leave pending the completion of the BCA's investigation.

Olivia is located about 25 miles south of Willmar. The city is the county seat of Renville County.

Blue Earth County agreed to review the case as it would have been a conflict of interest for the Renville County Attorney's Office to participate.

Renville County Attorney David Torgelson said previously that he has had a long-standing relationship with Clouse and they have conferred often on cases.
By Gleb Stolyarov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday it would this month seek to fine U.S. tech giant Google a percentage of its annual Russian turnover for repeatedly failing to delete content deemed illegal, Moscow's strongest effort yet to rein in foreign tech firms.

Communications regulator Roskomnadzor said Google had failed to pay 32.5 million roubles ($458,100) in penalties levied so far this year and that it would now seek a fine of 5-20% of Google's Russian turnover, which could reach as much as $240 million, a significant increase.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Russia has ramped up pressure on foreign tech companies as it seeks to assert greater control over the internet in the country, slowing down the speed of Twitter since March and routinely fining others for content violations.

Opposition activists have accused Alphabet's Google and Apple of caving to Kremlin pressure after they removed an anti-government tactical voting app from their stores.

Roskomnadzor earlier in October said it would ask a court to impose a turnover fine on social media firm Facebook, citing legislation signed by President Vladimir Putin in December 2020.

"A similar case will be put together in October against Google," Roskomnadzor said in emailed comments to Reuters on Tuesday, noting that the company also owned video-hosting site YouTube.

The SPARK business database showed that Google's turnover in Russia in 2020 was 85.5 billion roubles. A 5-20% fine would amount to between 4.3 and 17.1 billion roubles.

Google is currently fighting a court ruling demanding it unblock the YouTube account of a sanctioned Russian businessman or face a compounding fine on its overall turnover that would double every week and force Google out of business within months if paid.

($1 = 70.9450 roubles)

(Additional reporting and writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Armenia accused neighboring Azerbaijan of systematically promoting ethnic hatred against Armenia citizens, as the two nations that fought a six-week war last year faced off at a U.N. court on Thursday.

Armenian representative Yeghishe Kirakosyan made the accusation as a hearing opened at the International Court of Justice into a request by Armenia for judges to impose urgent interim measures to prevent Azerbaijan breaching an international convention to stamp out ethnic discrimination.

The case stems from longstanding enmity that boiled over into last year's war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh that left more than 6,600 people dead. The region is within Azerbaijan but had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the end of a separatist war in 1994.

Kirakosyan said Armenia wasn't asking the court to rule on the root causes of the war, but seeks to prevent and remedy the cycle of violence and hatred perpetrated against ethnic Armenians."

Lawyers representing Azerbaijan were scheduled to address the court later Thursday. Azerbaijan also has filed a similar case alleging discrimination against its citizens by Armenia and also has requested the world court to impose interim measures. Hearings in the Azerbaijan case are scheduled to start next Monday. Rulings on both requests will likely be issued in coming weeks.

Both nations' cases alleging breaches of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination will likely take years to reach their conclusion at the Hague-based court.

Last years conflict ended when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a Russia-brokered cease-fire agreement that granted Azerbaijan control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as adjacent territories occupied by Armenians.

Armenia says more than 3,700 Armenians and Nagorno-Karabakh residents died in the war. Azerbaijan said it lost 2,900 people.

Kirakosyan told the court that despite the deal that ended last year's conflict, Azerbaijan continues to espouse and actively promote ethnic hatred against Armenians.

He said that Azerbaijan has captured, tortured, and arbitrarily detained numerous members of Armenian armed forces and civilians of ethnic Armenian origin and continues to destroy Armenian cultural heritage and religious sites or negate the Armenian character, and the territorys economic controls.
FaceTime hasn't been available in the United Arab Emirates since Apple launched the technology in 2010, but that policy might have eased  at least for a brief while. The AP reports FaceTime calls were suddenly working in the UAE as of October 10th, letting those with the app (not available on Apple gear sold in the UAE) make high-quality video and voice calls. The feature worked when speaking to people both inside and outside of the country.

It's not certain if this is a permanent or intentional change. Dubai kicked off Expo 2020 (yes, the city knows it's 2021) on October 1st, and will keep it running until the end of March 2022  a gesture like this could encourage visitors who want to keep in touch and show what they've seen. The UAE's Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority has so far been silent about the apparent change, however, and restrictions appear to largely be intact for rival services like Skype and WhatsApp outside of the fairgrounds.

Officials have never formally explained the ban. Some have suspected it was a simple effort to protect state-run telecoms' profits, particularly in early years when FaceTime would have consumed a disproportionately large amount of bandwidth. Others, meanwhile, have suspected security concerns. The UAE is believed to have hacked dissidents' iPhones to spy on their activities, and live video chats might make that surveillance difficult.

We wouldn't count on this reprieve lasting long as a result. If this does represent a policy change, though, it could represent either an acknowledgment of changing times or simply a matter of practical necessity. Video calls have often been the only way to see friends and family during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the UAE ban hasn't helped matters.
Kalvin Phillips will not be rushed back into action by Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa following the midfielders recovery from injury.

Phillips withdrew from the England squad for their recent World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary after suffering a calf problem in his club sides Premier League win over Watford.

The 25-year-old also missed the 1-0 defeat at Southampton which left Leeds 17th in the table with just one win from their first eight games of the season.

Kalvin is healthy but has not competed for three weeks and if he played on Saturday it would be far too quick, Bielsa said ahead of the Whites game against Wolves at Elland Road.

After three weeks out is necessary for him to have some more football training and in this stage he has done training sessions for recovery and physical preparation.

I think that to think of him for Saturday would be to bring him back too soon before he is back at his best.

Luke Ayling, Patrick Bamford, Junior Firpo and Robin Koch also remain sidelined, but Raphinha is available to face Wolves after acclimatising on his return to England following his starring role in Brazils 4-1 win over Uruguay.

Bielsa admits the manner of the defeat at Southampton means this week has been one of the most challenging of his time at Leeds, who finished ninth on their return to the Premier League last season.

There have been five or six, but this has been one of the most difficult, he added. The complexity of the week prior to a game is dependent on how far away we were in the last game.

The Southampton game, the distance between what we were playing for and what we achieved was very far, and that (the defeat) was deserved. For me it is a very sad week.

In a parallel way, I know the errors that we made, I know those errors could have been avoided if I managed it more efficiently so I have a lot of energy, strength and willingness to avoid what happened in that game happening again.
TV personality and host at E! News, Lilliana Vazquez, has been celebrating Dia de los Muertos all her life. She grew up setting up an altar, cooking traditional dishes, and observing the day with her family. And now, she's looking forward to sharing the traditions with her son Santi, who was born this summer.

Dia de los Muertosalso known as Day of the Deadis a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated in early November, usually right after Halloween. The purpose of the holiday is to remember friends and family members who have passed away, and it's usually celebrated with bright flowers, colorful decorations, traditional foods, and decorated altars.

Vazquez, who is part Puerto Rican and part Mexican, is sharing all about how she observes the holiday and why it's important to her to pass the traditions on.

Courtesy of Lilliana Vazquez

How She's Celebrating This Year

"One of the most beautiful things about my culture is the music, colors, and food, and there is no bigger or better celebration that brings it all together than Dia de los Muertos," Vazquez says. These are a few of her favorite ways to celebrate the holiday, including the new traditions she can't wait to start with her son.

Setting Up an Altar

Building and decorating an altar is one of the most traditional ways to celebrate the holiday. Typically, family members decorate an altar with photos of a loved one who has passed on, along with flowers, candles, food, and the loved one's favorite items. "Before my Welita passed away, our family altar was always at her home," she says. "It was a central place the whole family could gather to honor our loved ones and I have beautiful memories of decorating the family ofrenda with my abuelita."

Vazquez says that after her grandmother passed away, the most important thing to her was that her grandmother's tradition of building an ofrenda lived on. "Both my mom and I build mini altars at home," Vazquez says. "It's a special way of honoring her along with a tradition that's an important part of our family history."

Story continues

"For me, the altar is the part that's the most funI love reliving so many beautiful memories," she says. "Going through memory boxes, and looking through things I've saved to add to the altar. In my opinion, it's not just having an altar in your home that's important, it's the setting up and all the work that it takes to get there that's the most special."

Related: 9 Vibrant Ways to Celebrate Day of the Dead at Home This Year

Celebrating with Food

Vazquez told us she believes food is at the center of every holiday, so gathering with loved ones to make and eat traditional recipes is an important part of the celebration for her. "Getting the entire family together to make easy and delicious recipes is a great way to build new traditions and lasting memories," she says. One of her favorites to share with her family is McCormick's Creamy Mexican Hot Chocolate.

Passing Traditions On

This year, Vazquez is adding something new to her celebrationspassing on her favorite customs to the next generation. "It's really important for me to pass along these time-honored traditions to my son, Santi because he is  Mexican,  Puerto Rican, and  American," she says. "And he's growing up in California and New Yorkvery American places."

Vazquez says she wants to do her best to create fun memories and sensory experiences centered around her culture so he'll remember them as he grows up. "Growing up, I never outwardly celebrated my culture with friends and in school, but for him, I want it to be the opposite. I want him to be the conduit for that," she says. "I want to instill these traditions in him, so it's fun and something he wants and is proud to share with his friends. I want him to always honor that and be proud of his background."

Lilliana's Suggestions for Celebrating (Without Appropriating)

This holiday celebrates many aspects of Mexican culture and it's important to observe the holiday respectfully.

"It is so important to me that people experience this holiday in an authentic way," Vazquez says. "I'm hoping that sharing my traditions and how I celebrate will help provide an authentic look to everyone so they see all the beauty in itnot just the commercial aspects."

These are her best tips for celebrating while being careful not to appropriate the culture.

Make an Altar

This is one of the most important aspects of the holiday, and Vazquez suggests carefully selecting meaningful items to remember your loved one by. "For me, the flowers are very important," she says. "You can buy fresh ones, or you can make beautiful paper ones." Anything that brings fond memories of your loved one is totally appropriate.

Related: What Is Day of the Dead? Here's What to Know About the Holiday

Curate a Playlist

Vazquez told us she makes a new playlist each year that she can put on while decorating, cooking, or prepping. "Every year it's a little different but I love it," she says. Don't stress too much about what goes on your playlist, just add songs that make you happy or bring back specific memories with your loved ones or family members.

Display Alebrijes

The TV host collects alebrijes, which are brightly colored traditional Mexican folk art statues. She buys a new one each year and collects them whenever she travels, and it's one of the ways she suggests celebrating. You can collect traditional alebrijes, or any other kind of trinkets that help you feel close to your family.

"It's almost like how during Christmas you bring out all the ornaments that you have collected throughout the years," she says. "Dia de los Muertos is like thatthink of the altar like you think of your Christmas tree and all the different ornaments you have collected."

If you've never created one before, now is the perfect time to start collecting! Start with a few items and add to them each year.
Corrections & clarifications: This column has been updated to correct the wording of the new Superman motto.

The Superman family is making a lot of news lately. Not only will current official Superman Jon Kent come out as bisexual next month, his father  the original "Man of Steel" Superman  is ditching his commitment to the American way.

Both moves are purportedly to broaden representation in the DC Comics classic and, of course, to increase its fan base. And both may achieve those goals. But while Jon Kent's new bisexual identity is welcome, dad Clarks retooled motto is no cause for celebration.

At this juncture in history, the change feels more like a blow  a rebuke to America and our way. It hurts even more because we deserve it.

American brand is tarnished

Truth, Justice and the American Way has now become Truth, Justice and A Better Tomorrow. The new mission statement is meant to better reflect the global storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor the characters incredible legacy of over 80 years of building a better world," and to inspire people around the world, DC chief creative director and publisher Jim Lee said Saturday.

Not to read too much into the companys decision, but the American way is a tarnished brand these days. From our tragic 20-year war in Afghanistan, to the deadly Capitol attack that disrupted centuries of peaceful post-election transfers of power, to a lying, corrupt, twice-impeached ex-president who still dominates the Republican Party, we are not living our best national life.

New Superman motto announced Oct. 16, 2021: 'Truth, Justice and A Better Tomorrow.'

If you were a country aspiring to democracy, which is  as Winston Churchill noted  the worst form of government except for all the others, would you set up an Electoral College that lets losers win or a Senate hobbled by minority rule and single senators with axes to grind?

A country with laws, customs, a Constitution and extreme tribalism that make it impossible to remove a dangerously unstable commander in chief? That, unlike other democracies, deprives its entire capital city of federal representation? (Full disclosure: Ive lived in Washington, D.C., for nearly 40 years and never once had the chance to vote for a senator or full-fledged House member.)

Story continues

Jill Lawrence:Hillary Clinton, Louise Penny thriller: An ex-president as dangerous and magnetic as Trump

If you were a wealthy country with dramatic income inequality, would you be as stingy and judgmental as America when it comes to wages, vacation time, paid leave, child care, safety-net programs and education opportunities?

If you were a country that wanted its people to survive and thrive, would you indulge COVID-19 deniers, anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers and politicians who grandstand against public health mandates, all in the name of individual freedom to get sick, infect others, die of COVID, cause others to die of COVID, and overrun hospitals to the point that people with unrelated problems die for lack of access to treatment?

If you were a country that wanted a high-tech, highly efficient government, would you look to America (where the Internal Revenue Service  the world's top tax collector, operates with severely outdated information technology and computer languages that belong in a museum)  or to Estonia, the worlds most digitally advanced society, according to Wired, where 98% of government interactions are digital and 30% of citizens vote online?

We need moral greatness

America clearly has many, many strengths. At the top, I'd put our huge and hugely resilient economy and a well of diversity that endures, even as it is out of fashion among some to welcome the immigrants and strivers who disproportionately fuel that economy. Their contributions range from COVID-19 vaccines developed by two U.S. companies founded by immigrants, to the amazing array of ethnic food in every cranny of America.

We have our vast size, gifting us with natural resources, stunning landscapes and urban wellsprings of arts, culture and commerce. And we have solid core values that will, one hopes, ultimately keep us on a path of greatness that is moral as well as material.

Son of Superman will be coming out as bisexual in a comic book available on Nov. 9, 2021.

Both types of greatness  in the form of inclusive marketing and inclusive values  are on display in the latest Superman plot twist, which follows Batman's Robin coming out as bisexual in August. Bisexual people, who account for more than half of LGBTQ adults in a Gallup poll, are becoming a fact of life in comics.

They're already a fact of life in politics. What is Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema known for at this point? Blocking passage of her party's ambitious social safety-net package. NBC's "Saturday Night Live" parodied her recently with this line: "As a wine-drinking, bisexual triathlete, I know what the average American wants." Until then, did anyone even remember she is bisexual?

Jill Lawrence: Why I'm still on Facebook, even though it's dividing and inciting America for profit

Then there's Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, skewered by Fox News' Tucker Carlson for being "confusing" because, he said, she married a man after claiming to have had a girlfriend in college. "That's what bisexual means," Brown told him on Twitter. "Don't let the bullies stop you from being true to yourself," she added in a message to struggling bisexual people. "You might even be a governor someday."

Between the bisexual reveal and the new America-free tagline, Superman is providing much food for fulmination, particularly among conservative media and political figures.

I have nothing against outraged fulmination. (I am a columnist, after all.) Still, I wish they'd direct theirs at the real problem: The decline of the American way once admired by the world.

Jill Lawrence (@JillDLawrence) is a columnist for USA TODAY and author of "The Art of the Political Deal: How Congress Beat the Odds and Broke Through Gridlock." Follow her on Twitter: @JillDLawrence

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: Superman scraps 'the American way': Why the U.S. isn't worth emulating
The California schoolteacher's behavior is being called

A Southern California teacher has been removed from the classroom after she was filmed dancing and chanting in a mock Native American headdress before her students while pretending to wave tomahawks and pray to nature gods in whats being called a dehumanizing mockery of Native American culture.

Video of the teachers antics at a school in Riverside, east of Los Angeles, was posted on social media on Wednesday. It went viral with the help of civil rights activist Shaun King.

The video shows the teacher repeatedly chanting SOHCAHTOA, which is a mnemonic way of remembering the trigonometric functions sine, cosine and tangent. As she chants, she dances around the room and jumps on furniture.

I am sharing this video because these behaviors can no longer be swept under the rug! As adults, we must stand up for our youth! said the videos caption, which identified the student who filmed the video as Native American.

This student looks indigenous, has a Native first name and identifies as Native American. We need to end discrimination and violence against indigenous youth in schools! the caption said.

The Riverside Unified School District, in an online statement posted Thursday, confirmed that the woman filmed is one of its teachers. It called her behavior completely unacceptable and an offensive depiction of the vast and expansive Native American cultures and practices.

Her actions do not represent the values of our district. The teacher has been placed on leave while the District conducts an investigation, the statement said.

Chrissie Castro, chair of the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission, called the video dehumanizing and a contributor to mental health issues among the Native American population. Castro urged the district to do more.

Its outrageous. Really, that behavior has no place anywhere and especially in a place of learning where Native American students should feel welcome and accepted and, dare I say, celebrated, and thats the opposite of what took place, and its deeply troubling, she told HuffPost by phone Thursday.

Story continues

That behavior has no place anywhere and especially in a place of learning where Native American students should feel welcome and accepted and, dare I say, celebrated.Chrissie Castro, Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission

Castro said she has heard from Native American leaders across the country since the video began to circulate, asking what they can do to help. She stressed the need for California to join other states in requiring educational programs on Native American culture and heritage in schools and recommended that the Riverside school district not just investigate the teachers actions but also examine its own role in what took place and consult with local tribes.

Our young people face the highest level of suicide, and theres been a lot of research to show that that dehumanization of us  even for students who say they arent offended by it  the repeated exposure to those kind of images and this kind of behavior actually creates a lower self-image for Native students, she said. Its dehumanizing. Its making a mockery of our spirituality. The teacher was imitating animal sounds, and its the same kind of mockery that we experience with race-based mascots.

Crystal Echo Hawk, founder and executive director of the nonprofit IllumiNative, which works to increase the visibility of Native Nations and to challenge negative narratives, echoed Castros concern about the teachers actions being harmful to Native youth and called for schools everywhere to do better.

This incident underscores the importance of making Native peoples visible in modern society, especially in the classroom, she said in a statement to HuffPost. This incident proves there is a need for robust cultural competency training for teachers and staff to ensure Native peoples are valued and respected in classrooms around the country.

Attempts to reach the teacher for comment on Thursday were not immediately successful.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
WASHINGTON  Millions more Americans can get a COVID-19 booster and choose a different companys vaccine for that next shot, federal health officials said Thursday.

Certain people who received Pfizer vaccinations months ago already are eligible for a booster and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says specific Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients qualify, too. And in a bigger change, the agency is allowing the flexibility of mixing and matching that extra dose regardless of which type people received first.

The Food and Drug Administration had already authorized such an expansion of the nations booster campaign on Wednesday, and it was also endorsed Thursday by a CDC advisory panel. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky had the final word on who gets the extra doses.

There still are restrictions on who qualifies and when for a booster. Starting six months past their last Pfizer vaccination, people are urged to get a booster if theyre 65 or older, nursing home residents, or at least 50 and at increased risk of severe disease because of health problems. Boosters also were allowed, but not urged, for adults of any age at increased risk of infection because of health problems or their jobs or living conditions. That includes health care workers, teachers and people in jails or homeless shelters.

The same booster qualifications apply to Moderna recipients. Modernas booster will come at half the dose of the original two shots.

As for recipients of the single-shot J&J vaccine, a COVID-19 booster is recommended for everyone at least two months after their vaccination. Thats because the J&J vaccine hasnt proved as protective as the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer options.

The CDC panel didnt explicitly recommend anyone get a different brand than they started with but left open the option.
Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.
Lovejoy was one of four men who were college students here at the time of the crime. All four are no longer students at the college in York. The other men accused are Isaiah Hernandez-Jasso, 20; Fernando Servin Jr., 20; and Prosper Gilpin, 20.

The victim told police he was on a walk, listening to music, around 5 a.m., and was in the area of the colleges prayer chapel when someone grabbed him from behind and pushed him to the ground. Two individuals punched and kicked him while he was on the ground. He attempted to fight back but could not. He sustained superficial abrasions to both knees. He stated that being punched and kicked caused him pain. The two individuals began going through his pockets but he did not have anything in them. The individuals took the hat he was wearing, which was then on the ground, and ran away.
WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. regulators on Wednesday signed off on extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially.

The Food and Drug Administrations decisions mark a big step toward expanding the U.S. booster campaign, which began with extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine last month. But before more people roll up their sleeves, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will consult an expert panel Thursday before finalizing official recommendations for who should get boosters and when.

The latest moves would expand by tens of millions the number of Americans eligible for boosters and formally allow mixing and matching of shots  making it simpler to get another dose, especially for people who had a side effect from one brand but still want the proven protection of vaccination.

Specifically, the FDA authorized a third Moderna shot for seniors and others at high risk from COVID-19 because of their health problems, jobs or living conditions  six months after their last shot. One big change: Modernas booster will be half the dose thats used for the first two shots, based on company data showing that was plenty to rev up immunity again.
"I think that (Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos) has really embarrassed himself by dismissing his employees," Weaver added. "The company has embarrassed itself by retaliating against workers who spoke out. And I would encourage Mr. Sarandos to listen to the people who work for him."

"We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that's been caused," a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. "We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content."

A list of walkout demands reviewed last week by the Los Angeles Times asks the company to set aside a fund supporting trans and nonbinary talent and to attach a disclaimer to "The Closer" saying it "contains transphobic language, misogyny, homophobia, and hate speech," among other requests.

"We will be addressing the list of firm asks ... then we'll talk about how we plan to execute that," said rally organizer Ashlee Marie Preston. "The conversation that we're having today, more than anything, is about the emergence of what I'm calling a 'hate economy,' and it is the capitalization of harm and violence that exists online and onscreen ... and the ways in which algorithmic science is being manipulated to take advantage of those moments and to profit from it."
YORK  A man found sleeping along Interstate 80 and being in possession of methamphetamine has been sentenced to 35 days in jail.

David L. Meador, 30, of Caddo, Okla., was sentenced by District Judge James Stecker.

The case began when during mid-morning hours, a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol was on regular patrol near mile marker 362 (east of Waco) when he saw a stopped SUV on the shoulder of the interstate. The emergency flashers were activated. The trooper stopped and walked up on the passenger side to see if anyone was inside.

When he did, according to court documents, Meador was found reclining in the front passenger seat. The trooper knocked on the window and door frame, yet Meador did not move. The window was rolled down a few inches, so the trooper yelled into the open window to wake him up, but he did not move.

Because the trooper felt a medical issue might be happening, he tried the door and it opened. Upon the trooper shaking Meador, he woke up.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}
New Delhi: Fintech firm Paytm may skip the pre-IPO round to expedite the listing process, according to sources aware of the development. The company is targetting to launch Rs 16,600 crore IPO before Diwali and is looking for valuation in the range of Rs 1.47 - 1.78 lakh crore.

The sources involved with partners of the company in the IPO process said Paytm didn't want to add additional steps to the IPO and thus, is directly headed for the market listing.

"Pre-IPO is always just an option for companies heading for a market debut and it's not exercised by most companies. It makes sense to put the Pre-IPO option in the DRHP, as otherwise, the company cannot raise any primary capital. Companies end up not taking up the Pre-IPO option as it only delays the process, said one of the sources.

The company's plan of shelving the pre-IPO raise is not related to any valuation differences, the source added.

US-based valuation expert Aswath Damodaran, who is a professor specialising in finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University, values the unlisted shares of the IPO-bound firm at Rs 2,950 apiece. Also Read: All indicators pointing towards sharp economic recovery: Piyush Goyal

According to the sources, Paytm expects to receive the Sebi approval soon. Also Read: WhatsApp alert! App wont work on few smartphones from November 1: Check full list
Spicejet, the budget air carrier on India has unveiled a special livery on October 21 (Thursday) to celebrate 100 crore vaccine doses being administered by the Indian government. India surpassed the 100-crore mark and became only democracy in the world to achieve this major milestone in its vaccination programme against COVID-19.

SpiceJet unveiled the special livery at the Delhi's IGI airport to celebrate the 100 crore vaccination milestone. SpiceJet's CMD Ajay Singh and former Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy unveiled the livery.

Spicejet utilized one of its Boeing 737 aircraft for the new livery that consists of a large image of PM Narendra Modi and hospital staff administering vaccine. There's also '100 Crore Vaccines' written in large font followed by 'Congratulations India' message.

There's also a emblem highlighting government's initiative '75 Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' with an Indian flag.

Hailing the vaccination landmark as a triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country has scripted history. The prime minister also visited the vaccination centre at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here after the milestone was achieved and interacted with hospital officials, staff and some of the beneficiaries.

According to official sources, over 75 per cent of India's all eligible adult population has been administered at least the first dose and around 31 per cent has received both the doses of the vaccine. The top five states which have administered the highest number of doses are Uttar Pradesh followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

To mark the completion of administering of 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses, the largest khadi tricolour in the country, weighing around 1,400 kg, will be displayed at the Red Fort on Thursday, official sources said. The same tricolour with dimensions 225 feet by 150 feet was unfurled on Gandhi Jayanti in Leh on October 2

The Archaeological Survey of India will light up 100 of its heritage monuments in colours of the tricolour to mark the milestonewhich will be a tribute to health professionals, frontline workers, scientists, vaccine manufacturers and the citizens of the country who bravely fought the pandemic.

With inputs from PTI

Live TV

#mute
Shimla: Seventeen trekkers have gone missing in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The trekkers had left Harshil in adjoining Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi for Chitkul in HP's Kinnaur on October 14, but they reportedly went missing during inclement weather from October 17 to 19 in Lamkhaga pass, he said.

The Lamkhaga Pass is one of the toughest passes which connects Kinnaur district with Harshil in Uttarakhand.

Police and Forest Department teams, and a quick response team have been sent to the spot, Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq said.

The DC said the help of Indo-Tibetan Border Police was also sought for their search.

The search operation will be started in the wee hours on Thursday, he added.

Live TV
New Delhi: Hitting out at the Centre over rising prices of petrol and diesel, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (October 21) said that the government is playing a "cruel joke" on the public. On the same day, both petrol and diesel prices saw a hike of 35 paise per litre, the second consecutive day of increase that took pump rates across the country to record high levels.

Slamming the government, Gandhi tweeted, "GOI is playing a cruel joke on our public." He used the hashtag 'TaxExtortion' and shared a social media post which said that a new word - Fillionaire (One who cannot afford a full tank in India) - has been coined, courtesy "Modi government's fuel loot".

GOI is playing a cruel joke on our public.           #TaxExtortion pic.twitter.com/javaHiu6eE  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 21, 2021

The price of petrol in Delhi rose to its highest-ever level of Rs 106.54 a litre and Rs 112.44 per litre in Mumbai, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. In Mumbai, diesel now comes for Rs 103.26 a litre, while in Delhi it costs Rs 95.27 per litre.

This is the second consecutive day of price hike. There was no change in rates on October 18 and 19, prior to which prices were hiked by 35 paise per litre each on four straight days.

While petrol has already hit the Rs 100-a-litre mark or more in all major cities of the country, diesel has touched that level in over a dozen states and is treading towards that mark in places from Srinagar to Chennai. Diesel costs Rs 99.14 a litre in Srinagar while it is priced at Rs 99.59 in Chennai.

(With PTI inputs)

Live TV
Chennai: As India celebrates the occasion of having surpassed 100crore or 1 billion vaccinations against COVID-19, the countrys private airlines shared the joy of having been able to contribute. While IndiGo mentioned their efforts in helping transport 67.9cr vaccines across the country, SpiceJet referred to their role in repatriating Indian citizens from abroad, transporting cargo and COVID-19 relief material.

The airline carried 1727 tonnes of COVID vaccine via 4505 flights between January 12th and October 12th, 2021, by adhering to all requisite precautionary measures read the statement from IndiGo. Congratulating the Indian Government on the milestone, William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, We feel privileged to be able to contribute to the national vaccination program through safe and hassle-free transportation of 67.9 crore vaccine doses over the last nine months. It is an honour to be the largest transporter of covid vaccines in the country, carrying almost 190 tonnes of vaccine Cargo across the country every month. We remain committed to supporting the nation and will continue transporting the vaccines seamlessly, till the country is fully vaccinated.

SpiceJet unveiled a special livery to honor the contribution of the frontline workers who worked tirelessly to achieve the vaccination milestone. The special livery was unveiled at a grand event graced by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Ajay Singh, CMD, SpiceJet at Delhis IGI Airport. The livery which includes an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and healthcare workers will adorn three Boeing 737 aircraft of SpiceJet. Congratulating the Prime Minister and the Government, Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet said, The fact that a record 1 billion doses were administered in just 279 days is a testament to the efforts of our health workers and the cooperation of our citizens.

According to SpiceJet, they had played an integral role in the war against COVID-19 by carrying record supplies of relief material, medicines and medical equipment, over the last 18 months.  The airline has operated around 26,300 cargo flights since March 2020 and transported around 200,000 tonnes of cargo. Besides, the airline also airlifted close to 90,000 oxygen concentrators and relief material read their statement. It adds that they had brought back 3.63 lakh Indian and foreign nationals stranded in different countries on more than 2100 special flights.

Live TV
As India achieved the landmark of administering 100 crore COVID vaccine doses today (October 21), several politicians, including PM Narendra Modi, congratulated the medical professionals as well as the countrymen for achieving this remarkable feat. Here's what some of them had to say.

History has been made: PM Narendra Modi

Today, this day of October 21, 2021, has been recorded in history. The nation (India) now has strong armour of 100 crore Covid vaccine doses to combat this biggest pandemic in 100 years. India has crossed the 100 crore vaccine dose mark sometime back.... I express my gratitude to all the vaccine manufacturing companies of the country, workers engaged in vaccine transportation, health sector professionals engaged in vaccine development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows a thumbs-up sign to the healthcare workers during his visit to RML Hospital, as India crosses the one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses mark, in New Delhi (Pic: ANI)

An historic achievement: Amit Shah, Home Minister

I congratulate the country on this historic achievement and thank all scientists, researchers and health workers who have contributed in this great task by overcoming many challenges and congratulate PM Modi for commitment towards the safety and health of every person.

A joint effort of people, scientists, healthcare workers: Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Huge achievement of India's people and scientists. As a result of joint efforts, 100 crore doses administered. The quick pace with which it (vaccination drive) is going forward shows that the first dose to everyone will be administered in the next few days. Adequate quantity is available for second dose...the depth with which PM monitored vaccination program, encouraged scientists and prepared them for vaccine development in the country, helped build an image of India globally. The rapid speed with which doctors-nurses took it to all corners of India is a matter of pride.

This shows our government's commitment to people's health safety: JP Nadda, BJP President

India has achieved 100 crore COVID-19 vaccinations in less than 10 months. This shows our government's commitment to the health safety of every person in the country. I extend heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Modi and express gratitude towards healthcare and frontline workers.

Live TV
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday (October 21) said that the protesting farmers at Delhi borders cannot block the roads indefinitely.

A bench headed by Justice S K Kaul said it was not against the right to protest, adding that some solution has to be found.

Farmers have right to protest but they cannot keep roads blocked indefinitely. You may have a right to agitate in any manner but roads should not be blocked like this. People have right to go on roads but it cannot be blocked, PTI quoted the top court as saying.

Further, listing the matter for hearing on December 7, the bench asked the farmer unions, who have been arrayed as parties in the case, to respond within three weeks on the issue.

The PIL was filed by a Noida-resident Monicca Agarwal who complained of delays in daily commute caused due to the road blockade owing to the ongoing farmers' protests.

Several farmers are protesting against the Centre's three agriculture laws -- The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020. The protests which commenced in Punjab reached Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in November 2020.

The talks between the government and unions of protesting farmers reached an impasse as the Centre is not ready to scrap the farm laws. The last round of talks between the farmer unions and the central government was held on January 22.

Earlier in October, while listening to a plea by Kisan Mahapanchayat', a body of farmers and agriculturists, seeking permission to hold satyagraha at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, the apex court had pulled up the body and said, You have strangulated the entire city and now you want to come within the city and start protest again here. The court had also stated that protesting farmers are obstructing traffic, blocking trains and national highways.

(With agency inputs)

Live TV
New Delhi: India crossed the landmark of vaccinating 100 crore individuals on Thursday (October 21, 2021). India has become the second country, after China, to reach the 100 crore milestone.

According to the Cowin portal, a total of 100 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far to eligible beneficiaries. The milestone was achieved at 9:47 am today.

Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in the national capital as the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in India crossed the 100 crore mark. Modi interacted with hospital officials and was accompanied by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

Delhi | PM Modi visits RML Hospital as the number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in India crosses the 100 crore mark pic.twitter.com/s9X3CSzTTJ  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

Congratulations and wishes poured in from political leaders and health professionals as soon as India achieved the landmark.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also congratulated the citizens of India on crossing 100 crore COVID-19 vaccination coverage and attributed the achievement to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Congratulations India! This is the result of the able leadership of visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi. #VaccineCentury," Mandaviya tweeted in Hindi.

1,00,00,00,000      ,         Congratulations India on this remarkable feat of administering 100 Crore doses #VaccineCentury pic.twitter.com/XSX7VPUdUT  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 21, 2021

The COVID-19 Task Force chief V K Paul said, Congratulations to the people&healthcare workers of India. It's remarkable to reach 1 billion dose mark for any nation,an achievement in just over 9 months since the vaccination program started in India.

Congratulations to the people&healthcare workers of India. It's remarkable to reach 1 billion dose mark for any nation,an achievement in just over 9 months since the vaccination program started in India: Dr VK Paul, Member-Health,NITI Aayog on India crossing 100 crore vaccination pic.twitter.com/k9VMkf0OlY  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

Consistency is important. First dose has been given to over 75% of adults, but at the same time, 25% of adults, who are eligible to receive free vaccination are still unvaccinated. Efforts must go forward to vaccinate those who haven't taken the first dose, Dr VK Paul added.

Live TV
Beijing: India has voiced its strong opposition to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its flagship project - the CPEC - at the just concluded second UN Sustainable Transport Conference where the Indian diplomat's mike curiously went silent while she was highlighting New Delhi's objection to the controversial projects.

The sudden "mike failure" at the UN meet hosted by China here from October 14 to 16 created a flutter and took several minutes to restore.

Even the video of the next speaker began to play but it was halted by UN under-secretary-general Liu Zhenmin, the former vice foreign minister of China, who urged the Indian diplomat, Priyanka Sohoni, Second Secretary of the Indian Embassy here, to continue her speech.

After the mike system was restored at the conference hall, Liu said, dear participants, we are sorry. We are confronting some technical problems and played the video of the next speaker. I am sorry for that and asked Sohoni to resume her speech.

"You are lucky..You are back and welcome back," he told Sohoni following which the Indian diplomat continued her speech without interruption.

"We share the international community's desire for enhancing physical connectivity and believe it should bring greater economic benefits to all in an equitable and balanced manner," Sohoni said.

"Expansion and strengthening of physical connectivity is an integral part of India's economic and diplomatic initiatives, she said.

"There have been some references to the Belt and Road Initiative or BRI at this conference. Here, I wish to say that as far as China's BRI is concerned, we are uniquely affected by it. It's inclusion of the so-called China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a flagship project impinges on India's sovereignty, Sohoni said.

The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to enhance China's influence and also link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.

The USD 60 billion CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of the BRI.

India has been vocally objecting to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Beijing for its part is playing down India's objections, saying it is an economic initiative and has not affected its principled stand on the Kashmir issue.

"No country can support an initiative that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," Sohoni said.

"This aside there are also larger issues regarding how connectivity initiatives should be pursued. We are of the firm belief that connectivity initiatives must be based on universally recognised international norms, she said.

"They must follow principles of openness, transparency and financial responsibility and be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity of nations. India for its part abides by these principles and stands ready to make collective efforts for sustainable development through a human-centric approach, she said.

Sohoni also said that India has adopted bold measures in the realm of clean energy, energy efficiency, deforestation and biodiversity.

"We have ambitious renewable energy target of 450 GW by 2030 demonstrating our commitment towards combating climate change. It is not without a reason therefore we are among few countries whose NDC (Nationally Determined are two degrees compatible," she said.

"We are on track and exceed our commitments and targets from Paris. A drop of 24 per cent in emission intensity has already been achieved," she said.

Earlier, a few speakers ahead of Sohoni, a Pakistani diplomat had showered praise on the BRI and its flagship project CPEC, terming it as a game-changer for the region.

Xi, who aggressively promoted BRI in the last few years, himself referred to it in his speech on the opening day of the UN conference on October 14 which focussed on promoting sustainable transport to bring down the carbon emissions.

"China will not change course in its pursuit of a new system of open economy of higher standards, and China will not waver in its resolve to promote trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation, Xi said.

"China's door of opening-up will only open wider, and will never be closed. China will continue to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen infrastructure connectivity with other countries, and develop a green Silk Road and a digital Silk Road at a faster pace, he said.

After Sohoni's speech, Chinese transport minister Li Xiaopeng, who was present at the conference, responded to the Indian diplomat's criticism.

"I would like to extend my apologies for the technical glitch just now when the Indian delegate spoke," Li said.

"I don't want to be offensive. Just now you have mentioned a lot of topics. As for the topics you mentioned, I would like to make some complements, Li said in an apparent reference to Sohoni's speech.

"The BRI is open and inclusive. We tried to improve the connectivity and seek the development of all countries. In the past eight years, all the international communities have welcomed this initiative. Up to now about 141 countries and 32 organisations have signed more than 200 agreements with China, Li said.

"A lot of important and practical projects have been implemented, which includes a lot of important transport projects. I would like to invite all parties to contribute to the development of this (BRI) project," Li said.

Diplomatic sources said the Chinese minister's response at the conference to the Indian diplomat may constitute a breach of UN protocol.

Live TV
New Delhi: Amid heightened border tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), new videos showing Indian soldiers demonstrating their battle drill to destroy 'enemy tank' in Arunachal has surfaced on Thursday.

In one such video, the Indian soldiers can be seen undergoing aggressive training and taking vigorous exercises in rough climate conditions of the Eastern Sector in Arunachal Pradesh.

#WATCH Indian Army soldiers undergo aggressive training, vigorous exercise, and meditation for the troops in rough climate conditions and terrains of the Eastern Sector in Arunachal Pradesh pic.twitter.com/NUy8xhvBJH  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

In one of those videos, the Indian Army's anti-tank squad can be seen demonstrating a battle drill to destroy enemy tanks in the Tawang sector near the LAC. India reportedly had a brief standoff with the Chinese PLA troops in the Tawang sector earlier this month.

#WATCH Indian Army soldiers demonstrate battle drill to destroy enemy tanks in the Tawang sector near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) #ArunachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/3XYvYjB1hY  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

The new videos show the anti-tank squad doing a missile-firing demo and destroying their armoured targets. Videos show the Indian Army's ongoing preparations to tackle any kind of threat from the Chinese side.

The mock drill was conducted in Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The adversaries can't surprise the Indian Army on the Arunachal Pradesh border, a senior Army officer informed asserting that surveillance and technological capabilities have helped the forces to keep a 'hawk-eye' on the border areas.

'We are creating more transparency through the use of technology, the fusion of an array of sensors including ground-based and air-based sensors, a network of radars and unmanned systems,' Major General Zubin Minwalla, General-Officer-Commanding of the 5 Mountain Division said.

Talking about the Indian Army's vision in the region, Major General Minwalla also said that enhancing technical capabilities and improving road infrastructure is the major goal.

India has recently deployed upgraded L70 anti-aircraft guns in the high mountains along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh sector in addition to its existing M-777 howitzers and the Swedish Bofors guns, officials said on Wednesday.

The deployment, which came months after the induction of M-777 ultralight howitzers, is aimed at boosting the Indian Army's overall fire power in the face of China's aggressive posturing following the eastern Ladakh standoff, they said.

The upgraded L-70 guns were positioned around two months ago as part of a series of measures taken to bolster the Indian Army's operational preparedness to deal with any eventualities, the officials said.

India has a sizable number of Bofors howitzers in the eastern sector which has been the backbone of its fire power capability in the region.

As part of a high state of preparedness, the Army units including those of the 'integrated defended locality' have been undergoing strenuous physical training and military drills on a daily basis. The 'integrated defended locality' is a specialised unit comprising various arms of the Army including infantry, air defence, and artillery.

Military officials said the upgraded L70 guns were deployed in several key locations in Arunachal Pradesh in addition to other sensitive positions along the entire LAC and that their inductions have significantly enhanced the Army's air defence mechanism.

Live TV
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police Wednesday confirmed that the half burnt body exhumed from the playground of a private school in Kalahandi district is that of the missing lady teacher who fell prey to a pre-planned murder by the arrested prime accused, the president of the educational institution's managing committee.

The lady teacher was killed by the school president in his car on October 8 on their way from Bhawanipatna and Kegaon, DIG of northern range Deepak Kumar told a press conference in Bolangir town.

This was ascertained by the oral, material, technical and scientific evidences, accounts of eyewitness and confessional statements of the accused, he said.

READ | After drunk men molest and abuse women who had gone for a bath, Odisha village bans alcohol

The half burnt and partly decomposed body of the woman was exhumed from 10 feet under the playground of the private school at Mahaling, about 80 km from the Kalahandi district headquarter town of Bhawanipatna, where she taught, on Tuesday 11 days after she went missing. "The prime accused buried the teacher's body in the school play ground before being half burnt in the darkness. The pit for hiding the body was dug earlier and filled with mud early on October 9," Kumar told reporters.

On the motive behind the crime, he said the school president had a grudge against the lady teacher as she was aware of his two extra-marital affairs and had warned that she would expose him. "He (the prime accused) took revenge".

Kumar said the 24-year-old lady teacher had died due to breathlessness. "It could be a case of strangulation. Immediately after killing her, the accused took her to the school campus where a pit was already dug. He dumped the body and burnt some rubber tyres and card boards before filling the pit with mud," the DIG said adding the body has been sent for forensic tests.

Asked how the police zeroed in on the school play ground from where the body was exhumed on Tuesday, the DIG said the police got the clue from the CCTV footage which was got 40 to 45 km from the school. "A number of officers verified it for about 70 hours before the police came to know about the murder of the lady teacher."

The police have detained the driver of the vehicle used in the crime and investigation is underway to know the extent of his involvement in the crime, the DIG said.

The school president, who was arrested from a sugarcane field in neighbouring Bolangir district on Tuesday afternoon after the half burnt body was exhumed from 10 feet under the ground of the private school at Mahaling and the police declared Rs one lakh for information leading to his arrest. He was produced before the court of the judicial magistrate at Bangomunda on Wednesday and was remanded to police custody for five days.

Police had announced a cash reward of Rs one lakh for information leading to the arrest of the accused, who had escaped during his detention in the Titlagarh police barrack since October 14.

Meanwhile, both the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) have sought reports on the killing of the lady teacher. The NCW has asked the Odisha Director General of Police Abhay to ensure a fair investigation into the matter and directed the state police to provide security to the teacher's family.

The OSCW has also sought a report from the superintendents of police of Bolangir and Kalahandi and asked them to submit their probe a report within 15 days. "We have asked the SPs to conduct a fair investigation into the case," said SCW chairperson Minati Behera.

The DIG said senior police officers are monitoring the case and the charge sheet will be filed soon. "The case will be put for fast track trial," he added.

Live TV
By Kashi Nath Pandita

With Qayyum Khan, the chief minister of NWFP in the loop, Pak Army planners sand- mapped annexation of the geographically large and strategically crucial State of Jammu and Kashmir. In liaison with the British residual counterpart, they converged on forestalling Indias attempt of retrieving Gilgit-Baltistan whose borders touched on Soviet Central Asia. The British colonial mindset would not give up Lord Curzons Great Game in Central Asia strategy.

Pakistani generals motivated the lashkars by inciting their religious sentiment of fighting the infidel (kafir) and secondly, whetted up their lust for male-ghaneem or enemy property (gold and ornaments) and abduction of their young women.

Operation Gulmarg, Pak Armys code name of Kashmir incursion, was not launched on the scheduled date of August 20, 1947. Somehow, Major OS Kalkat, the Brigade Major of Bannu Brigade, had come to know of it. But before he would be picked up by Pakistanis, he gave them a slip and came to New Delhi on Oct 18, 1947. Senior army officers in New Delhi and the Defence Ministry mandarins doubted the veracity of Major Kalkats story. He was produced before PM Nehru, who not only rebuked his critics but also flung to them a plethora of papers telling them to look for a letter he had received already about the conspiracy of Pak armys incursion plan of Kashmir by the lashkars.

In mid-September 1947, PM Liaquat Ali Khan convened a secret meeting in Lahore to discuss annexation of Kashmir. NWFP Chief Minister Qayyum Khans proposal of inducting lashkars was approved. The money would come from PMs secret fund. Three days later a group of tribal leaders met in a cellar of a ramshackle building in the walled city of Peshawar. Maj. Khurshid Anwar would work as kingpin. Within hours, in the mud- walled compounds of their villages in Landi Kotal, the tribesmen passed the ancient war cry of jihad. They began buying hard tac and gurh. Taken twice or three times, the mouthful could sustain a Pathan for days.

Two British officers in NWFP, Governor Sir George Cunningham and Lt. Gen Sir Frank Messervy, the C-in-C of Pakistan army, conversed on the telephone. Cunningham said, Tribesmen chanting Allah o Akbar have been pouring through Peshawar. My chief minister seems to be stirring up the Pathans. Messervy replied Prime Minister Qayyum had given him personal assurance of his opposition to attacking Kashmir.

Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan, President of All India Muslim League writes (Gumgashta Qaum, p. 279): I was given the command of Kashmir incursion and asked for the services of Brig. Sher Khan and Brig. Akbar Khan. Besides them, Gen Kiyani (formerly of INA), Col. Dara and Taj Khanzadeh were also associated with Kashmir invasion. Maj. Khurshid contacted the chiefs of about fifteen tribes of NWFP including Afridi, Mahsud, Yusufzai etc. These lashkars bore allegiance to the religious leaders like the Pir of Manki Sharif and others. Brig Akbar Khan was also given the task of organizing the Azad Army, a major portion coming from the Muslim elements of J&K State Forces after their desertion. 22 Oct 1947 was the D day. 7th Infantry Division of Pak Army was to concentrate in the Muree  Abbottabad sector by the last night viz. 21 October. One Infantry Brigade was kept in readiness at Sialkot to move towards Jammu.

Muzaffarabad fell on October 22 and four days later on October 26, the raiders aptured Baramulla. In his 3-volume Pakistan ki Siyasi Tarikh, Zahid Chowdhury from PoK writes that for three days the invaders continued the genocide of the non-Muslims, oting and burning their houses. A large number (about 1800) of their women were raped and abducted. In Baramula the lashkars suspended march to Srinagar for three days. A dispute over a sum of three lakh rupees released by Pak Finance Ministry had erupted between the lashkars and Maj Khurshid. At Shalteng  the outskirts of Srinagar  the decisive battle was fought on the night of 7-8 November 1947 in which the Indian troops inflicted a crushing defeat on the invaders who lost nearly 600 men. The defeated troops withdrew and escaped from the valley. Baramulla and Uri were recaptured on 8th of November by the advancing Sikh Light Infantry.

Pak armys tactics of taking Kashmir by force continues to date albeit with changing strategies. The place of lashkars is now taken by the Islamic jihadists recruited by various terrorist organizations based in Pakistani and sustained by the deep state. Some of these organizations and their leaders have been designated by the UN and the States Department. Pakistan has raised these jihadists as the vanguard of her armed forces in the war against India. They are fully radicalized and brainwashed in thousands of seminaries in that country. They were deployed and Kargil war as cover to Pak regulars. The jihadist force has become formidable so much so that Pakistan army had to launch Zarb-e-azab to neutralize them in North Waziristan. Scores of terrorist training camps in Pakistan or PoK are handled by Pakistan army officers under directions from ISI.

The tribal lashkars had the only motive of loot, plunder and abduction of women. They had nothing to do with religion though their Pakistani handlers had instigated them with the slogan of war against the infidel. Pakistani Generals had the motive of turning Kashmir into their summer luxury resort where the Kashmiris would be the hewers of wood and drawers of water for them. They would get space eastward and thus squeeze the northern borders with India.

Padamshri Dr KN Pandita, also known as Kashi Nath Pandita is an Indian historian. He was born in Baramulla, Jammu & Kashmir. He studied and worked at Panjab University.
Chennai: The customs officials seized 5.06 kg of 24K gold worth Rs 2.19 crores at the Chennai airport. Five people were arrested in connection with the case. They were allegedly hiding the gold foils in electronic devices such as laptops and tablets.

Chennai Air Customs officials intercepted 10 passengers that returned from Dubai on flights EK-544 and UL-121 on Wednesday evening.

On being detained and thoroughly searched, gold foils concealed in laptops, tablet computers were recovered and seized, said the customs officials.

The images shared by the officials depict how the smugglers concealed thin gold foils under the laptop keyboard and under the display of tablet computers.

Undeclared electronic goods worth Rs 48.6 lakh were also seized under Customs Act, 1962. The investigation is underway.

Live TV
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday achieved a historic feat as it has administered more than 100 crores COVID-19 vaccination jabs since the country's mass inoculation drive began to defeat the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to mark the celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reached Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The Prime Minister and the Health Minister interacted with the doctors and the nursing staff their and thanked the frontline workers for their efforts in administering COVID jb to the people of India.

The country is set to witness celebrations and it is expected that announcements will be made on airplanes, ships, metros and at railway stations when India achieves its target of administering 100 crore doses.

In a landmark achievement, India`s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed 100 crore doses on Thursday.

A total of 100 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far to eligible beneficiaries, as per the CoWIN portal at 9:47 am today.

India`s COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16, 2021.

Initially, the vaccination was opened for Health Care Workers (HCWs) only.From February 2, front line workers were made eligible for vaccination.

These included State and Central Police personnel, Armed Force Personnel, Home Guards, Civil Defence & Disaster Management Volunteers, Municipal workers, Prison Staff, PRI Staff and Revenue workers involved in containment and surveillance, Railway Protection Force and election Staff.

The vaccination drive was expanded from March 1 to include persons above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with associated specified 20 comorbidities. It was further expanded to all people above 45 years of age from April 1.

From May 1 all persons above 18 years of age were made eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (October 21) will inaugurate the Infosys Foundation made 806-bedded Vishram Sadan at National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Jhajjar Campus of AIIMS New Delhi.

The PM will attend the event via video conferencing at 10:30 AM. As per Prime Minister's Office (PMO), PM Modi will also address the occasion after the inauguration. Union Health & Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Chairperson of Infosys Foundation Sudha Murthy will also attend the event.

A part of Infosys Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the 806-bedded Vishram Sadan will provide air-conditioned accommodation facilities to the accompanying attendants of the cancer patients, who often have to stay in hospitals for longer duration, the release as cited by ANI said.

"It has been constructed by the Foundation at a cost of about Rs 93 crore. It is located in close proximity to the hospital & OPD Blocks of NCI," the PMO release added.

On Wednesday, PM Modi inaugurated International Airport in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar, which aims to connect Buddhist pilgrimage sites around the world. Built at an estimated cost of Rs 260 crore, the airport will facilitate domestic and international pilgrims to visit the 'mahaparinirvana' site of Lord Buddha.

The PM also announced several development projects in Kushinagar during his visit to Uttar Pradesh which will undergo high-profile Assembly elections next year. He had also participated in an event marking Abhidhamma Day at the Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar before attending the public function.

(With agency inputs)

Live TV
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the southwest monsoon is likely to withdraw on October 26. The MeT department also revealed that it is the same day when the northeast monsoon is likely to commence over southeast peninsular India, adding that it will brings in rains mostly to Tamil Nadu, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

"With likely setting in of north-easterly winds in the lower tropospheric levels over Bay of Bengal and extreme south Peninsular India, the southwest monsoon is likely to withdraw from the entire country around October 26. Simultaneously, the northeast monsoon rains are also likely to commence over the southeast peninsular India from around October 26," IMD said in a release.

The weather department also said that the normal date for the southwest monsoon to completely withdraw is October 15, but this year the process is delayed. The commencement of withdrawal too had started on October 6 against the normal date of September 17.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon withdrawal line continues to pass through Kohima, Silchar, Krishna Nagar, Baripada, Malkangiri, Nalgonda, Bagalkote, Vengurla.

IMD also said that conditions are becoming favourable for further withdrawal of southwest monsoon from remaining parts of northeast India; entire north Bay of Bengal; remaining parts of West Bengal; some parts of Central Bay of Bengal; remaining parts of Odisha; some parts of Andhra Pradesh; some more parts of Telangana; entire Goa; some more parts of Karnataka and some more parts of Central Arabian Sea around October 23.

On the other hand, low pressure systems over the southern states, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, near the Arabian Sea and another over Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast near Bay of Bengal had delayed the process.

Because of the low-pressure systems and cyclonic circulations Kerala, Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka have experienced heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.

(With IANS inputs)

Live TV
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday reopened for physical hearings for the first time since March 2020. The apex court had recently issued new SoPs for hybrid hearings as per which all cases on Wednesdays and Thursdays will be heard only in the physical presence of the counsels/parties in courtrooms.

Supreme Court reopens for physical hearing for the first time since March 2020. Supreme Court has recently issued new SoPs for hybrid hearings as per which all cases on Wednesdays and Thursdays to be heard only in physical presence of the counsels/parties in courtrooms. pic.twitter.com/mSijsRRKeY  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

The Supreme Court Bar Association, a registered body of lawyers practising in the Apex Court, had urged the Chief Justice to revert to the physical mode of hearing since the Covid-19 surge has receded.

The modified SOP gives an option to the lawyers to opt for either physical or virtual mode on Tuesdays. In the modified rules, therefore, there would be a 15-minute break at the discretion of the Bench during physical hearings. The courtrooms had to be vacated during this interval for being sanitised.

Lawyers would be called in a case one after the other. They can wait at the Bar lounges in the building for their cases to be called. This was to avoid crowds in the corridors, they were told.

Journalists allowed inside courtrooms in physical proceedings

The Supreme Court had on Wednesday decided to allow journalists inside courtrooms to witness the proceedings to be conducted in physical mode subject to adherence to usual COVID-19 protocols.

With the physical hearing in the Supreme Court of India commencing tomorrow (Thursday, 21 October 2021), it has been decided to allow the media persons, subject to usual COVID restrictions, into the courtrooms for covering the proceedings, the apex court said in the release.

However, given the limitation of space inside the courtrooms due to the need to strictly maintain physical distancing, it is requested that the media persons may observe self-regulation and not to over-crowd the courtrooms, it said.

Media persons may even consider issuing a roster among themselves for this purpose which will help them in sharing the notes from all the courtrooms at the end of the day's proceedings. This advisory is issued with the purpose of keeping all the stakeholders safe by way of adhering to COVID appropriate behaviour, it said.

The top court has been hearing cases through video conference since March last year due to the pandemic and several bar bodies and lawyers have been demanding that physical hearings should resume immediately.

Live TV
Pune (Maharashtra): Maharashtra Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik has once again hit out at the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Calling the NCB Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede a 'puppet', Malik on Thursday (October 21), challenged the officer that he will lose his job within one year.

Malik was addressing his party workers in Maval tehsil of Pune district and said, "They have a puppet-Wankhede. He raises bogus cases against people. I challenge Samir Wankhede from this stage that Wankhede will lose his job in a year. He had come to put us behind the bar. The people of this nation will not be silent without seeing you behind bars. Wankhede has been indulged in bogus activities and we have the evidence to prove it. Once those evidences come out he will not be able to continue doing his job any further."

"Tell us who your 'father' is, the one who is putting pressure? Nawab Malik is not going to be scared of anyone's father whatever pressure you may try to put on me. I will not stop until I put you in jail, I would like to make this clear today," he added.

Malik had also demanded to know what was Wankhede doing in Dubai and the Maldives with his family during the pandemic lockdown and threatened him with jail for "concocting drug cases against Bollywood personalities". In a dual attack, he shared photos of Wankhede's family holidaying in Maldives when the entire Bollywood was also there. "Its very clear all this 'vasuli' (extortion) took place in Maldives and Dubai. I am releasing those photos. What was he doing in Maldives-Dubai, he must answer," Malik said at the public rally in Pune.

Notably, Malik's son-in-law Sameer Khan was arrested on January 13 this year by NCB in connection with a drug case. Sameer Khan was granted bail on September 27, after eight months in prison. Meanwhile, Mumbai's Special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court on Wednesday rejected bail applications of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha for their alleged involvement in the cruise drugs party case.

Meanwhile on being asked if he will take any legal action regarding Malik's allegations, Wankhede said, "I am a central government employee, so I have to take due permission from my seniors and after that, I will take a legal course."

An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on a cruise ship on October 2. A total of 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals, have been arrested so far in the case related to the seizure of drugs following a raid at the party.

(With Agency inputs)

Live TV
New Delhi: India Post has invited applications for Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) posts. The India Post is recruiting for its Jammu and Kashmir postal circle and is looking to fill up to 250 vacancies for Branch Postmaster (BPM), Assistant Branch Postmaster (ABPM) and Dak Sevaks posts through this recruitment drive.

The interested and eligible candidates can apply by visiting India Post's official website appost.in. It may be noted that the last date to apply is October 29, 2021.

India Post GDS Recruitment: Vacancy details

Branch Postmaster (BPM)

Assistant Branch Postmaster (ABPM)

Dak Sevak posts

India Post GDS Recruitment: Age limit

The candidate must be between 18 and 40 years as on September 30, 2021. Permissible relaxation in the upper age limit is there for reserved categories.

ALSO READ | IBPS PO Recruitment 2021: Apply for 4,135 vacancies at ibps.in, heres direct link to register

India Post GDS Recruitment: Eligibility criteria

Candidate should have a Secondary School Examination pass certificate of 10th standard with passing marks in Mathematics, local language and English (having been studied as compulsory or elective subjects). The candidate should also have studied the local language at least up to the 10th standard [as compulsory or elective subjects]. The candidate is also required to furnish a Basic Computer Training Course Certificate of at least 60 days duration from any Computer Training Institute.

India Post GDS Recruitment: How to apply

Step 1. Only ONLINE applications will be accepted.

Step 2. A candidate who desires to apply online will have to register himself/herself in the portal through https://indiapost.gov.in or https://appost.in/gdsonline.

Step 3. On the portal, a candidate needs to provide his name, father's name, mobile number, Date of Birth, gender, community, the state in which class X &passed, board in which class X, and other such details.

Live TV
New Delhi: Former Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa distanced himself from BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateels "drug addict" remark on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said such statements should not be made.

Talking to reporters in Vijayapura districts Sindagi where Yediyurappa went to campaign for the BJP candidate for the forthcoming Assembly bypolls, he said, "No one should speak like that. I will talk to him to know what the background was behind such a statement. There was no need to speak that way.

Kateel on Tuesday had made controversial remarks on the former Congress chief. Addressing a gathering of BJP workers, as per ANI, he had said, "Rahul Gandhi says he will become president. Tell me what is Rahul Gandhi? Rahul Gandhi is a drug addict and drug peddler. I do not say this, it has appeared in news reports. They are unable to run the Congress party. Those who cannot run a party, how can they run this country?"

Drawing flak from Congress over the statement, the grand old party demanded an apology and resignation of Kateel on the issue.

The development comes ahead of the bypolls to two constituencies-- Sindagi and Hangal-- in Karnataka on October 30.

Meanwhile, Yediyurappa slammed Congress leader HD Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah for criticising RSS during the election campaign and said, "Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah are unnecessarily dragging the RSS name into the election campaign but they will gain nothing by bringing RSS name, people will give them a proper answer in the bypolls."

The Karnataka Congress and BJP have been engaged in a bitter war of words since the former called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "angootha-chhaap" or illiterate, and later deleted the tweet after much hullabaloo. The Karnataka Congress expressed regret for the "uncivil tweet" posted by a "novice social media manager".

(With agency inputs)

Live TV
Gwalior: An Indian Air Force (IAF) plane crashed in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district on Thursday morning, officials said. "An IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft experienced a technical malfunction during a training sortie in the central sector this morning. The pilot ejected safely. An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF said in a tweet.

An IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft experienced a technical malfunction during a training sortie in the central sector this morning. The pilot ejected safely. An Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.  Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) October 21, 2021

The pilot ejected safely before the aircraft crashed in Mankabagh village of the district, Bhind Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Singh told PTI. The plane caught fire after the crash, he said, adding that the pilot was rescued. The aircraft had taken off from the Maharajpura airbase at Gwalior in the morning, the official said.

Bhind district administration and IAF officials reached the spot soon after getting information about the crash.
New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Thursday conducted search operations at Bollywood actress Ananya Panday's residence in Bandra, Mumbai. The officials landed at Chunky Pandey's house and his actor-daughter has been summoned for questioning.

It has been learnt from sources that WhatApp chats between Aryan Khan and Ananya Panday have been retrieved by the NCB and soon after this, the raids were conducted.

NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede will be interrogating the actress in relation to these chats and drugs case. The questionnaire for Ananya is being prepared by the NCB head.

Search was conducted this morning, we have given our summons, now we will follow the procedure, can't disclose further...: Ashok Mutha Jain, NCB DDG on summon to actor Ananya Panday pic.twitter.com/vXCF24jixY  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

Sources reveal that it was a brief search operation at Ananya Panday and she has been summoned for probe today. Some phones, laptop and electronic devices have been seized from her residence.

Meanwhile, simultaneously NCB officials landed at Shah Rukh Khan's residence Mannat today to complete some documentation work. Earlier today, he had visited Arthur Road Jail to meet his son Aryan Khan.

Aryan Khan will have to stay in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, at least for 5 more days as the Bombay High Court has decided to hear his bail plea in the drugs case on October 26, 2021. Aryan Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha's bail applications were rejected by Mumbais Special NDPS Court on Wednesday, October 20.

Besides Aryan, model Munmun Dhamecha's bail application was also mentioned, and the hearing has been kept for Tuesday.
Mumbai: Bombay High Court is likely to hear the bail applications of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan and a few others who were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) following a raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast during which it seized drugs from their possession on October 3.

VV Patil, special judge for the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases, had on Wednesday rejected the bail pleas of Aryan Khan, his friend Arbaaz Merchant (26) and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha (28).

The court observed that on the face of it', he (Aryan Khan) was indulging in "illicit drug activities on a regular basis". His WhatsApp chats also showed, prima facie, that he was in touch with drug peddlers, the court noted.

The lawyers of Aryan Khan (23), arrested with a few others on October 3 after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raided a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast and claimed to have seized drugs including charas, then moved the Bombay High Court.

The matter is likely to be mentioned on Thursday before Justice N W Sambre seeking an urgent hearing, legal sources said.

The special NDPS Act court in its 21-page order noted that WhatsApp chats of Aryan Khan prima facie revealed that he was "dealing in illicit drug activities on a regular basis" and therefore it cannot be said that he was not likely to commit a similar offence if released on bail.

It also held that Aryan knew that his friend and co-accused Arbaaz Merchant was in possession of drugs, and hence there was conscious possession even though the NCB had not found any drugs on Aryan himself.

Considering the prima facie involvement of the applicants/accused No 1 to 3 (Aryan Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha) in commission of grave and serious offence, this is not a fit case for granting bail, the judge said in the order.

The material placed before it by the NCB showed on the face of it that section 29 of the NDPS Act, pertaining to conspiracy, was applicable, said the court. Therefore, it is not possible to record a satisfaction at this stage that the applicants have not committed any offence under the NDPS Act, the order said.

Case papers and voluntary statements of Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant disclosed that they possessed drugs for consumption and enjoyment, the court noted further. These things go to show that accused No 1 (Aryan) was having knowledge of the contraband concealed by accused No 2 (Merchant) in his shoes, it said.

Although no contraband is found in the possession of accused No 1, six grams of charas was found in possession of accused No 2 of which accused No 1 (Aryan) was having knowledge and thus it can be said that it was in conscious possession of both the accused, the court added.

In Aryan's WhatsApp chats, there is reference to "bulk quantity and hard drugs" and "there is prima facie material showing that accused No 1 was in contact with persons dealing in prohibited narcotic substances," the order said.

Prima facie it appears that there is a case of conspiracy and abetment as alleged by the prosecution, it said. Earlier, a magistrate's court had rejected the accused's bail pleas, saying only a special court can hear these matters.

Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha, among others, were arrested on October 3 for alleged conspiracy, possession, consumption, purchase and trafficking of drugs under the NDPS Act.

They are now in judicial custody. While Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison, Dhamecha is lodged at the Byculla women's prison in the city. So far, 20 persons have been arrested in the case.

Live TV
New Delhi: Bollywood actor Chunky Pandey accompanied daughter Ananya Panday today to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) office as she was summoned for questioning. After conducting a brief search operation at her Bandra residence this afternoon, the NCB called the actress for a probe in relation to the Aryan Khan drugs case.

It has been learnt from sources that WhatApp chats between Aryan Khan and Ananya Panday have been retrieved by the NCB and soon after this, the raids were conducted. As soon as Chunky and Ananya Panday left their residence to reach the NCB office, a huge crowd gathered outside their house hounded the car just to catch a glimpse of the young star.

#WATCH | Mumbai: Actor Ananya Panday leaves from her residence for the NCB office as she has been summoned for questioning today pic.twitter.com/t0m2JcViY4  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

Also, upon reaching the destination, they swam across a huge media crowd to enter the NCB office.

#WATCH | Mumbai: Actor Ananya Panday, her father Chunky Panday reach NCB office. Ananya has been summoned by NCB for questioning. pic.twitter.com/SKiPf2S3P7  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede will be interrogating the actress in relation to these chats and drugs case. The questionnaire for Ananya has been prepared by him and her questioning is underway.

Sources reveal that it was a brief search operation at Ananya Panday and she has been summoned for probe today. Some phones, laptop and electronic devices have been seized from her residence.

Meanwhile, simultaneously NCB officials landed at Shah Rukh Khan's residence Mannat today to complete some documentation work. Earlier today, he had visited Arthur Road Jail to meet his son Aryan Khan.

Aryan Khan will have to stay in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, at least for 5 more days as the Bombay High Court has decided to hear his bail plea in the drugs case on October 26, 2021. Aryan Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha's bail applications were rejected by Mumbais Special NDPS Court on Wednesday, October 20.

Besides Aryan, model Munmun Dhamecha's bail application was also mentioned, and the hearing has been kept for Tuesday.
New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Thursday conducted search operations at Bollywood actress Ananya Panday's residence in Bandra, Pali Hill. The officials landed at Chunky Pandey's house and his actor-daughter has been summoned for questioning.

The young actress Ananya Panday has been called for questioning today by the anti-drug agency. The actress is likely to appear before NCB at 2 pm today.

Mumbai | A team of Narcotics Control Bureau arrives at the residence of actor Ananya Pandey. A team of NCB is also present at Shah Rukh Khan's residence Visuals from Ananya Pandey's residence pic.twitter.com/U5ssrIxpph  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

Mumbai | Anti-drugs agency Narcotics Control Bureau summons actor Ananya Panday for questioning today  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021

It has been learnt from sources that some phones, laptop and electronic devices have been seized from Ananya's residence.

Meanwhile, simultaneously NCB officials landed at Shah Rukh Khan's residence Mannat today to complete some documentation work. Earlier today, he had visited Arthur Road Jail to meet his son Aryan Khan.

Aryan Khan will have to stay in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, at least for 5 more days as the Bombay High Court has decided to hear his bail plea in the drugs case on October 26, 2021. Aryan Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha's bail applications were rejected by Mumbais Special NDPS Court on Wednesday, October 20.

Aryan Khan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde in the court said, 'The bail which was rejected by the magistrate, we are requesting for tomorrow or Monday'. Justice Sambre ordered the bail application of Aryan to be heard on Tuesday, October 26, 2021.

Besides Aryan, model Munmun Dhamecha's bail application was also mentioned, and the hearing has been kept for Tuesday.
Mumbai: Actor Taapsee Pannu says she is fine with critics feeling that she is getting typecast as an artiste playing only strong female characters as she prefers these roles over "vulnerable" women who have no agency.

Over the years, Pannu has headlined several critically-lauded projects, playing strong-headed characters in films like "Manmarziyaan", "Saand Ki Aankh", " Thappad", "Haseen Dillruba" and her latest "Rashmi Rocket".

While a section had voiced their concern that Pannu is getting into a box, the 34-year-old actor said she won't play a "weak" character just to please the critics.

"If this is a stereotyping, that every film of mine is going to have a strong woman character who is going to stand up for herself, I am perfectly fine with that stereotyping. That's one stereotype I don't mind. I will not portray a meek, weak, just pure vulnerable character who has no strength of her own only to satisfy the critical opinion of a few. I don't care," Pannu said.

The actor was in conversation with writer-producer Nikhil Taneja at the ongoing India Film Project.

Pannu said she doesn't appreciate when film critics offer her advice on her career and also call her out for taking up "strong women" parts.

"I get appalled when critics try to give me career choices in the movie reviews. They say, 'Oh she should do these kinds of films, she is doing too many strong women characters.'

"Sorry but there is nothing like 'too much of strong women characters'. You wait and see, in every film I will come back with strong women characters. You don't like it, don't watch it. But I am not going to play a meek character just to satisfy your critical ego," she added.

The actor said what amuses her is that men get away by playing the same "stereotypical" character but women like her are often criticised for attempting that.

"I want to be that person on screen who eventually the audience wants to root for. And for that, I need to have a certain kind of strength and standing. We have been seeing male actors have that (strength), being a hero in every film, but we don't mind them being that. But now that I am doing films back to back that showcases women who have their own mind and strength and a no-nonsense attitude, that is a problem, a stereotype. Till now you have been ok with men doing it," she added.

Pannu has a slew of upcoming projects, including Anurag Kashyap's "Dobaaraa", "Looop Lapeta", "Shaaash Mithu" and "Blurr", her first film as a producer.
New Delhi: In the latest 7th Pay Commission update, the Central government has approved a 3 per cent hike in the dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for Central government employees and pensioners. The latest DA and DR hike has come amid the festive season that will add to the festivities for lakhs of Central government employees and pensioners.

Overall, the latest decision to increase the DA will benefit 47.14 lakh Central government employees and 68.62 lakh pensioners. With the latest increase, the DA and DR will now be paid at a rate of 31% of the basic pay and pension, respectively.

Previously, the government was paying DA and DR at a rate of 28% of the basic and pension, respectively. The decision to increase the DA by 3% will cost the exchequer Rs 9,488.70 crore per annum.

In the official statement, the government said that the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved to release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 1.7.2021 representing an increase of 3% over the existing rate of 28% of the Basic Pay / Pension, to compensate for price rise.

This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission. The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be Rs.9,488.70 crore per annum. This will benefit about 47.14 lakh Central Government employees and 68.62 lakh pensioners," the official release added.

7th Pay Commission DA hike: Heres how to calculate a salary hike

With the latest 3% increase in DA and DR, the Central government employees and pensioners salaries and pensions are all set to increase. The new DA and DR will be paid at a rate of 31% of their basic pay and pension. Also Read: Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Portfolio: Big bull raises stake in THIS stock, are you investing?

So, to calculate their salary and pension hikes, employees and pensioners need to calculate the 3% of their basic pay. For instance, if the basic salary of an individual is Rs 18,000, then his or her monthly salary or pension will increase by Rs 540. Overall, the DA at 31% rate will be about Rs 5580 in this case. Also Read: MG Astor mid-size SUV sold out for 2021, New bookings to open from November 1

Live TV

#mute
New Delhi: 7th PAY COMMISSION latest update --In what could be called as a bumper festive bonanza for lakhs of Central government employees, the Union Cabinet has approved a 3 percent dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) hike. The decision is aimed at benefiting over 47.14 lakh Central government employees and 68.62 lakh pensioners.

The increase of 3 percent dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) hike is over the existing rate of 28 percent of the basic pay/pension, costing the exchequer Rs 9,488.70 crore per annum.

"The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today has approved to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 1.7.2021 representing an increase of 3% over the existing rate of 28% of the Basic Pay / Pension, to compensate for price rise. This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission. The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be Rs.9,488.70 crore per annum. This will benefit about 47.14 lakh Central Government employees and 68.62 lakh pensioners," said an official release.

It may be recalled that the Cabinet Committee chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had in July approved increase the Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners with effect from 01.07.2021 to 28% representing an increase of 11% over the existing rate of 17% of the Basic Pay/Pension.

In view of the unprecedented situation which arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic, three additional instalments of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners, which were due from 01.01.2020, 01.07.2020 and 01.01.2021, had been frozen.

The Government has decided to increase the Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners with effect from 01.07.2021 to 28% representing an increase of 11% over the existing rate of 17% of the Basic Pay/Pension. The increase reflects the additional instalments arising on 01.01.2020, 01.07.2020 and 01.01.2021. The rate of Dearness Allowance/Dearness Relief for the period 01.01.2020 to 30.06.2021 shall remain at 17%.

Live TV

#mute
New Delhi: Panasonic on Wednesday launched a new digital mirrorless camera, the Lumix GH5M2, in the Indian market.

GH5M2 body is priced at Rs 1,69,990 and GH5M2 L-kit at Rs 2,14,990. The camera is available across Panasonic India brand shops.

"The LUMIX GH5M2 complements the current workstyle as it is capable of wireless live-streaming using the Lumix Sync application for smartphones. High quality live-streaming is possible with minimum equipment in either an outdoor or an indoor environment -- with just the camera and a smartphone," said Hardeep Sarna, Sales and Marketing Head, Imaging Business Group, Panasonic India, in a statement.

The camera comes with a 20.3MP Digital Live MOS Sensor with AR (anti-reflective) coating. The image processor is updated from that of the GH5 by adopting the latest Venus Engine that boasts high speed and high performance.

It features a three-inch free-angle LCD in 3:2 aspect with 1,840K-dot high resolution.

It incorporates an advanced deep learning technology that detects specific subjects -- humans and animals. In addition to the eye, face and body, the head is also separately recognized by real-time detection technology to provide even more precise focusing.

To achieve stable handheld shooting, the Body I.S. (Image Stabilizer) in the Lumix GH5M2 is further advanced, making it possible to use a .6.5-stop slower shutter speeds, the company claims.

The GH5M2 is capable of wireless live streaming using the Lumix Sync application for smartphone to live stream. For wired live streaming, a dedicated software programme Lumix Webcam Software is available to download.

The GH5M2 includes Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 5GHz (IEEE802.11ac) 6/2.4GHz (IEEE802.11b/g/n). Most of the accessories for GH5, such as the XLR Microphone Adaptor, the Shutter Remote Control and the Battery Grip can also be used with the GH5M2.
New Delhi: Music composer Vishal Dadlani, who is going to judge the new season of the singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa reveals why he did not return as a judge on Indian Idol season 12. Vishal took a break from judging duties when the shooting of the show shifted outside Mumbai during COVID-19 restrictions. Vishal had at that time taken a break to protect his parents as he stays in the same house as them and did not want to take any risks during the pandemic.

My parents are my first priority. Therefore, I decided to move out of Mumbai and look after them and be safe at home. The entire focus of my life during the pandemic was to keep my parents safe. And thankfully, we are healthy and fine, shared the 48 years old to ETimes.

Vishal also opened up about why he did not return to judging duties after the shooting returned to Mumbai. I was away for a few months, so obviously, they had to bring a new judge in my place. The show established a certain pattern and it was not economically feasible or made sense to bring me back on the show. I am expensive as a judge and so it would not have worked out to bring me back again, revealed the music composer.

Vishal was replaced by Anu Malik on the show. The music composer was, however, present at the finale of Indian Idol 12 as an audience member to cheer the contestants. Music is the centre of our universe and whether I move away from a show for personal reasons or start judging a new show, the main idea or focus is to help and promote young musicians and give them a platform, shared Vishal.
New Delhi: The big daddy of all reality shows - Bigg Boss 15 is managing to stay in news almost every day without a fail. Be it for love blooming inside the house of physical fights ruling the roost - there is buzz around the show on social media. Last night's episode saw TV actor and host Karan Kundrra getting violent during a task with Pratik Sehajpal.

During the task, Kundrra not only pinned down Pratik Sehajpal, who was trying to snatch away the blue paper sheet but also chokeslammed him to the ground, leaving netizens fuming. Bigg Boss OTT fame Pratik Sehajpal fans are angered by no reaction from Bigg Boss makers as the announcement was made only once, asking the two to stay away from each other.

Social media is flooded with reactions of fans, demanding Karan Kundrra's eviction for turning violent in the task. Of all the contestants, only Jay Bhanushali raised his voice against Kundrra's act and clearly said it was wrong and he was interrupted by Tejasswi Prakash, who was Kundrra's partner in the task.

Karan Kundra pinned #PratikSehajpal and then slammed him on the floor. But no one will question him. If Pratik would have done it then everyone would have jumped at him including our host. Why so much favourism for Karan Kundra?? #BB15  Gautam Gang (@GautamGang) October 21, 2021

One was thrown out just for pushing & the other one was not even scolded for doing an act of extreme physical violence. How is this fair if the very basic rule of bb is not to get physical? Don't be biased! EVICT KARAN KUNDRRA@ColorsTV @BiggBoss #PratikSehajpal #BiggBoss15 pic.twitter.com/X8n4HWX6aC  Salman (@Yeagerist007) October 20, 2021

Notably, in Bigg Boss OTT, Zeeshan Khan was evicted from the show for violence although his level of physicality in the task was much less than Kundrra.

Fans are waiting for the makers to take action against the TV actor.
NEW DELHI: Actresses Sara Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor recently visited the sets of Ranveer Singh's television show 'The Big Picture' as celebrity guests.

The two gorgeous ladies happily posed with host Ranveer for the paparazzi. While Janhvi was dressed in a shimmery pink-peach bodycon dress with balloon sleeves. Sara, on the other hand, was seen in a short black dress with silver sequin stripes. Both actresses looked extremely mesmerising and were all glam-up.

However, social media users weren't too pleased with Sara's posture as she posed with Ranveer on the show. The actress was seen holding Ranveer's arm while she posed for shutterbugs. As expected, netizens didn't leave any chance here and heavily trolled the actress in the comments section in the video shared by celeb photographer Viral Bhayani.

Ranveer Singh recently made his debut on television with the quiz show 'The Big Picture'. The actor welcomed Sara and Janhvi on the sets on Wednesday night. All the three stars were dressed impeccably.

On the work front, Sara Ali Khan will be seen in 'Atrangi Re' with Akshay Kumar and Dhanush. The film is directed by Aanand L Rai. A few days back, she posted pictures from her Maldives vacay and fans loved it.
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted an aerial survey of rain-hit areas of Uttarakhand on Thursday (October 21) to asses the damage pegged at Rs 7,000 crore. Shah hailed the 'alertness' of the central and state government agencies had helped contain the damage.

"Sixty-four unfortunate rain-related deaths have been reported in the state, while more than eleven people are still missing," Shah said. While, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami claimed that three days of incessant rains in the state have caused damages worth Rs 7,000 crore.

Amit Shah was accompanied by Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen (retd) Gurmit Singh, the chief minister Pushkar Dhami, Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt and state Disaster Management Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, to undertake aerial survey of the affected areas.

"A heavy rain alert was issued well in advance which helped take required precautionary steps like halting the Chardham Yatra. The damage could have been more if it was not done. Timely mobilisation of search and rescue teams, and arrival of IAF helicopters to assist in rescue operations helped minimise the potential damage," Shah told reporters at the Jollygrant airport, as per PTI report.

The relief and rescue operations continued in worst-hit Kumaon region amid efforts to restore connectivity and evacuate people from vulnerable areas. Restoring the network of damaged roads and bridges at the earliest and evacuating people to safety is the priority at the moment. The Centre is with the state government and it will give all support to Uttarakhand in its rehabilitation efforts, Shah said.

On October 19, Uttarakhand registered 45 more deaths. Of these, the highest number of deaths (28) were reported in Nainital, six in Almora, eight in Champawat, two in Udham Singh Nagar and one in Bageshwar.

Meanwhile, the Chardham Yatra which was halted temporarily on October 18 resumed with pilgrims leaving for Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri from Rishikesh Chardham bus terminal and Haridwar bus stand.

Live TV
Zuckerverse. Timesuck. Faceplant.

They're just a few of the suggestions being bandied around online following reports that Facebook plans to rebrand itself with a new group name. The company refused to comment on rumor or speculation, of course, but the Twitterati had no problem. The debate careered from sensible to screwball to strange.

"Meta" was one of the more sober trending suggestions, referring to Facebook's reported desire to assume a name that focuses on the metaverse, a virtual environment where users can hang out.

Bookface, Facegram, Facetagram, FreeFace, FreeTalk, World Changer.

On the wilder side, Twitter user Dave Pell drew a comparison with musician Kanye West who recently changed his name to "Ye".

"It would be awesome if Facebook changes its name to Ye," he said.

Several humorous suggestions reflected online speculation that the alleged rebrand was driven by founder Mark Zuckerberg's yearning to make Facebook "cool" once more.

The platform has been deserted by many younger users who have moved to apps like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, and has become increasingly populated by older people.

"Teenage Wasteland", one wit suggested.

"The Old People`s App because that`s what us younger people call it," college student Vittoria Esteves told Reuters in Rome.

"Boomerville", suggested Marco, referring to so-called baby boomers born in the years following World War II.

STREISAND EFFECT`

The online naming feast was sparked by a report on the Verge tech site that a newly named group would act as a parent for all the company's brands, including Facebook itself, Instagram and WhatsApp, and reflect a focus on virtual and augmented reality.

An announcement is expected next week, according to the report. Many suggestions however reflected the public's concern about how the company handles user safety and hate speech. Internal documents leaked by a whistleblower formed the basis for a U.S. Senate hearing last week.

"Fakebook", for example. Tracebook.

Other people were sceptical whether a name change would be enough to detract from the growing legal and regulatory scrutiny that has tarnished the company's reputation.

"It's going to be the Barbra Streisand effect thing going on," said 20-year old Glasgow student Thomas van der Hoven, referring to the phenomenon where seeking to suppress something inadvertently turbo-charges popular interest in it.

"So they're going to try and change it, and then that`s just going to put the spotlight on the fact that they're changing it. Why are they changing this?" he added. "So it's probably going to spit back in their face at some point."

Live TV
London: The Health chiefs in the UK have urged the government to legally enforce some of the COVID-19 prevention measures, such as mandatory face coverings in enclosed spaces, as coronavirus infections in Britain continue to spike over the 40,000 mark daily.

The NHS Confederation, a membership body of the country's National Health Service (NHS), said a backup strategy, or Plan B plus, is required as preemptive action over winter when the health service is already stretched due to seasonal flu and other diseases.

The warning comes as the UK hit another daily high of 43,738 COVID cases on Tuesday and 223 COVID deaths, which is the highest daily coronavirus death figure since March.

"It is time for the government to enact Plan B of its strategy without delay because without preemptive action, we risk stumbling into a winter crisis. Also, health leaders need to understand what a Plan C' would entail if these measures are insufficient, said Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation.

"There is a crucial opportunity for the public to pull together and show extra support for the NHS by behaving in ways that will keep themselves and others safe and also safeguard stretched frontline services for those most in need. The government should not wait for COVID infections to rocket and for NHS pressures to be sky high before the panic alarm is sounded, he said.

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson`s official spokesperson said Downing Street was keeping a "very close watch" on the latest statistics, but suggested case rates, hospitalisations and deaths were "still broadly in line with" government modeling as the UK has lifted most Covid restrictions.

Adam Finn, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol and a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said the "very rapid rise" in the number of cases in the country is a "reflection of how people are behaving".

"Nobody" appears to be wearing masks inside anymore, adding he doubts few people are doing lateral flow tests as required, he told Sky News. Around 86 per cent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 78 per cent have received both doses, the latest figures showed.

The UK government has set out a COVID-19 winter strategy, which focused on building the population's defences through vaccinations and other pharmaceutical interventions.

Within that, a Plan B would be enacted if pressures on the NHS were deemed to be at risk of becoming unsustainable. Additional measures could include clear communications to the public that the level of risk has increased, introducing certificates for people's COVID-19 vaccine status, and legally mandating people to wear face coverings in certain settings, in addition to considering asking people to work from home if they can.

The NHS Federation said on Tuesday that many of these measures, particularly around mask-wearing and COVID-19 certification, are already common in parts of Europe where the prevalence of the disease is lower.

Under the government's ongoing Plan A for dealing with COVID in England this winter, COVID-19 top-up booster doses are to be offered to around 30 million people in the over-50s category, a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to be offered for healthy 12 to 15-year-olds and people are advised to wear face coverings in crowded places.

If these measures are perceived as not being enough to prevent excessive load on the NHS, then steps like making face coverings mandatory in some settings, asking people to work from home and introducing vaccine passports could be considered as a Plan B.

Live TV